Tag: review

Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL Review: All Grown Up

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I have reviewed every Pixel smartphone since the brand was first introduced in 2016, and something about the Pixel 9 series makes me think of Google’s latest hardware as all grown up. It’s impossible to point to one new feature as the source of this feeling. Rather, it’s an amalgamation of changes that have taken place over the past three years—ever since the company began stuffing its own Tensor processors into these phones to power its forward-looking software.

The combination of polished hardware, brawny internals, and helpful software has resulted in a handset that matches what you get from the likes of Samsung and Apple. All that elegance comes at a cost though. At $799 for the Pixel 9, $999 for the Pixel 9 Pro, and $1,099 for the Pixel 9 Pro XL, these are among the most expensive Pixels to date. Here’s your regular reminder that you can get excellent smartphones for less than $500 (including Google-made devices like the Pixel 8A).

But for anyone who doesn’t mind splurging on the most important piece of tech in their life, the Pixel 9 series delivers some of the best mobile camera experiences money can buy. The Pixel 9 also serves as an engaging window into the AI-fication of our personal technology—whether that’s something you want or not.

The Phone Stuff

The refined design helps with the Pixel 9’s glow-up. The iconic camera visor that has been a mainstay since the Pixel 6 is still present, but in a more elegant pill-shaped design. Don’t worry, it still screams “Pixel.” It’s hard to mistake this phone for something else, especially if you opt for the lovely pink colors. (I appreciate that the fun color isn’t restricted to the “non-Pro” model, as it is on other makes and models of phones.)

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

I don’t find the camera bump excessive or ugly; the phones don’t rock when they sit flat on a table, and that’s a massive boon. I like the flat display panel, as well as the flat edges. The squared-off design is easier to hold, and your grip won’t interfere with the touchscreen like on smartphones with “waterfall” displays that curve around to the sides where your fingers grasp the phone’s body. Just know that the Pro phones have glossy edges that attract fingerprints, so you’ll be wiping them down often. (Just me?)

Speaking of fingerprints, Google has outfitted these models with an ultrasonic in-display scanner that is far and away more reliable than the optical fingerprint sensors it has been using on Pixels for years, finally matching the quality found on other Android phones. On the flip side, Pixels are still some of the only Android phones with secure face scanning, so it’s great that you have both biometric options, though I’d have liked to see improvements in making face unlock work better in the dark.

Choice goes a long way in showing maturity in a product line too. For the first time, you get options in the size of the Pixel 9 Pro—6.3 inches or 6.8 inches for the XL—which means you no longer have to feel like you’re losing out on features just because you prefer smaller phones. Even though I have big paws, I prefer the size and feel of the Pixel 9 Pro. Nice and compact.

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August 21, 2024
Lifx Beam Review (2024): The Lifx Beam Isn’t New, but It’s Super Fun

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Once that’s recognized, you can start playing around with colors! Like most smart lights, there are plenty of options for various shades of white and bright colors, and tons of colorful themes that take advantage of the massive row of lights. Lifx’s app comes with tons of precreated themes, ranging from ones inspired by music and artists (I love the Bijutsukai and Matisse with my living room colors) to holidays and even sports teams. There isn’t a camera or similar tool to make it match what’s on your TV screen, so I usually choose a theme or color scheme to make it match the vibe of the show.

Photograph: Nena Farrell

You can use the in-app Paint tool to make custom light arrangements if none of the included designs pique your fancy. You can either paint the whole thing at once—it’ll let you choose three colors and arrange it for you—or manually control it by zone. My six bars and one corner piece have 61 zones, so 10 zones per bar plus one extra for that little corner. You can highlight and change multiple zones at the same time to get your perfect design, but it does take time.

Buying Time

The Lifx Beam isn’t anything particularly new, but I love how much easier it is to stick on a wall without worrying whether a section will pop off, and to add more segments or rearrange the shape whenever I want. It feels more like art on my wall than a regular light strip.

My only complaint is that I wish it were a little cheaper; it’s $60 for four pieces, or $150 for six. And Lifx doesn’t sell corner pieces individually, limiting the fun you can have with designs. After all these years of it on the market, it might be too late to hope for more extensions. I’m still in love with mine, though, single corner and all.

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August 21, 2024
Ricoh GR III and GR IIIx Digital Camera Review: Nearly the Perfect Cameras

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Despite the compact size, the GR III packs a 24.2-MP APS-C sensor, which is why it’s my favorite compact camera. At the time of writing, there is no other camera this small with an APS-C sensor. (There used to be two others in this class, Fujifilm’s x70 and Nikon’s Coolpix A, and both have been discontinued). While sensor size isn’t everything, the GR III’s sensor can deliver remarkably crisp, contrasty, detailed images on par with what I get from my Sony.

The original GR III launched in 2019 with the equivalent of a 28-mm lens. Ricoh followed this up in 2021 with the GR IIIx, which is almost the same save for the 40-mm equivalent lens. They’re both fantastic. I happen to love 40-mm lenses so I’ve spent more time with the GR IIIx, but for most people who want an all-around capable pocket camera, I’d suggest the 28-mm version is more versatile.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

Ricoh GR IIIx

Both lenses are capable of tack-sharp images with an impressive, soft bokeh you don’t usually get with a camera and sensor of this size. There’s also a nice macro mode that adds a bit of versatility to an already impressive package. That said, if you want a zoom, this is not the camera for you (that’d be the Sony RX100 VII).

Three things set the Ricoh GR III above the compact camera pack. The first is the APS-C sensor. The second is the size. This camera can go everywhere with you and it doesn’t get in the way. I often find, no matter how discreet I try to be, pulling out a full-size camera with a decent (read: large) lens on the front, and everyone in a scene notices and subtly changes. The GR III, on the other hand, is small enough that you can pull it out without attracting attention or ruining a scene (it also doesn’t make you look like a rich tourist when traveling).

The third reason I, and legions of other photographers, love this camera is all the little extras. I mentioned the macro mode, but there’s also a useful built-in neutral density filter for shooting longer exposure images without overexposing (think blurring flowing water, for example). The other mode I love is snap focus.

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August 19, 2024
Catan: New Energies Review—Climate Crisis Across the Board

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Not everyone will appreciate a side of existential threat with their board game, but that is exactly what you get with Catan: New Energies. It drags the beloved classic Catan into the modern day with fossil fuels and renewable energy, an inventive climate crisis mechanic, and a clever illustration of the consequences if we fail to work toward a greener world. This stand-alone board game for two to four players doesn’t require the original, though experienced players will grasp it more easily.

While the message is clear, the makers did not forget about flow or fun. The addictive hook of Catan, the deals, the room for multiple strategies, and the variation in playthroughs are all present and correct. It is familiar enough to entice old fans and fresh enough to demand a look for newcomers. New Energies also succeeds in making its point, and our first game provoked a long and interesting conversation with my kids about why climate change is happening and why some folks are not on board with fighting it.

New Age Catan

If you are unfamiliar, The Settlers of Catan was first published in 1995. The game takes place on a fictional medieval island with hexagonal tiles placed randomly, ensuring plenty of replay value. Players must build roads, towns, and cities by spending resources like lumber and grain. Resources are collected and traded after dice rolls to determine which tiles pay out each turn. A robber mechanic spices things up when anyone rolls a seven, and some additional achievements and cards provide victory points. The winner is the first person to amass 10 victory points.

Photograph: Simon Hill

Five editions and various expansions were released over the years, and the game was rebranded as simply Catan for the 20th-anniversary edition in 2015. It has sold more than 45 million copies in all its various forms. Catan: New Energies is a stand-alone game rather than an expansion, and it was first conceived over a decade ago, then shelved until creator Klaus Teuber and his sons decided to resurrect it during lockdown.

All the basic mechanics are still there: the randomly generated map of hexagonal tiles, the resource harvesting and trading, and the race for 10 victory points. But there are several additions and a modern-day makeover. Energy is a new resource, and you harvest it by building power plants; towns can support one, and cities up to three. The energy you generate can be spent on resources, including the new science cards needed to build power plants.

Fossil fuel power plants cost one science card, while renewable plants cost three, and cards are scarce at the beginning of the game. The catch is that building fossil fuel plants accelerates the risk of climate disasters and increases what’s called your local footprint. Each player must draw brown event tokens from a bag at the beginning of their turn, and these add up to trigger climate events. Most have a negative impact, such as hazards that block cities from earning resources for a turn, and they tend to punish the player with the highest local footprint.

Photograph: Simon Hill

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August 18, 2024
Samsung Galaxy Ring Review: One Ring to Rule Them All

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Like most fitness tracking rings, Samsung’s Galaxy Ring has been positioned as a minimalist health wearable for people who don’t want the pings and buzzes of a wrist-worn smartwatch or fitness tracker. But that’s only part of its appeal. Its real appeal is that it’s a supplemental wearable if you already have a Galaxy Watch and a Galaxy phone.

When I received my tester, I immediately charged it and added it to Samsung’s Health app, where it joined my Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. You can elect to send battery-intensive tasks to either the watch or the ring to save battery life on one or the other. I delegated heart-rate monitoring to the watch, and after two days, the ring’s battery life was still at 97 percent.

I can’t think of any other devices that work together that seamlessly for such an immediate, quantifiable improvement. I did compare the Ring’s measurements to an Apple Watch Ultra, which I will discuss later, but after a few days, I switched back to the Galaxy Watch. This is what the ring was made for, so this is the most appropriate testing scenario.

Box It Out

Even from the first unboxing, the Galaxy Ring compared favorably to the Oura Ring. It arrives in an awesome clear charging case with a USB-C connector that snaps shut with a cover. I love this cover. You would not believe how often I manage to knock the Oura Ring off its charger when it’s sitting on my desk. You can also check the battery level by putting the ring on the charger. An LED around the perimeter shows the ring’s battery level, unlike the Oura, whose light just shows if the battery is full or not.

Photograph: Adrienne So

The Ring is titanium and comes in three finishes; I tested the titanium silver. Samsung has a sizing guide consistent with other fitness tracker rings as I was bucketed into my usual size 8. Like most other rings of this type, it has an array of sensors on the inside; a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor with three LEDs to track changes in blood volume, an accelerometer, and a skin temperature sensor.

I can’t feel any of these sensors when wearing the ring. I don’t mind wearing the Oura Ring, but the Galaxy Ring is more than a gram lighter and is noticeably thinner and lightweight. As a bonus, you can go into your Health app on your Samsung phone and click Find My Ring and the LEDs will start flickering! You can’t see them in daylight, but at least the company has acknowledged that one of the major problems with smart rings is how often you lose the darn things. I keep taking mine off mindlessly to wash dishes, lift something heavy, or play the violin. It’s also rated at 10 ATM and IP68, and I have kept mine on while swimming and paddling with my kids.

The battery life depends on how many tasks you want to outsource to your watch. If I’m wearing my Galaxy Watch, the Galaxy Ring lasts over a week. Without it, it lasted a standard three to five days of continuous tracking.

On Period

The Galaxy Ring measures a fairly similar set of metrics to the Oura Ring. For example, it offers an Energy Score, which is similar to Oura’s Readiness Score in that it takes in several factors, like your sleep time and consistency and the previous day’s activity, and spits out an easy-to-understand number to show you how ready you are to tackle the day.

To do that, it tracks your sleep. You can click through the Samsung Health app to check your sleep stages, including how long you’ve been awake, your blood oxygen, and whether you’re snoring. It usually records more sleep time than my Apple Watch Ultra; I’m guessing it’s easier for the watch to tell that I’m reading in bed instead of sleeping when my arm is holding my Kindle up to my face.

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August 18, 2024
Mill Food Recycler Review: Trendy and Spendy

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I do not like composting.

I realize this is practically heretical given that I live just outside of Portland, Oregon, ground zero for environmental consciousness, but I’d just rather not have a container of slimy, rotting kitchen scraps sitting on my countertop. It attracts fruit flies and leaves my house smelling like federal-prison pruno—especially in the heat of summer.

Instead, my family of three has been relying on in-sink garbage disposal, which isn’t great. Our septic repairperson is adamantly against this, and garbage disposals are also a bad idea for those not on septic systems, because the refuse ends up in the waterways. Throwing food in the kitchen trash eventually leads to the local landfill, where uneaten food makes up 24 percent of municipal solid waste. Its breakdown results in the release of dangerous methane gas.

To combat this, many cities feature their own composting programs. My rural exurb does not, so I’m forced to choose between a normal-smelling kitchen and actively contributing to global warming. This is why I was especially interested in the Mill, an odorless, fully automatic food recycling bin dreamed up by Matt Rogers, former Apple engineer and cofounder of smart-thermostat pioneer Nest.

My prolifically home-cooking family tried the Mill for six weeks, connecting it to a power meter to test its output and cost of use, as well as feeding it as diverse a batch of food scraps as we could (including sauces, hundreds of eggshells, and a particularly vexing batch of melon rinds), to see whether this particularly pricey bin could be worth the cost to add to your household.

From the Grounds Up

There’s no denying that, at 50 pounds, about 27 inches tall, and 16 inches wide, the Mill requires a significant outlay of space. Even in my fairly spacious kitchen, finding someplace for the Mill to sit where it was both accessible and not in the way—and within a couple feet of a power outlet—was a challenge. For those short on counter space, the Mill being on the floor may give it an edge over countertop competitors like the Lomi.

Photograph: Kat Merck

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August 18, 2024
Rocco Super Smart Fridge Review: A Cool Conversation Piece

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Similarly, there’s Smart Mode, which makes it work more like a thermostat when the fridge is sitting in a warmer temperature. There’s also Party Mode, which prioritizes keeping the drinks cold more so than making less noise. After a few minutes, I did hear the compressor get a little louder. I opened it a few minutes later, and it was definitely colder in there. (Rocco gives the temperature range as 37 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit.)

But if I want the drinks to stay colder while I’m having a party where people are opening it often, I could just lower the temperature to where I want it myself. I really don’t see much of a need for all of these modes. Using a wireless Bluetooth thermometer, I tested the temperature changes inside the fridge for each mode to make sure they work properly. I gave each of them 10 minutes to change and tested each shelf on both ends of the fridge. I was pleased to find these were all within just a few degrees difference of what the fridge read.

The other primary feature of the app is the vision system. When you first set up the app, sensors in the fridge scan everything you’re storing in it. Every beverage then shows up on your app, organized by drawer. I’m storing some pretty obscure drinks, like OoMee algae-infused beverage and Yaté yerba mate, and it recognized most of them, so I was impressed, although some, like my Dolin vermouth, which is one of the most popular vermouth brands, were not recognized.

Nutrition facts also pop up for each drink, although many of them are incomplete. In theory, you could go to the grocery store and see which drinks you’re running low on just by looking at the app. I found that I didn’t do this much, although I was curious if I was running low on LaCroix once and checked the app to see that I certainly was. So it came in handy.

However, the system is not perfect. Right now it’s showing that I still have one LaCroix remaining, although I haven’t had one in there in a couple of weeks. I would love it if I could purchase something I’m running low on directly from the app.

The dual-temperature system also allows you to make half of the fridge one temperature and the other half another, which you can adjust manually or through the app. While this is important so that I can keep seltzers and wines at different temperatures, this is the one feature that’s on many wine fridges, so it’s not unique to the Rocco Fridge.

Timeless Design

The Rocco has a kind of mid-century vibe but also feels contemporary. I love the fluted glass door, which looks stunning when it’s nighttime and the lights inside are peeking through it. Any time someone comes to my apartment it becomes a topic of conversation. You can turn the light on and off and adjust the brightness from the app.

The top surface of the fridge is flat and sturdy, so it doubles as a bar cart. The raised lip on the sides also helps so that bottles I’m placing on it have less of a chance of falling off. I have a bar cart that’s overflowing with bottles, so it’s nice to have this right next to it for some overflow.

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August 17, 2024
Kingwell Melodia Hearing Aids Review: Unique and Affordable

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In use as a hearing aid, the Melodia has two modes—all around and “hear in noise,” which is designed for louder settings. Both were reasonably effective, but I had the best results with the aids in quieter settings, as the noise reduction feature—tunable to three different levels—tended to block out more essential sounds like voices when dialed up. With noise reduction at a minimum, I encountered a constant bit of barely-there background hum and a noticeable touch of echo.

However, the biggest issue I had with the Melodia aids was that I had to turn the volume all the way up to maximum to get much of an impact, something I rarely encounter on other aids. The Kingwell app has an in-app system to ask for support if your hearing experience isn’t perfect. A tech support agent quickly suggested resetting my audiogram settings with numbers 10 points higher across the board, among other fixes. This did help with overall volume, but the echo effect got worse, with audio seeming to flux in and out, up and down in level—a problem which can make you feel a little crazy over time.

As streaming earbuds, the Melodia units sounded great, at least with music: Great instrumental depth, solid but not thumping bass, and crystal-clear vocals across the board. Strangely, I ran into a new issue when watching a dialog-heavy film with the aids: Voices didn’t seem to be in sync between both ears, creating more echo. Further testing after restarting the aids by putting them back in the case and changing modes to hearing aid mode and back seemed to alleviate the issue to some degree.

Photograph: Christopher Null

Unfortunately, Kingwell’s noise reduction mode only works in hearing aid mode. In fact, you can’t even control volume to the aids in the Kingwell app when you’re in streaming mode—although, bizarrely, you can still interact with volume sliders for each ear that don’t actually function. You’ll need to use your phone’s volume controls instead.

The promised battery life seems ambitious, and streaming really does some damage to the charge level: An hour of solid streaming had knocked the reported battery life down by a third. Kingwell says that the nine-hour lifespan is valid for hearing aid mode only, and you’ll get closer to six hours in streaming mode. But even that seems optimistic.

While the Melodia hearing aids are a little rough around the edges, they’re moderately effective and surprisingly comfortable for long-term wear. I was able to keep them in for hours on end without so much as an itch, a claim I can’t make for many other aids. At the sub-$500 level, they’re not my favorite aids, but they’re at least worth a listen.

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August 17, 2024
Dyson OnTrac Headphones Review: A Solid, Visually Customizable Pair

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The first Dyson headphones, the Zone (4/10, WIRED Review), with their attachable air filter for cynical techno-futurists, were so ridiculous and stupid it was hard for me to take the company seriously. Let’s face it: Dyson’s vacuums and hair care products are very nice, but many of its other products have been feeble, design-forward gimmicks that quickly fade behind the media hype. Sure, you’d see a few “fanless” Dyson air movers or purifiers in luxe locales after they first came out, but they never reached the broad-market ubiquity of its shiny plastic-sucking machines.

All this to say: I had low expectations for the new, $499 Dyson OnTrac headphones. With everyone from established brands like Apple, Sony, and Bose to newer brands like Sonos at the peak of their noise-canceling headphone game, it was just hard to imagine Dyson could create a product that competes in anything other than extruded plastic styling. But after a few weeks with my review unit, I think they’re some of the better headphones in the market.

These are visually customizable over-ear headphones with great sound, excellent noise reduction, and 55 hours of battery life. I am surprised to admit I like nearly everything about them.

Sucking Up

A large stately box accompanies the new OnTrac cans, but the hard case you use to protect the headphones between uses leaves a lot to be desired. Much like the case that comes with AirPods Max (8/10, WIRED Recommends), the one that comes with the Dyson cans is a slip-in situation with holes in the bottom and top of the case that allow dust and other dirt in when you throw them in your bag. It does little to protect the headphones from bumps and bruises, which is annoying when you’ve dropped this much on a pair of headphones.

Photograph: Parker Hall

The headphones themselves look a bit like Dyson vacuums: They’re maximalist, plastic, and full of color options. My review units came in a flashy metallic copper with navy blue accents, with the option to swap for different color earpads and earcup caps. Given the price, I actually like that you can swap things like this with such ease, because it means you can change them as they wear out.

Unlike recent competitors like the Sonos Ace (8/10, WIRED Recommends), they’re large and bulky, not sleek and light, with a weight of 451 grams compared to the Ace’s 311 grams and AirPods Max’s 385 grams. That said, a comfortable and well-padded headbands and thick cloth earpads give them a great seal around my ears for good passive noise isolation, and they don’t feel heavy on my head.

Bells and Whistles

When you want to turn the headphones on, press a small physical button on the bottom of the right earcup until you hear the noise and see a small light flashing to indicate they’re in pairing mode. From there you’ll control the headphones with either a joystick (another nod to Apple’s AirPods Max) on the right earcup or by touching the left earcup with your hand to toggle between transparency mode or noise canceling. This mix of touch controls and physical controls is perhaps the only annoying thing I found with the OnTrac; I kept accidentally brushing the earcup and turning off ANC when I was doing yard work. I wish that was just another button on one side or the other, rather than controlled by touch.

Photograph: Parker Hall

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August 15, 2024
Samsung S90D QD-OLED TV Review: Flagship Picture for Less

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There are precious few things Samsung’s S90D TV doesn’t do well. As one of the brightest and most advanced OLEDs, its picture quality is nearly unbeatable for the money, marked by perfect black levels, fantastic viewing angles, and endlessly engaging colors. It’s fully loaded for both console and cloud gaming, and its design is simple yet elegant, with a pedestal-style stand anchoring an impossibly thin panel.

The decked-out display’s most notable drawbacks are those inherent to all Samsung TVs, including a sometimes-annoying Tizen smart interface and a stubborn lack of support for common tech like Dolby Vision HDR, the more prevalent of the two most advanced HDR formats.

Those are certainly points to consider, but they wouldn’t hold me back from grabbing an S90D. From its impressively well-rounded performance to its solid features and premium looks, Samsung’s second-tier OLED is one of the Best TVs you can buy.

Simple Stunner

It may seem counterintuitive, but the fanciest TVs are sometimes the hardest to set up. Not so with the S90D; its screwless feet snap into place in seconds, while a faux-metal cover plate creates a pedestal-style center stand. It’s a bit wobblier than the hefty metal stand from the step-up S95D (8/10, WIRED recommends), but it’s sturdy enough and provides a subtle aesthetic upgrade over the dual-pronged stand from last year’s S90C. Like most center stands, it may get in the way of larger soundbars, in which case mounting may be necessary.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

The hardest part of the hardware setup may be moving the S90D’s ultraslim panel, but lifting with care (and from the center back) ensures success. The 65-inch model’s relatively light weight of just under 50 pounds makes it easy for two to set it in place. Once done, you may want to take a beat to admire the style; the TV’s microthin panel is matched by a similarly slim bezel for a clean look on or off. Only a few TVs, like the exorbitantly pricey QN900C (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and its “floating screen” design, offer a noticeable upgrade there.

Next, you’ll be relying on Samsung’s sometimes clunky Tizen smart interface to get things up and running. A piece of advice: Don’t get duped into using the smartphone setup option. In the past four or five Samsung TVs I’ve set up, this has not worked for me once, due to an error partway through. Luckily, the onscreen option is quick, including near-instant scanning for broadcast channels and relatively speedy setup for apps, connected devices, and even room-based sound optimization for surprisingly solid performance.

I’ve had my issues with Tizen, but it has made subtle improvements over the years. The Settings layout is still too cluttered and you’ll want to disable the unhelpful Intelligent Mode and Eco settings, but it is speedy, and offers your choice of Amazon Alexa or Bixby smart assistants. My primary complaint remains the difficulty in adding new apps. App search is harder than it should be, and there’s no good reason to add an app and not add it to the home screen, which Samsung makes you do manually. Other than that—and some odd freezing of the Paramount+ app while rewatching Top Gun: Maverick—Tizen worked fine over several days.

Gaming Guru

Tizen’s best feature is its dedicated Gaming Hub, providing an attractive layout and console-free cloud gaming from services like Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now, Luna, and others. Four HDMI 2.1 inputs provide topline gaming features like ALLM (auto low latency mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate) for tearfree gaming at up to 144 Hz with select PCs, or 120 Hz with PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

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August 15, 2024