What is a Blu-ray Player? Blu-ray Disc players can play HD (1080p) content in addition to DVDs and CDs, while 4K Ultra (ultra-high definition) Blu-ray players can also play 4K Blu-ray videos. All Blu-ray players have video upscaling capability, which provides a visible improvement, though DVDs won’t look as good as actual Blu-ray discs. Most players can stream audio and video content from services like Netflix and Hulu, local home networks (PCs and media servers), and compatible USB devices like flash drives....

“I think a lot of people will hold off for Apple Silicon,” Cult of Mac author Leander Kahney told Lifewire via iMessage. “My iMac is getting pretty long in the tooth and normally I’d certainly be in the market for one of these new ones. But I can make it putter along for another year.” The Best iMac Yet The new iMac looks just the same as it has since 2012....

The different components on a laptop aren’t as easy to replace as are the ones in a desktop computer, but it certainly is possible to upgrade a laptop if you have the patience and proper tools. That said, some of the suggestions below involve using external hardware to supplement for outdated, missing, or damaged internal components. Skip down to the section below that relates to your specific reason for wanting to upgrade or replace your laptop....

What Is a Smart TV, Anyway? In a nutshell, a smart TV connects directly to the internet and incorporates an operating system/platform that lets you access, manage, and view online and network-based media content like Hulu or Netflix without the need to use an additional device such as a Roku or Fire Stick. How Smart TVs Work Smart TVs access online content by connecting to the same broadband router and Ethernet or Wi-Fi network you use to connect your computer to the internet....

Breaking Down the Speakers The CS line of Sony speakers is more expensive than those made by Pioneer. However, the Sony speakers are larger and look more capable. The Sony CS speaker line comprises four models, as detailed below. Together, these models make up a traditional 5.1 speaker system, each sporting the Sony High-Res Audio logo. SS-CS3 tower speaker: Features two 5.25-inch woofers, a 1-inch tweeter, and a 0.5-inch super tweeter....

The SureCall Flare Booster Kit is a user-friendly cell phone signal booster for either a home or a small business. The SureCall Flare boosts signal speed for any cellular device tied to major carriers (e.g., AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile), and is an attractive, low-profile piece of tech. The whole kit comes at a great price point, which makes it hard to see how you could go wrong with this option, particularly if you’re in the market for a booster that covers up to 2,500 square feet of space....

The company has just unveiled another series of wrist-worn status symbols with their Connected Calibre E4 line of smartwatches, according to an official product page. The Connected Calibre E4 watches offer significant improvements over last year’s E3 line, with a faster and more powerful processor, improved displays, longer battery life, an ultra-durable sapphire-glass watch face, and newly developed software features. The E4 line boasts Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4100 Plus chip, which is the company’s most powerful smartwatch processor, and Bluetooth 5....

Researchers have created a robotic manipulation system that uses a two-stage learning process to enable a robot to perform complex dough-manipulation tasks. The method, detailed in a new paper, allows robots to do things like cutting and spreading dough or gathering pieces of dough from around a cutting board. “It may sound funny, but pizza-making is an extraordinary test for robots,” AI researcher Adrian Zidaritz, who was not involved in the study, told Lifewire in an email interview....

Researchers from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have reportedly found a way to significantly increase the lifetime of batteries. It’s one of a growing number of advances in the field of energy storage. “This type of research is important, and eventually these theoretical and experimental findings should translate to longer battery life, which is important from both an environmental and economic standpoint,” Jack Kavanaugh, CEO of energy storage company Nanotech Energy, who was not involved in the Japanese study, said in an email interview....

Telegram is now No. 1 on a list of most-downloaded non-gaming apps globally, according to Notebook Check, citing data from mobile analyst firm Sensor Tower. The app also is No. 1 on Google Play and No. 4 on Apple’s App Store. Users say they are tapping the app to make sure their messages stay safe. “Telegram is privacy-friendly,” Marie Denis-Massé, the founder of Women Make, a Telegram community of more than 1,000 women founders and makers, said in an email interview....

VCR technology wouldn’t become mainstream until later in the decade. Still, this early effort proved the technology’s potential and sparked consumer interest in the tech. This announcement was part of a shift in focus in CES. Initially centered on music and then video, the show’s expansion made room for new categories throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Today, CES hosts announcements that span every type of consumer electronics, from amplifiers to robot vacuums....

This Chrome extension keeps tabs on your email so that you don’t have to. It sits at the top of the browser with an unread count. You can click it to see all your emails without opening the full Gmail web page. Whether it’s refreshing the current site, moving to another tab, scrolling to the bottom or top of the page, or other every day and not-so-common actions, the CrxMouse extension provides the ability to perform these actions with quick and easy gestures....

If you’re not interested in specs and just want something that works, our experts think you shouldjust buy the Rotibox Bluetooth Beanie Hat. It’s a comfortable beanie with plenty of color options and solid connectivity. All in all, finding the best Bluetooth beanie comes down to your priorities, so read on below to see a few of our favorites. One minor downside is that the USB recharge takes about two and a half hours....

Grab the apps listed below to to stay abreast of flood forecasting and warning apps for your area. General advice is also provided for what to do right before a flood so that you and your family remain safe at all times. Quizzes are also provided for any time you want to brush up on your knowledge and ensure you know what to do. Download For: You can easily set the app up to multiple different locations around the world, with accurate details on all of them at any given time....

One of the most powerful models on the list is Brother DCP-L5500DN Printer. This printer can process up to 42 pages for “print and copy” a minute making it perfect for small business owners. If you’d like more options for functions, the Canon imageCLASS MF267dw may suit your needs. This device can fax, print, copy, and more! The best monochrome laser printers do more than just print because they are versatile to fulfill many needs....

You can cash in on 3D printing in several ways. Even if you don’t own a 3D printer, you can sell your 3D objects or designs or teach other people how to 3D print. Regardless of where you are in the printing or designing process, it takes only a little digging to see how the money can come in. Sell Your Designs One of the best ways to make money with a 3D printer doesn’t require that you own a 3D printer....

Small enough for easy one-handed use, with a weather-sealed magnesium frame, the X-T2 is as tough as it is attractive. The continuous autofocus system, a weak point of the previous model, has received a major upgrade, and can now handle fast-action scenes with ease. Shooting 4K video at 24, 25, or 30fps, the automatic white balance and exposure are both excellent, meaning you’ll get quality footage with little effort in a wide range of situations....

If you prefer meeting people in groups rather than one-on-one, this is a perfect app. You can also create your own group if you have an idea for a meetup. Download For: There is also a live stream feature where you can go live and people in your area on the app can watch if they choose to. Download For: If you match, you can direct message one another through the app....

The NFL app is excellent because you can get up-to-the-minute updates on game days and watch live events if you have an NFL network subscription. If you want in-depth analysis straight from the source, the NFL app may be all you need to get your football fix. Download For: ESPN Fantasy Sports offers a lot of customization, from team logos to the actual game rules. You can even win cash prizes by making predictions and play sports trivia against other fans....

The body of the camera itself is typical Canon style, black and textured with no real special features that help make it stand out from the crowd. That said, it offers fantastic ergonomics in the hand while shooting and a weather-sealed body protects it against the elements. The 3.2 fixed-position LCD pairs with a 100 percent coverage viewfinder that offers .71x magnification, which is excellent. To aid with shooting, Canon added a whopping 61-point autofocus that is among the highest precision of any DSLR on the market today....