If you're on the hunt for a toy that won't get forgotten the minute it's unwrapped, check out this expert-curated list. It's got toys designed for every age and interest.
Spotifyβs annual Wrapped feature just dropped, giving listeners a fun, personalized summary of their listening habits. It has gained immense popularity over the years, and as a result, many companies have seized the opportunity to create similar year-in-review experiences, offering users a recap of their habits, preferences, or interactions from the past year. Here are [β¦]
You can plug some weird and wonderful things into your Raspberry Piβs USB ports outside of the obvious mouse, keyboards, and storage devices. Here are some of the more interesting accessories you might want to get your hands on for your next project.
This was another busy week in the Linux ecosystem and wider FOSS community, with an update on the way for Linux Mint, growing Steam marketshare, and much more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.
The luxury SUV market is crowded with models that promise performance, comfort, and long-term dependability, but very few manage to deliver all three at once. Thatβs what makes this particular SUV stand out. It offers the speed and acceleration youβd expect from a modern sports car, yet pairs it with the kind of everyday usability and refinement families actually need. For buyers who want genuine excitement without sacrificing peace of mind, it hits a rare sweet spot.
Weβve slept off our collective turkey coma and returned to the review lab here at Engadget. Our team may also be in full CES prep mode, but weβve got a few more devices to get off or our desks before 2025 is over. Catch up on all of the reviews you might have missed over the last few weeks β a perfect activity for a lazy December weekend.
Dell 16 Premium
Thereβs no denying the design of the Dell 16 Premium makes the laptop live up to its name. Unfortunately, all of that polish leads to some issues: a high price and hampered usability. βThe more I looked at the Dell 16 Premium's beautiful facade, the more I wanted something... more,β senior reporter Devindra Hardawar wrote. βIt needs more usable ports, like HDMI and a full-sized SD card reader. It needs more useful function keys that are visible in bright light β and also stay in one place β so I can touch type more easily. And for the love of god, just give up on the invisible trackpad.β
DJI Osmo Action 6
DJIβs drone business in the US faces an uncertain future, and the companyβs action cams could be swept up in the ordeal as well. Thankfully, our contributing reporter Steve Dent resides in the EU where he observed first hand the Osmo Action 6βs superior low light performance and battery life. βWith a bigger sensor and larger aperture than the competition, DJIβs Action 6 is now the best action cam on the market for night shooting, delivering clean, sharp video with better stabilization than rivals,β he said. βItβs also ideal for users who output to both YouTube and TikTok.β
Nikon ZR
In keeping with the video theme, Steve also spent time testing the Nikon ZR. While this is primarily a model for shooting video, it benefits from the addition of RED RAW, excellent autofocus and more. βWith the ZR, Nikon has shown that itβs finally catching up to and even surpassing its rivals for content creation,β he explained. βWhether youβre doing social media, YouTube, documentaries or even film production, this camera is versatile and powerful with few compromises.β
Ooni Volt 2
The Ooni Volt brought the companyβs popular brand of pizza making indoors for the first time, but that model wasnβt without it faults. Now Ooni is back with the Volt 2, and the completely overhauled design is a big upgrade over the original. βItβs easier to use for all skill levels thanks to its clearer controls and large display,β I explained. βPresets work well, but they can also serve as a starting point for further recipe refinement for experienced users. And the pizza β my goodness, the pizza is consistently restaurant quality (or better) across a range of styles.β
Antigravity A1
Insta360βs spin-off Antigravity is now shipping its first drone and our UK bureau chief Mat Smith has already flown it. The A1 comes with a controller and FPV headset to assist with the piloting, but the mix of unique features and crisp video (in good conditions) is also laudable. βThe intuitive controls and ability to look all around you make it unlike anything else currently available,β he said. βItβs a delightful introduction to drones, FPV or otherwise, but a shame that software issues marred my tests.β
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-dell-16-premium-nikon-zr-ooni-volt-2-and-more-130000527.html?src=rss
Linus Torvalds recently defended Windows' infamous Blue Screen of Death during a video with Linus Sebastian of Linus Tech Tips, where the two built a PC together. It's FOSS reports: In that video, Sebastian discussed Torvalds' fondness for ECC (Error Correction Code). I am using their last name because Linus will be confused with Linus. This is where Torvalds says this: "I am convinced that all the jokes about how unstable Windows is and blue screening, I guess it's not a blue screen anymore, a big percentage of those were not actually software bugs. A big percentage of those are hardware being not reliable."
Torvalds further mentioned that gamers who overclock get extra unreliability. Essentially, Torvalds believes that having ECC on the machine makes them more reliable, makes you trust your machine. Without ECC, the memory will go bad, sooner or later. He thinks that more than software bugs, often it is hardware behind Microsoft's blue screen of death. You can watch the video on YouTube (the BSOD comments occur at ~9:37).
CHANCAY, PeruβThe elevator doors leading to the fifth-floor control center open like stage curtains onto a theater-sized screen.
This βOperations Productivity Dashboardβ instantaneously displays a battery of data: vehicle locations, shipping times, entry times, loading data, unloading data, efficiency statistics.
Most striking, though, are the bold lines arcing over the dashboardβs deep-blue Pacificβdigital streaks illustrating the routes that lead thousands of miles across the ocean, from this unassuming city, to Asiaβs biggest ports.
We tested dozens of Android phones and picked a handful that you should buy, like the Galaxy S25, Pixel 10 Pro, Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Motorola Razr Ultra.
If you wanted to build an electronic dice, you might grab an Arduino and a nice OLED display to whip up something fancy. You could even choose an ESP32 and have it log your rolls to the cloud. Or, you could follow the lead of [Axiometa] and do it the old-school way.
The build is based around the famous 555 timer IC. Itβs paired with a 4017 decade counter IC, which advances every time it receives a clock signal from the 555. With the aid of some simple transistor logic, this lights the corresponding LEDs for the numbers 1 to 6, which are laid out like the face of a typical six-sided die. For an added bit of fun, a tilt sensor is used to trigger the 555 and thus the roll of the dice. A little extra tweak to the circuit ensures the 555 keeps counting just a little while after you stop shaking. This makes the action feel like an actual dice roll.
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