“Changing a tire is a straightforward task in perfect conditions,” says Ryan Pszczolkowski, Consumer Reports’ tire program manager. “But often the location is dangerous, such as a busy roadway, or there’s a wrinkle, such as when you find out your car doesn’t have a working spare tire. It’s wise to know how to change a…
To find the best room fans for most people, we brought three fan types—tabletop, pedestal, and box fans—into our labs and vigorously tested them for wind speed, ease of use, noise, and energy consumption. As for safety—another one of our concerns during testing—all of the room fan models we tested are designed with guards that…
The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. When Todd Sacktor was about to turn 3, his 4-year-old sister died of leukemia. “An empty bedroom next to mine. A swing set with two seats instead of one,” he said, recalling the lingering traces of her presence in the house. “There was this missing…
“The signal was out there that this is going to be a heavy, significant rainfall event,” says Vagasky. “But pinpointing exactly where that’s going to fall, you can’t do that.” Flash floods in this part of Texas are nothing new. Eight inches of rainfall in the state “could be on a day that ends in…
3. Minimize travel. If you can delay errands or other activities, you’ll preserve the gas that you purchased and reduce overall consumption for the region, helping in some small way to reduce gas scarcity. 4. Obey speed limits. When you drive, follow the speed limits and drive smoothly. Your driving habits can play a significant…
“There’s a trend in small appliances where people prefer a multipurpose machine that can do it all,” says Stacy Canova-Turner, a CR market analyst who covers small kitchen appliances. “It’s true for blenders, food processors, toaster ovens, and air fryers. For instance, with the right combination blender and food processor, you can make your favorite…
Cruise robotaxis are back on the road … well, kind of. Though General Motors pulled the plug on its self-driving taxi business last year, the automaker has been quietly repurposing a few of the vehicles as it seeks to develop new driver-assistance technologies. This week, WIRED spotted a GM Bolt electric hatchback on the San…
if you’ve just bought a fancy new TV, you may be surprised to find it sounds just as bad as your old one (or worse). Even the best TVs we’ve tested need a hand to provide sound that keeps up with their fantastic displays. But it can be tough knowing where to start when it…
Don’t judge the pressure by eyeballing a tire. Modern tires bulge slightly, making them look a little underinflated, even when they’re not. This effect can be exaggerated on a soft surface, such as a dirt road or gravel driveway. At least once a month, use a tire gauge to check the pressure in all four…
US attorney general Pam Bondi has told at least 10 tech companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, that they have “incurred no liability” for supporting TikTok despite the federal ban on providing services to the popular video-sharing app, according to letters disclosed on Thursday. Under orders from President Donald Trump, Bondi has refused to…