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ReviewsThe Best Streaming Device on a Budget
Run a Google search of streaming devices these days and you’re going to find a positively dizzying number of gadgets that essentially do the same thing: deliver your content. But they are all different. Some are dongles, some are sticks, and others are larger (and often pricier) streaming boxes. Some support premium features like 4K … Continued
By Catie Keck -
ReviewsThe Best Browser for Most People
Reader, I have a confession to make: Despite being a reporter who writes about all the ways our privacy regularly gets exploited by the feds and major tech players alike, I don’t exactly practice what I preach. I’ll download any free app regardless of whether or not it’s sending my data to dubious data brokers … Continued
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ReviewsThis Is the Best USB Microphone
USB mics were popular before the pandemic, especially among streamers and anyone who needed a high-quality microphone that was also easy to set up with their computer. But if you didn’t invest in a mic pre-lockdown and now find yourself needing a good one for meetings or that new podcast you and your friend are … Continued
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ReviewsThis Is the Best Portable Speaker for $150 or Less
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
By Catie Keck -
ReviewsThis Is the Best Budget CPU
There was a time when compromising on hardware for your DIY PC build meant seriously compromising on performance. But with AMD able to shrink down its transistor size to 7nm on its Zen 2 architecture, and Intel able to squeeze more and more out of its 14nm process for several generations, even the most budget … Continued
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ReviewsThis Is the Best Smartwatch for Under $200
It used to be that smartwatches were a sort of “luxury” gadget. They couldn’t do as much as your phone, and frankly, didn’t offer much more than a much cheaper fitness band. Shelling out several hundred for one seemed like a waste of money. But these days, there’s a heck of a lot more options … Continued
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ReviewsThis Is the Best $250 Phone
Just a few years ago, a $250 phone didn’t offer much. If you were lucky, you might get a front-mounted fingerprint reader that took up a bunch of space, stuttering performance, and a single rear camera that probably performed decently during the day, but turned into a potato at night. However, as tech from more … Continued
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ReviewsFake Meat Taste Test: Can Trader Joe’s Beat Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger?
Plant-based fake meats are so hot right now, and every day it seems like a new company is trying to get in on the action. Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods still stand out as the two companies making faux beef that tastes the most like the real thing. So when Trader Joe’s recently announced that … Continued
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ReviewsThis Is the Best Chromebook to Buy
Google’s Pixelbook might be the very best Chromebook you can buy. The $1,000 machine is a shining example of what a good combination of hardware and software can do when in perfect sync. But it isn’t the best Chromebook you should buy. Chromebooks aren’t supposed to cost a grand. They’re supposed to be cheap. So … Continued
By Alex Cranz -
ReviewsThe Very Best Noise-Canceling Headphones
If you ever fly on airplanes, you probably need noise-canceling headphones. If you work in an open plan office, you probably need noise-canceling headphones. If you ever feel the world is attacking your ears, you probably need noise-canceling headphones. Therapy might help but try noise-canceling headphones first. They’re really good these days! The basic idea … Continued
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ReviewsThis Is the Instant Camera You Should Buy
Though the medium almost died in the mid-Aughts, instant cameras are now more advanced and more affordable than ever. Some even have Bluetooth. It’s still hard to take a perfect photo with one of them, but that’s part of the fun. For the record, you no longer need to shake Polaroids. You do need to … Continued
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ReviewsThis Is the Best Gaming Headset Under $100
If you’re serious about gaming, you need a good pair of headphones. And if you want to communicate to your team, you’re going to need a mic too. But that doesn’t mean you have to drop a ton of money on something that will address both issues. So to find out which headset does the … Continued
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ReviewsHow the HomePod Stacks Up Against Other Smart Speakers
It seems like every new wireless speaker on the market comes with a voice assistant now. Since 2014, when Amazon announced the Echo, the idea of a smart speaker has taken the gadget world by storm. Apple has finally thrown its hat into the ring with the release of the HomePod, leaving us to wonder … Continued
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ReviewsThis Is the Perfect Laptop Under $1,000
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
By Alex Cranz -
ReviewsThis Is the Best Gaming Controller You Can Buy
I resisted the urge to fling the controller across the room as I tried, once again, to beat the first damn level of Cuphead. I’d been making my attempts using what is currently one of the best PC game controllers to date, the Microsoft Xbox One Elite. But it wasn’t happening. Then I switched over … Continued
By Alex Cranz -
ReviewsAmazon Echo Dot Vs. Google Home Mini: The Cheap Speaker Showdown
In the gadget-world, it’s cliché to compare something to The Jetsons. But when it comes to a cheap little box that you talk to and that answers your questions and that controls your entire home, the comparison is just too perfect. The $50 Amazon Echo Dot and the $50 Google Home Mini are two such … Continued
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ReviewsApple Watch Vs. Fitbit Ionic: What’s the Best Smartwatch for You?
After years offlailing mediocrity, smartwatches have gotten good enough to be mainstream. Two devices released in the last month, the Apple Watch Series 3 and the Fitbit Ionic, are the best we’ve seen. Not only are they both very, very good at telling time, they’re also capable of myriad other things your Rolex or Timex … Continued
By Alex Cranz
