BATTERIES & CHARGERS BLOG – Page 6 – We are specialists in quality batteries. We have batteries, chargers and accessories for everything you can think of. Low prices, big inventory, expert advice. Find your battery here!

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: a style vs substance showdown

Two premium phones with different focuses

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

TheSamsung Galaxy S25 Edgehas taken theSamsung Galaxy S25 Plus’s place as the company’s second most expensive non-foldable phone. So if you want a premiumSamsunghandset and don’t want a foldable, then you’re most likely considering either this or the even more expensiveSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Aside from price, these phones also have some other similarities, especially when it comes to their construction and camera systems. But they also have a whole lot of differences, and in many ways are aimed at very different people.

Below, you’ll find a comparison of every key aspect of these phones, from their prices to their screens, cameras, and beyond, so you can see which is a better fit for you.

>>>EB-BS938ABY Battery for Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: specs comparison

Before we look closer at each element of these two phones, here’s a brief overview of all their key specs, so you can see how they stack up at a glance.

	Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge	Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Dimensions:	158.2 x 75.6 x 5.8mm	162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm
Weight:	163g	218g
Display:	6.7-inch AMOLED	6.9-inch AMOLED
Resolution:	1440 x 3120	1440 x 3120
Refresh rate:	120Hz	120Hz
Chipset:	Snapdragon 8 Elite	Snapdragon 8 Elite
Rear cameras:	200MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide	200MP wide, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP periscope, 10MP telephoto
Front camera:	12MP	12MP
RAM:	12GB	12GB
Storage:	256GB / 512GB	256GB / 512GB / 1TB
Battery:	3,900mAh	5,000mAh
Charging:	25W wired, 15W wireless	45W wired, 15W wireless

>>>EB-BS936ABY Battery for Samsung Galaxy S25+

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: price and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was announced on May 13, 2025, and it ships on May 30. It starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,849, for which you’ll get a model with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. But there’s also a version that ups the storage to 512GB for $1,219 / £1,199 / AU$2,049.

As for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, that was unveiled back in January of 2025 and is available now. You can pick it up from $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$2,149, which gets you 256GB of storage. Or you can get 512GB of storage for $1,419 / £1,349 / AU$2,349, or 1TB for $1,659 / £1,549 / AU$2,749. In all cases that’s with 12GB of RAM.

So the starting price of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is $200 / £150 / AU$300 higher, with the same amount of storage and RAM as you’ll get in the base model of the Galaxy S25 Edge.

>>>EB-BS931ABY Battery for Samsung Galaxy S25

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: design and display

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Viewed from the front, these two phones look quite similar, with expansive flat screens, and a punch-hole camera in the top-center.

They also both have titanium frames and similarly muted color schemes, though the selection of shades differs – the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is available in Titanium Icyblue, Titanium Silver, and Titanium Jetblack, while theSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra colorsinclude Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Gray, Titanium Jadegreen, Titanium Jetblack, and Titanium Pinkgold.

And both phones also have a glass back protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, along with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. However, that’s largely where the similarities end.

Their camera blocks look very different – partially because the S25 Edge only has two rear lenses while the S25 Ultra has four, but also the former’s cameras are housed in an oblong shape, while the latter’s are individual floating lenses.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is also of course a lot slimmer, as well as being all-round smaller and lighter, at 158.2 x 75.6 x 5.8mm and 163g, to the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm and 218g. Of course, some of the extra size and weight on the S25 Ultra is to house an S Pen stylus, which you don’t get with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Their screens also differ a bit. On the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, you get a 6.7-inch 120Hz display with a 1440 x 3120 resolution and around 513 pixels per inch. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra though has a larger 6.9-inch screen but with the same resolution, for a slightly lower 498 pixels per inch. This again is with a 120Hz refresh rate.

At the time of writing, we haven’t yet completed a fullSamsung Galaxy S25 Edge review, but in ourSamsung Galaxy S25 Ultra reviewwe described the display as “an excellent screen for all kinds of content and uses,” and it’s likely that the Edge’s will be similarly impressive.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: cameras

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra both have 200MP sensors, but not the same ones. Samsung has said as much, but hasn’t outlined how the Edge’s differs. Regardless though, both also have an aperture of f/1.7, so it’s possible that the size of the sensors differs.

Along with that 200MP main sensor, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge also has a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide and a 12MP f/2.2 selfie camera.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra though has quite a few more cameras, with a 50MP f/1.9 ultra-wide, a 50MP f/3.4 periscope (with 5x optical zoom), and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom, as well as a 12MP f/2.2 front-facing camera.

So the two phones have similar – but not identical – main cameras, and similar selfie snappers too. But the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has more megapixels on its ultra-wide and has two dedicated telephoto snappers, while the only optical quality zoom you can get with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is a 2x zoom achieved by cropping into the main sensor (something that you can also do with the S25 Ultra).

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: performance and software

If you want top-end smartphone performance then, well, you should be happy with either of these phones, as both of them have a top-tierSnapdragon 8 Elite chipsetand 12GB of RAM.

So this is one area where there shouldn’t really be anything to choose, and neither phone is likely to let you down, with our Galaxy S25 Ultra review finding its chipset was “a near-perfect mix of performance and efficiency.”

This means both phones should also be a strong choice for AI – the Galaxy S25 Ultra certainly is, and there’s no reason to think the Galaxy S25 Edge won’t be.

Speaking of AI, both phones have a whole lot of AI features baked into them, and they both use Samsung’s One UI 7 interface, which is a tweaked version ofAndroid 15.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: battery

The USB-C port on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

While the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a respectably large 5,000mAh battery, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is stuck with a rather small 3,900mAh one. That was presumably necessary to keep the phone thin, but it does mean it won’t match the Ultra’s stamina.

According to Samsung, the Galaxy S25 Edge can manage up to 24 hours of video playback on a single charge, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra can manage up to 31 hours.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra also offers faster wired charging, at up to 45W compared to 25W on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. So not only won’t the Edge’s battery last as long, it will also charge up slower. Though both phones are capable of 15W wireless charging.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: verdict

Going purely by their specs, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra should have the edge when it comes to battery life, charging speeds, and telephoto photography. It also has a slightly larger screen, an S Pen stylus, and can come with twice as much storage if you pay for the top 1TB model.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on the other hand is slimmer, lighter, and costs less, all while having the same amount of power, a similar primary camera, and similar screen specs.

So which you should buy might come down to which you can afford, and whether you prioritise a slim build over improved specs.

Switch 2 GameChat demands phone number registration

Those who want to use GameChat to interact with their friends while playing on their Switch 2 will need to register their phone numbers with Nintendo. Children under the age of 16 will need approval from their parent or guardian to use this feature.

Promotional image of GameChat feature coming with the Switch 2. (Image source: Nintendo)

Nintendo Switch 2 comes with several new features compared to the original Switch, one of which is GameChat for a more interactive and communal gaming experience. While it was stated in the official information for the feature, the fact that it requires phone number registration seems to have flown under the radar during all the chaos and hype around the Switch 2 itself. While this is a divisive move on Nintendo’s part, most fans believe it isanother positive stepin safeguarding children.

First noticed in ‘Ask The Developer Vol. 17, GameChat – Chapter 1’ feature, the small text on the page states that mobile phone registration will be required to use GameChat. Theofficial GameChat pageon Nintendo’s website explains that this should be the phone number registered to the user’s Nintendo Account. It is essentially a verification method for additional security. The page also adds that some online services may not be available in all countries suggesting that some regions may not be able to use GameChat.

>>>HAC-006 Battery for Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Fits HAC-006 Left Right

Nintendo

Furthermore, children who want to use GameChat would need approval from a parent or guardian through the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app. This includes children under the age of 16. “A parent or guardian needs to be involved in the set-up and use of GameChat by players younger than age 16. In addition, they must manage the account by using the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app on their smart device,” theNintendo Switch Parental Control pagestates.

>>>SPR-003 Battery for Nintendo 3DS XL And 3DS XL

GameChat allows up to 12 people to chat or even share their screen while playing games. The options for GameChat can be accessed with the ‘C’ button on the right Joy-Con 2. If user’s have purchased the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera accessory, they can get on a video chat with their group.

The Switch 2 arrives June 5 and the hype around it has been incredible. The console isprojected to sell 20 million unitsin the fiscal year, making it the biggest console launch ever.

MSI’s new PinSafe Design motherboard promises no more pricked fingers

Set to debut on the first AMD chipset MPOWER motherboard from MSI, the B850MPOWER.

Seasoned PC DIYers have always had to wear dexterity-stifling gloves or put up with pricked fingers when upgrading a motherboard or putting together a new PC build – until now. MSI showcased a series of motherboard design tweaks at Computex 2025, including a feature dubbed ‘PinSafe Design’ which enables users to “avoid injury caused by sharp pins during the assembly process.”

The concept here isn’t difficult to grasp, unlike a traditional prickly motherboard. MSI’s mobo manufacturing arm appears to be adopting a far tidier component soldering technique, which results in elegantly flat pads on the reverse of the PCB, rather than forests of spikes.

Admittedly, this isn’t the greatest of technological achievements, Nevertheless, there might have been some component strength, reliability, or stability concerns preventing such a manufacturing change. So we have a baby step here, which should be welcomed as long as the finished product doesn’t suffer in any way compared to a traditional design.

>>>BTY-M551 Battery for MSI Vector 17 HX A13V GP68 GP78 HX GP68HX

Other touted PinSafe Design benefits

Saving your fingers from pricks and lacerations isn’t the only benefit of PinSafe Design, according to MSI. Likely the result of fevered brainstorming, threaded with some thin strands of truth, MSI says that the PinSafe Design boosts system stability and ESD protection. We think the lack of protruding pins might also give foreign objects less chance of getting caught or jammed between contacts, reducing the potential to create shorts.

MSI’s first MPOWER motherboard for AMD processors

The above PinSafe Design looks set to debut on MSI MPOWER series motherboards, designed for enthusiasts and overclockers. MSI is preparing new MPOWER boards, and the B850MPOWER sample we saw was actually the firstAMD-based motherboardfrom MSI to use this set of features.

Standard MPOWER features include; leveraging the Dragon Alliance collaboration with memory brands, using only 2x DIMM slots for reliable DDR5 overclocking, and the equipping of the EZ Dashboard which integrates power, reset, clear CMOS, and a debug LED on the board for simpler troubleshooting.

Apple declares the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 ‘vintage’, limiting your repair options

Curtain call

iPhone 7 Plus

Apple has marked the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 as ‘vintage’
This means there are fewer repair options should you need them
The next step is to declare them ‘obsolete,’ but that’s not happened yet

If you’re still rocking aniPhone 7 Plusor aniPhone 8, we’ve got some bad news:Applehas just added them to itslist of “vintage” products, meaning your repair options have just become a little more limited.

Apple declares a product to be vintage when the company stopped selling it more than five but less than seven years ago. Apple does this from time to time with older devices – after all, it can’t offer ongoing support for every device it’s ever produced on an indefinite basis. But the news will still come as a disappointment to anyone still using one of these phones.

iPhone products vintage worldwide

iPhone 4 (8GB)

iPhone 5

iPhone 6s (16GB, 64GB, 128GB)

iPhone 6s Plus

iPhone SE

iPhone 7 Plus

iPhone 8 (64GB, 256GB)

iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED™

iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED™

iPhone X

iPhone XS Max

apple

What does this mean in practice? Well, when Apple classifies a product as ‘vintage’, it cuts back on the support it will offer to owners. In theory, you’ll still be able to get one of these productsrepaired by Appleor an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP), but it depends on whether the parts are still available. If they aren’t, you won’t be able to get genuine components when it’s time to repair your phone.

After a product has been classed as vintage, the next step is for Apple to label it ‘obsolete’, and this usually occurs when more than seven years have passed since Apple last offered the device for sale. The iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 were discontinued in 2019 and 2020, respectively, which means you’ve still got another year or two until they’re classed as obsolete.

>>>616-00256 Battery for Apple iPhone 7G

Old-school charm

Launched in 2016, the iPhone 7 Plus was the larger version of theiPhone 7, and it came with water and dust resistance, a solid-state Home button, new color options, and revised antenna bands. It also controversially marked the removal of the3.5mm headphone jackonce and for all.

The iPhone 8, meanwhile, was released in 2017 and came withwireless charging,True Tone technology, a better chip, and improved cameras. It launched alongside theiPhone X, which was the first all-screen iPhone and consigned the Home button to history.

>>>616-00357 Battery for Apple iPhone 8 8th A1863 A1905

This is the second time in recent months that Apple has added devices to its vintage products list. In mid-April,the iPhone 6S was marked as vintage, alongside the 2018Mac mini. Don’t be surprised to see further products added to Apple’s list over the next year.

CAN YOU USE A USB-C LAPTOP CHARGER TO CHARGE YOUR PHONE?

An iPhone and a power bank getting charged via a USB-C charger.

If you compare any modern laptop, like the Asus Zenbook Duo, and a smartphone, like the iPhone 16, you will find a lot of similarities in terms of what they can be used for. For instance, both devices can be used to access social media platforms, work on documents, join meetings, and more. Another thing that you will find common in laptops and smartphones these days is the use of USB-C technology. Interestingly, the technology has become a standard lately. As a result, it’s no longer limited to smartphones and laptops, but you’ll also find it on external hard drives, keyboards, mice, and more.

If both your smartphone and laptop support USB-C charging, you might wonder if you can use your USB-C laptop charger to charge your smartphone. You’ve probably had this thought when you have lost your smartphone’s USB-C charger and are now looking for something to charge it. The short answer is yes, you can charge your smartphone with a USB-C laptop charger, but before you do so, there’s an important thing that you need to take care of.

>>>C41N1901 Battery for Asus ZenBook DUO UX481 UX481F UX481FA

Is it safe to use a USB-C laptop charger for a phone?

You can use your USB-C laptop charger to charge your smartphone, but only if the charger supports USB-C PD charging. The availability of this technology allows the charger to talk with your smartphone about the maximum power it requires. It’s kind of like your smartphone saying to the charger, “Hey bro, I only need 20 W,” and the charger going along with it.

Unfortunately, not all the USB-C chargers come with PD technology. If you use a USB-C laptop charger that doesn’t feature PD technology to charge your smartphone, you might eventually end up damaging your device’s battery. Luckily, you can easily find out if your laptop charger supports PD technology.

Usually, you’ll have a PD logo embedded on your laptop charger. If it’s not there, you can check the charger specification to confirm if it supports PD charging. Alternatively, you can check the output specification on the back of your charger. If you find multiple voltages embedded on your charger, like 5 V, 9 V, and 20 V, then it also means that your laptop charger supports PD charging.

Power specification embedded on the back of a charger.

>>>Asus ZenBookPro15 UX535LH Replacement Battery

There are two main advantages of charging your smartphone with a laptop USB-C charger. First, it ensures that you don’t have to purchase a separate charger for your smartphone. Second, and the most important, advantage is the high power rating of laptop chargers. Let’s say your smartphone is capable of charging at 65 W, but you have a mobile charger that’s capable of only charging at 45 W; then you won’t be able to charge your smartphone at its maximum capacity. A laptop charge, in this case, will provide the maximum power required by your smartphone, i.e., 65 W.

MSI Crafted the Most Beautiful Laptop Lid I’ve Ever Seen

In partnership with a Japanese art studio, MSI has created a beautifully designed lacquered lid for its Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition laptop. I checked it out in person on the Computex show floor.

TAIPEI—At MSI’sComputex 2025booth, one of the most head-turning products on the show floor caught my eye: a lacquered-finishedlaptoplid that looks like beautiful hand-painted art.

MSI has partnered with Japanese art studio Okadaya to create limited-edition lacquered print laptops in theukiyo-estyle, a recognizable genre of Japanese art, for its Artisan Collection.

The Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition will be the flagship laptop for this endeavor. However, due to the extra steps required in manufacturing to apply the artwork, MSI can only produce a few hundred per month for the time being. The effect is beautiful in person; read on for photos, video, and more of my impressions.

>>>BTY-M551 Battery for MSI Vector 17 HX A13V GP68 GP78 HX GP68HX

A Genuinely Gorgeous Laptop Lid

While I saw a few different designs at the booth, the main piece of art (and that which will occupy this Prestige model’s lid) is Hokusai’s iconic wood block print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa. This highly recognizable piece is a natural pick for this collection’s debut.

While the art and clarity level are fantastic, the glossy finish inherent in this lacquer process sings in person. Hokusai’s art has a pleasant reflectiveness, particularly in its darker portions; the gloss black finish is lovely. The wave is vibrantly colored, too—perhaps more saturated than I’m used to seeing on this piece, but it’s effective.

The gloss also extends to the keyboard, as seen in the photo above, and the laptop package will include a mouse. If you can get your hands on one, this system will undoubtedly be a fingerprint magnet, but it sure is nice to look at.

MSI also showed off another design, but the matter of which of its laptops this artwork will appear on has not yet been settled.

MSI can only produce so many of these units to begin with, and I imagine the reception will determine how much longer MSI will continue to create them. Regardless, since this release also kicks off MSI’s Artisan Collection brand, it’s likely the laptop maker will continue down this path for the near future.

>>>BTY-M59 Battery for MSI BTY-M59

It’s Beautiful on Paper, Too

Measuring just 0.7 inches thick and weighing only 2.2 pounds, MSI’s first Ukiyo-e Edition laptop is anultraportable laptopthrough and through. MSI also outfitted this Prestige with an array of parts to live up to its beauty.

Having “AI” in the name, the laptop is naturally a Copilot+ PC, housing up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V processor backed by as much as 32GB of memory and an M.2 SSD with an unspecified capacity. This is all accessed through a 13.3-inch, 2,880-by-1,800-pixel OLED screen in 16:10 aspect ratio.

A Small Wave (of Laptops)

We sometimes hesitate to share limited-edition laptop designs, but the final effect here is too exciting to pass up. MSI wasn’t able to share too many details about the creation process. I imagine Okadaya also wants to keep its cards close to its chest, but the booth contained a walkthrough of the general method, seen below.

You can see the stages evolve through the series of in-progress lids, starting with applying silver-white ink to the lacquerware magnesium alloy lid. Then, the process applies blue ink, followed by dabs of gold powder to create the accents. Finally, the method applies black line ink to create definition.

This process presumably has a more frequent failure rate using this delicate method than regular laptop manufacturing, contributing to the slower and lighter production rate. If you love the idea (I certainly appreciate the end product), keep your eyes peeled for availability and prices, which MSI haven’t revealed yet.

PlayStation Stars to close as Sony Interactive Entertainment evaluates future loyalty program efforts

Points redeemable until November 2026.

Sony Interactive Entertainmentwill end thePlayStationStars loyalty program fully on November 2, 2026, the companyannounced. The program will no longer accept new members starting today, and there will be no new campaigns from July 23.

“Since launching the program [in 2022], we’ve learned a lot from evaluating the types of activities our players respond best to, and as a company, we are always evolving with player and industry trends,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment vice president of Network Advertising, Loyalty, and Licensed Merchandise Grace Chen. “Through this evaluation, we have decided to refocus our efforts and will be winding down the current version of PlayStation Stars. We will continue to evaluate our key findings from this program, and are looking into ways to build upon these learnings.”

>>>LIP1708 Battery for Sony PlayStation 5 PS5 DualSense Controller CFI-ZCT1W

Here are some key happenings as these changes take effect:

Starting today, PlayStation Stars will no longer accept new members for this version of the program.
If members choose to cancel their PlayStation Stars membership starting today, it will not be possible to rejoin this version of the program, and members will lose all earned Points.
Current PlayStation Stars members can still earn Digital Collectibles and Points, and level up their status untilJuly 23, 2025 at 7:59 a.m. PT / 3:59 p.m. BT / 11:59 p.m. JST. After this date, there will be no new PlayStation Stars Campaigns available, or any additional rewards or status benefits to earn.
This version of the PlayStation Stars program will fully end on November 2, 2026 and current PlayStation Stars members can continue to redeem Points as long as their Points don’t expire before then.

>>>SP65M Battery for Sony PlayStation PS Vita 1000 PCH-1001 PCH-1101

It should be noted that PlayStation Stars members will still be able to access their Digital Collectibles even after these changes take effect.

“We want to thank all of our players for supporting PlayStation Stars since the launch in 2022,” Chen added. “As we explore new ways to evolve our loyalty program efforts for the future, we’ll continue to celebrate all of our players through the various community activities we have planned.”

Netflix won’t work on some Amazon Fire TV devices from June – here are the affected models

Netflix is ending support for first-generation Fire TV devices

Netflix support for first-gen Fire TV is ending in June
Older Fire TV devices can’t play more modern video codecs
Try Amazon Trade-In to get money off a newer model

After a decade, Netflix is ending support for first-generation Fire TV streaming devices. From June 3, 2025, first generation versions of the following models will no longer be Netflix-compatible:

Fire TV (2014)
Fire TV Stick (2014)
Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (2016)

The announcement, which Netflix has emailed its customers about, isn’t a huge surprise:Amazonhasn’t updated them for some time now, and the early Fire TV devices don’t support the most modern video and audio formats.

Even in 2023, some users on the FireTV subreddit were advising against buying them new.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max and its remote on an orange background

Need a new TV stick? The Fire TV Stick 4K Max would be our choice, but don’t pay full price(Image credit: Amazon)

>>>RE78VS Charger for Amazon Echo Wireless Speaker

Why is Netflix stopping support for the Fire TV models?

Netflix hasn’t said specifically, but the most likely explanation is that the devices don’t support the audio and video codecs Netflix is using. AsPC World, whose sister title PC-WELT broke the news, reported: “It could have something to do with Netflix using newer standards – such as the AV1 codec – to stream with better picture quality, particularly for customers who are on the Premium plan.” The now-discontinued devices can’t be upgraded to support newer codecs.

If you’re the owner of one of the affected models and want to keep streaming Netflix, you’ll need to buy one of the current range instead. And as ever with Amazon devices, try not to pay full price for it: Amazon discounts its Fire TV devices constantly throughout the year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the retailer reacts to the Netflix news by discounting them accordingly. At the time of writing, my preferred upgrade is 33% off in the US among theMemorial Day deals.

If I were upgrading from an old Fire TV device I’d skip the2023 Fire TV Stick 4Kand go for theFire TV Stick 4K Max. There’s not a huge price difference – the non-Max version has an official price of $49.99 / £59.99 / AU$79 while the Max is $59.99 / £69.99 / AU$119. For a little more, you get more storage, a faster processor, better Wi-Fi and Amazon’s Ambient experience.

>>>GP-S10-346392-0100 Battery for AMAZON KINDLE 3 3G WIFI Kindle Keyboard III -Black

In the US, that model gone down to $39.99 four times this year – including today, May 21st. For UK customers, the Max has been discounted to £50 or below three times this year so far.

Android phones can now play the legendary Windows XP Space Cadet pinball game for free

No ads or paid modes, just sweet, sweet pinball

For those of a certain age, Windows XP and the legendary free game “3D Pinball Space Cadet” defined your time on PCs. Now, the pinball classic has been ported to Android devices, and it’s totally free.

Spotted by9to5Google, the game was ported to Android by developer Kyle Sylvertre. He explained in aReddit postthat he used aGitHub decompilation of the game by k4zmu2ato make the port.

Space Cadet is optimized for touchscreens where touching the left and right sides of the screen work the triggers. Tapping and holding the right side of the screen acts as your launcher for the ball (though this is a bit finicky).

I just wanted to see it on Android with a Google Play leaderboard.

Kyle Sylvertre

On your phone, it runs in portrait mode, supports 18 languages and has integration with Google Play leaderboards and is less than 5MB.

Most importantly, it’s completely free and doesn’t have any ads. Sylvertre said on Reddit that he’s not taking any money or donations for the game either, mostly because he says k4zmu2a did the hard work. “I just wanted to see it on Android with a Google Play leaderboard,” he said.

The game is missing some features, including tilt, music and cheats, but it feels much like the original if you weren’t worried about that. The developer did say that he’s working to bring some of those features to the game in future updates.

>>>W18-030N1A Charger for Google Home Nest Hub Max Audio Charger

How to get Space Cadet Pinball

A screenshot of the Windows Pinball game on Android

(Image credit: Kyle)

You can find Space Cadet Pinball in theGoogle Play Store.

>>>GP5JE Battery for Google Pixel 7a

I do want to note that if you just go to the Play Store app and search for Space Cadet Pinball, the free game is not the first one that comes up. Instead, you’ll see one by Casual Azur Games that does feature ads and in-app purchases.

I had to scroll down quite a way in the more results section to find it.

Microsoft makes the Windows Subsystem for Linux open source after almost a decade of development Now we can all develop new features for WSL

Now we can all develop new features for WSL

(Image credit: OpenClipArt / Pexels)

Microsoft, at its recent BUILD event,has announcedthat Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is now open source after almost a decade of development.

The Microsoft team has closedissue #1in its GitHub issue tracker. What was the issue? “Will this (WSL) be Open Source?” – an issue that has been open since April 6, 2016.WSL is now open source, meaning that anyone can download the WSL code, build it from source, and then add features and fixes before pushing the code for review and possible integration into the main project.

Windows Subsystem for Linux architecture.

WSL was first announced at BUILD back in 2016, so it is fitting that the news of WSL going open source was announced at the recent BUILD event taking place in Seattle.

“Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a powerful way for you to run your Linux command-line tools, utilities and applications, all unmodified and directly on Windows without the overhead of a traditional virtual machine or dual boot setup.” -WSL GitHub readme.

WSL is a virtualization setup for Windows users to run Linux distributions inside the Windows host OS with integration between the guest Linux OS and the Windows host.

WSL 1 was initially based on a pico process provider, lxcore.sys. This provided Windows with a native means to run ELF executables, and Linux syscalls all inside the Windows kernel. In 2019, in an effort to provide “optimal compatibility with native Linux”, a Linux kernel, provided and maintained by Microsoft, was introduced.
WSL gained more features, including GPU support, graphical applications via wslg (which is already open source) and support for systemd (a system and service manager for many Linux distros).

>>>96BTA016H Battery for Microsoft Surface Pro 8 1982 1983

In 2021, Microsoft separated WSL from the Windows codebase as a means to move faster and to keep up with the community requests. The new standalone WSL was available via the Microsoft Store, starting with version 0.47.1. At that time, onlyWindows 11was supported, and only recommended for users eager to run bleeding edge software. With WSL 2, major improvements were introduced, such as mirrored networking, DNS tunnelling, firewall support, and proxy support.

In 2025, WSL improved how Linux distros were installed, enabling local images to be used away from the store.

“WSL could never have been what it is today without its community. Even without access to WSL’s source code, people have been able to make major contributions that lead to what WSL is now,” says Senior Software Engineer Pierre Boulay in theblog post.