Tech Talk

There are some great mesh systems to choose from. Which is the right one for you? Most people don't put enough thought into their wireless router. Things like the layout of your house, the materials it's made up of, and how many stories it is all matter when you want good Wi-Fi from one end to the other. Or maybe you need to plug something into a router with a network cable in one room but still want great Wi-Fi everywhere else. Finding a networking solution that's flexible enough to meet your current and future needs can be a challenge, and it can be a huge pain to change your router every time you need some more coverage. This is where wireless mesh networking makes the most sense. Sometimes one central wireless access point that sends out a powerful omnidirectional signal is perfect but often a mesh system delivers a better experience without giving up anything you need. There's a big difference between Wi-Fi in your house that works and Wi-Fi in your home tha

Custom and cheap Tello From $5/mo. at Tello Pros Fast T-Mobile coverage with 5G Create your custom plan Works with most unlocked phones Change plan at any time Hotspot on every plan Cons No multi-line discounts Phone selection is weak Tello keeps it simple with just one plan that can grow or shrink with your needs. With as much as 25GB of high-speed data and unlimited talk and text, even heavy users can create a plan that works. Light users can also get a cheap plan with just the basics. Tello includes calling to more than 60 international locations for free. Tons of data Straight Talk From $30/mo. at Straight Talk Pros Choose from Big Three networks Tons of data with the top plan Mobile Protection option Multi-month plans are available Hotspot on most plans Cons Quite expensive for a prepaid carrier International limited to 15 unique numbers Straight Talk's plans are true to the carrier's name with straightforward data amounts, features,

Galaxy S21 Ultra The default choice From $1,000 at Samsung Pros QHD+ AMOLED with 120Hz dynamic refresh Snapdragon 888 delivers incredible power Works with the S Pen IP68 dust and water resistance Three years of Android updates Takes great photos in any lighting Cons No microSD slot Doesn't last as long as the iPhone The Galaxy S21 Ultra continues to set the standard for Android. You get the latest hardware that breezes through demanding games, a 120Hz screen that's one of the best you'll find today, cameras that take beautiful photos in any condition, water-resistance, wireless charging, and three Android version updates. iPhone 13 Pro Max Outstanding battery life $1,099 at Amazon Pros Truly amazing battery life Sublime 120Hz screen Fastest internal hardware on a phone IP68 dust and water resistance Standout cameras with class-leading video Five years of software updates Cons Uses a Lightning connector No always-on mode Cutout is anno

The full deal PS5 $499 at Amazon Pros Advanced SSD Powerful GPU/CPU Can play discs Backward compatible with PS4 discs Cons Very expensive Physically larger than the Digital Edition PlayStation's next-generation console packs a ton of power, with a (variable) 10.28 TFLOPs, an ultra-fast solid-state drive, and a 4K Blu-ray drive. This drive ensures you can keep playing digital and disc-based media, including any PS4 titles in your collection. All-digital PS5 Digital Edition $399 at Amazon Pros Advanced SSD Powerful GPU/CPU Presumably cheaper than the regular edition Slightly smaller due to lack of disk drive Cons Can't play any discs Not backward compatible with PS4 discs PlayStation is also offering a digital version of its next console. It's packing the same amount of power and the same incredible SSD. However, there's no disc drive, which means you won't have to bother with discs — but you'll also lose the option forever.

Synology DiskStation DS220+ Ideal home NAS $295 at Amazon Pros Powerful hardware Outstanding software Ideal as a Plex media server Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports Holds up to 32TB of storage Cons No M.2 slots for SSD caching No eSATA port for connecting expansion drives The DiskStation DS220+ has everything you're looking for in a NAS enclosure. The Intel Celeron J4025 chipset is ideal for running Plex, and the DSM 7.0 software delivers a vast array of features. The two-bay NAS holds up to 32TB of storage, and if you're buying a NAS for the first time or upgrading from an older model, the DS220+ is the perfect choice. Synology DiskStation DS920+ All the extras $548 at Amazon Pros Exhaustive software features Powerful chipset eSATA port lets you connect expansion drives M.2 slots for SSD caching Holds 64TB of storage with four drive bays Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports Cons Costly The DiskStation DS920+ builds on the foundation of the DS220+ but of