Sometimes the deal world is plentiful, and sometimes there’s a lot of chaff. Among the discarded deals today: a 720p HDTV for $500, a non-sale on a great router, and a 10% price drop on a Razer scooter. But there is a little wheat—right now, Timbuk2 is offering 20% off their custom bags. More »
It’s not too often you find get a no-compromise laptop for under $600, but that’s exactly what’s on sale over on Groupon right now. They’re offering a refurbished 13-Inch Asus Zenbook UX31A for $560. That’s a tiny amount for a well-regarded ultrabook. Back in August, Kyle Wagner conducted an ultraportable battlemodo, and the 13″ Zenbook Prime won among Windows ultrabooks, coming second only to the MacBook Air (at twice the price.) From the review: More »
The Airport Extreme is the nicest router that Apple makes. As you’d expect from a $180 router, it has all the major features you’d want: simultaneous dual-band routing, gigabit ethernet ports, and the ability to add a USB hard drive. If you like flashing router firmware or futzing with network configurations, this is not a deal for you. But if you want a buy-it-and-never-think-about-it-again appliance that serves up rock solid Internet, you can’t go wrong with the Airport Extreme, especially if you’re a Mac person. More »
It’s okay to have a Pavlovian response to your ringtone. That’s what your phone conditions you to do. Sure, you might not be salivating, but your pulse quickens and you reach for your phone. The problem with this involuntary reflex starts when someone else has your ringtone, and if you’re using a stock iPhone ringtone, that happens all the time. More »
Although V-Moda is a relatively new audio company (at least compared to AKG or Audio-Technica), they’ve made a name for themselves in a short amount of time. What’s interesting is V-Moda didn’t do it through sound quality — although by most accounts it’s very good — but rather through smart design and durability. If people are using their headphones every day on public transport, an easy way to improve them is to increase the amount of punishment they can handle. That’s exactly what V-Moda has done with the Crossfade line. Mario Aguilar reviewed the V-Moda Crossfade M-100, the big brother to this set, and really liked them. More »
The Aeropress is a cult coffee maker that is absolutely adored by its devotees. In fact, there’s an annual international competition to see who can make the best cup of coffee using an Aeropress. (This year it’s in Melbourne, Australia.) Coffee snobs love the Aeropress because it is perfect for experimentation and has a superfast brew and extraction time. Other folks just like it because it’s cheap and simple to use. More »
Although the old axiom that the best camera is the one you have with you is still accurate in 2013, it should have an additional corollary: sometimes the best camera isn’t your cell phone. Tiny optics and sensors produce passable — even good — photos, but a real dedicated camera simply has more capabilities. That’s why folks still want point-and-shoot cameras, but a cheap crappy point-and-shoot won’t be much better than your phone. You want an excellent point and shoot. A good choice is the Canon Powershot S110, a camera that Mario Aguilar called the “most refined little pocket camera Canon has ever made.” Check out his review here. More »
Although there are thousands of ways to add a film look to photos taken with rapidly improving smartphone cameras, they’ll never capture the accidental magic of a photograph taken with film in a toy camera. You might see light leaks or overexposure as errors, but a dedicated toy camera user sees those flukes as character. If you want to make your own happy accidents, you’ll probably get a camera reproduction from the Lomographic Society, which makes both film and reproductions of classic toy cameras. More »
While the Dyson Air Multiplier looks nothing like a conventional fan — it more closely resembles a quidditch goal — it’s actually a fully functional appliance that got quite a bit of attention when it came out. Although Dyson touts the Air Multiplier as bladeless, it actually has a tiny fan hidden inside the body that pushes the air through the loop. If you’re worried about power, this Dyson blows with the best of them. It can output 162 gallons of air per second, which is a fair amount of air for a consumer fan, but let’s be honest: you don’t want this because it’s a better fan (although it is significantly quieter than a conventional fan), but because it would look amazing in your apartment. Here’s Jason Chen’s take: More »
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