Not getting enough sleep is bad for both your physical health and your emotional well-being, as new research shows. The study, a review of existing data from clinical trials, found that even short bouts of sleep deprivation can reduce people’s positive emotions and make them more anxious.
Source: Gizmodo – Anxious and Joyless? You Might Just Be Sleep Deprived
Lego’s Technic line of mechanical construction sets mostly sticks to vehicles—lots of cars, trucks, bikes, even the occasional plane. But while it has dipped into the world of science and space exploration before, its latest addition is one of its best ideas outside of its typical wheelhouse. Within the wheelhouse…
Source: Gizmodo – Lego’s Latest Technic Set Will Let You Move Heaven and Earth
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain was Hideo Kojima’s final Metal Gear Solid game, and it was an odd one. Despite having some of the best sneaking action and gunplay, the open world and “missions” structure didn’t necessarily speak to fans of the more linear, tightly scripted feel of the previous games.
Source: Kotaku – OG Solid Snake David Hayter Finally Played Metal Gear Solid V
Struggling to find the perfect present for someone picky or who simply seems to have it all? Instead of resorting to boring gift cards, let’s get creative this holiday season. Consider these unique gift ideas for those on your list who are extra difficult to buy for.
Obvious, yet underrated. For the person who buys whatever they want for themselves as soon as they want it, shift your gifting focus to experiences. Book them a cooking class, wine tasting, pottery workshop, concert tickets, or other events you know match their interests. Giving events and activities creates lasting memories compared to more stuff.
If your budget allows, surprise that frequent jet-setter or travel lover with elements of a trip like plane tickets, hotel bookings, or even full travel packages. Or get creative with travel accessories, like monogrammed luggage tags, organizational packing items, and cozy blankets for the flight.
Products to consider:
Collapsible water bottle, $7.99
For eclectic personalities who enjoy surprises, subscription box services make fantastic ongoing gifts, especially monthly ones that they’ll continue to enjoy in the months following Christmas. There are a ton of different subscription boxes out there that deliver curated items like books, coffee, healthy snacks, or even exotic meats and alcohol. You pay for a recurring shipment for a set period—like 3, 6 or 12 months—in which they’ll receive items tailored to the recipient’s unique tastes. Consider a flower subscription service for the eco-conscious, an Atlas coffee club subscription for the caffeine addicts in your life, or perhaps a snazzy Japanese snack box.
Lifehacker’s Alice Bradley got a Murray’s Cheese gift basket this year and “lost [her] dang mind.” Cheese, candles, napkins—think really elevated versions of everyday stuff, like cashmere socks and fancy hand soap. I mean, who doesn’t need a new (or back-up) umbrella? (And when is anyone going to buy an umbrella for more than five bucks, if not for a holiday gift?)
A charitable donation gifted in someone’s name can be meaningful for do-gooders and people passionate about social causes. You can choose a monetary amount or symbolic adoption of animals or trees through various nonprofit organizations. Print out a custom certificate to give the recipient announcing your donation made in honor of them.
Lifehacker managing editor Meghan Walbert recommends One Simple Wish, an organization that allows you to grant wishes for kids in foster care. Another option is to plant a tree in someone’s name, which you can do here.
And hey—if they’re a stinker about a charitable gift, then they should reflect on why they’re so hard to buy gifts for in the first place. But hopefully, with a little extra thoughtfulness and creativity, you can make even the pickiest on your holiday shopping nice list light up.
Source: LifeHacker – The Best Gifts for the Person Who Has Everything
Beeper versus Apple has been our own little David and Goliath matchup, but it looks like the saga’s coming to a close. The Beeper Mini chat app has issued yet another fix after Apple once again disabled access to the iMessage platform. The company says this will be the last fix released. Beeper wrote in a blog post today that it’s done “playing a cat-and-mouse game with the largest company” on the planet.
“With our latest software release, we believe we’ve created something that Apple can tolerate existing. We do not have any current plans to respond if this solution is knocked offline,” the company wrote.
So what’s the latest workaround? It’s certainly not a simple patch. It involves pairing your current mobile device with a Mac or an old iPhone. Mac users with Beeper Cloud should be able to simply update and reconnect, though not all macOS versions will support the software update. You can also ask a friend with a Mac and Beeper Cloud to share their iMessage registration code, which can be used with the desktop app.
Finally, you can jailbreak an old iPhone (6/6s/7/8/X), install Beeper’s tool to generate an iMessage registration code and update to the latest Beeper Mini app to enter the code and access the service. The company’s also renting and selling jailbroken iPhones for this task. Jailbreaking an iPhone, after all, can be confusing for beginners.
On the upside, the company says these fixes work well and even bring blue phone numbers back to the Beeper Mini experience. However, if you don’t have a Mac or an old iPhone, or access to either, you’re pretty much out of luck. Beeper says it’ll hold onto your chat history if you happen upon an old gadget at some point in the future.
This has been a month-long battle between the two companies, which started with the launch of the Beeper Mini app. This app offered true iMessage support to Android devices via a software exploit. Just a few days later, the app went on the fritz after Apple blocked the exploit. This led to more complicated fixes on Beeper’s part, with one requiring an official Apple ID and another requiring a Mac computer. Apple found ways around all of them, which actually spurred US lawmakers to call for a DOJ probe.
If Apple blocks this final fix, that’ll be it for Beeper Mini, but the company has made the software open-source for other folks looking to give it a go. Beeper may be giving up on iMessage integration, but it’s powering full-steam ahead with its primary chat app. The company promises it’ll work throughout 2024 to turn it into the “best chat app on Earth.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/beeper-says-its-done-playing-cat-and-mouse-with-apple-over-its-imessage-for-android-app-182213320.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Beeper says it’s done playing cat and mouse with Apple over its iMessage for Android app
Ahead of the holidays the open-source developers working on the Godot game engine have released Godot 4.3 Dev 1 as their first test release to this next feature release…
Source: Phoronix – Godot 4.3 Dev 1 Released With Rendering System Refactor, D3D12
Google Chrome is getting new security and performance features. The web browser’s latest version (M12) upgrades Safety Check and Memory Saver while adding the ability to save tab groups.
Safety Check is Chrome’s security hub that checks for updates and compromised passwords and displays whether Safe Browsing is turned on. With the browser’s latest version, Safety Check becomes more proactive, running automatically in the background. “You’ll get proactively alerted if passwords saved in Chrome have been compromised, any of your extensions are potentially harmful, you’re not using the latest version of Chrome, or site permissions need your attention,” Chrome Group Product Manager Sabine Borsay wrote in an announcement post. The feature will provide alerts at the top of Chrome’s three-dot menu.
Safety Check can also now revoke sites’ permissions to access things like location, microphone or camera if you haven’t visited them in a while. In addition, it highlights when sites you rarely engage with spam you with notifications, suggesting you turn them off.
Memory Saver mode, introduced in 2022 and rolled out to everyone early this year, frees memory from open tabs you aren’t using. When you hover over one while in Memory Saver mode, the tool shows more detail about the active tab’s usage. This includes how much memory you could potentially save by making it inactive.
Google says it’s also now easier to specify sites you want Memory Saver always to keep active. After installing the update, you can check out the new options in the Performance section of Chrome’s settings.
Finally, Chrome will soon let you save tab groups. For example, suppose you have a project with 25 opened tabs, but you need to step away or work on something else. Saved tab groups allow you to give them an appropriate name, shut them down and pick them up later where you left off.
Google says Chrome’s security and performance updates will roll out this week. However, saved tab groups will launch “over the next few weeks.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-tweaks-memory-saver-and-tab-group-features-in-latest-chrome-update-180049704.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Google tweaks Memory Saver and tab group features in latest Chrome update
The 18-year old hacker responsible for stealing and releasing dozens of clips of Grand Theft Auto 6 last year has been sentenced to life in hospital prison. He can only be released in the future if doctors decide he’s no longer a danger to others, the BBC reports.
Source: Kotaku – 18-Year Old GTA 6 Hacker Sentenced To Life In Hospital Prison
You can get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac on sale for $29.97 right now (reg. $229) or Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows on sale for $29.97 right now (reg. $229). These Microsoft Office software suites are the 2019 versions but still have the same basic functionalities as the newer ones, but for a lower price. Both versions include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote—and Windows users also get Publisher and Access.
You can get Microsoft Office Home & Business or Microsoft Office Professional Plus on sale until December 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time:
Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac, on sale for $29.97 (reg. $229)
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows on sale for $29.97 (reg. $229)
Source: LifeHacker – You Can Get Microsoft Office Professional Plus for Right Now
It must be a Thursday, because there’s been another major data breach that affects millions of consumers and may force you to change passwords. The target of the latest attack was Comcast, which has confirmed that online criminals ran roughshod over its Xfinity servers for days before detection. The hack has reportedly exposed the data of
Source: Hot Hardware – Xfinity Tells Millions Of Customers To Change Passwords After Alarming Data Breach
Enlarge (credit: Sean Gallup | Getty Images)
Google is wrapping its head around the idea of being a generative AI company. The “code red” called in response to ChatGPT has had Googlers scrambling to come up with AI features and ideas. Once all the dust settles on that work, Google might turn inward and try to “optimize” the company with some of its new AI capabilities. With artificial intelligence being the hot new thing, how much of Google’s, uh, natural intelligence needs to be there?
A report at The Information says that AI might already be taking people’s jobs at Google. The report cites people briefed on the plans and says Google intends to “consolidate staff, including through possible layoffs, by reassigning employees at its large customer sales unit who oversee relationships with major advertisers.” According to the report, the jobs are being vacated because Google’s new AI tools have automated them. The report says a future restructuring was apparently already announced at a department-wide Google Ads meeting last week.
Google announced a “new era of AI-powered ads” in May, featuring a “natural-language conversational experience within Google Ads, designed to jump-start campaign creation and simplify Search ads.” Google said its new AI could scan your website and “generate relevant and effective keywords, headlines, descriptions, images, and other assets,” making the Google Ads chatbot one part designer and one part sales expert.
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Source: Ars Technica – Google might already be replacing some Ad sales jobs with AI
Every new thing I hear about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth makes the wait for its February 29, 2024 release that much harder. And Square Enix just opened the floodgates on another series of new details, hints, and teases about the upcoming “open-area” RPG remake that have me even more intrigued.
Source: Kotaku – 7 More Things We Just Learned About Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
While 2023 was a big year in consumer tech and had some clever innovations to show off, not everything was a smash hit, to say the least. Whether it was subpar performance, a troubled launch, or a glaring design flaw, these products disappointed us the most.
This year’s picks, like the Apple iMac or the GoPro Hero 12,…
Source: Gizmodo – The Most Disappointing Gadgets of 2023
Just two days after flying back from Los Angeles (where I attended The Game Awards 2023 to judge its fashion in person), I felt the familiar creep of sickness at the back of my throat. But this was no mere sniffle—within a few hours my elbows ached, my head pounded, my core temperature rose, air refused to pass…
Source: Kotaku – I Started Baldur’s Gate 3 While Sick, Now I’ve Got Faerûn Fever
Have you ever noticed iridescent rainbow stains on your driveway after it’s rained? What you’re seeing is the thin film interference principle at work, and a sign that someone’s car is leaking. But before you can address the root cause of the dripping, you need to figure out where it’s coming from, and what it is. One of the simplest ways to do that involves a large piece of cardboard and some detective work. I enlisted the help of two mechanics—Jason Farrell, an ASE certified master technician and the editor of Mechanic’s Diary and John Lim, a mechanic and the owner of JB Motor Works—who walked me through the steps of the cardboard test, and how to identify the leaking fluid.
While the cardboard test is pretty straightforward, here are a few things to know that will help you get the most out of the process.
Here’s what to do:
Park: When you’ve finished driving for the day, “try to park on a flat surface to prevent the fluids from running off the cardboard,” says Lim.
Wait: As a safety precaution, Farrell recommends waiting for the engine to cool down before getting started.
Put down the paper: Place a large, light-colored piece of cardboard underneath the car. “Make sure the cardboard extends beyond the width of your vehicle,” Lim tells me. “If possible, use a large piece that can cover the area from the front bumper to the back.” Farrell recommends using using heavyweight cardboard.
Most people aren’t going to have car-sized pieces of white cardboard sitting around, so you may need to improvise. You could:
-Tape several pieces of cardboard together—placing the tape on the underside only, if possible.
-Glue or tape pieces of white paper on top of the cardboard.
-Use white butcher paper (the kind that comes in a roll) and tape or weigh down the perimeter so it stays in place.
-Use a light-colored tarp or old sheet.
Wait some more: Leave everything in place overnight.
Check the cardboard (or sheet, or butcher paper, etc.) the following day. “The stained cardboard tells quite a story,” says Farrell. More specifically, it will provide two pieces of information: what fluid is leaking, and where it’s leaking from.
It’s usually easier to try to identify the source of the leak first, while the cardboard is still in place.
“You need to trace the drips or stains on the cardboard back to the car,” Lim explains. “The position of the stain on the cardboard should give you a rough idea of where to start looking. However, keep in mind that fluids can drip off one part, hit another, and then fall to the ground, so the leak may not be directly above the stain.”
Farrell suggests using a flashlight to illuminate the undercarriage while tracing the leaks, and taking photos of the position and patterns of the stains while the cardboard is still under the car, and once it’s out.
Once you pull the cardboard or sheet out from under the car, it’s time to take a closer look at the stains.
“When reviewing cardboard stains, location, color, smell, and consistency all provide clues to the source,” Farrell explains. “For example, oily spots dripping straight down likely come from the oil pan or filter areas. Greenish liquid pooling near the front signals coolant from the radiator, hoses, or water pump. Brake fluid may eat through the cardboard, indicating a leak higher up around calipers or brake lines.”
Here are some other tips for identifying various fluids from Farrell and Lim:
Engine oil generally appears dark brown or black, feels slick, and burns the nose.
Transmission fluid is usually red or green and slippery.
Coolant can be pink, green, or yellow, feels slimy, and smells sweet.
Power steering fluid is clear to light brown, and has a burnt-marshmallow smell.
Brake fluid is clear to light brown, and feels oily but not slick.
If it looks like you have multiple leaks, Farrell recommends troubleshooting in order of difficulty. “Always start with the simplest leak possibilities before digging deeper, in case it’s an easy fix,” he says. “Catching problems early by ‘reading’ that cardboard could prevent thousands in repair bills down the road.”
Source: LifeHacker – The Easiest Way to Figure Out Which Part of Your Car Is Leaking
Tinder isn’t the best at reading the room or taking a hint. Even though its announcement of the outrageous $500-a-month tier, Tinder Select, led to considerable backlash back in September, the company has recently been expanding the membership offering by inviting additional users to apply for it.
Source: Gizmodo – Tinder’s 0 a Month Membership Tier Has Me Embracing Loneliness
This October, Konami finally gave us a long-overdue way to access some of the greatest games of all time, the original Metal Gear Solid trilogy. The only problem? They were lacking a number of modern features such as higher frame rates and resolutions. Many players have also reported issues with input registration and…
Source: Kotaku – Big Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Update Tries To Fix The PC Versions
Time’s just about up for holiday shopping, and the pressure is on for anyone doing last-minute runs to the mall or searching online for the quickest delivery. If you’re looking for that perfect Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, One Piece, Wonka, or Disney100 gift—don’t worry, io9’s got you covered with this handy list of…
Source: Gizmodo – Last-Minute Pop Culture Holiday Shopping Guide for Procrastinators
InfluxDB offers very complete query capabilities, and it is also pretty good at storing time series data. In this article I will demonstrate how you can use existing performance collection tools with InfluxDB as the storage for the captured metrics. What you will require for this tutorial Running an InfluxDB server from a container This is maybe the […]
Source: LXer – Monitoring Linux Systems With InfluxDB
