Know How... (Audio)

Kids love to play online games, and parents should know what they can expect to find within those experiences, and the controls available to them to keep things age appropriate. Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica talk about parental control settings, some of the more popular online games, and the filter bubbles that can exist within gaming culture and social media.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech

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With a passion for old school video game consoles, and a lot of ingenuity, people are hacking their consoles to create automated systems that can play through classic games as well as enable features in the hardware that no one ever anticipated. Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica get the full walk-through from Allan Cecil, the Keeper of TASBot.

Hosts: Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech

Guest: Allan Cecil

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Retro gaming is big, with legacy consoles being re-released in miniature formats, and aftermarket third party consoles upgrading the capabilities of the originals. Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica take a closer look at what you get with mini-consoles, aftermarket consoles, and how to effectively scale those old consoles that have been gathering dust in your attic to look amazing on modern TV technology.

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The holidays are right around the corner, and that gamer in your life will appreciate just how much you know about the best games to gift them this year! Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica take a comprehensive look at the year's best titles: From the best multi-platform games, to the best Nintendo Switch titles, to the best Xbox One/PlayStation 4 exclusives.

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The history of mobile gaming, the best modern games for Android and iOS, what you need for a console-like experience on mobile, and how to improve the gaming experience on phones using Bluetooth controllers and portable batteries.

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Tools for gamers who want to live stream their gameplay to the world have never been more accessible and in many cases, those tools cost next to nothing. All of that live-streamed gameplay can actually lead to a healthy paycheck earned from patiently building an audience around their regularly streamed gaming sessions. Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica pick apart the major streaming platforms, the hardware and software solutions for creating engaging live streams, and the ways that those streams can be monetized.

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Gaming is much bigger than the system a game is running on. Nowadays, gaming is enhanced and oftentimes defined by how it interplays with the cloud, and that poses complications for home networks. Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica check out the category of gaming routers to understand what makes them effective, and how even mediocre systems are now capable of so much more thanks to cloud gaming services.

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When picking a new TV set for gaming, one must wade through a lot of jargon and features in order to find something that's appropriate for the high speed and frenetic game play that modern gaming commands. Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica break down what gaming mode actually means, how to avoid lag, why high refresh rates are important, and the difference between a gaming TV and gaming monitor. Sound can be as important as the video, with Dolby Atmos making things better, and virtual surround sound making things worse.

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There are a million ways to play games, but the fact is that some controllers are better than others and it's not always the bells and whistles that make them great. Jason Howell and Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica put some of the best game controllers under the microscope to find out why they are so effective. Plus, they dive into the world of niche controllers including the recently released Xbox Adaptive Controller that enables the physically disabled to create a gaming experience that works for their specific needs. Finally, they try on a few headsets to see how necessary they are for immersive gaming.

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Virtual Reality is experiencing explosive growth and that means you have options! From mobile phone solutions like Daydream, to high-end systems like the Oculus Rift, Sam Machkovech from Ars Technica and Jason Howell show them off and advise on ways to improve on their strengths out of the box.

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