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A review roundup names four top Alexa-enabled smart speakers for 2026: the Echo Dot Max, Echo Dot (5th Gen), Echo Show 11 and Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen). The Echo Studio (2nd Gen) and Echo Spot (2nd Gen) also earn honorable mentions for their audio quality and compact design respectively, with the Studio singled out for its powerful, clear sound from three 1.5-inch drivers and a 3.75-inch woofer.
Home Depot's Labor Day sale includes $50 off Weber's Kettle and Spirit E-210 grills, with the green Kettle model available at half price for $100. The retailer is also offering buy-one-get-one deals on Milwaukee power tools, including a free M18 Fuel impact driver with battery purchase, plus discounts on Ryobi landscaping equipment.
Best Buy has launched a Labor Day sale offering steep price cuts across gaming laptops, desktop PCs, monitors and a MacBook. Highlights include hundreds of dollars off machines from Gigabyte, Acer, Lenovo and Asus, with savings reaching as high as $900 on select gaming laptops and $600 off gaming PCs.
A reviewer tested Google's $1,099 Pixel 11 Pro against Apple's iPhone 17 Pro across various lighting conditions in Delhi, including well-lit and shadowy scenes at Lodhi Garden. Both phones were tested with default camera processing, with Google's camera brightening shadows more while Apple's rendered more natural tones.
Dyson debuted a new generation of vacuums at IFA 2026, headlined by the Nurovi robot vacuum series. The R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV ($1,299) adds 'UV-enhanced AI' stain detection, effectively a sequel to this year's Spot+Scrub Ai, while the more budget-friendly R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry ($699) brings vacuum-and-mop functionality at a lower price point. The PencilWash stick vacuum also gets an updated version that now includes a docking station.
A roundup identifies six external monitors recommended for Mac users, highlighting the Dell 27 Plus 4K as a budget-friendly standout among pricier options. The guide walks through four buying criteria: screen size, resolution, adjustability, and refresh rate, noting that Apple's own displays often lack height adjustment unless buyers pay extra.
A hands-on comparison from Android Authority weighs Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 against Motorola's book-style Razr Fold, noting the Fold 8's wider 5.5-inch cover screen and 7.6-inch inner display make multitasking and everyday use smoother than past Samsung foldables. The reviewer says Motorola's alternative undercuts the $1,900 Fold 8 Ultra on price while still offering a traditional foldable experience for buyers who don't need flagship cameras.
The Verge's editorial team, including news editor Dom Preston and smart home reviewer Jen Tuohy, spent the week at IFA in Berlin testing new products firsthand. They opened a subscriber-only Q&A session to field reader questions about the devices they tried, with answers rolling out live starting at 12PM ET.
Bluetooth speakers are commonly rated for durability using an Ingress Protection (IP) scale, which combines a dust-resistance number (0-6) with a water-resistance number (0-9). Buyers looking for speakers that can survive beach trips, rain, or spills should check this two-digit rating before purchasing, since higher numbers indicate stronger protection against both dust and water exposure.
WIRED's 2026 video doorbell guide lists three additional models that just missed the top picks: the $100 SwitchBot Smart Video Doorbell with a built-in display, the $100 Aqara G400 Select wired doorbell with local storage and optional HomeGuardian subscription, and the $170 Philips Hue Secure Video Doorbell offering 2K resolution and Hue light integration. Each has strengths and drawbacks, from slow displays to bulky designs to reliance on paid subscriptions for advanced AI features.
At IFA 2026 in Berlin, CNET spotted several standout gadgets, including Miele's Diamond G8 dishwasher, which uses an internal camera and AI to tailor its wash cycles and can run during off-peak electricity hours. Plaud also unveiled the Plaud One, AI-equipped earbuds that transcribe conversations and respond to voice commands, while iRobot showed off a Roomba model built to seal itself against carpet for improved cleaning.
Joe Drygas, Vice President of AT&T's Global Enterprise Business, describes how he rose through the company over 25 years by treating each new role as requiring a reinvented version of himself, comparing the approach to how elite athletes adapt their training as their roles evolve. He also credits deliberate scheduling of personal routines, like workouts and sleep, with reducing uncertainty and improving his leadership clarity.