Tech
The Sony Bravia 5 Is a Solid Mini LED TV With Top-End Processing
Speaking of 4K Blu-rays, this TV really showed off its excellent processing when in Movie mode and watching a recently acquired copy of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. The gorgeous use of light and shadow was presented without aggressive blooming, and the colors looked deep and well-saturated. A scene where the two leads face the Golden Gate Bridge looks particularly like a painting on this screen, praise that belongs to the XR chip and Sony’s excellent use of multi-zone, mini-LED backlighting.
Photograph: Parker Hall
Streaming apps delivered still-great quality, and it also did well in darker scenes from Apple TV’s Pluribus, and in Sport mode when streaming F1. Colors were vivid, and the TV’s 120-Hz refresh rate was on full display, but not quite as heavily as when I plugged in Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro. Gran Turismo looks smooth and realistic in Gaming mode, with the variable refresh rate helping everything stay smooth, even when doing hard-to-process things like wet races in shiny cars.
This screen is available in a wide variety of sizes, from 55 inches all the way up to a gargantuan 98 inches (enjoy hanging that on the wall), and I imagine the higher sizes are likely where a lot of folks will shop for this model rather than a significantly pricier option in Bravias 7, 8, or 9.
Competitors include the TCL QM6K, Hisense U8QG, and Samsung QN80F. The TCL is cheaper, looks brighter, and has an equally usable interface. The Sony has better, more natural processing. The Hisense is a bit harsher-looking but does awesome in the brightest rooms, making it a great choice for anyone who doesn’t want or need Sony Pictures Core and watches more casually. Samsung has amazing mini-LED quantum dot panels, but an annoying interface and no Dolby Vision support.
Sony is clearly a premium choice in this category for processing, but given that it does cost a fair amount more than the competition and the screen isn’t as bright, it is worth asking yourself: How often do I plan on watching high-end content on this TV?
If you’ve been growing your digital media, Plex server, or 4K Blu-ray collection, the Sony might be the better buy. If not, more affordable brands with equally great streaming apps (and nearly identical displays) might work great, especially in brighter rooms.
Tech
Amazon’s Spring Sale Is So-So, but Cadence Capsules Are a Bright Spot
The WIRED Reviews Team has been covering Amazon’s Big Spring Sale since it began at on Wednesday, and the overall deals have been … not great, honestly. So far, we’ve found decent markdowns on vacuums, smart bird feeders, and even an air fryer we love, but I just saw that Cadence Capsules, those colorful magnetic containers you may have seen on your social media pages, are 20 percent off. (For reference, the last time I saw them on sale, they were a measly 9 percent off.)
If you’re not familiar, they allow you to decant your full-sized personal care products you use at home—from shampoo and sunscreen to serums and pills—into a labeled, modular system of hexagonal containers that are leak-proof, dishwasher safe, and stick together magnetically in your bag or on a countertop. No more jumbled, travel-sized toiletries and leaky, mismatched bottles and tubes.
Cadence Capsules have garnered some grumbling online for being overly heavy or leaking, but I’ve been using them regularly for about a year—I discuss decanting your daily-use products in my guide to How to Pack Your Beauty Routine for Travel—and haven’t experienced any leaks. They do add weight if you’re trying to travel super-light, and because they’re magnetic, they will also stick to other metal items in your toiletry bag, like bobby pins or other hair accessories. This can be annoying, especially if you’re already feeling chaotic or in a hurry.
Otherwise, Capsules are modular, convenient, and make you feel supremely organized—magnetic, interchangeable inserts for the lids come with permanent labels like “shampoo,” “conditioner,” “cleanser,” and “moisturizer.” Maybe you love this; maybe you don’t. But at least if you buy on Amazon, you can choose which label genre you get (Haircare, Bodycare, Skincare, Daily Routine). If this just isn’t your jam, the Cadence website offers a set of seven that allows you to customize the color and lid label of each Capsule, but that set is not currently on sale.
Tech
Fellow Readers, Don’t Miss These E-Reader Sales
This is the older Kindle Scribe, but the price and features are the best you’ll get, especially when it’s on sale like this. I still reach for this model even though I have the newer third generation, and keep in mind the second generation will also get some of the newer software and experiences over time. With the sale, it’s half the price of the newer model.
If you’re already a Kindle reader and looking to upgrade, it’s likely because you want a new feature like a color screen. While the Kobo above is the better buy, if you want to stay in the Kindle ecosystem but add some color to your books, both the Colorsoft and Colorsoft Signature are on sale.
If you’re looking to spend as little as possible, the basic Kindle (11th generation) is still a great e-reader and is currently under $100. It can do almost everything the other Kindles can (except the Scribe) on a snappy black-and-white screen. It doesn’t have a warm front light either, but it’s still a great purchase for the price.
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Tech
This Speaker I Tried From Soundboks Can Handle a Real Party
In addition to the rubber balls, there’s a nice physical interface on the side for adjusting volume and pairing multiple Mix speakers together if you have multiple on hand (I was only sent the single mono speaker). Setup involves installing the Soundboks app, pairing to the speaker via Bluetooth on your phone, and picking whatever you want to play. It’s all quick and painless, especially for my first-time pairing with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Otherwise, it’s all very pro audio. Everything reminds me very much of the Peavey PA system I have in my music rehearsal space. The top of the speaker features a built-in carrying handle and a place for a strap (an accessory you have to buy aftermarket, or you can fasten it with any strap you have that fits through the hole). There are also top-hat mounts for the speakers to slide onto traditional PA pole stands, if you wanted to use them in that way at a party or event.
The grill is replaceable, as is the massive internal battery, which means that these things are pretty much indestructible as long as the amp and speakers themselves still work—the battery is the weak point of most portable speakers in 2026.
I bounced it around my yard, dropped it off my patio, and generally beat the crap out of it during my two-week testing period, and the thing just needed a little wipe down and a charge when it ran out of juice. The claimed 40 hours of battery at reasonable volume is accurate, but you’ll get about eight hours at max volume (which is very good for the category). If you need to bring some walk-out music to your kid’s all-day Little League tournament, this a great way to go.
Big Sound
Photograph: Parker Hall
Soundboks calls this speaker midsize, but at 21.4 pounds and the size of a medium-size cooler, I’d still call it a large speaker. That said, the size doesn’t make it any less portable than competitors from JBL and others; you still need a car or cargo ebike to take one of these with you, so what’s a couple inches here or there? The fact that this is a rectangle actually makes it easier to strap down than many others, especially with the holes for the strap and the built-in handle to tie down through.
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