Articles by Marc Lagace

One of the perks of owning multiple smart speakers in your home is the ability to link them all together, and we’re going to show you how you can stereo pair two of your Amazon Echo speakers. The Alexa app makes it easy to cast the same music across multiple rooms in your home, but did you know that you can also pair and group multiple Echos? Read on to learn how!

What you need to know about Amazon Echo

Stereo pairing is available for the 2nd generation Echo, the 3rd generation Echo, the 3rd generation Echo Dot, the Echo Studio, and both the first gen and 2nd gen Echo Plus. Pairing and grouping will also be avalable for the newly announced 4th generation Echo and Echo Dots.

However, note that you can only pair two of the same speakers together. That means your available configurations are two standard Echo speakers, two Echo Dots, etc. Note that both speakers need to be in the same room and within a meter or so of each other for setup and pairing. If you already own a compatible s…

If you’re buying a drone for a kid — or really anyone who has never owned or flown a drone before — these are the best drones for kids when considering cost, size, range, and durability. If you’re buying for a young one, you’ll definitely want to keep the first three down, but that will invariably affect the drone’s durability as well. Crashing is part of the learning process, so all of our options include built-in blade guards. These are what you’d consider toy drones, but they’re super fun to fly.

Downright fun to fly

EACHINE E10 Mini Quadcopter

Staff pick

The EACHINE E10 Mini Quadcopter is a perfect little drone for kids, featuring a simple, kid-size controller and everything your kid needs to practice drone flying. Despite its small size, this drone includes some impressive features, including one-button 360-degree rolls and a return home function built into the directional control stick.

$23 at Amazon
$20 at Walmart

Multiple colors available

Potensic Mini Drone

T…

So you already have a list of the best games to play, but what about finding the best of the best Chromebook game controllers? Good news is you might already own a controller that will work, and there are great controllers available to buy that’ll also work great. But we’ve found the best options so you can pair the best game controller with the best chromebook.

A retro-styled classic

8Bitdo SN30 Pro

Staff pick

The 8Biitdo SN30 Pro is a perfectly portable controller that’s designed to work with Android, Windows, and even Nintendo Switch. I would still stick with the wired version here because it’s more reliable and Bluetooth connections are fraught with issues.

$45 at Amazon
$45 at Best Buy
$45 at Walmart

Straight from Google

Google Stadia Controller

Google launched its Stadia game-streaming service late in 2019 and released a new gaming controller alongside it. Since this comes directly from Google, you know you are just about guaranteed to get this controller paired up …

Fortnite is gone from the Play Store, but you can still download the game pretty easily.

Fortnite has been banned from the Play Store for contravening Google’s guidelines, but you can still download the game from Epic Games directly and install it on your phone. Downloading the app is still straightforward, and Samsung Galaxy device owners have it a bit easier. Here’s what you need to know, and how to install the game on your phone.

How to install Fortnite on your Samsung phone

The Epic Games app is easiest to download on a Samsung Galaxy phone. Available on the Galaxy S7 and up, it can be downloaded from the Galaxy Store.

It’s easy to forget that Samsung has its own dedicated app store and chances are you’ve never used before, so we’ll walk through the steps of downloading the Fortnite Installer.

Open the app drawer.
Tap on the Samsung Apps folder.
Tap to launch the Galaxy Store.

You should see a Fortnite banner under the Games tab at the bottom of the screen, but if not, ju…

The Amazon Echo Dot alone is a pretty unassuming product, but it’s all you really need to control many different smart home products using just your voice. We’ve rounded up the ten best smart home accessories to buy with your Amazon Echo Dot.

Keep your speaker off the counter

TotalMount Echo Dot Wall Mount

Staff pick

Mounting an Amazon Echo speaker in the kitchen is an excellent idea because it frees up valuable countertop space and also keeps your speaker from getting dirty. It also ensures that Alexa can always hear you and vice versa. This mount includes 3M adhesion strips to protect your wall paint or screw holes for a more permanent installation.

$17 at Amazon

Elegant way to track timers

Amazon Echo Wall Clock – Disney Mickey Mouse Edition

This Alexa-powered smart clock from Amazon is a great addition to your kitchen or anywhere in your house where you’re setting multiple timers. The LEDs around the clock face keep track of all your ongoing timers with Alexa, so you …

Amazon Echo and Google Home/Nest smart speakers have crossed over from the early adopter phase to each finding a place within the mainstream culture. Both are functional, but if you’re like me, you still might not be convinced which company’s voice assistant is right for you. That’s why I’ve got both Alexa and Google Assistant-compatible speakers set up in my home. If you find yourself in the same boat, it may be essential to buy smart home accessories that are compatible with both AI assistants, and these smart plugs are a great place to start.

AI-powered energy monitoring

Currant Wifi Smart Outlet

Staff pick

Currant’s WiFi Smart Outlet comes with two individually controllable outlets, but the most crucial part is the ability to build a Bluetooth mesh network of smart plugs. Currant’s two-outlet smart plug offers the ability to see detailed breakdowns of your energy usage by the hour, day, month, or year. Additionally, Currant uses artificial intelligence to identify energy us…

Spill some blood with the best Android shooters currently on the market.

Professional and/or competitive shooter games are fast becoming a sustainable industry trend for mobile gaming. Both game development and smartphone hardware reaching the point where phones can absolutely deliver top-notch gaming experiences — even for first-person shooters.

This still probably sounds like crazy talk to traditional PC gamers but the fact is mobile shooters have cut out a nice niche within the pro-gaming community — franchises such as PUBG Mobile and Guns of Boom have competitive esports leagues that can be advantageous to people who love to stream or try playing for cash in a tournament. Just like other online games for console or PC, mobile games reward teams who can practice and train together — or you can just jump into the game and have some fun on your phone.

And if you’re looking for something a bit less violent, check out our favorite Android games of 2020!

The games

Call of…

If you really want to jazz up your Echo Dot, you will want to pick up one of these best Echo Dot cases and skins. When Amazon first introduced the Echo Dot smart speaker, the device was only available in a black or white plastic finish. When the third generation of the device launched, it came in several new color options, including the traditional Charcoal (black) and Sandstone (white), alongside Heather Gray and Plum. The Kids Edition even comes in more fun colors like Kids Blue and Rainbow. If none of these options quite suit your style, there are scores of third-party cases, covers, and skins that you can apply to your Echo Dot to get just the look you’re going for.

Best Echo Dot Skins & Cases (3rd Gen)

While it’s roughly the same size as the first two generations, the Echo Dot (3rd Gen) has a different, mostly fabric build, as opposed to the hard plastic build of the earlier models. This presents a challenge for cases and covers as they would cover up the speaker on the regu…

For some, card games are the ultimate way to relax. Killing time on your morning commute or unwinding at the end of your day playing cards can now all happen on your phone, which is fantastic. You can play solo games, connect with friends or random online opponents over classic card games, or dive into fantasy card games of every kind.

Here are some of our favorites now available for Android. When you’re all wrapped up here, be sure to check out our Best Android Games!

The games

Microsoft Solitaire Collection
Gin Rummy
Uno!
Exploding Kittens
Evil Apples: You Against Humanity
Card Thief
Reigns: Her Majesty
Hearthstone
Ascension
Gwent
Legends of Runeterra
Shelter Free
RWBY: Amity Arena
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links

Microsoft Solitaire Collection

Microsoft single-handedly made Solitare a household name by including it with every version of Windows since 1990. You can now keep yourself distracted on the go with the Microsoft Solitaire Collection, which includes the iconic Klondike …

What are the best Android RPGs?

Role-playing games are wonderful, story-driven experiences that complement the mobile gaming experience nicely. Despite the relatively tiny mobile screens we’re used to (yes, 5.7 inches is still small by gaming standards), RPGs allow us to get lost in fanciful worlds for a while. In the case of some games, especially those ported over from PC, that “while” could be 20, 30 hours, or even more! This makes the best RPGs worth their price in the Google Play Store.

Unfortunately, like most game genres, there are some mobile duds. We’ve hand-picked the best of the best to save you the trouble of digging.

If you’re looking for more than just RPGs, be sure to check out our roundup of the best Android games out there!

The games

BattleChaser: NightWar
Final Fantasy
Chrono Trigger
Evoland 2
Arcane Quest 3
Crashlands
Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn
The Bard’s Tale
Pocket Mortys
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Dragon Quest
Eterni…