Tag: Source: Bgr.com

Apple’s speculated casing featuring touch controls. Additionally, there’s the clear advantage of possibly protecting your phone from damage due to drops, yet for many people, cases bring about their own array of issues.

While the thought of accidentally dropping an unprotected smartphone on the ground may cause anxiety, current technology suggests that the chances are relatively high that the device will remain intact. With advancements in smartphone technology and numerous companies providing protection plans for damages, one might argue that there is no longer a necessity for a case.

Of course, conducting your own inquiry into the resilience of your particular device could support or counter these claims, but there lies the possibility of saving money by avoiding the purchase of what is likely an unnecessary accessory. Furthermore, opting for a caseless design allows you to fully appreciate the aesthetics of your phone, beyond just the display. Although there may be some functional reasons for using a case, here are some reasons to think twice.

and other devices produced by leading brands can offer greater functionality in your daily life beyond merely streaming playlists or responding to basic inquiries; once set up correctly, they can streamline numerous tasks using just voice commands.

Sticking to the essentials is perfectly fine, particularly since many smart speakers perform those functions effectively, which is sufficient for their users, yet they are also capable of much more. These gadgets come equipped with an extensive ecosystem of routines, integrations, and additional connected services that can link all of your other smart devices within your home. When utilized effectively, they can serve as a central hub that facilitates better control over your household.

Additionally, they offer numerous advantages that are often underestimated. A smart speaker can assist with various daily activities, such as setting timers and reminders, checking the weather, playing live radio, or providing quick information while your hands are occupied. Crucially, it can also function as a straightforward voice-controlled hub for surrounding devices in the home, enhancing the convenience of everyday tasks.

NBC News, this breach appears to be the first notable instance of an Iranian organization infiltrating an American business since the escalation of hostilities between the two nations.

Stryker is a manufacturer of medical devices based in Portage, Michigan. An announcement released by Stryker on the corporate website characterized the hacking incident as “a global network outage affecting our Microsoft ecosystem due to a cyber attack.” The firm clarified that there was no evidence of ransomware or malware, and that the situation appears to be under control. This occurs at a juncture when cybercriminals are leveraging AI to counter AI, making the contained nature of this breach a fortunate occurrence for Stryker.

A piece by KrebsOnSecurity suggests that the incident may have involved the application of a service called Microsoft Intune to remotely erase data from devices linked to the company’s Microsoft network. Microsoft has not responded to inquiries from NBC News regarding comments or specifics about the cyber assault, despite the gravity of this violation.

If You Believe Laptops Are Costly In 2026, You’ll Be Stunned By Their Prices In The ’80s

In the current market, premium laptops such as the 16-inch MacBook Pro equipped with an M5 Pro or M5 Max chip commence at $2,699, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 has a starting price of $2,539. These rates can surpass $3,000 with extra features. Yet, these amounts are trivial compared to the prices of laptops in the 1980s.

The GRiD Compass 1101, introduced in 1982, marked the debut of the modern laptop featuring a clamshell design, costing $8,150. This hefty price tag rendered it inaccessible to many business workers, leading to its primary utilization by NASA and the U.S. military. It boasted a 6-inch screen with a resolution of 320×240 and did not include an integrated battery, floppy disk drive, or hard disk.

Throughout the 1980s, laptops persisted as luxury commodities, with costs reaching into the thousands. Apple’s Macintosh Portable, which hit the market in 1989, was priced at $6,500. The Toshiba T3100, launched in 1986, had a price of $6,899 and needed a continuous power source due to the lack of a battery.

Today’s laptops, even at $250, provide superior processors, memory, storage, and displays compared to these early models. For example, the Asus Vivobook Go Slim, priced at $229.99, comes with 4 GB of RAM, a 128 GB SSD, a 15.6-inch display featuring a resolution of 1920 by 1080, a 720p webcam, and a 2.8 GHz Intel Celeron N4500 processor.

When accounting for inflation, the initial laptops were even more costly. The Inflation Calculator from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis indicates that $6,500 in 1989 translates to about $16,880 today, while the GRiD Compass 1101’s cost in 1982 equals approximately $27,190. This comparison reveals that early laptops were more expensive than the most advanced laptops on the market in 2026.

In summary, when adjusted for inflation, contemporary laptops are not just less expensive but provide far greater value. The next time you think about buying a laptop, reflect on the exorbitant prices of the ’80s and recognize the progress and affordability of today’s technology.

As cheesy and absurd as Roland Emmerich’s 1996 sci-fi hit “Independence Day” can seem in hindsight, it undeniably captivated audiences in the mid-’90s. Ranked among the top alien invasion films ever, it featured Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, and the kind of disaster visuals that effortlessly drew us into theaters to indulge in warm popcorn. Many of us who watched the movie at the time, whether as children or adults, might have trouble remembering specific plot elements beyond the compelling “UFOs attack Earth” concept. Yet, there’s a crucial component in Emmerich and Dean Devlin’s screenplay revealed around the film’s midpoint: we discover that Area 51 — the heavily guarded U.S. Air Force base that was “stormed” by a group of foolish individuals in 2019 — is real when Smith’s character transports an alien there after narrowly escaping a lethal aerial confrontation with it.

In 1996, the reality of that military base had not yet been officially acknowledged. Moreover, according to Devlin and Emmerich’s DVD commentary (via Cinemablend), the U.S. military intended to support “Independence Day” with several resources, but had one condition requiring a significant plot alteration. As Devlin recalled, “The United States military was going to back this and provide us with many costumes and aircraft. Their sole request was for us to eliminate Area 51 from the film, which we didn’t want to do. Therefore, they retracted their support.”

Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were determined to include Area 51 in the narrative (even if its portrayal was quite exaggerated) because, frankly, the film would have been less effective without it. Furthermore, it served as a brilliant means to revitalize conspiracy theories about the government and its clandestine operations concerning UFOs and the like—building on the success initiated by “The X-Files” (which Ryan Coogler is rebooting for Disney+) three years earlier. As Emmerich noted in the DVD commentary, “This is likely one of the most significant twists in the film. Midway through, suddenly, you encounter Area 51. There’s this mythology surrounding this site where they house spaceships. For Dean and me, it was the most crucial aspect because it connects this mythology that people believe in to the movie, making it feel more authentic.”

It’s safe to conclude that it resonated, as “Independence Day” dominated the box office that summer, raking in a staggering $817 million globally against its $75 million budget and becoming the highest-grossing film of 1996 (despite tough competition from classics like “Scream,” “The Rock,” and “Jerry Maguire”). While critics were somewhat lukewarm (Roger Ebert awarded it two and a half stars out of four), audiences devoured it, and the film even won the Oscar for best visual effects in 1997. One thing is certain, Emmerich and Devlin made the right decision to adhere to their vision, even at the cost of losing military support.

best headphones. However, it appears that a lot of these recommendations are misconceptions that provide no genuine advantages. Some of these acquisitions might enhance audio quality slightly for select users, but there’s no certainty that if something is effective for one person, it will be effective for you as well. Ultimately, it depends on your existing configuration, needs, and budget.

Upon investigation, many of these notions turn out to be outdated by decades, while others, despite being newer, have been disproven through experiments and research. It can be tough for a newcomer to separate reality from prevalent audiophile myths, but with an impartial mindset and a bit of research, you can uncover the truth. Below are some key audiophile myths.

solar panels, which can be critical for saving lives by converting sunlight into usable energy. If you are considering the installation of solar panels for your residence, you may be curious about the significance of the visible white grid lines present on those panels. The brief answer is, they have a purpose.

A solar panel is formed by connecting various solar cells, each typically composed of thin silicon sheets that contain boron and phosphorus sandwiched between conductor panels. On the exterior of these cells, there exist two types of solar cell grid lines, which vary in thickness. Known as fingers and busbars, they play a crucial role in any solar panel and facilitate the transfer of energy from the panel into your home.

Harrison Ford’s involvement with science fiction is notable, but that’s what happens when you portray the scruffy nerf herder Han Solo and outshine the likes of Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman, and Sean Connery for a role in “Blade Runner.” Although the iconic actor has often downplayed the cinematic legacies he contributed to, they undeniably solidified the career he enjoys today. Nevertheless, looking back, there’s one sci-fi amalgamation that had all the necessary elements to become a wildly successful venture yet instead turned out to be a box-office disappointment of cosmic proportions.

In 2011, Ford joined forces with Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, and Sam Rockwell in the Jon Favreau-directed comic book adaptation, “Cowboys & Aliens.” At this juncture in his career, Favreau was thriving, having laid the groundwork for the Marvel Cinematic Universe through his direction of “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2” in 2008 and 2010. Shifting focus to another section of the comic book realm, “Cowboys & Aliens” was based on a 2006 sci-fi Western, casting Craig as a memory-impaired outlaw who, alongside a rancher (Ford), must defend themselves against extraterrestrial threats armed with far more than just revolvers. Unfortunately, despite the potential for a thrilling adventure, viewers didn’t fully resonate with the film, primarily due to the stiff competition it faced.

Cowboys & Aliens struggled at the box office

With a production budget of $163 million, “Cowboys & Aliens” barely managed to cover its costs, earning around $176 million at the box office, according to The Numbers. The film faced fierce rivalry upon its release in late July 2021, with Chris Evans debuting as the iconic superhero in “Captain America: The First Avenger” — a universe Ford would later join – and losing the top position to “The Smurfs.” This was also the week preceding our introduction to the chest-thumping leader, Caesar (Andy Serkis) in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” adding to the robust competition.

Even when sharing the same timeframe as Smurfs and intelligent apes, “Cowboys & Aliens” failed to impress critics. It garnered a mere 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Time Out stating, “what began as ‘True Grit’-meets-‘War of the Worlds’ ultimately resembles — dare we say it — ‘Wild Wild West.'” Slate also viewed the film as a squandered chance, remarking that, “it’s amusing to consider what ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ could have been had any creativity ventured beyond the title page.”

While Ford attempted another foray into science fiction two years later with the similarly received “Ender’s Game,” by 2015 he would return to his roots with “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens,” which remains his most successful film to date. This demonstrates that, despite all the film’s flaws, the nerf herder is truly all we require.

# ‘Xbox Mode’ Is Set to Transform Your PC Into A Gaming Console

There have been numerous [rumors circulating regarding the next Xbox console](https://www.bgr.com/2116738/new-xbox-console-pc-games-support-confirmed/) for some time now. Reports suggest these claims hold weight, as Xbox CEO Asha Sharma affirmed the new console, codenamed “Project Helix,” earlier this month. During the 2026 Game Developer Conference (GDC), additional information about Microsoft’s ambitions with the forthcoming console emerged, highlighting how Microsoft and Xbox aim to enhance the interaction between players and games across the various platforms within Microsoft’s ecosystem.

One strategy to implement this vision is through the “Xbox Mode” on Windows 11. This initiative could serve to further close the divide between Microsoft’s consoles and PCs, particularly as the tech giant strengthens its commitment to enable its next console to support both PC and Xbox titles. According to Jason Ronald, the Vice President of Next Generation at Xbox, the new PC mode is set to begin rolling out in April in select regions.

Moreover, Ronald mentioned that Xbox Mode will feature a user interface akin to that of the ROG Xbox Ally models, even describing the UI on the handheld PCs as an “early version” of the upcoming feature. Given Microsoft’s communication about Project Helix, it wouldn’t be surprising if this Xbox Mode experience becomes what we ultimately see on the company’s soon-to-be-released hardware.

## Creating a more interconnected Xbox experience

By connecting the Xbox handheld gaming PC with Windows systems, Microsoft could be laying the groundwork for Project Helix, further supported by recent reports indicating a shift away from its “This is an Xbox” messaging. The initial announcement for the 2024 campaign, intended to showcase how Xbox games could operate across various platforms, has since been removed. Therefore, the new leadership at Xbox likely hasn’t abandoned the console just yet.

If you haven’t explored the [ROG Xbox Ally X](https://www.bgr.com/1997323/rog-xbox-ally-x-review/), its interface closely resembles that of the Xbox app — featuring a side-oriented navigation bar. Nevertheless, the graphics exhibit a style that feels somewhat similar to the Steam Deck’s menu, making navigation simpler than the default Xbox app. Additionally, when using the Ally and Ally X, the interface entirely detaches you from desktop mode, allowing for easier navigation of options and buttons using your Xbox controller. The nearest equivalent on Windows right now is probably Steam’s Big Picture mode, which simplifies interacting with the popular gaming software via a controller.

## The future of Xbox merges console and computer

Project Helix faces the task of revitalizing the underwhelming reign of the Xbox Series X. Ronald disclosed that the company anticipates shipping prototypes of the next console to developers as early as 2027. The rollout of Xbox Mode on Windows 11 will serve as a solid step towards familiarizing users with what to anticipate from Project Helix, providing Microsoft the opportunity to gauge its performance in the hands of everyday gamers.

In addition, early exposure to the platform’s design may attract users to choose the console for their living room, alleviating concerns about building a PC — particularly if Microsoft can offer it at an appealing price point. While Microsoft has yet to disclose further information on pricing, the [current chip shortages](https://www.bgr.com/2012625/ai-chip-shortages-could-lead-to-more-expensive-smartphones/) make low prices appear highly unlikely.

Four years after Valve launched the Steam Deck, the portable gaming device continues to enjoy considerable popularity, often selling out online despite its time on the market. At present, three hardware variants are available: 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB. The first model features an LCD screen, while the latter two come with OLED displays and minor internal enhancements.

The Steam Deck combines the versatility of a handheld with the capability typical of PC gaming, prompting competitors to venture into that sector with their own offerings. As the hardware ages and more powerful alternatives emerge, gamers deliberating between acquiring the Steam Deck or a competing device have more considerations to evaluate. While individual gaming preferences vary, several factors such as power and cost position the Steam Deck as the preferred choice for most users, making it a worthwhile purchase in 2026.

How does the Steam Deck’s power compare to other options?

It’s accurate that the Steam Deck is surpassed by stronger handheld consoles like the ROG Xbox Ally. Valve’s current model utilizes a custom AMD APU with six cores (down from the previous model’s seven cores to enhance efficiency) and 16 GB of RAM. In comparison, the ROG Xbox Ally X boasts a more powerful Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme and 24 GB of RAM, providing a significantly superior experience when engaging with demanding games such as “Cyberpunk 2077” or “Microsoft Flight Simulator.”

As time progresses, it’s likely that fewer major releases, especially those featuring cutting-edge technology, will be available on the Steam Deck. Nevertheless, power isn’t the sole factor in gaming. If your goal is to play the latest AAA titles with high visual fidelity and performance, you may need to explore other avenues. Otherwise, you might want to check out higher-end handheld alternatives.

Nonetheless, the Steam Deck has consistently been more suited for casual gaming experiences like “Stardew Valley,” or grinding in RPGs such as “Elden Ring” or “Persona 5 Royal.” You’ll likely not find a better choice at a comparable price.

Steam Deck offers exceptional value in handheld PC gaming

The Steam Deck isn’t inexpensive, priced at $549 for the 512GB model and $649 for the 1 TB variant. This represents an increase from the original 256 GB model’s $399 price point, which is now out of production and seems to have sold out for good. That said, the Steam Deck is priced significantly lower than newer, more powerful machines. The ROG Xbox Ally X is priced at $999, making it less appealing for the average buyer. There is a budget-friendly option in the ROG Xbox Ally, but at $599, it still exceeds the cost of the comparably powerful Steam Deck. Other handhelds are priced even higher; for instance, the OneXFly F1 Pro starts at $1,099, and the MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM retails for $1,299.

Additionally, there’s the intrinsic value of the Steam platform itself. Steam stands as the largest marketplace for PC games, enabling you to purchase and enjoy nearly any title that isn’t exclusive to a console. If you’re a gamer who has invested a considerable amount into Steam, you’ll already possess a substantial library to download and enjoy on your Steam Deck. Even if you haven’t, Steam is well-known for hosting significant sales throughout the year, making it easier to build your library.

You also needn’t worry about the Steam Deck becoming outdated anytime soon, as Valve has indicated that a successor isn’t on the immediate horizon. In November 2025, software engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais told IGN that while the team has concepts in mind, they desire the next generation to represent a much larger jump forward, exceeding the capabilities of current chips. It’s clear that we’re several years away from the Steam Deck 2, which means purchasing the current model when available remains a sound investment.