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The Best Gift I Got for My 28th Birthday Was a ... Battery Daddy

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Once upon a time, reviving a dead TV remote meant scavenging my home for a pair of AAA batteries. First, I’d search the catchall tray in the entryway. Then, I’d try looking in the bathroom cabinet next to the bottle of Tylenol. If all else failed, I’d rifle through the kitchen junk drawer and find a few batteries among a collection of loose change, old lip balms, and dried-up Sharpies. Long story short, batteries were never easy to find. But that changed four years ago, when my stepdad gifted me the most dad-coded present of all time, the Battery Daddy . Initially, I was skeptical that I would ever use it — and fully in denial that I really needed it — but this handy battery organizer has earned a permanent spot in my home, eliminating the stress of finding batteries when I need them most. Clearly, my stepdad was on to something, and long gone are the days of my stealing batteries from other electronics or stubbing my toe during a blackout. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real...
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The Best Handheld Gaming Console

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Video games might be the most fun when you’re sitting on your couch in front of a big TV or in a comfortable chair at your desk. But the best place to play a game can also be wherever you are. If you want the freedom to step away from your TV or desk, we recommend a handheld gaming console. Small, portable, and powerful, gaming handhelds are easy to throw in a bag and pull out on a train, on a plane, or even just out in the world, so you can play games without a bulky laptop and a separate mouse or gamepad. We’ve spent more than three years researching almost 20 gaming handhelds from manufacturers including Valve, Asus, Lenovo, and MSI. After spending hundreds of hours testing the best available options, we’ve concluded that the Steam Deck OLED is the best handheld console for most people. But if you want the best portable PC-gaming experience available, the ROG Xbox Ally X is worth the extra money. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/mxvd5nr via IFTTT
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My Secret to the Crispiest Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

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As a kid, I’d slap a few squares of rubbery American cheese between slices of fluffy white bread, nuke it in the microwave, and call it a culinary masterpiece (or, at least, an after-school snack). I eventually graduated to a grilled cheese sandwich: I’d drop it in a pan with butter and squish it with a spatula until crispy. That crunch — the more obnoxiously loud, the better — is what makes a grilled cheese sandwich so delectable. But a spatula can only get you so far in achieving that crispy, crunchy, golden-brown perfection. Browning is key to taking your meals to the next level. A seared ribeye steak, caramelized onions, and toasted marshmallows all have one thing in common: They’ve undergone the Maillard reaction , where sugars and amino acids break down when heated to unlock deep, rich flavors. It’s the umami that chefs rave about and that our tastebuds crave . But, most importantly, it’s the thing that makes toasty, buttered-up grilled cheese sandwiches so irresistible. To...
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The Best Mattresses for 2026

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Choosing the right mattress is one of the most important steps in getting a restful night’s sleep. It’s also one of the most challenging, because a perfect match is highly individual. And you might not know exactly which type of mattress is right for you. We’ve dedicated hundreds of hours to interviewing experts, trying mattresses at our testing site, and sleeping on them in our own homes, all in an effort to zero in on the beds that may be worth your money. This page provides a helpful roadmap to our extensive mattress coverage and to finding your best mattress — and your best sleep. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/CJs4mEe via IFTTT
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How Ski Patrollers Stay Warm

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When Lindsay Wiebold started as a rookie ski patroller, she learned the importance of wearing the right gear the hard way, after developing frostnip (the stage before frostbite) on her toes on a brutally cold day. Now, with 12 seasons of ski-patrol experience under her belt, Wiebold has learned a thing or two about staying warm in the harshest winter conditions. Ski patrollers spend the majority of their time out on the slopes, exposed to the mountain elements. Biting winds, wet sleet, freezing temperatures — even in some of the toughest winter conditions, ski patrol braves the weather to ensure the safety of the skiers and snowboarders enjoying the mountain. So it’s critical that their gear be up to the challenge. To find out what cold-weather gear can stand up to the demands of high-alpine environments, I asked tenured ski patrollers who spend season after season on the mountain about their favorite ways to stay warm. I also visited Colorado’s Loveland and Arapahoe Basin ski areas...
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Ring Denies Rumors That Its Footage Is Used by ICE. Here’s What to Know.

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Following a surge in immigration enforcement actions in recent weeks, rumors have swirled , claiming that Amazon-owned Ring, which has sold tens of millions of smart cameras and video doorbells in the US, has been providing federal immigration law enforcement with access to user data. That unsubstantiated claim, frequently reposted on social media along with calls to disable or destroy Ring devices , also asserts that Ring’s service is integrated with Flock Safety , a company that markets license-plate scanning devices and software and has come under scrutiny due to purported use of its services for immigration enforcement. Some of Ring’s products, including cameras, home security systems, and lighting devices, have been or are Wirecutter picks. In the past we have paused recommending Ring products at various times following what we considered systemic lapses in its security and privacy policies. And so, with this new round of rumors swirling, we contacted Ring for clarification an...
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The Best Trampoline

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A great trampoline should strike a balance between playfulness and practicality, with features that ensure the best bounce and the highest degree of safety possible. Over the past year, we’ve built and bounced on nine backyard trampolines that meet ASTM safety specifications , to give families the jump on the best spring-powered exercise around. For most families, we recommend the JumpFlex Hero 14ft Trampoline , which offers the best balance of quality, safety, and performance. Those looking for trampoline-park-level bouncing may want to spring for the Avyna Pro Line 14′ Trampoline . And families looking to get a few years’ worth of casual bouncing at a lower price could be perfectly happy with the Sportspower Bounce Pro 14′ Trampoline . We also researched medical literature and spoke to an orthopedist, a trauma surgeon, and a pediatrician specializing in sports medicine to assess the overall safety of bouncing on trampolines. We investigated how to ensure your insurance company ...
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