How time flies. I first reviewed the original Urban Arrow in 2020, when my kids were 3 and 5. Back then, nothing delighted a couple of preschoolers more than strapping into a big, motorized cargo bike and scooting around town, shrieking, with the wind blowing in their tiny faces. Alas, they are now 8 and…
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…
Here it comes. Up to two thirds of the US is facing down the threat of serious snow, cold, and ice this weekend, with the potential to snarl roads (and the businesses that depend on them) from Texas up to New York City. At this point, grocery stores, logistics experts, warehouse operators, and trucking companies…
These guidelines, based on our experience shopping for a dash cam, will give you a head start and save you time (and maybe even money). Determine your needs. In what situations do you think a dash cam would be useful? Will you need to use it at night? Do you want it to record inside the…
The changes to survivor signup have been made inside the program that the agency uses to manage disaster aid applications and pay out survivors, known as the National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS). Current and former FEMA employees told WIRED that, while they have major concerns about requiring an email address to register for aid,…
Except for a handful of models marketed specifically for swimming, headphones should never be submerged in water. (Electronics and water don’t mix well.) Even “water-resistant” models—which are designed to stand up to sweat or rain, not a dunking—should never get more than slightly damp. Don’t apply any liquid directly to the headphones, and when you…
I’m a picky person when it comes to mattresses. Of the hundreds I’ve tested over my career as a certified sleep coach and mattress tester, I have a short list of ones that have exceeded my expectations. At the top of my list is the Nolah Evolution, with the distinct honor of being the mattress…
This year marks a decade of REI’s observance of the consumer high holy day, Black Friday. For the past 10 years REI has shut its doors for Black Friday, suggesting that instead potential customers should get outside and enjoy the world around you. That’s great advice, but of course Black Friday is also one of…
The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. In 1939, upon arriving late to his statistics course at UC Berkeley, George Dantzig—a first-year graduate student—copied two problems off the blackboard, thinking they were a homework assignment. He found the homework “harder to do than usual,” he would later recount, and apologized to the…
This holds true for more than just household finances. Thanks to extra power, value, and customizability, desktop PCs remain the top choice for serious gamers, photo and video editors, and anyone who wrangles large spreadsheets for work. At Consumer Reports, we group models into three main categories: all-in-one, mini, and tower. Below you’ll find a…