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Sony's X900C 4K television isn't perfect, but it makes a good case for Android TV
We're already living in the future. Virtually every appliance in the modern home has become smarter thanks to ubiquitous internet connectivity, and the same goes for televisions as well. What used to simply be a monitor has quickly morphed into an all-in-one entertainment system. Heck, even having direct access to your entire online content collection and streaming services without so much as a set-top box is becoming standard fare. But does a TV that's as smart as my cellphone really make for a better viewing experience? To find out, I spent a month consuming my content on the Sony X900C, a ridiculously thin $2,400 (MSRP) flat panel 4K LCD TV, and one of the first powered by the Android TV operating system.
Shopping with Amazon Dash buttons made me less forgetful
If you're like me, you've made a trip to the grocery store with a list full of items only to return frustrated. You forgot toilet paper. Or soap. Or laundry detergent. Whatever it may be, we've all arrived back at home to realize we neglected to pick up an important item. Thankfully, Amazon's Dash buttons help you order items the moment you run out so that you're not forced to make a second trip. Heck, you don't even have to make a first trip. The handy buttons pair with Amazon's mobile app to give Prime members an easy way to purchase the goods they use most. In fact, they make placing an order so easy it's kind of scary.
ASUS' $299 hybrid tablet is a good idea that's past its prime
When ASUS launched the original Transformer Book T100 back in 2013, it had a relatively novel concept on its hands: a low-cost Windows tablet that could double as a laptop thanks to its included dock. The company clearly thinks it's still a good idea, since it recently released the Transformer Book T100HA with more powerful guts and Windows 10. But does this concept still hold water in 2015, when 2-in-1 Windows laptops are commonplace and mobile tablets are increasingly powerful? I've been living with the T100HA for several weeks to find out, and the truth is that it's no longer as sweet a deal as it once seemed. There are still many things to like about ASUS' hybrid, but you'll have to make some compromises that shouldn't really be necessary in modern hardware.
The Keurig Kold: You could just buy a mini-fridge instead
As I took Keurig's Kold machine out of its box, the first thought that ran through my head was, "Man, Alton Brown would hate this." You see, the Good Eats and Cutthroat Kitchen host has a vendetta against single-use kitchen gadgets: that is, products designed to do one thing and one thing alone. And it's usually a purpose that could easily be replicated by another doodad already living in your kitchen. In the case of the Kold, a device that dispenses single servings of cold drinks at the touch of a button, that doodad would be your fridge.
I electroshocked my brain and I feel great!
For years I've relied on caffeine and cannabis to modulate my moods. It's an effective, albeit slightly illegal, system and not without its side effects. Too much coffee and I become a jittery, hyperactive mess. Too much cannabis and I spend the next few hours taking a weed nap. But that's where the Thync comes in. It's a tiny, head-mounted device that is supposed to discretely modulate your moods by gently zapping your brain with pulses of electricity. But can the power of Tesla really get me out of an emotional funk the way a doppio espresso and some dab rips can?
On the court with the promising Qlipp tennis sensor
It wasn't long ago that we rounded up a collection of gadgets aimed at tennis players -- everything from fitness trackers to sensor-laden rackets. But this is still a young market and we've seen several new entries since then. Equipment maker Babolat announced the Pop, a stat-tracking sensor housed in a wristband, back in August. Meanwhile, a new name is entering this growing field. A small team called 9 Degrees Freedom successfully crowdfunded the Qlipp -- a small sensor going for $99 in pre-release deals before jumping to its regular $129 price. It's a "universal" device that should work with nearly any racket and the company boldly claims it's the "ultimate tennis performance sensor." I received a pre-release version several weeks ago and, thanks to a nagging foot injury, I ended up spending far longer with the device than I anticipated. That added time gave me the chance to watch the accompanying app evolve as the Qlipp neared its December release and while the typical crowdfunding growing pains are evident, I do like where the company's going with this device.
A month with Nest's latest smart thermostat
Nest's programmable thermostat has just turned four, and the company marked the anniversary with the debut of its third-generation device. Four years ago, thermostats were still boring blocks stuck to your wall and while programming them was already possible, it was always a painful process. Once you'd fixed your temperature schedule with an endless collection of up- and down-arrow keypresses for Sunday through Monday, that selection remained fixed, with the very thought of changing the schedule leading to cold sweats. Typical configurable settings included a schedule for cool, heat and occasionally vacation mode. I've lived with one for ages and it has run faithfully, always following the schedule I made when I first set it up many seasons ago. I've coveted the Nest thermostat since launch and so, when I was recently offered an opportunity to use the newest version at home I jumped at the chance to see if it would really make a noticeable impact on my world.
Qwerkywriter's retro iPad keyboard is a flawed masterpiece
The internet has made our culture impermanent, and in its confusion, humanity mistook nostalgia for authenticity. Our cameras take images in unprecedented detail, but we only share them if they look like Polaroids from more than half a century ago. The hipsters of today dress like they're about to teach a physics class in a Midwestern public school, circa 1954. That's why the Qwerkywriter feels like such a product of its time: a $399 84-key Bluetooth keyboard that's been styled to look like the love child of an Olivetti Studio 42 and an Underwood No. 5. A gleaming exhibit of the future designed to seem as if it's been in the back of a junk shop for the last hundred years. It was a Kickstarter success, but can the product vault the hurdle between nostalgia and authenticity to become an actual product?
With the EOS M3, Canon finally has a worthy mirrorless camera
Canon's entry into the mirrorless space started with the EOS M in 2012. Unfortunately, the company's first interchangeable lens camera failed to impress, due to its sluggish performance, a tedious user interface and subpar battery life. A year later, the improved (and mostly faster) M2 was introduced, but Canon only ended up selling it in China, the UK and its home country of Japan. Fast-forward to today and the EOS M3 is set to ship in the US next month, despite being announced in February and having been available overseas for almost as long. But now it's here. And, unlike the original EOS M, this one was actually worth the wait. Canon, it seems, has finally figured out the right formula to building a satisfying mirrorless shooter.
Bone conduction headphones let me ditch the boombox, but still cycle safely
Long bike rides are an easy way to burn calories without terrorizing your knees, but it helps to have some tunes to keep things fun. My rides usually take me through bustling urban streets and isolated stretches of waterfront, so pumping out a soundtrack using a Bluetooth speaker is usually a viable option -- mostly, anyway. Unfortunately, the wind-dampened output is never ideal and a high audio volume can burn through battery life, and bringing a backup device adds weight. Luckily, the ideal solution recently crossed my desk: AfterShokz's Bluez 2S bone-conduction headphones.
Sony's new A7R II brings more than just a resolution bump
Sony's A7 range of full-frame mirrorless cameras has only been around for just under two years and yet there are already six members in the lineup. The company has wasted no time in filling the series with models tuned for different uses -- from low-light performance to high-megapixel applications. The A7R II, with its 42.4-megapixel full-frame sensor, certainly falls in that latter category with specs that place it roughly in the same league as heavy hitters from Canon and Nikon. Still, bullet points on a page are one thing; using it in the field can uncover something entirely different. I spent a month with the expensive shooter ($3,200 for the body) and it turns out Sony's latest megapixel monster can hold its own among the big boys.
Vector's smartwatch looks like a SkyMall reject, but isn't
There are plenty of smartwatches, but the majority of them scream, "I'm a smartwatch," from every pore. Squared-off devices like the ZenWatch and Apple Watch still have a faint whiff of the pocket protector, while rounder units like the Moto 360 and G Watch R have had to bulk up to accommodate their internals. That's why Vector is such an interesting company: With its new Luna watch (£299, or about $466), it put an emphasis on design and a 30-day battery life over functionality. That may not sound like a smart proposition to some, but this combination of good looks and bare-bones features actually makes a lot of sense.
The Everyday Messenger bag isn't just for camera freaks
The Everyday Messenger camera bag has grabbed the imagination of Kickstarter users, raising an unprecedented $4 million and counting. You may wonder how the folks behind it, Peak Design, managed to convince more than 14,000 people to roll the dice on a $200-plus concept sack instead of snagging one from an established company like Ona. I was certainly curious, so when the company offered me a chance to try it, I took it -- even though we don't review bags very often. And while the style is not to everyone's taste, the attention to detail and unique features like a magnetic latch and folding dividers make it the best small camera (and regular bag) I've tried.
Leatherman's multi-tool bracelet is 29 kinds of dysfunctional
Hey guys, remember paracord bracelets? Those were cool for a hot second, right? I mean, strapping 20 feet of intricately woven, high-tensile rope to your wrist "just in case" seemed like such a good idea at the time. The trouble is that for an overwhelming majority of their wearers, those "just in case" moments never actually materialized and the bracelets simply became man jewelry for the Eddie Bauer crowd. Leatherman's new Tread tool-bracelet is just as bad, except instead of a length of rope you've convinced yourself you need, it's a ring of tiny, useless tools.
Sony's RX10 II is a powerful superzoom camera with some quirks
Remarkable superzoom cameras are hard to come by. But every now and then, there's a standout. Take Sony's RX10 II. Introduced in June, this new shooter features a 20.2-megapixel Exmor RS BSI CMOS sensor (1-inch) and a Bionz X image processor, two of the latest high-end components from Sony. Naturally, the RX10 II's main attraction is that massive 24-200mm (35mm-equivalent) Zeiss zoom lens, which lives inside a DSLR-like body (looks-wise, it hasn't changed much compared to its predecessor from 2013). As it happens, though, Sony isn't just positioning this as a superzoom; it's also going after people who want a powerful video camera. Indeed, that's one of the things the RX10 II does best: It can shoot 4K (3,840 X 2,160) at up to 30 fps and 1080p at 24, 30 and 60 fps. Pair that with a low-light sensitivity ISO of up to 25,600 and slow-motion modes that range from 240 to 960 fps (NTSC), and you have a worthy option for video buffs.
The q-Jays earbuds are reborn, but are they worth $320?
When spending big on audiophile headphones, folks may look at over-ear models like Masters & Dynamic's MH40 or open cans from the likes of Ultrasone. But earbuds? I doubt those are topping many people's sonic bucket lists. With that in mind, it's rare to see products like Swedish company Jays' new q-Jays unveiled for $320 -- on sale, no less. Yet, quality earphones can sound just as good as high-end headphones, as companies like Shure have proved. And I believe Jays has put enough style, engineering and sound quality into its next-gen 'buds to justify that lofty price.
With this rugged speaker, sound takes a backseat to accessories
It takes a lot to get me excited about a Bluetooth speaker these days. Although subpar sound quality plagued early devices, newer models offer both good looks and solid audio. Even so, most of the current offerings are same-y; unremarkable. Now, a company called Braven has found a way to evolve the Bluetooth speaker even further, with a large selection of rugged wireless speakers. The BRV-PRO was unveiled earlier this year at CES, and while it certainly looks the part of a weatherproof speaker, it's the optional accessories that make it most compelling -- everything from a solar charging panel to a mount for your action camera. As you can imagine, though, those extras add up quickly. I spent some time with the $150 speaker and the various extras to find out if Braven's latest is worth it.
Four weeks with Jet (aka 'My month without Amazon')
I placed my very first order on Amazon.com for two very popular albums back on June 20th, 2000. I'd later go on to place about 230 orders, including everything from a mattress (no wait, make that two mattresses; don't ask) and soap -- lots and lots of soap. I loved Amazon so much that at one point I remember saying it was the kind of brand that could do no wrong. But, soon after that second mattress order, my romance with the company began to fall apart, thanks to shoddy logistics and problems with Amazon's renowned two-day Prime shipping.
Becoming a rain detective with a backyard weather station
London summers can be the most arduous of times. Since early July, we've had highs of 98 and lows of 48. We've had sun, rain and everything in between. Planning where to go or what to wear more than a few days in advance is an impossibility. I do my best, of course, combining AccuWeather's useful-but-often-inaccurate extended forecasts with the Dark Sky app for up-to-the-minute weather alerts. Over the past week or so, however, I've added a new tool to my arsenal: the BloomSky. It's an all-in-one outdoor weather station that, for currently $169 and up, provides you with hyper-local weather information. Although it hasn't changed my life, becoming a meteorologist has been quite a lot of fun.
For $200, Samsung's latest Gear VR headset is a no-brainer
If you're the owner of a new Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, an extra $200 will get you Samsung's Gear VR Innovator Edition, one of the first virtual reality headsets available to the public. Like others following the Oculus Rift story, I assumed that all VR headsets still presented issues like nausea and lag and weren't yet consumer-friendly. But I wanted to see for myself what the fuss was all about, and since I already have an S6 Edge, I decided to splurge on one. In a few short days, my prejudices have melted away: The Gear VR isn't perfect, but it already does plenty of things, and does them well.