Emergency on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282The fuselage plug section of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. NTSB via Reuters The problems began almost immediately this year when, on January 5, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 lost a door plug midair, blowing a hole in the side of the plane. While no one died in the incident, several passengers were injured, and the pilots were forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.In the aftermath of the incident, the FAA temporarily grounded over 170 of Boeing's 737 Max 9 planes until they could complete safety inspections.The Justice Department opened an investigation into Boeing shortly after, and the FBI told passengers aboard the flight that they might have been victims of a crime. Ongoing litigationShareholders filed a lawsuit against Boeing following the Alaska Airlines incident. Richard Baker/ Getty Images Boeing was hit with multiple lawsuits this year.Passengers from the Alaska Airlines flight filed a class action suit against the company just days after the incident."Passengers were shocked and confused, thrust into a waking nightmare unsure if these were their last seconds alive," the lawsuit said.Boeing's shareholders filed a separate class action suit against the company in January, stating that it had prioritized profit over safety, Reuters reported.Separately, in July, Boeing struck a plea deal related to two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. If a judge had approved the deal, it would have allowedBoeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion in 2021 in a deal with the federal government to avoid prosecution for the crashes, but Justice Department officials said in May that Boeing had violated portions of the deal, putting a trial back on the table. Relatives of the deceased passengers asked a Texas judge in October"sweetheart" deal. The families have previously called for the company to pay a fine amounting to nearly $25 billion.In December, the judge rejected the deal. A lawyer representing families who lost people in the 2019 crash told BI that they "anticipate a significant renegotiation of the plea deal that incorporates terms truly commensurate with the gravity of Boeing's crimes." FAA audit of Boeing's safety proceduresA Boeing factory based in Washington, DC. China News Service/Getty Images The Federal Aviation Administration commissioned a report into Boeing following the fatal 2018 and 2019 crashes and the results published in February weren't good news for the company.The FAA report found 27 insufficient areas in Boeing's safety procedures, including no clear system for employees to report safety concerns, confusing management structures, and poor communication with employees about safety procedures.The latest statement from the FAA about Boeing's compliance to remedy the safety issues was published in August. It said the agency continues "actively monitoring Boeing's progress in a variety of ways," including regular reviews by FAA experts of Boeing's safety procedures and issuing airworthiness certificates for every newly produced Boeing 737 Max.The FAA itself has faced scrutiny for its oversight of Boeing. A report from the Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General in October found the agency's checks were insufficient. Exodus of Boeing executivesFormer Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images In March, Boeing announced a leadership shake-up.CEO Dan Calhoun said he would step down. Stan Deal, the CEO of the company's commercial airplanes division, said he would retire. In the same announcement, board chair Larry Kellner announced his plan not to seek reelection.Stephanie Pope, the company's COO, was promoted to replace Deal shortly after his departure. At the end of July, Kelly OrtbergTed Colbert, who headed Boeing's defense, space, and security division, became the first prominent executive to leave the company after Ortberg took over. Colbert's departure was announced in September. Stranded astronautsNASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew to space on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. NASA The aerospace company faced another high-profile problem in June when NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams traveled to the International Space Station on Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spaceship. It marked the first time Boeing flew astronauts to space.The astronauts left Earth on June 5 and were supposed to return after eight days, but issues with Starliner's thrusters and helium leaks caused delays. NASA and Boeing began troubleshooting the problems to bring Wilmore and Williams back home. However, in late July, the two astronauts were still stuck at the International Space Station.NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager, Steve Stich, said in a press briefing that month that Elon Musk's SpaceX could bring home the astronauts if needed. After working with Boeing to determine whether the two astronauts could safely return to Earth on Starliner, NASA announced in August that it chose SpaceX to do the job instead."Spaceflight is risky," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a press conference. "Even at its safest. Even at its most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine. So, the decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station, and bring the Boeing Starliner home un-crewed, is a result of a commitment to safety."The decision was a major blow to Boeing, which spent $4.2 billion developing Starliner. Wilmore and Williams' flight was the final step Boeing needed to clear for NASA to certify Starliner for human spaceflight. It highlighted just how far Boeing lags behind its competitor, SpaceX.Wilmore and Williams are now expected to return to Earth in 2025 on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship, which launched for the International Space Station in September. The astronauts were initially set to return home in February, but NASA announced they would be delayed until March as SpaceX readies its spaceship. Union strikeThousands of Boeing union members have been on strike since September 13. Stephen Brashear/Getty Images Thousands of unionized Boeing employees walked out in September after contract negotiations broke down.The strike began despite a promising pay package proposal, which would have raised wages by more than 25% over the contract period for more than 32,000 employees in the Pacific Northwest.Ultimately, union workers denied the proposal and voted to initiate a strike, which is costing the company about $50 million a day.Negotiations stalled, with both sides filing National Labor Relations Board violations accusing the other of negotiating in bad faith.Boeing and union leaders reached a tentative deal on October 19 that included a 35% general wage increase spread over four years and a one-time ratification bonus of $7,000.However, striking Boeing employees rejected the deal on October 24."After 10 years of sacrifice, we still have ground to make up. We hope to resume negotiations promptly," the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said on X.The 53-day strike ended in early November when workers approved a new contract. LayoffsBoeing cut 10% of its staff in October. Jennifer Buchanan/POOL/AFP/Getty Images Boeing began furloughs of white-collar workers in mid-September after the strike began. Select employees were required to take one week off every four weeks on a rolling basis.Ortberg, in a staff memo, also announced that executive leadership would take a "commensurate pay reduction for the duration of the strike," though details of the pay reduction remain unclear.Layoffs began several weeks later. In mid-October, Boeing announced plans to lay off about 10% of its 170,000-member workforce.In a memo to employees, Ortberg said Boeing was in a "difficult position" and that "restoring our company requires tough decisions."The company also delayed production of its 777X twin-engine jet and discontinued production of its 767 cargo plane, the memo noted. Production delays with the Boeing 777X planeA Boeing 777X in flight. GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images The experimental 777X is Boeing's newest widebody plane, banking 481 orders from more than a dozen global carriers even though regulators have not yet approved it to fly passengers.But the aircraft has been riddled with production problems like supply chain issues, design troubles, and now the ongoing strike which have already put it five years behind schedule and set Boeing back $1.5 billion.That hole will likely deepen with the latest entry delay to 2026, further eroding the industry's trust in Boeing's 777X program. It could also push carriers to choose Boeing's European rival Airbus and its already-in-service Airbus A350.The aircraft is still uncertified but started certification flight testing in July. Testing was halted in August due to a problem with a key part that connects the engine to the aircraft, CNBC reported. Production troubles with Boeing's 737 MAX aircraftBoeing is struggling with 737 MAX production. JULIEN DE ROSA/Getty Images The FAA announced in January that it would not grant any production expansions of Boeing's MAX aircraft, including the 737 MAX 9, following the emergency on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282."The Jan. 5 Boeing 737-9 MAX incident must never happen again," the FAA said in a press release said.FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Boeing would not be cleared to expand production or add additional production lines for the 737 MAX "until we are satisfied that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved," according to the press release.Boeing held a three-hour meeting with the FAA in June to address safety and quality concerns. Afterward, Whitaker spoke at a press conference, where he told a reporter that expanding production of 737 MAX planes was still up in the air.The FAA told Business Insider, "This is about systemic change, and there's a lot of work to be done. Boeing must meet milestones, and the timing of our decisions will be driven by their ability to do so."The agency added: "Boeing has delivered a roadmap tochangeits safety culture, and theFAAwill make sure Boeing implements thechangesthey have outlined. We will not approve production increases beyond the current cap until we're satisfied they've followed through on implementing corrective actions and transforming their safety culture."Boeing restarted production of the 737 Max in December following the strike's conclusion. Whistleblowers report problems at BoeingWhistleblowers have called out Boeing in 2024. Stephen Brashear/Getty Images Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer, testified at an April Senate hearing that the company ignored his reports on safety concerns, that his boss retaliated against him, and that he received threats against his physical safety.The Senate subcommittee investigating Boeing's safety and quality practices released a 204-page report in June. The report included accounts from several whistleblowers.Sam Mohawk, a Boeing quality assurance inspector, said the company lost track of hundreds of bad 737 parts and instructed employees to conceal improperly stored plane parts from FAA inspectors.Another whistleblower, Richard Cuevas, wrote in a June complaint to the FAA that holes were being incorrectly drilled on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner planes. Money woesA Boeing 787 Dreamliner. ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images In a sign of how Boeing's problems have hurt its bottom line, the company said in a regulatory filing to the SEC in October that it had entered a $10 billion credit agreement with four major banks: JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Citibank.The company also filed a prospectus saying it might sell up to $25 billion in securities."These are two prudent steps to support the company's access to liquidity," Boeing said in a statement.While workers were on strike, Bank of America analysts estimated that thecost Boeing $50 million a day.To save money, Ortberg, the company's CEO, instructed top executives to stop flying private jets and instead fly economy on commercial flights.

Its been almost a decade since weve had a big mummy movie, and that was when Universal tried to relaunch its horror monsters through the Dark Universe and its single entry, The Mummy. Since then, the studios focused on other monsters like Dracula and men of the invisible and wolf varities. But if youve been wanting the mummified undead to make a cinematic return, Blumhouse may have your fix with a brand new Mummyflick. This new movie will come courtesy of Lee Cronin, director-writer of last years Evil Dead Rise.In the short press release, Cronin teased his film as unlike any Mummy movie you ever laid eyeballs on before. Im digging deep into the earth to raise something very ancient and very frightening. The film will be co-produced by Cronins Doppelgngers company, Jason Blums Blumhouse (which has Wolf Man arriving in just a few weeks), and James Wans Atomic Monster banner, which has The MonkeyandM3GAN 2.0lined up for 2025. Notably, this upcomingMummymovie isnt from Universal, who distributed the failed 2017 reboot and cult-beloved Brendan Fraser-led ones of the 90s. Instead, this new film is from New Line, which previously teamed with Cronin on Riseand worked with Atomic Monster on theConjuringand recentMortal Kombatfilms. Universals releasedsomeNew Line movies in the past (usually for international audiences), but this appears to otherwise be in its own world isolated from UniversalsMummy.Which hopefully, theyll find a way to convey that properly so people dont get confused?Well learn more about Lee CroninsThe Mummyahead of its release on April 17, 2026. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

gora UNI / Estdio MduloSave this picture! Manuel SResearch Center, Office BuildingsJoinville, BrazilArchitects: Estdio MduloAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:69094 ftYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2020 PhotographsPhotographs:Manuel S Lead Architect: Marcus Vinicius Damon, rica Tomasoni, Guilherme Bravin More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The gora UNI project combines office and restaurant spaces within the gora Tech Park, integrating seamlessly into its surroundings while providing healthy environments through natural ventilation and lighting. Marcus Damon, a partner at Estdio Mdulo, highlights that the project follows a line of anti-pandemic architecture, inspired by the approach of early 20th-century modernist architects who prioritized ventilation and lighting for health.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The strategic location of gora UNI allows for a direct connection with the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) via a canopy linking the complex buildings. The central atrium leads to a forested area designed for leisure and picnics, providing an experience that fosters well-being and quality of life. According to Ricardo Fantinelli, Executive Director of gora Tech Park, the environment was designed to encourage innovation, collaboration, and well-being, with open and flexible spaces that promote teamwork and idea exchange across different sectors.Save this picture!With modern infrastructure for laboratories and coworking, gora UNI features adaptable spaces, allowing research areas to transform as needed. The flexibility of these spaces was intended to foster continuous innovation, with architecture that adjusts to research and development needs.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!In addition to functionality, gora UNI seeks to offer a quality-of-life experience for visitors, students, and employees, promoting visual connection with the surrounding landscape, including the Serra do Mar and the Atlantic Forest. Large windows allow for this interaction between interior and exterior, while a facade covered with perforated corrugated metal ensures ventilation and protects against direct sunlight. The external canopy serves as a spacious veranda, and bleachers on the buildings west side offer a place to contemplate the sunset.Save this picture!Designed with a prefabricated system, gora UNI achieved efficient, low-waste construction, completed in a reduced timeframe. This approach enabled the delivery of goras MOB, HUB, and UNI buildings within five years, totaling more than 20,000 m.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Recognized for its design quality, gora UNI received an award in 2023 from the Brazilian Institute of Architects Santa Catarina Section (IAB SC) and was a finalist in the 10th Saint-Gobain AsBEA Award.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Joinville, Santa Catarina, BrazilLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeEstdio MduloOfficeMaterialsSteelConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on December 21, 2024Cite: "gora UNI / Estdio Mdulo" [gora UNI / Estdio Mdulo] 21 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1023903/agora-uni-estudio-modulo&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Animating the geonodes random seed for Random Flow GE.Shops:blendermarket.com/creators/blenderguppygumroad.com/blenderguppyPatreon:patreon.com/blenderguppy#shorts #b3d #blender3d #3d #3dmodeling #blendermarket #conceptartist #3dmodel #blenderaddon #3dmodel

World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery recently added new Rune Broker vendors that sell nearly every class Rune in the game for only one copper each. These NPCs, located in the starting zones and capital cities across the game, let fans collect World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery Runes without completing their associated questlines or challenges.

Fortnite fans are quite unhappy with players who are camping at quest locations and preventing them from completing them. While Fortnite players have periodically suffered from this issue over the years, the effects are much more amplified right now because several users are trying to complete the limited-time Winterfest quests in the game.

Gearbox is celebrating the 2024 holiday season by giving away three Golden Keys for a handful of Borderlands games. These newly introduced freebies can be redeemed through the company's loyalty program website, though maximizing their benefits may require some effort, depending on how many Borderlands titles players own or plan to purchase in the future.

"Ah... yes, it worked. I can see the spark of life in your eyes, twisted and seething as it once did. It has been centuries since your wretched soul tasted air, Dark One. They cursed your name, burned your effigies, sealed your crypt with wards of purest light - but even the brightest flame wanes with time. And here you are, risen once more, your legend but a shadow in the minds of mortals."Welcome to Gloamvault!Yo

The lineup of Hulu originals in January is on the lighter side, the biggest title of which is Paradise (Jan. 28), a new drama series from This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman. Sterling K. Brown plays the head of security for the U.S. president (James Marsden), who is murdered early in the show, and Brown's character's role is in question. Hulu subscribers can also catch the season premieres of numerous ABC franchises in January, including season three of Celebrity Jeopardy! (Jan. 9) with host Ken Jennings, season 29 of The Bachelor (Jan. 28) featuring former The Bachelorette season 21 contestant Grant Ellis, and a new iteration of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Jan. 3). There are also new seasons of crime drama The Rookie (Jan. 8) starring Nathan Fillion, and police procedural Will Trent (Jan. 8), based on the Karin Slaughter novels. Finally, end the month with the debut of docuseries Scamanda (Jan. 31), which is based on the titular podcast about a California woman who faked having cancer for seven years and solicited more than $100,000 in donations. Heres everything else coming to (and leaving) Hulu in January, including a new stand-up special from comedian Roy Wood Jr. (Lonely Flowers, Jan. 17).Whats coming to Hulu in January 2025Arriving January 1Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025: Special PremiereKids Diana Show: Let's Celebrate Together: Complete Season 1Papa Jake: Epic Box Forts: Complete Season 1After Earth (2013)American Psycho (2000)The Devil's Own (1997)The Devil's Own En Espaol (1997)Dirty Grandpa (2016)Empire Records (1995)Ender's Game (2013)The Great Debaters (2007)Heat (1995)Insidious (2011)Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)Insidious: Chapter 2 En Espaol (2013)Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)Insidious: Chapter 3 En Espaol (2015)The Intouchables (2011)John Wick (2014)John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)John Wick: Chapter 3 (2019)The King Of Comedy (1983)Little Manhattan (2005)Man of the House (2005)Man Of The House En Espaol (1995)Mr. Deeds (2002)Pacific Rim (2013)Paddington (2014)Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015)Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 En Espaol (2015)Paul Blart: Mall Cop En Espaol (2009)Shutter (2008)Sorry To Bother You (2018)The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada (2005)The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada En Espaol (2005)Threesome (1994)The Town (2010)To Rome With Love (2012)The Walk (2015)xXx (2002)xXx En Espaol (2002)xXx: State of the Union (2005)xXx: State of the Union En Espaol (2005)Arriving January 22024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Special PremiereAmerican Pickers: Complete Season 25Beyond the Headlines: The Tanya Kach Story with Elizabeth Smart: Complete Season 1The Butcher: Complete Season 1Dark Side of the 90s: Complete Season 3My City's Just Not That Into Me: Complete Season 1The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd: Complete Season 1Arriving January 3Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Series PremiereAnimal Control: Season 3 PremiereGoing Dutch: Series PremiereMother's Instinct (2024)Arriving January 7Dead Pixels: Complete Seasons 1-2Stopmotion (2023)Arriving January 8The Rookie: Season 7 PremiereWill Trent: Season 3 PremiereDoc: Series PremiereIshura: Season 2 PremiereFall (2022)65 (2023)Arriving January 9Celebrity Jeopardy!: Season 3 PremiereShifting Gears: Season 1 PremiereBiography: Alice Cooper: Complete Season 1Biography: Chris Farley - Anything for a Laugh: Complete Season 1Biography: Jeff Dunham - Talking Heads: Complete Season 1Biography: Jeff Foxworth - Stand Up Guy: Complete Season 1Booked: First Day In: Complete Season 2Extreme Builds: Complete Season 1Interrogation Files: Complete Season 1MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES: Complete Season 1 (Subbed & Dubbed)More Power: Complete Season 1My Hero Academia: Season 7, Episodes 148-159 (Dubbed)Kitchen Nightmares: Season PremiereSpecial Forces: World's Toughest Test: Season 3 PremiereDance First65 En Espaol (2023)Arriving January 10Goosebumps: The Vanishing: Season PremiereThe Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story (2024)American Star (2024)Arriving January 12The Silent Hour (2024)Arriving January 13Toilet Bound Hanako-kun: Season 2 Premiere (Subbed)Biography: WWE Legends: Complete Season 2The First 48: Complete Season 25The Mega-Brands That Built America: Complete Season 2Murder At The Motel: Complete Season 1Quarter Ton Teen: Complete Season 1Arriving January 14My Penguin Friend (2024)Arriving January 15Unmasked: Complete Season 1 (Subbed & Dubbed)Sniper: The Ultimate Competition: Complete Season 1Arriving January 17Roy Wood Jr.: Lonely Flowers: Special PremiereThe Bad Shepard (2024)Arriving January 20Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai: Complete Season 1 (Subbed & Dubbed)Arriving January 21Rurouni Kenshin: Complete Season 1 (Subbed & Dubbed)Sleep (2023)Arriving January 22Whiskey on the Rocks: Complete Season 1 (Subbed & Dubbed)Arriving January 23The Misfit of Demon King Academy: Complete Season 1-2 (Subbed & Dubbed)PERSONA5 the Animation: Complete Season 1 (Dubbed)Swamp People: Serpent Invasion: Complete Season 4Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits: Complete Season 1Arriving January 24The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story (2024)Arcadian (2024)City of Dreams (2023)Arriving January 28Paradise: Series PremiereThe Bachelor: Season 29 PremiereHumane (2024)Arriving January 30The First 48 Presents: Critical Minutes: Complete Season 3AThe Food That Built America: Complete Season 5Holy Marvels with Dennis Quaid: Complete Season 1Arriving January 31Rachael Ray's Meals in Minutes: Complete Season 1Scamanda: Series PremiereTake Cover (2024)Whats leaving Hulu in January 2025Leaving January 2Mia and Me: Hero of Centopia (2022)Leaving January 6The Year of the Everlasting Storm (2021)Leaving January 9Pharma Bro (2021)Leaving January 13Ailey (2021)Leaving January 14Bergman Island (2021)Leaving January 20"Paris, 13th District" (2021)Leaving January 21The Estate (2020)Leaving January 26Happening (2021)Leaving January 27Mayday (2021)Leaving January 289 Bullets (2022)Assassin (2023)Stop and Go (2021)Leaving January 29The Reef: Stalked (2022)Gigi & Nate (2022)Leaving January 31Small Engine Repair (2021)10.0 Earthquake (2014)12 Pups of Christmas (2019)A Chance for Christmas (2021)A Christmas Movie Christmas (2019)A Snow White Christmas (2018)A Unicorn for Christmas (2021)An En Vogue Christmas (2014)Christmas Crush (2019)Country Christmas Album (2018)Four Cousins and a Christmas (2021)Merry Kissmas (2015)The Spruces and the Pines (2017)

We may earn a commission from links on this page.I picked up the habit of bird-watching early in the pandemic, socially distancing on a patio, watching the bird feeders my friend had installed at his home. I added my own and quickly became one of those people who would stare out the window and invest too much money in sunflower seeds. But then I started seeing Instagram posts from my friends smart bird feeder and realized this was the perfect marriage of technology and nature. There are tons of smart bird feeders on the market now, and I've tested a bunch of them. If you're looking to buy one for yourself (or as a gift), here are some considerations to make.How to choose what kind of bird feeder to getNon-smart bird feeders come in all different forms to support different bird food and birds speciessome are meant for seed, some for suet, and some for sugar water. Smart bird feeders only exist in two forms (so far): seeds and sugar water for song birds and hummingbirds, respectively. Hummingbirds are incredibly delicate and need their water changed out every few days in winter and every single day in summer. Also, you have to make the sugar water. Its not hard, but it is an added chore (and you should not buy the red hummingbird premade food, according to experts). Bird seed, in contrast, needs only be changed and cleaned every week or so, (unless you see sick birds at your feeder, in which case you should remove the feeders immediately for a period of time and sterilize everything).Songbirds are year round, but hummingbirds have a season. Many hummingbirds migrate in winter, so you might experience less sightings than you would with songbirds. Obviously, there are more varieties of songbirds, so you may get to see a lot more kinds of birds with a songbird feeder. Still, there is simply nothing as delightful as video of hummingbirds at your feeder, so all arguments aside, I still recommend it.Are Bird Buddys worth it?I have two Bird Buddy feeders: the original songbird feeder and the new hummingbird feeder. Ive had the original for a year or so, and I wont say its been seamless. First and foremost, despite having a solar panel on the bird house, the camera is constantly running out of battery. This is annoying since it means the camera goes offline and you have to take the feeder down, and turn it back on once it has enough charge again. I have a lot of smart cameras around the yard, and none of them have this issue with solar panels powering them. The hummingbird feeder, despite a much smaller solar panel, does not seem to have the same issues as the original feeder, but I eventually purchased an additional third party solar panel for my original Bird Buddy.I have also found Bird Buddy support to be responsive, but not terribly customer forward. In cases where the solution was obvious (the camera is dead), it took a number of exchanges of information and video for customer support to agree to a replacement.As a last hit, it is often hard to pair the Bird Buddy cameras to your wifi, as was the case of each of my Bird Buddy houses. Bird Buddy Smart Hummingbird Feeder $239.99 at Best Buy $299.99 Save $60.00 Shop Now Shop Now $239.99 at Best Buy $299.99 Save $60.00 Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder $259.00 at Amazon $299.00 Save $40.00 Shop Now Shop Now $259.00 at Amazon $299.00 Save $40.00 SEE -1 MORE Bird Buddy is still the best smart bird feederSo it might seem odd to still suggest the Bird Buddy, but it has one feature far above any competitor: the app. The Bird Buddy app is downright addictive. Youre notified you have a visitor to your bird feeder with an adorable chirp, and if you click through fast enough, youll get a live view of the camera with crisp, clear color. Even if you miss it, your camera collects postcards in photo and video form that are easy to download for sharing on social platforms. Then, at the end of the day, you get a roundup of all activity at the feeder that is pretty delightful.Even better, the app will take a crack at identifying the birds for you, though not always accurately. This is a big deal because once you start bird watching, you immediately start to want to know more about the birds themselves so you can sound appropriately haughty to others when you brag about the nuthatches and sparrows visiting your yard. Finally, while Bird Buddy offers subscriptions, you don't need one to enjoy the feeder. While the subscription lets you check in on other, more interesting feeders around the world and lets you name your favorite returning birds, plus adds some cloud storage, you can get all the important functionality of the feeder without the subscription. The reality is that if you can get past the connection and charging issues, once the BirdBuddy is in place it is, without a doubt, the best experience for actually watching birds. Every day, my Bird Buddy hummingbird feeder sends me video of the same two hummingbirds, and every single day, I am riveted.Despite promise, other bird feeders dont come throughGiven my frustration with my Bird Buddy's, I was eager to find other brands that would serve me better. To that end I tried both the Vicohome Hummingbird feeder, and the Hello Birdy Smart Birdbath and feeder. In favor for both of these feeders? They connected instantly with no issues whatsoever. In the case of the Vicohome, you barely need to do more than remove it from the box and it is ready to go. In fact, before it even made it outside, it was serving consistent notifications of activity nearby, which should have been a red flag.Once outside, the Vicohome notified me so often of activity that I quickly turned off the notifications. Not once was the alert for a bird, but more often a nearby car or person walking along. I tried changing the direction of the birdhouse, but the slightest wind resulted in a notification of activity. It takes birds a while to find a new birdhouse, so eventually those notifications would have led to a bird sighting, but Ill never know because those notifications also drain the battery. After recharging twice just to lose all charge after a day or two, I gave up on the Vicohome.The Hello Birdy birdbath is a great concept a plastic birdbath with a space for hummingbird food and fresh fruit, which birds like orioles enjoy. I know that birds already love my yard for bird baths; I have a few, and a number of hummingbirds are territorial of my yard.While the Hello Birdy camera was easy to connect, it required the most assembly. It is the only camera that comes with its own stand, but that stand is only three feet off the ground, which I find far too susceptible for squirrels, and not very interesting for hummingbirds. If it were merely a bird bath, that height would be fine, but I decided to give it a try with all the optional food sources and see what happened.The upside was I wasnt assaulted with notifications. To the contrary, there were zero notifications. Despite seeing birds in the bath a few times and the orange I placed in the feeder being gone, there were no recordings or clips of activity at the feeder.There are other brands of feeders, including Birdfy, which Im excited to try. But for now, the two Bird Buddy feeders remain in my yard, while the other feeders have been sunset. The Bird Buddy, despite all its fussiness, is still the closest youll get to bird-watching nirvana.