Category Archives: Blog

Tesla is recalling almost 300,000 of its Model 3 and Model Y cars — specifically those made in China and imported into the country — due to safety risks with its cruise-control feature, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Tesla’s cruise-control system in these cars can be accidentally activated, possibly causing an unprompted increase in speed, according to China’s State Administration for Market Regulation. The government agency has labeled this incident a recall, but owners of the affected cars don’t have to take their cars in to get fixed. Instead, Tesla will install a fix via a software update to its customers in China, who have been complaining about the car company in recent months.

As WSJ notes, the regulator said Tesla requested the recall a few days prior and that it pertains to vehicles produced between December 2019 and June 2021. Per the Chinese regulator, that includes 249,855 Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers (manufactured in Tesla’s Shanghai factory) and 35,665 imported Model 3s. The origins of the imported cars is unclear.

Tesla has yet to release an official statement on the cruise control issue (and the company notably has no public relations team). But WSJ also reported that the company took to Chinese social media platform, Weibo, to comment on the matter:

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this recall to all car owners. Tesla will continue to improve safety in strict accordance with national requirements.”

However, a Tesla spokesperson declined to provide any additional comments to the publication.

It’s also worth noting this isn’t Tesla’s first recall of 2021. In January, the company had to recall 158,000 cars over failing touchscreen displays. And earlier in June, almost 6,000 Teslas were recalled because of loose brake bolts.

Considering we’re halfway through the year, let’s hope this is at least the last of the recalls we’ll see for these electric vehicles.

UPDATE: June 26, 2021, 12:16 p.m. PDT This post was updated to add clarifying details about the recall.

Mike Pence’s idea of a joke involves a car crash, a dog and a cow being euthanized, and a crash victim who doesn’t want to get shot by the responding cop. No, context doesn’t help at all here.

The former vice president unleashed his idea of a joke during a speech earlier in the week, and The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon spent some time interrogating that decision on Friday’s episode. It might surprise you to learn that Pence, whose natural look can best be described as “stone-faced,’ doesn’t have a great grasp on comic timing.

It could be a quirk of the way The Tonight Show cut up the video, but Pence’s rambling delivery make it seem like he’s retelling a joke her heard once at a party, but didn’t take the time to prepare for a retelling; instead, he’s just winging it. Content could also be an issue here, since it’s hard to find laughter right after you’re told a poor doggie with a broken back got shot in the head.

I’m gonna say it again: Context doesn’t help here in the slightest. Even the generally chill Fallon struggles to find a response other than “WTF???”

People usually want to make sure their iPhones and other Apple devices are extremely easy to find should they ever get misplaced.

But the Find My iPhone feature isn’t always for everyone.

Find My iPhone is Apple’s way of helping you locate your lost or misplaced phone, even if the device is offline. (Huge!) By accessing the Find My feature in Settings, using the Find My app, or using Find My on iCloud.com, you can find your lost or misplaced devices and easily share locations with friends and family members.

There are clear benefits to utilizing the technologically advanced feature, but if you’re concerned about privacy and location sharing, are getting rid of your phone, or want to disable the feature for whatever reason, you can easily turn it off. As Apple notes, just keep in mind that when Find My iPhone is disabled, you’ll no longer be able to use it to locate, lock, or erase your device.

If you’re set in your decision and want to temporarily (or permanently) disable Find My iPhone, here’s how to do so.

1. Locate “Find My” in your phone’s settings

Before you can turn off Find My iPhone, you’ll need to locate Find My on your phone. You can do this by making your way to “Settings,” clicking on your name, and selecting the “Find My” option.

2. Click “Find My iPhone” to turn off individual features

Once you’ve selected “Find My,” you’ll have the ability to disable “Find My iPhone” and “Find My network” by switching their corresponding toggles from green to gray.

If you’re still curious, you can learn more about the Find My feature and related privacy perks by selecting the blue “About Find My & Privacy…” link located under “Find My iPhone.”

If you’ve decided you do want to turn off Find My iPhone, once you tap the toggle you’ll be asked to input your Apple ID password for safety reasons. Before you can turn off Find My network, you’ll also be asked if you really want to lose the ability to find your device when it’s not connected to WiFi or cellular.

This turn-off method should work on any device using iOS 13 or later. But if your device is on iOS 12 or earlier, you’ll go to Settings, click your name, then select “iCloud.” There, you’ll be able to turn off Find My after entering your Apple ID password.

3. Turn off “Find My” by disabling iCloud

Another way to turn off the Find My feature is by turning off iCloud. You can do this by going to Settings, clicking your name, and selecting “iCloud.” Then, switch the toggles for all iCloud features from on (green) to off (gray).

4. Permanently turn off “Find My” for a device

Let’s say you got a new phone, traded in your old one, or gave it to a pal. Whatever the scenario may be, the point is, you no longer need to keep tabs on that particular device. If that’s the case, you’ll want to turn off Find My and remove the phone from your Devices list. (When this happens, Activation Lock is also disabled.)

If you want to permanently turn off Find My for your phone, you can head to iCloud.com and remove it using your account. You can also search for the app by typing “Find My” into your phone’s search bar. Select the app, click “Devices,” tap the device you want to remove, and click “Erase This Device.” Then, say farewell to your old friend.

5. Turning off “Find My” on an iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods, or Beats product

If you’re reading this article, you’re likely searching for ways to turn off Find My on an iPhone, but have you considered disabling the feature on your other devices as well? Here’s a rundown on how to disable Find My on your iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods, or Beats product:

Disabling “Find My” on an iPad or iPod Touch

• If you’re ever looking to turn off Find My on an iPad or iPod Touch, we’ve got great news: The instructions are the same as they are for the iPhone, so you’re already a pro.

Disabling “Find My” on a Mac

• In order to turn off Find My on your Mac you’ll need to navigate to the trusty Apple menu in the upper lefthand corner of your screen. If you have macOS 10.15 or later select System Preferences, click your Apple ID, select “iCloud,” and unselect “Find My Mac.” (If you have macOS 10.14 or earlier, you’ll just click “iCloud,” then deselect “Find My Mac.”)

You can learn more about turning off Find My on devices such as an Apple Watch, AirPods, and Beats products here.

It’s typically a good thing when a new device makes another similar, older product completely obsolete, as we saw recently with Amazon’s much-improved second-generation Echo Buds. And the same holds true for the new Beats Studio Buds. Apple may not put its branding on these products (despite owning the company for years), but after using the Studio Buds, it’s tough to see much use for the entry-level AirPods anymore.

With a $149 price tag, the newest Beats earbuds pack quite a punch. Strong sound delivery is one thing, but the value is increased significantly by the presence of active noise cancelation, comfort that can withstand the rigors of exercise, and a fairly durable battery. And unlike the slightly more expensive AirPods, Android users get full feature parity.

The non-Pro version of Apple’s AirPods have put in years of honorable service, but without a deep discount, I can’t see any reason to get them when Beats Studio Buds exist.

Simple-to-use workout companion

The new Beats Studio Buds aren’t the most visually distinctive wireless earbuds in the world, but that’s alright. They come in three colors (white, black, and red), with a traditional silicone ear tip sitting inside the ear canal and a long oval-shaped outer panel with the brand’s signature lowercase “b” logo on each earbud. The non-logo end of the panel hides a button for typical on-device controls: One press to pause and play, two to skip ahead, three to rewind, and a long-press to activate or deactivate ANC. You can change the long-press on either earbud so it awakens Siri instead, if you want.

Setup is remarkably easy, whether you have an iPhone or an Android device. Quick-pairing works on both operating systems, so you just need to open the lid of the oval charging case with Bluetooth enabled on your phone for a pairing prompt to pop up on screen. The one minor inconvenience for Android users is that they need to install the Beats app from the Play Store to get firmware updates and customize long-press button controls. iPhone users can simply do this from the Bluetooth menu in Settings.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much else in the way of customization here. While some other wireless earbuds let you adjust a sound equalizer, for example, Beats Studio Buds limit you to switching ANC on or off, and changing long-press commands in the settings menu. One other nice bit of device agnosticism, though, is that the new Beats Studio Buds support Find My on iOS and Find My Device on Android. If you lose these buds, you can see their GPS location or play a sound in case they get stuck in the couch cushions.

The degree to which Beats Studio Buds accommodate Android users is impressive. It’s frustrating when you can’t access basic features for a pair of earbuds because of which phone you own (looking at you, Pixel Buds A), so it’s kind of baffling that Apple allows its Beats subsidiary to do this but not AirPods. That said, Apple devotees do get the benefit of spatial audio for compatible songs on the Apple Music streaming service. There aren’t many earbuds that work with Apple’s new Dolby Atmos-powered audio trick yet, so this could be a selling point for sure.

You won’t have to deal with a physical ear loop or anything here, but in my experience, the Studio Buds do a fine job of staying snug in the ears. They might shake loose during an intense gymnastics routine, but if you’re going on walks, jogging, or lifting weights, I don’t think you’ll need to worry about them falling out. They’re incredibly comfortable no matter the circumstances, as I was able to wear them for several hours while barely noticing they were there. You’ll find a couple different sizes of silicone ear tips included in the box, but the default size was perfect for me.

There are a couple of things I should note before I move onto performance analysis. The Beats Studio Buds case charges via USB-C, but there isn’t an option for wireless charging. Bizarrely, the earbuds don’t have any kind of sensor for pausing or playing music when taking them in or out of your ears. Placing them back in their case deactivates them, but you’ll always need to pause music manually otherwise. That’s far from a deal-breaker as far as I’m concerned, but it’s an odd compromise for earbuds that aren’t exactly in the “budget” category.

Bassy and long-lasting (without ANC)

Earbuds with the word “Beats” in their name need to deliver in the bass department. It would be embarrassing if they didn’t. The good news is there will be no humiliation here, as Beats Studio Buds deliver punchy bass to go along with crystal-clear sound in all other circumstances. The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” was solid testing material in this case, with kickin’ drums and high-pitched synths coming in like an aural punch to the face.

That’s a compliment.

That song, coincidentally, supports spatial audio in Apple Music. If you pay for Apple Music or can at least get a free trial, it’s well worth checking out that particular feature. It’s pretty damn immersive, delivering the illusion that the song is surrounding your entire head rather than just blasting into your ears. Even something more low-key like Taylor Swift’s “Willow” gets an added dimension with spatial audio. I wasn’t a huge fan of that album, to be honest, but the new richness spatial audio provides is neat.

Less impressive are the active noise cancelation and transparency modes, sadly. ANC makes some difference, but I wouldn’t call it dramatic. I’ve tested it out on walks in a bustling Brooklyn neighborhood, on a subway platform, and sitting directly next to a noisy window air conditioner. Even when switching it to transparency mode (intended to amplify outside noise rather than shut it out) or turning it off entirely, the audio profile doesn’t change that much.

To be clear, that doesn’t mean you’ll be inundated with environmental sounds while listening on the Studio Buds. The silicone ear tips create a nice physical seal, so even with ANC turned off, you can ignore all but the loudest of noises around you. I’d rather have mediocre ANC than no ANC at all, as is the case on those AirPods I keep bringing up. Those don’t even passively block much noise, so again, the choice is easy in my eyes.

Battery life here is a positive, with the caveat that it puts its best foot forward without ANC turned on. Beats rates the Studio Buds for eight hours of listening time on a single charge with no noise canceling — nearly twice what you’d get out of the $250 AirPods Pro. I had no problem making it through a whole work day on a charge, so I can’t dispute that rating. Enabling ANC or transparency mode drops the estimate down to five hours, which is acceptable, but pretty average overall. You’ll get two more full charges out of a fully juiced-up charging case either way.

Beats Studio Buds are really best enjoyed with Apple Music’s spatial audio, but even without that, you’ll get a fantastic supply of bass. Try not to rip up your eardrums in the process, though.

Competitively priced

In the realm of wireless earbuds that cost $100 to $200, Beats Studio Buds stand up strong among the competition in terms of value. This is how a few other options in that price range stack up next to them:

Apple AirPods: ($159 without wireless charging, $199 with wireless charging) with no noise cancelation of any kind, a worse battery, and less comfortable fit

Amazon Echo Buds: ($119) with pretty good sound, better ANC, inferior battery life, an over-reliance on Alexa, and no Apple Music spatial audio

Beats Powerbeats: ($149) with ear loops and a wire connecting them for superior exercise utility, but less overall battery life and no noise cancelation

For my money, the Studio Buds sound better than all three of those, even if its noise cancelation isn’t quite as good as the new Echo Buds. That crunchy bass and solid battery life both put them over the top for me, as well. Those who want top-notch noise cancelation should instead turn to the AirPods Pro or Bose QC Earbuds, but if you’re willing to compromise in that department, the Studio Buds are nice for the price.

Good for any device

As much as I liked the Beats Studio Buds, there are obviously some areas where improvement would be welcome. Ideally, the next iteration would offer a stronger distinction between the different sound modes, as well as automatic pausing when removed from your ears. More fully-featured customization options would be sweet, too.

I still would recommend these over most other earbuds in the same general price neighborhood, though. I’m a sucker for strong bass, and with the additional support of spatial audio, these earbuds create a hell of a listening experience for an agreeable price. Add top-notch comfort and nearly identical feature sets across iOS and Android, and you’ve got a good excuse to never use regular AirPods again.

We’re now halfway through 2021 and I’d like to think this is the year we can somewhat comfortably use new tech outside of our homes. Rather than round up the best devices to help keep cabin fever at bay, we can finally highlight products meant for both the indoors and outdoors.

From a colorful desktop for your home office to a portable Bluetooth speaker that’s ideal for backyard reunions with loved ones, here is a list of the best gadgets of 2021 (so far).

Best desktop to brighten your work days

Apple 24-inch iMac

If you’re going to be stuck staring at a computer all day, it might as well be nice to look at. And what better than a stunning 24-inch iMac that comes in seven different colors? With a choice between blue, yellow, green, purple, orange, and silver, there’s something here to match all types of interior decor and personalities.

Powered by Apple’s M1 chip, the new iMac is a super-smooth workstation that doubles as an ideal entertainment system. It’s also compact and lightweight enough to carry from room to room or travel with on road trips. And its 1080p webcam is the cherry on top, upping the ante on your video call quality.

With a starting price of $1,299, it’s tough to find a reason not to buy such a fun desktop computer.

Best affordable earbuds for noisy commutes

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen)

If your weekdays consist of going to and from the office or classroom, your mornings probably aren’t as zen as they used to be. Whether you’re within walking distance from work or have to hop on a noisy bus, you won’t want to leave the house without a great pair of noise-cancelling earbuds.

Enter: Amazon’s Echo Buds. (The second-generation version, that is).

Compared to the first iteration, these Echo Buds are smaller, slimmer, and come with real active noise cancelation — as opposed to the “noise reduction” feature included with the first-generation effort.

While these aren’t the flashiest pair of buds (they’re actually really ugly), you can rest assured you’ll get the best bang for your buck. At $119, the Echo Buds offer great noise cancelation, solid sound quality, and feel comfortable to wear for hours at a time.

They also come with a variety of ear tips and wing tips in the box to fit ear canals both big and small.

Best streaming stick to watch box office hits

Roku Express 4K+

Don’t feel fully comfortable sitting in a packed movie theater yet? Well, that’s fine because you can recreate that cinematic viewing experience at home. If you’re on somewhat of a budget, you can snag a 4K TV for under $300 and pair it with the Roku Express 4K+ for only $40.

True to its name, the Express 4K+ has the ability to play 4K content at 60 frames per second, giving you impressive video quality for such an affordable, entry-level device. Sadly, there isn’t a lot of 4K content to choose from on streaming services, but you can find some options on HBO Max.

Best smartphone for all-day adventures

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Yes, Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra is the embodiment of absolute feature overkill in a smartphone. But it also takes excellent scenic photos thanks to a combination of its 108-megapixel main shooter and improved imaging software. The S21 Ultra captures really crisp, bright images that don’t look overly processed.

It also comes equipped with Samsung’s proprietary Space Zoom technology, allowing you to zoom in on a subject up to 100x. Even when taking shots that close up, the photo quality remains impressive.

And with a 5,000mAh battery, this phone will last you through an entire day of capturing content and then some.

Best Bluetooth speaker for beach days with friends

Sonos Roam

For most of us, it’s been a while since we’ve had to make small talk at public gatherings. So if you’re feeling a little social anxiety before that pool party or BBQ, the Sonos Roam Bluetooth speaker will make for excellent emotional support. Just put on a good playlist and feel the awkwardness in the atmosphere melt away.

The Roam’s portable and durable design makes it easy to throw into your tote bag or backpack to transport from spot to spot. It also links to over 100 streaming services, including Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, and Tidal, and provides really rich audio quality.

At $169, its price tag is a little steep, but its compact build and large catalogue of compatible streaming services make it worth the cost. Plus, we all know your friends are begging you stop bringing that cheap Bluetooth speaker from the drugstore to social gatherings anyway.

Roast Tinder bios that say “6’1″, since that matters” all you want, but a good portion of us are goddamn thankful for online dating.

Some still insist that online dating takes away from that raw conversation that can only be had in person. But if you think about it, online dating technically fosters many more face-to-face interactions with people that you probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. And let’s be real: As much as we all want a romance novel meet cute, they just don’t happen that often. And it doesn’t help that we’ve had a year-plus of isolation and social distancing thanks to the pandemic. At any rate, dating apps are a helpful step to mitigate the pressure of meeting someone new, especially for introverts or people following social distancing rules.

The modern serendipity that is coming across your soulmate out of millions of profiles is more likely than you think: Two Stanford sociologists found that online dating is officially the most popular way for U.S. couples to connect. The 2017 survey found that 39 percent of heterosexual couples and 60 percent of same-sex couples originally met online, beating the numbers of older, traditional methods like meeting through friends or at work or school.

Other recent studies about the types of connections being made deliver a swift blow to the antiquated arguments about online dating being solely rooted in superficial factors, like how hot someone’s profile picture is: People who meet online are more likely to be compatible and, if they decide to tie the knot, have a higher chance of a healthy marriage — that is, according to this study cited in the MIT Technology Review. Another Stanford study found that heterosexual couples who met online were quicker to get married than couples who met offline.

Of course, meeting online doesn’t guarantee that a couple won’t break up or that everyone with a profile is trying to move at that pace. No one is assuming online dating is the variable that guarantees riding off into the sunset. But research does suggest that people who are willing to put effort and honesty into compatibility tests and open-ended profile questions might be more ready to get serious.

The variety and quality of information on your profile matters

In many cases, the amount of information you can get from these detailed profiles is more than what would be covered in the “traditional” period of getting to know someone. The whole “do you want to have babies” thing is a huge piece of information that could decide your future with someone, but it’s very possible that such a weighty subject won’t be brought up until you’ve caught feelings or met their parents.

However, many dating sites ask about kids — whether you want them or already have them — during the sign-up process (as well as other potentially-awkward questions), and probably won’t match you with someone who has different goals than you do. Similarly, some of OkCupid’s matching is rooted in political and social justice views. Will you find out if someone keeps guns in the house or opposes vaccinations on the first date? Probably not, but OkCupid sure as hell won’t send you to get a beer with someone you’d start a fight with on Facebook.

Plus, it’s always nice when your current booty call doesn’t suck as a person. Even if you’re just in it for something frisky and fleeting, the personality you can gather from a simple bio or a few of Hinge’s ice breakers might let you know who’s worthy of your time — even if that time is strictly within “You up?” hours.

SEE ALSO: How to make your dating profile stand out

Julie Spira, dating expert and CEO of cyberdatingexpert.com, says it wasn’t always so easy to meet people online. She would know — she’s been helping clients find love online since 1994.

“People didn’t have mobile phones and laptops, and the process was people would go home, log on slowly, see who had written to them and write back,” she says. “The courtship process was a lot slower, so it took quite a while to get from the first interaction to actually going on a date. Plus in those days, there was a stigma associated with online dating. You did not tell people you met your spouse, or partner, or even a date online.”

The rhetoric has clearly come a long way since then, and the digital dating landscape has evolved with people’s changing needs. OkCupid realized that the way a potential match votes matters romantically to a lot of people. Women were tired of men blowing up their messages with creepy first-liners, so Bumble came along. On Coffee Meets Bagel, only people you’ve liked back can message you, and swiping through people won’t take up all your free time. “Tindering” is now a verb, but it’s far from your only option.

Online dating takes time and effort

If you’re lucky, you’ll find a perfect match right away, but that’s not usually how it works out. While you do know more about online matches than you would a stranger you met in person, there’s only so much a quick dating profile can tell you.

Dating sites and apps can make finding a compatible potential partner easier, but it’s still dating. Not everyone is going to be a gem. While apps like Bumble let you display what kind of relationship you’re looking for, others don’t, so you might end up going out with someone only to realize you’re not looking for the same thing.

That said, there will be people on dating sites who are looking for the same thing as you. And using a dating app to find them is a hell of a lot easier than going up to strangers on the street or in bars and asking if they’re looking for a relationship. Apps and dating websites expand your dating pool and allow you to meet people with similar interests you might not run into naturally in your everyday life. You just might need a little patience to find The One.

We haven’t reached full AI-based or gene matchmaking just yet, but many modern features facilitating more meaningful matches (or quicker, safer hookups) have sprung up even in the past five years. If you’re fed up with the dating site or app you use now or just don’t know where to start, check out our top picks for the dating sites and apps most worth your time:

False Positive is an imperfect movie worth watching.

Co-written by star Ilana Glazer and director John Lee, the newest horror title from A24 begins with a familiar premise. When hopeful parents-to-be Lucy (Glazer) and Adrian (Justin Theroux) seek the help of charming fertility specialist Dr. John Hindle (Pierce Brosnan), the couple experiences near-instant success — conceiving not one, but three children on their first attempt.

False Positive is an imperfect movie worth watching.

For Lucy, however, the joy of expecting soon gives way to an eerie sense that something isn’t right, and a thorny psychodrama between her, her doctor, and her husband starts to unfold. Speaking with a friend (Sophia Bush), Lucy confides, “They’re trying to make me think that I’m crazy” — but crazy about what, she isn’t so sure. The friend dismisses these suspicions as “mommy brain,” a patronizing refrain that dogs Lucy throughout her hellish ordeal to come.

Of course, this psychologically slippery territory was explored by Roman Polanski and Mia Farrow in the themes of Rosemary’s Baby decades ago, but those same ideas are updated here to reflect the increased complexity of modern motherhood. There’s the female-centric body horror you expect, including some spooky sonograms and tiny hands poking through Lucy womb, but also some mind-bending fuckery you really don’t see coming.

Take the film’s first dark turn. Upon discovering Lucy’s triple pregnancy, Dr. Hindle informs the parents that they should consider selective termination — a medical procedure by which the number of fetuses is reduced to avoid complications in labor. Lucy and Adrian are told to choose between their twin boys and their single girl, setting up not just a symbolic battle of the sexes among the would-be infants but spurring an intense clash between husband and wife.

Glazer and Theroux make these scenes come alive, with a punchy dynamic that helps their somewhat convoluted conflict feel real. Still, it’s the scenes with Brosnan that are the most memorable, with the former James Bond actor delivering a performance akin to Little Shop of Horrors’ sadistic dentist, but, y’know, more gynecological.

There’s the body horror you expect, and plenty of psychological fuckery you don’t.

Through sequences depicting everything from the sunshiny parenting trends shown on Instagram to the misogynistic power imbalances still plaguing women in the workplace and at the doctor’s office, False Positive assembles an intriguing deck of pregnancy-related scenes through the eyes of its heroine. Together, they form a unique mix of satire and scares that don’t make for an especially cohesive story or character, but effectively convey a feeling that’s apt for the frenetic discourse currently surrounding female bodily autonomy.

As the intensity of the emotionally-charged plot ratchets up and Lucy’s due date approaches, the logic of this narrative melts away to reveal a collection of oppressively cinematic moments that are as overwhelming to the viewer as they are to Lucy. Sussing out what’s real and what isn’t becomes increasingly difficult, and no amount of “ending explained” googling will make it all line up. In this way, False Positive is more akin to a Lars von Trier-esque dreamscape than a straightforward bout of pregnancy horror.

Still, the rage at the core of False Positive is resounding. You’ll be confused by the movie’s beats, but their collective argument that women are entitled to ownership of their bodies is clear. It’s a worthy message and a thought-provoking watch that rewards as much as it frustrates, creating fertile ground for personal reflection among its audience.

False Positive is now streaming on Hulu.

The truth remains out there.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence dropped the long-awaited UFO report Friday afternoon, and the 9-page unclassified document is sure to raise more questions than it answers. Titled “Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,” the report essentially throws up its hands and says that many of the unidentified aerial phenomena analyzed remain just that — unidentified.

The report breaks the different types of UAP (the government’s way of saying UFO) into five categories. The first, “Airborne Clutter,” is pretty much what’d you expect, and includes stuff like birds and balloons. The next, “Natural Atmospheric Phenomena,” covers things like ice crystals. The third category, “USG or Industry Developmental Programs,” is a fancy way of saying secret U.S. military planes and the like. The fourth, “Foreign Adversary Systems,” is meant to describe technologies developed by foreign governments such as Russia or China.

The final category, which is the most interesting for our purposes, is “Other.” It’s basically a catchall for what the experts at the DNI have no way of explaining.

“Although most of the UAP described in our dataset probably remain unidentified due to limited data or challenges to collection processing or analysis, we may require additional scientific knowledge to successfully collect on, analyze and characterize some of them,” reads the report. “We would group such objects in this category pending scientific advances that allowed us to better understand them.”

More plainly put, they have no idea what that stuff is and don’t have the tools to figure it out.

Oh, and in what has to be the least surprising aspect of the report, it says that “a more sophisticated analysis of UAP that is likely to deepen our understanding […] would require additional investment.”

In other words, the DNI is saying if you really want to get to the bottom of this whole UFO thing, you’re probably going to need to throw some more money at it.

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The renewed interest in UFO sightings kicked off in April of 2020 when the Pentagon released footage of a UAP. Since then, the broader public has begun to take pilots and experts who claim to have seen UAP more seriously.

And Friday’s report doesn’t dismiss those sightings out of hand, stating that 18 of the UAP studied “Appear to Demonstrate Advanced Technology.”

Unfortunately for all those hoping to be spirited off this warming planet, that advanced tech is still very much unidentified and not on its way to pick them up.

Researchers from UT Health San Antonio developed a new science-based hiccup intervention that uses suction and swallowing to stop hiccups in their tracks.

As a wise man once said: “For most of us, the dream of becoming a champion remains a fantasy. But for a special few, it is very much a reality. We cheer them. We live through them. Athletes are our last warriors.”

Sports movies can be a lot of things, but they’re all bound together by a shared interest in shining a light on human greatness. The “special few” who reach the pinnacle of their athletic potential often live out amazing stories simply as a byproduct of their arduous journey.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, big laughs, taut drama, or plain old knowledge, Hulu’s slim-but-mighty lineup of sports movies has you covered. Here are our favorites.

1. The Sandlot (1993)

Some would argue that Field of Dreams is the greatest baseball movie ever made. The response I always have at the ready is: Don’t forget about The Sandlot.

Director and co-writer David Mickey Evans’ 1993 film is really just a story about neighborhood kids who play baseball together. But that simple premise belies the glorious adventure that awaits as the ensemble cast of kid players faces off against lost balls, other kids who want to claim the movie’s eponymous playing field, girls, and beastly dogs in the summer of 1962. The Sandlot is and always will be the best baseball movie. For-ev-er.

How to watch: The Sandlot is now streaming on Hulu.

2. Bring It On (2000)

It’s a modern-day classic for a reason: This teen comedy about competing cheer squads is sneakily a perceptive film about privilege and race and inequality. It’s also really, really smart and funny. The cheers are catchy and classic; Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union rule; and the early 2000s clothes and jargon are perfection. Gather up your friends and let the jazz hands and perfect opening moments overtake you. Cheer-ocracies forever. —Erin Strecker, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Bring It On is now streaming on Hulu.

3. Angels in the Outfield (1994)

It’s hard to compete with The Sandlot, but Angels in the Outfield comes close.

Director William Dear’s heartwarming story, from writer Holly Goldberg Sloan and loosely based on a 1951 film with the same name, is a true classic. It’s about a young foster child named Roger Bomman who prays for the last-place Anaheim Angels to win after his biodad tells him that’s what it’ll take to get their family back together. When the prayer works and Roger sees actual angels help the team win, he ends up joining the team as their good luck charm. But restoring his lost family might not be so easy.

Angels in the Outfield is a delightful and family-friendly comedy-drama from Walt Disney Pictures, but it’s mostly the stellar cast that keeps it alive in 2021. You’ve got an ensemble of stars that includes a very young Joseph Gordon-Levitt, along with Danny Glover, Christopher Lloyd, and Tony Danza. Matthew McConaughey and Adrien Brody, early in their respective careers, also pop up in small roles.

How to watch: Angels in the Outfield is now streaming on Hulu.

4. Fighting With My Family (2019)

Fighting With My Family combines two time-tested formulas, the underdog sports biopic and the quirky family dramedy, with results so satisfying, it might turn you into a pro wrestling fan even if you weren’t one before.

Florence Pugh shines as real-life WWE wrestler Paige, whose journey from scrappy dreamer to world-famous superstar makes up the meat of the plot — but it’s her endearingly eccentric wrestling-obsessed family, played by Nick Frost, Lena Headey, and Jack Lowden, who really kick this crowd-pleaser up a notch. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you might grumble that none of this is how pro wrestling really works, but you’ll come away delighted all the same.

How to watch: Fighting With My Family is now streaming on Hulu.

5. The Hustler (1961)

Filmmaker Robert Rossen’s 1961 drama stars Paul Newman as “Fast” Eddie Felson, a small-time pool shark who dreams of hitting it big. He gets that chance one day when he faces off against the legendary pool player Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). But when a series of escalating bets eventually turns against Eddie, he’s left almost broke and facing a grim path to getting another shot.

There’s a powerhouse cast here that, in addition to Newman and Gleason, also features Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, and Myron McCormick. The Hustler is an important work that’s been preserved by the Library of Congress. It was also followed by a 1986 sequel, The Color of Money, directed by Martin Scorsese.

How to watch: The Hustler is now streaming on Hulu.

6. Hoosiers (1986)

There are countless sports movies about a washed up coach or manager getting another shot to answer their life’s calling, and Hoosiers is perhaps the most famous of them all. Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale, a former college basketball coach who lost his job after making a terrible mistake.

That’s how he ends up teaching high school and coaching its small, questionably talented team. But Norman’s past struggles with anger and impulse control crop up as he works to train up the team, leaving him on the outs with the basketball-obsessed Indiana community. Also starring Barbara Hershey and Dennis Hopper, Hoosiers is another Library of Congress-certified cinema classic.

How to watch: Hoosiers is now streaming on Hulu.

7. Blue Chips (1994)

Blue Chips is something of a curiosity. Directed by William Friedkin, best known for The Exorcist, and written by Ron Shelton, the writer and director of White Men Can’t Jump, you’d think the movie can’t miss. Especially with a cast that includes Nick Nolte, Mary McDonnell, Ed O’Neill, Alfre Woodard, and Shaquille O’Neal, with additional appearances from basketball personalities like Bobby Knight and Dick Vitale.

Alas, Blue Chips was not particularly well-received upon release. The story of Nolte’s hard-driving coach was deemed overly preachy and lacking in the excitement that makes for a good basketball (or sports) movie. It’s an interesting relic from the past nonetheless, and the poster advertising “NOLTE / O’NEAL” in big, block, all-caps letters speaks to the historic nature of the assembled cast of this 1994 movie.

How to watch: Blue Chips is now streaming on Hulu.

8. Soul on Ice (2016)

Damon Kwame Mason’s 2016 crowdfunded documentary, Soul on Ice: Past, Present, & Future swings across a wide arc of history. It’s a comprehensive look at the history of Black ice hockey players, introducing the Colored Hockey League, an all-Black league whose existence predates even the National Hockey League.

Mason takes viewers on a journey through time, charting a path from the CHL to players like Herb Carnegie, who turned down offers from the New York Rangers in 1948 that would have made him the first Black NHL player, and Willie O’Ree, the actual first Black NHL player (his story is wild, too), and then on to the modern era with players like Grant Fuhr, Wayne Simmonds, and Joel Ward. The heart of the documentary also represents a peek into hockey’s future, with an overarching focus on the then-prospect Jaden Lindo.

How to watch: Soul on Ice is now streaming on Hulu.