Latest news with #techwriters
Digital Trends
a day ago
- Digital Trends
I'm clinging to my dual-monitor setup for dear life, but ultrawides are tempting
I've been a fan of dual monitor setups for well over a decade. While my colleagues here at Digital Trends argued about the benefits of the best gaming monitors that were ultrawide vs. using a dual 16:9 setup, I never doubted — two monitors for me, please and thank you. But lately, my resolve has been melting, and with good reason, too. Here's why I'm hanging on to my dual monitors by a thread, and why I might ultimately make the switch to a single ultrawide in the near future. Am I getting old? Right, so, just to reiterate — I love dual monitor setups. If I ever have to work on my laptop, I'm suffering due to the lack of a second screen. Recommended Videos Whether I'm working or gaming, I always, always, always want to have a second monitor to throw all kinds of things onto. When I work, it's my notes or a million tabs with research; when I game, it's Netflix, Discord, or Chrome. In any case, there's almost never a time when I don't actively use both of my monitors. And yet, I feel like I might have to change my mind soon. Over a year after I finally decided to stop neglecting my second monitor and bought two of the same screens, I can feel my resolve to stick to a dual-monitor setup melting away, and I can't help but wonder … …am I just getting old? Having to constantly crane my neck left and right never used to bother me before. I also never used to care much that my two monitors don't have the exact same colors, despite hours of meticulous calibration. The viewing angles being different were alright, too, as my second monitor was never the one I actively stared at while sitting at my desk. But, I have to say, it's starting to bug me a little bit now. Perhaps my biggest problem are the bezels — while my monitors have super-thin bezels, they're still there, and it's hard to push them together perfectly when one is at an angle. I also wear glasses, and I use progressive lenses, which have different strengths across the lens. This means that at the sides and near the top, the prescription is weaker, which makes looking at my second monitor a little tiring at times. Put together, it's fair to say that I see the problem with dual monitor setups — and unfortunately, ultrawides are starting to look tempting. Ultrawides are better and cheaper than ever We've reviewed a bunch of excellent ultrawides, including some of the best ultrawides on the market. Some were expensive, and some were rather affordable. Many were tempting to me even when my dual-monitor resolve was stronger than it is now. However, ultrawides are getting harder to resist because they've become much more commonplace. You don't need to drop $1,000 to get a decent ultrawide; there are plenty of options that are more affordable than my dual setup ever was — and they don't suffer from the same problems that my setup is plagued by. Take the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9, which blew us away in a slightly different iteration. It's not cheap, but this is a 49-inch ultrawide monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate; it looks like a dream, and it now costs $879. That's more than I spent on my two monitors, but only just, and it's a whole new category of display. Check it out — it's gorgeous. Still, you don't need to spend a fortune to buy a solid ultrawide. Samsung's ViewFinity costs $269 right now (I found it on sale), and it's still superb. It's 34 inches, which is a lot more manageable if you sit by the desk, and it's still optimized for gaming thanks to the 100Hz refresh rate. The cheapest ultrawide I'd reasonably buy is this Sceptre model at $199. It actually costs less than one of my monitors in my dual setup, and it has everything most gamers could possibly ask for. Yeah, these prices aren't helping, and I've had more than one friend try to convince me to just go for it. But, there are things I'd miss if I switched to an ultrawide. I'm tempted, but I'm staying strong for now There are many good reasons why I stayed true to my dual setup over the years, and despite the neck pain and the lens-induced frustration, I'm not ready to jump ship just yet. For starters, I still believe (and yes, I've used ultrawides too for testing purposes) that dual (or multi) monitor setups are second to none for productivity. I love having two entirely independent screens where I don't risk using the wrong app at the wrong time, and can have everything organized the way I like it. Next, gaming. Ultrawides make many games look outstanding, but the downside is that many games aren't optimized for them. If you play indies or older titles, you'll be left with ugly black bars on the sides of your game, or, at best, suboptimal pixel distribution if you brute-force the title into fitting the 21:9 or 32:9 aspect ratio. Lastly, proximity to the screen. I sit by my desk, which is stupidly small (the joys of having a tiny apartment), so those 34-inch or 49-inch ultrawides wouldn't work for me. I'm already pushing it with two 27-inch monitors. Ultimately, the satisfaction from using two fantastic monitors still outweighs the annoyances that plague me on a daily basis. If you're curious which ones I own, they're the LG 27GP850-B, and I couldn't recommend them enough if I tried — so I'm sticking to them, through thick and thin. Please don't try to tempt me otherwise.
Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Digital Trends
I built a mini gaming PC to prove you don't need a console
Let's get one thing straight, I don't have anything against consoles. I grew up with them, spent countless hours, and still think they're great for a lot of people. But every time I consider buying a gaming console today, I start thinking about the drawbacks. Consoles have limited upgrade paths, overpriced games and higher costs for online services, and then there is the never ending tug-of-war between performance and fidelity modes. As someone who writes about PCs for a living, I know that under the hood, consoles are basically small gaming PCs, just without the freedom of what makes a PC, a PC. Recommended Videos Then there's the personal factor. I already have a powerful desktop rig for work and catching up on some competitive gaming with friends. But after long hours at my desk, I wanted to kick back on the couch with a controller in hand and enjoy single-player games on my large screen TV. The problem? That meant either dragging my giant desktop into the living room or building something new. A couch-friendly gaming dream This wasn't just about convenience. It was about making something compact, personal, and unapologetically mine. I've always loved small form factor builds, they're a puzzle to solve, a flex of efficiency, and, when done right, just cool to look at. This was my chance to merge my love for tinkering with my desire for a console-like living room setup, minus the actual console. The plan was simple, salvage as many parts as I could from my hardware stash and buy only what I needed. That meant starting with the CPU, an Intel Core i7-11700K from my previous build paired to a Gigabyte Z590 mini-ITX motherboard, and 32GB of DDR4 RAM clocked at 3200MT/s. Storage was covered too, a low-capacity Samsung NVMe SSD to boot Windows, and a spacious 2TB Kingston SSD for my game library. The case for the case The one thing I had to replace was my old mini-ITX case, the SSUPD Meshlicious. While I absolutely adore its aesthetics, the riser cable was giving me trouble, and I wanted something easy to carry and travel with. After a bit of digging, I landed on the Deepcool CH160. It's small, easy to work in, and the best part, it cost me under $50 which is really good value for a case that actually respects your sanity during cable management. It even comes with a neat handle at the top. Notably, Deepcool is banned in the US, so good luck finding one there, but where I live it's a hidden gem. The GPU everyone loves to hate, but I bought one anyway When it came to graphics, I wasn't aiming for 4K ultra settings bragging rights. Plus in today's market, tracking down a genuinely powerful GPU at a reasonable price feels like chasing a myth. I just needed something that could handle 1080p and 1440p at 60FPS or more, with the occasional DLSS push for the heavier hitters in my library. That's where the Nvidia RTX 4060 came in, specifically, a compact single-fan model from Zotac. Now, I know what you're thinking: 'The 4060? The one everyone roasted when it launched?' Yep, that one. When it hit the shelves, critics slammed it for its narrow memory bus, relatively modest VRAM, and for offering what many saw as only a minor bump over the previous-gen 3060. In fact, even in our review we found the GPU to be quite underwhelming. What is important to understand here is that context matters. On paper, the RTX 4060 isn't a record-breaker, but in a small form factor build where efficiency, thermals, and size matter just as much as raw performance, it makes a lot of sense. It sips power, runs cool and quiet, and in real-world gaming at 1080p or 1440p, it punches far above the internet's worst takes. Throw in DLSS frame generation, and suddenly it's handling titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor far better than the memes would have you believe. It's no surprise that the RTX 4060 is also the second most popular discrete GPU on Steam's hardware survey. The experience so far Here's the thing, my mini console PC has already proven itself. I've been lounging on the couch playing games from my Steam, Epic, and Xbox Game Pass libraries without worrying about whether they're available on a particular platform. I can tweak settings to my liking, install mods, emulate older consoles, and even stream content without juggling multiple boxes or subscriptions. Is it the most powerful PC I've ever built? Absolutely not. But that's not the point. This little box cost me less than a brand-new console and delivers far more versatility. And when I eventually decide it's time for a GPU upgrade, I don't need to wait for the next console generation, I can just swap the card. Why I'm not going back to consoles If you want a plug-and-play gaming solution, consoles still make sense. But for me, the trade offs are not worth it anymore. Not only do I get cheaper games thanks to sales and discounts, but also the flexibility of customizing my experience, and knowing I can fix or upgrade my system whenever I want. Building this mini gaming PC wasn't just a fun project, it was proof that you can have the living room console experience without giving up the flexibility and freedom that make PC gaming so great. So no, I didn't need a PlayStation or an Xbox to enjoy couch gaming. All I needed was some spare parts, a budget-friendly case, and a little bit of stubbornness. Honestly, I think that's a much better deal.
Android Authority
4 days ago
- Android Authority
As an Android expert, here are 7 phones I don't recommend buying right now
Ryan Haines / Android Authority Here at Android Authority, we spend a lot of time talking about the best Android phones you can buy at any given time. Want a phone with great cameras? Long battery life? Something at a low price? We know exactly the right phone for you. But there's another side to that coin: the Android phones you shouldn't buy. Which phones are you better off skipping? As someone who's been reviewing and writing about Android phones for a decade, that's what I'm here to answer. While there are endless Android phones from unknown brands on Amazon and other online retailers that you should always avoid, I'm focusing this list on major Android phones that you're likely already considering. Also, while some of the phones here are ones we've previously recommended, they're not necessarily the best purchase in August 2025. Got it? Great. Without further ado, here are seven Android phones I don't recommend buying right now. What do you think is the worst Android phone to buy in August 2025? 0 votes Google Pixel 9 NaN % Google Pixel 9 Pro/9 Pro XL/9 Pro Fold NaN % Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge NaN % Samsung Galaxy A36 5G NaN % Motorola Moto G (2025) NaN % Other (let us know in the comments) NaN % Google Pixel 9 C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Pixel 9 My first couple of picks may seem contradictory, as they're some of the highest-rated phones from last year, but there's a good reason for their inclusion on this list. It starts with the base model Google Pixel 9. The main reason not to buy the Pixel 9 is that the Pixel 10 is set to be announced on August 20, and it's shaping up to be a significant upgrade. The Pixel 10 is expected to feature a new 5x telephoto camera (something the Pixel 9 doesn't have), Qi2 wireless charging with built-in magnets, a larger battery, and slightly faster wired charging. Perhaps more important is the Tensor G5 chip that'll be inside the Pixel 10. It's widely believed that the G5 will not only be Google's first 3nm chip, but it will also be the first one manufactured by TSMC. Nothing is confirmed until we get our hands on the phone, but this could result in substantial performance and efficiency upgrades even compared to the Pixel 9's Tensor G4 chipset. Given how significant an upgrade we expect the Pixel 10 to be, buying a Pixel 9 less than two weeks before the new model gets here isn't the best idea. I'd recommend waiting to buy the Pixel 10 if it's as good as we suspect, and if not, you should be able to get the Pixel 9 at a heavily discounted price once its successor arrives. Google Pixel 9 Pro/9 Pro XL/9 Pro Fold Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority Left: Pixel 9 Pro, Right: Pixel 9 Pro Fold My next few phones to avoid are grouped together in one section, as my buying advice is the same for all three of them. I'm talking about the Google Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. In addition to the regular Pixel 10, we also expect Google to announce new Pro phones at its August 20 event — including the Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Unlike the Pixel 10, none of the Pixel 10 Pro models are reported to get new camera hardware. However, other upgrades — such as Qi2 magnetic charging, larger batteries, faster wired charging, and the Tensor G5 chip — are all on the table. It's worth waiting just a little while longer for the Pixel 10 Pro to get here. Additionally, there are some Pro-specific changes we might see. We've heard rumors about faster PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) rates for the Pixel 10 Pro/10 Pro XL displays, which should make them much easier on the eyes for anyone sensitive to this sort of thing. As for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, there's been talk about it being the first foldable with an IP68 rating. While the reasons to wait are slightly different, the same logic applies as it does to the base Pixel 9. If you're debating buying a Pixel 9 Pro model, it's worth waiting just a little while longer for the Pixel 10 Pro to get here. At that point, you can decide if the new phones are worth buying, or if you'd rather get last year's models at a (likely) discounted price. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Ryan Haines / Android Authority Google isn't the only company with Android phones that you should avoid buying right now. Looking at Samsung, I find it pretty hard to recommend anyone purchase the Galaxy S25 Edge. My colleague Ryan Haines gave the Galaxy S25 Edge a tepid 3 out of 5 in his review, criticizing the Edge's poor thermals, lack of a telephoto camera, weak battery life, and slow charging. For a phone that costs $1,100, the Galaxy S25 Edge just isn't enough. The Galaxy S25 Edge has been a difficult recommendation since its launch in May, but recent Galaxy S26 Edge rumors have further reinforced that point. One rumor claims that the S26 Edge will be 0.3mm thinner than the S25 Edge while simultaneously packing a larger 4,400mAh battery — potentially fixing one of our biggest issues with the current Edge. Even more noteworthy is an exclusive report that Android Authority published in July, where we found evidence that Samsung will discontinue the Galaxy S26 Plus next year and replace it with the Galaxy S26 Edge. This means we could see the S26 Edge released much earlier in the year than previously expected. It also means that the Galaxy S25 Edge may be outdated in just a few months, so buying it right now isn't the best idea. Samsung Galaxy A36 5G Rushil Agrawal / Android Authority Sticking with Samsung, the company has another ho-hum phone on its hands with the Galaxy A36 5G. The A36 is a $400 handset that, at least on the surface, doesn't look too bad. With a big AMOLED panel, solid hardware, and good battery life, what's not to like? As it turns out, a fair amount. In our Galaxy A36 5G review, my colleague Rushil found numerous issues with the phone — one of the most damning being poor performance. Not only does the Exynos 1380 chipset not perform well in benchmarks, but it's also sluggish for tasks as simple as scrolling through apps or opening the camera. Paired with a super slow fingerprint sensor, the A36 is a phone that'll test your patience, and not in a good way. The good news is that there are far better smartphones available at a similar price. The Google Pixel 9a is one of the best phones we've reviewed this year, touting great cameras, excellent software updates, reliable battery life, and good performance. It also has a much better fingerprint sensor. The Pixel 9a is more expensive at $499, but at the time of publication, it's on sale for just $399. The $400 Moto G Stylus (2025) is another good alternative. And if you're okay with some possible carrier quirks, the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro are better buys, too. There are lots of great Android phones available in the ~$400 range, but the Galaxy A36 5G isn't one of them. Motorola Moto G (2025) Ryan Haines / Android Authority Speaking of Moto G phones, there's another one in Motorola's current portfolio that's better left untouched. The Moto G (2025) features a nice design and a decent display, and at just $200, it appears to be an incredible bargain. However, this is one of those cases where appearances can be deceiving. Ryan didn't beat around the bush in our Moto G (2025) review, simply saying that he doesn't think you should buy the phone — and I fully agree with him. The Moto G (2025) is plagued with slow performance, disappointing cameras, weak water resistance, and a terrible software update policy. (Motorola promises just two years of Android OS updates.) You may be willing to overlook a few compromises with a phone as cheap as the Moto G (2025), but the fact is that you can do a lot better for your money. The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G has the same $200 price tag, but it's a better phone overall. If you live outside of the US or are okay with some possible carrier issues, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is an unbelievable bargain for just $279. Follow
