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Unless you’re a teenager, you’ve probably got some DVDs lying around from back when people still used DVDs. Ripping those old movies and TV shows not only keeps their contents from being lost or damaged, it also means you can print fresh copies from scratched discs (without those annoying FBI warnings or region codes, thanks to built-in DVD decryption), and have digital versions ready to edit for your own projects.
The holidays are a great time to hide away from visiting relatives and enjoy a good book. Fortunately, when it comes to tech-centric books released this year, there’s a great crop to pick from.
Here are our choices for the best tech books of 2016 (and no, we’re not including Jony Ive’s $300 tribute to himself).
Musicians who can’t read sheet music play by ear. What about a photographer who doesn’t fully understand the science behind imaging software?
That’s me and I’d call myself a fiddler. When it comes to toning an image in Adobe Photoshop, I don’t analyze the spikes on a histogram or adjust pixel color values. I fiddle with a picture until it looks right.
Macphun seems to design photo imaging programs with my brain in mind. Its newest app, an all-in-one program called Luminar lets photographers of all levels quickly improve the look of a photograph without even knowing how certain tools work.
Just in time for the holidays, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic has arrived in the App Store — giving would-be theme park designers the perfect $5.99 early Christmas gift to themselves.
Combining features from the acclaimed RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, this title offers a touch-optimized take on the classic management sims which swallowed up so many, many hours of my teenage years.
As wireless Bluetooth earbuds become the norm, Apple’s expensive, stormtrooper earing-looking buds look less appealing. Instead of AirPods, consider AirBeans — they’re a high quality, noise-canceling, more affordable, and honestly just cooler looking set of buds. Right now you can get a set of AirBeans for $69.99 at Cult of Mac Deals.
Losing an AirPod can be a pricey mistake, but if you’re not afraid of a little body modification, there’s a way to ensure Apple’s new buds stay in your ear forever.
The European Union’s highest court has ruled that the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Act, aka the “snooper’s charter,” is illegal.
The EU objects to the government’s “general and indiscriminate” retention of emails and other electronic communications. While the EU acknowledges that this information can be helpful, they argue that it should only be gathered in specific targeted instances to stop terrorism or serious crime.
Super Mario Run only shipped late last week, and already it has set a new download record of 40 million downloads in only its first four days.
That may be where the good news ends, however.
Apple’s “thin and light” approach for its latest laptops totally breaks down when it comes to charging, due to the sizable power adapter that ships with the computers. Luckily, a tiny new USB-C charger will let you leave Apple’s ungainly charging brick at home.
Moshi’s Mythro Air wireless earbuds look good and sound good. They offer all-day battery life, a clever magnetic clip to keep them in place, and a unique feature that allows you to share music from a single source to two sets of Mythro Air earbuds.
Best of all, they cost $69.99, and sound better than premium earbuds costing two or three times more.