XTV Compact HD/SDI, 8TB, rack 4U 19″. 1 play and 1 rec simultaneous, SD/HD. Multiple format (DV, HDV, MPEG-1,2,4, MPG, VOB, WMV, QuickTime, H.264, etc.). Includes Playout, Capture (MPG-2, H.263 codec included), Trimmer and Scheduler freeware. Control of switchers, GPIs and serial devices.
Camtasia is a powerful software application that enables you to create professional-looking videos. It's easy to use, with plenty of intuitive features that make the production of stunning visuals quick and easy.
Professional and Packed With Features
Camtasia provides the user with enough powerful features to create and edit the very best videos. With the ability to import audio and video, any of your existing media can be brought onboard and entered into the creative process.
By simply drag-and-dropping various icons, shapes, texts, or clips, you can have complete creative control over your project. There are a selection of animated backgrounds available to use, enabling the production of training, educational, or marketing videos.
Included within the suite are royalty-free songs, so you can have peace of mind with regard to copyright issues when uploading any of your work to the Web.
Produce Videos for a Whole Range of Scenarios
For whatever reason you wish to produce a video for, Camtasia makes it easy to impress your audience. It's a powerful and intuitive editing suite that's subscription free. With impressive little add-ons such as a green screen to throw yourself into the action on screen, it's a very useful tool, packed with great features, for amateurs and advanced users alike.
Set up multiple companies. Creating professional invoices with your own logo. Creating Quotes (Quotation) and Proforma Invoices. Creating Credit Invoices. Support invoicing for UK, USA, Australia, Spain, Germany, Belgium and more.. . Support Inclusive tax/fee for items. Change any text on invoice and issue non-english invoices! Currencies from around the world. Rich configuration and customization. Sales TAX, VAT, GST, MwST, IVA, BTW. Four professional looking invoice templates. Track payments and send statement to customers. Support for shipping - add shipping cost and print Packing Slip. Put your own informations and messages on invoices. Send invoice via email. Create categories for products and customers. Set four different prices for product or service. Quickly creating new invoice on the basics of existing invoice. Three different invoice numbering styles. Business reports such as sales, customers, invetory, profit, payments, overdue. Easy backup and restore system. Support multiple bank accounts. Import and Export tool and more...
Hola amigos de youtube como estan yo soy michel ramos, en este video hablaremos sobre la actualizacion de mayo y de noviembre de windows del año pasado la cual como yo tienes problemas para instalar, la razon la cual no puede actualizar tu windows 10 a la version 1909 es el procesador que tienes, si tienes un procesador AMD no vas a poder actualizar tu equipo, ya que tienen un problema que no son compatibles con sus controladores RAID y como vieron en mi ultimo video de como actualizar los controladores de tu procesador AMD dejo de dar actualizaciones desde windows 8.1 entonces no se podra actualizar tu windows a la version mas moderna, pero yo lo veo como mejora, ya que las personas que actualizan teniendo otro procesador viejo pero no optimizado para la version de windows de noviembre, su computadora ha ido muy lenta y tienen problemas con sus windows, por eso es mejor no actualizar. Yo queria actualizar ya que queria descargar juegos para PC con el Xbox Ultimate Pass, y este me pedia la version de 1909 de windows la cual no pude intalar. Otra cosa que tengo que decir es que hay demasiado videos engañosos diciendote como arreglar este problema en youtube, que en esos tutoriales ha nadie le sirven y aparte ni siquiera tienen que ver con la actualizacion pero a final de cuentas yo les estoy contando mi experencia e intente de todo. Como arreglar Windows could not configure One or More System Components Si te sale al final de la actualizacion un mensaje como a mi diciendo "Windows could not configure One or More System Components" entonces puede que tengas posibilidad de arreglarlo lo que tienes que hacer es lo siguiente.
Ir a: PC - Disco Local - ProgramData - Microsoft - Crypto - RSA - MachineKeys en la carpeta de MachineKeys borra todo el contenido si no te deja borrarlo checa mis otros videos en mi canal en los cuales te eneseño a como borrar definitivamente archivos de windows.
Se supone que con esto se arregla, a varia gente le funciono, en mi caso no me funciono pero puede que a ustedes si. Hasta aqui dejo el video, vualquier duda o comentario favor de dejarlo en la caja de comentarios la cual estoy muy pendiente de ella, sigueme en mis redes sociales instagram twitter subo contenido padre y suscribete a mi canal, espero que estes teniendo un excelente dia!
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El error 1603 es un error comun en las instalacion de java, asi tambien es facil de solucionar, se repara desinstalando la version de java antigua con su herramienta, actualizando con otros instalador borrando las variables del equipo que contengan java junto con su carpeta de archivos de programa x86 y listo. Enlace: http://www.mediafire.com/file/noz9m32yku6aly6/Java.zip/filehttp://www.mediafire.com/file/noz9m32yku6aly6/Java.zip/filehttp://www.mediafire.com/file/noz9m32yku6aly6/Java.zip/filehttp://www.mediafire.com/file/noz9m32yku6aly6/Java.zip/file
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The Bullzip PDF Printer works as a Microsoft Windows printer and allows you to write PDF documents from virtually any Microsoft Windows application.
This program is FREEWARE with limitations, which means that there is a FREE version for personal and commercial use up to 10 users. It does not contain any advertising or popups. For commercial applications with more than 10 users there are commercial versions available with advanced features.
Features
Print to PDF from almost any Windows program.
Supports 64-bit operating systems.
Direct output to the same file each time or prompt for destination.
Control if the printer should ask if you want to see the resulting PDF document.
Control output and prompts programmatically.
Setup can run unattended.
Graphical user interface.
Password protect PDF documents.
AES 256/128 bit encryption and standard 128/40 bit encryption.
Ashampoo Driver Updater provides updates for a wide variety of components and devices from professional to lesser known brands. As soon as new drivers become available, the instantly get added to Ashampoo TOP Driver Updater's huge database and therefore become available to you.
Wrong or old drivers are the enemy of every computer system. Often, drivers are missing or hopelessly outdated. The appnot only finds the best driversbut also installs them for you. There's no need for menu acrobatics with Ashampoo Driver Updater. The well-designed program performs its job of keeping your computer up to date quickly and with a high degree of usability. It analyzes your hardware components and drivers, compares the results against a gigantic database - and then replaces outdated drivers with their latest versions.
You decide when the Driver Updater will spring into action. The built-in scheduler gives you reliable control over when the program will scan your system for updates. Once set up, you don't have to waste another thought on it and your system will stay up-to-date, always! Crashes, sound problems, graphics issues or bad performance frequently stem from wrong, corrupt or outdated drivers. After the transition to Windows 10, many system are now running "somehow" but not optimally. Let Driver Updater appfix what Windows itself can't fix for you! Drivers are constantly being developed and updated to avoid crashes and make the most out of installed hardware components. Especially games immensely benefit from a high system performance. Current graphics drivers can give you that extra boost when you need it. You won't take any risk with the program. Its built-in backup feature allows you to save and restore any driver if needed. Keep only what really benefits you!
Features and Highlights:
·Always up-to-date driver database
·Comfortable driver backup and restore features
·Fix defective systemswith ease
·The perfect choice for Windows 10 - it finds all drivers
·Finds and updates missing or outdated drivers
·Greatly facilitates the transition to Windows 10
·Fixes WLAN, sound and printer issues
·For a faster, more stable system
·Fully optimized system usage
·Installs all required drivers with a single click
Driver Talent (formerly DriveTheLife) is an easy to use application that has been designed to help you get the drivers you need for your system. It allows you to download and install driver updates, backup and restore drivers and uninstall/remove unused hardware drivers for all users of your system.
Sporting a fresh new look and design, Driver Talent is a great Windows driver download tool. With it, you can locate what's wrong with your system, which drivers are outdated or broken, and then help fix those corrupted and broken drivers, by downloading the best-matched drivers, and updating your system to the latest versions you need. You can also perform tasks such as backing up and restoring drivers, and uninstalling obsolete drivers.
Key Features Include:
Find out of date drivers.
Replace corrupted drivers.
Download and replace drivers for your system quickly and easily.
Simple user interface.
Powerful driver search engine.
Driver Talent is a well designed, free tool that is both professional looking and is a great tool for managing all the drivers that are needed by your system.
Driver Talent can download, install and update device drivers with one click, and you can backup, restore and uninstall drivers both quickly and easily.
Support for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, XP, Vista and Windows Server.
Apowersoft Screen Recorder Pro is an easy-to-use and professional desktop tool for recording screen and audio activities at the same time. It also allows you to save your videos as standard MP4 files. By using its built-in converter, you can convert those MP4s into AVI, WMV, FLV, and SWF, and many other formats with no quality loss.
Record All Desktop Activities Fully-featured but intuitive interface provides flexible capture modes which empower users to make screencast for specific region, application window, full screen and more. It also lets you add webcam video into the screencast to achieve video-in-video effect.
Aiseesoft Screen Recorder is able to Recorder and any video/audio. This software allows you to record any video like webcam video, streaming video or other video tutorials on PC. Besides, it allows you to adjust the size of your screen.
Key Functions:
1. Record screen, video and audio
With Video Screen Recorder, you can record YouTube, Metacafe, Vimeo, Yahoo, CBS, Niconico and other online video. Meanwhile, if you have found loved HD Video like MPEG2 HD Files, MPEG4 HD mp4, HD Video Files (*.wmv), HD TS, HD MTS, HD M2TS and others, you can use this software to record them.
2. Choose your needed video size
This Screen Recorder can allow you to choose your needed video size like full screen, customized size. Meanwhile, you can select the area that you want to record. You can also adjust the frame of the software to adjust the size to record.
3. Set the audio source or microphone voice
The excellent Screen Recording Software allows you to choose the audio options when you record audio. You can choose the system audio or microphone audio, or select them both according to your needs.
4. Choose needed cursor
Screen Recorder software has cursor options for you to choose like highlight cursor or highlight clicks.
Aiseesoft Screen Recorder can record screen, video, audio. It enables you to choose your needed video size like full screen and customized size like 1600×900, 1280×720 or others. You can also select the area to record. Meanwhile, you can choose the system audio or microphone audio according to your needs. Apart from that, it owns cursor options for you to choose like highlight cursor or clicks or both.
Encode HD Video (inc. AVCHD, TS, TOD, AVI HD, M2TS, etc.), AVI, MP4, WMV, Blu-ray, 3GP, DVD, VOB, MPEG, H.263/H.264 codecs, DVR-MS, MKV, FLV, etc. with AVS Free Video Converter. See a full list of supported video formats.
Manage HD-Camera Videos
Convert AVCHD, MPEG-2 HD, AVI HD, TOD/MOD, M2TS/MTS, etc. Edit HD-videos, add menus, subtitles, etc. and convert them to any video format supported by AVS Free Video Converter. Burn DVD/Blu-ray discs.
Speed up video conversion with GPU
Use hardware acceleration for video decoding by means of video cards (GPU): Intel HD Graphics (Intel® Quick Sync Video technology) or NVIDIA® GeForce® (NVIDIA CUDA® platform). It is available for H.264/AVC, VC-1, MPEG-2 codecs. These technologies help to playback and convert Full HD video with a large bitrate or 2K QHD and 4K UHD faster.
Convert Video for Various Devices
AVS Free Video Converter includes ready presets to convert video for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Samsung, Android tablets, Sony PSP, Amazon Kindle, smartphones, portable media players, etc. See a full list of supported devices.
Presets for New Generation Devices
Convert your video to play it on Apple iPhone 11/XS/XR/X/8/7, Apple iPad 2019/2018, Pro, iPad Air 2, Samsung Galaxy S10/S9/S8/S7, Galaxy Note 10/9/8, Galaxy Tab S6/S5e, Samsung Galaxy A series, Samsung UHD/SUHD TV, Sony PlayStation 4 Pro (PS4 Pro), Sony PlayStation Vita (PS Vita), Microsoft Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Sony Xperia 1/XZ3/XZ2/XZ1, XZ2/XZ1 Compact. Convert 2K QHD, 4K UHD and DCI 4K video using ultra new presets and enjoy high quality video playback on powerful smartphones, phablets, tablets and smart TV.
Create Personal DVD/Blu-ray Videos
Convert from/to Blu-ray or DVD formats. Cut, apply effects, add colorful DVD/Blu-ray menus. Split your movie into chapters and burn DVD/Blu-ray discs with AVS Free Video Converter.
Use Command Line Mode
Automate routine work using ready conversion templates without clicking the program buttons manually. It helps you to speed up the whole conversion process. Convert as many video files as you want at one go, be it one output file or a row of separate files.
Convert & Share Your Videos on Web
Convert video to FLV, F4V, etc. with AVS Free Video Converter. Create HTML pages with embedded FLV/F4V videos. Upload videos on your website, YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Dropbox, Flickr, MySpace, etc.
AVS Video Editorsupports all key video formats. Edit & save video files in AVI, VOB, MP4, DVD, WMV, 3GP, MOV, MKV, using popular codecs H.264, MPEG-4, H.263 etc. Process video with different frame sizes: HD, Full HD, 2K Quad HD, 4K Ultra HD and DCI 4K. See a full list of supported video formats.
Edit Your Video with Fantasy
Trim, cut, split, merge, rotate and mix videos with AVS Video Editor. Select between 300 innovative video effects and transitions. Insert menus, audio, text comments and subtitles. Stabilize video camera shaky recordings.
Speed Up HD-Videos Editing
Edit AVI HD, WMV HD, TOD, AVCHD, MOD, MTS/M2TS, etc. with AVS Video Editor. Due to the integrated video cache technology, HD-video editing becomes faster.
Record Your Video
Transfer video from DV/HDV cameras, webcams or VHS cameras and save video on hard drive or burn DVD discs. Record media files from your PC screen and create video guides, training videos or demos.
Make Stunning Slideshows
Capture memorable events and turn them into amazing slideshows. Import images, add your voice or favourite audio tracks, captions and impressive video effects and transitions.
Create Blu-ray Videos
Open and edit your Blu-ray videos with AVS Video Editor. Apply effects and add specially designed menus. Add audio, video and images to your videos. Choose between numerous themes and stylish menu templates.
Share Your Video
Tell your story in different ways. Save the newly-made video in the desired format on your computer, burn a DVD/Blu-ray disc, adjust video for your iOS and Android devices or publish your creative work in social networks.
Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate is a comprehensive video converter. It can convert any video and DVD to video/audio format including AVI, WMV, MOV, MP4, MP3, FLAC. It adds more powerful editing functions to enhance video by upscaling resolution, optimizing brightness and contrast, removing video noise, and reducing video shaking.
Key functions: 1. This software can convert videos and DVDs to other formats, like AVI, WMV, MOV, MP4, TS. It also converts videos among the different resolution of SD, HD and 4k. For 4K videos, it supports converting videos to 4K MP4,4K TS, 4K AVI, 4K FLV, 4K MKV, 4K WEBM. In addition, it supports converting 2D to 3D for an extraordinary visual experience. 2. You can trim video length, screenshot, adjust video effect and adding text or picture watermark as needed. After the latest update, now it is more powerful. You can use it to upscale video to higher resolution, optimize the visual effect in one click and remove video noise. For your shaky video, it can reduce the video shaking easily. It also let you rotate and flip the video. Now it support add new audio tracks to the source video. It can also allows users to preserve multiple audio tracks when converting. Now you can also add new subtitles to the source video. 3. This converting software adopts AMD APP and NVIDIA CUDA technology, which enables batch conversion and merging process at super-fast speed and with zero-quality loss. 4. Support all popular devices. This software offers many default settings for iPhone/iPad/iPod (iPad Air 2, iPhone XS/XR included), Android devices, Samsung devices and other popular devices.
The HD converter can convert 4K/HD videos like 1080p, 720p to any format for easy playback on any device or convenient sharing with your family.
Screen Recorder
Record video from streaming sites or record desktop activities with high quality.
Convert & Compress Files
iSkysoft HD Video Converter enables you to convert all the popular video, audio and DVD files to various formats and compress video by reducing the size without losing quality.
Convert Online HD Video with One-Click
Download or record online HD video and audio files with high quality from popular video sharing sites to enjoy them more freely.
10,000+: Save videos from 10,000 + online sharing sites.
4K: Convert online 4K & 1080P videos without quality loss.
Record: Record online videos with 1:1 quality and fully customized adjusting frame.
Video to MP3: Extract the audio file with high quality from online video.
Transfer Videos: Transfer downloaded or recorded video files to iOS/Android devices and external hard drives quickly.
Powerful Video Cutting Function It is common to shoot far more footage than you actually need and choose only the best material for the final edit. Easy Cutter of GiliSoft Video Editor can easily cut a long video file into many smaller different video parts with no quality loss. Often you will shoot several versions (takes) of a shot and choose the best one when editing. Batch Cutter of GiliSoft Video Editor helps you cut multiple video files at the same time in batch mode.
Advanced Video Cutting Function Advanced Cutter of GiliSoft Video Editor helps you cut video into several parts and provides lots of video editing functions to make a great home movie: adding watermarks, adding subtitles, video rotation, video cropping, brightness adjustment, filter effects and so on while video cutting. Many videos can be dramatically improved by simply getting rid of the flawed or unwanted bits. Advanced Cutter also supports deleting unwanted video clips from video file.
Powerful Video Joiner Joiner of GiliSoft Video Editor is a professional video file joining tool which join or merge multiple video files into a large one. Users can choose whether to add the fade in/out effect to videos by their own wills. It supports joining the same format video files without encoding SUPER-FAST merge and supports joining different formats of video files and select any format one of the file as the output format, or set a custom output format.
Powerful Video Splitter Splitter of GiliSoft Video Editor is perfect video splitting software to split video files into several segments easily and fast. It supports splitting by time, for example every 600 seconds (5 minutes) per segment. It supports splitting by file size, such as 100 megabytes per segment. It supports customize Split, you can set the Split Point by hand.
Adjust Video Speed, Add Effects Effect of GiliSoft Video Editor helps you adjust video speed or add a lot of picture effect (Black and White, Old Film, Embossment, Carving, Wood Carving, Pencil, Posterize, Oil Painting, Mosaic, Negative, Glow, Haze, Fog, Motion Blur) to video. It supports instant preview, you also can adjust video brightness, contrast, and saturation at the same time.
Add Watermark, Make Picture in Picture Video Watermark of GiliSoft Video Editor is a full-featured yet easy-to-use software that allows placing a digital watermark or logo or text or video, animated gifs over an existing video in the batch mode. Watermarks can be used for protection or adding comments to your movies. You may impose watermark on a whole video file or on a specified section of the movie.
Add Subtitle to Video Subtitle of GiliSoft Video Editor is an application that allows you to permanently embed subtitles in videos. It means that you do not have to have, and run, separate files for video and its subtitles. Instead, the subtitle file will be merged with the video file and converted into one new file. It supports ASS, SRT subtitle format, you can instantly preview the effect, and can dynamically adjust the subtitle font and position.
Adding Music to Video Sometimes music can have a dramatic effect on our perception of a video – no matter whether it's a movie, a commercial, or a video presentation. But what if all you have is silent footage or a video with just a few snippets of voice commentary that really needs some music to make it interesting? With Add Music of GiliSoft Video Editor, you can easily add an audio track in MP3, WMA, OGG, or FLAC format to your MP4, AVI, or any other format video and save it as a new file.
Rotate Video It's an error made by many. When filming with your cellphone, or even a real video camera, you're not always thinking about 'orientation' – whether you're filming in portrait or landscape. Some devices take into account every flick of your wrist, but most don't, and you end up with a video that's rotated by 90 degrees. Rotate of GiliSoft Video Editor may help you rotate video file and it works pretty well.
Easy Video Cropper There will undoubtedly be times when you need to crop your videos to remove any unwanted areas. For example, when you got some video files with black bars on top and bottom or you want to crop videos with large dimensions to fit the small screen of devices. Cropper of GiliSoft Video Editor is a powerful video editor that not only crop your video files, but also allows you to enhance the video with visual effects, titles and more.
Video Rotator is a useful program which will allow a user to rotate an existing video clip by 90 degrees or more. This can come in handy, as there are times when a smartphone recording needs to be modified in order to fit a specific streaming format. This is open-source software and it is absolutely free to install.
Main Tools and Uses:
Video Rotator is very easy to use. It is first necessary to upload a file from an existing folder. Then, the customer will choose to rotate the video in a specific direction (clockwise and counter-clockwise options are provided). Other choices include a 'horizontal mirror' or even to reverse the video 180 degrees. Another interesting use of this software is that it can modify common smartphone video formats into standard PC-ready files such as MPG and AVI. Thus, it can also be considered a basic video converter.
Notepad++ is a free (as in "free speech" and also as in "free beer") source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several languages. Running in the MS Windows environment, its use is governed by GPL License.
Based on the powerful editing component Scintilla, Notepad++ is written in C++ and uses pure Win32 API and STL which ensures a higher execution speed and smaller program size. By optimizing as many routines as possible without losing user friendliness, Notepad++ is trying to reduce the world carbon dioxide emissions. When using less CPU power, the PC can throttle down and reduce power consumption, resulting in a greener environment.
Hola amigos un problema comun con la actualizacion de windows puede ser que elimine apps que nosotros usabamos, en este caso le toca a la herramienta de recortes, si no la encuentras por ningun lado, entonces aqui esta la solucion.
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It’s handy to save websites and articles as PDFs so you can read them later. Here’s how you can quickly generate a PDF on your iPhone or iPad, and then save it with a service like Pocket.
How to Save a Full-Page Screenshot as a PDF
In iOS 13, iPadOS 13, and newer, you can take a full-page screenshot of a website in Safari and save it as a PDF in the Files app.
There are two notable points about this new method:
The PDF generates as one continuous page without any page breaks.
Instead of a regular PDF, with an A4 page width, the PDF is the same width as the iPhone or iPad on which you’re viewing it.
If you want to generate a cleaner PDF of the page—without the ads and formatting—switch to Reader Mode first. To do this, tap and hold “AA” in the upper-left corner, and then tap it again to customize the text layout.
Open the website on your iPhone or iPad and take a screenshot. If you have an iPhone X-style device with a notch, or an iPad Pro with Face ID, press and hold the “Side” and “Volume Up” buttons together until you see the screenshot animation.
If you’re using an iPhone or iPad with a Home button, press it, along with the “Power/Sleep” button to take a screenshot.
You see a little screenshot preview in the bottom-left corner—tap it.
Khamosh Pathak
You’re now in the screenshot editor. Tap “Full Page.”
Smart tags can be very useful in Excel to quickly change the action a spreadsheet performs on your data. They appear automatically as you work in Excel, but each smart tag can be removed if you do not use them.
What Are Smart Tags?
A smart tag is a small button that appears as data is entered or selected on a spreadsheet. This button provides actions based on the data in the cells. The image below shows the Paste Options smart tag that appears when data is pasted.
When the smart tag is clicked, different paste options are provided.
All smart tags work in this way. The options you see will be dependent upon the smart tag and the data in the cell(s).
They provide a quick way to change the action that Excel performed on your data. Excel has a few available smart tags: Paste Options, AutoFill, Flash Fill, error checking, and Quick Analysis.
Smart tags are only temporary. They appear immediately as you select, type, or paste data into a cell. They disappear as soon as you perform another task.
You downloaded pictures from your camera, phone, or USB drive. Now you want to share these galleries with friends and family in a nice presentation. This guide shows you how to view a slideshow on Windows 10 using native tools.
This guide explains two built-in methods: using the Photos app and using File Explorer. The benefit of the Photos app is that you have immediate access to other albums and folders without digging through File Explorer. Meanwhile, the File Explorer version provides built-in slideshow controls not present in the Photos app.
Use the Photos App
Normally, all you need to do is double-click on an image file to launch the Photos app. If Photos isn’t set as the default image application on your computer, right-click on a photo, hover over “Open With,” and select “Photos.”
Once the app loads, you’ll see the static picture on your screen. Hover your mouse over the picture’s left or right side and you can advance or “rewind” to another image using the virtual arrow overlays.
To start a slideshow, click the three-dot button located in the top-right corner. This expands a drop-down menu listing a “Slideshow” option at the top. Click this option to start the show.
Once the slideshow begins, it will cycle through all images stored in the initial photo’s associated folder. The slideshow will not add pictures stored in sub-folders.
For controls, you can press the Right Arrow key to move to the next picture or press the Left Arrow key to rewind back to the previous image.
Open-back headphones are a product still firmly planted in the audiophile niche. But if you’re looking to see what all the fuss is about with a set from a reliable brand that won’t break the bank, then Sennheiser’s HD 6XX is a perfect place to start.
Technically these headphones are a collaboration between Sennheiser and Drop (AKA Massdrop), which has a sizable catalog of audiophile offerings. A somewhat customized version of the HD 650, the HD 6XX rings up at $220, with optional upgrades for things like VELOUR EARCUPS. If you’re expecting frills, you’ll be disappointed: this is a wired set without extras like a single-side cord or travel-friendly rotating earcups.
But that’s okay, because the HD 6XX isn’t designed to replace conventional headphones. It’s a way to explore your high-quality music and movies in extra fidelity, without spending a ton of money or using a ton of space that a huge array of speakers would. And in that very specific capacity, it delivers.
What’s Different About Open Back?
If this is your time seeing an open-back or “backless” headphone design, check out this guide on How-To Geek. And if you want to ignore my suggestion and make me feel bad, I’ll explain it here: whereas the exterior housing of the earcups on conventional headphones are solid plastic or metal, open-back headphones use a grille or slot design that exposes the back of the driver and other components to the air.
See how you can see the inside of the headphones? That’s the “open-back” part. Michael Crider
Why? It creates a more open, balanced sound experience. Whereas conventional headphones are all about isolation, closing you in with your music, open-back designs allow for a more natural sound profile, as if you’re listening to performers in a “real” space rather than inside your head. The difference is almost impossible to get across in text; the best way I can describe it is that they sound less like headphones and more like speakers that just happen to be sitting on the sides of your head.
There’s a downside to this sound profile: noise, both internal and external. Open-back headphones allow in more ambient noise from the environment, with almost zero noise cancellation effects. For example, even at a high volume, I can still hear my keyboard through the music in the headphones as I’m typing this. Open back headphones also allow much more noise out into the environment; if you’re listening to a podcast, someone else in a small room would probably be able to quote the host word-for-word.
Massdrop
For both of these reasons, open back headphones are unsuitable for environments where you want to keep the music to yourself. Don’t bring them to a library, an airplane, or a Starbucks. Unless you’re a jerk, I guess. Then feel free to sing along while you gargle your Frappuccino.
Amazingly Natural Sound
Not being a “true audiophile” myself, the HD 6XX is my introduction to open-back headphones. But even given the limited utility of headphones that don’t travel well (and aren’t intended to do so), I have to say that the experience is pretty fantastic. On paper, the set’s 10Hz-40kHz range is amazing—almost certainly better than your natural hearing ability. In use, the sound is more dynamic than any set I’ve ever used before, with clearer mids and highs, and better differentiation of specific voices and instruments. The illusion of “space” instead of isolation is unlike anything else I’ve ever used.
Note that you can see the mesh exterior casing right through the driver. Michael Crider
The set won’t blow you away with pure volume without a dedicated amp, and the open nature of the cups means that it doesn’t preserve head-thumping bass like a conventional headphone design. If you like to rattle your fillings when the bass drops, these aren’t the headphones for you. And as previously discussed, noise cancellation and sound isolation are almost zero.
Microsoft Office is constantly working to improve its software. Still, there might be times when Word just refuses to start. Here are a few ways you can get Word up and running again.
Update Microsoft Office
It's always a good idea to keep your software up to date as companies constantly issue fixes for bugs and vulnerabilities that hinder the performance of the application.
Since Office 2013, Microsoft issues any updates to its Office applications automatically unless you told it to do otherwise. If that's the case, and you're experiencing startup issues with Word, you might want to update it to the latest version and see if that fixes the problem.
The good news is you can do this from any of your Office apps. So, if Word won't start, you can update through Excel, PowerPoint, or any other Office programs you happen to have.
To update, open your Office app, click the “File” tab, and then click “Account” at the bottom of the left panel.
Under the “Product Information” section, click "Update Options” next to “Office Updates.” In the drop-down menu, select “Update Now.”
Office checks for and applies any updates. After the update completes, you see a success message.
Many companies tout “military-grade encryption” to protect your data. If it’s good enough for the military, it must be the best—right? Well, kind of. “Military-grade encryption” is more of a marketing term that doesn’t have a precise meaning.
Encryption Basics
Let’s start with the basics. Encryption is, essentially, a way to take information and scramble it, so it looks like gibberish. You can then decrypt that encrypted information—but only if you know how. The method of encrypting and decrypting is known as a “cipher,” and it usually relies on a piece of information known as a “key.”
For example, when you visit a website encrypted with HTTPS and sign in with a password or provide a credit card number, that private data is sent over the internet in a scrambled (encrypted) form. Only your computer and the website you’re communicating with can understand it, which prevents people from snooping on your password or credit card number. When you first connect, your browser and the website perform a “handshake” and exchange secrets that are used for encryption and decryption of the data.
There are many different encryption algorithms. Some are more secure and harder to crack than others.
To put you at ease and generally sound as secure as possible, many services tout “military-grade encryption” on their websites and in advertisements.
It sounds strong and battle-tested, but the military doesn’t actually define something called “military-grade encryption.” That’s a phrase dreamt up by marketing people. By advertising encryption as “military-grade,” companies are just saying that “the military uses it for some things.”
Dashlane, a password manager that has advertised its “military-grade encryption,” explains what this term means on its blog. According to Dashlane, military-grade encryption means AES-256 encryption. That’s the Advanced Encryption Standard with a 256-bit key size.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a clean, organized trunk that’s easy to dig through? One that doesn’t throw your groceries around like a primitive beast? It might sound impossible, but a simple trunk organizer can solve these issues.
Trunk organizers are similar to toolboxes and closet organizers. They give you a place to put all your car-junk, so everything stays clean, tidy, and easy to find. And since they don’t move around too much, trunk organizers are also great for holding fragile items, like groceries, antiques, or catered food for dinner parties.
The case for a trunk organizer is pretty clear, but every trunk is different. Some are small, some are large, and some (truck beds) are routinely exposed to the hellish forces of nature.
So, we’ve found the best trunk organizers for every type of car, and we’ll explain why each might be right for your vehicle.
Best Overall: FORTEM Waterproof Organizer
FORTEM
The FORTEM waterproof trunk organizer is a great option for just about any vehicle. It’s a two-foot-long, collapsible box with three compartments, large mesh pockets, adjustable straps, and a detachable lid (so you can keep its contents private).
Plus, it’s waterproof, so you can use it in a truck bed for things like groceries—although, you’ll probably want to keep it folded up inside your truck so it stays clean.
There are many ways to make caramel apples right at home. To be clear, we’re talking about apples covered in buttery rich caramel that will cover your teeth with each bite—not the bright red and hard candy-coated apples that might send you to the dentist. For a rundown on the difference, check out this quick look at caramel and candy apples.
How to Make Caramel Apples
Making caramel apples is a fun fall tradition in many homes, but if you have yet to try it, we'll walk you through the steps. From preparing your apples to choosing tasty Halloween toppings, we've got something yummy for you to try.
Making caramel apples isn’t a supply heavy task, but you do need a few things:
A candy thermometer: Depending on which recipe you choose, you may need a candy thermometer to ensure your caramel sauce is at the right temperature.
Lollipop or Popsicle sticks: You’ll need to pierce your apples after removing the stem to create a handle for this sweet treat. Sturdy skewers, chopsticks, or sticks from outside also do the trick. If you want your apples to look as professional as possible, you can always buy stout bamboo skewers made specifically for the task.
Supplies in hand, you’re ready to prep!
Prepare the Apples
Emilee Unterkoefler
Wash your apples thoroughly to remove all the wax from the skin and then dry your apples completely before dipping. Cortland, Empire, and Granny Smith apples are all popular for this yummy snack.
Remove the stems and use a Popsicle stick, lollipop stick, or skewer to pierce through the apple as a way to hold your delicious treat. You'll want to pierce through the section of the apple where you just removed the stem.
Get the Cooling Station Ready
Emilee Unterkoefler
Place a piece of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet. Using room temperature butter, generously grease your parchment paper. The butter will help keep the caramel apples from sticking after being placed on the parchment paper.
A British engineer has developed a new battery that can be used to power electric cars for upwards of 1,500 miles before they need to be recharged. Deals are being made to begin production and distribution in the UK.
Trevor Jackson, a 58-year-old inventor from Tavistock, Devon, had a career that included working for Rolls-Royce to help design nuclear reactors and a position in the Royal Navy as a lieutenant on nuclear submarines.
A new electrolyte formula is at the core of Jackson’s invention for the high-powered car battery. The formula is said to be top secret but the electrolyte uses lower-purity metal and is described as being non-poisonous or caustic to the extent that Jackson reportedly drank some when demonstrating it to investors—not something you’d do with the toxic substances in most batteries.
More accurately, the new device should be described as a fuel cell and not a battery, DailyMail notes. Compared to the conventional lithium-ion batteries currently powering today’s electronics, Jackson’s aluminum-air fuel cell reportedly generates nine times as much energy (nine times as many kilowatt-hours of electricity per kilogram).
Whereas the existing Tesla Model S can travel for about 370 miles from one charge, the same vehicle could travel up to 2,700 miles if equipped with a version of Jackson’s aluminum-air fuel cell that weighed the same as its lithium-ion battery, or 1,500 miles for a version of the cell that was the same size as the Tesla’s lithium-ion battery. What’s more, Jackson claims that while the Tesla battery costs around £30,000, an aluminum-air cell could power the same car for £5,000.
DailyMail notes that the average British family only travels around 7,900 miles every year, in which case those individuals would only need to swap their fuel cell a few times a year. It’s thought that the new aluminum-air fuel cell will also be useful for industrial applications with large vehicles that typically strain the limitations of lithium-ion batteries. The aluminum-air cells could power large trucks or buses, which would otherwise require lithium-ion batteries that are practically as heavy as the freight being hauled.
Jackson is in discussions with two aircraft makers to use his new fuel cell in propeller planes for short-haul passenger and cargo flights. He has also signed a multi-million-pound deal to start manufacturing the fuel cell on a large scale in the UK, where Austin Electric will be shipping thousands of them in electric vehicles next year.
There are also plans in the works to produce three-wheeler taxis and electric bikes for the Asian market, as well as conversion kits that can transform standard gas and diesel vehicles into hybrids with rear wheels powered by aluminum-air fuel cells and electric motors. Jackson anticipates that conversion kits will be available early next year and each conversion will cost around £3,500.
If you’ve been waiting for a heavy discount on Amazon’s devices, now might be the time to get your wallet out. The company has reduced prices by as much as $40 on many of its Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers.
In some cases, this pricing has previously only been offered during sales events that were limited to Amazon Prime subscribers. However, this promotion is available to everyone. The discounted items include the standard Fire 7 and Fire 8, Kids Edition Fire 7 and Fire 8, as well as the new 10th-gen Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite.
Although the Fire 7’s price has only been reduced by $10, that puts the device at $39.99 as it was previously only $49.99. If you’d prefer a bigger display and beefier battery, the Fire 8 has been discounted to $59.99 from $79.99.
Likewise, the Fire 7 Kids Edition is now priced at $69.99 and the Fire 8 Kids Edition is $99.99—both being $30 off their usual rate. Amazon’s “Kids Edition” products come with a protective cover, one year of access to kid-friendly content through FreeTime Unlimited, and a two-year worry-free guarantee that Amazon will replace any devices your kids break.
Amazon’s 10th-generation Kindle (the newest one) has seen its price cut by $25 from $89.99 to $64.99. Key features include an integrated front light for reading in the dark and weeks-long battery life. Alternatively, the Kindle Paperwhite with its ultra-sharp 300 ppi display is now only $89.99, $40 off from $129.99.
It’s not just Amazon US who has these types of deals going on right now. Amazon UK currently offers similar discounts on the Fire 7 (£15 off, now only £35), Fire 8 (£20 off, now only £60), and the Kindle Paperwhite (£30 off, now only £90).
Just in case you've ever wondered if there was a difference between a candy apple and a caramel apple, we'll break things down and cover the basics.
Many people use the words "candy apple" to describe any apple immersed in a sweet and delicious coating, but we're here to clear things up. While both sweet treats take washed apples and pierce sticks into them before dipping, each has its own flavors and textures. Whichever is best is for you to decide.
What Is a Caramel Apple?
Although caramel is a type of candy, a caramel apple is not the same as a candy apple. Caramel apples—shown in the photo above—have a soft and chewy texture, and each bite brings you buttery sweet flavors. The perfectly tart apples combined with the sweet and creamy caramel flavor make for a tasty fall snack.
Caramel apples can be made in a variety of ways, depending on the homemade caramel recipe. A basic recipe uses sugar, corn syrup, water, butter, and cream, but others use ingredients like brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk.
Many opt to unwrap and melt caramel candies for a quick and easy-to-make coating. Whichever you choose is up to you.
Caramel apples are also known for being decorated and further flavored with ingredients like chopped nuts, chocolate drizzle, and various candies.
A candy apple is covered with a shiny red hard shell of homemade candy coating and should always be eaten with caution. The candy breaks or shatters with each bite, making it a deliciously dangerous treat to eat.
The candy apple was said to be invented by a candy-maker named William W. Kolb. While experimenting, he dipped apples in a red cinnamon mixture. Although they were intended to draw customers in around Christmas, they’re now commonly consumed around Halloween.
The candy coating is made from ingredients like water, sugar, light corn syrup, and red food coloring. Authentic candy apples have a cinnamon flavor. Nowadays, most people opt to use red food coloring instead.
Linking two presentations together allows you to save time by using already-existing slides. The transition is almost seamless, giving it the illusion of one single presentation. Here’s how to link PowerPoint presentations together.
Before we get started, note that both presentations need to be in the same folder to link them together. Moving or renaming the second file after the link has been created will cause the slide to break.
Linking two presentations together isn’t magic, but it's as simple as inserting and clicking a hyperlink. What this trick does is allows you to insert a link within an object or text from presentation A that brings you to a specific slide of presentation B while still in presentation mode.
Once you've opened the first presentation and have navigated to the slide in which you will be linking from, select the text or object where you want to place the hyperlink.
If you haven’t already inserted an object, you can do so by selecting any of the options in the “Images” or “Illustrations” group of the “Insert” tab, and then selecting the object you’d like to insert.
Spending way too much time on your Android device? Use a digital wellbeing app to track your app usage and set app limits. Want some peace of mind? Block specific apps for a bit with Focus mode.
How to Set An App Timer in Android 9 and Higher
Digital Wellbeing is Google’s screen time management feature. It’s available on Google Pixel phones, Android One devices (that run Android 9 Pie and higher), and a limited number of other phones. After you download the Digital Wellbeing app on your device, it shows up as a Settings item.
The Digital Wellbeing app monitors how much time you spend on your phone. It tells you how many times you’ve picked up your phone, how much time you’ve spent in a specific app, and how many notifications you’ve received today.
You can use this information to make decisions about how much time you spend on your smartphone. The app also gives you tools, like App Timer, to curb your usage.
With App Timer, you can restrict how much time you can spend in an app. For example, you can set it up so you only use YouTube 30 minutes per day.
To do this, either swipe down on the notification shade, and then tap the gear icon to open Settings (or open it from the app drawer). Next, tap “Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls.”
In the Dashboard, scroll down to the YouTube app and tap the hourglass icon next to it.
Dumping grease from bacon and burgers down the drain might seem harmless. Sooner or later, though, that grease will completely stop up your drain. Here’s what to do instead.
Grease Does a Number on Your Drains
When you’re done cooking an especially greasy hamburger, it's tempting to dump the liquid down the drain. However, if you let that grease sit in the pan long enough to cool, you see that it solidifies again. It'll do that in your drain, too, clogging it up in the process.
Grease in your pipes collects other gunk that flows through, like food debris. This collection of food and grease builds up and makes your sink drain slowly (or not at all). While you can use some drain cleaner, a bad clog might require a drain snake or a plumber.
Even if you run the water scalding hot to flush it all away, some will still linger somewhere in your plumbing and, worse yet, it causes problems for the whole neighborhood. Hot water can keep the grease solid for only so long and eventually it cools.
Bottom line: There’s no good reason to pour grease down the drain.
What to Do with Your Cooking Grease Instead
Here are three options for cleaning meat grease and cooking oils from your pans.
Pour It into a Jar
Both grease that solidifies and cooking grease that doesn't can go into a jar and saved until the jar is full. Use separate jars for each type of oil. You can reuse them both (keep them in the fridge) to grease pans or to use in your fryer. If you don't want to reuse them, just toss the jar when it's full.
Be careful when pouring hot grease. Don't burn yourself.
Let It Solidify and Scrape It into the Trash
For grease left over from cooking greasy meats, let the pan cool. When the grease has cooled, it will be solid, and you can scrape it right into the trash can.
Have you ever tried to draw a perfect circle? You slowly sketch the outline and then carefully go over it with darker marks hoping that it’s round enough or… you could just use a compass. There are many tools in an artist’s arsenal that make their lives easier and improve their drawing.
Erasers for a Clean Slate
Paper Mate, Acurit
An eraser is an essential tool for any artist. The ability to quickly erase your mistakes and start again makes graphite drawing the most welcoming medium for beginners. Erasers don’t just help with mistakes, though. They also allow you to draw out sketch marks and general outlines that can be erased later after the permanent, darker lines are added.
Paper Mate White Pearl Premium Erasers: These White Pearl erasers from Paper Mate are a great choice if you’re looking for the classic eraser. They cleanly remove pencil marks without crumbling and falling apart, but are still stiff enough to get out accidental dark lines and marks.
Faber-Castell Kneaded Erasers 4-Pack: Faber-Castell makes great kneaded erasers. These are soft and can be molded to form any shape, making them perfect for highlighting and erasing highly-detailed drawings. The erasers come in packs of four, and each eraser has its own plastic case that protects it from getting covered in dirt and ruined in your bag.
Vanish 4-in-1 Artist Eraser: The Vanish is a multi-purpose eraser that is great for mixed media artwork. It’s a four-in-one eraser that can remove charcoal, colored pencils, pastels as well as regular graphite.
Compasses and Protractors for Precise Circles and Angles
Mr. Pen, Shinwa
Circles and angles are one of the hardest things to freehand accurately when drawing. You can’t just run your pencil along the edge of a ruler to create a perfect circle, and it’s impossible to tell precisely what angle you are drawing at without help. Compasses are great tools that let you draw different sized circles perfectly every time. Protractors let you draw adjustable angles quickly and are an essential tool for any perspective drawing.
Mr. Pen Professional Compass: This compass has an extra attachment arm that lets you draw huge circles up to 18 inches in diameter. The Mr. Pen Professional Compass set also comes with replacement lead, needles, and screws in case something gets lost or broken.
Shinwa Japanese Stainless Steel Protractor: This protractor from Shinwa is made of stainless steel, not cheap plastic. The protractor also has a swiveling arm. After you rotate the arm to the angle you desire, you can just run your pencil along the arm creating a perfectly straight line at any angle you want.
GemRed Digital Protractor: If you have the extra cash and want something incredibly precise and easy to use, GemRed makes a great digital protractor. This protractor immediately recognizes the angle the two arms are making and displays it on the small screen. Precision on this protractor is guaranteed to be accurate within ±0.3 degrees.
Straight Edges for Drawing Perfect Lines
Ludwig, Staedtler
Straight edges make drawing clear, dark lines incredibly easy. When you’re first starting to draw using reference images, it’s a good idea to create a drawing grid. This helps you focus on small sections of the drawing without worrying about the flow of the larger picture. T-squares help you draw perfectly straight grids by maintaining a perfect right angle with your desk. Rulers and triangles can also be used in the same way, but provide a more flexible edge that can be moved around and used to draw straight lines at any angle.
Staedtler Mars 4 pc Combination Math Set: This four-piece set from Staedtler is made of stainless steel so they won’t shatter from being crushed in a backpack. The set includes a double-sided ruler, protractor, and two right triangles, giving you a good set of straight edges to work with.
Ludwig Precision Standard T-Square: If you create a lot of drawing grids or want to draw a lot of perspective or architectural images, then a good T-square will save you a lot of time drawing lines. This model from Ludwig is 24-inches long and is perfect for large projects.
Paper Specifically for Drawing
When looking at tools to improve your drawing, it is easy to forget that there are many different kinds of paper (insert The Office meme here). Different kinds of paper are designed to be better at absorbing various types of media. Sketch paper is made for using graphite, charcoal, pens, and other dry media, while mixed media paper is designed to absorb water and acrylic based paints on top of being compatible with pens and pencils.
Strathmore 400 Series Sketch Pad: If you’re just interested in drawing and sketching, the Strathmore 400 Series is 100 sheets of high-quality paper. The surface is fine-toothed with little grooves that collect graphite and charcoal easier. This means you don’t have to push as hard to make darker lines, and the lighter lines you make won’t just get rubbed and smudged away.
Canson XL Series Mix Media Pad: The Canson XL Mix Media Pad lets you combine your pen and pencil sketches with acrylic and watercolors. The paper is extra thick and made to absorb different paints without soaking through to the next page. It’s also made to dry quickly and evenly, so you aren’t spending all day waiting for layers to dry.
Art Blenders to Make Shading Easier
US Art Supply
Blending stumps and tortillons are great tools for shading and creating fluid art. Real-life isn’t made of lines and edges—everything is smooth and blended. Realistic art should be the same. Blending tools smudge the graphite or charcoal around that’s already on the paper. They let you mix it around almost like wet paint, which allows you to make seamless transitions between sections of your drawing and more easily create even gradients. Blending stumps are made from compressed paper and have a flat exposed surface that makes for smooth but slow blending. Tortillons are made from rolled paper that is tapered on the end. This tapered edge will blend out more aggressively and thinner.
US Art Supply Art Blenders:This is a simple set of blenders with four double-ended stumps and six-pointed tortillons. The set includes multiple size blenders for easy switching between highly-detailed shading and covering large areas.
Wowoss Art Blender Set: This set from Wowoss includes eight stumps and nine tortillons for blending. This set also includes a felt bag to hold all the blenders, two sandpaper pencil sharpeners, and a pencil extender, all for a low price.
Pencils and Pens for Smooth Drawing
Derwent, Pigma
The pens and pencils you use will affect the quality of the art you produce. Different pens and pencils are better at doing different things. Pens never need to be sharpened and deliver consistent, vibrant lines. The trade-off is a harder time drawing lighter tones, and of course, you can’t erase your mistakes. Pencils are more forgiving and come in a wide range of tones, but can make your hands cramp faster and have trouble producing true blacks. If you want more information about pencils, specifically, we have an article that goes more in-depth into what makes one good for drawing.
Derwent Graphic Drawing Pencils: If you’re looking for a good set of pencils, you can’t go wrong with Derwent. There are multiple set options you can choose from to buy pencils ranging from 9B to 9H, covering a full range of pencil tones. If you’re looking to improve your drawing, understanding pencil hardness and when to use each pencil is very important.
Google announced the Pixel 4 last week at an event in New York City, and now that I’ve had it in-hand for a few days, I want to share some initial thoughts on the new features—the radar, Face Unlock, and the cameras.
Before we get into it, though, I want to clarify: this isn’t a full review. I’ve only had the phone for a few days and don’t think that’s quite enough time to write as thorough a review as I’d like. So instead, I’m opting for this compromise—some initial thoughts focusing on the phone’s new and interesting features.
This will be a bit deeper than my hands-on impressions with the phone, but still not deep enough to call it a “review.” These are simply the thoughts I’ve collected over the last few days and want to share before sitting down to pen the full review.
So yeah, let’s talk about it.
Google Gets Innovative Again
Justin Duino
Back in the day, I owned nearly every Nexus phone that existed, and every Pixel device since the series launched, save for one: I skipped the Pixel 3. I’m generally a fan of the XL models, and the massive notch that had absolutely no reason to exist other than “well, the iPhone has one” was enough to make me give that one a hard pass. It was disheartening to see Google make a “me too!” phone just like everyone else.
But with the Pixel 4, ol’ Googly-poo went back to the drawing board and actually thought about what it wanted to do with the phone. So what we have now isn’t a “me too” phone, but an innovative and forward-thinking piece of hardware. It still has everything that Pixel-lovers, well, love about Pixel phones—namely, clean Android and a killer camera—but it’s also new, fresh, and different. Not just compared to Pixels of old, either—compared to the entire Android ecosystem.
The Bezel Makes it Better
Yeah, so the 3XL had that awful notch (and for the record, I’m not a “notch hater;” that one was just bad), and at first look, it would be easy to think that the Pixel 4 is a step backward because it has a full-length upper bezel. There’s this weird notion amongst tech enthusiasts that we’re supposed to absolutely hate bezels for some reason, but I don’t think anyone will disagree that the one on the Pixel 4 is actually useful.
That’s because under that bezel is all sorts of impressive tech. The first is a radar chip that is used for gesture control of the phone without having to touch it. This is the first time a radar has been incorporated into a phone, and Google had to do a lot of work to make it small enough to fit. While its use is still pretty limited, it honestly has the potential to be something rad—something truly useful.
Admittedly, the radar chip is mostly a novelty right now. You can use it to change music tracks or silence alarms just by waving your hand over your phone. When the phone is ringing, the radar will also detect when your hand is coming close and automatically lower the ring volume. But the radar isn’t just a neat way to do things without touching the phone—it also ties into another feature that’s new to Android: Face Unlock.
Apple’s Shortcuts app has been integrated directly into iOS 13 and iPadOS 13. After years of consistent improvements, you can now create trigger-free, notification-based automations on your iPhone and iPad.
How Automations Work on iPhone and iPad
Apple introduced the Shortcuts app in iOS 12. Before that, the app was sold on the App Store as Workflow.
You can ask Siri to initiate a shortcut (a predefined set of actions) or press a button on your iPhone or iPad to do it. Now, a shortcut can fire off automatically based on given parameters. It can even happen in the background and use certain external triggers, like NFC. The Shortcuts Automations feature is available on devices that run iOS 13.1 or iPadOS 13.1 and above.
However, not all shortcut automations are automatic.
By default, the automation shows a notification in which you can trigger the shortcut after you tap “Run.” Some shortcuts based on direct physical manipulation with the iPhone or iPad do run automatically (more on this below).
How to Create an Event Automation on iPhone or iPad
You can create two kinds of Automations on your iPhone or iPad: Personal and Home. Personal automations are related to your iOS and iPadOS device. The Home automations are related to your HomeKit devices.
In this article, we focus on the Personal automations on your iPhone and iPad. Let’s take a look at the actions you can trigger.
Events
Time of Day: You can trigger this at any time of day, at sunrise, or sunset.
Alarm: This shortcut runs when an alarm is stopped or snoozed.
Apple Watch Workouts: This can be triggered when a workout on your Apple Watch starts, pauses, or ends.
Travel
Arrive: A location-based trigger that activates when you arrive at a certain location.
Leave: A trigger for when you leave a certain location.
Before I Commute: This action tries to predict when you usually leave for work or home and triggers the shortcut at the given time, or up to an hour before you leave.
CarPlay: A shortcut is triggered when you connect or disconnect from CarPlay.
Settings
Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, Low Power Mode: This shortcut triggers when you turn these settings on or off.
NFC: With this trigger, you can tap your iPhone on an NFC sticker and run a shortcut. Modern iPhones (iPhone XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max) can run NFC shortcuts in the background.
Open App: This trigger runs a shortcut when you open any app.
Let’s walk through an example. Say you want to create a shortcut that plays soothing music when you open the Twitter app. Open the Shortcuts app, and then tap “Automation” in the bottom toolbar.
macOS Catalina introduces new security controls. For example, apps are now required to ask your permission before accessing parts of the drive where documents and personal files are kept. Let’s take a look at what’s new for security in Catalina.
Some Apps Require Permission to Access Your Files
Apps now have to request permission to access certain parts of your file system. This includes your Documents and Desktop folders, your iCloud Drive, and any external volumes that are currently connected to your Mac (including flash drives, memory cards, and so on). This is the change that’s been getting the most headlines.
Apple has been pushing permission-based access for a while on iOS, and we’re seeing more of these security policies make their way into macOS. When you first upgrade to Catalina, this can result in a blizzard of permission request dialog boxes. This has led some to compare the feature to Windows Vista’s full-screen security prompts (but in reality, it’s nowhere near as egregious).
From a security standpoint, it’s a change to be welcomed, though it can take some time to get used to. Not every app will request access, either. In our tests, we were able to open and save files using markdown editor Typora, but navigating to the Documents folder in Terminal using the cd ~/Documents/ command prompted a request for permission.
If you’ve got little aspiring chefs in your home, we’ve got five fun Halloween treats for them to try. From festive Chex mix to Oreo lollipops, your kids will have a blast.
Halloween is an exciting holiday for many children and families all around. There are so many outdoor activities involved with this time of year, but sometimes the frigid, rainy weather keeps you indoors. If you find yourself in that dilemma, and you require an activity for your children, check out these neat recipe ideas.
Harvest Hash Chex Mix
One Little Project
If your family loves snacking on handfuls of Chex mix, then this recipe might be for you. It’s full of exciting ingredients and tastes super yummy. With pretzels, bugles, candy corn, and Reese's pieces, each bite gives you a nice balance of sweet and salty.
If you have young kids, what’s awesome is this recipe has many steps they can do. You can have them pour in the separate ingredients or have them mix everything for the sauce. If you have older kids, they can melt the butter, do the measuring, and mix the entire combination of the Chex mix.
This recipe does involve an oven, so an adult will have to be present for that step. Once the Chex mixture has cooled, you'll have a delicious snack for the kids to chow down on.
If you need a no-oven snack that kids can make entirely on their own, this one is perfect. Festive Halloween cutters, sliced cheese, and crackers of your choice are all you’ll need. The author also gives an excellent recommendation to cut out apple slices, too.
Your kids will have to use the mini cookie cutters to cut out cheese and add them to the crackers. This is a great way to have your kids start “cooking” in the kitchen. The method is simple, but they can also learn about the cleanup aspect after their snack is complete.
Take this recipe to the next level by offering cold cut slices and other thinly sliced fruit to add to the arrangement of ghostly treats.
If you think you’ve aged out of party games, think again! We’ve revamped some Halloween tricks and treats for the 21 and older crowd. So, grab a costume, an adult beverage or two, and let’s have a grown-up good time!
You might have outgrown the standard balloon toss, and games like Spin the Bottle may have lost their thrill. Whether you’re looking for a game to break the ice, or one that’s more than fun with an icy beverage, we’ve got it!
We came up with nine spooky games to fill your FrightFest. All are best played in costume, and some might leave your guests genuinely terrified, but that’s okay. Because if there was ever a time to eat, drink, and be scary, it’s Halloween.
Boozing for Apples
Bobbing for apples is a classic harvest festival game. Of course, adults can play with the traditional fruit, but wouldn’t it be more fun to bob for something a bit less innocent?
There are two easy ways to turn this one into 21+ entertainment. You can buy a bunch of miniature liquor bottles (the kind you get on planes). Throw them into your tub or barrel with the apples and water. When a guest comes up with liquor instead of an apple, he has to take a shot.
Alternatively—and slightly more stealthy—is the shot-in-the-apple approach. For this, dig out a small hole in the top of the apples. Fill them with a shot of liquor, such as Fireball, and set aside. Give them a little time to absorb the liquor, and then float the spiked apples and let the games begin!
Don’t Say “Halloween”
Or “haunted,” or “scary,” or whatever you’d like the game to be. The idea is to create a “cursed phrase” that ties in with Halloween. This game lasts the entire party and—be warned—it can get intense. Be sure to let all guests know the phrase when they enter. A sign works well for this if you won’t be greeting everyone at the door.
Should anyone utter the cursed words, they have to take the anti-curse immediately! In this case, the anti-curse is, of course, an adult beverage.
For a twist, hand out inexpensive, colored beads at the beginning of the party. If someone hears another guest speak the curse, they can take that guest’s beads. The guest with the most collected necklaces at the end of the night wins the game.
Is macOS UNIX or just Unix? Or is it Unix-like? We answer the never-ending debate and explain standards like POSIX and the SUS along the way.
macOS: UNIX or Not?
This subject raises a bunch of different questions. What is the lineage of macOS? How much of that hereditary material is still present in today’s macOS, and does it matter? Before we can begin to answer whether something is UNIX, Unix, or Unix-like, we need to be comfortable with what those terms mean. Who gets to decide if something is Unix or UNIX, and what criteria do they use?
Let’s start at the beginning.
Unix was created fifty years ago at Bell Labs, a research and development company owned by AT&T. Fast-forward to 1973 and Version 4 of Unix, which was rewritten in the C programming language. This made the operating system much more portable and easier to transfer to different hardware platforms. That same year, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, two of the core Unix architects, presented a paper at a conference about operating systems. Immediately they received requests for copies of the operating system.
Bound by a consent decree that dated back to 1956, AT&T had to eschew “any business other than the furnishing of common carrier communications services.” Unix didn’t qualify as something AT&T could profit from. So, the company did something remarkable for that time: distributed Unix as source code with a liberal license. Small charges covered the shipping and packaging and a “reasonable royalty.”
A Proliferation of Unixes
Because Unix was provided “as-is,” it came without support. As a result, a Unix community began to coalesce to help members, and patch and extend Unix. So, you could get the source code, modify it, and get support from the community. That’s got a familiar ring to it. Different flavors of Unix began to appear, adapted and tweaked to suit the organization doing the work.
Bob Fabry, a computer science professor at UC Berkeley, was on the program committee for the 1973 Symposium on Operating Systems Principles. He listened to a presentation by Thompson and Ritchie, entitled The UNIX Time-Sharing System.
Fabry requested a copy of the operating system, and, in 1974, Unix was installed on a PDP/11 at the Computer Sciences Research Group (CSRG) at UC Berkeley. Significantly, Ken Thompson spent a year there, working on what quickly became the university’s own flavor of Unix. Copies of the UC Berkeley changes and additions were distributed and became known as the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). Eventually, these became distributions of an entire Unix system, still known as BSD. Version numbers, such as 4.2BSD, identified the different releases.
In 1984, AT&T was released from the strictures of the 1956 consent decree and able to market its operating system properly. It included BSD code, such as TCP/IP, vi, and the C shell, csh. Even with this cross-pollination and collaboration, there were difficulties with licensing. BSD contained AT&T code, which was not open source, but the BSD elements were.
When you’re setting up a new smarthome, one of the easiest gadgets you can add to your arsenal is a smart lock. It’s not much harder than changing a standard lock on your home. Here’s what to do.
The Basics
For this guide, we’re installing a Schlage Encode smart lock. Even if you have a different smart lock from another brand, most (if not all) the steps will be the same. You’ll generally find three main components in a smart lock: an exterior piece that may have a keypad, lock for a key, or both, an interior piece that holds the batteries and circuitry, and the bolt that secures your door. The tricky part is connecting them all.
As a quick tip: You may have seen advice to test your smart lock before installing it by inserting the batteries to turn it on. Then you can be sure the lock powers up before it’s in the door.
That seems like sound advice, but the first time a smart lock turns on, it tests if the door is left facing or right facing and adjusts the bolt mechanism to match. Without an actual door to test against, it may guess wrong, and your install will fail to work correctly. If you want to perform this test, you should check the instructions for a factory reset process. After running the test, factory-reset the lock.
Removing the Old Lock
Before you can install your new smart lock, you need to take the old one out. Standard locks are easy to remove, so long as you have access to the interior of your home anyway. Start with finding the two screws on the interior thumb turn piece. Then unscrew them.
Josh Hendrickson
Open the door (if you haven’t already) and go to the front side of the lock (where you insert your key). The key assembly should be loose, pull that off.
Josh Hendrickson
Now on the side of your door, look for the bolt that slides out when you lock it. Unscrew the two screws and pull the bolt assembly out.
Installing Your Smart Lock
Now find the bolt for your new lock, and look for the top mark:
Throwing together a soiree for friends is fun, but it can also feel stressful without a bartender on hand. If you need to find the perfect fall cocktail for your next party, we’ve got some suggestions.
These 10 adult beverages are fantastic treats to share with your friends. With so many holidays around the corner, you'll have many special occasions to enjoy sipping these fun refreshments.
Fall Sangria
Everyday Maven
Whether you’re an oenophile or just enjoy the occasional glass with friends, this sangria is a great way to take wine to a whole new level. We understand some wine lovers wouldn't dare mix other ingredients with their fermented grapes. However, some people can't get enough of this sweet, refreshing beverage.
You don't have to say goodbye to this summer BBQ classic just yet, because the autumn flavors in this version are out of this world. The tart apple, lemon, and lime flavors perfectly complement the cinnamon and cherry brandy. You'll want more than one glass.
If you've never tried a Montana, Moscow, or Southern mule, there’s no better time than now. You can make this ginger cocktail in many ways, but the main ingredients consist of alcohol, ginger beer, and lime juice.
In this recipe, you learn how to make a spiced simple syrup out of sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. The spices come alive and infuse perfectly into a fresh, aromatic drink you’ll enjoy.
This is one fancy cocktail—and a tasty one, too. Pear is in season this time of year and makes a great snack, so why not use it to create an adult beverage? The pear and ginger flavors, coupled with lemon and fresh rosemary, create a daring cocktail that is both fresh and delicious.
Spooky season is upon us, which means it’s the perfect time to delve into scary stories that make your skin crawl. Add some excitement to your commute with these intriguing true-crime podcasts.
Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad
If you don’t need a happily-ever-after to enjoy a story, you might enjoy this podcast. Every week, ex-cold case investigator Paul Holes and investigative journalist Billy Jensen discuss unsolved murders, unidentified remains, and missing persons cases.
What makes this podcast unique is listeners get to ride along with the two experts as they attempt to solve crimes. You can also help them by providing tips or new information. While they don’t always succeed, the storytelling is always engaging and easy to binge.
This brand-new podcast features April Balascio, a woman who, at the age of 40, realized her father, Edward Wayne Edwards, was a serial killer. With host, John Dean, she dives into her past and shares glimpses into the strange psyche of her father. She also recounts how her suspicions led her to contact the police, which resulted in his arrest and conviction. It’s a gripping and emotional journey that’s not to be missed.
Crime is not just about murder—it’s a function of our society, our homes, our system, and our history. Sometimes, there’s blood involved, or misinformation, or helplessness. With its hypnotic sound design and captivating words, criminals share stories far more complex than they might seem at first. In this award-winning podcast, the entrancing voice of host Phoebe Judge delves objectively into different crime tales that will satisfy the most analytical and curious minds.
First, you have to pick the right monitor for the job. Your budget will play a large role here, so first, decide what you want to spend, and which features are most important to you.
Here are some things to consider before you choose a monitor:
Resolution: This is the number of pixels displayed onscreen at once, measured on two axes (e.g., 1920 x 1080). Generally, the higher the resolution, the better the image quality. Higher resolutions, like 4K and 5K, require more powerful hardware.
Size: Most displays are around the 27-inch mark. Smaller, 24-inch displays remain popular with gamers, and people who have minimal desk space. Larger, 32-inch and ultrawide monitors are also available. Your decision ultimately depends on your budget and available space.
Pixel density: Measured in pixels per inch (PPI), pixel density describes how closely-packed the pixels are on the display. The higher the pixel density, the better the image quality, as you’re less likely to see individual pixels.
Display and panel type: This is the major factor when it comes to quality and performance. You can choose an LCD panel built on IPS, TN, or VA technology or opt for cutting-edge OLED panels if the budget allows.
Refresh rate: This refers to the number of times the display refreshes per second. The refresh rate is measured in hertz (Hz). Basic monitors support 60 Hz, which is fine for office work, web browsing, or anything without fast-moving images. Most high-refresh-rate monitors (144 Hz) are considered “gaming” monitors and would be overkill for those who aren’t.
Color accuracy: Which color profiles does the monitor support? If you use your monitor for creative work, like photo and video editing, or design, you need one with a high degree of color accuracy. You should also consider buying a monitor calibration tool.
Other characteristics: Do you want a curved monitor for a more immersive viewing experience? How about one you can use in portrait mode for coding or mobile development that tilts 90 degrees? Do you plan to mount the monitor on a VESA mount?
If you have the hardware and budget for a 4K monitor, the HP Z27 comes highly recommended from sites like Wirecutter. You can get the reduced, 1440p resolution version of the same display for a few hundred dollars less.
Apple says LG’s Ultrafine 5K display is suitable to use with its latest range of laptops. This display uses Thunderbolt 3 to drive the monitor and simultaneously provide 85 watts of charge for your laptop over USB-C. Acer’s XR342CK 34-inch curved display scores top marks for an ultrawide if you have the necessary desk space.
It’s important to make sure your Mac is powerful enough to drive any external displays at the resolution and refresh rate you need. One easy way to do this is to check the technical specifications of your particular model. To find your model, click the Apple logo in the top-right corner of the screen and choose “About This Mac.”
Search for your exact model on Apple’s website (e.g., “MacBook Pro Retina mid-2012”), and then click “Support” to reveal the technical specifications sheet. Under “Graphics and Video Support” (or similar), you should see something like, “Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display, and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on up to two external displays.”
Are your closets and cabinets a little too dark? Could your drawers use some accent lighting? Maybe it’s time to grab a few motion-sensor lights for all those dark places in your life.
Motion sensor lights are great because they’re hassle-free. They turn on and off automatically, so you don’t have to worry about wasting electricity. Plus, they’re easy to install (easier than a light socket), and they usually run on batteries, so they don’t need an outlet.
But which light should you buy? How do you know if a motion sensor light will work for you?
What to Look for In Motion Sensor Lights
Every motion sensor light is different. Some are long and thin, while others are chunky and round. Some are meant to work as accent lights, while others can illuminate a whole room.
In other words, you need to be careful when you shop for motion sensor lights. It’s easy to end up with one that doesn’t suit your needs (or is just ugly).
Luckily, you can avoid any disappointment if you consider which of the following features are most important to you beforehand:
Versatility: Some lighting products require adhesives to stick to the wall, while you can mount others with screws or magnets. Think about how much flexibility you need from your lights, along with extra features, like an “always-on” button or dimming settings.
Power: Motion sensor lights have automatic shutoff features, but they can still eat through batteries pretty quickly. For that reason, we’ve only included rechargeable lights in this article (minus the Philips Hue LightStrip, which plugs into an outlet).
Working Distance: Super-sensitive lights work best in walk-in pantries, closets, and other larger areas, while less sensitive lights work best in small drawers or cabinets. You can tell how sensitive a light is by its motion detection range.
Size: How much lighting do you need? Do you need to illuminate your whole closet or just the inside of a drawer? Generally, large and long lights illuminate a larger area than small or directional lights.
Again, with the exception of the Philips Hue LightStrip, all the motion sensor lights in this article are powered by rechargeable batteries. This means they cost a few bucks more than lights powered by AAA or AA batteries, but they also don’t require battery replacements.
Now that you know what you’re looking for in a motion sensor light, it’s time to shop!
Best Overall: LUXJET LED Strips
LUXJET
LUXJET LED strips are an affordable, simple lighting option for your closet, cabinets, or any other dark or dim place. You can also use them as accent lights. You just attach them to a surface with the included adhesive, and you’re good to go!
"You're going to flip," reads an invitation that Motorola has begun sending out to media for an event that will almost surely involve the unveiling of a fresh take on the old school Razr flip phone.
Scheduled for the evening of November 13, the event will be hosted in downtown Los Angeles and will feature the "highly anticipated unveiling of a reinvented icon." The event will include appearances from special guests and music performers along with "a journey through immersive experiences."
Motorola
When Motorola discussed the idea of resurrecting the Razr with CNET in December 2018, the company itself noted that while people are yearning for a new take on the Razr, the phone would have to be revived in a way that isn't gimmicky and manages to deliver an incredible experience. "We've got to figure out how to deliver a breakthrough," said Raul Pierce, co-designer of the original Razr.
Those are encouraging words and it will be interesting to see what Motorola has whipped up. We anticipate a more modern foldable device, perhaps with dual screens or a single folding display, which seems about the only thing Motorola could do for this phone to be anything more than just the old Razr with faster chips and a sharper screen.
Less encouraging words come from a January 2019 report in the Wall Street Journal, where it was claimed that the new Razer would cost $1,500 and only around 200,000 units would be produced. Speculation suggests that the new Razr will have a modern Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 2,730mAh battery, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of storage, and color options including white, black, and gold.
Filters in Google Sheets let you analyze data in your document by showing only the things you want. However, it changes how others see the document, too. Here’s how to use filter views to leave each collaborator’s view unchanged.
Fire up Google Sheets and open up a spreadsheet to get started.
Click Data > Filter Views > Create New Filter View.
The row numbers and column letters will turn a dark gray color when activated. At this time, you should give your filter view a name to distinguish it from any other views you make in the future and check the range is correct. You can always edit both of these later if needed.
For this guide, we want to filter anything in the table that has a price per unit greater than $10. Click the filter icon in the field for “Price Per Unit.”
There’s no way to leave email conversations if someone accidentally hits the “Reply All” button. What you can do is mute the conversation on your end to disable notifications. Here’s how to mute threads on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac using the Mail app.
How to Mute Mail Threads on iPhone and iPad
To mute a thread on an iPhone or iPad, you need to be running iOS 13 or iPadOS 13 and higher.
There are two ways to do this. The first works without even opening the email. You can also mute a message from the reply menu.
If you’re in the Inbox, swipe left on an email and select the “More” option.
From the popup, tap on the “Mute” button.
The email will now have a small “Bell” icon to tell you that the thread has been muted.
Whether you’re old enough to remember them, or you’ve just noticed them while sorting through old family photos, you might be curious how the little glowing date was imprinted on photos in the late-20th century.
In the digital photography era, the little orange date stamp in the lower-right corner of snapshots has largely fallen by the wayside. However, the technology used to superimpose the dates on old photos is pretty cool—and surprisingly low-tech.
In this video from Applied Science, we’re treated to a tour of an old camera body. You’ll see how a little extra bit in the body made it possible to add the date to a photo negative the moment it was taken.
Pretty cool! We love finding out how things work—even more so when how they work is so simple and elegant.
Halloween is fun for so many reasons, but preparing goodies that look like creepy critters is what it’s all about for us. Learn to create treats that might make you think twice before taking a bite.
Whether you want spider-covered cookies, or something a bit more yucky—like bloody rat cupcakes—we've got you covered. Check out these seven bizarre yet delicious creepy-crawly food recipes.
Jell-O Worms with Oreo Dirt
Cakes Cottage
These worms might not have legs to crawl, but they look super realistic, which is why they made it to our list of creepy-crawly desserts. You might find it disturbing to take a bite, but don’t worry, once you take in a mouthful, you'll see they taste oh so good. You might even go for a second helping.
The author will take you through steps and teach you how to make realistic-looking worms using gelatin in straw molds. You’ll then put them in a cup of crushed Oreo, which resembles dirt.
For a little extra deliciousness, place chocolate pudding in individual cups, and then add the Oreo crumbs and, finally, the worms. Right before your eyes will be a bowl of worm-infested mud. Yummy.
These spider cookies are a great combination of adorable and yummy. If you aren’t a fan of spiders, you might still get away with making these. The silly eyeballs help make this one a little less creepy and a bit goofier.
You'll learn to make peanut butter cookies from scratch, and then decorate them using Whoppers candy and melted chocolate. Enjoy these with the kids—but watch out for peanut allergies.
While Google focuses on the Assistant, Android owners shouldn’t forget about the Text-to-Speech (TTS) accessibility feature. It’ll convert text from your Android apps, but you might need to modify it to get the speech to sound the way you want it.
Modifying Text-to-Speech voices is easily done from the Android accessibility settings menu. You can change the speed and pitch of your chosen voice, as well as the voice engine you use.
Google Text-to-Speech is the default voice engine and is pre-installed on most Android devices. If your Android device doesn’t have it installed, you can download the Google Text-to-Speech app from the Google Play Store.
Changing Speech Rate and Pitch
Android will use default settings for Google Text-to-Speech, but you might need to change the speed and pitch of the Text-to-Speech voice to make it easier for you to understand.
Changing the TTS speech rate and pitch requires you to get into the Google accessibility settings menu. The steps for this might vary slightly, depending on your version of Android and your device manufacturer.
To open the Android accessibility menu, go to Android’s “Settings” menu. You can get to this by swiping down on your display to access your notification shade and tapping the gear icon in the top right, or by launching the “Settings” app from within your apps drawer.
In the “Settings” menu, tap the “Accessibility” option.
If you’re a bike commuter or active mountain biker, you’ll want to get your shine on as the days get shorter. Here are our favorite bike lights for all types of cyclists.
Before you shop for a bike light, the first thing you have to think about is how you plan to use it. For example, if you ride to and from work in the city, you have the benefit of overhead streetlights, so being visible to cars will be your primary concern. In this scenario, a super-bright, white flashing light might be enough.
However, if you’re an off-road biker, who blasts down single-track trails after dark, you need a more comprehensive setup, with possibly two lights so you can see every root or rock in your path.
Let’s take a look at some other things you should look for in your new bike light.
A Few Things to Consider
When it comes to judging bike lights, battery life and brightness are the two most important considerations, followed by design and mounting style. If you’ve never shopped for a bike light—or haven’t in a while—you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. This ain’t your grandpa’s flashlight!
Battery Life
The great thing about modern bike lights is they’re almost all powered by rechargeable lithium batteries. Many of them also have incredibly long burn times between charges. Obviously, you want to pick one with a battery life that will comfortably cover the amount of time you ride.
Many lights feature indicators that show how much power is left. This gives you the option of shifting to a lower output setting if you need to nurse the light long enough to get home.
You can charge most lights via USB; you can even use some lights as a spare battery pack to recharge other devices in a pinch.
Bright Enough or Too Bright?
Bike lights can go so long between charges now due to LED technology. It requires less energy but produces super-bright output. Unfortunately, brightness is an area where making apples-to-apples comparisons can get a bit confusing. I’ll try to explain.
With macOS Catalina, Apple is now using Zsh as the default shell. We love Zsh, but the trusty old Bash shell is still included with macOS, and you can quickly switch back to Bash if you prefer.
Zsh is only the default shell on newly created user accounts, so any existing accounts you have on an upgraded Mac will still use Bash by default unless you change it. Each user account has its own default shell preference.
From the Terminal
To change a user account’s default shell on macOS, simply run the chsh -s (change shell) command in a Terminal window.
Change the default shell to Bash by running the following command:
chsh -s /bin/bash
You’ll have to enter your user account’s password. Finally, close the Terminal window and reopen it. You’ll be using Bash instead of Zsh.
Change the default shell back to Zsh by running this command:
chsh -s /bin/zsh
Enter your password when prompted. After you close the terminal window and reopen it, you’ll be using Zsh.
While fitness trackers are all the rage, an older gadget might be a better help if you’re looking to hit your fitness goals: a chest band heart rate tracker. They’re cheaper, more accurate, and rarely need a battery change.
These are more niche athlete gadgets and can’t easily be found on the shelves of Best Buy or Academy. But for those who want a simple and effective way to get super-accurate heart rate data, they can’t be beaten. We’ve selected the best on the market.
The Best Overall Chest HR Tracker: Wahoo TICKR
Wahoo
For anyone who wants to make the switch to a chest strap heart rate monitor without breaking the bank, the Wahoo TICKR is the best option. This super-simple tracker runs on a cheap watch battery for months (or even years), and connects to most exercise equipment via the ANT+ wireless standard, with Bluetooth available as a backup for most phone exercise apps. (Wahoo makes its own app, but the tracker works with almost any app that supports external hardware.)
Its simple hardware and snap-on, adjustable strap are just about foolproof. It helps that it’s tiny: The low-profile tracker can easily fit underneath even tight workout clothes. For an accurate upgrade without the frills, you can’t do any better.
Runners and cyclists adore the Polar H10, thanks to measurement accuracy that consistently beats the competition. Its electrocardiogram sensor, waterproof design, and dual Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity (both at the same time, if you need it) means it can be used in almost any situation.
The user-replaceable battery is rated for 400 hours of active tracking, and it can save a workout session in local memory if you don’t have your phone or tracking gadget handy. It also works on the semi-proprietary 5 Khz “Gymlink” wireless standard. And yes, despite the Polar branding, the H10 is more than happy to work with third-party apps.
Happenin' haunts and pop-up Halloween parties rule October. If you don't want to get caught without your fangs, we've got some gory goodies you'd be wise to keep in your coffin.
From last-minute office parties to impromptu zombie walks, you never know what chicanery might appear in October. If you wait too long to plan your costume, the least popular Disney princesses (and a ton of Shreks) will be the only things left at the shops.
However, if you keep a stash of macabre necessities in your lair, you can transform anytime and with a quickness—even if it's not a full moon.
All of the items on our list were available at the time of writing, but if they happen to be out of stock, use them as inspiration!
Hair-Raising Hairdos
A saucy wig or some hair dye is the quickest way to turn yourself into someone (or something) else. If you keep some of these creepy coifs around your haunted mansion, you can pair one with some of our other suggestions and be off on your broomstick:
Black gothic wig: Whether it's Dracula or Morticia, everyone has at least one Halloween they celebrate as a Dark Lord or Mistress of the Night—or Cher.
Clown wig: Yes, even if you go as the circus-variety buffoon, most people will still be creeped out. Of course, if you want to be more obvious about your mayhem, you can go as the creepiest one of all.
Mullet wig:You might just win the costume contest with this beauty! It instantly transforms you into the trailer park landlord of your dreams or a member of just about any band, circa 1982. Pair this with a torn, stained tank top and some ripped jeans, and you're ready for the kegger (let’s get real—you're bringing the keg).
Crimping iron: In the ’80s, looking like you lost a fight with a waffle iron was totally rad! Now, you too can get that coveted “my kitchen appliances are possessed” look. This style is making a comeback, though, so you might find this iron useful even after you rock the Halloween shindig as your favorite Go-Go.
Wayne and Garth: It's party time, it's excellent! These are variations on the mullet theme, but why quit a good thing? The Wayne wig includes the hat, so just add a sprinkle of black t-shirt, a dash of denim, and one fresh Garth, and you can spend Halloween in Wayne’s World. You’ll have your fellow partygoers crying, "We're not worthy!" in no time.
Wig with curlers: Ever wondered why you see tons of zombie grandmas on Halloween? Because it's an easy-peasy costume! You have PJ’s, a robe, and some bunny slippers, right? Just snag this wig and some zombie face (more on that later), and you're ready to meet your fellow Walkers at the Senior Center for some Apocalypse Bingo.
Black temporary dye:If you'd rather not wear a sweaty, itchy wig, you can go the temporary spray-in dye route. This black aerosol from High Beams doesn't make your hair stiff like hairspray, but it does smear. Be sure to drape a towel over your costume before you use it, and spray it on outside—unless you want to paint your walls and the cat, too.
Now that you've got your harrowing hair figured out, it's time to make that face horrific. Even if you haven't a clue what you want to be for Halloween, a few decent makeup palettes can open up a dark, endless world of creativity.
Here are some of our essential makeup and special effects kits for guys and ghouls:
Smokey eye palette and Black eyeliner: Whether you're morphing into a goth icon or the Starchild from KISS, you have to smoke up those eyes. This eyeshadow palette from BYS has everything you need to shade and layer your way to Mistress of the Night. Then, you've got to go all-in on the drama with a good liquid liner. We like the waterproof pen from Docolor.
80s eyeshadow palette: If you’d prefer to be Mistress of the Dancefloor rather than Darkness, you'll be needing some electric blue (or pink, or purple) eyeshadow to go with that side-ponytail you're rockin’. This Spectrum palette has every color Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, or any Bangle in-between could possibly want.
Clown makeup kit: Ready to unleash your version of Pennywise or Bozo on your unsuspecting friends? Just pair this palette with one of the clown wigs we shared above. This versatile kit isn't just for Killer Klowns from Outer Space, though. With the white cream base and variety of detail colors, you can create zombies, werewolves, phantoms, or the rest of the members of KISS.
White pressed powder:You're looking a little pale this evening. Well, you will be, anyway, with this offering from Bloody Mary Makeup. If you want to look just-bitten and sickly, but not supernaturally-dead-for-centuries, this powder makes the perfect base. And the handy compact means you can pause for touchups between victims.
Blues rocker beard:If you don't want to mess with makeup but still want a shot at winning that Target Gift Card in the costume contest, slip on this ZZ Top beard and your southern rocker ‘tude. This beauty comes with the ‘stache, but don't forget to “go get yourself some cheap sunglasses.”
Zombie makeup kit:Grab some old clothes from the thrift store, cut them up, roll them in some dirt, and let this Fun World kit do the rest. Or, you can snatch up that wig with curlers we covered earlier and unleash Zombie Gran!
Now that you have several possible guises to strut at the morbid masquerade, you might want to pick up some stalwart props.
If you keep these ominous odds and ends around, you'll be ready to head to Scaretown before anyone can say “Bloody Mary” three times:
Witch's hat: The witch costume remains a time-honored Halloween tradition for many reasons—it's easy, creepy, and black is slimming. Did we mention it's easy? If you need to hop on your broomstick at a moment's notice to find some eye of newt, you can't forget your hat! Whether you're glam, disco, grunge, or classic crone, your perfect topper is only a click away.
Blood: When you go gory, you need blood. Not the real kind! Step away from the Blood Bank, please. Finding decent fake blood can be a challenge. Sure, you can make your own, but if you don't have that kind of time, you can nab some pretty realistic formulas on Amazon. Of course, keep in mind, all fake blood stains clothing and your skin. You might be a bit pinker the first few days of November than you were in October.
Fangs: If you want to throw on your black cape and make some music with the Children of the Night, you're going need some neck chompers—and a good set is hard to find. This kit includes multiple sets of fangs so you can pick just the right size for your teeth. You attach these with the included adhesive, and, hopefully, you don't plan to eat…food.
Trauma headbands: Grab a bottle of that fake blood we mentioned above and become an instant horror movie victim with the Weapon headband set. It includes four appalling head wounds, which means you'll be all set for four straight Halloweens!
But all this flexibility can make it hard to find a good Raspberry Pi case. Some cases are meant for everyday applications, but others are made specifically for smarthome setups, entertainment centers, or intensive applications (which can generate a lot of heat).
So before shopping for a Pi case, you should stop and think of what you need. Here are some of the features that you might need in a Pi 4 case:
Heat Dissipation: If you plan to use your Pi 4 for intensive actives or extended periods, then you should probably get a nice, cool case. Aluminum cases with fans and heat-sinks are the coolest option, but most people can get away with the bare minimum, like a case with one fan or decent ventilation.
GPIO/Module Access: All of the Pi cases listed in this article provide easy access to the GPIO and module pins, but some give a bit of extra wiggle room for cables. If you want to use accessories like camera modules or with your Pi, then try to find a case with extra cable room.
Assembly: Most Raspberry Pi cases are really easy to assemble. But some cheap cases are made from stacked pieces of acrylic (like a case that’s been sliced into bologna), and they’re really a pain to assemble. If you don’t feel like dealing with that extra work, then shell out for a more expensive case.
Labeling: Clear or unlabeled cases can make it harder to locate the Pi 4’s ports. If you want a case that won’t confuse your family or roommates, then try to find one that’s opaque and labeled.
Alright, now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to start shopping for your new Raspberry Pi 4 case.
Before we get starts, it’s worth mentioning that the Pi 4 Model B is still a relatively new product. We’ll cover a lot of different cases in this article, but some popular case styles, like retro game console cases, aren’t manufactured for the Pi 4 just yet.
All-Purpose Cases (Great for Entertainment Centers)
Anidees, Argon Forty
Some cases, like the official Raspberry Pi 4 case, are meant to fit in just about any situation. These cases usually have attractive designs, adequate cooling, and ample room for cables. They’re also pretty easy to put together, although they tend to cost more than your typical Raspberry Pi case.
We’d suggest using these cases for media centers or desktops. If you plan to push your Pi to the limit, you may want to find an all-purpose case that comes with fans or check out the super cooling cases further in this article.
Here are a few fantastic all-purpose cases:
Pi 4 Official Case: The official Pi 4 case from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It’s an attractive, easy to assemble case that leaves ample room for internal cables.
Flirc Silver Case: This attractive, affordable, easy to assemble case is a great option for intense or casual Pi 4 projects. It effectively dissipates heat with its raised feet and aluminum heat-sinks, and you can easily access the Pi’s GPIO and main connectors through the bottom of the case. Flirc also sells this case with Kodi branding.
Anidees Premium Case: Anidees’ premium Pi 4 cases are sleek, easy to assemble, and well ventilated. They also have noise-dampening feet, holes for wall mounting, and enough interior room for GPIO and main connector access.
Anidees Extra-Tall Case: A high-quality case that’s easy to assemble. This case is nearly identical to the Anidees premium case, but it has a bit of extra headroom for cables and modules.
Argon One Mini Computer Case: As of right now, this is the only Pi 4 case that actually looks like a computer case or game console. It’s well ventilated, comes with a USB-C power supply, has a removable magnetic top, and actually has a GPIO label printed on its backside for on-the-fly modifications.
GeeekPi Fan ABS Case: A simple case that comes with a large 40mm fan. It’s easy to assemble or take apart, and it has two pre-installed wall-mounting holes.
The “Reset This PC” feature has been around since Windows 8, but it’s changed a lot since then. Microsoft keeps making it better and better, and it’s easy to miss all the improvements. Cloud Download is just the latest, most visible one.
How “Reset This PC” Works
The Reset This PC feature makes it “almost like you just opened your PC for the first time,” according to Microsoft’s Aaron Lower, a project manager in charge of Recovery at Microsoft, in a Windows Insider webcast. If you’re selling or giving away your PC, you can erase your files and even wipe your drive so your data can’t be recovered. If you’re experiencing a PC problem or just want a clean Windows system, you’ll get that fresh Windows OS.
When resetting your PC, you can choose to either keep your personal files or have them removed from your PC. Either way, Windows will remove your installed programs and give you a fresh operating system.
To reset a PC, head to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery or choose the Troubleshoot > Reset This PC option in the Advanced Startup Options menu. This menu opens if you have problems booting your PC, but you can also open it by holding the Shift key while you click the “Restart” option in the Windows Start menu or on the login screen.
Under the hood, Windows will gather the files it needs and basically create a new Windows installation. It will migrate your personal files, if you choose, as well as hardware drivers and preinstalled applications to the new system.
Windows Recovery goes a long way back. “Recovery partitions” began in Windows XP and were also used by Windows Vista and Windows 7. These were separate partitions containing a compressed copy of Windows and the manufacturer’s customizations, and you could restart your PC and boot into them to restore.
Everyone with a Samsung Galaxy S10: If you’re using the biometric fingerprint to unlock your phone, you have no security until Samsung releases an update to address an issue that lets anyone unlock your device using their thumb.
As reported in The Sun earlier this week, a British couple discovered that when using a screen protector on their Galaxy S10 smartphone, the fingerprint scanner would accept any print instead of only the print of its owner.
A woman learned that she could use her left thumbprint to unlock her device, despite only ever registering the print from her right thumb. And then it was found that her husband could open the phone by using either of his thumbs.
In this situation, the phone was paired with a certain gel screen protector that was purchased on eBay for £2.70. It’s unclear whether the issue involves all types of screen protectors, but Samsung has warned anyone who uses their Galaxy handset with a screen protector to disable the fingerprint scanner and switch to another option for unlocking the device, at least until a fix is released.
The Galaxy S10 has unique hardware for scanning fingers. It uses ultrasound to map the 3D ridges of a fingerprint and it has been previously reported that some screen protectors are incompatible with this scanner because they created a small air gap that hindered scanning. Fortunately, Samsung says it’s going to fix the problem with an upcoming software patch.
What’s also unclear is whether any other Samsung models are affected, such as the Galaxy Note 10, which also features an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. To turn off your fingerprint reader: Go to the Settings app > Lock Screen > Screen lock type, then enter your unlock code for access to the option that will let you switch off the Fingerprints unlock setting.
Smarthome device maker Arlo has announced its first doorbell camera with features that include a 180-degree diagonal field of view and a square 1:1 aspect ratio that captures as much video vertically as it does horizontally.
Arlo says its doorbell camera is designed to capture what most other video doorbells can’t because of their wide aspect ratio. The Arlo Video Doorbell boasts an industry-leading vertical field of view that is better equipped to capture the full picture of your front porch and anyone who might be standing on it.
Along with recording HD video, the Arlo Video Doorbell has two-way audio for voice communication. The device supports direct-to-mobile video calls as well as personalized alerts for events such as package delivery.
When someone presses your Arlo Video Doorbell, it will automatically send a live HD video call right to your smartphone. If you can’t take the call, you can respond by sending a pre-recorded message of your choosing.
Camera specifications include a 12x digital zoom and video modes for capturing in 1536 x 1536, 1080 x 1080, and 720 x 720. Night vision is enabled high powered infrared 850nm LEDs with an IR Cut Filter. Here’s the Arlo Video Doorbell’s full feature list:
Optimized front entry view: Industry-leading vertical field-of-view with an optimized 1:1 aspect ratio.
Motion detection and alerts: Receive alerts when motion is detected.
Video call: Calls your phone directly so you never miss a visitor.
Quick reply messages: Pre-recorded messages to quickly reply to visitors.
Night vision: See who's at your door at night, even without a light on.
HD video: Capture vivid detail in bright and dark areas with HDR.
Zoom: Zoom in on a subject while on a live video call.
Silent mode: Disables push notifications and silences chime.
Weather-resistant design: Designed to withstand heat, cold, rain or sun.
Tamper detection: Siren can be triggered if someone attempts to remove the doorbell.
The Arlo Video Doorbell connects to an existing mechanical or digital chime for easy installation and for a source of continuous power. Units are currently available for pre-order at Best Buy and other resellers for $149.99. Of note, the purchase includes a three month trial for Alro’s subscription-based AI service called Arlo Smart, which adds another layer of features and personalization.
When collaborating on files in Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, and Slides), it’s easy to lose sight of who’s working on specific parts of a project. With Google Drive, you can assign tasks to another collaborator on your team.
Fire up Google Drive and open a file you currently collaborate on with other people.
For this guide, we’ll use a Google Docs file, but the process is virtually the same for either a Sheets or Slides file.
Highlight some text, an image, cells, or slides, and then click the Add a Comment icon, located on the right of the page. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Alt+M (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+Option+M (macOS) to insert a comment using the keyboard shortcut.
Apple makes it easy to download an app or to rent a movie on your iPhone or iPad. But what if you want to change the default password behavior for App Store and iTunes Store? Here’s how to manage your password preferences.
Turn off Touch ID and Face ID for App Store and iTunes Store
If you’re using any modern iPhone with Touch ID or Face ID, you won’t be prompted to set your password preference in the App Store app. Touch ID and Face ID will override your previous preferences (if any).
As such, if you don’t want to be prompted for authentication for buying apps, you’ll still get a Touch ID or Face ID prompt. The only way to access those password management settings is to first disable Touch ID or Face ID authentication for the App Store and iTunes Store.
To do this, open the “Settings” app and go to the “Face ID & Passcode” or “Touch ID & Passcode” section, depending on your device.
From the next screen, enter your lockscreen passcode to authenticate.
Here, tap on the toggle next to “iTunes & App Store” to disable Face ID or Touch ID authentication for App Store and iTunes Store.
For years my primary mobile gaming time has been on airplanes. It wasn’t until recently I discovered just how many damn ads mobile games have. It turns out the feet-on-the-ground fix gives you more than just ad-free game time.
Call me blissfully naive if you want, but for the longest time I simply thought my favorite mobile games didn’t have the same ads-everywhere problem that plagued most mobile games. It turns out that wasn’t the case.
The case was that when I was at home, I would use a game console or PC to game; when I was away from home traveling for work, I’d play games on my iPhone on the plane. When you’re on the plane, your phone is in airplane mode and, you guessed it, when you’re in airplane mode, there’s no network access to deliver and load the ads—so the app simply doesn’t bother.
Home from a recent trip, I went to show my family a puzzle game I’d really enjoyed and was surprised to see the thoughtfully designed puzzle game had full-screen ads (for the dumbest cartoon-style Sims knockoff I’d ever seen) playing after every single puzzle.
The solution? Pop the phone into airplane mode and enjoy not only an ad-free game experience but a nice break from the pings, dings, and constant notifications that permeate modern life.
While more vehicles are coming with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay built-in, you don’t have to buy a new car to get these excellent in-dash systems. There are some great aftermarket units available—these are some of the best.
Important Features of an Aftermarket Car Stereo
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have revolutionized car stereos in recent years. When auto manufacturers build a new car, the car stereo features are generally set in stone. But Apple CarPlay and Android Auto open up support for new and updated applications at any time. For example, with iOS 13, Apple added a new split-screen layout that dramatically improves usability. Every car stereo with Apple CarPlay got this change for free!
Several car makers now include support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But if yours does not, you can get this technology by replacing your factory stereo with an aftermarket stereo. But before you pick out that new head unit, take a look at these important features:
Wireless support: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were initially a wired affair, but the wireless variant of these two technologies is becoming the new standard. Combined with in-vehicle wireless charging pads, connecting to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be as easy as entering the vehicle and plopping your phone down!
Speaker Amplification Power: Most aftermarket stereos have far more amplification power than your factory head unit. If you want a decent volume from your speakers, you will want at least 20 watts (RMS). Unless you are planning to add a speaker amplifier like a Kicker Key 180.4 or an Alpine KTP-445U to your rig, you need to pay attention to available amplifier power.
HD Radio / Sirius XM Support: These days, most aftermarket stereos support Sirius XM. HD Radio is a little rarer. That’s unfortunate because HD Radio is a great way to get high definition digital music for free over the airwaves.
Capacitive Touchscreen: Older and less advanced receivers use resistive touchscreens requiring you to push long and hard on the screen to make something happen. Capacitive touchscreens (like the one on your phone) are far superior to resistive touchscreens, making this a non-optional requirement for a good car stereo these days.
Backup Camera / Dashcam Support: Support for front, side, rear, or dash cameras is growing in the car stereo segment. Most aftermarket receivers now support two or even three camera inputs. If your existing car stereo shows you a backup camera when you go into reverse, this is the minimum required functionality for your replacement unit.
Comprehensive Equalizer / Crossover Support: The ability to dial in sound frequencies to achieve what you like to hear can’t be overstated. It’s not good enough to just have bass and treble adjustment. Also, fine-tuning crossover frequencies for each set of speakers (front, rear, and subwoofer) will result in an overall cleaner sound and also extend the life of your speakers by directing each speaker to play the frequencies it is designed for.
Line-Out Pre-amp Connections: Three pairs (6 channels) of pre-amp line outs (front, rear, and subwoofer) is also a basic requirement these days. All of the good receivers have them. You should question the purchase if the receiver you are evaluating doesn’t—or, you know, just avoid it altogether.
Steering-wheel Mounted Controls Support: Most modern cars come with steering-wheel-mounted controls these days. You’ll lose convenience if your aftermarket receiver doesn’t have a way to allow these controls to manage the stereo’s functions. The most common interface solution includes the iDatalink Maestro device. You will be looking for iDatalink support in any receiver that might replace your factory head unit.
Bluetooth Dual-Phone Pairing: Virtually every modern car stereo can pair with a cell phone via Bluetooth. Some of the better stereos can pair with two cell phones simultaneously, allowing for either phone to make or receive a phone call while the stereo seamlessly switches between the two phones.
Best Overall: Kenwood Excelon DMX906S
Kenwood
The Kenwood Excelon series of car stereos is known for high-end features such as stronger amplification, better quality preamp line outs, and an extensive list of modern features. The DMX906 delivers on this paradigm with standout features like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a customizable widget-based user interface, comprehensive 13-band EQ and 3-way crossover controls, HD Radio, and dual phone Bluetooth support.
The Kenwood provides standard features like SiriusXM radio support and three pairs of preamp line outs. It also has extended support for iDatalink Maestro that includes the ability to display additional vehicle diagnostics such as engine RPM and tire pressures. The DMX906S has a 6.95-inch capacitive touchscreen and provides 22 watts (RMS) x 4 channels, which is enough to drive just about any set of front and rear door speakers without additional amplification.
The Kenwood DMX906S boasts an incredible list of features including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, customizable user interface, and dual phone Bluetooth support to nail down our pick for Best Overall car stereo receiver.
The Alpine ILX-W650 boasts a capacitive 7-inch touchscreen and support for wired-only Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in a package that is less than three inches deep and for an extremely low price! This is the go-to unit for replacing extremely shallow factory head units. The ILX-W650 also provides a standard feature list that includes support for iDatalink Maestro, 6-channel preamp outputs, support for SiriusXM radio, as well as custom EQ control.
If you aren’t replacing a shallow mount factory unit, the ILX-W650 practically begs you to bolt an Alpine KTA-450 mini-amplifier onto the back (a supported configuration) for a total depth of less than 5-inches while pushing 50 watts (RMS) per channel x 4 channels. In fact, the KTA-450 actually comes with the bracket you need to make this happen. Better yet, if this is your desired configuration, you can buy an ILX-W650/KTA-450 combo that will save you a few bucks.
Android devices are great, but their small size can sometimes be limiting. When you connect your device to a projector, you can share your screen with others for business or pleasure. Here are a few ways to do it.
If you don’t have a projector, you can also connect Android to a TV. Projectors are the better option, though, as they normally project a much bigger screen size than a TV, making them ideal for media playback or data presentations.
The easiest method to connect an Android device to a projector is to use Google Chromecast. To do this, your projector must support HDMI connections.
Once you plug your Chromecast into the HDMI port, you can then wirelessly stream your Android device screen to it. Your Chromecast will then display the contents through the projector.
Make sure you’ve disabled any power-save mode on your Android device, as this can reduce the quality of the stream.
Every child needs to study at home, and learning disabilities can amplify that need. Thankfully, there are plenty of supplemental educational apps built for kids with learning disabilities. These apps cover every subject, from reading to math to social or emotional intelligence.
Most educational apps focus on one subject, like math or reading. But some aim to cover all the bases. These all-purpose educational apps can teach language and math skills, along with skills for social and emotional intelligence.
These apps can be used to teach children of all skill levels. They can be used for independent learning, but they work best when an adult is around to help.
Otsimo (iOS/Android): A visually engaging app that’s full of learning games for all subjects and skill levels. It’s based on the principals of Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy and can be optimized for children based on their developmental needs.
Khan Academy Kids (iOS/Android): This free app uses fun games and visuals to teach rudimentary reading, writing, and mathematics. It’s a lot more visually engaging than most educational apps, which is great if your child has trouble focusing.
PBS KIDS Video (iOS/Android): Stream the PBS channel or episodes of PBS shows for free. This is a great passive learning tool that can teach your child reading, writing, math, and social or emotional skills.
Of course, these all-purpose apps are pretty broad. If your child needs a more focused study session, then it may be worth downloading an app that’s meant specifically for language skills, math skills, or emotional skills.
Reading’s not easy, but a few educational apps can help hone your child’s skills or raise their confidence. Some of these apps, like the Voice Dream Reader text-to-speech app, can also be used as accessibility tools for kids who have trouble reading.
Here are the best reading comprehension apps:
Rivet Better Reading (iOS/Android): Rivet is a free reading app that uses points and visuals to keep your child engaged. It’s perfect for all skill levels, and it helps round out areas where your child’s having trouble.
Elmo Loves ABCs (iOS): A premium app that teaches your child to identify and sound out letters and words. It includes fun learning games, along with digital coloring pages and clips from Sesame Street.
Autism Therapy with MITA (iOS/Android): This is an early-intervention app for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It’s a great vocab-building tool, but it also helps reduce stimulus over selectivity (tunnel vision).
Voice Dream Reader (iOS/Android): This premium text-to-speech app can turn any book into an audiobook. It’s an excellent tool for any child, and especially children who get overwhelmed by books or children with dyslexia.
Of course, language is more than just the written word. Communication is just as important as reading, and there are some great apps for nonspeaking or verbally challenged kids.
Even kids who are great at reading can have trouble communicating. If your child is nonverbal or has difficulty speaking, then it may be worth downloading an AAC or speech therapy app.
AAC apps convert symbols into words (like a text-to-speech program but with drawings), while speech therapy apps aim to deal with speech delays and articulation problems.
With macOS Catalina, iTunes is gone once and for all. Music, videos, and podcasts have new apps, and Finder now handles syncing and device backups. Here’s what you need to know in a post-iTunes world.
macOS Catalina includes a new app called Music, which uses a very similar app icon to the one once used by iTunes. This is where you go to stream Apple Music, access previously purchased music, manage your local music library, and make new digital purchases on the iTunes store. This is also where you can find Apple’s library of music videos.
The Music app looks very much like iTunes, albeit streamlined and slimmed down to focus purely on music. If you have an Apple Music subscription, the app should automatically populate with your iCloud Music Library, provided you are signed in to your Apple ID under System Preferences > Apple ID.
The Music app won’t show the iTunes Store or your star ratings by default. You can re-enable these features by clicking on Music > Preferences then enabling “iTunes Store” and “Star ratings” on the General tab. These preferences are very similar to what you would once find in iTunes, including the ability to specify local media folders under the Files tab.
Click on the quotation icon in the top-right corner of the screen to view lyrics where available. You can also click on the list icon next to it to see what songs are playing next. Access the old iTunes mini-player by clicking on the album artwork in the Now Playing box.
If any other users have shared their library locally, you’ll see a small drop-down box next to “Library” in the sidebar. Click on it to reveal any other libraries you can connect to.
Halloween marks the beginning of the two best months of the year filled with Holidays, family reunions, “friendsgivings,” and lots of delicious food. It also marks the beginning of that time of the year when we call chocolate nutritious and tell other half-truths to justify our indulgence.
What Is Chocolate, Exactly?
Let's start by explaining what chocolate is made from: cocoa beans. Cocoa beans are seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), a delicate plant native to Central America, South America, and Africa. They have a strong and bitter taste and are therefore fermented (with natural yeast and bacteria) post harvesting to develop flavor, after which they're dried, cleaned, and roasted. Then, the hull is removed, and the cacao nib that remains is ground into a powder, containing cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The cocoa butter, which liquefies during the pulverizing process, also known as cocoa liquor, is then poured into molds and cooled. This is what you'll encounter as a 100% cacao chocolate bar.
So, here’s what we've found out so far. Chocolate comes from cocoa beans, which are actually cocoa tree seeds. Those get harvested, fermented, dried, roasted, and ground. Chocolate is, therefore, a plant—and hey, eating more plants it the cornerstone of a healthy diet, right?
But It’s Nutritious, Right?
Cacao is widely considered to be one of the highest antioxidant foods in the world. Research suggests it can help reduce blood pressure, protect cells against free radicals, lower cholesterol levels, regulate blood sugar levels, keep inflammation on the low, and even boost brain functions.
It's also rich in iron, magnesium, and fiber, making it a real superfood. Doesn't this answer the 'is it nutritious' question?
It most certainly, without a doubt, is.
So, Where’s the Catch?
You see, the problem occurs when that nutritious 100% cacao gets mixed with other ingredients and processed into something completely different. Sugar, milk, flour, baking powder, corn syrup, cream, and various additives, fillers, colorants, and flavoring agents; they are the ones who make the chocolate less nutritious and stripped from most of its great qualities.
This is where your Halloween indulgence justification falls through—all candy and chocolates you consume on your trick-or-treating journey have little to zero nutrients beyond, well, sugar.
We all know chocolate treats aren’t’ the best food choices and a big Hershey bar definitely isn’t considered to be an essential macro or micronutrient food, but it's hard to ignore its delicious taste, and how having a day when we completely let go of clean eating boundaries is simply good for our mental health.
Chromebooks are a powerful, affordable alternative to Windows laptops and MacBooks. While they can fulfill just about any need, picking the right one is crucial. Here’s how to choose the Chromebook that will work for you.
What Is a Chromebook, Anyway?
Imagine a netbook that actually works. That’s the basic idea of a Chromebook. They’re affordable laptops that run Chrome OS, a straightforward, lightweight operating system geared toward web browsing.
Chromebooks are great for people who don’t want a complicated laptop experience. In-browser tools, like Google Docs or Microsoft Office, work without a hitch. Facebook and Netflix are easy to access without stumbling over weird menus or an unintuitive design.
Chromebooks aren’t just limited to casual use, either. If you’re more tech-savvy, you can push the OS to its limit and download Android or Linux apps (like GIMP or LibreOffice), or even load Ubuntu alongside Chrome OS. You can even use a touch screen Chromebook to create digital art or control smarthome products, like the Chromecast or Google Home Mini.
There are only two areas where Chromebooks fall short. For one, they can’t run professional desktop software (like Photoshop or CAD). They also don’t have the horsepower for most games, although in-browser games work fine. If you’re a gamer or you use professional software, you might prefer a Windows laptop or MacBook.
Otherwise, you’re in the right place! First, we’ll take a look at Chromebook form factors and specs and work our way down to the details, like displays and ports.
The shape and size of your Chromebook influence its features, specs, and price tag. So, before you start shopping, you should figure out how you want your Chromebook to look.
Let’s start with a disclaimer: all Chromebooks are thin and portable, but some are thinner and prettier than others. If you don’t care about 2-in-1 stuff and just want to get the best bang for your buck, forget about appearance and focus on specs. Some of the cheapest, ugliest Chromebooks sport great internals and should last for the next few years.
Ubuntu 19.10 “Eoan Ermine” boasts an upgraded Linux kernel along with faster boot times, updated themes, and experimental ZFS file system support. Whether or not you upgrade, Ermine shows what to expect from Ubuntu’s next LTS release, due April 2020.
Should You Upgrade?
Ubuntu 19.10 is available for download today, October 17, 2019. Upgrading isn’t mandatory—in fact, most people stick with the long-term service (LTS) releases and upgrade just once every two years when the next one comes out. The last LTS release was Ubuntu 18.04 LTS “Bionic Beaver.”
For some people, if the latest release isn’t a Long Term Support (LTS) release, the question “should I upgrade?” is a no-brainer. Canonical estimates that 95 percent of Ubuntu installations are running LTS versions. Ubuntu 19.10 isn’t an LTS release; it is an interim release. The next LTS is due out in April 2020, when Ubuntu 20.04 is going to be delivered.
If 95 percent stick with LTS releases, those who do upgrade to interim releases are very much in the minority. But there’s always going to be users who want the newest shiny things. They’re going to upgrade. Period. The fact that there’s a new version is reason enough.
So we’ve got the LTS-only users in the “definitely won’t upgrade” camp, and the give-me-the-new-version-now users in the “definitely will upgrade” camp. If neither of those is you, you must be in the “I might upgrade if there’s something compelling about this new release” camp. Here’s our quick run-down so you can make up your mind.
Updated Software
Of course, there is a lot of updated software. Here’s a summary of what’s been refreshed. The version numbers are given for each package. The version numbers in parentheses are the versions that were shipped with 18.04.
GNOME 3.34.1 (3.32.1)
Kernel 5.3.0.-13 (5.0.0-8)
Thunderbird 68.1.1 (60.6.1)
LibreOffice 6.3.2.2 (6.2.2.2)
Firefox 69.0.1 (66.0.3)
Ubuntu Software 33.0.6-2 (33.0.6)
Files 3.34.0 (3.32.0)
GCC 9.2.1 (8.3.0)
glibc 2.30 (2.29)
OpenSSL 1.1.1.c (1.1.1b)
GNOME
As soon as you boot up a computer with 19.10 on it, you’ll see some of the cosmetic changes. The user selection highlight bar is now a light shade of purple, instead of the orange color of previous versions.
With Google Drive, you can share any Google file (from Docs, Sheets, or Slides) online as a web page for anyone to see. You can even share simple HTML files to act as your site’s landing page. Here’s how to do it.
Sharing a Google file as a web page is a great way to publish information to the Internet for a large audience. Anything you share is entirely public, and—if you use the right search string—it can be found via any search engine as a lightweight page on the web.
When you share a file to the web, Drive creates a copy of it with a unique URL. This allows you to make edits and publish changes when you want to, and it also prevents viewers from seeing any source material.
Remember: anything you publish to the web is available for anyone to see, so you should never include sensitive or private information in your files.
How to Share a Google Docs File
Fire up your browser, head to Google Docs, and then open the file you want to share. Click File > Publish to the Web.
Next, click “Publish” to make your file visible on the Internet.
Accompanying the new hardware that Google unveiled yesterday, Logitech has announced a new keyboard and mouse which are branded as being “Made for Google” as they have features tailored toward being used on Google’s Chrome OS.
The combo is comprised of a Logitech M355 mouse and K580 keyboard. The mouse is a pretty standard affair with wireless connectivity via USB and Bluetooth, an 18 month battery life when using a single AA battery, and a compact oval design that measures only an inch thick. Buttons include right and left click as well as a scroll wheel.
There’s nothing hugely indicative of the Logitech 355 mouse being enhanced for Chrome OS, but the K580 keyboard has a whole row of Chrome OS shortcut keys along with a key for Google Assistant. The K580 keyboard was originally launched with different shortcut keys, but this Google-branded variant has shortcuts that resemble more of what you’d find on a Chromebook.
Logitech
Both versions of the K580 can be paired with several devices at the same time—such as a PC and/or smartphone. The board even has a cradle in the top bezel where you can prop up your phone, and there’s an easy switch button that lets you quickly toggle the keyboard between up to three different devices.
The K580 features a relatively sleek design with low profile scissor switch keys in a compact package, measuring 14.7 x 12.8 x 5.6 inches and weighing 1.2 pounds. The board connects to devices wirelessly for up to 33 feet over Bluetooth or through a USB dongle, and it can run for up to 24 months on two AAA batteries (which are included).
The Logitech M355 Portable Wireless Mouse for Chrome OS is available soon through Google’s online store for $29.99, while the K580 Slim Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard for Chrome OS is going for $49.99 with free shipping. Logitech follows in the steps of accessory maker Brydge, which released a more expensive Chrome OS keyboard last year.
Once upon a time, screen protectors were an absolute must for phones because screens were about as sturdy as chilled butter. These days? Not so much.
Full disclosure: I used to be religious about putting a screen protector on my phone. It got to the point that I would buy the protector ahead of purchasing the phone, so the second the cling film came off the screen, I could pop on the protector.
Today though? I haven’t had a protector on my screen in a couple of years. The glass technology has advanced so much there’s little to no chance the screen protector you buy will be harder, more durable, or have better anti-fingerprint technology than the super-strong Gorilla glass screen on your phone that’s coated with far more advanced anti-fingerprint and anti-glare coatings.
If your phone spends 90% of its day tucked safely in your pocket, what exactly are you protecting it from?
There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. Although my iPhone spends all day in my pants pocket, away from anything that could harm it. My wife’s iPhone spends all day in her purse, which is more like a wood chipper filled with makeup compacts and keys than the soft, secure pouch that is my pocket. In that case, we’re willing to use screen protectors to serve as ritual sacrifices to protect the actual screen of her phone.
iPadOS 13 dramatically improves the productivity of the iPad and it starts with the home screen. You can now pin the Today View widgets to the left column on the tablet’s home screen, making it much easier to access your favorite shortcuts.
How to Access Today View in iPadOS 13
The Today View used to show up as its own page on the iPad. In iPadOS 13, it shows up as a column on the left edge of the iPad’s screen. Just swipe right anywhere on the left-most home screen to reveal the widgets panel.
If you’re in the landscape mode, the icon grid will shrink to take up space next to the Today View panel. Swipe left to hide the panel. If you’re in portrait mode, swiping right on the home screen will bring up the Today View panel on top of the home screen (the icons will be blurred).
How to Add Widgets to Today View
If you’re new to using the Today View, you’ll first need to add widgets to this screen. Scroll to the bottom of the Today View section and tap on “Edit.”
You’ll now see a list of all enabled widgets. They’ll have a “Minus” icon on the left edge and a “Handle” icon on the right edge. You can tap on the “Minus” button and then tap on “Remove” to remove the existing widget from the Today View.
Having the same homepage every time you open your web browser can get boring after a while. Here are ten websites that will deliver a random fun fact, video, or piece of information to you every time you open your browser.
If you want to keep your existing homepage, you can always change things up by having multiple homepages. Right-click the links below to copy the link you need and add it to your home page settings (or bookmark it) in your browser of choice.
Not sure how to change your home page? We’ve got you covered, whether you’re on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari.
Wikipedia
Everyone’s favorite encyclopedia—Wikipedia— has a random page option that will display a page from its collection of nearly 6 million pages.
If you want to use a different language, change the “en” in the URL to the appropriate language, such as “es” for Spanish or “de” for German. This is also really useful if you’re learning a new language.
Additionally, most sites built on this wiki format have a “random” option, which brings us neatly to . . .
Wookieepedia
The Wookiepedia wiki also includes a random page option. If you’re a Star Wars fan—as many of us here at How-To Geek are—then there’s a good chance this will eat up time like nothing else.
You launch a PC game or stream a movie, but you don't hear any sound. On the surface, there’s no apparent reason for the lack of audio. This guide shows you how to fix sound problems in Windows 10.
Unfortunately, sound issues can be tricky. Problems could merely reside in third-party software, requiring a patch. Issues could also stem from within Windows 10 itself or the underlying hardware. Possible fixes include installing new drivers, tweaking settings, or even revert to a previous restore point.
This guide begins with the easy steps and moves deeper into Windows 10 if you continue to face audio issues.
Check for Simple Fixes First
There's nothing more embarrassing than yelling at the PC over sound issues stemming from an unintentional press of the microphone's mute button.
First, verify that the sound isn't muted on the PC end. If your keyboard has volume controls, press a key or turn a slider to see if the on-screen volume bar raises and lowers. You can also bring up the taskbar to examine the “speaker” icon parked next to the system clock.
As shown below, an “X” next to the virtual speaker icon means your audio is muted. Simply click the speaker button to expand the volume panel.
Next, click the speaker icon to the left of the slider to unmute.
If you’re seeking ghoulish grapes to haunt your next fruit salad, or if you’re craving spaghetti with a side of eyeballs, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of five everyday eats that, with a little creativity, become a frightening feast.
One of the best parts of Halloween is the blood-curdling buffets. People have discovered all kinds of ways to make their food a little freaky, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. So, we put together a list of our five favorite ways to spook-ify your dinner. Whether you’re serving it at a party or just want to terrify your next-of-kin, we’ve got plenty of ideas for you.
Cauliflower Brains
Whole roasting cauliflower has become a common sight with the rise of vegan and vegetarian diets. It’s also quite stylish for Halloween. Just look at a cauliflower and try to tell us it doesn’t look like a brain.
To really make things freaky, roast your whole, cored cauliflower to tender at 400 F. This will take about an hour. Then, frost the roasted cauliflower with tahini and drizzle with pomegranate molasses. If that doesn’t look like blood and brains, we don’t know what does. Be sure to leave a chef’s knife coming out the top for a truly gruesome set-up.
Spaghetti & Eyeballs
Forget the meatballs and make eyeballs instead. This one’s very easy to create. Simply use your favorite spaghetti and meatball recipe. You can even use pre-made, store-bought meatballs—we won’t tell!
To turn meatballs into eyeballs, you’ll need mini mozzarella balls, sometimes sold as bocconcini, and sliced black olives. Make and cook your meatballs as you normally would. Then, during the last five minutes of cooking, add a mozzarella ball to the top of each meatball. This gives the mozzarella time to melt, but not brown, so it can form the whites of the eyes. Then simply press a sliced olive into the melted cheese to create a pupil. For an extra scary scene, serve your eyeballs with black, squid-ink pasta.
Spooky Spider Pizzas
Want to make a pizza spooky? Cut a few sliced olives into pieces. Use those little black bits to create eight-legged creepy crawlies, and throw them on top of your pizza. Seriously, it’s that easy.
Olive spiders are most effective on individual pizzas. English muffins work well here. To complete the look, use string cheese to create a spider web under each olive spider.
Shrunken (Apple) Heads
Lauren Sakiyama
Baked apples are a fall classic, and easy to make Halloween ready. You can use any baked apple recipe for this one. The only change will be to carve a face in the front of each apple before baking.
Purchasing budget items can always be a toss-up—you never know just how many corners they cut to offer such a low price. Redragon, however, aims to deliver a mouse that has all the features you want without breaking the bank.
I bought the Redragon M711 Cobra earlier this year when I was looking for a cheap replacement for my previous mouse. I simply wanted a mouse that works; I didn’t care about getting a top of the line product. So, when the M711 arrived at my door, I was impressed with the number of options it has.
Tried and Tested
Eric Schoon
The M711 uses the popular “shooter” style mouse design. It’s reasonably slim (5 x 2.6 inches) and quite short (1.6 inches), so anyone who prefers larger mice might find it uncomfortable to use. The mouse has a curved, soft-feeling top that’s nice to the touch. The bottom part of the mouse is mostly made of smooth, hard plastic with slightly textured sides, which adds some grip to the mouse and a premium feel you wouldn’t expect at this price point.
Weighing in at 7.2 ounces, the M711 is easy to move around and ideal for games that require quick movements. The included USB cord is braided and feels durable. Because cords aren’t typically replaceable, an included high-quality one always gives some peace of mind.
Two thumb buttons are on the left side of the mouse. The front thumb button is made of the same material as the top of the mouse while the back thumb button is made of textured plastic. This helps with identifying which button you’re pressing without the need to look down.
Eric Schoon
Three plastic buttons on the top of the mouse are used for switching between lighting and DPI profiles. The scroll wheel has a rubber finish on it and scrolls in increments, making it hard to accidentally scroll further than intended—great for games with hotbars.
Fully Featured
As previously mentioned, the M711 has many additional features you can fine-tune in Redragon’s website. Really, any form of programming software is a luxury at this price point, so one as in-depth as this is especially appreciated.
The program allows for full reprogramming of each button on the mouse to do a wide range of actions. Whether you want the scroll wheel to act as a pause/play shortcut or the thumb button to execute a fine-tuned macro, you’re able to make those changes here. You can also fully control the DPI with a range of up to 10,000, which, frankly, is too high for most people, but having the option is nice regardless.
The M711 has full RGB lighting you can customize as well, but it’s limited. Only three of seven available lighting effects give you full control of the colors. Any effects that have multiple colors cannot be changed at all, which can be frustrating if you want to use them but aren’t a fan of the standard rainbow pattern.
Google is working on a new “Tab Freeze” feature for Chrome, which will pause (freeze) tabs you’re not using. That means lower CPU usage, a faster browser, and longer battery life on a laptop or convertible.
The Problem: Too Many Tabs
If you only had a single tab open at all times, Chrome would only need to render one web page at once. But you probably have more. Even while you’re not using them, each tab you have open in Chrome contains an open web page. That web page uses system memory. Any scripts and other active content on it continue running, too, which means the web page can use CPU resources in the background.
In some ways, this is good: Even if you switch tabs, a tab can continue playing audio or updating itself in the background. When you switch back to it, you don’t need to wait for the web page to reload—it’s instant.
But it can be bad. If you have a large number of tabs open—or even just a small number of tabs containing heavy web pages—they can use a lot of system resources, filling up your memory, taking up CPU cycles, making Chrome less responsive, and draining your battery. That’s why Chrome’s engineers created Tab Discarding and, now, Tab Freezing. They’re related features, but do different things in different situations.
How Tab Discarding Saves Your RAM
Tab Discarding was added back in 2015. This is a “memory-saving” feature, as Google puts it. In short, if your computer is low on memory, Chrome will automatically “discard” the contents of “uninteresting” tabs. Chrome won’t automatically discard a tab if you’re interacting with it, but that background tab you haven’t interacted with in hours is a prime target.
When a tab’s contents are discarded, it’s removed from your system’s memory, and the state is saved to disk. Nothing changes in Chrome’s interface—the tab appears on your tab bar and looks normal. But, when you click it and switch to it, you’ll see Chrome take a moment to quickly reload the page and get you back to where you were.
This slight delay is why Chrome only discards tab when your system’s memory is “running pretty low.” It’s good to use your RAM for caching. But automatically discarding a tab and quickly reopening it is better than forcing Chrome’s user’s to bookmark and close tabs manually.
Google announced gadgets and gizmos aplenty today at its annual Made by Google event, and as cool as the Pixel 4 is, the Pixelbook Go might be my favorite gadget that we saw today. It’s a seriously impressive piece of hardware.
At first blush, it may look like just another Chromebook, but that’s not it at all. It honestly seems like the return to Google’s original concept from Chromebook, though with a more modern twist. Everything the company has learned from its past Chromebooks (and Chrome OS in general) are fully realized in the Pixelbook Go.
While it may be easy to think of the Go as a sequel to the original Pixelbook, it’s really more of a lateral movement. Since it’s not a convertible (it doesn’t flip around into tablet mode), it just is what it is—a laptop for the user who wants a laptop. It still has a touchscreen, though, which is really a must on any modern laptop, but especially one that also runs Android apps.
Speaking of the display, Google has opted for a more traditional16:9 panel for the Go’s 13.3-inch display, a departure from the 3:2 format found on the Pixelbook and Pixel Slate. That’s likely to be a hit-and-miss choice from some people, but I personally think it makes a lot of sense for something that’s supposed to be a laptop and not a tablet. That said, most of the models are running at 1920×1080, which is a bit low compared to most modern machines. In my hands-on time with the Go, however, I couldn’t tell the difference compared to the Pixelbook. If you want to make sure you get the most Pixels you possibly can, however, there will be a version with a 4K Molecular Display available.
Moving below the screen is a user favorite from the Pixelbook: the keyboard. The Go’s keyboard is largely the same as the Pixelbook, except now it’s even quieter. The trackpad is also very similar, but it’s a bit larger and features rounded edges instead of the square profile found on the Pixelbook. The Go is very much about refinements.
Justin Duino
Before we get to the Go’s innards, though, I want to quickly talk about the bottom of the device: it’s kinda weird. It’s a textured/ridged bottom that definitely makes it easier to hold and carry, which is the whole point. Google told us that the number one way most laptops get broken is by being dropped, so this is there to help prevent that. And really, if you don’t like how it looks, you’ll never see it when you’re using the laptop anyway.
On the inside, the Pixelbook Go is still quite interesting, because a lot of its components mirror what’s found in Google’s Chrome OS tablet (the Pixel Ste). All models have 8th generation Intel Core processors, along with at least 8 GB of RAM (even in the base model) and a minimum of 64 GB of storage. The sweet spot seems to be the Core i5 model with 16 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, but I can also see how that would be overkill for a lot of users.
If you’re looking for the meat and potatoes for the Pixelbook Go, here it is: this is a killer Chromebook. I’ve been using the Pixelbook as my main laptop for over a year and I’ve had no reason to want to change to anything else…until now. The Go is sleeker, lighter, faster, and, dare I say it, sexier. I can’t wait to get one.
Yeah, I’m not sure about that texture? Justin Duino
Google unveiled the Pixel 4 (among other things) today at a press event, and it’s the best, most powerful, forward-thinking Pixel to date. I was able to spend some time with the phone after the event, and man, it’s so good.
The Pixel 3 XL was a pretty polarizing device, mostly because of the huge and completely unnecessary notch. The good news here is that the notch is gone on the Pixel 4 and Google is making use of the bezel along the top of the device by absolutely packing it with new tech. Like, new tech—not just “new to Pixel” tech.
I’m talking, of course, about Project Soli and the Pixel 4’s new radar chip. This new chip detects motion near the phone, allowing you to do things like skip tracks or dismiss alarms by simply waving your hand over the phone. But that’s not even the real value in the radar chip—the best part is that it’s part of the Pixel 4’s Face Unlock feature that lets you unlock your phone just by looking at it.
This isn’t Google’s first attempt at letting users unlock their phones with their faces, of course—-Face Unlock has been around for a long time. But here’s the thing: it used to be, well, bad. Like, unusably bad. It could be fooled by a picture and it really wasn’t secure at all. It was a gimmick.
But Face Unlock on the Pixel 4? Nah, man. This ain’t your grandma’s face unlock (lol, does your grandma even know what face unlock is?); this is new. This is Google take on Face ID, which, let’s be honest here, is pretty badass. But I might argue that Face Unlock on the Pixel 4 is badasser. To use it is to love it, believe me.
And that’s a good thing, because the fingerprint reader is gone—no in-display jankiness, and the Pixel imprint sensor on the back is no more. I know that’s going to be a hard hit for some of you, but trust me, it’s for the best. Face Unlock is the truth.
That also makes for a cleaner overall aesthetic. The back is flat and smooth…for the most part. There is the big ol’ camera bump to house the dual rear shooters—a 12 MP main camera and 16 MP telephoto lens—but otherwise, it’s just a seamless piece of glass. The Clearly White and Oh So Orange units have a “soft touch” glass back, while the Just Black model is polished and shiny. They all look really good in person, though the contrasting color around the camera module takes some getting used to on the White and Orange models.
The Pixel 4 has a 5.7-inch 1080p panel, while the larger XL model packs a 6.3-inch 1440p display. Both are using Google’s new “Smooth Display” feature, which will push the refresh rate “up to 90 Hz.” Having used 90 Hz displays on both the OnePlus 7 Pro and 7T, I can tell you that this is something that you want, but I’m slightly bothered by the “up to 90 Hz” wording. That indicates that the display doesn’t always run at 90 Hz, but somehow intelligently manages when it bump the refresh rate and when to bring it back down.
Starting today, folks who own a Roku device will be able to stream content from Apple TV. To get started, head to the Roku Channel Store and grab the Apple TV app to begin accessing shows and movies.
After adding the Apple TV app to your Roku device, you’ll be able to sign in with your Apple ID to access your iTunes video library, 4K HD iTunes purchases, Apple TV Channels, Apple recommendations, and Apple TV+ originals. This news comes just two weeks prior to the November 1 debut of Apple TV+, where Apple will premiere exclusive shows and movies.
The app itself is free to download from the Roku Channel Store, but Apple TV+ will cost $4.99 a month after a seven-day free trial. Roku users will be able to subscribe to Apple TV+ directly through the Apple TV app on Roku. Apple TV+ includes access to more than 100,000 movies and shows, while Apple TV Channel subscriptions include premium networks such as Starz and HBO (a separate charge).
The Apple TV app will be available on most Roku devices, but some older models aren’t receiving support for the app. Here’s a full list of the Roku models that will receive the Apple TV app:
Device
Model
Roku TV
7000X, C000X, 8000X
Roku Smart Soundbar
9101X
Onn Roku Smart Soundbar
9100X
Roku Express
3900X, 3930X
Roku Express+
3910X, 3931X
Roku Streaming Stick
3800X
Roku Streaming Stick+
3810X, 4620X
Roku Premiere
3920X, 4620X
Roku Premiere+
3921X, 4630X
Roku Ultra
4640X, 4660X, 4661X, 4670X
Roku Ultra LT
4662X
Roku 2
4205X, 4210X
Roku 3
4200X, 4230X
Along with the US, the Apple TV app is being made available through Roku devices in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.
During an event in New York today, Google announced a range of new hardware including the Pixel 4 and 4 XL, Pixelbook Go, Nest Home Mini, and more—much of which we have already detailed in a post published yesterday.
Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL
Google
Google's new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are already listed for pre-order on vendors including B&H Photo and will be shipped October 24:
Pixel 4 – 64GB: $799
Pixel 4 – 128GB: $899
Pixel 4 XL – 64GB: $899
Pixel 4 XL – 128GB: $999
Justin Duino
Google says it's the first smartphone with a built-in radar sensor which is used to power the Pixel 4's new Motion Sense capabilities, based on the Project Soli “radar” sensor. Motion Sense enables more human interactions with your phone, such as preemptively preparing your camera for a face unlock as the phone begins to detect you reaching for the device so you don't even have to turn its display on—said to make for the fastest secure face unlock on any smartphone. Gesture controls include the ability to swipe for changing a song or declining a phone call.
Justin Duino
The Pixel 4 has a 5.77-inch 1080p display, the Pixel 4 XL has a 6.3-inch 1440p display—both have 90Hz refresh rates, as is becoming the standard for high-end phones. All variants have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB of RAM, as well as a rear 12.2MP f/1.7 dual-pixel camera and 16MP f/2.4 telephoto camera. The Pixel 4 has a roughly 2x telephoto lens, Google's super res zoom technology for a hybrid of optical and digital zoom, as well as software improvements that enable truer colors in trickier lighting, and real-time HDR+ processing so you can see HDR+ effects on your screen before taking the photo:
Live HDR+ with dual exposure controls
Learning-base white balancing
Wider-range portrait mode
Night site with astrophotography
Justin Duino
Google will make the Pixel 4 available through every major US carrier. Colors include Clearly White and Just Black, which are available for all models of the Pixel 4, while "Oh So Orange" seems limited to models with 64GB of storage. Other new features include operating system and application updates that make more use of Google Assistant, new voice recording application with capabilities such as the ability to transcribe what's being recorded in real time.
Pixelbook Go
Google
Designed to be light yet powerful and engineered with a magnesium matte finish in colors including "Not Pink" and "Just Black," the new Pixelbook Go is lighter than the original Pixelbook yet features a battery that is 15% larger for all-day usage. Battery life is quoted at 12 hours and charging has been improved over previous Pixelbooks, with the Go being able to receive a two hours boost to its battery in 20 minutes.
Justin Duino
Other specs include ultra-quiet keys that feel great to use and a grippy ripple-textured bottom finish. The 13.3-inch Chromebook will have a 1080p or 4K display depending on your preference. Pricing will start at $649 but models will also be available with your choice of a Core m3, i5, or i7 processor, 8GB or 16GB RAM, as well as a 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB SSD. Units configured with a Core i7, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD will be priced at $1,399.
Nest Home Mini
Google
Available for pre-order today at $49 and shipping in 23 countries on October 22, the Nest Home Mini features a familiar design that uses fabric from recycled plastic bottles. It will be available in four colors and now features a wall mount so it's easier to position the device anywhere in your home.
Justin Duino
Key improvements include 2x stronger bass, clearer more natural sound, and third mic to hear you better in noisy environments. Also of note, there's now a dedicated machine learning chip onboard, allowing core experiences of the Google Assistant to be moved on to the device for the first time instead of connecting to a distant server.
Google Drive lets you send a file to others with a link to “Make a Copy” while maintaining the original. The copy is then saved into the recipient’s Drive where they can edit it however they want.
This guide works for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawing files. We’ll be using Docs, but the procedure for each service is essentially the same.
Fire up the Google Docs homepage and open a file you want to share with someone to make a copy. Right-click the URL in the address bar and click “Copy.”
Next, open Gmail and compose a new message to the recipient. Paste the URL into the body of the message with Ctrl+V (Windows/Chrome OS) or Cmd+V (macOS), click on it to bring up the More menu, and then click on “Change.”
At the very end of the URL, change “Edit” to “Copy” and then click “OK” to save the web address.
For most people, their wireless router is just some dusty box they never think about unless it’s not working. But old routers aren’t just slower; they’re often insecure. Here’s how to fix that.
It might not be the most glamorous gadget in your home, but the firmware on your wireless router is a critical part of your home network and the security of your devices and data. It’s one thing when your game console is so old it doesn’t get updates anymore, or your old first-gen Kindle is effectively in the hardware retirement home. It’s another thing when the device in question helps protect the whole network.
If anything in your home needs consistent security updates, it’s your router: the gateway to your entire home network and everything inside.
Over at our sister-site How-To Geek, they’ve taken a look at the phenomenon of routers ending up in the wasteland where their manufacturers stop releasing major (or even critical) security updates. Pop in here to read more about it and how to check if your router is still supported.
If you find you’re in the market for a new router (and there’s a good chance you are), check out Review Geek’s top picks for best mesh Wi-Fi routers. For most people, a good mesh Wi-Fi router is the best option. Our favorite for simplicity, Google Wi-Fi, features automatically updating firmware, so should a major security vulnerability come along your wireless router will just update automatically in the middle of the night.
Windows is the most targeted operating system on the planet. That means you should fortify your PC’s defenses to stay safe both online and offline. This guide shows you how to enable or disable Secure Sign-In for Windows 10.
Secure Sign-In is an additional component on the Windows 10 login screen. It doesn't prevent anyone from accessing your PC if they have your credentials. Instead, Windows 10 removes the login fields until you type a string of keys. After that, enter your password or PIN as usual.
This feature aims to thwart malware. Malicious code could reside in the background and spoof the Windows 10 login screen to capture your credentials. Because apps and programs typically don't have access to the Ctrl+At+Del command, you can bypass the fake login screen by using Secure Sign-In that’s activated by typing this three-key command.
Enable or Disable Using the Netplwiz Command
To start, launch the Run command by pressing the “Windows” and “R” keys simultaneously (Windows+R). A small pop-up window will appear. Type "netplwiz" (without quotes) in the text field and then click the "OK" button (or press the Enter key) to continue.
Alternatively, you can access the User Accounts panel by typing "netplwiz" into the taskbar's search field and selecting the resulting Run command.
The User Accounts panel will appear onscreen. Click the "Advanced" tab (if it's not loaded by default). Locate the "Require Users to Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete" option listed under "Secure Sign-In." Check to enable or uncheck to disable.
Click the "Apply" button and then the "OK" button to finish.
Apple is proud of its various fonts. Sometimes, though, the default text size is hard to read on iPhone and iPad displays. However, you can enable a system-wide bold font and make text easier to read. Here’s how you do it.
Enable Bold Text
To get started, open the “Settings” app. If you can’t find it on your iPhone or iPad Home screen, swipe down on your display and search for it with Spotlight.
Next, scroll down and select “Display & Brightness.”
Lastly, scroll to the bottom of the menu, and then toggle-On “Bold Text.”
After you enable the “Bold Text” option, you should see a larger font in both first- and third-party apps on your iPhone or iPad. Keep in mind that not everything will display the bold font.
Adjust the Text Size
If you want to make the bold text on your iPhone or iPad even easier to read, you can adjust the text size. You can use a built-in tool on your iPhone or iPad to scale text size manually.
Milk crates are sturdy, versatile, boxes that can fill just about any role. Here’s how to turn your cheap milk crates into organizers, storage containers, furniture, and more.
By the way, these projects will work for plastic or wooden milk crates. If you want to save some money, go for the plastic crates. But if you’re worried about style, go ahead and get some wooden crates.
Do you have a bunch of crap lying around? Unorganized books, cables, balls of yarn, or DVDs? Maybe its time to throw all that stuff in some milk crates. Milk crates make for fantastic stackable storage bins, and you can keep them just about anywhere in your house.
Of course, small items will slip through your milk crate’s holes (especially if you’re using plastic crates). You can close off those holes by lining the crate with an old shirt or some fabric (hot glue or tape should fix it to the crate). Or, if you’re feeling really thrifty, you can use old grocery bags to hold loose items in crates.
Need some extra storage in your closet or under your bed? Milk crates are great for organizing clothes, towels, and bedding. You can even add labels to your milk crates to keep everything tidy and easy to identify.
You can take things a step further by placing milk crates (open-side out) on your existing closet shelves. The tops of the milk crates can be used as an extra shelf, and the insides can be used as divided organizers.
Your trunk may be a jumbled up rat’s nest today, but it could be an organized milk crate haven tomorrow. Milk crates are great for securing loose items in your trunk, like safety equipment, tools, towels, and junk. It’s also nice to have a few empty milk crates in your trunk, just in case you need to move some small items or temperamental groceries.
Again, small items can slip through a milk crate’s holes. You may want to close off the holes by lining the crate with an old shirt or some fabric. And if you’re worried that the milk crates will slide around in your trunk, you can secure them to each other with zip ties.
This is where things start to get a little weird. A few cable ties can transform a stack of milk crates into stools, chairs, benches, or shelves. You could even make a milk crate bedframe (if you’re feeling brave).
When you’re on vacation, sticking to your daily routine can be a challenge. Vacations are, indeed, the time to try new things. However, it can be helpful to stick as closely as possible to your normal routine.
The Benefits of Sticking to Your Routine
Travel is beneficial in many ways—especially when you go with an open mind and a good level of adaptability. However, it requires a lot of change, which makes it difficult to maintain your habits. The moment you leave the comfort of your home, you turn over your control to the excitement of being somewhere new. More often than not, this contributes to poor decision making. How many times have you spent half your vacation eating junk food? Do you usually complete your everyday to-do list while living it up on a tropical island or at a ski resort?
It happens to the best of us. After all, vacations should be enjoyable. It’s a chance to kick back, relax, and forget about the stress we often deal with at work or in our daily life. But that doesn’t mean we have to throw our everyday routine out the window as soon as we leave.
Routines keep us grounded and help us with time management. They can also improve our health by helping us handle stress and achieve our goals.
When you’re in a new and exciting environment, though, your perspective about your habits can change. Things like exercising, eating wholesome meals, meditating, updating your journal, or reading suddenly feel like chores.
The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way. All it takes to maintain your healthy habits while you travel is a spoonful of organization and a drop of commitment.
How to Maintain Habits While Traveling
Minimizing the differences between your everyday life and your travel schedule is key to staying healthy, productive, and motivated to maintain your habits. The more organized you are, the easier it will be.
Every successful trip begins with a good plan. When you schedule the activities you want to do on your trip, try to carve out some time for you to engage in one of your daily rituals. For instance, if you know you’ll probably be out and about every day after 10 a.m., try to wake up a few hours earlier, so you can meditate, exercise, or do some writing before breakfast. If you already do that at home, it won’t be hard for you to stick to that habit.
To make things easier, try to stay at hotels that have gyms and are near health food stores, juice bars, or co-working spaces. It’ll save you the time of finding ways to maintain your routine after you get there.
The “gig economy” is a buzzword on the news and in everyday conversation. It refers to the rise in contracted work—or “gigs”—that aren’t traditional jobs. Ridesharing, food delivery, dog walker, and writers are part of this economy.
An Economy of Contracted or Independent Work
The “gig economy” is a phenomenon defined by a rise in independent or contracted work. According to a Marist poll, one-fifth of American jobs are contracted right now, and half of the US workforce could find themselves doing contract or freelance work over the next decade.
But what is an independent contractor? Think of construction, web design, freelance writing, or Uber driving. Workers in these fields aren’t legally defined as “employees.” Instead, they work under contracts or operate their own business as an independent worker.
To some people, the rise in contracted work comes as no surprise. We’ve spent the last decade recovering from a recession, so our workforce is bigger than it was a decade ago. And of course, there’s the internet. The internet’s made it super easy to hunt down contracted work (especially short-term work), and the rise of internet content, like YouTube videos (or the article you’re reading right now), has created a demand for writers, creatives, web designers, and programmers.
But the internet’s impact has managed to reach beyond trades like writing or home repair. It’s extended to traditionally low-income jobs with a low barrier to entry, like delivery driving or taxi driving.
And that’s really what defines the gig economy: the rise of companies like Uber, Lyft, BiteSquad, and Instacart that use contractors to drive people, delivery food, and groceries around. These companies have revolutionized low-income jobs, which is why people talk about them so much. They also give us a glimpse at how the gig economy might affect jobs in the future, assuming that other industries might switch over to contract-based employment.
Contracted work has its perks. You can figuratively “be your own boss,” work around your schedule, or build a business based on your trade experience. You can even use contracted work as a side-job for when times are tough, or for when you’re busy going to school.
Some (but not all) of these perks carry over to the contracted jobs from Uber or Instacart, which have helped to expand the American workforce and provide economic security for some American families.
Gigs like driving for Uber are great for people who can’t find traditional full-time employment due to inexperience, lack of education, or disabilities. They’re also great for people who need a flexible side-job or a temporary full-time job, as they allow you to work as much or as little as you’d like.
Nearly every table saw comes with a single push stick. But that’s not enough. You need at least a push stick and push block to provide proper pressure contacts. Otherwise, your cuts won’t be straight, and you’re risking a severe injury.
Using a table saw always involves some amount of risk. You are moving the material towards and through a sharp spinning blade. Depending on how powerful your table saw is, the blade spins between 3,000 and 5,000 revolutions per minute (RPM). That so fast your eyes can’t keep up.
When it comes down to it, anything capable of cutting through wood can cut through your soft fleshy body. Even without considering the risk of injury, you run the risk of experiencing kickback, and your cut won’t be straight, leaving you with disappointing results.
Kickback is Incredibly Dangerous
Warning: The following section discusses the dangers of table saws and may make some readers squeamish or uneasy; we recommend skipping to the next section if that describes you.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of kickback in woodworking, count yourself lucky. Kickback occurs when the spinning blade of your table saw grabs a piece of the material you are cutting, lifts, and throws it at high speeds. Because the blade spins towards you, the wood, in turn, is thrown in your direction and may hit you hard enough to injure or even kill you.
That isn’t the only danger from kickback. Because the blade is pulling the wood onto it, the process draws your hands towards the blade as well. If you’re lucky, you have minor cuts. But it’s also possible you could lose fingers to the spinning blade.
One form of kickback occurs during a rip cut as some of the wood begins to pass the backside of the blade. If the material drifts away from the rip fence, a corner of the wood can catch the rising teeth of the blade, which pulls the wood onto the blade, leading to a thrown wood piece.
The following is a video demonstrating this type of kickback. Fair warning, the person in the video comes out uninjured (just barely), but it’s still scary to see how close they come to serious injury.
To stay safe as a cyclist, you have to be seen. There are many ways you can do this, but a bright, blinking red light is one of the best. If you ride bikes, you need a good taillight.
What to Look for in a Bike Taillight
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, hundreds of cyclists are killed each year by cars, and thousands more are injured. Just about every cyclist who regularly rides on the road has a close-call horror story to tell you, and the reasons are many.
Like motorcycles, bicycles present a smaller visual profile to drivers, which makes cyclists harder to spot. There’s also the problem of distracted motorists looking at their phones, and drivers who don’t know how to pass bikes properly.
It’s important to do anything you can to keep yourself safe, including always wearing a helmet and colorful clothing. NHTSA statistics also show that more crashes happen in daylight than after dark. This means you need a bike taillight that’s also clearly visible in bright sunlight, so drivers can see you when you’re ahead of them.
The good news is advancing LED technology makes it possible for bike taillights to get brighter each year. For a minimal investment, you can get a lightweight lamp that easily attaches to your bike and is bright enough for drivers to notice in any lighting conditions.
Here are some key things to think about as you look for a new blinky:
Replaceable or rechargeable battery: Many budget taillights on the market feature replaceable batteries, but we think rechargeable is the better choice. It’s difficult to know how long replaceable batteries will last, and you don’t want your light to die in the middle of a ride. With rechargeables, the manufacturer provides an estimate of how long the light will burn in each setting. You can also verify that on your own, so you know when you need to recharge your light. Or, you can just recharge it after every ride. It’s a safer, more reliable strategy. It’s also better for the environment because you won’t have to throw batteries in the trash constantly.
The lumens rating: The brightness of regular light bulbs is generally measured in wattage. Most people understand the difference between a 100-watt bulb versus a 40-watt bulb. For the new, energy-efficient LED technology, though, watts aren’t an accurate indicator of power. These are measured in lumens—a more exact measurement of the amount of light a device projects. There’s usually a correlation between how much you spend and what you get when it comes to brightness. So, how many lumens do you need? There isn’t a specific answer, but around 100 lumens (or more) is necessary if you want to be easy to see in daylight.
Battery life: Another important point to think about when you shop for a bike taillight is battery life. You’ll need to consider the kind of riding you do. For example, an urban commuter might only need one hour of life at a light’s highest setting between charges. However, if you do training rides of four to five hours, long battery life will be at the top of your list.
Mounting options: You attach a lot of bike taillights to your seat post or bike frame with convenient rubber mounting straps. These wrap around the tube like a rubber band, so you can mount and remove them quickly. Others have brackets, and you slide the light on and off to recharge it. If you want to attach the light to your helmet, backpack, or clothes, make sure the one you choose includes an appropriate clip to do so. Many lights offer a variety of mounting options in the same package to give you maximum flexibility.
Water resistance: If you get caught in the rain, your bike’s taillight will be soaked. The rear wheel also throws up a considerable amount of spray when it’s damp outside—just wear a light-colored jersey and check out the spray pattern on the back when you get home. So, a taillight’s water-resistance rating is important, too. Check out the customer reviews of the light you’re interested in. Find out if the light is well-sealed and if the cover over the recharging port protects it from moisture.
Rather than picking one “best” bike taillight, we recommend a range of options based on price and different needs. If you’re a casual rider, you don’t need to spend a lot to get a good rechargeable light. At higher price levels, you get more options, longer burn times, and some really cool safety features.
Best Budget: Cygolite Hotshot 100 USB
Cygolite
For less than $20, the Cygolite Hotshot 100 USB is a great rechargeable bike taillight. You’ll get 2.5 hours of runtime from the built-in Li-ion battery at its highest, 100-lumen setting. Cygolite claims on lower settings, you can stretch that to a remarkable 270 hours. There are six setting options in total for day and night: Steady, Zoom, SteadyPulse®, Triple Flash, DayLightning®, and Random Flash. Cygolite says the DayLightning mode “emits lightning-like flashes to highlight your presence in the brightest of daytime hours.”
It’s small, water-resistant, and weighs only 59 grams. The package includes a seat post and seat stay mounts. There’s also a clip on the back of the light you can attach to a backpack or your clothes.
Secure your Linux system’s SSH connection to protect your system and data. System administrators and home users alike need to harden and secure internet-facing computers, but SSH can be complicated. Here are ten easy quick-wins to help protect your SSH server.
SSH Security Basics
SSH stands for Secure Shell. The name “SSH” is used interchangeably to mean either the SSH protocol itself or the software tools that allow system administrators and users to make secure connections to remote computers using that protocol.
The SSH protocol is an encrypted protocol designed to give a secure connection over an insecure network, such as the internet. SSH in Linux is built on a portable version of the OpenSSH project. It is implemented in a classic client-server model, with an SSH server accepting connections from SSH clients. The client is used to connect to the server and to display the session to the remote user. The server accepts the connection and executes the session.
In its default configuration, an SSH server will listen for incoming connections on Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port 22. Because this is a standardized, well-known port, it is a target for threat actors and malicious bots.
Threat actors launch bots that scan a range of IP addresses looking for open ports. The ports are then probed to see if there are vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Thinking, “I’m safe, there are bigger and better targets than me for the bad guys to aim at,” is false reasoning. The bots aren’t selecting targets based on any merit; they’re methodically looking for systems they can breach.
You nominate yourself as a victim if you haven’t secured your system.
Security Friction
Security friction is the irritation—of whatever degree—that users and others will experience when you implement security measures. We’ve got long memories and can remember introducing new users to a computer system, and hearing them ask in a horrified voice whether they really had to enter a password every time they logged in to the mainframe. That—to them—was security friction.
(Incidentally, the invention of the password is credited to Fernando J. Corbató, another figure in the pantheon of computer scientists whose combined work contributed to the circumstances that led to the birth of Unix.)
Introducing security measures usually involves some form of friction for someone. Business owners have to pay for it. The computer users may have to change their familiar practices, or remember another set of authentication details, or add extra steps to connect successfully. The system administrators will have additional work to do to implement and maintain the new security measures.
Halloween’s not complete without the requisite jack-o’-lantern grinning on your front porch. Carving a tough-shelled gourd can be a frustrating endeavor, though, especially with young kids. So leave the knife behind and check out these five no-carve ways to decorate a pumpkin.
Sharp objects and small children don’t go together. Honestly, sharp objects and some adults don’t go together. While a carved pumpkin is traditional, it’s not always the smartest, or even the sweetest, way to decorate your front porch on Halloween.
From many, many non-traditional ways to decorate a pumpkin, we’ve narrowed it down to our five favorites. So whether you’re celebrating with children this year, or just don’t want the mess that comes with carving a gourd, we’ve got you set with these simple, no-carve ways to decorate a pumpkin.
Painting a pumpkin is an obvious choice. Basic craft paint turns a pumpkin’s hard shell into a canvas. And with the large variety in pumpkin sizes, shapes, and colors, you won’t have to settle for an oblong and orange canvas either.
For an effortless and creative take on painted pumpkins, try the nail-polish technique: Swirl a few drops of your favorite polish in water. Then run your pumpkin through the water, picking up the colored polish as you do so. The effect is sleek, dark, and creepy—perfect for a haunted house or spooky soiree.
For more detailed instructions on the nail-polish paint technique, check out PopofGold.com.
Use a Stick-On Craft Kit
The easiest way to avoid carving pumpkins is to use a craft kit. Kits are sold in all the major big-box stores this time of year, or you can use Amazon to find a favorite. If you’re decorating with kids, we recommend buying a few extra kits. They tend to be cheap, and having a few extra of the prized pink pompoms or giant stick-on eyes means fewer rare treasures to fight over.
Make sure you do this one indoors. Kits tend to have a lot of lightweight, stick-on parts that are just as likely to be blown away in the breeze as they are to be stuck on your pumpkin.
The yearly smorgasbord of Google-branded consumerism, aka the Pixel Event, is nearly upon us. And in typical Google fashion, pretty much everything has leaked well before the event arrives. We’ll be on-site to break down everything as Google unveils it, but in the meantime let’s look at what we expect to see there.
To be fair, it’s entirely possible that Google will pull out some major surprises—Microsoft certainly did last week at its similar event. But we can say with about 99 percent certainty that we’re going to see this year’s refresh of Google’s flagship Pixel phones and a new self-branded Chromebook. We’ll probably see a lot of new information on forthcoming Google software and services, too. Other things, like a refreshed Google Nest Home Mini and a closer look at the upcoming Stadia, are less certain.
Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL
The 2019 Pixel phones might just be the most-leaked Google phones ever, which puts them high up on Michael’s Scale of Massive Tech Hardware Leaks (that I just invented). Pretty much every aspect of these phones’ hardware design, and a good chunk of the new Android 10-based software, has been leaked, some of it in the form of early promotional material from Google itself. The highlights:
Google “leaked” a more or less complete image of the Pixel 4 months ago. Google
One big phone, one little phone, with 6.3-inch and 5.77-inch screens, respectively. The big one will be 1440p, the little one 1080p, with super-smooth 90 Hz refresh rates.
The rear-mounted fingerprint sensors are gone, replaced by Google’s brand of face recognition, much like FaceID on modern iPhones. It’s using a front-facing array of cameras and sensors.
Speaking of front-facing stuff: That unsightly notch from the Pixel 3 XL is gone, replaced by a thicker top bezel to hold all those IR cameras and sensors. Unlike the 3 and 3 XL, the small and large Pixel 4 phones will look more or less the same, complete with a distinct square-shaped camera cluster on the rear. Multiple unconventional colors will be offered, but that two-tone glass from all three previous pixel generations seems to be gone.
Gesture control: Another new tech goodie hidden inside that bezel is a special sensor for detecting hand gestures, which will allow you to perform frequent actions like answering a call or advancing a music track with a wave of your hand. Google calls it Motion Sense, and it’s an offshoot of Project Soli.
Cameras: Expect two rear cameras on both phones, 12 MP and 16 MP, with standard and telephoto options up to 8X zoom. (This is probably a combination of some solid sensors and glass, combined with Google’s best-in-class camera software.) A single front-facing conventional camera is hiding in the bezel.
Internals: Expect the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset (very snappy, but not the absolute latest model) and 6 GB of RAM (50 percent more than last year), with storage options at 64 GB and 128 GB for both phones. As with previous Pixels, they won’t have MicroSD card slots or dual SIM card slots, and the headphone jack is a thing of the past. Batteries are 2800 mAh and 3700 mAh, with wireless charging.
5G: We’ve heard late-breaking rumors of a 5G model. That will presumably be a spruced-up Pixel 4 XL—those advanced radios are big and power-hungry—and might come later at a much higher price. Speaking of which . . .
Prices: We don’t know yet. We would expect them to start at around $800 for the Pixel 4 and $900 for the Pixel 4 XL, with higher prices for storage boosts and that possible 5G variant.
Release date: Presumably less than a month after the October 15 announcement, with pre-orders opening day of.
Pixelbook Go
Google has always tried to position its self-branded Chrome OS devices as the cream of the crop, and they have been. But after the critical and sales flop of the Pixel Slate tablet, it looks like they’re hoping to score with a more conventional and less expensive form factor. Hence the Pixelbook Go: a less expensive Google-branded laptop, with a regular (non-convertible) hinge and some cheaper materials.
9to5Google
According to leaks from 9to5Google, the Chromebook Go looks like Google’s answer to the MacBook Air or Surface Laptop, a step down from the premium notebook category filled by the Pixelbook that’s still more than capable of getting the job done for most users. The leaked hardware uses a 13.3-inch 1080p screen, an Intel Core i3 processor, and 8 GB of RAM. Processor, storage, 4K screen, and memory upgrades should be available too.
The design has a fingerprint sensor for easy unlocking, dual USB-C ports for charging, video out, and accessories, and support for the Pixelbook Pen on its touchscreen. The speakers are front-firing, something that’s becoming rarer as laptop designs continue to slim down. Colors are rumored to be “not pink” (sort of baby pink or salmon, depending on the light) and black.
While it’s certainly more pedestrian than either the Pixelbook or the much-maligned Pixel Slate, the Pixelbook Go seems to be using more premium materials than you’d expect from a budget machine, including a unique ridged plastic insert on the bottom replacing the more usual laptop “feet.” It’s also using the excellent Pixelbook family keyboard. Pricing and release info aren’t available.
New Nest Devices
An updated Nest Home Mini (nee Google Home Mini) has been spotted in regulatory documents, featuring a slimmer design, a headphone jack for connecting to more powerful speakers, and a built-in option for a wall mount. Which is something a lot of people will be happy to see, if the accessory market is anything to go by. We’re also expecting a next-gen version of the Google Wifi mesh networking hardware, this time branded the Nest Wifi. It might feature a built-in speaker, combining Wi-Fi routers and Google Assistant smart speakers into a single, roundish, plastic blob thing.
The internet’s full of weird words like “1337” and “hax0r.” These are forms of leetspeak, a stylistic way of typing that’s been around since the 80s. But why was leetspeak invented, and how do you use it?
English Words Spelled with Numbers and Symbols
Leetspeak is an internet phenomenon that predates the World Wide Web. It’s a style of typing that replaces English letters with similar-looking numbers or symbols, and its closely tied to early hacking and gaming culture.
You’ve probably run into some of the more common examples of leetspeak, like 1337 (leet), n00b (noob or newbie), and hax0r (hacker). But these are just the most basic forms of leetspeak. Advanced leetspeak often omits any English characters, and it can look a bit like this: |D|_3453 |-|3|_|D /\\/\\3.
Leetspeak is nearly forty years old, and it isn’t relevant to modern internet conversation or culture. Using leetspeak today is like saying “dude” in a hippie’s voice, and most people stick with basic, legible leetspeak to avoid confusing people (or looking like a dork).
Where Did Leetspeak Come From?
During the early 80s (before the launch of the World Wide Web), computer users connected via bulletin board systems (BBS). These BBSes were similar to modern websites, and computer hobbyists usually operated them in their own homes.
BBSes usually centered around a topic or hobby chosen by the system operator. So it’s only natural that some BBSes focused on illegal activities, like file sharing and early forms of hacking. They were sometimes called elite boards (or leet boards), and they spawned an “elite” computer subculture.
This is where leetspeak comes in. Elite BBS users invented leetspeak as a sort of cipher. On public boards and chats, leetspeak was used to talk about nefarious topics that went against the rules. It was also used to get around the automatic censorship programs that ran on most public BBSes (a BBS might censor any mention of “porn,” but it won’t notice “pr0n”).
Leetspeak was also used to identify other elite computer nerds, and it was used in the registration process for some elite groups (to weed out anyone who wasn’t a hax0r). The use of leetspeak as a cipher continued into the 90s, where it was used as a calling card by the Cult of the Dead Cow.
This isn’t to say that leetspeak should be taken seriously, but it did serve a purpose for a while. That purpose (a cipher) started to erode in the 90s, and leetspeak devolved into a weird joke. Some people used it to mock children online while other people used it to mock nerdy internet subcultures. Today, leetspeak is basically the internet equivalent of talking in a surfer’s voice.
Are you thinking about starting up smarthome? Great! But don’t jump directly in without a plan. That’s how you end up making common smarthome beginner mistakes. Instead, before buying anything, you should ask yourself a few common-sense questions.
What Changes Can You Make to Your Home?
Creating a smarthome involves varying levels of installing new tech. Some gadgets, like smart plugs and voice assistant speakers, are as simple as plugging the device into an outlet. Others entail making a physical change to your home, like changing the locks or doorbells.
But depending on your home situation, you may not be able to make those changes. If you rent, for instance, you may not be allowed to change the locks without permission. In some cases, the answer might always be no.
In other instances, installing tech may call for a particular expertise. Are you comfortable with electrical work? What about working with the plumbing of your home? If you aren’t, that limits you from installing devices that are wired directly into your home or connected to your pipes. You would have to pay a professional to complete the install, which adds to price.
What Do You Want to Accomplish?
Do you want smart lights you can control by voice? Josh Hendrickson
Once you know what kind of changes you can make, it’s time to ask yourself what you want to accomplish. These days, manufacturers seem willing to slap a radio on nearly anything just to call it smart and sell it to you. For that reason alone, there are all kinds of smarthome devices you should avoid.
But to figure out which ones are right for you, you should have a good idea of what you want your smarthome to do for you. If your chief concern is cutting back on power usage, then smart bulbs, plugs, and a thermostat is your starting point.
On the other hand, if security is your goal, you’ll want to invest in smart locks, video doorbells, and other cameras. Smarthomes technology can meet a variety of needs and desires, and in most cases, they even solve more than one problem. But start simple. Pick one goal to accomplish and go after that first. Then expand.
Do You Want to Do it Yourself?
We often focus on do-it-yourself smarthome tech at How-To Geek, but you don’t have to do it yourself. Various companies like Control4 and Savant offer customized smarthome systems you can purchase. Typically you’ll buy a centralized hub (sometimes a traditional smarthome hub, but more often a full computer like a Mac Mini) and a series of devices like smart plugs, bulbs, and even smart shades for your home.
Control4, Savant, and others offer a single app solution to control your smarthome. And they usually do work with outside services like Google Home and Alexa. These companies do all the hard work for you, but at a premium cost.
If you’ve been more flexible with your workout schedule over the summer, it’s time to get back to it. If you’re ready to try something new, here are five trendy workouts you should try this fall!
Aerial Yoga
Yoga and hammocks; if this doesn't already sound amazing, I don't know what does! The gravity-defying moves decompress your spine, improve your blood circulation, and stimulate your lymphatic system to flush toxins out of your body. Aerial yoga has quickly gained popularity over the last few years. In the beginning, it was pretty hard to find a studio with silky threads hanging from the ceiling. But today, most people would be surprised if a yoga studio didn’t offer aerial classes. You can even buy and install your own hammock!
If this sounds interesting, but you've never taken a single yoga class, have no fear! Even advanced yoga practitioners and teachers are clueless about how to maneuver in the silk threads when they get in the hammock for the first time. It's fun, exciting, different, and you can safely flip and fly around. You’ll also discover new ways to twist, bend, and extend your spine.
Remember when you were a kid and jumping on a trampoline was one of your favorite things to do? Well, trampoline workouts are now a popular fitness trend, so if you want to recreate that joy you felt as a kid, check it out!
In addition to being fun serotonin boosters, trampoline workouts are a full-body strengthening and conditioning challenge. It fires up your cardiovascular system, seriously works your leg muscles, and activates your core, so you can keep your balance and keep jumping. Whether it’s a 20-minute High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sequence or a 60-minute full-body endurance session, a trampoline workout can challenge you on many levels.
“Bouncing helps drain the lymphatic glands and boost your immune system,” said De La Rue. “It especially protects your knees, hips, and lower back, and you are forced to use your core to stabilize so that you don't fall off. It also challenges your coordination and skill. Over time, these add up to incredible holistic health benefits for both your body and mind."
To quote famous hip-hop group, House of Pain, it's time to, “Jump up, jump up, and get down.”
Between PIN, fingerprint reader, voice commands, an app, and a physical key, the Lockly Secure Pro smart lock has no shortage of ways to unlock your door. And while more options usually mean more convenience, it also means more complications.
Lockly’s Secure Pro is unlike other smart locks I’ve tried. It doesn’t have a standard keypad. Instead, it features a touch screen that randomly generates numbered circles for you to push.
It also features a fingerprint reader on the side so you can skip the PIN entirely, which is a faster way to unlock your door. For added convenience, the touchscreen serves as a lock button, just touch it anywhere and the door locks. With so many features, this should be one of the most convenient smart locks on the market. But it’s not quite there.
Installing is Fairly Easy for a Smart Lock
When I opened the Lockly box, I felt a little intimidated despite having installed many locks and multiple smart locks. The box includes a giant instruction booklet, complete with guides for measuring your door’s holes and cavities. The good news is, the book is a little bit overkill, I was able to install the lock without much trouble.
Typically the most challenging part of installing a smart lock is balancing the keypad and battery pack on either side of the door before you get them fully secured. The sheer weight of the two pieces will fight you and want to fall out of the door, leaving you trying to clamp them while driving screws awkwardly.
Lockly addressed that issue with two options. They added extra screw holes to the top of the two components so you can secure them directly to the door, which should add stability. I didn’t like that idea, so I went with option two: 3M sticky tape, which worked surprisingly well. Thanks to the tape, I installed the lock in 15 minutes, and without any feelings of frustration.
In order from top to bottom are Simplisafe, Wyze, and Lockly contact sensors. Lockly’s sensor is huge. Josh Hendrickson
After installing the lock, you plug in the included Wi-Fi hub and connect the largest contact sensor I’ve ever seen to your door. The sensor helps the lock track your door’s open and close state for automated locking.
The battery compartment hardware isn’t very inspiring. It’s plastic, which gives the lock a less premium feel. And the thumb turn is incredibly small, which is only emphasized by the giant plastic box it’s attached to. Every time I turn it to lock or unlock the door, I feel like I’m going to snap it off. To be clear, I highly doubt I could snap it off, but it feels like I could.
The outside hardware, on the other hand, screams smart gadget and feels a little more premium with its large black touchscreen that displays the keypad.
The Keypad is Unique and Mildly Frustrating
You touch the circle that contains the next number of your PIN, not a number itself. Josh Hendrickson
There are so many things to love about fall, but for a lot of people, the seasonal dishes top the list. Ever wonder how some of these foods became famously linked to this time of year?
Whether you’re curious who discovered cornbread, or why green bean casserole ever became a classic Thanksgiving dish, the past has the story for you.
Apple Pie
We'll start things off with the classic fall dish, apple pie. But before we delve too deep, we've got a disclaimer for you. Neither apples nor pie crust is native to the U.S. So, how did this sweet treat become a symbol of American pride?
The only apple native to the U.S. is the crabapple, which isn't the best in pie due to its incredibly sour taste. Hundreds of years ago, a fellow by the name of John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed) planted crabapple seeds across thousands of miles. People then harvested the crabapples and made hard cider, but more on that later.
It wasn't until the early 1600s that the apple seeds that grow into the apples we eat today were shipped overseas.
Wondering where pie dough came from? In Medieval England, crusts were called “coffyns” or “coffins” due to their thick durability and use for cooking savory foods for long periods. That’s not very appealing.
According to Emily Upton from Today I Found Out, the first recorded apple pie recipe dates back to 1300s England. That recipe, however, doesn’t resemble the apple pie we all love today. A version of the dessert we eat didn’t become available until hundreds of years after all the ingredients, like wheat, lard, sugar, and spices, made their way to the U.S.
In the early 1900s, the phrase “As American as apple pie” appeared in print, and by World War II, soldiers often told journalists they were fighting “for mom and apple pie.”
So, there you have it: a quick history lesson on the components of the sweet dessert that eventually became an American favorite.
I’ve seen somewhere around 35 autumns so far, and let me tell you: raking leaves by hand doesn’t build that much character. So screw all that noise and make some louder noise with one of these leaf blowers.
I love autumn sounds: the gusty winds, the crush of dead leaves, the constant, mechanical howl of leaf blowers. I like to think of them as robot wolves. I also used to pretend the highway I lived next to was a machine river. I’m a weird dude.
The point is: fall looks pretty amazing, as the summer greenery turns from yellow to orange to shocks of red. Then all of those colors hit the ground and become brown, noisome trash. It’s nature’s garbage salad—sent to whet our appetites for the oncoming dirty-snow entree.
Anyway, you could spend a lot of your time with rake in hand, like one of our dumb ancestors, or you could be a wild future human with a Ghost Busters backpack who banishes leaf ghosts to your neighbor’s yard by harnessing the power of mechanical wind. That choice is yours.
My aim is to make that choice at least a bit easier by suggesting four leaf blowers, each of which does the job differently, for different people, for different amounts of money.
What to Look for in a Leaf Blower
As with loads of other motorized gear, you’re going to be looking either at electric or gas-powered blowers, and each has its pros and cons. Gas-powered blowers give you more power paired with portability, but you, like, also have to buy gas and generally perform more regular maintenance on the motor. Also, the blower’s going to smell like gas, which isn’t a big deal if you’re keeping it in the garage, but if it’s something you’re keeping inside a truck, or tucked away in the house somewhere, that’s going to make some smells, or possibly leak onto upholstery. Gas blowers also require you to fight a pull cord to get it started, meaning you might get pissed off before you even begin your leaf blowing in earnest.
Electric blowers, on the other hand, are lower maintenance, easier to start, and don’t smell like gas. The downside is, if you want them to have comparable power, then they generally need to be plugged into a power source. Portable electric blowers are going to be more limited in terms of power output, and you’ll get diminishing returns as the battery loses its charge.
As for output, two main factors determine how much it can blow: airspeed and volume (in cubic feet per minute, or CPM). Some blowers blow a huge volume of air, but at a relatively lower airspeed, and that’s still pretty good. Others blow at high speeds, but with a lesser volume, and that can be the result of a smaller tube diameter. Think of it like a garden hose: put your finger in it, and less water will come out at a faster speed. Take your finger out, and a higher volume of water comes out, albeit at a lower speed. If you’re covering a vast area, you might want a blower with decent airspeed, but a ton of volume output. If you’re blasting out the corners of your garage, that volume might be less critical than airspeed.
Security researchers from Fortinet recently discovered security holes in some D-Link routers. Many of these routers are still sold online, but D-Link no longer manufactures them and won’t patch them. So how do you tell if your router is still supported?
Why Router Firmware Updates Are Important
Router updates are especially important. Your wireless router is generally the one device you connect directly to the internet. It functions as a firewall and protects all your other devices from incoming traffic thanks to network address translation (NAT.)
Unfortunately, many routers don’t automatically install security updates and require manual security update installation. You can install them from the router’s web interface—or mobile app if the router offers an app.
D-Link’s DIR-655 wireless router, which is no longer receiving security updates. D-Link
When a security hole is found—whether by security researchers or by criminals who want to infect your router and make it part of a botnet—you want your router to have security updates. But they aren’t always available.
Manufacturers aren’t forced to update routers forever—or for any particular amount of time. Many router manufacturers manufacture a large number of different router models. When a hole is found, it may take quite some effort to patch it in all the different routers, which run different firmware (software.)
Worse, many router manufacturers compete on price quite a bit. If people are buying the cheapest possible routers, the router manufacturer will have to cut corners somewhere to compete in the market. Long-term support is an easy place to cut—after all, how many people will buy a router because the manufacturer promises extended security updates, or avoid a router because the manufacturer has no established policy on it?
How to Check If Your Router Is Still Supported
Is your router still supported? The only way to tell for sure is to check your router manufacturer’s website. First, take a look at your router and note its manufacturer and model number so you can check if it appears on an end-of-life list.
Apple: Apple’s AirPort base stations still appear to be supported with firmware updates, although the company is no longer manufacturing them.
Asus: Review the end-of-life product list on Asus’s website. As the official websites put it, the router’s firmware “will not be updated” after it reaches end of life.
Google: Google’s WiFi routers are recent, and all appear supported with updates. However, Google seems to have given up on keeping an up-to-date list of firmware updates on its website.
Synology: Synology offers a product support status website listing its devices and what support they’re receiving.
Phishing and other email scams are on the rise. One of the best ways to identify scam emails is to examine the email header for detailed information about the sender. Here’s how to do that in Outlook.
Outlook itself provides a basic view of email headers. If that’s not enough, there’s a free add-in that breaks down the headers to give you a more human-friendly view. We’ll cover that as well.
Outlook’s Basic Header View
To get a basic view of the headers for an email, open the email in Outlook and click File > Properties.
In the Properties window that opens, the header is displayed in the “Internet Headers” text box at the bottom.
This text box isn’t very large, so we suggest you select all of the text and copy it into your text editor of choice to make it more visible.
However, the header information is one large block of text, which isn’t that easy to read, especially if you don’t read headers very often. To get a more useful view, there’s a free add-in you can use.
Amidst all the noise surrounding the new Surface devices that Microsoft unveiled last week, the company apparently announced a pair of new keyboards that have two new keys: one for Microsoft Office and another for emoji.
The keyboards come in two form factors. One is a sleek, minimalist design with low-profile keys and connects wirelessly over Bluetooth, while the other model is a full size wired package with Microsoft's ergonomic split layout for the keys and a fabric palm rest below. On both new keyboards, you'll find new Office and emoji keys on the right side of the space bar.
The Office key is positioned where the right-handed Windows key used to be and it can be used for shortcuts that are specific to Microsoft Office, such as pressing the Office key + W to open Word or pressing Office key + X to open Excel. Directly beside the new Office shortcut is where you'll find the new emoji key, which is can be used to open a menu of emojis available in Windows 10.
Microsoft
At first glance, it can be easy to dismiss emoji as an immature way to communicate, and yet some of them manage to express things that aren't so easily said with words. Whatever your position is on the subject, Microsoft apparently added the key at the request of Windows users who were polled about the idea.
We don't have the results from Microsoft's survey to discuss. However, it's interesting to note that 9to5Mac polled its readers about whether Apple should add an emoji key to Mac keyboards and 775 people responded as of writing: 38% of people said yes, 53.5% said no, 8.5% said unsure or other. The majority vote is still the answer that disapproves the most, "No, absolutely not," but it's easy to see from these results how Microsoft received positive feedback about the idea of adding an emoji key to its keyboards.
Further demonstrating interest in emoji-laced peripherals, this announcement also comes as Razer begins selling a new microphone that has a grid of LED lights for displaying custom emoji toward Internet stream watchers.
Both of Microsoft’s keyboards are currently available for pre-order and are expected to ship on October 15. The slimmer Bluetooth board is priced at $49.99, and the larger ergonomic board is going for $59.99.
Public Wi-Fi is freely available, but it does come with risks. If you enable the hotspot feature on your Android handset instead, you can create a portable Wi-Fi network and connect other devices to the internet.
Mobile Wi-Fi hotspots are useful in other situations, too. For example, if your internet connection goes down at home, you can switch to your hotspot and get your other devices back online in seconds.
Thanks to Android fragmentation, the steps to set up your mobile hotspot might vary, depending on your phone’s manufacturer and the version of Android it’s running.
Configure Your Phone’s Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot
Android has included some form of a Wi-Fi hotspot since 2.2 Froyo, so it should be available on your phone. However, you need to check with your mobile carrier to see if your plan allows you to share your data connection.
To create your Wi-Fi hotspot, open your device settings; you can do this from the apps drawer. Or swipe down on your display to view the notifications shade, and then tap the gear icon at the top right.
The next step varies depending on your device. On a Samsung device, tap “Connections”; otherwise tap “Network & Internet.”
Tap “Mobile Hotspot and Tethering” on a Samsung device, or “Hotspot & Tethering” on other Android devices.
If you’re looking to add a little more bass (no treble) to your car’s sound system, a good subwoofer is the way to do it. These combos can add some thunder without pounding your wallet.
What to Look for in a Powered Subwoofer System
Twenty years ago, if you wanted powerful bass for your car audio, you had to spend north of $1,000 to get a decent system. Thankfully, times have changed. You can get a great-sounding powered subwoofer package for less than $300! While you might not win any audio competitions with them, these inexpensive systems are an easy bolt-on to enhance the rumble of a factory car stereo or custom aftermarket sound system.
Here are some important factors to consider when you purchase a powered subwoofer for your vehicle:
Enclosure size and form factor: It’s easy to get an inexpensive, decent-sounding system. It’s not as easy to find one that sounds great and fits well in your vehicle.
Power: Subwoofer and amplifier power is best measured by Root Mean Squared (RMS) watts. RMS watts is the continuous power handling level into a given speaker resistance with a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of 1 percent or less. So, you’re looking for how much power the subwoofer/amp can handle continuously without sounding like garbage.
Frequency response: In most cases, larger woofers generate more volume and lower frequencies (deeper sound). But don’t get trapped by the bigger-is-better concept—that’s not always the case. There are some great 10-inch, eight-inch, and (surprisingly) six-inch subwoofers out there that generate a low, tight rumble.
Signal input options: Most powered subs support a line-level input from a subwoofer pre-output on a stereo head unit. But most factory stereos don’t provide subwoofer pre-outputs. Some subwoofers also support high-level inputs, which allow you to tap into the front or rear speaker wires directly to get the audio signal. The good news is this “tap” doesn’t actually have to drive the subwoofer; it just provides the sound stream to the subwoofer. It doesn’t affect the volume or quality of sound for the source speaker channel.
The key to adding good bass is to match the right size, power, and frequency response to the cabin volume of your vehicle. Larger interior spaces require more power, but also typically have more space for a larger system. A smaller interior often doesn’t require as much speaker size or power to achieve good bass. In a smaller car, you can get away with less power, and a smaller speaker size and installation footprint.
Best Overall: Rockville RWS12CA Slim 1200 Watt 12-inch Subwoofer
Rockville
The Rockville RWS12CA combines a slim subwoofer box with a built-in monoblock amplifier and a 12-inch, shallow mount subwoofer. This system measures 24 inches (length) x 15 inches (height) x 4.37 inches (top depth) x 6.65 inches (bottom depth). It pushes 300 watts (RMS) and 1,200 watts (peak). The RWS12CA delivers powerful, cabin-filling bass in a form factor that’s easy to install, at a price point you won’t believe. The enclosure will fit under most rear crew-cab seats in a full-size truck. You could also easily stow it in the trunk of a car or the rear hauling space of an SUV.
The RWS12CA plays nice, with an aftermarket head unit that provides a line-level sound source and remote turn-on signal. You can also tap into high-level speaker lines to add it to a factory system. With an Auto Start Music Sense, the amplifier detects when the high-level speaker source provides a signal and turns on the amp power. A configurable low-pass crossover, +12 dB bass boost, and remote bass control are also included.
If you already have sub-wiring in place, you can knock $10 off the combo price. Otherwise, the Rockville RWS12CA + Wire Kit is the better value.
The quality of the Rockville RWS12CA’s deep, cabin-filling bass is matched by the configuration options of the amp. This, combined with the slim enclosure for installation flexibility, makes this our pick for Best Overall.
Networking events are a must for anyone who has entrepreneurial dreams and those seeking connections in their line of work. To make the best of the next event you attend, here are some tips to help you get prepared.
Get Your Business Cards Together
Business cards are a must-have when you attend any time of networking event. You want to give people a way to both remember you and get ahold of you. Always take a few more business cards with you than you think you'll need.
Depending on what type of business you're in, you may want to bring brochures that explain the services or products you offer. If you're looking to find your next employer, you could consider bringing a resume or two along with you.
Dress for Success
While networking events that happen at bars may seem like casual affairs, you want to dress like the business professional you are (or want to be). You don't need to dress formal, but professional or business casual attire will let people know you're serious about making professional connections.
Practice what you want to say to the people you meet. Your look and actions will both say a lot about your professionalism.
Have a Plan in Mind
Before you head to the networking event, have a plan of what you want to do while you're there. Are you working on expanding your business or marketing a new venture? Are you looking for a business partner, employees, or new clients?
Business networking events are also great places to bounce new ideas off of other professionals and got honest feedback.
Be Prepared to Take Notes
You may not want to carry a spiral notebook with you, especially when you'll probably be up moving around most of the night. There are times when you may want to take some notes as well, like when you get a good idea or someone gives you some interesting info you want to look into later. If you own a smartphone, you can use your "notes" app to jot down stuff you want to remember. You could also bring a small notebook and pen that will easily fit in a pocket or purse.
In your work or personal life, you'll sometimes need to download a file on your iPhone or iPad. Using the new feature introduced in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, you can now do this directly in Safari. No third-party app needed!
How to Download Files Using Safari
Safari’s download manager is a hidden new feature in the iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 updates. If you're going about your day, browsing the web, you probably won't be aware of the feature. Instead, it comes up when you tap on a download link.
Go to a web page and find the link for a file you want to download. When you select it, you'll see a popup with the filename asking if you want to download it. Tap on the "Download" button.
The download will start, and you'll see a new "Downloads" button appear next to the address bar at the top of the browser. Tap on the button to reveal all current downloads. From here, you can monitor the progress of multiple downloads.
If you want to stop a download at any time, simply tap on the "X" button.
Once the download is finished, tap on the file to preview it. If you've downloaded a media file, image, or a PDF, you'll be able to see it in the preview window.
You can then share the file to any app. Tap on the "Share" button from the bottom-left corner.
Regardless of your hiking experience, hiking apps are essential for navigating, planning, or discovering new outdoor trails. Plus, they’re cheaper than standalone GPS units. But which app should you get? Here are the best hiking GPS apps available today.
Best Free Option: ViewRanger (iOS/Android)
ViewRanger
ViewRanger has just about everything you’d want from a hiking GPS app. Limited offline maps, trail planning, topographic info, and trail guides—all for free. It does have an interesting premium version with unlimited offline maps, live-tracking for family and friends, and AR features for trail flyovers, but the free version of ViewRanger is pretty attractive on its own.
Best Premium Option: Gaia GPS (iOS/Android)
Gaia GPS
Gaia GPS is a premium outdoor app that’s perfect for hikers and campers. It’s a robust app that’s full of pre-existing road maps, off-road maps, topographic data, and live-weather info. It’s great for streamlining your next hike or creating a brand new hiking trail from scratch. You can even share or check out custom hiking trails by other Gaia users in your area.
Gaia GPS is a free app, but most users suggest upgrading to the paid version (upgrades are done in-app). Basic membership costs $20 a year and allows you to save maps for offline use, while Premium membership costs $40 a year and comes with custom Nat-Geo maps, U.S. hunting maps, and more.
For Safety: Cairn (iOS/Android)
Cairn
Cairn is one of the best safety-oriented hiking GPS apps. Like other hiking apps, Cairn allows you to see, create, and follow trails (and even has offline maps). But it also has cell-coverage maps that can help you avoid dead-zones, live tracking that shows your location to friends, and automated messages to emergency contacts if you get lost.
Most of these safety-oriented features are exclusive to Cairn’s premium program, which costs $5 a month or $27 a year. Compared to other hiking apps, that’s a pretty good deal.
For Family Fun and Exercise: AllTrails (iOS/Android)
AllTrails
The AllTrails app is a great all-in-one outdoors app for hikers, runners, cyclists, and nature-enthusiasts. At a basic level, it’s a GPS app with pre-set maps and trails. These trails can be filtered for different families (dog-friendly, kid-friendly, wheelchair-friendly), or they can be filtered by distance and intensity. Over time, the app collects your hiking history and displays your progress in terms of mileage, speed, and calories burned.
AllTrails works well as a free app, but some Pro features (like offline maps, weather overlays, and emergency contacts) cost $30 a year.
For Hiking, Hunting, and Fishing: onX Hunt (iOS/Android)
onX Hunt
onX Hunt is a premium hiking app with a serious emphasis on hunting. As a GPS app, onX Maps gives you access to hunting, hiking, and biking trails with topography info and live updates for weather. You can download the maps for offline use, and you can even view property boundaries and landowner names from the map.
When building a workshop, you may find yourself deciding between two common power tools: table saws and miter saws. The two saws have many similarities and a few defining differences. When choosing one, you need to know those differences.
Table saws and miter saws are both great power tools for cutting wood and other materials to size. They’re also capable of more advanced cuts like angles and even bevels. But how they go about physically cutting differs between the two saws and those differences matter for both what they are capable of and how safe they are to use.
Miter Saw Blades Move to the Wood
Here, a miter saw moves down at an angle to make a bevel cut. DeWalt
Miter saws and table saws both rely on a spinning blade concept, similar to a circular saw. It’s even possible to use the same blade in both tools (though generally, you won’t). But where that blade physically resides and how you use it differs between the two tools.
A miter saw holds its blade high with the teeth facing downwards. You place your wood or other material below it, then bring the spinning blade down onto the wood. A table saw holds its blade in the table with the teeth facing upward. If you imagine a circular saw resting upside down on a table, that’s the basic concept. Instead of the spinning blade moving to the wood, you move the wood into the blade.
For a beginner, this difference in design makes the miter safer. Instead of pushing your limbs and fingers towards a spinning blade, you move the blade in a predictable downward fashion. That makes it easy to keep your arms out of the way.
Table saws, on the other hand, require knowledge of concepts like kickback, three points of pressure, and proper usage of safety gear like push sticks and push blocks. Kickback occurs when the table saw blade grabs trapped wood (or other material) and throws it, possibly at you. That leads to severe injuries. While kickback can also occur on a miter saw, it’s less likely to happen. As such, table saws are inherently more dangerous than miter saws with more room for error.
Table Saws are More Versatile
A miter saw could never cut a plywood piece like this. DeWalt
With a miter saw, you can accomplish three kinds of cuts: crosscuts, miter cuts, and bevel cuts. Crosscuts make a long piece of wood shorter. Miter cuts are an angled cut that joins two pieces of wood like your door frame’s corner or a picture frame. Bevel cuts are similar to miter cuts but come in at a different angle.
The bevel cut allows two tall pieces of wood to join together nicely, as seen with the baseboards in your home. To miter cut, you turn the blade from left to right, while keeping it in a straight up and down position. To bevel cut, you tilt the blade sideways, left or right. It’s possible to both bevel and miter cut at the same time.
For most woodworking projects, crosscuts and miter cuts are the two most common cuts you will make. But, for some types of projects, you may need additional options that a table saw provides.
You must create a file system before you can use any data storage device connected to a Linux computer. Learn how to use mkfs and other utilities to do just that for all sorts of file systems. We show you how.
mkfs Makes File Systems
The mkfs command makes file systems. On other operating systems, creating a file system is called formatting. Regardless of its name, it is the process that prepares a partition so that it can store data. The partition needs a way to store files, yes. But it also needs a mechanism to store the names and locations of those files, together with their metadata such as the file creation timestamp, the file modified timestamp, the size of the file, and so on. Once mkfs has built the necessary framework for handling and storing file metadata, you can start adding files to the partition.
The syntax is very simple. You just tell mkfs the device partition you want the file system created on, and what type of file system you want. That’s on the face of it. Behind the scenes, it’s a little different. For some time now on most Linux distributions mkfs has been a wrapper for mke2fs. The mkfs command calls the mke2fs command and passes it the options you’ve specified. Poor old mke2fsdoes all of the work but gets none of the glory.
The syntax of mkfs has been updated, and the old format has been deprecated. Both forms will work, but we’ll use the modern style in this article.
The Choice of File Systems
The modern way of using mkfs is to type “mkfs.” and then the name of the file system you wish to create.
To see the file systems that mkfs can create, type “mkfs” and then hit the Tab key twice. There’s no space after “mkfs”, just hit Tab twice.
The list of available file systems is displayed in the terminal window. The screenshot is from Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Other distributions may offer more or fewer options. We’ll run through these and describe each one briefly. After a quick word about journaling.
Journaling is an important concept in file systems. The file systems records the pending file writes to a journal. As each file is written to, the journal is updated, and the pending write records are updated. This allows the file system to repair broken, partially written files that have occurred due to a catastrophic event such as a power cut. Some of the older file systems do not support journaling. Those that don’t, write to the disk less frequently because they don’t need to update the journal. They may perform faster, but they are more prone to damage due to interrupted file writes.
Ext2: The very first file system for Linux was the MINIX file system. It was later replaced by the first file system ever written specifically for Linux, which was Ext. Ext2 was Ext’s successor. Ext2 is not a journaling file system.
Ext3: This was the successor to Ext2, and can be thought of as Ext2 with journaling, which protects your file system from data corruption caused by crashes and sudden power loss.
Ext4: Ext4 is the standard file system for may Linux distributions. It is a solid, tried, and trusted file system. It has features that reduce file fragmentation and can be used with larger drives, partitions, and files than Ext3.
BFS: This is the Boot File System, which is designed for one job and one only: to handle the files in the boot partition. It’s rare that you’d be creating a boot file system by hand. Your Linux installation process will do this for you.
FAT: The File Allocation Table file system was designed for floppy disks by a consortium of computer-industry heavyweights. It was introduced in 1977. The only reason you’d use this non-journaling file system is for compatibility with non-Linux operating systems.
NTFS: The New Technology File System is a Microsoft journaling file system introduced with Windows NT. It was the successor to FAT. The only reason you’d use this file system is for compatibility with non-Linux operating systems.
MINIX: Originally created by Andrew S. Tanenbaum as an educational aid, MINIX is a “mini-Unix” operating system. Nowadays, it is aimed at providing a self-healing and fault-tolerant operating system. The MINIX file system was designed as a simplified version of the Unix File System. Perhaps if you are cross-developing on a Linux computer and targetting a MINIX platform you may use this file system. Or perhaps you need compatibility with a MINIX computer for other reasons. Use cases for this file system on a Linux computer are not leaping out at me, but it’s available.
VFAT: Virtual File Allocation Table, was introduced with Windows 95, and removed the eight-character limit for filenames. File names of up to 255 characters became possible. The only reason you’d use this file system is for compatibility with non-Linux operating systems.
CRAMFS: The Compressed ROM File System is a read-only file system designed for embedded systems and specialist read-only uses, such as in the boot processes of Linux computers. It is common to have a small, transient, file system loaded first so that bootstrap processes can be launched to prepare for the “real” boot system to be mounted.
MSDOS: The file system of the Microsoft Disk Operating System. Released in 1981, it’s an elementary file system that is as basic as it gets. The first version didn’t even have directories. It holds a place of prominence in computing history but, beyond compatibility with legacy systems, there is little reason to use it today.
Screen protectors are sold as a necessity, but they’re not as useful as they used to be. In fact, ditching the screen protector can save you money and make your phone more pleasant to use.
Gorilla Glass Is Tougher Than Common Metals
The original iPhone was the first smartphone to use a glass screen instead of a plastic screen. But Apple didn’t use just any glass; the company relied on a “Gorilla Glass” developed by a company called Corning.
Today, Corning supplies Gorilla Glass for most smartphone manufacturers. Gorilla Glass 6, the newest of Corning’s formulas, is tougher than the glass that came on the original iPhone (or even the glass that came with your last phone). Gorilla Glass is harder than the common metals that you’ll find in keys and knives, and it can handle being thrown at the ground multiple times.
In other words, your phone’s screen is a lot harder to break than it used to be. Screen protectors used to be an essential item, but they’re hardly a necessity these days. But Gorilla Glass isn’t perfect, right? Aren’t there some situations that call for a screen protector?
Screen protectors look disgusting. They get scratched up quickly, and they make your screen less vibrant. Plus, the plastic screen protectors are really good at holding onto finger grease, which is a gross reminder of humanity’s myriad bodily functions.
But screen protectors aren’t useless yet. Gorilla Glass may be strong enough to withstand a good drop, but it can still be scratched by rocks, sand, and rare metals (like diamonds). Your phone will look like hell if it ever skids across a gravel parking lot, and it’ll be covered in micro-scratches if you ever stick it in a pocket full of sand.
When’s the last time that either of those things happened to you? Freak accidents just don’t happen that often. Sure, it’s nice to have a screen protector when something terrible happens. And hey, if you work in a battlefield or you have terrible luck, then a screen protector’s probably worth buying. But for most people, freak accidents are so rare that a screen replacement may be cheaper, easier, and more tolerable than installing a new screen protector every month.
Screen protectors aren’t nearly as important as they used to be. They add a bit of extra protection to your phone, but that additional protection isn’t always necessary. Think of it like wearing knee pads while riding a bike. They’re super ugly, but they might come in handy during a freak accident.
The thing is, phone screens are pretty easy to replace (easier than your kneecaps). A local repair shop should be able to replace your phone screen for around $100—and that’s not too far off from what you might pay for a year’s worth of $15 screen protectors. If you don’t mind walking into a store and interacting with a real human being, then the screen protector may be worth skipping.
Ten minutes until kick-off. The crew’s at the door. Wait, did you forget the snacks? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Snacks for game-day don’t have to be a photo-worthy affair. Sure, those mini sliders with your team’s flag hanging off the toothpick are cute, but they also take forever to make. And, when you’re short on time, you just want to feed the hungry crowd.
We get it. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of seven snacks you can throw together in under ten minutes. Yep, you read that right, under ten minutes to snack time for you and the whole gridiron gang.
Guacamole
This one’s a classic choice for a good reason: It’s easy. Really, though, this one’s dependent on whether or not you can source several ripe avocados. If you can, then it’s a no brainer. Simply scoop out the avocado’s insides and mash them up with a little salt, lime juice, and cilantro. Additional ingredients are up to you; you could add onion, tomato, cumin, and even sour cream. Throw it on the table with a bag of chips. Done.
Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo—aka salsa fresca—is one of our favorite game-day snacks. It’s easy to make, and once you’ve had it freshly prepared, there’s no going back to the jar. Simply seed and dice a few tomatoes. Throw them in a fine-mesh strainer basket and season with a few pinches of salt. Put the basket in the sink and let the tomato juices drain while you dice up a white onion, a jalapeño, and a fistful of cilantro. Then, mix everything together and serve with tortilla chips.
All right, if the last two were too tough for you, well, three’s a charm. Every game-day glutton we’ve ever met loves a good charcuterie board, even if they can’t pronounce charcuterie. In case we’ve lost you, too, charcuterie (shar-koo-tuh-ree) is a fancy way of referring to a meat and cheese platter.
This can be a wildly creative endeavor, or it can be super simple. Our favorite way to make it happen quickly is to use simple cold cuts, such as salami or prosciutto (although really any lunch meat will do). Lay the sliced meats alongside crackers and sliced cheese. Use bunches of grapes or olives to fill in any empty space. Fancier options might include a spreadable cheese—perhaps goat cheese. Or, for a less gamey bite, maybe cream cheese topped with a jar of salsa and served with salty pretzels is a better move.
Ranch Dip
We’re not talking about the packet of seasoning you might have in the back of a spice cabinet somewhere. We’re talking homemade, impress-your-friends, ranch dip. Promise, it still takes less than 10 minutes, and you won’t dirty more than two spoons and a bowl. All you need is Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and the following dried spices:
Parsley
Dill weed
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Black pepper
Got it? Sweet. Then mix a ½ teaspoon (maybe a little less on the garlic and black pepper) of each with one cup of full-fat Greek yogurt and two tablespoons of either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Use olive oil (or a few drops of water) to get the right consistency. Don’t forget, as any good cook will remind you, to taste as you go and adjust the ingredients accordingly. Serve this one with potato chips and fresh-cut veggies, like carrots and celery.
Microsoft is now getting Windows 10’s November 2019 Update, codenamed 19H2, ready for release. Also known as Windows 10 version 1909, this will be the smallest, quickest Windows 10 Update yet. It’s practically just a service pack.
We’ve updated this article with the latest features up to Windows Insider build 18363.418, which Microsoft said was likely the final build on October 10, 2019.
A “Less Disruptive Update” With Fewer Changes
Microsoft’s John Cable explains that this update “will be a scoped set of features for select performance improvements, enterprise features, and quality enhancements.” In other words, expect a select set of bug fixes, performance tweaks, and a handful of business features.
If you’re sick of big Windows 10 updates every six months, Windows 10’s November 2019 Update (19H2) is the update for you! Installing this update will be more like installing a standard cumulative update like the updates that arrive on Patch Tuesday. It should be a small download with a fast installation process—no long reboot and purging of old Windows installations necessary.
Computers with the May 2019 Update (also known as 19H1) installed will get a small patch via Windows Update and quickly update themselves to the November 2019 Update (19H2.) This will likely arrive sometime in November 2019, as the name suggests.
It’s already out there and being tested. As of September 5, Microsoft says every Windows Insider in the “Release Preview” ring has been offered Windows 10 version 1909. A year ago, Windows 10’s October 2018 Update was released without any testing in the Release Preview ring at all. On October 10, Microsoft said Windows Insiders in the Release Preview ring already had what Microsoft expects is the final build.
Following up on the recent unveiling of its OnePlus 7T, the smartphone maker held a separate event today where it revealed the impending launch of its new OnePlus 7T Pro and OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition.
OnePlus 7T Pro
The OnePlus 7T Pro packs a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 3120 x 1440 pixels, an aspect ratio of 20:9, and the obligatory 90Hz refresh rate—the same display you'll find on the OnePlus 7 Pro. The display is borderless and this is aided by the use of OnePlus' familiar pop-up front camera design.
The rear camera is comprised of three lenses in a linear configuration, as opposed to the circle on the 7T. In order: a 117-degree ultra-wide lens, the 48-megapixel main camera, and a 51mm telephoto lens with 3x zoom and optical image stabilization (versus 2x and no stabilization on the 7T). Other highlights include super video stabilization, a macro mode, and improved Nightscape mode.
Inside, you'll find the same Snapdragon 855+ SoC that powers the non-Pro OnePlus 7T, although the Pro model steps the battery up from 3800mAh to 4085mAh and touts "Warp Charge 30T" technology which charges 23% faster than the 7 Pro, refilling the 7T Pro's battery to 70% in only 30 minutes. The OnePlus 7T Pro is paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB UFS 3.0 storage (no 128GB option).
Overall, the 7T Pro brings a mild spec boost over the company's existing flagship smartphones. Many of the same announcements made during the unveiling of that phone a couple of weeks ago were also restated during today's presentation, such as the inclusion of a new ultra-responsive haptic motor, the partnership with PUBG Mobile to optimize gameplay on OnePlus phones, and features such as HDR10+ support, Dolby Atmos speakers, and plenty more. One thing it doesn’t offer versus similar flagship phones is wireless charging.
There's no word on US availability for the OnePlus 7T Pro, and it probably won’t reach the region at all, but the device is expected to ship in the UK, Europe, China, Hong Kong, and India. Pricing was revealed in British Pounds with the 7T Pro set at £549, with orders scheduled to ship starting October 17.
Network cameras have existed since before the Wyze Cam and Nest Cam. They send their data over your local network rather than relying on a cloud service. Now, Insider builds of Windows 10 20H1 have built-in support for these cameras.
These are also known as IP-based cameras, as they send video data over your local area network (LAN) using the Internet Protocol (IP.) Traditionally, you had to use a third-party software package or access a web server running on the camera to access these cameras. Now, get ready for built-in support.
One catch: For now, at least, Windows 10 only supports network cameras that are compliant with ONVIF Profile S. As Microsoft’s Varsha Parthasarathy puts it in a Microsoft blog post announcing the feature, these “are standards-compliant network cameras optimized for real-time streaming video capture.”
If you have a camera that works with Windows 10, you’ll be able to go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices > Add Bluetooth or other device. Windows will automatically scan your local network for supported network cameras. Click it to add it to your system.
Once the camera is added, you can use the built-in Camera app on Windows to capture photos, stream live video, or record videos. It will be available to other camera apps on Windows, too.
This feature is only available in Windows 10 Insider build 18995 or newer. This is a 20H1 build, so this feature will likely debut for everyone in Windows 10’s 20H1 update. Microsoft will likely release a stable version of 20H1 around April 2020.
Flowcharts and diagrams can help people understand confusing data. If you need one for your Google Docs or Slides file, you can create it without leaving your document. We’ll show you how.
Insert a Flowchart In Google Docs
Fire up your browser, open a Docs file, and then click Insert > Drawing > + New.
From the Google Drawing window, click the icon that looks like a circle on top of a square. Hover over “Shapes,” and then click the shape you want to use. Note that all the shapes at the bottom of the Shapes selector are for flowcharts.
Google Drawing is an extremely simple flowchart creator. It relies heavily on your drawing and organizational skills. After you select a shape, drag your mouse cursor to create it on the canvas.
Coalatree—the company who previously launched a highly-rated hoodie made from recycled coffee grounds—is back on Kickstarter with its latest creation: a windbreaker that is capable of "healing" small punctures by rubbing them with your finger.
The Whistler Windbreaker is made from 100% nylon with a DWR coating that repels water from light precipitation. However, it's not just any nylon material— it's "HiloTech," which is said to have specially woven nylon strands that are comprised of microscopic fibers. Those fibers are clingy like the hairs on an insect's leg, and when you apply a little bit of heat and friction by rubbing the material with your finger, it can force the fibers to adhere in a way that covers a small hole.
Beyond its ability to heal small punctures, features include an interior glove pocket, an exterior phone pocket, hand-warming pockets, a chin guard, hood and waist drawstrings, elastic cuffs, as well as a reflective logo on the sleeve. When not being worn, the jacket can be stuffed into its front chest pocket, making for a compact package that's easy to travel with. The stuffed package even has a carabiner loop that lets you hang the jacket on the outside of a travel bag.
While the product is interesting and Coalatree certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt, it would be nice to see a more thorough demonstration about the types of damage that you can reasonably expect to repair on this thing. The demo video indicates that thorn or small nail puncture could be rubbed away in a few seconds, but an author at The Inventory said he didn't have any luck "healing" a small linear cut made with scissors. What about small holes burned into the material from campfire embers?
The Whistler is scheduled to ship in March 2020 with Kickstarter pricing starting at $72 for a single jacket—$57 off from the anticipated retail rate. Sizing from XS to XXL and as a point of reference, size medium weighs seven ounces.
In an announcement on its Kickstarter page yesterday, Coalatree said it had managed to reach its initial goal for funding at $50,000. That amount has reached $62,275 as of writing and the company says if it can reach its "stretch goal" of $100,000 on Kickstarter, it will add a new red color option to its current choices of black, blue, and green. Considering the campaign still has 27 days to go and it's only just now hitting the news circuit, reaching $100,000 or higher seems pretty possible.
As mentioned, this isn't Coalatree's first foray into the stranger side of fashion, having previously funded and shipped a hoodie made from recycled coffee grounds. That project reached $558,796 in backing and is available today for $109 with favorable reviews around the Internet. The company also boasts that it hasn't been late to deliver on a single Kickstarter project.
There's more to password woes than mere forgetfulness. Changing them on a regular basis is just good practice, as you don't want hackers using passwords you created in the 1990s. This guide shows you how to change your Windows password.
These instructions use three methods: in the Windows 10 Settings app, through Microsoft's website, and on the login screen.
Change Your Microsoft Account Password from the Settings App
Sign in to your Microsoft account using the current password. Click the Start button and select the "gear" icon shown along the Start menu's left edge. This opens the Settings app.
Alternatively, click the gear icon on the taskbar if you previously pinned the Settings app.
With the Settings app opens, select the "Accounts" tile.
The app opens to "Your Info" by default. Click on "Sign-In Options" on the left followed by the "Password" entry listed under "Sign-In Options" on the right. The Password entry expands to include a "Change" button that you click to continue.
A good cat tree can improve the life of your feline friend. But they’re a bit expensive, and they don’t always last that long. So, here are five fantastic, durable cat trees for every situation and budget.
What to Look for in a Cat Tree
Cat trees are made up of platforms, scratching posts, and built-in toys. They’re meant to enrich your cat’s environment by providing a space to play, climb, and scratch, and they can actually help alleviate some cat behavioral problems (tearing at furniture, scratching at feet, etc.).
But what should you expect from a cat tree? How big do they need to be, and what should they be made out of?
Here’s what you should look for in a cat tree:
Size: How big a cat tree do you need? Cats love to climb up giant trees, but a big piece of cat furniture might not fit in your living room. Try to strike a balance that works for you and your cat.
Features: Cat trees are great for lounging, but they can also work as scratching posts or play areas. Look for features your cat needs. If they like to scratch at furniture, get them a cat tree with built-in sisal scratching posts. If they swat at people, get them a tree with built-in toys to burn off that energy.
Build quality: Cheap cat trees are made of cardboard and crappy carpet. They fall apart quickly, and they tend to look (and feel) gross after awhile. For quality’s sake, all of the cat trees in this article are made of compressed wood. If you want to take things a step further, buy one that’s made with rigid carpet (or no carpet).
Consider floor-to-ceiling trees: Some cat trees press against the floor and ceiling like tension rods. These floor-to-ceiling trees are a great space-saving option, and they can actually give your kitty more altitude than other freestanding trees.
And that’s all there is to it. Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to start shopping.
The Best Overall: Go Pet Club 62-Inch Cat Tree
Go Pet Club
For under $100, the Go Pet Club cat tree is a fantastic option. It’s made of durable compressed wood and real sisal rope, so it’ll outlast similarly-priced cat trees. Plus, it’s 62 inches tall and features a bunch of platforms, hammocks, and hideouts for your cat.
Just keep in mind that this cat tree is roughly three feet wide. That’s about the size of a real piece of human furniture, so you might have trouble finding a spot for the Go Pet Club tree in your home.
The last thing you need before an important meeting is a clothing disaster. Here’s how to spot-check that hotel iron before it ruins your clothes.
When something goes wrong with ironing, it usually goes spectacularly wrong, and you end up with a molten-plastic, iron-shaped brand on the back of your shirt.
With hotel irons, though, there’s an extra variable at play—all the people who stayed there before you and used and abused the iron in their own special ways.
To avoid a surprise, like an iron full of mildewy water, chunky hard water deposits, or something even worse, iron a hotel towel first.
Dump out any old stale water in the iron first, and then refresh the reservoir with clean water. Let the iron heat up, switch it to the cotton setting, and then iron the towel while you pump the steam button.
If the towel isn’t covered in chunks of water deposits and doesn’t smell like the bottom of a gym locker, then it’s ready for your business attire. If it doesn’t look so great, you’ve just saved yourself from ironing funky gunk right onto the shirt you’re wearing to this afternoon’s presentation.
If you already own a woodworking router, you probably want to make the most of it. While you can use the tool freehand, for greater precision, you should consider a router table. You’ll have an easier time with intricate cuts.
What to Look for in a Router Table
Before you purchase a router table, you want to check some of its key components. The shape, size, materials, fence, and accessories vary from table to table, and those things make the difference between a poor option and an inexpensive but good choice.
Flat, Rigid Top: The top of your router table should be very flat and rigid. You don’t want a table that bends as you push material across it—that could ruin the cut. Most routers use either melamine (or MDF), cast aluminum, or in some rare cases, cast iron. All three are good options, though the latter two are more durable.
Flat, Metal Base Plate: Nearly every router table includes a base plate for attaching your router. The plate should be flat, very rigid, and made of metal. The table should also include a way to level the plate to the rest of the top.
An Easy to Adjust Fence: For many of your router cuts, you’ll want a fence to guide the material along the router bit. The fence should be easy to adjust and tighten down with two to four large knobbed screws. Nicer tables will include a two-piece split fence that lets you adjust the hole in the middle. You can also set split fences to join wood.
Dust Ports: Routing wood creates a ton of sawdust, and if you don’t do something about it, you’ll quickly have trouble sliding your material along the tabletop. Dust ports let you connect a shop vac or other vacuum solution to suck the sawdust out. Look for one at the fence and maybe a second beneath the table by the router.
Sturdy base: The last thing you want is your table to shift while you’re pushing the wood through the router bit. Shifting will cause your cut to drift and potentially ruin your piece. A sturdy base should prevent shifting.
Miter slot: Similar to a table saw’s miter slots, the router tabletop should have at least one slot cut into it, running parallel with the router and fence. You can attach feather boards and miter gauges as needed for a safe cut. Some routers may have additional slots for additional accessories.
Best Overall: Bosch Benchtop Router Table RA1181
Bosch
If you picked the best overall router we recommend, then the Bosch RA1181 Table is a no-brainer. It has a cast aluminum tabletop with a miter slot. The included base plate has pre-drilled holes for many standard routers, and you can drill more if necessary. It also comes with a split fence and quite a few accessories, including multiple feather boards, three mounting plate rings, and shims for jointing wood. This table is benchtop sized, so you’ll need to place it on another surface to get it to a comfortable height. As a bonus, this unit includes two plug spots, one for the router and one for a vacuum. Flipping the main switch engages both.
If you do have the Bosch 1617EVS router, you may want to consider picking up the optional under table base. The router will slip in and out of this base without having to unscrew it every time.
A good solid router table, this unit’s table is made of cast aluminum and includes a miter slot, several accessories, and supports mounting to a table permanently.
The Skil router table goes for minimalism while still offering plenty of features. It comes pre-assembled (which is a rarity) and includes a handy attached storage pouch for all its accessories. You do give up something for the low cost, though: MDF is the material of choice here. And it doesn’t have a dedicated table plate, relying instead on clamps to hold your router in place. So doublecheck that your router fits first before buying. When you’re not using it, it folds up to a somewhat compact size. As a benchtop router, you’ll need to place it on another surface to use it.
This is the little router table that could. It uses an MDF tabletop with no separate plate. Helpfully it comes pre-assembled and folds down to a smaller size when you’re done.
The new Sidecar feature in macOS Catalina extends your Mac's display to your iPad. With it, you can use your iPad as a secondary monitor or as a mirrored display that works with Apple Pencil and accessories like a mouse and keyboard.
How Sidecar Works
Once you have macOS Catalina installed on your Mac, you can connect your iPad to your computer and use it as an external display. It works both in a wired and wireless mode.
If you connect your iPad using a USB-C or Lightning cable, the connection is faster and more stable. But for most users, the wireless connection will work just as well. There's no major lag as Apple uses its own Wi-Fi-based AirDrop-like peer-to-peer connection.
Because of the peer-to-peer connection, Sidecar only has a 10-foot range. If you move to another room, you'll notice lag and then a warning on the screen asking you to move closer to the Mac.
If you want to use the iPad as a portable display for a Mac around your house, you should look at Luna Display which works on a Wi-Fi network and has a longer range.
Once Sidecar is enabled, the iPad works as more than just a monitor. You'll see a sidebar with controls and shortcuts, along with a virtual Touch Bar at the bottom of the screen. You can use touch, Apple Pencil, and a mouse to control the Mac display on your iPad.
While the touch UI does work, it's not intuitive. If you were hoping that Sidecar would turn the Mac into an iPad where you'll be able to use your fingers to tap on the screen and move around, alas, this is not it. The UI elements in Mac was quite small for this to work reliably.
Guitar and bass wall mounts are great for clearing up your floor space and displaying your favorite instruments. But it can be hard to know which guitar mounts are actually safe. So, we’ve rounded up the best of the best.
Wall Mounting Is Easier and Safer Than You’d Think
Wall mounting looks great and saves a ton of floor space, but some people are (understandably) squeamish about wall mounting. How do I know if I’m installing the wall mount properly? What if my guitar breaks? What if everything goes wrong and it’s all my fault?
The thing is, wall mounts are extremely easy to install, and they’re a lot safer than you’d expect. A properly installed wall mount should be able to hold up a large child (don’t test this theory), so it can definitely hold up even the heaviest of guitars or basses.
But how do you install a wall mount? If you want to take the super easy route, just find a stud in your wall and attach the mount to it (all mounts come with screws). You can find a stud with a stud finder or with your hands—just knock on the wall until you find a spot that doesn’t sound hollow.
Or, you can take the messy-but-still-easy wall anchor route. Wall anchors are the plastic doohickeys that expand like squids behind your hollow drywall to hold screws in place. They’re usually packaged with guitar wall mounts, and they’re relatively easy to install (although they’re difficult to take out of the wall).
Okay, now that you’re comfortable installing a wall mount, let’s jump right in. Here are the best guitar and bass wall mounts for every musician’s situation.
Best Overall: Ohuhu Flexible Hook 4-Pack
Ohuhu
These Ohuhu wall mounts look great, they’re relatively affordable, and they’re adjustable. What more can you ask for? This is a great option for anyone who has a bunch of differently sized stringed instruments (guitar, bass, ukulele, etc.), or for the people who want strong-looking hangers that won’t break the bank.
The only drawback to these Ohuhu hangers is that they lack any sort of locking mechanism (although they do have some rubber o-rings). That might be a deal breaker for people who have small kids around the house, as guitars could fall if they get slapped around enough.
AirDrop lets you send files, photos, and other data between iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Like all wireless tech, though, AirDrop can be temperamental. And getting devices to “see” each other can sometimes be a challenge. Here’s how to troubleshoot common AirDrop problems.
What Is AirDrop?
AirDrop is Apple’s proprietary method of sending files or data locally between two devices. The devices initially connect over Bluetooth, with Wi-Fi doing much of the heavy lifting when it comes to file transfers.
The feature was first introduced on Macs in 2008. It expanded to iOS devices with the rollout of iOS 7 in 2013. AirDrop is excellent when it works, but if you have older hardware, you’re more likely to experience issues. Visibility issues are the most common problem people have with AirDrop—sometimes, the recipient doesn’t show up, no matter how hard you try.
This is one of the reasons Apple introduced the new U1 chip with ultra-wideband technology for the iPhone 11. The U1 is designed to improve device discoverability and eliminate the issues that have plagued AirDrop for years. It will be a while before the majority of people have such a chip in their device, though. For now, we’re stuck trying to get AirDrop to work the old-fashioned way.
We’ve split these tips between Mac and iOS devices, as you can use different methods on each platform. If you want to use AirDrop between an iPhone or iPad, and a Mac, be sure to check out both sections for relevant tips.
Can My Mac or iOS Device Use AirDrop?
AirDrop is compatible with the following Mac computers:
MacBook Pro (late 2008 or newer)
MacBook Air (late 2010 or newer)
MacBook (late 2008 or newer)
iMac (early 2009 or newer)
Mac mini (mid-2010 or newer)
Mac Pro (early 2009 with AirPort Extreme or newer)
AirDrop is compatible with iOS devices that:
Run iOS 7 or later
Have a Lightning port
Despite this extensive compatibility, the older your device, the more likely you are to have issues with AirDrop.
Troubleshooting AirDrop on a Mac
There are more tricks to getting AirDrop working on a Mac than there are for an iOS device. This is because, on a Mac, you have access to the Terminal, more settings you can adjust, and the ability to delete files from system folders.
Don’t get tricked into spending hours on treats. Whether you’re seeking spooky sweets or savory snacks, we’ve got 10 things you can throw together fast. And they’re all perfect for that Halloween party you forgot all about.
Maybe it’s Thursday evening, and you just found a flyer in your son’s backpack that says he needs to bring thirty Halloween-themed treats to school on Friday. Or perhaps you forgot you told your neighbor you’d be in charge of snacks at this year’s block party.
Whatever the case, fall is a busy time of year, and there’s no shame in running out of time for homemade candied apples or from-scratch pumpkin pies.
With so many easy treat ideas floating around, you can put together a creepy culinary creation in less time than it takes to wrap a toilet-paper mummy. We’ve put together our 10 favorite ideas to make Halloween yummies in a hurry.
So, don’t worry about that party you forgot. Stop stressing over the fifty marshmallow spiderwebs you planned to prepare. Instead, use our handy list to create some simple, spooky snacks—fast!
Creepy Canapes
Nothing starts a party off right like a solid selection of finger foods. These grab-and-go options are sure to delight adults and children alike, and they don’t take more than 10 minutes to make.
Pumpkin Pie Dip: Save the chips and salsa for summer and make this festive take on chips and dip, instead. Ready in just five minutes, it’s perfect for a last-minute gathering.
Celery Snails and Caterpillars: These little guys are a hit with younger ghouls and goblins, but we guarantee older spirits will enjoy them, as well. They just celery and peanut butter, but we can’t get enough of these cute creepy-crawlies.
Most trackers like Tile or Chipolo communicate through Bluetooth. That’s great for battery life and size but terrible for finding your lost thing more than a room or two away. GeoZilla’s GPS tracker uses 3G service to contact you anywhere—well, almost anywhere.
If you’re prone to losing your keys or your dog is an escape artist, tracking devices sound nice. Most of them have a laughably short range, though, usually no more than a room or two. And though they boast crowdsourcing to expand that range, the truth is there aren’t enough trackers out there for the guaranteed coverage everywhere you go. Whether or not it will help is a game of luck right now. You might have lost your tracker near other people with compatible trackers, but it seems just as likely that it will be somewhere alone unable to communicate.
GeoZilla is trying to solve that with a sensible approach: a combination of GPS and 3G service. You buy the $50 hardware and subscribe to a data plan to activate the 3G service. You can choose $5 a month, $50 a year, or $99 for three years. Given that spread, three years makes the most sense. Once you have a plan, the tracker pings at set intervals so you can find your lost widget anywhere. Mostly it works well—when the app doesn’t let the hardware down at least.
Simple Effective Hardware
GeoZilla
Generally, trackers should be small, unobtrusive, and lightweight. This GPS tracker is larger than Bluetooth trackers like Tile or Chipolo, but that’s understandable given the extra radios it contains. It’s about the size of a keyfob, though, so it will still fit in your pockets or most other places you’d want to stow it away.
The face has three buttons—one for SOS and two that don’t do anything currently. I’m not sure what they’re for, as none of the instructions or the app mentions them. Pressing the SOS button for four seconds sends a text message to chosen contacts with a google map location link, while anybody with the app installed and linked will also receive a similar notification.
It’s simple hardware, but that’s all it needs to be. Josh Hendrickson
The tracker itself has small holes for the included lanyard but won’t fit a standard keychain setup. It comes with two cases that will take care of that. The first is a hardshell case that adds to the overall bulkiness of the product. It is satisfyingly solid, though, and seems like it’ll protect the tracker form any hard drops. The other is a soft case with a belt loop, perfect for attaching to a dog collar, purse, or even a kid’s belt. The soft case also adds a loop you could connect to the included lanyard.
All in all, it’s fine hardware; the tracker is everything it’s needs to be and not an inch more. And I prefer that to something over-engineered and complicated—like the tracker’s app.
A Dual-Use App With Unnecessary Subscriptions
Really not a fan of these (unnecessary!) premium messages you can’t avoid.
Unfortunately for the GPS tracker, GeoZilla’s app (available for Android and iOS) needs work. Instead of creating an entirely new app for the GPS tracker, GeoZilla folded it into the company’s existing app. Think of GeoZilla’s app as a cross-platform Find My Friends on steroids. Unfortunately, the very first thing the app greets you with on the first launch is a premium subscription offer and trial.
Sales of commercial Unix have fallen off a cliff. There has to be something behind this dramatic decline. Has Linux killed its ancestor by becoming a perfectly viable replacement, like an operating system version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
The Beginning of Unix
The initial release of Unix occurred fifty years ago in 1969, at Bell Labs, a research and development company owned by AT&T. Happy birthday, Unix. Actually, at that time it was still called Unics, standing for UNIplexed Information and Computing Service. Apparently, no one can recall when the “cs” became an “x.” It was written on a DEC PDP/7 computer, in DEC assembly language.
There was a need within Bell to produce typeset patent applications. The Unix development team identified that need as an opportunity to get their hands on the newer and more powerful DEC PDP/11/20 computer, so they quickly produced a typesetting program to generate the patent applications. After this, the use of Unix steadily grew at Bell.
In 1973 Version 4 of Unix was released, re-written in the C programming language. The introduction to the accompanying manual had this to say: “The number of UNIX installations is now above 20, and many more are expected.” (K. Thompson and D. M. Richie, The UNIX Programmer’s Manual, 4th ed. November 1973.)
How little they knew! In 1973 Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, two of the core Unix architects, presented a paper at a conference about Unix. Immediately they received requests for copies of the operating system.
Because of a consent decree that AT&T entered into with the US government in 1956, AT&T had to stay out of “any business other than the furnishing of common carrier communications services.” The upshot was they could license products from Bell Labs, but they couldn’t wholeheartedly productize them. So the Unix operating system was distributed as source code with a license, and costs that covered the shipping and packaging and a “reasonable royalty.”
Because AT&T couldn’t treat Unix as a product and didn’t put the usual wrap-around on it, Unix was given no marketing. It came with no support and without bug fixes. Despite this, Unix it spread into universities, military applications, and eventually the commercial world.
Because Unix had been rewritten in the C programming language, it was relatively easy to port it to new computer architectures, and soon Unix was running on all sorts of hardware. It had broken out of the confines of the DEC product range and could now run almost anywhere.
The Rise of Commercial Unix
In 1982, following another consent decree, AT&T was forced to relinquish control of Bell, and Bell was broken up into smaller, regional, companies. This upheaval released AT&T from some of their previous strictures. They were now able to productize Unix formally. In 1983 license fees were raised, and support and maintenance were finally available.
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I think we should ditch the over contouring look, let's focusing on keeping the skin dewy and bringing eyes out! First things first is prepping your skin. If you want the dewy look it's best to use a glow primer on the high points of the face such as cheek bones and brow bone. Next use a foundation of your choice. I personally like Dior skin nude for the all over glow. Using a Beauty Blender to blend everything together keeps that healthy dewy look. Making sure your Beauty Blender is damp. At this stage you can start contouring if that's what you like, I prefer to use creams as they are much more softer and subtle looking on the skin. I am currently loving the Sleek cream contour kit, it's creamy and the colours are just right in term of tones. The formula of the Sleek contour kit goes perfectly with the foundation choice. Next you can start concealing under eyes, I like to go between Tarte Creaseless concealer if the under eye circles are more prominent and Charlo...
It’s simple hardware, but that’s all it needs to be. 
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