For years, I’ve kept a compact point-and-shoot camera in my backpack when I commute to work or go on trips. Part of the reason is that it offers longer telephoto reach, as well as intuitive software with the manual controls I crave. But despite testing an assortment of the best iPhone lenses, none have really felt like a complete shooting solution compelling enough to pry me away from my dedicated camera.

That changed when I got my hands on the Telesin Master Grip Kit. Rather than treating the telephoto lens as an isolated add-on, it approaches mobile photography as an entire ecosystem — a MagSafe-enabled rig that pairs a lens with an ergonomic grip. It fundamentally changes how I handle the device, and after using it for nearly a month, I can tell you that the difference isn't subtle. Here’s why.

Way better telephoto performance

I don’t miss the Space Zoom on Samsung’s flagship models now that the Telesin 3.5x lens paired with my iPhone 17 Pro drastically sharpens its telephoto reach. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the side-by-side snapshots above comparing my standalone iPhone 17 Pro at 40x zoom against the Telesin 3.5x setup.

In the first set of images, the shot from my iPhone leaves the wood grain indistinct and almost smeary, with fine depth flattened by the phone's aggressive image processing. Distant textures simply lack clarity and definition. The results with the Telesin kit offer a stark contrast because every groove of the wood grain is sharp and clearly defined, while natural contrast and dynamic range are preserved.

This isn't just a minor bump in quality — it proves how dedicated optical glass can salvage distant subjects that's ruined by digital processing. The long-exposure shot above perfectly illustrates this reach, by transforming the distant 9/11 Tribute in Light as two distinctly separated pillars of light when zoomed all the way in with the Telesin lens. The kit delivers the kind of true optical performance that finally lets me leave my dedicated camera behind.

Versatile grip and case

The optical reach is only half the story because how the phone handles is what really cements that mirrorless camera feel for me. The Telesin kit centers around an ergonomic, MagSafe-enabled camera grip that snaps onto the back with a firm lock. With tactile buttons and dials that emulate a traditional camera layout, it gives my shooting hand the stability needed to keep my framing right while shooting with the telephoto lens.

Even better, the grip doubles as a power bank that actively charges my iPhone. Around the base, a standard 1/4-inch tripod mount lets me seamlessly attach the entire rig to essential accessories I typically carry — like my monopod or selfie stick — without taking anything apart.

The accompanying case ties everything together with thoughtful hardware touches. It features a slide-on protective lens cover with threaded mounts, allowing me to screw the add-on glass directly over either the main or telephoto camera. On top of that, built-in lanyard cutouts on the side let me thread standard camera straps and wrist lanyards directly to the phone.

Bottom line

At $229, the Telesin Master Grip Kit with the 3.5x telephoto lens isn’t an impulse buy — it’s undeniably an investment. But when I factor in the camera-style handling of the grip, integrated battery charging, and optical reach that actually rivals a dedicated compact shooter, it has convinced me to finally retire my old point-and-shoot.

If you don't need extreme 400mm-equivalent reach for concerts or wildlife, Telesin also offers a cheaper $179 kit that swaps out the 3.5x glass for a 2x telephoto lens, giving you the same ergonomic rig and street-friendly focal lengths for $50 less. For anyone tired of carrying a separate camera just to get reliable zoom and real manual feel, this setup is well worth the price.

More from Tom's Guide

• 11 best iOS 27 hidden features you can't afford to miss
• I tested iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture camera and I can (almost) ditch my mirrorless
• The iPhone Duo has a lot of hype, but this poll has a surprising reveal for Samsung's foldable

Later this week, Mark Zuckerberg is expected to announce its newest generation of smart glasses at Meta Connect in California. However, in the year since the Meta Ray-Ban Displays and Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 smart glasses debuted, the company’s reputation has been tarnished by numerous reports of individuals using Meta’s specs for creepy purposes.

There was a small but healthy industry of individuals who would modify Meta’s glasses to remove or disable the recording light so you could video someone surreptitiously. And the ease with which wearers could capture content and then post it to Instagram — another Meta-owned property — has led to a rash of harassing videos being posted to social media.

In late August, Meta finally addressed some of these issues. It issued firmware updates to its glasses that prevent recording if the light is damaged, disabled, or blocked, and it banned a few creators and blocked several hashtags on Instagram that were widely used to disseminate the harassing videos.

But is this enough, or has Meta’s reputation been tarnished irreparably? To find out how we got here, and to see what Zuckerberg & Co. could do to revive the brand, I spoke to three analysts to hear their thoughts.

How we got here

Meta has been called out more than other smart glasses makers for the simple reason that it has sold more devices than anyone else — as much as 80%, according to one report. And those glasses lacked the privacy protections they needed.

“Meta is treading a fine line between those who abuse their glasses and those who do not,” Ramon Llamos, a wearables analyst for IDC, said. “Safeguards like the recording light haven't proven effective, and the stream of harassing videos has gone unabated even as several cases around unwanted recording have resulted in jail time.”

“The reason why Meta has been targeted is that they made the most popular glasses,” Carolina Milanesi, of The Heart of Tech, said. “People do not trust them, and they have not taken accountability. By doing so, they have made it much harder for everyone else.”

It’s not just Meta.

“There has definitely been a backlash against AI-enabled cameras, whether that is Flock used by law enforcement or smart glasses used to record people in public,” Avi Greengart of Techsponential said.

“However, Ray-Ban Meta sales have increased, so the challenge for Meta is to keep its momentum up heading into the holiday season: you want people to be delighted when they receive smart glasses as a gift, not horrified. To that end, Meta has several challenges: core use case, security architecture, and brand reputation.”

What Meta has to do

“No matter what additional steps Meta puts in place to improve privacy, Meta does need to fully explain its architecture and ensure that its glasses cannot record when they aren't worn, can't record without notification, and that captured footage can't be viewed by Meta or its contractors,” Greengart said.

Llamos said that Meta could make it more obvious that its glasses are recording someone. “I've heard of possibilities like playing back a sound to alert that the glasses are recording,” he said, “but those could penalize people who have been using the camera responsibly.”

Milanesi said that Meta “needs to go beyond just talking and show some progress on the hardware side, either with the light, making it even harder for people to disable, and investing in bringing solutions like a shutter to market.”

What other brands have to do — and are doing

Of course, the backlash against Meta’s glasses has other companies rethinking their strategies. At the launch of the Apple Watch 12, for instance, John Ternus was careful to highlight the safeguards his company put in place with all the new Siri recording capabilities.

“One way to avoid people being upset that you're recording video is to not record in a way that humans can ever view the footage, just use that data as context for AI, and ensure that the data is not used to train AI,” Greengart said.

“This is the approach Apple takes with its new Apple Watch summary tools. Meta can't do this — at least not fully — because taking hands-free, in-the-moment photos and videos is a core part of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses value proposition. However, Meta could adopt this approach for images and video captured when you ask Meta AI to comment on what you're seeing.

Llamos asked if AI could shoulder some of the burden. “Here's an interesting solution: can AI tell the difference between an innocent interaction and one with ill intent?” Ramos said. “I don't know, and right now I don't think it can. That would require much training and learning, and the possibility for something to go wrong, like a false positive or not flagging an incident, is high.”

Brands are already thinking about how to address privacy issues, which is more about disclosure than anything else,” Milanesi said. “I say this because it is the people around you that need to be aware, not the person who is recording.”

What comes next?

The problem with smart glasses is as much behavioral as it is technical, argues Milanesi. “People just blaming the technology vs. the person are just thinking about poor use cases,” she said. “That is a human issue vs. a tech issue. What the brands must do is make sure the bad humans cannot do these things.”

It’s a point that Llamos agrees with. “Meta has repeatedly pointed to its suggestion to users to be more responsible in their use habits, but those have not proven effective,” he said.

Ultimately, Meta needs to prove it can be trusted — a tall order given its past indiscretions, but not impossible, especially if it can leverage the reputation of its other brands.

“People do trust some of Meta's properties — WhatsApp has had end-to-end encryption integrated by default for a decade,” Greengart said. “The combination of bad behavior by users and Meta's own lapses creates reputational debt that the company needs to tackle head-on.”

More from Tom's Guide

• Snap CEO Evan Spiegel says smart glasses disguised as normal eyewear are 'creepy' — why Specs look bold on purpose
• 'Pervert glasses' antidote? Meta reportedly launching camera-free smart glasses next week
• 'I find it very uncomfortable talking to people with a camera and a light': OpenAI's Sam Altman weighs in on smart glasses and privacy

If you're looking to find what new movies and shows Netflix is adding this week, I've got you covered. The streaming service is adding 15 new movies, shows and live events this week. That's not necessarily a lot to sort through, but you'll still want advice on which few deserve a spot on your watchlist.

First up, "Unabomber" is a brand-new film about the titular terrorist starring Jacob Tremblay and Russell Crowe that you definitely won't want to miss. You'll also want to check out the comedy series "A Different World." This sitcom started as a spin-off of "The Cosby Show" in the 1980s, and this week it returns to Netflix as a reboot nearly 40 years after its debut.

Once you're done with those, you'll want to check out "Wonka's The Golden Ticket," a new reality series with some serious cash at stake. Or, make sure to watch "LifeHack," a new action thriller movie that's already received rave reviews. Finally, make sure to hit play on "Party Down," a seriously funny comedy starring Adam Scott that has a devoted following.

Those aren't the only movies, shows and live events to add to your watchlist this week, though. Here's the full schedule of everything new on Netflix over the next seven days, along with my top picks for what you need to stream. Don't forget to check out everything new on Netflix in September 2026 for even more movies and shows to check out.

New on Netflix this week: Top picks

'Unabomber' (2026)

Genre: Crime drama movie

What it's about: This crime drama focuses on the life of Ted Kaczynski (Jacob Tremblay). Better known as "the Unabomber," he was a domestic terrorist who terrorized the American consciousness for almost 20 years. In "Unabomber," the movie jumps back and forth between two periods: Kaczynski's time at Harvard University and the manhunt for him decades later.

Why you should watch it: This movie's cast is what caught my eye. "Unabomber" also stars Russell Crowe as Dr. Henry Murray, who was one of Kaczynski's professors at Harvard. He conducted unethical, arguably abusive experiments at the university, and there are theories that these experiments are what led to Kaczynski's villainous turn. Plus, "Unabomber" also stars recent Emmy winner Shailene Woodley as FBI Agent Joanne Miller, who is the agent tasked with taking down the terrorist.

Watch "Unabomber" on Netflix starting September 25

'A Different World'

Genre: Comedy series

What it's about: Set at the fictional historically Black college, Hillman College, "A Different World" revolves around Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon). The daughter of Hillman alumni Dwayne and Whitley (Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy, reprising their roles from the original 1987 NBC series), she's trying to build her own legacy at the school despite the crushing weight of her parents' shadow.

Why you should watch it: The original version of "A Different World" was a big hit and a spin-off from "The Cosby Show." This reboot seems to have far less (if any) connective tissue to the Huxtables, but it looks like it could still be a hit.

Watch "A Different World" on Netflix starting September 24

'Wonka’s The Golden Ticket'

Genre: Reality competition series

What it's about: Set at a recreation of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, this competition isn't about the candy. It's about the money. Specifically, a "lifetime supply of money," which is exactly what these reality show contestants can win.

Why you should watch it: I'll be honest, this feels a bit perverse, especially the use of Gene Wilder's voice recreated by AI from beyond the grave. That said, this show has the blessing of the Wilder and Roald Dahl estates. So if you're a Wonka fan, you can at least watch this without major ethical qualms.

Watch the series premiere of "Wonka's The Golden Ticket" on Netflix starting September 23

'LifeHack' (2026)

Genre: Screenlife action thriller movie

What it's about: "LifeHack" centers around a group of young adults — Kyle (Georgie Farmer), Alex (Yasmin Finney), Sid (Roman Hayeck-Green) and Petey (James Scholz) — who have been making a killing by stealing cryptocurrency from tech billionaire Don Heard (Charlie Creed-Miles). But things take a turn when they get caught by Don's daughter, Lindsey (Jessica Reynolds), who now wants them to steal $25 million from her dad for her.

Why you should watch it: This movie is told entirely through computer screens, similar to "Unfriended" and "Searching." So if those movies worked for you, watching "LifeHack" is a no-brainer. But you should probably give it a chance regardless. It's currently rated 95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch "LifeHack" on Netflix starting September 23

'Party Down' seasons 1-3

Genre: Situational comedy series

What it's about: "Party Down" stars an incredible cast of comedic actors, including Adam Scott and Jane Lynch, and is led by Ken Marino. He plays Ron Donald, who runs Party Down catering, a small catering service that is staffed almost entirely by aspiring actors and writers looking to make a buck while they wait for their big break. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

Why you should watch it: Despite its incredible cast, this show only ran two seasons due to poor ratings and several of its stars booking breakout roles in other shows at the same time. But it always had a cult following. So, after Adam Scott got done with "Parks and Recreation," Jane Lynch finished "Glee" and Martin Starr wrapped up "Silicon Valley," the cast reunited for a third season in 2023 that was just as well received as the previous two. Trust me, you're going to want to watch this show.

Watch "Party Down" seasons 1-3 on Netflix starting September 22

Everything new on Netflix: September 21-27

SEPTEMBER 22

"Minerva Academy" (IT) (Netflix series)

At Minerva Military High School, teens navigate discipline, rivalry and family pressure as a young cadet searches for answers about his missing friend.

• "Doc" season 2
• "Party Down" seasons 1-3

SEPTEMBER 23

"Habeas Corpus" (BR) (Netflix series)

A renowned law professor leads a team of students to prove a convicted man's innocence, uncovering shocking truths that test the justice they stand for.

"Wonka's The Golden Ticket" (Netflix series)

Twelve lucky Golden Ticket winners, each with a partner of their choosing, will step through the gates of Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and into a world of pure imagination, delicious mischief, and unexpected challenges. Once inside, contestants must navigate a series of Wonka’s games, tests, and temptations designed to challenge them physically, mentally, and morally. In this high-stakes social experiment, players will journey through the factory’s wondrous and unpredictable landscape, adapting, strategizing, and withstanding the unknown while proving they have the instincts, resilience, and character to thrive in chaos. In the end, only one contestant will have what it takes to earn Wonka’s life-changing prize.

• "Lifehack"

SEPTEMBER 24

"A Different World" (Netflix series)

When Deborah, Dwayne Wayne, and Whitley Gilbert's free-spirited, well-intentioned, yet rebellious youngest child, enters her freshman year at Hillman College, she finds the shadow of her parents difficult to escape as she sets out to build her own legacy, while having the time of her life, alongside a whole new generation of Hillman's best and brightest.

"Delusion" (TH) (Netflix series)

A woman's life spirals when her father's dementia makes him a prime suspect in a murder — and the villagers believe he's possessed by a malevolent ghost.

"My Sad Dead" (AR) (Netflix series)

Ema, a recently retired doctor who can see the dead, tries to process her mother's death and her own unresolved matters. The arrival of her niece Julie and the murder of three teenagers in Piedrabuena, a suburban neighborhood marked by violence, trigger a strange phenomenon that breaks the fragile balance between the living and the dead. What had been Ema's burden until then begins to spread throughout the neighborhood: the dead start to make themselves present, and no one will be able to escape the sound of their own ghosts.

• "House at the End of the Street"
• "Oculus"

SEPTEMBER 25

"The Final Problem" (ES) (Netflix series)

A fading actor must use his famous characters' detective skills to solve a suspicious death at an isolated hotel where everyone becomes a suspect.

"Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure" 2nd-3rd STAGE (JP) (Netflix series)

Johnny and Gyro press forward into the 2nd STAGE — a 750-mile desert crossing. Ominous incidents and clashing motives reveal this race is far more than a competition.

"Unabomber" (Netflix film)

In this drama inspired by true events, Ted Kaczynski's evolution from Harvard prodigy and test subject to the Unabomber unfolds as the FBI hunts him down.

• "Law & Order" season 25

Leaving Netflix This Week

Leaving 9/23/26

"Anatomy of a Fall"

More from Tom's Guide

• 'Resident Evil' review: Officially the best video game movie of all time, but also Zach Cregger's worst
• 'Slow Horses' season 6 kicks things off with a stunning death, and I'm still in shock
• Alan Ritchson does his best John Wick impression in a hyper-violent 'Reacher' season 4 finale

I’ve been testing the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max for our review and much more, and I know there's a lot of questions people want answered before they decide whether to upgrade. Is the A20 Pro performance leap big enough? How good is the battery life? Which model is better for you? And should you just wait for the iPhone Duo?

I've scoured all of the comments and questions we've been getting on the Tom's Guide YouTube channel, TikTok hot takes, Instagram videos and and my recent interview with Apple CEO John Ternus, and these are the top 10 questions you have about Apple's new flagships along with my answers.

'Glad I ordered the Pro, the Pro Max looks so massive. 249 grams is a whole iPad.'

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is not quite the weight of an iPad mini, but there's no denying that Apple's biggest flagship has been getting heavier each generation. The iPhone 17 Pro Max weighed 8.22 ounces while the iPhone 18 Pro Max is 8.78 ounces. That's a pretty significant increase for just one year.

The extra heft for the new iPhone is likely due to Apple adding a bigger internal vapor chamber cooling system, as well as physical mechanical blades for the variable aperture.

Plus, you get a bigger battery on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The eSIM model of the iPhone 18 Pro Max reportedly has a 5,567 mAh battery, compared to 5,088 mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro max.

If you carry your iPhone 18 Pro Max in your front pocket all day, you will feel those 249 grams. The standard iPhone 18 Pro comes in at 211 grams, which is much more manageable.

'Will my iPhone 17 Pro case fit the iPhone 18 Pro?'

Yes, your iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro cases should fit your iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple kept the physical height, width, and depth dimensions identical to last year's models, so you don't need to spend another $50 on a new case unless you just want a new style or color.

If you're looking to protect your investment, we've got a roundup of the 12 best iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max cases to get, including Apple, Otterbox and Casetify.

'Can we turn the Dynamic Island off? I hate when app icons block the top'

No, you can’t disable the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max. But Apple did make the cutout smaller this year by moving the infrared sensor for Face ID underneath the display glass.

More good news: You can now show up to three Live Activities at once instead of just two. So I could easily toggle between a timer, Spotify controls, and Apple Maps directions at the top of my screen.

'How does the 18 Pro battery compare to the 17 Pro Max?'

The new iPhone 18 Pro models do last longer on charge than the iPhone 17 Pro series, but it's not quite the leap we thought it would be. Let’s look at the actual Tom's Guide lab test numbers:

The iPhone 18 Pro lasted 16 hours and 17 minutes on the Tom's Guide battery test, which involves web surfing over 5G at 150 nits of screen brightness. That’s nearly an hour gain over the 17 Pro, but it does not beat last year's 17 Pro Max, which hit 17:54.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is still the battery life king at 18 hours and 27 minutes. It's the longest-lasting iPhone we have ever benchmarked and makes it among the top performers on the Tom's Guide best phone battery life list. It also beats the Galaxy S26 Ultra by nearly 2 hours.

'Give me an iPhone Duo with the iPhone 18 Pro camera suite. That's literally all I want.'

I’m right there with you, but here’s why that camera setup is likely exclusive to the 18 Pro series. Apple likely couldn't find the room to add a telephoto lens to the Duo, so you get just a wide and ultrawide lens.

So if you want a longer 4x optical zoom, go with the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max.

In addition, Apple added six mechanical blades that expand and contract to the main 48MP camera on the Pros in order to achieve variable aperture. It shifts anywhere from f/1.48 to f/4.0 automatically, or you can customize it using new Pro controls.

That six-blade mechanism requires physical depth. That's why the thinner foldable iPhone Duo likely can't fit this exact camera suite without adding a massive camera bump. See our in-depth iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture camera testing for some good examples of what you can do.

'Can you actually edit Cinematic Mode AFTER you record a video now, or did I misread that?'

You read that right. And this is probably my favorite software quality-of-life upgrade on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Historically, if you forgot to select Cinematic Mode before hitting record, you were stuck with standard video. On the 18 Pro series, you can shoot standard 4K video, open up the editor, and toggle Cinematic Mode on or off after the fact right at the top of the display.

You can see the results above, as the background is more blurred out with Cinematic Mode enabled. It's essentially like Portrait mode for video.

Apple also added manual shutter speed controls for video and 4K Dolby Vision Timelapses. If you shoot video for social media or YouTube, this gives you way more flexibility in post-production without locking you into specific camera modes up front.

'Performance = Get the iPhone 18 Pro. Entertainment = Wait for the iPhone Duo.'

This is an interesting take on the iPhone 18 Pro vs. iPhone Duo comparison.

The 18 Pro is powered by the 2nm A20 Pro chip. In our benchmark tests, it scored over 4,700 on single-core CPU tests and turned in a massive 45% graphics jump over the 17 Pro Max, also comfortably beating Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra across the board.

The iPhone Duo uses this exact same processor. Our A20 Pro lab testing proves that this chip has the raw GPU horsepower and 80% thermal stability required to run dual-screen multitasking without overheating or tanking performance.

However, driving a larger display requires more resources, and it's not clear how much the iPhone Duo's thinner design will impact sustained performance. The bigger difference to me is likely to be battery life, though, as the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for 45 hours of video playback versus 31 for the Duo on its main 7.6-inch panel.

If you want a traditional, ultra-durable slab phone with max camera control and 18+ hours of battery, get the 18 Pro Max. But if you want a dual-screen workstation for media and multitasking, wait for the Duo, because the chip inside should be ready for it.

'Is Siri AI on iOS 27 actually useful now?'

I’m not going to say that Siri AI is smarter than Gemini or ChatGPT yet. But thanks to iOS 27 and the A20 Pro’s new dual 16-core Neural Engine, which logged a 40% to 48% speed boost in our Geekbench AI lab tests, it’s significantly more helpful.

The big difference this year is personal context and multi-step voice prompts. Instead of asking Siri to do one basic task at a time, you can do several things at once.

For example, I could ask for Siri to check my calendar for any openings for lunch with my brother, research restaurants around Bryant Park and include recommended dishes and send a text to him in a single prompt.

I just wish that you could talk to Siri in real time while looking at live video, as you can with Gemini and ChatGPT Voice.

'Is there actually $100 more worth of upgrades here?'

This question is referring to the $100 price hike for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which is likely due to the component shortage. So, what does that extra $100 actually buy you under the hood?

• A blazing A20 Pro chip
• A physical, six-blade mechanical variable aperture main camera
• An internal vapor chamber that's three times larger for sustained cooling
• Upgraded 60W fast charging
• Solid battery life gains for both models

Whether these upgrades justify the extra cash depends on your current iPhone. If you're coming from an iPhone 17 Pro, paying $100 is a tough sell.

But if you're upgrading from a an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro, that $100 gets you a massive 50% performance leap, real optical aperture control, and over three additional hours of screen time.

'Should I get the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max?'

This is not an easy call. There’s four main differences between the iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max.

No. 1 is the display size. The 6.3-inch OLED panel on the iPhone 18 Pro is great, but the 6.9-inch screen on the Max gives you a more immersive viewing experience for playing games and watching movies. Plus, there’s more info on screen at once when reviewing documents or surfing the web.

Second, you get more battery life on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, hitting nearly 18.5 hours — which is a bit over 2 hours more than the iPhone 18 Pro.

On the other hand, the iPhone 18 Pro is more compact and lighter. It’s like having a stealth bomber in your pocket with all that A20 Pro power. And the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $100 less. That might not seem like much but you can put that savings towards additional storage.

For me I’d get the iPhone 18 Pro Max but it really comes down to screen size and price.

Bottom line

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max might not look radically different at first glance, but underneath, the A20 Pro chip, camera hardware, and thermal redesign set a new baseline for Apple flagships.

Did we answer your key questions about the 18 Pro series? Are you picking one up, or holding out for our full iPhone Duo review? Let us know in the comments!

More from Tom's Guide

• I spent 30 minutes with the iPhone Duo — 3 things you just don’t get from the pictures
• I put the iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra through a 7-round face-off — here’s the winner
• I replaced ChatGPT with Siri AI for a day — here's what surprised me

During the colder months of the year, a problem can quickly emerge in our homes – damp and mold. The drop in the outside temperature and the warm air we're keeping inside can create the ultimate breeding ground around our homes.

With a rise in condensation lining our windows, added to the fact that we're keeping those windows shut to keep the cold out, it can spell trouble.

In the summer, it's much easier to keep our homes well ventilated and drier. But as we head deeper into fall and winter, we start searching for things like 'how to avoid the fall mold trap'.

So, in a bid to offer some targeted advice, we asked our readers: "Where is your home's ultimate mold spot?" And the answer wasn't exactly surprising, but it was certainly overwhelming.

With over 3,000 responses, here's what came out on top.

The worst place for mold in our homes, according to readers

There was one standout answer from our poll with 2,562 votes totalling 73% of all answers and that's that our bathrooms are the ultimate mold hotspot. Specifically, grout, shower walls and bath mats being real hotbeds for mold growth.

With less than 1,000 votes distributed over the other three answers, it's a clear winner (or loser) of the poll. The next hotspot came out as the basement or sub-levels with 503 votes (14%), then the laundry room for 279 votes (8%), or for some lucky readers, nowhere at all with just 153 votes (4%).

I've tackled the mold and damp in my bathroom for years and I constantly find myself asking: "Why does mold keep coming back?"

Fortunately, it's helped me put together some top tips for tackling the mold and they're all fairly simple to do.

How to tackle mold in your bathroom

From using kitchen gadgets to reduce mold to easy shower cleaning tricks, depending on how much time you've got on your hands, these are the other top tips I recommend to try out on your bathroom to get ahead of the mold.

1. Open windows

This one might seem obvious, but opening windows in your bathroom might be something you avoid in the fall and winter to keep the cold air out. But, you should at least open the windows in your bathroom during and/or after a shower or bath to let the moisture escape and to help with ventilation.

If you're worried about the cold, even opening it a crack will help. Or, open the window and then shut the bathroom door to prevent cold air escaping around your entire home. It doesn't need to be open for long, but the mold spores will thrive if given the right damp conditions.

2. Dry your towels asap

After you've dried yourself off from a shower or bath, you'll often hang up the damp towels to then dry off in your bathroom. While this is fine, it becomes a lot harder to do when the room is cold. Ideally, you'll have your radiators on in your bathroom regularly, or at least when you need to dry your towels.

This will ensure they dry quickly instead of staying moist and damp creating a perfect environment for mold to grow. It's also a good idea to switch your towels out regularly, especially bath mats and hand towels as they get used more often.

3. Use a hygrometer

During our Tom's Guide poll, we also asked an expert for some advice on how to prevent mold and they suggested a hygrometer is the way to go. This is an important device for measuring the humidity in your home and can be used to ensure it sits at the correct level.

Michael Rubino, mold and air quality expert and founder of HomeCleanse, reveals that the humidity level plays an integral part in mold growth: "Mold can grow at a relative humidity level of 60%. Keeping it below this threshold helps ensure mold can't take advantage of the opportunity."

4. Wipe down tiles and grout

You might have noticed after a bath or shower that the moisture drips from the tiles around your bathroom, as well as the grout around the edges. This is because it's a purposefully been chosen not to absorb the water, unlike wallpapers or paints that can be easily ruined when exposed to water. But, that means it also helps the moisture to stick around in your bathroom.

Grab a microfiber cloth, towel or hand towel to dry down the tiles and grout to reduce the amount of moisture that hangs around after you've used your bathroom. This way, you'll be physically reducing the chance of mold spores and growth and it won't cost you anything at all – just a little extra time that can be turned into a habit.

More from Tom's Guide

• 'I can't remember the last time I cleaned this' — 5 hidden dirt zones in your house
• 6 easy tips for removing limescale from your shower door
• How to clean mold from bathroom caulk

I’ve always been pretty fascinated by the supermodel physique, and Gisele Bündchen is one of those women who makes strength and femininity look completely effortless. Think long lines, confident posture and a strong core that seems to hold everything in place.

After seeing a clip of the 46-year-old mom of three performing a one-legged plank on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, it became pretty clear those long lines aren’t just for show. The Brazilian powerhouse has some serious strength, too.

“This is good for your abs, and it's good for your arms and it's basically good for everything,” Bündchen tells Fallon. Let’s take a look at what makes Bündchen’s plank variation so effective.

How to do Gisele Bündchen’s plank variation

Don’t be fooled by how easy Bündchen makes this look. Before adding the leg lift or push-up, make sure you can comfortably hold a high plank without your hips sagging or your lower back arching.

If adding the push-up causes your hips to rotate or your lower back to arch — or you find yourself dropping your hips or raising your bottom too high — stick with the leg lift until you’ve built enough strength to progress.

• Start in a high plank position with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your legs extended behind you.
• Brace your core and squeeze your glutes, creating a straight line from the top of your head to your heels.
• Keeping your hips as square to the floor as possible, lift one leg behind you and hold.
• Lower your leg back to the floor with control.
• Once you’ve mastered the one-legged plank, keep the leg lifted and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.
• Push through your palms to return to your starting position.
• Repeat, switching legs on the next rep.

The benefits of plank leg raises

Combining a high plank with a single-leg lift and push-up fires up multiple muscle groups at once, challenging your core, glutes and upper body while putting your balance and stability to the test.

As a personal trainer, I’m a big fan of exercises that save time by working multiple muscles at once, especially when they require zero equipment or a gym membership.

The classic plank might be best known as a core exercise, but it’s far from an abs-only move. Holding your body in a straight line requires the muscles around your midsection to work together to keep your torso stable, while your shoulders, arms and glutes stay switched on. Add a leg lift to the move, and things get considerably harder.

By reducing your points of contact with the floor, you create instability, meaning your core has to work even harder to prevent your hips from rotating or dropping. The leg lift also works your glutes, particularly the gluteus maximus and medius, as you work to lift the leg and keep your pelvis stable.

Then comes the push-up. Bending your elbows and lowering your chest toward the floor brings your chest, shoulders and triceps into the equation, while your core continues working hard to keep your body in a straight line.

In other words, Bündchen wasn’t exaggerating when she said it’s “basically good for everything.”

There’s a posture payoff, too. Strengthening the muscles in your core, shoulders and around your pelvis can help maintain good alignment and give your spine the support it needs, which is particularly useful if you want to hold yourself tall and move like a supermodel.

The best bit? You don’t need a dumbbell, resistance band, or even much space. Just your bodyweight.

I tried Gisele Bündchen’s plank variation, and here’s my verdict

At first glance, adding a leg lift to a plank doesn’t look like much of an upgrade. But the second I lifted one foot off the floor, I felt the difference.

My glutes switched on, my core fired up, and, most importantly, I had to concentrate hard on keeping my hips still. They naturally wanted to rotate as soon as my foot left the ground.

That’s what I love about this exercise. Your core has to stabilize your body while movement happens. Taking one foot away also reduces your base of support, so suddenly the plank you thought you knew feels considerably less comfortable.

There’s no relying on momentum, either. To lift my leg with control, I had to actively engage and switch on my lazy glutes, which isn’t the easiest when, like most of us, you spend a fair amount of time sitting. Yes, even fitness journalists and personal trainers are guilty of this.

After holding the position for around 30 seconds, I could understand why Bündchen says it’s “basically good for everything.” My shoulders, arms, core, glutes and hamstrings were all working, and even the quad on my supporting leg started to burn.

My balance was tested, and so was my breathing. Holding your breath might feel tempting when your entire body is working this hard, but the trick is to keep breathing steadily and embrace the full-body challenge.

As for the push-up? Well, I gave it a go — and suddenly, my body felt very heavy. I had to move my hands slightly wider to accommodate the movement, while my chest, shoulders and triceps worked hard to lower me toward the floor and push me back up.

Three reps... and I was done.

Bündchen might make it look effortless and perfectly poised, but I certainly didn’t. Still, that’s one of the things I like most about this variation: it takes an exercise most of us have done hundreds of times and makes it considerably harder without adding a single piece of equipment.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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• Forget back pain, this low-impact ab workout builds strong abs in just 3 moves
• I’m a weightlifting coach — 5 ‘old-school’ exercises that still build functional strength and muscle all over
• No squats! I just tried this 8-minute chair workout, and it’s perfect for seniors, beginners, and anyone looking to build strength without impact

With the first day of fall approaching, the TV calendar is already getting busier. As a streaming editor who watches TV for a living, I’ve rounded up this week’s biggest new TV shows to watch across Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV and more of the best streaming services.

This week brings the return of “Best Medicine” for season 2, while “American Horror Story: 13” kicks off another round of Ryan Murphy nightmares. “Brothers” reunites Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson for a surreal comedy, and the “A Different World” revival heads back to Hillman College for a new generation. There’s also “Line of Fire,” a new drama about a family of government agents.

The weather may be cooling down, but fall TV is heating up. Here’s what’s new on TV this week.

‘Line of Fire’ (NBC)

The vibes: Family dinner, but everyone’s packing heat.
The plot: The Hollingsworths are basically a federal law-enforcement family business: Mike (Peter Krause) works for the Secret Service, Jane (Hope Davis) is a U.S. Marshal, and their kids are scattered across the FBI, Secret Service and Justice Department. When a seemingly straightforward murder exposes a conspiracy targeting government agents, they’ll have to bury old grudges, share secrets and bend the rules to keep their own family alive.
Premiere date: Episode 1 on Monday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC and next day on Peacock

‘Best Medicine’ season 2 (Fox)

The vibes: Turns out blood is still Martin’s kryptonite. A mermaid doesn’t help.
The plot: Dr. Martin Best (Josh Charles) is still treating the eccentric residents of Port Wenn while trying to keep his blood phobia from derailing his career. His professional woes get messier when a mermaid washes ashore, Judith (Andrea Martin) causes trouble even while on oxygen and the town’s sea-urchin windfall starts creating problems of its own.
Premiere date: Episode 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CBS and next day on Hulu

‘Brothers’ (Apple TV)

The vibes: Hollywood bromance upended by a family secret.
The plot: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson play heightened versions of themselves, with Woody crashing at Matthew’s Texas ranch after his daughter’s wedding goes off the rails. Then Ma Mac (Holland Taylor) lets slip a decades-old secret: The longtime pals could share a dad. While Woody goes digging for answers, Matthew contemplates a run for Texas governor.
Premiere date: Episodes 1-2 on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 12 a.m. ET
Where to watch: Apple TV

‘A Different World’ (Netflix)

The vibes: Following in your parents’ footsteps, whether you like it or not.
The plot: Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon) arrives at Hillman determined to make a name for herself, not simply inherit one. But with her famously involved alum parents, Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy), watching closely, an old flame back in the picture and a new crew to figure out, freshman year gets complicated fast.
Premiere date: All 10 episodes on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 3 a.m. ET
Where to watch: Netflix

‘American Horror Story: 13’ (FX/Hulu)

The vibes: The franchise turns lucky 13, so the witches, ghosts and freaks are coming home.
The plot: Details are being kept deliciously under wraps, but “AHS: 13” is shaping up as a family reunion, with Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts and a small army of returning players back in Ryan Murphy’s fold. Expect familiar faces, old costumes and all of the Easter eggs a fan could want.
Premiere date: Episode 1 on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET
Where to watch: FX and Hulu

‘S.W.A.T. Exiles’ (Starz)

The vibes: Hondo gets the Slow Horses S.W.A.T. rejects nobody else wanted.
The plot: Two years after leaving S.W.A.T., Hondo (Shemar Moore) is dragged back into the fold following a disastrous raid. His new assignment: Whip five misfit recruits into shape, all while figuring out why they were assembled in the first place. As missions pile up, so do suspicions that someone wants this team to fail.
Premiere date: Episode 1 on Friday, Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Starz

‘Saturday Night Live’ season 52 (NBC)

The vibes: New York’s victory lap gets a late-night encore.
The plot: “SNL” kicks off season 52 with Knicks champion Jalen Brunson making his hosting debut, just months after helping New York end its 53-year title drought. KATSEYE makes its first appearance as the musical guest, while new faces Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter join a cast missing Chloe Fineman. Colin Jost, Michael Che and Kenan Thompson return.
Premiere date: Episode 1 on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC and next day on Peacock

It's a Sunday night, and the last thing you want to fuss over is what to watch. Especially when the best streaming services switching up their libraries monthly. It's too much to sort through, so don't! Let us do the hard work for you, my guy.

I've compiled a TV guide on what to watch tonight, including an explosive finale for one of this year's buzziest shows, another episode in DC's best TV show in years, and a new romantic comedy from Sharon Horgan of "Bad Sisters" fame.

I've gone through everything from Netflix, Paramount+, HBO Max, and more to spotlight which new movies and shows are worth your time. So let's dive into it. Here are all the new movies and shows (and live events) you can stream tonight (September 20), and where to watch them.

Top shows and movies to stream tonight

'Lioness' season 3 finale (Paramount+)

Genre: Spy thriller series

What's it about? Zoe Saldaña stars as CIA operative Joe McNamara, the head of Lioness, a covert program that sends female operatives undercover to take out high-value targets in the war on terror. The agents get close to their marks by infiltrating the lives of the women around them, using those relationships to find a way in before moving in for the kill.

Why you should watch it: This Sunday, "Lioness" wraps up season 3 with an episode dedicated to late producer Rajeev Malhotra, who worked across several of Taylor Sheridan's shows. This season got off to a strong start with viewers, but its Rotten Tomatoes audience score has dipped from 91% down to 78% as we near the finale. I suppose we'll see whether it can stick the landing with an explosive season 3 finale.

Watch "Lioness" season 3 on Paramount+ now

'Lanterns' s3 episode 6 (HBO)

Genre: Superhero flick meets old-fashioned buddy action comedy

What's it about? Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre play Green Lanterns from different generations in this eight-episode DC drama, and that age gap creates a fun "kids these days" dynamic between their characters, Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Veteran Lantern Jordan is stuck with mentoring rookie recruit Stewart as the pair investigates a murder in the heartland. But this a superhero show, after all, so any murder mystery worth its salt takes a cosmic turn at some point.

Why you should watch it: I've been living under a rock when it comes to the DC heroes, but between the tour de force of Aaron Pierre and series co-creator Damon Lindelof, the mind behind HBO's incredible "Watchmen" show, and the heavy praise my coworkers have been giving it, I'm taking the plunge and binging all of "Lanterns" this week.

Watch "Lanterns" season 3 on HBO now

'Youth' (HBO Max)

Genre: Romantic comedy

What it's about? Showrunner Sharon Horgan stars as Alex, a 50-year-old London literary agent and divorcee searching for sex and romance when she's not juggling caring for her sicks parents and raising her grown son, played by Aran Murphy, the real-life son of Cillian Murphy. The cast also includes Sharlene Whyte, Rupert Friend and Robbie Gee.

Why you should watch it: Horgan is the comedic force behind "Pulling," "Catastrophe" and "Bad Sisters," and everything I've seen from her has sent me into fits of laughter. She writes charming stories about charmingly messy characters, and I'm confident "Youth" will be no different.

Watch the first two episodes of "Youth" on HBO Max now (new episodes every Sunday through the beginning of November)

Your streaming guide: Sunday, Sept 20

Here's everything coming to streaming today, broken down by streaming service:

NETFLIX

• "Cold as Balls" (Kevin Hart's riff on Hot Ones)
• Stop! That! Train! (2026)

PARAMOUNT+

• Lioness season 3 finale

HBO MAX

• Lanterns season 3 episode 6
• Youth, two-episode premiere (a mid-life crisis comedy from Sharon Horgan of Bad Sisters fame)
• President Curtis season 1 episode 9 at 11:30 p.m. ET (episodes added to HBO Max the next day)
• Teen Titans Go!, Season 9H (Cartoon Network)

PEACOCK

• Saturday Night Live UK (Jamie Demetriou hosts; Royal Blood performs)
• Sunday Night Baseball season 37 finale
• The Hooters Murders: Deadly Shift (Oxygen)

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• 'Resident Evil' review: Officially the best video game movie of all time, but also Zach Cregger's worst
• 'Slow Horses' season 6 kicks things off with a stunning death, and I'm still in shock
• Alan Ritchson does his best John Wick impression in a hyper-violent 'Reacher' season 4 finale

When you've got a case of the Sunday scaries, sometimes the best cure is a cozy movie and a few hours of pretending Monday doesn't exist. Luckily, Paramount+ has plenty of feel-good options to help you squeeze a little more joy out of the weekend before it's over.

Paramount+ added over 120 new movies in September — and, of course, the highly anticipated second season of "MobLand" — but you don't need to go searching to figure out what to watch. Let me do the hard work for you.

I’ve rounded up three movies that make particularly good Sunday-night viewing: "Blue Eyed Girl" for a bittersweet dose of midlife introspection, "Clue" for a wildly funny murder mystery drenched in nostalgia, and "You’ve Got Mail" for the ultimate warm-and-fuzzy rom-com comfort watch. These movies are perfect for keeping those Monday blues at bay, so let's dive into the best feel-good movies on Paramount+ to watch right now.

'Blue Eyed Girl' (2025)

I'm adamant that a "feel good" movie doesn't have to mean shallow; so long as you walk away feeling lighter than you started, I argue there's plenty of room to explore the messier side of being human in 90 minutes while still ending things on a positive note. "Blue Eyed Girl" gets that, balancing love, loss, and laughter in a tender homecoming story grounded in the recognizable charm of Minneapolis streets.

This midlife coming-of-age dramedy stars Marisa Coughlan as Jane, a Minneapolis native who puts her successful Hollywood career on hold to head home and take care of her father (Beau Bridges) after his latest suicide attempt. She bickers with her sisters (Elia Coupe, Bridey Elliott), bumps into an old high school fame (Sam Trammell), and navigates the liminal space between youth and middle age, where “what could have been” meets “what is," learning to love herself through it all.

Watch "Blue Eyed Girl" on Paramount+ now

'Clue' (1985)

Ok, so it's not a feel-good movie in the traditional sense, but this movie never fails to put a big ol' smile on my face, so I think that counts! Plus, I'm sure I'm not alone in still grieving Tim Curry, and he's iconic as "Clue's" kooky but lovable butler Wadsworth. Based on the board game of the same name, "Clue" brings six strangers together for a dinner party at a secluded New England mansion hosted by Wadsworth and the soon-to-be-deceased Mr. A. Boddy (get it?).

The guests — Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd) and Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn) — soon find themselves the prime suspects, especially after more bodies start turning up. Cracking the case won't be easy. A fun fact about this movie: There are multiple endings for how its core mystery wraps up, which were initially screened at different cinema locations, but are now all included on the movie’s digital/streaming release.

Watch "Clue" on Paramount+ now

'You've Got Mail' (1998)

Rom-coms are the Ford truck of feel-good movies: reliable, comforting, and somehow always able to haul your emotions out of whatever funk you're stuck in. One of the best rom-com pairings of all time, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, dominated the genre in the early 90s, following up "Sleepless in Seattle" with "You've Got Mail," a comforting hug in movie form that still feels surprisingly relevant, more than 20 years later.

The two play rival bookstore owners — she's the owner of a cozy, family-run shop while's he's a business executive of a major bookstore chain that just opened a new branch in her neighborhood. Unbeknownst to them, they have been anonymously exchanging emails under screen names, and begin falling for each other as they grow closer. Neither realizes the other’s true identity, but when the truth comes out, it threatens everything between them.

Watch "You've Got Mail" on Paramount+ now

More from Tom's Guide

• 'MobLand' season 2 kicks things off with a bang in a bloody season premiere and the return of Tom Hardy
• 5 best new movies to stream this weekend on Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video, and more (Sept. 19-20)
• 3 new to Paramount+ movies you need to stream this weekend (Sept. 18-20)

Cooler days and falling leaves signal the end of another summer, and while cozy season is just around the corner, so is peak dust mite season. “Autumn marks the peak for dust mite proliferation and symptom flares," says Professor George Du Toit, Co-Founding Director and Professor of Paediatric Allergy at the Allergy Centre of Excellence (ACE).

That flare-up is triggered when you turn your indoor heating on, trapping summer humidity inside sealed rooms and sparking an allergen surge.

While studies show that dust mites thrive in the dark, humid layers of your mattress, their food source is mainly found in the top two to four inches of your mattress. This zone traps dead skin cells, body oils and moisture, creating a feast for dust mites (and a nightmare for people with allergies).

To reduce dust mites in your mattress, it’s critical to remove as much of their food supply as possible. A quick surface vacuum won’t cut it, so I’ve been testing out the ‘2-inch rule’, which uses compression to go deeper into my mattress’s cover.

Here’s how to use the ‘2-inch rule’ yourself and why this compression technique was more effective for me…

What is the seasonal dust mite surge?

"As homes turn on central heating, indoor air dries out,” explains Dr. Du Toit. “While this might sound unfavourable, the rapid temperature drop outdoors combined with sealed windows initially traps high indoor humidity accumulated over summer, creating an optimal breeding surge.”

While this autumn heating surge is most acute across the UK, the northern US and Midwest, anyone shutting up their doors and windows after a humid summer will face some degree of an allergen spike.

"Summer breeding cycles reach maximum population densities by late summer,” continues Dr. Du Toit. “As autumn [Fall] arrives and humidity fluctuates, many mites die off, releasing massive loads of dried faecal allergen particles into the indoor air just as people spend more time indoors with windows closed."

What is the 2-inch rule?

We shed about 500 million dead skin cells every day, and a large portion of those end up in the top layers of our beds. Gross, right?

Glen Needham, a retired professor of entomology at Ohio State University, notes that dust mites populate the top layers of a mattress, beneath the cover, to feed on those delicious flakes of dead skin.

A light surface vacuum that only skims the top of your mattress will capture loose dust, but it won’t dislodge the debris trapped deeper down in the fabric. And that’s what you want to get here.

The ‘2-inch rule’ refers to applying firm, downward pressure of your vacuum’s nozzle to compress the top two inches of your mattress. By flattening it with the nozzle, and creating a tight seal, you’ll be able to pull out embedded skin cells, dead dust mites, and fecal particles. Yep, we’re talking dust mite poop.

What the 2-inch rule doesn't do: It won’t remove live colonies of dust mites as that requires high heat (like steam cleaning or washing bedding at 140°F/60°C) or a specialized UV mattress vacuum.

However the 2-inch rule will remove their food source so the dust mites die off faster. It will also remove dust mite fecal matter and lower the amount you breathe in from your bed each night.

How to use the ‘2-inch rule’ on your mattress

1. Strip the bed

Remove all pillows, bed sheets, and your mattress protector.

Open your bedroom window to help dust and debris escape.

2. Check your vacuum filter

Ensure your cleaner has a sealed HEPA filter. Without HEPA filtration, compressing the mattress will force micro-allergens through the exhaust motor and back into your bedroom.

3. Apply the 2-inch compression technique

Attach your vacuum cleaner’s narrow upholstery tool or brush tool. Press it down firmly into the top of the mattress until you compress the top layer by around 2 inches.

Move the nozzle slowly, in overlapping concentric circles or tight horizontal rows. The downward weight creates that temporary vacuum seal we need against the fabric layer, drawing out deep-set dead skin flakes, debris and allergens.

In my experience, this was easier said than done. Compressing the top layer with one hand while holding down the vacuum in the other, while moving it across the mattress, was a real arm workout.

If your mattress has raised designs like mine (instead of a flatter top surface), this can be a bit tricky. The whole process took me somewhere between 20- 30 minutes.

Pro tip add-on: Sprinkle baking soda on your mattress and leave it for 30-60 minutes before vacuuming. This helps absorb moisture and removes unpleasant odors.

The benefits of this technique

• 1. A cleaner sleep surface
• 2. Reduces allergens
• 3. Helps your mattress last longer

I always notice a significant difference in my first sleep after changing my sheets — it feels fresh and inviting. The night after vacuuming my mattress using the 2-inch rule I felt even better, as I knew I had removed loads of debris, dead mites, and allergens.

I also noticed that my morning congestion wasn’t as bad, but I’d need to repeat this experiment to see if that’s a genuine benefit or just a coincidence.

Vacuuming your mattress can also eliminate any odors and get rid of dust, debris and other particles that can deteriorate the materials which make up the different layers of the bed. We recommend doing it at least every three months.

While we recommend changing your mattress every 7 to 10 years, the better you take care of your bed, the longer you get to enjoy it at its best.

Why are dust mites an issue in mattresses?

Alongside the unpleasant thought of sharing your bed with an army of microscopic critters, dust mites can lead to respiratory complications. According to the American Lung Association, breathing in dust mite waste is one of the biggest indoor triggers for asthma.

The allergens from dust mite waste can also cause a blocked and stuffy nose, a dry cough and excessive sneezing. You might mistaken your symptoms for a cold. However, if you notice they get worse at night, the dust mites in your mattress are likely to blame.

How to protect your mattress from dust mites

You can't stop dust mites from building up in your mattress, but you can regularly vacuum your bed to remove their food source and lower the amount of allergens in your mattress.

Vacuuming, as I’ve explained above, is one way to do this. But the golden rule for keeping dust mites under control is to always use a mattress protector.

Not only are these designed to safeguard your mattress from spills and stains, they also act as an additional barrier between you and dust mites.

As a bedding tester, I’ve also come across mattress protectors that are treated to be antimicrobial, which can be a great bonus if you’re prone to allergies. Confused about where to start looking? Our best mattress protectors guide lists options tested and rated by our in-house reviewers for their quality, waterproofness and overall performance.

I recently had a chat with a client who complained of tight hips and said he was trying to stretch more often. I asked him if he does any mobility routines in his own time outside of training, and he said no. Just a week later, he started appearing in my online group mobility classes and said he couldn't believe how much harder it feels than "just stretching."

That's because building flexible muscles and mobile joints isn't about sitting in a cross-legged position or touching your toes; it's about combining strength, balance, control and stability, moving your body and increasing range of motion.

Recently, I traveled to Greece for work and was both short on time and desperate for time alone in the gym. So, I put together a short hip mobility routine that acted as a dynamic warm-up before some quick treadmill sprints. Below, I show you how to do them and why. I recommend one of the best yoga mats before getting started.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, or you're currently pregnant or postnatal, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises.

Watch: Your next dynamic warm-up is here

The routine: 50 seconds on, 10 seconds off, 3 rounds. Add or reduce the number of rounds if you prefer.

• Seated knee drives: Sit on a yoga mat with your legs in front of you. Come down onto your elbows with your back straight and gaze ahead. One at a time, draw a knee toward your chest with control, pause, then slowly lower the leg again. Add a band around your feet or above both knees for added intensity and resistance. Why? Your hip flexors assist with lifting your legs, so this move will help activate and strengthen them, plus your deeper stabilizing core muscles will also wake up. Runners can really benefit from this move.
• Up and overs: Sit with your legs in front of you and place a block or weight to one side. Place your hands by your hips for support or behind your head for an extra challenge. Engage your core and draw your navel in, keeping your chest proud and back straight. Lift your legs up and over the blocks, then back again. Slightly rotate as you move, engaging your waist. Why: I use this move to activate my core and ensure my hip flexors aren't taking over a core-based movement. It prepares your hips and abs for movement.
• Overhead squats: Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and raise your arms overhead, pulling your shoulders back and down. Engage your core, sit your hips back and lower into a squat, keeping your arms punched overhead with your biceps close to your ears. At the bottom of the squat, pause, then drive up through your legs to stand. Imagine you're holding a tray of champagne above your head that you don't want to spill. Why? OH squats train thoracic and lower-body mobility, strengthen the legs and activate your core and shoulders. Add a weight or block for more resistance.

What are the benefits?

Sometimes I feel like I spend 80% of my life talking about hips, but they really are an important and often neglected muscle group worth talking about, so I will continue to talk about them.

The up-and-over exercise is technically a core exercise, and it targets the obliques, abs and deeper core muscles like the transverse abdominis and the stabilizing hip flexors. Rotational motion is an effective way to strengthen your waist, which will help your body resist unwanted motion and impact.

Knee drives focus on activating the muscles used for lifting the knees, as you would when running or climbing. Using a band is particularly useful as your muscles must move against the force of the band to produce movement. I find this supportive exercise helpful if I have been sitting at a desk for too long during my working day.

Finally, overhead squats. Ask anyone on the street to perform an overhead squat for you, and I'd say 7/10 people won't be able to keep their arms lifted overhead. More often, the chest travels forward, and the arms end up parallel to the ground. It's not just a shoulder mobility issue; it can be thoracic, meaning upper body, or even lower body, meaning the hips, knees, or ankles. Squats will train your lower body, but overhead squats will make your upper body work hard so that you can shelve load in an upright position.

Control these movements and start with your bodyweight before adding bands or weights. You have plenty of time to progress through the exercises as you get stronger.

Always focus on finding length through your spine and keep your chest proud. If you struggle to engage your core properly during workouts, learn this 5-minute bracing routine first.

Give these a try, and let us know how you get on in the comments.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

More from Tom's Guide

• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
• I’m a personal trainer who works with clients aged 65+ daily. Here are the 2 exercises I always recommend when it comes to building mobility and balance
• A Pilates instructor shares a 6-move routine for over-60s to build balance, mobility and functional core strength

You don’t have to burn a hole in your pocket to get strong performance, and the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W proves it. The 15 HX B14W is excellent for casual gaming, thanks to its 165Hz refresh rate, and it’s good for productivity, too, with strong performance across the benchmark board. Its design is subtle while the build quality is solid. I also love the wide color coverage and accuracy, and all of these things come together to deliver one of the best budget laptops.

But few things in life are perfect, and the 15 HX B14W isn’t one of them. Its screen is a little dim, even at peak brightness, and it appears slightly washed out. Battery life is nothing to write home about either.

Should you still buy it? Read my full MSI Katana 15 HX B14W review to find out.

MSI Katana 15 HX B14W review: Specs

MSI Katana 15 HX B14W review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A budget gaming laptop with a 15.6-inch QHD display and 165Hz refresh rate
• Who is it for? Casual gamers on a budget
• How much does it cost? The MSI Katana 15 HX B14W starts at $1,284 / £1,299
• What do we like? The QHD display’s color coverage and accuracy, strong gaming and everyday performance on a budget, and the subtle design
• What don’t we like? The dim display, and short battery life

MSI Katana 15 HX B14W review: The ups

There’s a lot to love about the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W. It sports a subtle design, its color rendition is fantastic, and it boasts strong performance across gaming and productivity. Oh, and it doesn’t cost a lot either.

Subtle design, solid build

I’ll be honest: I’m not a huge fan of loud laptops laden with RGB lighting on their lids to tell the world that you are, in fact, a Gamer with a capital G. The MSI Katana 15 HX B14W keeps things low-key and subtle with its inconspicuous design. Branding’s limited to the MSI dragon on the lid, which is black and blends in with the laptop’s all-black design. Though the laptop is made entirely of plastic, it doesn’t feel cheap, tacky or too plasticky. The matte finish is lovely, and feels great to slide your fingers across (don’t look at me like that, you’ve done it, too).

The 15 HX B14W packs a 15.6-inch QHD non-touch screen, so the laptop measures 14.13 x 10.31 x 1 inches. It’s slightly bigger than the Alienware 16X Aurora ($2,499) and the HyperX Omen 15 ($1,099), also 15- and 16-inch laptops. While it isn’t as compact as, say, a 13-inch MacBook Air M5 ($1,099), the 15 HX B14W slides into most backpacks, and at 5.29lbs, I had no issues carrying it to and from work.

The 15 HX B14W’s design is as practical as it’s good-looking. There are plenty of ports for hooking up keyboards, mice, headsets, and other peripherals. All the ports are located along the left and right edges instead of ‘round the back, like on the Alienware 16X Aurora or the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI ($1,699). On the left, you’ll find two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, and a third is located on the right, along with USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 / DisplayPort, HDMI 2.1 and ethernet ports. There’s also a 3.5mm jack for headphones and external microphones.

Beautiful QHD display

There’s no point in spending money — regardless of the amount — on a laptop that doesn’t feature a stunning display. Thankfully, the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W does, and it’s a joy to look at, work on, and play your favorite games on. Its 15.6-inch QHD screen has a resolution of 2560 x 1440, and it has a refresh rate of 165Hz which, for casual gamers, should suffice.

I’ll discuss the 15 HX B14W’s gaming performance in detail shortly, though, and for now, I’d like to talk about the vivid screen. Whether I was gaming or watching videos on YouTube, I thoroughly enjoyed the color rendition. The 15 HX B14W does a great job of displaying deep, rich blues and reds, inky blacks, and textured pastels. I felt immersed in the games I played and the videos I watched on YouTube.

It’s important to note that the 15 HX B14W doesn’t come with an OLED screen, regardless of the configuration, and if an OLED display is a necessity for you, I’d recommend the HyperX Omen 15 or the Alienware 16 Area-51 ($2,529).

Even though it doesn’t feature an OLED panel, the 15 HX B14W goes above and beyond when it comes to color coverage and accuracy. In my lab testing, the 15 HX B14W covered 151.3% of the sRGB color space and 107.1% of the wider DCI P3 gamut. MSI’s offering trumps nearly all of its competitors, barring the HyperX Omen 15. At 151.3% sRGB coverage, colors don’t appear oversaturated, nor do they carry a neon effect.

Alongside wide color coverage, you’re also getting superb color accuracy. The 15 HX B14W achieved a Delta-E score of 0.07. Delta-E is basically a numerical representation of how much two colors differ, and the closer the score to zero, the better. The 15 HX B14W 0.07 score means that colors displayed on its screen are as accurate as they can be. It also upstages its competitors, as you can see above. The differences are fairly negligible, though.

Strong performance across the board

For a gaming laptop that costs under $1,500, the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W puts in a strong performance across the board. This depends on the configuration you settle for, of course, but my review unit didn’t let me down, regardless of what I did on the laptop. It came fitted with an Intel Core i7 14650HX CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 graphics card, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

Running multiple applications, having over 20 tabs open in Microsoft Edge, and having Steam running in the background wasn’t an issue for the 15 HX B14W. I didn’t experience any unresponsiveness or lag, but it should be noted that its fans can get quite loud. Thankfully, I didn’t experience any overheating. The same can’t be said for the similarly priced Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI, which I was benchmarking at the same time as the 15 HX B14W. The Neo 16 AI’s fans, air ducts and keyboard got quite hot, in comparison.

After using the laptop for a while, I benchmarked the 15 HX B14W to see how it fared against its rivals. On Geekbench 7, which tests overall CPU performance, the 15 HX B14W pulled in a solid multi-core score of 16,584, outclassing the HyperX Omen 15 and the MacBook Neo ($699) — though the latter is underpowered and is more of a productivity-focused notebook. That’s still respectable for a budget gaming laptop. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI takes the crown here, with an impressive multi-core score of 23,100.

I then conducted our Handbrake video editing test, which transcodes a 4K video to 1080P, and the 15 HX B14W did so in three minutes and 24 seconds. That’s on par with the HyperX Omen 15 and the Alienware 16X Aurora. The 15 HX B14W also blows past both the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air M5. Well played, MSI.

Last but not least, I ran the SSD BlackMagic Disk Speed to measure the 15 HX B14W’s write and read speeds. Again, the 15 HX B14W performed decently here, with 3,490 write and 3,902 read speeds (both measured in MBps). That’s solid SSD performance for a laptop that starts at $1,284 / £1,299. In everyday use, the 15 HX B14W didn’t give me much to complain about. The laptop booted up in seconds, as did applications, and transferring files from one folder to another was quick, too. This is an excellent everyday laptop for those on a budget.

Excellent for gaming

The MSI Katana 15 HX B14W is a powerful and competent gaming laptop, boasting a 165Hz refresh rate and the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series graphic cards. At its native resolution of 2560 x 1440 and thanks to DLSS 4.5, running the best Steam games without any issues is a walk in the park for the 15 HX B14W. Visuals are nothing short of stunning, and as I mentioned earlier, there’s no unresponsiveness or jittering.

I ran a few in-game benchmark tests to see how the 15 HX B14W fared, and it performed formidably. Counter-Strike 2 ran comfortably at 159fps, close to the laptop’s 165Hz refresh rate. This didn’t come as a surprise to me as Counter-Strike 2 isn’t the most demanding game — so how did the 15 HX B14W perform in more challenging titles?

Pretty well, actually! With the highest graphics settings enabled in Forza Horizon 5, the in-game benchmark reported an average framerate of 54fps. F1 25, on the other hand, ran at 30fps in Ultra High (lifelike) graphics mode. Both games are extremely system-hungry and intensive, but I didn’t experience any lag or issues when playing them.

All three framerates were recorded with the resolution set to 1440P, and you’re bound to get even better fps at 1080P, if it’s raw performance you’re after. The 15 HX B14W holds its own against the likes of the HyperX Omen 15. For a budget laptop, the 15 HX B14W really doesn’t let you down.

Reasonably priced

If you’re a casual gamer or even a student on a budget, the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W is one of the best gaming laptops you can buy today. Though not without its faults (more on that shortly), this is still a formidable notebook that delivers without breaking the bank. The 15 HX B14W starts at $1,284 at Best Buy U.S. / £1,299 at Currys U.K. This basic configuration features NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 graphics card, 16GB memory, and a 512GB SSD.

Unlike the Alienware 16X Aurora whose price skyrockets the more you add to it, the 15 HX B14W’s topline configuration doesn’t leave a hole in your pocket. Priced at $1,999 at Best Buy U.S. / £1,799 at Currys U.K., it packs an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 32GB memory, and a 1TB SSD. It’s worth keeping an eye out for discounts, too, especially during Black Friday sales.

The 15 HX B14W is also cheaper than some of its primary competition, like the Alienware 16X Aurora ($2,499), the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI ($1,699), and the Alienware 16 Area-51 ($2,529).

MSI Katana 15 HX B14W review: The downs

There isn’t a lot wrong with the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W, but it’s worth noting that its screen isn’t the brightest, and battery life is short.

Not the brightest display

Though the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W boasts excellent color coverage and accuracy (as discussed earlier), its panel isn’t the brightest. It appears slightly washed out and dim. My lab tests confirmed the Katana 15 HX B14W’s poor performance, especially against its competitors.

In my lab testing, the Katana 15 HX B14W reached a peak brightness of just 262.2 nits which is pretty poor, bluntly put. All of its competitors outperform it — by a mile, at least. The similarly priced Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI has a peak brightness of 520.8 nits, while even the cheaper MacBook Neo is almost twice as bright.

Even with the brightness turned all the way up, I struggled to see the screen properly under bright office lights, and with sunlight coming through the windows right behind my chair in the office. I found my four-year-old MacBook Air M2 ($1,099) brighter than the 15 HW B14W — it reached a peak brightness of 495 nits in our lab tests!

Short-ish battery life

Gaming laptops, especially those that don’t cost a fortune, aren’t always known for their long battery life. Most of them need to be kept plugged in constantly if you’re playing intensive games, like Cyberpunk 2077 or Forza Horizon 6. The MSI Katana 15 HX B14W is no different. Its battery life is nothing to write home about.

In our in-house battery test where the laptop continuously browses the web and streams videos with brightness set to just 150 nits, the 15 HX B14W lasted five hours and nine minutes. Not great, given that all it was doing was pretty light work. When playing Cyberpunk 2077, I got a low battery notification after just over an hour.

While neither of those figures are good, it’s important to note that other gaming laptops struggle just as much. The Alienware 16X Aurora, for instance, is pricier than the 15 HX B14W and lasts just a minute over three hours. The HyperX Omen 15 enables you to surf the web for nearly nine hours on a single charge, but gaming quickly drops to 45 minutes, according to our real-world testing.

You can see other competitors’ battery performance in the table above. The 15 HX B14W, then, isn’t an anomaly, and its short runtime isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker.

MSI Katana 15 HX B14W review: Verdict

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed testing the MSI Katana 15 HX B14W for gaming and work. Its 165Hz refresh rate delivers smooth motion across video games, while the CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series GPU ensure responsiveness and speed. You also get exceptional color coverage and accuracy, making the 15 HX B14W fit for watching movies and photo editing.

While the 15 HX B14W doesn’t feature the brightest screen or the longest battery life, they aren’t dealbreakers. You’re still getting a competent gaming laptop that doesn’t break the bank while delivering stunning visuals. For students going back to school, casual gamers on a budget, and everyone else in between, the 15 HX B14W easily warrants a recommendation.

As someone who reviews tech for a living, I have more of an early adopter mindset when it comes to gadgets, which means I sometimes overlook little quirks because overall, this new piece of tech is just so darn cool.

However, I’m not like most people, which is why my wife plays a crucial role with any smart home tech I bring home to test. She’s far more skeptical than I am, and less tolerant of those little idiosyncrasies. Her mindset is: do we really need this in our home?

It’s a welcome reality check to my enthusiasm and has helped me become a much better product reviewer over the years.

For example, I once installed the Brilliant smart light switch in our dining room that had a touchscreen instead of a physical button. In addition to turning on the lights, you could also control music playback, talk to Alexa, and even use it as an intercom and a mini digital picture frame. But to turn the lights on and off manually, you had to tap the screen, then slide your fingers up or down.

That little extra bit of effort — plus the fact that it didn’t always respond when you tapped it — drove her crazy. She hated it “with the fury hot as a thousand suns” whenever it wouldn’t respond properly to touch. “I want to walk into a room and flick my hand without thinking or stopping and know that I will be able to see,” she said. Plus, these switches cost $299 each when we tested them; they're now $599.

I ultimately swapped it out for another smart light switch (one from Lutron), which has a physical control, and it also let me set up a wireless switch on the other side of the room without calling an electrician. I haven’t heard a complaint since.

Another thing that drove her bonkers was a $2,000 in-home robot that was more or less an iPad on wheels. It stood about four feet tall, rolled around, and was designed to follow you around, so that you could carry on video calls throughout your house. Not only was it huge, but it freaked out the dog and was terrifying to our then 3-year-old daughter.

“I thought that it would perhaps be a decent option for someone who had certain mobility deficiencies,” she said, “but why would it be necessary for anyone with typical motor skills?”

It quickly got boxed up and shipped out. I think it’s safe to say that any future robot that comes into our house will have a very high bar to clear. “If I’d been given a choice, it would have met the same fate as the printer in ‘Office Space',” she said.

You can forget about smart speakers — Alexa, Google, and Siri have all been banished to my attic office. We only ever really used them for turning our lights on and asking them to play music, and the idea that a device was always listening was unsettling.

Tech that I have brought home that she likes is things that just work with no fuss and disappear into the background. The aforementioned light switches, for instance. There are a few scattered throughout the house that are smart, in that I can set them to turn on and off on a schedule and connect them to smart assistants, but outwardly, they look just like any other non-smart switch.

One of her favorite items I’ve brought home was the Luma Indoor Composter. “It’s saved me from being swarmed by flies every time I open the barrel composter (which had been chewed through by an enterprising rat),” she said. “We’ve significantly reduced food waste and have done a great job feeding our garden with a dramatically expedited timeline. Sometimes it smells a little earthy in the kitchen while it’s on, but we just use it at night to avoid that problem.”

Sadly, the composter no longer appears to be in stock, but the model we have is still going strong two years later.

Holiday decorations are a winner. “We’ve had some fun Christmas lights which have a variety of themes we can wrap around our tree,” she said. “Want candlelight without worrying about setting the house on fire? How about an ombré rainbow one night and Chanukah blue and white the next (for the pizza bagel households like ours)? We can have all that and more without having to disturb a single ornament.”

The Alexa-enabled Big Mouth Billy Bass? Not so much.

It can be easy to get swept up in hyperbolic marketing claims and shiny new features; who doesn’t want a phone that can take better pictures, or a refrigerator that knows when you’re running out of milk? But as my wife proves, if those smart devices can’t smoothly replicate the dumb devices they’re replacing, then they’re not very smart at all.

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“Reacher” is not the best show ever made. It’s not even the best show on the air currently. I sometimes cringe when Reacher drops a cheesy, sarcastic line like “They didn’t say the magic word” or “They broke my toothbrush.”

What I can proclaim is that “Reacher” might be one of the few shows that understands the assignment. Through four seasons, it has mastered the action formula so well that it's one of the most enjoyable shows on television.

Fans just got more of the Reacherverse in “Neagley,” the spinoff series centered around Maria Sten’s Francis Neagley. And so far through the first half of the season, “Neagley” also understands the assignment.

'Reacher' believes in KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid

In the Reacherverse, simplicity is perfection. Jack Reacher, played by Alan Ritchson, is a drifter who fights for those who can’t defend themselves and delivers justice when he deems it necessary. His form of justice usually involves his fists, so the authorities typically have to look away since it’s not always legal.

Like P.A.C.E. in the excellent “Rebel Ridge,” “Reacher” is a show that believes in acronyms. The acronym you need to worry about right now is KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. So many shows abandon what works and try to reinvent the wheel, leading to poorly received seasons later in a series’ run. “The Walking Dead,” “Arrested Development,” and “Killing Eve” delivered excellent initial seasons before driving full speed off a cliff during later seasons.

It’s certainly an oversimplification of the plot and the show’s core mystery at the center of every season. However, I don’t think my synopsis is too far off from what happened to Reacher in Georgia, New York/New Jersey, Maine, and Philadelphia.

“Reacher” reminds me of a cop or medical show that runs in prime time on broadcast television. There might be a few surprises along the way, but for the most part, it’s a similar plot every season, featuring the same protagonists battling new antagonists.

And you know what? That is a tried-and-true method that has worked for 50 years, and it will likely work for 50 more as long as AI hasn’t replaced us yet.

Escapism at its finest

I don’t watch “Reacher” to be lectured about the world. I can turn on the news or listen to a podcast if I want to check in on current events. That’s not to say “Reacher” is apolitical. It may not deliberately pick a side, but the show revolves around an old-school lawman who distrusts politicians and the government. When the system fails, Reacher takes matters into his own hands. That’s not how our world works, but there’s satisfaction in watching a TV show about a guy who walks around with his toothbrush, solving problems with his fists.

“Reacher” is my perfect form of escapism. All you have to think about is the mystery. Who is responsible for this wrongdoing, and who will Reacher have to kill to get answers? Simple enough. I don’t need to spend hours on Reddit learning about the Targaryen family lineage in “House of the Dragon” or reading about the physics of parallel universes in “Dark Matter.”

That is unnecessary in “Reacher.” In season 1, Jack Reacher is arrested for murder upon arrival in Margrave, Georgia. Reacher must find out who framed him for murder and get to the bottom of this conspiracy. It's short, sweet, and to the point.

You know what else is good about escapism? You can suspend disbelief during the action sequences. Reacher is a more athletic version of Paul Bunyan who happens to be awesome at hand-to-hand combat. Reacher never loses a fight, but unlike Vin Diesel in the "Fast & Furious" saga, Ritchson is willing to take some damage to give off the illusion that he might be defeated.

Reacher will pull rabbits out of a hat every episode. You just have to accept it. In Season 3, Reacher somehow became an Olympic swimmer and pulled off an ocean swim despite heavy currents. Hang off a helicopter? Reacher does it with ease. Kicking a car to set off an airbag? No problem. Yet I find myself the most offended by Reacher’s innate ability to sprint in boots. He’d beat Usain Bolt in a race if both had to wear Timberland boots.

'Neagley' looks to carry the torch

If you ever wanted to see a female version of “Reacher,” you'll get that with “Neagley.” The series revolves around Francis Neagley, a security professional who served with Reacher in the Army. She’s likely Reacher’s only friend, too.

While working as a private investigator in Chicago, Neagley gets pulled into a mysterious case that ends with the death of her childhood friend. Neagley teams up with a local detective (Greyston Holt) to investigate an enigmatic cult that likely played a hand in the death of her friend.

I’ve seen half the episodes, and if you feared that “Neagley” wouldn’t deliver, think again. It still hits the same beats of a “Reacher” episode: Neagley fights the bad guys, though she prefers to shoot a gun over hand-to-hand combat. She pulls rabbits out of her hat and constantly gets out of impossible situations. However, the show explores more of Neagley’s backstory, including her haphephobia.

“Reacher” and “Neagley” are television done right. Sign me up for double-digit seasons.

Watch "Reacher" and "Neagley" on Prime Video.

The popular Fitbit Air is one of the best fitness trackers of 2026 thanks to its wallet-friendly price tag, reliable tracking, and simple-to-use design. However, it’s far from the only affordable, screen- and subscription-free fitness tracker out there.

I’m currently reviewing the Luna Band, a device I initially got hands-on back in January at CES in Las Vegas, and then again in early September at IFA in Berlin.

The Luna Band is a direct competitor to not just the Fitbit Air but also the Garmin Cirqa, and notably splits the difference, cost-wise, between the two. Feature-wise, all three trackers promise no-fuss insights into your daily movement, workouts, sleep quality, and overall well-being.

I’ve already covered the key differences between the Luna Band and Garmin Cirqa. Here are the five most important things to know when comparing the Luna Band vs. Fitbit Air.

1. The Luna Band is $50 pricier

When it comes to price, the Fitbit Air has the Luna Band beat. Google’s screenless tracker starts at just $99, while the Luna Band is $149. That said, the latter is still a better bargain than the $199 Garmin Cirqa.

2. But none of Luna’s features are paywalled

While the Fitbit Air is less expensive upfront compared to the Luna Band, in the long run, the Google tracker might end up costing you more.

Unlike the higher-end Whoop 5.0, neither the Garmin Cirqa nor the Fitbit Air nor the Luna Band require you to sign up for a subscription to use basic features. However, both Garmin and Google paywall some of the more advanced features behind a monthly/annual cost.

For example, access to Google Health Premium for the Fitbit Air is $9.99 a month or $99 for the year. Meanwhile, the Garmin Connect+ plan is $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually.

Luna takes a different approach, as noted numerous times on the Luna Band product page: All of the Luna Band’s features, including personalized AI insights, are subscription-free for the life of the device.

3. The Luna Band has better battery life

The Luna Band also has a higher battery life rating than the Fitbit Air: up to ten days per charge — the same as Garmin Cirqa — versus seven days per charge for the Google wearable. That said, I’ve personally verified the claims of the Fitbit and Garmin, but not the Luna Band, so stay tuned for real-world verification.

4. But the Fitbit Air is smaller and lighter

Of these three trackers, the Fitbit Air is by far the lightest and most comfortable, thanks in part to a narrower strap and more compact tracking tech. In terms of weight, the Fitbit Air clocks in at just ~14 g, compared to ~26 g for the Luna Band; the Garmin Cirqa weighs ~22 g.

5. The Luna Band uses haptic feedback to deliver notifications

While both the Fitbit Air and Luna Band support haptic feedback, on-device vibrations are a much bigger part of the user experience for the latter. For example, the Fitbit Air only buzzes when you set a “Smart Alarm” to wake you up via haptics at an optimal time in your sleep cycle. That’s basically it.

On the Luna Band, users can set the device to vibrate for health alerts, notifications, and alarms. Haptics can also be set to automatically “nudge” you throughout the day to stand up and/or move around.

What are your thoughts on the Luna Band? Would you consider purchasing one over the competition? Moreover, which 2026 screenless fitness tracker do you like the most? Let me know below.

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Exactly two years on from the release of the AirPods 4 ANC, there's a new cheap earbud in town: the AirPods 5. And, oh boy, are the newest earbuds even cheaper. At just $124/$149 (standard case vs wireless charging case), the AirPods 5 are actually the most inexpensive AirPods ever released.

And the best part? The AirPods 5 have ANC as standard. No paying $50 for ANC this time around; the $124 AirPods come with the feature as standard. Sure, there's a "premium" and "budget" model — the $124 standard charging case version has an hour less battery than the $149 wireless charging case — but this is pretty negligible in the grand scheme of things.

But should you upgrade if you have the AirPods 4 ANC? What are the differences between the AirPods 5 and AirPods 4? I've got all the answers and more. Spoiler alert: I genuinely think the AirPods 5 are some of the best cheap earbuds on the market right now.

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 ANC: Specs compared

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 ANC: Price

While the AirPods 4 ANC are technically discontinued, you can still purchase them at Amazon U.S., Best Buy, and Walmart. Currently, they're discounted to $149 down from the MSRP of $179, which is still a whopping $20 pricier than the brand-new AirPods 5.

There are a few different versions of the AirPods 4 ANC and AirPods 5, so I'll quickly walk you through them.

The AirPods 4 come with and without ANC. The non-ANC version are $99, while the ANC version are $149 (discounted).

The AirPods 5 come with either a standard charging case or a wireless charging case, $124 and $149 at Amazon, respectively. Both versions have ANC as standard.

This is a huge step in the right direction, and I know I'm not the only person happy with Apple's switch-up. Charging $50 extra for ANC in 2026 is audacious. Of course, the AirPods 5 still have a "basic" and "premium" version, but this is in the form of a wireless or wired charging case, so it's much more palatable — and the price difference is only $20.

Winner: AirPods 5

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 ANC: Design & features

As Apple's "entry-level" earbuds, neither the AirPods 5 nor the AirPods 4 ANC can hold a candle to the AirPods Pro 3 in terms of features. Even so, the AirPods 4/5 offer a different design than the Pro 3 that some might find more comfortable. That being said, if you struggle with silicone ear tips, you'll be much better off with the 5 or 4.

But how do you choose between 5 and 4? Appearance-wise, the 4 and 5 are pretty identical. Both have the plain stem design we're familiar with, and both are relatively small. Both stay in my ears well enough, but aren't as snug as the Pro 3.

The AirPods 4 ANC and AirPods 5 wireless charging cases are noticeably tiny. They're just 0.8 inches thick and 1.8 inches wide, and weigh just 1.2 ounces.

The AirPods 5 have volume swipe, which is a much-loved addition.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the AirPods 5 durability now matches the AirPods Pro 3. While both AirPods 4 models were just IP54-rated, the IP57 rating on the 5 means the earbuds/charging case can survive underwater for around half an hour, as opposed to mere splashes.

In theory, you could fall in a pool with the AirPods 5 in your pocket, and they'd survive.

Physical features aside, both the AirPods 4 ANC and the AirPods 5 have Apple's flagship H2 audio chip. But what does this actually mean in real life? What can these earbuds actually do?

In short, they have access to sophisticated Siri integration. You can ask your earbuds complex things like "Hey Siri, what did John just text me?" or "Hey Siri, play XYZ track right now".

The AirPods 4 ANC and 5 also have Live Translation, which was one of the standout features of Apple Intelligence. Of course, you need an AI-enabled iPhone to use AI features.

Even so, many AirPods 4 and AirPods 5 features are identical. Take a look at this.

The big glaring issue with both earbuds are their support for the Bluetooth 5.3 standard. Yes, one of the biggest tech brands in the world — if not the biggest — is releasing earbuds in the grand old 2026 with Bluetooth 5.3. This Bluetooth version came out in 2021. Samsung released its entry-level Galaxy Buds 4 with Bluetooth 6.0.

In real terms, this means the AirPods 5 might not be as reliable as earbuds with 6.0, and they don't have as large a range. You'd be able to get further away from your Samsung buds before they disconnect.

However, both the AirPods 4 ANC (2024) and AirPods 5 (2026) have Bluetooth 5.3, but because the 4 are older, I'm more forgiving. Apple, please do not release the AirPods Pro 4 or AirPods 6 with Bluetooth 5.3.

Even so, the AirPods 4 and 5 have all the same Apple ecosystem integration. This is seamless, and I have nothing bad to say about this. It's the main reason why I can't quit my AirPods.

Winner: AirPods 5.

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 ANC: Sound quality

This might be a somewhat controversial opinion: I don't think the AirPods 4 ANC sound good. At all.

The treble tends to err on the side of "tinny", and some percussion feels metallic and overly crisp. While the bass sounds controlled and confidently handled, this is upset by the lack of warmth in the treble.

Consequently, I'm not a huge fan of the AirPods 4 ANC. Even though they're the entry-level AirPods, and therefore I'm not holding them to the same standard as AirPods Pro 2/3, there are cheaper earbuds that actually sound better.

But the AirPods 5 are completely different. Bass is more controlled and elegant, while there's no unpleasant tinniness in the treble. "Punishers" by Die Spitz is an atmospheric rock track with soft female vocals and all-encompassing bass. Every layer of this track sounded clear on the AirPods 5, whereas the AirPods 4 pushed the bass back and made the rolling guitars sound a little crunchy.

This is true in pop and electronic genres, too. "Space Cadet" by sim0ne balanced the immersive synth motifs with the sped-up vocals excellently, and the hyperspeed DnB-tinged percussion didn't overpower the piano notes. When I listened with the AirPods 4, the higher-frequency synths and some of the snare drum effects were a little tinny.

Winner: AirPods 5

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 ANC: ANC

ANC on the AirPods 4 is merely fine. I could still hear myself typing; I could hear general office sounds like moving chairs and a particularly overloaded gaming laptop.

ANC on the AirPods 5 is slightly better, but only slightly. I could still hear myself typing, as well as office conversations. While walking around the city, most ambient sound was minimized, but I could still make out high-frequency sounds like laughter and squawking seagulls.

So, while the AirPods 5 cinch this round, neither are groundbreaking ANC-wise. For that, you'd need earbuds with a silicone ear tip.

Winner: AirPods 5

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 ANC: Call quality

Call quality on both the AirPods 4 ANC and AirPods 5 is excellent. At this point in the wireless earbud life cycle, you can safely assume all big-name earbuds will have great call quality.

When testing the AirPods 4 ANC and the AirPods 5, my voice was clear and audible, even while walking through busy city streets. One wasn't better than the other — both are tip-top.

Winner: Draw

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 ANC: Battery

The AirPods 4 ANC have just 4 hours of listening time with ANC (up to 20 hours with the case). Yes, 4 hours. No, that's not a typo.

It pains me to write this, but the AirPods 5 also have just 4 hours of listening time (20 hours with the case). The wireless charging case version offers 5/30 hours. This is simply not good enough in 2026.

When much, much smaller brands (EarFun) offer 8 hours with ANC on $99 earbuds, this discrepancy can't help but sting. Sure, the AirPods 5 may be running more power-intensive features, but the EarFun Air Pro 4+ can do everything the AirPods 5 can, and more. AI live translation? Yes. Lossless Bluetooth playback? Yes. Strong ANC? Yes.

In the future, I'd like to see Apple go for 6 hours as the bare, bare minimum.

Winner: Draw

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 ANC: Verdict

There is zero competition here. You should definitely get the AirPods 5 over the AirPods 4.

For starters, the AirPods 4 (even on sale) are actually more expensive than the AirPods 5. If that hasn't convinced you, I don't know what will.

Secondly, the AirPods 5 sound so much better. There's zero tinniness, more control across the low end, and more liveliness in the treble. In short, they're just better to listen to. The AirPods 5 sound more like AirPods Pro 3 than the AirPods 4.

Without a doubt, you should grab the AirPods 5. This is the upgrade we've been waiting for.

AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4 ANC: Ratings scorecard

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I have a confession to make: When I first saw the iPhone Duo announced at September’s ‘Surprise and shine’ keynote, I was happy to see Apple enter the foldable market — but I wasn’t entirely sold on the device.

My limited experience with various Android foldables has been positive — but it’s always left me feeling like I’d rather pair a small regular phone with a mini tablet instead of having them sandwiched together. So I went into a brief hands-on demo with the iPhone Duo this week with a healthy amount of skepticism. And of course I’m going to reserve full judgment for when Tom’s Guide can test and review the device properly — but three things immediately stood out to me after spending a half hour with Apple's $1,999 handset.

These were things you just don’t appreciate when you look at pictures or watch videos of the device; you need to hold it in your hand to really appreciate them. And I’m not talking about the crease.

The weighting is perfect

In an effort to make folding phones as thin and light as possible when folded, I’ve noticed they sometimes feel too flimsy when unfolded. Case in point is last year's Oppo Find N5, which is the foldable I've spent the most time with and measures just 4.21mm when open (8.93mm thick when folded) and weighs 229 grams (8.07 ounces).

The iPhone Duo, by comparison, is 5.2mm when open and weighs 254 grams (8.96 ounces). If your first instinct is to shudder and recoil because thinner and lighter is always better, then I’m here to tell you it’s not the case when you hold the device in your hand.

Part of the reason I like using a tablet is that there’s some degree of heft and chunk that you can actually grip onto when you’re reading, sketching or watching something. Not enough to make your arm sore, of course, but enough to make it feel like you’re holding something that won’t snap in half. The iPhone Duo nails that balance perfectly, and it was super reassuring the second I picked it up off the display table.

The matte display rocks

I’m not going to talk about the crease (yes there is one, and yes, you can see it if you look closely) or the animation, but what was really cool about the Duo’s inner display was the Nano-texture finish. It gives it this epic level of matte quality that Apple says is scratch-resistant and 40 percent stiffer than the competition.

My use case for foldable phones is chiefly about productivity — for my sins I look at spreadsheets more than Netflix movies while commuting — and the Duo’s inner display is so easy on the eyes I couldn’t help but feel it’d be perfect for this. Reflective glare from aggressive overhead lighting is expertly muted by this matte texture for readability and functionality.

If you want to read ebooks, or when you come to use an Apple Pencil to sketch or take notes, I’m convinced the decision to go matte will make this a quality experience.

It’s a fingerprint magnet

Okay, this isn’t exactly a positive point, but I need to make it anyway. The iPhone Duo comes in two shades: Star White and Night Sky. And the latter seemed — to me, at least — a fingerprint magnet. In all the images, you’re likely to see the finely polished Ceramic Shield back looking flawless. And it does... until you start pawing at it with greasy fingers. For what it's worth, I didn’t notice this as much on the Star White colorway.

It seems petty to dunk on such a well-engineered device for something so trivial, especially since Apple has achieved an IP68 protection rating. That means it's safe against both water and dust and (as with the weight example above) this really does feel like a durable device in the hand. If you're one of the people who wraps their iPhone up in a case anyway, then you can completely ignore this entire point.

Bottom line

There is, of course, way more to unpack with the iPhone Duo when it hits the market in October. And I have more thoughts on things like the camera performance and iOS 27 that I’ll write up if and when I get more time with it. But the points above were just what sprung instantly to mind the minute I picked it up. If you want more, read my colleague Mark’s in-depth hands-on with the Duo following his experience with it at Apple Park.

But from my very brief time with it, my takeaway is that Apple’s long-awaited entry into the foldable phone category has arrived in style. Everything from the feeling of snapping it shut to the way the passport-style form factor nestles into your palm is sublime. There’s certainly a high price of entry, but after using the iPhone Duo myself, I think a lot of people will be willing to pay it once they actually get to experience it in their own hands.

Let me know what your thoughts are about the iPhone Duo in the comments below. Are you interested in trying one, or are you happy with a regular, non-folding phone? I’d love to hear from you.

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There is nothing quite as puzzling as finding a random, messy clump of leaves crammed beneath your shed ramp or behind stacked boxes in your garage. Most homeowners assume a stray cat, rat, or squirrel is making a mess on their property, reaching straight for the broom to sweep it away and block off the gap.

Before clearing it out, take a closer look. That unsung leaf pile might not be random yard debris at all. It could be a temporary den built by an opossum. Unlike birds or mice, North America's only native marsupials build nests that look completely different from other common yard critters.

Once you know what to look for, you can stop worrying about structural damage and recognize that you simply have a temporary guest taking shelter for a few days.

What an opossum nest actually looks like

Unlike birds that weave intricate cups or squirrels that build neat dreys high in trees, opossums build simple, un-woven dens designed purely for short-term insulation.

An opossum nest looks like a tight, compressed bundle of yard debris stuffed firmly into a cavity. It lacks any neat architectural pattern, often resembling a simple pile of swept-up leaves.

They primarily gather dry leaves, fallen grass, twigs, and shredded bark. In suburban areas, they will also tuck in human scrap like paper, fabric, or plastic wrappers.

Opossums stay low. Look for dens tucked beneath deck steps, under shed foundations, inside hollow logs, or behind stacked boxes in cool, dark garage corners.

The leaf trail telltale sign

Opossums have a unique way of gathering nesting materials using their prehensile tails. They pick up leaves or grass with their mouths, pass the bedding under their bodies with their feet, and wrap the tip of their tail tightly around the bundle to carry it back to their den.

If you spot accumulated piles of dry leaves stuffed into small gaps or cavities under a porch or shed, an opossum may be building its nest nearby.

3 common opossum myths

Before trying to remove an opossum, it helps to separate internet myths from wildlife facts:

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The rom-com genre is an enduring crowd favorite, and it keeps getting new entries every year. This past year has seen big-name titles like the Jennifer Lopez-led "Office Romance," Netflix's "People We Meet on Vacation" adaptation, the sci-fi romance "One Night Only," and more.

But that ever-expanding world of rom-coms can mean that you might have missed out on some fun and frisky flicks over the years. That's where Tom's Guide has come in. We've delved into Hulu's extensive streaming platform and pulled out three under-the-radar romantic comedies that are well worth a watch.

If you're looking for something lighthearted, swoon-worthy and with a feel-good ending, here are three rom-com movies on Hulu that you probably haven't seen but should add to your watch list.

'The Ultimate Playlist of Noise'

This 2021 Hulu original is of the musical rom-com tradition (think "Music & Lyrics," "Begin Again" and what have you)—Marcus Lund (Keean Johnson) is a high school senior who is obsessed with all things music and sound, and harbors a crush on a fellow singer, Wendy (Madeline Brewer).

After learning he must undergo brain surgery that will render him deaf, however, Marcus decides to embark on a cross-country road trip to record the Ultimate Playlist of Noise, an audio bucket list of all his favorite sounds before silence takes over, with Wendy joining in for the ride to New York City.

Stream "The Ultimate Playlist of Noise" on Hulu now

'Palm Springs'

The millennial answer to "Groundhog Day," this 2020 favorite stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti as two wedding guests—he, the carefree Nyles, and she, the depressed Sarah—who have a chance encounter at the Palm Springs-set nuptials of Sarah's half-sister.

They share a mutual attraction, but one that gets significantly more complicated when the duo discovers the next morning that they have been inadvertently sucked into a mysterious time loop, meaning they cannot escape the wedding nor each other.

"Strong performances, assured direction, and a refreshingly original concept make Palm Springs a romcom that's easy to fall in love with," praises the critical consensus over on Rotten Tomatoes, where the sci-fi-tinged romance has a stellar 94% approval rating. (J.K. Simmons, Meredith Hagner, Camila Mendes, Tyler Hoechlin, and Peter Gallagher also star.)

Stream "Palm Springs" on Hulu now

'Maybe I Do'

Now, we won't lie to you; this one wasn't loved by critics. (It earned a pretty abysmal 31% Rotten Tomatoes rating.) But just look at that splashy cast: Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, William H. Macy, and the late, great Diane Keaton. We've undoubtedly gone soft in the wake of Keaton's passing, but we're never going to say no to watching the beloved actress delight in a genre she so excelled in.

The gist is this: With marriage on the brain, blossoming couple Michelle (Roberts) and Allen (Bracey) invite their parents to finally meet—only to make the horrifying discovery that their respective parents not only already know one another but also are secretly having affairs with each other.

Stream "Maybe I Do" on Hulu now

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It seems like once you hit a certain age, the passage of time hits warp-speed levels of fast.

My years as a child, teen and 20-year-old felt like they lasted the longest, as I experienced so many amazing events during my upbringing. But as soon as I hit 30, the years just began blending as life just sped on by. There have been some monumental changes that have occurred during my seasoned years—I’m grateful to still be relatively healthy, staying busy with a rewarding career, having a steady income and being a part of a strong social circle.

As I near the end of my 30s (which has gone by much faster than I expected), I’m now in the mindset of a pre-planner, ready to set myself up for greatness in my 40s. You can never start too early when the time arrives for you to start putting the many things in practice that can make your older years infinitely more rewarding.

To set me up for success, I asked ChatGPT and Gemini a simple question: “What are the 7 main things everyone should learn after they're 40?” The life lessons they supplied me with gave me a new outlook on life and the best ways to thrive in my later years.

ChatGPT’s sage advice

These are ChatGPT’s four pointers on how everyone should live through their 40s:

• How to manage your money for the long game: Learn how much you actually need to live well, how compound growth works, how to avoid lifestyle inflation, and how to prioritize retirement savings, emergency funds, debt reduction, and appropriate investing. Lesson: After 40, financial freedom often comes less from making more money and more from keeping enough of it.
• How to choose your relationships: By 40, you should start recognizing the difference between people you know, people you like, and people who genuinely make your life better. Invest in the friends and family members who reciprocate. Stop chasing people who repeatedly demonstrate that they don't value the relationship. Lesson: Your social circle becomes increasingly important because you're no longer just accumulating experiences — you're deciding who gets to share your life.
• How to handle change and uncertainty: Careers change. Parents age. Children grow up. Relationships evolve. Technology transforms industries. Your priorities can change dramatically, too. Learn how to adapt without constantly feeling like you're starting over. Lesson: You don't need to know exactly what the next 10 years look like. You need to become comfortable figuring things out as they happen.
• How to enjoy your life without waiting for "someday": A surprisingly important lesson: stop postponing everything good. Don't automatically assume you'll travel when you retire, pursue hobbies when you're less busy, or spend more time with people you love when work slows down. Build enjoyable experiences into your current life. Lesson: Retirement isn't guaranteed, and neither is perfect health, unlimited free time, or having the people you love around forever.

My bank’s financial adviser has been ringing my phone off the hook lately (and I’ll admit to not returning his call yet…). So that first tip stood out to me as a clear sign that I need to sit down with him and have a conversation about setting myself up for a good financial future.

I have a pretty solid group of friends and family members that improve my life as much as I hope I do theirs. There are certainly a few people I know who value the money and gifts I give them over a casual chat over the phone and random hangouts with no strings attached—those are the ones that I’ll have to keep a distance from as I get older.

The words “change” and “uncertainty” are a part of my industry, so I’ve gotten used to that. What I have a harder time dealing with is the changes that hit me in my personal life. I know I’ll have to get over their mindset, as my relationships may change for the worse and my priorities expand (especially if I ever have a family). I’m guilty of putting off my friendly get-togethers for weeks on end—I’ll be sure to make a habit of following up on them more frequently and actually being in attendance more often than not.

Gemini’s useful counsel

And here are the three most useful bits of life advice that Gemini provided me with:

• Strength Training and Mobility over Pure Cardio: Muscle mass naturally decreases by 3% to 8% per decade after age 30, and joint stiffness accelerates if neglected. While cardio is great for heart health, prioritizing resistance training and mobility work (like yoga or dedicated stretching) protects bone density, keeps your metabolism active, and prevents back and joint pain.
• Deepening Sleep Architecture and Stress Recovery: Sleep isn't just about feeling rested; it is the brain’s primary mechanism for clearing cellular waste and regulating hormones. After 40, your body becomes less forgiving of chronic sleep deprivation and unmanaged stress. Learning proper sleep hygiene, managing cortisol levels, and incorporating daily recovery practices directly affect long-term cognitive health.
• Cultivating "Beginner’s Mind" (Neuroplasticity): Cognitive flexibility requires deliberate effort as you age. Picking up entirely new skills—learning an instrument, mastering a language, or taking up a complex hobby—forces the brain to build new neural pathways. Staying a beginner keeps your mind sharp, resilient, and adaptable.

Gemini’s advice proved to be as eye-opening as ChatGPT’s. Switching my focus in the gym, making more of a concerted effort to develop a healthy sleeping regimen and going out of my way to acquire new skills are three other facets of my coming 40s that I need to adopt.

Once I finally reach that age, I’ll definitely zero in on those tips—I’ve been meaning to learn Japanese and finally get over my fear of roller skating by actually getting proficient at it, so those are two goals I’ll look to achieve in my 40s.

The takeaway

ChatGPT, Gemini and the additional advice of the people I know who are currently in their 40s & have lived through them already gave me a wealth of useful information to incorporate into my life. Those tips had a clear focus on maintaining one’s physical health for the better, being financially competent, being comfortable with periods of uncertainty and more.

With all those words of wisdom for anyone about to approach their 40s, I now have a clearer picture of what I should and shouldn’t do by the time I exit my 30s.

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• Snapchat launches its own AI — and says Snap Intelligence will 'anticipate your needs'
• ChatGPT is now my go-to for recommendations — 7 prompts I use to find new movies, music, games and more
• I asked ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini what’s happening right now — some of the answers were shockingly outdated

When summer wanes and the leaves begin to turn, that’s around the time I start getting questions about Black Friday. People who know that I cover the TV business for a living begin to ask: Is it worth waiting until Black Friday to buy a new TV?

In the months leading up to November, some folks feel as though they’re in an awkward, pre-sale-season limbo, and with so much hype around holiday sales events, it’s easy to see why.

Before you commit to holding off on a new purchase or go all-in on that new big-screen this weekend, here’s what you ought to consider.

There are advantages to shopping for a TV on (or around) Black Friday

The benefits of buying a TV around Black Friday are twofold. The first is obvious: Stores competitively cut prices during their Black Friday sales events in order to entice shoppers ahead of the holidays.

The second benefit isn’t quite as obvious, but it’s nevertheless relevant: Since these sales arrive at the end of the calendar year, many newly released TVs have already seen several rounds of price cuts by the time the sale starts.

This creates a perfect storm of savings opportunities. Stores slash the prices of already-discounted sets, and this double-dipping takes some TVs down to their lowest price on record.

As a result, most new TVs are “on sale” during Black Friday sales events, either because they’ve already seen discounts throughout the year, and/or because a retailer is cutting their price as part of the sale.

The key question, then, is how much savings one is leaving on the table by shopping ahead of Black Friday.

How much money do you save by buying a TV on Black Friday?

After over ten years of testing, reviewing and tracking the sales of TVs, I’ve developed a not-so-scientific, vibes-based answer to this very question: a few hundred bucks.

How much is a few hundred? Well, sometimes it’s $200 and sometimes it’s $500. Some TVs crash by over $1,000, and others, weirdly, climb in price.

“But Michael,” you might be saying, “doesn’t that make the word ‘few’ inaccurate? Don’t words have meaning? Are we not trying to have a society here?”

Consider this: Some TVs are released exclusively on Black Friday and debut on sale. That doesn’t stop retailers from slapping a big ol’ “$800 off!” label on the listing, referring to an original price that technically never really existed.

In other words, we don’t exist in a realm that makes much sense. Besides, sale prices are impossible to predict. Brands are constantly affected by forces great and small that contribute to when products go on sale (and for how much).

So, if you ask me how much extra money you’re spending by buying a TV now instead of waiting until Black Friday, I’ll tell you what I tell everyone else: probably a few hundred bucks. And that brings me to my final point.

If you want a new TV right now, you shouldn't wait until Black Friday

I know, I know: This piece of advice seems like a bit of a cop-out.

“Buy a TV if you want a TV” may seem like an obvious statement to make (and it is), but the truth of the matter is that no one but yourself can decide if — ahem — a few hundred bucks is more valuable than having a new TV between now and Black Friday. Nor can anyone tell you which models are most likely to get the biggest discounts when these sales events start churning out deals.

I can tell you two things with certainty: Most new TVs will be on sale during Black Friday, but most of these models are already relatively close to what will eventually be their lowest price.

Your particular circumstances and preferences matter more than anything else in this scenario. Maybe the risk of spending more on a TV now than you will in a couple of months is worth having a new screen to look at during football season. Perhaps you're really itching to do that marathon of "The Lord of the Rings" sooner rather than later.

Just for fun, let’s take a look at one of the most popular TVs among our readers during Black Friday last year: the LG C5 OLED.

According to my records, in late September of 2025, the 65-inch C5 was $1,699 at Best Buy. When Black Friday rolled around a couple of months later, the same model had fallen to $1,399.

The LG C6 OLED — the C5's successor — appears to be following a similar trajectory. At the time of publishing, the 65-inch LG C6 is $1,599.

While there's no way to know for sure, my hunch is that this model will settle between $1,299 and $1,399 at major retailers during Black Friday sales events. If I'm correct, the cost of skipping the wait will be about $200 to $300.

In other words, a few hundred bucks.

More from Tom's Guide

• Your living room might be too bright for an OLED TV — here’s how to tell
• LG responds to claims that its smart TVs track viewers — but I still have several questions
• Don’t believe your eyes when shopping for a TV in person — here’s why

"The Split Up" is a fresh spin-off from "The Split" and takes us into the heart of Manchester with the Kishan family delivering legal drama.

Here's how to watch "The Split Up" online from anywhere with this VPN — and potentially for free.

If you enjoyed "The Split" you're obviously going to be invested in "The Split Up" right from the get-go. This show brings the same legal tension and family drama that creator Abi Morgan is famous for, but funnels all of that into the setting of Manchester as rising star Aria Kishan looks to inherit the family firm.

Across six episodes the family deal with elite clients seeking divorce, while Aria has to handle her own relationship issues and the grief of losing her mother, too. If that wasn't enticing enough, Sanjeev Bhaskar is a cast regular and there are also guest stars popping up including Jameela Jamil, Lenny Henry, and Jane Horrocks to add a level of star quality to proceedings.

Ready to watch the band's epic tour? Here's how to watch "The Split Up" online and from anywhere, with a free option on offer, too.

How to watch 'The Split Up' from anywhere

Thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), "The Split Up" should be available to Brits no matter where they are. The software allows your devices to appear to be back in the U.K. and watch iPlayer for free, as if you were back home.

Not all VPNs works for this — but NordVPN (try risk-free) does (we use it daily).

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. Try NordVPN.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're away from the U.K. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to BBC iPlayer to watch "The Split Up" online and on-demand.

Watch 'The Split Up' in the U.K.

"The Split Up" will be broadcast on BBC One, with the fist episode airing on Sunday, September 20 at 9 p.m. BST. Episode two will air on Monday, September 21, with new episodes following for the next two Sundays and Mondays.

If you miss the broadcast, you can replay it on BBC iPlayer. The full boxset will be available on there from September 20.

Outside the U.K.? You don't have to miss the show if you are a Brit living abroad because you can watch your usual streams from anywhere with a VPN.

Can you watch 'The Split Up' in the U.S., Canada or Australia?

Unfortunately, as the show is tied to the BBC, there is no way to watch "The Split Up" on any linear TV channels in the U.S., Canada, or Australia (or anywhere outside of the U.K.). The series will not be playing on any streaming services, either.

It's possible it may be released at a later date on British services such as BritBox, but there is currently no plan for that, either.

The solution? NordVPN can unlock your stream if you're a British resident so you can watch "The Split Up" from anywhere.

'The Split Up' — all you need to know

'The Split Up' - cast

• Ritu Arya as Aria Kishan
• Sanjeev Bhaskar as Dhruv Kishan
• Connor Horrigan
• Aysha Kala as Maya Kishan
• Arian Nik as Kav Kishan
• Danny Ashok as Neal
• Dimitri Leonidas
• Mawaan Rizwan
• Sindhu Vee
• Victoria Ekanoye
• Tom Forbes
• Lenny Henry
• Jane Horrocks
• Jameela Jamil
• Debbie Rush

'The Split Up' - trailer

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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Longevity tests aren't necessarily an obvious challenge; they can include simple tasks like balancing on one leg or getting up from the floor without using your hands. I say "simple," but as we age, if we don't maintain muscle mass and strength, bone density, mobility and balance, those tasks actually become secretly challenging.

The natural loss of lean muscle mass and strength later in life, a process known as sarcopenia, can impact your balance, meaning injuries, falls, or trips could become more frequent. If you're curious about where you stand, now is the time to test it.

The aim after around 40 is to maintain functional ability. If you're unable to do this balance and power exercise on both sides, I recommend trying resistance workouts using single-sided exercises and balance training or mobility drills to help improve things.

Below, let's test yours.

Watch: The single-leg sit and stand test

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting these exercises, especially if you find it difficult to stand on one leg or have lower-body joint issues.

The test

• Sit on a chair or low stool with your feet hip-width apart on the ground in front of you. Extend your arms away from you or place your hands on your hips
• Shift your weight into your right leg, then lift your left leg into the air. Engage your core and lean slightly forward without hunching
• Press through your right leg to stand up with as much power as you can
• From standing, try to sit down again, remaining balanced on your right leg, keeping your left leg extended
• Swap sides.

The 'why'

First and foremost, this is a test of strength, power and balance, but adding it into your routine with or without weights can also build single-leg strength, control and stability in your lower body and core.

Avoid allowing your knee to cave inward, as this places pressure on the knee joint. As you stand and lower, try to keep the movement controlled without rushing.

This is also a unilateral exercise, meaning you'll work your left and right sides individually. Working this way is particularly useful if you, like pretty much everyone else, have a dominant side and weaker or imbalanced areas. Identifying these through balancing tests will help you to fix them, making exercise and daily tasks easier in the long run.

Think of all the types of activities you do while balancing on one leg: tying laces, climbing, running, or stepping onto something.

If you have tight or weak hips, lower your leg a little or softly bend the knee. You can also use a higher surface to make things easier, or use one foot as a kickstand for a gentle assist.

To make it more challenging, lower the height of the chair or stool, keep your floating leg straight and high, or consider holding a weight.

Your ability to stand up unassisted and balance on one leg is a great measure of aging. This can be due to changes in proprioception, neuromuscular control, core strength and joint stability impacting your ability to stay independent.

If there's a huge difference between the left and right sides, I strongly recommend adding more single-sided strength and balance exercises to your routine. Single-leg deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats and lunges are great examples, alongside practicing sitting and standing on one leg.

Over time, balance training will help strengthen your joints, muscles and ligaments, build power, which can improve exercise performance, plus help prevent injury and make daily life a lot easier.

Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.

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• I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
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Watch FREE 2026 UCI Road World Championships live streams to see who will get to wear the rainbow bands for the next 12 months.

Returning to Canada for the first time since 2003 this year’s road Worlds are based in and around the city of Montreal. There are 13 gold medals to be won over the week starting with the TT events on Sunday the 20th and ending with the Men’s road race a week later.

Any riders who have ridden the Grand Prix de la Montréal will be familiar with the road race circuit as it’s an exact replica of the undulating course which treats the riders to an ascent of Mount Royal each lap. The TT courses are different though, based on the roads around the old town and the port.

All the World's best riders will be present from Demi Vollering and Lotte Kopecky to Remco Evenepoel and Tom Pidcock apart of course for one very big name, Tadej Pogačar after he crashed out of the Vuelta and was forced to end his season.

See below for a full preview of events.

You can watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN, and potentially for FREE.

Watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 live streams for free

FREE UCI Road World Championships 2026 streaming is available in multiple countries:

Abroad? If you're based in any of these countries but aren't at home during the race, don't worry — you can unblock your usual local stream with a VPN. We'll show you how to do that below.

Watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 streams from abroad

Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the cycling on your usual subscription service?

You can still watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 live streams thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software enables your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So, it's ideal for sports fans away on vacation or on business. Our favourite is NordVPN. It's the best in the field:

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view an Australian service, you'd select Australia from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to SBS On Demand or another streaming service and watch the action.

How to watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 live streams in the U.S.

Cycling fans in the U.S. can watch the 2026 UCI Road World Championships on FloBikes. A subscription will set you back US$155.88 for the year or US$39.99 on a monthly basis.

If you're out of the US but still want to watch the 2026 UCI Road World Championships then don't forget to explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your subscriptions from anywhere.

How to watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 live streams in the U.K.

In the UK, the BBC will be showing selected events from the UCI Road World Championships live and on-demand for FREE on BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website

The UCI Road World Championships are also is streaming live each day on TNT Sports in the UK.

TNT coverage in the UK is on the HBO Max platform. It costs £30.99 per month, though there is a better value £25.99 "saver plan" available if you sign up for a 12-month term.

Streams will be spread out across the TNT Sports Channels.

If you're currently traveling overseas, don't worry, as you can use NordVPN to watch your usual service from abroad.

How to watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 live streams in Canada

Fans in Canada can watch the UCI Road World Championships 2026 on free streaming service CBC Gem

As host of this year's World Championships, a deal has been struck with the local broadcaster meaning you can watch all the action at no cost.

Not at home right now? Use NordVPN or another VPN service to trick your device into thinking you're still in Canada.

How to watch UCI Road World Championships 2026 live streams in Australia

The UCI Road World Championships 2026 are available on Stan Sport in Australia.

Prices start at AU$9.99 for a standard sub with the Sport add-on coming in at AU$20/month. This also gets you access to a host of other sport, including Premier League and Champions League football and Nations Championship rugby.

Outside Oz? Use NordVPN or another VPN service to trick your device into thinking you're still in Australia.

2026 UCI Road World Championships Preview

Kicking off the championships will be the Women’s Elite TT and starting as favourite on the predominantly flat course will be the 2025 World Champion Marlon Reusser. She will however have to hold off the challenge of Britain's rising star Zoe Bäckstedt, who at just 21 is 14 years younger than Reusser and riding the elite champs for the first time.

In the Men’s event later the same day you’d have to be crazy to bet against Remco Evenepoel, who is currently in a class of his own when it comes to the TT. Going for his 4th title in a row the only rider with a realistic chance of beating him is the Italian great Filippo Ganna, however the climb to the finish may just be too steep for him.

After the Elite TT’s on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are for the U23, Junior and the mixed relay events run over various permutations of the roads used for the elite races.

With the TT medals awarded it’s time to begin the road races and these kick off with the Women’s Under 23 and Men’s Junior race on the Thursday followed by the Men’s U23 and Women’s Junior on the Friday. All covering different distances the one thing they have in common is the inclusion of the event's signature climb, the infamous Mount Royal.

After the warm up acts have finished it’s time for the show-piece events, the Elite Road Races. First up are the women on Saturday as they face 180 kilometres including 8 laps of the city centre circuit which means eight ascents of Mount Royal. Favourite to take the win, and her first rainbow bands is the Dutch rider Demi Vollering as she aims to cap a sensational season. The only riders in with a sniff of beating her are likely to be Paula Blasi, Elisa Longo Borghini and the 2025 Tour de France winner Kasia Niewiadoma.

If there is a hot favourite for the women’s race the men’s is the total opposite. In the absence of Tadej Pogačar who is sidelined with injury there are now a whole host of riders who will be dreaming of claiming the rainbow bands. Covering 274 kilometres and climbing 3,800 meters the course is hilly but nothing these riders won't be used to and keeps the door open for all sorts of styles to triumph. Heading the list must be Evenepoel though who will be aiming to double up by winning the TT and the RR but behind him you could take your pick from Tom Pidcock, Wout van Aert, Paul Seixas, Isaac del Toro and of course 2023 champion Mathieu van den Poel.

2026 UCI Road World Championships event schedule

Sunday, 20 September | Women’s elite individual time trial | 39.2km | 09:00 - 11:20

Sunday, 20 September | Men’s elite individual time trial | 39.2km | 12:45 - 15:15

Monday, 21 September | Women’s U23 individual time trial | 20.3km | 09:00 - 10:40

Monday, 21 September | Men’s U23 individual time trial | 31.3km | 12:00 - 14:25

Tuesday, 22 September | Team time trial mixed relay | 40.6km | 08:30 - 11:15

Tuesday, 22 September | Men’s junior individual time trial | 10.7km | 12:15 - 14:25

Tuesday, 22 September | Women’s junior individual time trial | 10.7km | 15:15 - 16:45

Thursday, 24 September | Women’s U23 road race | 134km | 09:00 - 12:45

Thursday, 24 September | Men’s junior road race | 134km | 13:30 - 17:00

Friday, 25 September | Men’s U23 road race | 174km | 09:00 - 13:20

Friday, 25 September | Women’s junior road race | 80.4km | 14:15 - 16:35

Saturday, 26 September | Women’s elite road race | 180.4km | 09:00 - 14:10

Sunday, 27 September | Men’s elite road race | 273.7km | 09:00 - 15:40

More from Tom's Guide

• How to watch cycling free online in 2026
• How to watch F1 live streams online
• Tom's Guide to the Premier League 2026/27

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

I have spent an inordinate amount of money at Ikea since I moved into my house; you can easily find at least two Ikea products in every single room. But recently, the thing I've been liking the most about the Swedish retailer is its growing range of extremely affordable electronics. It seems too good to be true, but so far I haven't been let down by them.

Needless to say, I've been quite eager to try out Ikea's Västmärke Qi2 wireless charging stand which debuted last December. Clearly other people have had the same idea, because I've had to wait months for the charger to come back in stock here in the U.K. I'm not even exaggerating either: Not only have I been waiting for this to come back in stock since May, Ikea already seems to have run out.

Considering the Västmärke stand is just £9 here in the U.K. (roughly $12), it's no surprise that people would want to get their hands on it, even if they did have to spend a little extra for one of Ikea's 30W charging bricks. If there's a cheaper Qi2 charger out there, I haven't come across it.

Sadly Ikea U.S. isn't quite so generous in the price, and American buyers will need to pay $30 for a Västmärke stand of their own — $5 more than the original launch price. That's still a cheap price for a Qi2 stand, but it's on a par with other budget chargers on sale from big names like Belkin and Anker.

What is the Västmärke wireless charging stand?

Västmärke is cheap for a reason, and that reason is that it's primarily made out of cork and plastic. There are no premium materials here, like metal or rubber.

Personally, I think it looks like a cheap product, though I admit that I may be letting the fact I hate touching cork skew my opinion a little bit. I really can't stand the stuff, but I can't fault Ikea for using a material that is cheap, sustainable and biodegradable.

There's no charging brick in the box, but the Västmärke does come with its own 47-inch (120cm) USB-C cable. The cable is built into the stand, though, so if it breaks you can't just replace it with a new one.

Looks and materials only form part of the equation, though. What sets the Västmärke stand apart from most cheap wireless chargers is that it's fully Qi2 certified. For those who don't know, Qi2 wireless charging is faster than the original Qi1 standard, and offers more advanced charging protocols in the process. This includes adaptive charging speed that lets your phone dictate how much power comes in, rather than being forced to accept a fixed flow of electricity.

Crucially, though, this is a magnetic Qi2 charger. That means any Qi2 capable phones, including most iPhones and the Google Pixel 11 series, will connect to the charger using a built-in ring of magnets. Other phones, such as Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, can also take advantage of this with special Qi2-compatible cases. The use of magnets ensures that wireless charging coils are perfectly aligned, which means better overall efficiency — leading to faster charging and less heat.

The downside is that the Västmärke stand is limited to 15W charging speeds. That's fine for some phones, but there are phones like iPhone 18 Pro and Google Pixel 11 that support up to 25W Qi2 wireless charging. So bear in mind that such phones will not be wireless charging as fast as they physically can.

What's it like using Västmärke?

Cork aversion aside, I can't say I've seen a wireless charging stand that looks aesthetically pleasing on its own. So credit where it's due, Ikea's created something that doesn't look industrial and clunky. Even if the design does feel a little bit cheap.

From a performance perspective, I can't fault Västmärke in any way. The magnet snapped onto the back of my Pixel 11 Pro XL and iPhone 17 Pro Max as advertised, and immediately kicked off the wireless charging session right away. That includes both phones' special charging display modes, better known as "Standby" on iOS and the simple "Screen saver" on Android.

The magnetic connection is nice and strong, which makes it easy to pick up the phone without disconnecting the stand. That can be good and bad, depending on your point of view, and like most magnetic chargers a little bit of effort is needed to ensure your phone is disconnected when you need it to be. The rubber base on the bottom of the Västmärke ensures there is enough friction to do that pretty seamlessly, though.

There's not much more I can say about the charging process itself. The Västmärke recharged both of my phones without issue, and according to my USB-C power meter it was hitting the speeds you'd expect from a 15W wireless charger.

Surprisingly it did register power levels in excess of 15W at times. I'm not sure why, but when recharging my Pixel 11 Pro from zero percent, the power rose to just over 18W at certain points. That's no big deal for the phone, it can handle up to 25W wireless charging, but it was weird to see considering the Västmärke is a 15W charger.

I can only assume that the stand was charging at a full 15W, with the rest of the energy being wasted somewhere along the way. Wireless charging is notorious for producing heat, after all, and the Västmärke is no exception to that. So maybe avoid using it during heat waves, unless you have a very large fan nearby.

Bottom line

I'd be pretty impressed with the Västmärke wireless charging stand, even if I'd paid the full $30 for it. But for £9/$12? That's an absolute no-brainer, and none of my criticisms matter. I may not be a fan of the overall design, but I can't really be mad that a cheap stand looks cheap. Certainly not when its wireless charging capabilities rival those of other, pricier Qi2 chargers I've used.

The Västmärke charging stand feels like it's too good to be true. These are prices that you'd normally expect from no-brand wireless chargers that max out at 10W if you're lucky. Instead, this is an Ikea product, and after so many years of offering cheap chargers and other electronics, I feel as though it's more than earned my trust.

If you're in the market for a wireless charger, and your nearest Ikea has the Västmärke in stock, I definitely recommend picking one up. Especially if you're in the U.K., because it probably won't be there for long.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best wireless chargers
• Best Magsafe chargers
• I tried this new MagSafe Wallet that actually makes me look cool

Golf is an expensive sport. You could easily spend thousands of dollars on clubs, a pair of the best golf shoes and don't even get me started on the price of tee times. It's maddening, but we golfers keep coming back for more. Gluttons for wallet punishment, are we?

But if you own a 3D printer (I used the Bambu Lab A1 Combo to print these products), there are some golf-related accessories you can print that are actually useful. I tried tons of different 3D prints for golf, and there are three in particular that stand out as being useful, especially for practicing in the simulator or on the range.

And best of all, they're readily available without any custom 3D design knowledge required, so even if you're a complete beginner to the world of 3D printing, you can send these designs to your printer and take part in the fun.

Now, I'm not saying there are huge cost savings with these, since a 3D printer costs more than you'd spend on these particular accessories. But if you 3D print a bunch of other stuff and add these to the rotation, you will take a little weight off your wallet.

Plus, there's the satisfaction of knowing you made something for yourself that you'll actually use.

Golf Ball Dispenser Pro

For me, the Golf Ball Dispenser Pro is the ultimate 3D-printed golf accessory. It gives you much of the same functionality as driving ranges with auto-tee capabilities, but at home (or at a cheaper range that doesn't offer it). While it's a slightly more complicated print, it does print everything you need to use the dispenser (except a golf ball, which is used as a weight).

I highly recommend printing the funnel so it can hold a few extra balls, since it means you don't have to fill it as often and you can keep your practice flowing without stopping (there's an even larger ball garage that has come out since I printed mine, but I haven't tried it, so I can't speak to how well it works). Between the funnel and the actual dispenser, you can step up your practice game in a big way without spending much money.

Weighted Tee Base for Golf Simulator

When you're practicing in the simulator or range, your tees fly all over the place. That's where this Weighted Tee Base for Golf Simulator comes in. Products like the K2 Golf tee holder do a similar job, but they're pricey. If you own a 3D printer, some sand (or something heavy you can fit inside it) and a rubber-band tether, you can print this weighted tee base and save a lot of cash.

I definitely enjoy not having to chase my simulator tees all around the room with every tee shot. When practicing driver, this lets you get more shots off in less time, which will help you improve faster. After all, good practice is all about efficiency, and this simple 3D print gives you that.

Golf Tee Elevator

Maybe I'm just being weird, but I'm very particular about the height of my golf tee. At the same time, I'm terrible about using the same type of tee all the time. I usually use whatever I pull out of my bag, which makes lining up the exact height a pain.

When I saw the Golf Tee Elevator on MakerWorld, I found the solution. No matter what kind of tee I grab (or find on the ground near the tee box), I can slot it into this and set it in the ground at the perfect height.

Does it really make a difference in the quality of my tee shots? Probably not, but the consistency gives me one less thing to think about, and any distraction you can get rid of on the course is a good thing.

Golf and 3D printing, together at last

MakerWorld has tons of other 3D-printed golf accessories, such as tees, a grip training aid, alignment stick holders, and more. However, the three listed here are the ones that have really been game-changers for me personally. But don't be afraid to expand out and try other fun golf prints. You never know what's best for you until you try.

And what do you have to lose besides some filament and a couple of hours of print time?

More from Tom's Guide

• Golf VX's new simulator is next level — so I compared it side-by-side with a real course
• I replaced my TV with a 4K projector — and it was the best thing for my golf swing
• 'I noticed how much farther and straighter it was flying': PGA Tour pro Ben Griffin on playing a cheaper golf ball at The Masters

I can think of precious few movies from the last 10 years that I get excited about watching again for work. "Anatomy of a Fall" is one of them. Every time I re-watch it, I notice something new, both delightful and heartbreaking in equal measure. It's an intelligent thriller where a suspicious death puts a marriage under a microscope, hushed arguments of fights past hashed out in court while their young son watches on.

"Anatomy of a Fall" is about to leave Netflix this week on Sept. 23, so I have an excuse to yap about this Oscar winning that starts as a psychological thriller and ends with a courtroom drama for the history books. If you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth a watch before it leaves one of the best streaming services. Netflix got hundreds of new movies in September, but as always, it means we're saying goodbye to other great ones on our watchlist. So while it's still on Netflix, don't miss "Anatomy of a Fall."

Still not convinced? I hear ya. Who wants to waste their precious streaming time with a dud? Here's everything you need to know about why "Anatomy of a Fall" deserves a spot on your watchlist.

What is 'Anatomy of a Fall' about?

The title breaks things down splendidly. If a husband falls to his death after a fight with his wife, who's to say it wasn't murder? That's the premise of Justine Triet's Palme d'Or- and Oscar-winning movie, "Anatomy of a Fall."

It's the kind of film where you quickly realize you must choose whose word to trust. But really, who is telling the truth doesn’t matter as much as how their stories make you feel. A cast impeccably led by Sandra Hüller in the performance of a lifetime, that you inevitably grow to root for.

"You must never lie to yourself," a mother tells her son, played by Milo Machado-Graner, a genuine talent beyond his years. His father, the equal parts conniving and charming Swann Arlaud, winds up dead. Suicide? Or defenestration? (Please indulge me, I rarely get the chance to use the word.)

Let me set the scene with the movie's iconic opening sequence. A younger woman (a student?) records an interview with an older woman while an objectively sick saxophone instrumental spoils the gay panic clear on display. It's hilarious both with and without context, and sets the tone exquisitely.

Stream 'Anatomy of a Fall' on Netflix now

Sometimes a movie doesn’t have to do anything more than execute a simple premise well. I said the same thing of “Obsession." The setting is scrumptious — the a-frame attic of my dreams on a snowy mountain cabin. In a weird way, it makes "Anatomy of a Fall" a perfect summer send-off in these Unprecedented Times. It's hard to explain exactly without spoiling the steady drip of discovery at the heart of this film, so if I'm being annoyingly vague, I apologize. I will continue to be.

"Anatomy of a Fall" is spectacle in a glorious sense. It'll hypnotize you in the way films were once known for; the kind where you'd look up at the clock and realize an afternoon's disappeared. The meatier themes give eagle-eyed viewers plenty to gnaw on as you get lost in Triet, Hüller, and the rest of these movie magic scientists breaking down the anatomy of a fall again, and again, and again.

Also, this is purely self-indulgent, but shout-out to Antoine Reinartz for the French Phoenix Wright impression I didn't know I needed. I love it when a side character completely kills a role, and this man had me obsessed.

So check out "Anatomy of a Fall" on Netflix before it's gone. Pro tip: If you miss that Sept. 23 deadline, there's another place you can stream it. All you'll need to do is sign up for a Kanopy account for free with a public library card or university login. Kanopy's library is stacked with over 30,000 movies, TV shows, and educational videos, and like the rest of the best streaming platforms, it's constantly rotating its stock. That includes some newer releases on Kanopy too, like 2022's "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Watch "Anatomy of a Fall" on Netflix

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• 13 new movies and shows to stream this weekend on Netflix, Apple TV and more (Sept. 18-20)
• 5 best new Netflix movies and shows to stream this week (Sept. 14-20)
• 3 new to Netflix thriller movies to watch this week — including one of the most iconic Spielberg movies ever made (Sept. 17-23)

Waking up at 3 a.m. is a recurring sleep problem I can’t seem to shake. Just when I think I’ve kicked the problem for good, I find myself wide awake in the middle of the night, unable to fall back to sleep again.

Exhausted and frustrated, I sought the advice of Dr. Aric Prather, a world-renowned sleep expert and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. He instantly identified a key new mistake I’m making in the lead up to bedtime and explained how it could be causing my new wave of middle insomnia (3 a.m. wake-ups).

Here's what Dr. Prather, a published author, discovered, and why he recommends a 'two-hour digital buffer' at bedtime to reduce my chances of waking up at 3 a.m. and feeling exhausted the night day.

My key mistake

The quiet hours in the lead up to bedtime is usually an opportunity for me to catch up on unfinished work. Then I can climb into bed with one less thing to worry about.

But according to Dr. Prather, a sleep expert at BetterSleep, that's my big mistake. And it could be a driver for why I'm waking up at 3 a.m. again. “Working outside of normal hours can be detrimental to sleep when it becomes a regular habit.”

• Research shows that working outside of work hours is associated with worse sleep quality.
• Also, those who work late experience a larger Cortisol Awake Response (CAR), which can lead to 3 a.m. wake ups.

Evidence shows that engaging our brains in work-related activities — even if for a short time — can make it difficult for our brains to then switch off in order to fall into deep, restorative sleep.

“The issue is the difficulty of mentally transitioning from work to rest. Evening emails, deadlines, and unfinished tasks can keep the brain alert, making it harder to detach psychologically from work before bed.

“This can delay sleep, reduce sleep quality, and contribute to fatigue the following day,” says Dr. Prather.

So, although you might only spend a few minutes responding to work queries, the difficulty is ensuring your brain has enough time to disengage from 'work mode' in order to prepare for sleep.

“Even after you close your laptop, your mind may keep processing work-related concerns, making it harder to get restful sleep,” says Dr. Prather. “This can contribute to nighttime awakenings.

Cortisol rising

And there's science to support that thinking. A small month-long study of 58 employees found that checking emails outside of work hours was associated with worse sleep quality.

The same study also highlighted that those who worked in the run up to bedtime had a larger Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). CAR is a term to describe the natural rise in the hormone cortisol that begins around 3 a.m. and reaches its peak upon waking, helping you to feel alert.

But instead of a natural and steady rise, a larger CAR can indicate a surge of cortisol at 3 a.m., waking you up from sleep. Could checking a few emails really cause that?

"A larger Cortisol Awakening Response may also indicate changes in the body's stress-response system, although it is not, by itself, a definitive measure of poor sleep," says Dr. Prather.

"The best way to understand the connection is to track when you work, when you go to bed, and when you wake up over several weeks," advises the sleep expert. "If the 3 a.m. awakenings consistently follow evenings of work, that pattern is worth taking seriously."

The simple routine change

After tracking my own nighttime routine habits and my 3 a.m. wake ups, there's undoubtedly a clear correlation between the stints I work in the evening and the frequency of my nighttime awakenings.

So, instead of working in the run up to bedtime, I've been implementing a 'two-hour digital buffer' to wind down for better sleep.

Here Dr. Prather explains why it works: "Creating a digital buffer is a great strategy, and setting aside the final 60–120 minutes before bed for non-work activities can make a meaningful difference."

Dr. Prather says that the goal is to give ourselves a meaningful window in which to transition from productivity to rest.

"During that time, I would try to engage in calming activities, such as reading, watching light television, taking a warm shower, stretching, and meditating.

"Basically, you are looking for activities that create a feeling of calm. The specific activities are less important," says Dr. Prather.

It's early days, but swapping emails for analogue activities, such as reading in bed, is already lowering the frequency of the dreaded 3 a.m. wake ups.

Other habits I'm using to stop waking up at 3 a.m.

As we shift through sleep cycles, waking up at night is normal. It happens multiple times a night and we rarely remember it. However, waking up at night becomes an issue when we can't easily fall back to sleep.

As someone on an ongoing journey to improve my sleep, I know there's rarely ever really one simple 'fix' to sleeping better.

In addition to avoiding working late into the evening, these are the habits I try to stick to in order to reduce the frequency of my 3 a.m. wake ups:

• Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule: Your circadian rhythm functions best when you stick to a regular sleep routine, helping you fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed.
• A comfortable sleep environment: After years of waking up at night due to an uncomfortable bed, I now sleep on the best mattress for my sleep style.
• Create dark and quiet sleep space: Ambient light and noise pollution can lead to nighttime disturbances. To combat those, I wear a blackout eye mask to bed and pop in my Ozlo 2 sleepbuds to drown out any sound.

When you share a fence line with your neighbor next door, understanding property boundaries and your legal rights can easily get confusing. This often comes to light when painting shared fences, or even trimming your neighbor’s overhanging trees.

But if your neighbor has a fruit tree and its tasty harvest keeps dropping into your yard or over the fence, what should you do?

While it might seem fine to gather them for your own pie (finder’s keepers, no?), you’ll need to know the rules and legalities first. What’s more, who’s responsible for clearing up the mess in your yard?

To avoid a potential dispute, I asked the experts what the rules are when it comes to your neighbor's falling fruit in your yard. Is it ever okay to eat it, and how do you approach your neighbor about the ongoing issue?

So before you take a bite out of that tempting apple, here's everything you need to know.

Do I have the right to collect and eat fallen fruit?

If your neighbor’s fruit keeps falling in your yard, surely it belongs to you, right? Wrong.

According to legal experts, this isn’t entirely the case — and can even be considered ‘theft’. “The law about windfall fruit is clear-cut: fruit belongs to the person who owns the tree, not the person who owns the ground on which it lands,” states Stacy Kemp Ferrari, Founder & Managing Partner at Kemp Law Group.

So, what if their fruit trees are overhanging your property line? “It doesn't matter if their branches are hanging over your fence, as those branches are still their property and this includes any windfall fruit that may drop onto your lawn,” adds Ferrari.

“And you cannot eat them if you did not get any permission from the owner of the tree. Picking it up and eating it could be classed as conversion (a civil offense) and in some cases, even theft.”

With that said, dealing with a heavy crop of windfall apples on your lawn can be a nuisance. But should you return the fruit to your neighbor?

“It's a nice thing to do even if you're not required to return fallen fruit, plus it protects you from other issues later on,” suggests Edward Susolik, CEO & President of Callahan & Blaine, PC.

“In some places you are expected to bring trimmed branches that were hanging onto your property and any fruit they had back to your neighbor, so returning the fruit or at least telling your neighbor creates good faith and that matters if things get to the point of escalating.”

However, when fruit starts to rot and accumulate in large quantities, it can quickly invite unwanted pests such as rodents into your yard. Should this turn into a persistent problem, you’ll need to address the situation (calmly) with your neighbor regarding their fruit trees right away.

“Calmness and presenting the facts on the specific issue is the best way to go about it — then provide a written recap through a follow-up text or email that summarizes what was said,” advises Susolik.

How do I talk to my neighbor about this?

Speaking to your neighbor about uncomfortable subjects can be daunting, but it shouldn’t be. What’s more, it will save you the hassle of a potential neighborhood dispute in the long-run.

Experts agree there is nothing wrong with a quick knock on your neighbor’s door to ask permission to help yourselves to some of the fallen apples.

“This conversation could sound like, 'Hey, I love your apple tree. I'm not sure if you are aware but they are falling into my garden,” suggests Nikkita Torres, mediator and founder of Neutral Voice Mediation.

“How the conversation is started and how the neighbor is approached will directly reflect the outcome. This person is a part of your daily life because they live next to you. Your home should be a space that you come to and find peace and safety, not a war with your neighbor. “

So if you want to avoid any neighborhood wars, be sure to keep these rules in mind before picking up fallen fruit.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to prepare fruit trees for winter — 7 expert tips
• 5 rude habits your neighbors hate
• This Martha Stewart-approved trick shows you how to protect your trees

I’ve been dinging Apple for years for holding back on giving serious shooters like me what we’ve been asking for: true manual camera controls. But while testing the iPhone 18 Pro Max, I found myself initially distracted by another headline grabber: the variable aperture camera.

To be fair, it genuinely changes the mechanics of shooting with a phone — not just an iPhone. Instead of relying on simulated portrait blur, you get authentic optical depth of field and true light control. That's the exact tool I want when dialed into chasing a specific aesthetic.

But the longer I’ve spent working inside Apple’s revamped Camera app, the more I’ve realized my attention was pulled in the wrong direction. The real star of the show isn't the moving physical blades — it’s Pro Controls. Here’s why.

Not all iPhones get it

Pro Controls finally makes the native iOS Camera app feel less like a basic point-and-shoot and more like a serious mirrorless rig. Quite simply, it’s the dedicated manual shooting suite I’ve been demanding for years, with granular controls for exposure, shutter speed, white balance, focus, aperture, resolution, and more. Best of all, these tools are accessible right from the viewfinder — no more jumping into the system Settings just to tweak a shooting parameter. But there’s a catch.

Apple is keeping the feature strictly walled off, making it exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. I was crossing my fingers that it might trickle down to the iPhone 17 Pro series via the official iOS 27 update, but that’s not happening. Just as surprising, the upcoming iPhone Duo won’t get Pro Controls either.

A familiar layout with depth under the hood

Along the edge of the viewfinder are the essential toggles for white balance, aperture, exposure compensation, flash, and Live Photos. They remain there for quick, one-tap access, but reaching the rest of the Pro Controls requires digging a little deeper by tapping the camera settings icon.

Doing so opens a floating overlay where you can adjust shutter speed, manual focus, format options, and more. It’s also where you can toggle a live histogram, select a Photographic Style, or tweak Night mode.

Interestingly, Apple includes separate controls for aperture and depth. The former physically moves the blades on the main sensor to cycle through four hardware aperture stops, while the latter controls simulated bokeh — fake background blur, as I call it. Both have their place, but I far prefer the authentic falloff of the physical aperture.

If there’s one issue I have with this setup, it’s that there doesn't appear to be a way to customize which parameters stay pinned to the primary screen. Personally, I couldn't care less about Live Photos or the flash. I just hope Apple realizes this and gives shooters the freedom to organize the layout that best suits them with subsequent software updates.

Video also gets the Pro treatment

Stills aren’t the only beneficiary on the iPhone 18 Pro series — Pro Controls makes its way over to video recording as well. While the suite isn’t quite as extensive as the photo side, Apple included the two parameters that matter most for serious video work: physical aperture and manual shutter speed.

Unlocking shutter speed is a huge win for videographers like me who juggle multi-camera workflows. Previous iPhones locked shutter speed behind automated computational exposure, often resulting in unnatural or jittery motion blur that.

Being able to manually dial in your shutter speed makes it far easier to cut footage from the iPhone 18 Pro alongside dedicated cameras. For instance, you can lock in at 1/50 or 1/60 to maintain natural motion blur, or crank it to 1/240 to give fast-paced action sequences that dramatic edge.

Bottom line

At the end of the day, Pro Controls is the real camera upgrade I’ve been asking for because I no longer need to rely on third-party apps just to take full creative command of a shot. Everything I need is finally baked directly into the native Camera app, with zero subscription fees or clunky workarounds.

The only glaring omission left on the table is manual ISO control, which Apple stubbornly keeps locked down. Even with that limitation, Pro Controls is the definitive feature that transforms the iPhone 18 Pro series from a mere point-and-shoot smartphone into a genuine creative powerhouse.

More from Tom's Guide

• iOS 27 has a hidden Mac Easter egg — here's how to trigger it
• iPhone 18 Pro benchmarks: Apple just built the most powerful phones we've ever seen
• iPhone 18 Pro Max and 18 Pro battery life tested — the results are surprising

Adel el Hallak has a DGX Spark sitting in his house. It runs AI jobs overnight, and if he forgets to give it something to do before bed, he feels bad about it.

"At home I feel guilty if I don't kick off my job for it to work on all night," el Hallak, Nvidia's VP of Product, tells Tom's Guide. "It doesn't make noise. And I feel guilty if I don't do that for something on a personal front — because it's plugged in anyway."

It's a small, endearing detail from a wide-ranging interview — but it also points at where AI is headed, particularly local AI. Because when the person in charge of Nvidia's AI product strategy is already living with a personal AI computer in his home, treating it more like an appliance than a server, it could mean a lot of us will be doing the same thing in just a few years.

The case for ditching the cloud

Right now, most people interact with AI through a browser or app. That means, when you prompt ChatGPT or Perplexity or any other AI assistant, your data travels to a data center, and a response comes back. It works, but there's a cost — both financially and in terms of privacy. Every question you ask, every document you upload and every personal detail you share lives on someone else's infrastructure.

El Hallak thinks local AI changes that equation. "I could run a good enough model on my system at home," he said. Essentially, if the model runs on hardware you own, your data never leaves your house, and there's no monthly subscription.

The math is worth thinking about. Nvidia's DGX Spark currently retails for $4,699 — not cheap by any measure. But a ChatGPT Plus subscription runs $20 per month, or $240 per year. Over five years, that's $1,200 — and you still don't own anything. The Spark, meanwhile, runs unlimited queries with no per-token billing, no usage caps, and no internet required.

That's not an apples-to-apples comparison, of course. GPT-6 and Claude are significantly more capable than the open-source models you'd run locally on a Spark. But for a growing number of tasks — summarizing documents, drafting emails, searching your own files, running a coding assistant — a local model with 128GB of memory and access to Nvidia's full CUDA stack is more than enough.

It's not just for developers

The DGX Spark launched last October as what Nvidia called "the world's smallest AI supercomputer." At the time, it was squarely aimed at developers, researchers, and data scientists. It runs Linux. It weighs 2.6 pounds. It's the size of a Mac Mini.

But the ecosystem building around it is starting to look more consumer-friendly. As I wrote last month, Perplexity just launched Portable Computer, which packages a local AI model, agent tools, app connectors, and a sandboxed runtime into a single system that runs on DGX Spark hardware. Every task starts on your machine. If the local model hits something it can't handle, it asks your permission before sending that one step to the cloud. Your files stay put.

El Hallak sees this as a trend, not an outlier. He pointed to harness providers — the companies building the software layer between a model and a user — making setup dramatically easier. "You're not doing installs via a command line or a pip install," he said. "They're making it easier — like the old days of using Windows and setting up an application. They're bringing it back to a GUI."

If that sounds familiar, it should. It's the same arc that turned network-attached storage from a hobbyist pursuit into something Synology sells at Best Buy. The hardware existed for years before the software made it approachable.

The RTX Spark laptops change the picture

The DGX Spark desktop is the proof of concept. But the real consumer play may be what's coming next: RTX Spark laptops, which pack the same GB10 silicon into notebook form and are expected to ship this fall from Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, MSI, Acer, and others. Microsoft is building a Surface Laptop Ultra around the chip.

These aren't AI-only machines — they run Windows 11, play games, and handle conventional laptop workloads. But their 128GB of unified memory means they can also run large language models that would choke any current consumer GPU. The laptop version of what el Hallak has sitting on his desk at home, but without the Linux-only limitation.

"The fact that you will have the model running locally with a harness and a runtime that are made easier to install — I think it's going to really usher in local AI," el Hallak said.

The real argument isn't performance — it's ownership

El Hallak told a story from the enterprise world that translates perfectly to consumers: "There was a point where people were proud of the leaderboards and how many tokens they're using. Then somebody in their IT department got their bills, and all of a sudden I became a cost optimizer."

Anyone who's watched their Claude usage creep up — or hit the limits of a free tier — knows the feeling. And as AI agents get more capable and start touching more personal data (your calendar, your email, your finances), the question of where that processing happens isn't theoretical anymore.

"Local AI is just going to bring more tokens, and tokens equate to intelligence," el Hallak said. "When you pair intelligence with a harness, you're able to do things, and then the runtime secures it."

Or, as he put it more casually: "Data centers in the house."

More from Tom's Guide

• AI is turning ordinary photos of kids into sexual abuse imagery — here's how to protect your family
• OpenAI paid contractors to read ChatGPT conversations — here's how to protect yourself
• I stopped reading the fine print myself after discovering this overlooked ChatGPT trick

When I say my AirPods Pro 3 have gotten me through hundreds of miles, I’m not exaggerating — I’ve worn them for two half marathons, a marathon, and all the training miles in between.

Yet last week, Apple announced the new AirPods 5 — starting at $129, with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and sensor controls. Could these be a cheaper alternative for runners?

To find out more, I left my trusty AirPods Pro 3 at home and went for a 22-mile run with the AirPods 5 for company. Read on to find out what happened.

Here are 3 things I liked

They're much better than the AirPods 4

Unlike the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 5 have an open-ear design; in other words, there’s no silicone tip that allows you to customize the fit. I’ve always struggled to get the regular AirPods to stay in my ears, making them next to impossible to work out or run in.

I didn’t have the same issue with the AirPods 5, and they mostly stayed put for the entire three-hour run. They did move slightly when I laughed, alone, listening to my podcast, and again as I moved my head erratically to check for a bike behind me, but I’ll forgive them for both slips.

They also have sensor controls on the buds themselves, which make it much easier to turn the volume up and down mid-run without having to reach for your phone.

They’re a lot more affordable

While I wasn’t thinking about this on my run, it’s worth noting that for a free sport, running is super expensive. Before you’ve even signed up for a race, you’ve probably spent a decent amount on a pair of running shoes and a sports bra or running shorts. If you’re looking for a pair of headphones you’ll wear on your commute, in the office, and for a run, you’ve probably considered AirPods.

There are two different options when it comes to the AirPods 5. You can spend $129 and get them without a wireless charging case, or $149 with wireless charging. The AirPods Pro 3 cost $249.

The noise canceling isn’t as good, but that’s ok

A drawback with the open-ear design is that the ANC isn’t quite as good. However, when you’re running or cycling around the city, I’d argue that this is actually a positive. I could hear bikes coming up behind me, or traffic, as I ran to the trail.

Here are 2 things I missed

The battery life

My AirPods 5 were at 80% charge in the morning, but by the time I’d used them for my son’s daycare drop-off, to walk the dog, then run for three hours, they were making the dreaded low battery sound by my final few miles. The AirPods 5 promise four hours of listening time, six hours without ANC for the $129 option, five hours of listening time, or seven hours without ANC for the $149 option.

When you compare this to the eight hours of playback, or 10 in transparency mode on the AirPods Pro 3, I think I’d still reach for the latter during a marathon. That said, if you’re not running for four hours, the case boosts the AirPods 5 battery life to 20-22 hours.

The heart rate monitor