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22 Gag Gifts (That They Might Actually Use)

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For people who are anti-junk — pretty much everyone at Wirecutter — gag gifts can be a tricky proposition. They are undeniably fun, and they’re perfect for certain situations (white elephant or Secret Santa parties) and for certain people (your jokey uncle, curmudgeonly brother, or Michael Scott–like boss). Yet they can also be one-trick wonders with the staying power of an ice cream cone on a hot day. We checked our site, searched the vast internet, and asked our favorite funny friends for gag-gift ideas that your recipients might actually use or at least enjoy beyond the initial laugh. And they do exist. There are playful puzzles for the jigsaw-inclined, funny phones for those who love a sight gag, random planters for pop-culture pros, and, yes, good old-fashioned potty-humor gifts . If you’re looking for other funny, inexpensive, clever, or universal gifts, check out our guides to white elephant gifts , Secret Santa gifts , and the best gifts under $25 . ...

The Best Digital Photo Frame

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A digital photo frame lets you easily display images — including beautiful travel shots and family photos — anywhere you can find an outlet, and it allows you to add new ones from any location. Whether you’re giving a frame as a gift and plan to upload photos remotely or you just want a great frame for yourself, the Aura Carver is the best frame we’ve used. Its 10.1-inch display is sharp, bright, and vivid, and in our tests it was simple to set up. It has a good-looking, horizontally oriented design for landscape photos but can also fill the frame with side-by-side portraits. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/JugDxz4 via IFTTT

Meta Just Made a Cheaper, Smaller Apple Vision Pro That Might Make You Want to Try VR

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Meta’s new VR glasses, which will go on sale in 2027, are much smaller and lighter than the Meta Quest headset. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/k5aoiYt via IFTTT

Could a Month of Digital Detox Finally Break My Family’s Bad Phone Habits?

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My kids will tell you I ruined their lives. They’ll tell you it was useless torture. There were no silver linings. The whole thing — all of it — was a complete waste of time and energy. They’re wrong. Our monthlong digital detox was one of the best things we’ve ever done as a family. From my perspective, it was enriching, challenging, character-building, cup-filling, soul-nourishing, and lots of other adjectives adults use. It was truly one of the best ideas I’ve had in a long time, and I am so grateful that we did it as a family. (But if my kids call me an unc one more time, I’ll put them on dishwasher-loading duty for a month.) My family of four had phone habits that seemed problematically out of balance. Especially me — by being constantly connected, I was disconnected from actual, physical, tactile thing s. I would go to bed scrolling, sometimes for hours, then wake up in the morning and immediately pick up my phone again. I knew we needed a reset, and I knew ...

The Best Parental Control Apps to Manage Screen Time (and Keep Your Kid Safer Online)

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Parental controls allow adults to set limits on their child’s smartphone use, and they serve as “training wheels” to help kids and teens build healthy tech habits. After testing 14 parental-control options on both iOS and Android devices, using them to manage our kids’ daily screen time, we’re confident that Apple’s Screen Time is the best option for iOS households, while Google Family Link is best for Android households with kids under 13. Qustodio is the better choice for Android households with children 13 and older, or if you’re looking for additional features such as setting more than two screen-time schedules. If you want notifications and closer monitoring of your child’s iPhone, we also have additional options. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/Ea9xZsv via IFTTT

Leasing an iPhone Is Actually a Good Deal

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iPhones have never been more expensive. We looked at the financing and leasing options, and we have advice on how to navigate them. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/UG8PfET via IFTTT

The Best Indoor Security Camera

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It’s said you can’t put a price on peace of mind. Well, we’re doing it anyway — and it’s pretty reasonable. An indoor security camera lets you keep tabs on the things at home that matter most, whether that’s your kids, your pets, or your prized vinyl collection. We recommend the TP-Link Tapo C120 , a sub-$40 indoor/outdoor 2K camera that can reliably distinguish between a variety of motions and sounds. The Tapo C120 also offers more customization options than most indoor cameras — and unlike with many competing models, all of these features work whether you pay for a subscription or opt to use your own local storage on a microSD card at no extra charge. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/bq7pyIP via IFTTT