Month: June 2018

How to Build Your Own PC, and Why You Should (Part 1)

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The average Joe looks at a computer and sees a single device that’s equally capable of performing an infinite number of tasks. They know that some computers are faster than others. But what they don’t know, is that most consumer PCs are configured based on margins and ease of manufacturing, and their capabilities vary dramatically.

On a typical $500 pc from Dell or Acer, you can absolutely launch a game, stumble through editing some photographs or video, and lurch around the interwebs. What you may not realize, is that for that same $500, you could fine tune a custom built computer, that sacrifices in areas that aren’t important to you, in order to have a gaming powerhouse, a lithe living room PC, or an editing behemoth.

Read moreHow to Build Your Own PC, and Why You Should (Part 1)

A Normal Person’s Guide to Becoming an Audiophile (Part 1)

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Note: Byte Gremlin uses Affiliate Links, which generate income to help support the site.

For most of us, headphones are just another piece of tech junk that happens to emit sound. But for true sound nuts, headphones are less devices, and more of a religious calling. These people will spend thousands on audio gear, upgrading again and again, looking for tiny sometimes subjective (or even imaginary) improvements to the quality of their music. I long ago slipped into this most deadly of gadget holes.

But this guide is for those of you on the outside looking in. My years of audio gadget insanity have taught me where to spend to get the most bang for your buck. I’ve got recommendations on headphones and their “accessories,” ranging from the total audio novice, to truly high-end sound lovers who just want to know where to draw the line on “good enough.” I’ve even outlined what I believe to be the perfect “spare no expense” setup. Jump to the bottom for thoughts on sound file quality, external processing boxes, and an answer to the endlessly asked question: “Do cables matter?”

Read moreA Normal Person’s Guide to Becoming an Audiophile (Part 1)

VR: How to Jump In and What to Play First

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Note: Byte Gremlin uses Affiliate Links, which generate income to help support the site.

UPDATE:

In 2019, we’ve got three main options from the leaders in the VR industry that have shifted my recommendations. Check out the Gremlin’s thoughts on what to buy and why.

In early 2016,  I thought Virtual Reality was the ultimate example of technological over-invention. The idea of wearing a monitor on my face seemed awkward and absurd, the product of the Google Glass team trapped in a small room for a decade. I hated the idea of being locked away from the real world so viscerally, and was skeptical that the technology could convincingly transport me to another world.

Then I tried it.

Read moreVR: How to Jump In and What to Play First

Welcome

Let me start by telling you about myself. My name’s Charlie. I am one of the countless gremlins on the internet with an unhealthy obsession with technology. I suffer from gadget acquisition syndrome (props to whomever coined that).

As a byproduct of my illness, I have developed an unhealthy level of knowledge on technology’s greatest trends. VR? Check. Smart thermostats, cars, watches and sprinkler systems? Yup. Streaming ripped blu-rays across your home network and beyond? Uh-huh. Anything from that all too talked about fruit company? Definitely (in fact I worked there for a spell).

I’m the guy who visits The WireCutter on a regular basis just for fun (if you don’t already know what that is, you should). I’ve developed a habit of examining regular household items and questioning their quality and design, and then scouring the web for something better—I’m giving my desk chair the stink-eye right now. Bottom line… If it’s a product category with cool toys, I’ve probably read up on it, played with it, and bought into it.

I’m creating this site with the intention of providing one guy’s thoroughly researched advice on various hot button areas of tech. This is not meant to be an unbiased review site, but rather a comprehensive look at different product categories with my point of view front and center, take it or leave it.

Today, I’m sharing/spreading my knowledge, opinions, and occasional technological pipedreams with you.

May this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.