Roborock Q8 Max Series review: A meticulous robot vacuum with basic mopping
Flawless vacuuming coupled with excellent navigation and obstacle detection
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Dreamebot L20 Ultra review: Innovatively overengineered
Its new features untangle new possibilities, but sometimes get wrapped up in their own complexity
Robot vacuum makers have been hard at work engineering new innovative features these past few years, especially after Roborock released the S7 MaxV Ultra, one of the first fully autonomous robot vacuum and mop combos. Several brands have since been doubling down on catching up with flagships of their own, including Dreametech with the L10s Ultra, the brand’s first fully autonomous robot that autonomously self-washes after each cleaning cycle.
Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) review: Perfectly balancing security and privacy
The new Ring Indoor Cam shutters privacy concerns, but at a higher price than a lot of the competition
Ring is one of the leading makers of home security products. The brand, which is one of Amazon’s many subsidiaries, is popular for its smart video doorbells, as well as its Ring Alarm. As it offers a complete ecosystem dedicated to home security, it also manufactures an impressive number of security cameras, both for outdoor and indoor use.
Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box: For $20, you can't go wrong
This streaming device undeniably proves that affordable things also come in compact packages
When it comes to great streaming devices, the options available can be overwhelming. While they all offer the same basic features, if you’re looking for a high-quality 4K UHD option that is extremely budget-friendly, the new compact Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box is worth considering.
Asustor Flashstor 6 FS6706T review: A unique next-gen NVMe SSD NAS
Asustor's new all-flash NAS enclosures are an interesting launch
With the continued rise of network-attached storage (NAS), Asustor is working to establish the brand as a leader in SSD-only connected storage. Asustor launched the Flashstor series of NAS with support for M.2 NVMe SSDs that offer considerably higher transfer speeds than mechanical hard drives. The Asustor Flashstor 6 (FS6706T) is a unique enclosure in that it doesn't have any 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch bays. Instead, the company kitted out the NAS with six M.2 PCIe 3.0 slots that should be good for about 3,500 MB/s per slot, at least on paper. While not perfect, the Flashstor 6 (FS6706T) is an interesting step forward for the brand into an all-flash future.
Roborock Q Revo review: High-end cleaning at a competitive price
Cheaper price doesn’t mean worse cleaning efficiency
When Roborock unveiled the S7 MaxV Ultra in 2022, it pioneered the fully autonomous robot mop and vacuum market, kicking off a wave of versatile cleaning bots that can automatically wash their own mops to shave off maintenance time. Several other brands have followed in its footsteps, including Dreametech with the L10s Ultra, and Ecovacs, with its Deebot T20 Omni and its innovative hot water cleaning technology.
Philips Hue Lightguide Ellipse bulb review: If it fits, it's gorgeous
Just don't assume this will be the only light you need to illuminate your space
Philips' Lightguide Ellipse smart bulb is a big, glass RGB wonder that looks as good as it functions, but it's not for everyone. It's a statement piece as much as it is an incredible RGB light; as such, it's more expensive than a conventional, colorful Hue light bulb, gives you less light, and might not look good with your free fixtures. It's more fashion than form, but if it works for your space and design aesthetic, it's one of the more compelling smart bulbs you can buy.
Ecovacs Deebot T20 Omni review: Outstanding cleaning for willing micromanagers
Hot water cleaning makes it one of the most effective robot mops, but it requires too much babysitting to be fully autonomous
Competition has been fierce on the robot vacuum market, with iRobot’s Roomba vacuums initially dominating — until younger brands like Roborock, Dreametech and Ecovacs started making more capable and cheaper alternatives.
Roborock S7 Max Ultra review: The (high) price of vacuum perfection
One of the most effective robot vacuums, with slightly less advanced obstacle detection
Roborock is often seen as the market leader when it comes to building some of the best and most innovative autonomous robot vacuums. Its S7 MaxV Ultra is still seen as one of the most advanced robot vacuums on the market, thanks to its ability to mop and vacuums floors simultaneously, while requiring minimal human intervention, as well as its built-in camera that allows it to precisely identify obstacles. It’s been one of the first models on the market to come with a self-cleaning dock that houses two water tanks and can also wash the robot’s mop.
Amazon is driving the prices even lower on its Echo speaker lineup with the new Echo Pop. This new model trims a few of the sensors from the Echo Dot (Gen 4 or 5) and simplifies the design to bring its retail price to $40 while actually increasing the speaker driver size a touch.
Arlo Pro 4 review: Uncompromised security, at a price
24/7 peace of mind with a 6-month battery life
Between initial hardware costs and monthly subscriptions, smart home security can get pretty pricey. While there’s no shortage of great bang-for-your-buck budget options available, more premium devices often have hardware and software improvements that make them well worth the buy for those of us wanting a more user-friendly experience. With a $200 price tag, the Arlo Pro 4 definitely bills itself as premium, and has the slick styling and powerful hardware to back it up.
Govee Curtain Lights review: A smart light spectacle
Why settle for an RGB strip when you can have an RGB wall
Ever since childhood, I’ve been obsessed with colored lights. In 2023, that’s not a hard itch to scratch, but in the late 80s, it was a big deal to have a red or green LED in a toy. So while my inner child has enjoyed watching the RGB volcano explode in the last ten years, I can admit that some products go overboard. Thankfully, in a sea of light strips and RGB bulbs, the Govee Curtain Light does serve a purpose — albeit for a rather specific niche.
Ring Battery Doorbell Plus review: A porch pirate's nightmare
A good doorbell that’s most useful if you get lots of deliveries
Ring has pioneered the smart doorbell market with some of the most advanced and user-friendly devices out there. Today, it still makes some of the best smart video doorbells, as well as a wide range of security devices like the Ring Alarm and an impressive number of cameras. Most of its products come with smart features, such as motion and package detection, two-way audio, and night vision.
Google Pixel Tablet review: That first-gen feeling
It's a fine midranger, but the Pixel Tablet's best ideas are half-baked
We're all familiar with Google's rocky relationship with tablets: after early success with the affordable Nexus 7, the company struggled to maintain momentum. Following poor commercial and critical reception of 2018's ChromeOS-based Pixel Slate, Google gave up on tablet hardware altogether for quite some time.
Dreamebot D10s Plus review: An affordable and efficient self-emptying robot vacuum
Its basic mopping features can also come in handy
Dreametech has been gaining popularity thanks to its extensive line of robot vacuum cleaners and mops, which range from relatively inexpensive and straightforward options like the D9 Max to high-end and fully automated ones like the L10s Ultra. Both can vacuum and mop the floor, but they’re radically different regarding their maintenance and care. Indeed, while the first comes with a simple charging station, the L10s Ultra features a self-emptying base that can also clean its mop pads autonomously.
Dreametech D9 Max review: An affordable and efficient robot vacuum and mop combo
Come home to clean floors
A robot vacuum cleaner is a great option to keep your floors clean without needing too much attention. There are plenty of models to choose from, including the top-notch Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, which can scrub your floors in full autonomy, while costing a whopping $1,600.
Apple HomePod (2nd gen) review: A great speaker with frustrating limitations
Not just the usual Apple caveats, either
There’s no shortage of killer smart speakers that you can talk to the Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa through, but if you’re after Apple’s Siri, your only option is to go straight to the source. Apple’s second-generation HomePod is the company’s current flagship smart speaker, offering booming sound and deep ecosystem integration at a premium $300. It’s plenty capable, but unless you’re living the full Apple lifestyle, the HomePod probably isn’t for you.
Wyze Mesh Router Pro review: Strong speeds with underwhelming software
The Wyze Mesh Router Pro is a solid mesh system with support for fast internet speeds around the house.
There’s nothing really special about the Wyze Mesh Router Pro — from its compact, Eero-like physical design to its run-of-the-mill AXE5400 Wi-Fi 6E connection. This mesh Wi-Fi kit is roughly equivalent in speed and coverage to several other mesh Wi-Fi kits like the Eero Pro 6E, TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro, or the Nest Wifi Pro, which isn’t a bad thing at all. The tri-band AXE5400 wireless connection is balanced to deliver strong performance on older 5GHz-only devices and 6GHz devices alike.
Wyze Cam Pan v3 review: Panoramic value
Wyze's first indoor-outdoor pan-tilt camera is crazy good for 40 bucks
Smart security cameras can get pricey quick — indoor-outdoor cameras from top players in the space like Ring and Arlo can go for $100 or more apiece, and typically require costly paid subscriptions on top of that to get all the features you'll want. Wyze's Cam Pan v3, on the other hand, costs just 40 bucks — though Wyze is as guilty as any manfucaturer of requiring a paid subscription. With great features and a very affordable price point, though, the Cam Pan v3 is the budget security camera to beat right now.
GE Cync Smart Light Strip review: Too expensive for your eyes
An extremely pricy light show without much to offer
GE's Cync Full Color Dynamic Effects Smart Light Strip is a mouthful to say, but its name is perhaps the most impressive part of this 16-million-color, diffused string of LEDs. A big, diffused strip of LEDs whose length you can easily modify is held back by a ho-hum controller application — so much so, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense to buy GE's lights when you can get other, just as lovely looking solutions for mood lighting that cost half as much (or less).
Philips Hue Smart Plug review: No Bridge, no buy
A great addition for Hue households, but not a good standalone smart plug
Practically every smart home company you can think of offers at least one smart plug: Amazon, Govee, TP-Link, Wyze, and others all make plugs to add smarts to dumb devices. Philips Hue, the long-reigning top dog in the smart lighting space, also offers a smart plug in the creatively named Philips Hue Smart Plug. At $35, it's a very good smart plug — if you're already set up with Hue, anyway.