Which retro handhelds have the best resale value? AYN devices can hold surprisingly close to their original price, while Retroid, AYANEO and Anbernic handhelds follow very different depreciation curves—and that can determine whether you should buy new or used.

After 15 years of installing smart homes, my standards have gotten simpler: make something easier, work every time, and stay out of the way. From Roku and WiiM to mesh Wi-Fi and soundbars, the best smart home tech isn’t always the smartest — it’s the stuff you never have to think about.

Premium TVs still look incredible. The problem for Sony, Samsung and everyone else charging thousands is that cheap TVs stopped looking bad—and for a lot of people, “good enough” has gotten really, really good.

The SMSL SU-1, Fosi Q6 and AIYIMA DAC A7 are three of the best DACs under $100, but they're built for very different systems. We compare eight budget DACs to find the best choices for stereo systems, desktop speakers, subwoofers, headphones and gaming.

From the $60 TrimUI Brick and Anbernic RG40XX V to the Snapdragon 865 MANGMI AIR Y Pro and flagship AYANEO Pocket DMG, we compare the best vertical retro handheld upgrades for R36S owners in 2026.

Buying IEMs has become ridiculously confusing. There are hundreds of models, endless driver combinations, and prices ranging from $25 to well over $1,000—but spending more doesn't automatically mean getting better sound. After comparing budget, hybrid, open-back and higher-end IEMs, these are the models I'd actually consider at $25, $50, $100 and $300, where the real sweet spot is, and when spending more finally starts making sense.

AI may be the biggest technology shift in years, but I still haven't had a single home-tech client ask me for an AI-powered product. Consumers don't want AI. They want cameras that miss fewer alerts, hearing aids that make conversations clearer, and technology that simply works better.

The industry has spent years convincing us that smaller is smarter. Sometimes that's true. But every time I sit down in front of a great pair of tower speakers, I'm reminded that convenience and performance have never been the same thing—and physics still hasn't gotten the memo.

The retro handheld market has exploded with incredible choices, but many require weeks of international shipping. If you'd rather spend your weekend gaming than refreshing a tracking page, these are the retro gaming handhelds I'd recommend buying on Amazon.

Gaming consoles and AAA games continue to climb in price, but that doesn't mean gaming has to become more expensive. From retro handhelds to Steam sales, there are smarter and more affordable ways to enjoy gaming without chasing every new console generation.

Buying speakers has changed dramatically over the past ten years, with wireless technology, AI-assisted room correction, and smart home integration becoming mainstream. Yet the most important advice remains exactly the same: trust your ears, not just the specifications.

The best used gaming handheld isn't always the cheapest listing you can find. Sometimes spending just $40 to $100 more unlocks dramatically better performance, a larger display, longer battery life, premium accessories, and support for entire generations of games you couldn't play before. A little research today can save you hundreds of dollars—and years of buyer's remorse.

This isn't the same advice I gave ten years ago. Technology has changed, installation costs have risen, and for many homes, wireless is now the smarter investment.

Building your own gaming PC is still incredibly rewarding, but today's prebuilt computers often deliver outstanding value. For first-time buyers, they can be the smartest and most affordable way to enter the PC gaming hobby.

Modern CPUs, GPUs, SSDs, and RAM last far longer than they used to. Instead of rebuilding your gaming PC every few years, upgrading one component at a time can save money while delivering bigger performance gains when they actually matter.

The wait can feel like it drags, but the second the Odin was actually in my hands, I'd have done the whole thing again without a second thought. My honest advice: stop staring at the tracking number. Spend that month getting your ROM collection in order, grab a reasonably sized microSD card instead of the biggest one you can find, and you'll be ready to go the moment the box hits your porch.

Projectors have come a long way in just a few years. They're brighter, smarter, easier to set up, and more affordable than ever, making them a realistic alternative to a traditional television for many homes. But bigger isn't always better. Before you invest in a projector, it's important to understand where they excel, where they still fall short, and whether replacing your TV is actually the right decision for the way you watch movies, sports, gaming, and everyday television.

Don't let projector enthusiasts convince you that you need to spend thousands of dollars or memorize every technical specification before buying your first projector. You don't. Modern projectors offer an incredible amount of value, especially for first-time buyers. Start with something affordable, learn what you like, and remember that the best projector isn't the one with the longest list of features—it's the one you'll actually enjoy using.

The Dangbei Atom and Dangbei N3 Max are two of the best smart projectors available today, but they serve very different buyers. If portability matters most, the Atom is hard to beat. If your priority is the best possible picture quality for movies and home theater, the N3 Max is the projector I'd recommend.

After years of installing and troubleshooting streaming devices, I've found one recommendation I keep making: buy a Roku. It's not because it's faster or packed with more features—it's because I've consistently seen Roku devices outlast Fire TV Sticks in real-world use.