The Best Light Therapy Lamp

Shifts in the number of daylight hours—due to changing seasons or long-distance travel—can have varying effects on people. For some, limited daylight hours can sap energy. For others, the effects can be more serious. After putting in 33 hours of research—including reading two books and five comprehensive studies on the subject and interviewing one of the scientists who discovered seasonal affective disorder (SAD)—we’ve concluded that the Carex Day-Light Classic Plus is the best light therapy lamp to treat SAD symptoms.

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from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-light-therapy-lamp/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS%20Feed

How Wirecutter Vets the Security and Privacy of Smart Home Devices

Smart-home devices allow you to light up dark walkways after a late night, fire up the AC on your way home from the airport, and peek in on pets during the workday. Despite all of that comfort and convenience, for many people there remains an undercurrent of distrust—some of it justified—when it comes to their smart-home devices. We worry, too, which is why we’ve made security and privacy a focus of how we test devices and make recommendations.

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from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/smart-home-security-privacy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS%20Feed

The Best Air Fryer

Nothing revives leftover french fries or crisps up a handful of dino nuggets quite like an air fryer. If you’re looking for a compact kitchen appliance to bridge the gap between a microwave and a conventional oven, a pod-shaped air fryer might do the trick.

Using convection baking—basically a powerful fan that circulates hot air around your food—an air fryer crisps food like an oven does, but it heats up and cooks much faster.

We’ve tested dozens of models since 2017, and we recommend the Philips 3000 Series Airfryer L HD9200/91 or its touchscreen-operated twin, the HD9252/91. It crisps food quickly and evenly, and its interface is straightforward and minimal (though the manual dials can be difficult to turn). And it's the best price we’ve seen for this level of performance.

 

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from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-fryer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS%20Feed

The Best 32-Inch TV

“Bigger is better” may be the television industry’s motto, but not everyone is on the hunt for a massive screen. If you’re looking for a smaller TV that’s suitable for a kitchen, dorm room, or bedroom—or if you just don’t want to spend much money—we recommend the Roku Select Series HD.

None of the 32-inch TVs we tested matched the performance of our favorite premium or budget 4K TVs, but the Roku Select Series HD looks better than the competition, is easy to use, and is even good for video games.

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from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-small-tv/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS%20Feed

Most Gift Baskets Are Terrible. These Are Great.

Gift baskets often get a bad rap, and many deserve it for their uninspired or mismatched components: stale crackers, gritty chocolate, Red Delicious apples that are anything but. We wanted to find the standout choices, gift baskets that would be delightful all year long.

After considering more than 125 gift baskets since 2018, we found 23 outstanding options. We found other baskets that we thought were worth mentioning, too. So under some of our main picks, we included baskets that we thought you may also like.

We also have a section featuring other gift baskets that we recommend, with caveats. In all, that means there are 36 gift baskets to choose from in this guide.

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The Best Password Managers

Almost everyone should use a password manager. It’s the most important thing you can do—alongside two-factor authentication—to keep your online data safe. We’ve evaluated dozens of paid and free password managers, and we’ve concluded that 1Password offers the best combination of features, compatibility, security, and ease of use. You don’t have to pay for a good password manager, but if you can, 1Password is worth the $36 per year. If you prefer free software, Bitwarden does everything you’ll need and doesn’t cost anything.

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The Best TV Deals for the Super Bowl

Whether you tune in on Super Bowl Sunday to watch the actual game or your focus is more on the snacks, puppies playing football, or halftime pyrotechnics, having the right equipment for your watch party is key.

Sales on AV gear abound, and though not all of them are worth the spend, our price tracking has shown that late January and early February can offer great deals on Wirecutter-recommended TVs. With one of these TVs, you’ll never miss a moment.

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