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There are a lot of standing desks out there, and from my research and conversations with people who use them day-to-day, quite a few don't use the standing function more than maybe once a week, which pretty much defeats the entire purpose of having a standing desk. ErgoDriven's Tempo Desk attempts to solve that by incorporating an automatic standing function as a core principle of its operation. Not just an add-on, not just a software update, not just a plug-and-play feature, but a core functionality of how it operates.

I'll admit I was a tad bit skeptical when I first heard about a desk that will do this automatically. I even thought through some of the other desks that I have in love and thought, how hard could it be to add this functionality with a plug-in or an adapter? While this could be done with some adapters and accessories, having it all built-in first-party is really what makes this thing shine. It has the sensors, the brain, and the processing already on board, so it can do all this without anything else needed. For any other desk, you need to add not just the controller that can automatically trigger the up and down, but probably a different control sensor as well, so it knows if you are actually sitting at the desk, just as this one does.

At the end of the day, that's really what sets the Tempo Desk apart: it moves itself. It uses an IR sensor to detect when you're at the desk and whether you're standing or sitting, and then it will raise or lower based on that information. The ErgoDriven CEO even claims that this is the first real innovation in standing desks in the past 15+ years, a bold claim in a world that seems to be ever-changing. However, perhaps they're not changing in the ways that ErgoDriven was desiring.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future ) ErgoDriven Tempo Automatic Standing Desk: Price and Availability

The ErgoDriven Tempo is available for $899 direct from ErgoDriven - although at the time of the review, it's discouinted to $599.

Because of the uniqueness of this frame and brand, this is probably one of those desks that makes the most sense to buy just the frame for, yes, or others that would look good or would help in certain areas.

If you're really looking to make your own custom version of this desk and you don't want to spend money on their tabletop, choose your own desktop, but then choose the $499 frame. If you do end up getting their desktop and some other features, your spend could go as high as $900, depending on the configuration.

The Tempo smart controller sells for about $99 on its own, but having it plugged in and built-in makes a huge difference, as I mentioned. If you want the first-party smart standing desk feel and you don't already have a desk you love, it's absolutely worth buying the full kit. If you already have a standing desk you love, decide whether you want to swap out the legs for a more integrated feel or just buy the accessory.

ErgoDriven Tempo Automatic Standing Desk: Unboxing and First Impressions

It took two of us about 43 minutes to fully assemble this desk. The assembly process is familiar if you have built others, but still has a little bit of uniqueness, of course. I do appreciate that we didn't need any drills for this, which was really nice, and it helped us with assembly even faster because I'd forgotten to grab one on the way up to build this in the office we were setting this up in.

The desk itself looks sharp and feels sharp. Now the materials feel well-built, and the joints feel solid. Even though this is a much lesser-known desk company, I'm impressed with the quality. It's not the highest, most bougie end, but it's definitely upper-middle tier in quality, so hats off to the team at ErgoDriven for that.

ErgoDriven Tempo Automatic Standing Desk: Design & Build Quality

As I briefly mentioned above, the build quality for this is quite nice. It's better than I expected, to be honest, but also, with a company that I don't know very well, I didn't really have many expectations at all.

One thing that I was curious about was if this desk experience would be app-first or app-second. Meaning, would it be clear that the design company intended this to be used solely with an app and not for the handset to work well at all, or vice versa? In reality, after utilizing this for a while, it's been working quite nicely in both respects.

Yes, the controller does have some adjustments I would like to make in a perfect world, but so does every desk. All around, this works pretty seamlessly. It did take a little while to learn some of the quick commands, just like with any custom keyboard or mouse that has specialty commands. After looking those up a handful of times and building some muscle memory, I can now perform them pretty accurately.

ErgoDriven Tempo Automatic Standing Desk: In use

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future ) In using this desk for several weeks now, I can say that the motor is surprisingly quiet going up and down, so much so that I can raise it and lower it (or, should I say, allow it to raise and lower) whilst in a meeting, virtually or sometimes even in person, and not have it be a huge distraction. After a few times of adjusting to it, I actually got used to it. Now I just move with it rather than trying to fight it, unless I'm in a very important meeting or I'm presenting something.

Over the last few weeks, I definitely found myself sitting at this desk more than I normally did. The automation is just enough to help me stand without making it feel like I'm standing too much, or just constantly standing, which is a nice change of pace. I still get to enjoy my comfortable chair and take a load off every once in a while, but then I'm prompted to stand up so I don't end up sitting for an entire day. Focused at what I'm doing, I can still stay focused and stand.

ErgoDriven Tempo Automatic Standing Desk: Final verdict

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future ) My team and I are fairly active, so there are days when we have had heavy workouts or heavy other activity, and we don't appreciate the standing feature as much. I do believe this is probably more focused on people who sit for days on end, or on people with desk jobs at home who never leave and need some help getting more activity into their day.

If you're the kind of person who's already pretty active, this may feel a bit redundant or a tad frustrating because you know your body pretty well. For those looking to add more activity to their day due to their work schedule or low activity level, this may be the perfect solution.

It's a quality desk with a fun feature, and it's performed pretty well over the last several weeks. If you're looking for some more movement throughout your day, make sure to check this out.

Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future Collin Probst // Future For more office furniture, we've tested the best standing desks and the best office chairs .

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Joshua Vides has unveiled an exceptionally cool exhibition in Los Angeles.

The cars on display have been painted to mimic 2D comic book sketches.

The display will be at the Petersen Automotive Museum until next July.

Despite what you might be thinking, these aren’t sketches or detailed renderings pulled from some automotive comic book. They’re photos of a large art display at the Petersen Automotive Museum, where several classic cars have been painted to look as though they leapt straight off a comic book page.

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Read: Lexus Let An Artist Loose On The IS, And It Looks Like It Escaped A Comic Book

The man behind the display is artist Joshua Vides, and his exhibition, called Flat Out , runs at the most famous automotive museum in Los Angeles until July of next year. It looks fairly bewildering in photos, and we suspect it’s even more striking in person. The cars aren’t the only things painted to resemble comic book sketches. The entire mock garage housing them got the same treatment.

Petersen Automotive Museum

The lineup includes old Mercedes , Porsche, and Ferrari models, each one hand-painted white first and then finished with intricate black accents that give them a flat, eye-catching 2D look.

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Classics Meet Comic Book Style

The body panels aren’t the only surfaces reworked here. Every other part of the exterior got the same handling, from the bumpers and lights to the grilles and air intakes. The Ferrari 308 GTS looks especially cool with flowing black lines extending across the bodywork. Clearly, the paint wouldn’t be very practical for a road-driven car, but as a museum piece, it looks wonderful.

Petersen Automotive Museum

“I’ve had the opportunity to paint numerous vehicles and create galleries before, but to bring ‘Reality to Idea’ to life in a gallery at the Petersen is a dream come true,” Vides said while speaking with Hemmings . “Every vehicle provides a unique canvas, as do the spaces they are set in. Doing this at the Petersen was such an honor, and I am excited for the public to experience this exhibition.”

Petersen Automotive Museum

Vides has previously worked with the NBA, Formula 1, BMW, and Fendi, calling his artistic style ‘Reality to Idea,’ aiming to take completed designs “back to the original sketch.” Access to the collection of five cars and the garage where they are on display is included with any standard admission ticket to the museum.

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Petersen Automotive Museum

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Oscar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan has dedicated his craft to not only creating singular worlds and stories on screen, but doing so in a way that pushes beyond the limitations of what’s being done in film. Befitting of Homer ’s enduring epic, The Odyssey , Nolan set out to once again navigate uncharted territory, filming entirely in IMAX and developing innovative ways to adapt the format to fit even the most intimate scenes. Talking with Collider’s Steven Weintraub , Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway and Spider-Man icon Tom Holland discuss the ambitious set and the “truly ingenious” tech Nolan employed to pull it all off.

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If Chase's Pay Yourself Back hasn't been on your radar in a while, it may be worth brushing up on it.

Not only does this potentially lucrative option expand to a broad list of Chase cards , but some redemption rates are eye-catching as well.

Chase offers its Pay Yourself Back benefit on some cobranded credit cards, including Southwest Airlines cards , United Airlines cards , the Aeroplan® Credit Card (see rates and fees ) and the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (see rates and fees ).

Many of these current offers are valid now through Sept. 30.

Here's everything you need to know about using Chase Pay Yourself Back.

What is Chase Pay Yourself Back?

Pay Yourself Back is a unique redemption option within Chase's Ultimate Rewards program, offering cardmembers an alternative to redeeming points for travel.

The categories have evolved over time, and it's worth checking them each quarter to see if they're a good use of your rewards.

JLCO-JULIA AMARAL/GETTY IMAGES In short, the Pay Yourself Back option allows many Chase cardholders to redeem rewards at a value similar to what they would pay when booking travel. This won't typically yield the same maximum value for your Ultimate Rewards points as strategic use of transfer partners can, but it can get pretty close.

And, it could be a good choice if you're looking for a simple redemption or have a pile of points that you cannot immediately use.

Some Chase-cobranded airline cards (and a Marriott card) are also eligible for Pay Yourself Back. The rate at which you can redeem for some categories with these cards' rewards is over the average return you'll likely get when using your rewards to book travel.

Related: The best time to apply for Chase credit cards based on offer history

What purchases are eligible for Pay Yourself Back?

Here are the current categories eligible for Pay Yourself Back:

Card Redemption value Current end date

Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees)

J.P. Morgan Reserve Card

Qualifying charities: 1.5 cents per point

Cardholder annual fee: 1.25 cents per point

Gas stations and public transit: 1.2 cents per point Sept. 30

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) Qualifying charities: 1.25 cents per point

Pet supply stores, veterinary services and cardholder annual fee: 1.1 cents per point

Public transit: 1.05 cents per point Sept. 30

Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees)

Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees)

Chase Freedom

Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees)

Qualifying charities: 1.25 cents per point Sept. 30

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees)

Qualifying charities: 1.25 cents per point

Shipping, internet, cable and phone services: 1.1 cents per point Sept. 30

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees)

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card (see rates and fees)

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (see rates and fees)

Qualifying charities: 1.25 cents per point Sept. 30

Aeroplan Credit Card Travel purchases (up to 200,000 points or $2,500 annually) and cardholder annual fee (only purchases made at select merchants within 90 days before the redemption request date are eligible): 1.25 cents per point

Dining at restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs): 0.8 cents per point

Promotional categories (when available): 0.8 cents per point These are persistent categories for 2026

United Airlines personal and business credit cards Cardholder annual fee: 1.35 to 1.5 cents per mile (based on which card you have)

United airfare purchases made directly with the airline of at least $50: 1 cent per mile Ongoing perk

Southwest Airlines personal and business credit cards Cardholder annual fee within 90 days of the transaction date Ongoing perk

Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card Travel purchases made directly with airlines or Marriott Bonvoy hotels (up to $750 total per year) Ongoing perk

Disney credit cards Purchases made at select U.S. Disney locations in Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney store and outlet locations in the U.S., DisneyStore.com, DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com and Stream.ESPN.com in the past 90 days: 1 Disney Rewards Dollar per dollar

Those with a Disney® Inspire Visa® Card (see rates and fees) or a Disney® Premier Visa® Card (see rates and fees) can redeem Disney Rewards Dollars toward airline purchases in the past 90 days with any airline at the rate of 1 Disney Rewards Dollar per dollar Ongoing perk

The information for the J.P. Morgan Reserve and Chase Freedom has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The list of charities for Pay Yourself Back includes:

Alzheimer's Association

American Heart Association

American Red Cross

Equal Justice Initiative

Feeding America

GLSEN

Habitat for Humanity

International Medical Corps

International Rescue Committee

Leadership Conference Education Fund

Make-A-Wish America

NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund

National Urban League

Out and Equal Workplace Advocates

SAGE

Thurgood Marshall College Fund

United Negro College Fund

UNICEF USA

United Way

World Central Kitchen

Let's say you wanted to redeem 10,000 points on your Chase Sapphire Reserve. For most purchases, you'll get a $100 statement credit when redeeming 10,000 points.

But for those same 10,000 points, you'll get a credit of $150 when you redeem them for an eligible charity donation .

Related: How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?

Requesting a credit

Requesting a credit through Chase's Pay Yourself Back program is relatively straightforward. Log in to your eligible Chase account via the mobile app or desktop and select the "Pay Yourself Back" option in the redemption menu.

Next, you'll see a list of eligible purchases for which you can redeem points. Points can be redeemed for purchases dating back 90 days. It typically indicates whether more value is available.

CHASE You can offset the full purchase amount, assuming you have enough points to cover it.

From there, you can confirm the redemption value and amount of points required and then choose to complete the transaction. Your statement credit should post within three business days.

Related: How to use Shop Through Chase to earn more points

Statement credit options on other purchases

Chase has long offered the option to redeem points for a statement credit. To do this, log into your Ultimate Rewards account, hit the drop-down menu and select "Cash Back."

You'll be given an option to enter the amount you'd like to redeem and where you'd like your rewards deposited. All cash-back redemptions are fixed at 1 cent per point, which is a little less than half of TPG's July 2026 valuation of Ultimate Rewards at 2.05 cents per point.

That redemption value is also lower than many of the above Pay Yourself Back options.

CHASE Even so, Chase's traditional cash-back option is more generous than what you can expect from some other issuers.

Related: If I cash out my points and miles, do I have to claim it on my taxes?

Bottom line

Chase's Pay Yourself Back feature provides valuable flexibility for many cardholders.

Ultimately, whether you should redeem your balance in this way depends on how you plan to use your points, how many you currently have and whether or not you'd benefit significantly from the statement credits.

If the categories for the third quarter of 2026 don't work out for you, be sure to check back in for the fourth quarter to see if you should use this benefit then.

Related: Supercharge your Chase Ultimate Rewards balance with these top 5 cards

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Just because we’re Android experts, that doesn’t mean we’ll always tell you to pick up the latest shiny flagship on pre-order. If anything, we’ve long been fans of looking a generation or two back to find the best bang for your buck. That feels even more relevant in 2026, with rising phone prices making older Android phones, which often bear a striking resemblance to their newer counterparts, look like smart buys. But we wanted to know which previous-generation device you’d actually pick.

That was the question we polled you on in a recent feature on the best older Android phones to buy instead of a new 2026 model. My colleague Hadlee’s list covered the Samsung Galaxy S25, Motorola Moto G Stylus 2025, Google Pixel 9a, Samsung Galaxy A56 5G, and Motorola Razr 2025, with each one making the case that you don’t necessarily need this year’s version to get a great phone. But the question is, which one won out?

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The Ukrainian SBU launched a drone strike on Russia’s Saki Air Base in Crimea on Friday. The attack, the latest in a string of strikes against Russian aviation and logistic assets on the peninsula, is part of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest campaign to inflict so much pain on Russia that Vladimir Putin moves to end the war.

SBU claimed to have destroyed several Russian tactical combat jets today as well as on Wednesday. Saki is home to the Russian Navy’s 43rd Independent Naval Attack Aviation Regiment , which flies mostly Su-30SM Flankers . It has been a frequent target of Ukrainian strikes and was hit by a devastating attack in the early days of the war.

“At the ‘Saki’ airfield, seven hangars storing aviation equipment were hit, in which Su-30SM, Su-30, and Su-24 fighter jets and frontline bombers were located,” SBU added. “According to preliminary information, at least seven aircraft were destroyed or damaged.”

SBU told us it had no visual evidence from either attack to back their claim, but we reached out to Vantor to see if they had any satellite imagery of the base. Vantor provided us a picture that showed damage to four hardened aircraft shelters that was taken this morning. Some of shelters have clear damage to their structures, others literally have their doors blown off and laying on the taxiway in front of them. From the overhead angle of the image, it is impossible to determine if aircraft were in those shelters at the time, and if they were, what, if any damage, was inflicted. In addition, we can’t tell when this happened from just one picture, although imagery we reviewed from Planet Labs dating to June 27th doesn’t appear to show the same damage to the shelters.

It is very possible that any aircraft in those shelters could have been damaged by fire, as the SBU claimed, or by shrapnel, but we just don’t know. Regardless, the shelters remain generally intact. We have written frequently about Russia’s efforts to protect its aircraft this way, including on Crimea .

This image shows damage to two hardened aircraft shelters at Saki Air Base in the wake of two Ukrainian drone attacks this week. (Satellite image ©2026 Vantor.)

Regardless, these attacks come after months of Ukrainian strikes on bridges connecting the peninsula with the mainland and on it’s fuel infrastructure. The situation has gotten so bad on Crimea that the officials there have tried to initiate gasoline rationing, making life miserable at the height of the traditional summer vacation season there.

The fuel crisis in Russia escalates into a conflict between Crimean Russians and Russians from the nearby Krasnodar region.

Residents of Krasnodar Krai are complaining that “non-Russians” from Crimea have occupied their gas stations.

In response, locals have started refusing… pic.twitter.com/F7uo75wvmx

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 30, 2026

Amid the ongoing Ukrainian pressure campaign, a Russian military officer said he recently took part in an exercise to see what it would take to fend off Ukrainian attacks on Crimea.

“I participated in the operational command-staff military game ‘Crimean Alert,’” Russian reserve colonel and military expert Viktor Murakhovsky claimed on Telegram . “The game was dedicated to the landing of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Crimea and our measures to repel it. The staffs were organized according to the scenario from officers (in reserve and retired) of our armed forces.”

“The ‘Blue’ side acted unconventionally, widely using the latest means of detection and destruction,” he added. “The ‘Red’ side was forced to act ‘on the defensive.’ Overall, the exercises went smoothly and at a high level thanks to the organizers.”

Clearly, Ukraine does not possess much of a Navy, let alone landing craft to carry out a Normandy-style invasion. However, that is not the scenario played out in this wargame, according to an analysis by the award-winning The Insider news outlet .

“The scenario clearly simulates an amphibious or maritime operation: numerous blue arrows and routes are drawn across the Black Sea, extending from the direction of Odesa and the northwestern Black Sea toward Crimea,” the publication noted. “Red defensive positions are marked on the map within Crimea, particularly around Sevastopol, in northern Crimea, and in the eastern part of the peninsula.”

The map “shows the Kerch and Kerch Strait area on the right—also densely marked with red icons—indicating that the game scenario accounted for the eastern flank in addition to western Crimea and Sevastopol,” The Insider proffered. “Judging by Murakhovsky’s post, the scenario likely envisioned not a classic World War II-style amphibious landing—with hundreds of ships approaching the shore—but rather a modern operation involving the mass use of drones, long-range precision-guided weapons, reconnaissance systems, and possibly small, high-speed boats.”

1/ QUICK TAKE: Russian authorities are wargaming a Ukrainian landing in Crimea: Recently, a "Crimean Reveille" operational command-and-staff military exercise took place that focused on a hypothetical amphibious landing by the Ukrainian military in Crimea. https://t.co/p0CzROgL8E pic.twitter.com/7iMXPmUOmf

— Samuel Bendett (@sambendett) July 3, 2026

As we have frequently reported , Ukraine has for years been using its air and sea drones to attack Russian air defenses and radars inland, its seaports and largely driven the Black Sea Fleet out of Crimea through the use of its innovative sea drone campaign.

Ukraine, as we reported in the past, has already carried out several incursions on the peninsula. In October 2023, the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) sent a small raiding party into a point north of Tarkhankut Bay. It was carried out by troops traversing the Black Sea on Sea-Doo GTX 300 personal watercraft. They were loaded down by grenade launchers, machine guns, man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) and other equipment needed to assault Russian positions. You can read more about that raid in our interview with the unit commander here .

Ukrainian forces have already carried out several raids on Crimea. (GUR screencap) GUR screencap

Those attacks did not lead to a sustained presence, but they were not intended to. They were meant as a morale-boosting reminder to Moscow that Crimea would never be completely out of reach.

Whether Ukraine can marshal enough of its asymmetric assets and troops to really carry out any sort of a wide-scale amphibious landing on Crimea remains questionable bordering on impossible. One thing, however, is not. Ukraine is inflicting significant amounts of pain on Russian forces and assets on the peninsula.

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

The post Hardened Aircraft Shelters At Russian Air Base In Crimea Damaged From Ukrainian Drone Strikes appeared first on TWZ .

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Marvel 's stories have always existed on the fringes of fantasy and borrowed tropes from the genre over the years. Heroes like Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch , in particular, have leaned more into these elements as the resident magic users of the comic giant's multiverse with stories like The Darkhold Saga and A Separate Reality . Thor and the Asgardians , meanwhile, have incorporated mythology into the fold in their own way to make some of the most iconic and enduring characters in superhero history. However, rarely has Marvel embraced the trappings of high fantasy across any media. A new comic run now looks to remedy that by welcoming readers into a new world featuring beloved heroes reimagined to fit a tabletop gaming-inspired setting.