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7 gifts for a killer living room
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome.The advent of 4K has rendered the concept of HDTVs... 'quaint.' But now, cable's feeling that burn, too, from the likes of streaming dongles and services. Nowadays, to get that perfect home entertainment setup, you don't need anything more than an electrical outlet and a broadband connection to get your TV, movies and music wherever, whenever and however you like it. Because you're not just a couch potato anymore, you're a couch potato aficionado. See for yourself below.Image credit: Getty Images
11 gifts for audiophiles
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome."Music brings the people together," a grande dame once sang in her characteristic sprechstimme. But what of the audiophiles? What brings them together? High-class sonic kit and the bragging rights that come with it, that's what. Check out our choice selects below for the braggadocio you call bae.Image credit: Mondadori via Getty Images
10 gifts for a smarter home
Winter is coming. And with it also comes the need to show the loved ones in your life just how much you care for them by spending, spending, spending on gifts. Trouble is, there are just so many options to choose from. What you really need is someone, some outside force to hold your credit card-holding hand. And boy, do we have some suggestions for you. Happy Holidays! You're very welcome.Wanna be the 2015 techie version of Martha Stewart? Do you know someone who is? Then take a look at our selections below that should please the hip and happy homemaker you hold dear.Image credit: Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
New in our buyer's guide: the Galaxy Note 5, OnePlus 2 and Moto G
Phones and gaming. Gaming and phones. That's about all we're adding to our buyer's guide this month. Since we last checked in, we've inducted a trio of new handsets, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Moto G and the OnePlus 2. (And yes, we'll soon have to update the iPhone part of the guide too.) Meanwhile, we also decided that the Wii U and the New 3DS XL deserved spots in our gaming guide, along with a nod to toys-to-life products like Amiibo, Skylanders and Disney's Infinity series. We'll be back next month, but until then, feel free to poke around our complete guide to see our top picks.
The 17 best laptops you can buy today
Our last buyer's guide update had a pretty solid list of laptops, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? We do have a couple of new additions to spice things up, however. We felt compelled to add the agile ASUS Chromebook Flip, which serves up a 360-degree rotatable touchscreen and killer battery life. For PC gaming, MSI's power-packed GT80 Titan is definitely worth a look. It offers top-of-the-range graphics and processing options, along with a large display and full mechanical keyboard. There are plenty of great choices out there right now, so if you're in the market for a laptop or thinking of an upgrade, it's worth taking a spin through the gallery below. Feel free to swing by our complete buyer's guide, too, for a rundown on some of the best gadgets across the board.
New in our buyer's guide: the Chromebook Flip and some gaming gear
Yes, we know: A bunch of phones just came out. Don't worry, we'll be reviewing those shortly. In the meantime, we have a handful of items we'd like to induct into our buyer's guide. Included among them: not one, but two laptops, including the impressive Chromebook Flip and MSI's GT80 Titan gaming notebook, which packs a mechanical keyboard. Rounding out the list are Teenage Engineering's pocket-sized synthesizers and a pair of gaming peripherals, including the newer Xbox One Kinect sensor and the PlayStation Camera. Also, though there's nothing wrong with the old wireless Xbox 360 controller, we've updated our guide to recommend you hold out for the wireless Xbone version. In any case, that's all for now -- check back next month to see what we add next.
The top 8 wearables you can buy right now
Fall is right around the corner and whether you're looking for a fashionable accessory, fitness tracker or productivity wearable to see the season through, you've got plenty of great options. Apple's Watch has finally hit its stride, with a rich app selection and recent software updates, making it a top pick for the iOS crowd. For those more interested in a casual colorful design and long battery life, the Pebble Time may be just right for your wrist. LG's classically styled Watch Urbane has joined the stable of Android Wear devices and Garmin finally graced the niche fitness market with a proper smartwatch. All these and more are lined up in the gallery below for your perusal and can also be found in our complete buyer's guide.
The top 14 portable audio gadgets you can buy right now
We love our tunes and we're guessing that most of you do too. If you're in the market for some portable audio gear or summer's been so great that you've inflicted serious damage on your current devices, we've got a fresh list of some of the best items out there. Samsung's Level On Wireless headphones are surprisingly comfy and sound great, while UE's affordable new Roll Bluetooth speaker doesn't disappoint. There's plenty more, so check out the gallery below for a rundown of what's new in portable audio or swing by our complete buyer's guide for a full listing of gadgets in every category.
Engadget's new buyer's guide picks: LG's G4 and a ton of audio gear
It's been almost two months since we've updated our various buyer's guides, but we've made up for lost time by adding a dozen new picks. Most of those are in our portable audio category, with nearly everything replaced with something newer (or better). We've rounded out our other categories too, though, with the LG G4 ranking as one of our new favorite phones, and the Fitbit Charge and LG Watch Urbane getting nods in the wearables section. Those are some of the more notable additions, but feel free to poke around -- and stay tuned to see what we add next month.
The top 15 gaming products you can buy
The approach of summer might mean it's time to unfurl the Slip N Slide, but there's only so much gaming you can do while flopping around in the water. Yes, you should get outside while the weather's nice, but there are also worlds to explore back in the air-conditioned confines of your home. If that system needs a refresh, or you're still in the process of cobbling together the ideal setup, we've got a list of some must-have gaming consoles, computers and accessories. Items like Astro's A50 wireless headset help keep you in touch with your raiding party, while Antec's Bias Lighting can improve your display's aesthetics. We'll have even more gaming gadgets for our buyer's guide in coming months, but for now you can scroll through the gallery below or head to the full gaming section to see what you're missing.
The top 12 tablets you can buy right now
It's true, we don't review quite as many tablets around here as we used to, but that doesn't mean slates have gone the way of the dodo. Microsoft's new Surface 3 is as much a budget PC as it is an iPad competitor, while Dell's sleek Venue 8 7000 reminds us that there's still a place for high-end tablets. Whether you're looking to update your own slate or pass one on to someone behind the curve, you'll find a summary of our top picks in the gallery below or you can head to our complete buyers guide for a full rundown.
The top 14 smartphones you can buy right now
It's been a while since we took time out to list our favorite smartphones, which means we've had to make more than a few updates to our buyer's guide. Big players like LG, HTC, Samsung and Motorola have unleashed a flurry of updates to their previous lines, and in most cases, the devices are better for it. The G Flex2 has restored our confidence in LG's curvacious form factor, piling on strong internals and improved specs. Samsung stepped up its game with the gorgeous Galaxy S6, while HTC built on the success of its One line to bring us the M9. Motorola added LTE to the Moto E for 2015 and partnered with Google to launch the super-sized Nexus 6. There are plenty of options for all budgets and power requirements, so cruise through the gallery or head over to our buyer's guide for help picking out your next daily driver.
The top 15 laptops you can buy right now
Between the new MacBook, the Chromebook Pixel and the Spectre x360 (HP's newest laptop, which it designed with Microsoft), we've been testing a lot of notebooks over the past few months. That means we've had to make a bunch of new additions to our buyer's guide, and in the process, rethink which models we'd actually recommend to our family and friends. Now that we've added some models and crossed a couple others off the list, we're left with 15 notebooks we can heartily recommend. The good news, too, is that because Intel's dual-core Broadwell processors just came out a few months ago, most of these are in no danger of getting refreshed again any time soon. That said, you might wanna hold off on buying any of the more performance-driven models on the list -- Intel's quad-core Broadwell processors are expected to land sometime this summer.
LG's G Flex2 is the newest phone in our buyer's guide, what should be next?
There's nothing like new gadgets to step up your spring swagger and indeed, we've got a couple of fresh faces in this month's buyer's guide to help shake off those winter blues. After spending some time with LG's G Flex2, we grew fond of its design, performance and display, making it a strong choice for your next handset. Meanwhile, if you're in the market for a mobile sound system, Ultimate Ears stepped up the volume and specs with its new Megaboom speaker, offering a 100-foot Bluetooth range and up to 20 hours of battery life. Don't worry, if you're still looking for more suggestions, we'll be flush in the coming months after we've had a chance to review all the stuff announced at MWC and GDC this week. In the meantime, there's still plenty of gear to be had and we've always got a selection of top picks at the ready in our complete buyer's guide.
The top 11 tablets you can buy today
Unless you've opted for a pocket-busting phone, you can probably still see the utility of having a tablet to handle books, movies or even a bit of on-the-go productivity. There are plenty of options for different budgets, and we've lined up our top picks to help you find your next. Dell's sharp new Venue 8 7000 nails the visuals with its high-res OLED screen and RealSense 3D camera, while the obvious choice for powerful, portable computing is still Microsoft's Surface Pro 3. Apple retains a top spot in the tablet world with its slim and speedy iPad Air 2 (we're still championing the last-gen iPad mini 2 over its higher-priced successor). Gamers have an option too, with NVIDIA's powerful Shield Android tablet. You can check out the full rundown in our complete buyer's guide, but if you just want to quickly flip through some of the best tablets on the market, head to the gallery below.
The top 10 wearables you can buy right now
This year's CES was awash in wearables and while many of them took the form of wrist-worn fitness trackers and smartwatches, the genre has expanded beyond the basics. While some iOS users may be holding out for the Apple Watch in April, there's still a great selection of cross-platform devices available right now. Withings' Activité Pop has classic analog style while still tracking steps and calories burned, all with the help of an eight-month battery. LG's G Watch R is a decent Android Wear option that offers a truly circular display, while the Moto 360 still cuts a striking figure -- although neither can manage more than a single day on a charge. The Basis Peak is also a contender, with reliable sleep and fitness tracking in a water-resistant package. As for wearable cameras, GoPro remains the go-to brand in the genre and its latest series of Hero4 cams don't disappoint. You can find our full list of picks in the buyer's guide, but we've also listed them in the gallery below. Who knows? Maybe skimming through will help you burn a calorie or two.
The top 14 laptops you can buy today
It's been a few months since we added anything to the laptop section of our buyer's guide, so we figured it was time for an update. Dell's new XPS 13 was a standout at CES this year, offering a nearly bezel-less 13-inch display packed into an 11-inch machine. It weighs just 2.6 pounds, too, putting it on par with Lenovo's equally svelte Yoga 3 Pro. If price is a factor, HP's Stream 11 is a great deal at just $200. This so-called Chromebook killer may not be the fastest, but it's able to run regular Windows applications and has a funky design, to boot. If gaming is your focus, MSI's GT72 Dominator is also worth a look. Not only are we fans of its build (and battery life), but when you opt for top-of-the-line internals, it's a beast of a machine. As usual, there are plenty of other stalwarts to be found in the guide, some of which have recently been refreshed with Intel's new Broadwell processors. If you just want a quick look, you can scroll through all the items in the accompanying gallery.
Daily Roundup: New buyer's guide picks, betting with Cortana and more!
What's happening in the tech world today? Check out our updated Engadget buyer's guide to find the latest recommendations on laptops and tablets, then read about placing sports bets with Cortana and learn about Dell's latest portables. All that and more can be found below.
Engadget's new buyer's guide picks: the Dell XPS 13, HP Stream 11 and more!
It's been a while since we updated our buyer's guide -- nothing like a bunch of winter holidays and then CES to slow us down. Fortunately, we haven't stopped reviewing stuff in the meantime and indeed, there are several top-notch gadgets we'd like to induct into our gear guides. Starting with the laptop category, we're adding HP's Stream 11 "Chromebook killer" -- a great deal for just $199. Meanwhile, at the high-end, MSI's GT72 Dominator gaming notebook replaces the older GT70. Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook, which recently earned a near-perfect score of 90, was also a no-brainer.
The top 16 portable audio devices you can buy right now
Looking to buy a fresh new set of headphones? Maybe you're in the market for some killer desktop speakers instead. Either way, you've come to the right place. Check out the gallery below for all the best gadgets from our portable audio Buyer's Guide.
