作者彙整: Hayato Huseman

Eero is no stranger to the mesh router space. Its original mesh system, released in 2016, was one of the first to combine small, stylish design with an easy-to-use app that made home networking far less daunting — though it came with a hefty price tag that made it hard to recommend over similar options like Google Wifi.

A subsequent second-gen model later arrived with simpler Beacon access points that plugged straight into your AC outlets, but at $400 for the three-piece kit, it was still hard for many to justify. Now, the once-independent company is releasing its first product since being bought by Amazon in 2019: a third-generation mesh system that further simplifies the setup process and finally offers competitive pricing.

Networking simplified

Eero Mesh WiFi System (Gen 3)

Bottom line: Eero’s third-generation mesh system… 閱讀全文 →

It’s made it not only possible, but at times preferable for me to use the camera that’s in my pocket rather than the more expensive and elaborate camera in my bag.

Google

Top Google stories of the decade
Google Home & Google Assistant
Moto X
Roku
Chromecast & Google Cast
HDR+
Samsung Galaxy S7
Alexa & Amazon Echo
HTC One M7
Robot Vacuums
Google Cardboard
Google Wifi

Apple

Apple across the decade
Rene Ritchie’s product of the decade
The iPad
iPhone 4s
Qi charging
iPhone 5c
iOS 8
Apple Watch
Pokémon Go
Nintendo Switch
iPad Pro
iPhone 11 Pro

Microsoft

Top Microsoft news stories
Surface Pro
Windows as a service
The Xbox revolution
AMD vs. Intel
OneDrive

Smartphones have seen nothing short of explosive growth over the last decade, and they’ve quickly become the most important communications tool in the world. They’re also incredible media devices, both for creation and consumption, and as someone who makes a living with their camera, my favorite technology… 閱讀全文 →

Two of the most popular streaming stick options are the Google Chromecast and the Amazon Fire TV Stick, both of which are priced around $40 or so. Streaming isn’t always perfect though, and if you’re suffering from a poor connection or just having trouble connecting to Wi-Fi at all, an Ethernet adapter could save you a lot of trouble by hard-wiring you directly into your connection.

Faster wired connection

Cable Matters Micro USB to Ethernet Adapter

Staff Pick

Most of the Ethernet adapters on our list transmit data at 100Mbps, but this one from Cable Matters can transmit data at speeds up to 480Mbps. It also features 3-foot cables for the Micro-USB and USB that should make set up easy no matter how your entertainment center is configured.

$15 at Amazon

Straight from Amazon

Amazon Ethernet Adapter

Amazon’s adapter is designed to hang off the Fire TV Stick itself. It comes with a Micro-USB port for connecting to a power supply and an Ethernet port. Just plug an Ethern… 閱讀全文 →

Another day, another messaging platform from Google — but don’t worry, this isn’t another full-blown chat app. Instead, Google Photos is making it easier to share and discuss photos with a new self-contained messaging section. It works similarly to direct messaging in social apps like Instagram, and no longer requires you to create shared albums. Here’s how it works.

How to use Google Photos’ new messaging feature

Messaging in Google Photos is still new and fairly rudimentary, but it’s easy enough to start using with anyone else who uses the app. It uses the same sharing menu that previously required creating entire albums and quickly starts to feel like second nature.

Open Google Photos and tap any image or video in your gallery that you’d like to share.
Tap the Share icon in the bottom left corner.
Under Send in Google Photos, tap the name of the user you want to message. You can create a group to message multiple people at once, or tap more to search by phone number or… 閱讀全文 →

One of the best parts about Google Photos is the automatic face tagging feature, which makes it easy to quickly find photos of your friends without having to scroll aimlessly through years of backups. Up until recently, though, you could only label faces Google Photos had already detected. Now, you can add those face tags yourself, with a few caveats.

How to manually tag faces

Tagging faces is a great way to easily index your photos, but before, you needed to let Google do all of the work, with the only manual option being confirming automatic tags. Now, you can do the tagging yourself in just a few simple steps.

From your Google Photos gallery, tap a photo with the face or faces you want to tag.
Tap the three dots in the upper right corner, or just swipe up to access additional options.
Under People, you’ll either see faces Google has already identified, or simply see “x faces available to add.” Tap the pencil icon to edit these labels.
Under Available to Add, tap a face you’d… 閱讀全文 →

Amazon’s Echo range of Alexa-powered smart speakers is great for controlling smart home devices. With smart bulbs installed throughout your house, you can use Alexa to turn individual lights and even entire rooms off and on, change the colors of your bulbs, and more. The only trouble is deciding on the right bulbs to buy — luckily, we’re here to help.

Best overall

LIFX Color

Staff pick

LIFX bulbs can be controlled remotely by Alexa without the need for a hub — the bulbs connect directly to Wi-Fi. The LIFX Color supports 16 million colors and is available with threading for either A19 or BR30 lighting fixtures. It’s also the brightest and most vibrant bulb of the bunch. Put that all together, and the LIFX Color is our top recommendation.

$44 at Amazon

Most popular

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance

Philips Hue’s new range of smart bulbs has built-in Bluetooth so you can control your lights without a hub. But to use them with an Amazon Echo, you’ll still… 閱讀全文 →

We’ve all been there. You’re scrolling through social networks and watching YouTube videos a bit more than usual and before you know it, it’s 5PM and your phone is already dead. Or, what’s more typically the case for me, I hop on a plane and the power outlet under my seat isn’t working for what I’m sure is a good reason, and my phone is halfway drained by the time I land. Whatever the case, dead batteries suck, but an easy fix is to carry around your own independent power source.

I’ve spent a lot of time around MrMobile this year, and believe me, he doesn’t travel anywhere without at least one portable battery pack (which I usually end up borrowing during coffee shop editing sessions when my laptop starts to run dry). Most of the time lately, that’s been the Goal Zero SHERPA 100PD, which outputs 60W over USB-C — more than enough to power a 15-inch MacBook Pro, even while we’re editing 4K video. Of course, that’s plenty for any phone or tablet, as well, and the top of the batte… 閱讀全文 →

We’re a virtual company made up of tech experts from across the globe, but we’re also avid music lovers who love getting the best experience at the best price. We’re here to help you do the same.

Sony WH-CH700N

Budget-friendly

$148 at Amazon

Pros

Affordable noise canceling
Easy to pair with NFC
Long battery life
More comfortable earpads
Cons

Charges via Micro-USB
Flimsy build quality
Sony’s entry-level option, these headphones don’t offer the best noise-canceling in the world, but they’re still handy for travel and deliver great sound for the price.

Sony WH1000XM2

Best in class

$348 at Amazon

Pros

Powerful noise canceling
Convenient gesture controls
Ambient Sound mode lets you hear your surroundings
Great sound quality
Cons

Charges via Micro-USB
Price hasn’t changed since the release of the 1000XM3s
Though they were once Sony’s top-of-the-line noise-canceling headphones, the 1000XM2s have become difficult to recommend.

If you have the extra money to shell out, the… 閱讀全文 →

This phone is clearly aimed at photographers, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great all-rounder.

Sure, it’s a trypophobe’s worst nightmare, but the Nokia 9 PureView has a lot to offer, both in its five-camera array and its general specs as the company’s latest flagship phone. Whether you want the best optics around, a large screen with minimal bezels, or a clean build of Android 9 Pie, this is an attractive handset at a reasonable price of $699.

But what exactly are you getting out of that money? Here’s the breakdown of the Nokia 9’s internals.

Nokia 9 PureView specs

Category
Features
Operating System
Android 9 Pie
Display
5.99-inch 18:9 pOLED QHD+Gorilla Glass 5
Chipset
Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845Four 2.8GHz Kryo 385 Gold coresFour 1.7GHz Kryo 385 Silver cores
GPU
Adreno 630
RAM
6GB LPDDR4X
Storage
128GB UFS 2.1 (non-expandable)
Battery
3320mAh
Charging
USB-C18W wired chargingWireless charging RX (Qi 10W + PMA 5W)
Water resistance
IP67 water and d… 閱讀全文 →