Welcome back, TechRadar readers. If you’re like the rest of us, you’re running out the door to finish some last-minute shopping, while simultaneously trying to finish every last bit of work that’s due before we ring in the new year. I know, it’s a near-impossible task.
However, once that’s done and we’ve drunk all the ‘nog and unwrapped every present, most of us will be faced with some downtime. I thought we could spend this newsletter talking about how to fill that liminal space.
I know you’re anxious to get to celebrating and relaxing, so let’s get started – and whatever and however you’re celebrating over the coming break, have a great one!
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is among the best movies on Netflix right now (Netflix)
During this break, you could do as I do and build a snowman, or even a snow animal. I’m never happier than when we’ve had two feet of snow, and the temperature has risen to just above freezing – these are the perfect conditions for packing snow and sculpting masses of it into mammal shapes.
Over the years, I’ve constructed monkeys, bears, polar bears, gorillas, dinosaurs, and human heads. I once made a snow lion, and then turned the whole experience into a self-published children’s story. It’s funny how few people know that you can publish and sell almost any written work on Amazon; don’t expect people to buy it, but at least you can say that you’re a published author.
If you’re not planning on heading outdoors, and prefer to hunker down with your favorite streamer, you could wile away the holiday break hours consuming vast quantities of content on Netflix – we’ve got a list of the 30 best movies on there right now – or Paramount Plus. Personally, I’m intrigued by Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, which arrived on Netflix just a few months after Robert Zemeckis’ poorly received Tom Hanks vehicle was released on Disney Plus. I’m a sucker for stop-motion animation, and I’ve heard good things about the film – including from TechRadar’s Axel Metz. There are also some timeless classics on offer, like Notting Hill (a must-see), and an in-his-prime Russell Crowe in Gladiator.
If two-hour movies aren't chewing through enough of your do-nothing days, you can switch to full series on Netflix. One of its newest shows, Wednesday, is a bonafide hit now, and you can get hip to the TikTok dance craze it inspired by at least plowing through up to episode 4.
Away from the small screen, maybe you’ll finally learn how to use that air fryer someone gave you. You could start with these tips on common mistakes to avoid, including the fact that you don’t have to pre-heat these cooking devices (I had no idea), or this piece on what you need to know before using an air fryer. I might even try to make some gingerbread cookies in my own air fryer. Wish me luck.
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As you might expect, there are more than a few smartphones in there, including models from Apple, Samsung and Google (you can read more of my thoughts on the year in smartphones in next Friday’s Year in Review newsletter). But I also highlight emerging software platforms and services, like ChatGPT and, yes, Wordle.
Our list of the best fit trackers has options for every need and budget, such as the Fitbit Inspire 3 (Future)
Perhaps you want to spend your downtime thinking about your health, especially after all that binging, cooking, and Christmas cookie eating.
You could start with getting yourself a fitness tracker (assuming you didn’t get one as a gift). I’ve been using the Apple Watch 8 (and most models before it) to track everything from my steps to the brief workouts I perform each morning. I’m pretty-much self-directed, but I do love the little awards I get for moving and completing weekly activity and workout streaks. When my wife and I go for a walk, we both pause to launch our Outdoor Walk workout routine; if we forget, it’s like the walk didn’t count.
There are not only a bunch of great smartwatches to choose from; you can also save yourself some money by going with one of the best dedicated fitness trackers that focus on counting steps, heartbeats, and calories burned.
But you don’t have to spend money to get healthy. Earlier this year, we found a few free fitness services. I like the free version of MyFitnessPal, which helps you track your own activities, including what you eat and how you exercise.
By the way, TechRadar’s Matt Evans is busy curating a very special Fitness Week of content, which kicks off January 2. This may be the most comprehensive collection of content we’ve ever produced to help you become the best version of you. Matt is calling it ‘Get Fit for ‘23’, and I’m calling it brilliant.
You know how I unwind after a hyper holiday season? I do it by hopping on a plane and heading to Las Vegas, where I can wander among thousands of CES attendees, and peruse thousands of new products and technologies.
Believe it or not, I love it. This will be the first time in three years that I’ll attend in person, and there’s nothing like the energy of this show. Plus, I’ve already seen previews of some of the new gadgets that will be on display – I wish I could tell you all about them, but I’m under strict embargo.
You can prepare for the show, which runs through January 5-8 (press events, from which I and other members of the team will be reporting, start on January 3) by reading our CES preview.
Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina inspects the leaking Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft (right) using the European Robotic Arm on the International Space Station (NASA TV)
The other night I hopped on Twitter (yup, still a thing) to check my space nerd feeds. There are a lot of astronauts, scientists, and NASA officials (along with NASA itself) on the platform, and it’s long been the best way to find real-time info about our space program. On this particular night, I saw the ghostly image of an ISS-docked Soyuz capsule spewing some sort of liquid into space.
This was not normal. As our friends at Space.com reported, this leak could make the capsule unusable – and if that happens, the three astronauts the capsule ferried to the International Sapce Station in September could be stranded, at least until NASA and its partners can get another spacecraft to the station.
It’s just another reminder of the insanely-high risks that come with all space operations; my thoughts will be with those astronauts over the holiday season.
The Sign-off
That wraps a slightly abridged version of the Week in Review – thanks for reading, and may all of you have a wonderful holiday season. We’ll be back next week with the aforementioned Year in Review edition, which I know you’ll enjoy. As ever, if you have any comments, concerns, feedback, or sugar cookies, do drop me a line.
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