Review: Sony’s MHC-V13 is the Perfect Party Speaker by William Goodman

Remember parties? COVID-19 has undoubtedly put a damper on large social gatherings, but I can’t stop fondly reflecting on times when we could come together and celebrate something or share good times with even better friends. It won’t be like this forever, though, and Sony’s new MHC-V13 High Power Audio Speaker System is a crucial reminder of this fact.

At about 24 inches high, 13 inches wide and 12 inches deep, with a weight of just under 25 pounds, the V13 looks a bit like a large subwoofer that’s way easier to move around (thanks to its durable handle.) Unlike a sub, however, the V13 has five speakers: two high-efficient Tweeters for the upper and treble range to provide clear audio, two bass boosters at the bottom to channel the deep base of the lower range, and a central speaker for the middle range. All of these choices are made in service of really focusing on the audio experience. Your favorite song will reach wider and higher out of the unit, filling any space nicely.

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Review: The Wolf Gourmet Coffee Maker May Just Be the Best Drip Coffee Maker of All Time by William Goodman

I, regretfully, am a coffee snob. Whether it’s the actual coffee itself or the method in which its brewed, my palette has been conditioned over the last decade to enjoy pour-over coffee with the finest whole bean coffee. Those beans are ground seconds before the water hits them and are stored in vacuumed-sealed containers to ensure freshness. Every single step is as high-end as I can replicate in my own home.

Overlong backstory aside, I preface this to say: finding an automatic coffee maker that’s capable of providing a taste reflective of the palette I’ve developed is often tricky. (Don’t even get me started on Keurig coffee makers.) However, far and way, the Wolf Gourmet Automatic Drip Coffee Maker (Wolf sent us a version of the coffee maker to test) quickly satisfied this coffee snob in pretty much every single way.

While it’s hard to beat a pour-over coffee brewed to perfection, the Wolf comes pretty close, and providing that level of quality in a 10-cup pot isn’t easy. In fact, this may just be the best drip coffee maker for sale in 2020.

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Eddie Bauer Celebrates 100th Anniversary With a Stylish New Jacket (And It’s Going To Sell Out Fast) by William Goodman

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Before there was Patagonia or The North Face, Eddie Bauer reigned supreme. The outdoor brand started back in 1920, in Seattle, Washington, by the titular Mr. Bauer himself with a specific wrinkle. See, about half the year was spent running the actual shop, and the other half was spent outdoors developing, testing, and refining the very same gear and clothes he’d sell in his shop, which is how the Skyliner Jacket was born.

Legend has it Bauer was out in the Washington woods and developed a nasty case of hypothermia on a fishing trip. Understandably, after the trip, he looked to find a clothing solution that would let him fish in peace (no matter the weather) without also actively putting himself in danger. Out of this whole (terrifying!) ordeal came the first US-patented down jacket, the aforementioned Skyliner. Now, 100 years after that fateful fishing trip, the Skyliner is back and better than ever.

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These 7 Stair Steppers Will Take Your Exercise Routine to New Heights by William Goodman

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Sure, running is great cardio, but now and again, it’s nice to change up how you exercise. But how do you find a way to change things up, while still managing to effectively get a fantastic workout? Making that shift is easier than you might think thanks to stair steppers.

If you’re somehow not familiar, stair stepper machines are built to help you exercise through stepping. An inherently functional exercise, using a stepper will help work multiple muscle groups at once by targeting all parts of your lower body, including calves, hamstrings, quads, and more — all in a low impact way that won’t put a strain on your body, in the same way, running might.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up seven of the best stair steppers around to help you step up your exercise routine —our picks, below.

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'The Social Network' Tried to Warn Us by William Goodman

This article originally appeared on Complex.com

Making a movie about Facebook seemed like a baffling choice in 2010. A decade ago, the social media platform was in its halcyon days, a few years out from moving past its invite-only exclusivity, CEO Mark Zuckerberg focused on leveraging his website as the way to connect people across the globe. It was a site for people to stay in touch, share photos, relive moments, figure out if that person in your chemistry class was dating someone, talk about your day, and more. Facebook was, in a sense, pure—insofar as the Internet can be pure. It was hard to comprehend what a “Facebook movie” might even look like, let alone who would write, direct, and star in such a project.

Those concerns seem quaint now. A full decade out from its initial release, The Social Network not only continues to hold but somehow becomes even better with age. The David Fincher-directed, Aaron Sorkin-scripted, Jesse Eisenberg-, Andrew Garfield-, Justin Timberlake-, and Armie Hammer-starring film is a Shakespearian look at friendship, loyalty, jealousy, class, betrayal, power, creation, the desire for connection, and so much more. In my estimation, the movie is a masterpiece and the defining cinematic work of the last decade, offering a prescient look into the future of American society.

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Here Are the 15 Best Drinking Games to Play At Your Next Party by William Goodman

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Drinking and games are fun on their own, but putting them together (in a responsible fashion!) is a great way to elevate your night or day. But as much as we love a good game of Beer Pong, at some point or another, you’re going to need a few more games in your rotation to spice things up a bit. After all, variety is the spice of life.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up 15 of the best drinking games for you to break out during your next party. We’ve given you the rules and regulations of each game, so all you’ll need to do is stock up on the supplies needed to get your game on — but we’ve also included places where you can do that too. So get your game face on and get ready to have a blast.

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These 13 Survival Knives Will Help You Prepare for the Outdoors’ Worst by William Goodman

Whether it’s going out for a day hike or a full trek of the Appalachian Trail, having a solid knife with you is absolutely essential. After all, there’s no telling what may befall of you on an outdoor adventure, so it’s absolutely better to be safe than sorry. We’ve covered survival gear before, but there are few pieces of outdoor gear more critical than a survival knife.

Knives are essential tools for helping you with all kinds of outdoor tasks including cutting rope, branchesstarting fires, and more. They’re also helpful to have as a defensive tool, should it ever come down to it. More than anything else, it’s just a functional tool that will serve you well time and time again as you go hiking and camping.

Hopefully, you’ll never be in a position where you need a survival knife to survive. But should that situation arrive, you’ll be set with one of these 13 great picks. Our selections, below.

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What 'Tenet' Taught Us About Moviegoing During a Pandemic by William Goodman

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This article originally appeared on Complex.com

Tenet was supposed to be the chosen one. After months without a new theatrical release due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Christopher Nolan’s latest and greatest was the foundation upon which the future hopes and dreams of the theatrical experience were built. Not unlike Steven Spielberg or Quentin Tarantino, Nolan himself is a brand; a household name studios like Warner Bros. can leverage to draw moviegoers—both casual and hardcore—to theaters to great financial success. It was a smart business strategy to have a known quantity like Nolan and Tenet be the movie to open back up theaters (which is why it was delayed many times). The marketing wrote itself: Big movies are back! It’s safe to return to theaters! See Nolan’s film the way it was meant to be seen! Or so we thought.

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