Stories by Ben Patterson

Arlo’s privacy-minded Essential Indoor Camera goes on sale

First unveiled at CES, Arlo’s new indoor camera has a lens that automatically turns opaque when it’s disarmed.

Samsung’s 76-inch MicroLED TV will be its smallest yet

Samsung’s pricey MicroLED line is about to get more affordable, but it certainly won't be cheap.

Don’t worry, Spotify Free users: You can still cast to Google speakers

The “Premium only” error that Spotify Free users saw while trying to cast music to Google Assistant-powered speakers was just a bug, Spotify says.

HP Spectre x360 14 review: Luxurious, with long battery life

The HP Spectre x360 14 is the first of its family to sport a 3:2 display. It also delivers sizzling performance and great battery life.

Spotify will roll out CD-quality audio streams later this year

Spotify HiFi will arrive next year in “select markets,” although there’s no word on how much the new audio tier will cost yet.

Cord-cutters: Keep prying eyes out of your Netflix profile by locking it with a PIN

If you don't want your housemates to know what you've been watching on Netflix, you can lock your Netflix profile with a PIN. Here's how to do it.

Amazon’s next Echo display might be a wall-mounted control panel

An upcoming and slimmed-down Echo smart screen might act as a “command center” for your smart devices, according to an unconfirmed report.

A new Sonos product arriving in March. Could it be a smaller Move?

A recent FCC filing from Sonos hints at a compact portable speaker, although there’s been chatter about wireless headphones, as well.

5 things I learned while setting up my first media server

Sure, you can spend a fortune setting up a media server for your music and videos, but it turns out you don’t have to.

Porsche Design Acer Book RS review: This stylish, blazingly fast laptop lives up to its name

The Porsche Design Acer Book RS is a slim, light laptop that replaces the flash of its predecessor for sheer performance.

Amazon’s new Echo Show 10 and its rotating display will finally ship on Feburary 25

Better late than never, the third version of Amazon’s biggest smart display has a 10-inch screen that follows you around the room.

The Super Bowl won’t be in 4K or HDR this year

CBS is blaming “production limitations” due to COVID-19 for its decision to stick with a 1080p Super Bowl.

Netflix's long-awaited shuffle button will reportedly arrive this year

After months of testing a “shuffle play” button, Netflix is said to be rolling out the feature in the first half of 2021.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Unboxing and ears-on impressions

Available now, the $199 Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds are poised to take on the AirPods Pro.

Google adds a privacy-oriented Guest Mode to its Home and Nest smart speakers and displays

Want to have an off-the-record chat with Google Assistant on your smart speaker? Now you can, thanks to Google’s just-launched Guest Mode.