Technologies
Made in the USA: Baseball bats, sticky notes, kitchen mixers and more
Some prominent companies still make their products in the US, and finding them is easy.

Though much of what we wear, carry in our pockets and use at home is made overseas, not everything we buy is imported. Buying USA-made goods is a popular idea, but as my colleague Ian Sherr wrote for CNET’s Made in America series, that belief doesn’t always carry over to behavior.
The federal governments wants to change that by encouraging Americans to buy more things at home. Shortly after taking office in January, President Joe Biden issued an executive order mandating stricter enforcement of «Buy American» standards within federal agencies. Then in July, he proposed a new rule that would hike up the minimum percentage of American-made parts required in products that the federal government purchases.
The goal of both efforts is to boost domestic manufacturing with the government’s purse — the federal government shells out $600 billion every year for goods and services — and encourage consumers to «Buy American.»
From cookware to beauty supplies, here are a few everyday products still being churned out on the home turf.
Post-it Notes
These pioneering sticky notes were invented by two scientists at Minnesota-based 3M: Spencer Silver, who’d discovered an adhesive that could stick surfaces together but yield when you pulled them apart, and Art Fry, a church choir singer who just wanted bookmarks that wouldn’t slip out of his hymnal. Post-it Notes are made at a 3M plant in Cynthiana, Kentucky.
Pyrex kitchenware
My parents have stocked kitchen cabinets with Pyrex baking dishes, storage containers and measuring cups for as long as I can remember. (A few have definitely surpassed my 21 years of age.) The Pyrex brand came to be more than a century ago when the wife of a Corning scientist made a cake on some glass scraps her husband brought home because her casserole dish had broken. Its glassware is manufactured in Charleroi, Pennsylvania.
Burt’s Bees lip balm
Launched in Maine during the 1980s by a beekeeper (the eponymous Burt) and an artist, Burt’s Bees offers a lineup of natural care products, including its famous beeswax-based lip balm. Burt’s Bees currently manufactures in North Carolina.
Sub-Zero appliances
Wisconsin knows a thing or two about the cold, as evidenced by Madison-based Sub-Zero’s refrigerators and freezers. The company has come a long way since the 1930s, when its founder, Westye Bakke, set out to find a better method of stockpiling insulin for his son with diabetes. Even now, Sub-Zero manufactures in Wisconsin and Arizona.
Alex and Ani jewelry
If you’re in search of some bling for yourself, Alex and Ani jewelry is reasonably priced, free of skin-irritating nickel and made in America.
Airstream trailers
Airstream’s silver streamlined travel trailers have become immensely popular as the COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged Americans to take road trips for travel (there’s now a yearlong backlog for existing orders). The company has built them at its plant in JacksonCenter, Ohio, for decades.
La-Z-Boy chairs
Since creating its first recliner nearly a century ago, La-Z-Boy has supplied plushy, nap-provoking chairs to legions of snoring grandpas. As of 2019, La-Z-Boy manufactures most of its chairs and sofas in Tennessee.
Mustang cars
There are few images more American than that of a sleek Ford Mustang cruising down a US highway. Opened in 1987, Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan assembles the Mustang. The 2021 iteration starts at $27,205. (The new Mustang Mach-E electric cars are made in Mexico and China.)
Not Your Mother’s hair care products
I’m not sure what NYM has against my mother’s hair care products — but this company makes well-regarded shampoos, conditioners and creams right here in the US.
Weber grills
It’s Hot Grill Summer, and whether you prefer gas or charcoal to cook your burgers and ‘dogs, there’s a Weber grill that can take care of it. Weber sources parts both domestically and internationally but manufactures its grills in the US.
Steinway & Sons pianos
A gorgeous Steinway filled my family’s house with music for many decades. A German immigrant to the US founded the company in the mid-19th century. Steinway pianos sold in the US are made in Astoria, New York. For the rest of the world, they’re built in Hamburg, Germany.
KitchenAid stand mixers
These durable (and heavy) appliances last for decades and can be used for much more than just mixing cookie batter. Made in Greenville, Ohio, they come in a selection of vibrant colors. And as CNET found on a factory visit, they have a devoted following.
Gibson guitars
Listened to any music in your life? Then I guarantee you’ve heard someone strumming a Gibson. The company manufactures its acoustic guitars in Montana and its electrics, including the famed Les Paul, in Tennessee.
Louisville Slugger bats
Beloved by MLB stars and backyard ballplayers alike, the Slugger baseball bat is an American classic. And yes, it’s made in Louisville, Kentucky. You can join CNET’s Erin Carson on a trip inside the factory to see how the bats make their way from a forest to the playoffs.
Crayola crayons
Growing up, the coolest thing I owned was undoubtedly my three-tiered display of every Crayola crayon imaginable. (I still miss it sometimes.) Crayola’s annual output of crayons approaches 3 billion, and its major manufacturing facilities are based in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.
Technologies
Motorola’s New 2025 Razr Line Gets a High-End $1,300 Ultra Phone
Technologies
Motorola’s $1,300 Razr Ultra Adds Luxury to the 2025 Foldable Phone Line
The new three-tier Razr series comes with Motorola’s biggest AI push yet. One of the flip phones even has a wooden back like the old Moto X from a decade ago.

Motorola’s hoping that good things can come in threes for its newly announced Razr 2025 line. Specifically, there are three Razr models, with a $1,300 Ultra edition debuting alongside updated versions of the base $700 Razr and the $1,000 Razr Plus.
I spent a little time with the new Motorola Razr phones, and it was hard to notice their differences side by side. The design tweaks and spec changes between the three are slight. I found it easy to mix up the Plus and Ultra models when they’re folded shut, as they both have a 4-inch cover screen. The base Razr uses a 3.6-inch cover display adorned with a colorful bezel. Unfolded, all three phones look tall because each has an interior screen with a narrow aspect ratio compared to a regular smartphone. The Ultra folds out to an expansive 7-inch display, while the Razr and Razr Plus have slightly smaller 6.9-inch screens.
Motorola’s also using the new Razr line to showcase Moto AI and fashionable materials like Alcantara fabric. The new lineup marks Motorola’s largest push into AI — cleverly named Moto AI. Motorola has partnerships with Perplexity, Meta’s Llama AI, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini.
It’s quite an aggressive push to expand both Motorola’s Razr line and its AI ambitions, but it makes a lot of sense since Apple, Google and Samsung have also expanded their AI plans while releasing flagship phones at different prices. During a press preview event, Motorola noted that 25% of its Razr customers upgraded from an iPhone. Having a third higher-end Razr option should appeal stronger to customers abandoning the iPhone Pro Max. The Razr Ultra could also tempt someone considering the $1,300 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. While AI features still aren’t the main appeal for customers, the expanded suite of Moto AI tools makes this year’s Razrs more competitive against Apple and Samsung’s AI offerings.
However, the 2025 Motorola Razr line has a noticeable disadvantage against competing foldable phones: they will receive only three years of major software upgrades and four years of security updates. Compared with Google and Samsung’s seven-year commitment to both, it’s about half as long. But with that expectation set, there are a lot of unique design elements to the new Razr line that make it stand out from other phone makers. And that’s worth keeping in mind too.
Motorola’s new Razr line will go on preorder May 7 ahead of a May 15 release date.
Motorola Razr Ultra
The Motorola Razr Ultra is the newest and most powerful member of the family. It has the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip found in other flagship phones like the OnePlus 13 and Xiaomi 15 Ultra. It also has a wood back option — known as Pantone Mountain Trail. The Razr Ultra is the first Motorola phone to get a wooden back since the Moto X line from a decade ago.
My favorite model, though, is the Pantone Scarab, which is made from velvety black Alcantara fabric — think faux suede or micro suede. The Ultra also comes in magenta-like Pantone Cabaret and Pantone Rio Red.
The phone supports 68-watt wired charging, which is faster than most other flagships, and 30-watt wireless charging. The Ultra also has three 50-megapixel cameras, with a wide and ultrawide lenses on the back and the selfie camera on the interior display.
That 7-inch interior display looks tall and could be a two-handed device for many people when unfolded. The Ultra model I tested did not have an internet connection, but I could easily see how the wider space would be useful for gaming and movie-watching.
On the other hand, the 4-inch cover display feels just right for quick texts and photography. I almost want this smaller display to be a hair taller, as its wider ratio makes it more challenging for viewing content. Both displays have an adaptive refresh rate of up to 165Hz, which makes animations, gameplay play and scrolling social feeds look ridiculously smooth.
The Ultra also has 16GB of memory and comes with either 512GB or 1TB of storage.
Motorola Razr Plus (2025)
Motorola’s Razr Plus gets a smaller revamp compared with last year’s model, and it has many of the same specs from the 2024 version (which earned it a CNET Editor’s Choice award). It has the same Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 processor, 6.9-inch interior screen, 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. Cameras are also similar. There’s a 50-megapixel wide camera and a 50-megapixel telephoto on the cover display and a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the interior screen.
The Razr Plus gets a few new hardware enhancements that are coming to all three phones. It has a new titanium-reinforced hinge that Motorola says will help its extend its lifespan: 35% more folds than last year’s model. The Razr Plus has IP48 protection for submersion in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. This makes the phone, along with the other 2025 Razr models, one of the only foldables that has some level of dust resistance.
The Plus is available in three colors: Pantone Mocha Mousse, Midnight Blue and Hot Pink.
Motorola Razr (2025)
Motorola’s standard Razr also got a small spec bump compared with last year’s standard Razr. It does move up to MediaTek’s Dimensity 7400X processor, which is slightly newer than the 7300 included in the 2024 model. It also keeps the 3.6-inch 90Hz cover display and the 6.9-inch 120Hz interior screen.
Cameras are also largely similar: a 50-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide on the cover screen and a 32-megapixel selfie camera on the interior display.
The Razr (2025) comes in four Pantone-branded colors: Spring Bud (green), Gibraltar Sea Blue, Parfait Pink and Lightest Sky (white).
Moto AI
Moto AI debuted last year on the 2024 Razr and Razr Plus. Motorola will partner with several AI companies to significantly upgrade Moto AI in 2025. Moto AI features can be activated with a dedicated button or by looking and speaking directly at the phone.
Motorola says that Moto AI, along with integrated services like Perplexity, Copilot and Gemin, will complement each other. For instance, Perplexity can help with research-based tasks like vacation planning and will partly power Moto AI’s Next Move feature that offers suggestions based on what’s happening on your screen. Llama AI can summarize notifications for Moto’s Catch Me Up. Moto’s Pay Attention and Remember This are meant to help organize notes, audio transcriptions, contextual photos and screenshots. Other general queries can be fielded by either Copilot or Gemini.
Motorola’s own AI will also pitch in for a variety of photography enhancement features. These include Signature Style for customizing the look of your photos as well as a Group Shot feature that can merge multiple photos together to ensure one where no one is blinking.
Motorola’s earbuds get crystals and Bose
Motorola’s fashion-forward ambitions didn’t stop at just the Pantone-colored Razr line. The company also unveiled the Moto Buds Loop open-style earbuds, which include Swarovski crystals along with a Sound by Bose badge. Pricing and availability weren’t announced yet, but the earbuds look like small earrings and hook across the ear. Motorola says that the open style lets in ambient noise (which can be good for staying alert in public places). The buds have a dual-microphone system and AI for voice calls and reducing background noise.
Motorola Razr (2025) specs vs. Motorola Razr Plus (2025), Motorola Razr Ultra
Motorola Razr (2025) | Motorola Razr Plus (2025) | Motorola Razr Ultra | |
---|---|---|---|
Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 3.6-inch pOLED; up to 90Hz variable refresh rate | 4-inch pOLED; 1,272 x 1,080 pixels; up to 165Hz variable refresh rate | 4-inch pOLED; up to 165Hz variable refresh rate |
Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.9-inch AMOLED; FHD+; up to 120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.9-inch pOLED; FHD+; 2,640 x 1,080 pixels; up to 165Hz variable refresh rate | 7-inch AMOLED; up to 165Hz variable refresh rate |
Pixel density | Cover: 413 ppi; Internal: 413 ppi | Cover: 417 ppi; Internal: 413 ppi | Cover: 417 ppi; 464 ppi |
Dimensions (inches) | Open: 2.91 x 6.74 x 0.29 inches Closed: 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.62 inches | Open: 2.91 x 6.75 x 0.28 inches Closed: 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.6 inches | Open: 2.91 x 6.75 x 0.28 inches Closed: 2.91 x 3.47 x 0.62 inches |
Dimensions (millimeters) | Open: 73.99 x 171.30 x 7.25mm Closed: 73.99 x 88.08 x 15.85mm | Open: 73.99 x 171.42 x 7.09mm Closed: 73.99 x 88.09 x 15.32mm | Open: 73.99 x 171.48 x 7.19mm Closed: 73.99 x 88.12 x 15.69mm |
Weight (grams, ounces) | 188g (6.63 oz) | 189g (6.67 oz) | 199g (7 oz) |
Mobile software | Android 15 | Android 15 | Android 15 |
Cameras | 50-megapixel (wide), 13-megapixel (ultrawide) | 50-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel telephoto | 50-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide) |
Internal screen camera | 32-megapixel | 32-megapixel | 50-megapixel |
Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K |
Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7400X | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
RAM/storage | 8GB + 256GB | 12GB + 256GB | 16GB + 512GB, 1TB |
Expandable storage | None | None | None |
Battery | 4500 mAh | 4,000 mAh | 4,700 mAh |
Fingerprint sensor | Side | Side | Side |
Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
Headphone jack | None | None | None |
Special features | IP48 rating, dual stereo speakers, 30-watt wired charging, 15-watt wireless charging, 1,700 nit peak brightness on cover display, 3,000 nit peak brightness on main display, 5G. | IP48 rating, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on front, titanium-reinforced hinge, 2,400 peak brightness on cover display; 3,000 nit peak brightness on main display, 5G, Wi-Fi 6/6E, Wi-Fi 7, 45-watt wired charging, 15-watt wireless charging, 5-watt reverse charging. | IP48 rating, 68-watt wired charging, 30-watt wireless charging, 5-watt reverse charging, dual stereo speakers, Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic cover dispaly, 3,000 nits peak brightness on cover display, 4,500 nits peak brightness on main display, 5G. |
US price starts at | $700 | $1,000 | $1,300 |
Technologies
Adobe and LinkedIn Are Teaming Up to Help Creators Verify Images’ Authenticity
The partnership allows the new Adobe content authenticity app to verify that a creator is who they say they are.

Adobe’s next step forward in its content authenticity efforts is here. The Adobe content authenticity app is now in public beta, available for anyone to try. With the app, you can attach content credentials to all your digital images and photos.
Content credentials are a kind of invisible digital signature that’s added after a project is finished. Right now, you can add them to images, with support for videos and audio coming soon. Besides your name, content credentials can include your social media handles, personal website and can disclose any AI usage. You can also use these credentials to signify that you don’t want your work to be used to train AI models.
One of the best parts about the app is that you don’t need a Creative Cloud subscription to use it. So even if you don’t want to pay for Adobe programs, you can quickly sign up for a free Adobe account and use the app to create content credentials and apply them to your digital work.
Creators who post their work online know that it’s all too easy for people to steal, misattribute or erase the original creator from a piece of work. That’s where the new partnership with LinkedIn comes in to give content credentials a little more security.
Currently, LinkedIn offers three types of verifications on its platform: identity, workplace and educational. You likely already have at least one if you’re a semiregular LinkedIn user. You can get a workplace verification by using your work email, or you can get an identity verification using a form of government-issued ID. LinkedIn’s new «Verified on LinkedIn» program will help people use these verifications in other corners of the internet. If you’re verified on LinkedIn, those credentials will appear in your Adobe content credentials account. You’ll also be able to apply your LinkedIn verifications on TrustRadius, G2 and UserTesting.
«Using Verified on LinkedIn, users will be able to use the verifications they’ve completed on LinkedIn to show who they are across the different online platforms they use, boosting trust, confidence and credibility,» Oscar Rodriguez, vice president of trust at LinkedIn, said in a statement.
When you’re inside the content authenticity app, you can batch apply credentials to up to 50 images at a time — a highly requested feature that came out of the private beta, Andy Parsons, senior director of content authenticity at Adobe, told CNET in an interview. You can also use the content credentials app to inspect tags added to other images. The content credential browser extension is also available, if you want the ability to view credentials wherever you scroll online.
Content provenance, or how we know where a piece of content originates, is more important than ever in the age of AI. The content credential app is the result of Adobe’s involvement with a larger group called the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, or C2PA. The group advocates for an open technical standard to help people easily see where an image, video or another piece of content came from. Other members include Google, Meta and OpenAI — all heavyweights in the generative AI market. LinkedIn is now also joining, but its parent company, Microsoft, is a longtime member.
For more, check out our hands-on testing of the new Photoshop iPhone app and the fight between Adobe and creators over the future of AI.
-
Technologies2 года ago
Tech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies2 года ago
Best Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies2 года ago
Tighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года ago
Verum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года ago
Google to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies3 года ago
Olivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies3 года ago
Black Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 года ago
iPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow