The humble webcam has seen a surge to prominence fueled by the rise of web conferencing and remote work, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Only a few short years ago, a webcam could be buried away below the display of a laptop and few users would complain or even notice. With those days behind us, consumers and professionals alike have been…
Source: Hot Hardware – Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam Review: Up Your WFH Video Quality
Monthly Archives: August 2021
Newegg Begins Return Service For These Exploding Gigabyte PSUs, What You Need To Know
Who knew that being a tech enthusiast (or even just a consumer of electronic gadgets) could be so harrowing? Okay, it’s not truly that dire, but in the span of about a week, we’ve reported on a Galaxy A21 smartphone catching fire on an Alaska Airlines plane (prompting an evacuation), and an issue with certain Gigabyte power supply units that
Source: Hot Hardware – Newegg Begins Return Service For These Exploding Gigabyte PSUs, What You Need To Know
Dr Disrespect Says He's Suing Twitch
Like hearing that a celebrity you don’t care about has died, it’s impossible not to want to know why game streamer Dr Disrespect was banned from Twitch. Sure, you might wish he would just go away, yet still…what if it’s really awful? Well, we may well soon find out as the streamer has apparently learned the reason.…
Source: Kotaku – Dr Disrespect Says He’s Suing Twitch
Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board election: nominees sought
The call
for nominees for the 2021 Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board
election has gone out.
The TAB serves as the interface between the kernel development
community and the Linux Foundation, advising the Foundation on
kernel-related matters, helping member companies learn to work with
the community, and working to resolve community-related problems
(preferably before they get out of hand). We also support the Code
of Conduct committee in their mission.
The election itself will be held during the Linux Plumbers Conference,
September 20 to 24. Note that the
election procedures have changed this year with an eye toward
broadening the community that is eligible to vote.
Source: LWN.net – Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board election: nominees sought
How to Pack a Healthy School Lunch Your Kid Will Actually Eat
The pandemic not only altered the way our kids learn, it also changed how they ate. Gone were the days of prepping lunches the night before or morning of school—now we were making upwards of three meals a day on the fly, even as we balanced virtual learning and working from home. But now that many districts are…
Source: LifeHacker – How to Pack a Healthy School Lunch Your Kid Will Actually Eat
Apple iPhone 13 Launch Date Allegedly Revealed Along With Intriguing Design Schematics
If this latest leak is accurate, we’re less than a month away from the launch of Apple’s new iPhone 13 family. The newest leak alleges that all four iPhone 13 models will launch on Friday, September 17th.
If we go backward from that date, Apple’s iPhone keynote would most likely occur on Tuesday, September 7th, based on previous launches.
Source: Hot Hardware – Apple iPhone 13 Launch Date Allegedly Revealed Along With Intriguing Design Schematics
Broken Roads Looks Like A Thrilling Mad Max RPG
Every now and again, Australian developers throw up a neat surprise. One indie that arrived out of nowhere was Broken Roads, a traditional cRPG set in the outback with echoes of Wasteland and Mad Max. The game isn’t due out until 2022, but I touched base with Broken Roads’ game director to find out where the Aussie…
Source: Kotaku – Broken Roads Looks Like A Thrilling Mad Max RPG
How to Start an Indoor Vegetable Garden
Growing vegetables indoors takes some finesse, but is entirely possible. It’s even doable for beginners, if you’re willing to do a little research (and maybe practice on a couple of houseplants first); and if you’re an intermediate gardener, well, what are you waiting for? It’s time to take on the challenge of growing…
Source: LifeHacker – How to Start an Indoor Vegetable Garden
Alaska Airlines Flight Evacuated After Samsung Galaxy Phone Bursts Into Flames
Passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight had to be evacuated after landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport because someone’s smartphone caught on fire before the plane reached its gate. Crew members acted quickly, retrieving fire extinguishers and putting out the fire. Fortunately, it does not appear as though anyone was seriously hurt,
Source: Hot Hardware – Alaska Airlines Flight Evacuated After Samsung Galaxy Phone Bursts Into Flames
Halo Infinite Release Date Leaks, Out In December [Update: Confirmed]
After one metric infinity of waiting, Halo Infinite finally has a release date. The next chapter in Master Chief’s saga will come out on December 8 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, according to a since taken-down listing on the Microsoft store, as spotted by the Italian site Aggiornamenti Lumia.
Source: Kotaku – Halo Infinite Release Date Leaks, Out In December [Update: Confirmed]
The Scuf Instinct Pro Feels Like An Official Xbox Controller
Since 2011, Scuf Gaming has made a name for itself by producing some of the highest quality third-party console controllers and owning a ridiculous number of controller patents. The Scuf Instinct and Instinct Pro are the company’s first stabs at creating an elite-level controller for the Xbox Series X/S consoles, and…
Source: Kotaku – The Scuf Instinct Pro Feels Like An Official Xbox Controller
How to Finally Translate (Almost) Any Text in iOS 15
As we near ever closer to iOS 15’s fall 2021 release, more and more features are being added to the beta builds. One of the latest additions is a new, system-level translation feature that can translate just about any text on your iPhone’s screen.
Source: LifeHacker – How to Finally Translate (Almost) Any Text in iOS 15
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G Linux Performance
Earlier this month the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and Ryzen 7 5700G desktop APUs officially launched for retail availability. Unfortunately we were not seeded with any review sample for being able to conduct Linux testing on these Zen 3 APUs with Vega graphics, but ended up purchasing one afterwards due to the number of readers inquiring about the Linux support. Here are some preliminary benchmarks of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G.
Source: Phoronix – AMD Ryzen 7 5700G Linux Performance
Linux 5.14 Features Aplenty With New AMD GPUs, SmartShift, More Alder Lake, Core Scheduling
Today marks the 30th birthday of Linux since it was announced by Linus Torvalds. Meanwhile in just a few days the Linux 5.14 kernel is expected to be released as stable. Here is a look back at the most prominent features coming for this kernel release…
Source: Phoronix – Linux 5.14 Features Aplenty With New AMD GPUs, SmartShift, More Alder Lake, Core Scheduling
30 Years ago…
On August 25, 1991, Linus Torvalds posted his famous
message to the
comp.os.minix USENET group:
I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and
professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been
brewing since april, and is starting to get ready.
After all of these years, it still feels like it’s “starting to get ready”;
what a ride it has been.
Source: LWN.net – 30 Years ago…
Fitbit announces Charge 5, teases future Google collaboration
Enlarge (credit: Fitbit)
The Fitbit Charge fitness tracker is the company’s best-selling product line, and the latest model, the Charge 5, was just announced. Up for preorder now, the Charge 5 adds ECG (electrocardiogram), EDA (electrodermal activity) stress sensors, an AMOLED display, and a stainless steel facelift for $50 more than its predecessor, the Charge 4.
Fitbit says it will continue to sell the $130 Charge 4 until the end of the year, which positions it between the $100 Fitbit Inspire 2 and the new $180 Fitbit Charge 5. Inching ever closer to smartwatch territory, the new Charge will have most of the capabilities found on Fitbit’s current Versa and Sense smartwatches.
In a closed briefing, Fitbit also disclosed its intention to make smartwatches with Google’s Wear OS built-in. Perhaps this will be the primary distinction between the company’s increasingly capable Charge series and its smartwatch line going forward.
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Source: Ars Technica – Fitbit announces Charge 5, teases future Google collaboration
7 Slightly Weird But Useful Ways You Should Reduce the Amount of Crap You Throw Away
We’re all familiar with the basic eco-friendly suggestions, like easing up on single-use plastic, bringing your own shopping bags to the store, and not leaving the water running when you brush your teeth. But beyond the basics, there are a host of interesting sustainability suggestions flying under the radar of the…
Source: LifeHacker – 7 Slightly Weird But Useful Ways You Should Reduce the Amount of Crap You Throw Away
In Defense of Cheap, Plain Ol' Vegetable Oil
Vegetable oil and canola oil are not sexy. They’re both incredibly cheap, tastes like nothing, and come in big, plastic bottles. Unlike an expensive glass bottle of olive oil or an idyllically-labeled, tiny canister of pistachio oil, neither vegetable nor canola is something you leave out on the counter for guests to…
Source: LifeHacker – In Defense of Cheap, Plain Ol’ Vegetable Oil
The Noctua NH-U12S Redux Cooler Review: Bringing Noctua's Best To a Lower Price
In today’s review, we are taking a look at Noctua’s NH-U12S Redux, a price-optimized version of their highly popular NH-U12S tower CPU cooler. The NH-U12S Redux has been redesigned to bring the same kind of Noctua performance, but at a retail price of just $50, making it more affordable to the masses.
Source: AnandTech – The Noctua NH-U12S Redux Cooler Review: Bringing Noctua’s Best To a Lower Price
8 Types of Toys Lifehacker Readers Have Banned From Their Homes
It’s already hard enough for parents to find toys that will stir their child’s imagination—in a positive way. Walking down the toy aisle of your favorite store is a minefield of warning labels, messy goop that is certain to ruin your carpet, and packaging that reinforces gender stereotypes.
Source: LifeHacker – 8 Types of Toys Lifehacker Readers Have Banned From Their Homes