Today in China’s capital, Beijing, air pollution soared to 35 times accepted safety levels, leaving the government to order schools to close and residents to stay indoors. The alert level remains at Orange, one level below the highest alert which would force more drastic closings. Unfortunately, this kind of pollution alert is not uncommon for Chinese cities. Studies have found that up to 4,000 people die every day in China due to air pollution....

Best overall: Acer Predator XB323QK NVbmiiphuzx Best for gaming: Acer Predator XB323U GXbmiiphzxBest 4K: Acer Predator CG437K PbmiiippuzxBest ultrawide: Acer Predator X35 bmiphzxBest for esports: Acer Nitro XV252Q FbmiiprxBest budget: Acer SB220Q bi How we chose the best Acer monitors As a critic covering games and gaming hardware, I’ve covered computing and monitors for Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and NBC Select. I’ve researched, tested, and reviewed dozens of gaming monitors, so I have a strong sense of what goes into a good monitor, versus a great one....

While inexpensive projectors often deliver a great picture, you should expect to make a few sacrifices in regards to features and specs. For instance, drop any notion of watching full, 4K movies. Many inexpensive projectors can’t match the brightness of their higher-end cousins, and that limits the size of the projected image. And in some of the pocket-size models, you might see a drop off in color quality and contrast....

Best overall: Secretlab Magnus Metal Desk Best computer desk: Cooler Master GD160 ARGB Best converter: VIVO Extra Wide Corner Height Adjustable 38-inch Stand-up Desk Converter Best L-shaped desk: ODK L-Shaped Gaming Desk Best standing desk: Eureka Ergonomic 65-inch Standing DeskBest budget desk: SEVEN WARRIOR Gaming Desk How we selected the best gaming desks Over the last 17 years, I’ve set up gaming rigs using everything from folding tables to expensive solid wood standing desks....

Best for music: Ableton Live 11Best for games: OBS StudioBest for audio: HindenburgBest for iOS: Voice MemosBest for Android: Audio Recorder How we selected the products The best recording software covers a broad gamut of both beginning and advanced audio (as well as video) needs, from casual notetaking to creating professional-quality songs. For that reason, we looked at free as well as paid products, using a combination of our own in-house research, critical consensus, and trusted user impressions....

Best overall: Apple TV Siri RemoteBest universal remote: Logitech Harmony EliteBest for gamers: PlayStation DualSenseBest budget universal remote: GE Universal RemoteBest remote that’s already in your pocket: iPhone 14 How we picked the best remotes for Apple TV I’ve owned an Apple TV (HD) since 2015, and am intimately familiar with how bad its remote feels. The thin design makes it uncomfortable to hold and easy to lose between couch cushions, and the clickable touchpad can be finicky....

Best road-running shoes: New Balance Women’s Fresh Foam Roav V1 SneakerBest cross-country running shoes: Saucony Women’s Kilkenny Xc 8 Cross Country Running ShoeBest cross-training shoes: PUMA Women’s Tazon 6 WN’s FM Cross-Trainer ShoeBest gel support running shoes: ASICS Women’s GEL-Venture 5 Running ShoeBest cheap running shoes: Flysocks Slip On Sneakers for Women Why you shouldn’t run without running shoes? You may be thinking, “Why do I even need to buy a special pair of comfortable running shoes?...

But why go wireless in the first place? Using a wireless mouse instead of a wired mouse is a more convenient option for most people. Ditching the wires will reduce clutter around your work or gaming station. And the lack of wires also makes it easier to toss your mouse in your bag without worrying about your cables getting tangled or damaged. We know no two mice are the same, so here’s how to find the best wireless mouse for you....

A team of British astronomers found HL Tau b when they noticed an extra-bright clump in a radio image of its parent star from the Very Large Array radio telescopes at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico. The young planet is believed to be only a few hundred thousand years old and 930 million miles in diameter. Because its parent star is still developing, the protoplanet won’t condense into its final form—a ball of hydrogen and helium gas about the size of Jupiter called a gas giant—for at least another million years, says astronomer Anita Richards, a member of the research team....

In Heap’s own words: As a musician, I like to think the world revolves around me. For years I wondered why it took so long for money to filter back to me, or why I didn’t know what the fine print of my record deals really said. For the first time in my career, I am on my own—I am not signed to any record label or represented by any management....

Biologists in Australia published their findings on the raptor with a 10-foot wingspan that swooped over New Zealand for the past many millennia in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences this week. They studied the morphology of the bird with virtual mockups to understand its behaviors, and used 3D-rendering tools to bring it back to life in a way. Previously, researchers couldn’t confirm whether harpagornis acted like a golden eagle, hunting and killing its prey, or more like a vulture, scavenging the meat and bones of already-dead creatures....

These heated jackets and gloves have filaments inside the layers of fabric. A battery pack provides the juice needed to power them up and keep you comfortably toasty in sub-zero weather. Leave the power turned off and they mostly feel like a typical winter jacket. The gloves sound particularly pleasant right now as I’m imagining the upcoming marathon snowblowing sessions that are surely just weeks away. ORORO Men’s Lightweight Heated Vest with Battery Pack, $97 (Was $169)ORORO Women’s Lightweight Heated Vest with Battery Pack, $97 (Was $169)ORORO Women’s Heated Jacket with Battery Pack and Detachable Hood, $104 (Was $199)ORORO Men’s Fleece Heated Vest with Battery Pack, $83 (Was $149)ORORO Men’s Soft Shell Heated Jacket with Detachable Hood and Battery Pack, $104 (Was $199)ORORO Women’s Heated Vest with Battery – Electric Fleece Vest Base Layer, $83 (Was $149)ORORO Heated Hand Muff, 14 Hours of Warmth, Electric Hand Warmer Pouch with Rechargeable Battery, $104 (Was $149)ORORO Heated Hoodie with Battery Pack (Unisex), $97 (Was $139)ORORO Women’s Heated Jacket-Full Zip Fleece Jacket with Battery Pack, $97 (Was $149)ORORO Men’s Heated Fleece Jacket Full Zip with Battery Pack, $97 (Was $149)ORORO Heated Gloves for Women and Men, Rechargeable Heated Motorcycle Gloves, Battery Gloves for Skiing Hiking and Arthritis Hands, $83 (Was $119)ORORO Heated Gloves for Men and Women, Rechargeable Electric Gloves for Hiking, Skiing, Motorcycle, $97 (Was $139)

Is something wrong with the original Blue Yeti mic? Why another version? The Blue Yeti USB microphone ($109.99) was originally launched as a “premium” USB microphone aimed at pro, semi-pro, and aspiring broadcasters, singers, and musicians. At that time, many USB mics looked like novelty designs and lacked professional features and audio quality of broadcaster standards like the Shure SM7B. They did have the benefit of not requiring an external audio interface, however, and soon caught on and caught up....

A sleek ship The 4th-generation Zeppelin, like most smart speakers, is all about minimalist design and ease of use. But unlike most smart speakers, this imposing airship is meant to take center stage in any space. A 14-pound ellipse that seemingly floats atop its curved metal pedestal, Zeppelin packs five drivers and 240 watts of amplification into an elliptical enclosure measuring more than 2-feet wide, its grille sheathed in luxe mesh fabric....

Alan Turing, the pioneering computer scientist, World War II codebreaker, and father of artificial intelligence, met a rather different end. When he died by suicide in 1954, his ashes were quietly scattered near the Woking Crematorium. He had spent his final years as a criminal: In 1952, police arrested Turing for homosexual acts. As punishment for his sexual orientation, which was then illegal to act upon, the British government chemically castrated him....

Way back in 1987, at the Pure Strength strongman competition in Scotland, iconic strength athlete Jón Páll Sigmarsson successfully lifted a 1,005-pound contraption made of two huge wagon wheels connected by a thick wooden post. Before he put the weight down, he looked out into the crowd—his face bright red and his muscles bulging—and shouted, “There is no reason to be alive if you can’t do deadlift.” It was a fitting tribute to one of the purest measures of raw strength in the world of weightlifting....

Apple is rarely a first mover in electronics. We’ve all grown used to the company walking into existing markets and redefining them: the original Macintosh, the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad. When it decides to jump in a pool, it strives for an epic cannonball that sends waves throughout the rest of the industry. Could this time be different? This is, after all, the first major new category Apple will stake out under the stewardship of Tim Cook....

Tilted toward the sun, the panels absorb almost none of the warmth beating down on them; they even launch some into space, improving the performance of the systems that keep things inside cold. The feat relies on a phenomenon called radiative cooling: Everything on Earth emits heat in the form of invisible infrared rays that rise skyward. At night, in the absence of mercury-raising daylight, this can chill something enough to produce ice....

~Ever wish you could peer into your cat, dog, skink, or betta fish’s brain? It would give you a far better perspective of the world—or at least help you be a smarter pet parent. We’re here to demystify your animals (to some extent), while also shedding advice on how you can best thrive together. Welcome to Pet Psychic.~ Are you a cat or a dog person? The answer to this age-old question could reveal a little bit about your personality, some research shows....