Skip to main content

Flipping through The Manual: Gifts for Dad, whiskey candles, & bad-ass flip flops

Burned out on apps, keys and screens? Improve your analog life this weekend! Digital Trends’ brother site The Manual exists to give men straight-up advice, from unspoken suit rules you need to know, to the latest in fashion, food, drink, travel, grooming and culture. Here are a few of our favorite stories to appear on The Manual lately.

5 great gifts for that manly man you call Dad

5 great gifts for that manly man you call Dad
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Make Father’s Day 2015 a manly success with any of these manly gifts.

Read the full story on The Manual

Stock up on whiskey scented wares

Stock up on whiskey scented wares
Image used with permission by copyright holder

To quote Ron Burgundy, “Scotchy, scotch, scotch.”

Read the full story on The Manual

Trekking: VSSL’s flashlights are masked multi-tools

Trekking: VSSL's flashlights are masked multi-tools
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The common flashlight is a necessity for all adventurers, whether while backpacking or car camping. However, VSSL’s lineup of aluminum flashlights packs each cannon with tins housing medical tools, fishing gear, and even booze.

Read the full story on The Manual

How to set up an intoxicating home bar

How to set up an intoxicating home bar
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Need help stocking a home bar? This guide can help you achieve an intoxicating home bar without breaking the bank.

Read the full story on The Manual

Kick back with our favorite flip-flops for summer

Kick back with our favorite flip-flops for summer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s starting to get nicer out, and it can’t be work all the time. With that in mind, we’re sharing a few of our favorite flip-flops, built for relaxation, beach trips, and barbecues.

Read the full story on The Manual

The Manual Guide: How to prevent razor burn

The Manual Guide: How to prevent razor burn
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Now that warm weather is here, you might consider shaving off that beard. For some expert tips on how to prevent razor burn, we reached out to grooming expert and makeup artist Karen Lynn Accattato.

Read the full story on The Manual

Digital Trends Staff
Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…
The 4 best smart thermostats in 2024
A person operating the Google Nest thermostat.

A lot of folks may feel that a smart thermostat device is just a gimmick for the lazy that lets you control it remotely, but there are actually quite a lot of good things when it comes to smart thermostats. Depending on which model you buy and how much money you spend, there can be some significant savings, especially if you spring for the kind that learns your patterns and adjusts the temperature to eat up less electricity. Some thermostats even know what time of day electricity is expensive and adjust to use less of it to help bring your costs down.

As such, if you rely heavily on your HVAC, then having a smart thermostat can save you money and add a ton of convenience, even if you don't go for one of the smarter ones. Just knowing your energy usage over time can help you adjust and spend less money while also being a bit more eco-friendly. While there are a ton of options, we've collected four of our favorites below across various budgets and features, so be sure to check things out thoroughly and be sure a smart thermostat supports your HVAC system before taking the plunge.
The Best Smart Thermostats in 2024

Read more
The best open-world games
The Witcher 3-Wild Hunt

Just like you probably enjoy getting to choose your own path in real life, you want to have the same freedom in your favorite video game. Open-world games like The Division 2 have only continued to grow in popularity since their release. 

While this genre of gaming can be a little intimidating for anyone without tons of experience in gaming, there are plenty of great open-world games to chose from. Ranging from first-person shooter games to RPGs and action-adventure titles, our list will have something for everyone.

Read more
What is HDR TV? High dynamic range and why you need it
A Sony Bravia A80K 4K TV sits on a table in front of a large window.

HDR, or High Dynamic Range, is a TV spec you've undoubtedly seen in your TV's settings or while shopping for a new TV, and we're willing to bet that if you're here, you're wondering what the heck HDR is. HDR can be found in pretty much all of today's best TVs, from 8K to 4K to HDTVs, and in TVs across a wide range of price points -- HDR has become standard in most new mid-range and high-end televisions.

But what is it? When viewing TV, movies, video games, sports, or other content displayed in HDR, an HDR-capable TV will deliver extra-brilliant brightness levels, ultra-rich colors, an expanded color palette, and higher contrast.

Read more