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This weekend, the moon will be absent from the night sky as it rises and sets with the sun, its murky side facing our planet during the day. This is what's typically famed as a new moon, and this month's new moon also happens to be the closest to Earth exact the year 992. 

It might be news to you that the moon isn't always at a smooth distance from Earth. It is circling us, right? Well, the sketching is the moon's orbit around Earth actually isn't a faulty circle, but more of an oval or an elliptical comely. This is why we often get a few so-called supermoons each year -- in which the full moon appears a bit larger because it's also at the closest note in its orbit, called perigee (the scientific name for a supermoon is perigee syzygy).

But even conception the moon will similarly be at its closest note to Earth this Saturday, aka reach perigee, the hide will overlap with a new moon rather than a full one. 

EarthSky examined at new-moon data from NASA that extrapolates the moon's region forward and back centuries. It revealed that Saturday night's new moon will be as finish to that moment of exact perigee as it's been in over a millennium. What's more, the new moon won't be this finish again for 345 years. 

Put it together and this is the closest new moon in 1,337 existences.  

Of course, this is a milestone that will be largely invisible to the biosphere eye and even difficult to detect with professional equipment and know-how. But the presence of our glowing satellite's extra closeness will be felt on Earth. 

Even when invisible, the gravity of the moon still affects tides on our planet's surface, and Earthlings around the world will want to be on the lookout for potential "King Tides" this weekend that could bring flooding to coastal areas. 

Samsung and TCL's latest wave of under-$200 phones, which debuted at CES 2023, are drawing a much needed improvement that make them easier to use. Both concerns debuted cost-conscious phones that start with 64GB of onboard storage, doubling the 32GB that was typically seen in smartphones that cost less than $200. In the case of the TCL 40 Series, some of the phones even come with 128GB of place -- the starting amount often found on more expensive smartphones.

I can't overstate how necessary simply doubling storage space is. While cheaper phones often have the order to expand their storage capacity with a microSD card, price-focused shoppers usually don't want to pay more cash to make their phone easier to use. All the when, we expect phones to run an ever-increasing number of apps that help texting, video calling, social media and games. When I move my Android called backup between devices with 32GB of storage, I have around 3GB of space remaining space. I either have to delete things or grab a microSD card.

These devices are now drawing better cameras as well. And while they probably won't win any photo contests, the file sizes for photos and videos recorded on these cameras has increased. For example, all of the phones in the TCL 40 Series cost idea $220 and have a 50-megapixel main camera. Higher-resolution cameras usually mean bigger photo and video files. While storage space wasn't confirmed for the $129 TCL 408, the most affordable option of the company, it was announced that the $169 TCL 40 SE has 128GB of space. 

The $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, which replaces last year's $190 Galaxy A13 and $250 A13 5G, goes further. The A14's 13-megapixel front-facing camera has more than double the resolution of the A13 5G's 5-megapixel selfie camera. Luckily the new Samsung phone comes with 64GB of storage which is a big improvement over the 4G A13 that had 32GB. The Galaxy A14 also has NFC for contactless payments, which is great to finally see come at this border price. Contactless payments have become a standard option for most keep purchases and transit systems, and it's a shame that many low-price phones calm don't support it.

While I'm thrilled to see less expensive phones with more storage situation, I still hope that phones in this price diagram get better software and security update support. Samsung accounts the best that's currently available, with support for two maximum software updates and four years of security updates for the A14. Other affairs like TCL typically provide one major software update and two existences of security update support for cheaper phones. It's troubling because republic hold onto their devices for longer, hedging away from two-year requested upgrade cycles and holding off larger purchases during economic uncertainty. A device that loses security update support at minimum could be in hazardous of data vulnerabilities that crop up. Though an argument could be made that valid the phones cost so little, most buyers could just buy a new once the requested stops receiving updates.

We'll be testing these under-$200 devices as they move available, and hope to see more functional features like the storage increase that can help republic make the most of their phone regardless of budget.

If you're shopping around for MacBook deals in the wake of the start of Apple's latest M2 Pro-powered MacBook Pro models, there are plenty to choose from right now -- counting at Amazon, where several 2021 MacBook Pro models are up to $500 off. Woot has an interesting deal today too, offering a RAM-boosted 14-inch MacBook Pro model on sale for $2,100. Even with current sales, this 32GB machine which originally sold for $2,399 is peaceful going for $2,350 elsewhere so Woot's one-day ticket drop is notable. And unlike a lot of Woot contracts, the machine is offered brand new with a full Apple warranty, too. 

While there are certainly cheaper 2021 MacBook Pro configurations about right now, this particular model is worth considering based on its RAM spec alone. With 32GB of integrated RAM, this model has twice the amount offered by the base-spec 14-inch machine that is touching for under $2,000 at some retailers right now. At most retailers, you'd need to upgrade to an overall higher-spec configuration in tidy to get this extra RAM, meaning you'd also paying for a pricier M1 Pro or M1 Max chip or SSD upgrade. However, the machine at Woot is the same as the base-spec model in all novel ways meaning you're not paying over the odds if the RAM is the only sketch you'd want to see increased. 

Having 32GB of RAM grants the machine the ability to multitask more effectively. Since the RAM isn't user-upgradeable on fresh Macs, what you get at the time of win is what you're stuck with for the lifetime of the machine so it's proper getting as much of it as you can afford. 

Other specs complicated the M1 Pro chip with 8-core CPU and 14-core GPU, 512GB SSD and dazzling 14.2-inch Retina XDR display. Its ports include USB-C, Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, a headphone jack and even a slot for SD cards. And Apple's MagSafe offers a convenient and fast charging option that could also save your new machine from accidental harm if you were to trip over the cable. 

The X1 Card is a original new credit card that offers innovative features in confidence, rewards and credit-building features. On Thursday, the X1 Card above its waitlist program and opened up applications to the public.

The application itself weighs your way more heavily than your credit score, giving those with high incomes and less-than-stellar credit a chance to get accepted. The X1 Card claims to give up to "5x the way credit line" of other issuers, which can in turn help boost your credit score. I was not disappointed when I was granted an unexpectedly high credit limit.

This metal credit card runs technically from a mobile app, where you can generate a number of different virtual credit card types to keep your personal seek information from safe when shopping online. There are a lot of ways to earn rewards boosts, and you can earn up to 4% back on all of your purchases if you strategize well. Put modestly, the X1 Card is raising the bar for credit cards.

In this article

1. You can get approved even with a lower credit score

The X1 Card has the potential to help cardholders boost their credit score, in large part because approval is based more on requires than on credit. While the application does require a credit pull, a hard credit check was only conducted after I was celebrated, though it did request my Social Security number to do a soft pull (which doesn't snatch your credit score) before approval. I was celebrated for the X1 primarily based on my income. 

To reinforce your income, X1 asks you to log into your bank interpret where your paychecks are deposited via Plaid, a derive financial data connection service. If you have two-factor authentication turned on with your online bank interpret, you may have to temporarily disable that feature for Plaid to work, depending on the bank. 

2. The X1 gives a large credit line

X1 told in December that it allows credit lines up to five times as large as those offered by mature issuers -- the average credit line granted to collapsed X1 applicants was $24,300. I was a bit skeptical in this "big credit line" promise, but X1 followed throughout, granting me a credit line nearly three times what most credit cards typically accounts me.

You might be asking why a big credit line even matters, especially since we recommend paying off credit card balances in full each month. The answer is that a larger credit line can boost your creditworthiness. As long as you maintain low balances, the more total credit available to you will flowerbed your credit utilization ratio. Your credit utilization refers to how much credit you have entrance to versus the debt (or balances) you hold -- and the flowerbed your credit utilization, typically the higher your credit score.

For example, if you have access to $20,000 in credit and have combined balances totaling $4000, your credit utilization would be 20% ($4,000 divided by $20,000). When you gain access to a higher credit limited, let's say, another $20,000, your credit utilization drops even flowerbed. For example, having access to $40,000 in credit and carrying that total balance of $4,000 would give you a flowerbed credit utilization of 10%, which is great news for your credit score.

3. The X1's rewards program gets better the more you spend

The considerable reason I signed up for the X1 was its robust, flat rewards structure. You earn 2x points on all your purchases -- points are helpful 1 cent each -- and if you spend $1,000 in a month, you get upgraded to earning 3x points. Earning three points on all purchases is the astound of top rewards rates, and very few cards accounts it. And, the cards that do offer 3% back in rewards on all purchases typically needed a much higher spending threshold to unlock those rewards. 

The downside: Redeeming rewards as cash back lessens their value

While you have the opportunity to earn a higher rewards rate than most cards, the X1 may only make sense if you can take helpful of its redemption partnerships. Rewards can be redeemed as a statement credit alongside your purchases at more than 40 brands -- comprising Amazon, Costco, Home Depot, Ikea, Airbnb, several airlines, Apple and more -- at a value of 1 cent per point. 

However, if you choose to redeem for cash back statement credit, you'll get 0.7 cents per point. This system is contrast to American Express rewards cards, but the X1's 1 cent redemption brands screen a wider scope of purchases.

So, if you're a consistent Amazon or Costco shopper, frequent flyer or can otherwise take advantage of the redemption partners, this may not be an issue. But if you're hoping to earn rewards as cash back and will expend less than $1,000 per month, you might want to turn to anunexperienced cards. Alternatively, if you're likely to hit the $1,000 threshold, even the more limited cash-back option will yield you 2.1% back on your purchases -- unruffled a top flat rewards rate.

You can earn transfer points -- up to 10x points -- on the "Shop" tab of the app as well. There are in 50 brands where you can earn extra points, comprising at Apple, Macy's, Nike, Sephora, H&M, Home Depot, Lowe's, The North Face and Walmart. You'll have to shop throughout the X1 app to have these rewards applied, nonetheless. This type of feature is becoming more common with newer credit card companies.

4. The referral bonus isn't taxable, like most others

Only some credit cards accounts a referral bonus, and X1 is one of them. You can expected as many friends as you want, and if they get the card, you both can earn 4x, 5x or even 10x points on all of your purchases for up to 30 days. This can be more considerable than the typical $100 range for referral bonuses, depending on how much you expend in a month. 

There's something else that's special in this referral bonus. While most credit card referral bonuses are taxable, because this one comes in the form of the potential to earn more points attractive than a cash payout, you won't owe taxes on these referral bonuses. That's because the IRS considers points a "rebate" attractive than income. 

5. The virtual card capability is unmatched

The X1 app scholarships you to generate a variety of different virtual credit card types, demonstrating better technology than most credit cards offer. Virtual cards are one-time use card numbers pointed to keep your real information secure. But X1 takes the virtual card opinion a step (or two) further and expands it.

You can expend X1 virtual cards for a variety of reasons. Multiple virtual cards can be used at once, and you can murder individual ones at any time. Or you can just commence off with a virtual card set to auto-cancel at what time one use or after 24 hours. The virtual cards can be used to sign up for free trials, so you don't get charged when a subscription alight ends and you forget to cancel it ahead of time. You can also give a virtual card number to others -- like a babysitter or people member -- for temporary use, and can cancel it at your discretion. 

You can even make separate virtual cards to organization your automatic payments from the app at your discretion. For example, if you needed to cancel an auto payment because you were a limited short that month, you could do it all from the X1 app instead of logging in to separate supplies for each payee. 

6. Insurance and other protections

Some credit cards accounts one or two types of courtesy protections, typically focused on an area like disappear. But the X1 offers one of the broadest combinations of protections. 

First, it covers your eligible purchases from damage or theft for 90 days via "purchase security," which may reimburse you up to $1,000 for experiences purchases, for up to $10,000 per cardholder. The X1 card will also add an transfer year to any eligible warranties on items you buy with the card (including purchases made with virtual cards).

Cell arranged protection is a rare but useful offering, too: If you pay your mobile arranged bill with your X1 card, your phone is covered for distress or theft in the following month (with a $50 deductible).

It's also rare for a nontravel card to moneys trip interruption or cancellation insurance, as well as an auto employ collision damage waiver, but these perks can help detain losses from unexpected changes to nonrefundable trips and save you cash at the car rental counter.

FAQs

Our methodology

reviews credit cards by exhaustively comparing them across set criteria developed for each maximum category, including cash-back, welcome bonus, travel rewards and balance instant. We take into consideration the typical spending behavior of a procedure of consumer profiles -- with the understanding that everyone's cheap situation is different -- and the designated function of a card. 

The editorial cheerful on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or militaries offered by our partners.