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Phil Nickinson

Phil Nickinson

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the personality behind Modern Dad, and is currently an editor with Digital Trends. Phil’s online work has taken him all over the United States, as well as Europe and Asia for conferences such as CES, IFA, Mobile World Congress, and all the various one-offs from companies like Google, Samsung, LG, Facebook and the like.

When he’s not writing, editing, podcasting, interviewing or shooting video, Phil serves as president of the Pensacola Youth Soccer 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has worked on multiple local political campaigns and is a part-time photographer and videographer. He's also a candidate for Pensacola City Council, District 1.

Phil is a native of Pensacola, where he resides with his wife, daughters and a dog named Max.

Find Phil on Mastodon, or on Threads.

Sling TV.

Sling TV vs. Fubo: Which live streaming service is better?

Sling TV and Fubo are two excellent options for a live-streaming service, but they go about things differently.
The Peacock home screen.

Peacock getting multiview for Election Day, with Premier League to follow

Peacock is rolling out a three-view multiview experience on Election Day, and it'll revive it in December for the English Premier League football matches.
The Hulu home screen on a TV.

Hulu Plus Live TV vs. YouTube TV: how to pick the best live-streaming service

Hulu Plus Live TV and YouTube TV are two of the biggest streaming services in the U.S. We'll help you decide which is best.
The Fubo app is displayed on a Roku device.

Fubo shakes up subscriptions with free and premium options

Fubo now offers subscriptions to premium services like FanDuel Sports and NBA League Pass, without requiring a traditional Fubo subscription.
The Loop Switch 2 earplugs.

Loop Switch 2 earplugs aid your ears when Bluetooth buds won’t do

Loop has redesigned its Switch earplugs, which allow you to dial in one of three levels of noise reduction to protect your hearing.
Fubo splash screen on a TV.

What is Fubo? Channels, price, plans, packages, and add-ons

If your household is packed with sports fans, one of the best streaming platforms to use is Fubo. Here’s everything you need to know about the service.
Sling TV logo.

Sling Orange vs. Sling Blue: Which Sling TV package is best?

Sling TV comes with two flavors of base plans — Sling Orange, and Sling Blue. But which one is the best for you?
Hulu with Live TV.

Hulu Plus Live TV: plans, price, channels, bundles, and more

Ready to ditch your cable box, but want to hang onto linear programming? You should take a look at Hulu Plus Live TV. Here’s everything you should know.
A promo image of the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD.

Amazon simplifies its lineup with the new Fire TV Stick HD

With the advent of the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD, the company's low-cost streaming stick lineup goes from four devices to just three.
A promo image of Philo on an LG TV.

Philo is now available on LG smart TVs

If you have an LG television, you can now get Philo as a native app with no additional hardware.
A promo image for Spotify 2024 Wrapped.

Spotify 2024 Wrapped gets the musicians involved again

We're closing in on Spotify 2024 Wrapped — the annual recap of what you listened to — and the service is encouraging artists to hype up this year's release.
Kim Kardashian with the Kim x Beats collab for the Beats Pill speaker.

Beats x Kim collab reaches the new Beats Pill speaker

Kim Kardashian has teamed up with Beats for a third collaboration that brings two new colors of the new Beats Pill speaker.
The Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4 subwoofer.

The Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4 are official at $999 and $799

Sonos has its first new products since the Sonos Ace headphones — and the software meltdown that followed — with the arrival of the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4.
The Roku Smart Home camera webview.

Roku makes monitoring security cameras a little easier

Roku is updating its software for better notifications with its smart-home cameras, and it'll cycle thought them as motion is detected.
The new YouTube Shorts interface.

YouTube updates will help you sleep and speed things up

You'll soon be able to fine-tune your playback speed on YouTube, and sleep timers will come to everyone — even those without YouTube Premium.
A promo image for Apple TV+ on Amazon Prime Video.

Apple TV+ is now available on Amazon Prime Video

You can now subscribe to Apple TV+ from within Amazon Prime Video, putting the likes of Ted Lasso alongside the misfits from The Boys.
"The Starry Night' as seen on the Samsung The Frame television.

Samsung makes Starry Night and others from MoMA larger than life on your TV

You can bring more than two dozen pieces of art from MoMA in New York City to your home, via The Frame and the Samsung Art Store.
The Altec Lansing Sonic Boom 180.

Altec Lansing keeps the party going with trio of new speakers

There are three new options of party speaker from Altec Lansing, ranging from $230 to $150.
Chromecast with Google TV in front of a television showing the Google Home Panel.

You can now test drive the Google Home panel, AI art on Chromecast

You can now get AI-generated ambient art and the Google Home Panel on Chromecast with Google TV — but you have to opt in to the Public Preview first.
The Lexar USB-C SD card reader.

My favorite SD card reader is a mere $15 for Prime Big Deal Days

This little USB-C SD card reader is a no-brainer at just $15, and it's one I never leave home without.
The Weather Channel on Roku.

How to watch The Weather Channel without cable

The Weather Channel is available on a surprisingly few streaming services. Here's how to watch it if you don't have cable.
Leaked images of the purported Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4.

Of course, the Sonos Arc Ultra is (probably) also Sonos TV

The pieces may be coming together: More RAM, more storage, and a leaked marketing image could well point toward the Sonos Arc Ultra running a full OS.
Amazon Echo Buds 2023 edition in their case.

The only earbuds I’d buy my child are a Prime Day no-brainer

These earbuds are mostly no-frills, but they come with a price that reflects that. And now that price has been cut in half thanks to Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.
Chromecast with Google TV and the Onn 4K Pro stand in front of the new Google TV Streamer.

Chromecast with Google TV gets security update, but no Android 14 yet

Chromecast now has a more recent security patch than its sibling devices, though it's still waiting on a major update with more smart home features.
Phil Nickinson wearing the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses while talking into an iPhone.

Ray-Ban Meta glasses hit version 9.0, get new voice messaging

You can now set timers, send voice memos, and send Meta AI chats to others with the latest update to the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones with the new Sony Sound Connect app.

Sony updates its best buds and headphones to support Google’s Find My network

The best headphones and earbuds from Sony in 2024 now work inside Google's Find My Device network, making them a little easier to local should you misplace.
Tablo TV retail box.

Tablo DVR review: 4th generation makes free TV as easy as can be

Looking to capture old-fashioned, over-the-air video? Then the latest Tablo device may be for you.
The Netflix home screen.

The 10 most popular streaming services, ranked by subscriber count

It's not quite fair to compare the best streaming services merely on how many subscribers they have — but it's as good a place to start as any.
The Tablo over-the-air TV streaming device with an Apple TV 4K.

The best way to watch free OTA TV is finally on Apple TV

Apple TV is the best streaming device you can buy, and Tablo is the best way to watch free, over-the-air TV. And now the two devices finally work together.
Sony LinkBuds Open, regular and Olivia Rodrigo editions.

Sony builds on LinkBuds brand with Fit, Open, Speaker — and Olivia Rodrigo

Sony's LinkBuds line consolidates itself in several ways, and expands in others (more Olivia Rodrigo and a speaker!), with the same engine as the WF-1000XM5.
The bio page for Sonos executive Eddie Lazarus as seen on an iPhone in front of Sonos speakers.

The Sonos update interview: ‘We just got taken by surprise’

Phil Nickinson catches up with Sonos executive Eddie Lazarus for a deep dive on the company's catastrophic 2024 update, and how Sonos is moving forward.
The Sonos app in front of the Sonos Arc soundbar and Sonos Ace headphones.

Sonos completes internal review of app meltdown, details path forward

Sonos says it will be more methodical about updates, test more, and focus on customer experience as it continues to dig out from a catastrophic system update.
A hand turning the Nest Thermostat.

Nest Thermostat 2024 review: a fabulous fourth generation

The latest Nest Thermostat is a little more expensive, yes. But it's also more functional, plays nice with Apple HomeKit — and it's simply gorgeous.
Sling TV on a TV.

Sling TV channels, plans, pricing, extras, and more

Sling TV is one of the more affordable streaming options, but that comes at the expense of ease of use, and not having as many channels by default.