The City Grind Test · The Alternative One

Smart Home,Tested for 30 Days.

Daily commutes, rain and dead batteries: the real test. Action cameras, e-bikes, phone gear and smart home tech, tested with The Alternative One.

Start here

The Smart Home Crank It Picks.

No Crank It verdicts here yet. The first tests are being picked by your votes now.

Every verdict and every test

All Smart Home, Newest First.

Products on test show their day count. Finished tests show the verdict.

Nothing on test in this category yet. Request a product and it could be the first.

Before you buy

Five Things to Check Before You Spend.

The spec sheet won’t tell you these. Our 30-day tests measure every one.

  • Battery life in cold weather
  • Mount stability on a bumpy commute
  • Stabilization at speed
  • Rain and drop survival
  • Range and charge time against the claim
The Skip It Files

What We’d Skip, and Why.

Every Skip It verdict in Tech & Cameras, with the reason. It’s the list that saves you money.

Nothing in this category has earned a Skip It yet.

Claude’s Score vs. Your Votes

You Decide What We Test Next.

Every Tech & Cameras request from all five NextWave stations is counted. The most-requested products go on test first, and only a real 30-day test earns a verdict.

How we score

Three Verdicts. No Fence-Sitting.

Crank It

Top pick. We’d buy it with our own money.

Keep It On

Good, with trade-offs we spell out so you can decide.

What Tech & Cameras Should We Test Next?

Name it, pick your station and tell us why. The more listeners ask, the faster it moves up the list.

    FAQ

    Tech & Cameras Questions.

    Which Tech & Cameras products will you test first?

    The ones listeners request and vote for most, as long as the brand can supply a review unit or we can buy one ourselves.

    How long is each test?

    30 days of real use, in three episodes: Day 1 first look, Day 7 real life, Day 30 verdict. The verdict airs on The Alternative One first.

    Do brands pay for Tech & Cameras reviews?

    No. Brands may loan or send products, and every review says how we got it. Verdicts can’t be bought.