Author: News Room

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)is shutting down after more than 20 years of hosting its annual challenge for writers. In a video and an email sent to community members, the nonprofit organization explains that it can no longer continue “after years of financial struggles.” As shown in the video, NaNoWriMo interim executive director Kilby Blades details how participation and fundraising in the program have decreased in recent years. The NaNoWriMo site will remain online for “as long as possible,” though it will no longer formally host its writing challenges.“We recognize that the closure of NaNoWriMo represents a huge loss to…

The Switch 2 is here — well, almost. Nintendo took the wraps off its new console during its latest Direct event, providing us with a closer look at the $449.99 console ahead of its release on June 5th.In many ways, the sequel is a generational leap from the original console / handheld hybrid that rocked the gaming world over eight years ago. Nintendo is building upon the successful foundation it laid with the original Switch by offering a larger screen, more internal storage, and magnetic Joy-Con controllers that can operate like mice. It’s also introducing some new features, like GameChat,…

Last week, Apple announced that lossless audio and ultra low latency would be coming to the AirPods Max with USB-C. It was a pleasant surprise for owners of Apple’s over-ear headphones, which have fallen behind the AirPods Pro in recent years when it comes to offering new features. The company briefly hit a snag in releasing the firmware update necessary for the AirPods Max to unlock these newfound capabilities, but resolved the issue on Wednesday afternoon.Firmware version 7E99 was supposed to arrive early this week alongside iOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4. But late in the day Tuesday, Apple added…

After years of rumors, Nintendo has finally announced a release date for the Switch 2. The long-awaited successor to the Switch will be available on June 5th for $449.99, bringing a handing of games and accessories along with it. It will be available for preorder in the US from select retailers starting on April 9th, as both a standalone console and as a limited-edition bundle with Mario Kart World for $499.99.As predicted, the Switch 2 features a larger 7.9-inch LCD display, with support for 1080p resolution and HDR, 256GB of built-in storage, and up to 6.5 hours of battery life.…

Any ebook reader will let you cram a Beauty and the Beast-sized library’s worth of books in your pocket, but so will your phone. An ebook reader offers a more book-like reading experience, with fewer distractions and less eye strain, and many include extra features, like adjustable frontlighting. Some really are pocketable. Others are waterproof or offer physical page-turning buttons, while a few even let you take notes.What I’m looking forHow we test e-readersCollapseWhen testing a new ebook reader, I make sure to use it as my primary device for at least a full week. For those seven days, if…

Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, is laying off about 16 percent of its workers. In a memo posted to the company’s website, CEO Matt Mullenweg says he’s making the change to “protect Automattic’s long-term future.”Before the layoffs, Automattic’s website listed the company as having 1,777 employees. The company has since decreased its employee count to 1,495, meaning around 280 staff members were affected by the job cuts.“We have reached an important crossroads,” Mullenweg writes in his memo. “While our revenue continues to grow, Automattic operates in a highly competitive market, and technology is evolving at unprecedented levels. To support…

Sonos is lowering the price of two products in an effort to boost hardware sales amid a continued slump. The company’s Era 100 smart speaker and entry-level Ray soundbar now both cost $199. That’s a $50 drop for the Era 100, which launched at $249. And it’s an even more substantial $80 cut for the Ray; the soundbar was released nearly three years ago at an MSRP of $279. Both products have regularly been available for less during sales and retailer discounts, but now the price drop is permanent. (Credit to my friends in the Sonos subreddit who spotted this;…

In its April 2nd Direct event, Nintendo revealed a lot of the Switch 2 details we’ve been waiting for, including the console’s price ($449.99 in the US), its June 5th release date, and a slew of new games coming to it, like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. The video and details the company published after the event also helped create a more complete picture of what we should expect from the second-generation Joy-Cons that come with the system.The new Joy-Cons look a lot like the old Joy-Cons, but about a half-inch longer and black, with color accents on…

I have been recommending people buy whatever Brother laser printer is on sale for three years now, and no one has ever gotten mad at me about it. My own Brother laser printer, whose model number I no longer remember and do not care about, has been operating flawlessly for nearly 10 years now. We use it to print return labels for things we’ve purchased online in a losing effort to dull the pain of modernity, and my wife is a lawyer, a job that requires printing documents and scowling at them several times a day. We have replaced the…

There’s plenty of smart home gear to pick from now, and one of the best places to start is with a smart security camera. There are plenty of options to pick from, but Phillips Hue makes some of the best and smartest looking options. And thanks to this free upgrade, they’ll last even longer. The Phillips Hue Secure battery cam is the brand’s only wire-free option. It can quietly do its job indoors and out, offering full HD video, two-way chat, night vision, motion detection, and even an ear-splitting siren if things go south. But one of the biggest gripes has been…

In 2021 we thought we were going to get a fully redesigned Switch or Switch Pro console. But that wasn’t to be; instead, we got a bigger display in the form of the 7in OLED display with a 720p resolution. For the Nintendo Switch 2, we naturally thought that the better OLED tech would make it across. However, it turns out we were wrong, and I think that’s a huge mistake on Nintendo’s part. The problem is that most of us are very used to OLED displays now on our phones, TVs and high-end laptops and while Mini LED is…

The mower can cover 1.25 acres in 24 hours, which Segway says is twice as fast as the industry average. Users can expect it to cover around 0.3 acres of mowing per charge, taking about 80 minutes to juice up at its charging station. It also comes with an expansion bay that supports add-ons like a trimmer, fertilizer spreader, and mosquito repellant module, which are expected to launch in “Summer 2025” according to Segway.The Navimow X3 series can navigate autonomously without a boundary wire using the latest version of Segway’s Exact Fusion Location System, a camera and virtual mapping setup…