Close to the Metal Ep. 18: GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti live review
Nvidia's GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti are the company's new budget video cards, with prices as low as $110. Can you use these cards as an upgrade to your existing desktop?
Between the Streams: ‘Logan’ gets deep, ‘Guardians’ stays light, ‘Black Mirror’ returns
This week: a poignant new trailer for Hugh Jackman's Logan, a lighthearted trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, and Black Mirror's return.
Trends with Benefits: First look at the Nintendo Switch and Tesla goes all-in with autopilot
Nintendo's mysterious NX hybrid console is now officially being called the Switch, and we got a first look at it today. Will this be a success, or is the NES Classic going to be Nintendo's real winner?
Close to the Metal Ep. 17: Can you really live with just one USB port?
Some of the best new laptops have just one or two USB Type-C ports. Can you really get by with one port, and if so, how?
Between the Streams: ‘Rogue One’ analysis, a messy ‘Accountant,’ Roger Corman returns
This week, we'll cover the latest Star Wars Rogue One trailer, tell you if The Accountant is worth a look, and go into a mess of other news.
Trends with Benefits: Note 7 owners get paid to stick with Samsung, Sony ships PlayStation VR
Owners of the recalled Note 7 apparently aren't choosing another Samsung device to replace their potentially explosive phablet. Will cash giveaways to stick with Samsung keep people loyal?
Close to the Metal Ep. 16: WD Blue SSD live review, and how fast should your SSD be?
In this week's episode we discuss Western Digital's first solid state drive, then dive into the surprisingly deep and complex market for solid state drives.
Between the Streams: Logan’s last stand, ‘Iron Fist’ teaser, ‘Justice League’ sizzler
Today we'll be discussing the latest from Marvel and Netflix's epic superhero series, young Han Solo news, Wolverine 3 developments, and so much more!
Trends with Benefits: Oculus Touch, self-lacing shoes, Google runs your life
The Oculus Touch catches the Rift up with HTC’s Vive, Google’s hardware explosion is going to conquer your home, Nike is making sci-fi real, and soon we’ll all be chatting in VR.
Close to the Metal Ep. 15: 7th-Gen Intel Core and holiday laptops
Intel's 7th-gen Core processors are now appearing in laptops available online and in stores. How important is it to get the latest processor?
Trends with Benefits: VR does Vegas, Musk eyes Mars, Samsung is blowing up
Samsung washing machines explode too, Vegas wants you to place bets on VR, SpaceX has big plans for Mars, Retro Gaming returns to Portland, and we can’t wait for aerial burritos.
Close to the Metal Ep. 14: GTX 1060 review, and what’s up with video card prices?
We took a close look at a high-end GTX 1060 from Zotac. Though its performance was great, the price was hard to tolerate, given its increase over MSRP.
Between the Streams: ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘Passengers’ trailer, and Magnum P.I. junior?
This week: Magnificent Seven, Hillary Clinton's stint on Between Two Ferns, a Luke Cage preview, our thoughts on the Passengers trailer, and so much more.
Trends with Benefits: Controlling trolls, Yahoo’s pwned, Apple wants a car company
Hackers hit Yahoo, Apple eyes McLaren and Lit Motors, Alex apps proliferate, Google fights trolls with Conversation AI, what’s next for Nintendo’s NX?
Close to the Metal Ep. 13: Does MacOS Sierra prove Apple doesn’t care about the Mac?
Apple's newest version of Mac OS X - sorry, MacOS - offers a few interesting new features, including Siri. But is it enough to restore faith in Mac fanatics?
Between the Streams podcast: ‘Man of Steel 2,’ ‘Snowden’ vs. ‘Blair Witch,’ Emmy predictions
This week: Man of Steel 2 is on, Snowden and Blair Witch hit theaters, Emmy predictions for Sunday's ceremony, and much more.
Trends with Benefits: Driverless Ubers, VR horseback rides, drones vs. eagles
Uber just replaced drivers with people, Samsung and Apple are each having their own phone meltdowns, VR horses are the embarrassing future, and eagles will absolutely destroy your drone.
Close to the Metal Ep. 12: Should you give the gift of VR for the holidays?
Virtual reality isn't cheap, but that might make it the perfect gift for your favorite geek -- or not. So, should you buy, or wait until 2017?
Trends with Benefits: iPhone 7 ditches its headphone jack and the PS4 goes Pro
The aftermath of Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 7's Lightning connected EarPods spells the end of the analog headphone jack, or does it? This week the TWB crew dives into adapter-gate.
Between the Streams podcast: ‘Atlanta’ rules, ‘Sully’ soars, Deathstroke vs. Deadpool
This week: Donald Glover's Atlanta is the best new show on TV, weekend box office preview, and the rise of Deathstroke in the DC Extended Universe.
Close to the Metal Ep. 11: Can the PlayStation 4 Pro defeat budget gaming PCs?
The war between consoles and PCs is heating up as Sony has announced its PlayStation 4 Pro at just $399. Does this spell trouble for budget gaming PCs?
Between the Streams: 'Stranger Things 2,' Avengers feud, Gene Wilder tribute
Stranger Things 2, a crazy new Westworld trailer, Luke Skywalker's Star Wars future, a tribute to the late Gene Wilder, and so much more!
Close to the Metal Ep. 10: Another year, another Intel generation
Intel's newest processor generation, Kaby Lake, is finally here, with improvements to 4K video playback and efficiency, but is it hiding a dark secret?
Trends with Benefits: Butt-blimp crashes, Tesla’s speed crown, edible batteries
Tesla claims quickest car in the world, WhatsApp gets less private, the world's largest aircraft crashed on its second flight, IFA is coming, and we found a battery you can eat.
Between the Streams: ‘Don’t Breathe’ sees the light, Justice League goes Dark
This week: Justice League Dark movie, Don't Breathe, Guardians of the Galaxy concept art, and the problem with TV dramas.
Close to the Metal Ep. 9: Will Deus Ex: Mankind Divided also divide PC gamers?
PC gamers love to play games with all the details turned up. But as Deus Ex: Mankind Divided proves, there's a recent uptick in what maxed-out games demand.
Trends with Benefits: Have we finally created Sentinels from ‘The Matrix’?
Would you get into a self driving Uber? Residents of one rust-belt city will soon be asking themselves that question. Also, what's the worst that could happen when OpenAI is pointed at Reddit and told to learn?
Between the Streams podcast: ‘Kubo’ astonishes, Spidey gets a ‘new’ leading lady
This week: Spider-Man gets a new poster and a new Mary Jane to go with it, Kubo and the Two Strings changes everything for stop-motion animation, and more.
Close to the Metal Ep. 8: Intel joins the VR revolution
Intel's Developer Forum in San Francisco is the company's most important yearly event. This year, virtual reality is the focus. But what is Intel's angle?
Trends with Benefits: Volkswagen’s very bad week, and how to become a cyborg
Today's podcast examines the surprising details revealing 100 million Volkswagens are vulnerable to hackers. We also dive into the latest rumors surrounding the PS4 Neo.
Close to the Metal Episode 7: AMD pushes entry level gaming with sub-$200 GPUs
AMD has two new budget-friendly cards in the RX family, but one of them has us much more excited than the other, and it might not be the card you think.
Between the Streams: Suicide Squad scrum — is DC in trouble?
This week: Suicide Squad conundrum, alternatives at the box office, a potential Star Wars TV show on ABC, Stranger Things 2 news and more.
Trends with Benefits: Rio fever, retro gaming, and that bizarro Chinese bus
The 2016 Rio Olympics are going to fill your DVR to the brim, Facebook has an insane new lab, the next-gen console race is underway, everyone loves old games, and that straddling Chinese bus seems really problematic, but we all want to ride it.
Close to the Metal Ep. 6: Is the Xbox One S the console for PC gamers?
Microsoft has released its revised Xbox One S. Smaller than the original, and now with 4K support, it's a decent piece of hardware. But Xbox isn't just targeting console players with this release -- its audience is broader than that.
Between the Streams: Jason Bourne (again), Black Mirror 3, Wonder Woman’s big week
This week, we're talking Matt Damon's Chinese film about monsters and the Great Wall, Wonder Woman's attempts to save the DC universe, and much more.
Trends with Benefits: Around the world on solar, Apple AR, military hoverboards
Pokemon go has Apple interested in AR, a military contractor just bought a hoverboard company, and a plane has successfully flown around the world on nothing but solar power.
Close to the Metal Episode 5: Windows 10’s free upgrade is almost gone – should you upgrade?
Windows 10's free upgrade is about to go extinct, and many users are stressing over whether switching to the new OS is worthwhile. We have the answer.
Trends with Benefits: ‘Pokémon Go’ will make Apple billions, and a suitcase that’s a scooter
Portland's Funniest Person for 2016, Nariko Ott, joins in our discussion of how Pokémon Go is augmenting our reality. We also have hands-on impressions of Sony's game-changing Z series TV, and chat about the world's most absurd suitcase.