Amazon isn't just settling over Ring doorbell privacy concerns. The online retailer has agreed to pay a $25 million settlement over Federal Trade Commission (FTC) allegations it violated child privacy through Alexa. The company allegedly fell afoul of both the FTC Act and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) through its handling of kids' voice data.

While the company said it limited access to voice data and promised to delete info on request, it kept children's recordings and transcripts indefinitely by default until September 2019, according to the FTC. The Commission also says Amazon failed to delete transcripts for a "significant period of time," and was still holding on to voice info and geolocation data.

In response, Amazon has issued a statement that it 'disagrees' with the FTC's claims and is settling to put the matter "behind us." It maintains that Amazon Kids was designed with COPPA in mind, and that parents have easy ways to delete recordings and transcripts on the web. The company also says it will delete child profiles that haven't been used for at least 18 months, addressing an FTC concern that data could linger for years.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Astronomers have found a planet they believe is blanketed by active volcanoes. In a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature, a multi-national team of scientists said they discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet they believe may have water on part of its surface. The boringly named LP 791-18 d (sadly, no one thought to call it Mustafar) is located about 90 light-years from Earth in the Crater constellation. LP 791-18 d orbits a red dwarf it is tidally locked to, meaning the planet doesn’t have a day and night cycle like Earth. Instead, one part of LP 791-18 d is constantly scorched by sunlight, while the other is always in darkness.

“The day side would probably be too hot for liquid water to exist on the surface. But the amount of volcanic activity we suspect occurs all over the planet could sustain an atmosphere, which may allow water to condense on the night side,” Björn Benneke, one of the astronomers who studied the planet, told NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The LP 791-18 system contains at least two other planets, called LP 791-18 b and c. The latter is two-and-a-half times larger than Earth and more than seven times its mass. It also affects the orbit of LP 791-18 d, making it travel along an elliptical path around the system’s sun. That path means LP 791-18 d is deformed every time it completes an orbit. “These deformations can create enough internal friction to substantially heat the planet’s interior and produce volcanic activity at its surface,” according to NASA.

“A big question in astrobiology, the field that broadly studies the origins of life on Earth and beyond, is if tectonic or volcanic activity is necessary for life,” study co-author Jessie Christiansen said. “In addition to potentially providing an atmosphere, these processes could churn up materials that would otherwise sink down and get trapped in the crust, including those we think are important for life, like carbon.”

NASA, ESA and CSA already plan to turn the James Webb Space Telescope’s infrared imaging instruments on LP 791-18 c. The team that discovered LP 791-18 d thinks the exoplanet would make for an “exceptional candidate for atmospheric studies by the mission.” Notably, the retired Spitzer Space Telescope helped spot LP 791-18 d before NASA decommissioned it in 2020. This week, the US Space Force awarded a $250,000 grant to explore the feasibility of bringing the telescope out of retirement.

Logitech and iFixit announced a new partnership today to let customers repair their devices. iFixit will supply spare parts and out-of-warranty support for “select products” while developing guides for DIY repairs on Logitech gear. The program will kick off this summer in the US with support for two popular accessories: the Logitech MX Master and MX Anywhere mouse models.

The self-repair program, found on a new Repair Hub website, will use genuine Logitech replacement parts and batteries. iFixit says you can order parts a la carte or in kits with everything you need for a specific repair, including the requisite part(s), tools and a precision screwdriver bit set. The companies haven’t yet announced pricing for the bundles or replacement parts.

The initiative is part of a broader trend in recent years. Apple launched an iPhone repair program last year; it’s since added support for Macs and the Apple Studio Display. Google and Samsung have added similar programs for some of their flagship devices. Cutting down on e-waste by extending product lives is the most obvious advantage, as well as potentially saving repair-minded customers a few bucks. However, the companies may be motivated even more by Right to Repair legislation passed in New York and Massachusetts — while perhaps trying to head off potential federal legislation requiring them to offer self-repairs for a broader array of products.

“Consumers often struggle to find avenues to repair and extend the life of their product,” said Prakash Arunkundrum, chief operating officer at Logitech. “More can be done by brands and by broader value chains who wish to play an active role in the shift to a more circular economy. I am excited that we are able to collaborate with iFixit to develop better designs and make it easier for consumers to have a self-repair option to extend the life of our products.”

Even for someone like me who spends a ton of time testing phones and laptops, it can be hard to keep up with innovations across every category of device – especially when it comes to things like fixtures and appliances that aren’t meant to be replaced very often. So a little while ago when my kitchen faucet sprung a leak I was faced with a question: Are today’s new-fangled touch-activated models a worthwhile purchase or are they just a waste of money?

At first, I was annoyed by the whole affair since we had only moved into our place in 2018 and as it was new construction, I expected the faucet to last longer than five years. But after getting it checked out things got worse as we learned it would cost more to fix it than to just buy a new one. So after the plumber told us to “treat yourselves” and we learned that apparently Delta is the Colgate of faucets (four out five plumbers recommend it!), we started looking at our options.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Now, as someone who’s never had to buy a faucet before, my wife and I were initially a bit lost. We started by looking at models that had a similar design to what we already had because we knew it would fit. But eventually, my love of gadgets drew me to Delta’s Touch2O line, which lets you control water simply by tapping instead of yanking the handle around. So even though I was already aware that some prominent chefs like J. Kenji Lopez-Alt aren’t a fan of touch-activated faucets, since I had never used one before, I figured why the hell not?

However, there are a couple of important considerations that come into play when buying one of these. The first is that they’re more expensive than a regular faucet due to the extra electronics and whatnot. Thankfully, despite being listed at around $1,000 on Delta’s website, the Trinsic Pro Touch2O we eventually settled on was available for half that on Amazon. And, compared to a traditional non-touch model, we were looking at about a $100 premium, which isn’t nothing, but it was low enough that my curiosity ultimately won out.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

But more importantly, the only reason the Touch2O model wasn’t rejected outright is because we already had an outlet installed under our sink. By default, Delta’s Touch2O faucet runs on six included AA batteries that the company says should last about a year (or up to three years if you buy some larger C batteries). And while swapping in fresh cells every 12 months isn’t that much of a hassle, it’s something I’d rather not have to think about., Not to mention the waste of tossing dead akalines in the trash on a semi-regular basis isn't ideal. Thankfully, Delta sells an AC adapter for its faucets that’s relatively cheap (about $40), which means that you only need to rely on the batteries if your power goes out (which is quite rare for us because we live in the city).

If it wasn’t for this, buying a touch-activated faucet that requires a constant power supply would have been a non-starter. Regardless, if you’re considering getting a Touch2O faucet from Delta, expect to pay about $150 or so more than a basic version. At least when it comes to installation, things are relatively straightforward. The main differences are making sure you don’t get your wires crossed and remembering to save a spot to stash the AC adapter so that it stays dry and out of the way.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Anyways, now that I’ve been using a Touch2O faucet for about three months, here are my thoughts. First, it takes a little getting used to, because ideally, you should leave the handle open all the time and rely entirely on touch controls to turn the water on and off. And after years of muscle memory telling me to do that exact opposite, this practice felt really unnatural for a couple weeks. But once I got past that, I really started to like it. Sure, it’s a small thing, but being able to touch the neck of the faucet quickly to shut off the water is nice when you’re trying to multitask. I think it’s slightly more sanitary too, because I can use the back of my hand to tap the neck of the faucet instead of reaching for the handle, which is nice if you’ve been trimming chicken or whatever.

After a while, using the faucet becomes one less thing to think about and I also really appreciate that Delta’s touch activation works pretty much anywhere, which makes it more fun for my toddler to play with when we’re washing our hands. And if he gets out of control, I can simply use the handle as normal to prevent unnecessary splashing. Another little bonus is that the Trinsic Pro Touch2O also features a little temperature indicator built into its base, which makes it easier for children to tell if the water is too hot to touch (red means stop). Finally, while it's not directly related to the touch technology, I also really like how sturdy the coil is that supports the gooseneck.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

So in the end, I will fully admit that although a touch faucet is hardly a game-changer, having one in my kitchen offers a few small perks that I think were worth the extra $150. That said, it still remains to be seen how this thing will hold up over time. I’m hoping that because Delta’s Touch20 devices use solenoid valves – which have been around since as far back as the early 1900s – there shouldn’t be any major tradeoff on durability. Because I really don’t want to think about buying another faucet for a long time.

Avatar: The Way of Water will be available to stream on both Disney+ and Max (the new name for HBO Max) on June 7th. It's a bit unusual to see a major, recent movie land on two platforms at the same time, but there was a deal in place between 20th Century Studios, which Disney has owned since 2019, and HBO for streaming rights to certain theatrical releases.

The sequel to 2009's Avatar hit theaters in December and it went on to become the third highest-grossing movie of all time (as long as you don't factor inflation in). Director James Cameron made intriguing use of high frame rates in The Way of Water, with action-filled scenes typically playing at 48 frames per second to make them look smoother. More tranquil scenes appeared to run at 24 fps. The frames were doubled in those parts of the movie to make it seem as though they played at the frame rate we're used to seeing in theaters.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely that there will be an option to stream the film at higher frame rates at home anytime soon. Still, those who've been waiting for Avatar: The Way of Water to pop up on Disney+ or Max only have a few weeks longer to wait.

The age of walking around a home goods store with your fiancé scanning items to upload to your registry has long come and gone. Digital wedding registries have sprung up in its place, with most large companies offering one. Now, Etsy has launched a site-wide wedding registry, joining the ranks of stores like Amazon, Macy's and Pottery Barn. It's a logical step for Etsy, home to seemingly endless products and a section devoted just to "Wedding & Party" filled with gifts and decorations.

Wedding registries are available to anyone with an Etsy account and are free to create. When you click the "Create a wedding registry" button, a pop-up asks if you've set a wedding date yet. From there, it opens a personal homepage where you can favorite or add gifts to your registry. It also suggests gifts below and tracks how many items have been added and purchased. You can view your registry or add more options at any time through the registry homepage or on your account dropdown menu.

Gift listings can get very specific, with options to include detailed personalization requests. Customization is a feature the makers-centric e-commerce company is known for and one that might set them apart from some of the other wedding registry sites. The company certainly hopes so: It attributes the introduction of its wedding registries to a growing desire for personalized gifts over more standard, mass-produced options. According to Etsy, users' searches for handmade gifts increased by 872 percent in the last three months compared to the same time last year. 

Guests looking to shop your registry will need to make an Etsy account to buy anything. On the registry homepage, they can click "Find a registry" and search your name to browse items. Once purchased, sellers will receive orders as usual with a note that it's from a registry.

Google doesn't have a direct equivalent to Apple's AirTags, but it might come close. Chipolo has teamed up with Google to introduce One Point (shown above) and Card Point (below) item trackers that work exclusively with Android's Find My Device network. They take advantage of the phone platform's ubiquity to not only increase the chances of locating your gear, but to find unknown trackers that might be used to spy on your whereabouts.

Both trackers support Android's Fast Pair to speed through setup, and are water-resistant. The differences extend beyond their shapes. The One Point is the loudest with a 120dB ring, and lasts a year on its replaceable battery. The Card Point is quieter at 105dB and relies on a renewal program when the battery wears down, but it also lasts for two years.

Chipolo

Chipolo is taking pre-orders for both devices now. The One Point sells for $28, and the Card Point is available for $35. Four-packs for each respectively cost $79 and $112, and you can get a One/Card bundle for $77. Orders should ship by the second half of July. You'll need a phone running at least Android 9 with Google Play Services. That covers many phones released in North America and Europe over the past five years.

The Point trackers are really counterparts to Chipolo's iPhone-oriented One Spot and Card Spot. However, they also reflect Google's broader effort to flesh out the Android ecosystem. You don't have to rely on a third-party tracking network like Tile's or Samsung's to find missing items. Of course, this also locks you into Android — you'll have to replace your trackers if you ever switch platforms.

Your first apartment after graduation is probably not your forever home, but you can make it something you’re proud of with gadgets that do your bidding. You can automate your lights, keep an eye on your pets and clean up your floors more efficiently with relatively affordable devices that won’t eat up too much of your paycheck. We’ve tried out a lot of smart home tech over the years and here’s what we recommend for newbies and those with tight budgets.

Echo Show 5

Amazon’s Echo Show 5 is a diminutive smart display often marketed as a bedside alarm clock, but it works equally well in small kitchens. You can play music, watch shows, check the news and weather and make video calls. Plus, with Alexa’s help, you can do all of that hands-free. But more importantly, the Show 5 can act as a smart dashboard of sorts, from which you can control connected devices and see feeds from security cameras. The Show 5 also acts as a digital photo frame when not in use and the built-in camera has a physical shutter for your privacy.

Blink Mini

If you’ve got pets or just want extra peace of mind when you’re away, you might want to get an indoor security camera. Amazon’s Blink Mini cameras are some of the most affordable options around and they easily sync with other Alexa-enabled devices. They can deliver video feeds to your smartphone, Echo Show, Fire TV or any compatible screen, and they’ll send you an alert when their motion sensor detects disturbances. You can hear and talk to whoever’s in the room via the built-in mic and speakers as well – handy for telling your dog to get off the couch.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K turns any screen with an HDMI port into a smart TV for under $50. Our commerce writer, Nicole Lee, likes Roku’s straightforward interface and the fact that it supports universal search so you can find out which service a given show is playing on. Unlike some streaming sticks, Roku works with all the major voice assistants: Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa. You can even control your TV by saying “hey Roku” to the included remote or through the Roku app. The same app turns your phone into a second remote and enables private listening through your headphones as well. The 4K dongle is made for high-resolution screens, but if you don’t have a 4K TV and want to save more money, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick Lite is our favorite budget option.

Kasa Smart Bulbs

Connected bulbs might be the easiest way to turn your analog home into a “smart” one. A single smart light can ensure you never walk into a dark apartment again. You can set schedules for your daily routines or make it look like you’re home when you’re not. Being able to turn things off with just your voice or via an app can save you from getting out of bed when you’re ready to crash. Our senior commerce editor, Valentina Palladino tested a number of bulbs for our guide and thinks TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Bulbs give you the best value. Installation will be easy, even for those new to smart devices, thanks to Kasa’s clean and simple app. It’s worth noting that voice control is only available with Alexa or the Google Assistant; Siri is unfortunately incompatible.

Wyze Smart Plug

Like smart lights, smart plugs are affordable gadgets that can help you automate simple tasks around your home. You could program a fan to turn on before you get home from work or run a humidifier just before bed. If you have a basic on/off coffee maker, you can fill it with water and grounds the night before and wake up to a fresh pot of joe. Commerce writer Nicole picked Wyze’s Smart Plug for our smart home guide because it’s cheap, has an easy-to-use app and doesn’t hog the other outlet thanks to its thin profile.

iRobot Roomba 694

Senior commerce editor Valentina has tested more than a dozen robot vacuums and recommends iRobot’s Roomba 694 to anyone looking to keep their floors clean without spending too much money (or time). The company’s companion app is simple and probably the 694’s biggest selling point, guiding you through installation and programming. The vacuum can handle hard floors and carpet, and it runs for about 45 minutes on a charge, which should be enough for most smaller apartments. You’ll have to help it out when it gets snagged on a cable and empty the bin when it's full, but other than that, it’s a fairly hands-off way to get cleaner floors.

Govee M1 RGBIC smart light strip

Nobody’s knocking Christmas lights as decor, but strip lights are a slightly classier way to add flair to your space. You can use them to light up bookcases, create ambiance for your streaming setup or turn your bedroom into a color-coordinated haven. Govee makes many different smart LED strips, but the one senior commerce editor Valentina recommends in our guide is the M1 RGBIC. She was impressed by the light's brightness and wide spectrum of available hues. You can control different segments independently and the app has an “effects lab” that offers pre-programed lighting presets like sunsets, starry nights and movie-themed color palettes.

Sonos Roam

The Sonos Roam is both a smart and portable speaker, packing a decent amount of utility into a $180 package. While not the cheapest around, it’s relatively low-cost for Sonos, a brand known for quality audio. The Roam will play whichever music service you prefer, delivering clear highs and impressive bass for its size. Alexa is built in and you can access the Google Assistant too, which means you can use the speaker to order around your compatible smart home devices. And when it’s time to relax, you can ask Roam to play just about any song you can think of.

TP-Link AC1200 RE315 WiFi extender

Thick walls, weird layouts and other factors can make home WiFi reception spotty. If you’re experiencing dead zones in your apartment, a WiFi extender might help. TP-Link’s AC1200 RE315 is our favorite budget pick: it covers 1,500 square feet and delivers speeds of up to 1,200Mbps – plenty fast for streaming and working from home. It also has a built-in Ethernet port, which should provide an even more reliable connection to essential tech like your TV or game console.

Instant Pot Duo (3-quart)

Cooking for yourself is one of the bigger adjustments of adulting – it certainly was for me. Luckily a big batch of beans and rice can keep most humans alive for much longer than you’d think. The Instant Pot Duo cooks beans without soaking and makes fluffy rice; add a jar of salsa and you have a fairly well-rounded meal. Of course, it can cook more elaborate stuff too: search for Instant Pot recipes and you’ll get a lifetime’s worth of ideas. We recommend a larger version in our guide to kitchen gadgets, but this three-quart model is both more affordable and a better size for just one or two people.

Aria Air smart scale

Smart scales offer a more comprehensive view on your overall health, by presenting information like your body mass index and trends over time instead of just your weight. Our top budget pick is Fitbit’s Aria Air. It’s not as advanced as other options out there, but it tracks weight changes and gives you BMI metrics based on profile information. For $50, it's a good entry-level scale that syncs nicely with an app that our senior editor, Daniel Cooper, says is very polished.

Teachers can be some of the most important individuals in our lives. Whether you had one this past year that truly inspired you, or one that just made getting through the daily grind of classes easier, now’s a great time to show them your appreciation. If you want to skip the standard gift basket or bouquet of flowers in favor of something a bit more personal (or perhaps practical), these are some of the best gifts for teachers that you can surprise them with this year.

Hario cold brew bottles

We recommend the Hario cold brew tea maker in our gift guide for tea lovers because it makes a beautiful, functional gift for anyone who likes loose-leaf iced tea. The heat-proof glass exterior has a wine bottle shape and the green silicone top houses a mesh strainer that keeps tea leaves where they belong. If the teacher you know is more into coffee, you get them the equally attractive cold brew coffee maker from the same Japanese manufacturer. It brews up a batch in the fridge overnight and has graduated milliliter markings that make it look a little like a chemistry class beaker. – Amy Skorheim, Commerce Writer

Ember Mug 2

Many of us rely on caffeine to get through the day and teachers are no different. But dealing with students, lectures and other classroom activities may mean their beverage of choice grows cold before they can drink it all. The second generation of Ember’s smart mug, the Mug 2, doesn’t just keep tea or coffee hot — it keeps it at a steady temperature for a long time. The app integration lets you set the temp of the mug, while interior sensors shut the heat off when the mug’s empty or hasn’t been touched in two hours. The 10-ounce size has a battery life of up to an hour and a half and the 14-ounce capacity adds another 20 minutes. They can also stick the mug on the included charging coaster to keep their java warm all school day long. – A.S.

Aura Mason

If your teacher is a sentimental type, a digital photo frame like the Aura Mason can let them easily add and look back on their favorite snapshots. The Mason itself has a crisp, nine-inch, 1,600 x 1,200 resolution display and a minimalist design that should look normal on a work desk or a side table back home. It can display photos in portrait or landscape mode, and uploading photos (or videos) through the Aura app is uncomplicated. Just note that it can sometimes add black boxes around photos that don’t match its 4:3 aspect ratio.

If you want to save $50, the Aura Carver is a larger 10.1-inch frame with similar benefits, though it has a lower resolution (1,280 x 800) and only works in landscape. You could also gift a multi-function smart display like the Google Nest Hub, but those usually have lower-quality screens and aren’t as simple to mount on a wall. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Writer

Book of the Month

If you know a teacher who’s still a champion of the printed word, they might appreciate a Book of the Month subscription. I like how BOTM does the hard work of figuring out what’s new and good in fiction so all I have to do is read. The club selects seven or so books each month for members to pick from, and the selection is diverse enough that most readers will find something to meet their tastes. And if nothing looks good, they can always pick something from the back catalog or skip the month altogether. At first I thought it would be too much pressure to contend with a new book every month, but the option to skip effectively just extends their subscription, so there’s no pressure. You can gift a three, six or twelve month membership for $60, $100 or $200, respectively. – A.S.

Belkin BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe

A pick from our guide to the best wireless chargers, Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro is a compact charging pad that should be a useful addition for any iPhone-owning teacher’s desk. It’s MagSafe-compatible, so it can snap magnetically onto the back of any recent iPhone, and it delivers up to 15W of power, which is the fastest rate available for this class of device. It won’t be as quick as using a cable, but there’s a certain pleasure to simply plopping your phone down on it to recharge, and it can still deliver about a 70 percent charge to an iPhone 14 in an hour. The BoostCharge Pro also has a built-in kickstand for propping up a phone to watch videos and the like. This is far from the cheapest charging puck around, but as a gift, it’s a convenient way to top up. Just try to get it with a power supply, if possible. — J.D.

Blue light blocking glasses

Your favorite teacher or professor probably looks at a screen for just as long as you do every day. Blue light blocking glasses can be a great gift since they’ll make it easier for them to get work done while (hopefully) reducing eye strain, headaches and other ailments. These are probably best bought for educators who don’t wear prescription glasses already, since you don’t want to impede their actual eyesight with non-prescription lenses. Plenty of eyewear companies make stylish blue light glasses, but you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on a pair. Privé Revaux has a ton of options priced as low as $30 each, or if you have a feeling your teacher would like to swap styles more often, Amazon has a number of multi-packs to choose from. — Valentina Palladino, Senior Commerce Editor

Headspace

The most tenured college professor and the newest preschool teacher could likely use a little more calm in their day, and Headspace is one way to get it. The brightly colored app has a slew of meditations, guided breathing sessions and inspirational talks to choose from and each one lists its duration. I often just have a minute or two before I have to get back to what I was doing, and following even a one-minute-long breathing exercise can noticeably change my mood (and posture and general awareness). Headspace includes sleep programs too, like wind-down sessions, stories, white noise sounds and soundscapes. You can gift one year of the service for $70, or three months for $39. – A.S.

Kobo Clara 2e

We don’t want to make generalizations, but if there’s a segment of the population who likes to read, it’s probably teachers. The Kobo Clara 2E is our current favorite e-reader because it’s easy on the eyes, comfortable to hold and offers the right amount of customization. The waterproof design makes it a good candidate for vacations and pool-side reading, and the warm lights make it easy to read late into the night. Considering Kobo now has an unlimited read and listen subscription in Kobo Plus, the company's well-built devices are even better equipped to compete in a space where Kindles have dominated for years. – A.S.

Bellroy Desk Caddy

They say an organized desk is an organized mind. Whether that’s true or not, it can certainly be difficult to keep track of all the tech you need on a regular basis. Bellroy’s Desk Caddy has pockets, pouches and loops to keep cords, plugs, earbuds, and dongles in their place. The structured shape stands up when you load it, but is flexible enough to fit into a crowded backpack if you need to take it with you. We also like that it’s water resistant and made from recycled materials. – A.S.

Trade Coffee subscription

A Trade Coffee subscription can help the teacher in your life shake up their morning cup of joe. It offers a curated selection of more than 450 coffees from across the US and smartly personalizes which ones it recommends to each subscriber. Upon redeeming their gift, your teacher will be prompted to take a brief quiz that asks about their flavor and brew preferences, information Trade will use to suggest a specific bag catered to their taste. They can then give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to any coffee they receive, which the company considers to hone future recommendations. Managing all of this online is straightforward. You can gift anywhere from two to 24 bags, and Trade says any gift subscriptions will not automatically renew, so nobody will have any surprise charges to deal with down the line. — J.D.

Purist Mover

The Purist Mover is the closest thing to a “premium” water bottle that I’ve tried, with a clean, minimalist aesthetic and a satisfying textured finish. Its biggest hook, though, is the ultra-thin layer of glass that lines its interior. Apart from insulating your drink, this is designed to keep fluids from gaining a metallic taste or unwanted odors as quickly as they might with other bottles. The whole thing will still need washing every so often, but in my experience, this has actually worked.

The Mover is an 18oz bottle, but there are different size and lid options to choose from (the “Union” spout top is my preference, though it can be somewhat noisy, if that matters). No Purist bottle is especially cheap, but it should make hydrating a little more convenient for your teacher’s day-to-day, on top of providing a nicer piece of design for their desk. — J.D.

Tribit StormBox Micro 2

For audio-related lessons in class or just enjoying music while out and about, the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is a highly portable Bluetooth speaker that pumps out good volume for its compact size. Its playback controls are simple to operate, and its built-in strap lets it connect to things like a bag or bike handlebars on the go. It can also double as a power bank and charge a smartphone in a pinch. A speaker this small will never be the fullest sounding, but for what it is, the Stormbox Micro 2’s audio quality is fine as well. If you like the idea of gifting a portable speaker but want something that sounds richer, though, you can check out our Bluetooth speaker buying guide for more recommendations. — J.D.

Criterion Channel subscription

If your teacher considers themselves a film buff, a Criterion Channel subscription might suit their tastes. This is the streaming service of The Criterion Collection, a video distribution company that restores and preserves a carefully curated selection of acclaimed films that span genres and languages. It doesn’t have the same deluge of content as a Netflix or Prime Video, but it also has a lot less trash.

The service bundles many films into helpful collections, from Afrofuturism to Foreign-Language Oscar Winners to Short Films by David Lynch. Various titles come with bonus features like cast interviews as well. Unfortunately, not every film in the Collection is available on the Channel at any given time. (There are gift cards that can go toward films that are only available in physical form.) Nevertheless, for movie-loving teachers who feel like they’ve watched everything on the usual suspects, the service should still provide hours of stimulating works. Gift subscriptions are available in one- to 12-month increments. — J.D.

The Sill plant gifts

You can’t go wrong with a gift of greenery to show your appreciation for a beloved teacher. You could pick up a flower arrangement locally or send them a fancy one from Bouqs or another online service, but something more unique like a plant from The Sill could be a gift they’ve never gotten before. The site has a bunch of options that will appeal to all kinds of people, from those who have never taken care of a plant before to green-thumbed veterans. There are even pet-friendly plant gifts you can buy for those teachers you know have little creatures in their households. The Sill also has regular deals on plants that you can snag (be it for someone else or yourself), so you don’t have to sacrifice even if you’re working with a tight budget. — V.P.

Amazon gift card

If you’re at a loss over what to get your favorite teacher to show your appreciation, an Amazon gift card is a good catch-all solution. Whether it’s supplies for their classroom, household essentials for their family or just something they’ve had on their wish list for themselves, most teachers will find a way to spend a few extra dollars at Amazon (or Walmart, Target or another retailer they prefer). — V.P.

A relaxing video game or two

For teachers who like to wind down with a video game after an aggravating day of work, a recommendation from our list of good relaxing games could make for a gift that’s both thoughtful and fun. A couple of standouts: PowerWash Simulator is a game about cleaning grimy environments that has a similar soothing effect as those deep-cleaning videos on YouTube, while Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a delightful puzzle game from Nintendo about exploring and reexamining diorama-like levels from new angles. — J.D.

Yet more senators are trying to resurrect legislation aimed at protecting kids' online privacy. Senators Bill Cassidy and Ed Markey have reintroduced a "COPPA 2.0" (Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act) bill that would expand and revise the 1998 law to deal with the modern internet, particularly social media.

COPPA 2.0 would bar companies from gathering personal data from teens aged 13 to 16 without their consent. It would ban all targeted advertising to children and teens, and create a "bill of rights" that limits personal info gathering for marketing purposes. The measure would also require a button to let kids and parents delete personal data when it's "technologically feasible."

The sequel potentially makes it easier to take action in the first place. Where COPPA requires direct knowledge that companies are collecting data from kids under 13, 2.0 would cover apps and services that are "reasonably likely" to have children as users. The Federal Trade Commission, meanwhile, would have to establish a division committed to regulating youth marketing and privacy.

Cassidy and Markey portray the bill as necessary to tackle a "mental health crisis" where tech giants allegedly play a role. The politicians argue that social networks amplify teens' negative feelings, pointing to Facebook's own research as evidence.

Social networks have tried to clamp down on misuses of child data. Meta's Facebook and Instagram have limited ad targeting for teens, for instance. However, there have also been concerns that online platforms haven't gone far enough. On top of earlier calls for bans on ad targeting, states like Arkansas and Utah have already passed laws respectively requiring age verification and parental permission for social media. Another Senate bill, the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, would require parents' approval across the US.

Whether or not COPPA 2.0 makes it to the President's desk for signature isn't clear. The first attempt got stuck in committee ahead of the current Congress session. It also comes right as other senators are making attempts to revive the EARN IT Act (aimed at curbing child sexual abuse material) and the Kids Online Safety Act (meant to fight toxic online content as a whole). All three reintroductions are bipartisan, but they'll need considerably stronger support in the Senate, plus successful equivalents in the House, to become law.