How to take a break from Netflix
Maybe you’re sick of the price hikes. Maybe you’re not keen on the whole password-sharing crackdown thing. Or maybe there’s just nothing you want to watch anymore. Whatever the reason, you might be wondering: Is…
Ben Patterson
Ben Patterson
No, Sony’s Blu-ray exit doesn’t spell the end for physical media
Fans of physical media—myself included—tend to be a morbid bunch, dwelling on the rise of streaming while bemoaning the steady decline of Blu-ray, the home-media format of choice for cinephiles. So when word came down…
Here’s what I think of Plex’s new Apple TV app
Plex is the middle of a full-on makeover, starting two months ago with the rollout of an all-new look and feel for its mobile app, and now Apple TV users are getting a turn. You…
Netflix’s latest price hike: Well, this is a first
We’re getting used to Netflix hiking its prices on a regular basis, and this time, it’s raising the price on nearly all its plans, including a first-ever price increase for Netflix’s newest tier. Starting now,…
These Matter smart shades use one cable for power and data
Matter-enabled smart shades? Nothing new there, and same goes for smart shades that support Power over Ethernet. But Matter shades that do the PoE trick? That’s new in our book. SmartWings has just announced its…
New Zigbee tech could turn Philips Hue lights into motion sensors
Matter may be the big new thing in the smart home arena, but the old Zigbee protocol still has some tricks up its sleeves, and this one’s pretty cool: The ability to transform Zigbee devices,…
Decade-old Nest Protect smoke detector finally lands on Google’s Home app
For years, owners of Google’s Nest Protect smoke detector have been asking when their devices would make the leap from the older Nest app to Google Home, and the answer was always the same: one day,…
Wyze cams are getting AI-powered video search
AI-powered video descriptions are the new hotness when it comes to security cameras. Amazon’s Ring cameras and Google’s Nest cams are already doing them, and now Wyze is joining the party. Available now as part…
DirecTV tees up its own take on the skinny sports streaming bundle
One of the most vocal opponents of the never-launched Venu Sports bundle just took the wraps off its own bundle of sports channels—and yes, ESPN stations are part of the deal. Launching today in 24…
NFL Sunday Ticket: How to cancel auto-renew before you forget
With all the excitement of the NFL postseason, it’s easy to forget about NFL Sunday Ticket, the YouTube-hosted home for streaming out-of-market NFL games during the regular season. Indeed, YouTube is probably hoping Sunday Ticket…