Can the Metaverse Thrive if It’s Fully Owned by Facebook?

This week, we step into the social network's vision of the metaverse, where reality and the simulated world become one. Kinda.

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The Joy of Walking in Games

Here's what you need to know about walking simulators and the psychological benefits of how games can offer a much-needed escape.

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Titan's Strange Chemical World Gets Simulated in Tiny Tubes

A research chemist mixed nitrogen, methane, and other molecules to recreate the conditions that might harbor life on one of Saturn’s moons.

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This Rice Cooker Also Slow Cooks, But in Teensy Batches

This Zojirushi's limited ability to cook large quantities of anything other than rice and grains makes it hard to justify its higher-than-average price tag.

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A Bad Solar Storm Could Cause an 'Internet Apocalypse'

The undersea cables that connect much of the world would be hit especially hard by a coronal mass ejection.

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Vaccine Mandates Work—but Only If They’re Done Right

Requiring people to get their shots can stop Covid-19, but those rules have to be doable and equitable.

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Pokimane Has Done Enough—and Has So Much Left to Do

The 25-year-old Twitch star has built her life into the optimal internet content machine. Now she just wants to enjoy it.

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The Best Cheap Phones for (Almost) Every Budget

There’s little reason to pay top dollar for a phone these days. These are our favorite Android devices and iPhones for $200 to $500.

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Now Isn't the Time to Abandon Contact Tracing

As the nation battles the Delta variant, contact tracing seems to have disappeared from the arsenal of defenses—right when it could help the most.

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Samsung's Galaxy Buds2 Are Perfect Everyday Earbuds

These are the new standard in midrange wireless earbuds.

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The Poop About Your Gut Health and Personalized Nutrition

Researchers are coming around to the idea that there isn't a one-size-fits-all diet. Some companies are going further to find out what fits you, specifically.

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The OnlyFans Porn Ban Reversal Does Not Reassure Creators

Performers of sexually explicit content are relieved, but still worried about their futures on the subscription site.

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The Stealthy iPhone Hacks That Apple Still Can't Stop

After another “zero-click” attack, security experts say it's time for more extreme measures to keep iMessage users safe.

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GM Recalls Every Chevy Bolt Ever Made Over Faulty Batteries

The automaker is recalling the electric vehicle after investigating two manufacturing defects linked to car fires.

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Our Favorite High-Tech Bassinets for Cantankerous Tots

We soothed, swung and strapped babies into bassinets that vibrate, move, adjust, and even react to crying.

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Social Media Algorithms Are Controlling How I Grieve

What happens to a loved one's account after they pass—and how does their digital afterlife affect the ones who survive them?

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Which Microsoft Surface Laptop or Tablet Should You Buy?

Can’t decide whether to get the 2-in-1 Windows tablet hybrid or a traditional laptop? We’re here to help.

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Samsung's Latest Folding Phones Finally Feel Ready

The Galaxy Z Flip3 and Galaxy Z Fold3 are more polished than ever, and surprisingly purpose-driven.

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Afghanistan Almost Beat Polio. Now the Future Is Uncertain

It’s a heart-stopping moment for health officials, who reported only a single case this year—and whose campaigns may end up paused.

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A New Chip Cluster Will Make Massive AI Models Possible

Cerebras says its technology can run a neural network with 120 trillion connections—a hundred times what's achievable today.

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Gavin Newsom’s Recall Election Divides Silicon Valley’s Elite

How the tech world’s unique brand of politics is shaping the fight over who governs California.

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Which Amazon Echo or Alexa Speaker Is Best for You?

We've rounded up our favorite speakers—from the Echo Dot to a voice-enabled Yamaha soundbar—from Amazon and its partners.

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Hackers Could Up Medication Doses Through Infusion Pump Flaws

It would take a determined hacker to break into the vulnerable B. Braun products, but the impact could be devastating.

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Social Media Helped These Chefs Branch Out of the Kitchen

The restaurant industry was hit hard by the pandemic, but some pros went online to share skills, recipes, and just stay connected. Here’s how you can too.

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The Hisense U8G Is the Best Affordable Android TV

This moderately priced TV looks great and has every app you will ever need.

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How Hub Worlds Shape Video Game Design

Whether players come to chat, organize activities, buy and sell items, or just to log out, hubs have a language all their own.

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This Barnacle-Inspired Glue Seals Bleeding Organs in Seconds

The paste sticks onto wet tissue firmly by repelling blood. Surgeons hope it can save time—and lives.

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Can Robots Evolve Into Machines of Loving Grace?

Perhaps, if we put bots together the right way, consciousness will simply emerge.

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Would It Be Fair to Treat Vaccinated Covid Patients First?

Last week, Texas health care policymakers discussed taking vaccination status into account for Covid triage. It’s a larger conversation ethicists are bracing for.

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So Hey Here’s a Tortoise Hunting and Eating a Baby Bird

How does one of the slowest animals on Earth manage to chase down a bird? Have a look for yourself.

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38M Records Exposed Online—Including Contact-Tracing Info

Misconfigured Power Apps from Microsoft led to more than a thousand web apps accessible to anyone who found them.

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This Tracker Uses Helium Hot Spots to Locate Your Valuables

Invoxia's LongFi Tracker can report the location of your car, backpack, or teenager by pinging community-operated Helium wireless devices.

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These Are the Best Dyson Vacuums You Can Buy

It's easy to get sucked into the brand's vast catalog. Here are the ones that floored us.

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Data Brokers Know Where You Are—and Want to Sell That Intel

These firms could track whether you've visited your therapist's office or your ex's house. And without regulation, they're a threat to democracy.

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How to Prepare for a Disaster, Emotionally and Mentally

To start: Forgive your selves and help each other

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AI Can Write in English. Now It's Learning Other Languages

Startups in Germany, China, Israel, and elsewhere are following the path blazed by GPT-3—with local twists.

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Are These the Hidden Deepfakes in the Anthony Bourdain Movie?

Pindrop, which makes software to identify synthetic audio, found three clips totaling 50 seconds in the nearly 2-hour movie.

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Can This Sun-Reflecting Fabric Help Fight Climate Change?

An experimental textile called metafabric is designed to cool down the wearer and reduce the need for air-conditioning.

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20 Amazingly Addictive Couch Co-Op Games

Settle in for some bonding time: These are some of the best cooperative titles for two to four players, all playable on a single TV.

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How the Cuttlefish’s Robust Memory System Defies Old Age

This cephalopod is the only known animal that doesn’t exhibit age-related deterioration when recalling specific events.

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Is Your Name Ruining Your Life?

Name discrimination is still alive and well in 2021—and I can’t help but wonder how it’s shaped others’ perceptions of me.

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How Big Data Carried Graph Theory Into New Dimensions

Researchers are turning to the mathematics of higher-order interactions to better model the complex connections within their data.

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Monoprice's $250 Planar Magnetic Headphones Sound Awesome

The Monolith M570 from the low-cost accessory maker are the best sub-$500 headphones I've heard in years.

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You Should Be Using TweetDeck

Even if you wouldn't call yourself a power user, the Twitter client's advanced search tools and customizable interface can massively upgrade your feed.

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The 12 Best Electric Bikes for Every Kind of Ride

A battery-powered motor lets you enjoy most of the benefits of biking, without all the sweat.

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Hackers Stole Over $90M From Japan's Liquid Crypto Exchange

Plus: An Apple informant, a Census Bureau hack, and more of the week's top security news.

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Sleepio Conquered My Insomnia Where Quick-Fix Gadgets Failed

This six-week course employs cognitive behavioral therapy to improve the quality of your sleep.

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A Plan to Slow the Creep of the Sahara—by Planting Gardens

People along the desert’s border are building a kind of circular plot called a tolou keur to keep the soil fertile and to slow desertification.

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15 Best Weekend Deals on iPads, Fitness Trackers, and More

Need a new laptop? Now is the time to buy. There’s also plenty of great sales on everything from photo frames to Apple’s latest iPad.

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Tesla Bot Takes Tech Demos to Their Logical Conclusion

Elon Musk’s bizarre demo laid bare the truth of many new tech demos: They are a storyboarded vision of the future held together by digital duct tape.

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The US Is Getting Covid Booster Shots. The World Is Furious

The White House’s plan to roll out third shots for any American adult is raising profound questions about global equity.

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Google Docs Scams Still Pose a Threat

A 2017 worm caused havoc across the internet. One researcher is warning that despite new protections put in place, it could still happen again.

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OnlyFans’ Explicit Content Ban Betrays Its Creators

The adult fansite made its name off of personalized porn. This week, it announced that it would restrict “sexually explicit conduct” starting in October.

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Apple’s Photo-Scanning Plan Sparks Outcry From Policy Groups

Civil rights organizations say the company’s intention to scan images for child sexual abuse material could harm some children and threaten free speech.

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Biden Pushes Boosters, Schools Mandate Shots, and More News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

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Tesla Promised a Robot. Was It Just a Recruiting Pitch?

The highlight of an event aimed at AI whizzes was a human simulating a robot that might someday replace a human.

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Galactic Empires Are Getting a Little Old

Maybe it's time space operas got out of their ruts.

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Can Tech Ethics Be Learned—or Is Society Doomed?

Plus: An anniversary for Marc Andreessen, a new way to have even more meetings, and a call for an unlikely comeback.

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Eternals and the Movies That Can Save All Movies

At a time of nonstop hand-wringing, it almost looks like hope.

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How to Ace Physics Class (Even if You Don’t Ace Physics)

It’s back-to-school season, so here are some tips for how to get the most out of college science courses.

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The New Pixel Is Raising the Bar for Cheap Phones

This week, we talk about the Google Pixel 5A and how it’s changing our expectations of sub-$500 phones.

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Looking for a New Job in Tech? It’s Your Lucky Day

Flexible WFH policies, signing bonuses, fancy cookies—employers are turning on the charm to attract engineers and developers to their firms.

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The SteelSeries Arctis Prime Makes Gaming Comfy and Affordable

The company’s latest corded gaming headset doesn’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

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Lina Khan’s Theory of the Facebook Antitrust Case Takes Shape

With a beefed-up complaint, the Federal Trade Commission explains precisely why it thinks the social media giant is an illegal monopoly.

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On Roblox, Kids Learn It’s Hard to Earn Money Making Games

A new report claims that the massive video game platform can exploit young developers.

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Rhianna Pratchett on the Art of Writing Video Game Characters

The writer (and yes, daughter of Terry Pratchett) has brought heroes like Lara Croft to life. Her latest, an enchanting hybrid called Lost Words, is out now.

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20 Killer Xbox One Games Every Player Should Try

Relive classics, play co-op with friends, and enjoy the mayhem of a battle royale with our favorite Xbox titles.

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The Case Against Music Curation

In an age of pop singles and TikTok virality, letting go is the best way to listen.

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Apple's Newest 4K TV Has an Even Smarter Remote

The new, improved, and expensive 4K streaming device is probably best for the dedicated Apple user.

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Horizon Workrooms Shows Facebook’s Metaverse Is a Meetaverse

The company's new virtual reality app brings Oculus users into the “infinite office." Cool.

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The Next Big Challenge for Lunar Astronauts? Moon Dust

NASA is trying out sonic waves, electrostatic devices, and extra-slick coatings as ways to repel pesky space dirt.

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Now That Machines Can Learn, Can They Unlearn?

Privacy concerns about AI systems are growing. So researchers are testing whether they can remove sensitive data without retraining the system from scratch.

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How an Obscure Green Bay Packers Site Conquered Facebook

The social media giant's new transparency report mostly succeeds in showing the extent of its spam problem.

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China Aims Its Propaganda Firehose at the BBC

The alleged digital operation has deployed hundreds of websites and social media accounts to attack the broadcaster's reporting.

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The T-Mobile Breach Is Much Worse Than It Had to Be

The vast majority of victims weren't even T-Mobile customers. Now their information is for sale on the dark web.

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Twelve Minutes Is a Diabolical Dive Into the Human Psyche

The game—starring Daisy Ridley, James McAvoy, and Willem Dafoe—uses its time-loop mechanic to explore extreme behavior.

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Big Tech Is Bending to the Indian Government’s Will

The chasm between how platform giants uphold democratic values in the West and don't in the global south grows by the day.

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It's Time to Bring Back Cargo Pants

The much-maligned fashion trend is actually perfect for stashing your huge slab of smartphone.

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Why I’ll Never Finish The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

And neither should you.

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Slinger’s Tennis Ball Launcher Is Cheaper Than a Coach

This portable and rollable tennis ball launcher will revolutionize your backhand on the court.

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The Push for Ad Agencies to Ditch Big Oil Clients

An activist coalition is pressuring firms to stop promoting fossil fuel companies—some of which have advertised oil and gas as “climate friendly.”

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Wildfires Used to Be Helpful. How Did They Get So Hellish?

Fires are supposed to reset ecosystems, paving the way for new growth. But human meddling and climate change have turned them into monsters.

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Here’s Where to Get Discounts With a Student Email Address

That .edu email is your ticket to exclusive savings on laptops, streaming services, software, and more.

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New Regulation Could Cause a Split in the Crypto Community

An article in the Infrastructure Bill led cryptocurrency to acquire a great marker of prestige: a lobby. But can it keep a united front?

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Google’s Pixel 5A Is the Best Android Phone for Most People

It’s bigger and costlier than last year’s Pixel 4A, but Google’s mid-priced Android phone remains the best option for almost everyone.

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The Feds Are Investigating Tesla Over Autopilot Crashes

The probe will look at 11 accidents, each of which involved a parked emergency vehicle.

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Virtual Reality Lets You Travel Anywhere—New or Old

VR experiences, whether in-person or online, can transport you around the globe—or even to space.

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Millions of Web Camera and Baby Monitor Feeds Are Exposed

A vulnerability in the Kalay platform leaves countless IoT devices susceptible to hackers.

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Handhelds Still Aren't Designed for Disabled Gamers

Valve's new Steam Deck looks fantastic—but for players with vision or dexterity difficulties, it's just more of the same challenges.

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NASA’s Lucy Mission Gets Ready to Fly by the Trojan Asteroids

The spacecraft will provide the first up-close look at these building blocks of the early solar system.

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The T-Mobile Data Breach Is One You Can’t Ignore

Hackers claim to have obtained the data of 100 million people—including sensitive personal information.

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Ryan Reynolds Called In a Favor for That Big Free Guy Cameo

In a conversation with WIRED, the actor reveals some of the secrets behind the movie's many Easter eggs.

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Cannondale's Adventure Quick Neo 3 Is a Great Everyday Ebike

Except for the name, Cannondale's mid-tier ebike is the perfect step-through commuter.

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Is the Robot-Filled Future of Farming a Nightmare or Utopia?

A new paper argues that the rise of artificial intelligence in agriculture could be the best—or worst—innovation for our environment.

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Shopping for a Router Sucks. Here’s What You Need to Know

How much speed do you need? And what’s a MU-MIMO? We decipher the jargon and explain what to look for.

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This AI Helps Detect Wildlife Health Issues in Real Time

A system that scans animal rehabilitation center data could provide early alerts when a disease is spreading.

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Deepfakes Are Now Making Business Pitches

The video technology, initially associated with porn, is gaining a foothold in the corporate world.

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The Coros Pace 2 Is My New Favorite GPS Running Watch

This lightweight, affordable GPS tracker knows what’s important and doesn’t waste a penny.

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Animals Can Count. How Far Does Their Number Sense Go?

Crows recently demonstrated an understanding of the concept of zero. It’s only the latest evidence of animals’ talents for numerical abstraction.

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The Vitamix Made Me a Blender Person—No Kale Required

The spin cycle is this machine’s sweet spot.

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