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Climate 101 is a Mashable series that answers provoking and salient questions about Earth’s warming climate.

Even after potent summer rains deluged parts of the West, nearly 60 percent of the region remains mired in extreme or exceptional drought.

The biggest reservoirs in the U.S. — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — have already fallen to historic lows. Dead cattle decay on the ground in parched Northern Mexico. California’s reservoirs look like bathtubs continually losing water.

This isn’t typical drought. The warming Southwest is in an over two-decade, prolonged drying period — the worst megadrought in at least some 400 years — in addition to a two-year dearth of rain and snow in California, and abnormal dryness in other regions.

When or how droughts might end in different Western places is a looming question. But in the continually heating West, it’s not the most crucial question.

“The real challenge is when the recent drought does end, what are we going to do to prepare for the next one?” emphasized Benjamin Cook, a research scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who studies drought.

It’s a salient question because large swathes of the West are getting drier. The trends in dropping reservoir levels and shrinking snowpack paint a clear, stark picture. “All of this points to us moving into a drier average future,” said Cook.

Sure, it’ll rain hard again. “You get one good year and things ostensibly look fine and people forget there was ever a drought,” said Cook. But more troubling, even hotter droughts will come. What follows is insight into the current Western droughts, and how we might adapt.

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Understanding the droughts

There’s not a single drought happening. Think of it as three significant regional droughts happening at once:

1. The Southwestern megadrought: This “hot drought,” driven by warmer temperatures, heavily impacts the seven states and Mexico that rely on water in the Colorado River basin. The drought is so bad, the governor of Utah has asked Utahns to pray for rain.

2. California drought: The Golden State relies on winter rains and snowpack stored in the lofty Sierra Nevada to refill its reservoirs. Much of the state has received less than half its normal rainfall since last fall. In large swathes of California, it’s the second-driest two-year period on record.

3. Pacific Northwest drought: “Most of the Pacific Northwest is experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions,” the U.S. Drought Monitor said in late July. The dryness has helped fuel massive fires in Oregon.

The Colorado River basin.
Credit: usgs

The bathtub ring around Lake Mead reveals dropping water levels.
Credit: MICHAEL VI / shutterstock 

The droughts won’t all end at once. “[There’s] no doubt that the West is in a pretty deep hole when it comes to the current level of drought,” said Jonathan Overpeck, a climate researcher at the University of Michigan. “As to what it’ll take to get out of this hole, that depends on what part of the West you’re focused on.”

Drought experts largely agree that a wet season with strong, above-average precipitation will be enough to moisten the parched grounds in California and the Pacific Northwest, and to refill California’s dropping reservoirs. “There is hope that drought can turn around fairly quickly if the fall and winter coming up is a good one, a wet one with good snowpack in the mountains,” said Dan McEvoy, a regional climatologist at the Desert Research Institute and the Western Regional Climate Center, both environmental research organizations.

Yet the past couple of decades proved that even if a wet year (like 2019) tempers a drought, drought can easily return (like 2020 and 2021). “Droughts can be erased pretty quickly by a single wet year, but are not gone for good,” explained Michael Dettinger, a hydroclimatologist and research professor at the Desert Research Institute. “A single subsequent dry year will see drought reemerge to an extent, and multiple dry years will make for the worst droughts as effects pile up. A normal precipitation year does not somehow heal a drought, but it sure helps.”

Crucially, in the “boom and bust” water cycle in California, the wets are getting wetter but the drys are getting drier, a trend researchers expect to continue in the future. “We do expect more extremes, more wet and dry,” noted McEvoy.

“As long as climate change continues — as long as the burning of fossil fuels continue — it will get harder and harder to get out of the drought/megadrought.”

But the prolonged Southwestern drought can’t be so quickly remedied, at least temporarily, in just a year or so. Refilling the massive Lake Mead and Lake Powell reservoirs, which are fed by the long, snaking Colorado River, will require repeated, strong doses of rain and snow. (Already, for the first time in Lake Mead’s 85-year existence, water levels may drop below a point this summer that triggers water cuts in Arizona and Nevada.) “It will take ever-increasingly large and anomalous multi-year periods of cool-season wet conditions to offset current drought conditions,” explained the University of Michigan’s Overpeck.

In a hotter Southwest, it’s easier to fall into drought and more difficult to climb out. Under a warmer climate, more water evaporates from rivers and reservoirs, more snow sublimates (goes from a solid to gas) from mountains, and trees and plants lose significantly more water to the drying, warmer air.

“As long as climate change continues — as long as the burning of fossil fuels continue — it will get harder and harder to get out of the drought/megadrought,” said Overpeck.

We’re not helpless

The good news is, even in the face of declining water availability, society can use less water, and use it more efficiently. We can prepare.

“We do have agency to control our water use,” said Cook.

It’s necessary. Arizona’s population, for example, is expected to double in the next half century. The dropping water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell are a consequence of more water being used than the system now supplies, explained Cook. Many Western and Southwestern rivers are already over-allocated, added Overpeck.

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So how do we adapt? Southwestern states already have agreed to the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, which results in (among other plans) automatic water cuts to avoid critically low reservoir levels. Here are a few important areas to address future droughts and slash water use:

• Agriculture uses some 80 percent of water from the Colorado River. This means minimizing water loss when irrigating crops. It could also mean switching crops or retiring 10 percent of water-hungry farmland (like alfalfa), which would conserve bounties of water, according to Bruce Babbitt, a former Secretary of the Interior and Governor of Arizona.

• Majorly cutting water use in urban areas. For example, in the Las Vegas region, the “community used 23 billion gallons less water in 2020 than in 2002, despite a population increase of more than 780,000 residents during that time,” according to the Las Vegas Water District. This means a focus on limiting outdoor water waste, which lets water evaporate. Since 1999, some 197 million acres of grass were replaced by desert landscaping in the Vegas area. What’s more, the Nevada legislature recently passed a law prohibiting Colorado River water from irrigating decorative grasses (in medians, etc.). “This decorative grass consumes about 10 percent of our annual water supply — more water than is consumed by the entire Las Vegas Strip,” the water district said.

• Slash carbon emissions: All the future droughts, whether in California, Oregon, or the Southwest will be less severe if Earth’s warming is stabilized at around (a still markedly warmer) 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above 19th-century levels. This is the current, though ambitious, international climate goal, and requires a rapid movement away from a fossil fuel-dominated energy system. Warmer temperatures evaporate more moisture from vegetation, water bodies, and soil, making bad drought worse.

A drier climate regime has arrived, and will continue to dry. It will still rain, sometimes in deluges, but the trends are clear: The frequency of reliable periods with strong, wet precipitation isn’t as likely anymore.

“The odds just continue to go down as long as we keep burning fossil fuels and driving climate change,” said Overpeck.

Related Video: Climate change is literally shifting Earth’s axis

Tesla prices just went up again — this time for the Model S.

Earlier this week, the long-range Model S went from $84,990 to $89,990 — a $5,000 increase. The dual motor EV has 405 miles of range on a single charge.

The faster Model S Plaid is still $129,990. That price jumped $10,000 just before its launch in June.

In 2021, Tesla raised prices on five models, including the base Model Y SUV, which became $5,000 more expensive.

In January, the Model S got a major redesign with new screens, a new steering wheel, and a glass roof. The Tesla website says the estimated delivery of the revamped sedan is March 2022.

Back in June, Tesla CEO Elon Musk explained why the California carmaker keeps bumping up prices: the rising cost of parts and supply chain issues.

Before I tried it out, I wasn’t sure who the vívoactive 4 was created for. Garmin calls it a “smart GPS smartwatch built for your active lifestyle,” but that left me wondering: Is it for serious athletes? Highly active individuals? People who aren’t very active but want to be?

Two weeks and many miles of running later, I have a better idea. In a nutshell, the vívoactive 4 strikes me as a hybrid smartwatch, combining some essential features of a fitness watch with the look and feel of a classic smartwatch. What really sets it apart, though, is its emphasis on goal setting and health and activity tracking.

The size is right

The first thing I noticed about the vívoactive 4 is that it’s nicely sized: Lightweight (50.5 g), not too thick (12.8 mm), and smaller (45.1 x 45.1 mm) than the majority of smartwatches I’ve seen and tried. Barring the Forerunner 35, it fits and feels better than any of the Garmin models I’ve recently tested. Because it’s not quite as petite as the Forerunner 35, I think it would be a good choice for both males and females with small to large wrists. My 6-foot-tall husband, my unofficial testing assistant, said it was his favorite fit so far. (Good to know: There’s an even smaller version, the vívoactive 4S, which comes in at 40 g and 40 x 40 x 12.7 mm).

There’s no skimping on the display

More positives emerged soon after. The vívoactive 4 has a touchscreen, which is still somewhat rare among smartwatches. I must admit, though, it took me a while to get used to it, and it didn’t always cooperate when I used it while running. In addition, it has a color display, a generous display size (1.3” diameter), and a nice 260 x 260-pixel resolution. Unlike some watches that (for unknown reasons) skimp on the display, the vívoactive 4 nails it with the size, clarity, color, and touchscreen.

Stats can easily be seen at a glance.

Credit: becky wade firth

Smartwatch features mean you can stay connected wherever you are.

Credit: garmin

The battery life is fine

It’s safe to say that no one buys this watch for its battery life. It’s perfectly adequate, especially compared to Fitbit and Apple Watch models — up to 8 days in smartwatch mode, up to 18 hours in GPS mode without music, and up to 6 hours in GPS mode with music — but it won’t give most bulkier competitors a run for their money in the battery department.

Personally, having a sleek watch that requires slightly more charging is a compromise I’m happy to make. And for the record, I only charged it about once a week, since I didn’t use it for music. But for people who are all about convenience and don’t want to worry about charging more than is necessary, this watch may not be their top choice.

It comes with 20+ preloaded sports and activities

The vívoactive 4 comes ready to track pretty much all typical sports and activities. Gym-wise, you’ve got strength, cardio, and elliptical training, stair-stepping, floor climbing, indoor rowing, yoga, Pilates, and breathwork (a mindful breathing activity). It also features on-screen workout animations: A nice-to-have for individuals wanting a little guidance, but totally on their terms.

Outdoor recreation activities include skiing, snowboarding, XC skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, and rowing. For endurance athletes and triathletes, there’s running, indoor track running, treadmill running, biking, indoor biking, and pool swimming (with a water rating of 5 ATM, which means it’s fine in water as deep as 50 meters). Finally, the watch comes with a slew of golfing features that range from various yardage metrics to a digital scorecard.

Runners have the additional option to enlist the services of a free running coach through Garmin Coach. Choose between three coaches (two of whom are well-known and respected in the running world), set a race goal (distance options are 5K, 10K, and half marathon), and simply follow your coach’s training plan. Because this feature is intended for beginner to intermediate runners, with a ceiling of 7:00-minute mile pace, more serious runners will probably pass on it.

It includes a bevy of health and activity stats

This watch offers a number of different ways to keep track of your health and stay on top of your activity goals. With a wrist-based heart rate monitor that tracks 24/7, you’ll always have a good (if rough) idea of your resting heart rate as well as your sleeping patterns, respiration rate, and blood oxygen saturation. You’re also able to track your and menstrual cycle and keep an eye on stats, such as stress level and body battery (which may be useful over time but should generally be taken with a grain of salt).

In terms of activity tracking, you have the standard step counter, calories burned, floors climbed, and distance traveled. On top of that, there’s also a move bar (which indicates how long you’ve been sedentary and when it’s time to get up and move) and an auto goal (measured by daily steps and calibrated over time depending on how active you are). Between all of the health and activity metrics available to you, the vívoactive 4 leaves little room for excuses to neglect your health or wellbeing.

The run tracking is great

Because I’m a marathoner, I can’t help but judge a watch partially on how well its GPS and general running tracking works. Even though it’s not specifically marketed to runners, the vívoactive 4 did not disappoint in this department. I was surprised by how quickly it caught a signal and how accurately my run reports seemed — until I learned that the watch has not just the standard GPS, but also GLONASS and GALILEO (two internationally-based Global Navigation Satellite Systems). In addition, it features an altimeter, compass, gyroscope, and accelerometer, making it not just great for running, but for navigating, too.

The only real complaint I have about this watch regards the goal-based alerts that pop up during workouts. On one level, it’s nice (and confidence-boosting) to know when I hit my steps or elevation goal for the day. But on another level, the frequent buzzing and flashing across the screen can be distracting. I’d prefer a more subtle alert than the seconds-long animation that precedes each goal announcement, or even just a tally at the end of each workout.

It makes it easy to stay connected

By this point, you may be thinking that the vívoactive 4 is primarily a sports watch. Think again. Between smart notifications, a personal calendar, weather updates, music controlling (on your smartphone and watch), music storage (up to 500 songs), Garmin Pay, and Bluetooth, ANT+, and Wi-Fi compatibility, it offers several ways to stay connected, whether you’re working or working out.

That connectivity also offers peace of mind with LiveTrack and incident detection during select activities. When you set it up on the Garmin Connect app, LiveTrack shows designated individuals your real-time location, as well as several other stats that may be helpful in locating you if needed (like average pace, planned route, and elevation gain). That same feature is used when your watch detects an incident or you request assistance; it sends your name and location to your emergency contacts, which is a good idea to designate (in Garmin Connect) as soon as you unbox.

Add to cart?

The vívoactive 4 is a sleek and reliable watch that will appeal to a wide swath of individuals and athletes. Whether you’re a regular gym-goer, a serious golfer, a competitive runner, or someone who simply wants to prioritize health and fitness more than they currently do, this watch is definitely worth a shot. At $349.99 (currently on sale for $329.99), it’s also reasonably priced, especially considering all of its bells and whistles — such as the touchscreen, color display, 20+ sport and activity modes, abundance of health stats, multi-GNSS support, Garmin Pay, music storage, and LiveTrack.

That said, this is the type of person I envision getting the most bang for their buck with this watch: You’re a busy person who loves the idea of getting and staying in shape, but you need some help to stay on track. The ability to set and chase goals will keep you motivated to move, while the various health metrics will encourage you to make decisions with your overall health and longevity in mind. Armed with all the information you need, the only thing left is to decide what types of movement serve you best — and then get out there and do it.

Sound is incredibly important in video games, both for conveying information and influencing the player’s mood. Video game history is packed with memorable tunes, from Tetris‘ rearrangement of Russian folk song “Korobeiniki,” to the iconic Super Mario Bros. theme, to Untitled Goose Game‘s innovative use of Debussy’s “Préludes.” Yet while instrumental tracks are by far the most common, some of the best video game songs also include vocals.

Early video games didn’t have the technology to include music with lyrics, limiting 8-bit games to compositions of chiptune beeps and trills. But an impressive catalogue of vocal video game songs has formed since then, many of which are more than capable of standing on their own.

Here are some of the best video game songs that feature vocals, listed in chronological order. Beware: There will be spoilers ahead.

1. ‘Snake Eater’ from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

If your video game’s opening cinematic is going to be inspired by James Bond films, it needs to include a dramatic theme song. 2004 stealth action game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater does not disappoint. Written by Norihiko Hibino and crooned by Cynthia Harrell, the bombastic “Snake Eater” wouldn’t be out of place in any Bond film, which feels thematically appropriate considering the game is about a super spy.

“Snake Eater” is also played during a lengthy scene in which the player climbs a very tall ladder. Steadily climbing a ridiculously tall ladder for two minutes doesn’t sound like a fun video game moment, but the song made it one of the celebrated game’s most memorable sequences.

2. ‘Baba Yetu’ from Sid Meier’s Civilization IV

One of the best parts of Civilization IV is the sound of “Baba Yetu” playing over the menu screen, which is saying a lot. The turn-based strategy game was universally lauded upon its release in 2005, and still holds up today even after the release of subsequent games in the series.

Composed by Christopher Tin and originally performed by the Soweto Gospel Choir and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, “Baba Yetu” was the first video game song ever nominated for a Grammy, winning Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) at the 2011 awards. Its Swahili lyrics are a translation of the Lord’s Prayer, and the song has since been performed by numerous choirs around the globe.

3. ‘Still Alive’ from Portal

“Still Alive” is an obvious inclusion on this list. The game song that launched a thousand memes, Portal‘s credits track encapsulated the puzzle platformer’s deadpan humour and brought the game to a satisfying conclusion in a unique way that has since inspired many others.

Composed by Jonathan Coulton and sung by Ellen McLain, “Still Alive” is written from the point of view of GLaDOS, the murderous, science-obsessed artificial intelligence that the player is trying to escape. The song was so well received that Coulton later followed it up with Portal 2‘s end credits song “Want You Gone,” which was also performed by McLain, the voice of GLaDOS.

4. ‘Setting Sail, Coming Home’ from Bastion

Supergiant Games’ hack-and-slash title Bastion gained significant attention upon its 2011 release for its distinctive narrator and visual style. But it also seized players through composer Darren Korb’s brilliant soundtrack, including the uplifting end theme “Setting Sail, Coming Home.”

Sung by Korb and Ashley Lynn Barrett, “Setting Sail, Coming Home” is a mashup of two previous songs in the game: “Mother, I’m Here (Zulf’s Theme)” and “Build That Wall (Zia’s Theme).” The game is set in the wake of a catastrophic event that literally breaks the world apart, Zulf and Zia being two survivors that represent opposing paths the player can take in response to the disaster. Not only is the combination of their themes musically satisfying, it also evokes a feeling of moving on — though exactly what that means depends on your decisions.

5. ‘Everything’s Alright’ from To the Moon

Part of what makes a good video game song is what’s happening when the player first hears it. Written and performed by Laura Shigihara, “Everything’s Alright” appears during To the Moon‘s devastating climax to deliver an emotional gut punch to the player — one that reduced many to tears. It’s a far cry from Shigihara’s bright Plants vs. Zombies‘ ditty “Zombie on Your Lawn.”

To the Moon follows two technicians who alter dying people’s memories, allowing them to pass on without regrets. Tasked with making their client believe he’s been to the moon, they eventually discover the only way to do this is to erase all memory of his beloved wife. This leads to a painful montage in which his history is rewritten without her, set to Shigihara’s sweet yet melancholy vocals. To the Moon looks at the question of whether it’s better to have loved and lost or never loved at all, and answers, “Why not both?”

6. ‘Paper Boats’ from Transistor

It’s impossible to choose just one song from Supergiant Games’ beautifully scored indie offerings, especially with Transistor‘s soundtrack in the mix. This turn-based action game leans even more heavily on song than its predecessor, following famous singer Red as she tracks down a powerful cabal after they try to kill her. As such, Transistor is heavily complimented by Darren Korb’s compositions, with Ashley Lynn Barrett lending her vocals to Red for songs such as “We All Become” and “In Circles.”

While all Transistor‘s songs are great, one of the most memorable is left for the bittersweet pre-credits ending montage. “Paper Boats” is an intimate love song from Red to her unnamed partner, who she was physically separated from throughout the game. Korb’s vocals also appear on the track, underscoring the lovers’ eventual reunion.

7. ‘Life Will Change’ from Persona 5

From its slick user interface to its sharp character design, Persona 5 is pure style — and its catchy acid jazz-inspired soundtrack is no exception. The Japanese role-playing game immediately commands attention with its striking opening animation set to “Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There,” one of the 110 songs on Persona 5‘s official soundtrack. But while the first song players hear is undoubtedly an earworm, it was the invigorating “Life Will Change” that took top spot in publisher Atlas’ popularity poll.

Like the opening song, “Life Will Change” was composed by Shoji Meguro, with lyrics by Benjamin Franklin and vocals by Lyn Inaizumi. The game follows a group of rebellious vigilante teenagers who supernaturally enter immoral adults’ psyches in order to confront their evil desires, and this energising tune kicks in just before Persona 5‘s boss battles. “Life Will Change” is a great boost of energy that hypes players up for these difficult fights, while also making them feel incredibly cool.

8. ‘Your Reality’ from Doki Doki Literature Club

Doki Doki Literature Club looks like a cute dating sim that lets you join a high school club and woo one of its members. In reality, it’s a terrifying meta psychological horror filled with disturbing themes, made all the more intense by deceptively innocent trappings such as its sweet ending song “Your Reality.”

Written by Dan Salvato and sung by Jillian Ashcraft, “Your Reality” is performed by club president Monika for the player at the end of Doki Doki Literature Club — a last ditch effort to convey her affection for them, as well as a goodbye. Though it sounds like a bright, straightforward love song, and could be enjoyed as such, the lyrics take on extra meaning in the context of the game. It’s a highly unconventional villain song, providing a glimpse at the mindset driving her terrible actions.

There are many other great video game songs with lyrics as well. “POP/STARS” by K/DA was produced to promote League of Legends, though it never actually plays during the popular multiplayer online battle arena game. And while the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” definitely wasn’t written for Bioshock Infinite, its rendition by barbershop quartet A Mighty Wind is certainly worth a listen.

Strava has a solution for users with privacy concerns.

Strava is a fitness tracking app that incorporates social media features. It allows you to record a wide variety of activities from running to windsurfing and share your activities with your followers. Depending on your privacy settings, your workout route is shared on to everyone, to your followers, or kept private. Unfortunately, if you make your activities only visible to your followers or completely private you cannot participate in challenges on the app.

If you’re nervous about posting runs that begin or end at your home or work, but you still want to participate in challenges, Strava has the option to create privacy zones which hide specific areas in your workout. You can adjust the size of the radius from one-eighth mile to one mile. The privacy zone only applies where you start and end an activity, so if you pass through a privacy zone on a run it will still show up on your activity map.

Because we know how important your safety is, we’ve broken down to how to create a privacy zone on Strava.

How to create a privacy zone on Strava:

1. Open the Strava app

2. Tap the gear in the upper right hand corner

Tap the gear icon to access your settings.
Credit: screenshot: strava

3. Scroll down and select “Privacy Controls”

Tap “Privacy Controls” to access privacy zones.
Credit: screenshot: Strava

4. Select “Privacy Zones”

Tap “Privacy Zones” under “Additional Controls.”
Credit: screenshot: strava

5. Select “Add a Privacy Zone”

Tap “Add a Privacy Zone” to hide a specific address.
Credit: screenshot: strava

6. Enter the address you want hidden

Enter the address you want to be hidden.
Credit: screenshot: strava

7. Adjust the radius of your privacy zone

Use the gray circle to adjust the radius of your privacy zone.
Credit: screenshot: strava

8. Tap “Add” in the upper right hand corner

TikTokkers rejoice. American Airlines wants you to enjoy your favorite app at 30,000 feet. The airline announced Tuesday that TikTok is now a part of its free inflight entertainment.

Passengers now get 30 minutes of free TikTok access on all American Airlines single-aisle planes equipped with Viasat WiFi. While the airline’s library of movies, shows, and online learning classes are also free, browsing the internet will cost you (starting at $10 per session or $49.95 for a monthly subscription.)

Over the past few years, American Airlines has upgraded the majority of its aircraft with high-speed satellite WiFi.

Once in airplane mode and connected to the plane’s WiFi network, passengers will be redirected to the American Airlines online portal. From there, they can click on the TikTok ad that pops up and begin to bask in the warm glow of Vitamin T.

TikTok, owned by Beijing company ByteDance, has an estimated 732 million monthly active users.

American Airlines pointed out in a press release that TikTok isn’t just for Gen Z. Yes, there are a lot of dance challenges, but travelers of all generations can explore the app using hashtags like #travel, #traveltips, and #traveltheworld.

Welcome aboard, TikTokkers. Just please don’t block the food cart.

Love a TikTok so much that you want to keep it on your phone and treasure it forever? You can do that with the save video function.

Save video allows you to save your favorite TikToks to your phone’s photo library. Downloading TikTok videos allows you to have access to a TikTok regardless if the user deletes it or if TikTok takes it down. Downloading a TikTok video can also streamline sharing a TikTok with your more offline friends who may not have the app.

Unfortunately you can’t save all TikToks, the user who posts a TikTok has to allow downloads for their video. If the “Save video” option doesn’t come up, that means the TikTok user doesn’t have downloads turned on for their account.

But, you could always screen record the TikTok instead.

To save a TikTok, follow the steps below.

How to Download a TikTok video:

1. Open the TikTok app

2. Navigate to the video you want to save

3. Tap the white arrow on the left side of the screen

Tap the arrow to view sharing options for the TikTok.
Credit: screenshot: tiktok

4. Tap the upside down arrow that says “Save Video” to save the video

Downloads are on, so you can save the video by tapping “Save video.”
Credit: screenshot: TikTok

Gathering the family to watch a film everyone agrees on (Space Jam?) under the stars: Now that’s a summer night. To turn your yard into a home theater, though, you’ll need a projector — one that works just as well outside as it does in.

While the majority of projectors aren’t marketed exclusively for outdoor use, there are plenty of options that will suit backyards, rooftops, and porches. You’ll even be able to take super portable projectors on camping trips.

You’ll just need to keep a few key specs in mind, including brightness, portability, throw distance, and sound. Whatever the particular needs of your outdoor space, there’s probably a projector on this list for you.

Features to keep in mind

It’s pretty easy to control the light level indoors: If you want it to be darker, turn the lights off and close the blinds. Outdoors, the light level is largely out of your hands — all you can do is wait for the sun to set and hope there isn’t too much ambient light for your picture to handle.

Keep your yard’s brightness level in mind while choosing a projector. If you aren’t worried about ambient light — you live in a rural area with very little light pollution, for example, or your backyard is far away from your neighbors — brightness may not be your biggest concern. If you anticipate environmental light getting in the way, though, go for one of the brighter options on the list. (Here, brightness is recorded in lumens.)

Then, there’s throw distance, which refers to the distance between the projector’s lens and the screen. A projector with a long throw distance is able to project a high-quality image while sitting farther away from the screen; a projector with a shorter throw distance should sit closer to the screen. If you’re in a big backyard, you may want a longer throw distance. For a rooftop, tiny porch, or apartment green space, a shorter throw distance will be ideal.

Choosing the right projector for your space’s size can be tricky, so we’ve tried our best to specify the locations in which our picks will work best. If you’d like to read further, there are several informative guides out there. Our favorite is on the Epson blog and includes a useful throw distance calculator.

You can’t store a projector outside, so we’ve made sure to feature relatively lightweight options that are easy to lug out to the backyard. Each of our picks weighs under 10 pounds; still, If you want to travel with your projector, you’ll probably want the lightest option possible.

What other supplies will I need?

The projector will do lots of the work for you, as well it should. But if you’re building an outdoor theater from scratch, there are a few other supplies you’ll need as well, including:

• A screen on which to project. This could be anything from an actual screen intended for outdoor use to a white sheet to a wall to the side of your garage.

• A separate sound system, potentially. A lot of projectors — especially lightweight ones — don’t have great built-in speakers. We suggest purchasing a separate set of external speakers, especially if the projector’s built-in speakers provide less than 5 watts of sound.

• A power strip and extension cords, if your projector doesn’t run on battery. Extra batteries if it does.

• Seating for guests, preferably unobtrusive options like pillows and low-to-the-ground folding chairs. You’ll also want to keep a stash of blankets nearby in case it gets cold.

• Snacks! No need to be sneaky about outside food when the movie theater is your own backyard.

Here are our picks for the best outdoor projectors. Better start polling the fam about that movie. Or maybe everyone can just play Super Smash Bros.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful maiden and her honorable… small business? Well, OK!

On Tuesday, Amazon Prime Video dropped a magical first trailer for its take on Cinderella, starring pop princess Camila Cabello as the iconic fairytale character. Written and directed by Kay Cannon, best known for writing the Pitch Perfect movies, this adaptation puts a modern twist on the classic love story — adding a feminist subplot surrounding Ella’s fashion aspirations, modern tracks like Queen’s “Find Me Somebody To Love,” and a star-studded cast full of 2021 favs.

Alongside Cabello, you’ll see Idina Menzel as the wicked stepmother; Pierce Brosnan and Minnie Driver as the King and Queen; James Corden as a helpful mouse-turned-footman; Billy Porter as Cinderella’s fairy godparent; and, of course, there’s Nicholas Galitzin as Prince Charming.

Cinderella begins streaming Sept. 3 on Amazon Prime Video.

On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new initiative called the “Key to NYC Pass,” requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for indoor settings like restaurants, gyms, and concert venues.

As reported by the New York Times, “To enter indoor venues, [workers and customers] must use the city’s new digital app, the state’s Excelsior app, or a paper card to show proof of vaccination.”

If you’re a little bit confused about what the “pass” part of all this is, you’re not alone —it certainly (and understandably) caused confusion around the Twitterverse.

Prepare to be unconfused. Hopefully. “The city’s new digital app” doesn’t refer to the Key to NYC Pass (that’s the NYC COVID SAFE app, which was released on July 29), and despite the use of the word “pass,” there’s no new physical pass at all. That’s simply what the State of New York is calling its new mandate.

“[Key to NYC Pass] is not an app. It’s just a requirement to use one of the existing ways to show proof — CDC card, Excelsior Pass, NYC COVID SAFE app,” said spokesperson Laura Feyer in an email to Mashable. If you do want to use an app, you can opt for the latter of the two.

Mayor de Blasio echoed the same statement during Tuesday’s livestream from City Hall: “We’ve got three great ways for people to prove that they are vaccinated. We need people to use one of those things if they want to go to indoor dining, entertainment, or fitness facilities.”

So, no, you don’t have to download yet another app to your phone. You can use any of those aforementioned ways.

But it’s worth noting, the Excelsior Pass is only applicable to those who received their COVID-19 vaccine (or a negative test result) in the State of New York. The NYC COVID Safe app, on the other hand, allows anyone to upload their vaccine card or weekly proof of a negative test result from any state.

If you don’t want to store your card on your phone via an app, your other option is to carry it around on your indoor journeys through NYC. Just make sure to hang on to it tight. And if you don’t have a card — or a vaccine — yet, get one: The policy will be fully enforced for everyone old enough to receive vaccines come September 13.