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
Synology DS419slim NAS box review: A low-profile, power-saving media server for the smart home
Designed for 2.5-inch drives, including SATA SSDs, the Synology DS419slim is a mighty mite with a cornucopia of media-serving features, including the power to stream 4K video.
Fledging Shell Thunderbolt 3 review: Roll your own X5 with this fast, portable NVMe enclosure
It runs hot under heavy loads, but Fledging’s Shell Thunderbolt 3 is screaming fast BYONS (Bring your own NVMe SSD) external storage.
Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth speaker review: Flashy lights, fun, amazing sound—and it's waterproof!
The Sony SRS-XB32 is a fun Bluetooth portable speaker with a nice amount of thump and great overall sound. And its IP67 rating means it's submersible up to three feet.
LG E9 4K OLED smart TV review: The real deal gets brighter
LG's top-of-the-line 4K OLED remains a velvety, colorful, and now slightly brighter viewing experience.
Samsung Q900 smart TV review: This 8K TV will make you forget all about 4K
Samsung's best TV yet shows what's possible with 8K video. It also upscales lower-resolution material with aplomb.
Etymotic ER4XR in-ear headphone review: Top-notch sonics and a comfortable fit
Though definitely on the pricey side, Etymotics ER4 XR's deliver the musical goods, and the flanged tips are more comfortable in the ear than the standard memory foam types.
Hisense H8F 4K UHD TV (2019) review: Better color, better blacks, and better HDR
Hisense's H8F has upped its game with array backlighting, more vivid color, and true HDR pop.
Upgrading an older iMac’s PCIe SSD: Third-party solutions that save you beaucoup bucks
Most 2013 and later iMacs ship with proprietary PCIe SSDs, many of which are old, slow, and small. Upgrading to an SSD not made by Apple, including common M.2 types, will save you tons of money while improving performance. In many cases, drastically.
Seagate IronWolf 110 2.5-inch SSD: Up to 4TB of NAS storage designed to last, but a lot of cash
Seagate's IronWolf 110 SSD is designed for NAS, but can also be used in PCs. Thanks to very good performance, a high durability rating, and surprisingly low premium, you might just want to do that. Being available in capacities up to 3.82 TB doesn't hurt either.
WiSA, the low-latency, wireless multi-channel audio standard is ready for take-off
WiSA is a wireless audio standard that promises hassle-free setup for up to 7.1-channel surround with latency as low as 2.6 millisecond, lag that's barely perceptible to humans.
Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i review: Great sound, plus Alexa and AirPlay 2 support
This second-generation speaker is smarter, more capable, and better-sounding than the model it replaces.
Marseille mCable Cinema Edition review: This expensive HDMI cable is mostly worth it
The Marseille mCable Cinema Edition is great for upscaling DVD, Blu-ray, and even TV, but we can't recommend it for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players because it doesn't support HDCP 2.2.
TaoTronics TT-BH060 headphones feature noise cancellation and a very comfortable design, as well as supporting Bluetooth 5.0. But the sound leans heavily towards the bottom end of the spectrum and lacks high-end brilliance.
Sony goes big with 8K and hones its OLED technology
Sony goes 8K UHD with its 98- and 85-inch Z9G models, and it revs its 4K UHD OLED TV from the A9F to the A9G
LG to ship 8K UHD OLED and LCD smart TVs this year, many powered by a new Alpha 9 Gen 2 processor
LG will ship its first 8K UHD OLED and LCD TVs in 2019, and nearly all will get a boost in processing power. Two-fold in some instances.