Tag: buying guides

  • 12 Best Tablets (2024): iPads, Androids, and More Tested and Compared

    12 Best Tablets (2024): iPads, Androids, and More Tested and Compared

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    Tablets often don’t come with kickstands or enough ports, so it’s a good idea to snag a few accessories to enhance your experience. These are some of our favorite tablet accessories, many of which you can also find in our Best iPad Accessories guide.

    Satechi Aluminum Desktop Stand for $45: This is my favorite tablet stand, so much so that I’ve taken it with me on trips. It packs down relatively well, and it is very stable—there’s no wobbling around here. You can also adjust the angle quite a bit. It can handle huge sizes too—it worked perfectly with my 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

    Twelve South Compass Pro Stand for $50: This is made for iPads, but I’ve had no trouble using it for plenty of other tablets. It’s more travel-friendly than the Satechi above and fairly stable, but when I lift the tablet off, the back leg tends to change positions. You can angle it pretty low for sketching or keep it upright for watching movies. Unlike the Satechi, it’s not a great option for keeping the tablet upright on a mattress.

    Twelve South StayGo Mini USB-C Hub for $60: This works with iPads and other tablets just fine. You can either plug it in and keep it flush with the edge of a slate or use the included cord to keep it extended. You get a USB-C port you can use for pass-through charging, a USB-A, an HDMI, and a headphone jack.

    Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder for $28: I’ve used this on my bed frame to hold up various tablets for more than a year. The gooseneck requires a bit of finagling to get to the right position, and if you’re constantly tapping the tablet, it will jiggle around. But it’s a great hands-free way to watch movies. You can affix the clamp to any surface, like a desk or kitchen counter.

    Twelve South HoverBar Duo Mount/Stand for $80: You can use this as a stand or as an arm mount, and Twelve South makes it really easy to switch between the two. That means you can easily affix your tablet to your bedside arm mount, and then put it on the stand in your home office in the morning. Both are sturdy, and the arm mount is decently adjustable. Best of all, it doesn’t wiggle around as much as the Lamicall above when you tap the screen.

    Keychron K3 Pro Mechanical Bluetooth Keyboard for $100: If you want to use a third-party Bluetooth keyboard with your tablet, a cheap one (like this Logitech) will do the job perfectly. But if you’re a mechanical keyboard snob like me, this Keychron is an upgrade that’s pretty easy to tote around. You can connect it to multiple devices and switch between them quickly; the keys light up in different, configurable colors; and best of all, it delivers the clickety-clackety experience you want with a mechanical keyboard. It needs to be recharged every three to four days, but you can also use it plugged in.

    Anker Nano 3 30-Watt Charging Adapter for $20: Most tablets charge at around 18 watts, so this 30-watt charger from Anker is more than capable. The plugs fold up, and it’s pretty compact. If your tablet does support faster charging, then I recommend Satechi’s 108-watt three-port USB-C charger ($75). This will let you charge your phone, tablet, and laptop all off the same plug.

    Einova Ultra Fast Power Bank for $47: This power bank is slim enough to store next to a tablet in your bag, and it has enough capacity (20,000 mAh) to recharge an 11-inch tablet twice. You can fast-charge with the USB-C port and use the two USB-A ports to recharge other devices.

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  • We’ve Been Testing Fans All Summer and These Are Our 9 Favorites (2024)

    We’ve Been Testing Fans All Summer and These Are Our 9 Favorites (2024)

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    When I was growing up in the 1980s and ’90s, there were maybe three types of fans available to the average household consumer, which one had to buy in person at, say, Sears or Kmart: A metal table fan, a wobbly pedestal fan, or a box fan. If it was an especially new or fancy model, there were buttons for different speeds, perhaps encircled by a snazzy faux-wood veneer. Nowadays there are thousands of types of fans from many hundreds of brands in multiple categories, sizes, and shapes. How do you know which fan is the correct one for your particular situation? Thankfully, most fans fall into one of six general categories:

    Pedestal fans offer adjustable height, oscillation (though many tower fans have this also), and larger blades for more power, and they are easier to clean because the blades are usually visible. They’re the best option for large spaces or even outdoors on a deck or patio. One drawback is that they can be top-heavy and easily knocked over, and since the blades are visible, they can be dangerous to small fingers that may find their way inside the cage.

    A table or desk fan is perfect for small rooms that are short on floor space, can provide more direct airflow, and often come in vintage designs or fun colors. They’re also portable, so they are easy to travel with or move from room to room. Many are chargeable for cordless operation or, in the case of our favorite travel fan, can even function as chargers themselves.

    A tower fan is basically a streamlined alternative to a pedestal fan, offering a slimmer profile and less top-heavy structure, which can be useful in households with children or large dogs lumbering about. The blades are also enclosed, making them a great choice for a child’s room. One drawback is that this also makes them difficult to clean, unless you go with a bladeless Dyson.

    Air circulators are designed to move air around the whole room rather than straight at a person or object, which makes them usable for all seasons—in winter, they can move hot air down to the floor from where it has risen. They can also do this from behind furniture, so looks aren’t as important.

    Box fans and transom fans are more utilitarian options that can be used in windows to either bring colder air in or exhaust hotter air out, but neither is particularly stylish or something you’d want in your home year-round.

    Misting fans are usually air circulators or pedestal fans that come with an attachment for misted water to be expelled with the air. Some allow you to connect your hose, while others come with a reservoir that allows them to be used away from a water source.

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  • 6 Best Bidets, Tested and Reviewed (2024): Toto, Kohler, Tushy

    6 Best Bidets, Tested and Reviewed (2024): Toto, Kohler, Tushy

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    Bidet seats are one of those luxuries you can live without until you realize what you’re missing. My first encounter came at a ramen spot on the West Coast of the US that had imported a high-end Toto washlet from Japan, where they’ve been around for decades. I might have been an early adopter, but bidets are getting more common in the US. Toto’s American sales doubled in the first quarter of 2020 and have grown by double digits every year since. More people are starting to realize that American bathroom habits are … gross. Think about it: When you get something on you that smells foul and is full of germs, do you want to wash it off or smear it off with a piece of paper?

    OK, I convinced you. So what should you buy? The WIRED team has swapped out plenty of toilet seats in search of the best bidets. We spent at least one week testing each model—some for far longer—and managed the installations ourselves without the help of a professional plumber. We’ve got budget bidets, bidets with heated seats, and ones that automatically open up, happily inviting you to empty your bowels. We’ve got your bum covered.

    Updated August 2024: We’ve updated pricing and added the Alpha UX Pearl to our Honorable Mentions section.

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    What Kind of Bidet Should You Buy?

    Think of the shape. Most American home toilets come in one of two standard sizes: round or elongated. A round toilet bowl is 16.5 inches long while an elongated bowl is about 18.5. Bidets on this list will fit one but not the other. Measure twice, buy once. All bidets we reviewed are attachments that take the place of the seats on existing toilets, but there are also toilets with built-in bidet seats.

    Electric seat or simple sprayer? The bidets on this list are seats that you attach to the top of your toilet and connect to the tank and an AC outlet—except for the Tushy, a sprayer that mounts below your existing seat and taps into your water lines. You must have a shock-blocking GFCI-protected outlet within a few feet of the toilet to use them safely. The Tushy does not require electricity but also doesn’t heat the water, which will be at room temperature. The cheaper electric bidets we’ve used typically start with a quick burst of room-temperature water that quickly gives way to warm water. The best bidets—typically with a price to match—start by spraying warm water and will allow you to control the temperature within a few degrees. Most electric bidets also have fans that will help dry you off, but you’ll probably still want to have a few squares of toilet paper handy for drying.

    What’s your budget? You can get an attachment that fits on your current seat and taps into the cold water line filling your toilet for about $100. Some high-end bidet attachments can cost $2,000. The sweet spot tends to be at a price point between $500 and $1,000, where you get a sturdy seat with nice features but without over-the-top extras like voice commands (yes, really) and a backup battery.

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  • 57 Best Back-to-School College Dorm Essentials and Gear (2024)

    57 Best Back-to-School College Dorm Essentials and Gear (2024)

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    Whether you’re an incoming freshman or returning to dorm life, picking the right stuff for college can be tough. On one hand, you want to have quality gear that won’t let you down by midterms. On the other, the inevitability of crushing debt looms in the years to come, so you want to be frugal wherever possible.

    This guide is filled with all the stuff you might need: an affordable (but capable) laptop, a versatile backpack, coffee gear, audio gadgets, and fun tech to make dorm life more livable. You don’t need every single item in this list, so spend only where you think is necessary.

    Updated August 2024: We’ve added new products for the new school year.

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  • Modular and Non-Modular PC Power Supply: What’s the Difference?

    Modular and Non-Modular PC Power Supply: What’s the Difference?

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    If you’re in the process of building your PC, one of the most important components to consider is which power supply unit you will choose for your new computer. While shopping, you might see the word “modular” thrown around a lot as a key feature, and it’s not exactly self-explanatory. In fact, this decision is really important when it comes to your purchase, particularly if you’re building a new PC. Below is everything you need to know, as well as a few product recommendations.

    Want to know more about PC gear? Be sure to have a look at our guides on Motherboard Sizes, the Best Gaming Keyboards, Best Gaming Mice, Best Gaming Headsets, and Best Gaming Controllers.

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    Fully Modular

    Image may contain Electronics Hardware Computer Hardware Adapter and Speaker

    Simply put, the cables on a modular power supply are fully detachable from the brick. You’ll find a row of ports on the interior of the power supply, which match up with an included bag of cables. Both the ports and cables are meant for a specific power supply and use case, so make sure they match up.

    The biggest benefit is cable management. Forget dealing with that big tangled cluster of hard plastic cables and oddly similar plugs. Instead, you can take each individual cable and run it from the power supply to its component, and then wrap them up at the end into tidy bundles.

    Corsair’s fully modular RM1000e ($160) was updated in 2023 to support the new ATX 3.0 standard. It’s fully modular, well reviewed, and consistently available for below retail price.

    Whatever cables you don’t need can also be left out of the case entirely. Any improvement to airflow is a welcome one, even if it’s minor, particularly next to the power supply. If you have a smaller case, or don’t have a dedicated area for the power supply, this can be particularly important.

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  • The 7 Best Projectors According to Our Reviewers (2024)

    The 7 Best Projectors According to Our Reviewers (2024)

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    Projectors offer larger screen sizes and a more cinematic viewing experience than their TV counterparts, but that doesn’t mean they’re easier to set up. That’s why we have an entire guide to How to Buy a Projector to check out!

    Unless you’re going for a portable option, you’ll want to make sure you have a projector mount ($20) and audio cables properly routed to the location of your projector. This is because setting up full-size projectors to fit your screen, be in focus, etc., can be a pain, so once you get everything dialed in, you’ll want to leave it as-is.

    Make sure you get enough lumens (how bright your projector will get at its peak, the higher the number the better). Over 2,000 lumens is a good starting space for any kind of lit viewing, but we recommend 3000 or above if you’re viewing in a bright room.

    Another thing to bear in mind before you get a projector is just how much space you’ll need to properly set it up. In most cases, you’ll need 10 to 15 feet between the screen and the projector (be sure to check the “throw distance” listed by the manufacturer in the manual) to achieve screen sizes over 100 inches.

    Without a completely dark room, the image can look washed out and be hard to see. If you don’t have a room without windows, consider getting blackout curtains. For more detailed information on how to set up a projector after it arrives, I highly recommend this video.

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  • Back to School for Middle Schoolers (2024): Backpacks, Laptops, Hygiene

    Back to School for Middle Schoolers (2024): Backpacks, Laptops, Hygiene

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    Remember starting middle school? Your first locker. Your first time navigating halls between classes. Your first stress breakout. Middle school can be a little intimidating, but while you can’t hold your kid’s hand as they try to find their algebra class, you can get them prepared with a backpack that won’t break and a laptop that won’t crash. We’ve polled and pestered our adolescent loved ones and rounded up the best WIRED-approved back to school gear that they’ll actually like.

    Don’t see anything you like? Be sure to check out our other back-to-school guides, including the Best Laptops, Best Tablets, Best Laptop Bags, Best Student Email Discounts, and Best Dorm and College Gear.

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  • The Best Field Recorders for Portable Audio

    The Best Field Recorders for Portable Audio

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    Yes, you currently have a device in your pocket capable of capturing audio—your phone. But, the quality of the audio from those tiny microphones leaves a lot to be desired. You’ll easily overwhelm the mics if you try to capture an impromptu jam session with your band. You’ll never get solid stereo imaging of your environment. And echoey lecture halls will reduce any speaker to a muddy mess.

    There are plenty of reasons to pick up a field recorder. They can be used to capture lectures at school, record audio for a video shoot, serve as a mobile podcast studio, collect samples to use in your music, and even create IR (impulse responses) for building custom audio effects.

    There is also the act of field recording itself—going out and capturing the ambient sounds of the world around you. If you’ve never dabbled before, I can’t recommend it enough. It can teach you to listen more closely to the world around you and make you more observant.

    If you work with audio in any way, even as a hobby, a good handheld field recorder is a must-have. Below are our current favorites. Be sure to also check out our guides to the Best Recording Software, the Best Wired Headphones, and the Best USB Microphones. If you’re interested in recording at home as well as outdoors, be sure to check out our guide to leveling up your home recording studio.

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  • 8 Best Bike Locks (2024): Litelok, Abus, Hiplok, KryptoLok Compared

    8 Best Bike Locks (2024): Litelok, Abus, Hiplok, KryptoLok Compared

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    Location, Location, Location: You should lock your bike to a secure rack in a high-traffic area, whenever possible. This alone will keep away many opportunistic thieves as it’s just not worth the trouble to attract attention.

    Use a bike rack over a more vulnerable anchor point, as it should be properly secured and bolted into concrete. This isn’t always the case—I recently found a rack in my local area with a loose bolt at the base—so keep an eye out.

    Lock Types and Positioning: There are many ways to lock your bike securely, some of which will depend on the type of lock you’re using and the bike you’re locking.

    For a regular-size U-lock, you’ll usually want to lock the bike around the frame and the back wheel, if space allows. Some methods suggest simply locking the back wheel, but this can leave the rest of your bike vulnerable. You’ll want to keep U-locks away from the ground, especially with concrete or asphalt, to prevent thieves from trying to smash it with a hammer or use leverage devices like a tire jack or iron.

    If you’ve got a quick-release wheel, you may want to consider a dual-lock setup like the Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 With Flex Cable (though this is not a grinder-resistant lock). Alternatively, you could use multiple locks, like a grinder-resistant lock for the frame and back wheel plus a chain or cable lock for the front wheel.

    Chain locks can work well for securing both a frame and wheel, though they have their drawbacks. They’re usually quite heavy, especially the thicker ones that can better resist heavy bolt cutters. They’re also generally not nearly as grinder-resistant as our top picks. Again, keeping the chain off the ground will help ward off bolt-cutting thieves.

    Security Tags and Trackers: One key trick to tracking your bike is using a Tile or Apple AirTag hidden somewhere along the frame or under your seat so you can keep an eye on its position. Unfortunately, there are some real limitations to this method.

    Both AirTags and Tile devices are limited to the range of their Bluetooth antennae. Tile devices come with a maximum 400-foot range for the Tile Pro, while the Tile Mate and Slim offer 250 feet. Apple doesn’t specify its AirTag range, but it’s also limited by Bluetooth, with most testing putting it at around 30 meters or 100 feet.

    AirTags and Tiles both offer some tracking features when out of range. AirTags can connect over the Find My Network, using other people’s Apple devices to anonymously track, while Tile devices can similarly track the device’s last known location over Android phones, but this is far from perfect. Neither offers real-time GPS tracking, and both systems require other devices to track.

    AirTags support ultra-wideband technology for Precision Finding (supported by iPhone 11 or higher) that can pinpoint the device more accurately than Tile trackers. On the downside, AirTags will chime when moved away from your phone as a safety precaution, which may alert thieves to their presence.

    There are also real-time GPS trackers, such as the Invoxia, which charges a yearly subscription fee. These devices are pricier but potentially more effective since they don’t rely on Bluetooth, instead using real-time GPS location tracking. They’re generally larger and tougher to conceal than AirTags or Tiles.

    What About Smart Locks? Smart locks are relatively new to the bike-lock scene and have yet to make major waves. Smart locks like the I Lock It Plus (which we have not tested) can offer conveniences like keyless unlocking via your phone and even a smart alarm with up to 110 decibels of shrieking sound. That said, you’ll likely have your keys with you for most rides, and alarms can go off accidentally, which can cause more problems than they solve.

    Even the pricier smart locks we’ve seen aren’t grinder-resistant, so you’re trading some security for convenience. As noted above, we recommend making sure any lock you choose is independently rated for security from Sold Secure and/or ART to ensure objective testing for the best protection.

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  • 8 Best Laptops and Tablets for College Students (2023): Cheap, Gaming, Portable

    8 Best Laptops and Tablets for College Students (2023): Cheap, Gaming, Portable

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    The important thing to remember is that there is no single correct choice here. The laptop that’s best for your college experience depends on what you’re doing at college. An English major with long reading lists and many papers to write might do better with an iPad and a nice accessory keyboard. A computer science major who needs to compile software or run Linux will need a laptop they can tinker away on. That said, here are some basic metrics to keep in mind for laptops:

    Processor

    • Windows: If you’re getting a Windows machine, your main options for the processor are Intel and AMD, though Qualcomm is now a viable alternative with Copilot+ PCs. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. For a more complete guide to the differences, see our full guide to buying a laptop.
    • Chromebooks: These browser-based machines use half a dozen different processors, most of which you’ve probably never heard of. There’s a reason for that: Those processors are slow. My recommendation when buying a Chromebook is to stick with a Chromebook Plus machine. This is a new standard Google created to ensure a certain level of performance and polish with Chromebooks.
    • MacOS: Apple has been making its own processors for a few years, like the M3 chip found inside the MacBook Air showcased above. More powerful models like the MacBook Pros feature the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. Our MacBook buying guide can help.

    RAM

    Regardless of which OS you choose, the minimum amount of RAM you want in your laptop is 8 GB. That’s enough memory to keep your computer feeling snappy even if it’s running under load. That much RAM will also keep the machine feeling spry longer into its lifespan. If you can afford it—especially if you plan to edit photos or videos as part of your coursework—go for 16 GB.

    Screen

    Screens vary tremendously but don’t settle for anything less than 1080p. For a 13-inch laptop, 1080p is sharp enough. If you’re going with a bigger laptop, 2.5K or even 4K screens will improve the viewing experience. If you’re trying to play games as well, be sure to get something with a higher refresh rate—120 Hz or 144 Hz will more than satisfy.

    Weight and Battery

    Don’t forget you’ll be lugging this thing around. It may well be tugging on your back for eight hours or more. One pound may not seem like much, but at the end of a long day of walking, you will notice the difference between a 3-pound laptop and a 4-pound laptop. Trust me. Also, maybe pick out a nice bag to carry your computer.

    Similarly, battery life is very important when you’re (potentially) away from a wall outlet for extended periods. Whatever you end up getting, make sure it’s capable of lasting at least eight hours under real-world use—browsing the web, editing documents, writing emails, and taking notes. Even then, you might want to consider a portable battery charger.

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