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Android Authority
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
Is it safe to buy retro gaming handhelds with pre-loaded games? Here's my expert advice
Emulation handhelds have exploded in popularity over the past few years. But despite their growing mainstream appeal, they still exist in a legal and ethical gray area when it comes to piracy. While emulators themselves are perfectly legal, many devices come bundled with microSD cards crammed full of sketchy pre-loaded ROMs. Recently, this practice landed an Italian YouTuber in serious legal trouble. Authorities threatened them with steep fines and up to three years in prison for 'promoting piracy.' While that case involves several moving parts, such as YouTube, customs inspections, and outdated Italian copyright laws, it raises an important question for everyday gamers: What does this mean for you, the casual retro enthusiast just trying to relive some childhood favorites? As someone who has reviewed these devices extensively, I get the appeal. A handheld packed with thousands of games sounds convenient. But there are several reasons I strongly advise against buying one, so let's start with the most obvious. Like it or not, it's illegal Oliver Cragg / Android Authority Many retro gamers like to argue that pirating ROMs is a victimless crime. After all, the games are out of print, the original developers might not even exist anymore, and nobody's making money from them — right? Unfortunately, the law doesn't see it that way. No matter how old or obscure the title, downloading or sharing pirated games is illegal. It doesn't matter if the game hasn't been sold commercially in decades or if you're just trying to revisit your childhood. Copyright law still applies. Of course, you could argue that these laws should be changed. Most copyright laws are wildly out of touch with the modern digital economy, and game preservation efforts (particularly in Europe) have begun to gain steam. Handhelds that ship with pre-loaded ROMs are skating on thin legal ice. Regardless, you should know that any third-party device that ships with games is probably skating on thin legal ice. There are exceptions, like the Nintendo Classic Mini or Evercade's new Super Pocket NEOGEO handheld, but when it comes to cheaper handhelds from ANBERNIC, TrimUI, PowKiddy, or others, there's no legal gray area. If they ship with games, they're almost certainly breaking the law. That doesn't stop retailers from hocking shady goods, even on Amazon, but my advice would be to stay away. In the case of ANBERNIC, you can buy most Android handhelds without a microSD card and supply your own, legally ripped ROMs. That's how I recently reviewed the RG Slide, which didn't come with games but did come with pre-configured emulators. The setup was still seamless and 100% legal. 16-bit clutter Nick Fernandez / Android Authority I suspect some of you reading this aren't swayed by the legal argument, but there are still reasons to avoid handhelds with pre-loaded ROMs. For starters, the ROMs themselves are typically quite poor. Devices that advertise '10,000 games' are almost guaranteed to be stuffed with filler. That includes both games that no one in their right mind would want to revisit in 2025, as well as games that simply won't load. Some are also Chinese language versions of games, which can kill the nostalgia you're looking for. One of the great joys of retro gaming is curating your library. Worse still, the file organization is a nightmare. These ROMs often use inconsistent or meaningless naming conventions, which completely wreck the user experience. Emulation frontends like ES-DE struggle to parse the chaos, turning precious retro game time into an exercise in frustration. When I reviewed the TrimUI Brick last December, I ran into exactly this problem. Every ROM started with a random number, and the only way to find anything was through keyword search. Scrolling through the library felt more like digging through a broken spreadsheet than enjoying classic games. I couldn't purge the SD card fast enough. My advice? Start fresh. Load a curated selection of games you actually want to play, legally ripped from your own collection. Not only can you ensure they're good quality, but you'll also avoid decision paralysis when choosing your next retro experience. One of the great joys of retro gaming is curating your library, whether that's physical or digital. Bad ROMs, worse SD cards Nick Fernandez / Android Authority Maybe you're okay with sifting through mountains of junk ROMs to find that one nostalgic gem. Fine. But what if I told you that all that digital clutter is sitting on a ticking time bomb? That's the reality of the cheap microSD cards that ship with these devices. To cut costs, most companies use the cheapest generic cards on the market. These have unacceptably high fail rates, with most lucky to last longer than a few months before they bite the digital dust. If you're using an Android-based handheld, this might not be a total disaster. Android is typically installed on the device's internal storage, so the microSD card mostly holds your games. However, for Linux-based systems, the microSD card often serves as the entire operating system. The device becomes completely useless without it. Cheap microSD cards rarely last longer than a few months. My preferred method for avoiding this is using third-party launchers. On the TrimUI Smart Pro, CrossmixOS offers a much better experience than the stock OS, with others like NextUI providing a more streamlined approach. Even the fan-favorite Miyoo Mini also owes much of its success to the likes of OnionOS and MinUI. You can download these for free (without any ROMs) on GitHub, toss them onto a high-quality microSD card, and enjoy a far better and longer-lasting retro gaming experience.. A brighter retro future Nick Fernandez / Android Authority The final reason to avoid handhelds packed with pre-loaded games has nothing to do with the games themselves. It's about the companies behind them. As a general rule, any brand that uses pirated ROMs as a selling point isn't exactly going to offer great customer support. In fact, many of these devices aren't even sold by the companies that design them. Often, they are designed by a company, such as TrimUI or MagicX, then manufactured, published, and sold by a separate company, like AMPOWN. Some of these companies offer some level of customer support, but their main market is wholesale. In other words, you're probably going to buy these from a middleman with no interest in retaining you as a customer. If you've ever bought anything on AliExpress, you know that storefronts pop up and disappear like Duck Hunt targets. Your odds are much better buying from companies that don't ship their devices with games, such as Retroid, AYN, and AYANEO. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that they are the pinnacle of customer service, but in the emulation handheld world, it's as good as it gets. Those companies are paving the way toward a more legitimate and sustainable future for emulation handhelds. And at the end of the day, that's what really matters. It's not about hoarding thousands of games you'll never play; it's about revisiting the ones that meant something. Retro gaming should be about preserving the past, not just downloading it.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Olivia Jade Giannulli reveals which European city she's moved to... 6 years after college admissions scandal
Olivia Jade Giannulli has revealed she's moved out of the United States. On Wednesday the 25-year-old YouTuber — who recently modeled a white bikini in Italy — shared the news in her latest vlog. She said in the 12-minute upload: 'Good morning from Paris. This is going to be such a fun adventure to film, and I'm here for a little while, living, so I'm really excited to get some videos out for you guys.' The former Dancing with the Stars contestant titled the clip 'I moved to Paris...' It has been six years since her parents, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, were busted for fraud related to Jade's college admission. The investigation, codenamed Operation Varsity Blues by the Department of Justice, was made public in March 2019. Olivia Jade's YouTube video began with various footage that included the Eiffel Tower and other idyllic sites. 'It's just going to be, I feel like such an exciting, formative time,' she predicted early in the snippet. The star also detailed her first night in the city, telling her nearly two million subscribers that her apartment was 'so hot' and noting, 'We don't have air conditioning, we just have fans in our apartment because that's just how most French apartments are.' Her early activities included bouncing around fashion shows, including presentations for Chanel and Patou. She also took her camera along to film herself grocery shopping with a friend, putting flowers in a vase, and walking to dinner. 'I love how light it stays for so long in the days. It feels amazing,' she marveled in one part of the video. Giannulli also teased that she's 'hopefully launching my business at the end of this year.' She told her fans, 'There's just a lot going on, and it's all really good and really exciting.' Loughlin, 60, and husband Mossimo Giannulli, 63, were among 50 people accused of paying bribes to get their children into the country's most elite colleges. The celebrity couple was were indicted in 2019 in connection with allegations they paid admissions fixer Rick Singer $500,000 to arrange for the University of Southern California to recruit their daughters Isabella Rose, 26, and Olivia Jade, 25, onto the school's rowing team, despite that they had no background in the sport. In May of 2020, the celeb couple pleaded guilty in connection with conspiracy charges in the case. Loughlin received a two-month jail sentence along with a fine of $150,000 and 150 hours of community service following the guilty plea. Loughlin began her sentence at a federal prison in Dublin, California in October of 2020 and was released that December. Giannulli received a five-month sentence with a fine of $250,000 and 250 hours of community service. Giannulli began his prison sentence in November of 2020 and was transferred to home confinement in April of 2021, about a month before his sentence ended. Olivia first broke her silence on the headline-making scandal in 2020 during an appearance on Jada Pinkett Smith's Red Table Talk, according to Variety. The social media sensation first teased the video in Instagram Stories posts. One post was a screenshot of a personal iMessage containing the video link 'On paper, it's bad. It's really bad,' the model said of her parents' actions. 'But I think what a lot of people don't know is that my parents just came from a place of, 'I love my kids, I just want to help my kids. Whatever is best for them.'' She added: 'I think they thought it was normal.' Olivia admitted that she was initially surprised at the public's reaction to the scandal as she recalled asking herself: '"How are people mad about this?" 'I know that sounds so silly, but in the bubble that I grew up in, I didn't know so much outside of it,' she said of her privileged background. She claimed that 'a lot of kids in that bubble, their parents were donating to schools and doing stuff that advantaged. 'It's not fair and it's not right, but it was happening. And so, when this first came out, I was like, "I don't really understand what's wrong with this."' Olivia said she was completely unaware of her 'privilege' at the time as the child of wealthy parents. 'I didn't realize at the time that was privilege. I didn't put those two together. I was like, "Well, this is what everybody does, and my parents worked really hard and I don't understand,"' she explained. In a 2020 interview, Olivia admitted that she was initially surprised at the public's reaction to the scandal as she recalled asking herself: '"How are people mad about this?"; seen in 2024 'But that's not how it should be and unfortunately, that's how it was, and I'm grateful for this situation to see that big change and that big difference in my own mind.' Olivia said she didn't 'want pity' and that it was important for her to 'learn from the mistake.' But the star also said that she felt like she '[deserved] a second chance to redeem myself, to show I've grown.' Since then, Olivia has She has also enjoyed a flourishing personal life that includes her years-long romance with Euphoria hunk Jacob Elordi. She and the 28-year-old actor have been dating on/off since 2021.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
7 Signs You Should Retire Earlier Than You Think, According to Humphrey Yang
Financial guru and prominent YouTuber Humphrey Yang frequently dispenses sage advice on fiscal matters to his audience, and the concept of retirement is an attractive topic of discussion for Americans of any age. Read Next: Find Out: In a recent video, Yang explained that many people can actually retire 10, 15 or even 20 years earlier than they might think and discussed a list of signs that one may (and should) be able to do so. You Don't Have a Mortgage Payment Yang kicked things off by discussing the elephant in the room: the mortgage payment. 'For most people living in America, the largest single monthly expense that any family is going to have is … the mortgage payment. So, when that is fully paid off … your recurring cost to live monthly will shrink very quickly,' he said. By the time you're in your 50s, Yang continued, you want to make sure that you squash that payment by as much as possible. When it's dealt with, you'll be in a better position to consider retirement. According to Charles Schwab, paying off your mortgage ahead of retirement can make sense if you are trying to reduce expenses, want to save on interest or have a high mortgage rate. However, it may not make financial sense if you are behind on retirement savings or have high-interest debt. Learn More: You Understand Your Savings Rate vs. Your Nest Egg Being cognizant of the difference between your savings rate — the percentage you continue to set aside strictly for retirement, assuming an 8% return — and your nest egg, which is the accumulation of your retirement savings in sum, is key. By focusing more on one's savings rate — Yang pointed to the average American savings rate of 4% to 5% as being less than ideal — you ensure you are familiar with living below your means, an important mentality to adopt when considering a financially stable retirement. You Have Solid, Diversified Income Streams Yang elaborated on the centrality of holding diversified, hopefully passive, income streams to enjoying an early and sustainable retirement. 'When you've built multiple revenue sources beyond your primary biweekly paycheck, you're in a much stronger position to step away from traditional employment,' he said. A side business, dividend-producing investments and ownership of rental property were given as examples. Ramsey Solutions also highlighted a few passive income streams in a recent article, including renting out certain items, starting a blog and creating an online course. You Have 20x Your Annual Expenses Saved Up Noting that traditional advice surrounding the 4% rule (withdrawing 4% of your investments annually to pay for expenses during retirement) holds that saving 25 times your annual expenses is the target, Yang instead stated that the author of this rule had since judged it overly conservative. Instead, the YouTuber advised saving 20 times your expected annual expenses as being more prudent. Once you've done so, that's a sign you may be ready to enjoy retirement. Three Other Signs You Could Be Ready To Retire Yang also laid out three other signs you may be exhibiting already in your day-to-day life that don't have anything to do with your finances. You're in good health and have a sense of fulfillment outside of work: If both of these conditions are true, you could be ready to 'make the leap,' according to Yang. Work is increasingly stressful or unfulfilling: If you feel like your job is 'sucking the soul out of your life,' maybe it's time to head for the exit and enjoy your golden years. You've already reached all of the career goals you desired to hit: If you're just working for the paycheck and missing out on life's opportunities, it might be time to call it quits. At that time, 'retiring on top is probably a pretty good feeling,' Yang said. More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Warns of 'Red Rural Recession' -- 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard 6 Big Shakeups Coming to Social Security in 2025 The New Retirement Problem Boomers Are Facing This article originally appeared on 7 Signs You Should Retire Earlier Than You Think, According to Humphrey Yang Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Climate
- Associated Press
Golf in a hangar? DeChambeau's woes at the British Open get 'The Scientist' thinking
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — As a popular YouTuber and golfing enigma, Bryson DeChambeau is known for coming up with some wacky, radical ideas. 'The Scientist' might have another one in the pipeline. 'This is going to be wild,' DeChambeau proffered at the British Open on Tuesday, 'but imagine a scenario where you've got a 400-yard tent, and you can just hit any type of shot with any wind with all the fans. 'That's what I imagine, like in a hangar or something like that. A big stadium. That would be cool to test.' Don't put it past DeChambeau to go through with it. After all, he's open to anything if it means improving his patchy record at golf's oldest major championship. The 31-year-old American has played seven times at the Open Championship, where handling the fickle weather can be the key to success. He missed the cut on three occasions and only finished inside the top 30 once. It's a record that frustrates one of the sport's deeper thinkers. He remembers playing well at the Walker Cup at Royal Lytham St. Anne's — one of the courses on the British Open rotation — back in 2015, and was quick to point out he coped fine in windy conditions in LIV Golf events in Miami and Valderrama this year. Place him in the British Open, though, and he can get blown away — like last year at Royal Troon, when he shot 76-75 to miss the cut and said afterward: 'I can do it when it's warm and not windy.' 'The times I've been over here, for some reason, my golf swing hasn't been where it needs to be,' DeChambeau said Tuesday. 'Right now it feels as good as it's ever been. Hitting it far, hitting it straight as I can, and learning how to putt better on these greens in windy conditions and rain and all that. 'It's just figuring it out. It's just going to take time and something that I never really experienced growing up in California.' Lifting the claret jug — as unlikely as it would be, given his Open woes — would deliver the two-time U.S. Open champion a third major title and no doubt boost the already-swelling audience on his YouTube channel that has risen to more than 2 million subscribers. His popularity is clear over in Northern Ireland, too. Late Monday, dozens of people — mostly kids — were seen waiting outside Portrush to get a photo with, or the autograph of, DeChambeau. He obliged, happily. DeChambeau is using YouTube to have some fun and to show the world a different side to him. He even suggested it's just as important as the results he gets. 'I'm not going to be here forever,' he said. 'What footprint do I want to leave? I think it humbles me and almost makes me more passionate about what I'm doing off the professional golf course. 'Am I going to get frustrated playing bad golf?' he posed. 'Yeah. Am I going to want to still sign autographs? Yeah, because I care about the game.' That's not to say he doesn't still have a burning desire to win at Portrush this week — and secure a result that will impress Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley in the process, ahead of the match against Europe in September. 'I feel pressure every week to play good for not only Keegan, but myself, and the people that I love online and everybody that's watching me,' DeChambeau said. 'I'll walk through the fire,' he added, 'rather than run away from it.' ___ AP golf:
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Japan YouTuber famed for ‘world's longest chin', promotes self-love after defeating ridicule
A Japanese man has gone viral online and inspired many people by turning his remarkably long chin, which was once the source of ridicule and rejection, into a personal brand. Advertisement The man, known online as Jonouchi, has nearly 350,000 followers on YouTube and proudly refers to himself as the 'YouTuber with the world's longest chin'. He has also amassed over 400,000 followers on another social media platform. Some people have likened Jonouchi to a cartoon character because of his unique jawline. Photo: Jonouchi revealed that his unusually long chin began developing around the age of five and that none of his family members share the same feature. Childhood photos show his chin appeared normal until the age of three, but by the time he was five, it had already started to look noticeably pointed. When he entered the fifth grade, a classmate told him his chin was really long, and he began to realise just how prominent it had become. Advertisement The unusual growth also puzzled him. He drank milk every day in the hope of growing taller, but said: 'Only my chin got longer.'
