Gallery: The Things We Loved This Week
01Google Nexus 7
You think last week was exciting? Pfft. Wait'll you see what the world unleashed on our agape eyeballs this week. Google Nexus 7 -------------- If you’re looking for a 7-inch Android tablet, you won’t find anything better than the Nexus 7. Its 1920x1200 (323ppi) display is tack-sharp, its 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU makes for butter-smooth video playback and gameplay, and its rubberized backing makes for a slip-free grip. And it starts at $230. [Read Christina Bonnington’s full review](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2013/08/google-nexus-7/) to learn all the other reasons why the Nexus 7 earned a 9/10. *Photo: Alex Washburn/WIRED*
02Aurora Style Classic Fountain Pen
Aurora Style Classic Fountain Pen --------------------------------- “Fiddle faddle!” you bellow. “As a technologically advanced society, we have evolved beyond the outmoded fount-scriber!” Not so, dear chap. Not so. This one doesn’t leak or bleed or skip over words. Its lacquer-and-chrome build feels great, and it performs like a ballpoint pen. And that, good sir, is why the $95 [Aurora Classic](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2013/08/pens-on-pens-with-pens/?pid=3531) did slay all adversaries in [Karissa Bell’s six-pen slugfest](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2013/08/pens-on-pens-with-pens/). *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED*
03TubeCore Duo
TubeCore Duo ------------ The [TubeCore Duo](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/tubecore-duo/) is a mid-century-modern-fashioned Bluetooth speaker. You can see its twin vacuum-tube pre-amps, and a 3-inch 30-watt woofer and a pair of 50-watt reference drivers lurk within. But it’s also a media streamer. And an upgradeable Raspberry Pi computer. And a highly-customizable media-center hub that runs the open-source XBMC platform. Everything is controlled by a single clickable aluminum knob on the top of the Kickstarter-funded TubeCore. *Photo courtesy TubeCore Duo*
04Vine (Still)
Vine ---- Hey, did you hear the guys from YouTube launched [a new mobile-video app](https://mixbit.com/)? Oh, and did you know that Instagram can record 15-second videos and you can add fancy filters and it has image stabilization? Doesn’t matter. Vine is still the best, because its users create more interesting things with it. That’s probably because they’re more interesting people. [Mat Honan explains why Vine’s culture is its core strength](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/why-vine-just-wont-die/), and that core strength may be insurmountable. *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED*
05Casio G-Shock MT-G
Casio G-Shock MT-G ------------------ Casio’s G-Shock series of durable and waterproof watches just turned 30, and [the new MT-G](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/casio-gshock-30/) is the weekend warrior of timepieces. When your boardroom meetings get brutal, this is a watch that can handle a defenestration into a lake. If the MT-G’s aesthetics are too buttoned-up for your liking, consider the [Eminem-themed GDX6900MNM](http://www.gshock.com/happenings/news/EMINEM_Celebrates_30_Years_of_G-SHOCK) or the new Bluetooth-enabled G-Shock GB-X6900, which offers two-way interaction with apps for iOS and Samsung Galaxy devices. *Photo: Tim Moynihan/WIRED*
06Moto X
Moto X ------ Last week, we were excited about the Moto X’s potential. This week, we officially like the phone. It’s almost-but-not-quite a sentient being, offering automated features while you’re driving a car, battery-saving features while it’s in your pocket, sanity-saving features while you’re taking a nap, and time-saving features while you’re using its camera. [Read Mat Honan’s full review](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/reviews/2013/08/moto-x/) to learn why the Moto X’s way of doing things works, for the most part. *Photo: Tim Moynihan/WIRED*
Camera MK3-407Philips LivingColors and LightStrips
Philips LivingColors and LightStrips ------------------------------------ It’s a annual bummer to take down your Christmas lights, and not just because of the inevitable tangles. Those lights always bring a little something extra to your living room’s vibe. Now you can get similar, peaceful ambient light year-round with [Philips’s LivingColors and LightStrips LED lamps](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/hue-fixtures/), which interact with the [Philips Hue](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/10/hue-led-mood-lighting-lights-up-your-life/) lighting system. You don’t even have to decide on a color to buy: The lights change color at the tap of an Android or iOS app. *Photo courtesy Philips*
08Masking Tape
Masking Tape ------------ There are plenty of reasons to go bananas over the miracle that is masking tape, but the latest one that Roberto Baldwin discovered has to do with mounting stuff on your wall. No, you don’t use masking tape to stick it on there (that’s what duct tape is for). Instead, you use the tape to get screw- and nail-mounts right the first time, which will increase the odds of getting your full security deposit back. [Here’s how you do it](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/tape-mounting/). *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED*
09High Roller Adult Size Big Wheel Drift Trike
High Roller Adult Size Big Wheel Drift Trike -------------------------------------------- It's hard to imagine anyone not [wanting this](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/08/high-roller/). The end.
