As a mom to six kids in rural Nebraska, it’s been hard for me to accept that the world is changing. Except for a few years in Omaha, I’ve lived in small rural communities almost all my life. It’s actually not uncommon in my community to leave your car—or home—unlocked and to know all your neighbors by name.
But things are different from the way they used to be. We’ve had some close…
Minisforum AI X1 Pro review: A mini PC with maximum performance
December 8, 2025
In recent years, Minisforum has developed from an insider tip to a firm name in the mini PC market. The manufacturer has become renowned for its compact systems with high computing power, innovative cooling, and sophisticated designs.
With the new AI X1 Pro, Minisforum wants…
A privacy brouhaha has erupted over Kohler Health’s new toilet camera, the Dekota, that scans your poop looking for clues about your gut health.
Specifically, a security researcher is disputing Kohler Health’s claims that data collected by the Dekota, including scans of…
There are a few devices out there (Lenovo/HP laptops, Nvidia DGX Spark) that sport smaller 2242 (42mm long) PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots. If you have one, then the new Corsair MP700 Micro, successor to the MP600, can leverage much of the extra bandwidth.
I say much of, because the MP700 Micro’s sequential benchmark numbers are about 60 percent of what you’ll see from full 2280 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs. That…
Consumer data storage is too damn small
December 5, 2025
This is a story about growing older. Clutter, too. But set aside your snarky “Okay, old man” reactions for a moment: You may be genuinely shocked at how much you can store on external storage these days, and how tiny that storage is now, too.
For years, I’ve had a…
2025 Cord-Cutter Awards: Best streaming services, devices & more
December 5, 2025
For all the gripes you might have about the state of streaming, this year still had some bright spots.
Looking back on 2025, we saw the debut of several new streaming services that deliver more choice and flexibility to cord cutters, along with some compelling new bundles…
The screwed-up Mad Men 4K stream on HBO Max is getting fixed
December 4, 2025
The new, 4K version of Mad Men on HBO Max was supposed to deliver the ground-breaking AMC series with near-perfect visual fidelity.
Instead, it was a debacle.
Not only were a number of episodes mislabeled, but in a crucial scene early in the period series—the infamous moment when an inebriated Roger Sterling tosses up the oysters he ate for lunch—a pair of crew members in modern-day…
RAM is so expensive, Samsung won’t even sell it to Samsung
December 4, 2025
The price of eggs has nothing on the price of computer memory right now. Thanks to a supply crunch from the “AI” bubble, RAM chips are the new gold, with prices on consumer PC memory kits ballooning out of control. In an object lesson in the ridiculousness of an economic…
Two-way audio is standard on most consumer security cameras these days. Most people try it once, talk to their dog through the mic, laugh at the delay, and never think about it again. That’s a shame, because this tiny mic-and-speaker combo can make your camera far more…
Walmart Onn 4K Plus review: Fast and cheap 4K streaming
December 3, 2025
Walmart has another winner on its hands with the Onn 4K Plus Streaming Device.
For $30, you get a compact streaming box with 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos support. It’s a surprisingly speedy streaming player for the money, with a generous 16GB of storage for apps and its Google TV software is generally useful (at least when it’s not shoving banner ads in your face).
Roku’s budget…
