Magazine

CheckMag With no Glyph Interface like on the Nothing Phone (2a), the CMF Phone 1 manages to still be exciting with its removable rear cover. While not unheard of, removable phone covers have become a rarity in the smartphone industry, so it's nice to see it make a comeback.

CheckMag The first recorded Cybertruck rollover has emerged out of Vicksburg, Mississippi. While it looks like simple driver error or circumstance were most likely the cause, Tesla's lofty claims about the Cybertruck's low centre of gravity may give drivers a false sense of security.

CheckMag OnePlus's line of affordable flagship phones is known for offering mostly high-end features at a more pocket-friendly price than its main flagship series. Unfortunately, OnePlus keeps shooting itself in the foot by employing a practically useless 2 MP sensor in its rear camera system.

CheckMag As technology users, we either knowingly or unknowingly hand over our data to large tech companies on a daily basis. In an attempt to get away from the overwatch of Google, I decided to try running a de-Googled phone. This is how it went.

CheckMag 2.5 slots? Twelve inches? You call that small form factor, Jensen Huang? Absolutely not. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!

CheckMag The iPhone 16 is expected to introduce a variety of upgrades that could enhance Apple's flagship device and reduce the gap between the standard iPhone and the Pro series. However, these details will only be confirmed at Apple's official iPhone launch event. Below are four key things we might see in the upcoming iPhone.

CheckMag While Windows 11 is considered a solid operating system, it has failed to generate much excitement, leading many people to question the necessity of switching from Windows 10. Below are three of the most annoying things about Windows 11 that have sparked significant criticism and dissatisfaction among users.

CheckMag Smart rings, with the Oura ring at the forefront, have steadily increased in popularity. Samsung's entry into this market holds promise, but it is not without its challenges. Whether the Galaxy ring will be a health tech innovation or another disappointment remains to be seen. If you're considering purchasing one, here are some key factors to keep in mind.

CheckMag Society is waking up to the notion that smartphones may not be the best thing for our mental health, or our time management. Governments are looking to ban phones in schools and a part of the population is beginning to ditch smartphones in an attempt to claw back some of the time lost to doom scrolling. Here are X phone solutions that can help curb your smartphone addiction.

Interview Notebookcheck had an opportunity to speak with MSI's regional marketing managers Bruce Lin and Green Lin about the MSI Claw, Windows-on-Arm laptops and its future plans. While MSI will stick with Intel for the foreseeable future, it is open to the idea of collaborating with AMD for handheld chips at a later point.

CheckMag The best gaming handhelds have come a long way since the Game Boy era. Today's devices offer advanced features, up to 10 hours of battery life, and cater to diverse tastes, from retro gamers to those wanting handheld PCs. Below are the top 5 handheld gaming consoles available right now, each tailored to different gaming preferences.

CheckMag The Motorola Edge 2024 is the new premium mid-range smartphone on the block. Although it costs a bit more than the Pixel 8a, one of its main rivals, it has got a lot going for it that gives it an edge over the Pixel 8a.

CheckMag Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto franchise is undoubtedly one of the cornerstones of modern gaming, both from a technical as well as a cultural point of view. Starting from 1997, Rockstar has produced some of the finest open-world titles in the history of computer gaming as part of this franchise. With GTA VI arriving in 2025, it's worth looking back in to the past and glossing over the most iconic entrants to the acclaimed franchise.

CheckMag Whether it’s QNAP, ASUStor, Synology or some other pre-built brand, a NAS is not a cheap piece of equipment. With free or low cost operating systems such as TrueNAS, Open Media Vault or even Unraid is it cheaper to build your own with new or second hand parts, or buy off the shelf? Let's take a look at the pricing.

CheckMag Microsoft, please let someone else make a portable Xbox! Fans have been clamoring for a handheld for years now, and there is a likelihood one is in the pipeline. However, Microsoft is a better software company than a hardware one, so best just leave it to the pros.

CheckMag The Warframe Jade Shadows update has officially launched for Windows, Xbox, Switch, PlayStation, and iOS. Update 36 introduces a number of exciting new additions to the MMO looter shooter, including a new warframe, an exciting new quest offering insights into a long-time foe, and a whole new game mode to get stuck into as well as some valuable quality of life fixes.

Nikon has officially launched the Z6 III, and, while it is certainly a marvellously capable middleweight camera with impressive features, the minor upgrades across the board are indicative of a problem. Digital cameras are no longer advancing in leaps and bounds, as they had in the early days of the mirrorless revolution, but that means there has never been a better time to buy a camera.

CheckMag Between staunch discounts, plentiful competition, and the recent release of the Steam Deck OLED, there has never been a better time to buy a gaming handheld. However, imminent new releases for the Asus ROG Ally, Nintendo Switch, and new CPU offerings from AMD and Intel mean that waiting just a little longer may be a better option for those looking for maximum performance.

CheckMag The Sonos Ace headphones are already available for purchase and they have got some serious competition. One of them is the 2-year old Sony WH-1000XM5, a top choice in the premium headphones category. Here are some differences to note if you are considering buying either pair of headphones.

CheckMag Samsung can make a budget Galaxy Z Flip smartphone, but it seems the company just doesn't want to, which is disappointing to say the least. Such a budget device would likely prove to be a huge success with smartphone lovers, as long as cuts weren't made in the folding design.

CheckMag The PlayStation VR2 PC adapter makes the PlayStation VR 2 headset compatible with PC and Steam VR. The hardware spec gives players an experience that is on par with the Valve Index and arguably better than the Meta Quest 3 for a significantly cheaper price.

CheckMag The EU has a solid history of making decisions that actually benefit the consumer and the EU Right to Repair Directive (R2RD) may finally curb environmentally damaging and anti consumer practices employed by tech companies to keep their revenue streams flowing.

CheckMag Chrome OS may still be the new kid on the block when it comes to desktop operating systems, but it has got some useful features that makes using it a breeze.

CheckMag Android tablets are available in diverse sizes and a wide price range. Fortunately, finding a quality tablet doesn't require you to break the bank. Even with a tight budget, there are suitable options.

CheckMag Intel's Arc Alchemist graphics seems to have been an acquired taste amongst PC gamers. Aggressive pricing and driver fixes have helped its roughest edges, but voices in the community suggesting that Arc might suddenly displace AMD's Radeon GPUs in the budget market are on another planet.

CheckMag The MSI Claw’s debut in the gaming handheld market has been underwhelming, to say the least. With a design that echoes its competitors and a user experience that fails to impress, it’s clear that MSI has significant ground to cover if it hopes to compete effectively.

CheckMag It's quite obvious by now that the Panasonic Lumix S9 is a controversial camera. Fortunately, if you're after a small, powerful camera, there are some hidden gems out there that walk all over Panasonic's latest compact full-frame body — some even costing less than $1,000.

CheckMag The Pop, G305 Lightspeed, Surface Arc Mouse and Viper V2 Pro PUBG Battlegrounds wireless mice will make your setup feel like new again at a discount, since all of those 4 are currently enjoying a price cut on Amazon.

CheckMag The notch is a contentious issue. For some it becomes unobtrusive after time, for others it seriously messes with the feng shui of an otherwise gorgeous screen. While some form of notch might be required for a phone, Apple devices over two generations of both MacBook Air and Pro laptops still ship with a notch. Tolerate it or hate it, what will become of the notch?

CheckMag Panasonic's new Lumix S9 is a feat of engineering and design, stuffing a full-frame sensor with IBIS into a body smaller than even many Micro Four Thirds cameras. That form factor comes with serious sacrifices, though. No EVF, no mechanical shutter, and no hot shoe. Panasonic should have just updated its Lumix GX line-up and made a full-featured Micro Four Thirds camera, instead.

CheckMag Google's decision to sell the Pixel Tablet without the dock is a good one, but it could have made it more enticing to prospective buyers if a price cut had been included in the mix.

CheckMag Samsung is gearing up to launch its next-generation smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch 7 series. Although various leaks have circulated, detailed specifics are still under wraps. Here are the top three features we can look forward to in the upcoming models.

CheckMag Full-frame mirrorless cameras in a compact package are nothing new, but the brand-new Panasonic Lumix S9 looks like it might be a bit of a shake-up in the camera industry — it may even rival the likes of the Fujifilm X100VI for the crown of compact camera king.

CheckMag The Fujifilm X-T50, positioned as the successor to the X-T30 II, introduces several notable updates. However, it may not fulfill the expectations for an entry-level replacement, given its price, build, and features. Below are three key drawbacks to consider before purchasing this digital film camera.

CheckMag The iPad Pro is Apple's premium tablet, featuring the same powerful M-series chips found in Macs. But does it live up to the hype? Some new models might not be the upgrade you're expecting, and could even be considered a downgrade. Here are the top four things to be aware of before making your purchase.

CheckMag The Pixel 9 series details are coming thick and fast, with everything from the display to the camera specs becoming public knowledge. If true, we might finally be able to buy a compact phone without making compromises.

CheckMag Battery life is a crucial factor when purchasing a laptop, as constantly searching for a power outlet can be frustrating, especially when on the go. Below are the top four laptops with exceptional battery performance, each lasting over 15 hours on a single charge, currently available on the market, with Apple MacBook devices leading the list.

CheckMag It has been five years since the first Pixel A series smartphones debuted, and despite unfounded rumors about its discontinuation, the importance of the Pixel A series’ existence can’t be overemphasized.

CheckMag The Sports Accessories Bundle, the active cooling shell, the Switch Safe, the Crystal Dock and the Starry Forest Cat Sheep Case will help make one of the greatest consoles of all time even more versatile and cute - or limit its functionality if that's what you want.

CheckMag Some might argue that YouTube adverts are getting ridiculous. With 2 ads often up to 20 seconds each at the start of a video and another one slapped in your face if you try to scrub through a section, it's no surprise that ad blockers are so popular. In response, Google is clamping down on their use by effectively ruining the experience, but there are still effective ways to bypass them.

Google has unveiled many of the details surrounding its new Pixel 8a mid-range smartphone. Unfortunately for those looking for an exciting upgrade from the Google Pixel 7a, this simply isn't it. That doesn't mean the Pixel 8a is dead in the water. While the display, cameras, and performance have received little to no updates, the new seven-year software support commitment is a huge boon for the Pixel 8a.

CheckMag HMD Global has brought back a handful of classic Nokia feature phones, but what if it remade other smartphones from the old Nokia era? The Nokia E72 and the Nokia N95 could make very welcome returns.

Fujifilm has yet to announce the Fujifilm X-T50, but the rumours and leaks are in full swing. Between the flagship sensor and processor combo, the compact size, and the reimagined control scheme, the Fujifilm X-T50 launch on May 16 is stacking up to be an exciting event for those that want an easy to use, do-it-all camera, but there are some caveats.

CheckMag Whether its questionable privacy practices, incorrectly categorising images as child pornography, or using your data for its AI training models, storing your photos with Google continues to be a privacy nightmare. Thankfully a self hosted solution is making waves in the community, and for good reason.

The Asus ROG Ally 2 (or 2024) will apparently make an appearance at Computex 2024. While details on the new handheld device are still unclear, it could really use an update to the display, controls, and ports, as well as a proper fix for the pesky microSD card issue. Here's what Asus should do, in one writer's humble opinion.

CheckMag In 2019, Samsung consolidated its budget and mid-range product lines by merging them. However, the company has since introduced new Galaxy smartphone lines, reversing the simplification.

Gaming on Linux can be a little complicated, but the open-source community has put into the software surrounding the Linux gaming experience. Here is a pick of four of the best tools and software packages to make the most of your gaming hardware running on Linux.

Lenovo has confirmed that it is working on a Legion Go 2. Lenovo's original gaming handheld is and was an impressive device, but the next iteration definitely needs a better screen, variable refresh rate, and a better controller experience to make it a worthy competitor to the likes of the Asus ROG Ally and Nintendo Switch.

The Nintendo Switch Lite is a nice little handheld gaming device but replacing the screen is a herculean task. If there's a successor such as a Switch 2 Lite, then Nintendo has to make repairing it much easier.