Articles by Michael L Hicks

Privacy zones and local storage

Blink Indoor Camera

$80 at Amazon

Pros

Records in 30 FPS
Ships with Sync Module 2
Privacy zones
Battery pack makes mounting easy
Up to four-year battery life with accessory

Cons

More expensive for virtually same specs as Mini
Local storage upgrade also available for Mini

The new Blink Indoor stands alone among battery-powered security cameras with an absurd four-year lifespan on four AA batteries with the optional Battery extender. Blink has also added new privacy zones, temperature monitoring, and a local storage option to avoid cloud storage fees.

Cheaper with the same specs

Blink Mini Camera

$35 at Amazon

Pros

Records in 30 FPS
Very cheap for respectable specs
Option for local storage incoming
Small size for subtle placement

Cons

No privacy zones
No temperature monitoring
Power cord limits placement
Must buy Sync Module 2 separately

Blink Mini has one of the lowest costs for a quality indoor camera you’ll ever find, …

The best professionally installed home security systems take away the uncertainty that comes with installing a system yourself. Are there any blind spots, improperly installed sensors, or other problems you wouldn’t think to check? Have these professionals come to your home and give you the certainty that you’re paying for quality protection. Home security systems like Vivint offer reliable monitoring, home automation, smart home integration, and threat response you need to feel secure at home.

Best Overall: Vivint Home Security System

A staple of professionally installed home security systems is the multi-year contract. In exchange for a professional consultation and installation, you must consent to pay for professional monitoring for years, on top of the leasing cost for equipment. Vivint gives you the option to pay upfront for equipment and pay month-to-month for monitoring, allowing you to cancel the service anytime and self-monitor with the equipment you own — making it a…

The best professionally installed home security systems take away the uncertainty that comes with installing a system yourself. Are there any blind spots, or improperly installed sensors, or other problems you wouldn’t think to check? Have these professionals come to your home and give you the certainty that you’re paying for quality protection. Home security systems like Vivint offer reliable monitoring, home automation, smart home integration, and threat response you need to feel secure at home.

Best Overall: Vivint Home Security System

A staple of professionally installed home security systems is the multi-year contract. In exchange for a professional consultation and installation, you must consent to pay for professional monitoring for years, on top of the leasing cost for equipment. Vivint gives you the option to pay upfront for equipment and pay month-to-month for monitoring, allowing you to cancel the service anytime and self-monitor with the equipment you own — making i…

If you can’t take a trip to the pool, bring the pool parties home with the best inflatable pools for any family. You can find the teensy toddler-sized splash pools of your childhood, bedecked with cute patterns and slides, or ones wide enough for whole families and deep enough for grown-ups to sink into.

Built for all-summer swimming

Intex Easy Set Up Pool

Staff Pick

For a wide space that a four-person family (including adults) could fit inside without feeling cramped, Intex has the perfect choice. Most inflatable pools are more rectangular, so even the larger models make people stay to one end or the other. This circular shape will let you wade laps around each other. It’s very large, so make sure you have a completely flat stretch of backyard to fit it. You’ll also need to invest in a filter pump, as despite its name it takes a while to set up and deflate, and you’ll want to leave the water inside all season rather than regularly dump 1,000 gallons.

$156 at Amazon
$160 at …

The best SideQuest games for Oculus Quest can’t pass Facebook’s rigorous criteria to get on the official store, but don’t let that stop you from booting them up! SideQuest’s app features some truly fun VR titles from indie game devs that had their games rejected, as well as proof-of-concept demos for hand-tracking tech and VR mods of classic games like Half-Life. Here are our favorite games and apps available via sideloading, along with information on what apps and files you’ll need to make them work.

★ Featured Favorite

To the Top

Why Facebook rejected this game, in which robotic cheetahs with jets in their paws soar through beautiful, geometric sandboxes full of obstacles, challenging puzzles, and hidden treasures, we’ll never understand. Climb, skate, fly, and fall through 35 maps, with Mirror’s Edge-esque time trials encouraging you to improve your movement mechanics and find new, faster paths through levels.

$15 at Itch.io

Killing the competition

Pavlov: …

Smarter, newer and more connected

Bose Soundbar 500

$549 from Amazon
$550 from Best Buy
$549 from Walmart

Pros

Built-in Alexa, Google Assistant commands
AirPlay 2 support
SimpleSync with other Bose devices
eARC HDMI input
Lower price

Cons

No included subwoofer or dual speakers
No 4K passthrough
Only one HDMI input

The Bose Soundbar 500 is all about connectivity. You can natively stream most music platforms, connect to your TV via eARC HDMI, control your soundbar and TV through Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands, or sync with Bose or Apple speakers for a multi-room system. Its one drawback is that for a smallish 3.0-channel soundbar with no subwoofer, you’re paying for features more than audio performance.

Improved speaker tech

Bose SoundTouch 300

$699 from Bose

Pros

Wider soundstage
PhaseGuide arrays
4K / HDR10 passthrough

Cons

Expensive for 3.0ch soundbar
No built-in voice assistants
Only one HDMI input
Only works with older Bose app

This B…

More free features

Eufy Indoor Cam 2K

$50 at Amazon (Pan & Tilt model)

Pros

Expandable storage
Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit compatibility
AI recognition of humans, pets, and objects
Pan and tilt with upgraded model
High-quality resolution

Cons

Only works indoors
No two-factor authentication
No cloud storage without subscription

As long as you don’t put this camera outside, this Eufy 2K camera will do everything you ask of it. Thanks to its robust AI and clear resolution, it will only send alerts when truly necessary. The Pan & Tilt version can follow threats around the room, but both versions have the option to record all day so nothing is missed. Plus, you can control it with your favorite smart assistant.

More mounting options

Ring Stick Up Cam

$100 at Amazon

Pros

Works both indoors and outdoors
Alternative power makes wall-mounting easy
30 FPS captures fast-moving video
Long list of compatible smart home devices
Two-factor authentic…

Better AI and specs

Eufy Indoor Cam 2K

$50 at Amazon (Pan & Tilt model)

Pros

2K resolution
Up to 128GB built-in storage
Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit compatibility
Automated commands
Human / object / pet recognition
Pan and tilt upgrade available

Cons

No IFTTT support
Still no 2FA
No free cloud storage

Eufy built a rare security camera that isn’t dependent on an expensive subscription to work properly. It can detect visual or audible abnormalities, categorize them using its built-in AI, and respond based on where it is in the house and what presets you’ve programmed into your app. You can also control it with your smart speaker or connect it to Apple HomeKit smart devices. One version of the cam can also pan in a full circle for a fuller view of your home.

Better smart home integration

Ring Indoor Cam

$60 at Amazon

Pros

Connects with smart home devices using IFTTT
Easy setup via QR code
Two-factor authentication
Excellent Alexa support
Connectio…

With its two-tone glass back, knockout camera, and the latest Android software inside, the Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are dashing, debonair flagships ready to star in your daily technological adventures, but no star is complete without a few sidekicks to help it along and make it look even better than it does out of the box. These accessories are ready to help your Pixel 3 shine, for now and years to come.

Clearly a good choice

Spigen Liquid Crystal

Staff pick

This case is great for those who love to show off their new phones without compromising on protection, and it does so without adding too much extra bulk.

$10 at Amazon

All-in for Google

Google Fabric Case

Google’s fabric cases are fantastic. They look great, offer rugged protection, and also come with accent colors for the power button.

$40 at Google Store

Sleek and rugged

Ringke Onyx

Ringke offers this slim one-piece TPU case that looks great, delivers the protection you need for your phone, and even includes a …

Gaming controllers tend to attract dust and grime at the best of times. With controllers for mobile devices, add in proximity to your germ-soaked touchscreen, public transit, and the messy outside world, and you’ll get peripherals that need regular cleaning. Thankfully, cleansing your Razer Kishi controller is a fairly straightforward process.

Products used in this guide

Filthy-good gaming controller: Razer Kishi ($80 at Amazon)
Individually-packed, alcohol-based wipes: Monitor Wipes ($18 at Amazon)
Alcohol-free spray and cloths: VEO Active-Probiotics Spray ($16 at Amazon)

What tools to use and to avoid

Your dirt-fighting tool of choice will depend on whether you’ll want to clean your smartphone at the same time as your Kishi controller. Razer suggests in its support materials that you can use any monitor cleaning wipes to gently clean your controller. However, these wipes often contain 70% alcohol, which can remove the fingerprint-resistant coating on most smartphone screens. …