All posts tagged: Cons

The pros and cons of switching from Kindle to Kobo e-readers

The pros and cons of switching from Kindle to Kobo e-readers

Published by skeptic

BookTokers, Bookstagramers, and the most passionate Kindle users across the internet are fuming this week. On April 7, Amazon notified affected users that the company would be discontinuing support on 13 devices, including nine Kindle e-readers. Amazon already faces plenty of backlash in the book world. Last year, Amazon launched a massive book sale, which coincided with Independent Bookstore Day. This most recent news has left some Kindle users with a bad taste in their mouth, and now some readers are asking, “Should I switch to a Kobo?” This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. While Kindle is the biggest name in e-readers, Kobos are climbing the ranks. We’ve tried and loved both the Kobo Clara and Kobo Libra, and the devices are just as great as any Kindle. Kobo e-readers have features that Amazon abandoned in its Kindles, like page-turning buttons, plus seamless Libby integration. But if the decision to switch to a Kobo is driven out of worries that your current Kindle will eventually get bricked too, …

The pros and cons of ‘microshifting’ as workers try to reclaim their personal lives

The pros and cons of ‘microshifting’ as workers try to reclaim their personal lives

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Jen Meegan reads her company emails and revisits ideas she drafted the night before before the house starts humming and her teenagers ask her to whip up breakfast or chauffeur them to school. She works for an hour or so. After the school run, she shops for groceries or gets gas before returning to focus deeply on her job as head writer and cofounder of Sheer Havoc, a creative services agency. And so goes the rhythm of her day: working in targeted chunks for a few hours, breaking for an hour or two to tend to family and personal needs, and repeating the pattern until she finishes her work late at night. Meegan is among the wage earners engaging in “microshifting,” a flexible scheduling approach that involves tackling job duties in short, productive bursts instead of a single nine-to-five stretch. The …

The pros and cons of buying a used luxury car over a new car

The pros and cons of buying a used luxury car over a new car

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get our weekly Drive Smart newsletter for motoring news, reviews and advice from EV editor Steve Fowler Get motoring news, reviews and advice from EV editor Steve Fowler Get our EV editor’s weekly Drive Smart newsletter When purchasing a new car, it’s common for shoppers to look at what they can afford and go from there. Typically, that means focusing on vehicles from mainstream brands, even though the allure of a luxury car remains an aspiration for many. An intriguing alternative is now presenting itself to buyers: the opportunity to buy a used luxury vehicle for a price point similar to that of a brand-new mainstream model. Imagine a scenario where you have about $35,000 to spend. This budget could comfortably secure a new 2026 Honda CR-V, a sensible and reliable option. However, for about the same price, you could instead find yourself behind the wheel of a three-year-old BMW X3. While the X3 is certainly more prestigious and desirable, a critical question arises: Is buying a used luxury vehicle a smart choice? The car …

What to Know About At-Home STI Tests: Pros, Cons, and Recommendations (2026)

What to Know About At-Home STI Tests: Pros, Cons, and Recommendations (2026)

Published by skeptic

If you’re the kind of person who gets nervous or squeamish at the doctor’s office, you might find that collecting your own samples doesn’t freak you out as much as someone in a white coat doing it. Depending on where you live and your transportation situation, at-home STD tests might be more accessible than visiting a clinic or making a doctor’s appointment. And you can pay for them out of pocket, which might be a better option based on your health insurance. Finally, and unfortunately, sexually transmitted infections have a stigma attached to them. You shouldn’t feel ashamed of checking up on your sexual health—far from it, in fact—but at-home tests might be a better option if you’re concerned about what others may think. The Cons of At-Home STI Tests At-home STI tests are expensive. Depending on your specific health care situation, they might be more affordable, and many of them are FSA- and HSA-eligible or may be covered by insurance. But if you live in an area where there’s free testing through your city …

Xiaomi 17 Ultra vs vivo X300 Pro: Pros and Cons of Each Flagship

Xiaomi 17 Ultra vs vivo X300 Pro: Pros and Cons of Each Flagship

Published by skeptic

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra and vivo X300 Pro represent two of the most advanced smartphones available in 2026, each designed to cater to users seeking top-tier performance, innovative features, and exceptional photography capabilities. While Xiaomi focuses on innovative hardware and bold design, Vivo emphasizes refined software, stabilization, and user-centric features. This detailed comparison video below from Techmo will help you evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, making sure you choose the device that best aligns with your needs. Camera Features: Hardware Innovation vs. Software Refinement Photography remains a defining feature for both devices, but their approaches differ significantly. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is equipped with a 1-inch sensor and continuous optical zoom (75-100mm), delivering outstanding bokeh effects and dynamic range. These features make it particularly appealing for portrait photography enthusiasts who value hardware-driven image quality. In contrast, the vivo X300 Pro relies on a fixed 85mm telephoto lens, but it compensates with advanced stabilization and natural color accuracy, making it ideal for users who prioritize consistency and realism. Color processing further distinguishes these smartphones. Xiaomi leans …

Pros and cons of using a VPN

Pros and cons of using a VPN

Published by Sam Flores

With mobile devices, remote work and public Wi-Fi networks all integral to daily life, virtual private networks (VPNs) have become a familiar part of public discussion. VPNs promise a way to reclaim control over one’s private data. With growing concerns around online surveillance and data harvesting, more people are turning to VPNs. VPNs create a secure, encrypted tunnel between your laptop or mobile device and all of your internet traffic is routed through a remote server, which masks your IP address and shields your online activity from prying eyes. With a VPN, you have greater privacy, safer browsing and the ability to bypass location-based blocks. But while VPNs do all of that, they don’t totally obscure your online footprint, and they don’t make you invincible. Some VPNs log your user data, while others may slow down your connection or trigger security alerts on banking or streaming platforms. And how do you know you can completely trust your VPN provider? Understanding what VPNs offer — and what they don’t — is essential. Benefits of using a …

Pros and cons of COVID pandemic California desert life

Pros and cons of COVID pandemic California desert life

Published by Sam Flores

YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. — Tyler Gaul strode across the sprawling backyard of his Yucca Valley home and surveyed the rocky hillside a few steps away from the pool and basketball court that sit atop his 2-acre property. When he first moved to the desert from Los Angeles last fall, this jagged landscape granted him a sense of serenity as the crowded city he left behind grappled with a pandemic. Gaul, who runs his own skin care company, knew it was time to move when he could no longer exercise outside his Echo Park apartment — his respite from stay-at-home orders — because of wildfire smoke polluting the air. Constant and worsening wildfires, paired with a public health crisis, proved to be too much. Classic stories from the Los Angeles Times’ 143-year archive “I have a lung condition, and I was like, ‘No, I can’t do this anymore,’” he recalled. So he set out for the desert. Like many other city dwellers who have fled urban sprawl over the last year and a half, Gaul sought shelter in …