An F1 season concluded last weekend with more drama than Netflix producers could dream of, and neither the service nor the racing series will be complaining. The documentary-style series Formula 1: Drive to Survive has massively expanded the F1 fan base since its debut in 2019, thanks to cinematic behind-the-scenes access to drivers, teams and tactics from the previous season. "Nowhere has that effect been more obvious than in America," Slater writes.
Louise Matsakis, Meaghan Tobin and Wency Chen, Rest of World
When an influencer posts a thrift store find, it becomes the latest fashion trend. Fast fashion companies seize quickly on what's popular on social media and Shein has created a billion-dollar business doing just that.
As part of its years-long podcast push, Spotify has been constantly adding new features for users on top of steadily expanding its library of 3.2 million shows. Today, the service is debuting yet another tool for listeners to offer feedback on the podcasts they listen to: ratings. The company says the ability to offer 1-5 star ratings will roll out to users "over the coming days." The feature will be available in all markets where podcasts are available on the streaming service.
Spotify says features like its podcast charts have helped users find new shows, and the same goes for the service's personalized recommendations. However, until now, there was no real way for listeners to see what other people thought of a show in the company's apps. The star rating system will be familiar to podcast listeners as platforms like Apple Podcasts also use the scoring metric. Like Apple, Spotify will display the number of ratings in parenthesis beside the average score on each show's page. Of course, the system will also allow creators to see how their podcast is performing among listeners, directly from the people who are listening to the show.
As COVID-19 rages throughout the world, global supply chains are stretched thin. By now you've heard the conditions created a global chip shortage that has affected many companies. What you probably haven't heard are first-hand accounts of how the push to keep factories open turned tragic for many families.
Birds aren't real. They've been replaced by drones, used by the US government to spy on us. Meet the latest conspiracy theory that's gaining popularity on Instagram, TIkTok and YouTube.
Life360 is a popular option for parents to keep an eye on their children via phone location, but the app is selling that data, on both adults and kids, to several companies that peddle such sensitive info to any and all buyers.
When it comes to noise cancelling headphones, there are several effective options that will get the job done. It’s putting together great audio quality with powerful noise blocking abilities and other handy features that cause many companies to stumble. The likes of Bose and Sony have damn near perfected the craft while the rest of the pack attempts to usurp them. Yamaha is the latest to throw rocks at the throne by adding a collection of 3D sound options of its latest headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC). The YH-L700A has unique qualities, but $499.95 is a high price for Yamaha’s latest blend of design and features.
Yamaha created a unique aesthetic for the YH-L700A. Opting for square earcups over the typical oval shape. They’re immediately striking – for better or worse. But, the combination of leather, fabric, matte black plastic and silver accents create a refined look. The company also decided to attach the headband at the front of the earcups rather than at the center. This doesn’t make a massive difference in terms of comfort, but it does mean the headband sits further forward on the top of your head. Earcups swivel flat and fold in for easy storage, which makes the YH-L700A a decent option for travel.
There are no touch controls here,Yamaha chose to go with physical buttons instead. On the back edge of the right earcup are power and 3D Sound Field buttons, with the former doubling as the Bluetooth pairing control and the latter allowing you to cycle through presets. On the outside of the right earcup, a small leather-covered panel holds buttons for volume, track controls, play/pause and activating a voice assistant. Those last two options are in the middle (single and double press, respectively) while the two outside arrow buttons adjust volume with a single press or skip tracks with a press and hold. Unfortunately these are difficult to find; they're not embossed deep enough to feel them easily. Over on the left, there’s a single button on the back edge for noise cancelling mode. A single press cycles between ANC, ambient sound and off.
The main attraction on the YH-L700A is Yamaha’s 3D Sound Field feature, complete with head tracking. Basically, the company has developed a collection of seven audio presets for music and movies or shows: cinema, drama, music video, concert hall, outdoor live, audio room and background music. Each one “transforms stereo sound into three-dimensional listening,” according to Yamaha, adjusting the parameters for each virtual environment in an effort to make things sound more immersive. Another aspect of this setup is dynamic head tracking, which gives the illusion of the audio coming from a stationary point in space when you move. It’s a bit weird for music, in my opinion, but it does add something to more cinematic viewing sessions.
It’s obvious that 3D Sound Field significantly tweaks the audio on every preset. However, all of the filters are very heavy handed, drastically changing the EQ and other parameters to the point that none of them work well across genres. Outdoor live, for example, accurately creates the feeling of being at a festival, with the heavy bass and subdued vocals you’d experience in real life. It’s okay for things like metal and rock, but for softer more acoustic styles it’s not great. If you listen to a wide range of music you’ll need to change presets when you venture to a new genre. Oddly enough, the cinema preset is the best all-around setting for tunes. Almost all of the music presets are loaded with reverb, which works for something like the concert hall preset, but it becomes exhausting elsewhere. All of the options recreate their stated venue, it’s just that none of them are really pleasant to listen to for an entire album’s worth of tunes.
When it comes to movies and television, the cinema and drama options are quite nice. There’s no content that highlights this prowess better than Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive. With a mix of spoken interviews, auto racing and dramatic overtures, there’s a lot for headphones and speakers to handle. The YH-L700A does well with the dimensional sound that’s typically best served by a Dolby Atmos setup in your living room. Everything sounds spacious, and the directional roar of the cars comes through nicely.
Without 3D Sound Field, the YH-L700A is an average sounding set of noise cancelling headphones. There’s good clarity and detail, but the mid-range can be overbearing when you’re listening to a full band. There’s decent, punchy bass but a shot of treble would go a long way here to round out the sound and cut through the chaos of songs like Underoath’s “Damn Excuses.” At times, the lack of highs creates an unpleasant muddy mess. Even with more acoustic genres like bluegrass, upright bass dominates with the other strings taking a backseat. That’s the case throughout much of Sturgill Simpson’s The Ballad of Dood & Juanita. It’s obvious Yamaha was intent on making its 3D audio feature sound good, it’s too bad the “regular” listening experience is mediocre at best.
The YH-L700A packs active noise cancellation, complete with an ambient sound mode that allows you to tune into your surroundings as needed. Like Apple and others, Yamaha outfitted its ANC setup with tech that can adjust the audio to changes in wear. The so-called Listening Optimizer takes measurements every 20 seconds to pick up any variances in seal and air leakage. The headphones can then adjust the sound to account for any issues. While I don’t have any way to measure how effective this is, I can tell you that overall, the ANC gets the job done. It’s not as powerful as the likes of Bose or Sony, but most of the time it’s good enough.
Lastly, there’s a Listening Care feature that attempts to maintain decent sound quality even when you listen at lower volumes. Typically, and to the detriment of our collective hearing health, headphones sound the best at medium high to high volumes. With the YHL700A, Yamaha says Listening Care analyzes sound to keep a full range at low volume. It accounts for changes in background noise during the process, to offer the best possible audio no matter how loud. And while it’s not as consistent as the company would have you believe, rock tunes maintain a decent frequency range well below 50 percent volume. You do lose some detail, as expected, but it’s still perfectly listenable at those levels.
Billy Steele/Engadget
The marquee features can be enabled or disabled from Yamaha’s headphones app. There are options for 3D Sound Field, head tracking, Listening Care, Listening Optimizer and noise cancellation. You can also select your preferred 3D preset from your phone as well as adjust (or disable) the auto power-off timer. The software displays your battery percentage too, so you’re not left wondering what the “battery level high” voice prompt means when you power up the headphones.
Battery life is a major sticking point with these headphones. During my initial tests, I managed just ten and half hours with both ANC and 3D sound enabled and head tracking off. That’s 30 minutes shy of the company’s 11-hour projection. Sure, that’s a lot of tech at work simultaneously, but most flagship noise-cancelling headphones are pushing 30 or more hours of use on a charge. Yamaha says this is possible if you disable the Sound Field tech, extending the expected battery life to 34 hours. The range with the YH-L700A at full strength should be at least 15 hours to justify the asking price. The company released a firmware update ostensibly to improve battery life during the course of my review, but the results didn’t change with ANC and 3D sound both active.
In terms of the movie- and 3D-focused competition, a few options come to mind. Apple’s AirPods Max feature dynamic head tracking and support spatial audio through Dolby Atmos and Atmos Music. It doesn’t have a selection of presets to help you fine-tune things ready at the press of a button, but there is an adaptive EQ that maintains sound quality as conditions and external noises change. AirPods Max also offers the most natural sounding transparency mode out of any headphones I’ve tested. However, they’re still $479, although we’ve seen them as low as $429 recently.
Billy Steele/Engadget
Sony’s WH-1000XM4 is another excellent alternative. The company’s flagship model is packed with handy features like pausing when you speak, quick attention mode and the ability to automatically adjust noise cancelling settings based on activity or location. The 1000XM4 equally impresses in the sound and ANC departments, including support for 360 Reality Audio via supported streaming services, making them our top overall choice for headphones right now. They don’t pack in dynamic head tracking, but they will save you significant money at the current going rate of $248 (full price: $350).
Yamaha has crafted an interesting proposition with its YH-L700A headphones. The company attempted to equally cater to both cinephiles and music nerds with features that work for both movies and television alongside options for casual listening. Battery life with the most attractive tools enabled is disappointing for a set of $500 headphones and the presets would benefit from some restraint. A fully customizable EQ and a slight bump in the battery department would go a long way to justifying the high price here, but for now, Yamaha has a solid set of headphones in need of some fine tuning.
Mark Zuckerberg is building a metaverse. Jack Dorsey resigned from Twitter and is focused on blockchain and crypto. The Atlantic's Charlie Warzel argues that two of the biggest figures in online culture focusing their ambitions on "the escape pod" is a sure sign this "iteration of the internet" nears its end.
A $110 bag of dirt was marketed by Black Oxygen Organics as a way to improve brain function, heart health and rid the body of toxins. It took off as an internet-based multi-level marketing scheme before people started debunking claims of wellness benefits. Turns out, samples exceeded daily limits for lead and arsenic if multiple doses were taken.
Have you resorted to subtitles to help you follow dialogue in a movie because you can't hear it clearly? You're not alone, and it's not because you're suffering from hearing loss. There are a number of reasons for low talking, and thankfully, there are also a few ways to give yourself some relief.
In early December, Spotify rolls out its Wrapped year-in-review so that users can relive their go-to artists, songs and podcasts from the last several months. Today, the service is debuting the 2021 installment with some familiar features and a number of new additions, both of which are personalized to each listener's streaming habits. Like before, you'll get all the info on your top artists, genres, songs, podcasts and total minutes listened with the ability to share those details on Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and, for the first time ever, TikTok.
With Wrapped 2021, Spotify is once again using the stories-style format it revealed last year. The company is continuing to make this personalized retrospective exclusive to its mobile apps on iOS and Android. Here, you'll get all of your stats along with a number of playlists the service will build based on your months of listening. Those include Your Top Songs 2021 and Your Artists Revealed, appearing alongside service-wide lists for the Top Tracks and Top Artists of the year. Spotify has also compiled playlists for its library of podcasts, including Best Episodes of 2021 and Best New Podcasts of 2021, to help you discover what was popular in the world of episodic content.
Spotify
In terms of new features, Spotify has added a "2021: The Movie" section to the Wrapped story carousel. This assigns songs from your activity to opening credits, a training montage and dance-off of a theoretical film for your 2021 music habits. Spotify also added "Your Audio Aura" that displays colors based on your go-to music moods — like "confident" and "bold." The story section includes a Two Truths game as well, where you are presented with three potential facts about what you listened to most with the goal of trying to pick out the lie. Lastly, the company is leveraging its Blend feature that compares your music with a friend's listening activity. For Wrapped, Blend will analyze your year of streaming with someone you know to mind commonalities.
Alongside Wrapped, Spotify has also announced the most popular artists on the platform for 2021. For the second straight year, Bad Bunny took the top spot globally, amassing over 9.1 billion streams this year. Olivia Rodrigo's "drivers license" and SOUR were the global top song and top album, respectively. And a revelation that shouldn't be too shocking: The Joe Rogan Experience, a Spotify exclusive, was the top podcast both globally and in the US. For the full breakdown of what was popular in 2021, check out Spotify's full lists here.
The 2021 edition of Wrapped is rolling out to all users today in Spotify's iOS and Android apps.
Bose has done exactly that with its QuietComfort line of noise-cancelling headphones — and for good reason. The QC35 and QC35 II set the bar for active noise cancellation (ANC) when it comes to wireless over-ear cans. Bose’s powerful ANC blocks out more ambient roar than nearly all of the competition and the QuietComfort’s reliable controls meant they were a joy to use on long flights. Still, the QC35 II debuted in 2017 and technology has progressed a lot since then. Still, Bose managed to keep most of what made the line so popular while making a few minor updates with the QuietComfort 45 ($329). As it turns out, you don’t need fancy new features to make your headphones unique.
Design
In terms of aesthetics, there’s almost nothing new to report here. Bose was clear that the idea was to keep the trademark QuietComfort series design intact. The company did remove the pleats around the ear pads to clean things up, and it closed open spaces for a smoother look. It also swapped out the micro-USB port for modern USB-C charging. Overall though, you could easily mistake the QC45 for a pair of QC35 or QC35 II headphones.
The QC45’s ear cups still rotate and fold in for easy storage, and both the ear pads and headband remain soft and cushiony. On the right, the power and pairing slider is on the outside of the ear cup while on-board controls are along the back edge. These physical buttons give you the ability to play/pause, take calls, skip tracks and adjust volume. In the same spot on the left, what used to be the Google Assistant and Alexa button now cycles between active noise cancellation (Quiet mode) and ambient sound (Aware mode). If you press this button during a call, it will mute the mics. You can still summon your assistant of choice, but you now do so by holding down the center multi-function button on the right side instead.
If you want something that’s a bit less of a “dad on a business trip” vibe, but still desire Bose’s sound quality and ANC chops, you’ll want to look at the Bose 700 (more on those in a bit). Those have a more modern design. However, the entire point of the QuietComfort series is to keep you comfy for hours at a time while blocking out the world. The QC45 continues to do just that with its lightweight design that packs easy and is an excellent travel companion.
Software and features
Like other Bose headphones and earbuds, the QuietComfort 45 work with the company’s Music app. The software doesn’t offer much in terms of customization, but it will guide you through the on-board controls, display battery life, allow you to change ANC modes and switch between connected Bluetooth devices. There’s also a volume slider and a basic media controller, both of which you probably won’t need. What you are able to adjust does actually come in handy though. You can choose between four levels of Self Voice, or the amount of yourself you can hear in the headphones during calls (off, low, medium and high). This helps you be less shouty on Zoom, which is always nice. You can also adjust how long the QC45 will sit idle before automatically powering off to conserve battery.
Billy Steele/Engadget
That’s really it. Bose doesn’t offer the ability to tweak the EQ or even a select of presets to adjust the sound profile. Instead, the QC45 is equipped with a volume-optimized Active EQ feature that automatically adjusts highs and lows to maintain performance at all levels. There’s really no need to reassign any of the controls and features like automatic pausing or voice recognition aren’t available. This means the Music app is potentially something you’ll visit during initial setup, and never again.
Lastly, there’s one thing with the multi-device connectivity that I found frustrating. You can connect the QC45 to both your phone and your computer at the same time. This way when you’re working, you’re tuned into Slack and Spotify, but the headphones automatically switch over when you get a call. However, when that call is finished, the QC45 remains connected to your phone and you have to tap to get your computer back to the active stream. It’s a small nuisance, but when competitors do this automatically, it sticks out.
Sound quality
You might be considering a set of Bose headphones just for their noise cancelling chops, but don’t overlook the sound quality. The company has a decent track record with tuning, typically offering warm, balanced sound with good clarity that highlights details of the music. That continues with the QuietComfort 45 as these headphones handle all genres well, offering crisp highs, robust mids and deep bass when a song demands it. The tuning here is more even-handed than what Sony offers on its flagship model, so don’t expect booming low-end.
That being said, there’s ample bass for albums like Run The Jewels’ RTJ4 and Chvrches’ Screen Violence. The difference with Bose is that the low end doesn’t have the same depth or detail as other sets. The basslines of “Walking In The Snow” and “Asking For A Friend” don’t drone or oscillate with the same immersive quality as the competition. With more balanced tuning, and thanks to how well they handle details, the QC45 is well-suited for all genres — from metal to bluegrass and everything in between. They can get loud when you need them to and there’s enough depth to keep things from any semblance of flat or boring.
The most notable changes to sound on the QC45 were actually made to the active noise cancellation. Bose says a combination of external and internal microphones work with a "proprietary digital chip” to detect and silence more mid-range frequencies. The company explains that this should cover things like office noise, the roar of a train or the hum of a coffee shop. Indeed, these headphones are better at blocking the distractions the competition struggles with. I noticed the QC45 handled things like the TV and other sounds around the house with ease — including human voices on their own work calls. ANC performance was never an issue with Bose headphones, but the company has managed to improve on what was already top tier.
Ambient sound or Aware mode is also a new addition to the QC45. Something like this is a staple of most headphones nowadays, so it’s nice to see Bose include it. It doesn’t sound anywhere close to as natural as the AirPods Max, but it gets the job done when you need to hear what’s going on around you. The ability to adjust how much of your voice you hear on calls is also handy, since it looks like we’ll still be spending a good portion of our lives on video calls.
Battery life
Bose promises up to 24 hours on a charge with the QC45, four more than the QC35 II. Obviously, that’s long enough to take any commercial flight in the world, or to get you through a few full work days with ease. During my tests using a mix of ANC and ambient sound for both music and calls, I managed 22.5 hours before having to plug in. That’s slightly under the stated figure, but still quite a long time.
If you find yourself in a pinch, Bose has included a quick-charge feature that gives you three hours of playtime in 15 minutes. It’s more than enough to get you through your commute home, a workout or a Zoom call.
The competition
Billy Steele/Engadget
Bose has an attractive alternative to the QC45 in its own product lineup: the Bose 700. The 2019 model offers the company’s robust ANC along with impressive voice quality for calls, even in noisy environments. You can also set the level of noise cancellation between 0 and 10. The 700 has reliable touch controls instead of physical buttons and a design that’s more modern than the QC series. They’re more expensive at $379 and the treble can be harsh at times, which isn’t great when there’s no option in the app to adjust it. Still, if looks are important to you, these are a worthy alternative.
Sony has been giving Bose a run for its money over the last few years. The company’s latest flagship noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000XM4, keeps that pace. Sony packs in so many handy features on top of powerful ANC and excellent sound quality. The WH-1000XM4 can automatically adjust noise cancelling based on your activity or location and speak-to-chat, along with quick-attention mode, offers a convenient way to have a quick convo. Plus, automatic pausing, multi-device connectivity and support for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio may sweeten the deal. When you consider you can sometimes find these available for $100 less than the full asking price of around $350, the 1000XM4 becomes even more enticing.
Wrap-up
Bose is clearly catering to QuietComfort fans with the QC45. The new model maintains everything that makes this line of headphones so popular with noteworthy upgrades to noise cancellation. It’s also apparent that Bose is content to put its latest tech to work in entirely separate models like the 700, keeping the QC family going as long as there’s still demand for it. And if I had to guess, the clamoring will remain for quite some time. If Bose can manage to get the price closer to $300, future QuietComfort headphones become an even more intriguing proposition.
Spotify may not be the first service that comes to mind when you think of blocking other users. However, the streaming app's features could mean someone you no longer jive with can still access your playlists or activity. Today the company is massively updating how you block another user on its platform, giving you the ability to do so yourself for the first time. Before now, you had to contact customer service to get the job done, but now you can complete the task on Spotify app from a desktop or mobile device.
Users have been clamoring for a way to directly block others for quite some time. In 2018, the company designated a block feature as a "good idea," although it wasn't officially on a product roadmap and no timeline for arrival was given. In 2019, Spotify began allowing users to block artists they never wanted to hear with a "Don't play this artist" option. Still, there wasn't an option to keep your ex or anyone else you didn't want to see your stuff from doing so unless you reached out to the company for help.
To block someone on Spotify, simply visit their profile and click the ... button. Select "Block," or "Block User" on mobile, and that person will no longer be able to access your page, public playlists or see your listening activity. As you might expect, there's an "Unblock" option should you ever change your mind.
Spotify says the introduction of a direct blocking feature is part of its ongoing mission to give users the best experience it can while fostering a safe environment for them to listen to music and podcasts. You can expect the new functionality to start rolling out this week.
When it comes to improving audio for your wired headphones, a USB DAC (digital to analog converter) can do wonders for sound quality. However, a lot of them are large enough they need to say on your desk. THX built a USB-C version to remedy this, with the tiny Onyx clocking in at about the size of a thumb drive. And the connectivity means you can use it with both your computer or your phone. After only being available through Razer before, THX's DAC is now available through Amazon and it's currently on sale for $50 off the original asking price of $200.
The THX Onyx supports master-quality audio content and LEDs indicate which format you’re listening to — standard, high resolution, Direct Stream Digital (DSD) and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA). Inside, the Onyx packs a THX AAA-78 amplifier chip: the highest-powered mobile THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier configuration. THX says the AAA-78 makes the Onyx just as powerful as a desktop DAC or amplifier setup, but obviously it's much smaller. The chip reduces three types of distortion by up to 40dB and maximizes output power for more dynamic range and sound pressure level (SPL).
THX's sale on the Onyx runs through November 29th. The discounted price will only be available at Amazon.
This holiday, why not encourage friends and family to expand their coffee-consuming horizons. We’ve compiled a list of the best gifts for coffee nerds you can buy this year, with options for brewing, drinking and more. And if that special someone isn’t into java, we’ve got gifts that will work just fine for tea drinkers too.
Aeropress Go
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
The Aeropress is a fun way to make a single cup of coffee at home with an apparatus that doesn’t take up much space in the cabinet. It’s a versatile brewer that allows you to experiment with different times and strengths as you go. I like to use it to brew a double-strength cup directly over ice whenever I forget to make cold brew. For the coffee nerd on your list that has a regular setup already, the Aeropress makes a great gift. And the Aeropress Go is even more compact. It tucks neatly inside a cup that you can brew directly into and is perfect for camping and travel. — Billy Steele, Senior News Editor
Coffee isn’t everyone’s caffeinated drink of choice, and Adagio’s Simplicitea starter set is a thoughtful gift to give the tea lover in your life. It includes a 12-ounce Borosilicate glass teapot with a stainless steel lid and mesh rim, allowing them to brew loose leaf tea and pour all from one vessel. And you can choose the type of tea they like the best — black, green, herbal or a best-sellers mixture — to accompany the new pot. Serious tea aficionados probably already have their preferred brewing tools, but this set is a great option for anyone looking to step back from traditional tea bags and dip their toes into the wide world of loose leaf tea. — Valentina Palladino, Commerce Editor
While there are more affordable coffee grinders out there, few of them have achieved the workhorse status of the Baratza Encore. The conical burr design offers consistently even grinds with 40 size settings for a variety of brewing methods. The hopper holds eight ounces of whole beans and it’s clear so you can see exact supply levels at a glance. It’s simple, easy to use and will help the coffee geek on your list produce some truly outstanding brews. — B.S.
I’ve been a big fan of Brumate’s wares since I bought myself a Hopsulator Trio for a beach vacation a few years ago. I still use it all the time, during both warm and cool months. However, when the temperatures begin to dip, I tend to reach for hot beverages more often, so Brumate’s Toddy insulated mug is a better option. The cup works well to keep drinks hot or cold and the trademark feature is the spill-proof lid. That thing has saved me from massive cleanup more times than I can count. The regular Toddy can hold 16 ounces while the Toddy XL doubles the capacity to 32 ounces. Plus, it’s a gift someone on your list can use year-round. — B.S.
A good kettle is essential if you want to up your home-brewing game, and it can help make a bunch of other things too like tea, ramen and more. Cosori’s Gooseneck Electric Kettle packs most crucial features into a relatively compact kettle that’s also priced right at $70. Goosenecks can be intimidating but they give you much more control when pouring over a Chemex, and we think Cosori’s, with its matte black finish, also looks pretty nice on most countertops. It has a stainless steel interior and five temperature presets so you can easily get the perfect temperature for things like green tea, black coffee and more. Plus, the “hold temp” option lets you set and forget the water for a bit; you can turn it on before you start your morning routine and come back to perfectly heated water, ready for whatever’s picking you up that morning. — V.P.
I’ll be honest: when I first saw the original Ember travel mug, I thought it was a bit ridiculous. Most insulated tumblers are capable of keeping your brew warm long enough for you to drink it. However, my mindset changed pretty quickly when I got the Mug 2 for Father’s Day. The rechargeable cup keeps your coffee or tea warmed to a desired temperature that you set in the Ember app. Battery life could be better, but it gets the job done. And when you need to, you can dock it on the charging base to replenish the power source. — B.S.
For something a little less tech-heavy, the Carter Everywhere Mug from Fellow is one of my current favorites. It keeps coffee warm and cold brew cold even without the lid on. When closed, it can keep drinks warm for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. There’s a nice lip around the top that offers an enjoyable sipping experience. Sounds weird, I know, but I’m not being dramatic when I say this mug is a joy to drink out of. The interior is also coated in ceramic, so you don’t get that metallic taste a lot of travel mugs impart. — B.S.
It may seem odd to give a cold brew pitcher as a holiday gift, but trust me, when that person makes their first batch, they’ll be thanking you all over again — no matter what time of year it is. I’ve been using the Hario Mizudashi for several years now. In fact, I have two just to make sure I have enough cold brew on hand during the summer. The real key here is the removable basket. You can take that out after an overnight soak, rinse it under warm water and the rest of the pitcher is there to store your coffee until you need it. — B.S.
If you’re shopping for a pour over fan who could use a few extra minutes in the morning to do something besides manual brewing, Technivorm’s Moccamaster line is worth a look. They’re pricey coffee makers, but they simulate the action of pour-over-style brewing without all of the… well, pouring. The outlet arm pulses water over the brew basket rather than a steady stream like most automatic coffee makers. The KBGT also has a thermal carafe and automatically pauses the brewing cycle when you need an early refill. — B.S.
What do you get the coffee nerd who has everything? Well, we’re always down to try new beans. Most coffee roasters offer a subscription of some type with varying frequency based on consumption habits. And even if they don’t, you can still send a bag or two as a one-time gift. Some of my favorites include Hatchet in Boone, North Carolina, Dark Matter in Chicago and Vesta in Las Vegas, which has been a lifesaver during CES.
