Why Melatonin Makes You Feel Less Rested, and What to Take Instead - CNET

This musician invented a body instrument to celebrate her mental health journey

Meet, J. An audio / visual artist who funneled her own pain not only into art, but into a cathartic musical instrument that wraps around her body. J is able to program different musical elements into buttons along her body and use them to create songs without requiring any other musical instruments. You can hear her instrument on her new self-produced album, People Pleaser, available on all streaming platforms August 31.

The best home security systems (and the one company you'll want to avoid)

When you get existential about it, much of our daily lives revolve around the notion of "protection." When you slip a cardboard sleeve on a paper coffee cup filled with your half-caf vanilla oat milk latte, for instance, you're protecting your hand from hot, sloshing liquid. When you slap a password on your computer's log-in screen, you're protecting your data from aspiring hackers. And when you mute words like "targaryen" and "#HOTD" on Twitter, you're protecting yourself from reckless spoilers that ruin your House of the Dragon viewing experience. (Highly recommend!)

It's sort of weird, then, that so few of us have equipped our very own houses with some sort of protection. According to the National Council for Home Safety and Security (NCHSS), an industry trade association, less than 17 percent of us have a home security system in place. What gives?

Maybe it's because shopping for a home security system is kind of a nightmare. The market is crowded with dozens of competing companies and growing exponentially — keeping up with all of the rapidly evolving technologies is a feat in itself. And that's on top of all of the complicated industry jargon and oft-ambiguous pricing, which is plenty enough to scare away the average homeowner with limited knowledge of the market.

Let's fix that.

What is a home security system, exactly?

A home security system is a group of devices that all work together to protect your home, usually using a combination of visual surveillance, motion detection, audible alarms, and system alerts. The average home security system typically includes a camera or two, some motion sensors that can make out infrared energy, a handful of sirens (either built into the sensors and cameras or standalone devices), and a base hub syncing all of the hardware. You'll control the latter manually or using a companion smartphone app.

From there, most home security companies will give you the option of fleshing out your system with à la carte accessories for further protection. Popular add-ons include:

• A glass break sensor that alerts the system when it detects the sound frequencies or vibrations of shattered glass.

• Environmental sensors that can detect water leaks, smoke, and carbon monoxide.

• A keypad or key fob you can use to manually arm and disarm the system, in case you don't have your smartphone on hand.

• A panic button that quickly alerts law enforcement in emergency situations.

• Yard signs and stickers that serve as visual (and inexpensive) deterrents to wannabe intruders.

Most home security companies are also in the business of home automation these days, which means you'll be able to control your setup using smart assistants and connect it to other devices like smart locks, lightbulbs, and thermostats. (Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility are pretty standard nowadays, while Apple HomeKit options are fewer and far between.) If you want to get really fancy, several brands also offer support for "If This Then That," or IFTTT, a free web-based service that lets you connect and build commands for internet-enabled devices and apps.

Is it worth it to get a home security system?

It's difficult to measure "could-have-beens," so research is mixed on how well home security systems actually deter crime. One expert told The New York Times that he's seen little evidence of risk mitigation with things like alarms and locks, while the NCHSS boldly claims that homes without any kind of protection are 300 percent more likely to be burglarized. (The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program defines burglary as "the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft," FYI.)

Even the culprits themselves are divided. Some convicted burglars surveyed by an Oregon news station in 2017 said they weren't daunted by security system signs and alarms, which could be disabled or avoided, but most would steer clear of a home with a big, loud dog. Yet 60 percent of burglars surveyed for a frequently cited University of North Carolina survey several years prior would find a different target if they saw an alarm on-site.

These findings should also be considered alongside the fact that burglary rates have seen a sharp decline over the past decade; they only counted for about 16 percent of overall property crimes as of 2019. (That also includes motor vehicle theft and arson.)

The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that most break-ins occur when people aren't home — and in that case, a home security system serving as your eyes and ears from afar can provide invaluable peace of mind.

As an aside, installing a home security system may also qualify you for a serious discount on your homeowner's insurance, which certainly doesn't hurt. Contact your insurance provider to learn more.

Can you install a home security system yourself?

You absolutely can. Most home security companies give their customers the option of free DIY installation, which is usually as simple as plugging in a device (or putting some batteries into it), hooking it up to your home's WiFi system, and pairing it with its hub and/or your smartphone. SimpliSafe (our No. 1 pick) says that 97 percent of its customers go this route, if that tells you anything about the level of effort involved.

For more complicated setups (and those of us who aren't especially tech-savvy), professional installation typically starts around $100.

Can you monitor a home security system yourself?

You absolutely can, but we'd rather leave this part to the professionals (despite the extra cost) simply because you can't be on guard duty 24/7. Work happens, sleep happens, binge watching Succession happens, going to the dog park with your new puppy happens — it's easy to miss an alert if you aren't staring at your phone all day. It's also on you to decide whether or not to contact law enforcement in case of an emergency if an expert isn't doing it for you, which is a pretty big ask.

In most cases, you'll also get more out of your system's mobile app if you sign up for a monitoring plan. We'll use SimpliSafe as an example again: Its service comes standard with a live video feed of your cameras, a system timeline, and the option to tweak some device settings from the app, but that's it. Additional features like water leak alerts, dangerous temperature detection, and even push notifications are locked behind its monitoring plans, which start at $18 a month. (Most companies' offerings sit somewhere in the $20 to $30 range, for what it's worth.)

What's the best home security system?

Below, you'll find a rundown of six home security systems we recommend in 2022 based on customer and expert reviews — and one we strongly advise against installing based on some of our own reporting.

'Rings of Power' Review: An Epic Cinematic Return to Middle-Earth - CNET

The stars of 'Brahmāstra' talk fantasy, film, and love

At first blush, Brahmāstra appears sizable, from its star-studded cast to its larger-than-life special effects.

The Bollywood film, distributed by Star Studios and Disney, is the first in a three-part trilogy and sets a precedent for India too; the franchise presents the country's first original cinematic universe. Officially entitled Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva, the film is set in modern India, with traditional mythology and history as its foundation.

The world in which Brahmāstra resides has been crowned the "Astraverse" by its makers, derived from the word "astra" or objects of power. This umbrella term is a good indication of what Brahmāstra seems to be offering. Director Ayan Mukerji is said to be taking the essence of a fictional realm and infusing it with facets of India, Hinduism, and the country's culture, threading each component into the massive upcoming release.

The beginnings of Brahmāstra

The film's complex story was conceived by Mukerji while making his second directorial feature, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, in 2013, which Kapoor also starred in. It was during production that the director first came to Kapoor with what would eventually become Brahmāstra, he tells Mashable.

"I had immense belief and faith in Ayan as a filmmaker," says Kapoor, who plays Shiv. "[Ayan] had this idea of Brahmāstra...a fantasy film inspired by Indian mythology." He explains the film's premise was always derived from Indian culture, pulling on the "rich, unique" aspects of the nation to create a specifically tailored universe.

Credit: Disney.

A 10-year journey followed the inception and conceptual roots of the universe, with five years taken for production. The ambitious project is said to be one of India's biggest releases to date, with a budget to match. Filming took place globally, across India, Bulgaria, Thailand, London, New York, and Edinburgh. In India, locations spanned from the cosmopolitan background of Mumbai to the holy city of Varanasi.

The larger narrative of Brahmāstra traces a group of sages that once lived in ancient India, protecting the astras — each of which command different sources of divine energy, such as water, wind, and fire. These sages form a secret society — called the Brahmānsh — for this purpose, continuing to serve in secret in present-day India. The first installment in the universe follows protagonist Shiv (Kapoor), a DJ who inadvertently discovers his mysterious connection to the astra of fire, altering his fate.

Shiv is guided by Guru (Amitabh Bachchan), the leader of the Brahmānsh who holds sacred power himself. Guru imparts his wisdom to help Shiv persevere against Junoon (Mouni Roy), the film's antagonistic force who is fixated on acquiring the most powerful of all the astras. Other actors starring include Nagarjuna Akkineni, Dimple Kapadia, and Shah Rukh Khan in a special appearance.

Redefining superheroes and characters

Kapoor's romantic interest in the movie is Isha, payed by Alia Bhatt (the two actors are also recently married in real life, after years of dating while shooting the film).

Bhatt says that she decided to do the movie largely because of the director — Mukerji approached Bhatt with the project and she says her decision was all too easy. "I was a huge fan of Ayaan after I saw Wake up Sid," she tells Mashable. "There was not even a question — I didn't even care what it was about."

Bhatt's character is "the shakti" (strength) to Shiv, providing the ultimate support for him as he grapples with his new destiny. But the narrative itself is the characters' greatest source of life in Brahmāstra, she says.

"Eventually when the audience enters the cinema, after about three minutes, they're going to forget Ranbir and Alia. From then, they are watching Shiva and Isha, and those characters are taking the journey forward," she says.

"A lot of the experience of the character is very situational," Bhatt adds. "Especially for Shiva's character. I think, more than the character, it was [about] what these characters were put through and the situations they were a part of — that was a whole new character altogether".

A big step for Indian filmmaking?

Kapoor says the franchise has shadows of other cinematic worlds, such as Hollywood's Marvel Cinematic Universe or Tollywood's Baahubali, a sprawling Indian epic placed in an ancient setting with a sequel to match. But Brahmāstra's strength will lie in its individuality, its lead actors say, with the all-new "astraverse" laying new ground for Indian cinema.

"I think, if Brahmāstra does well, it leads to so many new stories, which are [steeped] in our Indian culture, which are our stories," Kapoor says. He emphasizes that he truly hopes the trilogy will be a "positive step" for Indian filmmaking at large.

This step can also come in the shape of technology, considering the film's distinctive aesthetic value which has already been teased in the trailer and several accompanying songs. There, bursts of color and visually-gripping special effects punctuate each scene shown publicly so far. In the two years of pre-production, Mukerji studied the word of VFX, he said in a statement. He enlisted major visual effect studio DNEG, behind the likes of Christopher Nolan blockbusters Inception, Interstellar, The Dark Knight Rises, as well as Chernobyl.

The world of Brahmāstra, yet to be seen by audiences, is already appearing colossal, if its production notes and opening sequences have anything to say. But Bhatt and Kapoor both say the film holds itself to the longstanding genre of romance, something Bollywood, as an industry, has been known for.

"The soul of Brahmāstra is a love story," says Kapoor.

Brahmāstra will be released in theatres on Sept. 9.

Videos produced by Teodosia Dobriyanova.

Scientists harness powers of Webb and Hubble in stunning galactic image

Stare into the core of the Phantom Galaxy.

New images from humanity's most powerful space telescopes — the legendary Hubble telescope and its successor the James Webb Space Telescope — reveal unprecedented detail in this magnificent distant spiral galaxy. It's 32 million light-years away.

The over 30-year-old Hubble telescope views light we can see (visible light), while the Webb telescope views a type of light with longer wavelengths (called "infrared light") that isn't visible to us. Together, these instruments gather bounties of data that reveal new insights about what lies in the distant cosmos.

The middle image below shows the combined views of the Hubble and Webb telescopes. What you can see:

• The areas of bright pink in the reddish spirals are active star-forming regions

• The bright blue dots are other stars

• The core of the galaxy glows cyan and green. These are older stars clustered around the galactic center.

At center is a view of the Phantom Galaxy with combined data of the Hubble and Webb telescopes. Credit: ESA / Webb / NASA / CSA / J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST Team / Acknowledgement: J. Schmidt

In the Webb image by itself (the top image of this story or the right-side image in the comparison above), it's easy to see the many stars (shown in blue) amassed in the galaxy's core. A lack of gas at the heart of the Phantom Galaxy makes this view exceptionally clear.

Hubble continues to capture dazzling views of distant stars and galaxies. Meanwhile, Webb, stationed 1 million miles away from Earth, is expected to reveal new insights about the universe. Here's how Webb will achieve unparalleled things:

• Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two and a half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. The telescope will peer at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

  "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable last year.

• Infrared view: Webb is primarily an infrared telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely-packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't.

  "It lifts the veil," said Creighton.

• Peering into distant exoplanets: The Webb telescope carries specialized equipment, called spectrometers, that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb will look at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find?

  "We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, told Mashable in 2021.

Anker's Nebula Capsule II projector is down to a very good price

SAVE $180: Bring your binge sessions anywhere with the Anker Nebula Capsule II smart portable projector. It's on sale for $399.99 at Amazon as of August 30 — that's 31% off its MSRP.

If you want to enjoy an outdoor movie night, the Anker Nebula Capsule II projector has you covered. And its price isn't too shabby, either.

As of August 30, the Nebula Capsule II is on sale for $399.99 at Amazon. That's $180 in savings. (It also hit the same low price during Prime Day 2022.)

While only about the size of a soda can, the Capsule II packs a lot of punch. It outputs 720p HD video on any wall, projector screen, tent, or other blank surface. You can blast a projection up to 100 inches for a truly immersive viewing session or scale it back to fit a smaller space.

With universal connectivity, you can watch content via HDMI, USB, WiFi, Bluetooth, or Chromecast. Meanwhile, the Android TV 9.0 operating system allows you to download over 7,000 different apps in the Google Play store. That means you can add streaming platforms like Hulu, YouTube, HBO Max, Prime Video, and more to your projector and bring your binge sessions anywhere. The streamlined setup is why it's one of our top picks for an outdoor projector.

The battery life isn't anything to write home about — it can hold a charge for about 2.5 hours — but with USB Type-C PD charging, you should get it back up and running pretty fast.

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'Nanny' trailer promises both waking and nightmarish horror

The first trailer for psychological horror Nanny has arrived, finally giving the wider public a first look at one of the best films at the Sundance Film Festival this year.

Written and directed by Nikyatu Jusu, Nanny follows Aisha (Anna Diop), an undocumented Senegalese woman who recently emigrated to the U.S. Hired as a nanny to a wealthy New York couple's (Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector) young daughter Rose (Rose Decker), Aisha works with the aspiration to eventually bring her own son Lamine (Jahleel Kamara) to join her.

Being an ocean away from her son while having to deal racism, hostility, and her entitled employers' demands is difficult enough. However, Aisha is also plagued with sinister, haunting nightmares — ones that aren't necessarily confined to her dreams.

Nanny arrives Nov. 23 in theatres, and will be available to stream Dec. 16 on Prime Video.

Ditch the landline and get yourself a VoIP already

We have evolved past the need for landlines. Welcome to the era of VoIP. At its simplest, a VoIP (also known as Voice over Internet Protocol) is a way of making phone calls through the internet rather than having to rely on a regular landline or your cell phone. Think of it kind of like FaceTime or Skype but typically far more advanced and specialized than those services.

While many VoIP services involve a subscription fee, don’t let the dollar signs fool you: they often end up saving you money and can prove to be cheaper than using a standard phone line. That's particularly the case when dealing with long-distance calls or business conferences. Such services are also typically far more reliable, which is crucial for certain scenarios. And as more of the world moves online and businesses shift to more remote work, being able to stay connected and in contact anywhere is increasingly important.

Keep on reading and we'll explain all when it comes to the wonders of VoIP and take a look at the best VoIPs, no matter what your situation is.

Why are VoIPs important?

VoIPs are important for many different people. For businesses, it can be hugely beneficial to have crisp and clear calls, no matter where you're calling from. Most companies can’t settle for static and spotty signals when it comes to important conference calls and daily communications. VoIPs provide a steady connection and crystal clear call quality as long as you have an internet connection.

For those people with relatives around the world, they can enjoy cheap phone calls that remain high in quality and aren't dependent on anything other than a regular landline for the relative. That's particularly useful when dealing with friends or family who aren't tech-savvy. You’ll save on those international charges that can add up in a hurry and spend more time talking about what is important to you rather than doing tech support for those on the other end of the line.

In all cases, the big benefit is the reduced costs. Regular calls and international calls cost a lot over time. Businesses have the additional expense of needing to pay for features like toll-free numbers or automatic call recording. These can all come as standard with certain VoIP services.

How do VoIPs work, exactly?

VoIP systems are much simpler than you might imagine. Put simply, they are a way to make calls over your internet connection instead of your landline or mobile network.

To get a little more technical, VoIP systems let you connect to a server that allows you to place calls to other telephone networks across your internet connection. It converts your analog voice signal — the kind that is used when placing a standard phone call — into a digital signal by your VoIP service provider and transmitted over your internet connection.

The result is an experience identical to placing a call over a landline or mobile network, except the call quality is better and the cost is typically cheaper.

What to look for when buying a VoIP service

There are dozens of different VoIP services out there, so it's important to know what you are looking for and what will best serve your needs.

Think about why you are considering a VoIP service in the first place. If you're looking to call relatives at a lower price, then you don't need to worry about business features like toll-free numbers, fax, or automatic call recording. However, you do want to make sure the calls are crisp and high-quality, and voicemail features could be useful.

If you're a small business, you don't have to worry about conference call support for dozens of users, but you could probably do with some flexibility to expand the plan as your business grows. You also want to check that you can port your old number across if customers are used to that number from before.

And if you’re a larger business, you’re going to want to take a look at the full suite of features. Conference calling might become essential, especially if your workforce is becoming more remote-friendly. Fax services, as well as toll-friendly numbers and answering machine features are also likely to need some consideration.

In all cases, it's vital to know what your budget is so you can keep to it accordingly.

Is a residential VoIP or a business VoIP better?

Most VoIP services offer features that benefit both residential homes and businesses. Neither is particularly better — it all depends on what you're looking for.

Want unified communication among your family and friends and a way to share messages, calls, and files easily? You'll want to go with a residential VoIP. Need a virtual receptionist to answer and screen calls for you? A business VoIP will likely offer more options for you. Do you just want cheap calls with high quality? Or are you looking for more extravagant features like automatic call recording and voicemail? A business VoIP will generally provide more features, but don't write off a residential VoIP until you're clear on what you need.

Read on to discover our picks for the best VoIPs.

Every Netflix original movie coming this fall

Summer is at an end, but for Netflix, the movie season is just starting.

The streaming service unveiled its lineup for fall and winter original movies, and it's full of exciting upcoming titles. Keep an eye out for potential awards season darlings like Noah Baumbach's White Noise, Alejandro González Iñárritu's Bardo, and Andrew Dominik's Blonde. Fall also sees the arrival of highly anticipated films like YA adaptation The School For Good and Evil, the Millie Bobby Brown-led Enola Holmes 2, and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.

Some of these movies are getting theatrical runs as well as streaming releases. We've noted both release dates, when applicable, in our list below. Here's every original movie coming to Netflix this fall.

Top pick: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Benoit Blanc is back, baby! Credit: Netflix

It's been three years since Rian Johnson blessed us with the excellent whodunnit Knives Out, and we've been craving more ever since. Now, Johnson returns with Glass Onion, which sees Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigating another murder.

This time around, Johnson trades New England for Greece and swaps out his first film's cast for an entirely different ensemble of potential murderers. New faces include Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista. Details beyond that are slim, but we can't wait to watch Benoit Blanc peel back the layers of yet another mystery.

How to watch: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix Dec. 23, and will be released in theaters on a yet-to-be-announced date.

Movies

A Jazzman's Blues (In select theaters 9/16, on Netflix 9/23)

All Quiet on the Western Front (In select markets October TBD, on Netflix 10/28)

The Anthrax Attacks (9/8)

Athena (In select theaters 9/9, on Netflix 9/23)

Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (In select theaters 11/4, on Netflix 12/16)

Blonde (In select theaters 9/16, on Netflix 9/28)

Capturing The Killer Nurse (11/11)

Christmas With You (11/17)

The Curse of Bridge Hollow (10/14)

Descendant (In select theaters and on Netflix 10/21)

Do Revenge (9/16)

Drifting Home (9/16)

End of the Road (9/9)

Enola Holmes 2 (11/4)

Falling For Christmas (11/10)

Fenced In (9/1)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (In select theaters TBD, on Netflix 12/23)

The Good Nurse (In select theaters 10/19, on Netflix 10/26)

Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio (In select theaters TBD, on Netflix 12/9)

In Her Hands (In select theaters 11/9, on Netflix 11/16)

Is That Black Enough For You?!? (In select theaters November TBD, on Netflix 11/11)

Ivy + Bean (9/2)

Ivy + Bean: The Ghost That Had To Go (9/2)

Ivy + Bean: Doomed To Dance (9/2)

Lady Chatterley's Lover (In select theaters TBD, on Netflix December TBD)

Lou (9/23)

Love in the Villa (9/1)

Luckiest Girl Alive (In select theaters 9/30, on Netflix 10/7)

Monica, O My Darling (November TBD)

Mr. Harrigan's Phone (10/5)

My Father's Dragon (In select theaters and on Netflix November TBD)

The Noel Diary (11/24)

The Pale Blue Eye (In select theaters 12/23, on Netflix 1/6)

The Redeem Team (10/7)

Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (In select theaters 12/9, on Netflix 12/25)

The School For Good and Evil (10/19)

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (In select theaters 11/18, on Netflix 12/2)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge Of Edinburgh Part 1 (12/20)

Slumberland (11/18)

The Swimmers (In select theaters TBD, on Netflix 11/23)

The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari (In select theaters 12/9, on Netflix 12/16)

Wendell & Wild (In select theaters 10/21, on Netflix 10/28)

White Noise (In select theaters 11/25, on Netflix 12/30)

The Wonder (In select theaters November TBD, on Netflix in December TBD)

I Bonds' Record-High Rates Are Worth the Hassle: How to Purchase Savings Bonds Online - CNET

Samsung's Galaxy S22 just hit a new all-time low price at Amazon

SAVE $150: The Samsung Galaxy S22 (128GB) is on sale for $649.99 on Amazon as of Aug. 30. That's 19% off its $799.99 MSRP and its lowest price to date.

Samsung went all in on foldables during its latest Galaxy Unpacked event at the beginning of the month. (Spoiler: They're very good.) But if the creasing screen thing weirds you out, or if you think flip phones have no place outside of the early 2000s, you're in luck: The company's latest S series (non-folding) device just hit a new record-low price.

As of Aug. 30, Amazon had the entry-level Samsung Galaxy S22 with 128GB of storage priced at just $649.99. It typically retails for $799.99, so you wind up saving a cool $150 (or just under 20%).

This pricing applies all colors except for the fun new Bora Purple variant, which cost $50 more at the time of writing. (Still not a bad deal, honestly.) Take your pick from Phantom White, Phantom Black, Pink Gold, or Green. Just Green.

Spec-wise, the S22 boasts several notable upgrades over its predecessor (2021's overkilled Galaxy S21), including a slick 4nm processor, a brighter 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED5 2X display, and a three-camera setup that adds support for Nightography and Auto Framing features. It does have a smaller battery capacity — 3,700mAh versus the S21's 4,000mAh — but such a slight downgrade shouldn't be a dealbreaker.

Mashable hasn't tested the S22 itself, but tech reporter and self-proclaimed Apple devotee Jennimai Nguyen was mostly won over by the Galaxy S22+, which is basically just a slightly bigger version of the same phone. Check out her full 4/5-star review.

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Best dating sites and apps for people over 40 — and which ones to avoid

Dating when you're 40 or older can be intimidating — unlike when you're in your 20s or 30s, you can't assume everyone your age is single and looking. If you've found yourself "on the market" again, it's important to remember that half of U.S. marriages do end in divorce, so the dating pool isn't as small as you might think.

Meeting people organically out in public still happens, but sometimes it's easier and less intimidating to meet people where they are. There's a comfort in knowing that the people you find on dating apps are single (hopefully) and looking for a romantic relationship, so at least you're both on the same page.

How to start dating again at 40

The first step is just acknowledging that you're ready. From there, decide how and where you want to try to meet people. Dating apps have been around for multiple decades, which means they are the norm and definitely not a last resort.

You'll also want to be direct with what you're looking for. Serious relationship? Casual hookup? A friendship that might lead to more? Whatever it is, be upfront because you don't want to fall for someone only to realize you aren't looking for the same thing. Yes, it's more vulnerable to say exactly what you want, but being straightforward from the outset is the new dating norm.

As in any phase of life, dating takes time and patience. We spoke to Jennifer Frazier, a 46-year-old based in Indiana, who met someone awesome on Match. They went on a few dates and she really liked him, but he was interested in dating a lot of women at the same time, and though Frazier enjoyed his company, she realized that kind of a relationship wasn't for her.

Dating in your 40s, 50s, 60s, or older can feel lonely when all your friends are married or in relationships. If you want to find a community of people experiencing the same things as you, we recommend visiting the subreddit r/datingoverforty — it's full of people sharing stories of success, heartbreak, bad dates, good dates, and more. Just go in aware that most dating subreddits tend to skew slightly on the pessimistic side.

Problems you might run into when dating over 40

While Frazier says the stigma around dating sites with the over-40 crowd is mostly gone, she doesn't think a lot of single men in her area are using these sites, so she's experiencing fewer options. She also thinks location plays a big part in how successful dating apps will be for a person, and we agree. Typically, the bigger the city, the easier it'll be to find a date. Frazier, for example, has a smaller pool of people in Indiana compared to someone who lives in New York or Chicago.

"I love the idea of Bumble because it gives women the power to send the first message," Frazier says. "There were only about four men in my age range within 25 miles, though, so that was disappointing."

Frazier also says having a family can get in the way of dating because you might have kids to take care of and taking time off from parent duty isn't always easy.

"It's hard to find a night off from cooking, driving kids, and all the other things we are responsible for," she says. "I have faced pressure from men I have not even met who are being demanding of my time. I have enough demands without adding to it."

By the way, if someone is demanding of your time and pushing to meet up right away, we want to remind you that it's OK to say no.

Do dating apps really work?

While Frazier hasn't had the most success with dating apps, she does know a lot of people who have — her sister-in-law met her boyfriend on Tinder. When doing research for this article, a couple of friends told me their mom, or uncle, or other family member met their significant other on a dating app.

According to Pew Research Center, 57 percent of online daters describe their overall experience as positive. A lot of factors add up to whether online dating will be successful for you. Some apps use super in-depth compatibility quizzes that lead to really specific matches, where others just present you with a bunch of singles in your area within your specified age range. Both have their perks.

One thing to remember is to have patience. Finding a partner who ticks all (or most) of your boxes doesn't happen overnight. Online dating or not, you'll most likely go through some duds and have some bad dates, but hopefully that will lead you to a healthy, happy relationship.

Which dating site is best for singles over 40?

The best dating site varies depending on what you're looking for. If you want something serious, Match's 25 years of experience will help you find someone compatible who is also looking for a serious relationship. eharmony also specializes in serious relationships, but the site is really for people who want to marry their next partner, so it's taking serious to the highest level. Though, Frazier had a pretty shitty experience with eharmony — after the extensive questionnaire, she was matched with a coworker's husband (yikes). While you would hope everyone on dating apps is single, you still want to pay attention to obvious red flags.

Casual daters and people who don't want to jump into anything too serious just yet should utilize Tinder, Hinge, or Bumble. OKCupid is best for liberals and the LGBTQ community. There really is a dating site for everybody; it just might take some time to find the one that strikes gold for you.

Most dating sites and apps have free versions, so you can test them out without fully committing. Here's the full breakdown on our top picks, plus a couple of sites to avoid:

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How NASA's new megarocket stacks up against its legendary predecessor

When NASA blasted its colossal rocket to the moon in July 1969, the denizens of Earth watched the 363-foot-tall behemoth on televisions in department stores, on a giant screen in Central Park, and in living rooms in Tokyo and Paris. Still today, it's the most powerful rocket ever successfully flown.

This rocket, the Saturn V, could propel the weight of some four school buses to the moon. It sent astronauts to the chalky lunar surface six different times. And it hauled America's first space station, Skylab, into orbit around Earth.

Now half a century later, NASA is on the cusp of launching its new powerful megarocket to the moon, a class of rocket the aerospace industry calls a "super heavy-lift launch vehicle." Indeed, this rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), is set to supersede Saturn V as the most powerful vehicle ever blasted into space. Yet it's not a "better" rocket. It's designed to do different, and unprecedented, things. Namely, NASA intends SLS to carry the resources and people needed to establish a permanent presence on the moon, and maybe even blast astronauts to Mars.

"It's a great pickup truck. I'm glad we built it. And I'm ready to fly," John Blevins, the chief engineer for NASA's SLS rocket, told Mashable.

Update on Aug. 29, 2022 at 1:45 p.m. ET: NASA scrubbed the Aug. 29 launch after encountering a problem cooling one of the Space Launch System rocket's engines. As of Aug. 29, flight managers said they're still planning to attempt a launch at their next opportunity on Sept. 2. It will be livestreamed.

Flying back to the moon is crucial for the future human exploration of deeper space. A looming exploration problem is how the fragile human body will hold up to the likes of space radiation and isolation. Missions to the moon will inform NASA how to keep people safe, and how to ensure their survival in an inhospitable world where astronauts will likely have to harvest water ice from the moon's shadowy craters.

"These are crucial lessons before we put them on a rocket and send them to Mars," Paula do Vale Pereira, an assistant professor of aerospace engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology, told Mashable.

How NASA's new SLS rocket (left) stacks up against the Saturn V and the Statue of Liberty. Credit: Bob Al-Greene / Mashable

Why not resurrect Saturn V?

After NASA's legendary Apollo missions ended, the space agency no longer needed a colossal moon rocket. Instead, NASA put effort into constructing the International Space Station, and built the Space Shuttle to bring astronauts and infrastructure to Earth's orbit, some 250 miles above the surface.

But NASA turned its eyes back to human exploration of deep space in the aughts, and they considered rebuilding a Saturn V rocket, or using integral rocket parts from the Apollo era. Saturn V, of course, was already proven. It had already done the job.

"We looked at resurrecting that," said NASA's Blevins.

Yet rebuilding Saturn V would have required reaching back many decades into technology and rocket materials that were no longer around. NASA, and its contractors, would have to resurrect parts and processes. So the agency scrapped any Saturn V plans. "It was better to just move on," said Blevins.

Instead, the agency designed the SLS with key, tried-and-true components — notably the engines — of the Space Shuttle. After all, NASA engineers understand those engines better than any other. And they are mighty powerful.

The Saturn V rocket blasting off in 1967. Credit: NASA

SLS isn't just one rocket

Saturn V was a single rocket design with a primary overall mission: Safely getting NASA astronauts to the moon and back without killing anyone.

But SLS can be reconfigured in six different ways for six different missions. The rocket, for example, will at times carry astronauts to the moon; and at other times it will haul cargo, such as parts for a moon base, to the lunar surface.

"We're more like a fleet of rockets," explained Blevins. "SLS is a platform. Saturn V was a targeted mission."

The different SLS configurations are designed around the 212-foot-tall, orange central rocket booster, which is called the "core stage." It's the backbone of the vehicle. The majority of a rocket is composed of giant fuel tanks, and the SLS is no different. Its great aluminum core stage, which fuels four Space Shuttle engines, holds 537,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and 196,000 gallons of liquid oxygen.

The orange rocket stage will fire for over eight minutes before its fuel is spent. By then, it will have accomplished its job. It will have blasted its precious cargo — whether the Orion spacecraft or other cargo — into space.

But that's not the only essential thing pushing SLS beyond Earth.

Six different SLS rocket configurations. Credit: NASA / MSFC

The two powerful boosters

Unlike the Saturn V, the SLS has two rocket boosters strapped to the side of its backbone. These are called "solid rocket boosters" — because they use solid fuel compounds — and they give SLS a potent push through the atmosphere.

NASA created these boosters from the Shuttle design. But on the SLS, they're bigger. These 17-story rockets carry 25 percent more fuel than the Shuttle's, and provide 75 percent of the SLS's thrust, or force pushing down against Earth, during the first couple of minutes the SLS speeds through the atmosphere.

Engineers testing an SLS solid rocket booster in the Utah desert. Credit: Northrop Grumman

"We take [boosters] to the max," said Blevins. "These are the largest solid boosters ever built."

Between the core stage and the two boosters, the SLS will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust, which is 15 percent more thrust than the Saturn V. That will allow NASA to send loads of moon-bound cargo, and spacecraft, beyond Earth's orbit and en route to the moon.

"It has so much more thrust than any other rocket that has been sent to space," said the aerospace engineer do Vale Pereira.

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Why the SLS isn't reusable

In the modern rocket world, reusability is in vogue.

And for good reason. Relaunching expensive engines and hardware saves bounties of money, making spaceflight markedly cheaper. But the SLS, unlike rockets like SpaceX's Falcon 9 that land after launching into space, is a single-use rocket (like the Saturn V). Already the first four SLS launches, to the NASA inspector general's dismay, are grossly overpriced at $4.1 billion per trip. A reusable rocket could make NASA's human spaceflight program more sustainable.

But Blevins emphasized that the SLS, as a single-use rocket, is the right rocket for this specific mission back to the moon.

"I like reusability," said Blevins. (And, he noted, NASA built the reusable Space Shuttles, which flew a whopping 135 crewed missions.) But today, he said, the primary goal is to prove NASA can establish a presence on the moon and get its crews back safely. Reusability, he underscored, is an important business case for companies like SpaceX who are constantly launching satellites or missions into Earth's orbit. The SLS, meanwhile, will only fly about once a year for its first decade or so. Creating reusability for these rarer moon missions would require building and maintaining more infrastructure — like ships to land giant rockets — and mean building boosters with added structure and weight (like landing gear) which would necessitate carrying even more fuel. It doesn't make financial sense, for these limited Artemis missions, to construct such a reusable operation, Blevins said. But if NASA was flying six or seven moon missions a year, "Then it makes sense," he added.

And maybe that's the future.

At the end of the day, SLS, while certainly beleaguered by problematic commercial contracts and cost overruns, is a rocket Blevins says is suited for this job. Not a revamped Saturn V. Not a reusable SLS. (Though SpaceX's Starship — which is still in development stages — has reusable rocket boosters that will launch moon landing spacecraft for the Artemis missions.)

"We fall in love with machines. And what we should do is fall in love with missions," Blevins said.

What's more, the SLS has the advantage of demonstrated technology, like the Space Shuttle engines. Sure, it's not next-generation technology, but it's reliable, well-understood rocketry. That has major benefits, especially when life is aboard a giant tower teeming with fuel.

"There are many components in the SLS that were proved in the Shuttle missions," explained do Vale Pereira. "That makes me confident that things will not explode."

"The chances of things going wrong are relatively low," she added.

NASA's SLS rocket waiting to launch in August 2022. Credit: NASA / Ben Smegelsky

The first launch of NASA's SLS rocket is slated for August 29, 2022. The rocket will propel an uncrewed Orion spacecraft to the moon, where it will loop around before returning to Earth.

NASA's rebooted plans for human exploration largely hinge on this test. Any journey back to the moon is a tremendous feat.

"It's still hard," said do Vale Pereira.

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6 things to know about NASA's moon-bound megarocket

It's been a long time since NASA had a rocket of this magnitude, capable of sending large payloads — astronauts and cargo — into deep space.

Not only is the Space Launch System, or SLS, built to travel to the moon, it's expected to one day put millions of miles on the odometer during the first crewed flight to Mars. Robotic scientific journeys to Saturn and Jupiter also could be in its future.

Here are some key facts about the megarocket on its maiden voyage, the Artemis I mission to lunar orbit.

Update on Aug. 29, 2022 at 1:45 p.m. ET: NASA scrubbed the Aug. 29 launch after encountering a problem cooling one of the Space Launch System rocket's engines. As of Aug. 29, flight managers said they're still planning to attempt a launch at their next opportunity on Sept. 2. It will be livestreamed.

1. It's the only rocket that can send the Orion spacecraft to the moon

NASA's SLS is the only rocket that can send the Orion capsule directly to the moon. Credit: NASA / Aubrey Gemignani

SLS is the only rocket capable of sending the Orion spacecraft, a capsule that sits atop the stack of boosters, to the moon and beyond. Think of the Orion capsule as the RV of the sky: It's not only a ride but a habitat for up to four astronauts. In order to travel long journeys into deep space, people will need to be able to eat, sleep, work, and pass time aboard for months.

For Artemis I, an uncrewed Orion will fly thousands of miles past and around the moon. Three weeks after liftoff, the capsule will splash down in the Pacific Ocean. One of the main purposes of the inaugural Artemis mission is to test its ability to safely reenter Earth's atmosphere and drop into the correct spot for the Navy to recover.

2. It's not the size, but the thrust, that counts

In a NASA test, the four main rocket engines fired for eight minutes in March 2021 and generated 1.6 million pounds of thrust. Credit: NASA / Robert Markowitz

Standing 322-feet high, the megarocket is taller than the Statue of Liberty and London's Big Ben. Compare that to the 184-foot Space Shuttle rocket, which blasted astronauts to the space station in low-Earth orbit.

Despite towering over its predecessor, SLS is actually a bit shorter than Saturn V, the last rocket NASA used to take people to the moon. The Apollo-era rocket was 41 feet taller.

But the new rocket is demonstrably more powerful. SLS will produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust — the power an engine provides for the rocket — during liftoff and ascent. That's 15 percent more than Saturn V offered. Future configurations of the new rocket will pack even more punch.

The four main SLS engines, fueled with 700,000 gallons of cryogenic, or super cold, propellant, will produce a thrust powerful enough to keep eight Boeing 747s aloft.

3. The megarocket is state-of-the-art 1980s technology

Engineers and technicians at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans attaching the first of four RS-25 engines to the core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Credit: NASA / Jude Guidry

SLS is literally and figuratively built upon the Space Shuttle legacy. NASA incorporated major components of the shuttle, which operated between 1981 and 2011, into the new rocket.

Engineers swapped the iconic space plane out for either a cargo or Orion crew spacecraft. The central orange core is an elongated shuttle external fuel tank, powered by four shuttle engines. Rather than reusing those engines, though, NASA will ditch them in the ocean. Twin shuttle solid rocket boosters will assist the core during the first phase of the flight, providing 75 percent of the initial skyward push.

It's not all old tech, though. NASA upgraded hardware and used new tooling and manufacturing techniques to get the job done. Some parts have been modernized to meet the needs of deep-space travel, but Congress didn't allow the space agency to start completely from scratch to design the latest megarocket.

4. Sorry, environment. It's not reusable.

During Artemis I, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft will launch on the most powerful rocket in the world and travel farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown. Credit: NASA

Remember that the new moon rocket is built with shuttle parts. NASA designed the shuttle to ferry astronauts and supplies back and forth to the space station, which orbits some 250 miles from Earth.

In order to modify the rocket so that it could travel much deeper into space, engineers needed to lighten the load. After all, the moon is roughly 239,000 miles from Earth, around 1,000 times the distance of the space station.

Engineers gutted the Shuttle's reusable boosters, parachutes, reserve fuel, and landing sensors from the design — the system that allowed the agency to use it again. This gave NASA back about 2,000 pounds of extra weight capacity for lunar trips. Doing so will help Orion reach 24,500 mph, the speed needed to send it on a moon-bound trajectory.

But this means SLS will need new rockets for each mission.

At least the engine exhaust is relatively "clean," superheated water vapor. The engines are fed liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel. And NASA upgraded the booster insulation from asbestos to rubber materials, also an environmental improvement.

5. The megarocket has an all-American price tag

NASA's Artemis missions will cost about $4.1 billion per launch, according to an inspector general report. Credit: NASA

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Many folks at NASA and in Congress refer to SLS as "the nation's rocket," the "flagship rocket," or "America's rocket." It's considered a national asset, not unlike a bespoke aircraft carrier for the military, intended to serve a national interest: exploring the solar system.

That's the major reason it's thought to be the most expensive rocket ever built. While the burgeoning commercial spaceflight sector may soon prove it can build a more cost-efficient space transportation system, affordability was never the priority for SLS.

When Congress passed a NASA spending bill in 2010, it directed the space agency to build the rocket, even specifying what parts to use, which companies to contract, and what kind of business arrangements to leverage. At that time, amid the Great Recession, those lawmakers sought to support thousands of jobs in their districts. Artemis is not just a space program, but a jobs program.

About 3,800 suppliers in all 50 states have contributed to the rocket and Orion projects, said Tom Whitmeyer, NASA's deputy associate administrator for common exploration systems.

"It's a symbol of our country and our communities, our aerospace economy, and what's in partnership behind it," he said on a call with reporters in March. "When you see this rocket, it's not just a piece of metal that's going to sit at the pad. It's a whole bunch of people, rocket scientists throughout this country, throughout our agency, that have worked on this."

At a March congressional committee, Inspector General Paul Martin, who serves as the space agency watchdog for the federal government, estimated each launch would cost $4.1 billion, with half of the tab attributed just to SLS. For perspective, that's about one-fifth of the entire NASA budget. By 2025, Martin expects NASA will have spent $93 billion on the Artemis program.

6. The rocket is the ultimate Transformer

NASA designed the Space Launch System as the foundation for a generation of human exploration missions to deep space. Credit: NASA

Engineers designed SLS to evolve into increasingly powerful configurations as its Artemis missions become more complex.

The first assembly, called "Block 1," will use the central (orange) core booster with four main engines. It can send over 59,500 pounds to orbits beyond the moon. Additionally, a pair of solid rocket boosters and liquid fuel-fed engines will provide much of its thrust. After leaving Earth's atmosphere, a final rocket booster — the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage — sends the Orion capsule onward to the moon. This is the configuration NASA plans to use for the first three Artemis missions, including a moon landing.

Later missions, which will carry astronauts, will have a different rocket configuration, including the powerful Exploration Upper Stage. Known as "Block 1B," this rocket design can transport crew and large amounts of cargo — up to 83,700 pounds.

The next iteration of SLS, aka "Block 2," can provide 9.5 million pounds of thrust and will be the workhorse vehicle for sending cargo to the moon, Mars, and other deep-space destinations, an eight percent increase over Artemis I. This rocket will lift a whopping 101,400 pounds.

In the harsh places NASA astronauts are going, they'll need bounties of supplies.

3D printing meets beauty with the Mink Makeup Printer

3D printing is often associated with prototypes, car parts, and various other machinery. But the Mink Makeup Printer is using 3D printing tech in a much glitzier manner.

The device is a printer that transforms images into instant, customizable makeup. While most 3D printers use a material like plastic in a process called additive manufacturing — where the material is added layer by layer to create a finished product — the Mink Makeup Printer works a little differently. "Essentially, it’s similar to an InkJet printer where it takes a substrate, which is coated with a powder, and it takes the ink and it deposits it onto the powder," said Grace Choi, inventor of the Mink Makeup Printer. "The powder absorbs the ink, and now that ink and powder mixture is instantly wearable."

From an image of a flower to pink powdered makeup. Credit: Mink

The Mink Makeup Printer creates cosmetics solely in powder form, so while beauty enthusiasts would be limited to the medium, they aren't limited in terms of application. Choi says that the printed powders are most often used as eyeshadows, but can also be used as blushes, face powders, and eyebrow powders depending on the color ink the user chooses to deposit. The powders and Mink makeup sheets are also completely recyclable, so anything not used after printing should cause minimal waste.

To actually create makeup using the printer, you'd upload an image — any image, whether it's a shot of your favorite celeb or a picture of a makeup palette you've been dying to get your hands on — into the Mink app. In the app, you then crop and center the image as you'd like, keeping in mind that anything included in the photo will become a pigmented makeup powder. From there, the app will send the information to the printer, which will pop out an exact replica of your image in makeup form.

While the printer greatly expands what's possible in the beauty realm, it isn't available to the average consumer yet. Choi hopes to see the printer become integrated into beauty retailers, where consumers could come use the Mink to try out artistic forms of makeup at little personal cost to them. She also sees it as a useful tool to create sustainable makeup for makeup artists, who often need tons of one-time use shades in their practice.

We here at Beauty, Hacked couldn't wait for the Mink to hit the market, so of course, we got our hands on it a bit early. Tune into this episode to see Choi demo the Mink in action with host Jennimai Nguyen as they turn images from their personal camera rolls, the Barbie movie set, and the Euphoria cast into instant makeup.

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Startup develops AI that makes call center employees sound like white, American robots

Silicon Valley startups sometimes seem like they've made it their goal to come up with the most dystopian uses of Artificial Intelligence. Earlier this month we had Meta's racist chatbot and the AI-generated rapper that uses the n-word, before that, back in June, we learned about the Google AI so good it convinced an engineer it was sentient. This time around, Palo Alto-based startup Sanas has introduced to the world an AI with the goal of making foreign call center employees sound accent-neutral, and the effect of making them sound white.

As reported by SFGATE, Sanas is a startup that offers "accent translation" for call center employees, a job that tends to be outsourced to cheaper foreign markets like India and the Philippines. Sanas, which was founded by three Stanford graduates, offers a real-time accent translation service, supposedly to make it easier for call center employees to be understood. It has already received over $30 million in venture capital funding.

"We don't want to say that accents are a problem because you have one," Sanas president Marty Sarim told SFGATE. "They're only a problem because they cause bias and they cause misunderstandings."

Based on the demo you can try out on Sanas' website where you can "hear the magic," it really does work. Not only does the software remove the accent, but it replaces the voice with something unsettlingly robotic akin to a standard American English accent. According to its website, Sanas believes this will allow call center employees to "take back the power of their own voice."

A common comparison to Sanas' AI has been to the 2018 film Sorry to Bother You where the main character, a Black man, adopts a "white voice" in order to garner more sales at his dystopian call center job. While Sanas states that its AI is meant to combat bias, critics assert that "accent translation" is another way to dehumanize an already dehumanizing job.

"On the surface it reflects communication difficulty — people not being able to understand someone else's speech," Winifred Poster, a professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis told SFGATE. "But, really, it's coded for a whole bunch of other issues about how accent triggers racism and ethnocentrism."

The Sanas AI not sounding human doesn't help much either. According to the University of Toronto's Kiran Mirchandani, whose research was on the treatment of Indian call center employees, she told SFGATE that people who are already predisposed to dishing out racist abuse to call center employees also won't take kindly to a robotic voice on the phone either.

"Customer racism is likely to increase if workers are further dehumanized when an ‘app’ is placed between worker and customer, especially since there will no doubt be errors made by the app," she told SFGATE.

Sanas' president Sarim stressed in his interview with SFGATE that workers will have a choice about whether or not to use the AI's accent translation. However, those familiar with the exploitation that happens within the foreign call center industry believe if the tech proves to be successful, the workers won't have much of a choice.

"There is virtually nothing in the labor process of call centers which involves choice by the workers in terms of technology," Poster told SFGATE. Already, workers are subject to deeply invasive surveillance, which makes it almost impossible to have an authentic conversation with people on the other end."