Articles by Marc Lagace

NVIDIA Shield TV (2019)

A compact redesign

$150 at Amazon
$150 at Best Buy
$150 at Walmart

Pros

Clever and compact design
Updated remote is fantastic
Still the best Android TV experience
Improved AI Upscaling is great

Cons

Might run into issues running some Android games
Not novice-friendly out of the box

The most striking change for the 2019 NVIDIA Shield TV refresh is its unique tube shape and the redesigned remote. This streamlined and portable stream box with upgraded processing power still delivers the best Android TV experience you can buy.

NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (2019)

Subtle upgrade

$200 at Amazon
$200 at Best Buy
$200 at B&H Photo

Pros

Sleek Shield TV design
More RAM and double the onboard storage
Offers USB ports for external storage
The one you’ll want for Plex and gaming

Cons

Less internal storage than older Pro model
More expensive than the tube
Not enough new features to justify upgrading

The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (2019) looks and runs nearly…

Even before the Xbox Game Pass launch, having the best mobile gaming controller was pretty important for mobile gamers. There are a slew of great Android games out there that can be enhanced with the help of a controller, and honestly, who really enjoys using the on-screen controls? Nevertheless, if you’re in the market for a new controller to enhance your mobile gaming experience and take it to the next level, we’ve got you covered with the best Android controllers.

Best Android controller overall: Razer Kishi

Many game developers took over the Play Store with phones that feature better specs than many computers. Call of Duty and Fortnite are great examples, for starters. You shouldn’t have to deal with a third-party plastic clip, though, if you want to play your phone like a real controller. With the Razer Kishi, you can turn just about any smartphone into a Nintendo Switch, and you don’t have to worry about Bluetooth connectivity slowing you down.

In our review of the Razer K…

NVIDIA Shield TV (2019)

A compact redesign

$150 at Amazon
$150 at Best Buy
$150 at Walmart

Pros

Clever and compact design
Updated remote is fantastic
Still the best Android TV experience
Improved AI Upscaling is great

Cons

Might run into issues running some Android games
Not novice-friendly out of the box

The most striking change for the 2019 NVIDIA Shield TV refresh is its unique tube shape and the redesigned remote. This streamlined and portable stream box with upgraded processing power still delivers the best Android TV experience you can buy.

NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (2019)

Subtle upgrade

$200 at Amazon
$200 at Best Buy
$200 at B&H Photo

Pros

Sleek Shield TV design
More RAM and double the onboard storage
Offers USB ports for external storage
The one you’ll want for Plex and gaming

Cons

Less internal storage than older Pro model
More expensive than the tube
Not enough new features to justify upgrading

The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (2019) looks and runs nearly…

The Galaxy S8 offers 64GB of internal storage, which might be more than enough for some. But suppose your phone is close to capacity with all your music, video, or pictures. In that case, you should take advantage of Galaxy S8’s expandable storage and grab a quality Galaxy S8 microSD card. Unfortunately, Samsung doesn’t let you use your microSD for adoptable storage, which means you won’t be able to use it as you do the phone’s internal storage. Still, it’s a great place to store your treasured photos and videos or side-load your favorite music, media, and games.

For the long haul

Samsung EVO Select 128GB – MicroSDXC

Staff Pick

With read speeds of up to 100MB/s and write speeds of up to 90MB/s, this is the fastest card from Samsung that’s also U3 classified, making it perfect for 4K video. The 128GB capacity will triple your storage space and hold dozens of films or thousands of songs.

$18 at Amazon

Extreme value

SAMSUNG: EVO Select 128GB MicroSDXC UHS

SanDisk’s high-perf…

Now more than ever, it’s important to use energy wisely, so we’ve compiled a list of the best energy monitoring smart plugs available right now. Smart plugs are the best and most convenient smart home accessories for controlling devices around your home. Most typically work with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa and can turn almost any lamp or small appliance into a smart device you can control with your phone or just your voice. We’ve highlighted the best smart plugs that go the extra mile and offer energy monitoring features that let you track how much energy your favorite devices and appliances draw so that you can make the best purchase decision for your household.

Mid-range option

Staff Pick

Kasa Smart Plug Mini with Energy Monitoring

Kasa/TP-Link’s smart home products are super popular because they’re affordable and designed to be simple to use. In fact, it’s so easy to use that Amazon has added it to its Certified for Humans program. With the Smart Plug Mini, you …

Why would you need a game controller for your Samsung Galaxy phone? Samsung hasn’t explicitly jumped into the world of gaming-specific smartphones, but since you’re provided with some of the best specs to go along with amazing displays, Samsung smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy S21, make for a perfect gaming experience. To make the most out of Xbox Cloud Gaming and other games on your phone, you’ll need a great game controller to pair with it. Here are the best Galaxy S10 gamepads to get you started.

Versatility at its finest

Razer Kishi Mobile Game Controller

Staff Pick

Razer’s Kishi controller is quite impressive. It not only fits just about every smartphone, but the USB-C port ensures low-latency gaming. When not in use, the two sides slide together, making for easy portability or storage.

$55 at Amazon $55 at Best Buy $80 at Walmart

Ultra-versatile

GameSir X2 Type-C

There are actually two versions of the GameSir X2, as the company has recently released an updated c…

Tracking gameplay stats and match results in PUBG Mobile reveals much more than bragging rights over your friends. Knowing where to find this data — and how to learn from it — is important for working your way up the tier ladder.

PUBG Mobile records the full results — every shot fired and every kilometer traveled — of every completed match is recorded, which means you’re able to go back and analyze your match results from the past 30 days. So along with celebrating your wins, you can review how each match performance affects your ranking score in one of the best Android games.

The game also does a good job of compiling all your personal data across each season and server into a handy graph that breaks down your career combat and survival performance. Here’s how to find match results in PUBG Mobile without getting lost.

How to find and read your statistics

While PUBG Mobile does a good job compiling your stats, they don’t grant you direct access to them from the home scr…

Motorola’s 2019 flagship was the G7, which comes with 64GB of internal storage — unless you pick up the G7 Play or Power, which both ship with just 32GB. The good news is you can take some of the extra money you saved buying the phone to upgrade its storage with some of the best Moto G7 microSD cards. Motorola phones support some of the best microSD cards for Android up to 512GB, so you can go all-out if you want to.

Go Extreme

SanDisk 64GB Extreme microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card

Staff Pick

SanDisk Extreme cards are a popular choice for recording 4K video in professional filming shoots, and this SD card will also deliver for your Moto G7. With the SanDisk Memory Zone app, you can manage your files easier than ever, especially if you don’t want to use Google’s stock apps.

$15 at Amazon $18 at Walmart

Alternate option

Kingston Canvas React 128GB

Kingston’s top-rated Class 10 UHS-I microSDXC card features 128GB capacity and advertises read speeds up to 80MB/s and write speeds …

Whenever you complete a mission in Call of Duty: Mobile, win or lose, the game gifts you some useful Weapon XP Cards to level up your guns. After a while, you may forget that you’ve been compiling all these XP cards, which are used to upgrade your favorite weapons with better scopes, enhanced magazines, and more. Here’s how to upgrade weapons in Call of Duty: Mobile so that you can better succeed at one of the best Android games available.

How to upgrade weapons in Call of Duty: Mobile

New weapons are unlocked as you level up your player profile by collecting XP, but every time you unlock a new gun, you’ll also want to upgrade it using XP cards so that you can kit it out with killer upgrades. Each gun has between six to 10 levels to upgrade through, and each unlocks a new attachment.

From the game home screen, tap Loadout.
Tap your Primary or Secondary weapon.

Select the weapon that you want to apply upgrades to.
Tap Upgrade.

You’ll see your collection of three weapon cards a…

Considering that it’s been more than four years since its release, you’re probably looking for the best portable chargers for Google Pixel. Unfortunately, the battery isn’t where it used to be when it once ranked as one of the best Android phones back in the day, so you’ll want to keep your phone going with a portable charger. But, of course, with the right power pack, you’ll be able to keep all your devices charged, too!

It’s all built in

Zendure Power Bank Supermini

Staff Pick

The endure Power Bank Supermini packs an impressive punch with Power Delivery, Quick Charge 3.0, and a 10,000mAh capacity. You’ll get a portable charger that’s around the size of a credit card, plus it comes in a variety of colors. You can also use the Supermini to charge everything from your Pixel to your Nintendo Switch and everything in between.

$50 at Amazon $60 at Walmart

Popular choice

Anker PowerCore Slim PD

Anker is a big name in the charging space, and when you see options like the PowerC…