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What we’re buying: Laptop bags (and an iPhone case) edition
We're back with another edition of "What we're buying," which focuses on gadgets and apps that our editors use in their everyday lives. This time, we're looking at the bags and cases that we put our valuable gadgets in. Deputy Managing Editor Nathan Ingraham sings the praises of his leather and canvas laptop bag, Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar fawns over a leather iPhone card case, and Senior Editor Nicole Lee loves the flexibility of her neoprene backpack.
What we're listening to in February
Senior News Editor Billy Steele confesses his love for the Album of the Year while Managing Editor Terrence O'Brien explains why Punch Up the Jam should be in your podcast rotation. Community Content Editor Amber Bouman also breaks down the thrilling fictional true crime podcast Limetown.
What we're watching in February
This week in IRL Mariella Moon takes some time to consider the lasting impact of Netflix's Fyre Festival documentary. Separately, Mat Smith explains why DC's Titans show is worth a watch -- especially if you don't need to pick up a new streaming subscription -- and Dan Cooper investigates the surprising success of Seth McFarlane's The Orville.
What we're playing in February
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where Engadget editors dive into everything they've been playing lately. We're well past the holidays and finally recovered from CES -- it's the perfect time to sit back and pick up a controller. Unfortunately, we haven't played one of the biggest recent releases, Resident Evil 2, but you can take a look back at our preview from E3. This month, we have a comparison between Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Origins, a look at New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, and one of our editors dives back into the glory of StarCraft 2. We'd also love to know what you've been playing, shout out in the comments below!
What we're buying: RetroStone's smart take on retro handheld gaming
The recent spate of retro "classic" consoles might be switching a new audience on to vintage games, but some of us never left them. For most, a $60 - $100 machine with a few flagship titles on it is probably enough to scratch the itch, but Managing Editor James Trew has a much deeper itch: to play retro games on the go without someone choosing the library for him.
What we're buying: Making the switch from Apple to Samsung
Associate editor Mariella Moon struggled when her old iPhone's touchscreen stopped responding. She went to the other side, and picked up a Samsung Galaxy S8. She's still with it -- but she's being careful.
What we're buying: A pair of Google Home Mini speakers
This week's hardware IRL is timely, as Google is about to showcase what's coming next at its annual developer conference. It's the perfect occasion to hear Timothy J. Seppala's thoughts on the Google Home Mini, the company's entry-level smart speaker. He ended up buying two, but they haven't quite delivered on everything he was hoping for.
What we're buying: Toto's toilet upgrade and an old Game Boy Advance
This week's hardware IRL is still in the bathroom. Devindra Hardawar explains how his toilet upgrade bested even the SNES Classic to make it his most recent must-buy. Elsewhere, Rob LeFebvre (once again) gets his hands on a Game Boy Advance SP.
What we're buying: Instant Pot Ultra, Huel and Sleep Cycle
This month is a (mostly) foodie edition of IRL. Nicole Lee sings the praises of the Instant Pot, while Daniel Cooper doesn't last long on the meal-replacement system, Huel. Tim Seppala, however, is just trying to get a good night's rest.
What we're playing: 'Madden 18', 'Cuphead' and 'Destiny 2'
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime. This month, like much of the world, we've been playing Destiny 2 and EA Sports' latest and greatest. Also Cuphead. Lots of Cuphead.
What we're buying: BeatsX wireless buds, Roland JP-08, Paprika app
As summer turns to fall, Engadget editors are looking to indoor pursuits, whether that involves paying for smarter recipe apps, a new synth toy or some wireless headphones for that indoor treadmill.
What we're using: Qapital, Mighty and the Switch Pro controller
This month's In Real Life focuses on self-improvement: taking your Spotify playlists to the gym minus your phone, getting some app-powered help on your savings and, er, being a better gamer on the Nintendo Switch.
What we're listening to in July
It's been a couple of months since we launched a new series about the stuff we use every day. Since then, we've talked about games new and old, Netflix originals, synthpop and even a WiFi router. This week, it's time again for music and podcasts: from Radiohead remasters to Jay-Z's latest, via New York history and forgotten TV pilots.
Sony’s latest Xperia is a terrific slow-mo shooter, with caveats
At long last, Sony has made a seriously compelling flagship. Not only is the Xperia XZ Premium the best-looking handset the company has made in years, but it also boasts a high-end camera capable of extreme slow-mo video recording. It's also one of the first phones to use the Snapdragon 835 chipset, which supports Gigabit LTE speeds where available. Plus, it has a sumptuous 5.5-inch 4K display that is HDR-ready. That's a whole lot of reasons to check out the phone, but is it worth splurging $800 on? Well, that depends on your needs.
The Passport foldable drone makes for a fun travel companion
My first drone flight experience was with the DJI Phantom 2 Vision, and as much as I appreciated its advanced capabilities at the time, I longed for something more compact -- a device so small that I wouldn't need to carry a separate bag or case for it, preferably without sacrificing performance. Eventually, a Chinese startup called Zero Zero Robotics released the $599 Hover Camera Passport, which comes in the unique form of a foldable cage while packing cool features like body tracking, face tracking and orbiting. I got to spend some time with the Passport over the past few weeks, and eventually it got to the point where I rarely leave home without it, lest I find time to take it for a quick spin.
Olympus' OM-D E-M1 Mark II hits nearly all the right notes
I use two cameras on a regular basis: my iPhone 7 Plus and an Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark I. The latter has been my workhorse since 2014, when many Engadget staffers started using it for field assignments. I've taken it to almost every press event I've attended these past two years, and the results are rarely disappointing. Still, the idea of a faster model with a better autofocus was tempting. That's where the recently launched OM-D E-M1 Mark II comes in.
Amazon Japan's manga-centric Kindle is all about storage
Japanese comics, called manga, are hugely popular. Although you probably knew that, you probably don't know the extent of it. In 2015, Japan's bestselling manga series, One Piece, sold more than 14 million copies. It helps that the format runs a hugely broad spectrum of topics; they're not just action-packed comics aimed at children but foodie series, sports, alcohol, comedy, romance and more. There are also plenty of one-off manga novels, like Steve Jobs: The Manga, to name one (ridiculous) example. It makes plenty of sense, then, for Amazon Japan to launch a special manga-focused edition of its e-reader, with faster page turning and eight times the storage for your digital manga collection.
Jabra's Sport Coach headphones count my reps so I don't have to
Whenever I go to the gym, I immediately plug in my headphones. Last year, I graduated to wireless headphones, and while I'm happy with my current Bluetooth buds (more on those later), I was intrigued by Jabra's latest refresh of its Sports Coach series, which promises to gauge and coach not only your running (I don't do that), but also cross-training style bodyweight and dumbbell-based exercises, counting reps using built-in movement sensors so that you can concentrate on your form -- and then crank out even more.
The sweet sound of the 'world's most expensive' earphones
I imagine I'm like most people in that I'm fairly content with a leaky pair of earphones that came bundled with a phone I bought 18 months ago. Some of you will have more expensive tastes, of course, dropping a few hundred on a "nice" pair of Beats, Sonys or similar cans. But there's a whole other world out there, where money is seemingly no object in the pursuit of the perfect sound. And for roughly a week, I've been masquerading as an audiophile myself, wearing oBravo's EAMT-1 in-ear headphones that cost no less than £3,600 (roughly $4,413). Yes, you read that right.
With the X-T2, I finally get why people love Fujifilm cameras
I've tested a handful of Fujifilm cameras over the years, but none of them have convinced me to switch from my shooter of choice, the Sony A7 II. That full-frame sensor is hard to beat. But, with the recently announced X-T2, I might be willing to reconsider. Fujifilm's new flagship mirrorless offers everything you'd want from a $1,600 (body-only) camera: sleek design, top-notch performance and, most importantly for some, a robust lens ecosystem.
