Gadgets

Phones, audio, watches, drones and the small stuff that quietly runs your day.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

The BRO Gear GuideBuy once, fix it, pass it down: a cost-per-use calculator, a warranty decoder and a repairability checklist.Judge it before you buy

GuideDean ShawNov 6, 20266 min

Fix the light before you buy a webcam

Most bad video calls come down to a window in the wrong place and a laptop sitting too low. Fix those two things first, then decide if you need a new camera.

That garage power strip isn't protecting anything

From the Gadgets archive

Older stories

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

Back up everything so a lost phone is just a bad afternoon

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20265 min

Smart home kit that earns its place, and kit that just sits there

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20265 min

How to buy a laptop that's still good in five years

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

Three copies of every photo you would grieve losing

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20266 min

The home internet numbers that matter, and the ones that don't

GuideDean ShawSep 22, 20265 min

Lock down every account you own in one evening

Gadgets on video

Worth an hour of your evening

From channels we rate. Plays on YouTube.

Marques BrownleeNov 6

Meta VR Glasses: What Vision Pro 2 COULD Have Been!

Linus Tech TipsNov 5

My F-You To Sam Altman

Marques BrownleeNov 3

OLED iPad Mini is The Most Apple Product They've Ever Appled

Linus Tech TipsNov 5

“Tesla Hater” Finally Tries Full Self Driving

Marques BrownleeOct 29

Macbook PROLED XDR Impressions: They Said They Wouldn't!

Linus Tech TipsNov 4

Good PC Deals Still Exist!

yoyoTechAug 11

Smart Home Automation: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide

Smart Home SolverFeb 17

Ultimate Guide to Starting and Growing a Smart Home!

Automate Your LifeJun 20

My Ultimate Beginner Smart Home Setup (2026 Edition)

Eric WelanderAug 1

If I Had to Start My Smart Home Over, Here's What I'd Buy

Mark Ellis ReviewsAug 20

The Best Phone You Can Buy Right Now (Summer 2026)

Marques BrownleeApr 21

So This is Peak Smartphone

PhoneArenaJun 22

Which Android phone should you buy in 2026?

Tech SpurtJun 14

Ultra Phones RANKED | Best Ultra Smartphones For 2026

Gadget EvolutionFeb 12

5 Best Smartphones That Destroyed iPhone 17 Pro Max

SuperSafMay 9

Top 5 BEST Smartphones of 2026… So Far

Gadgets quizzes

Quiz yourself, then your friends

All quizzes

GuideDean ShawOct 25, 20265 min

A USB hub is a power budget, so read the wattage first

Most hubs sell you ports. What you need is watts. Here's how to tell a hub that feeds your gear from one that just lets it starve politely.

GuideDean ShawOct 9, 20266 min

Skip the smart home gadgets that rent you your own house

A camera that goes blind when you stop paying isn't a purchase. It's a lease on your own front porch. Here's what to skip, and what to buy.

Ask BRO

Build me a 30-day training plan around two sessions a week

Ask it

GuideDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

Gold-plated cables and the other things you can leave on the shelf

The pitch comes right after you've spent real money, when a small add-on feels like nothing. Six to pass on, what to do instead, and the one case where each is fair.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

6 min read

The warranty offer at the register is a bet you'll probably lose

The cashier asks every time for a reason. Seven protection plans to turn down, what to do instead, and the one case where yes makes sense.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

Home wifi that reaches the back bedroom and the garage

Your router isn't too slow. It's in the wrong place, and one box can't cover a family. Buy a mesh system, wire what you can, skip the rest.

GuideRay OkonkwoOct 7, 20265 min

Two-year phone upgrades versus running it into the ground

The driveway version says keeping your old phone saves two grand. The real version still says keep it, just with a lot less swagger.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

ReviewDean ShawOct 6, 20266 min

The watch that keeps telling Grandpa to stand up

It buzzed while he was flat on his back under the sink. He has complaints, a few good jokes, and one concession that matters.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

ReviewDean ShawOct 6, 20266 min

A desk with a motor, and a chair that never needed one

The standing desk has presets, sensors and an app. Grandpa's old chair has a squeak he fixes with a wrench. They both stayed.

ReviewDean ShawOct 6, 20266 min

The robot vacuum that moved in under Grandpa's recliner

It cleans the floor every day. It also parks under his chair and calls for help. Grandpa has notes, and a few of them are right.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

ReviewDean ShawOct 6, 20266 min

Silence, it turns out, comes in a case and needs charging

Grandpa put in noise canceling earbuds, assumed the fridge had died, and learned what all that quiet really costs.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

ReviewWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

A very small oven with a very big opinion of itself

Grandpa looked everywhere for the oil. He never found any, but the little countertop oven won him over anyway. Mostly.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

ReviewDean ShawOct 6, 20266 min

The doorbell that talks back, and the mailman who saw through it

A smart doorbell can greet the mail carrier from your phone. Grandpa tried it from the garage, with the garage door wide open.

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

Gadgets Worth Owning That Nobody Writes About

The stud finder that actually finds studs, the battery tester that ends the drawer of maybes, and seven more tools that never make the roundups.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

PartnerDude.com

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20265 min

Wipe a device in the right order before you sell it

Sign out first, erase second. Get that backwards on an iPhone or a MacBook and the buyer gets a locked brick and you get a refund request.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

6 min

Buying your first drone without breaking the rules

5 min

Light first, then the mic, then the camera

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideDean ShawSep 23, 20266 min

The pop-up with a phone number is always a scam

What to change on your parents' computer this weekend, what to say so they'll actually call you, and what to do in order if the money's already gone.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

6 min read

Doing your own screen and battery swap without wrecking the phone

The battery is a forty-minute job with a hair dryer and the right screwdriver. The screen is harder, and the reasons why are worth knowing first.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

Older articles

Older Gadgets stories

Gadgets

Fix the light before you buy a webcam

Stop asking one speaker to do both jobs

No app turns your phone into a thermal camera

Own a drive, rent a cloud, and trust neither alone

Your call sounds like a cave because your mic is too far away

That garage power strip isn't protecting anything

From the Gadgets archive

Back up everything so a lost phone is just a bad afternoon

Smart home kit that earns its place, and kit that just sits there

How to buy a laptop that's still good in five years

Three copies of every photo you would grieve losing

The home internet numbers that matter, and the ones that don't

Lock down every account you own in one evening

Worth an hour of your evening

Quiz yourself, then your friends

A USB hub is a power budget, so read the wattage first

Skip the smart home gadgets that rent you your own house

Gold-plated cables and the other things you can leave on the shelf

The warranty offer at the register is a bet you'll probably lose

Home wifi that reaches the back bedroom and the garage

Two-year phone upgrades versus running it into the ground

The watch that keeps telling Grandpa to stand up

A desk with a motor, and a chair that never needed one

The robot vacuum that moved in under Grandpa's recliner

Silence, it turns out, comes in a case and needs charging

A very small oven with a very big opinion of itself

The doorbell that talks back, and the mailman who saw through it

Gadgets Worth Owning That Nobody Writes About

Wipe a device in the right order before you sell it

Buying your first drone without breaking the rules

Light first, then the mic, then the camera

The pop-up with a phone number is always a scam

Doing your own screen and battery swap without wrecking the phone