Review Geek's new Editor in Chief, new Raspberry Pi, Flic twist, Facebook isn't Facebook anymore, and more

October 29, 2021

This might be the hardest newsletter I’ve ever written because it’ll be my last. I’ve been Review Geek’s Editor in Chief for the last three years, and it’s been an amazing, wild ride. But today is my last day here at RG. As most EICs who move on would likely tell you, it’s bittersweet.

On one hand, I’m sad to leave. I dearly love the crew here and everything we’ve built together. On the other, I feel proud of everything we accomplished together and know the site is in good hands. I’m proud to announce that Josh is taking my place. There’s no one I’d rather have step into this role, and he’s already doing amazing things. I can’t wait to see where RG goes from here.

But more than anything, I want to thank each and every one of you for reading. For opening this newsletter and trusting Review Geek to be your source for tech news, reviews, and recommendations. We wouldn’t be where we are without all of you.

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

-Cam

Other Highlights:

• I took a look at the Govee Starpal portable light, and it’s beautiful.
• The Apple Polishing Cloth is an overpriced joke, but we have a few suggestions if you need a good and reasonably priced cleaning cloth.
• Raspberry Pi’s latest product is here! It’s cute and tiny, and slightly more expensive.
• So Uh… Facebook isn’t Facebook anymore. But that means more and less than you think.
• Flic makes an awesome button that controls your smart home. And now its new button comes with a twist.
• …and more!

Without the Rosetta emulation layer, Apple’s M1 chip wouldn’t be a success. Rosetta lets the M1 ARM architecture run x86 software without a hitch, reducing the need for developers to build native Apple Silicon versions of their apps. There’s just one problem—Rosetta emulation can gobble up RAM and power. And after a year of enjoying M1, Mac users are upset by Dropbox’s failure to release an Apple Silicon version of its app. Read More »

Microfiber cleaning cloths are one of those handy accessories you always need but can never find enough of. In the wake of Apple’s recently announced $20 Polishing Cloth, we figured you’d probably be looking for more affordable options that’ll likely do a better job of keeping your gear clean. Read More »

Smart lights are some of the coolest, most useful smart home products you can buy. The biggest issue is that sometimes you want to take your smart lighting with you, and you can’t … most of the time, anyway. With Govee’s StarPal lights, that changes. Read More »

I mean that both literally and figuratively. While the Facebook website will retain its name, the big company known as Facebook is now called Meta. This new name is a reference to the “Metaverse,” a poorly-defined concept of the future where Facebook-made VR and AR technologies drive real-world commerce, social interaction, work, and education. Read More »

Wyze announced a slew of new products this week in celebration of its fourth birthday, and now we’re learning about some highly anticipated new software features coming soon. Perhaps the most notable is camera web view, which users have wanted for years, not to mention a new AI-powered security subscription. Read More »

If you’re excited to go see Dune in theaters, you might also be interested in reading the wonderful book it’s based on, written by Frank Herbert. In fact, you’ll probably want to read the first three books in the massive and wonderful saga—Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune. We made that easy for you by finding a beautiful boxed set of the books. The gorgeous art style means the set will look great on your bookshelf forever, though there’s also the option for you to buy the digital version for your Kindle. It measures just 4.3 x 4.3 x 7.6 inches and is a must-own set of books for every reader that loves sci-fi.

Get it at Amazon →

Fitbit fans and users have asked for easy access to battery indicators and other alerts for a while now, and they’re finally here. This week, Fitbit OS 5.3 arrived as a small but helpful update for the Fitbit Sense and the Versa 3, delivering several easy-to-access status indicators. Read More »

When Flic first debuted its Smart Button, I thought that we had finally found the perfect alternative to unreliable (and annoying) voice assistants. But you need more than just a simple smart home button if you really want to ditch Alexa and Google. That’s why Flic is working on the Twist smart home controller, a smart home button with a dial that can trigger several custom events and routines. Read More »

It’s time for a new Pi. This week, Raspberry Pi announced the tiny new Zero 2 W board, and it costs $5 more than the original that debuted nearly six years ago. However, this tiny little wireless board delivers up to 5x more performance and extra features for only $15. Read More »

Tired of unreliable Wi-Fi? A mesh Wi-Fi router might give you the speed and coverage you need. And it just happens that Amazon is running a sale on some of the best mesh Wi-Fi equipment, including a few models with snappy Wi-Fi 6 support. Read More »

Windows 11 supports Android apps, but there’s a pretty big catch—they’re only officially available from the Amazon Appstore. The good news is you can sideload Android apps on Windows 11. We’ll walk you through the process. Read More »

Spotify is one of the most popular music apps in the world. But are you taking full advantage of its capabilities? Here are a few ways you can use Spotify’s features to improve your music streaming experience. Read More »

Buying a grandparent tech as a gift can be tricky, but as long as you know what they need and don’t mind helping with setup, you can find some excellent high-tech gifts to improve their lives. Here are some gift ideas for those in your life. Read More »

Over the years Hocus Pocus has become a cult classic with quite a few people watching it every Halloween. And—with a sequel right around the corner—there’s no better time to learn some fun facts about the original! Read More »

Over the last few years, you might have noticed more and more homes have teal pumpkins on their porches come Halloween. It’s more than a decorating trend: It’s a movement to help kids with allergies have a safe Halloween. Read More »