Gadgets

Phones, audio, watches, drones and the small stuff that quietly runs your day.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

The BRO Gear GuideBuy once, fix it, pass it down: a cost-per-use calculator, a warranty decoder and a repairability checklist.Judge it before you buy

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The Can Came Almost Fifty Years Before the Can Opener

The zipper, the lawnmower and the can opener all took two men: one with the idea and a second, stubborn one who made it actually work.

GuideCountry BroDean ShawOct 3, 20267 min

Set up the block so your worst swing hits wood, not your shin

Most splitting injuries are decided before the maul leaves the ground. Get the block, the stance and the wedge right, and a bad swing costs you nothing.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

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GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarOct 5, 20267 min

Peppers Want Warm Feet, So Plant Them Later Than You Think

Most pepper plants fail before they're two weeks in the ground. The fix costs about ten dollars and a little patience.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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History6 min read

The Flour Sack Dress and the Neighbors Who Fed Each Other

Our grandparents didn't get through the 1930s on grit alone. They had a system: the garden, the sewing box and the family next door.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 3, 20267 min

Hang a Pre-Hung Door So It Doesn't Drift Open at 2 a.m.

Most bad door installs get decided before the first nail. Diagnose the opening, set the hinge side first, and the latch takes care of itself.

GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarOct 5, 20267 min

Plant Paste Tomatoes If You Actually Want Sauce

Most homemade sauce fails in March, when you buy the wrong seeds. Pick the right variety and the timing, and one August afternoon fills your freezer.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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StoryHistoryMarcus ValeOct 3, 20266 min

Proving up took five years and two neighbors willing to swear

The Homestead Act's paperwork was easy. Staying alive on the claim was the hard part, and at the end your neighbors had to vouch for you.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 3, 20267 min

Sweating a Copper Joint Is Mostly About Getting the Water Out

The torch is the easy part. A dry pipe and clean metal decide whether the joint holds, and most first-timers skip both.

GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarOct 5, 20266 min

Plant by Your Frost Date, Not Your Zone

Your zone tells you what survives winter. Your frost date tells you when to plant. Most first-year gardeners mix them up and lose a flat of tomatoes.

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Pressure-test my business idea

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StoryHistoryDean ShawOct 3, 20266 min

From the Plow to the Combine, One Broken Bottleneck at a Time

For most of history a farm was only as big as one family could harvest. How a blacksmith, a Virginian, and a few stubborn tinkerers changed that.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideMomsNina CastellanOct 3, 20267 min

Your Mower Probably Isn't Broken. The Gas Is Just Old.

Most mowers that won't start in spring just need fresh fuel and a proper pull. Start, fuel and care for one yourself, without a repair shop.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarOct 5, 20266 min

Your Soil Needs a Test and Compost, Not Another Bag of Fertilizer

Most yellow leaves aren't hungry plants. They're a soil problem nobody tested for. A cheap lab test and an inch of compost fix more than any bag will.