The best after-Christmas sales: Amazon, ClassPass and more

he time for after-Christmas sales is finally here. And we must admit there are some standout savings to be found at some of your favorite retailers.

From ClassPass offering a free one-month trial to Coach’s major 50% discount on sale items, there are endless deals to fill your online carts.

You can also score great savings on furniture and jewelry at brands like World Market and Gorjana. And even the language app Babbel is discounting subscriptions to the service, making for their biggest savings of the year on the app. 

We know you are probably still on deals overload from your holiday shopping over the past few weeks.

So we are making your bargain hunting a little simpler by pulling together all the best after Christmas sales you don’t want to miss.

• ALDO: All sale items at ALDO are 50% off their original price, and everything else is 20% off.
• Amazon: Amazon has had strong sales running throughout the holiday season, but they now have a special Year End Sales section of the site. One of our favorite deals on offer is 50% off the SimpliSafe 5 security system.
• Babbel: The popular language learning app is offering an after Christmas sale with two tiers of savings: 20% off of 6 months or 40% off of a year.
• Birchbox: The monthly beauty subscription box is still in the gifting spirit. Birchbox is offering 15% off of gift subscription cards and bundles with code BESTGIFT15.
• ClassPass: ClassPass allows you to take workout classes at top studios in your city, bundled into a monthly price. They’re currently offering an entire month free.
• Coach: Coach is offering an extra 50% off sale items. See our sale selections here.
• Cole Haan: Take up to 65% off of sale styles, plus take 10% off your entire order with code CHEER
• Cost Plus World Market: If you missed their mega Black Friday sale, you might have been right to hold. The retailer is offering up to 60% off of select furniture plus free shipping on orders over $75.
• Gorjana: The trendy and affordable jewelry brand is offering 40-70% a selection of items.
• Mizuno: Mizuno is offering footwear and apparel up to 30% off for their end of year sale.
• Nike: Take an extra 20% off of sale styles code GOBIG (note some exclusions apply).
• Saks Fifth Avenue: Saks is offering up to 60% off designer selections.
• Sonos: Sonos is offering $30 off speakers.
• Urban Outfitters: UO is offering an extra 30% off sale items.

Read More

The final solar eclipse of the decade will create a "ring of fire." Here's how to watch.

The last solar eclipse of the decade is approaching, and it's a special one. This week brings an annular solar eclipse, which creates a "ring of fire" around it — a final Christmas celebration. 

On December 26, people in parts of Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa will be in the path for viewing for the eclipse. People in other parts of the world can watch the entire event online.

What is an annular solar eclipse? 

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun's light. During an annular solar eclipse like this one, the moon does not completely cover the sun as it passes, leaving a glowing ring of sunlight around it. 

According to NASA, an annular eclipse can only occur under specific conditions. The moon must be a new moon, meaning it is in its first lunar phase. It must also be further away from Earth on its elliptical orbit, appearing smaller in the sky than it usually would. 

Because the moon appears smaller under these circumstances, it cannot fully eclipse the sun — so a "ring of fire" or "ring of light" is formed. 

How to watch the annular solar eclipse

Looking at the sun is dangerous and can damage your eyes. If you are observing the eclipse in person, it's important to wear proper eye protection, such as solar eclipse glasses. 

Weather permitting, the eclipse will be visible from Saudi Arabia, where the sun rises as the "ring of fire," Qatar, the UAE, Oman, southern India, northern Sri Lanka, the Indian Ocean, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Guam, where the sun sets as the "ring of fire." A partial eclipse will also be visible across the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Australia. 

The event will begin just before 10 p.m. EST on December 25 and end just after 3 a.m EST. A full list of cities and timing of the eclipse can be found at timeanddate.com. 

If you don't live in a place where the eclipse is visible, you can watch it live online in a few different places starting at 10 p.m. EST on December 25 — the perfect end to Christmas Day. 

Ring of Fire Annular Solar Eclipse Live! by Slooh on YouTube

Read More

Angie Harmon gets engaged on Christmas: 'Marry, Marry Christmas'

Angie Harmon is engaged!

The actress revealed she said yes when Greg Vaughan proposed to her on Christmas.

"Marry, Marry Christmas," Harmon, 47, wrote on Instagram Wednesday.

The actress and her new fiance, 46, posed for a photo with their respective children wearing matching Christmas sweaters. Harmon is beaming in the picture with her new bling on full display.

ANGIE HARMON SHARES THROWBACK MODELING PICTURE

"Wishing you the most wonderful holiday from our family to yours!"

Someone captured the moment Vaughan popped the question and from the look on Harmon's face she was completely surprised.

The couple has been together for at least over a year, although it's unclear exactly when they started dating.

ANGIE HARMON GUSHES OVER NEW BOYFRIEND GREG VAUGHAN: 'HE CONTINUES TO ASTOUND ME WITH HIS CARE & LOVE'

Harmon and her ex-husband, former NFL player Jason Sehorn, separated in 2014 and officially divorced in 2016. They share three girls.

Meanwhile, Vaughan and his ex-wife, Touriya Haoud, share three sons and announced their separation in 2014 after eight years of marriage.

In 2018, Vaughan gushed over Harmon in honor of her birthday.

"There isn't a day that I don't feel beel I am blessed, but as is every day I live to see another day, I continue to see a new blessing enter my life," Vaughan wrote.

"Your love of life anda llowing me to open mine and our ability to share ours together with 6 amazing children is beyond any wish I could have dreamt!! May all your days continue to be filled with sunbeams, smiles, laughter, love, joy & my warm embrace HAPPY BDay."

Read More

UK set for gloomy Boxing Day with heavy rain across all regions

Shoppers hoping to take advantage of the Boxing Day sales are likely to face a deluge of rain across most of the country, the Met Office has said

Shoppers hoping to take advantage of the Boxing Day sales are likely to face a deluge of rain across parts of the UK, the Met Office has said. Christmas Day’s clear skies will give way to cloud, wind and rain on 26 December, with the south-west of England experiencing the heaviest downpours.

The Environment Agency has issued 36 flood warnings – where flooding is expected – and 96 flood alerts, where flooding is possible.

The Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said a band of rain moving from the south-west to the north-east of England would ensure that “pretty much everywhere” will see some wet weather on Thursday.

He said: “For most places there is going to be a lot of cloud and some rain around too. The heaviest will be in south-west England and Wales. Because of the amount of rain we have seen this month, there could also be some localised flooding.”

About 30mm (1.2in) of rain is expected to fall in some parts of south-west England, while other regions could see up to 20mm throughout the day, Burkill said. Coastal areas in the south-west are also forecast to be hit by winds of up to 50mph. Boxing Day shoppers in London will see the worst of the rain in the morning before the weather clears later in the day.

Despite the bad weather, temperatures are likely to be around 12C in the south and 5C further north. Friday is forecast to be another wet day, but with temperatures increasing to 14C in the west and between 11C to 12C in the north-east of England.

While the rain is forecast to clear later on Friday, it will return on Saturday to the north-west of England. The south-east, meanwhile, will be drier and brighter.

Since you're here...

… we have a small favour to ask. More people, like you, are reading and supporting the Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism than ever before. And unlike many news organisations, we made the choice to keep our reporting open for all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay.

The Guardian will engage with the most critical issues of our time – from the escalating climate catastrophe to widespread inequality to the influence of big tech on our lives. At a time when factual information is a necessity, we believe that each of us, around the world, deserves access to accurate reporting with integrity at its heart.

Our editorial independence means we set our own agenda and voice our own opinions. Guardian journalism is free from commercial and political bias and not influenced by billionaire owners or shareholders. This means we can give a voice to those less heard, explore where others turn away, and rigorously challenge those in power.

We hope you will consider supporting us today. We need your support to keep delivering quality journalism that’s open and independent. Every reader contribution, however big or small, is so valuable. Support the Guardian today with a single contribution – from as little as $1. Thank you.

Read More

The 8 best games for your new Nintendo Switch

We’re quickly approaching the third anniversary of the Nintendo Switch, and a lot has changed in that time. Nintendo’s console / tablet hybrid now boasts a mature, varied lineup of games; an online service with Netflix-style access to NES and SNES games; and even a new iteration of the hardware thanks to the smaller, sleeker Switch Lite. Early on, it was easy to figure out what to play; you just downloaded a copy of Breath of the Wild and lost yourself for dozens of hours. Now, things are more challenging because there are so many interesting games.

If you just got your hands on a Switch over the holidays, here are eight great games to start your journey with.

We’ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games, apps, and entertainment. Check out our app picks for iPhones, Android phones, PCs, Macs, and TVs; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass; and our top choices for the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. We’ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix; some great sci-fi books; and exciting new podcasts. (Note: pricing was accurate at the time of publishing, but may change.)

POKÉMON SWORD AND SHIELD

Sword and Shield represent the best Pokémon adventures in years. The new games benefit from the dual nature of the Switch — you can catch monsters on the go and simultaneously enjoy the wonderful new visuals on a big-screen TV — as well as a handful of very welcome changes to the formula. These include new multiplayer raid battles, an open-ended “Wild Area” to explore, and a host of quality-of-life changes that make the quest much more streamlined. Plus, thanks to the new Dynamax feature, you can blow your favorite monsters up to absurd proportions.

UNTITLED GOOSE GAME

You’ve probably never dreamed of being a goose. But there’s a good chance you’ve wondered what it would be like to cause havoc, free of consequences. In this way, Untitled Goose Game is a kind of wish fulfillment. You play as the titular goose, with the goal of creating mostly harmless trouble for the bewildered residents of a small village. It’s cute and charming, and has a dedicated button for letting out a “honk!”

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK’S AWAKENING

Link’s Awakening isn’t technically a new game. Instead, it’s a remake of a classic adventure from the original Game Boy. But the remake is so extensive that it feels new. Link’s Awakening might just be the most adorable game on the Switch, thanks to its tiny, diorama-like world, and the game’s quest holds up remarkably well in 2019.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK’S AWAKENING

Link’s Awakening isn’t technically a new game. Instead, it’s a remake of a classic adventure from the original Game Boy. But the remake is so extensive that it feels new. Link’s Awakening might just be the most adorable game on the Switch, thanks to its tiny, diorama-like world, and the game’s quest holds up remarkably well in 2019.

FIRE EMBLEM: THREE HOUSES

Fire Emblem has been around for decades, and Three Houses marks the biggest departure yet for the strategy series. It maintains the same tense and tactical combat the franchise is known for, but it opens things up with an all-new structure that simulates life as a professor at a magical academy. It’s sort of like Hogwarts, only more anime, and it means that you’ll be as focused on tests and student relationships as you are on the battlefield.

RING FIT ADVENTURE

Ring Fit Adventure is one of the strangest ideas to come out of Nintendo in some time. On the one hand, it’s a fitness game in the mold of the bestselling Wii Fit series. On the other, it’s also a fantasy adventure complete with worlds to explore and turn-based battles. It sounds like a weird combination, but remarkably, it works; the two seemingly disparate sides complement each other perfectly, resulting in workouts that are actually fun.

SUPER MARIO MAKER 2

For fans of classic side-scrolling Super Mario adventures, Super Mario Maker 2 has a lot to like. In fact, it’ll probably be quite some time before you run out of things to do. There’s a full-fledged single-player mode filled with inventive levels, as well as the titular maker mode where you can craft your own 2D Mario stages. And if you get bored with either of those? You can play through the plentiful, varied stages uploaded by other players.

THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT

The Witcher 3 is one of the best open-world games of the last decade — and now you can take it with you anywhere. The Switch version of the fantasy epic is slightly compromised; the visuals in particular have taken a hit in order to squeeze such a big game onto a tiny handheld. But the payoff is worth it. There’s something very satisfying about being able to play a huge adventure like this wherever you are, and even though The Witcher 3 is nearly five years old at this point, it holds up remarkably well. Even better, the Switch version features all of the downloadable expansions, so you have lots of quality time with Geralt to look forward to.

LUIGI’S MANSION 3

Luigi’s latest adventure isn’t your typical horror game. In fact, it’s much more of a slapstick comedy. Luigi’s Mansion 3 tasks Mario’s bumbling brother with rescuing his friends from a haunted hotel, but — in typical Luigi fashion — he’s a reluctant hero who is scared every step of the way. The result is a hilarious, charming adventure, filled with inventive levels and creative bosses, along with a very satisfying vacuum for sucking up your ghostly enemies.

Read More

Today's Top Picks: Breaking down every NBA game on the Christmas Day schedule

Welcome to a jumbo edition of top picks! As opposed to the carefully curated picks this space typically provides, I've decided to give you all a gift on this joyous day. There are five NBA games on Christmas. You're getting picks for all of them. So, without further ado, let's dive into today's top picks. 

So which Christmas Day NBA picks should you back for a huge 10-to-1 payout? And which team is a must-fade? Visit SportsLine now to get the best bet for every Christmas Day NBA game, all from the red-hot computer model and No. 1 NBA expert who are crushing sportsbooks with their NBA picks.  

*All lines via William Hill

Boston Celtics at Toronto Raptors: Celtics -3

The Celtics and Raptors have already played once this season. The Celtics won by six. Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol and Norman Powell all played in that game, but they won't be playing in this one. Call me crazy, but removing three of a team's best players likely isn't going to lead to a better outcome. Yes, that's an oversimplification, but expecting a team as deep as the Celtics to lose to a Raptors team missing so much talent, even with Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart sidelined, just seems unrealistic. 

Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers: 76ers +3

The unstoppable force meets the immovable object. The Bucks have the NBA's best net rating, as they are crushing teams by 13 points per 100 possessions, buoyed by the NBA's second-best offensive rating (114.4). The 76ers are undefeated at home, led by the NBA's second-best home defense at 101 points allowed per 100 possessions. Philadelphia's preferred starting lineup has barely played together this season due to injuries, but when it has, it has allowed only 94.6 points per 100 possessions, a figure that is utterly mind-boggling in the context of a 2019 starting lineup. The 76ers should have that entire group on Christmas. That is the difference. The Bucks are a better team overall, but the 76ers shouldn't be getting three points at home when they are relatively healthy. 

Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors: Rockets -11

The Warriors have already lost 12 games this season by 11 or more points. If there is a team in basketball to feel comfortable laying double digits against, it is them. Odds are, this turns into a fairly cathartic beatdown for a Rockets team that has been denied consecutive trips to the NBA Finals by Warriors teams that wore these uniforms, but did not employ these players. The NBA obviously expected a very different sort of game than this when they scheduled it for Christmas, but injuries happen, and the Rockets should have no trouble with Golden State in its present condition. 

Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers: Clippers -2

The expectation coming into this game for weeks was that if any team was going to be undermanned, it would be the Clippers. The Lakers have far more at stake from a narrative perspective after their opening day loss, and the Clippers have been so conservative in managing the minutes its players play that it would be reasonable to assume that the Lakers, going all out, would have beaten a Clippers team without much to play for here. 

Instead, the Lakers will be playing with a hobbled Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The Clippers should have their entire roster available on Christmas. Even if you assume that these two teams are even, which they likely aren't at the moment, the Lakers have no alternative to James and Davis. They don't have a third scorer or ball-handler. If they aren't up to their typical standard, the Lakers can't game-plan around it. The Clippers have a variety of ways in which they can, and do, beat opponents. With only a two-point line, the Clippers should be one of the day's easier picks. 

New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets: Nuggets -9.5

Here's a scary thought ... the Nuggets, who had struggled mightily offensively for most of the season, are up to seventh in the league on that end of the floor in December. That hasn't come with significant sacrifices on defense. They are sixth in the NBA in December defensively. The difference in net rating between these two teams in December alone is 16.1 points per 100 possessions. Suddenly, a 9.5-point spread doesn't look so scary. The Nuggets have found their winning formula. The Pelicans have not. Expect a relatively clean Nuggets win in this one. 

Read More

Celtics vs. Raptors NBA Christmas Day score, takeaways: Boston spoils the holidays for host Toronto

The Boston Celtics spoiled the Toronto Raptors' first Christmas Day game at home, pulling out a 118-102 win in convincing fashion. The Raptors were fighting an uphill battle with Pascal Siakam (groin injury), Marc Gasol (hamstring injury) and Norman Powell (shoulder injury) all sidelined for the game.

It looked like the Raptors would be able to play the Celtics close after starting the game on a 10–0 run, but after the Celtics responded with a 9-0 run of their own, they controlled the game from that point on.

Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown put on an offensive clinic for Boston, combining for 52 points, and knocking down 10 3-pointers. Both were one 3-point shot shy of tying the Christmas Day record of six made 3s, but after the Celtics built up a 22-point lead, his night was finished early in the fourth quarter.

The Raptors had solid production from Chris Boucher off the bench, who finished the day with a career-high 24 points, and after starting slow, Fred VanVleet tacked on another 27 points. However, it wasn't nearly enough to overcome Boston's three-point shooting.

Here are three takeaways from NBA Christmas Day's opening game:

The Raptors sorely missed their sidelined stars

Toronto has dealt with injuries all season long, but missing Siakam, Gasol and Powell all at once is likely the biggest blow they've suffered so far. Without Siakam's playmaking ability and lockdown defense, the Raptors had to rely heavily on their bench to get the job done, and aside from Boucher, they fell flat. Kyle Lowry was kept in check for most of the game, and other than VanVleet's 27 points, no one in the starting lineup could get anything going.

On defense, Gasol's size down low was a noticeable absence, as the Raptors were outrebounded 45-34. Prior to this game, the Raptors were able to manage well without Siakam, Gasol and Powell, but against a Boston team that looks like legitimate Eastern Conference contenders, it showed just how important those three are to this team.

Merry Christmas, Jaylen Brown

Brown delivered presents in the form of 30 points to Celtics fans everywhere. From beginning to end, Brown was knocking down shots from essentially everywhere on the floor against the Raptors, including going 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. While some have questioned the contract Brown received from the Celtics in the offseason, he showcased just how dynamic of a scorer he can be against a usually stingy Toronto defense. 

He crossed up defenders, knocked down 3s at will and even tacked on six rebounds and four assists in an incredibly efficient game. This is the third straight game Brown has shot 50 percent or better from the field, and while he isn't the featured star on this team, he proved on Christmas Day that he deserved every bit of that four-year, $115 million contract.

A healthy Hayward makes a world of difference for Boston

After missing three games with a sore foot, Hayward returned to action, and showed no rust in his 14-point, six-assist performance. Even without Hayward, the Celtics are already an incredibly difficult team to play against with the numerous scorers they have. With him, however, just adds another headache for opposing defenses. Against an injury plagued Raptors squad, that's exactly what happened. If the Raptors focused too much on Walker or Brown, they paid the price as Hayward was waiting to make a play. 

On one play in the third quarter, Hayward set a screen for Walker, but instead of Walker pulling up for a 3-point shot -- which the Raptors were anticipating -- he passed it to Hayward, who drove past VanVleet, then kicked it out to Brown for a wide open 3:

It's not just scoring that Hayward can offer. His underrated playmaking skills, like the play above, make the Celtics an incredibly hard team to defend. Hayward's been having an incredible season so far, and games like this are the reason the Celtics signed him in the first place.

Read More