BY JOWI MORALES NOV. 9, 2025 11:15 AM EST

Yarrrrrbright/Shutterstock
Karan Singhal, OpenAI's Head of Health AI, debunked a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter) saying "ChatGPT will no longer provide health or legal advice." The original poster was likely talking about OpenAI's update on its usage policies in late October, which included the provision that prevents its services from being used for "tailored advice that requires a license, such as legal or medical advice, without appropriate involvement by a licensed professional." However, Singhal said that this isn't new and has always been in OpenAI's terms of service, except that it was placed under a subsection for developers.

Aside from that, the policy states that it's the user who's not allowed to use ChatGPT without guidance from a licensed expert. This meant that the AI would still give medical or legal advice, but it's up to you to find a licensed professional to check its answer and help you understand it. Singhal himself says it in his post: "ChatGPT has never been a substitute for professional advice, but it will continue to be a great resource to help people understand legal and health information."

ChatGPT can be a useful tool for helping you understand things, and it also has several features that make it so much more powerful. However, you should not trust it 100% of the time, as it can also make mistakes and errors. This is especially true for something as important as your health or freedom.

How to ensure ChatGPT isn't lying to you

Nwz/Shutterstock
AI models are getting more powerful as tech companies develop them further, but they're also getting worse hallucinations at the same time. These are one of the reasons why you shouldn't trust ChatGPT 100% of the time, especially for things that might have a material impact on your life.

In fact, there have already been several examples of lawyers falling for hallucinations, dreamt up by their AI tool, making it into their legal briefs. It has gotten so bad that one judge is even considering sanctions against lawyers who have improperly used ChatGPT or other similar LLMs. And while AI can provide general medical information, it still cannot replace a doctor who can provide a more complete assessment backed by years of experience. Aside from that, these chatbots will often give you what you want to hear and sometimes skip information that, although true, is unpleasant.

Nevertheless, that does not mean you cannot use ChatGPT or its other AI counterparts for research. However, it's just a tool, so you should not let it do the thinking for you. One way you can ensure that it's giving you the correct answers is to ask for its sources. You should then check them out so you can see the data for yourself, allowing you to gauge whether what ChatGPT says is true or not. Alternatively, you can find a reliable source and ask the AI LLM to explain it to you — that way, you know that the information you're getting is already accurate to begin with.

RECOMMENDED
NEXT UP
TECHNOLOGY
OLD TECH PRODUCTS WORTH THOUSANDS THAT MAY BE HIDING IN YOUR ATTIC
BY JAMES HYDZIK FEB. 23, 2025 5:15 PM EST

Brendt A Petersen/Shutterstock
A while back, somebody didn't have the heart to throw away that old whatever-it-is, or sell it, and it's been collecting dust for years. That old box, though, could be worth thousands, or at least hundreds, to collectors and aficionados of old electronic equipment.

By now, this equipment likely needs some care, so don't just plug it in and turn it on. While a game tape for an early Commodore computer might still be a plug-and-play item, most of these have mechanical or electrical parts that have aged over the years. Belts turn brittle, gears get gummed up, and capacitors leak. If you don't have experience with the item, be careful about turning it on, especially if it has vacuum tubes or transmits sound or video. The physical condition of your treasure will play a part as well.

How much you can get for your item varies greatly based on a lot of factors. If it comes with the shipping box and manuals, it's worth more. A rodent-chewed power cable isn't usually considered a problem, but chewed components can be. Cracking the cover on an old turntable might have gotten your dad grounded 50 years ago, but now it's not helping the resale value one bit. Don't try to clean up the item, though, unless you know what you're doing, as you can accidentally remove markings or stain the unit.

Radios and TVs

PitukTV/Shutterstock
With radios being manufactured for over 100 years, there are still plenty sitting in attics. There are different types of them. Some come in wooden cases, while others are metal or even plastic. Very old AM radios came in wooden cases and looked more like furniture than what we think of as a radio today. Pieces from Atwater Kent can reach $1000, though many are in the $100 range.

Older amateur radio and military comms gear can easily fetch thousands of dollars. Transmitters and receivers from the Collins radio company with tubes in them can fetch $500-$2,000, depending on the model. Radios with transistors can be worth a lot, too. Solid-state radio gear from the 1990s does not attract the same attention as audio equipment from Marantz, but ICOM's IC-781 and R-9000 can fetch four figures — if the screens work.

If your attic find can transmit, then extra care is needed. Whether it has tubes or transistors, leaving it in transmit mode can heat the radio up and even "let the smoke out," which sounds picturesque, but is smelly, possibly dangerous, and definitely will deplete its value.

Audio equipment

Sebastian Nizan/Wikimedia Commons
Old high-end audio equipment still has a beautiful sound and a following that is willing to pay handsomely for it. While the furniture radios mentioned above were mostly for show, serious audiophile equipment was expensive because it was built to excel and still can decades later. Like radio equipment, though, time has taken a toll on components such as tubes, capacitors, and belts. Unlike a ham radio transmitter, if you let the smoke out, you probably won't start a fire, but you might fry transistors that can't easily be replaced today — if at all.

Amplifiers, pre-amps, tuners, and turntables all have the possibility of being worth over a thousand dollars. McIntosh has been in business since 1949, and its MC275 amp can reach $5,000 or more, depending on the version, and still produces gorgeous sound today. Turntables from the 1970s and 1980s from BSR, Technics such as the SL-1200 can reach over $1,000. The one high-end audio component to not stand the test of time is usually the speakers. The cones become brittle or worn and break apart. Survivors can have some value, and the cabinet can be worth saving.

Video gear

Dillan Payne/Wikimedia Commons
There are several kinds of electronic video gear that can bring in over $500. Some of them are still film-focused, while others are all-digital. VCRs can capture a lot of attention. This holds for both VHS and Beta (especially the Super Betamax series), and while we won't enter into the classic '80s dogfight over which is better and why Beta, just remember that both Sony and Pioneer models can be worth something, not to mention the higher-end pieces. Video disc players and the discs themselves are also worth a lot. The Pioneer HLD series laser disc players fetch up to $2,000. Some early DVD players fit the bill, and VHS and Beta tapes are starting to rise in value, too.

As replacement parts become increasingly scarce, the utility of these old devices is diminishing. Along with electrical components, many of these machines have small belts that fray or break, transporter mechanisms that stop working, and power cables that rot. However, you can turn them on and get them to work without worrying about frying the equipment.

Photo equipment

Jared C. Benedict/Wikimedia Commons
In a time of 60-megapixel cell phone cameras, you would be forgiven for thinking that a 0.3 MP digital camera would be worthless. The earliest ones are actually worth a lot of money, and cameras such as the Nikon CoolPix 100 can bring in up to $700 if it is in excellent condition. Polaroid made the PDC series of cameras, which can go for $200-300.

There are also entries from Apple called QuickTake, which are usually worth $100-$200, though one still wrapped and new in the box sold for $2,000. Checking one of these out to make sure that they work will be easier than testing much of the other equipment that we have covered here, but pay attention to the batteries, and don't be surprised if proprietary ones are difficult to find nowadays.

As with aging film cameras, look at the lens for fungus or lens separation. The latter looks like a cloudiness along the outer edge of the lens. This occurs when two elements in a lens begin to become disconnected. Fungus can be taken care of to a degree, but lens separation is more difficult to handle. Both will affect the price.

Test equipment

Arkananta Kirvisana/Shutterstock
Electronic test equipment such as oscilloscopes can also be of value because some people are looking for analog devices in particular. Other people are recreating setups that they had at work long ago. For them, gear from companies such as Tektronix and Hewlett-Packard, in particular, are very interesting. Some people prefer older tube gear, and analog test equipment can be used to check analog signals.

These devices are often among the high-precision machines of their era, so be careful with them, as you could knock something out of alignment. Also, CRT tubes and, if old enough, paper capacitors, die with age. The former leaks air in; the latter leaks electrolytic out. The results, like with old radios, can be smoky or crackly, so turning them on very carefully and being ready to react if something goes wrong is important. Having someone who knows what they're doing is vital before you start trying to use the equipment.

One thing to look for if you find test equipment would be accessories. These could be cables with plugs for specific gear or even separate boxes that, when connected, provide additional functions. They will also add to the value of your find.

Computer and calculating equipment

Cynde Moya/Wikimedia Commons
Old computer gear from a company such as Apple often makes the news when a rare piece is found. But companies such as Commodore also produced equipment that is sought after. Sometimes these could be as simple as a monitor, as the monitors for the C-64 and C-128 sell for hundreds of dollars. Then there is the SX-64, which was the first portable color computer. These go on eBay for $300-$1000 depending on the condition of the unit.

Computers are only one type of calculating machine that can bring in hundreds or thousands of dollars. Calculators from the 1970s can be worth that much, Hewlett-Packard calculators, in particular, can be worth hundreds, but if you go to check one out, remember that the old HPs take Reverse Polish Notation, in which you enter the numbers you will work with, and then the operation last. Forgetting this might lead you to think that your calculator is broken.

Games and game systems

Photology1971/Shutterstock
Old Game Boy and Atari cartridges, as well as those for computers, cause a stir when a rare item goes up for sale. A rare game went for $10,000 in 2021. Arcade video games from the 1980s, such as "PacMan," also command a premium. What most people don't think of is how pinball machines also incorporate electronics. By the 1980s, pinball machines were heavily electrified, and the boards that ran them were scarce — and therefore valuable.

One thing to check with the items that have moving parts is the condition of the controls. From mechanical flippers on pinball machines to controls on video games or even the casing on the work, these moving parts are increasingly unavailable over time.

If you do find an old video game system, remember to look for cartridges or other media, as they are often overlooked. There is little that can go wrong with them, so don't be afraid to put in a round or two of "Frogger" before you put it on an auction site!

Recording devices

David162se/Wikimedia Commons
There is actually a lot of collector demand for both audio and video recording. From old-school reel-to-reel recording and playback machines from Sony as well as Nakamichi's cassette recorders that sell for $2,000, there is something about tape that people love. Several video camera models are worth a couple of hundred of dollars. These are mostly from the late 1990s and early 2000s, and some are still used in cinematography these days. This includes items such as the Sony MiniDV cameras, which can fetch $100-200. There are both analog and digital items among them.

Like film cameras, the issues to look at include dead batteries and lens issues such as fungus and lens separation. Lens issues are an even bigger problem with these, but they also have the complexity of DVD and other players, as they have tape transport devices and moving parts that can become brittle and break.

RECOMMENDED
NEXT UP
TECHNOLOGY
7 OF THE MOST USEFUL USB GADGETS YOU CAN BUY ON AMAZON
BY MAX MILLER FEB. 8, 2025 10:15 PM EST

BenQ
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Is there anything more satisfying than a gadget? Human evolution was predicated on the creation of tools that become extensions of us, and we've never stopped making little devices that improve our lives. Maybe that's why the perfect little gizmo scratches an itch deep within us. Just as our ancient ancestors made tools and shared their designs with others, we still love to show our friends and family a cool new gadget that makes our lives even 1% easier. The difference is that our ancestors couldn't buy their gadgets on Amazon with two-day shipping. We can.

Another thing primitive societies didn't have is the USB interface. Thanks to its multiple capabilities such as data transfer and charging, the Universal Serial Bus has enabled the rise of countless gadgets that work seamlessly with our computers and smartphones. And to bring everything full circle, you can buy some of the most useful USB gadgets on Amazon. Just as our rapidly evolving ancestors guided each other through toolmaking to navigate a hostile world, I will guide you through some of the most useful gadgets for sale on the world's largest e-retailer, which is basically the same thing. To make this list, these products had to be practical for a wide variety of people. However, they also had to have some element of fun or pleasurability, an element of product design far too often forgotten in the modern world. It doesn't matter how useful a gadget is if it's unpleasant to use. So, here are seven of the most useful gadgets you can buy on Amazon.

Shure MVX2U Audio Interface

Shure
To exist online in the 2020s is to exist in a world of audio and video content. If you want to make content for TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, you'll need a good microphone. The problem is, most good microphones use an XLR connection, an analog connector meant for music studios, not phones and computers. To make them work, you need to choose an audio interface, which is a device that converts analog audio signals into digital ones while routing power into the microphone and more. However, most audio interfaces are about the size of a brick, and are meant to be kept on a desk. That's where the Shure MVX2U comes in. It's an audio interface that fits in the palm of your hand and attaches to the stem of an XLR microphone, giving you a USB-C digital connection that can attach to a computer or mobile device for professional audio quality on the go.

I've had an MVX2U for a while, and the only downside is that I keep losing it. Recording high quality interviews and other speaking content is a breeze, since all I need is my phone and microphone. The MVX2U snaps into place right on the microphone, so it's almost like it's not even there. In addition to the USB-C output, the MVX2U has a 3.5mm headphone jack for monitoring, and there are companion apps for mobile and desktop to give you more controls. It's so simple and easy to use that it's even easier to forget how incredible it is that Shure packed a whole audio interface into this thing. $130 is a tough but overall fair price, and if you work with microphones regularly, you'll definitely find a use for it.

BenQ ScreenBar Halo monitor light

BenQ
If you do a lot of work at a desktop computer, you know how awful eye strain can be. There are other annoyances, too, such as not being able to see what's on your desk because you've got a monitor shining in your eyes. However, a good monitor light bar can alleviate those issues and others. These nifty lamps clip onto the top of your monitor and shine a light downward. However, a poor quality monitor light bar can shine onto your display, causing glare. Luckily, the BenQ ScrenBar Halo comes from a company known for its color accurate monitors and has been consistently well reviewed for its ability to accurately direct light away from your screen.

The ScreenBar Halo has several benefits that justify its admittedly high price tag of $179. First, it uses a wireless and ergonomically angled control panel, with the light itself connected on a single USB connector. This means you won't have to reach up and fiddle with the bar itself to turn it on or off, which could wobble it around and ruin its positioning. Second, it includes a bias light that shines from the back of the display. This is important because if you're using a bright monitor in front of a dark wall, your eyes get tired from the continuous contrast. A lack of bias lighting can even cause tension headaches (I currently have one on while writing this). And, in addition to relieving strain, bias light can cause you to perceive more contrast (the difference between the lightest and darkest areas of an image) in your monitor. Whether you're a workaholic or a video gamer, this is a great addition to your setup.

Samsung T9 Portable SSD

Samsung
Did you know that Skrillex once lost an entire album because someone stole his laptop from a hotel room in Italy? Or that streaming services like Max have deleted entire series such as "Westworld" from catalogs? It's more important than ever to keep backups of your most important files or beloved entertainment on a physical backup drive. But even then, things can get hairy. I've learned the hard way by losing important files that not all SSDs are made equal, and cheaper ones will get corrupted if you so much as look at them wrong (yes, I'm talking about you, SanDisk Extreme). After that particular debacle, I put my money where my tech expertise is and finally ponied up for a couple of Samsung T9 SSDs.

Simply put, the T9 is an SSD that is known to have low failure rates. Other design elements help, too. Unlike the SanDisk Extreme's rubberized coating, which does very little for impact absorption, the T9 has a thick, drop resistant rubber jacket around the outside. Unlike many cheaper options, the T9 also has a built-in cooling system to help enable its jaw-dropping 2,000MB per-second read/write speeds over a USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface (if that sounds like Klingon to you, here's our explainer on the difference between USB 2.0 and 3.0 generations). It's one of the fastest portable SSDs you can buy.

Here's a tip: the T9 commands a hefty price tag, so you should look for sales and deals. Samsung will often have the best deals — along with a steep discount, I got a free 128 GB SD card and reader for free with my T9 — but Amazon offers them from time to time, too.

Yomile Rechargeable Air Duster and Vacuum

Yomile
Do you have pets whose hair all over your workspace reminds you of how much they love you? Or maybe you just enjoy snacking while you work, meaning the occasional stray crumb finds its way into your keyboard. Perhaps you regularly clean your computer and are sick of buying cans of compressed air. Whatever the reason for your dusty or dirty desk, a USB rechargeable air duster and vacuum combo is the perfect solution. The Yomile compressed air duster is a great solution. Having tried a few rechargeable air dusters, this one is the best in a few ways. Most importantly, it charges with a generic USB cable rather than a proprietary barrel connector so you won't be out of luck if you lose the included one.

Yomile offers this air duster in three different power configurations: 120,000, 150,000, or 250,000 RPM, ranging in price from $40 to $60. Of course, more rotations per minute means more blowing and sucking power, so the top-tier model is probably worth it for particularly stubborn hair, dust, or heavier particles. Purchasers who left reviews seem happiest with the high speed model ("My breathing almost stopped," said one customer who pointed it at themselves). Praise has also been left for the midrange option, which also has an LED light on the front so you can see what you're cleaning when you get up in the crevices of a computer case.

Waterproof USB rechargeable lighter

LcFun
Are you still using a fire based lighter like some sort of caveman? What you really need is a lighter fit for the 21st century — one that gets its refills from a computer, not from a butane canister. This LcFun Electric Dual Arc Lighter will likely serve you well, as it's one of the more fully featured versions of such a product. Not only does it recharge over USB-C, meaning you'll never have to buy fuel for it, but the tip of the lighter extends out on a gooseneck hose so you can get the heating element into tight places like the inside of a furnace or the bowl of a pipe.

Aside from the heating element, this lighter also comes with a built-in flashlight, doubling its functionality and making it a great addition to your everyday carry. The light has three modes, comprising low power, high power, and strobe. It can clip onto a carabiner, and it comes with a lanyard and a whistle. And while normal lighters blow out with the slightest breeze and are ruined by contact with water, the LcFun lighter has an IP56 dust and water resistance rating (here's our explainer on IP ratings if you want to know how much water it can withstand). It also comes with a gift box, which makes this a perfect gadget to buy for someone who loves to hike, camp, or otherwise explore the outdoors.

Amazon customers seem to love this lighter, with one review entitled "Waterproof and compact" drawing attention to the durability, long battery life, and pocketable size of the product. "Purchased to add to my prepping kit," reads another, "but now everyone I show it to wants one".

Meatanty Tiny Mouse Jiggler

Meatanty
The next gadget on this list is the Meatanty Metal Tiny Mouse Jiggler, a teeny tiny USB dongle that plugs into your computer and moves your cursor around on screen. It has a power button and a mode switching button embedded in the front, with a tiny display up top. There are three modes that moves the cursor around a small portion of the screen, a large portion, or so imperceptibly that you can barely tell it's moving.

Why would anyone want this? Well, if you have to ask, you probably don't need it. But if you work for an employer that tracks your computer activity to make sure you're glued to your workstation, you're probably in the market for a mouse jiggler that can best your boss's Big Brother antics. Not all mouse jigglers can help to overcome employee monitoring software, which keeps getting better at detecting the mouse patterns created by jigglers, which is why this jiggler has multiple modes with random tracks. However, we can make no guarantees it'll work against the particular software tools your particular employer uses, so don't assume this is a bulletproof option and don't unnecessarily jeopardize your job by using it without further research.

There are other uses for a mouse jiggler, too. If you're a video gamer who's tired of getting kicked out of online games for inactivity, this is the solution. Taking your dog outside shouldn't mean you get booted back to orbit in "Destiny 2" (an example definitely not sourced from personal experience). Reviews for the Meatanty Mouse Jiggler are overwhelmingly positive, with several remote workers appreciative of its functionality, claiming it has worked without being detected.

Bysameyee 4K USB Digital Microscope

Bysameyee
Do you need a Bysameyee 4K Wireless USB Microscope that plugs into your computer or phone? Probably not. But would it be useful to have one? Absolutely. From DIY projects that require precision to household repairs, a microscope has plenty of applications outside of stereotypical settings like a scientific laboratory. And speaking of science, if you have kids, it can be a fun tool to help them explore the natural world by using it to examine plants, bugs, and more. Simply plug it into a USB port and you're ready to explore. It also works wirelessly over Wi-Fi, though some reviewers had mixed results in that mode.

Based on the photos shared by customers in their Amazon reviews, it appears that this microscope can capture some pretty detailed images at pretty high levels of magnification. It goes up to 1,000 times zoom, and can take photos or record video. It also has LED lights to help illuminate subjects. Reviewers have used it to examine collectibles like coins, natural objects like leaves and insects, and even subpixel arrays in digital displays, with some noting that it does indeed work well as an educational tool for kids. You shouldn't expect lab-grade results, but at $42, it's not asking a lab grade price. However, for the best results, you'll probably want to use the included metal stand to stabilize the camera.

How these gadgets were selected (methodology)

Samsung
Each of the products on this list was subject either to personal hands-on testing, or a thorough examination of consumer reviews to ensure that these recommendations adhere to SlashGear's rigorous editorial standards.

RECOMMENDED
NEXT UP
TECHNOLOGY
BATTERY BRANDS RANKED FROM WORST TO BEST
BY JOE HINDY AND RON BAKER MARCH 7, 2025 12:45 AM EST

Vladimka production/Shutterstock
There are so many batteries out there that you probably walk past them at the store without even realizing it multiple times a week. In the olden times, such batteries were consistent purchases for consumers since everything was powered by AA batteries, from cameras to TV remotes, kids' toys, and many other things. Today, many of these have been replaced with rechargeable batteries, but there are still some uses for the good old-fashioned AA battery. They still power most TV remotes and while cameras have their own batteries these days, camera flashes still use AA batteries.

Thus, every now and then, we have to sit down and decide what batteries to buy. For most use cases — like the aforementioned TV remote — whatever is on sale at the store will work just fine. It's only when you get to more power-intensive applications like Xbox Series X controllers, or camera flashes that quality starts to become important. That and safety, since you don't want the battery catching on fire and burning down your home.

If you want to make sure to avoid troublesome batteries and maximize performance, the list below is for you. Not only are these ranked by capacity and performance, but we also dropped brands to the bottom that were legitimate fire hazards. In all, we recommend shopping for batteries on the bottom half of the list rather than the top. After all, we cover the whole gamut here, and that includes the worst.

15. The worst battery brand is UltraFire

UltraFire
As wonderful as eBay is as a resource for just about anything, it can also be a frustrating source of counterfeit and fake products. Let's look at the sad case of UltraFire, a Chinese battery brand that has become so closely associated with poor quality (and dangerous) fakes that it's impossible to recommend.

False battery specs usually involve Ah ratings that are impossibly high, wildly exaggerated — or both. Consider the two UltraFire cells tested by Battery Bro. These were marked 4200 and 4900 mAh on their wrappers, but Ultrafire doesn't sell 18560 batteries claiming to have more capacity than 3400 mAh. (The maximum capacity for a 18650 Lithium-ion cell is generally considered to be 3500 mAh, and certainly no more than 3600). Occasionally, you might also find rechargeable cells that are actually worn-out older batteries re-wrapped and sold.

This is annoying, and maybe even fraudulent, but it's nothing compared to the other problem created by UltraFire and other counterfeits: the advertisement of cells as protected (with a circuit that prevents problems like over-discharge), when in fact they are not.

14. Most 14500 Li-ion rechargeable battery brands

Achofe/Shutterstock
Strictly speaking, 14500 batteries and AAs aren't the same. They are the same size and shape, or close to it, but 14500 Li-ions (roughly 14 millimeters in diameter by 50.0 millimeters in length) batteries have a nominal voltage of about 3.7-volt AA Li-ion batteries, on the other hand, are normally 1.2-volt, and standard AA batteries are nominally 1.5-volt.

The 14500 is a whole class of batteries, and dozens of brands, that are either terrible or are counterfeited so frequently that attempting to buy one leaves you with a terrible battery. Those two things are functionally equivalent. Rather than listing a bunch of low-profile brands (like UltraFire) with the same set of problems, we're grouping these together.

They don't come close to the ratings, and they show incredibly steep capacity drop-offs even at the smallest loads. The names on this list might be familiar to anyone who's shopped for high-drain 18650 cells in the past, but all of these also produce batteries in the AA form factor. This list includes names like GTF, GTL, TrustFire, and Efest. Some of these companies make perfectly serviceable cells as well, and others appear to be prone to outright intentional misrepresentation.

The missing protection circuits are a big deal because missing protection is one major cause of Lithium-ion batteries catching fire. This is why Amazon eventually banned the sale of 14500 and other cylindrical Li-ions outright.

13. Great Value

Walmart
Most of the criticism we saw concerning batteries labeled with Walmart's house brand, Great Value, seemed to center around the fact that Costco's Kirkland batteries are better. There's not a lot of test data on Great Value batteries, but what we've seen shows Great Value AAs having sub-par performance at lower current draws. This holds until you get into the range of the average LED flashlight, around 1 to 1.5 amps, at which point the Walmart brand performs about average, and stays middle-of-the-pack for higher levels of drain. The highest-drain tests we referenced for Great Value were 3 amps, via Henrik K. Jensen. At about 1 amp, these batteries would provide about an hour of life.

Great Value alkaline AAs have discharge curves that indicate a pretty standard alkaline performance — if a little low on capacity. The typical alkaline battery shows a gentle but steady decline in capacity as amperage increases, which then sharply falls off toward zero capacity at high levels of drain. Fortunately, these are some of the cheaper batteries on the list and they should still work fine for low-intensity applications like TV remotes.

12. Fuji and Fujitsu

saif al suwaidi/Shutterstock
Batteries branded Fujitsu and Fujifilm, often shortened to "Fuji" even on the company's branded products, are made by a company called FDK Group. This is the same company that makes some IKEA batteries, and FDK now owns the factories that used to make Sanyo batteries (usually labeled Panasonic, except for some reputable Li-ion cells in the 18650, 26500, and other offbeat sizes). So we're grouping Fuji and Fujitsu together not because of the name, but because they fell right next to each other in our rankings and turned out to be manufactured by the same company.

Fuji batteries were rated a little low on power by Gigazine. Of course, power and capacity aren't everything. CinemaSound rated the cost per hour for Fuji's EnviroMax AA at the highest of all alkaline batteries they tested, edging out the Duracell Procell.

Fujitsu is slightly more consistent in the sense that the battery brands we considered were almost all around the bottom of the pack, with the strange exception of the Fujitsu Universal Power AA. This battery has very low capacity at lower drains but actually performs pretty well overall and tops the tests we reviewed for a 3-amp drain. Unfortunately, none of the other Fujitsu batteries tested had such an upside.

11. XTAR

XTAR/Amazon
XTAR is another lesser-known brand that you likely won't find on the big battery authority websites. Its bit thing is li-ion rechargeable batteries, which tend to come in higher-than-typical mAh ranges. On Amazon, we were able to find 3,300 mAh variants and up to 4,150 mAh. They tend to be more expensive than larger competitors like Panasonic's Eneloop and Energizer. That's easily explained by the increased capacity, so the prices make sense even if they aren't bargains.

The brand is difficult to judge because most testing is only available for some models, and they are few and far between. In general, it seems the batteries do pretty well. One reviewer noted that it manages to put up a 1.5-volt output for its entire capacity, swapping to 1.1V at low charge so that devices can notify the user that the batteries are low. Thanks to the larger capacity, it takes longer to discharge the batteries compared to something like a 2,500 mAh Ni-Mh battery. On the downside, the testers also note that the battery produces a lot of noise, which may affect things like battery-powered radios. This is best used for things like console controller remotes and similar applications.

There are two things that knock this brand down. The first is a total lack of long-term testing, and the other is its absence on larger battery authority websites. We're not saying it's bad; it's simply that outside of initial testing, we don't know how long it'll last.

10. EBL

EBL/Amazon
EBL is a relatively new battery manufacturer, having opened their doors in 1998. Their whole schtick is making eco-friendly AA batteries. As such, their lineup includes li-ion, Ni-Mh, Ni-Cd, and Ni-Zn rechargeable batteries. There is also a selection of alkaline and lithium single-use batteries from the brand. With such a wide range of produts, it made EBL a little difficult to research since most authorities didn't test every single variant in EBL's lineup.

From what we could find, EBL does okay. It seems to test about as well as Amazon Basics rechargeable batteries while coming in at a similar price point. Testers noted that the batteries recharged without issues and lasted about as long as their rated capacity would suggest. However, reviewers did also note that they got some bad batteries on occasion that had to be replaced by EBL first. These may very well be isolated incidents as batteries can be a little temperamental, but it's still something to note.

Since we can't find tests for every variant of EBL's batteries, we'll stick it in the middle of the list. They should be okay to buy without issue and should work as advertised but you may have to have the odd battery replaced under warranty. These are often on sale on Amazon, usually going for around $17 for a pack of eight 2,800 mAh rechargeable batteries. The brand also has the neat-looking Year of the Dragon AA batteries for the same amount. We're not sure why you'd want stylized batteries but there they are.

9. Eveready, CVS, Amazon Basics, and other mid-range brands

StellarCuriosity/Shutterstock
A lot of batteries with mediocre performance are hard to find, and it's even harder to find hard data detailed enough to rank their quality. So, in this category we're grouping a number of products from (or branded by) Eveready, CVS, Home Depot, Amazon Basics, Impecca, PNP Depot, Polaroid, RadioShack, and Sunbeam. We will discuss a few factors that distinguished each. Keep in mind that these are not, on the whole, particularly bad batteries. The middle of the pack, especially with regard to alkaline batteries, is often perfectly acceptable.

Eveready's alkaline Gold received mid-range scores from PowerStream, but CinemaSound found its cost per hour to be pretty good, and New Zealand's Consumer site actually recommended the battery based on acceptable performance and energy scores. The Carbon Zinc Super Heavy Duty didn't fare as well. Inconsistencies plagued the mid-range batteries overall. Amazon Basics batteries, for example, scored quite high when they were of the NiMH rechargeable variety, but their alkaline units didn't do as well.

In the fashion of nonsense battery naming practices everywhere, Polaroid's Super alkaline outperformed its Extreme. On the other hand, other authorities gave CVS Health AA Alkaline batteries a poor score, but somewhat predictably found CVS Health MAX AA Alkaline batteries recommendable. PNP Depot's Lithium rechargeable got poor reviews at Lowe's, but near-perfect ratings at Home Depot. The only consistency in the soft middle is inconsistency.

8. Samsung, Sanyo/Panasonic, LG, and other 14500 li-ion batteries

Parinussa Revy/Shutterstock
In spite of all we've said about counterfeit and recycled cells destroying the Lithium-ion 14500 landscape, there are quite a few good ones out there as well. The trouble comes when you realize that, in many ways, the older NiMH chemistry still outperforms Lithium-ion rechargeables. Still, we must acknowledge the good ones, and some of the more highly regarded brands in the Lithium-ion rechargeable battery space include Samsung, Sanyo/Panasonic (who also make good 1.2v Li-ion rechargeables), LG, Sony, Shockli, Keeppower, LiitoKala, AWT, Tensai, Windyfire and Efan.

That said, there are still a lot better batteries on the list — we're only just past the middle of the pack, as it were. If you see any brands you've never heard of before today any lower on the list than this, don't be too shocked — there are more than a few battery companies doing good work in small batches.

7. Tenergy and Ansmann

Jeffrey B. Banke/Shutterstock
Tenergy might be better known for its chargers than for its batteries, but it turns out the company makes some high-quality NiMH rechargeable AAs. Wirecutter found the 800 mAh cell's capacity measured close to its advertised rate, and that the capacity remained high even after 50 charge cycles. Trailcam Pro tested some batteries' performance in cold temperatures, and found that the Tenergy Premium AA rechargeable maintained 86 percent of its room temperature capacity even down at 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next is German manufacturer Ansmann's batteries, which performed very well in independent testing. However, you might have some difficulty finding them in a brick-and-mortar store. And they can be a little pricey. We charted data on two of their NiMH rechargeables (2500 and 2850 mAh). Both came close to their nominal capacity at .1 amps, and the 2850 mAh battery was one of the highest-capacity batteries we reviewed. Along with that high capacity, Jensen says, comes a high self-discharge rate, as detailed in the battery's datasheet. Jenson notes — with apparent surprise — that Ansmann publishes "real datasheets" for his batteries, an uncommon practice. Ansmann's alkaline also get good reviews on Amazon, managing 70% five-star reviews on its 20-pack.

6. Rayovac and ACDelco

P Photos Brazil/Shutterstock
Rayovac always feels like a sort of legacy battery brand along the lines of Eveready, and probably would not have fared so well in our rankings but for the company's Fusion line, which enjoys a strong reputation among consumers and testers. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive at Home Depot (4.8 stars), Lowe's (4.7 stars), and Amazon (4.6 stars). The Fusion models were rated as having a solid duration and moderate per-hour cost by CinemaSound. But based on tests of other Rayovac AAs, the company would be firmly in the middle of the pack without the Fusion line.

SlashGear readers likely recognize ACDelco as a manufacturer of auto-related products such as belts and, in particular, batteries. In fact, ACDelco is owned by General Motors. But the company also produces well-regarded AA batteries for general consumer use. There's not a lot of test data out there. In CinemaSound's study, ACDelco had the cheapest AA alkaline and the second cheapest battery overall, and was tops in the study's best value marks in spite of the fact that the batteries have mediocre duration in the two types of tests CinemaSound ran.

5. PKCell

Walter Eric Sy/Shutterstock
PKCell's alkaline and zinc batteries are fairly ordinary, although their Carbon Zinc topped CinemaSound's tests with fan duration. PKCell Ultra Alkaline batteries fell just behind the zinc PKCell batteries in those tests, but both did far worse in the second round of testing against Saramonic UWmic9 wireless transmitters.

But it's the company's NiMH rechargeable batteries we're looking at here that really perform well in testing. Their 1300, 2200, and 2600 mAh batteries all easily matched those ratings and handled high loads well. While the 1300 mAh battery performed well, Jensen notes that 1300 mAh is a considerably low capacity for your average AA battery. On the other hand, the 2600 mAh battery (which tested at 2801 mAh) was at the top of the capacity rankings for all AA cells. Like many of the battery brands on this list, they might not look like much, but they got it where it counts.

4. Varta

Varta/Amazon
Varta batteries are about as average as it gets. The brand is available through most online retailers like Amazon in packs that come in various sizes. We were able to find them in packs as small as four and as many as 48. Virtually anything you can find about these screams average. They're competitively priced among the various battery brands and even customer reviews refer to them as a standard, relatively dependable battery.

In testing, the batteries are also average. Most of the brand's batteries use an alkaline manganese chemical mixture, which is fairly standard among alkaline AA batteries in places outside of the US. Per battery testing website Lygte, Varta batteries scored right in the middle on just about every test from capacity to performance. User reviews are a lot more generous, as most customers found no issues with the batteries and that they last as long as expected. In short, there isn't much to write home about here. These batteries are A-OK for their price and should work fine.

Varta also sells rechargeable batterers. Those have more tame reviews from consumers with some issues reported here and there. However, they are considered within the same neighborhood as batteries from similar brands like Eneloop. Professional testing shows that they are also good but nothing too different from the rest of the pack. You can buy these with confidence. They're a known brand outside of the U.S. and their batteries are dependable.

3. Panasonic and Eneloop

Cylonphoto/Getty Images
This is another case of two batteries falling next to each other in our rankings and conveniently appearing to be more than just ships passing in the night: these batteries turn out to be made by the same company. (This is no secret. Lots of batteries are labeled "Panasonic Eneloop.) The other was Fujifilm and Fujitsu, and wouldn't you know it? FDK also used to make Eneloops. All of this inbreed... err, cross-pollination aside, Panasonic tends to make highly regarded batteries that are readily available on Amazon... although there are some exceptions.

In all, we looked at ratings, tests and reviews for 24 Panasonic and Eneloop batteries. There were some misses; Wirecutter rated Eneloop NiMH rechargeables poorly, and Jensen didn't have much love for a 2050 mAh Panasonic Evolta NiMH. Consumer.org.nz gave Panasonic's Extra Heavy Duty a "Don't Buy" rating, but gave it to all the other Carbon Zinc batteries as well. Otherwise, Panasonic cells did well across the boards, generally matching their capacity ratings and performing well.

2. Duracell and Kirkland

Anatoliy Tesouro/Shutterstock
It's not going to surprise anyone that Duracell and Energizer are our top-ranked brands, but it was a little offputting to see how large the gap was. The only dings the company took in our research was the less-than-stellar reputation of its NiMH rechargeables of all sorts — but these tend to suffer for every manufacturer, and as often as not this is either a misunderstanding by or the fault of the consumer.

It might still surprise a few people that Costco's own brand Kirkland makes a set of AA batteries that've appeared near the top of test results among Henrik Jensen's tests. And it shouldn't surprise anyone that Kirkland batteries are made by Duracell.

Taking the two brands as one, there's a lot of variation in test results, but overall many more wins than losses. Duracell had three batteries (Duracell Coppertop Duralock AA Alkaline, Duracell Quantum AA Alkaline, and Kirkland Signature (Costco) AA Alkaline) at the top of Gigazine's rankings and scored well on other lists as well. With the exception of the 1300 mAh Duralock rechargeables, the batteries performed well and met their rated capacities.

1. The best battery brand is Energizer

The Prince Dream/Shutterstock
Energizer (who also makes Eveready) just edged out Duracell in our rankings, but they could easily have been reversed. A couple of alkaline batteries with low rankings made most of the difference, and the scores weren't that bad. Mostly, though, Energizer's products across the entire spectrum of AAs — from alkaline to Lithium-ion — tend to perform well.

For example, two Energizer batteries frequently top Lithium-ion battery rankings from various authorities. Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries and NiMH Energizer Recharge batteries stood above and beyond the rest, while Energizer as a brand, as a whole, found their way to the top of the battery bunch.

Again, the top spot could as easily have gone to Duracell, as Duracell general alkaline AAs outperformed Energizer slightly. But overall, Energizer ended up being the most consistent and most impressive of the battery brands we examined that are available on the market today.

Methodology

Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images
Ranking batteries is a complicated process and ranking brands is even more so. After all, just because a battery brand is considered good doesn't mean that they don't have the occasional dud in their product lineup. For this list, we analyzed a ton of data to try and give the fairest rankings that we could. Since there is a metric ton of data out there, there was plenty to compare to, and we believe that gives our rankings a high chance of being accurate. The biggest challenge was comparing alkaline batteries to rechargeable batteries since they don't act the same.

To start, we sourced broad battery authorities like Consumer NZ for power, capacity, and weight. We then cross-reference it with more niche sources like TrailCam Pro for cold weather applications, PowerStream for discharge testing, and Cinema Sound for cost versus performance analysis. We also went one step deeper with sources like Wirecutter, which tests most of the above brands with rechargeable batteries for capacity after 50 charge cycles to see how much the battery lost.

Finally, we cross-referenced all of that with customer reviews on Amazon, Lowe's, Home Depot, and other online retailers and we checked those against Fakespot to make sure most of them were real. After all, it's not outside the realm of possibility that something tests well but doesn't hold up in real world conditions. Once all of these metrics were thrown into the melting pot, we were able to pull out the above list.

RECOMMENDED
NEXT UP
TECHNOLOGY
6 SMART GADGETS TO HELP UPGRADE YOUR GARAGE OR WORKSHOP
BY QUINA BATERNA FEB. 15, 2025 7:45 AM EST

Thomas Barwick/Getty Images
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
For some people, our garages and workshops are often where we give life to some of our most ambitious projects. Whether it is working on our latest vintage car or building furniture with reclaimed wood, it's a place where ideas become plans that we work on until they're real. In a home where every room seems to be accounted for, garages and workshops can be the only place where you can make your creativity run wild.

If you spend a lot of time in your garage, you might be looking for ways to make your workshop more enjoyable. Apart from keeping your garage organized, there are tons of smart gadgets that you can invest in to make your space more comfortable to work in or stay in for longer periods.

To help you get more out of it, we've rounded up some pretty neat smart products that can fit the needs of different garage owners, whether it's for strictly parking cars or doing other fun activities, like watching games or building tables with your friends. You can learn more details about how we've chosen them at the end of the article below, but you can also keep reading if you're already itching to make that much-needed upgrade.

Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor

Amazon
While a few minutes of bad air quality won't immediately kill you, hours of staying in a poorly ventilated garage or workshop with a cocktail of chemicals in the air might. In the past, we've discussed the dangers of carbon monoxide. It is odorless, tasteless, and challenging to detect without the right sensors. However, some carbon monoxide is expected if you use generators or run your car. For this reason, you might want to add the Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor to your workspace, which can sense everything from temperature, humidity, particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and, of course, carbon monoxide (CO2).

Out of 4,800 reviewers on Amazon, most people have given it an average rating of 4.2 stars. With its $69.99 price tag, the Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor sets itself apart from other monitors due to easy integration with Amazon's smart home ecosystem. To check on the air quality in different parts of your home, you can check the integrated app or just ask Alexa.

You can even set it to make both preventive notifications and announcements via linked Echo devices. Apart from the Amazon Air Quality Monitor, other top smart indoor sensors we've mentioned before include the SAF Aranet4 Home, Airthings 2930 Wave Plus, and Airthings 2960 View Plus.

CHAMBERLAIN Smart Garage Control

Chamberlain
When it comes to securing a garage gadget that can truly move the needle, the Chamberlain Smart Garage Control System can do the job for just under $30. On Amazon, this smart garage control system has received an average rating of 4.3 stars from over a hundred thousand satisfied garage owners. With the accompanying myQ app, you can control access to your garage door in several ways: Opening and closing, automating close schedules, giving staff access, or checking the status remotely. If you're a regular impulse buyer on Amazon and have an active Prime membership, this smart garage control system has a neat little feature to keep porch pirates away from your deliveries: A Key In-Garage Delivery option.

For this smart device to work, you'll need to make sure that your internet router is within 50 feet, which might be a problem for people with detached garages that are a walk away from their main home. In addition, Chamberlain has cautioned users that it doesn't fully work with all garage door openers, so you might need to do some additional checks. Although Chamberlain does mention that it applies to most garage doors manufactured by 1993, you may want to contact their customer support for help to determine whether it is a good fit for your current garage door setup. While it needs to be used with a sectional garage door, you can purchase an additional Smart Garage Sensor for $22.99 to work with more doors.

Smart Motion Sensor Camera

Blink
When you're working on something that requires the garage door to be open, it's possible that you accidentally forget to close it after a long day. In some cases, some bad people might take this as an invitation to enter your space without your consent and maybe even steal something. To mitigate any threats before they become real problems, it's not enough to just have surveillance cameras that simply record. You'll want to opt for smart cameras with motion sensors so you'll be notified about any unexpected movement. Apart from keeping your garage safe from trespassers, other ways that you can use motion detectors in your home, such as automating routines or even triggering relaxing music to start playing.

On Amazon, one of the most popular indoor motion sensor cameras that can work for your garage or workshop is the Blink Mini. Retailing for $29.99, over 297,000 buyers have given it an average of 4.4 stars. Apart from motion detection, it has 1080p HD video, night vision, and easy integration with Amazon's smart assistant, Alexa. But if you have an extra $10, the Blink Mini 2 is an updated model that can also be used outdoors and has an average rating of 4.4 stars from more than 6,000 people. However, you should be prepared to budget for the Blink Subscription plan to use the camera's smart notification features. For $39.99, the Blink Mini 2 also comes with a weather-resistant power adapter and LED spotlight.

Maxsa Parking Guide

Maxsa
In some cases, our garages can be filled to the brim with everything from boxes of our past lives to power tools and half-finished woodworking projects. However, for those of us who have limited garage spaces, parking actual cars can be troublesome. Not only do we run the risk of bumping into things, but we also gamble that we don't damage our vehicle when the garage door goes down. Unfortunately, with car manufacturers like Ford taking away their parking assist feature, we'll have to wait a little longer for true self-parking cars. In the meantime, you can get something a little more affordable and easy to install, like the Maxsa Parking Guide.

With two adjustable laser heads, this parking assistant can essentially give you a visual cue on your dashboard when you're supposed to stop moving. Depending on your garage layout, you can choose between an AC or battery-powered version or a purely battery-powered one, which is useful if you're planning to mount it where there is no plug within reach. While there are plenty of similar options, over 4,800 buyers from Amazon think that this parking guide is worth it and have given it an average rating of 4.3 stars. Prices start at $29.95, and it's available in two colors (silver and white). That said, it is only designed to help you park up to two cars, so you'll need to get multiple units if you have a larger garage.

Daxiongmao Endoscope Camera

Daxiongmao
Endoscope cameras are incredibly useful for several types of household repairs and inspections, including car maintenance. Designed to help give you a better view of otherwise tight or difficult-to-reach places, the Daxiongmao endoscope comes with a live camera, LED light, and a 16.5-foot snake-like cord. Retailing for $42.99, the Daxiongmao Endoscope Camera is a popular option on Amazon, for which more than 2,000 people have given 4.3 stars on average.

While other products in the same category will require a smartphone, the Daxiongmao endoscope has its own 4.3-inch LCD screen. However, the caveat is that it won't let you take any photos or videos, so it's not ideal if you need to send your view to anyone else. It also comes with three accessories (hook, magnet, and side view mirror).

Holding an IP67 waterproof certification, you don't have to worry about exposing it to the elements or places like the inside of your HVAC system. Plus, the adjustable LED lights also provide additional brightness for when you need it. Because it measures 8mm in diameter, Daxiongmao's endoscope can fit through the spark plug hole for those moments wherein you need to have a closer look at your engine. Plus, the 2.7 cm short lens makes it quite flexible in narrow areas. Its 2,000 mAH battery, it can last up to 3.5 hours on a single charge, which takes about three hours to do.

Smart Locks

SwitchBot
With smart locks, there are endless ways you can customize access to your garage or workshop, whether it is through websites, mobile apps, or even key codes. In some cases, you can even give access to certain people for set periods. For people who have multiple guests coming in and out of their workspaces, smart locks can help manage the influx of people, especially if you want to limit access to private spaces.

If you're already convinced it will change your life, you can check out our smart lock buying guide to help you choose the best one for your needs. And if you want to enjoy the benefits of owning one for your temporary home, there are even smart locks that are designed with renters in mind. Typically, this means not having to replace things like deadbolts, so you don't get in trouble with your landlord at the end of your lease. One of our top picks is the Switchbot Lock Pro, which our team has given a thumbs up for its affordability and ease of use.

But take note, while there are a ton of advantages to using smart locks, there are some important things that you should know about smart locks. For example, while many people are scared that smart locks are less safe than normal locks, we've mentioned before that this isn't entirely true, especially if they utilize deadbolts. However, other threats like hacking, are still very much valid and can still happen.

Why we think these gadgets are perfect for your garage or workshop

Maskot/Getty Images
When we were picking products for this list, we were guided by one key question: How can one define "upgrade" when it comes to our spaces? In some cases, an upgrade for garages or workshops can mean improved security, which means cameras and locks. In others, we think about improvements in terms of usability, like parking assistants and centralized control features. And, of course, there's improvement in the form of how comfortable our experience is when we're spending time in it, which is impacted by air quality.

Once we isolated these particular points, we considered different types of gadgets that can address them. Afterward, we looked into some of the most recommended options on Amazon. To be considered for this list, we made sure to include only smart gadgets that have an average rating of at least four stars from over a thousand verified reviewers. In addition, we avoided any products that Amazon has tagged as frequently returned, which can indicate poor build quality.

Afterward, we also considered possible integration with other smart devices already in your home, whether through an app or with smart assistants. But take note, there have been reports of smart home devices being hacked before, even from popular manufacturers. So, even if the items on this list have no known security issues right now, the next step after installing any smart device is always to make sure your smart home is secure.

RECOMMENDED
NEXT UP
TECHNOLOGY
12 SMART GADGETS YOU DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED
BY MARK COWLEY UPDATED: JULY 24, 2025 10:15 AM EST

Nex
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
While it's easy to be amused by technology-averse family members complaining that smart tech "gets everywhere these days," there's more than a hint of truth to that statement. No longer is the smart home limited to voice assistants or color-changing light bulbs — now almost every household device can be made smarter to some degree. Whether that's always a good thing is debatable, but at the very least, a wider range of smart home tech gives buyers more options to choose from than ever.

With so many new gadgets hitting the market, it's easy to overlook a few of them. Even those who think they're in the know when it comes to cutting-edge tech might have missed a few of the latest releases, and for those who consider themselves "out of the loop," the huge array of tech out there can seem staggering. We've rounded up a selection of the most unusual tech that has made it into the hands of SlashGear's test team in recent years — some of which we were impressed by, and some of which we weren't.

LifeSpan Ampera office bike

Rob Rich/SlashGear
Standing desks aim to solve the increasingly common problem of workers sitting still in the same position for too long, but they're not a perfect solution. While changing from a sitting to a standing position is beneficial compared to not moving at all, it's still not as beneficial as, say, getting a workout in while you sift through your emails. That's the premise of the LifeSpan Ampera office bike: provide the exercise benefits of a static bike without ever needing to leave your desk. Our review found that, in the most literal sense, it delivers on that promise. However, there are some caveats.

Its high seating position compared to a standard office chair means that it's impossible to fit under a fixed-height desk, so in order to use it, you'll need a standing desk. We also found the minimum seat height to be a problem — even at its lowest setting, our 5 feet, 4 inches tester found it very difficult to comfortably reach the pedals.

As well as functioning as an exercise outlet, the LifeSpan Ampera doubles up as a device charger, with one USB-C port and a Qi wireless charging pad for smartphones and other small devices. We found this feature worked as claimed, with a variety of gadgets able to be charged and around 1% charge achieved per five minutes of use. It's certainly a novel way to stay fit, but it's a costly one: the Ampera bike retails for $998.

BUY ON AMAZON

Atari 2600 Plus retro gaming console

Adam Doud/SlashGear
Gamers of a certain age will likely have fond memories of the original Atari 2600, but most probably won't be aware that Atari recently relaunched the console complete with a selection of original games. We reviewed the Atari 2600 Plus and found it to be, in many ways, a compelling recreation of the original.

Not only does it still look the same, but it also still features the same nine-pin connector for the controllers. That means anyone with old controllers lying around will be able to plug them straight into the new console. That comes in particularly handy since Atari only supplies one controller with the 2600 Plus, yet some of the games feature a two-player mode.

It's safe to say that this console is primarily targeted at buyers looking for a burst of nostalgia, and younger audiences more used to modern games likely won't find much to interest them other than the brief novelty value of playing something very old-school. However, with the Atari 2600 Plus retailing for $129.99, it's affordable enough to justify its limited appeal.

BUY ON AMAZON

Circular Ring Slim fitness tracker

Adam Doud/SlashGear
Not every new smart gadget lives up to the hype. The Circular Ring Slim promised a lightweight, slimmer alternative to the usual raft of health-tracking bands and smartwatches, but our testing found it to come with too many compromises to recommend. First, the good bits: the ring's battery lasted significantly longer than most smartwatches, and the health data it presented was easy to understand. It was, as promised, small and lightweight, to the point where our tester reported forgetting it was there at all. However, that was largely where the positives ended.

With such a limited surface to work with, the Ring Slim only has room for one touch-sensitive button. Our tester rep