MediaTek isn’t a name that’s on the top of anyone’s mind when thinking about the devices that power your life. But it’s their technology helping make your Alexa smarter, your game graphics more realistic, and your internet speedier. And now they’re adding that magic to 5G with their new Dimensity 1000 chips!
5G is the next big thing in wireless, and everyone is looking forward to fast speeds and angry Nextdoor conspiracy theory posts. MediaTek is on it (the speeds, not the conspiracy theories), and they’re partnering with Intel to deploy 5G modems for laptops. So far, HP and Dell are slated to be among the first rolling out the new modems in early 2021, so keep your eyes peeled.
My son is 6, and his favorite subject in school is coding — mostly because he gets to play with little robots, but it’s still a very worthwhile and useful life skill. He also loves all things Star Wars, so when Kano offered us the chance to review their Star Wars The Force Coding Kit, we had to give it a shot!
Screentime” is the ultimate debate in parenting these days. How long, what time of day, which devices … Ask 10 parents, and you’ll get 30 opinions. Whatever your philosophy and strategy, if you have Xfinity for your internet service you’ll want to check out xFi’s new features to refine internet downtime, no matter your screen time rules.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Not snow, though that’s exciting, or holidays with relatives, which might be nice or might be fodder for your next passive-aggressive Facebook status. No, it’s time for Hammacher Schlemmer to pretend you can afford the finer things in life, like a $350 cat bed or a nose hair trimmer as a stocking stuffer!
Ford recently trimmed down their sedan offerings to the Fiesta, Fusion, and of course, Mustang. Otherwise, it’s all SUV and trucks, all the time. This raised some eyebrows, especially with pressure and shifts to electric and hybrid vehicles, but Ford has an interesting solution. What if you reimagined the Mustang … as an electric SUV?
Our long national nightmare is finally over — Sonic the Hedgehog has been redesigned. We no longer need to fear the uncanny valley of human teeth, sneakers, and no pants; see for yourself!
Smartphones make life so much better — we’re easily connected to so many important pieces of information, from banking to email to home automation, all at your fingertips. Unfortunately, they provide a pocket-sized obstacle if, say, you want to surprise someone who has an alarm system and an addiction to their email.
This is a picture of my infected tooth. The tooth is gone now, but there’s a debate raging on-what do you see in this picture? I’ve been told it looks like a jellyfish, but Judie’s husband says he sees a rifle. So in the Rorschach test that is my x-ray, what do you see? Jellyfish? Rifle? Something else?
If my family had a crest, it would be someone holding their head with a sinus headache. My mother and brother get headaches fairly often, and I had surgery a few years ago to alleviate my sinus’s tendencies to get rather angry. So I was quite excited when we were offered the chance to review the Tivic Health ClearUp!
A few years ago, “Let it go” tortured every parent with a child under 13. And with Frozen 2 on the horizon, something even worse is no doubt lurking in the soundtrack. But don’t stress about that, because someone more brilliant than any of us has translated “Let it go” into Klingon and sings it in that beautifully angry way only Klingons can do.
Zazzle makes a variety of products from mousepads to cases, mugs, and more. You can design your own, or you can look to one of their licensed product lines. We had the chance to check out some of their Star Wars merchandise, and if you’ve got some Force fanatics on your holiday list, you definitely need to head to Zazzle!
One of the coolest things about being a kid in 2019 is the tremendous number of opportunities to learn more about coding. It helps kids learn about logical reasoning, plus it helps them understand the basics of computers. Robo Wunderkind is aiming to combine coding with LEGO to make an even more fun educational tool!
UBTech makes a huge variety of codable robots that teach kids all about STEM in a fun and exciting way. Their latest is the MeeBot 2.0, an exclusive with Apple Stores complete with LED lights and even dance moves!
Roku usually gets lost in debates about Chromecasts, Fire TV, and Apple TV, but they’ve quietly chugged along putting out solid streaming boxes and carving out a reputation as a solid neutral choice in the streaming wars. They’re taking that further with a new exclusive partnership with Walmart and their new onn Roku Smart Soundbar and onn Roku Wireless Subwoofer!
Coding is becoming as integral a part of a kids education as math and reading. It teaches logic and helps kids better understand how the world of technology they’re surrounded by actually works. Also, Star Wars is objectively awesome and every kid wishes they had the Force. Kano is tapping into that with their Star Wars The Force Coding kit!
A good speaker can transform a party or event. Everyone gets into their favorite song, it breaks the ice, and it provides sound to fill in those awkward moments when everyone runs out of small talk. Aiwa thinks they’ve put together the ultimate option with their Aiwa Exos-X8 Party Speaker.
We checked out Jimu’s Builderbots last year and were impressed with these amazing construction and coding kits. UBTECH has even more exciting products out now, from a dragon to robotic champions!
I owe the world of all-in-one desktops an apology. For the longest time, I was skeptical of the whole concept, because of a bad experience using my parent’s iMac. My whole worldview on all-in-ones has changed after spending some time with the Lenovo IdeaCentre A940 Yoga; this is the closest to the Platonic ideal of an AIO desktop you can get!
If your wallet shuddered suddenly this week, it was probably busy tuning into Apple’s big fall announcements. If you missed it, or you’re on data overload, there are new iPhones, pricing for Apple TV+, a new iPad, a new Apple Watch, and Apple Arcade news!
When Samsung pulled the Galaxy Fold due to some issues with the hinge, they promised that — like Arnold in Terminator — it would be back, and it is!