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’Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’ is the perfect nostalgia bomb
You know what you're getting with a Smash Bros. game. A ton of iconic characters -- mostly from Nintendo, but also from the likes of Konami, Capcom and Square Enix -- battle to knock each other off elaborately-themed stages. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Switch doesn't really change up this formula, but it refines it in several ways. It packs in just about everything you'd want, with a slew of modes and a ton of fighters to choose from (74 so far). And for the older gamers, the ones who grew up battling with their friends for hours on end, it's a pure nostalgia bomb.
HP Spectre Folio review: This leather PC means business
Who needs a leather computer? When HP announced the Spectre Folio, the first notebook with a completely leather case, it seemed like a vain attempt at doing something different. But after spending a week with it, the Folio turned out to be much more than a gimmick. With its leather covering and a unique convertible hinge, the Spectre Folio is a step towards a wild new world of computer designs, one where everyone stops trying to recreate the premium unibody style that Apple pioneered.
USPS patches API flaw that exposed data on 60 million users (update)
The United States Postal Service reportedly patched an API exploit on Wednesday that would allow anyone with a USPS.com account to view other users' account details. The security flaw impacted some 60 million USPS users.
BMW’s i8 Roadster is a daily driver in supercar’s clothing
I'm a firm believer that cars can be art. Rolling pieces of design that are a snapshot of a point in time. Very few vehicles do that more right now than the BMW i8 Roadster. A supercar that's got one foot in the future and the other in the now. Except it's not really a supercar; it's something else, and that's OK.
ThinkPad X1 Extreme review: Big on power and price
Full disclosure: I have something of a complicated relationship with ThinkPads. Once upon a time, I was what you might call a "fanboy." Over the course of my life, I've had five of them. In fact, I've never actually purchased any other brand of laptop. But about four years ago I bought an X1 Carbon, and the experience left a bad taste in my mouth. I had to send it back to Lenovo for repairs four times in the first two years. That included having both the motherboard and keyboard replaced. Now, the screen is literally falling off. So I'm coming into this review pretty skeptical of Lenovo's quality control. Obviously, I can't predict how it will hold up over time, but I will say this: The X1 Extreme makes one hell of a first impression. That impression is important, though. This is Lenovo trying to move into a new niche and trying to fill a glaring gap in the ThinkPad lineup. If you wanted desktop replacement-level power in a sleek, ultra-portable package, you'd have to look elsewhere. This is a market served primarily by the larger MacBook Pro and Dell XPS models. But if you haven't been swayed by Apple or Dell's offerings, Lenovo just might have the answer.
Surface Pro 6 review: Still the best 2-in-1 PC
Microsoft's Surface Pro 6 is the ideal hybrid tablet. It's a slate that can run all of the Windows apps you need, and together with its keyboard cover, it can also serve as a solid ultraportable laptop. But honestly, the same was true for last year's Surface Pro, a machine that was mostly a spec bump from 2015's Pro 5. This latest Surface isn't the major redesign we've been waiting for, but it's still a great option for anyone looking for a unique ultraportable PC. And at least it finally comes in black again. There is one wrinkle for Microsoft though: the Surface Go, its great new tablet PC. Now that there's a cheaper way to get most of the Surface experience, in a much smaller package, there may be less of a reason to spend extra for the Pro model.
NVIDIA RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti review: To 4K 60 FPS, and beyond
NVIDIA's new RTX graphics cards are for the gamer that wants it all. I'm talking about 4K gaming beyond 60 frames per second, with the graphics settings dialed to the max. Both the RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti are a significant leap beyond NVIDIA's last GPU generation, but they're more than just the gold standard of 4K gaming. They also bring the possibility of real time ray tracing -- a light rendering technology that used to be reserved for big budget CG movies -- to consumers for the first time. And that has the potential to change the gaming landscape forever.
Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones review: Goodbye, Bose
Sony's WH-1000XM3 headphones are the sort of dream gadget I can review succinctly in one sentence: They're incredibly comfortable, and they sound amazing. That's it. End review. When the first 1000XM pair debuted in 2016, they weren't just another set of premium cans -- they were a sign that Sony was ready to take on Bose for the high-end noise-canceling crown. The company managed to deliver something that sounded better than Bose's best headsets while matching them at their own game. Now, with its third version, Sony is giving us little reason to look elsewhere. The $350 WH-1000XM3s are basically the ideal pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones.
A new Nokia PureView phone could be on the horizon
High-megapixel smartphone cameras are back in vogue, and now we might once again see the brand that started it all. Nokia smartphone maker HMD has reacquired the PureView brand from Microsoft, according to the European IP office EUIPO, and first spotted by Nokiamob. HMD builds all Nokia-branded smartphones under license, including the Nokia 1, 6 and 7 Plus, along with the flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco and retro 8110 Reloaded.
ZenBook Pro 15 review (2018): The touchscreen touchpad is no gimmick
With the ZenBook Pro, ASUS is finally starting to out-innovate Apple. Mostly, that's because of the ScreenPad, a display that's tucked beneath the ZenBook Pro's trackpad. It's a similar concept to the MacBook Pro's TouchBar, but it can actually be used as a tiny second monitor for basic multitasking. That's potentially much more useful than some LCD function keys. The ScreenPad isn't quite perfect, but it's one of the most intriguing twists on modern laptop designs that we've seen. It's just too bad the ZenBook Pro's battery life holds it back.
The redesigned Lincoln Navigator is ready for regular folks
The Lincoln Navigator luxury SUV (starting at $72,555) is unapologetically huge. That could create a bit of an existential crisis for some. Here are some of the issues I thought about while driving the Navigator: Where do you park something this huge? Do I have enough friends to fill it up? This is a nice SUV; should kids be allowed in it? Does this mean I'm a chauffeur now? I suppose if my life goes sideways, I could live in here. I wonder how many dinosaurs are being used to fill the tank.
Surface Go review: The ideal cheap Windows tablet ... almost
The Surface Go is Microsoft's smallest and cheapest tablet yet, with specs that would make hardware nerds laugh. But in many ways, it brings Microsoft closer to its original dream for the Surface line: It's almost as light as an iPad, but it can also run most of the Windows apps you need. While the Surface Go certainly won't replace more powerful laptops, it's an intriguing option as a secondary device, especially at a low starting price of $399 (without a keyboard). Just be aware of its limitations.
Lamborghini’s high-performance Spyder turns physics into fun
If you're a car person, you've at least looked at a Lamborghini and wondered, "Are they as awesome as the mystique around them?" Sure, they conjure up images of guys wearing too much cologne while blasting bad covers of popular songs over an EDM beat. Also, there's probably a gold chain thrown in there somewhere. If you toss aside that weird stereotype and really look at the vehicles coming out of Italy, you'd realize they're more than just fodder for posters. They're actually pretty remarkable.
Porsche’s Panamera hybrid brings sports car fun to a station wagon
The Porsche brand has never really been synonymous with family. The legendary 911 just doesn't lend itself to playdates, Target runs and road trips with the kids. Then the German automaker introduced its SUV line in 2003 and suddenly the offspring had a place to sit. But an SUV is not a sports car. The Panamera line, on the other hand, has the potential to be a bit of both.
Zero motorcycles’ modular battery is one pricey upgrade
On a spreadsheet, electric motorcycles can be a tough sell. For starters, gas-powered bikes get outstanding mileage. So while hybrids and electric cars can save a driver money in the long run, that doesn't really apply to motorcycles. Instead, there's the warm fuzzy feeling that you're doing something good for the environment. In addition, you can silently cruise around without frightening the neighborhood pets with a bombastic exhaust. Oh and there's also the incredible electric torque.
Razer's Blade is almost the perfect gaming laptop
Razer's revamped Blade stands out in a sea of great gaming laptops. It's not the lightest, and it doesn't have the most powerful graphics hardware, but it's one of the most polished notebooks we've seen this year. Razer has always positioned its Blade machines as MacBook alternatives, and this latest model is the closest you'll get to a gaming-focused MacBook Pro. And just like Apple's machines, you can expect to pay a premium.
Mitsubishi’s Outlander Plug-In Hybrid is an understated surprise
No one would blame you if you thought Mitsubishi no longer sold cars in the United States. After being a major player in the sport compact segment during the '90s and 2000s, the automaker just sort of faded away from the vehicle zeitgeist. While its profile was almost nonexistent in the United States in the past few years, in Europe, the company's Outlander Plug-In Hybrid (starting at $34,595) has been a huge hit. Now the hybrid SUV is available in the United States, and I got a chance to see what all the hype is about. What I discovered was a vehicle that nearly hits all the checkmarks for an electrified vehicle that surprised me with its comfort and puzzled me with its infotainment system. For every weird decision made by the automaker, thankfully there were two or more features that brought me back around.
Jaguar I-Pace review: A luxury EV that can tackle anything
A gentleman in a field peeks into the car and asks me to raise the height of the red First Edition I-Pace I'm driving then gestures towards a few feet of water ahead of me. "Don't go too fast, there are sharp rocks down there," he says. I've driven the car for a few hours already and am already a fan of its capabilities on paved roads and the luxury interior. Now I'm about to drive the crossover on a "surprise" off-road course and sure, why not. Let's do this.
Chrysler makes a case for the hybrid minivan
No one marvels at minivans. Well, except maybe at car-stereo events (you can get so many woofers in the back of a van). But in real life, on the streets, the world treats the minivan like a defeat: It's what you buy as an adult when you've given up all hope. Your youth has died, the body has been cremated and its ashes have been mixed with Metamucil and spread at the entrance of a chain restaurant (probably an Applebee's).
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin review: A milestone for laptop gaming
There's no question that gaming laptops are more interesting than ever before. Mostly, that's due to NVIDIA's Max-Q GPUs, which allow PC makers to cram a ton of power into slim laptop cases. Last year we saw the 17.9mm-thick, 4.9-pound ASUS Zephyrus, which packed in GTX 1080 Max-Q graphics. Most recently there was Gigabyte's Aero 15X, which wowed us with its light 4.5-pound frame. Now MSI is taking its latest stab at a Max-Q design with the GS65 Stealth Thin, and it's even more impressive than what we've seen before. It weighs just 4.1 pounds, but it fits in a GTX 1070 GPU. Even though NVIDIA's laptop-graphics chips haven't changed since last year, it's clear that MSI and other computer makers are getting smarter about how they implement that hardware.
