hands-on

The Sony Z3 Compact Is Android’s Best Kept Secret

Small and powerful smartphones are an endangered species, like the California Condor of the mobile world. If you want a top-tier phone that fits in a normal hand, the iPhone 6 is practically your only stateside option. But you know what? An exotic handset designed for Japan and Europe could have everything you’ve ever craved.…

Reviews Darren Orf Oct 14

Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro: Yes, The Hinge is a Giant Watchband

The backflipping Lenovo Yogasinglehandedly made laptops cool again. The Yoga 2 Proadded a backlit keyboard and a brilliant 3200 x 1800 QHD screen. Now, Lenovo’s going for broke with the third generation of its transforming touchscreen machine. Not only is the new $1,349 Yoga 3 Pro thinner and lighter, it has a freaking watch band…

Tech News Sean Hollister Oct 9

HTC’s Desire Eye Smartphone Will Stare Into Your Selfie-Taking Soul

Do you take selfies? Your answer doesn’t matter because almost all smartphone manufacturers think you do. That’s why iPhones now feature front-facing burst modes and some Lumias are designed with selfies in mind. Today, HTC is joining the parade with the new Desire Eye. The main attraction? A giant 13 megapixel front-facing camera right where…

Tech News Darren Orf Oct 8

I Tried RE, HTC’s GoPro Competitor That Looks Like a Tiny Periscope

Point-and-shoot cameras teeter on the edge of extinction, rendered obsolete by our smartphones. But shooting with iPhones or juggling our Android handsets aren’t always the best or most comfortable; just the most convenient. What’s the solution? HTC thinks they can ease our collective mobile photography pains with a camera that looks like a periscope. It’s…

Tech News Darren Orf Oct 8

Windows 10 Hands-On: Well Hello There, Start Menu!

It’s finally official: Windows 10 is on the way. It’s the Windows to rule all Windows, a single operating system for PCs, phones, and tablet, and it’s coming in 2015. But you don’t care about any of that. You just want to know about the goddamn Start Menu already. So here it is! Yep, that’s…

Tech News Sean Hollister Sep 30

Nvidia Shield Tablet LTE: Stream Games Anywhere (If You’ve Got the Cash)

I just stepped into the future of gaming. Well, that’s not quite correct. I sampled one possible future: the one where you can take the power of your entire gaming PC absolutely anywhere. I walked into a Starbucks, grabbed a mocha, and sat down with my brand spanking new Nvidia Shield Tablet with LTE. Then,…

Tech News Sean Hollister Sep 30

HP Stream 13.3 and 11.6 Hands-On: Full Windows on a $200 Budget

Need a bottom-of-the-bargain bin Windows machine? HP has just revealed a pair of incredibly cheap laptops, the 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch HP Stream. These two machines join the Stream 14 as HP and Microsoft attempt to offer full Windows at a Chromebook price, and we just snagged a hands-on at a NY press event. The Stream…

Tech News Darren Orf Sep 29

GoPro Hero4 Hands-On: The Best Action Cam Goes 4K Beast, For a Price

After several gagillion leaks over the last few days, they’re finally here: GoPro’s 2014 line of action cameras. As rumored, there are in fact three models. There’s the Hero, GoPro’s new entry-level camera that comes in super cheap; the Hero4 Silver, which is basically last year’s best action camera plus an LCD touchscreen; and last…

Gadgets Brent Rose Sep 29

Contour Roam3 Hands-On: Shaky First Steps Back

The last time we saw an action-camera come out of Contour, it was for the Contour+2. Image quality was pretty good, but the mounts were way too fragile, and under the shadow of GoPro’s colossal market-share, Contour shuttered its doors. But now it’s back! And its first product back is… a slight improvement on its…

Tech News Brent Rose Sep 23

Scented Duct Tape Review: Why Is the Room Spinning?

When nuclear winter strikes, it’s highly likely that cockroaches and duct tape will be all that survives. But just because our new post-apocalyptic wasteland might appear bleak doesn’t mean it has to smell bleak, too. At least, that seems to be the train of thought behind the Duck Tape brand’s new line of scented tapes.…

Reviews Ashley Feinberg Sep 22

I Tried The New Oculus Rift, And It Blew Me Away All Over Again

I’ve tried practically every version of the Oculus Rift VR headset, from some of the original duct-taped prototypes through to the latest DK2 developer kit and the Samsung Gear VR. Nothing I’ve seen prepared me for the new Crescent Bay demo. I just tried one of the best games I’ve never played. I want more.…

Tech News Sean Hollister Sep 20

Kindle Voyage: This Is What a $200 E-Reader Looks Like (It’s Gorgeous)

It’s been a few years since e-ink Kindles took a big step forward. 2012’s Kindle Paperwhite was the last big splash. But now Amazon’s got a new, beautiful, premium e-reader for you to read words off of. This is the Kindle Voyage. The first thing to note about the Kindle Voyage is the design. Unlike…

Commerce Eric Limer and Leslie Horn Sep 17

ZTE Brings Its Phablet-Sized ZMax to T-Mobile

ZTE is a smartphone company that probably exists on the periphery of your consciousness. They’re as well known as any other Chinese mobile brand, which is to say not very much at all. But the company wants to change things up by bringing its affordable phablet to the United States. The ZTE ZMax is coming…

Tech News Darren Orf Sep 16

Moto X 2014 Hands-On: Better, Smarter, Bigger

Here at last! The Moto X was one of our favorite phones from last year, and now the sequel is here. It’s called… the Moto X. Guess the X+1 thing was just a codename. Labels aside, we’ve spent a good half day with the new Moto X, and so far it lives up to the…

Tech News Brent Rose Sep 5

Instagram Hyperlapse Hands On: Video Simplified and Stabilized

Instagram just launched Hyperlapse, a super quick and easy way to make timelapse videos with your phone. It’s an exemplar of simplicity, allowing even the shakiest of individuals access to smoothed out video in a flash. Apps don’t come much more minimal than this. There are literally only two screens making up the entire experience.…

Tech News Michael Hession Aug 26

The New Alienware 13-inch Laptop Promises Pro Gaming Without Backache

Gaming laptops are going mobile. Of course, the word “laptop” means that’s always been the idea behind these machines. But until recently, gaming on the go meant being strapped with a pretty hefty piece of computing. Such massive hardware, usually with a scorching hot chassis and shit battery life, makes you wonder if it’s even…

Tech News Darren Orf Aug 8

OS X Yosemite Preview: All the New Features for Your Mac

The brand new OS X Yosemite is perhaps the most dramatic redesign of Apple’s operating system to date. Tomorrow, Apple’s launching a public beta (Sign up now!) of its forthcoming desktop OS. Here’s what you can expect to see. At this stage in the game, it’s not fair or appropriate to give the new (very…

Tech News Mario Aguilar Jul 23

Samsung Gear Live Hands-On: Turns Out Smartwatches Could Be Great

We got a surprise announcement at Google I/O today, with Samsung unveiling its first Android Wear, the Gear Live. We slapped it onto our wrist and got to play with it for a few minutes, and while it was in its demo mode so we couldn’t dive in too deeply, we were impressed. The hardware…

Tech News Brent Rose Jun 25

Amazon Fire Phone Hands-On: Great For Amazon, Less For You

Amazon revealed its first ever phone today. Dubbed the Fire Phone, it has all kinds of wild features like the head-tracking Dynamic Perspective, Firefly (for buying all the things), and all kinds of other bells and whistles. Novel stuff, but is it actually, y’know, good? We just went hands-on, and we’re not too sure. https://gizmodo.com/amazons-fire-phone-is-here-at-last-developing-1592702508…

Commerce Brent Rose Jun 18

Amazon Fire TV Hands On: The Fastest Smart TV You’ve Ever Met

Amazon pitched its Fire TV as a streaming device to end all streaming devices. The company touted its simple and effective search, and its open ecosystem boasting enough apps to burn your eyes out. We spent some time messing with the Fire TV and found that for the most part, it makes good on those…

Commerce Leslie Horn Apr 2

The Sony Z3 Compact Is Android’s Best Kept Secret

Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro: Yes, The Hinge is a Giant Watchband

HTC’s Desire Eye Smartphone Will Stare Into Your Selfie-Taking Soul

I Tried RE, HTC’s GoPro Competitor That Looks Like a Tiny Periscope

Windows 10 Hands-On: Well Hello There, Start Menu!

Nvidia Shield Tablet LTE: Stream Games Anywhere (If You’ve Got the Cash)

HP Stream 13.3 and 11.6 Hands-On: Full Windows on a $200 Budget

GoPro Hero4 Hands-On: The Best Action Cam Goes 4K Beast, For a Price

Contour Roam3 Hands-On: Shaky First Steps Back

Scented Duct Tape Review: Why Is the Room Spinning?

I Tried The New Oculus Rift, And It Blew Me Away All Over Again

Kindle Voyage: This Is What a $200 E-Reader Looks Like (It’s Gorgeous)

ZTE Brings Its Phablet-Sized ZMax to T-Mobile

Moto X 2014 Hands-On: Better, Smarter, Bigger

Instagram Hyperlapse Hands On: Video Simplified and Stabilized

The New Alienware 13-inch Laptop Promises Pro Gaming Without Backache

OS X Yosemite Preview: All the New Features for Your Mac

Samsung Gear Live Hands-On: Turns Out Smartwatches Could Be Great

Amazon Fire Phone Hands-On: Great For Amazon, Less For You

Amazon Fire TV Hands On: The Fastest Smart TV You’ve Ever Met

Trump Is Reportedly Going Full Steam Ahead with the Golden Dome

‘Kamen Rider’ Is Ready to Take on the World

Twitter Just Can’t Stop Leaking Movies

The ‘Mass Effect’ Show is Getting Rewritten to Get Greenlit

See the Early Stages of How ‘Project Hail Mary’ Brought Rocky to Life

‘Cognitive Surrender’ Is a New and Useful Term for How AI Melts Brains

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Marshall Acton III Home Speaker Drops to a Record Low, the Deal Countdown Has Already Started

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Let us help find what you are looking for...

hands-on

The Sony Z3 Compact Is Android’s Best Kept Secret

Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro: Yes, The Hinge is a Giant Watchband

HTC’s Desire Eye Smartphone Will Stare Into Your Selfie-Taking Soul

I Tried RE, HTC’s GoPro Competitor That Looks Like a Tiny Periscope

Windows 10 Hands-On: Well Hello There, Start Menu!

Nvidia Shield Tablet LTE: Stream Games Anywhere (If You’ve Got the Cash)

HP Stream 13.3 and 11.6 Hands-On: Full Windows on a $200 Budget

GoPro Hero4 Hands-On: The Best Action Cam Goes 4K Beast, For a Price

Contour Roam3 Hands-On: Shaky First Steps Back

Scented Duct Tape Review: Why Is the Room Spinning?

I Tried The New Oculus Rift, And It Blew Me Away All Over Again

Kindle Voyage: This Is What a $200 E-Reader Looks Like (It’s Gorgeous)

ZTE Brings Its Phablet-Sized ZMax to T-Mobile

Moto X 2014 Hands-On: Better, Smarter, Bigger

Instagram Hyperlapse Hands On: Video Simplified and Stabilized

The New Alienware 13-inch Laptop Promises Pro Gaming Without Backache

​OS X Yosemite Preview: All the New Features for Your Mac

Samsung Gear Live Hands-On: Turns Out Smartwatches Could Be Great

Amazon Fire Phone Hands-On: Great For Amazon, Less For You

Amazon Fire TV Hands On: The Fastest Smart TV You’ve Ever Met

Trump Is Reportedly Going Full Steam Ahead with the Golden Dome

‘Kamen Rider’ Is Ready to Take on the World

Twitter Just Can’t Stop Leaking Movies

The ‘Mass Effect’ Show is Getting Rewritten to Get Greenlit

See the Early Stages of How ‘Project Hail Mary’ Brought Rocky to Life

‘Cognitive Surrender’ Is a New and Useful Term for How AI Melts Brains

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Marshall Acton III Home Speaker Drops to a Record Low, the Deal Countdown Has Already Started

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Let us help find what you are looking for...

OS X Yosemite Preview: All the New Features for Your Mac