Gadgets
fromWIRED
2 days agoNo 2-in-1 Laptop Is Perfect, but These Are the Best I've Tested
2-in-1 devices combine tablet and laptop functionalities, but often favor one over the other.
The Supertiny is as small as your Airpods case, fitting in your palm or even your pocket. It comes in three global plug formats and packs a single USB-C port to supercharge your laptop.
Ever wondered what the USB-A port on the back of your Wi-Fi router is for? Several things, depending on the model. For example, the port on the router can be used for basic file sharing across your network, charging small devices, and as a waypoint for backing up your computer to an external drive. But here's the truth: I don't recommend using it. Having a USB port on the router sounds convenient, but there are a few problems.
After the initial setup, most people rarely engage directly with their smart TV. With wireless connectivity, phone apps, and remote controls, there's little need to. Tucked next to the essential HDMI ports, a USB 2.0 port -- likely sitting unnoticed on the back or side panel -- offers more potential than you might expect. USB ports are easy to overlook, but they're a standard feature on most TVs -- and more useful than you might think.
As someone who spends a lot of time outdoors (and someone who got hit with Lyme disease), it's astonishing how often I forget to apply insect repellent. Just the other night, I spent the last half of a five-mile walk in a thick, annoying cloud of houseflies. Irritating, but at least they don't bite. Not like horseflies... Now those things know how to bite! I've watched them land on my sleeve and start gnawing through the fabric.
Most new TV models come with a pair of USB 2.0 ports, and often a 3.0 port for faster data transfer. Your TV screen is likely bigger than your computer monitor, so why not use it to carousel a gallery of images or play videos? I attended a family gathering recently, and the host used a 65-inch TV to do that very thing. The scanned pictures and videos looked and sounded great -- all accessed by simply plugging in a USB flash drive.
With this setup, the Samsung SSD achieved read speeds of roughly 4,000 MB/s and write speeds of about 1,300 MB/s. Those are great numbers. Accessing files felt instantaneous. It took no time at all to open the movie I stored inside the drive. The read speed also shows that the enclosure isn't restricting the drive. It's making full use of the Thunderbolt connection. Writing large files is equally impressive, letting users save big files fast.
This is the best-looking power bank we've tried, and the price comes within $10 of the lowest we've tracked. The transparent housing and triangle shape are cool, but the battery also performs well, with a 24,000-mAh capacity, a maximum output of 170 watts, and even a little bit of water resistance.
The USB cable tester is a small box measuring 2.9 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches and features an array of ports. There are USB-C and USB-A output ports and corresponding USB-C, Lightning, miniUSB, and microUSB 2.0 and microUSB 3.0 input ports to testing cables. This means the tester can accommodate any cable with the respective output and input port. The unit is powered by a single AAA battery, or alternatively you can use USB-C input.
If you've ever been in a predicament where you've run out of battery at the worst time possible, you probably want to have a charger that's easier to use and access all the time, no matter where you are. But which one do you get, since there are so many out there and more being manufactured all the time? We've found a particularly good one that you won't want to miss, and it's on sale for an excellent price.
Charging phones and portable devices has become one of the most routine actions of modern life. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep, our devices depend on reliable power. We charge at home, in offices, cafés, airports, hotels, libraries, and public transportation spaces. Despite how frequently charging occurs, the physical environments designed to support it often feel like an afterthought.
The system pairs a plug-and-play wireless HDMI link with a genuinely useful hub, all in a single piece of kit. Plug the USB-C transmitter into your device and the HDMI receiver into any display. You get wireless 1080p 60Hz video in 0.02 seconds, plus immediate access to SD/TF cards, three high-speed USB ports, and 100W power delivery. No apps, no network dependency, no compromise. Just the screen and the tools you actually need, working together the way they should.
Even if you don't snag any huge upgrades, though, you likely already own multiple gadgets that you need to recharge each and every day. It would sure be nice to be able to charge two devices at once, and you can do just that with Anker's braided, two-headed USB-C cable - which is available from Amazon or Anker in black or white for $15.99 ($4 off).