LG TVs caught spying even when offline or on standby
LG TVs caught spying even when offline or on standby

LG smart TVs are almost constantly logging and uploading data about owners and their homes, even when offline or on standby mode, according to a new report from YouTube channel Gamers Nexus. The company’s TV sets scan Wi-Fi networks for nearby devices, record audio logs through their microphones, and use audio and video sampling to […]

Xiaomi’s wide foldable promises more power than Samsung’s
Xiaomi’s wide foldable promises more power than Samsung’s

Xiaomi is the latest manufacturer to release a short, wide foldable phone, in the week Apple is expected to do the same. I got to try the 18 Fold behind closed doors at IFA last week, and while it looks and feels similar enough to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, superior specs make it feel […]

Six years later, Sony revisits its legendary XM4 headphones
Six years later, Sony revisits its legendary XM4 headphones

Six years ago, Sony and Bose were in the middle of a noise-canceling battle, with each new model of headphones better than the last. In the fall of 2020, Sony released the WH-1000XM4 headphones to wide acclaim. They sat atop best headphones lists for years, thanks to their great sound, competitive ANC, and compact size, […]

Huawei copies Samsung’s privacy display in its latest trifold
Huawei copies Samsung’s privacy display in its latest trifold

Huawei has released its third trifold phone in China, and the company has clearly had half an eye on Samsung during development. Not only does the Mate XT 2 adopt the inward-folding form factor used on Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold, it’s also the first foldable to include a privacy-enhancing display, much like the one Samsung […]

Boox’s tiny Picco e-reader should land in November
Boox’s tiny Picco e-reader should land in November

Boox teased the Picco, its take on the buzzy Xteink X4 e-reader, back in July, but provided almost no details. Now, thanks to some reporting out of IFA, we’ve got a bit more info, though sadly still no price. Unlike the Xteink devices, the Picco will not have magnets on the back for attaching to […]

The Fairphone 6 Plus is the midrange phone we desperately needed
The Fairphone 6 Plus is the midrange phone we desperately needed

The Fairphone 6 Plus feels like an extremely average midrange Android phone and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The mission has always been admirable. Fairphone seeks out ethically sourced materials and offers a high degree of repairability for its devices. But the phones themselves required a lot of sacrifices, like putting up with underpowered processors […]

Oura is going public, but these smart ring companies are coming for its crown

While Oura has largely dominated the smart ring market for years, a growing number of rivals are now racing to dethrone it by trying all sorts of approaches to get an edge over it.

The weird and wonderful headphones of CanJam 2026
The weird and wonderful headphones of CanJam 2026

I’ve been reviewing headphones for a long time, and I’ve listened to everything from the barely serviceable to multi-thousand-dollar open-back headphones. But recently I’ve been uninspired by the state of mainstream options. Most are perfectly good – great, even – but they lack a distinct character. Something to remind me why I fell in love […]

GoPro says it’s still committed ‘to your collective stoke’
GoPro says it’s still committed ‘to your collective stoke’

GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said in a letter to customers that making cameras is still his company’s “core DNA,” after a proposed $285 million acquisition by Starman was announced earlier this week. He claims the merger puts GoPro in a better position to continue developing its content creation tech, after saying in the deal announcement […]

Alienware’s refurbished 16 Aurora is almost $200 off at Woot
Alienware’s refurbished 16 Aurora is almost $200 off at Woot

Gaming laptop deals aren’t what they used to be (stares daggers at RAMageddon), which is why I consider Woot’s deal on a refurbished Alienware 16 Aurora gaming laptop with Nvidia’s RTX 5050 a pretty good deal at $927 for new Woot customers (with code WOOTALIEN used at checkout). It costs $1,029 for returning Woot shoppers, […]