Tag: review

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.

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.

TCL D2 Palm Vein Door Lock – Raise your hand to unlock!

My latest review looks at TCL’s D2 palm vein door lock (compensated affiliate link), which came in for review after a number of viewers asked me about this type of technology. These locks work by just lifting your hand a few inches away from the lock’s sensor.

You can see it in action in my latest video review.

Testing this was pretty easy: after assigning my right palm to the lock, raising that hand opens the lock in just a second or two. If I tried with an unregistered hand (or somebody else’s), the lock rejected it.

The D2 Pro is a full deadbolt replacement. That means both the inside and outside hardware of your existing lock need to come off, and you’ll be using new physical keys – yes a pair of physical keys are included. I would have preferred no physical key option since it’s the least secure part of the system!

Alongside palm scanning, there are several other ways to unlock it: a keypad that supports six digit pin codes, a pair of RFID key fobs also included in the box, and the companion smartphone app.

The lock runs on a rechargeable 10,000 mAh battery that charges over USB-C. TCL says it should last about eight months depending on usage, but recharging takes time, which means your door will be offline for a while. In an emergency, you can power the lock temporarily with a USB-C power bank to get inside or of course just yse the physical key. I found installation straightforward, taking under half an hour including removing my old lock, though the build quality didn’t feel as solid as the Schlage I replaced. Once installed, it felt sturdy enough and carries an IP55 weather rating.

The TCL Home app is where you manage everything. It requires Wi-Fi on a 2.4 GHz network and I recommend putting it on a guest network to isolate it from other devices. The companion app works on both iOS and Android and integrates with Google and Amazon ecosystems, but does not currently support Apple HomeKit. Inside the app, you can manage users, register palm veins, assign or revoke codes and RFID cards, and even set temporary or one-time passwords.

TCL says palm data stays on the lock and isn’t uploaded, though there’s no way to verify that independently. You can store up to 50 palms and 50 six digit codes. It also offers features like duress passwords and limited-duration codes that could be useful for rentals or security-conscious households. What you won’t find is scheduling access for specific times of day, something some competing products do offer.

The lock also includes a built-in doorbell. It’s loud enough to hear inside, and you’ll get notifications on your phone, but there’s no video or two-way communication like a dedicated smart doorbell provides. Event logs are available in the app, so you can review entries and exits. My only annoyance with the app was the requirement to type in a PIN code every time I wanted to access the lock settings. Face ID or Touch ID support would have made that process smoother.

In daily use, the palm scanning was reliable. Registered users could approach the lock and gain access quickly. It even handled different angles well, and I haven’t yet had it mistakenly grant access to someone it shouldn’t. Rejections take a bit longer than acceptances, which might be a subtle security feature. It’s worth registering both hands since it only recognizes the ones you set up, and sometimes one hand might be occupied.

As a way to enter the house without pulling out a phone, typing a code, or carrying a key, the palm vein technology worked smoothly. It’s one of the more seamless experiences I’ve had with a smart lock.

I bought the cheapest Windows laptop at Walmart: The $179 HP 14 Laptop

This weekend I bought one of the least expensive Windows laptops I could find on a retail shelf, the HP Laptop 14, which I bought at Walmart for $179 (compensated affiliate link). The goal was to see just how far a low-cost machine like this can go, and what I found is that while there are certainly compromises, there are also a few pleasant surprises.

Check out my video review here!

The biggest surprise is how easy it is to upgrade. The bottom cover comes off with just four screws, revealing a standard DDR4 RAM slot and an empty NVMe slot. Out of the box, it ships with only 4 GB of memory and 128 GB of UFS storage, but I easily swapped in 16 GB of RAM and added a 1 TB SSD, making the system far more usable without losing the warranty or HP’s one-year support. All in it’s feasible to double the RAM while still keeping the total investment here under $250 or less.

Its Intel N150 processor is the same quad-core part I’ve tested in many budget mini PCs, and while it won’t compete with a high-end laptop, it’s efficient enough to get real work done even without the memory upgrade.

The built-in storage performed better than I expected, hitting around 800 MB/s in reads and writes, but adding the NVMe drive brought things closer to 1.2 GB/s. This setup even opens the door for dual-booting Windows and Linux, which the Intel N150 chip inside handles quite effectively.

With 4 GB installed, video playback stuttered and multitasking was sluggish. With 16 GB, YouTube ran smoothly at 1080p60, Office apps opened quickly, and even some light gaming became possible. GTA V, for example, managed to hit around 30 frames per second at low 720p settings, and a PS2 emulator pushed through most titles at mostly full speed.

The biggest letdown here is the display. It’s a 14 inch 1366×768 TN panel at 250 nits, which means washed-out colors and narrow viewing angles. It’s fine for web browsing and word processing, but it’s not suited for editing photos or video. The webcam isn’t much better, but it does at least include a physical shutter.

Weight comes in at 3 pounds and the build quality is all plastic, yet sturdier than I expected for the price. The keyboard and trackpad—though springy and spongy—are functional. Ports are limited, with just two USB-A, one USB-C for data only, HDMI, and a headphone jack. Wi-Fi 6 support is built in, and in my testing it delivered 300–400 Mbps, which is enough for streaming and even cloud gaming. Services like GeForce Now ran smoothly as long as the WiFi connection was decent.

Battery life came in at about five to six hours under light use, which is reasonable given the efficiency of the processor. The fan does kick on under load, but at idle it’s quiet. Windows 11 ships in S mode by default, restricting installs to Microsoft Store apps, though switching out of S mode is quick if you need more flexibility.

Linux also ran well here – in fact it’ll run better than Windows with the base 4GB of RAM when using a lightweight distribution. I am running a few home servers on N150 Mini PCs and the performance here felt very much on par with those devices.

What stood out to me is how much you can get out of this little machine with a few inexpensive upgrades. It’s a cheap laptop from a recognizable brand, with a one year warranty and domestic support, and that sets it apart from the nameless imports that sometimes offer slightly better specs. The display holds it back from being truly versatile, but with extra RAM and an SSD, the HP Laptop 14 becomes a surprisingly capable everyday computer for not much money. It’s good to see these budget options are still available.

Disclosure: I paid for the laptop with my own funds. No one reviewed or approved this content before uploading and all opinions are my own.

Channels App Beta Offers Over the Air Multiview Feature

The Channels App just rolled out one of the more interesting cord-cutting tools I’ve come across in a while: The ability to watch four separate over the air TV channels at the same time when watching on an iPad or Apple TV.

Check it out here!

The feature is still in beta, so users will need to obtain the beta app through Apple’s testflight app. A subscription to the Channels App is also required ($8 monthly or $80 annually). I tested it on an Apple TV connected to my antenna through an HDHomeRun Flex 4K, and the experience worked better than I expected. Switching between streams was quick, and I could easily bring one channel forward while keeping an eye on the other three in the background.

If you’re not familiar with Channels, it’s a DVR platform that runs on a variety of devices. It requires a server component—usually a small PC or NAS—and supports hardware transcoding and out-of-home viewing. The app costs about eight dollars a month and works with HDHomeRun tuners for over-the-air broadcasts. It also integrates TV Everywhere channels if you still have a cable subscription and even supports creating your own custom virtual channels.

The multiview feature only works with live channels, so you can’t use it with recorded shows or personal media, but it’s flexible enough to handle both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. Setting it up is straightforward: choose a channel, enable the multiview option, and then fill the other slots with the stations you want to monitor. Once you’re watching, you can switch the audio and enlarge a window with a click, or replace a channel on the fly. There are some rough edges at this stage, like the occasional frame stutter, but for a beta release it’s functional.

On the server side, the number of streams you can run depends on your tuner hardware. Each channel you add uses up one tuner, so if you want four channels at once, you’ll need a device that supports four simultaneous streams. Adding an extra HDHomeRun box is one way to scale if multiple people in the household want to record or watch at the same time.

One caveat is the ongoing battle over encryption of broadcast TV signals. If broadcasters succeed in pushing for mandatory encryption, features like this could be limited or disappear entirely, since broadcasters are blocking devices like the HDHomeRun from decrypting over the air broadcasts.

This beta is a fun way to get more out of live TV and is one the coolest things I’ve seen in the cord cutting space in quite some time. It feels especially handy for sports fans who want to keep tabs on multiple games at once. I’ll keep experimenting with the feature and will update as it develops.

MeLE Overclock4C N150 Mini PC Review

My latest Mini PC review is of the Mele Overclock4C, a mini PC built around Intel’s N150 processor. Despite the name, it isn’t actually overclocked, but the cooling solution sets it apart. Unlike some of Mele’s other fanless designs, this one uses a fan paired with a sizable copper heat sink. That design choice helps it sustain performance better under load while keeping noise levels surprisingly low. Even when the fan spins up, it remains quiet enough to be unobtrusive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QCArhYDYoY

The model I tested came with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and a 512 GB NVMe drive, both of which are accessible if you want to swap or upgrade components. The RAM is expandable up to 32 GB, and storage upgrades are straightforward. The case itself is mostly plastic with a metal base, and a VESA mount is included for attaching it to a display.

You can see all of the configurations over at Amazon (compensated affiliate link).

Connectivity is decent. There are two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 2.0 port, dual HDMI outputs, a headphone jack, an SD card slot, and a full-service USB-C port that supports video, data, and power, though it lacks Thunderbolt or USB4.

Networking is where the system feels dated, limited to gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi AC, while many similar N150 devices now ship with 2.5 gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6. Power draw is modest—about 13 watts at idle and up to 32 watts under load.

Performance is what you would expect from the N150 line. General computing tasks at 4K resolution ran smoothly, with no issues using applications like Word, Excel, or browsing the web. Video playback was reliable, handling 4K60 streams without hiccups beyond a brief stutter on startup.

Benchmark results lined up with other N150-based systems I’ve looked at. Gaming is possible if you set your expectations accordingly. Grand Theft Auto V ran at around 30 frames per second on low settings at 720p, and PlayStation 2 emulation was mostly full speed. Streaming from GeForce Now at 4K60 was smooth over Ethernet, further broadening the system’s gaming options.

Thermals are where this PC stands out. A stress test confirmed stable performance with little to no throttling, holding steady at around 47°C, lower than comparable fanless or less robustly cooled designs. The stronger cooling doesn’t make the N150 chip any faster, but it ensures consistency during prolonged heavy use.

On Linux, the system behaved as expected with one exception—the built-in Intel AC 9560 Wi-Fi chipset wasn’t recognized by the latest Ubuntu release. Ethernet worked fine, and with the right drivers, Wi-Fi should too. That small issue aside, it has the potential to serve well as a compact server, whether for Docker containers or media streaming.

The Mele Overclock4C doesn’t deliver more raw performance than other N150 mini PCs, but its cooling design makes it a better fit for those who plan to run it under sustained workloads. It’s a practical little system that can handle everyday tasks, some light gaming, and server duties without struggling to keep its performance stable over time.

See more Mini PC reviews here!

Disclaimer: Mele sent the computer to the channel free of charge no other compensation was received. They did not review or approve this content prior to uploading, all opinions are my own.

Aurzen Roku D1R Cube Smart Projector Review

In my latest video review, I take a look at a new projector from a company called Aurzen that comes with Roku built right in. When you power it on, you’re greeted with the Roku interface, and it even ships with a Roku remote. It’s not a stick or an add-on—it’s fully integrated.

The projector is on the lower tier price-wise – this is one of those devices that sees frequent price fluctuations and sales so take a look over at Amazon (compensated affiliate link).

At 330 ANSI lumens, it isn’t very bright, so in a well-lit room the image can be hard to see. It performs better in a darkened room with blinds drawn. Resolution is capped at 1080p, though it will accept 4K input and downscale. There’s no HDR support, but the major streaming services negotiate resolution correctly, and Netflix plays back at full 1080p, which is notable since many budget projectors don’t have a Netflix certification.

The hardware is compact, with a built-in power supply and stereo speakers that sound decent. There are options for connecting external audio via Bluetooth or the analog output. On the back you’ll find a USB port for loading in media files, an HDMI input, and minimal physical controls. The included remote works reliably, and because it’s a Roku device, the Roku mobile app is also supported. For positioning, there’s a small kickstand and a standard tripod mount. An 85-inch screen requires about 8 feet of throw distance, and that’s close to the maximum usable size in my testing.

In practice, the image looks sharp enough and color reproduction is consistent with expectations for the price. Brightness, however, remains a limitation, especially with darker content. There’s no manual brightness control, though autofocus and auto-keystone work well. These adjustments, along with orientation settings, are accessed through the Roku menu rather than physical dials. You can manually adjust the focus and keystone through the interface.

Streaming performance feels similar to a Roku stick. Apps like Disney+ and YouTube run at 1080p, and casting via Apple AirPlay or Miracast works smoothly. I tested AirPlay with a Keynote presentation with my iPhone, and the projector was able to carry the presentation while my iPhone displayed the next slide and presenter notes.

Gaming was a different story. While HDMI inputs displayed a sharp, fluid 60 fps image, input lag was severe—around a quarter second. For casual presentations or watching content, it’s fine, but fast-paced gaming is not something I can recommend with this one.

For someone who already likes Roku’s ecosystem and needs a simple, low-cost projector, this fits the bill. It’s best suited for smaller screen sizes in dark rooms. The biggest drawback is brightness and input lag, but for straightforward streaming use, it works as advertised.

Disclosure: Aurzen provided the projector to the channel free of charge. However no other compensation was received, they did not review or approve this content before it was uploaded and all opinions are my own.

GeForce NOW Game Streaming Service with Nvidia RTX 5080 – 2025 Review

It’s been a while since I did a deep dive into Nvidia’s GeForce Now streaming service, so in my latest video I take a look at where things stand in 2025.

The idea behind GeForce Now remains the same: for a monthly fee, you’re effectively renting time on high-end Nvidia hardware in the cloud, which lets you play games at higher settings and frame rates than you could manage on a low-end or aging PC. It also works on mobile devices, gaming handhelds and TV boxes.

The service does not include any games, however. GeForce Now syncs with accounts from popular PC game stores such as Steam, GOG, and Microsoft’s PC Xbox store. Games you’ve purchased on those platforms are playable on GeForce Now, provided the game’s publisher allows streaming—though not all do.

Games directly supported on the service are already downloaded and ready to go with optimized settings. Your saved games will also sync up automatically. Nvidia has also added a new “install to play” feature. Alongside its usual “ready to play” optimized titles, you can now allocate up to 500 GB of cloud storage to install games that allow streaming but haven’t yet been optimized for the GeForce Now service. Those titles require manual graphics tuning, but it does expand the potential catalog quite a bit.

Another recent update to the service allows users on the “Ultimate” subscription tier to play a select number of games with new RTX 5080 hardware. Most games will spin up on the RTX 4080 servers, since not every title is yet supported on the 5080. In my video I demoed streaming Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K on a cloud 5080 with variable refresh rate and G-Sync enabled. The game stayed well above 100 frames per second with excellent image quality and minimal latency.

The GeForce Now statistics overlay provides helpful realtime data such as real-time bandwidth consumption and latency. My connection to Nvidia’s New Jersey datacenter held steady at 11–12 milliseconds of latency on Comcast’s Gigabit Pro service, which helped the experience feel close to native PC gaming. Ethernet proved essential here; Wi-Fi isn’t reliable enough can’t keep up with the bandwidth demands of 4K 120fps streaming.

I also ran the service on very low-end hardware. My budget GMKtec mini PC, which costs under $200, had no trouble streaming Doom Dark Ages at 4K 60fps. As long as I used Ethernet, the experience was smooth with minimal lag. GeForce Now also supports mobile platforms including a native Steam Deck client. On handhelds, where resolution demands are lower, Wi-Fi worked well and only needed about 20 megabits per second.

Pricing spans three tiers. The free tier provides one-hour sessions on 1080p/60 servers—useful for testing whether your connection can handle it. The Performance tier steps up to 1440p/60, while the Ultimate tier unlocks RTX 4080 and 5080 access, 4K streaming, and frame rates up to 360 fps. At $200 annually, the ultimate plan gives you eight-hour gaming sessions, which for most people is more than enough time per play.

Geforce Now works equally well on a tricked-out desktop with a G-Sync display or a bargain mini PC that could never manage these games locally. The key variable remains your proximity to Nvidia’s datacenters and the quality of your ISP’s routing. For me in Connecticut, it is a seamless way to play, and it’s clear Nvidia has continued to refine the experience since the last time I tested it thoroughly.

DJI Mic 3 Review

In my latest review, I took a look at the new DJI Mic 3, which is the latest iteration of DJI’s wireless microphone system. In this review I focus more on the casual user, who is looking for a simple “run and gun” system.

Like the previous iterations, it does work as advertised for those looking for a simple solution. Plug it into a phone, camera, or computer and it pops up and works with little fuss.

I bought the two-microphone kit (compensated affiliate link), which comes with two transmitters and a receiver, though the receiver can handle up to four mics. In certain setups you can even record each mic onto its own track, which is useful for editing later if your gear supports it. This new version doesn’t require the receiver unit at all – in fact you can just buy a transmitter and link it directly via bluetooth to a phone. But that’s probably not the ideal configuration.

The included USB-C dongle locks securely into place, which is a big improvement over the earlier version where it would slip out easily. It works with newer iPhones thanks to the switch to USB-C, but anyone with a lightning-based iPhone will need to purchase an adapter from DJI.

The carrying case doubles as a charger, and DJI rates the mics for about eight hours of use and the receiver for about ten. Enabling advanced features like 32-bit float recording will drain the battery faster, and the batteries aren’t replaceable, so longevity may diminish over time. The receiver now has a scroll wheel for navigating menus, which I found more precise than the older tiny touchscreen taps.

Connectivity is broad. Beyond USB-C, there’s also analog TRS mic output and a headphone jack for monitoring, making it usable with cameras, computers, and phones. Each transmitter can also record internally, which is a safeguard in environments with heavy interference. DJI says they’ll store about 57 hours in standard mode or 42 hours in 32-bit float, automatically overwriting the oldest files when full. Audio is downloaded by docking the transmitters in the charging case, and connecting the charging case to a PC, phone or tablet via USB-C.

Speaking of interference, the DJI Mic 3 works across the 2.4 ghz and 5 ghz spectrum, occupying the same frequencies that Wi-Fi uses. It will “frequency hop” to keep the signal steady, but there may be environments with a lot of Wi-Fi and other devices using the same spectrum that could result in diminished performance. My advice would be to always enable the transmitter recording feature just to be safe.

In practice, the microphones sound better than the first-generation set I used before. They are omnidirectional, so they’ll pick up surrounding noise, but there are new noise reduction settings. In testing at a trade show, the basic noise reduction helped cut down background chatter, while the strong mode made the audio sound a little too processed. These settings only apply to the live wireless signal, not the onboard recordings, so any recorded files still need software cleanup if conditions are noisy. There are also voice presets labeled standard, rich, and bright. They’re subtle changes, but I found “rich” gave a touch more warmth to my voice.

Mounting options are flexible. The transmitters have clips and magnets strong enough to hold through clothing, though there are plenty of small accessories to keep track of. For outdoor work, the included furry “dead cat” wind screens snap on securely and help tame wind noise. Through the companion app, I was able to configure professional features like timecode synchronization, lossless recording, adaptive gain, and 32-bit float capture. Timecode is especially useful when syncing multiple tracks in editing. The advanced modes aren’t really plug-and-play and require more post-production work, but they’re there if you need them.

Overall, I see the DJI Mic 3 as both approachable for those looking for a basic mic set but with some additional features that pros will appreciate. While I use a higher-end Sennheiser set for my remote shoots, it’s nice to have something that’s quick and easy for the times I need a quick solution with minimal hardware to get the job done.

Wyze Duo Cam Pan Review

In my latest review video, I check out the new Wyze Duo Cam Pan. This device essentially combines two cameras into one unit: a fixed-position camera on the bottom and a pan-and-tilt camera on the top.

The design lets you monitor a specific spot with the stationary lens while still having the flexibility to track motion with the movable one. Both cameras record independently, so you end up with two separate video files or photos for each event.

The Duo Cam Pan retails for a higher price than Wyze’s standard pan camera because you’re effectively getting two cameras in one. You can get the latest prices over at Amazon as they do fluctuate from time to time (compensated affiliate link).

It uses a USB-C power connection, but the included power supply isn’t outdoor-rated, meaning you’ll need an outdoor rated adapter if you plan to mount and power it outside. As for installation, you can place it on a flat surface, mount it to a wall, or even hang it upside down, with the Wyze app allowing you to flip the video image as needed. Both lenses shoot in 2K resolution with a 106-degree field of view, and while the video quality looks good overall, the heavy compression can create noticeable artifacts in fast-moving scenes.

I was impressed with the low-light performance. Even without night vision enabled, the camera pulled in more detail than what my eyes could see in a dark room. Night vision also works as expected, and both cameras have the same specs in that regard. Audio features are built-in, with a speaker on the bottom unit and a microphone for two-way communication. The speaker isn’t especially loud but works well enough for conversations. An SD card slot on the bottom allows for local storage, which is essential if you want continuous recording without paying for Wyze’s subscription service.

The Wyze app recognizes the Duo Cam Pan as a single device, but you can view both camera feeds at the same time. Motion tracking is enabled by default on the top camera, letting it follow movement around a space while the bottom camera keeps watch on one fixed area. You can also set patrol routes, or just control the pan-and-tilt manually. One limitation is that this camera does not support RTSP streaming, so you’re locked into Wyze’s app ecosystem.

Many feature are sadly locked behind a paywall. Subscription plans add AI detection for people, pets, and vehicles, but without it, the camera only notifies you of generic motion. Free-tier users will notice more false alarms and will also run into restrictions like the five-minute cooldown period between event notifications. The SD card helps offset this, since it records continuously and provides more context before and after events, though if the camera is stolen, that footage goes with it. You can still copy recordings to your phone, but it’s done in real time by streaming the playback, rather than simply downloading a file.

Storage needs will depend on how much recording you do. With two cameras running at once, space fills twice as fast than on a traditional Wyze camera. I found it used around 500 megabytes per hour, so a 64GB or 128GB card feels like a reasonable starting point. The camera supports up to 512GB. As the card fills, it automatically overwrites older clips. This makes a larger card a better investment if you want longer retention.

Overall, the Duo Cam Pan works well for those already in the Wyze ecosystem. It’s convenient to have a fixed and a movable camera sharing one power source, and the image and audio quality are solid for the price. Still, the full feature set is heavily tied to Wyze’s subscription plan. If you don’t plan to pay a monthly fee, an SD card is absolutely necessary.

Disclosure: Wyze provided the camera to the channel free of charge. However they did not review or approve this video before uploading, no other compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.

Linux Gaming Still has a Ways to Go.. Bazzite on a Gaming Laptop Review

One of my most favorite purchases of the last couple of years is my Steam Deck. I’m amazed by how capable SteamOS is. It’s a Linux-based system, not Windows, yet it manages to run the majority of Windows games surprisingly well on very modest hardware. Much of the technology that makes that possible is also available for other Linux distributions, which led me to try installed the gaming-centric Bazzite on the Asus Strix G16 gaming laptop I recently reviewed.

You can check out my Bazzite experience in my latest video review.

Bazzite is optimized for running games on desktops, laptops, and handhelds. I selected the Asus-specific installer with Nvidia support, chose KDE for the desktop environment, and went with a standard install rather than the beta live version.

The setup process was straightforward: download the installer, flash it to a USB drive using Balena Etcher, and boot from the drive. I did run into an issue after installation where the system wouldn’t boot until I disabled Secure Boot in the BIOS. Once that was changed, Bazzite loaded into its desktop environment with Steam preinstalled.

My first test was Cyberpunk 2077, using the same settings I had used in Windows for comparison. On Windows, the benchmark averaged about 176 frames per second; on Bazzite, it was closer to 136. That drop in performance was noticeable, and the display brightness was also lower compared to Windows. There were some hardware quirks as well, such as missing keystrokes on the keyboard and reduced control over the backlighting.

Bazzite comes with Lutris for managing games from platforms beyond Steam. My GOG titles worked without issue — Space Quest IV launched quickly in ScummVM — but Epic Games titles were another story. Shenmue III and Deathloop, for example, failed to load after launching from Lutris. Steam titles generally worked fine, especially those that already run well on the Steam Deck, though most showed a performance gap compared to Windows.

This is the challenge for Linux gaming on laptops: hardware optimization. Manufacturers spend considerable time fine-tuning performance for Windows, but the same level of support often isn’t there for Linux. Consistent hardware platforms, like handheld gaming devices, seem to fare better.

While Linux gaming has come a long way and it’s impressive to see modern Windows titles running at all, my tests suggest that on a gaming laptop like the Strix G16, Windows still has the edge in performance and hardware compatibility straight out of the box.

Commenters on my video also pointed out that AMD has done much more work optimizing their drivers for Linux vs. Nvidia. So in a follow-up video I’ll test the GMKTec AMD based eGPU I reviewed a few months back connected to the GMKTec Intel Core Ultra 9 I reviewed last week.

A Review of Roku’s $2.99 Howdy Service

Roku has launched a new streaming service called Howdy, priced at $3 a month. I subscribed to see what it offers and shared the experience in my latest video.

The marketing is straightforward: “almost everything you want to watch,” ad-free, for around the cost of a cup of coffee. At the moment, it’s only available through Roku devices, including Roku TVs, streaming players, the Roku Channel website, and their mobile app on iPhone/iPad and Android. While it may eventually expand to other platforms, this is currently a Roku-only service.

Comparing titles through JustWatch, I found that many Howdy offerings can also be found on other platforms, sometimes for free but with ads, or for a rental fee. For example, Reservoir Dogs can be rented on a few services for more than the monthly cost of Howdy, or streamed free with ads on Plex. The series Southland is available on Howdy without ads, while Prime Video offers it with ads for a higher subscription price. So far it looks like there are not many exclusives, but the content that is available is not always widely available either.

The interface is basic, and while there is a search function, browsing can be clumsy. You can save content that you want to watch for later so you don’t have to go hunting for it on subsequent sessions. Like other streaming services, I expect content to cycle in and out as licensing deals change.

One surprise was that some of Roku’s own popular exclusive productions, like The Spiderwick Chronicles and Die Hart, aren’t on Howdy at all, even though they’re available on the free Roku Channel with ads. On the other hand, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is available ad-free. I’m guessing Roku may rotate its original programming on and off the service much like it does with licensed content. So unfortunately Howdy is not the gateway to watch all of Roku’s exclusives ad-free.

Kids & family content is limited—about 20 titles in the “family favorites” section—and there’s no dedicated kids’ mode. That’s a missed opportunity, since ad-free children’s programming at a low price could have been a strong draw.

Overall, Howdy seems designed for people who already enjoy free streaming content but dislike ads. For three dollars a month, you get an ad-free experience with a mix of familiar and lesser-known titles, most of them older back catalog type of stuff. It’s a low-cost way to remove interruptions, but given the small library and lack of exclusives, it may lack value for many.

Disclosure: I paid for the Howdy subscription and the Roku player demonstrated with my own funds.

GMKTec EVO-T1 Mini PC Review – With Intel Core Ultra 9

I recently spent some time testing out the GMKTec EVO-T1, which sits at the higher end of the mini PC spectrum. You can see it in action in my latest video.

It’s larger than most of the mini PCs I usually look at, but that extra size supports a more robust cooling system, allowing it to house an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor—the Ultra 9 285H specifically. With 16 cores (six performance, eight efficiency, and two low-power), it offers a lot of CPU capacity for a Mini PC.

As configured, it retails for $999 on GMKtek’s website (compensated affiliate link) and includes 64GB of DDR5-5600 RAM and a 1TB NVMe drive. A barebones version is also available for $899, but the fully-loaded configuration is a better value right now. For those buying on Amazon (compensated affiliate link), it’s worth hunting for a coupon link to bring the price in line with the direct sale.

The Evo T1’s upgradability was a highlight. It supports up to 128GB of RAM and has three PCIe 4.0 NVMe slots. While the build quality feels a bit more “plasticky” than some of their earlier models—likely to accommodate the vapor chamber for cooling—the internal layout is straightforward and accessible.

Port selection is generous. On the front, there are three USB-A 3.2 ports, a USB-C port with display output, and a headphone jack. The back offers two 2.5G Ethernet ports using Realtek controllers, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, DisplayPort, a USB 4/Thunderbolt port, another headphone jack, and an Oculink port for high-speed external GPU connectivity. The included 150W GaN power supply is compact and external.

One setup note: by default, the system runs in a balanced 54W power mode. I switched it to 70W performance mode in the BIOS, which unlocked noticeably better performance without thermal throttling. There’s also a “fan mode” button on top, but that’s just to change the LED lighting color—not the actual fan speed or performance.

Out of the box, the PC came with a fully activated version of Windows 11 Pro. It was fast and responsive in basic use and handled 4K60 YouTube playback with only a single dropped frame at the start. Benchmarks landed where expected, with a Browserbench.org Speedometer test score of 35.5. It’s worth noting that Apple’s Mac Mini with the M4 chip edges out this machine in browser performance, but from an Intel and Windows standpoint, it delivers solid results.

The T1 shipped with a preinstalled app called “AI PC,” which runs a stripped down version of DeepSeek—a large language model—locally. It ran on the GPU, which provided better performance than when I tried the same model using Ollama on the CPU. Still, I was cautious about this preinstalled software and opted to run several malware scans, all of which came back clean. I’d still recommend using open-source tools like Ollama for local AI workloads.

For video editing, DaVinci Resolve handled simple 4K60 edits smoothly, although more complex effects introduced some slowdowns. An external GPU might help here, and the Oculink port makes that possible. Gaming performance was respectable for a mini PC with integrated graphics. No Man’s Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 were playable at 1080p on low settings, staying in the 45–60 fps range depending on the scene.

On the 3DMark Time Spy test, the system scored 4,180, with the CPU performance notably stronger than the Core Ultra 7 I tested on a laptop previously. Thermals held up well even under stress, with consistent performance and quiet fan operation. Power consumption under load peaked around 90W, while idle usage hovered around 12 to 15W.

I also tested Linux compatibility using Ubuntu. The system ran well overall, though Wi-Fi and Bluetooth weren’t detected despite using an Intel AX201 chipset. That could be a temporary driver issue. For server use, though, the system’s NVMe slots and efficient idle power draw make it a strong candidate.

Despite its higher price tag, the Evo T1 packs a lot of power and flexibility. Enthusiasts looking for a machine to experiment with in a home lab or as a local AI box might find this an interesting option.

Disclosure: GMKTec provided the Mini PC to the channel free of charge. However they did not review or approve this content before it was uploaded and no other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

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.

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.