Earlier this month, security guru Troy Hunt added a staggering 2 billion unique email addresses and 1.3 billion unique passwords to his Have I Been Pwned and Pwned Passwords databases. Aggregated by Synthient, the data comes from multiple credential stuffing sources shared by threat actors, as well as data stolen directly from individuals through info-stealer malware. The number of people affected is so massive that the rollout of notifications went out in waves to Have I Been Pwned subscribers. (This service is free—enter your email address into the HIBP search field, and then click on the Notify Me button that appears before any results.) The data also has particular characteristics that stood out to me. (You can read more about them in Hunt’s blog post here.) Between these details and…
Well. I checked outside my window when news broke of a Steam Machine 2.0—no pigs. So with a bit of circular logic, I’ll say that Will shouldn’t have doubted the return of Valve’s living room gaming console. It is true that the first Steam Machine didn’t take. The world largely regarded it as a curiosity. Valve’s hardware partners and their subdued marketing didn’t do much to help that perception. No one knew what to make of a thing that was not quite a PC or console, with less ability to play games. I’ve seen this initial attempt called a failure, most recently by IGN in its news writeup of this reborn Steam Machine. But Valve held on for a long while—it gave the attempt several years. To me, its eventual…
YouTube TV is back to normal after a two-week carriage dispute with Disney, but the fighting that led to blackouts for ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned channels could reshape the service as we know it. It will likely get more expensive, because programmers like Disney always want higher carriage fees for their channels, but you’ll get more for your money through bundled streaming services. YouTube might also offer cheaper packages with fewer channels, reflecting the greater flexibility we’ve seen from other providers. You don’t have to do anything about this right now, but you should know what your options are when things inevitably change down the road. PREPARE FOR A PRICE HIKE Just as on the cable side, annual price hikes have become common for live TV streaming services. These services…
Bluesound, one of three companies, along with NAD Electronics and PSB Speakers, that constitute Canada’s Lenbrook Group, has been manufacturing music servers since 2013, mostly under the Node moniker. I’ve used its Node 2i since 2019 as part of a desktop office system, which I wrote about in a 2020 issue of TAS (Google “Seydor Bluesound”). Like its Lenbrook stablemate NAD, Bluesound is distinguished for audio products, notably its music servers, that are well made, intelligently designed, and expertly engineered for high performance at value-driven prices. Though purchased for my office, I wasted no time trying it out in my reference system, where it found an easy home in the company of several components costing many multiples its (at the time) $549 retail while yielding relatively little to an Aurender…
IMAGINE: YOU ARE at a baseball game, but something is off. When the blue team is at bat, the umpire calls every pitch a strike. But when the red team is up, the umpire won’t call a single one. When a red batter hits the ball into a blue player’s glove—out!—the umpire sends him to first base anyway. You can’t believe what you are seeing. This is crazy, right? This is crazy. You look around. Does everyone else see what is happening? Twenty years ago, John Roberts promised that as chief justice of the Supreme Court, he would be like an umpire, calling balls and strikes. His promise charmed senators and the media, who believed that his predilection for executive power and long-held antipathy for civil rights could be…
Anaconda Jack Black and Paul Rudd rumble in the jungle with a reptile in a meta-reboot of the 1997 hit MOVIE Some men in the midst of midlife crises buy convertibles. Others get tattoos. Not longtime friends Griff (Paul Rudd), a struggling actor, and Doug (Jack Black), a wedding videographer. Stifled creatively and staring down mediocrity, they enlist two pals (Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn) to remake their favorite movie, the 1997 thriller Anaconda, on a shoestring budget in Brazil. In a review at the time, People called the original—which starred Jon Voight, Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez—“preposterously amusing.” The same could be said of this self-aware comedy, which gamely leans into absurdity, allowing the actors to ham it up (see above) as they flee a comically large apex predator…
Throughout his 50 years as a comedic actor, Chevy Chase has had plenty of professional ups and downs. In the new CNN documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not (titled after his Saturday Night Live Weekend Update catchphrase), Chase, who rose to fame in SNL’s first season and went on to star in hit movies like Foul Play, Caddyshack and the Vacation series, reveals a much deeper (and at times darker) personal side. His childhood in New York was marred by physical abuse at the hands of his mom, whom he calls “an out-of-control woman” in the doc, and his stepdad. “Not a lot of people knew about [the abuse],” Chase, 82, tells People. “Some did, and some came close. But it was my true life.” As an adult he’s…
Love Is in the Air for Another Bridgerton Scion The Ton is abuzz as the second-oldest Bridgerton sibling, playboy Benedict (Luke Thompson), may finally settle down in season 4. After his mother, Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell), throws a masquerade ball, he meets a mysterious woman who turns out to be Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), a maid to Lady Araminta Gun (Katie Leung). “It is upstairs-downstairs,” says Ha. While their connection faces challenges, joining the cast was “quite seamless” for Ha, especially alongside Thompson: “I wanted to make sure that our dynamic was good … and it really was.” Lady Whistledown’s Latest Muses HEAD BACK TO GILEAD One Battle After Another’s Chase Infiniti leads this sequel series to The Handmaid’s Tale, also based on a novel by Margaret Atwood, following a…
A new laptop feels like a fresh digital start: fast, clean, and ready for anything. But before you dive in, it’s wise to perform a quick system check, because many devices come with unnecessary software, suboptimal settings, and disabled security features. We’ll show you the 10 most important steps you should take immediately after switching on for the first time, so that your Windows 11 laptop runs at full performance and with the best possible protection right from the start. 1. SETTING UP WINDOWS AND INSTALLING UPDATES The first step is the most important: Setting up Windows carefully can save you a lot of trouble later. After logging in (whether with a Microsoft or local account), you should check for updates immediately: 1. Open Settings > Windows Update. 2. Click…
Sentimental Sendoff The cast of Saturday Night Live bade farewell to fan favorite Bowen Yang after six years on the show with an emotional skit featuring host Ariana Grande (also his bestie) and musical guest Cher. NYC, DEC. 20 In the Air Tonight Told by a photographer to “jump as high as you can” on the TikTok Awards red carpet, Mr. Fantasy understood the assignment. L.A., DEC. 18 Bringing the Spice Ice Spice wore a sheer white lace dress to a special screening of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, prompting mixed reactions from fans. NYC, DEC. 17 Legendary Linkup Hot dog! John Legend and Chrissy Teigen brought their children, Luna, 9, Wren, 2, Esti, 2, and Miles, 7, to meet Minnie and Mickey Mouse while attending Disney on Ice:…
Amber Glenn has just left the ice and is still peeling off her gear as she launches into a recap of her past few weeks. The 26-year-old recently recovered from a bout of the flu and is returning from the nearly nonstop travel typical for top figure skaters before the Olympics: photo shoots and commercials squeezed between competitions, interviews scheduled while her skates are still on. On this recent afternoon she’s chatty and candid despite feeling in the moment like a bit of a “mess,” she says. “I’m looking forward to this journey. It’s been a long, very difficult road.” The 2025 women’s national champion, Glenn hopes all of her work will propel her to qualify in January for her first Winter Games, in Italy the following month. She could…
Motivated to hit your happy weight in 2026 but not sure the best way to do it? We’ve got you! New research and top experts suggest pairing the Mediterranean diet with a gentle form of intermittent fasting. In fact, a new Spanish study found that older adults using the approach target dangerous belly fat and slim down at double speed. “It’s easy, and it’s a game-changer,” says obesity expert Jason Fung, M.D., who calls the strategy the best diet for 2026. “The results are often stunning.” When we think about a Mediterranean diet, our minds go to salmon, spinach and olive oil. But experts say the power of the diet isn’t specific ingredients, but rather eating patterns. The big ones: loading meals with produce, emphasizing protein from seafood and beans,…
AT THE END of 2025, Apple announced its annual App Store Awards — the best apps and games as decided by App Store editors. Now, it’s time for the people’s choice: Apple has revealed 2025’s most downloaded apps and games on iPhone and iPad in the US. There are some caveats. Apple did not disclose any download numbers, so we don’t know how close the second-placed app came to the winner in each category, and so on down the line. More importantly, we can’t know which apps people loved and kept using, and whether any were downloaded simply because of the hype surrounding them, opened only once, and then discarded. With that proviso, the lists are fascinating. Unsurprisingly, ChatGPT was the most downloaded free iPhone app in the US over…
DALI, or Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries, is located (and manufactures) in that little hotbed of high-end audio near the northern end of Europe, Denmark. I reviewed the DALI Callisto 2C back in 2019 and was very impressed by it. The Callisto 2C was a different creature in many ways, only a 2½-way bookshelf model with wireless high-res streaming capability and amplifiers built-in, a preamp module for connections, etc. However, it was also like the Opticon 8 Mk 2 in that its drivers and cabinet were aimed at a similar price point and incorporated DALI’s hybrid tweeter design, SMC motor material, and, its literature states, some refined parts. I was quite impressed with the Callisto. Now we will see what DALI can do upsized, with the top model of the Opticon…
IN EARLY September, Dr. Joseph Ladapo took the podium at a Tampa news conference to make an unprecedented announcement: As Florida’s surgeon general, he planned to eliminate “all vaccine mandates” in the state. “Who am I, as a man standing here,” he asked, hand over heart, “to tell you what you should put in your body?…Your body is a gift from God!” The audience roared in approval. Since Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him in 2021, Ladapo, despite a sterling résumé—MD and PhD from Harvard, positions at NYU and UCLA medical schools—has developed a reputation as a rogue public health official. Former colleagues who remember him as a capable and highly collaborative scientist have been perplexed as he has rolled back Covid protections, questioned vaccine safety, and challenged the CDC.…
October 14 officially marked the end of full support for Windows 10, a whopping decade after Microsoft debuted the operating system. You’re probably aware of this already, as Microsoft has been begging, pleading, cajoling, and almost demanding that Windows 10 users switch over to Windows 11 by upgrading to a new device or updating their operating system (if their hardware supports it). But if you haven’t done anything about it yet, you probably should. Here’s a quick summary of what you need to know and what to do about it. YOUR OPTIONS FOR WINDOWS 10 You don’t have to leave Windows 10 if you don’t want to. Hundreds of millions of PCs (about half of them, in fact) won’t stop working just because of a specific date on the calendar. This…
Microsoft Windows XP launched in the fall of 2001. Crocs followed in 2002. There may be some history I’m missing here, but I didn’t anticipate an intersection of the two. And yet here I am writing this review, having impulsively purchased a pair of Microsoft’s limited-edition Window XP “Bliss” Crocs, a special collaboration for Microsoft’s 50th anniversary celebration. (I was encouraged to do this by my PCWorld colleagues. Apparently I’m not immune to peer pressure, even at my increasingly creaky age.) I’ve never been a Crocs person. I’ve never owned a pair. People have raved about their comfort, but I walk through city streets and prefer full-coverage shoes. Obviously, you can get much better value from buying a standard pair of Crocs, if you only want them for normal wearing…
THE Federal Reserve’s interest rate cuts during the fall are having a ripple effect across most consumer saving rates. The federal funds rate—the rate banks use to borrow and lend to one another—recently dropped to a target range of 3.75% to 4%, the lowest level in about three years. And the consensus among economists is that rates will continue to fall modestly in 2026, perhaps by another half a percentage point or so by year-end. The result for savers: The days of easily earning 5% or more on cash have passed, financial advisers say. “Many people were getting used to 4% and 5% yields on short-term money, but this is quickly drifting down, to as low as 2% to 3% in some cases,” says certified financial planner Todd Calamita, president…
Phishing attacks are popular because they work. A bad actor sends you a phony link through a realistic text message or email, and you click it thinking you’re going to the official site. The fake URL then captures your login info (or other sensitive info). Browsers and antivirus software try to block these sites, but they’re not foolproof. So, how do you learn how to spot phishing links? Look for the clues. CHECK THE URL Phishing scams work because of two reasons. 1. People don’t look at links they click on. 2. The text in the message or email looks legitimate, but the link is actually coded to send you to a fake site. Obviously, the second scenario is way sneakier and harder to catch immediately. But you can figure this…
Jennifer Aniston and boyfriend Jim Curtis couldn’t have looked more in sync during their public debut at the Elle Women in Hollywood event on Nov. 17. The couple sat side by side between Aniston’s besties Andrea Bendewald and Kristin Hahn with matching expressions and their hands clasped under their chins as they listened to Aniston’s longtime pal Adam Sandler gush about the actress. “I can honestly say Jen is the best in so many ways and one of the most rocksteady humans I’ve ever met,” Sandler said before turning his attention to Aniston’s handsome new guy. “Me and [my wife], Jackie, are so happy that you and Jim found each other and are having the love affair you two deserve. We love you, Jim.” Five months after Us Weekly revealed…
On Jan. 15, 2025, the Gaia spacecraft took its last image. Then the craft ran a final round of engineering tests, fired its thrusters to leave Earth behind, and slipped into an orbit around the Sun, finally turning off on March 27. After more than a decade in operation, 3 trillion observations, and 2 billion stars observed, Gaia has earned its retirement. Launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2013, Gaia’s goal was “to map a billion stars,” and it succeeded. Compiling the map of where these stars are and how they move paints a picture of our entire galaxy — even the dark matter, whose gravitational influence subtly tugs on the stars. Along the way, Gaia found brown dwarfs, exoplanets, and quasars. Peering down to 20th magnitude, Gaia…
Designers are increasingly focused on the connections between sustainability, waste, and carbon footprint reduction and are discovering the benefits of salvaged materials in their project designs. Many sustainability rating systems—such as SITES, LEED, Envision, GreenLITES, and the Living Building Challenge—encourage or require salvaging materials in their criteria. But salvaged materials offer more than a way to save and repurpose remnants of old site features; they also help create a compelling story. The environmental and economic benefits of salvaged materials are quantifiable, but for those benefits to be realized, many questions and processes need to be considered before a project begins. It is not always as straightforward as it seems at the beginning, and in some cases, projects have gone unexpectedly sideways during construction. Will the salvaged materials be celebrated for…
At a Sept. 10 press conference, NASA announced its Perseverance Mars rover had discovered a “potential biosignature.” The signature requires further study, scientists say, but it represents the most compelling evidence yet for ancient microbial life on Mars. The findings were detailed in a paper published the same day in Nature and led by Joel Hurowitz, a planetary scientist at Stony Brook University in New York. The paper centers on a spotted rock named Cheyava Falls, which contains organic molecules and minerals strongly associated with microbial biological processes. The rock was found in Neretva Vallis, a dry river valley that once fed an ancient lake at Jezero Crater. NASA shared images of the discovery last summer. But a more detailed analysis has now survived formal peer review — an important…
WHEN I FIRST encountered 21-year-old Dilan Pinzón back in April 2025, he was sitting on the sidelines of a soccer field in Oakland, California, clad in cleats and a blue jersey, pondering his team’s fate. It was the third game of the season for Soccer Without Borders Academy, which hadn’t won a single match played the previous season, their first. Beyond the normal challenges of fielding a winning roster, Pinzón and most of his student teammates are recently arrived immigrants. Some, like him, are in the United States without family support, and have financial responsibilities—jobs on top of schoolwork—that make coordinating a full practice impossible. Traveling to workouts feels risky, too, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents randomly targeting people based on language and skin color. “We are not a…
On a typical day in 2008, I was driving from one job to another when I got the phone call everyone prays they will never receive. My husband Brandon had been in a serious car accident and I needed to get to the hospital right away. Thankfully, my mom happened to be driving behind me at the time, so I pulled over and got in her car. “What if Brandon is dead, Mom?” I asked, a quiver of fear in my voice. Not knowing any details about his condition made the drive to the hospital feel like a horrific out-of-body experience. At the time, I was 24 years old and Brandon was 23. We had been married just over two years with a bright future ahead. But after arriving at…
In 1989 Carl Perkins harbored high hopes for an album he had recorded with producers Brent Maher and Don Potter, the creative studio team behind the Judds’ recordings. Yet the favorably reviewed Born to Rock, as the album was titled, collapsed commercially when the label issuing it, Universal Nashville, folded after its president, Jimmy Bowen, took the helm of Capitol Records in Los Angeles. This latest of many professional setbacks Carl had experienced since leaving Sun Records in 1958 led his manager, Ken Stilts (who also managed the Judds), to have a heart-to-heart talk with his charge about the road ahead. “I told him, ‘I admire and respect where you’re coming from, but I think it’s hurt the commercial aspect of your songwriting,’” Stilts recalled when I interviewed him for…
This story, in a way, begins with the Lincoln Navigator. In 1998, Ford put its Expedition back in the blender and came up with the Navigator luxury SUV. Surprisingly—especially to Ford—it took off, helping Lincoln outsell Cadillac for the first time in the modern era. Caught flat-footed, GM responded the following year with a recycled GMC Yukon Denali boasting a new grille and name: the Cadillac Escalade. Lincoln’s momentum predictably continued. Cadillac would have to think big for its next Escalade. Two years after its Chevrolet and GMC siblings arrived in 2002, it did. The then-new Escalade blended its stylish “Art & Science” exterior with bleeding-edge tech, ultimately becoming a pop culture sensation. It. Was. Everywhere. From music video backdrops to prestige television shows, you couldn’t exist in the ’00s…
The BMW M2 is the distillation of the BMW M ethos, a respectable luxury coupe turned 473-hp street fighter. THE BMW M2 is a cheat code, a hack, the secret handshake of the BMW lineup. Munich’s pugnacious wide-body coupe offers the same 473 horse-power as the M3 and M4 but in a smaller, lighter, and more affordable package. This is the good stuff right here, a bona fide, automotive needful thing that’s priced within the realm of reason and will fit in compact parking spaces with room to spare. The M2 has the spirit of the original 2002 but with over four times the horsepower, and what’s not to like about that? A sports coupe like the M2 isn’t beholden to the considerations that dictate automotive compromises. It won’t give…
Staff Fave PISTACHIO SPREADS by Pistakio We're here to tell you, it’s time to move on from peanut butter. The master culinarians at Pistakio have transformed pistachios into a velvety smooth spread you’ll want to drizzle on everything, from morning açai bowls to decadent brownies. Prefer a little crunch? The brand’s crunchy variety combines the creamy spread with quinoa puffs and roasted pistachios for extra texture. Peanut butter might be a $2 billion industry, but pistachio is coming for its crown. HONEY PISTACHIO CHÈVRE by Rebel Cheese The holidays may be over, but grazing on a luxurious cheese board as you sip on your favorite tipple is a year-round occasion—and this artisan chèvre from Rebel Cheese deserves a place on your board. Tangy and fermented, the vegan goat cheese is…
When Robin Arzón isn’t motivating us through a sweaty workout class, the VP of Fitness Programming and Head Instructor at Peloton can be found running marathons, strength training, and parenting her two young kids. So how does the multi-hyphenate powerhouse do it all? With meals that work as hard as she does. In her debut cookbook Eat to Hustle, Arzón shares 75 high-protein, high-fiber vegan dishes from her very own recipe repertoire. Do like Arzón and ditch standard coffee for an energizing Protein Matcha Latte, savor every spoonful of hearty Chickpea Pozole for lunch, and indulge in carby, comforting Creamy Ziti & Broccoli come dinner time. With insight from a registered dietitian sprinkled throughout, and macronutrient breakdowns for every recipe, healthy eating just got a whole lot easier—and tastier. 1 The…
JENNIFER ANISTON doesn’t just love Jim Curtis — she respects and admires him. “He’s very special, very normal and very kind and wants to help people heal, move through their trauma and stagnation into clarity,” she told Elle in a November interview, praising the work the wellness coach and spiritual educator is doing. “It’s a beautiful thing to commit your life to.” A month later, it was Jim’s turn to gush about Jen. During an appearance on the Dec. 15 episode of Lewis Howes’ The School of Greatness podcast, he explained that after doing the “inner work,” about four years ago, he got to a place where he “could just love myself” and be his “authentic self” — a journey that ultimately prepared him for this relationship. From the start, he…
“You should come to CAF,” Ken Micallef said. He has been saying this for what seems like decades. “It’s cool, smaller and more manageable than AXPONA. You’ll like it.” I explained to Ken that I don’t like crowds. Or airports. That trying to listen while people are talking loudly over the music aggravates my Generalized Anxiety Disorder. And that having to sit through anything at all by Dire Straits rubs me even wronger than it did in high school. But this year my curiosity got the best of me, and on a crisp November night I rode the Acela to Washington’s Union Station, then took the Red Line to North Bethesda, and at long last, tired and already regretting my Amtrak dinner, trudged toward the twinkling lights of a Canopy…
I reviewed the Kii THREE digital active loudspeaker in the September 2017 issue of Stereophile and was totally smitten. Despite their compact size, they sounded open and well-balanced. They were capable of convincing, lively reproduction of solo voice, full orchestra and chorus, and anything in between. They were cutting edge in supporting analog and digital sources, direct-wired and network connections, and streaming. They were a pioneering effort in controlling loudspeaker radiation patterns to minimize the influence of room acoustics on reproduced sound. Now Kii is offering a newer, smaller, less expensive yet equally appealing alternative, the Kii SEVEN. The same design principles are applied. Indeed, the Kii SEVEN is the spitting image of its big brother but smaller, intended for those with tight spaces or a need to put several speakers…
A FAMILY TRADITION Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis, Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte were in sync while attending the Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate on Dec. 25. Louis (below), 7, became the proud carrier of a chocolate treat after snatching it from his father. A ROYAL HOLIDAY SEASON! A STARRY DAY ON BROADWAY BACKSTAGE REUNION Sandra Bullock showed up to support her Speed and The Lake House costar Keanu Reeves on Dec. 20 at the Hudson Theatre in N.Y.C., where he’s appearing in a revival of Waiting for Godot. AFTERNOON DATE Earlier on Dec. 20 Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper caught a matinee performance of Reeves’s show and posed for a rare photo backstage alongside the cast and fellow audience member Robert…
“WE ALREADY LIVE in a fascist state.” I’ve been hearing that so often these last few months, from friends, pundits, Mother Jones readers. And who can blame them? People have been disappeared to torture prisons overseas and ICE is terrorizing day care centers. The federal workforce is being gutted, the economy is on a razor’s edge, America’s global credibility is in tatters, and kids are going hungry while billionaires cash in. A conspiracy theorist is in charge of our health agencies. Universities, law firms, and nonprofits live in fear of the Eye of Sauron fixing on them. Midterm elections? Will we even have them? To feel grim in the face of all this is to be realistic. But to throw in the towel and declare game over—that’s something else.…
WITH NO INTENTION of slighting Fall events held in Tokyo, Toronto, Zurich, or New Jersey, if High End Munich has been the Super Bowl of audio shows (beginning in 2026, it’ll be High End Vienna), Capital Audiofest has become the Season Opener. Since its modest beginnings 15 years ago, CAF has grown in size and substance, second in importance only to AXPONA in the Western Hemisphere. This year, CAF continued its inexorable evolution from being purely a small-dealer show to an event dominated by distributors and manufacturers (though there was still a significant dealer presence). Turnout was slightly down due to the government shutdown, but most exhibitors expressed delight with both the quality and quantity of attendees. The sense of engagement was palpable as thousands of like-minded souls convened in…
Nick Reiner sat behind glass, staring straight ahead while shackled and clad in a blue anti-suicide smock in court on Dec. 17, three days after his parents, beloved filmmaker Rob and photographer-turned-producer Michele, were found stabbed to death. It was a stark turn for the troubled 32-year-old, who his father had said was in “a really good place” just three months ago. As new details come to light ahead of Nick’s scheduled Jan. 7 arraignment, those close to the family are struggling to comprehend the violent act that sent shock waves through Hollywood and beyond. Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, died in the early morning hours of Dec. 14, minutes after sustaining “multiple” knife wounds, according to their death certificates. The When Harry Met Sally … director was found…
Born in 2002 in Granada, Spain, Maria Dueñas began playing violin at the age of six. Before she was 20, she had won eight international competitions, including the prestigious Menuhin; by the time she was 20, she had been signed by Deutsche Grammophon, her maiden outing Beethoven’s violin concerto that introduced a master musician of great imagination, keen intelligence, flawless technique, interpretive insight beyond her years, a fiery and passionate temperament, yet also graceful, lyrical, and thoughtfully personal without being idiosyncratic (see my review in TAS 363 and on Tracking Angle). Scarcely a year later came her second: that Everest of the solo-violin repertoire, Paganini’s 24 Caprices, most of which require all but superhuman dexterity, flexibility, and strength in fingers, hands, and arms. Aware that Paganini called them not etudes…
LET'S START WITH A LITTLE HISTORY. It was in 2010, 15 years ago, that I heard my first Soulution amplifier—the 710—and in many respects, it was a uniquely memorable experience. As I wrote back then, “I’ve listened to a lot of audio equipment over the years, but I can count on one hand (without using all my fingers) the number of times I’ve heard something that was fool-me realistic. The first time this happened—way back in the early 70s—was when I auditioned the Magneplanar I-U’s with Audio Research electronics and got tricked into thinking I was hearing the actual grand piano that was in the apartment being played behind the ‘decorative screens’ at the far end of the room. (The screens were the Maggies, of course, but back then I…
Long before her name became synonymous with colorful stones and accessible luxury, Kendra Scott was a 19-year-old college student guided by empathy and instinct. Her first business idea didn’t come from a design studio but from time spent at MD Anderson Cancer Center. “My stepfather had brain cancer, and I was there with him constantly,” recalls Scott, now 51. Watching patients endure chemotherapy, she noticed many struggling with the cold after losing their hair: “I decided I wanted to create headwear for men and women going through chemo.” Scott dropped out of college and opened a small Austin shop called the Hat Box, convinced it was the start of something big. “I really thought I’d be opening hat stores all over the world,” she says. “The truth is, no one…
Thank you! It was a sad day when I learned that Sound & Vision was no longer to be. I received a notification that the remainder of my 25-plus-year subscription was going to be fulfilled with Stereophile. Meh! What good is a magazine that reviews high-end and high-dollar components going to do for a budget-minded 68-year-old semi-audiophile? After several issues, I discovered that I was getting an education. The more reviews I read, the more I learned about my lifelong hobby. This really kicked in when I got an issue with the Recommended Components guide. Since then, I have built the best-sounding system of my 50 years of listening. It consists of a Elac DPA 2 amplifier, Shiit Freya Plus preamp, Schiit Bifrost DAC, a pair of Philharmonic BMR monitors,…
The timing couldn’t have been worse. The day the Auer Acoustics Versura V2 loudspeakers were scheduled for delivery, the main elevator of our small condominium was out of service. Normally, heavy audio gear coming here for review enters the building at street level through the garage on a forklift, handtruck, or dolly, rolls right into the elevator, and up to our unit. Now, the only option was to lug the speakers up the five front steps of the building to access the service elevator for transport to the fourth floor. I looked in the back of the truck. Secured to a pallet were two plywood travel cases, each holding a V2 and measuring a mere 18” x 14” x 50”. How heavy could they be? I glanced at the shipping…
Onix Audio isn’t exactly a well-known brand, but it has been around for a while. Founded in 1979 in the United Kingdom, after 18 years as an independent firm it was acquired by Mr. Pu Hsao Hsiung from Taiwan Sound Art Company. Onix first began its association with Shanling, a Chinese electronics manufacturer, in 1988. While Onix has a unique brand identity whose marketing highlights its British pedigree, the manufacturing is done in Shanling’s modern manufacturing facilities in China. The Onix Zenith XT20 SACD/CD transport and the Zenith XDA20 Digital Audio Converter (DAC), priced at $2400 each, are in essence Shanling showing off. “Wanna see what we can make for some real money? Hold my beer….” Tech Tour—The Onix Zenith XST20 Transport The first thing any human will notice when…
Well, it’s fair to say that Apple didn’t quite set the tech industry alight in 2025. Sure, it wasn’t a damp squib by any means, given we saw the introduction of the M5 chip, the high–performing iPhone 17 Pro, and the feature–laden AirPods Pro 3, to name but three. Yet, sales of iPhone Air fell flat, the much–awaited Siri improvements were delayed, and the jury remains out on Liquid Glass. The good news is that 2026 will be better. Much better. In fact, the more rumors you hear about the products heading our way, the more excited you’re sure to become. “I think Apple has a major 2026 in store,” Bloomberg tech journalist Mark Gurman told Mac|Life. “The beginning of the year will be packed but incremental.” So what can…
When historians look back at the PC industry in 2025, they’ll probably remember a time of intense turmoil. Between wildly unpredictable tariffs, geopolitical strife, the AI boom, hardware shortages caused by the AI boom (and tariffs), and hundreds of thousands of industry layoffs, it was an eventful—and stressful—year for the PC. Nonetheless, great things happened. We’ve seen the launch of entire new graphics card generations from Nvidia and AMD. The laptops of today are the laptops of tomorrow we’ve always dreamed of. Handheld gaming is exploding in popularity, leaving Microsoft scrambling to make Windows a viable alternative to Valve’s SteamOS on those devices. Security is evolving daily to protect a new breed of AI-powered attacks. Today is a day to celebrate the best of times. This is the best PC hardware…
“The very heart of all analog phono components is the vinyl record.” How and when did your interest in high-end audio begin? In my early teens, around my 13th birthday. During a chess contest, I won enough money to finance my first basic stereo set. That was the beginning. Over the next few years, my interest in getting even better sound grew and grew. By the age of 16, the pursuit started to get serious, and I had more money to spend. What components made up your first true high-end system? A Thorens TD126, Telefunken V69a tube amplifiers, and K+H OM Studio monitors from Bavarian Broadcast Service Studio. I was 17. When did audio develop from a hobby to a career? Gradually, during the late 2000s. Did formal education help…
IN AN AGE WHERE self-care can feel more like a full-time job than a restorative ritual, the wellness world continues to evolve. Some trends fade fast, while others reshape how we think about health altogether. The key? Choosing the ones that truly help us feel grounded, balanced, and connected. Where restrictive diets and high-intensity workouts used to be front and center, nourishing foods and sustainable movement have stepped in. From meals packed with fiber to natureinspired home décor, here are the 10 wellness trends shaping 2026. 1 FIBERMAXXING WHAT IT IS: “Fibermaxxing” has officially taken over nutrition circles. This trend focuses on maximizing daily fiber intake from whole plant-based foods rather than supplements. WHY WE’RE INTO IT: Fiber supports digestion, blood sugar balance, and gut health—and many people aren’t getting enough of…
IF YOU’RE READING THIS magazine, you’re probably not sipping an organ meat smoothie from Erewhon, using beef tallow to cook your fries, or snacking on whole sticks of butter. But it might feel increasingly difficult to avoid seeing these trends across the internet, in restaurants, and even in public policy. AS PART OF HIS MAKE AMERICA Healthy Again initiative, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting raw milk and beef tallow (the rendered protective fat around cow organs). Texas-based influencer Brian Johnson—known to many as the “Liver King”—built a career and a following of millions to show how a carnivorous diet of raw liver and other organs got him his hulking, shredded physique. Bella Ma, Juilliard-trained pianist and a former dedicated vegan—and now known as @steakandbuttergal—claims switching…
Hardly anyone can have missed the AI phenomenon that has taken the world by storm. Almost every major company has some kind of AI initiative now. Politicians talk about how important it is not to “fall behind in the AI race,” and hundreds of millions have started using AI chatbots. The AI wave took off when OpenAI released its chatbot ChatGPT, which gives large language models a conversational interface. Many competitors have emerged since then from companies large and small, but ChatGPT remains the most popular. ChatGPT isn’t necessarily the “best” AI service out there (recent tests show other tools can outperform it in certain areas), but it’s the most widely known and the benchmark that all other services are compared to. It’s the standard, plain and simple. If you’ve…
You’d be forgiven for thinking competing nominations in the same category at the Grammy Awards might inspire members of the average family to engage in some friendly rivalry. But the Nelsons—Lukas and his dad, the outlaw country forefather Willie—are no ordinary family. “There’s no rivalry at all. Me and him joined teams, so we got a 40 percent chance,” Lukas says of being nominated for best traditional country album alongside his pops. “A win for anyone in that group [is a win for me].” That optimistic outlook—and the concept of music as a guiding light—is just one of the many lessons Lukas, 37, has taken from Willie, 92, as he’s carved his own career path, first with his band Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and now as a…
Last night, I sat on a bright yellow velveteen sofa eating red beans and rice while listening for three hours to blues and jazz from rare 78rpm records. I walked out feeling gospel-level raised up, with a head full of dreams and cultural memories. The Hot Club of New York Matthew Rivera’s Hot Club of New York is on the third floor of an old commercial building at 20 W 20th Street, across from what used to be the Limelight Club. The walk from the F Train at 23rd Street generated a Rolodex of memories from watching this neighborhood evolve during my 50 years traipsing the streets above Union Square. But those memories didn’t prepare me for Matthew’s passionately curated mise-en-scène inside the Hot Club of New York. The listening…
Apple has officially released iOS 26 to everyone, and while changes like Liquid Glass make the update impossible to miss, there are plenty of useful new features that aren’t as obvious. Some of them are buried in menus, and others only appear when you know where to look. Here are some of the best hidden features of iOS 26 that are worth trying, and exactly where to find them. USE AIRPODS AS A VIDEO-RECORDING MIC One of the most practical additions in iOS 26 is the ability to use your AirPods as an external microphone when recording videos with the iPhone camera. This means you can capture clearer audio, even if you’re standing a bit away from the iPhone. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Put your AirPods in your…
There are few more frustrating iPhone experiences than receiving a spam call. Whether it’s interrupting your work or play, it doesn’t take much for a junk call to take you out of the moment. The problem is that they’re seemingly extremely difficult to stop, and no matter what you try, a few still seem to make it through the net. At least, that was the case before iOS 26’s Call Screening feature came along. Since I installed iOS 26, it’s stopped unwanted calls in their tracks, leaving me in spam-free bliss all day long. The way Call Screening works is extremely simple. When you get a call from an unknown number, the caller will first be put through to an automated voice that asks them to identify themselves and describe…
MUSIC SONICS Jerome Sabbagh: Stand Up! Analog Tone Factory (15ips Reel-to-Reel). Jazz saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh returns with a new album titled Stand Up! performed with veteran bassist Joe Martin, guitarist Ben Monder, and drummer Nasheet Waits. Stand Up! is the newest release from Sabbagh and pianist/engineer Pete Rende’s Analog Tone Factory (ATF) record label. Like the earlier Heart album, the artists on this album were recorded at Power Station in NYC (in the same room) direct to two-track ½”-tape at 30ips on a custom Ampex 351 tube tape deck. This ATF reel-to-reel release is a direct copy of the all-analog recorded, real-time mixed, original tape. All eight tracks on this album were Sabbagh originals, with each one dedicated to someone personally influential along his musical journey: “Lone Jack” for Ray…
Babies and furbabies unite: “Mom life; the best chapter yet,” gushed Olivia Culpo, sharing a photo of her 5-month-old daughter, Colette, perched on her lap while her husband, NFL star Christian McCaffrey, doted on their OG baby, toy goldendoodle Oliver Sprinkles. It’s especially sweet since the model admitted she cried “every day” over the pup after giving birth to Colette, worried she wouldn’t “be able to care for Oliver the same way.” Luckily, her dog-mom guilt arc has a happy ending: “Little did I know everything would be fine — and both my babies would be best friends.” Warning: this level of cuteness may cause spontaneous squealing. They Take Parental Power Naps! Jerry Ferrara sat down for some shut-eye outside the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique during a family visit to Disneyland…
Given the choice, Apple would have rolled out its first custom-designed Mac chips on its own terms, probably at a high-profile event in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park. But given that it was November 2020, the company was forced to release a 45-minute video instead. No amount of in-person theatrics would have upstaged the star of that show, the M1 processor. Five years later, it’s clear that the arrival of Apple silicon has utterly changed the trajectory of the Mac. A CAREFUL START In that first event (which you can relive in this YouTube video), Apple announced its first wave of M1 Macs: the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. The Macs themselves all used the same design as their Intel predecessors, as Apple wrapped potentially scary…
SUVS CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE MARKET, BRINGING MORE POWERTRAINS, TECH, AND INNOVATION FROM ALL CORNERS JUDGES/TESTERS Erick Ayapana Associate Road Test Editor Kyle Conner Out of Spec Reviews Founder Miguel Cortina Mexico Editor Gordon Dickie Automotive Industry and Engineering Executive Scott Evans Features Editor Aaron Gold Senior Editor Josh Jacquot Contributor Jered Korfhage Technical Writer Alex Leanse Associate Editor Ed Loh Head of Editorial Alisa Priddle Detroit Editor Billy Rehbock Associate Editor Christian Seabaugh Features Editor Eric Tingwall Testing Director CONTENDER Acura ADX PROS Smooth daily drive • Strong on safety • Has real buttons CONS Overpriced entry luxury • Powertrain lacks punch • HR-V interior design The ADX arrives as Acura’s new entry-level SUV, positioned above the Honda HR-V but priced squarely in the premium space. With a $36,350 starting…
HAWK DUNLAP isn’t used to being cold. On a gray day last January when I visited him in West Texas to tour abandoned oil wells, Dunlap—in his mid-50s with a James Brolin vibe—was bundled up, a sweatshirt pulled over his signature red coveralls. As we drove, Dunlap told me, with a note of sorrow in his deep Texas drawl, that he used to live in Bali, where he went days without wearing a shirt or shoes and swam in a pool he’d installed with the shape of Texas tiled on its bottom. Outside the windshield of his white pickup was an endless expanse of desert scrub and red dirt. Sweeping his arm toward the flat land and looming sky, he laughed and asked, “You see any blue water out here?”…
Perks of the Job Paris, Dec. 15 “The greatest blessing of this show — and it has afforded us so, so much — has been this friendship,” Ashley Park has said of forming a bond with Emily in Paris costar Lily Collins. The two enjoyed a laugh at the series’ season 5 premiere at Le Grand Rex. Easy Riders Los Angeles, Dec. 14 Talk show hosts extraordinaire Jennifer Hudson and Derek Hough brought the fun cruising around the Warner Bros. Studios lot. The ride was part of the “Rolling with the Stars” segment airing on Telepictures’ entertainment news series Extra. Gold Standard Los Angeles, Dec. 16 Kehlani celebrated both of her 2026 Grammy nominations with a performance at the Grammy Museum L.A. Live. The “Folded” singer later described the intimate…
As a persistent housing shortagecontributes to expanding homelessness across the nation, landscape architects are increasingly being asked to develop design strategies that confront this societal challenge. While some clients ask for “hostile architecture” that discourages people from lingering in parks and public spaces, other communities are taking a more humane approach and asking whether they can design a landscape for people experiencing homelessness while also creating a space for the entire community. The city of Fayetteville, Arkansas, is about to find out thanks to a new master plan for Walker Park. The park—the largest community green space managed by the city—has been “waiting for a rebirth,” notes Adam Williamson, a principal at TSW, which developed the master plan. The 70-acre site is strategically located along the Razorback Greenway and offers…
The music of guitarist Steve Tibbetts causes writers to grapple with metaphors to describe its ineffable qualities: “The sound of music contemplating itself ” (Jazz Times); “… acoustic ragas spiked by Hendrixian banshee screams” (Rolling Stone); “Melodies…whisper like breezes through an aspen grove” (The Absolute Sound). A flowworker.org review of his latest album, Close, compares it to “a dark Rothko painting on fire.” Tibbetts, in his website notes for the new release, makes a few mysterious allusions himself: “Music is a twilight language. The job is to translate shadow into sound.” Close is Tibbetts’ ninth studio album recorded for ECM. After self-releasing his 1977 eponymous debut and 1980’s Yr, the Wisconsin-born Minnesotan joined Manfred Eicher’s stable in 1982 with Northern Song. While Close shares certain characteristics with other recordings in…
AT a White House ceremony last February, before President Donald Trump signed an executive order to defund schools if they permit transgender girls to play girls’ sports, he turned and looked over his shoulder. Behind him stood former college swimmer Riley Gaines, wearing suffragette white in a crowd of young female athletes and conservative activists. “You’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Trump told the 24-year-old. Almost three years, to be exact. Since tying for fifth place in a March 2022 championship race against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, Gaines has used the story of their matchup to leap to the vanguard of the anti-trans movement, campaigning not just to ban trans women from women’s sports, but to end public acceptance of transgender people. Gaines joined the political fray just…
MUSIC SONICS Scriabin: Orchestral Works. Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Fabio Luisi. Deutsche Grammophon. Ask any pianist. Scriabin wrote his most important music for their instrument— the piano. His only other significant contribution to the literature was what we have here: the works for orchestra. The first two symphonies are nothing special. No. 1 is a sprawling six-movement hodgepodge with chorus at the end, No. 2 a dark, slow-moving minor-key meditation with the obligatory triumphant concluding movement in the major. But with his Symphony No. 3, Op. 43, the fulminant Divine Poem, Scriabin hit his stride. Here, and even more so in the comparatively compact Poem of Ecstasy and Prometheus,the orchestra puts forth a shimmering palette of tonal ambiguities, allowing the music to convey a longing for the unattainable and, paradoxically,…
SHARE WITH US! EMAIL: ask@maclife.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/maclife X: x.com/maclife Get official documentation at support.apple.com | Get help with hardware at support.apple.com/repair Turn FileVault on today DOES YOUR MAC have a T2 or Apple silicon chip, start up from its internal SSD, and isn’t used as a server? Then it should have FileVault turned on. Unlike in older Macs, these newer models encrypt the entire contents of their Data volume, anyway; FileVault simply puts you in charge of who gets to decrypt and access your files. It comes at no cost, there’s no overhead, and you don’t need to use a long semi–random password; just a login password that’s unlikely to be guessed. With FileVault enabled, you can have complete confidence that should anyone get hold of your Mac somehow, they won’t…
I know I’m not alone in the frustration that comes from dreaded Windows updates hitting at the worst times. The small, incremental updates aren’t too bad, but the larger updates that turn up every so often can be a real source of stress—that is, until you choose to be proactive and take control of them like I eventually learned to do. To be clear, Windows updates are important. Without them, you leave your PC open to malware, instability, and performance issues. (That’s why the end of Windows 10 support is such a big deal and why you should only stick with Windows 10 if you have extended support.) We recommend keeping your Windows PC updated whenever you can. Fortunately, while Microsoft is in charge of releasing the various Windows updates,…
Microsoft’s next Xbox will run Windows, a report says, blurring the line between PCs and consoles and making the latest Xbox Ally X the model of what Microsoft hopes to achieve in gaming. Windows Central, which has established some good sources inside the console space, claims (fave.co/4orEByV) that the next Xbox will run Windows, with an Xbox Full Screen Experience layered on top. Given that Microsoft has already established a close working relationship with AMD, those chips should be inside the console as well, with backward compatibility going all the way back to the Xbox 360, the site says. Microsoft hasn’t explicitly said that the next Xbox would run Windows, though the company hasn’t really tried to hide it, either. In June, Xbox president Sarah Bond said that the Xbox team…
in far-flung corners of the globe—from the rugged hills of Sardinia to the quiet coastlines of Okinawa—people are living well into their 90s and beyond, free of the chronic illnesses that plague much of the modern world. These regions, dubbed the “Blue Zones,” were first identified in 2004 by author Dan Buettner (see p.61) alongside researchers from National Geographic and the National Institute on Aging. What they discovered wasn’t a miracle cure or a rare genetic gift. It was a way of life. Across these five Blue Zones—Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, CA—people move naturally, stay connected to their communities, and eat in ways that nourish their body and spirit. And while no single diet or exercise plan guarantees longevity, the patterns are…
Generative AI data centers are gobbling up trillions of dollars in capital, not to mention heating up the planet like a microwave. As a result, there’s a capacity crunch on memory production, shooting the prices for RAM sky high, over 100 percent in the last few months alone. Multiple stores are tired of adjusting the prices day to day and won’t even display them. You find out how much it costs at checkout. That’s according to BlueSky user Steve Lin (spotted by PCWorld’s own Mark Hachman), who snapped a photo at Central Computers, a retail chain in central California. The store cites a global shortage in memory chips that is causing prices to change drastically every day. “Because of this, we can’t display fixed prices on certain products at this…
Makeup-free and still in loungewear for a morning Zoom call from her hotel room in Australia, Oprah Winfrey is describing her recently consumed breakfast: “I’ve just had a croissant. And I ate the full thing.” Not long ago a buttery indulgence would have been an all-day obsession, she says. “I would have been thinking, ‘How many calories in that croissant? How long is it going to take me to work it off? If I have the croissant, I won’t be able to have dinner.’ I’d still be thinking about that damn croissant!” This morning, however, she is blissfully unbothered: “I felt nothing. The only thing I thought was, ‘I need to clean up these crumbs.’ ” The insignificance of her breakfast is a monumental shift for Winfrey, who two and…
In last month’s editorial, I railed against the idea of readers asking an AI chatbot what component to buy to upgrade their systems. The essay was inspired by two readers who, independently, sent me lists of products a chatbot had recommended, asking me which of the components they should purchase. In the essay I wrote, “Frankly, it’s hard to know where to start in describing how appallingly wrong this approach is.” But since writing these words, it occurred to me that turning to a chatbot for advice on upgrading a component was a symptom of a general lack of understanding when it comes to building an audio system. We’ve all listened to our systems, wanted to improve them to get better sound, and then replaced a component to realize that…
It was 2015, just two days before Christmas, when Richard Dabate, 40, drove home through streets sparkling with Christmas lights, his sons, Richard, nine, and Connor, six, in the car. He was dropping them at the school bus stop before heading to work. So close to Christmas, the boys’ chatter was likely about Santa – a magical time for children that age. The Dabate family lived in a four-bedroom colonial-style home at the end of a long driveway in an affluent Connecticut neighbourhood. Richard worked as a computer technician, while his wife, Connie, 39, was a pharmaceutical sales representative for Reckitt Benckiser, making her the family’s main breadwinner. Married on July 4, 2003, the pair were described by friends as happy and devoted, though they occasionally argued over money like…
Email the Editor: rharley@nextscreen.com or: TAS, 1801 Red Bud Lane, Suite B, P.O. Box 164, Round Rock, TX Digital Wizardry Beware the lure of digitry, the cipher veiled in stream; Each emulated memory contorts the sacred scheme. Fidelity is Borne not by written code, nor crafted through the math we hear; It dwells in spiral valleys etched— where music moves to muse the seer. The stylus bows in pilgrimage, drawn gently through the dales; Every motion wakes a buried breath, each wave, but whispered tales. So, mark this truth, O Resonant, where silence dares to fill: The soul is not a stream of bits— the ear is analog still. Stephen Desper Editor’s Note: TAS reader Stephen Desper is a recording engineer and audio technology inventor. He has engineering credits on 10…
Several years ago, Michael Fremer and I visited Angie Lisi, the owner of American Sound of Canada, to listen to the Avantgarde Trio G3 loudspeakers. A passionate audiophile who has been in the business for decades, Angie has firm views about what constitutes good sound and is not shy about sharing them. She has a store in the Richmond Hills suburb of Toronto, but it is her sprawling home nearby that contains the true treasure chest of audio products, ranging from VAC equipment to Boulder amplifiers, from Wadax digital gear to Transparent cables. What I found most riveting, however, was the enticing sound produced by a nifty combination— single-ended-triode Air Tight ATM-2211 monoblock amplifiers coupled to the behemoth Avantgardes that permanently reside in Lisi’s spacious basement listening room. So, when…
On the frigid afternoon when Charlie Otero’s life was ripped apart, the first indication that something was amiss came when the then-15-year-old spotted his dog Lucky unattended and shivering in the snow outside his family’s home in Wichita, Kans. “ ‘What are you doing out here, boy?’ ” Otero, now 67, recalls asking. Then he led the dog back into the house and immediately noticed his mother’s emptied purse on the floor. “Is anybody here?” he shouted. A split second later he heard his younger siblings Danny and Carmen, who had arrived home before him, yelling, “Charlie, come quick.” More than 50 years later memories of what followed on that gray day in January 1974 are still lodged in Otero’s heart like shrapnel. He ran to his parents’ bedroom to…
The goal of every high-performance audio system is to produce music with as little coloration and distortion as possible. Much can be done to improve a system’s performance by optimal loudspeaker placement and room treatments to help reduce the most serious room-induced sonic issues. But can you achieve even more? You can, with the help of digital signal processing (DSP), optimize your loudspeaker’s in-room performance by measuring and then generating corrective filter settings. Applications like Audyssey and Dirac are two well-known DSP applications, but many DSP systems require extensive measurement to configure correctly. What if there were a DSP system that only required four separate measurements to achieve results that could then be exported to a wide variety of audio components? Welcome to Magic Beans. What Are Magic Beans? Magic…
Sometimes speakers talk to me. Usually when they do, they ask me to move them, or to move myself—the listening position—to suit them. The first time I recall experiencing this was at a Sonus faber listening event at the old McIntosh House in Manhattan—the first one, before they sold that one and got another one. That day, several speakers from a new Sonus faber line were being auditioned in various rooms throughout the mansion. As I listened to a smaller pair in a smaller room, I noticed I was leaning to the side. It was an off-center setup, with only a couple of feet between the speaker and a wall; on the other side was much more space. I realize that this—the fact that speakers talk to me like this—doesn’t…
Samantha Milton and Charleah Torres-Vega are strutting toward the camera, beaming, hands tightly intertwined. The two first met less than an hour before their People shoot but quickly formed a bond, like warriors who’ve battled a common foe. “We had this shared experience of being seen by the world in a way that was so minimizing,” says Milton, 29. “That was my experience being overweight.” Says Torres-Vega, 46: “I understand what it’s like to be made to feel unworthy.” After facing long struggles with weight, the women lost a collective 360 lbs. by moving more, eating less and healthier and, like a growing number of people, taking weight-loss medications known as GLP-1s. Those drugs have “revolutionized the way we think about obesity as a chronic disease,” says Dr. Sohaib Imtiaz,…
Most people are unaware of just how much of their data is out on the web available for anyone to buy and sell. Most of this is done by data-aggregator and data-broker websites that hoover up as much information as possible about as many people as possible. They then match this data to each individual to create personal profiles that they package and sell online. There are so many of these data-broker sites now that it’s nearly impossible to remove your data from each on your own. As a result, a number of personal data-removal services have cropped up to help customers with this process. Incogni, from the famous VPN Surfshark, is probably the most famous and popular data-removal service—at the time of this writing it has processed over 245…
Definitive Audio in Bellevue, Washington, near Seattle—one of the premier dealerships in the Pacific Northwest—continued its 50th anniversary celebration with an event it called “Icons and Innovators.” Highlighted by showings of the new JBL Everest series and Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus and 801 Abbey Road edition loudspeakers, the event drew a full house to the first of two sessions. JBL/D’Agostino/dCS/Clearaudio My first stop was at the first showing of JBL’s Summit Makalu loudspeakers ($60,000/pair). The name derives from Makalu mountain near Mount Everest. On hand were Chris Hagen, the principal acoustic engineer for the Summit series; Dave Tovissi, vice president and general manager of Harman’s Luxury Audio division; and Jim Garrett, senior director of product strategy and planning for Harman’s Luxury Audio division. “The Summit series is JBL’s latest effort…
Walmart has another winner on its hands with the Onn 4K Plus Streaming Device. For $30, you get a compact streaming box with 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos support. It’s a surprisingly speedy streaming player for the money, with a generous 16GB of storage for apps, and its Google TV software is generally useful (at least when it’s not shoving banner ads in your face). Roku’s budget streamers (such as the $40 Streaming Stick Plus) have a slight edge in terms of ease of use, and Walmart’s own Onn 4K Pro has some additional features and is also worth considering. But if you want a sub-$50 streaming device that does pretty much everything well, the Onn 4K Plus is tough to beat. AN UNEXPECTEDLY SPEEDY STREAMER The Onn 4K Plus…
The Devialet Astra is one of the most versatile and forward-thinking audio components I’ve encountered—an elegant, compact device capable of serving as a streaming DAC, phonostage, stereo integrated amplifier, and stereo or monoblock amplifier. Its design philosophy pushes the boundaries of what a modern audio component can be, combining DSP sophistication, noise-floor engineering, and an unusually flexible configuration system. Before diving into the listening impressions, it’s worth examining how Devialet approaches both form and function. A Brief Look Back My entry into high-end audio began with a Bang & Olufsen Beomaster 2400 receiver. I was drawn to its beauty but also to B&O’s willingness to rethink the conventions of the time. No clutter, no knobs or visible buttons, everything neatly hidden in a form completely different from any receiver of…
MUSIC SONICS Linda Ronstadt: Prisoner in Disguise. Asylum/Mobile Fidelity (2 LPs). One weighty package indeed, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s 50th anniversary reissue of Linda Ronstadt’s Prisoner in Disguise arrives as a 180-gram, 45rpm double album (MoFi’s 33rpm version is long out of print) sourced from the original master tapes. MoFi touts the 45rpm’s deeper groove space as unveiling heretofore obscured “definition, depth and dimensionality,” unheard even in its 33rpm reissue. Long story short: Believe the hype. What’s weighty about it? The heavy-duty packaging and the discs’ heft, for one, but more important, the majestic Ronstadt vocals, coming at you with presence, affect, and effect that places the singer right there, as close to being a corporeal presence as technology will allow. Again produced by Peter Asher, a year after her…
The original Clearaudio Concept turntable, launched in 2009, was conceived as an affordable and user-friendly high-performance deck and was roundly embraced by audiophiles. It has since racked up a staggering 20,000 units sold. Over the years, there have been upgrades, but the Clearaudio team from Erlangen in Bavaria, Germany, have outdone themselves this time with the Concept Signature, a special edition for the U.S. market only. The term “special” only begins to describe its charms. The philosophy behind the Concept Signature is consistent with that of its predecessors. The clean minimalist look will be familiar to most Clearaudio fans. The suspension-less design may look basic, but under the hood are decades of experience and innovation. There’s a redesigned plinth with an illuminated rotary touch controller that sets speed (33.3 or…
One of the most consequential developments in the history of computing happened 50 years ago. It set Apple on course to becoming one of the most valuable companies on the planet and changed the face of computing in unfathomable ways. Yet you’ve probably never even heard of what went down. It’s an often-overlooked moment that had incredible consequences for years to come. Typing on a computer is something we all take for granted today. One of Apple’s key philosophies has long been to get the technology out of your way—Steve Jobs and Jony Ive have waxed lyrical on that idea—so day to day, we never really think much about how writing on a computer actually works. We can debate the pros and cons of various displays and even build our…
BBQ Tofu Chopped Salad Sweet corn, ripe avocado, and crisp romaine bring balance to this barbe-cuelaced bowl that’ll make it feel like summer anytime of year. SERVES 4 1 tablespoon olive oil1 (14-ounce) block high-protein tofu, pressed, patted dry, and cut into bite-sized pieces Salt, to taste Black pepper, to taste½ cup barbecue sauce1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed1 cup halved cherry tomatoes½ cup diced red onion1 large avocado, diced1 cup steamed or grilled corn1 batch ValleyGirl Ranch Dressing (see recipe) 1. In a medium pan over medium-high heat, warm olive oil and add tofu. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until tofu is golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to a simmer, pour in…
THE PLANT-BASED world has conquered burgers, nuggets, milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and everything in between. But there’s one frontier that remains the true test of vegan power: snacks. VegNews readers hit the polls hard in our first-ever VegNews Snack Awards, and it’s clear the golden age of vegan snacking has officially arrived. BEST CHEESY SNACK Hippeas Cheezy Cheddar Pops Snacktime gets an upgrade with Hippeas’ airy-yet-satisfying Cheezy Cheddar Pops, delivering a fingercoating crunch packed with plantbased protein and nostalgic cheddar flavor. 2ND PLACE: Babybel Plant-Based Cheese 3RD PLACE: Back to Nature Cheezy Crackers BEST CHIP Siete From grain-free jalapeñolime tortilla chips to fuego-dusted potato crisps, Siete redefines the chip aisle with big-time crunch and bold, Mexican-inspired flavors. Your guacamole, salsa, and queso just found their perfect pairing. 2ND PLACE: Hippeas…
Panther Lake, the next generation of Intel’s Core Ultra series of laptop processors, is nearly here. But what is it, exactly? Intel spent several days explaining the fine details of Panther Lake to journalists at a recent press event, including its new compute cores, graphics cores, NPU AI, and wireless. If you’re interested, PCWorld has a deep dive into all of Panther Lake’s technologies. But if you just want the basics, stay here. Here’s what you need to know about Intel’s Panther Lake chip, in brief. 1. EXPECT PANTHER LAKE IN 2026 Intel executives talked about some of the details of Panther Lake themselves. But the details that matter to laptop buyers (speed, price, and which laptops will have them) will have to wait for CES 2026 in Las Vegas…
SANTA MAY HAVE been and gone, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still great gifts to be had — so if you got a new Mac, iPhone, or iPad for Christmas, picked up an Apple bargain on Black Friday, or just feel like treating yourself, there are many great free apps available to give you a very happy new year. In this guide, we’re going to highlight some of the very best free apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch — and by free, we mean free; not demos, time–limited trials, or apps that are unusable without buying in–app purchases. While some of the apps here do have paid versions that unlock additional features or just banish adverts, the ones we’ve selected deliver the goods without requiring payment. Over…
1 Y: Marshals WHY TUNE IN? Yellowstone rides again in this latest spinoff, roping in Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton. Let’s not forget he has Navy SEAL experience to supplement his cowboy skills as he joins the U.S. Marshals in Montana. On his team: And Just Like That’s Logan Marshall-Green and Rescue: HI-Surf’s Arielle Kebbel. WHERE AND WHEN CBS, March 1, 8 p.m.; also Paramount+ 2 Love Story WHY TUNE IN? The short-lived but eternally sparkling romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly) and Carolyn Bessette (Sarah Pidgeon) — killed in a 1999 plane crash — plays out in a Ryan Murphy limited series. Whether you aim to scrutinize or get swept away, you can’t not watch. WHERE AND WHEN FX and Hulu, February 3 A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight…
WHEN FOOD Network cast Chloe Coscarelli on the competition show Cupcake Wars back in 2009, she had only been baking professionally for three months. The episode featured four bakers in three rounds of eliminations, culminating with the challenge of baking 1,000 aphrodisiac-inspired cupcakes in three flavors—plus a unique display dreamt up on the spot. For the final challenge, Coscarelli and just one other baker remained. The two contestants sifted, mixed, folded, baked, frosted, decorated, and ran around their kitchen spaces with team members dizzily weaving throughout. They had the nerve-racking task of timing the two-hour bake, cooling and frosting of a thousand cupcakes, and perfecting the final set-up. The champion would receive $10,000 and have their cupcakes featured at a sleek magazine launch party, but of even more value, they…
Joan Iverson Nassauer, FASLA, has long been a vocal proponent of blending aesthetics and ecological performance across a variety of landscape types, including the agricultural fields that formed the scenery of her childhood. Nassauer grew up in Ames, Iowa, in the “heart of a landscape dedicated to industrial agriculture,” she says, and her interest in finding links between differing perspectives likely comes from her Midwest roots. A longtime professor of landscape architecture at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, Nassauer once described the work of Julie Bargmann as using “science as a springboard to imagination,” but the same could be said of Nassauer’s own career. She brought a commitment to scientific rigor to the journal Landscape and Urban Planning, where she was co-editor-in-chief from 2014 to 2021.…
If it seems as if we’ve reviewed quite a few MP700s from Corsair, it’s because we have (MP700 Elite, MP700 Pro, MP700 Pro SE). The company keeps upping the ante with performance or other features, so we’re back with yet another—the MP700 Pro XT. Is it better than its predecessors? Yup. Not by a ton, but hey! Every little bit counts. All that aside, the MP700 Pro XT is a top-notch PCIe 5.0 SSD. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best SSDs for comparison. FEATURES An M.2 2280 (22mm wide, 80mm long) SSD, the MP700 Pro XT features PCIe 5.0, a Phison E28 controller, and 218-layer TLC NAND. The drive is a DRAM design for faster random ops, with 1GB of cache per terabyte of capacity.…
Reliable Luggage 1. Wear-Everywhere Pack Perfect as a personal item when flying, this Portland Gear backpack has a wide opening that testers said made it easy to pack and access everything inside. It comes in more than 15 colors. PORTLAND GEAR CASCADE BACKPACK, $109 2. Stylish Spinner This hardside checked luggage from Vera Bradley has a fauxquilted design that held up to scratch-resistance tests in the GH Textiles Lab. Travelers were wowed by its spaciousness. VERA BRADLEY 29" ADAIR SPINNER, $305 3. Kid-Friendly Case This Away spinner is made of the same durable material as its fan-favorite luggage but comes in fun shades and is sized for kids. Parents loved how lightweight and easy to pack it was, and children loved rolling it. AWAY THE KIDS CARRY-ON, $225 4. Do-It-All…
AutoHotkey (AHK) is a free and simple yet powerful Windows scripting language. It doesn’t get a lot of press these days, but Windows geeks used to love writing and swapping AHK scripts. You can learn AHK and write the scripts yourself if you want to—the AutoHotkey documentation is pretty good—or you could use an AI tool like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, and so on to do the work for you. Well, that’s what I did. Months ago, I vibe-coded a script that changes how scrolling works on Windows. (Vibe coding is when you use prompt instructions to generate code via AI.) I still use it every day because it’s a huge help on my desktop PC’s big monitor. With AI, creating the script took less than an hour. All I…
IN mid-December, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s holiday season was made brighter by some very welcome news: The couple is set to produce the upcoming Netflix rom-com The Wedding Date, based on the bestselling 2018 novel by Jasmine Guillory. The flick will be penned by Hollywood heavyweight Tracy Oliver, who wrote the 2017 box office smash Girls Trip. The project couldn’t come at a better time for the pair. It’s no secret they’ve struggled to find their professional footing since leaving the royal family in 2020. Success has been especially elusive for Meghan, 44, whose numerous endeavors and rebrands have fallen short of expectations. Her first podcast, Archetypes, was canceled after one season in 2023 and her second, Confessions of a Female Founder, went on hiatus in June; she’s also…
My heart leaped at the sight of a pretty white farmhouse—the farmhouse. My cousin Tony, a real estate agent and an auctioneer, had sent me a link to a listing he had just acquired, and lo and behold, there it was: the circa-1908 property of my late great-grandparents Til and Arizona Hays. It had been out of our family’s possession since the mid-1940s, and Tony sent the photo to my mom and me thinking we’d be curious and want to lay eyes on the old family home. But after just one look, I knew it needed to become a part of the family again. The few weeks that followed were a whirlwind, all leading up to a live auction on the property, which is in a small town in central…
OUR PICTURE OF THE COSMOS is ever-changing, transformed by new discoveries. In 2025, we learned evidence is now piling up to suggest that the mysterious dark energy that guides the evolution of our universe may not be constant over cosmic history, but might grow weaker over time. A new interstellar visitor swung past the Sun, while observations from our own solar system and beyond continued to shape the way we look for life. The year wasn’t without its challenges, as the submission of several competing budgets for NASA science included a proposed massive reduction in the number of current and future missions. And despite the lauded success of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1, the first commercial landing on the Moon, other companies failed to re-create the triumph. Nonetheless, our satellite…
What’s better than attending an audio event? Attending three. Well, not exactly three—more like two spread across three locations, tied together by one company: importer-distributor American Sound of Canada, which is based in Greater Toronto. Owned by longtime industry figure Angie Lisi, American Sound of Canada has, since its founding in 1990, been a purveyor of some of the finest audio gear in the biz. According to the written invitation, the event’s main purpose was to celebrate the launch of a new showroom. But when I spoke with Angie ahead of my visit, she explained, in her signature rasp and no-nonsense style, that there was another reason behind the event: to bring the people who help shape the industry—manufacturers, dealers, consumers, media—together. “There are too many cliques now,” she said,…
LAST MARCH, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested a woman they accused of drug trafficking and entering the country illegally. As she stood in a parking lot, they photographed her, weeping, eyes half-closed in anguish, her arms cuffed behind her back. And then—in a cruel innovation specific to the Trump administration—the White House’s official X account used an AI tool to make a cartoon illustration of her crying and shackled, in the style of the beloved Japanese animators at Studio Ghibli. The tweet was viewed 51 million times within a day, while garnering 133,000 likes and a mix of outraged and delighted reactions. Many X users posted positive responses declaring that the image was exactly what they had voted for. Since then, the jokes, memes, and AI-generated images shared by…
Q: I feel guilty over racking up credit card debt over the holidays. What’s the best way to start paying it off? SUZE: First things first: Stop feeling guilty. You can’t undo December, but you can take charge of January. The smartest move isn’t to panic or throw random payments at your balances. It’s to get strategic and make sure every dollar works as hard for you as possible. Here’s how! 1. Get the lowest interest rate Before you send a payment, ask your credit card companies if they’ll lower your interest rates. Many of them will say yes—especially if you’ve been a longtime customer who pays on time. Even a small decrease will save you real money. Next, see if you can transfer your balance to a lower-rate card. Some…
