Why Valve Could Change My Mind With the Steam Deck

I wasnt the only one that thought Valve might be biting off more than it could chew, either. The Steam Link and Steam Controller are essentially dead in the water now and never really took off. The most interesting thing about the Steam Deck is that Valve says it isnt just a Steam Machine. Valve It isnt just a unit built to allow you to play video games from your Steam library....

April 15, 2025 · 1 min · 151 words · Greg Shaw

Why Video Backgrounds Aren’t Always a Great Idea

Google Meet is rolling out video backgrounds that are first coming to the web. Zoom and other services also allow video backgrounds. But can they really liven up dull meetings? SDI Productions / Getty Images “I can imagine companies banning them.” Party Time On Screen? You choose from three options at launch: a classroom, party, or forest. Capuski / Getty Images Google says more Meet video backgrounds will be coming soon....

April 15, 2025 · 2 min · 231 words · Christopher Jackson

Why Virtual Reality Could Be Better With a Mobile Data Connection

“It will be wherever people are. The lack of high-speed mobile options for VR may be for a reason. “Today, most use cases do not require the latency and bandwidth improvements that come with 5G. Weiquan Lin / Getty Images The future of VR isn’t going to be restricted to living rooms or offices. It will be wherever people are. Vitolo, a mobile product executive for the telecommunications companyVerizon, told Lifewire in an email interview....

April 15, 2025 · 1 min · 180 words · Jasmine Montgomery

Why Vivaldi's Anti-AI Browser Is Great News For Humanity

One web app company has stated that it will remain blissfully AI-free. With evenFirefox experimentingwith AI assistants, its more important than ever to have a refuge like this. The even better news is that Vivaldi is a pretty great surfing app, and available almost everywhere. The future of AI.Keagan Henman / Unsplash “[P]rops to the Vivaldi team for taking such [a] clear and firm stance. Vivaldi The problems of AI are manifold....

April 15, 2025 · 1 min · 118 words · Scott Guzman

Why VR in Your Car Might Not Give You Motion Sickness

The connection will be enabled wirelessly via the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard. Baumeister said the technology reduces motion sickness thanks to its close connection to what’s happening outside. As a result, being in transit becomes time well spent." HTC / holoride The system is brand-agnostic, which means other automakers can support it. The software to build virtual-reality content for cars is also open-source, allowing developers to create content. The first VR headset that will support the holoride system isHTC’s Vive Flow....

April 15, 2025 · 1 min · 130 words · Caitlyn Barrett

Why VR Isn't Ready for Esports

The release of more capable virtual reality headsets like theOculus Quest 2is driving more interest in VR. But VR technology isnt having the impact that was expected in esports. Streaming services also are likely to get more involved in esports, some observers say. adamkaz / Getty Images Thats not what fans are looking for, some observers say. The adoption of VR will be content-driven, not simply because it may deliver a better simulation....

April 15, 2025 · 1 min · 177 words · Natasha Turner

Why VR Photography Could Be the Next Big Thing

Pictures that let you see more Apple The next hot photography trend could be strapped to your head. Apple is positioning itsnew Vision Pro mixed reality headsetas a way to take and view pictures. And Canonrecently unveileda concept camera that can capture 180-degree stereoscopic and 360-degree monoscopic photos and video. Looking at photos using Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset.Apple Experts say VR photography might be coming into its own....

April 15, 2025 · 1 min · 160 words · Brian Zhang

Why Walmart Is Selling a Bargain $699 M1 MacBook Air

This is interesting for two reasons. The M1 is one of those sweet-spot devicesthat Apple makes every now and then. The M1 MacBook Air wasa huge leap, performance-wise, over the Intel version. MacBook Air box.Kenny Eliason / Unsplash The current M3 MacBook Air is $1,099, the previous-gen M2 model is $999. The M1 is $300 cheaper than that. It’s not a slam-dunk decision though. M1 MacBook Air.Jeremy Laukkonen / Lifewire...

April 15, 2025 · 1 min · 156 words · Dana Crawford

Why watchOS 10’s Redesign Is a Huge Deal for Usability

The Apple Watch is amazing but can be a pain to use. Do you scroll or swipe on that screen to show more? Does the digital crown do anything here? 5 Apple Watches displaying different features of watchOS 10.Apple And why am I being forced to navigate menus on such a teeny-tiny screen? “Fundamentally, Watch interactions are measured in seconds, not minutes. Navigating Apple Watch Navigating the Apple Watchcan be a fiddly process....

April 15, 2025 · 2 min · 417 words · John Beck

Why We Can't Get Enough Of Face Filters

The app peaked at29.6 million users in July 2019thanks to the #OldFaceChallenege that took over social media. The latest app to dominate the charts isVoila AI Artist, which is the No. 7 free app and No. d3sign / Getty Images 4 free photo and video app in Apple’s App Store right now. It uses AI technology to apply filters to your photos to make anyone look like a Disney-drawn cartoon....

April 15, 2025 · 1 min · 79 words · Mary Sandoval

Why We Don’t Want Chatbots to Sound Human

So, some bot designers have concluded that its essential to keep their creations from promising too much. Set Boundaries for Your Bot Some researchhas foundthat users prefer talking to people instead of bots. But for those who do like communicating with bots, there are ways to make the interaction more appealing. Carol yepes / Getty Images “All they want is a solution to their problem. Information that simply requires a lookup is one area where bots shine....

April 15, 2025 · 1 min · 146 words · Caleb Taylor

Why We Lack Black Tech Founders and How to Do Better

Thats a loaded question, because there are various reasons. Still, data shows Black entrepreneurship is on the rise. Once there, they also lack the same access to capital as white entrepreneurs. WOCinTech / flickr “Black founders are not getting as much VC money because they lack the social capital. “We have seen Black founders with more traction get less money than white founders with less traction.” Reversing this trend must start with uprooting the tech ecosystem as a whole, she said....

April 15, 2025 · 2 min · 293 words · Luis Henry

Why We Love Cases, Stands, and Accessories So Much

From iMac shelves throughwearable Apple Watchcases to golf-club cozies, we’re obsessed with buying gifts for our devices. Why do we like them so much? “You choose your own wallpaper when you get a new iPhone, right? Twelve South “Andrew Green, co-founder of Twelve South, told Lifewire via direct message. The accessories you choose help you achieve this.” Regular Expression Accessories don’t have to be fancy or technical to be popular....

April 15, 2025 · 2 min · 309 words · Andrew Reid