Expert news and opinions on the latest hardware, gizmos, and tools.
I tried the Virtual Boy more than 20 years ago and was almost instantly disappointed, but I’ve still dreamed of having a simple, standalone VR headset that could transport me to other worlds at a moment’s notice. And while the original Oculus Quest was a valiant attempt to make that dream come true, I never … Continued
It wasn’t long ago that action cameras were in an arms race to make the smallest possible device. In fact, a smaller profile was one of the things GoPro was boasting about just last year with the launch of the Hero8 Black. So, it’s a bit of a surprise that GoPro went bigger this year … Continued
The RTX 3080 is Nvidia’s newest flagship graphics card, and it’s a Beast with a capital B. The company formally announced the RTX 30-series earlier this month, including the yet to be released RTX 3070 and RTX 3090. The 3080 is the first of the three cards I’ve gotten my hands on, and I’m stunned … Continued
Some people swear by the Aeron. Others sit on balls. And others purposefully destroy themselves on chairs from hell. But one thing is certain: a good, solid office chair is your work-from-home friend. That’s what the tCentric Hybrid is: a good, solid office chair. Designed and built in Mississauga, Ontario, these chairs are mostly seen … Continued
There’s a lot to love about Lenovo’s laptops. They’re designed well. They’re reasonably priced for the specs. They’re reliable. I’ve tested a few and owned a few over the years, and it seems like every new model improves on the last. All that definitely applies to this IdeaPad Slim 7. It takes some of the … Continued
The 1960s were an interstitial time when it came to technology. Not quite computerized, the world hovered between the mechanical and the digital, computers clacking out commands onto old teletypes while Nixie tubes – essentially glowing wires in a vacuum – ran the countdowns for rickety spacecraft that had more in common with Magellan than … Continued
The moment I laid my eyes on a leaked render of the Oppo Watch, I muttered, “Oh god. Not another Apple Watch clone.” Nine months later, I have the Oppo Watch in my hands and I’m still not sold on the design. Not because it looks ugly or anything like that. On my wrist, it … Continued
Between its price, specs, and most notably its design, Microsoft’s Surface Duo is one of the most divisive phones in recent memory. But after getting the chance to use one, I can’t help but find the amount of vitriol, incredulity, and straight-up hate that gets lobbed the Surface Duo’s way incredibly perplexing. I mean, just … Continued
A curved AMOLED smartwatch sounds like the stuff of science fiction, and the Nubia Watch has certainly been described as futuristic—including by yours truly, who has used the word to explain the watch to coworkers and friends. But after wearing one for over a week, it’s more 2016 than 2020, much less like anything from … Continued
E-readers not only survived the arrival of the iPad and other tablet devices, they’re thriving, and innovating, with 2020 marking the arrival of the first full-color E Ink displays in products like the PocketBook Color and Hisense A5C. Like most first-generation products they’re far from perfect, but they promise to make e-readers a more compelling … Continued
My kids love laptops. They especially love laptops that play Minecraft and let them watch YouTube for hours at a time. But, I wondered, would they like a laptop that features a four-segment LED display, motion sensor, and RFID programmer? Further, would they like a laptop that looks, at first glance, unlike any other laptop … Continued
Up until about two years ago I was convinced that electronic paper was an outdated technology that no one really needed. What completely changed my mind was the original reMarkable, an E Ink tablet that so perfectly recreated the pen on paper writing experience that I haven’t used a real notebook since. The reMarkable 2 … Continued
I’ve used many Bluetooth speakers over the years. Some have been good, and others have been, well, not good. Choosing a portable Bluetooth speaker that’s a good fit for you requires considerations like whether you care more about a bargain price or, say, a thumping bass. But before you shell out a couple of hundred … Continued
Razer makes some of the highest quality and best-looking gaming laptops on the market. The matte black finish and clean, straight lines of the company’s Blade laptop series exude a subtle, mysterious look—almost as if they’re saying “You want to see power? I’ll show you power.” We’ve called the Blade laptops the “MacBook Pro of … Continued
Not long after the pandemic was in full swing, wearables makers big and small began to explore whether their devices could help researchers detect covid-19. While the range of wearables included well-known brands like Apple, Fitbit, and Garmin, the one that’s gotten the most attention is the Oura Ring. The hype around the Oura Ring … Continued
If I were to rank all the items in my kitchen that I thought could benefit from a smart upgrade, the faucet would be near the bottom of the list, outranking only butter knives and those plastic clips that keep bread bags closed. After spending a few weeks with the U by Moen Smart Faucet, … Continued
The new 27-inch iMac is a very good computer. That’s not surprising: Apple upgraded its newest machine to Intel’s 10th-gen CPUs, making it adept at handling processor-intensive creative tasks. It also has a truly beautiful screen, better than any I’ve ever used (more on that on a minute). But this iMac is also likely the … Continued
For a company that started out making add-on lenses for smartphones, Moment has quickly grown into a purveyor of a wide range of camera and home office gear. But with Moment’s new line of Travelwear, Moment is taking a big step by going up against some of the biggest names in luggage. Consisting of several … Continued
