John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged gadgets · everything

Esquire

The 2026 Esquire Gadget Awards

This is Esquire's annual "Best Tech Gadgets" roundup of 91 products, presented as a guide for readers at every level of tech enthusiasm, from the eager early adopter to the cautious skeptic. Each entry gets a short, opinionated verdict from editors and testers, with the picks spanning phones, home appliances, audio, wellness devices, gaming gear, outdoor equipment, and knives. Its distinctive angle is the framing: a meditation on how quickly technology has become constant and unavoidable, paired with a pitch for choosing the products that actually make daily life better.

Permalink technologyreviewselectronicsgadgets

www.howtogeek.com

4 smart home sensors you should put in your basement, crawl space, and attic

How-To Geek runs down four sensor types worth tucking into a home's neglected corners: water leak detectors near pipes and in basements/attics (paired ideally with an auto shut-off valve), humidity sensors to catch mold-prone dampness before it spreads, temperature sensors to expose poorly insulated areas prone to frozen pipes, and combined infrared/mmWave presence sensors for automating lights and catching unwelcome critters in attics or crawlspaces. It's a practical shopping-and-placement guide, naming specific products like the IKEA Klippbok, Aqara hygrometer, IKEA TIMMERFLOTTE, and Everything Presence One, with a closing reminder to keep batteries fresh since these devices are only useful when powered.

Permalink smart homehomegadgets

Boing Boing

Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News

Every K-Cup You’ve Brewed Is Still in a Landfill, and Keurig Has a Fix - Yanko Design

Keurig's Alta addresses single-serve coffee's plastic waste problem by replacing K-Cups with compostable coffee pucks called AltaRounds, which are pressed grounds held together by a seaweed-based coating that can be composted after use. The machine combines espresso brewing, milk frothing, and regular coffee in one appliance with an intuitive touchscreen interface, though it still requires plastic wrappers around each AltaRound (though Keurig plans to switch to paper) and carries a steep $499.99 price tag. While the system meaningfully reduces plastic waste compared to traditional pod brewers, it remains a partial solution that still generates some packaging refuse.

Permalink designsustainabilitycoffeegadgets

Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News

5 Best Coffee Gadgets & Tools Built for People Who Take Their Morning Seriously - Yanko Design

This gift guide profiles five premium coffee tools for people who view their morning brew as ritual rather than convenience, from the $799 xBloom machine that reads NFC tags to automate the entire brewing process, to the manual COFFEEJACK V2 hand-crank espresso maker and the Arc Mug handcrafted in Taiwan. Each product represents a distinct philosophy—automation, minimalism, craftsmanship, manual effort, and portability—chosen for their ability to transform the morning experience rather than simply accelerate it. The piece argues that the best coffee setups are built intentionally over time as you discover your own brewing philosophy, and that the right tools earn their counter space by making the ritual itself feel complete.

Permalink designcoffeetoolsgadgets

RISION

RISION Magic Smartphone Thermal Camera | Home Inspection

This is a product listing for the RISION Magic thermal camera, a handheld device that connects via USB-C to smartphones and computers to capture thermal images for home inspections and diagnostics. The camera features AI-enhanced dual-light fusion combining thermal and visible imaging, 320×240 super resolution, a temperature range of -4°F to 1112°F, and includes automated documentation and cloud sync capabilities through a companion app.

Permalink diyhometoolsgadgets

How-To Geek

The Boox Palma 3 eReader now has pen support—and it's not alone

Boox has refreshed its eReader lineup with three Android 16 devices: the Palma 3, a sturdier and pen-compatible successor to its pocket model at $320, plus the 10.3-inch Note Air6 C ($580, or $657 with a keyboard folio) aimed at meetings and note-taking, and the 8.52-inch Note Mini C ($550) for commuters who want color. The piece is a product rundown rather than an argument, but its useful takeaway is the price-and-size tradeoff: the Palma 3 undercuts its predecessor by $60, and the choice among the larger models mostly comes down to screen size and whether you want to type. It also notes the Picco isn't expected until November, so anyone wanting a pocket reader should weigh the wait.

Permalink electronicsgadgets

How-To Geek

Why a used $25 Kindle beats any Raspberry Pi display you can buy today

A How-To Geek piece argues that a used, jailbroken Kindle (often under $25) can beat an official Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 as a Pi dashboard screen for slow-changing information. Its case rests on the Kindle's battery-powered, Wi-Fi-connected E-Ink design, which can be placed anywhere and stays readable in sunlight, and on the Kindle's ability to run its own fetch script, so one Pi could serve several units. The author concedes that the official display remains the better choice for color, touch, video, or fast refresh.

Permalink diyelectronicsraspberry pigadgets

mui Board Store

mui Board Store

I don't see a saved article here to summarize. This appears to be product marketing copy for the mui Board Gen 2, a wooden smart home controller with a minimalist design and Matter platform integration. If you'd like me to summarize an actual article or piece of journalism about this product or topic, please share that content and I'll provide a brief summary explaining its main argument or findings.

Permalink designminimalismwoodsmart home

Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World

6 Tips to Make Your Phone Last Longer | Reviews by Wirecutter

Modern phones last longer when you manage battery health by keeping them between 62-72°F, avoiding regular full charges, and using built-in features like iPhone's 80% charge limit or Google Pixel's adaptive charging. Beyond batteries, extending phone lifespan requires software updates for security, preventing storage from reaching capacity to avoid performance slowdowns, regular cleaning of charging ports, physical protection with cases and screen protectors, and repairing damage rather than immediately replacing the device. These practices can keep a phone functional well beyond the typical two-year replacement cycle.

Permalink maintenancemobiletipsgadgets

Fosi Audio

Esquire

The Best Kindle and E-book Readers of 2026

This Esquire buyer's guide reviews e-readers across different price points and use cases, comparing Amazon Kindles (Paperwhite, Colorsoft, and standard model), Kobo devices (Libra Colour and Clara), and specialty options like the Boox Palma Pro 2. The guide emphasizes that Kindles dominate the market for their reliable ecosystem and battery life, while Kobo offers better note-taking and library borrowing features, and niche devices like Boox provide unique form factors for specific needs. The reviewer prioritizes comfort, long battery life, e-paper displays, and content access as the key criteria for choosing an e-reader.

Permalink technologybooksreviewsgadgets

Note

How-To Geek

Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News

Back to School Isn’t Just for Kids – 8 Gadgets & Tools That Reorganize the Whole House - Yanko Design

This article presents eight practical gadgets designed to restore household organization as summer transitions to fall, each addressing a specific friction point—from scheduling visibility to desk cable management—without requiring lifestyle overhauls. Rather than advocating wholesale organizational systems, the piece treats each product as a targeted solution to everyday problems that accumulate over unstructured summer months, emphasizing durability and intentional design over novelty. The author argues that an organized house results not from appearance but from removing daily annoyances, and recommends starting with whichever product solves your most persistent time-waster first.

Permalink productivitydesignorganizationhome

How-To Geek

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: ESR Geo Digital iPad Pencil for iPad 2018-2026, Find My, Easy Shortcuts | Work with Apple Find My, for iPad (A16) 11/10/9/8 Gen & Air 13/11 & Pro 12.9/13/11 & Mini 7/6/5, Black (No Wireless Charging) : Office Products

Amazon.com: ESR Geo Digital iPad Pencil for iPad 2018-2026, Find My, Easy Shortcuts | Work with Apple Find My, for iPad (A16) 11/10/9/8 Gen & Air 13/11 & Pro 12.9/13/11 & Mini 7/6/5, Black (No Wireless Charging) : Office Products

Permalink accessoriesappleelectronicsgadgets

www.travelwith2ofus.com

8 Top Car Gadgets For An Awesome Stress-Free Family Road Trip

This article recommends essential car gadgets for road trips, including tire inflators, jump starters, electric coolers, phone chargers, dashboard mounts, and dash cams, with product descriptions highlighting features like fast inflation speeds, high amp capacity, temperature control, and 4K recording capability. The piece serves as a buyer's guide to help travelers avoid breakdowns and stay comfortable during long journeys by equipping their vehicles with practical accessories for emergencies and convenience.

Permalink geartravelroad tripsgadgets