Boilers are far less common than gas furnaces, and that’s reflected in the responses to Consumer Reports’ most recent survey on central heating. Our members installed 1,791 new boilers between 2009 and 2025, compared with more than 34,000 gas furnaces. But just like a furnace, when a boiler breaks, you want it repaired—or replaced—ASAP. Forty-two…
“The signal was out there that this is going to be a heavy, significant rainfall event,” says Vagasky. “But pinpointing exactly where that’s going to fall, you can’t do that.” Flash floods in this part of Texas are nothing new. Eight inches of rainfall in the state “could be on a day that ends in…
The Centris 2’s seat is low and the handlebars are high, more reminiscent of a standing scooter than a classic pedal bike. I put a friend on the Centris 2 to compare its handling to another one of my folding ebikes, and as we zipped around the neighborhood, she hollered from behind me: “Why are…
Jim Sanborn couldn’t believe it. He was weeks away from auctioning off the answer to Kryptos, the sculpture he created for the CIA that had defied solution for 35 years. As always, wannabe solvers kept on paying him a $50 fee to offer their guesses to the remaining unsolved portion of the 1,800-character encrypted message,…
For additional protection, look for a space heater equipped with an appliance leakage current interrupter (ALCI) plug, says Samantha Ostrander, who oversees CR’s space heater tests. These bulky plugs—similar to those seen on hair dryers—safeguard against differences in current and can also protect against a dangerous electrical shock. Like GFCI outlets, ALCI plugs typically feature…
At times, the sprawling predictions may appear prescient, echoing real-world flashpoints: In Alvarado, Texas, an alleged coordinated ambush at a detention center this week drew ICE agents out with fireworks before gunfire erupted on July 4, leaving a police officer shot in the neck. (Nearly a dozen arrests have been made, at least 10 on…
I’m mostly pleased with the EufyMake Studio software. If you aren’t already comfortable working in Photoshop or other image-editing software, you’ll want to spend a bit of time getting to know how layers and transparency work, as well as brushing up on dots per inch (dpi) and image types, assuming you’re going to print custom…
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…
But not every stylus offers the same performance—or even the same iPad compatibility—which makes shopping tricky. Apple, for example, sells four different Apple Pencil devices, each with its own set of features. And there are dozens of inexpensive third-party options available at Amazon, Walmart, and other retailers, some great and some not worth your money. To…
Often written about and reviewed on WIRED, OnePlus is a favorite device maker among Android enthusiasts who want the kind of clean design you get with an iPhone. Carrying several types of phones, tablets, keyboards, and other tech gear, OnePlus uses an Android-based operating system, is universally unblocked and works with all US carriers. We…
