Computers, Laptops & Tablets

In and of themselves, today’s tablets are highly-connected, smart and powerful devices that can easily be used for work or Entertainment. The right peripherals can make them better devices, depending on what users need. Here are some top picks under $50.

“That doesn’t look like any router I’ve ever seen.”   That’s the general consensus I heard about the Almond+ when I showed it around. It’s a device that stands in for three types of things in your smart home: a powerful dual-band router, a long range wifi extender, and a smart home hub.   It arrived from Best Buy wrapped in brown packing paper and accompanied by a Securifi Door/Window Sensor, and a Peanut Smart plug. Also in the box were precisely two packing peanuts; I’m guessing the shipping budget was a bit tight, or those were rogue peanuts on the lam from a future Pixar film. Either way I got to researching the Almond+ and getting it setup. Here’s how it went.

If you’re a fan of Microsoft’s Surface tablets or 2-in-1 convertible laptops in general, there’s some pretty big news today in the form of the Surface Pro 4. Thinner, lighter, faster, new accessories (plus compatibility with the old) and the ability to log into Windows 10 using facial recognition. Here’s the scoop on the latest version of Microsoft’s professional tablet/laptop hybrid.