Welcome to the GearLab, where we judge gadgets that promise to replace paper — and usually fail spectacularly. Most e-readers are great for reading. The Kindle Scribe tries to be something more: a big, beautiful digital notebook that also happens to be one of the best e-readers on the market. With its large 10.2-inch screen…
Welcome to the GearLab, where we judge AI coding tools like grumpy senior developers — with extremely high standards and very low tolerance for bullshit. Most AI coding assistants feel like that one intern who’s eager but constantly needs hand-holding. Cursor AI is different. It’s basically VS Code on steroids with an AI that actually…
Welcome to the GearLab, where we judge AI tools like overly caffeinated researchers — with high standards and zero patience for fluff. Most AI chatbots are great at making stuff up. Perplexity AI took a different approach: it actually cites its sources like a responsible adult. In a world full of confident hallucinations, Perplexity has…
Welcome to the GearLab, where we judge AI image generators like pretentious art critics — with maximum sarcasm and zero tolerance for mediocrity. The Best AI Image Generators in 2026 are very promising! 2026 has turned AI image generation into a full-blown battlefield. Some tools create jaw-dropping masterpieces. Others produce weird spaghetti monsters with too…
Most smart plugs are either ridiculously overpriced or so unreliable they make you want to throw them out the window. Then there’s the TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug — the humble little hero that quietly does its job extremely well without making you take out a second mortgage. We tested it hard. Here’s the no-BS verdict….
Welcome to the GearLab, where we judge smart locks like overly suspicious neighbors — with skepticism and a healthy dose of paranoia. The Best Smart Locks promise to make your front door smarter than you are. No more fumbling for keys, no more “did I lock the door?” anxiety at 2 AM. But not all…
Welcome to the GearLab, where we judge smart home gadgets with the cold, merciless eye of people who’ve been burned by too many “smart” devices that turned out to be dumb. Philips Hue Smart Lights basically invented the modern smart lighting game. They’ve been around for years, constantly updating their ecosystem while competitors try (and…
Welcome back to the GearLab, where we celebrate the glorious, clunky, wonderfully imperfect pieces of classic tech that modern streaming services secretly fear. Before Spotify playlists, before cloud syncing, before algorithms knew your music taste better than you do — there was the cassette tape. A humble little plastic rectangle that let you capture music,…
Welcome back to the GearLab, where we judge smart home gadgets with the same energy most people reserve for arguing with customer service. Most smart thermostats are like that overly enthusiastic roommate who thinks they know better than you. They blast your AC when you’re not home, charge you monthly for “premium features,” and somehow…
Welcome to the GearLab, where we judge gadgets that solve problems most people pretend they don’t have — like the absolute tragedy of drinking sad gas station coffee while traveling, camping, or just trying to survive a long workday. The portable espresso machine sounds like peak hipster nonsense until you’re stuck somewhere without decent coffee….