As a professional product reviewer, I’m skeptical of every product on the internet. So many companies invent a problem that nobody has ever had, just so they can sell you something to solve it. Have you ever tried to blend gallons of liquid with the lid off, or tried to …
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I have an unreasonable obsession with finding the ideal forms and locations for convenient phone charging. But most charging stations can't meet my impossibly high standards. I want to be able to charge my phone without getting tangled in a mess of cables. That's it. Wireless charging is one answer. …
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Before I covered technology, I was a home and design writer. Nothing breaks my heart more than how ugly technology devices often are–particularly ones you'll be looking at all day in your home. Is it so hard to make it look nice? I mean, really? Maybe not. Creative's Pebble V3 …
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About a decade ago, I started noticing that certain clothes made my skin itch. Like, a lot. Then my infant son was diagnosed with eczema, painful rashes that covered his arms and legs. I started buying the gentlest detergents I could find and checking fabric content labels on all our …
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If you happen to know a neuroscientist or an ethologist, you’re likely familiar with the concept of “baby schema.” This theory was pioneered by the zoologist and ethologist Konrad Lorenz, who hypothesized that cute things unlock instinctual caregiving behaviors. Lorenz applied it mostly to baby animals, with their big eyes …
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The humble battery has been powering our gadgets for decades. Remote controls, toys, cameras, flashlights, clocks, keyboards, mice, game controllers, and many other devices require batteries. Having a few AA or AAA batteries in the house is always a good idea, but the single-use disposable alkaline batteries you’re probably thinking …
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Food is my love language. Sure, it's necessary for survival, but it's also a way to bond with your loved ones and show someone you're thinking about them. Some of my favorite memories involve holiday feasts, but I also love sitting down for a warm, feel-good meal with my cats …
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For years, I've had recurring problems using smart home devices on Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem. A string of security cameras and video doorbells, most notably the Logitech Circle View Doorbell, would work fine for periods, but they'd inexplicably fail to record video or would randomly disconnect from the network. I chalked …
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My progress toward a truly “smart” home has been painfully slow. I’m sick of unreliable voice commands, flaky smart switches, and poorly designed apps. Where’s the seamless experience that was promised? As my wife often points out, if it’s not easier than flicking the regular old switch or drawing the …
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I am looking for the perfect pants. Well, not the perfect pants for you; the perfect pants for me. Let's be real, there are no pants that are perfect for everyone. But maybe we overlap, you and I. This is not a fashion magazine. When Perry Ferrell nasally sneered, “He …
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