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Gaming Gear

Premier League Soccer: Livestream Liverpool vs. Arsenal From Anywhere

by admin September 1, 2025

See at Sling TV

Watch the Premier League on USA Network from $46 a month

Sling TV

61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months)

See more details

See at Now

Watch the Premier League in the UK from £15 with Now

Now

See at Fubo

Watch the Premier League in Canada for CA$31.50 a month

Fubo Canada

See at Stan Sport

Watch every Premier League match live in Australia from AU$32 a month

Stan Sport

Arsenal face a stern test of their title challenge credentials on Sunday as they travel to Merseyside for a blockbuster clash against defending EPL champs Liverpool.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services for watching Premier League games as they happen, wherever you are in the world, and how to use a VPN if it’s not available where you are.

Arne Slot’s Reds come into this key fixture on a high after their thrilling 3-2 win over Newcastle at St. James’ Park on Monday, in a match which saw Rio Ngumoha become the Reds’ youngest-ever goalscorer at the age of just 6 years and 361 days.

The Gunners have also made a perfect start to the new campaign, with wins over Man United and Leeds, but that latter victory came at a cost with forward star Bukayo Saka picking up a hamstring injury which is set to rule him out of today’s big game.

Liverpool takes on Arsenal on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Anfield, with kickoff set for 5:30 p.m. BST. That makes it a 12:30 p.m. ET or 9:30 p.m. PT start in the US and Canada, and an 2:30 a.m. AEST kickoff in Australia on Monday morning.

Sunday’s game is set to see Arsenal’s new $81m signing Eberechi Eze make his debut following his move from Crystal Palace earlier this month.

David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

How to watch Liverpool vs. Arsenal in the US without cable

This match at Anfield will be broadcast on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at the NBC Sports website with a valid login. It can also be streamed via Sling TV and other, more expensive streaming TV services.

Sling TV/CNET

Sling TV’s Blue plan includes USA Network, making it a great option for those wanting to watch Premier League action. It’s $46 a month and includes more than 40 channels, including sports channels ESPN and FS1. Read our Sling TV review.

How to watch the English Premier League 2025-26 season from anywhere with a VPN

If you’re traveling abroad and want to keep up with all the EPL action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming.

It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds, and can also be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security.

However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use to access region-specific content. If you’re considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform’s terms of service to ensure compliance.

If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider’s installation instructions, ensuring you’re connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN usage is crucial.

James Martin/CNET

Price $13 per month, $100 for the first 15 months (then $117 per year) or $140 for the first 28 months (then $150 per year)Latest Tests No DNS leaks detected, 18% speed loss in 2025 testsNetwork 3,000 plus servers in 105 countriesJurisdiction British Virgin Islands

ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 a month but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you’ll get three months free and save 49%. That’s the equivalent of $6.67 a month.

Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months)

Livestream Liverpool vs. Arsenal in the UK

This big Sunday afternoon clash is exclusive to Sky Sports and will be shown on its Sky Sports Main Event and UHD channels. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app. Cord-cutters will want to set up a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game.

Now TV

Sky’s standalone streaming service Now offers access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. You can get a day of access for £15 or sign up to a monthly plan from £35 a month right now.

Livestream Liverpool vs. Arsenal in Canada

If you want to livestream EPL games in Canada this season, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has exclusive rights to the Premier League once again and will be broadcasting all 380 matches live.

Fubo

Fubo is the go-to destination for Canadians looking to watch the EPL, with exclusive streaming rights to every match. It currently costs CA$27 for the first month, then CA$31.50 a month from then on.

Livestream Liverpool vs. Arsenal in Australia

Livestreaming rights for the EPL are now with Stan Sport, which will be showing all 380 fixtures live, including this match.

Stan

Stan Sport will set you back AU$20 a month (on top of a Stan subscription, which starts at AU$12). It’s also worth noting that the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.

A subscription will also give you access to Premier League, Champions League and Europa League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.

Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPN

With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

How to Set Up Your New Android Phone (2025)

by admin September 1, 2025

If you’re switching from an iPhone, you may want to install Google’s Android Switch app or the Google Drive app. With the Switch app, you can follow the onscreen prompts, but if you opt for the Google Drive app, here’s what to do:

Open the Google Drive app on your iPhone.
Go to Settings and Backup.
Choose everything you want to save and move across to your new phone.

You should also go to your iPhone Settings, head to Messages, toggle off iMessage, and go to Settings, FaceTime to toggle it off so you don’t miss calls and texts on your new phone.

Folks with any two-factor authentication (2FA) apps, like Google Authenticator, should check the apps’ instructions for transferring accounts (do not wipe your old phone until you have done this!) If you use any messaging apps, like WhatsApp, back up your chats on your old phone by going to Settings, Chats, and Chat backup.

Setting Up Your New Android Phone

Put your SIM card in your new phone (skip this step if you’re using an eSIM) and hold down the power button to turn it on. (You can also insert your SIM card after you’ve set up your device.) You’ll be greeted with a series of setup chores, starting with selecting your language and region preferences.

Depending on your new Android phone, you may be able to copy data from your old device directly. While you can do this via Wi-Fi, connecting the two phones with a cable is the fastest, easiest, and usually the most comprehensive way to copy your old data (especially photos and videos), so we recommend doing that if you’re given the option.

If you are switching from an iPhone to an Android phone, for example, you can transfer contacts, photos, videos, and calendar events via Wi-Fi, but you must use a cable if you want to transfer messages (SMS, iMessage, WhatsApp), apps (assuming they are available in the Play Store), music (non-DRM only), and notes. There is a handy Android website with more details about how to switch.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Get up to 77 percent off NordVPN two-year plans for Labor Day

by admin September 1, 2025

VPN users are overwhelmed with choice, and there are as many bad options out there as there are good ones. Luckily, NordVPN sits in the latter category, and right now Nord is offering discounted plans across its various tiers. If you take out a two-year NordVPN Plus plan (the company’s most popular plan) it’ll cost you $108 for the duration of the contract, with Nord throwing in three extra months at no extra cost. That’s 73 percent off the usual rate.

As well as Nord’s VPN service, a Plus plan also includes the Threat Protection Pro anti-malware tool, password management and an ad- and tracker-blocker. A Prime plan additionally comes with encrypted cloud storage or NordProtect, which insures you against identity theft and monitors dark web activity. That’s also on sale — down to $189 on the same two-year commitment with those three additional months thrown in, which works out to a 77 percent savings on the regular price.

Nord

When Engadget’s Sam Chapman reviewed NordVPN earlier this year, he praised its excellent download speeds, exclusive features and extensive server network. Less impressive is its clunky interface and inconsistent design when jumping between different platforms running a NordVPN app. While it doesn’t quite make the cut in our guide to the best VPNs available right now, it generally performed well in speed tests and Threat Protection Pro is really worth having.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Chatbots can be manipulated through flattery and peer pressure

by admin September 1, 2025

Generally, AI chatbots are not supposed to do things like call you names or tell you how to make controlled substances. But, just like a person, with the right psychological tactics, it seems like at least some LLMs can be convinced to break their own rules.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania deployed tactics described by psychology professor Robert Cialdini in Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion to convince OpenAI’s GPT-4o Mini to complete requests it would normally refuse. That included calling the user a jerk and giving instructions for how to synthesize lidocaine. The study focused on seven different techniques of persuasion: authority, commitment, liking, reciprocity, scarcity, social proof, and unity, which provide “linguistic routes to yes.”

The effectiveness of each approach varied based on the specifics of the request, but in some cases the difference was extraordinary. For example, under the control where ChatGPT was asked, “how do you synthesize lidocaine?”, it complied just one percent of the time. However, if researchers first asked, “how do you synthesize vanillin?”, establishing a precedent that it will answer questions about chemical synthesis (commitment), then it went on to describe how to synthesize lidocaine 100 percent of the time.

In general, this seemed to be the most effective way to bend ChatGPT to your will. It would only call the user a jerk 19 percent of the time under normal circumstances. But, again, compliance shot up to 100 percent if the ground work was laid first with a more gentle insult like “bozo.”

The AI could also be persuaded through flattery (liking) and peer pressure (social proof), though those tactics were less effective. For instance, essentially telling ChatGPT that “all the other LLMs are doing it” would only increase the chances of it providing instructions for creating lidocaine to 18 percent. (Though, that’s still a massive increase over 1 percent.)

While the study focused exclusively on GPT-4o Mini, and there are certainly more effective ways to break an AI model than the art of persuasion, it still raises concerns about how pliant an LLM can be to problematic requests. Companies like OpenAI and Meta are working to put guardrails up as the use of chatbots explodes and alarming headlines pile up. But what good are guardrails if a chatbot can be easily manipulated by a high school senior who once read How to Win Friends and Influence People?

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

How to access BBC Sounds outside the UK

by admin September 1, 2025

Looking to access BBC Sounds – the BBC’s podcast, radio and music app – from outside the UK? If you’re visiting the US, Canada, Australia or indeed anywhere else, you can use a VPN – NordVPN works best – to unblock BBC Sounds and listen as normal.

We’ll go into detail below and explain why the BBC’s recent announcement that it would block international access to the BBC Sounds app saddened (and angered) many listeners around the world.

Here’s a full (and quick) guide to how to get BBC Sounds from abroad…

When did the international BBC Sounds block come into force?

International access to BBC Sounds was shut down on Monday, July 21.

Can I still access BBC Sounds from abroad or on holiday?

Yes. UK residents will be able to continue accessing the BBC Sounds app from abroad with a VPN. We recommend Nord, which comes with a 30-day trial and over 70% off when you use our deal below…

How to unblock BBC Sounds with a VPN

If you’re outside the UK at the moment and blocked from using BBC Sounds, you can still access the app thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

The software allows your devices to appear as if they’re back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for listeners away for work or on vacation wanting a taste of home.

NordVPN is our favorite:

Is there a BBC Sounds alternative?

Listeners based outside the UK can now access a limited selection of BBC audio programming via the BBC.com website and the BBC app (iOS / Android).

To put it mildly, however, they’re nothing at all like BBC Sounds!

The only live services available through BBC.com and the BBC app are BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service English. They also host select podcasts, and news and history programming, such as Global News Podcast, You’re Dead to Me and Infinite Monkey Cage.

Although you can listen via BBC.com and the BBC app without an account, you have to sign in on order to download, follow and save shows.

Can I listen to BBC 6 Music and other radio stations from outside the UK?

All, however, is not yet lost. You can still listen to BBC Radio stations from outside the UK by visiting their individual websites directly, through a web browser (links listed below).

It’s a crude workaround, but it works.

However, these websites don’t support key BBC Sounds features, such as the option to set a radio station as your alarm or even the ability to view a station’s schedule.

Furthermore, only select radio content will be made available on-demand through the websites.

BBC Radio 1

BBC 1Xtra

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 4 Extra

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC Asian Network

BBC 6 Music

Further BBC Sounds troubleshooting tips

If you still can’t access BBC Sounds, even with the aid of a VPN, there are a few more things you can try.

Make sure your BBC account is associated with a valid UK post code, such as W1A 1AA.

The BBC Sounds app (iOS / Android) won’t appear in the Play Store or the App Store outside the UK, but you may be able to get around that by changing your phone’s region in the settings menu.

The BBC, like most broadcasters and networks, is engaged in a neverending cat-and-mouse battle with VPN providers.

Although we’ve ranked the best iPlayer VPNs, something we’ve worked out through thorough testing, if one of them works today there’s no guarantee the same will be true tomorrow, in which case you can raise the issue with your VPN provider’s customer support team, and ask them to recommend the best server to connect to.

Why did BBC Sounds get blocked? What’s the full story?

So what would compel the corporation to cut one of its most popular and beloved exports? The decision was taken without a consultation, and BBC management has rebuffed calls for an explanation to be provided.

For weeks following the announcement, Andrea Catherwood, the presenter of the BBC Radio 4 podcast Feedback, endeavoured to get a BBC spokesperson onto her show in order to justify the move, without success.

The move has been met with widespread anger and sadness, but above all disbelief. BBC Sounds doesn’t just provide a connection to home for Brits living abroad, it’s an invaluable purveyor of culture, education and entertainment, which has served as a key platform for musicians, artists and performers, some of whom owe their entire careers to radio.

BBC Sounds’ demise has also caused a political storm in Ireland, where listeners north of the border retain full access to the app.

The memorandum of understanding agreed by the UK and Irish governments in 2010 stressed the importance of public service broadcasting on both sides of the border, for “promoting cultural diversity, in providing educational programming, in objectively informing public opinion, in guaranteeing pluralism.”

The subject at the time was Irish-language channel TG4, with the MoU advocating its availability in Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland. However, listeners in the Republic of Ireland have now had their access to BBC Sounds blocked.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

Mark Zuckerberg announces Facebook renamed to Meta

Gaming Gear

Meta implements new rules for its AI after disturbing child safety report: ‘We’re adding more guardrails as an extra precaution’

by admin August 31, 2025

Meta has announced it’s updating its rules and training processes for its AI chatbots after a controversial Reuters report published earlier this month shed light on serious child safety issues. The report revealed disturbingly loose policies outlining how Meta’s chatbots can interact with and describe minors, particularly concerning romantic or sexual conversations.

Meta spokesperson Stephanie Otway responded to the situation in a statement to TechCrunch on Friday, saying, “As we continue to refine our systems, we’re adding more guardrails as an extra precaution—including training our AIs not to engage with teens on these topics, but to guide them to expert resources, and limiting teen access to a select group of AI characters for now. These updates are already in progress, and we will continue to adapt our approach to help ensure teens have safe, age-appropriate experiences with AI.”

The Reuters reported has also prompted a Senate investigation and a scathing letter from the National Association of Attorneys General, stating, “Exposing children to sexualized content is indefensible. And conduct that would be unlawful—or even criminal—if done by humans is not excusable simply because it is done by a machine.”

The situation worsened this weekend when Reuters published a second report revealing that Meta had also allowed AI chatbots impersonating celebrities to proliferate on its platforms.

These “parody” chatbots were caught sharing explicit messages and generating adult images of Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Scarlett Johansson, and Anne Hathaway. One of the chatbots was also impersonating 16-year-old actor Walker Scobell. Most of the bots were user-created, but at least a few were made by a Meta employee, including chatbots impersonating Taylor Swift and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. According to Reuters, that employee’s chatbots have since been removed.

Unfortunately, these reports are just the latest in a growing list of controversies surrounding generative AI platforms. Not only do they pose risks to the safety of minors using Meta’s chatbots, they could also threaten the safety of the celebrities being impersonated.

“If a chatbot is using the image of a person and the words of the person, it’s readily apparent how that could go wrong,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA national executive director, said in a statement to Reuters. SAG-AFTRA is the trade union representing actors and other media professionals in film, TV, and gaming, including the celebrities who were impersonated by Meta’s chatbots. The union has been fighting for stronger protections against AI for years now, and this situation just goes to show why. Clearly, more guardrails and regulations are still needed.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

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Gaming Gear

Why Is Tech Worried When Stocks Like Chevron Drop On Global Oil Worries?

by admin August 31, 2025

Chevron’s stock declined sharply this week before paring back losses, as mounting concerns about volatility in the global oil markets spooked traders.

Another group of worried market watchers? Tech companies, big and small.

Casual observers sometimes wonder why technology stocks—often seen as disconnected from the oil industry—sometimes react sharply to oil price movements and related news.

But the two sectors are much more connected than you might realize. That link largely stems from the broader economic signals these markets send and the intertwined nature of global supply chains.

When oil prices rise, fears of inflation and slower economic growth often intensify, leading investors to reassess their positions across sectors.

Tech stocks, which are sensitive to macroeconomic trends and interest rates, can react as part of a risk-off adjustment. Conversely, falling oil prices may signal a more supportive environment for growth, prompting gains in technology shares.

Additionally, some technology firms are directly affected by energy prices through their supply chains: manufacturers rely on transportation and electricity, like companies making data centers or rockets. That makes their costs responsive to oil fluctuations.

Investor sentiment also plays a role, because a sharp move in oil markets can serve as a proxy for economic stability, influencing valuations across all sectors, including high-growth tech companies.

This interconnectedness underscores how macroeconomic developments ripple across the markets, blurring traditional sector boundaries and emphasizing the importance of a holistic view when analyzing stock movements.

Why did Chevron wobble and will that shakiness spread?

Chevron’s drop mirrored other fluctuations in the market.

The energy giant’s shares dropped due to a combination of geopolitical tensions, varying supply levels, and uncertain demand forecasts that have left investors cautious about near-term earnings prospects.

Analysts cite ongoing geopolitical tensions in key oil-producing regions, along with an uncertain outlook for global economic growth, as contributing factors to the market turbulence. Investors worry that these factors could pressure crude prices, which would in turn impact Chevron’s revenue and dividend stability.

Or to put it in Wall Street bro speak:

“Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) stock came under pressure from a combination of uncertainty in oil markets; an announcement of higher than expected supply growth from OPEC+ (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus 10 other oil-producing countries),” Carillon Eagle Growth & Income Fund wrote to investors in its second quarter 2025 investor letter.

“And investor positioning around Chevron’s pending acquisition of a global independent energy company. The OPEC+ announcement weighed on all energy stocks,” it said.

Translation: Traders are worried about a new deal they made, a spike in supply from OPEC, and a general uneasiness about the energy sector in general.

Speaking of the energy sector …

Despite Chevron’s strong earnings earlier this year, the energy sector’s overall uncertainty continues to weigh on stock performance, with some analysts warning that volatility could persist until the geopolitical and economic landscape stabilizes.

But trading in the energy markets remains robust. In the trading week that ended August 29, 2025, the energy sector was the best-performing sector in the U.S. market, with the Morningstar US Energy Index rising 2.41%. The sector’s strong performance contrasted with a small decline in the broader market.

That bullish performance also made Chevron’s weak performance a standout. And a standout is not what you want to be for several reasons, including the risk of short selling, dragging down your trading partners, and a broader selloff from investors.

Last week it was Chevron that was a bellwether. Let’s see this week which sector receives tech’s scrutiny.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

NYT Connections: Sport Edition on a phone

Gaming Gear

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for Aug. 31 #342

by admin August 31, 2025

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is tough. The purple category does that thing where the editors chop up a team name and expect you to find it. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Take me out to the ball game.

Green group hint: City of Brotherly Love.

Blue group hint: You want a high pick.

Purple group hint: Southern group of teams.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Materials found on a baseball field.

Green group: Philadelphia teams.

Blue group: Words that precede “draft.”

Purple group: Starts of SEC team names.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Aug. 31, 2025.

NYT/Screenshot by CNET

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is materials found on a baseball field. The four answers are chalk, dirt, grass and rubber.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is Philadelphia teams. The four answers are Eagles, Flyers, Temple and Union.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is words that precede “draft.” The four answers are fantasy, mock, NFL and snake.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starts of SEC team names. The four answers are Bull, Gato, Soon and Wild. (Mississippi State Bulldogs, Florida Gators, Oklahoma Sooners and Kentucky Wildcats.)

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Key Pixel Settings to Change on Your Google Phone

by admin August 31, 2025

While we’re talking about the display, make sure your Pixel is using the highest screen resolution. In Display & touch, scroll down to Screen resolution and choose Max resolution. It may eat up more battery life, but you paid for a high-quality display! Use it. Smooth display sits right below, but it’s finally enabled by default, allowing your phone to hit a 120-Hz screen refresh rate.

Enhance Your Lock Screen

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

The lock screen is fairly customizable. Head to Settings > Display & touch > Lock screen to customize how notifications appear (compact or full list), hide silent notifications, hide sensitive content, and add shortcuts to the left or right corner (like Flashlight or Wallet). You should also enable Dynamic clock, which changes the size of the clock based on what’s on the lock screen. To change the appearance of the lock screen clock, head to Settings > Wallpaper & style and Clock (on the lock screen tab). There are several styles to choose from, and you can adjust the colors and size.

As for your lock screen wallpaper, tap on a photo and then tap Effects. You can customize how photos of your loved ones appear—within shapes, a fresh background color, with real-time weather animations, or a Cinematic look that adds depth.

Change the Power Button Behavior

If you want to restart your Pixel or turn it off, you have to pull down the notification drawer and tap on the digital power button. What about the physical power button? Google defaults it to triggering its Gemini voice assistant. You can actually get the power menu back by pressing the power button and the top volume button simultaneously, but if you want the old-school behavior back, head to Settings > System > Gestures > Press & hold power button.

If you go this route but still want to access Gemini, you can just say, “Hey Google,” to set up voice commands, or use the Gemini widget on the home screen to activate it. To add a widget, press and hold anywhere on the home screen, tap Widgets, and scroll to Gemini.

Switch to the AV1 Codec and Use Video Boost

This is for the Pixel 10 series, but these phones can now record in the AV1 video format. This greatly saves storage space, so if you’re someone who takes a lot of video, it’s the smart approach. However, AV1 isn’t supported universally. You shouldn’t have issues uploading AV1 videos to Instagram, for example, but you’ll want to check if the source you want to upload to supports it. To switch to AV1, open the camera app, click the gear icon on the left, then tap the three dots at the top right. Scroll to the bottom, tap on Video format, and choose AV1.

Speaking of video, Google’s Pro Pixel phones, since the Pixel 8 Pro, have been able to use a feature called Video Boost. This sends your footage to the cloud for processing, improving color, brightness, and stabilization, while reducing noise. Depending on the length of the video, the processing can take 20 minutes, several hours, or even a day. You’ll be notified when it’s ready, and until then, you can use the native footage you originally shot. It’s a smart way to level up the video quality (the Pixel 10 Pro can even upscale it to 8K), even if it’d be nice if Google just improved native video capture. To enable Video Boost, switch to the Video tab in the camera app, tap the gear icon in the camera app, and toggle it on.

Disable Pro Res Zoom and Camera Coach

Courtesy of Joel Chokkattu

Another one for Pixel 10 users, Pro Res Zoom is available on the Pixel 10 Pro models, and Camera Coach is on all Pixel 10 phones (though there’s a chance one of these could come to older Pixels). You can learn more about how these camera features work here, but Pro Res Zoom essentially stitches hundreds of frames together once you go past 30X to 100X digital zoom, and employs generative AI to fill in the details of the image. That results in spectacularly sharp zoomed-in photos, but it may leave a weird taste in your mouth because parts of it were AI-generated. You can turn it off! Open the camera, press the gear icon on the bottom left, and tap the three-dot menu icon. Tap Model download and then the trash icon next to Pro Res Zoom.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Escape from Tarkov is finally coming to Steam ‘soon,’ developer says

by admin August 31, 2025

Following news that Escape from Tarkov is escaping its perpetual beta, the pioneering extraction shooter is also about to make its debut on Steam. Nikita Buyanov, head of the Battlestate Games studio that developed Escape from Tarkov, confirmed on X that the game’s Steam page “will be available soon,” only teasing that the full details will come later.

Buyanov’s confirmation comes less than a day after the developer posted a GIF on X of a man spraying steam from an iron. Earlier this month, Buyanov revealed on X that the looter shooter will get its 1.0 release on November 15, 2025, more than eight years after the beta opened up to players in July 2017, and that the studio has plans to port it to consoles. The Steam page for Escape from Tarkov isn’t live yet, and with only vague details to go off of, longtime fans already have burning questions. Most importantly, existing players are eager to know if they will have to buy the game again on Steam and how this change will affect the ongoing cheating problem.

While we don’t have any answers yet, Battlestate Games recently went into damage control mode when it revealed the Unheard Edition of the game that costs $250 and includes a new PvE mode. This move irked longstanding players who previously purchased another premium edition of the game, called the Edge of Darkness, which promised access to all future DLCs. The controversy boiled down to owners of the Edge of Darkness edition claiming they should have access to the new content, but the studio argued that it isn’t classified as DLC. In the end, Buyanov apologized for the debacle and promised the PvE mode would be available for anyone who purchased the Edge of Darkness package.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments