Expert news and opinions on the latest hardware, gizmos, and tools.
When my household was just myself and my gray tabby Charlie, a basic water bowl and food bowl was all she (well, me really) needed. But after adopting Katniss, my black and white tuxedo kitty, our daily routines completely changed. I had to worry about Charlie stealing food from her sister, and I had to … Continued
Most of us have long since replaced a standalone alarm clock with a phone, but the new Google Nest Hub is the first smart display that justifies its placement on your nightstand. Its new sleep-tracking capabilities are impressive, and it finally offers an easy sleep-tracking solution for those of us who hate wearing a fitness … Continued
Just when you think Intel couldn’t do anything else with its desktop processors on that old, 14nm node, it manages to do something else. I thought the company hit a limit with its previous generation, although the gains it does make gen-over-gen aren’t the most impressive. Between Intel’s long, fraught saga getting its architecture down … Continued
I’m pro-open ear headphones for outdoor exercise. Bikers, cars, unsupervised children on scooters—they’ve all been hazardous to my health while running. So even though I had reservations about the Bose Sport Open Earbuds, I was eager to give them a go. Open-ear audio has been around for awhile in the form of bone conduction headphones, … Continued
Got a new dog in quarantine? You and me both. I’ve had a couple of adult dogs over the course of my life, but the experience of becoming a new mom to a 6-month-old rescue during quarantine was a totally different ballgame. I had a pretty good idea of certain behaviors that I wanted to … Continued
Just this week we saw OnePlus team up with legendary camera maker Hasselblad to seriously upgrade the photo quality of its latest devices, and now OnePlus’ sister company, Vivo, is doing something similar with Zeiss for its new X60 Pro+. While I’ve only spent a short time checking out the X60 Pro+, I’ve been pleasantly … Continued
From the moment Acer announced its redesigned Predator Triton 300 SE at CES, I was hooked on the new look. That stereotypical black-and-red (or sometimes blue, to spice it up) “gaming look” can be aggressive, and it’s also totally obnoxious and uninspired these days. There are a lot of older gamers who’d appreciate something more … Continued
Sometimes, a Bluetooth-enabled speaker is really all you need. But the nice part about having a speaker with wifi capabilities, too, is being able to simply tell your smart assistant what to play without having to fiddle too much with the speaker itself. It helps when that speaker also delivers exquisite audio the way it’s … Continued
When Apple revealed the iPhone 12 lineup, the company pitched its new MagSafe feature as a way to fix one of the many flaws of wireless charging. What I instead saw with MagSafe was a solution to another smartphone problem I’ve had for years: attaching the phone to a tripod. Moment is the first to … Continued
Last fall’s OnePlus 8T was a solid device, but it still seemed like OnePlus could step it up. With the release of two new flagship phones, it looks like OnePlus agreed. The new $730 OnePlus 9 and $970 OnePlus 9 Pro sport noticeably improved cameras due to a new partnership with Hasselblad, even faster charging, … Continued
There are wearables that measure your heart rate, your sleep patterns, and your blood oxygen levels. But then there’s a wearable that will let you know if you’re rushing or dragging on “Caravan,” which could be a life-saver in its own right. The $329 Soundbrenner Core Steel is designed primarily for musicians. Soundbrenner’s wearable is … Continued
As the covid-19 pandemic eases, one quarantine discovery I plan to stick with is working out at home. Planning my schedule around going to the gym is tedious, and exercising in my house at a convenient time for me eliminates almost every excuse I have to just… not. It’s no surprise that Peloton’s popularity has … Continued
Amazon’s new Echo Show 10 will track you as you move across its line of sight, which feels strange at first. That’s just one of the device’s many unique features, and its other abilities make it a handy sous-chef while you’re preparing meals. But its limited app support is a disappointing shortcoming of an otherwise … Continued
I will do or try almost anything to get rid of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). I’ve had my legs demolished with deep tissue massages that left me crying for mercy. I’ve foam-rolled and used ice packs. I’ve tried magnesium supplements and antioxidant-rich foods. I’ve worn compression gear and KT tape. So I figured I … Continued
