Reddit updates look after rough 6 months and ahead of reported IPO

Old Reddit logo vs new Reddit logo

Enlarge / Left: Reddit’s old logo. Right: Reddit’s new logo. (credit: Reddit)

Writing a long comment providing detail about Reddit’s refreshed logo, mascot, and typeface this week, a Reddit employee seemingly rethought the post and opted to conclude it with choice words. The post’s last line currently reads:

“Edit: Obligatory ‘Fuck Spez’ for karma.”

The Reddit employee, going by Acidtwist on Reddit and known as Tavish, says they’re Reddit’s head of brand creative (Reddit says it doesn’t disclose the real identities of its workers on Reddit).

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Source: Ars Technica – Reddit updates look after rough 6 months and ahead of reported IPO

HP Printer Software Turns Up Uninvited on Windows Systems

Windows users are reporting that Hewlett Packard’s HP Smart application is appearing on their systems, despite them not having any of the company’s hardware attached. From a report: While Microsoft has remained tight-lipped on what is happening, folks on various social media platforms noted the app’s appearance, which seems to afflict both Windows 10 and Windows 11. The Windows Update mechanism is used to deploy third-party applications and drivers as well as Microsoft’s updates, and we’d bet someone somewhere has accidentally checked the wrong box.

Up to now, the response from affected users has been one of confusion. One noted on Reddit: “I thought that was just me. I didn’t install it, it just appeared on new apps in start menu out of nowhere.” Another said: “I just checked and I had it installed too. Checking the event log for the Microsoft Store shows that it installed earlier today, but I definitely did [not] request or initiate it because I do not have any devices from HP.” And, of course, there was the inevitable: “Would it be that hard for Microsoft to just provide an operating system without needless bloat?” To be clear, not all users are affected.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – HP Printer Software Turns Up Uninvited on Windows Systems

Tesla's long-awaited Cybertruck will start at $60,990 before rebates

After years of production delays, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to a dimly-lit stage on Thursday to hand-deliver the first batch of Cybertruck EVs to their new owners. The company has also, finally announced pricing for the luxury electric truck. Prospective buyers can expect to pay anywhere from $60,990 to $100,000 MSRP (and potentially $11,000 less after rebates and tax credits). The company has launched an online configurator tool for those interested in placing an order of their own.   

Tesla also officially revealed the vehicle’s performance specs and model options at the event. The Cybertruck’s entry-level version is the $60,990 single-motor rear-wheel drive ($49,890 after “incentives” and an “est. 3-year gas savings,” per the configurator). It will offer an estimated 250 miles of range and a pokey 6.5 second zero-to-60. Who knew steel sheeting would be so heavy?. It won’t be released until the 2025 model year. 

The mid-level model is the $79,990 all-wheel drive version and sports e-motors on each axle. It weighs just over 6,600 pounds — 1,900 less than the Rivian R1S and nearly 2,500 less than the Hummer EV. It will offer 340 miles of range, a more respectable 4.1-second zero-to-60 and 600 HP with 7435 lb-ft of torque. Its 11,000-pound towing capacity is a touch more than the Ford Lighting XLT’s 10,000-pound maximum.

For $99,990, you can buy the top of the line Cyberbeast — yes, you will have to refer to it as that in public. The Cyberbeast comes equipped with a trio of e-motors that will provide AWD handling, a 320 mile range, 2.6-second sero-to-60, a 130 MPH top speed, 845 horses and 10,296 lb-ft of torque. Despite those impressive specs, the Cyberbeast is stuck with the same 11,000 pound tow limit as the base model. 

Both the Cyberbeast and the AWD iteration will be able to carry 121 cubic feet of cargo and accommodate five adult passengers. The Cybertruck line is compatible with Tesla’s supercharger network and can accept up to 250W maximum, enough to add 128 miles of range for every 15 minutes of charge time. The AWD and Cyberbeast are both currently available to order on Tesla’s website, though prospective buyers will need to put down a fully-refundable $250 deposit upon ordering. 

Developing

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teslas-long-awaited-cybertruck-will-start-at-60990-before-rebates-211751127.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Tesla’s long-awaited Cybertruck will start at ,990 before rebates

Here It Is, Your First Look at the Final Cybertruck

Tesla delivered its first Cybertrucks on Thursday afternoon in Austin, Texas, four years after the dystopian electric vehicles were unveiled. Musk kicked off the delivery event by driving a Cybertruck up next to a crowd of people, standing on top of the car, and giving a speech in the dark. The top-end Cybertruck…

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Source: Gizmodo – Here It Is, Your First Look at the Final Cybertruck

4MLinux 44 Adds System-Wide VA-API Support, Improves Printing Support

4MLinux creator Zbigniew Konojacki announced today the release and general availability for download of a new stable and major release of his independent GNU/Linux distribution using the lightweight JWM (Joe’s Window Manager) graphical environment, 4MLinux 44.

The post 4MLinux 44 Adds System-Wide VA-API Support, Improves Printing Support appeared first on Linux Today.



Source: Linux Today – 4MLinux 44 Adds System-Wide VA-API Support, Improves Printing Support

You Can Watch Augmented Reality Porn on a Meta Quest 3

Meta’s just-released Quest 3 virtual reality headset features some serious upgrades from the Quest 2: and probably the most notable is its array of front-facing color cameras. This allows better pass-through video than the grainy, black-and-white of the previous generation. Better pass-through cameras means better mixed reality; and better mixed reality means a new kind of porn. In other words: The Quest 3 lets you invite virtual naked people into your home. Whether you actually want to invite porn stars into your home is a different matter.

The Quest 3 is not the only headset with cameras in front. PC-based headsets like the HTC VIVE Pro 2 and others have front-facing cameras, and the not-released-yet Apple Vision Pro will probably crush all others when it comes to augmented reality, but the release of the relatively inexpensive Quest 3 is leading to more pass-through porn production. But the genre is in its early days, and like any early innovation, it can be fairly complicated to get right. You may have to spend a little money, too. Below is a step-by-step guide to watching augmented reality VR porn on a Meta Quest 3 headset.

How to watch virtual reality porn on a Meta Quest 3

There are basically three “levels” of porn-viewing on a VR headset. The first two—simply streaming video, and streaming “immersive” 3D video—work the same on the Quest 3 as on any other VR headset. I covered the basics of how to stream VR porn here. Below is how the new kind of porn—mixed reality, or augmented reality porn—works on a Meta Quest 3 and other VR headsets with decent front-facing cameras.

  • Get the right VR headset: I have a Quest 3, so this guide is based on that that, but the general ideas apply to any headset with cameras out front. Scroll down for some suggestions on headsets.

  • Make sure you have a fast connection: In order to work, streaming VR video requires huge files to transfer to your headset. I have a cable modem and it worked great, but a slower connection will require you to down-rez the content or result in buffering (probably at inopportune times).

  • Download and install DeoVR. You can download this app either directly from your headset or through the Meta Quest app on either Google Play or Apple’s App store. This free VR video player and browser can be used for any type of content, but the largest creator of pass-through porn uses this for streaming its videos. Which brings me to:

  • Sign up for a membership to a site producing pass-through porn content. At the time of this posting, there aren’t many companies creating this kind of content. The industry leader in this niche is Sexlikereal, which requires a subscription. I realize that paying money for porn is very 2003, but for something as new as this, you have to shell out for a monthly subscription for the full experience. But you could try some other free sites, and there might be dribs and drabs available.

  • Use DeoVR to navigate to the website of your choice.

  • Click “Pass Through” on the search panel to your left.

  • Select a video and start streaming.

  • Congratulate yourself: You are now on the cutting-edge of porn-viewing.

If you’ve had to patience to jump through these hoops, you should now have a virtual version of a your porn of choice in your home. But to really get the most out of your experience, you have some work to do.


Suggested VR headsets for streaming pass-through porn


How to get the most out of augmented porn

A passthrough VR porn image of two clothed but skimpily clad women appearing to stand in the author's living room. Black bars have been placed over their faces to hide their identities. women
It looks like they’re right in my house—kind of.
Credit: Sexlikereal/Stephen Johnson

If you were hoping that pass-through enabled pornography would instantly make it seem like your porn-star-of-choice was actually in your home, you are no doubt disappointed. Convincingly integrating live video and pre-recorded 3D content is so technologically difficult, I give producers props for even trying, but my results have been mixed at best. Still, I gave this the best shot I could, and here are some tips.

  • Have a wide open area: You’ll need a fair amount of open space to make this work.

  • Make sure it’s brightly lit: Current pass-through cameras aren’t great, but they work better with more light.

  • Assume the correct position: VR porn is generally shot from a static camera, so the POV is standing, lying down, or sitting. If you’re not in that same position it will look wrong. Clicking the pass through button (it looks like an eye) to see the scene without the blue screen being stripped out can help. It will look like this:

    A VR porn passthrough image showing a blond woman in a sheer gold dress appearing to be seated in the author's home. A black box has been placed over her face to hide her identity.
    How the VR porn sausage is made.
    Credit: Sexlikereal/Stephen Johnson

  • Align the video content: Try to connect video elements with real-world furniture and body parts. This content, generally, involves simple items like tables and chairs, so have some ready to put in the right places. I found that the simplest thing to make work was content of people standing in front of me.

  • Work with the settings: DeoVR allows you to mess with all kinds of settings, from the size of images to their position, pitch, hue, and more. How these should be set depends on your device, your house, the video that was shot, and too many other factors to tell you how these setting should be, so the only thing you can do is experiment. DeoVR’s guide is helpful, but ultimately, it’s a trial-and-error thing.

A VR porn passthrough image of a woman seeming to appear in the author's home. A black bar has been placed over her face to hide her identity. Floating app control menus are visible in the screen captured image.
No one said virtual sex was going to be easy.
Credit: Sexlikereal/Stephen Johnson

  • Avoid the floating sausage effect and giant people: Much pass-through porn is shot with a blue-screen suit covering the actor with the exception of a body part. If your video isn’t positioned in the right place, said part will appear to float in space. This is low-key hilarious, but can be avoided by lining up the video and jiggering with its size and position until the sausage is where the sausage belongs. Another problem: scale. Get it wrong, and you’ll have a giant on your dining room table.

A passthrough VR porn image of a blond woman in a short, sheer gold dress appearing to be lying on the author's dining table. A black box has been placed over her face to hide her identity.
Do not do it like this. Unless this is what you’re into.
Credit: Sexlikereal/Stephen Johnson

Is augmented reality porn worth it?

Your mileage may vary, but I found this experiment in cutting-edge porn to be mainly a chore—a lot of effort for little result. Part of the issue is that the content itself must be rigidly controlled to work within the narrow parameters needed for VR porn. The camera has to be locked down in only one of a few positions, and one half of a coupling (almost always the male half) has to stay perfectly still most of the time. The result is a static, lifeless feeling made worse by the fact that the “action” doesn’t really fit together with the setting.

Any change in camera position requires you to change positions physically to try to get the “you are there” effect, and you’ll probably have to monkey with 15 menus to try to match everything up again. Trying to make it “look right” is an interesting challenge, but it’s about as far from “erotic” as you can get.



Source: LifeHacker – You Can Watch Augmented Reality Porn on a Meta Quest 3

Amazon’s New AI Image Generator Creates an ‘Invisible Watermark’ on Every Deepfake

How hard is it to check whether an image is an AI deepfake or not? Well, Amazon claims it has some sort of answer with its own watermarking system for Amazon Titan Image Generator, the new AI art creator it announced today. Of course, it’s not that easy. Each business that makes use of the model will have to outline…

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Amazon’s New AI Image Generator Creates an ‘Invisible Watermark’ on Every Deepfake

Local Governments Overwhelmed By Tennis-Pickleball Turf Wars, Documents Show

An anonymous reader shares a report: In late September, an arsonist set fire to a storage shed at Memorial Park used by the Santa Monica Pickleball Club, torching thousands of dollars worth of nets, rackets, balls, and other pickleball equipment. “Unknown suspect(s) caused a fire that damaged city property (Tennis Court Gate),” a police report I obtained using a public records request says. The report adds that there is body camera footage of the incident and police-shot photos, but the city refused to release them to me because there is an ongoing investigation. The arsonist is still at large.

We still don’t know the motive behind the arson, but the news caught my attention because it happened while I was in the midst of trying to understand what I’ve been calling the pickleball wars. For the last few months I’ve been trying to understand what’s been happening behind-the-scenes in cities large and small by filing public records requests aimed at learning how common beefs about pickleball are, and what’s causing them.

If you don’t already know about “the fastest growing sport,” Pickleball is kind of like tennis, but played on a court a quarter of the size using a plastic ball similar to a wiffle ball and a hard racket. The smaller court, hard ball, and hard racket means that pickleball is louder than tennis, a fact that is brought up very often by homeowners and homeowner associations who claim, somewhat dubiously, that the noise from pickleball drives down their home values. My hypothesis going into researching this article was that people who live in cities are mad at the noise created during the act of playing pickleball and they have probably complained to the government about it. What I found was surprisingly more complex: Thousands of pages of documents I’ve reviewed show that pickleball’s surging popularity is overwhelming under-resourced parks departments in city governments all over the country.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Local Governments Overwhelmed By Tennis-Pickleball Turf Wars, Documents Show

Why You Should Reset Your PC for the New Year

For most of us, resetting our PC or tech is simply a last-ditch effort to fix some annoying and troublesome issue that has been plaguing our computer. But resetting your PC in December or January can actually make a huge difference going into the new year: Not only does it resolve any of those tech hurdles you might be dealing with, but it gives you a clean slate, and that technical and mental refresh can feel great.

Why you should reset your PC every year

For many of us, much of our work and personal lives revolve around what we can do with tech. Whether you’re watching movies with friends, playing games, or spending most of your time writing and creating for work, your computer is an important tool in your technical arsenal.

As useful as computers can be, though, they can also pick up a lot of junk over the course of the year, especially as you download new apps, images, and other files. Sure, you could go in and erase all of that individually. But, sometimes, apps leave extra data behind, or they create changes in your computer’s system files that can lead to other issues down the line, like corrupted files and even performance problems. One way to avoid all of this is to reset your PC every year. While the tediousness of the process might be enough to turn most people off, I’ve got three reasons why you should always reset your PC at the end of the year.

It’s a technical and mental refresh

If you’re anything like me, the more junk you have on your computer, the more overwhelming it can be to deal with. Trying to find a particular image when you already have hundreds or even thousands saved on your computer is a huge hassle. As someone who writes hundreds of articles a year, my Documents folder is chock full of articles I’ve written, and while I love keeping track of all that, it really starts to build up over time.

Sure, you’re going to want much of this stuff, which is why things like OneDrive and Google Drive exist, allowing you to easily sync that data up with the cloud. When it comes to the rest of the junk you don’t need, though, it can be exceptionally freeing to just delete it all.

Additionally, storage drives aren’t designed to hold all of your data forever—even those large multi-terabyte ones. For those who don’t know, solid-state drives are much better than older mechanical hard drives. They don’t have moving parts, so they don’t generate as much heat. But, they do have one significant problem: The fuller they are, the slower they work. So it’s important to always keep your SSD from filling up too much.

Not only is a yearly PC reset mentally refreshing, but it also helps clear out those unneeded apps and files you don’t need anymore. This enables you to get your storage space back, giving your PC a technical refresh as well.

It can solve performance issues and glitches

One of the main reasons most people reset their PCs or tech is because of performance issues and glitches. Sometimes, things just go wrong. Files get downloaded incorrectly, corrupting them, or if you’re on Windows, some program you downloaded makes a change to the Registry that just doesn’t work out in the long run.

No matter what the tech hurdle is, a full reset to factory settings can often help overcome it. And if you haven’t reset your PC in a long while, you’re probably carrying around a lot of extra junk you just don’t need. Resetting your PC every year can help ensure that you don’t get a lot of this buildup. It helps clean out the old and make room for the new.

Sure, you still might encounter some issues throughout the next year, but you’re less likely to run into performance issues relating to registry changes from apps or programs you installed and then uninstalled years ago if you reset at the end of ever year.

It’s a lot easier than it used to be

Resetting your PC used to mean losing everything. Now, though, things are a lot easier. We’ve got services like iCloud and Google Drive, which let you sync up important files, like photos, videos, and documents. You can pick and choose what you want to sync up, and you can even use external hard drives to back things up, too. (It’s important to have at least a second backup for all your important data.)

Microsoft and Apple have also made it easier than ever to reset your PC. You used to have to go through all the trouble of resetting and reinstalling using a CD or a USB drive with the correct files. Now, though, Windows lets you reset back to basic settings without setting up any kind of external media drive. You can still reinstall Windows from scratch, but this new way is really handy, and it makes the entire process a lot easier than it was on older versions of Windows. Apple also offers a similar option for Mac users. You’re missing out if you don’t take advantage of this easy way to refresh your tech and give yourself a clean slate each year.

It’s not just your computer that needs resetting, either: Here’s why you should factory reset the rest of your older tech.



Source: LifeHacker – Why You Should Reset Your PC for the New Year

Marvel Just Made Nightcrawler Part of a Big, Queer Family

Kurt Wagner’s relationship with Mystique and Destiny has long been a messy, divisive one–but as the current era of X-Men comics is more explicit about their queer family, this week it righted the wrongs of the past to bring Kurt and his upbringing into a bold new light.

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – Marvel Just Made Nightcrawler Part of a Big, Queer Family

TikTok's new profile tools are just for musicians

TikTok has introduced the Artist Account, which offers up-and-coming musicians new ways to curate their profiles in ways that boost discoverability. The new suite of tools are not just meant for rising stars: established pop icons can also add an artist tag to their profiles, giving their music its own tab next to their videos, likes and reposted content.

To be eligible for an artist tag, TikTok says you will need at least four sounds or songs uploaded to the app. Artists can also pin one of their tunes so it appears first in the music tab. If a musician drops new content, the app will tag songs as ‘new’ for up to 14 days before and up to 30 days after it goes live. Any new tracks will automatically be added to a profile’s music tab.

TikTok says over 70,000 artists are already using the new tools. The app has proven to be a breeding ground for content to go viral for new artists and established music makers alike thanks to the lightning speed of dance and lifestyle video trends. TikTok’s impact on the music industry has been so massive that even streamers like Spotify have looked into experimenting with video-first music discovery feeds.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktoks-new-profile-tools-are-just-for-musicians-201723244.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – TikTok’s new profile tools are just for musicians

Do British Gamers Actually Want These £150 Tea-Branded Controllers?

The United Kingdom is known for many things—its bizarre love of monarchy, its militant football fans, its ever-increasing cost of living, and, of course, drinking tea. When I lived in England, drinking tea became a part of my personality as well, so much so that I had a favorite (Twinings). But even I, an American who…

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Source: Kotaku – Do British Gamers Actually Want These £150 Tea-Branded Controllers?

Steam’s streaming software now lets you wirelessly play PC VR games on Quest headsets

One of the key selling points of Meta Quest VR headsets is that they can play PC VR titles, but you have to be physically connected via a link cable to the PC. There are some third-party workarounds that allow for wireless game streaming, like Virtual Desktop, but now Steam has unveiled an official solution.

Steam Link is a tool available for Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro that wirelessly streams PC VR games from your Steam library directly to the headset, so you can continue to avoid cables like the plague. The free app already exists, but has been used to stream Steam games onto phones, tablets and TVs. This is the first time it’s available for VR titles.

There’s one major caveat. Just like Virtual Desktop, you still need a capable PC that can run high-end VR games. You just won’t need the link cable. It’s possible this service can work via cloud computing platforms, but the results are likely to be janky at best. Steam outlines recommended PC specs, suggesting the NVIDIA GTX970 GPU or better, 16GB of RAM and Windows 10 or newer.

Beyond the PC, you also need a 5GHz WiFi router with both the headset and the computer connected to the same network. You can download the Steam Link app directly from the Quest store to get started. This may not be the biggest deal in the world to folks who already use Virtual Desktop, but anything that gets more people into Half Life: Alyx is a good thing.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/steams-streaming-software-now-lets-you-wirelessly-play-pc-vr-games-on-quest-headsets-200502768.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Steam’s streaming software now lets you wirelessly play PC VR games on Quest headsets

The Differences Between Pressure Washers and Power Washers (and When to Use Each)

When it comes to maintaining a home’s exterior—from the house itself, to the driveway, sidewalk, deck, and patio—pressure washers can shave hours off of an otherwise time-consuming, tedious job. For example, if you’re restoring your wood deck, you could spend countless hours scrubbing stains and old paint with a stiff-bristled brush or broom—or use a pressure washer, and get it done much faster. 

In that particular DIY scenario, and many others, using a pressure washer—rather than a power washer—makes the most sense. That’s right: Though the terms are often used interchangeably, they’re not the same piece of equipment. Here’s a breakdown of the difference between pressure washers and power washers, and when to use each.

The difference between pressure washers and power washers

Both pressure washers and power washers use highly pressurized streams of water to clean exterior surfaces. The main difference is that pressure washers use cold or room temperature water (whatever comes out of the hose), while power washers heat the water to temperatures up to 311°F before blasting it out. But that heat comes at a price: While a pressure washer will set you back between $100 and $200, power washers start around $2,000.


Recommended products:


Here’s some more information on both types of equipment, including when to use each:

Pressure washers

  • Cheaper

  • More versatile

  • Lighter and easier to move and maneuver 

  • Can be powered by gas or electricity

  • Gas-powered: Louder, more powerful, fumes, can move around without being plugged in

  • Electric: Quieter, not quite as powerful, no fumes, some must be plugged into an electrical outlet, while others have rechargeable batteries

  • Typically connected to a hose, but can be attached to a sink faucet (with an attachment) and use hot tap water (which typically gets up to between 105°F and 140°F

  • Remove dirt, leaves, moss, and other yard debris from driveways, sidewalks, patios, decks, outdoor furniture

  • Safe for concrete, brick, softer stone surfaces, other masonry, vinyl siding

  • Using the fan attachment and lower pressure, it’s safe to use on wood (e.g., decks, platforms, walkways, and docks), windows, vehicles, tile, and painted surfaces

  • Better for getting into tight spaces and crevices

  • Requires less water than power washer

Power washers

  • Much pricier to purchase, but can be rented from hardware stores and equipment rental companies for $150 to $400 per day, which is still cheaper than hiring a professional

  • Can be used to sanitize surfaces, getting rid of germs, bacteria, fungi (including mold and mildew), and other types of organic growths

  • Cleans surfaces faster than pressure washing

  • Surfaces dry faster than they do after being pressure washed

  • Better for removing grease and oil

  • Gets the job done with less detergent 

  • Heat + pressure can damage surfaces softer than concrete

  • Better for larger surface areas and commercial projects 

Pressure washers to consider

Given the high cost of power washers—and the versatility of pressure washers—it typically makes more sense for homeowners and DIYers to purchase a pressure washer. Here are some of our favorite models:

  • Homdox Cordless Pressure Washer ($119.99): Weighing in at seven pounds, this rechargeable electric pressure washer has a battery that lasts for up to 80 minutes when fully charged. It does need to be connected to a water source, but its 20-foot hose doesn’t need to hook up to a spigot: It can draw water from a bucket, pool, river, or anywhere else the hose can reach. It’s easy to assemble and use, has a 6-in-1 spray nozzle, and can get up to 960 PSI.

  • PowRyte Electric Pressure Washer ($119.99): This powerful pressure washer has a max PSI of 3800 and comes with four nozzles, and a foam cannon that turns ordinary detergent into a shaving-cream-like consistency. It’s electric and must be connected to an outlet, but does have a 20-foot-long hose.

  • Kärcher Cube Electric Pressure Washer ($82.90): This highly rated, easy-to-use pressure washer operates at 1800 PSI, but can get up to a max PSI of 2250. It’s lightweight, compact, and has a 20-foot cord, making it a good option for most exterior household projects, as well as washing vehicles. 

  • Westinghouse WPX3200 Gas Pressure Washer ($292.41): If you’re leaning towards a gas-powered pressure washer, consider this one from Westinghouse. It’s quick to set up, simple to operate, and can get up to 3200 PSI. Its solid construction will withstand wear-and-tear, but if it doesn’t, it comes with three-year limited service, labor, and parts coverage.

If you’re still on the fence and need to clean yours, you can also rent a pressure washer for a day for between $25 and $100.



Source: LifeHacker – The Differences Between Pressure Washers and Power Washers (and When to Use Each)

Brain Study Suggests Traumatic Memories Are Processed as Present Experience

Traumatic memories had their own neural mechanism, brain scans showed, which may help explain their vivid and intrusive nature. From a report: At the root of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a memory that cannot be controlled. It may intrude on everyday activity, thrusting a person into the middle of a horrifying event, or surface as night terrors or flashbacks. Decades of treatment of military veterans and sexual assault survivors have left little doubt that traumatic memories function differently from other memories. A group of researchers at Yale University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai set out to find empirical evidence of those differences.

The team conducted brain scans of 28 people with PTSD while they listened to recorded narrations of their own memories. Some of the recorded memories were neutral, some were simply “sad,” and some were traumatic. The brain scans found clear differences, the researchers reported in a paper published on Thursday in the journal Nature Neuroscience. The people listening to the sad memories, which often involved the death of a family member, showed consistently high engagement of the hippocampus, part of the brain that organizes and contextualizes memories. When the same people listened to their traumatic memories — of sexual assaults, fires, school shootings and terrorist attacks — the hippocampus was not involved.

[…] Indeed, the authors conclude in the paper, “traumatic memories are not experienced as memories as such,” but as “fragments of prior events, subjugating the present moment.” The traumatic memories appeared to engage a different area of the brain — the posterior cingulate cortex, or P.C.C., which is usually involved in internally directed thought, like introspection or daydreaming. The more severe the person’s PTSD symptoms were, the more activity appeared in the P.C.C. What is striking about this finding is that the P.C.C. is not known as a memory region, but one that is engaged with “processing of internal experience,” Dr. Schiller said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Brain Study Suggests Traumatic Memories Are Processed as Present Experience

IRL Squid Game So Depraved Players Used Condoms For Chapstick

Things haven’t been going great for Netflix’s IRL version of the fictional South Korean show Squid Game. Called Squid Game: The Challenge, contestants previously claimed that the British reality competition series was rigged, with former participants seeking legal action against the show’s producers for unsafe working…

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Source: Kotaku – IRL Squid Game So Depraved Players Used Condoms For Chapstick