We’re tech journalists. We have a lot of opinions. Throughout the year, we’re constantly trying out new products, and trust us — we’re a hard crowd to please. So if we really like something, it’s probably good! That’s why we’ve assembled a list of our favorite things, spanning computer accessories, headphones, productivity apps, and odd little knick-knacks.
Sure, we can be tough critics at times. But we’re in this gig because we truly love technology, and every once in a while, we stumble upon an app, gadget, or piece of hardware that we’re dying to talk about. Our recommendations aren’t your typical gift guide fare — everyone already knows that AirTags are useful! — but we’re hoping that we can help you find something a little different and delightful. Whether you’re looking for the satisfaction of setting up your own at-home media server, or if you’re trying to stay cool in a crowded subway, we’re sure you’ll find something you like.
These open ear, bone conduction earphones allow me to listen to music while running but they don’t cover or insert in the ears, so I can still hear the environment: bikes wanting to pass, cars or people behind me, etc. They deliver shockingly good sound quality (pun intended) without having to fuss about getting them in a perfect spot on the outer ear. They work great with sunglasses and a hat, all adjacent to each other. And they don’t leave me with that uncomfortable am-I-losing-my hearing feeling from earbuds that pipe sound directly into the ear canal.
A Brain.fm subscription is the perfect gift for the easily distracted. It’s a streaming service that plays scientifically engineered music – with no distracting lyrics – that helps my scattered mind stop bouncing between tasks and stay focused. Extra points for the timer function so I can combine it with the Pomodoro Technique!
Hank Green’s Focus Friend is Google Play’s app of the year – and it’s also one of my favorite finds. It’s the perfect balance of silly and useful to keep me focused, and the free version is enough to get started, but as a gift, I’d recommend splurging on the lifetime version.
The Omnilux Contour is one of my favorite things. It’s a red-light therapy mask that reduces redness, improves overall skin texture and tone, and is supposed to also reduce wrinkles (but I haven’t been using it that long to see whether that’s true). It’s cordless so I can walk around and do stuff and the charge lasts for a really long time. I keep it at my desk and can use it while I check emails in the morning.
If there’s one tool I can’t live without, it’s Audio Hijack, a Mac app from Rogue Amoeba. Like many people, I spend a lot of time on calls, and because I’m a journalist, I almost always record them. (With consent, of course!) Audio Hijack makes recording audio from any source a snap, and I can limit what appears on the recording to a specific app — no more reminder dings popping up in the background. I typically send audio from my mic to one channel and that of my source to another. That way if we’re talking over each other, I can isolate one or the other channel to figure out what was said. And with inline transcription and the security of local files, Audio Hijack has pretty much everything I need. Now if Apple would only make it easy for Rogue Amoeba to make an iPadOS or iOS version …
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Ozlo’s Sleepbuds are comfortable, if a bit pricey, earbuds designed for use specifically while sleeping. (They’re currently on sale for $274 but retail for $349, the website says).
Whether you need to mask outside noise, like street sounds, or closer disruptions like a snoring partner or noisy roommate, these earbuds can help light sleepers more easily get through the night without waking.
Of course, at this price point, Sleepbuds feel like a luxury — especially given there are more affordable solutions. You could just play music in your room or sleep with your AirPods on, for instance; but neither is ideal. The former won’t mask all the noise and the latter is uncomfortable and even painful. The Sleepbuds, however, offer squishy, soft in-ear earbuds that can stream a variety of built-in sleep sounds or music or audio from your smartphone.
Even if you’re a side sleeper or toss and turn, they don’t fall out, I found. You can also set the Sleepbuds to pause streaming when you fall asleep, which is great if your sleep issues are more around falling asleep than staying asleep. (This can be useful for those who like to doze off to audiobooks too!)
The product has not been perfect, I should warn. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth connection and streaming can be wonky at times and one earbud or the other sometimes doesn’t charge properly, requiring a device reset. Plus, if you’re streaming via Bluetooth, the phone and Sleepbuds case have to be placed in close proximity for the best connection. The provided sleep sounds can load directly onto the buds themselves, which tends to work better. Still, the overall experience of finally being able to quiet the world — comfortably — and get some real sleep made them a worthwhile purchase for me.
My favorite gadget of 2025 is the neck fan from Kidee. Priced at $33.99 on Amazon, it has been a lifesaver for keeping me cool all year long, whether I’m power-walking in NYC during the summer heat or coming home from the gym on the crowded 4 train in the dead of winter. It’s fairly quiet, with just a low hum on the first setting. I’ve even had people approach me, mistaking it for the latest pair of headphones. It’s the gadget I never knew I needed, and now I won’t leave home without it.
I can’t recommend buying your own network-attached storage (NAS) box enough. If it doesn’t change your life, it’ll certainly save you money. Synology and Western Digital are decent places to start. A NAS box isn’t just a glorified internet-connected hard drive that lives in your closet; it doubles as its own self-hosting server that can run your own apps, services, and data at home. You can host your own recipe planner, news tracker, photo gallery, to-do lists, and more. You can set up an ad-blocker to cover every device on your home Wi-Fi network; install your own at-home media streaming platform; and create, edit, and store your personal documents with free alternatives to Google Docs and Microsoft Office. Plus, if you want, you can access your data from anywhere in the world using a secure VPN that only you control. NAS devices are designed to make it easy for most users to get started. Sure, things can sometimes get a little technical at times and may require searching forums and Reddit threads for answers, but you will learn things along the way, and that’s both fun and rewarding.
The BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 is objectively unnecessary — it also makes my monitor sag a bit under its premium weight — but the satisfyingly tactile touch controller and the vibe of looking like I’m running a cybersecurity operation from my bedroom make it worth every penny. (In reality, I mostly use it to feel like a hacker while writing stories way too late into the night.)
When the dread of winter set in last year, I made a purchase I was not proud of: an automatic page turner for my Kindle, along with a fluffy, circular pillow with a stand jutting out of it that holds up my Kindle in bed. I felt like this was bound to be a colossal waste of money – it was the kind of purchase you make when you’re craving dopamine, then never use. But one year later, I can confidently say that this thing rules, and it doesn’t only work for the Kindle. It comes with magnetic rings that let you equip basically any e-reader or tablet-sized device on the stand.
My Kindle stand and page-turner have become part of my nightly routine (at least, on nights when I can summon the willpower to prioritize sleep hygiene over playing Pokémon on my phone). I place my phone on my nightstand, turn on sleep mode, set my alarm, and then pivot to what I call “Kindle donut time,” since the Kindle stand is kind of shaped like a donut. I get under my heated blanket, grab my remote-control page turner, and read until I can’t keep my eyes open. This is a sacred experience. Long live Kindle donut time.
As someone who never really understood the appeal of candle warmers, I was gifted a SpaRoom this year and ended up really liking it. I like that there isn’t a fire risk with an open flame and that I can enjoy the scent of my candles without any smoke. Plus, as someone who hates “tunneling” in candles, I like that the wax melts evenly with a candle warmer. I also think there’s a stronger and more consistent scent when using a candle warmer as opposed to lighting the wick.
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