Ted Kritsonis

The ASUS ZenWatch 2 is a smartwatch that doesn't push the envelope against competitors; it keeps things simple which for some people is just what they want.

 Comparing a router to a muscle car probably wouldn’t seem like an apt analogy, but in the Nighthawk X8, Netgear has built a unit that is designed to roar with power. Outfitted with a variety of features and unique hardware connections, this is a router aimed at users who know their home networking situation and want to raise it to another level.

In some respects, LG has nothing to lose. Quietly building momentum with the previous two flagship smartphone iterations, the G3 and G4, the G5 has turned the company’s previous efforts on their heads. Having embraced an all-metal body for the phone, the design philosophy swerves dramatically to make it modular, too. Not only is the battery removable, but the idea is to enhance the phone’s features with hardware add-ons.

Roku is releasing a new Streaming Stick device in Canada this month, and aside from its diminutive size and powerful performance, a neat added feature is the ability to use the free Roku app on your smartphone or tablet (iOS or Android) to listen to the audio of whatever you’re watching using.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has now been out for almost six months, and while it hasn’t come close to growing to represent the majority of smartphones and tablets running Android, it is set to roll out in greater numbers with impending updates and new devices. Google hasn’t changed too much since it first unveiled Marshmallow, but there are improvements, nonetheless.

If you have an Apple device, then you likely already know that the bevy of accessories available to you can truly enhance the user experience. Whether it’s an iPhone or iPad, choices are abundant, and those with real functional value are probably the ones that will have the most lasting impact. Each product in this list falls well into that category.

The Edge is back, this time with a ‘Galaxy S7’ coming before it, showing that Samsung is serious about pushing the notion that an edged display carries advantages. While aesthetically pleasing, the Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 Edge+ were limited in what the edge displays could do. Too limiting, in fact, taking away any real practicality to them. The feature set has been given a boost with the Galaxy S7 Edge, along with a few other returning additions.

Samsung may give a little more precedence to its edged displays, like that on the Galaxy S7 Edge, but the more traditional “flat” Galaxy S7 is another option. Simplifying things to two devices, Samsung has essentially boiled it down to a choice between going with the edge or not. The Galaxy S7 hasn’t been deprived of anything, sporting the same internal specs and overall performance as its edged counterpart, including the incremental additions and improvements.

Samsung has a new duo of tablets that are currently available now. These are updates to previous models, rather than a brand new series or line, and are designed to be entry-level models. The Galaxy Tab A and Tab E Lite are both similar designs—highly portable with slight variations in specs, and aimed at users who are looking for simplicity.

The HTC Vive is one of the most anticipated virtual reality (VR) headsets to come to market this year, and the final build was on display and available to try out on the show floor at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. I can say that the unit should be ready for primetime when it officially launches in April.