Categories
Featured

Ninja Double Stack air fryer review: half the footprint, double the fun

[ad_1]

Ninja Double Stack air fryer: two-minute review

The Ninja Double Stack air fryer demonstrates once again that the brand is king of convection cooking, offering blazing cooking speeds in a clever form factor that serves to address the needs of smaller households and keen cooks the world over. Without a doubt, it’s one of the best air fryers I’ve ever used – and I’ve used a fair few at this point. 

Shopping for the perfect air fryer can leave you feeling a bit like Goldilocks, and especially if counter space is at a premium in your kitchen. A two-drawer model like the Instant Vortex 9-quart Air Fryer with VersaZone technology might be perfect for the number of mouths you typically have to feed, but these are typically behemoths. Alternatively, you could opt for one of the best small air fryers, but then these often have a meager, sometimes single-portion only capacity.

It’s been my perennial issue as a single-person household that regularly has guests. My kitchen is fairly compact, so I’ve been incredibly limited for space when I’ve tested larger models like the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Dual Air Fryer. That’s why since I learned about the Ninja Double Stack air fryer – styled as the DoubleStack in the US – I’ve been itching to get my hands on it. 

Ninja Double Stack air fryer in reviewer's home

(Image credit: Future)

As the name suggests, the Ninja Double Stack air fryer stacks its two cooking drawers stop one another instead of side by side, as we tend to see in dual-basket air fryers. Instead of a top- or front-mounted dashboard, a small panel juts out to the right side of the device, hosting all the functions and controls you’ll need to operate the Double Stack. Plus, Ninja has even thrown in two extra racks, which can be slotted in above the main crisper plate, giving you bonus surface area to cook with – though the grill spacing makes these far better for larger food items. 

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Featured

Bang & Olufsen’s limited vertical 6-disc CD player makes physical music fun again

[ad_1]

Money no object

We love to give practical buying advice on the latest gadgets here at TechRadar. But sometimes what we love even more is to indulge in the most ridiculous, high-end, cutting-edge, luxurious tech on the planet. That’s what we bring you in these Money no Object columns – you can read the whole series here.

I want one of these, reader. The fact that I remember the 1996 original helps, but just look at it – how its vertical design showcases the six-strong selection of CDs you’re spinning today. Don’t you want people to see that? Wouldn’t it be great to see your music again, as you listen to it? And I challenge anyone not to squeal with glee when the the orb of light mechanism (or ‘CD clamper’, as it is affectionately known) quickly, smoothly scales up or down to whichever disc you’ve cued up.

You may remember the Bang & Olufsen Recreated Classics series from 2020, when the company reclaimed, recreated and launched the Beogram 4000c (a turntable initially made in the 1970s) which sold out in 23 hours – well, only 200 were sourced. 

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Featured

Amazon’s My Lady Jane is Prime Video’s royally fun twist on Netflix’s Bridgerton – and it’s coming in June

[ad_1]

If you’re a fan of historical dramas featuring quick wits and absolute… bad people, Prime Video‘s My Lady Jane looks like it should be at the top of your watch list. Inspired by the best-selling book of the same name, the new series is set in an alternative version of the Tudor world where Lady Jane Grey didn’t lose her head after just nine days on the throne.

It turns out that not being beheaded is a pretty good career move, but after Lady Jane finds herself crowned Queen of England, a move that is not universally popular, it doesn’t take long before ne’er-do-wells, ruffians and other scoundrels come for her crown and her head.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Entertainment

Already more fun and accessible than the Humane AI Pin

[ad_1]

At CES this January, startup Rabbit , just in time for the end of the year of the rabbit according to the lunar calendar. It’s a cute little orange square that was positioned as a “pocket companion that moves AI from words to action.” In other words, it’s basically a dedicated AI machine that acts kind of like a walkie talkie to a virtual assistant.

Sound familiar? You’re probably thinking of the Humane AI Pin, which was and started shipping this month. I , while outlets like Wired and The Verge gave it similarly low marks of 4 out of 10.

The people at Rabbit have been paying close attention to the aftermath of the Humane AI Pin launch and reviews. It was evident in founder and CEO Jesse Lyu’s address at an unboxing event at the TWA hotel in New York last night, where the company showed off the Rabbit R1 and eager early adopters listened rapturously before picking up their pre-orders. Engadget’s sample unit is on its way to Devindra Hardawar, who will be tackling this review. But I was in attendance last night to check out units at the event that industry peers were unboxing (thanks to for the assistance!).

As a refresher, the Rabbit R1 is a bright orange square, co-engineered by Teenage Engineering and Rabbit. It has a 2.88-inch color display built in, an 8-megapixel camera that can face both ways and a scroll wheel reminiscent of the crank on . The latter, by the way, is a compact gaming handheld that was also designed by Teenage Engineering, and the Rabbit R1 shares its adorable retro aesthetic. Again, like the Humane AI Pin, the Rabbit R1 is supposed to be your portal to an AI-powered assistant and operating system. However, there are a few key differences, which Lyu covered extensively at the launch event last night.

Let’s get this out of the way: The Rabbit R1 already looks a lot more appealing than the Humane AI Pin. First of all, it costs $199 — less than a third of the AI Pin’s $700. Humane also requires a monthly $24 subscription fee or its device will be rendered basically useless. Rabbit, as Lyu repeatedly reiterated all night, does not require such a fee. You’ll just be responsible for your own cellular service (4G LTE only, no 5G), and can bring your own SIM card or just default to good old Wi-Fi. There, you’ll also find the USB-C charging port.

The R1’s advantages over the Pin don’t end there. By virtue of its integrated screen (instead of a wonky, albeit intriguing projector), the orange square is more versatile and a lot easier to interact with. You can use the wheel to scroll through elements and press the button on the right side to confirm a choice. You could also tap the screen or push down a button to start talking to the software.

Now, I haven’t taken a photo with the device myself, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of images I saw on its screen. Maybe my expectations were pretty low, but when reviewers in a media room were setting up their devices by using the onboard cameras to scan QR codes, I found the images on the screens clear and impressively vibrant. Users won’t just be capturing photos, videos and QR codes with the Rabbit R1, by the way. It also has a Vision feature like the Humane AI Pin that will analyze an image you take and tell you what’s in it. In Lyu’s demo, the R1 told him that it saw a crowd of people at “an event or concert venue.”

A Rabbit R1 unit on top of a table, with a USB-C cable plugged in to its left edge. The screen is on and says A Rabbit R1 unit on top of a table, with a USB-C cable plugged in to its left edge. The screen is on and says

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

We’ll have to wait till Devindra actually takes some pictures with our R1 unit and downloads them from the web-based portal that Rabbit cleverly calls the Rabbit Hole. Its name for camera-based features is Rabbit Eye, which is just kind of delightful. In fact, another thing that distinguishes Rabbit from Humane is the former’s personality. The R1 just oozes character. From the witty feature names to the retro aesthetic to the onscreen animation and the fact that the AI will actually make (cheesy) jokes, Rabbit and Teenage Engineering have developed something that’s got a lot more flavor than Humane’s almost clinical appearance and approach.

Of all the things Lyu took shots at Humane about last night, though, talk of the R1’s thermal performance or the AI Pin’s heat issues was conspicuously absent. To be clear, the R1 is slightly bigger than the Humane device, and it uses an octa-core MediaTek MT6765 processor, compared to the AI Pin’s Snapdragon chip. There’s no indication at the moment that the Rabbit device will run as hot as Humane’s Pin, but I’ve been burned (metaphorically) before and remain cautious.

I am also slightly concerned about the R1’s glossy plastic build. It looks nice and feels lighter than expected, weighing just 115 grams or about a quarter of a pound. The scroll wheel moved smoothly when I pushed it up and down, and there were no physical grooves or notches, unlike the rotating hinge on Samsung’s Galaxy watches. The camera housing lay flush with the rest of the R1’s case, and in general the unit felt refined and finished.

Most of my other impressions of the Rabbit R1 come from Lyu’s onstage demos, where I was surprised by how quickly his device responded to his queries. He was able to type on the R1’s screen and tilted it so that the controls sat below the display instead of to its right. That way, there was enough room for an onscreen keyboard that Lyu said was the same width as the one on the original iPhone.

Rabbit also drew attention for its so-called Large Action Model (LAM), which acts as an interpreter to convert popular apps like Spotify or Doordash into interfaces that work on the R1’s simple-looking operating system. Lyu also showed off some of these at the event last night, but I’d much rather wait for us to test these out for ourselves.

Lyu made many promises to the audience, seeming to acknowledge that the R1 might not be fully featured when it arrives in their hands. Even on the company’s website, there’s a list of features that are planned, in the works or being explored. For one thing, an alarm is coming this summer, along with a calendar, contacts app, GPS support, memory recall and more. Throughout his speech, Lyu repeated the phrase “we’re gonna work on” amid veiled references to Humane (for instance, emphasizing that Rabbit doesn’t require an additional subscription fee). Ultimately, Lyu said “we just keep adding value to this thing,” in reference to a roadmap of upcoming features.

Hopefully, Lyu and his team are able to deliver on the promises they’ve made. I’m already very intrigued by a “teach mode” he teased, which is basically a way to generate macros by recording an action on the R1, and letting it learn what you want to do when you tell it something. Rabbit’s approach certainly seems more tailored to tinkerers and enthusiasts, whereas Humane’s is ambitious and yet closed off. This feels like Google and Apple all over again, except whether the AI device race will ever reach the same scale remains to be seen.

Last night’s event also made it clear what Rabbit wants us to think. It was hosted at the TWA hotel, which itself used to be the head house of the TWA Flight Center. The entire place is an homage to retro vibes, and the entry to Rabbit’s event was lined with display cases containing gadgets like a Pokedex, a Sony Watchman, a Motorola pager, Game Boy Color and more. Every glass box I walked by made me squeal, bringing up a pleasant sense memory that also resurfaced when I played with the R1. It didn’t feel good in that it’s premium or durable; it felt good because it reminded me of my childhood.

Whether Rabbit is successful with the R1 depends on how you define success. The company has already sold more than 100,000 units this quarter and looks poised to sell at least one more (I’m already whipping out my credit card). I remain skeptical about the usefulness of AI devices, but, in large part due to its price and ability to work with third-party apps at launch, Rabbit has already succeeded in making me feel like Alice entering Wonderland.



[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Computers

LG MyView Smart Monitor (32SR85U-W) Review: A Fun 2-In-1 Screen

[ad_1]

you might think a “smart monitor” might have some tie-in to the smart home, but it’s more akin to modern-day smart TVs. LG’s MyView 4K Smart Monitor has a smart TV built into it, complete with a homepage of apps, just like your Roku or Google TV.

“Can’t I just use a web browser?” you might ask. Yes, you can. This led me to wonder why I’d need a smart TV interface on a device that can typically surf any corner of the web, including directly accessing streaming services. To my surprise, I liked using my desktop monitor as both a normal PC monitor and a smart (albeit imperfect) TV. I often preferred the built-in streaming apps over a browser page. It created a nice separation between my work and relaxation time, offering some peace at the end of a long day.

Screen Time

The 32-inch MyView is fairly well rounded for its $600 price, considering it’s a 4K (3,840 x 2,160 resolution) monitor with a large and bright IPS screen. It has already dipped as low as $500, making it an even better value. It comes with a remote, which is how you navigate the TV interface.

There’s a selection of picture modes accessible through the remote’s Settings button, ranging from a dim power-saver mode to ones calibrated for watching movies and sports. They all do something different—Cinema and Sport modes both raise the brightness to 100 percent but choose different levels of contrast, while Auto Power Save cuts down on brightness but uses a high amount of local dimming to respond to your space. These modes are pretty standard fare on monitors and TVs.

The screen was bright enough that I usually chose the Power Save mode, and the local dimming usually landed on around 10 to 15 percent brightness. I also toggled on Eye Care Mode—which reduces blue light on the screen—whenever a yellow-toned screen wasn’t an issue for my tasks. All of this was so much easier to access via the remote compared to the usual buttons you’d find on some corner (or the back) of a monitor. No more guessing what button does what!

White flat screen monitor on desk with 2 speakers on either side neon lighting behind and picture of sky and leaves...

Photograph: Nena Farrell

You’ll see fewer options if you connect the monitor to your PC using a USB-C cord with display-out support instead of an HDMI—Vivid, Standard, Game Optimizer, and a couple of movie-related modes. There’s no Auto Power Save option, and I ended up manually dimming the brightness to replicate the mode I used when I was connected via HDMI.

The 60-Hz refresh rate is a bit of a bummer but unsurprising on monitors that don’t specifically cater to gamers. Whether you’ll notice it depends on what you play; Baldur’s Gate 3 still looked beautiful onscreen, particularly with the Game Optimizer picture mode. I also liked playing Stardew Valley on it, though I found it better to play with the Standard or Auto picture modes, since the art style isn’t as dynamic. If you have a hefty gaming PC and often play fast-paced games, you’ll want to look elsewhere for a monitor that can handle higher refresh rates.

Streaming is where this monitor shines. The large 32-inch screen feels immersive and cinematic when you’re perched right in front of it. It’s big enough that even if you’re sitting slightly farther away, it works OK, but sit more than 5 feet away and it’ll look too small. I spent a good amount of time watching Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and the Cinema mode did a lovely job of improving the picture quality. (It looked good even on the Auto mode.)

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Bisnis Industri

Elago makes fun, functional Apple accessories, and we stock 173

[ad_1]

Elago makes a staggering array of accessories for Apple products, from Apple Watch bands and device chargers to iPad stands and whimsical cases that look like classic gear from yesteryear.

The Cult of Mac Store offers 173 Elago products for sale. Check them out, and see some highlights below.

Elago Apple accessories: Fun and functional

Nothing makes our day like a solid Apple accessory that adds performance and/or a touch of whimsy. In a sea of accessories for iPhones, Macs and Apple Watches, Elago’s offerings stand out. They offer a great mix of fun and functionality.

Here are three of our favorite Elago accessories.

Elago W6 Stand for Apple Watch

“View your Apple Watch display through a blast from the past,” Elago said of its fourth series of nostalgic Apple Watch stands, the W6 (pictured above). Your wearable’s display lines up perfectly to seem as though it is the display of a classic iPod music player.

“This thing is so cool. I bought the Black and Red U2 version for my daughter, she thought it was so cool,” said one happy customer, calling the W6 an “awesome piece of nostalgia.”

The Elago W6 stand works with all Apple Watch Series (38mm, 40mm, 42mm, 44mm) and is compatible with Apple Watch Nightstand Mode.

Simply place your Apple Watch in the stand to charge your watch. Keep the stand near your bed to allow the use of key functions such as alarms and messages. The W6 is made from scratch-free silicone to prevent damage to your Apple Watch and to prevent it from moving around when resting on a surface.

Note that charging cable and Apple Watch are not included and Elago products ship to the U.S. only.

Price: $14.99

Where to buy: Cult of Mac Store

Elago Magnetic Stand for iPads

Elago's magnetic stand helps you use your iPad like a desktop computer.
Elago’s magnetic stand helps you use your iPad like a desktop computer.
Photo: Elago

Elago’s Magnetic Stand for iPads is compatible with Elago’s Magnetic Folio Cases, sold separately.

The stand, made from durable aluminum material, works with iPad and compatible magnetic cases, as well as other tablets. (If you don’t own an Elago Magnetic Folio Case, you can use the included ring.)

Strong magnets keep your tablet in place. The viewing angle is adjustable to optimize your workspace, and allows you to place the stand at various levels on your desk.

A cable-management hole on the stand allows you to keep all cables going to and from the tablet in one area.

Price: $110.99

Where to buy: Cult of Mac Store

Elago Snapshot AirPods Pro and AirTag Case

You can add an AirTag to this durable silicone case so you never lose your AirPods Pro again.
You can add an AirTag to this durable silicone case so you never lose your AirPods Pro again.
Photo: Elago

If you have the new Elago AT Snapshot Case, you’ll likely never lose your AirPod Pro charging case again.  The case comes with a slot that’s compatible with Apple AirTags. Slide one in, and you can always keep track of your device.

This case is designed to look like a camera that you can take with you anywhere. The slot for AirTag allows you to show the Apple logo or your engraved image as the camera lens.

Durable, nontoxic, food-grade silicone provides great drop protection and shock absorption.

Note that AirPods Pro and AirTag aren’t included with the case.

Price: $13.99

Where to buy: Cult of Mac Store

Browse the whole Elago collection — 173 products.

Note: We originally published this post on February 10, 2023. We updated it with new pricing info.



[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Featured

4 fun horror movies leaving Netflix in April 2024 you don’t want to miss

[ad_1]

Horror lovers with a Netflix need to know that a handful of scary movies are about to get slashed from the service, but look at it as your perfect opportunity to catch them before they leave, because there are some serious good options here, and we’ve picked out four below.

Our list contains two supernatural horrors, a modern psychological horror, and a prequel movie from a popular horror movie series. So no matter what area of genre you’re most drawn to, there are plenty of options for you to choose from – and even better if you’re looking to dive deeper into different horror subgenres. Train to Busan is an especially strong highlight here – it’s good enough to have a claim to being among the best Netflix movies of any kind. Though, obviously, not for long…

Train to Busan (2016) 

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Featured

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the first genuinely fun EV – and I’ve driven it

[ad_1]

Hyundai has been busy cementing its reputation as one of the leading figures in electric passenger cars. The small and relatively affordable Soul EV kicked things off in 2015, the Kona Electric soon followed, and then came the stylish Ioniq 6 and retro-inspired Ioniq 5. But the new Ioniq 5 N is its most fun offering yet.

There are plug-in hybrid versions of its popular SUVs, while a number of new, all-electric models have been promised in the next two years. But not content with being recognized as a manufacturer of highly competitive, electrified everyday cars, Hyundai also wants to be known as a purveyor of fun.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Business Industry

Got the One UI 6.1 update? Try out these three fun AI features!

[ad_1]

For Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, and Galaxy Tab S9 owners, the One UI 6.1 brings the entire Galaxy AI experience over from the Galaxy S24 lineup.

The list of AI features you’re getting with One UI 6.1, if you have the right device, is long. Some of those features are designed to help increase your productivity, some help you communicate with people who may not speak your language by providing real-time translations, and a few of them serve to add a dash of fun to your day-to-day user experience.

To help you get started with Galaxy AI, it’s the fun part of the equation we’re going to focus on. Here are three AI features we think you should try out once you have the One UI 6.1 update installed on your device.

Generative wallpapers

Galaxy S24 Ultra Generative AI Wallpapers

It’s always good to start with the simpler things, and that’s where generative wallpapers come in. With Galaxy AI, Samsung provides you wallpaper customization unlike anything you have seen before on your Galaxy phone or tablet.

As the name suggests, you can use AI to generate custom wallpapers. You start by picking one of nine available themes and categories (Imaginary, Night, Painting, Terrain, Mineral, Luminous, Soft-focus, Translucent, and Bloom), each of which is associated with a certain pre-defined keyphrase with a few keywords that you can change.

Those keywords let you choose which objects, sceneries, or materials the wallpaper should be about and the overall color and tone of the wallpaper. Once you have made your selections, you hit the generate button and get a bunch of different wallpapers based on those keywords.

Don’t like the results? That’s fine, because you can simply hit generate again to get new variations of wallpapers based on the same keywords. While the possiblities here aren’t truly endless, they aren’t far off, either, and you may just end up spending hours of your time on getting the most out of the feature.

Check out the video below and our guide on generative wallpapers for more details on how they work and what you can expect from them.

Manipulate photos by moving, rotating, or removing objects and people in them!

The Gallery app on Samsung phones and tablets has offered features like object removal for many years, but Galaxy AI takes it to a whole new level. You can now remove objects (or even people) from the image, move them around, rotate them, and resize them, and AI can generate new data and pixels to fix the void left behind by the moved or erased object to make it seem like nothing has really changed.

This feature, called Generative Edit, doesn’t always produce perfect results, but when it works, it works wonders. It also provides some semblance of safety against misuse of manipulated photos by putting a Galaxy AI watermark on all modified images.

To get started with Generative Edit, simply open an image in the Gallery, hit the pencil icon to open the photo editor, and tap the Generative Edit icon.

View normal videos in slow motion

Samsung has always offered an option to shoot slow motion videos using a phone’s camera or slow down an existing video using One UI’s built-in video editor, but what if you want to watch an existing video that wasn’t shot in slow motion without having to edit it?

Instant Slo-mo is the answer. With Galaxy AI, you can slow down videos in the Gallery app by simply touching and holding the screen when the video is playing. This works with videos you captured using the camera and any videos you may have downloaded.

You can watch Instant Slo-mo in action in the video below.

[ad_2]

Source Article Link

Categories
Bisnis Industri

GameSir X2s Type-C Mobile Controller review: iPhone game fun

[ad_1]

The GameSir X2s Type-C Mobile Controller is ready to make your mobile gaming so much better. Wrap the telescope design around your iPhone 15 to be ready for your favorite RPG, FPS and other advanced games.

It boasts Hall Effect sticks and triggers in a familiar arrangement, but is always ready for you to pick it up and go.

I tested it with my iPhone 15 and had quite a lot of fun. It also works with Androids. And if you’re still rocking a Lightning-enabled iPhone, don’t feel left out — GameSir has a version for you, too.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

GameSir X2s Type-C Mobile Controller review

I get it: you don’t want to line up three gems or match tiles. You want to play serious games on your iPhone. But on-screen, virtual controls can be frustrating with first-person shooters or role-playing games.

A mobile game controller makes all the difference. One of these brings the familiar buttons and sticks to your iPhone (or Android) so you don’t find your characters walking off cliffs or firing off in random directions.

Controllers come in a variety of sizes and designs. The GameSir X2s Type-C Mobile Controller emphasizes portability but without sacrificing playability.

It’s for iPhone 15 and future Apple handsets with a USB-C port. It is also compatible with Androids for cross-platform households. All you need to do is plug it in and start playing.

For those with earlier iPhone models, you want the GameSir X2 Lightning.

Portable but playable iPhone game controller

GameSir X2s iPhone game controller
The telescope design of the GameSir X2s means it’s portable but fits the largest iPhones.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

GameSir X2s Type-C Mobile Controller is designed to make your iPhone function like a Nintendo Switch, with the standard buttons, triggers and sticks on either side of the screen.

Without the handset, the accessory is 7.0 inches by 3.3 inches by 1.5 inches. It weighs a mere 0.4 pounds.

It’s very portable, fitting easily into a backpack or even a large purse. But be careful, the outer casing is plastic and it’s covered in controls. A bit of abuse might break this gadget.

When it comes time to play, the GameSir X2s telescopes to fit my iPhone 15 Plus.

Standard layout of buttons, sticks and triggers

GameSir X2s doesn't leave out shoulder buttons and triggers.
GameSir X2s doesn’t leave out shoulder buttons and triggers.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

I’ve spent more hours than I can count with a game controller in my hands. My fingers know exactly where all the buttons, sticks, etc. are supposed to be.

The GameSir X2s has close to the standard Xbox layout. On the left side is a joystick and D-pad. On the right side is a second joystick and ABXY buttons. Plus L1/L2 bumpers and R1/R2 triggers. I say “close to the standard” because the front-facing joysticks and buttons are lined up above each other, not diagonally as they are on Microsoft’s controller.

The buttons are reasonably clicky. They aren’t quite as good as the ones on a name-brand Xbox controller but they certainly didn’t interfere with hours of enjoyable gameplay.

As a nice touch, the sticks and triggers use the Hall effect so they won’t develop drift.

While I appreciate the portability, during long gaming sessions I miss the ergonomic shape of the GameSir G8. It’s much more curvy and the bigger grips make it fit more comfortably in my hands. The grips on the X2s are barely there. But the G8 is also significantly larger and therefore less easy to carry around.

Lean back and play

I started tested the GameSir X2s by playing Cypher 007, a James Bond-themed action game. The controller performed flawlessly, and makes playing much more enjoyable than on-screen controls. And I tested the clip-on accessory with Spyder, another Apple Arcade game I enjoy.

Support for game controllers like this one is built into iOS. But game developers have to add support too. To find out what’s available, you can find a list of hundreds of iOS games that the X2s definitely works with on the GameSir website. And most Apple Arcade games support controllers, too.

All of the cloud-gaming services I’ve tried recommend players use a controller, so they definitely support them. If you want to play Fortnite on your iPhone again, you can.

But not every iPhone game supports controllers. It’s frustrating. All you can do is check ahead of time.

iPhone game controller with convenience of USB-C

GameSir X2s review: USB-C port
GameSir’s new game controller has the USB-C connector used by the latest iPhone models. And a USB-C port, too.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

One of the best features of the product is right there in the name: GameSir X2s Type-C Mobile Controller. The built-in USB-C connector makes this a plug-and-play device. Literally.

There’s no hassling with Bluetooth setup. Simply put your iPhone with a USB-C port (or an Android) into the telescoping controller and start having fun. This makes sharing the accessory between several iPhones a cinch.

GameSir designed the USB-C connector to swivel up and down, so there’s no danger of damaging it or your iPhone while inserting the handset into the slider.

Those with earlier iPhone models that don’t have a Lighting port aren’t left out in the cold. You want the GameSir X2 Lightning.

For extra convenience, your phone supplies power to the controller, so you don’t need to worry about a second battery. And if your handset battery starts to get low, just plug a USB-C cable into the game controller to charge your iPhone.

GameSir video

The developer of this iPhone game controller created a video to show off the hardware features:

GameSir X2s Type-C Mobile Controller final thoughts

I can get lost in a good game for hours. That’s why I like playing one on long trips. Attach this controller to your iPhone, start something fun and big chunks of boring travel can disappear.

And the accessory is so easy to use. It’s literally plug-and-play.

★★★★

Pricing

The GameSir X2s Type-C Mobile Controller is available for purchase for $45.99 / £49.99 / €59.99.

Buy it from: Amazon or GameSir

As noted, those with iPhone models from before Apple made the switch to USB-C, you want the GameSir X2 Lightning, which I also reviewed. Alternatively, there’s a Bluetooth version of the X2 for those who want to game on both iPhone and Android. That one costs $59.99.

Those looking for a more ergonomic controller with USB-C should read my review of GameSir G8. It’s not as portable, though.

GameSir provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.



[ad_2]

Source Article Link