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

By Digital Trends Staff May 30, 2015

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.”

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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.

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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.

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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

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Digital Trends Staff

Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…

Smart Home

The best smart light bulbs

best sunrise alarm clocks philips wake up light

Smart bulbs do more than turn on and off when you clap your hands. Upgrading your home with smart bulbs can reduce your energy consumption. You can use your phone to turn your lights on and off remotely or use a smart home device to create an automated schedule for your lights. Smart bulbs typically come with additional features like adjustable brightness or colors.

Shopping for smart bulbs can be confusing if you’re not familiar with home automation. When you are ready to make the switch from traditional bulbs to smart ones, our guide can help you decide what the best choice for your home and lifestyle is. They use very little energy, and they are available at different price points.

Smart Home

The best cheap smart bulbs

Sengled smart bulb in dining room.

Smart lighting has taken over. With just a single smart bulb and some Wi-Fi (and maybe a little help from Alexa), you can transform a drab and dim living room into a pulsating, kaleidoscopic disco. OK, maybe that’s a bit extreme. Smart lighting truly is an awesome investment for any home, though. Smart lighting can increase your home security, help cut down on your energy bill, and be customized to adapt and change with your lifestyle. In terms of investment, though, major smart lighting starter kits can tend to be on the pricey side.

Thankfully, there are a number of great companies that make budget smart bulbs and lighting systems that work just as well as some of the big brands, but at a fraction of the cost. Which budget smart lights are worth buying? We’ve put together a working list of some of the best budget lights out there and what we love about them.

Smart Home

How to choose a robot vacuum

Roborock S4 Max cleaning a carpet.

When it comes to keeping your home clean, few smart home devices are as beloved as robot vacuums. These nifty gadgets let you put away your cordless vacuum and sit on the couch while it sucks up all the dust, pollen, debris, and other gunk that’s trapped inside your carpet. Some models even double as a mop, while others can automatically empty their dustbin.

There’s a wide variety of robot vacuums on the market today, which means you can find a product for every budget. It also means there are a lot of choices to wade through -- and not all of them are worth considering. If you need some help with your search, here’s how to choose a robot vacuum in 2023.