Apple Watches sold in the U.S. may stop being sold with blood oxygen-measuring features, according to reports that removing the feature is Apple’s response to its ongoing lawsuit with another company, Masimo. But was the feature ever all that useful in the first place? Probably not.  Apple had previously paused sales of watches containing the […]

The pomodoro technique is the superstar of the world of productivity methods because its premise—that you should work hard for 25 minutes, then reward yourself with a few minutes off—is effective and appealing. But that doesn’t mean it works perfectly for everyone. Like anything else, it’s adaptable. Try the flowtime technique if you find that […]

There has been a steady series of improvements to Android Auto over the years, and for the most part, it’s now a polished and reliable way of accessing your phone from your car’s dashboard while you’re on the road—as long as your vehicle has a head unit that’s compatible with Android Auto, of course. As […]

When I bought my first robot vacuum five years ago, I was deeply disappointed by how much work the damn thing still required. Even with a self-emptying tower, the vacuum required constant care—emptying, rescuing, freeing rollers of obstructions. The accompanying mop-bot was so worthless I left it stranded under a couch for a year. But […]

There are right ways and wrong ways to get your kids to eat their veggies, whether it’s starting a “veggie happy hour,” sneaking peas into their mac and cheese (this will probably backfire), or making them clean their plate (don’t do this).  A recent study offers parents a new and unusual approach: the fried “smiley face” […]

In a power outage, having a back-up source of light is important, and while there are lots of battery-powered as well as solar-charging options, sometimes the power will be out in a situation where batteries and sunlight are scarce. Having a light source that doesn’t need anything to charge besides water and salt can be […]

You can’t live without electricity in the modern age; all the essentials of life, from heat to video games, run off the stuff. And for most of us, the only option for powering up our homes has been to pay a utility to pump it in, at an average cost about $137 every month. That’s […]

For the past year, I’ve been installing and uninstalling security cameras to test them on the exterior of my home. My goal has been to see which ones have the best video, are the most responsive, easiest to install, and stay charged the longest. While they’ve been a pain to install and uninstall, I have […]

This time of year, the inevitability of taxes (not to mention cold season, laundry, and so on) can feel all-consuming. Over the last few years, there have been several adjustments to taxes in terms of child deductions, write offs, and how to best care for children with disabilities. People who file for themselves who want […]

If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Tuesday, January 16, 2024, read on—I’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solutions to all four categories. Along the way, I’ll explain the meanings of the trickier words and we’ll learn how everything fits together. Beware, there are spoilers below for January 16, NYT […]