Author: Awais

Key Takeaways Ina Garten’s French Chocolate Bark turns simple chocolate into an elegant, festive homemade treat. Combining semisweet and bittersweet chocolate — plus nuts and dried fruit — gives a perfectly balanced, rich flavor. I would have made Ina Garten’s French Chocolate Bark even if the instructions read, “Sprinkle in little bits of paper and scented erasers.” The Ina hype is real. Everything turns out better than I imagine, with less effort than I expect. And even though the “French” and “bark” terminology skews a little pinkies-out, the part where you nuke the chocolate in the microwave tells me this…

I love my morning coffee and I love the holidays. It’s only natural that I should love any instance where the two converge. Keurig K-Cups come in a flurry of seasonal flavors but after testing more than 30, it’s clear that not all winter and holiday K-Cups are created equal. Some were great, while others were a little cloying, but most were drinkable and proved an easy way to inject these cold mornings with some festive flair. Below you’ll find my rankings and a definitive list of the best holiday and seasonal K-Cups for 2025.  I brewed all the holiday coffee pods to find…

Google has developed Android for the past two decades, and it’s hard to separate the technology giant from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). While the AOSP is technically free and open-source, as the name suggests, it’s very dependent on Google services. Android uses various APIs, the Google Play Store, and Google Play Services by default, which all give Google a level of control over Android ROMs. Only a select few ROMs take extreme measures to provide a “deGoogled” Android experience, including Murena’s /e/OS. I’ve been using /e/OS on my Fairphone 6 review loaner provided by Murena, and it’s a…

C’est chic as hell! You have to proof these for six or so hours before baking, but the result is a super flaky, sugar-dusted croissant nest I can’t easily find elsewhere.property of Trader Joe’s CompanyGoofy and a good time. Do you have to add your own powdered sugar to complete the funnel cake fantasy? Yes, but you can handle that. Put out a communal plate of these dessert fries at your next party, book club, seance, etc., and watch the mood, or shall I say spirits, lift. These are not of this world, but the next.Best New DrinksSparkling Matcha LemonadeJust…

Between all the new phones, smartwatches, and laptops we see throughout the year, it often feels like we’re constantly being nudged toward shinier, more expensive gadgets. And I get it. As a self-professed gadget nerd, few things are more exciting than unboxing and setting up a new device.But the truth is, you can still find plenty of great gifts for under $100. I use the Leatherman Free T4 every day, while Donkey Kong Bananza has provided me (and other Verge staffers) with hours of entertainment. If someone in your life loves the satisfaction of building and has shelves full of…

Microsoft is working on a useful upgrade for Phone Link that fixes one of the most annoying parts of streaming Android apps on Windows 11. A new expanded view option lets you stretch Android apps beyond the cramped, phone-sized window that users have been stuck with for years. It is rolling out in the latest Phone Link update (version 1.25112.33.0) and is meant to make apps look more natural on larger monitors. What expanded view actually does Phone Link has always streamed Android apps in a narrow portrait layout that mimics your phone, no matter how big your PC display…

Why It Works Using freshly grated ginger from a mature, plump root—rather than from a very young or older, shriveled one—ensures a substantial amount of zingibain, the enzyme that helps set the milk curd. Heating the milk to 170 to 175°F (77 to 79°C) guarantees it’s at the optimal temperature when mixed with the ginger juice, triggering the chemical reaction that sets the milk into a curd.Warming the ramekin with hot water and drying it just before use minimizes the temperature drop that occurs when the heated milk is poured in, further ensuring that the chemical reaction occurs. When I was…

Many people struggle finding perfect Christmas and holiday gifts for kids. Finding the right gift for kids is all about choosing toys that spark creativity, keep their minds engaged, and their young hands busy long after the wrapping paper is gone. Our Christmas 2025 picks deliver big on fun, imagination, and skill-building so kids will actually use them all year long. BONUS! Our 2025 holiday gifts for kids are affordable and don’t require any smartphone play.Spin Art Made Easy and Mess-Free with Crayola Colour Whirls Arena If your kids love arts and crafts, then this Christmas gift for kids is…

While Netflix is busy pumping out more series than any one person could watch (probably), some of the best shows are on Amazon Prime Video. Trouble is, navigating the service’s labyrinthine menus can make finding the right series a pain. We’re here to help. Below are our favorite Amazon series—all included with your Prime subscription.For more viewing picks, read WIRED’s guide to the best movies on Amazon Prime, the best movies on HBO’s Max, and the best movies on Netflix.If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.The…

FEVM FAEX1 mini PC features a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 CPU with 16 coresMemory is soldered LPDDR5X-8533, available in 64 or 128GBStorage includes three PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 slots with OCuLink 4i supportFEVM has introduced the FAEX1, a 1-liter mini PC built around AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 ‘Strix Halo’ processor.The system packs sixteen CPU cores and thirty-two threads into a small 220 x 133 x 35mm chassis and supports up to 128GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory.Despite the compact size, the FAEX1 is designed to deliver GPU performance on a par with mobile-class 5060-series graphics, making it a rare option for…