Tech

I Found a True Power Blender Without the Vitamix Price? Meet the Obliterator

Always one willing to test an appliance that makes a bold claim, I love it when something leads with hyperbole, whether it purports to be the first, smallest or fastest in its category. My latest blender obsession stakes a pretty big one right in its very name: the Obliterator. My husband likes to call it the Eliminator. He’s not entirely wrong. It effectively eliminates the boundaries between three-dimensional foodstuffs, such as cubes of butternut squash or almonds.. $130 at Amazon. Don’t like. We haven’t tested many Chefman products long-term, so durability is still a question. Some materials feel less premium than blenders from Vitamix and Breville. Blades are not laser-cut. Offered by Chefman, slipping in a bit of subtext even in its brand name, the Obliterator offers specs and performance similar to the industry-standard Vitamix, but for a fraction of the cost. Its regular price is $160, but it is frequently on sale at Amazon for $130 or less, sometimes as much as 50% off. Right now, for instance, it’s just $80.. While its warranty admittedly can’t compete with Vitamix’s (few can), if you’re looking for an introduction to a high-volume blender with professional power — but without the commitment of a legacy appliance at a professional-level price — the Obliterator is a solid choice.. What can you obliterate? Soup, nut butters, ice, etc.. Making creamy soups is what drew me to the Obliterator, but I’m blending much more than that. Pamel Vachon/CNET. My curiosity about the ability of an appliance to obliterate began with soups. I’d been making what I thought were nice pureed soups from scratch with an immersion blender in my early cooking-forward days, ignoring the fact that “puree” was only a loose interpretation of the result. “Very finely chopped” more accurately described the texture I achieved with a handheld appliance.. Once I was introduced to a Vitamix in culinary school, I was basically ruined for all other blenders, or so I thought. In a post-culinary school landscape (and with a post-culinary school budget), I wasn’t about to acquire such an appliance, and so I made do with the inferior results that an immersion blender could deliver. (Or maybe I stopped making soup altogether out of disappointment? Honestly, I have blocked it all out.). The Obliterator made mincemeat of a jar full of ice. Pamel Vachon/CNET. The Obliterator managed to restore my elegant soup dreams. With a generous container, powerful motor, and weighty base — not to mention the satisfying digital display that scrolls “Obliterator” when you turn it on — it has proven equal to the challenge. Butternut squash, mushrooms and even broccoli have been effectively blended into soup for homogeneity. Nary a tiny floret bud has remained unobliterated.. Nuts are one of the best stress tests for a blender. Pamela Vachon/CNET. While homemade nut butters have not previously been part of my regular repertoire, I was also committed to seeing the Obliterator in action on someth

Tech

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 10, #564

Seeking the latest standard Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, plus our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, and Strands puzzles. Masters fans will find today’s Connections: Sports Edition a hole in one. If you’re having trouble with today’s puzzle but still want to figure it out, keep reading for hints and solutions. Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It’s not available in the NYT Games app, but it is in The Athletic’s app. Alternatively, you can play it for free online. Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Exits Beta. Clues for today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories. Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group. Yellow group hint: Places to play. Green group hint: Accessories. Blue group hint: They have green jackets. Purple group hint: White Dogwood is another one. Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups. Yellow group: Golf course regions. Green group: Items in a golf bag. Blue group: Masters champions. Purple group: Names of Augusta National holes. Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words.

Tech

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 10, #768

Seeking the latest Strands solution? Visit this link for our daily Strands hints, plus daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a challenging one. Some answers are tough to unscramble, so keep reading for hints and solutions. I dive deep into Strands rules in this article. For today’s Wordle, Connections, and Mini Crossword answers, check CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page. Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far. Today’s Strands puzzle hint. The Strands theme for today is: On the sly. If that’s not enough, try this hint: Artful or savvy. These are the clue words to reveal in-game hints. Your objective is to discover concealed words that match the puzzle’s theme. If you’re having trouble, come up with whatever words you can. Whenever you locate three words that have four or more letters, Strands will uncover one of the theme words.

Tech

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 10, #1034

Searching for the latest Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, plus our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition, and Strands puzzles. Today’s NYT Connections puzzle includes a few very fun categories. The colors blue and purple brought a smile to my face, and given the topic for the purple group, they might have been better off swapping positions. (That’s a hint.) Keep reading for hints and today’s Connections answers. The Times offers a Connections Bot, similar to the Wordle one. After playing, go there to get a numeric score and have the program analyze your answers. Registered Times Games players can now track their stats in detail, such as puzzles completed, win rate, perfect scores achieved, and current win streak. Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time. Clues for the groups in today’s Connections. Here are four hints for today’s Connections puzzle groupings, from the easiest yellow one to the trickiest (and often odd) purple one. Yellow group hint: Sometimes spicy ingredient. Green group hint: Up, up and away!

Tech

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 10, #1,756

Searching for the latest Wordle solution? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, plus our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition, and Strands puzzles. Today’s Wordle puzzle features an unusual word that might be tough to guess. If you need a new starting word, consult our list of the most common letters in English words. If you’re looking for hints and the solution, keep reading.. Read more: New Study Reveals Wordle’s Top 10 Hardest Words of 2025. Hints for today’s Wordle. Prior to revealing today’s Wordle solution, here are a few hints. If you don’t want spoilers, look away now. Wordle hint #1: Repeats. The Wordle answer for today features no duplicate letters. Wordle hint #83: Vowels.

Tech

It Can Happen: I Turned My iPhone 17 Pro From Cosmic Orange to Pink

Last year, a Reddit thread revealed that a user’s iPhone 17 Pro had shifted from its original vibrant Cosmic Orange hue to a bizarre pink shade. I was doubtful initially, but it really is true. In a previous version of this article, I assaulted my phone with different chemicals, yet scarcely anything appeared to alter. But when I held my phone up to a brand-new iPhone 17 Pro Max at this year’s MWC, the difference was obvious: mine had turned bright pink. Here’s what occurred and steps to safeguard yours. As PCMag’s Eric Zeman pointed out, discoloration may result from cleaning agents that damage a phone’s finish, with oxidation responsible for the shift from cosmic orange to hot pink. Yes, it might be a technical flaw, but honestly, I adore pink phones (like the pink Moto Razr V3), and the thought of a hot pink iPhone 17 Pro thrilled me. Pink is gaining popularity, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Whether it’s the “blush” MacBook Neo, the soft pink iPhone 17E, or the gorgeous pink Nothing 4A Pro (heck, I’ll even include my recent Leica Q3 43 customization), the gentle spring hue is popping up all over tech. So I put the theory to the test using different cleaning solutions. Note that the iPhone 17E Pro I tested was bought by CNET specifically for this purpose.