Peacock feathers are greatly admired for their bright iridescent colors, but it turns out they can also emit laser light when dyed multiple times, according to a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports. Per the authors, it’s the first example of a biolaser cavity within the animal kingdom. As previously reported, the bright iridescent…
Amazon Prime Day is here once again. Amazon’s annual Prime Day deals aims to entice us with an endless scroll of “discounts” (some real, many fake), hammering away with red slashes, big percentages off, and coupons you can only see after adding to cart. Featured Cyber Monday Deal While Prime Day deals aren’t what they…
If your spare tire is on the exterior of the vehicle, such as underneath an SUV or pickup truck, you’ll want to be extra vigilant because the tire is exposed to the elements. Bolts exposed to the weather, and especially road salt, can corrode, making it difficult to lower the tire. It’s smart to remove…
If your home isn’t equipped for central air conditioning, mini-splits may be a smart alternative, particularly if you don’t want to install and remove clunky window units each season. Mini-splits, also known as ductless air conditioners, can cool large spaces quickly and quietly. Mini-splits are a type of heat pump. They cool your home by…
Bose helped write the book on noise canceling when it entered the market way back in the 1970s. Lately, the brand has been on a tear, with the goal of creating the ultimate in sonic solitude. The QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2 are Bose’s latest and greatest creation, offering some of the very best noise canceling…
Main theme: We bought a 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy AWD for our test program, Hyundai’s first model to use its new hybrid system based on a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The podcast panelists share first impressions of this three-row family hauler, covering performance, fuel economy, interior space, cabin luxury, and daily usability. Then they discuss…
I’ve been trying to become fluent in Spanish for the last decade. After spending most of my adult life surrounded by multilinguals, I often feel like I’m playing an impossible game of catch-up. Like everyone else, I’ve tried to become regimented with practicing on an in-phone app like Duolingo, which attempts to ‘game-ify’ language learning,…
Motorola does have another actual new phone: the Signature. It’s a new line of “premium” phones, but the catch is that these devices won’t be sold in the US. For its candy-bar phones, Motorola has dipped its toes into flagship territory every so often, only to dip back out as it struggles to compete with…
The most common complaints reported by owners of countertop and over-the-range microwaves were excessive noise, control panel buttons breaking, and uneven heating. Among countertop microwave manufacturers, KitchenAid’s microwaves were four times more likely than other brands to have problems with control panel buttons breaking (14 percent, while the median problem rate for all brands was…
I recently vacationed in Italy. As one does these days, I ran my itinerary past GPT-5 for sightseeing suggestions and restaurant recommendations. The bot reported that the top choice for dinner near our hotel in Rome was a short walk down Via Margutta. It turned out to be one of the best meals I can…