I like small things that quietly do the heavy lifting — a tiny hub tucked behind a TV, a USB stick that turns dumb bulbs into a private, offline lighting system. I built an off-grid smart lighting scene that runs entirely on a pocket-sized Zigbee hub and local rules. No cloud, no monthly fees,...
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Buying Guides
I’ve spent a lot of time testing pocket-sized audio gear in real-world...
Reviews
On a recent cross-country train trip I wanted to see if I could travel light...
How-Tos
I’ve spent a lot of time chasing mysterious battery drains on Pixel phones,...
How-Tos
I’ve turned old Android phones into pocket-sized mobile hotspots more times...
I love pocketable phones and tiny earbuds, but nothing kills that neat, minimalist vibe faster than audio that lags behind what you see on screen. If you’re like me and don’t want to root your phone or rush out to buy a new pair of headphones,...
I still remember the first time I tried to carry a DSLR on a weekend away with my family — bulky bag, two lenses, and a toddler who seemed allergic to patience. Since then I’ve learned that for most family trips and street photography outings, a...
I recently needed a quick way to extend Wi‑Fi to a cramped corner of my flat where streaming and video calls kept failing. What I wanted was something small, unobtrusive, and that could plug into any USB outlet — the kind of pocket-sized mesh...
I’ve been chasing compact, unobtrusive ways to make a home smarter without turning my living room into a router-and-hub shrine. If you want automation that quietly fades into the background—no dedicated hub box on a shelf, no extra wall wart...
I travel a lot for work and pleasure, and over the years I’ve tried dozens of compact chargers. I’m picky about weight, bulk, and — most importantly — real-world charging performance. After running the Anker Nano through airport layovers,...
I like setups that disappear into the background. A discreet smart home scene can give you useful automation — a light that comes on when you enter a hallway at night, a fan that kicks in when humidity rises, or a notification if a basement door...
Commuting is the real-life stress test for any pair of wireless earbuds. It's where rain, sweat, bus brakes, and the constant roar of city noise collide — and where cheap-sounding buds often reveal themselves. Over the past few months I’ve taken...
I’ve spent years testing compact tech and optimizing small spaces, and one of the simplest upgrades I keep recommending is a well-designed bedside charging station. A multiport USB‑C hub can transform a tangled mess of cables and plug bricks...
I’ve been wearing the new Fitbit Charge for the past two weeks, and because I’m one of those people who routinely tosses and turns, I focused the test on sleep-tracking performance in restless sleepers. I wanted to know: can a slim wrist tracker...