6 Best Showerheads of 2026, Lab-Tested and Reviewed

Our newly expanded testing primarily reflects shower coverage, shower force, water consumption, and ease of use.  For shower coverage, we assess how uniform the spray pattern is for each showerhead. To evaluate shower force, we use a force gauge underneath the shower and compare that measurement with an ideal, most comfortable value. A shower can…

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Best Countertop Water Filters of 2025

All of the countertop water filters we test use carbon filtration to clean tap water. These filters are lined with black granular activated carbon, which, like a magnet to metal, pulls solid and gas contaminants from the water and air that flows through it. Activated carbon-block technology is good at filtering funky tastes and odors,…

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3 Best Smart Displays (2025): Tested By a Smart Home Addict

Comparing Our Favorite Smart Displays More Smart Displays We Like Echo Hub for $180: The Echo Hub isn’t exactly a smart display. It lacks powerful speaker capabilities and doesn’t have a camera for calls or Amazon’s Drop-In video call feature. Instead, it focuses entirely on being a smart home dashboard with built-in Alexa, plus features…

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Safest Car Brands Ranked by Consumer Reports’ Safety Verdict

Our exclusive safety verdict is based on straightforward criteria: Cars that score Basic meet the bare minimum federal safety standards but lack the protections that CR says should be available to all consumers. Cars that score Better have several criteria above the minimum, but may not come standard with some features, may not have undergone…

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Best Used Cars: 10 Top Picks for August 2025

By looking at how cars performed in our tests when new and reviewing detailed reliability data, CR can point car shoppers to models that promise the best overall ownership experience. But it’s important to note that great new cars don’t always make great used cars, especially when factoring in depreciation and long-term reliability.  We pick…

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Can AI Avoid the Enshittification Trap?

I recently vacationed in Italy. As one does these days, I ran my itinerary past GPT-5 for sightseeing suggestions and restaurant recommendations. The bot reported that the top choice for dinner near our hotel in Rome was a short walk down Via Margutta. It turned out to be one of the best meals I can…

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Sam Altman Says the GPT-5 Haters Got It All Wrong

OpenAI’s August launch of its GPT-5 large language model was somewhat of a disaster. There were glitches during the livestream, with the model generating charts with obviously inaccurate numbers. In a Reddit AMA with OpenAI employees, users complained that the new model wasn’t friendly, and called for the company to restore the previous version. Most…

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11 Best Android Phones of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

Other Phones to Consider We test a ton of Android phones. We like the ones below, but you’ll be better off with one of the options above. If you haven’t yet done so, check out our Best Cheap Phones and Best Folding Phones guides for more. Pixel 9 Photograph: Julian Chokkattu Google Pixel 9 for…

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8 Best Gaming Laptops (2025), Tested and Reviewed

All of the major laptop manufacturers have gaming sub-brands these days. Just to name a few, Lenovo has Legion, HP has Omen and Victus, Asus has ROG, Acer has Predator and Nitro, and Dell has Alienware. These are a good place to start, especially if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly. Asus has the most…

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