NASA’s Perseverance Rover Finds Strange Rocks on Mars

Satellite observations had shown alternating stripes of light-colored and dark-colored rock in this area. In late March, Perseverance excavated one of the light-colored formations and collected a sample. In the process it discovered the strange rock—which has been named “St. Paul’s Bay.” A photo of the St. Paul’s Bay rock, the darker object on the…

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In a Boon for Tesla, Feds Weaken Rules for Reporting on Self-Driving

Automakers and tech developers testing and deploying self-driving and advanced driver-assistance features will no longer have to report as much detailed, public crash information to the federal government, according to a new framework released today by the US Department of Transportation. The moves are a boon for makers of self-driving cars and the wider vehicle…

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Best Battery Platforms for Power Tools

Consumer Reports tests battery power tools at our facility in Yonkers, N.Y., as well as in Florida (where there’s grass year-round). We don’t accept products for testing from manufacturers. Instead, we send out shoppers to purchase equipment in stores and pay the retail price, just as you would.  To come up with our ratings of…

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How to Use and Care for a Chef’s Knife

But just because a knife feels dull doesn’t mean it needs to be sharpened. After using a knife for a while, it can often remain essentially sharp but the cutting edge can be ever-so-slightly rolled over. That means it’s time to hone your blade to realign its edge. Honing, which involves running a knife over…

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Do You Need a Measles Booster?

If you got just one dose, which was likely the case for people vaccinated before 1990. Most healthy adults in this category probably don’t need another dose, according to the CDC. Whether a booster is necessary here is often decided on a case-by-case basis—talk to your healthcare provider if you think you may qualify. Those…

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Should You Lease Your Next Car?

In the situations that follow, buying—either financing or purchasing a vehicle outright—makes more sense. You drive a lot or put a lot of wear and tear on your car. Most leases cap how many miles you can drive—usually 10,000 to 15,000 per year—and will charge you 10 to 30 cents for every mile you go…

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