Stephanie Faris

For more than a decade, I worked in tech support. We had more than 100 desktops and at least 50 laptops. Laptops became much more common toward the end of my tenure.

During that time, I saw just about every laptop on the market. For a while, we used only Hewlett Packard laptops, but we later switched to Dell, Lenovo and Panasonic Toughbooks. Eventually, I could identify a laptop without even seeing the make and model — some laptops simply had a higher-quality build than others.

Working with Asus’s new ZenBook has taken me back to those days. From the second I took it out of the box, I knew this was a well-built machine. I couldn’t wait to dig into what was inside the impressive casing for this Asus ZenBook S 16 review.

It’s no surprise that Black Friday is a big day for appliance shopping. You've likely just spent days prepping in the kitchen, with the oven working overtime to roast a bird. All that prep can get you thinking about improving your kitchen. Retailers are aware of that and, as a result, often feature appliances in their Black Friday sales. In fact, you’ll find so many deals, it can be tough to sort through them all. This list of the best Black Friday appliance deals can help you narrow down the options.

The offer seems enticing. A store offers you a huge discount if you sign up for a credit card. It promises a full year of interest-free purchases, along with cardholder-exclusive perks like coupons and receipt-free returns. But you’ve also heard negative things about store credit cards. So, are store credit cards good or bad?
Retailer-specific cards do come with a few benefits, but they also have some pitfalls. According to Phillip Parker, founder of CardPaymentOptions.com, stores have an incent...

I went to bartending school, since mixology seemed like an interesting thing to learn. I even worked briefly behind a bar as part of my training, and let me tell you something: Bartending is hard work. During that short time, I memorized no fewer than 50 drink recipes, and that barely scratched the surface. New cocktails come on the scene every year, and on the job, bartenders constantly deal with special requests.

If you’re in the market for a new phone, Black Friday can be the best time to buy. But with so many retailers, it can be tough to find the best deal. This roundup will help you compare so that you’ll be prepared to start shopping as soon as the deals go live.

Black Friday is the perfect time to shop for a laptop, with so many retailers slashing prices. But a laptop is a big purchase, so it’s important to do your research in advance. This guide to the best Black Friday laptop deals will help kick off your search to ensure you’re getting the best deal.

Homeownership is the great American dream. Investing in a property not only offers a place to live, it builds equity over time. But buying a home doesn’t pack the punch it once did. Renting makes more sense for an increasing number of consumers. In fact, a recent poll found many younger Americans prefer renting because of the flexibility and affordability it comes with. If you’re trying to decide whether to rent or buy, we’re here to break down the pros and cons.
Renting gets a bad rap. For many...

Retirement means relaxing, traveling or taking up new activities. No more stressful commutes or long meetings. Instead, you can do all the things you couldn’t do when you were working full time. If you’ve researched ways to prepare for this financially, you may have come across the 4% rule for retirement.
Retirement can feel like a dream. But the cold, hard truth is retirement means losing your salary and shifting to Social Security and/or pensions to pay bills. Ideally, you’ll have set some mon...

Few things can provide an escape like kicking back with a tub of popcorn at your favorite movie theater. But, the right sound setup can help you bring movie night into your own living room. A simple soundbar can take home entertainment to the next level, but there are times when speakers are necessary, as well. So, what’s the difference between a soundbar and speakers?

We reached out to audio experts to help walk us through the distinction so you can choose the right sound system for you and your home.

I spent hours as a teen with over-ear headphones, blasting music into my ears. While AirPods didn’t exist yet, earbuds certainly did, but I never found them comfortable until I got older. What I do remember vividly was the ache I’d get in my ears after just 30 minutes wearing those headphones.