Updated February 2026: We’ve added a new section on caring for down and some notes on Outdoor Vital’s Zero Stitch fabric.
What Does Down Fill Power Tell You?
The higher the fill power, the greater the loft. Down puffer jackets and sleeping bags keep you warm by trapping the warmth coming off your body, retaining it in air pockets between the down. A higher down fill power means the down has more loft, which means there are more air pockets, which means that more heat is retained. If everything else is equal, that means that a higher fill power garment will be warmer than one with a lower fill power.
Unfortunately, everything else is never equal. Fill power alone is not enough information to know how warm something will be. There is no direct correspondence between fill power and how warm a product will keep you, because there are many other factors to consider, like how much of that fill is in the product, how well it can expand within the baffles or down chambers, how well does the fabric stop the wind, and so on.
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To know how warm a down jacket, sleeping bag, or comforter will be, you need to know at least one other number: the fill weight.
What Is Down Fill Weight?
Photograph: Tatiana/Getty Images
Down fill weight is a simple number. It’s the amount of down in the product, usually measured in ounces or grams. Using down fill weight and down fill power together can give you way to compare two items. For example, the relative ability of a puffer jacket to retain heat can be estimated by multiplying the fill power by the fill weight. This means that a 900 fill power jacket with 2 ounces of fill weight will be able to trap about the same amount of heat as a 600 fill power jacket with 3 ounces of fill weight. The big difference between them, and the reason they are priced differently, is the weight of each and the packed size.
In jackets, the weight difference isn’t huge. This is why some of our favorite puffer jackets are 600 fill power. When it comes to sleeping bags, though, things are different. Since there is a lot more down in a sleeping bag, the weight difference between equivalent amounts of fill power is more significant. Unless your budget is unlimited, you’ll want to pay attention to the warmth-to-weight ratio. How much warmth do you need, and how much weight do you mind carrying?
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The one downside to down fill weight is that some manufacturers don’t list this. It sounds great to say your puffer jacket as 900 fill power down, but when you have to list that it only has 2 ounces of it, it sounds less impressive. Less reputable companies often don’t advertise the fill weight. We list fill weight of all the jackets we test.
Other Factors to Consider
Courtesy of REI
While down fill power and down fill weight together give us a way to compare items, there are other things to consider to get an idea of overall warmth. The third major factor is the baffles, the compartments that are built into the product. If you just sewed up a single piece of nylon as a shell and shoved some down inside, gravity and movement would push it all down near the hem in a matter of minutes. To avoid this, garment makers add baffles to keep the down in place. Baffle type and shape play a big part in how warm your jacket, sleeping bag, or comforter ends up being.
Blue Jay lasted less than six months despite rapid development speed
Prototype status was not clearly communicated during Blue Jay’s initial press announcements
Blue Jay employees are reassigned to programs leveraging core robotic innovations
Amazon has been steadily developing warehouse robotics since acquiring Kiva Systems in 2012, creating the foundation for automated fulfillment centers.
By July 2025, the company had deployed more than 1 million robots in its warehouses, showing a strong commitment to robotics while also highlighting the operational complexity involved.
Despite this scale, not every internal robotics initiative succeeds, and the company’s latest experiment, Blue Jay, illustrates the challenges of rapid innovation.
The rise and fall of Blue Jay
Unveiled in October 2025, Blue Jay was designed as a multi-armed robot capable of sorting and moving packages in same-day delivery facilities.
Testing began at a facility in South Carolina, with Amazon noting that the development cycle was unusually fast — approximately one year — compared with other warehouse robots, a speed attributed to advances in AI.
Despite its rapid development, the project lasted less than six months before being halted, showing that speed alone does not guarantee operational success.
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Amazon confirmed that Blue Jay was introduced as a prototype, which it did not clearly state in earlier press announcements.
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Employees who worked on the project are being reassigned to other robotics programs that use the core Blue Jay technology.
Terrence Clark, an Amazon spokesperson, said the company intends to accelerate the use of underlying Blue Jay innovations in future warehouse robotics, maintaining continuity while shifting focus to more sustainable applications.
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While Blue Jay is no longer active, Amazon continues to develop other warehouse robots, including Vulcan.
Vulcan features two robotic arms — one dedicated to rearranging and moving items within storage compartments, while the other uses a camera and suction cups to pick and place individual goods with precision.
Its sensors allow it to detect the weight, shape, and orientation of packages, enabling it to handle items without causing damage.
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The robot’s software continuously adapts to variations in package size and density, allowing it to optimize picking sequences and reduce delays in order fulfillment.
Vulcan operates within Amazon’s same-day delivery and high-density fulfillment centers, where space constraints require precise navigation and coordination with existing conveyor systems.
The robot’s dual-arm configuration allows it to handle multiple items at the same time, increasing throughput in storage compartments without requiring human intervention for repetitive lifting tasks.
Its vision and tactile sensors feed continuous data to onboard processing units, enabling real-time adjustments to grip force and movement paths.
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Integration with warehouse management software allows Vulcan to receive task priorities.
It dynamically plans routes and communicates with other robotic units to prevent collisions or bottlenecks, supporting a more efficient automated workflow.
Its final outlet at VivoCity will close down on Feb 22
Fashion retailer Pull&Bear is set to close down its last remaining outlet in Singapore at VivoCity on Sunday (Feb 22).
In a notice on their website, the brand said: “Our stores will close on Feb 22. Returns for purchases made both online and in stores can still be made at Zara VivoCity. If you have any questions, please contact our customer service team via contact.sg@pullandbear.com.”
Screen shot by Vulcan Post
Pull&Bear is a Spanish brand, part of the Inditex Group, which is widely regarded as the world’s largest fashion retailer. The group also owns brands such as Zara, Bershka, Massimo Dutti and Stradivarius.
According to its website, Pull&Bear first entered Singapore in 2006 as part of its broader expansion into Asia. The brand operated four stores here at its peak, including at Bugis+, ION Orchard, and Ngee Ann City.
Its former Bugis+ outlet has since been taken over by the first Singapore outlet of Chick-fil-A, which opened in Dec 2025.
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Reasons for Pull&Bear’s closure in Singapore remain unknown. However, it comes amid global store closures by Inditex Group. According to a Dec 2025 report cited by CNA, the group has shuttered more than 100 stores year-to-date as part of efforts to strengthen its financial position.
Moreover, in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Inditex Group announced that it would close as many as 1,200 stores to boost online sales.
Its brands have also scaled back in Singapore previously, including Bershka. The label once operated physical stores at Bugis+, ION Orchard and VivoCity; however, it no longer has any outlets in the country today, though shoppers can still purchase its products via its Singapore website.
Pull&Bear Singapore’s website is currently unavailable for online purchases. Whether the brand will maintain an e-commerce presence in Singapore remains unclear.
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Vulcan Post has reached out to Pull&Bear and Inditex Group for comments.
Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.
It has already been a depressingly busy year for layoffs at Ubisoft, and the French publisher’s Toronto studio is the latest workforce to be hit. Around 40 jobs have been cut at the studio, which is one of Ubisoft’s largest and has previously worked on games including Watch Dogs: Legion and Far Cry 6.
“This decision was not taken lightly and does not in any way reflect the talent, dedication, or contributions of the individuals affected,” Ubisoft said in a statement to , which first reported the new layoffs. “Our priority now is to support them through this transition with comprehensive severance packages and robust career placement assistance.”
Ubisoft Toronto is currently working on the long-awaited Splinter Cell remake, which was first in 2021. The publisher says the game remains in development, and the Canadian studio will continue to assist with development on other games.
The Toronto layoffs come after similar staff cuts at its studios, while up to 200 people could reportedly be let go at its headquarters. The affected roles are casualties of a wider organizational restructuring at the troubled company, which recently canceled another high-profile in The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Last week, 1,200 Ubisoft employees went on in reaction to the recent layoffs and sweeping cost-cutting measures.
KBIS 2026 was full of industry firsts. Much of the innovation on display at the sprawling home and kitchen showcase involved large appliances. Top brands, including Samsung, LG, GE and Sharp, were on hand to give a glimpse into the future of home tech.
We were there to see it all up close and speak with product managers, engineers and brand reps about all the new large-appliance features coming in 2026.
The latest fridges, ovens, dishwashers and laundry systems were well represented on the show floor, and the innovations on display weren’t just flashy — they were practical upgrades designed to make home life a little easier.
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Here are 10 standouts from KBIS 2026.
1. Golden Heater, a new quick cooking technology
Sharp debuted its Celerity stove with industry-first cooking technology.
David Watsky/CNET
It’s not every year we get a new type of cooking technology. Sharp’s new Celerity oven features “Golden Heater” technology that fuses microwave, true convection and infrared heat to cook food three times faster than a standard oven. We tasted cookies baked in just 9 minutes — something that would normally take 15. The result? They were as good as Grandma’s.
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2. Fridge barcode scanner for easy grocery list making
A handy built-in scanner helps keep track of grocery items as you run low.
GE Profile
This technology was first unveiled at CES but GE Profile was on hand at KBIS to showcase its proprietary grocery barcode-scanning fridge.
The smart fridge features a small scanner on the front door that lets you scan groceries as you run low. From there, you can add them to a list on your phone or buy directly through the brand’s Instacart integration.
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3. Oven doneness detectors
Several ovens on display at KBIS feature doneness detectors that alert you when food is browning, so you don’t overcook.
David Watsky/CNET
Oven manufacturers have been ratcheting up the smarts, too. Ovens have had cameras for a while, but more innovative algorithms are learning to better use them. Doneness detectors, which monitor the food as it cooks for signs of browning and alert you when it’s getting close, are designed to prevent burning and overcooking.
KitchenAid, Sharp and LG are just a few of the kitchen brands that are integrating a doneness detector into their upcoming ovens.
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4. Bottle and straw washers
Midea’s washing machine has dedicated reusable straw washers.
David Watsky/CNET
One of our favorite upgrades was Midea’s straw washing station in its new washing machines, set for release this year. Straws are notoriously tricky to clean, but this dedicated spot on the bottom rack shoots water directly into your reusable straws, ridding them of grime, mold and other buildup.
5. Built-in basket to save your sweaters
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This simple addition to the washing machine drum protects your sweaters and delicates from abuse.
David Watsky/CNET
Whirlpool unveiled the industry-first built-in delicates basket. A simple design that allows you to wash delicate sweaters and shirts with a regular load.
The basket keeps those items free from the hard pummeling that happens in a standard wash. It’s also good for keeping socks together, so matching is easier when it’s time to fold.
6. Nugget ice maker for the fridge
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Whirlpool’s new fridge makes nugget ice in the front and classic cubes in the freezer below.
David Watsky/CNET
With all the enthusiasm around nugget ice, it’s hard to believe we’re just now getting our first fridge with a built-in nugget ice maker. Whirlpool’s latest release pumps out crunchy, chewable ice from a front dispenser and standard cubed ice from the bottom freezer.
7. Washing machine UV cleaning
UV cleaning enables the machine to combat bacteria even during a cold-water wash.
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David Watsky/CNET
While this one struck me as a little gimmicky, Whirlpool has introduced the world’s first UV-cleaning washing machine, which blasts clothes during a standard wash to kill bacteria.
The point of UV cleaning is to combat bacteria without using scalding hot water, which can be harsh on fabrics over time.
8. A built-in sous vide tank
SKS’s feature-rich oven has a built-in sous vide tank.
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David Watsky/CNET
Sous vide cooking has been adopted by home cooks and pro chefs alike. The low-and-slow water bath typically requires specialized equipment, but SKS’s new feature-rich stove has a sous vide tank built into the cooktop.
The catch? The stove, which has gas and induction burners and loads of other innovative features, costs a whopping $12,000.
9. Bottom dishwasher rack that flips up for easy loading
A dishwasher with a bottom rack that flips up for easy loading? Yes, please.
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David Watsky/CNET
Kenmore’s soon-to-be-released dishwasher features a straightforward update that makes loading and unloading a breeze. The bottom rack slides out and flips up to the same height as the top rack. It’s sure to be a welcome innovation for those with back problems or mobility issues.
10. Smart AutoFill water dispensers
Intelligent autofill allows you to set a glass or bottle down and walk away while it fills.
KitchenAid
Fridges are getting smarter and that includes the water spouts. We saw multiple fridges, including those from GE and KitchenAid, with intelligent autofill technologies that use cameras or weight sensors to determine exactly how much water to fill in a bottle or glass. When it’s 90% full, the water stops, allowing you to walk away.
Do you remember where you were when Clavicular got brutally framemogged by an ASU fraternity leader?
Or maybe you saw the clips of the 20-year-old creator — alongside Andrew Tate and white nationalist Nick Fuentes — dancing to Kanye West’s “Heil Hitler” at a Miami nightclub.
Or maybe you have no idea what any of this means.
The internet subculture known as looksmaxxing, has recently jumped from obscure message boards into the mainstream — thanks in part to a 20-year-old creator who goes by Clavicular.
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Clavicular’s real name is Braden Peters. And he’s not just posting about skincare routines or plastic surgery. Peters recently weighed in on the 2028 presidential election, arguing that if the race were between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Vice President JD Vance, Newsom would win for one simple reason: He’s more attractive.
To understand how appearance, politics, and online extremism are brewing in this corner of the internet, Today, Explained co-host Noel King spoke with Atlantic staff writer and host of the podcast Galaxy Brain, Charlie Warzel.
Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. You can hear the full episode wherever you get podcasts — including Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify.
Clavicular is a young man — he’s in his 20s. He started posting on the internet as a teenager, around when he was about 15 years old, on these looksmaxxing forums, which are forums that are dedicated to making yourself as aesthetically perfect as humanly possible through body modification.
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Clavicular basically toiled in obscurity for a really long time until he allegedly hit someone with his Cybertruck while he was live streaming on Christmas Eve of this past year.
Who are the looksmaxxers?
The looksmaxxers are complicated because they overlap with lots of other communities online. There’s the involuntarily celibate community, known as incels, that have links to violent extremism. But really there’s this core feeling in looksmaxxing that the only thing that matters in all of life is how good you look, that that is tied to your self-worth in every way, and that what you should be doing is trying by all means necessary — whether that is breaking bones in your body, whether that is chewing on a rubber ball for hours a day — to get your jawline to be straighter. To get a leg up, you need to do that because the best thing that you can do is go out in the world and look better than everyone else and document the heck out of it.
What do we know about what Clavicular has done to himself?
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He has said on various podcasts, etc., that he has smashed his face with a hammer. The theory there is that when your bones break, they grow back stronger.
And so he has smashed his face, his jawline, in order to strengthen it to make it look better. He started, according to him, taking testosterone when he was around 14 or 15 years old in order to speed up his puberty and get his body looking like an adult. He’s said he’s taken methamphetamines in order to hollow out his cheeks.
The looksmaxxers have their own language, which I find very compelling. Can you define a couple of the terms?
“These guys are extremely effective attention hijackers, and that is important.”
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Mogging is looking better than someone looking hot. And actually what I found is it’s a sort of an acronym, but it stands for alpha male of the group, [shortened to] male of the group — MOG.
There’s all kinds of words that they’re just making up on the spot too, like jestermaxxing, which is being jocular, jovial, having fun.
What is the objective of being hot? What is the purpose of all this?
It is social dominance really, or just dominance in general. This idea of mogging comes from this alpha male of group acronym: The “alpha” part of that, and the “male” part of that are both extremely important. And so going out in public as an extremely hot person is not just to show how beautiful you are, but it’s to be dominant over other people. You want to make other people look bad. You want them to feel bad about themselves based on how unbelievably attractive you are, and you also want to basically conquer women.
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I’ve read your pieces and I listened to your podcast and there’s a thing that I think you both say directly and kind of dance around, which is…this seems stupid, but it isn’t actually stupid. Explain what you mean.
I think it’s stupid on the content level. It’s lacking in substance is how I would put it. There’s the clip of Clavicular, I believe he’s in Miami. He’s with this streamer, Sneako, who’s very popular, and Nick Fuentes, the white nationalist Groyper leader, also a streamer. And they are in a living room somewhere in an apartment and having a conversation that is incredibly stilted, just incredibly vapid. There’s just not a lot being exchanged there.
Clavicular seems to react like he is one of those wind-up dolls. You pull the string and there’s like five different reactions. So one of them’s like, “Hey dude, that’s so based, sick.” And so on the substance level, there’s that.
Then there’s the element of what he means, what that vapid content means, what the popularity of someone like Clavicular means. And I think that that is not stupid. The fact that I’m writing an article about him in The Atlantic because he’s hanging out with these people. The fact that he was able to leverage his popularity into this situation where he is meeting with Andrew Tate, the manosphere influencer. Fuentes, who is influential enough that he’s trying to force the MAGA coalition further towards white nationalism. That he’s able to go into a club with these guys and get them to play the Ye song, “Heil Hitler,” and turn that into this viral moment that then gets the mayor of Miami to have to react to it, to condemn it, to basically apologize on behalf of the city for letting this happen. These guys are extremely effective attention hijackers, and that is important.
Inspired by the super-popular anime and manga series Bleach, Type Soul is a Roblox game where players can roleplay as one of three main character races, each with unique abilities and progression systems. However, while the game offers an amazing experience, its complex game mechanics, races, and weapons can be overwhelming for new players. That’s where the Trello Board comes in.
What Is the Type Soul Trello Link?
The Type Soul official Trello board is your go-to destination for everything about the game. The developers update and revamp the game regularly to keep the experience fresh and fun for players. The Trello board is rich in detailed information, ranging from gameplay mechanics to guides and updates, to help players maximize their experience.
To remain up to date with these changes, the developers created a new Trello board, and it is named “Type Soul Info V2.” This one retains all the new mechanics, features, and strategies in an easily accessible manner to the community. The most amazing thing about this Trello board is that there is no complex verification process to see it.
Inside the Trello Board
The Type Soul Trello V2 board simplifies your gameplay. It provides step-by-step instructions for selecting your class: Soul Reaper, Hollow, or Quincy, and browsing the skill trees and the weapon systems. The board also contains more in-depth info on the game mechanics, which makes it easy for you to master raids, unlock strong Shikai, and get rare Essences.
One of the highlights is its item categorization, which organizes loot boxes and other items by rarity. In addition, the board links to useful game materials, and there is a Q&A section to answer all your questions about Type Souls. With its full-page size, this board is an essential guide for each player.
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Also, make sure to redeem the latest Type Soul Codes to enhance your gameplay and gain valuable in-game items.
Type Soul Discord Link
The Type Soul Discord server is your gateway to the game world and its creators. It’s where you can chat with other players, exchange tips, and get the latest news and announcements. It’s also where you can ask questions, exchange tips, or find raid and event groups. Developers also post significant news and updates, so you never miss a step. Don’t miss this handy resource!
The 2026 Winter Olympics come to an end this weekend. This year’s Closing Ceremony theme is “Beauty in Action.” The event will feature appearances from musician and DJ Gabry Ponte, actress Benedetta Porcaroli, and ballet dancer Roberto Bolle. Alfredo Accatino, the ceremony’s artistic director, has promised the ceremony will “begin with lots of colors and end with a party.”
The ceremony will kick off today at 2:30PM ET on NBC and Peacock. An encore broadcast will air on NBC at 9PM Here’s everything you need to know to watch the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Closing Ceremony. (And as we close out the Winter Games, here’s a look at the final medal count, too.)
How to watch the Closing Ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Date: Sunday, Feb. 22
Time: Airs live at 2:30PM ET; primetime re-air at 9PM ET
Location: Verona Arena, Verona, Italy
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TV channel: NBC
Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, NBC.com and more
Olympics Closing Ceremony start time
The ceremony will kick off at 2:30 PM ET on Sunday afternoon. An encore broadcast will also air on NBC at 9PM ET/PT.
How to watch the Closing Ceremony live for free
There are a couple of ways to watch the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 22. You can tune in live Sunday afternoon on NBC or stream live on Peacock, or catch the encore broadcast on NBC, which is available with DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, and more.
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Peacock is the streaming home of the 2026 Olympics.
While a regular Peacock subscription begins at $10.99 for a Premium Plan and goes up to $16.99 for the ad-free Premium Plus plan, you can get an ad-supported subscription for free if you’re a Walmart+ subscriber.
Walmart+ members actually get their choice between Paramount+ or Peacock included in their membership at no additional cost. A monthly subscription to Walmart+ costs $12.99, and an annual plan usually costs $98. But you can try the service out totally free. Beyond free Peacock, Walmart+ has additional perks like five free months of Apple Music, discounts on Cinemark movie theater memberships, free shipping and delivery on Walmart purchases, discounts on gas and much more.
Instacart+ subscribers are able to get an annual Peacock Premium plan (a $109.99 value) for free. After a free 14-day trial, Instacart+ plans cost $99/year, meaning you’ll save more on Peacock simply by subscribing to the delivery service, but you’ll get tons of extras, like free grocery and restaurant delivery and a free subscription to the New York Times Cooking app.
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DirecTV’s Entertainment tier gets you access to loads of channels where you can tune in to college and pro sports, the Winter Olympics and more. Channels include ESPN, TNT, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and, depending on where you live, local affiliates for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN+’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.
DirecTV’s Entertainment tier package is $89.99/month. But you can currently try all this out for free for five days. If you’re interested in trying out a live-TV streaming service for football season but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.
More ways to watch the closing ceremony without cable
You can watch the ceremony live or on demand on Peacock as well as on NBC.com, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC app.
For $11/month, an ad-supported Peacock subscription lets you stream live sports and events airing on NBC, including the 2026 Winter Olympics. Plus, you’ll get access to thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreationand The Office, every Bravo show and much more.
For $17 monthly, you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription that includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
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Who is performing at the Closing Ceremony?
Italian musician and DJ Gabry Ponte is one of the headliners. Other confirmed performers include Italian actress Benedetta Porcaroli and Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle. Expect to see another parade of athletes, the flag handover to the 2030 Olympic hosts from France, and the ceremonial extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
Where is the Closing Ceremony being held?
The 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony will be held at the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy.
The Artemis 2 launch is edging closer as NASA has now set a target date for the 10-day mission to get underway. The agency is aiming to launch as soon as March 6 following a successful wet dress rehearsal on Thursday. The first attempt, which took place in early February, failed due to a hydrogen leak.
During Thursday’s rehearsal, NASA was able to fuel the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant and complete two runs of terminal count — the final step of the launch countdown — at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. While there was a hiccup due to a loss of ground communications, NASA was able to move to a backup system before the regular comms channels were back in operation. The agency said engineers pinpointed the equipment that caused the problem.
“Following that successful wet dress yesterday, we’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt,” Dr. Lori Glaze, NASA’s Moon to Mars program manager, said at a press conference on Friday. Glaze added that there’s still much that has to be done before launch, including an analysis of the wet dress, a flight-readiness review and work on the launch pad.
The four Artemis 2 astronauts are expected to go into quarantine later on Friday in preparation for the launch, which will mark the Orion spacecraft’s first crewed mission. It will be the first time in more than 50 years that a crew will travel around the Moon and it will be humanity’s furthest-ever journey into space. The astronauts will test Orion’s critical life support systems as a precursor to lunar landings.
Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our 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 pretty easy one, if you’re a fan of a certain major sporting event that’s been going on this month. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Arrivederci, Milano Cortina!
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
FLAG, FLAME, MEDAL, ANTHEM, PARADE, ATHLETE
Today’s Strands spangram
The completed NYT Strands puzzle for Feb. 22, 2026.
NYT/Screenshot by CNET
Today’s Strands spangram is CLOSINGCEREMONY. To find it, start with the C that’s two letters to the right on the top row, and wind around in the shape of a torch.
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
iFi GO Blu Air: Two-minute review
The iFi GO Blu Air is a solution to tech firms taking away headphone jacks: it enables you to connect your wired headphones to Bluetooth streaming sources, and it features a 4.4mm balanced and a 3.5mm standard headphone output. It’s impressively powerful and runs for up to 10 hours between charges, delivering excellent bass and a spacious sound stage that’s particularly enjoyable on well produced music.
The GO Blu Air is exceptionally small and light and that means features have been kept to a minimum: there’s no USB DAC functionality and you don’t get on-board EQ, although there are switches for iFi’s subtle but effective XBass and XSpace audio enhancers.
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As we’ve come to expect from iFi, the GO Blu Air is well made, does exactly what it sets out to do and won’t break the bank. It sounds great and is surprisingly powerful for such a small device, but its small size and low price means it lacks some features of rivals such as a display, on-board EQ and USB DAC functionality. It’s emphatically one of the best portable DACs provided you don’t need that wired connectivity.
iFi GO Blu Air review: Price and release date
That big oval is the magnet for the optional and surprisingly strong garment/bag clip. (Image credit: Future)
Released August 2025
Priced $129 / £129 / AU$229
The iFi GO Blu Air Bluetooth DAC was launched in August 2025 and is available now. In the UK its recommended retail price is £129; in the US it’s $129; and in Australia it’s AU$229.
The GO Blu Air is cheaper than its predecessor, the iFi GO Blu: that model was $199 / £199 / AU$399. A lower-priced model is a smart move in a sector that’s becoming increasingly competitive.
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iFi GO Blu Air review: Features
Despite the small size, iFi has managed to pack a 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced output into the top of the GO Blu Air. The USB port on the bottom is for charging only. (Image credit: iFi)
Up to 24-bit/96kHz over Bluetooth
Cirrus Logic Master Hi-Fi DAC
“S-balanced” 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs
The iFi GO Blu Air is based around a Cirrus Logic Master Hi-Fi DAC and features iFi’s own XBass bass expansion and XSpace audio expander. There are also standard and minimum phase digital filter options to shape the sound further.
The headphone outputs deliver up to 165mW into 32 ohms on the 3.5mm out and up to 262mW into 32 ohms on the balanced output. iFi calls the 3.5mm output “S-balanced”, with dual-mono headphone amplification all the way to the output socket. You can read iFi’s tech note about it, but essentially the company says it’s particularly useful for ultra-sensitive IEMs. SNR (or signal-to-noise ratio) on both outputs is a highly respectable ≥110dBA and battery life is up to 10 hours via the internal 450mAh battery, dropping to about 7.5 hours if you’re using the LDAC codec. Recharging takes less than an hour.
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The iFi GO Blu Air has Bluetooth 5.2 (up from the 5.1 of the GO Blu) with LDAC, LDHC and aptX Classic, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive as well as the obligatory AAC and SBC codecs. It supports resolutions of up to 24-bit/96kHz. Unlike the previous GO Blu the USB-C port is purely for charging; this model doesn’t double as a wired DAC.
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Features score: 4 / 5
iFi GO Blu Air review: Sound quality
(Image credit: Future)
Tons of fun on IEMs and over-ear headphones
No on-board EQ to tame high-end harshness
Audio enhancers are subtle but effective
The iFi GO Blu Air is a lot of fun with both headphones and IEMs, delivering an inviting soundstage and excellent clarity from a range of audio sources. It’s particularly good on well-produced, spacious tracks such as Bob Marley’s Could You Be Loved, Peter Gabriel’s Shaking The Tree, Christine and the Queens’ Tilted or The Blue Nile’s Tinseltown in the Rain, delivering a consistently enjoyable, revealing and dynamic listen.
The GO Blu Air doesn’t have its own equaliser, and I did find myself reaching for software EQ when I listened to fairly trebly recordings such as Junior Varsity’s Cross The Street, Sugar’s Changes and Kygo & Selena Gomez’s It Ain’t Me: getting the bass to smile-inducing levels in my IEMs made their high frequencies a little too prominent for my taste, although that was less of an issue in my less excitable over-ear headphones.
I’m wary of bass and space enhancement options as they often color the sound in too-noticeable ways, but I was pleasantly surprised by both XBass and XSpace here. Their effects are subtle, with the former adding a little more low end that gave my open-back headphones more of a closed-back punch without introducing distortion at sensible listening levels, overpowering the other frequencies or overly changing the sound. XSpace impressed me too, making the likes of Talk Talk and acoustic music more subtly spacious.
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Sound quality: 5 / 5
iFi GO Blu Air review: Design
The magnetically attached garment/bag clip is very strong, and you can pretend that it’s a crocodile (Image credit: Future)
Similar to GO Blu but more plasticky
3.5 x 33.7 x 19.5mm (WxHxD) and just 30g
Magnetically attached clip is surprisingly strong
I’d suggest that the Air looks a little less premium than the GO Blu, but I’m not a fan of that model’s rather 1970s-cigarette-lighter appearance – and if a slightly more plastic appearance is part of the reason why the new model is cheaper, I’m all in favor.
The GO Blu Air is very compact at 3.5 x 33.7 x 19.5mm (2.11 x 1.33 x 0.77”) and it weighs 30g. There is a single rotary volume/transport controller, which iFi calls the ChronoDial, on the right. The dial is multi-mode: turn it to adjust the volume, press to play, pause or skip, and long-press to activate your phone’s voice assistant. Below the dial is a button for enabling or disabling Xbass and Xspace, for setting the digital filter and for Bluetooth pairing; on the other side there’s a single button for power on/off and Bluetooth format announcement. Up top you’ll find a 4.4mm balanced headphone output and a 3.5mm output plus the status light for Xbass, Xspace and Bluetooth.
One of the design features I like is the detachable magnetic clip, which saves you having to buy a clip-on case: you can use the clip to attach the GO Blu Air to your clothing, bag or belt. I’d like it even more if I could use the magnet to clip the GO Blu Air to the back of my phone; I did try, but while it does attach it’s not strong enough to clamp through my phone’s case.
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Design score: 4 / 5
iFi GO Blu Air Review: Usability and setup
Effortless Bluetooth pairing
No display: color status lights instead
Remembering what buttons do is hard at first
It’s very easy to set up the GO Blu Air: simply switch it on and it enters pairing mode the first time you use it. You can then connect it in your device’s Bluetooth settings and you’re good to go.
The lack of a display is understandable in such a small device, but it does mean trying to remember what the status light colors mean and which button does what can be tricky. It doesn’t take long to learn but the inclusion of a pocket-sized quick start guide comes in very handy.
Whether you’re working from the guide or from memory it’s all straightforward: single button presses take you from no enhancement to XBass only, to XSpace only, and to both XBass and XSpace; a spin of the ChronoDial adjusts the volume while a short click takes care of play/pause and a longer click skips to the next track.
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Usability and setup score: 4 / 5
iFi GO Blu Air review: Value
Competitively priced but some rivals have higher spec
Previous model is now discounted so price gap is smaller
A good buy if you don’t need a USB DAC
If the lack of a USB DAC isn’t a deal-breaker this is a very good Bluetooth dongle for a very good price. But it’s a very competitive market, and I’d suggest looking at some alternatives too – including the GO Blu Air’s predecessor.
The GO Blu Air is effectively a GO Blu without the USB DAC and as a result it has a significantly lower price tag, but at the time of writing I found the original GO Blu discounted to just under £169 so there’s less of a price gap than the two devices’ MSRPs suggest.
Value score: 4 / 5
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Should I buy the iFi GO Blu Air?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Attributes
Notes
Rating
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Features
Bluetooth-only with all the key aptX options plus LDAC too. 3.5mm and 4.4mm balanced outputs.
4/5
Design
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A little plasticky-looking and too small to have a screen, but it’s exceptionally small and light with a great magnetic clip
4/5
Sound quality
Tons of fun with a spacious soundstage and useful enhancers
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5/5
Value
Competitively priced but up against very strong rivals
4/5
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Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
iFi GO Blu Air review: Also consider
The iFi GO Link USB DAC is an excellent and affordable wired headphone DAC, and if you want USB and Bluetooth capabilities the GO Blu is still available and often discounted.
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The key rivals here include FiiO’s KA13 and BTR15. The former is a screen-free wired USB DAC and the latter is both USB and Bluetooth. It’s marginally cheaper than the iFi: at the time of writing the BTR15 is £114 in the UK, $119 in the US and $219 in Australia.
How I tested the iFi GO Link Max
TIDAL, hi-res music files, vinyl and Logic Pro projects
Beyerdynamic and Philips over-ears and SoundMagic IEMs
I tested the GO Blu Air over two weeks with a variety of headphones and IEMs including Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro and Philips Fidelio X2HR open-back headphones, Beyerdynamic DT770 closed-back headphones, and SoundMagic E11C IEMs.
I connected the GO Blu Air to a Samsung Galaxy S25 for hi-res streaming services over LDAC and listened to locally stored lossless audio and my own multitrack Logic Pro X projects via AAC from my MacBook Pro. I also connected my Audio-Technica turntable, which transmits aptX.
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