The Archive.
The last ten years of my writing. Outdated reviews, old newsletters, an NFT side quest, and more.
Health
Eight Sleep FAQs
Every question I get about the Pod, answered from three years of sleeping on one.
Health
Apple Watch Series 10 vs. SE 2
I buy both every year. Here’s when the Series 10 is actually worth it.
Health
Eight Sleep Pod 4 vs. Pod 3
Eight Sleep’s four upgrade claims, tested against reality.
Health
Eight Sleep Pod 4 Cover
In 2022 there wasn’t one independent Eight Sleep review online, so I spent $2,000 to write it.
Health
Apple Watch Series 9 vs. SE 2
Four straight years of “just get the SE,” then the Series 9 made me hesitate.
Health
Levels Health (2023)
Two months and $600 of diabetic-grade glucose monitoring, so you don’t have to.
Health
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Series 9
I’m all in on new Apple gear, but the original Ultra didn’t tempt me. The Ultra 2 did.
Vacuums
Eufy vs. Roomba
After 14 robot vacuums in three years, the quiet, cheap Eufy 11S is still the pick.
Health
Apple Watch Series 8 vs. SE 2
Two months of double-wristing says the SE 2 is still the smart buy.
Health
Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover
600 nights on the Pod 3, starting from deep skepticism.
Newsletter
Power Moves Update for 2023
A letter to subscribers on where Power Moves went in 2023.
Health
Eight Sleep Pod 2 Cover
No free unit, no sponsorship. $2,000 of my own money on the line.
Health
Whoop 4.0
Two months in, same problems as my 3.0. I still can’t recommend it.
Security
Ring 1 vs. Ring 3 vs. Ring 4 vs. Ring Pro
Four Ring doorbells, one lineup ranking for 2021.
Smart Home
IKEA FYRTUR Smart Shade
A HomeKit must-have from, of all companies, IKEA.
Apple
Belkin MagSafe Car Vent Mount
It has one job, holding your MagSafe iPhone on a car vent, and it does it well.
Security
If Your Passwords Are Your Pet’s Name, You Need to Read This
A wake-up call about lazy passwords, plus what I actually use.
Streaming
Chromecast with Google TV vs. Apple TV 4K
The $49 Chromecast is the streamer most people should buy. Here’s where Apple TV wins.
Newsletter
The Biggest Technology Breakthrough Since the Internet
The two lives I lived in 2021: tech reviewer by day, crypto-obsessed by night.
Trackers
Apple AirTags
Find My makes every other tracker feel five years behind.
Lighting
Nanoleaf Shapes
The triangle lights behind me in every YouTube video, explained.
Health
Eufy Smart Scale
I paid $20, the same as my dumb scale, and it does ten times more.
Security
Eufy vs. Ring 1 (2nd Gen)
Free motion recording and better video: the battery Eufy beats Ring.
Health
Amazon Halo
A solid sleep tracker with an always-listening mic. Who is this for?
Security
Nest Hello vs. Ring Pro
Nest Hello’s build quality and smarts edge out Ring Pro.
Wifi
Explaining WiFi 6 to My Grandma
What the new radio inside your router actually does.
Speakers
HomePod vs. Sonos Five
Sonos Five sounds best and plays with everything; HomePod overdelivers for its price.
Newsletter
Annual Letter to Readers (2021)
A million people saw something I made in 2020. Here’s what’s next.
Speakers
Sonos Move vs. Bose Portable Home Speaker
Three weeks in, Sonos Move sounds better and runs on better software.
Health
Apple Watch Series 3 vs. SE
Three weeks of double-wristing says the SE is worth the extra $80.
Apple
iPad Air vs. iPad (8th Gen)
The 8th-gen is the iPad for most people. The Air’s $300 buys nice-to-haves.
Streaming
Apple TV vs. Roku
Apple TV is the best streamer; Roku is the value play.
Miscellaneous
Traeger Pro 575
40 cooks in three months asking if WiFi pellet beats propane.
Miscellaneous
Bertello Pizza Oven
The Shark Tank pizza oven I never asked for and now won’t shut up about.
Miscellaneous
iPhone vs. Canon M50 for YouTube
Six videos on iPhone, then I bought a Canon M50. The reason wasn’t image quality.
Health
Upright Go
It fixes your posture by nagging you. It works. It’s still annoying.
Lighting
Casper Glow Light
I love my Glow Lights. At $229 a pair, most people shouldn’t buy them.
Streaming
YouTube TV
The best cable alternative, with stream quality nobody else matches.
Security
EufyCam E
Arlo’s design, Eufy’s privacy: your clips never leave home.
Security
Arlo Pro 2
The battery-powered camera to beat, thanks to its integrations.
Newsletter
Annual Letter to Readers (2020)
What started as an excuse to buy gadgets became a daily job.
Security
Ring Stick Up Cam
The battery and app are fine, the paywall isn’t. I’d take Blink.
Headphones
AirPods Pro
The Pro trade: noise cancelling in exchange for all-day comfort.
Security
Blink XT2
Accurate motion recording and free storage make it an easy pick for casual use.
Streaming
Chromecast (Gen 3)
No remote, no interface. Great if your phone is the remote you want.
Wifi
Orbi RBK50
The dedicated backhaul delivers speeds mesh rivals can’t touch.
Streaming
Roku Stick Plus
The best-value streamer: more content, fewer ads than Fire Stick.
Streaming
Fire TV Stick 4K
A real remote makes it the pick for most people, ads and all.
Trackers
Tile Mate
Superior range puts Tile ahead of every other Bluetooth tracker.
Trackers
TrackR Pixel
Poor range, two-month batteries. The $15 price is the only good news.
Headphones
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
Superior build and crisp sound make these the noise-cancelling headphones to beat.
Headphones
Sony WH-1000XM3
Longer battery and livelier sound than Bose, in a dated design.
Smart Home
Google Nest Hub
The best kitchen assistant: intuitive screen, better content.
Smart Home
Echo Show 5
A nice Echo Dot upgrade that still isn’t a Nest Hub.
Vacuums
Neato D7 vs. Roomba i7
Mostly hard floors? The efficient Neato D7 is the better bet.
Apple
iPad Pro (2018)
Apple’s fastest chip yet meets the MacBook question.
Vacuums
Dyson V10 vs. V11
The V11 wins on quiet, runtime, and smarts. Worth it if you can swing it.
Security
Ring Alarm
Free self-monitoring makes Ring the DIY security kit to beat.
Security
SimpliSafe
Great hardware that’s almost useless without the $25/month plan.
Security
Skybell HD
Free cloud recordings, if it decides to record.
Miscellaneous
Polaroid Zip
Fine prints, fun gimmick. Just don’t expect photo-lab quality.
Miscellaneous
HP Sprocket
As good as portable printers get, which is a qualified compliment.
Headphones
Powerbeats Pro
The secure fit AirPods can’t give you, with battery to spare.
Headphones
Bose SoundSport Free
For Android users and premium-sound seekers, these beat AirPods.
Headphones
Apple AirPods 2
Buy them for the seamless pairing, not the sound.
Wifi
Linksys Velop
Pick Velop only if phone-app polish matters more than raw performance.
Streaming
Spotify
The discovery algorithm nobody else can touch.
Streaming
Apple Music
Good, but only worth it if you’re all-in on Apple.
Security
Nest Indoor Cam
Three hours of free snapshots. Everything else costs a subscription.
Security
Amazon Cloud Cam
The best free plan in home cameras, and it’s reliable too.
Vacuums
Deebot N79S
Stronger suction and longer battery than Roombas at this price.
Vacuums
ILIFE A4s
It competes with the big brands and undercuts them on price.
Vacuums
Shark ION F80
Great suction, two batteries, a few design head-scratchers.
Speakers
UE Megablast
Big, clean sound at high volume. UE’s best-sounding speaker.
Speakers
JBL Xtreme 2
The loudest speaker I’ve tested. Bring a backpack.
Speakers
JBL Charge 4
Great sound and long battery make it the portable speaker for most people.
Speakers
UE Boom 3
Best design on the market, C-minus sound, too high a price.
Speakers
UE Megaboom 3
Great outside; the bass falls apart at full volume.
Speakers
Bose SoundLink Color
Good sound that can’t fill a room, at a price that should.
Speakers
JBL Flip 4
Amazing sound for the money, just a step behind Charge.
Speakers
Bose SoundLink Micro
Shocking bass for the size; the price is less charming.
Lighting
LIFX
The smart lights to get if you only want a couple, no hub required.
Lighting
Philips Hue
Three years in, still the best smart lights. Platform support seals it.
Wifi
Luma Whole Home WiFi
The worst mesh system I’ve tested: inconsistent hardware, messy software.
Smart Locks
Schlage Connect
A budget lock that works, with the looks and volume to prove it’s budget.
Smart Locks
Kwikset Kevo
A great idea, two weeks of touch-to-unlock roulette.
Smart Locks
Kwikset Premis
A sleek lock with a keypad you can’t count on.
Speakers
Google Home Max
Great speaker, late arrival: Google’s answer to HomePod and Sonos.
Headphones
Jaybird Run
A tight fit is the only thing these get right.
Headphones
Sony WF-1000X
Excellent noise cancelling until you move and the audio cuts out.
Apple
iPhone X
Six weeks with the X, coming from an iPhone 7.
Health
Apple Watch 3
Finally fast enough to matter. The best smartwatch yet, issues and all.
Speakers
Bose SoundWear Companion
A speaker you wear like an NFL q-collar. Cool idea; niche result.
Miscellaneous
Amazon Fire HD 8
Tablets never made sense to me. At this price, the Fire HD 8 almost does.
Vacuums
Eufy RoboVac 11
It just keeps chugging. The entry-level robot done right.
Newsletter
2016: My Year in 54 Bullet Points
My year, told in 54 bullet points.
Apple
MacBook Pro (2016)
Writing this from a Starbucks so everyone can see the Touch Bar.
Apple
iPhone 7
Six favorite features, compared straight against my 6s.
Newsletter
6 Things I Learned From Creating Bidiction
The autopsy of my first startup.
Health
Apple Watch 2
If you liked the first one, keep it.
Newsletter
Bidiction
The “revolutionary” auction site I built to fix eBay.
Apple
It’s Time For Apple To Stop Catering To The Mainstream Market
An Apple fan’s case for ignoring the mainstream.
Newsletter
How to Turn Aspiring Entrepreneurs Into Frauds
How MLMs recruit optimists and graduate frauds.
Smart Home
Amazon Echo
Think Siri, but standalone and always listening.
Wifi
Eero Home WiFi (Gen 1)
Twitter swore Eero tripled their WiFi speeds. I had to find out.
Speakers
Sonos Play:5 (Gen 2)
From a Sonos-stuffed living room: what $500 actually buys.
Health
Sense Sleep Tracker
Four years of sleep tracking later, Sense is the best I’ve used.
Streaming
Amazon Prime
$18,536.44 since 2012. Prime made spending frictionless.
Newsletter
10 Life Lessons From a Man in His Young 20’s
What saving for a house by senior year taught me about trade-offs.
Newsletter
I built something new and you're the first group I'm asking
NFT Guide
Ledger vs. Trezor
The two hardware wallets worth trusting with your NFTs, compared.
NFT Guide
Are NFTs Dead?
Money laundering? Ponzi scheme? Taking the three biggest NFT myths seriously.
NFT Guide
Why NFTs May Fail
Most NFTs will end up worthless for the same reason most art does.
NFT Guide
How to Secure Your NFTs
Hardware wallets and healthy paranoia: how I keep my NFTs from getting stolen.
NFT Guide
Four NFTs to Buy Under $50
Four picks under $50 for people who keep asking.
NFT Guide
How to Buy and Sell NFTs
MetaMask plus OpenSea, step by step.
NFT Guide
Where to Buy NFTs
How the NFT marketplaces differ, and which one fits you.
NFT Guide
Why Do People Buy NFTs?
Three reasons this hobby ate my brain.
NFT Guide
Why Are NFTs Valuable?
What buying a $9K ape JPEG taught me about digital value.
NFT Guide
What Is an NFT?
The plain-English version: a tradable token that proves you own a thing.
NFT Guide
5 NBA Top Shot Tips
Five tips from a collector who’s felt more like a gambler lately.
NFT Guide
Why NBA Top Shot Will Overtake Basketball Cards
25,000 collectors queued for 2,673 packs. Something is happening here.