Samsung Galaxy S8
In a year when going bezel-less was the hottest smartphone trend around,Samsung's Galaxy S8 did it best. There's no notches or cutouts to distract from that gorgeous display, and the remaining slivers of bezel are nicely balanced, giving the phone a stately, poised sort of look. On top of that, the S8's dual-pixel camera has the fastest autofocus you can find in a phone, and with a price tag that's $400 less than an iPhone X, it almost seems cheap! I just wish Samsung made better use of the S8's bonus button, instead of reserving it solely for Bixby.
Sony WH-1000XM2
People think Bose makes the best noise-cancelling headphones. Sorry, Bose. It's Sony now. These wireless cans are your new best friend on planes, trains, and in noisy offices since they block out all background noise while delivering impressive audio quality. The sturdy build quality and slick styling seem like an added bonus for a set of headphones that just work.
DJI Spark
Teeny, tiny drones used to be a joke. They'd get blown into the trees anytime a gentle breeze came through, and they couldn't deliver anything in terms of camera footage. The DJI Spark is a game-changer. Despite its size, this little quadcopter delivers almost all the same features as DJI's celebrated line of full-sized drones. Plus, it's fun as hell to fly.
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon
It's positively retro looking, but the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon isn't slow or dull. It's fast, with solid battery life. It's also super thin, and so light you will constantly forget you have it in your bag. And it's spill proof! Plus there is no laptop available that has a keyboard quite as nice to type on. But you really have to love the chunky plastic look, because this laptop ignores the design tenets Apple's popularized and stubbornly clings to an old school look. It should be obnoxious, but boy is it charming.
Nebia Shower
The Nebia Shower System is not just a smart shower, but very much a product born of Silicon Valley. With money from tech celebrities Tim Cook and Eric Schmidt, Nebia found a way to significantly reduce water waste while simultaneously rethinking how a shower's supposed to feel. Standing underneath the Nebia shower head is like bathing in a thick, fluffy mist. It's the perfect way to wash away a night of stress-reading Twitter. But be warned, curious minds: The Nebia is best suited for either warm apartments or summer months. If your home always feels too cold, or if you rely on underpowered steam technology to stay warm, at times you may find the Nebia doesn't feel hot enough. If you live in a modern apartment building, or far away from the bitter chills of New York, you should be fine.
Intel Optane Memory
It was just two years ago that Intel and Micron Technology announced an entirely new form of computer memory that was non-volatile like flash, but nearly as fast as DRAM. The tech has since been limited to storage devices that cost thousands of dollars. Intel Optane memory is the first attempt to employ the tech at a level priced for people like you and me and it's been worth the wait. The stick, which ranges in price from $45 to over $70 depending on storage size, lets you speed up old hard drives, sometimes giving them twice the speed. That's a handy speed bump for a cost of dinner and a movie.
Google Pixelbook
This is the laptop I think about at night . It's the one I recommend to my friends, suddenly becoming a Chrome OS advocate despite not really liking Chrome OS in its current state. This is a laptop that will convert you if you're not careful, because this is easily the best hardware released this year. Nothing is as balanced and slim. The two tone glass and aluminum finish looked bland on the Pixel 2, but looks stunning on the Pixelbook . Yes, the pen costs extra, and the lag when drawing means this still isn't the 2-in-1 for you if you fancy yourself an artist, but if you're a writer pondering an iPad Pro than skip the iPad and get the Pixelbook instead. You won't regret it.
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