Matt L. Hall

Hi, I'm Matt. 


I provide blogging, editing, content, video, photography & copywriting services to clients in the technology & education fields. My most recent byline was with MakeUseOf.com as a staff writer and editor. 


My copy has been used by B2B businesses like Gumvelope, direct-to-consumer companies like Haiku Designs, & retail businesses like Bridgestone/Firestone. I earned my MFA in Creative Writing and my BA in English, both from the University of Massachusetts Boston. When I'm not writing, I also teach undergraduate composition and creative writing at UMass

Engwe Engine Pro 750 Review: Does This Fat-Tired Thicc Boy Belong in Your Garage?

When you’re cruising around town, or on the beach, or through the woods, you want a bike that will make you feel like it can handle whatever you can throw at it. That’s where Engwe’s new Engine Pro 750 comes in. This new fat-tired e-bike is a step up from Engwe’s successful EP-2 Pro model. With a full-color display and higher performance, the Engine Pro is a serious e-bike for discerning riders. But should you consider buying it? Let’s find out. The Engine Pro 750 is a Class 2 foldable e-bike

Govee Immersion Kit Wi-Fi TV Backlight and Light Bars Review: Best for Gaming and Cheaper Than Philips Hue

Govee is one of those brands that always seems to be toeing the line between low cost and quality performance. We’ve reviewed several of the company’s smart lighting products here at MakeUseOf, and while the prices for these products are usually excellent, sometimes the products themselves leave a bit to be desired. For example, earlier this year, we reviewed a set of Flow Plus smart light bars that felt a bit lackluster. On the other hand, in 2020, we tested the previous version of Govee’s DIY

Nitecore NES500 Power Station and FSP100 Solar Panel Review: A Perfectly Portable Power Pair

Nitecore is a well-respected brand in both the lighting and power station realms. Recently, we reviewed one of the company’s flagship flashlights, the T4K, and found it to be an exceptional EDC unit. Today, though, we’re digging into Nitecore’s newest power station, the NES500. So named, as it offers 500 watts of AC output and 518 watt-hours of capacity. And, as a bonus, we’ll also be checking out the FSP 100, Nitecore’s newest and first solar panel offering. So, what makes these items differe

How to Buy and Download Office for Mac Without an Office 365 Subscription

Even if you’re not a Windows user, there are numerous benefits to owning a copy of Microsoft Office 2021 for your Mac. For example, you can seamlessly import Word documents from Windows users. In addition, you can edit Excel spreadsheets, send emails with Outlook, or even create PowerPoint slide decks. While you could use something like LibreOffice for macOS or the popular iWork suite of apps as alternatives, nothing beats the versatility of the original Microsoft Office apps for Mac. The prob

Metakoo Cybertrack 300 eBike Review: A Mountain Bike for Urban Commuting? Absolutely

Over the past few years, the popularity of e-bikes has surged. While once a rarity, you can now find motored models everywhere from college campuses to office parks to mountain biking trails. Today we're looking at the new Metakoo Cybertrack 300. It’s a 27.5-inch e-mountain bike designed for effortless trail-riding. You can buy it on Metakoo’s website for $899. But does it deserve to be crowned king of the mountain? There are two categories of features here, first are the mechanical elements o

Viomi V3 Max Robot Vacuum Review: Is It the Best Budget LIDAR Robot Vacuum of 2021?

These days, everyone seems to be busy. Between juggling a career, kids, home life, and outside activities, there just isn’t enough time to do everything. That includes cleaning the house. Unfortunately, however, dust, dirt, and pet hair don’t take vacations. To solve their cleaning issue, many smart homeowners are turning to robotic vacuum cleaners. You can put these cleaners on a schedule to vacuum, sweep, and mop while you go about your day. Most are controllable via a smartphone, and you ca

The Top 3 Windows 10 Password Reset Tools to Recover a Lost Password

Getting locked out of Windows 10 can be a nightmare. Fortunately, there are a few Windows 10 password reset tools that can help you solve this issue. But you don’t want untrustworthy software to have your Windows password! So, how do you choose the right one Here are our three favorites that make unlocking Windows 10 easy. Here are the best tools for resetting your Windows password. PassFab 4WinKey is a brilliant Windows 10 password reset tool. It can reset or remove both local and admin pass

Nitecore’s T4K Keychain Flashlight Is a 4000-Lumen Pocket Powerhouse

In the world of flashlights, Nitecore is a well-respected manufacturer of technologically advanced handhelds. Nightcore flashlights are trusted by law enforcement, military members, hunters, preppers, and EDC enthusiasts. The new Nitecore T4K keychain flashlight is targeted primarily at the latter two of those groups. And while this $89 compact keychain flashlight may look small, it packs a stunning 4000-lumen punch of brightness into its thumb-sized frame. But is this light right for your bug

Teclast T40 Plus Tablet Review: Is This Low-Cost Android Tablet Worth The Audio and Camera Compromises?

When people think of budget Android tablets, Teclast isn’t quite a household name. The company managed to make some waves with its P20HD and its M40 offerings, but it’s hard to escape the shadow of manufacturers like Samsung and Amazon. With its updated T40 Plus, however, Teclast is hoping to position itself as one of the best budget tablet manufacturers on the market. The T40 Plus is a $199 Android-based tablet boasting a 10.4-inch 2K IPS display, 8GB of ram, 128GB of expandable storage, and 1

The JBL Tour One Review: Stunning Pair of Commuter Headphones, But Are They Worth $300?

For some people, Bluetooth headphones are only important when isolating themselves from grunting gym-goers or noisy subway cars. For these purposes, a pair of cheapies will do the trick just fine. True music aficionados, however, want a little more. Enter JBL’s new Tour One. These over-the-ear, closed-back headphones are designed for the discerning mobile audiophile that wants Bluetooth flexibility but isn’t satisfied with “just fine.” Offering a 40mm driver, True Adaptive Noise Cancelling, Tal

Help Your Child Learn STEM Concepts And Build Logic Skills With Thinkrolls Play & Code

When most parents think about school, video games seem like more of a reward than an educational vehicle. But a recent study published in Economic Inquiry indicates that “some video games may have as much potential to improve children’s problem-solving skills as more traditional educational tools.” In other words, scientific evidence shows that playing games can actually improve your child’s ability to learn. With back-to-school right around the corner, this extra ability could mean better test

Thinkcar Thinkscan Plus S6 Review: This Automotive Diagnostic Scanner Will Keep Your Car, and Your Mechanic, in Check

Let’s face it—car trouble is no fun. Sputtering, stalling, or unexpected check engine lights can be worrisome, not to mention they might cost some significant cash to fix. And until you know what’s wrong, there’s always the fear that you’re going to end up stuck on the side of the road. Occasionally, however, these issues are simple things that you can solve with a bit of research and the proper diagnostic tools. One of those tools is an OBD-II scanner. The Thinkcar Thinkscan Plus S6 is just su

How to Unlock a Disabled iPad Without iTunes

If you’ve recently purchased a second-hand iPad with the passcode still enabled, or you have forgotten your iPad passcode, then accessing your device can be almost impossible. Especially if you want to unlock your expensive Apple product without using iTunes. But fear not! Today, we’ll show you one of the best ways to get your iPad unlocked using PassFab iPhone Unlocker. Let’s get started. PassFab iPhone Unlocker is a program that will allow users to fix a disabled iPad or iPhone when they can

Everything You Need to Know About the New Philips Hue App Update

Philips recently updated its Hue app to version 4.0. With this update came tweaks to the Hue interface along with over 100 additional modifications. These changes include what the company calls a “ground-up” revamp of the popular smart lighting app. So, what did Philips modify? Let’s take a look. It’s no surprise that the Philips Hue app was due for an update. While the previous version still worked, it felt stale for many users. But with the new Hue app release, Philips rockets into the future

21 Funny Things to Ask Alexa

Asking Amazon Alexa to read the news or tell you the weather is surprisingly practical. Let’s face it, though, news and weather reports just aren’t that much fun. But what if we told you that Alexa could get you giggling when you’re having a bad day? Here are 21 funny commands to say to Alexa. You knew this was going to be the first on the list, right? In the realm of funny Alexa commands, this is probably the most well-known. While asking Alexa to tell you a joke might result in some painful

How to Fix An iPhone that Won’t Boot

For many people, their iPhone is their lifeline. It lets them conduct business, communicate with friends and family, and keep updated with current news. But if you own an iPhone that won’t turn on, then you understand how stressful not having access to your phone can be. In this article, we’re going to discuss some common reasons why your iPhone won’t boot and show you how to fix it. Why Won’t My iPhone Turn On? There are only a few explanations for why your iPhone isn’t turning on. Unfortuna

Petcube Bites 2 Lite Review: Don't Buy a Pet Camera Until You've Read This

When it comes to pets, many of us wish we could take them everywhere. Unfortunately, there are times when we’re forced to leave our furry friends at home. For those times, having a way to check up on our companions to make sure they’re staying out of trouble is essential. Many pet owners have turned to indoor cameras for this task. If you are in the market for one of these cameras, you’ll undoubtedly come across Petcube. Its new Bites 2 Lite is a treat-dispensing indoor camera with night vision

How to Install Homebridge on a Raspberry Pi

While you can build several outstanding projects with your Raspberry Pi, one of the most useful is setting up a Homebridge server. Homebridge allows HomeKit support for devices that aren’t supported natively in Apple Home. With Homebridge, you can use Apple HomeKit with devices such as Nest and Nest cameras, Ring cameras and doorbells, TP-Link Kasa switches, Belkin WeMo devices, and even your Tesla vehicle. Today, we’re going to show you how to get Homebridge working in your smart home using a

How to Activate Windows 10 Professional for Cheap With WhoKeys.com

If you’re looking to save some money on Windows 10 Professional for back-to-school, Whokeys.com wants to help. Right now, the company is offering MakeUseOf readers a special discount on Windows 10 activation keys if they use the code MAKE25 at checkout. With this discount, you can grab a global activation license for only $18. That’s less than 10% of the retail cost! And with Microsoft’s announcement that Windows 11 will be a free upgrade for all Windows 10 users, there is no time like the pres

How to Save Your TikTok Videos Easily With Qoob Clips

Would you like to save your favorite TikTok content to view later? Are you worried about backing up your social media accounts? Well, allow us to introduce you to Qoob Clips. Qoob Clips offers a powerful TikTok mass downloader that lets you save content from your favorite public and private social media accounts, including your own. Today, we’ll show you how you can keep your social media content with this great app. Almost everyone loves TikTok these days. If you’re not scoping out hilarious
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