5 Smart Air Conditioners That Allow You to Cool Down the House Before You Even Arrive Home

It seems each summer has become more brutal than the last, as the heat seemingly continues to get worse and worse with little relief in sight. In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says July was the hottest month ever — ever! — on earth. Without an air conditioner, an unbearable time of year can become downright uninhabitable if your current unit isn’t up to par. For those of us that aren’t lucky enough to have central air, portable and/or window air conditioner units are our best friends — but what if they could work smarter?

Just like most of our other modern day appliances, manufacturers have started to incorporate smart technology into A/C units as well. Advances in bluetooth and mobile apps have made it so that you’re just a tap away from being able to have full control over every aspect of your cooling experience, no matter where you are, making it even easier to cool down and relax once you’re out of the heat. Whether you’re in the market for a brand new unit or are just ready for an upgrade, we’ve rounded up five of the best smart air conditioners for you, below. Pair them with your phone (to, say, cool down the house before you come home) or turn on one the units’ smart settings to make sure you’re cool and comfortable when you’re home, and saving energy when you leave for the day.

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8 Best Hiking Shorts to Wear With Features Like Cargo Pockets and SPF Protection

Hiking requires its own specialized wardrobe. When it comes to gear, while hiking boots are critical (nothing worse than blisters and sore feet) the actual clothing you’re wearing can make just as much of a difference in the overall enjoyment of your hike.

When it comes to hiking shorts, you’ll want to look for the same thing you’d look for in a good pair of exercise shorts: Comfort and durability are absolutely key, as well as something that will wick moisture away from your body to keep you cool as you work up a sweat. But unlike those athletic shorts, you might want to get a longer inseam in order to better protect your skin from not only twigs and branches, but from the sun as well. Furthermore, extra cargo pockets can help hold your phone, trail mix, wallet, or any number of other random things so you can just focus on your surroundings.

Whether it’s for a quick afternoon trek or preparation for Appalachian Trail thru-hike, make sure you’re prepared with a quality pair of hiking shorts. We’ve got you covered, with eight of the best hiking shorts you can get online.

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10 Pairs of Men’s Walking Shoes to Help You Put One Foot in Front of the Other

Whether you’re on a vacation or just really like to get your steps in, sometimes having a regular sneaker doesn’t cut it. While shoes that lack in arch support and comfort have their time and place, every once and a while you need something that’s has more structure and stability to it.

Enter: walking shoes. Many shoes now are actively built and designed with sturdy, stable footbeds to fight conditions like overpronation (putting too much weight on the interior of your foot) and supination (too much weight on the outside of your foot). The goal here is to cradle your foot to keep it from rocking around too much, while still providing comfort. You don’t want to feel like your foot is in a vice grip, but you also don’t want it to feel like it’s swimming in your shoe, either. And while you may think walking shoes and imagine chunky sneakers of yesteryear, walking shoes have evolved. The incorporation of new tech makes these shoes look less like like moon boots and more like cool sneakers you’ll actually want to wear after you’re done prodding along. That new tech goes a long way to making the shoes lighter and more comfortable, without giving up the support that you may need.

So don’t feel like you’re going to have look like your dad–or maybe even your dad’s dad–in order to get the comfort you need. Here are 10 of our favorites to help up your step count.

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Elevate Your Internet Experience With the 6 Best WiFi Routers to Buy Right Now

With the rise of streaming, online gaming and all the bevy of devices that we use throughout the course of a day, it’s easy to forget about the thing that makes it all possible: a router. There’s a good chance you haven’t thought about upgrading yours in a while. But as technology around all of the devices you love has evolved, so have routers. Now, more than ever, they’re more equipped to handle everything you throw at them, with the ability to scale your network coverage depending on your needs. Check out our six favorites to help you with your coverage needs.

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The Search is Over, Here are the 8 Best Laptops for College Students

There are so many things that go into the process of shopping for that first year of college, it can feel overwhelming. Each little decision comes with a bevy of selections that stress even the most informed consumers. While every student needs a laptop, it shouldn’t be a decision that rivals trying to figure out which school to attend. CPU, RAM, GB–you want to make sure you’re investing in a computer that will hold up all four years.

For these reasons, we’ve taken out some of the hassle for you. A laptop is a laptop and will accomplish most things a student needs (writing papers, browsing the Internet for research–or for wasting time online), but we’ve identified a number of computers that will do all of that well, and last a typical four-year college career.

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The 8 Best Running Headphones of 2019 to Buy Now

The act of running, for many, is a solitary experience. It’s a chance to let all the stress of the day melt away and just focus on quite literally putting one foot in front of the other. So the last thing you want to have to worry about is whether or not your headphones are going be able to keep up.

Fortunately, brands have known this and have started to ensure that they’re coming to table with plenty of solutions. Bluetooth devices are more prevalent and cost-effective than ever before, so now it just comes down to finding a version that will work for your personal preference. The picks we’ve selected below come in every flavor imaginable: over-the-ear, in-ear, necklace, true wireless–there’s something for just about everyone’s preferred style. All that’s left is for you to hit the road.

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7 of 2019’s Best Chromebooks to Help You Get Work Done Fast

Harder, better, faster, stronger isn’t just a great Daft Punk song or Kanye West sample, it’s arguably our 21st Century philosophy distilled down into a catchy little earworm. We’re all looking for solutions that can continue to help us do our work faster and better, which is exactly what Google has done with Chrome OS/Chromebooks. For those unaware, a Chromebook is a portable, light, long-lasting and fast laptop that’s primarily cloud-based and takes advantage of Google’s office products like Google Docs, Google Sheets, etc. That primarily cloud-based system means you don’t have a traditional hard drive to contend with: this helps to cut down not only boot-up times (most Chromebooks load in seconds, not minutes), but weight of the computer itself too. This helps with portability, making it so that a Chromebook is easy to toss in your work bag and keep it there should anything pressing arise–or to keep at home as a secondary laptop away from the office. And, god forbid, you should drop one or it should break, that cloud-based system means that everything is stored online, so you won’t lose files even if you lose your Chromebook.

While the tech was initially pretty limited, Chromebooks have come a long way since their introduction. So whether you’ve been eyeing one for a while or are brand new to them, there’s a good chance there’s something for everyone’s work and play style. Check out the seven best Chromebooks and get ready to fly through whatever you need to get done.

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The 5 Best Shave Clubs to Help You Look Your Best

Founding father Benjamin Franklin once said that the only things that were certain were death and taxes. While that axiom is still true today, we’d like to think there’s a little wiggle room to include shaving in that list. Even if you’re trying to grow a beard that would envy that of Rip Van Winkle, you’ll probably have to shave at some point or another. So when that moment arises, why waste time going to the drug store to pick up–and probably overpay–on a razor and shaving cream when you can just have it all sent to you?

Enter: Shave clubs. By providing a subscription service that mails you new razors each month, shave clubs eliminate all the hassle of that drug store experience, so you can just, you know, shave. To that end, many clubs now can even send you pre-and post-shaving balms, facial moisturizers and more depending on what you need, all focused on ease of use. But we’re taking an easy process and making it even easier. By rounding up five of the top shaving clubs available, all that’s left is for you to focus on getting your best shave possible. Our picks, below.

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