Month: October 2025

How to Wake a Switch 2 with 8Bitdo Pro 3 or Ultimate 2 Controllers

A few weeks ago I took a look at how the popular 8BitDo line of game controllers work with the new Switch 2 console. But despite the compatibility, the controllers could not wake up the console – until now.

In my latest video, I took a look at the new 2.0 firmware update for the 8BitDo Pro 3 and Ultimate 2 Bluetooth controllers (compensated affiliate links), both of which can now wake up the Nintendo Switch 2 with just a shake. This feature had been missing from earlier versions, so I wanted to go through what’s required to make it work. It does require a specific procedure, so a general pairing with the console won’t wake it up.

First, it’s important to note that only these two controllers — the Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Edition and the Pro 3 — currently support this wake function. Other 8BitDo models will connect to the Switch 2, but they can’t wake it up yet.

To get started, you’ll need to update your controller’s firmware to version 2.0 using the 8BitDo Ultimate software on your computer. Once connected via USB, the software gives you the option to update the firmware, which enables the new “shake to wake” feature. After the update is complete, the controller will reboot automatically.

Next comes the special procedure: Put the controller into pairing mode by pressing the button on top until it starts blinking. Then, remove a Joy-Con from your Switch and power the console on using the Home button. From the main menu, go to the controller settings and select “Change Grip/Order.” At this point, press the left and right buttons on the 8BitDo controller until it pairs successfully.

After pairing, you can reattach your Joy-Con, put the Switch to sleep, and then try waking it up by turning on the 8BitDo controller and giving it a quick shake. Be sure the controller is set to Bluetooth mode rather than the 2.4GHz wireless dongle mode. On the Ultimate 2, make sure the mode switch is in the bluetooth position, and on the Pro 3, confirm that the “S” mode is selected.

It’s a small but welcome addition to these controllers, and it brings them closer in functionality to Nintendo’s own gamepads. See more of my 8BitDo videos here, and my review of the Switch 2 here!

Disclosure: 8BitDo and/or their distributor AKNES sent me these controllers free of charge. No other compensation was received, and they did not review or approve this content before it was uploaded.

MINIX Elite ER936-AI Mini PC Review

My latest video review looks at the new Minix Elite ER936-AI Mini PC. It’s powered by AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, part of the Strix line, which gives it ten cores and a surprisingly capable built-in GPU. My review unit came configured with 32 gigabytes of DDR5 memory running at 5600 MHz and a one-terabyte NVMe SSD. You can find it over at Amazon, or direct at Minix’s online store (compensated affiliate links).

I’ve reviewed a number of Minix devices before and have generally found them to be well built, and this one fits right in with that reputation. It’s designed to be easily serviceable, with a tool-less bottom panel that lifts off for access to the internals. Underneath, you’ll find an extra NVMe slot, the Wi-Fi card, and RAM slots.

The port selection is generous for a small system. There are two 40 gigabit USB 4.0 Type-C ports that can handle Thunderbolt and video output, plus multiple 10-gigabit-per-second USB-A ports, dual 2.5-gigabit Ethernet jacks, HDMI, DisplayPort, and a headphone/mic jack placed on the front. Power comes from a 120-watt adapter, and the system draws around 100 watts under heavy load but sips about 10 to 12 watts at idle. A small fan keeps things cool; it’s audible under stress but not particularly loud, and it does a good job of maintaining thermal consistency.

The system ships with Windows 11 Pro preinstalled and activated. General performance was solid across everyday tasks like web browsing and streaming, though I noticed a few dropped frames while playing 4K60 YouTube content. The machine scored 33 on Browserbench’s Speedometer test, putting it in line with other recent AMD and Intel processors. Its graphics capabilities stood out in particular. I tested DaVinci Resolve with 4K footage and saw smooth real-time playback of transitions and a noticeable speed advantage when rendering effects compared to other mini PCs I’ve tested.

I also experimented with local AI tools to see how it handled workloads beyond typical productivity. Using AMD’s GAIA and Lemonade applications, I ran a 20-billion-parameter open-source language model that utilized the GPU. It performed significantly faster than running similar models through Olama on the same hardware which only runs through the CPU. It’s not going to rival cloud-based AI tools, but the fact that it handled local LLM this well shows how far these compact systems have come. For anyone experimenting with automation tools like N8N or other LLM setups, this configuration offers a good entry point.

Gaming performance was better than expected. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p low settings, frame rates hovered around 45 to 55 frames per second, dipping slightly in more complex scenes. No Man’s Sky performed even better, staying close to 60 FPS on the ground and climbing to around 80 in space. The GPU is the limiting factor, but there’s enough CPU headroom for an external GPU setup if you wanted more performance. On 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, the system scored 3,504, which puts it close to older desktop GPUs like the Nvidia GTX 1060 and 1650. The stress test showed stable cooling with a 99.3 percent consistency score.

Linux support was also solid. Ubuntu detected all of the system’s components, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and audio, without issue. With two NVMe slots, it’s easy to set up a dual-boot configuration for Windows and Linux. This flexibility makes it suitable for home server use or software testing environments where you want both operating systems available.

After spending some time with it, the Minix Elite ER936 feels like a well-balanced small form factor computer that can handle a mix of productivity, light gaming, and local AI tasks. The design is practical, it runs efficiently, and it delivers consistent performance under load.

What’s Going on With Fire TV?

Amazon’s new “Select” 4k streaming stick with the new Vega OS has not been well received – especially by enthusiasts. In my latest video, we take a look at what’s going with the FireTV and why Amazon is moving away from the Android player we’ve come to know and mostly love over the last decade.

When I started covering tech on YouTube more than a decade ago, one of the earliest products I reviewed was the original Amazon Fire TV. It was a time when streaming boxes were still new and fragmented. Roku was around, but like today it was very limited in capabilities, and Apple’s TV box didn’t yet have apps. Amazon’s entry in 2014 was a surprise — an Android-based device with an interface built for television. It even beat Google’s Nexus Player, the first official Android TV device, to market by a few months.

Back then, the Fire TV felt like a meaningful step forward. Amazon had invested in game development studios and the box had decent graphics performance for casual play. You could sideload Android apps, and it was fast at launching video, caching streams so they started almost instantly. The platform was flexible, and the company was building a product that appealed to both mainstream users and enthusiasts.

Fast forward eleven years, and Amazon’s latest Fire TV device, the 4K Select, runs something entirely different. The operating system, called Vega OS, has replaced Android under the hood, but Amazon isn’t marketing it openly. It’s not mentioned on the box or in promotional materials. What’s more, this new system limits what the device can do. Apps now need to be rewritten for Vega OS, and many haven’t made the jump yet. In some cases, Amazon is actually streaming apps from the cloud to make them run on the new hardware, a workaround that shows how much compatibility has changed.

This move appears to be a shift in priorities. Vega OS likely helps Amazon build cheaper hardware with lower overhead, targeting the low-end streaming stick segment rather than the higher-performance devices that used to appeal to enthusiasts. Developers can build in React Native, which is cross-platform, but that still means maintaining another version of their app specifically for Vega. Whether streaming app makers will see that as worth the effort remains to be seen.

According to AFTVNews, Amazon is keeping Vega OS confined to the entry-level devices for now, while higher-end Fire TVs and smart TVs may move to a different system based on Android 14.

The timing of this change may have something to do with where Amazon stands in the streaming device market. Data from Pixalate shows Roku leading with about 36 percent of U.S. market share, far ahead of Fire TV’s 14 percent. Roku focuses almost entirely on delivering video streaming with a simple interface. Consumers seem to prefer that over devices that try to do more. Fire TV’s more advanced features don’t appear to be helping it compete.

Roku’s financials tell a similar story. They’ve been selling hardware at little or no profit but making nearly a billion dollars a quarter in gross profit from their platform business — most of it advertising. These devices aren’t meant to be powerful computers anymore; they’re ad platforms with remotes attached. Amazon seems to be trying that model, prioritizing simplicity and scale over capability.

Google is reportedly rethinking its own TV strategy as well, possibly moving away from its current Google TV platform. For users who enjoyed the flexibility of older devices like the NVIDIA Shield (compensated affiliate link), there may not be many options left. The Shield still offers features like sideloading, local media playback, and advanced home theater support with Dolby Vision and lossless ATMOS, but it’s starting to look like an artifact of a different era.

I find it telling that Amazon, a company that once encouraged experimentation on its Fire TV line, is now quietly locking it down. For people who use these boxes just to stream Netflix or Prime Video, that may not matter. But for those who like to tinker — to run emulators, custom apps, or personal media servers — this marks the end of an era. The industry seems to be moving toward simpler, more disposable devices designed to serve ads and stream content, not extend functionality.

My advice? Buy as many NVIDIA Shield devices as you can while they’re still for sale.

OhSnap Grip 5 Review

I’m not someone who usually likes to stick things to the back of my phone, but about two years ago I came across the OhSnap Grip 4 (compensated affiliate link) and found myself not wanting to take it off. You can see my original review of it here.

If you visit my affiliate link here, you can get a discount with my code LON33650.

It was a simple little accessory that functioned like a PopSocket—you could pop it out for a better grip or use it as a stand—and when you didn’t need it, it folded down super flat. What made it stand out to me was that it added MagSafe-style functionality to Android phones through its magnetic ring. It wasn’t something I expected to keep using, but it became part of my daily routine.

Now the company has released an updated version, the OhSnap 5 Grip (compensated affiliate link). It largely looks the same but it no longer uses the strong but removable adhesive of the prior model. OhSnap says they very carefully designed a stronger magnet system that hangs on tighter.

I was curious to see how that would change things since I didn’t have any real complaints about the previous version. So that’s what we explore in my latest video review.

To use the new model on Android phones, the company includes a metal ring that gets stuck to the back of the phone. Once attached, the grip will snap neatly into place and retains the same features as before—the pop-out stand and the comfortable finger grip. But Android users will have to pry lose the adapter ring if they stop using the Snap 5 grip.

The design looks thin but feels sturdy, just like the last one, though it’s slightly thicker. When I tested how securely it attached to my caseless iPhone 17 Pro Max, it came off more easily than the adhesive model. A firm tug or some lateral pressure will very quickly snap it off. For someone like me who uses a phone without a case—my running joke is that AppleCare is my case—the old adhesive-backed version feels much more secure.

When I tried it on my iPad mini with a metal Magsafe adapter ring installed, the grip was much stronger—so much so that I couldn’t pull it off easily. That told me the performance really depends on the phone’s case and how close the case’s magnetic ring sits to the surface.

Like the earlier version, the Grip 5 is MagSafe compatible and allows for chargers and other MagSafe accessories to snap on top. While MagSafe devices snapped on as expected, the strength of the outer magnets is noticeable weaker than the Grip 4. For charging, the Grip 5 works best with MagSafe chargers but doesn’t pair well with standard Qi chargers that lack magnetic alignment.

After a few days of use, I’ve found that while the Grip 5 is not as good as its predecessor. The magnet is strong but not strong enough to serve as an effective substitute for the reusable adhesive, and its outer magnet does not latch onto MagSafe accessories as confidently as before.

I’ll therefore be sticking—literally and figuratively—with the old one.

Disclosure: I purchased a Grip 5 with my own funds, and the company separately sent me another one free of charge. No other compensation was received, and the company did not review or approve this content before it was uploaded. All opinions are my own.

Amazon Fire TV 4k Stick Select Review

Amazon’s latest Fire TV Stick 4K Select (compensated affiliate link) marks a shift in direction for the company’s streaming devices. This one runs on a completely new operating system called Vega OS, replacing the Android-based OS Fire TVs have used over the last decade. But at launch, it’s clear this is a minimally viable product, and early adopters will need to temper expectations.

Check it out in my latest video review.

As far as the product lineup goes, this device sits just above the 1080p stick and just below the full-featured Fire TV Stick 4K. For now, I’d say it’s worth paying a little extra for the latter if you want a smoother experience. The Select model still uses micro USB for power, has just one gigabyte of RAM, and supports Wi-Fi 5 instead of Wi-Fi 6. It also lacks support for Dolby Vision which is found on the other 4k sticks.

Once set up, the interface looks familiar if you’ve used a Fire TV before. Most of the big-name streaming apps are available, but not all of them are native to the device. Some, like the NFL Network, are cloud-hosted, meaning both the app and its content stream over the internet. It works, but performance can feel sluggish, even on a fast connection. Specialized apps for devices such as the Tablo or HDHomeRun aren’t available yet, and while Plex is present, it’s missing many of the features found on its Android-based counterparts.

App support overall feels limited. There are no games and no sideloading options. The experience is closer to a Roku, but with fewer apps to choose from. For basic streaming, though, Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube run well enough. The device supports basic HDR (but again not Dolby Vision), and Dolby Atmos audio works through compatible services.

Performance on YouTube was mostly solid with 4K HDR playback, though I had to manually force it into 4K60 mode. There were occasional frame drops, but nothing too disruptive.

One issue that stood out was the lack of proper 24p output for films and TV shows in all of the apps I tested. Even with the “match frame rate” option enabled, the device stayed locked at 60Hz, resulting in uneven motion that film buffs will notice.

Voice control works as expected, with Alexa handling searches and smart home commands reliably. The remote can also control basic TV and receiver functions, though support for other devices appears trimmed down compared to earlier models.

At this stage, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and its new Vega OS feel like a work in progress. It handles core streaming tasks fine, but beyond that, the limitations add up. This isn’t the Fire TV experience power users have come to expect—it’s more locked down, less flexible, and missing key features found on cheaper models. Amazon’s long-term plan is clearly to transition its lineup to this new platform, but until app developers catch up, it’s going to feel like a step back.

For now, it works if all you need are the major streaming apps on an older TV. But as Amazon moves further away from Android, this early look suggests the future of Fire TV could be more controlled and less open than before.

See more devices like this one here!

Thermal Master P3 Smartphone Thermal Camera Review

The Thermal Master P3 is a thermal camera designed to plug directly into an iPhone or Android device through the phone’s USB-C port. While it’s a little on the pricey side it does offer some great features and has some useful macro features.

Check it out in my latest video review!

You can find one over at Amazon (compensated affiliate link). Once connected and the companion app is installed, the camera functions as a macro thermal imager—it’s clearly optimized for close-up inspections rather than broad outdoor scenes. It’s the kind of tool you’d use to check an electrical panel, a circuit board, or in my case, a Raspberry Pi, rather than searching for animals in the woods.

It can be attached facing either direction and even accommodates some thicker phone cases thanks to its extended connector, though not every case will fit comfortably. For older iPhones, there’s a lightning adapter included. When using the lightning adapter, the setup feels a bit unstable, so a short extension cable might be a better option.

There’s a focus ring built in, which helps bring small components into sharper view. The sensor itself is very small, with a native resolution of 256×192. The app offers an AI-enhanced mode that upscales to 512×384, but even then, fine detail is limited. The best results come when the camera is positioned close to the subject.

While testing, I filmed my Raspberry Pi booting up and watched the components warm in real time. I also pointed it at a stovetop to see how it handled extreme temperatures. The app includes built-in burn-in protection that reduces exposure to high heat sources, prompting me to back off a bit. Temperature ranges can be adjusted within the app, with one mode for lower temperatures (-4 °F to 302 °F) and another for higher ones (212 °F to 1,022 °F). You can’t combine the two ranges, but for most household or electronics projects, the preset bands are sufficient. A scale overlay can be toggled on to display minimum and maximum readings in real time.

I experimented with the camera around the house—tracking hot water lines, scanning my electrical panel, and exploring different color modes. The app provides several palette options such as white hot, black hot, and various false-color schemes. There’s also a split-view mode that overlays a standard camera image to help identify what you’re looking at when the thermal view alone doesn’t offer enough definition. Users can even draw shapes on-screen to isolate temperature readings from specific areas—useful for monitoring different components within the frame.

Although it costs less than dedicated professional thermal imagers, the device isn’t meant for scientific precision. The manual includes some reference values for emissivity correction, but calibration is limited, and readings shouldn’t be treated as exact. What it does well is provide quick visual confirmation of heat distribution. It’s compact, fits easily in a pocket, and draws power directly from the phone. For spotting hot spots on a breaker panel or verifying that a circuit board component isn’t overheating, it’s a handy, portable option that fills the gap between hobby gear and higher-end tools.

Disclosure: The camera was sent to the channel free of charge. No other compensation was received and no one reviewed or approved this content prior to uploading. All opinions are my own.

My Arcade Atari Gamestation Go Review

In my latest video review, I take a look at the My Arcade Atari GameStation Go (compensated affiliate link), a portable emulation console aimed squarely at those of us who grew up in the era of wood-paneled consoles and CRTs.

It’s a self-contained handheld that plays hundreds of mostly Atari classic games from the 80s and 90s and even lets you load more through an SD card. What caught my attention was the variety of control options—there’s a built-in paddle for games like Breakout, a trackball for Centipede and Missile Command, and a solid D-pad with shoulder buttons. It doesn’t have the high-end feel of a Steam Deck or Switch, but it manages to strike a decent balance between nostalgia and functionality.

Navigating the interface is straightforward. The menus are organized by system, with sections for Atari 2600, 5200, and arcade titles. I tried Breakout first, which uses the paddle controller, and I liked that the device’s “SmartGlow” lighting highlights which controls are active for each game. The paddle isn’t a free-spinning spinner, but it has enough resistance to make gameplay feel natural. The trackball, however, felt scratchy and inconsistent, and I found myself preferring the D-pad for precision control in Centipede. The D-pad itself is surprisingly good—firm, responsive, and better than my initial impression led me to believe.

The system includes about 200 licensed games, mostly from Atari’s catalog. Activision classics like Kaboom and Pitfall! are missing due to licensing, but loading them from an SD card is simple. Once I inserted a card, a hidden menu appeared, letting me boot ROMs from different systems, including the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, and even PlayStation. Performance varies—Sonic the Hedgehog lagged a bit, and Dreamcast games crawl. But PlayStation and Atari Lynx emulation worked better than expected. It’s essentially running an open-source emulator framework under the hood, so there’s potential for the community to expand its capabilities over time.

Battery life felt similar to a small tablet—around four to six hours, depending on what’s running. There’s HDMI output too, but connecting it reboots the system and reduces performance. The image quality looks fine at 1080p, but frame rates dip with some of the newer “Recharged” Atari titles installed on the console. Still, older Atari games like Bowling and Breakout play smoothly both on the built-in screen and an external display.

While this isn’t a machine for hardcore emulation fans, it’s an enjoyable, self-contained throwback for casual players and gift-givers who want a plug-and-play experience without tinkering. The stand-out features here are the paddle and trackball that allow for game controls that more closely match how these games were originally played.

The Raspberry Pi 500+ Disappoints

The Raspberry Pi 500 Plus is a new take on the age-old keyboard-computer concept that combines a Raspberry Pi 5 with a mechanical keyboard and built-in NVMe storage.

In my latest video review, we take a look at this retro inspired offering from the Raspberry Pi foundation.

It’s selling for about $180 to $185 at official Pi retailers, which is roughly $100 more than the earlier Pi 400. Out of the box, it feels like the most polished of the Pi-in-a-keyboard systems I’ve tried, with better specs and a more comfortable design overall.

Inside, it has 16GB of RAM and a 256GB NVMe SSD that ships with Raspbian OS preinstalled, so it boots right up without any tinkering. You can, of course, use the microSD slot to load other operating systems.

Still, some of the frustrations from the Pi 5 carry over. The two micro-HDMI ports feel unnecessarily small given the space available on the back, and the power situation is still tricky. It requires a 5-volt, 5-amp USB-C power supply, which isn’t as common as you’d think. Most USB-C chargers top out at 3 amps in their 5 volt mode, and using one of those will trigger low-power warnings when you plug in peripherals and possibly lead to performance issues under load. Even Apple’s chargers don’t work properly with it, so it’s worth getting the official supply. I picked up one of these low cost ones at Amazon (compensated affiliate link).

Ports include two USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and the familiar GPIO header under a rubber cover. AC Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in, and dual 4K60 HDMI output is supported (although it’s super sluggish in 4k). During testing, I was able to get a 1080p display running at 144Hz without issue which felt pretty nice. The overall setup feels like a complete Raspberry Pi experience—ready to experiment with projects right out of the box.

Performance, however, leaves something to be desired. Running the Chromium browser at 1080p worked fine for light tasks, but the system bogged down on heavier pages with animation or video. At 4K, it felt even slower.

On the Speedometer browser benchmark, the Pi 500 Plus scored 4.54—less than half the score of an Intel N150 mini PC that costs the same or less. On the bright side, power draw was remarkably low: about 4 to 5 watts at idle and around 10 watts under load. That efficiency might make it appealing for someone experimenting with a home lab or lightweight Docker containers, but it’s not suited for media serving or anything that needs significant processing power.

The keyboard uses low-profile blue Gateron switches, and the keys are replaceable. The bright backlighting is nicely implemented, with adjustable colors and effects. There’s even a novelty game—Flappy Bird—that runs directly on the keyboard’s LEDs. The typing feel is solid, and having a dedicated power button is a welcome touch.

Overall, while the design is fun and nostalgic, the price puts it in direct competition with faster and more capable mini PCs. The keyboard is genuinely nice, but it drives up the cost of what’s still a modest performer. For light server duties or educational projects, it might find a niche, but the same money could buy more performance elsewhere.

I still like the charm of a computer built into a keyboard, but I’m hoping the next generation of the flagship Pi computer will push things further and correct some of the annoyances of the current generation. The Pi 500 Plus is a reminder of how far we’ve come since the $35 Raspberry Pi revolution—and how much the landscape has changed since then.

See more of my Raspberry Pi videos here! And my other Mini PC reviews here.

Disclosure: I paid for the Pi with my own funds. This is not a sponsored post nor did anyone review or approve this content prior to uploading.

The FCC Listened to You — NextGenTV DRM Is In the Hot Seat

The FCC has taken an important step in its ongoing review of the ATSC 3.0 television standard, and this time, encryption—or DRM—has taken center stage. After months of advocacy, travel to Washington, and countless public comments, the agency has released a draft of proposed rulemaking that directly addresses many of the issues consumers have been raising.

In my latest video, we dive into the FCC’s proposal and talk about next steps.

The most immediate change in the document would eliminate the ATSC 1.0 simulcast requirement. Broadcasters using the new ATSC 3.0 system have been required to continue broadcasting the same programming on the older ATSC 1.0 standard to ensure that no viewers lose access. If this rule change is approved, stations could transition to the new format without maintaining a 1.0 signal, effectively speeding up the shift to next-generation TV. The FCC is also considering allowing MPEG-4 encoding on 1.0 channels to make more efficient use of spectrum, something that could benefit both broadcasters and viewers with modern televisions.

But the biggest topic is DRM and how it’s currently being managed. The FCC is asking for public comment on whether the commission should establish rules governing encryption of free, over-the-air broadcasts rather than leaving control to the A3SA, the private industry group currently setting those standards. The Commission expressed concern about how that system operates and whether it aligns with the Communications Act of 1934’s definition of broadcasting. They’re also examining whether DRM is creating unfair competition or restricting which devices can receive signals—an issue that has limited tuner availability and compatibility with platforms like Roku and Apple devices.

The filing also shows that consumer feedback has made an impact. Thousands of viewer comments have been cited throughout the document, and both Tyler the Antenna Man and I were mentioned multiple times. The FCC clearly took note of the frustration from early adopters who bought new tuners only to find themselves locked out by encryption controlled by a private organization. The agency even raised questions about fair use and whether DRM could undermine consumers’ rights to make in-home recordings—something the broadcast flag controversy of the ATSC 1.0 era had already tested in court two decades ago.

As the FCC prepares to vote on these proposals at the end of the month, it’s clear they’re not ready to sign off on encryption as it currently exists. The upcoming vote will likely remove the simulcasting rule, open another round of public comments, and extend the process into next year. That gives consumers and advocates another opportunity to weigh in. My hope is that the Commission will consider a real-world test by suspending DRM to see how the market responds. If encryption has been holding back tuner adoption and consumer interest, that experiment could prove it.

So we will likely need to keep submitting comments and addressing the questions the FCC is asking that relate to our own personal experiences. Tyler the Antennaman and I also suggest attaching selfies of “encryption error” screens that block free TV could help put faces to the issue. The FCC’s draft shows that public voices are being heard, and continuing to speak up might be what ensures free, open access to the airwaves remains part of the country’s broadcasting future.

Windows 10 Is Dead – What Are Your Upgrade Options?

The end of Windows 10 is coming up, with Microsoft planning to stop support on October 14, 2025. I’ve been seeing the same warnings you probably have — those pop-ups telling you to upgrade to Windows 11 — and I wanted to take a closer look at what that really means for people still using perfectly good older computers.

Check it out in my latest video!

Windows 10 has had a long run, and I’ve always liked how well it performed even on lower-end hardware. The problem now is that Windows 11 has stricter requirements, mainly the need for a TPM 2.0 security chip and newer processors. If you’ve got an Intel 8th Gen or newer, or an AMD Ryzen 2000 or newer, you’re likely ok to upgrade.

Anything older isn’t officially supported, though there are ways around it. Microsoft doesn’t recommend circumventing the TPM chip requirement, and if they make a change assuming everyone has TPM 2.0, it could cause problems later. Business and government users also have to meet compliance standards, so running an unsupported version isn’t an option for them.

To see how this plays out in the real world, I fired up one of my older PCs — a small Shuttle box with a Celeron processor — and ran Microsoft’s PC Health Check app. It said I could upgrade for free, meaning this one squeaks by. Once Windows Update offers it, I can upgrade to Windows 11 in place. As always, it’s smart to back up first, but the process should be straightforward.

If your machine doesn’t qualify or you’re not ready to move on, Microsoft has something called the Windows 10 Extended Security Update (ESU) program. It’s available to consumers for another year, through October 2026. You can join it for free if you sync your PC settings with Microsoft, trade some Microsoft reward points, or pay $30. It’s not a long-term fix, but it buys more time for hardware that’s still working fine.

For people who’d rather try something new, Linux is worth a look. I tested Linux Mint on that same Shuttle PC, running the XFCE Edition since it’s lightweight and good for older systems. It’s surprisingly easy to get going, with a “live boot” option that lets you try it out without installing anything. Everything worked on my demo machine, and once installed, Mint has most of what you’d need — a web browser, office software, and access to more apps through its software manager. It uses about 1.2 GB of RAM sitting idle, so a 4 GB system runs comfortably.

Installing Linux does mean wiping the drive, so backups are essential, but if you’re done fighting with Windows upgrades, it’s a practical way to keep an older PC useful. I’ve noticed Linux often feels faster on aging machines than Windows 11 does, and since it’s supported well past 2029 for Mint’s current version, it’s a stable alternative.

Whether you stick with Windows 10 a bit longer, move to Windows 11, or jump to Linux, you’ve still got options. It’s interesting that after all these years, some of the oldest PCs still have life left in them — they just need a new OS to keep going.

Lenovo Legion Go 2 Handheld and eGPU Compatibility Explored

I am working on a review of Lenovo’s Legion Go 2 (compensated affiliate link) and wanted to see how well it handled an external GPU before putting together a full review. The handheld includes two USB 4 ports that are Thunderbolt-compatible, so in theory, it should support external graphics. To test it, I used the GMKtec AD-GP1 — a compact eGPU enclosure that houses an AMD RX 7600MXT with 8GB of video memory. You can find the eGPU on Amazon here (compensated affiliate link). The AD-GP1 can power itself and the Legion Go 2 through a single cable, which makes for a cleaner setup.

See it in action in my latest video!

The connection process was simple enough. I plugged the GMKtec into the top port of the Legion Go 2 and immediately saw it begin charging. Windows took a few minutes to detect everything, and I had to install AMD’s drivers for the external GPU. Once that was done, it recognized the card properly as a secondary GPU. For best performance, I disabled the Legion Go 2’s internal display and used only the monitor connected to the eGPU as pushing video through the handheld’s screen can reduce performance due to bandwidth limits.

Hot swapping between the handheld and eGPU worked on the Windows desktop, though not while gaming. You can plug and unplug the GPU while idle, but if you try to do it mid-game, it’ll crash.

Running 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, I saw a significant performance boost: the internal GPU scored about 3,999, while the eGPU setup hit 9,493. Power draw during the test hovered around 215 watts, leaving a little room within the AD-GP1’s 240-watt power budget.

Next, I tested No Man’s Sky at 4K with enhanced settings. The game ran smoothly most of the time, hitting around 60 frames per second with some dips. When I disconnected the eGPU mid-game, it predictably crashed, confirming that switching GPUs on the fly isn’t practical for gaming sessions. Still, for someone who wants a boost at home, an extra $500 or so for a dockable GPU setup delivers real gains.

I also tried other eGPU options, like the GT Box enclosure with a desktop RTX 4060 attached, but those setups are much bulkier. The GMKtec is smaller, cleaner, and more desk-friendly, even though it lacks extra USB ports for accessories. My only real complaint about the Legion Go 2 design is that one of its USB ports sits on the bottom, which makes docking awkward when the stand is open. You’d need an angled connector or stand to use it comfortably.

Despite its quirks, it’s satisfying to see a handheld like this handle desktop-class graphics with a single-cable setup. It’s not the most economical path to performance, but for those short on space who want one computer for both travel and desk use, it’s a workable approach. I’ll be putting together a full review of the Legion Go 2 soon and plan to focus on areas that haven’t been explored much yet — so if there’s something specific you’d like to see tested, let me know in the comments.

Blackview MP100 Mini PC Review

My latest Mini PC review takes a look at the Blackview MP100, a budget mini PC that is powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7430U — a six-core, twelve-thread chip with RDNA2 graphics. It’s not the newest processor out there, but it’s still plenty capable for light workloads and even some gaming.

See it in action in my video review.

The biggest limitation out of the box is that it only comes with a single stick of RAM, which means you lose out on dual-channel performance. That’s an easy fix, though: adding another stick of RAM dramatically improves its graphical capabilities.

When I opened it up, I found it surprisingly upgrade-friendly. It includes a 2.5-inch SATA bay for an extra hard drive, a spare NVMe slot, and upgradable RAM — you can go all the way up to 64 GB. My review unit had 16 GB in a single channel and a 512 GB NVMe SSD. There’s also decent cooling inside, which helps keep performance consistent under load.

The ports are practical: two USB-C connectors on the front (one of them full-function with DisplayPort output), USB-A ports, Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, and a headphone jack. You can drive a 4K display at 144 Hz through DisplayPort, which makes it an interesting option for streaming via GeForce Now or other cloud-gaming services. The case itself is plastic, and it has RGB lighting on the top that can be customized or turned off through Blackview’s included software. That software uses a USB-to-serial driver for control, which looked a bit odd at first but turned out to be harmless after some malware testing.

Day-to-day tasks like browsing, watching 4K video, and general productivity felt smooth even with single-channel memory. YouTube playback at 4K 60 fps ran fine, and benchmarks put it in line with other mid-range Ryzen mini PCs.

Where the second RAM stick really matters is gaming and creative workloads. In No Man’s Sky, performance jumped from around 20–25 fps to 35–40 fps after installing dual-channel memory. 3DMark Time Spy scores told a similar story: 956 with one stick, 1,373 with two. Even emulation saw tangible benefits, particularly for PlayStation 2 titles.

Thermals and acoustics are well-managed for a small system. The fan isn’t loud during heavy use, though it can spin up unexpectedly when idle. Power draw hovered around 10–11 watts at rest and roughly 46 watts at full load.

Linux support was excellent — everything from networking to Bluetooth worked without issue with Ubuntu, making it a solid choice for running containers or self-hosted apps.

What stood out most was how close this system comes to being great with just a minor configuration change. Splitting that single 16 GB stick into two eights would’ve unlocked the full GPU potential without raising costs much. As it stands, the MP100 feels like a solid, efficient little computer with real potential once you make that one upgrade. It also carries a three-year warranty, which isn’t common in this price range.

Disclosure: Blackview sent the Mini PC free of charge. No other compensation was received, they did not review or approve the video or this post before publication and all opinions are my own.

Plex Pro Week Webhooks Follow-up – Free and no-code options

During Plex Pro Week this year, I contributed a video talking about Plex’s Webhooks feature that allows for a relatively easy way to link your Plex install to automation tools like N8N, IFTTT and Zapier.

In that earlier piece, I showed how Plex can fire off data whenever something happens on your server—whether it’s a play, pause, rating, or media being added. That data can then be sent to automation tools like N8N, which I’ve used in the past. But running an N8N server can be complicated and the hosted version requires a subscription.

In my latest sponsored Plex video, I demo a free, no-code path that doesn’t require hosting anything yourself using Make.com.

You can check it out here!

Make.com offers a free tier with 1,000 “credits” per month. Each credit equals a task, so something like receiving a webhook and then adding a row to a spreadsheet would count as two. For casual use, the free plan can go a long way.

I set up a simple workflow that starts by having Plex send a webhook to Make, which in turns takes some of that data and posts it to a Google sheet as a means of creating a log of watched content. That event is triggered anytime a new piece of media is played based on the state of the “event” tag in the webhook.

I then set up a second branch for when playback stops. In that case, I had the system call ChatGPT to generate recommendations for what to watch next, and then send that recommendation via email. The input for ChatGPT came directly from the webhook data, which made the recommendation specific to what I had just finished watching. It worked smoothly, and it showed how easily AI can be folded into these workflows.

For those thinking about linking Plex to home automation, the free, non-complicated options are a bit more limited. Services like IFTTT require a paid tier for webhook support, while open-source projects like Home Assistant can handle webhooks for free but require a bit more setup and complexity. Home Assistant, in particular, could be a strong option for linking Plex events with things like lights or thermostats, though it isn’t as straightforward as make.com.

There’s also Plex’s new official API, which was announced during Pro Week. The documentation is out, and I expect third-party developers will soon release connectors for platforms like make.com and N8N. That should make integration even easier, reducing the need to rely solely on webhooks. My YouTube colleague Techno Tim has already been experimenting with it, using the API to drive a dashboard for monitoring Plex server performance.

What I tried here was aimed at giving a taste of what can be done quickly without coding. Setting up webhooks with Plex and pairing them with make.com is accessible and flexible, especially for logging and basic automations. From there, it’s easy to imagine extending the idea into more complex routines, whether that means generating watch lists, building dashboards, or nudging your smart home into action when the credits roll.