I get it: On one hand, you want to be a resilient off-grid solarpunk freed from the yoke of your increasingly-unreliable power company. On the other, you’d still like to enjoy creature comforts both at home and when you’re on the road. It’s a problem EcoFlow understands, and has turned up to CES promising to help.
The company is showing off a new Whole Home Backup Solution, which ties in to its existing Delta Pro batteries. But that’s less interesting to me than the gizmos which are joining the ecosystem at today’s show. That includes Blade, a robotic lawnmower looking more like an RC car than its garden-shaving brethren, but the company says it’ll both trim your lawn and pick up fallen leaves, making “lawn care totally hassle-free.”
Then there’s Glacier, a portable fridge which comes with its own built-in battery and, crucially, its own ice maker. That way, you can keep the cocktails coming when the power is out, as well as keep vital medicines and other necessaries cold when the power’s gone. Rounding out the set is a new, updated version of its Wave, battery powered portable air conditioner, which can now do heating as well as cooling.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a timeline for when we can play with these products, or how much we can expect to pay for them when they arrive. But it does look as if there’s going to be a lot more people looking to add some energy independence to their homes in the future. And, I’m sure, plenty of them won’t want to abandon their creature comforts.
Samsung introduced new QD-OLED TVs and a 57-inch 8K gaming display, the 2023 Freestyle projector and new Bespoke smart appliances at this year's CES. During the company's keynote, it also talked about its products' new features and upgrades in detail, including a new wash cycle for washing machines that can reduce microplastic pollution.
Presenters talked about SmartThings Workspace, which lets you connect to linked devices remotely, and SmartThings Pet Care, as well. Samsung's pet service can send you alerts when your dogs bark and put on a show or video on a connected display to keep them entertained. Plus, it enables the camera on the brand's robot vacuum to recognize dogs and cats.
In addition, Samsung introduced the latest SmartThings hub, which is its smallest yet. The SmartThings Station, as it's called, has a button that you can use to program smart lights, air conditioner or other home devices like smart blinds. It's the first Samsung product to come with built-in Matter support, giving it the capability to connect with Matter-enabled devices from other manufacturers.
Any content played on the latest Samsung smart TVs can now sync with Philips Hue Lights for immersive lighting effects. The company also talked about the Knox Matrix, its security solution that acts as your private blockchain system for its smart home devices. Finally, Samsung presented the in-cabin car technology it developed in partnership with Harmon, as well as a new display technology called Relumino mode that can help people with low vision to see images more clearly.
You can watch a condensed version of the event to get the gist of Samsung's announcements in the video above.
Verizon has announced the latest model in its kids’ line of cellular-connected smartwatches. The Gizmo Watch 3 is a $150 children’s wearable that gives them basic smart features while allowing their parents or caregivers to keep tabs on their location.
The newest Verizon watch for tikes continues the company’s goal of “providing a safe smartwatch experience for children that aren’t quite ready for a smartphone.” The new version has a front-facing camera, allowing children to take photos, make video calls and record messages with approved contacts. (Although smartwatch cameras can sound privacy alarms, I see the value for children who don’t already have a smartphone camera.) The new model also lets parents add more safe zones, designated areas that the children can’t leave without the watch notifying their parents. The new model also doubles the number of trusted contacts parents can set up — from 10 to 20.
The Gizmo Watch 3 gets a new processor in the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform. Verizon says the chip helps it add 80 percent more talk time and 20 percent more standby time than its predecessor. It also includes Bluetooth for the first time so that kids can pair the wearable with wireless earbuds or headphones. Additionally, it has new watch faces (including ones that change with the seasons and time of day) and three new games: Tic Tac Toe, Gizmo Says and Puzzle.
The Gizmo Watch 3 will be available through Verizon on Thursday in Blue Clay and Mint colors. Of course, if you don’t want to pay the full $150 upfront, the carrier will let qualified customers pay it off over 36 months. For a limited time, it’s also running a deal where buying one will get you $100 off a second.
Can you believe CES is just a week away? For our final episode of 2022, Cherlynn, Devindra and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford dive into their expectations for CES 2023. We’ll definitely hear more from Intel and AMD when it comes to CPUs, as well as AMD and NVIDIA’s latest mobile video cards. But we’re always keeping our eyes out for the weird stuff at the show, like Lenovo’s wild swiss army lamp (a combination webcam, facelight and USB hub!). And of course, there will likely be tons of news around new TVs, PCs and cars.
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Credits Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar Guest: Sam Rutherford Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh
This year was a bit of a reset for the entertainment industry, with more people returning to theaters and more must-watch TV shows hitting streaming networks. That's a fairly major change from 2021, when many movies hit services like HBO Max on the same day as theaters. But if you've gotten used to catching up on everything on your couch, don't worry — there's still plenty to watch over the holidays. (And be sure to check out our recommendations from last year, which are still good, I swear!)
Perhaps the best piece of media I've seen this year, Station Eleven is an adaptation of Emily St. John's novel about a society-collapsing swine flu epidemic. Wait, don't run away! While the series may evoke the worst of our COVID experience at first, it also transforms into a hopeful tale about the power of stories (and pop culture!) and human connection. It delivers something we could all use right now: Hope.
Tuca and Bertie Season 3
After being unceremoniously canceled by Netflix in 2020, the cartoon duo of Tuca and Bertie found a new home on Cartoon Network last year. The third and (unfortunately) final season of the series aired this year, and it remains a delight. Created by Lisa Hanawalt and executive produced by Raphael Bob-Waksberg (BoJack Horseman), it follows a pair of friends as they deal with life, love and simply existing in their '30s.
Also on HBO Max:
The White Lotus (Season 2): Mike White's series on the exploits of privileged resort guests, this time in Sicily instead of Hawaii, remains a delight.
Harley Quinn (Season 3): This show remains one of the best DC series currently airing. Tune in for a comedic and more adult spin on your Batman faves.
Yes, it's another Star Wars show, but Andor ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the year. Created by Tony Gilroy (who helped transform Rogue One into a stellar film), it centers on Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a small-time thief with a healthy distrust for the Empire. The show follows his journey towards becoming a member of the rebels, and in doing so it also serves as a blueprint for taking down authoritarian systems.
Fire of Love
Katia and Maurice Krafft were a rare couple, two expert volcanologists who were also madly in love. They dedicated their lives to documenting active volcanoes, often by directly confronting lava flows, rock explosions and acid lakes. Fire of Love unearths their original footage to show just how far they went in the name of science. But it also paints a portrait of a truly rare couple, one whose contributions we still owe much to.
Also on Disney+:
Tales of the Jedi: A short animated series that gives us a bit more backstory on Ahsoka Tano and... Count Dooku? If you've been interested in the Star Wars cartoons, but don't want to slog through tons of old episodes, this is a good start.
Bluey: This remains the best kids show on TV. Bluey's latest season is as funny and poignant as ever. It's the rare show that can teach both kids and their parents.
Cyberpunk 2077 had a notoriously rocky game launch, but the setting of Night CIty was always compelling. Edgerunners is an anime spin on that universe, centering on a plucky street kid who finds himself equipped with a military-grade spine implant. You know, typical teenage stuff. Will his newfound power keep him on the wrong side of the law? And will he ever get revenge against the people who ruined his life? The show doesn't do much new, but it features genuinely compelling characters and some of the best animation in recent years.
The Midnight Club
Mike Flanagan can do no wrong. The talent behind Midnight Mass, Doctor Sleep, and the excellent “Haunting of…” horror shows on Netflix has now set his sights on a Christopher Pike adaptation, and the results are glorious. The show, co-created by Leah Fong, follows a group of terminally ill teenagers as they tell spooky stories and explore the supernatural mysteries of their hospice mansion. It's a meditation on the power of storytelling, but also yet another Flanagan exploration of the value of life.
Also on Netflix:
Wednesday: Come to see Tim Burton finally get his shot at The Addams Family, stay for Jenna Ortega's perfectly deadpan performance.
Can an award-winning chef truly come back home and save his family's beleaguered sandwich shop? Or is he just trying to work through the death of his brother the only way he knows? The Bear captures the energy and madness of kitchen life better than any TV show — forget all the glossy stuff you've seen on Chef's Table. But amid the insanity, it's the story of a found family banding together to mourn and save the place they all love.
The Dropout
What makes Elizabeth Holmes tick? This series, which stars Amanda Seyfried as the notorious Theranos founder, paints a more complete picture of Holmes than the 2019 HBO documentary The Inventor. We see Holmes' early life, as well as her initial connection with Sunny Balwani (Naveen Andrews, perhaps the best TV adaptation glow-up any South Asian man can hope for). After proving her smarts in college, she sets off to build the world's best blood testing machine with Theranos. We all know how that went. When the hype around Theranos starts to fall apart, The Dropout turns into a fascinating portrait of self-deception.
Also on Hulu:
Fleishman is in Trouble: Toby Fleishman is going through a divorce. But as he starts to rebuild his own identity, he also needs to deal with the wreckage of his marriage (and find his missing ex-wife).
Taking the idea of work/life balance a step too far, Severance follows a group of people who’ve received a procedure that completely splits their memories between home and office life. The result is two completely separate personalities within the same body, both trapped in their respective cages. Severance is a bit of a slow burn, but it’s a fascinating exploration of corporate control akin to Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. (Be sure to check out our interview with the creator of the show, Dan Erickson, on the Engadget Podcast.)
Pachinko
An adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s 2017 novel, Pachinko follows a Korean family across several generations starting in 1917 and reaching into the late ‘80s. We see a young fish seller fall in love and make her way to Japan as an outsider, while her grandson struggles to maintain his identity in the pressure-filled business world. Pachinko has almost everything you’d want in a family epic: Children struggling to live up to their parents’ standards, forbidden love and the constant threat of generational trauma. Also, it has one of the best opening sequences of the year.
Other things to watch
The Good Fight (Paramount+): Over its six-season span, The Good Fight tackled the insanity of our current social and political environment better than any other TV show. It’s first and foremost a legal procedural, but coming from the minds of Michelle and Robert King, it ends up being so much more.
Gangs of London (AMC+): Now on its second season, Gangs of London is one of the most brutal crime shows on TV. It’s part gangster epic, part martial arts smackdown (it comes from Gareth Evans, director of The Raid films). While the plot becomes increasingly ludicrous, it’s worth a watch just for the sheer ambition of its action sequences, many of which go far harder than anything we’ve seen in American films lately.
While plenty of gadgets cross our desks, we at Engadget also end up buying a lot of things for ourselves throughout the year. In 2022, some of us upgraded our TVs while others invested in new cookware and deskaccessories that upped our productivity. But there are plenty of things we've been loving recently that haven't made it onto the site. Here, our staffers look back on the year that was by gushing about their favorite items they bought this year.
Nest Hub Max
Sam Rutherford / Engadget
I got a Nest Hub Max last year for Christmas and over the past 12 months, it’s probably brought me more joy than any other gadget. By setting Google Photos to automatically upload pictures of my son to an album linked to the Nest Hub, every day I’m treated to a slideshow of all the fun times we’ve had. When people say kids grow up fast, they’re totally right. But as a photo viewer with voice controls, the Nest Hub max lets me relive those memories while being also an important part of my smart home control center. – Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter
55-inch LG B2 OLED smart TV
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
In prioritizing big purchases for our new home, I knew I wanted to get a better TV and soon. Not only did we need a new one quickly for our living room while my fiance used our old one in the basement he’d claimed as his man cave, but I also wanted to see if I could get a good deal during Amazon’s October Prime Day event. I ultimately decided to splurge on the 55-inch LG B2 OLED smart TV when it dipped under $1,000 during that period. To say the difference from our old LED TV was instantly noticeable is not hyperbole: as soon as we set the thing up, we were stunned by the quality. Blacks are deep and colors are much more vibrant than on any TV we’ve had before.
We’ve watched a lot of things on it so far, from live sports to documentaries to sitcoms and everything looks much sharper and more colorful than we’re used to. We’re also pleasantly surprised by LG’s webOS. This is the first TV we’ve used with it and it was super easy to get accustomed to. We like how you can customize your homescreen and navigate either with the arrow keys on the remote or the convenient little cursor that flies around the TV screen. We now refer to it as the “good TV” in the house, with my fiancé opting to watch his weekly sports games on the B2 rather than in his basement sanctuary. — Valentina Palladino, Senior Commerce Editor
Chase Bliss Gen Loss v2
Chase Bliss
I have made no bones about my love of all things lo-fi and broken. What can I say? I like warbles. In my quest to make every instrument I own sound like it’s coming out of an old tape player I’ve tried a number of things, but in June I pre-ordered the Generation Loss MKII and I think my search is now complete.
The Generation Loss is one of the most popular lo-fi pedals ever made, and last year its creator, Tom Majeski of Cooper FX, joined the relentless experimenters at Chase Bliss. One of the first orders of business was updating his classic pedal. It’s pitched as a “VHS duplicator,” but that is greatly underselling things. While the original Gen Loss was just sort of a generalized tape simulator, the MKII version digs into the highly specific sonic characteristics of a variety of tape-based devices.
The company pulled apart and analyzed VHS players, Tascam Portastudios and dictaphones in an effort to find out what makes them unique. It covers everything from the subtle frequency drop off of old ¼-inch tape running through a reel-to-reel machine, all the way to the crushed hum that results when you make a copy of a copy of a VHS cassette. And if you’re not into the newer version that faithfully recreates particular tape formats, you can always throw one of Chase Bliss’ patented dip switches to turn on classic mode. — Terrence O'Brien, Managing Editor
Apple MagSafe Duo charger
Mat Smith / Engadget
I’ll admit it: My favorite gadget of the year is, well, something I bought last year. In spring 2021,I picked up Apple’s MagSafe Duo charger, which can charge both your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time, all in a fold-up, compact form factor. While I could (and have) used it at home to charge my Apple devices overnight, I picked it up as a compact charging kit for when I traveled. As we all know, 2021 was not the year for roaming the globe. But as travel restrictions were lifted this year, I finally got to see if the pricey charger was worth the investment.
Yes, $129 was a lot for a dual charger, but it fulfilled the brief of using just a single cable and being so much more compact than most rival Apple Watch standup chargers. It unfurls like a makeup compact, meaning it can slip into anyone’s luggage with ease. Yes, I could take the Apple Watch cable, but in recent years these cables have USB-C, not USB-A sockets. Unfortunately, a lot of hotels (and charging plugs) still don’t have those, and if I’m visiting a different country, there are only so many things I can charge at once with a travel adapter.
After unfolding the two sides, the magnetic puck for Watch charging can also be folded out at 90 degrees, attaching to the wearable and allowing me to see the time when it’s set up. The small footprint means it fits on most nightstands and bedside tables at hotels, guest rooms and even window ledges. If space is at a premium, you can fold it around to charge a single device, whether that’s the watch or your iPhone. The MagSafe charger spot can also wirelessly recharge my AirPods if I ensure they’re in the correct position.
It’s not perfect. I’m increasingly frustrated at the sluggish charging speed when wirelessly charging my iPhone – even if this isn’t a problem when charging overnight. Hopefully, Apple will bring out another model that’s hopefully cheaper and faster to charge. When Apple eventually ditches Lightning, it’ll need to make a new one anyway. – Mat Smith, UK Bureau Chief
Bissell SpotClean Pet Pro
Bissell
Our new house has carpet on the second floor and, while it’s in pretty good shape, there were some stains we wanted to remove if possible before moving in. We also have a cat who occasionally eats too fast and, well, I probably don’t have to tell you the rest. Investing in a spot cleaner seemed like a no-brainer, and I’m glad I went with Bissell’s SpotClean Pet Pro. It’s fairly light at 13 pounds and not very big, so I can tote it around by its carrying handle to any place in my home. All you have to do is fill the solution tank with the proper ratio of cleaning liquid and water, plug the machine in, turn it on and use the included handle to scrub away stains.
I first used it on some of the carpet’s existing mystery marks and they easily came out after a few minutes of elbow-greased scrubbing. The SpotClean’s handle has a button that lets you control the amount of solution it sprays out, and while it’s running, it’s constantly sucking up excess water, filling up a separate tank with the dirty bits. The hardest part of using it is the scrubbing you have to do, and how much weight you want to put into it is totally up to you. I found most light stains came out quickly and without too much effort on my part, but I did spend more time on tougher spots. I also love that I can use this to deep clean upholstered furniture, like our old couch which is in desperate need of a refresh. This spot cleaner certainly isn’t the sexiest purchase I’ve made for our new home, but it’s one that will keep it looking fresh and clean for longer. — V.P.
Tushy Classic Bidet 3.0
Tushy
Everyone likes a clean butthole. I don’t think that’s a controversial thing to say. But while toilet paper does a decent enough job, sometimes it just doesn’t get the area clean enough. Which means you end up using more TP, potentially clogging the toilet in the process, and you still might not feel like it’s completely clean. That’s why I recently purchased the Tushy Classic 3.0, an affordable bidet that can fit with my existing toilet.
I’ve long wanted one of those fancy Japanese bidet toilets. But not only are they expensive, they require remodeling my bathroom with an additional outlet, which I simply can’t justify at the moment. The Tushy Classic 3.0, on the other hand, is only $130 or so, and it gets the job done at a fraction of the cost. Installing it is easy. All we did was attach it to our existing plumbing and we were done in about 10 minutes. It doesn’t use any electricity either. Turning the knob adjusts the water pressure while moving the toggle adjusts the angle of the spray nozzle.
We’ve been using it for a few months now, and we really do love it. We almost look forward to going number two, which is a strange thing to say. As a woman with monthly menstruation, I really appreciate that it helps get me much cleaner than with toilet paper alone. I think we end up using less TP as a result, too. I’d probably want to upgrade to a fancier bidet in the future, but for now, the Tushy Classic 3.0 more than does the job. — Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer
Blueland hand soap
Blueland
Before we moved into our new home, we had nearly exhausted the available storage in our apartment. Our tiny bathrooms had little to no space to store extra hand soap, bath wash and other necessities, so I resorted to stuffing our linen closet to the brim – so much so that I had to lean on the door to get it to close properly. So I turned to Blueland, which makes hand soap, cleaning supplies and the like that come in small tablets inside compostable pouches, and most of their formulas are plant-based, vegan and more environmentally friendly than cleaners you’ll find in big-box stores. All you do is drop the formula tablet into a container of water, shake it up and let it sit for a while until the whole tablet dissolves and then you can use the product.
I was immediately impressed with the foaming hand soap for a few reasons. First, a couple of packets took up significantly less space than even a refill jug of the soap I was previously buying, plus I liked the fact that I was purchasing one less plastic bottle by switching. Second, the soap actually worked as advertised. I had tried a couple of eco-conscious hand and dish soaps before this, and most of them had left me disappointed because I felt like they didn’t clean as well as standard solutions. But Blueland’s hand soap foamed up nicely and actually left my hands feeling clean after every wash, with no weird residue left behind.
I started off using the tablets in a mason jar outfitted with a foaming pump lid, but I’ve since graduated to Blueland’s own glass hand soap bottles, which are hefty and luxe. Ultimately, Blueland solved a few problems for me: I don’t have to waste as much space storing hand soap refills, I don’t have to create as much waste since I’m not buying those single-use plastic bottles anymore and I don’t even have to remember to buy hand soap when I go shopping because I get refills sent to my door every few months. — V.P.
Fujifilm XF 27 mm F/2.8
Terrence O'Brien / Engadget
Earlier this year, when I started dabbling in photography as a hobby, I decided the best way for me to start honing my skills was to have my Fujifilm X-T30 with me at all times. The only issue was that, even the relatively light XF 35mm f/2 bought was a little too bulky to go everywhere. I ended up snagging one of Fuji’s 27mm pancake lenses used a few months back, and it’s barely left my camera since. More importantly, my camera has barely left my side since.
With this lens the X-T30 comfortably fits in my Peak Design Field Pouch, along with a cleaning cloth and brush, a notebook and pen, plus my keys. It’s so easy to just grab everything no matter where it is that I’m going. To my parents’ for a birthday dinner? Sure. Grocery shopping? Why not? Just around the block to walk my dog? Seems silly not to.
Obviously, the big feature here is size, but it’s not like you’re making a lot of tradeoffs to get there either. Images taken with the 27mm are insanely sharp. Even wide open at F/2.8 the corners are crisp and contrasty. Would a larger aperture have been nice? Sure. But this is plenty for street photography and family snapshots. My version doesn’t have an aperture ring sadly, but the newer model does. Honestly, my one real complaint is that the minimum focus distance is about 13.4 inches, and I often find myself wanting to get closer to my subject. Still, this is probably the best investment I’ve made in my budding love of photography. — T.O.
Anyday Everyday cookware set
Nader Khouri / Anyday
After a traumatic incident where I accidentally set a small fire in a hotel room during a work trip to Barcelona, I've always been extra careful about leaving metal in a microwave. So when my friend gifted me a set of Anyday bowls, telling me it was safe to place their metal lids in my microwave and cook whole meals with them, I was blown away.
The premise of these glass bowls is that they're designed to cook food in your microwave. The bowls themselves are made from thicker, thermal shock-resistant frosted glass so they'll better withstand temperature fluctuations without cracking. The lids keep steam in the dish to cook your food, and have vents to let out the excess. A silicone rim expands to accommodate extra pressure, and the stainless steel in the lids is curved in a way that Anyday says makes it "100% microwave-safe."
As someone who mostly prizes convenience when it comes to cooking, I'm enamored with my Anyday bowls. I love steaming eggs and fish filets, but I can also cook rice, vegetables, pasta, and make nut butters, cakes and pretty much anything in the microwave with this system. Of course, anything requiring a sear, deep fry or broil won't work, and some of the recipes the company shared on its website are too complicated for my liking. But for making healthy steamed meals, the Anyday system is honestly a godsend (or friendsend). Best part: they're dishwasher safe, so I don't need to deal with the cleanup after. — Cherlynn Low, Deputy Editor
Madewell Zip-Top Transport Crossbody
Madewell
My go-to bag for years has been the Pearl crossbody from Lo & Sons, which I love for its compact size and multiple compartments. But it just wasn’t big enough for all the gear that I wanted to carry around with me. So for my birthday this year, I decided to buy myself a newer, larger, bag. I knew that I wanted it to be a crossbody – it feels more secure to me than a regular shoulder model – and I would prefer it if it had top handles. I discovered Madewell’s Zip-Top Transport Crossbody while I was browsing the web, and it seemed to fit the bill.
I’ve had it for a few months now, and it’s earned its place as my new everyday bag. It’s made from a vegetable-tanned leather that’s soft and worn with a slight waxed finish which feels lovely to the touch. The shoulder straps are detachable so I can swap them out if I want, or I can use just the top handles by themselves. The best thing about it for me is its size: at around 10 x 10 x 3 inches, it’s small enough to not weigh me down, but it’s also surprisingly roomy. It fits all my essentials and then some. That includes my wallet, phone, keys, earbuds, pens, my Kobo Libra 2 e-reader, a portable battery and, if I wedge it in correctly, even my Hobonichi Techo planner.
That said, I wish it had more compartments. It only has two inside pockets, which themselves are not that big. As a result, it’s easy for smaller items to get lost; I often have to spend time searching for my lipstick or hand sanitizer. My current solution is to keep these items in a separate small makeup pouch that can fit inside the bag so that it’s easier to fish out. It’s not perfect, but at least for me, the good outweighs the bad. — N.L.
Purist Mover water bottle
Jeff Dunn / Engadget
I spent $50 on a water bottle earlier this year, and surprisingly, I don’t feel like an idiot months later. That’s because the bottle is the Purist Mover, and it has largely solved the problem of my water picking up a metallic taste after a few weeks. The trick is an ultra-thin, unbreakable layer of glass that lines the interior and helps prevent odors and tastes from transferring. To my taste buds, this has actually worked. I still need to wash the bottle every so often, of course, but so far my water has never tasted like anything other than water.
This might seem like a pointless thing to brag about, but the Mover just feels nice, too. Its textured finish is pleasing to the touch, and its simple design looks high-end – for a water bottle, at least. There are multiple lid and size options available; I went with the 18-ounce model and “Union” spout cap, which has been fine, though the lid tends to make a whistling sound that sounds uncannily like hitting a bong. (Be warned if you’re ever off-camera during a work call.) I still can’t tell anyone they should spend this much on a water bottle, but the Mover does the thing I want, and I’m spending way less on wasteful plastic bottles as a result. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Writer
In August, the federal government pumped the brakes its "free COVID test kit by mail" service, one of the most popular programs to come out of the pandemic, over fears that the American public would deplete the national stockpile of tests before the onset of winter. On Thursday, the White House announced that it has restarted the program in cooperation with the US Postal Service, though households will only receive half as many tests as before — four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests per household. We live in the single wealthiest nation in the history of the Earth.
COVID cases reached their lowest in mid-October with just 261,268 reported nationwide. That number has doubled in the past two months, per the CDC. Amid what is suspected may be the latest wave of the pandemic, the White House has decided that the situation is dire enough to warrant dipping back into the national test stockpile as part of its Winter Preparedness Plan. You can order yours through the US Postal Service page here. Orders will begin shipping free the week of December 19th, 2022.
This might be your best opportunity yet to get a modern Mac desktop below sticker price while still having enough storage for everyday use. Amazon is selling the Mac mini M1 with a 512GB SSD at a record low of $750. That's well under the official $899, and enough of a savings that you'll have plenty of money for peripherals. Just note that it might arrive after Christmas if you're buying it as a gift.
This Mac mini is still a capable desktop. It's speedy for daily use and media editing tasks, and it should remain quiet even under more demanding workloads. It's also the most practical desktop Mac if you either want to use your own monitor or have USB-A devices you aren't ready to give up. Apple first pitched the Mac mini as an ideal gateway computer for newcomers to the platform, and that's arguably true even today — you can bring your own peripherals and get started with little trouble.
There's no denying that the Mac mini M1's two-year-old design has its limitations. It won't be as fast as newer computers, including Apple's own Mac Studio, and the 8GB of RAM in this configuration isn't ideal for heavy-duty use. You may also want to consider the iMac M1 if you like the simplicity of an all-in-one. At this price, though, it's easier to justify over more recent Mac desktops if you either have your own peripherals or want some flexibility in your setup.
It took a couple of months, but the first smart home devices to support the Matter standard are finally ready. As promised in November, Eve Systems is updating the Eve Energy plug and two sensors, the Eve Door & Window and Eve Motion, with Matter support. The free firmware lets the previously HomeKit-only hardware talk to any controller that supports the new technology, including Samsung's SmartThings app as well as upcoming support through Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
As The Vergenotes, the update currently requires the not-yet-official iOS and iPadOS 16.2 upgrades that could arrive this week, and you'll have to enlist in an early access program. You won't need Apple products for much longer, though. Matter-capable products should arrive in the first quarter of 2023 alongside an Android version of Eve's app. The entire roster of 14 Eve devices should support Matter "over time," according to the company. You'll only have simple functionality on other control platforms at first, but the Android app should expand support.
Matter is a bid to end the compatibility headaches that still plague the smart home world, where you may need certain apps or smart speakers to use your preferred gear. Ideally, you won't have to worry about whether or not a bulb or thermostat will fit into your existing setup — so long as you see the Matter badging, it should work.
The catch, of course, is that more vendors will need to follow suit. While Matter-ready apps, hubs and network routers are coming relatively quickly, the end devices aren't expected to arrive in force until 2023. Major smart home brands like Signify (Philips Hue) have already pledged support, though, so it's more a question of time than desire.
Cadillac Racing says its first electric race car is almost ready for the 24 Hours of Daytona event in January after passing critical testing and development milestones. Since July, the V-LMDh has gone through nearly 12,000 miles (19,000 km) of on-track testing, including a 24-hour test at Sebring International Raceway.
Cadillac collected data on nighttime operation and durability on the bumpy 3.7-mile circuit. Program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser claimed Sebring was the perfect testing ground for the V-LMDh ahead of its competitive debut at Daytona. “To complete that endurance test was extra motivation for our team and provided a sense of accomplishment,” Klauser said in a statement. “We still have a lot to do in a short time, but we are at the point where we are fine-tuning many things.”
The car is also slated to take part in the 24-hour race at Le Mans in June. Cadillac plans to run it in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. A final test will take place next week at Daytona as part of mandatory evaluations for all manufacturers intending to take part in the IMSA’s new Grand Touring Prototype class. Cadillac Racing will reveal the final competition version of the three V-LMDh race cars, including liveries (and hopefully a new name), in mid-January.
