Accessory Reviews | The Verge

DJI’s latest power station is proof that good things come in mini packages

2026-04-20T09:11:55-04:00

As an avid vanlifer, I have to carefully curate everything I carry in order to eke out every square inch of storage I can to support life off the grid for weeks at a time. That's why I jumped at the chance to review DJI's latest power station.

The DJI Power 1000 Mini is almost half the size of the original DJI Power 1000 released two years ago with the same 1kWh battery capacity. And from my calculations, it's also the smallest 1kWh power station from the major brands that money can currently buy.

DJI's little power station also has a few tricks up its sleeve, including a built-in retractable USB-C cable, a light that can be controlled rem …

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Anker’s Nebula P1 projector is the portable sound king

2026-04-06T10:50:48-04:00

The Nebula P1 goes anywhere you can find a power source.

The Soundcore Nebula P1 from Anker isn't the most portable Google TV projector I've ever reviewed, nor is it the brightest. It doesn't even have a built-in battery. Instead it's a decent video device that focuses on sound.

The Nebula P1's standout feature is a pair of speakers that detach to create true left- and right-channel separation. It sounds much better than typical all-in-ones like the supremely portable TCL PlayCube, Xgimi MoGo, or Anker's popular Capsule projectors.

I've been testing the $799 (currently on sale for $639) Nebula P1 as I travel around the European countryside in my van. It's not my favorite portable projector, but …

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Bluetti’s Sora 500 solar panel is incredibly powerful for its size

2026-03-26T04:43:13-04:00

Those 12 panels generate over 500W and fold down very small.

We don't review many solar panels at The Verge, but the tech inside Bluetti's incredibly portable Sora 500 panel makes it worth a deeper look. The new N-Type panels made by Bluetti and others give you more bang for the buck, pound, and square inch. That's a big deal for vanlifers like me who depend upon these beefy portable solar panels to extend off-grid stays.

In real-world testing, I saw Bluetti's 500W panel deliver 509W to my van's power station, allowing me to generate over 800W when combined with the three sad 140W monocrystalline solar panels I have installed on top of my van. That kind of stationary output is fantastic. I typically …

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The improved battery-powered Starlink Mini is here

2026-04-08T12:05:58-04:00

All hail true remote access.

My Starlink Mini has radically changed the way I live. It's the biggest reason I can work remotely from my converted van, providing fast and reliable internet in places that traditional 4G and 5G data signals don't reach. Peakdo's latest LinkPower battery makes the smallest Starlink terminal even better by setting it free from power cables for hours at a time.

While that might not sound like a big deal, I can assure you it is. For example, I can park in the shade and place the Mini far away to avoid trees and other obstructions, just so long as I'm within reach of its Wi-Fi signal. It even works on my dashboard without any long cables to sn …

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Anker’s X1 Pro shouldn’t exist, but I’m so glad it does

2026-02-26T03:56:13-05:00

The Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro is too weird to exist. It takes the excellent 4K projector and karaoke microphones from Anker's Nebula X1 and stuffs them inside a powerful five-speaker Google TV party on wheels. It's so absurd that it feels like a gadget fever dream - and I'm here for it.

At the heart of this system is the same liquid-cooled, triple-laser, auto-image-correction-everything projector I reviewed last summer. It's unbelievably quiet for a 3500 ANSI lumen projector that lays claim to the title of being the brightest and most vivid all-in-one portable projector on the market. Now it's also the loudest, with 400W of audio added to the …

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DJI’s first robovac is an autonomous cleaning drone you can’t trust

2026-02-14T06:47:22-05:00

It's been eight years since I last reviewed a robot vacuum. Having spent the last two months with a new flagship, I'm shocked by how much they've advanced from early bump-and-run models.

In October, DJI launched its very first robovacs in Europe. I've been testing the top-of-the-line Romo P model, which doesn't yet have a US release date. It includes a self-cleaning base station, a mopping function, and enough high-end specs and charm that my colleague Jen Tuohy took notice.

Jen is a true robovac expert. I, let's be clear, am not. But I can share what it's like to make the jump from an entry-level model to one of these multifunctional comb …

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The second-gen AirTags are a scatterbrain’s best friend

2026-02-10T10:58:24-05:00

In a somewhat controversial Vergecast episode, I declared that AirTags are a superior product to iPads. The iPad lovers roasted me across social media. I have heard and respect their opinions. But, I'm sorry - the second-gen AirTag has only deepened my conviction that the humble, $29 item tracker is one of Apple's most helpful gizmos.

The new updates focus more on making a good thing better. There are upgraded ultra-wideband and Bluetooth chips that help extend the range by about 1.5 times. The chime has a new, higher pitch and is 50 percent louder thanks to a redesigned speaker. And you can now use Precision Finding for AirTags on an Apple …

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The latest Instax printer is a pricey but worthy upgrade

2026-02-02T02:15:24-05:00

FujiFilm's Instax Mini Link 3 printer is a much-loved $100 accessory in my travel journal kit. I often tape a printed image next to my handwritten thoughts to preserve a moment in time. The prints produced by the instant film can, however, be soft and muddy - something the new $169.95 Instax Mini Link+ promises to improve.

The big upgrade is a new Design Print mode. It's supposed to make text and intricate illustrations crisp and legible, but I didn't see much of an improvement, despite that being a big selling point. I did, however, find that the improved processing inside the Mini Link+ enhanced contrast, colors, and sharpness, to reveal …

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The Stream Deck-packed gaming keyboard is a monster of good ideas

2026-01-29T11:39:18-05:00

Two dials, 12 buttons, and a multi-function screen give you a ton of flexibility.

The Corsair Galleon 100 SD didn't just come out of the ether. The new full-size mechanical keyboard with a Stream Deck fused to its side is the result of a lot of things coming together over the years. Corsair's gaming business is more refined than ever, and Stream Deck's wide ecosystem of plug-ins makes the dedicated hardware useful to just about anyone, even if they have little interest in streaming. The fusion makes sense.

The possibilities with a Stream Deck were already vast, and the Galleon makes it easier to feel like a power user. I can turn my Philips Hue lights on and off throughout my apartment with one of its dials, and I can pa …

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The Loch Capsule dishwasher is small, fast, and efficient — it even sanitizes gadgets

2026-01-27T12:08:35-05:00

The Loch Capsule in a tiny house that lacks space for a built-in dishwasher.

A dishwasher is a luxury item some people can't live without. It's one of the first major kitchen devices I bought just as soon as I could afford one, and the appliance I thought I'd miss most in my nomadic vanlife pursuits.

Loch sent me its $459.99 / €459.99 countertop Capsule dishwasher to review in a tiny home on a remote beach and inside a van on a two-month roadtrip. It's an excellent product that washes and dries two place settings quickly at bacteria-killing temperatures up to 75 degrees Celsius (167F) in as little as 20 minutes. It'll even kill bacteria and neutralize viruses on your gadgets with a waterless blast of UV-C light. Hoo …

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