From 9a72d037c28d65964632a3bdc6b6d5274f8ccf02 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: luxagraf Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2023 11:09:47 -0500 Subject: added latest wired stuff --- julian-beats-guide.txt | 27 ++++++++++ wired.txt | 139 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------- 2 files changed, 126 insertions(+), 40 deletions(-) create mode 100644 julian-beats-guide.txt diff --git a/julian-beats-guide.txt b/julian-beats-guide.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3d98ef9 --- /dev/null +++ b/julian-beats-guide.txt @@ -0,0 +1,27 @@ +You don’t need to be an expert on your beat to cover it. That’s why you should be vetting much of what you write about with third parties and primary sources (academia, researchers, etc). That extends to product testing. If a company claims the product does X, we can’t take their word for it. + +We don’t have the capacity to send products to a lab for testing, so connecting with experts is an important way to double-check our work. + +Check with Zak or our research or science/security team for help. +Over time, you will end up being quite the expert on the topic, but it will take time, research, and coverage to get there. Research is important. If you don’t know about what something means in your beat, look it up! + +You should be regularly keeping up to date with your beat via newsfeeds and other publications. You don’t need to read about it when you’re off the clock, but monitoring those topics on Google News/Apple News should be a part of your daily workflow. This can also help you spot trends and write rants or raves (or other timely op-eds). + +Research what the top brands are in your beat and make sure they know you’re covering that category for WIRED. + +Establish relationships with PR so that they will send you a heads up on new product announcements. You may need to inquire first if you are not on their radar, and you may need to be persistent. + + +It helps when you have a strong interest in the beat you’re covering, but one way to expand your coverage is to flesh out the questions you might have about your own beat. Chances are your readers are interested as well. It might mean explaining what the materials used in the product are, what certain kinds of specs mean, and so on. + +This is a smart and important way to supplement your coverage when you might have some downtime between product announcements. +Pitch fresh ideas around your beat with your editors! + + +If you don’t think much is going on in your beat, that may or may not be true. Do the Amazon dupes work? Is there news on new materials, sustainability, or are there lawsuits? We have budget to buy items here and there if you need to test these (just ask me). + +We should not just be covering good products. If there’s a notable bad product out there, we should call it out. + +If you are contributing to someone’s beat by testing a product, make sure you stay in touch with the lead/editor on the review process. If you don’t end up getting the product or can’t do the review anymore, let someone know! Otherwise, we just missed out on covering something potentially important in that space. + +Don’t just update your guides—that doesn’t help grow the beat! You should have a mix of how-tos, features, trend stories, rants and raves, reviews, and guides. (Plus deals!) diff --git a/wired.txt b/wired.txt index f1a86d9..90c1ac4 100644 --- a/wired.txt +++ b/wired.txt @@ -1,53 +1,24 @@ # Scratch -## Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 Review - -Dell's XPS 13 laptops are some of our favorites. The latest version did not wow us like past releases, but the XPS line remains thin, light, powerful enough, and an all-round good deal for a premium laptop. - -For years now Dell has produced a convertible, 2-in-1 version of the XPS 13 that was essentially the laptop verion, but with a 36-degree hinge. This year, however, Dell has done something different with the 2-in-1, offering a detachable keyboard with a tablet screen that has more in common with the Surface Pro 9 than the XPS 13 laptop. - -In some ways the XPS 13 2-in-1 bests the Surface Pro at its own game, but in other, potentially important ways it does not. - -### tk What Works - -I've been testing Dell XPS 13s for seven years now. I even bought one years ago (the last developer edition with a nose cam alas) but my first impression of the new 2-in-1 version was: this is not an XPS 13. After weeks of using it, I still stand by that. There is much to like here, but thinking of this as an XPS 13 does this hybrid laptop-tablet a disservice. This is something else entirely. - -Dell sells the XPS 13 2-in-1 in a variety of configurations, starting at $999, but that does not get you the keyboard folio, which is a $100 add-on. You definitely want the keyboard too, without it the XPS 13 is considerably less useful (mostly do to Windows 11's tablet limitations). - -Call the starting price $1,099 then. That gets you an Intel Core i5, 8 gigabytes of RAM and a 256-gigabyte SSD. The configuration I tested had the i5 processor, but bumped the RAM to 16 gigabytes and the SSD to 512 gigabytes, which brings your total price to $tk (including the folio Keyboard). For reference a similarly specced Microfot Surface Pro 9 would set you back $tk. Fully decked out the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 with an i7 chip and 1 terabyte SSD is $2,200 to the fully decked out Surface 9's $2,800. - -The XPS is the clear winner when it comes to price, but there are some trade offs. - -The XPS folio cover lacks the Surface's kickstand-style design, which allows you to rest the screen at any angle you like. The XPS 13 folio cover slides down the back of the tablet, locking in place with magnets, which means it's limited to only those angles where there are magnets. The most obvious is the first, the angle you'd want for typing at a desk. After that you have to slowly slide the folio down until you feel it lock in place. In the end there are three possible angles (that I could find anyway), but switching between them is a not simple like it is with the Surface. - -As with any folio-style keyboard typing in your lap is awkward, but possible. I wrote most of this review with it balanced in my lap. That said, if you primary want to type with this in your lap, I have a device for you: it's called a laptop. - -Typing on the Dell folio keyboard is not unlike typing on the XPS 13 Plus ([7/10 WIRED Review](https://www.wired.com/review/dell-xps-13-plus/)). The keypress is shallower than an ordinary laptop, but still deep enough that feel like you pressed something and the response is springy in a satisfying way. One thing to note, this keyboard does not tilt like the Surface Pro. - -The other thing to consider here is that, given that most of us do want a keyboard, pairing a 1.6 pound tablet with a 1.26 pound keyboard give you a 2.8 pound device. The Dell XPS 13 laptop weighs 2.6 pounds and has a screen that can be adjusted to any angle. The main reason I can see to pick this over the laptop is for those who primarily want a Windows tablet. - -When it comes to performance the 2-in-1 XPS 13 proved curiously powerful, considering its thermal limitations. In fact, it scored better in the Geekbench test suite than the XPS 13 laptop I briefly tested last year. In theory these are the same chip, and given the fanless design of the 2-in-1 I would expect *worse* performance. And yet, in benchmarks it came out slightly ahead. In real world use I did not struggle or encounter a long to lag. And I spend most of my time in Windows using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which is notoriously heavy on the CPU. - -Suffice to say that performance of the i5 model, which uses a 12th-generation Intel U-Series processor, is good enough for most of the use cases in which you'd want a hybrid device like this. If you're thinking you want this for video editing, you are wrong, you do not. Nor is it a good gaming setup. But for browsing the web, working with documents, even editing very large spreadsheets, the XPS 13 was plenty snappy. - -XPS 13 2-in-1 comes with a very different, and in my view much nicer, display from its laptop sibling. Like the Surface Pro it uses a 3:2 ration screen with a 2880 x 1920 pixel screen. With 500 nits of brightness, it works great outdoors and is plenty sharp. Dell also says there's support for DisplayHDR 400 and Dolby Vision, which you won't find in the XPS 13 laptop. It's also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and its a touchscreen (it also works with the sold-separately pen) - -Another place that the tablet XPS 13 outshines its laptop sibling is the webcam, which is a 5MP camera which streams very nice 1080p video. I'd really love to see this camera in the regular laptop. - -Dell XPS 13s have never had many ports and every year we seem to get fewer. Like the XPS 13 laptop, the 2-in-1 has just two Thunderbolt 4 ports. You do get adapters for any USB A devices and a 3.5mm headphone jack, but seriously Dell, just build a headphone jack into the device. - -Probably the biggest disappointment of the XPS 13 2-in-1 is battery life. In our standard local video playback battery test I got only 6 hours 43 minutes of battery life. In real life use I didn't ever manage to get through a workday without plugging in. Battery life is only marginally worse than the Surface Pro, so it's not bad for a Windows tablet, but it's a far cry from what you get from even an average laptop. - -The final thing I will note is that so far there is no developer edition of the 2-in-1 with Ubuntu Linux install by default. I was able to install and run Arch Linux without any major issues, but you might run into some hardware compatibility issues with older Linux Kernels. Touch support varies considerably across Linux desktops, but in my experience it's generally no worse than Windows, which isn't that great. +Spring officially begins next week, but we've already got more daylight hours, which has left us feeling sunny and warm. If you can, shake off the winter dust that's accumulated around you and get outdoors with a new camera or lenses, or, if it's still cold where you are perhaps you'd like a new laptop or smart speaker to bring your home to life. This weekend we've got deals on all of those categories and more. +### Home and Outdoor Deals +#### [Echo Dot (5th Gen) With Clock for $45 ($15 off)](https://www.amazon.com/All-New-release-clock-Smart-speaker/dp/B09B8W5FW7) +The latest Echo Dot comes equipped with a new custom full-range driver for improved sound and a sensor that triggers Alexa to perform a task based on the room's temperature (like turning on your smart fan when the room gets too warm). While it will likely be even cheaper for Prime Day, this is still a good deal. The kids version is also [on sale for $50 ($10 off)](https://www.amazon.com/All-New-release-Designed-parental-controls/dp/B09B96PMLY/). +#### [30 Percent Off Jarvis Standing Desks](https://www.fully.com/standing-desks/jarvis/jarvis-adjustable-height-desk-bamboo.html) +We showcased this deal last week, but it's too good not to mention again. Jarvis bamboo standing desks are our favorite way to deck out our home office. There's a wide variety of of sizes and configurations to choose from, and right now nearly everything is 30 percent off. The final price depends on how you customize your desk but the cheapest version is $329. Many of these are also [on sale at Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Jarvis-Standing-Desk-Bamboo-Top/dp/B07PJTVSKR/). +#### [SteelSeries Apex Pro Mechanical Keyboard for $140 ($30 off)](https://www.amazon.com/SteelSeries-Apex-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboard/dp/B07SVJJCP3/ +This deal has been coming and going for a couple of weeks now, but it's a good price for a SteelSeries keyboard of this calibre. It can be programed with custom profiles, which means you have a sedate daytime look for work and then another profile for gaming with lighting effects at night. +#### [Logitech K380 Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for $30 ($10 off)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0876P8VHN/) +If the above keyboard is overkill for you, we also really like this mini, simple, and cheap Bluetooth keyboard. It doesn't have a number pad, and requires two AAA batteries, but on the plus side, it comes in pink. # Guides Existing @@ -1433,6 +1404,94 @@ contain microfibers: http://guppyfriend.com/en/ # Reviews +## Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 + +I have an affinity for the tangible that probably betrays my age more than anything, but nowhere does this hit me as hard as in photography. I [love photo prints](). I love photo books. I love instant images like Fujifilm's Instax prints. + +Thank goodness for Fujifilm, which stepped in to save instant film when Polaroid dropped the ball at the beginning of the digital era. + +Since then Fujifilm has turned out an array of Instax cameras and printers and I have been a sucker for nearly all of them. I still have the original SP-2 and SP-3 printers and still use them all the time. + +Fuji's latest effort in this realm is the Instax Mini 12, which is the latest version of what I'd call the cheapest fun camera you can buy. It's an adorable little bubble of plastic that makes the best way to get started with Instax. + +The Mini 12 replaces the Mini 11 and changes a couple of small things that are quite big deals. + +The first is that Fujifilm has made parallax correction work in close up mode (enabled by twisting the lens to close up). That correction means you don't have to guess where the center of the frame is for close up objects. What you see is what you get now, eliminating those terrible, ill-framed close ups that sometimes happened with the Mini 11. + +I also really like the new twist lens. This is both how you get into close up mode, and how you turn the camera on. I'll confess I had to consult the manual the first time to figure this out (after pressing the shutting button a dozen different ways), but once the dim little light bulb in my brain started working again, I came to appreciate a design that makes it virtually impossible to turn this thing on by accident. + +Other upgrades include a new automatic flash control that detects brightness levels and only fires when needed. That's a step up from the Mini 11 which fires the flash for every photo. That said, the Mini 12 fired the flash far more than I would have liked, but perhaps my dream of a good low light Instax camera is just that. Whatever the case the Mini 12 is certainly a step up when it comes to flash handling. + +Some things remain the same. The lens is still a 2 element plastic lens (60mm f/12 equivalent). There is no focusing. Everything is auto exposure. If this camera has a motto it would be: keep it simple. There's also still the little mirror on the front for framing your selfies. + +The one thing I don't particularly like about the Instax 12 is the look. The body is in the same vein as the Mini 11, with a kind of Bob Ross, fluffy fluffy cloud vibe to both the shape and range of available colors. It's fun and playful and I can see why Fuji uses it, it turns the camera into a very friendly, approachable object. It screams *this is easy and fun*. + +For those like me, wanting something more, well, camera-like, there is always the [Instax Mini 40 ($100)](https://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Instax-Mini-Instant-Camera/dp/B091D8C7RC) (or if you feel like splurging, the [Mini 90 ($205)](https://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-Instax-Mini-Neo-Classic/dp/B00FR85IRK/)—see our [guide to instant cameras](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-instant-cameras/) for more options). + +### The App + +To go along with the Mini 12 Fujifilm has released a new app called Instax Up. The app is free for Android and iOS. The key function is that it will "scan" (um, photograph) your Instax prints, allowing you to store and share them online. If you have photos in any other Instax apps, you can import them to Instax Up so everything is in one place. + +Once an image is in the app you can edit it with a few simple controls, add notes, even geotag it using a map. If you amass a sizeable collection of scans you can filter and search by Instax film type, date scanned, or any tags you've added. You can also share the image to any other app on your phone. + +Sigh. So yes, now you can post even your Instax selfies on Instagram. So much for the tangible. I get it, I get it. I am old and curmudgeonly. Fujifilm no doubt has a boatload of market research to prove the intelligence of this move. Me, I deleted the app as soon as I had proved to myself that it worked as advertised. + +In my world, Instax prints are something you stick on the wall, with tape. And they stay there until the sun bleaches those moments back to nothing, leaving us only the cool of the evening and those memories we etched in our minds. + +Whatever the cause the Mini 12 is the cheapest, easiest way to enter the Instax world and it remains my top pick for anyone who wants a dead simple, incredibly fun camera. + + + +## Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 Review + +Dell's XPS 13 laptops are some of our favorites. The latest version did not wow us like past releases, but the XPS line remains thin, light, powerful enough, and an all-round good deal for a premium laptop. + +For years now Dell has produced a convertible, 2-in-1 version of the XPS 13 that was essentially the laptop verion, but with a 36-degree hinge. This year, however, Dell has done something different with the 2-in-1, offering a detachable keyboard with a tablet screen that has more in common with the Surface Pro 9 than the XPS 13 laptop. + +In some ways the XPS 13 2-in-1 bests the Surface Pro at its own game, but in other, potentially important ways it does not. + +### tk What Works + +I've been testing Dell XPS 13s for seven years now. I even bought one years ago (the last developer edition with a nose cam alas) but my first impression of the new 2-in-1 version was: this is not an XPS 13. After weeks of using it, I still stand by that. There is much to like here, but thinking of this as an XPS 13 does this hybrid laptop-tablet a disservice. This is something else entirely. + +Dell sells the XPS 13 2-in-1 in a variety of configurations, starting at $1,049, but that does not get you the keyboard folio, which is a $100 add-on. You definitely want the keyboard too, without it the XPS 13 is considerably less useful (mostly do to Windows 11's tablet limitations). + +Call the starting price $1,149 then. That gets you an Intel Core i5, 8 gigabytes of RAM and a 256-gigabyte SSD. The configuration I tested had the i5 processor, but bumped the RAM to 16 gigabytes and the SSD to 512 gigabytes, which brings your total price to $1,299 (including the folio Keyboard). For reference a similarly specced Microfot Surface Pro 9 would set you back $1,399 and would only have a 256 gigabyte SSD. Fully decked out the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 with an i7 chip, 1 terabyte SSD, folio keyboard and stylus is $1,699 to the fully decked out Surface 9's $2,600 (though the Surface would have 32 gigabytes of RAM, which is not an option on the Dell). + +The XPS is the clear winner when it comes to price, but there are some trade offs. + +The XPS lacks the Surface's kickstand-style design, which allows you to rest the screen at any angle you like. The XPS 13 is held up by the folio, which slides down the back of the tablet, locking in place with magnets. That means it's limited to only those angles where there are magnets. The most obvious is the first, the angle you'd want for typing at a desk. After that you have to slowly slide the folio down until you feel it lock in place. In the end there are three possible angles (that I could find anyway), but switching between them is a not simple like it is with the Surface. + +As with any folio-style keyboard typing in your lap is awkward, but possible. I wrote most of this review with it balanced in my lap. That said, if you primary want to type with this in your lap, I have a device for you: it's called a laptop. + +Typing on the Dell folio keyboard is not unlike typing on the XPS 13 Plus ([7/10 WIRED Review](https://www.wired.com/review/dell-xps-13-plus/)). The keypress is shallower than an ordinary laptop, but still deep enough that feel like you pressed something and the response is springy in a satisfying way. One thing to note, this keyboard does not tilt like the Surface Pro. + +The other thing to consider here is that, given that most of us do want a keyboard, pairing a 1.6 pound tablet with a 1.26 pound keyboard give you a 2.8 pound device. The Dell XPS 13 laptop weighs 2.6 pounds and has a screen that can be adjusted to any angle. The main reason I can see to pick this over the laptop is for those who primarily want a Windows tablet. + +When it comes to performance the 2-in-1 XPS 13 proved curiously powerful, considering its thermal limitations. In fact, it scored better in the Geekbench test suite than the XPS 13 laptop I briefly tested last year. In theory these are the same chip, and given the fanless design of the 2-in-1 I would expect *worse* performance. And yet, in benchmarks it came out slightly ahead. In real world use I did not struggle or encounter a long to lag. And I spend most of my time in Windows using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which is notoriously heavy on the CPU. + +Suffice to say that performance of the i5 model, which uses a 12th-generation Intel U-Series processor, is good enough for most of the use cases in which you'd want a hybrid device like this. If you're thinking you want this for video editing, you are wrong, you do not. Nor is it a good gaming setup. But for browsing the web, working with documents, even editing very large spreadsheets, the XPS 13 was plenty snappy. + +XPS 13 2-in-1 comes with a very different, and in my view much nicer, display from its laptop sibling. Like the Surface Pro it uses a 3:2 ration screen with a 2880 x 1920 pixel screen. With 500 nits of brightness, it works great outdoors and is plenty sharp. Dell also says there's support for DisplayHDR 400 and Dolby Vision, which you won't find in the XPS 13 laptop. It's also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and its a touchscreen (it also works with the sold-separately pen) + +Another place that the tablet XPS 13 outshines its laptop sibling is the webcam, which is a 5MP camera which streams very nice 1080p video. I'd really love to see this camera in the regular laptop. + +Dell XPS 13s have never had many ports and every year we seem to get fewer. Like the XPS 13 laptop, the 2-in-1 has just two Thunderbolt 4 ports. You do get adapters for any USB A devices and a 3.5mm headphone jack, but seriously Dell, just build a headphone jack into the device. + +Probably the biggest disappointment of the XPS 13 2-in-1 is battery life. In our standard local video playback battery test I got only 6 hours 43 minutes of battery life. In real life use I didn't ever manage to get through a workday without plugging in. Battery life is only marginally worse than the Surface Pro, so it's not bad for a Windows tablet, but it's a far cry from what you get from even an average laptop. + +The final thing I will note is that so far there is no developer edition of the 2-in-1 with Ubuntu Linux install by default. I was able to install and run Arch Linux without any major issues, but you might run into some hardware compatibility issues with older Linux Kernels. Touch support varies considerably across Linux desktops, but in my experience it's generally no worse than Windows, which isn't that great. + + + + + + + + + + + ## Fujifilm X-T5 Review The Fujifilm X-T5 is the best camera the company has ever made and, for the right photographer, it might be the best camera you can buy right now. @@ -1467,7 +1526,7 @@ Not everything can be controlled with dials. You'll still want to get into the m Finally, it's worth noting that this camera has a new battery system, which is frankly excellent, but as part of it there is no way to put a battery grip on the X-T5. I have never felt the need for a battery grip on any camera and definitely didn't on the X-T5, but if that's something you swear by, no that you aren't getting it here. -In the end what made me like that X-T5 so much is that it's a rather opinionated camera, but one that shares my opinions -- autofocus is nice, but not necessary, all important settings should be dials, and what really matters is that undefinable something extra you see in the results. The only place the X-T5 and I part ways is that I want all that in a rangefinder body like the X-Pro or X-E series cameras. In the mean time though, the X-T5 is mighty tempting and as good as it gets for Fujifilm photographers. +In the end what made me like that X-T5 so much is that it's a rather opinionated camera, but one that shares my opinions—autofocus is nice, but not necessary, all important settings should be dials, and what really matters is that undefinable something extra you see in the results. The only place the X-T5 and I part ways is that I want all that in a rangefinder body like the X-Pro or X-E series cameras. In the mean time though, the X-T5 is mighty tempting and as good as it gets for Fujifilm photographers. -- cgit v1.2.3-70-g09d2