The Best Smart Tech Gadgets 2022

Celestron StarSense Dobsonian Telescope

Using a mount that is simple to adjust and a useful companion software, even inexperienced astronomers may cruise the night sky with the confidence of pros.

Excellent optics. Excellent celestial navigation app. Easy-to-carry solid mount. Accessories expand capabilities.

Size-wise, it's a monster. Make sure space is available.

Astronomy enthusiasts live in a golden age. There are plenty of applications that assist you identify suitable viewing sites and weather periods. Plus, optics are cheaper and hardware-software integration is better than ever.

Celestron's StarSense Dobsonian telescope is an example. With a smartphone cradle and a calibrated app, you can cruise the night sky even though you can't see the stars.

Newtonian Dobsonian telescopes use two-axis altazimuth mounts. The mount rotates and tilts the scope. The mount positions allow for a bigger mirror than some other designs, and the balancing point is towards the scope's bottom, making it easier to shift. The result is a powerful, lightweight telescope

Celestron released two Dobsonian models. I tested an 8-inch and 10-inch scope. Except for size, the design is the same. The telescope is large. "10-inch" simply relates to the aperture (diameter). The 10-inch model is almost 5 feet tall when assembled. 44-inch scope It's portable because it isn't too heavy, but it requires a large automobile.

Two shipments included StarSense. The base is packaged like an item from IKEA, while the scope itself comes in a separate, enormous box. The base takes 20 minutes to assemble. Once-only process. A handle makes it portable (it's bulky but manageable). Pressboard shouldn't be kept outside.

The scope is lightweight and incorporates a grip. Dust coverings protect mirrors during transport. Two knobs tighten the scope into the base. These knobs position the scope.

StarSense includes a 25-mm Plössl eyepiece, 2-inch Crayford focuser, and collimation tool. If you're into stargazing, purchase a laser collimator. Collimation isn't hard to understand. Great vistas don't require it.

Last, install the phone cradle mount and star-spotting scope to calibrate your eyepiece using only a quarter-mile-away object (I used a small building). Place the phone in the holder, then open the app.

GPS app

If you've never used a telescope without the need of a smart app, it's hard to appreciate what Celestron has done, follow the instructions until it's in the eyepiece, and fine-tune it with the red, orange, and green bull's-eyes. Navigating by hand would be frustrating, time-consuming, and boring. Eliminating the learning curve of using a telescope is a significant win for astronomy beginners, especially kids.

The app's description section includes object descriptions and observation ideas. If you wish to see a star cluster, StarSense will recommend a lower-power eyepiece. If you move to an area with a stronger internet connection powered by Viasat internet plans you can enjoy a more reliable connection and viewing experience. Still, the app should work in most places, such as outdoors, on the move, and on the hills when you go for a weekend hike. 

Samsung QN900B

The Samsung 8K TV will feature the most beautiful screen in your area. The QN900B has beautiful colors, great performance, and a sleek design.

A small One Connect box is attached to the back of the mount. This box gives the TV power and an HDMI signal, but it also lets you mount the TV flat on either wall without having to run multiple cables. You also get a slim, solar-powered remote from Samsung, so you'll never have to look for AAA batteries again.

The outside of the TV has holes, probably to let heat escape, and they give it a very professional look.

8K TVs can take any picture you give them and make it look like it was taken through a window. When I watched this quantum dot, mini-LED-enabled TV, there were times when I felt like I could stick my head right inside the screen and into the scene beyond.

The QN900B has a number of neural processors as well as advanced display technology built into it. This means that when you watch sports or videos and photos taken by your DrDrone, the TV will show you incredibly accurate colors, stunning highlights, and very smooth action.

Because it simulates a Dolby Atmos experience, the TV is a good choice for people who don't want to buy a soundbar. Samsung's inclusion of an HDMI ARC connector on the rear panel suggests that it expects most high-end consumers to have outboard sound.

Gamers will like that it supports 4K at 120 Hz (the most a Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X can do) and up to 144 Hz with PCs.

It has a good anti-glare coating and a very wide viewing angle, which makes it a good splurge purchase for homes with bright living rooms and large families.

Roborock Q5+

The Less Complex the Better. Roborock is a relative newbie when compared to industry veterans such as the Roomba brand name, which has become synonymous with the term "robot vacuum." Roborock vacuums now function at a level that is comparable to that of some of the most reputable and well-known brands, and their prices reflect this improvement.

On top are two easy-to-use buttons, and both the dust bin and the air filters may be clicked out and removed with minimal effort. When they become dirty, the sensors that run along the bottom and the front of the device are simple to locate and wipe clean. The brush is attached to the roller that is located at the bottom.

Mapping Master

The Q5+ series uses a navigation system called Lidar, which is based on lasers and uses simple bounce navigation. The camera-based navigation system used by other robot vacuums, such as the high-end Roborock S7 models (Roborock's version of this technology is dubbed ReactiveAI), helps the device identify obstacles within the home.

You have the option to view your floor plan in either 2D or 3D within the app. It zeroes in on the seating areas, the bookcases, as well as the dining table and chairs in the kitchen.

You also have the ability to make edits to your maps within the app. In addition to this, it is capable of accommodating multilevel cleaning and can automatically determine which floor it has been set on.

Roborock claims that it is possible to chain multiple rooms together into a single routine in order to make the vacuum empty itself after each room. It takes about an hour and a half to clean an area that is around 900 square feet.

LG CineBeam HU710PW

The picture quality is outstanding, and the brightness is satisfactory, and it has a resolution of 4K, making it very simple to set up. It also comes equipped with LG's smart TV ecosystem and smart remote, allowing you to navigate Netflix just by pointing and clicking on the screen.

This model has superb built-in lens shift and zoom adjustments, which are knobs that allow users to shift the image left, right, up, or down, and also modify the size of the image to fit your screen. This is one of the best aspects of this model, and it is one of its best characteristics overall.

When you turn on the projector, it will automatically begin the setup process for LG's webOS interface. This will enable you to use the supplied remote to sign in to streaming applications such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and many more.

The light and color at a resolution of 4K (3,840 x 2,160) are provided by one laser and two LEDs, and the whole thing turns bright enough to enable HDR10. The HU710PW has a maximum brightness of up to 2,000 lumens, which is not blindingly bright but is readily bright enough for spaces that are either completely dark or only partially dark.

The colors are vivid and true to life, and the TV did a good job of keeping up with quick action when it was set to the sports or gaming mode, all owing to LG's TruMotion engine.