My first day with the Steam Machine was a mess. Instead of enjoying a worry-free game console, I spent hours troubleshooting what felt like a finicky PC. That’s because the Steam Machine is a PC, with a very important twist. Since the Magnavox Odyssey came out in 1972, game consoles have been built with the […]
Quick Take The MacBook Air M5 is what happens when Apple keeps refining an already excellent laptop instead of reinventing it. On paper, the upgrades feel modest. The design is unchanged, the display is still 60Hz, and the M5 chip isn’t delivering the …
The Dell Pro Max 18 Plus wants to give you all the desktop-tier firepower in the world. In return, you must be ready to bear its sheer bulk and the cost burden.
Instant insight: SQD without the sticker shock When I reviewed the TCL X11L earlier this year, I called it the best picture quality Mini-LED can currently offer. But at $7,999, it’s not the TV most people are actually going to buy. Enter the QM8L, a su…
The Xperia 1 VIII marks an attempt at a step change for Sony’s flagship phone line. Not only has it had an aesthetic overhaul, but Sony has also revamped the camera system, dropping the continuous optical zoom telephoto that’s defined the last four generations of Xperia phone. It’s not all different. Sony staples like a […]
I can’t remember the last time I got excited about a fan. Normally, I just buy whatever Vornado or Dreo model fits my budget, but that was before I started testing the battery-powered Standing Circulator Fan from SwitchBot. As the name indicates, the SwitchBot fan is a 3D circulator – a fancy way of saying […]
We’ve lost something in the past 15 years. Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Apple; they’ve all convinced us that streaming is the best way to watch movies and shows at home. With everything at our fingertips, there’s no need to run to Blockbuster for the weekend’s entertainment, or wait for a DVD rental to arrive in the […]
Anime collaborations are everywhere, from Gundam watches and Naruto nights at Major League ballparks to just about anything Evangelion. But these Ghost in the Shell keyboards from Iqunix are some of the coolest examples I’ve seen of anime-inspired everyday tech. They look sick and they type and play great. At $249 they’re a hefty upcharge […]
The new Thread Networks Diagnostics Tools app from Thread Group, the standards body behind the wireless IoT protocol, officially launches in beta today. The app, which arrives in beta today on iOS and Android, is the first dedicated tool to provide visibility into your Thread-based smart home network. I’ve been testing the alpha version of […]
I’ll admit it. I was wrong. Wildly colorful lighting is delightful for your smart home – well, outdoors, at least. Smart lighting is one of my favorite features of the smart home – it combines convenience with ambiance, letting you change the entire look of your room with just a press of a button. But, […]