Gearadical

1 week ago | gearadical.com | Tom Kuphal

It was one of those relentless Minnesota storms – the kind that starts in the early evening and doesn’t let up until morning. I was down in the basement when the lights flickered once, then cut out completely. No big deal, I thought – until I heard the sump pump fall silent. I really don’t want my basement to flood. Please no. I’ll just run to Home Depot to get a generator. It’s 5:30 am. They don’t open until 8. Minutes later, I watch water bubble up through the pit like a slow, quiet threat.

2 weeks ago | gearadical.com | Tom Kuphal

I want to root for Roomba. I really do. It’s just that – what happened to old school Roomba? I unboxed the Roomba 205 Combo with the optimism of someone who still remembers when “Roomba” was the name in robot vacuums. I even named our first non-mapping Roomba “Beep.” Beep was my buddy for a good while. However, nostalgia doesn’t mop – and honestly, neither does the Roomba 205 all that well.

3 weeks ago | gearadical.com | John Brandon

When it comes to a large electric vehicle like the GMC Hummer EV, more information at your fingertips is better than not knowing important details. During a week-long test with the Hummer EV, it was the app that impressed me the most, in part because the syncing between app and vehicle worked quickly and accurately, showing the range for the vehicle both when it was parked in my garage, in an underground parking facility, and even in a remote area. It was a split second sync in all cases.

3 weeks ago | gearadical.com | John Brandon

What you see on a back-up camera is almost as important as being able to look behind you, especially when the screen as this large, detailed, and crisp on the 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line. During a week-long test, I used both 12.3-inch screens available in the vehicle, but relied mostly on the back-up camera as I pulled out of my driveway, parking spots at the library, and when I had to parallel park in a busy downtown area. First off, Kia does a great job with the indicators on the rear-view display.

3 weeks ago | gearadical.com | John Brandon

I’m convinced that automated driving on a larger vehicle like the Ford Lightning truck is more helpful than smaller sports sedans. Driverless car features started with smaller sedans from Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW years ago but they are a major bonus when you are driving a yacht like the Lightning, one that can also haul a few pieces of plywood in the bed. And that’s exactly what I did on a sunny day in April.