Life Style

Emojis are a fun evolution from the emoticons of old—but there are only so many to choose from. While a handful of new ones are added each year, for the most part, what you see is what you get, which is why Android's "Emoji Kitchen" is so great. The feature lets you combine two emojis to create a brand new one, right on your device. If you want to send a winky face, but with the robot emoji, you can. You can make the skull emoji cry with laughter, or turn a piece of pizza into a rocket ship. The feature multiplies a limited yet sizable pool of emoji choices into a staggering number of varieties. While Emoji Kitchen is now automaticly included on Pixel devices, it doesn't even exist on iPhone, at least as of the latest official software version, iOS 18.5. With iOS 26, currently in beta tes...

It's quite convenient being able to play Mario Kart or Zelda on the go, but once your Switch 2's battery life indicator says it's about to die, you're back to worrying about where the nearest outlet is.If you've been playing your Switch 2 in handheld mode this week, you might have noticed that the console warns that it's running out of battery quicker than you'd expect. Maybe you chalked that up to the device's more powerful hardware putting more strain on the battery than the original Switch, and resigned yourself to a life of charging more frequently. The thing is, you might also notice that even though the battery says it's low, you can keep playing for quite a bit longer than it suggests—perhaps even hours longer. That's because the battery indicator isn't actually telling you the trut...

With iOS 26, Apple is introducing a host of changes through the iPhone's operating system. There's the controversial Liquid Glass UI, which you can "fix" if you'd like; a redesigned Phone app, complete with Google-like call screening features; and a minimalist Camera app that hides most of your settings and tools until you need them. It's a sizable update to be sure. But every year, there are features that don't make it into Apple's big keynote presentation. These smaller changes are sometimes my favorite, because while they aren't flashy enough to get a spotlight during the event, many are quirky, fun, or otherwise worth highlighting in their own right.The Camera app has one such feature. Despite Apple's focus on the app during the keynote, this feature wasn't mentioned directly. Instead,...

Change isn’t always easy. Case in point: “Liquid Glass.” Apple’s upcoming “26” updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro introduce this new design language that adds a transparent, glassy look to icons, menus, and windows. Some people are digging it, while others are hating on it. And the haters are hating.I generally like the new look, though perhaps what I like best is that it matches across all of Apple’s products. It’s also nice to have a fresh look on Apple devices—especially the iPhone—for the first time in years. That said, I understand some of the criticisms: In the right conditions, these icons and menus look great, but depending on the background, it can be very difficult to read text or view certain elements.  Unless you download the latest Apple betas...

In June of 2025, Marc Maron announced he'll be ending his beloved interview podcast WTF With Marc Maron after 16 years and 1,600 episodes. The show became a staple for Maron's ability to get notable figures from then-sitting President Barack Obama to the late Robin Williams to open up and share intimate details of their lives, and will be much missed. While there is only one WTF, long-time listeners needn't be at a total loss for intimate celebrity chats Here are 12 suggestions for other podcasts that can help fill the void.The Blindboy Podcast Credit: The Blindboy Podcast If you’re craving interviews that feel like they’re happening in the dark...

Nintendo did it. Sony did it. Even Sega did it. And now, Microsoft finally has launched its own dedicated handheld gaming device…kind of.Revealed yesterday during the summer Xbox Games Showcase, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally is closer to a Steam Deck than a PSP or Nintendo Switch. Essentially, it’s a spin on Asus’ existing handheld gaming PC, the ROG Ally, but with Xbox style grips, an Xbox button, and a sleeker approach to Windows that skips most of the guff and takes you right to a game launcher (where you'll find all your various game stores, including Steam and Epic) that you can navigate entirely with your controller. In other words, it isn’t a portable Xbox, it's a handheld gaming PC with Xbox branding. A better Windows-based gaming experience, for a priceEven if that might be disappointi...

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Garmin’s Forerunner 265 was the first modern running watch I spent a lot of time with—you can read my review here about how it drew me back into tracking all my run data, for better or for worse. But there are some things that, in hindsight, I wish I had understood better at the start of the journey. Here are the biggest ones that you might like to know about.Why it has so many dang buttonsThe 265 (and other recent Forerunners) seem to have too many buttons. What do we need five of them for, when we’re doing most things from the touchscreen anyway? Garmin’s Vivoactive line gets away with having just two, as do the Coros Pace 3 and Pace Pro, which have all the same main functions as the 265. But as soon as I saw the previous...

Your smartphone has ruined your life. You’re hopelessly addicted to the empty dopamine drip doled out by apps and algorithms that know you better than you know yourself. You recognize this. But also, you’re no hermit: You need to be able to keep in touch with friends and family with phone calls and text messages, just minus the baggage that comes with a modern iPhone or Android. A dumbphone might seem to be the answer to all your problems, but it's probably not. I am often inundated with articles and videos trying to convince me that switching to a dumbphone is the key to living a balance, fruitful life—so much so that I really considered getting one. I still might, someday, but the more I've thought about the matter, I've come to the conclusion that a dumbphone solves a few problems while...

Garmin's Forerunner line contains some of my favorite watches—the 265, which is arguably still the best of the bunch; the 570, which newly replaced it and has some snazzy new features, and the 955, which is a heck of a deal for something so feature-rich despite its age. If these numbers mean nothing to you, read on—they're actually pretty easy to understand once you know the two rules Garmin uses to pick what number goes with which watch. The last two numbers describe its generationBoth of the watches released this year end in -70. The watches that came out in 2023-2024 all end in -65. They were preceded by a generation that ended in -55, and before that was -45, and so on. Could Garmin have just made the last two numbers reference a year, like 23 or 24? Sure, but at least there seems to b...

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re looking for a last-minute Father’s Day gift, this bespoke Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is currently 38% off and priced right at $200. Available in multiple colors, it combines a sleek aesthetic with high-tech AI-enabled features, including comprehensive trackers that monitor various health metrics, such as heart rate, sleep, and blood oxygen levels. It has over 100 workout modes and can detect sleep apnea via tracking breathing disruptions. The Wellness Tips and AI-powered Energy Score features collect data, translating it into customized, personalized recommendations to help you optimize your daily activities, making this device a helpful access...