I’ve never had particularly sensitive nipples—except for the first time I went to a clothing-optional beach and failed to use enough sunblock—so I was excited to give the Lovense Gemini a try. No, it has nothing to do with Google’s AI chatbot. These are vibrating nipple clamps from Lovense, and I’ve had great experience with…
Before 2008, there was no requirement for pacifiers—or any children’s products—to be tested for safety, according to Nancy Cowles, product safety advocate and former executive director of the nonprofit Kids in Danger. “I think that consumers can trust that pacifiers sold at major retailers have been tested,” Cowles says. “It might be harder to tell…
So what does all this new technology—the voice commands, the on-screen help, the file sorting—actually mean for you? The promise is one of convenience: a smarter computer that can save you time, simplify complex tasks, and help you find information more naturally. This brings us to the ultimate question: Is a new computer actually required…
“Based on almost 1,000 individual car seat installations and nearly 130 crash tests, CR’s infant car seat ratings represent a comprehensive and rigorous program that allows us to make distinctions between car seat models and offer clear recommendations,” says Michael Bloch, who oversees child seat testing at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center. “They show the…
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…
After spending the past year testing 25 smart bird feeders from 10 different brands, many have impressed me, but none so frequently and consistently as Birdfy’s. It was the first brand on the market to introduce AI bird identification, as well as the first to introduce auxiliary products like smart nesting boxes, birdbaths (see below),…
But the problem goes beyond a change of aspect ratio. Remastering shows that were originally shot with more primitive technology sometimes goes horribly awry, like an I Love Lucy clip that went viral last year showing a pair of once-blurry background actors brought into so much focus that they now looked like surreal Picasso sketches….
Prior to publication, CR contacted the manufacturers of all 23 products we tested and shared our results and methodology with them. Five companies have not responded to our requests for comment: BSN, Dymatize, Jocko Fuel, Muscle Milk, and Owyn. Optimum Nutrition declined to comment, and Huel did not respond to questions about the amount of…
Every time I slip on a rain jacket, I give thanks that we no longer have to wrap ourselves in thick, smelly sealskin to stay dry. The best rain jackets today are more comfortable and watertight than ever, thanks to advances in weatherproof textiles and apparel design. But depending on the climate and your level…
BMW has been a rarity among luxury automakers in that all new models since 2017 that are leased or purchased include a “scheduled maintenance” plan for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. The plan covers “consumables” such as engine oil and brake fluid, as well as spark plugs and various filters. This plan…
