The Fitbit brand has long been defined by fitness trackers with tiny screens, yet it's been three years since it released a new one. Now that the Fitbit Edge has been announced (and pre-orders have opened), longtime Fitbit users are probably wondering how it compares to the last Fitbit release with a screen, the Charge 6.
The design is the first clear difference: The Edge fits in perfectly between the screenless Fitbit Air and the smooth, curved screen of the Pixel Watch. It runs on the same operating system as the Fitbit Air, which is slightly different from the OS that runs on Pixel watches. Like other Fitbits, the Edge pairs with both iPhones and Android devices. Now, let's look at what Google has added since the Charge 6—and what it took away.
I just unboxed the Fitbit Edge that Google sent me to review, and can confirm: There is a physical button on the right side of the casing. It makes an audible click when you press it in, even when the device is turned off. The Charge 6 has a "button" that is just a haptic nub—squeeze it, and if you're lucky it might recognize your touch and buzz in response. (Sadly, I found it often didn't work.)
The Fitbit Edge has an altimeter and an allegedly better GPS chipset
The altimeter is a brand-new bit of hardware in the Fitbit Edge. You have to go back to the Charge 4 to find a Fitbit tracker with an altimeter. This is the sensor that tells you your altitude and enables a measurement of how many "floors" you have climbed throughout the day. It also allows for more accurate tracking of hills on your hikes and hilly runs.
The Charge 6 and the Edge both have GPS capabilities, allowing the device to know where you are in the world, even if you left your phone at home. (The Fitbit Air, by contrast. does not have its own GPS and has to pester your phone to find out where you are and how fast you're running.) The Charge 6's GPS has some serious flaws, the main one being that tightening the wristband too much could strain the GPS antenna, leading to comically distorted maps, as you can see from my testing. Google says the Fitbit Edge has better GPS hardware. I believe them, but mainly because it would be hard for it to be worse.
The Fitbit Edge does not have Google Pay or NFC capabilities
This is the biggest downgrade: With the Charge 6, you could set up Google Wallet and be able to tap your Fitbit to pay for things at stores. That's a convenient feature if you like to run or walk without your phone and still be able to buy a drink at a convenience store. But the Fitbit Edge dropped this capability, probably to make room for other internal components. If you loved Google Pay on your older Fitbit, you'll miss it if you upgrade to the Edge.
The Fitbit Edge will be able to play music from any app, not just Youtube Music
The Charge 6's music player is one of the most frustrating things about it. The music controls only work for Youtube Music. That's a premium service, meaning you need to pay a monthly subscription fee just to be able to control music playing on your phone, and it has to be a subscription to Youtube Music—Spotify or Apple Music users are out of luck.
Fortunately, that's been fixed in the Fitbit Edge. Google says it will be able to control whatever is playing on your phone (like pretty much every other watch in existence) rather than relying on a specific app.
Google Maps directions are unsupported on the Edge—but "coming soon"
At launch, the Fitbit Edge doesn't support Google Maps directions—but Google's spec sheets say it's "coming soon." To be fair, Google Maps directions were never particularly useful. They lived in their own little app, and only gave you turn-by-turn directions, not a map view showing where you are. In the long run, this isn't likely a difference that matters, since Google plans to bring this feature to the Edge. But if you enjoy it on your Charge 6, you should know it's not going to be available right away on the Fitbit Edge.
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If you’re looking to outsource as much of your floor cleaning as possible, a combination robot vacuum and mop is your best bet short of hiring regular house cleaners. TheRoborock Saros 10R Robot Vacuum and Mop is a great option, with powerful suction, a slim silhouette that gets into tight spaces, and a bevy of automated features that deliver a mostly hands-off experience—especially at its current 44% off price of $899.99 (originally $1,599.99).
Though it comes in at under $1,000, it still delivers reliable obstacle avoidance, a super-slim design, and powerful hard-floor vacuuming and mopping, with up to 22,000 Pa of suction. According to Mashable, it’s better at mopping than competitors like the Saros 10, and comes with dual rotating mop pads and an extending arm to get into nooks and crannies, as well as a split brushroll to reduce hair or fur tangles. Its slim 3.14-inch profile means it more easily fits under low-profile furniture than bulkier robot vacuums, which are typically about an inch taller.
While it excels at cleaning hard floors, it’s also more effective than older Roborock models at managing rugs, thresholds up to 4 centimeters high, and rooms with various obstacles, including furniture. The low-maintenance dock empties the dustbin, refills the Saros 10R’s water tank, and washes and dries the mop pads. While it accomplishes quite a lot, the self-cleaning station does require dedicated floor space, as the dock is on the larger side.
If you want an everyday cleaner that excels at navigation and hands-off routines, theRoborock Saros 10R Robot Vacuum and Mop is one of the most reliable “set it and forget it” vacuum-and-mop combos available. And at a lower-than-ever $700 off, it offers a fantastic value right now.
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QLEDs are a great mid-tier TV option, sandwiched firmly between cheaper LEDs and premium OLEDs—but there's a wide range within that QLED category, too. The Hisense E7SF QLED is in the low to mid-range of that category, but with its 46% discount, the price is much lower. Amazon currently has the 100-inch Hisense E7SF QLED for $1,697.99 (originally $2,999.99), a new record-low price, according to price-tracking tools. The other sizes are all also seeing discounts, like the 65-inch E7SF QLED, which is down to $599.99 (originally $999.99). These discounts are especially notable given this TV came out in April of 2026.
The first thing you'll notice about the Hisense E7 is how thin and lightweight it is. It comes with four HDMI ports, including one with eARC support for connecting a soundbar and two that support a native 144Hz refresh rate for smoother gaming. Like most new TVs these days, it'll be 4K and have AI modes that improve picture quality. This will be most noticeable when watching sports; the TV will recognize the content and automatically switch the picture settings to sports mode. Because this is a Fire TV, it'll come with built-in Alexa+, which is a nice touch for those already in the Alexa ecosystem. You can also install Kodi to watch virtually anything for free.
Another standout feature is the support for Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, which can make your streaming much more immersive as your TV adapts its picture in real time to its environment and gives you a 3D surround-sound experience (if you have a sound system). For its price, this is an excellent choice for someone looking to upgrade their TV to a new 2026 QLED without breaking the bank.
Apple's new HomeView smart hub is fun. It looks like a cross between an iMac G4 and an Apple Watch, especially if you opt for the one with the stand—which you should probably do, seeing as the wall-mounted option requires separate hardware purchases. If you have more than one Apple user in the house, it's certainly a tempting product. But as sleek as the HomeView looks, I can't help but wonder: Is this really a better decision than an iPad on a stand?
After all, you can already control smart devices from the Home app on your iPad, not to mention take FaceTime calls, play music, check the weather, etc. And, since it's an iPad, it's inherently more versatile than a device made as a smart hub. Would you be better off buying one of Apple's tablets with a stand, and calling a day? The short answer: maybe, but not necessarily. After thinking it through, it might not make sense for everyone to splurge on the iPad in this scenario.
Feature crossover between the HomeView and iPad
Despite being a new product, there's a lot of crossover between the HomeView and your average iPad. They both support FaceTime, and both place the camera along the top bezel—at least, if you have one of Apple's modern iPads. (For years, the company put the camera along the short side of the iPad, which meant it was always off-center for landscape video calls.) They both run the Home app, which means both can control your compatible smart devices. You can access Apple Music on both devices, as well as the Messages app. To that point, they both run some of the same first and third-party apps, including Calendar, Weather, Podcasts, and Find My, but it's a bit too early to know the full list of compatible apps. That said, Apple told The Verge that any app that works with CarPlay and supports audio and video streaming will appear on your HomeView if you have it on your iPhone or iPad.
Both devices also come with Safari. That's obvious on the iPad, but it's a welcome addition on the HomeView. I'm not seeing much about how Safari works on HomeView, however, other than the fact you can tap "Start Cooking" on a recipe you find in the browser to see the steps in a "streamlined format." While you can do many things on HomeView with simple gestures and voice commands, Apple also includes an on-screen keyboard here, so the iPad isn't the only device of the pair you can type on. Depending on the iPad, HomeView might actually be on-par power-wise, as well: Apple outfitted this device with the A18 chip, one generation newer than the A17 Pro in the iPad mini, and two generations newer than the chip in the A16 iPad. That runs Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, a big selling point for Apple with this device. Like other smart displays, the company wants you to ask Siri AI complex questions and make requests across your apps. That's something you can do on certain iPads too, as long as they support Apple's AI suite.
The iPad can do a lot the HomeView can't
It might sound like the HomeView and the iPad are surprisingly similar, but there's a wide array of features that are exclusive to Apple's dedicated tablet. Perhaps most importantly, you have a dedicated OS to work with on iPad. It might not be macOS, but you can run multiple apps side-by-side, including with desktop-like window management, if you'd like. Speaking of apps, you'll have many more options on iPad than on HomeView. It's great that there's third-party support on HomeView, but your iPad can also tap into the entire App Store; HomeView can't.
iPads have mouse and keybord support as well, in case you don't want to rely on gesture and touch controls for everything. There's also Apple Pencil support; optional, but useful. And while both devices have front-facing cameras, all iPads have rear cameras—some better than others, but they come in handy. If you're on a FaceTime call, you don't have to turn the entire device to show someone something in front of you. There's a host of other smaller features that may matter to some, but not all, like a USB-C port, or external drive support.
The HomeView has exclusive features of its own
On the flip side, there are perks you get with a HomeView that you just don't get on an iPad. While you can place an iPad on a stand in your kitchen, you won't be able to take advantage of HomeView's dedicated "faces." That includes the Home face, which puts all your smart devices on-screen in tiles. If your home is relatively smart, this is useful (not to mention sleek), and is a bit more streamlined than moseying over to the Home app on your iPad. To that point, HomeView's other faces make it stand out in your room: You can use it as a dynamic clock or calendar, with fun designs and effects. Even the Weather app's face looks better on HomeView than the Weather app on iPad.
The HomeView really shines if you have multiple people in your house—at least, on paper. Apple says the device can recognize up to six different users, and personalize the experience to each. You can have a custom Home Screen layout, and only be able to access your own data (like Messages); then, when a different member of your household looks at HomeView, they can access their personal setup. This type of personalization is great, and is sorely missing from the iPad. Hopefully, Apple adds profiles to iPadOS at some point in the future, like it does on macOS. Until then, HomeView offers a much better experience for multiple users.
HomeView also has the advantage when it comes to speakers—particularly if you buy the model with the stand. Apple says the screen comes with two full-range drivers, while the base has a down-firing woofer and two force-canceling passive radiators. If you opted for an iPad on a stand, you'd need some sort of external audio solution to match that, which would only increase your costs.
The HomeView's price actually makes sense
If you're torn on buying an iPad as a HomeView alternative, the cost might just be the decision maker here. Apple is pricing the HomeView on a stand at $299, which, to me, sounds a bit pricey at first. But you get a lot for that money, especially when you consider the other option: Apple's cheapest iPad is still quite expensive, retailing for $449. The iPad mini, which gives you a more comparable display size to the HomeView, is even more expensive. Your best bet would be to find a refurbished iPad, but even then, you're likely still spending more than the cost of the HomeView. That's before you factor in a stand, or even alternative audio solutions, like a Bluetooth speaker or HomePod mini.
If you plan to use your iPad as a dedicated tablet in addition to a smart home display, that additional cost might be worth it. After all, you can switch from taking FaceTime calls in the kitchen to sending emails, making music in GarageBand, or playing games like Minecraft and Stardew Valley. But if your main goal is finding a smart display that fits in well with your existing Apple ecosystem, the HomeView isn't a bad buy.
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Although October Prime Day is officially over, some significant deals on home-maintenance essentials are still available. One of the best is the Ecovacs Goat O1000 LiDAR Pro Robot Lawn Mower, now 37% off at an all-time low of $949.05 (originally $1,499.99).
The O1000 Pro can mow up to 0.25 acres and handle slopes of up to 45%, making it ideal for smaller suburban lawns that need regular upkeep. It uses LiDAR, a 3D time-of-flight sensor, and an AI camera to map and navigate, so it doesn't need perimeter wire or an RTK antenna. In the app, you can create zones and no-go areas, adjust cutting settings, and schedule mowing.
The built-in TruEdge trimmer is what sets it apart from many competitors. Unlike some robot mowers that still leave a strip for you to finish manually, this model has edge trimming integrated to reduce cleanup. Another perk is how quiet it is: The mower operates at just 61 dB (significantly quieter than a gas mower), though the trimmer can reach around 81 dB.
While it has a PIN and lift alarm, it doesn’t offer the same location-tracking protection as premium competitors, which could matter if your mower is accessible from the street. Still, if your lawn is a quarter acre or less, somewhat level, and regularly maintained, the wireless Ecovacs Goat O1000 LiDAR Pro Robot Lawn Mower can handle most of your weekly mowing needs—and is even more appealing at nearly $550 off.
Google announced the Fitbit Edge earlier this week, making it the company's first Fitbit with a screen since the Charge 6 was released in 2023. Pre-orders are open now, and the devices are expected to start shipping on Oct. 27.
The Fitbit Edge ($179.99) has features and a price that are right in between the Fitbit Air, which has no screen and retails for $99.99, and the Pixel Watch 5, a full-featured smartwatch that starts at $399.99.
You can pre-order the Fitbit Edge here. It comes in black with a black band, silver with a "fog" (gray) band, "champagne gold" with a salmon-pink band, and a metallic color they're calling "satin pyrite" with an olive green band. There's also a Steph Curry edition for $219.99 in gray and orange. The standard packages come with two bands, a small/medium that fits wrists 130 to 170 millimeters around, and a medium/large for wrists 170 to 210 millimeters. There are a few other bands available for an extra fee: an "active sport" band with larger holes for ventilation ($39.99), a magnetic band ($49.99), and a band with metal links ($149.99).
What's new in the Fitbit Edge
Unlike the screenless Fitbit Air, the Fitbit Edge adds its own GPS chipset, so you can track distance without bringing your phone, and an altimeter to detect elevation changes like hills. The latter also enables a "floors climbed" metric each day. The Fitbit Edge also has an ECG app, a morning report, and can control music playing on your phone no matter what app is playing it.
If you're upgrading from a Fitbit Charge 6, the Edge adds an altimeter and a morning report, and you'll be glad to see the music controls work for any music app, not just Youtube Music. The Edge is missing some features, though: With no NFC, it can't do tap-to-pay with Google Wallet. The Edge also does not have Google Maps directions at launch, although Google says these are coming soon. The EDA scan and stress tracking are also gone. (Personally, I'm glad about that. Stress tracking isn't accurate enough to be useful.)
Yesterday the MARQ Gen 3 turned up on Garmin's support pages, and today, the company has made it official. Garmin launched its third-generation luxury smartwatch collection, a lineup of six models priced from $2,500 to $3,100. That sure is a lot of money for a watch. Let's take a look at what exactly you get with the new Garmin MARQ Gen 3.
The new collection consists of the MARQ Athlete, Adventurer, Aviator, Commander, Golfer and Diver. Across all six, Garmin has moved to larger AMOLED displays, added LTE and satellite connectivity, expanded its mapping, and brought in its latest health and fitness features that I detail in my review of Garmin's other recent release, the Fenix 9 Pro.
The hardware follows the luxury formula the MARQ line is known for. Each watch has a 47 mm Grade 5 titanium case, a sapphire crystal lens, and a ceramic bezel inlay. Each is 15 mm thick and carries a 1.4-inch AMOLED display, up from 1.2 inches on the previous generation.
At the bottom of the range, the MARQ Athlete is the entry point at $2,500. It comes on a silicone strap with VO2 max markings on the bezel, and includes Garmin's full collection of running and training features. The MARQ Adventurer costs $2,700 and pairs an Italian leather strap with a compass bezel. This one is aimed at hiking, navigation and climbing, and includes preloaded ClimbPro information.
And so on: The remaining four models are each built around a specific pursuit, as MARQ variants have been since the line debuted. The MARQ Aviator is the flight-focused model, the MARQ Commander is the tactical one, the MARQ Golfer is built for the course, and the MARQ Diver is the one for the water. Garmin's pricing and strap details for these four sit between the Athlete's $2,500 and the $3,100 top of the range.
What else is new about the Garmin MARQ Gen 3?
In terms of software updates, the biggest addition is embedded inReach connectivity. All six watches support LTE calling, messaging and location sharing without a phone nearby, along with satellite messaging and emergency SOS through Garmin Response. Note: These services require a separate inReach subscription.
Garmin has also added a speaker, a microphone, and an LED flashlight. Other upgrades include the ECG app in supported regions, newer health and recovery metrics, and worldwide TopoActive maps with address search. Storage has jumped from 32GB to 128GB, and battery life reaches up to 18 days in smartwatch mode, or seven days with the always-on display enabled.
How the MARQ compares to non-luxury Garmins
What's most exciting is how these changes bring the MARQ much closer to Garmin's latest high-end sports watches, as opposed to being more of an aesthetic purchase. Previously, MARQ buyers were paying a considerable premium for hardware that lacked some features already available elsewhere in the range. Honestly, the earlier MARQ was, in effect, a fancy-materials version of a watch you could get for less, with fewer capabilities.
Now, the MARQ Gen 3 is finally a watch that tops the Garmin lineup with all the features of a Fenix. And for the first time, the MARQ has pluses the Fenix doesn't, like increased storage and on-device mapping features. The question of whether such premium price Garmin has set is worth it? That's still up for debate.
You just finished running a race, but your watch disagrees with the official distance and timing. Which should you trust? While race organizers can screw up their distance or timing, they usually don't. Let's look at how races are measured and why they may disagree with your watch—which happens more often than you might realize.
How races measure your time
Before we compare a watch time to an official race time, we need to know what kind of official race time we're looking at. There are two different numbers you might see from a race: gun time and chip time. They may differ from each other and from your watch. Here's where each comes from:
Chip time
Chip time, also sometimes called net time, is the time from when you personally cross the start line until you personally cross the finish line. This is the time that matters for most of us.
Chips measure your personal start and finish because big races often have a crowd at the start line. If you’re running a big-city marathon, it could be 10 minutes or more of waiting and then slowly moseying forward with the crowd before you are able to cross the start line. In that case, your marathon could have a 4:40:00 gun time and a 4:30:00 chip time.
The “chip” in the name refers to a computer chip that is usually embedded in your racing bib (the numbers you pin to your shirt). The timing system registers a data point whenever you cross a timing mat on the ground. There is a timing mat at the start and another at the end of the race. (Longer races like marathons and half-marathons may also have timing mats at a few checkpoints along the way, such as the halfway point.)
Gun time
Gun time is the time from when the race starts (often signaled by a starting pistol, hence “gun”) until you cross the finish line. This is also sometimes called clock time.
If you are trying to actually win the race, you may need to care about gun time. Sometimes the rules specify that the person who wins the race is the person who crosses the finish line first, regardless of when they crossed the start line. If you are an elite athlete who is in the running to win a big race, you’ll generally work out arrangements with the race organizer to be at the actual start line when the race starts, so that the gun time accurately reflects how long it took you to run the race.
But for the rest of us, gun time doesn’t matter at all. The exception is if you are in a very small local race that doesn’t use chip timing, or that only has one mat at the finish line (no mat at the start). In that case, only a gun time will be reported, and no chip time.
Watch time
Watch time is the name I’m using here for the time you see on your wristwatch, or in your running app after the fact. If you start and end the timer exactly when you cross the start and finish lines, and never pause it in between, in theory, it should be the same as the chip time. All the major brands of running watches and smartwatches do an accurate-enough job in most situations. But you shouldn't trust it too much—let me explain why.
As I mentioned above, gun time only matters if there is no chip time, if you’re trying to win an award in a race that uses gun times for awards, or if you’re trying to qualify for the Olympics.
Use the chip time anytime you’re telling someone what you ran, or when you’re keeping track of your personal bests (PBs). (Only use a watch time if you ran a race with no chip time, and even then make sure to use your actual total time between the start and finish lines, no pausing. In that case, you're not trusting the watch over the chip time; you're just using it to estimate a missing chip time.)
Watch time should be the same as chip time if you started and stopped your watch at the start and finish lines. But it’s often not. Some of the reasons your watch time might be wrong:
Your watch auto-pauses. This is a convenient setting on training runs, if you often stop for a water break or to wait to cross a street. Your watch will pause your run when you stop, and resume recording when you move again. But during a race, stops aren’t free! If you stop to spend two minutes in a porta-potty, that’s still part of your race time.
Your app (such as Strava) might report a “moving” time. Same idea as above, but it happens even if your watch recorded the whole thing. For example, on one longish run I did, I remember stopping to tie my shoe. Strava shows this run as taking 1:17:02. But if I scroll down through the numbers it gives, I can also see an elapsed time of 1:17:28. I guess it took me 26 seconds to tie my shoe.
On Strava, you can make your elapsed time show up first by selecting Edit Activity and then changing Type of Run to Race. If I do that on my shoe-tying run, the elapsed time with the extra 26 seconds shows up on that Strava activity.
There is one other reason why your official race result might not make sense, even if it’s a chip time and it’s showing the same as your watch’s elapsed time: Every now and then, a race organizer fucks up.
One time, I was running a 2K race (1.2 miles) and was expecting a finish time somewhere between nine and 10 minutes. My watch registered a number in that range, but I knew it was probably off by a few seconds. When I checked the official results shortly after crossing the finish line, I had a time of 12:29, about three minutes longer than I was expecting! And in this case, I had started near the start line (it was a small, local race), so I couldn’t blame a gun/chip time difference. Turns out the timing service had accidentally added three minutes to everyone’s times. They noticed the error pretty quickly, though, and my official time was soon updated to 9:29. (I got an age group medal that day, and wrote my time on the back, which is why I remember it all these years later.)
So if your official race result is way off, consider speaking to the race organizer. There may have been an error that affects everybody, or they may only have a gun time and not a chip time.
How races measure distance
There’s one other consideration here: not just the time on your watch, but the distance. You may find that your watch’s time was within a few seconds of your chip time, but the distance seems wrong—usually too long. Or if you upload your run to Strava, you may find that the notorious "Strava tax" has been applied, appearing to shave off a bit of distance. (My best 5K in the last few years was recorded on Strava as 4.99 kilometers and thus didn't update my 5K PR. Am I mad? OK, yes.)
The first thing to check is whether the race course was certified. (Most are.) The process of certifying a race course ensures that the course has been measured to be the correct distance. And that distance is nearly guaranteed to be shorter than most runners actually run. So, yes, you will probably run a smidge longer than 3.1 miles in a 5K (3.1 mile) race!
You can read the USATF course certification guidelines here. Of particular interest is this part: "A race course is defined by the shortest possible route that a runner could take and not be disqualified. A given runner might not follow the shortest possible route…[t]he actual path of any given runner is irrelevant. The shortest possible route is a reasonably well-defined and unambiguous route that ensures all runners will run at least the stated race distance." (Emphasis theirs.)
How does one find the shortest possible route? "You might envision the shortest possible route as a string, stretched tightly along the course so that it comes within 30 cm (one foot) of all corners, straight through S-turns, and diagonally between corners when crossing a street. You should measure the course following the same route as that hypothetical string." In addition, there is a 0.1% correction factor added to the measured distance, to ensure “that your course will not be short, even if you make small errors in following the shortest possible route.”
The only time your smartwatch’s distance should make you doubt the course measurement is if your watch thinks you covered a significantly shorter distance than the advertised length of the race. In that case, check your map to see if the GPS route looks like the route you actually ran. If you had poor GPS accuracy, your watch (or phone) might draw a line that cuts a corner that you did not actually cut.
If your map looks correct, but your distance is still short, it’s worth checking with other runners to see if they had a short distance as well. Mistakes in course measurement or signage are rare, but they happen! The San Francisco Marathon accidentally shaved half a mile off its half-marathon course once. If you think your race course was short, contact the race organizer.
What counts as my PB?
Your PB, or personal best, can be whatever you want it to be in your heart. But if you want to brag about your times or compare them with other runners, you'll want to talk about chip time.
This is where the distance issue comes up. Maybe you finished your first 5K in 30:03 chip time, but your watch congratulated you on a 5K PR of 28:59. What gives? Check the distance, and you might see that your total race distance was 3.22 miles, with 28:59 being the time it took you to hit 3.1 (at which point the finish line was in sight, but you weren't actually done with the race). Sorry, but you didn't officially run a sub-30 5K.
This is why we distinguish race PBs from training PBs. The race course's timing is more accurate, and its certified distance is more accurate than your GPS even though the actual route that you personally run may be a bit longer than the certified distance. People tend to hit PBs at races because that's when you're the best prepared for a big effort and you have a crowd cheering you on. But the distance being potentially longer than advertised means that it is more of an accomplishment to run a "5K" race in a certain time than to run exactly five kilometers in that time.
So when another runner asks for your 5K time, they mean a race. You can proudly and accurately cite your chip time—in our example, 30:03. But you could also add: "My best training PB for that distance is 28:59, so I know I'm going to break 30 minutes officially soon." You will. I believe in you.
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Having a powerful monitor with high-end specs can make gaming more immersive and make input lag as small as possible, which is helpful for any serious gamer looking for an edge over their opponents. The Samsung Odyssey G9 is a 49-inch gaming monitor with some impressive specs, including a 240Hz refresh rate and a 1 ms response time. It's available for $797.99 (originally $1,299.99 at launch), $502 off and the lowest price it has reached this year, according to price-checking tools.
The Odyssey G9 came out in January 2024 as a refresh of the QLED Odyssey G9, sporting a new stand, HDMI 2.1, a black design, and a cheaper listing price (the 2020 version launched at $1,479). In addition to the low response time and high refresh rate, this monitor has NVIDIA’s and AMD’s adaptive sync technologies. Its huge 49-inch diagonal screen has a sharp curvature of 1000R and a 178-degree viewing angle. Because of its curve, the monitor measures 11.5 inches front to back, so make sure you have enough space on your desk before buying.
The VA screen panel has a 5,120 by 1,440 resolution with a 32:9 aspect ratio, which is equivalent to two side-by-side 2,560 x 1,440 monitors. Since this isn't the OLED version, it can get brighter, reaching 1,000 nits of brightness while still giving you a good contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. You can swivel, tilt, and adjust the height of the monitor.
If you're an Xbox Series X or PS5 gamer, be mindful of the output at 16:9, meaning you'll have empty space on the sides of the screen. Try the even bigger Odyssey Neo G9 if this one isn't enough.
Apple's "Welcome Home" event has come and gone. Unlike the company's recent iPhone event, this one wasn't livestreamed. Instead, Apple invited select members of the media to see the announcements firsthand in New York City. Concurrently, the company posted all of its updates to its Newsroom. If you weren't at the event in person (I wasn't), you can check out everything that's new below—including a look at the company's first smart hub, new Apple TV 4Ks and HomePod minis, and a new line of smart home devices.
Apple HomeView is the company's first dedicated smart hub
Without a doubt, the biggest announcement of the day is the new "Apple HomeView." This is Apple's first dedicated smart hub, complete with a seven-inch square display attached to a domed speaker by a stainless steel hinge. While it doesn't resemble anything in Apple's current collection of devices, it is vaguely reminiscent of the iMac G4. Like Apple's other screens, the display comes with True Tone, and while it reaches a respectable 500 nits of brightness, it can also drop to as low as 0.3 nits, which Apple says makes it great for nightstands. It is also selling a display-only HomeView that mounts to your wall.
Apple isn't positioning HomeView as a personal device—the smart hub can recognize up to six people, so each member of a household can set their own Home Screens with custom apps and widgets, while shared data (like photos and music) can be accessed by anyone, even guests. Apple also designed Apple Watch-like faces for HomeView: You can customize your HomeView face to include things like calendars, clocks, full-screen images, the weather, and more.
Like other smart hubs, HomeView uses an AI assistant to answer questions and run tasks. As such, it seems well-timed with the launch of Apple's new Siri AI. If you have an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone or iPad, you can ask Siri AI to take action in the app or pull relevant info from Messages, Calendar, and Apple Music. Any conversation you have with Siri on HomeView syncs across the Siri app on your other devices.
Apple is also touting the HomeView's speakers. The company says the device has two custom full-range drivers in the display, as well as a down-firing woofer and two force-cancelling passive radiators in the base. You can stream audio and video from Apple's many services, including Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple News, Apple TV, as well as some third-party apps. If you have more than one HomeView, HomePod, or AirPlay-compatible device, you can beam audio to all. It even works with Handoff, so if you're listening to or watching something on your iPhone, you can pick it up on your HomePod.
The HomeView's greatest strength might be as an always-available FaceTime receiver. It has a camera built into the top bezel with Center Stage, which makes it easier to stay in frame when walking around the room. HomeView can read your messages and let you respond with your voice, but there's also an on-screen keyboard. If you have other HomeViews or HomePods, you can use Intercom to send an audio message to everyone in the house.
This is a smart hub, so HomeView comes with a smart home dashboard to control all of your smart devices. You can check on video feeds (including up to nine at once), adjust lights, or change the thermostat, in addition to a number of other tasks. Apple is adamant that the A18 chip in the HomeView, including its Secure Enclave, ensures all data passing through the device is protected. It even notes that personal data, like Messages, is not accessible until the user verifies themself via Face ID.
How much will the Apple HomeView cost?
Apple is charging $299 for HomeView or HomeView (Wall Mounted). If you choose the latter, you can pick from three different wall-mounting options, each sold separately. You can preorder either starting today. A note: You need an iPhone or iPad running iOS 27.2 or iPadOS 27.2 or later to use the HomeView, so don't order one if you don't.
Apple also announced its next-generation Apple TV 4K this morning. At first glance, you wouldn't know anything's changed. Both the Apple TV and its remote look just about the same as the previous model. But the major changes are inside, not out. Apple is positioning this Apple TV 4K as a home hub of its own, pairing an upgraded processor with Siri AI to offer new smart capabilities.
Like other smart devices, you can ask Siri AI on Apple TV 4K questions in natural language and get results in kind. Apple says you can request things like "What Apple TV shows won at the Emmy Awards this year?" or "What are some nature documentaries available on Apple TV?" While watching content, you can ask Siri AI about what's on screen, including questions like "Where was Pluribus filmed?" or "Is this movie appropriate for a 14-year-old?" Apple says Apple TV 4K won't stop your content to answer a question; it will place answers in a subtle overlay, so you can keep watching while getting your answer. Apple even recommends trying to control Apple TV 4K hands-free now, which I suppose is a response to complaints about how easy it is to lose the remote.
If you do lose the remote, you're in luck: It now comes with Find My support with Precision Finding. You can play a sound on the remote from your iPhone to make it easier to find, or you can get guided directions to know exactly where it is. (Spoilers: It's between your couch cushions. It's always between your couch cushions.)
Inside, the Apple TV 4K runs Apple's A19 chip, which Apple says improves the CPU performance by up to 50% and offers up to double the GPU performance of the previous model. Apple says the new Apple TV 4K offers a new AV1 decoder, which should improve the quality of streams while using less data. You can also pair the new Apple TV 4K with four speakers if you have Apple's new HomePod mini 2 (more on that below). Apple's AI calibrates the speakers to your space by analyzing their position in your room.
While Apple would love for you to buy a HomeView too, you can also control all your smart devices from the new Apple TV 4K. You can see who's at your front door and unlock it if necessary, and even set the Apple TV 4K to guest mode if you want your friends to be able to adjust the lights when you're not around.
How much is the new Apple TV 4K?
Apple's newest Apple TV 4K starts at $299, or $49.83 for six months. You can pre-order it today, and it will go on sale starting Friday, Nov. 13.
HomePod mini 2 has an upgraded chip and cute new colors
Credit: Apple
Apple's second-generation HomePod mini is now official. While the new HomePod mini 2 isn't as radical a change as the HomeView or even the Apple TV 4K, it does have some upgraded hardware and comes in new colors: pink, green, blue, white, and midnight.
Apple says the new HomePod mini 2 comes with its S10 chip, quite an upgrade from the S5 chip used in the original HomePod mini. While we'll need to wait for testing to confirm sound quality, Apple says the S10 chip powers the mini's new computational audio, which automatically optimizes things like dynamic range, loudness, and acoustics to fit your space. As mentioned above, you can now pair four HomePods together with the Apple TV 4K, including any assortment of HomePods and HomePod mini 2s.
While the original HomePod mini has a glowing touchpad, the new HomePod mini 2 takes it a step further with "Sound Glow." This new feature glows and pulses in sync with your audio, and reacts to both bass and treble in real time. Sound Glow pulls the color scheme from the current album art. Of course, this announcement is all about smart home, so Apple also touted how you can control your smart home from your HomePod mini 2 as well. You can ask Siri AI on the speaker to configure your smart home devices, and you can find manual controls from the Home app as well.
Apple Home Collection includes third-party devices designed to work together
Credit: Apple
Finally, there's "Apple Home Collection." This is a series of devices not made by Apple, but by partner companies that now sell their devices through Apple. The idea is that these devices were all designed with Apple's smart home experience in mind, which means you can buy them knowing they'll work with HomeView, Apple TV 4K, and the HomePod mini 2. (Apple also seems quite proud of how each device matches the company's overall look.) Here's what's in the collection:
LG Video Doorbell: This doorbell has dual cameras (one 2.5K camera, one 1080p camera), a built-in spotlight, and a chime that plays on HomeView, HomePod, and HomePod mini. ($249.95).
LG Floodlight Cam: This camera comes with dual floodlights that automatically turn on when it detects motion. It also supports low-light color night vision. ($399.95.)
LG Outdoor Cam: This camera supports low-light color night vision with flexible angles. ($299.95.)
LG Indoor Cam: This camera can automatically adjust itself, including tilting out of frame when someone comes home. ($199.95.)
LG Smart Deadbolt Lock: This lock uses Ultra Wideband to automatically unlock when the user approaches it. You can also tap to unlock with your iPhone or Apple Watch, use the hardware keypad, or use the hidden physical key slot. The lock alerts users if it detects tampering. ($349.95.)
Smart Thermostat: Apple is working with both LG and Schneider to sell two different thermostats. Schenider's is square, while LG's is round. Both pull from iPhone data to automatically adjust the temperature based on certain scenarios, such as whether anyone is home, time of day, or user preferences. There are also optional temperature and humidity sensors. ($199.95 per thermostat, $39.95 per sensor.)
With an iCloud+ plan, you can access up to 10 days of video event history, with automatic video descriptions and summaries of those events. You can use natural language to search your event history for specific clips, and there are built-in storage options to retain data when a connection goes down.
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The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo is currently down to $495 from $629, saving you $134 and bringing the bundle to its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. That's a decent discount if you've been considering a dedicated camera for vlogging, travel videos, or social media content, particularly since the Creator Combo includes accessories you'd otherwise have to buy separately—along with the camera, you get a DJI Mic 2 transmitter for clearer voice recordings, a battery handle for longer shooting sessions, and a mini tripod that comes in handy when you want to film yourself without holding the camera.
As for the camera itself, it uses a one-inch (Type 1) sensor that handles dim light better than earlier Pocket models and records 4K video at up to 120fps, so you can capture everything from everyday vlogs to slow-motion footage. And because it has a three-axis mechanical gimbal, you can walk around while filming without ending up with shaky footage, while the wide 20mm-equivalent lens gives you enough room to fit yourself and your surroundings into the frame. Its rotating two-inch touchscreen also makes switching between horizontal videos for YouTube and vertical clips for Instagram fairly simple.
PCMag also praised its natural-looking color profiles, while more experienced creators can use 10-bit D-Log M for greater control over colors during editing. Audio gets similar attention, as the camera records in stereo and connects directly to up to two DJI Mic 2 or Mic Mini transmitters, so the bundled transmitter clipped to your collar keeps your voice clear during an interview or a walk down a busy street. Its main limitation is durability: It isn't weatherproof or particularly rugged, so rain, dust, and rough handling are concerns. You'll also need a microSD card for storage, and there's no HDMI output.
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Ever since I got my power station, I've been sleeping a bit better whenever a storm comes through, confident I'm covered if my power goes out. Power stations are pricey, so the best time to get one is during a sale, and not when a storm is imminent or the food in your fridge is spoiling from a power outage.
Right now is a good time to buy: The Anker SOLIX S2000 is 46% off, landing at $649.99 (originally $1,199). The S200 is great for anyone who lives in an area that is prone to losing power or in need of a compact but powerful portable power station they can take camping. It can power an average fridge for 35 hours, according to Anker, which gives you an idea of how powerful it is.
Don't let the size or weight of the Solix S2000 fool you. Although it's small, at 8.2 × 11.1 × 12.7 inches (LWH), and relative light, weighing in at around 36 pounds, it has a battery capacity of 2,010 Wh. According to PCMag's "excellent" review, the Solix S2000 delivers an unusually high percentage of its rated capacity while consuming remarkably little idle power on intermittent loads like refrigerators and routers. It's very quiet while operating, and the Anker app is one of the best power station apps I've used.
There are two AC outlets in the back and three more on the front. There are also two USB-C ports in the front, along with a USB-A port and a solar port that will allow you to attach an optional Anker solar panel to recharge the unit.
To give you an idea of how long you can expect to have the S2000 last, if you were to use this power station and charge it every day, it would give you about 15 years of use (10,000 charge cycles) before the battery becomes severely affected. That's a long lifespan for a small power station. If you don't have a solution to power your home essentials in an emergency, this is a great option at a huge 46% discount.
Proton Pass is the password management app from privacy-focused Proton (whose suite of tools also includes Proton Mail and Proton VPN). Whether you're already a Proton user or are looking for a new password manager to securely store your credentials and other data, these are the tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of Proton Pass.
Create a separate shareable vault in Proton Pass for guests
Password managers offer a secure alternative to writing down wifi passwords and other logins or sending them via text. In Proton Pass, you can create a separate vault specifically for your home and share a limited list of credentials—such as guest wifi, smart lock codes, and streaming information—with visitors. Vaults can be set as view only, and you can revoke access at any time. Users without a Proton Pass account receive a shared link, which can be set to expire after a specific amount of time or number of views.
Build an emergency kit vault in Proton Pass to share with trusted contacts
Another use case for separate vaults is as an "in case of emergency" selection of items that you can share with trusted contacts. For paid users, Proton Pass has a dedicated emergency access feature, which lets up to five contacts of your choice get into your account after a dedicated waiting period in the event of your illness or death. Alternatively, you can set up a vault that contains only specific items, such as logins or secure notes, and share it with those who may need the information if you are incapacitated or unreachable. Remember that guest access can be set to expire or revoked at any time.
Use custom hidden fields to protect security answers and PIN codes
When you create an item in Proton Pass, you have the option to add custom fields, which allow you to save additional information relevant to your credential, such as text notes and 2FA codes. You can also select a Hidden field, which masks the text by default until you reveal it (similar to how passwords are masked). This prevents someone from looking over your shoulder and catching sight of sensitive information, such as security question answers and PINs. Custom fields are available on paid Proton plans.
Create burner identities for online shopping by combining email aliases and virtual cards
A Proton Pass selling point is its hide-my-email alias feature, which generates a unique email address when you sign up for a new account. Email aliases forward to your main inbox, but they prevent you from having to share your real address, essentially creating burner identities that you can use for online shopping, newsletters or promotional lists, and other activity that you don't want tied to your personal email. Free users get 10 hide-my-email aliases, while those on paid plans have an unlimited number. While Proton Pass doesn't yet have an integrated virtual card option like 1Password, you can use a service like Privacy.com or Revolut to create single-use or merchant-locked payment cards that protect your real account information.
Add custom descriptions to hide-my-email aliases to track who is selling your data
Another benefit of hide-my-email aliases is that you can find out who is selling your data (again, without compromising your personal email address). When you generate an alias, add a custom text field with notes on exactly what the address is being used for. If you start receiving marketing emails or spam to that alias, you'll know where that compromise came from. You can then disable the alias instantly within Proton Pass.
Add multiple login URLs to one master entry to avoid duplicate accounts in Proton Pass
Some employers, universities, and service providers have multiple URLs for accessing online portals, but you use the same credentials across all of them. Instead of cluttering your vault with duplicate entries, you can add multiple URLs to an item so Proton Pass will autofill that item across all of them. This also prevents an issue where you have to update a password and then remember to sync it across duplicate items. When you edit an entry, simply tap Add in the Website box.
Recover old credentials using item history in Proton Pass
Proton Pass stores a history of your saved items so you can see previous passwords and information that's since been changed. This makes it easy to revert back to earlier versions if you encounter an error when updating a credential. You have access to the last 50 versions of an item on paid plans, and you can restore earlier versions to be the current version directly from the item history.
Switch password generation to passphrase for secure but easy-to-type credentials
When you create a new credential, Proton Pass can randomly generate a strong password to match site requirements. Alternatively, you can opt for passphrases, which are strings of words separated by hyphens (or another symbol). These are still highly secure but much easier to remember and type than a random string of letters, numbers, and symbols. Passphrases can be useful on accounts for which you have to manually enter your credentials.
Enable Extra Password to provide an additional layer of protection to your Proton Pass vault
When you sign up for Proton Pass, you start by creating a global Proton account that works across Proton apps. You should, of course, make this password highly secure and enable multi-factor authentication, but you may also want to set up a password specifically for your Proton Pass vault(s) so even if your Proton account is somehow compromised, your credentials remain protected. You'll find this option under Settings > Security > Extra password on the browser extension and under Profile > Account name > Manage account on the mobile app. Note that if you forget or lose this password, you won't be able to access your Pass account.
Use notes and attachments to create an encrypted document vault in Proton Pass
Some of the best password managers can double as encrypted storage vaults, meaning you can upload sensitive documents that you don't want to entrust to other cloud services that may be more susceptible to compromise. Proton Pass includes 1 GB of storage on its free plan and 10 GB for paid users. You can create secure notes and attach uploaded files to any item in your vault.
Is the treadmill harder or easier than running outdoors? Survey runners, and you’ll get plenty of different opinions on which feels harder or easier, but the basic physics of running are the same on both. (I promise.) So why do people who are used to treadmills find that they’re suddenly slower when they run outdoors? I’m going to run through the factors that are at play here, and talk about how to adapt if you want to be able to enjoy both.
Why treadmills sometimes feel harder than running outside
If you find treadmill running harder, you probably already know the reason: It’s boring. You have nothing to distract you from your own effort and the glowing numbers telling you how little progress you’ve made. This is a problem that we can train our brains to solve for us over time, whether with distractions, mindfulness, or simply being grateful that we’re not outdoors in the bad weather.
The treadmill does not move your feet
Physics-wise, running on a treadmill is pretty much identical to running outdoors in identical conditions. It is not true that the treadmill "moves your feet," as I have seen runners claim. Running is the action of pushing off the ground to move yourself forward relative to the ground. If the “treadmill moves your feet” theory were correct, would we not have to consider the rotating Earth its own sort of treadmill? And thus it would be 2,000 times harder to run west than to run east?
In reality, you have to spend just as much effort to stay in place on a treadmill going 6.5 miles per hour, as you do to move forward at 6.5 miles per hour on flat, steady ground. In other words: in both scenarios, you are asking your muscles to push off with a force that will keep you moving 6.5 mph faster than the ground. Physics is not the reason why the treadmill feels different.
You only need to add a 1% incline if you are running very fast
Then there’s the issue of wind resistance. Some runners will say you need to set the treadmill’s incline to 0.5% or 1% to mimic outdoor air resistance. Even on a calm day, your body has to push into the air to keep moving. Adding a small incline to the treadmill is supposed to mimic that extra effort.
But that is only true if you run at a pace of 7:30 per mile (8.0 mph) or faster. Below that, “the difference is so small as to be meaningless,” a scientist who studied the question told Runner’s World. So if you’re jogging at 6 mph, you don’t have to worry about accounting for wind resistance. Now that we understand the physics, let’s talk about why treadmill runs often feel easier than outdoor runs.
The treadmill may feel easier because it handles the pacing
Pacing is probably the biggest factor (aside from weather) in why outdoor running feels harder for a person who is used to treadmill running. On the treadmill, you decide on a pace, punch it in to the treadmill, and then you'll keep going at that pace whether you're thinking about it or not.
But outdoors, you don't know when you start what pace you're running. Even if you're relying on a watch to tell you your current pace, it can take a moment to catch up and give you the correct numbers. It's easy to take off a little too fast, especially if you have a good song playing or you're excited to get the workout going (or over with).
So you, the treadmill runner, head off on an outdoor run without a good sense of how fast you’re going, and maybe you find yourself tired out a few minutes in. Meanwhile, outdoor runners learn to develop a sense of pace out of necessity. They know you have to listen to your body, not just look at a number, to know whether you're running at a pace you can sustain for the whole workout. Fortunately, you can learn this skill! Just run outdoors at least some of the time, and pay attention to your breathing and effort level.
The treadmill has no weather
If all your treadmill runs are inside of a 68-degree gym, they’ll all feel pretty similar. But the great outdoors is fond of blessing us with heat, wind, humidity, rain, snow, ice, and similar complications.
Heat slows us down a lot, especially if we aren’t used to it. (You do build up some heat adaptation throughout the summer.) Humidity, in combination with heat, makes this even worse. Your body can’t cool itself as well through sweating, so you get hot and stay hot. It’s normal for your pace on a hot day to be anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes slower each mile.
Heavy winds can also slow you down (when you’re running into the wind) or speed you up (when you’re running with the wind at your back). Ice can make you slow down to watch your footing. Snow can make you work harder as your feet sink into the ground and you have to fight to pull them back up again.
On the other hand, a cool, dry day is better for your performance than the conditions inside a sweaty gym. Perfect running weather is (in my opinion) around 50 degrees, calm, and overcast. Most people will run a lot faster and feel better in those conditions than on a treadmill at room temperature.
The treadmill has no unexpected hills
If you live in a pancake-flat part of the country, you can skip this section. But many of us live where there are hills. Big ones, little ones, maybe some mountains. On the treadmill, you get to choose what incline to run with. Outdoors, your choices may be limited.
I live in a hilly place, so even my “flat” outdoor routes aren’t entirely flat. A regulation running track is my only truly flat option. Even gently rolling hills can add up over the course of a long run, making you work harder on the uphills without ever fully giving you that speed back on the downhills.
The treadmill has a more predictable surface
A treadmill only has one surface. Every step meets flat ground. Every step is the same softness or hardness. Outdoors, there’s so much more variation.
Even on a simple city run, you’ll find yourself traversing curbs, slightly tilted sidewalk slabs, cambered edges of roads, pebbles, stray garbage, and occasional patches of grass or dirt. Take your run to the trails and you’ll also hit packed dirt, mud, soft grass, leaf litter, rocks, sticks, logs, little streams you have to hop over, ruts carved by mountain bike wheels—you get the idea. Your feet have to land and push off just a little differently for each of these.
The variety in outdoor running is good for your feet, but it can be fatiguing on the small muscles of your feet and lower legs if you’re not used to it.
How to train for an outdoor race if you prefer to run on the treadmill
It’s OK to do plenty of your training on a treadmill, even if you're training for an outdoor race, and in some situations it may be necessary. The treadmill can let you get your training in when the weather is bad, when you can’t line up child care at your running times, or any number of other reasons.
The important thing is to still run outdoors at least sometimes. If you’re training for a marathon, try to do your long runs outdoors, even if some of your shorter runs and speedwork have to be on the treadmill. Get outside when you can. That way, you’re adapting to the weather, training your feet on different surfaces, and building the muscles and mindset necessary to tackle hills.
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