It's annoying when you run out of Ethernet ports on your router. That, or when you have a home entertainment centre and want wired connections for all your devices, but you don't want to string a bundle of Ethernet cables from your living room to wherever your router happens to be.
It's not exactly a fire sale, but there are some sweet bargains to be had at the moment on Nintendo's eShop. So, if the weekend's looking grim on the gaming front, check out the discounts and turn that frown upside down... or at least reorientate it in a more skywards direction.
By 2020, every household in Australia is expected to connect to the NBN - and those who don't will have a raft of telecommunications products and services switched off. The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has put together an infographic explaining five things you need to know to ensure the big switch runs as smoothly as possible.
Yes, there is such a thing as a free lunch. But if you hack your Nintendo Switch to play pirated games for free, that comes with a cost: You can't play online.
One of the most entertaining aspects of a game console is the ability to play with friends. Unfortunately, some major game companies make it difficult to find and add friends to your list of potential multiplayer buddies. If you're using Nintendo's Switch to interact with your gaming brethren, here's how to get your pals onto your friends list, and deal with Nintendo's dreaded "Friend Code" system.
Anyone using an iPhone might think it's difficult to switch to an Android device. But Google's latest smartphone, the Pixel 2, alleviates the anxiety of switching by taking care of all the annoying parts, such as copying your photos or contacts. You'll need to change some settings before you can transfer from one operating system to the next, but the entire process is a lot less stressful than importing and exporting data you might have trouble properly identifying or moving (everyone hates VCF files).
Nearly every Nintendo Switch owner I've spoken to has professed their love for the portable console. And while its slick design allows for convenient local multiplayer using the pint-sized, removable Joy-Con controllers attached to either side, they aren't exactly comfortable to hold. Luckily, Nintendo's latest 4.00 software update for the Switch lets you use one of the most beloved controllers of consoles past: The Gamecube controller.
Nintendo's questionable supply chain strategies mean there are still gamers trying to get their hands on a Switch, two months after its release. But why bother trying to hunt down another console when the smartphone in your pocket can already do almost everything the Switch can -- with a few upgrades.
Early Nintendo pioneer Gunpei Yokoi once described his design philosophy as "lateral thinking with withered technology".
Terminology that sort of explains everything really. Truly this is Nintendo in a single phrase. And in the light of the Switch's release (in light of what the Switch is) it's a phrase that's more relevant than ever.
