Jon L. JacobiFreelance contributor, TechHive
Jon is a Juilliard-trained musician, former x86/6800 programmer, and long-time (late 70s) computer enthusiast living in the San Francisco bay area. jjacobi@pcworld.com
This smart TV shines with HDR, but Vizio's new array backlighting is more prone to artifacts and there are holdover processing glitches from last year.
Marshall Kilburn II Bluetooth speaker review: Great sound and nostalgic design
You'll pay extra for the branding, but this is a strong and well-designed speaker, even it it isn't built by the company famous for its "Marshall stack."
Hisense H9E Plus 4K UHD TV review: Smooth action and good color, but it's not overly bright
The H9E Plus is the most affordable 120Hz TV we've seen, and the extra 60Hz do make for about the smoothest motion in its class. But HDR still doesn't pop as with some similarly-priced models.
Samsung and LG are bringing 8K smart TVs to market
Samsung and LG both announced 8K TVs at IFA; Samsung the 85-inch Q900 with picture tweaks and a database of upscaling templates, and LG an 88-inch OLED
Samsung Portable SSD X5 review: Wickedly fast, portable Thunderbolt 3 storage
Caveats aside, if you want the fastest portable storage for your Thunderbolt 3 Mac, this is it. By a country mile.
Soundcast VGtx Bluetooth audio transmitter review
Though it's expensive, the Soundcast VGtx can broadcast Bluetooth for a moderately greater distance than the average transmitter. It also has an optical pass-through, which can be handy in home audio systems.
Edifier S2000 Pro review: Bluetooth speakers on a whole other level
The excellent-sounding S2000 Pro speakers have more in common with studio monitors than your average bookshelf or Bluetooth speaker. Top notch stuff at a very reasonable price.
Samsung Q9FN 4K UHD TV review: Top-tier goodness, now significantly more affordable
Samsung's Q9FN TV offers better blacks than last year's model, and is arguably the best TV on the market. The series is also a lot less expensive than it was last year.
Owl Car Cam review: 24-hour surveillance redefines the dash cam
The Owl Car Cam combines a clever, ground-breaking design with instant video uploads via LTE for 24-hour car security. However, the Android app, HDR for low-light video, and GPS video watermarking are key features it lacks.
Nuheara IQbuds Boost review: Fine tune and augment your hearing experience
These Bluetooth headphones sound great with music, and they can help compensate for minor hearing loss. Think of them as hearing aid lite.
Polk Audio Command Bar soundbar review: Good sound, with Alexa at your service
The Polk Audio Command Bar mixes well-balanced and beefy sound (the latter courtesy of the included subwoofer) and Amazon Alexa. It works, but Alexa can be recalcitrant when the bar is producing sound.
NVMe over Thunderbolt: Killer external storage with caveats
Booting from an NVMe SSD inside a Thunderbolt PCIe enclosure can breathe new life into an older Mac and make a Thunderbolt 3 Mac soar. But not every enclosure or adapter will work.
The Tascam 202 MK VII USB cassette deck is the best we've seen for digitizing audio cassettes (in good condition), but at $500, it's a very expensive option.
Aukey SK-S1 Bluetooth speaker review: Classy looks and sonic goodness (at least at low volume)
This pretty little near-field speaker will sound great on your desk, but it's not the right choice for parties or taking your tunes outdoors.
TCL 55R617 4K UHD Roku TV review: Great color and HDR for a very modest price
The 6-series' color and HDR are astounding for this price range, but weak motion handling and problematic backlighting remind you this isn't a high-end TV.