An attention-grabbing Kickstarter campaign attempting to reinvent the measuring spoon has turned into a mad, mad, mad, mad world for backers after years of broken promises and thousands of missing spoons.

The mind-boggling design for the measuring spoon first wowed the Internet in 2016 after a video promoting the Kickstarter campaign went viral and spawned widespread media coverage fawning over the unique design.

Known as Polygons, the three-in-one origami measuring spoons have a flat design that can be easily folded into common teaspoon and tablespoon measurements. “Regular spoons are so 3000 BC,” a tagline on the project’s website joked.

Read full article

Comments

Even when chatbots are provided direct quotes from real stories and asked for more information, they will often lie.

Firefly’s Blue Ghost witnessed Earth blocking out the Sun from its point of view on the Moon, while we experienced a lunar eclipse on Earth.

Jeffrey Combs is a man of many talents, but perhaps his greatest of all was giving us his star turn as Deep Space Nine‘s clone confidant.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

I’m Lifehacker’s resident marathon runner and senior finance writer. And now, I’m merging my two worlds. Last month I wrote about what it looks like to invest in proper running gear. But while I was breaking down how much running gear can cost, I didn’t dive into how much gear should cost. Which expensive gear is actually worth it, even for the casual runner?

Quality running shoes

Nothing affects your running experience more than your shoes. Premium models from brands like Brooks, Hoka, Nike, and Saucony aren’t just marketing hype—they offer technology that can prevent injury and improve performance, with:

• Better cushioning systems that absorb impact

• Stability or motion control

• Durability that extends their lifespan (300-500 miles vs. 150-200 for budget options)

A proper fitting at a specialty running store is invaluable. Your ideal shoe depends on your gait, foot shape, and running goals—making this personalized service worth the premium you’ll pay over big-box stores. Lifehacker’s senior health editor Beth Skwarecki has a fantastic guide to get you started on how to find the perfect pair.

If you only splurge on one thing in the running world, it’s got to be shoes. My preferred pair at the moment? The Brooks Ghost 16. It’s a reliable “daily trainer” that gets the job done on quick sprints and slow long runs alike.

Brooks Ghost 16 Neutral Running Shoe

$139.95
at Amazon

$139.95
at Amazon

Socks

When it comes to socks, keep in mind not just quality, but quantity. Runners require a disgusting amount of laundry.

At the same time, your baseline for “quality” running socks should be a bit more discerning compared to your daily walking-around socks. If you want to spring for features like odor control and moisture management, be my guest—but I haven’t found a world of difference for that higher price. This six-pack from Nike for $30 is par for the course, and I wouldn’t spend much more than that.

If you find a mid-range pack of heel-tab socks that don’t give you blisters, stick with them, and ignore overly hyped running socks that you might find in a running-specific store.

High-performance sports bras

For women, a quality sports bra isn’t optional—it’s essential. “When you’re shopping options from sport-specific brands like Nike and Adidas, look for these sorts of features

• Enhanced support that keeps everything in place

• Moisture-wicking materials that prevent chafing

• Adjustable features for customized support

• Durability through hundreds of wash cycles

The difference between a $20 and $40-60 sports bra becomes apparent after mile three of a long run, when inferior options lead to certain discomfort—to put it mildly—that can sideline you.

Anti-chafing products

Cheap versions of anti-chafing sticks could mean skin irritation, greasiness, or simply a waste of time. Luckily, “cheap” in this instance means the difference between the Vaseline already in your house and buying a $10 stick.

This Body Glide anti-chafing stick works like a charm for just $8.99. Just one palm-sized stick has lasted longer than a full training cycle of long runs.

Basic shorts and shirts

While technical shirts and shorts can run you well over $50, in my experience, they only offer marginally better moisture-wicking and comfort. Budget options closer to $15-25 perform nearly as well for most runners.

Plus, if you get into the world of organized racing, you’ll have swag in the form of hats, shorts, and shirts for life.

Fitness trackers and GPS watches

While serious runners benefit from advanced metrics in $300+ GPS watches, casual runners can use free smartphone apps (Strava, MapMyRun, Nike Run Club).

If you ask me, extra features like running power, VO2 max estimates, and recovery advisors rarely justify the cost for recreational runners. While I tend to go watch-less on my runs, Beth has a great guide to finding a running watch here. One budget pick she recommends is the no-nonsense Forerunner 55 for $149.99.

Garmin Forerunner 55

$149.99
at Amazon

$199.99
Save $50.00

$149.99
at Amazon

$199.99
Save $50.00

Running belts

The two big names in running belts are the minimalist SPIbelt and the maximalist FlipBelt. The SPIbelt (“small personal item belt”) is perfect for the low-key runner who only needs to hold their phone or their keys.

While I wouldn’t call myself a maximalist runner—quite the opposite—I prefer FlipBelts for a much simpler reason. Compared to the SPIbelt, with my Flip, everything stays in place while you run. I tuck my energy gels, keys, phone, even some tissues in my FlipBelt, and it all stays snug on my person during my run—no bouncing up and down while you go.

FlipBelt Running Belt

$37.00
at Amazon

$37.00
at Amazon

Compression gear

Despite marketing claims, research shows mixed results on whether compression socks, sleeves, and tights ($30-80) improve performance or recovery for most runners. And hey, even if their muscle soreness superpowers are overhyped, they’re comfortable and feel good in the moment. Save your money unless you have specific circulation issues or find them exceptionally comfortable.

Designer sunglasses

I don’t wear sunglasses on my runs, and in my experience in races, the sunglasses I see are few and far between. While eye protection is a priority for some, $200 running sunglasses don’t offer significant advantages over $20-40 sport sunglasses from Target or Amazon. Unless you need them for medical reasons, you won’t find me recommending spending money on designer sunglasses.

Technical outerwear

For year-round runners, I recommend one high-quality waterproof/windproof jacket as a worthwhile investment. If you try to tough out the cold and rain with a cotton sweatshirt, you’ll find yourself soggy and suffocated pretty quick.

Still, you only need one good piece for the rain and extreme cold, not a collection. You can layer those budget options you already own, rather than waste money on a fancy technical wardrobe.

BALEAF Running Rain Jacket

$55.99
at Amazon

$59.99
Save $4.00

$55.99
at Amazon

$59.99
Save $4.00

Nutrition products

I’ve written before about what to eat before and during your long runs, which plays a critical role in how you recover. My preference in gels is aptly named “Gu.” A 24-pack of Gu runs me about $38.49. Other runners swear by Gatorade chews, Snickers bars, or even some loose dates in a Ziploc bag.

Investing in nutrition like gels, chews, and electrolyte drinks matters most during long runs (10+ miles). For shorter distances, cheaper alternatives or homemade options work fine.

The bottom line

The key to smart running investments is to prioritize gear that directly impacts injury prevention (shoes, socks, sports bras) and comfort (anti-chafing products). For everything else, ask yourself: “Will this significantly improve my running experience, or just my appearance?”

Remember that consistency trumps gear every time. An inexpensive but regular running habit will always outperform an occasional run in top-dollar equipment. The best investment isn’t always what costs the most—it’s what gets you out the door day after day.

The US government’s tariff announcements have become a “big headache” for technology companies such as iPhone maker Apple and cloud service provider Amazon, their manufacturing partner Foxconn said on Friday, in a rare public admission of the disruption caused by President Donald Trump’s erratic trade policy. Financial Times: “The issue of tariffs is something that is giving the CEOs of our customers a big headache now,” chief executive Young Liu told investors on an earnings call. “Judging by the attitude and the approach we see the US government taking towards tariffs, it is very, very hard to predict how things will develop over the next year. So we can only concentrate on doing well what we can control.”

Liu said the company’s customers were “one after another” hatching plans for co-operating with Foxconn on manufacturing in the US. He declined to give details as those plans were not yet finalised, but said there should be “more and more” manufacturing in the US.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

A massive screen with an even bigger discount. Now’s the time to upgrade!

This is a video of Sith cosplayer Kurt Mannebach, who has a nifty trick to make his lightsaber hover around him when thrown for EXTRA dark lord flair. And that trick, obviously, is actually being able to harness the Force. And my mom said it wasn’t real!

Thanks to Lydia, who agrees it’s all fun and games until you hit yourself in the head with your own lightsaber.

Warning: spoilers for season three of Ted Lasso are ahead.

It turns out that all Ted Lasso fans had to do was believe. After many months of rumors and uncertainty, the hit show is coming back to Apple TV+ for a fourth season.

Star, co-creator and executive producer Jason Sudeikis is returning as the eponymous college football coach who was hired to take charge of a soccer team in England. He told the Kelce brothers on their New Heights podcast that the writing team is working on the next season and that, this time around, Ted will be coaching a women’s team. That seems like a nice way to hit the reset button after the so-so third season (don’t @ me).

Apple hasn’t revealed more details about the new season of the Emmy juggernaut yet. No other cast members have been announced, but it was reported some months back that production company Warner Bros. Television has picked up contract options for co-stars Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Welton), Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) and Jeremy Swift (Leslie Higgins). Apple did confirm that Goldstein is returning as a writer and executive producer. Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) is back as an executive producer too.

Ted left his team, AFC Richmond, at the end of season three, to return home to the US for family reasons. But given that a women’s team was proposed in the season finale and Sudeikis saying Ted will coach such a squad, it certainly seems like he’s returning to work alongside his old cohorts.

“As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to ‘look before we leap,’ in season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to leap before they look, discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be,” Sudeikis said.

It’s not clear as yet when Ted Lasso will return. However, given that the show’s writers are currently putting together the fourth season, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to watch new episodes until at least the tail end of this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/ted-lasso-is-returning-to-apple-tv-for-a-fourth-season-153152897.html?src=rss

If you own a pair of AirPods, you might have quite the futuristic upgrade arriving later this year. That is, unless you’re a former Google customer—otherwise this will seem a bit like old news.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a live translation feature for AirPods with the release of iOS 19. Gurman’s sources appear to be keeping as quiet as possible, as the feature is still quite secret, so it’s not clear exactly which AirPods models are going to be compatible with this feature, should it arrive with the update. But seeing as most new AirPods features seem to hit the second-gen AirPods Pro these days, my guess would be those buds—maybe AirPods 4, if Apple is feeling generous. (I hope AirPods Max would be so lucky.)

Gurman’s sources did share how the feature will roughly work: When someone is speaking to you in another language, your AirPods will translate their words into your target language. Then, when you start to speak in reply, your iPhone will translate back into the other speaker’s language and read those words out loud.

Apple is not the first company to release a feature like this. In fact, Google’s Pixel Buds have had live translation for years now through “Conversation” mode in the Translate app. If you have the proper buds and an Android phone, you can open the Translate app, and ask your Pixel Buds to help you translate something in another language. This will automatically kick on Conversation mode: When the other party responds, your Pixel Buds will play the translation in your ear for you.

You don’t need the Pixel Buds for Conversation mode to work, of course. You can rely on your phone’s speaker to achieve the same result. But it’s cool that you can be the one to hear the translation in your ear, and understand what the other person was saying.

It’s not clear from Gurman’s limited information whether Apple’s feature will work this way via its proprietary Translate app. The fact that your iPhone will speak its translation of your side of the conversation sounds like how Google handles this feature, so it does seem likely that you’ll need the Translate app open in order for your AirPods to translate the other party’s words, as well. Apple’s app has its own Conversation mode too, so, like on Android, you can already have a live translation experience on iPhone. Give it a try if you want a taste of what the experience might be like once (or if) it arrives on AirPods.

Apple will likely reveal iOS 19 and all of its new features in June at WWDC. The company will then spend the summer beta testing the software, before releasing it to compatible iPhones sometime in the fall.

Enjoy your favorite music in a whole new way with Sony thanks to this discount.

Apple’s AirPods 4 earbuds are on sale via Amazon for just $100. This is a new record low price, representing a discount of $29. The deal is for the standard model and not the one with ANC. However, that model is also on sale for $149, which is a discount of 17 percent.

These earbuds are generally considered some of the best AirPods on the market. The sound quality is improved over the previous generation, as is the overall design. This leads to a legitimately comfortable fit, which is something of a rarity in the earbud space. We noted in our official review that they don’t fall out when moving around.

This model features the H2 chip, which was introduced for the AirPods Pro. The H2 chip opens up plenty of high-tech features, like Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. These earbuds also offer 48kHz audio for FaceTime calls and Adaptive EQ. Speaking of calls, Apple’s newly introduced Voice Isolation feature helps remove unwanted ambient noise when speaking on the phone.

There are some features missing from these earbuds when compared to the company’s higher-end models. These AirPods don’t have onboard volume controls and there’s no wireless charging. Also, there’s no ANC on the entry-level buds. Again, the ANC-equipped version is also on sale today.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-airpods-4-drop-to-a-record-low-of-100-152213060.html?src=rss

A joint WHO/UNICEF report this week shows that measles has made a dramatic comeback across Europe and Central Asia.

Windows Defender has begun identifying WinRing0 — a kernel-level driver used by numerous hardware monitoring applications — as malicious software, causing widespread functionality issues for affected tools. The driver, which provides low-level hardware access necessary for reading fan speeds, controlling RGB lighting, and monitoring system components, is being quarantined due to potential security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malware.

WinRing0 gained popularity among developers because it’s one of only two freely available Windows drivers capable of accessing the SMBus registers needed for hardware monitoring functions. The affected applications include Fan Control, OpenRGB, MSI Afterburner, LibreHardwareMonitor, and multiple others that rely on this driver to communicate with system hardware.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The government recently shut down the program that would mail four free COVID tests to anyone who requested them, but a lesser-known program for community groups is still running. If you have a plan to distribute tests for free, you can request them by the hundreds. 

Individual COVID tests are no longer available by mail for free

Just to bring everyone up to speed: The government program that sent free COVID tests through covidtests.gov is not currently taking orders. A message on that page states that “Tests ordered before 8:00 PM EDT, Sunday, March 9, 2025, will be shipped.” This is the program that would send a package of four tests, per household, per round of the program. There were several rounds, the last one beginning in September 2024.

There’s no indication of whether the program may resume at some later date. Some news articles had stated or speculated that the government’s stockpile of COVID tests was going to be destroyed, but so far there has been no confirmation that any usable tests are being destroyed.

If you, personally, need a free test, you can try these locators to find places that provide government-funded COVID tests: 

• HRSA health center locator 

• Test-to-treat locations 

• ICATT testing locations (free if you are uninsured and have been exposed to COVID)

Community groups can request bulk orders of COVID tests for free

While the program for individuals has shut down, a lesser-known one for community groups is still going strong. There isn’t an official government website that explains the program or provides an order form, but mutual aid groups have been passing around a spreadsheet and instructions for requesting tests from a government email address. 

For example, this Instagram post from Clean Air KC includes several comments from groups who placed successful orders and are sharing information about the brands, expiration dates, and even the size of the boxes they come in. Reportedly, the minimum order is 300 tests. Clean Air KC has successfully placed orders of 3,000 tests, and a person from that group also showed me a thank-you note from someone who used their information about the program to place an order of, and receive, 360 tests.

How to request free COVID tests in bulk

Officially, the way to get information about this program is by emailing tdx@hhs.gov. I didn’t get a response when I reached out to that address, but I did hear back from the media contact for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, which maintains COVID test stockpiles. They confirmed today (March 14, 2025) that the program is still running, and that any community group with a plan to distribute the tests for free “can request a one-time or recurring shipment of 400 over-the-counter tests for free distribution.” 

It’s unclear if 400 is a new minimum, or just a recommended amount. My contact at Clean Air KC said that they placed an order for 3,000 this week, after the USPS individual test program shut down, and received confirmation that the requested tests are on the way. 

To order tests, send an email to tdx@hhs.gov with the following information:

• The number of tests you’re requesting

• The address to send them to

• Contact information for the person receiving the tests

• The name or purpose of your group 

Food banks, libraries, faith based organizations and others can request tests, but so can informal groups so long as they intend to distribute the tests for free. You cannot resell tests received through this program.

Groups have been using this spreadsheet as an order form, although it’s not clear if the spreadsheet is strictly necessary. Older web pages from nursing home organizations (like this one) describe a similar program that required requesters to be long term care facilities with CLIA certification or a CLIA waiver, but this appears to be no longer necessary. ASPR confirmed to me that “any organization” that agrees to distribute the tests for free can order them.

The ninth episode of season two, ‘The After Hours,’ is now streaming on Apple TV+.

“The rapid pace of [DOGE’s] actions…requires the quick release of information about its structure and activities. That is especially so given the secrecy with which USDS has operated.”

Active-duty service members, military families, and veterans get more cellular benefits for less with T-Mobile’s exclusive offers.