Smart homes don't need to be complex, apps for learning languages, DuckDuckGo browser, and more

January 1, 2022

🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆HAPPY NEW YEAR!🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆

And happy, “dang it, I meant to write 2022, not 2021” month! As we begin this year, I’d like to start off things with a topic near and dear to Review Geek: Smart Homes. For a long time, smart homes have been expensive, clunky, and hard to put together.

Even as an avid smart home user, I’ve generally advised most of my friends that smart home tech just isn’t worth it for the average person. But now? That’s changing. As resident writer Dave found out, smart homes don’t have to be expensive or complex at all. Hit up the top story, and he’ll make the case.

Other Highlights:

• NASA turned a Nebula into music, and you should give it a listen. It won’t win any awards, but it’s neat.
• DuckDuckGo made a browser that won’t creepy stalk you. Unlike some browsers (cough Google Chrome cough).
• …and more!

Josh

Smart homes are probably the closest we can get to the futuristic dwellings seen in science fiction. The technology powering all of this can be quite complex, but putting it all together doesn’t necessarily need to be. You can also put a half-decent smart home together without bankrupting yourself. Read More »

Four-track recorders like the Tascam Portastudio gave thousands of artists their introduction to at-home music recording through the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. But despite a revived interest in tape, it’s now very difficult to find high-quality cassettes for at-home recording. The solution? Well, Tascam is making more tapes. Read More »

DuckDuckGo, the popular company that many know about thanks to its privacy-focused search engine, wants to take those same privacy-first ideals and deliver them to your desktop web browser. So, instead of stalking your every move like Google Chrome or Microsoft browsers, DuckDuckGo will be built differently. Read More »

You might not be able to hear anything in space but NASA is making it possible for us to actually “hear” space. This is made possible by using “sonifications,” which are audio tracks without speech that allow us to audibly quantify the data, and this nebula sounds incredibly cool. Read More »

If you love board games or crossword puzzles, ‘Scrabble’ is a must-have for your collection, and this deluxe version is an even better option. Upgraded elements make the game a little easier to play, like a wheeled gameboard base that lets each player wheel the board around to face them. It also features a non-slip grid to keep tiles in place, a deluxe carrying case for easy storage, and (of course) the standard 100 wooden letter tiles, four tile racks, a plush drawstring bag for the tiles, and a game guide.

Get it at Amazon →

Gaming laptops are the perfect combination of power and portability, allowing gamers to enjoy their favorite titles anywhere. If you’re looking to take gaming on the road or just don’t want a computer tower taking up space, check out these great and powerful laptops for a variety of budgets. Read More »

If you are shopping for an 8K TV, you’ll likely come across something called “8K Association Certified” or “8K Certified.” Here’s what this certification means and how a regular 8K TV is different from an “8K Certified” TV. Read More »

With the holidays over, it’s time to turn to storage for all those holiday items that you need year after year. Wrapping paper is often a tough one to store, but a few easy hacks can make storage a total breeze! Read More »