Cleaning your gutters can be a hassle. Leaves and pine needles will drop into them, and they can easily get clogged and overflow, causing you homeownership headaches. Keeping them clear is important, not just during the rainy season, but as winter weather rolls in, as keeping gutters clear will help prevent ice dams from forming on your roof.

But getting up on a ladder to clean out gutters isn’t always the safest or most convenient option. Here are some tools and tool extensions that will help you clear out your gutters without ever leaving the ground.

Use a blower extension

An extension for a standard leaf blower will allow you to clear gutters by stretching the nozzle to roof height and adding an attachment that points down toward the gutter. This universal leaf blower extension kit will work with most leaf blowers and can reach up to 11 feet up. You can also use this extension with a shop vac converted to a blower by switching the vacuum hose from the intake to the exhaust port.

Products recommended:

Here are our top recommendations for tools and tool extensions to help you clean your gutters from the ground.

• Universal leaf blower extension kit $59.89

• Telescoping garden hose attachment $32.99

• Universal pressure washer extension $91.53

• Gutter inspection mirror $24.98

Use water to blast leaves out

To avoid a climb, use water to blast leaves out of your gutters. You have a few options here. The first is a garden hose attachment that will squirt water from your hose up into the gutter, washing leaves up and over the sides. This telescoping garden hose attachment can reach up to seven feet, six inches into the gutter, making ladders unnecessary on first floor gutters.

If you have lower water pressure or a more challenging packed-in leaf situation, using a pressure washer extension is a good choice. This universal pressure washer extension will reach up to nine feet, and can accommodate up to 4000 PSI to blast caked-together leaves out of your gutters. (Just be careful not to use too much pressure, or you’ll risk damaging your gutters.)

Use a long extension pole

If you have a tool that works from the ground, starting with a good telescoping extension pole can set you up for success. A standard seven- to 24-foot extension pole will reach the gutters on most houses, and you can use one pole to swap out multiple tools. Keep in mind that the longer your pole is extended, the more difficult it will be to control.

Use a grabber

If you have a clump of leaves or another object like a ball blocking your gutters, fish it out using a grabber on an extension pole. This gutter cleaning grabber is operated using a rope and a pole and can be mounted on most tool poles. Its jaws will open up to about a foot to accommodate even relatively large objects—but be careful picking up anything too heavy, since the spring operated mechanism isn’t geared for major extractions.

Use a tiny rake

For a low-tech option, you can use attach a telescoping handle to a tiny rake that you can angle to reach into the gutter to remove leaves. Since it attaches with standard fittings like those on painter’s poles, you can use it at whatever extension you like. As it’s small, this rake might be a little too floppy for larger jobs, but it will get the job done for most standard cleanup operations.

Use an inspection mirror

You can also use an inspection mirror to check out what’s in your gutter so you know what tool to use to clear it. Discovering that what you thought was a clump of leaves is really a ball can totally change your approach to the project. Add an inspection mirror to your telescoping pole to see what’s going on from the ground, and check them out again when you’re done to make sure you’ve cleared everything out.

Source: LifeHacker – All The Tools You Need to Clean Your Gutters Without Getting on a Ladder

Last year, Microsoft unveiled a special version of its Bing search engine that was also powered by AI. Over the past year and some months, the company has continued to expand its offerings, eventually utilizing that same search engine service as an AI chatbot that it used to call Bing Chat. Now, though, it has rebranded everything involving its AI systems to be called Copilot. But what exactly is Copilot and how does it compare to other AI chatbots out there like ChatGPT and Claude? Here’s what you need to know.

What is Copilot?

Essentially, Copilot is Microsoft’s version of ChatGPT. It even uses the same language as ChatGPT (Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI), and can be asked similar questions, as well as used to solve complex tasks like math problems, and even to create images using Bing’s Image Creator, all from the same platform.

Copilot is the bread and butter of Microsoft’s AI offerings, and it builds off of GPT-4 really well, while also adding access to the internet—which ensures that Copilot can always provide the most up-to-date information about queries you ask.

You can ask Copilot to write poetry, stories, generate article ideas, and a slew of other things in a similar manner like you would with ChatGPT.

How much does Copilot cost?

Copilot is free. In fact, Microsoft’s Copilot platform is the only way that users can access GPT-4 (the most advanced version of OpenAI’s large language model) for free. All you need to access Copilot is a Microsoft account, which is also free. Chances are, you probably already have one of these if you use a Windows computer.

Why are there multiple Copilot apps?

Perhaps one of the most confusing things about Copilot is that there are multiple offerings under the Copilot umbrella. There’s the Copilot chatbot, then there is Windows Copilot, Copilot for Microsoft 365, and even Copilot for service, Copilot for Sales, and so on down the list.

Ultimately, Copilot is the primary chatbot, though, and you can access it for free. Many of the other versions of Copilot require specific types of subscriptions to use, though Windows Copilot is currently available as a free preview in some versions of Windows 11.

What language model does Copilot use?

Microsoft designed Copilot to work off of the latest version of OpenAI’s GPT model, GPT-4, which is the same model that ChatGPT Plus users get access to. It’s the most advanced model that OpenAI has created, and Microsoft has worked closely with the company to develop it within the constraints of its own systems.

Copilot uses GPT-4 to offer more accurate, reliable, and capable responses than OpenAI’s previous model, GPT-3.5. As I noted above, Copilot is the only reliable way to get access to GPT-4 without having to pay anything. ChatGPT Plus users must pay $20 to access GPT-4 when using OpenAI’s chatbot.

What is Copilot’s chat limit?

Copilot currently offers a 2,000 character limit per chat with the system. This is less than half of ChatGPT’s current 4,096 character limit. (There are ways to bypass those limits in ChatGPT, though we won’t get into that here.)

Despite having a somewhat smaller chat limit, Copilot should offer more than enough space for most of your queries. Note that this limit may change in the future, as it has changed in the past.

How do you access Copilot?

Copilot can be access freely by anyone with a Microsoft account. All you need to do is make your way to the Copilot website and then sign in with a Microsoft account. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, you can always make one to access the AI chatbot.

Microsoft also has not shared any details about making a premium option for Copilot, though that could change in the future.

Is there a Copilot app?

If you don’t want to use the Copilot website, you can always use the Bing app on both iPhone and Android devices to access Copilot. While it isn’t solely dedicated to the AI chatbot, you can still make use of Copilot through the search bar when you open up the application.

How accurate is Copilot?

Since Copilot runs off of GPT-4, it is as accurate as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, like most AI chatbots and large language models, Copilot is prone to hallucinating and creating false information. As such, you should always check any of the data and information that Copilot provides you with to ensure that you aren’t plagiarizing or stealing content.

It should also be noted that in the past Copilot was known for taking credit for information that it had actually read from other websites, so it’s important to check the quality of any and all work that you do with the AI chatbot.

Is Copilot better than ChatGPT?

This is a bit of a loaded question, and a difficult one to answer. Because ChatGPT and Copilot both run off of the same language models, they operate in very similar ways. However, users running the free version of ChatGPT, which is locked to GPT-3.5, will find that Copilot is much more efficient and accurate than ChatGPT. If you use ChatGPT Plus, though, and subscribe to use GPT-4, then you’ll be getting similar efficiency.

There is one area that Copilot tends to do exceptionally better than ChatGPT, though, and that all ties into how much Copilot has been built around search. GPT-4 enables a lot of advancements that older LLMs don’t support, including full access to the internet, which is possible thanks to Microsoft’s Bing connection. While you can get internet connection through a plugin with ChatGPT, Copilot was built to take advantage of the billions of bytes of data accessible across the internet. As such, it is by far one of the easiest ways to access the most up-to-date information when utilizing an AI chatbot. It’ll even cite its sources, so you can check where the bot pulled a certain claim from for yourself.

At the end of the day, though, both ChatGPT and Copilot will respond similarly because they use the same large language model, and Microsoft isn’t changing much of what’s happening behind the scenes.

Source: LifeHacker – What Is Copilot and Is It Better Than ChatGPT?

I hate to tear you away from the mass produced tri-flavor popcorn tin, but there’s an even more delightful popcorn that’s perfect for cozying up with on the couch. It’s your own homemade holiday-spiced popcorn, and it pairs uncommonly well with hot chocolate and marshmallows. This recipe uses common pantry spices and if you’ve ever baked a pumpkin pie, I’m guessing you have them already. Grab the nearest two-quart pot, and let’s get poppin’.

Unlike my strong feelings for great coffee, I’m not a popcorn snob in the slightest. I like it all—pre-bagged, microwaved, air-popped, or kettle. Recently, despite distinct memories of disliking this method, I’ve returned to the classic stove-top pop. I don’t know what drove me away because I’m quite enjoying myself. Not only does the ruckus of exploding kernels bring a smile to my face every time, but there’s more freedom with flavoring. You can add hot or savory sauces to your drizzling butter, after the popcorn finishes popping, or you can flavor the actual fat you use to heat up the kernels. That’s exactly what we’re doing with this recipe.

How to infuse cooking oil with flavor

Before you add the unpopped kernels to the fat in the pot, add spices first to infuse it. This is a technique commonly used in Indian cuisine called tadka (also called tarka, chhonk, baghaar, and other names depending on the region, or referred to as tempering spices). You add whole or ground spices to oil, or ghee, and allow it to heat up and “bloom.” This can mellow overpowering notes in the raw spices, and the flavors of the toasted spices infuse the oil. If you’re using whole spices, the large pieces can be removed to leave behind a subtle, aromatic fat. Ground spices remain dispersed in the infused oil making for a robust dish, and in this case, popcorn. 

How to make holiday-spiced popcorn

To make a bowl of holiday cheer, add the fats to a medium-to-large pot over low heat. You’ll see in the recipe I use both butter and cooking oil. I like the flavor of butter more than just straight oil, but adding a splash of canola oil raises the smoke point so my butter doesn’t burn. Alternatively, you could also use ghee which has a higher smoke point than butter. Add salt, and all of the other spices. Swirl the pot to moisten all of the spices and allow them to cook over medium-low heat for 20 seconds to 1 minute depending on how hot the oil has become. You’ll notice the smells of the spices become quite fragrant, and the butter might start to foam.

Dump the unpopped kernels into the pot all at once. Cover the pot and give it a shake so all of the kernels get coated in oil. Extra points if you get the spiced oil up on the inside of the lid. Then crank the heat up to medium. The oil has already heated up so the popcorn should start to pop within a minute. Shake the pot occasionally as the kernels pop, just to make sure the spiced fat is coating the kernels. Crack the lid when the pot is at rest to let steam escape. Take the pot off the heat once the popcorn has significantly slowed and the pot is nearly full of spice-coated popcorn. Pour the popcorn into a bowl.

If you’re using ground spices like in the recipe, it’s best to crank up the heat when you add the popcorn, and pop the kernels as quickly as possible to reduce scorching of any spices that stick to the bottom of the pot. When I poured my popcorn out, the last five or six popcorn pieces on the bottom had some overly toasted spice areas. Any spices that did scorch actually clung to the pot instead of to the corn. 

If you want to avoid scorched spices (it didn’t bother me), then I suggest infusing the oil with the same method but using whole spices instead (like broken cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and cardamom pods). Then remove the spices and you’ll be left with an aromatic fat to cook the popcorn, or save it as a drizzle post-popping. The flavor won’t be as robust, but it’ll be wonderfully fragrant. My popcorn turned out incredibly flavorful, buttery, and perfectly salted. My whole apartment still smells like toasted gingerbread cookies and warm holiday spices even hours later. 

Holiday-spiced Popcorn Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ tablespoons butter

• 1 tablespoon canola oil

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ cup un-popped popcorn kernels

Heat the butter, oil, salt, and spices for about 1 minute over medium-low heat to infuse the oil. It will get foamy and you’ll notice the fragrance become rather strong. Add the popcorn kernels, cover the pot and turn the heat up to medium. Shake the pot to coat the kernels with the infused fats. Once the popcorn begins popping, shake the pot occasionally to coat the popped popcorn with more seasoned fat. Take the popcorn off the heat when the popping slows down to one pop every three to five seconds. Pour it into a bowl and enjoy immediately.

Source: LifeHacker – Spice-infused Oil Is the Key to This Festive Popcorn

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for December 5, 2023 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is of medium difficulty; I got it in 4. Beware, there are spoilers below for December 5, Wordle #899! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Three of the letters are common; the other two are sort of medium-commonness (no Q or X or anything). 

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

Think spry and youthful.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

No doubles or repeated letters today.

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

Technically there are only two vowels today (i.e., from A-E-I-O-U). There’s one other “sometimes” vowel.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with Y.

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with G.

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is YOUNG.

How I solved today’s Wordle

No hits on ARISE; got the OU on touch. For a minute here I thought we were into the infamous POUND/BOUND/ROUND territory, but BANDY registered hits on both Y and N. If the Y isn’t at the end, it’s probably at the beginning, so I correctly guessed YOUNG.

Wordle 899 4/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: 

• Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

Source: LifeHacker – Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Tuesday, December 5, 2023