Magazine

CheckMag The electric Caltrain is not even two years old, and budget cuts are already looming on the important connection between San Francisco and San José in the heart of Silicon Valley. Unless sufficient funding is secured, the recently modernized and expensive system will face significant cutbacks. Even stations could be closed. Here’s a look at the current situation.

The Vivo X300 Pro has landed in Vienna, in the heart of Europe, and we took it on a walk through some prominent corners of the Austrian capital. Our kit consisted of the latest Zeiss flagship camera, the Vivo X300 Pro, and the telephoto extender kit, which transforms the 85mm telephoto lens into an optical 200mm telephoto lens.

CheckMag The Oppo Find X9 Pro has arrived in Europe. We tested how the new Hasselblad camera performs with and without the optional teleconverter and camera kit, especially in comparison to the Vivo X200 Ultra. We also found out if there's still some room for improvement shortly before the official launch.

The rumor mill surrounding Xiaomi's ultimate Leica camera flagship for 2026 is in full swing, as more and more clues are emerging about the likely sibling of the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. It's expected to launch much earlier than usual, at least in China, and will bring some surprises in the camera sector. We analyze the currently highly contradictory and speculative theories surrounding a "revolutionary new camera technology" that, according to some leakers, awaits Xiaomi fans.

CheckMag Since this weekend, the Xiaomi 17 has been a hot topic in China. In addition to long lines in front of Xiaomi stores and a new sales record, the first reviews are now examining how the cameras in the two Xiaomi 17 Pro variants perform compared with the Xiaomi 15 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is also part of the discussion, but Samsung doesn’t seem to have much of a chance to keep up with the strong dynamic range of these latest Leica smartphone cameras.

It makes sense that most early tests and reviews of the new Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max are comparing its camera to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Unlike the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra or the Vivo X200 Ultra, the Samsung flagship is available worldwide, making it a direct competitor. However, it’s apparently falling behind, even in areas that once were Samsung’s strong suits, such as the zoom camera.

CheckMag Computers running macOS 10.14 and older, as well as Windows 8.1, 8 and 7 operating systems are set to lose critical software updates following Mozilla's decision, with Windows users having a lot more options to choose from when it comes to looking for alternative Web browsers. Update: 115 ESR is getting one more lease of life after all.