Rich writes Bloomberg's weekly personal-technology column. He also appears frequently on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition," and, in prior lifetimes, launched WSJ.com, founded the Online News Association and was an award-winning political reporter and editor.
A light bulb? Seriously? Well, yeah. But not just any old light bulb. A whiz-bang, low-energy, cool-to-the-touch, lives-practically-forever $10 light bulb. It’s from Cree, a big name in commercial and industrial lighting that uses light-emitting diodes, or LEDs — the...
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Courtesy HeartMath
The Inner Balance app coaches you through breathing exercises designed to reduce stress.
In a classic “Seinfeld” episode, George’s father adopts what’s supposed to be a stress-reduction technique. Except that, instead of reciting it softly to himself, he bellows to the rafters: “Serenity now!” The Inner Balance Trainer is a $99 device from...
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Courtesy Asus
The Asus Taichi 21 Ultrabook functions both as a laptop and touchscreen tablet.
Something about Microsoft’s Windows 8 seems to bring out the eccentric in PC makers. In the few months since Win 8 launched, we’ve seen PCs that fold, PCs that slide, PCs with keyboards that pop on and off. But we...
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Image courtesy of Jawbone
Jawbone's UP wristband tracks the wearer's physical activity.
When I first reviewed Jawbone’s UP fitness wristband a year ago, I cautioned that it would soon come to seem remarkably rudimentary. A lot’s happened since. Problems with the band’s durability forced the company to stop production for most of...
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Courtesy of Barnes & Noble
The Nook HD competes with the Kindle Fire HD, Nexus 7 and iPad mini.
In the tablet wars, Barnes & Noble is the scrappy underdog. Lacking the development resources, vast content stores and marketing muscle of deep-pocketed rivals like Apple and Amazon, it still somehow manages to remain competitive. The latest example is the...
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Photograph courtesy of Apple
The new iPad has a faster microprocessor — Apple’s new A6X chip — with enhanced graphics and improved Wi-Fi antennas.
Oh, yeah, there’s a new iPad. Normally, the release of a new version of Apple’s tablet is the occasion for mass salivation on the part of the faithful. But it’s safe to say there won’t be lines of fans outside...
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Photograph courtesy of Beats Electronics
Played at a high volume, the Pill has much less distortion than the Jambox.
Ever since its release, Jawbone’s Jambox has set the standard for grab ‘n’ go mobile-device speakers. Now it has a new competitor: the Pill from Beats Electronics, purveyors of the ubiquitous Dr. Dre-endorsed stereo headphones. It’s an interesting time for Beats,...
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Photograph courtesy of Apple
The latest iPod touch borrows liberally from both the iPhone 5 and 4S.
Maybe a new point-and-shoot camera and a new portable FM radio aren’t the most scintillating of tech products these days. But what if the camera also let you conduct video chats and play games, while the radio allowed you to...
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