James Bruce

United Kingdom

Hardware Reviews Editor at MUO

Writer at Matter Alpha

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Articles

The SwitchBot Hub 3 review: A universal remote with an identity crisis

1 week ago | matteralpha.com | James Bruce

The SwitchBot Hub 3 is many things. It’s a remote control for infrared devices, allowing you to integrate your TV and other legacy appliances with SwitchBot scenes. It’s a humidity and temperature sensor, with an LED display to check vital data at a glance. It’s a motion sensor, and a bridge for any nearby SwitchBot Bluetooth devices, like motorised curtains. It’s a scene controller, with quick-assignable shortcuts from the home screen.
Govee Outdoor Lamp Post review: Bringing the magic to your garden

2 weeks ago | matteralpha.com | James Bruce

The Govee Outdoor Lamp Post is a dramatic and feature-packed smart outdoor lighting fixture post that shines best after dark – but won’t win any awards for elegance or brightness. Please note: This page may contain affiliate links. Read our ethics policy James Bruce in #Extended Color Light #Review on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM The Govee Outdoor Lamp Post (model H7072) is one of their most impressive smart lighting products to date.
This Was Almost a Dream 3D Printer… Until It Tested My Patience

2 months ago | makeuseof.com | James Bruce

Like the K1 Max predecessor, the K2 Plus is an enormous printer, offering a 35cm cubed build volume and top-notch build quality—and with the optional CFS (Color Filament System) in the Combo kit, you can use multiple colors of filaments in the same design. There’s a lot to love about the K2 Plus, but if something goes wrong, you may face a cascade of errors.
I Tried a 201" Virtual Cinema—Here's Why It Blew Me Away and What Drove Me Nuts

Feb 26, 2025 | makeuseof.com | James Bruce

The RayNeo Air 2S' dual HD OLED screens offer stunning visuals, making for an immersive viewing experience. Portable and lightweight design with adjustable viewing angle for comfort. Despite poor fit and privacy, RayNeo Air 2S is excellent for on-the-go gaming and media with Pocket TV. Featuring two HD OLED displays that produce a vibrant and stunning virtual 201-inch screen (at a distance of six meters), the RayNeo Air 2S is a fantastic option in the wearable personal cinema space.
These Modular Smart Lights Have a Pegboard and Shelf to Showcase My Gear

Feb 17, 2025 | makeuseof.com | James Bruce

Nanoleaf Blocks add display options like pegboards and shelves, and are compatible with existing Shapes products. Installation requires drilling, but design flexibility allows for creativity in layout. Nanoleaf Blocks offer deep, artistic display with improved LED coverage for dynamic light shows. The Nanoleaf Blocks—compatible with existing Nanoleaf Shapes products—don’t break any new ground when it comes to lighting effects.
This Projector Is So Versatile That It Looks Amazing Even Projected Onto My House

Jan 24, 2025 | makeuseof.com | James Bruce

Exceptional image quality and brightness (3100 ISO lumens) make daytime use and larger projections possible. Impressive sound with 4 x 12W Harmon Kardon speakers. Intelligent Screen Adaption (ISA) 5.0 offers fast, automatic keystone and focus adjustments. The XGIMI Horizon S Max is a 4K long-throw projector with outstanding brightness. It has exceptional image quality and contrast, with a fast, automatic keystone system.
I Found the Ultimate Adventuring Backpack, With a Power Station Built-in

Dec 11, 2024 | makeuseof.com | James Bruce

Effortless to carry with an ergonomic design that can carry all your electronic equipment and camping gear. It offers 700W AC output, plenty of USB ports, and up to 350W solar charging. Priced at $600 ($400 on sale) as a combo with the Bluepack. Portability is a top concern whenever I review a solar generator: could you seriously take this on a hike, or is it just luggable from the truck to the campsite?
This Enormous 3D Printer Is Impressive, But You'll Need an Extension to House It

Dec 5, 2024 | makeuseof.com | James Bruce

The Elegoo OrangeStorm Giga is an enormous industrial-scale 3D printer with a large print volume. The printer requires extensive setup time, space, and organizational skills, and powering it on can be intimidating. The printer's powerful capabilities come at the cost of significant power usage, making it expensive to operate and not suitable for everyone. The Elegoo OrangeStorm Giga is a 3D printer of biblical proportions, with a gigantic print volume of no less than 800 x 800 x 1000 mm.
I Finally Found a Power Station That Can Survive British Weather

Nov 25, 2024 | makeuseof.com | James Bruce

The Bluetti AC240 has a high output capability but medium capacity, with an IP65 rating for outdoor use. The unit can power multiple devices for short periods but is insufficient for long-term use. It's heavier and bulkier than higher-capacity units. The Bluetti AC240 has a ton of ports and a bigger output capability than it does capacity, which is an odd combination that means you can plug in all the things...but only power them for a short time.
I Would Have Loved This Universal Remote A Decade Ago

Nov 18, 2024 | makeuseof.com | James Bruce

The SofaBaton X1S offers sleek hardware with a large database of infrared devices. The remote has a powerful IR signal and extenders if needed, but support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is less impressive. The smartphone-only app is poorly designed and frustrating for the initial programming. Are you tired of having six different remote controls on the living room coffee table?