Gear News and Events

The latest news and updates on gear, gadgets, and consumer tech. Plus, dispatches from the events that shape your world.

Phase Change

America’s Hot Hybrid Summer

Gas prices are up, and US car dealerships are full of hybrids. Customers are going for it.

Aarian Marshall

Look at Me

Google Turns a Selfie Video Into Your Account’s Spare Key

Reece Rogers

Crystal Clear

My Week of Transparent Living With Apple’s ‘More Clear’ Liquid Glass Setting

Reece Rogers

News and Events

Remember Jibo? Its Successor Is a Wearable That Turns Your Life Into AI Slop

With “blessings” from the original Jibo founders, iKairos is a wearable or desk-mounted “AI journal” that turns your family moments into AI images and video.

Boone Ashworth

Which New Samsung Galaxy Z Foldable Phone Should You Buy?

Samsung’s folding phone family has a new middle child with a fresh form factor, but which of its eighth-gen foldables is right for you?

Simon Hill

Why Samsung Gave Its Next Folding Phone a New Shape

People spend hours watching videos on their smartphones. The wider, shorter, and lighter Galaxy Z Fold8 caters to exactly that.

Julian Chokkattu

Is the All-New Range Rover GT Stepping on Jaguar’s Tail?

It’s “the most car-like Range Rover ever created,” but will this all-electric grand tourer spoil Jaguar’s Type 01 party?

Jeremy White

Trends

My Ebike Delivery Went Missing. When I Tried to Recover It, I Ended Up in Chatbot Hell

Companies’ increasing reliance on AI chatbots isn’t making the customer service experience smarter. It’s just making it more infuriating.

Dillon Thompson

We Make Lovely Home-Cooked Meals for Ourselves. Why Not Do the Same for Our Dogs?

More dog owners have begun cooking for their canine companions in recent years. When my own dog fell ill, I became part of this growing group.

Alicia Kennedy

I’m Addicted to Sun Hoodies

Sun hoodies are the greatest new garment since the original hoodie.

Martin Cizmar

An Open Strait of Hormuz Won’t Fix Gas Prices Overnight

Even if peace holds up between the US and Iran, oil prices aren’t going back down to where they were any time soon.

Aarian Marshall

How To and Advice

All the Ways You Can Make Reading on Your Phone Easier

Tired of eye strain? These tips will help optimize your smartphone for marathon reading sessions.

David Nield

3 Clever Things You Can Do With an Old Amazon Kindle

These e-readers are more useful in their old age than you might think.

David Nield

Kagi Brings Back Old-School Search, One Human-Made Website at a Time

If you’re tired of sponsored and AI-summarized search results, Kagi gives you a curated—and human-centric—way to find what you’re looking for.

David Nield

I Tried 5 Methods for Growing Mushrooms, and Only 2 Actually Worked

From countertop kits to a bathroom bucket full of straw and beyond, I spent a year testing popular mushroom-growing methods. Here’s what fruited—and what just grew mold.

Kat Merck