path: root/guides.txt

Guides 













## Best 360 Camera
## Overlanding
camper
campsites
backpacking
first aid
long-distance
upgrades
australia
camping trip
expedition overland
overland adventure
remote areas
self-reliant adventure travel
utah
weekend trip
winch

## Meat Subscription Boxes

Best Grass Fed: Crowd Cow ???

Crowd Cow isn't exclusively grass fed beef, but it's one of the better sources I've found for grass-fed, grass-finished beef (see below for an explainer on what those terms mean). There's a good selection of other meats as well, from Wagyu beef to free-range organic chicken, to Kurobuta Pork (a highly marbled pork), to wild-caught seafood like Salmon and even Chilean Sea Bass. You can subscribe or order a one-time box if you'd like to test the waters. Subscriptions can be every 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks.

I tested the curated box, the Best of Crowd Cow, which featured an assortment of meat, including chicken, beef, and salmon, all of which was excellent. Crowd Cow also offers recipes to go with your order, which is a nice touch. I did not test it, but I also like that Crowd Cow offers wild game meat.

https://www.crowdcow.com/wild-game

, and A5 Japanese Wagyu
Your choice of 100% Grass-Fed Beef, 


one time box also

delivery frequency
grass-finished beef
new zealand
top sirloin



## Point and Shoot camera guide
optical zoom
film cameras
wi-fi
1-inch sensor
bluetooth
connectivity
large sensor
lcd
manual control
memory card
travel cameras
video recording
wide-angle
beginners

If you want a camera that's more fun to shoot with than your phone, provides immediate gratification in the form of mini prints, and can serve as a printer for any other images you have, consider our favorite Instax camera, Fujifilm's Instax Mini Evo. It's the best camera-printer hybrid in the Instax lineup. As the name suggests, it prints Instax Mini film, which is roughly the size of a credit card (3.4 inches x 2.1 inches). The body has a film-camera-inspired design (minus the viewfinder), but here, functions like rotating the aperture ring or ISO-style dial are used to control lens effects and film effects respectively. When you're ready to print, pull the film winder. It's clever and fun, but the design is also functional.

The Mini Evo uses a fixed aperture, f/2.0, and automatically switches shutter speed (1/4 to 1/8,000 second) and ISO (100 to 1,600) based on the exposure meter. The exposure meter is accurate in my experience. High-contrast scenes with deep shadows will stump it sometimes, but that's OK because the Mini Evo captures your image to its internal memory (about 45 images, expandable to 1 GB with a microSD card) so you can check your shot on the rear screen before printing. Once you have what you want, crank the "film wind" lever, and out comes your print. 

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Among the features that set the Mini Evo above the rest of the Instax pack are the 10 lens effects, which can pair with the 10 film effects (like mirror image, soft focus, etc.) to give you more than 100 shooting possibilities. There's a remote shooting option through the Instax app, plus a selfie mirror. You can even affix a selfie light to the cold shoe port on the top edge of the camera.

Despite all these features, the Mini Evo is dead simple to use. The only time I had to consult the manual was to figure out how to turn off the flash. (In shooting mode, push the right side of the selector wheel.) It works just as well as a printer too—though you'll need the Instax Mini Evo app for iOS and Android. The app will also let you transfer your images to post them to Instagram if that's your jam.


Our focus lies heavily on image quality, scrutinizing the details captured in each shot. Since compact cameras prioritize ease of use and portability, we also closely examine the ergonomics and handling of every model we evaluate.

## Film Guide



. Most commonly, in silver-gelatin photography, it consists of silver halide crystals dispersed in gelatin. The emulsion is usually coated onto a substrate of glass, films (of cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate or polyester), paper, or fabric. The substrate is often flexible and known as a film base.
p

Photographic emulsion is not a true emulsion, but a suspension of solid particles (silver halide) in a fluid (gelatin in solution). However, the word emulsion is customarily used in a photographic context. Gelatin or gum arabic layers sensitized with dichromate used in the dichromated colloid processes carbon and gum bichromate are sometimes called emulsions. Some processes do not have emulsions, such as platinum, cyanotype, salted paper, or kallitype.

medium format
polaroid
type of film
light meter
medium format camera
pentax

How To Buy Used Camera Gear

The used camera market can be a treacherous place, but I've had good luck finding reasonably priced Canon, Nikon, and Minolta camera. Read through our guide to buying used gear on eBay, and remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is to good to be true. Here are a few camera-specific tips for shopping eBay and other used gear.

Do your research

Avoid The $5 camera

Film is like the indestructible Knight in Monty Python's The Holy Grail: It's not dead yet.

It seems like it would be. Digital photography is well into its third decade, yet film keeps hanging on, lying there shouting "it's just a flesh wound." In fact, I would argue that film photography will never die. In the post-apocalyptic future, long after the grid has collapsed and [all our digital images are gone](https://vimeo.com/171354414), someone will pop up with a [Nikon FM2T](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/UWxN5ZEu9McqkSdyAb7otpMrXF5c1QfMbbgjYTHjcfaWDx8imoi3kWhtCkBa1zsFQ1NxuFkkrpVsdXBz8e4VxfaGxh1CbbMiYaE2f3vgbaxLT32eToWMuPCp4LU2SbRg2SAHxtgAogmu4FQuHTxMp3){: rel="sponsored" isAffiliateLink="true"} and carry on documenting the world with expired Tri-X.

If you want to shoot film in 2024, fear not, it's easier than ever to shoot, develop, and print film. We've put together this guide to help you learn, or re-learn, the joys of film photography, whether you're a newcomer or an expert who hasn't shot film in a few years.

### Get A Film Camera

The first thing you'll need is a film camera. This could be an entire guide on its own, but in the interests of simplicity I am going to suggest just a couple of capable, reasonably priced cameras. These are all 35mm film cameras, which is where I suggest beginners start. If you're interested in medium format or larger cameras, see the end of this guide.

- [**Kodak Ektar H35 for $45**](https://www.amazon.com/KODAK-Reusable-Focus-Free-Lightweight-Included/dp/B0B1J1D5G7?th=1): This half-frame Kodak camera is ideal for just getting started with film. Not only is it affordable and easy to use, it shoots half a frame of 35mm film for each exposure, which means you get double the shots out of a roll of film. This is my favorite camera for anyone who wants to try film without spending a fortune.
- [**Olympus Stylus for around $100**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/474N76DNT3n1ogtyPnpZ1zqRzfKZycsKJirQdhkJoxFMttdQxRxEMZXSE5ATThYLaCdBc6wqa4tYb429ZzoFGXqXR6NeU564RbEhrGx3Yk81pXtrMcerw39pQDu2mVFJE3rzhQuX6XpU8YV4qvqAtfNqLjvo){: rel="sponsored" isAffiliateLink="true"}: The Olympus Stylus came in many variations, but they're all solid point and shoot cameras. There's not much in the way of manual controls here, but the exposure meter is generally very accurate and the resulting photos are great considering this is a plastic camera from the 1990s that fits in your pocket. See below for more advice on buying used cameras.
- [**Canon AE-1 for around $150**](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=canon+ae-1): The Canon AE-1 is a fantastic SLR camera and it's affordable on the used market. It's built like a tank, has a good built-in exposure meter and can take just about any lens Canon ever made, meaning you can expand your lens options down the road. Not a Canon fan? Grab a Nikon FE or a [Minolta SRT 303b](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=minolta+srt+303b), both of which are similar to the AE-1: solid, all-metal SLR cameras for less than $150.

Naturally there are hundreds of other film cameras out there to chose from, ranging from brand new offerings by manufacturers like [Lomography](https://shop.lomography.com/us/cameras), to venerable film Leicas that still [sell for many thousands of dollars](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=leica+m6) without a lens (which will set you back several more thousands of dollars).

### Get Some Film

Once you've got the camera, it's time to grab some film. If you're old enough to have shot film earlier in life, this is where you'll notice some big changes. Some popular old film stock is no more. In its place though there are a staggering number of new, cottage industry films out there. I am in the process of testing as many of these as I can get my hands on, but for those just getting started, I suggest sticking with some of the bigger names.

First, it's important to understand the difference between Positive and Negative film.

#### Positive Film

Positive film records the image as you saw it when you pushed the shutter. It produces rich, saturated colors and tends to have strong contrast. It's much less forgiving in my experience. You need to get the exposure right. I also tend to avoid high contrast scenes with positive film (or use graduated neutral density filters to reduce contrast). Positive film is usually mounted as slides.

#### Negative Film

Negative film records the opposite of what you saw. In black and white, everything is reversed, blacks are white, whites are black so that when you shine light through it to print, the black areas hold back the light, making them lighter in the print, and light areas let more light through, rendering them light in the print. Everything is reversed. The same is true of color negative film, but it tends to look more like a yellow-orange mess as a negative.Negative color film tends to have a softer look, with lower contrast, and higher dynamic range. 

Which should you use? I suggest experimenting to see which you like the best. Here's a few recommendations based on the type of images you want to make.

#### Best Film for Landscapes

[Fujichrome Velvia 50 for $30 per roll](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/512063-USA/Fujifilm_15757464_RVP_135_36_Fujichrome_Velvia.html): Sorry, this one is ridiculously expensive at $30 per roll, but I've still yet to find any other color positive film that looks as good as Velvia. It's color saturation is legendary (tending toward the red/magenta), and it's neutral gray balance means you almost never get weird colors in shadows and highlights. The price means I don't shoot it very often, but when you're heading out into the wilderness, this is what I suggest.

[Kodak E100 for $22 per roll](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/274846-USA/Kodak_1884576_E100G_135_36_Ektachrome_Professional.html): This is a new film for me, but I've shot a few rolls now and I can say that it is very different than Velvia. There's none of the Velvia warmth, colors are rather neutral with a mild green cast to the highlights. If you're looking to shoot landscapes with a different look than the past 50 years of Velvia-influenced images, this is the film I'd recommend.

**Budget Pick**: [Kodak Ektar 100 for $14 per roll](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/585497-USA/Kodak_6031330_35mm_Ektar_100_Color.html). This is another new one for me, I have shot only two rolls of this color negative film, but so far my overwhelming impression is that this is film stock that replicates what you get with a digital camera. Grain is very fine, and colors are extremely close to what my Sony digital sensor records: natural looking color tending toward the cooler side. I'll confess I didn't like it the first time I saw the results, but it's growing on me and the price is difficult to beat.

#### Best for Street Photography

#### Best For Portraits




### Start Taking Pictures

This is where things get fun. It's time to go out and take pictures.

If you're coming from digital photography be forewarned that film photography is very different. My experience has been that I have to slow down and think about my shots a lot more with film. I find this makes for better images since I'm spending more time composing rather than just impulsively firing off images as I might with digital. While films like Velvia 50 are painful to buy at $30 per roll, knowing that each image you expose is costing you about $2 (with development costs), tends to make you think twice, and thinking twice often improves your images.

There are some technical differences between digital and film that you should be aware of. Digital sensors are better at recovering details from shadows than highlights, which means digital photographers tend to expose for the highlights and recover the shadows latter in software. Every film is slightly different, but broadly speaking film is the opposite in this regard: it's better at handling highlights, which means you should expose for the shadows. 




Take good ones, take bad ones, learn from both.




### How To Buy Used Camera Gear

The used camera market can be a treacherous place, but I've had good luck finding reasonably priced Canon, Nikon, and Minolta camera. Read through our guide to [buying used gear on eBay](https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-buy-used-on-ebay/), and remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is to good to be true. Here are a few camera-specific tips for shopping eBay and other used gear.


Do your research
Avoid The $5 camera




Short answer- don’t do it. Especially not if this is your first time buying a film camera. Often the folks selling cameras here don’t know anything about them or whether they work, and if you’re just getting started? Chances are neither do you. 

If someone’s willing to let a relative’s old film camera go for $5 or something like that, it might be worth taking your chances, but unless you know your stuff, I’d advise against this route.






### Why Shoot Film in 2024

If you have to ask this question, film photography is probably not for you. For the most part there is no technological advantage to shooting film. It's more expensive, requires more time and skill, and even for those of us with years of experience, is generally more challenging. And then you have to develop it.

The best reason to shoot film in 2024 is because you enjoy it.

Even then, I know every few film enthusiasts who don't also shoot digital. I love film, and shoot about 3-4 rolls a month. In that same time I generally take several hundred digital images. I shoot the film mostly because I just enjoy the process, but also because it is analog and leaves analog artifacts that don't disappear when I close my laptop.

There is something about film photography that feels like it has a stronger link to the real world than digital. I think it's the tangible aspect, from start to finish, making an image on film requires an artifact in the real world. With digital there is none of this, it's all just 1s and 0s on a screen.

French philosopher Jean Baudrillard writes in Simulacra and Simulation of what he calls hyperreality, a world where the boundary between reality and simulation becomes blurred. Any photographer who spends more than a minute or two on Instagram will instantly grasp what Baudrillard was talking about when he said that simulations had become their own reality, copies without an original. 

For me film is an antidote to hyperreality (Baudrillard would very much disagree with me, image was always a cause of hyperreality for him), a way of directly connecting the real world in front of me to the negative I use to make a printed image later.




It is really fascinating to think that each photograph you take with film is unique; shooting that exact moment, with that specific film stock, and knowing that you (or anyone) won't be able to replicate that same shot 

patience, 




## Best Portable Grills

The Skotti Grill is a completely collapsible, lightweight, stainless steel grill that's the perfect overlanding companion. It's quick to set up, cools reasonably fast so you can pack it away, and can cook with propane, butane, charcoal, or wood. I tested it using all of the above, and while I am partial to the charcoal and wood options, it's nice to have propane or butane as an option in this day and age of fire bans. You do have to insert burner pipe and heat dispersing plate, but otherwise cooking is about the same regardless of fuel source.

The Skotti isn't huge. With tk square inches of cooking space, it's best for couples or small families. I was able to feed five grilling the main dish on the Skotti, but I made all the sides on my stove.  



: It is made out of 9 separate stainless steel pieces that pack flat into the tarp bag that comes with the grill. In combination with its light weight of only 6.6 lbs, this makes the SKOTTI Grill a perfect portable gas grill for any outdoor adventure – use it as a camping grill, take it with you on a fishing trip or simply make a quick BBQ in your backyard after work – the possibilities are endless!

Quick and Convenient Assembly
You might think that its multi-part makes it hard to set up – you couldn’t be more mistaken! After a few times trying, you’ll be able to set it up in less than a minute. Fire up the grill and you’ll be ready to go in another 2 minutes, allowing you to spend more time enjoying your favorite outdoor activities. Whether you’re on a hiking trip or embarking on other adventures, this swift setup ensures you won’t miss a beat.

Freedom: Choose your fuel source
While the SKOTTI Grill is a gas grill, it is not just limited to one fuel source. While it excels as a gas grill, it can easily be used with charcoal or wood. For that, simply leave out the burner pipe and radiation plate, fill the bottom of the grill with some dirt of sand and fill it up with charcoal or wood.

Effortless Cleaning
We understand the importance of easy maintenance, which is why the SKOTTI Grill is a breeze to clean. All nine individual parts are dishwasher-safe, ensuring a thorough and convenient cleaning process. Say goodbye to the hassle of scrubbing and let the dishwasher do the work, providing you with more time to relish your outdoor experiences.

Powerful Performance
Don’t let its compact size fool you; the SKOTTI Grill packs a powerful punch. With an impressive 8500 BTU/h, this portable gas grill ensures you to achieve exceptional outdoor grilling results.

Embrace the spirit of adventure with the SKOTTI Grill, the ultimate companion for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you’re on a thrilling hike, camping in the wilderness, fishing by the lake, car camping with friends, exploring in an RV, or tailgating before the big game, the SKOTTI Grill will make your experience worthwhile Get ready to savor delicious meals in the great outdoors with this remarkable portable gas grill.


## Best Laptops

## Best Coolers

Ah, summer. The beach, the lake, the river—wherever you can find water is the place to be. But while you're beating the heat floating in an inner tube or standing on a paddleboard, your drinks and food are not. They're baking in the afternoon sun, because this morning's shady spot has already evaporated, along with your ice.

The first thing to consider when buying a cooler is how you're going to use it. If you aren't heading out for days at a time, you probably don't need an expensive high-end cooler. All the coolers we've recommend above are capable of holding things at a safe temp for a day provided you keep them in the shade. Similarly, if you aren't going to be hiking into a campsite, don't spend the extra money for a backpack cooler. At the same time, if you do plan to be moving your cooler a lot, a wheeled cooler is well worth the investment. Your back will thank you.

There are three basic types of coolers. 



ultra-light
backpack cooler
functionality
ice chest
orca
quart cooler
soft-sided cooler
best soft coolers
bottle opener
campers
cooler bag
day trips
drinks cold
large cooler
leakproof
tailgating
versatile
warranty
yeti roadie
barbecues
beach days
divider
drain plug
pick up
portable cooler
quart capacity
rei
rubber latches
tote
water bottles


## How to Buy the Right Camera

The first thing to know about buying a digital camera in 2024 is that it's virtually impossible to buy a bad one. You probably have a great camera in your hand right now. For many people a phone will be camera enough, but if you want a camera separate from your phone, read on.

The current crop of digital cameras are almost universally fantastic. Everything on the market is capable of making great images, provided you learn how to use your camera, and understand the basics of photography—composition, light, and timing.

That said, you don't want a technically good camera, you want the right camera for you.

The right camera for you depends on what you want to photograph, how you want to use it, where you're going to shoot, and myriad other questions that only you can answer. To help you out we'll walk through the basics of every major component of a camera that you'll want to know about. We break down the jargon and try to explain things on a practical level.

#### Table of Contents
1. tk
2. tk
3. tk
4. tk
5. tk

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### What Kind of Photos Do You Want To Take?
The first step in finding the best camera for you is knowing what you want to do with it, at least somewhat. For example, if you know you're going to be taking pictures of your kids' sports games, you'll want to pay special attention to how good the autofocus is, and how fast it can capture images (measured in Frames Per Second, or fps). If you know you're going to also want to make videos, make sure you get something with high quality video features like 4K 100fps for slow motion content and something eliminate or minimize rolling shutter. If you love astrophotography you'll want to pay special attention to how noise a sensor might be.

While every camera made today is capable of great images, some are better than other at certain niche tasks like the examples above. Knowing the type of images you want to create will help you narrow down your search. If you're brand new to photography and you don't know what you're going to end up liking, that's okay, don't worry about niche features like super fast autofocus. Focus instead on entry-level cameras designed for the generalist, which will save you some money as well. Put that money into high-quality lenses.

### Point-and-Shoot vs Interchangeable Lens
If you want to step up from a camera phone, I'd suggest skipping over point-and-shoot cameras and going to an interchangeable lens system. The reason is that most point-and-shoot cameras are only moderately better than a phone. Some aren't even as good as your phone. You do get a zoom lens in many cases, which is a step up from a phone, but it's not much of a step, especially for the price.

If you're going to invest in a new system, I suggest you invest in something that can grow with you by allowing you to add different lenses down the road. Those lenses are the real investment, the things you keep even if you upgrade your camera body.

That said, point-and-shoot cameras do have one advantage: size. Point-and-shoot cameras are compact and lightweight. The one point-and-shoot I own is the [Fujifilm X70](https://www.wired.com/2016/04/review-fujifilm-x70/) and I own it because it fits in just about any pocket (it also has an APS-C sensor, which is huge for the size of the camera, more on sensors below). It's not my main camera (that's an interchangeable lens camera), but when I'm headed somewhere it would be awkward to carry a larger camera, the X70 is nice to have.

### Mirrorless vs DSLR
Should you go with a mirrorless camera or a traditional DSLR? The difference is in the name. DSLR cameras have a mirror, just like film cameras. When you look through the viewfinder you see the scene reflected through the mirror. When you press the shutter button, the mirror lifts up and the sensor behind it records the image. Mirrorless cameras lack the mirror, which means when you look through the viewfinder you are actually looking at a tiny LCD screen that's showing you a live video feed. This has several advantages, including the ability to magnify your view with a touch of a button, preview how the image will look like at your chosen exposure settings, and much better autofocus when shooting video. Mirrorless cameras are also lighter and smaller.

Most people would be best served by a mirrorless camera. The exception would be if you have a lot of lenses that will only work with a DSLR. If you've spent thousands on lenses designed for a DSLR then by all means, stick with DSLR. If you're not already invested in a system, then get a mirrorless camera.

### Sensor Size And Why It Doesn't Matter (Much)
The internet photographer's favorite topic. This is also the one that matters to least in making great images. That said, let's dive in.

There are many, many different sensors out there, ranging from the tiny one in your phone to the massive medium format sensors found in Fujifilm's GFX 100II or Hasselblad's 907X ([8/10, WIRED Recommends](https://www.wired.com/review/hasselblad-907x-100c/)). To keep things simple we'll ignore 1-inch and smaller sensors, which tend to only be in point-and-shoot, action cameras, and phones. That leaves us with four basic sensor sizes to choose from:

- **Micro 4/3 Sensor**_:_ The smallest sensor, which means these will be some of the most compact cameras around (with correspondingly smaller lenses), making them a good choice for travelers, hikers, and anyone who doesn't want to lug around a huge camera. The sensor size is 17mm x 13 mm. Popular micro4/3 cameras include the [Panasonic G series](https://www.wired.com/review/panasonic-lumix-gh6/) and the now discontinued [Olympus Pen F](https://www.wired.com/2016/10/review-olympus-pen-f/).
- **APS-C Sensor:** The next largest sensor, APS-C is where we first encounter film. The size of this sensor is based on Advanced Photo System film (if you're old enough to remember Kodak Advantix, that's where the size comes from). APS-C stands for Advanced Photo System type-C, and most sensors are 25.1 mm by 16.7 mm, though some manufacturers' sensor vary by a few millimeters in either direction. These are a good compromise between the bulkier full-frame cameras below and the micro4/3 above. You get a larger sensor, but still a relatively compact body in many cases. A popular camera here is the Fujifilm X100VI.
- **Full Frame Sensor**_:_ The "full frame" in name refers to 35mm film. This sensor is the same size as 35mm film. There's nothing magical about full frame, despite the name, which makes it should like everything else is somehow lesser. The sensor size is 36 mm by 24 mm. There are two many popular cameras to list here, we have an entire [guide to full frame mirrorless cameras](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-mirrorless-cameras/).
- **Medium Format Sensor**_:_ The biggie. At 44 mm by 33 mm, medium format sensors are huge and typically package in a very large body, with a very large price tag to match. That said, in my experience, in image quality terms, these are the nicest cameras you can buy. The two most popular options here are the Fujifilm GFX series and the [Hasselblads](https://www.wired.com/review/hasselblad-907x-100c/).

You would think that the larger the sensor the better the images right? Unfortunately it's not that simple . The size of the sensor ultimately has very little bearing on the quality of your image. Here's a few things sensor size does affect.

#### Depth of Field
The larger sensor, the shallower depth of field at the same aperture.

That is, in order to get the same depth of field in APS-C as a 50 mm full frame lens produces at f/2, you'd have to shoot at f/1.4. The same depth of field in micro4/3 would require a lens capable of f/1. Alternately you could increase the focal length of the lens to create greater depth of field. In general though, the larger the sensor, the easier it is to achieve greater depth of field.

What does all this mean in terms of making actual images? If you're the sort that loves shallow depth of field images with nice falloff (bokeh the kids call it), then a full frame sensor is your best bet, and micro4/3 is going to be the most challenging to produce the same look.

**Takeaway: Want massive depth of field? Get full frame.**

#### Noise and Dynamic Range
The larger the sensor, the less noise or digital artifacts you'll see in images. This is particularly true in low light situations, where full frame sensors are a much better option than anything smaller. Larger sensors have more light-gathering area, and tend to have smaller pixels, which will result in lower apparent noise.

This also tends to give larger sensors like full frame and medium format a higher dynamic range. This means that the range of tones from the lightest to the darkest is wider and therefore you get more details in shadows and highlights. This is not a hard and fast rule, and the difference isn't always very noticeable. Side-by-side I can see very little difference between the 40 MP RAW files from Fujifilm's XT-5 (APS-C) and my own Sony A7RII (full frame) for instance, but put a RAW file from the Hasselblad next to one from the Olympus Pen F and you can definitely tell the difference.

**Takeaway: Shooting in Low Light? Get at least APS-C. Full frame is better.**

#### Camera Size
Bigger sensors mean bigger cameras. This isn't universally true, but most of the time the smaller the sensor the smaller the camera. The exceptions are some of the video-centric Panasonic GH cameras, which are sometimes larger than full frame cameras because of the video processing that's happening behind the scenes. Most of the time though, if you're looking for a camera that's lightweight and maybe even fits in your pocket, Micro4/3 is your friend.

This also applies to lenses. Because the sensor is smaller, the lens can be smaller and often lighter. Panasonic's micro4/3 pancake lenses are tiny, weigh almost nothing, and in the case of my favorite, the 20mm f/1.7, still have that semi-magical quality that's rare in any format.

**Takeaway: Want a lightweight rig? Micro4/3 is better.**

#### Crop Factor
This is a term you'll probably run across. The crop factor is how much of the outer edge of the image you lose relative to a full-frame 35mm sensor viewing the same scene. The name comes from that fact that you're effectively cutting in, or "cropping" the full frame view of the same scene. The math is done in terms of the sensor's diagonal size, again relative to a full frame sensor. So a crop factor of 1.4, which is APS-C, means that what you see through a 50mm lens on an APS-C camera is 1.4 smaller field of view than what you'd see through a 50 lens on full frame.

What does this mean in terms of making actual images: nothing. The main thing it affects is the focal length lenses to get the same field of view as if shooting in 35mm. For instance, if you get a Fujifilm X-T5 ([9/10, WIRED Recommends](https://www.wired.com/review/fujifilm-x-t5-mirrorless-camera/)) and want the field of view you're used to from 35mmm film, you would want something like the Fujinon XF35mm f/1.4 lens because 35 x 1.4 \= 50mm. If you end up with a micro4/3 camera and want the same field of view, you'd want a 25mm lens (25mm x 2 \= 50mm).

Beyond that there are too many other factors to consider, which is to say that the sensor size alone doesn't determine the image quality. In the end it's not that sensor size doesn't matter, it's that there are too many other factors to make your decision based on this alone.

### Megapixels
Megapixels

### 
### Which Lenses Should You Buy
You aren't just buying a camera when you buy a camera, you're also buying into a lens system. You can't put a Canon lens on a Nikon body, which means when you buy that Nikon body you're effectively turning your back on every other brand of lens. That's not a bad thing, and there is no right ecosystem to buy into, but it's important to understand that that's part of the decision. These days, with very little difference between top end cameras across brands, lenses are as important, if not more important part of your decision.

If you know that you want to shoot a lot of night sky shots and you have your eye on the [Samyang XP 14mm f/2.4](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1352860-REG/samyang_syxp14_c_14mm_f2_4_high_speed.html), one of the best, reasonably-priced astro lenses available, they you also know you'll want to buy either a Canon or Nikon mirrorless camera since the Samyang is only made for those mounts.

But which lenses do you need? Cameras are often sold with what's known as a “kit lens”, these lenses tend to be lower quality, but also a cheap way to get started. Most kit lenses are zoom lens spanning the 35mm-80mm range. I recommend beginners start with a kit lens if there's one available for the camera you've got your eye on. After you've shot with the kit lens for a while you'll have a better feel for which focal lengths you like.

Lenses are generally divided into three basic categories: wide angle lenses (anything from 12mm up to 35mm), “normal” lenses (anything from about 40mm-65mm), and telephoto lenses (anything longer than 80mm).

I should note that technically you can adapt lenses from one manufacturer to another, but you often lose autofocus, or spend considerable sums on expensive adapters, and the experience of using a Canon lens on a Nikon body isn't nearly as nice as a native lens. The exception here is vintage lenses, more on that below.

### Now Go Take Pictures
If you made it this far, hopefully you've come to some kind of decision about your ideal camera. Buy it, learn to use it, and then stop reading articles like this. It's not the camera that matters. No one cares what laptop I wrote this on, but for some reason everyone cares which camera you're using. Forget all that now that you have the best camera for you.

Go shoot your new camera. Make images. Make good images. Make bad images. Learn from both, and keep shooting. Look at photo books by the masters of the form, spend your time on the three keys to great photographs—light, composition, and timing—and don't worry so much about the gear.


## Which Instax Camera Should You Buy?

There are not nearly as many choices for fans of Instax Square prints. Our top pick camera is the SQ 40, which is completely analog: press the shutter button and out comes your image, which develops in about 90 seconds. 

There's a film counter near the bottom left side of the back to let you know how many images you have left. The SQ 40 runs on CR2 batteries. Fujifilm includes two when you buy the camera, which should be good for around 300 images. We suggest getting some [rechargeable CR2s](https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Lithium-CR2-Batteries-4-Pack/dp/B07JM6YZ2K/) when those run out.

Using the SQ 40 is about as simple as it gets. Twist the lens barrel to on, frame your shot, hit the shutter button and out comes your photo. The only other option is a selfie mode, designed for use close up. In this case, be sure to frame your images with the mirror on the front rather than the viewfinder as [parallax distortion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax) is an issue up close. In my shooting experience this most often manifests as closeup images where the subject is not centered as it appeared when you composed. The parallax stops being an issue at about four to five feet.

Alternatives

The SQ 1 is the more colorful predecessor to the SQ 40. In terms of features it's identical, though the body design is slightly different. There's a small grip on the left front side of the body that I find gets in the way more than it provides something to grab. Otherwise the images coming out of the SQ 1 are the same as what I get from the SQ 40, so if you want to save a few dollars (or get a more colorful camera) this SQ 1 is a capable camera as well.


instax
instax mini
instax mini 11


The Instax Mini 12

If you want an instant camera and don't want to spend a lot of money, the Instax Mini 12 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is your best bet. The Mini 12 is functionally similar to the SQ 40 above, but has a very different, colorful, bubbly design. There's also one very important difference: parallax correction works in close-up mode (enabled by twisting the lens to close up). That correction means you don't have to guess where the center of the frame is for close-up subjects. What you see is what you get, eliminating those accidentally ill-framed close-ups that sometimes happened with the SQ 40 or Mini 11.

The lens is a 2-element plastic lens (it's a 60mm f/12 lens in 35mm-speak). There's no focusing. Everything is auto-exposure. If this camera had a motto it would be: Keep it simple. That extends to the flash as well, which is fully automatic, but not always-on like other models. Instead the Mini 12 detects brightness levels and only fires the flast when needed. That said, the Mini 12 fired the flash far more than I would have liked, but perhaps my dream of a good low-light Instax camera is just that. 

Fujifilm introduced a new app with the Mini 12 called Instax Up. The key function is that it will "scan" (photograph) your Instax prints, allowing you to store and share them online. If you have photos in any other Instax apps, you can import them to Instax Up so everything is in one place. 

**Is Instax Mini 11 or 12 better?** The short answer is: buy the Mini 12. Fujifilm continue to sell the Instax Mini 11, but the Mini 12 is unquestionably a better camera. Typically the Mini 12 sells for around $80, while the Mini 11 is a few dollars cheaper. It's not worth it. You want the parallax correction of the Mini 12. Trust me. At current prices, the Mini 12 is a much better deal. If you happen to see the Mini 11 for under $60, that's an okay deal if you're tight on cash, but for most people the Mini 12 is going to produce better images for only a few dollars more.

## Which GoPro Should You Buy

Insta360's Go series cameras never struck me as true action cams until this third version. The Go 3 is a completely redesigned, hybrid camera that transforms from a traditional action camera form factor to a more portable go-anywhere wearable camera. In action camera mode it's much like everything else in this guide, though the flip up rear screen is a nice extra since makes composing shots with you in them much easier. The Go 3 isn't fully waterproof in this mode, which is a significant downside, but when you remove the camera from the case, the camera itself is waterproof. The case can also continue to act as a remote monitor even when you pull the camera out. Couple that with the extremely strong magnetic mounting system on the camera pod and the Go 3 becomes capable of shots and angles that no other camera in this guide can match.

Most importantly though, this camera is just plain fun. I keep mine in my bag all the time and find myself using it more and more. The video resolution tops out at 2.7K, which makes it a little hard to cut together with higher resolution footage, but the simplicity and ease of use more than make up for it in my experience.




## Guide Title Info

We don't want echoes with the hed and dek, but otherwise the main hed is usually The Best X. Promo hed is more playful like The Best X to Get Your Game On or something. Promo is same as social. SEO is always 15 Best X (2022): Advice, Accessories, and More


## Best Linux Laptops

Linux will work on just about any PC. There plenty of Linux distros that still happily support 32-bit processors. Remember the Pentium 4? It's still supported by Debian Linux and others. That said, Linux runs better on some laptops than others, and some PC makers offer official support for Linux on their machines, meaning you have somewhere to turn if things should go awry.

To help you figure out the best options for your perfect Linux rig I've been installing Linux (or trying) on every laptop I've tested for the past three years. Almost all of them worked great, but some were easier to get running than others. More than a few of my favorites come with Linux right out of the box. Here's our guide the best laptops for Linux.

Be sure to also see our guides to the [Best Laptops](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-laptops/), [Best Cheap Laptops](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-cheap-laptops/), [Best Macbooks](https://www.wired.com/story/which-macbook-should-you-buy/), and the general buying advice in [How Choose the Right Laptop](https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-buy-the-right-laptop-for-you/).

### Best For the Minimalist
Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition

### Best For the Maximalist
System76 

### Best on a Budget
Lenovo X-series

### Best Repairable, Future-Proof

If you want a laptop you can upgrade, Framework's Laptop is the best Linux rig for you. There are a few flavors available. I tested the second release of the 13-inch model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and loved it. Right now you can pre-order an AMD Ryzen 7 (7040 series) system with 32,gigabytes of RAM, a 2-terabyte SSD, and whichever mix of ports suits your needs for around $1,400. That will ship with no operating system. When it arrives you can install Linux yourself (or opt to ship it with Windows if you need to dual boot). The only catch is that this config won't ship until Q3 2023. If you're okay with the previous gen chips you can grab on of those today.

I tested Ubuntu, which Framework supports, and Arch Linux on the Framework I both worked great, though Framework does not officially support Arch. My only gripe using the Framework is my gripe about almost any Linux laptop: battery life could be better. 




Linux


### Best tk

### Best for Sysadmins
Oryx Pro 





## Play Store on Fire Tablet

For the money, most Android tablets aren't a very good deal. At the high end, hardware is marred by less than stellar software offerings. If you're going to spend $500 on a tablet, [get an iPad](https://www.wired.com/gallery/the-best-ipad/). At the low end, Amazon's Fire tablets are hamstrung by the very limited Fire App Store. 

What if you could buy a Fire Tablet for $60 (like you generally can during Amazon Prime Day), *and* then install Google's Play App Store, giving you access to a much wider range of apps? In that case you'd have a pretty good deal. A $60 tablet capable of 95 percent of what a $300 iPad can do.

In this how to we'll show you how to get Google Play running on your Amazon Fire Tablet. I've done this on both the 8 and 10-inch Fire models of the last two generations.

### How to Install the Play Store

The good news is that installing the Play Store on a Fire Tablet doesn't require any "hacking" or "rooting" or doing anything from your PC (although you can, if you want, use some PC apps, which I will cover below). The easiest method to installing the Play Store is to just download the needed files from Google.


#### Before You Start

Now, before we dive in there are a few limitations you should know about. 

- **Some Apps can't be install**: Yes you'll have the Play Store installed, but unfortunately that doesn't mean every app will be available or work properly. For example, anything that relies on GPS data is out of luck, and some applications won't be found because Fire tablets are not SafetyNet-certified by Google. The main missing app here in Netflix. You can install Netflix, but you won't be able to do it through the Play Store. More on that in a minute.
- **Some Play Store Apps Don't Work With Amazon Kids+** I have not install the Play Store on a Kids+ Fire yet, but reports from around the internet suggest that some apps might not work in this scenario.
- **Google Family Link Doesn't Work**: Despite the presence of the Google Play Store, you will not be able to manage you Fire tablet through Google Family Link. This, combined with the above, have led me to to suggest you don't install the Google Play Store on a device intended for your child.

There are two things you need to do before we dive in. 

- **Remove the SD card**: The process of installing the Play Store can wipe you SD card, so pull it out if you have one. You can put it back in when you're done.
- **Make sure you have an 8th generation or newer Fire Tablet.** You can find out which model you have by going to **Settings > Device Options > About Fire Tablet**. It should say something like **Fire HD 8 (10th Generation)**. 

We still do not recommend buying the Fire 7, which is too small and underpowered to be useful. These instructions are intended to be used on the Fire 8 and Fire 10 tablets, 7th generation or newer.

Finally, realize that you are stepping off the official path here, out of the map and into the wilderness as it were. That doesn't mean you're going to break anything, or fall victim to some scam, and this isn't very difficult to do, but if anything does go wrong it's going to be up to you to solve it. That said, feel free to post a comment below if you're having trouble.

### Step One: Enable Apps from Outside Sources

To get Google Play up and running we'll need to install four APK files. APK refers to the file extension, which is .apk. All Android apps are packaged as .apk files, the various app stores just hide this part from you. But when you click "install" in an app store, what's actually happening is that you're downloading a .apk file. We'll be using Amazon's Silk web browser to download these files, but by default Silk can't install .apk files.

To change that head to Setting > Security & Privacy  and then toggle on the "Apps from Unknown Sources" option. Once that's done we're ready to download files.

### Step Two: Download the Apps

We need to download four applications in order to get the Google Play Store working: Google Account Manager, Google Services Framework, Google Play Service, and Google Play Store. The first three are frameworks that the last one—the actual Play Store app—needs to function, so the first three need to be installed first.

Here's where it gets a little complicated. Different Fire tablets run different versions of Android, so the exact files you need to install vary according to which Fire tablet you have. Remember, you can find out which tablet you have at: **Settings > Device Options > About Fire Tablet**.

You will be downloading all of these files from APKMirror.com. APKMirror is owned by Illogical Robot LLC, which also owns the android-focused news site, Android Police. What's more, once these apps are installed they will be updated and managed by the Google Play Store, downloading directly from Google's services. All of which is to say, this process is relatively safe.

Here are the apps you need with links to download them. **Just download them for now, don't open them**.

#### Google Account Manager
    
- **8th-generation and newer Fire tablets**: [Google Account Manager v7.1.2](https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-account-manager/google-account-manager-7-1-2-release/google-account-manager-7-1-2-android-apk-download/)
- **7th-generation and older**: [Google Account Manager 5.1](https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-account-manager/google-account-manager-5-1-1743759-release/google-account-manager-5-1-1743759-android-apk-download/)

#### Google Services Framework

This one is a little more complex since it depends on which version of Fire OS you're running. You can find out by checking on your Fire: **Settings > Device Options >System Updates**.

- **Devices running Fire OS 7** need to download the [Google Services Framework v9-4832352](https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-services-framework/google-services-framework-9-4832352-release/google-services-framework-9-4832352-android-apk-download/). This includes all 9th and 10th generation Fire HD 10s, all 9th and 10th generation Fire HD 8s, as well as some 8th generation Fire HD 8s. This latter is the reason it's important to check and see which version of Fire OS you're running.

- **Devices running Fire OS 6** need to download the [Google Services Framework v7.1.2](https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-services-framework/google-services-framework-7-1-2-release/google-services-framework-7-1-2-android-apk-download/). The main devices here are early version of the 8th generation Fire HD 8.

#### Google Play Services

- **Fire HD 10 9th and 10th generation and Fire HD 8 10th generation**: Download the file labeled [Google Play Services (64-bit ARM, nodpi, Android 9.0+)](https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-services/variant-%7B%22arches_slug%22:%5B%22arm64-v8a%22,%22armeabi-v7a%22%5D,%22dpis_slug%22:%5B%22nodpi%22%5D,%22minapi_slug%22:%22minapi-28%22%7D/). **Note: don't download the beta versions listed on this page, look for the first file not labeled beta, which as of this writing is the third file**)

- **Fire HD 8 8th and 10th generation and Fire HD 8 10th generation**: Download the file labeled [Google Play Services (64-bit ARM, nodpi, Android 6.0+)](https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-services/variant-%7B%22arches_slug%22:%5B%22arm64-v8a%22,%22armeabi-v7a%22%5D,%22dpis_slug%22:%5B%22nodpi%22%5D,%22minapi_slug%22:%22minapi-23%22%7D/). **Note: don't download the beta versions listed on this page, look for the first file not labeled beta, which as of this writing is the third file**)

#### Google Play Store

- **All Fire Tablets**: [Google Play Store (universal, nodpi)](https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-play-store/variant-%7B%22arches_slug%22:%5B%22armeabi%22,%22armeabi-v7a%22,%22mips%22,%22mips64%22,%22x86%22,%22x86_64%22%5D,%22dpis_slug%22:%5B%22nodpi%22%5D%7D/)

Whew, okay, we have all the files we need. Verify they were all successfully download by opening the **Docs** app and selecting **Downloads**. You should see all four files there (it's easier to see the full names if you switch to list view).

### Step 3: Installing the Apps

Now we just need to install the apps. This **must be done in the correct order**. When you are done **DO NOT PRESS OPEN**. We need to reboot before you use the Play Store. The order of installation by downloaded file name is:

- **com.google.gsf.login**
- **com.google.android.gsf**
- **com.google.android.gms**
- **com.android.vending**

Once you've installed all four apps, it's time to restart. Press down on the power button until the power menu comes up and tap Restart. 

### Step 4: Login to Your Google Account

Once your Fire has restarted you should be able to open the Google Play Store, sign into your Google Account and start downloading apps. Again, not everything works, but there's certainly a larger selection than what you get in the Fire App Store.

### Tips and Troubleshooting

If you want a more stock Android type of experience you can install a custom launcher, which will let you hide all the Amazon apps you don't need). I like [Nova Launcher](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.launcher&gl=US), but there are many others available. Search the Play Store for "launcher apps". 

If you run into problems with the Play Store, first try clearing the app data. Head to **Settings > Apps & Notifications > Manage All Applications**. Look through that list and find the Play Store. Tap to edit the settings for the Play Store. The first step is to tap Force Stop, to shut down the Play Store. Next tap the Storage option and then tap Clear Data (or Clear Storage, depending on which version of Fire OS you're running). Once that's done restart your device and try logging into the Play Store again.

If that doesn't work your best bet may be to do a factory reset and start over. However be aware that a factory reset will destroy all your data and file, not just the Google Play store so make sure you have a good backup before you try that.

Finally just a note for those who'd like to try installing [LineageOS](https://wiki.lineageos.org), the open source alternative to Android. I do not recommend it. Fire devices do not have unlockable bootloaders and getting LineageOS installed is not for the faint of heart. Even if you pull it off things rarely work 100 percent of the time and you can still screw things up after the install. I bricked an older Fire HD 8 running LineageOS (I tried to update the bootloader within LineageOS, which proved a mistake). There is also, so far as I am aware, no version of LineageOS that fully supports Fire hardware. If you want to run LineageOS on a tablet, a [Samsung is probably your best bet](https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/).






## Camp Cooking Guide

If you spend any time in the backcountry, or in the campground at your local state park, you quickly realize the importance of a good meal. Not only do you need the calories for hiking and playing in the wilderness, but a good meal can help sooth the pain of the long day and turn that rained out trip into a well-at-least-we-ate-well trip.

Bringing the kitchen to the outdoors isn't always as simple as it sounds though. I've been both a professional chef and guided quite a few groups through the wilderness, and in that time I discovered what every professional guide knows: food makes or breaks the trip.

With that in mind we've put together this guide with a mix of ideas, from the gear you need to cook well outdoors, to meal planning and shopping tips. There's something here for everyone, whether you're new to camping or a seasoned tent slinger. 

### The Basics: A Good Stove

For car camping we recommend a two-burner stove. The size of the stove really depends on the size of your group. For a group of five or less the best choice is Coleman's Classic camp stove. It strikes a good balance between cost, cooking power, and size. If you're heading out with a bigger group you'll either want to use a couple of stoves, or go with something like the Camp Chef Everest.

If neither of those feels right to you, check out our [guide to the best camp stoves]()

#### Backpacking Stoves

Finding a good backpacking stove is a little trickier because weight matters much more—in fact ultralight hikers will argue that you don't even need a stove, just bring ready-to-eat food. For the rest of us though a good hot meal can really mark the difference between survival and actual fun.

I've used and enjoyed the Primus tk, which is perfect for two-person meals, though it is not cheap. tk another stove pick.

If you're group is larger, 

### Camp Table

### Cooler 

### Cookware





## Amazon Kid+ content filter

If you've got kids, and those kids like to read, Amazon Kids+ makes economic sense. It offers access to a bewildering array of books, as well as movies, apps, music, games and more for one (relatively) low monthly price. If you were to try buying the same number of books without Amazon Kids+ you'd quickly go broke.

While Amazon Kids+ makes financial sense, it may not always make you—as a parent—happy. Which is to say, Amazon's definition of what's right for your child might be different than yours.We're not here to tell you what's right for your kids—every child is different, and that's something that's entirely up to you as a parent. 

That means that if you want any control over what your child gets through their Amazon device, you're going to need to take an active part in your child's Amazon Kids+ experience. To help you out we've put together this guide to filtering content on Amazon Kids+.

### Create a Profile

To get started with Amazon Kids you need to create a child profile. This will include your child's birth date, which Amazon uses to control what content you child sees. You don't have to use your child's actual birthday if you don't want to give that data away, just pick something close so that the initial content will be what Amazon considers appropriate for that age.

This is where you also set a pin number that you'll need to remember. This pin is required to exit Amazon Kids on the device. If you don't want your child to be able to exit Kids on their own, keep this pin a secret.

Once your child's profile is set up it can be used to sign in on any Amazon device so your kids can read their books on a Kindle or using the Kindle app on other devices (tk, check this).

### Manage Amazon Kids+

Once your child's profile is set up you can head to the Parent Dashboard to control the content your child sees. 

First the bad news: your controls here are limited.

In Amazon's words there are "thousands of age-appropriate books, movies, and TV shows for children aged 3 to 12 years." That's a lot of content, and there's no way anyone is sifting through all of it. Amazon assures WIRED that it is all hand curated, so while algorithms might recommend related content, the pool of content has all been vetted by humans. That's something, but it would be nice to have some more controls for those that want them.

The problem is that Amazon Kids offers no way for parents to completely control content. You can disallow anything you don't want your kids to read, you can't do the reverse—disallow everything and only allow books, apps, and movies that you approve. 

When I asked Amazon about this I was told that this isn't something customers are asking for. Forums around the web would suggest otherwise, and this is something both Google's Kids Place service offers, but whatever the case this is not an option with Amazon Kids. If you want that level of control over what your children are reading and watching you'll want to go with another service.

Amazon Kids does offer good control over screen time. You can set daily use limits, as well as a bedtime after which Amazon Kids content is not available.

You can also keep tabs on what your kids are reading, watching, and interacting with through the Parent Dashboard.

It's also possible to control the web browser your kids have access to. By default your child is limited to hand-curated age-appropriate websites videos, chosen "for their kid-friendly, educational and entertainment content," according Amazon. You can turn the browser off completely if you prefer.

There are also controls to set the age range of content you want your kids to have access to, control your child's access to in-app purchases, and add content. The most useful of these is the last one. Here is where you can add any content you've purchased from Amazon to your child's devices.

The final section of the Parent Dashboard has controls for any Alexa-based devices in your household. You can manage these individually if needed, as well as control which Alexa skills your child has access to.









For the best content, you have to search the App Store in parent mode, and include those apps under "my own content". If you choose to allow access to the subscription stuff, the child has access to everything unless you painstakingly sort through 10,000 items to disallow them all, then even more painstakingly go through and re-add the stuff you want. The developers didn't include things like a simple search to find apps, or a 1 click ability to exclude apps in bulk - or a way to just simply pick a few subscription apps to add to your own content. As a fellow developer I find this nonsensical, those are very easy features to program, and I don't see the rationale behind these limitations. So for me, the subscription service holds no value at all for a 7 year old child, who needs more educational apps than play apps like Toca Boca, etc. Now to the alternative: I installed the Google Play Service and the Google Play store (you have to sideload that, I used the Fire Toolbox). From there I installed the Kids Place app, which is fantastic.

For the best content, you have to search the App Store in parent mode, and include those apps under "my own content". If you choose to allow access to the subscription stuff, the child has access to everything unless you painstakingly sort through 10,000 items to disallow them all, then even more painstakingly go through and re-add the stuff you want. The developers didn't include things like a simple search to find apps, or a 1 click ability to exclude apps in bulk - or a way to just simply pick a few subscription apps to add to your own content. As a fellow developer I find this nonsensical, those are very easy features to program, and I don't see the rationale behind these limitations. So for me, the subscription service holds no value at all for a 7 year old child, who needs more educational apps than play apps like Toca Boca, etc. Now to the alternative: I installed the Google Play Service and the Google Play store (you have to sideload that, I used the Fire Toolbox). From there I installed the Kids Place app, which is fantastic.

	
Remote Activity Reporting
Want to know what your child is spending time doing? See what apps, books, videos, skills, and more your child is interacting with on their Amazon Kids enabled devices.

Manage Features and Device Usage
Within Amazon Kids, you can set Daily Goals & Time Limits for:
Weekdays / Weekends - Choose different educational goals and time limits for the weekend or weekday.
Bedtime - Tap Turn off By to set the time when Amazon Kids is turned off. Tap Stay off Until to set the time when Amazon Kids can be used again.
Educational Goals - Set time-bound goals for viewing educational content. If you want to filter out noneducational content until your child's goals are met, tap the Learn First checkbox.
Total Screen Time - Limit the total time your child can spend in Amazon Kids.
Time by Activity - Add time limits for specific activities like reading books. For unlimited time, slide the bar all the way to the right.
To block access to a content type, slide the bar all the way to the left.
Learn First: With Learn First feature, you can block access to games and cartoons until after educational goals are met. For devices with the Bedtime feature enabled, you can control when Amazon Kids shuts down for the day.

Age Filters: The age filters recommended for your child based on their date of birth determine the titles shown in Amazon Kids+. To learn more, see Amazon Kids Age Filters FAQ's.

 Tip: You can use the Parent Dashboard to manage content and features, and monitor recent activity.

For more device-specific information on Amazon Kids, access Amazon Kids Help.
Depending on the device, you are providing Amazon a firehose with which to saturate your kids with content, content that, hand-curated though it may be, may not always be content that matches the morals, ethics, and values of your family.





Can I turn off Alexa Skills? the toggles seemed to be grayed out, but possibly that's because I don't have any Alexa devices? (my kids just have Kindles)

can I disallow an entire type of content? e.g. videos? if so how?
how do I tell what my kids have actually looked at?
 - Is there a to see how much time they looked at something (e.g. did they accidentally click something or did they read it?)

## Best Grills

Nothing says summer like food sizzling on the grill. Here in North America, Memorial Day weekend marks the traditional start of summer. It's the perfect occasion to wheel the old grill out of the garage... and realize it's rusted beyond repair. If that happens to you, fear not. We have been testing grills for over two years, searing, smoking, grilling, even baking, on grills, to find the best choice for everyone.

Below are our top picks for each category of grill, as well as few alternative picks, and some general buying tips if none of these quite capture your fancy.




### Best Charcoal—weber with pk as alt

### Best Gas Grill

This is by far the hardest reviewing decision I've had to make. The truth is there are about five grills that I could put here, but in the end I went with the Weber Spirit II E-210 for its simplicity, build quality, even cooking temps, and easy to adjust burners. It also features nice side trays with plenty of space and hooks to keep tongs and other tools handy. It lacks some bells and whistles, like a side burner, but it does what a good grill should: cook your food well. I especially like the massive turn radius of the burner knobs, which make it easy to dial in the perfect flame.

If you want something bigger, I recommend Charbroil's massive [6-burner Performance Series](https://www.charbroil.com/performance-series-6-burner-gas-grill-463284022) is a great grill for crowds. It also has a 10,000 BTU side burner to heat up your beans while the hot dogs are cooking.




### Best for Couples

### Best Home Griddle

Pending a Joe Ray contribution.

### Best Portable - options top picks from portable

### Best Indoor Grill - george foreman

### Other Grills We've Tested

There are a lot of grills out there and no one can test them all, but we have tested a few others that are worth mentioning.

* **Big Green Egg**: Big Green Egg is a well known brand of ceramic cooker, and representative of this style, which is modeled after Japanese kamodo ovens. They get much hotter than your ordinary grill and can be used to bake as well as grill which opens up a whole other world of outdoor cooking. I love the Big Green Egg, but it isn't cheap and for most people, a traditional gas or charcoal grill is going to be a better choice. However, if you know you love to bake, steam, smoke, grill, and more, the Big Green Egg is worth considering. Given the weight these are best purchased at your local Green Egg dealer.

* **Spark One Grill**: The Spark one ([7/10 WIRED Review](https://www.wired.com/review/spark-one-grill/)) is another attempt to get the convenience of gas, but using charcoal. There's much to like here, it's easy to use, looks good, cooks well, and has a nice app to control a fan which gives you control over the temperature. The downside, and the reason I don't recommend it, is the proprietary charcoal Briqs, which are expensive and must be bought directly from Spark. The advantages don't outweigh the far greater ease of going to any store and buying a bad of good old briquettes. 

That's not exactly what Spark claims, but it's close. The company's goal with its Spark One grill is to bring together the flavor of charcoal with the ease of propane grills. 

Like any propane grill you've ever used, the Spark One can be started by turning a knob. Like any charcoal grill you've ever used, it cooks your food with charcoal. On paper, the Spark One delivers a solution to the exact problem it set out to solve. But was it a problem in the first place?

Rather like Indian tandoor ovens, they get very hot indeed. You cook with the lid down and make good use of the built-in thermometer to know when to add food.

### Accessories

Here are a few things that will make your grilling life easier. Be sure to read our [guide to grill accessories](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-grilling-accessories-tools/) for some more tools, tips, and tricks.

* **A Good Cover**: Which cover you need depends on your grill, but it's worth the investment. Even if your grill isn't exposed directly to the rain it's still going to get wet from dew and it will eventually rust. A good cover though can keep the worst of the rust at bay and mean you get many more years out of your new cooker.

* **Instant Read Thermometer**: After the actual cooker, nothing will improve your grilling like an instant-read thermometer. Stick it in and knew your food's internal temp instantly. If you're just starting out this [cheap thermometer ($25)](https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-Thermometer-Grilling-Waterproof-Ambidextrous/dp/B07XXSYLL8/) will work. The gold standard though is [ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk4](https://www.thermoworks.com/thermapen-one/). At $105, it is not cheap, but its automatic backlight and rotating display are nice to have. The feature I've come to appreciate the most though is that it automatically shuts off when not in use and turns back on the minute you extend the probe (it's powered by one AAA battery).

* **A Good Cleaning Tool**: A stainless steel or brass wire brush can leave behind small bristles that get stuck in your grill and wind up in your food. It happens more often than you think. Most grill makers don't recommend these wire scrapers anyway. After trying dozens of alternatives, the one I reach for the most is GrillGrate's [Detailing Tool and Scraper ($12)](https://www.grillgrate.com/products/the-grillgrate-detailing-tool-and-scraper-v2/). This works fantastically on standard metal grills like the Weber Kettle above. If you have cast iron grates, I like [Proud Grill's Q Cleaner ($32)](https://www.amazon.com/Q-Swiper-BBQ-Grill-Cleaner-Set/dp/B08BKL2SCX/), which combines a wire-free scrubber, stainless steel scraper, and disposable wipes to clean your grill without leaving your brush a mess.

* **A Charcoal Chimney**: If you have a charcoal grill, get a chimney starter—I like this [Weber ($26)](https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/what's-hot/must-have-accessories/7416.html), but anything similar will do. It's faster and it saves your food from tasting like lighter fluid fumes. I have tested a charcoal chimney against our top pick Weber gas grill and found that the gas was ready 7 minutes faster, which is to say, not much. 

A stainless steel or brass wire brush can leave behind small bristles that get stuck in your grill and wind up in your food. It happens more often than you think. Most grill makers don't recommend these wire scrapers anyway. After trying dozens of alternatives, the one I reach for the most is GrillGrate's [Detailing Tool and Scraper ($12)](https://www.grillgrate.com/products/the-grillgrate-detailing-tool-and-scraper-v2/). This works fantastically on standard metal grills like the Weber Kettle above. If you have cast iron grates, I like [Proud Grill's Q Cleaner ($32)](https://www.amazon.com/Q-Swiper-BBQ-Grill-Cleaner-Set/dp/B08BKL2SCX/), which combines a wire-free scrubber, stainless steel scraper, and disposable wipes to clean your grill without leaving your brush a mess.

### What to Look For in a Grill

There are a lot of grills on the market and no one has time to test them all. Take a trip to your local big box home improvement store and you'll see dozens of models not mentioned here. Are they any good? The short answer is that most of them are probably fine, but we suggest sticking with brands you recognize. 

The nice thing about shopping in person is you can get a better sense of the grills sturdiness. Give it a good shake in the store and make sure it seems well put together. If it's a brand you haven't heard of before, check the aisles nearby and see if there are replacement parts available. This is especially important with gas grills, the burners don't last more than a few years, but they're easy to replace—if you can get the parts.

Other things to look for include a good temperature range (the dials turn smoothly and are big enough that you won't be fiddling with them to find the midpoint between low and high), While it may be tempting to go for the biggest grill you can afford that isn't always the smart choice. There's no need to heat 660 square inches of grill to cook two burgers, all that does is waste propane. Finally, avoid anything that says infrared. My experience is that infrared doesn't sear anything any better than regular flames. All it does is add a useless feature that ups the price.








## Organic Mattress Guide

You will spend roughly one-third of your life asleep. That means you'll be on your mattress for roughly 23 solid years of your life (on average), so it makes sense to give some careful thought to what you're sleeping on.

Mattresses, unfortunately, often have some questionable materials in them. Everything from Formaldehyde to TCEP (a flame retardant) to Phthalates can end up in non-organic mattresses. How much these substances harm you isn't a scientifically settle matter, but one way to avoid any possible harm is to get a mattress made from natural, organic materials. As an added bonus these mattresses are typically less ecologically harmful as well.

These days most eco-friendly mattresses are made of some combination of wool, natural latex, and cotton. The construction is similar to conventional mattresses, but without the chemicals.

There's also, unfortunately, a lot of marketing BS in world of organic mattresses, with one company claiming its cotton is not just organic, but "mindfully-harvested organic cotton", while everyone claims to have happy sheep. And maybe they do, but don't let that make you rush in with a fist full of dollars. We've put this guide together to help you cut through the marketing crap and figure out what's actually worth your money.

All of the prices shown are for queen-size models.

Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the [The Best (and Worst) Mattresses You Can Buy Online](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-mattresses/), [Best Sound Machines](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-sound-machines/), and our roundup of the [best gifts for people who like to sleep](https://www.wired.com/gallery/gift-ideas-for-sleeping/).

#### Best Overall
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[#product: /products/6169d44ac12c627f3a2ccc11]|||Avocado Mattress|||

+++

The Avocado Green hybrid mattress is the only mattress my wife and I agree on. She likes a soft mattress, and he prefers a firm one. This model somehow manages to be both without being too much of either. After nearly two years of sleeping on it, there's zero sagging or other issues.

If you prefer a soft feel, there's a pillow top-option, or you can add a mattress topper like the company's luxurious (and sustainable) Alpaca fur mattress topper (see below). Avocaod also sells a no-spring organic latex foam mattress and a vegan hybrid model that uses no wool, but we haven't tested either.

The Avocado is 11 inches thick and made from organic latex, organic wool, and organic cotton. It contains no polyurethane, fire retardants, memory foam, or chemical adhesives, according to the company. Avocado [owns its own sheep farms](https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com/pages/farm-to-mattress), latex farm, and co-owns an organic latex processing facility, all in India. The mattresses are assembled in California.

There's a one-year trial, 25-year warranty, and free shipping available on all Avocado mattresses. Like other mattress-in-a-box options, the Avocado arrives compressed. The company is also a certified B Corporation that's purchasing enough offsets to be able to say it operates as a carbon-negative business.

#### Best Something
+++large

[#product: /products/5e67fec7887b930008e2918c]|||Birch Natural Mattress|||

+++

WIRED Reviewer Louryn Strampe says she sucks at sleeping. “I toss and turn all night. My blankets need to be arranged specifically. I can't deal with light, and I require a sound machine to run in the background. I didn't expect a mattress to change much, but this one from Birch pleasantly surprised me.” It's an eco-friendly mattress made by Helix, the maker of our other favorite bed above.

The Birch is made of natural latex and wool, with individually wrapped coils that lend a plush and bouncy experience without feeling too squishy. It's great for stomach and side sleeping, and it's comfortable enough that Strampe could actually sleep on her back. A small, visible indented outline formed where she and her partner each sleep, with a ridge between them, but after a year it was still bearable. If it's warm in your room at night or you're a hot sleeper, the Birch may not be for you. It's not as breathable as our top picks.

#### Best for Kids
+++large

[#product: /products/6169d1da9344894cbd842a49]|||Kiwi Children's Twin|||

+++

My whole pursuit of an environmentally friendly mattress started with my kids. I care a lot more about what they're sleeping on than what I'm sleeping on. Still, as much as I love the Avocado Green mattress, it's not cheap. For my kids I bought the more affordable Kiwi Mattress, by My Green Mattress. The Kiwi is very similar to the Avocado. It's a hybrid mattress with pocketed springs and certified organic cotton, wool, and latex.

One nice twist that makes the Kiwi appealing for kids is the two-sided option. It costs a little more upfront, but being able to flip it over extends its life, which is handy if your kids see a bed as a trampoline in disguise.

My Green Mattress offers a 20-year warranty and a 120-night trial. The Kiwi is definitely a firmer mattress, but I think it's comfortable, and my children all say it's the most comfortable mattress they've slept on.

#### Best Something Else
+++large

[#product: /products/622b664fe5e91991368ff66a]|||Awara Natural Mattress|||

+++

The Awara Mattress ($1,099) is also made from latex foam, organic wool, and individually-wrapped springs. Strampe found it springy and comfortable, especially for a single sleeper, but it doesn't have quite as much support as the Birch. It's a floppier mattress, so invite someone over to help you carry it.

#### Best Firm Topper
+++large

[#product: /products/622b6802cca6acf55fb70b5a]

+++

A new mattress is a huge investment and sometimes all you need is a little refresh for your existing mattress. If your current mattress isn't sagging, you might be able to get a whole new feel just by adding a mattress topper like this organic latex topper from My Green Mattress. 

This topper is two inches of certified organic latex wrapped in an organic cotton cover, with a zipper so you can remove the latex pad (though I am not sure why you'd want to). It's lightweight, but does a good job of staying in place even without any straps to hold it down.

This is a reasonably firm topper, compared to something like a down or wool topper, but it still contours nicely to your body and is comfortable even if you sleep on your side. Lying on my stomach or back I don't even touch my actually mattress anymore with this on top. I do when I roll on my side, but just barely. Which is to say, this can bring a whole new life to your bed without spending a fortune.

#### Best Plush Topper
+++large

[#product: /products/622b68e77a22075957fa0116]

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This Alpaca wool topper is one of the softest things I've ever laid on. If you like being enveloped in a cocoon of fluffiness, this is the topper for you. It's not cheap, but put this on your mattress and you'll feel like you're in a five-star hotel.

Avocado's Plush topper is made of baby Alpaca wool (that's a reference to the softest wool on the animal, not its age) with an organic cotton cover. It's about two inches thick, but in this case you definitely do sink in down to your mattress so it's more of a luxury add-on than a way to rejuvenate an older mattress. Avocado's return policy applies here as well, so you can try it and return it within the first 100 days.


## Binocular Guide

Binoculars mean the difference between seeing a little grey bird and a titmouse, between a thinking it was a home run and seeing the epic catch, or noticing that the 6-point buck is actually doe standing in front of dead branches.

Whether you're scouting terrain, watching birds in your backyard, or scored season tickets to Fenway, binoculars bring the world closer, making it sharp and clear far beyond what your eye is capable of seeing. Or at least they should. As we found in testing, there is a huge range in quality and price, from some very nice, light, portable $100 models to $2,000 powerhouses with built-in image stabilization.

Finding the right pair of binoculars for you means first figuring out what you're going to use them for. If you'd just like to watch some birds at the feeder in your backyard, and perhaps overcome the limitations of the cheap seats at the ballpark, there's no need to spend a fortune. On the other hand, if you're looking to go birding in diverse locations, or are planning a big hunt in unfamiliar territory, it's often worth the extra money to get something a little more powerful.

*Special offer for Gear readers: Get a* [***1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off)***](https://subscribe.wired.com/subscribe/splits/wired/WIR_AFFILIATE?source=HCL_WIR_EDIT_HARDCODED_0_COMMERCE_AFFILIATE_ZZ)*. This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.*

> If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. [Learn more](https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/).

### What the Numbers Mean
Before we dive into which models are best for each situation, it helps to understand what the numbers you see mean. Binoculars are usually listed with two numbers. For example the Nikon Monarch M5 are 8x32. The 8 refers to the magnification power. Objects seen through these binoculars will be 8 times bigger than they when you look with your naked eye. The 32 refers to the size of the front lens in millimeters. The larger the size of the lens, the more light that will reach your eye, meaning the image will be brighter and clearer. That means, for example, that a pair of 8x42 binoculars are often significantly brighter, and offer a better viewing experience, than a pair of 8x32, even though both provide the same magnification.

Bigger is not always better though. Bigger may mean everything looks closer, but it also means the field of view (the width of the image that you see) is narrower, and tracking a fast moving object—say a bird or a baseball—is more difficult.

As with cameras, larger diameter glass also means heavier binoculars. The difference between a pair of 8x32 and 10x42 binoculars is significant when you're planning to have them around your neck all day hiking.

For this reason we suggest newcomers stick with 6x or 8x for the first number. Binoculars in this range have enough power that you'll see things clearly, but not so much that you'll struggle to find what you want to see (although all binoculars do take some practice). We suggest something in the 26-50 range for the second number if you're new. Our top pick, for example, is roughly in the middle at 8x42, considered by many the sweet spot for most people.

### Best Overall 8x42
+++large

[#product: /products/607dc8d1ff921397ebfdb2eb]|||Nikon Monarch M5 Binoculars|||

+++

Nikon's Monarch M5 binoculars were my first "real" binoculars and are still, years later, my top pick for most people just getting started. These offer great bang for your buck. It isn't just me either, these are some of the most common binoculars I see when I'm out birding.

The Monarch M5s strike an excellent balance between optical power, quality, and price. The glass in these provides nice, bright views with very little chromatic aberrations (the purple fringing you sometimes see around areas bright sunlight).

The Monarch M5's are also light enough that they can hang around your neck all day without bothering you too much, and they come with the most comfortable stock strap of any binocular I've tested.

The Monarch series can be slightly confusing because there are the Monarch 5 (what I own and technically still available) and the Monarch M5 (new for 2022), which I am recommending here. The new M5 designation features a slightly wider field of view and better optical coatings. There's also the more expensive Monarch M7 series, which is available in 8x42. I have not tested the latter, which offers an even larger field of view, but is significantly more expensive.

**Budget 8x42 pick:** [Celestron Nature DX ED 8x42 ($210)](https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Nature-8x42-Binoculars-Dispersion/dp/B00KV718JE/). These are a solid buy under $200 (they're often on sale for around $160). They aren't quite as bright as the Nikon Monarchs, and I did notice more chromatic aberrations, particularly purple fringing, but for the price these are a good entry-level option.

**Nice Upgrade 8x42:** [Pentax 8x43 ZD ED Binoculars ($800)](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1113168-REG/pentax_62701_8x43_zd_ed_binocular.html). Pentax/Ricoh's 8x43's a just a little bit sharper, clearer, and brighter than the Monarch's and, this is somewhat personal preference, but I like the slightly cooler colors of these compared to the Monarch M5s.

**Really nice, but insanely expensive 8X42:** The Leica Noctivid 8x42 binoculars are everything you'd expect from the Leica name, including expensive. These are by far the brightest, sharpest lenses I've ever put to my eye. Unfortunately they're out of stock everywhere. The [10x42s are available for $2,850](https://www.amazon.com/Leica-10x42-Noctivid-Binocular-Degree/dp/B01M29WGM9/). The other options in this category are the [Swarovski EL 8.5x42 ($2,169)](https://www.amazon.com/Swarovski-8-5x42-Binocular-FieldPro-Package/dp/B018T43B72/) and the [Zeiss Victory HT ($2,700)](https://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-Victory-Binocular-LotuTec-Protective/dp/B01N9MQ7U5/).

### Best Overall 10x42
+++large

[#product: /products/620686f8144fe1a7245d4dbf]

+++

The difference between 8x and 10x doesn't sound like much, but in practice it's significant. Objects are larger, but the field of view is narrower. That means it's harder to follow things, especially something like a small bird in thick shrubs, and it also means any hand shake can cause you to lose your subject. That said, this is my favorite resolution for birds, so long as I am not carrying these all day, because 10x42s are considerably heavier.

Our top pick at this size is the Vortex Viper HD Binoculars. These offer excellent clarity, crisp, clear views and good color accuracy. They are slightly less saturated to my eye, but I only noticed this in side-by-side comparisons with the Nikons above. The focus wheel is smooth, though I wish it were slightly faster. There is some blurring in the periphery (the edges of your field of vision through the lenses), but that's to be expected at this price.

One thing to beware, Cabela's frequently sells the pre-2018 model of these at a steep discount, but doesn't labeled it as such. I have not tested that model and while the deal is pretty good, the optics are definitely different and potentially inferior.

**Budget 10x42 pick:** [Celestron Regal ED 10x42 ($350)](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1574179-REG/celestron_71391_10x42_regal_ed_binoculars.html). The Celestron Regal ED's are what I call a sleeper deal, which is to say you'll find very little about these on the web, but they're excellent binoculars and the price is almost impossible to beat. You get great field of view (6.5 degrees), a sharp clear image, and very little chromatic aberration. I have not tested a better binocular that costs less.

**Nice Upgrade 10x42:** [Nikon Monarch HG 10X42 ($1,000)](https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Monarch-10X42-Binocular-16028/dp/B01N249ENQ/). Nikon's Monarch HG offer a slightly wider field of view, are brighter, and sharper than the Vortex or the Celestron, though the price is accordingly higher. Still, if you have the money, and you're serious about binoculars the Monarch HGs are a great investment. If you want to keep going price-wise the [Swarovski EL 10x42 ($2,200)](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1657688-REG/swarovski_37010_10x42_el_bnoculars_green.html) are deservedly legendary.

### Best Ultralight Bins
+++large

[#product: /products/6206990bd88b0a9fa5094b65]

+++

These Olympus 10x25 offer a great compromise between resolving power, weight, and price. You get 10x magnification, but with a bright, large field of view that makes it easier to find your target. No other compact binoculars I've tested at this size, with this price, can match these in terms of optical quality. 

The only downside is that these aren't quite as compact as some options. These will fit in some of my pockets, but not all. If size is you main concern the Zeiss below are even more compact (though more expensive).

**Nice Upgrade 8x25:** [Zeiss Terra ED 8x25 ($350)](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017I1SA3C/ref=twister_dp_update?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true). I have not tested these extensively, but I've used them enough to know that they're lightweight (10.9 ounces), and deliver a very nice, sharp image. They have 8x magnification and come with a nice rugged, waterproof case. These aren't just light either, the folding design means they also easily fit in your pocket. 

### Best for Kids

Before I dive into why the Nocs are great for kids, let me be clear, Nocs are not kids binoculars. They would fit well in the ultralight category above. They're fine compact binoculars. I "borrow" them from my kids all the time. Nor would I suggest these as the best first pair of binoculars for young kids (in that case, see our budget pick below). All that said, for anyone over the age of 8, these make a great first pair of binoculars.

At 8x25 you get good magnification, with a waterproof (IPX7 rating) and fogproof design in a lightweight package (11.8 ounces). These also have two things that specifically make them great for kids: rugged construction and a great, rubberized grip. I can't tell you how many trees and rocks these have bashed into while around my son's neck, and they're still as new. 

**Budget Pick for Kids:** [Let's Go Binoculars ($25)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078JFSH8P). If you've got little ones brand new to binoculars the price tag of the Nocs can be offputting. If you want to test and see if your kids actually use their binoculars before diving in there are a multitude of options. I'll be blunt, none of these are great, but they're cheap and light and don't cost a fortune. Another options is the [Obuby Binoculars ($30)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S1VQ54K) 


### Buying Advice, or Why The Price Range?

You may have noticed that the binoculars in this guide span a huge price range, from under $100 to over $3,000. The reason for this comes down to two main factors, the quality of glass and coatings and the engineering behind them.

All the binoculars listed here share the same BaK-4 prism design, which is a glass designation used by German glass maker, Schott AG. Within that design standard though there is still a significant range in quality, which accounts for most of the price differences. Simply put, the more you spend, the better quality to image will likely be. The quality difference is very obvious when comparing high end Leicas or Swarovskis to $300 models like the Monarch M5. 

Less obvious is the difference between the Monarch M5 and similarly priced 8x42 binoculars. The difference comes down to glass, the coatings, and 





I had the opportunity to meet dozens of fellow bird watcher in the past month and not single one of them ever talked to me about binoculars. However, if you spend time in online birding communities you'll see much debate about which are better, 8x or 10x.  

## How to Start a New Habit

It's that time of year. Everyone you know will soon be hitting the gym, smiling while eating broccoli, or crushing out a last cigarette. For some, that really will be the last cigarette and the gym really will become a new part of life, but if you're anything like most of us you've probably experienced the letdown, perhaps even self loathing, of failing to stick to a New Year's resolution.

I can't promise that this will help—anyone who knows me well would laugh hysterically at the idea of me guiding anyone to successful habit—but there are some things you can do to set yourself up for success.


### Forget About Goals, You Want Systems

The first and most important part of changing something in your life is to forget the resolutions, forget the goals. Think instead of creating a system that allows you to do what you want to do.

This advice is something I picked up from James Clear's book *[Atomic Habits](https://jamesclear.com)* ([$12, Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735211299/) rel=sponsored}). If you find this article whets your appetite for a deeper dive into how you can create better habits, Clear's book is well worth a read. It has plenty of suggestions about how to set up systems that work for you and help to build, and support, the habits you want. 

That said, you can get a remarkable ways to building a system that supports your habit with some basic common sense. As WIRED Associate Editor Adrienne So says,"reduce friction wherever you can." Make it easy to go for a run by keeping your shoes by the door. Make it easy to eat healthier by keeping healthy food in the house. Make it easier to read by keeping your eyes open.

As So says, "It's easier to work out every day if everything is all set up and you can run downstairs and do a 30-min Peloton strength video in 32 mins rather than spend like 35-40 mins looking for clean sports bras" 

It also helps to be honest with yourself about yourself. For example, while some people might run downstairs and actually do a Peloton video, even that seemingly simple thing is enough friction that I'd never actually do it. This is why I do body weight exercises—my body is always there, ready to go. I don't have to go anywhere or find anything, I just start exercising. Which is to say, if you have to do the proverbial symbol of iron will, gritting your teeth and toughing it out, you're unlikely to turn it into a habit. That doesn't mean there won't be moments where whatever you're doing won't be hard, but it should be hard to start.

### Start Small and Progress Incrementally

Gear Team Editor Michael Calore suggested I recommend the app couch to 5k to anyone who wants to build a running habit. It's a great app, and we do recommend it, and you know what it won't have you do? Run a 5K on the first day you use it.

This goes along with the previous suggestion to ditch the goals. It takes a while to have to the strength and stamina to run 5 kilometers and if that's what you're focused on you're going to be disappointed every time you don't run 5K, and that's not going to make you want to keep running. 

The far better, and more encouraging plan is to run a little bit more today than you did yesterday. Incremental progress is the goal. This way you motivate yourself by being able to do more than you did yesterday, even if it's only a tiny bit more. Read 21 pages instead of 20 page, walk for 11 minutes instead of 10, and so on. 

Incremental progress is part of the reason I don't take days off and I recommend you don't either, at least for the first 90 days. Yes, it's probably more optimal to take days off if you habit is exercise related, but don't for the first 90 days. Depending on which study you want to site, it takes somewhere between 60-243 days to build a new habit. I've had good luck with about 90 and strongly recommend you go at least that long on your first try.

On the internet of yore there was a story that Jerry Seinfeld supposedly told software developer and would-be comedian Brad Isaac. Isaac asked him if he had any tips on becoming a comic. Seinfeld's answer amounts to, well, build a habit of writing jokes. 

That's fairly obvious, but Seinfeld had a technique. He told Isaac to get a big wall calendar and every time he sat down and did the work, make a big X over that day. "After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain." 

I have been unable to find any confirmation of this story, but even if it's apocryphal it's still excellent at advice. It also sounds like something a Seinfeld character would say.

### Try Reducing Friction Even More

One of the reasons we have trouble changing our habits is that we're highly emotionally invested in the habits we have. *I like doing nothing in the morning. I don't want to read/workout/cook/etc.* Overcoming this inertia and resistance to change is difficult, especially since this resistance is often not entirely conscious. This is part of why I have avoided suggestions about stopping habits you don't like (grab Clear's book if you're interested in stopping a bad habit, he has plenty of good advice on that score) and focused on creating new habit—there's generally less emotional baggage.

What if, however, you reduced your emotional baggage to zero and instead of working on creating a specific habit, you trained your will itself? This is a common theme in older texts ranging from Catholic meditation guides to the [New Thought Movement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Thought) of the early twentieth century. The idea is that the will is like a muscle and you need to built it up through strength training. 

I've seen countless versions of this exercise, but they all go something like this: sit down in a chair facing a wall. Pick a spot on the wall. Get up out of chair and go touch the spot in the wall. Return to the chair and sit down again. Rinse and repeat. Most books have you start out doing this ten times and work your way up from there. 

The idea is to force yourself (will yourself) to do something, but something in which you have no emotional involvement so that it's easy to do. This builds up a certain fortitude of the will that you can then apply to things where you are emotionally involved and still be able to do it.

### Just Do It

In the end Nike's slogan is right, you have to actually do it. Less succinctly, as one of my writing professors used to say, to be a writer, eventually you have to park your butt in a chair and actually write. To be a yogi you have to actually do yoga. To run you have to run. 

There's no easy way around the actual doing, you have to put on your grown up pants and, ahem, just do it.

However, on the flip side of this, as Clear points out early on in *Atomic Habits*, the way to change who you are, is to change what you do. "Each time you write a page, you are a writer. Each time you practice the violin, you are a musician. Each time you start a workout, you are an athlete." Each time you just do it, you become it. 













## How to Buy a Laptop

Buying a laptop is an exercise in confusion. Even if you know what everything means, and know exactly what you want, finding it can be difficult. Heck, just navigating the manufacturers' websites to try buying the model you want can be an exercise in frustration.

We hope this guide will help you navigate the morass of modern laptops.

#### Table of Contents
1. [Pick Your Operating System](#os)
2. [Know Your CPUs](#cpu)
3. [Pick Your Processor](#howmuchpower)
4. [How Much RAM?](#ram)
5. [How Much Storage Space?](#storage)
6. [Check Your Ports\!](#ports)
7. [Webcam and Other Worries](#webcam)
8. [Make Your Choice](#makeyourchoice)

> If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. [Learn more](https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/).

+++anchor

### First, Pick Your Operating System
+++
 #OS}

Before you begin to look at laptops, you must figure out which operating system (OS) works best for you. Thinking through what software you need to run, and which operating systems that software runs on will help you determine the hardware you need.

There are four major computer operating systems. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Here's an overview of each:

- **Windows**: This stalwart OS doesn't get much press anymore, but gets the job done. It's the best choice if you need Microsoft apps like MS Office, Access, or Outlook. There are also more Windows laptops to choose from than any other OS.
- **MacOS**: Apple's MacOS is a bit more beginner-friendly than Windows, but it's tightly coupled with the company's hardware. It probably isn't your first choice if you don't own an iPhone or iPad, and your options are limited to MacBooks. Be sure to read our guide to [picking the right MacBook](https://www.wired.com/story/which-macbook-should-you-buy/).
- **Chrome OS**: If you can do most of your laptop tasks in a web browser, ChromeOS is a good choice. Chrome laptops (called Chromebooks) are also among the cheapest (and least powerful) you'll find, so the OS is also worth considering if you're on a tight budget. The catch is that apps like Adobe's Creative Suite or Microsoft Office won't run. Some apps, notably Office, do have Android phone/tablet version you *might* be able to [install on your Chromebook](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-install-and-run-microsoft-office-on-a-chromebook-32f14a23-2c1a-4579-b973-d4b1d78561ad?ui=en-us&rs=en-us&ad=us), but I have found Android apps often don't run well.
- **Linux**: If you don't need MS Office, and don't mind a learning curve, you can install Linux on just about any piece of laptop hardware ever created. The catch is that popular apps like MS Office and Adobe's Creative Suite won't run. However, there are free, open source alternatives like [LibreOffice](https://www.libreoffice.org/), [Darktable](http://darktable.org/) (Adobe Lightroom replacement), and [GIMP](https://www.gimp.org/) (Adobe Photoshop replacement).

+++anchor

### Understanding Processor Names (CPUs)
+++
 #cpu}

Once you know which operating system you want, and have some idea of the software you're going to run, you can figure out the minimum hardware specifications you'll need to get the job done. The first thing we suggest looking at is the processor, also referred to as the chip or the CPU.

There are essentially two companies that make laptop processors: Intel and AMD.

**Intel**'s main processors are the Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. The Core i3 is the least powerful, the Core i9 is the most powerful. We usually drop the "Core" from the name because it gets repetitive.

Within each of these chip lines, Intel uses cryptic strings of numbers and letters that give you more information about that chip's capabilities and when it came out. Learning to decipher it will help you make better buying decisions.

*Intel Core i5-10510U* is how a laptop manufacturer's websites may list the type of processor.

Let's break it down. The first numbers ("10") refer to the generation chip, in this case it's a 10th-generation chip. The i5-9510U would be a 9th-generation chip, or one that's probably a year or so older.

The next two or three numbers ("510") are related to performance. The higher these numbers are, the more powerful the chip is. This is only true within that chip line, though. The Intel Core i5-10510U is slightly more powerful than the Intel Core i5-10210U, but much *less* powerful than the Intel Core i7-10350U. The i7 chip is always more powerful than the i5, and the difference is greater than the difference between any two chips in the same chip line.

The letter at the end of the chip name ("U," in our example) is Intel's designation for the chip's purpose. For laptops, the letters you'll see at the end are Y, U, and H. The only one you need to worry about are the Y series chips, which are optimized for battery life. That's good if you're frequently away from a plug for long periods of time, but that added battery life does come at the expense of some performance.

**AMD**'s chip naming is just as difficult to decipher as Intel's. 

In the name AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, the “3” is the generation and the “6” is the performance level. A “6” would make this example a medium-powered chip, whereas a 3 or 4 would be more powerful (speedier). The next two numbers don't have much impact on anything. The “X” at the end indicates high performance. Other letter designations include U for ultra low power.

Is there a huge difference between Intel and AMD chips? My experience, testing dozens of both every year, is that... it depends. Generally speaking an Intel i5 is instinguishable from a Ryzen 5 outside of very specific benchmarks. Which is to say they're close to the same thing in day to day use browsing the web or editing documents. The same goes for the Intel i7 and Ryzen 7, and the Intel i3 and the Ryzen 3.

There are some places where you may notice a difference though, and one of them is graphics performance. In my testing, in both benchmarks and real work use, AMD's integrated graphics tend to perform better than Intel on graphics-intensive tasks—think editing video or playing games. Intel's most recent series of chips has closed that gap signficantly, but AMD still has a slight edge. If you do either of those things then you may benefit from buying an AMD machine, though what you really probably want is a dedicated graphics card, more on that below.

The other place I have noticed a difference is with the AMD Ryzen 4000 series chips found in Chromebooks. These are powerful enough for most things and offer great battery life, a combination that's much more difficult to find in Intel Chromebooks.

+++anchor

### How Much Processing Power Do You Need?
+++
 #howmuchpower}

If you're a typical user who runs a web browser, Microsoft's Office Suite, and perhaps even some photo editing software, we recommend a laptop with an Intel Core i5 8th-generation or later processor. That would be displayed something like “Intel Core i5-8350U.”

If you can afford it, an Intel i7 chip makes a nice upgrade and will make your laptop feel snappier. The extra power often means shorter battery life though, so you'll need to balance that with your needs. A gaming laptop, for instance, would use an i7 (or i9) chip, but an i3 or i5 is usually fine for laptop you use for less demanding tasks.

Likewise, for the average user the AMD Ryzen 5000 series will suffice, but the Ryzen 7000 makes a nice upgrade—again, at the cost of battery life.

#### Are you a Power User?
If you compile software, edit video, or work with very large databases you're going to want more processing power than the rest of us. I suggest an Intel i7 or Ryzen 7. You'll also want to load up on RAM, but we'll get to that in a minute.

#### Best Processors for a ChromeOS laptops


[#image: /photos/5fd7e26300c45b72f4a68f44]|||Lenovo Flex 5|||

ChromeOS is built around Google's Chrome web browser and runs most software directly in the browser. That means it doesn't need big powerful Intel chips. That's the theory, at least. In my experience, Chrome OS does best with at least an Intel i3 chip, or, what I think is the best value you can currently get with a Chromebook: an AMD Ryzen 4000 chip.

There are high-end Chromebooks with Intel i5 chips, and even some i7 models out there, but unless you're really all-in on ChromeOS, you're better off buying a more capable Windows laptop.

The cheapest Chromebooks may use Intel's Celeron series processors. If your needs are excessively minimal, and you'll never do anything more than lightly browse the web, the Celerons will do. But if you're hoping to run Android apps or install Linux apps on your Chromebook, the Celeron processors will struggle, and frustrate you.

+++anchor

### What About a Graphics Card?
+++
 #gpu}

All laptops technically have graphics cards, but most are bundled into the motherboard with the processor. This approach, known as "integrated graphics" is fine for most users. You'll be able to watch HD movies and even play less demanding games without issue. If you're a gamer, or do a lot of video editing, you'll want a laptop with a discrete graphics card, that is a separate, and much more powerful, graphics card. 

AMD and Nvidia make most of the graphics cards you'll find in laptops. You may sometimes see them listed as the GPU. 

Most Intel-based laptops will be paired with an Nvidia graphics card in the GeForce line, usually one of the Max-Q cards, which is the power-efficient, laptop-friend spin off of Nvidia's desktop cards. They are usually labeled with the card name, then Max-Q, for example, the GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q. The Max-Q cards are generally about 15 to 25 percent less powerful than the desktop versions, but still plenty powerful for gaming and video editing. 

AMD's GPU line is called Radeon, and ranges from the top end Vega, and RX cards, down to R-series cards which mirror the Ryzen naming scheme where the Radeon R9 is faster and more powerful than the Radeon R5. 

+++anchor

### How Much RAM Do You Need?
+++
 #ram}

The more the merrier\! Random Access Memory, better known as RAM, is what your laptop uses to hold data while the processor does things with it. Think of RAM as your desk. All the things you're working right now should be able to fit on your desk. If your desk is too small, things fall off and you can't work on them. In the same way, if you run out of RAM you won't be able to open any more browser tabs or finish compiling your video. Eventually your laptops will freeze up and need to be restarted.

*8 gigabytes of RAM should be plenty* for the average Windows user, though upgrading to 16 gigabytes will make your laptop much more capable (and is a necessity for gaming). One thing to investigate before you buy is whether or not the RAM is soldered to the motherboard. If it is soldered you won't be able to upgrade the RAM yourself.

Again, if you're programming and compiling software or editing video clips, two tasks that require a lot of RAM, you'll want 16 gigabytes at minimum. You'll probably be happier with 32 gigabytes if you can afford it.

As with processors, ChromeOS requires less. In a Chromebook you can generally get by with 4 gigabytes of RAM, though upgrading the 8 gigabytes will let you have more tabs open in your browser without slowing things down.

RAM comes in couple of flavors, the older DDR3, which is less common these days, and the much faster DDR4 RAM. Most laptops these days use DDR4 RAM, but manufacturers will list the type of RAM on their sites so it's worth checking before you buy.\\

+++anchor

### SSD Storage or Spinning Drive?
+++
 #storage}

The hard drive is where you'll store all your data. Think of this as the filing cabinet next to your desk. The most common choice these days is a Solid State Drive or SSD, although some budget laptops still use spinning drives.

*Go for an SSD drive if you can afford it—at least 256 gigabytes.* SSDs are faster, especially if they use an NVMe connection, which moves data in and out of the hard drive much quicker than the older standard, known as SATA. Sometimes you'll find laptops with both an SSD with NVMe to run the operating system, but an older SATA drive to store files. This gives you best of both worlds, speed where you need it, but still budget-friendly.

The minimum amount of space we recommend is 256 gigabytes. If you store everything in the cloud, or are looking at Chromebooks, you might be able to get by with less, but it's good to have the space if you ever need it. If you plan to install a lot of games, software, or save a lot of photos or video, that will quickly eat up space.

A side note: You may have noticed that your hard drive doesn't seem to ever have its advertised space. If a hard drive is labeled 512 gigabytes, it may only show up as having 490 gigabytes available in Windows. You aren't losing space, this just has to do with the difference between binary and decimal byte size calculations. The drive makers use decimal bytes, but Windows uses binary, which is why they report different sizes. They are both technically correct, though in practical terms the size Windows reports is the amount of disk space you can actually use to store files.

+++anchor

### Check for Ports\!
+++
 #ports}



[#image: /photos/5fdd19b2fe6cb52eb1cc8ad7]

While the CPU, RAM, and hard drive will have the biggest impact on performance, the amount and kind of ports on your laptop are important. Ports are the various ways of plugging things in to your laptop, like USB devices, or recharging it. 

*You will want at least one 1 USB-C, at least one 1 USB-A, and a microphone/headset jack. Look into USB-C charging, and an SD reader too.*

I recommend laptops that can charge via USB-C. A laptop should say it can charge via USB-C on the page, or in the specs section. This method of charging allows you to use a portable battery charger if you ever needed an extra bit of battery, which can double the amount of time you can stay away from a plug. USB-C chargers also tend to be cheaper to replace. Do not ever buy those cheap no-name replacement chargers you see on Amazon. Just don't. Spend extra and buy the manufacturer's charger or a known brand. I have destroyed multiple laptop batteries by relying on junky chargers.

Make sure your laptop has a SD or MicroSD card reader if you're a photographer and need to constantly download images from your camera. Otherwise you'll need to carry a dongle.

+++anchor

### Webcams and Hinges
+++
 #webcams}



[#image: /photos/5ffe4a9bff8211dc377cd1c1]|||Acer Chromebook Spin 514|||

Make sure there's a webcam. For some reason, there are still laptops in 2021 that don't have webcams. Most webcams are still 720p, especially on lower priced laptops. That's fine if you're not using it much, but with Zoom being a way of life for many of us these days, you might be happier with a 1080p camera.

How is the hinge? This one is hard to test if you're buying over the internet. If possible, head to a local store, like a Best Buy, so you can actually hold the models you're interested in. Try opening it with one hand. That might sound silly, but trust me, not being able to open your laptop with one hand is annoying.

Other points to consider: Can you safely carry it with one hand? Is it going to hold up to life in a backpack? How big is the trackpad? Are the buttons where you like them? Is the keyboard layout unusual in any way?

+++anchor

### Make *Your* Choice
+++
 #makeyourchoice}



[#image: /photos/5fd7e0b67df8df42722fdb31]|||Microsoft Surface Pro|||

Once you've narrowed down the field to a few models, read some reviews and look for things beyond the specifications, like the how the hinge holds up, how the keyboard feels, how the trackpad performs, and even how hot it gets in your lap. Reading reviews like ours here at WIRED come in handy because looking at specs won't tell you if a hinge is poorly made or feels sticky, or if the lid scratches easily.

Your own feelings matter, too. Do you want something that looks a certain way? There's nothing wrong with that. Some people hate the idea of a plastic shell. Others wouldn't be caught dead with anything other than black plastic. Design is important in both practical and aesthetic terms. It's no fun to use a laptop you don't like.

Sometimes what you like about something is hard to define, and on paper may not make much sense. For example I wrote this review on a Lenovo x270, which is, by the standards of this guide, outdated and underpowered. But I like it better than the much faster, newer, shinier laptops sitting on the shelf behind me, waiting to be tested. 

There is, as they say, no accounting for taste, so be sure to factor that into your decision as well.


+++anchor

### Where to Buy
+++
 #wherebuy}

When you know what you want it's time for the final, and sometimes most painful step: trying to find the laptop you want. You can buy straight from the manufacturer's website, or you can go with a chain like Amazon or Best Buy. Manufacturer's websites are sometimes overwhelming, especially when every different configuration is listed separately, which nearly every manufacturer insists on doing. 

Other times these websites use very deceptive pricing practices, like Lenovo, which lists absurdly high "list" prices but actually sells everything at a perpetual discount. This is where it helps to shop around. Even if you end up buying from the manufacturer, be sure to look at the prices at stores like Best Buy, Amazon, NewEgg, and B&HPhoto (despite the name, the latter often has great deals on laptops).

Be sure to read through the specifications on each page to ensure you're comparing the model with 8-gigabytes of RAM to another model with 8-gigabytes of RAM, and so on. While I don't often buy laptops, I do search for deals to pass to readers all the time, and I find it helpful to write down the config that I'm looking for on a piece of paper and check each store's listing to make sure it's the same thing.

Pay attention to any warranties as well, as it's nice to have a plan should something go wrong. This is a hard area to test, and the options vary widely according to where you buy your laptop, but I can say I have used warranties from both Lenovo and Dell and been satisfied with both.

You might be wondering, why is it so hard to find what you want? I wonder that too. It would be nice if every PC laptop maker out there just copied Apple's website, which has a single page for each laptop and a range of configuration options you can customize to your liking. It doesn't seem that hard, but apparently it is.

If you'd like to see various models compared don't forget to see [our guide to the best laptops](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-laptops/), the [best gaming laptops](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-gaming-laptops/), the [best cheap laptops](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-cheap-laptops/), the [best Chromebooks](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-chromebooks/), and [the best Macbooks](https://www.wired.com/story/which-macbook-should-you-buy/).


## RSS Guide

Whether you are sick of social media, want to get rid of all the notifications, or just want to read all your news in one spot, an RSS reader can help.

RSS stands for really simple syndication. It's a protocol that allows an RSS reader to talk to your favorite websites and get updates from them. Instead of visiting 10 different sites to see what's new, you view a single page with all the new content from your favorite websites.

There are two parts to RSS: the RSS reader and the RSS feeds from your favorite websites. RSS has been around a while now, so there are quite a few very good RSS readers out there. Most of them feature built-in search and suggestions too, so you don't have to hunting for RSS feeds yourself and you just might discover some cool new sites to read too.

I've been using RSS for over a decade and recently spent a few months trying out almost a dozen different RSS reader services. The picks below are the best RSS readers available right now.

*Special offer for Gear readers: Get a* [***1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off)***](https://subscribe.wired.com/subscribe/splits/wired/WIR_AFFILIATE?source=HCL_WIR_EDIT_HARDCODED_0_COMMERCE_AFFILIATE_ZZ)*. This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.*

> *If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism.* [*Learn more*](https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/)*.* 

##Best Overall 
###[**Inoreader**](https://www.inoreader.com) rel="nofollow"}

|||||||Inoreader Image||||||

Inoreader offers a well-designed readable interface, good search and discovery options, and a nice set of features that are both beginner-friendly and offer plenty of options for advanced users. There's a web interface as well as iOS and Android app. Inoreader handles more than just RSS feeds—you can add email newsletters, Facebook pages, Twitter searches, and podcasts too. 

Advanced users will like extra features like keyword monitoring. Enter your search terms and Inoreader will search all your feeds for any mention of that keyword or phrase and then create a feed of just those articles. You can also do the opposite and hide article matching a phrase. Inoreader also offers a nice automation system you can use to create rules and filter your feeds, giving some higher priority. For example you could get a push notification every time WIRED publishes a new review, but not the rest of our content. Note that the automation requires a pro account.

Pro accounts also get some other nice features like the ability to integrate with IFTTT and Zapier, an offline mode for the mobile apps, and my personal favorite: keeping your YouTube account in sync with your RSS reading. That means you can watch YouTube videos in Inoreader and next time you login to YouTube you won't have a ton of unwatched videos that you've already watched outside YouTube.

Inoreader offers three accounts starting with free (with ads), which is good for testing out the service to see if it meets your needs. If it does the Pro account is $7 a month (it's cheaper if you buy a year upfront), which brings more advanced features and support for more feeds. 

### Best for Beginners
###[**Feedly**](https://feedly.com/i/welcome) rel="nofollow"}

||||Feedly Image||||

Feedly is probably the most popular RSS reader in the web and for good reason. It's well-design, easy to use, and offers great search options so it's easy to add all your favorite sites. It lacks one thing that make Inoreader slightly better in my view—the YouTube syncing—but otherwise Feedly is an excellent choice. It even has a few features Inoreader does not, like Evernote integration (you can save articles to Evernote), and a notes feature for jotting down your own thoughts on stories.

Feedly also touts "Leo" the company's AI search assistant, which can help filter your feeds and surface the content you really want. In my testing I found that it worked well enough, but a big part of what I like about RSS is that there's is no AI—I don't *want* automated filtering. Depending on how you use RSS though this could be useful feature.

Like the others here Feedly offers iOS and Android apps along with a web interface.

Feedly is free up to 100 feeds. A Pro subscription is $8 a month (it's cheaper if you pay for a year up front), and enable more features like notes, save to Evernote, and ad-free reading. The Pro+ account gets you the AI-features and more for $12 a month. 


### Best For DIYers
###[**Newsblur**](https://www.newsblur.com) rel="nofollow"}

|||||Newsblur image|||||

Newsblur is an old-school RSS reader. You won't find AI or YouTube syncing here. Newsblur is for reading RSS feeds and getting on with your life. It's refreshingly simple, but still has everything you need in an RSS reader. Newsblur can subscribe to all kinds of content (including newsletters), read full stories (even from RSS feeds that don't offer them), integrate with IFTTT, and even track story changes if a publisher updates an article.

There are apps for iOS and Android, as well as the web-based interface. 

One thing that sets Newsblur apart is that it's open source. You can see the code on Github, and if you're comfortable with the command line you can even set up your own self-hosted version of Newsblur on your own server.

Newsblur's free account is the most limited of the options here, with only 64 feeds and only 5 stories from each at a time, but Premium account is also the cheapest at $36 per year. That gets you access to all the features and unlimited feeds.

### How To Get More Out of RSS

The first thing you'll notice when you get into RSS is that not every website advertises it's feed. More often than not there is a feed, but finding it can be tricky. Fortunately there are some web browser extensions that can help. This Chrome extension and this Firefox add-on will add an RSS feed icon to your URL bar and you can click it to subscribe to almost any website you're on.

Some websites don't have RSS feeds though, and in that case you can use a feed generator like [Fetch RSS](http://fetchrss.com) or [RSS.app](https://rss.app). Neither are perfect, but in my testing both were able to generate feeds for seven of the ten pages I tested, which is better than nothing.

What about those three really stubborn pages? Well, I just ignore them and move on with life. There's a saying, that networks route around damage and not having an RSS feed is a kind of damage. Ignoring those websites is a way to route around it. That said

We lost something when we stopped following individual content sources
While Reader is gone, Feedly (and others) have done a good job replacing it
You don’t have to give up the power of the aggregators; just add them as sources
RSS is clutter-free consumption, with fewer ads, no popups, etc
Curating your input garden is a meaningful part of the consumption experience
It’s relaxing to know you only have to check one place rather than N places

## tents


The MSR Zoic 4 tent isn't quite as pricey as the Copper Spur, but it's not much heavier. I've used this with my three kids and there was plenty of interior space and the mostly-mesh tent provides great ventilation on warm summer nights (and leaving off the rainfly gave my kids an I a great view of the stars at night). It has double vestibules with enough room to keep boots and other gear out of the weather. 

One thing to note about this tent, MSR does not factory seam seal its lightweight tents, so you'll need to get some seam seal and do it yourself. It's not hard, though be sure to do it and let it thoroughly dry before you head out. REI has [a good guide to seam sealing](https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-waterproof-a-tent.html).

backpacking tent for family and small group adventure. Sleep 4, so bring you and the little family or 3 of your best hiking partners. Sleep side by side and even sit up to play a game of cards comfortably when the rain is pouring. Hubbed poles make it quite easy to pitch and if the fly is off, you can point out the constellations to the kiddos right through the micromesh above. If the rain is falling, the fly creates 2 vestibules for extra storage and it's still easy to escape through either door.


There are hundreds of tents out there, picking one can be tough. If none of our top picks quite work for you, here are a few things to keep in mind while doing your own research.

-**One Size Does not Fit All** There probably is no one tent that is the best choice for everything. For most people a 3-season tent is plenty. The term 3-season means a tent that can stand up to everything spring, summer, and fall can throw at it. If you're planning to snowshoe or cross-country ski into the backcountry, or if you live in north climes and want some protection against the occasion early or late winter weather then a 4-season tent might be appropriate. For the most part these terms come down to how much ventilation (e.g. mesh) the tent has. A 3-season tent will offer better ventilation, but will have a harder time retaining heat.

-**Tent Design** The first thing to look for is floor space, namely is there enough for you and whomever you're camping with. Don't forget you'll probably have some amount of gear in there with you too. Make sure to look at the dimensions, not just square footage since all the floor space in the world is useless if you can't lie down without touching the end of the tent. 

After floor space you'll want to see about headroom. Can you stand up in the tent? How steep are the walls? The steeper the better, since that gives you more space to move around in. 

The other things I am fussy about is the vestibule. Is it big enough to store boots and other gear you want to stay dry, but don't want to have in the tent with you? If you're backpacking, is it big enough to safely cook under?

- **Less weight means more money.** This isn't always true, but usually it is unfortunately. If you want to go ultralight especially, you're going to have to spend more. But before you fork out the big dollars, ask yourself: do I really care about saving 6 ounces? Are you going to notice those 6 ounces at the end of a 20 mile day? If the answer is yes, there is an internet sub-culture out there of people who obsess over saving ounces. The r/ultralight is a good place to start your research.




Camping is intense! No really. If you're going camping, you need a tent. Hammock lovers might disagree, and we love sleeping under the stars when weather permits, but most of the time, camping is synonymous with sleeping in a tent. But which tent? There are hundreds, ranging in price from under $100 to over $1,000. 

To help you figure out the best tent for your next adventure—whether you're car camping with the family or soloing Mt Whitney—we've spent years testing tents to find the perfect shelter for everyone.



    - REI Half Dome
    - Ultralight Family Backpacking

Take stroll through any campground in America and you'll see plenty of these no-frills Coleman tents. There's a good reason for that. They're cheap, available just about anywhere, and they get the job done. They're all you need, especially if you're only camping out for a week or two a year. 

This is our top pick for newcomers and the experienced a like. It's easy to set up, provides good rain protection and 3-season comfort, and the price doesn't break the bank. There is an even cheaper model without the extra bug screen vestibule, but living in the southern united states, I really appreciate the extra bug barrier (and the extra room to stash stuff).




    - MSR tent
## Chef Knives                   12/21/2020       *Mar 2021*
    - Mandolin Slicer
While the chef knife is the foundation of the kitchen, there are other essential slicers. The mandoline is another tool I highly recommend, especially if these knives are intimidating. Whether its slicing cabbage for a slaw, cucumbers for dipping, or tomatoes for a sandwich, I reach reach for a mandoline. It's fast, precise, and dare I say, easier. That said, a mandoline alone is too single-use for me. I prefer this combination of slicers from Garrett Wade. It has a mandoline, as well as three graters and takes up hardly any space in your drawer. Between the two I can slice, grate, and shred to get just about any size result I need. The rubber base keeps them from sliding on the counter and the stainless steel construction makes for a solid, long lasting tool. They don't have any kind of guard or protection, so I suggest picking up some cut-resistant gloves as well. I like these Dex Fit gloves ($12.50, [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/DEX-FIT-Resistant-Comfort-Washable/dp/B074DTJ5ML/) rel=nofollow}). They'll protect your hands and they have a nitrile coating on the palms, which makes it easier to grip wet veggies.

*Alternative Mandoline: This Mueller Mandoline ($30, [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Mueller-Austria-Adjustable-Mandoline-Slicer/dp/B01CT63964/)) is similarly multi-functional, though made of of plastic.



## Cheap Laptops                 12/15/2020       *Mar 2021*
    - Acer ??
## Photo Printing Services       10/19/2020       *Apr 2021*
    - film
    - mike's book
## Distance Learning Supplies    08/30/2020       *Dec 2020*
    - which one was this again? 
## Amazon Fire Tablets           07/17/2020       *Jan 2021*

Amazon's Fire tablets are some of the only high-profile, ultra-affordable tablets around. The prices seem too good to be true—and in some ways, they are—but Fire tablets are also completely functional, reasonably capable devices. To help you decide if one of these slates is right for you, we reviewed every model. These are our unfiltered recommendations.

Be sure to check out our many other [guides](https://www.wired.com/tag/buying-guides/), including [Best Tablets](https://www.wired.com/gallery/the-best-tablets/) and [Best Alexa Speakers](https://www.wired.com/story/best-amazon-echo/).

*Updated for June 2021: We've added our impressions of the new Fire HD 10 range.*

*Special offer for Gear readers: Get a* [***1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off)***](https://subscribe.wired.com/subscribe/splits/wired/WIR_AFFILIATE?source=HCL_WIR_EDIT_HARDCODED_0_COMMERCE_AFFILIATE_ZZ7) target="_blank"}*. This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.*

> *If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism.* [*Learn more*](https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/)*.*

### The Best Fire Tablet
[**Fire HD 10 (2021)**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BX7FV5L/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"}

The Fire HD 10 is the largest and fastest of Amazon's tablets. Amazon refreshed it in June 2021 ([7/10, WIRED Recommends]()) with a brighter screen and 3 gigabytes of RAM. Amazon also introduced the Fire HD 10 Plus with 4 gigabytes of RAM and wireless charging, which is worth the extra $30 if you plan to do more than watch movies and browse the web with your tablet. Amazon is hoping you might do more too, there's now a "productivity bundle" with a nice keyboard (no trackpad though) and a 1-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365. Working on the Fire HD 10 isn't bad, so long as you don't need Google Apps. None of Google's office apps work on the Fire HD 10, not even in the browser.

The Fire HD 10 has a larger screen with more pixels (1080p) than its siblings, making it better for watching videos. And, like the Fire HD 8, you can shout commands at Alexa from across the room. To use Alexa's Show Mode, just swipe down on the notification overlay and check the Show Mode box. After that, you can set your HD 10 on a stand (if you opt for the Plus model, we like the [official wireless charging stand](https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Wireless-Charging-Generation-compatible/dp/B08R5RY2SS/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"}) and it essentially becomes an Echo Show.

You can choose between a 32-gigabyte or a 64-gigabyte model (with a MicroSD slot on both so you can add up to 1 TB of storage down the road if you need more space). Whichever you choose, Amazon will serve up advertisements on the lock screen. To get rid of that you'll need to spend $15 more for the version without "special offers."

[**The Fire HD 10 costs $150 at Amazon**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BX7FV5L/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"}

### The Best Value Fire
[**Fire HD 8 (2020)**](https://www.amazon.com/All-New-Fire-HD-8-Tablet/dp/B07TMJ1R3X/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"}



[#image: /photos/5f08b2f892cb35f94cf6a0bf]

The newly refreshed 2020 version of the [Fire HD 8](https://www.wired.com/review/amazons-fire-8-hd-tablets) is quite possibly one of the best values around for a tablet. The travel-friendly size, combined with a processor upgrade and a [Plus model ($110)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0839NDRB2/?tag=w050b-20) with 3 gigabytes of RAM and wireless charging, make the new Fire HD 8 series nearly as capable as its larger sibling.

It’s portable enough to take with you anywhere, and its screen won’t torture your eyes when you watch Netflix. That said, the screen is not quite as nice as the one on the larger Fire HD 10, which boasts a higher pixel density.

Still, the HD 8 has most of the benefits of the HD 10, including hands-free Alexa, stereo sound, USB-C, and nearly 12 hours of battery life. I recommend picking up [Amazon’s magnetic stand-up case](https://www.amazon.com/All-New-Amazon-Fire-HD-8-Cover/dp/B07Y91D1V6/?tag=w050b-20) if you plan on watching movies or TV, or, if you opt for the Plus model, the [Wireless Charging Dock](https://www.amazon.com/Made-Amazon-Wireless-Charging-compatible/dp/B085RVS6FV/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"} turns your tablet into an Echo Show speaker.

[**The Fire HD 8 costs $110 at Amazon**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0794RHPZD/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"}

### The Best Fire Tablet for Kids
[**Fire HD 8 Kids Edition (2020)**](https://www.amazon.com/All-New-Fire-HD-8-Tablet/dp/B07TMJ1R3X/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"}



[#image: /photos/5f08b348806a1fd1d138720c]

Amazon offers kid-friendly versions of all its Fire tablets. We think the HD 8 is the best device for most kids. Compared to the older [Fire 7 ($100)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8WS1FT/?tag=w050b-20), the larger screen is sharper and you get Dolby stereo sound with dual speakers. The [Fire HD 10 ($200)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KD7K4B1/) (which also has all those features) is *really* big in kid hands, especially with the Kids Edition case around it, so it's better suited for older children.

The Kids Edition versions are exactly the same as the regular Fire tablets, except they come with a rugged case and a two-year worry-free guarantee, which means Amazon will replace the tablet for free if your kids break it. It also comes with one year of FreeTime Unlimited, offering access to kid-friendly movies, books, games, and apps. It costs $3 per month after the first year.

[**The Fire HD 8 Kids Edition costs $140 at Amazon**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WDDT3G5/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"}

### Avoid the Fire 7
The Fire 7 is Amazon’s cheapest tablet, with a tantalizingly low price. But if you're making more demands on your Fire tablet than a 3-year-old who loves [*Carl the Super Truck*](https://www.amazon.com/Super-Truck-Carl-the-Transformer/dp/B07QJTGMRS?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"}, you should probably cough up a little extra and buy an HD 8. Like we said in our [Fire 7 review](https://www.wired.com/2017/10/review-amazon-fire-7-2017/), the 7-inch screen will feel somewhat cramped and its screen resolution is noticeably pixelated. You won’t love the mono speaker, which is easily blocked by a single finger. Its battery also lags behind the other two tablets, and the 8-gigabytes of internal storage is pitifully small, mandating a [MicroSD card](https://www.amazon.com/Sandisk-Ultra-Micro-UHS-I-Adapter/dp/B073JYVKNX/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"} from the get-go.

### Amazon Sells Older Fire Tablets. Don’t Buy Them
Only buy one of the "9th Generation" or "10th Generation" Fire tablets. We suggest sticking to the tablets we talk about in this article ([also listed here](https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Fire-Tablet-Family/b/?node=6669703011)).

If you're on a tight budget, the 2017 Fire HD 10 is often available refurbished for considerably less than the new one. The downside with it and other, older model Fire tablets is that they may not get software updates for a long as the current generation will. You'll also miss out on the faster processor and more RAM in the newer model (and the USB-C).

It’s a pain, but if you're buying an old device you should also cross reference the latest update available for the tablet you’re going to buy ([find it on this sheet](https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200529680) rel="nofollow"}) with the [latest version of Fire OS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_OS) to see how up-to-date your software will be.

### What’s WIRED About All Fire Tablets
**A Faucet for Amazon Content:** If you subscribe to Amazon’s Prime service, you can consume all the included movies, music, TV, and books while also shopping for all the items you can get with its free two-day shipping or browsing your free Amazon photo storage. You can do most of the same things from an Android tablet or iPad, but the Fire OS interface is crafted specifically to deliver Amazon goods, with swipeable pages for each type of media Amazon sells.

**Built ‘Good Enough’:** Physically, Amazon’s Fire tablets are made of cheap-ish plastic, but they’re designed with enough care that the build quality won’t bother you too much. The Kids Editions are also some of the best-quality tablets for kids, encased in a rugged bumper, and all have MicroSD slots so you can add extra storage. (We recommend this [128 GB MicroSD card](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073JYC4XM/?tag=w050b-20) rel="nofollow"}.)

**Cheap:** Did we mention the price? They all cost $150 or less, which is a price that would have legitimately shocked you a few years ago. They offer high value for the price. You can also get them with Amazon lock-screen ads, which will lower your price by $15.

### What’s TIRED About All Fire Tablets
**Non-Amazon Content is Lacking:** The greatest strength of these tablets is also their greatest weakness. If you aren’t an Amazon Prime subscriber and don't plan to get your video, audio, or books from Amazon, the Fire tablet line is far less compelling. They do have Alexa, so that could be a plus, but again, that’s tied deeply into Amazon’s content library.

You can download third-party apps like Netflix on Amazon’s Appstore, but the selection is *far* more limited than the apps available on [Apple's iPad](https://www.wired.com/2017/05/review-apple-ipad-2017/) or the Google Play Store on standard Android tablets. Tech-savvy users have found ways to add the Google Play Store or sideload apps, but these devices are built to serve up Amazon's library first and foremost.

**Old Tech:** The tech inside these tablets is old. They all run on processors that would have impressed 4\+ years ago but show their age today with small fits of lag and a general lack of power. Since many of the apps are built with weak processing power in mind, you don’t notice it too much. The operating system is also dated (depending on which Fire tablet you're buying), which could hide some of the weaknesses. Amazon’s latest Fire OS is a modified version of Android 9 Pie, which came out in 2018. Amazon keeps updating its tablets to some degree, but not nearly as often as it should.

**Short Warranties:** Only the Fire HD 10 comes with a full one-year warranty. Oddly, the smaller devices come with 90-day warranties.

**Special Offers:** In the last year, Amazon's Special Offers ads have gotten more overt. We recommend you pay the extra $15 to buy a Fire tablet without them.

***
### More Great WIRED Stories
- How masks went from [don’t-wear to must-have](https://www.wired.com/story/how-masks-went-from-dont-wear-to-must-have/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories_Sections_1&itm_content=footer-recirc)
- Poker and the [psychology of uncertainty](https://www.wired.com/story/poker-psychology-uncertainty/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories_Sections_1&itm_content=footer-recirc)
- An infrastructure arms race is [fueling the future of gaming](https://www.wired.com/story/cloud-gaming-infrastructure-arms-race/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories_Sections_1&itm_content=footer-recirc)
- How to get Safari's privacy features [in Chrome and Firefox](https://www.wired.com/story/get-safari-new-privacy-features-chrome-firefox/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories_Sections_1&itm_content=footer-recirc)
- Everything you need to [work from home like a pro](https://www.wired.com/story/work-from-home-home-office-gear-guide/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories_Sections_1&itm_content=footer-recirc)
- 👁 The therapist is in—[and it's a chatbot app](https://www.wired.com/story/therapist-in-chatbot-app/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories_Sections_1&itm_content=footer-recirc). Plus: [Get the latest AI news](https://www.wired.com/category/business/artificial-intelligence/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories_Sections_1&itm_content=footer-recirc)
- 🏃🏽‍♀️ Want the best tools to get healthy? Check out our Gear team’s picks for the [best fitness trackers](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-fitness-tracker/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories&itm_content=footer-recirc), [running gear](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-running-gear/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories&itm_content=footer-recirc) (including [shoes](https://wired.com/gallery/best-trail-running-shoes-round-up/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories&itm_content=footer-recirc) and [socks](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-running-socks/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories&itm_content=footer-recirc)), and [best headphones](https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-headphones-under-100/?itm_campaign=BottomRelatedStories&itm_content=footer-recirc)
## Barefoot Shoes	Buying Guide   12/02/2020       *Mar 2021*
    - amazon brands
    - waterproof zeros
    - vivobarefoot loungers

Addis is Vivobarefoot's take on a barefoot casual or perhaps even dress shoe. It's leather, sourced from independent Ethiopian cattle farmers (hence the name). It's also one of the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. If you're looking for a barefoot shoe for around town, this is one of the best looking barefoot shoes you'll find. The leather is soft and I had no issues with chaffing. I also, surprisingly, did not mind wearing these barefoot. Unlike what I expected, my feet did not get sweaty in the leather. That said, these are definitely the warmest of the shoes on this page, so keep that in mind if you live in a hot climate.

These definitely run wide, especially in the toe box, so if you can try these on in person before you buy. 

## Kids Learning/Playing Tools	  09/05/2020       *Mar 2021*
    - More outdoor homeschooling
## Portable Grills               09/12/2020       *Mar 2021*
### Primus Kamoto

This is my new go-to charcoal grill for quick trips. I still love the Weber above, but the Kamoto has the edge when it comes to portability. It collapses down to store flat, about 15 inches by 20 inches for the large version which is what I tested. Once extended it's big enough to handle 16-inch long logs (or charcoal) with 255 inches of cooking surface, which is enough to handle burgers and veggies for our family of five. After you're done cooking the Kamoto can double as a fire pit, handy for campsites where ground fires aren't allowed (e.g. the beach). 

While the portability and extra trunk space the compact design affords is nice, I am not crazy about the gilling surface itself, which consists of a thin metal grid. I find heavily marinated meats stick a bit more than they do with wider, thicker grill grates. On the plus side your asparagus won't drop through into the coals. My other concern is that relatively thin metal may warp with head over time. Since this grill folds up, that could render it unusable. To be fair, I've been using it regularly (about once a week) for about six months now, and it still collapses nicely, though one side has begun to bow out slightly.

### Weber

The Weber traveler's sturdy design and easy collapsing and extending system trump our previous pick in this category, the Coleman Road Trip. The Coleman had a nasty habit of pinching my fingers if I wasn't careful collapsing it, but that doesn't happen with the Weber because the release mechanism is nowhere near the actual hinge. The Traveler also offers a little more grilling space and is easier to transport thanks to sturdier wheels.

Like the Q above, the Traveler uses a single burner that wraps around the entire bottom of the grill. That's covered by a two piece cast iron grill grate that's solid where it runs over the burner, which acts as a heat diffuser and keeps the burner from getting covered in grease. Speaking of grease, there's a slide out grease trap that easy to empty. There's a built in thermometer that's reasonably accurate, but I still suggest getting a separate, more accurate probe like the Weber Connect Smart Hub ([Amazon, $92](https://www.amazon.com/Weber-3201-Connect-Smart-Grilling/dp/B07YFDMSC5/) rel=nofollow}).

No matter how you measure it the Traveler's 13,000 BTU burner gets plenty hot and really shines when searing. The 320 square inch grilling surface is big enough to grill for crowd.

The only real knock against the Weber is that it is big. It'll fit in the trunk of most cars, but it definitely takes up a considerably amount of space.


## Camping Stoves                09/15/2020       *Mar 2021*
    - update links
## Kids Education Games          03/25/2020       *Apr 2021*
    - Sleeping Queens
## Kids Learning/Playing         04/04/2020       *Apr 2021
    - @call in
## VPNs                          01/20/2021       *Apr 2021*
### Best For High Risk Use Cases

**[Tor](https://torproject.org/)**

If you're in a situation where personal security is of the utmost importance, whether due to domestic violence, government surveillance, or any situation in which you believe your life might be in danger, do not rely on a VPN. Use Tor instead. 

Using the Tor network accomplishes some of the same things as a VPN, but is a little bit different. Tor provides anonymity, meaning no one can figure out who you are, but not necessarily privacy (meaning they might still be able to see what you're doing. VPNs provide roughly the opposite, privacy, but not anonymity because the VPN provider knows who you are. 

Tor is simple to setup, all you need to do is [download the Tor browser](https://torproject.org//download/), and then it will connect you to the web. Once you're connect to the Tor network you can browse the web as you normally would. Except everything will be slower. When using Tor your request for a website first hops around the Tor network, bouncing between servers, before it emerges and connects to the actual site you want to visit. This makes Tor slow, sometimes incredibly slow, but it's necessary to protect your anonymity. And yes, you can combine a VPN with Tor, though that's somewhat beyond the scope of this guide.

[Tor is free](https://torproject.org/).




NordVPN is based out of Panama, which not part of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, or 14 Eyes jurisdictions. That doesn't mean your government can't spy on you, but it does at least mean it will have to put in some extra legwork to do it (and yes, that's about where we are these days). NordVPN has been audited a number of times, most recently in June of this year, when VerSprite, a [third-party auditor](https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/06/23/2251681/0/en/NordVPN-completes-advanced-application-security-audit.html) found nothing amiss.

I've never had an issue with speed using NordVPN, and the user interface of its apps is dead simple. Just click the country you want to use and the app will take care of connecting and configuring everything for you. If you want manual control you can connect by using NordVPN's configuration files. 



I won't lie, I am a huge fan of Fujifilm Instax printers. I like the Instax cameras too, but a lot of the time I don't want to carry something extra around. I prefer to shoot with my phone or mirrorless camera, and then print those images on an Instax printer.

As much as I love Instax prints, the original format is rather small at 1.8 inches by 2.4 inches. That's no Polaroid. The square Instax format film is moderately larger (2.4 inches square), but until now if you wanted to make Fujifilm's largest format Instax prints (3.9 in by 2.4 in) you had to buy a camera.

The new Fujifilm Instax Link Wide smartphone printer changes that, bringing the company's biggest instant film to a standalone printer. 

### Instax For the People

My first Instax printer was a frivolous purchase that has turned into a integral part of how I interact with people when I travel, as well as sparked an interest in photography in my kids. 

They're not perfect, but there is something about the magic of an instant print that transcends its limitations. No they aren't gallery worthy prints, but they sure are fun.

I still bring my SP-1 printer with me every time I travel. The prints are a nice small gift for people you meet when traveling. It's also a good ice breaker. I love photographing strangers, but I'm not an outgoing person so asking someone to take their portrait is sometimes tough for me, especially in today's world when everyone assumes you're going to put your image of them on Instagram. When you tell them you're not interested in social media, and then you offer them a print of the image right then and there, you have an entirely different conversation with that person. 

Even if you have no desire to travel or photograph strangers, I believe there's something about physical prints that makes a greater connection between view and image. You don't just scroll on by to see the next image. Trust me, make prints, you'll thank yourself down the road.

This is part of why I like the new Instax Link Wide printer so much—it's the same great Instax prints, but bigger. The 3.9 inch by 2.4 inch prints are landscape oriented, which is too say the large edge of the white border is at the bottom of the long edge (though there's nothing stopping you from printing a portrait-oriented image if you like). 

Other than the size, the Instax Link Wide printer is much like Fujifilm's Mini Link. It's a relatively nondescript gray box, about the size of three CD cases stacked up. If you're under 30, it's 5.25 inches by 4.75 inches and an inch thick. There's a single button on top to turn it on and print the last image again. On the back you'll find a USB-A port for charging (USB-C would've been nice). You load the film into the bottom, close it up, and interact with it entirely through the app, which connects to the printer via Bluetooth. 

### The Instax Wide App

The new Instax Link Wide app for iOS and Android is really the heart of the Instax Wide printer. Fujifilm apps are a mixed bag, but lately the Instax efforts has been improving. The new Wide app is very similar in functionality to the mini Link app that goes with the company's latest mini printer, the layout however is totally different, and in my opinion, much cleaner and easier to navigate.

There are three printing options beyond what what the app calls "Simple Print", which just prints any photo you grab from another source. That source can be any other app you share from or your camera roll on your device. I did have one issue with a heavy green color cast when sharing an image directly from the Nextcloud app to the Instax Wide app. Downloading the same image to my phone and importing it from the camera roll solved the problem (I should also note that this bug came up in a pre-release beta version of the Instax Wide app).

The other three options are similar to what's in the Instax Mini Link app. The first is a way to tile images for side-by-side collage prints (Instax Wide prints are large enough to print two Instax Mini prints side-by-side). Collage option range from side by side splits to 4, 5, 6, even 12 images to a single print. As you'd expect, images are pretty tiny trying to tile 12 images onto a 3.9 x 2.4 inch print. In fact, while I tested all of them, the only one I imagine actually using is the vertical side-by-side portraits, but that could just be me.

There are also dozens of pre-made, customizable templates if you'd like to add text in a heart or a sidebar. A few of the templates use multiple images per print as well. 

The last option is the most creative, what Fujifilm calls "Sketch, edit and print," which allows you to photograph drawing and then use the negative space to let your images show through.

There aren't many settings to speak of though one I suggest playing with the is the Print Mode Options. By default mine was set to Instax Rich Mode, which I felt over-saturated the colors a bit much for my tastes. I preferred the results in Instax Natural Mode, though this is a matter of taste.

Once you have the image(s) you want selected you get to the editing screen where you can edit the image, adjust contrast, brightness, and saturation, apply filters, crop and rotate, add emoji "stickers", or add a QR code (which can link to URL, contain a hidden message, sound, or location). Use the QR code to embed a URL to your website and you have a fun, impromptu business card, or an easy way to send people to larger versions of your image.

While there are quite a few ways you could use the Link Wide, in the end it's main goal is fun. It's not for museum quality prints. It's a printer for people who want photographs to be actual artifacts that exist in the real world.



## How to Resell an iPhone	      10/25/2020       *Apr 2021*
    - Gazelle stopped. Or someone
## How to Buy Used on eBay       01/28/2021       *Feb 2022*

The post-holiday season is a great time to buy used electronics. Everyone has pulled the wrapping off the latest model and they're ready to get rid of the older one. Whether you want to save things from the landfill or just want to score a deal, buying used is a great alternative.

There are deals to be found in the used market, but unfortunately, there are plenty of scams as well. Telling the difference can be difficult. We've put together this guide to help you navigate the sometimes confusing waters of buying used electronics on eBay.

If you're feeling hesitant about buying used, that's OK. Don't rush in blindly and buy the first thing that seems like a deal. It's good to do some research. And remember the old adage: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Still, if your budget is tight and you want the biggest bang for your buck, buying used is the way to go. Here's how to navigate it and, hopefully, come out ahead.

*Updated December 2021: We've updated the example product and added some new tips to help you find better deals.*

### Know What You Want and What It's Worth
Making smart decisions on used gear starts with knowing *exactly* what you want, specifically the options available, and how those options affect the price. For example, let's say you want to buy an iPad. One of our favorite iPads is the 2020 iPad Air [(7/10, WIRED Recommends](https://www.wired.com/review/apple-ipad-air-2020/)).

Our first step is to find out how much this iPad costs new. It never ceases to amaze me how often I see used products listed on eBay at *higher prices* than the original price from the manufacturer. For example, someone bought [this](https://www.ebay.com/itm/165230729842?epid=15040889178&hash=item267884da72:g:J6EAAOSwzg1htoWZ) iPad Air off eBay for $100 more than they would have paid buying it directly from Apple. Don't be that person.

It's easy to find out prices on things that are still available, like the 2020 iPad Air, because you can check the current price on Apple.com. If you're looking for something that's no longer available in stores it's a little trickier. More on this in a moment, but for now let's stick with the iPad Air. We're going to go for the base model, which features 64 gigabytes of storage space and connects via Wifi. Right now at Apple.com you can buy that for $600. If you want more memory or cellular connectivity, the price goes up. You need to know all the prices for all the models you're interested in so you can make an educated purchase.

The same goes for other types of devices. If you're looking at phones or laptops, know the specs for each configuration and make sure the items listed match what you want. Don't be afraid to message sellers and ask specific questions.

So we've fond the current retail price, but prices fluctuate, and it's nice to know what something has been selling for *lately*, even if it may not be selling for that price right now. A tool we on WIRED's Gear Team use all the time is [CamelCamelCamel](https://camelcamelcamel.com/) rel="nofollow"}, a website that tracks price changes over time. The catch is that CamelCamelCamel only tracks prices on Amazon.com. That's not the entire market, and there may be other websites with deals you won't see looking at CamelCamelCamel's data, but it's a good starting place.

Find the URL of the thing you want to buy on Amazon (don't worry if Amazon doesn't actually have it in stock, all you need is the URL). Now paste the Amazon URL into CamelCamelCamel to learn that, yes, [the iPad Air costs right around $600](https://camelcamelcamel.com/product/B08J6FD94H).

\|\|\|\|\|\| CamelCamelCamel Graph Image \|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|

Look at the graph of the price over time and you'll notice that the price of an iPad Air on Amazon has spent the last few weeks at $580, and before that it spent months being $540. Drag the slider to show just the price change over the last three months and you'll see that (as of December 2021) the price of the iPad Air was actually only $600 for about a week. The other 11 weeks it was between $540-$580. Keep that in mind as we move to the next step.

### Price Checking eBay
Now that you have a list of models, configuration options, and prices from Amazon and Apple, it's time to do the same thing on eBay. There are other auction sites out there, but eBay is the largest and best known. That said, there are some other sites worth exploring, particularly for mobile devices. Be sure to check out our [guide to selling your old phone](https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-trade-in-or-sell-your-iphone/), which has a good overview of different auction sites that specialize in phones. If you're shopping on Amazon, we also have a guide on [How to Shop Safe](https://www.wired.com/story/how-shop-safe-amazon/).

Now that we know what we want, search eBay for the exact model. In this case, I would start by searching for "[iPad Air 2020](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=ipad+air+2020&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_fsrp=1&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc&Storage%2520Capacity=64%2520GB&_dcat=171485)" and restrict it to the 64 gigabyte model using a filter.

+++inset-left

[#image: /photos/5e20cfd24f9afb000997165b]

+++

Now scroll down and check the option to only show "Sold Items". Take the ten most recent sales, add up the price, and divide by ten. That's the average price of your configuration; don't pay more than that under any circumstances. And make sure the result is less than the price of a new iPad Air, and ideally less than the price of those recent sales we saw on CamelCamelCamel.

Be sure to note the lowest price from eBay's recent sales—that's your awesome deal. Finding the lowest price can be tricky. In this case, I would sort the results by price, low to high, and then start adding search operators and get rid of results you don't want. For example, adding "-parts" will get rid of iPad Air parts, and adding "-AS-IS" will get rid of broken iPads. (If you want to hide something from your search, just put the minus sign ("-") in front of the term and eBay will ignore it.)

Our results will then tell us that the average price of a used [2020 64-GB Wi-Fi iPad Air on eBay](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=ipad+air+2020&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_fsrp=1&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc&Storage%2520Capacity=64%2520GB&_dcat=171485) is roughly $540. In other words, on average, eBay is not a great place to buy an iPad Air. That said, there are deals within that range, so you may just have to save your search and wait for the deal you want to pop up. You can save searches by clicking the "save this search" button, and you'll get notifications when new items that meet your search criteria are listed.

\|\|\|\|\|\| Ebay Search Image \|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|

Depending on the item, how old it is, and how sought after it is, you may have to adjust your search a little bit. For example, there's a camp stove I've been wanting for years, but listings only come up once or twice a year and they sell very fast for pretty much whatever the seller asks, which makes my average and lowest formulas less useful. That's an edge case, though. In most situations, this is how I figure out the best deal and what I'm willing to pay.

Okay, so now we know the deal price is around $540 (and that's new from Amazon), and a great deal would be below that. Uncheck the Sold Items option and see what's currently listed that fits your criteria and has a price between the lowest price and that deal price. If the average eBay price *is* a deal then you'd look for anything below that price. Those are the deals worth considering.

Remember to check the shipping price. You'll run into a lot of people who list an item at 20 percent below everyone else, but then charge big money for shipping and the total cost to you ends up being more. Avoid those sellers, they're con artists.

This brings me to the next important point: Price is not the only thing to consider when buying on eBay.

### Know the Seller
We don't just want the lowest price, we want the best quality item at the lowest price. I've found that, unfortunately, photos aren't a good indicator of product quality. I've purchased many items with terrible photos that have turned out to be in excellent shape, and I've purchased things with excellent photos that turned out to be junk. (I returned them.)

A much better metric to judge the quality of an item is the seller's feedback rating. A good seller—who is most likely selling a high-quality item in good condition—will have a feedback rating of 99.8 percent or better. The more I buy the more I tend to stick with 100%. I very rarely buy from a seller with a feedback rating of 99.6 percent or less.

That leaves a gray zone—sellers with a 99.7 percent rating. In those cases, click the "detailed feedback" link and read through the recent feedback. It could be there was only one negative rating and it was several months ago. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, a low rating comes from things that weren't really the seller's fault, like a package being lost in the mail, so it pays to read through actual reviews and see what's up. If the seller has a rating of 99.6 or below, I personally don't care what the price is, I don't bid.

I have purchased dozens of laptops, phones, cameras, camera lenses, cast iron cookware, musical equipment, and even prepaid cell phone plans off auction sites. In all that time, I have only been ripped off once, but even then I ended up getting my money back. I didn't get the item I was after, but I didn't lose anything either.

That said, it probably bears repeating: If a deal sounds too good to be true, it is.

### How to Bid
Once you've found an item you want, and you know how much you want to pay, it's time to ... wait. I strongly suggest you bid only at the last second. And I mean that nearly literally. I only bid when there are about 5 to 10 seconds left. I wait until the auction is ending, then I look it up on my phone, because I think eBay's app has a better interface for actual bidding (it's terrible for browsing), and in those last few seconds I enter the maximum amount I'm willing to pay.

The reason you don't want to bid earlier is it gives your competitor a chance to react. If you go ahead and outbid someone days, or even hours before an auction ends, they're going to come back and outbid you. Often my guess is they will come back and outbid you even if you drove them over their original max bids. You don't want to give other people time to get into the emotional experience of bidding on eBay. Only auctioneers want to whip bidders into auction fever. We want them to never see us coming.

Once it's down to those last 20 or so seconds, then you enter your max bid. At that point, a kind of automated bidding war begins. This one is not emotional though, it's pure machine-based, cold hard logic.

The site takes your max bid and holds it, but all it puts into the actual auction is a bid that's 50 cents more than whatever the current highest bid is. But then that other high bidder may have entered a higher total bid than was shown, so eBay bumps their price up. Then your eBay robot responds, and so on, going back and forth until someone hits their max bid. If it's the other bidder, you win. And because you bid at the last second, the other bidder didn't have time to reconsider and possibly up their max bid.

The downside to this strategy is that if the other bidder has a higher max bid than you, they will win. That's OK because you already submitted your max bid. To go higher would mean you were paying more than you know you should. So this last-minute method also saves you from yourself. And honestly, I always bid this way and rarely end up losing.

### Other Tips
Not everything is quite a simple to figure out as a relatively new iPad. With older electronics you'll want to ask the seller about the current state of the battery, it's not a deal of the battery won't hold a charge and costs a fortune to replace (as most do these days). Laptops and tablets can often tell the exact state of the battery, if you're concerned message the seller. Sometimes the better deal is the slightly more expensive item that has a full capacity battery.

Just about every device has some quirk you want to watch out for and it pays to do your research ahead of time. For example, digital cameras are rated for a certain number of shutter attenuations before the shutter mechanism will need to be replaced. Look up what the camera you're interested in is rated for and then look at shutter count when consider eBay listings for that camera. Similarly camera lens can get fungus in them, and the shutter blades can be oily, be sure to ask the seller about these things before you buy.

I rarely buy things using the Buy It Now button (which means there's a fixed price, no bidding). Typically people who sell this way are resellers (they have a large stock of the item and sell it all the time), and while they may offer an OK deal, it's typically not a great one. That said, I've found eBay to be a good way around supply chain shortages lately. I can often find things on eBay that are sold out on Amazon and elsewhere. These aren't usually deals, but hey, at least you can actually buy the item. 

The last bit of advice I have about avoiding being scammed is don't pay with anything other than PayPal. I don't necessarily mean you have to use a PayPal account, but make sure the transaction is processed through PayPal. If someone wants a money order or check, that's a scam. I also avoid local pickup items in most cases. (Vehicles and appliances are the only things I'd consider for local pickup.)

Perhaps the best advice I can give is the most difficult to follow: Try to remove your emotions from the equation. When buying used, think of your heart and brain as the two voices whispering in your ears. Your heart may be set on a new (to you) laptop, but your brain is better at sniffing out scams, won't get sucked into auction fever, and it's what you should listen to when you find yourself thinking, *that's almost too good to be true*.
## Best Kids Podcasts            03/01/2020       *Oct 2021*
    - New https://likeyoupodcast.com/podcast/29-growing-like-wildflowers/


    ### Live from Mount Olympus
[**Apple**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-from-mount-olympus/id1547669099) rel="nofollow"}, [**Google**](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRwcm94eS5nb29nbGUuY29tL0xpdmVGcm9tTW91bnRPbHltcHVz) rel="nofollow"}, [**Stitcher**](https://www.stitcher.com/show/live-from-mount-olympus) rel="nofollow"}

My kids are working their way through the [Percy Jackson book series](https://www.amazon.com/Jackson-Olympians-Paperback-covers-poster/dp/1484707230/) rel=nofollow} and can't get enough of all things Olympian, so this new podcast was an instant hit. It follows the adventures of a young Perseus who is on a quest to save his mother from an evil king. *Live From Mount Olympus* mostly sticks to the Greek stories as you may remember them, though there are some additional characters. New episode arrive every Monday.

## Best Password Managers        03/02/2021       *Oct 2021* 

Password managers are the vegetables of the internet. We know they're good for us, but most of us are happier snacking on the [password equivalent of junk food](https://www.wired.com/story/7-steps-to-password-perfection/). For seven years running that's been "123456" and "password"—the two [most commonly used passwords](https://www.wired.com/2016/01/worst-passwords-list/) on the web. The problem is, most of us don't know what makes a good password and aren't able to remember hundreds of them anyway.

Now that so many people are working from home, outside the office intranet, the number of passwords you need may have significantly increased. The safest (if craziest) way to store them is to memorize them all. (Make sure they are long, strong, and [secure](https://www.wired.com/2016/05/password-tips-experts/)\!) Just kidding. That might work for [Memory Grand Master Ed Cooke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Cooke_\(author\)), but most of us are not capable of such fantastic feats. We need to offload that work to password managers, which offer secure vaults that can stand in for our faulty, overworked memories.

A password manager offers convenience and, more importantly, helps you create better passwords, which makes your online existence less vulnerable to password-based attacks. Be sure to also have a look at [our guide to VPN providers](https://www.wired.com/story/best-vpn/) for some more ideas on how you can upgrade your security, as well as [our guide to backing up your data](https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-back-up-your-digital-life/) to make sure you don't lose anything if the unexpected happens.

*Updated November 2021: We've updated our top pick to note 1Password's new desktop app, and added some notes about Apple's built-in password manager, iCloud Keychain.*

*Special offer for Gear readers: Get a* [***1-Year Subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off)***](https://subscribe.wired.com/subscribe/splits/wired/WIR_AFFILIATE?source=HCL_WIR_EDIT_HARDCODED_0_COMMERCE_AFFILIATE_ZZ)*. This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.*

> *If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism.* [*Learn more*](https://www.wired.com/2015/11/affiliate-link-policy/)*.* 

### Why Not Use Your Browser?
Most web browsers offer at least a rudimentary password manager. (This is where your passwords are stored when Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox ask if you'd like to save a password.) This is better than reusing the same password everywhere, but [browser-based password managers are limited](https://www.wired.com/2016/08/browser-password-manager-probably-isnt-enough/).

The reason security experts recommend you use a dedicated password manager comes down to focus. Web browsers have other priorities that haven't left much time for improving their password manager. For instance, most of them won't generate strong passwords for you, leaving you right back at "123456." Dedicated password managers have a singular goal and have been adding helpful features for years now. Ideally, this leads to better security.

WIRED readers have also written me asking about Apple's macOS password manager, which syncs through iCloud, and has some nice integrations with Apple's Safari web browser. There's nothing wrong with Apple's system, in fact I have used Keychain Access on macOS in the past and it works great. It doesn't have some of the nice extras you get with a dedicated services—like being notified about security breaches—but it handles securing your passwords and syncing them between Apple devices. The main problem is that if you have any non-Apple devices, you won't be able to sync your passwords to them since Apple doesn't make apps for other platforms. If you're all-in on Apple though, this is a viable, free, built-in option worth considering.

### How We Test
The best and most secure cryptographic algorithms are all available via open source programming libraries. On one hand, this is great, as any app can incorporate these ciphers and keep your data safe. Unfortunately, any encryption is only as strong as its weakest link, and cryptography alone won't keep your passwords safe.

This is what I test for: What are the weakest links? Is your master password sent to the server? Every password manager *says* it isn't, but if you watch network traffic while you enter a password, sometimes you find, well, it is. I also dig into how mobile apps work: Do they, for example, leave your password store unlocked, but require a pin to get back in? That's convenient, but it sacrifices too much security for that convenience.

No password manager is perfect, but the managers reviewed below represent to very best I've tested. They're as secure as they can be while still remaining convenient and easy to use.

### Best Overall
[**1Password**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/372k3dFnGHfzkpwb6SnE6HRadtCvNiKgfM7MHmiFpZ3NF99n1Z9r2Cp5Jn83YvfHER5dxUGH5gzqLFVU2?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}



[#image: /photos/5ce876e11dc26e34f63b885c]

What sets 1Password apart from the rest of the options in this list is the number of extras it offers.

It's not the cheapest (see our next pick for that), but in addition to managing passwords, it will alert you when a password is weak or has been compromised (by checking against Troy Hunt's excellent [Have I Been Pwned](https://haveibeenpwned.com/passwords) database).

Like other password managers, 1Password has apps that work just about everywhere, including macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and ChromeOS. There's even a command-line tool that will work anywhere, and the company recently launched a [client for Linux](https://support.1password.com/install-linux/) in beta. There are plug-ins for your favorite web browser too, which makes it easy to generate and edit new passwords on the fly.

1Password recently announced a new version of its apps, 1Password 8. I've had a mixed experience with them. On one hand it finally works with Windows on Arm. However, on macOS Monterey I've had problems with autofill not working, keyboard shortcuts stopping until I relaunch the browser, and other bugs. The issues so far are not enough to make me change our top pick, but it's definitely something I am keeping an eye on. The company also recently reduced the free-trial period from 30 days to 14 days.

If you frequently travel across national borders you'll appreciate my favorite 1Password feature, [Travel Mode](https://www.wired.com/2017/05/clever-new-way-protect-data-border-also-add-risk/). Travel Mode allows you to delete any sensitive data from your devices before you travel and then restore it with a click after you've crossed a border. This prevents anyone, even law enforcement at international borders, from accessing your complete password vault.

In addition to being a password manager, 1Password can [act as an authentication app](https://www.wired.com/story/two-factor-authentication-apps-authy-google-authenticator/) like Google Authenticator, and for added security, it creates a secret key to the encryption key it uses, meaning no one can decrypt your passwords without that key. (The downside is that if you lose this key, no one, not even 1Password, can decrypt your passwords.)

1Password also offers tight integration with other mobile apps. Rather than needing to copy and paste passwords from your password manager to other apps (which puts your password on the clipboard in plain text at least for a moment), 1Password is integrated with many apps and can autofill. This is more noticeable on iOS, where inter-app communication is more restricted.

[**1Password costs $3 per month ($36 per year, $60 a year for families). There is a 30-day free trial**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/372k3dFnGHfzkpwb6SnE6HRadtCvNiKgfM7MHmiFpZ3NF99n1Z9r2Cp5Jn83YvfHER5dxUGH5gzqLFVU2?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}

*After signing up,* [*download the app*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/XG6wkdXU37uC7ABZ2sjkLNhMwueSFhAxMcHPjNp4Hkc1ZnuyXpQoLdetngNfgnWoMiH3qt4rZr9iKWdtwrWzno9i6Hr6Bp?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"} *for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, ChromeOS, or Linux. There are also browser extensions for* [*Firefox, Chrome, and Edge*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/2hc5hQAHwfj8VPYK7Qk9GwUbxRSgyWyQM4qy5vcfKEJkBx5RHvRYJwAv1AB7qCyoKZbCumnhQv7C4WbVsiGLQZ8jDKvt8bq3nazqW1pqkti?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}*.*

### Best Free Option
[**Bitwarden**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/3rJ1H6FZDz2voPY9rdAqz1br3yQqU6gMPESK8Gh3g1YJpLYQ32gVuX32HuYQb12T25erCe?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}



[#image: /photos/5d8a8098e0e34e00092662eb]

Bitwarden is secure, open source, and free with no limits. The applications are polished and user-friendly, making it the best choice for anyone who doesn't need the extra features of 1Password.

Did I mention it's open source? That means the code that powers Bitwarden is freely available for anyone to inspect, seek out flaws, and fix. In theory, the more eyes on the code, the more airtight it becomes. Bitwarden has also been [audited for 2020 by a third party](https://bitwarden.com/blog/post/bitwarden-network-security-assessment-2020/) to ensure it's secure. It can be installed on your own server for easy self-hosting if you prefer to run your own cloud.

There are apps for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as extensions for all major web browsers. Bitwarden also has support for Windows Hello and Touch ID on its desktop apps for Windows and macOS, giving you the added security of those biometric systems.

Another thing I like is BitWarden's semiautomated password fill-in tool. If you visit a site that you've saved credentials for, Bitwarden's browser icon shows the number of saved credentials from that site. Click the icon and it will ask which account you want to use and then automatically fills in the login form. This makes it easy to switch between usernames and avoids the pitfalls of autofill we mention at the bottom of this guide. If you simply must have your fully automated form-filling, Bitwarden supports that as well.

Bitwarden offers a paid upgrade account. The cheapest of the bunch, Bitwarden Premium, is $10 per year. That gets you 1 GB of encrypted file storage, two-factor authentication with devices like [YubiKey](https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-a-yubikey/), FIDO U2F, Duo, and a password hygiene and vault health report. Paying also gets you priority customer support.

[**Bitwarden is free ($40 per year for families)**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/5dDTGqLnfGoTeXJ3EncTtjGe5rDnTF2QYh9XwwiRQSKnHfJ8gT8pwbG5NFMyFgN14QFnyEFEyfJSgm4KbJDRZQ3AA?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}

*After signing up,* [*download the app*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/AHcgzb2EnUb7vSbwV2ncnKVVTo1caqPU4Fm2Z2M6QtRSmQyjfSw431jURBh8rW42dQK1TZuJXPRBxPZxYn?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"} *for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, or Linux. There are also browser extensions for* [*Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Edge, Vivaldi, and Brave*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/372k3dFnGHfzkpwb6SnE6HRadtCvNiKgfM7MHmiFpZ3NF99n1ZA5K8R87qeBqppMm3ZdMX7Quehpo5fHD?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}*.*

### Best Full-Featured Manager
[**Dashlane**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/372k3dFnGHfzkpwb6SnE6HRadtCvNiKgfM7MHmiFpZ3NF99n1ZAB2Zwm5FhEvY22g7V2nZGX3jb6yeuvz?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}



[#image: /photos/5e3335a856bcac00087f0a24]

I first encountered Dashlane several years ago. Back then, it was the same as its competitors, with no standout attributes. But recent updates have added several helpful features. One of the best is Site Breach Alerts. Dashlane actively monitors the darker corners of the web, looking for leaked or stolen personal data, and then alerts you if your information has been compromised.

We also like the option not to store any password data on Dashlane's servers. If you use this feature, you are responsible for managing and syncing your password vault between devices. It's less convenient, but your passwords stay with you. 

Setup and migration from another password manager is simple, and you'll use a secret key to encrypt your passwords, much like 1Password's setup process.

Dashlane discontinued its desktop app earlier this year, moving to a web-based user interface. The desktop apps will shutdown officially on January 10, 2022. I primarily use passwords in the web browser anyway, and Dashlane has add-ons for all the major browsers, along with iOS and Android apps so the lack of desktop app doesn't bother me, but it's something to be aware of if that's important to you.

Dashlane Premium costs $6.49 per month ($60 per year). Dashlane offers a 30-day free trial, so you can test it out before committing.

[**Dashlane Premium (recommended) costs $6.49 per month ($60 per year)**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/372k3dFnGHfzkpwb6SnE6HRadtCvNiKgfM7MHmiFpZ3NF99n1ZAB2Zwm5FhEvY22g7V2nZGX3jb6yeuvz?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}

*After signing up,* [*download the app*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/47v5BiBrmU3MqVi7x5MscyU8oZ3ZnDjPNaYKkCo2P41BhJX6iH7immkX31knUJnZUwkpSVDdtwhwfhsrPnw6b?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"} *for Android and iOS, and grab the browser extensions for* [*Firefox, Chrome, and Edge*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/47v5BiBrmU3MqVi7x5MscyU8oZ3ZnDjPNaYKkCo2P41BhJX6iH7immkX31knUJnZUwkpSVDdtwhwfhsrPnw6b?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}*.*

### Best DIY Option (Self-Hosted)
[**KeePassXC**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/AHcgzb2EnUb7vSbwV2ncnKVVTo1caqPU4Fm2Z2M6QtRSmQyjfSwEoF38XjJZT6Sb4xxTLjH34viYhVcJZL?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}


[#image: /photos/5ce8771de2751d04edfcf520]

Want to retain more control over your data in the cloud? Try using a desktop application like KeePassXC. It stores encrypted versions of all your passwords into an encrypted digital vault that keeps you secure with a master password, a key file, or both. The difference is that instead of a hosted service like 1Password syncing it for you, you sync that database file yourself using a file-syncing service like [Dropbox](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/xXAuEUCDojGd34tPPCGJeLmrFXqVdbmHQjFEPQC8Jppux2TMcwf2EMdcwh7JsWtnAwKKfqPc?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"} or Edward Snowden's [recommended service](https://techcrunch.com/2014/10/11/edward-snowden-new-yorker-festival/), [SpiderOak](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/3rJ1H6FZDz2voPY9rdAqz1br3yQqU6gMPESK8Gh3g1YJpLYQ32gcAatwFtTqoXMahqQSyc?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}. Once your file is in the cloud, you can access it on any device that has a KeePassXC client.

Why do it yourself? In a word: Transparency. Like Bitwarden, KeepassXC is open source, which means its code can be and has been inspected for critical flaws.

[**KeePassXC is free to use**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/AHcgzb2EnUb7vSbwV2ncnKVVTo1caqPU4Fm2Z2M6QtRSmQyjfSwEoF38XjJZT6Sb4xxTLjH34viYhVcJZL?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}

*Download the* [*desktop app*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/AHcgzb2EnUb7vSbwV2ncnKVVTo1caqPU4Fm2Z2M6QtRSmQyjfSwEoF38XjJZT6Sb4xxTLjH34viYhVcJZL?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"} *for Windows, macOS, or Linux and create your vault. There are also extensions for* [*Firefox*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/vk6RbnasmJnwmwREFiTMkCu8HunQQyPN8wR3hpkjhVcUru3ZiWPkWTF5Jgy6X5BmP18GLV385vQzJ19LXgQp9kWZJZYpjnCx93NJStqkJYAgsrZgj8Dzgd8FDXw6MDDQ?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}*,* [*Edge*](https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/keepassxcbrowser/pdffhmdngciaglkoonimfcmckehcpafo)*, and* [*Chrome*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/Z4VF5z94P8qadMWVCUZHGxJqrF9QRwZQM4o9ca14WyT123UqAuA6MEQiTHK1QWUtVuKVm3tC5eDbPRTcsSBKgGXejAFWkiqfbiptJoLQGP4SctVJga9NV5CJXwmK1ks2ZrfhE9u2P7dVwpGV7G4vvdZDKJgtnvo2jZAq8?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}*. It does not have official apps for your phone. Instead, the project recommends* [*KeePass2Android*](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=keepass2android.keepass2android) rel="nofollow"} *or* [*Strongbox for iPhone*](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/strongbox-password-safe/id897283731) rel="nofollow"}*.*

### Another Option
[**NordPass**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/eT4EcdNoScKzBYXZ62KoSxvi16QDV2DKdaNn9YH1gYZaqP4rrKUwaSxXbiXNkM1DX6ei?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}

[#image: /photos/5e3335ca348ef000086b5d62]

NordPass is a relatively new kid on the password manager block, but it comes from a company with significant pedigree. NordVPN is a [well-known VPN provider](https://www.wired.com/story/best-vpn/), and the company brings to its password manager much of the ease of use and simplicity that made its VPN offering popular. The installation and setup process is a breeze. There are apps for every major platform (including Linux), browser, and device.

The free version of NordPass is limited to one device; there's no syncing available. There is a seven-day free trial of the premium version, which lets you test device syncing. But to get that for good, you'll have to upgrade to the $36-a-year plan. (Like its VPN service, NordPass accepts payment in cryptocurrencies.)

Like our other favorites, NordPass uses a zero-knowledge setup in which all data is encrypted on your device before it's uploaded to the company's servers. Other nice features include support for two-factor authentication to sign in to your account and a built-in password generator (which has plenty of options to handle those poorly designed sites that put weird requirements on your password).

The company also recently introduced a personal information storage feature to keep your address, phone number, and other personal data safe and secure, but easy to access as well.

[**NordPass is free, though we suggest upgrading to a premium plan ($36/year)**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/eT4EcdNoScKzBYXZ62KoSxvi16QDV2DKdaNn9YH1gYZaqP4rrKUwaSxXbiXNkM1DX6ei?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}

*After signing up,* [*download the app*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/372k3dFnGHfzkpwb6SnE6HRadtCvNiKgfM7MHmiFpZ3NF99n1ZA8aQ78RJZABBJar2au9wBeYPgiqVGQW?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"} *for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, or Linux. There are also browser extensions for* [*Firefox, Chrome, and Edge*](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/372k3dFnGHfzkpwb6SnE6HRadtCvNiKgfM7MHmiFpZ3NF99n1ZA8aQ78RJZABBJar2au9wBeYPgiqVGQW?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}*.*

### Honorary Mentions


[#image: /photos/5ce87750b2569847a06b2c11]

Password managers are not a one-size-fits-all solution. While we think our top picks cover most use cases and are the best choices for most people, your needs may be different. Fortunately, there are plenty of very good password managers. Here are some more we've tested and liked.

- [**RememBear ($36 per year)**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/KecyowosjiXJRznZsXrvPhHfRSimfU5mMeARLpVJAbmZBHPYNuqMzM837sVudRAR4q2x1MAeDEv?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}**:** RememBear does everything you'd expect of a password manager, and it has bears\! Password managers are possibly the most boring software on your device, plus just the idea of them is stressful to some people. RememBear counters this by entertaining with bear puns and smoothing out anxiety with its friendly, lovable bear mascot. For beginners, RememBear has everything you need and a clever, approachable user interface. It's missing some features that advanced users might want, like a robust password strength checker. There's a free trial that will let you test the app, but the free plan doesn't sync. A premium account is $36 per year and includes syncing with end-to-end encryption, secure backups, and priority customer service. Sadly, you don't get an actual bear.
- [**Enpass (free, $24 per year, or one-time $80, for premium)**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/3rJ1H6FZDz2voPY9rdAqz1br3yQqU6gMPESK8Gh3g1YJpLYQ32gdeTrcBNw7ZtznygMZwc?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}**:** Like KeePassXC, Enpass does not store any data on its servers. Syncing is handled through third-party services like Dropbox or NextCloud. Enpass doesn't do the syncing, but it does offer apps on every platform. That means once you have syncing set up, it works just like any other service. And you don't have to worry about Enpass being hacked, because your data isn't on its servers. If you're comfortable setting up the secure syncing yourself, Enpass makes a great password manager.
- [**Keeper Password Manager (free, $35 per year for Unlimited)**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/AHcgzb2EnUb7vSbwV2ncnKVVTo1caqPU4Fm2Z2M6QtRSmQyjfSwVFvQhZ4M4PTx5bJSXULeX9RZhDBZYfQ?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}**:** Keeper offers a variety of security-related tools, including a password manager. Keeper works much like 1Password and others, storing only your encrypted data, and offers two-factor authentication for logging in to your account. Like Dashlane, Keeper has a lot of extras, including dark-web monitoring, meaning it will check publicly posted data to make sure yours isn't available.
- [**Pass (free)**](https://cna.st/affiliate-link/372k3dFnGHfzkpwb6SnE6HRadtCvNiKgfM7MHmiFpZ3NF99n1ZAB2Zwm5kZauTY6Nkr2rn3zNd4AT4A2z?cid=5ce3031cfd8c3451c5008275) rel="nofollow" isAffiliateLink="true"}**:** Pass is a command line wrapper around GPG, which is to say this is only for the nerdiest of users. It has support for managing encrypted .gpg files in Git, and there are third-party mobile apps available. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's what I use.

### Password Manager Basics
A good password manager stores, generates, and updates passwords for you with the press of a button. If you're willing to spend a few dollars a month, a password manager can sync your passwords across all your devices. Here's how they work.

**Only one password to remember:** To access all your passwords, you only have to remember one password. When you type that into the password manager, it unlocks the vault containing all of your actual passwords. Only needing to remember one password is great, but it means there's a lot riding on that one password. Make sure it's a good one.

If you're having trouble coming up with that one password to rule them all, check out our guide to [better password security](https://www.wired.com/2016/05/password-tips-experts/). You might also consider using the [Diceware](http://world.std.com/~reinhold/diceware.html) method for generating a strong master password.

**Apps and extensions:** Most password managers are full systems rather than a single piece of software. They consist of apps or browser extensions for each of your devices (Windows, Mac, Android phones, iPhone, and tablets), which have tools to help you create secure passwords, safely store them, and evaluate the security of your existing passwords. All that information is then sent to a central server where your passwords are encrypted, stored, and shared between devices.

**Fixing compromised passwords:** While password managers can help you create more secure passwords and keep them safe from prying eyes, they can't protect your password if [the website itself is breached](https://www.wired.com/story/collection-one-breach-email-accounts-passwords/). That doesn't mean they don't help in this scenario though. All the cloud-based password managers we discuss offer tools to alert you to potentially compromised passwords. Password managers also make it easier to quickly change a compromised password and search through your passwords to ensure you didn't reuse any compromised codes.

**You should disable auto form-filling:** Some password managers will automatically fill in and even submit web forms for you. This is super convenient, but for additional security, we suggest you disable this feature. Automatically filling forms in the browser has made password managers [vulnerable to attacks](https://www.wired.com/story/password-manager-autofill-ad-tech-privacy/) in the past. For this reason, our favorite password manager, [1Password](https://1password.com/sign-up/) rel="nofollow"}, requires you to opt in to this feature. We suggest you do not.

**Don't panic about hacks:** Software has bugs, even your password manager. The question is not what do you do *if* it becomes known that your password manager has a flaw, but what do you do *when* it becomes known that your password manager has a flaw. The answer is, first, don't panic. Normally bugs are [found](https://www.wired.com/story/a-password-exposing-bug-was-purged-from-lastpass/), reported, and fixed before they're exploited in the wild. Even if someone does manage to gain access to your password manager's servers, you should still be fine. All of the services we list store only encrypted data and none of them store your encryption key, meaning all an attacker gets from compromising their servers is encrypted data.



## Action Cameras                03/28/2021       *Aug 2021* 
    - occu thing

Oclu's 4K action camera has a very different take on the action camera, eschewing the usual design for a flat body with the primary screen on top of the camera. The result is a camera that can fit places others can't. Think the bottom of a skateboard, or under a motorcycle helmet visor for instance. The Oclu shoots 4K at 30 frames per second or if you want slo-mo footage, 1080p at 120 fps. I found the video and image quality to be on par with what you get from the GoPro Hero 8.

The one place the bigger names pull ahead of the Oclu is in image stabilization. The Oclu does have stabilization, but it doesn't help nearly as much as what you get with the GoPro Hero 9 or Insta360 One R. Sound of the other hand is excellent and I got far less wind noise than with other cameras.

.


    - other one
    - insta360 mini
## Drones	                       01/18/2021       *Jul 2021*
    - bird thing
    - paper airplane
    - amazon crap one

## Hard Drives