Halloween may be over, but the hunt for great thrillers is always on. Netflix has quite a few excellent options this month, including an original movie from the end of October and a surprising movie you might not know about.Every month, we handpick a few of the best thrillers on Netflix that fit the current season. Sometimes they pair well with an upcoming release. Other titles might be new additions to the platform.This month weve got a Netflix new arrival, a horrifying dystopian movie from just a few years ago, and a very underappreciated gem that deserves a whole lot more attention. Editors pick: Woman of the HourDirector: Anna KendrickCast: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Tony Hale Anna Kendricks directorial debut chronicles the story of one of the most infamous serial killers in American history, his victims, and the women who against all odds managed to survive him. Kendrick stars as Sheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress in late-70s Los Angeles who is coaxed into appearing as a contestant on a daytime dating show in hopes of it being her big break. Little does she know that one of the male contestants, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), is secretly responsible for the murders of numerous women for over more than a decade. Inspired by a true story, Woman of the Hour is a terrifying depiction of not only an inscrutable killer, but of the inadvertent complicity of a justice system that refuses to act until it is almost too late. Toussaint EganTake Shelter Director: Jeff Nichols Cast: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea WhighamMichael Shannon is one of the greatest actors of his generation, and his performance in Take Shelter easily ranks as one of his most memorable and enduring roles to date. Set in rural suburban Ohio, Shannon stars as Curtis LaForche, a construction worker who is stricken with apocalyptic visions of an impending storm that will destroy everything in its wake. As Curtis descends deeper into his obsession, remodeling the storm shelter in his backyard and distancing himself from friends and family, his wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) grows concerned that his behavior might be linked to his familial history of mental illness. A breathtaking drama that probes the hazy divide between faith and superstition, as well as mental illness, masculinity, and the tenuous bond between families and their community, Take Shelter will have you questioning whats real and what isnt right up to its shocking conclusion. TEThe Platform Director: Galder Gaztelu-UrrutiaCast: Ivn Massagu, Zorion Eguileor, Antonia San JuanVerging on the absolute edge of simply being a horror movie, The Platform is among the grossest and grisliest of Netflixs thriller options. The movie takes place in a dystopian world in which prisoners are kept in a massive vertical tower with different levels. Everyone is fed via a platform that starts at the top filled with delicious food, then slowly floats to the other levels below, leaving only disgusting leftovers by the time it reaches the inmates kept in the lowest depths. Eventually, one inmate decides hes going to do something about only ever getting scraps and attempts to change the system.Look, theres really no way to escape this movies metaphor, and on that level, its both unsubtle and pretty ineffective. However, as a harrowing thriller about a man trying to break out of a horrifying prison, its quite a bit of fun and absolutely worth a watch. And if you have a good enough time with this film, you can always check out the sequel, which only came out last month. Austen Goslin

As an expert vintner would transform humble grapes into extraordinary wine, _naturehumaines latest architectural work, Le Petit Merlot, converts a classic 1920s duplex into a contemporary haven. Nestled in the gastronomic heart of Montreals Plateau Mont-Royal, this thoughtful renovation embodies the same patient craftsmanship as its namesake a careful fermentation of old and new, where historical elements are preserved and enhanced through time.Sited on a compact lot without an alley, the duplex adjoins two neighboring homes and aligns with the shared front street boundary. It includes two stacked units, accessible through a rear courtyard via a porte-cochre. Restricted to two floors, the design adds a mezzanine level, extending the space for the upper unit without exceeding height limits. Heritage features were restored for the front facade, with the original red clay brick, painted hemlock lintels, and stone spandrels retained for architectural authenticity. French windows with divided panes and restored wooden cornices reflect the areas historical facades, contributing to a cohesive street presence.Inside, the lower 1,420-square-foot unit is designed to harmonize with the garden. A glass rear facade blurs the line between indoor and outdoor spaces, opening the living area, dining room, kitchen, and bedroom to the landscape. Below, a sunken courtyard introduces light to the basement-level office and additional bedroom. The upper unit prioritizes southern natural light, with a mezzanine housing the kitchen and dining area, leading to a wooden terrace featuring steel planters. A central staircase, clad in white perforated steel, visually connects the levels.In contrast to the heritage front, the rear facade takes a modern approach. Large glass sections span four levels between brick walls, lending the interior a soft, ambient light. To enhance the basement units light quality, floor-to-ceiling windows create a spacious feel in the bedroom and office. Interior finishes echo the exteriors red tones in materials and paint, maintaining visual unity. This color scheme is evident in brick, window mullions, steel accents, and select indoor elements like the library and lighting fixtures.For more information on _naturehumaine, visit naturehumaine.com.Photography by Raphal Thibodeau.

This satirical concept remains surprisingly pervasive and an easy tool for leaders to mute career growth and skirt accountability.Continue reading on UX Collective

Having spent the better part of a decade being infamous for its RAM usage, Chrome is now on a bit of an apology tour. Recently, the browser has added many performance features to help curb its memory usage, but Google's efforts to improve Chrome's performance go beyond that. Some features are there purely to save RAM usage and increase speed, but some will also limit resources to increase your battery life, and then there are features that help make the browser the feel faster. Some of the gains, unfortunately, come at the cost of privacy or other functionality. I've been testing these out for the better part of a week, including the new performance issue alerts feature, and here are my favorite settings and tricks for optimal Chrome performance.Keep an eye on your tab memory load Credit: Khamosh Pathak Chrome suddenly really cares about RAM (memory) usage. Even when you simply hover over a tab, you can now see how much RAM it's using. It's quite useful to know when a single tab is using more than 1GB of memory.For a more detailed list, use Chrome's Task Manager. Go to Menu > More Tools > Task Manager. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Esc on Windows, or right-click in the empty place in the tab bar and choose Task Manager from the menu. From here, you can find any tabs that are using too much memory and click the End Process button to get rid of them. Credit: Khamosh Pathak If you don't want to see memory use when hovering over a tab, you can disable it by going to Settings > Appearance > Show memory usage on tab hover preview card.Suspending inactive tabs can help you save memoryMemory Saver mode used to be an on-off switch. But now, you can customize Chrome's RAM saving feature depending on how you browse and how powerful your system is.When enabled, Chrome will automatically suspend inactive tabs, giving more resources to tabs that are active. Inactive tabs are shown using a dotted ring icon around the website icon in the tab bar (you can disable the ring under Settings > Performance > General > Inactive Tabs Appearance). Hover over any inactive tab to see how much RAM has been freed up by rendering it inactive, can click on it to bring it back to life.If you'd rather your important work sites not be suspended, go to Settings > Performance > General and add them to the Always keep these sites active list. Credit: Khamosh Pathak To adjust the timeline for when tabs go inactive, navigate to Chrome Settings > Performance > Memory Saver, where you will see three options: Moderate, Balanced, and Maximum.Your choice will come down to how powerful your PC or Mac is and how you use your browser. If you're really starved for active memory, you can switch to the Maximum setting, where Chrome will set tabs to inactive tabs in the shortest period of time possible. Credit: Khamosh Pathak But if you have a relatively modern computer and what you're looking for is the feeling of a fast browser, you should either switch to the Moderate setting or disable Memory Saver altogether. Chrome is fantastic at quickly resuming inactive tabs, but still, it takes some time.Sadly, Chrome doesn't provide you with any more specific options for when tabs will be suspended, so you're left to trust the browser's internal algorithms to do the heavy lifting for you. Still, in my testing, I've found Memory Saver's Balanced setting to be quite helpful.During testing, I found that allowing Chrome to suspend inactive tabs helped me resume my workday better. I pretty much never turn off my aging M1 MacBook Air, and the experience of coming back to work after a day of research and dozens of open tabs is now less daunting. Because most of the heavy tabs that take up more than 100MB RAM are inactive already, resuming my MacBook Air from sleep mode and starting up work is essentially lag-free. For this reason alone, it might be worth accepting the sluggishness that can come with waking up an inactive tab.Use Energy Saver when on your laptopPerformance vs. battery life is always a delicate balance. But here, too, Chrome offers you a choice. Under Settings > Performance > Power, you'll find the Energy Saver switch, which has two options underneath it:Turn on only when battery is at 20% or lowerTurn on when your computer is unpluggedTo prioritize performance above all else - like smooth scrolling and fast video frame rates, toggle off Energy Saver altogether. Alternatively, to prioritize battery life, toggle it on and click the box to enable it whenever your computer is unplugged. Credit: Khamosh Pathak For most people, I suggest turning Energy Saver on but only enabling it when your battery is down to 20% or lower.When Energy Saver mode is active, you'll see a green leaf icon in the toolbar. You can use this to quickly disable Energy Saver mode anytime, especially when you're in video calls or sharing your screen, where you might need some extra power.Make Use of Extended PreloadingThis is one of those features that will make you feel like your browser is much faster that it really is. Chrome has a feature called Extended Preloading that can be enabled from Settings > Performance > Speed. Credit: Khamosh Pathak When enabled, a larger array of websites and webpages are preloaded, even before you visit them. The preloading happens in the background through Google's servers, so there's very little lag between when you click the link and when the page opens. Because this request is being pre-loaded via Google's servers, you are sacrificing your privacy, though. Google will use your cookies to figure out which sites you visit often, and which should be preloaded in the background.By default, Standard preloading is enabled, which works for fewer sites. To turn preloading off completely, uncheck the toggle next to Preload pages.Get performance issue alertsGoogle Chrome's newest performance feature will proactively alert you when browser tabs are taking up an unhealthy amount of memory. Let's say you're watching a 4K video on YouTube, but it's stuttering even though you're on a strong internet connection. Google can figure out whether the problem is due to a memory crunch and can alert you which tabs are causing the issue through a speedometer icon next to the address bar. Simply click on the icon and then Fix now to set those tabs to inactive. Credit: Google The tabs will still stay in your tab bar, and you can always click them again to reload them.This feature can be enabled from Settings > Performance > General > Performance Issue Alerts.

Thanksgiving gravy is a must-have on the feast table. This delectable and versatile sauce elevates everything it touches on the plate, and reflects the savory flavors of the perfectly roasted turkey that just made its debut on the table. Obviously, that means youll be using the fresh pan drippings, right? As if the host wasnt frantic enough with cooking, reheating, plating, and serving; Now they have to make a last minute gravy. Pass. You can save yourself trouble and still get that rich turkey flavor by freezing your gravy now and adding pan drippings later.How to freeze gravyFirst, make the most delicious complete gravy. Make a roux, however toasted and dark you like, and whisk in enough broth to get a consistency thats a bit thicker than youd usually make it. This accounts for the turkey drippings that will thin it out on the big day. Season the gravy, and allow it to cool to room temperature, or even chill it down in the fridge. Pour the cool gravy into a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Flatten or squeeze all the air out and freeze it flat, or with a pencil to portion it. Lay it flat in the freezer, or in the shape you want, and let if freeze solid.Note that white gravy (made with the addition of milk or cream) can, sadly, break when thawing. If you're making a gravy with milk or cream, I'll point you to this post for freezing a roux base of butter and flour in advance. At least you can still be a step ahead.How do you thaw frozen gravy?On Thanksgiving Day, break apart the frozen gravy (you can defrost it slightly by putting the bag in a bowl of warm water), add it to a pot, and reheat it over low heat. Whisk it smooth. Store the warm gravy in an insulated bottle to keep it hot all day. When the bird finally comes out of the oven, your gravy is ready and waiting for concentrated turkey juice. Pour the drippings into a measuring cup and skim off the fat, or use this handy trick to defat the drippings. Pour the gravy out of the bottle and into a pot. (You can keep the container handy, it'll be used again shortly.) Gradually whisk in the turkey drippings. When youre happy with the thickness, stop pouring. Add freshly chopped herbs or bits of turkey meat if you like. Taste the gravy and season it if needed. Pour the gravy back into the insulated bottle to serve.This trick isn't limited to Thanksgiving either. You can freeze any homemade brown gravy, like chicken gravy, beef gravy, vegetable or mushroom gravy, and add drippings or fresh herbs on the day that you want to use it. It also works in the reverse scenarioyou've made way more fresh gravy than you needed, just freeze the leftovers for another day. Freezable Make-Ahead Gravy RecipeIngredients:4 tablespoons butter4 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 cups of turkey stock or broth 1 teaspoon of beef boullion base teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon soy saucePinch MSG2 or 3 grinds of fresh black pepper cup to 1 cup defatted turkey drippings (stir in after reheating)1. In a large measuring cup, add the turkey stock and the beef bouillon base. Microwave the liquid until its steaming, about two minutes. Stir to dissolve the bouillon.2. In a medium pot, cook the butter and flour over medium-low heat. Whisk them together until they make a smooth paste, and cook it for one to five minutes, or until the mixture becomes golden brown and smells toasty.3. Slowly add the hot liquid in four installments, whisking constantly. Whisk the mixture smooth before adding the next amount of liquid. Once all of the broth is in the gravy, turn off the heat, and stir in the onion powder, MSG, soy sauce, and black pepper. Allow the gravy to cool to room temperature.4. Pour the cooled gravy into a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Freeze it flat.5. When needed, take the gravy out of the freezer. You can thaw it slightly by leaving it on the counter for 30 minutes, or putting the bag in a bowl of warm water. Break the gravy into pieces and add it to a pot. Reheat the gravy over low heat. When you can, whisking frequently to break it up and smooth it out. Whisk in as much of the turkey drippings as you need to thin out the gravy to a consistency you like. Taste, and season further if needed.

I recently reviewed the Forerunner 265, Garmins $499 running watch. In the process, I started poking at the parts of the watch and app that promised to give me a training plan, and eventually asked it to get me ready for a 5K race. (Thats five kilometers, or 3.1 miles.) I enjoyed the training and ended up clocking my best 5K time in years. Let me tell you about how it went, and how you can potentially have a similar experience. Garmin Forerunner 265 Running Smartwatch, Colorful AMOLED Display, Training Metrics and Recovery Insights, Black and Powder Gray $419.00 at Amazon $449.99 Save $30.99 Shop Now Shop Now $419.00 at Amazon $449.99 Save $30.99 What I wanted to get out of the training planUltimately, I just wanted to put the watch through its paces for the review, so that was my main goal. I didnt approach this by asking how can I get the best possible time in a race?although my thoughts did start wandering in that direction once Id been training for a while.Garmins app and some of their watches (depending on model) can give you training plans for a variety of distances, including marathon (26.2 miles), half-marathon (13.1 miles), 10K (6.2 miles), and 5K (3.1 mile) distances.That shortest distance, the 5K, is a common gateway to racing for beginners. In most places, and during most seasons, you can find a 5K to race on almost any weekend. Theyre beginner-friendly, so you dont have to worry about whether youre fast enough, but even experienced runners can get hooked on the prospect of improving their 5K time. Ive run plenty of 5Ks, but none recently. I did always enjoy them more than longer races.Once I'd been training with the watch for a little while, I decided I did want to run a fast 5K, after all. What better way to test the watch's training plans than to try one myself? And what better way to test their adaptability than to constantly decline suggested workouts because, come on, life is busy and running is not my top priority? I made it through, and had a great time on race day. How training plans work on Garmin watchesWhen you wear a Garmin watch, youll install an app on your phone called Garmin Connect. This allows you to view your runs and your health data from your phone, create workouts, mess with settings, and so on.In the app, you can set up workouts in several ways.You can create workouts and add them to your calendar. The workout you added will pop up when you begin a run from your watch on that day.You can download or sync a training plan from another app or source. For example, the Runna app can add workouts to your Garmin calendar.You can use the Garmin coach feature to choose one of the Garmin Coach expert plans with Coach Greg, Coach Amy, or Coach Jeff.On some watches, including the Forerunner 265 and up, you can use the Garmin Coach feature to choose an adaptive training plan.These last two are what people usually mean when they talk about Garmin training plans. I mainly used the adaptive training plan, but Ive played around with both and can tell you about the differences in their features.Theres one more way to get workouts from your Garmin watch, sort of. Some watches, including the Forerunner line, have some version of daily suggested workouts (often abbreviated DSW). The Forerunner 55 and 165 will only give you a workout for the current day, while the 265, 965, and Fenix watches will allow you to view a full weeks worth of DSW (and even let you do a future workout early).The adaptive training plan is only available if you have a watch with weekly DSW. This includes the company's medium- and higher-end running watches, including the Forerunner 255, 265, and 965, and the Fenix line (versions 6 and up). Garmin has a full list of compatible watches here. The adaptive training plan is basically an app-friendly version of the daily suggested workouts. If your watch doesnt support a full weeks worth of DSWsay, you have a Vivoactive 5you can still use Garmin Coach, but youll be limited to the expert plans.How Garmins expert plans compare to their adaptive plansIf youre trying to decide between the two types of plans, and you have a watch that supports both, here are the main differences:TimingThe expert plans require a certain number of weeks between the start and your race day. For example, setting up a plan today (in early November), I wasnt able to give it a race date in March. Each plan has a minimum and maximum number of training weeks, which will differ from plan to plan.The adaptive plan, on the other hand, will work no matter when your race is. If its far in the future, youll just get non-specific workouts until race day is closer.A friendly faceThe expert programs each have a named coacha real-life person with a face and a name. This coach doesnt personally interact with you, but they have filmed videos describing their training philosophy and giving advice, and each expert plan has a different vibe to it. Coach Jeff will use run/walk intervals, for example (hes kind of famous for it).The adaptive plans have none of that. Theres no named coach, no videos with tips or encouragement. Just workouts.The confidence gaugeThe expert plans have this cute little gauge in the corner, showing how confident your coach is that youll be able to achieve your goal. If I ask for a certain 5K time, for example, Ill want to see that gauge in the green. That tells me Im on track. If I slide into the orange zone, I know Im slacking. Theres also a red zone that means Im really not on track, and on the other end theres a purple zone that would mean Im doing so well I can probably aim for a loftier goal.In the adaptive plans, theres no confidence gauge. (This is the main thing I miss when using the adaptive plans.) That said, watches that support the adaptive plans also tend to have a race predictor feature. You can access this through the app or through a glance on the watch. So you can check at any moment to see your predicted time. This doesnt account for future training, thoughso if Im targeting a 24-minute 5K, but Im currently in 26-minute shape, Ill see 26 minutes when I look at my race predictor.What the first few workouts look likeTheres one more big difference. Every time Ive chosen an expert program, its started me off with a benchmark run, and no future workouts are scheduled until Ive done that benchmark. Thats what I see right now on a Coach Greg 5K plan. Previously, when I set up a 10K training plan with Coach Amy, I got that benchmark run and a one-mile time trial in the first week.The adaptive training plans, on the other hand, simply suggest workouts that will make sense for you given your current training status and goals. There are no benchmarks or time trials built in. Just to check, I started an adaptive training plan today, and the first thing on my schedule was a one-hour-long base (easyish) run.Overlap with daily suggested workoutsHeres a fun fact: if youre doing an expert plan, you can also have access to the daily suggested workouts on your watch. Theyll just be hidden. On the 265, press the middle left button and select Training to view your suggested workouts.With the adaptive plan, your plan and the daily suggested workouts are one and the same. Basically, the adaptive plan is a way to view your daily suggested workouts on your phone, which wasnt a feature the app had until recently.ReschedulingOn the expert plans, if you dont like your schedule for the week, you can tap the three dots menu to reschedule a run on your calendar. This is handy if, for example, you have hill repeats scheduled for tonight but you cant get out to the park with your favorite hill until tomorrow.On the adaptive plans, you cant reschedule workouts for the future. You can do a future workout today, though. And if you skip todays workout, theres a good chance it will show up again in the future.Other races on your calendarThe daily suggested workouts (and thus the adaptive plans) take account of any and all races you might put on your calendar. You can only designate one as your primary race for the training season, but the others can be supporting events, and your suggested workouts or your adaptive plan will take them into account.As far as I can tell, this doesnt happen with the expert plans. Theyre geared for the specific race you set them up for.Race distancesThe expert plans are available for 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon races. The adaptive plans can be geared toward a race or personal goal of any distance.Training with heart rateIn the expert coached plans, the workouts are typically assigned with pace targets. (For example, you might be assigned to do an easy run at 10:30 minutes per mile.) You cant change this in your settings, but you can edit individual workouts if youd like.In the adaptive plans, workout targets may be set to either pace or heart rate, and you can switch the target as needed. For example, if Im about to run on a hilly road, Ill use a heart rate target, because I know Ill slow down on those hills. After making that switch, nearly all of the runs in the plan will be given with heart rate targets instead of pace targetsuntil or unless I decide to change it back.How to use the workouts from the training planEverything else Im describing here works the same way regardless of which coaching option you use. For more on what its like to follow different types of Garmin workouts, you can see what I wrote in my Forerunner 265 review.Every training day, you just hit the Run button as usual (or Treadmill Run, Trail Run, or Track Run). The assigned workout for that day will pop up. After completing a workout, youll get an execution score telling you how closely you stuck to the plan for that day. (Anything above 66% is considered good.)Theres no penalty for a poor execution score, or even for skipping a run. You just might find a similar workout scheduled for the future if the app thinks you need more of that kind of run in your training.What I did for my raceI didnt choose a race right away when I started using a Garmin watch. I was just trying to build up mileage and be more consistent with my running habit. At first I picked a 10K plan with Coach Amy, but honestlyit wasnt for me. At least not for my current stage of training. There were threshold workouts that asked me to hold a too-fast pace for too long, and I hated them. (In hindsight, they were probably fine, but it was hot out and I was not used to doing that kind of work.)I ended up quitting the plan, and just using the daily suggested workouts for a while. I didnt follow them religiously; if a workout looked fun or interesting, I did it. If it looked miserable, I didnt. You would think this kind of lackadaisical attitude would lead to poor results, but I also had a mileage target in mind every week, supplied by my own brain and not the Garmin app. As long as I got in 20 miles that week (or 25, or 30I gradually ramped up), I knew I was doing OK.That approach paid off. I saw my predicted 5K time creeping from the low 30 minutes down to 29, 28, and it kept dropping. You know I said to myself. Theres a half-marathon in a cool place in October. I dont want to do a half this year, but they have a four-mile option. Maybe Ill sign up for the four-miler. I put it on my calendar, the workouts adapted, and soon I was looking at predictions for that race as well. I started to have dreams of winning an age-group medal.Well, now that I had an actual goal race, I figured Id try the coaching plan again. This time I used the adaptive plan and asked it to train me for a 5K (I didnt realize that I could have asked specifically for the four-miler) and added a fake 5K race to my calendar that was the same day as the four-miler. And from that point forwardmaybe two months out, if Im remembering correctly?I did my best to run as many of the plans workouts as I could.I still skipped a few of the gnarlier threshold runs. 18 minutes at 5K pace? No thanks. But that cute little sprint workout with the 15-second bursts and long recoveries? Thats fun, Ill do that one any time it pops up.Even with this imperfect training, my predicted 5K time kept dropping. And then the week of the race, disaster struck: a family event that I could not skip was rescheduled for my race day. Instead of planning a drive to the mountains to race on an abandoned highway, I used the find an event feature on the Garmin calendar to find a 5K that was the same weekend, but Saturday instead of Sunday. I lucked out: there were two options. I chose the one that was listed as fast and flat, since the other was described as challenging (that means hilly).The night before my race, my watch predicted a 25:50 finish time. I ran the race, and finished in 26:04. Tragically, the GPS measurement from the watch came in at 3.09, so it never officially credited me with a new 5K PR. (Its not an all-time PR for me, but it would have been a PR as far as Garmin knows. My best ever 5K time was 25:20, and that was thirteen years ago, so this is pretty darn great in my book.)My advice for running with the Garmin coached plans (any of them)Heres where I describe a few things that I dont like, and Ill give my advice for working around those shortcomings. Preferences vary, so you may find that what bothers me may not bother you. Still, this is my personal advice.First, it bugs me that you cant look ahead and see what awaits you during the entire training plan. Thats true no matter which type of plan you choose. Theres no way to know in Week 1 what awaits you in Week 8. Now, Im happy to play fast and loose with 5K training, since 5Ks are low-key, low-pressure races. Theyre quick to recover from, and they cost, what, 25 bucks to enter? If you have a bad 5K, you learn from it and you can go run another one next weekend.If I had a big goal race planned, though, like a marathon, I wouldnt dream of trusting the whole thing to an app that could change things around on me. Every now and then you see somebody on Reddit asking what they should do since their marathon is only a month or two away and they still havent had any runs longer than an hour or so. Thats a horror story, even if it turns out that person may have set up the plan wrong or skipped so many runs it couldnt figure out what to assign. You shouldnt find that out the hard way.So my advice is to give yourself a big-picture target or two for guidance. A weekly mileage target is a good one, since mileage is one of the biggest drivers of progress in running. No matter what my app suggested, I made sure I was always within range of my target mileage for the week. (For me, that was 20 to 30 miles.) Its not a bad thing to trust a program when it gives you an occasional week thats harder or easier than you expected, but having a rough target helps to make sure youre not under- or overdoing it for weeks on end.If youre training for a longer race, like a marathon or half-marathon, youll probably also want to have a rough sense of the length your long runs should be, and the weekly mileage you should be logging, especially in the peak weeks. Peek at an established program (one of the free ones from Hal Higdon, for example) to make sure youre more or less on track. For example, between one and two months out from race day, you should have several runs in the 16 to 20 mile range.The other thing to remember is that you know your body better than any app. If you need an extra rest day or an easy run instead of a workout, take it. The plan will adapt. And if you need a type of workout thats not scheduledhill repeats, for example, when you have a hilly race coming upjust swap it in. Youre not hurting anybodys feelings, and any good plan can survive a healthy dose of life getting in the way.

Your iPhone allows you to change the default browser, email app, password manager, and now even messaging and calling apps. Previously, you had to go through multiple settings pages to change these defaults, but with iOS 18.2, Apple has made this process easy. You can now visit a single page to change each of your defaults in one fell swoop, which will save you a lot of time.At time of writing, iOS 18.2 is available as a public beta, which you can access by first signing up for Apple's beta program and then navigating to Settings > Software Update > Beta Updates. Note that using a beta can introduce instability to your device, so upgrade at your own risk. Apple is expected to fully release iOS 18.2 sometime in December, so you won't have to wait long to use the final build.How to change default apps on your iPhoneOnce you've updated to iOS 18.2, you can quickly and easily update your default iPhone apps by opening your Settings app and scrolling all the way to the bottom. Tap on Apps > Default Apps. You'll see the following options.EmailMessagingCallingCall FilteringBrowser AppPasswords & CodesKeyboardsTo change any of these defaults, simply tap it and choose the app you want from the list that pops up. For instance, if you have installed six browsers, all of them will be listed in the Browser App page, and you'll be able to choose any of them as your new default. Likewise, if you haven't installed any browsers other than Safari, you won't see any alternatives to pick from. You can use this settings page as an easy way to add and change keyboards as well. Tapping "Keyboard" will reveal a bunch of suggested keyboards up top, followed by any third-party keyboards you've installed.

You most likely get paid in one of two ways: a salary (a fixed amount of compensation paid out in regular intervals) or hourly (a wage per hour). About 55.7% of all workers in this country are paid hourly, meaning they qualify for overtime pay if they work more than 40 hours per week (salaried employees are exempt from this rule and dont get overtime pay if they work more hours).Still, many folks prefer salaried positions, which are usually seen as more secure, and which usually come with more benefits and advancement opportunities. But there are legal limits when it comes to classifying employees: If you make less than $43,888 a year, youre legally non-exempt according to the federal government and get overtime pay (this is going up to $58,656 starting January 1st, 2025note that states may have their own laws, so a little research is necessary here). For some companies, it makes more sense to re-classify their employees as non-exempt and pay them hourly than to give them a pay bump in order to keep them exempt.Generally speaking, your employer can change how they pay you (and how much they pay you) any time they like, as long as they give you notice and arent being discriminatory about it. So if your boss tells you that starting next week youre an hourly instead of a salaried employee, theyre probably allowed to do that. And while you have limited options in this scenario, there are a few things you canand shoulddo.Document everything Keep a copy of the notice you received about the change, and record or take notes at every meeting or phone call you engage in discussing your new pay and benefits. If it all works out you might not need any of this, but if you enter a dispute over pay or begin to suspect you were singled out in retaliatory fashion for the change (e.g., no one else in your group was changed to hourly), youre going to want a record of everything you were told.Calculate the differenceFigure out if the switch to hourly work is a stealth pay cut. Will you still be working at least 40 hours a week? Will you actually work overtime? If you currently work 40 hours a week, you can divide your former annual salary by 2,080 (40 hours X 52 weeks) to see what your hourly rate was (e.g., if you made $60,000 a year and worked 40 hours a week, your hourly rate was 60,000/2080 = $28.85). If you worked 35 hours, divide by 1,820 (35 X 52).If your new hourly rate is lower and theres no overtime pay involved, you just received a pay cut, and you should ask your employer to raise it.You also need to check your benefits. When an employee is switched to hourly pay, their employer can opt to keep them at the same level of benefits as before, but its worth making certain of this. If the change in status means youre no longer eligible for employee health plans or retirement plans, or if your benefits options change drastically as a result of the change, you may have just lost a big chunk of your compensation even if your annual pay remains the same. Calculate how much your benefits package was worth before and compare it to your new situation. If youve lost out, see if you can go back to your previous package, or if you can be compensated for the loss.Check overtimeOn the other hand, if youre a non-exempt employee now, you can work overtimeand if you do, your overall income might actually go up. If you routinely worked extra hours as a salaried employee, speak with your supervisor to find out if youll be expected/allowed to continue to do so. If your hourly rate matches what you were making while working as an exempt employee and your benefits are comparable, you basically just got a raiseassuming your overtime continues.When to quitIf your new compensation represents a pay cut and/or a loss of benefits, you might consider quitting. While your employer can probably change your pay any time they want, they cant do so retroactively, and they cant force you to accept a new pay rate. Any work youve already done must be paid at your old rates. Quitting might be a good idea if youre reasonably sure you can get a comparable job, because you can base your salary request on your previous salary and not your new, lower pay.

For decades, whenever you've needed to know something, you've googled it. What time's the Super Bowl? How do you fix a leaky faucet? What's the difference between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 15? What will the weather be like tomorrow? Who is Maria Callas? On top of its original goal of indexing the web, Google has evolved to be able to dig information out of it and serve it up to you without you actually having to visit a website. Try a Google search today, and for quite a few of those questions above, you'll see the answer at the top of the resultsno extra click needed.Now, generative AI models like ChatGPT are promising to do that job faster, more comprehensively, and more helpfully than Google doeseven as Google has added AI answers to its own pages in response. Case in point: OpenAI has just launched ChatGPT web search for Plus subscribers, and free users will get the update soon.So will we all soon be ChatGPTing rather than Googling when we need to know something? I pitted the current leader in web search against this new arrival, comparing them across a variety of key areas to see what sort of results I'd getand if I was Google, I'd be worried at how good its AI rival already is.News, sports, weather ChatGPT does well on sports scores and matches. Credit: Lifehacker We often use a web search to find out what's happening in the moment or the near future, so I asked both search engines when my soccer team's next game was going to take place (and used its nickname to make it harder). Full marks across the board, as Google and ChatGPT both gave me the correct time and date, and even told me what TV channel it will air on.What about the weather? Again, pretty much level, with both search engines returning a week's worth of forecastthough the visuals Google used were a bit more useful. You can specify different locations and different times, and both Google and ChatGPT knew my current location (I'm guessing through my IP address). Google can also serve up plenty of sports information. Credit: Lifehacker Then I asked about the Squid Game 2 trailer that recently dropped. Google search has the advantage of a News tab, of course, whereas ChatGPT search is still in its early stages, so I had to specify "news" in my query on the latter. ChatGPT gave me some useful information about the upcoming season, but Google was better at surfacing actual news headlinesand at finding the trailer.OpenAI says it has signed partnerships with certain news, sports, and weather providers, and generally speaking, ChatGPT search already does a good job here. However, Google still has the edge: It's got its hooks deeper into the web, it covers a broader range of sources, and it presents more information in its results.Advice and guides ChatGPT will confidently tell you how to do something. Credit: Lifehacker Next I tested the search engines on getting instructions for a few simple tasks: resetting an iPhone, making an omelette, and cleaning a shower. As you might expect, Google was better at surfacing good-quality web links for the task, while ChatGPT was better at writing out the steps itself, with links back to sources (there's a debate to be had about which is better for the publishers and human writers supplying the content, but we'll save that for another day).As far as I could tell, ChatGPT's instructions were reliable enough, and all sourced from reputable sites. Google, meanwhile, chose well when it came to its linksand for some search requests would display its AI overview responses as well. For the iPhone question, both Google and ChatGPT summarized Apple's official instructions using AI, and linked back to the Apple page. Google still prefers links for a lot of guides and advice. Credit: Lifehacker At this stage, Google wins when it comes to displaying additional content beyond web links, including YouTube videos and posts from social mediathough ChatGPT will occasionally display a YouTube link too, if it thinks it's needed. In cases where both search tools showed instructions generated by AI, ChatGPT usually had the more detailed and useful ones, though there often isn't much to differentiate between them.Of course, I can only really scrape the surface when it comes to these kinds of searches, and the results (and their quality) are going to vary depending on what you want to do. Which search option you prefer might depend on whether you want a link straight to a website you can trust for advice (for that, Google is still your best bet), or whether you want an AI-generated summary of what you need to do (which is where ChatGPT really excels).Shopping ChatGPT does have some map and place capabilities. Credit: Lifehacker As I've already touched on, Google has the advantage when it comes to how deep it can go on the web, and how many additional tools it can call upon. If you search for a specific webcam or coffee machine you want to buy, for instance, Google is much better at including a long list of purchasing options (including sponsored content) alongside its search results.ChatGPT does offer some purchasing links in its responses, but there aren't as many of them, and they're included in the text rather than shown separately. It also doesn't have Google's Shopping tab, which lets you narrow down selections based on price, look for specific brands and features, and check user reviews. Google search can get some help from Google Maps. Credit: Lifehacker Finding a place to goIt's the same story with places: ChatGPT can make an attempt with searches like "nearby coffee shop," and it gave me some decent answers when I asked, but it's not at Google's level at the moment. For better or for worse, Google knows much more about me, and that can help when it comes to recognizing the sort of places I like, and where I've been before.Google search can seamlessly link out to Google Maps, which helps when looking at reviews or getting directions somewhere. ChatGPT search provides links to sites such as TripAdvisor for reviews, and actually opens Google Maps if you want directions somewhere. While I was impressed with how much shopping and map information ChatGPT has access to already, I'll still be using Google for these searches for the foreseeable future.The search interface The responses from ChatGPT are clean and clear. Credit: Lifehacker Overall, Google remains ahead when it comes to finding information on the web, which is really no surprise: It's been around since the late '90s and has had a long time to refine its craft. Where ChatGPT impresses though, is in how clean and straightforward its interface isand when you've grown used to Google search results stuffed with adverts and SEO trickery, it's quite a refreshing change.Of course, ChatGPT web search is just getting started. OpenAI can afford to roll out a sleek, user-friendly interface now, and think about making money and putting ads in later. But in terms of how it looks and operates at the moment, I was pleasantly surprised with how well it distills all the noise of the web, presenting answers without any fuss or clutter. Google can struggle with complex searches and questions. Credit: Lifehacker The final verdict: ChatGPT is surprisingly goodFor complex, multi-faceted searches, ChatGPT can actually best Google. When I asked "which R.E.M. record had the most troubled production?" ChatGPT gave me the right answer (Fables of the Reconstruction) and the reasons why, whereas Google sent me to pages talking more generally about the worst R.E.M. record. ChatGPT makes it easier to ask follow-up questions too.I also like the way ChatGPT presents its sources: The links are there if you need them, but displayed subtly, and help to guard against hallucinations (which let's be honest, are still an issue). While I'm not going to stop Googling anytime soon, I'll definitely be using ChatGPT regularly for certain types of queries, and there's no doubt the AI bot has the potential to transform the way we find information onlinea shift Google is already quickly trying to prepare for with its own AI offerings.

With its stylishly minimalist look and low-maintenance style, the Tenways CGO600 Pro is an e-bike you could fall in love with. Its a city bike; the kind of bike you usefor popping down to the store or commuting to work at a non-profitnot the kind of bike that becomes your lifestyle. It's not for off-road adventure, but if you need to get from point A to point B, and you want to do it on a smooth-riding, stylish e-bike with as little maintenance as possible, the CGO600 Pro hits the bullseye.This thing is so practical it's downright sexy.A quick look at the Tenways CGO600 ProProsLow maintenance belt driveSolid handlingLight weightConsGears are actually good sometimesSpecsClassification: Class 1Price: $1,899Colors: Avocado Green, Sky Blue, Midnight Black, Pebble GreyWeight: 37 lbs. without batteryRiders height: three frame sizes accommodate riders between 50-62Motor: 350 Watt rear hub motor with 45 Nm of torqueBattery range: Up to 53 milesPedal assist: 3 levels, Torque SensorTop assist speed: 20 mphFrame: 6061 aluminum frameTires: CST 700x45C urban tiresBrakes: Tektro dual-piston hydraulic disc brakesDrive: Gates carbon belt driveE-biking, Northern European style Credit: Stephen Johnson From the look, to the ride, to the onboard computer, the CGO600 is all about simplicity and functionality.A crowd-funded product of the Netherlands, the CGO600 embodies the understated style of Dutch urban bicycles. It's not one of those e-bikes that looks or drives like a motorcycle. It's very much a bike both in looks and power. It's a class-1 e-bike, so there's no throttle, and the assist speed tops out at 20mph. The motor is very quiet and the removable battery is discretely tucked into the down tube, so it easily passes as a non-electric bike; you won't feel out-of-place on a mellow, mixed-use bike path. Subjectively, it's a pretty machine, in a low-key way: It has a classic bike look, with an aluminum frame that come in four matte finished colors and a dual LED headlight built in to the top tube to give it a little panache.Riding the CGO600 Pro Credit: Stephen Johnson The CGO may be a simple bike, but Tenways has clearly paid attention to the small details that matter: The handgrips are comfy, the pedals are wide, the seat post and handlebars are easily adjustable so you can dial it in for yourself and/or lend it out to someone else. There's even a little bell attached to the handlebars. It's a single-speed bike, so there are no gears to worry about and/or adjust. There isn't even a chainthe CGO600 has a Gates Carbon belt drive instead, so it's grease-free and won't ruin you trousers. More importantly, Tenways says the belt is "maintenance-free for up to 18,600 miles." I didn't ride it that far, so I'll take their word for it. The CGO600 is maneuverable and responsive. There's no suspension, but even on bumpy payment, the aluminum frame provides enough flexibility that your teeth won't be chattering. It's light, too. At only 41 pounds, with battery, it's light enough that riding with no assist is a reasonable option; not an option I chose very often to be honest, because the assist is spot-on. What's under the hood of a CGO600 Pro? Credit: Stephen Johnson The CGO 600's torque-sensing drive system transfers power from the rear hub drive smoothly and quietly, but the 350w motor is surprisingly peppy for being so unobtrusive. Pedaling up to 20 mph on flat ground is effortless and feels natural; there's no sudden surge of torque like you get with less-refined e-bikes, instead of feeling like a motor is pushing your bike, you feel like you have very strong legs. There are only three levels of assist, compared to the usual five that e-bikes offer, but I never felt like a power level was "missing." The stated range per full battery is "up to 53 miles," but it depends on how much you pedal, assistance level, hills, your weight, and so many other factors; it's impossible to really estimate. That said, the light weight and torque-sensing configuration mean a battery charge lasts a long time, and while it never went 53 miles in my test rides, the battery life is good. The assist takes you to 20mph, but I topped out at about 35mph on this bike, and at no point did the CGO600 feel wobbly or out-of-control. That 35mph was on a downhill, of course; pedaling up hills takes some effort. Smaller urban inclines are no problem, but larger hills will put you face-to-face with the problem of a single-speed: Bikes have gears for a reason, and a big hill will have you wishing you had a granny gear to switch to. In keeping with its minimalist aesthetic, the CGO600's onboard OLED display is tiny. It shows how much battery power you have left, your speed, and which of the three levels of assist you're using in a bright, black and white rectangle that's not much larger than a watch face. If you want to get more tech-y with it, there's a companion app that tracks your rides. It also tracks your bike's location, so if someone makes off with it, you can steal it back. Credit: Stephen Johnson Bottom line: The CGO600 Pro is a solid, dialed-in bike Tenway's CGO600 is refreshingly free of gimmicks. It's all about dialed-in simplicity that works perfectly. With its minimalist design, light weight, and quiet motor, the CGO600 Pro offers a smooth and enjoyable ride for short commutes (and rides to your friend Dave's house), and the belt drive and quality components means you'll spend less time repairing and more time riding.