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

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Nobody has improved on the hand plane

Roman carpenters had one. Your grandfather did too. Why a good used hand plane still beats most of what's sold as an upgrade.

StoryTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Nobody has improved the claw hammer, and plenty have tried

It drives nails and pulls them with one lump of steel and a stick. Inducting the claw hammer into the Garage Hall of Fame.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideHealthCal BrennanOct 17, 20266 min

Heartburn Is the Symptom. Reflux Is the Problem.

The two words get swapped all the time, and the difference tells you what to fix, what to buy at the drugstore and when to see a doctor.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

Gear6 min read

Buy him the better version of what he's nursing along

Gifts for him in three budgets, plus one to save for and one that's free. Every one of them gets used.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Housewarming Gifts a New Homeowner Will Use the First Week

Skip the candle. Gifts by budget that get used before the boxes are unpacked, and a few that last long after the mortgage is paid.

GuideHealthCal BrennanOct 17, 20265 min

The Toe That Woke You at 2 A.M. Isn't Done With You

A gout attack ends in a week or so. The problem behind it doesn't. What sets one off, what to do that day, and how to keep the next one away.

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

PartnerGermProof.com

GuideGearDean ShawOct 10, 20266 min

Gifts for Dad he'll still be using in twenty years

Four budgets, one test: will he reach for it on an ordinary Tuesday? Gifts that last, get used, and bring the family around the same table.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

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

GuideStyleTobias ReedOct 9, 20266 min

Seven kinds of clothes that quit before the season does

Thin tees, bagging stretch denim, collars that bubble. How to spot a garment built to die young, and what to buy in its place.

GuideHealthCal BrennanOct 17, 20265 min

Nobody's going to remind you to check your bones

Women get a reminder for the bone scan. Men usually get a broken hip first. Ask for the scan before that happens.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

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GuideGearDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

You work in an office. Nothing you own needs to be tactical.

Combat pens and MOLLE backpacks do nothing for a man with a cubicle. Plain gear does more, and some of it is worth real money.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 9, 20266 min

The 200-piece tool set is a number, not a toolbox

Most of that count is bits and keys you'll never touch. Skip the big box and build a kit around the tools that actually do the work.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideCarsDean ShawOct 9, 20267 min

Seven car upsells to turn down before you sign

The finance office and the service lane run on extras you didn't ask for. Here's what each one promises, what to do instead, and the rare case it pays.

GuideStyleTobias ReedOct 9, 20265 min

Buy one pair of black cap-toe oxfords and stop shopping

One pair of dress shoes has to handle a wedding, a funeral and a job interview. Here's the spec to buy and the upsells to ignore.

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

PartnerDude.com

GuideGearDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

The kitchen drawer flashlight should be boring and ready

The light that works at 2 a.m. isn't the brightest one. It's the one with fresh batteries and a switch you can find in the dark.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

Woodworking5 min

Your first saw should be a Japanese pull saw

Cars5 min

A trunk kit is four jobs, not a hundred pieces

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

Skip the 200-piece kit and build this one instead

A new homeowner needs about fifteen tools in one case, not two hundred in a plastic tray. What goes in, what stays out, and where the money belongs.

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

PartnerNames.com

Style6 min read

A belt and a wallet you'll still be carrying in ten years

Two small pieces of leather, two different ways to fail. Here's what to inspect, what to read in the warranty, and what a cobbler can fix.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

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