The Tundra Haul is our top-pick cooler. It’s expensive and big, but Yeti’s rotomolded cooler is the undisputed king for a simple reason—it keeps your stuff cold longer. The Tundra Haul is built like a tank, with 3-inch-thick insulated walls, a heavy aluminum arm, and puncture-proof, one-piece wheels. Fill this thing up and you’ll need a second person to lift it in and out of your trunk (or truck, in my case). I’ve managed to get five days of cold out of it in the insane humidity of Florida in the spring.

Deals on Rain Jackets and Outdoor Apparel

Courtesy of REI

The Rainier is our favorite budget rain jacket, especially when it’s on sale. This particular deal, while limited in color options, is the lowest price I’ve seen in 5 years of covering REI sales. Unlike most rain jackets in this price range, the Rainier uses high-quality three-layer, seam-taped, laminate waterproofing that’s non-fluorinated (meaning no PFAS). It has some other features rare in budget rain jackets, like pit zips or venting, a weatherproof center zip, and an adjustable, stowable hood.

I have the 2024 version of this jacket and it has served me well. The taped seams and welded construction keep wind and moisture at bay, and the side zip vents run all the way from the hem to the bicep, offering great ventilation when you’re moving (they’re also handy for getting at stuff in the pockets of your mid layers).

The best deal here is the women’s version of this classic rain jacket, which is nearly half off in some colors and sizes. The AR (for “all-round”) is the beefiest of Arc’teryx’s Beta jackets. The combination of 40-denier fabric (with 80D reinforced areas) and Gore-Tex Pro 3L membrane make this not just highly waterproof, but very durable as well. When I know it’s going to rain, this is the jacket I bring.

Photograph: REI

One of my favorite bargain three-season puffer jackets, the REI 650 down jacket, is a cheap, packable option for cold summits or stargazing on chilly nights. The stitched-through baffles mean this one isn’t as warm as some jackets, and it is more susceptible to wind. But at this price, it’s worth buying. The vest is also on sale for $50 ($50 off).

This is a steal on REI’s warmest puffer jacket for kids. My son lived in this jacket all winter and despite getting plenty dirty (you can machine wash and tumble dry it), it’s never let us down. The 650 fill power down matches the adult jacket above, but feels more generously stuffed and therefore warmer (REI does not list a fill weight for the Snowballer).

The Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket is my top pick for a backpacking puffer jacket. It weighs just 6.7 ounces for a men’s medium (7.3 ounces for the men’s large I tested), packs down to a tiny little thing (stuffing into its own pocket), and the 1,000-fill-power goose down offers one of the best warmth-to-weight ratios on the market. Unfortunately, the men’s version is not on sale right now.

If you live in a cold climate, even if it’s not quite Canada, you need this shirt. It’s your classic, ultrawarm wool shirt. Sorry, shirt jacket. Whatever it is, it’s warm, cozy, and comfy. Don’t let the wool scare you, it’s not itchy.

Courtesy of REI Co-op

The best value pick on our base layer guide, REI’s midweight base layer is pleasantly soft and quick drying. It’s comfortable with a tight, but not overly-tight, fit that makes it easy to layer over. I especially like the thumb loops on the sleeves, and the flatlock stitching keeps these from rubbing under load.

REI’s 100-percent merino base layers are some of the best deals around on merino wool, and that’s when they’re full price. On sale, they’re a true steal. The pants are also on sale for $60.

Looking to avoid the sun? REI’s Sahara Shade hoodie is a great alternative to sunscreen. I don’t often use a sun hoodie myself, but I have worn this one and it does do a good job of protecting you without feeling too stuffy on a hot day (it’s definitely better for protecting against high altitude sun rather than humid, Florida sun).

Deals on Daypacks and Hiking Gear

If you’re hitting the trail soon, be sure to read our guide to the best hiking daypacks and our favorite new outdoor gear for 2026.

Photograph: Adrienne SoPhotograph: Adrienne So

Nemo’s Resolve is a great pack that incorporates a low-waste footprint into the design. It uses solution-dyed fabrics, and eschews straps and buckles in favor of bungees and pull-tabs. This does make adjusting it fussier, but once you’re used to it and have the fit dialed in, it’s not an issue. The Resolve is a comfortable pack. While technically frameless, it feels like it has some structure. and it sits nice and high on your back. At just over two pounds, it’s also pretty light.

I own a very dirty, somewhat sad looking older version of this Deuter day pack, and the suspension system is so comfortable that I still regularly load it down with way more than the recommended weight. I found the same to be true of this updated version when I tested it last year. It’s a comfortable, capable day pack and Deuter’s ventilation system is the best I’ve used, keeping your back from turning into a sweaty mess in summer heat.

This one has yet to be added to our daypack guide (I’ll be updating it soon), but I’ve been very impressed with the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) ripstop body fabric, which manages to be durable, but not annoyingly crinkly the way some UHMWPE packs are. 22 liters is spacious enough for day hikes and the mesh rear pocket helps expand that capacity for things you want close at hand.

This humble lumbar pack, which Mountainsmith has been making seemingly forever, is my most used pack, thanks in part to its convertible nature. It can be worn as a lumbar pack (which I do when riding my bike), or as a a shoulder bag around town. I’ve also devised a way to strap it to the handle bars of my bike (it’s amazing what you can do with some voile straps), and to the outside of a Mystery Ranch backpack (to use as a daypack/outside storage). I have the 9L version, but if I were doing it over again I’d get the 13L to have a bit of extra space.

A long time WIRED favorite, Peak Design’s everyday pack is a chic and understated, endlessly adaptable, and easy-to-use pack that can go everywhere you go—from the woods, to the office, to the bar. The greatness is in the thoughtful design details. For example, there are quick-release loops on the arm straps to swiftly loosen one just enough to swing the bag around and get your keys or wallet while standing or walking.

This is the pack I started my kids backpacking with. It’s one-size, so you might want to head to an REI store to make sure it fits, but it’s a comfortable, capable, reasonably-priced first backpack for kids. REI rates it for ages 8 to 12 years, but probably the more pertinent spec is that it fits best at between 4’9″ to about 5’3″.

Deals on Ebikes and Outdoor Tech

Photograph: Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

The Lectric XP is the most popular electric bike, and the third-most-popular electric vehicle of any kind. The only thing more popular than this is Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 cars. Lectrics are notably the easiest bikes to assemble—reviewer Michael Venutolo-Mantovani only took 20 minutes to put it together—and it’s foldable, portable, and very attractive, especially in this forest green color. It has a powerful 750-watt motor, and even though it had to carry 225 pounds of human reviewer, the battery lasted well over 50 miles.

This Class 3 ebike tops out at 28 mph, but has some high-quality components for the price: a Shimano Deore 10-speed drivetrain, a 120-mm RockShox Judy Silver TK Air Fork, and Tektro Orion Quad Piston brakes. The TrailRush also has extras like a dropper seat post and huge 29-inch Maxxis Minion tubeless-ready tires for covering serious ground. Sure, who wouldn’t love to have the $11.5k Specialized S-Works Levo 4? But if that’s not in the budget, this is a great, less expensive option.

We’ve tried several Aventon models and appreciate the high level of quality for a relatively low price point (the accessories are better than Lectric’s, too). This fat-tire ebike is affordable, versatile, and has built-in commuter essentials. We also like the Abound, which is on sale, too.

We’ve tested several GoTrax’s escooters, but we like the company’s folding, step-through ebike as well. It has the usual pitfalls of a cheap folding ebike (heavy, awkward), but it has a decent 20-mile range and all the commuter essentials for well under $1,000.

Photograph: Kieran Alger

I have yet to do a trip with a satellite communicator, but I do understand why people use them. If I were to bring one along, this is the one I’d get. It’s tiny, light (3.5 ounces), and easily stashable. It utilizes the super-fast Iridium satellite network, so you can send a rapid SOS from pretty much anywhere. There are extra features like waypoints and interval tracking, and it plays nice with compatible Garmin watches.

The Venu 4 was notable for introducing Sleep alignment, a new piece of information about sleep that aims to help you pick the right time to go to sleep in accordance with your natural circadian rhythm.

Camping Deals

Before you head out to your local state park this summer, check out our guides to the Best Tents, Best Sleeping Pads, and Best Camp Stoves for all our camping gear recommendations.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

REI’s Base Camp tent is the best-designed, best-built six-person tent I’ve tested. It’s a traditional dome tent design, with two crossed poles and two side poles. The tent floor is high-quality 150-denier (150D) polyester, while the sides are a combination of mesh and 40D nylon. There’s loads of storage pockets, double doors, great vents, and huge windows, making it comfortable even in summer heat. It’s also one of the few family-size, three-season tents on the market with a nearly full-length rain fly (made of 75-denier polyester).

The Marmot Halo is my favorite all-weather 4-person family tent. It features a low-profile design, with steep sidewalls, and a reliable, nearly full-length rain fly, which, when combined, make this a livable haven in a storm. The name comes from the unusual pole design. There are two cross poles, like every square, domed tent, but the side poles connect halfway up the tent body instead of at the ground. This gives the Halo steeper sidewalls—and therefore more usable space—than any other tent I’ve tested. The downside is that you can’t stand up in it.

Courtesy of Coleman

REI sales are the time to grab this upgrade stove. Sure, the basic version below gets the job done, but the cast iron burners of the Cascade 3-in-1 are so much nicer and more durable. The griddle plate is also handy, perfect for cranking out pancakes. My only gripe is that I wish there were an option to get two griddles, as I find the grill not nearly as useful.

Walk around any campground in America and you’ll likely see dozens of these, for good reason. They’re easy to use, last a long time, and aren’t all that expensive. The 10,000-BTU burners are plenty to cook on just about any pan you have (I use cast iron pans on mine), and the electronic ignition means you don’t have to keep track of a lighter.

You could argue this belongs below in the backpacking section, but I just can’t justify the weight of a chair when backpacking. I think of this and others like it as very compact camp chairs. Part of what I like about this chair is that it’s a good example of REI’s basic value proposition succeeding: it’s not the lightest chair you can buy, but it’s sturdy, well-made, and probably light enough. It’s also now outlasted the much more expensive Nemo Moonlight Elite, which ripped during a recent camping trip.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson; Getty Images

It’s watersports season. If you don’t have a paddle board, it’s time to invest. My favorite paddle board for lazy days paddling at the lake, this Bote is large and stable, making it great for beginners. Despite it’s size, it’s surprisingly nimble and easy to steer, with very good tracking ability. I also love the two-in-one kayak/SUP hybrid design, which means you can turn it into a full fishing rig with Bote’s various add-ons.

Oru’s foldable kayaks are genius—all the boat, none of the size. The Lake is light, reasonably fast, and the cheapest way to get into the world of folding kayaks. As with all Oru’s offerings, the Lake folds origami-style into a roughly 30-inch square that’s just 15 inches deep—small enough to fit in a car trunk or hall closet.

Backpacking Deals

Headed out overnight in the backcountry? We’ve got you covered with our guides to the Best Backpacking Tents, Backpacking Sleeping Pads, Backpacking Stoves, and Backpacking Water Filters.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

This deal is a combo of our top-pick backpacking water filter and our top-pick water bladder. As the name suggests, the Sawyer is a squeeze filter, but paired with the Cnoc it turns into a gravity filter when you have the time. When I’m not testing something else, this is the filtration system I use, and it’s never let me down. If you don’t want the Cnoc bladder for some reason, the Sawyer is also on sale for $35 ($10 off).

The Katadyn BeFree Water Filter is one of the lightest filters on the market (2.3 ounces, or 65 grams, for the filter and bottle) and a great option for when you want to go as light as possible, like when you’re trail running or on a day hike. The filter is inside the collapsible container. Scoop up some water, screw on the lid, and drink. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

If you’re cooking for a group, this 3-liter pot is about as light as you’re going to find. It’s my go-to pot for family backpacking trips. The hard-anodized aluminum is sturdy and provides good heat transfer. The ceramic nonstick coating makes for easy cleanup (especially paired with the GSI scraper below). You can also nest the 2L version (also $47) inside this one for more cooking options on the trail. If you want to go nuts with it, I haven’t tried it, but you can theoretically also nest the 1.3L version ($39) inside the 2L.

This is a backpacking must-have for me. It turns cleanup from a tedious chore to a couple of seconds’ work. I’ve even perfected cleaning burnt pans with it: Boil water in the pan to loosen the burnt bits and scrape them out. It’s not a massive savings, but you might as well grab one while it’s a couple bucks cheaper.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

If you want to cook in the backcountry, like legitimately cook with ingredients, not rehydrated food, the best stove I’ve tested is the Firebox Nano with the gas burner and diffusion plate. The Firebox Nano is a twig stove, so you have that option as well (I am fortunate to live somewhere I can use this feature), but with summer burn bans in many places, it’s really the gas burner and diffusion plate combo that is the centerpiece here. Together, they spread out the flame enough that cooking on a 10-inch pan is pretty much like cooking on my stove at home. This is a nearly miraculous achievement for a stove setup this small and light (8 ounces).

The Zenbivy sleep system is hands-down the best way I’ve slept in the backcountry, and the Light Bed is my favorite Zenbivy. It’s not the lightest (that’s the Ultralight Quilt), but it’s light enough for me at 1 pound, 12 ounces (or 793 grams) for the 25 degree Fahrenheit large version (and somewhat cheaper than the Ultralight). The Light Bed consists of either the Light Quilt or the Light Convertible Quilt (I like the latter for the option to open it up completely flat) paired with the Light Sheet.

Petzl’s Tikka headlamp is one of our favorite headlamps. It provides plenty of light to cook by in the backcountry, runs on three AAA batteries (we recommend Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable batteries) and lasts over 5.5 hours. It’s also compatible with Petzl’s USB-rechargable Core battery ($30).

Birdhouses provide a stable environment in which cavity-nesting birds can raise their families. Wood is still the usual option since it suits the hollows that birds seek in trees. However, wood exposed to constant rain, snow, and sun deteriorates over time, demanding frequent repairs or replacements.

A metal roof provides a significant advantage when it comes to dealing with water and snow. It sheds them far more efficiently than bare wood. When winter storms arrive, all of that extra protection comes in handy since moisture can leak in and accelerate wood deterioration. Builders who want their homes to last from season to season typically utilize metal for this purpose.

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Summer, on the other hand, brings a whole other set of worries, as metal has a horrible habit of absorbing sunlight and becoming rather hot to the touch. If you’ve ever touched a dark car hood on a bright day, you’ll know what I mean. If the heat is then carried directly into the nesting area, it can rapidly become hot enough to harm eggs or young chicks. A builder working on a large project of 500 birdhouses opted to measure the heat rather than assuming. The design featured a solid metal roof put over a wooden nesting chamber, but allowed a small gap between the two, allowing air to flow freely underneath the metal.

To make this sound as intense as possible, heat lamps were pointed directly at the roof, and sensors were put to monitor the temperature of the roof, the upper part of the nesting chamber, the lower part, and the air around it. The heat lights maintained a temperature of 70 to 75 degrees Celsius on the roof for several hours. Meanwhile, the temperature within the wooden piece remained constant between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius throughout, and even when the air around the test box reached 30 degrees, the protected nesting area remained as cool as you wanted. Birds become quite worried if nest temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius, but in our test, they remained comfortably below that threshold.

The air gap is doing all of the work because moving air transfers heat out before it soaks into the wood beneath. To top it off, the metal shade fits inside the box, and the solid wooden edges provide some solitude. So what may have been a heat trap turns out to be a lovely, stable environment. In most real-life circumstances, the birdhouses face east or receive dispersed light rather than the full south-facing sun throughout the day. Finally, the inside should be more welcoming to the common birds who will live there.
[Source]

India’s digital payment share has increased over the years, with the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) growing to over 750 million daily transactions. With an aim to reach over a billion daily transactions, Dilip Asbe, MD and CEO of the National Payments Corporation of India, which oversees UPI, thinks AI would be heavily involved in the next phase for user growth, fraud prevention, and credit distribution.

During an interview with TechCrunch at Mumbai Tech Week (MTW) 2026 last month, Asbe said AI could drive the next half a billion users with NPCI, India’s central bank, and the government working together.

“AI will be used very effectively when we look at the next wave of UPI, and that includes all aspects, including reaching new users. We must use AI effectively to protect our current citizens, to find fraud, and to find mules. AI must also be used to provide credit to all the users and merchants who have digital footprints,” he said. “We must use AI to look at the voice and multilingual solutions to make onboarding simpler.”

Many companies have talked about voice as an interface being important in India for chatting with companies or systems. Asbe believes that it is early days for that, as voice models will need to be more accurate. NPCI launched a voice assistant-based interactive system in 2023. Asbe noted that adoption for that yet to take off, and with the right use case, voice can become a critical component in the payment ecosystem.

AI in finance and regulations

In the U.S., startups and public companies are racing to add AI to finance. Coinbase and Robinhood now allow agents to trade on users’ behalf, and OpenAI lets you load personal account data into ChatGPT to get financial advice. NPCI has shown some demos around agentic commerce and payments with Razorpay last year. However, there hasn’t been a wider rollout of some of these capabilities.

NPCI’s CEO thinks that with robust regulations and a framework, India can also adopt AI-powered finance. He said that there should be enough protection for users and mitigation for risk — and in case something goes wrong, the system should be able to look at the instructions and consent given by the user to an agent.

Besides the usage of models, Asbe thinks that the Indian finance ecosystem has an opportunity to build small language models.

“We believe that the models will differentiate from each other based on the data sets that are made available to them,” he said. “We have a very rich data set in our ecosystem. I think there is a big opportunity for Indian companies — the banks, FinTechs, and the ecosystem — to create small language models which are sharp, specific, and as deterministic as possible.”

Last year, NPCI launched a model called FIMI to solve user disputes. Asbe noted that it is serving over a million users to cancel mandates and resolve issues, and is scaling fast.

UPI competition

NPCI has long sought healthy competition between UPI apps, but data suggests that Walmart-owned PhonePe and Google Pay have over 80% of the market share. The regulator’s plan to cap an app’s market share at 30% is set to take effect on December 31, 2026, unless it defers the deadline date again.

During the conversation, Asbe said that UPI apps have very low switching costs and most core features are shared. He noted that PhonePe and Google have poured millions into their apps to attain their market position. He said that if new apps find viable business models within the fintech ecosystem, their share will rise.

“I believe that there are multiple issues why we see this concentration risk exist, and one of the important reasons is the availability of a viable commercial model. The moment we see the commercial model being available to the ecosystem, I believe newer players will start investing very heavily,” Asbe said.

In 2024, the payment body spun off its BHIM UPI app to make it more competitive and grow its usage. While its transaction volume has grown, its overall market share is around 1%. Asbe said that with BHIM, there is no particular target market share NPCI is eyeing. But it wants to make it a sovereign and secure alternative to other apps, Asbe said.

India is one of the biggest digital economies, and investors around the world will be looking at the regulatory landscape to put money into newer fintech solutions and make the market more competitive.

• Fake GTA VI beta keys are already draining cryptocurrency wallets worldwide
• AI-generated scam websites now imitate Rockstar branding with alarming accuracy
• Malware hidden inside fake game downloads can expose banking credentials instantly

Grand Theft Auto VI is not due on consoles until November 19 2026, but official preorders open soon, and cybersecurity researchers have warned criminals are already exploiting the wait with a coordinated wave of fraudulent websites.

Malwarebytes and NordVPN have both flagged sites promising “VIP early access” or exclusive beta keys to one of gaming’s most anticipated releases.

Micron quadrupled its revenue to more than $41bn this quarter, around $6bn more than analyst expectations.

A surge in business from AI companies and high projected earnings have sent chipmakers Micron and Qualcomm’s shares soaring.

Leading chipmakers have become some of the main benefactors of the AI race as competing tech giants spend billions to build and tap into AI data centres.

Micron witnessed a stellar quarter, quadrupling its revenue to more than $41bn – up from $9.3bn a year earlier, and around $6bn more than analysts’ set expectation of roughly $35bn.

The company expects revenue of around $50bn for the current quarter, up from $11.3bn the year before. Analysts expected this to range around $43bn.

Micron’s shares jumped by a double digit percentage following the news yesterday (24 June), before easing marginally. They had already more than tripled this year and outpaced all other major chip stocks in the US.

Alongside the glowing quarterly report, the chipmaker announced yesterday that it signed 16 long-term agreements with data centre operators and automakers. It expects financial commitments of $22bn from the deals.

Nvidia has also tapped Micron for its HBM4 memory chips for use in its next-generation Vera Rubin platform.

The surging demand drove Micron’s market value to more than $1trn just last month alongside South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix.

Similarly, Qualcomm said it expects to create $15bn in sales from its data centre business by 2029. The company also expects $40bn in non-handset revenue by then – around double a previous fiscal target.

Company chief financial officer Akash Palkhiwala told investors that the data centre business will bring in $5bn for the fiscal year 2027 – with $1bn alone from the custom chips it will sell customers. Shares went up 15pc following the news.

Microsoft and Meta have tapped Qualcomm for its new AI chips that rely on cheap memory chips used in smartphones and laptops, while two unnamed hyperscalers will purchase custom chips, the company said.

Qualcomm’s move to AI chips comes as the smartphone market is negatively affected in a chip shortage driven by the continuously growing demand for AI infrastructure.

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Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a tough one, especially the purple category. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Good stuff!

Green group hint: Now’s the time.

Blue group hint: Fender or Gibson.

Purple group hint: Think planks.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: High-quality.

Green group: Signals to commence.

Blue group: Accessories for a guitarist.

Purple group: They have boards.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is high-quality. The four answers are choice, fine, prime and select.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is signals to commence. The four answers are begin, go, now and start.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is accessories for a guitarist. The four answers are capo, pick, slide and strap.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is they have boards. The four answers are chess, corporation, darts and surfer.