Apple tries to make the iPhone as simple and intuitive to use as possible—and largely succeeds. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some more advanced features available, if you’re prepared to do a little digging.

We’ll help you with your digging with a few iPhone keyboard tricks you might not know. You no doubt spend a lot of time tapping away on it, so make sure you’re aware of everything it’s able to do for you.

Slide to type

Some people find it easier to slide across letters as they spell them out, rather than tapping on each letter. This is enabled by default on the iOS keyboard, so try it to see if you like it: Just slide your finger across to the letters you want, briefly pausing at each one. If the feature has been turned off somehow, go to General and Keyboard in iOS Settings, and turn on Slide to Type. The Delete Slide-to-Type by Word toggle switch determines whether pausing on the delete key erases the last character or the whole of the last word.

Replace text

If you’ve got a host of phrases that you turn to again and again in your typing, you can set up text replacements for them. You could use the code “myad” to insert your full address, for example. To set these handy shortcuts up, open iOS Settings, then pick General, Keyboard, and Text Replacement. You can use the same feature for words that are always getting corrected by the iPhone—particular surnames or place names, for example.

Trackpad mode

Did you know your iPhone keyboard has a hidden trackpad mode you can make use of? It’s particularly helpful when you’re trying to select something precisely, or when you need to edit text and you’ve got to get the cursor in exactly the right spot. Tap and hold on Space on the iPhone keyboard until the keys go blank, then move your finger to work the trackpad. It’s not available at all times though—only when the keyboard is active.

Go one-handed

There will be times when you only have one hand free to type on your phone, and the iPhone keyboard has you covered here: Tap and hold in the bottom left corner of the keyboard, which will either be an emoji or a globe depending on how it’s configured, to get a pop-up menu. There you’ll see two icons for pushing the whole keyboard towards the left or right of the screen. Repeat the process to go back to the normal keyboard layout.

Tap and hold

You can unlock a whole host of special characters and variations by pressing and holding on keys on the iOS keyboard (you can also tap the 123 button to see more options of course). For example, press and hold on a text character to see variations with accents added, or press and hold on the dollar sign to see other currencies, or press and hold on the period to see an ellipsis. Another tip: Double-tap the Shift key to keep it enabled.

Switch to dictation

You can speak out what you want to say rather than typing it, if you want a change (or if you speak faster than you type). The feature can be turned on and off under General and Keyboard in iOS Settings, via the Enable Dictation toggle switch: As long as it’s enabled, you can tap the microphone button on the keyboard to switch between dictation and typing. You can speak out punctuation and even emojis as you go.

Make iPhone keyboard bigger

The size of the iPhone keyboard is tied to the text size of iOS as a whole, and you can adjust this by opening Display & Brightness from Settings, then choosing Text Size (you can also turn on Bold Text if you want). It’s also possible to switch to upper case rather than lower case for the iPhone keyboard: From Settings, tap Accessibility and Keyboards, and disable Show Lowercase Keys (the Shift key will still work as normal, however).

Configure the keyboard

Open iOS Settings, then go to General and the Keyboard screen, and you’ll see plenty of useful ways you’re able to customize the iPhone keyboard to suit your own needs and preferences. Autocorrect and spell check can be turned on or off as required, for example, as can automatic capitalization (so there’s always a capital letter after a space), and the smart punctuation feature (so curly quotes rather than straight quotes, for instance).

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Eventually any pristine box of crayons ends up as a pile of busted stubs at the bottom of a craft bin. In the U.S., between 45,000 and 75,000 pounds of crayons end up in landfills every year and traditional paraffin-based crayons are not biodegradable. Instead of trashing broken crayons, give them a new, colorful life by creating rainbow crayons.

This simple DIY project can also be a fun lesson for kids on the states of matter. The crayons start as a solid, melt into a liquid at temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and return to a solid when removed from heat.

[Related: How to Frankenstein old wax scraps into a totally new candle]

The best part about creating recycled crayons is that you’re not limited to boring old pencil-like shapes. With silicone molds, you can create crayons in the shape of Darth Vader, a Lego minifig, flowers, sea stars, or even Han Solo frozen in carbonite.

What you’ll need to make recycled rainbow crayons

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups broken crayons with paper removed
  Note: You can use new crayons, but where’s the fun in that?

Tools

• Silicone molds. We suggest Star Wars, Lego, flowers, or Emoji.
• Oven
• Baking sheet or wire rack
• Oven mitts
• Optional: Water, bowl, scissors

Activity Time

• 30-60 minutes, depending on your method for peeling the paper off the crayons.

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 250-degrees.
2. Peel paper off crayons.
   Note: To speed up the process, soak crayons in tub of water first. To slow down the process (and keep little hands occupied), don’t soak.
3. Break or cut crayons into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces.
4. Arrange crayon chunks in silicone molds. You’ll want to slightly overfill the molds.
5. Place molds on baking sheet or wire rack.
6. Bake crayon chunks for 8-10 minutes, or until all crayon chunks are melted.
7. Remove molds from oven and allow to cool (approximately 25 minutes at room temperature or 10 minutes in the freezer).
8. When fully cooled, carefully remove the crayons from the molds.

That’s it! Now grab a coloring book or sheet of paper and color away.

The post How to recycle crayons into fun-shaped rainbow crayons appeared first on Popular Science.

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Want to remember something? Don’t type it out—write it down. 

At least that’s what a paper published in Frontiers in Psychology suggests, concluding that “whenever handwriting movements are included as a learning strategy, more of the brain gets stimulated, resulting in the formation of more complex neural network connectivity.” In other words: Writing by hand, as opposed to with a keyboard, helps you remember things. 

The study, by F. R. Van der Weel and Audrey L. H. Van der Meer, psychology researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, had 36 students write a variety of words, chosen at random from the game Pictionary, either with a digital stylus or a keyboard, all while wearing a 256-channel sensor array on their heads. The researchers were watching to determine which involved more connectivity between the two sides of the brain, something that’s been shown to correlate with learning and memory. Though a small sample size, the results “revealed increased connectivity for handwriting over typewriting, suggesting that different underlying cognitive processes are involved in the two tasks.” 

This makes sense to me—I can type without looking at the keyboard, or even really thinking about the fact that I’m typing. Writing with a pen, though? That I have to pay attention. That’s a meaningful distinction, one that has implications for anyone who is trying to learn. Now, the paper goes out of its way to state that this doesn’t mean you should abandon your keyboard altogether—they’re just different tools for different jobs. 

There is, all the same, a demonstrable difference between how writing with a pen, or typing by hand, affects your ability to remember the words you’re recording. Now that you know this you can take advantage—here’s a little bit of advice. 

Want to remember something? Use a pen or stylus.

Lately, when I’m reading a book or paper with the intention of learning from it, I take notes by writing. In my case I’m using a Remarkable e-ink tablet but there’s no reason a sheet of paper, a notebook, a digital notebook, or even an iPad with a pencil can’t work the same way. 

Remember: The study above involved a tablet and stylus, meaning that it’s the movement of writing by hand—not the lack of screens—that helps with memory. So, if the point of writing something down is to help you remember, take those notes using handwriting. The most obvious use case for this is taking notes during class. But it applies even if you’re not a student. 

Take paper notes during meetings

Do you attend meetings regularly? Consider leaving your laptop in your bag and taking notes by hand. You might not be able to write things down as quickly, granted, but you’ll remember the key points from the meeting with more clarity. As a bonus, it’s a lot easier to maintain eye contact when you’re not constantly looking down at your computer. 

I find this even works during online meetings. I leave my tablet between my computer and me, which allows me to jot things down during the conversation. This doesn’t just help me remember things; I’m also not interrupting the conversation with my infamously loud typing sounds. Win-win. 

Consider using paper productivity software

I’m straying pretty far from the research here, granted, but if writing things down instead of typing helps with memory you might want to consider replacing your productivity software with pen and paper, or a digital system that allows you to handwrite. I especially recommend this if you’re the kind of person who frequently sets up to-do lists and calendar apps only to forget that they exist. Writing things down might help you remember in a way that apps just don’t. 

Need to be quick? Use a keyboard.

The study went out of its way to say that keyboards have their place. To quote the conclusion:

Handwriting requires fine motor control over the fingers, and it forces students to pay attention to what they are doing. Typing, on the other hand, requires mechanical and repetitive movements that trade awareness for speed. 

There is a time and a place for keyboards: I’m typing this right now. The takeaway isn’t that writing is better, per se, just that the act itself can help you remember things. Keep this in mind and try out writing at times when you normally wouldn’t. You might be surprised.

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Besides everything else your smart speaker can do—from weather forecasts to fact checks to playing music—it’s also able to help improve your sleep. That might be by playing sounds to help you drift off, for example, or by waking you up gently in the morning.

The sleep-boosting tricks we’re going to cover here can be used across smart speakers made by Amazon, Google, and Apple (as well as the smart displays)—so there should be something here that fits your smart home setup.

Make some noise

Your smart speaker can work as a noise machine if that helps you fall asleep—and you can even choose between several different colors of noise. If static isn’t for you, smart speakers can play a variety of natural sounds as well, so you can drift off to audio of a thunderstorm or the clack-clack of a train on tracks.

Getting this setup is as simple as saying “play white noise,” “play pink noise,” or “play the sounds of a thunderstorm” to your smart speaker, though they all work in slightly different ways in terms of how they respond. An Amazon Echo will try and find a specific app to help, for example, while a Google Nest might load up a track from YouTube—it really depends on what you’ve asked for.

Head into the companion app on your phone—so the Alexa app, the Google Home app, or the Home app for iOS—to see what’s currently playing and to set options such as a sleep timer. Most sounds can be configured to keep playing all night, or to turn themselves off after a specific amount of time has passed.

Evening and morning routines

Another way that smart speakers can improve your sleep health is by giving you nudges to help you stick to a routine. Every smart speaker can set reminders, for instance: Just ask for a reminder to be read out at a certain time, when you know you need to start getting ready for some shut-eye.

At the other end of the day, you can set an alarm in the same way to get you out of bed. The available alarm sounds—which can be set through the app that accompanies your smart speaker—include a number of gentle and soothing options. If you’re using a Google Nest smart display, meanwhile, in the alarm settings you can customize what’s labeled a Pre-alarm sound to come before the alarm too.

Smart speakers from Amazon, Google, and Apple can all trigger routines alongside an alarm, so you can have your smart lights gradually come on for example, or start a playlist specifically designed to get you out of bed without you having to resort to the snooze button (or a snooze voice command).

In the Alexa app, tap the + (plus) button in the top right corner of the Home tab, then choose Routine. Set the time you want the routine to start (it can start with the sunrise time in your part of the world, if you want), then choose what you want the Echo to do—some of the options include playing specific sounds, starting a playlist, and reading out the news.

In the Google Home app, head to the Automations tab, then choose + Add to get started. The options match those available on the Echo speakers pretty closely: You can pick a specific time for the routine to start or have it synced with your local sunrise time, and you can pick from a variety of sounds and audio sources to listen to, as well as control connected smart devices (so you can get your smart lights to gradually brighten to give you a more gentle wake up, for example).

If you’re using a HomePod, open the Home app for iOS, head to the Home tab, then tap the + (plus) button up in the top right corner. Choose Add Scene, then Custom, and you’re ready to get started: As on the Amazon and Google speakers, your options include being able to gently turn on smart lights, and broadcasting a specific playlist.

Other smart speaker relaxation ideas

There’s lots more you can get your smart speaker to do to help you wind down for bed—just think about all the different types of audio it can cue up. In addition to putting together a specially prepared playlist, you could also have an audiobook play while you’re drowsy, or perhaps run through an audio meditation session.

Sometimes you’ll be able to do this right on the speaker—as with the Guided Meditations skill for the Amazon Echo—and other times you’ll need to manage the audio on your phone and simply have it stream through your smart speaker (it’ll certainly sound better than it does on your phone), maybe through an app like Headspace or Calm.

You can connect to Echo speakers wirelessly via Bluetooth (just say “Alexa, pair” to get into pairing mode), to Nest speakers via Chromecast (tap the Chromecast button in the app you’re using), and to HomePod speakers via AirPlay (tap the AirPlay logo in Control Center on your iPhone). All the necessary settings, including volume and sleep timers, can then be set on your phone before you drift off.

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If you’re looking for a physical and mental health boost, it’s time to head outside. Studies show that spending time outside, even if you’re not participating in any kind of physical activity, can offer just that. In fact, taking even a few minutes to sit by a stream, rest in the shade of a tree, or just sit by an open window to watch the birds can have immense therapeutic and physiological benefits. In fact, study after study shows that nature therapy can reduce stress, lessen feelings of anxiety, even boost physical well-being.

But what may be even better for your health is spending time outdoors mindfully, which, when combined with nature therapy, can enhance feelings of calm, interconnectedness with nature, even positive neurobiological responses. One way to incorporate mindfulness into time in nature without sitting cross-legged on the grass with your eyes closed, a posture often associated with meditation, is journaling. Here’s how and why to stuff a notebook in your pocket or backpack the next time you head outdoors to squeeze every drop of goodness that comes with spending time outside.

What counts as nature therapy

The term “nature therapy” might spark any number of visuals, from long walks on the beach to meditation sessions in the park to a simple stroll around your neighborhood. And while it’s often associated with hours spent in the forest quietly communing with nature a la Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing, nature therapy can be much more accessible than that, which is good news for city dwellers and others who might not have easy access to large swaths of green space.

In fact, according to Erica R. Timko Olson, registered nurse and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota who specializes in nature-based therapies that support wellbeing, there are many ways to interact with nature. That includes intentionally engaging in therapeutic nature-based experiences, sure, but also walking to work or enjoying a sunny park bench, even listening to nature sounds or viewing photos or videos of nature scenes.

In essence, nature therapy can involve everything from summiting a mountain to grabbing lunch on a patio to watching a butterfly from your apartment balcony; it can be done, and the benefits experienced, just about anywhere.

The benefits of journaling in nature

And yes, slowing down to take in all the sights and sounds of the outdoors, especially in this age of packed schedules and no downtime, is plenty important. Reo Jones, registered nurse, researcher and PhD candidate at OHSU, explains that while people these days are nearly constantly in fight or flight mode, writing and reflecting in a natural environment can change the physiology in the body and magnify the psychological, physical and spiritual well being felt in the presence of nature that tells us we’re safe and can relax. You don’t even have to commit a large chunk of your day to the practice, she says.

In fact, Jones suggests that taking as little as five minutes on a regular basis can have profound benefits for mental, but also physical, health. “How quickly and how drastically people can feel better. It blows my mind,” she says. “We see that on the cellular level.”

From a reduction in cortisol levels and a boost in immune function to positive changes in anxiety and mood, any amount of mindfulness outdoors is beneficial. That includes when you’re indoors but nature adjacent, like when greenery is placed in a classroom or there’s a view of nature from your office or hospital window. So grab a notebook and get to it.

Grab a journal to practice mindfulness

However, for many, the act of journaling can seem intimidating. But it doesn’t have to. In fact, according to Jones, it will look different for everyone. It can be as simple as writing down what you see, feel, or smell using whatever senses are available to you, which encourages you to pay attention and tune into the world around you. Start by writing down details you might typically ignore in daily life, like the sound of leaves chattering in the breeze, the way light changes on the grass, or how spring flowers smell.

“The best entry into this is to go outside and observe. And do that until you feel comfortable,” instructs Sydney Williams, author of Hiking Your Feelings and founder of the non-profit retreat-based Hiking My Feelings, both of which exist to help people discover the healing power of nature. Then, when you’re comfortable with observation, get introspective and write down how the scenes around you make you feel.

When you’re ready to go deeper, observe what’s happening internally in addition to externally. Journaling, especially when done outdoors, can be a way to process and work through difficult feelings and traumatic experiences explains Williams, who discovered firsthand when spending time outdoors with pen and paper in hand that wilderness offers the space to observe and reflect without judgment. It can also be somewhere to redirect energy—via hiking or exploring—that can feel bottled up indoors. “It’s the expansiveness that I feel outdoors that make the processing more accessible and approachable,” she says. It can ease fight or flight mode when you feel triggered, she adds.

If you’re still having trouble putting thoughts into words, return to simple observation, but pay attention to what the scenes around you inspire. If you see a cactus, Williams says, consider its spines and let them prompt you to think about what is currently irritating you. Put on paper what you’re thinking and feeling, why you might be thinking and feeling that way, and how those thoughts and feelings are affecting you physically and mentally. 

“There’s something about the reflective process and taking the time to be with it and process it and think about it,” Jones says. No judgment, just introspection and inspiration.

“One of the best ways to connect with and rediscover ourselves is to reconnect with our surroundings,” says Williams. So grab a notebook or open the Notes app on your phone, find a stream, tree, or rooftop to sit by, under, or on, and take a few minutes to observe and reflect. Your mind and body will thank you for it.

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You might think physical media is obsolete. It’s possible to watch basically anything on streaming sites at this point. Best Buy is ending DVD and Blu-ray sales and so is Target. Many people no longer have Blu-ray or DVD players plugged into their TVs, assuming they even watch things on a TV at all. It’s understandable, given all this, that you might be eyeing your shelf full of physical media and wonder whether it’s time to throw it all out. 

That’s a mistake. There are all kinds of reasons you should keep your physical copies of TV shows and movies around. 

Content disappears from streaming services

A few years ago Warner Bros. started removing its own shows from Max, called HBO Max at the time. Among these shows was Westworld, a prestige HBO series that subscribers understandably thought would stick around on the service. Until that point no major streaming service had removed its own content—Netflix, for example, removed plenty of shows made by other companies but never one of its own originals. Warner Bros. broke this unspoken compact with Westworld. Today the only place to watch the sci-fi drama online is on TubiTV, but you can’t watch episodes whenever you want—it’s basically an online TV station that plays all the episodes in order. Warner Bros. isn’t alone here: Disney pulled several of its own shows from Disney+ last year, including a brand new TV show based on the movie Willow. 

Which is all to say that you can’t count on streaming services to offer all the shows you love in perpetuity. You know what you can count on? A physical disc. A TV show or movie you have on Blu-ray or DVD will keep working for you until the disc physically breaks down, and even longer if you back them up. If you want to make sure you can keep watching a TV show or movie you need to buy a physical copy. 

No internet? No problem.

Streaming services, for the most part, only work if you have an internet connection. Physical media keeps working, as highlighted by a piece in The Guardian about a Florida power outage in 2018 that made one family’s DVD and Blu-ray collection extremely valuable: 

Word got around. The family’s library of physical films and books became a kind of currency. Neighbors offered bottled water or jars of peanut butter for access. The 1989 Tom Hanks comedy The ’Burbs was an inexplicably valuable commodity, as were movies that could captivate restless and anxious children.

The internet goes down sometimes, for all kinds of reasons—natural disasters, yes, but also good old fashioned outages. Having some physical media around means you’ll still have something to watch. 

It might be cheaper

Some people like to binge watch the same show, again and again. Peacock, for example, owes at least some of its existence to dedicated fans of The Office, who from what I can tell, just kind of always have the show on in the background. That might be worth it to you, but here’s the thing, though: I found the complete run of the series on Amazon on DVD for $50, a total that could pay for just over four months of an ad-free Peacock subscription. You could probably get the series for even less if you’re willing to look for a used copy, meaning there’s no excuse to pay for Peacock just for one show. Buy the discs and you can binge watch as many times as you want, all without any ongoing subscription fees. 

You can lend them out

I love ebooks but tend to buy a physical copy of anything I truly love. Part of this is that I like seeing the books on my shelf, granted, but another big part of the appeal is that I can lend physical books out to friends. Physical copies of movies and TV shows work the same way: You can lend them to whoever you like, even as streaming services are going out of their way to stop you from sharing passwords. 

Of course, it’s not just on you to lend out discs: your local library probably does too, giving you access to all kinds of shows for free. In some places this is going even further: Little DVD libraries are popping up as a way to share discs with your neighbors. If you can physically hold something there’s no restrictions on lending it out, and that’s a real kind of freedom that streaming services can’t—or, at least won’t—give you. 

Special features

One last thing. DVDs and Blu-rays come with all kinds of special features, from behind-the-scenes footage to deleted scenes. Streaming services don’t offer these features—the best you can do is search for them on YouTube when you’re done watching. This only matters if you care about such things, granted, but it’s a big reason you’ll never get me to part with my special edition set of Lord of the Rings. 

The post Why you shouldn’t throw out those DVDs and Blu-Rays appeared first on Popular Science.

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Americans consume an average of two cups of coffee daily, primarily using single-cup brewers, though drip coffee makers remain popular. Regardless of the brewing method, the question of what to do with used coffee grounds persists. These grounds are not merely waste but valuable for various practical, eco-friendly applications. They can enhance garden health, elevate beauty routines, and serve as natural cleaning agents, offering solutions to many household challenges.

How to use coffee grounds around the house

If you ever find yourself with a surplus of used coffee grounds, here are some clever ways to repurpose them.

Mild fertilizer

Coffee grounds contain essential minerals beneficial for plant growth, such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. These nutrients can contribute to the fertility of the soil but won’t be enough to sustain the health of your plants over time. Just think of it as an inexpensive, mild, organic fertilizer that will give your plants a slight nitrogen boost. To use in the garden or potted plants, sprinkle the used coffee grounds around your plants and work it in a half inch to a depth of 4 inches. Don’t go overboard with it, though. Like other soil amendments, more isn’t always better.

Soil conditioner

Used coffee grounds are an excellent soil conditioner due to their nitrogen content and ability to improve soil structure. When incorporated into garden soil, they can help enhance drainage, water retention, and aeration, fostering healthier plant growth. Mix a thin layer of coffee grounds into the top few inches of soil to utilize coffee grounds as a soil conditioner. This can help feed soil microbes and improve the soil’s overall quality.

Compost booster

Balancing carbon (browns), nitrogen (greens), moisture, and air is essential to create high-quality compost. Fortunately, used coffee grounds are an excellent addition to compost because they contain nitrogen, a vital nutrient for the microorganisms that break down organic matter. When coffee grounds are added to compost, they help speed up the decomposition process, making the compost richer in nutrients essential for plant growth. Mixing coffee grounds with carbon-rich materials such as leaves, straw, or paper is recommended to maintain a healthy compost balance. This combination enhances the overall structure and aeration of the compost, facilitating faster breakdown and preventing the compost from becoming too wet and compacted.

Natural pest repellent

Due to its pungent odor and chemical properties, coffee grounds can be used as a natural repellent against various pests. To use coffee grounds as a pest repellent, sprinkle the dried grounds around plant bases or areas where pests are a problem, providing a barrier that pests are likely to avoid. However, it’s important to note that coffee grounds are not universally effective against all insects. They offer a simple, eco-friendly approach to pest control in certain situations.

Odor reducer

Used coffee grounds are more than just helpful in the garden; they’re a natural odor reducer. Their high absorbency and strong fragrance, combined with coffee’s acidity and potent aroma, create a powerful solution for freshening your home. You can effectively eliminate lingering smells by placing a small container of dried used coffee grounds in your refrigerator or a musty cabinet. You can also use coffee grounds in sachets to deodorize shoes or as a scrub to remove body odors.

Cleaning scrub

Used coffee grounds are an excellent option for eco-friendly cleaning. They have an abrasive texture that can effectively remove buildup from various surfaces without causing any damage. You can use this natural abrasive quality to clean hard surfaces like countertops, cooking ranges, and utensils. Mix some used coffee grounds with a little water or mild soap to create a simple scrub. This mixture can help you lift grime and residue efficiently from kitchen surfaces and appliances. Moreover, the natural oiliness of coffee grounds gives surfaces a slight polish, making them look refreshed and clean.

Rejuvenate wood furniture

Coffee grounds can give your wooden surfaces a deep and rich color, helping to rejuvenate them. To get started, you only need to brew some coffee and let it cool down. Then, strain out the coffee grounds or leave them in for a more textured finish. Next, apply the coffee solution onto the wooden surface using a brush or cloth, focusing on areas that need restoration. This will not only give your furniture a refreshed look but also help to hide minor scratches and blemishes, making it look as good as new.

Exfoliating skin care treatment

The natural chemical properties and abrasive texture of used coffee grounds make them perfect for removing dead skin cells, promoting smoother, more radiant skin. The caffeine content in coffee is also beneficial as it can increase blood flow, which helps to rejuvenate and tighten the skin, reducing the appearance of cellulite when massaged into the skin. Mix used coffee grounds with a carrier oil such as coconut, olive, or almond oil to create a homemade exfoliating scrub for your body. This mixture can be gently massaged into the skin using circular motions, then rinsed off, leaving the skin feeling refreshed and soft. Avoid using on thinner skin, like that on your face.

Under-eye care

Uncover the natural solution to under-eye puffiness and dark circles with used coffee grounds. Their caffeine content and anti-inflammatory properties make them a safe and effective choice. Caffeine can help constrict blood vessels beneath the skin, reducing swelling and the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. One popular method involves chilling the used grounds in the refrigerator, mixing them with a little water or honey, and applying the paste gently beneath the eyes. After letting it sit for several minutes, simply wash it off.

Flavor enhancer

People commonly use coffee grounds to brew coffee, but they can also employ them in cooking to flavor both sweet and savory dishes. Incorporating coffee grounds into meat rubs or marinades imparts a rich, earthy taste. Additionally, bakers can mix them into baked goods such as brownies and cakes to add a subtle coffee flavor that balances sweetness with a hint of bitterness. Coffee grounds can also enhance homemade sauces or stews by adding depth and complexity to the overall taste.

Are coffee grounds safe to consume?

Coffee grounds are safe to eat in moderation, offering health benefits like antioxidants and dietary fiber, similar to brewed coffee. However, excessive consumption can cause side effects including insomnia, nervousness, and digestive irritation due to their abrasive texture and high caffeine content. Additionally, coffee grounds are toxic to pets and should not be consumed by animals.

Can you reuse coffee grounds?

It is possible to reuse coffee grounds, but the quality of the coffee may not be as good as the first use. When reused, coffee grounds usually have a weaker flavor and strength because most of the essential oils and flavors are extracted during the initial brewing process.

The next time you brew coffee, remember that the grounds can do much more than make a great cup. Using spent coffee grounds in your garden, home, and beauty routines can benefit your plants and skin. This practice contributes to a more sustainable lifestyle, allowing you to reduce waste, save money, and take advantage of coffee grounds’ natural properties.

The post 10 clever ways to reuse coffee grounds appeared first on Popular Science.

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You may not give it much thought while you’re listening to your favorite tunes, but just about every music streaming service out there comes with social features that help connect you and your musical tastes with other people.

It makes sense that you might want to share tracks and playlists with friends and family, but you likely don’t want to reveal all your musical tastes to the world at large. That’s why it’s worth running an audit of what you’re sharing and with whom in the music apps you’re using.

Here we’ll cover three of the most popular and well-known ones—but if your own streaming service of choice isn’t listed below, you may well find similar options by digging into the various settings and social screens.

Spotify

Did you know you have a Spotify profile that other people can see? Though they’ll need to know your username, or have you in their phone contacts. From the Home tab in the mobile app, tap your avatar (top left), then View profile to take a look. Tap Edit, and you can change the name and picture used on your profile.

Besides your name and picture, all your public playlists are shown on your profile. You can set whether a playlist is public or private by opening it and tapping the three dots at the top of the tracklist—tap Make private or Make public.

Tap your avatar (top left), then Settings and privacy and Privacy and social (Android) or Privacy & Social (iOS), and you can control whether or not your followers, the people you’re following, and your recent listening history show up on your profile.

On the same screen, the Listening activity toggle switch controls whether or not people who are specifically following you can see what you’re listening to (independent of your public profile). There’s also a Private session toggle switch, which you can enable to temporarily hide your listening from your followers.

Apple Music

Load up the Home tab in Apple Music on your phone, and tap your avatar (top right). On Android your Apple Music profile appears straight away, but on iOS you need to tap your name to see it —assuming it’s been set up (it’s not compulsory). Tap Edit to change what’s shown here, from your profile picture to any shared playlists you want to include (long press on a playlist in the app and choose Share Playlist to send it to your profile).

Profiles give Apple Music users the option to follow each other. On the same Edit screen you’ll also be able to allow Everyone to follow you without approval, or only People you approve using the relevant checkboxes. When people follow you, they see more details about what you’re listening to, besides your shared playlists.

To stop this detailed track-by-track sharing on your profile, turn off the Listening To toggle switch on the Edit page. Right at the bottom of the screen you can also tap on the Delete Profile button to scrub all your public-facing activity and just keep your Apple Music listening to yourself.

There are a couple of options you can set to make it easier or harder for other people to discover your profile on Apple Music, but they only appear on iOS (not Android). First, from the Home tab, tap your avatar (top right) then Allow Finding by Apple ID. Second, from iOS Settings, tap Music then Discoverable by Nearby Contacts.

Amazon Music

If you’re in the Amazon Music app, you can open up the Home tab, tap the gear icon (top right), then choose My Profile to check what other people are able to see about you—though they need to know your username to find you. Tap on the pen icon to make changes: You can choose a name, a handle, and a picture that’s visible to other users.

Select Profile privacy to choose whether or not other users can follow your profile. Amazon isn’t particularly clear about what this entails, but we’re assuming if someone follows you it means they can see more details about what you’re listening to—or maybe get updates from you inside the app. You might want to test it out with a friend to see what difference it actually makes.

Public playlists you’ve created on Amazon Music will appear on your profile to everyone, whether or not they’re actively following you. You can toggle between public and private states by opening up one of your playlists and tapping the three dots to find the option. This works separately to sharing playlists with specific people, which is on the same menu.

Compared to Spotify and Apple Music, the features for managing user profiles and following other users seem a little undercooked. If this is a music streaming app you use a lot, it might be worth keeping an eye on the profile and sharing options, to see if more configuration settings are added over time.

The post How to keep your music streaming private appeared first on Popular Science.

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Video games have been around for a long, long time now. Pong made its debut in 1972— though back then you needed a bulky arcade cabinet to run it. Nowadays, you’ve got a much more powerful machine right in your pocket with your smartphone.

Along with all of the modern games available for Android and iOS, you can also dig deep into vast libraries of retro video games from years gone by. Games from old consoles can be brought back to life right on your phone’s screen.

What’s more, the emulators that run these retro games are now available on the iPhone (they’ve been available on Android for quite a while). That means more people than ever can jump into the world of retro gaming.

The caveat: Are emulators legal?

Before you get started, you should be aware that while emulator software is legal, pirating video games isn’t—in the same way that torrenting software is legal, but pirating movies isn’t. At least, that’s the case in most parts of the world, and if you’re in any doubt you should check how the law stands in your country of residence.

Copyright infringement is black and white, but there are shades of gray around its edges. As per the US Copyright Office, you can make backup copies of computer programs you’ve bought, as long as no one else is using them—though it’s difficult to be definitive about the rules here.

Read up around the issue, and you’ll see that video game publishers most often take action against emulators that circumvent digital rights management, or against large distributors of ROMs (Read Only Memory files), which is the name given to retro game files shared online. We’re not going to tell you how to find any ROMs in this guide, so you’re on your own in that respect.

We’ll leave it to your own personal conscience about whether or not you feel comfortable playing retro games that you haven’t paid money for in the past, and which may have been developed by software companies that no longer exist, and which may or may not be still available to buy. However, it’s simultaneously true that video game piracy is illegal, and that these emulators have racked up millions of downloads.

Running emulators on Android

There are plenty of retro game emulators to choose from on Android. RetroArch is one of the most popular picks, and emulates classic consoles including the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Atari 2600, Sega Master System, and Sony PlayStation 1. Other emulators are more focused, such as the Dolphin Emulator that covers the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo GameCube.

Here we’re going to take a closer look at one of our favorite emulators for Android, Lemuroid. It’s developed and released as an open source project, and you don’t need to pay anything for it (and you won’t come across any adverts either). Get the app installed on your Android phone, and you’ll be met with a blank screen—you then need to point the app to a folder on your phone that has games in it.

Any compatible titles in the selected folder—and we’re using a free demo ROM of Goodboy Galaxy for the purposes of this guide—can then be selected from the Home tab. Lemuroid will install the necessary code for emulating the necessary game, and when you select it, you’ll see it appear with the relevant on-screen controls. The Favorites, Search, and Systems tabs give you other ways to get at your games.

The final tab in the Lemuroid app is Settings. Here you can change the folder you’re using for games, run a rescan of the folder, enable autosave (so you don’t lose your progress during a game), configure external controllers you might have connected, and manage vibrations and haptic feedback for your games. There’s also a Display filter setting you can experiment with to improve the look of older games.

Running emulators on iOS

Emulators are new to the iOS App Store, so you won’t find as many available as on Android—though the iPhone is catching up fast. One of the first to appear for Apple phones was Emu64 XL, which emulates the classic Commodore 64 computer that first made an appearance back in 1982. The app has support for game graphics, sound, and even peripherals (including joysticks).

The app we’re going to look at here is Delta, which emulates Nintendo consoles such as the NES, the Nintendo 64, the Game Boy Advance, and the Nintendo DS. Again we’re going to use the freely available and legally legit Goodboy Galaxy demo to show you how it works: If you like the demo, you can pay for the whole game.

Open up the app, and you’ll need to point it towards some ROM files—use the + (plus) button up in the top right corner to do this. The files can be anywhere on your iPhone, or you can sync them over from iTunes. When a recognized ROM is found, it’ll be added to your library, and Delta loads up the relevant emulator interface, complete with the appropriate on-screen controls.

Tap the Menu button in game to save or load game stats, to configure button holds, to enter cheat codes, or to head back to the main menu. You can also tap the gear icon up in the top left corner of the game library screen to access Delta’s various settings, which include visual skins for the emulators covered, external controller configurations, on-screen control opacity, and haptic feedback.

The post How to use emulators to play retro video games on your phone appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best Overall		Brother XM2701 Sewing Machine		SEE IT	This model is a solid, mechanical sewing machine that offers automated functioning for multiple sewing purposes.
Best for beginners		Brother CP60X Computerized Sewing Machine		SEE IT	This is a great machine that helps beginners but allows for growth as skills improve.
Best Computerized		Brother XR9550 Sewing and Quilting Machine		SEE IT	A computerized machine with 165 built-in stitch options along with push-button stitch selection and automated functions.

Even if you’ve never threaded a needle or even heard of bobbin, you’ve probably heard about Brother sewing machines. Throughout its 115-year history, Brother Industries has developed into a global leader in sewing machine design, innovation, and manufacturing. Currently, the company offers one of the most advanced line-ups of innovative machinery for home-sewing pursuits. Its models include reliable sewing machines for basic projects and state-of-the-art, computerized models designed for advanced embroidery, quilting, and crafting. Consumers rely on the best Brother sewing machines to provide quality, value, and features for both utilitarian and creative purposes. Here are our picks of the best Brother sewing machines in the company’s impressive line-up.

• Best overall: Brother XM2701 Sewing Machine
• Best computerized: Brother XR9550 Sewing and Quilting Machine
• Best for embroidery: Brother SE1900 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
• Best for beginners: Brother CP60X Computerized Sewing Machine
• Best for quilting: Brother XR3774 Sewing and Quilting Machine

How we chose the best Brother sewing machines

I drew on personal experience, peer suggestions, and public opinion in selecting six Brother sewing machines for these recommendations. I then narrowed it down to 11 different models and accessed the in-depth product details and specifications available on the Brother-USA company website. Then, we selected Brother products that are easily available and read the product descriptions, user impressions, and FAQs on retailer sites. Knowing that various readers bring an array of needs, preferences, and monetary resources to the search, we tried to assemble a diverse assortment of Brother sewing machines for our list.

I considered both computerized and mechanical sewing machines. Although the computerized models exhibit advanced technological features, many users prefer simple operating procedures and easy maintenance of mechanical machines. Additionally, we looked for both computerized and mechanical models that provide automated processes such as needle threading and buttonhole making, as these features make sewing easier and more pleasurable.

The best Brother sewing machines: Reviews & Recommendations

Brother Industries Ltd. (the company that manufactures Brother sewing machines) traces its history back more than 100 years. In 1908, Kanekichi Yasui founded the Yasui Sewing Machine Company, working at his home in Nagoya, Japan. He repaired industrial sewing machines and manufactured machine parts for local use. When Yasui’s sons inherited his company, they changed the name to Yasui Brothers’ Sewing Machine Company, and the company title was eventually shortened to Brother.

With such a long history, Brother has engineered a sewing machine to suit every user and use case. So, to narrow them down, we searched for Brother sewing machines to meet the needs of beginning sewers, those who engage in basic sewing projects, and those with more advanced skills and experience in quilting, crafting, and fashion design. We endeavored to present Brother machines that meet the requirements of these various types of sewists. 

Best overall: Brother XM2701 Sewing Machine

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Why it made the cut: The Brother XM2701 sewing machine offers versatility as it provides automated features and numerous built-in stitches for advanced sewists, along with ease of operation for beginners. 

Specs

• Weight: 12.6 pounds
• Product dimensions: 12.1 x 5.9 x 15.3 inches
• Number of built-in stitches: 27

Pros

• Automatic buttonhole function
• Automatic needle threader
• Both decorative and straight built-in stitches
• 6 interchangeable feet included

Cons  

• Not computerized

The Brother XM2701 sewing machine is easy to operate, making it a viable choice for beginners. On the other hand, it boasts a wide array of stitch options and automated features that appeal to experienced sewing enthusiasts. Stitch options include multiple decorative and quilting stitches along with basic, straight stitches for seams and basting. With 27 built-in stitches and 63 stitch functions, users can create crafts, fashions, home decor items, and quilts. 

Although not a computerized machine, the XM2701 offers several automated features to make sewing projects go more smoothly and quickly. For example, the automatic needle threader eliminates the frustration and eye strain of threading the needle by hand. An automatic, 1-step buttonhole function saves time and ensures consistent, professional-looking results. Additionally, the task of winding the bobbin is an automatic process.

Several convenient features make the XM2701 a popular and versatile sewing machine. The jam-resistant, drop-in bobbin is located on the top of the machine to speed up the sewing process. An LED light brightly lights the work area. The free arm feature also makes it easy to manipulate the fabric when sewing cuffs, sleeves, and pants. 

The XM2701 model includes six interchangeable feet to accomplish multiple sewing tasks: Buttonhole foot; Zipper foot; Zigzag foot; Narrow hemmer; Blind stitch; and Button-sewing foot.

Best computerized: Brother XR9550 Sewing and Quilting Machine

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Why it made the cut: With computerized, push-button stitch selection and automatic functioning, the Brother XR9550 sewing machine offers advanced features for quilters, crafters, and hobbyists, as well as sewing artists. 

Specs

• Weight: 10.14 pounds
• Product dimensions: 20 x 13.5 x 17.9 inches 
• Number of built-in stitches: 165

Pros

• Extra-wide sewing surface for large projects
• Push-button stitch selection, including decorative stitches and alphanumeric fonts
• Automatic needle threader
• Protective hard case included

Cons

• Not the best choice for beginners

For the avid sewist who is ready to take their craft to a more sophisticated level, the Brother XR 9550 computerized sewing machine provides numerous features to spark the imagination and facilitate creative success. The machine offers 165 built-in stitches. These include utilitarian and decorative stitches along with heirloom stitches. Choose from among eight different buttonhole styles, and the machine will automatically sew a tailored buttonhole around any button. For monogramming and personalizing projects, a selection of 55 alphanumeric stitches facilitates automatically sewing letters, numbers, and symbols onto fabrics. 

Numerous features of this machine provide ease of operation, taking the stress and frustration out of sewing. The built-in stitches are clearly marked on the front of the machine. Simply push a button for the computerized stitch-selection function, and a backlit LCD display shows the appropriate choice. Additionally, this machine includes an automatic needle threader and a jam-resistant, top drop-in bobbin.

Quilters appreciate the drop-feed feature that facilitates free-sewing for quilting. The work surface is illuminated with a bright LED light, and the extra-wide table allows quilters to handle bulky fabrics and large projects. Alternatively, sewists can use the free arm to sew sleeves, cuffs, and trouser legs.

The XR9550 includes seven interchangeable sewing feet along with accessories: Zigzag foot; Buttonhole foot; Button-sewing foot; Overcasting foot; Blind stitch foot; Monogramming foot; Quilting foot; Protective, hard cover; and an Instructional DVD.

Best for embroidery: Brother SE1900 Sewing and Embroidery Machine

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Why it made the cut: Sewists can achieve artist-quality results in creative DIY projects by choosing from 138 built-in embroidery designs in the Brother SE1900 sewing and embroidery machine.

Specs

• Weight: 22.1 pounds
• Product dimensions: 23.19 x 11.54 x 13.43 inches 
• Number of built-in stitches: 138 embroidery designs + 240 built-in stitches

Pros

• Large number of built-in embroidery designs and stitches
• Built-in memory for imported embroidery designs
• Built-in memory for personal, custom-designed stitches
• LCD touchscreen display

Cons

• Not the best choice for beginners

Take your sewing and crafting projects to the artist level with the Brother SE1900 computerized sewing and embroidery machine. Select from among 138 built-in embroidery designs and see them displayed on the large-size, full-color, LCD touchscreen. Alternatively, users can import new designs and save them to the machine. Additionally, the machine can combine designs and store them in its memory. Measuring 5 inches by 7 inches, the embroidery field provides ample versatility for creative sewists. A hoop is included to facilitate larger embroidery designs, so users are limited only by their imaginations.  

The 240 built-in stitches inspire customizing many crafting, quilting, and garment-making activities. Among the stitch options, the SE1900 offers 11 built-in fonts for monogramming and personalizing the original projects. Additionally, 10 styles of buttonhole stitches facilitate automatic sewing of precisely sized buttonholes.

Several convenient features of this computerized machine take the effort and frustration out of sewing pursuits. The advanced, automatic needle threader eliminates threading the needle by hand. Instead, the thread inserts precisely through the eye of the needle with a simple press of a lever. The jam-resistant feature facilitates a consistent thread feed from the top drop-in bobbin, preventing the work delays that come with tangled threads. With a maximum speed of 850 stitches per minute and labor-saving features for smooth operation, sewing on the SE1900 is an enjoyable and inspiring experience.

To facilitate a broad array of sewing tasks, this machine includes eight interchangeable sewing feet: Blind stitch foot; Buttonhole foot; Button fitting foot; Zipper foot; Zigzag foot; Monogramming foot; and Overcasting foot.

Best for beginners: Brother CP60X Computerized Sewing Machine

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Why it made the cut: The easy-to-use Brother CP60X computerized sewing machine is a top choice for beginners to embark on a learning adventure in sewing, quilting, and crafting.

Specs

• Weight: 14 pounds
• Product dimensions: 16.26 x 6.65 x 12.21 inches 
• Number of built-in stitches: 60

Pros

• Utilitarian and decorative stitches built-in
• Automatic needle threader
• Durable metal frame
• Capable of sewing denim and thick fabrics

Cons

• Not capable of monogramming

Use the Brother CP60X computerized sewing machine to embark on a lifelong hobby of sewing, crafting, and quilting. It offers straightforward, easy-to-use operating procedures, suitable for beginning sewers. An array of 60 built-in stitch options is prominently displayed on the front of the machine. Choose by simply pressing a button, and the information shows up on the clearly visible LCD screen. In addition to decorative and heirloom stitches, the machine offers a selection of seven auto-size, buttonhole stitches. 

With a fixed needle bar, this machine is particularly well-suited for beginning sewers. The needle remains fixed in place to ensure clean stitching and even seam lines. Additionally, the 2-step, automatic needle threader accurately pushes the thread through the eye of the needle. It saves time and frustration so that beginners can enjoy their sewing activities. 

The CP60X is a versatile sewing machine for multiple purposes. With its heavy-duty frame and exceptionally smooth feed system, the machine handles denim and other thick fabrics without snagging. A favorite feature of quilters, the drop-feed system allows free-motion sewing. Additionally, the machine facilitates free-arm sewing for constructing shirts, cuffs, and trousers. 

This CP60X provides an ample collection of accessories to get started with a sewing hobby. These include a 3-piece needle set, bobbins and a bobbin cover, a quilt guide, and a bilingual instruction manual. The included supply of seven interchangeable feet facilitates multiple types of sewing tasks: Blind stitch foot; Zigzag foot; Buttonhole foot; Button sewing foot; Overcasting foot; Zipper foot; and Monogramming foot (used for decorative stitches only).

Just starting out and interested in other options? Check out our dedicated guide to the best sewing machines for beginners.

Best for quilting: Brother XR3774 Sewing and Quilting Machine

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Why it made the cut: With built-in stitches for utilitarian and decorative applications, automatic features, and an extra-wide table that accommodates quilts, the Brother XR3774 is a standout machine for quilters.

Specs

• Weight: 15.87 pounds
• Product dimensions: 15.3 x 5.8 x 12 inches 
• Number of built-in stitches: 37

Pros

• Wide work surface for bulky quilts and large sewing projects
• One-step buttonhole function
• Automatic needle threader
• Jam-resistant, drop-in bobbin

Cons

• Not computerized

Here’s a mechanical sewing machine with automated features and a large workspace for bulky projects. The large throat area and the extra-wide work table make the Brother XR3774 sewing and quilting machine a viable choice for quilters. For projects other than quilts, sewists may utilize the free arm. This feature facilitates sewing sleeves, cuffs, trousers, and skinny jeans. 

In addition to providing ample space for quilting, this machine offers ease of use through several automated functions. The 1-step buttonhole stitch automatically turns out perfectly sized buttonholes. An automatic needle threading system eliminates the frustrating task of threading the needle by hand. Simply press a lever on the side of the machine and the thread inserts precisely through the eye of the needle. Additionally, the top drop-in bobbin winds automatically, and it’s jam-resistant to ensure a smooth, continuous feed of thread. 

The XR3774 includes 37 built-in stitches that produce 74 stitch functions when applied to various sewing tasks. These include both utilitarian and decorative stitch options for multiple sewing and quilting purposes. The 37 pre-set stitches are prominently displayed on the front of the machine. Select a unique stitch pattern by simply turning a dial to the appropriate number. 

This machine includes an ample supply of accessories to facilitate varied sewing and quilting activities: Walking foot; Blind stitch foot; Zigzag foot; Zipper foot; Buttonhole foot; Button sewing foot; Spring-action quilting foot; Narrow hem foot; Wide table, detachable work surface; Hard cover to protect the machine when not in use; and an Instructional DVD. Here are more of our picks for the best sewing machines for quilting.

Best budget: Brother LX3817 Sewing Machine

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Why it made the cut: The Brother LX3817 is an affordable machine for the sewing hobbyist, offering ease of operation and versatile features for basic sewing tasks and creative projects.

Specs

• Weight: 10.36 pounds
• Product dimensions: 17x 7 x 14 inches 
• Number of built-in stitches: 17

Pros

• 17 built-in stitches
• 4-step buttonhole function
• LED light for well-lit workspace
• Jam resistant bobbin

Cons 

• Not computerized
• Not as many built-in stitches as other machines

Available at a budget-friendly price, the LX3817 sewing machine provides an array of features to suit the needs of beginners, as well as experienced sewing hobbyists. It’s a full-size machine with 17 built-in stitch options. These include straight stitches, zigzag stitches, blind hem stitches, and couching stitches. The stitch choices are clearly marked on the selection dial, located on the front of the machine. Simply turn the dial to choose the desired stitch patterns for constructing garments, sewing crafts, and embellishing home decor creations. 

In addition to the 17 stitch options, the LX3817 provides a 4-step buttonhole function. With a quick turn of the dial, users may select the appropriate stitches to produce consistent, auto-size buttonholes, lending a professional look to finished projects. 

Several features make this machine a pleasure to use. The work area is well-lit with an LED light and the bobbin cover is transparent for visually monitoring the thread supply. The jam-resistant feature means that the thread on the drop-in bobbin does not become entangled. A convenient control dial lets users adjust the upper tension to avoid loose stitches or fabric puckering. The machine’s design also facilitates free-arm sewing for cuffs, sleeves, and trouser legs. 

This machine includes four interchangeable feet: Zigzag foot; Zipper foot; Buttonhole foot; and Button-sewing foot. The LX3817 includes all necessary parts to ensure success on multiple sewing and crafting projects, including: Darning plate; Bobbin cover; Bobbins; Set of 3 needles; and an Instructional DVD.

What to consider when buying the best Brother sewing machines

With many options to choose from, it can be daunting for any consumer to select the most appropriate Brother sewing machine for their purposes. Here are several factors to consider before making a selection:

Computerized or mechanical?

Brother Industries manufactures both mechanical and computerized sewing machines. The mechanical models tend to be easier to operate and maintain. They’re durable and reliable, offering basic sewing features for beginners and hobbyists. As an added bonus, many of the mechanical models include automatic functions for ease of use. On the other hand, some sewists prefer the advanced technological capabilities of computerized sewing machines. Especially for embroidery, crafting, and quilting projects, computerized machines can’t be beat.

Built-in stitches

As a standard feature, all Brother sewing machines include varying arrays of built-in stitches. These range in style from straight, utilitarian designs for basting and sewing seams to complex, decorative stitches for the artistic embellishment of garments, quilts, home decor, and crafts. The built-in stitches offered by the Brother sewing machines reviewed here range from as few as 17 to as many as 240 options. Advanced, computerized machines include alphanumeric fonts among their built-in stitches to facilitate monogramming and customization of sewing projects. Additionally, the Brother sewing-and-embroidery machines include built-in embroidery designs with memory capability for importing or creating additional options. 

Automatic features

In addition to computerized and mechanical operating systems, shoppers might consider the availability of automatic functions on various Brother sewing machines. These features make the machines easier to use and increase the enjoyment of sewing as a pleasurable activity. Many of the Brother machines offer automatic needle threading. This function saves time, frustration, and eye strain, eliminating the need to thread the needle by hand. Additionally, including a 4-step or 1-step buttonhole function is a time-saver for sewists as it tailors a buttonhole of the precise size and shape for every button.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best Brother sewing machines

• Best overall: Brother XM2701 Sewing Machine
• Best computerized: Brother XR9550 Sewing and Quilting Machine
• Best for embroidery: Brother SE1900 Sewing and Embroidery Machine
• Best for beginners: Brother CP60X Computerized Sewing Machine
• Best for quilting: Brother XR3774 Sewing and Quilting Machine
• Best budget: Brother LX3817 Sewing Machine

Many sewists appreciate the straightforward operating procedures and simplified maintenance of a non-computerized sewing machine such as the Brother XM2701 model. It’s a popular, mechanical machine that provides an ample selection of built-in stitches, automatic needle threading, and buttonhole making. Overall, the XM2701 offers value and versatility for multiple sewing and crafting activities. Regardless of the Brother sewing machine you choose, you’ll feel better about working with a quality machine from a company with a long history and good reputation.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best Brother sewing machines according to experts appeared first on Popular Science.

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Whether you’re planning a hike, hitting the gym, or just trying to get through the midday slump at work, there’s one snack that has stood the test of time for adventurers and health enthusiasts alike: trail mix. This simple yet versatile blend of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits (sometimes chocolate, too) has cemented its place as a go-to snack for people seeking a convenient source of energy and nutrition. Beyond its reputation as a trailside staple, its crunchy texture and layered flavor profile include an abundance of nutrients, making it not just a tasty treat, but a legitimate nutritional powerhouse. In this DIY trail mix guide, we’ll talk about ways to customize this classic snack for a variety of needs.

As a dietitian, I’m also compelled to boast trail mix’s impressive nutritional resume because it checks a lot of boxes. Though probably most well known for addressing hunger while still being very portable (“dry” foods like nuts and seeds are good for that), the blend of ingredients includes the major macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins, and fats (water is also considered a macronutrient, but we’ll assume you’ve already got that covered. Each has its own satiety profile—carbs help calm immediate hunger pangs, while the slower breakdown of proteins helps keep you feeling full through a few hours. Fats, with an even longer molecular chain, typically take the longest to break down, so they can satisfy your energy cravings the longest.

But satiating hunger isn’t the thing trick trail mix can do. Nuts and seeds can be a great source of vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium as well as vitamin E and the B complexes. They also provide plant-based protein, which helps build and restore muscle without adding any saturated fats. Additionally, the dried fruit and granola found in most mixes can provide more vitamins like A, C, and K as well as plenty of fiber, which is chronically low in most Americans’ diets.

Trail mix is also an easy snack to assemble at home and customize at will. You can pick and choose your own ingredients according to your needs and you can save money by buying them in bulk.

But that’s enough nerding out on the biochemical genius of trail mix. Let’s get down to the fun part: trail mix recipes.

Basic Trail Mix

As described above, basic trail mix is defined by relatively equal parts nuts, seeds, and (typically) granola. The nuts can be anything but often include almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, and pecans, which offer varied flavors and textures. Pumpkin and sunflower are typically the most commonly used seeds, but hemp and sesame also make the list. Granola clusters can be sourced from anywhere and because they’re often held together with honey, you get a nice mix of savory and sweet.

Additional add-ons can be chocolate morsels, yogurt chips, and pretzels. I like adding pretzels, or other simple, starchy carbohydrates, because they’re a good source of energy and are easy on the stomach compared to the fiber and texture of the other ingredients. Pretzels, specifically, also provide sodium, which is the most important electrolyte used by the body to maintain hydration and intracellular volume.  

Now, with all of the above, there are variables you tweak however you like. If you struggle with hypertension, which was redefined in 2017, consider unsalted nuts to help manage your blood pressure. If allergies or food intolerances are your obstacles, simply swap one ingredient for another. You can really customize the following recipes however you like, but let’s start with a generic template to build from. Here’s my base mix:

Ingredients:

• Nuts: Almonds, cashews, walnuts
• Seeds: Pumpkin, sunflower
• Fruit: Raisins

The Runner Trail Mix

Running is usually considered an endurance sport, but sprinting definitely has an anaerobic component. In either case, carbohydrates are best suited for powering short or long runs and should be a key part of a runner’s trail mix. Be mindful of adding too much fiber as it could cause GI discomfort when you’re logging those miles. This mix gets most of its carbs from bananas, granola, and pretzels, which will provide energy while being easier on the stomach. 

Ingredients:

• Low-fiber nuts: Macadamia, cashews, pecans
• Seeds: Sunflower
• Fruit: Dried banana chips
• Starch: Classic rolled oats granola with syrup or honey
• Extra: Small pretzel braids

The Gym Trail Mix

Any time you’re pushing weight on the bench or in the squat rack, you’ll need to pay extra attention to protein. This mix will be targeted towards a higher count of the muscle-building macronutrient from various sources to ensure you’re hitting all nine essential amino acids. What’s more, the combination of the below ingredients includes a notable amount of leucine for signaling the body to start building muscle.

Ingredients:

• High-protein nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios
• High-leucine seeds: Pumpkin and sunflower
• Fruit: Raisins
• Starch: Quinoa-based granola or puffed quinoa
• Extra: Dried edamame and yogurt chips for extra protein

The Pregnancy Trail Mix

What should you expect in your trail mix when you’re expecting? Pretty much the same thing as other trail mixes but with an extra focus on folate, iron, and antioxidants. Folate is important for its role in early fetal development. Infants also get their primary iron stores from their time in the womb, so a mother needs a sufficient amount to share with her child before birth. Lastly, antioxidants are important for everyone, but inflammation can have a more pronounced effect on a developing baby, so keeping it in check is a good idea. 

Ingredients:

• Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews
• Iron-rich seeds: Pumpkin, hemp, and chia seeds
• Fruit: Dried apricots and cranberries
• Starch: Any whole grain granola
• Extra: Dark chocolate nibs

The Vegan Trail Mix

Going plant-based has become really popular over the last few years, but vegans have been around forever. Trail mix has been a staple for us herbivores because it’s often difficult to find a meal without any animal products. The mix below is aimed at providing a variety of flavors so that the vegans can enjoy snacking, too.

Ingredients:

• Nuts: Peanuts, pistachio nuts, hazelnuts
• Seeds: Pumpkin and sunflower
• Fruit: Dried figs and banana chips
• Starch: Granola with dried berries (made with syrup, not honey)
• Extra: Vegan candied chocolate chips (yes, I like chocolate)

The Allergy-Free Trail Mix

There are now nine official foods on the FDA’s list of major food allergies, but don’t fret. There’s still a way to make a delicious allergy-free trail mix that will stave off hunger and taste great at the same time. Feel free to swap in or out any foods that you enjoy or swap out any specific items you might have a reaction to. Always check with your doctor first to make sure you’re good to go.

Ingredients:

• Hypoallergenic nuts: Tiger “nuts” (actually a root vegetable with a nutty taste and texture) and pili “nuts” (from Southeast Asia)
• Seeds: Watermelon and sunflower
• Starch: Puffed corn or quinoa
• Extra: Gluten-free pretzel braids and dried coconut flakes

The post Chew on trail mix with these 6 crunchy and tasty recipes appeared first on Popular Science.

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We all carry around a lot of private and sensitive material on our smartphones. That includes text messages—and there might be times when you’d rather certain messages weren’t available for public viewing, even if you still want to save your text messages.

You may have a robust lock screen mechanism in place, but there’s always the chance someone else could get access to your phone, or you might voluntarily lend it to a friend or relative. Whatever the case, you don’t want someone else scrolling through your texts, and here we’ll focus specifically on how to hide text messages on an iPhone.

Another reason for hiding text messages on an iPhone without deleting them might be simply to reduce clutter: Maybe you don’t want to have to sift through a load of messages to find the important ones.

Whatever the reasoning, this is one of those iPhone message tricks that a lot of people are keen to know how to do. The approach you need to take to hide messages on an iPhone depends on the apps you’re using most often, and how exactly you want to hide specific text messages on your iPhone. It’s also worth bearing in mind that these texts can show up in other places where your Apple ID is linked—like iCloud, or your iPad or Apple Watch—so you might want to hide them here too.

Hide text messages on the iPhone lock screen

Depending on your iPhone settings, text messages and messages from other apps might show up on your lock screen—not ideal if you get an incoming message that you’d rather keep private, and someone is looking over your shoulder, or your phone is face up on a table when other people are around.

To stop this from happening, head to Settings in iOS, and tap Notifications then Messages. Choose Show Previews and change this to When Unlocked (Default) to stop the previews from showing up on the lock screen, or Never to stop them showing up anywhere—so you’ll have to go into the Messages app to read them.

You’ll find the same Show Previews settings in your other messaging apps, from WhatsApp to Google Chat. The other option, which you can find on the same screens, is to turn off notifications for these messaging apps altogether.

Hide text messages in iPhone apps

If you know your iMessage tips then you’ll know that both standard SMS text messages and messages using Apple’s iMessage platform appear in the Messages app on your iPhone. However, there’s currently no way to hide messages from the main All Messages list, which shows incoming messages in reverse chronological order.

Your only options, which you can see by long pressing on a conversation, are to delete the message thread entirely, or hide alerts for it—either of those options may match what you’re wanting to do, but when it comes to the question of can you hide messages on an iPhone, it’s a no for the main Messages app.

You do have the option to block contacts, which means their messages will never be delivered to your inbox in Messages (they won’t know about it): It’s an extreme way of hiding texts, but it works. In any Messages conversation, tap the name or number at the top, then the info button (the small person icon) and Block this Caller. You can see blocked contacts from Messages > Blocked Contacts in Settings.

Other apps work differently though. In WhatsApp, for example, you can long press on a conversation thread (either a one-to-one chat or a group chat), and then choose Archive to dismiss the chat from the main inbox. Archived chats don’t prompt notifications unless you’re specifically mentioned or replied to, and you can get at your archived conversations by tapping Archived at the top of the Chats window.

Tap Settings and then Chats, and you’ll find the option to archive all your chats at once, leaving you with a clean inbox. There’s also a Keep Chats Archived toggle switch—this is enabled by default, but if you disable it, archived chats will pop back into the main messages list whenever there’s a new message.

WhatsApp lets you lock chats too—this is like archiving chats, but lock chats can only be viewed with the passcode for your iPhone, or via Face ID or Touch ID. To lock a conversation, tap on the bar at the top of the chat, then choose Lock Chat. To get to these hidden messages, you need to tap Locked Chats at the top of the conversation list.

Facebook Messenger for iOS has an archive feature too, and again you get to it by long pressing on a message then choosing the Archive option that pops up. Tap the menu button (the three horizontal lines, top left), to find the Archive folder: Head into the folder to read archived messages and restore them to the main chat list.

Secret text conversations on your iPhone

Another approach you can take to hiding text messages on an iPhone is to send chats that vanish once they’ve been read, or after a specific period of time. This is something WhatsApp can do, for example: Tap the bar at the top of a one-to-one or group chat, then pick Disappearing Messages to set the options.

You might also have heard of the invisible ink iPhone trick, which works in the default iOS Messages app. When you’re about to send a chat over iMessage, long press on the blue send button, then pick the invisible ink option before sending it—it means the message won’t be visible to the recipient(s) until it’s tapped on. It’s another way of hiding text messages on the iPhone.

It’s worth spending a little bit of time to see what the options are inside your messaging app of choice when it comes to hiding messages, or at least muting their notifications. It’s not possible to hide text messages on every chat app on the iPhone, but many of these apps do have a few related options you can play around with.

The post How to hide text messages on iPhone appeared first on Popular Science.

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Most people know dryer sheets offer several benefits, such as softening clothes, reducing static cling, and providing a fresh scent. Here’s a fact that might make you pause: Some dryer sheets are made from synthetic polyester, which is not biodegradable. Every time you use one of those fragrant sheets, it ends up in a landfill. Fortunately, if you enjoy using dryer sheets and want to make the most of them, there are unexpected ways to use them that can transform your cleaning, maintenance, and personal grooming routines.

What are dryer sheets?

Dryer sheets are small sheets of fabric softener used in tumble dryers to soften clothes, reduce static cling, and add a pleasant fragrance. They are made from non-woven polyester and coated with a heat-activated softener compound. This compound often contains fatty molecules like stearic acid, which lubricate the fabric to reduce friction and static. How to use dryer sheets around the house

Dryer sheets can be used for more than softening clothes and reducing static. Used or unused dryer sheets have several alternative applications beyond their intended purpose.

Pet hair grabber

If you’re dealing with pet hair on your clothes and furniture, grab a used or unused dryer sheet to wipe away the hair effortlessly. This method will effectively remove the hair and leave your garments smelling fresh and clean. Give it a try next time you’re struggling with pesky pet hair.

Bathroom scrubber

Save used dryer sheets for quick and efficient bathroom cleaning. Their unique texture makes them superior to paper towels in picking up lint and dirt, leaving surfaces polished with minimal effort. Dryer sheets can effectively remove soap scum from shower doors and bathroom fixtures.

Food residue loosener

Dryer sheets can help remove food residue from pots, pans, dishes, and oven racks, making cleaning easier. Place an unused dryer sheet into a pot or pan with baked-on food and add hot water. Leave the pan to soak overnight. The silicone coating on the dryer sheet will help soften the food residue. The next day, the dryer sheet can wipe away the food. The textured polyester woven sheet will gently remove any traces of food without causing any damage to the finish of non-stick surfaces. 

Dust remover

Dryer sheets excel as dusters for electronics like televisions, laptops, gaming consoles, or any dusty surface in your home. They capture dust and lint and leave behind a protective barrier that reduces static electricity, keeping your surfaces cleaner for longer.

Cleaning pads replacer

Refill your Swiffer duster or push duster pad without buying new ones. Load the cleaning pad area with two used dryer sheets. This will offer an effective cleaning solution for your home and help you recycle in an environmentally conscious way. 

Deodorant stain eraser

To remove deodorant stains from clothing, gently rub a used dryer sheet on the affected areas. This method is highly effective as the dryer sheet lifts and eliminates the marks without harming the fabric.

Air freshener

Combat musty odors in your room by taping a new dryer sheet over the air conditioning grate. This will infuse a pleasant scent into the circulating air while preventing dust buildup for optimal air quality.

Scissor sharpener

Cutting through a dryer sheet is an easy and unconventional way to revive dull scissors. This method works by honing the edge of the scissors as they cut through the sheet, making them sharper. Take a dryer sheet, fold it a few times, and cut through it with dull scissors. You should notice an improvement in their sharpness after just a few cuts. 

Odor eliminator

You can quickly eliminate unpleasant odors in shoes and gym bags (or any smelly area) by placing a new dryer sheet in the smelly item overnight. The dryer sheet will absorb the lingering odors, leaving your musty items smelling fresh and clean by the next morning.

Flyaway hair tamer

Run a dryer sheet through your hair on low-humidity days to combat static-induced flyaways. With this simple trick, say goodbye to unruly hair.

Dry spill cleaner

A used dryer sheet is ideal for cleaning up dry spills like flour. The fibers attract and hold onto powdery substances, making cleanup a breeze.

Windshield cleaner

Use a moist dryer sheet to remove stubborn bugs on your windshield. Follow up with clean water for a spotless finish.

What safety concerns do dryer sheets pose? 

Despite their popularity for these benefits, dryer sheets also include various chemicals. They contain several chemicals, including benzyl acetate, linalool, ethanol, limonene, and pentane. Although these chemicals are considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they can cause itching or rashes in people with sensitive skin. Studies have shown that the added fragrances are the main reason for these adverse effects. While dryer sheets are not as harmful as some think, the fragrances in laundry products, including dryer sheets, are still being studied for their potential health risks.

The post 12 handy ways to use dryer sheets beyond laundry appeared first on Popular Science.

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Expiration dates on food are something most of us understand. Okay, not quite—plenty of us are confused, and that confusion contributes to food waste. Generally, though, we know that food is going to taste better if we eat it before the expiration date, and that long past those dates food might be unsafe. 

What most people don’t know, though, is that all sorts of other products have expiration dates. Sunscreen, car seats, and even condoms all go bad eventually. Here are a few things you possibly didn’t know expired, complete with links to reputable sources where you can read more. 

Sunscreen

Sunscreen goes bad over time. This is one I can attest to personally: I used some five-year-old sunscreen and burned really, really badly. Most bottles will have an expiration date and I implore you to take it seriously. According to the FDA, if there’s no expiration date, the sunscreen “should be considered expired three years after purchase.” 

Sunscreen can go back even faster depending on how you store it. According to the Mayo Clinic, you should make sure not to leave your sunscreen outside “in hot weather or in direct sunlight,” which might be challenging given the contexts in which people typically use sunscreen. They recommend leaving your sunscreen in the shade, when possible, or wrapping it up in a towel or in your cooler at the beach or picnic. 

Car seats

The materials in a car seat wear down over time, which can make them less effective. The seats are only tested to last an expected lifespan, typically around eight years. This is something to keep in mind if you acquire a used car seat or intend to pass a car seat down from an older sibling to younger child. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the main US government agency that regulates car seats, offers a used car seat checklist for any not-new car seat. Some of this is obvious: You shouldn’t use a car seat that went through a moderate or severe crash, as the stress of such events means they can’t be relied on anymore. But a few other things are perhaps less intuitive. The agency says you should only use a car seat if you know the model number and manufacture date, in part so you can determine whether the seat is too old. This information is generally included on a sticker on the seat. 

The companies that manufacture car seats also generally outline a lifespan for the seats. Graco, for example, says this is usually between 7 and 10 years, but you can find the lifespan for your specific car seat model by checking the manual. If you don’t have the manual, you can usually get a copy by contacting the manufacturer, or by checking the company’s website. 

Bike helmets

Bike helmets, much like car seats, wear down over time. The exact time varies—the specific time should be in the manual that came with your helmet. If you don’t have that on hand, there are some general guidelines to follow. According to Consumer Reports, “many bike helmet manufacturers recommend replacing your helmet every three to five years” and the Consumer Product Safety Commission says that “it may be prudent to replace your helmet within 5-10 years or purchase.” 

That’s a wide range, granted, but every manufacturer and agency agrees on one thing: You should replace any helmet worn during a crash or if that helmet has any visible cracks. 

Smoke detectors

Most people don’t give their smoke detectors a second thought until they burn dinner, but those devices don’t last forever. The compounds these devices use to detect smoke diminish over time, making them less effective over time. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you replace your smoke alarm every ten years.  So does the American Red Cross. And don’t forget to change the batteries every six months.

Drugs

It’s easy to put pills in your medicine cabinet and not think about them until you have a headache, fever, or another ailment requiring relief. But drugs lose their potency over time, which can make them unsafe. According to the FDA, a degraded drug “might not provide the patient with the intended benefit because it has a lower strength than intended.” In some cases the breakdown might create toxic compounds with “unintended side effects.” 

Condoms

The material condoms are made from break down over time. I don’t feel like I need to explain much why this is worrying. According to the Cleveland Clinic “an older condom is more likely to tear during sex”, which defeats the point of using a condom.

The post 6 things you didn’t know had expiration dates appeared first on Popular Science.

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Only you can prevent wildfires. It’s a phrase nearly everyone who grew up in the U.S. is familiar with, uttered by a friendly shirtless bruin in blue jeans and a ranger hat: Smokey Bear, who celebrates his 80th birthday this year.

It’s the longest-running PSA campaign in U.S. history, but even after 80 years, “Smokey’s focused prevention message always remains incredibly relevant and important,” says Tracy Danicich, vice president and campaign director at Ad Council. That’s the national nonprofit—in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters (NASF)—that helped bring Smokey to life in the 1940s to educate and raise awareness about wildfire prevention.

Here are a few often overlooked ways to be fire safe and help prevent human-caused forest fires this season. Do Smokey proud this year. 

Wildfire facts

While wildfires can be devastating, it’s important to understand that some fire is beneficial for many landscapes. In fact, many areas around the country implement prescribed burns in parks or natural areas to maintain the health of native plant species, promote biological diversity, and curb the disastrous effects of uncontrolled and unplanned wildfires. Prescribed burns also help eliminate excess downed wood and leaf litter, which not only make for excellent fuel for wildfires, but can make it difficult for healthy forests to flourish.

When these prescribed burns aren’t implemented, if a wildfire does start, often catastrophic loss of entire swaths of forest, homes, and lives can be suffered, and woodland can take decades to recover.

In the U.S. in 2023, there were 3,036 individual homes destroyed by wildfire, an annual average of 7.7 million acres burned over the last 5 years, of which 8 out of 10 were caused by humans. And while year-to-year numbers may fluctuate, climate change leads to longer, drier weather patterns, which in turn open the door for longer and more severe wildfire seasons and more fire-prone wilderness areas.

Fortunately, agencies like the forest service and state foresters are getting better about predicting when and where fires will start that are caused by natural events like lightning, but human-caused occurrences are impossible to predict. What’s more, “It’s surprising how quickly and unintentionally they can happen,” says Kacey KC, Nevada state forester, NASF fire committee vice chair and former NASF president. Fortunately, many are preventable with an extra dose of caution.

Keep campfires under control

Wildfires are often the result of improperly managed campfires. So when starting a blaze at the campground to roast marshmallows for s’mores, do so carefully. And if there’s a burn ban in effect, follow posted rules and do without.

If you are allowed to build a fire, clear an area at least 10-feet in diameter around the fire pit of excess debris like leaf litter, twigs, and wood. Have enough water on hand to fully drown the fire and any stray embers, then ensure there are no low-hanging branches that could catch. Store flammable items away from open flame, and keep your blaze to no more than a few feet high.

After it’s lit, never leave a fire unattended. And when you’re ready to turn in for the night or are heading away from the campsite for the day, Leave No Trace principles dictate that you should thoroughly extinguish the fire so that the coals are soupy and cool to the touch. “If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave,” Danicich says, repeating Smokey’s sage advice. KC agrees: “Even the tiniest ember can start a fire.”

If you don’t have enough water, bury what’s left of the embers under a thick layer of dirt. Neglecting to do so could result in one warm coal easily reigniting and starting the fire back up or sending up rogue embers, which can travel up to five miles if caught by the wind.

Be careful when you burn backyard debris

If you live in a place that permits the backyard burning of yard waste and natural debris like leaves and vegetation, check to see if you need a permit before doing so. If you’re allowed, proceed with your burn on a non-windy day, preferably not long after a rain when the landscape won’t be dried to a crisp, making it more likely to ignite with your burn pile. Select a spot—ideally on a durable surface like gravel—far from power lines, tree limbs, vehicles and other equipment where there’s at least three times the clearance of the pile on all sides, including above.

Then clear the immediate area of other flammable debris and loose vegetation and have plenty of water or a garden hose within reach. Water, in conjunction with a shovel for burying the remaining coals and ashes later, helps ensure no embers will reignite the fire. As with campfires, don’t leave your debris pile unattended while it’s burning.

Grill smart

One lesser known wildfire cause: improper disposal of hot coals. If you’re grilling with charcoal briquets, when the cookout is over, don’t throw them in the garbage can right away. Drown the briquets in enough water to fully cover them, then let them soak for several minutes to ensure they’re completely cool before you dispose of them.

Similarly, if placing hot ash or coals from your living room fireplace outside, wait to do so until they’re completely cool to the touch.

Be careful where you put your butt

Smokers should be cautious when smoking outdoors or disposing of smoked cigarettes, tobacco, and joints. Use an ashtray or bare dirt, not dry grass or logs, to put out smoking butts and never toss a lit cigarette into the grass or out a car window. Even the act of smoking while hiking or camping can result in an errant ember catching the wind, landing on dry debris, and igniting. 

Use caution with equipment and maintenance

There are plenty of ways heavy equipment, machinery, and maintenance tools can cause wildfires. Sparks can easily fly from dragging tow chains, hot exhaust pipes can catch dry grass on fire, and lawn mower blades that hit rocks can do the same.

So make sure nothing metal is dragging from your car while driving; avoid mowing when it’s excessively hot, dry, and windy; and if using grinding or welding equipment or other tools that send sparks flying, it’s a good idea—and sometimes required—to have at least 10 feet of clearance between you and anything flammable. Also avoid parking a vehicle with a hot exhaust pipe on dry grass or foliage.

Take it to an indoor range

According to KC, target shooting was one of the biggest causes of accidental fires in 2023. They’re often caused when bullets hit metal or ricochet and cause sparks near dry foliage. So when it’s dry, take it to an indoor range instead.

However you’re enjoying the outdoors as fire season approaches, recreate responsibly, and do your part to prevent forest fires. Call it a birthday present for Smokey.

The post How YOU can prevent wildfires appeared first on Popular Science.

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The streaming landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. There are now more platforms, movies, and shows to keep up with than ever, and that means more money heading out of your bank account every month if you’re keen on catching everything you want to see.

It also means an opportunity for apps that collect information on everything playing across streaming services because it can be a challenge to figure out what’s showing where, and which app you need to watch what you want.

These apps can also help you decide which streaming services you might want to unsubscribe from, at least temporarily. You don’t have to sign up for every one every single month, and we’ve included three apps below that will tell you which streaming platforms are currently worth your while.

Watchworthy

You can sign up for Watchworthy for free through the apps for Android or iOS. During the setup process, you’re asked which streaming services you’ve already signed up for, and prompted to rate a few movies and shows so that Watchworthy can get an idea of the sort of content you’re interested in.

As time goes on, you can continue to add ratings. The primary goal of Watchworthy is to direct you towards films and TV shows that it thinks are worth your time, based on what you’ve previously liked. Head to the Worthy tab in the app to see a list, to get more details on a movie or show, and to see why it’s been recommended to you.

Over on the main Home tab, you get a list of titles that you’ve queued up to watch next, together with selected highlights of what’s proving popular with other people, and what’s just arrived and is now available to view across multiple streaming services. You can also tell the app what you’re in the mood for watching right now.

Most importantly for this article, if you tap on Discover, you’ll see a link for Recommended Services: If you tap on Find Out Now, Watchworthy then tells you which streaming services are best for you, based on your recommendations and watchlist. Tap Customize to change the selection based on everything that’s ever aired on a service, or what’s been made available to stream recently.

Queue

Queue for Android and iOS is first and foremost a recommendation service for films and shows, and the idea is that you’re never stuck for something to watch in your queue—no matter which streaming services you’re already signed up for. To get the app’s algorithms started, you’ll be asked to add a few titles you’ve already seen when you sign up.

You’ve then got a few options for finding new content to watch, across the various taps in the app. If you go to My Queue and then tap Spinner, for example, you’re able to ‘spin the wheel’ to get something to queue up next—you can set all kinds of criteria before spinning too, such as the streaming services to include, and the genre you’re in the mood for.

The Updates tab gives you a constantly updated feed of movies and TV shows that are recommended for you, and in each case you can see more details about the recommendation, add it to your queue, or give it a rating if it’s something you’ve already seen. As you would expect, the more ratings you add, the better the recommendations get.

When it comes to weighing which streaming services you should actually be signed up for, it’s the Discover tab that’s the most useful. You can view recommended movies and shows split up by streaming service, so you can see at a glance which has the most compelling offerings, and the options along the top of the screen let you have a look at what’s just been released and what’s coming soon.

JustWatch

JustWatch is one of the best resources out there for finding out which movies and TV shows are on which streaming services—and so it’s also very useful for deciding which streaming services you should be signed up to. You can sign up for a free account with JustWatch on the web, or in the apps for Android or iOS.

You’ll be asked to tell JustWatch about the streaming services you’re currently subscribed to, and the films and TV shows you’ve already watched. Anything you’ve already watched can be rated too, which then feeds into your recommendations about what you should be watching next—most of these recommendations are on the Home tab in the app.

In terms of comparing streaming services against one another, you can use the search tool from any tab by tapping the magnifying glass icon up in the top right corner. You’ll be told which platform a particular title is streaming on (or available to buy or rent), so you can see what’s on where and which services are most useful to you.

Head to the New tab in the JustWatch app and you get a useful breakdown of the movies and shows that are newly added, coming soon, and leaving soon, across all the major streaming networks. This is another useful screen to refer to, because you can make sure you don’t unsubscribe to a streaming platform right before it adds something you’re interested in watching.

The post How to break up with the streaming services you’re not watching appeared first on Popular Science.

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As a child, you were probably told not to stare directly at the sun. If you weren’t told or refused to listen, you may have learned the hard way. The human eye is one of the most sensitive structures in the body. Even a few seconds of direct sun exposure can dry out the eyes and temporarily blind you. That said, just because you’re not staring directly doesn’t mean you’re immune to the sun’s UV rays. It is entirely possible to get a sunburn on your eyes. 

You should always take some precautionary measures when venturing outside, especially as we approach summer’s longer days and more intense sunshine. We asked optometrists to break down how to best protect your eyes from the sun.

Why do the eyes sunburn easily?

The sun can damage your eyes in two different ways. The most common is a sunburn to the front part of the eye, also known as photokeratitis. Catherine Heyman, the founding dean at the High Point University School of Optometry in North Carolina, says photokeratitis happens when the sun’s UV rays damage the cornea. This clear, thin layer covers your iris and pupil. Excessive exposure to the sun also temporarily injures the conjunctiva, a mucous membrane that covers the white part of your eye. 

People with photokeratitis usually experience pain that’s akin to the feeling of having sand in your eye. They also frequently report redness, sensitivity to bright light, and blurry vision. Additionally, the eyelids appear swollen. While discomforting, the symptoms are temporary. Heyman says the cornea heals fast, with symptoms resolving in about 24 hours.

Another way the sun can hurt your eyes is when UV rays damage the retina. The retina is the layer of tissue at the back of your eye that catches light throughout the day, which is then converted into electrical signals for your brain to process vision. Jessilin Quint, a member of the American Optometric Association and co-owner of Smart Eye Care in Maine, explains that the UV light from the sun is intense. When it is too concentrated, the UV rays can cause extensive damage to light-sensitive cells housed in the retina. “The UV rays change how those cells behave and when they are not behaving properly, that can permanently cause tissue damage and trigger inflammation.” 

Also known as solar retinopathy, retinal damage occurs when a person stares directly at the sun. Quint explains that damaged light-sensitive cells in the retina tend to be in an area called the macula. The macula handles central vision, allowing people to see clear shapes and colors. A person with retinal damage commonly reports distorted vision or vision loss. 

Depending on how much eye protection a person had on or how long they were sungazing, Quint says there is a small chance for some cells to regenerate, but usually, retinal damage is permanent. This is because the retina does not carry pain receptors. People may not realize they are hurting their eyes at the moment and continue to sungaze for a few seconds to a few minutes. The aftereffects occur hours after the time of injury or after a couple of days.

How to protect the eyes from the sun’s UV rays

Purchase UV-blocking sunglasses

To avoid sunburn, buy a pair of sunglasses that 100 percent block UVA and UVB rays. Both ultraviolet rays are linked to skin burning. Heyman says you’re going to want to have sunglasses on whenever you’re outside in the daytime. Additionally, you’ll want to have your shades on for activities such as surfing, boating, and skiing, as the water and snow reflect the sun’s UV radiation. If you’re going to be in the sun for long periods of time, wraparound sunglasses are another option for protecting the entire face from the sun’s glare. 

Not all sunglasses have the same protection against UV rays. Quint says many over-the-counter sunglasses are not regulated and do a poor job of properly filtering light. These sunglasses enlarge your pupils when it is dark, allowing more light to enter and potentially hurting your retina. “It’s like when you have your eyes dilated at the optometrist,” adds Heyman. “Putting on sunglasses without UV protection is worse than not having any glasses at all.”

While polarized sunglasses do a better job of shielding the eyes from the sun, the best sunglasses are the ones that can completely block out UVA and UVB rays. You can order prescription sunglasses or check for stickers on over-the-counter sunglasses that specifically say they block both UV rays. If you’re unsure or have an old pair at home, you can take them to your local optometrist, who can assess if they cover UV radiation or not.

Stay in the shade

Another precaution to take is staying in the shade as much as possible. The sun’s rays are the strongest between 10 in the morning and four in the afternoon. Even when it’s cloudy outside, Heyman says UV rays can penetrate through and cause a minor sunburn.

Apply sunscreen to the eyelids

If you’re outside in the sun, apply sunscreen to your eyelids. “If you look at the percentages of skin cancer that happen throughout the body, despite the eyelids having such little surface area compared to the skin of the entire body, it has a much higher percentage of skin cancer,” says Quint. While you want to avoid sunscreen in the eye, cover the entire eyelid with sunscreen, including sunscreen in the narrow corners. You’ll want to reapply sunscreen every couple of hours and much more often if you are doing an activity such as swimming.

There are certain things to look for when purchasing sunscreen. First is using a broad-spectrum sunscreen. The sun protection factor (SPF) number on sunscreen only measures how much it protects against UVB rays. A broad-spectrum sunscreen guards you from UVA and UVB rays. The second is to choose a mineral-based sunscreen, rather than a chemical sunscreen. Quint says some ingredients in chemical sunscreens are harmful to the eyes and can trigger ocular inflammation or dry eye. 

Some makeup brands include sunscreen in their products, but Quint says this does not give enough coverage. “Makeup products will say it has an SPF of a certain amount, and while it’s better than having no SPF, it’s not giving the person the full protection that’s needed.” She recommends starting with a broad-spectrum sunscreen at the base, adding SPF-included makeup or moisturizer, and reapplying sunscreen every few hours. 

What to do when you have sunburned eyes

Pain from a minor sunburn to the eyes can be managed with acetaminophen or other over-the-counter pain relievers. You’ll also want to rest your eyes, which can look like being indoors and keeping your eyes closed or staying in a darkened room. Heyman says that over-the-counter, non-preserved artificial tears can help with dryness and irritation. Additionally, adding a cold compress to the eyes can reduce inflammation and help you avoid rubbing the eyes. If you need to go out, you’ll want to wear sunglasses to avoid worsening symptoms. 

If your eye sunburn persists for more than 24 hours, visit your optometrist for medical attention.

The post Are you wearing the right sunglasses? How to prevent eye sunburn. appeared first on Popular Science.

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Whether it’s your bathroom, bike, car, or garden, a little bit of regular maintenance makes a big difference—and this applies to your desktop or laptop computer too. Put in a few minutes every week or every month to attend to a few small jobs, and you should get yourself a computer that runs more smoothly for a longer time in return.

We’ve collected seven of the most important computer maintenance tips, and they apply to both Windows and macOS. They’re not difficult to do and shouldn’t take you too long either. And don’t worry if you’ve never done any of them before—you can start now and enjoy the benefits right away.

1. Delete files you don’t need

Computers are happier and run faster when there’s plenty of storage space available. Otherwise they have to work harder—and you might start seeing error messages when space starts to run out completely. You want to get ahead of the problem well before that happens.

In terms of manual steps, be sure to delete files you’re done with (such as downloads from the web). It’s helpful to create a desktop folder for temporary files that you don’t need long-term, which you can then empty on a regular basis—doing an audit once a month or so should be enough.

On Windows, you can choose System and Storage from Settings to see what’s taking up room, and get at the Storage Sense feature that cleans up some temporary files for you. On macOS, select General, then Storage from System Settings to see what’s taking up most room, and access some useful automatic optimization options. You can choose options like Empty Trash Automatically or Optimize Storage.

3. Update your software

Update your operating system, browser, and apps regularly—in most cases, you’re going to be pushed to do this anyway, but it’s worth double checking. It means you’re always going to have the latest bug fixes and security patches installed, as well as the newest features Windows or macOS has to offer.

When it comes to Windows, you can check for updates from Microsoft by opening up Settings then clicking Windows Update. Over on macOS, open System Settings then head to the General tab and select Software Update. In both cases you can check for updates as well as making sure that available updates are automatically installed.

Don’t neglect smaller updates like graphics drivers either. If you have an Nvidia or AMD graphics card installed in your system, use the utilities bundled with the GPU to see if any updates have been pushed out for your hardware. Again, these updates should squash bugs while improving performance.

4. Run a privacy check

Windows and macOS both handle security and privacy pretty well, but it’s worth checking the permissions that apps have every month or so. Go to Privacy & security in Windows Settings to see these permissions, or Privacy & Security in macOS System Settings. Pay particular attention to programs that can get at the camera and mic, and see your location.

5. Tidy up your browser

Many of us do a lot of our computing inside a browser nowadays, and with that in mind it’s important to make sure your browser’s well maintained too. Part of it is keeping your browser software up to date, as we’ve already mentioned: All modern browsers will give you a notification when there’s a new version ready and waiting.

You might also want to clear out the cache of temporary data accumulated by your browser, which may be taking up room unnecessarily. Most browsers have the feature somewhere in their settings: It’s under Privacy and security in Google Chrome, for example, and under Privacy & Security in Mozilla Firefox.

Then there are browser extensions: Stick to the ones you’re actually using, and that you absolutely trust. Keeping the number of add-ons you have installed down to a minimum means less of a strain on your browser, fewer potential security vulnerabilities, and a more lightweight browsing experience in general. In Google Chrome, you can access your extensions by clicking Window and Extensions, or by clicking the puzzle piece icon next to the address bar. 

6. Remove unused apps

Clearing out apps you’re not using can free up storage space and keep the operating system less cluttered. On Windows, head to Apps and Installed apps to choose apps to remove; on macOS, open the Applications tab in Finder, then use the uninstall utility included with an app, or simply drag the app down to the trash can on the dock.

7. Backup your files

If you only take on board one idea from this article, make sure it’s this one: Backup your files so that if something happens to your computer, your data isn’t lost. You should really do this at least once a week, and make sure you have a couple of backups in place, in case something happens to one of them.

There are lots of ways to do this: We won’t go into all of them in detail, but they range from using an external hard drive (most external drives come bundled with their own backup software), to sending your files to the cloud via a service such as OneDrive (built into Windows), iCloud (built into macOS), Google Drive, or Dropbox.
You’ve got backup tools built into the operating system as well. Look for Windows Back Up on the Windows Start menu, or Time Machine under the General tab on macOS System Settings. Both of these tools let you pick the folders and files you want to create backups of, and can handle the data transfer in the background while you keep working.

The post 7 computer maintenance tasks you should do every month appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		AmScope M150C-I		SEE IT	This classic microscope is made with students’ needs in mind.
Best for groups		OMAX-MD82ES10		SEE IT	It can connect to a laptop or other screen for group viewing, helping large groups explore the microverse together.
Best budget		National Geographic STEM Kit		SEE IT	This scope has brightfield and darkfield for enhanced viewing and a “student-proof” design for longevity.

There’s a wide world full of shapes, colors, and things for the inquisitive to observe, but only with microscopes for students can the scientifically inclined investigate the world within the world—the world of the tiny. From the fine scratches on the top of a worn penny to the cilia of microbial life, a lot is going on that the naked eye cannot see. But what constitutes a great microscope is not always clear. Depending on the level of the student, they may need almost literal hand-holding through the operation of the scope, with interesting slides pre-prepared. Situations may call for less intense magnification and simpler devices that even young students can use if guided properly. In other scenarios, some microscopes connect with high-quality displays, letting a group work together, seeing and documenting what they find simultaneously. No matter your needs, these are the best microscopes for students, and one will likely fit your needs.

• Best overall: AmScope M150C-I
• Best for groups: OMAX-MD82ES10 
• Best for active students: AmScope Student Forward Binocular Stereo Microscope
• Best splurge: Accu-Scope EXM-150-MS-DF
• Best budget: National Geographic STEM Kit

How we selected the best microscopes for students

It can be hard to believe that your friendly neighborhood article writer came from anywhere but a cramped library, surrounded by books and manuscripts. This one, however, came from cramped (and sometimes quite spacious) laboratories. One period of several months spent counting pollen for hours and hours a day—when, at 22 or so, I was hardly beyond being a student myself—stands out particularly in my mind as a period of learning and understanding the intricacies of microscope usage.

Of course, the microscopes presented below will be good for students, both young and old, with various capabilities depending on the age group. While no microscope is indestructible, they’re universally quite fragile at the lens, we are aiming for microscopes that can withstand (or safeguard against) beginner follies and common pitfalls. Two other features that give a big boost to a microscope’s suitability for students are easy ways to view and share what’s being seen, as well as supplied activities and guidance.

The best microscopes for students: Reviews & Recommendations

The following microscopes were all picked to satisfy your student at home or, as the case may be, in a group at your school, club, or other location. Check out each one to compare and contrast it to your needs. Also, while there will definitely be some overlap with the microscopes on this list, you should check out our listing of the best microscopes for kids. This goes doubly so if you feel that the microscopes and activities listed here are too difficult or challenging for the student you have in mind.

Best overall: AmScope M150C-I

SEE IT

Specs

• Style: Compound
• Magnification: 40X – 1000X
• Included activities: No

Pros

• Classic style used in real labs and universities
• Wide magnification range good for most activities
• Teaches real microscope skills
• Affordable for most

Cons

• No included investigation kit
• Not ideal for youngest learners

The AmScope M150C-I resembles many other microscopes but comes in at $100, within a serious student’s budget, and affordable enough multiples can be purchased for a group of learners. This microscope will teach real responsibility with a microscope, including proper handling, as well as give students a chance to see the smallest parts of the world properly. It uses a proper compound style, has an easily graspable fine coarse control, and an adjustable light source that can be powered either via batteries or an outlet.

This microscope has an incredible range of magnifications that you can use it at, as well. The world at 40X and 1000X, the two extremes this microscope has to offer, will appear almost completely different and will allow for different activities. At a low magnification, look at the exterior of a bug or plant “skins” up close. Then, at 1000X, take a look at the cells themselves. With all of these factors combined, you should expect your students to be able to learn a wide variety of lessons with this scope, making it a best value.

What gives us pause about this microscope is that it does not come with activities and may not be suitable for fast-moving and excitable youngsters. If you are the creative type and have equally curious and motivated students, these issues can be circumvented, however. Setting up scenes for young students to look at—without adjusting the scope themselves—can certainly help. Consider looking at award-winning microscope imagery and other outstanding microscope shots to spur creative impulses.

Best for groups: OMAX-MD82ES10 

SEE IT

Specs

• Style: Compound
• Magnification: 40X – 2000X
• Included activities: No

Pros

• Built-in 1.3MP USB camera
• Easy to connect software
• Very solid slide grip
• High longevity in use cases

Cons

• Optional oil immersion capabilities are complex

The OMAX-MD82ES10 is a bi-focal compound microscope with a secondary viewing pattern—accessible through the 1.3MP camera that exports imagery through USB. This gives large groups of students of all capabilities a chance to simultaneously look at the same field of view. That can mean trusted students taking turns finding things in a microscope and being able to share what they see with each other in real-time or a teacher-led activity that lets students of all capabilities share in on the excitement. Furthermore, individual students can copy and save imagery and videos on the secondary view, allowing them to share their findings with the world.

Another point about this microscope is its build and construction. Take its slide-holding mechanism, with squared-off edges that grip and secure slides snuggly. Compared to less form-fitting mechanisms, there will be considerably fewer fears of slides popping up and tapping the lens, as well as less frustration when changing slides. You’ll also appreciate dual-sided fine focusing, maximizing comfort for right- and left-handed users.

We do think that for many students (and even teachers), the thought of using oil immersion microscopy—a very advanced technique and a capability included on this scope—may be rightfully intimidating. The good news is that getting quality shots does not require its usage, and the capability is there for you when (and if) you eventually want to try it.

Best for active students: AmScope Student Forward Binocular Stereo Microscope

SEE IT

Specs

• Style: Stereo
• Magnification: 10X – 60X
• Included activities: No

Pros

• Stereo microscope usable by younger students
• Higher magnification than many stereo scopes
• Easy-to-use design

Cons

• Cannot see cells, etc.

When we think of microscopes, we often think of compound microscopes, which can be problematic for students. Their lenses are very close to the subject, so small mistakes can ruin them easily. It can also be very difficult to find interesting things with them.

Enter the stereo microscope. These microscopes are designed for looking up close and seeing new details on full objects. Typically only getting about 50X magnification, max, these microscopes are great for revealing the finer details of rocks, bugs, and more. This AmScope student stereo microscope can get up to 60X zoom, quite better than others. It also has a lengthy distance from subject to lens, meaning an excited or shaky student is unlikely to damage the lens while putting something into frame.

We highly recommend a microscope like this for examining specimens from nature hikes, studying plants, and more biological research. The binocular eyepiece setup will also allow students to lean into the microscope more—holding your head properly at a microscope is more difficult than you might expect—without hiring their faces.

Best splurge: Accu-Scope EXM-150-MS-DF

SEE IT

Specs

• Style: Compound
• Magnification: Up to 400X
• Included activities: No

Pros

• Student-proof design protects lenses
• Darkfield option increases visibility
• Cordless LED lighting

Cons

• Expensive

One of the biggest fears surrounding finding the best microscopes for students is the possibility of them messing up the lenses. It happens to fully trained adults in absent-minded moments of haphazardly switching from far to near focus, so imagine the possibilities for error in our youngest scientists!

This Accu-Scope microscope helps prevent this issue by including a pre-set focus stop to help students avoid hitting the lens. Of course, it won’t completely prevent the problem, and students should still be properly trained in how to increase focus—both for the sake of this scope and potential future ones they encounter—but the added safety barrier certainly helps.

Another feature that makes this our premium pick (its main downside is that, at $400, it is expensive) is the darkfield switch. This method of microscope usage greatly increases contrast on the edges of cells and other objects, making it easier to see boundaries.

Best budget: National Geographic STEM Kit

SEE IT

Specs

• Style: Compound
• Magnification: 40X – 400X
• Included activities: Yes

Pros

• Has a great included kit
• Very affordable
• Entertaining presentation

Cons

• Cheap construction

Not all students are ready for an intense simulation of the laboratory. Additionally, not all students will dedicate serious time to the art of using the scope. For the science-interested but not dedicated, this kit is what you want. It’s the right price for a weekend or even a fun week. If your student continues with it, that’s great. If they don’t, it’s no harm, no foul. You know where your student lies on this spectrum.

It’s got a great kit with included activities and a fun, lighthearted guide to go with it. The construction of the microscope is similarly simple and non-intimidating. It’s brightly colored, soft, and forgoes a lot of the complexities of other scopes on the list. While its plastic construction won’t exactly give it the longevity to make it a hand-me-down, it will be easy for young people to use, even heavily, without fears of trouble. This is a microscope that young (but still responsible) individuals can use and make their own without excessive family worry over damaging expensive lenses. In other words, it is perfect as a gift for the budding scientist near you.

What to consider before buying microscopes for students

Microscopes are complex. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Here’s a guide on what you should expect and how to choose a reasonable microscope for students:

Age suitability

In many ways, this comes at your discretion before buying a microscope. Not all students (or even parents) have the patience to use a highly detailed microscope with the care it requires. Finding interesting things, even in pond water at 400X+ zoom, takes patience and a careful hand.

Throughout the above, we’ve attempted to give you a glimpse at what you and your student child (or student group, should you be a teacher) might be able to accomplish with a given microscope. If the activities supplied seem outside the scope of what the student or student group can accomplish on a fundamental level, that microscope can be put in your “pass” pile.

Magnification level

The first thing to know about microscope magnification is that a higher magnification level is not always better. This goes doubly for students who—if given proper guidance—can find excitement at all magnification levels. Avoid the temptation to summarize microscopes as “cell viewing devices” only. A student envisioning a world of gladiatorial amoeba battles will become instantly disappointed with anything less.

Here is what to expect at various microscope levels, as well as target tasks that you can expect to accomplish reasonably:

Under 50X, we will begin to see things just beyond the border of what the eye can normally see. Here, your students can understand the surface of normal objects better. Great investigations here include looking at printed text, looking at the veins and stomata of a leaf up close, and seeing insects clearly up close.

By 100X, individual cells and pollen can be seen, though it will definitely feel like a “bird’s eye view” of sorts. Here, you can observe how many cells are in a small area of one pond’s water to another. Do you expect there to be a higher density of cells observable in a spot of pond water or tap water left out overnight? Can you find cells in your saliva? Onion cells look particularly good at this level.

If you get to 400X, you can observe cells up close and even see their insides. What structures can you observe, and how can they move? This is the stage where you can see amoeba, though you should be warned that observed cells will likely be dead or die quickly after being observed in a slide under the heat of a microscope’s lamp.

Of course, you can get magnifications beyond these, but these three levels are fairly standard for student microscopes. Remember, there is no best magnification level; there are just different magnification levels that are best for different jobs. For example, you wouldn’t want the highest resolution microscope, which can see atoms, for looking at cells.

Microscope types and control

One of the first choices in your microscope-picking journey will be the type of microscope. There are many types of professionally used microscopes, but for the purposes of student microscopes, you can broadly separate them into two categories: stereo microscopes and compound microscopes.

Stereo microscopes are an oft-overlooked style of microscope that are particularly suitable for students who lack refined motor skills and advanced self-control. They feature a single, wide lens that towers far above the subject. Control often involves moving the subject and adjusting the (usually below 50X) zoom level, with little else. Since the lens stays far above the subject, the odds of damaging it are much lower, and reasonably well-behaved students can be trusted with the microscope after adult preparation and instruction.

Compound microscopes and other microscopes with a dual-lens approach are invariably cooler to use. They allow for higher magnifications, after all. Unfortunately, they also require more complex skills to use, with the lens approaching the subject directly. Should the lens become scratched, it can become completely ruined. This can occur by switching a shorter lens to a longer lens without pulling away from the subject first or accidentally moving the quick-moving coarse adjustment when you meant to use the fine-adjustment knob or even panning. In schools—including college classrooms—it isn’t uncommon to make students pass an easy test to verify their knowledge of a compound microscope before using it.

Price

Given enough technology, your journey to peer into the world of microcosms can stretch to infinitesimally small places. Much the same, it seems that more and more microscope technologies can bring with them infinitely high prices.

For student microscopes, this isn’t the way.

While price points you’re willing to pay are personal, you should be able to find the best student microscope for your family or small group for the price of any other modern tech gadget, such as a 3D printer or laptop computer.

The prices of the student microscopes above vary widely. If you’re a family buying a microscope for an individual student, gauge their level of interest and stick-to-it-iveness and buy accordingly.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best microscopes for students

• Best overall: AmScope M150C-I
• Best for groups: OMAX-MD82ES10 
• Best for active students: AmScope Student Forward Binocular Stereo Microscope
• Best splurge: Accu-Scope EXM-150-MS-DF
• Best budget: National Geographic STEM Kit

The preceding microscopes will be able to help your individual student or student group on their first explorations into the world of the microscopic (and potentially beyond). They are designed to encourage creativity and promote skill in the reasonable exercises that most entering scientists will need in a career in microscopy. Toss in one of the best telescopes for kids and you’ll have both ends of the curiosity spectrum covered, equipping your student with a broader understanding of the world(s)!

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best microscopes for students in 2024 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Mount-It! (MI-1772) Dual Monitor Arm		SEE IT	Full articulation and ease of use are what make this dual monitor arm stand out—especially if you don’t have a lot of desk space.
Best wall-mounted		Mountup Dual Monitor Wall Mount		SEE IT	The Mountup Dual Monitor Wall Mount conveys is a more affordable choice if you’re okay installing a more permanent dual monitor setup.
Best budget		VIVO Dual Monitor Desk Mount		SEE IT	VIVO’s Dual Monitor Desk Mount has more features than its modest price suggests.

Using a dual-monitor stand, whether it’s something you put on your desk, a mounted monitor arm, or a bracket you mount on your wall, gives you the freedom to place your screens as you please for both maximum comfort and efficiency. There are many ways to optimize your two-monitor setup: The best dual-monitor stands ensure maximum flexibility, regardless of your approach.

• Best overall: Mount-It! (MI-1772) Dual Monitor Arm
• Best desk-mounted: Ergotron LX Dual Monitor Arm
• Best wall-mounted: Mountup Dual Monitor Wall Mount
• Best freestanding: ErGear Freestanding Dual Monitor Stand
• Best vertical: Hemudu HT05B-002 Dual Monitor Stand
• Best premium: Ergotron HX Desk Dual Monitor Arm
• Best budget: VIVO Dual Monitor Desk Mount

How we chose the best dual-monitor stands

To make our selections, I paired my own personal testing and experience with professional reviews and consumer feedback on Amazon. Our favorite monitor arms and monitor stands for dual-display setups provide a wide range of use cases, installation types, and prices. We also kept brand credibility in mind: Among monitor arm manufacturers, there are a handful of respected companies and many lesser-known brands that often offer cheap prices but without the reputation or warranty to back them up.

Best dual-monitor stands: Reviews & Recommendations

So you have two monitors, and you want to put them up on a single adjustable stand. Now that you know the basics of what to look for, we have a few recommendations for the best dual-monitor stands, including desk-mounted, the best TV wall mounts, and freestanding options. No matter your home office or PC gaming setup, there should be a decent option for you among these picks.

Best overall: Mount-It! (MI-1772) Dual Monitor Arm

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: Mount-It’s monitor arm makes it very easy to maneuver two big displays without any friction.

Specs

• Mount type: Desk
• Compatible VESA mount sizes: 75mm x 75mm, 100mm x 100mm
• Adjustment mechanism: Gas-spring mount/free moving
• Weight range: 20lb per arm
• Display size range: 19-32 inches
• Available colors: Black, Silver
• Price: $121

Pros

• Requires very little desk space
• Offers fine-grain control over the monitors
• Easy-to-move displays

Cons

• Price

We’ve had great success in our tests of Mount-It!’s single monitor arms, and feel very comfortable recommending this dual-display version to anyone who needs a lot of extra digital real estate to work. The arms can hold large, heavy displays, and each one can be twisted, tilted, and turned in several directions. This level of control can accommodate many work styles: video editors who want to see how their color grading tweaks are affecting the look of footage in real time, office workers who want to dedicate a vertically oriented monitor to their e-mail or messaging client, or gamers who want to monitor their Twitch chat.

Two features that impressed us with Mount-It!’s other monitor stands apply to this one: The ease at which they allow you to control your monitor and how well their clamping mechanism keeps it firmly attached to your desk. We’ve had no issues moving a 27-inch monitor with one hand, and the ability to move your displays closer and further from your face comes in handy more frequently than you’d expect. If you don’t have a lot of physical desk space, this monitor’s clamp will be incredibly helpful. A monitor stand’s feet can take up a lot more room than you think, and having more area back for your go-to tech accessories is very useful.

Best desk-mounted: Ergotron LX Dual Monitor Arm

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Ergotron LX Dual Monitor Arm is a slick desk mount that balances great build quality and the price that comes with it.

Specs

• Mount type: Desk
• Compatible VESA mount sizes: 75mm x 75mm, 100mm x 100mm
• Adjustment mechanism: Gas-spring mount/free moving
• Weight range: 7-20 lbs
• Display size range: 27 inches
• Available colors: Black/white/silver
• Price: $297

Pros

• Superior build quality
• Plenty of ergonomic options
• Easy to install
• Lots of color options

Cons

• Expensive

When you think of monitor mounts, free-moving gas-spring arms typically come to mind. They offer smooth action that allows you to move your screens with precision easily. Though it costs more than many other brands, Ergotron’s LX Dual Monitor Arm dual-monitor arm has a higher quality that justifies the price. Plus, it comes with a 10-year warranty, so you know the company stands behind its product. The Ergotron LX Dual Monitor Arm doesn’t do anything flashy. It just does the basics very well.

Best wall-mounted: Mountup Dual Monitor Wall Mount

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Mountup Dual Monitor Wall Mount looks sharp, and strikes a balance between price and features.

Specs

• Mount type: Wall mount
• Compatible VESA mount sizes: 75mm x 75mm, 100mm x 100mm
• Adjustment mechanism: Gas-spring arms/free moving
• Weight range: 3.3 – 17.6 lbs
• Display size range: Up to 32-inch
• Available colors: Chrome/Black
• Price: $49

Pros

• Great price
• Very adjustable
• Detachable VESA plates

Cons

• Requires tools to install
• Requires brick, concrete, or wood anchor

If you’re ready to commit to a specific home, spot, and desk setup, you can save a lot of money on a really great dual-monitor arm with the Mountup Dual Monitor Wall Mount. It looks sharp, carries a lot of weight, and costs less than half as much as our desk-mounted pick. That said, this is a heavy dual-monitor arm. Not only do you need to attach it to the wall, the manufacturer specifically calls for you to anchor it on a brick, concrete, or wooden stud. Drywall alone may not hold it up. That’s a huge limitation, but if you have the right setup, this is arguably the most stable way to mount your monitors.

Best freestanding: ErGear Freestanding Dual Monitor Stand

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: If you don’t want to mount your monitors on arms, ErGear makes a more conventional dual-monitor stand that’s sturdy and offers strong adjustability.

Specs

• Mount type: Desktop stand
• Compatible VESA mount sizes: 75mm x 75mm, 100mm x 100mm
• Adjustment mechanism: Pole-adjusted height/static arm
• Weight range: Up to 22 lbs
• Display size range: 17-32 inches
• Available colors: Black
• Price: $55

Pros

• Glass base
• High weight tolerance
• No “install” time
• Price

Cons

• Fewer placement/ergonomic options
• Base takes up space on your desk

We often recommend desk-clamping or wall-mounted monitor arms for their great adjustability and their ability to free up desk space. However, not all of us can use those options: We can’t all drill holes in our walls, and some desks aren’t clamp-friendly. Whether your options are limited, or you simply don’t want to install anything, a desktop or “freestanding” monitor stand is the way to go.

ErGear’s Dual Monitor Stand features a static base column with adjustable spokes for both monitors. It is as adjustable as a dual-monitor arm, but you can still adjust height, tilt, swivel, and rotation to get very good, ergonomically mind positioning. It’s all held down by a large, sturdy black glass base that has enough room under it to route some cables. While it doesn’t free up as much space as a desk-mounted stand, putting both of your monitors on a single stand still opens up your workstation quite a bit.

Best vertical: Hemudu HT05B-002 Dual Monitor Stand

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: The Hemudu HT05B-002 allows you to set up a vertical stacking configuration without sacrificing stability.

Specs

• Mount type: Desktop stand
• Compatible VESA mount sizes: 50mm x 50mm, 75mm x 75mm, 100mm x 100mm
• Adjustment mechanism: Static mount
• Weight range: 44 lbs per arm
• Display size range: 13-34 inches
• Available colors: Black
• Price: $42

Pros

• Can handle very large and heavy displays
• Has plenty of ergonomic options
• Easy to move

Cons

• Fewer adjustment options compared to free-moving arms
• Still takes up desk space

Ergonomics are, ultimately, the core advantage of using a dual-monitor arm. Putting your displays on a single, adjustable mount allows you to position your displays to reduce the number of neck movements you have to do in your daily work. No matter what you do, though, putting two widescreen displays right next to each other ensures that you will need to turn your head to focus on one screen or the other. Suppose you are the kind of person who uses one display most of the time and only occasionally glances at screen number two. In that case, a stacking monitor stand, which mounts the two monitors in a single column, might be useful. Craning your neck to look up isn’t great, ergonomically speaking, but if you only look at that second monitor every once in a while, it may lead to a net reduction in strain.

If you want to set up a vertical stack, we recommend a desktop mount like the Hemudu HT05B-002, rather than a desk-mounted one. With a vertical setup, you’re putting a lot more stress on the stand arm, and a flat stand handles that extra weight better. The HT05B-002 can handle two 34-inch, 44-lb. screens. It features removable VESA plates for easy installation as well. A wide base limits your desk real estate gains, but you can rest easy knowing that the stand will support your monitors’ weight(s). It’s a small consolation, but the feet under the base raise up enough to fit some of your other cabling underneath.

Best splurge: Ergotron HX Desk Dual Monitor Arm

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: If you’re willing to pay a premium for a reliable brand, the Ergotron HX is as sturdy as they come.

Specs

• Mount type: Desk-mounted
• Compatible VESA mount sizes: 75mm x 75mm, 100mm x 100mm (More available with optional bracket adapter kit)
• Adjustment mechanism: Gas-spring arms/free moving
• Weight range: 35 lbs per arm
• Display size range: Up to 32-inch
• Available colors: White, Silver, Black
• Price: $585

Pros

• Killer looks
• 15-year warranty
• A trusted name in ergonomics

Cons

• Very expensive

It’s easy to find a monitor arm for under $100, but they’re almost always a gamble. You’re buying a relatively untested design from a brand with little to no reputation, which can be a risky proposition with a dual-monitor stand that holds and protects two pieces of equipment that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. If you have a pair of very expensive displays, you may want to consider spending a similarly luxurious amount on your stand. 

Ergotron is one of the oldest and most reliable names in the monitor stand game, and its HX dual-monitor arm is a deluxe desk-mounted stand. It has some of the flourishes from our other top picks, including a 15-year warranty and detachable VESA mounts for easy mounting. It also features a unique handlebar beneath the screens that allows you to adjust both displays at once. Those things are all just gravy, though. In this case, you’re spending a lot of extra money on the peace of mind that comes with buying a trusted luxury brand.

Best budget: VIVO Dual Monitor Desk Mount

SEE IT

Buy it used or refurbished: eBay

Why it made the cut: VIVO managed to make its dual-monitor stand comparable to more expensive models without many compromises.

Specs

• Mount type: Desk
• Compatible VESA mount sizes: Gas-spring arms/free-moving
• Adjustment mechanism: 75mm x 75mm, 100mm x 100mm
• Weight range: up to 22lb per arm
• Display size range: 13-30 inches
• Available colors: Black, White
• Price: $28

Pros

• Gives you a fair amount of control over your monitors
• Won’t take up a lot of room on your desk
• Price

Cons

• No automatic height adjustment

If you’ve invested most of your home office improvement budget on your new displays, it makes sense to save a little bit on a dual-monitor stand. This model from VIVO has most of the features found in our best overall pick, but at a quarter of the price. Each monitor can be tilted and twisted individually, but you can only adjust their height by loosening and tightening a screw on the back. Both monitors have to be set at the same height, which may matter depending on the type of work you do. This stand works with monitors up to 30-inches wide, but VIVO offers a model that can handle displays up to 32 inches if necessary.

We like monitor arms that can be clamped onto a desk rather than sit on top of it because of the space savings, which is why VIVO’s is especially appealing to us. We’re also impressed that it can control monitors up to 22 pounds, which means the arms on this stand are stronger than the ones on our best overall pick. If the lack of height adjustability isn’t a dealbreaker, there’s no reason to spend more money on a dual-monitor stand.

Things to consider before buying one of the best dual-monitor stands

Even if you know exactly which dual-monitor stand or arm to buy, it helps to know a bit about the basic mechanics involved. Different stands require varying amounts of installation at setup, and not every monitor can be mounted on a third-party stand. Understanding these basics will help you pick the right stand for your displays, and ensure you’re ready to install your stand (or call someone who can.)

Why should I use a dual-monitor stand?

There are many reasons to mount your monitors, ranging from purely cosmetic to enabling better ergonomics. The stands with PC monitors vary widely in construction quality, appearance, and features. Some stands take up tons of desk space without offering any additional utility. Others may not allow you to adjust them properly, forcing you to twist or crane your neck to look at them, which could lead to long-term strain. And some of them may just look ugly. When you buy a monitor for its great specs, which you should, it potentially opens the door for you to end up with a huge, ugly stand that gives you a sore neck. Luckily, most monitors allow you to remove the actual display from its stand and mount them on a third-party stand. 

A monitor stand, whether it sits on your desk, clamps on at edge of it, or bolts onto the wall behind it, can solve all of these issues at once, giving you the ability to place your monitor exactly where you want it, reclaiming your desk space for more useful tools, and swapping out what may be garish design for something more subtle and clean.

Stand, clamp, or wall mount?

When moving to a dual-monitor stand, you must choose between a conventional desktop form factor, a clamping desk-mounted design, or a wall-mounted one. Often, picking one versus another comes down to what kind of desk you have, how important it is to reclaim desk space, and the likelihood that you’ll need to move your setup.

If you have a flat desk with an edge or lip, we like clamping monitor stands that clamp to the rear edge of your desk. They’re sturdy, highly adjustable, and easy to install or remove without damaging the desk. (Some offer an option to drill a hole into your desk as an anchor, but it isn’t necessarily mandatory.)

That said, if you have a glass desk, an executive-style desk, or something with lots of cable guides built into the back, a clamp might not be a good fit. In most cases, there’s just no spot to install the clamp. With glass, it could literally shatter the desk. In those cases, a desktop stand makes more sense. Though you won’t get as much space back, a desktop with a dual-monitor stand still consolidates two screens onto a single stand, reclaiming some desk real estate. Also, desktop stands are very sturdy, so it makes sense to use them for larger, heavier screens.

Finally, there’s the wall mount. Whether you use a set of monitor arms or a bracket similar to what you’d use when mounting a TV, the wall mount is an extremely sturdy choice but requires serious installation. To install it, you’ll need to find a stud, drill some holes, and bolt your monitor stand to your wall. Once you install it, your monitor stand isn’t going anywhere, which means your desk setup isn’t going anywhere, either. That lack of flexibility makes it a very niche choice. You don’t want to have to spackle and repaint your walls every time you think your desk would look better over by the window.

Before you buy: Make sure all your monitors have VESA mounts

If you peek around the back of most computer monitors, you’ll notice that the stand for your display probably attaches via four screws in a square configuration. This is a standard configuration maintained by the Video Electronics Standards Association, commonly known as VESA, meant to make stands as close to universal as possible so users can buy new stands easily. 

VESA mounts can come in many sizes, but most PC monitors fall into one of two options, 75mm x 75mm or 100mm x 100 mm. That makes everyone’s life easier: All of our picks support both sizes, as should most third-party monitor stands of any shape and size. That said, you should still double-check your monitors’ specs to see VESA mount sizes you’ll need before buying a dual-monitor stand, if only to ensure your monitor can be mounted. Some very cheap monitors (and a few very expensive ones) build their monitors permanently attached to their stands.

Double-check the weight of both of your displays

Monitors are heavy and expensive. Before mounting them, you should ensure your stand can support their weight. Make sure that your monitors are within the stands’ specified weight limit—don’t risk going above or below whatever limits the manufacturer sets. Most monitor manufacturers include the weight of the displays both with and without stands on their product pages. You have a little wiggle room on the size of the monitor, but consider the weight tolerances to be inviolable laws of nature in this case, or risk breaking hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of monitors.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best dual-monitor stands

• Best overall: Mount-It! (MI-1772) Dual Monitor Arm
• Best desk-mounted: Ergotron LX Dual Monitor Arm
• Best wall-mounted: Mountup Dual Monitor Wall Mount
• Best freestanding: ErGear Freestanding Dual Monitor Stand
• Best vertical: Hemudu HT05B-002 Dual Monitor Stand
• Best premium: Ergotron HX Desk Dual Monitor Arm
• Best budget: VIVO Dual Monitor Desk Mount

With so many options for mounting your monitors and such a wide range of prices, the best dual-monitor stands are a very affordable and useful upgrade for anyone using two monitors. Whether you’re rocking one display in landscape mode and one in portrait mode, pairing an ultrawide monitor with a standard one, mounting to a desk or a wall, there are dynamic stands for every type of home setup.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best dual-monitor stands for home and office in 2024 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Steam continues to be a juggernaut in PC gaming—it recently set a new record for 36.4 million concurrent players all gaming at the same time. And it’s not difficult to see why it’s so popular, with an unbeatable selection of titles, a straightforward interface, and plenty of extras around user communities and content sharing too.

If you’re only using the Steam client to buy and launch your games though, you’re missing out on a lot of other features it offers too—from sharing games to managing the stress on your network. We’ve pulled together six essential Steam tips, which should be helpful for users at all levels of experience.

1. Put your games in collections

By default, Steam will simply catalog your games in a long list, ordered alphabetically—but as you start to get more and more titles added to your library, that can quickly become unwieldy. The built-in collections feature is one way to bring a bit of order to the chaos.

All you need to get started is right-click on one of your games in the list on the left, then choose Add to: You can pick a collection you’ve already set up, or create a new one. You can then select these collections from the main Library page.

2. Share games with your family

In the old days, you could just hand someone a disc or cartridge to share a game with them. These days, we’ve got Steam Family Sharing. It means up to five other people in your household can access the game library you’ve carefully curated.

From the Steam client, open the Steam menu, then choose Settings and go to the Family tab. From here you need to enable Authorize Library Sharing on this device, then use the Manage option next to Family Library Sharing to decide who gets access to your games.

When new users are added, they’ll get an email with an invite link that they need to click on. From there, they have access to your entire library, but you can revoke this access at any time by heading to the Family page in Steam Settings.

3. Choose controller configurations on Steam

Most Steam games work with gaming controllers out of the box, with no extra configuration required—but what if you’re playing a more obscure title? Or you want to change the default setup on your controller in terms of which button presses lead to which actions on screen?

That’s where controller customizations come in. If you open the Steam menu and then Settings in the desktop client, you can head to the Controller page and change the way your connected controller works—right down to the buttons and joysticks if needed.

Click Open next to Calibration & Advanced Settings, and you get a limited number of customizations specific to your controller (like vibration settings and joystick sensitivity). More comprehensive options can be found by clicking Edit next to Desktop Layout—you can even install configurations created by other Steam users.

4. Manage your network

Some of the biggest titles on Steam can take up gigabytes and gigabytes of space, and that means quite a lot of strain on your home network when you’re installing something new. If you’re trying to stream a 4K movie on Netflix at the same time, you might find yourself running into problems.

You can fix this by opening up Steam > Settings > Downloads from the desktop client. Enable the Limit download speed option, then enter a figure in kilobytes per second (taking into account your overall broadband speed).

You’ll be waiting a little longer for your games to download of course, but your network won’t be crippled for hours while a download is in progress.

5. Move your Steam games

Being able to move your Steam games can be really useful if you’re running out of room on your main hard drive—as we said above, some Steam games are substantial in size. It’s possible to move part or all of your games library over to another internal or external hard drive on your system.

Open Settings from the Steam menu in the desktop client, then head to the Storage tab. Via the drop-down menu at the top you can see existing library locations and create new ones—then with a library selected, you’ll see a list of installed games. Select one or move games, then click Move to move them to another drive.

When you’ve got a library selected, there’s also a button with three dots on it to the right of the library location—click on this to make the current library the default one, which is where new games always get installed if you don’t specify a different location.

6. Buy Steam games for less

Our final tip is to head to the very useful third-party SteamDB website, where you’ll find a wealth of information on the Steam platform and the games available through it: From information about which games are currently the most popular, to those that have most recently received updates.

Most importantly for our purposes here, it can tell you when the next big Steam sale is, and tell you when individual games drop in price (and how that compares to their previous price over time). As long as you’re patient and check SteamDB regularly, you need never have to pay full price for your games.

The post 6 helpful Steam tips for leveling up your PC gaming appeared first on Popular Science.

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Today, millions of people will have a chance to watch a total solar eclipse. If you’re one of them, be careful: looking directly at a solar eclipse without eye protection can permanently damage your vision.

It doesn’t matter if our rocky satellite is blocking all or some of our nearest star—the sun is still an incredibly bright source of light. Don’t risk your eyesight for a quick glimpse or even a once-in-a-lifetime event. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to protect your eyes while watching an eclipse.

What happens if you look at a solar eclipse

We are able to see thanks to photoreceptors. These cells, also known as rods and cones, are located at the backs of our eyes, and convert the light reflected by the world around us into electrical impulses that our brain interprets as the image we see. But when strong light, like that from the sun, hits our eyes, a series of chemical reactions occur that damage and often destroy these rods and cones. This is known as solar retinopathy, and can make our eyesight blurry. Sometimes, if the damage is too great in one area, you can lose sight completely.

[Related: Every sunset ends with a green flash. Why is it so hard to see?]

On a typical sunny day, you almost never have to worry about solar retinopathy. That’s because our eyes have natural mechanisms that ensure too much light doesn’t get in. When it’s really bright outside, our pupils get super tiny, reducing the amount of sunlight that can hit your photoreceptors. But when you stare directly at the sun, your pupils’ shrinking power isn’t enough to protect your peepers.

This is where your eyes’ second defense mechanism comes into play. When we look at something bright, we tend to blink. This is known as the corneal or blink reflex, and it  prevents us from staring at anything too damagingly bright. 

Just before a solar eclipse has reached its totality, the moon is partially blocking the sun, making it a lot easier for us to look up at the star without blinking. But that doesn’t mean you should—even that tiny sliver of sunlight is too intense for our sensitive photoreceptors.

[Related: Total eclipses aren’t that rare—and you’ve probably missed a bunch of them]

Unfortunately, if you practice unprotected sun-gazing, you probably won’t know the effects of your actions until the next morning, when the damage to your photoreceptors has kicked in.

And while solar retinopathy is extremely rare, it is by no means unheard of. If you search the term in medical journals, you’ll find case reports after almost every popular solar eclipse. Let’s try really hard to do better this time, eyeball-havers.

How to safely watch a solar eclipse

Watching the eclipse with your own two eyes is easy: just wear legitimate eclipse sunglasses. These are crucial, as they will block the sun’s rays enough for you to safely see the eclipse without burning your eyes out.

And if you don’t have eclipse glasses, you can still enjoy the view, albeit not directly. Try whipping up your own eclipse projector or a DIY pinhole camera so you can enjoy the view without having to book an emergency visit to the eye doctor.

This story has been updated. It was originally published in 2017.

The post How to look at the eclipse without damaging your eyes appeared first on Popular Science.

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It’s a well-known fact that staring at the sun is… not the best idea. In the same way that the sun can burn your skin, our home star can overwhelm your peepers with UV rays and literally scorch your retina.

That is a huge bummer, especially because watching a solar eclipse (when the moon covers the sun) is an incredibly cool experience. Thankfully, there are several ways to watch an eclipse without risking your vision, and one of them is building a pinhole camera out of a box, a piece of aluminum foil, and lots of tape. This is an easy and incredibly versatile project, and you can turn it into a permanent camera obscura when you’re done watching the eclipse. 

How to make a pinhole camera

1. Light-proof your box. Leaving one side open, use duct tape or electrical tape to seal the box and prevent any light rays from sneaking in. Pay special attention to the corners and wherever two pieces of cardboard meet. The pinhole will only allow a few rays of light into your box, so the projection of the sun will be dim. That means the darker your camera, the easier it will be to see the image.

As we said, this project is versatile. You can use a wide range of box sizes to make your pinhole camera, but cereal and shoe boxes work exceptionally well. We used the 15-by-7 ½-by-5 ½-inch box that carried our neighbor’s latest online shopping spurt. 

Likewise, duct tape and electrical tape are the best choices to light-proof your box, but you can use any tape that will block light—dark washi tape or masking tape will also do the trick. Just keep in mind that you may have to apply multiple layers to achieve total darkness inside your box. 

• Pro tip: Check your work by holding your box up to a light and looking inside. If you still see some shine coming through, apply another layer of tape. 

2. Determine your pinhole’s location and cover the inside of the opposite face with white paper. Measure one of the smallest sides of the box, cut a piece of white paper to the same size, and tape or glue it to the inside of the corresponding face. It doesn’t have to be perfect—as long as most of the side is covered, you’ll be good to go. Just make sure that the paper doesn’t have any wrinkles or folds, as they may distort the image of the sun. 

3. Measure the openings for the pinhole and the viewer. On the side opposite the one you covered with white paper, use your ruler and a pencil to measure two openings. The pinhole opening will be located in the upper left corner (about half an inch from the edges) and will be 2-by-2 inches (we’ll make it smaller later). 

The viewing opening will be located in the upper right corner of the box, half an inch from the top edge and an inch from the right edge of the box. This opening will be smaller—only 1 inch square.

4. Cut the openings. Using a box cutter or scissors, cut out the openings you drew. 

• Pro tip: If the openings end up being too big, don’t sweat it—you can always adjust their size with tape. 

5. Close and seal the box. Use your newly cut openings to make sure there are no other places where light might be sneaking in. Pay special attention to the corners of the box above and below your openings. Cover all the places where pieces of cardboard meet with tape. 

6. Cover the larger opening with aluminum foil. Cut a smooth 2 ½-by-2 ½-inch piece of aluminum foil. With the dull side facing you, carefully cover the big opening with the metallic sheet and tape it in place. Make sure you secure it tightly so no light can get into the box.  

• Pro tip: To smooth out any creases, softly rub the top of any fingernail over the foil in a small, circular motion. 

7.  Use the thumbtack to poke a hole in the foil. Find the rough center of the 2-by-2-inch square under the aluminum sheet and gently push the tack through before pulling it back out—you want a clean, round hole. If you don’t have a thumbtack, you can use the tip of a toothpick or an embroidery needle. Just make sure that whatever you’re using has a point (it’ll make a neater hole) and that it’s approximately 0.2 millimeters wide. 

• Note: The width of your pinhole will determine how much light gets into the box. Too much light and the image will be blurry. If that’s the case, don’t worry—just replace the foil and try making a smaller pinhole. 

8. Put your pinhole camera to the test. Stand with your back facing the sun and look into the box through the viewport. Use your hands to block out as much light as possible and move around until you find the angle where sunlight enters through the pinhole. When this happens, you should see a small projection of the shape of the sun on the white paper you pasted inside the box. 

[Related: Total eclipses aren’t that rare—and you’ve probably missed a bunch of them]

Keep in mind that the weather is crucial in determining the quality of the image you’ll see inside your pinhole camera, and whether you can see the eclipse at all.

How a pinhole camera works

Images are light. Everything we see we perceive because there’s light bouncing off of it, beaming directly through our pupils and into our eyes. All cameras, including the humble pinhole camera you just made, operate under this basic principle. The better they filter the light, the sharper the resulting image will be. 

The sun, of course, is the ultimate light source. On a sunny day, rays from the star travel to Earth and bounce off of every surface they reach. This is a lot of light coming from all directions, so if we want to see only a small portion of the sun’s rays, we have to focus those rays and filter out the rest. That’s why the pinhole in your camera is so tiny or, in more technical terms, why its aperture is so narrow—it only lets a small amount of light into the box, just enough so you can see only a dim projection of the sun when you point the pinhole directly at it. 

The dimness of the image is not ideal, but it’s the tradeoff we make for sharpness—too much light results in a blurry, out-of-focus picture. This is important during a solar eclipse, as filtering the light will allow you to see the round shape of the sun become a crescent or a ring as the moon moves in and gradually blocks the sunlight. 

When the eclipse is over, use a skewer to widen your camera’s pinhole. When you look inside, you won’t only be able to see the sun, but a slightly brighter and inverted image of your surroundings. A bigger pinhole turns your box into a camera obscura, allowing more light in and projecting an image of the objects around you.  

This story was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2024.

The post How to make a pinhole camera to watch the solar eclipse appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Rubbermaid Configurations Deluxe		SEE IT	A modular option that’s easy to install and customize.
Best for walk-ins		ClosetMaid ShelfTrack		SEE IT	With shelves that can hold up to 60 lbs., this option is sturdy.
Best budget		Simple Houseware 5 Shelves Hanging Closet Organizer		SEE IT	Closet organization can be yours for just $12.

Closet organizers come in all different shapes and sizes for all kinds of different closets. What works for a walk-in won’t be right for a nursery, and vice versa. The key to picking the best closet organizer and corresponding organizational accessories is to consider what you need space for (shoes? Linens? Dress shirts?), how much you want to spend, and what kind of changes you’re willing to make (e.g., are you ready to invest in an entire closet organization system, or are you just looking for some hangers to help streamline the bulk?). From bathroom closet organization ideas to stackable shoe storage, find the best organization closet organizers for you! The best closet organizers help your spaces get a whole lot neater.

• Best overall: Rubbermaid Configurations Deluxe
• Best for walk-ins: ClosetMaid ShelfTrack
• Best for small closets: DOIOWN S-Type Stainless Steel Clothes Pants Hangers
• Best drawer organizers: Simple Houseware Closet Underwear Organizer
• Best for babies: GRANNY SAYS 3-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer
• Best for shoes: Simple Houseware 3-Tier Shoe Rack
• Best for purses: SPACEKEEPER Adjustable Shelf Divider for Closet
• Best budget: Simple Houseware 5 Shelves Hanging Closet Organizer

How we chose the best closet organizers

Properly storing and organizing your clothes can prevent random stains and holes. It also makes your life easier (no more sniffing around for clean jeans) and keeps things nice and tidy. We looked at reviews, recommendations, and did heavy research to narrow down our picks.

The best closet organizers: Reviews & Recommendations

One little closet change—be it layered hangers, bins, hanging shelves, or drawers—can clear out your space’s physical clutter, which in turn can clear out your mind’s clutter and bring on a sense of calm. Now, let’s find the best closet organizer for you.

Best overall: Rubbermaid Configurations Deluxe

SEE IT

Specs

• Dimensions: 96 x 12.85 x 72 inches
• Material: Aluminum
• Mount type: Wall mount

Pros

• Modular
• Quick install
• Expandable shelves

Cons

• Hard to obtain additional parts outside of kit

All the mounting hardware you need to put this closet organizer system together comes included. Telescoping rods and the ability to add accessories to the set mean you have numerous configuration options to create the perfect custom space for your 4- to 8-foot closet.

Best for walks-ins: ClosetMaid ShelfTrack

SEE IT

Specs

• Dimensions: 36 x 13 x 78 inches
• Material: Alloy steel
• Mount type: Wall mount

Pros

• Sturdy
• Easy to install
• Expandable

Cons

• Some cutting may be required

This walk-in closet organizer retracts to 5 feet wide and expands up to 8 feet. Some cutting may be required for installation, but all hardware and an installation template are included. Each shelf can hold up to 60 pounds, so this is a sturdy pick.

Best for small closets: DOIOWN S-Type Stainless Steel Clothes Pants Hangers

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Specs

• Dimensions: 13.39 x 14.17 inches
• Material: Stainless steel
• Mount type: Hanger

Pros

• Can put multiple items on one hanger
• Multi-purpose
• Small change that makes a big difference

Cons

• Slippery clothing can slide off
• Too much weight can warp hanger

This small closet organizer is durable and rust-resistant. It has transparent rubber edges to prevent clothes from falling to the floor. The unique S-shape lets you see every item on the hanger so you can pull out just what you need. It also doubles as a drying rack for your hang-dry-only items.

Best drawer organizer: Simple Houseware Closet Underwear Organizer

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Specs

• Dimensions: 6 x 3.5 x 12 inches
• Material: Polyester
• Mount type: N/A

Pros

• Functional
• Sturdy
• Flexible

Cons

• Larger bras don’t fit

In addition to underthings, closet drawers are a good bet for anything delicate you don’t want to stretch by putting it on a hanger (e.g., sweaters). Some people with bras larger than a C-cup have reported that their bras don’t fit perfectly in these closet drawer organizers, but if you’re flexible about what you can store here, it’s a good, very affordable bet.

Best for babies: GRANNY SAYS 3-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer

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Specs

• Dimensions: 29 x 12 x 12 inches
• Material: Polyester
• Mount type: Hanger

Pros

• Sturdy
• Roomy
• Easy to use

Cons

• Fabric can rip if organizer becomes overstuffed

Soft hanging shelves in this baby closet organizer let you store all sorts of stuff—whether from a closet rod or freestanding clothing rack—and lightweight material means it collapses down to nothing, perfect for taking with you when you travel. The grab-and-go design of this hanging closet organizer makes it particularly easy to reach a new outfit when the little one has made an oopsie.

Best for shoes: Simple Houseware 3-Tier Shoe Rack

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Specs

• Dimensions: 11.2 x 26.8 x 20.9
• Material: Metal, polyester
• Mount type: N/A

Pros

• Moveable shelves
• Semi-modular
• Sturdy

Cons

• Not the most stylish option

This shoe rack can hold 16 pairs of shoes and even comes in multiple tier sizes in case your shoe collection grows over the years. It’s not stylish, but it will be in your closet anyway. If you’re looking for an #aesthetic option, consider this classy rack that has a wooden top and adjustable metal shelves.

Best for purses: SPACEKEEPER Adjustable Shelf Divider for Closet

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Specs

• Dimensions: 26.2 x 9.52 x 6.88 inches
• Material: Plastic
• Mount type: N/A

Pros

• Not just for closets
• Can separate base or put it together
• Quick to assemble

Cons

• Could be sturdier
• Need more than one set if you have a collection of bags

Properly storing your purses can keep them in tip-top shape and looking brand new for years and years. This plastic option keeps your handbags upright and doesn’t put any strain on the handles. Plus, you can adjust the divider width to accommodate larger purses.

Best budget: Simple Houseware 5 Shelves Hanging Closet Organizer

SEE IT

Specs

• Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 45 inches
• Material: Polyester
• Mount type: Hanger

Pros

• Side pockets
• Fits closets of all sizes
• Lots of color options

Cons

• Will break if too much weight put into organizer

If you’re just looking to add a little bit of room (especially if, say, you own a handful of T-shirts that always end up on the floor no matter how many times you put them away), a simple hanging closet organizer is perfect. It’s unobtrusive but essential.

What to consider when buying the best closet organizers

Ask yourself: How’s my current organizational wardrobe system working for me? For some of us, that system consists of one pile of clothes in the corner of the bedroom for clean socks, another in the bathroom for used towels, and many other smaller piles strewn about everywhere else (what’s in them? Nobody knows!). In these piles are different pieces of clothing—some clean, some not—and the best part is, whenever we find what we’re looking for, it is sure to be completely wrinkled.

It’s hard to imagine that there could be a better way, much less many better ways, but there are! Organization doesn’t come naturally to everyone; some of us are just prone to messiness. Adding organizational components to your closet will give you the incentive and tools to keep things tidy, even if you don’t feel a natural instinct to only hang onto items that spark joy.

Closet organization systems

Unlike a la carte closet additions, full closet organization systems do all the thinking for you and offer loads of variety. You get rods, you get shelves, you get drawers—and many are customizable, so if you need, say, more shelves than drawers, you can have that.

You don’t even necessarily need a ton of space to install a closet system, as many models are adjustable (meaning even if you move, you can take your hard-earned organizational system with you and just adapt it).

Size

Organization can happen in even the littlest places—the key is to figure out how to make the most of every single inch you have. That may mean sacrificing the ease of a furniture-like system and instead opting for individual small closet organization accessories that allow you to add space without adding bulk or making your closet claustrophobic.

Hooks, built-in wall shelves, and even special hangers should all be in your organizational arsenal when you’re dealing with a lot of stuff in a little room.

Type of closet

If you have a walk-in, a) we are jealous, and b) congratulations! On the downside, figuring out how to maximize your space when adding an organizational element can be overwhelming. On the upside, you have options and can incorporate lots of different elements—hooks, tie racks, accessory drawers—to make your closet uniquely yours.

If you’re indecisive or have trouble conceptualizing different layouts, get a second opinion from an expert before you invest in a walk-in closet organizer.

Drawers vs. hangers

If you need a place for your undies, socks, and other soft, compact items, say no more: You need a closet drawer organizer! You can place drawers on any existing shelves or sills, or just put them on the floor, a chair, or a table.

Because closet drawers are soft, they’re forgiving, which means you can probably shove more in there than you’re meant to if you’re running low on room.

Options for children

Nappies, onesies, booties, and all other soft, adorable things for a baby deserve a place of their own. A hanging component—as opposed to a dresser or other hard piece of furniture—is a good option if you want to store your kiddo’s stuff in the closet.

The best part is that you can move a baby closet organizer from room to room. So if the baby is co-sleeping with you one night and back in her crib the next, you can just move the hanging shelves with her and keep all the essentials close by. You can also use these shelves in laundry rooms for sorting laundry.

Budget

Unless you’re investing in a complex organizational system, most closet components are relatively affordable. Think of it this way: All you’re paying for is a contraption that gives order to space you already have, so many options are truly cheap.

Especially if all you need is a little added vertical space, like with hanging shelves that hook onto a closet rod or with layered hangers, you can easily get what you need for under 10 bucks. This is the best closet organizer we’ve found in that price range.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best closet organizers

• Best overall: Rubbermaid Configurations Deluxe
• Best for walk-ins: ClosetMaid ShelfTrack
• Best for small closets: DOIOWN S-Type Stainless Steel Clothes Pants Hangers
• Best drawer organizers: Simple Houseware Closet Underwear Organizer
• Best for babies: GRANNY SAYS 3-Shelf Hanging Closet Organizer
• Best for shoes: Simple Houseware 3-Tier Shoe Rack
• Best for purses: SPACEKEEPER Adjustable Shelf Divider for Closet
• Best budget: Simple Houseware 5 Shelves Hanging Closet Organizer

From linen closet organization to shoe closet organizer options, there are lots of ways to declutter your closet. Whether you want to take a big step toward organizing your closet with an intricate system or just add a few organizational elements, a happier, less cluttered tomorrow is on deck once you invest in the best closet organizer for you.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best closet organizers for 2024 appeared first on Popular Science.

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You might have seen a recent flurry of social media posts questioning Apple’s privacy policies after a “Discoverable by Others” setting was noticed in the new Journal app—a setting that’s turned on by default, even if you don’t use the app itself.

This setting doesn’t actually do what you might think it does, based on its name alone. We’ll explain how the discovery feature works, and why you might want to switch it off—or leave it turned on.

It’s important to be aware of the various security and privacy settings on the iPhone: These are issues Apple takes seriously, but you still need to be aware of what you’re sharing, and with whom. As well as the Journal app option, we’ll cover a couple of other key iPhone privacy settings, both turned on by default, that you might want to review.

Discovery in the Journal app

First is the Journal app, added with iOS 17.2. It’s a place where you can jot down thoughts and memories, collect pictures, and record trips—and, importantly for our purposes here, you can opt in to have the app prompt you with suggestions. If you’ve been to the beach, for example, Journal might suggest you write about it.

These suggestions are kept on your device, so Apple doesn’t see them, and you can turn them on or off by heading to Privacy & Security and then Journaling Suggestions in iOS Settings. You’ll see these suggestions are split up into categories, including Contacts and Photos, so you can keep some of them on while turning others off.

The toggle switch that has attracted a few headlines is Discoverable by Others, which is on by default and separate from journal suggestions. This doesn’t mean other people can see your journal, but it does mean that other users of the Journal app might get prompts to write about time they spent with you, if they have journal suggestions turned on.

You won’t be specifically named—the other person will only see a prompt like “dinner with friends” if a lot of other iPhones turn up in the evening, for instance. And it doesn’t mean your location is being tracked or stored anywhere. From Apple’s point of view, it’s to help other people who want journal suggestions, even if you’re not even using the app yourself—but you can of course disable it if you like.

Significant Locations on your iPhone

When it comes to more iOS features that are enabled by default and that you might want to switch off if you’re privacy conscious, there’s another called Significant Locations. If location services are enabled on your iPhone (and they will be, if you use maps and other apps that need to pinpoint your position), then these significant locations will be logged too—unless you turn them off.

Apple says these significant locations “keep track of places you have recently been, as well as how often and when you visited them”. The data is synced between your Apple devices using iCloud, but it’s end-to-end encrypted: Apple can’t see what these locations are, and nor can anyone else (unless they physically get access to your unlocked iPhone).

They’re tracked “in order to provide useful location-related information in Maps, Calendar, Photos and more”. Two examples of their use given by Apple are these locations appearing higher up when you’re searching for directions in Apple Maps, and the Photos app tapping into this information when compiling slideshows for Memories (so your ‘favorite’ places would show up more often).

It’s up to you whether or not you think this collection of your location data is reasonable and secure. From iOS Settings, tap Privacy & Security, Location Services, System Services, and then Significant Locations to see recently logged locations. You can clear all logged locations to date, as well as turn off the feature completely.

Turn off personalized ads

Apple prides itself on offering a more private and secure user experience than its competitors, but it will still show you personalized ads by default—something Google does as well. However, Apple keeps its advertising networks more locked down than Google in terms of involving third-party marketers and tracking ads across multiple devices.

Some of the data Apple might use to build up your profile includes the apps you download and the services you subscribe to, the apps you frequently open, and the topics you look at on Apple News. This data is then used to put you in a ‘segment’ with thousands of other users, and then those segments can be targeted by advertisers.

In some ways, personalized ads are a win-win: Advertisers reach people who are actually interested in their products, and consumers get adverts that are actually relevant. You don’t necessarily want to see a row of links for baby food products if you don’t have a baby, for example. However, it’s perfectly understandable if you don’t want your iPhone activities tracked in this way.

You can read more about Apple’s advertising policies to help you make up your mind. If you want to turn off personalized advertising, head to iOS Settings, then choose Privacy & Security and tap Apple Advertising to find the Personalized Ads toggle switch. Note that changing this setting won’t change how many ads you see, only whether or not they’re personalized.

The post ‘Discoverable by Others’ and other iPhone privacy settings you should lock down right now appeared first on Popular Science.

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Artificial intelligence tools are developing at a rapid pace, especially when it comes to generative AI engines that can produce something—a poem, a picture, a song, a video clip—based on short text prompts.

If you’re keen to explore the type of AI art that can now be rendered in seconds, we’ve picked out five solid tools to try. Tell these AI art generators what you’re looking for, and you’ll get a computer-rendered picture out the other end.

One key tip: Be as specific as you can be in your text prompts, and include as much detail as you can. That extends to the style of picture you want to create (from photorealistic to cartoonish) as well as what’s actually in the frame.

We’ll leave it to you to weigh the ethical considerations around these AI tools when it comes to deciding how much to make use of them. Remember that the companies behind these tools aren’t always fully transparent when it comes to the images they’ve been trained on—and that there are plenty of flesh and blood human photographers and artists out there looking to make a living.

Dall-E and ChatGPT

Dall-E and ChatGPT are both developed by OpenAI, and there’s some overlap in terms of what you can do with these two interfaces. You can try Dall-E 2 on the web, and that includes the option to add some AI magic to existing pictures, as well as generating them from scratch—115 credits (each image costs one credit) will set you back $15.

Image generation by the more advanced Dall-E 3 is available through ChatGPT on the web, as long as you’re paying $20 per month for ChatGPT Plus, and that lets you generate as many pictures as you like. Again, you can tweak existing images and create new ones. Just type in your prompt, and the image generator gets to work, returning a single image.

Dall-E and Microsoft Copilot

If you’re after a free AI image generator, then Microsoft Copilot is one of the best: You can get at Copilot on the web (with a Microsoft account), and it’s also now available in Windows 11 (search for “copilot” from the taskbar). The AI tech here is actually powered by Dall-E 3, as with ChatGPT, because of the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI.

You get four images back for each prompt, so you can pick the one you like most, and we like the suggested follow-up prompts Copilot offers too. For $20 a month, you can get Copilot Pro, which speeds up the picture generation process and adds a bunch of other AI upgrades (like tighter integration with the Microsoft 365 suite of programs).

Midjourney

To play around with Midjourney, you have to join the Midjourney Discord—so you’ll need an account for the Discord chat app. You’ll see onboarding instructions when you sign up, but essentially you have to register, join one of the “newbie” channels for beginners, and sign up for one of the subscription plans for Midjourney—these start at $10 a month.

With all that done, you can begin creating in Discord on the web or in the mobile apps. Start your prompt with “/imagine” and then just type out what you’d like to see —you get four variations back, and you can then click the buttons underneath to generate more variations or larger images. Your pictures are saved to your online account too.

Adobe Firefly

As you would expect from one of the biggest developers of digital art software, Adobe now has its own AI image generator, and it’s called Firefly. You’ll find it built into Adobe’s other tools, including Photoshop, but it’s also available as a standalone app on the web—you get 25 pictures per month for free, with paid plans (from $4.99 a month) upping this number.

The prompt box is in the center of the screen: Just type out your request and then click Generate. You can use your own images to help suggest a subject or style, and there are simple options for changing a picture’s look or aspect ratio. The community aspect of Firefly is impressive too—a vast gallery of AI artwork generated by other users.

Craiyon

Craiyon isn’t as artistically talented as some of the other AI art generators we’ve mentioned here, but it has a free tier, and is really simple to use on the web (you don’t even need an account). If you need images faster and want to get rid of the watermarks and the ads, you can become a paying member—prices start at $6 per month for this.

Type your prompt into the box, choose the style of picture (if necessary) from the options underneath, then click Draw. A few recently created images are shown on the page, if you’re looking for some artistic inspiration (and these change to respond to what you’re typing too). You get nine image variations back, plus suggestions for follow-up prompts.

The post 5 AI art generators that actually create cool images (including free options) appeared first on Popular Science.

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While logging in using a fingerprint or face scan is becoming more common, passwords are still essential for many of the apps and services we use every day. And from shopping to banking, social media to messaging, podcasts to cloud storage, there are a lot of accounts and passwords to keep track of.

Your passwords are all that’s standing between bad actors and your precious data, and of course you don’t want anyone and everyone wandering into your online spaces. With that in mind, it’s crucial that your passwords are hacker-proof, and we’ve rounded up some ways for putting that to the test.

What makes a strong password?

The old adage about passwords is that they should be impossible to guess and very difficult to forget—you’ve no doubt seen those scenes in movies where someone’s password is being guessed at, with significant dates, names, phrases, and pets all usually tried. Trying to get the balance between something unguessable and unforgettable isn’t always easy though, of course.

Longer passwords are better, as are passwords that include special characters (like question marks) and numbers—this all makes brute force attacks, where lots of different combinations are tried in quick succession, far less likely to succeed. Avoid well-known words and phrases, as well as names (of people, brands, or companies). 

Reusing passwords makes digital life more convenient, but it’s something you should never do: It makes the lives of hackers easier, and if one of these accounts gets compromised, then all the others with the same password can quickly follow. It may be more time consuming, but you should always create individual and strong passwords for all of your accounts.

So how do you keep track of all these complex, unique passwords? Using a password manager is recommended, or using the tools built into your web browser. Writing down passwords is okay as well—as long as these notes are hidden somewhere safe and secure, and not (for example) stuck on sticky notes right by your laptop. If you do need to write them down, maybe think about writing hints rather than the passwords themselves.

How to check your passwords

Plenty of apps and websites are available to check the strength of your passwords for you: You might even see an indicator that goes from red to orange to green when you’re typing out a password for a new account. When you do sign up for something new, you may get guidelines you have to follow—like including a special character, for instance.

We do like the checker that password manager NordPass has put online. Type in one of your passwords (the password won’t be saved), and you’ll be told how strong or weak it is, as well as the reasons why. You’ll also see an estimate of how long the password might take to crack, as well as an alert if your password has appeared in a data breach. Similar tools are available from Bitwarden and Security.org, if you want to compare results.

[Related: How to keep all of your accounts safe in a world where people want your data]

Google has an online password checker too, but it scans the passwords you’ve saved to your Google account through Chrome and Android—you can’t just test any password with it. It’ll also warn you about passwords you’ve reused when you shouldn’t have, and passwords included in data breach leaks as well.

If you’re using iCloud to store your passwords on Apple devices, you can check up on the security of your passwords through an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. On the iPhone, for example, head to Settings, then open up Passwords and tap Security Recommendations at the top. As with Google’s tool, you’ll be warned about weak, reused, and leaked passwords.

Those of you making use of a password manager should find something similar in your software too. The popular 1Password, for example, has a feature called Watchtower: It’ll warn you if your passwords aren’t strong enough, are linked to compromised websites, or have been used several times.

Every password manager—including those offered by Google, Apple, and 1Password—should be able to generate random, strong passwords on your behalf. These passwords will be very hard to crack, and because you’re using an app to remember them all for you, you don’t have to worry about forgetting what they are.

How to protect your passwords

Your passwords need to be kept safe, and as we’ve already mentioned, employing the services of a password manager is a great start. Using one of these tools doesn’t mean you can get complacent—you have to make sure no one else has access to your password manager, which would then give them access to all your login credentials.

That usually means locking access to the devices where your password managers are running, so your computer and your smartphone should both be well protected with their own PINs and passwords (or biometric authentication, which is even better). Make sure these devices are never left unattended, and always locked when not in use.

[Related: 15 ways to be more secure online]

As well as your passwords being guessed and brute forced, you also need to think about another popular scam: social engineering. This is where you’ll be tricked into typing your login credentials into a fake website, or giving them over to someone in a telephone call or a direct message conversation.

First of all, never tell anyone your passwords, in any situation—if someone is asking, they’re not legit. As for avoiding fraudulent websites, keep your browser software up to date (these browsers are trained to spot suspicious websites), and avoid following links in your inbox unless you’re sure they can be trusted—if you’ve just requested a password reset, for example. 

The post How to check your password strength—and what to do about it appeared first on Popular Science.

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The web doesn’t have to stay fixed and static. With the right tools, you can type and scribble over the websites you visit, adding all kinds of annotations for all kinds of purposes. Maybe you want to leave notes for yourself or maybe you’re working on a project with others and need to leave notes on a page.

How you go about this varies depending on your browser. It isn’t difficult to do with most of the popular browsers, though you’ll probably need a third-party add-on. The only browser that’s really left out is Apple Safari, which doesn’t offer native annotation tools or any decent extensions—at least on the desktop, which is our focus here.

Google Chrome

Annotation isn’t a built-in feature with Google Chrome, but you’ve got plenty of third-party extensions to choose from that’ll add the functionality. One of our favorites is simply called Annotate: Install the extension, sign up for a free account, and you’re ready to go. You get a floating Annotate icon on the right of the browser window as you navigate around the web, and you can click on this to bring up the annotation tools.

You can scribble on top of web pages, add in text, and temporarily highlight certain sections too. It’s perfect if you’re running a real-time presentation, as basic presentation tools are built right in, and you can also save pages for later. If you need more tools (like shapes), and longer presentation times (above 12 minutes), you can get a Pro account for $35 a year.

Also worth a mention is Awesome Screen Recorder & Screenshot. As its name suggests, this is first and foremost a screenshot tool, but when you’ve grabbed images of websites, you can easily annotate them in a host of ways. Once you’ve captured some or part of an image, you can jump to the annotation workspace in a couple of clicks, where there are tools like pens, text boxes, and shapes to play around with.

Like Annotate, Awesome Screen Recorder & Screenshot comes with some simple presentation tools built right in, and has a premium subscription plan (from $5 a month) available if you need more tools—such as stickers, callout boxes, and watermarking. You even get a small amount of cloud storage space for free, making it easy to sync your annotated website grabs between devices.

Microsoft Edge

Full marks to Microsoft Edge, which has native annotation tools integrated into it—you don’t have to rely on a third-party extension tool if you’re using Edge. However, the tools aren’t quite as advanced as they are with some separate add-ons, so you might find you need some extra help after all.

The website annotation tools are connected to the screenshot feature: Click the three dots (top right), then Screenshot, and you’ll be asked if you want to grab an area of a page or the page in its entirety (including the parts you can’t see on screen). Once you’ve made your choice, a new window pops up on screen with the capture inside it.

Click Draw to start scribbling—if you click the arrow just to the side of Draw, you can change the color and thickness of your digital pen. There’s also the Erase tool, if you want to remove any of the writing you’ve put on top of the page. The options in the top right corner let you save the image, copy it to the clipboard, or share it to other apps.

If that’s not quite enough for you, Nimbus is definitely worth a look. It supports capturing single screenshots and longer screen recordings, and they can be embellished with drawings, shapes, text, and arrows. There’s plenty of functionality included for free, but for $5 a month you can get some additional features, such as watermarking options.

Mozilla Firefox

As with Google Chrome, there’s no native website annotation function in Mozilla Firefox, but you can find several third-party extensions to do the job for you. Out of the ones we’ve seen, Zoho Annotator stands out: Click the extension icon in the toolbar, choose which part of the current website you want to grab, and you’re taken straight to the annotation screen.

All the key tools you might need are included here, letting you add shapes, lines, text, and arrows on top of the page you grabbed. When you’re done, the resulting file can be easily copied to the clipboard, saved to disk, or shared to other apps. The add-on is completely free to use, and you don’t even need to register an account.

Another similar tool worthy of your attention is Memex, which is designed primarily to help you with research projects (though you can actually use it for anything you like). The focus here is on selecting sections of websites, adding comments to them, and sharing them with other people—just as you might do with a document you were collaborating on with a group of people over the web.

The extension lets you save webpages into several custom spaces, pick out particular sections from pages, and add images and comments to them. It works with videos, PDFs and social media posts as well, so it’s a tool that’s comprehensive as well as slick. You’re able to save up to 25 pages per month free of charge, and after that you’ll need to pay from $6 a month for the premium package.

The post How to annotate any website appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you use social media of any kind, you’ve seen tons of articles about how to take a photo of the April 8 total solar eclipse. Some of them were created by true experts, while others were cobbled together from bits of information found hastily on Google. But photographing a solar eclipse is actually rather complicated–if you want to maximize your chances to get a good image and minimize the possibility of frying your eyes into scorched Ikea meatballs. Here, I’ll help cut through some of the noise to what’s really important for a good eclipse photograph.

Don’t: Put your eyes in jeopardy

By now you’re probably sick of hearing about how the eclipse can hurt your vision, but damaged sight is serious business. Here’s a solid safety guide to review before you even think about creating a photographic masterpiece. Make sure your eclipse glasses are legit, too. (We have some recommendations on eclipse glasses to try, too.)

Do: Plan to be in a good spot for the eclipse

Planning is important for a shot like this, but luckily it’s easy to scout a location before go-time. Use a resource like these NASA eclipse maps to find out where you can see the most coverage. The super popular spots will be crowded with other photography enthusiasts, so aim for something more unique than that scenic overlook where everyone you know had their engagement photos taken.

Do: Try and work a foreground element into your eclipse shot to give it context

Without any foreground, eclipse pictures just look like partial orange discs. If that’s what you want, have at it; but it likely won’t stand out when you share it. Using a wide-angle lens will help you fit other elements into the shot, to give it scope and context. Try a cityscape or some trees. Anything with a strong shape will read better in the image. A telephoto lens can get you some stunning images, but be careful: That kind of glass magnifies light, and, eclipse or no, you’re still photographing the sun. The viewfinder is not your friend.

If you have access to a really long telephoto lens, you can do some truly cool stuff by positioning a subject between you and the sun. The shot below, for example, took an 800mm telephoto lens (that’s even bigger than most of the big, white lenses you see on the sidelines of an NFL game) to make this scene look as it does. The result is a lot more striking than a circle floating in space. (Again, beware the viewfinder!)

Don’t: Rent expensive gear or buy expensive filters for a single eclipse

Solar filters are specialized pieces of photographic equipment meant to do two things: considerably reduce the total amount of visible light coming in and filter out invisible (at least to the naked eye) IR and UV rays that could damage your camera. For most people, buying one is total overkill. The good ones are expensive and don’t really have much utility outside of an eclipse. The cheap, bad ones will just distort your photos. If you’re dead set on pointing your camera at the sun, you need a filter to protect your gear, but make sure it’s worth the investment for you.

NASA says you can use welding glass to protect your eyes and camera, but it needs to be at least 12 shade, which is much darker than the stuff you’ll typically find at the hardware store. So, if you have a typical welding helmet laying around, don’t use it for viewing unless you check the shade of the glass.

You can also reportedly use a standard neutral density filter, but it needs to be rated to reduce light intake by 16 stops for safety. That means it takes exponentially more light to make the same exposure with the filter as it would without. That’s seriously dark and it still may not be sufficient for blocking the IR and UV rays.

If you already bought the filter, then have a blast with it. If not, see if another friend will let you share. You don’t actually need a solar filter on your camera (or your eyes) when the sun is fully covered by the moon (called totality), so you can shoot during that time without damage. Just err on the side of caution with your timing to make sure you don’t catch some straggling or emerging rays. The rule of thumb is that if you see the little marbles of light starting to form at the edge of the eclipse, you should already have your filter back on.

Don’t: Use an optical viewfinder when you’re using a solar filter

That photographic solar filter on the front of your camera can protect the sensor inside from getting fried and help correct your exposure, but it won’t necessarily protect your eyeballs. That’s not its job nor its promise. Amazon actually ran into a serious problem with this fact regarding some filters from a very reputable company called Lee. If you’re using a DSLR or a rangefinder camera, then stay away from that viewfinder and use your camera’s live view mode.

Don’t: Look through a telephoto lens with your eclipse glasses on

Solar filters are meant to go on the front of lenses you look through. Putting a lens behind a lens, only subjects it to rays that have been magnified and the intensity can do serious damage. This goes for photo lenses, telescopes, and even binoculars. This is true even when there’s no eclipse happening.

Do: Be careful about exposure (and shoot raw if you know what that is)

Exposure can be tricky when shooting the eclipse. The B&H guide has a handy exposure settings chart you can refer to before you go shooting. Chances are, when you point your camera in auto mode toward the eclipse, the resulting photo will be washed out because it’s compensating for the dark scene. You can fix this by using a camera feature called exposure compensation. This is typically achieved by turning a dial on your camera, but you can also do it on your smartphone. Tap and hold over the eclipsed sun to lock the focus and exposure. Then drag your thumb down and watch the image get darker.

If you’re using a camera that has raw mode—some smartphones even have this option now—you will get extra image data you can use when you’re editing your photo.

If you have no idea what “shooting in raw” means, then skip this step because a big important event is the worst time to try something new. Give raw a try down the road, though. Here’s a tutorial now how to get started.

Do: Shoot a lot of photos

While I’m not advocating the “spray and pray” method enabled by holding down the camera’s shutter button and letting it hammer out pictures as fast as it can, you should plan to shoot a lot of photos. If you get a sufficient number of good photos, you can make a cool sequence like the one below.

There are certain important moments during the eclipse that you’ll want to capture, especially if you’re making a sequence. Each phase has a technical name, as well as a more colloquial name like the “diamond ring” which happens just before and after totality.

Don’t: miss out on the actual event because you’re trying to snap a perfect pic

While getting the photo you want is great, also consider that you’re witnessing a very rare event, and take some time to admire it rather than obsessing over your camera.

Don’t: Be afraid to shoot a picture with your iPhone

According to Apple, the iPhone’s camera doesn’t need a solar filter for shooting a picture of the eclipse because of its wide angle lens and overall construction. We haven’t tested that fact, and Samsung and LG didn’t comment when contacted about the subject, but Apple seems very confident that it’s not a problem. Do consider this a disclaimer, however: It’s still totally possible that the eclipse will damage your iPhone camera, so proceed at your own risk.

One caveat is that your smartphone will probably try to overexpose the scene and wash out the wonderful eclipse part. You can fix this by pressing your thumb over the sun to lock the focus and exposure, then dragging your thumb downward to reduce the overall exposure. Exposure compensation, remember? It’s a pretty handy thing to use in a variety of other situations, too, not just epic events like this one.

Do: use a tripod

Setting up your shot and following the action will be a lot easier if you have a stable base, especially if you’re planning on using a long telephoto lens. Just be sure to check if you need a permit to put down a tripod where you’re planning to shoot. Often, parks let you operate without a permit if you’re going handheld, but require a permit when you start putting down stands or tripods.

Do: Use that fancy solar filter you bought after the eclipse is over

OK, so you didn’t get the advice about not buying a filter in time and now you’ve got an overly-expensive and extremely specific piece of gear. Luckily, that solar filter can also act as a pretty capable neutral density filter, which photographers use all the time.

By limiting light as it comes into the camera, it allows you to use longer shutter speeds to blur moving objects in the photo or shoot at wider apertures in bright conditions, which is good if you want to get that oh-so-popular shallow depth of field look with a nice blurry background.

This story was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2024.

The post How to photograph solar eclipse: The only guide you need appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best budget		Utopia Kitchen French Press Espresso and Tea Maker		SEE IT	This affordable option can also make espresso and tea and comes in a range of sizes and colors.
Best for families		Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker		SEE IT	A spacious 1.5-liter coffee maker for caffeine lovers.

If you love the mechanical simplicity of a French press coffee maker but have a very specific kitchen aesthetic, you’re in luck. Most French presses work the same, but there’s a look for every taste. And they don’t take up the counter space of pod and/or latte machines, etc. These simple machines use a stainless-steel plunger with a fine mesh strainer to separate your ground beans from the good stuff. It takes just a few minutes to brew, and all you need are your favorite ground beans and some hot water. You can also easily control the flavor and temperature of your morning joe with a French press. Change the amount of coarse grind for a brew strength that matches your preference. So, if you’re ready to explore the top options on the market, press on to learn what you need to know about the best French press coffee makers.

• Best overall: Frieling Double-Walled Stainless-Steel French Press
• Best glass: Mueller French Press
• Best for families: Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker
• Best for cold brew: Stanley French Press
• Best portable: ESPRO P0 Ultralight French Press
• Best budget: Utopia Kitchen French Press Espresso and Tea Maker
• Also worth considering: Fellow Clara Insulated Coffee Maker with Enhanced Filtration System

How we chose the best French press coffee makers

I have been a regular French press coffee brewer for years. I love how a French press coffee maker retains the beans’ oils, imparting a flavor that can’t be matched in a drip coffee maker. I love the ease and durability of the compact design, which uses just a few pieces that won’t easily break, even with years of daily use. Next to the pour-over, a French press is the simplest way to make coffee. To find the best French press coffee makers for new users and lifers like myself, I looked for the most-loved products from leading brands. I then ground some coffee and did personal cuppings (here’s a pro tip: start with less beans), poured over customer reviews and ratings, and drank in product descriptions to find the best for every kind of coffee drinker. Whether you’re all about a hot drink in the morning or you love your cold brew, serving a large household or just yourself, these are the all-around best plunger-style coffee makers to get your caffeine fix.

The best French press coffee makers: Reviews & Recommendations

From über-precise gooseneck kettles and scales to chemistry-lab beakers and cylinders, people are always finding new ways to perfect their brew. But sometimes, the old-fashioned, least complicated method is best. Finding the best French coffee press starts with thinking about how much coffee you want. Are you a single person looking to make one cup? Or are you looking for a device to make several cups to share along with pancakes on a Sunday morning? From there, consider whether you would like the coffee maker to be an elegant addition to your kitchen or a useful device you can take on the road. We’ve selected the best options for various uses so you can find the best pick for you.

Best overall: Frieling Double-Walled Stainless-Steel French Press

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Why it made the cut: This is an exceptionally well-built French press with a sturdy plunger and double-walled insulation for heat retention.

Specs

• Capacity: 1 liter (33.8 ounces)
• Dimensions: 6.75 x 6.25 x 10 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel

Pros

• Double-walled insulation
• Multiple size options
• Clean pouring spout

Cons

• Pricey
• Heavier than other options

This is the French press that I use and have had for years. It’s built to last, and the plunger won’t easily come apart with one too many plunges. I especially love the double-walled stainless-steel construction, which keeps coffee warm for hours. The pitcher has a sharp pouring spout that minimizes drips. The two layers of fine mesh screens and stainless-steel plate ensure that your coffee stays free of sludge. Plus, stainless steel won’t impart any off flavors to your coffee, so you can enjoy the full flavor of your beans. For a deep clean, the entire coffee maker can be put in the dishwasher. All combined, this stainless steel French press is the one I declare to have the best design and durability of the bunch, making it the best splurge.

Best glass: Mueller French Press

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Why it made the cut: The glass windows allow you to watch as your coffee brews, while the stainless-steel wrapping keeps things warm.

Specs

• Capacity: 34 ounces
• Dimensions: 8.25 × 7.05 × 4.3 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel, glass

Pros

• Large capacity
• Retains heat
• Dishwasher-safe

Cons

• Won’t retain heat as long
• Can break more easily than all-stainless

This lighter-weight French press has a glass carafe inside a stainless-steel frame. The steel helps retain heat, while the glass gives you clear insight into how your brew is going. You may be able to tell when it’s time to plunge based on color alone. This machine does have a few plastic parts, including the handle and lid, so it’s not quite as sturdily made as the all-stainless option. However, it comes at a reasonable price, and the simple design means it’s not likely to break, making it our best value pick. All the parts are dishwasher-safe, and you can just as easily brew your favorite loose-leaf teas in this press.

Best for families: Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker

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Why it made the cut: This 1.5-liter coffee maker is great for small and large batches of joe.

Specs

• Capacity: 1.5 liters
• Dimensions: 5.62 x 7.12 x 9.5 inches
• Materials: Plastic, glass, stainless steel

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Dishwasher-safe
• Lightweight

Cons

• Lower heat retention than stainless
• Only one mesh filter

One of the drawbacks of a French press is that it has a limited brewing capacity. With the Bodum Brazil coffee maker, you can brew up to 1.5 liters, or 51 ounces, of coffee at a time, making this the best choice for large households. It’s made from glass and plastic, so you get a clear view of your coffee brewing, but it does not have quite the same heat retention as an enclosure of stainless steel. The plunger is made of stainless, however, so you won’t get any interfering flavors in your morning joe. And this large French press is entirely dishwasher-safe and easy to maintain.

Best for cold brew: Stanley French Press

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Why it made the cut: You can easily use this well-insulated French press for hot coffee, but it’s also great for making cold brew and keeping it cold.

Specs

• Capacity: 48 ounces
• Product Dimensions: ​​12 x 8 x 6 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel

Pros

• Multiple color options
• Ergonomic handle
• Dishwasher-safe

Cons

• Heavy
• Any slight overfilling may cause a spill

This French press is a great option if you prefer the smoother, less acidic flavor of long, slow, cold-brewed coffee (not to be confused with iced coffee). It’s made from double-walled 18/8 stainless steel that keeps liquid cold for up to 9 hours, or up to 24 if you add ice. Of course, it still works for hot drinks and will retain heat for up to 4 hours. The coffee maker is also highly durable and portable, ideal to bring camping or on an RV trip. It has a sturdy ergonomic handle, and the plunger is also stainless steel.

Best portable: ESPRO P0 Ultralight French Press

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Why it made the cut: This portable, lightweight, single-serving option makes it easy to take your favorite beans and coffee maker on the go.

Specs

• Capacity: 16 ounces
• Dimensions: 2.9 x 2.9 x 9.2 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel

Pros

• Double-walled stainless steel
• Multiple color options
• Carrying handle

Cons

• Expensive
• Only large enough for one

If you don’t need to share your coffee, this insulated French press is all you need. Its 16-ounce capacity is the perfect size for one, and its lightweight construction makes it great for travel. The mug has a tight-fitting lid with a handle for comfortable transport and no spills. Plus, the double-walled stainless steel design keeps things hot for hours. This French press also has a double microfilter that prevents grit from sneaking into your sips. And if you’re camping with a crew, everyone can get their own color to keep their travel mugs separate. These mugs are top-rack dishwasher-safe. The brand also makes an all-steel competitor to our best overall pick, albeit ones that are 18/32 ounces, not 44.

Best budget: Utopia Kitchen French Press Espresso and Tea Maker

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Why it made the cut: This versatile option comes in various sizes and colors and goes easy on the wallet. 

Specs

• Capacity: 12 ounces, 34 ounces, 51 ounces
• Dimensions: 9 inches x 6 inches x 6 inches 
• Materials: Stainless steel and glass

Pros

• Comes in a range of sizes
• Makes espresso and tea
• Comes in nine colors

Cons

• Not transportable
• No insulation

If you prefer a simple glass French press coffee maker that’s both budget-friendly and multipurpose, consider the Utopia Kitchen French Press Espresso and Tea Maker. First, this device also makes espresso and tea in addition to coffee. It also comes in three sizes—12 ounces, 34 ounces, 51 ounces—allowing users to choose an option for an individual, couple, or family. Made with long-lasting stainless steel and glass, the Utopia Kitchen French press coffee maker is also available in various colors, from classic black and gray to aqua and plum. And when you’re done brewing, clean up is easy, as this option is also dishwasher-safe. 

Also worth considering: Fellow Clara Insulated Coffee Maker with Enhanced Filtration System

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If matte minimalism is your thing and you want Instagram-worthy accessories—the fiddle leaf fern of coffee products—then you want Fellow. The brand’s Stagg EKG Pro Studio Electric Gooseneck Kettle is one of our top gift suggestions for the hot beverage-obsessed, and this sleek 24-ounce cylinder offers one of the best places to deposit that perfectly warmed water. Stainless steel for heat retention, with an agitation stick/plunger to ensure even extraction, the Fellow Clara French press and its enhanced filtration mesh gives you all the clean, complex flavors with none of the sludge/silt. And it looks good doing it.

Things to consider when buying the best French press coffee maker

Materials

The right material for your French press can depend on temperature retention. Stainless steel is the best at insulating heat and is more durable than breakable glass. But if you’re more of a cold-brew person, you may prefer the see-through nature of glass or plastic.

Size

If you often brew coffee for a crowd, a larger (one liter or more) coffee maker will be handy, so you don’t have to brew multiple pots in a row. On the other hand, if you want something portable and just big enough for you, a 16-ounce French press will do the trick. For serving two to four people, a one-liter capacity is sufficient.

Portability

Most French press coffee makers do not have an air- or watertight lid. So, if you want something that’s safe to bring in a car or RV, opt for a travel-ready coffee maker like the single-serving mug from ESPRO. Other pitcher-style carafes are likely to spill.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best French press coffee makers

• Best overall: Frieling Double-Walled Stainless-Steel French Press
• Best glass: Mueller French Press
• Best for families: Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker
• Best for cold brew: Stanley French Press
• Best portable: ESPRO P0 Ultralight French Press
• Best budget: Utopia Kitchen French Press Espresso and Tea Maker
• Also worth considering: Fellow Clara Insulated Coffee Maker with Enhanced Filtration System

A French press is a great low-tech, low-profile solution to brewing high-flavor coffee at home. You’ll have total control over your morning drink’s taste, strength, and temperature, whether you enjoy it at the kitchen table, on the couch, or to-go in your favorite coffee travel mug. A French press is a great-looking, easily mastered appliance that will last for years, no matter how many cups you brew daily.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best French press coffee makers for 2024 appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you think you need over-cushioned, over-supportive, and over-engineered footwear for everything from running errands to running trails, think again. Research has shown many healthful and practical advantages to wearing barefoot or minimalist shoes instead, whether you’re walking, running, hiking, or chasing the kids around the backyard.

Minimalist and barefoot shoes can strengthen muscles and bones in the feet and ankles, which can help prevent injury, stabilize the arch, and help prevent some athletic injuries. Intrinsic foot muscle strength is positively correlated to stability and better balance, especially in older individuals. And in athletes, the strength and flexibility in the big toe area that’s encouraged by barefoot shoes can help with push off, power, and agility. 

However, when you contain your feet in a conventional shoe with excessive cushioning and support and a decidedly un-foot-like shape, you lose much of their natural function and strength—not to mention the childlike joy of feeling the earth beneath your feet. And science seems to corroborate the idea that feet are designed perfectly to perform functions like walking and running in minimalist footwear—or in none at all. After all, for most of human history people trod barefoot or in only minimalist footwear.

But if you’re keen to free your feet and give minimalist shoes a try, whether you’re interested in whole body health and wellness, functional movement, reducing chronic pain, or simply returning to a place of childhood delight that comes only from romping around outside sans footwear, it’s going to take time and strategic effort. Here’s how to transition safely and effectively for a lifetime of healthy, functional feet.

What are barefoot shoes?

Before you start shopping for new shoes, it’s important to know what constitutes minimal or barefoot footwear. Main features include a wide toe box, zero-drop footbed (meaning your heel is the same distance from the ground as your forefoot), no arch support, and a flexible sole. All are designed to let your toes spread and your feet get stronger as they move and flex naturally, as if they were barefoot.

And just about everyone can—and maybe should, according to Emily Splichal, podiatrist and founder of the Center for Functional & Regenerative Medicine—make the transition. There are only a few types of feet she says may not benefit from minimalist footwear, including those with overpronation due to ligament laxity (extra loose ligaments) or high-arched, rigid feet. But most others, including those with bunions, hammer toes, or plantar fasciitis can usually benefit. Just transition wisely.

Start Slow

Like strengthening any other part of your body, strengthening the muscles in your feet will take time, so don’t expect to make the switch to barefoot shoes overnight. “You’re theoretically increasing stress and demands to the foot, which means you need to have sufficient strength to address those demands,” explains Splichal. How much time that takes depends on you and your feet, but it could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

“This kind of transition from overly structured, stiff, and inflexible shoes requires consistency and patience,” adds John Wadley, vice president of product development at barefoot shoe brand Xero Shoes.

After all, you’ve likely been wearing narrow, cushioned shoes for most of your life; your foot and leg muscles aren’t used to all the increased stress, load, and sensation that comes with wearing minimalist footwear. Think of transitioning like getting a cast removed, Wadley suggests: When the cast comes off, your muscles have atrophied a bit and returning your injured appendage to pre-break strength will take time and effort. Conventional footwear is similar to a cast, just less extreme.

So to start, only wear your minimalist shoes at work, to the gym, around the house, or when running errands, but only one day at a time, and maybe just for a few hours. For example, wear them on Monday, switch to your regular footwear for a few days, then don the minimalist shoes again on Thursday. “Introduce your feet to increased demands, but allow sufficient time for recovery and adaptation,” Splichal instructs. “No pain no gain is definitely not something that is involved here.”

Then, as long as your feet and ankles don’t hurt (they’ll likely feel a bit more tired or strained than usual, but that’s normal), slowly increase the number of days per week you wear your shoes while decreasing the number of rest days in between. Listen to your body for cues and don’t push your limits or you may set your journey to foot health back instead of forward.

If you want to start running in barefoot shoes–not just living, hiking, or walking–plan to take even more time to transition. After all, the impact force and demand on your feet is greater when you run, so Wadley, a runner himself, suggests starting with just a mile or two in barefoot shoes. Then slowly increase time and distance on subsequent runs. It’s also important to focus on single leg stability and foot awareness to get better at barefoot running, Splichal says, which involves strengthening your feet via specific exercises.

Strengthen and Recover

Indeed, balancing all the work you put in with recovery and strengthening exercises to increase balance, stability, and foot awareness is just as important as time in your new footwear, Splichal points out.

To aid in your barefoot journey, start with Splichal’s favorite exercise: short foot. To perform the move, stand up straight, lift and spread your toes, and then place them on the floor. Inhale through your nose and, as you exhale, push the tips of your toes into the ground. Press down for the entire exhalation, then relax, inhale, and repeat the cycle five more times. 

Boost single leg stability by standing on one foot while you wash your hands or do dishes, then after time spent in barefoot shoes, use recovery tools like Splichal’s Neuro Ball, a studded sphere with a smaller, harder ball inside, which can be used to massage or release your feet. Place the ball—or a golf ball or lacrosse ball—on the floor and stand up while you roll it around under one foot at a time, using medium pressure, or keep it stationary while you press down on one area of your sole at a time.

Perform calf stretches after activity and wear toe spacers, too, which can both be useful recovery tools that promote flexibility and function, Splichal says.

Give barefoot a chance

Whether you plan to run, walk, or simply wear barefoot shoes for daily life, are looking to increase foot health and function or improve balance, make sure that you listen to your body when transitioning, don’t overdo it, and focus on recovery.

“Give your feet a chance to be healthy and strong,” Wadley encourages. “You won’t regret it.”

The post The benefits of barefoot shoes: A beginner’s guide appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Gerber Gear Suspension-NXT 15-in-1 Multi-Tool		SEE IT	Leave the toolbox at home with this tiny tool that’s packed with practicality.
Best fire starter		überleben Zünden Fire Starter		SEE IT	Light a fire in the rain with a trusty ferro rod.
Best budget		Coghlan's 1985 Carabiner Compass		SEE IT	Clip it onto your backpack or belt loop.

You have your tent and sleeping bag packed—now all you need are some camping gadgets to ensure you’ll be extra prepared. Not every piece of gear needs to be state-of-the-art, and some of the most basic essentials are often the coolest. (Who hasn’t been wowed when using flint to light a fire?) Sometimes, your favorite items on the packing list are the ones on there that simply make your life easier, from compasses to help you navigate to a solar generator to power your laptop to edit drone footage. Never be left in the dark—literally—with the best camping gadgets.

• Best overall: Gerber Gear Suspension-NXT 15-in-1 Multi-Tool Pocket Knife Set
• Best flashlight: Anker Rechargeable Bolder LC90 LED Flashlight
• Best power bank: UGREEN 145W Power Bank
• Best solar generator: Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro
• Best Bluetooth speaker: House of Marley Get Together 2
• Best appliance: COMFEE Portable Dishwasher
• Best mosquito repellent: Thermacell Mosquito Repellent E-Series
• Best smartwatch: Garmin Instinct 2
• Best hammock: Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Hammock
• Best multi-tool: Leatherman Super Tool 300
• Best trekking poles: Black Diamond Trail Explorer 3 Trekking Poles
• Best satellite communicator: Garmin inReach Messenger
• Best tent: NEMO Aurora Tent
• Best sleeping bag: Therm-a-Rest Space Cowboy 45F/7C Synthetic Mummy Sleeping Bag
• Best hiking backpack: Osprey Talon 36L Men’s Hiking Backpack with Hipbelt
• Best hiking boots: Merrell Men’s Moab 3 Mid Hiking Boot
• Best insulated water bottle: Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Wide Mouth Water Bottle
• Best water bladder: Platypus Hoser Ultralight Taste-Free Water Reservoir/Hydration Bladder, 3-Liter
• Best water filter: LifeStraw Peak Solo
• Best fire starter: überleben Zünden Fire Starter
• Best headlamp: BioLite HeadLamp 800 Pro
• Best budget: Coghlan’s 1985 Carabiner Compass

How we chose the best camping gadgets

We decided to limit our choices mostly to techy camping items—that’s what “gadgets” implies, even if it’s just using simple mechanics like striking metal to flint. We also considered various items for all kinds of trips, including proper backpacking, casual RV-ing, and even van-life, as long as they involved the outdoors. After all, what you pack for the backcountry is far different than what you might for air or train travel. Finally, we looked at reviews and recommendations and tested items ourselves to create our list.

The best camping gadgets: Reviews & Recommendations

The best camping gadgets can completely change your trip and make your time roughing it a little less rough. At least one of our choices should be a welcome addition to the packing list.

Best overall: Gerber Gear Suspension-NXT 15-in-1 Multi-Tool Pocket Knife Set

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Specs

• Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Dimensions: 4.25 x 1 x 4.25 inches

Pros

• Portable
• 15 tools in one
• Slim design

Cons

• A little stiff when opening, but it gets better over time

Leave the unwieldy toolbox at home with this stainless steel multi-tool, which is great for camping, fishing, hunting, and even everyday life. Don’t let its 4.25-inch closed length fool you—it packs 15 tools in its slim design, including a file, ruler, pliers, a wire stripper, a pocket knife, a cross driver, an awl, two different sizes of flathead driver, scissors, a bottle opener, and a can opener. It locks when not in use, and a pocket clip means it won’t budge. Broken gear and cracking open a cold one are inevitable on a camping trip—a multi-tool makes both an easy fix, and this one will surely last for many adventures.

Best flashlight: Anker Rechargeable Bolder LC90 LED Flashlight

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Specs

• Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Dimensions: 6.22 x 1.57 x 1.57 inches

Pros

• Zoomable
• IPX5 durability rating
• 900 lumen light

Cons

• Doesn’t indicate how much charge is left

What could be more important on a camping trip than a flashlight? Anker’s LC90 can create a 900 lumen light beam, and allows you to switch between five different modes to widen or concentrate the light with the click of a button. One of this flashlight’s distinguishing features is its rechargeable battery, which can last up to six hours at medium brightness. Anker includes a MicroUSB cable with the flashlight, so all you need to provide is a power source. One of the unforgiving aspects of camping is the weather, and the LC90 has an IPX5 durability rating, which means it can be used in the rain without being damaged. Similarly, the flashlight can be used in temperatures as low as 14 degrees so that you can keep it in your car during the winter in case of an emergency. We understand that many people have started using their phone’s LED instead of a flashlight, and while that’s better than nothing, a stronger, dedicated flashlight is a better light source that won’t run your smartphone’s battery down.

Best power bank: UGREEN 145W Power Bank

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Specs

• Weight: 1.11 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.3 x 3.18 x 1.05 inches

Pros

• Supports fast charging
• Can charge three devices at once
• High capacity

Cons

• Expensive

If you’re going for a short camping trip, a power bank is all you’ll need to keep your gadgets topped up for a few days. Yes, the point of camping is to unplug for a little while and experience nature, but keeping a charged phone in case of emergencies, recharging your flashlight, or powering a Bluetooth speaker are all sensible uses. We like UGREEN’s power bank because of its high capacity, ultra-fast maximum charging speed, and LCD screen, which displays how much of its battery is depleted. UGREEN says its battery can fully recharge an iPhone 14 over five times. Thanks to its pair of USB-C ports and one USB-A port, you can use the power bank to charge up to three devices. Additionally, these features make UGREEN’s 145W Power Bank useful for charging your laptop and other gadgets while traveling anywhere (especially internationally), not just camping.

Best solar generator: Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro

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Specs

• Weight: 51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 15.1 x 10.6 x 12.1 inches

Pros

• Solar charging
• Great capacity
• Can power small appliances

Cons

• Heavy

Anyone going on a week-long camping trip should think long and hard about picking up a solar generator. Jackery’s Solar Generator 2000 topped out in this category thanks to its outstanding capacity, port selection, durability, and ability to simultaneously work with six 200W solar panels. Jackery outfitted its generator with three AC outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and a DC jack. The Solar Generator 2000 holds enough juice to fully recharge a smartphone several times over or run small appliances while you’re out exploring nature.

An LCD panel on the front of the Solar Generator 2000 offers immediate access to its battery level, how much power is drawn from connected devices, and how much energy is absorbed via an outlet or solar panel. Speaking of, we’re recommending a bundle that includes both the Solar Generator 2000 and a single solar panel to ensure you can use this eco-friendly (and helpful in a pinch) feature. Even better, the bundle is often substantially cheaper, thanks to regular Amazon coupon that deduct hundreds. This is a worthwhile investment if you’re a serious camper who wants to spend weeks living the van and tent life. After all, who doesn’t want a portable power station to ensure their portable party speaker is ready to help make every campsite cozy.

Best Bluetooth speaker: House of Marley Get Together 2

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Specs

• Weight: 6.65 pounds
• Dimensions: 17.99 x 8.27 x 15.75 inches

Pros

• IP65 durability rating
• Made of eco-friendly materials
• 20-hour battery life
• Connection for a strap

Cons

• Not a camp necessity

If you’re the type of camper who wants to severely limit their screen time outdoors, a portable waterproof Bluetooth speaker can offer great entertainment. Simply create a playlist on your phone, connect it to the speaker, hit play, and put your device screen-side down on a table or in a bag. We like House of Marley’s Get Together 2 because of its 20-hour battery life, IP65 durability rating (a little rain won’t ruin your camping trip or speaker), and the company’s use of eco-friendly materials.

Bringing hunks of plastic into nature can feel a little embarrassing, but the Get Together 2 is made out of bamboo, recycled silicone, aluminum, and stainless steel; even the packaging this speaker comes in is 100 percent recyclable. In addition to playing music, this speaker’s USB-C port can charge smaller devices like smartphones, which means it can be used as a power bank in emergencies.

Best appliance: COMFEE Portable Dishwasher

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Specs

• Weight: 36.6 lbs.
• Dimensions: 17.13 x 16.5 x 17.24 inches

Pros

• Can accommodate lots of items

Cons

• Needs an outlet to work

COMFEE’s portable countertop dishwasher is an incredible luxury for RV campers, but it’s worth the indulgence for its time savings. The cube-shaped dishwasher weighs 36.6 and is roughly 17 inches tall, wide, and deep. It can accommodate up to 30 items, plates up to 9.5 inches around, and is compatible with any pods or detergents. You must hook it up to an outlet, but the dishwasher doesn’t need to be connected to a main water line to operate.

Instead, you can pour water into its 5-liter tank through a hole in the top. Once the tank is filled, select one of six cleaning modes and let the dishwasher handle the rest. There’s even a drying feature to avoid encouraging the growth of mold. If you don’t have a dishwasher at home, COMFEE’s portable model is an even easier recommendation because you can use it all year long.

Best mosquito repellent: Thermacell Mosquito Repellent E-Series

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Specs

• Weight: 12 ounces
• Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 x 4.25 inches

Pros

• Small
• Rechargeable
• Odorless and silent

Cons

• Not best for hikes

Forget sprays and bracelets; if you want to keep your camping area bug-free, Thermacell’s repellent is the best solution. The soda can-sized device runs on a rechargeable battery and works just like a scent diffuser. A cartridge full of liquid insect repellent fits into a chamber inside the device, which automatically sprays at regular intervals. The repellent is odorless, and the device is virtually silent so that it won’t disturb gatherings—especially mealtimes. Thermacell says this device can run up to 5.5 hours per charge, creating a 20-foot barrier to prevent bugs from creeping in. No system is perfect, but this is one of the best insect repellants if you want relief from most bugs on your next camping trip.

Best smartwatch: Garmin Instinct 2

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Specs

• Weight: 1.9 ounces
• Dimensions: 1.77 x 1.77 x 0.57 inches

Pros

• Ridiculous battery life
• Available in two sizes
• Robust fitness tracking and health features

Cons

• Black and white display
• Detailed maps and graphs don’t show up well

Garmin smartwatches have incredible battery life and are made for all sorts of outdoor activities. Although it doesn’t have some of the detail and color of some hiking watches, it’s perfect for those with tiny wrists and is easily visible in sunlight. It’s choked full of sensors, like heart rate, barometric altimeter, accelerometer, thermometer, pulse ox monitor, compass, and GPS modes. You can even get training details, statuses, and suggestions to improve your fitness. It’s even compatible with Garmin Pay, so you can pay for a beer after a long day outdoors. Want to know more? Check out our full review.

Best hammock: Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Hammock

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Specs

• Weight: 24 ounces
• Dimensions: 4.5 x 9 feet for single person; 6.5 x 10 feet for two people

Pros

• High weight limit
• Lightweight
• High-quality at a low price

Cons

• Included straps could be better

You can’t be sad in a hammock. Although it’s not scientifically proven, I personally have never been sad in a hammock. This one from Wise Owl Outfitters is lightweight and comes with everything you need to set up your hammock: two carabiners, straps to tie around the tree, and the hammock itself. When you’re done, simply stuff the hammock back into its pouch and roll up the straps. Although I haven’t had a problem with the hammock itself, I opted for these ENO Atlas XL Suspension System treep straps since the ones included don’t exactly scream support and safety. Other hammocks retail for $70-plus dollars. I’ve had this Wise Owl hammock for years, and it’s still holding up with no signs of breaking. It’s also our best budget pick for the best hammocks.

Best multi-tool: Leatherman Super Tool 300

SEE IT

Specs

• Weight: 272.15 grams
• Dimensions: 5.4 x 3.9 x 1.57 inches

Pros

• Durable
• Well-equiped
• Comfortable

Cons

• Smaller tools more difficult to access

Leatherman’s Super Tool 300 has supported us through tightening screws on drawer handles, cutting fishing lines and small branches, and taking quick measurements. It fits neatly into your front pocket, and its weight is comforting. In total, it packs 19 tools into its compact body. Unfolding it reveals a pair of pliers, with the rest of the tools tucked neatly under both sides of the handle. Bigger tools, like the serrated knives and file, were easy to pull out. Smaller ones, like the screwdriver, required more effort thanks to smaller hooks that are harder to finagle with our own fat fingers. They worked like a charm once out. Get one to carry with you, and even snag another to keep in the car. Here are more of our favorite multi-tools.

Best trekking poles: Black Diamond Trail Explorer 3 Trekking Poles

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Specs

• Weight: 1 gram
• Dimensions: Up to 54 inches long

Pros

• Packable
• Comfortable handles
• Versatile
• Lightweight

Cons

• Non-interchangeable tips

Trekking poles are great if you’re looking to walk on uneven ground with more ease and control. This pair from Black Diamond folds in three sections for compact packing and weighs only a gram. A comfortable webbing strap keeps the poles attached to your person, and a Dual FlickLock keeps your poles at the height you set them to with no slippage. Although the tips aren’t interchangeable, these poles are a great starter option for those who are just getting into hiking or perfect for an adventurer shopping on a budget.

Best satellite communicator: Garmin inReach Messenger

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Specs

• Weight: 1 gram
• Dimensions: 3.1 x 2.5 x .9 inches

Pros

• Portable
• Fast access to SOS
• Lots of battery power
• Can use with your phone for faster typing

Cons

• Expensive

This 2022 Best of What’s New winner changed the game when it came to satellite communicators and connectivity. Other satellite communicators and phones are made for emergencies only. This one can be used for just that, but we love its ability to keep you constantly connected when you’re away from cell towers and phone reception. It lets you send two-way text messages and is compatible with other Garmin devices. It’s water-rated to IPX7, making it tougher than the next incline you’re hitting on your hike. Plus, 24/7 access to the Garmin Response Center gives you peace of mind, and it can even charge your phone when you need just enough juice to send a quick message home.

Best tent: NEMO Aurora Tent

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Specs

• Weight: 5 pounds
• Dimensions: 88 x 52 x 44 inches

Pros

• Washable
• Holds up in rain
• Durable fabric

Cons

• Better for warmer expeditions

Tents are some of the most important pieces of camping gear you can carry with you. Weighing just under 5 pounds, the NEMO Aurora offers ample space for changing clothes or packing up gear. Two vestibules provide extra coverage for boots and backpacks, and color-coded poles make pitching it simple. This tent also has thoughtful touches, like pockets made with light-diffusing fabric and a stuff sack that makes it easy to split up the tent load between two people. This tent is best for spring hikes and summer jaunts, however.

Best sleeping bag: Therm-a-Rest Space Cowboy 45F/7C Synthetic Mummy Sleeping Bag

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Specs

• Weight: 1.44 pounds
• Dimensions: 80 x 31 inches

Pros

• Made of recycled nylon
• Waterproof
• eraLoft insulation dries quickly

Cons

• Best for warmer temperatures

This super lightweight mummy sleeping bag is the key to staying cool and comfortable at night. The exterior boasts a water-repellant coating and the fill dries quickly, so if you’re caught in an unexpected summer shower, you aren’t doomed to hours of sogginess. It comes in three different sizes, so choose according to your height. Included loops allow you to pair the bag with a sleeping pad for ultimate outdoor comfort.

Best hiking backpack: Osprey Talon 36L Men’s Hiking Backpack with Hipbelt

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Specs

• Weight: 2.76 pounces
• Dimensions: 25.98 x 11.42 x 9.06 inches

Pros

• Lots of pockets
• Durable
• Spacious

Cons

• Need to make sure pack fits your frame before buying

Osprey makes some of our favorite travel backpacks, and they make a pretty mean hiking backpack. It’s designed with recycled high-tenacity nylon, making it sustainable and strong. A injection-molded, die-cut foam AirScape backpanel, BioStretch harness, and continuous-wrap hipbelt keep you comfortable while traversing technical terrain. We love its versatility—you’d be pressed to find yourself leaning toward other bags with the Osprey Talon. However, make sure you know what size pack to buy based on body measurements.

Best hiking boots: Merrell Men’s Moab 3 Mid Hiking Boot

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Specs

• Weight: 31 ounces
• Dimensions: Sizes 7-14 in regular and wide widths

Pros

• Durable
• Cushioned midsole
• Vibram outsole

Cons

• Runs small
• Not waterproof

The Merrell Moab has been *the* hikers’ boot of choice for 25 million hikers for over a decade. It has a supportive insole, cushioned midsole, and grippy Vibram TC5+ outsole, making it handle the regular outdoors, along with more extreme activities like mountain biking and snow and water sports. The shoe is made out of partially recycled fabrics, and the company plans to include recycled, organic, or renewable material in everything it makes by 2025.

Best insulated water bottle: Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Wide Mouth Water Bottle

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Specs

• Weight: 2.5 pounds filled
• Dimensions: 12.2 x 3.5 inches

Pros

• Lots of color options
• Great insulation
• Stays lightweight when filled

Cons

• Can dent easily

This bottle edges out the Yeti Rambler for best insulated water bottle thanks to its lightweight profile and easy-to-carry sport handle. The Hydro Flask sport lid comes apart completely and is dishwasher-safe. It has a wide mouth to make it easy to clean and fill. I reach for this water bottle the most when I’m leaving the house, hitting the trail, or sitting on the couch and watching TV. It’s also a great water bottle for the gym. However, it dents easily. If that’s a problem for you, consider investing in a bottle boot.

Best water bladder: Platypus Hoser Ultralight Taste-Free Water Reservoir/Hydration Bladder, 3-Liter

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Specs

• Weight: 3.8 ounces
• Dimensions: 7 x 16.5 inches

Pros

• Doesn’t leave an aftertaste
• Durable
• Doesn’t leak

Cons

• Folding will decrease longevity

You can never have too much water with you when you’re hiking. It has a high-flow rate for certified water chuggers, and a self-sealing HyFLO bite valve makes hydrating easy. A hang/carry loop lets you secure the bladder in your pack or elsewhere. It’s BPA-, BPS-, and phthalate-free, so you don’t have to worry about microplastics making their way into your system. It comes in smaller sizes, but we love the 3-liter option. It’s better to have too much water than too little. Use it in conjunction with our next inclusion for potable water anywhere your feet take you. Just make sure to keep your hydration pack properly cleaned.

Best water filter: LifeStraw Peak Solo

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Specs

• Weight: 1.7 ounces
• Dimensions: 3.95 x 1.6 x 6.7 inches

Pros

• Helps keep you hydrated safely
• Clips easily to pack or belt
• Can be fitted to a standard water bottle

Cons

• Can only filter up to 2,000 liters of drinking water

Lifestaw’s smallest filter is also its most versatile and easiest to use, thanks to 28mm threading. That means you can attach the filter to a standard water bottle and drink through it like a straw. Or, you can use it as a squeeze filter to filter water into a different container. Using the Peak Solo, you can fill a 1L bottle in 20 seconds—that means more time hiking and less time corraling everyone’s water bottle to fill. If you don’t want to throw it in your backpack or glove compartment, it comes with a loop to attach a carabiner to clip to a keychain or pack. Our favorite feature is its effectiveness: it protects against It offers protection against 99.999999 percent of bacteria (including E.coli and Salmonella), 99.999 percent of parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium), and 99.999 percent of microplastics. It also meets the US EPA and NSF P231 drinking water standards for removing bacteria and parasites. Read more of what we have to say about it.

Best firestarter: überleben Zünden Fire Starter

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Specs

• Weight: 3 ounces
• Dimensions: ‎4.6 x 0.9 x 0.7 inches

Pros

• Feels great in the hand
• Multiple thickness options
• Creates lots of sparks

Cons

• Less durable than flint-and-steel

Learning how to build and start a fire is one of the first things you should do if you want to go camping. This firestarter from überleben is made from ferrocerium and hardwood. Ferrocerium produces more sparks than flint and steel, making it easier to start a fire, and the hardwood handle gives you a natural textured grip as you strike it. It comes with a paracord lanyard and a six-function multitool that you can use as a tinder scraper or straight edge striker. It comes in three different thickness options: The Trad at 5/16-inch(12,000 strikes), The Pro at 3/8-inch (15,000 strikes), and the Fatty at 1/2-inch (20,000 strikes). Although flint-and-steel is more durable, a ferro rod is better in rainy or windy conditions since it creates more sparks at a higher temperature.

Don’t just take our word for it. Experts love it, too. “Last year, a Canadian friend recommended the überleben range of ferro rods and firestarters to me, and they have been worth every penny,” says Richard Prideaux, lead instructor for Original Outdoors, a UK-based outdoor skills training provider. “I carry an überleben Zünden with me on courses and trips where lighting a fire with natural materials is either likely or maybe necessary. They produce a good shower of sparks and have a good length/diameter ratio, and it hasn’t let me down yet.” Check out more of our favorite fire starters.

Best headlamp: BioLite HeadLamp 800 Pro

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Specs

• Weight: 150 grams
• Dimensions: 2.05 x 1.97 x 8.27 inches

Pros

• IPX4-rated
• Bright
• Rechargeable

Cons

• Is a little hard to navigate if you haven’t used a BioLite headlamp before

If you want to keep your hands free, this lightweight headlamp from BioLite is one of the best investments you can make when starting your camping journey. It’s also a hearty upgrade if your current battery-powered headlamp has seen better days. The lamp delivers 800 lumens for 150 hours on low; seven hours on high; and eight hours on reserve. A Run Forever cord lets you connect a power bank for even more runtime. A moisture-wicking headband keeps you dry and cool, and integrated electronics prevent slipping and bouncing. A push on the back gives you 30 seconds of max brightness, and Constant mode gives you full illumination sans auto-dimming. There’s a bit of a learning curve if you’ve never used a BioLite headlamp, but it’s one of the best on the market once you get over it.

Best budget: Coghlan’s 1985 Carabiner Compass

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Specs

• Weight: .6 ounces
• Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches

Pros

• Clips to belt or backpack
• Body made of metal
• Luminous directional markers

Cons

• Doesn’t work if tilted more than eight degrees

A compass is one of the most important yet simple camping gadgets. Compasses determine direction thanks to a suspended, magnetized needle’s alignment to Earth’s magnetic field, with the north end spinning toward the planet’s north pole (which is near, but not always exactly in line with, its most northern geographic point). Magnets! They’re cool! Anyway, we love this simple and cheap compass for its durable aluminum construction and luminous directional marks to navigate in low light. Throw it on your pack or attach it to your belt loop to help determine where you’re going. It’s a tool you’ll most likely always bring with you on a trip, and you can’t beat its size and price.

What to consider when buying the best camping gadgets

Camping is all about being the perfect combination of prepared but not overpacked. Here’s what you should consider when prepping for your next trip:

What kind of camping are you doing?

If you’re hiking and tent camping and plan to set up camp at different spots, you may not be able to bring heavy, wieldy items, since you can only bring what you can fit in your pack. This means you should prioritize smaller items, like compasses, flint, and a multi-tool. However, if you’re staying in one place and can stow things in a car or camper, you can bring bigger items like a solar generator or Bluetooth speaker, since you’ll be able to stow larger items in your car or tent while you go out on your fun outdoor adventures.

Experience level

Is this your first time camping? Or are you an experienced camper? You may need to invest in small essentials like water filters, fire starters, and a multitool if you’re new to camping, and keep it easy—no wild hikes for you. If this isn’t your first time at the camping rodeo, you can get a bit more adventurous and make some upgrades to your packing list, like a portable generator to power an extended trip.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best camping gadgets

• Best overall: Gerber Gear Suspension-NXT 15-in-1 Multi-Tool Pocket Knife Set
• Best flashlight: Anker Rechargeable Bolder LC90 LED Flashlight
• Best power bank: UGREEN 145W Power Bank
• Best solar generator: Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro
• Best Bluetooth speaker: House of Marley Get Together 2
• Best appliance: COMFEE Portable Dishwasher
• Best mosquito repellent: Thermacell Mosquito Repellent E-Series
• Best smartwatch: Garmin Instinct 2
• Best hammock: Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Hammock
• Best multi-tool: Leatherman Super Tool 300
• Best trekking poles: Black Diamond Trail Explorer 3 Trekking Poles
• Best satellite communicator: Garmin inReach Messenger
• Best tent: NEMO Aurora Tent
• Best sleeping bag: Therm-a-Rest Space Cowboy 45F/7C Synthetic Mummy Sleeping Bag
• Best hiking backpack: Osprey Talon 36L Men’s Hiking Backpack with Hipbelt
• Best hiking boots: Merrell Men’s Moab 3 Mid Hiking Boot
• Best insulated water bottle: Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Wide Mouth Water Bottle
• Best water bladder: Platypus Hoser Ultralight Taste-Free Water Reservoir/Hydration Bladder, 3-Liter
• Best water filter: LifeStraw Peak Solo
• Best fire starter: überleben Zünden Fire Starter
• Best headlamp: BioLite HeadLamp 800 Pro
• Best budget: Coghlan’s 1985 Carabiner Compass

Roughing it doesn’t have to be rough with a few extra items in your pack, the car, or the RV. Some are better suited for tent camping, and others are great for a stay in a cabin. Regardless, there are some items you simply can’t leave behind when abandoning all creature comforts for a weekend. Answer the call of the wild—and walk in the woods with a little more pep in your step—with the best camping gadgets.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best camping gadgets in 2024 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best Overall		Toto Washlet S550e		SEE IT	The Washlet provides premium features with the quality that makes you feel like you’ve landed in a spa.
Best with Dryer		Brondell Swash 1400 Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat		SEE IT	A soothing heated seat and dryer let you relax while you take care of business.
Best Budget		LUXE Bidet Neo 120		SEE IT	Two dials control it all and let you retrofit your toilet at a bargain price.

Bidets aren’t unusual in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, but they’ve been a foreign topic of conversation in the United States until recently. Thankfully, many people learned a few lessons about the pros of a gentle water spray to cleanse our most sensitive parts in the midst of toilet paper shortages and conservation conversations. Bidets feature safeguards that ensure only clean water touches the body and are less abrasive than traditional toilet paper. Whether you’re ready to install a bidet/toilet combo or transform your existing toilet, there’s a model that will do the job. You don’t necessarily need to spend a bundle (though you can). What you do need is a little research (like what we’ve got) to figure out exactly which model you need. Trust us, if you haven’t experienced the fresh, clean sensation of the best bidets, you’re in for a clean (and sanitary) treat.

• Best overall: Toto Washlet S550E
• Best toilet combo: WOODBRIDGE B-0960S B0960S Smart Bidet
• Best with dryer: Brondell Swash 1400 Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat
• Best electric: Bio Bidet Bliss
• Best budget: LUXE Bidet Neo 120
• Also consider: Soft Spa Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat and TUSHY Ace

How we chose the best bidets

Bidets upgrade one of the most intimate spaces of the home. We asked a series of questions to determine which ones belonged on our list:

Performance: Does the bidet do what it’s supposed to do? Can different users get the same results? Is it durable? If it doesn’t get you clean, it didn’t make the list.

Installation: Do you need a professional, or can DIYers handle it? Does the bidet come with all the necessary hardware? Installation isn’t always a cinch, but it should be doable. 

Ease of operation: Do you need an advanced degree to wash your hiney? The answer had to be no to this one to make it onto our list. You shouldn’t have to study to use the toilet, er, bidet.

We also looked at reviews, recommendations, and performed heavy research to narrow down our picks.

The best bidets: Reviews & Recommendations

No toilet paper? No problem, if you have a bidet. One of our picks should keep your bottom clean and make you feel like you’ve come out on top.

Best overall: Toto Washlet S550E

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Why it made the cut: The Toto Washlet S550E installs onto an existing toilet yet provides premium cleaning and comfort, making it one of the best bidets on the market.

Specs

• Type: Electronic
• Installation: Existing toilet
• Adjustable temperature and pressure: Yes

Pros

• Heated seat and warm water
• Remote control
• Features eco-friendly e-water cleaning after each use
• Memory for two users

Cons

• Expensive
• Sensor can cause lid to open when not using the bidet or toilet

Toto bidets set the standards that other brands emulate. The Toto Washlet provides control over just about every bidet variable: a heated seat, nightlight, air dryer, auto lid, air deodorizer, and warm spray water are all included. You may not need an air deodorizer, but with the S550E, your toilet smells fresh and clean after every use. Not bad. Not bad at all. 

A remote control gives you power over all of it. You can adjust the wand angle, water temperature, water pressure, or set the water to oscillate. The nozzle automatically self-cleans after each use. That doesn’t mean you don’t ever need to clean it every now and then manually, but it’s constantly getting rinsed. This model has a memory feature for up to two users. Toto includes a pre-mist feature as part of the e-water design that wets the inside of the bowl to prevent debris from sticking.

This Toto is pricey. And, if the toilet placement in the bathroom is just right, the automatic lid may open and close every time someone enters the bathroom.

Best toilet combo: WOODBRIDGE B-0960S B0960S Smart Bidet

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Why it made the cut: The Woodbridge gets the top spot among bidet-toilet combos for its sleek outward appearance and highly efficient (and luxurious) inward performance.

Specs

• Type: Bidet/toilet combo
• Installation: Full replacement
• Adjustable temperature and pressure: Yes 

Pros

• Attention to detail in construction and design
• Remote control
• Adjustable water temperature, pressure, and toilet seat temperature

Cons

• Installation can be difficult
• Poor customer service

The WOODBRIDGE B-0960S B0960S Smart Bidet brings pretty much everything you could want from a bidet-toilet combo to the bathroom. It offers a sleek, tankless design and a remote control. Every screw and fastener has a cover, so all you see is a sleek, sophisticated toilet. You don’t even have to flush yourself. The sensor automatically flushes when you exit.

The seat has adjustable heat, and a dryer finishes off the job. The Woodbridge even has a built-in air purifier that draws air in and over a carbon filter to get rid of odors. A high-tech spray nozzle offers an oscillate or massage setting, too. It’s all controlled with a touchscreen remote control that you can hold in your hand or mount to the wall.

However, this sophisticated bidet isn’t the easiest to install, and the company doesn’t offer the best customer service. Some reviewers have also had trouble with water volume when flushing. Once you get it up and running, however, this splurge is quite the experience.

Best with dryer: Brondell Swash 1400 Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat

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Why it made the cut: The Brondwell’s memory features and heat adjustability put it at the top of the pack when it comes to bidets with dryers. 

Specs

• Type: Electric
• Installation: Existing toilet 
• Adjustable temperature and pressure: Yes

Pros

• Fits on an existing toilet
• Memory feature makes automatic adjustments to dryer temperature
• Self-cleaning features

Cons

• Flimsy plastic in the seat
• Trouble maintaining water temperature in winter

The Brondell bidet fits onto an existing toilet and comes in either an elongated or round design. The air dryer on this model offers warm, comfortable heat that’s fully adjustable using the remote control. The remote lets you set memory settings, so with the touch of a button, the bidet is set specifically for you. A heated seat keeps the rest of you warm.

Two stainless-steel nozzles do the rinsing, and they get sterilized after each use. A removable deodorizer freshens the bathroom, and a gently closing lid means no more slamming. 

There are a couple of cons with this model. A few users have had problems with the plastic in the seat breaking down after a year or two. Others have found that the unit has trouble maintaining the water temperature, especially in winter.

Best electric: Bio Bidet Bliss BB2000

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Why it made the cut: The Bio Bidet Bliss adds a little extra with different streams for each gender and high-tech touchscreen controls. 

Specs

• Type: Electric 
• Installation: Existing toilet
• Adjustable temperature and pressure: Yes

Pros

• Three stream options for different genders or washing preferences
• Self-cleaning, from the inside out
• Activate main features without remote control

Cons

• Seat heating function doesn’t work well

The Bio Bidet Bliss is the best electric bidet for how its combination of features works together. There’s one worth mentioning right upfront—the three stream options: posterior wash, feminine wash, and vortex wash. The posterior and feminine wash come out of different openings and angles to clean different parts of the anatomy. The vortex wash uses extra water for added cleaning power. 

The Bliss nozzle self-cleans, but it does it from the inside out. First, it rinses the inside of the nozzle before running water over the outside to finish the job. While this model has a remote control on which you can access and adjust every feature, it also has onboard manual controls for the main functions. The Bliss is an excellent option for those who don’t want to mess with settings every time they go to the bathroom. The Bliss tops off the features with a heated seat, warm water, air dryer, and built-in nightlight.

Where it doesn’t seem to function as well is the heated seat. Some users have found that it doesn’t get very warm or stay very warm.

Best budget: LUXE Bidet Neo 120

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Why it made the cut: The LUXE made the cut for the simplicity of the installation and design and the impressive performance, which is all you really need from a budget bidet. 

Specs

• Type: Non-electric
• Installation: Existing toilet
• Adjustable temperature and pressure: Temperature—no, pressure—yes

Pros

• Easy installation
• Self-cleaning feature
• Manual, so it doesn’t turn on if you don’t want to use it

Cons

• No warm water
• May require bumpers to stabilize and protect the toilet seat

The LUXE Bidet Neo 120 attaches to your existing toilet seat with an easy installation process. (You may need some additional hardware based on the toilet seat shape and design.) The LUXE attaches underneath an existing toilet seat. 

Manual controls on the attached control box run the show. This model only has two dials. One controls water pressure, and the other turns on the bidet and turns on the self-clean feature. However, there’s variation in water pressure because the pressure starts at the house pressure. If you have high water pressure in your home, you’ll automatically get more pressure with this model. 

On the downside, there’s no heated water—room temperature and cold are all you get. And, as we pointed out earlier, you might have to install additional bumpers on the seat to get it to flush. 

Also consider: Soft Spa Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat

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Why it made the cut: The Soft Spa Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat offers an array of customizable features to suit any user, and it provides the option of a hands-free nozzle clean.

Specs

• Power method: Electrical cord (outlet required)
• Materials: Plastic, metal, stainless steel, and rubber
• Style: Elongated

Pros

• 12 features
• Remote-controlled
• Works with most standard flush systems
• Adjustable water temperature
• Dryer

Cons

• Only plug into a GFCI grounded outlet

If you’re looking for a way to save money on toilet paper and cut down on its negative environmental impacts, Soft Spa 9500 gives you everything you could want from a bidet toilet seat without being too cumbersome in your bathroom. It comes with 12 remote-controlled features, ranging from adjustable seat and drying temperatures to a night light (making it easier to use if you stumble in the middle of the night). You can adjust the water temperature and pressure to your own liking, and the bidet also offers a gentle mode. The self-cleaning wand and deodorizer feature keep you fresh and mess-free. 

Fluidmaster reports that installation takes less than half an hour. The model comes with the bidet seat and lid, remote control, supply lines, and everything you need besides a wrench and flathead screwdriver. The provided T-valve taps directly into your water line to channel water both to your bidet seat and the toilet tank. The four-foot electrical cord can be used with a temporary extension cord—if you opt to do this, Fluidmaster recommends you only use a three-prong grounded extension cord rated for 15 amps. The bidet has a GFCI plug, so it can be used with or without a GFCI outlet, according to Fluidmaster.

Also consider: TUSHY Ace electric bidet seat

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Why it made the cut: The TUSHY Ace integrated seat can be installed in less than 10 minutes so its oscillating spray can provide you with a lifetime of soothing cleansing.

Specs

• Power method: Electrical cord (outlet required)
• Materials: Plastic, metal, stainless steel, and rubber
• Style: Elongated and Round options

Pros

• 5-setting seat warmer
• Side control panel plus capacitive-touch remote
• Works with most standard flush systems
• Adjustable water temperature, pressure, angle (including front wash)
• Dryer
• Fits 95% of American toilets

Cons

• Only plug into a GFCI grounded outlet

If you’re looking to make it a new bidet day, don’t sit out getting a TUSHY Ace. It’s a top value from a company that understands branding. I tried to come up with some booty-focused wordplay that wasn’t already on the internet retailer’s website and/or packaging and found it a real challenge. They take the crown and, well, own the throne. It takes more than … cheekiness to make a great product, however. Luckily, TUSHY delivers a clean sweep there, too. I tried the TUSHY Ace electric bidet during the cold winter months, and it warms my heart to say it warmed my butt. It was the best heated addition to my ablutions, and it easy to install—something I say as someone who should not be trusted around tools. And its remote-controlled features—including temperature-regulated seat and water, angle-adjustable rear- and front-facing nozzle, plus a “derri-air” dryer—made it a welcome modern addition to hindquarters headquarters. It’s as simple to use as it was to attach. Spoil, don’t soil yourself, and invest in a bidet that oscillates as you luxuriate—your butt deserves to be put on a pedestal. It’s even portable, sort of, if you’re willing to take the 10 minutes to install it here or there. Is a bidet ass-ential? Admittedly, no, but the bottom line is it can be worthwhile and the best attachment for an easy bathroom upgrade nonetheless. And it never hurts to watch for the company’s semi-annual sales so that you can save some paper of both the sanitary and currency varieties. — Tony Ware

What to consider when buying the best bidets

Not all bidets are built the same. Here’s what you should know before snagging one for yourself:

Types of bidets

• Electric: Electric bidet seats are the most high-tech and luxurious of the bidets. You can control water pressure and temperature and enjoy a warm toilet seat while using a remote to make adjustments. These models usually clean themselves, too. Some include a built-in dryer, kind of like your own personal car wash (no TP needed). These models install onto an existing toilet.
• Non-electric: Non-electric bidets also install directly to an existing toilet. These models tap into the existing water pressure and take some adjusting to dial in the right water pressure. Non-electric bidets may be self-cleaning. Others are manual clean only. 
• Handheld: You know that water sprayer at your kitchen sink? That’s pretty much what a handheld bidet looks like, except it attaches to your toilet tank. These are other models that are easy to add to an existing toilet. They often have pressure controls, too.
• Bidet/toilet combo: If you’re going all in, the bidet/toilet combo is for you. These combos have the bidet fully integrated into the toilet’s design. They’re the most expensive option and have all of the features of an electric bidet.

Water temperature and pressure

It’s pretty easy to see why your tushy benefits from adjustable water temperature and pressure. Some models allow you to adjust both each time you use the bidet, while with others, you have to use whatever pressure you get throughout the rest of the house.

Nozzle angles

Bidets with an adjustable nozzle angle let you customize the angle to your backside. Bidet newbies might have trouble making adjustments while using the bidet, so you might want to forgo this feature if this will be your first bidet.

Extra features

Get ready for a little luxury with a heated seat, remote control, or a drying fan. All three of these extras make the bathroom experience feel more like a spa than your home throne. Of course, they’ll add to the price and might take some time to learn to use, especially if they’re controlled by a touchscreen remote.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best bidets

• Best overall: Toto Washlet S550E
• Best toilet combo: WOODBRIDGE B-0960S B0960S Smart Bidet
• Best with dryer: Brondell Swash 1400 Luxury Bidet Toilet Seat
• Best electric: Bio Bidet Bliss
• Best budget: LUXE Bidet Neo 120
• Also consider: Soft Spa Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat and TUSHY Ace electric bidet seat

The Toto Washlet S550E provides pretty much everything you need or could ever want from a bidet. Toto bidets also have a distinction as some of the best bidets on the market, a reputation with which we fully agree. If you don’t have thousands to drop on a bidet, LUXE Bidet Neo 120 is just one of the options that can keep you clean for a fraction of the cost.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best bidets in 2024 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

5. Use a small paint brush to paint your eggs with the baking soda and food coloring paste.
   Note: You can also use your hands to dip the eggs, but may want to wear gloves to avoid colorful finger tips.
6. After completing your painting masterpiece, place eggs in a bowl to let the color set for 5 minutes.
7. While the color is setting, wash and dry muffin tin (or use additional tin). Then, scoop 1 tablespoon of baking soda in each cup.
8. Place one painted egg on top of baking soda in each cup.
   Note: For even brighter colors, add a few more drops of food coloring directly onto eggs in the cups.

9. Now it’s volcano egg time! Add a hefty splash of vinegar to each cup. Allow the bubbles to fizz out before moving onto the next cup.
   Note: If you don’t want the egg colors mixing, use less vinegar. If you, like us, enjoy chaos, use more vinegar and let all the colors run into each other.

10. After “exploding” (as my child called it) all your eggs, place eggs back in carton or on wired rack to dry. Use tongs or a spoon to move eggs, if you’re trying to keep fingers dye-free.
    Note: We didn’t use gloves and it took 3-5 hand washes to remove the dye from our fingers.

And that’s it! Sit back and admire your beautiful color-explosion volcano eggs while biting the head off a chocolate bunny.

The post How to dye Easter eggs, volcano-style: An explosion of color with a splash of science appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		NewAge Products Bold 3.0 Grey 7 PC		SEE IT	These high-strength steel garage cabinets mount to the wall for added stability.
Best shelves		FLEXIMOUNTS 2-Pack 2x6ft Garage Shelving		SEE IT	These floating shelves keep your garage organized without taking up valuable floor space.
Best free-standing		Rubbermaid Storage 72 Inch, Four-Shelf, 2 Door cabinet		SEE IT	Tuck away tools and seasonal items in this reliable shed from Rubbermaid.

Garages can quickly become a catchall space that gets out of hand, but a garage cabinet can help. These handy storage systems can help you organize your tools, gardening gear, sports equipment, paint cans, and more. They come in a variety of designs to serve a range of storage requirements. Here’s what to look for when shopping for the best garage storage cabinets and our recommendations of the leading options on the market.

• Best overall: NewAge Products Bold 3.0 Grey 7 PC
• Best shelves: FLEXIMOUNTS 2-Pack Floating Shelves
• Best free-standing: Rubbermaid 72-Inch Four-Shelf Double-Door Resin Storage Cabinet 
• Best for tools: Power Tools Storage Organizers and Cabinets
• Best cabinet system: Ulti-MATE 8-Piece Garage Cabinet Kit with Bamboo Worktop
• Best rolling: Seville Classics UltraHD 12-Drawer Rolling Workbench
• Best budget: Seville Classics Wall Cabinet Storage

How we chose the best garage cabinets

Garage storage systems can range from budget-friendly open shelves to multi-piece units with dedicated workspaces that cost thousands of dollars. In putting together this guide, we assessed options from a range of manufacturers that designed solutions for minimal storage needs to full-on solutions for people who use their garage as a workspace. We also took into account the size of garages, mobility, the ability to lock, materials, and price. Finally, we weighed the comments of users who were happy and displeased with garage cabinets they bought.

The best garage cabinets: Reviews & Recommendations

Whether your garage barely has enough space for your car and a door-opening system or serves as an immaculately laid-out central storage location and workspace for a family, there’s a garage cabinet that can meet your needs. Here, we break down the sizes, dimensions, mobility, materials, and special features of our recommendations so you can find the best fit.

Best overall: NewAge Products Bold 3.0 Grey 7 PC

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Specs

• Dimensions: 18 inches D x 108 inches W x 77.25 inches H
• Weight: 800 pounds
• Material: Steel

Pros

• Comprehensive storage solution
• Comes with workspace and LED lights
• Lockable

Cons

• Heavy 
• Expensive

This comprehensive storage solution comes with lockers, wall cabinets, a rolling tool cabinet, and a base cabinet, plus a workspace. The 800-pound base is secured to the wall, but wheels on the tool-cabinet portion allow for more portable work to be done around the garage. The worktop is made of bamboo, which is easy to clean. This unit also features LED lights which make it easier to see. All doors are lockable so that you can keep children out of your workspace.

Best shelves: FLEXIMOUNTS 2-Pack Floating Shelves

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Specs

• Dimensions: 24 inches x 72 inches each
• Weight: 58 pounds
• Material: Steel

Pros

• Easy to install
• Comes in two sizes
• Can be arranged in range of shapes
• Steel construction

Cons

• Storage items won’t be protected
• Costly 

For people with more minimal storage needs, FLEXIMOUNTS storage bracket shelves are a simple solution. They are made to be installed solo and can be secured to wall studs or solid concrete. The components can be arranged in assorted ways—parallel, pyramid, staggered, etc.—to accommodate different design tastes. These are the way to go if you’re looking for overhead storage. Purchase hooks separately for extra hanging storage.

Best free-standing: Rubbermaid 72-Inch Four-Shelf Double-Door Resin Storage Cabinet 

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Specs

• Dimensions: 8 inches D x 36 inches W x 72 inches H
• Weight: 68 pounds
• Material: Resin, polyethylene

Pros

• Comes in three sizes (small, medium, and large)
• Durable
• Can hold up to 690 pounds
• Lockable

Cons

• Shelves cannot be adjusted
• Not made of sustainable materials

This large Rubbermaid storage unit features five shelves inside, which hold a maximum weight of 690 pounds. The high-density polyethylene will not deteriorate, rot, rust, or dent—unlike metal and wooden cabinets. This makes these cabinets perfect for storing messier items like soil, paints, or cleaning solutions. The unit snaps together, making setup a breeze. That said, the shelves cannot be adjusted or removed.

Best for tools: Power Tools Storage Organizers and Cabinets

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Specs

• Dimensions: 9.84 inches D x 33.86 inches W x 17.72 inches H
• Weight: 22 pounds
• Material: Wood

Pros

• Wall-mountable
• Made of sustainable material
• Allows you to organize tools of different sizes

Cons

• No drawers
• Items on display
• No locks

Power Tools’ storage organizer was designed with variety in mind. It can hold small objects like hammers and clamps, power drills, and hanging tools. The wood is aesthetically appealing, plus it’s moisture-proof and resists erosion. That said, this unit doesn’t have drawers or doors, so all of your tools will always be in plain sight.

Best cabinet system: Ulti-MATE 8-Piece Garage Cabinet Kit with Bamboo Worktop

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Specs

• Dimensions: 141.8 inches W x 21 inches D x 82 inches H
• Weight: 911 pounds
• Material: MDF and particleboard cabinet construction, textured PVC laminate

Pros

• Provides plenty of storage
• Includes bamboo workspace
• Sleek design

Cons

• Assembly required
• Stationary

Tipping the scales at a whopping 911 pounds, this 8-piece system comes with a  4-drawer base cabinet, 2-door base cabinet, two 2-door tall cabinets, and three 2-door wall cabinets. This Ulti-MATE System also features a bamboo workspace. 

You’ll need a lot of space to house it, and there are no rollable parts, so once you decide on a location for it, be prepared to stick with it. No matter if you’re storing tools, paint cans, planters, or just need extra storage for household items, this substantial system can handle it.

Best rolling: Seville Classics UltraHD 12-Drawer Rolling Workbench

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Specs

• Dimensions: 72 inches W x 20 inches D x 37 inches H
• Weight: 500 pounds
• Material: Steel

Pros

• Comes with 12 drawers
• Topped with spacious wooden workspace
• Designed with wheels for easy transport

Cons

• Heavy
• No overhead storage

If you’re looking for a garage cabinet that doubles as a spacious workspace, consider the Seville Classics UltraHD 12-Drawer Rolling Workbench. This attractive solution combines stainless steel, lockable drawers with one storage cabinet topped by a hardwood workspace that’s 72 inches wide and 20 inches deep. This unit will easily fit in with most garages. It does weigh 500 pounds, so the wheels will come in especially handy when you need to relocate.

Best budget: Seville Classics Wall Cabinet Storage

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Specs:

• Dimensions: 24 inches W x 12 inches D x 24 inches H
• Weight: 25.9 pounds
• Material: Steel

Pros

• Wall-mountable
• Lockable door
• Budget-friendly

Cons

• Limited storage space
• No compartments

This unit isn’t designed specifically for garages but can fit right into a space next to your vehicles. It’s two feet wide and one foot deep, so don’t think you’ll be storing your entire life in one of these. Still, it’s a great option for putting away tools and other smaller items, and at such a low price, you can get more than one to satisfy your storage needs.

Things to consider when buying garage cabinets

The hunt for the best garage cabinets isn’t as simple as buying a few storage cubicles and calling it a day. Start with a checklist of questions. Once you figure out what you’ll be storing in your garage, you’ll have a clearer idea of what kind to get.

The first thing to think about when installing garage storage is what future remodeling you might be doing to the space. Permanent storage systems allow for less flexibility with future upgrades. Next, consider what you’ll be storing. While you may want to display sports equipment on an open shelf, paint cans and tools might work better in a closed cabinet and drawers.

If you or anyone else will be doing carpentry work inside the garage—and if there is enough space to accommodate such grand ambitions—you should consider storage that incorporates a workbench. For those who decide to get one that’s separate from the storage, it’s a good idea to get the workbench first and plan the cabinet or shelf storage around it.

Finally, don’t forget the primary purpose of this part of the house. Garage storage and organization should be secondary to the vehicles that will be taking up most of the space. Garage cabinet systems must allow for the easy opening and closing of both the garage door and the door leading into and out of the house. The point of the best garage cabinets is to make the space as functional as possible, not serve as a barrier to such essential activities.

Should you get wall-mounted garage cabinets?

There are myriad benefits to getting wall-mounted garage cabinets—namely that they are more permanent fixtures than free-standing cubbies that sit on the floor. Depending on your taste and the space, these units can either be in the form of enclosed cabinets with doors or wall-mounted shelves. They are typically raised above ground level, so they make it easy to clean underneath the cabinets, and they make the space they are in appear less cluttered. Wall-mounted garage cabinets are also sturdier, and garage storage shelves require less bending than most standalone models. Both are less prone to wobbling around.

This type of organizing system does come with a few downsides. They require installation, and they can’t be easily rearranged once they’ve been mounted to the wall. Also, they may not be as tall as standalone units, which may mean storing longer items elsewhere in the garage. And if you prefer things to be out of sight and out of mind when not in use, wall-mounted storage shelves won’t keep anything hidden.

If the cons of permanent garage storage outweigh the pros, and you aren’t good with a hammer and other tools, make sure you consider the cost of hiring someone to install garage wall cabinets when comparing their price to that of other types of storage.

What about free-standing cabinets?

As previously mentioned, free-standing cabinets are a popular option for garage storage and organization that come with several limitations. If they sit on the floor, you won’t be able to clean under them, and you’ll probably have to do a bit more bending to retrieve items and replace them after use. Although they may wobble around a bit, they’ll likely be tall enough to store anything inside, and they’ll be easier to move around if and when you decide to give your garage a brand-new look.

What can you do about tool storage?

Steel cabinets work best for tool storage in garages. The drawers should be deep and fully extendable to permit the placement of bulky tools, and they should be padded to protect both the tools and the drawers and to stop the tools from moving around inside. Some come with convenience features like surge protectors, organizing trays, and USB charging ports. 

If you are adding tool storage to an existing garage storage system, consider stackable chests that you can place on top. Toolboxes, tool bags, and tool belts are decent alternatives to bulky tool storage, as are peg boards with multi-tool hangers.

Are garage cabinet systems worth the extra cost?

When choosing your garage storage, you can opt for individual cabinets or a full system. One of the big benefits of garage cabinet systems is that the slats or rails permit you to install them anywhere on the wall, rather than being limited to where the studs happen to already be placed.

If you go for a full system, just be sure it will more or less be suited for whatever storage needs you might have in the future. Of course, if necessary, you can always complement it with one or two individual cabinets. 

Do you want a garage storage cabinet on wheels?

If you want the ability to rearrange your garage storage without having to do any heavy lifting, garage storage cabinets on wheels are an excellent idea. If you go this route, though, you need to get a rolling garage cabinet with top-notch wheels that won’t break under the load of the storage space on top of them. 

This may sound like a pretty convenient arrangement if you need to occasionally move things around, or even if you are working on a project and you want to have everything easily accessible from your workspace. You’ll just have to be more vigilant about keeping the floor space clean to prevent small items from getting jammed in the wheels.

What you get for under $100

You can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on garage storage, depending on your preferences and requirements. Although you can splurge on garage furniture that’s as beautiful as it is practical, if you’re not willing to pay a four-digit price tag, you can still satisfy your basic storage requirements at a fraction of the cost and get something that won’t bring down the aesthetic value of the space. Best of all, you’ll have extra cash to spend on the car you’ll be parking in it.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best garage cabinets

• Best overall: NewAge Products Bold 3.0 Grey 7 PC
• Best garage: FLEXIMOUNTS 2-Pack Floating Shelves
• Best free-standing: Rubbermaid 72-Inch Four-Shelf Double-Door Resin Storage Cabinet
• Best for tools: Power Tools Storage Organizers and Cabinets
• Best cabinet systems: Ulti-MATE 8-Piece Garage Cabinet Kit with Bamboo Worktop
• Best rolling: Seville Classics UltraHD 12-Drawer Rolling Workbench
• Best budget: Seville Classics Wall Cabinet Storage

The best garage cabinets come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can go with wall-mounted garage cabinets, free-standing garage cabinets, or garage storage cabinets on wheels, and individual cabinets and more expansive garage cabinet systems satisfy a wide range of storage needs. The latter can set you back thousands of dollars, but if you’re strapped for cash, you can find decent garage storage options for closer to $100.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best garage cabinets in 2024 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Fleximounts Overhead Garage Storage Rack		SEE IT	This overhead storage system maximizes garage floor space by using no floor space at all.
Best cabinet		Seville Classics UltraHD Storage Cabinet		SEE IT	This lockable steel storage cabinet is a good option for keeping expensive power tools secure.
Best budget		CX Black & Yellow 4-Tier Storage Shelving Unit		SEE IT	This lockable steel storage cabinet is a good option for keeping expensive power tools secure.

A garage is coveted real estate—an empty space with infinite possibilities, especially if you install a garage storage system. Often, the garage becomes a repository for everything that doesn’t fit in the house, and you need a setup to maximize space. Storage systems come in all shapes and sizes, including shelves, cabinets, hooks, and ceiling-mounted racks. These racks are typically made from durable materials, such as steel or heavy-duty plastic, and feature high weight capacities that can exceed 1,000 pounds. This guide will review some of the best garage storage systems on the market so you can free up valuable floor space and finally use the garage for its intended purpose: storing your car.

• Best overall: Fleximounts Overhead Garage Storage Rack
• Best cabinet: Seville Classics UltraHD Tall Storage Cabinet
• Best for gardening equipment: StoreYourBoard Tool Storage Rack
• Best for sports equipment: Kinghouse Garage Sports Equipment Organizer
• Best budget: CX Black & Yellow 4-Tier Storage Shelving Unit

How we chose the best garage storage systems

Garage storage is about being efficient with space, so I chose storage systems that can capably hold a large volume of things while taking up as little floor space as possible. Since a garage storage system is bound to take a beating, I chose models made from durable materials that can absorb abuse, such as steel and high-grade plastic. I also considered price, since garage storage systems can quickly get very expensive. Believing that a good storage system shouldn’t cost more than the stuff you’re storing, I chose models that offer the best bang for your buck while still meeting the aforementioned criteria.

The best garage storage systems: Reviews & Recommendations

As someone with a large garage filled with lots of stuff, I’m intimately familiar with the struggles of setting up apparatus like a garage door opener and organizing the interior. And not everyone has room for a standalone storage shed, so efficient use of garage space is a must. I applied my experiences taming my garage in researching more than two dozen garage systems for this list of the top five.

Best overall: Fleximounts Overhead Garage Storage Rack

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Why it made the cut: Of all the storage designs out there, this one saves the most space by getting your stuff off the garage floor, making room for the family car.

Specs

• Weight capacity: 600 pounds
• Storage capacity: Up to 105 cubic feet
• Dimensions: 96 inches long by 48 inches wide by 22 to 40 inches high
• Material: Steel

Pros

• Takes up no floor space, making it ideal for small garages that also house cars
• Large amount of storage space
• Can also hang items from the rack

Cons 

• Weight capacity of 600 pounds may be too little for heavier storage needs
• Items are harder to access

If you’re purchasing a garage storage system mainly to get junk off the floor so you can use the garage for its intended purpose—housing your car—then Fleximounts is your best option. Whereas shelves and cabinets do a good job organizing things, they occupy precious floor space. Since Fleximounts hug the ceiling, they take up no floor space. The rack measures 4 feet by 8 feet and drops down from the ceiling 22 to 40 inches.

How much it can store is dependent on the height of your garage ceilings and the position of the garage door. Set to its maximum drop-down height, this rack provides 105 cubic feet of storage, about three times the amount of space that most garage shelving systems offer. You can also hang sporting equipment, gardening tools, and more from the racks for even more storage for those fancy new electric bikes.

Though this overhead rack is an excellent way to save space, some trade-offs exist. The rack can hold a maximum of 600 pounds, which may not be enough depending on what you plan to store on it. You’ll need to haul anything you plan to store up a stepladder to get it into the rack, which can be difficult for some people, especially if the objects are heavy. Accessing items stored in an overhead rack isn’t as convenient as grabbing them from a cabinet or shelf. Still, if your main goal is to maximize floor space in your garage and you don’t mind the access limitations of overhead storage, then Fleximounts is the way to go.

Best cabinet: Seville Classics UltraHD Tall Storage Cabinet

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Why it made the cut: We loved this cabinet’s rock-solid construction, lockable doors, and large casters that allow you to maneuver it around the garage even when full.

Specs

• Weight capacity: 600 pounds
• Storage capacity: 27 cubic feet
• Dimensions: ‎18 inches deep by 36 inches wide by 72 inches high
• Material: Steel

Pros

• Takes up a small amount of floor space
• Durable construction with reinforced cornersLarge wheels let you roll it around the garage
• Lockable door protects valuable tools

Cons

• Expensive for the amount of storage capacity

While there are more affordable garage cabinets available, few have the durability and versatility of this model from UltraHD. A garage cabinet should be able to take a licking, and this model can, thanks to stainless-steel construction and a sturdy design that includes reinforced steel corners on its top and rubber bumpers on the lower corners.

In addition to its rock-solid construction, I also love the versatility the large, 5-inch, heavy-duty casters provide. The wheels make it easy to roll into position for better access to its contents and are also handy if it’s necessary to rearrange the garage to make room for something else.

While the cabinet’s four shelves provide ample storage, what sets it apart from other cabinets are the lockable doors. The ability to lock the cabinet makes it ideal for storing expensive power tools, ensuring they stay secure even when the garage door is left open.

Although the cabinet does take up some floor space, it occupies a smaller footprint than many other cabinets due to its tall and narrow profile—it’s 18 inches deep by 36 inches wide by 72 inches high. The lockable doors and durable construction make this cabinet ideal for those who like the clean look a cabinet offers or who want a secure place to store their tools.

Best for gardening equipment: StoreYourBoard Tool Storage Rack

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Why it made the cut: This set of hooks is long enough to hold many gardening tools.

Specs

• Weight capacity: 325 pounds
• Storage capacity: N/A
• Dimensions: 37 inches long by 10 inches deep by 3.25 inches wide
• Material: Steel

Pros

• Affordable way to store gardening tools
• Sturdy steel construction
• Long hooks can hold multiple tools
• Mounting system suits most garage setups

Cons

• Hooks might be too close together for large gardening tools.

Few things add more clutter to a garage than a jumble of yard equipment leaning against the wall. This tool storage rack from StoreYourBoard offers an economical and effective way of getting those tools organized and off the floor. The rack consists of four sets of double hooks mounted to a 3-foot-long bar that attaches to the garage’s wall studs. Each hook consists of two prongs set two inches apart, a design that makes them well-suited for holding garden hoses or the heads of shovels, rakes, weed whackers, or extension cords.

Each set of hooks is spaced 7.75 inches apart, providing enough clearance to hang most garden tools side by side without bumping heads. At 10 inches long, the hooks extend further into the garage than most. While this eats into the space savings they offer, the tradeoff is worth it for those with many gardening tools to hang.

With its sturdy steel construction, the rack can hold up to 325 pounds, well over the total weight that you’ll likely hang from it. Three large lag bolts are included for secure mounting. This rack’s sturdy construction, coupled with long hooks that give it a high capacity, make it an ideal choice for those with an extensive collection of gardening equipment.

Best for sports equipment: Kinghouse Garage Sports Equipment Organizer

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Why it made the cut: We love the multiple racks that allow parents to organize equipment so kids can get at different items without having to dig through all of them.

Specs

• Weight capacity: N/A
• Storage capacity: N/A
• Dimensions: 36 inches wide by 16.5 inches deep by 46 inches high
• Material: Steel

Pros

• Multiple racks and bins make it easy to organize equipment
• Casters allow users to roll the rack out for easier access
• Mesh bottoms prevent smaller objects from falling through the rack

Cons

• Not as sturdy as other storage systems

When there’s no place to put all the balls, skateboards, baseball bats, gloves, helmets, and other outdoor sporting goods equipment, they inevitably end up scattered on the garage floor. While throwing all that gear into a bin or two is one option, a better one is this organizer from Kinghouse.

Unlike racks that have one section for holding all equipment, this model features a large storage area on the base and smaller racks at the top. This makes it easier to separate large items like skateboards and inline skates from medium-sized basketballs and soccer balls and smaller tennis balls and baseballs, so kids can access each without having to dig through one large pile.

In addition to multiple racks, this organizer also offers other design features, including hooks on the sides of the rack that can hold baseball bats and a tight mesh bottom that prevents smaller items from finding their way through the rack and onto the floor.

I also love that this rack sits on casters that make it easy to wheel into and out of the garage onto the driveway, making it easier for kids to grab items or put them away. With its ability to store a large volume of stuff while still making it all easily accessible, this rack is an ideal option for those looking to tame a mountain of sports gear.

Best budget: CX Black & Yellow 4-Tier Storage Shelving Unit

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Why it made the cut: This shelving set is the most affordable and easy-to-assemble garage storage solution we could find.

Specs

• Weight capacity: 1,600 pounds (200 pounds per shelf)
• Storage capacity: About 30 cubic feet
• Dimensions: 48 inches long by 20 inches wide by 55 inches high
• Material: Heavy-duty plastic

Pros

• Affordably priced storage solution
• Multiple shelves can be locked together for easy expansion
• Assembles quickly and easily
• Can hold 200 pounds per shelf

Cons

• Takes up a fairly large amount of floor space

One of the main barriers to getting a garage organized is often the complicated assembly and high price tag that comes with many garage storage systems. This set of plastic shelves from CX is a great option for those who don’t want to spend hours assembling the unit or pay more for the storage system than the value of the stuff they’re going to store. The shelving unit consists of four 20-by-48-inch heavy-duty plastic shelves that can hold up to 200 pounds each, which is plenty of capacity for most storage needs. The shelves sit on sturdy feet with rubber non-slip coverings. Slats are cut into the shelves to prevent moisture from collecting and potentially causing water damage or mold growth.

There are several design features I love about these shelves. You can assemble the shelves in less than an hour with no tools required. The feet are adjustable, allowing you to level the shelves to account for any irregularities in the garage floor. This shelving is also expandable. Grooves on the ends of the shelving allow you to lock it together with another shelving unit on both sides.

Its smart design and high weight capacity make this set of shelves a great budget option for those who don’t mind its larger footprint.

What to consider when buying the best garage storage systems

Capacity

Storage systems need to hold a lot of stuff, so how much a cabinet, rack, or shelf can hold is crucial. Consider how many cubic feet of storage space the system offers and compare it to what you plan to store to ensure the system suits your needs. In addition to volume, weight capacity is also important. How much weight a storage system can handle ranges significantly, from hanging racks with a max capacity of around 300 pounds to shelving that can hold more than 1,500 pounds. Consider the weight of what you need to store when deciding which storage system to buy.

Floor space

Since garage storage systems are designed to open up space for cars, how much floor space a storage system takes up is crucial. With that in mind, it’s important to pay attention to the storage system’s total footprint to determine just how much floor space it will occupy. Generally speaking, shelves take up the most floor space, followed by cabinets. Storage racks that mount to the ceiling take up none and are installed with enough clearance to allow space for cars, people, or garage doors below them.

Durability

Look for garage storage systems made from durable materials such as steel and heavy-duty plastic. These materials can endure the rigors of life in a garage. Avoid materials, such as MDF or thin sheet metal, that are easily damaged by moisture or small impacts.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best garage storage systems

• Best overall: Fleximounts Overhead Garage Storage Rack
• Best cabinet: Seville Classics UltraHD Tall Storage Cabinet
• Best for gardening equipment: StoreYourBoard Tool Storage Rack
• Best for sports equipment: Kinghouse Garage Sports Equipment Organizer
• Best budget: CX Black & Yellow 4-Tier Storage Shelving Unit

A good storage system can help you organize your garage to free up floor space, allowing you to use it as a workshop or fit the car inside. That said, a good storage system will only help you organize your garage if you choose the right one. Before selecting a garage storage system, take stock of what’s currently in the garage. Decide what you need to store and select a system that best matches those needs.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best garage storage systems for 2024 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		DeWalt DWE7491RS 10-Inch Table Saw		SEE IT	This all-rounder offers renowned build-quality, excellent capacities, and user-friendly features.
Best budget		GoPlus Ironmax 10-Inch Table Saw		SEE IT	Get all the features and performance you need with money left over in the budget for materials.
Best folding		Skil TS6307-00 10-Inch Portable Table Saw		SEE IT	This compact saw collapses down to a fraction of its normal size for easy storage and portability.

Table saws come in a variety of sizes, from bench-top models popular with DIYers through jobsite saws to cabinet saws used in furniture making. While they are perhaps most used for making long, accurate ripping cuts through boards and sheet material, they can also crosscut at various angles and, with specialist blades, create rabbets (steps) and dadoes (grooves) for joints, door panels, or drawer bottoms. They range in price from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on the specs. In this article, we’re checking out the key features of these versatile tools and looking at the best table saws for both trade users, and DIY enthusiasts.

• Best overall: DeWalt DWE7491RS 10-Inch Table Saw
• Best budget: GoPlus Ironmax 10-Inch Table Saw
• Best folding: Skil TS6307-00 10-Inch Portable Table Saw
• Best for jobsites: Bosch 4100XC-10 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw
• Best for shops: SawStop CNS175-TGP236 10-Inch Contractor Saw
• Best cordless: DeWalt DCS7485B Flexvolt 8-1/4-Inch Table Saw

How we chose the best table saws

I owned my own woodshop for 10 years and used table saws daily. I am also a qualified engineer, so I know what makes a good saw tick. To supplement my own hands-on experience, we researched a host of current models from both leading and less well-known manufacturers. This ensured we understood what was available and were up-to-date on technological advances.

The variety of table saws available is extensive, so we wanted to represent as many different types as possible in our collated selection. Our picks range from portable benchtop table saws to models called contractor saws designed for pro woodshops.

Cutting capacities are, of course, a key issue, but so is accuracy and stability. Table saw buyers will also be keen to know that their tool will be reliable and durable, so we factored this into our thoughts. Finally, there’s value for money, which doesn’t necessarily mean finding the cheapest table saw but rather those that meet performance expectations while keeping prices at an affordable level.

The best table saws: Reviews & Recommendations

The following models all meet the performance and cost criteria we set, but each of them has different capabilities and their own pros and cons. We have assigned categories to make finding the best table saw for a particular range of tasks easier, but all of our picks are tools we’d be proud to keep in our storage shed.

Best overall: DeWalt DWE7491RS 10-Inch Table Saw

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Why it made the cut: This high-quality tool offers performance that makes it suitable for busy professionals, enthusiastic DIYers, or home furniture makers.

Specs

• Blade Size: 10 inches
• Maximum Depth of Cut: 3-1/8 inches
• Maximum Rip: 32-1/2 inches
• Table Size: 21-7/8 x 26-3/8 inches

Pros

•     Pro-grade build quality and reliability
•     Good cutting capacities and precise fence
•     Stand offers stability and improves mobility

Cons

•     Supplied blade could be better
•     Premium price tag

Given the variety available, it’s almost impossible to pick a single best table saw that will meet everyone’s needs. The DeWalt DWE7491RS is the one that, in our opinion, comes closest. It has the performance and durability demanded by tradespeople, and capacities that could make it the only table saw most keen DIYers ever need.

Maximum depth of cut is 3-1/8 inches, meaning it will easily handle 2x dimensioned lumber used for framing and construction. A ripping capacity (maximum width of cut) of 32-1/2 inches makes it great for plywood and other sheet materials. The table offers good support, and the extending fence has a rack and pinion drive that makes it easy to use, and delivers repeatable accuracy. There’s a nice chunky wheel for blade angle adjustment and a big stop button front and center where it’s easy to reach in an emergency. There’s a 2-1/2” dust port that can be hooked up to a shop vac or other extraction. The included blade is 24-tooth TCT (tungsten carbide tipped). It’s OK, but those looking for a better finish to their cuts will want to upgrade.

The DeWalt table saw comes with a rolling stand that offers good stability and folds down quickly for transportation. It is held in place with four bolts, so it is easy to remove for bench-top use if preferred.

Best budget: GoPlus Ironmax 10-Inch Table Saw

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Why it made the cut: For those on a restricted budget, this table saw offers similar features and capacities to those from leading brands.

Specs

• Blade Size: 10 inches
• Maximum Depth of Cut: 3 inches
• Maximum Rip: 26 inches
• Table Size: 19 x 26 inches

Pros

•     Offers good value for money
•     Competitive cutting capacities and feature set
•     Includes 36-tooth TCT blade

Cons

•     Quality control is inconsistent
•     May arrive requiring considerable adjustment

We generally avoid power tools from lesser-known brands for fear of poor build quality or reliability. The GoPlus table saw is an exception. It might not be the tool for precision woodworking, but it has similar features and capacities to many better-known rivals at a fraction of the price.

With a maximum depth of cut of 3 inches and ripping of up to 26 inches, it will handle most common store-bought construction and DIY materials. The aluminum table has been coated to provide an easier sliding surface. The fence runs on plain rails rather than rack and pinion, but it has an easy adjustment system and a magnifier lens over the scale to improve readability. The included stand raises the saw to a comfortable working height. Assembly involves 24 bolts, so it takes a few minutes to put together, but it provides good support once assembled. A surprisingly good 36-tooth TCT blade is included.

So far, so good. However, while most buyers we surveyed appear happy, inconsistent quality control means some saws arrive needing a lot of adjustment before they can be used. Whether the GoPlus is the right table saw for you will depend on what is expected of it. It is suitable for many construction and DIY jobs around the home and yard, but we wouldn’t recommend it for those expecting high accuracy.

Best folding: Skil TS6307-00 10-Inch Portable Table Saw

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Why it made the cut: Skil is one of the world’s leading saw brands, and this model’s integrated folding stand combines sturdy support with easy portability.

Specs

• Blade Size: 10 inches
• Maximum Depth of Cut: 3-1/2 inches
• Maximum Rip: 25-1/2 inches
• Table Size: 24 x 25 inches

Pros

•     Stand folds easily for portability
•     Tool-free blade alignment
•     Accurate rack and pinion fence

Cons

•     Some plastic components are fragile
•     Customer support has been criticized

Several of the top table saws we looked at offer good stands, but none match the simple efficiency and affordability of the folding stand on this Skil model. In fact, this table saw is an attractive proposition all around. While it costs more than some of the budget table saws available, it is well below the price of premium models and, in many ways, offers comparable performance.

When deployed, the Skil table saw stand provides the stability necessary for working with large sheet materials. To use the saw as a benchtop model, there’s no need to undo lots of nuts and bolts; the legs tuck under with a simple button push.

A 3-1/2 inch maximum depth of cut is very competitive, though the 25-1/2 inch rip is less than some. The fence has the rack and pinion adjustment we prefer for accuracy, and the tool-free micro adjustment for blade alignment is a nice feature. However, the supplied blade is only 24-tooth TCT. It’s not bad, but those working with hardwoods will probably want to buy something more robust.

Best for jobsites: Bosch 4100XC-10 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw

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Why it made the cut: A high-performance jobsite saw with a wheeled gravity lift stand that rises and falls in seconds.

Specs

• Blade Size: 10 inches
• Maximum Depth of Cut: 3-1/8 inches
• Maximum Rip: 30 inches inches
• Table Size: 22-1/2 x 30 inches

Pros

•     Powerful 4HP motor for effortless cutting
•     Constant response circuitry maintains performance
•     Excellent rolling stand for jobsite mobility

Cons

•     Expensive, and heavy with stand attached
•     Poor assembly instructions

Jobsite table saws need to be reliable and durable in working environments that are often harsh. The Bosch 4100XC-10 is a proven solution that is powerful, accurate, and comes with a gravity rise stand that provides virtually effortless single-handed operation.

Cutting capacities are among the best on the market with 3-18 inch maximum depth and 30-inch ripping. The table surface is the largest we looked at on a portable saw, offering a stable platform for large-scale cutting. The motor is an impressive 4-horsepower unit, and the Bosch worksite saw features constant load circuitry that measures blade feedback and matches power output to the demands of the material being cut so the blade won’t stall. The SquareLock fence isn’t rack and pinion, but it is very sturdy. It fits neatly into a slot on the side for transportation.

While the stand is excellent in operation, there are a couple of negatives. It doesn’t come pre-assembled, and the instructions for putting it together are poor. Once finished mounting, the sawing is best done by two people. The other consideration is the all-up weight, which is 94 pounds, so while it’s easy to roll to the truck at the end of the day, lifting it requires a little more effort.

Best for shops: SawStop CNS175-TGP236 10-Inch Contractor Saw

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Why it made the cut: A high-performance, high-capacity, and high-precision  contractor-grade saw for discerning professionals or enthusiastic home furniture makers

Specs

• Blade Size: 10 inches
• Maximum Depth of Cut: 3-1/8 inches
• Maximum Rip: 36 inches
• Table Size: 27 x 44 inches

Pros

•     Patented SawStop safety system
•     T-Glide fence does no deflect
•     Includes excellent 40-tooth TCT blade

Cons

•     A considerable investment
•     Replacement brake cartridges are expensive

The SawStop contractor saw is a superbly engineered tool built for high-precision woodworking. The table is cast iron rather than aluminum for added strength and rigidity and has a flatness within ten-thousandths of an inch (measured diagonally). Extension tables are steel.

Given the 10-inch blade, the maximum depth of cut is a fairly standard 3-1/8 inches. However, ripping is 36 inches, and extensions can be added to take it out to 52 inches. The T-Glide fence is heavy-gauge steel to prevent deflection under load. Versatility is such that a router table can also be added, saving valuable workshop space. A sliding crosscut table, popular with professionals, is also available.

The headline feature is the patented SawStop safety system that can detect human skin and will stop the blade and drop it under the saw table in under five milliseconds. This remarkable device means that instead of losing fingers, all the woodworker will have is a scratch. The only downside is that the special sensor cartridge has to be replaced after an event, and they’re not cheap.

The SawStop contractor saw is a considerable investment, but compared with rivals of a similar standard, it’s very competitive.

Best cordless: DeWalt DCS7485B Flexvolt 8-1/4-Inch Table Saw

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Why it made the cut: Has the excellent build quality and reliability associated with the brand and delivers 60V power where rivals only offer 18V.

Specs

• Blade Size: 8-1/4 inches
• Maximum Depth of Cut: 2-1/2 inches
• Maximum Rip: 24 inches
• Table Size: 14-1/5 x 26-3/4 inches

Pros

•     Go-anywhere cordless cutting
•     Class-leading 60V power
•     Protective metal roll cage

Cons

•     Modest capacities
•     Battery and charger not included

The ability to take a table saw anywhere, regardless of whether there’s electricity available, has obvious benefits whether you’re a contractor or just want to work beyond the range of extension cords (which, for safety reasons, should never be more than 100 feet). The DeWalt DCS7485B Flexvolt gives that ability, and where most rivals offer 18V batteries, this model uses DeWalt’s high-performance 60V unit, meaning more power for longer.

Cordless does come with a compromise. Table saws are quite power-hungry tools, so in order to provide decent cutting performance, the blade is reduced to 8-1/4 inches. This, of course, means lower capacities. However, with a maximum depth of 2-1/2 inches and a maximum rip of 24 inches, this is still a very useful saw for DIY and light-duty trade use.

Portability is another major benefit of cordless table saws. The DeWalt weighs 45 pounds and has carry handles that double as feet, plus a steel roll cage to protect internal components from knocks. There’s often a premium to pay for cordless tools, and that’s true here. By the time battery and charger are added, this saw is a similar price to high-quality 10-inch corded table saws.

What to consider before buying a table saw

All table saws function in basically the same way, but size and configuration can vary dramatically. In this section, we look at what impact those aspects have on finding the best table saw for particular needs.

Types of table saw

Table saws can be divided into five main types:

• Benchtop table saws are self-explanatory. These are the smallest and lightest table saws and are usually the choice for DIY users who have limited space or might only use a table saw occasionally.
• Jobsite table saws are probably the most popular type. They are usually supplied with a stand that gives the stability required for working with large sheet materials. Wheels help with mobility. They are also a good choice for more enthusiastic DIY users.
• Contractor table saws are the smallest of what might be described as ‘fixed’ saws. They are designed for permanent shop use and have a larger ripping capacity than benchtop or jobsite models.
• Hybrid & cabinet table saws are larger versions of the contractor saw and are normally only found in professional woodworking shops. Where contractor table saws sit on sturdy legs, hybrid and cabinet saws usually have fully enclosed cabinets that provide even greater stability.

Blade size and capacities

High-end table saws for commercial use can have 12-inch diameter blades, but 10-inch is by far the most common. This means maximum depth of cut is broadly similar, though still varies between 3 and 3-1/2 inches. Cordless models are usually 8-1/4-inch with a depth of cut of around 2-1/2 inches.

The big difference is ripping capacity or maximum width. On benchtop table saws, this can be as little as 24 inches, whereas cabinet table saws can offer 60 inches or more. Greater ripping capacity and the larger table surface that goes with it are particularly important for those who frequently work with sheet material. Not only does it offer wider cuts, but also a more stable platform, so it’s easier to maintain accuracy.

Fence and miter gauge

The ripping fence (usually just called the fence) is another element that has a major impact on accuracy. It keeps the material in place as you perform long cuts. If it deflects when material is pushed against it, the cut won’t remain true. As a result, these devices are usually a substantial construction with secure clamping.

The rails are also important. Often, the fence just slides along these and then clamps in position. Some benchtop and jobsite saws offer rack and pinion rails, which make it easier to make fine adjustments.

A miter gauge is usually included for making angled crosscuts. On cheap table saws, these are often criticized, though better alternatives are widely available.

Other features

• A blade guard and riving knife (which prevents the material from pinching the blade and causing kickback) are important safety features. These should never be removed while the saw is in use.
• Weight may be a factor if the table saw is going to be moved around the workshop or transported regularly. Some are fitted with wheeled stands, but larger models can be awkward to lift in and out of a vehicle.
• Dust ports are usually fitted, but it’s worth checking size if a shop vac or other extraction will be used. Low-cost adaptors are available if existing equipment doesn’t match.
• Convenient onboard storage for blade wrenches, miter gauges, a push stick, and other accessories is often provided.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best table saws

• Best overall: DeWalt DWE7491RS 10-Inch Table Saw
• Best budget: GoPlus Ironmax 10-Inch Table Saw
• Best folding: Skil TS6307-00 10-Inch Portable Table Saw
• Best for jobsites: Bosch 4100XC-10 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw
• Best for shops: SawStop CNS175-TGP236 10-Inch Contractor Saw
• Best cordless: DeWalt DCS7485B Flexvolt 8-1/4-Inch Table Saw

As we’ve seen from the selection above, there are high-quality table saws that will suit everyone from beginners on a budget to full-time tradespeople. The DeWalt DWE7491RS is a terrific all-rounder. It has the performance and capacities that professionals demand and, with proper care, might also be the only table saw many home woodworkers ever need. At the other end of the price scale, the GoPlus table saw is an ideal solution for those who want the benefits a table saw offers but might never go beyond occasional DIY or small furniture projects (and who might want to read our guides to orbital sanders and laser levels next).

If you’re looking for other cutting tools, check out our lists of the best miter saws and the best circular saws. The right tool makes the job much simpler.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best table saws for any job, according to experts appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

I’m going to let you in on a secret: I don’t really shut down my computer. When I’m done with my workday, I usually just unplug my laptop and close the lid. I think most people do this.

Shutting off your computer every night has downsides. If you just put your computer to sleep, everything is right where you left it in the morning. But if you shut down, you need to wait for your computer to boot up and then re-open all of your applications and documents. It’s annoying. 

A lot of annoying things can save you energy, though, and it’s worth thinking about that from an environmental and economic standpoint. Would shutting down your computer help you save energy and money? I wanted to find out. 

A sleeping computer doesn’t use much energy

It’s easy to put your computer to sleep: on a laptop, you just need to close the lid. Windows offers the feature in the start menu, macOS offers it in the menu bar, and both operating systems automatically put computers to sleep after a certain amount of time by default. If you’re not using your device as a server, there is no reason to change this. 

But what does it mean for a computer to be “asleep”? It basically means that the computer isn’t actively working on anything and power is only used to keep the RAM, or memory, from losing power. The RAM is where your computer stores your open applications, documents, and browsing tabs, and keeping that running doesn’t use a lot of power. 

I wanted to get an idea of just how little power so I ran a few simple tests. First, I charged my laptop around 6PM after an afternoon of using it outside. In that time, it was just about fully charged, after which I unplugged it and closed the lid. The charge in my laptop barely went down—only by one percent—and this is on a nearly six year old laptop with a battery that doesn’t hold a charge like it used to. 

I wanted a slightly more precise number, though, so I used a Kill A Watt to measure how much power my laptop uses when asleep. Leaving it plugged in and suspended from 4PM until 7AM the following morning—15 hours—used up 0.02 kWh of energy. That’s not a lot. Here in Portland, Oregon the price per kWh for residential use is 19.45¢, meaning leaving my laptop plugged in overnight cost me a little over one third of a penny. Over the course of an entire year this adds up to $1.42. 

That isn’t nothing, but it’s close to nothing. A single 60-watt incandescent bulb uses 0.06kWh every hour, meaning if you have even one in your home replacing them with LEDs will save you way more than you ever could by shutting down your computer. Running an electric clothes dryer uses around 3kWh every load, which means that skipping a single dry cycle will save you as much energy as shutting down your laptop every night for 150 days. Just imagine how much more you’d save if you skipped a cycle every week, or switched to air drying your clothes entirely. You could also invest in a heat pump, which is more efficient than electric or gas heat, to save even more energy. 

There are, simply put, many things anyone who is concerned about energy usage can do to save much more electricity and money than shutting down your computer at night. Which isn’t to say that shutting down your computer at night will save you no energy—it’s just that the amount of energy you might save is minuscule compared to other changes you might make. 

Shutting down sometimes is still a good idea

Now, this isn’t to say that you should never shut down. I shut down my laptop if I’m leaving town without it for more than a week. At that point the amount of energy the computer will use, compared to the annoyance of having to start it up again, tips back into being worthwhile for me. Plus, sometimes a sleeping laptop will run out of batteries when left alone that long, which is just plain annoying. 

And there are certain kinds of computers that might be worth shutting down. If you have a gaming computer that you only use on the weekend, for example, shutting it down during the week probably makes sense. 

And there’s another reason to shut down, or at least restart, your computer regularly: it can sometimes solve annoying computer problems. The main reason for this is software bugs—over time such issues can fill your device’s memory and generally just cause your computer to become unstable. But even in the absence of bugs there’s a chance that a computer you never shut down could become unstable, and the reason comes from outer space. I’m not kidding–the BBC reported that cosmic rays from outer space can cause computer issues:

When computers go wrong, we tend to assume it’s just some software hiccup, a bit of bad programming. But ionising radiation, including rays of protons blasted towards us by the sun, can also be the cause. These incidents, called single-event upsets, are rare and it can be impossible to be sure that cosmic rays were involved in a specific malfunction because they leave no trace behind them.

Between this rare event and more common software bugs even the best maintained computer is going to run into quirks from time to time. Shutting down your computer, or even just restarting it, can help in this situation. So there are times when you should shut down your computer. But if you have a computer that you use every day, and you prefer to just put it to sleep, I don’t think you should lose much sleep over it.

The post Wait, are you supposed to shut down your computer? appeared first on Popular Science.

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Sleep is one of the most essential activities for human health, but it’s also one of the most neglected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14.5 percent of adults occasionally have trouble falling asleep. Whether because of work or mindlessly scrolling on your phone, staying up late can throw off your circadian rhythm—the internal clock that tells your body when it’s time to sleep and stay awake. 

So how do you get your sleep cycle back on track? Some online communities have suggested pulling an all-nighter as a quick sleep hack for “resetting” your circadian rhythm. The idea is that forcing yourself awake increases sleep pressure—the urge to sleep more that increases the longer a person is awake—allowing you to knock out at your preferred time. While this may have worked for a person or two, it’s not a recommended practice.

Pulling an all-nighter will actually make sleep problems worse, says Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist known as “The Sleep Doctor.” If your sleep schedule is already off, depriving the body of even more sleep can worsen a person’s cognitive function—stunting their problem-solving, memory, and creative thinking skills. A person’s reaction time also drops dramatically, which can increase the risk of drowsy driving accidents.

[Related: How to wake up]

Thomas Kilkenny, the director of the Institute Sleep Medicine at Northwell Health in New York City, points out that sleep deprivation is considered a form of torture banned in the Geneva Conventions—treaties that list protocols for humanitarian treatment during war. “To voluntarily do this is not a good idea and we should try to do whatever we can to avoid that.”

There’s no way to shift the timing of your circadian rhythm in one night. It actually takes roughly 28 days for your circadian rhythm to reset fully, says Breus. The good news is that while it might take some time, there are other effective methods for getting your sleep schedule back on track. Sleep doctors told Popular Science several strategies to get back into your normal sleep schedule. 

How to fix your sleep schedule

Wake up at the same time every day

If you normally wake up around 8 AM, but last night you didn’t get to bed until 3 AM, Kilkenny recommends still getting up at your usual wake-up hours. You may have to deal with a day of grogginess, but the trade-off is being more likely to maintain your normal sleep schedule. “If you’ve had a bad night, you’ll just have to pretend that one night never happened and get right back into that routine,” Kilkenny says.

You may feel tempted to sleep a few extra hours or sleep in on the weekends. Still, Breus says staying consistent with your normal sleep schedule stabilizes the circadian rhythm and establishes a pattern for sleep and wakefulness. This also means not napping after a poor night of sleep. Kilkenny says a nap will throw off your sleep cycle and make it harder for your body to feel tired at night naturally. 

Set aside time for purposeful worrying

Insomnia is often a result of high stress levels. The body can’t shut down for the night when your brain is actively racing with thoughts of a potential threat, whether that’s a lion prowling your campsite or the stress of paying for rent next month.

Kilkenny advises practicing a technique called purposeful worrying. Like its name, purposeful worrying involves setting aside five to 15 minutes everyday to think and feel anxious about anything troubling you. Giving yourself a time limit to worry about your problems will help manage stress without draining too much of your energy. It also provides an opportunity to really think and plan out solutions to overcome these fears.

When you have a realistic plan for overcoming the problem, the initial concern is not so scary anymore. “The brain has a tendency not to revisit something it’s already figured out,” adds Kilkenny. “You’re much less likely to get into bed and bring up the worry again.”

Exercise in the morning or afternoon

Going to bed physically tired helps increase sleep quality. Ideally aim to exercise every day, even if it is a 20-minute walk in the park. If you do exercise, Breus advises not to exercise four hours before bedtime. 

Body temperature normally increases during the day and slowly drops during the night. When you exercise too close to bedtime, your core body temperature increases, which can give a wrong signal to the circadian rhythm that you need to be awake. Breus explains that giving time to let your body temperature cool down makes you more sleepy.

Prep the body for sleep

You want to make sure your body is set up for rest. Kilkenny recommends avoiding bright lights as they can disrupt your circadian rhythm and lower melatonin levels. This includes turning off all electronics an hour or two before bed and having the bedroom lights dimly lit or off completely. Try to use the time to meditate or read to put yourself in a relaxed state. 

Breus also says not to drink coffee past 2 PM. Caffeine has a mean half-life of five hours, meaning that by 7 PM, about half will be out of your system. Another beverage to limit is alcohol, as it is associated with poor quality sleep and frequent wakings throughout the night. If you decide to drink, Breus advises only consuming two drinks and having them three hours before bed.

It may take a while for your sleep schedule to adjust after a couple of bad nights, but it is possible. Although there are some cases where health problems may cause chronic insomnia. If you continue to have trouble sleeping or your insomnia gets worse, consider speaking with a therapist, sleep specialist, or your doctor to get to the root of the problem.

The post How to fix your sleep schedule without pulling an all-nighter appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Even the most powerful computers don’t last forever—otherwise we’d all still be running the PCs we had decades ago. But trying to figure out when a laptop or desktop has passed its sell-by date isn’t an exact science.

You might feel like applications and websites aren’t as snappy as they used to be, but it’s difficult to know for sure when you’re using your computer every day. Here we’re going to introduce some helpful tools that can be more objective in their assessments.

These tools should help you decide when it’s time to upgrade to a new computer, and when it’s time to give your current one a spring clean. We’ve also previously written about ways to speed up Windows, speed up macOS, and speed up your web browsing.

Built-in analysis tools

Both Windows and macOS come with built-in tools for monitoring system performance. On Windows, it’s Task Manager: Right-click on a blank area of the taskbar, then choose Task Manager. Under the Processes and Performance tabs you get a host of details about how your system’s resources are holding up under the software weight—so you could regularly note these figures week by week (or month by month) to look out for any kind of degradation.

Task Manager itself doesn’t keep any historical data, but a more advanced tool called Performance Monitor does—you can search for it and launch it from the Start menu. 

• Right-click on User Defined under Data Collector Sets.
• Choose New and Data Collector Set.
• Name the set, pick Create from a template, then click Next.
• Choose System Performance and Finish.

Using the Action and Start commands you can run a diagnostics check manually, or you can right-click on your new report, then choose Properties and Schedule to have it run automatically every so often.

Performance Monitor isn’t the most user-friendly of tools, so you might find it easier to just keep your own records of Task Manager activity—but if you do want to dig into these performance stats in more detail, it’s an option. If you need more help with the ins and outs of the tool, check out Microsoft’s Performance Monitor guide.

On macOS, the tool you want is Activity Monitor, which you can find by opening Finder and choosing Utilities from the Go menu. As with Task Manager, you can see how busy your system processor, memory, and drives are. There’s no easy way to log this data automatically though, so you’ll have to run Activity Monitor regularly and manually note down the figures you see, to check for performance issues over time.

Benchmarking tools

Third-party benchmarking tools put key components of your computer system to the test and report back on performance. The idea is you run them regularly, note down the scores, and then chart the scores over time to watch out for drops in performance. The tools we’ve listed here are free, but come with paid upgrades for more advanced features (like more extensive tests, and more comprehensive reports).

For Windows and macOS, Geekbench has long been one of the most reliable benchmarking programs out there, and it’ll give your system’s main processor (CPU) and graphics processor (GPU) a good workout. Cinebench is also cross-platform and worth a look, and is often used by professionals to stress test the CPU and GPU.

Disk drives are often the parts of computers that start to fail first, and you can get benchmarking software to look specifically at your system storage. We like CrystalDiskMark for Windows computers and Blackmagic Disk Speed Test for macOS: They’re both straightforward to use and will give you plenty of information about how your drives are holding up.

You may well spend a lot of your computing time inside a browsing window, and there are benchmarks to test browser performance too. Speedometer is a good place to start, as it’s been developed in association with all the major browser companies, but JetStream is another solid option that tests browser start up and website rendering times.

Recording key indicators

There’s nothing wrong with going slightly more basic with your tech: Get your stopwatch out (or the stopwatch on your phone), and time how long it takes for your computer to start up and shut down. These processes are both good barometers of how healthy your Windows or macOS machine is, and how much strain it’s under.

Of course, you’re going to have to do this over several days or weeks to spot if there’s a reduction in performance. Once you’ve got a few data points built up though—in a spreadsheet, maybe—you should have a useful indicator of how your computer’s performing and in which direction that performance is headed.

You can do this with applications as well, though the launch times will be quicker in this case, and any slowdown will be more gradual. If you’ve got a particularly demanding program on your system, like a video editor, you could look at this in particular—and measuring the time it takes to do other tasks, like rendering 4K video, could help as well.

For laptops, battery life can be timed in the same way, and is another indicator of the health of your computer: Components running slower and under more stress tend to use up battery power faster. If you’re measuring time between battery recharges though, make sure you’re doing the same activities on your computer to get a fair comparison (gaming will suck up a lot more battery power than emailing, for example).

The post How to check if your computer is slowing down over time appeared first on Popular Science.

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In Mondim de Basto, Portugal, travelers on a small group tour with Exodus Adventure Travels lean over a clear-as-glass river from a grassy bank, collecting water and squeezing it through a filter. When they’re done, that filter will be shipped off to a lab for analysis. The lab will catalog the DNA collected that indicates which species are found in local waterways–all in the name of filling gaps in global biodiversity data.

On an expedition off the coast of Greenland, cruisers on the small HX (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions) ship peer over the edge of a zodiac, watching for the moment as a white disk disappears beneath the waves so they can take a depth measurement and submit it using an app to scientists who can then study phytoplankton.

[ Related: How to become a citizen scientist—and when to leave it to the professionals ]

None of the individuals collecting this data are professional scientists; just ordinary travelers with a fierce curiosity and desire to leave the far-flung places they visit better than they found them by participating in citizen science. Data collection isn’t just for researchers–travelers are often perfectly suited to help bolster the dearth of data to be documented across scientific disciplines around the world.

While the term citizen science may sound amateur (how much reliable information can individuals without doctorates in chemistry or biology even contribute?), the areas of scientific study that utilize information gathered by everyday individuals span the gamut, from environmental science to marine biology.

And the data non-scientists are able to provide often proves invaluable.

In fact, one study showed that citizen-collected scientific data contributes, or could potentially contribute, to 40 percent of United Nations Sustainable Development goals. It offers grassroots organizations and small operations a way to access centralized knowledge, which is paramount in modern scientific communities and informs peer-reviewed studies and results in meaningful research.

One study from 2021 utilized citizen-collected data to help inform a paper on ocean transparency while another study from 2023 utilized publicly-collected data to study and report on algae blooms in natural waterways.

How does your summer vacation fit in? Seamlessly.

“We are privileged enough to spend a lot of time in extremely remote areas where conducting scientific research has very high costs and is often prohibitive for some scientists,” explains Marcos Goldin, geologist and citizen science coordinator at sustainably-minded expedition cruise line Aurora Expeditions.

So citizen science provides a way to collect and share data from not just easily-reachable fields of study, but across the globe, including in often underrepresented, neglected or hard-to-reach parts of the world where the greatest data gaps tend to exist. In short, travel, especially the kind that involves going off-the-beaten track, is the perfect excuse to collect and record meaningful data.

Learn while you play

But the value this information brings to the scientific community isn’t all citizen science projects are good for. “These programs also create unique opportunities for education, enhancing travelers’ understanding of the unique regions and ecosystems that we often visit, and their importance to the overall health of our planet,” Goldin says, referring to the social and environmental benefits that travel can have.

“There’s something about being on holiday and being an active participant and understanding your role as an individual that allows you to have a deeper connection to the community and places you visit,” says Rochelle Turner, head of sustainability at Exodus Adventure Travels, a tour company that offers a number of trips with a strong citizen science component. One includes collaborating with NatureMetrics in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to collect water samples in several destinations. The results from the samples feed into the eBioAtlas, a world-wide biodiversity database that maps the distribution of species around the world.

That database is made available to researchers and conservationists–locally and around the world–to help inform land and water management, provide a blueprint for healthy ecosystems, and update the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, highlight key biodiversity areas, and more.

Likewise, several small expedition cruises like Aurora Expeditions and HX offer science programs on their ships, everything from micro plastics studies in the arctic to whale or bird identification, many of which tend to add meaning to a trip and foster a closer connection to nature, highlighting why it needs to be protected and ultimately transform a destination, Turner says.

“We are all becoming increasingly more aware that travel is about much more than just visiting a new place,” adds Goldin. “We believe responsible travel should not only seek to respect the destination’s environment, but should also aim to make positive contributions and leave the place better than when we found it.”

Travelers are also able to see the results of their efforts, either in the reports Exodus sends to guests post-trip, by viewing phytoplankton under a microscope in the lab, or via regular updates when spotted wildlife makes an appearance somewhere else in the world.

Find a citizen science experience

Fortunately, more and more travel brands, from Linblad Expedition cruises to Intrepid Travel tours, offer citizen science departures in places ranging from polar regions to the Amazon.. Many sustainably-minded companies put citizen science projects front and center in their marketing, so they’re not hard to find.

I can do science all by myself

That said, you don’t need to book a dedicated tour or cruise to participate in citizen science projects when you travel. To contribute to many databases, all you need is your phone: There are many apps available for free that walk you through the process of logging information on everything from clouds to birds to whales.

Other projects, like collecting phytoplankton readings using a Secchi Disk, may require a few more tools.

[ Related: You can help measure the ocean’s health with this homemade gadget ]

If you are going it on your own, make sure to read instructions carefully and follow them to the letter. Most apps will walk you through the process. Then, use them as often as you like while you travel.

“By engaging in Citizen Science, we can truly create a positive impact for the places we visit and their future protection,” says Goldin.

The post How ordinary travelers can become citizen scientists appeared first on Popular Science.

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Right out of the box, you’ll notice that Apple’s macOS is sleek and elegant in its appearance. But there are numerous ways to tweak the operating system’s look, if you want something more in line with your tastes.

After all, you’re likely to spend a lot of time staring at macOS if you have a Mac, so it makes sense to get it looking the way you like. (You can also apply a similar set of customizations to Windows, by the way.)

Even if you don’t want to give your Mac a pixel-by-pixel makeover, it’s handy to know what customization options are available. And if you’re wary of change, note that any edits you make can be easily undone.

Change themes and colors in macOS

If you open up the Apple menu and then choose System Settings and Appearance, you’ll see you can pick between three main visual themes for macOS: Light, Dark, and Auto (which switches between Light and Dark automatically, depending on the Night Shift settings under Displays in System Settings).

You can then tweak the look of the theme in smaller ways:

• Select an Accent color to set the color used for emphasis on menus and in dialogs (the default multicolor option uses different colors in different programs).
• Click the Highlight color to set the color you see when text is highlighted in macOS—again this can be set to multicolor, which means it will vary between applications.

There are also options here for controlling when scroll bars appear on screen and how they behave when they do. Enable Allow wallpaper tinting in windows, and some apps will use a subtle shading effect in places, based on the colors in the wallpaper image you’ve set, which brings us neatly to…

Choose different Mac wallpapers

If you open the Apple menu then pick System Settings and head to the Wallpaper section, you can customize the backdrop image used by macOS. This will often be visible around the sides of your open program windows, so you want to choose something you find easy on the eye. Use something inspiring, or soothing, or fun—it’s up to you.

• Click any of the thumbnails shown to use images or videos provided by Apple—the videos are marked with a small playback button, and some of the images change their colors as your system changes between light and dark modes.
• Select Add Photo if you want to pick out an individual image from your system, or Add Folder or Album if you’d like to import a bunch of pictures at once. These are then available as thumbnails you can select.
• Pick any of the static colors if you’d rather use a single color as your wallpaper. If the shade you want isn’t there, click the + (plus) button to open a more detailed color selector.

With a wallpaper selected, you can use the options at the top of the dialog box to change how the picture is resized to fill the screen, if needed. If you’ve picked a video, you can also have it appear as the macOS screensaver—a static image is used for the desktop backdrop, and then the animated version shows up when the screensaver is enabled.

Modify text size and pointer size

Text and pointer formatting might not be the most exciting customizations you can make use of on your Mac, but it makes a big difference to the visual experience, and can also be really useful if you’re struggling to see the text at its default size on screen—something that’s more likely if you’ve got a high-resolution monitor hooked up. Open the Apple menu, then System Settings, then pick Accessibility and Display.

• Click on Text size (which will say Default if you haven’t changed it) to configure the size of text on screen. As well as setting an overall text size, you can apply a different setting for individual apps including Mail and Notes.
• Use the Pointer size slider to change the size of the mouse or trackpad pointer on screen (note you can also shake the pointer to make it larger, if you use it). There are also options for changing the pointer outline and fill color.

Other options on the same screen control the menu bar size, and the contrast and transparency used for various elements in macOS. You’re also able to adjust the overall display contrast, and this can all make items on screen easier to see.

Tweak the dock and menu bar

Besides the desktop, the dock (at the bottom) and the menu bar (at the top) are the other key elements that make up the macOS interface. You can make changes to the dock by opening the Apple menu, then choosing System Settings and Desktop & Dock.

• Right at the top you can change the size of items in the dock, and the magnification used when you hover over them.
• Click Position on screen to move the dock—it can be on the left or the right of the screen, as well as at the bottom.
• Use the Automatically hide and show the Dock toggle switch to set whether the dock stays visible permanently, or only when you hover over the relevant screen edge.
• Enable Show suggested and recent apps in Dock if you want to have these apps included in the list, as well as open apps and those you pin (right click on an icon in the dock and choose Options to do this).

There are fewer options for the menu bar, but if you open up Control Center from System Settings, you can choose which app and shortcut icons get shown in the menu bar, as well as have it automatically hide itself when not in use, like the dock.

The post Give your computer a makeover by customizing macOS appeared first on Popular Science.

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Live in an apartment without on-site laundry for a while and you’ll really learn to appreciate these super-convenient machines. Yet, we often overlook their need for care. A dirty washer won’t be able to clean our clothes very effectively, and a dryer that hasn’t received some TLC won’t dry efficiently. Plus, just like any other machine, without regular maintenance, they are liable to quit working much earlier than anticipated, leaving you with costly repairs or needing to replace the device entirely.

To keep your washer and dryer running efficiently and effectively, it’s important to commit to regular cleaning. Each manufacturer and model will have their own specific cleaning instructions, so it’s best to consult your manual. However, keep reading for general tips on how to clean your washer and dryer. 

How to clean your washer

Fortunately, cleaning your washing machine is mostly straightforward and doesn’t require any specialized tools or cleaners. Vinegar, with its highly acidic nature, is able to cut through dirt, oils, films, stains, and bacteria, all things you may find on the inside of your washer. Bleach is useful for more serious mold and mildew problems. Baking soda also comes in handy for stubborn areas that require scrubbing or for deodorizing stinky washers.

Beyond the above cleaning ingredients, you’ll also need a microfiber cloth or two, a spray bottle, and a small brush of some sort (a retired toothbrush is a great way to reuse something otherwise headed to the landfill). If things have been left unattended for too long, a spin scrubber may come in handy. 

How to quickly clean a washing machine

The inside of your washer is where most of the gunk and grime will live. While you may think that the detergent you use would keep things clean, but all that soap residue builds up over time. The damp environment is also a favorite of mold and mildew, which can be the cause of that funky smell you may notice. And, hard water, fibers from clothes, or pet hair, can add to clogs and stubborn grime. 

The quickest way to clean the washer drum is to use a spray bottle to spritz vinegar all around and use a microfiber cloth to wipe every surface down. You can also use some baking soda and a brush to scrub areas that may have a bit of extra grime. Don’t forget to also wipe any gaskets and seals around the washer, getting in all the nooks and crannies, as those can trap moisture, leading to mold and mildew. To clean front-loading washers, which are more prone to mildew because of the rubber gaskets, a white microfiber cloth with some bleach and dish soap may be necessary, especially around those pesky gaskets. 

After a good wipe down (and don’t forget the exterior), you can run the machine empty with a hot water cycle to prevent build-up. 

How to deep clean a top-loading washer

While the quick washer cleaning method above is excellent for regular maintenance, it’s not a substitute for a deep clean. Deep cleans are necessary for washing machines that have started to develop a less-than-pleasant smell but also should be tackled regularly, albeit less frequently, as the quick method. 

To deep clean a top-loading washing machine, set the machine to its highest water level and temperature setting. Pour four cups of white vinegar into the drum and start a cycle. Once the drum fills with water and the cycle has barely started, pause the machine. Allow the hot water and vinegar to soak in the machine for an hour. Start the machine, and when it’s gone through the first rinse cycle, pause the machine again to add one cup of baking soda. Start the machine and let it run through the rest of the cycle. Once complete, leave the top open to let it dry out. 

If your machine has a dispenser for detergent, fabric softener, and bleach, be sure to also clean that area, as those dispensers can experience a lot of build-up. For a deep clean, remove the tray and wipe everything down with vinegar, rinse, and let dry. Don’t forget to clean inside the compartment where the tray goes, as well. A brush will come in handy to get into all the corners. 

How to deep clean a front-load washer

Front-loading washing machines require slightly different cleaning methods, though the general principle is the same. It also depends on how dirty the washer is, as more aggressive measures may be necessary for extra stinky machines. 

As with top-loading machines, choose the highest water level and temperature settings. Pour in at least one cup of white vinegar and let it run through a cycle. If your washer is stinky, use a quart of bleach instead of the white vinegar. Once the cycle has finished, wipe the gaskets with a little bleach or vinegar on a microfiber cloth and leave the door open so that the machine can dry out. Finally, like top-loading machines, don’t forget to clean the detergent dispenser. 

How to clean the washer drain and filter

Two often overlooked areas when cleaning a washer are the drain and filter. These can get clogged, which is not good for the life of your washer. 

To clean the drain, make sure the washing machine is off. Then, disconnect the drain from the pipe or from the back of the machine if it drains into a laundry room sink. Once disconnected, place it in an empty tub or bucket to collect any water that drains out. Then, check to see if there is any gunk inside, and dislodge it with a drain snake or long, skinny brush. Once cleared out, soak the drain in vinegar to remove any mildew. Don’t forget to also clean the drain opening on the back of the machine as well. You can also use a brush with some baking soda to scrub stubborn areas. Finally, wipe away any residue with a damp cloth, and connect everything. 

Not all washing machines have filters, so you may not need to worry about cleaning that. In fact, most top-load washers made after 2001 don’t have filters. Be sure to check your machine’s manual (you can search for it online if you no longer have a paper copy) to find out if you have a filter and where it is located. Filters are found in a range of locations, including the front of the machine behind a small hatch, at the end of the drainage hose, under the cover of the center agitator, or along the top rim of the drum. 

If your machine does have a filter, carefully remove it, spritz it with vinegar, brush it, and rinse it off. It’s also a good idea to wipe the filter holder with a cloth for a thorough cleaning.

How often should you clean your washer?

We recommend wiping down your washing machine roughly once a month to help prevent build-up. A deep clean should be performed every three to six months. 

How to clean a dryer

Once your washer is in top shape, it’s time to tackle the dryer. Without proper maintenance, your dryer can lose efficiency over time, leaving you to run it longer, adding to your electricity bill. Also, about one-third of house fires are a result of clogged dryer vents, so keeping your dryer clean is extremely important for safety reasons.

To clean your dryer, you’ll need some basic supplies, most of which are the same as what you need to clean a washer. You’ll want a microfiber cloth, water and vinegar spray, a brush, a vacuum with a hose, and a screwdriver. 

Clean the lint trap

First, tackle the lint trap. To perform a deep clean of the lint trap, remove the screen and vacuum the interior of the lint trap with a crevice tool. You can even get hoses that are specifically designed for this that go quite deep if you are worried there is lint stuck lower than you can reach with a standard vacuum attachment. 

If you use dryer sheets or fabric softeners, it is likely there will be some buildup on the lint trap. To clean this, use a small brush like a toothbrush dipped in warm, soapy water to scrub the mesh. Be sure to let it dry completely before putting it back in the machine. 

Clean the dryer drum

Like a washing machine, the dryer drum can accumulate residue. That’s especially true if you use dryer sheets or fabric softeners. To clean off that residue, dip a soft cloth into warm water and dish soap and rub it clean. You can also use a spray of equal parts white vinegar and water. Follow up with a damp sponge or towel. Finally, either leave the door open so it can dry completely or run a load of clothes or towels to dry it out. 

Clean the vent duct and exterior vent

Once the lint trap is clean, turn off and unplug the dryer. If you use a gas dryer, close the shut-off valve in the gas supply line, then disconnect and cap the line pipe before cleaning. Then, you’ll want to pull out the dryer for easier access to the vent duct. 

To clean the vent duct, unscrew the vent clamps with a screwdriver or remove the tape that attaches the vent to the back of the dryer. Remove large pieces of lint with your hands, then use a dryer cleaning brush or a vacuum to clean the rest out, including anything trapped in crevices. 

It’s also important to occasionally check the exterior vent, which you will find either on the roof or on the side of the house. As with the inside, remove large pieces of lint with your hand, then use a dryer cleaning brush or vacuum to remove the rest. 

Once you have the vent system cleaned, reattach the vent by re-clamping or re-taping it to the back of the dryer. You can then push it back into place and plug it back in. The final step is to run the dryer empty for 10 to 15 minutes to remove any excess dust that may have been kicked up during the cleaning process. 

How often should you clean your dryer? 

First, to prevent fires and maintain efficient drying, be sure that you clean your lint trap after every single load. Then, you’ll want to deep clean the lint screen and screen holder about every six months. Cleaning the dryer vent and ducts can be tackled less frequently, roughly once every two years. 

The post How to clean your washer and dryer (and why you should) appeared first on Popular Science.

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Public libraries are a community effort: A small percentage of your local taxes pays for books, other resources, and a gathering place available to everyone who lives in your town or city. All you need for access is a free library card. 

Your local library offers books, of course, and you probably know that you can generally also borrow ebooks. Many libraries offer ebooks using Libby, which is one of the best apps for reading on your phone. That could, in theory, replace an ebooks subscription service like Kindle Unlimited. But what about the other subscriptions that you’re paying for? There’s a good chance you could save money on those services by utilizing the library system you already pay into.

Every library is different, and not every library is going to offer all of the services outlined here. You will have to check the website for your local library—or head to the library and ask someone—to find out what your library has to offer. It’s also worth noting that some libraries (including the Brooklyn, Seattle, and Boston Public Libraries) allow teens and young adults from out of state to apply for a card and use their digital services as part of Books Unbanned. In other places, you can quickly get a library card online. Both options are worth exploring, but I also recommend physically visiting a local library as well.

All that said, here are some common subscriptions that could be replaced with a library card. 

BluRays, DVDs, and Kanopy can replace Netflix and other streaming services

Remember video stores? Before streaming services took over, local shops and big chains offered DVDs and Blu-Rays that you could rent for a couple of days. You might think places like that don’t exist anymore, but you’re wrong: Local libraries have taken up the mantle. Most public libraries in the US have at least some movies and TV shows to check out, and if not, you can likely request them from other branches. If you’re paying for Netflix to watch older shows and movies, you might be able to borrow them from the library instead (you could also, in theory, back up Blu-Rays that you borrow so you can watch them on TVs and tablets lacking an optical drive). 

If actually going to the library sounds like too much work, you’re not entirely out of luck. Many local libraries offer access to Kanopy, which features many critically acclaimed movies and TV shows. It’s not an outright Netflix replacement (it skews high-brow), but open it and you’ll find something worth watching. It’s a great supplement for regular trips to the physical library, where you can borrow discs to watch everything else. 

Free audiobooks can replace Audible

Listening to books is a great way to “read” while doing something else, so it’s no wonder that services like Audible are so popular. Here’s the thing, though: Your local library is already paying for audiobooks. There are also likely shelves of audio book CDs you can borrow right now. 

[Related: CDs are cool again. Here’s how to rip them.]

Or, if you’d prefer not to handle a disc, most libraries offer audiobooks via Libby or similar services, allowing you to listen on your phone. The only real downside is that, like with ebooks, you will need to wait for an audiobook to be available before you can listen. In my experience this is only a problem if you’re trying to listen to new releases, or a book recently recommended somewhere prominent, and even then you usually won’t wait more than a few weeks. 

Magazine and newspaper access could replace Apple News

Many libraries, in addition to books, have a room where you can read paper copies of magazines, newspapers, and other print media. As a journalist who mostly works online I enjoy spending the occasional afternoon seeing what’s going on in the world of print journalism. The problem: You generally can’t check such publications out.

Libraries have started supplementing in-person access to news with online subscriptions like Press Reader, which offer hundreds of magazines and (mostly international) newspapers. Some libraries also offer online access to The New York Times and similar publications. Because the libraries are paying for access, you can read subscription publications while also supporting them. 

Tables and conference rooms can replace co-working spaces

Any decent library has an assortment of desks, tables, and even couches for reading and studying. I’ve always worked from home but sometimes want to get out of the house—the library is great for this. Unlike coffee shops there’s no expectation to buy anything, which is something I appreciate a great deal. And some libraries even offer meeting rooms that you can book, which means they can be a decent alternative to paying for a co-working space that you only occasionally use. I can’t recommend it enough. 

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