Category: author_name|Devindra Hardawar

Oh no, I think I want an iPad Pro now

The iPad Pro has always struck me as a baffling device. It’s significantly more expensive than the (very capable!) iPad and iPad Air. iPadOS still isn’t a great environment for multitasking. And Apple hasn’t yet justified why, exactly, you’d want a super-powerful tablet in the first place (simplified versions of…

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I guess I learned how to appreciate The Phantom Menace

More than anything, Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace is a fascinating cultural object. It's been 25 years since I saw the film in theaters, and over a decade since I last rewatched it (in a vain attempt to help my Trekkie wife catch up to the prequels).…

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Rabbit R1 review: A $199 AI toy that fails at almost everything

I hate the Rabbit R1. It's yet another sign that standalone AI gadgets, like the Humane AI Pin, are fundamentally useless devices meant to attract hype and VC funding without benefitting users at all. It's like trying to build a skyscraper on quicksand: Today's AI models are great for parlor…

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Dell XPS 13 and XPS 14 review (2024): Gorgeous laptops with usability quirks

Say farewell to the classic XPS 13, and say hello to the spiffy new XPS 13. Dell surprised us at CES by bringing the modern (and somewhat controversial) design of 2022's XPS 13 Plus to its entire flagship lineup, which now includes the larger XPS 14 and 16 models. With…

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Rebel Moon Part 2 review: A slow-mo sci-fi slog

Rebel Moon: Part 2 – The Scargiver is an empty feast. It's a relentless onslaught of explosions, sci-fi tropes and meaningless exposition that amounts to nothing. And yet somehow it's still better than the first film in Zack Snyder's wannabe sci-fi epic franchise for Netflix, Rebel Moon: Part 1 –…

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Apple Vision Pro two months later: A telepresence dream

Two months after I started using the Apple Vision Pro, it hasn't transformed the way I live. It hasn't replaced my TV, and it doesn't make me want to give up my powerful desktop or slim laptops. It's just another tool in my gadget arsenal — one I can don…

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