Five apps put through a head-to-head accuracy and durability test, with the only consumer tracker to date with an independently replicated accuracy paper coming out on top.
Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound — a working journalist's explainer of how the drugs work, what the evidence shows, and what is still in dispute as the second wave of these medications enters wide use.
The training intensity that has dominated fitness conversation for the last three years has a real physiological basis and a less impressive evidence base than its loudest advocates claim. A look at what the underlying science actually shows.
Convolutional networks, portion-size estimation, and the unsolved problem of mixed dishes. A plain-English explainer for readers who want to understand what their phone is actually doing when it counts the calories on a plate.
Five validated upper-arm cuffs tested against a clinic-grade reference, ranked by accuracy, cuff fit, app reliability, and durability over six weeks of household use.
Three years into the rollout of AI-assisted programming, a working developer's assessment of what these tools have actually changed in the practice of software engineering.
A long-term review of Apple's flagship phone after six months of daily use, with attention to the parts of the experience launch reviews are not built to surface.
Five laptops under $900 tested as a primary work machine, ranked by build quality, sustained performance, screen, keyboard, and how they hold up in week six.
Five e-readers tested over a six-week reading window, ranked by reading experience, library compatibility, and how they hold up to actual sustained reading rather than spec-sheet comparison.
Where to actually park cash this year, with rates, fees, and the small print that separates the genuinely good accounts from the ones that work hard for the headline number.
Five tax-prep options tested through actual filed returns of varying complexity, from a simple W-2 single filer to a multi-state self-employed couple. Where the gap between products is small and where it matters.
Rate movements over the past eighteen months have created a meaningful refinance opportunity for some homeowners and a clear pass for others. A working framework for figuring out which side of the line you fall on.
Five drip coffee makers tested as primary household machines, ranked by brew quality, durability, and the small frustrations that surface only after the second month of use.
Five HEPA-grade air purifiers tested over eight weeks across rooms of various sizes, ranked by particulate-removal efficiency, sound, filter cost, and how they hold up to the kind of dust and dander a real household produces.
Five mattresses tested as primary sleeping surfaces over a long-form review window, with attention to the failure modes — sag, edge collapse, heat retention — that show up only after the honeymoon.
A 35-minute weeknight dinner that uses one sheet pan, six pantry-friendly ingredients beyond the chicken, and produces a meal that survives the weekday rush.
A two-pan technique that produces a week's worth of breakfast in 35 minutes, with a custard-style approach that survives reheating better than the standard egg cup.
A 15-minute pantry pasta with five ingredients, an actual sauce that comes together from the pasta water, and a finishing technique that distinguishes it from the recipe blog versions.
The apps we used to love are now full of features we never asked for, paywalls behind features that used to be free, and 'AI' overlays that solve problems we did not have. A working argument for software that does less.
The streaming services that were supposed to replace cable have, in aggregate, become more expensive than cable was. A money-beat editor's argument that the household streaming budget needs the same scrutiny as any other line item.
An open editorial explanation of the choice that defines this publication — and a few words about why the alternative model has been bad for the consumer-news beat.