Ideally, the composite decking you choose will look good, and remain solid and safe, for many years. Consumer Reports’ performance tests evaluate these factors. We use specialized instruments to test each decking sample for resistance to flexing. That ensures that boards won’t bow or bend if you’re entertaining a crowd or if you park a…
At Anthropic’s first court hearing challenging sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, the AI tech startup asked the government to commit that it wouldn’t levy additional penalties on the company. That didn’t happen. “I am not prepared to offer any commitments on that issue,” James Harlow, a Justice Department attorney, told US district judge Rita…
Before the legislation was passed in 2024, the disclosure of diaper ingredients was not required in any state in the U.S., meaning companies did not have to inform parents and caregivers about the substances babies were exposed to daily through their diapers. As of December 2025, manufacturers selling diapers in the state must list all…
As the 2026 Winter Olympics come to a close, a whole new game is afoot: the mad dash to make money on exclusive memorabilia. When the Games are over, most of the event’s coolest collectibles will become very hard to find, plundered by scalpers and bargain hunters and only available through online marketplaces like eBay…
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is in London, standing in front of a room full of journalists, outing himself as a huge fan of Gemini’s Nano Banana. “How could anyone not love Nano Banana? I mean Nano Banana, how good is that? Tell me it’s not true!” He addresses the room. No one responds. “Tell me…
Once you’re positive you have a flea problem, bathe all the cats and dogs in the home (even those that aren’t scratching) with a mild soap (Hansen suggests Dawn dish detergent because it can cut the surface tension of water, making it easier for the fleas to drown), then comb out any fleas with a…
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…
For several years, the top Chinese smartphone brands have been duking it out for photography dominance. Even though year-over-year changes are often minuscule, these companies try to one-up one another. Take Oppo’s latest flagship, the Find X9 Pro, as an example. It boasts a 200-megapixel telephoto lens developed with camera manufacturer Hasselblad, so you can…
Other VPNs We’ve Tested Private Internet Access (PIA) has a long history in the VPN space, and it’s maintained a track record of defending user privacy—even in the face of actual criminal activity. In 2016, a criminal complaint was filed in Florida against Preston Alexander McWaters for threats made online. McWaters was eventually convicted and…
Car theft is a serious concern, even among more mainstream models. Vehicle thefts numbered more than a million for 2022 and 2023, but the figures dropped to 850,708 in 2024, according to the NICB, an industry membership organization. California has the highest vehicle theft rate at 463.2 thefts per 100,000 people. Why it matters: The…