Nick Hastings
Nick is a Portland native and a graduate of Saint Mary's College of California with a Bachelor's of Communication.
Nick's writing background is in sports and gaming, and he maintains a contentious love-hate relationship with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Other interests include: hip-hop music, street tacos, endlessly quoting 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'
Articles
Movies & TV
‘Game of Thrones’ prequel could be on the way as HBO orders pilot episode
Having Game of Thrones withdrawals? HBO ordered a pilot for a prequel series developed by George R. R. Martin and writer Jane Goldman, set during the Age of Heroes, thousands of years before the events of the original series.
Home Theater
Sonos-Ikea collaboration yields first product, the Symfonisk bracketed speaker
Home audio manufacturer Sonos teamed up with furniture/appliance heavyweight Ikea to develop the new Symfonisk speaker. It represents the beginning of a long-term partnership between the companies.
Movies & TV
‘Get Out’ director Jordan Peele signs exclusive TV deal with Amazon Studios
Jordan Peele is a hot commodity in Hollywood these days and now he's off the market. Peele's Monkeypaw Productions and Amazon Studios have come to an agreement on an exclusive first-look TV deal.
Home Theater
If you're looking for an awesome new TV, these are the brands to buy
Buying a TV should be fun, not frustrating. Unfortunately, with so many brands to sift through, it can be overwhelming. We count down the best TV brands out there and tell you what happened to the big players of yesteryear.
Cars
Bye to Apple Maps, hello to Waze: CarPlay to support third-party navigation apps
Everybody loves CarPlay, but not everybody loves using Apple Maps to get around. Apple has announced that CarPlay in iOS 12 will offer support for third-party navigational apps like Google Maps and Waze.
Movies & TV
Sit down and watch some of the best stand-up comedy on Netflix
Feeling a little funny? There are hundreds of hilarious comedy specials out there, and you can't be expected to comb through them all. Lucky for you, we've compiled a list of the best stand-up specials on Netflix.
Music
Spotify admits fault, will work with civil rights groups on Hate Content policy
Weeks ago, Spotify removed several artists from promoted playlists under the new Hate Content policy. Now, CEO Daniel Ek admitted fault and said the company is currently working on a new policy with civil rights activists.
Product Review
Plantronics named all their headphones some variant of “BackBeat,” confusing us (and probably you, too). One such pair, the over-ear BackBeat Go 600, failed to wow us from a design perspective but actually sounded pretty great.
Plantronics’ BackBeat Go 600 headphones’ juvenile style belies grown-up sound
Home Theater
Rock out, dance, or just nod along with the best Bluetooth speakers
The market is saturated with wireless audio solutions fit for any and all circumstances. Check out our picks for the best Bluetooth speakers available, whether you'll be listening in the kitchen or on a mountaintop.
Music
Spotify vs. Pandora: Which music streaming service is better for you?
Which music streaming platform is best for you? We pit Spotify vs. Pandora, two mighty streaming services with on-demand music and massive catalogs, comparing every facet of the two services to help you decide which is best.
Movies & TV
The best, free feature-length movies you can watch on YouTube
Bank account emptier than you thought? Check out our curated list of the best full movies on YouTube to find feature-length flicks that are free, legally uploaded, and actually worth watching.
Home Theater
How to set up HDR gaming on your Xbox One and 4K HDR TV
So you have a space-age gaming console and a shiny TV. Wondering how to enable HDR on Xbox One? You're not alone. To help you take advantage of your tech, we've put together a quick-hit guide.