Jon L. JacobiFreelance contributor, TechHive
Jon is a Juilliard-trained musician, former x86/6800 programmer, and long-time (late 70s) computer enthusiast living the San Francisco bay area.
Best NAS box for media streaming and backup
If you rip and library your own media, there's no better tool for storing and streaming it than a NAS box. These versatile storage devices also serve as the perfect personal, secure cloud for backing up your PCs and other devices.
QSAN XCube XT3002T NAS review: Classy, clean, and fast—but better suited to the enterprise
Network-attached storage has a place in the home, and this box covers all the basics in style, but it's missing a few features consumers will find essential.
Cyberlink PowerDVD 18 Ultra review: Still the best, and now a little bit better
There is no higher-quality video player available for Windows. It's a bit pricey, but PowerDVD Ultra is also the only software that can play Ultra HD Blu-ray discs on your computer.
Anker SoundCore Boost Bluetooth speaker review: This little box delivers more thump than you'd think
For the price, this 12-hour box sounds very good. It has the punch that many speakers in its class lack, as well as a surprising amount of thump.
When you want to stream from older audio equipment that doesn't understand Bluetoth, all you need is this handy, dual transmitter box. It's also useful for computers without Bluetooth audio output.
DarbeeVision DVP-5000S video processor review: A clever, but pricey fidelity upgrade for 1080p video
The DVP-5000S sits between your HDMI source and display and uses a stereoscopic processing trick to create greater apparent detail in 1080p and lower-resolution video.
Anker SoundCore 2 Bluetooth speaker review: Good sound in a super small, very affordable package
Compact, with good sound for its size, the SoundCore 2 is a bargain at $39.
TCL's 6-Series Dolby Vision Roku TVs will ship on May 1st
With improved image chops to support Dolby Vision HDR, TCL TVs are poised to go where none of them have gone before.
Sbode M400 Bluetooth speaker review: Fantastic features, but not much bass
Feature-wise, Sbode has nailed it with this supremely portable and affordable Bluetooth speaker. The sonic quality is decent for a weatherproof speaker, if you don't count the lack of thump.
Samsung wants your TV to disappear
A new 8K UHD, microLED, ambient mode, and smart features for your phone were all touted at today's Samsung 2018 TV press presentation
The HDMI 2.1 low-down: Don't dump your legacy cables
If you have quality HDMI cables, they'll likely pass muster for the new HDMI 2.1 standard, as might some of your gear.
The absence of a battery leaves the thumpy Fender Monterey Bluetooth speaker reliant on AC power.
JBL Pulse 3 review: This weatherproof Bluetooth speaker puts on a fun light show
An IPX7 weatherization rating means this speaker can survive a dip in the pool, but it's audio performance left us wanting.
Panasonic delivers improved OLED TVs with HDR 10+
Panasonic announced at CES 2018 that its new OLEDs would be the first in the industry to support the HDR10+ standard, the open alternative to Dolby Vision.
Sharp's 2018 smart TVs beef up entry level
You won't see Dolby Vision or quantum dots at this price point, but you will at least get HDR.
Articles by Jon L. Jacobi
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