The project in the Atacama Desert could increase light pollution by up to 50%, making it much harder to observe the cosmos near the Paranal Observatory.

There is something so incredibly frustrating about typing on a digital keyboard with a controller. Whether for streaming or gaming, the slowness with which you often have to find each letter is just painful. Well, thankfully, there’s an improvement on the way for Xbox controllers, with Microsoft announcing a new gamepad keyboard for Windows 11’s touch keyboard. 

Microsoft

The updated keyboard should make it easier to use the on-screen one with an Xbox controller. It brings greater navigation to the controller and helpful shortcuts. For example, the X button can function as backspace, the Y button as the spacebar and the menu button as enter. Microsoft also states that it has vertically aligned the keyboard keys for smoother use.  

Microsoft first shared that it was beta testing this technology back in September. Now, it’s available in the Release Preview version of Windows 11, so you should be able to try it out for yourself within the next few weeks. Hopefully it saves you a lot of time and frustration (and that streamers will come up with their own solutions soon). 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-launches-a-new-gamepad-keyboard-layout-for-windows-11-154011591.html?src=rss

Safety is Volvo’s big thing. From three-point seatbelts to side-impact protection to blind-spot monitoring and much more, the Swedish automaker focuses its innovation on making its cars safer rather than faster around the Nürburgring. (Although in the past, it has set records there too.) As part of its efforts, Volvo has collected data from tens of thousands of car crashes, which it’s now leveraging in virtual worlds to put simulated cars and SUVs through the wringer with the help of something amusingly named “Gaussian splatting.”

“We’ve been visiting crash sites since the ’70s. We’ve been recording event data from a fleet of cars for many, many years,” said Alwin Bakkenes, head of global software engineering at Volvo Cars. “And all of those data points have actually helped us create safety innovations… from the three-point safety belt to whiplash protection systems and now also, as we’re introducing in the ES90, a function called ‘lidar AS,’ which helps the car steer away from vulnerable road users in the dark,” he said.

Like some others in the industry, Volvo is an early adopter of the software-defined vehicle, or SDV. As a quick refresher, SDVs are clean-sheet designs in terms of their electronic architecture. Instead of dozens or even a hundred discrete black boxes, each with its own hardware and running its own software, each doing a discrete job (like controlling the air conditioner or managing traction control), four or five powerful central computers take over those roles, overseeing domains like infotainment, advanced driver assistance systems, handling and powertrain, and interior comfort.

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Although the Amazon Spring Sale doesn’t start in earnest until next week, there are a bunch of early deals to be had. Among them is an offer that sees Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 drop to a record low price. The earbuds are currently $179, which is $50 (or 22 percent) off.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are our pick for the best wireless earbuds for Google phones. For one thing, they fit more comfortably and securely after a redesign made them smaller than the Pixel Buds Pro.

Improvements to audio quality helped the Pixel Buds Pro 2 obtain a score of 88 in our review. Revisions to the acoustics and drivers — as well as the inclusion of a Tensor chip to take care of active noise cancellation (ANC) and audio signal processing — help the earbuds deliver ample, punchy bass, as well as full mids and crisp highs.

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer up to eight hours of use on a single charge with ANC enabled. When you factor in the charging case, you’ll get up to 30 hours of total listening time when ANC is on. The earbuds have an IP54 rating, indicating that they’re protected from dust and water splashes.

In terms of features, the earbuds include hands-free access to the Gemini voice assistant. Spatial audio is available, albeit only for certain video streaming apps for now. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 offer automatic switching between devices that are linked to your Google account. Other features include conversation detection, a hearing wellness tool and Find My Device.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-pixel-buds-pro-2-drop-to-a-record-low-price-for-the-amazon-spring-sale-152844540.html?src=rss

The Baba Yaga returns and this time, he’s the baddie.

Combine the great price and stellar performance of this venerable tablet and it might be Apple’s best iPad of all.

Google’s Nest Learning Thermostat is on sale for $240 right now, as part of the Amazon Spring Sale. That’s close to a record low price for the 4th-gen device that was released just last year. This deal is available for multiple colorways, including silver, gold and black.

This is a modern thermostat, so that means AI. The device offers suggestions on how to lower energy usage and can automatically adjust settings in the home based on factors like ambient temperature and daily schedules.

It ships with a wireless temperature sensor for accurate measurements. This sensor can run for three years before needing a new battery. This model can accommodate six of these sensors, for large properties, but that requires some additional purchases. A three-pack of the sensors typically costs $100. 

The Nest Learning Thermostat is more customizable than its predecessors, with the ability to select from several smartwatch-style faces. It’s also much larger than previous models and includes Soli radar sensors to determine how close a person is. The display will adjust accordingly, with an increased font size when standing far away and vice versa.

The installation is fairly simple, but will still require some light wiring. The only real bad thing to say about this thermostat is that $280 is a whole lot of money. That concern is mostly alleviated by today’s sale.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-nest-learning-thermostat-is-back-on-sale-for-240-in-the-amazon-spring-sale-150539398.html?src=rss

Converting a .pdf to a .docx and back again may seem like a quick and easy thing you can do online for free—but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. A new notice from the FBI Denver Field Office warns that some online document converters are also loading malware onto unsuspecting users’ computers, giving bad actors access to your device and your data.

The tools may also scrape files submitted for conversion for sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, birthdates, email addresses, passwords or tokens to bypass multi-factor authentication, banking information, and cryptocurrency seed phrases and wallet addresses.

How to spot malicious file converters

This scheme may be easy to miss, as the malicious file converters will do what they advertise, such as converting a .docx to a .pdf or joining multiple files into one. However, the file you download may contain hidden ransomware, adware, or riskware that exposes your computer to attackers. You may also be prompted to download a conversion tool (that is actually malware) to your device or install a malicious browser extension.

According to a Malwarebytes Labs report on the scam, the following domains have been found to contain malware:

• Imageconvertors[.]com (Phishing)

• convertitoremp3[.]it (Riskware)

• convertisseurs-pdf[.]com (Riskware)

• convertscloud[.]com (Phishing)

• convertix-api[.]xyz (Trojan)

• convertallfiles[.]com (Adware)

• freejpgtopdfconverter[.]com (Riskware)

• primeconvertapp[.]com (Riskware)

• 9convert[.]com (Riskware)

• Convertpro[.]org (Riskware)

While these are known scams, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other free, malware-containing file converters out there waiting to infect your device. The best thing you can do is avoid these tools entirely and utilize trusted software instead. But if you suspect you’ve been exposed, start by taking basic steps to secure your identity, including changing passwords using a clean, trusted device, and running an anti-malware program to catch any threats.

How to convert files safely

When you need to quickly convert from one document type to another, you may be tempted to google “free file converter” and click on whatever comes up—but don’t.

Instead, start with the software or applications you have that can open the file, and check if you can export or save it in a different format (look under File > Export or File > Save As). Microsoft Office and many PDF editors have this functionality, or you can use Adobe’s free tools to convert to and from a PDF, as well as a handful of other document converters available for free.

Remember that when you convert files, you may lose some formatting in the process.

Nature: A Microsoft researcher [this week] presented results behind the company’s controversial claim last month to have created the first ‘topological’ qubits — a long-sought goal of quantum computing. In front of a packed room at a meeting of the American Physical Society (APS), Chetan Nayak, a theoretical physicist leading Microsoft’s quantum computing effort in Redmond, Washington, explained how the company is developing topological qubits, which would be the building blocks for a noise-resistant quantum computer.

Physicists in the audience told Nature’s news team they are still unsure whether Microsoft really has made the first topological qubits, however. “It’s a hard problem,” says Ali Yazdani, an experimental physicist at Princeton University in New Jersey. To anyone trying to make topological qubits, he says, “good luck.” When Nayak displayed measurement data during his presentation, he acknowledged that a characteristic signal was difficult to see due to electrical noise, prompting Cornell University theorist Eun-Ah Kim to question its robustness. Microsoft says additional details will be available in a forthcoming paper on the arXiv preprint server.

Further reading:
Scientists Question Microsoft’s Quantum Computing Claims;
Microsoft Quantum Computing ‘Breakthrough’ Faces Fresh Challenge

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is a speaker that packs a serious punch for its size. Normally priced at $299.99, it’s down to $139.99 on Woot for the next 13 days or until stock runs out—and if you have Amazon Prime, shipping is free. Non-Prime members will have to pay $6, but either way, it’s only available to the contiguous U.S. (no shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, or PO boxes).

Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

$139.99
at Woot

$299.99
Save $160.00

$139.99
at Woot

$299.99
Save $160.00

PCMag gave this Bluetooth speaker an Editor’s Choice award when it launched in 2020, and it’s still a strong contender today.

At just 1.2 pounds, the Beosound A1 is not exactly light for its size, though it comes with a leather lanyard for easy carrying. With an IP67 rating that can handle dust, sand, and submersion, it’s ready to accompany you on outdoor adventures. Setup is handled through the Bang & Olufsen app, which also enables its built-in Alexa—though you’ll need to link accounts first. It’s Bluetooth 5.1-compatible with support for AAC and AptX Adaptive codecs, though it doesn’t have LDAC support for high-res listening. The battery life of the Beosound A1 is rated at 18 hours, but that’ll depend on your volume settings.

This little speaker gets loud, driven by a 3.5-inch woofer and a 0.4-inch tweeter, both powered by dedicated 30-watt Class D amps. The result is a deep bass (enough to shake a table but without the speaker itself moving around) that stays full even at moderate to high volumes. It’s a bass-heavy tuning, which makes sense given its size—though at max volume, the DSP kicks in to prevent distortion, thinning out the sound slightly, notes the PCMag review. Its frequency range of 55Hz-20kHz means you’ll get solid lows and clear highs, but don’t expect a perfectly balanced studio monitor sound. The app’s EQ adjustment isn’t the most intuitive, using a circular chart instead of sliders, but it offers some control over tuning.

If you’re looking for something newer with the latest Bluetooth tech (and one that’s a little more budget-friendly), the Beats Pill is currently $99.99 (down from $149.95) and might be worth considering instead.

The sun is out, the birds are chirping and the Amazon Spring Sale is just around the corner. Though it officially starts March 25, we’re already seeing a bunch of early Amazon Spring Sale deals for brands like Dyson, Samsung and Apple. The latter includes a six percent discount on Apple’s new 11-inch iPad. 

The 128GB 2025 model is down to $329 from $349 in every color. It comes with an A16 chip that gives it a performance boost, though not enough power for Apple Intelligence like the iPad Air with an M3 chip. It also offers features such as a 12MP wide camera, 4K video and a liquid retina display. 

If you’re not fussed about getting the newest model then check out Amazon’s sale on Apple’s 10th generation iPad. Right now, it’s down to $269 from $349 — a 23 percent discount. It’s screen is one-tenth of an inch smaller and it offers many of the same features, like 4K video recording and a 12MP wide camera. Plus, it still has a USB-C port rather than the old lightning port. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-new-base-ipad-is-20-off-in-the-amazon-spring-sale-143705838.html?src=rss

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This will be an extremely pedantic post, and one that I am terribly sorry to have to write. I’ve been into weight lifting (two words) for a long time, but about six years ago I got into weightlifting (all one word). It turns out these are two very different things.

Weightlifting, all one word, is the sport that is contested in the Olympics in which people—wearing what look like old-timey swimsuits—pick up barbells loaded with brightly colored weights. In one of the events, the snatch, the bar is lifted from the ground to overhead in one swift movement. In the other, the clean and jerk, the bar is lifted to the shoulders and the lifter pauses to breathe and question their life choices before using another sudden movement to shove it sky high. (You can lift more weight the second way, which is why they are separate events. Each lifter’s best snatch and best clean and jerk are added together to find out who wins.)

Weight lifting, two words, refers to the action of lifting a weight—any weight. If you’ve never heard of this distinction or never thought of it when you said or heard the word “weightlifting,” bear with me here.

Why “weightlifting” refers to the sport of the snatch and clean and jerk

Early weightlifting competitions, in the 1800s, evolved out of circuses and stage shows where a strongman would show off feats of strength to an audience. Sometimes these strongmen would challenge each other, and would bring in judges to verify the weights and ensure a fair competition. Gymnasts around this time trained with dumbbells and barbells as well, and would also set up their own friendly competitions. By the time the first (modern) Olympics rolled around in 1896, there was enough interest in weightlifting as a competitive sport that it was one of the sports contested.

It took decades after that for competitive weightlifting to evolve into the form we can still see in the Olympics. The dumbbell lifts and one-hand lifts were dropped; by 1928 the sport had three barbell lifts, each of them done with both hands. In 1972, one of them (the clean and press) was dropped from competition. This leaves the two-lift sport we know and love today. (We all do love it, right? It’s our favorite? Good.)

Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches

$44.37
at Amazon

$44.37
at Amazon

The idea of lifting weights for fun and health didn’t become popular until after the competitive sport became established. The name “weightlifting” was already taken, so when some weightlifters decided to challenge each other in other lifts, like the squat and bench press, they had to choose a different name. (Thus was born powerlifting.) Other offshoots chose names, too. The “World’s Strongest Man” TV specials led to the sport of strongman, where people (not just men) lift a variety of implements like stones and kegs and log-shaped barbells, and no two competitions are the same.

Probably the most famous strength sport is bodybuilding, where competitors don’t actually lift anything in competitions; they just show off the body that they built through lifting weights. Much of gym culture as we know it today was born from the bodybuilding style of training, as bodybuilders and barbell manufacturers collaborated to write and publish magazine articles for the masses. If you think of your strength training in terms of “reps” or “muscle groups,” this is why.

You can also, of course, just lift weights. This isn’t weightlifting, because that’s the name for the Olympic sport; it’s “lifting weights” or “lifting” or “strength training” or “resistance training.” You can, if you must, call it “weight lifting.”

I’m a weightlifter, and I agree that this makes no sense

I hate that I have been forced to become so pedantic about this. Weightlifting is an awful, terrible, no-good, very-bad name for one of many sports in which people lift weights. Powerlifting, by the way, is almost as badly named; it’s actually the Olympic lifts that showcase power, and the “power lifts” that showcase strength. So people like me are left protesting that we are weightlifters, not powerlifters or bodybuilders, and the average person curling a dumbbell in the gym has no clue why we care so much about whether or not there is a space between “weight” and “lifting.”

The problem, ultimately, is that nobody ever came up with a better name for the sport they have in the Olympics. Some people will call it “Olympic lifting,” leading to confusion when you tell your friends that you do it but also that you are not going to the Olympics for it.

Crossfitters have found a workaround by casually referring to “oly lifting,” which I support in theory, but weightlifters have not embraced the term. We compete in weightlifting, and clarify what we mean by saying “you know, weightlifting weightlifting,” while miming the motion of a snatch. I’m sorry. This is the best we have for now.

Despite streaming services continuing to dominate the business of recorded music, there’s still very much a place for physical media in that sector. The Recording Industry of America said in an annual report [PDF] that sales of vinyl records rose for the 18th straight year in the US to $1.4 billion — the highest revenue for that format since 1984, when CDs started to emerge.

Vinyl accounted for nearly three-quarters of physical format revenue in 2024. It was the third consecutive year that there were more shipments of vinyl records than CDs — 44 million vs. 33 million. It perhaps helps vinyl’s case that the RIAA has factored in sales figures directly from indie labels for the first time this year. And that Taylor Swift released thirty-six variants of her most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department, including eight vinyl editions. 

Many fans prefer to own physical copies of music for many reasons, such as their belief that vinyl offers better audio quality and an all-round superior listening experience to streaming services, as well as a way to perhaps better support artists. Scouring the racks at a record store is a fun pastime as well. Vinyl records and CDs are also a hedge against the possibility of music vanishing from streaming services if rights agreements expire or an artist decides to yank their music from a platform.

Still, streaming services hit a new milestone last year. The RIAA reports that the average number of paid subscriptions for the year hit 100 million in the US for the first time. That’s a three percent increase from 2023.

Revenue from paid subscriptions rose by five percent to $11.7 billion, with the total revenue from streaming (factoring everything from ad-supported services to fitness apps) growing four percent to $14.9 billion. Streaming accounted for 84 percent of recorded music revenue for the third year running.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/vinyl-record-sales-continue-to-rise-amid-music-streamings-dominance-142131328.html?src=rss

Solar panels are next to useless in the outer solar system, so NASA’s Voyager probes rely on nuclear batteries—technology first developed in the 1960s—to keep running billions of miles from Earth.

This is a clever dice rolling machine designed and assembled by The Karakuri Channel from 3D printed parts. When USB powered, it’s capable of rolling two mini dice over and over, collecting the dice after a roll, sending them up an elevator, and rerolling (complete with two rings that descend to prevent the dice from rolling off the table). That’s pretty incredible. But is it even a valid roll if you don’t blow on the dice first and yell, “Come on, baby, daddy needs a new pair of shoes!” I would argue not.

After a mountain of leaks, Google has finally announced the Pixel 9a. There’s a good chance you clicked on this article to find out how the 9a compares to its predecessor. The good news is you came to the right place. Even better, it’s a favorable comparison. 

Pixel 9a vs Pixel 8a 

For starters, the Pixel 9a features a new design. Instead of borrowing the design language of Google’s more expensive devices, the new phone has its own identity. Gone is the divisive camera bar that has defined recent Pixel phones. Instead, the main camera module is nearly flush with the rear of the phone. Additionally, the new handset offers slightly better ingress protection. It’s IP68-certified against water and dust, up from IP67 on the 8a. The Pixel 9a will also be available two lovely new colors: Iris and Peony. Sadly, Google won’t offer an Aloe colorway this time around, at least not at release. 

Outside of those changes, the 9a sports a larger 6.3 display. Like with the 8a, Google has gone with a FHD panel, meaning the 9a’s screen is slightly less dense due to it being a bit larger overall. However, it’s the better display. The 9a’s pOLED panel is capable of reaching a peak brightness of 2,700 nits, up from 2,000 nits on the 8a. It’s also HDR10+ certified, with a 120Hz refresh rate. That additional brightness will make it easier to see the 9a’s screen in bright sunlight.   

Internally, the 9a features Google’s latest Tensor G4 SoC, paired once again with 8GB of RAM. Google has also outfitted the 9a with a larger 5,100mAh battery, up from 4,492mAh on the 8a. Just as importantly, the 9a is capable of charging at a faster 23W. That’s still slow compared to a device like the Nothing 3a Pro, which is compatible with 50W power adapters, but an improvement over the 8a’s glacial 18W. Oh, and if you were hoping for Qi2 support, I’m sorry to say the 9a is limited to charging at 7.5W wirelessly. 

As for cameras, Google hasn’t changed its winning formula. The 9a features a 48MP main camera with f/1.7 lens and optical image stabilization (OIS). On paper, that might seem like a downgrade from the 8a’s 64MP main sensor, but they both feature a 0.8µm pixel pitch, meaning they’re capable of capturing the same amount of light, and it appears Google sourced a newer sensor for the 9a. Otherwise, the Pixel 9a appears to feature the same ultrawide and selfie cameras as its predecessor. As always, when you buy a Pixel phone, you’re buying it for Google’s computational photography features, and you get all the usual standouts like Night Sight, Best Take and more. 

Pixel 9a vs iPhone 16e and Nothing 3a Pro

The iPhone 16e continues to confound since its announcement in February. At $599, it’s a full $100 more expensive than the Pixel 9a, and comparing the two based on hardware alone, Google’s new midrange phone is the better deal. You get a significantly bigger battery, a 120Hz display and an entire extra camera. Of course, whether you should buy the 9a over the 16e will entirely depend on your preference for Android over iOS. If you like prefer Apple’s software, the Pixel 9a won’t do it for you. 

The more interesting comparison is between the 9a and Nothing’s new Phone 3a Pro. For $40 less, you get an even bigger screen, a more original design and, most notably, a periscope camera that offers 3x optical zoom. A great telephoto is really hard to find at this price range, so the 3a Pro might be worth considering for that reason alone. The tradeoff is Google’s software support is unmatched, and 3a Pro comes with a limited warranty in the US.      

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/heres-how-the-pixel-9a-compares-to-the-competition-141043690.html?src=rss