Paints recommended by Consumer Reports resist cracking, fading, dirt, and mildew for nine years or more. “Cracking resistance is the critical attribute for exterior paints and stains because cracks expose a home’s underlying siding or decking to water,” says Li Wang, who oversees CR’s paint testing. And freeze and thaw cycles could potentially cause serious…
Silicon Valley tech types love their edgy new social media startups. The latest is Airchat, an audio-first social app that lets its users express their every thought by posting short snippets of audio. All of these snippets are served in a never-ending feed, a la Twitter. There are replies, there are DMs, but there’s no…
If light streams through your window as you’re trying to sleep—because, say, you have street lights or traffic nearby or you’re a shift worker—then blackout curtains may be worth considering. Our 2022 survey found that 88 percent of people who bought blackout shades or curtains in the previous year found them somewhat or very effective…
In March 2019, TikTok agreed to a US federal court order barring the social media giant from collecting personal information from its youngest users without their parents’ consent. According to a new lawsuit filed by US authorities, TikTok immediately breached that order and now faces penalties of $51,744 per violation per day. TikTok “knowingly allowed…
Patrick Holden strolls across the field, pausing from time to time to bend and point out a bumblebee, or a white butterfly, or a dung beetle. A wide expanse of blue sky stretches above. Beneath, undulating green hills, sprawling hedgerows, a horizon broken only by the jagged tips of Wales’ Cambrian mountain range. Sun-soaked goodness….
Our tests show that the best electric bikes tend to cost more because they have higher-quality components and—in many cases—come from a big-name brand. Because there are as many types of electric bikes as there are conventional ones—commuters, cruisers, folding bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes—it’s important to consider which variety will work…
Mary Reed, the 5-foot, 1-inch business manager at CR’s Auto Test Center, explains what she looks for in evaluating a car: “I adjust the seat for comfort before driving, sliding it forward as needed and moving the steering wheel. I then consider the visibility over the hood and to the rear, especially the corners. With…
A gymnast can actually perform both of these types of rotation at the same time—that’s what makes the sport so interesting to watch. In physics, we would call this type of movement a “rigid body rotation.” But, clearly, humans aren’t rigid, so the mathematics to describe rotations like this can be quite complicated. For the…
While our analysis of USDA pesticide data found that some foods still have worrisome levels of certain dangerous pesticides, it also offers insights into how you can limit your pesticide exposure now, and what government regulators should do to fix the problem in the long term. Eat Lots of Low-Risk ProduceA quick scan of our…
As a group, we were all of similar ability and speeds, so range rarely became an issue while skiing. When someone did fall back from the group, stop for a couple of minutes, or even turn a particularly big, rocky corner, we would get a “Jeremy is out of range” alert. The Milos work best…