saturday riff

The Bright Side of Humans Eavesdropping on Your Alexa Recordings

Over the past few months, a waterfall of details about how companies handle voice recordings has poured into the news. First, there was news that Amazon hired thousands of contractors to review Alexa commands. Apple and Google were doing the same thing with their voice assistants. Then, more recently, we learned that Facebook and Microsoft…

Privacy & Security Adam Clark Estes Aug 17

The VR Revolution Is Alive and Well, It’s Just Not Ready For You

When HTC and Oculus launched their first-gen virtual reality headsets back in the spring of 2016, it felt like the beginning of a revolution. These headsets were immersive and sophisticated, unlike anything the public had seen before, and a leap forward from disasters like Nintendo’s cursed Virtual Boy. But when you fast forward three years…

Gadgets Sam Rutherford Jul 20

The Switch Lite Seems Nice, But What I Really Want Is a Switch Pro

Earlier this week, Nintendo finally announced the long-rumored Switch Lite and it looks good. At $200, even though it doesn’t have support for the standard model’s docking feature, the Switch Lite seems like the natural upgrade for anyone still clinging to a 3DS, and a perfect handheld companion for long car rides or plane flights.…

Gadgets Sam Rutherford Jul 12

The New Service Wars Are Here to Empty Your Wallet

Canon versus Nikon. Dell versus HP. Microsoft versus Apple. Tech companies have been battling over their piece of the pie for years, that ain’t new. But recently, tech and non-tech companies alike have started changing up their business models so that instead of simply selling you a device and calling it a day, companies would…

Tech News Sam Rutherford Jun 22

People Experiencing Hardship Should Be Allowed to Use Technology Without Your Judgmental Bullshit

Roughly 553,000 Americans are currently experiencing homelessness, according to the latest figures available from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. But that doesn’t mean those people should be judged for owning technology like laptops and smartphones, no matter what various assholes have to say on the subject. Conservative commentator and author Tom Nichols posted…

Tech News Matt Novak Jun 15

Why Disney+ Freaks Me Out About the Future of Streaming

It certainly seems like the world of streaming video entered a new epoch recently. Last week, Comcast finally handed the reigns of Hulu over to Disney, which means the company will have not only the impending Disney+ streaming service but also a live TV service that competes with the big cable companies. Then, the very…

Tech News Alex Cranz May 25

What’s Going to Happen With Microsoft Next Week?

On Monday, while many of us dissect the latest episode of Game of Thrones, thousands of developers will convene in Seattle to talk about all things Microsoft at its annual Build conference. Where once that meant speculating about cool new laptops or a fancy mixed reality headset, this year things will probably be focused on…

Tech News Alex Cranz May 4

We Have to Do Something About Outdoor Cats

I hate outdoor cats with a burning passion. I set out to write a blog calling for an Isle of Dogs-style roundup of feral cats, a mass adoption drive and cat cull, and outlawing outdoor and community cats. But I’ve realized that things aren’t that simple. Humans have already drastically altered the environment, and our…

Tech News Ryan F. Mandelbaum Apr 27

When Will We Get the Game Boy Classic Edition?

Tomorrow, April 21, 2019, the Game Boy turns 30 years old. The handheld console that paved the way for the Switch is still beloved by almost anyone who’s ever laid hands on it, and for all its shortcomings, it’s still one of the most memorable gaming devices of all time. So why is there no…

Games Andrew Liszewski Apr 20

The Surprising Best Feature of Google Home

Despite the fact that there are now somewhere around 120 million smart speakers lurking in kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms around the United States, most people do not need Google’s Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa in their lives. In fact, I thought I’d never own one of these devices, out of principle. Why, after all, would…

Gadgets Andrew Couts Apr 6

RSS Is Better Than Twitter

There is a good reason people call Twitter the hell website. Cynicism, egos, unprovoked hostility, unchecked propaganda, sexism, bigotry, and outright hate—Twitter is as full of it as virtually anywhere online, and worse, it’s unbearably nonstop. The design of the place feels uniquely unhealthy due in large part to its speed and unrelenting stream. Opening…

Tech News Patrick Howell O'Neill Mar 30

I Tried Google Maps’ Experimental Walking Directions of the Future

The perfect scenario for Google’s new Visual Position System, or VPS, is one you’ve probably been in already: Emerging from a subway station in a strange city. You’ve got your route planned out on your phone, but you don’t know which way is which, or the names of the roads—if you set off in the…

Gadgets David Nield Mar 23

Is It Actually Okay To Touch Your Computer Screen?

It’s a topic that’s polarizing for techies and Luddites alike: Is it ever truly okay to touch your laptop or desktop screen? While smartphones and tablets definitely normalized the idea of putting our greasy sausage mitts on our expensive, beautiful gadgets, it’s still a point of contention. In the past it made sense to smack…

Tech News Victoria Song Mar 9

The Race to Foldable Phone Perfection Is On, and It’s Going to Be a Blast

Less than two weeks ago, the idea of a high-quality bendable phone seemed like a farce. After all, the first foldable handset—the Royole FlexPai—was ambitious, but also a piece of junk. It was clunky, hard to open, and looked like something that needed months, if not years, of refinement. But then the Samsung Galaxy Fold…

Gadgets Sam Rutherford Mar 3

I Ditched Chrome for Safari and You Can Too

Based on my best estimates, I started using Google Chrome in late 2009, not long after the beta version for OS X came out. It was awesome, fast as hell, and full of neat little tricks that felt new at the time. (Remember when searching from the address bar was a revelation?) I loved Chrome…

Tech News Adam Clark Estes Feb 24

The Life-Changing Magic of KonMari-ing Your iPhone Apps

A few weeks ago, I was sitting home alone and for whatever reason decided to watch Tidying Up With Marie Kondo on Netflix. I remember being swept up the last time Kondo Fever hit a few years ago, and thanks to her, my dresser drawers are neat, and I swear by folding my clothes into…

Gadgets Victoria Song Feb 2

Please Let Me Explain My BlackBerry

A week before CES, I finally pulled the trigger and swapped my SIM card from my sputtering iPhone 6S to a new BlackBerry Key2. The decision to switch to the BlackBerry, like many the best decisions I’ve made in my life, was driven by a combination of whim, nostalgia, and spite. Given that we’re upon…

Gadgets Eleanor Fye Jan 19

The Totally Free Streaming Service You Didn’t Know You Have

Lovers of classic films have been set adrift this month after the Filmstruck streaming service was unceremoniously murdered by corporate ghouls. But friends, I want to tell you about a free streaming service that’s in many ways just as good as Filmstruck, offers Criterion films, and has at least one feature that no one else…

Tech News Rhett Jones Dec 8

Remember How Bad Android Was?

Over the last week or so, bloggers have been posting warm and fuzzy reflections about Android because we’ve just passed the 10th anniversary of the reveal of the T-Mobile G1, (AKA the HTC Dream, or colloquially the “G phone”), the platform’s first commercial device. Many folks—including this here blogger—had basically the same idea: Get your…

Gadgets Mario Aguilar Sep 29

Do You Answer the Phone?

I’m not talking about when your mom calls. If your mom calls, you should answer the phone, and actually, you should just probably call your mom more often so she doesn’t have to call you. (HI MOM!) What I want to know is what you do when a number you don’t know calls. Do you…

Tech News Mario Aguilar Sep 22

saturday riff

The Bright Side of Humans Eavesdropping on Your Alexa Recordings

The VR Revolution Is Alive and Well, It’s Just Not Ready For You

The Switch Lite Seems Nice, But What I Really Want Is a Switch Pro

The New Service Wars Are Here to Empty Your Wallet

People Experiencing Hardship Should Be Allowed to Use Technology Without Your Judgmental Bullshit

Why Disney+ Freaks Me Out About the Future of Streaming

What’s Going to Happen With Microsoft Next Week?

We Have to Do Something About Outdoor Cats

When Will We Get the Game Boy Classic Edition?

The Surprising Best Feature of Google Home

RSS Is Better Than Twitter

I Tried Google Maps’ Experimental Walking Directions of the Future

Is It Actually Okay To Touch Your Computer Screen?

The Race to Foldable Phone Perfection Is On, and It’s Going to Be a Blast

I Ditched Chrome for Safari and You Can Too

The Life-Changing Magic of KonMari-ing Your iPhone Apps

Please Let Me Explain My BlackBerry

The Totally Free Streaming Service You Didn’t Know You Have

Remember How Bad Android Was?

Do You Answer the Phone?

Ryan Coogler Is Shifting ‘Animorphs’ Into a Disney+ Show

No Fooling, ‘Spaceballs 2’ Will Hit Theaters April 2027

I Regret to Inform You That the Artemis II Astronauts Are Having Lots of Screen Time

The First ‘Maul: Shadow Lord’ Reactions Are Most Solid

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 3 Is Doing What You Hoped

Wearables Are Getting Very Messy

Trump Wants to Start Privatizing TSA in Latest Budget Proposal

Lost Warship From Battle of Copenhagen Found After 225 Years

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

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