Month: July 2025

A Retail Field Test of ATSC 3.0 / Nextgen TV availability – Are they even trying?

I’ve been covering cord cutting for a while now, and lately, over-the-air television has taken up a lot of my attention. It’s a solid, free alternative to cable, but there’s a shift happening in the broadcast world that’s causing some issues. The industry is transitioning from ATSC 1.0 to a new standard called ATSC 3.0, or NextGen TV. On the surface, this new standard looked like a real improvement, but the added layer of encryption broadcasters are implementing is making things more expensive, less convenient, and a lot more complicated.

Broadcasters have insisted that plenty of devices are available to tune in to these new signals, so I decided to test that claim myself. I went out shopping to see what’s really available, visiting Best Buy, Walmart, and Target to look for NextGen TV compatible products and the logo that Pearl TV, the industry’s marketing group, has been asking consumers to look.

You can see how it went in my latest video.

Pearl claims to have reached millions of households with their marketing campaign and sold millions of compatible devices. They also maintain a website listing all the NextGen-certified products.

My first stop was Walmart, the largest seller of TVs in the United States. The store had plenty of options from brands like Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL, but none supported ATSC 3.0 according to the NextGen TV website. This means most people buying a TV at Walmart today are getting one that can’t receive the new signals without a separate device.

Despite that, Walmart had a decent amount of shelf space devoted to over-the-air antennas. Shelf space in a store like Walmart isn’t assigned lightly, so those antennas must be selling. Interestingly, I did find the NextGen TV logo on some of those antennas, but again, not on any TVs themselves. And if you go to Walmart’s website, there’s no option to filter TVs by NextGen compatibility.

At Best Buy, there was a wider range of TVs, including some high-end models that do support ATSC 3.0. The salesperson I spoke with was knowledgeable and pointed me toward the higher-end Sony, LG, and Samsung models. But he wasn’t aware that LG had recently stopped including ATSC 3.0 tuners due to a patent issue. Even among the TVs that did support the standard, there was no visible NextGen branding or mention on in-store signage. I asked if customers often asked about the feature, and he said almost no one does. Most people are more concerned with whether their TVs support streaming apps. Best Buy also had a few antennas with the NextGen logo and some Tablo DVRs for sale, but those only work with the older ATSC 1.0 standard, since ATSC 3.0 gateway devices are effectively locked out right now.

Target had the smallest selection of TVs, mostly mid to low-end sets, none of which supported ATSC 3.0. They also had antennas for sale, with the NextGen logo prominently featured. But like the other stores, there was no way to filter for ATSC 3.0 on their website. Even Amazon, with all its filtering options—covering things like screen mirroring tech and USB-C ports—has no option to search for NextGen TVs. It was the same story on Samsung’s own website. The only retailer I found with a NextGen TV search filter was B&H Photo (compensated affiliate link), and the models listed were all priced over $1,000, since most ATSC 3.0 TVs are still in the premium category.

This whole experience shows that despite the claims being made, most consumers are not buying Nextgen-compatible TVs as most TVs don’t have the tuner. Even if someone wanted one, it’s hard to know which models support it in-store. There’s virtually no signage, no website filtering options, and minimal awareness from retail staff.

Pearl TV may tell the FCC otherwise, but it’s clear there’s still a long way to go. What’s especially frustrating is that without DRM, this new standard could have been something to get excited about. Instead, us tech reviewers have spent years focusing on the DRM problem rather than celebrating the benefits. The broadcasters chose this path, and now they’re claiming those of us who are raising concerns are just astroturfing the issue. There’s still time to fix things, but the window is closing.

Synology’s Beestation Plus Makes for a Simple Transcoding Plex Server

The Synology BeeStation Plus (compensated affiliate link) is a personal cloud server that offers a stripped-down take on Synology’s usual network-attached storage experience. Unlike their more robust NAS systems, the BeeStation line focuses on just a few core functions—file syncing across devices and photo backup from phones. It’s more or less a homegrown alternative to services like Dropbox or Google Drive, and this new Plus model adds something the original lacked: the ability to run a Plex server.

In my latest video, we take a look at this new BeeStation performs as a Plex server.

That Plex capability is what drew my attention this time. I reviewed the original BeeStation last year, and not much has changed outside of this new functionality. The interface, the photo and file syncing—all of that remains the same. What’s different is under the hood: more storage, faster hardware, and just enough headroom to make media serving viable.

The BeeStation Plus comes in at a price roughly double that of the original model. It’s also just slightly less expensive than Synology’s newer DS225+ NAS when configured with storage. The DS225+ shares the same Intel Celeron J4125 processor found here.

The BeeStation Plus includes 8TB of built-in Synology-branded storage running at 7200 RPM, compared to 4TB at 5400 RPM on the original. There’s also a bump from 1GB to 4GB of RAM.

From a design standpoint, you get basic connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, USB-A and USB-C ports for external backup drives, and a fan that’s quiet during operation. Unfortunately, it lacks 2.5-gigabit Ethernet, which is now available on that aforementioned DS225+.

The Plex Media Server is installed through the web control panel. It’s not the latest version—Synology seems to vet versions before distributing them—but the process is pretty painless. You’ll need to walk through the usual Plex setup steps manually, including mapping your media directories one by one. The BeeStation Plus creates default folders for things like movies and TV shows, but you have to point Plex to them yourself.

Once it’s up and running, Plex behaves as expected. I tested it by playing a BluRay MKV rip of Back to the Future from my phone over Wi-Fi and had it transcode a 4K HDR10 file down to 1080p at 8Mbps with tone mapping. The hardware handled that without issue, using only about 20% of available system resources thanks to Intel’s Quick Sync technology.

One catch: hardware transcoding requires a Plex Pass. It’s a separate purchase—not bundled with the BeeStation—and available either as a subscription or one-time payment. Without it, Plex will still work fine on your local network if you don’t need transcoding, but you will need to pay to stream outside the home.

Transferring media files to the BeeStation is easiest over a local SMB share. You can access the device through your network like any other NAS box, and I was getting about 100MB/s transfer speeds, which lines up with expectations for gigabit Ethernet.

So what’s the verdict? The BeeStation Plus works. It’s a more capable version of the original, and for someone new to Plex who wants a simple, all-in-one box, it might be a decent starting point. But at this price point, it sits in a weird middle ground. For casual users, the original BeeStation might still be enough if they don’t need the Plex server. It’s possible Synology will add more app support to this device in the future, and if they do, the extra processing power here will help. But for now, the BeeStation Plus feels like a bridge between the simple and sophisticated—and that may limit its appeal.

The Most Elaborate YouTube Credential Stealing Phishing Attack I’ve Ever Seen

I’ve been on YouTube for over a decade now, and with that comes a steady stream of emails—some from viewers, some from brands, and quite a few from scammers. Most of the scam attempts are easy to spot, but every so often, one comes through that’s far more convincing than the rest.

This most recent example caught my attention for how elaborate and well-executed it was, and I think it’s worth sharing as a cautionary tale.

These attacks attempt to get YouTube creators to download malware that steals their login credentials. You’ve probably seen this happen to other creators—big names like Linus Tech Tips have dealt with it. These attackers use social engineering tactics, many times impersonating an ad agency or brand, and send over the malware disguised as a contract.

I get messages daily that are easy to dismiss. One claimed to be from Nvidia offering an RTX 5000, but the email came from a random address in Slovakia. Another one, supposedly from Black Desert, had similar red flags. But others look much more legitimate. One scam I looked into a few weeks ago appeared to be from Corsair. The sender impersonated a real employee and used graphics and assets from Corsair’s actual website. But there were giveaways—like an email that, on reply, went to a random Gmail account and an SMTP server tied to a school in India. That one was fake, but you could spot it with a little digging.

Then came the Sony campaign email, which was on a whole different level. It started with a message from someone at “creatorpulse.org,” presenting themselves as an agency. I hadn’t heard of them before, so I checked out their website. It redirected to another agency, which looked like a social media marketing company. That wasn’t necessarily suspicious, since agencies often operate under different names for different industry verticals.

I responded, just to see where it would go. The sender said this was a major opportunity with Sony and directed me to watch a video on YouTube for more information. The video featured a very professional looking and sounding host that provides a set of instructions to the Creator for participating in the campaign. Creators were promised sizable compensation for this campaign along with up-front payments.

The YouTube channel, “Sony Partnership”, where this video lived looked authentic. It had a verified badge and 139,000 subscribers along with a lot of content taking back years. The video had been posted as unlisted and had over 4,600 views. Other creators were clearly being targeted.

But when I dug deeper, I saw that the content on the channel wasn’t original. It was made up entirely of playlists featuring official Sony videos. The channel itself hadn’t uploaded any public content—it was just borrowing legitimacy by curating the official Sony channel’s content.

I followed the link provided and logged into the associated website using a VPN and a dummy account. The site asked for access to a YouTube channel, displayed some generic YouTube stats, and then prompted users to download a password-protected archive which was supposedly an encrypted spreadsheet of products to request.

But the archive only worked on Windows, which was the biggest red flag. These types of files typically contain malware. If opened, they execute a script designed to steal Google and YouTube credentials. Once that happens, scammers can take over the channel, replace all content with crypto scam livestreams, and impersonate the original creator.

That’s likely what happened to the “Sony Partnership” channel. It was probably a legitimate account at one point—maybe even a verified one with a decent subscriber count—before it was compromised and repurposed for this phishing scheme.

The video in the scam featured a professional-looking host. Curious about who he was, I grabbed a frame and ran an image search. That led me to the portfolio of a video editor and, eventually, to a Fiverr spokesperson named Radostin Radev. He’s not involved in the scam; he was hired through Fiverr, likely thinking he was working for Sony, a past client of his. When I contacted him, he was shocked to find out how his video was being used. He hadn’t known about it until I reached out.

Others have reported receiving similar emails from fake agencies, but linking to the same video and site. Despite these reports, the scam site is still up and running, protected by Cloudflare, and the hijacked YouTube channel remains active and has been for at least a week.

The motivation here is financial. These fake crypto livestreams actually pull in money. One report from Bank Info Security detailed a scam that netted $1.6 million. The tactic is to ask viewers to send a small amount of Bitcoin in exchange for an investment opportunity or giveaway. With a hijacked, verified channel, scammers can use YouTube’s algorithm to amplify reach—sometimes with the help of fake viewers—to pull in real victims.

Bitdefender published a good deep dive last year explaining how these attacks work. It’s worth a read if you want to understand the mechanics behind it. But the bottom line is this: scammers are evolving. They’re spending money, crafting believable narratives, and using stolen or compromised infrastructure to increase their odds of success.

Staying safe means being skeptical, even when everything seems to check out on the surface. Always double-check domains, email headers, and don’t download files you weren’t expecting—especially if they’re password protected and only work on one operating system.

iPad Mini Review – Gen 7 / A17 Pro Version

I picked up the latest iPad Mini—the one with the A17 Pro chip that came out in October (compensated affilate link) —during a Prime Day sale a few months after its release. It wasn’t something I was initially planning on buying, but I started flying lessons and needed a bigger screen for ForeFlight, the aviation app I’ve been using. Just about every pilot I’ve encountered uses the iPad Mini, and it made sense to follow suit when I saw it on sale.

In this video, I take a look at the new iPad Mini and see what it can do. I was surprised that it has performance and capabilities that rivals some of the pre-M1 iPad Pros.

The device looks very much like the previous iPad Mini, which came out four years ago. The bezels haven’t changed, and they definitely feel dated by today’s standards. That said, the internals are better—more powerful processor, more memory, and increased base storage. I went with the 128 GB Wi-Fi model, which is enough for my needs. The starting price is $499, but I paid $379 on sale. Apple also offers 256 and 512 GB versions, and you can opt for cellular connectivity if needed.

I did get some questions about why I went with the non GPS unit if I’m using it in a plane. The reason is that we use a device called a Foreflight Sentry that provides GPS and ADS-B data to the iPad. It’s a pretty neat device. During our preflight I connect the iPad to the sentry via Wi-Fi and it’s up and running.

Inside, the iPad Mini is powered by the A17 Pro chip—essentially the same as the one in the iPhone 15 Pro, minus a GPU core. While that technically means it’s slightly less powerful graphically, I didn’t notice much of a difference in real-world use. The screen is 8.3 inches with a 2266 by 1488 resolution. It’s not OLED, but the contrast and black levels are still quite good. It runs at 60 Hz, so if you’re used to 120 Hz displays, the difference in smoothness will be noticeable. I’m not too bothered by it personally.

The hardware is solid. It weighs about 293 grams and feels well built with a glass front and a metal back. I added a MagSafe ring (compensated affiliate link) to the back for easier mounting in my studio and in the cockpit. It won’t wirelessly charge that way, but I mostly use the ring for mounting, not charging.

There’s a single USB-C port at the bottom, and stereo speakers that intelligently shift left and right depending on the orientation. Audio quality is passable—good for conference calls but not ideal for music playback. For better audio, external headphones or speakers are recommended, but note there is no headphone jack. The iPad supports the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, as well as the new USB-C Pencil and the Pencil Pro.

On the back is a 12 MP camera with a 1.8 aperture. It shoots 4K at 60 fps and can do slow-motion at 1080p 240 fps. There’s no optical stabilization, just digital, but video looks good and still images are sharp with natural bokeh, though there’s no portrait mode. The front-facing camera is also 12 MP but limited to 1080p video and isn’t great in low light. It does though have a very wide field of view and supports Center Stage for video calls, tracking you as you move.

Performance is snappy. Web browsing, app launching, and multitasking all work well. Split screen functionality is available, though the screen size makes it a bit tight. It supports Wi-Fi 6E and performed well in speed tests on my network.

I was surprised to find that Final Cut Pro runs on this iPad. I tested it using Apple’s sample project, and it played back 4K HDR footage smoothly. It’s not the easiest device to edit on due to screen size, but it worked. The full USB-C port also makes it possible to connect external displays, keyboards, and other peripherals, which makes it more useful for tasks like presentations. I ran a Keynote presentation off it without issue in my video.

Gaming is another strong suit. I tested Fortnite which ran at a solid 60 fps. Benchmark results put its performance in the same league as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and even comparable to a Windows handheld like the ASUS ROG Ally in some respects. That said, it does get warm under load and will throttle performance after sustained use. It’s worth noting that thermal throttling didn’t appear to impact my gaming session significantly but I did see performance losses with my benchmark tests.

Battery life varies by use. For web browsing and video playback, expect 8–10 hours. With more intensive applications like gaming, that drops to around 4 hours or less. It charges fairly quickly and, unlike iPhones, still includes a charger in the box.

I wasn’t planning to rejoin the iPad world, especially since my larger one doesn’t get much use, but this device feels right for what I need it to do. My wife has been using the prior Mini for a couple of years now and still loves it. For a smaller iPad, this one does a lot more than I expected. It’s not just about size—it’s also about capability.

Did TV Broadcasters Just Admit to Selectively Enforcing Their Own Encryption Rules?

On Friday, television broadcast association Pearl TV filed a scathing letter to the FCC in response to the thousands of consumers who wrote in to the commission complaining that their home gateway products (like the HDHomerun Flex 4k) are unable to tune encrypted broadcasts. I was surprised to see Pearl TV, through their attorneys, essentially admit to selectively enforcing their DRM rules to favor one tuning device type and maker over another.

I break it down in my latest video.

A gateway device allows a single antenna connection for bringing digital TV signals into the home and available on the local Wi-Fi or ethernet network. Any device with a screen can watch the content, and most gateway devices also offer a centralized DVR for recordings. Essentially gateway users can watch TV by just pulling up an app on any device.

Gateways are popular among cord cutters because they replicate many of the features that come with expensive streaming and cable TV plans. But when consumers “cut the cord,” broadcasters lose cable & streaming retransmission fees that make up a sizable portion of their annual revenues.

Broadcasters, through their encryption organization called the A3SA, have not allowed any gateway device to work with their encrypted broadcasts, permitting only single television tuner boxes that require separate antenna connections for each screen they are attached to. These devices can record, but only onto the single device without centralized DVR features found in gateways.

Pearl TV’s filing is misleading the FCC in response to questions about why Pearl’s broadcast partners are locking out home gateway devices that consumers have enjoyed for nearly 20 years. In their ex-parte filing, Pearl asserts:

The root cause why the HDHomeRun device has encountered issues is that it depends on a chipset manufactured by HiSilicon, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., which the Commission has found to be “a national security threat to the integrity of our communications networks” given that the company has been deemed to be “highly susceptible to influence and coercion by the Chinese government.”

Pearl also references a Department of Commerce blacklist in a footnote:

Huawei also has been placed on the US Commerce Department’s “Entity List,” and thus American companies are prohibited from providing sensitive technology to it. 15 C.F.R. § 744, Supp. 4 (2025) (The BI Entity List, as defined in 15 C.F.R. § 744.16, contains the names of “foreign parties subject to specific license requirements for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of controlled items.”

This filing suggests that any component from a blacklisted company violates the industry’s secret, non-disclosable rules concerning decryption. Their assertion is not even legally correct as a receive-only TV tuner is not a piece of telecommunications infrastructure that these laws and regulations apply to.

But even if those laws did apply, it’s clear the A3SA & Pearl are selectively enforcing this “rule.“

Let’s examine the GT Media X1, currently available on Amazon and other e-commerce sites for approximately $60. It is advertised as “DRM Certified.” My independent testing confirms its ability to play back and record encrypted content, a function exclusive to A3SA certified devices. It is capable of tuning into DRM protected content on a single television, but it is not a gateway device so it only works on a single television. 

After removing the casing, I was greeted with the chip circled in red on the Chinese designed and manufactured X1’s motherboard. That chip is made by YMTC, which was added to the Commerce Department’s black list under the Biden administration in 2022. 

According to the footnote in the Pearl TV filing, this should be an immediate disqualifier for A3SA certification. Yet, here we are with a device that is fully certified and capable of decrypting content.

This is a prime example of the anti-competitive nature of the opaque selective “regulation” that Pearl and broadcasters are imposing, where they get to decide who has access to the market. Here they continue to give an American company and television viewers the run-around while extending preferential treatment to a foreign entity – even allowing that company to break these opaque rules. 

What’s worse, the GT Media box initially shipped to US consumers was running with an Android operating system that was four years out of date containing many known security vulnerabilities that puts consumers at risk and also makes the broadcaster’s encrypted recordings less secure. You can see for yourself in my review of the product.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the GT Media Device did not have the Google Play Store and required sideloading apps from unknown sources, which opens the door to additional vulnerabilities.

While GT Media says they have since rectified some of these security issues, the larger question is why was it approved in the first place? It clearly violates an alleged rule of using a blacklisted component AND has gaping security holes.

But it’s a tuner, not a gateway device. And the broadcast industry has been trying to find ways to kill off gateways once and for all.

All of this comes as a surprise to Silicondust CEO Nick Kelsey, who told me that the A3SA licensing authority never communicated this concern to him. In fact, the A3SA approved the HDHomerun for on-device decryption by issuing Widevine security credentials in 2022 per this email supplied to me by Kelsey. Widevine would only turn over ATSC 3.0 DRM credentials to applicants who were approved by the A3SA. 

In 2023, Pearl’s partners granted full NextgenTV certification for the HDHomerun product and software knowing full well what was inside the unit.

So I asked the A3SA for comment. Specifically I wanted to know why they approved the GT Media Box, and to share any records of SiliconDust being notified about the component issue. Here’s what they said:

“Huawei has been on a restricted component list with the U.S. government for more than five years.  SiliconDust cannot claim ignorance of U.S. law.. SiliconDust has long been aware of this concern – so it is not new information to them.”

I pressed for more than just this but this was all they were willing to give.

The HDHomerun product hasn’t changed since those certifications and it’s apparent Pearl and their partners clearly knew what components were inside the unit when granting them.

With this blatant example of cooking up rules to push out a technology they don’t like, another question is what are Pearl’s goals here? Is it to protect content or inconvenience consumers and limit their choices for tuning devices?

The market is speaking loudly that gateway devices are the preferred means of watching and recording live television. A quick search of Amazon for “TV tuners” reveals that customers are choosing gateway devices over standalone TV tuners by a large margin. Three of the top four best sellers when searching for “TV tuners” are Tablo ATSC 1.0 gateways.

A similar search for “ATSC 3.0 tuners” reveals that the HDHomerun Flex 4k product is the best selling ATSC 3.0 device.

This new FCC has consistently advocated for open markets, and allowing those markets to dictate the optimal path rather than regulations. I fully support this stance. However, Pearl’s letter clearly indicates their preference to artificially restrict consumer choice. They aim to stifle a thriving cottage industry of US-based gateway hardware and software manufacturers through a private regulatory regime that lacks fairness and transparency.

It’s time the commission regain control of this absurdity, assert that broadcasters do not have the power to regulate device manufacturers, and ban the use of encryption over the public airwaves. It will solve a multitude of problems this transition is facing and will result in a vibrant and competitive marketplace for consumers and broadcasters alike.

GMKTec G10 Mini PC Review

In my latest Mini PC review video, I take a look at the new GMKTec G10. This one is on the lower-end of the price scale (compensated affiliate link), and reminded me a bit of their other low cost machine G3 Plus, which I liked for its low cost and practical design. The G10 comes in a bit higher in price but swaps in a Ryzen processor, specifically the older 3500U that can perform a little better in some applications.

My G10 review unit came with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, and it’s easy to open up and upgrade. There are two NVMe slots inside, and the unit can support up to 64GB of RAM and 16TB of total storage—though you’ll need to work around a pretty tight layout. One NVMe slot overlaps the RAM modules, which makes things a little cramped. It’s all housed in a plastic case, nothing premium, but serviceable.

On the front are two 5Gbps USB-A ports and a headphone/mic jack. Around back, there’s a USB-C port that supports data, video, and power delivery, along with a second USB-C port that’s power-only. There’s also USB 2.0, 2.5Gb Ethernet, HDMI, and DisplayPort outputs. Combined with the USB-C video output, you can run three independent displays. Wi-Fi is limited to Wi-Fi 5, and the Ethernet and wireless chips use Realtek controllers.

Right out of the box, performance is a bit underwhelming. By default, the BIOS is set to a balanced mode that limits the processor to 15W. Switching to the high-performance mode bumps that up to 35W, which improves performance, but thermal issues start cropping up. I ran a 3DMark stress test and initially got poor results—even in performance mode—until I manually configured the fan to run at 100%. With the fan running constantly, I got much better stability and higher benchmark scores. It’s louder than I’d like, but not the worst I’ve seen.

Windows 11 Pro comes pre-installed and activated. In high-performance mode, it feels snappier than Intel N150-based mini PCs, especially at 4K60. Browsing is responsive, though I noticed some dropped frames when playing back 4K60 video from YouTube. It eventually smooths out, but not quite to the level I’ve seen from newer Intel chips in the same price range.

Benchmarking with browserbench.org’s Speedometer test gave me a score of 11.2 in performance mode and 7.63 in balanced mode. It does beat the N150 when pushed in the higher TDP, but just barely.

Gaming is possible at the low end. GTA V at 720p and minimum settings averaged around 45 to 50 frames per second. Emulation performance was mixed. PS2 titles like Burnout Revenge didn’t run very smoothly, even with performance settings. Older consoles and retro-style games should run fine, but don’t expect this to handle more demanding emulators consistently.

In the Time Spy benchmark, the G10 scored 756 in performance mode and 394 in balanced mode. On paper, that’s better than the N150, but in practice, I saw smoother emulation on the Intel system. I suspect that the older CPU architecture and slower RAM are contributing to that gap.

Linux support seems solid. I tried Ubuntu 25.04 and had working Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, and video. An earlier version of Ubuntu didn’t detect Ethernet, but the latest build corrected that. Linux felt more responsive than Windows in balanced mode, likely due to lower system overhead.

Idle power consumption came in at around 11–12 watts in balanced mode and 20 watts in performance mode. For those thinking of using it as a low-cost server, it could work, but you’ll want to put it somewhere where the fan noise won’t be a annoyance.

Overall there are some compromises with this device. Thermals need hands-on tweaking, and the older chip architecture shows in areas like video playback and emulation. I’d probably still recommend the Intel N150-based mini PCs for most people, especially if your budget is tight and you’re looking for a quieter and more polished experience. Still, for the right use case—like a small home server or a Linux box—the G10 has its place.

Disclosure: GMKTec sent the Mini PC to the channel free of charge. They did not review or approve this video prior to uploading, no additional compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.

Plex to add Music & Photos Back to New TV and Mobile Apps (sponsored post)

Plex has been moving forward on the roadmap they laid out for their personal media server, and one of the more notable changes is already live—the new mobile app. Alongside that, they’ve been working on a redesigned TV app that’s still in beta. A major part of this update involves how Plex handles music and photos. The original plan was to move both into their own standalone apps—Plexamp for music and a separate Photos app. While that rollout did happen, it generated a lot of pushback from users who preferred having everything in one place – especially on the TV.

Plex responded to that feedback with a new preview version of their TV app, currently available only on Roku. This version brings music and photo libraries back into the mainline app experience. You can see it in action in my latest monthly sponsored Plex video.

Plex says that other platforms will follow, although there’s no timeline yet. Even as those features return to the main app, the standalone Plexamp and Photos apps will continue to be supported.

The apps all share a new architecture that should make cross-platform updates easier going forward. I spent some time testing the preview version on Roku to see how these reintegrated features are coming together.

Music playback is functional and similar to the current Plex TV experience. After selecting a music library, it’s possible to browse by artist, view popular tracks, and start playback. There’s a waveform visual, lyrics support, and playback is handled with attention to audio quality—lossless files will pass through if the device supports them, and the server will transcode when necessary.

Photo support is also back and works in a similar way to what users are accustomed to on the current Plex TV app. Photos and videos can be mixed in albums, and the experience includes recommendations and folder-based album navigation. There’s also a working slideshow feature via playlists. The only missing piece I noticed was the ability to manually reorder photos within a playlist, which doesn’t seem to be working yet.

The current preview app runs separately from the standard Roku Plex app, so there’s no risk of losing access to existing setups. Instructions for installing the Roku preview are posted in the Plex forums, and the team is encouraging feedback there.

So music and photos are back on Roku, and more platforms will follow. If you’re a Plex user who relies on those features, this preview is worth checking out—and if you have feedback, now is a good time to share it!

Congress is About to MANDATE AM Radio in Cars

When I was a kid, my dad used to drive me to work with him during the summers. He had this 1990s-era Mercedes-Benz, and every morning we’d listen to New York AM radio on the way in. Imus in the morning on 660 WFAN, and news on WCBS 880 on the way home. It felt like everyone was tuned in. But a lot has changed, and now Congress is stepping in to keep AM radio alive.

Learn more in my latest video.

There’s a bill moving through Congress that will require all vehicles sold in the U.S.—electric, gas, whatever—to include an AM radio. It has bipartisan support, with 60 co-sponsors in the Senate and 241 in the House. All of this support across the political divide means that this actually might happen. Plus, many members of Congress appear on morning AM radio programs so they have a personal connection to their local stations.

Tesla and BMW haven’t included AM radios in their electric vehicles for over a decade. More recently, other manufacturers have removed AM radios from their EVs and hybrids. The motors in electric vehicles interfere with AM reception because they resonate on similar frequencies to AM radio broadcasts. Automakers have instead opted to offer FM or digital streaming options. In some cases, you can even get AM radio through an HD FM subchannel. That workaround seems to have satisfied most customers so far as there hasn’t been a huge consumer outcry.

Still, the bill would give the Department of Transportation a year to write rules requiring all new vehicles to receive AM broadcasts. There’s a small out for EVs: they can meet the requirement with a digital-only AM receiver, which may be easier to implement. The bill also orders a GAO study on emergency alerts and whether AM is still the best option. There’s a 10-year sunset clause too, so the mandate isn’t forever unless Congress renews it.

The National Association of Broadcasters is backing the bill. That’s not surprising—they see it as essential to preserving AM radio’s role in emergency communications. Senator Ed Markey has been a vocal supporter, citing the unreliability of the internet during emergencies. But it’s worth noting the irony here: while he defends AM as a critical emergency resource, broadcasters are encrypting over-the-air TV signals, which in many cases require an Internet connection to tune into. If emergency access is the priority, maybe it’s time to talk about over-the-air TV encryption too.

On the other side, the Consumer Technology Association is spending heavily to oppose the bill. They argue that nearly everyone now gets emergency alerts through their phones. They cite a survey showing 95% of people remembered getting an alert on their smartphones during a nationwide test, compared to just 1% who heard it on AM radio.

Industry estimates suggest it could cost $3.8 billion to reintroduce AM radios into EVs. Shielding, filters, multiple antennas—it’s not a simple fix. But the law only says a car has to have an AM radio, not that it works particularly well. So automakers may just aim for “good enough.”

AM radio’s advantage is its reach. Because it operates at lower frequencies than FM, its signals travel much farther—especially at night. A powerful AM station can broadcast 100 to 200 miles during the day and sometimes thousands of miles further after dark, thanks to atmospheric bounce. That makes it valuable in emergencies, especially if power is out and people are fleeing in their cars. FM doesn’t cover the same ground, even at similar power levels.

Still, listenership trends are hard to ignore. Back in 2009, the FCC found that just 4% of 12–24-year-olds listened to AM radio. Even among 25–34-year-olds, it was only 9%. The median AM listener back then was 57 years old. In my own YouTube poll, 72% of respondents said they don’t listen to AM radio at all. Just 5% use a streaming app to tune in. It’s anecdotal, sure, but it lines up with national trends.

Despite all that, traditional radio—AM and FM—is still surprisingly strong. A 2022 Pew/Nielsen study found that 82% of Americans tune into radio weekly, and nearly half get some news from it. But podcasting is clearly catching up. According to Edison Research, daily podcast listening has skyrocketed across every age group since 2017. That growth is particularly pronounced among older adults—radio’s core audience.

What’s striking from the Edison Research report is that people mostly listen to podcasts at home. In the car, it’s still over the air AM/FM radio. And most people still commute alone by car according to Census data. Some of the comments on my YouTube poll echoed this. Respondents who retired or no longer have a commute stopped listening to the radio.

So if the radio disappears from the dashboard and a podcast button shows up instead, that’s a major threat to broadcasters. This bill feels like an effort to hold off that transition for just a little while longer.

This mandate, if it passes, won’t turn back the clock and will likely result in interference-ridden radio buttons that EV drivers won’t tune into.

Free App Hidden Gem: STARSS – RSS Reader with a Star Trek LCARS Interface!

I stumbled across something recently that made my inner Star Trek nerd do a double-take. If you’re like me—middle-aged and grew up watching The Next Generation—chances are your iPad mini reminds you of the data pads the crew used aboard the Enterprise. But of course, Apple’s default interface doesn’t exactly scream LCARS. That’s where an app called “STARSS” comes in.

See it in action in my latest video.

I found this while browsing around and had never heard of it before, despite the fact that it’s apparently been on the App Store for over 17 years. It’s free, and was created by Christopher Kriens, who as far as I can tell hasn’t made any other iOS apps. What makes STARSS unique is that it turns your iPad—or iPhone—into a fully functional LCARS-style RSS reader. It’s more than just a nostalgic interface toy. It actually has some function.

When you launch the app, you’re greeted with that familiar Starfleet color palette and UI structure. It pulls in RSS feeds and displays articles as if they were Starfleet communiqués. It even includes audio effects—when you share an article, for instance, it plays the communicator chirp. The navigation is pure LCARS: no scrolling with your fingers here. Instead, you tap buttons labeled “ascend” and “descend” to move through lists. To read an article, you select it and tap “access article,” which opens a summary. You can then hit “access web” to launch the article in a built-in browser.

There’s a certain charm in how committed the app is to the Star Trek aesthetic. Features like “red alert” mode, weapon systems with sound effects, and a “subspace scan” button add to the illusion. If you really want to immerse yourself, you can even enable ambient bridge sounds that play while the app is open.

Underneath the LCARS exterior is a lightweight but capable RSS reader. It doesn’t offer all the bells and whistles like tags or folders, but it gets the job done. You can add new feeds by searching for a site and hitting “engage.” I tried it with my own blog and had no problem getting it to work. Articles show up in the reader with summaries or full text, depending on how the site publishes its feed.

There’s also iCloud sync support, basic text size controls, and even an option to trigger red alert mode if you drop your iPad. It’s clearly not meant to replace more advanced RSS readers, but it doesn’t need to. For Star Trek fans looking for a functional novelty, it lands in the sweet spot.

STARSS is free and still available on the App Store. It might not be new, but it was new to me—and sometimes that’s even better.

Find an iPad on Amazon (compensated affiliate link).

Digital Game Purchases Are Being Taken Away from Gamers – My Experience

Have we crossed the event horizon into the digital games abyss? I think we might be there. I’ve been buying digital games since the Xbox 360 era—about 20 years now—and a recent story about SNK delisting its Neo Geo games from the Google Play Store made me reflect on just how fragile digital ownership has become. Some of these games were paid titles, and now, even if you bought them, you can’t download them again. They’re just gone.

I take a look at this issue in my latest analysis video.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Ubisoft shut down the servers for the original The Crew game—even for single-player—which rendered both the physical and digital versions unusable. In court filings, Ubisoft even argued that consumers shouldn’t expect to own games forever. That statement alone raises serious concerns about what digital ownership really means.

There’s been some pushback. A petition effort in the EU called “Stop Killing Games” has collected over 1.2 million signatures. It calls for publishers to make games playable in perpetuity if they’re sold as stand-alone purchases. It also pushes for upfront disclosure of how long server-dependent features will be supported. Some developers are fighting it, but it’s encouraging to see gamers so fiercely defending their rights. I only wish more consumers in other markets showed this level of passion and persistence.

I spent the weekend looking through my digital game purchases across various platforms to see what I still have access to. On Xbox 360, I was able to retrieve my very first digital purchase from 2005—Zuma—and get it running again. But the process was clunky. You can’t view purchases on the web, only on the original console, and it’s not clear how long Microsoft will keep those old servers running. My console frequently errored out if I scrolled my past purchases list too quickly.

Not all Xbox 360 games made the jump to modern Xbox consoles through their backwards compatibility efforts. A favorite of mine, Afterburner Climax, never made it to modern devices due to licensing complications over the aircraft featured in the game. Microsoft has stopped porting more titles over for now, citing legal and technical challenges.

On Steam, things look better. My early purchases, including Half-Life 2, are still accessible. I haven’t lost any games there yet. GOG, formerly Good Old Games, also continues to offer access to titles I bought as far back as 2011, like Wing Commander and Castles. They’ve even improved some of those games to work better on newer hardware. The best part about GOG is that the games are DRM free – so you can download them in full and archive them.

Nintendo’s 3DS platform is a mixed bag. I couldn’t test mine because of a swollen battery, but Nintendo has said 3DS downloads are still available—for the “foreseeable future.” Whatever that means.. That wording isn’t exactly reassuring.

The worst offender in my experience has been the Apple App Store. When Apple transitioned to 64-bit apps, many older 32-bit games stopped working. If developers didn’t update them, they disappeared. Big publishers like EA were among the culprits. I had purchased a $10 version of SimCity that ran great on iPhone, but it’s now gone. In its place? A freemium replacement with in-app purchases. Even if I kept an old iPhone with the app installed, it’s tough to get back in due to outdated App Store compatibility.

Other games I lost include THQ’s Star Wars Trench Run, Amateur Surgeon from Adult Swim, and a bunch of others that aren’t even visible in my purchase history anymore. I probably lost at least $30 worth of games, and I can only guess how much other gamers have lost over the years.

There is a workaround for some of these lost iOS games. The Internet Archive hosts an extensive collection of .IPA files, but to install them, you’ll need an old iPhone running iOS 10 or earlier—and you’ll need to jailbreak it. It’s not simple, but it’s one way to reclaim what was lost. I found almost all of my missing games there.

All of this underscores how important digital preservation efforts are. It’s not just about nostalgia. It’s about protecting access to things we’ve paid for and preserving digital history. There’s no consistent law guaranteeing our rights to these digital purchases, and that needs to change. Even worse, gamers looking to preserve DRM protected works could be opening themselves up to legal issues as the DMCA criminalizes DRM circumvention.

If you’ve lost access to games or apps you paid for, I’d be curious to hear your story in the comment section of my video. Whether it was a suspended account or a platform shift beyond your control, you’re not alone. We may not fully realize the scale of this digital abyss until it’s too late.

Can an 8bitdo Controller Wake Up a Switch 2?

I wanted to follow up on a question that came up in my recent video about the compatibility of 8BitDo controllers with the Switch 2. In that original video I demonstrated how 8bitdo’s latest firmware for many of their controllers was updated to provide Switch 2 compatibility. But I did not answer the question as to whether you could use one an 8bitdo controller to wake the console from sleep like you can with the original Switch.

The short answer, as I demonstrate in this Short, is no.

To test this, I started with my original Switch. I turned on the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 controller, gave it a little jiggle, and sure enough, the console woke up. That confirmed what I expected. Next, I paired the same controller with my Switch 2 to see if it would behave the same way.

After pairing it up, I turned off the Switch 2 to put it into sleep mode and then tried the same trick—turning the controller on and giving it a jiggle. This time, though, nothing happened. The Switch 2 stayed asleep, even after repeated attempts. It turns out that even the official original Switch Pro Controller won’t wake up the Switch 2, so this isn’t just a third-party compatibility issue. You’ll need to press the power button on the console itself to get things going again.

You can find 8bitdo controllers on Amazon (compensated affiliate link)

Disclosure: 8bitdo’s distributor AKNES provided the controller to the channel free of charge. This was not a sponsored video nor did anyone review or approve of this content prior to uploading.

The ASUS Prime Day Gaming Laptop: ROG Strix G16 Review

I’ve been spending some time with the ASUS ROG Strix G16 (compensated affiliate link), a gaming laptop that’s been on sale for Prime Day and likely will pop up in other sales throughout the year. This is a mid-tier option in the ROG lineup, and ASUS sent it over on loan for a closer look.

You can see it in action in my latest review.

It’s powered by an Intel Core i7-14650HX—an older CPU, but still very capable given the rest of the system—and it’s paired with an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU with 8GB of VRAM, running at up to 115 watts. The display is a 16-inch 1920×1200 panel in a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’s not especially high-res, but it runs at 165Hz with G-Sync and a 3ms response time. I’d estimate brightness at around 350 nits. While not the brightest screen out there, it holds up well in everyday use and looks good while gaming.

The build is mostly plastic, with some metal reinforcement on the display lid. It weighs in at about 5.84 pounds (2.65 kg). Inside, there’s 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. There’s an extra NVMe slot for expansion. One thing that stood out to me was the ease of access for upgrading memory and storage—no screws are needed to get inside. A simple twist-and-lift mechanism opens the bottom panel to expose the internals.

As for the lighting, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The system features a full underglow RGB light bar and zone-based keyboard lighting, but the customization process is far from intuitive. You’ll need to dig into ASUS’s Armory Crate and Aura Sync software to isolate the keyboard from the light bar, and it doesn’t support per-key lighting. It’s clunky.

The keyboard itself feels solid, with a good amount of travel and a few translucent keycaps that let the lighting through. The trackpad is generously sized and responsive.

Port selection is another strong point: the left side includes the power input, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, a 10Gbps USB-A port, a Thunderbolt 4 port, and a 10Gbps USB-C port that also supports video output. On the right, there are two more 10Gbps USB-A ports. The power brick is 280W—not small, but a bit more manageable than others in this class.

I like Thunderbolt ports because they add a lot of versatility to a laptop, especially for someone like me who does live video production. With Thunderbolt, I can connect high-speed external storage, additional displays, or even specialized gear like desktop capture cards in compact breakout boxes (compensated affiliate link). I set my local high school up with a Blackmagic card in a Thunderbolt box that brought in four SDI camera feeds for live switching—something that wouldn’t be possible with a standard USB-C port. It’s one of those features that quietly makes a gaming laptop far more capable for both creative work and general expansion.

Battery life is about what you’d expect. While gaming, you might get an hour or two. Lighter tasks like browsing and document work could stretch it to six to eight hours, assuming lower brightness and efficiency settings. The 1080p webcam is passable, and there’s also an IR camera for facial recognition login.

In terms of gaming performance, I tested Cyberpunk 2077, No Man’s Sky, and Red Dead Redemption 2, all at the display’s native resolution with graphic settings cranked up and DLSS enabled. Frame rates ranged from about 75 to over 100 fps depending on the title and scene. Even with the modest display resolution, the visuals looked sharp and responsive, and the 165Hz refresh rate kept everything smooth. The display also handles glare well thanks to its anti-reflective coating.

As for benchmarks, the 3DMark Time Spy score came in at 12,960—better than last year’s version of this with an RTX 4060, and not far off from some RTX 4070 laptops. A 99.2% score on the 3DMark stress test suggests strong thermal performance under sustained load. The laptop has three fans and large exhaust vents, and while you’ll hear the fans when gaming, they’re not overly loud. This thicker chassis likely contributes to better airflow and reduced noise.

From a build and performance perspective, the G16 sits in an interesting spot—not quite high-end, but a clear step up from ASUS’s TUF line. It’s sturdy, not overly flashy, and quiet under load. The display looks better than its resolution might suggest, and gaming performance is solid across the board. It’s also a useful option for creators thanks to the inclusion of Thunderbolt 4.

This one checks a lot of boxes for me as someone who games occasionally and does video production. Others might prefer different brands or slightly different features, but this setup hits a nice balance.

Disclosure: Asus provided the laptop on loan. This was not a sponsored review nor was content reviewed or approved prior to publishing. All opinions are my own.

Amazon Haul 10 – Prime Day Edition!

I recently went through another batch of tech gear ahead of Amazon Prime Day and thought it would be worth sharing what I found, especially since there’s a bit of something for everyone in this haul. Everything I looked at is linked individually via the compensated affiliate links below, and none of this is sponsored or pre-approved—just me sharing what came in.

You can see all of the items on Amazon here and watch the video here!

The first item up was a wall plug security camera disguised as a USB charger. It’s a functional charger with an SD card slot that records video locally. It can run continuously or on motion detection.

The camera’s field of view is limited, especially given that outlets are usually low to the ground, so it mostly captures feet and torsos unless it’s installed higher up. There’s no night vision, and the included 32GB card only stores a few hours of footage, but it does work as described.

Next was a compact travel dock from Lenovo. It’s lightweight and sturdy with enough ports for most travel needs: 10Gbps USB-A and USB-C ports, HDMI out, full-size and microSD card readers. It can pass through up to 65 watts of power, which is fine for lighter laptops but might fall short on high-demand systems.

If you’re after something more robust, I looked at Anker’s Thunderbolt 5 dock. It’s compatible with Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C as well, though the extra bandwidth from Thunderbolt 5 is where it really shines. It offers a good mix of ports, can power a MacBook Pro with up to 140 watts, and includes 2.5 gigabit Ethernet. However, I found Ethernet speeds to be inconsistent, particularly on the downstream side. It might be a driver issue, but the upstream speeds were fine. It also includes a power button that controls both lighting and power, so quick taps are key if you don’t want to shut it off accidentally.

One item I had fun testing was a USB-C to serial adapter from Sabrent. It worked without issue across platforms and even let me connect my Apple IIe to a Linux terminal for a bit of retro-style browsing. If you’re into serial-based projects or older systems, this might be useful.

There was also a DVD drive from Suideck that offered a bit more than expected. Besides reading and writing DVDs, it had a hidden panel with USB 2.0 ports, SD and microSD card slots, a USB-C port (albeit also USB 2), and even a SATA adapter for 2.5″ drives. It’s slow by today’s standards, but functional for retrieving data from older media.

For the Switch 2, I checked out a multi-function protective set from AKNES. It includes a hard-shell carrying case, silicone grips, snap-on protective covers, analog stick caps, and two screen protectors. It’s a solid option for traveling or for kids who are a bit rougher on their devices.

Anker also sent over a couple of wireless earbuds: their AeroClips and their AeroFit 2. I preferred the Aero Clips over the Aerofit 2. The Clips have a unique ear-hugging design that worked better for me and provided decent sound—close to the AirPods I usually use. The Aerofit 2s didn’t fit as well and were harder to position. Sound quality probably would’ve improved with a better fit, but I couldn’t get there.

One item I picked up myself was the V-Rig MagSafe mount, which works with tripods and camera mounts. I use my iPhone for a lot of filming, so I was looking for a way to streamline my rig. This attaches securely to MagSafe-compatible devices, and there’s a magnetic ring included for non-MagSafe phones. I also used it to stick an SSD to the mount for a tidy setup while filming.

I also threw in a 5 gigabit USB-C Ethernet adapter from Wavlink that doesn’t cost much more than a 1 or 2.5 gig NIC. It worked out of the box on both Windows and Mac, no drivers needed, and hit the expected speeds. It’s small and compact—about the size of older 1 gig adapters.

Finally, I tried the “Every Day” keyboard case from Belkin for the iPad Air 10.9 and Pro 11. It’s a lower-cost option that uses Bluetooth instead of the smart connector, which means it needs to be charged separately. The keys are smaller than I’d like, but they are well spaced, and the trackpad supports all the standard iPad gestures. It adds some weight to the iPad but works fine for basic typing and navigation.

That’s everything in this round. I try to do at least one livestream around Prime Day and have more gear coming in that I’ll be demoing. You can catch those on Amazon or YouTube. Let me know what stood out to you and see more of videos like this on my Hauls Playlist!

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 Review (with Mediatek Kompanio Ultra 910)

I got a chance to check out Lenovo’s new Chromebook Plus 14, powered by the MediaTek Kompanio 910 processor. I didn’t have high expectations going in—MediaTek hasn’t exactly been known for high-performance chips in the Chromebook space—but this one surprised me. It handled just about everything I threw at it with the kind of responsiveness I usually associate with Intel or AMD-based machines, and it stayed cool and quiet throughout thanks to its fanless design. You can see it in action in my latest review.

This particular configuration comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, priced at $749 (compensated affiliate link). The entry-level version starts at $649, and both perform the same. As part of the Chromebook Plus program, buyers also get a year of Google’s Gemini Pro service included, along with two terabytes of cloud storage across their Google account. After the first year, subscription fees apply.

The 14-inch OLED touchscreen runs at 1920×1200 with a 60Hz refresh rate and maxes out at 400 nits of brightness. It’s sharp and vibrant, with a 16:10 aspect ratio that works well for productivity. The webcam clocks in at 1440p and includes some of those AI background effects Google has built into the Chromebook Plus version of the ChromeOS operating system. It’s not amazing, but it does the job. There’s also a physical privacy shutter.

Build-wise, the Chromebook feels solid with a mostly metal chassis, though there’s a bit of flex in the keyboard deck. The keyboard is standard Lenovo fare—comfortable, backlit, and roomy enough for extended typing sessions, even if the key travel is a little shallow. The audio quality was better than expected, with Dolby Atmos certification and a full, clear sound, especially for a Chromebook.

Ports are minimal: two USB-C ports (one on each side, both full-function but limited to 5Gbps), a USB-A port, and a headphone jack. It supports up to two external displays, though only one port could hit 60Hz, the other 30Hz, when I mixed adapters. Wi-Fi 7 support is on board, and I was able to hit close to gigabit speeds with a compatible access point.

Battery life is a standout. I got more than 13 hours out of it under typical Chromebook workloads, especially when keeping the OLED brightness in check. And since it’s completely silent and solid-state, it’s a very comfortable device to use on the go.

In terms of real-world performance, web browsing felt snappy and responsive. On the Speedometer benchmark, it scored a 25, which lines up with newer Snapdragon-powered Windows devices and outperforms some previous-generation Intel Chromebooks. It also had no trouble playing back 4K 60fps YouTube video.

One limitation to be aware of is streaming video apps. Netflix, for example, doesn’t output HD video through the Android app on Chromebooks due to DRM issues—something that’s been unresolved for years. The workaround is to use the Netflix website instead, where video plays back at full resolution.

This particular Chromebook Plus has two on-device AI features lacking on other Chromebook Plus devices. The first is a browser tab organizer can group tabs into virtual desktops based on topic. It worked, though not perfectly and it sometimes missed obvious groupings. The other feature, an on-device background removal tool for images, is not quite there yet. I tried it on a photo for a YouTube thumbnail and still needed additional edits afterward. Some of the Gemini-based tools integrated into Chrome OS—like article summaries and auto-writing—worked more reliably and were genuinely helpful for quick tasks.

Gaming and emulation performance was better than I expected. Android games like Wuthering Waves ran smoothly on balanced settings. I tried mapping touchscreen controls to a game controller (another Chromebook Plus exclusive feature) and it seemed to work well enough. I also ran the Dolphin emulator and tested out GameCube games. I experienced solid, full speed performance with room to push resolutions higher on some titles.

3DMark’s Wildlife test gave a score of 18,498 on the standard benchmark and 5,284 on the Extreme version. That puts it in the ballpark with many of its peers at this price point.

Linux support is present, as it is with most Chromebooks. I installed the Linux development environment, ran some command-line tools like Nano, and even launched graphical applications like LibreOffice. Everything worked, aside from a few window resizing quirks. It’s a useful feature for anyone interested in development or running more traditional desktop applications.

This Chromebook will be supported with security updates through June 2035, giving it a 10-year lifespan. That’s about as good as it gets on Chrome OS right now.

What stood out most was just how capable the MediaTek chip was. I’ve used a lot of Chromebooks over the years, and this one didn’t feel like it was held back by its processor. I’m curious to see whether MediaTek will be able to bring this same chip to the Windows ecosystem. Overall this is a strong showing for Chromebook users looking for a fanless, portable device with long battery life and decent performance across the board.

See more Chromebook reviews here!

Disclaimer: Lenovo provided the Chromebook on loan for this review. They did not review or approve this content before it was uploaded and this is not a sponsored review.

Automating Your Media with the Plex Watchlist RSS Feed!

Plex has been sponsoring a monthly video on my channel for a while now, and this month I took another look at one of my favorite features: the watch list and its RSS feed that allows for many more uses. You can see it in action in my latest Plex Video.

One of the things I really appreciate about Plex is the strength of its universal search engine. For instance, if I search for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, I can not only explore every season of the show but also see where it’s available to stream, even if it’s not on one of my own Plex servers. It gives me a single place to bookmark anything I want to watch, so later I can sit down at the TV, pull up my list, and head straight to whatever I’m in the mood for. It’s a really convenient system, especially when someone recommends a show—just hit the watch list button, and it’s waiting for you at home.

What the watch list doesn’t do, though, is notify you when a new season or episode is available. It does have a shelf on its recommendation page, but it’s not front and center. That got me thinking—could I build something to fill in that gap? I started playing around with the RSS feed Plex generates for your watch list. It’s turned off by default, but once enabled under your Plex Pass account settings, it gives you a URL to a standard XML file. That feed includes metadata like titles, summaries, and most importantly, the TVDB or IMDb ID for each item. That opened the door to building something a little more customized.

With a little help from AI, I created a Python script that parses the RSS feed, connects to the TVDB API, and pulls in the next known air date for each show. The script runs in the terminal and outputs a table sorted by upcoming release dates. Right now it’s basic, but it could easily be extended to integrate with Home Assistant or another tool for sending notifications. I’ve already got it tracking things like the next season of Squid Game and Stranger Things, along with upcoming episodes of Skinwalker Ranch and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

I also had the AI write a PHP version of the script that looks better in a web browser.
Code for both versions are available here. Even without programming, you can do simple things like ask ChatGPT for sci-fi shows that aren’t already in your feed. That alone gave me a few new ideas for what to add to my list.

This RSS feature is easy to access and doesn’t require an API key. If you’re comfortable with a little coding—or even just working with a chatbot to help—you can build something that extends what the watch list already offers. If you’re doing anything creative with your own watch list RSS feed, I’d love to hear about it.

Comcast Eliminates Data Caps – But You Have to Call First

We’ve been following the Comcast data cap saga for years, and this week there was finally some movement worth talking about. Comcast has made a major shift in its internet plans: the dreaded data caps are gone—for now. The change isn’t automatic, though. You’ll need to call or visit Comcast’s website to make the switch yourself.

I take a look at their new Internet plans in my latest video.

For a while, Comcast’s cap was 1.2 terabytes a month, with a $10 charge for every 50GB you went over unless you paid a hefty monthly fee to bypass it entirely. It wasn’t a small issue either—many people, especially in areas without competing providers, had no choice but to deal with it.

Interestingly, in parts of the Northeast where there’s more competition, Comcast never turned on the caps. Comcast planned to roll them out during the early COVID lockdowns but backed off when the timing turned out to be especially poor. Increased competition in those regions likely kept the caps at bay.

Now Comcast is facing even more pressure. The FCC recently approved a merger between Verizon and Frontier, which means Verizon’s footprint is about to expand significantly. Frontier, after emerging from bankruptcy with a pile of copper infrastructure, managed to build out a decent fiber network using their existing poll attachments. They’ll now be part of a much bigger player, giving Comcast real competition in areas they used to dominate.

To stay competitive, Comcast has introduced new nationwide pricing tiers that eliminate data caps and includes a modem/router gateway without additional fees.

There are several tiers available, from 300 Mbps to 2 Gbps download speeds, though the upload speeds remain asymmetrical. The upstream rates will vary depending on where you live and typically range between 20 and 200 megabits per second.

But like anything with Comcast the price tiers are not cut and dry. Each data rate has three different prices: a one year lock, and five year lock, and an “every day price.” The one year rate is the least expensive, but after the year is up it will revert to the every day rate which at the moment is $30 more per month.

You can cancel service any time without a penalty, but you’ll lose that rate if you decide to come back later. My advice is for people in regions with more ISP competition to go with the one year as you’ll likely get the same or better deal after the year is up. If Comcast is your only choice, the five year is probably your best bet to maintain pricing stability.

The announced prices are assuming you opt into their $10 monthly autopay discount—and they’ll only give you that discount if they can draw directly from your checking account. Credit card autopay doesn’t qualify.

I looked at my own local rate card and confirmed that these new rates are available here in Connecticut. Comcast also offers bundling discounts if you include phone or mobile service, shaving off $10 to $40 depending on how many products you add.

Still, if you’re only looking for internet service in competitive regions, Comcast is not necessarily the cheapest option. Fiber providers like Frontier and GoNetspeed in my state offer symmetrical upload and download speeds, and at lower prices. For instance, Frontier offers 500 Mbps for $30 a month for the first year, while Comcast charges $55 with a one-year lock. But I’m finding all of these ISPs are always looking for ways to up their charges once customers have been with them for awhile.

The important takeaway here is that Comcast’s move to eliminate data caps and bundle in rental equipment is a direct response to increased pressure from fiber providers. Even in areas where Comcast still holds a monopoly, the new pricing applies—so it’s worth taking the time to switch plans.

The trick now is staying alert and ready to exercise your power as a consumer in a competitive marketplace. When your promotional rate expires, don’t let it slide. Call, negotiate, or switch to get the best price.