Phones are in a weird spot right now when it comes to gaming. Theyre easily the most popular gaming devices on the market, but they also kind of suck to play on. Despite phones having the power to run some pretty demanding titles, the lack of built-in physical controls force most mobile games to make a lot of compromises to fit the format. Worse, even the best phone controllers are bulky, add a lot of width to your device, and usually require you to take off your case. 20-year-old YouTuber Josh King has had enough, and together with peripheral company Ohsnap, hes releasing the first phone controller I actually feel like Id want to carry around with me on a daily basisthe MCON.The MCON combines two ideas that Im surprised nobody had taken to market before King and Ohsnap. Essentially, it uses MagSafe to ensure an easy and solid grip on your phone, even with its case on, and slide-out controls akin to the slide-out keyboard on old Android phones to help cut down how much space the whole device takes up when not in use. The current MCON controller without a phone attached. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt The result is a phone controller after my own heart. Im one of the few people who bought Sonys Xperia Play, which also featured a slide-out controller, and I miss it dearly. I love the idea of getting in a few stages in a platformer or a couple of matches in a shooter during my free time much more than idly plugging away at Candy Crush; and yet, I thought the industry had moved past me, always teasing me with increasingly more powerful phones that were nonetheless less useable as gaming devices (at least for my tastes) than a Game Boy.The MCON finally feels like it unleashes the full power of my device in a way that makes me want to use it. Again, its not the first gaming controller for phones, but Im simply not taking my case off every time I want to play, especially if Im going for quick, pick-up-and-play sessions. This is the first real solution for that Ive seen (no, attaching a clamp to your phone and hooking it up to a console controller isn't for me, either), and it helps that its real slick.While Ive gone hands-on with the MCON at CES, its not strictly brand new for the show. Its story began seven months ago, when King posted a video to his YouTube channel running through the same gripes I stated above, expressing astonishment that nobody had beaten him to a MagSafe phone controller, and walking viewers through how he built his own to answer that unserved need. The video went viral, and he tells me that, shortly afterwards, he reached out to peripheral company Ohsnap on LinkedIn after being impressed by videos of their manufacturing process, and started working with the company on mass producing his design. Josh King's original MCON design, prior to working with Ohsnap. Credit: Jake Peterson Fast forward to now, and MCON has a new prototype at CES and an already funded Kickstarter that went live for the show.The new version of MCON, which I got to test just today using my own phone in its own case, is everything I want in a phone controller. It works with your case on. It has a full suite of controls, complete with clickable, drift-resistant Hall Effect sticks. And while it works natively with the iPhones MagSafe, it comes with an adapter for use on just about anything.The idea is simple: When the controller isnt slid out, the MCON looks kind of like a portable MagSafe battery bank, and you can attach your phone to its magnetic surface like you would one of those. But upon pressing the slide-out mechanism, the device will unfold to reveal a full controller, with your phone resting securely on a magnetic mount above it. Said controller can connect to your phone over either Bluetooth or a wired USB-C connection, and theres even enough real estate for your phone to be mounted vertically as well, although that placement will cover the sticks. The MCON controller with a phone mounted vertically. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt That magnetic connection is strong, by the wayduring my demo, I saw it used to connect the MCON to a tablet, and at no point did I worry it was going to fall off.Because its still being Kickstarted, King and Ohsnap told me that MCON is still a little bit away from release, with an estimate set for August. That makes sensethe one complaint I had with the demo units at the show is they feel a little unfinished, and thats because they are. Ive only used prototypes with 3D-printed parts, but more conventional manufacturing will be used for the final product.Still, the MCON looks like its come a long way since Kings original video. The new version adds optional flip-out grips and swaps out King's original, iPhone exclusive MagSafe plate for a universal sliding magnetic puck, two of which can be stacked on top of each other to support especially thick phones. It also has stacked shoulder and trigger buttons, which were missing on the original prototype.But there are still a few items left on King and Ohsnaps to-do list. While the final device will come with the sliding magnetic puck as its connector, the MCON team does plan to release optional magnetic plates meant to fit specific phones that you can use instead, starting with certain popular devices like the iPhone. Additionally, a slim version with shorter joysticks is on the list, as is a potential pro version, although the upgrades there are still a bit under wraps.Further, when the device releases, Ohsnap will post free 3D printing files for modders, so that the community can help support the MCON as well. While the MCON will only sell in either black or white at launch, other colorways are being considered.First, though, it has to come out. Kickstarter supporters can pre-order an MCON for a $99 pledge, and King tells me the price for the final product will probably be somewhere between $99 and $150, although its still being worked out. For that, youll get the controller itself, two magnetic pucks, and a MagSafe adapter for use with devices that dont have MagSafe built-in.Its a humbler device, but thats part of the fun of CES for me. For my needs, this is easily my best-of-show so far. Itll make me actually want to game on my phone, which basically means Ill suddenly get a small portable gaming console that can run big games like the most recent Assassins Creed right in my pocket. As someone whose pockets definitely cant fit a Switch, and who doesnt want to carry around a bulky traditional phone controller, a phone case, and my phone in my purse or backpack, thats everything my Game Boy and Nintendo DS-loving heart wants.

One of my favorite ways to diminish food waste in my kitchen is to make frequent use of the freezer. An incredible number of the foods you might accidentally let spoil on the counter or in the fridge can be easily preserved with this fantastic ice box. You probably know about extending the life of meats and breads in the freezer, but dont forget the final member of the holy trinity: cheese. However, some freeze better than others. Here are the cheeses you can freeze and the ones that youll just have to eat faster.Why freezing cheese works sometimesFreezing dairy is a tricky business. More accurately, its the thawing that can be disappointing. But other than making your own cheese cave, the freezer is a viable option for extending the life of some cheese. Dairy products, like cheese, milk, sour cream, or yogurt, are emulsions of fat, water, protein, and acid. Depending on the ratio of water to the other elements, the dairy will be liquid like milk, semi-solid like yogurt, semi-firm like cheddar, or firm like parmesan.Freezing will change the composition of anything with water in it. As you likely know, water expands when it freezes, which means if there are tiny water droplets dispersed in a dairy emulsion, theyll push the other elements out of the way as they expand and freeze. When the item thaws, the water changes back into liquid, but the proteins and fats have been pushed into a new space and separated from the water, leaving behind a bigger, use-to-be-ice pocket. These cheeses will still be edible, but their texture will have suffered and this will likely alter how the flavor reads to your taste buds.Cheeses you can freeze (and those you shouldnt)Dont worry, you dont have to memorize a list of specific cheese names to ensure you freeze the right kind. Since water is the biggest victim of change in the freezer, you can rest easy freezing cheeses with a lower water content. Consider freezing hard, aged cheeses, like parmesan, manchego, Iberico, or sharp cheddar. These products will experience less disruption to texture and flavor. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Cheeses that have a higher water content will likely experience some separation of water and fat and may look broken or grainy once thawed. So stay away from freezing cheeses that you love for their spreadable, creamy consistency, like brie, camembert, burrata, or blue cheese.Some unexpected cheeses can live in your freezer too. Feta and halloumi, though moist, can freeze and thaw without issue. Their texture is already somewhat clumpy or (what I call) squeaky, so freezing and thawing just makes this texture slightly more obvious. Ive found that anything shredded performs very well in the freezer. I never hesitate to toss a bag of shredded cheddar, provolone, or mozzarella into the freezer. Blocks of low moisture mozzarella also fare well in the freezer.How to freeze cheeseFreeze cheese the same way you'd freeze meat, bread, or anything else you'd want to resist freezer burnwrapped in air-tight plastic. If your cheese is brand new, it might already come securely wrapped in plastic, like bags of shredded cheese. These can be popped straight into the freezer. I like to freeze them flat, which makes stacking and retrieval easier. If your cheese is in flimsy plastic or you opened it already, put it all in a freezer-safe plastic zip-top bag and squeeze out as much air as possible before putting it in the freezer. Sometimes it helps to cut up your bricks of cheese first if you tend to use them in a particular shape. I usually eat bricks of sharp cheddar on crackers, so I'll slice up the cheese into snackable pieces first, then secure them in the bag for freezing. This way I can pull out what I need when I'm ready to thaw them. Pre-shredding or pre-cubing cheeses works well too. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann How to thaw frozen cheeseTo thaw, simply leave the cheese in the fridge overnight, and itll be usable for slicing, shredding, melting, or snacking the next day. Use shredded cheeses straight out of the freezer and sprinkle them into dishes; those fine pieces have no problem thawing and melting into hot foods within seconds. Enjoy the extended lifetime of your cheeses. As for your soft, spreadable cheeses, you now have an excuse to finish them off before they get weird in the fridge.

At CES 2017, Faraday Future introduced its futuristic luxury EV, the FF 91. Seven years later, following repeated delays, bankruptcy, lawsuits and other controversies, the company has sold 15 or 16 FF 91s. Now the company is detailing its latest strategy shift, with a plan to sell cheap EVs under its new low-cost FX brand. FX CEO Max Ma came to CES, along with two prototype vehicles, to pitch the plan that he described as a fresh start for the embattled company.As you might expect with Faraday, the exact details are somewhat hazy, but it involves sourcing parts from Chinese car-makers and bringing them to the US to produce mass volume mainstream vehicles with some of the premium touches Faraday is known for. We want to take that $300,000-car expertise from a technology and features and performance [standpoint] into a $30,000, $40,000 car to try to upgrade the overall user experience, Ma said during a briefing with Engadget. The first FX vehicle, the flagship product of the brands lineup, will be a minivan (or, as Ma referred to it, an AI MPV") called the "Super One."Faraday showed off two prototype minivans to demonstrate the concept. We were not permitted to take photos but the vehicles in the photo at the top of this post are the ones I saw.One was meant to show the kind of premium in-cabin experience Faraday is envisioning for the low-cost car. It had two rows of white leather captain seats. The second-row seats had reclining footrests, heated seats and built-in massagers. There was also a small fridge underneath the center console for keeping drinks cold. The vehicle was missing its door handles and several other pieces. Obviously, well have door handles, a Faraday rep assured us.The second minivan was even less finished. The entire interior, including the dashboard and instrument cluster, was covered in black fabric held together with binder clips. But a Faraday rep took me and other reporters for a ride in it, driving in small, slow circles around a Las Vegas parking lot. Later, Faraday offered to let me take the minivan for a spin and I apparently the first lady to pilot the vehicle also drove it in slow circles around the parking lot. Im not sure what I was supposed to get out of it, though, it felt like driving a minivan.There are two other vehicles planned for the initial FX lineup, the FX 5 and FX 6, which were previously announced by the company. Faraday is aiming for a $20,000 - $30,000 price for the FX 5 and $30,000 - $50,000 for the FX 6. There aren't many other details yet about either, though Faraday shared a teaser image of an FX 6 prototype, which it described as an "extra-large luxury AIEV."Faraday FutureFaraday claims it will start producing one of its planned vehicles later this year, with the first "pre-production" model rolling off the production line by the end of 2025, according to a timeline shared by Ma. Thats a lofty promise considering the companys past history of mismanagement and delays. Faraday Future CEO Matthias Aydt also acknowledged that the company has yet to finalize its partnerships with the companies that will supply its parts. He also didnt address how tariffs may affect those plans.Ma said he understood the skepticism. Basically, this is a kind of fresh start. We really want to demonstrate that through our dedication of hard work, we can achieve what we promised.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/faraday-future-pitches-a-fresh-start-with-a-minivan-prototype-at-ces-2025-010050459.html?src=rss

Companies have been smashing together multiple gadgets into one product for a long time, and there are plenty of examples at CES 2025. However, LG's latest projector, the PF600U, which is a mash up of a projector, a lamp and a Bluetooth speaker may be one of the few compelling examples of the genre. If nothing else, the device could allow you to hide your A/V gear in plain sight within a floor lamp when you're not using it. LG intends for it to be tucked away in a living space, at the end of couch or behind an end table for example.The PF600U isn't a great name, so I hope LG comes up with something better before this thing goes on sale. As a projector, the PF600U offers an LED FHD (1,920 x 1,080) image and 300 ANSI lumens of brightness. It doesn't produce the crispest views, but you can beam a picture up to 120 inches with it. I thought the results in LG's booth were perfectly useable for casual TV and movie watching, especially in a small apartment where space is at a premium.I didn't get a chance to hear the PF600U's sound quality, but LG says the device has passive radiator speakers embedded inside. Like the picture quality, it's probably enough for low-key TV and music audio, but purists will certainly want something more robust. Again, it seems like the idea is saving space over producing pristine sound quality, so this was never for them anyway.When it comes to the lamp features, there are nine dimmable color LEDs to set the mood. The top, where all of the tech resides, tilts so the ring or lights on the bottom can be projected on a wall or other surface. And as you might expect, the whole thing is controlled by webOS. Plus, there are buttons for positioning, changing modes, power and more on the top panel, encircled by the speaker's grille.LG hasn't announced pricing or availability for the PF600U yet. Those details will likely come closer to launch day.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/ces-2025-lgs-swiss-army-knife-projector-hides-in-plain-sight-225224199.html?src=rss

I have to admit I used to be very skeptical of LED devices that purport to be good for your skin. When they first started being sold for home use, I felt like they were mostly expensive, ineffective appliances that were obvious cash grabs. Nowadays, though, as is usually the case with any burgeoning category of products, the technology has improved. We're seeing more sophisticated offerings that not only use better components, but are more comfortable to wear. Full face masks from the likes of Therabody, Dr. Dennis Gross and Omnilux have exploded in popularity, taking over social media and constantly selling out. After hearing rave reviews from friends and family, and undergoing more light treatments in salons myself, I have grown more convinced there's room for devices like these.Shark, the maker of vacuum cleaners, air fryers and assorted kitchen gear, has unveiled its take on the LED face mask device here at CES 2025. Launched under its three-year-old Shark Beauty arm, the new "CryoGlow under-eye cooling + LED anti-aging and skin clearing face mask" has quite a long name. I'm just going to refer to it as the CryoGlow mask from here on. At a meeting here in Las Vegas, Shark's senior vice president of global product development Danielle Lessing described a number of ways the CryoGlow is different from what's currently out there.First of all, as its name implies, there is a cooling component to this device. In addition to the 160 "interlocking tri-wick LEDs" on the mask, there are two metallic plates on the cheeks that are shaped like eye masks. This is the conduit for what Shark is calling its "InstaChill" technology and basically are a pair of cold plates that, in my brief time with the CryoGlow, felt satisfyingly soothing. In fact, that might be my favorite part of the device (and frankly its differentiating trait).After putting on the CryoGlow for maybe about a minute, and after I took several hilarious pictures and selfies with it, I really appreciated how cold it felt in my under-eye area. To be clear, the plates felt chilly immediately after I wore the mask, but it was the prolonged coolness that I enjoyed. And after removing the device, I still relished the sensation that remained, even after a few minutes. I don't feel like I had the mask on for long enough to know if it'd start to feel clunky after prolonged wear, but at least during my demo, I didn't feel strained, nor did the wired remote control get in my way.I also want to note that, unlike the Therabody option, Shark's CryoGlow does not vibrate. Lessing said "This is a skincare system and vibrating doesn't affect the skin."Lessing stressed to me the importance of the tri-wick LED bulbs each being able to produce red, blue and deep infrared light, as they differ from some other products on the market that might only use single or dual-wick bulbs instead. In those cases, manufacturers may choose to lay red-only bulbs or blue-only bulbs in alternating layouts or various arrangements that allow them to claim to provide both types of light, while effectively covering less area per bulb.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetIt's this sort of math that Lessing enthusiastically highlighted in our quick meeting, as she told me that the company worked hard to calculate the ideal combination of factors like distance of the bulbs from the wearer's face and apart from each other. To that end, the CryoGlow will sit in a way that the LEDs are about 15mm from your skin a good balance between effectiveness and coverage. The bulbs themselves are spaced 10mm apart, and the four programs that Shark offers also consider the duration of the lights on your face.Lessing said the company wanted to make something that was more inclusive, not just of different head sizes and types, but also of skin concerns. Most of the products that are currently available tend to target signs of aging on women, she said. Shark wants to buck that trend, and part of that effort involves making a mask that should fit people of all types from women with smaller faces to men with larger heads.When I first laid eyes on the CryoGlow in person, I couldn't help but smile. Unlike the Theraface or Dr. Dennis Gross masks, which look a little robotic or cyborg-like, the Shark device is, strangely enough, cute? The shape of its mouth cutout is slightly upturned and the whole thing just looks like it's smiling at you. I also instinctively reached out to stroke the textured sides of the mask, which look like lines raked in sand. I could see making this my pet.Cherlynn Low for EngadgetThe CryoGlow not only looks adorable, but also felt comfortable to wear. It was big enough for my larger-than-average head, but didn't feel too heavy. That might be thanks to the adjustable T-shaped head strap that reminds me of the Apple Vision Pro. Lessing said the team also drew inspiration from ski goggles for the design, especially for the protective guards around the eye cutouts.There's also the fact that the CryoGlow is fairly lightweight, likely due to the fact that it's powered by a battery in the attached remote control. This handheld controller is connected via a cord, which is a slightly less elegant approach than competing products that have on-mask buttons. But I do appreciate that it looks and feels like a Nokia 3310 with a much nicer screen and a dial plus two buttons below it.You can rotate the wheel to scroll through the menu, and I liked the aesthetic Shark used for the interface, too. The system offers four treatment modes: an under-eye "revive" that delivers "cryo-inspired tightening and soothing," a 6-minute "Better aging" option, an 8-minute "Skin Clearing Treatment" that targets acne and a 4-minute "Skin Sustain" maintenance mode that's meant for daily use. There are also three chill levels available, which you can control with this system. Shark says its tests indicated clearer skin can be observed in four weeks of use, while two months of consistent application might result in firmer skin.SharkShark says its programs are all backed by clinical testing, and most intriguingly, it actually put its CryoGlow device to the test against competitors. According to Shark, this image "captures a demonstration conducted featuring light absorbing, photochromic paint to show the even coverage of CryoGlows iQLED technology vs. a competitors uneven coverage." I will point out that while it does seem like Shark's device had a more even and generally larger spread, it does leave the two patches below the eye bare.It's unclear what this competing device is or how much it might cost, but considering the CryoGlow is priced at $349 while the Theraface Mask and the Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro start at $599 and $455 respectively, I'm already intrigued. This feels like a sophisticated device that's at least within the range I might be able to afford. And I loved my brief experience with it, too. I will likely have to test other competing products before I can definitively evaluate how well the CryoGlow fares against what's out there, but for now, and for the price, I'm very impressed by Shark's LED mask debut.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/shark-joins-the-high-tech-skincare-mask-war-with-an-impressive-ces-2025-opening-shot-214804543.html?src=rss

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Theres good news for those who drink their coffee in the morning hours and ditch it before noon. Morning coffee-drinkers may have a lower risk of death than both those who drink coffee throughout the day, and those who dont drink it at all.In a new study, published Tuesday in the European Heart Journal, drinking coffee in the morning showed huge benefits when it came to lowering rates of mortality. This is the first study testing coffee drinking timing patterns and health outcomes, said lead author Dr. Lu Qi, HCA Regents Distinguished Chair and professor at Tulane Universitys Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, in a news release. We dont typically give advice about timing in our dietary guidance, but perhaps we should be thinking about this in the future.The 10-year study examined health data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted from 1999 to 2018 for 40,725 adults, as well as data from a subgroup of 1,463 adults from both the womens and mens versions of the Lifestyle Validation Study. In the data, two patterns emerged when it came to routine coffee consumption: 36% of participants were morning coffee-drinkers and 14% drank it throughout the day. The study also recorded death rates in a follow up, where 4295 all-cause deaths, 1268 deaths from cardiovascular disease, as well as 934 deaths from cancer were reported.Stunningly, the report showed big links between how coffee habits may contribute to a lower risk of premature death (it didnt matter if the coffee was regular or decaffeinated). By far, it was the morning coffee-drinkersnot the non-coffee drinkerswho fared the best on mortality. Having coffee only in the morning was associated with a 16% lower risk of premature death for any reason. For cardiovascular health, the gains were even bigger for the morning coffee-drinkers, who had a 31% lower risk from cardiovascular disease. The reduction in mortality was not demonstrated for the all-day coffee drinkers.The research is not the first on coffees perceived benefits. Past studies have demonstrated that moderate coffee consumption may be good for cardiovascular health. However, the new study is the first to examine what role the timing of drinking coffee plays. The report speculated that there may be several reasons why timing matters, and specifically, why the morning coffee-drinkers may have thrived, the first being that consuming coffee later in the day may disrupt circadian rhythms, increasing stress, cardiovascular risk, and other factors relating to poor sleep. Secondly, it noted that some pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory markers in the blood also have internal circadian patterns, where they are typically highest in the morning and then gradually decline until reaching their lowest level around 5 p.m. Essentially, coffees anti-inflammatory effects could be most valuable in the morning hours, it explained.Still, researchers noted that a morning coffee habit could be one marker of a healthy lifestyle among many. For example, morning-type coffee drinkers may be more willing to exercise and eat non-ultra-processed foods, the team noted. The report also explained that the study was performed within the U.S., therefore its not clear if its findings pertain to other parts of the world with different cultures related to coffee drinking.More research may be needed to explain the why?, but either way, the results are so positive for the morning coffee-drinkers, theyre likely to put some extra pep in the groups stepstraight through their coffee-free afternoons.