I loved the original PlayStation VR. I picked one up during the peak of the pandemic (my first foray into VR gaming), and I was blown away. Instead of spending my nights inside my apartment's small living room, I was walking through villages in Skyrim, exploring planets in No Man's Sky, and platforming through creative terrains in Astro Bot Rescue Mission.I was such a fan of the original that I argued it was a better VR headset buy in 2021 than an Oculus Questa stance many VR fans vehemently disagreed with. Three years later, however, the OG PS VR's drawbacks are more pronounced than ever: The OLED display is lower resolution than modern headsets (960x1080), and the headset requires a complicated array of devices and cables (including a camera) to set up. (To that point, I haven't set up the headset since my last move.) But more than that, the controllers are simply not VR controllers: While VR headsets have had finger-tracking controllers with joysticks for years, PS VR simply used the same Move controllers that have been available since the PS3.The PS VR2, however, released in February of 2023, addresses these issues: The OLED HDR display is much higher resolution (2000x2040), quadrupling the megapixels per eye compared to the original; there's some passthrough here, so you can actually see your immediate surroundings without having to take the headset off; the tracking is better, despite requiring no outside camera or peripherals; and the controllers are honest-to-goodness VR controllers, complete with finger tracking and joy sticks. And if you get tired of Sony's VR games, you can connect the PS VR2 to your PC, as if it were any other VR headset. PlayStation VR2 Headset With 'Horizon Call of The Mountain' $349.00 at Amazon $599.99 Save $250.99 Get Deal Get Deal $349.00 at Amazon $599.99 Save $250.99 Sony's second-gen PlayStation VR still wasn't perfect: Besides having a smaller library than some other VR headsets, the PS VR2 was and is expensive, retailing for $549.99. When you consider that you also need a PS5 in order to run this thing (it's not compatible with any PS4 console), it's a pricey setup indeed. That's why I haven't bought one yet, even if its plug-and-play approach would make getting back into VR easy.But you've read the headline: It's Black Friday season, and the PS VR2 is on sale. Sony announced a series of PlayStation Black Friday deals on Wednesday, running from Nov. 22 through Dec. 2. As part of that announcement, Sony revealed PS VR2 will be discounted as much as 40%.The math is a bit off, since you can actually snag a PS VR2 at 42% off: Right now, you can get the Horizon Call of The Mountain PS VR2 bundle for $349, down from $599.99. The standalone PS VR2 (no game included) is also $349, down from $549.99. All things considered, you're better off getting the Horizon bundle, since the prices are identical. That said, people are likely going to think similarly, so this bundle could sell quicker than the headset-only offer. I've seen the bundle unavailable once earlier today, but it's back right now, so act fast if you want one. The Best Black Friday Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 ANC Earbuds With USB-C Charging Case $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet $149.99 (List Price $219.99) Fire TV Stick 4K Streaming Device With Remote (2023 Model) $21.99 (List Price $49.99) Blink Outdoor 4 1080p Security Camera (3-Pack) $99.99 (List Price $259.99) Dell Inspiron 15 3535 Ryzen 7 1TB SSD 16GB RAM Laptop $449.99 (List Price $699.99) Seagate Portable 4TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive $99.90 (List Price $124.99) Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones $199.00 (List Price $349.00) Deals are selected by our commerce team

Laptops are one of the most commonly discounted items on Black Friday, whether you prefer MacBooks, PC laptops, Chromebooks, or gaming machines. But though the big day is a week away, deals are already popping up across Amazon, Best Buy, retailer websites, and more. With prices cuts as hefty as $400 off on laptops packed with top-of-the-line specs and modern hardware, its a good idea to start watching now for a killer price on a machine that hits your sweet spot, even though Thanksgivings turkey dinner is still but twinkle in your eye. Still debating? Check back here as we get closer to the day of, as I'll be making updates as more of the best laptop deals go live.(If youre interested in a new tablet or phone as well, head on over to our best early Black Friday tech deals page for a broader view of all the best discounts you can get right now.)Best Black Friday MacBook Deals Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Starlight $844.00 at Amazon $1,099.00 Save $255.00 Get Deal Get Deal $844.00 at Amazon $1,099.00 Save $255.00 Apple aficionados have plenty to choose from this Black Friday, with deals across the companys entire lineup of in-house M-series chips.Apple MacBook Air 13-inch with M3 Chip: $849 at Amazon (was $1,099). This is Apples most recent MacBook Air, complete with the M3 chip, a base 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Thats more than enough for most people.Apple MacBook Air 15-inch with M3 Chip: $1,044 at Amazon (was $1,299). Largely similar to its 13-inch counterpart, this MacBook Air comes with a 15-inch screen, an M3 chip, up to 24GB of memory, and up to 512GB of storage.Apple MacBook Air 13-inch with M2 Chip: $749 at Amazon (was $999). If youre OK going with a slightly older model, the M2 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is $100 cheaper than the M3 model right now.Apple MacBook Air 13-inch with M1 Chip: $649 at Walmart (was $699). Apples oldest M-series MacBook Air is still a strong workhorse, with an M1 chip, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage, although the smaller discount here might not make the compromise worth it.Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch with M3 Pro Chip: $1,699 at Best Buy (was $1,899). A slightly older model of MacBook Pro, this 14-inch laptop boasts an M3 Pro chip, 18GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD. Its a good compromise between a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro.Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch with M3 Pro Chip: $1,999 at Best Buy (was $2,399). A screen upgrade on the M3 Pro Macbook Pro (not a typo), this model also has 18GB of memory and a 512GB SSD, but comes with a 16-inch display.Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch with M4 Chip: $1,399 at Amazon (was $1,499). Apples most recent M4 chip is also on sale for Black Friday, and this MacBook Pro supplements it with a 14-inch display, up to 24GB of memory, and up to 1TB of storage. (Note that a base M4 chip might actually be weaker than an M3 Pro chip, depending on what youre using it for.)Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch with M4 Pro Chip: $1,749 at Amazon (was $1,999). Or just do away with compromises. If you want a pro-level MacBook with a pro-level chip, this is a great pick. Youll get a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip, 24GB of memory, and up to 1TB of storage.Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch with M4 Pro Chip: $2,199 at Amazon (was $2,499). This 16-inch screen upgrade to the M4 Pro MacBook Pro, with the same chip, up to 48GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch with M4 Max Chip: $2,899 at Amazon (was $3,199). This deal on Apples top-of-the-line MacBook Pro comes with an M4 Max chip, 36GB of memory, and 1TB of storage.Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch with M4 Max chip: $3,199 at Amazon (was $3,499). A screen-size upgrade to the M4 Max MacBook Pro, this deal will net you a 16-inch display, 36GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD.Best Black Friday Windows Laptop Deals Dell - Inspiron 16 2-in-1 Mini-LED Touch Laptop Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor - 32GB Memory 1TB SDD - Intel Arc Graphics - Midnight Blue $999.99 at Best Buy $1,499.99 Save $500.00 Get Deal Get Deal $999.99 at Best Buy $1,499.99 Save $500.00 For those who, like me, grew up with a Windows PC, theres still plenty of deals on the tried-and-true standard this Black Friday, especially for those looking for something that can go toe-to-toe with a MacBook Air.Dell Inspiron 16-inch with Intel Core Ultra 7 Chip: $999 at Best Buy (was $1,499). This Windows laptop comes equipped with a modern Intel Core Ultra 7 chip and a lot of bonuses for the price point, including a convertible Mini-LED touch screen, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage.Dell Inspiron 15-inch with AMD Ryzen 7 Chip: $449 at Dell (was $699). This Windows laptop is a respectable mid-ranger, with a Ryzen 7 7730U chip, 16GB of memory, 1TB of storage, and a 15-inch non-touch display.Lenovo Yoga 7 14-inch 2-in-1 with Ryzen 7 chip: $799 at Lenovo (was $1,024). This convertible Windows laptop can flip around to turn into a tablet, and it comes with a respectable AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS chip, a whopping 1TB of storage, 16GB of memory, a 14-inch touchscreen, and even a stylus.Samsung Galaxy Book 4 with Intel Core 7 Chip: $529 at Best Buy (was $899). If you didnt know, Samsung actually makes laptops! This Windows machine comes with a 15-inch display, an Intel Core 7 chip, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.Lenovo ThinkBook 16-inch with Ryzen 4 7430U: $704 at Amazon (was $899). This laptop deal packs a lot of extra goodies for its price point, with a Ryzen 5 7430U CPU, 64GB of RAM, up to 4TB of storage, a Fingerprint Reader, and a copy of Windows 11 Pro.Best Black Friday Gaming Laptop Deals GIGABYTE AORUS 17: 17.3" Thin Bezel QHD 2560x1440 240Hz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR6, Intel Core i7-13700H, 16GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, Win11 Home (AORUS 17 BSF-73US654SH),Black $1,541.93 at Amazon $1,749.00 Save $207.07 Get Deal Get Deal $1,541.93 at Amazon $1,749.00 Save $207.07 More powerful Windows machines tend to be labeled gaming laptops, and this Black Fridays deals in the category dont disappoint either, with options for gamers of almost all budgets.Dell Alienware m16 R2 Gaming Laptop with Intel Core Ultra 9 chip: $1,299 at Dell (was $1,699). This 16-inch gaming laptop from Dell packs a lot for the price, with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, up to 64GB of memory, up to 2TB of storage, and a 16-inch QHD+@240Hz display.Dell Alienware x16 R2 Gaming Laptop with Intel Core Ultra 7 chip: $1,799 at Dell (was $1,799). Another 16-inch laptop from Dell, this deal will get you an Intel Core Ultra 7 chip, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB of memory, 1TB of storage, and a 16-inch FHD@480Hz display.Gigabyte AORUS 17 Gaming Laptop with Intel Core i9 chip: $1,541 at Amazon (was $1,749). This is a good, if a little old, premium gaming laptop option, with an Intel Core i9-13700H chip, 16GB of memory, 1TB of storage, and a 17-inch QHD@240Hz display.Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gaming Laptop with Intel Core i9 chip: $1,999 at B&H (was $2,649). One of the bigger splurges on this list, this deal will net you a 14th gen Intel Core i9 chip, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, 32GB of memory, 1TB of storage, and a 16-inch QHD+@240Hz display.Lenovo LOQ 15-inch Gaming Laptop with Ryzen 5 chip: $829 at Lenovo (was $908). This is one for gamers on a budget. It packs a modest AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS chip, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 16GB of memory, 512GB of storage, and a 15-inch FHD@144Hz display.Dell G16 Gaming Laptop with Intel Core i9 chip: $999 at Dell (was $1,499). An entry level 16-inch Dell laptop, this machine packs an Intel Core i9-13900HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of memory, a whopping 1TB of storage for the price point, and a 16-inch QHD+@240Hz display.Acer Nitro V Gaming Laptop with Ryzen 5 chip: $699 at Best Buy (was $949). This is a modest way to get into PC gaming, with an AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS chip, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 16GB of memory, 512GB of storage, and a 15-inch FHD@144Hz display.HP Victus Gaming Laptop with Intel Core i7 chip: $799 at Best Buy (was $1,099). A good entry-level Intel machine, this laptop comes with an Intel 12th Gen Core i7 chip, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 15-inch FHD@144Hz display.Best Black Friday Chromebook Deals Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 $319.99 at Amazon $439.99 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $319.99 at Amazon $439.99 Save $120.00 Chromebooks can be a great way to get a polished design on a budget, so long as youre ok with doing most of your work in the cloud. Here are some of my favorites discounted for Black Friday.Asus Chromebook Plus CX34: $319 at Amazon (was $439). This Chromebook comes with a few extra AI goodies thanks to its Chromebook Plus status, plus an Intel Core i3-1215U chip, 8GB of memory, 256GB of storage, and a 14-inch FHD display.HP Chromebook x360: $249 at Walmart (was $429). A budget way to get a convertible, this Chromebooks screen can flip around to become a tablet. It has an Intel Processor N100, 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage, and a 14-inch FHS touchscreen.Acer Chromebook Plus 514: $249 at Amazon (was $379). This Chromebook has some extra AI functionality as a Chromebook Plus, as well as an Intel Core i3-N305 chip, 8GB of memory, 128GB of storage, and a 14-inch FHS display.Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3: $239 at Lenovo (was $399). This is a detachable Chromebook, meaning the screen and the keyboard can separate, so you can use the screen as a tablet. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chip, 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage, and an 11-inch 2K touchscreen.Acer Chromebook 516 GE Cloud Gaming Laptop: $449 at Amazon (was $599). This Chromebook is actually intended as a cloud gaming machine, thanks to a high-resolution and high-refresh rate display as well as a snazzy RGB keyboard. It has an Intel Core i5-1240p chip, 16GB of memory, 256GB of storage, and a 16-inch QHD+@120Hz display.Best Black Friday Laptop Deals Under $300 ASUS Vivobook Go 15.6 Laptop, AMD Ryzen 3 7320U, 8GB, 128GB, Windows 11 Home in S Mode, Mixed Black, E1504FA-AS33 $199.99 at Amazon $299.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $199.99 at Amazon $299.99 Save $100.00 Chromebooks can be great for working in the cloud, but not every budget laptop needs to be a Chromebook. Here are some cheaper laptops that still come with Windows installed.Acer Aspire Go 14: $279 at Acer (was $349). This laptop is a good cheap pick, and should be good for people whose work depends mostly on the cloud. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 7320U CPU, 128GB of storage, 8GB of memory, a 14-inch screen, and Windows 11 in S Mode. Note that S Mode laptops can only use apps from the Microsoft Store by default, although this can be changed later.Lenovo Ideapad 1: $299 at Best Buy (was $579). This is a great way to get a touchscreen at a low price, and itll net you a 15-inch display, a Ryzen 5 7520U chip, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage.Asus Vivobook Go: $199 at Amazon (was $299). This laptop is among the cheapest ways to get Windows on this list, with a Ryzen 3 7320U chip, 8GB of memory, 128GB of storage, and a 15-inch display.Asus Vivobook 14-inch: $219 at Best Buy (was $429). For a slightly smaller budget laptop, this Vivobook is a good pick. It has a 14-inch display, an Intel 12th Generation Core i3 chip, 8GB of memory, and 128GB of storage.

We all have a few go-to calculations that we find ourselves doing often, like converting ounces to cups or miles to kilometersthat sort of thing. When I need to do a quick conversion, I use Calculator Soup, a simple website offering hundreds of purpose-built calculators for things like inflation, unit conversion, gas mileage, algebra, and so much more.The site can be overwhelming at first glance, with its old-school aesthetic and list of categories, but it's full with the kinds of tools you'd otherwise search for and find ad-ridden versions of. For example: if you're trying to get the best possible car loan there's a car loan calculator: Credit: Justin Pot You can enter the loan amount, how long it will last, and the interest rate. You'll immediately see the results along with a break down. There's even a link you can use to share the calculation.Another example Lifehacker readers should appreciate is the computer storage units calculator, which can convert bits to bytes and everything else. Credit: Justin Pot Again, the application shows its work, meaning you don't just get the answer but learn how you could have calculated it yourself.I could honestly spend all day talking about the various tools here. There's one that can convert any number with decimals to a fraction. There's one that can calculate someone's current age based on the date of birth. And there's a tool for working out compound interest. And, if you're a scientist, there are plenty of specific tools for chemistry, physics, and statistics.It's honestly hard to think of anything that's missing, in terms of calculations one might need to do regularly. I'd personally, add a bunch of calculators related to brewing beer, but that's pretty niche. The overwhelming majority of calculations the average person is likely to do can be found here. That's why Calculator Soup is the kind of site everyone should bookmark, or at least keep in mind. Want more calculator coverage? We've outlined the best calculator apps and rounded up the hidden features in the Windows calculator app, so check those out.

On balance, 2024 has not been a great year for me, for reasons both personal and global, and my smartphone addiction hasn't been doing my perpetually simmering anxiety any favors. Even though I've stepped away from one toxic social media platform in favor of another, friendlier one, I still have a tendency to fall into doomscrollingwhich is why the Boox Palma has been such a godsend for me since I first reviewed it back in February. The Palma is a rather unique e-reader from Onyx International, a Chinese company that has slowly built up a cult following among e-ink aficionados over the past decade and a halfe-ink being the name for the paper-like black-and-white displays on devices like the Kindle Paperwhite. Two key things set the Palma apart from any e-ink device sold by Amazon (or Barnes & Noble, for that matter): The shape and its unrestricted operating system. Both are key reasons why it's the best e-reader I've ever used, and why I've spent the past eight months reading more and spiraling on social media less. It's good enough that I'd easily recommend picking one up, even though Onyx has recently released an upgraded Boox Palma 2, which I'll be reviewing soonthe differences aren't super significant (the newer version has a fingerprint scanner, a faster processor, and a more recent version of Android, but costs $35 more as of this writing) and either one will serve you well. BOOX Palma Mobile E-Reader, 6GB (White) $245.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $34.00 Shop Now Shop Now $245.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $34.00 BOOX Palma Mobile E-Reader, 6GB (Black) $245.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $34.00 Shop Now Shop Now $245.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $34.00 BOOX Palma 2 Mobile ePaper Fingerprint Recognition Smart Button Dual Speakers Microphones (White) $279.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $279.99 at Amazon 2-in-1 Case for Onyx BOOX Palma $29.90 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $29.90 at Amazon SEE 1 MORE An e-reader that looks (and almost works) like a phone Credit: Joel Cunningham Before I got the Palma, I did most of my reading on my iPhone. I've owned several e-ink tablets over the years, dating all the way back to the third-generation Kindle (the one with the keyboard) my parents gifted me way back in 2010. I've always found the proportions of the standard 6-inch e-reader screen a little awkwardtoo squarish to feel like an actual book, and too big to easily fit into a pocket. For a while I used a larger 7.8-inch Nook Glowlight Plus, and while the extra screen real estate was nice, it was hampered by slow software and difficulties loading library books. But whether Kindle or Nook, I never stuck with one device for long, as I've always found it annoying to carry around a second device too big to easily fit into my pocket, and all that device-hopping means my book collection is spread across multiple incompatible ecosystems (Nook, Kindle, and Kobo, not to mention Libby, my library's e-reading app of choice). Meanwhile, I always have my phone with me, and I have five different reading apps loaded on it. Unfortunately, my phone also gives me ready access to the rest of the internet, which meant more often than not, I would pull out my phone intending to read and end up checking my notifications and getting sucked into the latest horrors on the news, or maybe just mindlessly scrolling dog Reels. The Palma solves for all of these issues. It is basically the same size as an iPhone 15 Plus, so it's easy to slip into my pocket, and at 6.13 inches measured diagonally, it mirrors the screen size I've gotten used to from my years of reading on a phone. But it still has the benefits of a black-and-white e-ink displaywhich, for me, means more immersion into whatever I'm reading, and less risk of distraction. More than that, it runs on a fairly standard version of the Android 11 operating system, with access to the full Google Play store, which means I can download all of the different reading apps I want, and I don't have to worry about being tied to a particular retailer. Basically, the Palma offers everything I've ever wanted from an e-ink reader, which is probably why I'm still using it after nearly a year.Android gives you freedomMy biggest beef with my various Kindles and Nooks was the fact that I don't particularly love the user experience for either devicegenerally, I think the Kindle and Nook iPhone apps work a lot better than the stodgier e-reader versions. The beauty of the Palma is that on the operating system level, it basically is a phoneas noted, its fairly unrestricted Android 11 OS offers flexibility you won't find in any proprietary on-device software. Instead of resigning yourself to sorting and displaying your books however your Kindle wants you to, you can choose whichever app(s) you like best, as long as they're available for download in the Google Play store (sorry, Apple Books readers), no jailbreaking or side-loading required (though you can certainly do the latter if you like). Credit: Joel Cunningham I currently have installed the Kindle, Nook, and Kobo apps, as well as the Libby app (for accessing library books from the Brooklyn Public Library), plus a format-agnostic app called Moon+ Reader Pro ($6.99 for an ad-free version) that I highly recommend if you want more customizability in your reading app, from font choice to kerning to file sorting and more. The point is, any and all of these apps are open to youthough Onyx has its own default reading app, you are in no way railroaded into using it. Listen to your audiobooks and podcasts (but bring your wireless earbuds)Android support means you can also use the Palma to listen to your audiobooksthere's no headphone jack, but it will pair with your Bluetooth headphones easily enough. It does have an external speakeronly one; one of the speaker grilles on the bottom of the device is ornamentalbut the sound quality is mediocre at best.I tested out syncing audiobooks via Audible and the Kindle app, and it worked as expected, as did playing audiobooks downloaded from Libby. There's enough onboard storage128GB, with a SIM tray for up to 1TB of extra storageto hold an awful lot of audio material. (I'm not a heavy audiobook listener, but I did download Pocket Casts to try out the Palma as a podcast machine, too. In short: It works well, but I still prefer my iPhone for that, as it syncs with my Apple Watch and automatically connects to my Beats earbuds, no pairing required.)Add fonts, screensavers, and more with easeMy favorite thing about the Palma is I can plug it into my laptop and easily sideload books, upload new fonts, and do anything else you can accomplish via drag and drop. The Android OS isn't shy about letting me see the file structure and put things exactly where they need to go. The end result is, if you're willing to put in a little effort, you can create a truly custom experience. Set your own lock screen, choose your own wallpaper, read in Wingdings: The possibilities are endless.Snappy performanceWith 6GB of onboard RAM, the Palma is certainly fast enough to deliver your e-books at a clip, and turning pages or skipping through chapters rapidly is no problem. Navigating around a PDF is pretty smooth, too: Provided the app allows it (as does the native PDF reader, Neo Reader), you can pinch to zoom in and out and enjoy near-instantaneous performance, which is much more than I can say for trying to magnify a PDF on my old Nook.The device also lets you browse the internet with minimal lag, and apps load quickly enough that I never felt like I was using a lesser device.Good (but not exceptional) battery lifeOne of the benefits of e-readers is that their basic displays sip power instead of gulping it. And while the Palma will go a lot longer between charges that your smartphone, in my anecdotal experience (I didn't run a dedicated battery test) it doesn't last quite as long as a Kindle, especially if you're using a lot of different apps. Reading for an hour or two a day with the frontlight on throughout will drain the battery by half in less than a week. Once plugged in (via USB-C), it charges pretty fast. You can stretch out this timeline by dimming the light or reading with it turned off, but my eyes are old and tired, so I usually leave it on. I appreciate that I don't need to charge it every day, but I would prefer not to have to charge it quite so often.More than an e-reader (but still not a true phone)Android support means you can download more than reading apps. You can also download Goodreads, Gmail, Chrome, Bluesky, Reddit, or anything else you want. A super-responsive screen (for an e-reader)Unlike the extremely clunky screens on most e-readers, which suffer from severe lag that makes even scrolling a webpage unpleasant, the Palma offers four different refresh modes, from HD (best for reading super-crisp text on a static screen, as when reading a novel), to Balanced (for scrolling through PDFs), to Fast or Ultrafast, which can handle scrolling through your social media feeds with responsiveness close to what you'd get with an LCD screen. Weirdly, however, the onscreen keyboard still feels slightly laggy, with characters appearing onscreen a noticeable fraction of a second after you press them. YouTube in e-inkOn a Kindle, doing anything but reading feels like a chore, but it actually is feasible to browse the web and even watch videos on the Palma. Play a YouTube video and you'll certainly be able to tell what you're looking at, though the ghosting will get worse the longer it goes on, forcing you to tap the action button to trigger a manual refresh. Everything will still look a bit grainy, and of course it's all in grayscale, but considering I could barely read my email on my first Kindle's "experimental" web browser, I'm still pretty impressed. Play your games (as long as they don't need color)If you're wondering if the Palma can serve as a gaming device, it's another qualified yes. I downloaded a Tetris app, which functioned surprisingly well in Ultrafast mode. The NYT crosswords are a pretty good fit for it, but don't plan on playing Wordle, as you won't be able to tell the colored squares apart in grayscale. Though I didn't try it myself, there are videos online of people trying to play more ambitious fare (like a first-person shooter), and it certainly...is possible, I guess.Look, I would never suggest that using any non-reading app on the Palma is a great experience, but they will work, and in a way, their comparable ugliness to how they'd look on a full-color LCD is a boonas I noted at the start of this review, I'm using the Palma because I want to read more books. If I want to be distracted by an immersive screen experience, my iPhone has me covered. No SIM supportThough it looks and functions like an Android phone, the Palma can't replace yours, as it lacks SIM support (as noted though it has a side-loading card tray, it accepts only memory cards up to 1TB). You can use it for phone calls over wifi via a supported app (like Google Voice)the device has both speakers and a microphone in addition to supporting Bluetooth headphones. It will also run most messaging apps via wifi, though you may need a SIM-less phone number to get them up and running.The lack of SIM support is hardly a dealbreaker for me, as I wasn't looking to replace my phone with an e-ink device. (If that's your goal, look to Hisense, another Chinese company that makes a number of e-ink mobile devices.)No significant waterproofingAlso very un-phonelike, at least when it comes to modern flagship devices: the Palma isn't significantly waterproof. Yes, technically even iPhones are only "water resistant," but that translates to "they can survive being immersed in water for half an hour." The Palma is "water resistant" in that a few raindrops on the display won't hurt it, but if you drop this thing in the tub or the pool, there's a good chance it won't survive.Waterproofing is hardly a universal e-reader featurethe entry-level Kindle doesn't have itbut it would be a welcome addition to such a pricey device.A great one-handed reading experienceMy mixed reactions to the Palma as an Android device aside, it excels as an e-reader. The form factor is what it isI personally find the 6.13-inch screen very pleasant, and the 1648 x 824 screen resolution at 300 ppi means the text is always super crisp and readable, especially at HD resolution. The build quality feels good: the screen is "micro-etched glass" that mostly avoids issues with glare, the physical buttons are responsive and easy to click, and the back cover is lightly textured and easy to grip.You have the choice of turning pages by either tapping the touch screen or using the physical buttons on the right hand side of the device, making it easy to read one-handed (especially considering how light it isaround 170 grams). Though support varies from app to app, most of the reading apps I've tried will turn pages forward and backward using the volume up/down button. You can also change your settings to read via infinite scroll using either your fingertip or the volume button. An additional button on the left side can be mapped to a number of different functions based on a quick press, a long press, or a double tap. By default, a single press will refresh the screen, which is handy if you frequently find yourself annoyed by the faint ghosting that can plague any e-ink screen, but you can also use it to turn pages, skip to the next chapter, and more.A comfortable frontlight The ghosting you see here can be solved for with a quick tap of the refresh button on the side of the Palma. Credit: Joel Cunningham The frontlight on the screen is comparable to what I've experienced with other modern e-readersyou can adjust the brightness and the warmth to suit your comfort levelwith perhaps a bit more of a visible "ring" around the edge of the screen than you'd see on, say, a Kindle Paperwhite. I wasn't super impressed by the auto-brightness option, which purports to set the best brightness level based on your current lighting conditions. I found it tended to waffle back and forth between too bright and too dark, even as I sat unmoving in a dark room. It's easy enough to adjust the lighting manually that I wasn't much bothered by this, but it's worth noting (and turning off).What else can the Palma do?After eight months of use, I feel fairly safe in saying the Palma does everything I want it to very well, and a bunch of stuff I don't really need it to do surprisingly well. It also can do a lot more that I've only tried for purposes of running it through its paces, including scanning documents with the default scanner-to-PDF app and taking photos and shooting video via the 16 megapixel rear camera (provided you download a camera app; there's no native default, which is odd). The pictures will look like crap on the device itself, but if you hook it up to your laptop to access them, they seem comparable to anything you'd take with a basic smartphone cameranot iPhone quality by any stretch, but why does an e-reader need to have a camera at all?Risks to consider (Who is Onyx International, anyway?)The nice thing about a Kindle is if yours breaks, you can just call up Amazon customer service to get it fixed or replaced. With a Boox Palma, you won't have that luxury: Parent company Onyx is based in China, and Reddit's e-reading communities are riddled with reports of less-than-ideal customer service. Even keeping in mind that mind most people don't post their good customer service experiences to Reddit, it's troubling: Some users have reported displays failing seemingly spontaneously, and if that happens to you, you'll be on the hook to get it replaced (unless Onyx determines the limited one-year warranty covers whatever has gone wrong, which seems unlikely, at least based on comments from grumpy Redditors).As noted, the operating system is based on Android 11, and it's not updatable. This isn't a huge deal in terms of functionality right now, but its conceivable that in the future, your reading apps' updates will no longer be compatible with an OS that's already more than four years old and has, in fact, already reached its "end of life" when it comes to security updates. That probably isn't a huge deal for a device you'll mostly be reading on, but it's something to consider if you want to download other apps that might contain sensitive personal data that bad actors could somehow get ahold of via an unpatched security issue.There's also the fact that, as a Chinese company, Onyx isn't subject to the same privacy restrictions and laws as Apple or Amazon, but that's a well of paranoia I'd rather not dip into. That's more than I can say for some folks on the r/Onyx_Boox Reddit group, though. (As it is, the only thing anyone would learn from looking at my Palma is that I read a lot of science fiction.)All of this being said, if you're in the United States, I would definitely recommend buying the device from Onyx's Amazon store, as you'll get the usual benefits of Amazon, including Prime shipping and the option to reach out to their customer service if you have an issue with your device.The bottom lineAll of this functionality does come at a pricethe device retails for $279, though you can currently pick one up for $245 on Amazon. That's obviously much more than entry level Kindles, and in the same ballpark as the high-end (and now discontinued) Kindle Oasis. But all of its features, along with the form factor, also means the Boox Palma is the best e-reader for me, and certainly the best e-reader I've ever used. I've stuck with it all these months, and it has helped me read more and use my phone less, which is my number one priority when it comes anything I'm using to read (including an old-fashioned paper book). I think there's a good chance you'll love it, too.Boox Palma specsDisplay: 6.13-inch, 824 x 1648 (300 ppi)CPU: Qualcomm Octacore processor RAM: 6GB Storage: 128GBConnectivity: Wi-Fi 5 (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0Lighting: Frontlight with temperature adjustmentCamera: 16MP rear cameraOperating system: Android 11Battery/charging: 3,950mAh via USB-CSize: 159 x 80 x 8mmWeight: 170gMicroSD card support

Spotify might have pioneered the yearly streaming recap, but these days, every other service has its own version of "Wrapped." If you're a YouTube Music subscriber, for instance, not only do you have the option to check out a year-end summary of your listening habits, those stats are rolling out to select users now.While you might think December would be a better time to start recapping the past year of music activity, YouTube wants some of us to go back in time right now. It's not that weird for YouTube in particular, since its music streaming service offers seasonal recaps throughout the year. However, as Mashable highlights, the feature isn't rolling out for all users yet, so don't be bummed if you have to wait a bit longer for your summary. If it is working on your end, here's what you can expect. You'll see the standard stats, such as your top tracks, artists, and podcasts, complete with listening time for each. But you'll also see some more abstract results, as well. YouTube Music will let you know what your "listening vibes" were this year, including genres like "Electronic," to moods like "Hyped" or "Pumped up." You'll also see your "music character," which breaks down the "personality" of the types of music you listened to this year, as well as your "musical moods," which can include anything from "Dramatic" to "Dancey."How to access your YouTube Music recapAs the feature is actively rolling out, you may open your YouTube Music app on your iPhone or Android and see a "2024 Recap is here" alert, above the new "Speed Dial" section. If you don't see the alert, you can try looking for your recap yourself: Tap your profile, then choose Your Recap. From here, you can tap Get your Recap to, well, get your recap. You can also try heading directly to yt.be/music/recap to see if that will force YouTube Music to show you your recap.

I host a full Friendsgiving meal in early November because its truly heartwarming to bring my chosen family all together for a home cooked mealbut low-key. I also need to test side dishes to share with you all. This year, the most surprising dish I made wasnt squash, or another spin on sweet potatoes, but a resurrection of summer fruit. I made a warm roasted tomato salad, and I think it may have earned its spot at the table forever.I think we can all acknowledge that the Thanksgiving meal is primarily a parade of luscious fats, umami, salt, and carbs. I have no issues with this. However, repetition of the same flavors can cause something called palate fatigue (often a term used in wine tasting): Nuanced flavors become harder to detect because your taste buds are exhausted. Including an acidic dish, like tomatoes, creates opposition, gives you the feeling of a palate cleanser, essentially kicking your buds back into gear.Revive cold-weather tomatoesYes, you could serve a raw tomato salad to access the fruit's bright acidity, but fall and winter tomatoes have a diminished flavor compared to the peak season ones we saw a few months ago. My guess is thats why we dont see them a ton on Thanksgiving tables. Luckily, a quick trip to the oven can change all that.Roasting dull winter tomatoes evaporates some of their water, thus concentrating their flavors, and it browns the bottoms, exhibiting the maillard reaction and caramelization of the natural sugars. Thats my long way of saying: Roasted tomatoes will have much more flavor than raw tomatoes in fall. Plus, it couldnt be easier.How to make a warm roasted tomato saladI like plum tomatoes for this, but Campari tomatoes work too. I prefer these varieties because of their medium size, and they happen to soften nicely. Using my air fryer secret for roasting, sprinkle some salt into a bowl with the tomatoes. Then drizzle a teaspoon of oil into one palm. Rub your palms together and then rub each tomato with your oily hands. The salt will naturally get picked up. Place the tomatoes, either whole or halved, on an unlined baking sheet. Unlined baking sheets will give your tomatoes more color.Roast the tomatoes at 375F for about 30 minutes, orif they're wholeuntil theyve just burst slightly. If theyre halved, they're done when the bottoms have some browning. (You can place halved tomatoes either cut-side down or skin-side down, but I've found that cut-side down is more prone to sticking.) Plating this dish is flexible, and theres almost no way to screw it up. Carefully scoop the tomatoes onto a serving dish, and place hunks of burrata or fresh mozzarella in between the burst tomatoes. If you dont like soft cheese, you can shave large sheets of Pecorino Romano over the top instead.Drizzle it all with some finishing olive oil, and a sprinkle of (fill in the blank): This is really where you can make the dish your own. I used dry Calabrian chili flakes this year. Perhaps youd scatter chopped fresh basil over the top. Maybe chopped salted pistachios and za'atar are more your vibe. If you have garlic confit, you know what to do. But even if you skip the final garnish, you must crush some flaky salt over the top.The dish will look simple but tantalizing nonetheless. I actually prefer making dishes that have easily identifiable ingredients so I dont have to field as many questions. You dont need a tonmaybe one or two tomatoes per guestto supply an acidic intermission halfway through the first helping.Warm Roasted Tomato SaladIngredients:8-14 Campari tomatoesNeutral cooking oil to coat teaspoon salt1 ball burrata cheese (or fresh mozzarella)A drizzle extra virgin olive oilA sprinkle flaky saltChopped basil, pistachios, chili flakes, or other garnish (optional)1. Preheat the oven to 375F.2. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle the teaspoon of salt over top. Drizzle a small amount of oil into your palms; it should be enough to coat the tomatoes. Rub your palms together and then rub all of the tomatoes, rolling them around to pick up the salt. Place the tomatoes on an unlined baking sheet, drizzle with any excess oil, and roast them for about 30 minutes or until they just begin to crack and burst. Cool them for a few minutes.3. Put the tomatoes on a serving platter. Rip the burrata into six or seven hunks and dot the dish with the cheese. Drizzle the dish with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky salt and any additional garnish you like. Serve warm.

Every once in a while a seemingly pointless computing question of mine becomes an obsession. This week, that question is, "Whatever happened to music visualizers? And can I still use one?"In the 2000s, one of the coolest things you could do on a computer was turn on some music, enable the visualizera kind of psychedelic-inspired animation that would react to the musicand space out. These days, though? Well, Apple Music still has the visualizer offered by iTunes back in the dayjust click Window > Visualizer in the menu bar to bring it up. But Apple is alone on this. Spotify, the most popular streaming service, doesn't have any kind of visualizerjust a full-screen view with a photo of the artist. Amazon Music and YouTube Music don't have anything, either.You might think this is where where my research should have stopped. You're wrong. We had something amazing and we lost it. That's unacceptable. This missing feature stuck in my head to the point of obsession, prompting untold numbers of searches while I should have been working on something else. Credit: Justin Pot Eventually I found the unfortunately named MilkyMilky, a free application for Windows, Mac, and Linux that brings back the famous Milkdrop visualizer that Winamp was famous for. Even better: it works with any audio on your computer, meaning any application that makes sound is supported.To get started, download the application and launch it. The visualizer will start immediately, though there will be a pop-up explaining the keyboard shortcuts offered. Credit: Justin Pot You can use the arrow keys to switch between different animations. You can also open the settings by pressing Ctrl+S. From here, you can set which audio source to use and fine tune the graphics a little bit. You can even change the audio source to your microphone, if you want; sing or play an instrument and the visualizer will react.There's a bit of a catch for Mac users, mostly related to the permissionsmacOS doesn't allow applications to monitor currently playing audio. MilkyMilky works around this by using your microphone, which isn't exactly ideal, but it works. You can work around this using an application called Loopback, which can turn your system audio into a virtual microphone. (It's up to you to decide whether that's overkill just to use Milkdrop.)This tool works best with songs that have a really well defined rhythm or bass line, so that you can see the moment of impact on each beat. It's also ideally something a little bit trippy. I've been enjoying putting on Magdalena Bay's most recent albumit fits extremely well. If your tastes are less modern, though, you probably can't go wrong with Pink Floyd. I've had a lot of fun leaving this on in the background during work days and I hope you enjoy it, too. Mostly I'm glad I can stop obsessively researching this.

I may be more than mildly obsessed with Bluesky, the new-ish social media network that is taking the internet by storm, and serving as a safe haven for many former X users fleeing Elon Musk's increasingly unpleasant virtual cesspit (I may be editorializing a bit too much here). It's just that I haven't had this much fun using social media since, well, I first got into Twitter circa 2010. As I've previously written, Bluesky recalls early Twitter, which means it feels vibrant and welcoming and peopled by tons of interesting folks (some 21 million of them, as of this writing).As I've also previously noted, the value you'll get out of Bluesky is wholly based on who you follow there, since it isn't really powered by an algorithm trying desperately to keep you glued to your feed. No, you'll have to work a little harder if you want to tap into your latest font of dopamine, and that means populating your feed with posts you'll find interesting and provocative and hopefully not enraging (but that's what the "nuclear block" is for).I've already written about Sky Follower Bridge, an extension that helps you track down people you once followed on X, and the Bluesky Directory, which offers a searchable index of more than 80,000 "starter packs" of people to follow based on your interests. Now I want to tell you about another tool that builds upon those: Bluesky Network Analyzer.Easily find people to follow on Bluesky based on who's in your extended networkBluesky Network Analyzer, from indie developer Theo Sanderson, is another third-party app that helps you find people to follow, but this one has a unique twist: Rather than finding potentially relevant accounts based on your former social media activity, or even your interests, it extrapolates them by considering who the people you already follow also follow. If that's not clear, here's a simpler explanation: Once you grant the tool access to the list of people you follow, it runs a quick search and highlights accounts you don't follow that are very popular with the accounts you do follow.Using it is as simple as entering your Bluesky username into the Bluesky Network Analyzer site. If you want to be able to follow people directly from the tool, you can also enter your Bluesky password, but you don't have to. (The fine print indicates your password is not sent to the site but only stored locally, but if you'd prefer not to risk it, you can also generate an app-specific password on Bluesky itself.)The tool will import the list of accounts you already follow, then go to work analyzing them to see how many other follows they have in common. The search takes a little while to runand will obviously take longer if you follow a ton of peoplebut once it's finished, you'll see a list of the results ranked by how many mutuals they share among the people you already follow. To give you some idea of who they are, you'll also see both the account's avatar and the bio, if they've entered one. Credit: Screenshot by Joel Cunningham Of course, it might not be that helpful to see that 202 people you follow also follow the Washington Post. If you'd rather find less basic results, click the toggle to select Sort by proportion (favors niche accounts), which will move accounts with fewer total followers to the top of the list.Why this is a useful way to find followers I like this tool because I feel like I've done a pretty good job curating the list of people I'm following, and so I can assume that if there are accounts a lot of them follow, they're probably worth considering.My own results served up accounts of notable people I recognized (including some journalists and former Film Twitter folks) but had yet to located on Bluesky, so I was able to follow a bunch of them with a few clicks. More than that, I also located some people I used to follow on X who had yet to migrate to Bluesky before I last used Sky Follower Bridge.If you wanted to, I suppose you could head over to Bluesky and search up the person's username (unfortunately they aren't hyperlinked), but I mostly found it to be a good way to jog my memory. Given how many of my former online friends have dropped off of social networks like Facebook and X in recent years, it was nice to be reminded that they exist.

The holiday shopping season has unofficially started, with early deals rolling in from many retailers already, including Home Depot's BOGO deals. As is often the case, issues will arise, and speaking with a live agent (instead of a machine) can make resolving any issues or questions much easier. Here is the best way to get in contact with a customer service representative from Home Depot.Call 1-800-HOME DEPOTHome Depot has a straightforward helpline: 1-800-HOME DEPOT (466-3337). They have plenty of options to choose to speak with a specialist in the specific area you need. But if you don't think your issue fits into any of the categories and you need to speak with a live agent, call 1-800-566-3337 and select the option "0," then "0" again, then "6," and finally "2." This will take you to a general live agent who can help you answer questions about your accountand if they can't resolve your issue, they will transfer you to the right department. It took me about three minutes to reach someone who was be able to help me, so you'll need to be patient.There are other more direct lines you can call if your issue has to do with these categories:Online orders: 1-800-430-3376Major appliances: 1-800-455-3869HomeDepot.com: 1-800-430-3376Product Recalls 1-800-638-2772 (SPSC Hotline) Purchase Gift Cards 1-800-430-3376You can see the full directory of numbers here, and you can talk with a live agent seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. ET.

The modern internet is ruled by algorithms. When you boot up Instagram, for example, what you see in your feed is strategically sorted by the app's AI based on your past activity to keep you engaged as long as possible. If Instagram showed you a bunch of random posts you had no interest in, you'd likely leave immediately. But when each photo or video is something that piques your curiosity, well, that's how a social media addiction is born.That said, sometimes, our algorithm goes a little haywire. Perhaps you had a passing interest in a creator or subject, but now it's all over your feed. Maybe an accidental "like" or share mistakenly taught the algorithm you're a fan of something you really are not, and now you're subjected to the topic with every other post (and advertisement, for that matter).In the past, you really had two options: tell Instagram you didn't want to see these types of posts and actively seek out other types of content, or start fresh with a new account, and take care not to anger the algorithmic gods. Now, however, things are about to change: Instagram is going to let you reset your algorithm.Meta announced the changes in a blog post on Tuesday: The company is currently testing the ability for users to reset their "recommendations" (essentially a PR-friendly word for algorithm). Once cleared, you will find posts on your Explore page, Reels tab, and your main feed that you likely wouldn't have encountered before, and you'll probably miss out on posts you would have seen under your previous algorithm. That said, the algorithm is still active, which means it'll learn your habits over time and begin showing you personalized content based on your activity and pages you follow. If you're careful about the posts you like and share, and the pages you follow, this algorithm might turn out better than the old one. How to reset your Instagram algorithmOnce the option rolls out on your end, you'll find it in your Instagram settings. Open the app, tap your profile, then tap the hamburger menu in the top right. Scroll down and tap Content preferences under "What you see," then tap the new Reset suggested content option.Here, Instagram will warn you that your reset cannot be undone, and you'll see posts you wouldn't normally see. As an added deterrent, Instagram will suggest that you unfollow certain accounts instead of reseting your recommendations altogether. However, if you're set on resetting, choose Reset suggested content, then hit the option again on the pop-up. Instagram will return you to your main feed, with a subtle alert confirming your suggested content was reset.

Tech devices are so dirtybut we rarely think about it because they've become extensions of ourselves. My phone stays in my hand after I've touched door knobs, subway poles, gym equipment, and more, and then goes under my pillow while I sleep, surely germing up my breathing space. And don't get me started on my headphones, which ride around in the bottom of my bag, encountering God-knows-what down there, before I shove them directly on my face. It's really so gross and once I realized that, I started cleaning these things much more thoroughly and frequently. What I learned, however, is that you can absolutely clean them wrong. Don't let a fear of germs and grime cause you to inadvertently damage your expensive tech. It's counterproductive. Hell, I'd rather take the germs. So here's a list of common mistakes you can make while cleaning your devicesand how to avoid them. Using the wrong solutionsThe solution you choose to clean your devices depends on what they're made of. For instance, when I clean my AirPods Max, I use liquid laundry detergent and water to pat at the ear cushions and mesh headband, but I would never use that same mixture to clean any parts that are more electrical. Generally, when dealing with things like phones or e-readers, you don't want to use something too harsh to wipe down the touchscreens or surfaces. That said, the prevailing wisdom across the internet is that isopropyl alcohol is ideal. Ammonia and bleach are absolutely out, but alcohol at the right concentration is better. Opt for a 70% isopropyl over a 90% and dab it on your cleaning cloth, never directly on your device. This is what I use to wipe down my phone, the hard parts of my headphones, my computer, and my Kindle. Strong alcohols can eventually wear down things like screen protectors, so I swipe it fast. What do I use to do that? Let's get into the next common mistake. Using the wrong material Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths, Free from Streaks/Lint/Scratch for Cars, Pack of 24, Green/Gray/Pink, 16" x 12" $9.98 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $9.98 at Amazon At this point, if you don't have a bunch of microfiber cloths on hand, I'm disappointed in you. Not only are they the best for cleaning your home, but they're the gold standard for cleaning tech. You don't want a pad that is too abrasive, nor do you want a paper towel that will leave tiny debris behind as it disintegrates. Enter microfiber. You can get 24 of the cloths for under $10, so it's really a no-brainer. These don't scratch whatever they're rubbing on (as long as they're clean), which makes them ideal for delicate touchscreens. That said, I do usually keep a few pre-made, single-use cleaning wipes around in case of emergency. I try to use the microfiber cloth and 70% isopropyl alcohol in the comfort of my own home, but sometimes, I just need to do a quick cleaning out and about. I have not noticed any major issues from doing this sporadically and it's a cheap option, too: You can get 100 for about $7. Manhandling the portsIf you clean your charging and headphone ports incorrectly, you can cause internal damage. These, plus air vents, volume controls, power buttons, and even the spaces around keys must be handled with the utmost care. Obviously, never get any liquid near them (depending on the device, anyway). But also make sure you have the right tools to carefully lift dust out, not push it deeper in. Personally, I use teeny-tiny brushes that came with my DIY eyelash lifting kit. The instructions for the kit refer to them as "microbrushes" and micro they are. The fluffy part is basically the size of a pin head. Do I expect you to have an at-home eyelash lifting kit? No, but I do expect you to have access to a teeny-tiny brush. A phone cleaning kit might seem like an unnecessary purchase, but in reality, spending $14 to ensure the safety of your $1,000+ tech is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. A kit like the one above includes a variety of brushes that fit in every nook and cranny, but you still need to use them wisely. Angle them so you're always popping dust out, never push them directly into a port or hole, and do this in a well-lit space. Bonus points if you haul out a magnifying glass. Not using protection (or using the wrong kind) A few weeks ago, I got silicone protectors for my AirPods Max, realizing that what worked for my phone (protection) could also work for other devices. Now, much of my stuff is covered in a delicate film of rubber. These upgrades were huge for me. It's much easier to remove silicone casing and run it under some water than it is to fiddle with dirty devices. An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. There are exceptions to this rule, however, and not keeping them in mind can inadvertently cause some issues. A case is good for headphones or a phone, but hardshell laptop covers can mess with your computer vents or put too much pressure on your display. You're better off with a laptop sleeve that can protect your pricy computer while it's in transit. Similarly, although silicone keyboard covers work well to keep crumbs out of the cracks around all your various laptop buttons, Apple recommends against using themor at least against closing the laptop with one on, as it can damage the display. You're better off with a quick cleaning at the end of each work day.Phone and tech cleaning guidelines to keep in mindThere are a few mistakes that are easy to correct, if you know what to do. Never press too hard, never apply cleaning solution directly to the product (lest it drip down into those all-important holes or be too concentrated on the surface), and always turn your device off before cleaning it. Wipe quickly and don't let any liquid stay on any part of the tech for too long, then let it air dry completely before powering back on.

Black Friday is no longer a single-day sale on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It's one of the biggest sales of the year that starts as early as October for some retailersand you need to come with a plan unless you want to be taken advantage of. Home Depot is one of the main retailers who started their early Black Friday sale both online and in-store, which runs until Dec. 4. You'll find BOGO deals and discounts on tools, appliances, smart home gadgets, and everything else you can find in the store. Here are the best early Black Friday deals from Home Depot.This leaf blower is 55% off M18 FUEL 120 MPH 500 CFM 18V Brushless Cordless Battery Powered Leaf Blower Two 5.0Ah Batteries and Charger $199.00 at Home Depot $438.00 Save $239.00 Get Deal Get Deal $199.00 at Home Depot $438.00 Save $239.00 If you've never had the absolute pleasure of blowing away all those dead leaves covering your yard with a leaf blower, you're missing out on one of the biggest joys of the fall. Your neighbors shouldn't have all the fun: This cordless Milwaukee leaf blower is $199 (originally $438) and comes with two chargers, which is all you can ask for in a cordless leaf blower. The first battery lasts 30 minutes at 3/4 power and the second one lasts 20 minutes at the same setting.The Yale Assure Lock 2 Smart Door Lock is 31% off Yale Assure Lock 2 Smart Door Lock Bluetooth and Pushbutton Keypad; Black Suede $119.00 at Home Depot $173.63 Save $54.63 Get Deal Get Deal $119.00 at Home Depot $173.63 Save $54.63 I've been using the Yale Assure Lock 2 for my home for months and it's one of my favorite smart locks of 2024. This is the Bluetooth version with the touchscreen (as opposed to physical buttons) and with a physical key option. You can always buy the Yale Wi-Fi Smart Module separately later if you don't want to get the wifi version right now (it lets you control it remotely through wifi). This is the cheapest I have seen the smart lock even on Amazon, according to price-tracking tools.This 22-foot retractable ladder is 38% off Gorilla 22 ft. Reach Aluminum Multi-Position Ladder With Project Bucket, Tool Hangers, 300 lbs. Load Capacity, Type 1A Duty Rating $149.00 at Home Depot $239.00 Save $90.00 Get Deal Get Deal $149.00 at Home Depot $239.00 Save $90.00 I bought this ladder not too long ago, and it's everything I was looking forand more. It's highly adaptable to many different scenarios thanks to the many different positions it can take. I was able to knock out many projects I had pending, and this retractable Gorilla ladder made it easy to knock them out. It has a bucket to carry all your tools, and when you have it compact, it is easy to stow away. Make sure whatever you need to do is within 22 feet (it actually reaches 18 feet, 10 inches max, but it takes into account an average adult's reach to get to the full 22 feet). You can get this 22-foot Gorilla Retractable Ladder for $149 (originally $2339).Get this Husky Tool Storage for 25% off Husky Tool Storage 46 in. W x 18 in. D Mobile Workbench Cabinet in Gloss Black $298.00 at Home Depot $398.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $298.00 at Home Depot $398.00 Save $100.00 I am an organization freak, so I love tool cabinets. This type of cabinet is perfect for a person who likes to DIY home projects and has their tools scattered everywhere in a sad closet that could also use a workbench to do some work. It has 9 drawers and comes with six outlets and two USB ports. You can get this Husky Tool Cabinet for $298 (originally $398), the lowest price it has been over the last few months, according to price-tracking tools.BOGOs and other dealsIf you need multiple tools, Home Depot is offering BOGO cordless tool deals that you can take advantage of right now. Here are some other deals to check out:Mechanics Tool Set (270-Piece) $99 (originally $199)Ring Starter Set with Battery Doorbell and Indoor Cam $79.99 (originally $139)MAX AA Batteries (36 Pack), Double A Alkaline Batteries $14.87 (originally $20.87)4.5 Cu. Ft. Stackable SMART Front Load Washer in Black Steel with Steam and TurboWash360 Technology $798 (originally $1,199)

The first step in lifting a barbell is loading weight plates onto the bar. At some gyms, theres only one type of bar, and it weighs 45 pounds, and thats all you need to know. But thats not the only type out there, and if your gym has different bars of different shapes and weights, its possible to get confused. Check end of the bar firstIf youre wondering about what kind of bar you're looking at or what it weighs, always check the end of it. Sometimes youll find a label with a brand name, a description of what the bar is, and its weight. For example, this one has a little endcap that says The Rogue Ohio Deadlift Bar. 27mm. 20kg. Now you know that it weighs 44 pounds (20kg) and that its got a 27mm wide handle, just over an inch, which is slightly thinner than a typical power bar. Great! Problem solved.But on many bars, all youll see at the end is a rusty bolt. If the bar is seven feet long, it probably weighs 44 or 45 pounds. If youre suspicious, though, trust no one. Ive heard bystanders say oh yeah, that ones 55 pounds for both a standard 45-pound bar, and a monster of a 69-pound trap bar.Theres a simple way to find out how much any bar weighs: weigh it. Almost every gym has a bathroom scale kicking around somewhere, so you can weigh yourself holding the barbell, and then weigh yourself without it and subtract your own weight. (Ask the front desk staff for help if carrying it around to weigh it would be awkward. They may either know the weight, or may be able to help you wrangle it onto a scale.That said, these are the most common bars youre likely to encounter:Standard 44- and 45-pound barsThese are a family of slightly different things, but Im lumping them together because they are about the same size and weight, and can be used interchangeably for many lifts. Some are 44 pounds (because that's 20 kilograms, and 20-kilogram bars are standard in international competition), and some are 45 pounds (which are basically the same thing, but more American). Honestly: dont worry about the difference. A 20 kilo bar loaded with two 45-pound plates is technically 134 pounds, but everybody in the gym will say it's 135 and you might as well go along with it.These 45(ish) pound bars are the most common ones you'll see in the gym. They are seven feet long, with the part you hold about an inch in diameter and the parts where the weight plates go about two inches in diameter. They are sometimes called an "Olympic" bar to distinguish them from the "standard" bars that used to be common, and which you can still buy as home gym equipment. (Ironically, "standard" bars with their one-inch sleeves are no longer standard. But the name has stuck.) Within this category, there are a few different types of 44- and 45-pound bars: Mens Olympic bars are 20kg (about 44 pounds) for the mens bar, and 7.2 feet long. The collars (the wider parts on the ends) spin easily. If you load them up with plenty of weight, you will see that they are whippy, meaning the bar tends to flex or bounce easily. These are designed with the two Olympic lifts in mind, the snatch and the clean and jerk. But you can use them for any lift you like, so youll find them at gyms where nobody does any Olympic lifts. Cap Barbell THE BEAST Olympic Bar | For Weightlifting and Power Lifting, THE BEAST - Black/Chrome, No Center Knurl, 7' Olympic, (OBIS-86B) New Version $131.07 at Amazon $149.99 Save $18.92 Shop Now Shop Now $131.07 at Amazon $149.99 Save $18.92 Power bars, used for squat, bench, deadlift, and the like, are the same size and shape as mens Olympic bars. They tend to be stiffer (less whippy) and the collars will probably not spin as easily. If theyre not 44 pounds, theyll be 45. Deadlift bars may be a bit longer than a typical power bar, and may be thinner and more whippy. They are usually still 45 pounds. Squat bars are a wild card here. Normally, the bar in a squat rack will be a regular power bar. But sometimes, it will be a specialized squat bar that is thicker and stiffer, and that may weigh 50 pounds, or sometimes 55 or more.Womens Olympic barsWomens bars are lighter and slightly thinner than mens Olympic bars, but they are also noticeably shorterabout eight inches shorter. They weigh 15kg, or 33 pounds. METIS Womens 33LBS Olympic Barbell [6.6FT] - Complies with IWF Standards | Ideal for Beginners & Female Lifters $159.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $159.99 at Amazon Womens Olympic bars exist for women to use when competing in the snatch and clean and jerk. They have two main advantages over a mens bar (if you are an average sized woman): They are thinner, making them easier to grip, especially with the hook grip that Oly lifters typically use. They are whippier, so that the bar doesnt require quite as much weight on it for it to be able to flex and bounce. This matters in Olympic lifting (for example, when you use the bounce to help you as youre standing up from a clean) and means basically nothing for other lifts.Because theyre specialized for Olympic lifting, youre only likely to see these bars in Olympic weightlifting gyms and in Crossfit gyms (and similar functional fitness spaces). You're not too likely to see these bars in your average commercial gym. Training bars and curl barsThese bars are lighter and may be smaller than the ones discussed above. In Olympic weightlifting, there are training bars (often 5kg or 10kg, so 11 or 22 pounds) that exist to give you something lighter to work with if youre not ready for a full size bar. They may be the same dimensions as a women's Olympic bar, and are used by kids learning the lifts. Again, you're not likely to see these outside of an Olympic weightlifting gym, but you never know. They'll be clearly marked on the endcap, and usually shouldn't be loaded past about 50 pounds total. Curl bars are much more common in general-purpose gyms, and are just what they sound like: shorter, smaller bars meant for doing bicep curls and other moves that dont require a full size bar. At my gym, theyre not kept with the regular bars, but instead stored near the dumbbell racks. Curl bars are often, but not always, 25 pounds. Check for a label or weigh them to be sure.EZ-curl barsThese are the wiggly ones. Theyre used like curl bars, for exercises that use smallish amounts of weight. Their handles are designed so that you can choose the position thats most comfortable for your wrists. They may be 25 pounds or less; this one is 15 pounds. Elevens EZ Bar Curl Barbell 4ft-22LB 330LBS Capacity Olympic Bearing Barbell (330LB-Sliver), 47 inches (A-YD04001) $42.99 at Amazon $59.99 Save $17.00 Shop Now Shop Now $42.99 at Amazon $59.99 Save $17.00 Trap bars and other oddly shaped thingsThere are a variety of other bars out there, in odd shapes and varying weights. One is the trap bar or hex bar, a hexagon big enough that you stand inside of it. (Its mainly used for trap bar deadlifts, where your hands are at your sides and you dont have to worry about whether youre going to smack the bar into your shins.) Some trap bars are 45 pounds, but some are more and some are less. CAP Barbell Olympic Trap Bar, Hex Bar, Shrug Bar, Deadlift Bar, Black $58.00 at Amazon $89.99 Save $31.99 Shop Now Shop Now $58.00 at Amazon $89.99 Save $31.99 There are also football bars, also called Swiss bars or multi-grip bars, that allow you to use a neutral grip for bench press or other pressing movements. Sometimes theyre 45 pounds, but again, sometimes they arent. You may also find safety squat bars, cambered bars, and other specialty items depending on your gym. Unusual bars arent standardized, so the weight is just whatever it ended up being when the bars maker welded all the parts together. And when in doubt, weigh it yourself.

Weeks after making its Copilot AI features free for Microsoft 365 (the successor to Office), subscribers in certain parts of Asia and Oceania (perhaps a precursor of things to come around the world), Microsoft announced at its Ignite conference today that its now vastly expanding what Copilot and AI can do in its office apps.The juiciest of the new features center around new AI Agents, essentially pitched as set-it-and-forget-it virtual coworkers who can help collaborate on and automate repetitive tasks. These could be anything from drafting up summaries of Teams meetings, helping answer IT questions, or even planning and assigning projects. While this isnt Microsofts first go at AI Agents, with previous releases being more aimed at sales and finance, it drastically increases what they can do within Microsoft 365.If that all sounds a little enterprise focused, Microsofts AI can also now use Copilot Actions, which are similar to AI Agents but considered separate, to help on an individual level. For instance, Copilot will soon be able to translate entire PowerPoint presentations across 40 different languages. Alternatively, upcoming versions of Excel will begin suggesting AI-baked templates to help you get started on a presentation.Not all of the agents Microsoft discussed today are available yet. One of the AI agents, a real-time Teams translator bot called Interpreter, is slated for next year. Microsoft will be adding available agents to Copilot Studio, currently an extra $200 charge on top of Microsoft 365, as they are ready, with a library for downloading agents currently in public preview. Developers are also able to create their own agents for 365, too, via an SDK thats also now in public preview.As for Copilot Actions, these are currently in private preview and will seemingly be available for everyone with a Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription (although Microsoft is mostly talking about them in an enterprise context). They are currently an extra $30 on top of the base Microsoft 365 subscription, assuming you dont live in one of the areas that just got access to Copilot in 365 for free.Its likely, given Microsofts experiments with making Copilot free in Office in other markets, that pricing is set to change in the future, with AI simply becoming an expected fact of life within our productivity software as it gets cheaper to make. Copilot will empower every employee to do their best work in less time, and focus on more meaningful tasks, Microsoft says. At the same time, its not hard to see how having a bot that can assign tasks or answer benefits questions might make it easier for a company to save some cents on salaries, or at least expect more out of the project managers and HR representatives they do keep around.

You can fuss over a turkey in a million different ways, but I dont. With all due respect to the delicious turkey recipes and clever turkey-cooking techniques we have featured on this site over the years, I make our family bird every year by doing as little as possible, and I always get compliments on how pretty it looks and how good it tastes.In this post, Im going to walk you through the process. Follow these instructions, and youll have a basic bird that comes out with juicy meat and crispy skin, while allowing you plenty of time to either relax or make extra side disheswhichever suits your personality. What you need to buyFirst, the turkey. Aim for 1.5 pounds of turkey (raw weight) for each person on your guest list. Remember, the turkey you buy includes bones and giblets, so thats not 1.5 pounds of meat. If youre expecting 12 people, a 12-pound turkey will just barely feed them, while a 24-pound turkey will give you lots of leftovers. An 18-pounder (12 people times 1.5 pounds) provides generous helpings and is arguably the ideal size. You may notice, when you go to the turkey store, that turkeys come in two sizes. The hens are small, often 10 or 12 pounds. And the toms are big, often 20 or more. So you may have to go with a smaller or larger turkey than would be ideal. Make up for a small turkey by asking people to bring plenty of side dishes; deal with a large one by sending everyone home with leftovers. Other things you will need to roast a basic turkey: A thermometer, ideally an instant-read digital thermometer like this one. This isnt going to break the bank, and you will get plenty of use out of it, so dont skip this item. You need it. ThermoPro TP19H Waterproof Digital Meat Thermometer $16.99 at Amazon $24.99 Save $8.00 Shop Now Shop Now $16.99 at Amazon $24.99 Save $8.00 Some kind of pan to roast it in. A deep roasting pan is traditional, but you can also use a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Personally, I use a roasting pan minus the lid. Aluminum foil, to protect the birds skin if it starts browning too fast. Butter, to smear all over the turkey. Get two sticks of butter unless your bird is a very small one.Herbs and seasonings of your choice, to mix in with the butter. I like to throw some onions and celery into the bottom of the roasting pan as well. Optional: a ladle or turkey baster, not to baste the turkey (we wont), but to retrieve drippings for gravy. One week ahead of time: Make a plan to defrost your turkeyIf you bought your turkey frozen, youll need to start thawing it well in advance of the big day. Put your turkey in the refrigerator for one day for every 4-5 pounds. Expect a 12-pound turkey to take about three days to thaw; a 20-pound turkey, five days. On Thanksgiving morning, check on the turkey bright and early. If its still frozen, dont panic. You have two options:A cold-water thaw, changing out the water every 30 minutes. To do this, place the entire turkey, still in its plastic wrap, into your kitchen sink or another suitable large container (even a bathtub). Expect this to take 30 minutes per pound. Roast it anyway. Its fine to roast a frozen turkey, but it will take up to 50% longer. That means if you were expecting to roast your bird for four hours, and its fully frozen, expect it to take six. If its mostly thawed, it will take longer than four hours but less than six.Optional but recommended: Make a compound butter the day beforeSometime in the couple of days leading up to your big feast, make a compound butter. What to put in it is up to you, but youll be glad you made it. Heres how: Take your two sticks of butter out of the fridge to soften. When soft, use a spoon to smash in some chopped garlic, dried herbs, fresh herbs if you have any (chives are great), or even just a plain ol poultry seasoning blend from the grocery store. Want to get fancy? We have flavor ideas here. Put the lump of soft, flavorful butter into a baggie (you can kind of shape it into a log) and toss it in the fridge until Thanksgiving morning.Once the butter has softened, it takes all of five minutes to mash it together with the herbs, and youll look like some kind of gourmet chef when you tell people you rubbed the turkey with a handmade compound butter. Not sure which herbs to go with? Hum Simon and Garfunkel as you raid the spice rack: Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thymeIf somehow you forget this step, your turkey will be okay with just plain butter. (If I may tell you a secret: It will also be basically okay without the butter.) I like making the compound butter because it gives me something to do the night before, and I can put a child on this detail if they are looking for a way to help. How long does it take a turkey to cook?There are differences of opinion in what works best, so just know that if you are comparing times across turkey-cooking charts, make sure youre looking at the numbers for a whole turkey (not a breast or other parts) and that you want it unstuffed. We will not be stuffing todays turkey. You can make a pan of stuffing separately, if you like. Or, better yet, assign somebody else to make it in their oven and bring it over while its still hot. Here are the times recommended by the USDA for a turkey cooked without stuffing in a 325F oven: 8 to 12 pounds: 2:45 to 3 hours12 to 14 pounds: 3 to 3:4514 to 18 pounds: 3:45 to 4:1518 to 20 pounds: 4:15 to 4:3020 to 24 pounds: 4:30 to 5 hoursWork backwards from the cooking time to determine when to put the turkey in the oven. Heres the formula: Cooking time PLUS 30 minutes resting time = total time between when it goes into the oven and when you can serve dinner.Remember that it will take some time to get everything out of the fridge and prepped for the ovenId budget at least 30 minutes for that. So if you have a 20 pound bird and want to eat at 4 p.m., you will need about four and a half hours for cooking, plus half an hour on either end for prep and resting. Thats five and a half hours total, which means well want to be buttering our turkey at 10:30 a.m. and it should be in the oven by 11 at the latest. We might aim to get it in a smidge earlier to be safe, say 10:45 a.m. If you have to choose, its better to have the bird ready a little bit early (it can just rest a little longer) than to keep hungry guests waiting.How to prepare a turkey for the ovenOn Thanksgiving morning, before you start getting everything ready, take your turkey out of the fridge. Also take the compound butter out of the fridge to soften. The following steps will go a lot better if everything has had a chance to warm up for half an hour or so before you start. First, get yourself a nice clear space to work in. You do not need to rinse the turkey. You do want to avoid splattering raw turkey juices all over the place. This often means opening the turkey in a clean sink and transferring it to a roasting pan right next to the sink. Then you carefully throw out the wrappings and wash your hands. Your turkey will probably come packaged with a little plastic bag of giblets, and probably also a neck. If you dont find these inside the big cavity at the bottom of the turkey, go ahead and stick your hand in the top (youll have to lift up the neck skin, which tends to drape over the neck opening).Then we assemble our roasting pan:Optional: Place stalks of celery, carrots, and a quartered onion or two at the bottom of the pan.Not optional: Place the turkey in the pan, breast side up, legs not trussed or tied or bound together in any way. Let them fly free. The turkey will take so much longer to cook if the legs are bound. Note that sometimes the turkey will come with the legs tucked into a strap of skin near the tail, so if your turkey looks like its sitting criss-cross applesauce, make sure to free them.Optional: Place the giblets and neck in the pan, next to the turkey or in the body cavity. Theyll add flavor to the gravy. (Take the giblets out of the bag, of course.)Technically optional but highly recommended: Smear the softened butter all over the turkey, ideally the compound butter you made last night. If you dont have that handy, regular butter will do. If you forgot to soften it, it's OK to melt it in th e microwave and brush it on. And if you dont even have any butter, at the very least sprinkle some salt and pepper or poultry seasoning all over. I like to smear the butter over the breast skin and legs, and then Ill make a pocket under the breast and stuff any extra butter in there. Or you can just put the lump of extra butter in the cavity. (Do not save it for the table. It's got raw turkey germs on it now.)Finally, if you have a leave-in thermometer of any sort (such as a wired thermometer or a bluetooth thermometer), stick that in the breast, as deep as you can go without touching bone. This is for monitoring the bird as it cooks. When time is up, youll use your instant-read thermometer in several places to confirm the bird is done. And if that bird has a pop-up thermometer button? Take that sucker out and throw it in the garbage.What to do while the turkey is in the ovenThis is the easiest part. Once the bird is in the oven, you do nothing. After a few hours, take a peek to see how the skin is browning. If it gets crispy and dark before the bird is anywhere near done, tent it with foil (meaning you put a piece of foil loosely over the breast). To facilitate my doing of nothing, I like to use a bluetooth thermometer so I can monitor the temperature from the couch in the living room. People will say shouldnt you be watching the turkey? and Ill look at my phone and tell them its on track to be done by 4. Weber iGrill Mini $20.99 at Walmart $49.99 Save $29.00 Shop Now Shop Now $20.99 at Walmart $49.99 Save $29.00 What about basting?I do not baste it. Basting is overrated. I let the oven and the butter do their work. If the pan seems dry mid-cooking, Ill add half a cup of water just to make sure there will be enough liquid to collect drippings for gravy. But thats adding water to the pan, not drizzling it over the bird. You dont need to, I promise. And the skin comes out crispier if you don't.While the bird is cooking, I strongly recommend doing some organizational work. Make a checklist of every dish you plan to bring out to the table, and begin working on anything that can be done ahead of time. If somebody wanders into the kitchen and asks if they can help, give them a job. While youre at it, make a to-do list for those hectic 30 minutes after the turkey leaves the oven and before everybody sits down to eat. Maybe during that time youll be making a gravy, or warming up a side dish in the oven. Get everything ready so things can go smoothly when the time comes.How to know when a turkey is doneA turkey is done when you can insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing, and all of those locations read at least 165F. (The temperature will continue to rise as the bird rests, so its OK to take it out when its a few degrees shy of the target, but I dont want to overcomplicate this. If you want a simple rule, 165 is the number youre looking for.) Again: Ignore the pop-up thermometer. Pop-up thermometers are designed to pop at about 180 degrees, which means your breast meat may be very dry and firm. Some people like that texture; thats why the device was designed that way. (Many people do not.) Your choice of doneness is up to you, but for food safety reasons, you only need the meat to hit 165 degrees. Pop-up thermometers also arent consistent; occasionally youll get one that pops before the turkey is done. And youll want to check that the turkey is cooked everywhere, not just in one spot on the breast. Dont trust that button at all.Let the turkey restOnce the turkey is done, you take it out of the oven and let it rest before you attempt to carve it. The USDA recommends letting a bird rest for 15 to 20 minutes; many cooks prefer 30 minutes or more. Ive seen recommendations to let a bird rest for hours, which I cannot endorse. Id budget 30 minutes.Why not hours? Once the birds internal temperature drops to about 140Fwhich will normally happen during carvingthe bird should be eaten and leftovers put in the fridge within two hours. If you really want to push it, three or four hours is technically acceptable, but that four-hour mark is a hard stop, OK? People could get sick.During the turkeys resting time, you can make a gravy, either from scratch or by adding pan drippings to a store-bought or made-ahead gravy starter. We have a basic gravy recipe here: Its just roux (a mix of flour and butter) combined with a flavorful liquid such as stock or the watery (bottom) layer of your pan drippings. The only time I use a turkey baster is to suck up that bottom layer of drippings and squirt them into the pan of gravy. Otherwise, your job as the Roaster of the Turkey is done. Make sure to get a photo of your beautiful turkey, and assign someone else to carve it. Refer to your checklist to be sure that everybodys side dishes make it to the table, and youll look like some kind of hero who just pulled off the hardest job of the holiday.

Back in 2016, Apple decided it was time to dump the headphone jack. That year, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus shipped without the 3.5mm port that was standard on virtually all consumer devices at that point. The company claimed it took "courage" to remove the headphone jack from such a major product line, but, as it happened, the decision coincided with the introduction of AirPods, Apple's wireless earbuds. What better way to sell $159 headphones than to remove the port that you'd plug your existing headphones into?Of course, Apple didn't leave wired headphones user totally in the dust. The company also released its standard wired earbuds with a Lightning connector at the bottom, rather than a 3.5mm jack. For users who preferred their own wired earbuds or headphones to Apple's, the company had another solution: the Lightning to 3.5mm adapter. Plug the adapter into your iPhone, and presto! The 3.5mm port is back. You just couldn't charge your iPhone while listening to music anymore. Courage.Many mocked Apple for all these odd decisions, but as is so often the case in tech, the rest of the industry followed suit. These days, it's exceedingly difficult to find a new smartphone with the headphone jack. In fact, Apple has dropped the jack from its iPad lineup, as well. Many of us have moved on to wireless, while the rest of us begrudgingly deal with adapters.Apple appears to be doing away with the Lightning to 3.5mm adapterThose adapters, however, appear to be in jeopardyat least, that's what the tech headlines suggest. It seems that Apple is selling out of its Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter. When you visit its store page, it's completely sold out for delivery, and unavailable for Apple Store Pickup just about everywhere. It's not just this adapter, either: MacRumors reports that other Lightning adapters, like the Lightning to VGA adapter, are also disappearing. However, the USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter is widely available.Like the transition away from the built-in headphone port, this move might seem like Apple is trying to get you to upgrade, one way or another. Perhaps it might feel like the company is forcing you to finally adopt wireless headphones, or to upgrade your iPhone altogether. But here's the deal: If your current iPhone is still working fine, there's no reason to upgrade anything at all. In fact, if you need a new adapter, you have options, even if Apple isn't playing ball anymore. The reality is, Apple isn't making new iPhones with the Lightning port. Starting with the iPhone 15, the company made the switch to USB-C, which means it's going to prioritize accessories for the new devices with that port, rather than existing devices with the old port. Fair enough. That said, the company still sells iPhones with the Lightning port in its stores: the iPhone 14 and the iPhone SE. It's frustrating that they'd stop selling adapters for devices they'll happily sell you. But, again, it's no reason to buy a new pair of wireless headphones, or to choose the more expensive USB-C iPhone.Lightning to 3.5mm adapters are everywhereJust because Apple won't sell you one of these adapters, doesn't mean you're SOL. A quick search on Amazon for "Lightning to 3.5mm" returns over 1,000 resultsincluding Apple's own adapter. As of this piece, it's still in stock, albeit $16.94. That's quite a bit more expensive than the original $9 price tag, but it's still much cheaper than buying yourself a pair of AirPods, or a new iPhone, for that matter. Lightning Adapter for 3.5mm Headphone Connector $16.94 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $16.94 at Amazon If Amazon runs out of stock, too, or if you're looking for alternatives, you have your pick of the lot. Now, some of these are going to be better than others, but UGREEN seems to have a good Apple MFi-certified option for $14.99. If you hate not being able to charge your iPhone while listening to music with the adapter, this $29.74 option from Belkin lets you do both at the same time (as long as you don't mind the added bulk here).

If you're tuned in to digital culture news at all, it's been impossible to miss the chatter about Bluesky over the past month. The fledgling social media sitewhich looks and acts a lot like Twitter did a decade ago, long before Elon Musk bought it and renamed it Xis exploding in popularity, doubling in size over the past two months to around 20 million users.Suddenly a site you'd probably only heard of if you spend a lot of time thinking about your social media diet is topping the App Store charts and attracting a flood of folks looking to exit X as it has drifted toward promoting toxicity and even disinformation in the lead up to, and aftermath, of the U.S. presidential election. All of the reasons for the site's recent boom aside, if you're a new user, the most important thing to you is probably figuring out how to best use it, from making the migration from X, to learning Bluesky's quirks, to finding the people you used to follow elsewhere. But as much as it can feel like Old Twitter, Bluesky has some unique things to offerchiefly among them a lack of an algorithm that "learns" (or decides) what you're interested in. That's where a tool in the independently created Bluesky Directory comes in handy.Search more than 47,000 Bluesky "starter packs"Assembled by Mubashar Mubs Iqbal, Bluesky Directory is essentially a collection of links to Bluesky tools and utilities from across the internet, from a Chrome extension that helps you find all of your old X followers to links to third-party clients that are more customizable than the official Bluesky app and website. The most useful part of the directory, for Bluesky newbies at least, will be the searchable index of more than 47,000 "starter packs." If you haven't encountered one yet, a starter pack is essentially a list of Bluesky accounts sorted by what unifies the folks behind them. When you open a starter packeither within the Bluesky app or on the websiteyou can choose to follow everyone in it with a single tap or click, or scroll down and choose who you want to appear in your feed one by one.So, for example, if you're a big movie geek, you might enjoy a starter pack like Filmmakers, which features 20-odd directors (Rian Johnson, Kevin Smith, and Lily Wachowski among them). If you love podcasts, you could check out Women in Podcasting. If you want to keep tabs on everyone who writes for Lifehacker, I've created a starter pack for that too.You can search for starter packs on Bluesky itself, but the experience isn't great. Bluesky Directory's searchable index is a lot more user-friendly. You just type a few relevant terms into the search bar, and you'll be served up any starter packs that match (the site is slightly sluggishwhich is to be expected with a million new users coming online every daybut not unusably so). You'll be able to see a description, the number of accounts on the list, and even a preview of a few of them, right from the results page. There's a starter pack for (almost) everythingYou can browse a list of the most popular starter packs, but if you want a truly bespoke social media experience, it pays to do a granular search. As of this writing, the index includes 47,450 different options, with more being added every minute. (If you've created a starter pack you'd like added to the database, there's a link to submit one right there on the search page). And chances are good if you're interested in a topic, there's a starter pack for it. Perhaps you want to follow authors who like to post about their cats? Or maybe academics with learned opinions about pizza? COVID-conscious porn performers? I was disappointed there were no results for a search for "Ninja Turtles," but it's early days yet; on the other hand, I found lists of journalists who write for some of my favorite publications, as well as people who've guested on my favorite movie podcast.Once you find a feed you like, click on the name and you'll be taken to Bluesky, where you can choose who on the list you want to follow (or follow everyone). You can also toggle over to the "Posts" tab to see recent posts from everyone in the starter pack. Before you know it, you'll have a hyper-specific list of Bluesky follows attuned to your particular interestswhich seems, to me, a lot better than having an algorithm throwing rage-bait at your face every time you open the app.

Smart devices, on their own, are nifty, but one-note. You can turn things on or off, adjust volume or brightness, or tell your vacuum where to go. But automations are what make smart homes awesome: you network your devices together, create dependencies, and set up if/this, then/that scenarios to automatically execute tasks. Building these automations always takes a little finesse, but now, Google's Gemini AI offers to set up automations for you. When I tested this new feature, I hoped it was for the layman who might be intimidated by the basic automation creation flow. What I found, instead, was a feature intended for advanced users who want to dive into using a new tool called the the script editor (Google's tool for writing custom automations). Most users won't have automations that require more than the standard home automation wizard that has always existed, meaning they won't need to crack open the script editor or get Gemini's help herewhich is great, because the feature doesn't seem fully baked yet. These features could become useful in the future, as complicated smart home automations become more powerful and necessary, but for now, I found Gemini unable to offer error-free assistance. Google Home, Gemini, and the script editorThere are three key components to building automations through Google services. First, there's Google Home. This is a home base for all your smart home devices, the status and settings of your wifi, and best of all, automations. If you want to turn on a lightbulb, you can do that by tapping a button or asking Google Assistant. But if you don't want to ask, automations will turn the light on based on criteria you set up, like a time of day, activity of another device, or a certain phrase you tell Assistant. You simply have to create an automation in Google Home telling it to do so, and there's a straightforward setup wizard here to help you do so. Google Home recently added a desktop app, which is still in beta, but you can create automations and control your smart home from your computer, as well. Gemini, on the other hand, is Google's large language model and AI chatbot. The company has been integrating Gemini into all sorts of Google functionality, including a chatbot available on iPhone and Android. Right now, it's most useful as an assistant that opens in the sidebar of most Google apps and can respond to real language questions. It can already do this in Gmail, finding content or tightening up the language you use, and Google Meet, taking meeting notes on your behalf. Theoretically, using Gemini to create automations for users would be a great feature, but it turns out it is actually more complicated to use Gemini than to use the current wizard. Most Google products, including Sheets and Docs have had a script editor called Apps script for a while, but it's not used often. It's a feature targeted mostly for advanced users that allows you to create your own scripts, or paste scripts other people have written to do things your products don't do out of the box. The new script editor for Google Home is similar. Although it uses a different language (YAML) than Apps script, the purpose is the same: allow advanced users to do more than the automation wizard allows. How to set up automations in Google HomeThe current user flow to build automations in Google Home is straightforward for simple tasks, but any tasks that eclipse what the current Automations wizard will do, could, in theory, require the script editor. (For the record, I've been using Google Home prolifically for five years and never once needed to use the script editor for even one of my wacky automation ideas). If you're not a coder, the script editor in any Google product can be intimidating, so having Gemini handle this for you is a big lift, if it worked. But that wasn't my experience. To get Gemini's help, you'll need to sign up for servicesNow, some notes. This does, in fact, require that you give Google permission to activate Gemini on your phone. I've been avoiding this since I activated my new Pixel a few weeks ago, but for the purpose of this article, I decided it was time to dive in. While endlessly useful, Gemini isn't free in some cases. You'll also need to join the app's public preview to access the script editor. This was a few simple steps. Open the Google Home app, go to Settings, and then click on Join Public Preview. Go to settings, and then activate public preview Credit: Amanda Blum Accessing Gemini is easier on the desktop appGoogle calls this assistive lift from Gemini "Help me script." To be abundantly clear, using the script editor on any day is not for the weak. Its a code language, YAML, is technically easier to write than other code bases like Php, Perl, Ruby, or Javascript. However, if you don't know YAML, there's a learning curve, and it is still code. Personally, I'd expect that if you pay for this Gemini assistance, you wouldn't need to know YAML. That is not the case, I found. Once you've signed up for preview, and Gemini is activated, you can open the script editor on your Google Home app or the web interface. How to access the script editor on the Google Home app Credit: Amanda Blum This was my first time using the web interface, but since there's copying and pasting involved, I'd suggest using it over the app. Plus, Gemini didn't want to pop up on the app for me, so all the more reason to use the desktop interface. On the right hand side of the script editor, you can see the Gemini prompt Credit: Amanda Blum Most scripts by Gemini had errorsTo start, I asked for help with simple automations that could be done in the wizard: tell me when it's sunset every day. This automation doesn't involve any devices, simply an out-of-the-box piece of data that Google already has. ("What time is sunset?") Gemini spit out the code, and instructed me to copy and paste it into the script editor and validate it, but warned it already had an error. The script editor confirmed this as well, and identified the problematic line of code. A mouseover explained why I was seeing the error so I could correct it. This happened over and over, where I would ask Gemini to create a script for something relatively easy ("turn on backyard lights when backyard camera detects activity") and I'd get errors. Sometimes, the script editor could explain them, sometimes it could not. But Gemini, an AI chatbot designed to answer questions from users, had no function to help me solve the problem. Some mild digging on the internet was unhelpful, since each kind of device has different possible commands, and everything I read suggested the commands Gemini wrote should work. Remember, I hadn't asked Gemini to do anything difficult yet, all the automations I asked for would have been very easy to do in the regular automation panel, without the script editor or Gemini. Errors are shown as rollover tips in the script editor Credit: Amanda Blum If you're successful with the script editor (I was able to clear some errors with a little help from the tool tips and some research), you save the script, and then it appears in your list of automations. You can turn it on and off at will, and when it is activated, you'll see it in automation history. Who is the script editor and "Help Me Script" for?As I said, I'm an automation enthusiast, and I have a ton of them running. I also code. Despite both of those facts, I maintain that most people won't need the script editor, but there are some examples where it would make sense. Anything with a double dependency would use the script editor. For instance, if I want a fan to turn on when it's over 80 degrees, I can do that in Google Home. I can also have the fan turn on if it's dark out. What I can't do is require both circumstances, unless I'm using the script editor. Additionally, the script editor would let me set conditionals, like, "if it's over 80 degrees, turn on the fan, but if it's under 60, turn on the heater." You can hack these situations together using many automations that aren't connected in Google Home, but the script editor would be a more efficient way to do so in one clean user flow. Unfortunately, to make that happen, you're still going to need to learn YAML for now, because Gemini's help isn't going to do your homework for you: For the most part, and for most people, Gemini just isn't ready to script your automations for you.

The stock market rallied to all-time highs on Wednesday following Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite indexes each reached new record levels.Here's what you need to know about why the market responded in this way, and what it means for your investment strategy.Why the markets surged post electionAnalysts attribute the market surge to two key factors:Reduced uncertainty. As I've covered previously, the prospect of a new government and potential policy shifts can create a whirlwind of speculation, leading to market volatility that can unsettle even seasoned investors. An election outcomeregardless of the winnereliminated the uncertainty that had weighed on the markets prior to the vote. In fact, the U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House.Prospects of a business-friendly government. Investors are anticipating pro-business policies from a second Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Senate.The Dow closed up over 800 points, or 2.9%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq gained 2.2% and 3.9% respectively. As we've already seen, Trump has a penchant for rolling back or undoing regulations, which benefits sectors that might have experienced greater scrutiny under a Harris administration. Banking, energy, and technology stocks were among the biggest winners in the days following the election.What this means for youWhile this news might make it tempting to buy shares of Tesla or Bitcoin, you might want to take a beat, first. As a rule of thumb, financial advisors caution investors against making sudden, drastic changes to their portfolios based on this one-time event. The so-called "Trump trade" could easily turn into a bumpy roadinvestors should be wary that parts of Trumps economic platform, such as tax cuts and tariffs, could stoke inflation. Plus, all the details of the timing and implementation of the Republican policy agenda are hardly clear at this time. It's never a good idea to dramatically alter your investment strategy in response to a specific election outcome. Instead, this could be a good time to rebalance and make sure you're not overly exposed to any one sector or company. So while the rally may be tempting, always evaluate your overall asset allocation first before jumping in. Allowing current events to constantly sway your financial decisions can lead to emotional stress and decision-making influenced by fear or overconfidence. After all, you're not as objective as you thinkhere some tips so that you don't lose money over it. In the end, experts recommend staying disciplined and sticking to your long-term investment plan, regardless of who occupies the White House.And if you experienced some gains and anticipate a big expense in the short term, converting some of your earnings into cash or certificates of deposit could be a good move.

With the release of the Quest 3S, Meta aims to provide users with an affordable virtual and augmented reality experience. A stripped-down version of the Meta Quest 3, the 3S is an entry-level, standalone VR rig at a price that won't make you wince. But is the $200 price-chop worth the sinking FOMO feeling that can come from buying second-best gear? Like everything in life, it depends on your expectations and how picky you are. While the 3S is a huge improvement, in every way, over the Quest 2, things get more complex when compared to the Quest 3. The processing power is the same, so it's fully compatible with all that system's games and software, but the graphics are a downgrade. Different display types on the two models means experiences on the Quest 3S don't look quite as good as they do on the Quest 3. The 3S's graphics are very good, thoughso good that the downgrade probably won't be a deal killer for many. Meta Quest 3S (128GB) $299.99 at Best Buy Shop Now Shop Now $299.99 at Best Buy ProsLow pricePowerful processorConsGraphically weaker than the Meta Quest 3Quest 3S specsProcessor: Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2DRAM: 8GBDisplay resolution: 1,832 by 1,920 (per eye)Refresh rate: 120Hz Headset weight: 514gField of view: 96 degrees horizontal, 90 degrees verticalChipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2Audio: Stereo speakers compatible with 3D spatial audio, 3.5mm audio jackRam: 8GB Storage: 128GB or 256GBBattery life: Up to 2.5 hoursCharge time: 2.3 hours via 18W power adapterHow the Meta Quest 3S feels on your face"Will I actually want to strap this thing to my head?" is the first question I ask about any VR gear. No matter how technically impressive it may be, if I don't feel comfortable wearing a headset, if it causes neck strain, or feels awkward/unwieldy, I'm not likely to use it much. I'm happy to report that the Quest 3S is tolerable to strap to your face. The headset's front-heavy style looks more like last-generation's Quest 2 than the Quest 3, but the new head strap, the device's fairly even weight distribution, and its lightness (at 514 grams, it actually weighs a gram less than the Quest 3) result in a comfortable enough headset for long periods of escape from reality. It's slightly less comfortable than the Quest 3, though. The bulk of the 3S's mass is farther from your face, making it feel a touch heavier. The Meta Quest 3S is smooth like butterFrom initial setup to navigation, the Meta Quest 3S is smooth and intuitive. Someone who is brand new to VR should be able to pick it up and get started with minimal hassle, and even fairly complex tasks like defining an area for using the device in your house can be accomplished with minimal headache. Meta's UI designers deserve recognition for creating an environment that's so intuitive you barely even notice it. The same vibe applies to the controllers. They fit right in your hand, and "doing things" in experiences, like pushing buttons, grabbing objects, or pulling triggers, is instantly understandable. I coached a tech-phobic friend though a first-VR experience mostly by saying, "don't think about it. Just do what you would do"a real testament to the intuitive control scheme. Pancake vs. Fresnel: under the hood of a Meta Quest 3S Credit: Stephen Johnson Both the Meta Quest 3 and the Quest 3S are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor with 8GB of RAM, so in terms of processing, they're equals. That power means even the larger, more complex games that are coming out for the system, like Batman: Arkham Shadow, run smoothly. Augmented reality experiences like the "Home Invasion" mode in Drop Dead: The Cabin hum along nicely. The front-facing cameras mean you can snap yourself back into reality with a knock on the side of the headset or by pressing a new-for-the-3S controller button. Everything seems to work just as well on the 3S and the 3. But there is one difference: the display. Taken on their own, the Quest 3S's graphics are amazing for a standalone VR headset. If it's your first time using VR, or you're upgrading from a Quest 2, you're going to be blown away by the crispness and clarity of the Quest 3S's visuals. You're not likely to think, "I wish these could be better." If you've used a Quest 3, however, it might be a different story.The 3S's fresnel lenses and display offer a narrower field-of-view and lower resolution than the pancake lenses of the Quest 3. The 3S's display is 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye compared to the 3's 2064 x 2208 pixels per eye. One number is definitely bigger than the other, but how much does it matter in practice? To me, not much. I took a screenshot from each device in the same position in Assassin's Creed: Nexus for comparison, and I can barely tell them apart. The one on the left was taken with the 3S. The one on the right with the 3: Credit: Stephen Johnson/Ubisoft Maybe you can't readily tell from screenshots, but if I switch between a 3 and my 3S, I can see some differenceson the 3S, characters on menu screens look a little jaggy, the field of view is smaller, things look less clearbut overall, it's one of those "Yeah, I guess that looks a little better, maybe" things to me, not an "Oh my God! This looks like garbage!" thing. I realize some people won't be able to tolerate not having the best possible experience, but I don't get hung up on perfect visual clarity. I'm more about the overall effect than the fine details. Which brings me to the big question: Is the Meta Quest 3S fun? The Meta Quest 3S is crazy fun. I played the same mission in Assassin's Creed Nexus VR on the Quest 3 and the Quest 3S, and found that I had the same amount of fun sneaking around in historical Italy in each. I then spent 15 minutes working out in Supernatural using each headset and burned the same number of calories swatting at targets, even though the scenery was a touch more blurry on the 3S. I watched a YouTube video while on my back in each, checked out some immersive, 360 videos, and poked around in Meta Horizon Worlds. Each experience was equally fun, and I didn't find the visual differences distracting and wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't looking for them. Fun is subjective, though. Maybe you can only enjoy things if you know it's the best possible experience. Fun levels may be equal, but if given a choice, I'm going to pick the Meta Quest 3 every time for its comfort and clarity (and because it's the better one). The wider field of view feels slightly less claustrophobic. The better weight distribution makes it slightly more comfortable. Everything looks slightly crisper. But if I was going to buy a Quest 3 or 3S, I'd pick the 3S without hesitating. The visual differences are slight, but the price difference is substantial. At $299, a base level 3S is nearly half the cost of the $499 Quest 3, and that price makes it a bargain, and, overall, a better product.Bottom line: the Quest 3 is a killer toy In my review of the Meta Quest 3, I noted how technically impressive it is, but wondered if it had any use beyond a flashy toy. I still rarely use a VR headset for anything but watching movies or playing games, but 3S's lower price means I don't feel like I should be. It's a toy, but an insanely greatand now reasonably pricedtoy. The Quest 3S offers near-identical performance to the Quest 3, and its $299 price and pick-up-and-play vibe make it a great product if you want to dip your feet into the world of VR/AR but you don't want to make it your lifestyle.

I remember actually being excited when I got a smartphone that could check email. I imagined a future life of supercharged productivity, in which I triaged all my incoming messages while brushing my teeth or sitting on the bus. When I actually got to my desk, I thought, I could do some proper work that wasn't just sifting through emails.These days of course, my feelings are a little different. We're all constantly bombarded with notifications every dayfrom multiple email apps, and all the restand today I appreciate time away from the frequent pings and buzzes.Google has introduced a small but helpful tweak in Android 15 for Pixels that helps to reduce notification overload: It means that when you dismiss an alert on one Pixel phone or tablet, you're not going to then see it again on another one. Setting up the feature You'll find the new feature in notification settings. Credit: Lifehacker Assuming all of your Pixel devices are updated to the latest Android 15 version, you may well see a notification on one or more of them asking if you want to enable the feature. If you've dismissed the notification or it doesn't show up at all, you can head to Settings and choose Notifications > Dismiss notifications across Pixel devices to find it.This is a quick tweak and there's not much in the way of setup required. Turn on the Dismiss on this device, confirm that you give the feature permission to manage your notifications, and you're done. If you're using multiple Google accounts on the same phone or tablet, you can pick the account you want to sync notifications for.You need to then repeat this process for all of the devices you'd like to keep in sync. If there's a phone or tablet you want to make sure you always get notifications on, no matter what you're doing on your other devices, leave this option switched off. If you'd rather go back to the standard approach, just turn off the toggle switch again.One important caveat to bear in mind: All your devices need to be connected to wifi for the notifications to be universally dismissed. If you're out and about with your phone on a cellular network, the syncing isn't going to kick in until you connect to wifi at home or somewhere else.Managing notification syncing You can always retrieve your notification history on any device. Credit: Lifehacker I gave this a try using two Pixel phones (being a tech journalist with a lot of phones on hand), but it's going to be most useful when you've got a Pixel phone and a Pixel tabletyou won't then be dismissing notifications on one gadget and then having to go all the way through them again on another.With all your phones and tablets signed up for the sync program, your notifications work as if you were just handling one device: An email alert might pop up on both phone and tablet, for example, but if you swipe it away or press on it to read the message then the notification vanishes on your other devices.If you think you're worried you must have missed something along the way, Pixel devices have a handy notification history feature you can use as a safety net. Open Notifications from Settings, then choose Notification history. From here you can enable the feature (if it isn't already) and see recently dismissed notifications.It's certainly cut down on the number of distracting alerts I've heard in the background while I've been trying to get work done, and it's something I'm always going to keep switched on with multiple Pixels around. Hopefully, it'll be something that comes to Android more widely in the future, so all phones and tablets are included.

Tired: My favorite Christmas movie is Die Hard. Wired: My favorite Christmas movie is Eyes Wide Shut. You could be forgiven for finding the now-annual seasonal discourse vis vis Die Hards status as a holiday movie exhausting. What began as a funny bit of trivia has become an ice cold hot take from the "funniest" guy in the officetheres even officially licensed, branded merchandise celebrating the films Christmas bona fides! Any discussion on the topic is purely academic at this point, and I think were all ready to move on. The real question is, move on to what? Which only-technically-a-holiday-movie movie will emerge as the choice of actually... cineastes the internet over? Forgive me for suggesting that Die Hard could ever get old, but there will surely come a day when you'll want to watch a different so-called Christmas movie. Tastes and seasonal holiday celebrations may vary, but here are 28 reasonable alternatives.The Thin Man (1934) As a not-Christmas movie, The Thin Man is about as festive as they come, with much of the major action set during a boozy holiday party and a subsequent hungover Christmas morning, during which Nick and Nora, two grown adults sans children, open their presents and have the sort of laid-back good time that the day affords only to the childless. Sequels would soon introduce Nick Jr., so this is the last time the Charles family will be able to spend Christmas quite so drunk. You can rent The Thin Man from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Mix a martini and pop it on every Dec. 24. The Thin Man (1934) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Night of the Hunter (1955) Actor Charles Laughton's sole directorial effort finds Robert Mitchum's creepy and seductive (but mostly creepy) preacher murdering his way through the local spinsters as an occupation, while also believing that he's on a righteous path. It builds to a Christmas scene, and also a lynch mob, with the strong suggestion that being able to quote from the Bible isn't even remotely the same thing as having true compassion. You can stream Night of the Hunter on MGM+ and The Criterion Channel, or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Set up a little tree on your raft as you flee down the river. Night of the Hunter (1955) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Apartment (1960) Set largely between Christmas and New Years Eve, Billy Wilders Best Picture-winner was wildly controversial when it was releasedand also managed to score a ton of awards, ushering in a new era in Hollywood filmmaking. Jack Lemmon plays Bud Baxter, an insurance clerk whos climbed the corporate ladder by loaning out his apartment to higher-ups to use for their extramarital affairs. In the midst of all this, a fraught affection develops between Bud and Shirley MacLaines Fran, the office buildings elevator operator, a woman whos herself been in a loveless, joyless affair with Buds boss. As is so often the holiday season in real life, the plot is as dark as it gets for each of them, until a few glimmers of seasonal spirit shine through. You can stream The Apartment on Tubi, Freevee, and Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? If the similarly grim Its a Wonderful Life can become a holiday favorite, then theres no reason The Apartment cant follow suit. (Like that movie, this one involves themes of suicide, something for viewers sensitive to that type of content to keep in mind.) The Apartment (1960) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Trading Places (1983) Some of the language and jokes here are pretty outrageous by 21st-century standards, but it's largely forgivable in that it all feeds into the film's mocking depiction of anti-Black racismand the jokes are, depressingly, not really any less current 40+ years later. Brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) own a commodities brokerage firm and decide to have a bit of fun: playing god, after a fashion, with an experiment in which they will bring low the firm's managing director (Dan Aykroyd) and elevate a clever street hustler (Eddie Murphy) in his place, placing bets on the outcome. After a bit of Christmas-themed insider trading, the movie ends up as a surprisingly satisfying take on the ways in which rich old white people love to manipulate the rest of us into fighting among ourselvesand the potential for fighting back. You can rent Trading Places from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? A little more bite than you might be looking for in a holiday film, but the satire remains sharp and the conclusion is deeply satisfying. Trading Places (1983) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) A soaring, candy-colored musical about young lovers (Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo) separated by circumstance in the titular city. Pretty much every word is sung, in French, and with operatic zealbut without the highfalutin' style that implies. The film's climax arrives on Christmas Eve, but it's a bittersweet holiday (the movie itself takes place across a little more than a year). You can stream The Umbrellas of Cherbourg on Max, The Criterion Channel, or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? One of the most beautiful films ever made, certainly in terms of its color palette, it also offers romance that's somehow both realistic and wonderfully melodramatic. So I'm thinking yes. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Female Trouble (1974) Christmas is kickoff for the chaos that unfolds in this twisted John Waters classic. When she fails to receive the cha-cha heels she wanted from Santa, juvenile delinquent Dawn Davenport sets off on a lifetimes worth of troublemaking. Its one of the most memorable holiday moments in movie history, and a stark lesson about the importance of giving your kids what they really want. You can rent Female Trouble on Fandango at Home, or buy it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? John Waters isnt for everyone, but for those of us who dream of cha-cha heels come Christmastime, this is 100% a movie that can be watched every year. Female Trouble (1974) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Green Knight (2021) What about Christmas, but in a phantasmagorically trippy, vaguely medieval world? David Lowery's adaptation of the 14th-century chivalric poem didn't entirely connect with theatrical audiences, but it's as accurate a translation of the weird, obscure rhythms of Arthurian romance as you're ever likely to come across in film. It's also absolutely gorgeous. You can stream or rent the Green Knight on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? I could easily see it becoming a holiday favorite in my house, but its languid, dreamlike quality isn't going to suit every taste. Give it time, though, and it might well grow on you. The Green Knight (2021) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Night of the Comet (1984) During the Christmas season, in southern California of the 1980s, the Earth passes through the trail of a comet that has turned most people into dust or, if they received a little less exposure, into zombies that will eventually become dust. The upside for the teens who managed to survive is that they get the run of the city, free from parental oversight and nagging adults. Even with the zombies: almost worth it. You can stream Night of the Comet on The Roku Channel and Pluto TV.Will it become your next holiday classic? If you're entirely sick of snow, a Christmas trip to southern California might be just the thing. Even if there are zombies. Night of the Comet (1984) at Pluto TV Learn More Learn More at Pluto TV Ordinary People (1980) Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore star in this Best Picture Oscar winner about a family's collapse following the accidental death of their older teenage son. The film's pivotal scene occurs at Christmas, when the surviving sibling's resentment at his mother explodes during a family photoshoot. You can stream Ordinary People on MGM+, or rent it at Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Worth a watch, but I'm going to say nounless your family life is so devoid of trauma and drama that you feel the need to live through a tragedy vicariously. Ordinary People (1980) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Brazil (1985) Christmas goes to hell in the dystopian but increasingly prescient sci-fi film from Terry Gilliam. A happy family watches Tiny Tim on the telly at the movie's opening, only for a clerical error to send a SWAT team dropping into their living room. We're very quickly out of "A Christmas Carol" territory and into a bureaucratic, capitalist hellscape (aka "life"). Brazil sees characters believing wild things and struggling to distinguish reality from fantasy in a world where elites control the flow of information with ease. Imagine! You can rent Brazil on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? It's probably a little on-the-nose in our present to be any kind of comfort viewing, but it's certainly worth watching at least once. Brazil (1985) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Die Hard II (1990) Maybe youre getting bored watching the first Die Hard over and over and over again, but arent looking to stray too far from the Bruce Willis shoots up terrorists genre. Its worth remembering that Die Hard 2 is also a Christmas movieits set on Christmas Eve, two years after the first film. Unlike so many sequels, its almost as enjoyable as the first, and it really gets how terrible it is to travel for the holidays, so theres no reason not to mix things up a bit. You can stream Die Hard II on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? It probably wont replace the first movie in your yuletide-viewing queue, but itll at least make for a pleasant (by which I mean loud) double feature. Die Hard II (1990) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Batman Returns (1992) The holiday season in Gotham is about as weird as youd hope, with a moody penguin man running for mayor and a seductive leather mama skipping around, robbing jewelry stores and stealing hearts. As Bat-movies go, Returns offers the best blend of the campy sensibilities of old with the psychological, obsessively dark modern Caped Crusader. You can stream Batman Returns on Max, or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? The movies central Christmas tree lighting action sequence involves a woman thrown from a building, but its generally no less violent than Die Hard, and holiday themes persist throughout (mistletoe is deadly if you eat it, you know). Its probably your best bet if you aim to have a superhero holiday. Batman Returns (1992) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Cronos (1993) Guillermo del Toro's brilliant debut sees an elderly antiques dealer and his granddaughter opening up a centuries-old archangel statue to find a scarab that transforms the man into something very like a vampire. It's set during the holiday season, but the Christmas connections are mostly thematic; death and rebirth, temptation, and potential redemption abound. You can stream Cronos on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Del Toro turns Christmas on its head and challenges orthodoxy, making it a great choice for the holiday-skeptical. All of the director's movies are highly rewatchable, so I say keep bloody vampire Christmas in your heart, this and every year. Cronos (1993) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Star Trek Generations (1994) How better to spend Christmas than with the ninth- or 10th-best Star Trek movie? Though the series typically avoids anything to do with religion, Generations finds Captain Picard briefly trapped in the Nexus, an extra-dimensional realm that seduces you by allowing you to live out your fantasies. Picard, it seems, dreams of a large family Christmas with a vaguely old-timey milieu. The result is a bit of a spin on Its a Wonderful Life, with Jean-Luc witnessing a vision of his what his life might be like if hed never set out for the stars. You can stream Star Trek Generations on Paramount+ and MGM+ or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Its the only one on this list with anything remotely resembling a Christmas theme, but there are better Star Trek movies to watch over and over. Star Trek Generations (1994) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ The Ref (1994) Denis Leary plays a crook who winds up taking a couple (Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey) hostage when a job goes wrong; the jokes on him, because the two are at each others throats every moment. Theyre really the most bitter, hateful people imaginable, and Learys robber/hostage-taker winds up as not only the movies most likable character, but also the peacemaker, especially after the rest of the family shows up for Christmas Eve dinner. Terrible in-laws? At a holiday meal? Can you imagine? You can rent The Ref on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? It's a bit caustic to make the regular rotation, but it'll offer a palate-cleansing break from holiday schmaltz. The Ref (1994) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Babe (1995) Babe offers a complex vision of the holiday season best summarized by the line: Christmas means carnage! At least it does for the delightful anthropomorphic animals of Hoggetts farm. On one level, its an entire movie about the title pig learning the dark secret of the season, and then doing whatever he can to charm his way out of the oven. You can stream Babe on Max or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Its delightful, but you might want to skip the ham at dinner afterwardOscar nominee James Cromwell turned vegan during filming. Babe (1995) Learn More Learn More The City of Lost Children (1995) Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caros surreal classic involves not just one, but several Santasmost of them pretty scary, honestly, but thats hardly the point. The film concerns Krank, an elderly being whose inability to dream has made him malicious and cruel; now he kidnaps children and steals their dreams to survive. The father of one of Kranks victims (Ron Perlman) joins forces with an orphan (Judith Vittet) to rescue the kidnapped children. Theres a strong overarching theme of family, found and otherwise, that cements the holiday feel. You can rent The City of Lost Children from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Its surreal and a little scary in places, but also a lovely fairy tale, with warm seasonal themes throughout. The City of Lost Children (1995) Learn More Learn More L.A. Confidential (1997) What could possibly be more festive than a movie that kicks off with a Christmas party? At this particular Bloody Christmas shindig, based on real events, a bunch of LAPD officers get drunk and beat up several (mostly Mexican-American) prisonersthe kind of thing that could definitely only happen in the past and that clearly has no present day relevance whatsoever. Bing Crosbys music is a motif throughout, though, and the entire thing set during the holiday season. Ho ho ho! You can rent L.A. Confidential from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Its as dark as Christmas movies come, but no more violent than Die Hard. L.A. Confidential (1997) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video End of Days (1999) Channelling now-quaint change-of-millennium anxieties, Arnold Schwarzenegger's team-up with director Peter Hyams (Timecop) for the story of former NYPD detective Jericho Cane (beat that for an on-the-nose character name) battling Satan (in the guise of Gabriel Byrne) during the holiday seasonand if the devils baby is born by New Years Eve, it will signal the titular end of days. Its all a little (a lot) silly, but a fun way to smooth out the wrinkles in your brain during a sleepy holiday afternoon. You can rent End of Days from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Suffused with Catholic imagery and taking place over the holidays, it could make for a fun Christmas watchthough it probably wont stand up to repeated viewings. End of Days (1999) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Go (1999) By far the best of the post-Pulp Fiction imitators of the late 90s, Go also features the best cast (Taye Diggs, Sarah Polley, Jane Krakowski, Timothy Olyphant, etc.) and the trickiest script, telling the overlapping stories of a holiday drug deal gone wrong. Though theres not much Christmas spirit on display here (theres no learning, and none of the characters are even particularly good people), the movie reminds us frequently, and maybe a bit ironically, when this is all going downthe inclusion of a mid-movie Christmas-themed rave serving that purpose particularly well. You can stream Go on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? If youre looking for an antidote to all that holiday cheer, then absolutely. (And for the thirsty, shirtless Timothy Olyphant wears a Santa hat.) Go (1999) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ Eyes Wide Shut (1999) There are an extremely limited number of dreamy, erotic mysteries that simultaneously qualify as Christmas moviesthat number might in fact be one, and its Eyes Wide Shut. Stanley Kubrick's swan song begins at a vaguely naughty, adults-only Christmas party and ends with a more conventional bit of holiday shopping with the kids. Those scenes bookend a shadowy stroll through New York in winter and a ritualistic orgy, and so the film really captures every aspect of the season. You can stream Eyes Wide Shut on Paramount+.Will it become your next holiday classic? You could do worse than to spend the holidays with Kubrick...but maybe wait for the kids to go to bed first. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ Cast Away (2000) The opening scenes play like a textbook version of a Hallmark/Lifetime-style Christmas movie: Tom Hanks Chuck Nowland is a workaholic who abandons Christmas dinner in order to deal with a work problem. Only his work problem is in Malaysia, setting the FedEx executive off on a date with destiny in the form of a horrific plane crash and a volleyball named Wilson. Following that aviation disaster, most of the rest of the movie takes place on a deserted island, but this all could have been avoided if you didnt go to work on Christmas! remains the overarching leitmotif. You can rent Cast Away from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Nowlands isolation could seem like a desirable fantasy amid the chaos of a family visit, though nervous air travelers might wish to avoid it altogether. Cast Away (2000) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Ice Harvest (2005) An entirely under-the-radar neo-noir from the late Harold Ramis, The Ice Harvestsituates its action on Christmas Eve, a time when only the most interesting people are out and about in the world. John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton play con men who just ripped off a mobster to the tune of $2 million. All they want to do is get out of town, a goal complicated by an ice storm thats closed the roads, forcing them to cool their heels while avoiding their pursuers. You can rent The Ice Harvest from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Its a pitch-perfect noir following the cascading, complex events of a harrowing Christmas Eve, so its a great contender if youre looking for something to put your personal holiday chaos in perspective. The Ice Harvest (2005) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) Maybe dont rob a toy store on Christmas? Thats about as close to a seasonal message youll get out of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but were not necessarily here for that. The muted holiday trappings of an LA Christmas are on display, embodied (pardon the pun) in Michelle Monaghans tight-fitting Santa suit. Director Shane Black has a whole thing about setting his movies around Christmastime, so you could always pair this one with Iron Man III and settle down to dreams of holidays with Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer. This one is almost certainly Blacks best, though. You can rent Kiss Kiss Bang Bang from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? As an action alternative to Die Hard with a similarly charismatic leading man, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang might be a perfect substitute. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Proposition (2005) Its Christmastime in the old west (1880s Australia, actually, but western movie style abounds), and theres murder in the offing. In this case, it involves a choice given to renegade Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) by lawman Morris Stanley (Ray Winstone): Burns must either hunt down and kill his older brother, wanted for rape and murder, or his younger brother, already in custody for lesser crimes, will hang. That decision kicks off a contemplative journey through the outback, one drenched in tremendous performances and style, if nary a hint of festive greenery. You can stream The Proposition on Prime Video, Peacock, Freevee, and Tubi.Will it become your next holiday classic? It might be a bit too quiet for sleepy Christmas Day viewing, but it deserves a spot somewhere on your holiday watchlist. The Proposition (2005) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video In Bruges (2008) Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play a pair of not-so-great hitmen lying low in the title city, as ordered by their increasingly volatile boss (Ralph Fiennes). This dark comedy is packed with smart, funny dialogue, and the almost paternal relationship between the two assassins is genuinely charming, as is the Belgian Christmastime setting. Still, it's a movie about hitmen that kicks off with the killing of a kid in a church, so the laughs are of a very particular kind. You can rent In Bruges from Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? It's definitely got a well-earned reputation as a cult classic, so I'd say there's a good chance it's one you'll want to return to. In Bruges (2008) Learn More Learn More Tangerine (2015) Two trans sex workers (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor) set out across yuletide Los Angeles, on the hunt for Rodriguezs characters cheating boyfriend/pimp. There arent a ton of queer holiday movies (unless Meet Me in St. Louis counts), and Tangerine compellingly explores a Christmas on the margins. Its set in sunny LA, so the festive trappings are mutedand for the leads, family would hardly mean group photos in cozy sweaters anywaybut its Christmas all the same. A haunting, gorgeous rendition of Toyland seals the deal. You can stream Tangerine on Netflix, Tubi, and Hulu, or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? This could be your queer Die Hard, no question. Tangerine (2015) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Carol (2015) The chemistry between Rooney Maras Therese and Cate Blanchetts Carol is palpable from the moment their eyes meet across a crowded department storeTherese is working the Christmas rush, while Carol is a glamorous older woman going through a divorce and shopping for her daughter. Its 1952, and theirs is a love that dare not speak its name, even to one another. The women suffer for their love, but not exclusively; 'tis the season for both heartbreak and romance. You can stream Carol on Netflix and Paramount+, or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Christmas could always stand to be a little gayer, and this one is already a queer classic. Carol (2015) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ Call Me By Your Name (2017) A seasonal romance that culminates in a Hanukkah celebration, Call Me By Your Names sweaty Northern Italian setting doesnt scream winter festivitiesbut who needs snow, anyway? You just need a peach and a cozy fire in front of which to cry artfully. The ending even involves themes of perseverance and renewal, and is therefore wonderfully thematic. You can stream Call Me By Your Name on Netflix, or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? Armie Hammer's problematic persona complicates the movies reputation, but Call Me By Your Name otherwise makes for a bittersweet holiday romance. Call Me By Your Name (2017) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Spencer (2021) Pablo Larran's moody and idiosyncratic biopic breaks almost all of the rules of the genre, to great effect. Kristen Stewart plays Diana, Princess of Wales, spending the Christmas holiday at the royal family's estate at Sandringham as the tabloids attack from the outside and her own in-laws eat away at her from within the palace. It's kind of like The Shining, but with too many royals subbing in for all the ghosts. You can stream Spencer on Hulu, or rent it on Prime Video.Will it become your next holiday classic? I'm not sure it's endlessly rewatchable, but the dreamy vibe is well-suited to a long winter's night. Spencer (2021) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu

Like many, I enjoy creating custom playlists on both Apple Music (for myself) and on Spotify (for my friends). Making nice playlist cover art is a fun part of this process, but I've found both Apple Music and Spotify's built-in tools lacking. Apple Music lets you select photos from your library or pick a generated cover. Spotify also lets you pick a photo you've saved, and it has a cover generator feature in beta that offers greater control over the background, elements in the image, and the text. Apple's cover options become repetitive to me quite quickly, while I find it takes too long to make good covers using Spotify's editor. This is why I've been relying on Denim, an app that lets you make custom playlist covers for both Apple Music and Spotify. Denim's been around for a couple of years now, and it recently got a big update that added support for Spotify. Its developer also made Hezel, which lets you back up all of your Apple Music playlists.How to make custom Apple Music, Spotify playlist covers with DenimWhen you open Denim, the app will ask for access to your Apple Music and Spotify data. This is required for the app to see your playlists and help you generate cover art for them. Once you've granted it the proper permissions, the app will show you all your playlists when you tap the + button in the top-right corner. You'll see your playlists sorted in two neat tabsApple Music and Spotify. Note that Denim only lets you customize playlist covers for playlists that you have personally created. It doesn't show Apple or Spotify's editorial or algorithmic playlists, or playlists created by others. This makes it easy to find your playlists with stale cover art. That saved me a lot of trouble, because I have around 200 playlists on my Apple Music account, including around 50 that I've created. To start creating a cover, tap any of your playlists and Denim will generate a whole bunch of covers to start from. There is a good variety of basic covers with a solid background color, and some with gradients, patterns, or textures in the background.As far as I can tell, there's no AI in use here, with Denim instead occasionally adding new artwork manually, such as the patterns designed by Daniel Baketaric. Credit: Pranay Parab I like the Denim covers that prominently display an artist from my playlist. Another personal favorite is the emoji cover, which looks at the region and genre of music and picks emoji based on those factors. You may see the flag of the country that songs are from and some instruments commonly used in the songs. But the real fun begins when you go to the Explore More section. This lets you see covers that are based on moods, scenes, genres, activities, seasons, and much more. Denim is a free download, and it allows you to create many types of playlist covers without paying. The app has no ads, either. There is a Pro tier that is home to a few additional cover and editing options, though, and you'll need it even to edit free covers. Denim Pro is available at $4.99 per year or a one-time in-app purchase of $19.99. This gives you access to editing options including changing the font, the background, and the text on the cover.

If you're looking for a solid mid-range TV that delivers great visuals and gaming features without breaking the bank, the 75'' Hisense U7 ULED 4K TV is worth a serious look. Currently priced at $897.99 (down from $1,397.99), its at its lowest-ever price, according to price-tracking tools. It has four HDMI ports (two supporting 4K 144Hz, one with eARC), two USB ports, a headphone jack, and an Ethernet portgiving you plenty of connectivity options for all your gaming and streaming needs. Hisense 75U7N $897.99 at Amazon $1,397.99 Save $500.00 Get Deal Get Deal $897.99 at Amazon $1,397.99 Save $500.00 Speaking of streaming, Google TV powers the U7, offering easy access to all the major streaming services, alongside Google Cast and Apple AirPlay (so you can stream straight from your Android or Apple devices without any fuss). Plus, its built-in far-field microphones let you use Google Assistant hands-free for everything from searching for shows to controlling smart home devices with just your voice. You can always use the included remote if you prefer a more hands-on approach.The U7 brings a lot to the table when it comes to both picture quality and gaming. Its 4K QLED panel supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and more, delivering rich colors and excellent contrast. That said, the greens and yellows might not fully nail the DCI-P3 color space, and shadow details in high-contrast scenes could be sharper, but the overall image quality remains stellarespecially at this price point, according to this PCMag review. Add in its 144Hz refresh rate, Wifi 6E, and ATSC 3.0 tuner for 4K broadcasts, and youve got a TV thats pretty much future-proof.Gamers wont be disappointed eitherthe U7 clocks in with a 6.2ms input lag in Game mode, a hair faster than its more expensive sibling, the U8N, and comfortably below the 10ms benchmark for gaming TVs (it might not match the sub-millisecond latency of pricier OLEDs like the LG Evo G4, but it more than holds its own for a fraction of the cost). Plus, with features like VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and a Game Bar for quick setting adjustments, this TV keeps up with the demands of modern consoles.The Roku Pro Smart TV at $898 (down from $1,199) is another excellent choice for those focused on streaming and overall usability.

As an increasing number of people are abandoning Elon Musk's X, Bluesky appears to be among the networks many of these social media refugees people are flocking to. The decentralized social network has nearly 17 million users as of this writinga massive increase considering it celebrated reaching 10 million users just two months ago. If you're among those who have recently quit X and are looking for a different place to connect with people online, I'm here to help you get started with Bluesky.Creating an accountSetting up your Bluesky account is quite easy. You can go to the Bluesky website and and click Sign Up to get this underway. Key in your email address, set a password, add your birthdate, and click Next. You can choose a handle, which is essentially your username, and complete the captcha. Congratulations! Your Bluesky account is now set up. The process is similar if you download Bluesky's apps for iPhone or Android.Your Bluesky username will be something like @prawnay.bsky.social. However, you can replace the Bluesky domain name with your own domain. Follow these steps to use your own domain in your Bluesky handle. If youre switching your handle to your own domain, be aware that your old handle can be claimed by others. Migrating your followers and data from XIt's a pain to start afresh on a new social media platform, but you don't have to do that if you're migrating from X to Bluesky. My colleague Joel Cunningham has written about two excellent apps that let you port your posts and followers from X to Bluesky. If you're looking for who to follow, you can use Sky Follower Bridge to easily find your former X followers (and the people you followed) on Bluesky. There are some limitations, but as long as the person is using the same handle or the same display name, or has listed their Bluesky handle in their Twitter bio, you'll be able to track them down.To move your old posts from X to Bluesky, you can use a Chrome extension called Porto. It'll import most of your tweets, but it excludes retweets or quoted tweets. That's probably good enough for most people. Posting on BlueskyYou can use Bluesky's apps or website to start posting to the social network. Once you hit the new post button, you'll see that you can add up to 300 characters to a post and attach photos, videos, and gifs. There's another button called Anybody can interact and you should select it to choose your audience for posts. This lets you choose if you want to let people quote your post and if you want to limit replies to your followers, mentioned accounts, or disable replies altogether.Alt text is an important feature if you want your posts to be accessible to low-vision users. It's a separate text field you can use to describe the images you've attached, and it's good etiquette to add it whenever you share media alongside a post. In the post draft, just look for the "+ ALT" icon in the upper left corner, and type away (alt text doesn't affect the character count for your post). If you want a reminder to add alt-text every time you share an image, click the gear icon in the left-hand sidebar, then select Accessibility and toggle on Require alt text before posting.Setting up your Bluesky feed Credit: Screenshot / Pranay Parab When you start using Bluesky, the service asks you which topics you're interested in, and the feed you see in the app is based on that. If you want to use Bluesky's algorithmic feed as your primary option, you can like a few posts to train the algorithm. Once you've liked 10 posts, your feed will be adjusted to reflect your taste. However, the real fun is in setting up your own feeds. To do this, you can click the # button up top on the website or in the app, tap the three-lines menu in the top-left corner, and select Feeds.You can now browse through the available feeds or search for specific topics, and subscribe to them. You'll find feeds grouped by topics such as cat pics (is any social network worth joining if there are no cat pics?), art, gardening, and so on. You'll also find other useful feeds such as OnlyPosts, which removes reposts and replies from the people you follow.Once you've subscribed to a few feeds, they'll appear in separate tabs at the top of your Bluesky homepage. You can go to your Feeds page and reorder these feeds to set a preferred one as the default. This means that unlike Threads, Bluesky doesn't force you into using an algorithmic feed as the default option. I used this opportunity to put cat pics front and center on Bluesky and I have no regrets.Use starter packs to find people to followLooking for interesting people to follow is vital on a site without an algorithm. To that end, Blueskys community has created some excellent "starter packs" of people you can follow, grouped by areas of interest. You can visit this page to find lots of useful starter packs and follow a whole bunch of interesting accounts in one tap. Alternatively, you cab search for starter packs directly in the app using relevant keywordsjust click on the Feeds tab in your search results.Use advanced search featuresThe Bluesky team has made it easy to search the app for posts from a particular user or including a particular keyword, but you have to know the right tags to get the most out of them. You'll want to use advanced search operators to zero in on content youre looking for. For example, you can put a search term in double quotes to look for those exact words, or you could use the mentions:username operator to find posts that mention a specific person on Bluesky. The full list of advanced search operators is available on this page. Add more languages to your feedIf you're bilingual, you should set up Bluesky to show posts in more than one language. The service defaults to English and hides posts in other languages from your feed. You can go to Bluesky's Language Settings page to change this. In the app, this page is under the three-lines menu > Settings > Languages. Select Content Languages and add all the languages that you speak.Stop trolls and garbage from appearing in your Bluesky feed Credit: Screenshot / Pranay Parab This is the last step in setting up your Bluesky account. This social network has powerful moderation tools built in and you should use them to ensure that your feed doesn't become toxic. Bluesky allows you to create lists of shareable lists of accounts that you can mute or block easily. I've used it to mute all kinds of content around politics and cryptocurrency, and you can block the things you don't care much for.Go to Bluesky Settings > Moderation > Moderation Lists to create these lists. Alternatively, you can check out curated lists such as the anti-NFT/crypto list, content scrapers, etc. While Bluesky allows you to block these accounts in one click, I recommend muting them instead. Unless you can verify that each account in the list posts about something you don't want to see, you shouldn't mass-block people because you could end up blocking someone who accidentally got added to these lists as well.Control who can reply to or quote your posts Credit: Screenshot / Joel Cunningham Moderation tools are among the strongest traits of this social network. Take the Detach Quoted Post feature as an example: If someone quotes your post on Bluesky, you can hit the three-dots button below the post and select Detach Quote to remove the quoted part. Your post will disappear from theirs, and their comment will disappear from your feed. (The other person won't be directly notified you've done this, though if they go back to look at their own feed, they will be able to tell.) This lets you maintain some control over who quotes your post, and you also have the ability to disable quoting altogether on a per-post basis. To do this, tap Everyone can reply from the post composer to open a menu where you can choose who can reply to a post and completely disable Quote posts if you prefer.Moderation tools also include the ability to hide any word or hashtag from your feed, which is standard for most social mediabut you can also choose to allow those muted words or hashtags from people you follow, while still muting them elsewhere in the app. There's also a separate Advanced settings menu within Bluesky's Moderation settings where you can select which types of sensitive content you wish to see, be warned about, or hide altogether. This lets you filter out most kinds of triggering content and keep your feed calmer. A work in progressBluesky has been out of beta for less than a year and is still growing and changing rapidly. I'll continue to update this post as new tools and settings come online.

Thanksgiving might be on your mind right about now. If youre hosting and cooking this holiday meal for the first time, bless your heart. There are a lot of things weve put together to help you cheat some dishes. And even if you have hosted this dinner before, theres a good chance youre feeling a lot of pressure. In order to give you quality advice on hosting, I decided to turn to to the Queen of Entertaining, Martha Stewart, and her first cookbook, Entertaining. If youre a first timer or generally anxious about cooking Thanksgiving dinner, here are my biggest takeaways from the book so you can get to it.Entertaining is Martha Stewarts very first cookbook from 1982, and while some recipes are decidedly out of fashion, its functional ideas for supplying food to loads of people are strong. The book has multiple chapters on hosting large parties, from a dinner with eight guests to a full-blown wedding lunch (although she calls it a luncheon, which I cannot bring myself to do). Unfortunately, this book is out of print now and considered a collectible item. (You can bid for it on Ebay.)The following tips are things I noticed throughout nearly every chapter of Stewarts premier cookbook.Write out your menu (for yourself)Each chapter of the book starts out with a list of 10 to 15 dishes. While the intention is to give you her actual menu from the event and supply a small table of contents to the chapter, I find this to be a great organizational move for the host, new or practiced. I dont know about you, but I have wrapped up a dinner party, sent everyone home, and begun cleaning when Ive opened the fridge and said, Oh. I forgot to make the ... [fill in the blank]." Or the more stressful realization that youve forgotten an integral ingredient while youre actively cooking that dish.Writing out the menu for yourself is a good way to see if youre making accidental duplicates in your side dishes. Last year I wrote down a roasted tomato side and also a tomato salad. I noticed the dupe and swapped in a green salad. Having your menu written also allows you to recognize gaps. Maybe youll see you have three meat dishes and nothing vegetarian for your cousin. Did you forget the mashed potatoes or the cranberry sauce?The big takeaway. The menu is your first step to making sure your dinner party goes smoothly and youve covered all your bases; everything else follows from there. It allows you to write out a shopping list, and then it provides the structure for planning out your daywhen youll cook and how long it should take. You can even print out the menu if youre into that sort of thing.Keep the dishes simpleIm guilty of getting carried away with jazzing up classic sides, but Martha keeps things simple. Instead of overcomplicating each recipe with a large list of ingredients, she focuses a lot on simple dishes and leans into French titles (which automatically makes them fancy). Corn muffins, mushroom vichyssoise (a creamy mushroom soup), shrimp wrapped in snow peas, and string beans vinaigrette are good examples. The string beans dish is actually my favorite. Its literally blanched string beans tossed with vinaigrette and piled with thinly sliced red onions. While utterly simple (you could even buy the vinaigrette), I would absolutely grab a heap to have on my plate.The big takeaway. Theres a balance to strike when preparing a dinner party. Big feasts like Thanksgiving emphasize a bountiful selection, so keep them simple. Youll be making several different dishes and the best way to prevent an overwhelmed palate (and overwhelmed person) is to let those dishes shine in their purest form. Blanch vegetables to bring out their sugars and maintain crisp textures, make simple, elegant soups, and keep breads neutral so they can sop up many different juices and sauces without contradicting them.Use sauces and spreadsIn Entertaining, Martha almost always has a menu item thats a sauce, dip, or dressing. The sauce or spread always accompanies another menu itemmeats might be served with a mousse, or spread, veggies with a dip or vinaigrette, and sometimes shell just suggest a big bowl of dip nearby that plays well with everything else on the table.The big takeaway. Ive always felt that sauces and condiments play a crucial role in making the Thanksgiving meal work for everyone at your table. Its the easiest way to allow guests to personalize their flavors and they can make the simplest dish feel special. A slice of turkey breast among guests becomes turkey and gravy, turkey with chili oil, or turkey with sage and browned butter sauce. If youre keeping the dishes simple (as suggested before), then the dressings allow your guests to get a little wild, should they so choose.Small bites are betterWhether its a crudit party or a farmhouse Thanksgiving, Martha is never serving large portions. Instead of making one whole baked russet per person, shes setting up a platter of baked new potatoes (these are roughly a third the size of russets). Its common to see individually wrapped, appetizer-like bites so guests can choose as many as they like.The big takeaway. This is my biggest lesson because my eyes are always bigger than my stomach, even when I cook. The Thanksgiving meal features countless side dishes. some of which certain guests wont touch, others that everyone will have a bite off. The point is that smaller bites make more sense for the guest. They want to try a bit of everything and are more likely to sample a skewer of shrimp than a large shrimp cake. Keep the servings small. Though it may seem slightly contrary, using family-style platters of these small bites present the feel of a festive mound but your loved ones can easily grab a small sampling.Make a signature drinkSurely we cant forget about a drinkMartha hasnt. Raspberry cordials, mulled ciders or wine, a Bloody Mary, or holiday eggnogthese are all alcoholic, sure, but theyre purposeful drinks for the occasions they match up with. Its never a simple pop open a bottle of wine. Though sometimes open bar is mentioned, but that goes without saying. The cocktails in her chapters are fruity and fresh for the summer, or warming and hearty for the winter.The big takeaway. Have a signature drink for the evening that brings in a bit of the season. Its certainly the last thing on the priority list, and the drink doesnt have to supply an ABV, but I think providing a special beverage is a thoughtful touch to the entire event. To prevent being pulled in too many directions, check out this guide to batching cocktails so you can mix ahead of time and leave your guests to do the pouring.

In 2010, Google Voice was launched, giving users a free virtual number that could send and receive texts and phone calls, plus help people with multiple phones simplify their lives. If youre a Google Voice user, perhaps youve considered porting your virtual Google Voice number over to your wireless carrier, but you dont want to lose the phone number thats associated with your SIM either. Ideally, youd like to swap the two, but how? Theres plenty of information about how to port a carrier number to Google Voice, or how to port a Google Voice number to a carrier, but I couldnt find any resources for how to do both at the same time. Getting the steps and order right is critically important, so you dont accidentally lose one of your long-used phone numbers along the way. So, heres how to do it the right way.BackstoryOnce upon a time, I was the lead Android device reviewer for a prominent tech blog. That gig meant I was testing a new phone with a new SIM card every one to two weeks. I couldnt ask my friends and family to keep up with my ever-changing phone number, so I went ahead and signed up for Google Voice and just gave everybody that number. My carrier number became something I only used occasionally, and my Google Voice became my main number, even after I moved on from the phone review grind.The thing is, despite being made by Google itself, Google Voice (GV from here on out) has never integrated as deeply with android phones as carrier numbers. If you use Android Auto or a WearOS smartwatch, you can respond to a GV text with your voice, but if you try to send a new text, it will come from your carrier number, confusing your recipient. Meanwhile, while Androids Messages app has gotten more features and polish, Google Voice has received fewer and fewer meaningful updates over the years. Eventually, Messages got RCS support, with greater security and media support, while GV still hasnt.Late this summer, Apple finally bowed to regulatory pressure and added RCS support to iOS 18, which promised to finally make messaging between iPhones and Android phones suck much less, giving cross-platform texts higher quality images, read receipts, and better group messaging. That was the straw that broke the camels back, and I decided it was finally time to swap my Google Voice number for my carrier number.The thing was, I didnt want to lose either number, because I still get calls on both. Plus, I had nearly 15 years of voice and text messages saved in Google Voice, including some from loved ones who have passed away, and I didnt want to lose those either. So, I had to figure out how to port my Google Voice number to my carrier, and my carrier number to Google Voice without losing any of the precious data. So, I worked with both the Google Voice team and with my carrier (T-Mobile) to put this tutorial together.PrepareFirst, be aware of is that this process may take a few days to complete. That will depend on your carrier to some extent, but there are some built-in safeguards to help prevent people from taking over numbers that dont belong to them, so plan on that.Second, I would recommend backing up all of your messaging data before you start this process, just in case. Your messages will NOT transfer from one service to the other. Following this guide will ensure you wont lose any of your messages, but they will stay siloed in their respective original apps. To download your data from both, go to your Google Takeout Page and look under Products. Check the box next to Messages and Voice, then click Next Step and choose which format youd like to download them in, then click Export.Third, while its not absolutely necessary, it will be handy to have a spare device that is eSIM capable. This will just be temporary, but early into the process, youre going to need to have your carrier add an additional line to your account, and some may require you have a phone for that line. An old phone you dont use anymore should be fine (Android or iPhone will both work), but if it doesnt work with eSIMs, then youll have to go to a store and get a physical SIM card. Alternatively, if youre getting a new phone, then thats the perfect time to make this switch, as you can keep using your old phone during this transition.How To Do ItStep 1Call your carriers technical support number and have them set up an additional temporary number on your account. If you have a temporary phone (mentioned above) with an eSIM, have them assign the temporary number to that device (or go to a carrier store and get a physical SIM for it). For me, that was T-Mobile. I called tech support and they activated the new line immediately. This incurred a one-time setup fee of $10 (different carriers vary). You then have to wait 24 hours before moving on, because this new number will have a temporary lock on it.Step 2After waiting 24 hours, call your carrier back and tell them to switch the numbers between your phones. In other words, ask them to associate your new, temporary number with your main phone, and ask them to switch your normal carrier number to your temporary phone. This should take just a few minutes to complete. Youll have to restart both devices once its complete. Again, this can only be done remotely if youre using eSIMs. If you have physical SIM cards, you can just power down and swap them between phones.Note: You may have to carry both phones around with you for a day or two until the full process is complete. Credit: Brent Rose Step 3Go to the Google Voice website at voice.google.com. Go to Settings, and then under Account, youll see your GV number. Click Unlock. It will charge you $3 to do this. WRITE DOWN THE PIN that GV will give you, because you'll need to give it to your carrier in a second.Step 4Call your carrier technical support back and have them port your Google Voice number to replace your TEMPORARY number. They will need your GV phone number as well as the PIN number that GV just gave you. Once youve done that, congrats! Your Google Voice number should now be associated with your main phone. It should be more or less instant on the carrier end, but it took me restarting the phone a few times before it appeared on my phone. You can confirm that its worked by looking at the About section under your phones settings. Have a friend text you to see if youre receiving texts as expected. Credit: Brent Rose Step 5Now that youve got your GV number on your main phone, its time to move your old carrier number to your Google Voice. Go back to the GV website, open Settings, and scroll down to "Port your number to Google Voice." Enter the number you want to port (your original carrier number, which should be on your temporary phone). Credit: Brent Rose Step 6GV will send a text message to that temporary phone/original number, containing a 6-digit PIN. Enter that PIN on the Google Voice page thats requesting it, and hit Confirm. This will cost you $20, payable through Google Pay. Once youve paid, you should be all done. It may take a little time to transfer but you can confirm that your old carrier number is now your GV number by looking at Settings on the Google Voice site.Step 7At this point, youre effectively done! You can retire your old/temporary phone now, as it shouldnt have a phone number associated with it anymore. Make sure you have the Google Voice app installed on your main phone so youll still get texts or calls that go to that phone number. Go to the Google Voice site, and under Linked Numbers, click +New linked number, and add the new number for your main phone (i.e. your former Google Voice number).And thats how you do the swaparoo. If youre just looking for how to port your carrier number to Google Voice, or how to port your Google Voice number to your carrier, Google details those separate processes here. Again, this article includes the extra steps needed if youre trying to do both of those things at the same time (i.e. trade your carrier and GV numbers for each other). Follow the steps above to ensure you dont accidentally lose one of your precious phone numbers or any of your saved texts or voicemails. Hope it helps!

The early Black Friday deals on fitness watches have begun, and today you can find a ton of deals on Garmin watches in particular. The Forerunner, Instinct, Vivoactive, and Venu lines all have models on sale today at 20% off, or more. Older models are on sale as well. Venu 3, Venu 3S, and Venu 2 SqGarmins Venu 3 smartwatch (and its smaller version, the 3S) are not only excellent fitness trackers, they also include true smartwatch functions like the ability to make calls via Bluetooth and send voice texts. The Venu 3 (45 mm) and Venu 3S (41 mm) are both on sale for $349.99, more than $100 under their usual price. Garmin Venu 3 $349.99 at Walmart $449.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $349.99 at Walmart $449.99 Save $100.00 Garmin - Venu 3S GPS Smartwatch 41 mm Fiber-reinforced polymer - Stainless Steel and French Gray $349.99 at Best Buy $449.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $349.99 at Best Buy $449.99 Save $100.00 The Venu Sq 2, which has long been a favorite of Fitbit users migrating to Garmin (thanks in part to the square screen), is also on sale today at $149.99. This is an older model without quite as many of the fancy features of the Venu 3 (no voice calls, for example) but its still a very nice smartwatch at a great price. Garmin Venu Sq 2 $149.99 at Amazon $249.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $149.99 at Amazon $249.99 Save $100.00 Vivoactive 5If you dont need voice calls, the Vivoactive 5 is a great, cheaper alternative to the Venu. (Ive been wearing one lately, to test for an upcoming review, and Id say its one of the best general-purpose fitness watches out there.) The Vivoactive 5 is $199.99 right now, $100 less than its usual price. Garmin Vivoactive 5 GPS Smartwatch With AMOLED Display (Black) $199.99 at Amazon $299.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $199.99 at Amazon $299.99 Save $100.00 Forerunner 55If youve been waiting for a good deal on a Garmin Forerunner running watch, now is your time. The older models (most ending in -55 or -45) have already had some price drops, and as of today the newer Forerunners (most ending in -65) are $50 to $100 off their usual prices.The Forerunner 55 is a great basic running watch with GPS and heart rate tracking, and it has sleep tracking, too. As with all the Forerunners, it has physical buttons so you can stop and start laps without fumbling with a touchscreen, and running-specific features like race predictions and PacePro screens that can guide you to a specific finish time in a race. The Forerunner 55 still has the older style MIP screen, which is reflective in sunlight but uses a backlight (which can turn on when you flick your wrist) to show you the screen at night. Its $149.99 now, $50 less than usual. Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Running Watch $149.99 at Amazon $199.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $149.99 at Amazon $199.99 Save $50.00 Forerunner 165The Forerunner 165 is for runners who want something a little nicer than the 55, but still want a watch thats pretty affordable. The 165 has an AMOLED touchscreen, bright and high resolution. It has a built-in compass and altimeter, can measure your HRV, and has tons of running analytics like training effect and running dynamics. Its also got breadcrumb navigation features. Its $199.99 today, $50 off its usual price. Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Running Watch $149.99 at Amazon $199.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $149.99 at Amazon $199.99 Save $50.00 Forerunner 265 and 265SIve said it before and Ill say it again: This is a great running watch. It has everything the 165 has, plus extra analytics runners will love, like training status, training readiness, and training load. Its also got multi-band GPS for better accuracy, and comes standard with the ability to store and play music. It comes in two sizes: The Forerunner 265 is 46 millimeters, and the Forerunner 265S (S for Small) is 42 mm. Both are $349.99 right now, which is $100 less than its usual price. Garmin Forerunner 265 Running Smartwatch, Colorful AMOLED Display, Training Metrics and Recovery Insights, Black and Powder Gray $349.99 at Amazon $449.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $349.99 at Amazon $449.99 Save $100.00 Garmin Forerunner 265S Running Smartwatch, Colorful AMOLED Display, Training Metrics and Recovery Insights, Whitestone and Neo Tropic 42 mm $349.99 at Amazon $449.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $349.99 at Amazon $449.99 Save $100.00 If youre OK with the older style of screen (MIP, no touchscreen) and dont need onboard music, the previous models, the Forerunner 255 and 255S, are both on sale for just $249.99. Garmin Forerunner 255 GPS Running Smartwatch (Gray) $249.99 at Amazon $349.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $249.99 at Amazon $349.99 Save $100.00 Forerunner 965Garmins top-of-the-line Forerunner, the 965, is on sale right now as well. The 965 has everything the 265 does, plus extra analytics like an endurance score, andthis is the big thing for many of its fansbuilt-in maps. Its battery life is also through the roof: Where most Garmin watches last one to two weeks on a charge, the 965 gives you nearly a month. (23 days, versus 13 for the 265, according to Garmins official numbers.) The Forerunner 965 is on sale for $499.99 right now, $100 less than usual. Garmin Forerunner 965 Running Smartwatch, Colorful AMOLED Display, Training Metrics and Recovery Insights, Black and Powder Gray, 010-02809-00 $499.99 at Amazon $599.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $499.99 at Amazon $599.99 Save $100.00 This one has an affordable older version as well. Snag a Forerunner 955 with the older style MIP screen for just $399.99, or the solar(!) version, which charges in the sunlight, for $499.99.Instinct 2 Solar and Instinct 2X SolarThe Instinct line of watches are rugged and outdoorsy, popular among hardcore hikers and marketed to military members as well. The Solar models are just what they sound like, featuring an unlimited battery life if they get enough sunlight each day. (Without solar charging, they still both hold an impressive amount of charge28 days for the 2 and 40 for the 2X).The display is black-and-white, and its not a touchscreen. The 2X does have an LED flashlight built in, and both can give you information on the sun, moon, and tides. The Instinct 2X Solar is the larger watch, at a whopping 50 millimeters, while the 2 Solar is 45 mm. They are $349.99 and $299.99 right now, respectivelythats $100 off the usual price for each. Garmin Instinct Solar Rugged Outdoor Smartwatch (Graphite) $299.99 at Amazon $399.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $299.99 at Amazon $399.99 Save $100.00 Garmin Instinct 2X Solar, Rugged GPS Smartwatch, Built-in Flashlight, Solar Charging Capability, Multi-Band GNSS, Moss $349.99 at Amazon $449.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $349.99 at Amazon $449.99 Save $100.00

You can get AdGuard's VPN and ad blocker on sale for $34.97 right now (reg. $439.39) with this early Black Friday sale. It includes five years of AdGuard VPN, a top-rated and user-friendly way to encrypt your browsing with servers in over 60 locations worldwide. You can connect up to ten devices simultaneously, and AdGuard has a zero-logging policy, meaning they don't save or collect your data. Youll also get lifetime access to AdGuards ad blocker, which blocks pop-ups, banners, and video ads from nine of your devices. It also hides your data from trackers and includes optional parental controls. Both tools work on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.You can get AdGuard's VPN and ad blocker on sale for $34.97 right now (reg. $439.39), though prices can change at any time.

Most of usclose to 92%, in factown a car. This country is so car-centric you have to do a lot of planning and investigation if you want to (or have to) try living without one. The good news is that modern cars are pretty durable in generaltodays cars have an average lifespan of more than 16 years and close to 160,000 miles, based on the cars that wind up in junkyards around the country. The bad news is that getting that much out of a car requires regular maintenance and repairsthe average cost of car ownership is now over $1,000 per month.Even with that maintenance, no car lasts foreverand there are usually signs that your car is about to go to that great junkyard in the sky. Some car problems are long-term, grinding issues that will have you limping from repair to repair for years, but eventually your car will develop a problem that indicates its going to have a catastrophic problem and stop running altogether. If you see any of the following red flags when driving your car, its time to start making a plan for a new one, because your current ride is about to die.You hear "rod knock"If you hear a loud knocking or smacking sound when you turn the car on, and it gets louder when you hit the accelerator, you might be suffering from rod knock. This can be caused by insufficient oil (from a persistent leak or skipped oil changes) or worn belts, leading to worn-out rod bearings. Sure, your car is still moving, but rod knock is a sign that your engine is about to close up shoppossibly in dramatic fashion. Repairing the problem can cost up to $3,500, depending on what the specific cause is and how bad its gotten.The car shakes and vibratesHas your car started to shake and vibrate every time you drive it? If you feel like youre on a bucking bronco every time you drive to the grocery store and your steering wheel is jerking under your hands, you should drive directly to the mechanic, because your car may be about to die. Violent shaking is usually a sign of an engine misfire or transmission problems. Engine misfire occurs when a cylinder in your engine isnt igniting the gas properly, and can be a significant repair depending on the precise cause. Transmission-related shaking could be caused by something as simple as low fluid levels, but could also indicate mechanical issues with the transmission itselfwhich might run you $5,000 or more. Either way, if your car feels like its going to shake itself to pieces when you drive it, its about to stop moving altogether.It's stalling when it shouldn't beIf youre driving a car with an automatic transmission, it shouldnt stall when you take your foot off the gas. If it does, it might not be a major problembut its definitely a sign that your car is gearing up to quit on you. The causes could be your alternator, which generates the electricity your engine uses to function, clogged filters, a failing fuel pump, corroded spark plugs, or even just a faulty sensor. Even if your car runs well otherwise, dont wait to get stalling checked out. You never know when youre going to stall at a traffic light and be unable to start the car again.The engine doesn't stop runningThe opposite of stalling is an overeager engine that keeps running even after you turn off the ignition. A running-on engine happens when fuel in the cylinders combusts on its own due to hot spots. Even if the engine eventually shuts down, its a sign of worse things to come because something is seriously wrong with the engine: Either you have malfunctioning or incorrect spark plugs, a damaged fuel injector, timing issues, or serious carbon build up in the cylindersthe latter of which is a pretty big problem if left unchecked, as it can lead to severe engine damage.The car's frame is rustedYou might think that a little rust on your car is no big dealand thats largely true if the rust is superficial. Even if rust has eaten away at your cars roof and it leaks when it rains, the car will still be drivable.But structural rust is a much bigger concern. When your cars frame starts to rust, its only a matter of time before your car gives out. Unless youre regularly under your car, however, you might not notice a rusting frame until its too late, but there are some warning signs that will tell you that your car is about to fail critically because of rust:Bending or cracking in the body. If any of your cars panels are warped, it might indicate your cars frame is weakened by rust.Stiff doors. If your cars doors are hard to open and close but your car has never suffered body damage (from an accident, for example), it might be a clue that rust is eating your vehicle.Holes. Have you looked under rugs on the floor recently? If theres a hole in your floor, your car has a serious rust problem.There's visible (or smellable) smokeVisible smoke of any kind coming out of your car is never a good sign, but certain smoke scenarios imply an emergency situation:Blue smoke. Smoke with a bluish tinge to it usually means oil is leaking into your engine and being combusted with the fuel. This is a very bad thing to happen to your car, and you need to get it checked out right away if you dont want to experience Total Car Failure firsthand. It might be a blown head gasket allowing oil to get into the cylinders. Failing head gaskets also let pressure backflow into the rest of the engine, causing even more problems.Sweet smoke. Is white smoke with a "sweet" smell to it pouring out of your car? A failing head gasket might be leaking antifreeze into the engine, where it mixes with the fuel. If your engine is also running hot, thats probably whats happening.If you suspect youve blown a head gasket, get it fixed right away. A blown head gasket can run you $3,000 or more to repair.Gears "slip" from one to anotherIf your automatic transmission starts grinding gears (shaking and making a lot of noise as it struggles to shift into the next gear) or starts slipping from one gear to another while youre driving, it might be a sign that your transmission is about to go boom. The fix might not be majorthe problem might be as minor as low transmission fluid, or a single worn-out part thats easily replaced. But it might be a sign that your transmission is cooked, and the worst way to discover that fact is when your car suddenly stops moving on the freeway.The headlights dim unexpectedlyIf youre driving at night and notice that your headlights are suddenly dimand getting dimmerit might indicate a failing alternator. The alternator generates the power for the headlights and other lights in your car, and if its not generating enough power those lights will dim and even turn off completely, even though the car continues to run. If thats happening to you, its only a matter of time before the alternator fails to generate enough power to run the car and it dies.Excessive and mysterious leakingThis one should be pretty obvious: If you notice a pool of leaked fluids under your car everywhere you park, youre on the clock to engine failure. If youre at the point where you have oil, antifreeze, and transmission fluid in the trunk and every trip begins with a top-off, you might have loose or failing gaskets or loose drain plugsand if those plugs or gaskets fail totally while youre driving, the results could be catastrophic if the engine loses all lubrication and fluid pressure suddenly.Your car is always telling you somethingand if that something is that its about to die, you should listen.

The humble roasted veg is no less than a hero on my Thanksgiving table. Seasoning them is crucial so they dont end up tasting bland, but when you season them can be the difference between succulent or scorched. Heres my trick to roasting veggies quickly in the air fryer without torching the seasonings.Air fry your roasted vegetablesThe first time I hosted Thanksgiving, I did not have an air fryer. (I shudder just thinking of it.) Roasting Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, or squash took ages and commanded most of my oven space. Once I finally incorporated the petite convection oven into my kitchen, my Thanksgiving cooking experience vastly improved, and I wouldnt dream of hosting the big meal without it.The high velocity winds of the air fryer easily knock 20 to 30 minutes off the cooking times we all used to deal with prior. This is a boon for hosts juggling several dishes, but the forceful hot winds don't leave the seasonings faring as well. While dry herbs and powdered seasonings may hold up in a conventional oven at a lower temperature, they can get torched in the air fryer (even if theyre coated with oil) and result in a bitter flavor.Cook first, season afterTo prevent that sad result, I prepare the vegetable quite simply for its trip to the air fryera toss with enough oil and salt to coat. Thats it. Oil will help conduct the heat to all parts of the veg more equally and salt draws out moisture while adding flavor. All of these things result in faster, more even cooking. Oh, and salt doesnt burn.Air fry the vegetable as long as is needed, then toss it in dressing afterward, just before serving. Depending on what you like, that might be a simple drizzle of lemon juice, zest, and extra virgin olive oil, or a spicy tahini vinaigrette.Bloom seasonings for roasted vegetables separatelyMoisture and the heat from cooking normally plays a role in bringing out the flavors of your dry spices. If you usually season your oven-roasted potatoes or charred Brussels sprouts with powdered seasoningsay cumin, cayenne pepper, and garlicyou might miss that if you abstain from adding them to the air fryer. Well, I won't have that. We absolutely want to maximize on the flavor, so I suggest blooming herbs and spices separately in a small pot on the stove while your veggies get beautifully blistered in the air fryer.To do that, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil or butter to a pot (as much as youd normally use to coat the amount of vegetable youre roasting). Stir in the dry seasonings and heat it up over low heat for about two minutes. The spices will become fragrant when its done, so you can turn off the heat and wait until the veggies are ready to be dressed with your spiced oil or butter. This trick for blooming and activating flavors works wonderfully with freshly chopped herbs as well, and makes for an elegant Thanksgiving presentation.

Earlier this year, I tried out OpenAI's free ChatGPT app for Mac. And, to be honest, it was pretty good: Exclusive features, like the dedicated launcher and integrated screenshots, made using the desktop app much better than the traditional web app. Unfortunately, free ChatGPT users didn't get the same treatment on PC. While macOS' ChatGPT app has been available to all users since June, Windows only got its first official ChatGPT app last month. Like its macOS variant, this app rolled out initially for paid subscribers (ChatGPT Plus), so free users still didn't have access. That is, until Friday. The ChatGPT app is now available to all users on PC As of Nov. 15, OpenAI has finally rolled out its ChatGPT app for all users on Windows. Whether you pay for ChatGPT or don't, or run Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can use the dedicated ChatGPT experience on your PC. To get it, head to OpenAI's download page, and click the Download for Windows option. Or, head directly to the app's page in the Microsoft Store. As with the Mac app, the Windows ChatGPT app does more on your PC than ChatGPT on the web does. You can hit Alt + Space to access the ChatGPT launcher; you can use Advanced Voice Mode, which lets you have a more natural conversation with ChatGPT; and you can use the native screenshot option to share images of your windows with the bot.What's new on ChatGPT for macOS? Just because ChatGPT is now on PC, doesn't mean it's the exact same experience as on Mac. In fact, OpenAI updated the macOS version of the app to be able to work with other apps on your machine, a feature aptly named "Work with Apps."As of now, this feature is limited to coding apps: That includes VS Code, Xcode, TextEdit, Terminal, and iTerm2. If you're not a coder, you won't be able to use ChatGPT within your other apps. However, if you are a developer, this feature could be quite useful: You'll be able to prompt ChatGPT with the code you're writing directly in the app, rather than pasting over your written code to the ChatGPT app each time.For the most part, this feature works with macOS' built-in accessibility protocols. However, certain apps may require another program involved in order to work. As TechCrunch notes, VS Code (a Microsoft app) requires an extension to function with Work with Apps. It doesn't work when simply relying on macOS' screen reader feature. As someone who doesn't know how to write any code, this feature obviously won't be of much use to me at this time. However, it's the first step towards the ChatGPT app working with more apps on Mac. To be honest, I'm not sure I want that integration all that much either, even as Apple is set to roll out its initial ChatGPT integration with Apple Intelligence next month. We'll just have to see where all this tech leads.

Ever since election night on November 5, Ive noticed a massive exodus of my X mutuals from the site. Thats not too surprisingowner Elon Musk has made his political affiliations clear, and those who dont want to support him financially are understandably bouncing. I myself have only stuck around because of work, although Ive stopped posting as frequently. However, a new update to the X terms of service has even my finger hovering over the deactivate account button (even if theres technically a better way to leave Twitter behind).Starting today, X is now allowed to start feeding all your posts to its AI models, possibly even if you opt. The depth of the situation isnt quite clear, but regardless of whats actually happening behind the scenes, the language isnt encouraging.Freshly added to the terms Your Rights and Grant of Rights in the Content subheading is a new mention of Xs AI, which reads:"By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) [and] you agree that this license includes the right for us to (i) analyze text and other information you provide and to otherwise provide, promote, and improve the Services, including...for use with and training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type."Ive highlighted the new text in bold. While the non-exclusive, royalty-free license itself is rather typical for a social media site, the updated terms now essentially mean that, by continuing to use the site, youre agreeing for X to train AI off of your posts.That alone has users concerned, but what has them confused is that X technically has already been openly training its AI on user posts, with the caveat that its had a clear opt-out toggle. At time of writing, that toggle still shows up for me on both mobile and desktop, but with the new language, its unclear if it actually does anything now, or if the new terms of service will take precedence should X choose to ignore a users opt-out status.Unfortunately, its unlikely theres going to be a clear answer until someone challenges the AI scraping in court, which has its own difficulties. Any lawsuits over Twitters terms, according to the update, would be overseen by either the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas or state courts located in Tarrant County, Texas, both of which are known for conservative judges. Given Musks political leanings, as well as Xs headquarter location within the state, its possible the court could favor the company.X did not immediately respond to Lifehackers request for clarification. Without clear communication, whether you trust Xs AI not to scrape your data now falls on the honor system. If thats a bit shaky for you, I understandheres a guide on how to migrate your account to Bluesky, a popular Twitter alternative thats seen a massive boost in users amid Twitters current exodus.

Fire tablets have been around since 2014 and have improved dramatically over the years while still maintaining their budget-friendly status. The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet offers the biggest screen in the Fire Tablet lineupand right now, you can get it for $159.99 (originally $279.99); or spend a little more for the Fire Max 11 bundle, which comes with the official keyboard, stylus, and cover, for $279.99 (originally $404.97). The standalone tablet marks the lowest price it has sold for, after checking price-tracking tools. Vivid 11 display, all-in-one for streaming, reading, and gaming, 14-hour battery life... Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet $159.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $159.99 at Amazon $279.99 Save $120.00 With Keyboard Case, Stylus Pen, octa-core processor, 4 GB RAM to do more throughout your day, 128 GB Amazon Fire Max 11 Tablet Productivity Bundle $274.97 at Amazon $404.97 Save $130.00 Get Deal Get Deal $274.97 at Amazon $404.97 Save $130.00 SEE -1 MORE The Fire Max 11 is the 13th-generation Fire tablet and was released last summer. With its 11-inch screen, it's Amazon's biggest Fire Tablet, but it's also its most powerful: it has 4GB of RAM, a maximum of 14 hours of battery, and a resolution of 2,000 by 1,200. You also get an 8 MP front and rear camera, 128 GB storage version, and no ads on the lock screen. The 64GB storage version is also available, but for $20 extra, it's worth doubling your storage. PCMag gave the Fire Max 11 an "excellent" review for its big and vibrant display, improved design, respectable performance, and access to the Amazon ecosystem. If you're looking for an opportunity to stack up on essential accessories, the Amazon Stylus Pen for Fire Max 11, which costs $34.99, and the Amazon Fire Max 11 Keyboard Case, which usually runs for $89.99, are both available in a bundle. With the individual discounts, they come out to the same price as buying them individually.One of the biggest complaints regarding Amazon tablets is the restriction on apps. Because they are Amazon products, the default app store is the Amazon app store, but there are workarounds.

Amazon is one of the biggest retailers in the world, and that can make it quite challenging to shove past the FAQs, user forums, and Reddit threads to actually talk to a human over the phone. As you probably already know from trying to contact someone on Amazon's "Contact Us" page, there is no direct number to call. That's by design. Luckily, there are other quicker ways to get a hold of someone who can listen to your specific issues, which may be helpful to keep in mind as its Black Friday deals roll in. Get a super fast callback from AmazonAmazon doesn't like you calling directly, but that won't stop us. The quickest way is to use this link to enter your number and have them call you right away, but if that doesn't work, try these steps to get Amazon to call you fast:Visit Amazon's Contact Us pageSelect Something ElseSelect I need more helpSay "Request a phone call" from the customer service chatRespond "Yes"Select "Connect with a Customer Service Associate"Say "Request a phone call"Choose "Ok, I'll enter my phone number" and click on the text to proceed to enter your number Credit: Daniel Oropeza A new Amazon window will open up, its "Use our Call Me service." Your number should autofill, but if not, make sure to type the correct one and click "Call me now." I was called in less than three seconds and was talking to a human in less than 10 seconds. As you can see from the screenshot, it takes a couple of tries on the chat to get the machine to give you the option of getting a callback, but that's nothing a little persistence can't fix. Keep in mind Amazon slightly tweaks this process every once in a while and your experience might vary because of many different factors, but the solution is likely to be very similar.

There is a surprising number of products marketed to help you clean your bathroom. You don't need to spend a small fortune on the latest and greatest, but some products out there are still better than othersand as someone who writes about cleaning for a living, you can imagine I've tested a good many of them. Here are the ones I have found to be the best over the years. The two best products for cleaning most of the bathroomFirst up, do not worry about how you're going to clean your tub, sink, toilet, and fixtures anymore. You really only need two products, and they both work fabulously. For porcelain and tile, pick up some Soft Scrub. I was first introduced to this product two summers ago, when my boyfriend very suddenly decided to get a boat. Every night when we docked, we were tasked with scrubbing away the salty water that covered the surfaces and quickly found Soft Scrub, with its mix of a little abrasion and a lot of suds, to be the most effective and least harmful product. From there, I got some for around the house. I think of it like a mild exfoliator for my stuff: It ever so slightly buffs and resurfaces, never scratches, and foams up to provide a good clean. For the bathroom, try a formulation with bleach. Soft Scrub Liquid Cleanser With Bleach White 24 Oz $7.85 at Amazon $9.99 Save $2.14 Learn More Learn More $7.85 at Amazon $9.99 Save $2.14 For your fixtures, like faucets or even the toilet flusher, I recommend the same thing I recommend for kitchen metals: Brasso. The seven-in-one polish is inexpensivejust under $5and makes copper, steel, chrome, and more shine with ease. For those tougher spotsIn the past, I've recommended using electronic scrubbing brushes, which are great for helping ease the burden of having to really scrub at tiles, grout, and crevices. Since I started using the more-abrasive Soft Scrub, though, I find these a little unnecessary. For anything I do have to scrub a little extra at, I again recommend something I also suggest for the kitchen: My trusty Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Foamy. You get five of them for under $10 and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I buy one pack and use them all around my home. Like traditional melamine sponges, they make quick work of sticky messes and scuffs, but with little foaming pods of cleaner inside, they also suds up for extra grime-busting power.That said, if you have a bunch of tiny crevices, one of those electronic brushes may still be in the cards for you. There is really no good reason to overwork your elbows when something like this exists and is only around $20. Rubbermaid Reveal Multi-Purpose Scrub Brush $19.98 at Amazon Learn More Learn More $19.98 at Amazon Other bathroom-cleaning essentialsI also keep a miniature squeegee in the tub and, when I finish my shower, use it to clean the glass. This has significantly reduced how often and how hard I need to clean the panes in general, as it prevents moisture buildup and stops water stains and streaks before they start. Here is the one I have, which is less than $10. All-Purpose Stainless Steel Shower Squeegee for Shower Glass Door with 2 Adhesive Hooks, Bathroom Cleaner Tool Household Window Mirror Squeegee , Cleaning Tile Wall, Car, 10 Inch Silver $9.49 at Amazon $14.98 Save $5.49 Learn More Learn More $9.49 at Amazon $14.98 Save $5.49 For drain cleaning, I never use liquid cleaners or decloggers. I've never found them all that effective, at least not when compared with a drain weasel. It's long, has a rotating handle, and easily yanks gunk and hair right out of the pipes, so routine use means you won't end up in a situation where you have a bunch of clogs. Finally, here's something I don't yet have but very much want, so I'm mentioning it as a means of putting out into the universe that I need one: the cordless window vacuum from Sharper Image, which you fill with water, stick to the glass, and let do the work for you. After spraying your glass, it even removes the water, then sorts it into a separate reservoir so the clean and dirty water never mix.It's $68 and, admittedly, a little unnecessary if you only have a small mirror (which I do) and a bottle of Windex (which I also do), but it's very cool, and that counts for something.

If youve ever felt like you were duped by overpaying for something that was advertised as a great deal, youre in the right place. Its easy to get caught up in frenzied online shopping holidays like Black Friday or Prime Day, especially when retailers are known forsneaking price hikes before major sales or deceiving shoppers with tricks to spend more than you intended to. But there are actionable steps to prepare ourselves for major sales like the Black Friday deals from Walmart, Target, and Amazon.Howtotrackthe price of anitemFiguring out the best time to buy something requires constant watch over ever-fluctuating online prices and some knowledge of how prices have changed in the past. As a shopping and deal writer, that is what I do for a living, and it can be very time-consuming. Luckily, you dont have to figure it all out yourself: Here are the best websites and extensions I've been using for years to check price history and track prices so that you can be sure youre getting the best deal possible.The best Amazon price tracker: Camelcamelcamel Credit: camelcamelcamel.com CamelCamelCamel is among the best ways to track prices on Amazon products. You can install the browser extension (on Chrome and Firefox) to get access to the sites features without leaving Amazon, or you can just copy and paste an Amazon link or product name to the websites search bar. CamelCamelCamel shows you how the price of the item has gone up or down over time, how prices have changed through Amazon directly, and the fluctuations from third-party Amazon sellers who list new and used items.If you sign up for a free account, you can set up alerts so the site can notify you by email when the price of an item drops below a certain amount, if you can get it used for a given price, or if its at an all-time low and now is a good time to buy. You can even see previous historic highs and lows and try to map out the best time to strike. The best price tracker for most online retailers: Honey Credit: joinhoney.com Honey is more than a price-checking tool with automatic coupon and price-tracking alerts. The Honey browser extension compares prices from a whole bunch of retailers, not just Amazon. You can create a Droplist, which notifies you if the prices drop for an item on your list if youre willing to wait for a deal. Here is what creating a Droplist can do for you:First, itll keep the items you want to keep tabs on organized and easily accessible. Second, itll track the prices of those products and alert you when they go on sale at any major retailer. You can see how much those prices cost leading up to the sale to see if they are, in fact, good deals or a trick from retailers to take advantage of you, and even compare them with other major retailers to see who has the best deal. You can see how to set up your droplist here.The Honey extension also finds promo codes and applies them at checkout automatically when youre shopping on a retailers website. Users can also collect Honey Gold, a percentage back from online purchases made at more than 4,500 stores. Gold can be traded for gift cards to stores like Amazon, Groupon, Macys, and more.Honey is available on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge and Opera.The best tool to compare prices: Capital One Shopping Credit: Capital One Shopping - Other Capital One Shopping, previously known as Wikibuy, compares prices from other sellers when you shop on Amazon. The browser extension will notify you if a product you are looking at is cheaper somewhere else, and offers a summary of pricing history, estimated delivery time, and total price, including tax and shipping. If you can apply a coupon, itll add that too. When the price drops for a product youve viewed, Capital One Shopping will notify you. When you shop, you can earn credits for your purchases at some websites, like Walmart and eBay, that Capital One Shopping has partnered with. You can trade that credit for gift cards or put it toward purchases through Capital One Shoppings site.The extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari, and an iOS app allows you to scan barcodes and search products to do price comparisons from your phone.The best price tracker tool for gamers: CheapShark Credit: cheapshark.com While most of the others in the roundup focus on products like electronics, apparel, household goods, and appliances, CheapShark is a great option for those looking to save money on video games. CheapShark combines all of the great places to get discounts on games in one place, one easily searchable directory and database of current prices from sites including Steam, GoG, Green Man Gaming, GameStop, Amazon, and more. Of course, its limited to video games, but you can search a game name not just to see how much itll cost you to buy, but even if you can buy it at alland which retailer has it available. If you want, you can even filter by games currently on sale at their selected stores.When you search for a specific game, CheapShark tells you what the cheapest-ever price was, when it hit that price, and gives you the choice to either go ahead and buy it from your choice of retailer or to sign up for a price notification if it drops again.Honorable mentionsSlickDeals: Great for finding deals and checking prices Credit: slickdeals.net SlickDeals is well known for bringing you up-to-the-minute discounts, coupons, and other deals from around the web, but its web-based price tracker is also great for watching prices on just about any item on Amazon and on a ton of other popular shopping sites, like Newegg, Gamestop, Chewy, Home Depot, and others. Credit: SlickDeals The service doesnt give you a detailed price history like some of the others in the roundup, only showing a deal history under the price intelligence section for a few popular products. However, it will track the price of your item from when you create an alert going forward and send you an email if the price drops below a threshold that you set. You can also return to the price tracker at any time, log in to your account, and see all of your tracked items on the same screen.Keepa: Great price-tracking tool for Amazon and eBay Credit: Keepa Keepa works very similarly to Camelcamelcamel, but instead of clicking on the extension to see the price history, it'll be automatically displayed below the image of the product. This helps if clicking on the extension or installing is one click too much for you. Keepa also lets you track specific products and sends you notifications when they go below a specific price that you set. It's also not just limited to Amazon, it also works on eBay. You can download the extension for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Edge, and Safari.

The Great Twitter Exodus of 2022 is still happening. It's just a little...fractured. A lot of X power users migrated to Bluesky early on, which paved the way for a flood of folks to join that service in 2024. Meanwhile, a lot of technically inclined individuals are still hanging out on Mastodon (at least, that's where I hang out).Bluesky and Mastodon are both decentralized services, in theory, but users of one service can't really talk to users on the otheror it wasn't possible before Bridgy Fed, anyway. It's a beta service that makes it possible for Bluesky and Fediverse-compatible applications, such as Mastodon, to interact.What is the Fediverse?Let's back up a little. Mastodon is part of the Fediverse, a collection of services that connect to the same protocol. Threads, another place where a lot of X users ended up, is starting to connect to the Fediverse; WordPress blogs can also connect. This all points to a future where people can use whatever social network they like and follow people who prefer to use a different one, with one problem: Bluesky, despite being decentralized, isn't part of this network.This is where Bridgy Fed comes in. With this service, individual users of either service can opt in to "bridging" their accounts. I tested this out with my friend and Lifehacker alumni Eric Ravenscraft, who hangs out on Bluesky more than me. It worked wellwe can now see each other's posts, like each other's posts, and even talk to each other, cross-network.Create your bridged accountSetting up the bridge couldn't be easier: You just need to follow a particular account.Mastodon and other Fediverse users need to search for and follow the account @bsky.brid.gy (it's easiest to just search for thisnote that some Mastodon instances may be blocking the bridge).Bluesky users need to follow the account @ap.brid.gy.That's it! Bridgy Fed will now create an account for you that users of the other service can follow. You'll also be able to find your account on the other service so you can share it with friends.If you're a Fediverse user, your new Bluesky account will be @[user].[instance].ap.brid.gy. For example, my Mastodon account @jhpot@mastodon.social becomes @jhpot.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy on Bluesky.If you're a Bluesky user, your new Fediverse account will be @[handle]@bsky.brid.gy. For example, Eric's Bluesky account @lordravenscraft.bsky.social can be found at @lordravenscraft.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy.That's a little more complicated than I'd likeit would be great if the service sent a DM letting you know where you new "bridged" profile is, for example. Still, I was able to find my own newly created Bluesky profile pretty quickly, and I was also able to interact with Eric with ease. Here's how the interaction looks from Mastodon, for me: Credit: Justin Pot And here's how it looks from Bluesky, for Eric: Credit: Justin Pot Replies show up in mentions, the way they normally would, as do likes. If all you want is to be able to organically interact with someone who is using the other network, this works well.An imperfect solutionWhile this solution works well, there are a few hangups. Chiefly, it only functions if both people bridge their accounts. This means I can't see any comments from Bluesky users unless they also are bridged, and vice versa: During our little test, a few other Mastodon users responded to my conversation with Eric, but Eric could not see those replies. This make sense if you know how the system worksonly comments from bridged users are bridgedbut it's hardly ideal, and can lead to asymmetrical conversations. Unfortunately, the opt-in nature of the bridging service makes this inevitable.And there are other issues too: Bluesky has a 300-character limit for posts, for one thing, while the Fediverse doesn't have a hard cap. As a result, some posts are cut short along the way. I could pick at more threads (as opposed to Threads), but suffice it to say, this is far from a perfect solution. You can, and should, read the documentation to learn more. For the moment, though, it's one realtively simple way for people who aren't on the same decentralized social ecosystem to talk to each other, and I like that. I'll certainly be bugging friends I want to interact with on Bluesky to "bridge" their accounts.

Black Friday is no longer a single-day shopping eventyou can already start shopping. Walmart's sale is already live, as are Target's and Best Buy's. If you're looking for a new laptop, Best Buy has a good selection of options right now, but one in particular stands out. If you're looking for a no-nonsense laptop that will get you the best value for your money in performance, consider the 14-inch HP OmniBook Ultra, currently at $899.99 (originally $1,499.99), the lowest price I have seen per price-tracking tools. HP OmniBook Ultra Copilot+ PC - 14" 2.2K Touch-Screen Laptop - AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 - 32GB Memory - 1TB SSD. $899.99 at Best Buy $1,499.99 Save $600.00 Get Deal Get Deal $899.99 at Best Buy $1,499.99 Save $600.00 If you're looking for a workhorse that will breeze through demanding, heavy tasks like programming and media editing, then the HP OmniBook Ultra offers a great bang for your buck. It's one of the fastest laptops with 14-inch display you can find. The processor is an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365if you're not familiar with AMD's terminology, you can think of it as somewhere between an i7 and i9 Intel processor, with 10 cores and 20 threads. In other words, it's a high-end processor for power users looking for heavy multitasking or multimedia creation. The RAM sits at an impressive 32GB, perfect for demanding apps or games, and the 1TB SSD storage speaks for itself. Where this laptop falls short is in its display. Although it is a touchscreen, the 2240 by 1400 is middling, and the AMD Radeon graphics are entry-level. But if you know you'll be using it for work, then the HP OmniBook Ultra is a good choice.

Apple really wanted the Apple Vision Pro to take over the VR landscape when it released earlier this year, but after months of returns and rumors of delays for follow-ups, its clear that demand isnt quite living up to expectations. One potential reason for the problem? Well, the $3,500 price tag. But aside from that? The Vision Pro has yet to prove itself as a gaming device.VR headsets and gaming go hand in handSince the very first Oculus Rift launched back in 2016, current consumer VR technology has always been deeply intertwined with gaming. One of the most prominent VR headsets in the space right now is PlayStation branded, and despite Metas attempts to push the Quest family of devices as being useful for anything from work to fitness, the companys headsets still come with motion tracking, console-like controllers and plenty of big-budget exclusive games.This sort of support helps give a headset broader appeal and a sense of having killer apps that give you a reason to wear it outside of air travel or other niche situations. But the Vision Pro is, by design, much less capable of supporting gaming. Thats because Apple has chosen not to ship it with controllers.Theres two sides to this. The first is that Apples hand-tracking is quite good, making casually scrolling through the Vision Pros interface not too dissimilar from using an iPad. It also makes the Vision Pro perhaps a bit more approachable to non-gamers, again fitting its branding less as a gaming device and more as, to use Apples words, a spatial computer.But unfortunately, the lack of controllers also means that, in the odd situation where you want to game, your inputs are seriously limited. Despite the accuracy of Apples hand tracking, its still a big laggy for twitchy actions, and the lack of dedicated buttons means developers are limited in how they can use the device.Its a shame, because armed with beautiful screens, an easy-to-navigate interface, and an M2 chip, the Vision Pro definitely has the hardware to support more experiences than it does. It could be the best gaming headset by default if it simply supported motion controllers. Unfortunately, were left with much lighter experiences, sacrificed on the altar of fashion.Still, lets say you dont have interest in big-budget VR games, but just want to poke around with playing in VR or AR while youre there. Is the Apple Vision Pro good for casual gaming? Well, yes, but with some big asterisks.Gears & Goo on the Apple Vision Pro Credit: Apple Recently, I got to go hands-on with an early build of Gears & Goo, an upcoming Apple Vision Pro exclusive from veteran VR and AR developers Resolution Games. The game is a sort of a cross between a real-time strategy game and a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena), where you lead troops to take down an enemy stronghold. Its a clever choice for the Vision Pro, and is probably as impressive as a game for the headset could get (previous experiences have generally been lighter than this), but nevertheless, I could feel the developers straining against the devices limitations. If this is Apples best, its a concerning sign.First, the good. The graphics here are genuinely immersive, and nothing feels blurry or hard to follow. The AR effect here is especially well sold, with the games tiny cartoon critters actually feeling like theyre sharing the same space as you. Control was also surprisingly intuitive for a hands-only game, with your hands essentially taking the place of a mouse as you command troops. Theres a lot of charm to be found here as you play through the games silly setting of rival alien soda companies taking part in literal corporate warfare.But once the glitz of the first impression is gone, the parlor trick feeling of it all starts to set in. While the game sets itself up as an RTS, with you spawning troops and choosing how to build your home base, its more limited than most games in the genre. You quickly realize that you have no direct control over your troops: once they're deployed, the only decision youre able to make with them is which lane of the battlefield you want them to attackwhich is where the MOBA elements come in. Similarly, you can only build in a very small square directly in front of you.There are elements you can interact with on the map, like bombs you can click on to blow up enemies as they walk past them, but while the game tries to make you feel like a commander, the truth is that youre mostly ordering the type of army youd like off a menu and watching it do all the work for you.Thats not inherently a bad thing, and works for the bite-sized, mobile game-style levels presented to you. But its also clear that the restricted gameplay is due to the Vision Pros lack of controllers.Its likely that you can only build your base in a very small area in front of you because thats easier on the device. Same with not being able to order troops around directly. And the choice of genre is almost certainly so that players can play sitting down, without needing to use room-scale tracking. Again, its a clever choice, but not exactly an ambitious one.Essentially, theres nothing being done here that couldnt be replicated outside of VR, meaning this is basically an iPad game with a three-dimensional coat of paint. In fact, it would probably play better on that platform, as the more precise control would likely mean fewer restrictions on gameplay.I only got to play a few levels, so its possible it gets more complex later, but as it is, this isnt a great first impression for what the Vision Pro might deliver with its exclusives in the future, and it certainly doesnt bode well for ongoing third-party VR game support. It should be a fun distraction for people who already own the headset, but unlike with Meta-exclusive games like Batman: Arkham Shadow, its unlikely to convince anyone who doesnt already own a Vision Pro to rush out and buy one. Even if youre not into more hardcore games, theres little unique here at the moment. Not only are you just fine with an iPad, but probably better off with one, too.What about more traditional games?So, VR gaming on the Apple Vision Pro might come across more as a novelty for now, but what about using the headset as a monitor for playing 2D games? This worked better in my demo, where I got to experience the console game Lies of P in the Vision Pro, but I have two problems stopping me from recommending it.Again, lets start with the positives. In my time with it, I got to play the game, a more traditional hack-and-slash RPG akin to Dark Souls, by using the Vision Pro as an external monitor for a MacBook running the game. Connection was smooth, gameplay was responsive, and the beta ultrawide mode I got to test with allowed me to replicate a type of monitor most people dont own in real life.And yet, Im left feeling like Apple is doing the bare minimum here. Case in point: If the Apple Vision Pro is supposed to be a spatial computer, why do I need a MacBook to stream the game from? Released for Mac last year just a few months after the M2 hit the market, Lies of P is plenty capable of achieving solid performance on an M2 chip, so it would make sense to expect the Vision Pro to run it natively. Instead, you need an external computer communicating with it wirelessly, and in a situation like a flight, that just adds extra bulk and more potential points of failure.Meanwhile, Im wondering why youd want to use the Vision Pro to play this game anywhere other than a flight or another situation where you cant access a television or large monitor. Thats because, while the large virtual display was certainly nice, Im not sure wearing the Vision Pro for a whole gameplay session is feasible.This headset is premium, and that means an all-metal construction, which is heavy on your face. I only wore the Vision Pro for about 45 minutes, and by the end, I was happy to take it off. Meanwhile, I can usually go with the plastic construction of my Meta Quest 3 for a few hours before getting tired. A cheaper Apple Vision product cant get here fast enough, and thats for more reasons than price.So, while the Apple Vision Pro works for non-VR games, I dont see myself using it for them outside of situations where I have few other options. And even then, the experience could be better.Should gamers get the Apple Vision Pro?With its horsepower, the Apple Vision Pro should be a contender for best gaming headset, but the baffling decision to opt out of controllers keeps it from holding that status. Right now, its one of the worst headsets for gaming, and with gaming still holding such a big part of the overall headset market, that leaves the Vision Pro in an awkward spot overall.I still think its possible we might see Apple release Vision Pro controllers in the future, as it starts to adjust more to the reality that VR headsets are specialty devices with specific appeal that general audiences cant be forced to love, and, therefore, cant be sold on the same minimalist, luxury approach as a MacBook. But until that time comes, the Apple Vision Pro will continue to be very powerful hardware without any real experience that pushes it to its limits. For now, you can still get a better gaming experience for much less.