Category: region|US

What we bought: Are touch-activated faucets smart or silly?

Even for someone like me who spends a ton of time testing phones and laptops, it can be hard to keep up with innovations across every category of device – especially when it comes to things like fixtures and appliances that aren’t meant to be replaced very often. So a…

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Amazon’s redesigned Echo Buds are only $50

Amazon has two generations of Alexa-friendly Echo Buds under its belt, and today it’s introducing a third. The new model has been completely redesigned from the first two with an AirPods-like stickbud aesthetic many companies have adopted over the years. There are other changes too, but perhaps the most interesting…

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Beats Studio Buds + review: A little bit better in every way

An Amazon listing may have spilled the beans early, but today Beats is officially debuting its latest true wireless earbuds. That premature appearance was mostly accurate: the Studio Buds + have a familiar design with loads of improvements on the inside. Those upgrades include better battery life, retooled call performance…

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Amazon’s 2023 Echo Show is faster and offers improved audio

Amazon updated the standard and Kids variants of the Echo Show 5 in its string of Alexa hardware announcements today. The new model is faster and sounds better, but it otherwise could be mistaken for the previous version. The Echo Show 5 has a nearly (or exactly) identical design to…

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Amazon unveils the $40 Echo Pop, a semi-spherical smart speaker

Amazon updated its Echo speaker lineup today, including a new $40 model with a semi-spherical design, the Echo Pop. Additionally, Echo Auto is coming to more countries. The Echo Pop is Amazon’s newest entry-level Alexa-powered device. Its half-globe design uses a front-facing speaker with “full sound,” although it sounds like…

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The Morning After: Samsung is reportedly sourcing OLED TV panels from rival LG

Samsung and LG have a long-running rivalry, both Korean corporations, both make TVs, speakers, freezers, toothpaste (maybe?) and the rest. It’s a frosty relationship, with many trade shows revealing new TV products from both companies with nigh-on identical specifications and sizes. So it’s a bit of a shock to hear…

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