Ben Frumin
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Articles by Ben Frumin
Real Dads on the Best Father’s Day Gifts They’ve Ever Received
Additional reading No matter what your dad is into — books, music, games, the outdoors, or all of the above — we have a gift that is sure to scratch the itch. We have dozens of gifts at dozens of prices to please even the hardest-to-shop-for dads in your life. We uploaded hundreds of photos and placed nearly four-dozen orders to find eight outstanding photo-gift services that are certain to delight and dazzle.
Real Dads on the Best Father’s Day Gifts They’ve Ever Received
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Listen and follow The Wirecutter Show Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio Father’s Day is Sunday, June 21, and if you're stuck for ideas, Wirecutter’s dads and gift experts are here to help. We asked the dads on our staff to share the gifts they actually loved … Wirecutter - By Christine Cyr Clisset, Abigail Keel, Ben Frumin, Grant Clauser, Dave Yager-Reisen, Harry Sawyers, Samantha Schoech, Liam McCabe, Thom Dunn, and Hannah Morrill • 34m Read more on nytimes.com
By Christine Cyr Clisset Verified, Abigail Keel Verified, Ben Frumin Verified, Grant Clauser Verified, Dave Yager-Reisen, Harry Sawyers Verified, Samantha Schoech Verified, Liam McCabe Verified, Thom Dunn Verified, Hannah Morrill Verified
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Flipboard
The $17 Duck Lamp That Won Over Wirecutter
Let me tell you about my favorite Wirecutter pick. It’s a lamp, I guess. A serviceable tablet stand, too, I suppose.
Create Your Wordle Puzzle is here to share
You can now share your own Wordle puzzles. The new Create Your Wordle Puzzle feature lets you turn inside jokes, special moments, or personal messages into custom challenges for friends and family – a fresh new way to connect through the game you love, one special word at a time. All Access and Games subscribers can use a creation tool to enter a 4-7 letter solution, a ‘created by’ name, and an optional clue.
‘Wordle’ Just Got A Massive Update, And It’s Really Fun
Wordle just expanded in a major way. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Not much has changed with the NYT Games app’s popular word-puzzle game, Wordle, since it joined the newspaper’s online slate of games back in 2022. Some words were edited out of the list and the design was spruced up, but other than that it’s been basically the same old, same old ever since. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course.
Emergency Prep Isn’t Just for “Preppers”
In this edition of The Recommendation, our editor-in-chief discusses why everyone, to some extent, should prepare for natural disasters. Plus: a few simple ways to get started. It’s all too easy to procrastinate on preparing for a potential disaster, telling yourself it won’t happen to you. For years, I was guilty of this, convincing myself that the cost and effort of preparing — what a chore! — wasn’t worth it.
Wirecutter hires new creative director - Editor and Publisher
Cliff Levy and I are delighted to announce that John Torres is joining Wirecutter as our new creative director — the outcome of an extensive and thoughtful process to identify a visionary creative leader who would be charged with overseeing our holistic approach to breakthrough visual storytelling. Wirecutter has huge ambitions. But to achieve them, we must evolve, and mean more to more people, in more places and ways.
My Third Grader Cuts My Hair (Well!) With These $30 Clippers Original
I haven’t gone to the barbershop in nearly a year. Instead, my daughter has been my exclusive hairstylist. I know it’s immodest and borderline unseemly to brag about your kids, not to mention your own appearance. But here I go: My daughter does an excellent job. And my hair looks great. She also just turned 9. She’s a talented kid, no doubt—artistic, stylish, and vastly cooler than me. But her haircutting prowess, I must admit, can’t be solely chalked up to her burgeoning skills as a barber.
Even If My Blue-Light Blocking Glasses Are a Placebo, I at Least Like How They Look Original
I went through a phase in high school where, despite having perfect vision, I wore black plastic glasses frames with no lenses. I didn’t actually need glasses. But I somehow thought wearing lensless glasses made me look cool. (Oh, the folly of youth.) Ironic comeuppance soon prevailed, because just a few years later, when I started staring at a computer screen for several hours a day at one of my first newspaper jobs, my eyes began hurting. I went to an eye doctor.
The Wirecutter Show Episode 16: Last-Minute Thanksgiving Tips
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Listen and follow The Wirecutter Show Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio | Other platforms Thanksgiving is (almost) here, and this week Wirecutter experts share their best last-minute tips to make your holiday a success.
By Christine Cyr Clisset Verified, Caira Blackwell Verified, Rosie Guerin Verified, Abigail Keel Verified, Hannah Morrill Verified, Rose Maura Lorre Verified, Lee Neikirk Verified, Lauren Dragan Verified, Ellen Airhart, James Austin Verified, Phil Ryan Verified, Michael Sullivan Verified, Ben Frumin Verified
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Wirecutter
Verified
I Hated and Feared Car Seats. Then I Fell for This Fantastic Booster. Original
I spent years fearing—and being frustrated by—my kids’ car seats. Installation was complicated and exasperating. I’d find myself straddling an infant or convertible car seat in a muscle-straining quasi-split, wrenching the car’s seat belt with one hand while trying to nimbly thread the other end through the finicky slots of the car seat with my other hand. I was very bad at it. And so I would often be sweating. And swearing.
I Love This Alarm Clock-Even Though I’ve Never Used the Alarm Original
I don’t need a standalone alarm clock to get up in the morning. I simply use my iPhone’s alarm, which has served me well for years. But in the middle of the night, I don’t want to check the time on my iPhone. I need an actual clock, one that won’t startle me awake with blaringly bright light or tempt me to think about anything other than getting back to sleep. I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night for decades. And like so many of us, I’d come to rely on my phone as my primary time-teller.
The New York Times: A new editorial director joins Wirecutter - Editor and Publisher
I’m delighted to announce that Leta Shy is joining Wirecutter as an editorial director! Leta is an exceptionally talented editorial leader. She has had a long and decorated career as a health and fitness journalist, including at Condé Nast, where she had a seven-year run at SELF that culminated in her ascension to editor-in-chief. She’s also the rare journalistic leader who has held executive-level jobs on the business side.
Tendenci@s #95: Chartbeat analiza cómo se generan páginas vistas en los medios · 'El País' supera los 350.000 suscriptores y 'Expansión' los 80.000 · Oportunidades y recursos
PATROCINADO por TQCorp Media ATLAS es el CMS desarrollado por la compañía TQCorp Media ideado exclusivamente para medios informativos digitales. ATLAS está optimizado tanto para el trabajo de los periodistas como para el SEO orgánico. Además, el equipo de ATLAS ayuda específicamente a mejorar la presencia de los contenidos del medio en Google Discover. Principales características: ‘Discover friendly’: Uno de los medios que usa ATLAS, E-Notícies, logró multiplicar por 50 el tráfico de Discover.
New editorial leadership team announced for Wirecutter - Editor and Publisher
I come bearing good news! Wirecutter’s editorial team has expanded and evolved tremendously over the last five years. We’ve added nearly 50 journalists. Our audience has tripled. We’ve stepped into several new categories, expanded many existing ones, become far more rigorous and intentional in keeping our catalog up to date, and experimented with all kinds of new journalistic initiatives and adventures. And there’s much more to come as we continue to grow and innovate in 2024 and beyond.
Our Favorite Digital Photo Frame Will Sprinkle Your Life With Serendipitous Joy
A great digital photo frame powders your life with daily dashes of serendipitous sweetness. Every time you walk by or glance over, you’re greeted with a memory—delightful, tender, joyous, riotous, or even wistful. A digital photo frame is a wonderfully automated remembrance of things past. And the Aura Carver—the top pick in our guide to the best digital photo frames—is exceptionally simple to use, and it has a vivid display and stylish design.
Our Favorite Holiday Photo Card Service Makes It a Breeze to Send Season’s Greetings
Holiday cards are a beautiful anachronism. Our world is clogged with a surfeit of instant, commoditized, and nearly indistinguishable digital images. Receiving a card — Printed on actual paper! Delivered by an actual person! — with a few lovingly curated family photos is an old-fashioned delight. And the effort that this very manual and material act seems to require makes receiving a physical card evermore special. But I have a secret for you: It’s actually not hard.
This Fake Christmas Tree Is Beautiful, Simple, and a Great Value. It’s Been Our Pick Since 2016.
If I had my druthers, I would leave my Christmas tree up all year. Don’t @ me. But alas, I cannot — at least not without my family revolting. They have, however, graciously permitted me to set up our tree as soon as Halloween’s over so long as I put it away by New Year’s. And so I need a tree that’s easy to get into the house, set up, and get out of the house and stored in the garage once Christmas is over. In my experience, an artificial Christmas tree is a vastly preferable option to a real tree.
These Long-Lasting Adjustable Dumbbells Have Been a Wirecutter Pick Since 2016. Here’s Why.
The Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells can almost replace a gym membership … almost. I’ve been using the same set of Bowflex dumbbells roughly twice a week since early 2014. They look and work as well as the day I got them—even after hundreds of weight-lifting sessions, hundreds of thousands of reps, and more than a few accidentally too-hard drops onto the floor.
Backyard Bounce Houses Seem Like Cheesy Monstrosities. But They’re Actually Great.
Somehow, some way, I became the owner of not one but two backyard bounce houses. And it is with a strange mixture of consternation and disbelief that I must admit: They are fantastic. What’s so great about a backyard bounce house? Well, anytime we have a backyard BBQ or playdate, we have a safe-ish space for the kids to soar and stomp and spring with an exhilaration both joyful and mildly violent. The kids love it. The grown-ups love that the kids love it. Everyone wins.
The Memory-Jogging Joy of Making an Annual Photo Book of My Kids
My iPhone is a sinkhole, swallowing up tens of thousands of photographs into a digital morass of unfindable, forgotten memories. Every year I take countless photographs (mostly of my undeniably adorable children). Each photo is a precious moment that, when captured by my iPhone’s camera, I’m positive I will cherish forever. But I don’t. I rarely revisit these digital photos. Thankfully, I have a solution.
This Laptop Stand is a Tiny Tweak That Will Save Your Neck
We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more› Illustration: Dana Davis / Photo: Michael Murtaugh By Ben Frumin Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. He leads a team of more than 150 journalists who independently test thousands of products each year. When I found myself suddenly working from home every day in March 2020, I assumed with foolish optimism that it was an ephemeral situation.
Why We Love the UE Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth Speaker
The UE Wonderboom 2 Bluetooth speaker has quickly become one of my family’s most-used gadgets. It has enabled me to chill to Miles Davis as we roast marshmallows around the firepit in our backyard. It allows me to fill my basement gym with Ezra Klein’s intellectual insights (yes, I often lift weights to the not-so-soothing sounds of wonky podcasts). And this speaker rocked Disney hits at my son’s third birthday.
Why a Backyard Bounce House Is the Perfect Gift for Kids Stuck at Home
When my sister-in-law bought my kids a giant inflatable Little Tikes Jump ’n Slide Bouncer for Christmas, my wife and I reacted with a mix of incredulity and mild annoyance. “This looks like a gigantic pain in the ass,” I thought. I was wrong. While we’ve been stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic, the bounce house has proven to be a godsend. My kids, 4 and 2, have been cooped up at home with no school, playgrounds, or friends for nearly three months. They are crawling out of their skin.
Why a Backyard Bounce House Is the Perfect Gift for Kids Stuck at Home
When my sister-in-law bought my kids a giant inflatable Little Tikes Jump ’n Slide Bouncer for Christmas, my wife and I reacted with a mix of incredulity and mild annoyance. “This looks like a gigantic pain in the ass,” I thought. I was wrong. While we’ve been stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic, the bounce house has proven to be a godsend. My kids, 4 and 2, have been cooped up at home with no school, playgrounds, or friends for nearly three months. They are crawling out of their skin.
Why I Love My Fanny Packs
I own a dozen fanny packs. Cheap ones, expensive ones—doesn’t matter. People give them to me as gifts, and I treat myself to one when I feel like I deserve it. Every fanny pack is ridiculous, and every fanny pack is essential, and I love them all. (I know you think you’re my favorite, Rains Bum Bag, you black, rubbery, waterproof, vaguely BDSM darling. But that’s just a rumor.
The Best Things We Bought in 2019
Wirecutter From a killer fly swatter to a family-worthy cargo bike, these are the things we bought this year that made our lives easier and a lot more fun. By Ben Frumin and Wirecutter Staff Mr. Frumin is the editor in chief at Wirecutter, a product recommendation site owned by The New York Times Company. Dec. 31, 2019, 1:11 p.m. ET The best thing I bought this year was our $3 fly swatter pick.
The Best Things We Bought in 2019
Wirecutter From a killer fly swatter to a family-worthy cargo bike, these are the things we bought this year that made our lives easier and a lot more fun. By Ben Frumin and Wirecutter Staff Mr. Frumin is the editor in chief at Wirecutter, a product recommendation site owned by The New York Times Company. Published Dec. 31, 2019Updated Jan. 2, 2020 The best thing I bought this year was our $3 fly swatter pick.
The Best Things We Bought in 2019: Reviews by Wirecutter
A towel that feels as good as it looks Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald The Onsen Bath Towel ($55 at the time of publication) I bought myself a pair of Onsen towels () mainly because I’m a sucker for that waffle-weave texture, which reminds me of going to a spa or enveloping myself in the clean, cottony folds of a fancy hotel bathrobe.
Wirecutter Gift Picks 2019: Best Gifts We Want to Give
Elegant serving utensils to class up a dinner party Photo: OEN Lue Brass Serving Utensils (price varies depending on item) You can never have too many serving utensils, especially around the holidays. I own several utensils in the Lue Brass collection made by Japanese metalworker Ruka Kikuchi. They always stand out on a crowded table, and when I put them to use at dinner parties, friends regularly ask where they’re from.
The Top 20 Things Wirecutter Readers Bought During Cyber Week 2018
You might go into Black Friday and Cyber Monday with the best of holiday-gift-buying intentions, but let’s be real here: You’re probably just buying stuff for yourself. And we have the receipts—literally. According to Wirecutter data from the week leading up to Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday 2018, the most popular purchases included bedding and linens, air purifiers, and vacuums.
Can a Car Buffer Soothe Sore Muscles as Well as a Theragun?
When Tim Herrera fires up his Black+Decker 6 Inch Random Orbit Waxer/Polisher, his focus is on a different type of bodywork than what the appliance is intended for: He uses it for muscle-pummeling percussive massage, a form of soft-tissue manipulation that’s thought to aid post-exercise recovery. Herrera, editor of the Smarter Living section of The New York Times (Wirecutter’s parent company), is training for a marathon and running an average of 25 to 50 miles a week.
5 Cheap(ish) Things Wirecutter’s Editor in Chief Can’t Live Without
The gear that a guy who runs a gear site swears by. Aug. 28, 2019, 5:41 p.m. ET I’ve been using the same screwdriver and pliers for 25 years. They live inside a Victorinox multitool that I received as a bar mitzvah gift. I’m 38 now — but I still use this multitool nearly every day. For those unfamiliar with multitools: Mine is a roughly 4-inch by 1-inch bar of metal that ninja-expands and contorts to reveal various screwdrivers, bottle openers, knives, pliers and plenty of other helpful tools.
At-Home Teeth Whitening Kits vs. Strips: Here’s What Works
If you’re thinking of buying a teeth whitening kit that comes with a blue light because you saw Khloe Kardashian or other celebs hawking one on Instagram—or heard their merits sung on beauty blogs—don’t.
The Best Running Belts for 2020
Why you should trust me As Wirecutter’s staff fitness writer, I review gear for runners, from shoes (for men and women) to GPS watches. As a semi-competitive runner—and someone who seldom leaves her apartment without her phone—I’ve tried umpteen running belts and waist packs and have opinions on what makes a good one. I also polled runners on my local running team, the Hellgate Road Runners, based in Astoria, New York, about what items they want to bring with them on their runs.
The Best Budget Laptops Under $500 for 2019
Why you should trust us Wirecutter has been researching and testing laptops since 2013, and our PC team has more than 20 years of collective experience reviewing all kinds of laptops. I’ve spent more than seven years writing about technology, and I’ve spent a lifetime using, fixing, and toying with budget electronics. For this guide alone, I researched hundreds of laptops under $500, built spreadsheets to note every available configuration, and spent weeks working from a variety of budget laptops.
How to Buy the Best Motor Oil for Your Car
Why you should trust us Ed Grabianowski has covered the automotive industry for sites like Wirecutter and HowStuffWorks since 2005. He’s written about million-dollar supercars and raced a $200 Saturn in the snow. “I’m no master mechanic, but I handle basic maintenance and am slowly restoring a classic car.” He notes that motor oils are difficult to compare because of their complex chemistry and the difficulty in seeing the effects of different formulations or brands.
The Best iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, and X Cases for 2019
Why you should trust us I was the accessories editor at iLounge for a little over three years. During my tenure there, I reviewed more than 1,000 products, most of which were cases. I’ve also been Wirecutter’s case reviewer for the past three years, where I’ve reviewed hundreds more cases. Those numbers span multiple generations of Apple devices, including every iPhone since the iPhone 4 and every iPad.
The Best Artificial Christmas Tree for 2019
Why you should trust us Our crash course in artificial Christmas trees began in 2016 when Wirecutter senior staff writer Tim Heffernan visited a fake-tree manufacturer’s New Jersey headquarters.
Reporter Kidnappings Increased in 2014
This story, plus human rights interests groups condemn the detention of journalists in Turkey, TheWeek.com closes its comments section, and a Rolling Stone author is contacting students quoted in the magazine’s UVA article, all in today’s news.
The iPad Is the Best Tablet for 2019
The best tablet: 7th-generation Apple iPad Photo: Sarah Kobos Our pick Apple iPad (7th generation, 32 GB) The best tablet for almost anyone With a large screen, a fast-enough processor, and Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, the 7th-gen iPad offers the features most tablet users need. The 7th-generation Apple iPad—the standard, 10.2-inch model that Apple officially calls the “iPad (7th generation)”—is the best all-around tablet for most people.
The Best Holiday Photo Cards for 2019
Why you should trust us Ben Keough has been covering cameras, printers, and scanners for Wirecutter for the past three years, and for other publications around the Web for over a decade. He’s an avid enthusiast photographer and an all-around stickler for image quality. How we picked and tested Photo: Ben Keough We started our search by thoroughly analyzing the websites of 30 of the most popular services, weighing what we saw against our ideal features for a custom photo greeting card service.
Your Guide to Pitching TheWeek.com
Here's the good news: TheWeek.com publishes several freelance articles every day, and relies on an ever-evolving stable of dozens upon dozens of freelance contributors. And the site's editors try to be very generous of spirit in testing out new freelancers. The less-good news: The site's editors are pretty ruthless about making your freelancing a "regular gig." They're happy to give you a chance, but from there, you've got to really earn it.
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