New MacBook Pro Reviews Mixed as Touch Bar Called Everything From ‘Useful’ to ‘Gimmick’
Apple has started shipping its new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar to customers just as reviews of the all-new 13-inch and 15-inch notebooks are hitting the web. The reviews provide a closer look at the Touch Bar and whether or not the new MacBook Pro is a suitable upgrade for those with older models.
The new MacBook Pro’s headline feature is the Touch Bar (Image: The Verge)
Andrew Cunningham at Ars Technica said he “liked the Touch Bar a lot,” calling it “more convenient to use” than a traditional row of function keys. However, he noted the Touch Bar’s usefulness depends entirely on the apps you use and, to a lesser extent, how you use your computer.
If you primarily use the MacBook Pro with a Thunderbolt Display and keyboard, for example, he said the Touch Bar will “do nothing for you.”
If it’s being used as a desktop with an external keyboard a significant amount of the time, the Touch Bar does nothing for you. When I went out of my way to use Apple’s apps, I liked the Touch Bar a lot. It just takes one or two useful buttons—creating a new tab in Safari, looking up a main page in Terminal, changing font sizes or creating checklists in Notes—to make you glad the Touch Bar is there. However, a typical day for me is spent mostly in Word, Outlook, Slack, Tweetbot, and Chrome. Microsoft is bringing Touch Bar support to Office, but if other app makers don’t start adding in support, a big chunk of that bar is going to end up sitting empty most of the time.
Cunningham noted the Touch Bar’s display dims after 60 seconds and turns off completely after 85 seconds to preserve battery life. You can tap the Touch Bar, the keyboard, or the trackpad to wake it back up. He said there is no option to change this behavior in System Preferences.
Confirming our report last month, Cunningham said the Touch Bar displays a standard row of function keys when running Windows through Boot Camp. When running Linux, however, he said the basic function keys available in Windows don’t appear until the Boot Camp installer has installed all the necessary drivers.
Cunningham believes the new MacBook Pro is “just about worth the wait” for those with an older model from 2012 or earlier, but conversely said there is “very little reason to consider” upgrading if you have a model from 2013 or later, given Intel processor improvements that “barely push performance forward.”
He criticized the Touch Bar-equipped MacBook Pro lineup as being “expensive, even for Macs,” with significantly cheaper premium PCs available.
The main problem at this point isn’t that the Touch Bar is a bad idea, but that these laptops cost a whole bunch of money. Great, premium PC laptops are available for half this price, even if Apple still maintains an edge when it comes to graphics and SSD speeds. It really feels like the Touch Bar needs to be included in the $1,499 model, and that versions of the new designs without Touch Bars should be the entry level systems—right now, Apple’s entry-level Mac laptops were all released in mid 2015, and that’s only going to get more embarrassing as time moves on.
Dana Wollman at Engadget said the Touch Bar is “occasionally useful” for tasks such as switching between open tabs in Safari. However, she noted common system controls such as volume and brightness are now buried within menus, a change that is “less efficient” than dedicated function keys on older MacBook Pro models.
What’s annoying about this whole setup is that either way, some of the most important system controls are now buried in Touch Bar menus. Want to lower the volume? You can either hit the volume icon and hit the slider, or hit the arrow key and tap the volume up or down key. That’s less efficient than just pressing a dedicated volume button in the function row. It’s inconvenient enough that I eventually started using my mouse to do things like pause Spotify or raise the volume on a track. Apple made me change my way of doing things, and not necessarily for the better. That pisses me off.
Not all reviews of the Touch Bar have been favorable. Christina Warren at Gizmodo said the feature is a “gimmick” that’s “not worth the money” yet.
In the end, real story with the MacBook Pro is the Touch Bar. It’s somewhat useful, but it’s still so undersupported for apps beyond Apple’s that, at least for right now, the Touch Bar is not reason enough to get a new MacBook Pro. Particularly if you’re already satisfied with the performance of your existing machine. If you need a new MacBook Pro and you can’t wait for the Kaby Lake refreshes already rumored, the benefits of the internal specs matched with the cool-factor of the Touch Bar make this a good Mac. For everyone else this is a gimmick on a very good, way too expensive laptop.
Most other reviews generally recommend the new MacBook Pro, but reflect upon a series of compromises that customers may have to deal with, such as a lack of ports and a new keyboard with slimmer key travel. For those committed to the Mac that can justify the price tag, the new MacBook Pro is a mostly worthwhile upgrade.
Other Reviews: TechCrunch, Mashable, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, SlashGear, The Verge, CNET, USA Today and Fast Company
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Glyph Atom SSD review – CNET
The Good The Atom SSD is superfast and supports USB-C. The drive is compact, light and rugged and includes cables for both new and old computers.
The Bad Unlike other drives from Glyph, it doesn’t include data recovery in the warranty.
The Bottom Line For power users, this is the best portable drive to date.
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The Atom SSD (right) next to the Atom RAID SSD.
Josh Miller/CNET
Editors’ note: The Glyph Atom RAID SSD and the Atom SSD are very similar, so their reviews are similar.
If you own a 12-inch MacBook or one of the new MacBook Pros, the Atom solid-state drive from Glyph has everything you’d want in a portable drive.
First, it’s superfast. It uses USB 3.1 Gen 2 and its real-world read speeds averaged about 420MBps and 270MBps for writing and reading, respectively, making it one of the fastest non-RAID portable drives. (The Atom RAID SSD, which uses RAID-0, scored 675MBps and 460MBps, respectively.) Its hard aluminum casing and removable rubber protective case mean it’ll survive a 6-foot drop onto a carpet floor (something I actually tested) and still work fine. And it’s a USB-C drive that includes both a USB-C cable and a USB-C-to-USB-A cable. This means it will work with any computer with any USB port permutation.
CNET Labs USB 3.0/3.1 performance
Glyph Atom RAID SSD
674.8
459.89
Glyph Atom SSD
421.4
269.45
SanDisk Extreme 9000 Portable SSDD
312.6
259.53
Samsung Portable SSD T3
311.1
240.91
LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt All-Terrain
155.7
227.43
G-Drive Mobile USB-C (USB 3.1)
109.9
125.75
WD My Passport (Fall 2016)
103.4
108.56
Legend:
Write
Read
Note:
Measured in megabytes per second. Longer bars mean better performance.
The Atom SSD is available in 275GB, 525GB and 1TB capacities for $150, $250 and $440, respectively. That’s not cheap, but it’s actually a better deal than the $400 1TB Samsung T3, which is about 25 percent slower and not as durable. Also, the Atom can be found in gold, silver, gray and black to match the color of your MacBook. The T3 comes in only one color. Note that SSD prices always fall soon after release, so it’s likely the Atom will be an even better deal in a few months.
On the inside, the Atom SSD houses an M.2 version of the Crucial MX300 SSD, the first drive from Crucial that uses 3D flash memory to strike a balance between costs, capacity and performance. Out of the box, the drive is formatted in HFS+ so it works right away with a Mac. For Windows, you will need to first reformat it into NTFS. Or you can reformat it into exFAT if you want to use it with both platforms. The drive doesn’t include any software, but you fortunately won’t need any. Time Machine (Mac) and File History (Windows 10) both work fine as backup tools. The Atom includes a standard three-year warranty against hardware defects, but nothing for data recovery.
Should I get it?
If you need a great-looking, compact, superfast and versatile portable drive, the Atom SSD is the best you can find for now. For Mac users, it’s also one of a few that’s ready to work right away with your new MacBook Pro without a dongle. For Windows users, however, there are generally more options. So if you can live with significantly slower performances and bulkier designs, a regular drive like the WD My Passport or the Seagate Backup Plus will give you a lot more storage for your money.
Glyph Atom RAID SSD review – CNET
The Good The Atom RAID SSD is superfast, rugged, compact and USB-C-compatible.
The Bad You can’t change its RAID setup and it doesn’t include data recovery in the warranty.
The Bottom Line If you’re going to take advantage of its RAID-0 speed, the Atom RAID SSD is worth its high price. If not, stick with the non-RAID version instead.
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The Atom RAID SSD is a rugged portable drive with a removable rubber protective case.
Josh Miller/CNET
Editors’ note: The Glyph Atom RAID SSD and the Atom SSD are similar in design, so their reviews are similar as well.
The Glyph Atom RAID SSD is basically the Atom SSD on steroids. The two drives are similar in design, with the same warranty, and both support 10Gbps USB 3.1 speeds through a single USB-C port. There’s one major difference, however: Instead of embedding just one solid-state drive (SSD), the Atom RAID uses two, combined into a single RAID-0 volume. As a result, the RAID SSD is 30 percent wider and it’s more expensive, but it’s almost twice as fast as its non-RAID sibling.
DJI Mavic Pro review – CNET
The Good The DJI Mavic Pro’s compact foldable design makes it more travel friendly than any other camera drone with similar capabilities. Its gaming-style controller is equally compact, but still has all the controls you need to fly and control the camera and it can be piloted with only an iOS or Android device. Battery life is very good for a small quadcopter.
The Bad The phone mount is a little awkward to use. Not user repairable. Camera lens is a little narrow for landscapes.
The Bottom Line If you’ve been looking for a discreet, but powerful travel-friendly camera drone, look no further than the DJI Mavic Pro.
Editors’ note: DJI is currently experiencing manufacturing and shipping delays for the Mavic Pro. The current estimated shipping time is six to eight weeks from placing an order.
There have been several kinder, gentler camera drones this year — from the large PowerVision PowerEgg to the compact Yuneec Breeze — but the DJI Mavic Pro is the only one to combine high performance, lots of automated flight modes and obstacle avoidance in an ultracompact body. Add in DJI’s assortment of safety and ease-of-use features and you’ve got a drone that anyone can take anywhere.
One of the few complaints I’ve had about the company’s Phantom models is that they aren’t particularly travel friendly, mainly due to the camera and gimbal position and the fixed landing gear. The Mavic doesn’t have these issues and its propeller arms and the props themselves fold up so there’s no need to remove them.
The smaller size — of both the drone and its controller — and decidedly un-Phantom looks make it more approachable and less obtrusive. The thing is, you still get nearly the same performance as you would from the company’s top-of-the-line Phantom 4. It’ll cost you about the same, too: $1,000 in the US, AU$1,700 in Australia and £1,100 in the UK.
DJI Mavic Pro is a flying camera to take…
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The Phantom 4 has a higher maximum speed and can withstand stronger winds, and its camera has a wider field of view. The Mavic Pro is basically better in every other way, though. For example, its new OcuSync encrypted transmission system, gives you control up to 4.3 miles (7 km) away and streams video at 1080p. The Phantom 4 has a max range of 3.1 miles (5 km) and streams at 720p.
Also, while it might not have the power to cut through really strong winds (DJI says it can handle winds up to 19-24 mph or 29-38 kph), it was able to keep the camera stable and fly steady in 10-15 mph winds and still get between 22-25 minutes of flight time before it landed itself. It does warn you when the winds are too strong for its motors, too.
Like the drone itself, the controller is very small, but still has a monochrome screen for important flight data and physical camera controls. Want to see what you’re shooting? You can connect a phone and mount it just below the control sticks. Getting your phone in the mount is a bit of a pain and requires you to remove any case you might have on it, but it does mean your phone isn’t blocking your view of the controls.
View full gallery Joshua Goldman/CNET
DJI added a switch to change from RC to a Wi-Fi mode, so you can quickly launch and control the Mavic with only your phone at distances up to 80 meters (262 feet) with a top speed of 4 meters per second (13 feet per second). It’s nice to have for things like quick selfies, but using the actual controller is better.
2017 Lotus Evora 400 review – Roadshow
The Good With 400 horsepower and 186 mph top speed, the Evora 400 is the fastest Lotus street car to date. Midengine balance is a ball on a race track. Ride quality is suitable for daily driving.
The Bad The Evora 400’s backseats are laughably small. Infotainment interface features poor navigation system, while the technology offerings are slim in general.
The Bottom Line Lotus picks up where it left off with the Evora 400 by catering to hardcore driving enthusiasts.
I like feel-good stories, and the 2017 Lotus Evora 400 I’m driving on Western Michigan’s country roads has all the makings of a good one for auto enthusiasts. The car I’m at the wheel of marks the return of the British sports car company to the US. It’s essentially been gone since 2014, back when it had to stop selling the Evora S here because it could no longer meet federal regulations.
Recent history has been tough for the plucky automaker, with numerous leadership changes and failed plans to launch a slew of new models, but the resilient little company is still standing. Returning to the States should be a key step towards better days, since we’ve accounted for roughly half of company’s sales in the past.
Even without the resources of performance-car juggernauts like Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren or Porsche, Lotus has always managed to engineer and build special automobiles by keeping them simple, lightweight and involving. It doesn’t take much time behind the wheel on the roads around South Haven to get a sense that Lotus has stuck with the same blueprint for the Evora 400, but it’s clearly made a lot of meaningful improvements since the Evora S. This is not just an Evora with a more powerful engine.
Back with the Evora 400 after a two-year break.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
Punchy and road-worthy
A more powerful engine, however, is a major element in the Evora 400 equation, with the Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 now getting a new intercooler and engine management tuning to go along with an Edelbrock supercharger. This results in 400 horsepower — a 55-pony jump over the S — and 302 pound-feet of torque between 3,500 and 6,500 rpm.
Like all Evora 400s, the six-speed manual transmission in my yellow tester has also been upgraded with a new clutch and flywheel. According to Lotus, with the standard gearbox, the car gets to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and boasts a top speed of 186 mph, making it the fastest street car the company has ever built.
For those wondering about fuel economy, the EPA gives the 400 a rating of 16 miles per gallon city and 24 mpg highway.
If for some reason you don’t want to have three pedals in your 400, Lotus offers a six-speed automatic for an additional $2,700. With the slushbox, top speed is only 174 mph, but you do enjoy a slightly better city fuel economy rating of 17 mpg.
The Evora 400’s supercharged V6 heart.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
This car is very quick from dead stops, with pull particularly strong at the top half of the engine’s rev range. Rowing through the manual gearbox is pleasant, with fairly crisp gear engagement, and the light clutch pedal is easy to work with. Unlike most newer models, steering remains hydraulically assisted, affording great response and feel.
What’s the most surprising thing of all about the Lotus’ street performance? Ride quality isn’t half bad over broken Midwest pavement. The Evora 400’s passive suspension, with Bilstein shocks and Eibach springs offers some give to take the edge off impacts. That’s more impressive when you consider that the car rides on staggered 19-inch front and 20-inch rear low-profile Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
Nip and tuck
Visually, there are no earth-shattering exterior changes to the 400. It remains instantly recognizable as an Evora, but eagle-eyed Lotus aficionados can probably pick up the redesigned front bumper with larger lower air dam, along with revised daytime running lights, door mirrors, wheels and a new rear bumper with diffuser.
The Evora 400’s new three-element rear spoiler.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
The most noticeable alteration to the design is the three-element wing, which not only looks sharp, it joins forces with the new front end and rear diffuser to raise downforce to 71 pounds at 150 mph — a big upgrade for high-speed stability over the Evora S’ 35.2 pounds.
Improvements are more substantial in the cabin with better ingress and egress thanks to a revised aluminum chassis featuring skinnier and lower side sills. Thinner interior door panels give more front elbow room, while the rear seats are 11 inches wider than before. The latter doesn’t really matter, however, because the backseats have so little headroom and legroom that only the very young have a shot at fitting back there.
NES Classic Edition review: The best and worst of retro gaming
“I don’t want to sit on the floor while I play video games,” my buddy Josh told me. “I’m not 7 anymore.” My friend was parked just 4 feet away from my 40-inch television, playing Ninja Gaiden on the NES Classic Edition — a tiny re-creation of Nintendo’s original home game console. The diminutive game system has everything a nostalgic gamer could want: an iconic design, a built-in collection of 30 classic games and pixel-perfect emulation. But for Josh, the two-and-a-half-foot-long controller cables were a deal-breaker. It’s a shame, too: Almost everything else about the NES Classic is perfect.
In a lot of ways, the Classic is a product that feels long overdue, if only because Nintendo’s longtime rivals have been selling officially licensed plug-and-play consoles for over a decade. These devices were relatively cheap and usually came with a robust selection of each console’s most popular games. They also had a reputation for bad sound emulation, antiquated video-output technology and poor build quality. Nintendo’s take on the mini-console is late to the party, but at least it’s fashionably late: Not only does the NES Classic offer a hearty collection of the original console’s most popular games, it delivers them to your television in crisp, high-definition resolution over HDMI.
Just as you remember it, but smaller
If you’ve seen the original Nintendo Entertainment System, you’ve basically seen the NES Classic Edition. The mini-console looks almost exactly like the gray and black box Nintendo released three decades ago, albeit at a much smaller scale. The NES Classic is, in a word, tiny — it barely stretches beyond than the length of its own gamepad at its widest point, but it’s still faithful to the device that inspired it. The same horizontal grooves reach across the top of the console’s chassis, leading down to a pair of controller ports that are exactly where you remember them to be. To the left, you’ll find a familiar red LED, as well as power and reset buttons that look identical to their progenitors. Around the back are two more connections: a micro-USB port for power, and HDMI output.
At first blush, the Classic is a dead ringer for the original, but the modernization of the NES has wrought a few minor cosmetic changes. Instead of using the original NES’s controller ports, the new console has opted for Wii Remote accessory connectors. These ports are compatible with Wii Classic Controllers and a slew of third-party accessories (more on that later), but their width cuts into the “gray” area of the NES Classic front more than the original console’s controller ports did.
Despite having a perfectly molded re-creation of the original console’s cartridge slot, the Classic’s chamber lid door is purely cosmetic — it doesn’t open. Even so, the vestigial door lends itself to the nostalgic experience. It’s the details that make the NES Classic a joy to hold and play with. Even the power button feels just like the original, depressing with a deep, springy tactility that clearly defines where the “on” position is.
It doesn’t take long before you can press that power button, either — setting up the NES Classic Edition is as easy as plugging a power cable into your TV’s spare USB port (or the included wall adapter) and hooking up an HDMI cable. That’s it.
Gaming like it’s 1985 (but better)
Nintendo’s diminutive retro console boots up in less than five seconds and presents users with what might be the most straightforward, easy-to-use menu the company has ever created. Save for a few bells and whistles, the NES Classic Edition’s menu is little more than a horizontal scrolling list of 30 of the system’s most revered titles — an alphabetical smorgasbord (see the full list below) that runs from Balloon Fight to Zelda II: Adventure of Link. Pressing select will sort the list by publisher, title, multiplayer, recently played, times played and release date, but there’s not really enough games on the list that it needs sorting options. Simply scroll left or right until you find something you like, and press start.
| The NES Classic Edition game library | |||||
| Balloon Fight | Bubble Bobble | Castlevania | Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest | Donkey Kong | Donkey Kong Jr. |
| Double Dragon II: The Revenge | Dr. Mario | Excitebike | Final Fantasy | Galaga | Ghosts and Goblins |
| Gradius | Ice Climber | Kid Icarus | Kirby’s Adventure | Mario Bros. | Mega Man 2 |
| Metroid | Ninja Gaiden | Pac-Man | Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream | StarTropics | Super C |
| Super Mario Bros. | Super Mario Bros. 2 | Super Mario Bros. 3 | Techmo Bowl | The Legend of Zelda | Zelda II: The Adventure of Link |
Playing classic Nintendo games on the mini-console is almost like having a revelation — if you’ve only ever played NES games on official hardware, you’ve never seen them look this good. Complex pixel patterns and shading that would traditionally be obscured by the blurry glow of a CRT television simply pop with detail over the Classic’s HDMI connection. Colors that once blurred together are now distinct, pulling out details like the whites behind Megaman’s eyes, or the expression on a zombie’s face in Castlevania. The Classic outperforms the Wii, Wii U and even the original NES in terms of visual quality. It’s about time, too: Nintendo has been offering classic NES games on its Virtual Console service for a decade, and until now they’ve always looked terrible.
It’s true. For some reason, Virtual Console games on the Wii and Wii U suffer from muted colors, dim contrast and a gross, blurry overlay. It’s a problem classic Nintendo fans have been aware of for years: NES games simply look better on PC emulators and third-party consoles like the Retron5 and RetroUSB AVS. The NES Classic finally closes that gap, offering an official solution for playing classic Nintendo games that can compete with the best efforts of unofficial (and sometimes legally questionable) competitors.
More important, the Classic’s high-quality emulation shows that Nintendo is finally getting serious about its digital archive of old games — if its cheap plug-and-play game console looks this good, maybe Virtual Console games on the Nintendo Switch won’t look half bad, either.
If crystal-clear pixels aren’t your thing, the Classic can accommodate. Pressing the “reset” button returns you to the main menu, where you can select from three different display modes: a “pixel perfect” setting that draws games at their native resolution; a wider, but still sharp, 4:3 presentation; or a robust CRT filter designed to simulate the blur and scanlines of an old television set. These are all pretty standard filter modes in the retro-gaming scene, but the NES Classic’s CRT mode is particularly impressive — most emulators are content with overlaying a dim layer of scanlines and calling it a day, but the Classic’s subtle blurring and pixel-distortion effects really sell the illusion. Technically, this feature makes every game look “worse” — but worse in a way that looks, well, sort of right.
Even more nostalgia can be found in the menu’s manual section — well, sort of. The game-manual icon doesn’t actually call up a list of video-game instruction booklets so much as it displays a QR code and URL that will take you to them. It feels a bit like a cop-out, but following the link is worth it. Not only does Nintendo’s NES manual website feature full digital manuals, but it also has high-resolution scans of the original printed booklets that came with each game. They’re pretty complete, too: The scanned manuals for Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda include original artwork and huge maps of each game’s overworld. It’s just a shame this content isn’t also built directly into the system. Some games, like Startropics, can’t be finished without special hints that were included in the game manual. Forcing players to access the web to beat a 30-year-old video game is a little weird.
The NES Classic’s menu has one more special feature, and it’s an important one: Suspend Points. Think of it like a bookmark feature — Suspend Points (or “save states,” as they’re commonly known) allow you to pause the game at any moment and save it for later. This can be used to add save functionality to games like Metroid and Ghosts and Goblins, or to allow you replay a challenging part of a game over and over until you get it right. It’s sort of like cheating, but it’s worth it: Some of these old games are really hard.
The fatal flaw
The NES Classic is almost perfect, but there’s a reason this review started with one of my oldest friends sitting on my floor, groaning. Josh and I (remember Josh?) marveled at the attention to detail in the Classic’s chassis as we hooked it up to my HDTV. We geeked out over its controller — a dead ringer for the square gamepad that shipped with the original Nintendo Entertainment System. We were, frankly, beside ourselves with the product — until we noticed the NES Classic controller’s cable. At just 2.5 feet long, it was too short to reach the couch.
Josh stared at me in disbelief. “This is ridiculous,” he told me. He’s right. The NES Classic makes 8-bit Nintendo games look gorgeous on modern televisions, but its controller cables are too short to allow players to enjoy them from a comfortable distance. Maybe, we mused, it’s part of the retro experience: the truncated wiring forced us to sit cross-legged on the floor, just like we did when we were kids — but we weren’t comfortable, and were too close to the 40-inch television to really take-in the whole screen.
As we played, the short cable seemed to be a compromise between inconvenience and historical accuracy. Because the NES Classic’s controller is an almost exact reproduction of the original NES gamepad, it lacks a home button to call up the menu. This means the player needs to be within an arm’s reach of the console’s “reset” button at all times. If the controller had a longer cable, we would have had to stand up and walk across the room every time we wanted to load a Suspend Point, change the screen setting or switch to a new game. That’s equally ridiculous.
Without a doubt, this is the NES Classic Edition’s greatest flaw — but what makes it worse is how entirely avoidable it was. The mini-console’s controller uses the exact same connector as the Wii Remote accessory port, which means it supports the Nintendo Wii Classic controller. That gamepad actually has an even shorter cable, but that’s not the point: The Classic controller has a home button, and that home button works on the mini NES. By choosing not to add a home button (and a longer cable) to the NES Classic Edition gamepad, it made the entire experience bad enough to spoil the system for a lifelong Nintendo fan. “I really want this thing,” Josh told me. “But, man, that controller cable.”
Adamant fans can close the gap with cable extenders and third-party controllers, but for Josh, it was just too much. At $60, the NES Classic offered a great value. At $60 plus the price of a bunch of accessories to make it easy to play in his apartment, the NES Classic was suddenly kind of a pain in the ass.
Wrap-up
The NES Classic Edition is everything it promised to be — it’s a tiny version of Nintendo’s most iconic home video-game system, complete with 30 fantastic games, excellent emulation and more than enough nostalgia to satisfy any adult who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s. Even so, it’s not perfect. Frustratingly short controller cables make it hard to use comfortably in a modern living space, and its nonexpandable library means that you’re stuck with the collection of games it comes with. If your favorite NES game isn’t already on the console, you’re out of luck.
If you can deal with those issues, however, the Classic is an incredible value — and a great gift for the 30-something geek in your life.
HTC Bolt Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The HTC Bolt won’t electrify you
But it’s got a large screen and Android 7, and it costs less than the Google Pixel XL.
by Jessica Dolcourt
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Right now the HTC Bolt is a Sprint exclusive that sells for $600. So for that chunk of change, you’re expecting something with a great screen, great camera, fast processor…right? Well on paper, it looks pretty good. It’s got a big 5.5-inch display and Android Nougat 7.0. The camera takes RAW photos if you want them and has a pro mode if you wanna get fancy. Enhanced audio sounds great out of the included earbuds, and you can add a new profile if you use a different set of headphones. The Bolt is also water-resistant (IP57) and runs on Sprint’s new and improved LTE network (LTE-A) — upload speeds are on fire. Download speeds in my area, San Francisco, ranged from the lower end of average to pretty darn fast, but that will fluctuate depending on where you live.
So far, so good. But there are some things you should be wary of if you’re thinking about getting this phone. HTC is usually awesome at design but I just don’t love this one. It feels like an angular shingle: flat, wide and pokey. But you can always buy a case, so there’s that. The back also heats up when the phone charges or the processor works hard, and after Samsung’s exploding Note 7 debacle, the mere suggestion of an overheating phone could put people on edge.
HTC’s Bolt: Shocking? Maybe not
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The cameras take decent photos that you’ll be able to use anywhere and everywhere, but there is a noticeable blue cast to some of them and some selfies came out looking a little greyer than they should. HTC got rid of the awesome set of audio speakers that once upon a time graced the top and bottom of the phone face in favor of a static home button/fingerprint reader, and I miss that booming, party-starting bass.
I also made a lot of mistakes typing on the keyboard; the quick-charging technology isn’t the fastest it could be; and the processor — while still fast — isn’t the modern one everyone else is using on their flagship phones (it’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 rather than the 821 in the Google Pixel).
I really like the camera controls. The swipe-down menu makes picking modes super convenient.
Josh Miller/CNET
One other thing to note is that HTC is following the iPhone 7-led trend of ripping out the audio jack and giving you headphones with a USB-C attachment instead. That means you won’t be able to charge your phone while also listening to podcasts, and it means you won’t be able to use your favorite non-USB-C headphones without an adaptor. If you use wireless headphones anyway, you probably won’t care.
I know I’ve just spent the last few minutes nitpicking the Bolt, but from my experience with it so far, it’s absolutely not an awful phone. It’s a pretty good one. But it also feels a little pricey for what it is, and I know that HTC can do better — I’ve seen it.
I’ll be spending more time with the Bolt and doing much more testing (like battery drain tests) before assigning a final review assessment. But here’s what I think so far: If you don’t care about a larger screen, the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and 5-inch Google Pixel are cutting edge phones that cost only $50 more. Or, you can get some good-and-cheap phones like the OnePlus 3 and Huawei Honor 8 for $400 each, which is quite a bit less. If you’re with Sprint and the Bolt hits your sweet spot on price, you’ll probably be happy enough with it. But it’s hard to recommend it when there are so many other phones out there that have fewer marks against them.
Apple Watch Series 2 Nike+ Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Apple and Nike partnered 10 years ago for a special edition iPod — the Nike+ iPod — to get you running to the beat. The music player came bundled with a wireless sensor that could be placed in select Nike sneaks and used to measure pace and distance when running.
The two companies have buddied up once again for a special-edition Apple Watch. The Apple Watch Nike+ edition combines all of the features found in the Apple Watch Series 2, but adds new features that would appeal to runners.
The Apple Watch Nike+ is available now in 38 mm and 42 mm sizes for $369, £369 or AU$529, and $399, £399 or AU$579, respectively. That’s the same price as the Series 2.
James Martin/CNET
What’s different
- The Nike+ Run Club app comes preloaded on the watch and works with exclusive Siri commands, such as asking her to start a workout. The app also offers daily motivation through run reminders, challenges with friends and alerts for when the weather is sunny.
- The watch comes with a lightweight, breathable (i.e. it has holes in it) two-tone silicon strap that’s exclusive to the Nike+ model. Color options include black and silver bands with accents in either gray, white or yellow-green (which Apple calls “Volt”).
- It also features two exclusive Nike watch faces that can be personalized to show activity data and heart rate, or provide quick access to the Nike+ Run Club and weather apps.
What else can it do?
Other than the features listed above, the Nike+ model is identical to the Apple Watch Series 2. It’s the same size and weight, and it can be used to make phone calls (when your iPhone is connected) and run apps.
It also features the same ultra bright display, dual-core processor and swim-proof design as the Series 2. You can even download and use the Nike+ Run Club app on the Series 2 model, which also includes GPS, but you won’t have the Siri integration and run reminders from the Nike+ model.
We’ll have a full review of the Apple Watch Nike+ edition in the coming weeks.
Kwikset Kevo Bluetooth Deadbolt (2016) review – CNET
The Good The Kwikset Kevo is a uniquely convenient smart lock that can let you in with a single touch. The second-gen model is designed better than before, with a smaller interior footprint, easier installation and resistance against brute-force attacks. 24-hour guest “eKeys” are now free and unlimited.
The Bad The second-gen Kevo no longer includes the helpful key fob accessory, but it still costs more than generation one. Kwikset also still charges you $2 each time you want to give someone full access to the lock.
The Bottom Line This is a very solid smart lock that offers a true convenience upgrade for your front door.
In 2013, Kwikset teamed with Unikey to bring touch-to-unlock smarts to your front door. The product was the Kwikset Kevo, a Bluetooth-enabled deadbolt that pairs with your phone and unlocks with just a tap when it detects you standing outside. It was a legitimately cool glimpse at a key-free future, but a high price tag and concerns about the physical security of the deadbolt made it tough to recommend.
Three years later, Kwikset is back with a second-gen Kevo. It’s essentially the same touch-to-unlock smart lock as before, albeit with a couple of subtle yet important improvements. For starters, it’s sturdier and more thoughtfully designed, with an interior housing that’s much smaller than last time. It’s stronger, too — you can’t force it open with the same brute attack that works on version one.
All of that makes for a better Kevo, but at $230, it’s even more expensive now than it was three years ago. On top of that, the second-gen smart lock also excludes a $25 key fob accessory that originally came included — so you’re getting less hardware for more money. The Kevo is still legitimately cool, but you need to really want that touch-to-unlock convenience in order to justify buying one.
Tap to unlock with the second-gen Kwikset…
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First impressions and key considerations
Before you buy this smart lock or any smart lock, you’re going to want to take a good look at your door. Lock it and unlock it a couple of times. Did you need to push or pull on the doorknob in order for the bolt to turn smoothly? If so, you’ll need to realign the door, because smart locks can’t hold the door in place as they turn the lock like you can.
You’ll want to make sure the Kevo will work with your door before buying one.
Chris Monroe/CNET
You’ll also want to take a look at your door’s design. If it’s cut to hold a mortise-style lock, for instance, then the Kevo won’t fit. Most more traditionally-styled doors should work, but download the Kevo app and check your measurements before buying just to be sure.
If everything checks out, then rest assured that installing the Kevo is a pretty simple process. In most cases, all you’ll really need is a screwdriver and about 15 minutes. The app is helpful here, with detailed, step-by-step instructions and easy-to understand animated illustrations. The second-gen lock is also designed for an easier installation than ever, with color-coded insides and a single-cable connection between the interior and the exterior. Credit to Kwikset.
Once it’s installed in your door, the Kevo looks more or less like any other standard deadbolt you might use. It’s plain and inconspicuous, only lighting up when you touch it. I’m a fan of the low-key design, as the thought of bolting flashy, expensive-looking tech to the exterior of my home gives me pause. And, with three different finishes to choose from, you shouldn’t have any problem picking a Kevo that’ll blend in with your home’s decor.
Not quite keyless
In addition to locks at the CNET Smart Home and the CNET Smart Apartment, I installed a second-gen Kevo on the back door at my own home in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s the door I go in and out of each day when I leave for work and when I come home, and I wanted to get a sense of what the Kevo could offer my day-to-day.
I started by pairing it with my phone. With the app running in the background on your Android or iOS device, the Kevo will detect when you’re outside. Then and only then will touch-to-unlock let you in.
The Kevo will flash blue when you tap on it to let you know it’s thinking. When it decides to unlock the door for you, it’ll flash green.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Except it didn’t. At the start of my tests, I had just upgraded to the newly released iOS 10, and iOS 10 launched with tweaks to how devices connect over Bluetooth. As a result, iPhone users needed to have the app open in the foreground before the lock would let them in. I stuck with the key.
Fortunately, subsequent iOS updates corrected the Bluetooth issue, and within a few days I was able to start using touch-to-unlock like normal. It worked reliably well over the rest of my week of tests, and never failed to let me in. The only exceptions were a handful of times where I had to tap on the lock two or three times before it’d open — it’s picky about your phone’s specific location.
The reason for that is a good one. It’s not enough just to be in wireless range of the lock — the Kevo needs to know that your phone is outside of the door. Otherwise, anyone could tap to unlock your door any time you left your phone, say, sitting on a table just inside.
The downside is that the lock takes a few seconds to think before letting you in, and sometimes, won’t let you in on the first touch at all. And, of course, you won’t be able to tap your way inside if you leave home without your phone, or if your battery dies. For these reasons, you’ll still want to keep the key on your keychain.
What about fob?
For an extra $25, you can pair the lock with a keychain fob accessory instead of your phone.
Chris Monroe/CNET
Your other touch-to-unlock option is to use the Kevo’s fob accessory. It’s a small bit of black plastic that clips to your keychain, and it houses its own Bluetooth radio. Pair it with the lock, and you’ll be able to use it in place of your phone to get touch-to-unlock working.
I like the fob. In fact, I prefer it. With the fob, there’s no worry about a software update messing things up the way iOS 10 initially did, and no concerns about other paired devices interfering with your connection, either. It’s a dedicated link between you and the lock, and in my tests, it worked just as well as my phone did.
Shortcut Labs FlicSingle Smart Button review – CNET
The Good The FlicLights Smart Button is affordable, well-designed and has a lot of power packed into a small body.
The Bad The button is tied to your phone, so the app always needs to be running and the phone always needs to be nearby.
The Bottom Line For the price of $20, the FlicLights Smart Button is a great entry point for users wanting an easier way to control their smart LEDs.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
The device that best captures the spirit of the smart home might just be the smart button. It’s affordable, simple, and makes all your digital silos cooperate. One of the best smart buttons on the market is the $34 Shortcut Labs Flic, which works magic with over 40 devices and platforms — from controlling Philips Hue LEDs to IFTTT recipes. The big appeal of a device like Flic is the combination of its flexibility and affordability.
But Shortcut Labs is experimenting with a new smart button — one that cuts the original Flic’s price to $20, and cuts the flexibility out almost entirely. The FlicSingle series of buttons includes five products: FlicMusic, FlicLights, FlicSelfie, FlicFind, and FlicLocation. These gadgets use the same basic mechanisms to perform actions — triggering the IFTTT-like Flic app on your phone via Bluetooth using button taps. Unlike the original Flic, however, these buttons are made to perform only one function or set of functions.
The best FlicSingle so far is easily FlicLights. It keeps just enough customization in place to make the button feel smart, but its focused purpose and reliable performance lend it an elegant simplicity.
Flic has a whole new family of smart buttons
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The FlicLights button is basically an affordable connected light switch for your home. I like that the FlicLights button hasn’t abandoned all flexibility: you get to map three personalized commands to the three separate button press patterns (press, double-press, long hold). That means you’re not restricted to the on/off capabilities of a typical switch, but can also customize a third setting. This variety of commands works well with colored bulbs or preset scenes from the lighting apps.
Two problems impede an otherwise impressive device. First, you have to already own connected LEDs. Unlike hard-wired smart light switches, FlicLights won’t turn your dumb lights smart. Second, because it relies on the Bluetooth connection with your phone, you have to always have the app running and the phone nearby. This is a minor drawback for the most part — except if you have multiple people in the same house planning to use the button. It can only pair with one phone at a time.
View full gallery Tyler Lizenby/CNET
But such imperfections aren’t surprising with a device that costs $20. In fact, what makes FlicSingles cool is their lower price of entry. They let you try out a new smart-home gadget without breaking the bank, which is rare in the industry. Plus, they add simple labels to the face of the buttons so you know which ones perform which actions.
The FlicLights button fuses the simplicity of a conventional light switch with the smarts of app-connected LEDs, leaving users with a device much like the Philips Hue Tap, but at less than half the price.
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