Audio-Technica's been making audio equipment for almost 60 years. In that time, it's earned a reputation for making great, no-nonsense headphones. Its newest true wireless earbuds, the ATH-ANC300TW, play to the company's strengths: they're straightforward and sound incredible. But they're also simple to a fault, failing to offer high-tech features I've come to expect in premium true wireless sets — and that makes the prospect of spending $230 on them dubious.
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This story was originally published and last updated .
It's been a month and change since Google launched its first true wireless earbuds. When I first got my hands on the Pixel Buds, I was struck by their fit and finish, comfort, and sound quality, but nagging problems like audible interference at low volumes and short battery life left me feeling lukewarm on the whole. I've been using them regularly ever since, but unfortunately, my opinion hasn't changed: there are too many compromises in the 2020 Pixel Buds to justify their price for most buyers.
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This story was originally published and last updated .
Motorola was at the forefront of cell phones for decades, but it never quite found its footing in the smartphone era. Early hits like the original Droid and Droid X bring nostalgia, but are also a brutal reminder: Motorola hasn't really made a standout smartphone in almost a decade, unless you count budget phones like the Moto X and G series. Cut to 2020—it's been several years since Motorola even made a flagship phone, and after the disaster that were Moto Mods, it's taking a real risk with the 5G-equipped, Verizon-exclusive Edge+.
Naturally, just as Moto is getting ready for its big reboot, a global pandemic tanks the economy and traps us all indoors where mmWave 5G doesn't work.
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For many people, Fitbit is synonymous with fitness trackers, but the company has faced new challenges from smartwatches in recent years. The Fitbit Charge 4 signifies a change, even if it doesn't look too different from its predecessor. The tracker packs everything you could want from a fitness tracker, and you get basic smartwatch capabilities like notification management, Spotify controls, NFC payments, alarms, and more. However, its $150 price tag may make it a tough sell when a smartwatch like Fitbit's own Versa 2 often goes on sale for the same price.
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Marshall's been a familiar name in music hardware for decades now, and while we're always going to think about amplifiers first and foremost, over the past few years we've seen the brand spread to a new line of consumer audio gear. That's included plenty of smart speakers, headphones, and even one really weird smartphone with two audio jacks. Today I'm checking out an updated version of the wireless Monitor Bluetooth headphones, the new Marshall Monitor II A.N.C.
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Walmart released two tablets under its 'Onn' tech brand last year, the Onn 8 and Onn 10. We reviewed the smaller model, and for $65, it wasn't a bad device at all. Unlike Amazon's Fire tablets, which use a heavily-modified build of Android with only Amazon's own app store, the Onn 8 shipped with the Play Store and clean Android 9 Pie.
This year, Walmart is going for a slightly higher-end experience with its new Onn 8 Pro and Onn 10 Pro tablets. The prices have gone up a bit ($99 and $129, respectively), but in exchange, the models now offer slightly better hardware, Android 10, and USB Type-C connectivity.
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Sony makes some of the best noise-canceling headphones and earbuds money can buy — the WH-1000XM3 and WF-1000XM3 are widely considered to be the gold standard in each of their respective product categories. Not content in its dominance of the general-purpose market Sony has added a pair of fitness-oriented ANC buds to its lineup in the WF-SP800N (killing it with these names) and for $200 they offer almost everything you could ask for in a pair of gym earbuds.
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This story was originally published and last updated .
Chromebooks have gone through a rapid evolution over the past two years or so. High-end models like the Galaxy Chromebook, Acer Chromebook Spin 13, and Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630 are bumping up against Windows ultrabooks in both hardware and price. At the same time, Chrome OS has expanded in functionality with features like Linux app support, better native printing, and improvements to tablet mode.
Asus revealed the Chromebook Flip C436 earlier this year, and while it's a great laptop (if you like Chrome OS) with fantastic performance, the incredibly high price makes it a tough recommendation.
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There are few thoughts so fundamentally terrifying to the modern-day tech user — things able to shake a man to his core — than the idea of being without power when you need it. As someone who tops off his phone whenever in sight of a USB cord, who carries at least a 20,000mAh battery pack everywhere he travels, I'm always interested in hearing about solutions that provide not just enough on-demand power to keep you going a little longer, but such massively deep reserves that the words “out of charge” need no longer exist in your vocabulary. Enter: the Jackery Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station.
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When you're looking to secure your home, family, and property with the help of a wireless camera, you've got a lot of options to consider. Devices run the gamut when it comes to features and pricing, from the likes of budget-friendly Wyze to the premium polish of an Arlo. While there's a lot to like on both ends of that spectrum, I've been interested in finding a good middle ground. Would the $90 Kami Wire-Free Outdoor Camera be up to the task?
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