I’m going to admit upfront that I’m a big Windex girl. It’s cheap, it’s always available, and it’s easy to spray on everything from mirrors (normal!) to tabletops (nor normal!) for a quick rubdown. It turns out, though, that you’re really not supposed to use the specialty glass cleaner for everything, as it can cause…
Source: LifeHacker – Things You Should Never Clean With Windex
Reddit has announced a new feature for subreddits: chat channels. The launch comes with a disclaimer from the company that previous Chat launches were not done “in the best ways” and that this approach focuses on small communities and mod tools to, ideally, be better.
Chat channels do differ in a few ways from the Live Chat feature, for example, existing as a permanent space in the subreddit, rather than a fleeting post. They’re also operated by the mods, who can choose to block responses, pin messages and to chat in a private channel. Mods also control who’s allowed in the channel, ranging from open participation all the way to only trusted members.
Reddit claims to be building chat channels with space for additional updates, depending on testing results. The company specifically calls out features like automod rules, slow mode and the ability to build custom channel roles as potential developments.
The chat channels announcement came alongside two other small Reddit updates. The company has rolled out an new subreddit header that shrinks the space between the header and posts, makes the search bar into one button and shows tabs like “menu” and “about” by clicking anywhere across the header. Reddit claims these updates increased community subscriptions and actions in tests. It also announced May 9th as an official shutdown date for its Predictions polling game. Users will no longer be able to create or join an active tournament and old tournaments will become inaccessible.
For now, chat channels are still at the pilot program stage with only 25 subreddits testing them out at the moment — totalling less than 100,000 users. Mods interested in trying it out can add their subreddit to a participation waiting list.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reddit-trials-permanent-chat-channels-in-subreddits-114548682.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Reddit trials permanent chat channels in subreddits
There’s always time for more TV, and new data published by Bloomberg earlier this week revealed that we watched a lot of it. A new report helps characterize the blackbox that is streaming shows to audiences—which is especially important in a world where Netflix has a reputation for cancelling your favorite show (I’m…
Source: Gizmodo – Here Are the Most Popular Original Shows on Streaming
Enlarge / NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announces the crew of Artemis II. Just kidding. Nelson is holding the Artemis I Snoopy zero gravity indicator alongside Jeannie Schulz, widow of Peanuts gang creator Charles M. Schulz, earlier this month. (credit: NASA)
Welcome to Edition 5.35 of the Rocket Report! It may be difficult to believe, but we are in the final days of April already, meaning the year 2023 is nearly one-third over. If you are planning important launch milestones this year, please take note!
As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.
VSS Unity returns to the skies. On Wednesday morning, the VMS Eve aircraft took off from Spaceport America and subsequently released the VSS Unity spacecraft at an altitude of about 14 kilometers, Ars reports. After this, the spacecraft glided back to the runway in New Mexico, testing modifications to the spacecraft’s flight controls and handling. After the test, Virgin Galactic said the glide flight closes its “final validation test points” of a campaign to ensure the aircraft and space plane are ready to resume powered flights.
Read 18 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Rocket Report: Feds assess Starship fallout; Sweden accidentally bombs Norway
Since smartphones obliterated the casual photography market, camera manufacturers are focusing on building models designed for very specific uses. Mirrorless cameras continue to improve in autofocus, video and more, while lens ranges expand year on year. Action cams provide sharp, fluid video, compact cameras target both tourists and vloggers and DSLRs are available at some of the best prices we’ve seen. We walk you through 2023’s highlights so far, including full-frame marvels, like Sony’s ZV-E1, the Canon EOS R6 II and the Panasonic S5 II. (I am on the precipice of ordering the ZV-E1, myself.)
If you’re considering a camera upgrade, this is a very good time to do so. Engadget’s Steve Dent walks you through the options.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
‘Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon’ delivers fast-paced mech combat this August
Elon Musk will likely face deposition in lawsuit over deadly Tesla Autopilot crash
Zozofit’s capture suit takes the guesswork out of body measuring
Samsung’s semiconductor business posted massive losses for Q1 2023
SpaceX’s Starship launch caused a fire in a Texas state park
The best 2-in-1 laptops for 2023
Ayaneo has confirmed its upcoming Ayaneo 2S Steam Deck-like handheld console will be powered by an AMD chip identical to the one in the ASUS ROG Ally. The AMD Ryzen 7000 chip is likely the Ryzen 7 7840U, a chip supposed to be nigh on the same as the Ally’s AMD Z1 Extreme. The Ayaneo 2S will also come with a three-pipe cooler and other improvements. The Ayaneo 2S looks identical to the Ayaneo 2 we reviewed earlier this year but has improvements that address some of our key complaints. Namely, the new 7000 series processor with Radeon 780M graphics offers “substantial performance gains.”
If Zyou hate breathing in pollutants and don’t mind being stared at, then your time might have come: The Dyson Zone headphones are finally available to buy in the US. They’re available on Dyson Direct in prussian blue and bright copper, with case, soft pouch, two filters and an in-flight adapter kit, all for the low, low price at $949. Here’s what we thought of the Zone.
Teenage Engineering has long made music gadgets with slick design and features, and now it’s dabbling in microphones. The CM-15 is described as the world’s “first all-in-1 mic offering.” There is a built-in battery that gets ten hours of use per charge, or you can plug it into any USB-C port to get some juice. As for connections, there’s a 3.5mm line output, a mini XLR and the aforementioned USB-C port. The microphone includes a built-in preamp, too. However, it’ll cost over $1,200 to bring this stylish microphone home. It starts shipping in June.
The well-reviewed yet pricey PlayStation VR2 headset is making its way to retailers after a two-month stint of exclusivity at Sony’s own website. The company shared the news on Twitter but has not set an official date or even announced what lucky retailers would get their mitts on the PS5-adjacent headset. Sony tells customers to check with local retailers for availability information.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-theres-never-been-a-better-time-to-be-a-camera-nerd-111437803.html?src=rss
Enlarge / Working outside like this isn’t so easy on an OLED laptop with limited brightness. (credit: Maria Korneeva/Getty)
If I could have any type of display panel in my laptop, it would be Mini LED.
Sure, OLED is best at producing deep blacks and high contrast, but Mini LED is a powerful substitute. The potential for blooming still exists, but it’s not a huge deal on a small laptop screen. Meanwhile, there’s no burn-in risk, and I’d likely get better full-screen brightness when I want to take my laptop outside. Plus, the battery life of Mini LED screens is superior to that of OLED panels.
For the things I do most frequently on my laptop—working on Word documents and spreadsheets, reading, editing photos, and streaming video—the highest contrast ratio isn’t imperative. I’d settle for second-best if it meant other gains.
Read 39 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – OLED is great, but where are all the Mini LED laptops?
After being in development for two years, a new beta release of Zlib-ng as the “next generation” data compression library is available with much faster data decompression…
Source: Phoronix – Zlib “Next Generation” Preparing Massive Decompression Speed-Up
Members of the House Judiciary Committee kicked off what could be months of fiery debates over one of the US’s most controversial warrantless surveillance programs this week. In the hearing Thursday titled, “FIX FISA,” lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle voiced concerns over the scale of US citizen data…
Source: Gizmodo – 6 Key Moments From House Republicans’ Hearing on Warrant-Free FISA Surveillance
Matrox announced on Thursday their new graphics card series LUMA… The Matrox LUMA isn’t powered by their own GPU design but rather they are now tapping Intel for their Arc Graphics discrete GPUs…
Source: Phoronix – Matrox Announces LUMA Graphics Cards Powered By Intel Arc Graphics
Everyone loves a good to-do list, and now they’re spreading into PC games. Along with a slew of other new features, Steam’s latest update includes an integrated Notes app as part of a re-vamped in-game overlay tool. It lets you write thoughts and tasks down about the game you’re playing then runs on top of the game while you play, which you can access across any PC you log into and when playing offline.
At any time you can pin the to-do list right to your gaming screen, adjusting its opacity based on your preferences. Guides, discussions and whatever is on your browser (even the show you’re watching) can also be clipped to the game.
Steam’s other updates to the in-game overlay include a revamped toolbar and overview. The new toolbar has everything from chat to guides, customizable depending on fields you want to see and in either icon or list mode. The game overview will fill you in on information like accomplishment progress, friends’ game play and news about that title.
Notifications have also cleaned up a bit with less interruptions of things unrelated to you. The tray will only display newest notifications, but you can still view all if you want. The last in-game Steam update is for screenshots, allowing you to choose between large and small thumbnails, while also sorting screenshots by most recent, instead of per game.
These features are only available through the Steam Client Beta at the moment, but if you’ve never opted into the Beta version before, it’s pretty simple. All you need to do is go to settings (it will be called preferences if you’re on a Mac), click the change button where it says Beta Participation in the Accounts tab and choose Steam Beta Update. Once you restart Steam, the Beta features will become visible.
Valve asserts that a lot of its recent work has gone towards improving code sharing between Steam Desktop Client, Deck and Big Picture mode. The company claims this should allow future features to roll out quicker across the different platforms.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/steam-now-lets-you-pin-to-do-lists-in-each-game-102547041.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Steam now lets you pin to-do lists in each game
All of the scheduler changes were sent out on Thursday that are ready for the Linux 6.4 kernel…
Source: Phoronix – Linux 6.4 Scheduler Updates Fixes A Database Performance Regression
schwit1 shares a report from Rolling Stone: It was a busy day for the live music industry in Washington [on Wednesday] as senators introduced multiple pieces of legislation aimed at improving transparency and competition in ticketing. One of the most common complaints among music fans in a long list of gripes about the modern ticketing industry is the hidden fees that get tacked on at the very end of a purchase, adding a deceptive extra costs customers won’t even see until they’ve already selected their seats based on a different price. The Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing, or TICKET Act, could end that annoyance. Introduced on Tuesday by U.S. Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) and committee ranking member Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the bill, if passed, would require ticket sellers for concerts and sporting events to disclose the total price of a ticket including fees right away. Fees themselves can be a significant addition for concert tickets, usually adding a 20 to 30-percent extra charge on tickets but sometimes well exceeding that. Joe Biden pushed for a reform on “junk fees” earlier this year.
While passing the new legislation wouldn’t stop the actual fees themselves, it would certainly be a step forward in making the business more transparent for consumers. While the bill would pass all-in prices on a federal level, some states like New York already enacted the policy. “Right now, one company is leveraging its power to lock venues into exclusive contracts that last up to ten years, ensuring there is no room for potential competitors to get their foot in the door,” Klobuchar said, seemingly referencing Ticketmaster but not mentioning it by name. “Without competition to incentivize better services and fair prices, we all suffer the consequences. The Unlock Ticketing Markets Act would help consumers, artists, and independent venue operators alike by making sure primary ticketing companies face pressure to innovate and improve.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – New Senate Bill Could Force Ticket Sellers To Disclose Their Fees Upfront
Intel’s open-source engineers maintaining the SVT-AV1 software package as a high performance, cross-platform AV1 video encoder have issued a sizable update…
Source: Phoronix – Intel Releases SVT-AV1 v1.5 With More Tuning & Optimizations
Programming is becoming an increasingly useful skill in today’s society. As we continue to rely more and more on software and digital technology, knowing how to code is also more and more valuable. That’s why many parents are looking for ways to introduce their children to programming. You might find it difficult to know where to begin, with so many different kids’ coding languages and platforms available. In this blog post, we explore how children can progress through different programming languages to realise their potential as proficient coders and creators of digital technology.
Everyone needs to start somewhere, and one great option for children aged 5–7 is ScratchJr (Scratch Junior), a visual programming language with drag-and-drop blocks for creating simple programs. ScratchJr is available for free on Android and iOS mobile devices. It’s great for introducing young children to the basics of programming, and they can use it to create interactive stories and games.
Moving on from ScratchJr, there’s its web-based sibling Scratch. Scratch offers drag-and-drop blocks for creating programs and comes with an assortment of graphics, sounds, and music for your child to bring their programs to life. This visual programming language is designed specifically for children to learn programming fundamentals. Scratch is available in multiple spoken languages and is perfect for beginners. It allows kids to create interactive stories, animations, and games with ease.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has a wealth of free Scratch resources we have created specifically for young people who are beginners, such as the ‘Introduction to Scratch’ project path. And if your child is interested in physical computing to interact with the real world using code, they can also learn how to use electronic components, such as buzzers and LEDs, with Scratch and a Raspberry Pi computer.
Another fun option for children who want to explore coding and physical computing is the micro:bit. This is a small programmable device with an LED display, buttons, and sensors, and it can be used to create games, animations, interactive projects, and lots more. To control a micro:bit, a visual programming language called MakeCode can be used. The micro:bit can also be programmed using Scratch or text-based languages such as Python, offering an easy transition for children as their coding skills progress. Have a look at our free collection of micro:bit resources to learn more.
Everyone is familiar with websites, but fewer people know how they are coded. HTML is a markup language that is used to create the webpages we use every day. It’s a great language for children to learn because they can see the results of their code in real time, in their web browser. They can use HTML and CSS to create simple webpages that include links, videos, pictures, and interactive elements, all the while learning how websites are structured and designed. We have many free web design resources for your child, including a basic ‘Introduction to web development’ project path.
If your child is becoming confident with Scratch and HTML, then using Python is the recommended next stage in their learning. Python is a high-level text-based programming language that is easy to read and learn. It is a popular choice for beginners as it has a simple syntax that often reads like plain English. Many free Python projects for young people are available on our website, including the ‘Introduction to Python’ path.
The Python community is also really welcoming and has produced a myriad of online tutorials and videos to help learners explore this language. Python can be used to do some very powerful things with ease, which is why it is so popular. For example, it is relatively simple to create Python programs to engage in machine learning and data analysis. If you wanted to explore large language models such as GPT, on which the ChatGPT chatbot is based, then Python would be the language of choice.
JavaScript is the language of the web, and if your child has become proficient in HTML, then this is the next language for them. JavaScript is used to create interactive websites and web applications. As young people become more comfortable with programming, JavaScript is a useful language to progress to, given how ubiquitous the web is today. It can be tricky to learn, but like Python, it has a vast number of libraries of functions that people have already created for it to achieve things more quickly. These libraries make JavaScript a very powerful language to use.
There are many different programming languages, and each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. Some are easy to learn and use, some are really fast, and some are very secure.
Starting with visual languages such as Scratch or MakeCode allows your child to begin to understand the basic concepts of programming without needing any developed reading and keyboard skills. Once their understanding and skills have improved, they can try out text-based languages, find the one that they are comfortable with, and then continue to learn. It’s fairly common for people who are proficient in one programming language to learn other languages quite quickly, so don’t worry about which programming language your child starts with.
Whether your child is interested in working in software development or just wants to learn a valuable — and creative — skill, helping them learn to code and try out different kids’ coding languages is a great way for you to open up new opportunities for them.
The post Kids’ coding languages appeared first on Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Source: Raspberry Pi – Kids’ coding languages
The NTFS3 driver developed by Paragon Software that provides read/write support and other modern features for the NTFS file-system with the mainline kernel has seen a new round of changes for Linux 6.4…
Source: Phoronix – Linux’s NTFS Driver Drops “No Access Rules” Option, Adds Small Optimizations
The USS Enterprise has gone through several iterations across TV shows and movies, and now Star Trek fans can explore them as much as they want to online. As Deadline reports, the latest update to the Roddenberry Archive adds 360-degree virtual recreations of the famous Starship Enterprise bridge as depicted in various Star Trek properties. It has the bridge from Star Trek: The Original Series, Picard, Discovery and Strange New Worlds, arranged according to timeline in the new web portal. Fans can click on the version of the Enterprise they want to see and then expand the virtual bridge, which they can drag around and explore to see its beeping panels and displays.
The Roddenberry Archive is a multi-decade collaboration between the estate of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and cloud graphics company OTOY. This is their largest set of digital archive works to date, and it was launched with accompanying videos, including a William Shatner interview with a holographic version of the 1979 USS Enterprise bridge as a background. John de Lancie, who has portrayed Q since 1987’s Star Trek: The Next Generation, also narrates the history of the Starship Enterprise bridge across decades of shows and movies.
The Roddenberry Archive team is working to add more virtual set recreations fans can explore in the future aside from the ones already available. One of the projects they’re working on is a 1:1 scale recreation of the entire Starship Enterprise from the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-experience-lets-you-virtually-walk-around-every-starship-enterprise-bridge-093257021.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Star Trek experience lets you virtually walk around every Starship Enterprise bridge
Now that it’s solved its supply shortages, Sony is seeing a lot of pent-up demand for PlayStation 5 consoles. The company just announced its second consecutive blockbuster quarter, selling 6.3 million PS5s — an impressive figure in a non-holiday period — compared to 2 million last year. That brings its total for fiscal year 2022 to 19.1 million, handily beating its own forecast of 18 million. The company has now sold 38.4 million PS5s since the console was released in late 2020.
The news wasn’t quite as good on the software side. Game sales were down to 68 million from 70.5 million a year ago, and lower for the fiscal year (264.2 million compared to 303.2 million in fiscal 2021). PlayStation Network users dropped to 108 million from 112 million the quarter before, though PS Plus subs were up very slightly.
All of that added up to a fairly large boost in revenue in the Gaming & Network Services division, up to 1.073 trillion yen ($7.9 billion) compared to 665 billion yen ($4.9 billion) the year before. Operating profit was down, though, due to a hit in foreign exchange rates. For the year, Sony hit 3.9 trillion yen in sales ($29 billion), up from 2.7 trillion yen ($19.9 billion) the year prior.
The company is confident that trajectory will continue into next year, forecasting a 7 percent boost in revenue for fiscal 2023. It’s predicting increased hardware sales, including peripherals, though it didn’t say anything about results for the PlayStation VR2 to date.
Sony’s gaming segment still dominates its other divisions, though its chip/sensor and entertainment technologies (TVs, cameras, etc.) were also bright spots. Overall, Sony set a new fiscal year sales record with 11.5 trillion yen in sales ($84.8 billion) and 1.21 trillion yen ($8.9 billion) in profits.
Sony, of course, just scored a major win over its biggest rival as well. Yesterday, the UK blocked Microsoft’s merger with Activision over cloud gaming concerns, though Microsoft has vowed to contest the decision.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-has-sold-over-384-million-ps5s-following-a-record-breaking-year-080509020.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Sony has sold over 38.4 million PS5s following a record-breaking year
Longtime Slashdot reader canux writes: In an effort to continue to power Voyager 2’s five on-board scientific instruments, NASA engineers have devised a software update that disables the probe’s electrical supply safety system [to redirect the power to them]. “Although the spacecraft’s voltage will not be tightly regulated as a result, even after more than 45 years in flight, the electrical systems on both probes remain relatively stable, minimizing the need for a safety net,” according to NASA JPL. “The engineering team is also able to monitor the voltage and respond if it fluctuates too much. If the new approach works well for Voyager 2, the team may implement it on Voyager 1 as well.”
The Voyager probes each contain a Multihundred-Watt Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator for their power which use Plutonium-238 to generate heat to produce electricity with a thermocouple. Plutonium-238 has a half-life of a little over 87 years which means that Voyager 2 has seen a greater than 25% reduction in its power output since it was launched.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – NASA Power Tweak Extends Voyager 2 Mission Even Longer
Canada has passed its controversial streaming bill that requires Netflix, Spotify and other companies to pay to support Canadian series, music and other content, the CBC has reported. After clearing a final hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, Bill C-11 imposes the same content laws on streamers as it does on traditional broadcasters. The government has promised that the bill only applies to companies and not individual content creators on YouTube or other platforms.
The new rules give the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulator broad powers over streaming companies, which could face fines or other penalties if they don’t comply with the new laws. “Online streaming has changed how we create, discover, and consume our culture, and it’s time we updated our system to reflect that,” a Canadian government press release states.
Critics have said that the bill could cause over-regulation online. “Under this archaic system of censorship, government gatekeepers will now have the power to control which videos, posts and other content Canadians can see online,” Canada’s Conservative opposition wrote on a web page dedicated to C-11. Streaming companies like YouTube and TikTok opposed the bill as well.
The law has also been criticized for being overly broad, with a lack of clarity on how it will apply in some cases. “The bill sets out a revised broadcasting policy for Canada, which includes an expanded list of things the Canadian broadcasting system ‘should’ do,” a Senate page states. “But precisely what this would mean in concrete terms for broadcasters is not yet known.”
Canada is far from the first country to enact local content rules for streaming companies, though. The EU requires a minimum of 30 percent locally produced content for member nations, most of which easily exceed that. Australia also recently announced that content quotas will be placed on Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and the other international streamers by July of 2024.
Some notable Canadian series include Schitt’s Creek, Letterkenny and M’entends-tu. Numerous US and international shows are also shot in “Hollywood North” in cities like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, including The Handmaid’s Tale, The Boys, Riverdale and others.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/canadas-controversal-streaming-bill-just-became-law-065036243.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Canada’s controversal streaming bill just became law
It’s the bittersweet, powerful end of an era as Guardians of the Galaxy franchise director James Gunn—who’s now the co-head of DC Studios—bows out of Marvel. But he’s leaving on an excellently high note, as the first social media reactions to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (which opens May 5) suggest.
Source: Gizmodo – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s First Reactions Hype an Emotional Farewell
