Author Archives: Carol Edwards

The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth film in the franchise, is no longer a glitch in your fantasies — it’s real, and the full trailer drops tomorrow.

In the meantime, you can catch your first glimpse of the new footage in this cool interactive teaser, which offers you a choice. You know the deal: red pill or blue pill?

Head on over to thechoiceisyours.whatisthematrix.com (a clever resurrection of the original 90s domain) to watch one of two versions of the teaser. The red offers glimpses of star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, apparently going through the familiar process of post-Matrix “rebirth,” while a familiar-sounding voice (that’s definitely not Laurence Fishburne) tells you “This could be the first day of the rest of your life — but if you want it, you have to fight for it.” The blue, narrated in blandly menacing Agent-like tones by Neil Patrick Harris, informs you that you’ve lost the ability to tell reality from fiction.

Both teasers detect your device’s local time and incorporate it into the voiceover, which is a fun and creepy touch. And the selection of brief, vivid clips from the film — most of them visual echoes of familiar imagery from the first movie — is a little different every time you watch, even if you choose the same pill again.

And yes, you can also see Carrie-Ann Moss and Keanu looking a bit more John Wick than Neo — but clearly ready to battle the robots once again.

The Matrix Resurrections is slated for release in theaters and on HBO Max from December 22.

Air fryers are pretty neat. If you blast the heat, you can create crisp, crunchy food in no time flat. Or you can reheat leftovers evenly on a lower setting. Or, if you’re really wise, you roast vegetables to perfection.

But, let’s say you’re new to air fryers, or you’re just curious: How do air fryers actually work?

Well, that’s a question with a couple different answers. The first answer is simple: You toss food in the basket of the air fryer, turn it on, and come back to a quickly cooked meal. Technically, that is how an air fryer works.

Of course, you probably want to know why and how that happens. As in: What are the mechanisms of an air fryer that allows for delicious food? We’ve got you covered.

The parts

Air fryers can look different depending on the brand, size, and price point. But there are a few component parts to expect, chiefly:

• a drawer where the food goes

• a basket or grate, which elevates and holds the food inside the drawer

• a heating element

• a fan

• the controls, typically on the front of the air fryer

Knowing these parts will help you understand how the air fryer works.

The cooking process

The first thing to understand: an air fryer does not actually fry your food. Frying, by definition, is cooking food in hot oil. You can shallow fry in a skillet or deep fry, where the oil totally surrounds the food, but frying necessitates cooking in oil.

An air fryer, in theory, mimics the idea of a deep fry, where the heat source — in deep frying’s case, hot oil — completely surrounds the food and touches its entire surface area at once. That’s why deep frying creates crispy food, quickly: It puts high heat on the item, all at once.

The air fryer functions like a convection oven. You set the temperature and put the food in the cooking drawer. The heating element creates hot air, which is then circulated rapidly all around the food drawer by the fan. With the food raised inside the basket or grate, the hot, circulated air touches all sides of the food. You should, in turn, get crispy, browned food with very little or no oil.

It’s actually helpful to think of air frying as turbocharged roasting. Or, if you’re air frying on lower temperatures, it can reheat leftovers well and quickly, since the hot air engulfs the food. And, of course, it’ll make frozen food delicious since it defrosts and cooks evenly and quickly.

So there you have it, mystery solved: That’s how an air fryer works.

Now that speculation over the date of the highly anticipated “iPhone 13” event has been put to rest, we can turn our attention to the trail of clues Apple has left inside its announcement.

Opening the September 14 event page on an iPhone reveals a graphic that mimics the video being shared by company bigwigs on Twitter: The glowing Apple logo floating over an alpine lake. But it’s when you tap on that logo that the augmented reality magic happens.

Tap the Apple logo to launch the AR feature.
Credit: apple

This will launch the ARKit viewer within iOS using your iPhone’s camera. After moving your phone around for some quick calibration, the AR Apple logo will then appear over your surroundings. Zoom into it and you’ll be able to enter the lake image from the invite. Once inside, the date of the iPhone 2021 launch event will appear.

The AR logo appears with an image of a lake inside.

Credit: apple

Zoom in on the logo to immerse yourself in the image and see the launch date hovering over the lake.

Credit: apple

So what does this mean for the next iPhone? Well, under Tim Cook’s leadership, Apple has made its embrace of AR very clear — the latest iPad Pro is optimized for the tech and the company’s even rumored to be developing a dedicated headset. Given all that, it’s safe to say we might soon see an iPhone AR.

Fans of Jane Fonda know she’s a legendary actor, activist, author, fitness instructor, and model. But it’s time people start appreciating her unsung talent: blogging. Yes, blogging.

On Jan. 5, 2009, Fonda logged on to her website and announced her “exciting and a little scary” decision to start a blog. In a post titled, “A NEW YEAR,” she explained her desire to embark on the project. She was moving to New York for five months to star in 33 Variations, her first Broadway play in 45 years, and she wanted to take fans through the process with her. It’s not every day an icon creates original content for her own blog in a world of careful messaging, personal branding, and armies of PR reps — this was a rare celebrity undertaking.

Fonda was 71 years old then, but today, at age 83, she still makes time to post. Though she doesn’t write as frequently as she used to, her blog remains one of the internet’s greatest treasures and a must-read for fans.

Back in 2009, Fonda began a blog entry by addressing the obvious question:

“You might wonder why, at age 71, I am launching my first blog. Well, good friends of mine [Rosie O’Donnell and Lily Tomlin] have been avid bloggers for a long time and I’ve noticed that what they offer is interesting and provoking,” Fonda wrote. “Provoking is good — provoking ideas, thoughts, laughs, compassion and just plain fun. I like to provoke. I have interesting friends, an amazingly diverse and interesting life and family, great photos.”

“There’s a lot to get into on a blog,” Fonda continued — a statement she’s proven unequivocally through more than 12 years of posts. In its first few months, as intended, Fonda’s blog served as a sort of diary to chronicle her Broadway experience. But when she decided to continue blogging post-Broadway the platform transformed into a space for sharing personal and professional updates, random thoughts, feelings, photos, calls to action, lessons learned, and more. Each blog post also has a comment section where readers can respond and interact with one another, and Fonda frequently engages there, too. 

To put it simply, Jane Fonda’s blog has it all.

Jane Fonda’s blog in all its glory.
Credit: SCREENSHOT: JANEFONDA.COM/BLOG

In her most recent entries from June 2021, titled “BACK TO WORK” and “I CAN STILL ACT!”, Fonda gets real about her post-pandemic return to her Netflix show with Tomlin, Grace & Frankie. (If you’re a fan of the show or Fonda’s other projects, rest assured: The blog offers a plethora of delightful behind-the-scenes tidbits.)

A large number of posts in the past few years also expanded on Fonda’s climate activism and Fire Drill Friday initiatives. Fonda launched the Fire Drill Friday protests on Oct. 11, 2019, and for four months she and and a group of actors, scientists, economists, and activists held weekly Friday gatherings at Capitol Hill to raise awareness of the dangers of climate change, help fight for a Green New Deal, and communicate other calls to action. She posted updates of the events to her blog for those who couldn’t attend, and also used her platform to share a related series of informative virtual Facebook Live Teach-In interviews with experts.

Since celebrities often avoid publicly wading into politics and sharing opinions on real societal issues, it’s refreshing to see Fonda use her blog to inform readers about pressing social and environmental justice problems. And while she nails serious, impactful content, she also strikes a remarkable balance by peppering in light and playful posts.

From blog posts about her precious Coton De Tulear dog named Tulea, friends, and family, to her COVID routine, pop culture recommendations, and more, Fonda never fails to give fans an intimate look at the joys in her life, no matter how small.

Here are some standout posts from the past year that prove Fonda can make nearly any topic engrossing:

• “MY SQUIRREL”: In which she connects feeding a friendly squirrel in her backyard (she later gives this squirrel a small picnic table) to an accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

• “WHAT MY WEEKS ARE LIKE OF LATE”: In which she takes a break from thinking about fossil fuels to write about “mundane stuff,” including book and TV recommendations, filming, and her lunch. In this post, Fonda reveals she eats a big breakfast, a healthy lunch around 3:00 p.m., and nothing else for the rest of the day. (Her lunch? Yellow beet salad, sprouts, avocado, tuna fish salad, melon, and lemon mousse.) Fascinating.

• “SHOWING OFF MY TREE”: In a sequel to the relatable “SCREW IT! I’M GOING TO DECORATE,” Fonda gives readers a close-up look some of her extra special Christmas ornaments. So darn wholesome.

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Though Fonda’s posts are sporadic these days and have started to feel more like special, unplanned gifts than the result of a reliable routine, there are 129 pages of archival blog entries to catch up on while you wait for new content. You can manually toggle through pages and posts, or filter by title, views, and likes. I personally suggest filtering by oldest posts and peering back at 2009 through Jane’s eyes.

Sure, you’ll come across a few broken links (because, well, 2009) but you’ll also see blogs sent via Blackberry, Fonda’s historic transition from a PC to a MacBook Pro, photos of her as a child, her early tweets, and retellings of nights spent with family members and famous friends, like *the* James Gandolfini. She discusses everything from her mug shot and her dog running on stage during a Broadway show to Obama’s inauguration and a dream she had in which she took Marian Robinson, Malia, and Sasha to White Castle to try mini burgers. (Like I said, this blog has it all.)

You’ll even come across some hidden gems, like “TOO TIRED TO BLOG,” which I consider to be one of the most relatable blog posts of all time.

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In each post — regardless of topic or length — Fonda’s lovable wit, fiery candor, or concern for the world and people around her shine through. In one blog her vulnerable commentary will inspire deep reflection and introspection, and in the next she’ll have you laughing out loud. Her range is incredible.

In her early days of blogging, Fonda would end every post with the words “See you next time,” as a nod to her classic workout video sign-off. Once her personal narrative lures you in and you start keeping up with new posts, which won’t take long, you’ll find yourself eagerly awaiting each and every precious next time, like a kid at Jane Fonda’s Christmas. :’)

Living off the grid seems almost unbearably idyllic. You wake up in the morning to chill, clear air, step onto your porch with your coffee, and hear no other human beings — just the birds and the wildlife on your homestead. Your water basin, which has collected rain from the night before, is full. Your electricity comes from solar panels, so each time you flip a switch, you’ve harnessed the power of the sun to light your home. You feel closer to yourself, to the earth, to the food you eat, and to the water you drink.

That’s how I look at it. But maybe you imagine people in Alaska living in the depths of the wilderness, or folks living out of a van or sheltering up in anti-government compounds in the South West.

Simple, right? Not quite.

If you’re looking to live off the grid — like so many of us have been dreaming about as climate change ravages cities and the pandemic made us crave space — there are some things you may want to consider. Why do you want to do it? What kind of off-the-grid dweller do you want to be? Can you afford the hefty up-front costs? And do you have what you’ll need? Do you have what it takes?

Why would you want to do it?

Peace and quiet

After Allie Curtin and her husband graduated college, they moved to Florida and “did the whole corporate job thing.” But they hated it. Their apartment was too small, and the city too loud.

And they aren’t alone. People are leaving big cities to move to smaller towns all across the U.S. They aren’t all necessarily trying to live off the grid — some are saving money because they can work remotely now, others are trying to get more space, and some are just sick of city life. Starting a family or taking care of elderly relatives can be an expensive and difficult thing to do in a big city, and might make more sense in a smaller town, too. But for the Curtin’s, it was clear: City life was not for them, and living off the grid was. They wanted to be closer to their families, and both of their jobs were moved fully remote.”It just didn’t fit our lifestyle at all,” Curtin told Mashable. “Nothing that we valued was there.”

The couple, who had both grown up in rural spaces, decided to build a home on a 70-acre plot of land in Kentucky, and live off the grid with their two big dogs. They’ve been sharing their journey of living off the grid on TikTok and YouTube and said one of the biggest draws was the peaceful environment.

Sustainability

Curtin said she knew the lifestyle they wanted — being surrounded by nature, far away from other people — was attainable, but the real pushing force behind their decision to live off the grid was the sustainability aspect.

“Sustainability has always been a really big thing for me,” she told Mashable. “And knowing that like using solar power and rain catchment is just so doable, but no one does it because it’s not already put in place.”

A report out of the National Library of Medicine’s National Center for Biotechnology Information that rainwater harvesting is the “most traditional and sustainable method” of collecting water for human use. And, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, solar power is monumentally better for the environment than other options, like taking power from the power grid. It combats greenhouse gas emissions, reduces collective dependence on fossil fuels — which traditional electricity is sourced from — and eliminates some air and water pollution that is not only bad for the earth but is also bad for public health.

Unfortunately, you can’t collect rainwater in every city or state. While most states allow you to do what you want, some states have heavily regulated rain collection laws, like Colorado and Utah.

The types of living off of the grid

No modern technology at all

This is likely what you think of in the Hollywood version of living off the grid — a single person, usually a man, who has apparently not seen a mirror or owned a beard trimmer in decades — living in a small cottage in the middle of the wilderness. He cooks everything on a wood-burning stove. Maybe he has a dog, or if he is Nicolas Cage, a truffle pig.

This can, of course, be done. It works well if you don’t have any interest in seeing anyone ever, can hunt and gather for food, and don’t need, like, a refrigerator.

Off of the government’s water and electricity grid

This is the choice the Curtin’s made. It means, basically, that you’re in charge of your water and electricity supply. Subcategories of simply living off the government’s grid include people who do van life and travel around in a vehicle or folks who live in RV’s and some tiny homes. These all come with their own special issues, though, like dealing with sewage. You might want to invest in a septic tank, or a compostable toilet, or come around to using an outhouse a la Shrek’s swamp.

The minimum of what you’ll need

Your own land

This should seem obvious, but at the very least you’re going to need to own your own plot of land. It’s going to need to be a plot of land that’s off the grid on its own — of course, it’s nearly impossible to go off the grid when you live in a gated community.

You’ll want to own a few acres of land, preferably miles away from the grid system, far away from strict building codes and permitting regulations. Thankfully, land in those areas tends to be less expensive with lower taxes. And you want to make sure that the land you choose matches your lifestyle goals. Since it’s such an intense call, you want to choose land that is right for you — and land that is legal for this type of lifestyle.

If there’s already a small cabin or home built on it, that could save you some time, but you still want to make sure it lines up with all of the legal checks you’d be looking for on open acreage. For the Curtin’s, that meant building a small house on a 70-acre plot of land in Kentucky, complete with their own water and power source. For others, that might look like living in a camper or an RV on your land.

The Curtin’s outside of their off the grid home in Kentucky.
Credit: courtesy: allie curtin

The Curtin’s built their entire home from scratch, with the help of their family members.
Credit: courtesy allie curtin

A water system

If you have any interest in drinking water, showering, brushing your teeth, and cooking, you’ll need some sort of system to access and store a lot of water. The most common types of water systems are rainwater collection systems or wells — the former likely being the more common and simpler option. Rainwater collection systems range from simple rain barrels that collect rainwater as it comes down to more elaborate systems with pumps, tanks, and purifiers. Most collect rainwater as it trickles down the gutters on your roof and collects into a dug swale that pushes the water towards a holding area. Collecting rainwater isn’t specific to off-the-grid livers. It’s fairly simple and even regular, on-the-grid homeowners can collect rainwater from their gutters in most locations, to use for everything from watering plants to bathing.

You’ll want to think carefully about which system is best for you because there are dozens that work pretty well! Take into consideration how much water you need to use every day, and how often it rains in your area. For instance, if it rains nearly every day, you might want a solid collection system but not as massive of a water storage tank. But, if it only rains a few times a year, you’ll want a storage tank that can hold you through the dryer months.

If you really want to live off the grid, you can try to not have any water systems and walk over to a nearby body of water. That is far less sustainable or reasonable a long-term option, though.

A power system

Solar power is really the way to go here. Most folks who live off the grid also have a generator to use as a backup power source, but having a solar power system can store far more power and it’s great for the environment. This is especially important if you’ll be working online from home. Then, you’ll need the power to charge your phone and computer, but also the power to fuel your internet hotspot. But generators are noisy, need a lot of gas or propane to run, and don’t work great for everything you need, so this is most ideal to use as a backup in case of emergency.

A wind turbine is a great option for a backup for solar power if you live in a place that doesn’t have sun year-round. Consider a few 250 Watt solar panels and a solid 250 to 500 Watt wind turbine. And it’s a good idea to have a backup generator, too. You’ll also want a place to store all of that power of the sun in a solar battery.

All of these options — from wind turbines to solar batteries — can be very expensive, but it’s an investment. Spending a few thousand dollars on this kind of power can be tough up front, but you may end up saving in the long run as you won’t have to pay for anything monthly.

All of these can help power your internet, which you’ll probably need if you work from home like the Curtin’s do. There are a variety of ways to set up off-the-grid friendly internet access, including cell phone hotspots with boosters, fixed wireless broadband, and satellite internet. No matter what, though, you’ll need some sort of power to ensure that these solutions work, whether that’s to charge your phone and laptop or to power the satellite.

As far as power for heat and cooling goes, most people who live off the grid will heat their homes with fire in a wood stove and cool it with fans. It’s not that uncommon for many people who live *on* the grid to not have access to power heat and cooling, so this shouldn’t be too much of a worry.

This isn’t completely necessary if you think you can live without any kind of power in your home — that means no electricity, no lights, no refrigerator, no internet, no oven or electric stove, no way to charge a cell phone.

Food access

You don’t actually have to have an entirely self-sufficient garden system in order to live off the grid. If you have a car and live a reasonable amount of time away from a grocery store, you can go shopping just like everyone else. But, for many people who live off the grid, living off of your own land is an important part of the experience and lifestyle. You may want to grow your own food since it will likely be difficult to access grocery stores on a regular basis. A traditional garden with some raised beds or a greenhouse with fruits and vegetables could be helpful. Consider also investing in some farm animals, like chickens for eggs or cows for dairy. You can also produce meat on your homestead if you have it set up for livestock. Then, your trips to town can be used exclusively for the necessities.

Communities and resources

If solo-living isn’t for you, there are other ways to live off the grid, like in communities and communes. But no matter what, living off the grid doesn’t have to be signing yourself up for a life of solitude. There are plenty of communities and resources around to help you when you get stuck, from online resources to Facebook groups.

At what cost?

The upfront cost of living off the grid can be very high. You have to buy land, everything you need to build an entire house, whatever power and water system you’ll need, and more. But once the upfront costs are covered, the rest gets a bit simpler. There are no subscription-type charges, you don’t have to pay Con Edison every month, and your rent is covered.

Save $79.01: The Cubii JR1 under-desk elliptical machine is on sale for $229.99 at Amazon as of Sept 7. That’s a savings of 26%.

Space is a precious commodity when you spend most of your time at home. Your at-home workspace can cut into real estate you might otherwise use for a treadmill or elliptical.

If your desk takes up too much space, then think smaller with a more compact workout gear option. The Cubii JR1 seated under-desk elliptical machine is on sale for $229.99, a discount of $79.01. This means you’ll save 26% on a mini elliptical that already starts at a lower price point than most other Cubii models. (But since it’s an Amazon Deal of the Day, you only have until the end of Sept. 7 to buy one at this low price.)

Cubii is a top name for compact ellipticals. This model, the Cubii JR1, offers eight different resistance levels and features a built-in LCD screen to track your time, distance, and calories burned.

The JR1 weighs about 27 pounds, so you can move it easily from spot to spot. It comes with a non-slip mat to keep it in place, as well as a set of three-pound dumbbells. If you want more advanced tracking features, you might consider upgrading to the Cubii Pro to utilize the Cubii app, which can sync with your FitBit or Apple Health.

Explore related content:

• The best workout equipment for building a home gym

• Best online fitness apps and digital coaches

• The best smart scales for meeting your fitness and weight goals

Smart homes are taking over, and it seems like smart light bulbs are the gateway drug to all the things we used to call the Internet of Things. As with any new fangled device, the smart light bulb market grows every day — and is possibly the most saturated smart device market out there.

If you thought there were a lot of smart speakers to choose from, the smart light market is that times a bazillion.

It’s totally normal if you have a lot of questions. You might be asking which smart bulbs require extra equipment, or which ones are easy to set up, or which ones change color? There are a lot of details that we need to know before making a purchase, and it can be pretty stressful to feel so clueless.

There is no need to panic because everything is totally fine. No, seriously — we probed Amazon and its massive selection of smart light bulbs to find ones with the highest ratings, best customer reviews, and best prices. So you can stop asking so many questions, and relax. We’ll guide you through everything you need to know along with some insight on what to look for. It might be a good idea to consider investing in the smart plugs too while you’re at it, and if you’re keen to use Alexa support, learn all about the differences between the Echo and Echo Dot.

Whatever your intentions, we’ll help you figure out the best smart home light bulbs in 2021.

What is a smart bulb?

A smart bulb is a clever light bulb, basically. Rather than just being something you plug into a light socket and turn on via a regular light switch, you can set up a smart lighting system allowing you to control your lighting via your voice or an app. With voice commands and voice control systems, you can do things like dim the lighting, set schedules, or even have your lighting system start at the same time as other smart gadgets in your home. In conjunction with a smart plug, smart lock, or smart light switch, you’ll be impressed by what can be accomplished here.

Why do I want smart bulbs?

Convenience is the main reason why a lighting system like this is so useful. Whether your home already has Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit as part of its arrangement, you can easily use smart bulbs to make your home more automated. Add on a light strip or motion sensor, and you can get a ton more functionality but simply with a basic smart bulb or Bluetooth bulb, you can still reap the benefits of bright white lights, setting mood lighting with your voice, or ensuring your lights switch on even when you’re not home. Being able to set color temperature for different times of day is a particular joy as you can get your aesthetic just right for when you’re working or relaxing.

Do I need a hub for smart lighting?

Not always. Many smart light bulbs simply require you to connect it to your home network although this can involve some limitations such as network compatibility issues (like needing a 2.4Ghz wireless network) or restrict what you can do with them. Ultimately though, there’s a fair amount of flexibility here. While a smart hub can be useful, it introduces more bulk to your home and often, something like the Google Home app or your smart speakers can pick up the slack instead. We’ll highlight which smart light bulbs require hubs.

Are smart bulbs easy to set up and install?

For the most part, yes. Set up is usually via an app so it doesn’t take long to set up your smart bulbs. Where things get a little trickier is arranging schedules and automation features, but that still only takes about 30 minutes at the most. Actually pairing a light bulb with your home network often only takes seconds, with the vast majority of smart light bulbs being intuitive to use. Adding on features such as a smart switch can take a little longer, but it’s worth getting things set up just how you want them to reap the full benefits.

When it comes to replacing the beef patty in your bun with a more sustainable alternative, there’s nothing as freakishly meat-like as the burger made by Impossible Foods (as I confirmed in an epic, months-long taste test). Now the Silicon Valley food science company is taking aim at another American staple: the chicken nugget. You’ll be able to order Impossible nuggets at a small number of restaurants and buy them at major supermarkets later this month. Can fake fast-food lightning strike twice?

We have good reasons to hope so. Chicken farming isn’t nearly as bad for the environment as rearing cattle, but it isn’t great. Impossible says its nuggs use 49 percent less land, 44 percent less water and generate 36 percent fewer greenhouse gases than the bird-based version. They’re also healthier from a nutritional perspective, with 40 percent less saturated fat (the main caloric component of regular nuggets) and 25 percent less sodium. Switching nuggs could save the planet, and quite possibly your life.

Trouble is, the company is running straight into the most heated debate in fast food: What is a chicken nugget, anyway? There is no nugg council to enforce standards. Traditionalists point to the classic McDonald’s Chicken McNugget, or the Wendy’s nuggs that were the subject of the most-retweeted tweet in English ever. These consist of forcemeat (ground-up chicken paste, basically), breaded and fried. Recently, however, restaurants like Popeyes and Chick-fil-A started selling nuggets with regular chicken meat and a crunchier coating — category confusion that led one traditionalist LA Times food critic to insist that they were tenders, not nuggs.

Having devoured a couple of orders of the Impossible nuggets ahead of its official launch Tuesday, I can confirm that the company is taking aim at the traditional version. That’s probably for the best, even though I’m personally more of a Popeyes nugget fan. Chicken has a very specific texture that is hard to replicate; Impossible rival Beyond Meat quietly discontinued its disappointing chicken strips in 2019 (and is also rolling out nuggets this fall, though they’re currently only available in Canada).

The fake forcemeat in Impossible nuggets does a pretty good job of replicating the, uh, “real” thing. I did find it a little softer than regular nugg paste, but I can also see why Impossible’s blind taste test ended with 140 out of 200 testers preferring its product to what the company only describes as “the leading animal-based alternatives.” There’s a mild umami aftertaste that reminded me of the Impossible burger, but you’d certainly never guess that you were actually consuming sunflower oil, soybean oil, wheat flour and texturized soy. (That’s right, they’re vegan friendly but not gluten free.)

Vital statistics: Impossible’s chicken nugget packaging.
Credit: impossible foods

The problem with Impossible nuggets lies not in the fake meat, ironically, but the batter. Though it certainly looks the part, flecked with crystals of salt, the Impossible nugg coating has a relatively flat and uninspired texture. The day after testing, I did something I hadn’t done in years — went to a McDonalds just to see what was different about the classic McNugget, one of the fast food giant’s most popular items ever since it was introduced in 1981. It was clearly crunchier, and probably fried in more oil, than the Impossible version. Something about the air gap between its forcemeat and its batter made each McNugget a more satisfying experience.

But Impossible is nothing if not iterative. The company upgraded its flagship burger with all new ingredients in 2019, and CEO Pat Brown vowed to keep upgrading every year until we all quit beef. To my mind, he’s got a small but not insurmountable way to go before Impossible nuggets beat the traditionalist alternative; I fully expect that they will very soon.

In the meantime, you can try Impossible chicken nuggets at a variety of boutique restaurants offering it alongside their own dipping sauces; the best-known of the chains is probably Fatburger. But you’re more likely to run into these nuggs in the frozen sections of Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, ShopRite, Giant Stores, and Gelsons.

The company expects Impossible nuggs to be available in a total of 10,000 stores by the end of the year, at the appealing price of $7.99 for a pack of 20. If you’ve gotta have your planet-saving nuggs, you could do a lot worse than to try these bad boys out.

SAVE UP TO $70: As of Sept. 7, select colors of the Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS) are on sale at Amazon and Walmart for $329 and $349, respectively (normally $399), with fastest delivery from the latter.

The all-new Apple Watch Series 7 is slated to arrive next week (alongside the iPhone 13), except there’s one tiny problem: It’ll probably be really difficult to find at launch. A new report says Apple’s hit a snag in the production process because of the wearable’s complex new design, which features a bigger, flatter display, so odds are it’s not going to be available in large quantities right away. (Some styles may also ship later than others, per Mashable tech reporter Stan Schroeder.)

With that in mind, anyone who wants to play less of a waiting game should heavily consider Apple’s current latest and greatest — i.e., the Apple Watch Series 6, a premium smartwatch from fall 2020 that features a whole day’s worth of battery life, an always-on altimeter, sleep tracking, and an SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen level readings. (Click here to read our in-depth review.) The last time we checked, Amazon and Walmart both had the 40mm model with GPS on sale for far less than its retail price of $399.

How fast you want your Series 6 and which color you like best will largely determine where you order it from. Walmart is promising free NextDay delivery on all five styles, which are listed at $349 apiece there — that’s a $50 savings. Your options include a space gray aluminum case with a black sport band, a blue aluminum case with a deep navy sport band, a gold aluminum case with a pink sport band, a (PRODUCT)RED aluminum case with a (PRODUCT)RED sport band, or a silver aluminum case with a white sport band.

Meanwhile, Amazon only has the blue and gold variants up for grabs right now — the rest are sold out — but they’re listed at $329 each (or $70 off) with estimated shipping dates in late September. Basically, you’ll save $20 if you’re willing to wait just a few weeks.

The choice is yours. Either way, hit one of the links below to grab a Series 6 on sale while you still can.

Explore related content:

• 5 best Apple Watch apps to download now

• How to pick the right wearable for running

• If your kid isn’t ready for a phone, a smartwatch might be a better fit

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