Gear / Reviews

More importantly, there is no indication of battery life in the app. Like the Eargo 7, the Eargo 8 claims an impressive 16 hours of running time (plus a whopping 224 more hours of charge in the slightly larger carrying case), but there’s no way to tell where you’re at …

Escaping the screen isn’t easy. When I tested the Light Phone III in March—a phone designed to strip away apps and focus on the basics—I quickly found how many little things I needed my smartphone for, from accessing my home’s security cameras to authentication apps so I could sign in …

Photograph: Ryan Waniata The sub blends well with the bar, which takes on the upper register with notable panache for its size. You’ll hear some excellent touch to dialog and subtler effects, especially in the middle of the sound. The bar isn’t particularly lyrical or precise toward the top of …

I’ve never been a vertical mouse person. These mice have a vertical shape that puts your palm in a more neutral posture, reducing strain on the wrist. But every time I’ve used one in the past, it felt awkward, unnatural, or like I was making a trade-off in exchange for …

The setup is fairly simple, though it requires a few things to get started. First off, you need the Reality Hub app launcher to actually play games in 3D. It’s too bad it requires a separate app, but the software at least will scan your game libraries and display any …

The Rivelia has a nifty little bean swap system that lets you uncork one hopper full of beans and swap in a second, with minimal fuss and no mixing of beans. It works like this: When you turn the bean hopper to the unlock position, the Rivelia’s screen will simply …

Insta360’s X-series 360-degree cameras have long dominated the market. They have great video quality, an easy-to-use interface, and simple editing software, which makes these the most beginner-friendly 360 cameras around. The latest version, the Insta360 X5, continues that tradition while bringing larger sensors with even better-looking video. The X5 is …

The buds themselves, also on the larger side, store in the top of the slide-down case via magnets. You get two black, Bose-like earbuds with aesthetic elephant trunks and the typical Skullcandy skull on the tip. Silicone ear fins and a red-accented ear tip round out the look, which makes …

Gluten-free cuisine has a deservedly bad reputation. This is not because wheat has a monopoly on good taste: Entire countries and cultures would disagree. Rather, it’s that cooks far too often make things that desperately need gluten to be what they are: pancakes and waffles, say, or Southern fried chicken. …

My favorite place to wake up is in a sleeping bag, which is good because I tend to wake up a lot when sleeping in a sleeping bag. It’s not the bag, it’s the pad underneath me. I’ve tried them all (it’s part of my job), and while some are …