An in-depth candle explainer is in the works, but in the meantime, here’s some helpful information. Candle materials: There are a few popular materials for candles, including soy wax, paraffin wax, vegetable wax, coconut wax, and some others. Paraffin holds a scent well; soy wax lasts for a long time; …
Read More »Fujifilm Instax Mini 41 Review: A Stylish, Capable Budget Instant Camera
The old-school camera styling extends to some plastic knurling on the body and around the lens. This is perhaps where the plasticness comes out the most. The minute you touch it, it feels not like actual knurling but like plastic imitating knurling. If that makes sense. Baudrillard would love it. …
Read More »Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (2025): Over-Ears, Wireless Earbuds, Workout Pairs
Honorable Mentions Now that the majority of new headphones and earbuds offer at least a modicum of noise canceling, it’d be impossible (and unproductive) to list everything we like above. If you haven’t yet found your fit, here are some more favorites worth considering. Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 for $280: These …
Read More »Meta Ray-Bans Now Speak Your Language, Roku’s New Streaming Sticks, and Kia EVs Get Supercharged—Your Gear News of the Week
I’ve experienced Meta’s translation with text before and found it adequate for reading my children’s books in Spanish; Meta AI even offered, unprompted, some funny insights. When traveling, my coworker Kate Knibbs discovered that live translation is a little awkward when it’s limited to the written word. Live translation with …
Read More »Aviron Victory Treadmill Review: Get Low
My daughter recently asked me what these white flecks were on the Aviron Victory Treadmill in her playroom. Dried oobleck, I told her—a corn starch slurry mixed with water. One of the neighborhood kids had hopped on to play a walking game on the treadmill while also playing with oobleck, …
Read More »The 9 Best Wine Glasses for Every Kind of Wine (2025)
A wine glass is not just a wine glass. It is form and function, status and culture, history and modernity, all in a single object. It’s a tool we use to consume something highly sought after, and at the same time, the tool itself is a subject of great inquiry, …
Read More »7 Best Shower Water Filters, WIRED Tested and Reviewed
If you spend enough time on Instagram, you might begin to get the idea that the biggest problem facing America is water. And that the best shower water filters are the only answer. Over the past few years, a new generation of stylish filtered showerheads has arrived to hijack our …
Read More »Best Open Earbuds, Tested and Reviewed (2025): Bose and More
Open earbuds support many of the same features found in traditional earbuds like multipoint pairing to connect to multiple devices at once, sensors for auto-pause, water-resistance, and even spatial audio. Most provide an app for extras like EQ or an earbuds finder, and you’ll find onboard touch or push controls. …
Read More »11 Best Diffusers for Curly Hair (2025), Tested and Reviewed
Honorable Mentions Photograph: Nena Farrell Beachwaver Co. Blow-Drying Hair Brush for $189: This cute blow-dry brush has a set of attachments that includes a diffuser. It’s a solid choice if you want both a blow-dry brush and a diffuser, but there are cheaper options if you don’t want the blow-dry …
Read More »Acer Swift 16 AI Review: A Bargain 16-Inch Laptop
Thankfully, the touchpad is the perfect size, made of Gorilla Glass and featuring a crisp response when depressed. You won’t be able to miss the added lighting effect in the top-right corner. This purely decorative effect oddly pulses whenever you’re using an AI app (or when you press the Copilot …
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