Latest review · Wearables · Oct 12, 2026
Colmi R09 review: can a $20 smart ring replace an Apple Watch at night?
Yes, if you're sure of your size. The $20 Colmi R09 smart ring matched my Apple Watch Ultra's sleep data for a week, with no subscription. Colmi's own sizing guide sent me the wrong size.
7.0
My score after 1 weekout of 10
About this site
I sell for a living, and most of the day is calls. The monitors, earbuds, mics and watches here are the ones I bought for that job, scored after weeks on the desk, with the price I paid. How I test
News
All newsAnthropic's Claude Duet is an AI agent that messages you first. The preview is waitlist-only for US Pro and Max users.
Anthropic opened a research preview of Claude Duet on October 21. It sends a morning brief, checks your connected apps every few hours and asks before it sends, pays, signs or deletes anything. Waitlist only, for US Pro and Max plans.
Ray-Ban Meta's maker put a number on smart glasses for the first time: €486 million, up 20%. The quarter before, that line grew close to 100%.
EssilorLuxottica reported third-quarter revenue of €7,486 million on October 20, with wearables — AI glasses and Nuance Audio — at €486 million and growing 20%. Three months earlier the same line was near 100%. What a growth rate does and does not tell someone deciding whether to wear a pair to work.
iPadOS 27 puts the app you tapped last on the projector. If that app is your notes, the room sees your notes.
In iPadOS 27 an AirPlay display follows whichever app you touch most recently, instead of staying on the presentation. Reported on October 20. Apple has not said whether it is a bug or the new design, and there is no fix yet.
All reviews
By category
Colmi R09, the $20 smart ring
The sleep data matched my Apple Watch. Colmi’s sizing guide didn’t.WearablesTested 1 weekOct 12, 2026
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 after a month
Nobody in a client meeting has noticed the camera. Two things still hold them back.Smart glassesTested 4 weeksOct 12, 2026
Gawfolk GF005 after two weeks
Same brand as my main monitor, an unusual shape, and a very different score.MonitorsTested 2 weeksOct 11, 2026
Gawfolk GF270J after two weeks
Budget 4K at a refresh rate Macs rarely get. Two weeks in, one thing I miss.MonitorsTested 2 weeksOct 11, 2026
SoloCast after three years
Three years of calls. Then I moved it 15 cm and people stopped hearing me.MicrophonesTested 3+ yearsOct 11, 2026
AirPods Pro 3 after 10 months and 3 pairs
Ten months, three pairs, and I still reach for them first.HeadphonesTested 10 monthsSep 29, 2026
Apple Watch Ultra (1st gen) after watchOS 27
Apple dropped it from watchOS 27. That changes who should buy one used.WearablesTested 10 monthsSep 29, 2026
Buying guides
All guidesAirPods Pro 3 settings to change for work calls and travel (iOS 27)
Stop them jumping from your Mac to your iPhone, mute from the stem, turn on Voice Isolation and run the seal test. Then the iOS 27 equalizer and the battery setting to switch off before a long flight.HeadphonesOct 22, 2026Gawfolk GF270J vs GF005: I own both, and only one of them is worth buying
Buy the $299.99 Gawfolk GF270J, and buy two of them if you want two screens. The $149.99 GF005 is dimmer, slower, and often isn't recognized until you replug it.MonitorsOct 22, 2026How to buy a cheap monitor from a brand you've never heard of: the five checks, and the one nobody makes
Check five things, above all whether it reliably wakes up — the one no spec sheet lists. I bought two monitors from one unknown brand: one scored 8, one 4.MonitorsOct 22, 2026How to choose a monitor: the nine specs, in the order that matters
Decide in this order: resolution and size, panel, brightness, refresh rate. More is not always better — my main monitor is rated at exactly 350 nits and it's fine.MonitorsOct 22, 2026Your iPhone has the better camera. That isn't what decides whether you need a webcam.
Continuity Camera gives your Mac a better camera than any $200 webcam, free. The catch is your phone. The fix is the iPhone already in your drawer.—Oct 22, 202627-inch or 32-inch monitor for a Mac? Size, resolution and the settings that make each one sharp
Buy a 27-inch 4K for most Mac desks, especially if you run two screens. Go 32-inch only with 4K or 6K, never 1440p, and set macOS to 3008 x 1692 so text stays a normal size.MonitorsOct 21, 2026Which Apple Watch to buy in 2026: SE 3, Series 12 or Ultra 4?
Buy the $449 Series 12 in 46mm. It's thin enough to sleep in and has Apple's new heart sensor. The $249 SE 3 covers Apple Pay and Mac unlock. Pay for an Ultra only for two-day battery.WearablesOct 20, 2026How to set up two monitors with a MacBook in 2026: which Macs can, which cables, and should one go vertical?
Any M4 or M5 MacBook drives two external monitors with the lid open. Give each screen its own cable, skip cheap dual-HDMI hubs, and put the second one in portrait only if it's for chat and email.MonitorsOct 19, 2026Best smart glasses for work in 2026: Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, Gen 3, Audio, Display or Even G2?
Buy the $379 Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 for a strong call mic and a camera in frames you can wear to a client meeting. When the $449 Gen 3, the camera-free $349 Audio, the $599 Even G2 or the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display is the better buy.Smart glassesOct 21, 2026Best microphone for video calls in 2026: USB mic, earbuds or boom arm?
Keep any mic within 15 cm of your mouth. At a desk, buy the $59.99 HyperX SoloCast 2 or a $149 Shure MV6 on a boom arm. On the road, which earbuds sound best on calls.MicrophonesOct 21, 2026Best earbuds for work calls and travel in 2026: AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 5, Sony or Samsung?
On an iPhone, buy the $249 AirPods Pro 3 with AppleCare. On Android, the $249 Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. When the $149 AirPods 5 are enough, and who should pay $330 for Sony's WF-1000XM6.HeadphonesOct 21, 2026Best monitor for a MacBook Pro in 2026: picks at $300, $700 and $1,599
Buy a 27-inch 4K that runs at 120Hz or faster. I work 15-hour days on a $300 one. When 5K, OLED or Apple's Studio Display is worth paying more for.MonitorsOct 20, 2026Best sleep tracker in 2026: ring, band or watch?
Wear a ring to bed. Start with the $20 Colmi R09, then move to a $349 RingConn Gen 3 if it sticks. How Oura, Whoop, Fitbit Air and Apple Watch compare on price, battery and subscriptions.WearablesOct 13, 2026HomeView or HomePod mini 2: which Apple home device to preorder
Buy the $149 HomePod mini 2 if you want a speaker for your Mac or a room. Pay $299 for the tabletop HomeView only if you want Siri AI on a screen from day one. Skip the wall model.—Oct 21, 2026
Field notes
All notesBuilding with AI without outsourcing taste
Where I let AI do the work, where I only let it help, and how I tell the two apart.
The outbound system that helped double revenue
Four years of building and fixing outbound at two B2B SaaS companies, and what each step did to the numbers.
How I built a SaaS alone and shipped it to the App Store
Seven apps that didn't talk to each other, one codebase for web and iOS, and eleven days of App Store review.
For brands
How review units workIf you make desk gear, email me what it is. I’ll tell you how I’d test it and whether it fits this desk. You read the review when everyone else does.