Articles by Ara Wagoner

It may be hard to pick the best Pixel 5 case because there will be so many options. Whether you want a ruggedly handsome heavy duty case, a super slim and stylish case, or something in between like the perfectly balanced Caseology Parallax, these are the best Google Pixel 5 cases to be found right now.

Safe and stylish

Caseology Parallax

Staff pick

This mesmerizing case has protected my last two Pixels with grace, and the colorways for the Pixel 5 are quite fetching. The Aqua Green will fit the green Pixel 5 perfectly while Burgundy and Navy Blue jazz up the black Pixel 5.

From $14 at Amazon
$19 at Walmart

Long-term protection

Tudia Dualshield Merge Series

If you want a heavy-duty case without a heavy-duty price, Tudia has been the go-to for years. The Merge Series gives you the impact protection and grip of a flexible TPU sleeve with the sturdiness of a polycarbonate back.

$11 at Amazon

Machine washable

Google Fabric Case

Google’s fabric cases are luxurious and eco…

The Google Pixel 4a is one of the most compelling phones of 2020, offering excellent performance and cameras for less than half the price of its flagship. While it might not cost thousands of dollars, that doesn’t mean it’s any less worthy of protection. Whether you need to spice up the Just Black of the Pixel 4a or need to keep it safe from the chaos outside your door, these are the best Pixel 4a cases you can buy right now.

Pretty protection

Caseology Parallax

Staff Pick

This hybrid case comes in three dazzling color combinations — a deep navy blue, a lighter purple, and a darling coral/gold two-tone — and offers drop protection and grip in a compact profile.

$15 at Amazon
$19 at Walmart

Guard the front and back

Poetic Revolution

This heavy-duty case comes with a screen protector built into the front frame, offering 360 degrees of protection for your new Pixel 4a. I also like the robust kickstand on the back that can be used in portrait or landscape.

From $17 at Am…

Samsung passes the bar easily, but a few nagging things keep it from “with flying colors”.

Well, that was a nice bust week. CES 2021 came along with some new TVs and tablets and Chromebooks — but next week is the main event for Chromebooks, so stay tuned! — but this week’s big news was the whirlwind Thursday that was the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21. The latest Samsung flagship sports a sexy new look, bigger, better cameras, the next generation of Samsung’s One UI software, and of course, who could forget the S-Pen support for the S21 Ultra?

There’s been a lot to unpack over the last few days, but so if you haven’t had time to quite see it all, here’s our report card for the phone to beat in in 2021. There’s a lot to like here, and as we said in our S21 hands-on, we’ll be getting more in-depth in the coming weeks, but the first impressions are very, very good. Well, they’re very, very good except for a few little details.

Overall Hardware: A-

Ever since I first saw that…

The best Chromebook docking stations can turn your laptop from on-the-go ready to comfortably cozy by plugging in a single USB-C cable. When you’re home and want to use a clicky mechanical keyboard, an ergonomic mouse, or add a secondary display, docking stations are here to keep things tidy and organized. While you could maybe get by with some tiny USB-C hub, the cables are usually too short and leave your desk cluttered, while docking stations help keep things connected while staying out of your way. If you need to get your Chromebook connected, these are the best docking stations.

Keep it tidy

Pluggable USB Mini Docking Station

Staff Pick

This compact docking station won’t take up much desk space, but it still has enough space for four USB-A peripherals, an HDMI monitor, Ethernet, and an audio jack for some speakers. It can also charge your Chromebook at full speed.

$129 at Amazon
$129 at Walmart

Tall or flat, your choice

Baseus 16-in-1 USB-C Dock

Some folks prefer a…

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the biggest and most powerful Galaxies ever, as well as being the first to work with the S Pen, traditionally reserved for the Note line. The camera module on the Ultra is just as big as it was on the S20 Ultra, but the design’s been improved so that it looks more cohesive and meshes with the phone’s metal frame, but that design also means that you’re more prone to damage the cameras with a side-impact, so a case is more important than ever. The best cases for the Galaxy S21 Ultra are right here, whether you’re after a clear case to show off the Ultra’s design or a durable tank to keep it safe and secure.

Colorful and durable

Caseology Nano Pop

Staff pick

After two years of the Nano Pop being exclusive to iPhones, it’s finally coming to Samsung phones with the S21 series. The Blueberry Navy with its yellow accents is striking and classic, and the impact-absorbing pattern embedded in the back gives you slim protection.

$15 at Amazon

Ready to work…

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S21 Series with shiny custom colors, lower prices across the board and the latest camera technology. Once you decide which one you’re buying, however, comes another critical choice: which accessories you want to complement your new phone with. While there are thousands of awesome Galaxy S21 cases out there, nothing’s ever quite as well-fitted and perfectly color-matched as the cases made by Samsung itself. You also have almost a dozen cases for each version of the S21 to choose from, but we’re here to help you pick the best one.

Official Galaxy S21 Cases and Accessories:

Galaxy S21 Cases
Galaxy S21+ Cases
Galaxy S21 Ultra Cases
Galaxy S21 Accessories

Galaxy S21 Cases

Get a grip

Silicone Cover

Want to add grip without sacrificing the pretty pastel color of your Galaxy S21? Samsung’s Silicone Case may seem steep compared to third-party PTU cases, but the fit and the color-matching is much better, and the texture is sublime.

$30 at Samsung
…

I’m hoping this is just to tide us over to a new model later this year.

What you need to know

Dell is giving its popular 3100 series a third configuration option almost two years after it first launched.
The Dell 3100 Chromebook with LTE is the same Chromebook released in 2019, just with support for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon LTE.
It’s still a Celeron N4000 processor with 4GB of RAM, and there’s only 32GB of storage.

If you went looking for a ruggedly handsome little Chromebook last year, you probably saw that the Dell Chromebook 3100 and 3100 2-in-1 were back-ordered for more than half the year. Considering the Dell 3100 is one of the only 11.6-inch education Chromebooks to have an 8GB RAM option, it was one to seek out for the extra RAM for distance learning and lots of video calls. While it’s rare for an almost two-year-old Chromebook to still be this popular, Dell is certainly milking it for all its worth, giving us another 3100 variant for those who need a compact, dur…

Parler’s sudden disappearance comes hours after a blunt ultimatum from the Apple App Store: moderate your platform or leave.

What you need to know

Parler has been suspended from Google Play, pending improvements to its moderation system.
The social media network has been the source of much criticism after Trump supporters and QAnon conspiracy theorists flocked to the platform.
Apple is giving Parler 24 hours to address complaints regarding the content and moderation of its network or be banned from the App Store, but it appears Google is suspending first and then asking for changes to be let back in.

It has been a very busy week for social media news! President Trump got permanently banned from Twitter earlier this afternoon after being suspended indefinitely from Facebook and Instagram yesterday, and earlier today, Apple issued a warning to the social media network that right-wing users have flocked to over the last few months, Parler.

Parler has been the source of much critic…

New watch, free true wireless earbuds, and $400 off? Sign me up!

If you didn’t grab that perfect new smartwatch during the holiday sales, good news. Samsung’s still got a Black Friday-worthy deal on its newest Galaxy Watch 3, well, actually it’s two deals in one: Samsung will give you up to $200 off for trading in a Samsung smartwatch, and Samsung will also throw in a free pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, giving you a potential $400 savings.

Free buds and half off

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Samsung’s latest and greatest smartwatch may seem a bit steep at $400-$600, but the Galaxy Watch 3 offers stunning hardware and a variety of health-focused features, including an ECG and blood pressure sensor. And if you’ve got an original Galaxy Watch kicking around, you can get the new model for half-price.

Get a $200 trade-in with the Galaxy Watch and a free pair of Galaxy Buds Live

See at Samsung

Our Galaxy Watch 3 review called the Galaxy Watch 3 the new best smartwatch, and if you can …

What you need to know

Acer is debuting a Ryzen-powered 14-inch 2-in-1 Chromebook at CES 2021.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 starts at $479 and the Enterprise Spin 14 starts at $749.
In addition to up to 128GB eMMC internal storage, there’s also a slot for an M.2 SSD, something seldom seen in Chromebooks.
There will be three colors available: Pure Sliver, Steel Gray and Mist Green.
The Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 514 will include an HDMI port, a protective sleeve and a mouse.

CES 2021 is off to a good start for Chromebook fans, with Samsung showing off the Galaxy Chromebook 2 as a more affordable, more reasonable version of last year’s $1000 4K beauty, but Samsung isn’t the only manufacturer showing off the new hotness today. Acer delivered one of the Best Chromebooks of 2020 in the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 — a Project Athena Chromebook that was actually built to get work done instead of just look thin and pretty — and now it’s back with the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 and the…