Reviews

Structure Sensor Review: A Tiny 3D Scanner With Huge Potential

Structure Sensor, the world’s first iPad 3D scanner, is the sixth highest-earning project ever funded on Kickstarter and one of the most highly-anticipated gadgets of the year. Does it deliver on the promises that made thousands of backers feel like they were seeing the technology of 2020? It definitely feels like a glimpse of the…

OnePlus One Review: An Unbelievably Fantastic Smartphone

Maybe you’ve heard of the OnePlus One. It’s the self-styled “flagship killer” aiming to swoop in from China and beat the Nexus 5 at its own affordability game. That’s a tall order, but the OnePlus One fills it. It’s so dirt cheap, and so incredible, that it’s damn near unbelievable. What Is It? A high-quality,…

VapeXhale Cloud Evo Review: Putting the Zen Back in Home Vaporizing

With their flashing lights, roaring fans, and Blade Runner-esque designs, a lot of tabletop vapes these days place more emphasis on maintaining hyper-precise temperature gradients than in providing a relaxing and enjoyable user experience. The new Cloud Evo takes a refreshingly zen approach. What Is It? The Cloud Evo is the second iteration of VapeXhale’s…

The Internet’s Own Boy: Why Aaron Swartz’s Story Matters More Than Ever

Aaron Swartz’s story is a complicated one, with many moving parts—it’s no easy task to do them all justice with a single film. But The Internet’s Own Boy, a new documentary that chronicles the late 26-year-old’s internet activism, fight against the feds, and ultimate death, manages to sew them up into one seriously gripping thread.…

Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, a Review

This morning I woke up to a push notification on my phone. Are you ready for your photoshoot with Kim Kardashian? I was. I downloaded Kim Kardashian: Hollywood last night. The game launched yesterday on the App Store and Google Play through Glu Mobile, and I had to know how the hell they made a…

Sharp Aquos Q+ HDTV Review: Not 4K But Pretty Darn Close

Those of us currently in the market for a new television are faced with a difficult choice: Pay through the nose for a 4K set or spend a fraction of that on another HD television that will be obsolete sooner than later. However, Sharp offers a third option: the Aquos Q+, an almost UltraHD TV…

Leica T Review: A Camera Should Not Be a Luxury Object

When Leica, the German company synonymous with design and quality, announces a new camera, people pay attention. The announcement of the Leica T, its new mirrorless camera system, was no exception. But when you’re paying this kind of money, substance should be right there with style. What Is It? A $1850 16 megapixel mirrorless camera…

Yo Review: Yo

Yo! What Is It? Yo. Why Does It Matter? Yo. Design Yo. Yo. Using It Yo. Like Yo. No Like Yo. Should You Try It? Yo. [Yo, Yo]

Samsung NX Mini Review: Small, Stylish, And a Little Bit Confused

Samsung’s NX Mini is the latest camera to squeeze a large sensor into a super-small body. It’s stylish and capable, but still suffers from an identity crisis. What Is It? The NX Mini is a tiny, interchangeable lens camera with a one-inch sensor packing 20.5 megapixels. That’s about the same spec as the terrific Sony…

Click and Grow Smart Farm Review: Idiot-Proof Indoor Farming

Does your backyard herb garden perpetually look like General Sherman just marched through it? Don’t worry, the Smart Farm from Click and Grow takes all of the guess work (and 95 percent of the work work) out of producing fresh produce. What Is It? It’s a self-illuminated, hydroponic, indoor herb garden. Why Does It Matter?…

Surface Pro 3 Review: The Greatest Laptop-Tablet Hybrid You Don’t Need

Microsoft’s Surface Pro has sized up, embracing its laptop side in an attempt to unseat the MacBook Air as your computer of choice. The Surface Pro 3 won’t succeed, but it’s a damn good effort. What Is It? Microsoft’s third swing at reinventing the laptop and the tablet at the same time. A Intel-powered full-Windows…

Herbalizer Vaporizer Review: High Times at a High Price

The Volcano vaporizer has stood, virtually unchallenged, atop the mountain of tabletop vaporizers for years. This upstart all-in-one system designed by ex-NASA engineers looks to topple the Volcano from its perch—just so long as you’re cool forgiving all the rattling. What Is It? The Herbalizer is a dual-function aromatherapy/vapor therapy device. It can either be…

Your Yelp Complaints Are Being Used to Track Food Poisoning in NYC

You wake up and there is definitely something wrong with your stomach. Could it be the tacos last night? Oh man, it was definitely the tacos at that dirty joint. So what do you do? You whine about your diarrhea on Yelp as a warning to would-be taco eaters. And now, the health department might…

Yelp is going to let users upload 3-12 second videos to support their reviews from early June. The idea is to give other users a sense of the establishment’s ambience—or, you know, cockroach infestation.

Feel Flux Review: A Scientific Toy That Feels Like Magic

Juggling is hard. Keeping those balls aloft against the relentless forces of gravity takes skill. But what if you could just make gravity work a little bit differently? With the Feel Flux, you can. What Is It? The Feel Flux is the toy of your high school physics teacher’s dreams. This IndieGoGo-funded project doesn’t look…

Samsung NX30 Review: An Easy, Pared-Down Camera For Beginners

Samsung makes headlines for its phones nowadays, but a lot of effort is going into cameras as well. The NX30 is the company’s most serious attempt at a fully-featured mirrorless shooter. What Is It An $800 (with kit lens) 20 megapixel mirrorless camera with an APS-C size sensor. It’s the beefiest camera that Samsung makes,…

iCracked: The Screen Repair Service That Comes to You Is Fantastic

There comes a time in every phone’s life when its screen cracks. The are three ways to deal with it: You could live with it, to teach yourself a lesson, you could get in line for a replacement at the Apple Store, or you could call the on-demand screen repair service iCracked. You should probably…

Windows Phone 8.1 Review: Gloriously Good Enough

Windows 8.1’s recent update was a subtle but effective boost. Windows Phone’s 8.1 power up follows the same cues. It’s not mind-blowing, it’s not world-changing, it’s nothing to jump around and scream about, but it turns Windows Phone into something it’s never quite been before: an OS that’s totally good enough. What Is It? It’s…

Panasonic GM1 Review: A Bite-Size Mirrorless Camera With Pedigree

When Panasonic introduced the Lumix GM1 late last year, it was met with equal parts confusion and wonder. Is it really a good idea to pair such a tiny size with interchangeable lenses? To be honest, we’re still not quite sure. What Is It? A $750 mirrorless camera with a 16 megapixel micro four-thirds size…

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art Review: Great Glass That Punches Above Its Price

Sigma has been the darling of the lens world recently, producing high-performance products at reasonable prices. Its latest is the 50mm f/1.4 Art series lens, a long awaited addition to their line that we recently had the pleasure of trying out. You’re not going to find much more lens for the price. What Is It?…