Latest news with #Vlad
Edmonton Journal
4 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Blue Jays' ascent takes them to the top of MLB standings for first time since 1992
Article content 'Best in baseball' are three words no one would have dared utter when describing a Blue Jays team that ended last season dead last in the AL East. Article content But following Friday night's 6-2 win over the host Detroit Tigers, the Jays can officially lay claim to Major League Baseball's best record. Article content At 62-42, the Jays have not been atop MLB's overall standings this late into a season since 1992 — the year they won their first World Series. Article content Article content Friday's win pushed Toronto ahead of the 61-42 Milwaukee Brewers, who lost to Miami earlier in the day. It also expanded their lead atop the AL East to 51/2 games over the New York Yankees, losers again to the visiting Phillies. Article content What they don't do is beat themselves, which can't be said about their opponents. Article content The following are three takeaways from Comerica Park, where the Jays went homerless, but did record 13 hits, including four for extra bases. 1. Vlad the hit man Article content While it's true the Jays could use more thump from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and coming through in the big moment with a game at stake, it's also true that the half-billion dollar man in waiting has been swinging it well. Article content Vladdy went 2-for-5, with both hits being doubles. With the Jays down 1-0, he led off the fourth with a two-bagger and scored on Addison Barger's double. The hit extended Guerrero's streak to seven games. Article content Article content Next time up, in the fifth — yet another four-run inning for the team — his double plated Nathan Lukes and gave him 10 hits in his past four games. Article content Vlad's swing is as smooth as ever. That being said, he'll have to provide some consistent power at some point where he carries the team offensively. Article content 2. Tough act to follow Article content Following a brilliant outing by lefty Eric Lauer in the series opener, Jose Berrios was tasked with keeping the ball rolling Friday night. Article content Mission accomplished. Despite giving up the game's first run on an RBI double in the second inning, then a Spencer Torkelson homer in the sixth, Berrios looked solid, allowing just five hits and two walks in his six innings while striking out six. Article content Of note, Berrios twice faced Tigers veteran Javier Baez — his brother-in-law — and struck him out both times. Baez, who is enjoying a renaissance season for Detroit, has only one hit in his career off Berrios.
Buzz Feed
19-07-2025
- General
- Buzz Feed
27 Kitchen Products To Make Cooking As Fast As Possible
A veggie chopper because, I'm sorry, who has the time to chop vegetables into approximately 1,000 teeny tiny pieces? This tool turns minutes of boring dinner prep into seconds. Plus, this chopper doesn't just make quick work of dicing and chopping peppers, onions, tomatoes, or any other fruit or veg — it also protects your fingers from meal-ruining cuts. An electric potato peeler that can peel any fruit or veggie with a tough outer skin in 10 seconds flat! It gets a whole lot easier to eat a lot of vegetables when prepping them is as easy as opening a bag of chips. (Honestly, sometimes that takes more than 10 seconds... what are they using to seal those bags, titanium??) A meat and potato masher because you want mashed potatoes, but you don't want to spend several awkward, annoying minutes trying to mash them with a traditional fork. This tool has five beveled blades that you can push directly into your potatoes or meat, effortlessly smashing them up. I mean, what's the point in making a comfort food if you have to basically endure a whole cardio session to get there? A microwave mini steamer so you no longer have to mess around with bringing a giant pot of water to a boil, just to get a side dish going. Just put some water in the bottom, pop your veggies in the green strainer, let it do its thing in the microwave for a few minutes, and bam! You are now the proud owner of some perfectly steamed broccoli. A pepper corer, because I cannot be the only person who has been cooking my entire adult life, and yet every time I need to slice up a pepper and get all those sticky little seeds out, I feel like a newborn baby, baffled by the culinary actions required of me. Replace several minutes of annoying cutting and scooping with just a quick scoop from this tool. It can handle bell or chili peppers — and even apples, too! Promising review: "This is one of those products that you didn't know you needed until you get one. We eat a lot of peppers in our house, and it makes cleaning them out a snap. It is inexpensive, so it can sit in the drawer until needed. But this is the right tool for the job." —Pondo69Get it from Amazon for $6.98. A "Gracula" garlic crusher that quickly and easily accomplishes two key dinnertime goals: 1. it produces finely crushed garlic super fast, with almost no effort from you, and 2. it gives you a lil' giggle. You've had a long day — let Vlad here be your sous chef and the entertainment. Plus, reviewers say it works for crushing nuts, too! A Beautiful by Drew Barrymore dual-compartment air fryer, because trying to figure out how to use a traditional air-fryer to cook two foods at once is frustrating, and waiting for one part of your meal to cook before you can start the other is beyond irritating. This innovative fryer allows you to cook two different foods, at two different temperatures, at the exact same time. Plus, if needed, you can remove the divider to give yourself a single compartment with nine quarts (!!) of cooking reviews: "Absolutely fantastic air fryer — makes my counter look gorgeous too! Love the colors, the design, and the extra room, it makes it so easy to cook for my entire family! Dual zones so you can cook two different things at once, a broil setting, a baking setting, a reheating setting, and even a dehydrating setting!! Best appliance I've ever bought!" —Stacey"Absolutely LOVE our new Beautiful Air Fryer! Not only is it gorgeous, but it is also convenient, easy to use, and easy to clean. I love the dual temperature features. We got the 9qt. The size is so impressive! But it looks so lovely on our countertop. I run an in-home daycare, and this makes prepping, cooking, and cleaning for several kiddos quick and easy! Best purchase I've made in a long time! Far surpasses our previous 6-qt Ninja Air Fryer! Nothing compares to this appliance!" —NicoleGet it from Walmart for $139 (available in six colors). An Instant Pot that can save you tons of time around dinner, because it starts cooking your meal at 10 a.m. Just pick out your favorite Instant Pot recipe from the approximately 10 billion that you can find online, pop in the ingredients, set the timer, and come back to a literal whole entire meal. And this thing doesn't just make stews — you can cook a whole chicken (!!) in here! Promising reviews: "This product is my best friend and I would marry it and grow old with it if I could. I've put pork loins, potatoes, yellow bundt cakes, rice, and corn on the cob (look up INSTANT POT MILK CORN ON COB and you will never eat it any other way again!). I've made pierogies, lasagna, apple dump cake, a whole chicken, bone broth, chicken noodle soup... and more. This is all in less than a month. I'm eating healthier. Eating out less. Cleanup is easy. The food tastes awesome. The pork loin never dried out after it sat on the serving tray." —sugabuga"I purchased the Instant Pot Duo Plus, and it has been one of the best decisions for my kitchen. It's easy to use, fast, and versatile. I love that it has different functions like a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and more. The food comes out delicious and perfectly cooked in less time. Plus, the app with over 800 recipes is a great bonus. Highly recommended for anyone looking to save time in the kitchen without sacrificing flavor!" —Jonathan SalazarGet it from Amazon for $69.99+ (available in two sizes). A hands-free pot stirrer because sometimes, dreams really do come true (soup-based dreams, anyway). All you have to do is clamp it to the side of your pot, set the speed, and let it get to work while you do something more interesting than stirring, which could be... literally anything. An herb stripper, so you can stop living the dinner prep nightmare of stripping a serving of kale or other greens by hand. Is any kitchen activity more boring and time-consuming than stripping it leaf by leaf by leaf? I get chills just thinking about it. With this, make quick work of the prep so you can get to the good part (cooking your kale in various sauces until it no longer tastes like kale). A microwave bacon cooker because cooking bacon on the stove is A WHOLE THING — you have to keep your eye on when to flip the pieces, is anything burning, oh my god the grease is really crackling, etc. Truly, who has that kind of energy in the morning? With this tool, just set your microwave for 30–60 seconds per strip, and get ready for perfectly crisp bacon, in record time, with almost zero effort on your part (ideal). Promising reviews: "I absolutely love this. Makes breakfast so easy. Bacon always crisp, and after I take the bacon out, I crack an egg or two in the tray. The eggs are delicious and don't taste greasy. Use it almost every morning." —REGINA PELLMAN"When I ordered this item, I thought it might be kitschy, but it wasn't. It was designed and built very well. This has become my go-to bacon maker because it sets up quickly, cooks bacon fast (3 slices = 3 mins). All the bacon dripping hits the catch base, which is easily wiped clean with a paper towel before washing. Worth every penny!" —InStLouisGet it from Amazon for $16.49. A microwave potato cooker that I am convinced is a literal time machine? Everyone knows that a baked potato is the perfect food... except for the fact that it takes literal years to cook one in the oven (okay, fine, it takes an hour... but an hour feels like years when you're hungry and in dire need of carbs and sour cream!). But with this handy-dandy sleeve, you can have a baked potato in 2–4 minutes, aka the exact correct time frame. Plus, it can bake up to four potatoes at once and make corn on the cob! A set of toss-and-chop salad tongs, aka "salad scissors," so you can make restaurant-quality salads at home with minimal effort and time, instead of putting in tons of effort and time and just ending up with a weird, sad pile of spinach and croutons. These scissors will chop any veg or protein you throw into them while also mixing up the ingredients better than you would with big, clunky salad tongs. And you can chop right in the bowl — so that's one less cutting board to deal with. (And truly, is there anything worse than washing a cutting board?) A rapid defrosting tray because, whoops, you were supposed to take the chicken out of the freezer three hours ago, but got distracted by something shiny. Don't fear! This tray uses natural aluminum to defrost your frozen goods way faster than just leaving them out on the counter. I don't understand how it works! I just know that it speeds up your dinner prep timeline, which is always exciting and delicious. (Excit-a-licious?) A silicone snap-on pasta strainer so you no longer have to waste time finding your strainer, setting it up in your sink, pouring the pasta into it, pouring the drained pasta back into the pot, picking up the ten stray noodles that fell into the sink... with this, just snap it on, pour our the water, and apply pasta directly to your hungry lil' face. A Dash rapid egg cooker because, first off, it's got rapid right there in the name! Bid adieu to the days of waiting for a whole pot of water to boil, then dropping all your eggs in to hard or soft boil, being unsure if you cooked them right, then cracking them open and knowing you didn't cook them right. This handy kitchen buddy can hard boil, soft boil, or poach up to six eggs in mere minutes with just a tiny bit of water — and it can also make scrambled eggs or even omelets! A Ninja professional blender that isn't just for smoothies (though I mean, it's amazing at making smoothies, the ultimate super-fast "I need it nowwwww" food). It can also help you make super-quick soups, sauces, salsa... It's basically an express pass to Yummy Dips City (that's where I have to have my vacation home). Promising review: "There are some products that just change your life. The blender is mostly plastic, but it doesn't feel cheap. It is very secure. It locks onto the base with a satisfying click. The lid locks down with a similar click. Unless you have heard both clicks, the blender won't start. And good thing. The blades are very sharp. They are angled to create a vortex that instantly turns any fruits and vegetables inside into viscous liquid. I like that the spout has a lid that locks open so you can pour easily. The blades come out so that they can be cleaned easily, along with the inside of the decanter. This blender has high, medium, and low settings. You can pulse. It is loud, which I take to be a feature and not a drawback. Neither my kids nor I particularly like fruits and vegetables, and as a result, we don't get nearly enough. And yet I can put in 10 bananas, two cartons of strawberries, two of blueberries, a bag of spinach (yes, spinach!), a cup of plain Greek yogurt, one interrupted conversation... and: ambrosia! The decanter is huge, and yet between the three of us, we can and do empty it in one meal. Yay!" —The Wheels Go RoundGet it from Amazon for $79.99+ (available in two styles and two wattages). A Cuisinart Fast Freeze Frozen Dessert Maker, because making your own ice cream at home is a joy — except for how long traditional ice cream makers take to churn your ice cream. And then waiting for it to settle and re-freeze afterwards! Pure snack-based agony. With this delicious treatmaker, all you have to do is freeze your base overnight, hit the blend button, and prepare to faceplant into your own DIY pint of chocolate chocolate chip. Get it from Williams Sonoma for $119.95. A breakfast sandwich maker that isn't just faster than cooking every item individually (and eventually losing track of some ingredient, only to remember it when it starts burning) — it's also faster than just going out to the deli and having someone else make a sandwich for you. This miracle machine cooks every element of a breakfast sandwich in a single place, all at once — so all you have to do is add ingredients, and wait for the perfect start to your morning to be very quickly ready for your plate. A microwave pasta maker, because they say a watched pot never boils — and you know that's true based on the countless minutes you have spent staring down the big ol' pot of water on your stove, begging it to hurry up so that you can finally eat your pasta. Just put your pasta in the container, add water, pop it into the microwave, and when it's done, use the container to strain it. No mess, no extra cookware — just you, chowing down on spaghetti in less than 10 minutes, like the universe intended. A Chopula cooking tool that is :::infomercial voice::: two, two, two kitchen tools in one! But seriously, this will save you tons of time because you will no longer have to switch between a ton of different kitchen implements. The Chopula is a flexible spatula to loosen whatever food has decided that the surface of your pan is its new home; it's also a chopping tool that can even cut meat! Reviewers say it is great at flipping eggs, omelets, and pancakes without breaking them, which is its own timesaver — I know I have lost a lot of time in the kitchen playing yet another round of Can This Omelet Be Saved? A 5-in-1 jar opener because tight jar lids are one of the all-time worst kitchen time-stealers. Not only because you can spend minutes wrestling with these guys, running them under hot water (or is it cold?) and asking your roommate to come help you — but because sometimes, the great Jar Opening Battle culminates with the jar opening... directly onto your shirt. Save yourself the time and the extra load of laundry with this simple, quick jar opener. Promising review: "I am an older woman who has difficulty opening lids and caps with my hands. In fact, I injured my right hand one time just trying to open a cap. My sister in law told me she had this opener that does the trick. I bought this and I love it. It can be used on any size lid or cap, and with just a quick turn, the caps open. I love it. My right hand loves it." —Sunset SueGet it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 15 colors) An 8-quart stainless-steel gas cooktop rapid-boil pot that actually boils water 40% faster than standard pots! Thank the unique aluminum base, which is covered in mini-fins that help gather and channel heat. Or, if you're not a science lover, just feel overjoyed that your corn on the cob will be ready that much faster. Plus, it comes with a built-in strainer, so you won't have to waste any time getting yours out from the bottom of the cupboard. Promising review: 'Exceeded expectations. Brings a full pot of water in nearly half the time as a conventional pot." —JohnGet it from Williams Sonoma for $219.95. A bagel guillotine because sawing a bagel in half with a traditional knife wastes precious minutes when you could be enjoying that cream-cheese-filled goodness (plus, you know you always cut them unevenly). With the guillotine, you can get a perfect and near-instant slice every time. A rice cooker, because cooking rice in a traditional pot takes time, attention, and an ability to cope when you inevitably burn half the portion. Instead, this rice cooker whips up a bowl of fluffy rice in just a few minutes and has a "warmer" feature to keep it hot and tasty until you're ready to chow down. A microwave sandwich maker that can help you whip up a crispy grilled cheese (or other grilled sammy!) in mere minutes, with way less butter and effort than the traditional version made in a pan. Promising review: "If you like grilled cheese sandwiches and you like them quick, then this is for you. I like things that work every time, too. Heat this unit for 1 minute and then place a slice of bread, three slices of cheese, and then the other slice of bread onto the bottom plate. Lock in the top plate and cook for 3 minutes. Done and perfect!! It never fails. How easy is that? You can make more sophisticated grilled sandwiches, too, like adding ham and spinach. Use your imagination. It's fun. And the unit is super easy to clean up. This is an awesome cooker for quick." —GeorgeGet it from Amazon for $29.99. A cherry tomato slicer because I know I can't be the only person who is reluctant to make salads — the perfect cool summer meal! — at home because when I try to slice up cherry tomatoes, it becomes a literal and figurative mess. Tomatoes are slipping across the table! Half the tomato was smeared on the cutting board! This tool holds your cherry tomatoes in place, allowing you to halve up to six with a single knife-swipe, saving you time not just slicing, but in cleaning up tomato goo that's squirted all over the place. Get it from Williams Sonoma for $17.95.
GSM Arena
17-07-2025
- GSM Arena
This new OnePlus cable charges your phone and your smartwatch at the same time
Vlad 17 July 2025 OnePlus Accessories OnePlus has just launched a new charging cable, and normally that wouldn't be news. It's red, just as you'd expect, and it's Supervooc branded, unsurprisingly. But this one is special because it charges both your phone and your OnePlus smartwatch at the same time. The phone charging is accomplished through the standard USB-C, but as you can see, the cable also features a mid-mounted puck with pogo pins. This one will charge your OnePlus Watch 2, Watch 2R, and Watch 3. If you only charge a OnePlus phone, the cable supports up to 80W charging. If you charge both a phone and a smartwatch, the watch gets 10W and the phone 67W. The cable is available now from OnePlus for $29.99 / £27.99 / €27.99. Of course you'll need to provide your own charging brick, as this is just a cable. OnePlus Watch 2 OnePlus Watch 2R OnePlus Watch 3
GSM Arena
15-07-2025
- GSM Arena
Realme keeps teasing the 15 and 15 Pro
Vlad, 14 July 2025 Realme is unveiling the 15 and 15 Pro on July 24, which is incredibly soon after the 14 series - the Pro and Pro+ launched in January, the 'vanilla' 14 in March. We're not sure what's going on here, perhaps sales of that range haven't been great? Anyway, the brand keeps teasing the 15 and 15 Pro ahead of their unveiling. It's already confirmed that the 15 Pro will have all the features of a Pro+ model that isn't coming this time around. Today, the brand has let us know that the upcoming devices will introduce "a fresh wave of AI innovation and mobile photography", with the 15 Pro positioned as "the most advanced AI party phone, blending cutting-edge camera intelligence, party-optimized features, and immersive performance for the ultimate social experience". The Pro will come with "enhanced imaging and faster chips" usually reserved for the Pro+ model in the number series, thus "elevating the Pro badge to a new standard of flagship experience" and streamlining the product family (thankfully, we'd say). There will be "bold and party-inspired camera features intelligently designed to detect dynamic lighting environments" like concerts, dance floors, or even house parties. AI features will automatically adjust shutter speed, contrast, and saturation accordingly, and we have to say this might be the first time we're hearing of a phone or series of phones optimized specifically for parties. Perhaps Realme realized there's an untapped market there. If you're wondering what to expect design-wise, renders showing the Realme 15 Pro have already been purportedly leaked. Realme itself has confirmed that the Pro is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC, and that it has a display with 144 Hz refresh rate, 2,500 Hz touch sampling rate, and 6,500-nit peak brightness, as well as a 7,000 mAh battery with 80W wired charging support despite being just 7.69mm thick. It's also IP69 rated for dust and water resistance. Realme 14 512GB 12GB RAM $ 485.48 Realme 14 Pro 256GB 8GB RAM $ 392.00 $ 392.00 128GB 8GB RAM ₹ 23,479 Realme 14 Pro+ 256GB 8GB RAM $ 885.00 $ 885.00 512GB 12GB RAM $ 839.00
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The 5 greatest Home Run Derby moments ever, definitively ranked
We'll always cherish the MLB Home Run Derby as an event, simply because seeing sluggers send baseballs into orbit is just the coolest. It's also a tough event for these guys putting on a show, proof that hitting ball after ball over a wall isn't as easy as they make it look. MORE HOME RUN DERBY: The 2025 participants, ranked But what are the truly greatest moments in Home Run Derby history? I challenged myself to find the five GOAT moments that belong in their own Hall of Fame, a quintet of jaw-dropping performances or feats that might not be able to be topped ever. I'm ranking them simply by amazingness, and maybe there's some nostalgia mixed in. Here we go with the five greatest Home Run Derby moments: 5. Vlad and Joc go to 3 OTs (2019) Rule: anything that goes to triple overtime -- exhibition or otherwise -- deserves a place on a list like this. 4. Julio Rodriguez has a first round for the ages (2023) So what if he didn't win? Dude hit 41 DINGERS in the first round. Just wild. 3. Josh Hamilton goes off in Yankee Stadium (2008) Another star who didn't win the title, but it didn't matter. His performance -- perhaps because it was combined with his comeback story at the time -- was scintillating and one we'll never forget. 2. Sammy Sosa hits BOMBS (2002) Just sit back and watch another guy who didn't win the ultimate prize, because he just hit a bunch of 500-foot dingers. It's jaw-dropping. 1. Ken Griffey Jr. hits Baltimore's B&O Warehouse (1993) Remember that nostalgia thing I mentioned? Sorry not sorry. This is iconic. This is a moment that deserves its own statue in Baltimore. Who else has hit the warehouse on a fly? No one!
