We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.The LG C3 65-inch Evo OLED TV, featured in Lifehacker's Best Budget OLED TVs to Buy in 2025, is now available for $1,196.99, down from $1,499.99its lowest price ever on Amazon, according to price trackers. LG C3 Series 65-Inch Class OLED TV $1,196.99 at Amazon $1,499.99 Save $303.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,196.99 at Amazon $1,499.99 Save $303.00 Its OLED panel provides perfect black levels, an infinite contrast ratio, and near-flawless color accuracy. Whites and SDR colors are especially precise, with only minor deviations in reds and greens in HDR content. Plus, it supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, so if you stream a lot in 4K, youll see those details shine. That said, the lack of an ATSC 3.0 tuner might be a drawback if you rely on over-the-air 4K broadcasts.You can place the C3 Evo on its (included) metal stand or mount it on a wall for a cleaner look. Its portsfour HDMI 2.1 (all 4K120, with one eARC), three USBs, Ethernet, and moreare easy to reach on the left. LGs WebOS runs its smart TV features and covers nearly all major streaming platforms (except Crunchyroll, as highlighted in this PCMag review). However, the WebOS' smart home hub features lean heavily toward LG ThinQ appliances, which might limit compatibility with your setup if your smart devices arent LG-branded or are from other non-compatible brands.The Magic Remote included with the LG C3 Evo has dedicated buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Alexa, and other popular apps, making it easy to jump straight to your favorites. Youll also find Apple AirPlay for easy streaming from your iOS devices and Alexa integration for hands-free voice commands. When it comes to gaming, with the Game Optimizer mode enabled and input lag reduction set to Boost, the TV achieves an impressively low input lag of under a millisecond. Add to that a 120Hz refresh rate, with variable refresh rate (VRR) support, plus AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility (though neither is formally certified), and youve got yourself a gaming powerhouse.If youre debating alternatives, the Samsung S90C ($1,179) offers similar OLED quality and comes with the missing ATSC 3.0 tuner.

We know that cars are better connected than ever before, which is great when you want to remember where you parked or start defrosting the vehicle windows while you're still in bedbut this modern tech comes with security and privacy concerns, as a new hack of Subaru cars and their Starlink software has shown.Security researchers Sam Curry and Shubham Shah explain in a blog post how they were able to remotely hack into the Starlink connected vehicle service run by Subaru. Specifically, they targeted software on Curry's mom's car, but the same platform operates across Subaru vehicles in the U.S., Canada, and Japan. With access to the driver's surname and their attached ZIP code, email address, phone number, or license plate, Curry and Shah were able to start, stop, lock, and unlock the Subaru, as well as retrieve its current location. In addition, they could view the collected location history for a whole year (right down to parking spots).The same hack gave access to personal information about the driver, including their address, their billing information (though not their full credit card number), and their emergency contact. Support call history, odometer readings, and previous owners of the motor could also be accessed.Curry and Shah managed to test out the access on a Subaru belonging to one of their friends, and it worked againall without any kind of notification or alert to the car's driver that their vehicle was being accessed. All that was needed was a successful login to the Starlink portal and some basic driver information. The Subaru employee portal was targeted by the hack. Credit: Sam Curry While the Starlink login was protected with two-factor authentication and security questions, these security measures were applied in a bespoke way that the researchers were able to get around just by modifying the website code to ignore them. In other words, there was no need to enter a password.That's a huge amount of access to features and data from a relatively simple hack. The good news is that Curry and Shah reported the vulnerability to Subaru, and the vehicle maker patched it within 24 hoursthis hack is no longer possible. However, all of this data remains accessible to Subaru employees, which raises more questions.Subaru and your dataThe original hack was done by logging into the Starlink terminal as a Subaru employee, via some detective work on LinkedIn and a little tweaking of website code. While this route of access has now been locked down, genuine Subaru staff can still get at all the information found by Curry and Shah, including the year's worth of location history."The auto industry is unique in that an 18-year-old employee from Texas can query the billing information of a vehicle in California, and it wont really set off any alarm bells," writes Curry. "It's part of their normal day-to-day job. The employees all have access to a ton of personal information, and the whole thing relies on trust." Subaru employees can see where you've been via Starlink. Credit: Sam Curry Subaru told Wired that its employees, "based on their job relevancy," can access location datain the case of contacting first responders when a collision is detected, for example (though that hardly requires a year of data). Privacy, security, and NDA agreements are signed by these employees, Subaru says.You can read the Subaru privacy policies here and here. You'll notice there's a lot of data collected about you and your vehicle via Starlink, including where it starts and stops, vehicle speeds, and diagnostic information. Use a Subaru website or app, and you're allowing access to a whole new swath of data, including data collected by the microphones and cameras on your devices.Even worse, these policies apply to any passengers in a SubaruFirefox developer Mozilla has a comprehensive breakdown here (note this includes Subaru's apps and website as well as Starlink). While Subaru promises not to sell your data to third-parties, and says it requires the information to improve support and detect criminal activity, it can target you with ads, communications, and promotions. The researchers were able to get at a lot of user data. Credit: Sam Curry There are steps you can take to limit some of this data collection. You can, of course, cancel your Starlink subscription, but then you miss out on features such as emergency assistance. You can also uninstall any Subaru-related apps from your phone, change your marketing preferences via the MySubaru portal, and fill out this form to put certain limits on data collection and sharing in specific statesthough it's not clear which data the form covers or how long existing data will be retained for.Subaru isn't alone among car makers when it comes to security vulnerabilities and suspect privacy policies. However, it's another reminder that extra connectivity often comes with an extra cost in terms of user dataand that any decision about which car to buy next should probably come with a look at the manufacturer's data collection policies, too.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.You've probably heard of Oura's smart rings before, one of the best sleep and recovery trackers, but a new player entered the ring last summer: Samsung. It's the first time a big tech company has produced a smart ring, the Samsung Galaxy Ring. As the name implies, it's mostly geared to Samsung users, although any Android user can use it with some limitations. Right now, most sizes and colors of the Samsung Galaxy Ring are $279.99 (originally $399.99) after a $120 discount at checkout (some have the green checkmark under the listing price and others have a 30% discount), the lowest price it has reached since its recent release, according to price-tracking tools. Samsung Galaxy Ring ($120 discount at checkout) AI Smart Ring, Size First w/Sizing Kit, No App Subscription, Fitness Monitor, Sleep Tracker... $399.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $399.99 at Amazon Samsung's Galaxy Ring isn't a one-time gadget it threw at the wall to see if it would stick: it's a well-made health-monitoring product that is likely to have improved generations in the future. But as a first-generation smart ring, it's solid, according to PCMag's review, as long as you have a Samsung phone to get the most out of it. It is a solid health and sleep tracker, but the activity tracking is better left to smartwatches. The Galaxy Ring has a titanium finish with color options including gold, silver, and black. Like Oura rings, its a bit bulky compared to regular rings at 7 mm wide and 2.6 mm thick. Anyone wearing it can see their sleep, heart rate, and skin temperature, but Samsung users can control their phones camera or dismiss alarms by tapping their ring finger to their thumb twice in a row. The best part of the ring compared to the main competition, Oura rings, is that it's subscription-free. It also has a wireless charging case included and is IP68 water resistant so you can wash your hands or shower with it. The battery life will give you about six days of use and you can choose from a size five to 15. If your Android phone can run the Samsung Health app, it's compatible with the ring. If you want to access a feature called Energy Score, which gives you a score on your energy level based on sleep, diet, and activity, you'll need a Samsung phone.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.I know Im not the only person with exercise equipment an arms reach (or a short walk) from where they spend most of their day. And you can pop down to your home gym a couple times a day, is that better than doing a whole workout all at once? Or if not better, is it just as good? Sometimes it is! Lets discuss the nuances.For purposes of argument, Ill assume youre trying to decide between two schedules: A traditional strength workout, where you warm up and then do four or five different exercises, with several sets of each. The whole thing might take you anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on what youre doing and how much. The same exercises, but breaking them upspending, say, 15 minutes on each piece of the workout and then returning to your regular workday.The benefits of spreading your workout throughout the dayWorking out for 15 minuted probably sounds a lot less intimidating than a whole workout, and that's likely the most obvious benefit to breaking up your workout. For people with busy or unpredictable schedules (say, someone with a taxing job, or parents with a new baby), it may be easier to find a few small chunks of time to exercise rather than to schedule in a full-length workout. Here are four reasons to consider splitting up your workout:Each mini-workout is less intimidating, since it will be over in a few minutes.It may be easier to fit short sessions between other obligations and activities.You'll get a few mental and physical breaks from your workday (which is healthy if you normally spend the day sitting at a desk).You may feel less fatigued at the start of each exercise, because youve had an hour or two of rest rather than a few minutes.The downsides of spreading your workout throughout the dayThose benefits sound great, but there are some pretty significant downsides to splitting up a workout, depending on what kind of workout youre doing. Most people will probably conclude its not worth it for these five reasons:Instead of deciding once that its time to go work out, you'll have four or five opportunities during the day to tell yourself yes or no. Miss one of those, and youve only done, say, 75% of your workout.You'll approach each exercise cold, instead of still being warmed up from the previous one. Warmups arent always necessary, but they can help a lot to prepare you, especially for a good strength session.You probably wont get to shower after each mini workout, meaning you might be sitting around in sweaty clothes. It can be nice to do a workout, clean up, and know that youre done.You'll spend most of the day knowing that you have another workout coming up, rather than getting it over with early.Some workouts are designed so that each part follows from whats before itfor example, activating or pre-exhausting a muscle in the first exercise of the day, and then going into the second exercise before youve fully recovered. Breaking up the workout can make it less effective or, ironically, encourage you to use more weight or work harder than you would have if youd done everything in one block.Aside from that last point, which only applies to those workouts designed to work as a sequence, most of the reasons for choosing one option over the other come down to time management. Do you think youll be more likely or less likely to do four mini workouts than one big one? Are you OK with the tradeoffsperhaps spending more total time warming up or cleaning upif they mean you never have to dedicate your entire lunch break to exercise? Thats a decision only you can make.Exercise snacks can be an effective alternativeIf you cant or wont do a dedicated workout, maybe you can do an exercise snack every few hours.A lot of recent research has considered ways to get people to exercise more to improve their health. One study had older adults do a 10-minute, no-equipment workout twice a day. The exercises included standing up from a chair over and over, marching in place, and doing calf raises. At the end of four weeks, the subjects improved their score in a sit-to-stand test by an average 31%. Short workouts are definitely doing something, and are a hell of a lot better than nothing.Whether the same strategy works for more athletic people doing work with weights would require more specific study, but there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that it works.Mini workouts like greasing the groove can improve strengthTheres another type of mini workout that has a lot of backing in the exercise world. So-called greasing the groove can help you get better at a specific exercise, like pull-ups. The name reportedly comes from kettlebell coach Pavel Tsatsouline, and the idea is that you pick an exercise to do multiple times a day, but never to failure. So if you can't do five pullups in a row, you might do one or two pullups every hour or so throughout the day.Many people have found this helped them get better at the exercise, likely for two main reasons. One is volume: two pullups an hour for six hours is 12 reps of pullups. Do that every day, and youll have done 60 reps during the work week, more than if you just did three sets of five pullups on two or three workout days. Each set might be easy, but they add up.The other advantage of greasing the groove is that it gives you a lot of practice at the movement you're working on. Strength exercises arent just about the size of your muscles; they also involve a skill component. Just as you can get better at playing the piano by practicing, you can also get better at an exercise by staying in practice.What happened when I tried splitting up my own workoutsThat's a lot of theory. How does this work in practice? I gave it a try myself, and I have two stories to share. First, Ive been doing a grease-the-groove protocol with a kettlebell exercise for months now. Anytime Im sitting at my desk and one of my wearable devices tells me Ive been sitting too long, I get up and do a bent press (or two, or three) with my adjustable kettlebell. I add weight when it starts to feel too light, but I stick to a weight that feels nice and easymore like practice than training. I swear my shoulders feel healthier, and I know Ive gotten better at this particular exercise. A few months ago, 24 kilograms was a tough weight for me to bent press, so my daily bent presses were with 20 kilograms, one rep at a time. These days, I do 24 for an easy double, three times a day, no warmup required. Kettlebell Kings 12-32kg Adjustable Kettlebell Sets - Gym Weight Set for Exercises - Competition Style for Lift and Weight Training in Gym or at Home - 35mm Handle - Body Building Heavy-Duty Weights $241.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $241.99 at Amazon But while writing this article, I also decided to split up my usual workout to see what I thought of the approach. (My workout for the day included four main components that looked like they could be separated without ruining the intention of the workout.)I did the first exercisefive sets of heavy quarter squats with a barbellwhile helping my son with his own workout in our garage gym. I did a set, changed weights, talked to him a bit, did another set, and so on. I was done with my mini workout long before he was done with his.A bit later, I did the next exercise, three sets of sit-ups. I didnt even bother going down to the garage for that one, I just did them on the floor in my office. Later, I did my supersets of pull-ups and dips.This is a workout that I normally find pretty intimidating, because it can end up taking a while. (It involves eight sets of pull-ups and dips. I mean, come on.) But taking it on one piece at a time, it didnt seem nearly so badI can handle eight sets of pull-ups and dips if Im not doing another hard exercise right before and right after.That said, I did run into one of the problems noted above: I had to say yes to the workout four different times. And at the end of the day, I said no to the last part: a 15-minute circuit of core exercises. I had split everything up already, so what would it hurt to do the circuit the next morning? But today is "the next morning," and I still havent done it. Ill get around to it later. Maybe. Probably. After todays workout.

This week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that Fitbit has agreed to pay a $12.25 million settlement over one of their older smartwatches, which had a battery defect that left some users with serious burns. Meanwhile, Fitbit itself announced that some of its more recent smartwatchesthe Sense and the Versa 3may also have an issue with overheating batteries that could pose a hazard to wearers, and is updating their software to fix the issue.What is the problem with Sense and Versa 3?According to a notice posted on the Fitbit Help Center, some (not all) Sense and Versa 3 devices have a defective battery that could overheat and possibly cause burns. Both of those watches were released in 2020. So far, Fitbit has not identified any newer watches as having this problem.What to do if you have a Sense or a Versa 3Fitbit says they are rolling out an update to the affected watches (again, not every Sense or Versa 3) that will limit its battery capabilities. Fitbit says: The update will improve the stability of the devices battery performance and reduce the risk of the battery overheating. As a result, the battery will last for shorter periods between charges and you may need to charge your device more frequently.If you dont want to update your device, too bad. According to that notice, after several days, your device will factory reset itself. This means it will delete any data that wasnt synced to your phone, and youll have to do the setup process all over again. In the course of the setup process, the new firmware update will be installed. There doesn't seem to be a way to continue using the device without the update.Youll know your device is due for an update thanks to notifications that will be sent to your phone, the device, and to your email.You can get $50 if you have an impacted Sense or Versa 3To soften the blow, Fitbit has a set up a form you can fill out to determine eligibility for a $50 appeasement if your device was one of the ones forced to update. Fitbit says it could take a week to verify whether youre eligible, during which time they may ask you for more information, and then another three weeks to process the payment.Fitbit also agreed to pay a fine over an earlier dangerous battery issueWhile it shouldn't affect any current Fitbit users, the company has also agreed to pay a $12.25 million settlement to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission over an earlier battery issue. The Ionic, a smartwatch launched in 2017, started burning peoples wrists as early as 2018, according to reports the company received.In 2020, the same year the Ionic was discontinued, Fitbit rolled out a battery update to reduce the risk of overheating (hmm, sounds familiar) but continued to receive reports of burns. They worked with the CPSC to do a full recall in 2022. You can find more information about that recall here.The settlement Fitbit is paying now is not directed at consumers who had the affected watches (that compensation was intended to be addressed with the recall), but to the CPSC itself, for failing to notify the government agency about such a seriously hazardous product. There were 78 reports of burn injuries, including two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns, the CPSC says. The company is also required to maintain internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). A battery update isnt necessarily an ideal fix for consumers. For example, Fitbit parent company Google recently rolled out a battery update to its old Pixel 4a phones (released in 2020) that some users are saying makes the devices unusable. Ive reached out to Fitbit to ask if the Sense and Versa 3 update is related to the CPSC settlement and will update this article if I hear back.

YouTube Premium is expanding its list of paid-only featuresat least, for those who are willing to experiment. In a blog post this week, the company announced a handful of new experimental features available to Premium subscribers. These features, while not enabled by default, can be switched on from youtube.com/new, and can be used until they expire. In addition, YouTube also announced a sneak peak at a feature in the works, as well as a Premium discount for Google One subscriptions. Higher-quality musicYouTube Premium is adding a new high-quality audio bitrate for music videos. Now, songs can be up to 256kbps, matching the highest audio quality found on YouTube Music. This feature is only available on iOS and Android at the moment, from now through Feb. 22.Jump Ahead (on the web)Jump Ahead is an AI-powered YouTube feature that analyzes watch behavior on any given video to determine its "best" part, offering to "jump ahead" to that section. YouTube originally rolled out the feature as a test nearly a year ago, and has since made it a YouTube Premium option on mobile. Now, you can access it on the web as an experimental feature, from now until Feb. 5.Picture-in-picture for ShortsPicture-in-picture (or PiP) is a useful way to watch a video while multitasking on your device. If the video in question is a YouTube Short, however, PiP won't work, presumably because, well, the videos are quite short. If you have a Premium subscription, however, you can enable an experimental feature that lets you watch Shorts in PiP. I suppose that's good news for extremely busy viewers who want to watch a video that's 60 seconds or less, but need to get back to work immediately. Curiously, this feature is only available on iOS, and only until Feb. 19. Automatic Shorts downloadsSpeaking of Shorts, a new Premium experimental feature will automatically download Shorts for offline viewing. This feature is also an iOS exclusive: When you sign up for the experimental feature, you can head to the Downloads section of YouTube and scroll to "Smart Downloads," where you'll find any recently downloaded Shorts. This feature is available through Feb. 19. YouTube Premium discount through Google OneGoogle is also rolling out a new discount for YouTube Premium when it's purchased with a Google One Premium subscription (or higher). Google One Premium starts at $9.99 per month, and while YouTube Premium typically costs $13.99 per month, you can drop that cost to 11.99 per month. That's not a huge savings, but I do think it'll be an interesting offer for anyone who already subscribes to both or has one of the two subscriptions and is on the fence about subscribing to the other. If you're thinking, "Wait: I pay $19 a month for YouTube Premium. What's this about $14 a month?" that means you likely subscribed in the app, rather than the website (at least on iOS). Companies frequently increase the costs of subscriptions in apps versus on the web, since they need to pay a 30% tax to Apple or Google. If you subscribed through the Android app, you probably didn't have this premium hike. Faster playback speeds on iOS and Android (coming soon)This feature isn't out yet, but in its blog post, YouTube announced an in-the-works feature that will expand the playback speed options on mobile. iOS and Android users will be able to stream at up to 4x speed. As for who would want to watch or listen to content at that speed, I cannot say.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Soundbars typically fall into two broad categories: High-end options like those from Sonos, and the cheaper options that are honestly not worth the money. There is, however, a sweet spot to be found in older models from reputable soundbar companies that were good values to begin with. That's where the Samsung HW-B650 fits, and it's currently $189.99 (originally $399.99), the lowest price it has been since its release, according to price-tracking tools. Samsung HW-B650 3.1 Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer, Dolby 5.1 / DTS Virtual:X $189.99 at Best Buy $399.99 Save $210.00 Get Deal Get Deal $189.99 at Best Buy $399.99 Save $210.00 The HW-B650 was released in 2022 as Samsung's top-of-the-line B-series soundbar for that year. The B-series is a step down from the more premium Q-series soundbars, which easily cost over a grand. Samsung is known to provide great value for the money in the soundbar department, and for those not looking to spend a mortgage payment on a soundbar, the B-series is ideal.Getting a soundbar dramatically raises the audio experience, especially with dialogue. The HW-B650 has preset EQs that let you set the right one depending on your situation. You have many useful presets like one for nighttime, which lowers loud sounds and raises soft sounds, game mode to hear small details, an adaptive one that lets the soundbar set the best one for your media, and of course, a voice enhancer that makes dialogue sound clearer.Because this is a 3.1-channel soundbar, you get a dedicated center channel for vocals, which is what helps the dialogue sound clear. The 430 Watts of power means the soundbar can get loud without distortion. Remember you can always buy rear speakers to make it a true 5.1-channel surround sound system.

Among the panoply of executive orders signed by president Trump in his first week in office is a directive of special interest to conspiracy theorists: on Thursday, Trump directed the federal government to present a plan to the President for the full and complete release of records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, as well as the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "That's a big one, huh? A lot of people are waiting for this for a longfor years, for decades, the president said upon signing the order. You can read the full executive order here.How to see the declassified JFK, RFK, and MLK assassination documentsIf youre hoping Trump's order will result in The Feds uploading tons of spicy files this afternoon, youll be disappointed: this is still the federal government were talking about. Instead of insta-revelations, the executive order gives the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General 15 days to review records related to the assassination of JFK, 45 days for records related to MLK and RFK, and then present a plan to the President for the full and complete release of these records.Any new JFK files that get released will likely join the JFK archive maintained by the National Security Agency, where theyll join nearly 5 million pages of records related to the JFK assassination that are already publicly available.According to the National Archives and Records Administration, 97% of the governments records related to the JFK assassination are already public.Are we going to see all the documents related to the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations?Whether the president will release complete, un-redacted files and documents associated with the assassinations to the public remains to be seen. Theres nothing preventing Trump from looking at the plan, saying, fantastic work, and not doing anything. The president has the discretion to weigh public interest in disclosure against information that would harm intelligence or military operations, law enforcement, or foreign relations. How Trump might judge these options is unknown, although, for what it's worth, the executive order states that all records in the Federal Governments possession pertaining to each of those assassinations is also in the public interest.Didnt this already happen?If this news gives you a vague sense of dj vu, its understandable. Back in 2017, during Trumps first term as president, the president announced he was opening the JFK files: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Since then, dribs and drabs of new information about JFK's killing have been made public, but there are still thousands of documents that are sealed and countless redactions that could be removed from publicly available documents.The real bombshells might not be about either KennedyConspiracy theories regarding the assassination of John F. Kennedy have been a part of American culture since soon after the shooting, and, to a lesser extent, so have alternative theories about RFK's death, so all publicly available documents related to both Kennedy assassinations have been pored over extensively by generations of amateur researchers and historians. But public interest in conspiracies surrounding the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. hasn't been as prevalent, and could provide the biggest revelationsshould the files related to the assassination actually see the light of day.Members of the King family have long maintained that the official story King was gunned down by petty criminal James Earl Rayis bunk, pointing to the FBIs long-running surveillance and harassment campaign against King and other discrepancies in the evidence surrounding the killing.In 1979, United States House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded that "there was a likelihood of conspiracy in the assassination of Dr King."

We may earn a commission from links on this page.There is a surprising number of products that come with into your home with stubborn stickers. A lot of stores still use price stickers, for instance, and glassware almost always has a sticker that gives you some kind of information about your item. Peeling them off is laborious and can leave residue behindbut I found a couple of tips on social media, both of which work fabulously. Adhesive removal hack 1: The melamine spongeI don't even remember where I first heard that you should use a melamine sponge, like a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, to quickly do away with stickers and adhesive residue, but I do know it was somewhere on TikTok. I do remember where I first tried it, though: A few months ago, I ordered a new glass table and, while putting it together, noticed the manufacturer had stuck informational stickers directly to the glass. How kind of them! An old TikTok hack popped out of my long-term memory. I grabbed a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (the Ultra Foamy, to be exact), dampened it, and started to scrub. The sticker dissolved. It disappeared. It was gone before I even realized it; I was scrubbing at nothing. Any melamine sponge can do this, though I do prefer the Ultra Foamy just because its suds are something serious. To demonstrate how well this works, I identified a sticker that has been stuck on another table for a few weeks; my goal was to remove half with the Magic Eraser and half with the second hack, which I'll introduce shortlybut once again, the Ultra Foamy worked too well. The whole sticker, which I wasn't able to easily pry up with my own fingernails, came off instantly, with the majority dissolving on the spot and the rest easy to pick up by hand. Too bad for my demonstration, but lucky for me overall. It happened so fast and perfectly that there was no point in taking a mid-scrub action photo. Where once there was an errant tanning sticker to remind me of summer, now there was nothing: No sticker, no adhesive residue, no anything. Adhesive removal hack 2: The hair dryerWith my plan to use the same sticker to demonstrate both hacks literally scrubbed, I started looking for another truly stuck-on sticker I could remove with the second method: the trusty hair dryer. I found a six-year-old candle I never use because its scent is sentimental to me. If any sticker were truly stuck on, it was the one that has had over half a decade to lurk under this candle. This hack is very popular on TikTok, where creators show off how easily and well it works. It's simple: Blast the sticker with the hair dryer for a few seconds and you'll suddenly be able to pull up the edge. (If it's a larger sticker, it may take a minute or two.) What's more, the adhesive all the way across the sticker will be melted, so it peels right off without tearing or leaving streaks. I recommend this technique for big, full stickers, but not for dealing with the remnants of old, semi-removed ones. If you have adhesive goo stuck to something but no actual sticker to yank on, melting it will just make a mess you have to scrub up. You'll be reaching for the melamine sponge anyway, so just skip the hair dryer and go straight to that. So, back to my candle. I assessed the sticker on the bottom and found it was fully and completely stuck with no lifting whatsoever and definitely no weak spot I could start to peel. I flipped it over on a flat surface, hit it with my beloved Dyson, and, after just two minutes, was able to pull the entire thing straight off without leaving even a little residue behind. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson Both of these hacks work perfectly and I prefer them to others I've tried. Acetone, for instance, does work, but it takes forever to break down the sticker and adhesive, leaving a streaky mess that you have to keep scrubbing at. (Plus, if you have your nails painted, you have to wear gloves for that one.) Similarly, soap and water can dissolve the paper part of a sticker if you have the patience, but it takes way too long and, again, requires way too much scrubbing. Vinegar also works, but it stinks. The Magic Eraser powers through adhesive and the hair dryer makes any sticker peelable in no time, all without you having to do too much or stink up the place.

It happens every year: The weather warms up, the plants start sprouting, and suddenly its springand time to clean up after a few months of hibernation. The concept of spring cleaning is pretty popular, and for good reason: Scrubbing and decluttering offer a range of benefits, from lowering stress and boosting your mood to simple physical exercise. Plus, the chances are good that your home needs it. For most people, the phrase spring cleaning brings to mind dusting and vacuuming the interior of the house. Thats a big part of it, of course, but you shouldnt neglect the exterior of your house (or your car!), which has taken a beating during thse cold, snowy months. Nows the time to gear up and plan an exterior spring cleaning to get the outside of your house in shape.Inspect and repairThe first step of an exterior spring cleaning is an inspection to discover damage and other problems that need addressing:Examine the exterior walls. Cracks, rust, or warping in siding or stucco will need to be repaired before they turn into a leak. If you see brown, red, black, or green spots, thats a sign of mildew that will need to be cleaned off.Look for nests or pest damage. Look for insect nests or holes and other entry points for rodents, carpenter ants, and other pests. Nests will need to be removed (be careful when dealing with stinging insects like hornets) and holes will need to be sealed upbut make sure nothing is living in your walls before you do, or youll have a smell problem in short order.Inspect the roof. Signs that your roof needs attention (even if you havent noticed an active leak) include missing shingles, obvious mold growth, ponding water, and cracks or visible sagging. You should also look for cracked flashing or gaps that need caulking.Inspect decks. Look for warped or cracked planks, loose screws, or other damage.If you see any holes, cracks, or other damage, make repairs as necessary before you do any actual cleaning.Clear away debris Once youve assessed any damage or pest infiltration, your next step is to clear away the debris that built up during the cold weather, before it becomes a haven for pests, a barrier to drainage, and a really ugly scene once the sun starts shining again. A few things to do include:Rake up leaves that have been rotting under snowcover for a few months.Remove dead branches, cobwebs, and any trash that winter storms might have blown up against your house.Clean out the gutters and downspouts. Its also a good idea to run a hose up to the gutters and test the water flow to make sure there isnt a blockage somewhere.Clean off the roofremove any branches or other debris up there. If youre (understandably) not thrilled to climb up there, a roof rake can get the job done for you.Wash your houseOnce youve got the debris cleared away, its time to wash the house. While a pressure washer can be useful, you dont necessarily need oneyou can purchase an attachment that will turn your garden hose into an effective pressure washer, as well as attachments that turn it into a spray cleaner. A few places to focus on:Walls. If your siding or stucco has mildew or other dirt, wash it with a bleach-free cleaning solution thats marked safe for plants (like this one). You might need a soft brush or sponge to scrub some areas.Decks and patios. If youve got a wood or composite deck or patio area, a good pressure wash can have it looking like new.Driveway. A pressure washer or garden hose with a washer attachment can do wonders. Use a driveway cleaning solution for any stains that have cropped up during the winter.Outdoor furniture. Even if it was covered or left inside the garage all winter, your patio set needs a brisk cleaning and inspecting for insects or damage.Roof. Once youve removed debris and made repairs, you only need to clean your roof if it shows obvious signs of mold, mildew, or other stuff growing on it. You can buy roof-cleaning solutions that attach to your hose to make this job a lot easier.Chimney. This is the perfect time to take a look at your chimney and give it a good cleaning (or hire someone to clean it for you).Windows and doors. Your windows have probably collected a lot of dirt over the winter, so take a moment to clean them with an outdoor glass cleaning solution. You should also clean the screens, which can get plenty dusty over time.

Complicated cleaning hacks can be fun projects, but I love a simple one even moreand this one is really simple: You can use the lid of a pot or pan to clean your carpets and fabrics. It works like a charm, which is why its been all over TikTok for the past few years.To freshen up your upholstery or carpet, youll need:The lid from a pot or pan, with a handle in the centerA large microfiber ragA bowl of waterDish soapDepending on what youre cleaning and how you like to do it, you may want to add a few drops of vinegar or vodka, but otherwise, stick to the cleaning recipes youd normally use for whatever upholstery or carpet youre working on. Cleaning the upholsteryFill a bowl with your cleaning solution, whether its a mixture of liquid dish detergent and baking soda, water and vinegar, or a store-bought upholstery cleaner. (I used what I had on hand, which was laundry detergent.) Drop your cloth in the bowl, saturate it with the mixture, then squeeze out the excess, and lay the fabric down flat.Set your lid in the center of your damp cloth and pull the edges up around it, securing them over the handle with a rubber band. If they dont quite reach that far, just secure them tightly over the handle with your hand as you work. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson Now you have a fabric-covered disk that you can push around on your couches, chairs, carpets, rugs, or pillows. It will pick up lint and freshen the fabrics without making anything too damp. I recommend pushing the soapy rag around on the upholstery until it's decently damp and clean, then going back in with a plain wet rag on the lid instead of the soapy one and then either drying the area with a hair dryer or fan (or opening a window and letting the outside air take care of it).Why I like this cleaning methodThe goal here isnt to make your carpets and cushions wet, but to give them a damp refreshthe lid provides stability and works the solution in gently and evenly. It's easy to push the lid along the surface of a couch or chair cushion, and the heft of the lid gives you some extra power. When you're just using a rag, it's hard to push down enough to really clean the area, since both the rag and the upholstery are so soft. Inevitably, you end up pushing down too much and making the spot too wet, which is no goodif the cushion doesn't dry out fully, that can lead to mold or bad smells. I recently spilled coffee all over my couch; despite dabbing it up that day, I was left with hideous stains. This couch is old and cost me like $200 on Amazon years ago, so it's not really worth pulling out a bunch of stops or getting a professional machine to deal with. I decided to give the pan lid a try. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson To my horror, just one round of pot-lid scrubbing pulled up a lot of residual coffee. To my pleasure, it required very little elbow grease on my part and did not soak my poor, cheap couch in too much cleaning solution. The entire couch looks much better and was fine to sit on again in under an hour, after just a little bit of air drying. Not every TikTok hack works, but this one sure does.

A recent software update meant to stabilize battery performance on the Pixel 4a has had an unexpected side effect: Some Pixel 4a owners are reporting that their phones can now barely hold a charge. There's a particularly egregious example on Reddit, where a user reported that their phone is down from seven hours of screen time on a single charge to just 30 minutes.Pixel 4a's battery performance issuesEarlier this month, Google published a detailed document explaining the Pixel 4a software update to Android 13. The company says that some people are experiencing a degradation in the battery's capacity, runtime, or performance, as is expected with lithium-ion batteries of a certain age. However, in the Pixel 4a's case, Google decided to push a software update to provide more stable battery performance, but the caveat is that it may lead to reduced battery life and slower charging.In the document, Google said, "For some devices (Impacted Devices), the update includes new battery management features to improve the stability of your batterys performance, so the battery may last for shorter periods between charges. Users of Impacted Devices may also notice other changes, like reduced charging performance or changes to how the battery-level indicator on your phone shows your battery capacity." As a result, some Pixel 4a users have been left with phones that can barely hold a charge.Google's solution for Pixel 4a battery issuesThe company has offered a few options for Pixel 4a owners impacted by this software update: a free battery replacement, a one-time payment of $50, or a $100 credit that you can use toward a new Pixel phone from Google. Reddit users appear to have had good experiences with battery replacements, with some of them reporting that they were able to get it done in under two hours. Most people have recommended taking in your device in-person in order to ensure the lowest possible turnaround time and to reduce the risk of loss or damage. Having said that, it involves some effort in backing up the device and a factory reset. Although people have got their batteries replaced without doing either, I don't recommend it. A complete backup is an essential step if you don't want to lose data. The factory reset step ensures that strangers can't access all the data on your unlocked phone.How to check if your Pixel 4a is impactedGoogle calls affected Pixel 4a "Impacted Devices." You can check if yours is one of them by going to this Google Pixel support page and follow the on-screen prompts to opt for one of the three offered solutions. You'll be able to either ask for a free battery replacement, request store credit, or take the cash payment.

Lock screens are a good way to protect your data, but thieves stealing your smartphone when it's unlocked (or after seeing your passcode), and then resetting everything in just a tap is still a real security risk. Apple deals with this vulnerability using its Stolen Device Protection feature, and now, in Android 15, Google has a similar feature called Identity Check.Identity Check ensures strangers out in public can't change your Android smartphone's account settings without first passing a secondary biometric authentication. First, you set up one or more trusted locations, like your home. Then, if someone outside of one of those locations has your phone and tries to access your passwords, change your PIN, or disable the Find My Device feature, they'll need to pass a biometric lock first.The feature is first rolling out on Pixel devices and any Samsung Galaxy device using One UI 7. But as is the case with most new Android features, it will slowly start to trickle out to other devices as well, as more manufactures update their own software. According to a Google blog, other manufactures will add support "later this year."Identity Check's protections are pretty robust, gating away settings like resetting your smartphone, changing the screen lock, creating a new fingerprint ID, disabling the Find My Device feature, adding a new Google account, accessing developer options, and accessing passwords and passkeys in the Password Manager.A major difference between Android's Identity Check and Apple's Stolen Device Protection is the time delay. Apple basically blocks you from changing any important setting while in an unknown location until you've waited for an hour first. Perhaps a tad too frustrating, but that hour can give someone enough time to remotely wipe your device. Android would perhaps do well to follow suit.For now, you'll have to enable Identity Check manually. Head over to Settings > Google account > All services > Theft Protection. Here, enable the Use Identity Check feature.Here, you can also click the Manage button to add trusted locations like your workspace or your home. Disabling the feature requires you to either authenticate using biometrics or by logging in to your Google account.Along with this update, Google is also rolling out its AI-powered Theft Detection Lock to all supported devices running Android 10 or higher (the feature was released last year for Pixel users). This feature detects when a smartphone is forcibly taken away from you, using data from the smartphones built-in sensors, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more. You can enable it under Settings > Google account > All services > Theft protection > Theft Detection Lock.

There comes a point every winter when you have to rally together your arsenal of hot liquid meals. If you have enough recipesall your hot soups, stews, stoups, and chunky saucesthey can get you through to spring. Much to the chagrin of my friends, I call this Hot Bean Season. One of my favorite meals that fits this category is my Dutch oven beans and sausage. Its utterly simple, completely satisfying, and you need absolutely no fancy cooking skills to make it.The reason I come back to this meal again and again is because it uses the Screw It method of cookingjust dump everything in the pot. Well, the initial sausage searing is a must for flavor, but I consider that step part of the Screw It method because it allows me to skip the whole mise en place business: I use the sausages sear time to chop the other two ingredients. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I like to make this recipe in a Dutch oven. (Dont worry, you dont need a Le Creuset, any of these cheaper ones will do perfectly.) This meal simmers for a little while, and the heavy cast iron of a Dutch oven keeps the low heat evenly distributed while the domed lid redistributes the moisture back into the sauce. That said, you could make this bangin beans and sausage in any heavy-bottomed pot or a big, wide skillet with a well-fitting lid.This dish makes me feel like Im in a cozy tavern on a snowy mountain. Thats never happened to me, but Im confident a meal like this would be available there. I use the entire can of cannellini beans, including the aquafaba. Dont drain those beans, even if you elect to use a different variety like chickpeas or red beans. The viscous liquid is full of helpful proteins and starches that will thicken the sauce beautifully. That liquid will also help dissolve the fond that builds from your seared sausage and create a deeply savory sauce. Dump all of the ingredients over the seared sausage and let it simmer. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann In my opinion, this recipe serves two people with two sausages each, but feel free to double for a bigger group or use a little more of any ingredient to make it fit your style. A couple more potatoes wont harm this dish. If you dont like kale, replace it with raw spinach, chard, mustard greens, or collards.Easy Dutch Oven Beans and Sausage RecipeIngredients:1 tablespoon olive oil4 sausage links4 ribs of lacinato kale2 red potatoes1 clove garlic1 can cannellini beans (liquid included)1 cup chicken broth teaspoon salt (adjustable according to your chicken broth)1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy duty pot, sear the sausage links in the olive oil over medium heat. Rotate them once or twice while they cook.2. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. Roughly chop the kale, cut the potatoes into half-inch cubes, peel and smash the garlic clove.3. Once the sausages have some color on two sides of each link, toss in all of the other ingredients. Give everything a poke to make sure it contacts the broth a bit. Cover it with a well-fitting lid and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir occasionally to scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pan.4. About five minutes before its finished, smash some of the beans with a wooden spoon to release some of the starches and thicken the sauce even more (if desired). Enjoy with a hunk of crusty bread.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Welcome to Cookbook of the Week. This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own.Cookbooks dont really teach you how to cook. Instead they offer a collection of recipes that you (hopefully) like. If you find one, though, with recipes that serve as inspiration for adapting and modifying to create even more new recipeswell, thats a real gem. The cookbooks I find myself going back to time and again make a wee inspiration library. Sometimes I use their recipes, and sometimes I find a flavor combination or cooking method Ill get excited to use later in the week.But it is rare that a cookbook breaks down how a chef thinks about recipe creation. This week I chose Kitchen Matrix for my cookbook of the week because its unlike any other cookbook Ive seen before. Its a cookbook with major lessons on how to cook.A bit about the bookThis book comes from Mark Bittman, a legendary food journalist and author (read more about him here). Although this cookbook isnt newit was published in 2015the message is timeless: Cooking is an endless spectrum. A single recipe exists on a branch of an ingredients sprawling family tree. Ok, enough romance: let me explain.The pages of Kitchen Matrix are filled with recipes, yes, but directly following one recipe will be how to riff in three to 12 different ways. Essentially, how to make a whole new meal by swapping the main ingredient, or what you get when you change the cooking method from grilling to steaming. It reveals the connection between different dishes within a food set. For example, how only two or three ingredients separate minestrone from mushroom soup from tomato and garlic soup. The cooking method is the same; its a matter of swapping this for that. When you see it displayed in the clever way Bittman has arranged these sections, the art of cooking suddenly clicks into a clear science. Mark Bittman's Kitchen Matrix: More Than 700 Simple Recipes and Techniques to Mix and Match for Endless Possibilities: A Cookbook $28.09 at Amazon $35.00 Save $6.91 Shop Now Shop Now $28.09 at Amazon $35.00 Save $6.91 A great book for the confident cookJust because someone is a confident cook doesnt mean they cant enjoy a good cookbook. Kitchen Matrix is more like Cooking 201 versus Cooking 101. Its best for someone who already feels good about getting around the kitchen, using various cooking methods, trying out new flavors, and taking risks. Theres plenty of inspiration in this cookbook and a lot for the confident cook to get excited about.That said, many of the recipe spin-offs are written in what Ill call a recipe shorthand, while other recipes are written out in a full versionwith an ingredient list and steps underneath. For example, with the section Corn +12 ways youll get a short recipe equating to Mix this, this, and this together. Cook it until browned. Then two recipe variations underneath where only the swapped ingredients are indicated.Seasoned cooks will be able to connect the dots, while I think the missing information could be extremely confusing for many other home cooks.The recipes you can expectI like that many of the chapters are split up by main ingredients, like Meat, Vegetables, or Poultry and Eggs. Within each chapter will be a mini section dedicated to major popular items that fit in the section. For the Vegetable section you can flip to Salad Greens +12 Ways, Celery +16 Ways, or Vegan Entrees +10 Ways, among many others.This speaks to my nightly cooking habit of discovering I have six zucchini that are about to get weird, so I need a zucchini-centric meal STAT. I can simply flip to Zucchini +12 Ways and pick between raw, grilled, microwaved, or sauted and have three recipes each at the ready. Even if I had more squash than one recipe required, at least I have 11 different choices for tomorrows meals. Thats support. Its like un-creepy AI (if you can imagine). I feel like this cookbook has my back when I need it.My favorite feature of Kitchen Matrix is the Recipe Generator. There are a few of them throughout the book, and theyre double page visual diagrams of popular mealslike Sandwich Recipe Generator, Tartar Recipe Generator, Grain Salad, Eggs, Jamand they show you the components that are involved along with options so you can create your own. Prof. Bittman wants you to learn to create your own recipes. As a former teacher witnessing beautiful diagrams, I wipe a single tear from my eye. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann The dish I made this weekI dont know if youve noticed, but its winter and hell has frozen over. Ive been in a soup mood. I flipped over to Soups and Stews, and landed on the Vegetable soups. I adore soups for all meals, and this sections matrix consisted of Creamy, Brothy, Bean, and Vegetable. I can never turn down a creamy soup, so I turned my attention there. The main recipe was for a creamy spinach soup, and underneath it were the two variations: curried cauliflower, or squash and ginger.I chose curried cauliflower. The main recipe for spinach soup had simple directions. Basically, cook the garlic and onion in water, then add the spinach and yogurt before pureing it all. The cauliflower soup instructed me to swap out a few ingredients: garlic for ginger, spinach for cauliflower, parsley for curry powder, and yogurt for coconut milk. I did just that, but using the same method from the spinach recipe.The soup was a golden-hued hug. Creamy without any cream, thick without being gloppy, and boosted with just enough spice to compliment the cauliflowers natural flavors. It was a reminder that great soup can be drop-dead simple, and as a result, I know how to make 11 other simple soups. Thats enough to get me through the winter.How to buy itKitchen Matrix is available online, as an ebook (for a bargain), and keep in mind that you can support your local brick and mortar bookstores by asking them to order it to their location if they dont have it in stock.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.The hardest part of sticking to a workout routine may be starting, but the second-hardest part is figuring out what to do when it's time for another workout but you're still sore from the first one. Below, I'll share some tips for relieving that sorenessbut, even more importantly, I'll tell you what not to do. Perhaps the most surprising thing: you probably shouldn't skip your next workout. Know what normal soreness feels likeBefore we discuss what to do, let's take a minute to understand how you're feeling right now, and why. It's not lactic acid (that's a myth), but rather a phenomenon known as DOMS, for "delayed onset muscle soreness." It's most likely to happen when you do something different than what you're used to. That might mean starting a new workout routine, but it can also happen to people who are already fit but try a new sport or even a slight change to their routine. DOMS can feel pretty brutal, but it's not serious. It doesn't mean your muscles are seriously damaged, and you're not going to injure yourself by ignoring it. Just to make sure we're on the same page, normal DOMS:Hurts the most when you wake up in the morning or when you've been sitting still for a whileFeels better with movement Hurts when you use the muscle and when you stretch the muscleUsually starts the day after exercise (rather than the same day), and may last multiple daysIs often at its worst two days after the exercise that caused itThere are medical conditions that can also cause muscle soreness, so check with a doctor if you think there may be more going on than the usual DOMS situation. One condition worth keeping in mind is rhabdomyolysis, which is muscle damage that gets severe enough to cause muscle breakdown and kidney issues. Dark-colored urine (often described as "tea colored" or "cola colored") is a huge red flagget to the emergency room if you notice this. I've written more here about the differences between normal soreness and the kind that needs medical attention.But most likely, you just have a normal case of DOMS. If that sounds right, let's talk about what to do about it.Do some active rest or gentle movementYou may not feel like moving at all, but it's worth fighting the urge to lie in bed. Once you get up and move around, the DOMS will start to fade, at least temporarily. Definitely do not cancel any plans for the day when you first wake upthat's the worst it's going to feel all day. So go for a walk. That's my go-to when I'm not feeling great. If you have access to a spin bike, moving your legs at low resistance tends to help relieve soreness. Cyclists will talk about "flushing" out their muscles with easy pedaling; whether that's scientifically accurate or not, it does seem to help. If you're into yoga, a day you're sore is a good time to do some gentle yoga; you can even look up recovery yoga for some videos to follow.Movement helps to relieve the pain of DOMS, but it doesn't necessarily make it fully go awayif you sit down to watch TV for a while, the soreness will be back when your show is over and you get up. The only thing that can make it go away is time, so you'll have to be patient. In the meantime, here are a few more things to try for temporary relief and to support your body as it naturally clears things up.Take a warm bath or visit the saunaHeat tends to make sore muscles feel better, so this is a great time to hit the sauna, if your gym has one. You can also use an electric heating pad like this one, or take a hot bath. Epsom salt baths are popular for sore muscles, but the minerals in the bathwater don't actually reach your muscles. Adding them to a bath can still make it smell nice (get the lavender scented kind) and can make it feel like you're doing something special for yourself, so use them if you enjoy them.Give yourself a massageGentle pressure can feel good on sore muscles, so consider treating yourself to a massage or asking someone to give you a back rub. A foam roller is a good way to give yourself some "self-myofascial release" (I'm convinced that's nothing but a fancy word for massage), or consider a massage gun.Eat well and sleep wellWhen youre sore, it's good time to pay more attention to taking care of yourself. Anecdotally, I find sleep helps to deal with soreness: if I stay up late, Im more likely to be sore the next day. Eating plenty of protein cant hurt, either, since protein is important to building muscle. And carbs are important for recovery and fueling, so I wouldn't skimp on those either. What not to do when you're soreMyths abound, so I want to call out a few specific things that you're better off not doing. Intense stretching. Gentle movement is fine, but deep or painful stretches can cause muscle damage.Ice or cold plunges. This one is a bit controversial, but it may interfere with the healing process.Taking ibuprofen if you don't really need it. If you need a pain reliever to get through the day, it's fine to take one. But if you get into the habit of taking ibuprofen regularlylike after every workoutit can hinder your recovery. Dont skip your workoutWhen you're feeling sore, youre probably tempted to just stay home with some Netflix instead of taking your achy body back to the gym. But resting doesn't help much in the long run. Beating the soreness for good comes from getting used to exercise, and youll never get used to it if you have to take a week off every time you get the idea to start again. So go back to the gym, or head out for another run, or whatever is on your schedule for today. Make some effort to continue the schedule that you set up for yourself, whether that was a written program or a promise to yourself that you'd go to the gym a certain number of times per week.First, do your warmup, but ease into it gradually. If you planned to go for a run, start with a brisk walk and then see how an easy jog feels. If it's a lifting day, start with lighter weights than usual, and only add as much weight as you feel like you can handle today. Even if you can't manage your regular workout, you're still doing something, and that's buying you insurance against future soreness. You're also not going to get anywhere near as sore after today's workout as you did before. Scientists call this the repeated bout effect: each workout (each "bout" of training) protects against soreness from the next one.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Doomsday preppingmaking yourself and your home ready for some amorphous stuff-hits-the-fan eventhas gone mainstream. About 20 million Americans are actively prepping for the apocalypse in some sense, which could come in many different forms. No matter how the world as we know it ends, the thinking goes, folks with enough food and water, gold (or crypto), and ammunition salted away will survive to help rebuild society. Or fight zombies.A lot of doomsday prepping is kind of silly, of course. Youre probably not going to be fighting those zombies (or hordes of Mad Max-style warriors), and having a thousand cans of beans probably isnt going to be the difference between life and death. But preparing for extended emergencies isnt a bad ideayou just have to do it in a practical, thoughtful manner. Heres what you should consider if you want to feel at least slightly prepared for a SHTF event.Test stuffDoomsday prep is big business, and there are a lot of gadgets designed to help you survive the End Times in (relative) comfort and safety. Most are uber-practical and arguably necessary, like generators or a Lifestraw, but simply buying this stuff does not mean youre actually prepared. If the first time you actually unpack and try to use it is the day the bombs drop or civilization collapses, youre going to be under extreme stress while trying to parse an instruction manualand you might discover that you bought a lemon in the first place.Buy whatever you think might be useful in an emergency, but as a best practice you should unbox it, set it up, and get it running at least once. This way youre familiar with its operation and certain you have a working unit. Its also a good idea to re-test everything once a year to refresh your memory and make sure nothing has degraded while in storage.Hard copy and manual toolsSometimes we forget how reliant weve become on having all the worlds information (and disinformation) in our pockets at all times. But in the event of doomsday you should probably assume both the internet and the electrical grid will be out of commission, which means it will be a huge mistake to rely on anything digital or powered. A few things to consider:Paper copies. You should have hard copy of any crucial informationinstructions, directions, repair manuals, etc. Even if you have a plan for getting power during the apocalypse, relying on files stored on a hard drive is a bad idea.Manual tools. Power tools are one of the great blessings of civilization, but when civilization itself goes bye-bye you might not be able to operate them effectively. Manual, hand-powered tools and appliances (like a can opener!) will always be usable, so have at least a few basics on hand for when the power vanishes.Renewable everythingThe classic image of a prepper is someone with a stockpile of canned and dried food and a humming generator (zombie-blasting shotgun optional). Thats a fine plan for a short-term emergency like a natural disaster or extended blackout, but if you really want to be prepared for doomsday you need to think in more renewable terms. Canned food rusts and spoils, bottled water can go bad, and gasoline runs out (and also spoils), so having renewable sources of energy and food is key:Power. Solar or wind setups (ideally with a whole-house battery) will help stretch fuel supplies and can provide electricity long after all the power plants have exploded.Water. A crate of plastic water bottles will get you through a short-term emergency, but rebuilding civilization in the wake of Armageddon is thirsty work. Ideally, you want a continuous supply of filtered fresh water. If you have a well on your property, thats ideal, but you can also have a rainwater collection and filtration system installed (rainwater has to be filtered pretty thoroughly to be safe to drink) that will guarantee a water supply unless the apocalypse is a very dry version.Food. You dont want to be completely reliant on ultra-processed preserved food if youre going into a long-haul survival period. Sure, those packs of instant Ramen might keep you alive, but ideally you should have a garden set up to feed you. A self-sustaining garden for one person can be set up in about 200 square feet, and if nothing else, will stretch your dry goods and canned food until the local groceries rebuild.MedicinesApocalyptic fantasies on television tend to focus on guns and video game-like action, and medical treatment usually involves a quick dash to an abandoned CVS and some instinctive knowledge of antiseptics and bandaging. In real life, you probably dont need an entire crate of automatic weapons, but you will need some medical stuff. A few things to consider:First aid. Yes, you need a First Aid kit. But you also need to know how to use it, so learn first aid. Having a kit from Amazon wont do you much good if you dont have some basic training, including how to do stuff like applying tourniquets or setting broken bones.There are several excellent online first aid courses (Save a Life by NHCPS is free and accredited, and the American Red Cross offers online first aid classes as well as class-based courses). You might also consider taking a Wilderness First Aid Course (like this one), as they focus on first aid and emergency medical treatment when youre far away from a hospital or an easy 911 call. And dont forget what we just said about hard copies: Add some reference books to your survival library, like The Field Guide of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine from Wilderness Medical Associates, or The Survival Medicine Handbook: The Essential Guide for When Help is NOT on the Way by Joseph Alton, M.D.Medical supplies. First aid kits are intended for rapid response, short-term solutions. If youre planning to spend decades without a modern hospital system, youre going to need a lot more stuff, like antibiotics, more gauze and wound dressings than you think, and other basics. You should also stock up on necessary prescriptions, because that abandoned CVS may not be opening up again any time soon.Medicinal herbs. No matter how well-stocked your personal pharmacy and medical supply cabinet is, if its really the end of the world youll more than likely run out of stuff much faster than expected (apocalyptic scenarios tend to be filled with sharp edges, collapsing buildings, and those pesky, hungry zombies). If youre setting up a garden to feed yourself, consider putting space aside for medicinal herbs. Plants have been used for centuries as pain relievers (turmeric), antibiotics (garlic), and as treatments for indigestion (ginger).Some caveats: Medicinal herbs are not drop in replacements for the drugs in your medicine cabinet, and youll need to know a lot about their preparation and dosage to safely use them. A book like the Peterson Field Guide To Medicinal Plants & Herbs Of Eastern & Central N. America by Steven Foster and James A. Duke can give a start. And not all herbs will grow in all climates, so some research into what you can and cant grow will be necessary.Rotate stockSpeaking of dry goods and canned foodthese are not set it and forget it items. You cant dump 500 cans of Spam into your basement and assume youll be fine, because all that food, no matter how well-preserved or stored, will eventually spoil (or be eaten by organisms). The key to a solid apocalypse pantry is rotationeat the stuff as part of your normal, everyday meals just before they hit their expiration date, then replace them with fresh versions.Similarly, consider the medical supplies and prescriptions youve stockpiledthese will also need to be checked for freshness and replaced on a regular basis. While some medicines and drugs dont necessarily go bad, they do lose effectiveness over time.Consider a communityFinally, consider your community as a resource. Most apocalyptic fantasies imagine its you (and your family) against the world, but in real life, your friends and neighbors will probably be right there with you, which can mean shared resources and assistance. A practical approach to doomsday prepping wont rely on thisjust in case you are all on your own, or in case your neighbors turn out to be selfish jerksbut ignoring this potentially rich source of assistance and shared supplies entirely would be unfortunate.

Trump voiced his latest tariff threats on Tuesday, as consumers and businesses alike brace for impact on their wallets. Prior to taking office, Trump's proposed tariff plans included a 10% blanket tariff on all imports, a 60% tariff on Chinese goods, and 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada. While some argue these measures could eventually boost domestic manufacturing, the immediate impact on consumer prices is likely to be significant. Let's take a look at how these proposed trade measures could affect pricesparticularly on big-ticket itemsso you can make informed purchasing decisions in the coming months.How Trump tariffs will impact your walletWhen the government imposes a tariff on imported goods, it essentially acts as a tax paid by the importing company. However, these companies rarely absorb these additional costs themselves. Instead, they typically pass them along the supply chain, ultimately reaching the end consumer.Ben Johnston, Chief Operating Officer of Kapitus, an online business lender, explains the ripple effect: "Higher tariffs will certainly cause prices to rise for U.S. consumers, as tariffs drive up the cost of the product being imported and these costs must be passed on to the customer. This will not only spur inflation but will lower overall consumption, slowing the economy."Large purchases like automobiles, appliances, and electronics are likely to see some of the most noticeable price increases, according to Johnston. These items often rely heavily on global supply chains and imported components. Even products assembled in the United States frequently depend on imported parts, meaning tariffs could affect prices even for "American-made" goods.Johnston notes that no industry is likely to be hit harder by an increase in import duties than the retail sector. He highlights how approximately 11% of all consumer spending goes to purchase imported goods, "but the percentage retail sales made up of imported goods is much higher."What consumers should do nowGiven these impending changes, you might want to consider making major purchases before the anticipated price hikes. However, at the end of the day, your personal finances matter much more for these kinds of buying decisions than trying to speculate on the market. Rather than trying to anticipate the ripple effect of Trump tariffs, you're better off turning to price-tracking tools and staying on top of what you need. And if you were already in the market for a big-ticket itemthink washing machine, laptop, or carconsider pulling the trigger sooner rather than later.

Push-ups are a classic exercise to build strength even when you don't have gym equipment available, but not everybody can bang out rep after repsometimes you have to work on other exercises to build the strength to start doing push-ups. This is what I'll guide you through today. And if you remember those knee pushups from gym classwell, those are okay, but they aren't your best option. To do knee push-ups, you place your knees on the ground (or on a cushion, if that's more comfortable) and otherwise do the standard push-up motion. Knee push-ups are better than nothing, but they have a few downsides compared to other types of push-ups. The main one is that they are a lot easier on your core muscles, so that while your arms and chest get a workout, your abs aren't getting the strength they'll need to stabilize your body in a full push-up. Knee push-ups also allow you to get lazy with your lower body positioning. In short, knee pushups ask less of your glutes and core, making them more of an upper-body than a full-body exercise. Here are some variations I like better.Option 1: full push-ups in very short setsIf you can do a few full push-ups with good form, you can build a workout from single-rep sets. Good form means that your body is tight like a plank, without your belly sagging or your hips pointing up as in downward dog. Your hands are approximately under your shoulders, and your elbows are tucked toward your body rather than flared out at 90 degrees. If you can do two or three, you're in good shape to build from that.Instead of sets of, say, 10which you can't do yetdo a set of just one or two reps. Then rest (or do another exercise), and come back for another push-up or two. You may want to do more sets than if you were training push-ups with higher reps. Try 10 sets of one rep each, say, or five sets of two reps. Over time, you'll be able to add reps, and then you can reduce the number of sets, if you like. Working toward three sets of 10 is a good goal.Option 2: negative push-upsA negative push-up starts at the top, and slowly lowers down. But instead of then pushing yourself back up, you get on your hands and knees to reset to the top position again. Lower yourself down slowly each time, fully under control, as many times as you can. When you find yourself dropping down quickly, your set is over; take a break.Negatives use eccentric contractions, which build muscle at least as well as their concentric, or positive, counterparts. You can use the same strategy to work up to other challenging exercises, like pull-ups. Beware, howevernegatives are notorious for making you sore the next day, so go easy on these your first time. Once your body is used to them, you'll be able to do them regularly.Option 3: staircase progressionIf those options are still too tough for youor if you just want something more flexibletry a staircase progression. You can use an actual staircase, or pick surfaces at varying heights: a wall, a table, a chair, a stack of books.Start with your hands on a high surface. This might be the wall, with your feet a few steps back, or a high countertop. Engage all the muscles in your core and legs so your body is like a stiff plank, and keep the same good form as if you were doing a push-up from the floor. Do your set of push-ups this way.When the wall or countertop is too easy, drop your hands down to something lower, like a chair. (If youre using an actual staircase, just start with your feet on the floor and your hands on a high step; move your hands to the lower steps over time.) Eventually youll be able to do full sets of push-ups from the floor. Then, reverse the progression: start putting your feet on higher and higher surfaces. Ultimate goal: handstand push-ups. Good luck and get moving!

Home ownership is a key goal for many Americans despite the financial and environmental challenges posed in today's real estate marketand the transition from renting an apartment to owning a house is, in itself, a challenge in many ways. One of those challenges is adjusting your approach to furnishing and decorating your living spaces, especially if youre going from a small rental to a large house. Decking out a house you own can be a different experience from making a rental into a comfortable space because the scale is different: Budgets have to be bigger because youre usually filling more space, purchases tend to be more long-term because youre not sweating the end of a lease, and suddenly, that couch youve been moving from place to place since college is no longer socially acceptable. Heres how to approach decorating a house when youve only ever lived in an apartment.Pause and planStep one is to take a moment and slow down, resisting the urge to be moved in as quickly as possible. Moving into an apartment is often an exercise in making your existing furniture somehow work in the new space, which encourages a haphazard approach and a utilitarian feel. The key to decorating a house, though, is to embrace whats known as slow decorating:Instead of just dragging all your existing furniture in and filling rooms with stuff, be thoughtful about what you plan to use the room for.Measure each space so you can pick and arrange your furniture thoughtfully.Choose furniture and accents that fit that plan. If an existing piece works in that plan, great! Otherwise, consider whether it fits elsewhere or if it needs to be replaced with something different.Think in terms of roomsMoving from a small rental to a sprawling house poses another psychological challenge: scale. Going from a modest and maybe even crowded place to a home with a lot more square footage can be overwhelming. Going from a small space you didnt have a stake into a more permanent place that requires a lot more stuff can be overwhelming.Instead of trying to come up with a comprehensive plan (and budget) to furnish and decorate the entire new space, take it room by room:Start with the rooms you will use immediately and all the time: the primary bedroom, the kitchen, bathroom, and living room. Narrowing down your decisions to a specific room at a time will make the whole process more psychologically and financially manageable.You can create a sense of cohesion by using the same pop color in each space and repeating decorative elements like vases or other decorative objects. Wall art thats part of a series, for example, can link rooms even if youre approaching them individually.Once you have the main rooms set up, you can tackle the remaining rooms one at a time.Another reason this works is the fact that small apartments often require you to make rooms multi-functional, but houses often have dedicated spacesdining rooms, offices, living rooms, etc. If youre going from a space where one room was your office, living room, and exercise space, taking each room individually will help you envision what your ideal version of that space would be instead of what you can fit or what can easily be stashed out of sight.Embrace spaceIn smaller rental spaces, we often make decisions around furniture that solve apartment-related problems, like a lack of a guest bedroom (resulting in a heavy, bulky sleeper sofa) or a lack of useful storage (resulting in buying everything with extra storage space, like an Admiral bed). But a house may not present those same challenges, so its time to ask yourself if that sleeper sofa or other storage piece still makes sense.The size of the rooms also has to be taken into consideration. In an apartment, for example, cramming a couch and a coffee table into a room is all it takes to make a living room, but a larger room in a house might feel empty, requiring more thought about how youre going to use the room. Will it mainly be a viewing experience, with lots of comfortable seating arranged in front of a screen? Or do you want to foster more of a conversation space, with seating facing each other? Or, if you have the space, will it be both?Finally, a house with more space can benefit from larger statement-type pieces of furnitureoversized furniture, or large artwork on the walls. Remind yourself that you can go big and go home in a house.

Is it still January? Barely, but yes. Is it still dry? Well, that all depends on how you look at it. Maybe youre interested in incorporating a teensy bit of alcohol back into your life, or maybe youve never enjoyed an overly potent drink regardless of the month. I think the answer in both of these scenarios is the same: Switch to low ABV (alcohol by volume) cocktails. Theyre light, easy-going, and there is a wide world of options to suit your preference. I've got three recommendations to get you started.What is a low ABV cocktail?First of all, lets get our terminology straight. Again, ABV stands for alcohol by volume. This is usually understood as what percent of a drink is alcohol. Straight vodka can be 30% or 40% alcohol. So a vodka martini, after being stirred with ice and some added vermouth, might be 25%-35% alcohol. That is decidedly not low ABV.Wines can vary greatly but typically theyre around 13% to 18% ABV, and beers can range from 4% to 12%. While there is no precise ABV that defines a low ABV cocktail, I usually prefer them around 5% and below. Its nothing that will make me feel wobbly, but enough to add a touch of spice to the occasion. If youre at a bar or restaurant, they might have a different opinion of what fits into low ABV territory, so be sure to ask (or check the menu for the ABV) if youre wondering.How to make a low ABV cocktail at homeAside from buying a mocktail cookbook and adding a splash of gin to any of those concoctions (which you can totally dotry The Mocktail Club, an excellent recipe book that I recently reviewed) you can pore over your home bar and do some light experimentation. Personally, I like to think of low ABV drinks as giving the supporting characters a bit of shine. Its a chance to highlight aperitifs, vermouths, bitters, juices, shrubs, syrups, tonics, and sodas. Thats where many of the biggest, boldest flavors are anyway.If youre starting from scratch, start simple and try some juicy spritzes. A loose ratio could be 1:3:3: one part "supporting character" alcohol, three parts juice, and three parts bubbly, non-alcoholic liquid. Choose an aperitif, liqueur, or cordial that you like, and add equal parts of a complementary juice and soda water. Serve in a glass with plenty of ice.If youre starting from a classic cocktail recipe, try replacing the high-proof alcohol with a heavy pour of seltzer, or even a sparkling wine. The ABV for the latter would be higher than with using seltzer of course, but sometimes you just want to take it down a few notches. For example, proseccos 12% is much lower in alcohol content than gins 40%. In fact, thats what the negroni sbagliato doesswaps the gin for prosecco. Both are delicious cocktails, but the classic negroni is about twice as alcoholic.Three of my go-to low ABV cocktailsIve always enjoyed the activity of sipping socially, but not the inevitable headache of stiff drinks. Here are three I lean on when Im in the mood to take it easy. Dont try to reinvent the wheel here, folks: Simple is often best.Low ABV bellinisBellinis are light, flirty sparkling cocktails that are classically made by mixing a bit of white peach pure with a lot of prosecco. To bring down the ABV, cut the prosecco in half and replace it with a bit of seltzer water. Alternatively, you can use fruit juice instead of seltzer for a bigger dose of fruit flavor. (By the way, you can use any fruit pure you like; it doesnt have to be peach.)Negroni Sbagliato or AmericanoAs I noted above, the Sbagliato is a lower ABV version of the classic Negroni, and the Americano is the next step down. To make a Sbagliato, mix equal parts Campari, sweet vermouth, and prosecco (pour this last as a topper). Serve in a glass with plenty of ice. For an Americano, simply replace the prosecco with plenty of soda water. If I'm making it at home, I'll add a splash of simple syrup. Juicy Aperol SpritzThe classic Aperol Spritz uses three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol, and one part soda water. To make it less alcoholic, I knock out the prosecco and opt for a splash of juice. To make a Juicy Aperol Spritz, mix two parts Aperol, and one part orange juice in a glass half-filled with ice. Top it with three parts soda water.

Major data breaches and cybersecurity threats are now a fact of life, the consequence of which is our personal information being exposed at some point. One of the latest significant leaks involves data from PowerSchool, a software provider for thousands of K12 school districts in the United States and Canada. The incident affected millions of users. What happened in the PowerSchool hack According to reports, PowerSchool discovered that personal information had been stolen from its customer support platform on Dec. 28, 2024. Hackers used compromised credentials to log into and export from its "Students" and "Teacher" database. BleepingComputer is reporting that the hack may have compromised the personal data of 62.4 million students and 9.5 million teachers across 6,505 school districts. The stolen data includes contact information (such as names and addresses) as well as birthdates, Social Security numbers, medical information, and grades, though the specifics vary across affected districts. PowerSchool believes that fewer than 25% of individuals had their Social Security numbers stolen. While the incident was not a ransomware attack, PowerSchool has stated that the company paid the hackers to prevent the compromised data from being published. The company began notifying affected customers on Jan. 7, 2025. What you can do if your data was stolen As I've written before, you can't take back information that's been leakedand since your data has almost inevitably been compromised at some point, the best you can do is to be on the lookout for any signs that said data is being used in a malicious way. This includes keeping tabs on your credit report and sensitive accounts for unfamiliar or fraudulent activity and considering credit monitoring and identity protection services that will notify you of anything suspicious. For those affected by this recent hack, PowerSchool is offering two years of identity protection services to all students and teachers (regardless of whether your Social Security number was compromised) through Experian. The company will also cover two years of credit monitoring for anyone over 18. According to a Jan. 17 update on the incident, PowerSchool and Experian will communicate with customersincluding parents and guardians of students under 18in the coming weeks about setting up these services. Of course, you should also follow other basic security best practices: Don't click strange links or engage with communication asking for your personal information. When in doubt, hang up the phone, delete the text, or flag the email as spam, and contact the company directly to confirm any requests. (Note that PowerSchool will not contact you directly by phone or email to request or confirm your personal information.)

Before modern social media, a browser extension called StumbleUpon let you click a button and see a random website. I, like many people, find myself missing this site a lot. Partly it was the serendipity of it: You'd click a button and get one of a curated collection of sites. Watch Something Wonderful is a simple website that brings that same experience to YouTube. Using the site is simple: Just click a button and you'll see a random YouTube video pulled from a curated collection. The videos are a blend of comedy and infotainmentnotably with nothing outright political. I ended up watching a half-hour vlog-style documentary about the origin of sparkling watersomething I'm glad I've seen and know I wouldn't have watched otherwise.There's not a lot of information on the website about who built it and how they choose videosit just says "A Team 7 Product" without any kind of link. This made the site feel mysterious, so naturally I had to track down the people behind it. I finally got in touch with Akhil, one of the four people behind the site. Team 7, it turns out, isn't a company or anythingit's "a team of four builders who like making fun stuff for people to use." The other three members are Ankit, Vidhatha, and Devesh.The idea for "Watch Something Wonderful," according to Akhil, came from wanting something to watch during lunch."We always watch YouTube while eating, but finding good videos takes too much time," he told me. "So we made a site that picks random videos for you." The site currently cycles between 300 videos, mostly taken from the creators' favorite playlists and the subreddit MealTimeVideos. The plan, according to Akhil, is to add a form for users to add their own videos.Is this a site I'm going to use every day for the rest of my life? No. But it's worth checking out and seeing what you find. Think of it as a website that feels like the old interneta chance to get outside your YouTube algorithm for a while and, well, stumble upon something new.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Like Apple, Samsung prefers its customers stay within their ecosystem, and offers them a better user experience in return. The Galaxy Buds2 Pro are a good example: They provide higher resolution audio and a better listening experience if used with a Samsung phone. If that sounds good to you, right now you can get the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro for $99.99 (originally $229.99), thanks to an automatic $80 discount at checkout (look for the green font under the listing price). This is the lowest price they have reached since their release, according to price tracking tools. SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds2 Pro Features: Hi-Fi Sound, 360 Audio, Active Noise Cancelling, HD Voice, IPX7 Water Resistant. $99.99 at Amazon $229.99 Save $130.00 Get Deal Get Deal $99.99 at Amazon $229.99 Save $130.00 Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2 came out in the summer of 2022, earning good reviews. PCMag's "excellent" review noted they offer good active noise cancellation (ANC), a wireless charging case, and an IPX7 waterproof rating. If you lose them, you can locate your lost earbuds using the SmartThings app. But where these earbuds excel is in their audio quality: Dual drivers on each earbud mean a better frequency range, leading to noticeably strong depth. As I mentioned, those with recent Galaxy phones running at least Android 8.0, One UI 4.0, and 1.5GB RAM will be able to listen to 24-bit audio, giving you more dynamic range and less digital noise than 16-bit audio. If you have other Galaxy products, like a smartwatch or a TV, they support an auto-switching feature, provided those products can run a firmware update from at least July 2022.Even Apple users will actually get better audio than non-Samsung Android owners, since the Galaxy Buds support Apple's AAC codec.

Rest days are a standard part of exercise programs, but theyre not the only way to avoid overworking yourself. Contrary to what a lot of beginner advice says, you don't always need a rest day after each day of exercise, and you can even work out seven days a week if you like. But once you start bending the rules, you'll need to take some extra effort to make sure you allow yourself enough recovery, even if it doesn't come in the form of rest. Recovery is important (whether it comes in the form of "rest days" or not)Most strength training programs either work your whole body and then have you rest the next day, or else they have you split up your workouts so that each muscle group gets a day of restfor example, your arms get a rest on leg day. The idea is to let each muscle recover from a workout before you ask it to do the same thing again, and rest days are a valid way of making sure you're getting some time to recover.But not every activity works this way. Runners, for example, often run every day, and may only take one or two true rest days a week (or, for some, zero). But within that pattern, they will alternate days of hard running (like speedwork, hill running, or long runs) with easy runs that feel less challenging to the body. The easy run days may not be "rest," but they do count as recovery time for an experienced runner.Other sports may fall somewhere in between, but nobody expects to work every body part to exhaustion every day. Even when elite athletes do workouts every day that look killer to us, its because our hard is their easy. You can bet their coaches schedule in enough of the easier workouts to keep the athletes progress on track with minimal risk of injury.Whatever your schedule looks like, those rest days or easy days are there to help us pace ourselves. Too much hard running, if youre not used to it, sets you up for tendonitis and other overuse injuries. And too much exercise of any kind can lead to a syndrome called overtraining where your body may develop flu-like symptoms and disturbed sleep because it just cant keep up with the demands youre putting on it.Theres Nothing Magic About Resting for One DayTaking a single rest day after a hard workout isnt the only way to keep yourself from overtraining. There are a few reasons its a good rule of thumb, though:Resting every other day means only half of your days will be hard workouts. The other half will be rest days or easier days, so the schedule keeps your total workout intensity manageable. An alternating schedule is easy to follow. You don't have to ask yourself whether your recovery work is easy enough, or memorize which exercises work which muscles. You just stay home if it's not a workout day, and you know you're on track.Mentally, its easier to stick to a workout when you enjoy it. Hard workouts arent always fun, and you may need to psych yourself up to try something really challenging. Its okay if you dont feel up to that every day. Having some easier, more relaxing days can help you stick to your schedule.Routines with rest days are easier to schedule around your life. People who work out six days a week have to fit those workouts around everything that's going on in their lives. Having multiple rest days every week means you have more time for work, school, family, hobbies, and anything else that competes for those time slots.If you can accomplish those goals with another schedule, though, feel free to do so. If you enjoy all your workouts, even the hard ones, slowly include more hard days in your schedule. If you feel okay with that, keep doing it! But if you end up sore or fatigued, listen to your body and put those rest days back in. Recovery Doesnt Have to Mean Total RestSome people prefer the term recovery to rest days, because total rest isnt necessarily your goal. After all, lifting a fork to your mouth is a similar action to a bicep curl, so if you just did a heavy arm day, would you be unable to eat? Clearly, some amount of activity is fine on a rest or recovery day.This is where you have to calibrate your own sense of effort. If youre new to exercising and you just did a day of heavy squats, a five mile bike ride is probably not a great choice for the following day. But if you bike five miles to work every day, you should be able to keep doing that even on your rest days. When I did push-ups every day for 30 days, a few people suggested that I was setting myself up for injury by not taking rest days. But as I wrote in that article, I ramped up my fitness very carefully. A few sets of pushups every day became my new normal, and it was no more taxing to me than a bike ride is to a bike commuter. Some days I would try a more challenging type of pushup or I might do more reps than usual; but I balanced out those harder days with, you guessed it, easier days that are closer to my baseline effort level. As you learn your own strengths and limitations, you too can alter your workout schedule according to what works for you. That might mean you only take one or two rest days per week, or it might mean you do mega-hard workouts and then lay low for a few days. If youre getting a reasonable amount of exercise in total, and if you arent getting sore or injured, youre probably doing okay. Now, let me ask some of the specific questions that I know tend to come up in these discussions? Can I walk or do cardio on rest days? Yes, if that's your baseline level of activity. If you always go for a walk after dinner, there's no need to skip that just because it's a rest day. If you want to start adding cardio on your rest days, make sure you're recovering well from whatever you're already doing. Feel free to add in that extra cardio, or other easy movement, a little bit at a time. I also have this guide to figuring out what to do on your rest days.How do I know when I need a rest day? If you can't tell the difference between feeling lazy and needing a rest day, ask yourself: Do I want to skip my workout or do I need to skip my workout? If you feel like you need a rest day, you probably do. It's OK to take a rest day if you feel sick, or if you're unusually tired or busy. A workout is just a workout. It can wait. If you ask yourself this question and decide you just don't want to work out, consider moving the workout to another day or time. Or, if there's really no reason to skip, go do the workout anyway. Any time I feel this way, I always feel better afterward, and I'm glad I got the workout done. But if you're asking yourself this question pretty often, you should probably revisit your workout routine and make sure it's actually working for you. Rest (or recovery) days should be preventative. They keep you from getting too run-down. Do I need rest days if I'm not sore? Soreness doesn't have much to do with recovery, believe it or not. You can be well-recovered but feeling a little sore, or vice versa. On a new exercise program, I'd advise sticking to your scheduled recovery days. After two weeks, that's when you can add in some extra work on those recovery days as long as you're still feeling good.What happens if I don't take my rest day? You might feel a little more fatigued for your next workout. Over time, if you don't take any rest days, you may find you're lifting less weight or performing poorly in workouts. You may notice other effects on your health, like poor sleep. But then again, maybe you'll be fine. As we discussed above, rest days aren't magic, they're just a tool in the toolbox. If you work out every day, but your total amount of work is within your body's limits, you might recover just fine and this becomes your new normal. Pay attention to how you're feeling, though, and add those rest days back in if you feel you need them.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.In the same way that cranking up blues music can serve as a balm to a troubled soul, sinking into a deeply sad movie can be just the thing to give you a sense of catharsis. After all, everyone loves a good wallow once in a whileand in an era of highly calculated blockbusters designed not to offend anyone, its oddly refreshing to watch a movie thats unafraid to make you feel bad.It takes more than a mere unhappy ending to join the ranks of the all-time most depressing movies, however. These flicks favor a pervasive sense of existential gloom, whether they are drawing attention to the plight of people facing unimaginable true-life circumstances, or simply inviting us to explore a breadth of emotions The Avengers cant quite channel.Grave of the Fireflies (1988)The toll that war takes on children (a sadly evergreen topic) is made beautifully and heartbreakingly clear in Isao Takahata's Grave of the Fireflies, the director's first film after co-founding Studio Ghibli. A pair of Japanese siblings narrowly escape the American firebombing of Kobe in the final months of World War II, but their struggles continue as they travel a war-torn countryside. The animators used a soft brown as a base, rather than the more traditional black ink, which gives the film a unique and dreamlike visual quality. Japanese animation has nothing to prove at this point, nor even back in 1988 when this was released, but Grave of the Fireflies makes very clear that anime is a medium, not a genre, and the stories filmmakers tell can be as deeply meaningful and moving as any in cinema. You can stream Grave of the Fireflies on Netflix. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix House of Sand and Fog (2003)A battle of wills between two indefatigable adversaries that ends well for neither of themnor for their families. Recovering drug addict Kathy Nicolo (Jennifer Connelly) is mistakenly evicted from her home, which is then bought for a pittance by a former Iranian Army colonel (Ben Kingsley) whose fortunes have fallen since coming to America. The two almost come to terms, with flashes of humanity in their interactions, but outside pressures force them into corners and ultimately to tragedy. You can stream House of Sand and Fog on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video. House of Sand and Fog (2003) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ When the Wind Blows (1986) Veteran British actors John Mills and Peggy Ashcroft voice Jim and Hilda Bloggs, an aging English couple who barely survive a nuclear missile strike only to find that their efforts to carry on, and to achieve some sense of normalcy, come to little. There's the tiniest hint of optimism near the end, but before that it's a very sweet, poignant reminder that even (or especially) the innocent can't escape the consequences of war.You can stream When the Wind Blows on Tubi, Freevee, and Prime Video. When the Wind Blows (1986) at Freevee Learn More Learn More at Freevee Dancer in the Dark (2000) A Czech immigrant and factory worker in the 1960s is losing her eyesight and desperate to pull together the money to secure an operation for her son that will spare him the same fate. In spite of the fantasy musical numbers that sustain Selma (Bjrk), and her own best intentions, fate and the greed of those she trusts conspire to bring her to a tragic end. The musical interludes are spectacular, but the contrast between Selmas dream worlds and her real life circumstances only serves to heighten the sense of tragedy and injustice. On the bright side: this is a period piece, and we know that the American healthcare system could never force anyone into such dire straights today. Phew. You can rent Dancer in the Dark from Prime Video. Dancer in the Dark (2000) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Melancholia (2011) Sticking with the problematic master of mirth, Lars von Trier, its hard to argue that youre not getting exactly what it says on the tin when you sit down to watch a movie called Melancholia. (No refunds.) Here, von Trier adds a science fiction-ish twist to a story of modern malaise. The titular rogue planet is on a collision course with Earth, and two sisters handle that destiny in very different ways. The result is a string of depressive episodes, infidelity, and death by suicide that all eschew the hope that we might make some sort of wary peace with death. You can stream Melancholia on Netflix, Hulu, Tubi, and Prime Video. Melancholia (2011) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Requiem for a Dream (2000) A symphonic ode to the misery of addiction, Darren Aronofskys second feature plays like an X-rated version of the anti-drug films you watched in high school. Over the course of two punishing, stylishly filmed, and artfully edited hours, we watch as four characters lives fall apart as they try to use drugsfrom heroin to diet pillsto fill the empty places inside. It doesnt work out: Jared Leto gets gangrene from an infected injection site, Jennifer Connelly turns to prostitution to get the money for her next score, and Marlon Wayans winds up in prison, abused by the guards. And then theres Ellen Burstyn, who starts the film a lively, red-headed retiree and ends it a vacant-eyed, ashen amphetamine junkie in a squalid nursing home. Drugs are bad, mmmk? You can stream Requiem for a Dream on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video. Requiem for a Dream (2000) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Speak No Evil (2022) I get that horror films are supposed to be scary, but then there are those than are less scary than they are unrelentingly bleak, which is distressing in a different way? Regardless, this 2022 Danish film is as grim as they come. It follows a young family that meets a nice couple and their son while traveling and accepts an invitation to stay at their home. To tell you what happens next would be a big spoiler, but I'd almost like to save you the angst of experiencing it. Needless to say, only bad things happen, and in the cruelest manner imaginableincluding to young children. Bad feelings all around, and one of the most hopeless endings ever. For some reason it got a Hollywood remake with James McAvoy? You can stream Speak No Evil on Shudder and AMC+ or rent it from Prime Video. Speak No Evil (2022) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Sophies Choice (1982) In flashbacks from just after the war, we learn the story of titular Holocaust survivor Sophie (Meryl Streep), who during those years, had been forced to decide which of her children would live and which would die. As with the William Styron novel on which the film is based, its a powerful, fact-based narrative that, unfortunately, has become a sort of shorthand for any difficult decision. You can stream Sophie's Choice on Tubi and Peacock or rent it from Prime Video. Sophies Choice (1982) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Come and See (1985) Director Elem Klimov fought Soviet censors for nearly a decade to release his film, a truly harrowing look at the horrors of war as seen through the eyes of a Belarusian teenager who joins the anti-Nazi resistance following the invasion of his village. As the occupation continues, even survival for Flyora comes to feel like a curse; the accumulated horrors (including the deliberate burning of a church with dozens of people inside, an event that really took place) make Come and See one of the best war films ever madebecause all the greatest war films are really anti-war. You can stream Come and See on The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Come and See (1985) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Leaving Las Vegas (1995) Nicolas Cage won an Oscar for portraying a suicidal alcoholic who drives to Vegas with a trunk full of booze and an intent to drink himself into oblivion in this critically acclaimed and horrifically bleak film from writer/director Mike Figgis, adapting the semi-autobiographical novel by John OBrien (who died by suicide shortly after selling the movie rights). I saw it once more than a decade ago, and to the best of my recollection, it involves nearly two hours of watching Cage guzzle hard liquor in a dingy hotel room while scream-crying, intercut with scenes of a sex worker (Elisabeth Shue, also Oscar-nominated) being subjected to a horrific sexual assault. I might have some details wrong, but it'll be a while yet before I can watch it again to verify. You can stream Leaving Las Vegas on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Leaving Las Vegas (1995) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Mist (2007) The titular mist (not to be confused with The Fog) settles over a town in this nihilistic Stephen King adaptation, putting a bunch of locals at each others throats after they become trapped in a grocery store at the end of the world. Frank Darabonts film makes clear that theres no outside evil that can remotely compete with the ignorance, fear, and religious extremism that were faced with on a daily basis. Once thats clear, the movie pushes things 10 steps further, ending on a note thats either a perfect summation of its message or unbearably cruel. Probably its both. You can stream The Mist on Prime Video and Freevee. The Mist (2007) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Cure (1997) Kiyoshi Kurosawas serial killer drama feels a bit like Seven early on, but grows increasingly more philosophical and esoteric as it goes, despite maintaining a chilly detachment from all of the murders it depicts. Police detective Kenichi Takabe is on the hunt for a killer, even as his own home life is imploding. The killer, we eventually learn, is no killer at all, instead someone adept at manipulating others into doing his work for him. The movie toys with the idea that there might be something otherworldly at play, but thats less horrifying than the case it makes that we are, each of us, capable of incredibly dark acts, provided were given just enough of a push. You can stream Cure on The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Cure (1997) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Road (2009) An unnamed man and his son wander through a bleak, desolate, post-apocalyptic America in search of a rumored safe haven to be found near the coast. Where other stories of this type invite us to have some fun with the idea that we might be clever enough to survive (and often throw in some zombies for good measure), The Road (as with the Cormac McCarthy on which its based) makes clear theres unlikely to be much to appreciate about the collapse of civilization. You can stream The Road on Peacock, Tubi, and Starz or rent it from Prime Video. The Road (2009) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Children of Men (2006) Alfonso Cuarns Children of Men suggests that were not much more than five years away from civilizations collapse after a period of war, natural disaster, and economic depression. So the idea that we still have five years on all of that is pretty hopeful, but otherwise, the world depicted herein which infertility has become an epidemicis one of deep desperation and a total absence of hope. As much as any film here, and thanks to Cuarns careful eye as a director, the sense of a world over the brink is in every shot. You can stream Children of Men on Peacock or rent it from Prime Video. Children of Men (2006) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Alien 3 (1992) While the first two Alien films were hardly laugh riots, David Finchers (troubled) sequel is almost certainly the most boldly disturbing franchise entry in the history of Hollywood sequels. The movie begins with the deaths of almost all the survivors from the previous film (and the gruesome autopsy of a beloved character) before dropping Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) into a prison colony in which the most likable character (Charles S. Dutton) is a serial murderer and convicted rapist. In an era of franchises increasingly calculated to be as inoffensive as possible, Im a big fan of its risk-taking, but hoo boy is it dark. You can rent Alien 3 from Prime Video. Alien 3 (1992) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Triangle (2009) A twisty-turny film that at first plays like a slasher-movie at sea, but then quickly turns into something far more disturbing. Jess is off on a boat trip with some friends, offering a slightly sketchy explanation for the absence of her autistic son, who was meant to join them. A sudden storm finds the group seeking shelter about a strangely empty ocean linerempty except for the person who keeps killing everyone. The film soon evolves into a time-loop science-fiction thriller, before revealing itself to be a punishment of mythological proportions. You can stream Triangle on Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, and AMC+. Triangle (2009) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Timecrimes (2007) Another sci-fi mind-bender involving messing about with time, this Spanish thriller follows the tragic temporal fate of Hctor (Karra Elejalde) and his wife Clara (Candela Fernndez). Hctor spots a woman in the woods, naked and unconscious. Going to investigate, he's attacked by a mysterious man covered in bloody bandages. Fleeing, he winds up in the middle of a bizarre time travel experiment, one which sends him back in time and into a past that he only makes worse. And then makes worse again. And again. The fiendishly clever film from Nacho Vigalondo suggests that neither our best intentions nor all the time in the world can erase our most selfish mistakes. You can rent Timecrimes from Prime Video. Timecrimes (2007) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Man Bites Dog (1992) Plenty of films tweak audiences for our willingness to wallow in onscreen horrors (see Rear Window for a cheerier example). Belgian mockumentary Man Bites Dog puts us through the wringer by putting us in the place of a film crew following a vicious serial killer. Theres a bit of a tongue-in-cheek style here, which does nothing to lessen the impact of the film crews increasing sympathy with the killer, who ultimately become accomplices to his actions. Man Bites Dog asks deeply uncomfortable questions about not just our tolerance for on-screen violence, but about the extent to which well stand aside in the face of real-world horrors, or even join in given the right incentives. You can stream Man Bites Dog on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Man Bites Dog (1992) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) Heather Matarazzo made a brilliant debut in Todd Solondz Welcome to the Dollhouse as Dawn Weiner, an extremely unpopular middle schooler whose life becomes a series of rejections, assaults, bullying, and disappointments. While the character is charming, this isnt a movie about a plucky nonconformist who beats the oddsits about the psychological trauma faced by those who dont fit in, and the terrible choice between staying true to yourself and accepting the resulting abuse, or hiding your light with in a bushel in the hope youll find a little peace. You can stream Welcome to the Dollhouse on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video. Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Precious (2009) Gabourey Sidibes 16-year-old Precious can neither read nor write and, as the movie opens, is pregnant for the second time as a result of a series of rapes by her father, even as her uncaring mother subjects her to physical and verbal abuse on a regular basis. Unlike many characters in these movies, theres a hint of hope for Preciousa transfer to a new school; the attention of a well-meaning teacherbut the road to (maybe) get to a better place is a dark and rocky one. You can stream Precious on Tubi and Hulu or rent it from Prime Video. Precious (2009) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Revolutionary Road (2008) The horror in Sam Mendes Revolutionary Road is in the white-picket-fence conformity of the 1950s. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite post-Titanic in a story that sees the walls closing in on a young couple trying to make a go of it in a stifling world, before their efforts to escape into something more spiritually fulfilling threaten their relationship and eventually, their lives. The bright, clean streets of the titles Revolutionary Road come to feel as dystopian as those in another movies apocalypse. You can stream Revolutionary Road on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video. Revolutionary Road (2008) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ La Strada (1954) Federico Fellini was known for films filled with color and fantastical imagery, and theres a bit of that in his story of simple-minded Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), purchased by widower and street performer Zampan (Anthony Quinn), previously married to Gelsominas late sister. Gelsomina's bright spirit and kind heart are gradually ground down by the cruel treatment of her new husband; when she finds a companion in another street performer (a clown, in this case), Zampans jealousy leads to tragedy, even though the strongman cant be bothered to show his wife any affection. Its a beautiful film, and a shattering one. You can stream La Strada on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. La Strada (1954) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Plague Dogs (1982) Snitter (John Hurt) and Rowf (Christopher Benjamin) escape from a cruel animal testing laboratory in this adult animated feature adapting the novel by Richard Adams (Watership Down). I'll skip over details of the experiments to which the two were subjected, except to say that they're both thoroughly cruel and also entirely reflective of real-life animal testing practices. The world at large is, unfortunately, not much kinder to the two escaped dogs than their former prison was. It's rather lovely, in its way, and beautifully animatedbut animal lovers, especially, will find it rough going. Which is certainly the point. You can stream The Plague Dogs on Tubi. The Plague Dogs (1982) at Tubi Learn More Learn More at Tubi The Father (2020) Anthony Hopkins won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Anthony, the titular father, at the end of his life and living with severe dementia. It's a brilliant performance in a movie that tells its story entirely from Anthony's perspective, his disorientation playing out as frequently horrifyingly disjointed moments in a life losing all connective tissue. In privileging the point of view of the patient, rather than the family or caregivers, the movie is intensely humane, but it doesn't soft-pedal the experience, and there's little comfort to be found. You can stream The Father on Starz or rent it from Prime Video. The Father (2020) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video All of Us Strangers (2023) A romantic ghost story on the surface, All of Us Strangers follows lonely screenwriter Adam (Andrew Scott) as he starts a relationship with his very mysterious neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal), the two of them the only residents of an imposing new apartment building. It's a relationship that draws Adam to return to his family home, where he finds his parents seemingly alive and well, despite them having died decades earlier. Without offering too many spoilers beyond that, the movie goes to very dark places from there, providing a strong reminder that loss is an inevitable part of life, yes, but also that the only real comfort is in forgetting and moving on. You can stream All of Us Strangers on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video. All of Us Strangers (2023) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Threads (1984) A particularly effective take on the nuclear-war-is-bad-actually genre of the early and mid 1980s (see also: Testament and The Day After), this British film takes a chilling, faux documentary approach to the end of days. A young couple in Sheffield is getting ready to build a life and a family together when war breaks out between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, with a nuclear attack occurring on a NATO base about 20 miles from the city. The two are separated, and that is only the beginning of the horrors faced by Karen Meagher's Ruth Beckett. The emphasis is on the resulting breakdown in law and social order, with an ending shot that's a genuine punch to the gut. You can stream Threads on Tubi and Shudder or rent it from Prime Video. Threads (1984) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Manchester by the Sea (2016) There are moments of light in Manchester by the Sea, and it doesn't build to an ending that'e entirely crushing, but there's an awful lot of pain and anger along the way. Casey Affleck plays Lee, who is surprised to find out that he's been assigned custody of his deceased brother's son. The situation forces him to confront his past in the title town and, as we come to understand why sullen, alcoholic Lee can barely get through a day, it becomes clear why his past is holding him backand will continue to do so. (It's that bad.) You can stream Manchester by the Sea on Prime Video. Manchester by the Sea (2016) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Aftersun (2022) Initially, and on a surface level, Aftersun is a bright and charming look at a vacation at a cheap resort in Turkey involving a divorced dad (Paul Mescal, whom we've already discussed) and the daughter (Frankie Corio) he doesn't really see enough of. But there are unsettling elements from the very beginning, and a growing unease creeps into our perspective as an audience. We soon understand that what we're seeing is a memory, a grown woman's attempts to understand her father's life and death with only a child's memories to work from. That fun trip soon becomes something melancholy and deeply poignant. You can stream Aftersun on Netflix and Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video. Aftersun (2022) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) Robert Bressons film opens with the gift of a donkey named Balthazar to a sensitive farm girl, Marie. The two are separated following a family tragedy, with the once-beloved beast of burden winding up as nothing more than a pack animal for a family that doesnt care for him beyond his ability to perform labor. Marie, meanwhile, ends up in a deeply abusive relationship, and, though fate reconnects woman and donkey at intervals over the years, neither is having a particularly good life and neither winds up with a particularly happy ending. Its a lovely movie, in many ways, but its definitely a banger in the depressing animal-story genre (and just maybe, the donkey is supposed to be a metaphor, but lets try not to think too much about that). You can stream Au Hazard Balthazar on The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Cries and Whispers (1972) While Id never describe Ingmar Bergman as maudlin, its certainly the case that his best films, while masterpieces of acting, directing, and screenwriting, are deeply depressing, if not entirely pessimistic. Here, Agnes (Harriet Andersson) slowly dies of cancer while her sisters struggle with their own problems and insecurities, finding themselves unable to provide the needed support. The good work and genuine care of the maid, Anna, further exacerbates the feelings of inadequacy that keep the family from connecting when its most truly needed. You can stream Cries and Whispers on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Cries and Whispers (1972) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Million Dollar Baby (2004) The Clint Eastwood sports drama cleaned up at the major categories at the Oscars in its year, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (for Hilary Swank), and Best Supporting Actor (for Morgan Freeman). All the more impressive given how dour the film is. It's wonderfully acted and a beautiful bit of filmmaking, but takes inspirational sports-movie tropes and turns them on their sides, building to a tragic ending that offers little in the way of Rocky-style inspiration. You can rent Million Dollar Baby from Prime Video. Million Dollar Baby (2004) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Passing (2021) Reenie Redfield (Tessa Thompson), a middle-class Black woman, runs into her old friend Clare (Ruth Negga)now bleach-blonde and passing for white, a dangerous thing to do in New York City of the 1920s. She's even married, with a husband who has no idea. The two offer up incredible performances as two women who see in each other roads not taken, but their unsettling encounter leads each of them along a road to tragedy. The film has a lyrical, dreamlike quality that only serves to augment and enhance the sense that walls are closing in for the two old friends. You can stream Passing on Netflix. Passing (2021) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix The Rapture (1991) A young swinger (this is 1991, when such terms were still in the parlance) played by Mimi Rogers becomes a born-again Christian after a sect convinces her that the Rapture is imminent. Her new piousness is challenged when her husband is murdered, and her despair leads her to contemplate taking her own daughters life (to get her to heaven faster, naturally). And thats not even the depressing part. Fearlessly depicting her characters transition from hedonism to zealotry to unimaginable despair, Rogers gives the best performance of her career; too bad its in a film youll almost definitely only want to watch once. You can rent The Rapture from Prime Video. The Rapture (1991) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Pianist (2002) In assembling this list, I struggled with how many Holocaust films to include; there are many, enough to populate an even longer list than this all by themselves. For better or worse, I will let Roman Polanskis The Pianist stay, and certainly it is one of the most unsparing in its depictions of that particular historical horror. Based on the memoir by the Polish-Jewish musician Wadysaw Szpilman (played by Adrien Brody, who won the Oscar), the movie takes us through the entire span of the war; as things get worse and worse and worse for the Polish Jews, Szpilman loses everything, including the love for music that is his only lifeline. Though its legacy is tarnished for being directed by Polanski (no small reason to leave it on the shelf), The Pianist remains a stunning accomplishment in the artful depiction of the worst of humanity. You can stream The Pianist on Peacock, Tubi, Prime Video, and Freevee. The Pianist (2002) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Umberto D. (1952) Any movie can be sad, but it takes a special flavor of cinematic hopelessness to get a film banned by the government for being too depressing. Yet thats exactly what happened to this story of an elderly Italian man (Carlo Battisti) struggling to keep a roof over his head after he is evicted; when that proves too tall an order, he elects for finding a home for his beloved dog before he ends his own life. Performed by a cast of mostly non-actors, Umberto D.s grim realism proved a bit too much for the Italian government, which felt it painted too bleak a picture of the state of the nation in the wake of World War II, and subsequently banned the export of films deemed unflattering to Italian society, according to Peter Becker, film historian and president of the Criterion Channel. You can stream Umberto D. on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Umberto D. (1952) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max

Paramount+'s February slate includes the return of several highly anticipated series, starting with the season three premiere of thriller Yellowjackets (Feb. 14). The show, which received a handful of Primetime Emmy nominations, follows a group of teenage girls who survived a plane crash in the wilderness into their adult lives. The third installment picks up in the aftermath of a character's present-day death in season two. Fans of the Taylor Sheridan Yellowstone universe are getting the second (and final) season of prequel series and origin story 1923 (Feb. 23), starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as the Dutton family patriarch and matriarch in harsh conditions of the pre-Depression era. There are also new seasons of Paramount+ originals NCIS: Sydney (Feb. 7), The Equalizer (Feb. 16), and Tracker (Feb. 16). Paramount+ will stream the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2. The showhosted by Trevor Noahis airing on CBS at 8 p.m. ET and will be available live for Paramount+ With Showtime subscribers. Finally, there's On TV: A Black History Month Special (Feb. 17), an hour-long news show hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner celebrating Black excellence in TV and entertainment. Heres everything else coming to the service in February. Note that titles with an asterisk are exclusive to Paramount+ With Showtime; everything else is also available to subscribers on the ad-supported plan. Those with two asterisks are available to Paramount+ With Showtime users streaming live on CBS and to all subscribers the following day.Paramount+ Originals and premieres coming in February 2025Available February 1Ride*Available February 267th Annual Grammy Awards**Available February 4Burden of Guilt, premiereAvailable February 6Death Without Mercy, premiere*Available February 12Eric Clapton UnpluggedOver 30 Years Later, special premiereAvailable February 14Yellowjackets, season 3 premiere*Available February 17On TV: A Black History Month Special**Available February 231923, season 2 premiereTV shows coming to Paramount+ in February 2025Available February 5Bar Rescue (season 9)The Patrick Star Show (season 2)Super Bowl Greatest Commercials: F.O.A.T special**Available February 7NCIS: Sydney (season 2 premiere)** Available February 12PAW Patrol: Big Truck PupsCMT Crossroads (seasons 1-3,5,10-16,18-20)How Did They Fix That? (season 3)MTV Unplugged (seasons 1-8, 10-13)VH1 Storytellers (seasons 1-9, 11-13,15,16)Available February 16The Equalizer (season 5 winter premiere)**Tracker (season 2 winter premiere)**Available February 17On TV: A Black History Month Special**Available February 24Beyond the Gates (season 1)Available February 26Survivor (season 48)**The Loud House (season 7)Movies coming to Paramount+ in February 2025Available February 1A Mighty HeartA Walk on the MoonAdoreAlong Came A SpiderAmerican GigoloAttack the BlockBabelBebe's KidsBirthday GirlBoys And GirlsBrokeback MountainChocolate CityCinema ParadisoCome AwayCritical ConditionDangerous BeautyDoubtFerris Bueller's Day OffGeostormHooking UpI Hope They Serve Beer In Hell*In & OutInto The WildJersey GirlJuiceJust Another Girl on the I.R.T.Like Water for ChocolateLosing IsaiahMansfield ParkMarvin's RoomMen, Women & ChildrenMenace II SocietyMuriel's WeddingMy Best Friend's WeddingMy Boss's DaughterO (Othello)Old SchoolPretty In PinkRoad to PerditionRoman HolidaySaturday Night FeverSerendipityShakespeare in LoveShall We Dance?ShooterSuffragetteTerms of EndearmentThe BabysitterThe Boy in the Striped PajamasThe Color PurpleThe Evening StarThe FirmThe Hunt for Red OctoberThe Love GuruThe Love LetterThe MaskThe Pursuit of HappynessThe SmurfsThe Smurfs 2The Stepford WivesThe To Do ListThe WoodTransformersVampire in BrooklynWhat Lies BeneathWhat Women WantWhen Harry Met SallyWin A Date With Tad Hamilton!World War ZWuthering Heights (2003)Available February 3Bull*The Nanny Diaries*Available February 12Fanboys*Available February 17Halloween*DeadlockAvailable February 24Southpaw*Available February 27The Aviary*Available February 28Crossing Over*

X (formerly known as Twitter) has been through it over the last few years: Elon Musk took over, fired a ton of people, destroyed the validity and integrity of profile verification, considered selling your location data and phone number, publicized everyones private Circles, allowed hate speech and misinformation to grow and fester, and got so political that he got an appointment to lead a federal department under President Donald Trump's second term. If all these changes have put you through it or you're simply looking to lessen your time on social media, you can deactivate or delete your account. First, download your tweets before you do anything.Unlike other social media sites, deleting your X account is relatively straightforward. However, there is one caveat to deleting it once and for all.Consider not fully deleting your accountFirst, this is important: It might be better not to delete your account. If you fully nuke the account, someone else can snatch up your username, which is concerning for anyone with a public persona and a username that has been tied to them for years. If your account has been linked to your work or name in any way, the safer option is to pay a few dollars to a deleter service like the appropriately named Tweet Deleter or Delete Tweet to get rid of all your posts and likes, then privatize all your settings. This way, you maintain ownership of the account that is tied to you, but there's nothing on it. Sure, it's possible no bad actor will steal your username and post a bunch of inappropriate stuff, but if you're even a little worried about that, don't delete. Still, if you insist, here's how.Download your X dataWhether you dislike X because of Musk or because of all the time it sucked out of your life over the years, you have to admit those years were kind of fun. You probably got some bangers off, did numbers a few times, or shared work or ideas that were meaningful to you. Before getting rid of your account, be sure to download your data, which will produce a .zip file of not only your posts, but your likes, DMs, and more. Log in on a browser and press "More" on the sidebar, then "Setting and Privacy." You'll be prompted to enter your password, then see a list of further options and at the top will be "Your Account." Clicking that, you'll find "Download an Archive of your Data." After clicking it, you'll get an in-app notification letting you know the file is ready for download. Be advised it can take up to 24 hours, so don't delete or deactivate anything until it's done. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/X How X treats "deactivation"X doesnt let you delete your account outright. Rather than risk users throwing their whole profiles away when they finally snap, the site wants to employ a cool-down period through account deactivation. When you choose to deactivate your account, it will feel like the account is gone for good, since your name, username, and profile wont be accessible on X. However, the account still exists, and you can retrieve it if you want to reverse course.Keep in mind that isnt the case forever. X will erase your account 30 days after you hit the Deactivate button. Dont treat this option like youre putting your account on the back burner: While its nice X doesnt delete your profile immediately, 30 days will come and go fast, and there will be no way to go back after that month is up.How to deactivate your X account on desktop and mobileTo deactivate X in a web browser, do what you did to get the archive: Click More in the left-side menu, then choose Settings and privacy. To start on iOS or Android, tap your profile icon and tap Settings and privacy. On all platforms, choose Account or Your account, then scroll all the way down and choose Deactivate your account. Here, X gives you the full breakdown I already covered, including alternative routes to take rather than deactivation, like changing your @username. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson/X Unlike some other platforms, the process here is the same on the mobile app. You just start by tapping your profile picture in the top left of your screen, then going through the same series from Settings and Privacy > Your Account > Deactivate. Entering your password after hitting the button will make it permanent (for 30 days, anyway, and then eventually forever).Keep in mind that search engines may still store some of your X data and posts, even after the deletion, and your archive request needs to be carried out before you deactivate, even though the company's systems will retain data after you get rid of the account.

On Saturday night, TikTok went dark, and pulled its products from app stores in the United States. The following day, citing assurances from incoming-President Trump, TikTok returned service to American users, but its apps are still missing from App Storeseven after Trump signed an executive order delaying enforcing the law that bans TikTok.As we got closer to the ban, I advised our Android readers of a way to download TikTok post-ban: sideloading. While you need to be careful doing it, sideloading lets you install apps that aren't present on official app stores, like Google's Play Store, meaning if you missed your window to download TikTok before last Saturday night, it was still available through other online sources. Again, sideloading apps can be risky. Google might not catch every bad app, but they do have stringent filters that protect users from many malicious programs. Depending on where you're downloading your apps from, you may be far less protected while sideloading, and putting yourself at greater risk of encountering malware. There are reliable sideloading platforms out there, however. One of them is APKMirror, which verifies the identity of all developers whose apps are hosted on the site. As such, I recommended APKMirror for any Android users looking to sideload TikTok following the ban.As it happens, that's no longer possible. If you try to search for TikTok on APKMirror right now, you'll immediately be blocked, and see the following message: Credit: Jake Peterson It's clear this isn't a glitch, nor is it a subtle block. APKMirror specifically says TikTok downloads are blocked because of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Actthe law that bans TikTok in the U.S. It's a similar situation for Lemon8, a popular lifestyle app from TikTok. While you can current search for Lemon8, clicking on any of the apps in the results delivers the same message as above.Interestingly, APKMirror hasn't blocked downloads of other popular TikTok apps, like CapCut or Marvel Snap. Those apps are also barred from official app stores while the law is in effect, but APKMirror still allows you to search for and download them. As of this writing, you can download a version of CapCut last updated Jan. 22, and a version of Marvel Snap last updated Jan. 14. The law isn't being enforced, but is that legal?The block speaks to the precarious nature of the TikTok ban. As written, the law has been in effect since Sunday, Jan. 19. The law was passed by Congress, signed by President Biden, and even affirmed by the Supreme Court as constitutional. It gives the president the power to delay the ban by 90 days if it appears that ByteDance is actively working to sell the app, but the law's deadline has already come and passed. It's not clear what power Trump really has to delay enforcing the law in this case. Some entities, like TikTok and the companies that host its traffic (including Oracle), clearly think Trump has the authority to delay this enforcement, and are continuing operations in the U.S. while the law is in effect. Others, like APKMirror, appear to be taking a more cautious approachallowing downloads for certain TikTok apps, but not TikTok itself. Whatever the case, at the moment, there appear to be few safe ways to download TikTok onto your smartphone if you didn't grab it before the ban. My advice, if you want to use the service, is to simply use the web app. It's far from ideal, especially on mobile, but it's far better than downloading a virus-riddled "TikTok" from a shady source online.

With TikTok being saved (temporarily) from a nationwide ban, it's worth checking out all the ways it can be a helpful resource, not just a time-sucker. TikTok is especially beneficial when it comes to getting cleaning ideas, since you can follow CleanTok influencers and see reviews of cleaning products that actually work. The app is also full of cleaning techniques, although a lot of those are questionable at best. Here are a few that are actually useful.Clean in circlesI found this approach last fall during some routine scrolling and was immediately impressed with the straightforward, simple steps it laid out to effectively clean any space in a home. It originated with a video from Cindell Kimbrough, a former professional cleaner who prioritizes efficiency. Essentially, after a round of decluttering in a given location (like a messy kid's room), you pick a corner and start cleaning in a circle, moving around the room and taking care of big-ticket tasks like making the bed. Repeat the circle with smaller steps, like dusting. Finish up with your floors, mopping and vacuuming. By moving in a circle, you stay on task and focused, plus ensure you hit every part of the room. Angry cleaningAnother quality cleaning method that took over the app a few months ago is "angry cleaning," which involves harnessing negative emotions into major cleaning power, usually with tasks that require some elbow grease, like scrubbing or vacuuming. Not only can this distract you from whatever is annoying you, but it can fuel your tidying efforts to be extra powerful. The positive result at the enda cleaner spacecan further elevate your mood after you work through your negativity. Overall, it's a great hack that has a lot of benefits and produces solid before-and-afters, which are the bread and butter of TikTok videos. Laundry strippingLaundry stripping is popular on TikTok because it creates visual proof that your clothes are being cleaned. It's not always necessary, of course, to "strip" your dirty clothes of soil before washing them, but if you're not washing them correctly or they are super messed up, it can be a great first step to getting them extra clean. You pre-soak your laundry for a few hours in the tub, using borax and baking soda. You'll see the water get grosser and grosser over time, especially if you periodically agitate them with your hands. Sweep smarterThis is my favorite TikTok cleaning hack ever and I have used it faithfully since discovering it a few years ago: Next time you sweep, dampen the edges of a paper towel and set it on the ground. Sweep your debris over the paper towel, which will catch dirt, dust, hair, and whatever else so much easier than a dustpan. Then, just toss out the towel. Dustpans have ridges where they meet the floor that can make it frustrating to corral all your dirt, but the paper towel hack works perfectly. The 5x5 methodI'm also a fan of this viral technique that prioritizes quick cleaning to feel less overwhelmed. I've seen it promoted on TikTok a lot, where users say it helps them keep a tidy home without getting overburdened. You'll need a timer, which you'll set in five-minute increments, and a list of five zones in your home that need some attention. You'll work on each zone for five minutes before moving to the next one, so it's best to choose small areas that can be handled in that short amount of time. After 25 minutes, you'll have five cleaner spots. Try doing it to, say, a desk: devote five minutes to one drawer, five minutes to another, five minutes to the surface, and so on. The Core 4 method Finally, learning the Core 4 approach through TikTok was really helpful for me in terms of not only cleaning, but maintaining my home. Organizer Kayleen Kelly came up with this decluttering method, which not only teaches you how to get rid of things, but how to organize what you decide to keep. You move through the rooms of your home with four stages in mind: Clear out, categorize, cut out, and contain. Remove everything in one room (or, even better, one section of one room, like a closet), put it in a pile, categorize it, cut out what you don't need, and contain the rest. This approach has gone massively viral on the video-sharing platform because it works and is easy to get the hang of. Watch the video that started it all: