Latest articles by Michael L Hicks
GDC 2024: Google's vision for AI 'living games' sounds awful, but inevitable
GDC 2024 Google engineers described how Gemini 1.5 and Vertex AI will help make games "much more human" with hundreds of thousands of NPC chatbots with memories.
Wear OS 4: New features, One UI 5 Watch, and more
Latest wearable software Two years after Wear OS 3, Wear OS 4 is here to make Android smartwatches better than ever.
Dream team: Modders behind Half-Life 2 VR, Doom VR join forces for licensed Quest ports
GDC 2024 Flat2VR and Team Beef have formed a studio and are developing a licensed VR game port for "official platforms."
I'd swap my Garmin Forerunner 965 for this much cheaper smartwatch in a heartbeat — if it weren't for one thing
Sunday Runday Garmin strategically withholds software from its cheaper watches. Only one missing Garmin Forerunner 165 tool is hard to lose.
I tested the Garmin Forerunner 165 against the two best cheap fitness trackers
Put to the test How the Forerunner 165 compared for steps, GPS, and heart rate against the Fitbit Charge 6 and COROS PACE 3.
Future Galaxy Watches may borrow the Apple Watch squircle look — and I'm on board
A square surprise A report claims Samsung is "enthusiastically" considering squircle Galaxy Watches after the Watch 7 and that "the switch is going to happen."
This wearable for pro athletes has me rethinking my whole approach to fitness training
Sunday Runday I tested out the CORE Body Temperature Sensor and learned why VO2 Max and my fitness watch aren't enough to ensure I'm race-ready.
Meta Quest Pro 2: Everything we want from the 2025 Apple Vision Pro rival
Try, try again The Meta Quest Pro 2 will need a revamped display, lighter design, and a clearer purpose to avoid another flop and justify the $2,000 cost.
Which Wear OS watches work with iPhone?
Not worth the effort Samsung and Google don't bother with iOS anymore, and most of the other Wear OS brands who try to make iPhone compatibility work probably regret it, given how lackluster the experience is.
Latest Garmin Forerunner update sounds great on paper but may be causing tracking issues
Heart rate issues Aside from cool tricks like Lap Undo and a track database, Garmin Forerunner update 18.22 has apparently introduced heart rate tracking issues.
How many updates will the OnePlus Watch 2 get?
How long? The OnePlus Watch 2 is tempting due to its gorgeous design and 100-hour battery, but you should know upfront how long it will last from a software perspective.
Samsung and Motorola want us to wear our smartphones. We REALLY shouldn't.
Sunday Runday MWC 2024 was full of sci-fi-esque tech like transparent laptops, but a wearable, bendable smartphone doesn't even make sense on Star Trek.
OnePlus Watch 2 vs. Galaxy Watch 6: Both built to last, but in different ways
Wear OS showdown We break down where the OnePlus Watch 2 wins (style, battery life, GPS data, and more) and where the Galaxy Watch 6 wins (comfort, displays, navigation, health sensors, and more).
Pixel 8 vs. Pixel 6: Major fixes and unresolved issues
The Pixel 6 was a promising phone hampered by software issues. Does the Pixel 8 do enough two years later to justify an early switch?
Garmin SOS report details all the times its InReach satellites saved people's lives last year
SOS Garmin reports that its InReach SOS program is used almost as often for auto and motorcycle accidents as for hiking emergencies.
Meta Quest Plus' new 'catalog' of games comes with a $25 store credit incentive
Expand your Quest library Meta is making its monthly subscription a combination of Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus, with both a set games catalog and two new monthly games.
Future Games Show 2024 will be hosted by Baldur's Gate 3, Final Fantasy XVI stars
March 21 Get ready for over 40 new game announcements on March 21, hosted by Samantha Béart (Karlach) and Ben Starr (Clive Rosfield) at Future Games Show 2024.
Take two: Meta and LG will team up for Quest Pro 2 'alliance' in 2025
Challenging the Vision Pro After the failure of the Quest Pro to resonate with productivity users, Meta is teaming up with LG to try and go back to that form factor now that the Apple Vision Pro is making a splash.
OnePlus Watch 2 vs. Google Pixel Watch 2: A new Android watch rivalry
Wear OS battle The OnePlus Watch 2 vs. Pixel Watch 2 is the latest Wear OS battle with no clear winner, as OnePlus dominates for battery life but Google offers better health and fitness tools.
OnePlus Watch 2 vs. OnePlus Watch: A massive improvement
Major upgrade By nearly every metric, the OnePlus Watch 2 is a major upgrade over the original, mediocre OnePlus Watch. They look very similar, but there's a lot changed underneath the surface.
Google's new 'hybrid' Wear OS will enhance other watches besides the OnePlus Watch 2
Wear OS 4, enhanced Alongside the announcement of the OnePlus Watch 2 launch, Google revealed the new version of Wear OS 4 designed to work with dual-chipset architecture that helps both chips "work better in tandem."
Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2: Should you upgrade?
Built for battle The Garmin Instinct 2 is a fantastic rugged smartwatch with durable battery life. But if you own the Garmin Instinct, should you upgrade? We'll help you decide.
The Galaxy Ring's best chance of success is to steal the Apple Ring's customers
Turning the tables Apple will have a much harder time making its Apple Ring as essential as its Apple Watch, leaving a gap for Samsung to strike.
