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Latest Gear Live Videos
The ROG Xbox Ally: A Portable Xbox Dream, with a Windows Reality Check
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, Portable Audio / Video, Video Games, Videos,
You know that feeling when you pick up a device and it just makes sense? Like someone finally listened to what you actually wanted. That is exactly what happens when you get your hands on the ROG Xbox Ally. Microsoft and Asus have finally answered a question we have been asking for years: what would a portable Xbox actually look like?
But this is not just another company trying to build an all-in-one handheld. This is a massive ecosystem play to let you take your Xbox library absolutely anywhere.
You can pick up the ROG Xbox Ally now!
Click to continue reading The ROG Xbox Ally: A Portable Xbox Dream, with a Windows Reality Check
Gallery: The ROG Xbox Ally: A Portable Xbox Dream, with a Windows Reality Check
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Why 86 Million People Abandoned Nintendo
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Video Games, Videos,
It’s easy to look at the Wii U’s sales numbers - a 13.5 million unit whimpering follow-up to the Wii’s 100 million unit roar - and assume the console itself was the problem.
But it wasn’t.
The hardware was weird, sure, and that chunky GamePad looked a bit like a Fisher-Price toy, but the real issue was that Nintendo forgot how to talk to human beings. Between the disastrous name that sounded like an accessory and an E3 reveal that hid the actual console, Nintendo spent years trying to sell a solution to a problem nobody knew they had. It was a classic case of brilliant engineering colliding with catastrophic messaging, creating a device that even the most die-hard fans struggled to explain to their friends.
Click to continue reading Why 86 Million People Abandoned Nintendo
Gallery: Why 86 Million People Abandoned Nintendo
I Played Halo: Campaign Evolved at Halo World Championship: Halo Studios is Trying to Solve a 25-year-old Problem
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, Video Games,
The room already had that Halo World Championship energy. Loud, slightly chaotic, half sports arena and half family reunion. People were still talking about clutches and brackets, still wearing team jerseys like they were uniforms, and then the whole weekend abruptly pivoted into something else. A nostalgia bomb with a release window.
Halo Studios walked out and said the quiet part out loud: they’re remaking Halo: Combat Evolved. Not a texture pass. Not “Anniversary, but shinier.” A ground-up campaign remake built in Unreal Engine 5, coming in 2026, and yes, it’s headed to PlayStation 5 along with Xbox Series X|S and PC.
And then they did the smart thing. They didn’t just announce it. They showed it.
The first long look was The Silent Cartographer, the mission every Halo fan can replay in their head like muscle memory. There’s a reason they picked it. It’s beach landing and wide-open chaos and that specific Halo magic where it’s always your choice whether to be careful or stupid.
Then I got in line and played it.
Gallery: I Played Halo: Campaign Evolved at Halo World Championship: Halo Studios is Trying to Solve a 25-year-old Problem
Halo World Championship 2025 Was a Farewell Tour and a Pitch for What’s Next
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, Video Games,
There are a lot of esports weekends where the biggest story is the trophy. Someone plays out of their mind, the bracket goes sideways, the crowd loses its voice, and you get a clean headline at the end: Team X wins. Roll credits.
Halo World Championship 2025, held October 24–26 in Seattle, did not do clean headlines. It did endings and beginnings at the same time. It crowned Shopify Rebellion as the final Halo Infinite world champions after a 4–1 Grand Finals win over OpTic Gaming. It put up strong viewership and attendance that made the whole thing feel bigger than a niche scene. It raised real money for charity. It gave the Halo faithful a reason to argue online for weeks. And then it quietly made the most important point of the whole weekend: Halo is trying to turn the page.
If you only watched the matches, the weekend felt like a victory lap for a team that looked built for it.
Gallery: Halo World Championship 2025 Was a Farewell Tour and a Pitch for What’s Next
Gaming on the Hisense 100 Inch TV is MIND BLOWING!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Displays, Home Entertainment, Video Games, Videos,
Hisense 100-inch U75QN Mini-LED TV Review! This is Hisense’s newest 100-inch screen, and it’s wild. From gaming to movies, this massive display finally delivers brightness and contrast that hold up in real life.
I’ve been living with the 100-inch Hisense U75QN for the past couple of weeks: daytime streaming, late-night movies, long gaming sessions, and endless app-hopping. The Mini-LED panel handles daylight without washing out, and the blacks stay cinematic after dark. The built-in audio punches above its weight, but I still prefer external speakers. And yes, Google TV is nice and fluid.
If you’ve been wondering whether a 100-inch TV actually fits into your everyday life, this review breaks down what works, what doesn’t, and whether the Hisense U75QN earns its spot as one of the best 100-inch TVs you can buy.
Get the 100" Hisense U75QG at Amazon or Best Buy!
Gallery: Gaming on the Hisense 100 Inch TV is MIND BLOWING!
The Hidden iPhone Superpower w/ Guest Matt Cassinelli
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Wearables, Features, Smart Home, PC / Laptop, Video Games,
This week Matt Cassinelli joins the show to talk to us about the power of the Shortcuts app on iPhone and iPad. Matt is who we consider to be the master of Shortcuts, and is able to bend the iPhone to his will more than anyone else we know. We also talk about the Playstation 5 reveal event, Apple’s rumored transition to ARM processors in Mac computers, and more!
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
- Subscribe to Geared Up!
- How to Police-Proof Your Phone
- Siri Shortcuts on iOS 14
- PS5 Hardware Reveal
- The Rise and Fall of Windows Phone
- Matt Cassinelli on YouTube
- Geared Up on YouTube
- Jon Rettinger on YouTube
- Andru Edwards on YouTube
SPONSOR: National Car Rental - skip the line with the Emerald Club. Go National. Go Like a Pro.
Listen to the episode in the player above or subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app to listen on the go!
Gallery: The Hidden iPhone Superpower w/ Guest Matt Cassinelli
Geared Up: New Nintendo Switch Consoles, Apple Kills the MacBook, & Galaxy Note 10 Crazy Battery!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, PC / Laptop, Video Games,
On this week's Geared Up, we talk about the two new Nintendo Switch consoles that were announced this past week - the Nintendo Switch Lite and the Nintendo Switch with refreshed battery. In the case of the Switch Lite, we are getting a new handheld-only portable console with a cheaper price and some caveats. Over on the standard Switch front, we were expecting a pro version of the Switch as well, but instead got the same hardware with increased battery life.
Apple has significantly changed its laptop computer lineup with the release of a cheaper MacBook Air and the addition of premium features on the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro while simultaneously killing the 12-inch MacBook and the older entry-level MacBook Air. We go over why this actually provides clarity for anyone looking to buy an Apple laptop.
Samsung will be announcing the Galaxy Note 10 at an event on August 7th at the Barclays Center, and rumors and dropping left and right about the new flagship devices in the weeks leading up to the reveal. The latest focuses on a very unique feature for the Note 10 battery that may make charging anxiety a thing of the past!
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
SPONSOR: National Car Rental - skip the line with the Emerald Club. Go National. Go Like a Pro.
Listen to the episode in the player below or subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app to listen on the go:
Listen to this episode of the Geared Up podcast for analysis of the latest from Nintendo, Apple, and Samsung.
Gallery: Geared Up: New Nintendo Switch Consoles, Apple Kills the MacBook, & Galaxy Note 10 Crazy Battery!
Best Amazon Prime Day 2019 Deals!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Smart Home, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Portable Audio / Video, Video Games,
It's Amazon Prime Day across the world, and as promised, here are some of the best Amazon Prime Day 2019 deals you can get! I will update this list throughout the day:
TECH DEALS
- Ecobee SmartThermostat $200 (save $50)
- Eero WiFi System $150 (save $200)
- 20% off Amazon Warehouse
- Braun Series 7 Smart Shaver $140 (save $60)
- SanDisk Ultra 400GB microSD card $44.99 (save $20.83)
- Microsoft Surface Headphones $189.99 (save $160)
- Oculus Go VR Headset $159 (save $40)
APPLE DEALS
- $250 off the latest iPad Pros
- Take $100 off Apple’s 128GB 9.7-inch iPad
- iPad Air $40 off
- iPad Mini $15
- iPad Pros 2017 $480 off
- Apple Watch Series 4 - $75 off
- Apple AirPods with wireless charging for $179
- Newly-released MacBook Air $200 off
- $50 iTunes & App Store Gift Cards for $40 (save $10)
Click to continue reading Best Amazon Prime Day 2019 Deals!
Gallery: Best Amazon Prime Day 2019 Deals!
Geared Up: The Death of the Xbox, Amazon Prime Day 2019 Deals, & Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Rumors!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News, Hot Deals, Microsoft, Video Games, Videos,
On this week's Geared Up, we talk about the upcoming Amazon Prime Day, celebrating Amazon's 25th anniversary. I bring you my tips on finding the best Prime Day deals, while naming a couple of my favorite Prime Day launch deals (which you can find right now - the Anker PowerPort Atom III and the Jabra Elite 85h headphones!) This year Amazon is extending Prime Day to be a two-day shopping event, which means competing retailers are also preparing their own deals to steal away some attention.
High-quality video game streaming is nearly here, with early launches of both Microsoft Project xCloud (an Xbox streaming service,) and Google Stadia both taking place in the fall of 2019. A listener asked if the fact that people will be able to stream their games to any device - from web browser, to smartphone to smart TV and more - spells the end of the Xbox and PlayStation dedicated video game consoles as we know them. I weigh in with my thoughts, along with my impressions of using Project xCloud (which you can see in the video embedded below!)
Samsung sent out invites for its Galaxy Unpacked event, which takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on August 7th. This will be where the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 will make its debut, and we should likely hear news of updated launch plans for the Samsung Galaxy Fold as well. I discuss the expected features and specs for the new Samsung flagship smartphone.
Finally, I also talk about Jony Ive leaving Apple and what his departure means for the future of the company as many wonder if the iconic designs that Apple is known for will suffer as a result.
SPONSOR: National Car Rental. Go National. Go like a pro.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
- Hands-On with Microsoft Project xCloud Game Streaming to Phones!
- Amazon Prime Day Deals
- Amazon Prime Day: Anker PowerPort Atom III
- Amazon Prime Day: Jabra Elite 85h Headphones
- Peloton Bike High Tech Fitness Gadget
SPONSOR: National Car Rental - skip the line with the Emerald Club. Go National. Go Like a Pro.
Listen to the episode in the player below or subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app to listen on the go:
Listen to this episode of the Geared Up podcast for analysis of the latest from Amazon, Apple, and Samsung.
Gallery: Geared Up: The Death of the Xbox, Amazon Prime Day 2019 Deals, & Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Rumors!
Geared Up: Microsoft’s Mystery Foldable Surface Tablet, Updated Nintendo Switch Mini, & Apple vs Spotify Intensifies!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Music, PC / Laptop, Video Games, Videos,
This week on Geared Up, we talk about the latest rumors say that Microsoft is working on a new secret new foldable Surface tablet device that will be able to run Android apps and iCloud services, with a stripped down Windows Core OS - this will likely be more of a mobile device than a laptop, with LTE and 5G options available. This reminds me of the Microsoft Courier project from back in 2009 - take a look at the embedded video below!
Nintendo is ready to release two new updates to the Nintendo Switch lineup. First, a new miniature version of the popular Switch console that will likely be the successor to the Nintendo 3DS. In addition, there will be a more powerful Nintendo Switch "Pro" that will be 4K-capable when docked, with an upgrade to a 1080p display on the Switch unit itself.
Apple and Spotify's battle intensifies in court, with the two companies going back-and-forth in a public battle.
Finally, we also talk about the death of YouTube creator, Etika, and the state of mental health of content creators in this day and age.
SPONSOR: National Car Rental. Go National. Go like a pro.
LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
- Microsoft Courier tablet concept video
- How to Pair PS4 and Xbox Controllers to iOS in iOS 13
- Testing the New Dark Mode in iOS 13
SPONSOR: National Car Rental - skip the line with the Emerald Club. Go National. Go Like a Pro.
Listen to the episode in the player below or subscribe to Geared Up in your favorite podcast app to listen on the go:
Listen to this episode of the Geared Up podcast for analysis of the latest from Microsoft, Apple, and Nintendo.
