Jim Sanborn couldn’t believe it. He was weeks away from auctioning off the answer to Kryptos, the sculpture he created for the CIA that had defied solution for 35 years. As always, wannabe solvers kept on paying him a $50 fee to offer their guesses to the remaining unsolved portion of the 1,800-character encrypted message,…
That’s a lot to ask for from a pair of eyeglasses. So Consumer Reports set out to determine which in-person and online glasses stores deliver the goods. Our Fall 2022 survey collected responses from more than 11,450 CR members about their prescription eyeglass purchases in the previous 24 months. Respondents provided feedback on the retailers…
Leaks are a constant part of big product news cycles, particularly for companies like Apple. Online soothsayers like Jon Prosser and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman have long predicted the content of upcoming Apple announcements, citing anonymous sources from within the company to glean glimpses of what’s next. They have been correct often enough to become a…
This holds true for more than just household finances. Thanks to extra power, value, and customizability, desktop PCs remain the top choice for serious gamers, photo and video editors, and anyone who wrangles large spreadsheets for work. At Consumer Reports, we group models into three main categories: all-in-one, mini, and tower. Below you’ll find a…
Photograph: Luke Larsen Photograph: Luke Larsen Photograph: Luke Larsen Photograph: Luke Larsen Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Apple MacBook Air (M5, 2026) Our favorite laptop for most people, the MacBook Air is deceptively powerful with the update to the M5 chip. (Did you know the GPU in the M5 Air is as powerful as…
Podcasts are to radio as streaming services are to television, and we’re lucky to be living through a golden age of both. But you need help finding the best podcasts worthy of your ear because, while you can find a podcast about almost anything these days, with great choice comes great mediocrity. Our expertly curated…
Lenovo is currently the biggest PC and laptop company in the world, and they just so happen to make some of our favorite laptops and PC peripherals. In fact, our list of the Best Laptops you can buy include a number of Lenovo devices that we’ve tested and fully recommend, ranging from high-end premium laptops…
Underneath flashy brand names or packaging, most ice melts feature blends of the same ingredients: sodium chloride, calcium chloride, or magnesium chloride. “They’re all salts,” says David P. Orr, director and senior engineer of the Cornell Local Roads Program. And any salt will seep into porous pavement, potentially causing problems. We spoke with Orr, veterinarians,…
These extra steps, taken before you even open the can, will help make your stain go on more easily and help ensure a frustration-free experience and seamless results. Sand the wood, starting with coarse-grit sandpaper. You can use a belt or orbiting sander, but renting a drum sander may be more effective for very large…
Here’s a shopping tip: If you don’t see a given model in our ratings, try checking the ratings for that model’s other color finishes. Every refrigerator has a slightly different model number for each of its finishes. For instance, if you’re considering the black stainless Samsung RS27T5200SG/AA side-by-side, which isn’t in our ratings, use CR’s…