We’re huge fans of the Ottocast suite of connected car accessories, and 9to5Mac readers can upgrade the car entertainment system while saving 20% for the holidays! From the wireless CarPlay AI box to the newly launched CloudSIM solution, Ottocast has the best solutions for enhancing your trip.

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Layers of ice and dust create a winter wonderland on Mars in stunning new images.

If you received a bunch of gift cards for the holidays, consider it a blessing. Whoever gave them to you likely wanted to give you a gift you'd actually use, and rather assume (incorrectly), they wanted to ensure you'd get their money's worth on something you actually like. Maybe there's nothing on your wish list at the moment, but you're keen to spend that gift card on something that will make your commute easier or your home feel more cozy. Below are some of our favorite items that are well worth that $50 gift card you're eager to use up, from power banks to streaming sticks to smart lights.

Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-ways-to-spend-your-50-gift-card-130021816.html?src=rss

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These beard tools deliver a quality trim for all types of facial hair.

Sharing security advice can go a long way in protecting your loved ones from the most common and damaging online threats.

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Getting a new phone — be it your first or the routine upgrade — can be overwhelming given the variety of features there are to explore. We have a few tips on how to set up and get the most out of your new Google Pixel.

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A beauty subscription box feels like a monthly present. These are our favorites.

The promises of artificial intelligence and the rally in crypto prices were the main drivers of the best-performing tech stocks of 2024.

From crackdowns on discriminatory facial recognition to protections against deepfakes, 2024 was quietly an important year for AI regulation.

Hey, look at that! Another year has flown by, and I suspect many people would say "good riddance" to 2024.

The 2020s have been quite the decade so far. No matter what insanity has transpired by a particular December 31, the following year has shown up and promptly said, "Hold my beer."

The biggest news at Ars in 2024 was our first site redesign in nearly a decade. We're proud of Ars 9.0 (we're up to 9.0.3 now), and we have continued to make changes based on your feedback. The best kind of feedback, however, is your clicks. Those clicks power this recap, so read on to learn which stories our readers found especially compelling.

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There’s nothing more done to death than the vampire. Director Robert Eggers says he tried to avoid the obvious by returning to “the older folklore.”

These are the products that broke our hearts this year.

AI voice cloning and deepfakes are supercharging scams. One method to protect your loved ones and yourself is to create secret code words to verify someone’s identity in real time.

A million different online multiplayer games seem to arrive each week, but good games you can play on the couch with a buddy aren’t as common. If you’re looking for a suggestion, we’ve rounded up a selection of our favorite couch co-op games below, from 2D platformers and lengthy RPGs to chill puzzlers and intense shooters. Just be aware that we’ve limited our selection to genuine co-op experiences, not games like Mario Kart or a Jackbox Party Pack that may be playable on one machine but are largely competitive by nature.

Check out our entire Best Games series including the best Nintendo Switch games, the best PS5 games, the best Xbox games, the best PC games and the best free games you can play today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/best-co-op-games-for-pc-nintendo-switch-ps-4-and-more-141542259.html?src=rss

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Your physical and mental well-being are crucial—but the picture isn’t complete if you aren’t flexing your connection muscles, too. Here’s how to build—and keep—your social health.

Snapchat’s subscription play is shaping up to be one of media’s most compelling plotlines in 2025. 

While subscriptions are still a modest slice of Snap’s revenue pie, they’re giving the company’s top line a noticeable lift. Case in point: Snap’s ad revenue climbed 10% to $1.25 billion in its last quarter, but thanks to $123 million in non-ad revenue — largely driven by its member program, Snapchat+ — the company posted a 15% overall revenue jump to $1.37 billion.

It’s a rare win for a platform navigating a precarious business model, heavily dependent on fiercely contested ad dollars.

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This is a bonus behind-the-scenes look at our conversations with executives for Digiday’s 2024 Media Agency Report, which examined the current and future state of media agencies, from the perspective of total client spending and spending by media channel, and delved into the impact of retail media on the agency landscape.

Digiday hosted a focus group of eight senior media agency executives who oversee media investment at holding company-owned and independent media agencies to gather first-person accounts of client spending. Agencies and networks that participated in the focus group were:

This is a member-exclusive article from Digiday. Continue reading it on digiday.com and subscribe to continue reading content like this.

Ageing hardware is still going strong for the likes of Sony and Nintendo

The manosphere’s podcasting heroes are the natural successors to radio shock-jocks

Norwegian fronts F1-inspired Freestyle Chess league that aims to exploit ‘massive untapped potential’