Moving from console to keyboard: Steam's Autumn Sale 2025 brings these PC deals
The Steam Autumn Sale 2025, running from September 29 to October 6, offers the perfect chance for console gamers transitioning to PC to build their first library.
Magazine
additional restrictions: Magazine Article, List Article, Column / Opinion
Xiaomi 17 Pro (Max): First Leica camera reviews and comparison with iPhone 17 Pro Max, Galaxy S25 Ultra and Xiaomi 15 Pro
CheckMag Since this weekend, the Xiaomi 17 has been a hot topic in China. In addition to long lines in front of Xiaomi stores and a new sales record, the first reviews are now examining how the cameras in the two Xiaomi 17 Pro variants perform compared with the Xiaomi 15 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is also part of the discussion, but Samsung doesn’t seem to have much of a chance to keep up with the strong dynamic range of these latest Leica smartphone cameras.
How to translate WhatsApp messages on Android and iPhone
WhatsApp has begun rolling out its Message Translations feature to Android and iPhone users, allowing in-chat translations in 1:1 chats, groups and channels after updating the app. Translating a message is simple, but supported la...
Hades II First Impressions Review: A captivating, bewitching sequel
Notebookcheck's Sasha Mathews reviews the long-anticipated sequel to Hades, following Melinoe fighting against the Titan Chronos himself in Hades II. The full 1.0 release is here as of September 25, 2025, bringing a very witchcraf...
Viruses on caffeine: the rise of self-learning malware
Computer viruses have come a long way from floppy-disk pranks to today’s AI-assisted cybercrime. The 2020s have turned malware into a professional industry, complete with ransomware cartels, AI-driven phishing and even research pr...
Apple's propaganda obscures iPhone maker's fight against consumers, EU and DMA
Apple is fighting for its own wallet, against fair competition and against its own customers, using propaganda to deliberately incite consumers against the EU and to mislead them into advocating for the interests of mega-corporati...
How to speed up your Chromebook for free (2025 guide)
Chromebooks are built to be simple, affordable, and quick, but over time even cloud-first laptops can slow to a crawl. Updates, overloaded caches, and too many apps take a toll; new buyers often notice performance dips right after...
A call for battery moderation: We own more battery-powered devices than we can maintain
Take a look around your home - chances are, you’ll find a surprising number of devices running on rechargeable batteries. From phones and laptops to Bluetooth speakers, electric toothbrushes, and handheld gaming consoles, the list...
New vintage Casio mod that can give your $20 watch superpowers, like step-counter and Blackjack
CheckMag Ollee Watch can transform your vintage Casio F-91W or A158W into a modern feature-loaded gadget. The drop-in mod adds Bluetooth, alarms, sensors, RGB backlight, and app sync, all while preserving the classic design and lightweight...
Flagships at war: how MediaTek and Qualcomm are pushing mobile chips to the limit
The flagship chip market is heating up. MediaTek has officially launched its Dimensity 9500, boasting a 3 nm node, beefed-up GPU/NPU, and other major upgrades. Just after comes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with rumors of hi...
Lenovo's Tab P12 Pro as a portable monitor
Lenovo Tab P12 Pro with Precision Pen 3 doubles as a wireless second screen via Smart Connect. Setup, latency, and usability tested for students, pros, and creatives.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: Apple’s new camera outperforms Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in first reviews
It makes sense that most early tests and reviews of the new Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max are comparing its camera to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Unlike the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra or the Vivo X200 Ultra, the Samsung flagship is available worldwide, making it a direct competitor. However, it’s apparently falling behind, even in areas that once were Samsung’s strong suits, such as the zoom camera.
No, I'm not a Human review - spoiler free
CheckMag At its core, No, I’m Not a Human asks a deceptively simple question: who can you trust? You’re stuck in an old house as strangers come knocking. Some are desperate survivors. Others are shape-shifting monsters known only as “Visit...
When 50% of purchases are broken or wrong, it's time I stopped buying from AliExpress
CheckMag AliExpress has a selection of spare parts that in some cases, can't be found anywhere else. But with return policies that are largely for show, and 50% of items being broken or mis-sold, enough is enough.
Pico projector from an old smartphone and the VapeServer - two of the week's best hardware hacks
CheckMag From building a pico projector that mere mortals might actually be able to achieve, to running a web server on a Vape battery, the hacker community never ceases to amaze. Here are two of the week's best hacks.
Must-watch upcoming movies in 2025
Must-watch upcoming movies in 2025: From Tron: Ares to Bollywood blockbusters, explore the year’s top releases in sci-fi, action, fantasy, and horror.
Anaconda reboot’s first trailer drops and it’s just the right kind of chaos
Sony has released the first trailer for the Anaconda reboot, and it’s leaning hard into comedy‑horror chaos. Starring Paul Rudd and Jack Black, the film finds two lifelong friends confronting a real giant snake while trying to rem...
Sub-$100 Timex watches with style as well as substance
CheckMag Timex is still a go-to for affordable, reliable watches with styles ranging from retro digital to rugged field and dress designs. Here are 5 of the best models under/around $100 that get you a balance of value, durability, and eve...
The Conjuring hits new heights — and now gets a TV future
The Conjuring: Last Rites just delivered the biggest horror opening weekend of all time, leaving every other spooky franchise trembling in its wake. With box office numbers climbing higher than any jump scare, it’s a record-breaki...
Here's how to set up the Gamesir X5s to wake-up the Nintendo Switch 2
The GameSir X5s is now capable of waking up the Nintendo Switch 2. While it requires a software update, setting it up is quite straightforward.
Lenovo Tab P12 Pro and Xbox Remote Play: A smooth combo
Released November 19, 2021, the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro doubles as a portable Xbox Remote Play screen with 60 FPS, low latency, and stunning AMOLED visuals.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is back: what we actually know about the 2025 reboot
Buffy is officially biting again. The pilot is wrapped, a new Slayer is on the scene, and Sarah Michelle Gellar is back—but not in the lead role, which might make you shed a single fang-shaped tear. Fans are buzzing, speculation i...
Anno 117: How easy is it for beginners to get started? My first experience with the building strategy series
For my brief benchmark preview, I ventured into the Anno series for the first time. My only previous experience with the genre was with The Settlers 2 and Civilization 2 many years ago. Here are my initial impressions of how well ...
Beoplay Portal Xbox long-term review: Premium sound held back by connection issues
The Beoplay Portal Xbox headset offers audiophile sound and Dolby Atmos capabilities, but years of connection issues with the Xbox Series X/S render it unreliable.
New drone system promises to reach school shooters in 15 seconds
Campus Guardian Angel seeks to deploy high-speed drones designed to confront school shooters in 15 seconds, offering real-time intel and safer responses for law enforcement, and providing a first line of defense before their arriv...
Severance season 3: The camera equipment that could shape this incredible show
It is anticipated that the production team for Season 3 will continue to utilize the same core equipment, including the Sony Venice 2 camera system.
Mozilla set to abandon Firefox 115 ESR in August 2025: Here's what older Mac, MacBook and iMac owners can do to keep browsing the Web safely
CheckMag Computers running macOS 10.14 and older, as well as Windows 8.1, 8 and 7 operating systems are set to lose critical software updates following Mozilla's decision, with Windows users having a lot more options to choose from when it comes to looking for alternative Web browsers. Update: 115 ESR is getting one more lease of life after all.
Apple's misleading iPhone 17 Pro camera marketing distracts customers from the real weaknesses
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro has received two significant camera upgrades - a 48 MP telephoto camera with a larger sensor and an 18 MP selfie camera with a square sensor. However, Apple has failed to address a major weakness of the pre...
Apple iPhone Air vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
Apple CEO Tim Cook successfully unveiled the thinnest iPhone ever on Tuesday, called the Apple iPhone Air. But Samsung was quicker off the mark, and a comparison is definitely in order.
Severance season 2 review: Bigger, stranger, and beautifully filmed
Severance Season 2 is a visually stunning, ambitious follow-up that deepens character arcs, expands Lumon’s world, and delivers bold, strange, and unforgettable storytelling.
Netflix and kill: From soft chills to savage screams
Looking for a horror binge that actually delivers? This Netflix challenge lines up five chilling films in order of intensity — from slow-burn hauntings to full-blown nightmare fuel. Whether you're after psychological tension, supe...
Apple Music for Windows: Why its garbage listening experience has been failing loyal users since 2023
CheckMag What kind of music app doesn’t let you listen to music? Apple Music on Windows, that's what. Since its port to Windows in 2023, users face constant audio dropouts, broken volume controls, and sync failures, turning what should be ...
Dune: Awakening Chapter 2 update finally adds heavily requested features
Funcom has rolled out the latest major update for Dune: Awakening, bringing with it a new story chapter, fresh gameplay systems, and a host of quality-of-life improvements that should make surviving Arrakis a little smoother. The ...
iPhone Air is cool, but I wanted an iPhone 17 Plus
CheckMag Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup brings major upgrades across the board, from ProMotion on the base model to a brand-new iPhone Air. But with the Plus variant missing this year, I’m forced into a choice I never asked for.
RomM is the Plex of self-hosted retro gaming. A beautiful ROM manager that lets you play games through any browser
CheckMag RomM is a self-hosted solution for managing and maintaining your ROM collection. With save state support, metadata scraping and RetroAchievements, it will let you play nearly everything up to PSX from a web browser. Here's how to ...
Tiny battery, single camera: All that we expect from the upcoming Apple iPhone 17 Air ultra-slim smartphone
Leak Lounge The upcoming iPhone 17 Air is arguably the most interesting smartphone of 2025 - in both good and not-so-good ways. Whether or not the ultra-slim flagship from Apple will be positively received remains to be seen, as the Cupertino...
Severance season 1 review: A chilling blend of satire, sci-fi, and identity
Severance on Apple TV+ delivers a chilling mix of sci-fi, satire, and corporate mystery, with Adam Scott leading one of the decade’s most original dramas.
Lifesaver or paywall disaster? Why the Apple Watch Ultra 3 could make Garmin look old in regard to satellite communication
Apple's Watch Ultra 3 may deal a significant blow to Garmin and its Fenix 8 Pro, particularly from a marketing perspective. For customers, the choice of manufacturer could not only have financial implications but also an impact ...
K-Pop Demon Hunters: The animation and music behind Netflix’s record-breaker
Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters blends anime, 2D/3D fusion, and Korean culture to set new records and redefine modern animation.
Acer Swift Air 16: Hands-on with the lightest 16-inch laptop on the planet
How does it feel to hold a laptop that weighs just 2.2 lbs (1 kg) but has a massive 16-inch display? We're taking a closer look at what is probably the lightest 16-inch notebook in the world and also tried typing on it. We wouldn't describe the experience with the ultralight device as completely convincing, but it feels quite impressive nonetheless.
iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro: What does Apple have in store for its 2025 flagships?
Leak Lounge The Apple iPhone 17 launch event is less than a week away, although the ever-so-restless rumor mill has already provided us with plenty of juicy details regarding the yet-to-be announced products. While the iPhone 17 Pro is expect...
Superman, rendered: The engineering that makes James Gunn’s reboot feel new
James Gunn’s Superman (2025) doesn’t try to win the loudness war. It wins the clarity war. The team stacked practical flight rigs, photographed skies on an LED stage, locked the show’s look before VFX, and built the sound mix in t...
Fate Trigger initial impressions: Rough around the edges with plenty of scope for improvement
Fate Trigger is a free-to-play game that is somewhat reminiscent of Fortnite. Its closed beta ended recently, and the game will enter early access sometime in Q1 2026. It is a stereotypical Battle Royale game that attempts to stan...
How one software update saved the Honor X9b's camera
Initially, the Honor X9b's camera delivered disappointing, flat images with poor dynamic range. But the latest software update has finally given it life in 2025.
RedMagic 6R: A budget gaming champion in 2025
Is the Nubia RedMagic 6R still a good gaming phone in 2025? I revisit ZTE’s 2021 release to see if its performance and features hold up today.
Casio Edifice x motorsport: The history of collab watches with NISMO, TOM’S, Honda, and AlphaTauri
CheckMag Casio Edifice’s collabs span across Honda Racing/Type R, NISMO, TOM’S, Scuderia AlphaTauri/Toro Rosso, and Initial D/MF Ghost, with limited runs featuring team colors, special materials, and logos, including the new ECB-S10NIS-7AJ...
Eiliko: Energize Lab’s emotional AI charm bot reaches Kickstarter goal
Discover Eiliko, Energize Lab’s next-gen charm bot with swappable shells, bonding features, and emotional AI that make it more than a desk toy.
Lighter, more comfortable and cheaper than Apple Vision Pro: Hands-on comparison with the new Vivo Vision MR headset
CheckMag Weighing just 14 oz, the Vivo Vision has launched in China and is significantly lighter and smaller than the well-known mixed-reality headsets from Apple and Meta. An 8K micro-OLED display supposedly creates a huge virtual IMAX sc...
I played Battlefield 1 immediately after Battlefield 6’s Open Beta - and I didn't want to leave
CheckMag I tried the Battlefield 6 Open Beta, then jumped back into Battlefield 1. These are my thoughts on how they feel different in gameplay, map size, pacing, and teamwork. It's impressive how BF1 holds up well to this day - and that i...
The Pixel 9a made the standard Pixel 9 irrelevant. Now Google has done the same with the Pixel 10 Pro
CheckMag The Pixel 9a offered almost identical features to the Pixel 9, albeit with a somewhat later release window. Now Google has made the Pixel 10 Pro equally irrelevant.
