Category:

Gaming Gear

I’ve been using macOS Tahoe 26 since June and here are the eight best things about it
Gaming Gear

The touchscreen MacBook rumors are never ending

by admin


Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo took to X on Wednesday to claim that a MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen was expected to enter mass production by late 2026. Today Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is following up to remind us that he was reporting on a touchscreen MacBook Pro way back in 2023. He confirmed Kuo’s timeline was correct. Since Gurman’s original story, the launch date has been pushed back from late 2025, to late 2026 or early 2027.

Apple has traditionally been resistant to the idea of merging the iPad and MacBook lines, and still likely won’t do it completely. But according to Gurman iPad sales have begun to taper off, and customers increasingly expect touch-based interfaces, even on their laptops. This is in part because many Windows laptops now include touchscreens by default. So Apple is feeling the pressure to bring the two product lines more in sync with each other.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
The iPhone 17 Pro Max alongside the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Gaming Gear

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: Apple’s got a new top phone

by admin



The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a new design, major camera upgrades, loads of power, a vapor chamber, and some of the best battery life you’ll find in a phone, though the screen hasn’t been changed much.

Pros

  • Useful camera upgrades
  • A vapor chamber
  • Superb battery life

Cons

  • Little change to the screen
  • New design could be divisive
  • Bigger and heavier than iPhone 16 Pro Max

The iPhone 16 Pro Max remains a superb smartphone, with more power than most users will need and good all-round specs. But its cameras, performance, and battery life can’t match that of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Pros

  • Iconic design
  • Very powerful
  • Great screen

Cons

  • Only a 12MP telephoto camera
  • No vapor chamber
  • No 2TB model

iPhones don’t always get huge upgrades over their predecessors, but Apple has really shaken things up this year, making some of the biggest changes to the lineup in a long time.

Sure, there aren’t any new buttons this time around, but the iPhone 17 Pro Max has had a visual overhaul from the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and there are even bigger changes behind the scenes.

So is the iPhone 17 Pro Max worth upgrading to? Or should you stick with the iPhone 16 Pro Max? Below, we’ll take a closer look at how these two phones compare, to help you make that decision.


You may like

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: specs comparison

You’ll find a detailed look at the specs and features of these phones below – along with their prices – but first, here’s just a brief overview of their specs sheets, so you can see how they compare at a glance.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

iPhone 17 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro Max

Dimensions and weight:

163.4 x 78 x 8.8mm, 233g

163 x 77.6 x 8.3mm, 227g

Display:

6.9-inch 120Hz

6.9-inch 120Hz

Peak brightness:

3,000 nits

2,000 nits

Chipset:

A19 Pro

A18 Pro

RAM:

12GB

8GB

Rear cameras:

48MP wide, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto

48MP wide, 48MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto

Front camera:

18MP

12MP

Battery:

5,088mAh / 4,832mAh

4,685mAh

Storage:

256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

256GB, 512GB, 1TB

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: price and availability

Image 1 of 2

The iPhone 17 Pro Max(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)The iPhone 16 Pro Max(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The iPhone 17 Pro Max was available from September 19, though at the time of writing you might be waiting longer than that, as it’s in high demand.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max, meanwhile, launched in September of 2024, but Apple has now discontinued it, so you can’t buy it from Apple direct. Buying it new from retailers is still possible right now, but it could become increasingly tricky over the next few months unless you’re happy to look at pre-owned or refurbished units.

As for the cost, the iPhone 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149, for which you get 256GB of storage. You can also pay $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,599 for 512GB of storage, $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,999 for 1TB of storage, or $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,799 for 2TB of storage.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149, which again gets you 256GB of storage. So the starting price is identical – though in practice you may well be able to find the iPhone 16 Pro Max for less, if you can find it new at all.

If you move up the price brackets then the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s pricing remains identical to that of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, outside Australia at least, where the new phone is slightly more expensive. Though note that the iPhone 16 Pro Max tops out at 1TB of storage, so you can’t get a 2TB model.

Winner: tie – unless you can find the 16 Pro Max for less (or already own it!)


You may like

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: design

Image 1 of 2

The iPhone 17 Pro Max(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)The iPhone 16 Pro Max(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The most obvious difference between these phones is their designs, as the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a redesigned back. Here, you get a large camera bump running across the width of the rear, while on the iPhone 16 Pro Max there’s a smaller camera housing in the top-left corner.

The top half of the rear and the sides of the iPhone 17 Pro Max are aluminum, with a glass panel on the bottom half of the back – whereas the whole rear of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is glass, and its sides are titanium.

From the front, though, the two phones look far more similar, as they both have a flat screen with a Dynamic Island at the top. Both phones also have an Action button and a Camera Control key.

Their weights and dimensions do differ, though, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max coming in at 163.4 x 78 x 8.8mm and 233g, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 163 x 77.6 x 8.3mm and 227g. So Apple’s newer phone is slightly taller, wider, thicker, and heavier.

The colors also differ, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max being sold in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue shades, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is available in Black Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, and Desert Titanium.

Some less visible design elements include their water and dust resistance, with both phones having an IP68 rating, and the protection on their screens, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max using Ceramic Shield while the iPhone 17 Pro Max uses Ceramic Shield 2 – which is said to offer three times better scratch resistance.

These are both good looking phones and it will be subjective which you prefer, with our iPhone 17 Pro Max review describing it as having “a fresh, possibly divisive look” and our iPhone 16 Pro Max review praising its “iconic design with excellent materials.”

Still, while the looks themselves are down to personal preference, the improvement in scratch-resistance alone gives the new phone a slight advantage here.

Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: display

Image 1 of 2

The iPhone 17 Pro Max(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)The iPhone 16 Pro Max(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max both have 6.9-inch 1320 x 2868 OLED screens with a 120Hz refresh rate and 460 pixels per inch resolution.

Both have a Dynamic Island, both support always-on display, and both have a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. So there’s really very little to choose between them on this front.

However, they’re not quite identical. You see, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s peak outdoor brightness is 2,000 nits, the iPhone 17 Pro Max increases that to 3,000 nits. On top of that, the iPhone 17 Pro Max also has a new anti-reflective coating on its screen.

The result is that the newer phone’s display should look less washed out in bright sunlight, and should pick up fewer reflections.

There hasn’t been much in the way of screen upgrades otherwise, but that’s okay – because they weren’t really needed. As our iPhone 17 Pro Max review has it “images pop and blacks are as inky and dark as you would hope they’d be”.

Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: cameras

Image 1 of 2

The iPhone 17 Pro Max(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)The iPhone 16 Pro Max(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

While the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s screen hasn’t had many upgrades, its cameras certainly have. This phone has a 48 MP f/1.6 main camera (also capable of optical-quality 2x zoom photos), a 48MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view, and a 48MP f/2.8 telephoto camera capable of 4x optical zoom or 8x optical-quality zoom. Where we mention ‘optical-quality’, that’s achieved by cropping into the sensor.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max also has an 18MP f/1.9 front-facing camera with a new Center Stage feature that will rotate between portrait or landscape shots as needed, without you having to change the angle you hold the phone at.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max has similar 48MP main and ultra-wide cameras, but its telephoto snapper is just 12MP, and can only take photos at 5x optical zoom. Its selfie camera is also just 12MP, and lacks the Center Stage feature. But both phones can record video in up to 4K quality at up to 120fps.

So the iPhone 17 Pro Max is a substantial upgrade in terms of its telephoto and front-facing cameras, and our review described this as “Apple’s best camera array ever”. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is no slouch here either, of course, with our review of that saying it has “a great array of lenses” – but the 17 Pro Max does beat it overall.

Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: performance and software

Image 1 of 2

The iPhone 17 Pro Max(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)The iPhone 16 Pro Max(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

You’d expect a new iPhone to be more powerful than an older one, and such is the case here, but the upgrades are actually even greater than usual.

First, there’s the bit you’d expect: the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a new A19 Pro chipset, in place of the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s A18 Pro. This provides the generational upgrade in performance you’d expect, but the iPhone 17 Pro Max also has more RAM, with 12GB rather than 8GB, and it features a vapor chamber which helps keep it cool – thereby allowing it to sustain peak performance for longer.

So the iPhone 17 Pro Max is a seriously powerful handset, with our review describing it as “fast and effective in every scenario”. That said, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is still a very powerful phone even a year on from launch, so unless you have really high-end performance demands, you might not notice much difference.

You shouldn’t notice any difference in the software, either, as both of these phones run iOS 26 – though the iPhone 17 Pro Max will probably receive software updates for one year longer than the iPhone 16 Pro Max now will.

Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: battery

Image 1 of 2

The iPhone 17 Pro Max(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)The iPhone 16 Pro Max(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

While Apple doesn’t detail the capacity of its phones’ batteries, certifications have revealed that the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 5,088mAh cell in the US and a 4,832mAh one elsewhere. The difference is because the phone is eSIM-only in the US, so there’s space for a larger battery.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max, meanwhile, has a 4,685mAh battery wherever you buy it, so it’s a lower capacity, and that translates to worse life.

Apple claims the iPhone 17 Pro Max will last for up to 37 hours of video playback between charges, while the figure for the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 33 hours.

Our own tests similarly found that the new model lasts longer, and it charges faster too, with a 40W or higher charger able to juice it to 50% in around 20 minutes, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will take around 35 minutes to reach the same level of charge.

But while the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the clear winner for battery life, the iPhone 16 Pro Max still has many phones beat, so neither handset should disappoint on this front.

Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max: verdict

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

This may not be a huge surprise, but the iPhone 17 Pro Max is an upgrade over the iPhone 16 Pro Max in every category above other than price, with everything from its chipset to its RAM, its cameras, its screen brightness, and its battery life all improved over the previous model. Plus there’s the new vapor chamber, which should improve performance.

The display hasn’t been massively upgraded, admittedly, and the new design could prove divisive, but in most ways the new model is a better phone, and Apple hasn’t even had to raise the price to achieve this.

Whether it’s worth buying if you already have the iPhone 16 Pro Max is more debatable, and you might want to read our full iPhone 17 Pro Max review before deciding. But of the two it’s clearly the better phone, and if you’re rocking a handset that’s a few years old then upgrading to the iPhone 17 Pro Max should make a night and day difference.

You might also like



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Wordle answers
Gaming Gear

Today’s Wordle clues, hints and answer for September 22 #1556

by admin



Grab a coffee, sit yourself down, and get ready to win your first puzzle of the week. Feel free to head directly to the answer to today’s Wordle if that’s your style—sometimes it’s nice just to know one thing’s definitely going to go your way. Or you could see how much the September 22 (1556) clues and hints help you out instead. Up to you.

A clue for today’s Wordle

Stuck on today’s Wordle? Here’s a clue that pertains to the meaning of the word.

If you’re still just as stuck after our clue, scroll down for further hints.


Related articles

Hints for the September 22 (#1556) Wordle

Our Wordle hints will start vague so as to just give you a bit of a nudge in the right direction at first.

As you scroll down, they’ll offer more and more help towards figuring out today’s word without fully giving it away.

Are there any repeated letters in today’s Wordle?

One of the letters in here needs to be used twice.

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

Don’t stop looking until you’ve found two vowels.

What letter does today’s Wordle begin with?

Open with a “Q” and you’ll be on the right track.

The September 22 (#1556) Wordle answer is…

(Image credit: Future)

This is it. No turning back now!

The solution to today’s Wordle puzzle is…


Related articles

The meaning behind today’s Wordle answer

These pre-fountain pen implements are still used for some calligraphy work today. Handy. Well, wingy. You know.

Previous Wordle answers

Past Wordle answers can give you some excellent ideas for fun starting words that keep your daily puzzle-solving fresh. They are also a good way to eliminate guesses for today’s Wordle, as the answer is unlikely to be repeated.

Here are the last 10 Wordle answers:

  • September 12: THROB
  • September 13: NADIR
  • September 14: NOISY
  • September 15: ALONG
  • September 16: LEFTY
  • September 17: TEETH
  • September 18: KNIFE
  • September 19: LATER
  • September 20: DEFER
  • September 21: COVEN

Learn more about Wordle 

(Image credit: Future)

How to play Wordle

Wordle’s a daily guessing game, where the goal is to correctly uncover today’s five letter word in six goes or less. An incorrect letter shows up as a grey box. A correct letter in the wrong space turns up yellow. And the correct letter in the right place shows up as green. There’s no time limit to worry about, and don’t forget that some letters might be used more than once.

Get better at Wordle!

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Generally you want to pick something with a good mix of common consonants and vowels in it as your Wordle opener, as this is most likely to return some early green and yellow letters. Words like SLATE, CHIME, and REACT all work, but feel free to find your own favourite.

Is Wordle getting harder?

(Image credit: Valve)

Wordle is not getting harder!

There will always be the occasional day where the answer is the name of a body part, has a sneaky double vowel, or a word obscure enough to send everyone rushing off to a dictionary. But the daily answers, edited by Tracy Bennett, are still a good mix of common terms and tougher challenges.

Remember that if you’re craving more of a challenge, you can enable Hard Mode under the ⚙️ options menu. This option doesn’t make the words themselves harder, but it requires that “any revealed hints must be used in subsequent guesses.”

How did Wordle begin?

Wordle is the creation of Josh Wardle, and began life as a small personal project before its public release in 2021. From there it’s gone on to become a global phenomenon, attracting a dedicated daily audience, billions of plays, a whole host of competitors, and even a seven-figure sale to the New York Times where it’s become a mainstay of daily games alongside the crosswords and Connections.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Zach Cregger's Saving His DC Film 'Henchman' For the Right Time
Gaming Gear

Zach Cregger’s Saving His DC Film ‘Henchman’ For the Right Time

by admin


Last month, we learned Zach Cregger had another project on his hands: Henchman for DC. Once again written and directed by him, the movie would star a low-level goon that moves up in the crime world after apparently taking down Batman, similar to the Batman: The Animated Series episode “The Man Who Killed Batman.”

Henchman was just a script at the time, but you can imagine Cregger would get to actually pitching it once he had some free time. Now, it sounds like we’ll be waiting a while, as he told ScreenRant he’d keep it to himself for now. His reasoning comes down to the growing amount of Batman projects, which includes The Batman Part II and Clayface. “I love that script, but Gotham City IP is the most coveted,” he explained. “Right now, there’s a lot of people that have their own kind of flavor. It’s a very kind of crowded playing field, and my movie, I don’t think it really fits into any of that.”

Cregger assured he’s not put out by fellow creators like Matt Reeves and James Gunn. But with so many “hurdles” around Batman at the moment, he’s going to “leave [things] to the universe” before approaching Gunn and DC with Henchman. Optimistically, he called the script “a great story, I think it’s awesome. When that door opens, I’ll happily step through it.” Just maybe don’t expect it for at least two or three years.

Until then, we’ve got Weapons, which recently came to digital, and his Resident Evil movie on September 18, 2026.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
La Liga Soccer: Stream Real Madrid vs. Espanyol Live From Anywhere
Gaming Gear

La Liga Soccer: Stream Real Madrid vs. Espanyol Live From Anywhere

by admin



See at ESPN

Watch La Liga soccer in the US from $12 a month

ESPN Plus

Real Madrid will look to cement its place at the top of Spain’s La Liga today as it hosts an improving Espanyol team. Los Blancos came through a tricky opening Champions League test at home to French team Olympique de Marseille in midweek with a 2-1 win, extending a perfect start to the new season to six straight victories across all competitions. 

On Sunday, Real returns to domestic matters with a matchup against an Espanyol team that appears to have improved significantly since last season’s flirtation with relegation. Manolo González’s men have taken maximum points from their three league games so far this term.

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game as it happens.

Real Madrid hosts Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, Sept. 20. Kickoff is set for 4:15 p.m. CET local time, making it a 10:15 a.m. ET or 7:15 a.m. PT start in the US, a 3:15 p.m. BST start in the UK and a 12:15 a.m. AEST kickoff in Australia. 

Kylian Mbappé tops La Liga’s goal-scoring chart with four from Real Madrid’s opening four games of the season. 

Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Espanyol in the US without cable

This match is available to stream in the US via ESPN Plus, which has live English- and Spanish-language broadcast rights for La Liga in the US.

ESPN Plus

Livestream Real Madrid vs. Espanyol in the UK

There’s been a slight shakeup with La Liga viewing options in the UK this season, with Disney Plus now set to show Saturday primetime matches exclusively live. 

Premier Sports, however, remains the home for the lion’s share of Spanish top-flight matches. The network is showing 340 matches live, including this game, which will be exclusively live on Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player and La Liga TV.  

Premier Sports

A subscription to just Premier Sports’ dedicated La Liga channel costs £8 a month.

You can also get the channel via a full subscription to Premier Sports, giving you access to all of the network’s channels, which have the UK broadcast rights to Scottish Premiership matches, BKT United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup rugby, plus NHL and Nascar.

A full Premier Sports subscription costs £10 per month for Sky and Virgin TV customers. You can also get Premier Sports through Amazon Prime Video as an add-on for £15 a month.

Livestream Real Madrid vs. Espanyol in Canada

TSN is the rights holder for live coverage of La Liga matches in the region. Select games are shown on its linear channels, and a wider selection is shown on its TSN Plus streaming platform. This match is set to be shown on TSN Plus. 

TSN

TSN Plus is a direct-streaming service that costs CA$8 a month and also offers coverage of PGA Tour Live golf, NFL games, F1, NASCAR and the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments.

Livestream Real Madrid vs. Espanyol in Australia

Footy fans Down Under can watch La Liga matches live on beIN Sports, which holds the live broadcast rights in Australia for Spanish top-flight matches. This match is set to be shown on beIN Sports 3.

BeIn Sports

BeIN Sports is available in Australia for AU$15 a month or a yearly commitment of AU$130.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Best Bamboo Sheets (2025): WIRED’s Brand-New Top Pick
Gaming Gear

Best Bamboo Sheets (2025): WIRED’s Brand-New Top Pick

by admin


Comparing Our Favorite Bamboo Bedding

Terminology to Know When Shopping

Confused by the terms used to describe bamboo bedding? Here’s a quick breakdown.

Bamboo type: You’ll see bamboo rayon, viscose, or lyocell listed for the bamboo, which explains what method was used for turning the bamboo into fibers that could become sheets. Rayon is the cheapest, while viscose is a slightly better production process, and lyocell is the most ideal process (but still not a perfect one, and usually the most expensive).

Certifications: Some companies will label bamboo sheets as organic, using certifications like Oeko-Tex. You can learn more about organic certification terms here to understand what they each mean, and our thoughts on organic bamboo in our FAQs below. You might also see FSC-certified, which means it was sourced through sustainable forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Honorable Mentions

Cariloha Classic Bamboo Sheets for $239: Cariloha’s Classic Bamboo Sheets have a twill weave, which has a diagonal thread pattern and doesn’t sound as soft as a sateen weave that has a three-over-one pattern. But these sheets still felt super soft, and the softness difference compared to the pricier Retreat Sheets ($339) was minor for such a big price difference. There’s no corner straps, though.

Cariloha Retreat Bamboo Sheets for $339: These sheets are super soft and silky and use lyocell fabric to be more sustainable. They’re a similar softness to the brand’s cheaper sheets, but if you want to prioritize eco-friendly sheets, lyocell is a good option (though not a perfect carbon-neutral solution). I also really like the included straps, but you can find those on cheaper sets like the Luxome sheets I recommend above.

Ettitude Luxe Sheet Set for $470: These sheets are fantastically soft and use a combination of bamboo lyocell and bamboo “biochar” to make them antifungal and odor-resistant. They ran a little warm for my liking, but if you’re looking for something to keep odors and fungi away, these could be the splurge for you. Ettitude previously called these Airy+ instead of Luxe, but both use a combination of lyocell and biochar.

Honeydew Sheets for $230: These sheets felt a little stiff at first but softened up a bunch after washing. They also come with a securing strap, so they’re a good option for taller mattresses. The only downside is that they’re only available in two colors, but if you want white or a nice dark gray, you’re in luck.

My Sheets Rock the Regulator Sheet Set for $199: These sheets are super soft. They promise to regulate your temperature, but I found myself waking up a little too warm some nights. If you aren’t a hot sleeper, these are overall soft, comfortable sheets to sleep on.

Pom Pom at Home Bamboo Sateen Sheet Set for $368: These are good bamboo sheets, but for the price, we were more impressed by others we tested.

Quince Linen Bamboo Bundle for $255: This set would have been a pick if it were still available. It’s a fantastic combination of linen and bamboo that gets the best of both worlds: the softness and cool touch of bamboo with the structure and airflow of linen. It’s a great pick for hot sleepers—if it resurfaces, buy it!

Quince Bamboo Sheet Set for $130: Quince makes some solid sheets, and these bamboo ones are super soft. They’re a little heavy for me as a hot sleeper, but otherwise come in a nice range of colors and have an Oeko-Tex certification, meaning no harmful chemicals were used. Quince also says the bamboo is organic, but there aren’t any certifications to confirm that (more below on our thoughts on organic bamboo bedding).

Sunday Citizen Bamboo Sheet Set for $109: WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe found these sheets to be super soft and fantastic to sleep on. But even with the claimed deep pockets, they tended to pop off her mattress, and other picks like Luxome’s sheets feature straps that will avoid that problem.

FAQs

What Types of Bamboo Are There?

AccordionItemContainerButton

There’s a few different terms you might see when describing the bamboo fibers that make up a set of bamboo sheets. Bamboo isn’t naturally a soft fiber, so it goes through a harsh chemical process to break it down and turn it into fibers that can be woven into sheets. Each different name lets you know what kind of process was used and what kind of chemicals (and chemical off-put) were involved.

Bamboo rayon and bamboo viscose are sometimes used interchangeably, though they shouldn’t be since they aren’t exactly the same. Rayon is likely a term you’ve seen before, since it’s a general term used for fabric made from regenerated cellulose. Bamboo rayon usually suggests that it’s semi-synthetic and might not be 100 percent bamboo. Meanwhile, bamboo viscose also uses bamboo cellulose as its base, though it has a slightly different process. Viscose is another type that isn’t limited to bamboo. Just about every sheet I’ve tested claims to be 100 percent bamboo viscose.

Bamboo lyocell is the best of the three, because lyocell has a closed-loop process, which means that almost all of the chemicals used to make more lyocell get reused rather than dumped. Lyocell is a fantastic-quality fabric that makes for a great cooling sheet, so it’s a term to look for if you want to stay cool while you sleep.

Are Bamboo Sheets Cooling?

AccordionItemContainerButton

While bamboo is absolutely cool to the touch when you first climb into bed, I often find that bamboo bed sheets can warm up quite a bit throughout the night. Some companies claim that the bamboo fibers can help regulate your temperature and wick away moisture. As a hot sleeper, I haven’t found this true with every set of bamboo sheets. Some have a weave that’s too heavy to keep me cool on hot nights, since no amount of promised moisture-wicking can replace good airflow to keep you cool. There are a few sets of bamboo bed sheets I recommend below that keep me cooler than others, but I recommend visiting our guide to the Best Cooling Sheets if you want to consider all kinds of bed sheets that could keep you cool, from bamboo to cotton percale and even sheets with phase-change material (or PCM) blended in.

Can Bamboo Sheets Be Organic?

AccordionItemContainerButton

Unlike cotton fabrics, which have the Global Organic Textiles Standard, or GOTS, there’s no overarching certification to verify if bamboo is organically sourced. Many sheet makers will say the bamboo is organic, but with no main certification to confirm this, it’s hard to say without a doubt that any bamboo sheets are fully organic.

Instead, you’ll usually see Oeko-Tex certifications, which confirm that no harmful substances were used, and sometimes you’ll see Forest Stewardship Council, or FSC, certifications, which confirm that the bamboo was sustainably sourced. Hopefully a primary bamboo organic certification will come out in the future to better inform bamboo textile shoppers. You can learn more about existing organic certifications in our guide here.

Does Thread Count Matter?

AccordionItemContainerButton

Bamboo sheets have a thread count, just like cotton sheets, describing how many threads are in a square inch of the fabric. You don’t want too high of a thread count—anything over 800 is purely marketing-speak, and higher thread counts can mean shorter, lower-quality fibers. It’s better to have fewer fibers that are longer and stronger.

Bamboo made into rayon, viscose, and lyocell can be manipulated into a long thread more easily than cotton, of course, so we haven’t seen the crazy-high thread counts listed on bamboo sheets. Many of these sheets are also a sateen weave, which is a three-over-one thread style, leading it to feel softer but not be as breathable. It’s not always so simple as sateen will make you hot, of course; our favorite cooling bamboo sheets from Ettitude have a sateen weave, so it depends on several factors.

The takeaway? Don’t worry about thread count. Focus on type of weave and reviews (like ours!) to get a better idea of whether a set of bamboo sheets (or any other kind of sheet) will suit your sleep needs.

How Does WIRED Test Bamboo Sheets?

AccordionItemContainerButton

For our bamboo sheets guide, I compared our picks both overnight and side by side for softness, cooling properties, and price. Each set of sheets was slept on anywhere between two and seven nights, depending on how it performed, and was washed multiple times to check for pilling or design flaws. I’m a hot sleeper living in Southern California, with my bedroom on the third floor of my home, so it’s been easy to discover if sheets can’t keep me cool all night long. I also looked at each sheet’s quality in reference to the price to see what sheet sets were really worth investing in after testing each one.

How Does WIRED Obtain Sheet Samples? What Happens to Samples After Testing?

AccordionItemContainerButton

All sheets in this guide were obtained as testing samples from companies. We obtain these sheets with no obligation to cover or promises for what coverage could look like. When testing is complete, the top picks are held onto for long-term testing, while the rest are donated locally.

Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
DAAPrivacyRightIcon
Gaming Gear

NASA resurrects its VIPER moon rover for a 2027 mission with Blue Origin

by admin


NASA is apparently giving its ice-scouting moon rover mission another try. The space agency has announced that the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) project — which was called off last year after a series of delays and mounting costs — could catch a ride to the moon with Blue Origin in 2027 under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Blue Origin must first plan and demonstrate how the delivery at the lunar surface would work, and if it’s all to NASA’s liking, VIPER will be ferried by the company’s Blue Moon Mark 1 lander.

Blue Origin hasn’t yet attempted a moon landing, but the first opportunity for its Blue Moon Mark 1 lander is expected to launch later this year as part of another CLPS delivery. That mission will also help to inform NASA’s decision about VIPER’s rideshare, which would use a second Mark 1 lander that the agency says is already in production. If VIPER does eventually make it to the moon, it’ll be deployed in the extreme environment of the lunar South Pole to search for water ice and other resources that could support future missions. 

“This delivery could show us where ice is most likely to be found and easiest to access, as a future resource for humans,” said Joel Kearns, Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration with NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, in a statement. “And by studying these sources of lunar water, we also gain valuable insight into the distribution and origin of volatiles across the solar system, helping us better understand the processes that have shaped our space environment and how our inner solar system has evolved.”



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
The foldable iPhone might look like two iPhone Airs stuck together
Gaming Gear

The foldable iPhone might look like two iPhone Airs stuck together

by admin


While it seems like a foregone conclusion that there will be a foldable iPhone, possibly late next year, there hasn’t been much info about what it would look like. In the latest installment of his Power On newsletter Mark Gurman says he’s being told it will look more or less like two iPhone Airs stuck together.

That means it should be pretty thin, though potentially thicker than a Pixel 10 Pro Fold (10.8mm) and Galaxy Z Fold7 (8.9mm) since an iPhone Air comes in at 5.6mm thick. Though Ming-Chi Kuo’s sources suggest the foldable will be quite a bit thinner when unfolded, possibly as little as 4.5mm. Unfortunately, Gurman also expects the foldable iPhone to cost more than the Pixel Fold, starting at at least $2,000, possibly more.

One benefit of basing the foldable on the iPhone Air’s design is durability. While foldables have improved a lot over the years, there are still concerns about how they can stand up to abuse. But Gurman says the iPhone fold will be made of titanium, just like the Air, which both JerryRigsEverything and iFixIt have found to be pretty tough.

iFixIt also gave the iPhone Air a surprisingly decent repairability score of seven. If an iPhone fold could even get close to the same repairability score it would be a pretty big deal. Both the Pixel Fold and Z Fold7 earned repairability scores of three, meaning these phones that are far more fragile than your standard glass rectangle are also much harder to repair.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
The Ninja Creami on a yellow background with text saying Big Savings next to it.
Gaming Gear

The Ninja Creami Deluxe has dropped to its lowest price this year at Amazon

by admin



I know it’s not summer any more, but it’s never too early to get prepared for next year’s better weather. And if ice cream is one of your favorite things in the warmer weather, then you’ll want to check out this deal for the Ninja Creami Deluxe at Amazon for $249.99 (was $284.98).

My family and I love our ice cream maker. It’s actually my daughters’, but in reality, we all get to enjoy the benefits of it. We’ve made vanilla and chocolate flavours, but have our eyes set on more extravagant alternatives, including mint and mango. If that has you tempted, then don’t pass on this limited-time deal for the four-star-rated Ninja Creami.

Today’s best Ninja Creami deal

When I was young, ice cream was one of those treats that were limited to the times when an ice cream van came into our neighbourhood. It was once in a blue moon, and the options were pretty limited. Now that ice cream makers are more affordable than ever, anyone can make ice cream from the comfort of their own home.

The Ninja Creami includes dual-drive motors, which apply pressure and spin the paddle to ensure a creamy and consistent mix. All you have to do is add the ingredients to the bowl, and the Creami will do the rest.

If you’d like an ice cream maker that delivers soft serve options, then you’ll want the Ninja Swirl instead. While we’re talking about home gadgets that make life easier, you might also want to check out the latest air fryer deals and NutriBullet deals.

Today’s best Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker deals



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Hatsune Miku Project Diva MegaMix+
Gaming Gear

Japan’s space agency officially ends decade-plus mission that carried Hatsune Miku into space one year after losing probe somewhere above Venus

by admin



Hatsune Miku’s voyage through space has finally come to an end after 15 long years. The Japanese space probe Akatsuki has officially ceased operations, as reported by Automaton. The probe was originally launched on May 21, 2010, after famously being decorated with some 13,000 Hatsune Miku drawings and messages submitted by fans.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) sent the probe next door to Venus to study the planet’s weather patterns and look for “signs of active volcanism.” The probe also captured some stunning images of Venus that show the milky coffee hues of its atmosphere. JAXA reported that it lost contact with the probe in April 2024 and operations were officially terminated on Thursday. Akatsuki was the only operational probe specifically focused on studying Venus over the past ten years.

The Akatsuki team announced the shut down in a post on X (formerly Twitter), as translated by Automaton: “We have concluded operations of the Venus probe Akatsuki. Since last year we have been attempting to restore communications, but determined that recovery would be difficult, and so we have drawn this chapter to a close. We sincerely thank everyone who has supported Akatsuki over the 15 years since its launch.”


Related articles

Ahead of Akatsuki’s launch in 2010, JAXA invited the general public to send in art and messages to get etched into the probe’s aluminum balance weights. Fans of the voice synthesizer program Vocaloid, which (at the time) powered Hatsune Miku, saw the opportunity to send their favorite fictional pop star to the stars.

They sent in over 13,000 drawings and messages to go on Akatsuki, turning part of the probe into a monument to Miku. JAXA let it fly (literally) and the Hatsune Miku art got to spend 15 long years orbiting Venus.

While Venus may not have any robot friends flying around it at the moment, a few new missions are in the works. NASA is working on two probes, DAVINCI and VERITAS, both slated for launch in the early 2030s, and the European Space Agency is planning to send its EnVision probe to Venus sometime in the next decade, as well.



Source link

0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Close