Cynthia Erivo may still be experiencing a warm round of applause for her performance as Elphaba in 2024s Wicked, but that doesnt mean she doesnt already have her sights set on other, future roles. On the contrary, the actress revealed during a recent interview with the National Board of Review that shed like to follow up her performance in Wicked by playing one of the most iconic female superheroes of all time.I really want to play Storm, Erivo revealed on the carpet for the National Board of Review Awards Gala in New York City. The actress went on to say that she believes the popular X-Men character hasnt yet been explored as deeply onscreen as she deserves to be. I know it sounds frivolous, but I think we havent uncovered how grand she is and all of that inner turmoil that she has, Erivo remarked. So I think theres a world in which we could do something with that.Marvel StudiosSo far, Storm has only been brought to life in live-action form twice: first by Halle Berry in the Fox-produced X-Men films of the 2000s and early 2010s and second by Alexandra Shipp in the prequel movies X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix. The character has, of course, remained a constant fixture of the animated X-Men movies and TV shows that have been produced over the decades, and Alison Sealy-Smith even recently voiced a variant of Storm in Marvels What If? season 3.Recommended VideosRight now, Storms live-action future is a bit unclear. In the years since it acquired the screen rights to the X-Men, Marvel Studios has dropped a few mutant references. However, the studios plans for the X-Men within the Marvel Cinematic Universe havent yet been publicly articulated, which means no one currently knows when Storm will get to make her live-action debut in the franchise. Whenever Marvel starts discussing that moment, though, they can do so with the knowledge that at least one high-profile actress has already thrown her name into the ring to play the character.Wicked is now playing in theaters.Editors Recommendations

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has had a longstanding feud with Apple.He once again took shots at Apple in a recent interview with Joe Rogan.The CEO said Apple hasn't innovated in a while and criticized the ecosystem the iPhonemaker built.Mark Zuckerberg is taking more shots at Apple.In an interview on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast that was published Friday, the Meta CEO shared several issues he has with Apple, continuing his decadelong feud with the Cupertino company.Zuckerberg said on the podcast that Apple has been slow to innovate since the iPhone. He added that the few ways the company has been able to profit since then is by imposing developers' fees and creating an ecosystem that's difficult for other companies to penetrate.The Facebook creator credited Apple for making one of the most popular smartphones in the world, but he said Apple hasn't "really invented anything great in a while" since the iPhone."It's like Steve Jobs invented the iPhone and now they're just kind of sitting on it 20 years later," he told Rogan.To make up for declining sales in iPhones, Zuckerberg said Apple has been "squeezing people" by imposing what he called a "30% tax" on developers and creating an enclosed ecosystem around Apple's popular products."They build stuff like Airpods, which are cool, but they've just thoroughly hamstrung the ability for anyone else to build something that can connect to the iPhone in the same way," he said.Zuckerberg said Meta experienced this when it was developing the Ray-Ban Meta glasses.The CEO said Apple declined to let Meta use the same "protocol" Apple uses for Airpods in order to allow the Meta glasses to connect seamlessly to iPhones. Zuckerberg said he believed Apple was using privacy and security concerns as an excuse to keep a wall around the Apple ecosystem.Meta's chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth echoed a similar sentiment in an October interview with "Stratechery.""The thing I worry about with Apple specifically is that they have their phones and devices so locked down that they can self-preference a ton," he said, pointing to Airpods as one example.Spokespeople for Meta and Apple did not respond to a request for comment sent during the weekend.Zuckerberg has been undergoing his own brand transformation as he preps for a second Trump administration, walking back on content moderation and rolling back DEI initiatives at his company. But his feud with Apple goes back to at least 2014.Previously, Zuckerberg has criticized Apple's prices, its app store and privacy policies, and, more recently, the company's Vision Pro VR headsets.Still, Zuckerberg said on the podcast that he remains optimistic."I mean, the good news about the tech industry is that it's just super dynamic and things are constantly getting invented," he said. "And I think companies if you just don't do a good job for like 10 years, eventually you're just going to get beat by someone."

Skype is a free video-calling platform that Microsoft acquired for $8.5 billion over a decade ago.Skype was once the go-to video-calling app and telecommunications industry disruptor.But now, Skype has faded out of popular usage in favor of platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.Skype, a telecommunications platform currently owned by Microsoft, became ubiquitous in the early 2000s, at one point accounting for up to 40% of all international calls.While Skype has since lost some of its audience to Microsoft Teams particularly in the business context and a significant portion of its market share to Zoom, it still maintained an average of 40 million daily users as of 2020.Founded in 2003 by Swedish entrepreneur Niklas Zennstrm and Danish entrepreneur Janus Friis, Skype held its first public trial in August of that year. By 2005, the company was acquired by eBay for $2.5 billion. In 2009, a portion of Skype was resold to Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz, and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board for $1.9 billion, giving the company a market valuation of $2.75 billion.Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 for $8.5 billion, making it a division of Microsoft with its former CEO Tony Bates reporting to then-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.Following the acquisition, Microsoft integrated Skype into its product lineup, discontinuing Windows Messenger in favor of the Skype client, which became the default messaging service in Windows 8.1. By 2013, Skype was available across multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Android, and BlackBerry. Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Skype was once a telecommunications industry disruptorBy offering free voice and video calls between Skype users globally, it effectively undercut traditional telecommunications providers that charged hefty fees for international calls. This disruptive technology approach that Skype took paid dividends in terms of the platform's immense popularity, especially in regions where long-distance calling was prohibitively expensive.Instead of paying telecommunications companies long-distance rates, the only fee you'd incur would be the internet data that Skype used for your audio or video call. Skype also offered low rates for calls to landlines and cellphones.Through its North American subscription plan, you could get 2,000 minutes of calling for $5.94/month or the equivalent of about 0.297 cents per minute; if you go over 2,000 minutes, the rate goes to $0.35/minute. For US only calls, a 2,000 minute plan costs just $2.54 with extra time costing only $0.15/minute.Skype's advantages and disadvantagesDespite no longer being the industry leader in terms of market share, Skype is still a capable free solution for video and audio calls.Unlike the free version of Zoom, Skype doesn't have a 30 minute time limit. Additionally, in 2023 Microsoft integrated Bing AI with Skype, allowing users to converse with it in a private chat or mention it in group chats and ask it questions; you can even ask it to help plan vacation destinations or generate jokes.However, Microsoft has clearly prioritized other tech like Microsoft Teams at the expense of Skype over the years.In 2015, Skype for Business replaced Lync as Microsoft's business communication solution. In 2017, Microsoft announced plans to replace Skype for Business with Microsoft Teams, with its official retirement occurring in July 2021.Where Zoom and Teams pull away from Skype is less in the one-on-one context and more in business centric contexts where you might have more than 50 people the maximum size Skype supports on a single call. Skype also does not have breakout room functionality like what you see with Zoom.How to use SkypeOnce you've downloaded Skype to your computer or mobile device, you can make a new Skype call through desktop or mobile by opening the Skype app and clicking New call or Start a call. Hit "New Call" and a screen will show you a list of contacts, recently called people, and a search bar. Michelle Mark/Business Insider You can add contacts to Skype or invite people to join Skype by navigating to the Contacts tab and clicking New Contact and searching for the person via their Skype name, phone number, email, or full name.How to delete your Skype accountIf you, too, are gravitating towards platforms like Zoom or Teams rather than Skype, you might be wondering how to delete your Skype account.Since your Skype account is tied into your Microsoft account, it is not possible to close your Skype account without closing your entire Microsoft account. If you want to proceed, you can close your Microsoft account by visiting the Microsoft account closure page, signing in, and selecting either 30 or 60 days from the dropdown, clicking Next, and following Microsoft's prompts. Microsoft lets you choose between a 30-day or 60-day waiting period before your account is permanently closed. Kyle Wilson/Business Insider How to change your Skype nameYour Skype name itself cannot be changed, however, you change your account's display name.Start by clicking on your Skype profile picture, then select Skype profile and click the pencil icon to edit the display name and make your changes. Change your display name by clicking the pencil icon. Kyle Wilson/Business Insider

Shenzhen Children's Hospital Longhua Campus / Chubo Design + Nickl & Partner ArchitektenSave this picture! Chaoying YangHospitalShenzhen, ChinaArchitects: Chubo Design, Nickl & Partner ArchitektenAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:315 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Chaoying YangMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The focus of the project is to explore how a medical space in the urban core with a high plot ratio and high coverage can provide an efficient and convenient treatment space while creating a warm and intimate spatial environment for the users and urban residents. Located in the Minzhi area of Longgang District, Shenzhen, the hospital will provide treatment for children of different ages across the city and the province. The hospital is open 24 hours a day, and in addition to providing outpatient and emergency treatment, it also has a ward space that can accommodate up to 1,500 children at any one time.Save this picture!Save this picture!Control of architectural scale. With a total floor area of approximately 310,000 square meters, a site area of 40,000 square meters, and a floor area ratio of approximately 5.1, the basic principle of 'keeping the medical building down' was established at the outset of the design process to create a sense of comfort and scale, and to improve the efficiency of vertical transportation. Taking into account the requirements of urban traffic and the surrounding residential areas, a single-story four-unit layout with staggered movement in the front and back of the tower is formed, the podium is full of modular diagnostic units, and the upper and lower light courtyards are implanted to form the final planning scheme with appropriate scales.Save this picture!Construction of Orderly Framework. In order to improve the unique performance requirements of medical buildings, the overall framework of the building is built under the main structure of three-dimensional superposition of horizontal and vertical main traffic, and then inlaid with a variety of independent and connected diagnosis and treatment and inpatient function modules. It forms the shortest path from top to bottom to upgrade the process.Save this picture!Addition of humanistic content. Children need a space to be free and to release their happiness, and medical staff also need a humanistic environment. The design breaks down and reconstructs the basic framework after the construction order, implanting a public waiting space in the podium that integrates with the medical function, and increasing the resting space interspersed with the wards across the floors in a staggered manner. The 7-story equipment floor is used to set up a whole floor of elevated green open space, which gives the user children a chance to touch nature and feel the light under the current situation of limited land.Save this picture!Childhood memories. The world of children is colorful and rich. The 'Court of Light' and the enlarged surfaces of the building allow the introduction of natural sunlight to enhance the sense of comfort, and the colorful faade design with eight colors interspersed with each other reduces the seriousness of the hospital. The different animal themes on each floor allow children to be motivated to explore the world and their imaginations, reducing the psychological stress of medical activities.Save this picture!Save this picture!Built order generation. The faade system uses a modular window system. The podium softens the faade with three-dimensional greenery with modular automatic drip irrigation in order to alleviate the oppressive feeling of the near-human scale. The tower wards are constructed with ventilation cones and hidden casement windows to achieve safety while keeping the building simple and orderly. Conclusion: Although even the nicest hospital can't replace a home, and architects can't influence any medical process, we can change the emotional value and quality environment that the building provides to its users, making the life inside vibrant and alive.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Shenzhen, ChinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeChubo DesignOfficePublished on January 12, 2025Cite: "Shenzhen Children's Hospital Longhua Campus / Chubo Design + Nickl & Partner Architekten" 11 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025512/shenzhen-childrens-hospital-longhua-campus-chubo-design-plus-nickl-and-partner-architekten&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

To progress in Jujutsu Infinite, you need to complete missions, fight enemies, participate in raids, and much more. This way, you will earn useful resources and currencies, while some quests will reward you with valuable Spins. So, in this guide, we will tell you how to find all Daily Quest locations in Jujutsu Infinite.

As players progress in Jujutsu Infinite, they can fight curses and curse users to become stronger. Your progress can be easily seen not only by looking at your level but also by your Title. So, in this guide, we'll tell you about all the Jujutsu Infinite Titles and how to equip them.

The DS and 3DS are two of the best handheld consoles ever made, with the latter single-handedly keeping Nintendo afloat after the Wii U bombed spectacularly. These platforms are full to the brim with quality games across various genres that haven't been ported to other platforms, which is a shame.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Low-intensity cardiosometimes called LISS or zone 2is a previously-underrated form of exercise. Its finally coming back into fashion after spending years on the sidelines whileHIIT and lifting-only routines ran the field. But what is zone 2 cardio, exactly? How can you make sure you're doing it right? And is it really so bad if your heart rate drifts into zone 3? What is zone 2 training?Zone 2 training is cardio done at a steady, low intensity. It has benefits for aerobic training (so you can run faster), anaerobic training (helping you to recover faster between reps and sets, or between intervals), and it's also an efficient, low-fatigue way to burn calories.Zone 2 is a term drawn from the five-zone system of heart rate training, and the same concept is also known by other names and metrics. To runners, it is easy pace or long slow distance pace. To cyclists, it corresponds to zones 2 and 3 of a seven-zone system of mechanical power. In other sports, like swimming and rowing, its often just called easy or low-intensity exercise.All that said, there is no official definition of zone 2, and different devices won't necessarily agree with each other. The same heart rate might be "zone 2" on one device and "zone 3" on another. So please take the following with a grain of salt.The hallmark of zone 2 training is that its relatively slow and that its done at a steady pace. You'll be aiming for a heart rate of around 70%, but that doesnt mean doing intervals at 90% and then resting at 50%. It means holding that 70% level the whole time youre exercising. You can do zone 2 cardio with any steady, repetitive movement. Popular methods are running, cycling, swimming, rowing, brisk walking, fast hiking, or churning away on the elliptical. (Walking can count if you're new to exercise; as you get fitter, you'll probably need to choose a slightly harder form of exercise.)To be clear, its still workits not the same as sitting around restingbut it should feel like you could keep going forever if you wanted to. You dont stop a zone 2 session when you get tired, you stop it because you set out for a 30- or 45- or 60-minute session, and your time is up. COOSPO Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap $26.39 at Amazon $32.99 Save $6.60 Shop Now Shop Now $26.39 at Amazon $32.99 Save $6.60 How do I find my zone 2? I'll give you the short answer, but there are some major caveats, which I'll say more about below. So think of this formula as giving you some ballpark numbers, and then I'll tell you how to adjust it for your own, actual body (which will not necessarily match the cookie-cutter formulas). There are two steps: Find your max heart rateYour maximum heart rate is defined as, literally, the fastest your heart can beat. (Sometimes people assume this is a guideline, that you should keep your heart rate under this number. Nopeif your heart rate is higher than the number you thought was your max, that just tells you that number was not your max.) Here are some different ways to find your max heart rate: A max heart rate field test (best for people with healthy hearts and some pain tolerance): There are a few ways of doing this, but basically you're going to try to push your heart rate to its absolute max, and see what that number is. The most common way is to find a long, steep hill, and run up it three times, really sprinting hard on the last one. The number you see at the end is a good estimate of your max. Obviously, don't do this if you've been told you shouldn't exercise at high intensity. Your personal history (best for athletes who have experience using a HR monitor): If you've done high intensity exercise in the past, especially killer efforts that left you collapsed on the floor, the highest number you've ever seen on your watch or heart rate monitor is probably your max, or close to it. A 5K race or an FTP test will often get you close, if you really pushed yourself the whole way. Estimating based on easy exercise (best for non-athletes who have experience using a HR monitor): If you have a sense of what heart rate you see when you're exercising at a steady, conversational pace, multiply the highest number you would consider conversational by 1.25. This is my own based on studies that have found the top of conversational pace to be around 77-79% of max. This isn't as good as a field test, but for many people it will give a better result than the formula below.A formula. I don't recommend using a formula if you have the option of using either of the first two real-world options above. Using a formula to get your max heart rate is like asking ChatGPT for your shoe size. It will give a plausible guess, but it could easily be very, very wrong. Anyway, the easiest formula is to subtract your age from 220. (There are other formulas, but honestly they all have serious inaccuracies. I wouldn't worry about whether any one of them is "better" than the others. They all suck.)I have more here on why max heart rate formulas are pretty much all wrong, but that's beside the point for the moment. If you know your max heart rate, you can proceed to the next step. Use a percentage of your max as your "zone 2"Once you know your max heart rate (or have an estimate you're willing to work with), multiply to get the upper and lower boundaries of zone 2. Multiply by what? Well, there's more than one opinion out there about what zone 2 should be. If you use a smartwatch or other device, go into the settings and set a custom heart rate (all the major brands can do thischeck the instructions to find out where this setting lives.) The zones will usually populate automatically. As I've written before, every device has a different idea of what should count as zone 2. If you'd like me to be the tiebreaker, I'd go with 60% to 75% of your max heart rate. So, multiply your estimated max heart rate by 0.6 to get the lower end of that zone, and 0.7 to get the higher end. For example, if your max heart rate is 200, your zone 2 is 120 to 150 beats per minute. If your max heart rate is 175, your zone 2 would be 105 to 132.What are the benefits of zone 2 cardio?Zone 2 work builds your aerobic base. When you do cardio at this kind of easy pace, your body adapts by growing more capillaries (tiny blood vessels) to get oxygen and nutrients to your muscles more efficiently. You get more mitochondria to power each muscle cellyou have thousands of mitochondria per celland you produce more of the enzymes that turn food into usable energy. Your heart and your lungs get more efficient at taking in oxygen and moving blood to your muscles, and your muscles become able to store more carbohydrates (in a form called glycogen) so that more of the carbs you eat are at the ready when you start a run or ride.For runners, your zone 2 work, often called "easy pace," should make up most (some say 80%) of your weekly mileage. The fitness you build doing easy running is what allows you to benefit from, and recover from, harder efforts like interval training. For people whose main sport is more strength oriented (meatheads like myself), zone 2 cardio strengthens the same body systems that help us recover between sets, and even between reps. It increases our work capacity, letting us get more work done in total. As long as youre eating enough, adding cardio into your routine should make you able to do more work in the gym, not less. (And no, cardio does not kill your gains.)And for people who are just exercising for health, zone 2 cardio is the perfect moderate exercise were all supposed to get at least 150 minutes of per week. Its heart-healthy, and even people with medical conditions that limit their ability to exercise can often do low intensity cardio safely. (Ask your doctor to be sure, of course.)Importantly, zone 2 training is very low fatigue. More time-efficient forms of cardio and conditioning like HIIT, hill sprints, or CrossFit WODs are great for your aerobic fitness, but those workouts have to be high intensity to work, and youll be pooped afterward. Theyre great in small doses, but they kind of have to be in small doses. By contrast, easy pace work is basically free. You can work up to doing an easy zone 2 session every day, in addition to your regular training, and feel fine. Once youre used to it, you can do zone 2 work on your rest days without defeating the purpose of a rest day. As long as you have the time for it, its like a cheat code for aerobic gains.How do you know when youre in zone 2?The best way to know if youre in zone 2 is to pay attention to your effort, and how it feels. Even though zone 2 is defined in terms of heart rate, there are so many caveats to determining your max and deciding on the zone boundaries that I dont recommend that beginners calculate it from heart rate percentages at first. Unless youve actually gotten your heart rate up to a maximum effort level, and know what that number is, you dont really know your max heart rate. Instead, lets talk about what it should feel like. On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is nothing and 10 is all-out sprinting, low intensity cardio is about a 3 to 5. Youre working, but not very hard. If your breath starts to get ragged, or if you feel like you're getting pretty damn tired and you can't wait for this to end, you're probably somewhere 7+ and definitely going too hard for a zone 2 workout.A zone 2 pace is conversational, and its sometimes described with a talk test. If you could tell your friend about your day while youre exercising, youre probably around the right level. That doesnt mean spitting out a few words here and there, but speaking in full sentences without feeling out of breath. If you find yourself stopping to catch your breath or if you feel like you need to take a break, youre going too hard. (That said, some of zone 3 is also within that conversational zone, but it's okayzone 3 is still good for you.) That said, it shouldnt feel too easyzone 2 is more like a brisk walk or easy jog than a leisurely stroll. If you stop, you should feel like you took a break from something. It should take a little work and focus to keep up the pace.RunningRunners often have trouble with this, because the dividing line between walking and running is sometimes too high to maintain an easy pace while youre running, if youre a beginner. The next best thing is to jog as slow as you can, and when you start to feel out of breath, switch to a brisk walk. For some people, a brisk walk for the whole session is a perfect zone 2 workout. As you get more fit, easy jogging will become possible. Heres a real world example of how to keep a zone 2 pace: if Im heading out for an easy run, I start at a nice chill jogging pace. But I live in a hilly neighborhood, so pretty soon Ill be chugging up a hill and notice my breathing getting heavier. At this point, if my heart rate is getting higher than I'd like for this workout, I switch to a power walk. Jogging the flats and walking the uphills is a great way to keep your effort level steady, instead of accidentally turning your easy jog into a hill sprint workout. Bundle of NordicTrack T10 Treadmill + iFIT Pro - Annual Membership $1,395.00 at Amazon $1,695.00 Save $300.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,395.00 at Amazon $1,695.00 Save $300.00 CyclingCyclists often measure their training in a seven-zone system that is based on how much power, in a physics sense, you are putting into the gears of your bike. These are called Coggan power zones, and bike training systems like Zwift and Peloton use the same basic idea. To calibrate these zones, youll take an FTP (functional threshold power) testbasically, a 20-minute race against yourself. From there, you (or your training app) calculates wattage numbers for your zones. Zones 2 and 3 in this system usually correspond to our zone 2 cardio. (Your heart rate at the end of an FTP test will be pretty close to your max heart rate, by the way, if you really went all-out.) If you train with both a heart rate monitor and a bike power meter, dont worry if they dont match exactly. A ride in power zones 2 and 3 will meet your low-intensity cardio needs, even if your heart rate starts in zone 1 and spikes into zone 3 by the end. Peloton Bike+ $1,995.00 at Amazon $2,495.00 Save $500.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,995.00 at Amazon $2,495.00 Save $500.00 Other cardioFor other forms of cardio, go by feel, or by heart rate if you truly know your heart rate percentages. When youre on the elliptical or the rower or the airbike, you should feel like you could carry on a conversation easily, and stop because time is up rather than because youre running out of gas.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Tech enthusiasts are already aware that the most anticipated tech event in the world, Consumer Electronics Show (CES), is currently underway. But most forget that this is also one of the best times to shop for last year's flagship models oreven better for your wallettwo-year-old flagship TVs. If you're looking for a deal on a 75-inch TV, consider Sony's 2023 flagship LED TV, the Sony Bravia 75-inch Class X93L at $1,398 (originally $2,498) at Walmart. The lowest price this model has been since its release, according to price-tracking tools. Sony Bravia 75-Inch Class X93L Panel Type: LED, Screen Size: 75 inches, Resolution: 3840 by 2160, Video Inputs: HDMI, Composite, RF $1,398.00 at Walmart $2,498.00 Save $1,100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,398.00 at Walmart $2,498.00 Save $1,100.00 The Bravia X93L is an LED-backlit Google Smart TV (you can use Apple AirPlay and Google Cast), meaning you won't get the contrast of an OLED, but you'll have more brightness with 1,383 nits. It is a 4K TV with a 3,840 by 2,160 resolution, Dolby Vision and HDR-10, four HDMI ports (two of which are 2.1 ports with 120Hz, but one of those is the E-ARC connection for audio), a contrast ratio of 1,383,000:1, a 120 Hz refresh rate, a 9.8 ms input lag in game mode (not the best, but still good), and variable refresh rate (VRR) for gamingbut no AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync.People looking for a TV for their home theater system will appreciate its design to easily fit a soundbar on the front or below the TV, with adjustable legs for width and height. It also handles reflection very well, in part due to its brightness. If you're not looking to get a soundbar or surround sound, the audio is much better than its competitors (although like all TVs, the bass will always be lacking). You can read more about this TV on PCMag's "excellent" review.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Oatmeal lovers, I have good news for you: If you got excited when overnight oats were added to your groat repertoire, you might not be able to contain yourself when you find out there is yet another way to prepare them. It turns out that oatmeal can be easily prepared in most rice cookers. (Provided you have some time on your hands.)Why cook oatmeal in a rice cooker?This cooking method is a great solution for multitaskers and folks on a tight morning schedule. Its particularly wonderful if youre looking to feed a group of three to six or if youre meal prepping a large batch. Be aware, this works best with a more advanced rice cooker that has several settings (well talk more about that later).Cooking oats in the rice cooker is helpful since its a hands-off method, making it perfectly safe to walk away from while its working. Its easy to set up and enables you to fully immerse yourself in other tasks while you wait for breakfast. If, for some reason, your stove is broken or you don't have one, then this electric appliance can certainly help. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann How do you make oatmeal in a rice cooker?Oats act similarly to rice in that they continually absorb water until they burst and break apart. This being the case, plan enough room for the oats to swell as usual, and be just as accurate in measuring your ratio of liquid to oats. I used Bobs Red Mill steel cut oats (Golden Spurtle fans amirite?) and followed the cooking ratio listed on the back of the package. One cup of oats to two and a half cups of water worked well for me, although you can cut down on the liquid by up to a half cup if you prefer a stiffer porridge. Cooking oatmeal in a rice cooker works, with one downsideThe resulting oatmeal was as perfect as it getstender and piping hot, with a thick consistency. Just how I like it. However, I hit a couple snags along the way. As I mentioned earlier, I have a small rice cooker. Its old. Also its very basic. My rice cooker offers a choice between on and warm and, until I threw oatmeal into it, those were all the settings I needed. Naturally, I set it to on and walked away. I happened to be browsing my spice cabinet 20 minutes later when I heard a distinct sizzling and gurgling sound. Turns out my rice cooker was spewing out starchy oat juice. If youve ever boiled potatoes, pasta, or other high starch foods and accidentally covered it with a lid for too long, then you know what it looked like: The bubbles from the boiling water become starch bubbles, which build upon each other and eventually push themselves out of the pot. You must boil uncovered, or at least semi-covered, to avoid this, but thats not really an option for a rice cooker, since it relies on contained steam to ensure even cooking. This makes the rice cooker method work best for newer machines with medium to low temperature optionsmore settings than just on and warm. (Some now offer specific oatmeal settings, which is nice.) Single setting rice cookers can take longerIf you have an old rice cooker like I do, you have two options. You can cook it on high (which is on for me) for 10 to 20 minutes (while keeping a close eye on it) and then reduce the heat to warm (to avoid the oat volcano) for an additional 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. The other option is to set it to warm from the start, and wait for a sizable portion of your life to creep by before you get to enjoy your oatmeal. Newer rice cookers might be less messyI made another batch, this time with rolled oats, in a more modern rice cooker. Rolled oats cook down to a softer texture so keep this in mind if you switch types. I used a simple 1:2 ratio of oats to water and added to the rice cooker container. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Some rice cookers will include an oatmeal preset, which is pretty handy. Of course, mine does not. Instead, there are mixed grain, porridge, or quick cook settings. The first two take over an hour, but I think that's overkill for some rolled oats. I clicked "quick cook" and kept an eye out for spewing oat juice. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Luckily, the ventilation system on my Toshiba seems more advanced than my other cooker. There was no mess and when the timer went off my oatmeal was finished. I didn't eat it right away, but the machine automatically clicked to "warm." When I finally got around to it, I hadn't done any of the actual cooking and it turned out to be a perfectly cozy start to my day. This method of cooking oatmeal isnt as fast as making it in a pot on the stovetop. Ultimately, I think it makes the most sense for leisurely preparing a bulk breakfast, or if you seriously can't be bothered with standing over a stove.