How to Turn Off Smart TV Snooping Features

Google says the Google TV platform itself doesn’t use ACR technology to capture specific content that’s being watched. However, individual TV brands may do so, and they have their own privacy policies and user agreements in place. While Google might not employ ACR, it does collect data from TVs that use its smart TV platform—and…

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Donald Trump Orders Crackdown on Politically-Motivated ‘Debanking’

Carter termed this alleged discrimination campaign Operation Chokepoint 2.0, in reference to an Obama-era antifraud program under which US officials reportedly discouraged banks from dealing with pornography, payday lending, and other disfavored industries. On the campaign trail ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Trump adopted the terminology himself. “I’m glad the Trump administration is taking…

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Do You Really Need a Slushie Machine at Home?

To find out whether you should invest in a dedicated frozen drink machine, we tested three from Ninja, Margaritaville, and GreenPan, and compared them to one of CR’s top-rated blenders, the Vitamix Ascent X2. We made soda slushies, frozen margaritas, chocolate milkshakes, and piña colada mocktails and hosted a taste test in the lab to…

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The Best Sex Toys (2025), Tested and Reviewed

Other Sex Toys We Like Lovense Osci 3 Photograph: Lovense We test a lot of sex toys and accessories here at WIRED, and there isn’t enough room in one list for all of our favorite picks. There’s barely enough room on this list for all the toys we’d consider phenomenal, let alone the ones we…

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Does a Spare Tire Expire?

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…

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Safe Bassinets Have These 6 Features, CR’s Experts Say

2. A Tight-Fitting Mattress Any bassinet that you buy should come with a snug-fitting mattress. When the mattress is centered in the bassinet, you should see no gaps between the edge of the mattress and the bassinet walls any larger than one-half inch, or about a finger-width. “A mattress that doesn’t fit tightly may shift…

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Best and Worst Places to Get Glasses Online and In Person

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…

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NASA’s Largest Satellite Antenna Ever Has Just Unfurled in Space

A Flower-like satellite has “bloomed” in outer space, unfolding to reveal the largest radar antenna reflector ever put into orbit. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), a joint project between the US space agency and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), launched on July 30 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in southeastern India, before…

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