Melanie Pinola
Writer and Editor
Melanie Pinola is a writer and editor specializing in technology, personal finance, and lifestyle topics.
PROJECTS
thewirecutter.com
The Best Smart Scales
Smart bathroom scales do the weight-tracking work for you, no typing or pen and paper required. After more than six months of researching and stepping on and off a dozen scales (a total of 35 hours and more than 550 weigh-ins), we’ve found that the Eufy BodySense Smart Scale is the best smart scale available today, with an app that’s simple to use and a reasonable price.
We found the Eufy BodySense Smart Scale to be more precise (gives the same reading consistently, without appearing to repli...
thewirecutter.com
The Best Ergonomic Keyboard
There’s no conclusive evidence that ergonomic keyboards can prevent injury, and if you experience serious pain or have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome or any repetitive-stress injury (RSI), see your doctor before purchasing a new keyboard as a form of treatment. For everyone else, however, ergonomic keyboards can be more comfortable than traditional keyboards if you’re typing all day long.
The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard keeps your wrists and arms in a relaxed, neutral posi...
thewirecutter.com
The Best Drawing Tablets for Beginners
The Draw is Wacom’s most popular and least expensive entry-level tablet, perfect for beginner digital artists looking for a reliable graphics tablet that will last for years. And with the included Art Rage software, the Intuos Draw is an exceptional value. With a 6-by-3.7-inch active area (the area you can draw on), the Intuos Draw is a small graphics tablet that you can use on your desk or throw in a backpack with your laptop and the lightweight pen to create artwork anywhere. The Intuos Dra...
PCWorld
10 Big-Rig Laptops for Serious Gamers
Not everyone wants a sleek, svelte laptop--some of us want power. Here are some options.
PCWorld
18 Cool and Creative Laptop Mods
Whether your taste runs to Soviet propaganda, Hello Kitty, scary skulls, camouflage, or another unusual theme, there's a laptop mod for you.
PCWorld
48 NASA Laptops Stolen in Two Years: A Case for Better Encryption Practices
It's not only businesses that need to worry about laptop security....
Popular Mechanics
9 Top Tech Myths Debunked
Does more bars really mean better mobile service? Are ones really gone forever once you empty the trash? PopMech tackles some of the most frustrating falsehoods of the digital age...
Lifehacker
Basic Self-Defense Moves Anyone Can Do (and Everyone Should ...
Would you be able to defend yourself and your loved ones if someone were to physically attack you? It's a question most of us don't want to consider, but violence is, unfortunately, a fact of life.
ITworld
Can the NSA force password management app developers (e.g., LastPass) to give up your data?
With all the PRISM and, now, decryption controversy, it's not paranoia to wonder this...
Lifehacker
Double Your Investments, Guaranteed: Why You Shouldn't Pass Up Employer Matching
If someone were to say to you they'd match—dollar for dollar, no strings attached—every dollar you put into your savings account (effectively doubling your money for free), you'd jump at the chance, wouldn't you? Yet nearly 40% of us aren't using our employer 401(k) matching benefits. Let's talk about that...
Lifehacker
Eat Like a Foodie at Home, Without Breaking Your Budget
Just because you enjoy great food doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money dining out or buying upscale foods for delicious meals at home. With the advice of some noted chefs and food writers, you can elevate the level of your home-cooked meals even while working with a tight grocery budget,...
Lifehacker
Five Best Rewards Credit Cards
The right rewards credit card offers great perks and bonuses for spending the money you were already going to spend anyway. Here's a look at five of the best rewards cards out there. Photo...
PCWorld
Five Good Laptop Bargains to Consider
Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo all have good bargains right now on laptops equipped with older CPUs. But should you wait for laptops powered by new Ivy Bridge chips to hit the shelves? We break it down.