Articles by Ara Wagoner

While I scoffed at the initial price, Mulan might be the most reasonable “home and theater” premiere of 2020.

When Disney announced during its second quarter earnings report that Mulan was going to be the latest film of Disney’s to come to Disney+ ahead early as theaters remain largely closed and home release windows get warped by the pandemic. Unlike Hamilton and Frozen II, though, Mulan was going to be a $30 upcharge on top of being a Disney+ subscriber, sparking outrage among fans and observers as Disney charged $10 more than competitors like Universal.

Turns out, Disney actually isn’t overcharging for a rental. That $30 is an outright purchase, unlocking the film early on D+ and allowing you to watch it as many times as you like between September 4 and whenever the film comes to free D+ subscribers.

And that makes Mulan’s pricing much more reasonable.

The other “home + theatrical premieres” we’ve seen this summer — like Trolls World Tour — have been $20 48-hour rental…

Finally. The most anticipated streaming service is here. Home to not just Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and all your Pixar favorites, but educational entertainment like National Geographic and storied series like The Simpsons. Oh, and all the Disney movies and TV shows you could ever want to watch. Available in over a dozen countries — with more on the way — Disney has finally given us an all-in-one destination we Disney fans have been waiting almost two decades for.

Welcome to Disney Plus (Disney+).

A magical streaming service

Disney+

See latest pricing at Disney+

All your Disney favorites, and so much more

From DCOMs to National Geographic, from Marvel to Lucasfilm to 20th Century Fox and beyond, Disney+ delivers a streaming service for all ages.

A Guide to Disney+

What is Disney Plus?
Where is Disney Plus available now?
What devices support Disney Plus?
What shows and movies are on Disney Plus
Parental controls, profiles, and account limits
Disney Plus…

The best Chromebooks can provide a top-notch computing experience in 2020. They’re perfect for students, grandparents, and anyone looking for a trouble-free laptop with long battery life. We’ve reviewed and rated the absolute best Chromebooks so that you can find the best value at any budget. Our buyer’s guide will help you find the perfect Chrome OS laptop or tablet if you’re switching from a Windows or Mac, or if you’re buying your first laptop entirely.

The 10 Best Chromebooks in 2020

Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook — Best Chromebook Overall: A powerful, portable and near-perfect all-around Chromebook for students, travelers, businesspeople and everyday Chromebook users.
ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 — Best Premium Pick: A large and premium Chromebook with a long-lasting battery, plenty of power, and a great trackpad.
Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11.6″) — Best Value Chromebook: This compact Chromebook is perfect for users on-the-go and those needing a quality laptop on a budget.
Acer Chrom…

The best Chromebooks can provide a top-notch computing experience in 2020. They’re perfect for students, grandparents, and anyone looking for a trouble-free laptop with long battery life. We’ve reviewed and rated the absolute best Chromebooks so that you can find the best value at any budget. Our buyer’s guide will help you find the perfect Chrome OS laptop or tablet if you’re switching from a Windows or Mac, or if you’re buying your first laptop entirely.

The 10 Best Chromebooks in 2020

Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook — Best Chromebook Overall: A powerful, portable and near-perfect all-around Chromebook for students, travelers, businesspeople and everyday Chromebook users.
ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 — Best Premium Pick: A large and premium Chromebook with a long-lasting battery, plenty of power, and a great trackpad.
Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11.6″) — Best Value Chromebook: This compact Chromebook is perfect for users on-the-go and those needing a quality laptop on a budget.
Acer Chrom…

The best Samsung Galaxy Note 20 cases are protective, grippy, and stylish. While the regular Note 20 doesn’t have a glass back, it’s still a big, honking phone and you shouldn’t dare step out your door without protecting it with a case. From thin and colorful to ruggedly handsome, these are the cases you can trust with your new Note 20.

Clear and clean

Spigen Liquid Crystal

Staff pick

Want to show off your lovely Mystic Green phone? The Liquid Crystal will offer grip and scratch protection while keeping things slim and sanguine. If you want a little more pop, I adore the Glitter variant!

$11 at Amazon
$13 at Amazon (Glitter)

Functional fabric

Samsung Kvadrat Cover

This sustainable case is bright, cheerful, and feels wonderful in the hand. The color choices are a bit small compared to the S20+, but the bright pink case mislabeled as Red is lovely, so why would you need anything else?

$35 at Amazon

Mesmerizing majesty

Caseology Parallax

The Parallax’s Aqua Green adds …

Your Galaxy Note 9 is a great, big phone with a great big screen — and if you break that screen, it’ll be hundreds of dollars to replace it. Do your wallet, your sanity, and your Note 9 a favor and protect it! Tempered glass screen protectors offer superior drop protection and feel just like your phone’s native glass, but they can be expensive and can decrease the touch sensitivity of your screen. Film protectors offer great scratch protection in a thinner, cheaper package, but they don’t offer as much protection against drops.

The gold standard

Whitestone Dome Glass (2-Pack)

Staff pick

After spending $1,000 on a phone, it’s natural not to want to spend a lot on accessories, but Whitestone Dome Glass is among the best fitting and longest-lasting glass screen protectors we’ve seen for the Note 9 thus far. Its UV-curing system holds longer and better than regular adhesives when properly applied.

$60 at Amazon

Install with care

Skinomi Tech Glass Screen Protector

Unlike mo…

The Google Pixel 4a is one of the most compelling phones of 2020, offering excellent performance and cameras for less than half the price of a flagship. While it might not cost thousands of dollars, that doesn’t mean that it’s any less worthy of protection. Whether you need to spice up the Just Black of the Pixel 4a or need to keep it safe from the chaos outside your door, these are the best Pixel 4a cases you can buy right now.

Pretty protection

Caseology Parallax

Staff pick

This hybrid case comes in three dazzling color combinations — a deep navy blue, a lighter purple, and a darling coral/gold two-tone — and offers drop protection and grip in a compact profile.

$15 at Amazon

Guard the front and back

Poetic Revolution

This heavy-duty case comes with a screen protector built into the front frame, offering 360 degrees of protection for your new Pixel 4a. I also like the robust kickstand on the back that can be used in portrait or landscape.

$17 at Amazon

Sustainable…

The Galaxy S20 is a beautiful flagship, so why would you want to cover it up? Simple: it’s an expensive glass-backed phone, and you need to protect it if you want it to last you for the next few years! These are the prettiest, toughest, and clearest clear cases available right now.

Timeless classic

Spigen Liquid Crystal

Staff pick

$10 at Amazon

Year after year, time after time, this ends up being my most-used and most-trusted clear case because it adds the right amount of grip and doesn’t detract from the phone’s natural look.

Bump it up

Ringke Fusion X

$13 at Amazon
$13 at Walmart

The clear back shows off your S20’s color while the stylized bumper keeps the phone safe from drops and dings. I’ll admit, it’s got a divisive look, but I like it, especially the Space Blue version.

Fight the grime

Tech21 Evo Check

$40 at Amazon

This clear case is ready for the apocalypse. The ribs in the bumper can help it withstand 12-foot drops and the built-in BioShield should…

Wow, the app that made you pay for severe weather alerts got bought by Apple? Shocker.

We all know how quickly the weather can change, and that’s how fast a weather app can change, too. Dark Sky was bought by Apple back in March and announced that the Android app would be shut down on July 1. Well, the Dark Sky weather app is no more, so if you need something to replace its “hyperlocal” weather and give you accurate forecasting in a well-designed package, here are some weather apps that should satisfy your needs while also not costing your a yearly subscription for the good stuff.

Appy Weather

If you like that little carousel with the different conditions under the Dark Sky timeline, then you’ll probably be pretty happy with Appy Weather, powered by Dark Sky’s API — which will keep serving existing API customers through 2021, at which point Appy Weather will have multiple other weather sources for you to pull from. Appy Weather is the weather app I’ve been using for the last 1…

Chromebooks are great computers for a lot of different uses, but they are almost tailor-made for education. They’re designed to perform well even with modest specs, the software is hard to break, corrupt, or infect, and if a student breaks a laptop, they just need to log in on any other laptop in the school system to get back to work. There are a lot of great options to choose from, but our top pick is the ASUS Chromebook Flip C214.

Best Overall: ASUS Chromebook Flip C214

The ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 is the best Chromebook for students because it provides an excellent experience in a compact, durable package. The 11.6-inch screen is easy to see in a wide array of angles — even in direct Florida sunshine — and the zinc alloy hinge allows you to rotate the screen around 360 degrees into tent or tablet mode as needed. A 2-in-1 Chromebook allows your student to interact with lessons and content however they want: with the keyboard and mouse or directly with the touchscreen.

The…