Engadget on The Front Desk Review
We quote Engadget's independent, hands-on testing — with attribution and a link to the original — on 132 product pages across our sourced price index. Every citation is dated and links back to your review. Visit engadget.com →
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Where Engadget is cited
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making this the brightest monitor I've ever tested
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it's one of the best budget webcams out there thanks to its $60 price tag.
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The Miyoo Mini Plus is a highly affordable handheld with a well-built, Game Boy-style form factor that fits nicely with older games.
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The Retroid Pocket 5 is the handheld to get if you mainly want to emulate older consoles.
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surprisingly well-built for an $80-ish device, thanks to its brushed metal backplate and impressive 3.2-inch IPS display
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Anker Nano Power Bank 5,000mAh 22.5W (A1653)
The Anker Nano power bank has impressive power delivery for its size.
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The sound is deep and warm, with thick bass that's adequate without ever overpowering the mix.
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Your Echos and Alexa app already have your details, so you won't have to create an account, enter your Wi-Fi password or switch to a different app, which makes setup mindlessly simple.
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From installation to implementation, it was fuss-free and reliable.
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the Manta gives you noticeably more screen real estate
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Samsung EVO Select microSDXC 256GB (2024)
Still, it's perfectly usable for simple storage expansion, and its sequential and random read speeds were still respectable in our benchmarks.
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SanDisk Extreme microSDXC UHS-I 256GB
It's a fine choice if you see it on sale at a reputable seller
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Meross Matter Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini MSS115
The Matter plug I tried from Meross requires Wi-Fi splitting to properly connect, which is doable, but inconvenient.
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it's still the cheapest ereader from any of the major manufacturers
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The new processor makes waking from sleep, turning pages, navigating the menu and changing orientation zippy fast.
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Finally, a set of open earbuds that actually sound good and provide noticeable ambient noise reduction.
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It looks great thanks to the leatherette details and retro design, while offering minimal controls for ease of use.
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Anker Prime Power Bank 26,250mAh 300W (A110A)
It was able to deliver more power to my MacBook Pro than any other battery I've tested. My laptop went from 10 to 75 percent in about 45 minutes, which is the fastest time I've tracked.
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UGREEN Nexode Power Bank 25,000mAh 145W (PB553)
UGreen's 25,000mAh power bank is a compact, low-frills bank that delivers a speedy charge to smartphones — my tester iPhone 15 in particular.
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There's a gorgeous and clear-to-read color screen that lays out all your stats after you've weighed in, including trend graphs annotated with emojis.
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Everything about the hardware is spot-on, and the only fly in its ointment is the low refresh rate on its color screen.
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A lot of the hardware tweaks translated to a snappier, more responsive device overall.
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Compared to the Action 5 Pro, I found nighttime video from the Action 6 to be considerably cleaner.
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it's the best tech product I've seen in a while, period.
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Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh 165W (A1695)
Anker's Laptop Power Bank (25K, 165W) manages to combine all the cleverest new features into one sleek-looking charging brick — and it costs less than some other banks in its class.
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There is great clarity in the sound here, and the tuning definitely favors highs and mids across nearly every genre.
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It quite simply has the nicest display I have ever seen on a portable device, be it a laptop, phone or tablet.
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With the One Pro, Xreal is close to making the dream of versatile smart glasses a reality.
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Thanks to the big 1/1.3-inch sensor, video is bright and sharp straight out of the camera when shooting in daylight.
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Logitech G PRO X TKL LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Keyboard
We like that both come with a carrying case, though.
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The sound is crisp and detailed, even offering nuance to more bass-heavy and chaotic genres.
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With its new camera system, the Mavic 4 Pro has the best video quality I've seen on any consumer drone.
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Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand with Qi2 15W (WIZ032)
Belkin's BoostCharge Pro is a sturdy wireless charger that can refill an iPhone, an Apple Watch and a set of AirPods (or any other wireless earbuds) at the same time.
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Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen AI 300, 2025)
the best reason to recommend the AMD model over its Intel equivalent is for its greater strength in gaming. After all, you can easily get 50 to 60 fps in titles like Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto V
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on the latest version of the Anova Precision Cooker you get a number of handy upgrades like intuitive digital touch controls, a longer power cord, a stainless steel and water-resistant IPX7 design and even Wi-Fi connectivity.
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it is more powerful, more reliable and easier to use.
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The Espresso 15 Pro has nearly everything I look for in a premium portable monitor.
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using the G1 as a teleprompter is a staggeringly good idea.
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But in practice, it's still more than fast enough for the vast majority of things people do with iPads: browsing the web, streaming video, reading ebooks, viewing and editing photos, playing most games and the like.
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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
the M4-equipped MacBook Air is a nearly flawless ultraportable.
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the Claw produced framerates that were often 10 to 15 percent higher than what we got from the Ally X.
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The full propeller protection, stability and relatively low noise make it well-suited for flying inside large rooms full of fragile objects and people.
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It's got a straightforward design with good ergonomics, Hall effect joysticks and a sensible button layout.
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It works reliably with only minor lag provided you stay within the gimbal's range of motion.
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The Kindle Scribe 2 is a good ereader and competent writing tablet with functioning AI-powered summary and refinement features.
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On our local video rundown test, it posted a time of 30 hours and 18 minutes, which is almost an hour longer than the Galaxy S25 Ultra (29:27) and nearly three hours better than a basic Pixel 9 (27:32).
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I wear a size 10 ring and over the last two months I've fairly regularly wrung seven days out of the device before I'm advised to find a charger.
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The Oura Ring 4 is a stellar piece of hardware, an engineering marvel and a useful companion as you go about your day.
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Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (2024)
the Kindle Colorsoft is a solid premium ereader that provides an excellent experience both in color and black and white
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Microsoft Xbox Series X (2 TB Galaxy Black Edition)
Even with its aging hardware, the Xbox Series X can still make modern games look great.
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Sony PlayStation 5 Slim (Disc Edition)
It's smaller without being small and packs in many small improvements in specs and software-based features.
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Thanks to the improved bass of the Sound Motion tech, a change that also takes up less space, the company says it had the ability to then overhaul the mid-range and high-frequency components as well.
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The Focus Vision shines best when it comes to overall build quality and comfort.
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The Action 5 Pro now boasts the longest battery life of any action cam and it's not even close.
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The Google TV Streamer is responsive and quick, packing the best streaming interface out there with smart home features that are useful and properly integrated.
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The A17 Pro was more than capable of all those tasks, with no slowdowns or stutters to note.
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With the larger 1-inch sensor, 4K video is more detailed than ever and the camera produces vibrant, accurate colors and nice skin tones.
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If you have low performance expectations for a 5-ounce, $200 drone, get ready to be pleasantly surprised — the Neo is maneuverable, fast and fun.
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reMarkable adds a color screen to its e-paper tablet, creating a best-in-class distraction-free writing experience.
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Compared to the Series 9, the latest Apple Watch is ever so slightly bigger and noticeably thinner and lighter.
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I'd argue it is the first to offer a solution that actually makes a difference.
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Both Sam and I found our review units typically lasted at least a day and a half, with the 45mm version staying around a few hours longer in general.
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But I found that it fared even better, lasting 27 hours and 32 minutes on our video rundown test. Not only is this the best we've seen from any Pixel to date, it also tops the OnePlus 12's time of 26:40 for the best longevity of any phone we've tested.
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Thanks to some subtle design tweaks and major hardware upgrades, ASUS has turned the ROG Ally X into the flagship Windows gaming handheld it was meant to be.
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Thanks to that lack of weight and the device's slim profile, I barely feel it on my finger when trying to fall asleep, which, for a sensitive sleeper like me, is a huge deal.
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The Galaxy Ring is comfortable and seemingly basic, but actually delivers detailed insight on your sleep, walks and runs.
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The experience of writing on the Nomad is so close to the feeling of actually using a pen and paper.
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The Claw's grips are more pronounced, so it's more comfortable to hold, while its rear paddles are smaller and located a bit further down so there's less of a chance you press them by accident.
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Weber Slate 30" Rust-Resistant Griddle (1500014)
The Slate distributes heat edge to edge, so things like pancakes cook evenly.
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A beefier processor makes it zippier than its already-fast predecessor, and the addition of color looks lovely, without detracting from the crisp and easy-to-read text.
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The Q990D offers boomy, immersive sound in an all-in-one package that now has all the modern conveniences it should.
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While there are no hybrid digital camera features, it delivers far more versatility than pretty much any other instant camera.
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It's incredibly maneuverable, and unlike most FPV drones, highly crash-resistant.
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particularly in the size and capacity of cameras they can support, but no new standout features.
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The Roomba Combo j9+ is the ideal robotic vacuum and mop.
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The A6700 is easily Sony's best APS-C camera yet, excelling at both photos and video, and offering much better handling.
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Even when using the basic Windows Camera app, the new model's pics were much more colorful and accurate.
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these are certainly the most comfy of the sort that I've tested thanks to the lack of a hook.
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Traeger Ironwood WiFi Pellet Grill
The Ironwood consistently produced great results, with Traeger's trademark wood-fired flavors.
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The HDR OLED display looks fantastic.
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The HDR OLED display looks fantastic.
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I've tested the Meater 2 Plus for three cooks so far and I've been impressed with the performance for all of them.
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Once again, DJI's Mini 4 Pro sets a benchmark for small drones.
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Sonos says that the Move 2 should last for "up to 24 hours" — and it seemed to blow past that in my testing. I had the speaker playing music over Wi-Fi for 22 hours and 50 minutes when I went to bed, and the speaker still had a whopping 46 percent of its battery left.
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It's a clear, well-balanced speaker that faithfully reproduces sound across all ranges of the spectrum.
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As for the litter box itself, it's a reliable self-cleaning marvel.
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DJI has another winner with the Air 3 thanks to the dual cameras.
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Hiding inside is a mesh of extreme quality that, despite a few rough edges, offers a great mix of power and affordability.
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It's not the fastest, most powerful or most flexible, but the Nest WiFi Pro is the best 6E system for mainstream users.
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In a head-to-head race, the Nest WiFi Pro will be bested by plenty of its competitors, but Google's user-friendliness means it's the default option for pretty much everyone.
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I noticed something strange: I couldn't smell any poop or pee!
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it's remarkably quiet. I can actually run the Opus at night or early in the morning while my two-year-old is still asleep in a room near the kitchen
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The PS VR2 packs in the best of high-end PC VR, including innovative features like eye tracking, as well as something we've never seen before: Haptics for your head!
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Keychron Q1 Pro QMK/VIA Wireless Custom Mechanical Keyboard
if you wanted a premium aluminum, customizable keyboard with Bluetooth connectivity, the Keychron Q1 Pro is likely your best (if not only) choice right now.
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I had a chance to briefly try out DJI's RS 3 Mini, and my early impressions were good.
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Rad Power Bikes RadRunner Plus
It's fun to ride, it can carry a lot of cargo and takes on hills with seemingly zero effort.
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Zwilling Enfinigy Cool Touch Electric Kettle 1L
Somehow evading the laws of thermodynamics, Zwilling's electric kettle does something spooky to water, boiling it in a fraction of the time I ever thought possible.
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Yale's latest smart deadbolt is easy to install, it's simple to use and it works with all the major smart home platforms
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Holy hell this thing is fast.
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The Quest Pro's full-color passthrough is also really impressive.
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The pads and keys on the MiniLab are better than the LaunchKey Mini MK3
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The Oura (Gen3) Horizon keeps the same suite of advanced sensors found in the existing model, but looks far nicer on the finger.
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Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
For $150 less than the new Series 8, this year's Watch SE delivers a comprehensive suite of health and fitness tools, emergency features and surprisingly few tradeoffs.
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So naturally, I executed a perfect face plant on my mountain bike, and can confirm that the camera came away unscathed, unlike my face (yes, there's video).
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Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet & Ice Cream Maker ICE-30BCP1
Once I figured out the bowl prep, the ICE-30BCP1 was easy to use.
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Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
It's no surprise, then, that the audio profile on Momentum 4 is stellar.
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Dialogue sounds extremely clear, whether I was watching a drama like HBO's The Staircase
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In the end, I was consistently impressed by the Control Freak's speed and efficiency, as well as its ability to hold precise temps.
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DJI's Mini 3 Pro is the new king of the lightweight drones.
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Unlike most of its rivals, the ROG Strix XG17AHP comes with a stand, and I'm not talking about a simple kickstand. It's a full-on detachable tripod, which means you can position the screen so it sits above your laptop's display, instead of off to the side.
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Despite my frustrations with so many aspects of the Studio Display, it's still a very nice looking 5K LED screen.
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The practicality of the larger chin and page-turn buttons can't be overstated; they're some of my favorite things about the Libra 2.
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Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker & Warmer NS-ZCC10
It really does make cooking rice so much easier.
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All of Sony's new AI tricks add up to make it the easiest to use and most reliable camera I've ever tested in that regard.
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The 276, on the other hand, is handsome and spacious.
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For handheld gaming, right now, Pocket is that best experience. Absolutely hands down, no doubt about it.
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The new Beam is a tiny speaker meant to make a meal of bombastic action sequences, and it does so without distorting or breaking a sweat.
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This makes Loupedeck's offering much more appealing for tasks like controlling volume, scrolling through a list or scrubbing a video and so on.
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The streaming video from the birds-eye view Nanit camera was incredibly clear, even in night vision mode.
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The Xbox Series S is, hands-down, the cutest console of the next generation.
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it's made so well, with such fine attention to detail, that I can't help but like it anyway
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Colgate hum Smart Electric Toothbrush (Rechargeable)
After trying it out for a few days, I think the hum makes for a pretty good entry-level gateway to smart toothbrushes, especially for the price.
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August Wi-Fi Smart Lock (4th Gen)
The August WiFi Smart Lock is a cinch to install.
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The UR22C worked perfectly fine out of the box.
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The buttons have a satisfying click, and the eight touch-sensitive knobs are by far the best on any controller in this roundup.
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Valve has crafted a headset that's comfortable while also delivering the most immersive virtual reality experience I've ever seen.
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the Minilogue XD's combination of warm analog tones, digital waveforms and built-in effects makes it one of, if not the most versatile midrange synths out there
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Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 MK3
This means you can set a cue point and "feel" it as you roll the wheel back and forth — something those who like to mix the old-fashioned way (me included) will appreciate.
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Connoisseur 8-Cup One-Touch Coffee Brewer
The Bonavita BV1901TS Connoisseur brewed the best-tasting coffee of any machine we tried, with minimal (read: zero) bells and whistles and an uber-simple interface.
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Whynter Elite ARC-122DS Dual-Hose Portable AC
It's quiet for a dual-hose machine, and drew the least amount of infiltration air of any model we tested.
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Dogit Design Fresh & Clear Dog Drinking Fountain
the Hagen Dogit Design Fresh & Clear Dog Drinking Fountain proved excellent for many of the same reasons its Catit cousin did: It's easy to clean and assemble, runs on the quieter side, and keeps a clean appearance.
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This GE costs roughly half the price of our top pick, and it is one of the most popular, top-reviewed freezers you can get.
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