Playing chess can be challenging, fun, and at times frustrating. Garry Kasparov called the game “mental torture.” With virtually limitless possibilities, chess offers unparalleled depth, and you could easily fill a library with books on how to play it. The internet has opened up a wealth of potential competitors, and smart chess boards enable you…
Photograph: Michael Calore The walls of the bag are tough enough, made from 1,200-denier polyester, which is heavy-duty and water-resistant, not to mention so rugged that it’s nearly indestructible. I’ve checked it as luggage on a dozen or so flights, and it doesn’t show any scuffs or tears. The zipper at the top isn’t sealed,…
Most people aren’t using physical media anymore, which is why I spent the majority of my time testing the HW-Q990F with streaming media. I find that Apple TV has the best audio quality of any of the major streaming services, which tracks with my experience testing this bar: Atmos-mixed shows like sci-fi hit Foundation come…
The role of advanced analytics in sports is a contentious subject. To its defenders, data-driven pragmatism is a natural evolutionary step in the way we play and watch games. For detractors, the approach prioritizes results above all else and drains the soul from a pursuit that should be spontaneous and joyful. As someone who is…
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,…
Self-feeding pillows also prevent infants from disengaging and removing themselves from danger. “The self-feeding pillows secure the bottle at an unsafe angle while keeping it fixed in place, preventing the infant from pulling or moving the bottle away,” says Ashita Kapoor, associate director of product safety at Consumer Reports. Many designs also fasten around the…
Potty training a puppy is not for the faint of heart—especially if you live in a cold climate and are introducing them to the concept of going outside in the snow, rain, or biting cold. There are times when puppy pads are a lifesaver. If you live in a high-rise apartment, are away for most…
While kratom is not categorized as an opioid, like heroin and morphine, it can produce opioid-like effects in users, such as relaxation and pain relief. The leaves contain two major psychoactive ingredients, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), that attach to the same parts of the brain as opioids, called mu-opioid receptors. However, kratom is what’s known…
You don’t need a four-figure Swiss movement to know what time it is—or look good doing it. One of the most wonderful things about “budget” watches today (although it’s kinder, or more appropriate, to say “affordable”) is that brands have learned to take design cues from luxury timepieces while quietly getting very good at the…
Main theme: In this podcast episode, we give our driving impressions of the redesigned 2025 GMC Terrain, which follows the new Chevrolet Equinox that went on sale in 2024. This compact SUV gets several significant upgrades, including a significant suite of advanced safety and driver assistance systems as standard equipment, including highway-speed automatic emergency braking,…