the speed at which your EV battery depletes, but ultimately, if you fail to charge your battery promptly, there’s a significant chance you could find yourself stranded on the roadside. To mitigate this risk, electric vehicles come fitted with various systems designed to alert you quite urgently about the battery’s status and manage the power distribution to prioritize mobility, ensuring you reach a secure stopping location.
The Steam Deck stands out as one of the leading gaming devices today, often found to be out of stock online. This portable console allows players to enjoy their Steam titles while on the move, providing numerous features that make it more than simply a gaming device. It has even motivated rivals, some of which have launched handheld consoles that surpass the Steam Deck in power.
Like many electronic products, such as Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s smart TVs, the Steam Deck is produced in China. The nation’s low labor costs, combined with a shorter supply chain, decrease the time and expenses associated with assembling a device like a handheld gaming computer. Ironically, acquiring a Steam Deck in China is impossible due to strict regulations that mandate foreign firms to partner with a Chinese company for distribution. In this situation, Valve Corporation, the developer of the Steam Deck, has not signaled any intentions to collaborate with a Chinese entity. Nevertheless, Valve is involved in much more than just producing Steam Decks.
What to know about Valve, creator of the Steam Deck
Founded in 1996 by Gabe Newell (who continues to serve as president) and Mike Harrington, both former Microsoft employees, Valve began its journey. Two years later, the company launched its debut game, “Half-Life,” a first-person shooter recognized as one of the most significant games ever developed. In the ensuing years, Valve produced several more hits, including “Portal,” “Counter-Strike,” and “Left 4 Dead.”
In 2003, Valve introduced Steam, an online platform that would turn out to be its most profitable endeavor to date. Initially, Steam was designed as a means for Valve to distribute game updates and to incorporate anti-piracy and anti-cheat measures. However, within the first couple of years, the platform started to offer third-party games. Currently, it boasts 132 million active users each month and represents 75% of all digital game sales for PCs.
Although the Steam Deck may be Valve’s most triumphant hardware to date, it isn’t the company’s initial venture into this domain. In 2015, it unveiled the Steam Machine, a collection of gaming computers developed by third parties intended to provide users with a console-like experience. This was released alongside the Steam Controller and Steam Link—a device designed to stream content from a PC or Steam Machine to a television. However, the hardware failed to meet expectations and was phased out in 2018. Valve aims to launch a new Steam Machine this year, generating excitement among fans, despite concerns regarding potential delays and costs.
Since 2019, Valve has also participated in the VR market with the Valve Index. Sales figures for the device have not been disclosed, but it is known to have sold out globally in early 2020 in anticipation of “Half-Life: Alyx,” which is exclusive to VR. The Index is expected to have a successor this year named the Steam Frame.
Gen Z is moving away from streaming services in favor of physical media. For Amazon Prime subscribers interested in reviving their old media collections or starting anew, there’s an external disk reader discounted significantly.
If you have some old DVDs or CDs collecting dust, the Rioddas External CD/DVD Disk Reader Drive is an excellent option for playing vintage media, or you can utilize its writing features to create new discs. Its design boasts a brushed texture and includes a cable management option to prevent losses. It is also widely compatible with various operating systems and media. Amazon users rate this product favorably, and it has a few additional features that enhance its appeal.
As most computers no longer come equipped with optical disk drives (ODD), this device can be a valuable addition to your setup. Additionally, it’s useful for creating file backups, not just for viewing your cherished physical media. Remember, this offer is available to all Amazon Prime members. In addition to free shipping discounts on select items, there are several hidden advantages of Amazon Prime Membership that users might not be aware of.
top smartphone brand throne each year, yet there are numerous Samsung devices that Apple does not produce at all. Samsung frequently allocates substantial resources to sectors like wearables and home appliances, where Apple lacks equivalent offerings for its clientele. This disparity also highlights the distinct product philosophies of both firms.
Samsung is significantly more adventurous than Apple, consistently launching unconventional devices to gauge genuine consumer interest. As a result, the company leads in various segments, while Apple maintains a more regulated ecosystem of products. Hence, it is not unusual to observe numerous products debuting first from Samsung, with other brands then following suit.
Conversely, there are speculations that Apple is developing numerous new products for its hardware range, albeit no official announcements have been made. Therefore, if you are a user looking to experiment with new devices sooner, these are a few options that you will likely only discover in Samsung’s selection and not in Apple’s.
Samsung and Apple manufacture smartwatches, with the latter commanding users’ wrists through the Apple Watch. This could be the reason why Samsung opted to venture into a different market with the Galaxy Ring. Although the concept of smart rings appeared unusual when Samsung introduced the Galaxy Ring in 2024, particularly for the wider audience, it entered the market without facing competition from its primary adversary.
In theory, a smart ring offers similar functionalities to a smartwatch: It can monitor various activities like sleep and workouts, but in a more streamlined design. Thus, if you enjoy tracking that type of health information but are weary of the constant alerts a smartwatch delivers, a ring serves as the ideal alternative, especially since its battery life can significantly outlast that of a smartwatch.
Even without facing rivalry from Apple in this sector, Samsung still competes with other players, such as Oura. Nonetheless, the Galaxy Ring illustrates how Samsung enjoys delving into new segments before determining if they will resonate within the market. It focuses on a specific niche, but
What truly distinguishes the TVs available for around $250 from those priced over $1,000 is color fidelity, which affects the detail level in the image. Color fidelity denotes the TV’s capability to showcase the colors intended by the creator. Less expensive TVs generally have a narrower color spectrum (or gamut), resulting in fewer colors to utilize. This leads to a less vibrant image.
Considering how crucial color is to any visual media, inaccuracies can diminish your viewing or gaming experience. An emotional moment designed to elicit sadness through blue tones won’t have the same impact if your display is casting a yellow hue. Additionally, color fidelity affects more than you might think, making it a significant aspect to consider when buying a new TV.
The way your TV presents color influences the brightness and contrast of the image. OLED and QLED TVs can provide a broader color spectrum than LCD or LED models, allowing for more vivid visuals. Conversely, a TV with a restricted color gamut might dilute an image or cause colors to blend, reducing detail.
Color fidelity can define your viewing experience.
To guarantee your TV is providing the best picture possible, you must calibrate it first. Having this done by a professional can be pricey and is typically unnecessary for many, so you’re likely better off calibrating your own TV. This process involves utilizing color test images to modify your TV’s settings to achieve the desired balance of brightness, contrast, and more. Reference settings for most TVs can also be found if you are uncertain about the desired picture quality.
Finally, when looking for a new TV, ensure you consider models that support HDR10+ or Dolby Vision. These video formats offer superior color fidelity compared to older standards like HDR 10. Dolby Vision, in particular, has the capability for a color gamut and peak brightness that exceeds what most creators currently use. TVs that support these formats are often pricier, but they warrant their expense through enhanced color fidelity and overall visual excellence.
YouTube has rolled out fundamental playback functionalities for its application on Android Auto, improving the user experience by enabling drivers to control audio playback straight from their vehicle’s interface. This enhancement features controls for play, pause, and skip, which were earlier solely available via the user’s phone. Nonetheless, video playback on the car’s display remains excluded, prioritizing safe driving. While users can access audio content from YouTube, the visual aspect is still limited, in accordance with safety guidelines that advise against watching videos while driving. This upgrade represents a notable advancement in integrating YouTube more fluidly with Android Auto, although the complete YouTube experience, including video streaming, is still awaited in forthcoming updates.
Users are noticing cross-platform sharing functionalities on Galaxy S22 through S25 models.
Samsung is making progress in boosting cross-platform file sharing features for its Galaxy devices. Recently, users have noted the emergence of new sharing functionalities on Galaxy S22 through S25 models, reflecting a major update in Samsung’s Quick Share application. This update, being distributed via the Galaxy Store, adds support for Apple’s AirDrop, a feature that was originally exclusive to the Galaxy S26 series.
The new capability is not yet fully operational, but its appearance indicates that Samsung is gearing up for a more extensive rollout, likely in tandem with the forthcoming One UI 8.5 update. This initiative aligns with Samsung’s endeavors to broaden AirDrop compatibility across its flagship range, potentially making cross-platform file sharing more convenient for users.
The update has been reported by users on Reddit and validated by multiple sources, showcasing a new “Share with Apple devices” option in the Quick Share settings. However, activating this feature at present does not render Samsung devices visible to Apple devices, nor do Apple devices show up in Quick Share. This implies that additional activation, possibly server-side, is necessary before the functionality becomes fully available.
Samsung’s move follows comparable advancements by Google, which has rolled out cross-platform sharing capabilities on its Pixel devices. As Samsung proceeds to refine its sharing features, it paves the way for other Android manufacturers to follow suit, potentially resulting in a more integrated and user-friendly experience across various platforms.
In summary, while the cross-platform sharing feature is not yet completely operational, its presence on earlier Galaxy models reflects Samsung’s dedication to enhancing user experience and keeping in sync with industry developments. Users can anticipate a more connected and efficient method of sharing files across devices in the near future.
With an impressive 200MP primary camera and a 200MP telephoto lens, the X300 Ultra stands out as an unparalleled camera phone. Vivo is set to launch the X300 Ultra worldwide later this year, but before that, the device has already been introduced in China. Vivo presented the X300 Ultra at MWC 2026, and I had the opportunity to preview the phone at the event. There’s significant enthusiasm surrounding the device, and rightly so — the X200 Ultra was the top camera-centric phone last year, but it was restricted to China, making the global launch of the X300 Ultra particularly noteworthy.
Furthermore, the launch provides us with greater insight into the internal components of the X300 Ultra — something Vivo hadn’t disclosed until this point. Beginning with the cameras, the phone features a substantial 1/1.12-inch 200MP primary camera equipped with a Sony Lytia 901 sensor with OIS, maintaining the same 35mm focal length as its predecessor. The larger sensor and increased resolution should deliver a substantial improvement, potentially making this the finest main camera on any phone in 2026.
The X300 Ultra includes a 200MP 1/1.4-inch telephoto lens with an 85mm focal length and OIS, incorporating a new ISOCELL HP0 module. The 14mm wide-angle lens remains the same, offering the same 50MP 1/1.28-inch sensor from last year, now also featuring OIS. This is a critical aspect, as Vivo is emphasizing video recording as a key highlight of the X300 Ultra; consequently, OIS is present throughout the entire focal length, along with the capability to record 4K120 video in Dolby Vision.
Another noteworthy detail is the accessories; Vivo has two telephoto lens kits available to attach to the X300 Ultra, and if they are as effective as the tele attachment on the X200 Ultra, they should provide an enjoyable testing experience.
Vivo has extensively discussed its revamped color science and imaging algorithms, and I am eager to experience the X300 Ultra to evaluate its performance against the X200 Ultra, Xiaomi 17 Ultra, Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
On another note, the device features the latest Qualcomm chipset with options for 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and storage capacity can reach up to 1TB. The larger 6,600mAh battery is expected to last throughout the day, and the overall design isn’t drastically different from last year’s model — it boasts a 6.82-inch OLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate.
The X300 Ultra begins at the equivalent of $1,012 in China (6,999 RMB), but it is likely to be significantly pricier when it arrives in global markets. We will have to wait to find out the exact pricing, and I am excited to get my hands on the device.
Dimensions vary between 43 and 75 inches, yet the best savings are found on the 65-inch variant.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 stands out as an excellent option for anyone in search of an affordable fitness tracker, and with a current reduction of $30, it becomes even more enticing. Renowned for its cost-effectiveness and features, the Inspire 3 is perfect for newcomers to smartwatches or users who prefer a lightweight device. Its sleek design is especially comfortable for sleep tracking, a function many users value.
The Inspire 3 features a durable battery, a bright color AMOLED screen, and dependable health and fitness monitoring capabilities. With the additional discount, it turns into an appealing choice for those on a budget. The device is currently priced at $69.95 during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, reduced from its original price of $99.95, presenting a fantastic opportunity for those looking to purchase a fitness tracker without overspending.
Ideal for those desiring an economical Fitbit with key features, the Inspire 3 suits users who prioritize comfort and battery longevity. However, it may not meet the needs of those looking for advanced GPS features or larger displays. The sale provides a chance to enjoy the advantages of a Fitbit at a lower price, making it a superb time to buy.
