Tech

This new Whoop dupe solves one of the biggest problems with fitness trackers

Published

7 months ago

September 4, 2025

Vicky

Polar started teasing its Polar Loop wearable back in June. Like the similar-looking Whoop fitness tracker, the idea was simple: a fitness tracker you can wear 24/7 but without the constant distractions of various buzzes, beeps, and notifications. After all, who needs another screen?

Now, the brand has formally announced the Polar Loop, which differs from the Whoop in one critical way — it doesn't require a monthly subscription.

Unlike the Oura ring, Whoop, and other fitness trackers, the Polar Loop promises to deliver health, fitness, and sleep monitoring without any annoying monthly fees.

polar loop fitness tracker on woman's arm

Credit: Polar

Credit: Polar

Polar says that its new tracker can keep tabs on your heart rate, sleep, and daily activity while remaining incognito on your wrist. You can instead check your stats from the smartphone app. Of course, the list of available features is less than you’d find in a subscription-based fitness tracker system, but some folks like it simple.

This is a relatively new product category with a few competitors, but not many. Amazefit came out with its Helio Strap, and of course, there are the Whoop bands that have swiftly popularized the trend of screen-less fitness trackers. Smart rings have also stepped into this space of having your stats tracked in the background while you focus on other things. Garmin has also dipped its toes into the mix with the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor, which does the sleep part but not the fitness stuff.

The Loop comes in three colors, including Night Black, Greige Sand (beige), and Brown Cooper. It is available for pre-order on Polar’s website for $199.99. The company is also offering replaceable wristbands for $29.99 that come in the aforementioned colors, along with Ocean Blue as a fourth color option.

Credit: Polar

Polar Loop

$199.99
at Polar

Tech

How to watch USA vs. Belgium online for free

Published

4 seconds ago

March 29, 2026

Vicky

Tim Weah #21 of the United States looks on

TL;DR: Live stream USA vs. Belgium in a 2026 International Friendly for free on RTL Play. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 World Cup is looming large on the horizon. And that means top international sides from around the world will be sharpening up in the coming weeks and months.

There are a number of high-profile International Friendlies taking place this week as teams look to build momentum, including USA vs. Belgium. Mauricio Pochettino's side will need to be at their best to get anything out of a talented Belgian team. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be lively as the likes of Pulisic and De Bruyne battle it out.

If you want to watch USA vs. Belgium in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

Table of Contents

When is USA vs. Belgium?

USA vs. Belgium kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on March 28. This fixture takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

How to watch USA vs. Belgium for free

USA vs. Belgium is available to live stream for free on RTL Play.

RTL Play is geo-restricted to Belgium, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Belgium, meaning you can access free live streams on RTL Play from anywhere in the world.

Lve stream USA vs. Belgium for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Belgium
Visit RTL Play
Stream USA vs. Belgium for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch USA vs. Belgium without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTL Play?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTL Play, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including Belgium
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream USA vs. Belgium for free with ExpressVPN.

Tech

Mini Kindle Pods are trending on TikTok, but these devices arent what they seem

Published

17 seconds ago

March 29, 2026

Vicky

Two pictures of

Among passionate TikTok communities, BookTok, may be the most influential.

BookTok is where book lovers and e-reader obsessives to come together to discuss their favorite books and device hacks. For readers who use e-readers, Kindle, Kobo, and Boox lead the charge as the most popular devices, so it's notable when a new device goes viral. "Mini Kindles" appear to be the latest device to cause a stir on BookTok, with hundreds of videos showcasing the tiny e-readers.

On TikTok, searching for "mini Kindle" (or "mini Kindle pods") brings up dozens of user videos showing someone walking into a Barnes & Noble or Target and then cutting to an unboxing of a so-called "mini Kindle". As someone who tests e-readers for a living, this confused me.

I have no reason to believe these e-readers are actually being purchased at Barnes & Noble, nor do they have any apparent affiliation with Amazon Kindles.

In fact, the devices being hyped in these videos appear to be sold by the users who post them.

In a since-deleted video, user @aurealeaf directs viewers to the website NovaLeaf, where the "NovaLeaf Mini Kindle" is listed. (Editor's note: As of this writing, the @aurealeaf account is no longer available.) Another user, @hydro_scope, directs viewers to their website with a listing for a NOVA Mini Pink Kindle. Both devices claim to be pocket-sized e-readers under the Kindle name, despite no affiliation with Amazon.

We reached out to both @aurealeaf and @hydro_scope, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.

Are mini Kindle pods actually Kindles?

These mini Kindles do not seem to be actual Kindle e-readers or associated with Amazon at all, nor does Amazon sell any mini version of the Kindle e-readers. We reached out for comment from Amazon and have not heard back at the time of publication.

By performing reverse image searches on Nova and NovaLeaf websites, I found that the "mini Kindles" listed for sale there are visual matches for devices manufactured by a company called Oilsky. They appear to be 4-inch touchscreen MP3 and 1080p video players. With built-in access to the Google Play store, the Kindle app is available to download onto the device; however, that appears to be the only connection to Amazon.

The Oilsky MP3 player and copycat versions are currently listed on Amazon. These TikTok-based sellers have their mini Kindles listed for $79.99, about $10 more than the direct Oilsky listing on Amazon. Oilsky MP3 players are not listed for sale at Barnes & Noble or Target.

In short, the viral TikTok videos are using the word "Kindle" to refer to any e-reader-like device and may be at risk of legal action from Amazon.

As of this writing, the @aurealeaf TikTok account is no longer available.

Tech

How to watch Switzerland vs. Germany online for free

Published

20 seconds ago

March 29, 2026

Vicky

Leon Goretzka of Germany celebrates

TL;DR: Live stream Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free on RTS. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a number of really interesting International Friendlies taking place this week, including Switzerland vs. Germany.

This is a great opportunity for these sides to test out new formations, experiment with new players, and generally build some positive momentum before this summer's World Cup. We expect a competitive contest between two experienced sides, with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz expected to feature.

If you want to watch Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

Table of Contents

When is Switzerland vs. Germany?

Switzerland vs. Germany kicks off at 3:45 p.m. ET on March 27. This fixture takes place at the St. Jakob Park.

How to watch Switzerland vs. Germany for free

Switzerland vs. Germany is available to live stream for free on RTS.

RTS is geo-restricted to Switzerland, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Switzerland, meaning you can access free live streams on RTS from anywhere in the world.

Lve stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Switzerland
Visit RTS
Stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Switzerland vs. Germany without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTS?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTS, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including Switzerland
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee