Govee Just Recalled These Smart Heaters That May Cause Fires and Burns

Smart heaters produced by Govee and GoveeLife were voluntarily recalled this week due to testing that revealed some models can overheat, potentially causing fires or burns. This affects over 500,000 units in the United States and Canada. Multiple models are included in the recall, most of which came to market in the last year.

Affected models:

• H7130 (including the H7130101 variation)

• H7131

• H7132

• H7133

• H7134

• H7135

You can locate the model number on the bottom of your Govee smart heater on the UL label. If your model is one of the affected ones, you can receive a refund—you do not need to return the unit, but will need proof of destruction (a picture of the heater cord cut) for the refund process. It doesn't matter if the product is already out of warranty. Once the cord is cut, it should be thrown out or recycled (do not upcycle it or donate it; it is a fire hazard for whoever adopts it, too).

During the refund process, you will be asked for your personal information and order information. You can find additional tips for locating your order number on the recall advisory page here. If you need additional help or have questions, you can reach out to Govee directly.

I tested and reviewed two of these heaters over the last year, and while the tower heater inspired some critical comments about the design, I have used and enjoyed the smaller Smart Heater Lite for the last year and will be sorry to see it go. But go it must.

You Can Get This Budget Samsung Chromebook on Sale for $80 Right Now

You can get this Samsung Chromebook on sale for $79.99 right now (reg. $229.99) through November 10. The budget laptop runs on a 1.1GHz Celeron N4000 processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It has an 11.6-inch HD display, over twelve hours of battery life, and built-in virus protection, and it’s also built to withstand bumps, drops, and extreme temperatures. It’s a good choice for young students, and it's $150 off because it’s in grade “B” condition, meaning it has some cosmetic wear on its body but no scratches on its screen.

You can get this refurbished Samsung Chromebook on sale for $79.99 right now (reg. $229.99) through November 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time.

The Best New Movies to Stream This Week

Looking to settle in with a good movie? Me too. That's why I've pored over release schedules to bring you the best original and new-to-streaming movies you can watch on Netflix, Prime, Max, Hulu, and other streaming platforms this week.

Pedro Páramo

Based on Juan Rulfo’s seminal work of magical realism, Pedro Páramo stars Manuel García-Rulfo from The Lincoln Lawyer as the title character, who finds himself in the ghost town of Comala, where the past and present coexist. Described by Netflix as a "mesmerizing story of desire, corruption, and inheritance," Pedro Páramo is the directorial debut of frequent Scorsese cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, so we know for sure it's going to look amazing.

Where to stream: Netflix

My Old Ass (2024)

A twist on the coming-of-age story, My Old Ass stars Maisy Stella as confused 18 year-old Elliott. She takes mushrooms on her summer vacation, and instead of just seeing brighter colors, she's visited by the 39-year-old version of herself, played by the great Aubrey Plaza. Plaza is one of a kind, and My Old Ass gives her plenty of room to flex her deadpan, eye-roll delivery, but it's also a smart, sensitive movie. Not to be missed.

Where to stream: Prime

Despicable Me 4

Gru and his army of lovable yellow minions are back, in streaming form. The fourth entry in the franchise sees Gru welcoming a son into the world, Gru Jr. It also sees Gru's nemesis, Maxime Le Mal, return. After escaping from prison, Le Mal plots to turn all humans into human-cockroach abominations—an improvement if you ask me—but Gru and co feel differently, and set out to thwart the evil scheme. If you have kids, you really can't miss with a movie like Despicable Me 4.

Where to stream: Peacock

Meet Me Next Christmas

Christina Milian stars in a holiday movie about Layla, who is desperately trying to get her hands on tickets to the sold-out Pentatonix Christmas Eve Concert. A bright-and-cheery romantic comedy powered by the a cappella musical stylings of Pentatonix is both a can't-miss holiday movie concept and literally my worst nightmare. Meet Me Next Christmas also stars Kofi Siriboe as James, who, unlike me, is handsome and charming and presumably likes listening Pentatonix.

Where to stream: Netflix

Last week's picks

Janet Planet (2023)

A24 has cracked the code for making emotional movies for smart people; movies like Janet Planet, in which precocious 11-year-old Lacy (Zoe Ziegler) spends the summer of 1991 splitting time between living in her rich internal world and quietly worshipping her otherworldly mother Janet (Julianne Nicholson). Writer/director Annie Baker's carefully crafted film explores the subtly and intensity of a mother-daughter relationship with rare grace.

Where to stream: Max

Music by John Williams

Star Wars wouldn't be Star Wars without its theme music. Raiders of the Lost Ark wouldn't be Raiders, Jaws wouldn't be Jaws, etc. Composer John Williams' scores are that iconic. Music by John Williams features interviews with Williams and GOAT filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Ron Howard. It offers a ton of the music that defined cinema over the last 50 years or so.

Where to stream: Disney+

Coen brothers collection

It's impossible to be a "guy who writes about movies" and not mention the Coen brothers collection streaming on the Criterion Channel this week. Joel and Ethan Coen make the best movies, end of discussion. Whether you want to watch a re-imagined western like 2010's True Grit or a slapstick comedy like screwball comedy like 1987's Raising Arizona, the Coen brothers have your back. Here's the full list of Coen bros. bangers coming to Criterion:

• Blood Simple (1984)

• Raising Arizona (1987)

• Miller’s Crossing (1990)

• Barton Fink (1991)

• The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

• The Big Lebowski (1998

• A Serious Man (2009)

• True Grit (2010)

• Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Where to stream: The Criterion Channel

Hallmark Christmas movie collection

Attention should be paid to Hallmark's Christmas movies. The greeting-card-company-turned-cable-network-for-some-reason churns out Christmas-themed romantic comedies with the ruthless efficiency of a German industrial plant. They're usually not bad either, if you're into that sort of thing. I haven't seen any of the movies Netflix is streaming in November, but I assume all are perfectly serviceable background movies for wrapping presents and putting lights on the tree. Here's the list.

• A Biltmore Christmas (2023)

• A Merry Scottish Christmas (2023)

• A Heidelberg Holiday (2023)

• Christmas Island (2023)

• Christmas on Cherry Lane (2023)

• Christmas with a Kiss (2023)

• Miracle in Bethlehem, PA (2023)

• Christmas in Notting Hill (2023)

• Haul Out the Holly (2023)

• Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up (2023)

Where to stream: Netflix

Max Is the Latest Streaming Service to Target Password Sharing

Following similar crackdowns from Netflix and Disney+, Max (formerly HBO Max) has announced its intentions to stop you from freely sharing passwords across households. In an earnings call Thursday, company Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels said the move would start with “very soft messaging” over the next few months before getting more serious heading into 2025 and 2026.

That at least gives password sharers a bit of time to prepare themselves, although this news doesn’t come as a total surprise. Pointing specifically at Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery streaming head JB Perrette warned back in March that the company was looking into stamping out password sharing as “another growth opportunity.”

Wiedenfels called the plan to cut password sharing “a form of price rises,” saying that the company will start by “asking members who have not signed up, or multi-household members to pay a little bit more.”

While it’s currently unclear exactly how Max will implement the change, Wiedenfels comments imply that, as on Netflix and Disney+, password sharing will still be allowed, just at a premium to your plan. Presumably, the company will announce more details as its efforts to stamp out unpaid password sharing heat up.

The decision comes during what CEO David Zaslav called “generational disruption” in the market (the media mogul specifically called out Joker: Folie à Deux’s “disappointing results” in the box office as an example of the difficulties the company is facing). It’s possible that stopping free password sharing might allow the company to avoid more directly raising subscription prices as it did in June, although Wiedenfels didn’t preclude the possibility of more direct price hikes too.

Emphasizing Max’s “premium nature,” the executive said there is still “a fair amount of room to push a price we’ve been judicious about.” As of now, Max’s ad-supported plan costs $9.99/month, and its ad-free plans start at $16.99/month. By comparison, Netflix’s ad-supported plan will run you $6.99/month, while ad-free plans start at $15.49/month.

Despite the doom and gloom, the company’s Q3 earnings release revealed that Max added 7.3 million subscribers this quarter.

Where to Find (Legal) Weed in the US in 2024

After a string of election cycles during which ballot measures and legislative efforts to legalize recreational cannabis expanded access to the drug to nearly half of the United States, things seem to have hit a wall in 2024. Ballot measures to legalize cannabis failed in three states—North Dakota, South Dakota, and Florida (a majority of voters opted for legal weed in Florida, but the proposal fell short of the 60% approval needed to pass).

Elsewhere, proposals to legalize cannabis for medical use in Nebraska and establish a government board to regulate it both received overwhelming approval, but face challenges in the courts.

Meanwhile, cannabis remains a Schedule I Drug at the federal level, despite President Joe Biden's announcement back in May that it would be reclassified to a Schedule III drug. In September, the Drug Enforcement Agency announced that an administrative hearing on the reclassification is scheduled for Dec. 2 of this year. Reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III drug would mark a major change in federal policy, but it is not the same as federal legalization. Instead, it would mean cannabis is no longer classed with more serious drugs in Schedule I (drugs considered to have "no medical use" and a high potential for abuse; examples include heroin and ecstasy). Schedule III drugs are considered to have a mild to low risk of physical or psychological dependance.

While reclassification won't federally legalize the drug, nor change its legal status at the local level in states that have legalized medical or recreational use, it could make it easier for scientists to research its benefits for medical use, as well as allow business to claim more credits and deductions on their federal taxes.

Federal policy is following public sentiment

Biden's May announcement mirrors changing public opinion on the drug, and follows a surge in state-level legalization efforts. A PEW research study published in March 2024 showed 88% of Americans support legalization for medical or recreational use. And for what it's worth, during his reelection campaign, Trump indicated he would potentially support federal legalization during his second term.

As of November 2024, 24 states have legalized cannabis for recreational use; cannabis (as opposed to THC-free CBD) is still (more or less) wholly illegal in 11 states, while the remaining 15 allow for legal medical use, with varying restrictions.

Here’s a rundown of where weed is legal for recreational and medical use (and where it isn’t) as of May 2024.

States that legalized weed in 2024

• Nebraska: Two ballot measures, one to legalize medical cannabis and one to create a government commission to regulate it, passed with more than 65% voter approval during the 2024 presidential election. However, they currently face court challenges due to the way signatures were collected to get those measures onto the ballot.

States that have legalized recreational cannabis as of November 2024

In 24 states, including 2023's new additions, weed is treated like alcohol—it’s legal for adults (21 and over) to purchase and is regulated and taxed by the government. The specifics of what you can purchase and possess (and where) vary a bit by state. These states also have medical cannabis.

• Alaska

• Arizona

• California

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Illinois

• Maine

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nevada

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• New York

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Rhode Island

• Vermont

• Virginia

• Washington

Recreational weed is also legal in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Areas that have legal weed but no sales

In the District of Columbia, it’s legal to possess and grow limited amounts of weed, but there are no commercial sales outside of medical cannabis from a limited number of licensed dispensaries.

States that have medical cannabis laws as of November 2024

A number of states have legalized medical cannabis but do not allow broader recreational use.

• Alabama

• Arkansas

• Florida

• Hawaii*

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Minnesota*

• New Hampshire*

• North Dakota*

• South Dakota

• Nebraska**

• Oklahoma

• Pennsylvania

• Utah

• West Virginia

*According to the Marijuana Policy Project, these states have also decriminalized cannabis, reducing or removing jail time for possession of limited amounts of weed.

**Currently facing court challenges

States that have (almost) nothing

The remaining states do not permit broad medical or recreational cannabis—nor is weed decriminalized—though all except for Idaho allow access to low-THC products containing CBD for medical use (which, while technically “legal medical cannabis,” isn’t quite the same thing as a robust legal medical market).

• Georgia

• Idaho

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Kansas

• North Carolina

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Wisconsin

• Wyoming

The legal status of hemp-derived cannabis

All of the above references cannabis containing delta 9 THC, the intoxicating substance naturally found in the cannabis plant. However, new extraction techniques have allowed manufacturers to create synthetic forms of cannabis derived from hemp plants, including delta 8 THC and, more recently, THCa.

These substances are federally "legal" due to a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed for the cultivation of hemp. While some states have tried to rein in these products with local legislation, they continue to proliferate, providing a (more or less) legal alternative to tried-and-true cannabis—though the lack of regulations governing their manufacture has raised questions about their safety.

Originally published in 2020, this article has been updated periodically to reflect changing laws around the country. It was most recently updated in November 2024.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Is Officially Backwards Compatible

Did you all catch the big news last night? Apparently, a defining part of the 20-teens is returning for a second reign. That’s right: The Nintendo Switch 2 will officially be backwards compatible.

Yes, on a night when many Americans (and probably a good number of people worldwide) were glued to social media to see how a different red-and-blue tinged story would turn out, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa took to the company’s X (formerly Twitter) account to reveal that yes, the successor to the Nintendo Switch will be able to play games from the previous generation.

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It was a bit of unequivocally good news during an otherwise tumultuous evening, but if you’re wondering why the family friendly publisher announced it at 8:26 on a certain Tuesday in November, that’s a good question. The answer’s a bit boring, unfortunately. There was no surprise Direct or the like; rather, the news had previously been discussed during Nintendo’s Q2 2025 midyear policy briefing earlier that day. Take it more as a clarification to investors than something meant to build hype.

That said, the news is pretty dry, and the briefing doesn’t reveal much else, noting that more information about the technically still unannounced console (including, presumably, its release date), will come “at a later date.” The only other nugget we got is that the Nintendo Switch Online service was also confirmed to be available on the Switch successor, so buyers will likely also have access to the subscription’s retro game catalog right out the gate.

Fixing the Switch's biggest mistake

Despite the subdued nature of the announcement, it puts the Switch 2 ahead of Nintendo’s current console in a big way. That’s because the Switch’s inability to play Wii or Wii U games meant the company instead had to rerelease those games all over again, in wave after wave of remasters, essentially forcing customers to re-buy their old library while also leaving some titles stranded in the previous generation. The Switch’s successor, on the other hand, will have access to a whole generation’s worth of content the instant you boot it up.

The question on everyone’s mind right now, then, is whether said content will also be enhanced in any way, like how new PlayStations and Xbox consoles handle older titles. Some recent Switch games have arguably gotten a bit big for that system’s britches, so if the Switch 2 can play them at higher resolutions or faster framerates, it’d breathe new life into games that were maybe a bit ahead of their time upon release.

Regardless, backwards compatibility on the Switch successor means you can keep buying Switch games with peace of mind for now, knowing that you won’t have to keep two Nintendo consoles plugged into your TV when it comes time to replace it.

This Amazon Kids' Fire Tablet Is Half Off Right Now

If you’re in the market for a kid-friendly tablet, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro (2024) is worth a look—especially at its current price of $69.99, half off the usual $139.99. Designed for kids aged six to twelve, this tablet comes with a protective case (available in fun styles like Hello Teal, Discovery, and Jungle Cat) that'll likely survive a few drops or more. Plus, if you’re expecting some rough handling, a two-year warranty covers pretty much any mishaps. You also get six months of Amazon Kids+ for free, giving kids ad-free access to a huge selection of age-appropriate content. After that, though, it’s $5.99 per month if you’re a Prime member (or $7.99 if you're not), so there’s that recurring cost to consider.

New Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet, ages 6-12 | 3GB memory, 8" HD screen, slim case for older kids, ad-free content, parental controls, 13-hr battery, 32GB, Hello Teal, (2024 release)

$69.99 at Amazon

$139.99 Save $70.00

$69.99 at Amazon

$139.99 Save $70.00

The tablet has 3GB of RAM, which generally keeps things moving without major hiccups. Still, you might notice some lag now and then, especially when it’s waking up, which may try the patience of eager little fingers. Additionally, according to this PCMag review, intense gaming apps with 3D graphics tend to lag too, so for a 12-year-old, this tablet might not cut it. The cameras—a 5MP on the back and 2MP on the front—aren’t exactly Instagram-worthy either. Photos tend to look a little washed out, especially in low light, but video chatting works well enough.

Parents, you’ll probably love the control features like setting daily screen limits, managing in-app purchases, and adjusting content based on age, making it easy to keep things kid-friendly. There’s also an option to lock the tablet during specific hours, which is handy for homework time or bedtime. And if you’ve got more than one kid, it supports up to four profiles, so each child can have their own setup. Battery life is decent too, giving over nine hours of streaming.

If you have an older kid who’s likely to want more power or sharper graphics, you might want to consider the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro instead—it’s $109.99 right now (down from $189.99), but that extra boost in speed and screen quality could make a difference for a kid who’s outgrowing simpler tablets.