Use This Homemade Seasoning Mix for Better Popcorn

The next time you make popcorn, treat yourself to some flavor. I insist. Pop a big bowl of the crunchy stuff and dust your favorite bespoke popcorn seasoning over the whole thing. I’m not talking about that silly bottled powder at the grocery store. Why buy overpriced popcorn salt when you can make an endless variety of flavors right at home? It's so easy and quick there's really no reason not to try it. Let’s get poppin’.

Barring dietary restrictions, eating plain popcorn seems like forcing yourself to nosh on packing material (you really should use it as packing material). You don’t need loads of butter or oil to add flavor, you really just need salt and seasonings that are pulverized down into a fine powder. The super-fine particles get caught in the irregular hooks, crags, and ditches of each popped kernel, delivering well-balanced flavors in every handful. Here are two ways to do it.

Use a mortar and pestle

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

This is my favorite tool because the mortar and pestle allows you to make a single serving, or a whole lot in one go. I always start by adding the largest ingredients first. The salt is likely one of them, and it’s possible that you’re only sprinkling on salt, so go ahead and add that to the mortar bowl. In my recipe below, I use sea salt and nutritional yeast flakes. Those are the two chunkiest components so they go in first. If you’re using dried herbs, you’ll add them at this step. 

Use the pestle to grind down the ingredients with firm pressure in a circular motion around the bowl. I probably did this 15 to 20 times around until I was happy with how fine the salt and flakes got. It took maybe as many seconds to do this. If you’re unsure about how fine the powder is, look at the powder at an angle under a light. You’ll see the light catch some of the salt crystals. If they’re too big, or there are a lot of them, give it all another round of smashing. 

Add any other dried, powdered seasoning you like. This is a great time to add seasoning blends, like steak seasoning, or garlic seasoned salt. I used some of Trader Joe’s Everything but the Leftovers Seasoning Blend which incorporates a ton of other ingredients to make a seasoning that tastes like Thanksgiving dinner. Popcorn flavored as Thanksgiving sounds like the right move to me. (It’s never too early to prepare my tastebuds.) Using the same motion, grind down the seasoning mixture until it becomes a fine powder. Your popcorn seasoning is ready to go. 

Use a spice grinder or blender

A spice grinder, coffee grinder, or food processor can pulverize your popcorn powder too. The only qualm I have with these is that you might have to make quite a bit of powder in order for it to catch on the blades. Even then, sometimes the grind can be uneven. Add the ingredients in the same order: blend large pieces first, then add the ground seasonings. Blend until you have a fine seasoning mix.  

The recipe below makes a cheesy, savory mix with just a bit of heat. My recommendation is to go light on the cayenne. That little minx’ll catch you the wrong way if you add too much. Then you’ll come back here coughing and leaving cranky comments. I don’t want that. Be safe. 

Almost Doritos-flavored Popcorn Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes

• ½ teaspoon Everything But the Leftovers Seasoning Blend

• ¼ teaspoon paprika

• Pinch of cayenne 

With a mortar and pestle, grind the sea salt and nutritional yeast until you get a fine powder. Add the other seasonings and grind them all together a few times until you have a homogenous, fine seasoning powder. Sprinkle the powder over your popcorn and toss it to get a more even coating. Save the remaining in an airtight container until your next bowl.

LG's Smart Washer and Dryer Uses AI to Make Laundry Less of a Chore

I’ve always been sure there were easier ways to get the laundry done. While it’s not the head-to-tail solution I dream of wherein I throw my clothes to the floor at the end of the day and they magically regenerate clean and on hangers in my closet the next, the latest iteration of smart washing machines from LG do alleviate a surprising number of pain points.  I tested the Smart Washer with TurboWash® 360° and AI DD® Built-In Intelligence (currently $999, regularly $1299), and its mate, the Smart Electric Dryer with Sensor Dry & Steam Technology (currently $899, regularly $1199). That’s a mouthful, but the important part is that these new models use the LG ThinkQ technology as well as AI DD® Built-In Intelligence.  

Well-designed machines

Though most people tuck their washing machines away, you won’t need to do that with this pair. They have sleek, beautifully simple faces on the brushed metal frame. When off, you see the interface as a simple round dial with a black face, and a minimized drawer for the detergent bay on the washer. There are no rounded corners on the machine, everything is sharp mitered edges intersecting circles for the doors and dials. These machines are on the taller side, each standing almost 40 inches tall. Once stacked, they're tall enough you might strain to reach the top dial. If you’re shorter, one benefit of the connectivity of these machines is that, through the app, you can ask the machines to ignore the dial on the dryer, and use the washing machine controls for both machines. When on, the digital interface uses contemporary fonts, colors, and even seasonal pictures in a pretty high resolution. Turning the dial or pressing a button brings the machines to life; otherwise, there are no lights to bother you. Rather than buzzing when a cycle is complete, the machines offer a selection of classical tunes. Once a month or so, you’re sent new tunes and graphics to choose from. For winter, I had an animated snowman greet me and play Vivaldi’s "Winter." While I expected to be bothered by the noise and overall cheeriness, instead I was kind of delighted by a washing machine set that seemed to interact with me. 

ThinkQ makes controlling your machines from the couch possible (mostly)

The machines pair seamlessly with ThinkQ, LG’s smart appliance app. It immediately picked up the machines and connected and led me through a two-minute setup. The app will prompt you to remotely turn the machines on and off, and configure your wash or dry cycle and then send that cycle to the machine. What it won’t do is allow you to remotely start the machine, even if the door is closed. You can activate “remote start” for each machine, which would allow you to do so, from the physical control panel, but remote start isn’t a perpetual state: You have to deactivate it to open the door after a cycle, and reactivate if after. Essentially, this means you have to go up to the machines to turn on remote start; once there, you might as well just start the damn thing. This is probably a safety feature, but I wish i could sign a disclaimer that I have neither cats nor children who’d climb inside my machine. My main complaint with the app—and it’s not a deal breaker by any stretch—is that although LG integrates with Google Home and other smart assistants, it doesn’t do so in any way that is particularly helpful. If you’d like to use your machines in automations, you can’t. At most, you’ll see the machines in your smart home dashboard, and that they’re on or off. 

A much more efficient process

Remote start aside, streamlined UX is at the heart of these machines, and where it’s clear LG has worked to try and make laundry as painless as possible. This starts with the detergent: Instead of adding pods and sheets or softener to every load, the detergent bay holds about a quart of detergent and softener, and will dispense it automatically. So far, I’ve only had to refill it every few weeks and it’s meant being able to store my drippy bottles away and eliminate use of dryer sheets altogether. There isn’t a reservoir for bleach, which would have made it a perfect trifecta. Once you place laundry in the machine, you can configure a wash and dry to the usual specifications regarding heat, length, level of agitation, dry time, etc, or you can simply activate AI wash, where it simply figures it out for you. While the dryer has occasionally required a little more time, the AI wash has done an admirable job of sensing the load and treating it appropriately. All of this translates to tossing laundry in, hitting one button and walking away.

Reminders that aren't judgmental

Where these machines really shine is when the cycle is over. I have never been a person who consistently moves the laundry as soon as it’s done. I know there are people who, like me, forget about their laundry or ignore it until they need to run another wash. If this is you, LG has you covered on two fronts. First, the app will, after a period of time, send you a non-accusatory or shame-y reminder that clothes don’t benefit from this kind of prolonged wait time, and will continue to remind you. They also offer you the ability to activate KeepFresh, which essentially tosses the laundry around occasionally to, yes, keep it fresh, until you get back to it. KeepFresh works in both the washer and dryer, so your clothes don’t get deeply wrinkled while you wait for motivation. All of that said, KeepFresh doesn't keep going forever, and I missed the quick rinse option that previous machines had. At best, LG has a quick wash, but it is an entire cycle, rather than a short rinse. This was how I previously had solved the problem of leaving laundry in the washer too long.

Steam cycle is one of the best features

In case you do get wrinkles, one of the most fantastic features of this dryer is the steam cycle. I was blown away with how effective it is. If you’re someone who has uses the dryer to get out wrinkles rather than iron, you are going to love this functionality.  As a test, I used the most wrinkle-prone laundry I could find—thin cotton cloth napkins, tablecloths and sheets. Ten minutes in a steam cycle and they looked pressed, with no curling corners or creases.

Where smart appliances could go next

I have almost no complaints about these machines—they cleaned very effectively, held an accurate amount of laundry for their size, and efficiently completed washing cycles. Mostly, they made me think about ways smart washing machines could get smarter.  At CES this year, Eureka introduced a wash tower where a robot vacuum was integrated into the footprint. At the same time, we’re seeing a new fleet of robot vacuum/mop combos that you actually pipe into your water line so they can fill and empty themselves. The next leap in smartness for these machines might be how they work with other home appliances, and even how they can use that AI to ensure the water from all these devices are safe and offload the gray water to house plants.

Bottom line: it doesn't cost much more to get a smarter machine

These machines are not dramatically more expensive than machines without connectivity or AI. Do you need any of these features? No. You don’t even need a washing machine—people got by before they existed. But I, for one, welcome every single tiny iteration that makes our lives easier.

You Can Get Headway Premium on Sale for $50 Right Now

You can get a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium on sale for $49.97 right now (reg. $299) until February 4. Headway is a mobile app that summarizes best-selling nonfiction books, and it comes with access to over 1,500 of popular titles like How to Talk to Anyone, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and The 5AM Club. Summaries don’t replace actually reading a book, obviously, but they can offer useful insight in only 15 minutes, and up to 50 new summaries are added every month. Headway also offers daily insights, motivational widgets, personalized recommendations, and curated collections: It tailors your recommended content based on your goals and needs, so it becomes a more gamified learning experience that allows you to track your progress and collect achievements. There are audio versions of each summary as well. This offer is only available to new users and can only be installed on one desktop or mobile device.

You can get a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium on sale for $49.97 right now (reg. $299) until February 4 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time.

Why Everyone Is Suddenly Talking About the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

It's tax season, which means posts like this one are making the rounds across social media, attempting to help upset taxpayers make sense of why they've suddenly found they owe the government money this year.

Perhaps you are one of the many taxpayers shocked to find a significantly smaller refund or an unexpectedly large tax bill when filing your return this year. The culprit may be the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which passed in 2017. With tax misinformation abounding online, it's important to understand what really changed.

What is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act?

The TCJA was the biggest tax code overhaul in 30 years. Supporters (including then-House Speaker Paul Ryan) claimed it would simplify tax filing, grow the economy, and let most Americans keep more of their paychecks throughout the year. Allegedly. Unfortunately, the reality of these sweeping changes was to disproportionately benefit the rich—a reality the not-so-rich are now feeling during tax season.

One major change of the TCJA was an increase in the standard deduction. This means fewer taxpayers now choose to itemize. The downside for some was the elimination of popular deductions (including those on moving expenses, alimony, and others) and new caps on state and local tax deductions and mortgage interest. For many itemizers, losing these write-offs meant owing more to Uncle Sam.

Another hit came from lower withholding rates. The IRS updated employers' withholding tables in early 2018 to align with the new tax rates and rules. Since less tax was withheld from paychecks, some taxpayers unexpectedly owed additional tax when filing their returns, instead of getting a refund.

The TCJA also eliminated the individual mandate penalty for not having health insurance. While repealing the fine gave taxpayers a break, it also messed with the subsidy calculations for Obamacare insurance. Some subsidy recipients owed back a portion of the advanced premium tax credit received.

Why people are talking about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act right now

A key provision in the TCJA was the reduction in individual income tax rates across all tax brackets. For 2018, the top rate was lowered from 39.6% to 37%, while rates for the other brackets saw more modest drops. The law also nearly doubled the standard deduction and expanded the child tax credit.

So why is this law from 2017 in the news this year? Well, the planned tax increases were baked into a sliding scale; more specifically, every year for seven years, a tax increase has slid down one tax bracket. And now, we're on year seven. This means that tax increases have moved progressively down to the lowest tax bracket, so every taxpayer beyond those in the top brackets has been hit with increased taxes in order to pay for cuts for the highest brackets.

Critics argue this tax bill increased the burden on lower- and middle-income taxpayers to finance tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, betraying the spirit of tax reform. More practically, the lowest earners are only now feeling the impact of a tax reform that passed seven years ago. (I'll let you draw your own conclusions about the politics involved.)

The bottom line

Whatever your tax bracket, refund shock has become a very real thing for millions thanks to the TCJA changes. Progressives argue it benefited the wealthy and corporations the most. Conservatives credit it for economic growth, since those wealthy folks undoubtedly used the tax savings to invest in business and create jobs. Regardless of ideology, understanding the tax code changes can help taxpayers file accurately and adjust their withholdings to avoid surprises at tax time.

While everyone's tax situation is unique, the TCJA provides some valuable lessons for anyone filing now:

• Don't rely on refunds as forced savings.

• Review your withholdings annually. Check out the Tax Withholding Estimator from the IRS to effectively tailor how much income tax to withhold.

• Work with a tax pro to understand how policy impacts your bottom line. Here's are sure signs you should hire an accountant to do your taxes this year instead of filing them yourself

When it comes to taxes, information is power. Empower yourself by learning how the code applies to you.

You Should Be Using Apple's New Stolen Device Protection Feature

Privacy and security are a huge element of Apple's business model. When you buy an iPhone, Apple wants you to know that your iMessages are encrypted, Face ID is secure, and you have features to block trackers while browsing the web.

While these are great features to keep your data safe and secure, they're far from perfect. Back in February, a Wall Street Journal investigation found that iPhone thieves were able to reset their victims' iCloud passwords from a stolen device, allowing them to both take over the iPhone they stole and the Apple ID attached to it. This is possible if the thief knows your iPhone passcode, something that might be easy to learn if they spy over your shoulder as you type it in. While there are many iCloud features that require your Apple ID password to gain access, resetting your iCloud password only takes your iPhone's passcode to get started. If a thief has that, they can break into your phone and take over your digital life.

Back when this report broke, we recommended certain workarounds to protect yourself, but workarounds are imperfect. Luckily, with iOS 17.3, Apple has taken the first step towards a real solution.

Stolen Device Protection can prevent thieves from taking over your iPhone

With iOS 17.3, Apple has introduced a new "Stolen Device Protection" feature. When enabled, Face ID or Touch ID (if your iPhone has a Home button) will be required when accessing passwords and passkeys, making purchases with saved cards in Safari, applying for an Apple Card, viewing your digital Apple Card, erasing all content and settings, taking some Apple Cash and Savings actions in Wallet, disabling Lost Mode, and using your iPhone to set up a new device.

In addition, certain features will require Face ID or Touch ID and come with a one-hour delay when you try to enable them in an "unfamiliar location." That includes changing your Apple ID password, updating certain Apple ID account security settings, changing your iPhone passcode, adjusting Face ID or Touch ID settings, turning off Find My, and turning off Stolen Device Protection itself. When you try to use any of these features, and your iPhone detects you are away from a familiar location, you'll need to authenticate yourself with Face ID or Touch ID, wait an hour, then authenticate again.

In theory, this security delay should only kick in when you're not in safe, familiar places like your home, work, or other trusted areas. However, Apple pulls this info from your "Significant Locations," which records places you frequently visit, but takes in little other context. What your iPhone determines to be a familiar location can vary from logical places like your house, to illogical places like a laundromat or convenience store. Obviously there's a big difference: A thief is unlikely to steal your iPhone while you're using it in your house, but just because you go to CVS a lot doesn't make it a safe place for your iPhone.

Whether the security delay has kicked in or not, though, you won't have the option to punch in your passcode if Face ID or Touch ID fails. You will have the option to try again later if your scan doesn't work (say you forgot to take off your sunglasses), but bad actors will find their efforts to be in vain (unless they have also stolen your face).

How to enable Stolen Device Protection on iPhone

To get started, you'll need to be running iOS 17.3 or newer. Once updated, open Settings > Face ID & Passcode. Punch in your passcode, then scroll down and hit Turn On Protection. That's it! Stolen Device Protection will activate, and you'll be protected going forward.

If you don't want the feature on going forward, you can return to this page to disable it. However, remember that one-hour delay will kicks in when you try to turn the feature off when you're in an unfamiliar location, so maybe wait until you're back home or at your favorite CVS.

Cozy-up With a Different Kind of Dumpling

Some of the greatest comfort foods involve carbs, cheese, and cream. I’d like to bring dumplings into the spotlight. While there are as many dumpling variations as there are people on this planet (only slightly exaggerating), lately I’ve been cozying up with Swiss capuns. If you’ve never heard of these leaf-enrobed, cream-bathed parcels, you’re in for a treat. 

These savory bundles had never before entered my universe until a couple months ago, and it took a layover in Zürich to make that happen. While there were a lot of things I enjoyed eating in my brief 14-hour stay (yes, a lot of chocolate happened), the capuns stuck with me.

Swiss capuns are from Graubünden in Switzerland, but they’re eaten widely, and recipes seem to vary from family to family. They’re composed of a simple flour dumpling paste that can include bits of dried meat, cheese, or herbs, and rolled up in a blanched leaf of Swiss chard. The verdant morsels are draped in a cream sauce and baked with a foil lid. The steam from the small pool of cream builds in the dish and gently cooks the dumpling.

They’re served with the cream sauce, topped with cheese, and eaten hot. 

The dumpling filling is savory and hearty, the cream sauce is rich and decadent, but my favorite part is the chard leaf. It tastes like spinach but less bitter, a bit earthier, and with more structural integrity. The leafy green brings a flavorful balance to the rich ingredients—a perfect match for the cheese and cream. In other words, eating four or six feels like a reasonable serving. Eat them alongside a roast chicken, a stew, or any main dish that’ll stick to your ribs.

How to make capuns

1. Blanch your chard

Bring about six cups of water to a boil in a wide pot. Cut the stems off about 10 medium-to-large chard leaves. I cut the stem just at the base of the leaf. When the water boils, add a heavy pinch of salt and drop in a few leaves. Blanch them for 45 seconds and move them to a tea towel or a few layers of paper towel to dry off. Repeat with all of the leaves. 

2. Make the dumpling mixture

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients—flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg—with the parsley. Toss to combine. Add the eggs, oil, and milk, and mix until just combined. Don’t mix it until smooth or the dumpling can get tough. Finely chop and pan fry a shallot. Add it into the batter along with shredded cheese and chopped cured meat. In Switzerland they use salsiz, but you can use salami, or even chop up ham or bacon if that’s what you have. 

3. Shape the capuns

Cut a small notch out at the base of the stem to make rolling easier. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

This is optional but I found it made rolling easier. At the base of each chard leaf, cut the widest part of the stem out in a small triangle. You can see the notch missing from the leaf in the picture. Add a tablespoon or so of the batter to the base of the leaf. Fold the sides up onto the filling first, then roll it up to the tip of the leaf. Place the capun in a buttered baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat this with all of the batter. Err on the side of thinner capuns; they will be more balanced and tender. I used too much dumpling dough in my capuns, which I realized later. They were still good but just a little too heavy. 

4. Add the cream sauce and bake

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

In a measuring cup, combine the broth (I used beef, but chicken or vegetable are great too), salt, and the cream. Pour this around the capuns into the dish. Top each roll with shavings of Emmentaler cheese, or any hard, melty cheese, like parmesan or gruyère. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, or until the cream sauce is bubbling. Be careful of steam when unwrapping. Top the dish with more shredded cheese, and serve hot.

These capuns taste best when fresh but you can save leftovers covered in the fridge, and reheat them in the microwave for 20 seconds or so.

Capuns Recipe (Swiss chard wrapped dumplings)

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

• 2 eggs

• ½ tablespoon oil

• ½ cup milk

• 1 shallot, minced

• ¼ cup chopped salami

• ¼ cup shredded parmesan

• 6 leaves of Swiss Chard, stem trimmed

For the sauce:

• ½ cup cream

• ½ cup broth

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Shaved emmentaler cheese (for topping)

1. Blanch the chard for 45 seconds and blot them dry with a paper towel. Butter a casserole dish and preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. In a small frying pan, lightly oiled, fry the minced shallot until translucent. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and parsley until combined. Add the eggs, oil, milk, shallot, salami, and parmesan cheese. Mix until just combined (it will be lumpy.)

4. Lay out one leaf of chard. Add a shallow tablespoon of the batter at the base of the leaf. Fold the sides up on the batter and then begin rolling from the base to the end of the leaf. It will look like a little green package. Place it in the buttered baking dish. Repeat this with the remaining batter and chard leaves. 

5. In a measuring cup, combine the broth, salt, and heavy cream. Pour this into the casserole dish. Top each capun with shavings of emmentaler cheese. Cover the dish completely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. The cream sauce will be boiling and the dumplings will be perfectly steamed. Be careful when removing the foil, the steam is hot. Serve the capuns in a puddle of cream sauce.

Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Tuesday, January 30, 2024

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for January 30, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is medium-hard; I got it in five. Beware, there are spoilers below for January 30, Wordle #955! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Three of the letter today are common. One is medium-common, and one is pretty unusual. 

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

To kick out, like from school. 

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

One of the letters is repeated, but in two different places in the word (not in a row).

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

Only one, but it appears twice.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with E. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with L. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is EXPEL.

How I solved today’s Wordle

After CRATE, I went with ENJOY to see if I could get the E in the correct position and eliminate additional vowels. I guessed EBBED to test vowel placement and another common consonant, found the second E, and eliminated a bunch of common words that utilize the letters already knocked out. EX- seemed like a likely beginning, which led to EXCEL and—the answer—EXPEL.  

Wordle 955 5/6

⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨
🟩⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟩⬛⬛🟩⬛
🟩🟩⬛🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: 

• Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

You Can Get Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Office for $80 Right Now

You can get Microsoft Office Pro 2019 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro together on sale for $79.99 right now (reg. $408). Windows 11 Pro includes support for biometrics login (for compatible devices), encrypted authentication, and Bitlocker device encryption. Windows 11 Pro also expands hardware compatibility with support for up to two CPUs with a max of 128 cores and up to 2TB RAM. This Microsoft Office 2019 key comes with the 2019 version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. It's a one-time purchase that can be installed on one computer. 

You can get Microsoft Office Pro 2019 and Windows 11 Pro together on sale for $79.99 right now (reg. $408), though prices can change at any time. 

Make These Berry Cheesecake Twists Out of Leftover Pie Crust

It’s mid-winter, but I’m still excavating some of the frozen treasures from my freezer after a whirlwind holiday season. Besides turkey bones and lumps of cookie dough (which I’m enjoying every evening), I also found a stray roll of pie crust. It has no box, so I don’t know if it’s vegan, gluten-free or what, but it’s definitely pie dough—and pie dough is always flaky and delicious. If you have a spare crust and you're not interested in making a whole pie, use your leftovers to make these berry cheesecake twists.

Pie crust is extremely tender and flavorful all on its own, and I’ve broken my fair share of plain crust off the edge of whole pies. (This is called snacking crust.) Pie crust is primarily flour and salt studded with plenty of fat. When it’s rolled out and baked, the fat melts and the water evaporates; this creates little pockets of air. The results are buttery and tender, and a perfect vehicle for flavor—and you don't have to add much flavor to make a good thing even better. 

Berry Cheesecake pinwheels or twists

For an easy snack that mimics the tangy flavors of a berry-topped cheesecake, I layered a bit of blackberry jam and sweetened cream cheese into the pie crust and shaped it into cookie-esque creations. You can get creative with how you make your cheesecake twists, but these are the shapes I made.

Pinwheels

1. Layer the fillings

In a small bowl, warm two ounces of cream cheese in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. Add a tablespoon of powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Unroll the thawed pie crust on a cutting board that will fit in the fridge or freezer. Spread the cream cheese over the entire surface. Pop the cutting board into the freezer for a few minutes to set the cream cheese. Spread about two tablespoons of jam on top of the cheese layer. Make sure the jam layer is very thin. It’ll squish out the edges if it isn’t. 

2. Shape the dough

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Ready-made pie crust is usually already circular so I cut the circle in half. This keeps the pinwheels from getting too bulky in the center. Starting on the rounded side, begin rolling the crust up all the way to the cut-edge. Do the same with the other half moon of dough. Put the cutting board back in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up.

3. Bake the pinwheels

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Take the pie crust logs out and cut half-inch segments. I like to use the floss method to keep the swirl shape intact. Lay the swirls, jammier-side up, on a parchment lined baking sheet. Optionally, you can egg wash them on the edges and sprinkle some sugar on them too. Bake them at 375°F for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned and the jam is bubbling.

Twists

1. Prepare the dough

Prepare the dough the same way as in Step 1 above. For Step 2, fold the dough in half, as if you were making a quesadilla. Cut this half moon in half, so you have two quarters of a circle. Put the cutting board back in the freezer to firm up for another 10 minutes.

2. Shape the dough

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Cut each quarter into six small wedges. It’s okay if some of the jam squeaks out. I like to use egg wash here, before twisting. Egg wash one side of the triangles and sprinkle them generously with sugar. Then space them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and, holding the wide end down, twist the triangles once or twice. Do this with all of the triangles.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

3. Bake the twists

Bake them at 375°F for about 12 minutes, or until browned and the jam is bubbling. The very tips of the twists will become dark brown and crispy, mostly because of the sugars caramelizing. Although that doesn’t bother me (actually, it's my favorite part), you can tuck under the tips before baking if you don’t want that to happen.

Cool the little pie crust cookies on a wire cooling rack for at least five minutes to let the sugars cool and harden. Enjoy these tangy, fruity swirls for breakfast or for a quick coffee break while you admire your newly acquired freezer space.

You Can Get This PC Gaming Cheats Subscription on Sale for $50 Right Now

You can get a premium lifetime subscription to Cheat Happens on sale for $49.99 right now (reg. $99). Cheat Happens is a platform for PC gamers that offers cheat codes, trainers, and savegames for over 6,000 PC games, with more added monthly. Cheat Happens has their own team of in-house programmers who make custom gaming cheats based on the feedback and requests of the community of subscribers. Membership gets you access to over 27,000 game trainers with an average of 170 cheats and trainers being added every month. The membership also gives you access to the Trainer Manager, CoSMOS Memory Scanner/Hacker software, and an upcoming mobile app. Premium members can actively participate in forums, discuss games, and request new trainers. 

You can get a premium lifetime subscription to Cheat Happens on sale for $49.99 right now (reg. $99), though prices can change at any time. 

This Is Actually the Best Way to Reheat Fries

It wouldn’t be fair to say that I bought an air fryer simply to reheat french fries, but it would be disingenuous to claim that my desire to reheat french fries had nothing to do with the purchase. A few years ago—when we were young and the air was sweet—I wrote a blog claiming that waffling sad, cold fries was a first-rate way to reheat them.

Almost immediately, the comments started rolling in. “You fool, you absolute imbecile,” they said. “An air fryer is the only tool you should use to reheat french fries, and you are an idiot for suggesting otherwise.” (I am paraphrasing, but this was the feel of the comments, at least as I recall it.)

“Maybe I should get an air fryer,” I thought, before waiting another eight months to get one. (I finally got the Instant Pot Vortex Mini, because it is small and red and $50.)

The tiny, powerful convection oven—which does not technically fry anything—is quite handy. I’ve already got a whole list of stuff I plan to air fry, but I started with cold fries (and ate them for breakfast), because that’s what brought us to this point in the first place.

My friends, you (and everyone else who yelled at me) were not lying. When it comes to restoring limp, cardboard-like fries to their former crisp, golden glory, the air fryer kicks the waffle maker’s ass (though I maintain waffled leftover fries make excellent breakfast potatoes).

How to reheat cold fries in the air fryer

Beyond re-heating completely cold fries, this is a great way to revive takeout fries that may have sat in a paper bag or plastic container for too long. Just five to 10 minutes in a 375-degree air fryer perks ‘em right back up. Timing will vary from air fryer to air fryer but, unlike the Instant Pot or a sous-vide circulator, it’s very easy to check on your air fried food mid-cook—just slide the little basket out. Try not to over-pack the air fryer, you want the hot air to be able to circulate around each fry. It took my air fryer a mere five minutes at 375℉ to restore cold, lifeless, fairly thick-cut breakfast fries to their former glory, which is dangerously quick, particularly in a household that is prone to over-ordering french fries.

While a little overlapping is fine, try not to crowd your fries. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

What makes leftover fries so sad?

Leftover fries are sad and soggy due to moisture migration, and the air fryer takes care of that nonsense in short order. Once a fry starts to cool, the water inside the fluffy starch granules moves out towards the crust, rendering the insides of the fry grainy and the outsides mushy.

Why reheat fries with an air fryer?

An air fryer can’t rehydrate those starch granules, but it certainly revives a fry’s soggy outsides. The hot, circulating air drives off moisture and gets any dormant fry grease movin’ and groovin’, re-crisping the potato’s crust. And while the insides aren’t quite as tender and fluffy as they are when you first take them out of a deep fryer, they are pretty damn close. The ones I ate for breakfast this morning were almost indistinguishable from fresh fries, though it’s worth noting that they seemed to be a “fresh-cut, once cooked” kind of fry, so this may have only been their second (not third) heating.

Will TikTok's 'Sleepy Girl Mocktail' Actually Help You Sleep?

Everyone can appreciate a delicious beverage, and if it helps you navigate Dry January while also making it easier for you to fall asleep, what’s not to love? TikTok is currently all about the so-called "Sleepy Girl Mocktail," a drink made with tart cherry juice and a bunch of link-in-bio supplements. But will it actually help you sleep? Well…maybe.

How do you make the Sleepy Girl Mocktail? 

After completing entire minutes of TikTok research, I can report that the Sleepy Girl Mocktail has three key ingredients: 

1. Tart cherry juice

2. Seltzer

3. Magnesium supplement powder

The various TikTok creators making this drink each put their own spin on it. Sometimes you use a specific amount of tart cherry juice and then add seltzer to fill your glass; sometimes the other way around. You can toss in a fancy ice cube. You can use a flavored seltzer. And you can, of course, argue that you should use this brand or type of magnesium instead of that one. 

Supplement marketing  seems to be driving this trend. (Whichever one the creator recommends is usually available for purchase if you click through to their storefront.) One of the top results for the mocktail recipe on TikTok is from Moon Juice, which sells a $10/ounce magnesium powder. (A normal price for magnesium supplements is more like $1/ounce, as in this one-pound tub from Nutricost. Just saying.)

Does tart cherry juice really help you sleep? 

Maybe. Tart cherry juice contains a small amount of natural melatonin, and melatonin is a hormone that our body uses to recognize when it’s nighttime. Melatonin supplements are widely available, and you can pick up some melatonin pills or gummies at any old grocery store if you’d like to see how it affects your sleep. 

That said, melatonin can have side effects if taken in large doses, and it isn’t a quick fix for a messed-up sleep schedule. It's best to think of it as one potential tool you can use to get better sleep—one part of a larger picture.

Many fruits do contain melatonin. Tart cherry has higher levels than most, so it’s fair to ask whether tart cherries, or their juice, really help you sleep. Several studies have done just that, and they don’t provide conclusive evidence either way. A 2010 study on 15 older adults with insomnia found that tart cherry juice may help with sleep, but not as much as melatonin supplements, sleep medications, or cognitive-behavioral therapy. Examine.com, which collects the results of a wide range of supplement studies, could only conclude that tart cherry juice is “possibly” helpful for improving your sleep quality.

Does magnesium really help you sleep? 

The verdict on the sleepy time benefits of magnesium is also unclear. There is some evidence to suggest magnesium may help with sleep, but as with tart cherry juice, the evidence isn’t very strong, and many people find that it has no effect on their sleep. 

One thing we do know about magnesium is that, taken in large doses, it can have a laxative effect. Sometimes people take magnesium supplements specifically for this reason—it’s sometimes recommended as a treatment for constipation. This laxative effect is more pronounced in some forms of magnesium than others. For example, magnesium carbonate, magnesium chloride, magnesium gluconate, magnesium hydroxide, and magnesium oxide are the most likely to trigger it, according to Examine.com, but effects vary from person to person. On TikTok I saw creators saying to avoid magnesium citrate because it “cleans you out,” but the conventional advice is that magnesium citrate is the least likely to have a laxative effect.

Whichever supplements you choose, you may want to experiment with a small dose before stirring a heaping spoonful into your Sleepy Girl Mocktail.

A Bunch of Big Screen TVs Are 40% Off at Amazon Right Now

These days, what we'd call "budget TVs" are a much better value than they were even five years ago. You can get a great TV for under $400 with quality features and specs, like great color, contrast, hands-free connectivity, smart TV features, 4K, etc. The Hisense U6 Series ULED TVs are a great example: They are "excellent" TVs, according to PCMag, and have been holding on to the Editors’ Choice award for budget TVs since 2022. And right now, Amazon's running a pretty good sale, making them even more affordable.

Amazon currently has the 55-inch Google Smart TV version for $349.99 (originally $579.99) after a 40% discount, which is the lowest price I've seen. These discounts vary slightly, apply to multiple sizes, and come with either Google or Amazon operating systems, depending on your preference.

• 55-Inch Google Smart TV $349.99 (originally $579.99) 40% discount

• 58-Inch Smart Fire TV $349.99 (originally $599.99) 42% discount

• 65-Inch Smart Fire TV $449.99 (originally $749.99) 40% discount

• 75-Inch Smart Fire TV $629.99 (originally $1,149.99) 45% discount

Keep in mind that the Google smart TVs are compatible with Alexa. If you're not sure which OS system is better for you, you can read our breakdown of which OS should you choose.

You Can Learn Spanish on Rosetta Stone for $120 Right Now

Latin American Spanish on Rosetta Stone is on sale for $119.99 right now (reg. $299). Rosetta Stone is the highly-trusted language learning platform used by top organizations like NASA and TripAdvisor, and it helps you learn by engaging with interactive activities, hearing native speakers using real-world scenarios, and TruAccent speech-recognition technology that gives real-time feedback on your progress. It includes bite-sized lessons—as little as 10 minutes at a time— and the app works on most Macs, PCs, tablets, and phones (though, if you need, you should check that your operating system works with the program). 

The sale comes with a lifetime subscription to learn Latin American Spanish with Rosetta Stone on sale for $119.99 right now (reg. $299), though prices can change at any time.

You Can Get a Free Google Nest and $100 Gift Card When You Sign Up With ADT

When you think of home security systems, that blue ADT sticker on windows probably comes to mind. ADT is one of the most popular home security systems, and now that they use Google devices with their service, it's a great time for people in the Google ecosystem to jump in. Right now, ADT is offering people who sign up for its monthly security service, starting at $34.99 a month, a free Google Nest doorbell and a $100 Visa Reward card. You can keep both if you don't like the service after the first month, but there are some caveats, so read carefully.

ADT's Self Setup Home Security program is great for people who have Google Home devices already set up at their home (or would like to get started). The program also received an "excellent" review from PCMag. The service lets you choose between the "Build Your Own," "Starter," or "Premium" packages. They each let you pick and choose different Google Nest cameras, thermostats, smart hubs and other Google devices to set up your security system. As long as you are signed up for one of ADT's video monitoring plans and have a purchase price of at least $500 from the equipment you choose (the "Premium" plan is automatically eligible), you are eligible for the free Google Nest and $100 Visa card promotion.

Reaching the $500 minimum purchase price is not hard to do, given how much these Google gadgets cost. The terms and conditions say if you choose the Self Setup security package plan, which starts you off with an ADT Smart Home Hub and an ADT door/window sensor for $194.98, you can cancel after one month and still keep all the equipment you purchased plus the freebies (as long as you meet the $500 minimum purchase price). If you choose the pro installation instead of doing it yourself, you will have to be on the subscription plan for at least 36 months.

The video monitoring service gives you access to view your own video footage and has intrusion detection and other features (the Pro Monitoring lets ADT take control of the door and window sensors and can call the police for certain triggers).

Credit: Daniel Oropeza

As you can see in the screenshot above, I chose a Google Nest camera, a wired indoor Google Nest camera, an ADT motion sensor monitor, and an ADT window sticker to reach the $500 minimum to be eligible for the free Google Nest Doorbell and the $100 Visa gift card. There are many combinations and different plans you can choose to be eligible for this promotion; the above is just one example and likely the cheapest possible example.

Although you can probably find some of these Google devices at discounts if you wait throughout the year, the free Google Nest and $100 gift card make this deal a great one for anyone looking to get or change their security system, especially if they like Google devices. This deal runs until Feb. 5.

How ‘PEE’ Can Help You Write Better

Does the prospect of writing an essay make you squirm? Do you dread drafting an email? Maybe you should PEE. Not literally (unless you gotta go): It’s an acronym that can help you become a better, more efficient written communicator. As gross and silly as it sounds, it’s an easy way to remember what you need to do when you’re writing so the audience receives your message. 

What is PEE?

PEE (point, evidence, explanation) is an acronym that helps you remember everything your paragraph should include if you want your paper, report, memo, speech, or whatever else to deliver your message just right. Mnemonic phrases are excellent at helping us retain and recall information; especially memorable ones—like, yes, PEE—are bound to get lodged deep in the old memory bank. 

• Point: The main idea of your paragraph, which should be direct and clear. 

• Evidence: Anything that backs up the point and relates to it directly. Your evidence is whatever you’re referring to to make the point, whether it’s data, research, or past work. 

• Explanation: The explanation will be your conclusion, during which you outline how the evidence supports your point and why it matters. 

How to use PEE to write better

When you set out to write something, start by considering what your main idea—or overall point—is. You can make a mind map or ChatGPT to generate an outline of what the full body of work will touch on. Read over your outline, thinking of PEE: What is the point? What evidence do I have to support that point? How can I explain the ways the evidence fits together to make the point? 

From there, you have to create paragraphs that align with each element of your outline. Again, think of PEE as you write. Your first sentence will be your point, you’ll follow it up with evidence, and you’ll explain how it all works together. Once you’ve done that, you can move on to a new paragraph, following the format again. 

When you’re done, whether you need to send a single-paragraph email or submit a long essay, review your work, considering whether each paragraph and the entire composition align with PEE. Intros—to entire works and paragraphs alike—should feature direct assertions and nothing more, as the point. Evidence should be substantial and the explanation of how it upholds the point should be thorough. 

For instance, say you’re in charge of restocking your company’s kitchen with snacks, but you’re struggling to take inventory because people keep putting Goldfish in the bin that is designated for Chips Ahoy. You want to send everyone an email telling them to knock it off, right? Using PEE, your single-paragraph message could look like this: “I can’t make a new snack order until I complete this month’s inventory. Last month, I ordered an extra case of Goldfish and too few Chips Ahoy because seven bags of Goldfish were stashed in the Chips Ahoy container. As a result, we didn’t have enough Chips Ahoy to meet demand this month. When selecting a snack, please put unwanted bags back in their corresponding bins to make sure we have enough of what everyone wants on hand each month.” You made a point, backed it up with evidence, and tied it all together. Thanks, PEE!

The Best New and Upcoming Sales From Best Buy’s ‘Drops’ Feature

Best Buy released a “Best Buy Drops” feature on its app in the fall of 2023, offering a peek into high-profile product releases, limited runs, launches, and limited-time deals with some of the lowest prices I’ve ever seen. You can also see previous Drops to get an idea of the kind of products they include, like the Xbox Series X, 4K smart TVs, and iPads for record low prices.

How Best Buy Drops works

You’ll need to have an account with Best Buy, but not necessarily one of the paid ones (although joining My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total will give you further discounts on some of those products). You’ll be prompted to verify your account with your email and gain access to the app. Once in, go to the “Drops" tab on the bottom of the screen to find limited-time deals on categories like gaming consoles and accessories, wearable devices, e-transportation products, small appliances, smart homes, toys, and more. Most weeks, Best Buy will update the Drop list with new upcoming deals.

Upcoming products will appear on the "upcoming drops" tab and past products on the "past drops” tab, but you will only see the discount when the product has a live deal. Live deals usually start at 11 a.m. ET on the day the product is listed to drop and lasts until around 5 p.m. ET or until the supplies are gone. You will see a percentage bar indicating how much of the inventory has been bought. If you see a particular product you’re interested in, you can always opt-in to Drop Alerts and receive push notifications when the Drop goes live.

Current Drops

The fifth-generation 10.9-inch iPad Air is currently $449.99 (originally $599.99), this is the lowest price I've seen it. For reference, I've seen it go down to $479.99 during the holidays. Keep in mind you can only access this deal through your phone using the Best Buy app. This deal will be live through Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. ET or until they sell out (it will likely sell out). This wifi-enabled iPad Air with 64GB of internal memory was released in 2022. You get a M1 system-on-a-chip (SoC) and a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, a 12MP front and back camera, as well as Touch ID through the tablet’s power button. You can think of it as the "budget" version of the Pro. Other than the iPad Mini, this is the thinnest and lightest iPad Apple has to offer. You can read the full "outstanding" PCMag review here.

If you're interested, make sure to follow the instructions above, download the app, and get in the queue as soon as possible for the best chance to score an iPad Air at its lowest price.

Credit: Daniel Oropeza

Upcoming Drops

Next on the list is the Cynosa V2 Full Size Wired Membrane Gaming Keyboard for PC from Razer, which is currently $59.99. This gaming keyboard with backlighting will go on sale Jan 23, likely starting at 11 a.m. ET, like the other products in the app. Remember, you can always sign up for the push notifications and set up your app and profile before 11 a.m. ET if you want to be reminded of the drop.

Credit: Daniel Oropeza

On Thursday, Jan. 25, the Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard and Trackpad Case for the 10th generation Apple iPad will go on sale on the app. It is currently $159.99, but I've seen it go down to around $130 during the holidays. You can probably expect a lower price once it drops.

Credit: Daniel Oropeza

On Friday, Jan. 26, the Pro 2 Bluetooth Gamepad from 8BitDo will go on sale on the app. It is currently $49.99, but I've seen it go down to around $30 during the holidays. It's likely to go even lower once it drops.

Credit: Daniel Oropeza

If you're looking for a Disney+ streaming deal, save January 31 on your calendar or sign up for the push notifications to be reminded of this deal. Best Buy will be selling $100 Disney+ digital gift cards, likely for new low prices.

On Feb. 2, the My Passport Ultra 2TB External USB-C Limited Edition Dragon portable hard drive from WD will go on sale on the app, right on time for the Lunar New Year on Feb. 10. It is currently $84.99, and rarely goes on sale. You're likely to score a record-low price if you manage to get one once it drops.

Credit: Daniel Oropeza

On Feb. 6, the 43" Pioneer Class LED 4K UHD Smart Xumo TV will go on sale on the app. It is currently $169.99 after a $100 discount, but I've seen it go down to $160 on the holidays. It's likely to go even lower once it drops.

Credit: Daniel Oropeza

The OnePlus 12 Is a Slick Flagship Phone That’s Off the Beaten Path

OnePlus has made a name for itself thanks to its branding as a flagship killer, offering affordable flagship phones that often compare to the top end options like the Galaxy S24 and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, past OnePlus devices have always fallen a little short of the flagships that they claim to compare to, whether it's missing features or differences in how the hardware performs.

Over the past few weeks, I've spent an extreme amount of time putting its latest device, the OnePlus 12, to the test. As the newest flagship device in OnePlus' arsenal, it has a lot to live up to. Not only does it have to stand up against the other flagships releasing this year, but it also needs to deliver a better experience than OnePlus has delivered in the past, especially if it wants to be the long-lasting smartphone that OnePlus is marketing it to be.

This time around, OnePlus does everything it can to stand tall against the top mainstream options on the market, and it does so with flying colors. Here are my thoughts after a few weeks with the latest OnePlus flagship.

Design and display

Credit: Joshua Hawkins

Right off the bat, let's talk about one of the most divisive things in the smartphone market: design. Looking at it, it's almost impossible to tell that the OnePlus 12 isn't the OnePlus 11. Both devices share a similar design, including their screens with their curved edges and the massive camera bump on the back sporting a Hasselblad logo. That isn't a bad thing, though. The OnePlus 11 was a slick-looking phone, and the 12 continues that slick look—but it also comes with a textured casing on the back, which is great at helping repel smudges and fingerprints.

Speaking of screens, the display on the OnePlus 12 is absolutely gorgeous. Its adaptive refresh rate made playing games and watching videos super smooth, and all around it delivered great brightness indoors and outside in bright lights. It really is a display that feels right at home among other flagships on the market, and the built-in face and fingerprint recognition sensors in the display both work great, though the face recognition did run a little slow sometimes. All in all, the design is really clean, and while I'm not the biggest fan of curved edges on smartphones (something that has become a mainstay in Android phones over the past several years), I'm more than willing to put up with that minor dislike for a phone that delivers as much as the OnePlus 12 does.

OnePlus has also moved the alert slider from the right side to the left, which makes it a bit easier to manage. It's more akin to where you'd find the new Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and this is just something that feels good for a button like this, especially as someone who has spent a good few years in Apple's ecosystem.

The design of the OnePlus 12 also feels really dense, and because of the large camera bump, it definitely feels more top-heavy than some other phones. That weight still feels good in your hand, though, and while it isn't my favorite camera bump ever, I do really like how slick this phone looks in hand.

Specs

Credit: Joshua Hawkins

Which brings us to the next part of the conversation: specs. The OnePlus 12 is an absolute beast when it comes to specs, and while OnePlus has taken some compromises in the past (like the lack of wireless charging in the OnePlus 11) there are far fewer compromises here. You can expect a top-of-the-line camera system, a top-end processor, and even support for 50W wireless charging thanks to its AirVOOC wireless charging system.

As a side note, OnePlus did send over one of its 50W wireless chargers as well, and while I didn't have it for the entire time I was using the device, the tests I ran with it did deliver fantastic recharge times, bringing my battery up to 100% from 51% in less than 15 minutes.

As far as actual specs go, though, here's what you're looking at in the OnePlus 12:

• SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform

• RAM: 12GB/16GB LPDDR5X

• Storage: 256GB/512GB UFS 4.0

• OS: OxygenOS/Android 14

• Display: 6.82-inch 2K OLED with 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate

• Battery: 5,400 mAh (Dual-cell 2,700 mAh, non-removable)

• Charging: 80W SuperVOOC (wired) and 50W AirVOOC (wireless) support

• Audio: Dolby Atmos Support

• Rear Camera: 50MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 64MP 3x telephoto

• Front Camera: 32MP selfie

Performance

As you can see from the specs list above, you're looking at some really great flagship hardware here, and that pays off well in performance. Using the device in my day-to-day, I never experienced any kind of lag or drops in how slick the interface and device felt. Everything was easy to use, and the gestures never gave me any issues when I was moving between apps, multitasking, or even running multiple heavy apps like games.

I never noticed any significant hitches or frame drops when playing intensive games like Genshin Impact, which is notably rough on smartphones. Sure, it wasn't buttery smooth all the time, but that's to be expected in games that are as intensive as Genshin. That said, the Geekbench 6 benchmarks revealed some interesting numbers, with the device's CPU scoring 2246 in single-core and 6,836 in multicore when using High-Performance mode.

But what do these numbers actually mean? Well, the entire point of Geekbench 6 is to simulate the daily tasks of a smartphone and then measure how well it handles those tasks. It measures all of that by giving the device a score, which you can use to see how devices stack up against each other. The higher the number, the better the phone performs. Of course, benchmarks don't fully account for your day-to-day usage, and are just one way we can measure how well a phone performs.

The OnePlus 12's scores when the phone was not in High-Performance mode were much lower, sitting at 949 for single-core and 4994 for multi-core, but that mode was still more than enough for everyday use without a lot of gaming and high-intensity apps. The GPU scored 14,166 when in High-Performance mode, and overall, the benchmarks are on par with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, though a little lower. If performance is important to you, though, the OnePlus 12 won't disappoint.

One downfall to all the new and higher performing hardware phones use now is that it often generates more heat in the system. I've seen this in newer phones that have suffered from overheating, like the iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, OnePlus has introduced a new dual cryo-velocity cooling system that is absolutely fantastic. It essentially uses a vapor cooled chamber within the phone to help fend off excess heat, providing a cooler device even when you're putting it through the paces. The back of the device never felt overly warm during my usage, and when it comes to battery life, I was able to use the OnePlus 12 extensively throughout the day and still end the day with over 40% battery left. Mind you, using it more normally without the extra stress testing, I could easily get two days out of this device before I had to worry much about recharging it.

Camera

Credit: Joshua Hawkins

OnePlus has always made a big deal about its cameras, especially because of its Hasselblad partnership. The cameras here include a 50MP Sony sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide Sony sensor, and a 64MP OV64B telephoto camera.

All of the sensors in this 4th Gen Hasselblad system are designed to produce professional-grade portraits, and while testing it, I didn't see any big issues with the camera. It takes great-looking photos, though they are definitely less saturated than those taken by the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This isn't a bad thing, especially if you like more true-to-life coloring, but I can't help but prefer the look of the photos taken by other smartphones like the 15 Pro Max.

In low-light, performance is good enough, though I will say it doesn't take nearly as good of photos as the Pixel 8 Pro in low light, but Google's background AI systems could have something to do with that, too.

The mundane things

It's easy to get caught up in all the cool tech and features that smartphones offer these days, but what about the everyday tasks? Well, the OnePlus 12 delivers excellent quality when taking phone calls, and I didn't have any issues using it on both AT&T and Google Fi networks. The messaging system is exactly what you'd expect from an Android device in this day and age, and battery life was consistently great when I was testing it, so I think that's something that many will appreciate, especially if OnePlus prices the 12 in a range below other flagships hitting the market this year.

Overall, I'm really happy with the OnePlus 12. It's probably the best phone that the company has released so far, and the nicest thing is, it doesn't rely on a lot of AI features to make it a worthwhile purchase.