Articles by Chris Wedel

Go big

Fire HD 10 Kids Edition

$200 at Amazon

Pros

Long battery life
2GB of RAM
USB-C for charging
Great sounding dual speakers

Cons

Can be a bit large for some children
On the expensive side

Amazon’s 10-inch kid’s tablet offers a great experience for youngsters of all ages. The large HD display and its dual-speakers make watching movies or playing games a joy. Pair that with up to 12 hours of battery life, and your kids will get plenty of playtime from their tablet before having to plug it in.

For younger kids

Fire 7 Kids Edition

$100 at Amazon

Pros

Easy-to-hold size
Lower cost of entry

Cons

Display isn’t great
Single speaker
Only 1GB of RAM
Less than stellar battery life

The Amazon 7 Kids Edition is a solid tablet for young children. The compact size might be easier for some children to handle, while the lower cost of entry makes it a little easier to stomach should something happen to the tablet. However, the lower resolution screen, only up to 7 h…

Protected investment

Fire HD 8 Kids Edition

$140 at Amazon

Pros

Year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited included
Great kid-proof case
Fantastic parental controls
Expandable storage

Cons

More expensive than standard Fire HD 8

Kids Edition tablets are an excellent choice for younger children, packed with deeper parental control, a free year of FreeTime Unlimited full of kids content, and a two-year “worry-free” warranty. Put all of that into a kid-proof case, and you have a fantastic tablet for your little one.

Snappy tab

Fire HD 8

From $90 at Amazon

Pros

Great price
Optional 64GB built-in storage
Expandable storage

Cons

No included case

For someone who may be looking for a tablet that offers better performance than an entry-level device that isn’t going to break the bank, the Fire HD 8 is a great option. With enough specs to ensure smooth operation, and an easy to hold size, it makes for an excellent tablet for watching movies or reading a good book.

Wh…

Best answer: Yes, you’ll be able to use Samsung Pay on the new Galaxy Watch 3. However, the watch doesn’t have the MST tech from past watches, so you’ll have to use NFC.

Just a flic of the wrist: Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 ($400 at Amazon)

Will you be able to use Samsung Pay on the new Galaxy Watch 3?

We’ve been using our smartphones as a payment method for the better part of a decade now. With the inclusion of NFC (near field communication), in most smartphones these days, it has become common to simply tap your phone at the payment terminal to purchase goods. The same can be said for the commonality of making payments with smartwatches too.

While a lot of smartwatches for Android offer mobile payments using Google Pay, the smartwatches from Samsung utilize the company’s own digital wallet called Samsung Pay — the Galaxy Watch 3 continues that trend. While Samsung did include NFC to allow for mobile payments using the watch, it did not bring back MST from the Galaxy Gear S3.

…

Refined intelligence

Skagen Falster 3

$295 at Amazon

Pros

Classic watch stylings
Google Assistant built-in
Google Play Store access
Onboard GPS
Microphone and Speaker

Cons

No LTE option
One size option
No chance for electrocardiogram (ECG)

The Skage Falster 3 is a modern-looking smartwatch with some traditional-leaning style to it. Packed with great tech to ensure that even though the watch may look traditional, it’s anything but inside. Plus, it has all the power of Google behind it from the apps to the Google Assistant.

Beautiful technology

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

From $228 at Amazon

Pros

Sleek and minimal style
Optional LTE
Capacitive bezel for navigation
5 ATM water resistance
Two size choices

Cons

Electrocardiogram (ECG) still not active
Limited apps
Bixby is no replacement for Google Assistant

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a gorgeous looking watch with minimal bulk. The screen is vibrant, and the digital bezel surrounding it is a fun option…

Samsung Galaxy smartwatches offer a range of watch styles that can suit many different situations. Still, the ability to download apps to customize your watch further is one of the best reasons to get a smartwatch. Below are some of the best apps you can download from the Galaxy Store for your watch.

Go custom

Facer

Staff pick

Facer is an app that has been around for years, offering nearly any style of watch face you can imagine. There are classic-looking options to futuristic ones and everything in between. The app is free, and so are some of the options within the app. However, some may have a cost, but great work is worth paying for.

Free at Galaxy Store

Good tunes

Spotify

Spotify is one of the most popular music services around, and Samsung Galaxy watches have direct access, with an app made for your wrist. You can stream and control your full Spotify library, including playlists you’ve created. Now you can leave your phone in your pocket when you want to get …

Go big

Fire HD 10 Kids Edition

$200 at Amazon

Pros

Long battery life
2GB of RAM
USB-C for charging
Great sounding dual speakers

Cons

Can be a bit large for some children
On the expensive side

Amazon’s 10-inch kids tablet offers a great experience for youngsters of all ages. The large HD display and its dual-speakers make watching movies or playing games a joy. Pair that with up to 12 hours of battery life, and your kids will get plenty of playtime from their tablet before having to plug it in.

For younger kids

Fire 7 Kids Edition

$100 at Amazon

Pros

Easy-to-hold size
Lower cost of entry

Cons

Display isn’t great
Single speaker
Only 1GB of RAM
Less than stellar battery life

The Amazon 7 Kids Edition is a solid tablet for young children. The compact size might be easier for some children to handle, while the lower cost of entry makes it a little easier to stomach should something happen to the tablet. However, the lower resolution screen, only up to 7 ho…

Sonos has an announcement planned for May 6.

What you need to know

The Sonos Playbar was originally released in 2013.
Aside from a visual upgrade, Dolby Atmos, and Apple AirPlay 2 are among the rumored updates as well.
The Sonos Play:5 and Sub are expected to receive an update as well.

Sonos is much loved by audiophiles, and the Playbar is one of the reasons for the love, but it lacks in some of the newer tech that is out there. Thankfully, it seems that the long-awaited update to the Playbar may finally be on the horizon.

According to a report from Zatz Not Funny, the Sonos Playbar — originally released in 2013 — will be getting its overdue update on May 6 at the Sonos event. The revised Playbar has some welcomed additions rumored, such as Dolby Atmos as well as Apple AirPlay 2. Unfortunately, neither the report of leaked renders shows the addition of an HDMI port.

The updated appearance of the Playbar will be getting two color choices, white or black, as well as str…

Kids love gadgets as much as adults, maybe even more, so it’s no surprise the idea of having their own smartwatch gets kids excited. Choosing what watch to get for your child can be daunting, with so many choices out there. Aside from wading through all the options, it’s also important to consider privacy, durability, and cost when looking at the choices. One watch that does a great job of these core features is the Coolpad Dyno. There are a lot of choices out there, so let us help you find the best option for you and your child.

Best Overall: Coolpad Dyno

While the brand Coolpad may not be all that familiar to you, its watch should is one that should be considered when looking for an excellent smartwatch for your child. The Dyno from Coolpad is not only a fun looking device, but it also has some great features to help keep you connected with your child and let them have some fun.

The Dyno can connect via Wi-Fi but also has a SIM card so that it can fully function as a phone. Co…

The safety features parents want, packed into a fun and functional watch kids like to use.

My 7-year-old son wants a phone, but Mom and Dad aren’t ready for that yet — and honestly, neither is he. However, getting him started with some tech, and teaching some responsibility, is something that we all want to explore.

Learning things other than just how to use a piece of technology and taking care of his possessions are important, but so is the etiquette of communication through said technology. Thus, a smartwatch with a cellular connection is an excellent first step towards learning those lessons.

The GizmoWatch 2 has the tools to help him learn these things, while also being able to find some pure enjoyment from the watch as well — even if there are some downfalls.

More than just a toy

GizmoWatch 2

Bottom Line: The Gizmo…

Shipping is planned for August 2020 with a $329 retail price.

What you need to know

The 2.07″ AMOLED display has a 92-degree curve to it.
It comes with 7-day battery life and 5 ATM water-resistance.
The Amazfit X is launching on Indiegogo with a 31-day run time.

Amazfit is known for smartwatches like the T-Rex and the Verge, but today it’s launching a smartwatch that stands out a bit from the traditional looking wrist piece.

The Amazfit X is debuting on Indiegogo today with a curved 2.07″ AMOLED display. The screen and battery are curved at 92-degrees to give a more comfortable fit while on your wrist. Speaking of the battery, it’s stated to provide up to 7-days of normal usage.

Though the device is narrow and curved, it still is full of sensors and features. Amazfit has put in what it is calling a BioTracker PPG for measuring heart rate and blood oxygen saturation levels. The X also comes with GPS and GLONASS onboard for location tracking during your workouts. This smartwatch…