James Trew

Former Editor-at-Large

James started writing about music and audio before he was legally old enough to go to the nightclubs he was reviewing. Since then he's covered tech and culture for titles such as Men's Journal, Playboy, Future Music and High Snobiety. Since joining Engadget in 2011, James has continued to specialize in the creator space along with maintaining his interest in sub-cultures, with stories on everything from competitive Tetris to skateboard videos and the accidental invention of digital Reggae. In his spare time, he enjoys adding to his list of Podcast ideas that probably might not happen.

Articles by James Trew

Analogue Pocket first look: Handheld gaming as good as it ever was
The long-anticipated Analogue Pocket is finally here and it appears to deliver on all its promises. Our full review will put it through its paces.
Urbanista's solar-powered headphones tease a charger-free future
Wireless headphones that you never have to charge aren't here... yet. But Urbanista's Los Angeles set is a step in the right direction.
GoPro Hero 10 Black review: A big, invisible upgrade
The Hero 10 is here and it brings with it some subtle, yet important upgrades. More slow-mo modes and a faster UI make this camera easier to use with more creative options.
Keychron's Q1 keyboard is its most customizable yet
Customizable keyboards can get expensive, fast. The Q1 from Keychron proves that it doesn't always have to be a choice between price and quality.
Eargo's in-app test transforms its next-gen hearing aids
Eargo 5 is the latest smart hearing aid from the California startup of the same name. This time, you can fine-tune the sound to match your hearing loss.
The second-gen iZotope Spire Studio is a big improvement at a big cost
If you liked the original Spire portable studio from iZotope, you'll love the second generation. But be warned, the solid upgrades come at a price.
All the tools you need to make a better podcast
So you started a podcast? The gear you use can make the difference between someone subscribing or moving onto the next show. In our guide, we give you a host of recommendations to help you take things to the next level.
Teenage Engineering's OB-4 'magic radio' is playfully decadent
Teenage Engineering's latest speaker is unique, letting you "remix" the audio it plays on the fly.
Rode’s Vlogger Kit might just find its way into my podcast toolbox
One of the best, quickest and more affordable ways to upgrade your phone videos is an external mic. Rode takes things one step further with a whole kit aimed at improving your social clips.
Fujifilm's XT4 revived my love for photography
Fortunately, given what I do for a living, good gear recommendations are never far away. More importantly for my dingy apartment was the XT-4's in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Fortunately, that's not an issue here.
Evercade’s cartridge-based retro handheld makes more sense than you think
Retro gaming has arguably existed ever since there was a second generation of consoles. Today’s gamer seeking a shot of nostalgia has almost as many ways to play vintage titles as there are platforms to collect for. Evercade adds one more to that list.
The best personal EVs for any commute
Beyond recouping precious minutes of personal time, there are other, wider-reaching benefits to upgrading your commute. For those who only have a few miles to cover, a personal EV could replace a car ride.
Google experimented with a Star Trek-style Communicator badge
Did you ever watch Picard's Star Trek and hope that someday, we too might communicate with just the touch of a lapel-worn gadget? No, we didn't really, either -- Bluetooth headsets quickly poured water on that fire. But, Amit Singhal, senior vice president and software engineer at Google did, and the company even made a prototype. In a report in Time, Singhal describes the never-before-known wearable as a simple Bluetooth device controlled by touch, just like on the show. Once activated, your voice command would be passed to your handset, with feedback delivered by either a small speaker, or headphones.
Google and the accidental mystery of Webdriver Torso
A series of 11-second videos have been driving the internet crazy. There are over 80,000 of them, and all they show are a series of blue and red rectangles moving around on screen in seemingly random directions. The soundtrack is equally obtuse, comprised of a series of varying sine wave tones. The mysterious videos, posted by YouTube user Webdriver Torso, have become something of an infuriating web phenomenon. Why? Well, the internet can't resist a good mystery (or a bad one for that matter). Are they encoded spy messages? Contact from aliens? Or, just plain, old test videos that have caught the collective imagination? A lot of internet man-hours have gone into figuring out what, or who is behind them, and we can exclusively confirm the answer. If you're impatient you can skip right to the end for the reveal, but lets take some time to recap the story so far.
Connectify Switchboard ditches original server plans, is available now for $90
Remember that Connectify Switchboard Insert Coin we featured just over a week ago? Well, we'd like to say we're sorry to hear it's been canceled -- but we're not. Why? Because a high amount of interest from people preferring to use their own computers as servers, has resulted in a change of plan. The result is that the product is available right away, and will no longer use cloud servers. This change means the need for investment has gone, evaporating the need for Kickstarter, too. This also means you can use the service as a private VPN, and always appear as if you're surfing from your home PC -- along with that speed-boosting channel bonding tech, of course. To sweeten the deal even further, if you purchase access to the beta program now ($90), then you'll get lifetime updates and support. After the beta, the price rises to $100. Better fire up that those internet connections, stat.
The Highs and Lows of Human-Powered Flight
On March 19th 2012, YouTube user jarnosmeets80 uploaded a video to YouTube entitled "Flying like a bird | part 14/14." In it, a man donning a set of homemade wings and a helmet with a GoPro attached achieves what many wishful-thinkers, scientists and millennia of wingless bipeds have long dreamed of doing: flying. Sadly, one month later the video's creator, filmmaker Floris Kaayk, admitted the whole thing was an elaborate hoax. Skeptics will have been quick to dismiss the video straight away, and anything more than a cursory Google search might have convinced most of the same. But, with more than 7 million views at time of this writing, it's pretty clear that as a land-based species, it doesn't take much for us to suspend our disbelief at the idea of being able to fly. Even if it is just for one minute and 50 seconds. Head past the break to read more.
Rode's Wireless Pro mic kit lets you forget about 'clipped' audio
The Wireless Pro from Rode includes a lot of user-requested features -- from a charging case to 32-bit float audio. But at $399 it comes at premium.
Can 'modeling' microphones deliver on their copycat promise?
Modeling microphones aren't a new idea but they're becoming more acurate at imitating popular and rare mics that would normally cost several thousand dollars each.
The Rodecaster Duo podcast mixer proves bigger isn't always better
Smaller, more affordable and with few sacrifices (for most people), there's a lot to like about the Rodecaster Duo podcast and streaming studio.
Amazon Amp is the under-the-radar app that's trying to reinvent radio
It's possibly one of the most supportive communities you'll find, but without the right resources, Amazon could squander it.

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