Articles by John Brandon, Contributing Writer

John Brandon has lived what he writes about for Forbes, Inc., Wired, Popular Mechanics, Fox News, and many others. He has a BA in journalism from the University of Northwestern and spent over a decade in the corporate world, becoming director of Information Design at Best Buy at the ripe old age of 26. In the aftermath of a corporate restructuring, he traded hats to become a full-time columnist/journalist and has published more than 15,000 articles since that time. He and his wife live west of Minneapolis and have four grown children.

Articles by: John Brandon

illustration of laptop with tower speakers on either side.

How I turned my office into a personal concert hall with tower speakers and a MacBook

By John Brandon published 18 March 25

Having tower speakers changed my attitude about work for a far more transformative experience. Here is the equipment I used.

A Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 laptop playing Netflix on a kitchen counter.

I watch Netflix in the kitchen — here's the best laptop for that

By John Brandon published 14 March 25

This laptop lasts about 10 hours, though it lasts more than five hours when I use it for Netflix movies.

'Flight Simulator 2024' looks stunning on the Alienware X16 -- no power cord needed.

I tweaked my Alienware X16 R2 laptop to extend battery life. Here are all my tricks.

By John Brandon published 8 March 25

If you are OK with making a few trade-offs — that you may soon forget about — you can dramatically increase your gaming laptop's battery life and spend more time having fun.

Targus Versavu Keyboard Case for iPad Air Review

By John Brandon published 17 December 13

The Targus Versavu Keyboard Case for iPad Air lets you rotate your tablet into portrait and landscape mode, but its keys could be larger.

Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air Review

By John Brandon published 17 December 13

The Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air offers trendy looks and water resistance but is less comfortable and more expensive than competitors.

Best Siri Alternatives Tested

By John Brandon published 9 July 13

Can You Trust Penny Auction Sites?

By John Brandon published 28 August 12

Buffalo AirStation Wireless-N Nfiniti Router WZR2-G300N Review

By John Brandon published 10 August 07

Editor's Choice

LAPTOP Magazine reviews the Buffalo AirStation Wireless-N Nfiniti Router WZR2-G300N. This router is a speed demon.

Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless N WRT160N Review

By John Brandon published 11 March 08

Laptop Magazine reviews Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless N WRT160N, an overhauled installer makes for easy set-up of the sleek designed Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless N WRT160N.

Addlogix InternetVue 2020 Review

By John Brandon published 10 March 08

Laptop Magazine reviews Addlogix InternetVue 2020, Addlogix tries to get your PC's desktop on your TV but comes up way short.

Cisco Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router EA4500 (N900) Review

By John Brandon published 9 October 12

Editor's Choice

The Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router EA4500 router offers good performance and useful apps but is it easy enough to set up without calling tech support?

D-Link DIR-615 Wireless N Router Review

By John Brandon published 11 March 08

Editor's Choice

Laptop Magazine reviews D-Link DIR-615 Wireless N Router, the DIR-615 is the most inexpensive N router you'll find and has minimal trade-offs.

D-Link RangeBooster N Dual-Band DIR-628 Review

By John Brandon published 31 July 08

A good 802.11n router for those who want speedy dual-band Wi-Fi performance without spending a fortune.

Google Now Review

By John Brandon published 1 July 13

Integrated into Android devices, Google Now's personal assistant can provide proactive help based on where you are and learns from your searches.

Buffalo MiniStation Stealth USB 3.0 1TB Review

By John Brandon published 17 May 11

The Buffalo MiniStation Stealth USB 3.0 is a portable storage drive that offers blazing transfer speeds and compelling software.

Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Dual-Band N Router Review

By John Brandon published 16 May 11

Editor's Choice

Blazing throughput and unsurpassed ease of use make the Linksys E4200 the most powerful and versatile router yet.

Top 10 High-Tech Hotels

By John Brandon published 10 May 13

Archos TV+ Review

By John Brandon published 17 March 08

Laptop Magazine reviews Archos TV+, this Apple TV competitor doubles as a DVR and lets you surf the Web from the sofa, but it's not nearly as intuitive as it could be.

Western Digital My Net N900 Central Review

By John Brandon published 14 December 12

The Western Digital My Net N900 Central combines a router and a network-attached storage drive into one sleek package.

ZyXEL Wireless N High Gain Gigabit Router X-550NH Review

By John Brandon published 29 July 09

This single-band router has some strong Quality-of-Service software and offers consistent performance, but its range could be better.

HP MediaSmart Server EX475 Review

By John Brandon published 12 March 08

Editor's Choice

Laptop Magazine reviews HP MediaSmart Server EX475, the HP MediaSmart Server is pricey, but it's a boon for digital media storage and so much more.

Lexar Echo MX (128GB) Review

By John Brandon published 8 March 11

While you may be able to get cheaper thumb drives, we doubt you'll find any as innovative as the Lexar Echo MX.

Linksys by Cisco Wireless-N Broadband Router with Storage Link (WRT160NL) Review

By John Brandon published 25 January 10

This Linux-based router makes it easy to share storage devices and is ideal for modders.

Verizon Wireless Network Extender Review

By John Brandon published 28 April 09

This router-size device doesn't do anything but boost your cellphone signal--but it does that well.

Griffin Slim Keyboard Folio for iPad Air Review

By John Brandon published 17 December 13

The Griffin Slim Keyboard Folio for iPad Air is one of the thinnest on the market, but feels a little flimsy.