Articles by Marc Lagace

Best answer: The simple answer is, no one has ever complained about having too much storage on a tablet. Given how affordable Amazon Fire Tablets are, your best bet is to always go for the largest storage option available.

Which Fire Tablet size should I buy? Bigger is almost always better

The first thing you need to know about buying an Amazon Fire tablet is that the listed storage space is not actually representative of the usable storage space you end up with. Amazon builds its tablets on the Android operating system, which requires a decent chunk of storage for core system functions and Amazon’s apps and services. This is worth keeping in mind, especially when considering a tablet that offers 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB options. That low-end 16GB tablet will, in actuality, only give you about 12GB of usable storage. Depending on your plans for downloading games, movies, and other media onto your tablet, you’re probably going to want as much storage as possible.

The Fire 7 tablet come…

Now more than ever, it’s important to use energy wisely, so we’ve compiled a list of the best energy monitoring smart plugs available right now. Smart plugs are the best and most convenient smart home accessories for controlling devices around your home. Most typically work with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa and can turn almost any lamp or small appliance into a smart device you can control with your phone or just your voice. We’ve highlighted the best smart plugs that go the extra mile and offer energy monitoring features that let you track how much energy your favorite devices and appliances draw so that you can make the best purchase decision for your household.

It’s all in the name

TopGreener Heavy-Duty Smart Wi-Fi Plug

Staff Pick

This plug from TopGreener excels at what it does. It’s a little chunkier than others on this list, meaning it will cover both outlets when plugged into a wall. However, it requires no hub for setup — just a 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi connection and…

NVIDIA Shield TV (2019)

A compact redesign

$145 at Amazon
$150 at Best Buy
$150 at Walmart

Pros

Clever and compact design
Updated remote is fantastic
Still the best Android TV experience
Improved AI Upscaling is great

Cons

Might run into issues running some Android games
Not novice-friendly out of the box

The most striking change for the 2019 NVIDIA Shield TV refresh is its unique tube shape and the redesigned remote. This is a streamlined and portable stream box with upgraded processing power that’s still delivering the best Android TV experience you can buy.

NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (2019)

Subtle upgrade

$200 at Amazon
$200 at Best Buy
$200 at B&H Photo

Pros

Same sleek Shield TV design
More RAM and double the onboard storage
Offers USB ports for external storage
The one you’ll want for Plex and gaming

Cons

Less internal storage than older Pro model
More expensive than the tube
Not enough new features to justify upgrading

The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (2019) l…

Pico projectors come in all shapes and sizes, with some even available as modular attachments for your smartphone. They exist to fill the niche for those who want to project content directly from their phone or tablet to make it easier to share photos or watch movies with friends. Our top recommendation when it comes to the best portable pico projectors is the LG PH550 CineBeam LED Projector because it uses a reliable and efficient LED lamp to cast up to 100-inch diagonal projections and can connect to virtually any media playing device you own — all while remaining portable enough to take with you wherever you go.

Best Overall: LG PH550 CineBeam LED Projector

LG’s portable projector lets you cast a screen up to 100 inches to replicate a movie theater experience in your home, at the office, or wherever else the mood strikes you.

The LED lamp offers brightness of 550 lumens when plugged in and 160 lumens running off the battery. The built-in wireless mirroring function works wi…

The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is the best Android TV box that money can buy right now, but you’ll still want to snag one of the best external drives for the Shield TV Pro. It comes with a beefy Tegra X1+ chipset and 3GB of RAM, but the internal storage is limited at 16GB. If that doesn’t sound like enough storage space for your media needs, you can make use of the NVIDIA Shield TV’s USB ports and mount an external storage device to easily expand your available storage. Here are our top choices for external drives for your NVIDIA Shield TV Pro.

Best value

Seagate Portable External Hard Drive 5TB

Staff Pick

Looking to get the best value for your money? Then the 5TB Seagate Portable drive should be your go-to choice. The drive works over USB 3.0, easily pairs to your Shield TV, and gives you better gigabyte-to-dollar value than the rest of the options listed here.

$108 at Amazon $110 at B&H Photo

NVIDIA approved

SanDisk – Extreme Pro 128GB USB 3.1 Flash Drive

The SanDisk Extr…

Distracted driving is completely unacceptable given how flagship phones like the Galaxy S20 are designed with so many hands-free features. All you need is a quality car mount and you can use Google Maps, make calls, or stream music while driving with your hands safely on the wheel and your eyes attentively on the road. These are the best Galaxy S20 car mounts you can buy right now.

Good old reliable

iOttie Easy One Touch 5 Dashboard Mount

Staff Pick

iOttie’s Easy One Touch line has been the most popular car mount for almost a decade, and the One Touch 5 is more adaptable and can extend a further distance with its telescoping arm. There are also CD-slot and air vent-mounted models available, too.

$25 at Amazon $25 at Best Buy

For landscape navigation

Hzrfun Dashboard Clip Car Mount

If your dash traditionally doesn’t do well with suction or adhesive mounts, this dashboard clip makes it easy to put your S20 front and center while you drive. This should fit all S20 mode…

Considering that it’s been more than four years since its release, you’re probably looking for the best portable chargers for Google Pixel. The battery isn’t where it used to be when it once ranked as one of the best Android phones back in the day, so you’ll want to keep your phone going with a portable charger. With the right power pack, you’ll be able to keep all your devices charged, too!

It’s all built in

Zendure Power Bank Supermini

Staff Pick

With Power Delivery, Quick Charge 3.0, and a 10,000mAh capacity, the endure Power Bank Supermini packs an impressive punch. You’ll get a portable charger that’s around the size of a credit card, plus it comes in a variety of colors. You can also use the Supermini to charge everything from your Pixel to your Nintendo Switch and everything in between.

$45 at Amazon $60 at Walmart

Popular choice

Anker PowerCore Slim PD

Anker is a big name in the charging space and when you see options like the PowerCore Slim PD, you’ll understand …

The LG G7 wasn’t the most exciting phone released in 2018, but it had a lot going for it — the display looks fantastic, the sound is ridiculously good, the wide-angle camera is impressive, and the whole thing is packaged in a slick all-glass body. That’s where a case comes in real handy, and the best LG G7 cases will prevent your phone from being smashed up by an accidental drop.

Basically the best

Spigen Rugged Armor

Staff Pick

Spigen’s Rugged Armor case is about as good as it gets for a single-layer case. It adds barely any bulk to the phone itself while improving the in-hand comfort with a matte finish featuring carbon fiber accents at the top and bottom. Thin enough to allow wireless charging yet rugged enough to protect against nasty drops, this case is a minimalist workhorse that looks great in all black.

$13 at Amazon

Best protector

SUPCASE Unicorn Beetle Pro

Featuring a dual-layer design that combines a rigid polycarbonate shell with a flexible bumper, the…

Distracted driving is completely unacceptable given how flagship phones like the Galaxy S20 are designed with so many hands-free features. All you need is a quality car mount and you can use Google Maps, make calls, or stream music while driving with your hands on the wheel. These are the best car mounts for the Galaxy S20 series.

Good old reliable

iOttie Easy One Touch 5 Dashboard Mount

Staff Pick

iOttie’s Easy One Touch line has been the most popular car mount for almost a decade, and the One Touch 5 is more adaptable and can extend a further distance with its telescoping arm. There are also CD slot and air vent-mounted models available, too.

$25 at Amazon
$30 at Best Buy

For landscape navigation

Hzrfun Dashboard Clip Car Mount

If your dash traditionally doesn’t do well with suction or adhesive mounts, this dashboard clip makes it easy to put your S20 front and center while you drive. This should fit all S20 models, but the flat-screened S20 FE will stay put espec…

The new NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is the best Android tv box that money can buy right now, but you’ll still want to snag one of the best external drives for the Shield TV Pro. It comes with a beefy Tegra X1+ chipset and 3GB of RAM, but the internal storage is limited at 16GB. If that doesn’t sound like enough storage space for your media needs, you can make use of the NVIDIA Shield TV’s USB ports and mount an external storage device to easily expand your available storage.

Best value

Seagate Portable External Hard Drive 5TB

Staff pick

Looking to get the best value for your money? Then the 5TB Seagate Portable drive should be your go-to choice. The drive works over USB 3.0, easily pairs to your Shield TV, and gives you better gigabyte-to-dollar value than the rest of the options listed here.

$115 at Amazon
$122 at Best Buy
$170 at Walmart

Store everything

Western Digital My Passport Ultra 4TB

Western Digital’s My Passport Ultra external hard drive is one of the best you’ll find…