CR’s Holiday Tipping Cheat Sheet

There are no hard-and-fast rules about how much you should tip at the holidays, but some tipping norms have become a social convention. For example, giving your barber a holiday bonus equal to the cost of one haircut has become a customary way to show thanks for year-round service. (See “Your Giving Guide,” below, for…

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Reddit Has Thoughts on Paris Hilton Cookware. So Do We

The chef’s knife is better, which admittedly is not saying much. It’s very rocky and lightweight. I prefer a heavier knife, especially considering how slippery the handle feels. But I was able to slice through my pile of chives, plus garlic and onions. That’s the best assessment I can give: I was able to use…

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What Even Is Instagram Now?

In her classic novel Frankenstein, author Mary Shelley imagines a monster that’s reanimated with its piecemeal body sewn together, tendon by tendon. “The dissecting room and the slaughter-house furnished many of my materials,” Shelley writes. That’s exactly what scrolling through Instagram feels like right now—an ungodly morass of features stitched together. It’s an AI search…

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19 Best Gifts for Plant Lovers and Gardeners (2026)

Suppose your giftee loves growing mushrooms but has graduated to more challenging varieties. In that case, North Spore makes an automated monotub ($150) that can be paired with either substrate or the brand’s fruiting blocks. It keeps the growing environment with the proper airflow and humidity, and I’ve grown so many mushrooms in mine that…

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The 40 Best Shows on Apple TV, WIRED’s Picks (December 2025)

Slowly but surely, Apple TV (previously Apple TV+) found its footing. The streaming service, which at launch we called “odd, angsty, and horny as hell,” has evolved into a diverse library of dramas, documentaries, and comedies. Now its library is so packed that we’ve declared it “the new HBO.” Curious but don’t know where to…

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Airlines Are Already Preparing for an Oil Crisis

The war with Iran and ensuing blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane, has spiked oil prices and sent governments scrabbling for their reserves. How high will prices go, and how bad could it get? On Friday night, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby published a memo to his employees showing that his…

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Most Fuel-Efficient Used Hybrid Cars and Hatchbacks

In addition, even 5-year-old models are new enough that buyers will get many of the modern convenience and entertainment features found in a brand-new model, but at a lower price. To help steer you to the best choices, we’ve assembled a list of the most fuel-efficient 5-year-old hybrid sedans and hatchbacks. All performed well enough…

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