Latest Smart Home Reviews
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Reviews
Review: Razer’s Kraken 7.1 headset delivers great virtual surround sound at a reasonable price
Razer’s latest headset serves up (virtual) 7.1 surround sound in a gorgeous shell.
Reviews
Review: Logitech Harmony Hub brings universal remote control to the future
If you're looking to control your home entertainment system with your smartphone, you could do a lot worse than the Harmony Hub line.Reviews
Review: Canon PowerShot N is a pint-size powerhouse
It's not much bigger than an iPhone, but the PowerShot N does everything better.Reviews
Review: 5 Premium noise-canceling headphones for peace and quiet
We take a look at five premium noise-canceling headphones designed to give you some relief from the noise of the outside world.
Updated
Review: Dyle mobile TV not ready for prime time
The Dyle mobile TV receiver for the iPhone and iPad is a nice idea, but it has too many limitations to make it useful for most people.Reviews
Review: Razer’s Hammerhead Pro earbuds look silly, sound great
These eye-catching earbuds sound great, but they’re a little too expensive for what you get and lack valuable features.Reviews
Review: Come rain or shine, Netatmo’s Weather Station provides a personalized forecast
There are thousands of weather apps out there, but they can't tell you what the temperature is at your house specifically.Wearablog
Vitness Rx tailors workouts to your energy level
Finally, a fitness system that knows you don't have to go all-out every single day.Reviews
Feed your creativity with the Fujifilm X20 compact camera
Even though it has plenty of “auto everything” modes, the more you know about photography, the more you can get out of the Fujifilm X20.Reviews
Review: Bass runs in the family with Logitech UE 4000 and UE 6000 headphones
Logitech's UE 4000 and UE 6000 use different designs: The UE 4000 is an on-ear headphone, while the UE 6000 is an over-ear, noise-canceling model. But they're otherwise similar, with very good midrange and treble that can be obscured by too much bass.Reviews
Review: MEElectronics’s A161P In-Ear Headphones are a best buy
MEElectronics’s A161P looks modest, but it offers impressive headphone value at $129 (and even more so at street prices). It’s easy to recommend for just about anyone.Reviews
Review: UpDesk PowerUp is a height-adjustable desk with more ups than downs
Lex Friedman stands while he works. And if you do as well — or plan to — he says that height-adjustable desks from UpDesk are worth a look.Reviews
Review: Sennheiser MM 450-X headphones combine noise cancelation and Bluetooth
Sennheiser's MM 450-X combines noise-canceling and Bluetooth technology in a lightweight travel headphone. Does Sennheiser’s audio expertise make for a high-end travel headphone worth having?Reviews
Review: Asus Cube is a capable, but flawed, Google TV set-top box
Asus' Cube set-top box delivers streaming media, Google apps, and cloud storage at a reasonable price, but has some usability issues.
Reviews
Review: Nexia Home Intelligence system is less than the sum of its parts
Schlage's Nexia Home Intelligence system is a good home-control system, but it's not as strong as Lowes's Iris package, which costs just $1 more per month to operate.
Reviews
Review: Plair plays Web content on your TV, but needs more work
The Plair video streamer is an interesting concept, but in its current form too buggy for primetime. When it worked, it was pretty cool. But unfortunately it was pretty much hit or miss.Wearablog
Review: HeartMath Inner Balance helps you take a few deep breaths
This fit tech device is a digital breathing coach that helps reduce stress.Wearablog
Review: AfterShokz Bluez are surprisingly comfortable
These wireless bone-conduction headphones are quite comfortable, but perhaps a tad expensive for the sound quality.Wearablog
Review: Wello brings affordable personal training to your home
Wello connects you with a personal trainer wherever you are, as long as you've got a WiFi connection and a webcam.Reviews
Review: Beacon Audio Phoenix is an unimpressive portable Bluetooth speaker
For just $100, you can own the highly portable Bluetooth Phoenix speaker, but its audio quality and controls leave a lot to be desired.Reviews
Review: Big Blue Media Tower mostly disappoints
The Big Blue Media Tower lives up to the tower part of its name. But it wouldn't make much sense in your entertainment center.Reviews
Review: Zooka wireless speaker bar mostly disappoints
The Zooka Bluetoth speaker sports a clever design. But it's tough to recommend regardless.Wearablog
Review: AfterShokz Sports M2 are unusual fit tech headphones
AfterShokz newest wrap-around bone-conduction headphones are an improvement over the first-gen models.Reviews
Review: Nikon Coolpix P7700 features improved performance and excellent image quality
Advanced point-and-shoot with many professional features is small but easy to work with.Updated
Review: Marley’s Chant speaker sounds portable and inexpensive
The Marley Chant is inexpensive, compact, and light, and it includes a clever, custom-fit canvas bag. But you shouldn't expect audiophile-quality sound.Reviews
Review: Four Bluetooth speakers that fit in your bag
A compact Bluetooth speaker lets you enjoy your music anywhere your legs will carry you, without the hassle of wires. We tested four comparably priced and sized models: the Beats Pill, Braven 650, CubEdge Edge.Sound, and Definitive Technology Sound Cylinder.Reviews
Review: Samsung EX2F point-and-shoot touts performance and Wi-Fi edge
The Samsung EX2F offers an appealing feature set for those who want to grow their skills, as well as for photographers who want to use a compact camera without giving up manual controls.Reviews
Review: Roku 3 offers more power, new interface
The Roku 3 is a worthy successor to the 2 XS, with faster Wi-Fi, a headphone jack on the remote, and other hardware tweaks. Plus, it ushers in a much-improved user interface.Wearablog
Review: The Fitbug Air is a not-so-smart smart pedometer
The Fitbug Air is a sturdy, accurate pedometer—but can it hold up to the competition?Updated
Review: TiVo Mini is a cheaper way to share (most of) the TiVo love around the house
The TiVo Mini lets you access live, recorded, and (some) streaming content from your TiVo Premiere on other TVs around the house. And it works pretty well for the most part.Reviews
Review: Sonos’s Playbar is a great soundbar for its price
The Playbar is one of the best soundbars in its price range, but it can’t compete with a midrange AV receiver and a 5.1-channel speaker configuration.Reviews
Review: LifeSpan’s Bluetooth-enabled treadmill desk is flawed but functional
Lex Friedman uses a treadmill desk, and jumped—or at least walked briskly—at the chance to review a Bluetooth-enabled model from LifeSpan. Though it works, it's not incredible, he says.Car Tech
Review: Griffin Technology iTrip Auto
For car stereo systems stuck in the no-input dark ages, Griffin's iTrip Auto will broadcast your iOS devices music as an FM station.Reviews
Review: Olympus PEN E-PL5 features great image quality and swift autofocus
The Olympus PEN E-PL5 is a top-notch performer, but hold it in your hands before making a buying decision.Reviews
Review: Jabra Solemate beats Jambox at its own game
The Jabra Solemate takes many design cues from the Jawbone Jambox. And it makes a couple small improvements, too.Reviews
Review: NuVo Wireless Audio System takes a few steps forward, and a couple back
NuVo Technologies is mainly on the right track, but most people won't benefit from the features that render the players in this system so expensive.Reviews
Review: Arcam rPAC is a quality headphone amp and USB DAC at a nice price
At just $249, Arcam's rPAC is a reasonably priced combination of a dedicated headphone amplifier and a USB digital-to-analog converter, and it performs incredibly well for the price.Reviews
Review: User-friendly Canon T4i boosts performance for both still images and video
The first DSLR to offer a touchscreen LCD, the Canon T4i is brimming with photographic innovation.Reviews
Review: Logitech UE Smart Radio a solid music-streaming radio hampered by software
The UE Smart Radio is a capable music streamer with access to both your local tunes and all the online services you could want. The rechargeable battery makes the compact unit even more portable. What holds the Smart Radio back from being a better product is the flaky desktop and mobile software.
Reviews
Go green and save money with a programmable thermostat
We put three programmable thermostats to the test to find out which is the most powerful, flexible, likely to reduce your energy bill.Connected Home
Nest Learning Thermostat (second gen) review: It’s worthy of all the buzz
If you don’t have a home-control system and don’t anticipate installing one, the Nest is the best thermostat on the market today.Reviews
Review: Scosche RH656 headphones
The RH656 is a good-looking set of headphones that offers big sound, though you can find better accuracy elsewhere.Reviews
Review: Philips SHB9100 Bluetooth headphones offer comfort and good sound
Philips’s SHB9100 Bluetooth headphones offer a nice balance between comfort and good sound, and the inclusion of a wired option is handy for those times you forget to charge. However, the SHB9100 isn't for you if you depend on your Bluetooth headset for making phone calls.Reviews
Review: Samsung NX1000 DSLR offers a range of features for budget conscious shooters
Samsung’s entry-level NX1000 offers a versatile feature set, including WiFi, that will please budget-conscious enthusiasts and consumers who want a compact, interchangeable lens camera with good image quality at a relatively affordable price.Reviews
Review: Westinghouse Unplug is a solid, affordable portable Bluetooth speaker
Westinghouse's $100 Unplug Bluetooth speaker is portable and rechargeable, and it offers sound quality that rivals that of the popular Jawbone Jambox.Reviews
Review: Samsung NX20’s well-rounded features appeal to both enthusiasts and snapshooters
The Samsung NX20 holds its own against the competition and even exceeds other mirrorless interchangeable-lens models thanks to its well-implemented Wi-Fi.Reviews
Review: Pentax K-30 is a great choice for outdoor and adventure shooting
The Pentax K-30 is a particularly good fit for outdoor explorers and those who prefer not to worry about their camera when shooting in adverse conditions.Reviews
Review: JBL Micro Wireless is an impressive portable Bluetooth speaker for the price
JBL's Micro Wireless Bluetooth speaker fits in a (big) pocket and weighs next-to-nothing, yet it sounds good and is surprisingly inexpensive.Reviews