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Roborock S7 Max Ultra review: The (high) price of vacuum perfection
One of the most effective robot vacuums, with slightly less advanced obstacle detection
Roborock is often seen as the market leader when it comes to building some of the best and most innovative autonomous robot vacuums. Its S7 MaxV Ultra is still seen as one of the most advanced robot vacuums on the market, thanks to its ability to mop and vacuums floors simultaneously, while requiring minimal human intervention, as well as its built-in camera that allows it to precisely identify obstacles. It’s been one of the first models on the market to come with a self-cleaning dock that houses two water tanks and can also wash the robot’s mop.
Amazon is driving the prices even lower on its Echo speaker lineup with the new Echo Pop. This new model trims a few of the sensors from the Echo Dot (Gen 4 or 5) and simplifies the design to bring its retail price to $40 while actually increasing the speaker driver size a touch.
Google Pixel Fold review: An $1,800 rough draft
Google's first foldable fails to live up to its full potential
For a while, the "Pixel foldable" existed in the same hypothetical vein as a "Pixel Ultra." Sure, the phone is a reality now, but dig back far enough, and you'll find early word of prototypes dating back to 2019. A couple of weeks ago, we learned exactly why these rumors have existed for so long. In promoting its upcoming release, Google admitted it had canned an earlier iteration after deeming it unsatisfactory. That's not the type of thing most companies will admit, and for a brand that often struggles with first-gen products, it doubles as a big promise.
Asus Zenfone 10 review: The last of the (good) small phones
Good things still come in small packages
There was a time when cell phones seemingly only ever got smaller, and likewise, some of us look fondly on those days when phones easily fit in our pockets and purses. Nowadays, we are mostly stuck with glass front and backed behemoths if we are seeking out a flagship, where devices like Asus's ROG Phone 7 surely aren't shy about their size and weight.
Arlo Pro 4 review: Uncompromised security, at a price
24/7 peace of mind with a 6-month battery life
Between initial hardware costs and monthly subscriptions, smart home security can get pretty pricey. While there’s no shortage of great bang-for-your-buck budget options available, more premium devices often have hardware and software improvements that make them well worth the buy for those of us wanting a more user-friendly experience. With a $200 price tag, the Arlo Pro 4 definitely bills itself as premium, and has the slick styling and powerful hardware to back it up.
Harry Potter Magic Awakened review: No joke, it's actually good
While there are flaws, the CCG's bucketloads of charm more than make up for them
Harry Potter games are in a strange place right now. Hogwarts Legacy, which dominated the charts earlier this year, offered mediocre and uninspired gameplay, and things are even worse when we turn to mobile. From Niantic's failed AR game, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, to the grim cash grab that is Zynga's Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, things aren't exactly bright on our phones. However, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened bucks this trend by showing how a Harry Potter game should be, packing the charm and wonder of the universe into every inch of the title.
Apple iPad (2022) review: It just works
Despite Apple's restrictions, the iPad is still one of the best values in tablets
It just works. Nothing causes an Apple critic’s blood to boil faster than those three words used to defend a product from Cupertino. And while that phrase has practically become a meme, not enough people understand what it means to the average user. It’s not to imply Apple products are bug-free — they aren’t. It certainly isn’t meant to suggest that Apple always makes decisions in the best interest of the customer — it doesn’t.
WiiM Pro review: The Chromecast Audio Ultra we never got
Add all kinds of streaming smarts to your dumb speakers
Smart speakers are a dime a dozen anymore, and a lot of them sound great. But many of us still have regular ol' dumb speakers kicking around, plenty of which easily outperform their smarter cousins on audio quality. The $149 WiiM Pro streamer bridges that functionality gap by adding support for streaming audio through Chromecast, Alexa, AirPlay, and more to legacy audio setups. It won't appeal to everyone, but I think this thing is great: it's more or less the Chromecast Audio Ultra I've always wanted Google to make.
Govee Curtain Lights review: A smart light spectacle
Why settle for an RGB strip when you can have an RGB wall
Ever since childhood, I’ve been obsessed with colored lights. In 2023, that’s not a hard itch to scratch, but in the late 80s, it was a big deal to have a red or green LED in a toy. So while my inner child has enjoyed watching the RGB volcano explode in the last ten years, I can admit that some products go overboard. Thankfully, in a sea of light strips and RGB bulbs, the Govee Curtain Light does serve a purpose — albeit for a rather specific niche.
Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) review: A stylus phone that won't break the bank
Motorola delivers a Samsung-like smartphone for a third of the price
Motorola recently unveiled this year’s Moto G Stylus 5G, the latest upscale entry in its popular lineup of budget phones. With the 2023 edition of the Stylus 5G, Motorola cut a few corners compared to last year’s model to deliver it at a more wallet-friendly lower price, becoming an even more tempting alternative to other phones in its class.
Motorola Razr+ review: My new favorite foldable
The GOAT of flip phones can finally reclaim its throne
The Moto Razr has been many things to many people. It was an early 2000s status symbol (only '90s kids understand), an early iPod alternative with full support for iTunes, several entries in Verizon's long-running Droid series, and finally, an also-ran launched ahead of Samsung dominating the clamshell foldable space. And, for the past three years, it's been missing in action from the United States, as the Razr skipped a 2021 release and kept the 2022 model limited to international regions.
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus review: A porch pirate's nightmare
A good doorbell that’s most useful if you get lots of deliveries
Ring has pioneered the smart doorbell market with some of the most advanced and user-friendly devices out there. Today, it still makes some of the best smart video doorbells, as well as a wide range of security devices like the Ring Alarm and an impressive number of cameras. Most of its products come with smart features, such as motion and package detection, two-way audio, and night vision.
Google Pixel Tablet review: That first-gen feeling
It's a fine midranger, but the Pixel Tablet's best ideas are half-baked
We're all familiar with Google's rocky relationship with tablets: after early success with the affordable Nexus 7, the company struggled to maintain momentum. Following poor commercial and critical reception of 2018's ChromeOS-based Pixel Slate, Google gave up on tablet hardware altogether for quite some time.
Bird Buddy review: A genuinely delightful smart bird feeder
Expensive and occasionally frustrating, but oh so much fun
Of all the weird and wonderful things I saw at CES this year, Bird Buddy caught my attention in a way few tech products do anymore. It's a colorful, cutesy bird feeder with a Wi-Fi-connected camera nestled inside to record and identify the birds (and other critters) that stop by to feed. It's expensive, and at launch, some of its features still aren't ready for prime time, but after using a Bird Buddy for more than a month, I can't help but love this thing — flaws and all.
Owning a NAS has become significantly more common over the last few years, largely due to a rise in remote work and the popularity of maintaining a local digital content library. TerraMaster has made a name for itself in this market with a lineup of NAS boxes with specs that match or exceed many of the best Synology NAS solutions while keeping prices lower. The F4-423 4-bay NAS fits this theme well with a pair of 2.5GbE ports and a GPU for transcoding. The software is simpler and doesn’t have as many features compared to products from the likes of Synology, but that makes it more approachable as a network file server.
I have never been more confused by a smartphone than by the OnePlus Nord N30 5G. Its predecessor, the Nord N20, was one of my favorite budget devices of last year. It offered a near-flagship quality OLED display, stellar battery life, and a sleek build — all for $300. And with such an impressive platform to build on, the N30 should’ve been an easy layup.
Poco F5 Pro review: A great Pixel 7a alternative
This phone delivers on almost every aspect but falls short in photography
Xiaomi's sub-brand Poco made a name for itself with the Poco F1 and its unbelievable price-to-performance ratio. Since then, the company has expanded its product portfolio to include more budget devices to reach a wider audience. Amidst all this, it felt like Poco's flagship products were focusing more on gamers with their funky design. With the Poco F5 Pro, the company is returning to its roots and has launched a phone with flagship-like specs at an affordable price point.
Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C review: Everything's better in color
Merging Android with E Ink and a splash of color is pure magic
Onyx is continuing its crusade in the name of e-reading, though it might be more appropriate to call its devices E Ink Android tablets, as they don't come running locked down operating systems like Amazon's Kindle e-readers or reMarkable's tablets. One of the latest models from Onyx is the Boox Tab Ultra C, and it puts a colorful spin on the Boox Tab Ultra we reviewed in March, which is already an appealing device.
Sony Xperia 1 V review: Too much money, not enough phone
Sony's myopic priorities rob another Xperia of its potential
A decade ago — back in the Wild West era of Android — Samsung debuted one of its oddest gadgets to date. Rather than keeping its Android builds limited to smartphones, the company branched out into point-and-shoot cameras, bundling a 4.8" touchscreen with a 21x zoom lens and Android 4.1. Thanks to its LTE connection, backing up to various cloud services — or immediately sharing to Instagram — was quick and easy, but as smartphone sensors continued to evolve, the need for dedicated cameras, even those running Android, fizzled into nothing
Acer Chromebook 514 Spin review: Powerful features at an (almost) affordable price
For Chromebook users looking to tackle more than just spreadsheets
I absolutely love what Chromebooks offer for under $300. Aside from helping vanquish the horrid netbooks, Chromebooks provide low-cost, quality solutions for most people's daily computing needs. The challenge for manufacturers has been bridging the gap between the reliable Chromebooks we love and the more robust features of Windows machines that some people need.