Monthly Archives: February 2025

Anyone With Smart Lights Should Use IFTTT

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You’ve no doubt explored the app that came along with your smart lights, and found several handy tricks within—from getting your lights to turn on at scheduled times, to cycling between different colors and brightness settings over the course of the day. There’s plenty more you can do, however, with the help of IFTTT.

IFTTT (If This Then That) is a long-established web and mobile app for plugging different services into each other. It can, for example, automatically share Instagram photos to X (but only when a specific hashtag is used); forward SMS messages to your email; export Fitbit stats to Google Sheets; and plenty more—there are a wealth of options to explore.

The tool plugs into several smart-light platforms, too, including Philips Hue, Lifx, TP-Link, Nanoleaf, and Govee. That means you’re able to link certain triggers from all kinds of apps and services to automated actions on your smart lights.

You can sign up for and use IFTTT free of charge. There are also Pro accounts available, which start at $3 a month: These give you access to more automations (known as applets), a greater selection of triggers and actions to choose from, access to AI enhancements, and a few additional features.

How to set up an IFTTT applet

IFTTT website
It won’t take you long to set up your first applet.
Credit: Lifehacker

Once you’ve registered an account with IFTTT and got yourself into the web interface, you can start building applets. Click Create, then choose Add next to If This. This is the trigger that will kick the automation into action. It could be anything from a new message in Google Chat to a new track from your favorite band on SoundCloud. You can also use times and dates as triggers.

As you build your applet, you’ll need to sign in to all the various services you’re making use of, and give IFTTT access to your account credentials (which you can revoke at any time). If there’s an app or service not available in IFTTT, it’s most likely because there isn’t an option for third-party plug-ins to attach themselves to it.

You’ll often be given options for your trigger—if you’re connecting Dropbox, for example, you can specify a particular folder that IFTTT monitors for activity. These options give you more fine-grained control over when triggers are launched, which can be useful in terms of controlling your smart lights.

With your trigger selected, you can choose your action: Click Add next to Then That. (For the purposes of this article, you’ll want to connect your smart lights of choice, but there are plenty of other options for building applets—you can have emails sent to your inbox, or notifications sent to your phone.) The selection is slightly different for actions compared to triggers, and again, there are usually some customization options available.

You’ll need to log in and connect any new apps or services you connect to, and then you’re almost done. Click Continue for an overview of the new applet, then click Done to confirm. You can manage your active applets through the My Applets section of IFTTT. They can be temporarily paused or fully deleted whenever you like.

IFTTT applets to try with your smart lights

Now that you know how to build applets, you can turn your attention to your smart lights—ways to use your lights as an alternative notification system for something, rather than checking your phone or email. For these examples I’ll use Philips Hue lights, as those are the ones I’ve got, but various smart platforms are supported.

You can, for example, get your smart lights to tell you about a new episode of your favorite podcast on Spotify. Choose Spotify and New followed show as the trigger, then set Philips Hue and Blink lights as the action. You don’t have to blink the lights across your whole house—you can choose one individual light for this or any other action.

IFTTT website
Get an alert every time there’s a new podcast on Spotify.
Credit: Lifehacker

Getting weather alerts is a fun one, because you can make use of the colors on your smart lights. Choose Weather Underground then Current condition changes to as the trigger, and select Rain as the condition (your location should be detected automatically). The trigger for Philips Hue lights then needs to be Change color—set it to “blue” to get rain warnings, or tweak the settings for any different conditions.

What about if your Android phone is in another room or in a desk and you want to know when it needs charging? Pick Android Battery then Low battery as the trigger, then Philips Hue and Set a scene in a room—you can specify a light change to warn you a recharge is needed. For this to work, you need the IFTTT Android app installed on your phone to monitor battery levels.

Another potentially useful way of using your lights is with your schedule. IFTTT lets you select Google Calendar and Any event starts as a trigger—you can then set a blink or a color change in the Philips Hue action to signify that an event is starting within a specified number of minutes. You can set this for a specific calendar in your account (like your meetings calendar), so you’re not overwhelmed with notifications.

IFTTT website
You can also connect IFTTT to your Google Calendar.
Credit: Lifehacker

Or what about connecting your smart lights to your video doorbell? If you pick Ring and New Ring Detected as your trigger, the resulting action could then be a color or scene change on your Philips Hue lights, or a quick blink of some or all of them. If you don’t have a doorbell you can hear easily, or instant access to your phone, this can be truly handy.

These are just a few options you can explore across the IFTTT platform, and there’s a lot more that’s possible. IFTTT plugs into iOS Shortcuts too, for example, giving you even more ways to mix and match your automated connections.

Surge in UK University Students Using AI To Complete Work

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More than 90% of UK undergraduate students now use AI in their studies, up from two-thirds a year ago, according to a Higher Education Policy Institute survey released Wednesday. The poll of 1,041 full-time undergraduates found 88% used generative AI such as ChatGPT for assessments, compared with 53% in 2024, with science students more likely to use the technology than humanities peers. Half of students cited “saving time” and “improving work quality” as their primary motivations.

The proportion considering it acceptable to include AI-generated text after editing rose to 25% from 17% last year, while only 6% approved using AI content without editing. “Every assessment must be reviewed in case it can be completed easily using AI,” said Josh Freeman, policy manager at Hepi. The report identified “persistent digital divides” in AI competency, with men and students from wealthier backgrounds more likely to be frequent users.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Half of UK homes will need heat pumps by 2040 to hit climate goals

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The UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) has advised the government to ensure half of all homes in the UK have heat pumps — electric replacements for gas boilers — by 2040 as part of its Seventh Carbon Budget to reach net zero by 2050. It also recommended making four out of five cars electric.

The UK’s carbon budgets are intended to help it achieve a balance between the greenhouse gasses it produces and how much is taken out of the atmosphere. Besides switching to electric cars and heat pumps and moving away from fossil fuels, the CCC added that reducing consumption of meat and dairy would also help. Although the UK government isn’t bound to accept the CCC’s guidance, doing so makes the carbon target legally binding. The government can decide how it wants to hit the goal.

The UK has been pushing for heat pumps since 2021, especially ones powered by hydrogen. Engadget senior editor Dan Cooper also broke down how difficult it was for him to completely eschew natural gas in 2022, citing how expensive it was to install a heat pump even with government discounts. While technology is rapidly becoming more efficient, the CCC’s plans aren’t guaranteed to work.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/half-of-uk-homes-will-need-heat-pumps-by-2040-to-hit-climate-goals-151406654.html?src=rss

Stunning Hennessey Super Venom Mustang Packs 850 HP Of Pony Car Muscle

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Stunning Hennessey Super Venom Mustang Packs 850 HP Of Pony Car Muscle
Texas-based Hennessey Performance has announced a new Ford-collaborated monster called the Super Venom, a Mustang that supposedly out-Mustangs other Mustangs including the GT and even the Dark Horse. The 850-horsepower Super Venom comes from a fettled factory Coyote V8, and thanks to other mechanical upgrades, the car is claimed to reach the

ASUS ROG Adds A Lottery System To Score An Elusive RTX 5090 Or 5080

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ASUS ROG Adds A Lottery System To Score An Elusive RTX 5090 Or 5080
It’s been almost a month since the GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080 landed on retail shelves, both of which sold out in all of a nanosecond (or at least it felt that way). In the days and weeks since, multiple retailers and add-in board (AIB) partners have implemented systems designed to get limited restocks in the hands of gamers rather

This Unlocked Google Pixel 7 Is Over 50% Off Right Now

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We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

The Google Pixel 7 (5G, Unlocked) is down to $279.99 on Woot for the next three days, or until it sells out. That’s more than 50% off its original $599 price, making this a steal for anyone in need of a flagship phone at a mid-range cost.

Google Pixel 7 (5G, Unlocked)

Google Pixel 7 (5G, Unlocked)


$279.99
at Woot
$599.00
Save $319.01

The deal is available in the Snow color, and Prime members get free standard shipping—everyone else pays $6. Woot won’t ship to Alaska, Hawaii, PO boxes, or APO addresses. Also, this is backed by a 90-day Woot Limited Warranty, not Google’s standard coverage. But considering this phone was PCMag’s Best Android Phone of 2022, it still holds up well in 2024, especially at this price.

The Pixel 7 is built for those who want a smooth, no-nonsense Android experience. It has a 6.3-inch OLED display (2,400 x 1,080 pixels) with a 90Hz refresh rate—not the 120Hz you’ll see on pricier models, but still much smoother than a standard 60Hz screen. The build is recycled aluminum, which is nice for the eco-conscious, and it’s covered in Gorilla Glass Victus on both sides, giving it solid durability. It also meets an IP68 rating, meaning it can handle dust and water without worry. Internally, the Tensor G2 chip and 8GB RAM make everyday tasks feel incredibly fluid. The 256GB storage is generous, though there’s no microSD slot, so what you see is what you get. Battery life isn’t top-tier, but its 4,355mAh battery should last about 12 hours with moderate to high usage. It supports 30W wired charging, Qi wireless charging, and even wireless battery sharing for accessories, notes this PCMag review.

Where the Pixel 7 really shines is its camera setup. The 50MP main camera and 12MP ultra-wide lens deliver some of the best photos you’ll get on a phone at this price. It has optical and electrical image stabilization, making shots sharper even in low light. Google’s software tricks—Magic Eraser, Night Sight, Motion Mode, and Face Unblur (among others)—make a noticeable difference, giving your photos a professional touch with minimal effort. The 10.8MP front camera is great for selfies and video calls. On the connectivity side, it’s packed with 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and GPS, ensuring you’re covered for fast speeds and seamless connections.

Hands-On: Orion Drift Has Out Of This World Ambition

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Orion Drift, the much-anticipated follow-up from the creators of the breakout success Gorilla Tag, has launched into early access on Quest.

Following the team’s acquisition of numerous key developers from now-defunct studio Ready At Dawn (creators of the incredibly popular Echo VR), there has been buzz about Another Axiom’s new game taking on the mantle of ‘spiritual successor’ to the much loved title. For the legions of Echo aficionados like myself, it might be best to temper those expectations, at least for now.

Orion Drift is at its heart a massive social environment that gives players freedom to engage with a large-scale sci-fi hub world brimming with things to do. Players will load into a particular instance of The Orion, a massive floating space station comprised of four distinct districts, connected by a fast-paced orbital zip-line.

On entering the game, players arrive at the Drift Ball district and are immediately confronted by the overwhelming ambition of Orion Drift. Stretching out ahead of you is the sprawling hub area dedicated to the new VR sport, Drift Ball. However, glancing upwards and around you will reveal the scale of The Orion, with the other districts looming from their place in the cylindrical space station.

Every instance of The Orion can host up to 75 players currently, but Another Axiom has declared ambitions to scale this to 200. Each district is dedicated to a specific activity: Drift Ball, Golf, Parkour and a competitive obstacle course called the ‘SCRAPRUN.’

Gameplay across all of these zones takes inspiration from both Echo VR and Gorilla Tag. As one might expect, fast, fluid movement is at the heart of every element of Orion Drift. Moving around feels like a smoother, lower gravity version of the famous Gorilla Tag arm swinging locomotion. That includes the ability to slide around the environment or employ wrist mounted thrusters, similar to those available in Echo.

For those with the stomach for it, the movement system is truly excellent. It’s intuitive, graceful, and challenging in equal parts. This is “easy to learn, hard to master” at its finest. Be warned though, Orion Drift currently has almost no comfort options, so players susceptible to motion sickness should be very cautious approaching the early access release.

Of the four districts, the Drift Ball zone feels the most fleshed out at launch. Drift Ball sees players using arm-based locomotion to traverse the arena, hitting a ball towards their opponent’s goal. Essentially, think Gorilla Tag soccer. While the basics are intuitive, there is a steep skill curve here. Watching experienced players darting around the field shows the depth and nuance in the game’s mechanics, and it’s clear that some truly competitive esports moments will be had in these arenas.

The Drift Ball district comprises multiple arenas for players to join matches in, some with a clear ceiling that allows great vantage points for spectating. There are also training areas that allow players to practice shooting or goal keeping. I personally enjoyed the goalkeeping challenge so much that I could see that being a successful mini-game in its own right.

The other districts feel considerably less refined; however, they still offer enough to be enjoyable and sell Another Axiom’s vision. There are numerous areas in these satellite districts that remain conspicuously ‘under construction’ with limited feature sets or severely rudimentary texture packs.

The Golf district is an elaborate, multi-tiered golf course where players will use their drift ball skills to whack their ball towards the hole.

The Parkour district, still very much under construction, showcases its potential. There are some tutorial-based courses to learn the basics and a vast skate park inspired area for players to bound about, freely enjoying the game’s signature movement mechanics.

Elsewhere, the SCRAPRUN district feels like the furthest from complete, offering what appeared to be a head-to-head obstacle course. With no tutorial or onboarding guidance of any kind, I was left equally confused and intrigued by this area.

For all the positives so far in early access, Another Axiom is definitely leaning into its community in terms of assumed knowledge and player led onboarding. Playing Orion Drift without experience of Gorilla Tag or a community guide can be confusing. This is particularly true for those desperately seeking comfort options or assistance with basic navigation.

As development continues, the onboarding process urgently needs some refinement for Orion Drift to live up to its enormous potential.

Though much has been said about this being a spiritual successor to Echo VR, Orion Drift doesn’t quite live up to the weight of that statement as it currently stands. The scale of the game is impressive, the social hub is great, the movement mechanics are outstanding, and Drift Ball is pretty good. It just doesn’t capture the same magic that Echo did.

While there are rumors of a zero-gravity area (and perhaps an accompanying disc sport), Orion Drift in its current state feels much more like the natural evolution of Gorilla Tag, albeit with some heavy influence from the Lone Echo universe.

Regardless, Orion Drift has made a strong entrance into early access with its well-polished mechanics and a clear statement of intent to the ambitious scope that it intends to deliver. With an enormous community behind it and considerable funding from the studio’s past success, I will be eagerly watching Orion Drift as it develops throughout its early access period.

Google is making it even easier to remove your personal information on Search

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Google has been offering the Results About You tool since 2022 and updated it once in 2023. A part of Google Search, the tool looks for your personal information online and lets you request its removal. Today, the tech giant is announcing the latest changes, including a redesigned hub and the ability to update outdated search results to reflect the latest changes.

The redesign isn’t only for show. You can now submit removal requests directly from Search with fewer actions by clicking or tapping the three dots beside a search result. If you manage to have content about you deleted or changed from a website but Google Search hasn’t caught up, you can refresh the search, which will ”recrawl the page and obtain the latest information.” In other words, you can always see the most up-to-date results about you.

While these updates are helpful, they don’t introduce any major changes. The 2023 update to Results About You was more substantial, introducing proactive searches containing your info and the ability to remove consensual explicit images of yourself.

While Google didn’t introduce any significant changes to “results about you” last year, it did become available in Australia and South Africa last May. However, this helpful privacy feature remains inaccessible in many countries, including Malaysia, where I’m from. Google also doesn’t say where it’s available, so you’ll have to check your Google account to see if it works for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/google-is-making-it-even-easier-to-remove-your-personal-information-on-search-145326075.html?src=rss

Long-time advocate of SLS rocket says it’s time to find an “off-ramp”

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The lights may be starting to go out for NASA’s Space Launch System program.

On Wednesday, one of the Republican space policy leaders most consistently opposed to commercial heavy lift rockets over the last decade—as an alternative to NASA’s large SLS rocket—has changed his mind.

“We need an off-ramp for reliance on the SLS,” said Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, in written testimony. He issued the statement in advance of a hearing about US space policy, and the future of NASA’s Artemis Moon program, before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

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Nearly all UK undergrads use AI in their studies, according to a new report

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Apparently almost all undergraduate students are using AI now, in one way or another. A new report from the UK’s Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) found that 92 percent of students have used generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, for their studies. At the same time, 88 percent of these students have used it for exams. These numbers are a tremendous increase from HEPI’s February 2024 report in which 66 percent and 53 percent participants relayed use, respectively. 

The top reasons students reported using AI include saving time, improved quality of their work and getting instant support. Wealthier, STEM-focused and male respondents were more enthusiastic about AI in the survey. Students’ main arguments against utilizing AI included cheating accusations, being given fake results or hallucinations and getting biased results. Women and younger students were more likely to voice concerns. HEPI surveyed 1,041 British and international students in the UK during December 2024.

Meanwhile, universities tended to score well with students on the integrity of their AI policies. Four-fifths of respondents stated that their school had a clear AI policy and, notably, 76 percent believe their university would spot AI use for assessed work (yes, despite that 88 percent that have done it). Staff are also better prepared to help with AI, with 42 percent of students responding that the staff is “well-equipped,” up from 18 percent last year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nearly-all-uk-undergrads-use-ai-in-their-studies-according-to-a-new-report-144221715.html?src=rss

Indian Cinema Chain Sued By Film-goer Over Lengthy Pre-film Ads

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The Guardian: For some, the adverts that precede the start of a film are the bane of a trip to the cinema; for others, they are a useful buffer as you stand in the popcorn queue. But for one man in India, the lengthy marathon of cinema advertising was so infuriating that he took the matter to the courts — and won. Abhishek MR, a 30-year-old man from the southern city of Bangalore, had booked a trip to the cinema with friends in December last year to watch wartime drama Sam Bahadur.

But while the scheduled time he had booked the ticket for was 4.05pm, he had to sit through 25 minutes of adverts for upcoming features and commercial items such as homewares, mobile phones and cars before the film actually began. Having planned to return to work straight after the film, Abhishek MR was angered by what he felt was a costly disruption to his life. He filed a lawsuit against PVR Inox, India’s largest cinema multiplex chain, stating that: “The complainant could not attend other arrangements and appointments which were scheduled for the day and has faced losses that cannot be calculated in terms of money as compensation.” Bruce66423 adds: Great outcome — and only 25 minutes of garbage punished. Note that Indian cinemas also make patrons sit through 15 minutes of adverts in the middle of the film.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Sour Cream Makes for a Better Egg Wash Than an Actual Egg

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There are times when eggs are non-negotiable in a recipe—like egg drop soup or quiche—but when eggs play a minor role, then why not use a replacement? Egg wash is a prime example. Using it adds color and shine to finished baked goods like dinner rolls and pies, but when eggs are selling at a premium price, it’s hard to justify using an egg wash at all.

Finding a good egg wash alternative isn’t only useful for saving a buck, but it can be a handy back-up even when eggs are plentiful. There’s always the occasion where you just ran out, or you have folks coming over that are on egg-free diets. After some browsing on the internet, butter, mayo, milk, heavy cream, maple syrup, and sour cream seem to be the common substitutes.

Unbaked biscuits on a sheet tray and each one has a different color wash on top.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

I whipped up a batch of my favorite biscuits and painted them with different finishes so I could compare them after baking. You can see in the picture above that there are eight biscuits. In addition to the six alternatives I mentioned, I did one with actual egg wash so we can track what we’re striving for, and one with absolutely nothing on it as a control.

25 minutes later, the results were in and I was actually pretty surprised. Each topping produced a different result; some more obvious than others. When egg wash is used as a topping (as opposed to a binder), its primary function is to impart color, shine, and leave no trace of flavor, so that’s what I was looking for.

Baked bisuits on a sheet tray.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Here are the results from top left to right, and bottom left to right.

  • Egg wash: Goal browning and shine

  • Sour cream: Best browning, high gloss (outshined the egg)

  • Heavy cream: Light browning, a slight shine

  • Whole milk: Well-browned, slight shine

  • No wash: Light browning, matte

  • Maple syrup: Well-browned, no shine

  • Mayonnaise: Medium browning, medium shine

  • Butter: Light browning, no shine

Hands-down, the winner was sour cream. Dare I say it performed even better than the actual egg wash. (I tried to capture the blinding shine in the picture below.) The color of the baked sour cream coated biscuit was a beautiful dark brown, and the shine surpassed even the egg wash standard. 

Biscuits on a sheet pan.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Runners-up were mayonnaise and whole milk for their middle-of-the-road performance in both categories. For a vegan option, maple syrup imparted gorgeous brown coloring, but it had a decidedly un-shiny finish and it leaves behind a subtle sweet flavor (which might be good or bad depending on your preferences). 

Butter turned out the worst performance. I would be sad, but I’ve been fooled by butter before so I was expecting the disappointment. On both counts, the finish paled in comparison to its competitors. Butter aside, at least you have some options for the next time you make a batch of biscuits, rolls, pastries, or pies. Save the eggs for when they matter most.