Expert news and opinions on the latest hardware, gizmos, and tools.
The weird thing about picking up the Google Home Max is the weight. It’s only 11 pounds, but it feels heavy, the way speakers used to feel. So I feel like I smirked when I plugged it in, thinking, “This thing’s gonna be loud.” At top volume, the Google Home Max did not blow me … Continued
The smartphone made the standalone alarm clock worthless. Sure you probably know some alarm clock holdouts (a parent or grandmother perhaps), but you probably just use your phone, which is already resting on the nightstand and has a decent enough alarm. The $130 Amazon Echo Spot, a new, tiny, Alexa device with a camera, display, … Continued
It’s not easy to find a really good laptop for under $1,000. There’s always some kind of compromise—usually related to speed, usability, or size. But everyone deserves to have a laptop that they can use in a coffee house without shame, carry to classes without pain, or use to tweak a few photos on without … Continued
This year I joined the Squatty Potty ranks, investing in one for the sake of my aggrieved gastrointestinal tract. My digestive system is reminiscent of Moses’ trek through the desert: nothing passes for 40 days and 40 nights. So I did what [apparently] everybody does: I watched a unicorn defecate a rainbow ice cream cone … Continued
A couple months ago I reviewed MSI’s GT75VR, and even though I respect how hard it is to cram desktop-level components, ridiculously loud speakers, and a custom mechanical keyboard in a laptop body, gigantic 17-inch systems like that don’t really do it for me. That’s because weighing in at almost 10 pounds and measuring 2.3-inches … Continued
I’m a longtime Bowers & Wilkins fan. The headphones are so good, I’ve always thought, they don’t even need noise-cancelling. Well, Bowers & Wilkins didn’t listen to my thoughts and recently released a set of noise-cancelling headphones. I was wrong. The Bowers & Wilkins PX are are the best wireless headphones the company’s ever made. … Continued
It seems inevitable that one day your entire home will be wired so that smart assistants can hear your every request, no matter where you are. But if you mostly rely on a smart speaker, its built-in mic can only eavesdrop so far. Companies like Google would certainly love it if you bought a smart … Continued
I really wanted to like the ZTE Axon M the first time I tried it. With the trend of smartphone screens getting bigger and longer, surely a phone sporting two screens instead of one would be even better right? Not only can you flip open the phone and multitask across the Axon M’s dual 5.2-inch … Continued
“Go back to the time of your ancestors, and be still,” meditation guru Deepak Chopra said as lights flashed onto my eyelids. “Journey back to the beach or a grassy knoll or the cool forest or the dessert oasis or the waterfall or mountain top or river bank or the campfire where your ancestors sat … Continued
Nest’s next big thing underwhelmed me at first glance. It wasn’t anything different, just a home security system and some sensors. This, from the company that made me believe thermostats were incredible and futuristic. The product’s announcement felt disappointing, but after spending some time with the system, Nest Secure, I have another feeling. Because innovation … Continued
While its original mission was to make high-end gaming mice, Razer’s line of products has grown over the years to include everything from keyboards and fitness bands to entire desktops, laptops, and pretty much anything else the company could put RGB lighting in. However, up until now, there was one glaring hole in Razer’s otherwise … Continued
Nintendo has promised that the Switch’s upcoming online service will include a library of classic games that will help turn the portable console into an epic—but not perfect—retro gaming machine. The one thing the Switch is missing is a genuine, four-way D-pad, but that can be easily remedied with 8Bitdo’s new SN30 Pro gamepad—a clever … Continued
GoPro has been the leader on action cameras from the very beginning, and its brand has attained a kind of Xerox-like omnipotence—despite the company’s ongoing struggles in recent years. Amongst GoPro’s problems is the difficulty in making the improvements to its line look like anything more than iterations. With its new Hero6, GoPro has juiced … Continued
Thanks to Lenovo’s expertise in making 2-in-1 laptops, which let you use it as a laptop or a thick tablet, you can now get a relatively inexpensive machine that doesn’t make you feel like you picked your computer up from the prize counter at Chuck E. Cheese’s. The $750 Lenovo Yoga 720 might not be … Continued
Have you ever fantasized about having the weather read to you every morning like it was a beautiful Shakespearean sonnet? That’s probably the best reason to choose UBTECH Robotics’ new Alexa-enabled Lynx robot over the Amazon Echo—that, or you’re very, very lonely. Whether you’re interested in talking to Google’s Home platform, Microsoft’s Cortana, or Amazon’s … Continued
When you’re a gadget blogger, your friends typically have a classic, back-pocket question around the holiday season: What should I get So-and-So as a gift? My most-used answer used to be the Boom, a Bluetooth speaker made by Ultimate Ears. This year is different. This year it’s the Blast, an Alexa-powered speaker made by angels … Continued
The price of high-end smartphones has gotten out of control. The iPhone X starts at $1000, while Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 retails at $950, and as much as I like nice things, ponying up that much for a phone is kind of ridiculous. Do we really need a notch that lets you turn your face … Continued
Instead of a normal shower, imagine standing up every morning inside of a storm cloud: The shower curtain bucking and bellowing in the wind; the air, hot and humid as a heavy mist envelopes you, washing away soapy suds. That’s what it’s like to use a Nebia, the shower system that’s won over the biggest … Continued
A few months ago, Huawei passed Apple to become the second largest smartphone maker in the world, (Samsung’s number one). Yet you don’t see Huawei ads on TV in the United States, and its phones are seldom sold in any of the big carrier stores. Even when they are, they are often hidden behind a … Continued
Typing at work on Microsoft’s new 15-inch Surface Book 2, I can’t shake the feeling that this thing’s not for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a powerful laptop, it’s beautiful, and the workspace its giant screen affords made me completely forget I wasn’t seated at my desk with my usual 34-inch extra-wide display. So … Continued