Mafia Mamma was in so much danger of not working. Its story is borderline nonsense, its acting is as grounded as the International Space Station, and its tone veers from full-on farce to alarming violence to surprisingly erotically charged. And in the end, all of that is why it works so well. This Prime Video comedy movie knows exactly what it’s doing, and what it’s doing is having a big party in Italy with fun jokes, and everyone’s invited – but only if you promise not to take it seriously.
Toni Collette plays Kristin, a classic downtrodden movie wife, who returns from the job where her contributions are ignored to find that her husband is cheating on her, and all just as her son is leaving home. Fortunately(ish), her Italian grandfather has died, and she needs to go to Italy to settle the estate, and that estate turns out to be A Full-on Mob Family.
Do hijinks ensue? You betcha. Do her two bodyguard heavies turn out to be sensitive souls for comedic purposes? Of course. Does she accidentally become good at Mafia-ing? Inevitably. Does that cause her to fall in danger? Naturally. Does she have conversations with Monica Bellucci that are extremely sexually charged for no particular reason? Totally. Is there a part where a man’s eyeball is graphically removed in a scene that is as comical as it is alarming? Unbelievably.
Mafia Mamma is funny because it genuinely means to be, not in the ‘so bad it’s funny’ way – it’s just willing to go the silliest lengths to get there. This is a big broad farce set in beautiful Italian towns and countryside. Go in with the right attitude and it’s a blast, even if it’s not going to become a modern classic on the list of the best Prime Video movies.
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Samsung manufactures a variety of tablets that are some of the best options out there for Android fans or those who want to avoid the Apple iPad ecosystem. Whether you want an affordable entry-level device for general everyday use and light gaming, or a powerful tablet to function as a full laptop replacement and creative workstation, there’s an offer worth buying in the latest sale at Best Buy and Amazon.
The best offer is this Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 at Best Buy for $669.99 (was $799.99). That’s a new record-low price for a capable and all-around tablet that has a powerful processor and a crisp 11-inch AMOLED display that combine to improve performance and image quality. It’s a fantastic buy if you want a device to keep up with demanding work or advanced games. Plus, you get the handy S-Pen Stylus included for free.
For a budget-friendly option, you can pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus at Amazon for $219.99 (was $269.99). It may be a cheaper model but it still boasts a 10.9-inch screen with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, and you get twice as much storage compared to the standard A9 model. This tablet is best suited to general everyday tasks such as web browsing, media streaming and checking emails. Undemanding games and video calls are also possible without issue.
Those are the two highlights, but several options suit a variety of different budgets and needs. Check out all of my picks from the Samsung tablet sales at Amazon and Best Buy below.
Today’s 4 best Samsung tablet deals
If you want to compare these with all the other tablet deals available right now, I’ve included a few more of today’s best offers below including several other Samsung tablet deals and iPad deals.
Gigabyte has consistently been making gaming monitors primarily focused on the budget PC Gaming experience and the GS34WQC successfully leans into the ultrawide tier. The 34-inch 1440p display comes with a 120Hz refresh rate in addition to the ability to overclock to 135Hz. Performance aside, SDR image quality is quite stunning and looks great.
Then there’s an incredibly reasonable feature set that comes with various gaming assists such as crosshair overlay. Though there’s a nub to make various in-display settings changes, the GS34WQC can also be personalized through the OSD Sidekick app. For variable refresh rate solutions, the monitor comes packed with AMD FreeSync Premium to combat potential screen tearing.
For $329(£388, AU $549), this gaming monitor makes more than enough sense for PC gamers who want an ultrawide display that won’t break the bank. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be any sacrifices to pack all of this into that price point.
One of the most glaring issues is its HDR implementation. Even with changing settings through software or in-display, image quality is only going to look slightly average. To be honest, it’s best to avoid HDR on the GS34WQC altogether. Then there are some design problems that come in the general aesthetic alongside set-up.
Like other modern Gigabyte gaming monitors, some assists like Black Equilizer and Aim Stabilizer do more to hurt overall image quality than help in any way. PC gamers looking for more extras like speakers and USB capabilities are going to be a bit disappointed. Anyone with a solid 1440p rig looking to play games in the 120 frame rate range may walk away satisfied; more so if they also have PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The Gigabyte GS34WQC offers a quality PC gaming experience at the cost of things that individuals in the price range probably won’t care about.
Gigabyte GS34WQC: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Available now in U.S. UK and AU territories, the Gigabyte GS34WQC retails for around $329(£388, AU $549) depending on where one shops. Though available on Amazon, the gaming monitor can be grabbed at various stories depending on where one resides. In the U.S., the monitor can be purchased at Best Buy, UK residents can find it at Currys and Australian citizens can find it at MSY.
Considering the price, the GS34WQC is one of the most affordable 34 inch ultrawide gaming monitors available. RIght now on Newegg, the monitor can be purchased on sale for $289 which adds even more to its value. Users looking for a bit more extras can pay around $10 bucks more for the Dell 34 Curved Gaming Monitor that also comes with a healthy selection of USB ports. Meanwhile, the significantly more expensive AOC CU34G2X at $450 provides better HDR capabilities in addition to USB ports.
Value: 4 / 5
Gigabyte GS34WQC: Specs
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Screen size:
34 inches
Aspect ratio:
21:9
Resolution:
3440 x 1440
Brightness:
300 cd/m2
Response time:
1ms
Viewing angle:
178°(H)/178°(V)
Contrast ratio:
4000:1
Color support:
16.7M
Inputs:
2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x Displayport 1.4, 1 x combo Jack
Weight:
18 lbs
Gigabyte GS34WQC Design
Image 1 of 5
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Like other Gigabyte gaming monitors, don’t expect the GS34WQC to do much in the looks department. The all-black matted material feels more acceptable in a classroom or library than next to an RGB desktop. Again, the GS34WQC is more about function than everything else.
When it comes to maneuverability out of the box, the 18 lbs gaming monitor doesn’t feel unwieldy. Set-up is where some of the problems with the design began to show up. A singular attached screen connects the stand to the neck. However, those who don’t read the monitor may run into some issues in the next steps.
The four screws already come taped to the neck that connects to the display. Be careful not to remove the tape without catching them because they will fall and can potentially get lost. Even more so, the packaging doesn’t come with a small screwdriver so users are responsible for securing the display themselves. Both height and tilt can be adjusted on the gaming monitor too.
There are a handful of ports available to get started including one DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, 3.5mm headphone, and power jack. Power goes directly through the display so users won’t have to worry about a larger powerbrick. The port selection is respectable and will definitely satisfy gamers with at least two consoles. Switching between inputs is pretty easy through the nub as well. Considering the low price for this ultrawide gaming monitor, this is good enough for a multiplatform gaming set-up alongside a gaming PC rig.
Gamers who want extras like external speakers and USB hubs for connectivity are going to have to look elsewhere. Considering the max refresh rate output is 120Hz and 135Hz when overclocked, this is for lower-powered 1440p gaming rigs.
Gigabyte GS34WQC: Features
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Gigabyte GS34WQC isn’t necessarily feature-rich but does have a handful of tools to improve a user’s gaming experience. When it comes to variable refresh rate solutions, having AMD FreeSync is a great addition; even for users who have Nvidia GPUs. Then there is HDR capability but we’ll explain why it’s not very good in the next section.
Those who don’t want to fiddle with the nub for settings outside of input can definitely give the OSD Sidekick app a shot. Though the app works well, it’s really a matter of preference in regards to usability. Users can make color changes in SDR and other display options but it’s also for toggling various game assists.
Three primary gaming assistance features are designed to provide gamers with a competitive edge on the GS32QC. Foremost among these are the various crosshair overlays, seamlessly enhancing gameplay in titles like Call of Duty and Helldivers 2, as well as other first or third-person shooters.
Additionally, there’s the aim assist, effectively reducing motion blur in fast-paced games, though it’s important to note its inoperability if the refresh rate falls below 100Hz or FreeSync is activated. To circumvent the need for aim assists entirely, players can opt to disable in-game motion blur. Finally, there’s the on-screen timer, a boon for speedrunners seeking to optimize their performance.
Gigabyte GS34WQC: Performance
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
PC gamers with lower-to-mid-range rigs should feel more at home with the Gigabyte GS34WQC than more expensive gaming monitors. What the display does well is make good on its native 120Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time. Playing fast-paced online shooters like Helldivers 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was a blast in addition to running exceptionally well. Add AMD Freesync Premium into the mix, it’s clear that the GS34WQC can run with the big dogs at similar settings. As mentioned earlier, the monitor is suitable for multi-platform gamers as well considering both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 can deliver a max frame-rate output of 120Hz.
When it comes to image quality, the GS34WQC is wonderful when running in SDR. Colors are bold and crisp with just the right amount of brightness. Blacks are deep and the contrast ratio looks pretty good. Just stay far away from the Black Equilizer which needs to be bumped down considerably. The game assists are supposed to make visuals clearer in darker spaces when playing a game but that can ruin emersion and can simply be fixed through in-game brightness settings. More visually arresting games like Alan Wake II and Cyberpunk 2077 look as well as they perform on the GS34WQC if one’s rig is up to snuff.
Just leave HDR completely alone on this gaming monitor. By default, HDR looks really washed out and flat. The monitor loses a lot of the colorfulness and lushness that SDR provides. Blacks look a bit too bright as well. Even when tinkering with settings, it’s hard to get color accuracy. With that said creatives who use Adobe suite software like Photoshop and Premiere Pro might want to leave HDR alone when using the GS34WQC. It’s simply not good for gaming, creative work, or general computing tasks.
Should I buy the Gigabyte GS34WQC?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
An 32-inch ultrawide 1440p gaming monitor with a max 135Hz refresh rate at $329 sounds good if you don’t mind missing some extras.
4.5 / 5
Features
There aren’t a whole lot of features on offer here, but what there is works well enough.
3.5 / 5
Design
The design isn’t going to wow anyone but its somewhat easy to set up though the screws alongside lack of USB ports hold it back.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Aspiring competitive gamers or enthusiasts with low-to-mid-tier gaming rigs are going to have much to appreciate here thanks to everything from high refresh rate and 1ms response time to AMD FreeSync Premiere.
4 / 5
Average Rating
For a budget 1440p ultrawide gaming monitor, the Gigabyte GS34WQC is special if expectations are managed.
3.88 / 5
Buy the Gigabyte GS34WQC if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also Consider
How I tested the Gigabyte GS34WQC
During the day, I used the Gigabyte GS34WQC for general computing tasks that revolved around using sites including Google Docs, Hootsuite, and Asana. Now and then, I would have to create graphics and cut video clips as well. There were also times when I took a break to watch videos on YouTube alongside other social media platforms.
For gaming, I tested out the monitor’s performance by playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer alongside the current popular game of the moment, Helldivers 2. To test out overall gaming image quality, Forza Motorsport (2023), Alan Wake II, and others were played. All games played were tested in both SDR and HDR modes, for good measure.
I’ve spent the past several years covering monitors alongside other PC components for Techradar. Outside of gaming, I’ve been proficient in Adobe Suite for over a decade as well, so I know a good monitor when I use one.
Even the most advanced fitness trackers can’t catch everything. While testing the Garmin Forerunner 165 Music, I got a severe case of food poisoning and spent two days in bed. There’s nothing more irritating than your cheery fitness tracker notifying you that you’ve gotten tons of sleep and your Body Battery is at 100 as you’re struggling not to throw up water. It’s almost as irritating as your children shouting to ask if you’re still trapped in the bathroom.
When I finally got back to working out, the watch counseled me to build up my base with long, slow runs. This pace is insanely slow, particularly since I live next to a college campus full of long-legged teenagers, humiliating me with their vigorous strides, youthfulness, and hope. Nevertheless, I persist. My legs feel great. The Forerunner has allowed me to graduate to tempo runs, and my heart rate is lower than ever. Amazing!
The Forerunner 165 is the latest entry in Garmin’s Forerunner series, but there are no duds in the Forerunner lineup. If you’re a beginner runner who can find the barebones Forerunner 55 for under $200, that one is perfectly fine! However, the Forerunner 165 has enough additional features that, to me, it justifies the extra cash.
A Few More Features
The Forerunner 165 looks like your standard technical Garmin. It has the familiar five-button layout—three on the left and two on the right—with a chemically reinforced screen, a polymer bezel, and a silicone strap. Note: You will need to wash the strap every two to three days if you don’t want to get a wrist rash. It now also has a new, bright AMOLED display that I had no problem seeing in bright, direct sunlight.
Photograph: Adrienne So
It’s also a touchscreen, so instances where I spectacularly fail at navigating the button system have decreased dramatically. Same with times where I accidentally call my emergency contacts from holding the wrong button down for too long. (It’s the Up button on the left side. Don’t hold that button unless you’re in trouble.)
The higher-end Forerunner models are aimed at multisport athletes, but the Forerunner 165 is pretty explicitly aimed at runners. In addition to personalized, adaptive training plans, you can also now see metrics like running power and cadence on the screen on your wrist, as well as some of Garmin’s more esoteric proprietary metrics, like Training Effect, which helps you determine how impactful each workout was on your overall performance.
The reason you get a Forerunner 165 over a Forerunner 55 is that in addition to a nicer display, you also get more sensors. In addition to the now-standard multiband GPS positioning systems—GPS, Glonass, and Galileo, which lets you position yourself precisely for accurate workout metrics—the Forerunner 165 has the pulse oximetry blood oxygen sensor, as well as a barometric altimeter, compass, and ambient light sensor.
I’ve been a long-time fan of Pixel phones, but Google made a major change to the camera experience on the latest Pixel 8 Pro that effectively broke one of its most convenient features; and while I’ve patiently waited for a fix, it looks like Google has committed to leaving users in the lurch, rather than undoing its mistake.
I’ve reviewed at least one entry of every generation of the best Pixel phones since Google debuted the series back in 2016, and the camera is what keeps me coming back; so much so that I’ve mainlined one of Google’s smartphones since the Pixel 4 XL. My experience with the Pixel 8 Pro, however, is soured every time a simple camera UI tweak that Google has made stops me from getting the shot I want.
The Pixel 7 Pro has proven to be one of the company’s most capable phones yet, and while the jump to the Pixel 8 Pro brought better performance, an aesthetic refinement, more AI functionality and more impressive imaging hardware, I wasn’t enamored with the camera experience compared to that of its predecessor right out the gate.
If it ain’t broke… break it?
This is partly down to the revised image processing pipeline, which produces distinctly different images compared to the Pixel 7 Pro. This may be a result of the Pixel imaging team having to adjust to the 8 Pro’s new sensor hardware – but that doesn’t absolve them of the newest model’s added ‘Pro Controls’, which consolidate management over ISO, shutter speed, focus, white balance, shadows, and brightness.
The Pixel 7 Pro’s manual control layout (left) and the Pixel 8 Pro’s Pro Controls (right) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
While bringing this functionality under a single menu might seem like a refinement between generations, the move actually results in more steps being required when it comes to the critical moment of capture. With the Pixel 7 Pro, a tap on your subject while framing up was all it took to bring up sliders for white balance, shadows, and brightness; you could then adjust each value on the fly from within the viewfinder, instantly.
By incorporating these adjustments into the Pro Controls along the bottom of the Pixel 8 Pro’s camera UI, the new layout requires more taps and swipes, not to mention the need to switch in and out of each slider individually. If all you’re trying to shoot is a static landscape this change doesn’t really matter all that much, but for those occasions when you have only a few fleeting moments to grab your shot – most likely of a moving subject – forget it.
Google bills the Pixel 8 Pro’s Pro Controls as a premium upgrade, but those who were familiar with the Pixel 7 Pro’s interface will likely consider the change anything but that. To add to the sting, in the pursuit of consistency across generations the subsequent Android 14 update to the Pixel 7 Pro’s camera app has hidden those white balance, shadows, and brightness sliders under a similar UI change (ISO, focus and shutter speed controls aren’t available on the 7 Pro), meaning that now nobody can enjoy what was one of the best features of the recent Pixel camera experience.
More unhappy customers
While it might seem like I’m blowing this seemingly small change out of proportion, a quick scout around online brings up numerous testimonies that echo my sentiment; change for change’s sake is the wrong way to implement an upgrade, especially if it’s at the user’s expense.
Android Authority‘s Rita El Khoury appears to have similar feelings, while numerous users on the r/GooglePixel subreddit have also noted Google’s bad call here. Original poster andrewhahalee said, “now you need 4 taps to turn on manual mode, scroll the bottom, tap the option and then adjust,” while user 465468 said, “Major step in the wrong direction…I think it’s a damn shame and really can’t understand how they would come up with that change.”
As such, while both the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro remain among some of the best camera phones available right now, it would appear that it’s not competitors Pixel photography fans need to be aware of – it’s Google.
Can’t start your day without a hearty dose of coffee? Regularly brew a cup of green tea after lunch? While these caffeinated drinks offer health benefits that go beyond helping you perk up and stay focused, relying on them in high quantities and/or drinking up too late in the day could mean bad news for your shuteye come nightfall, and having even the very best mattress may not be enough to lull you off to sleep.
If you can’t bear to part ways with your go-to sources of caffeine, it’ll be in your best interest to at least cap off intake at a certain point in the day; it’s also useful to know that the best time in the morning to drink coffee is 10am, not first thing.
We spoke to a dietician to discover if there’s an ideal time to stop caffeinating for the sake of better sleep, and also learned why caffeine and sleep are at odds with each other, as well as finding out about some surprising sources of the stimulant you may also want to steer clear of.
When should I stop drinking caffeine before bed?
“It is suggested that most people should stop consuming caffeine at least six hours before bedtime [to avoid] disruptive effects on sleep,” says Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, CDN, founder and director of Real Nutrition in New York City.
People who are sensitive to caffeine and/or have ongoing sleep issues may want to cease caffeinating even earlier than the six-hour mark. On the other hand, some may take to a post-dinner shot of espresso just fine and have no difficulty catching their ZZZs within a few hours’ time.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In short, the ideal caffeine cutoff time will be based on the individual, so the six-hour mark is a decent general guideline. “The timing may vary due to the high variability of individual responses to caffeine consumption based on sex, age, diet, health, metabolism etc.,” Shapiro explains. “Depending on the individual, the effects of caffeine consumption can last up to 12 hours.”
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The amount of caffeine present in the beverage will also play a role, she adds. For example, a large cup of coffee can pack over 400 milligrams of caffeine, while a bottle of iced tea can offer 20 to 50 milligrams per serving. Caffeine content will vary based on factors such as the size of the drink, brands, and brewing times.
What caffeine does to your body
“Caffeine is a stimulant that increases activity in your brain and nervous system, and increases circulation of neurotransmitters including cortisol and adrenaline,” Shapiro explains. (Cortisol is known as the stress hormone yet it also helps us stay alert. Similarly, adrenaline helps prepare us for fight-or-flight mode and allows us to react quickly.)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Short-term effects of caffeine, she continues, typically include:
Mental alertness
Physical energy
Increased breathing
Faster heart rate
Caffeine isn’t without its risks. Shapiro warns that high doses, frequent use, or potential adverse effects may include:
Restlessness
Excitement
Tremor
Anxiety
Headaches
Insomnia
Physical and/or psychological dependence
Why caffeine disrupts sleep
Most people reach for caffeine since it helps them stay awake, so it makes sense that it’d be at odds with falling asleep.
“Caffeine acts primarily on receptors in the body that are related to functions of the brain associated with sleep, arousal, and cognition,” Shapiro explains. “Adenosine receptor agonists in the brain generally promote sleep, and caffeine promotes wakefulness by antagonizing [i.e., inhibiting or counteracting] those receptors.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In other words, caffeine disallows certain sleepiness cues to kick in when they should—which is how coffee, caffeinated tea and the like can prevent a good night’s rest.
In addition to affecting sleep latency (i.e., the time it takes to fall asleep), caffeine may also worsen sleep quality. In a 2021 randomized controlled trial in healthy men, published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms, those who had 150 milligrams of caffeine three times in the daytime over 10 days experienced the following sleep issues compared to a placebo group:
Delays in REM sleep (a sleep stage that heavily influences subjective sleep quality)
Greater difficulty waking up
Feeling more tired upon arising
What foods and drinks contain caffeine?
You likely already know that coffee, some teas (namely black and green tea), and energy drinks contain caffeine. However, they’re not the only dietary items that pack the stimulant.
According to Shapiro, additional sources of caffeine you may want to cut off by the afternoon include:
Soft drinks, such as soda
Gum
Some protein bars
Chocolate/cacao
Some medications
Moreover, it’s worth remembering that the terms ‘decaf’ and ‘caffeine-free’ aren’t interchangeable. The former indicates that caffeine was removed from a given product and trace amounts will likely remain present. Meanwhile, the latter indicates that caffeine wasn’t in a given product (such as the majority of herbal teas) to begin with.
The takeaway
If you struggle to fall asleep at night, you may find relief by ceasing caffeine intake 6 hours before bedtime. However, since caffeine tolerance varies by the individual, you might need to extend this timeline, sometimes to as long as 12 hours.
It could also benefit your ZZZs to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume (i.e., going from two cups to one cup daily) or perhaps even slowly taper off caffeine entirely.
Last but not least, you can always add items that promote better rest—such as chamomile tea and tart cherry juice—into your nightly regimen.
Amy Shapiro
Amy Shapiro MS, RD, CDN, has been the founder and director of Real Nutrition, an NYC-based private practice, for over 15 years. She is dedicated to healthfully and successfully guiding clients to their optimal nutrition, weight, and overall wellness. Recognized for her individualized, lifestyle-focused approach, which integrates realistic food plans, smart eating habits, and active living.
The 32-inch Amazon Fire TV 2-series is the entry level series in Amazon Fire TV range, below the Amazon Fire TV 4-series and Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED. It comes with a 720p panel and is priced at $199 / £249 / around AU$305. It is also available in a 40-inch size with a 1080p Full HD panel.
The Amazon 2-series has plenty to live up to following the Amazon Omni QLED, one of the best TVs of 2023, and our budget TV of the year at the TechRadar Choice Awards. Unfortunately, the Amazon 2-series doesn’t quite have the same wow factor as its more premium counterpart and faces tough competition in the best 32-inch TV category, although it does provide a very budget-friendly option for those needing a small screen.
The picture quality on the Amazon 32-inch 2-series is a mixed bag. Starting with lower-resolution and HD broadcast TV, textures were detailed enough and the Amazon 2-series did a good job of upscaling. For daytime TV programming, the picture was decent.
Moving onto 4KHDR sources, the first movie I watched was Star Wars: The Last Jedi on a Disney Plus stream to test color and overall HDR performance (the Amazon 2-series has HDR10 compatibility). During the throne room fight scene, With its Film Dark picture mode active, the Amazon 2-series did a good job of displaying the vibrant reds without making them look too overblown. Lightsabers also showed plenty of the expected shine. Testing the Amazon 2-series’ color gamut coverage, DCI-P3 (the color space used to master 4K movies and digital cinema releases) was 74.3% and BT.2020 was 54.1%. Although these results are expected for a budget TV, they aren’t as good as what we measured on the LG 32LQ6300, arguably the best 32-inch TV available.
The Amazon Fire TV 32-inch 2-series has an inconsistent picture, but colors can be good as shown by Star Wars: The Last Jedi. (Image credit: Future)
Using The Batman on standard Blu-ray to test black levels and shadows, the TV’s regular LED panel showed its limitations as any black areas on the screen took on a gray tone and there were instances of backlight clouding. Contrast was mixed, with a good balance between blacks and highlights in the subway fight scene, but less impressive performance in other scenes.
Measuring the grayscale of the Amazon 2-series, it gave a result of 3.5 (we typically look for a result below 3). This isn’t the worst result we’ve seen (it’s the same as the LG 32LQ6300) but it explains some of the 2-series’ black level and skin tone accuracy limitations. Measuring the Amazon 2-series’ peak brightness on a 10% window yielded a result of 260 nits and 237 nits in Standard and Film Dark mode, respectively, which are similar numbers to other 32-inch TVs we’ve tested.
Moving onto Top Gun: Maverick, the Amazon 2-series did a credible job of handling fast motion and panning shots, although there was some blur and judder present and there weren’t any motion adjustments in the TV’s picture settings menu to compensate for it. In bright daylight sequences, the characters’ skin tones looked oversaturated and unnatural. Changing the picture mode to Natural helped by preventing textures from appearing too sharp, but also sacrificed picture clarity and color accuracy.
The Amazon Fire TV 32-inch 2-series uses Fire TV, a smart TV platform with pros and cons. (Image credit: Future)
The Amazon 2-series fared better than expected in terms of audio quality. There isn’t much to distinguish between the various sound modes such as Standard and Music, though Entertainment proved the best option. With this active, dialogue was clear and the sound surprisingly well-balanced for a budget set. Watching The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, the 2-series did an adequate job conveying the bassy rumble from the engines of the Batmobile and fighter jets, respectively – much more so than the tinny speakers of the Hisense 32A5K. If you’re using this as a main TV, I’d suggest you invest in one of the best soundbars, but as a secondary TV its sound should suffice.
The 2-series uses Amazon Fire TV as its smart TV platform. This offers access to plenty of apps and customization features, but also displays arguably too many recommendations on its home menu. Navigation also felt occasionally slow and clunky on the 2-series, with long pauses and stutters while loading different pages and apps. There are settings to adjust both picture and audio, but as stated above some important ones are missing such as motion settings.
The 2-series resembles other 32-inch budget TVs, with a functional design that’s not uninspired – especially compared to the likes of the Hisense A5K. During setup, installing the feet showed its cheaper design, again even compared to the similarly priced LG LQ6300. The 2-series does, however, come with the Amazon Fire TV Alexa remote – a welcome accessory.
The Amazon Fire TV 32-inch 2-series (pictured with Battlefield V on screen) has average gaming performance that handles motion adequately. (Image credit: Future)
Gaming performance on the Amazon 2-series should be acceptable to bedroom gamers tight on space. There are no real gaming features ( expected at this price) but playing Battlefield V on Xbox Series X was smooth enough, though with occasional choppy frame rates. Switching between targets and scanning the environment was also fairly well handled.
You see a lot of similarly priced sets with similar features in the 32-inch TV category, and with its 720p as opposed to 1080p resolution, the 2-series lies at a disadvantage. Better options exist at its $199 / £249 price, with the LG 32LQ6300 regularly priced in the UK at £199. However, we have seen the 2-series as low as $119 in the US, and for that low price it is tough to argue against.
The Amazon Fire TV 32-inch 2-series comes with the Amazon Alexa remote. (Image credit: Future)
Amazon Fire TV 32-inch 2 series review: Prices & release date
Release date: 2023
Prices from $199 /£249 / around $305 for the 32-inch
Prices from $249 / £299 / around $350 for the 40-inch
The cheapest and smallest entry in Amazon’s 2023 Fire TV lineup, the Amazon 2-series is priced around $199 / £249 / around $305 for the 32-inch and $249 / £299 / around $350 for the 40-inch. Both models are regularly on sale, with the 32-inch TV we tested dropping as low as $119 in the US and £149 in the UK.
Amazon Fire TV 32-inch 2 series review: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
LG 32LQ6300 TV
Screen type
LED
Refresh rate
50/60Hz
HDR
HDR10, HLG
Audio
N/A
Smart TV
Fire TV
HDMI ports
3x HDMI (2x HDMI 1.4, 1x for ARC)
Should you buy the Amazon Fire TV 32-inch 2-series?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
Fire TV smart TV platform and HDR10 but no gaming features
3.5 / 5
Picture quality
Colors are snappy but other elements such as contrast lack
3 / 5
Sound quality
Clearer than expected with good dialogue
4 / 5
Design
Functional but bland design
3.5 / 5
Smart TV & menus
Fire TV offers lots of apps but can be clunky
3.5 / 5
Gaming
No next-gen gaming features but adequate performance
3.5 / 5
Value
Lots of competition but has dropped to very cheap price before
4 / 5
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider…
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 – Cell 0
Amazon Fire TV 2-series
Hisense A5K
LG LQ6300
Samsung The Frame (2023)
Price (32-inch)
$199 / £249
£199
$249 / £249
$599 / £499
Screen type
LED
QLED
LED
QLED
Refresh rate
50/60Hz
50/60Hz
50/60Hz
50/60Hz
HDR
HDR10, HLG
HDR10, HLG
HDR10, HLG
HDR10+, HDR10 ,HLG
Smart TV
Fire TV
VIDAA U6
webOS 22
Tizen
HDMI ports
3 (2x 1.4, 1x for ARC
3 (1x HDMI 2.0)
2 (HDMI 1.4)
2 (HDMI 2.1)
(Image credit: Future)
How I tested the Amazon Fire TV 32-inch 2-series
Tested in lab room with different lighting conditions
Tested through a variety of sources – both SDR and HDR
Measurements taken using Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software
I tested the various picture and sound modes of the Amazon 2-series using a mixture of broadcast, lower-resolution TV, and HDR sources, streaming through apps such as Disney Plus and Blu-ray. I also used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player to play standard Blu-rays.
When it comes to how we test TVs at TechRadar, following subjective testing looking at picture quality, gaming, audio and more, we move on to objective tests using a colorimeter and test pattern generator (for our tests I use the Murideo Six 8K Metal), with the results recorded by Portrait Displays’ Calman claibration software.
To test for brightness, we measure across a variety of different-sized white window patterns in both SDR and HDR using Standard and the most accurate picture mode (in this case Film Dark) to get an indication of peak brightness and how well the TV will cope with reflections. We then record the Delta-E values (which demonstrates the margin of error between the test pattern and what is displayed) for color accuracy, grayscale and gamma using Calman. Lastly, we measure DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color space coverage, along with input lag in Game mode.
The Samsung 990 EVO steps into the spotlight following the well-received Samsung 990 Pro, setting the stage for an SSD to carry forward the EVO series’ legacy of performance and reliability.
The 970 EVO Plus, this SSD’s predecessor, was one of the best SSD picks when it was released a couple of years back, and it’s still celebrated as one of the best cheap SSDs you can get even now, despite lacking the kinds of data rates you’ll get with a modern PCIe 5.0.
That leaves the 990 EVO with the ambitious task of following up a beloved budget model while introducing a hybrid PCIe 4.0/5.0 interface aimed at carving out a niche in an increasingly competitive SSD arena, and in that, it kind of succeeds – but also disappoints.
Right out the gate, the 990 EVO distinguishes itself with an interface capable of toggling between x4 PCIe 4.0 and x2 PCIe 5.0, which gives PC users a decent amount of wiggle room for their PCs if they’ve got a lot of drives plugged in. Coupled with a newly minted 5nm controller designed to enhance efficiency, the 990 EVO should be set up for success.
The drive opts for a DRAM-less configuration, however, that somewhat tempers expectations with its more modest bandwidth, leading to speeds that clock below what the best PCIe 4.0 drives are capable of.
Despite this, the single-sided 2TB variant I reviewed presents a versatile option for both PC enthusiasts and PlayStation 5 owners, a nod towards the growing standardization of high-capacity, single-sided drives. It lacks a heatsink, so PS5 users especially will want to look at an add-in heatsink just to be safe, but given the speeds involved, this drive doesn’t really get hot enough that you’ll need to be too concerned.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Targeted primarily at the laptops, OEM, and pre-built PC markets, the 990 EVO promises to deliver sufficient performance for gaming and everyday use, and positions itself as a compliment to the far more robust 990 Pro. It’s a more cost-effective solution for gamers and others while still benefiting from Samsung’s solid software support and reliability, and the option to toggle between PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0 is a real value add for this drive.
Price-wise, the 990 EVO entered the market with a recommended retail price of $149.99 for the 1TB model and $239.99 for the 2TB variant, according to Samsung’s website, but even there, these prices have been marked down quite a bit, and you can find the 1TB model for about $90/£100/AU$219, depending on where you look.
This pricing strategy places it in a good balance with its Pro sibling and other competitors, especially in a market where SSD prices are on the rise.
Performance specifications for the 990 EVO boast up to 5,000 MB/s and 4,200 MB/s in sequential reads and writes, respectively, alongside impressive random read and write IOPS. These figures are complemented by a standard five-year warranty and support for TCG Opal 2.0 encryption, making it an attractive option for security-conscious laptop users.
In terms of real-world performance, I more or less achieved these speeds across the board, and the drive’s flexibility to operate across both PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 interfaces is a highlight. Despite the drive’s low-ish 5,000MB/s advertised sequential read speed (which doesn’t come close to maxing out the PCIe 4.0/5.0 lanes available to it), the drive does at least hit or exceed this claimed speed.
Despite these technical intricacies, the 990 EVO’s broader challenge lies in its identity within the highly competitive SSD market. It seeks to offer a balance between performance, efficiency, and price – a task complicated by the competitive pricing and superior performance of PCIe 4.0 alternatives like the 990 Pro, PNY XLR8 CS3140, or Patriot Viper VP4300.
All together then, the Samsung 990 EVO represents a solid addition to the SSD market. It doesn’t bring you the kind of PCIe 5.0 speeds we see with the Crucial T705, but it’s not meant for full-on performance. If you want that, you’ll be better off investing in a ‘real’ PCIe 5.0 SSD, but for what it is, the 990 EVO hits the mark it needs to hit.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Samsung 990 EVO: Price & availability
How much does it cost? MSRP starting at $149.99/£100/AU$219
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Samsung 990 EVO starts at $149.99/£100/AU$219 for 1TB and maxes out at 2TB for $239.99/£169/AU$359, at least officially.
This doesn’t include a heatsink, but given the rather modest speeds and energy usage of this SSD, your motherboard’s heatsink will be more than enough since you really don’t even need the extra heat spreader for this drive.
While the above are retail prices for this SSD (according to Samsung’s website), even Samsung can be found offering these drives for up to 40% off, making this one of the best cheap SSD options out there if you’re hoping to find a good balance between price and performance.
Samsung 990 EVO: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell – Column 0
Samsung 990 EVO 1TB
Samsung 990 EVO 2TB
Price
$149.99/£100/AU$219
$239.99/£169/AU$359
NAND
Samsung V-NAND TLC
Samsung V-NAND TLC
Heatsink?
N
N
Form factor
M.2 2280
M.2 2280
Interface
PCIe 5.0 x2 | PCIe x4
PCIe 5.0 x2 | PCIe x4
Max Sequential Read
5,000MB/s
5,000MB/s
Max Sequential Write
4,200MB/s
4,200MB/s
Active power (Read/Write)
4.9W | 4.5W
4.9W | 4.5W
Endurance rating
600TBW
1200TBW
Warranty
5-year
5-year
Should you buy the Samsung 990 EVO?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Samsung 990 EVO Scorecard
Value
At its MSRP, there are far better PCIe 5.0 SSDs that will get you better performance, but thanks to recent price drops, this SSD is a much better value.
4 / 5
Design
The single-sided design makes this a good potential SSD for PS5’s, especially thanks to its lower power-usage and more manageable thermal performance.
4 / 5
Performance
This is an EVO-branded SSD, so it’s more about balance than pure performance, and for that, it comes out as a pretty solid performer.
4 / 5
Average rating
While not the best PCIe 5.0 SSD you can get at this price, the improved power efficiency and single-sided form factor makes this ideal for mobile devices like laptops. But at it’s MSRP, you can do better.
4 / 5
Buy the Samsung 990 EVO if…
Don’t buy it if…
Samsung 990 EVO: Also consider
If my Samsung 990 EVO review has you looking for other options, here are two more SSDs to consider…
How I tested the Samsung 990 EVO
I spent about two weeks testing the Samsung 990 EVO
I used it as my main system drive on my workstation PC
I used my standard battery of benchmark tests along with content creation and general use
I spent about two weeks testing the Samsung 990 EVO, using it as my primary system drive on my workstation PC that I used for content creation, general work use, and some light gaming.
Primarily, though, this drive is best reserved for mobile devices like laptops and possibly PC gaming handhelds that can better benefit from its improved energy efficiency.
I’ve been reviewing PC hardware for several years, in addition to earning my Master’s Degree in Computer Science in 2024, so I know very well how a drive like this should perform with its given architecture and price point — knowledge I leverage to ensure you find the best SSD for your needs and budget, whether it’s the Samsung 990 EVO or a competing drive.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained – regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it’s on our radar.
The first trailer for Alien: Romulus has burst out of the film industry’s metaphorical chest to emerge online – and it suggests we’re in for a hair-raising ride when it debuts in theaters.
Directed by Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead), the seventh movie entry in the sci-fi horror franchise is looking like a particularly frightening experience. Indeed, the trailer for one of 2024’s new movies might only be 55 seconds long, but it packs a lot into its all-too-brief runtime.
With its suitably foreboding atmosphere, blood-curling screams, and terrifying pack of hunting facehuggers – was anybody else shouting “nope nope nope” at the screen when they appeared? – too, Alien: Romulus might finally give us another great (and ridiculously overdue) Alien sequel.
Alien: Romulus‘ plot is largely shrouded in secrecy, but 20th Century Studios – plus the film’s cast and crew – have slowly started to peel back its layers.
For starters, it’s set between 1977’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens movies, a fact that lead star Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) confirmed to Variety in November 2023. It’s a standalone tale in the Ridley Scott-developed film franchise, too, so it’ll sit independent of the aforementioned Sigourney Weaver-starring flicks.
20th Century Studios also provided a very vague story synopsis alongside Romulus‘ first teaser, which simply reads: “While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonisers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe”. Hey, I did warn you it was pretty nebulous.
Experience #AlienRomulus only in theaters August 16. pic.twitter.com/OZWmHKVPH2March 20, 2024
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Aaaand that’s about it, I’m afraid. Aside from Alien Romulus‘ key creators – Alvarez is its director and co-writer, while Scott is on board as an executive producer – there’s little else we know about it. Well, apart from its confirmed cast, with Spaeny being joined by Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Isabela Merced (The Last of Us season 2), Spike Fearn (Aftersun), David Jonsson (Murder Is Easy), and newcomer Aileen Wu.
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Alien: Romulus will launch exclusively in theaters worldwide on August 16.
When it comes to teasers, less is more
As brief as Alien: Romulus‘ trailer is, it’s extremely satisfying to see a movie teaser that doesn’t give away everything about its plot.
The entertainment industry’s obsession with showing key story details in film and TV show trailers is frankly ridiculous. Nowadays, too many trailers have runtimes that exceed two and a half minutes, and which practically spoil their narratives. Just look at Universal’s latest trailer for Ryan Gosling’s The Fall Guy – you can watch it above – which is over three minutes in length, and effectively lays out its entire plot ahead of its May release. The same was true of Madame Web‘s first teaser, which also exceeded three minutes, and saw the Spider-Man spin-off flick’s entire plot spelled out before it made its maligned arrival in theaters in February.
In sharp contrast, Romulus‘ teaser is just that – a tease of what’s to come. It preserves an air of mystery, choosing instead to demonstrate how it’s hoping to take the Alien franchise back to roots. With its confined spaceship-set location, the re-appearance of facehuggers, a horror-driven ambience, and a small group of humans fighting for survival against (in this trailer at least) a single xenomorph, it seems like it’ll do just that.
Of course, we’ve been here before with Alien sequels – Prometheus and Alien: Covenant‘s trailers suggested they could break the Alien movie curse before they crashed and burned at the box office. Romulus, though, looks like it could crack the code. With an Alien TV show from Fargo creator Noah Hawley set to debut on FX via Hulu (in the US anyway) in 2025, too, thing’s might be looking up for the Alien franchise’s future if Romulus and its TV cousin are successful. Time will tell if they are – but based on Romulus‘ first teaser, it seems that the Alvarez-directed flick could start to steady the sci-fi horror movie series’ ship.
If there’s one camera that’s catching the attention of the wider world right now it’s the Fujifilm X100VI. By all accounts, this stylish rangefinder is likely to be the most popular release of the year – so much so, in fact, that Fujifilm X1000VI preorders are currently facing months of backlogs.
Got your eye on this camera but don’t want to wait? Don’t fear – there are some fantastic alternatives right now that are arguably as good. While some may lack the certain je ne sais quoi that the X100VI exudes, there are some options right now that are lightweight, offer similar film presets, and are in some cases cheaper.
Firstly, there are plenty of decent older options from Fujifilm. These cameras still hold up great for 2024 and offer those coveted presets for film-like JPEGs straight out of camera. Just note, however, that second-hand prices for Fujifilm gear are massively inflated due to the brand’s popularity.
Outside of Fuji, we’re spoilt for choice with compelling options like the Ricoh GIII and Leica Q3 offering some of the best compact cameras on the market. In particular, the Ricoh offers a more budget-friendly option that’s super easy to fit into any pocket – although it doesn’t have those shiny film presets like the X100VI. Anyway, on with our top alternative recommendations just below – and be sure to swing by our freshly published Fujifilm X100VI review while you’re here.
Three excellent Fujifilm alternatives
Excellent alternatives from other brands
Honorable mentions
(Image credit: Future)
You’re probably thinking – why not mention the Fujifilm X100V? Overall, the last-gen model is a fantastic camera but it’s absolutely plagued by the ‘Fujifilm curse’ currently – meaning you’re paying a hefty surcharge on the second-hand market due to popularity. This may gradually change over the next few months as more people off-load their old cameras, but right now, the X100V is almost as pricey as the new model so you’re probably better off just waiting it out.
This is also the case for the X-Pro 3 and X-Pro 2 – both of which are excellent Fujifilm cameras with gorgeous range-finder style bodies and optical viewfinders. The X-Pro line still hasn’t been refreshed to bring it into line with the X-T5 and X100VI so you’re paying a premium for an older camera here, although the X-Pro 3 absolutely ticks all the boxes for a stylish retro camera.
One camera that may be worth keeping an eye out for is the Olympus PEN-F. This one is a dark horse being a Micro Four Thirds camera released in 2016, but it does feature a gorgeous range-finder design that harkens back to Olympus’ glory days. The downside? It’s surprisingly expensive for a camera of its age – likely because it’s still a relatively unique camera in the Olympus / OM System range. For my money, the GX9 is the better value choice.
