Amazfit Balance Review: Most Improved, Still Exasperating

Of all the fitness trackers that I’ve tested, none has made a bigger leap in hardware development than Amazfit. The first iterations that I tried in 2018 were plasticky and horrible. Every year, the wearable has gotten steadily, well, more wearable. A coworker recently asked if my tester Balance was a Samsung Galaxy Watch6 (7/10, … Read more

‘The American Society of Magical Negroes’ review: A satirical near-miss

The feature directorial debut of comedy writer Kobi Libii, The American Society of Magical Negroes has a fiery premise, but tepid execution leaves its satire feeling lukewarm. However, thanks to an impeccable lead performance from Justice Smith, Libii’s more straightforward dramatic material still manages to strike a chord. The film’s title echoes a well-worn American … Read more

Acer Predator Triton 14 Review: Fast Gaming and a Bright HDR Screen

Pros Bright, high-performance HDR screen Performs well for the price Cons Big, heavy brick for a 14-inch laptop Meh battery life and performance on battery Screen occasionally flickers The introduction of newer processors like Intel’s 14th-gen H series doesn’t preclude laptops with the older 13th-gen chips from being worth buying, especially as their prices drop. The … Read more

Microlino electric bubble car review: urban delight

“Wow, what an entrance!” said a well-coiffed woman as other patrons seated at the sidewalk cafe, now standing, began to applaud my exit from the electric bubble car like I was stepping out of a limousine. That really happened in one of Amsterdam’s wealthiest neighborhoods, on a street dotted with Range Rovers and a G-Class … Read more

‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ review: ‘Grand Theft Auto’ meets Shakespeare in this video game documentary

There could not be a more mismatched pair of subjects than Shakespearean tragedy and rocket launchers fired at police choppers by men in silly hats. However, Grand Theft Hamlet explores this unique combination of past and present while revealing new and unexpected narrative layers at every turn. The animated documentary follows two actors’ ill-advised attempts … Read more

Apple MacBook Air with M3 Review

MacBook Air with M3 13- and 15-Inch The Macbook Air redesign from two years ago is still just as silent, slim, and comfortable as you expect, but you won’t see a massive difference from M2. The MacBook Air is a good choice for an ultra-thin, though fully capable laptop, regardless of whether you opt for … Read more

Eight Sleep Pod 3 Cover Review: Sleep Well

With celebrity endorsements from Elon Musk and Danny Green generating plenty of biohacking buzz, you may have heard of Eight Sleep’s Pod 3 Cover. It’s a mattress cover that can heat or cool your bed to help you sleep better. You can tweak the temperature in the Eight Sleep app or have the autopilot mode … Read more

‘Desert Road’ review: A time-travel thriller unlike any you’ve seen before

Do you ever feel hopelessly stuck? Like no matter what you do, you keep ending up in the same shitty place? That’s the conundrum facing the heroine of Desert Road. After crashing her car in a remote desert, no matter what Clare Devoir (Kristine Froseth) does, she ends up back where she started. The pieces … Read more