Author: Duncan Pike

You might have already heard that the European Union officially passed legislation to make the USB-C port mandatory for any electronic gadgets sold in Europe. This includes but is not limited to smartphones, laptops, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld video game consoles, and portable speakers. Essentially, if it’s sold in Europe and charges from a cable, that cable has to end in a USB-C connector. The ruling, which you can read in full here, gave tech manufacturers a little over two years to comply with the changes needing to be completed by 28 December 2024. Laptop…

It’s been a pretty good year for gaming monitors. We had the first QD-OLED gaming monitor in the Dell Alienware AW3423DW, we saw Sony enter the monitor space with its Inzone range, and now Samsung is trying something new with a big format gaming display (BFGD) that seems like it’s trying to bridge the gap between TVs and gaming monitors. When the Samsung Odyssey Ark showed up at our office for review, we were excited. That quickly faded when we saw the box. It is gigantic. Was it even going to fit? Well, usually the best way to find out…

You might need to try extra hard to find things to get excited about this holiday what with how the rest of the year has gone. But, if you’ve bought an LG smart TV in the last four years (and it’s running webOS 4.0 or newer) and haven’t yet signed up for Apple TV+, there’s something you need to know. Apple TV+ for free? Sign us up If you just purchased yourself a new LG TV – and we’re only talking about the legal means of acquisition here – then you’re eligible for three months of free Apple TV+. The…

To the rest of the world, the US can seem like a strange place. There aren’t too many countries that could produce a story like this, and that’s without Florida Man. But it’s happened and it might not be as pointless as you’d think. The US Space Force – the world’s only independent uniformed outfit of its kind – competed in last year’s Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Bowl and won. Now, ahead of the league’s third annual competition on 16 December 2022 and to defend its title, the US Space Force’s esports team has raised the bar, so to…

It hasn’t been a particularly good few months for LastPass, one of the most prominent password managers in the world. Should you opt to use one, a password manager is one of your first lines of defence in your cyber security arsenal. Having it breached can range from ‘less than ideal’ to ‘catastrophic’. Well, that’s exactly what’s happened to LastPass. Again. LastPass has been pwned You might recall our report from a few months ago in August that the service had suffered a data breach. There, an unauthorised party gained access to the company’s source code and “other proprietary information”.…

Uber recently launched a new feature in its Uber Travel suite of offerings that aims to make everyone’s travels slightly easier. We probably don’t need to tell you that December is one of the busiest travel times of the year. Wouldn’t it be nice if all of your travel plans could be viewed in one place? That’s where the ‘Smart itineraries’ feature comes in. Well… Uber hopes so, anyway. Folks with Apple, Microsoft, or Google accounts have already given those services access to their calendars. Since they already have your data, why not add one more? Uber’s new Smart Itineraries…

Samsung has filed a new trademark application in the US that could indicate the world’s second-largest smartphone maker by market share is looking out for its customers. First spotted by SamMobile, the filing indicates that Samsung is working on a new mobile app called ‘Self Repair Assistant’. Judging by the name and proposed app icon in the filing, it will likely assist customers that would rather repair their own devices than send them to a repair centre. Because if you paid money for it, then it’s yours and you should have the right to fix it, right? That’s what the…

Sony’s latest innovation could be a boon for metaverse pundits and VTubers (virtual YouTubers). Whether that’s a good thing for the rest of us remains to be seen. The company’s new Mocopi system features six lightweight motion-tracking pucks worn around a user’s head, arms, waist, and ankles. They’ll presumably act like those little white spheres you might’ve seen on a traditional motion capture suit. Mocopi translates a user’s motion in the real world to virtual movement inside Sony’s companion app. The recorded motion can then be used to animate virtual 3D avatars for VTubers or those wanting to explore virtual…

In the past two months, it seems like online retailer Raru has had a rather rough time and the situation doesn’t seem to be improving. The latest development, according to a News24 report, is that the company has been forced into liquidation – not a good thing. One of Raru’s cofounders, Waine Smith, pointed fingers at the company’s creditors for the regrettable decision. Attorney Vaughan Ulyate said the application to liquidate has yet to be filled. To those wanting to cling to the small sliver of hope, we say: don’t. Fancy a cool drink of liquid Raru? The retailer’s impending liquidation…

Black Friday has arrived. If you work in retail you’ve probably been dreading it all whole month. But if you don’t, you might have a few purchases lined up, looking to capitalise on the deals every brand is shoving in your face. Well, if you’re looking for a new laptop, here’s another one from Asus. What makes this Friday so black anyway? Asus launched its own eCommerce store earlier this year. There, you’ll find a plethora of products across the brand’s commercial, consumer and gaming ranges, as well as accessories, peripherals, chargers, and apparel. This year, discounts reach as high…