The Verge 2018 tech report card: Gadgets

Big Mouth Billy Bass with Alexa isn’t necessary the product of the year, but it’s one that symbolizes all the novelty trends that we saw in gadgets in 2018. In one item, the talking, singing fish represents nostalgia, DIY hackery, and corporations taking independent developer ideas and turning it to profit. These themes highlight the trends that led the world of gadgets this year, as nostalgia continues to influence products while simultaneously being a reflection of our bleak times.

In 2018, more classic products were re-released, we opted for gadgets that do less than before, and companies are determined to make us shop in person because experiential pop-ups are in now. This resurgence in nostalgic gadgets seems to be because…

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Everything coming to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Now in January

With 2019 just days away, it’s important to cherish the hope and optimism that comes with every new year. A fresh calendar brings a fresh start — one where anything is possible! And then, of course, after a couple of days of well-intentioned good behavior, it’ll be time to drop the ceremony and resume the rhythms of the previous year and just get on with life. But what’s the best way to forget that we’ve thrown all those noble intentions out the door? Watching streaming content, of course!

Netflix is kicking things off with the third season of A Series of Unfortunate Events, the final season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and its latest series, a reboot of Carmen Sandiego. But while the focus for the company has been on original content…

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All the science fiction and fantasy books we’re looking forward to in 2019

With 2018 in the rear-view mirror, 2019 lies ahead, bringing with it a ton of new science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels that will bring us to new worlds and introduce us to our next favorite characters.

2019 is shaping up to be a really exciting year for readers. There are books coming from authors that we’re huge fans of, and debuts from up-and-coming novelists that we can’t wait to delve into.

With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the upcoming books that we’re really excited to see on our bookshelves this year. And before you ask — yes, this could be the year that George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss get around to releasing their long awaited The Winds of Winter and The Doors of Stone, but they don’t have a release…

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From 36DDD to 36G, Irene Boudouvas Wins in Wacoal

Irene Boudouvas, 38, works out at The Max Challenge with Torrie Rathjen, and once she saw her workout buddy’s bra fit makeover, she had to have one.

Now that her three young sons are getting more independent, Irene can shift a bit of her focus to her own well-being. New Year’s resolutions have got nothing on her: Since Irene already works out five days a week, what she needed was new sports bras that were up to the challenge.

So was Bare Necessities amBRAssador Kristyn, a certified personal trainer and a mom of three boys herself. She instantly got where Irene was coming from: more of a feel-good style makeover than a dramatic size overhaul. These two showed us how to end the year on a high note….

BEFORE
“I’ve always had large breasts and, after breastfeeding, I had a reduction. I knew the importance of getting proper support and fit from my bra, whereas so many women spend their lives wearing the wrong size. I’d love to show moms out there that we can be sexy and comfortable at the same time, at any size,” Irene wrote to Bare it All.

Down more than 30 pounds, or about halfway to her goal, Irene knows from size fluctuations. “I feel wonderful about my body right now, and I’m looking forward to further transformation,” she told Kristyn.

Well-versed in bras from a lifetime of experience, Irene had grown to love a tight band, so long as “it doesn’t cut and create back fat.” Her dislike: “A long line of cleavage. I prefer full-coverage cups with no opportunity to fall out or squish into a uni-boob.” Said differently, Kristyn needed to find Irene the best encapsulation-style sports bras for her body.

Irene was basically living in the Freya Sonic High Impact Underwire Sports Bras—a best seller and an amBRAssador Pick—but hers were years past their life expectancy. “I wear sports bras because nothing else is comfortable,” Irene said. She was holding out hope for a regular bra that would be attractive and supportive, and a sports bra to comfortably fit her changing figure.

Kristyn measured Irene over the phone at a 36H (US), though Kristyn had a gut feeling she might actually be closer to a G-cup. (Spoiler: That’s where Irene landed.)

THE REVELATION
While Irene was open to just about any style, it took trying on about two dozen bras before she felt like she’d found The Ones.

Her new favorite for everyday, the Wacoal Basic Benefits T-Shirt Bra, was in the first batch of styles Kristyn sent. Once she pulled it on, angels pretty much started singing. Its thin padding was just enough for modesty without adding bulking, she filled out the cups just right, the center gore tacked properly, no major cleavage line appeared and the gorgeous shade of blue flattered her endlessly.

When it came to sports bras, Irene kept hoping to level up. She liked but didn’t love styles from full-bust brands such as Glamorise, Curvy Couture and Prima Donna. What did win her over: two more Wacoal bras, the new Wacoal High Impact Convertible Underwire Sports Bra and the Wacoal High Impact Sports Bra, both in 36DDD.

Like Lauren Russo in Panache, Irene had found the brand that did everything right on her…plus a few more (see full list at end).

AFTER
As in her new Wacoals, Kristyn pointed out that Irene took different cup sizes depending on her shape in relation to the bra style. “You can be three different sizes in one manufacturer! The only way to know is to try, try, try,” said Kristyn.

That’s exactly why Irene wanted an expert’s help in the first place. When trying on bras alone, she wasn’t always sure what was the better way to go, how to convert cup sizes or which fit trouble spots could be improved.

“Kristyn is so knowledgeable. She attended to my individual considerations and understood immediately exactly how I like my bras to fit. Together, we found comfort-meets-sexy, which was seriously lacking in my old, overworked bras,” Irene said. “I love these new bras on my body. I’m moving from ‘three C-sections-in-three-years mom’ to ‘mission: optimum health mom’ who is comfortable in her own skin again. Bare Necessities played a big role in getting me there.”

Find your own winners by calling (877-728-9272 x4) or chatting with an expert at barenecessities.com.

The post From 36DDD to 36G, Irene Boudouvas Wins in Wacoal appeared first on Bare it All.

How to watch as NASA sends a spacecraft past a rock at the edge of the Solar System

While you ring in the new year on Monday night, you can also watch along as NASA sends a spacecraft zooming by a tiny rock 4.1 billion miles from Earth. The space agency’s New Horizons probe, which flew by Pluto in 2015, is now going to fly past another object — a type of space rock we’ve never been to before. And it’s all happening just as we enter the year 2019.

Just like with the Pluto flyby, the New Horizons mission team is gathered at John Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, where they will monitor the spacecraft from the facility’s mission operations center. Live streams will show what the team is up to before and during the flyby, and mission scientists will be hosting press conferences to provide…

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