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John Brandon

John Brandon

Former Contributor
Author/Co-Author of 9 articles

John Brandon is the quintessential gearhead. He started reviewing gadgets and gear back in 2001 after a stint in the corporate world that did not pan out. Some of his favorite tests include a home robot, a gadget that can read your emotions through temple-mounted probes, a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and a Jura coffee machine that brews coffee better than Starbucks. He has travelled to Europe a half-dozen times, is a long-time history buff who has read over 20 books about shipwrecks, and has tested over 1,000 cars since 2010.

When he is not reviewing gadgets, John tends to spend a lot of time outdoors. He is an avid disc golfer and can even tolerate real golf, but mostly enjoys walks and hikes. One claim to fame is that he once owned several vintage Frisbees, although his collection has been lost to the annals of time.

Expertise: AI, Automotive, Mobile, Outdoor Gear
AI generated podcast image

I compared ChatGPT’s image generation to Nano Banana and only one of them made useful stock photos

Stock images already look fake. But can Nano Banana Pro and ChatGPT create more realistic and useful images?
Young woman listening to a podcast

Launching my first NotebookLM AI-generated podcast taught me one thing you must avoid

Can NotebookLM make a podcast? yes, it can. Will the podcast sound like real humans? Not really.
Woman looking at her phone

I used Nano Banana Pro to create 20 social media posts, the response they got was shocking

Google Gemini now lets you generate images using Nano Banana Pro. I tested whether the bot can make compelling social media graphics.
Grok app on an iPhone.

I tested job searches using Gemini, ChatGPT, and Grok, and there’s a clear standout

I was surprised the best chatbot for job searches wasn't the one I thought it would be.
Chatbot on a smartphone.

After editing over 50 photos with ChatGPT, these are the prompts that work the best

ChatGPT is a worthy photo editing tool if you have the patience to use the correct prompts.
chatgpt-shared-projects

I tested 4 ChatGPT prompt generators and here’s the one that helped the most

ChatGPT by itself is okay, but these prompt generators produce better results.
A design mock-up of a holographic phone

I asked Gemini and Veo 3.1 to create an iPhone competitor, the results are stunning

Google Gemini can create design mock-ups and never complains about revisions.
A creature touches a leaf and a woman in Frankenstein.

I watched Frankenstein, and I’m worried we’re turning AI into a monster

Frankenstein is an abomination. In the same way, we have to figure out how to control AI before it's too late.
ChatGPT running on a laptop.

I asked Google Gemini to fact-check ChatGPT. The results were hilarious

Google Gemini can fact check ChatGPT, with surprising results.