With the skyrocketing popularity of the Google Chromecast and to a lesser degree the Roku Streaming Stick, 2014 sure shaped up to be the year of the HDMI dongle. Read on as we put Amazon’s brand new entry into the market, the Fire TV Stick, through the paces. What Is The Amazon Fire TV Stick? The Amazon Fire TV Stick ($39), aside from having a very long product name, is also Amazon’s entry into the streaming video HDMI dongle market. It’s the Amazon answer to Google’s incredibly popular Chromecast streaming stick, Roku’s Streaming Stick, and the host of lesser known Android-based knockoffs flooding the still relatively-niche market. The unit has a slim profile, scarcely longer than the Chromecast and about the same size as the Roku Streaming Stick. Like its competitors you plug it directly into your HDMI port and power it with a micro USB cable attached to a properly powered USB port on your media center or television (or the included power adapter if you … [Read more...] about HTG Reviews the Amazon Fire TV Stick: The Most Powerful HDMI Dongle on the Block
Reach antenna review
HTG Reviews the Amazon Fire TV: Beefy Hardware Primed for the Amazon Ecosystem
In the age of dwindling cable TV subscriptions companies are clamoring for control of your living room, and Amazon is no exception. Today we take a look at their entry into the media center circus with a review of the compact and powerful Amazon Fire TV. What Is The Amazon Fire TV? The Amazon Fire TV ($99) is, as the name certainly belies, Amazon’s foray into the streaming media center market intended to compete with the likes of the Apple TV, Roku 3, and Google’s Chromecast (as well as their recently announced Nexus Player). The unit has a very slim profile (it’s roughly the size of two CD jewel cases stacked up) but packs some pretty robust hardware inside its tiny case including 2GB of RAM, a 1.7Ghz quad-core mobile processor, a dual MIMO 802.11bgn antenna, an optical audio out, and even an Ethernet jack for those of you that prefer wired connections over wireless. Strong on processing it’s a bit anemic on storage with only 8GB of non-expandable onboard … [Read more...] about HTG Reviews the Amazon Fire TV: Beefy Hardware Primed for the Amazon Ecosystem
: The spoiler-filled, choose-your-own-opinion review
After catching up on post-holiday news and emails, Ars staffers got together in our staff chat room to talk about Netflix's weirdest one-off film yet: Bandersnatch, the Black Mirror "event" that launched on December 28. We'd all seen it, some alone and others in groups, and we all felt a mix of delight, confusion, and annoyance by the fact that it required us to grab our remotes and make choices throughout its 90-minute runtime. (Each choice leads to varying outcomes that range from minor to severe.) Thanks to its interactive portions, we feel this Black Mirror film really is in the eye of its beholder, so we're leaning into its "choose your own adventure" qualities and letting you do something similar with our review. Which opinion outcome would you like? The choice is yours... or maybe you have no choice. (Meaning, it's a lot like Bandersnatch.) Be warned: the reviews go in order of spoilers, from least to most. If you know nothing about Bandersnatch, stop after reading our … [Read more...] about : The spoiler-filled, choose-your-own-opinion review
These durable USB-C cables reach $2 each with this Amazon deal
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more. Stock up Alex Smith 13 Dec 2019 0 Quit buying subpar charging cables when you can snag durable, dependable models affordably at Amazon. With this deal on five Aukey USB-A to USB-C cables, you have absolutely no excuse for ever being without one at just $2 apiece. All you have to do to score the discounted price is clip the coupon on the product page before you add the 5-pack to your cart. That takes it down to only $9.99, lower than it's ever reached on its own before. Stock Up Aukey USB-C Cables (5-pack) The five-pack comes with USB-A to USB-C cables in varying lengths to suit your different charging and syncing needs. Clip the on-page coupon to save $7 and get the cables for just $2 each.$9.99 $16.99 $7 off See at Amazon With more devices moving to USB-C, from the latest Samsung phones to the newest iPad Pro, it makes total sense to stock up on charging cables. Plus, if you want an easy way to … [Read more...] about These durable USB-C cables reach $2 each with this Amazon deal
Uncut Gems review: chaotic good
If thrillers tend to follow a narrative arc that looks like a curve, the Safdie brothers prefer one shaped like a coil. Their excellent new film, Uncut Gems, is an unnerving story of spiraling bad decisions and escalating violence. It’s also equal parts about gambling, Judaism, and Adam Sandler’s goatee. The stakes are set from the movie’s opening scene where a mining accident in Ethiopia (complete with a flash of exposed shin bone) enables two thieves to sneak out a rare opal that will end up in the hands of Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a New York jeweler with a penchant for ostentatious ice. Need a jeweled Furby? See Ratner. Like any tragic New Yorker, Ratner is a Knicks fan. But when Celtics center Kevin Garnett rolls through his shop, Ratner realizes his higher calling isn’t fandom but a love of winning. Ratner is in all kinds of debt that he squirrels out of by borrowing more, constantly over-leveraging himself, and torching bridges. If you’re a … [Read more...] about Uncut Gems review: chaotic good