The Moto Z is a phone built around a strong gimmick, but it’s a gimmick nonetheless. A little over a year after release, the company has added some interesting Mods to its selection, but none have offered an entirely compelling justification for the phone’s modular system. That certainly applies to the new Alexa Smart Speaker. Read More
With a new episode of Star Wars around the corner, the force is strong within all of us. But man, the merchandise costs big bucks. Here’s a neat hack: you can download and print these 3D printable props for free! Of course, you’ll need access to a 3D printer for these. If you don’t have one, then head to your local hackerspace to make use of it. Otherwise, get the best 3D printer for your budget and start rolling out the Star Wars props. These make for perfect budget geek gifts on Christmas, or they can be something you keep...
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It’s Thanksgiving. Which means a) you’re probably reading this in between mouthfuls of turkey and/pumpkin pie, b) as a Brit I’m jealous of Americans for getting an extra day off, and c) Apple has released its first TV commercial of the holiday season. The first of many, it has to be said. Apple has a reputation for producing great commercials. And deservedly so, for the most part. Who can forget the 1984-inspired ad for the Apple Macintosh? Or the long-running “Get a Mac” ads which declared PCs as old, uncool, and incapable. But Apple has changed tact in recent years....
Read the full article: Apple’s First Holiday Ad Gives Thanks for AirPods
In just four years of its existence, OnePlus has become a brand to be reckoned with in the smartphone space. It started with a mission to deliver a high-end experience at a price that’s easier on the wallet. The company has largely delivered on that promise; we walked away pretty impressed with the OnePlus 5 earlier this year. And that’s in part thanks to OxygenOS, OnePlus’s tastefully customized version of Android. It looks and behaves similar to stock Android, which runs on Google’s Pixel phones, but there are some interesting addons sprinkled on top. With the OnePlus 5T on its...
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Tech enthusiasts know how gadgets enhance your daily grind. But what deserves to travel with you? Here are the products for revolutionizing your fast-paced life. 1. North Face Access Pack The first order of duty is finding a comfy place to house your tech. Granted, bags are a dime a dozen, but none come close to the North Face Access Pack. For its rather substantial price, this is one bag that has had some serious grey matter put into it. North Face Access Backpack One Size TNF Medium Grey Heather North Face Access Backpack One Size TNF Medium Grey Heather...
Read the full article: 11 Cool Gadgets You Should Never Leave Home Without
Last month, Twitter started work on a new “save for later” feature for Tweets in your timeline that you wanted to flag to refer back to in the future. Now it’s given the feature a name — it will be called Bookmarks — and is running tests with it. The news was made public last night in a series of Tweets from Tina Koyama, a staff product designer at the company,… Read More
When you’re trying to solve a problem, it helps to have all possible information. It’s the same with losing weight and being healthy. Just putting on a wearable doesn’t mean you’ll start losing weight. But tracking your steps and getting data on things like your sleep cycle can certainly be enlightening. My weight loss journey started with the simple obsession of filling up the activity rings on the Apple Watch. Every single day. If you’re the kind of person who gets excited by new technology, strapping a computer on your wrist can be a great way to motivate yourself. And...
Read the full article: Everything the Apple Watch Does Better Than the Fitbit Charge
Dropdown lists limit the number of entries for an input field. They help prevent typos and misspellings. And Excel supports surprisingly versatile dropdown list features. Thus, if you want to use Excel for forms or data collection, make it easier for your users to select items with dropdown lists. Use a dropdown list in a cell when there are specific options available for that cell. For example, you can create dropdown lists containing options like Male and Female, Yes and No, or any other custom list of options. We’ll show you how to add dropdown lists to your Excel spreadsheets....
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You’d love to get more speed out of your PC, but don’t have a ton of time to spend. Some of the most important speed benefits, like upgrading your hardware, can take hours to shop, ship, and physically replace. That’s why we want to show you quick tricks to speed up Windows in no time at all. Here are 10 different ways to squeeze a little more speed out of your system without investing hours of your time. 1. Remove Some Startup Programs (5 Minutes) One of the easiest ways to improve your PC’s performance is removing unnecessary programs from...
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If you are an avid reader and are always looking for a new ebook to check out, the online options can feel limited. But, if you know where to look, you can snag free ebooks to read online, download to your computer, or transfer to your Kindle. With some truly classic books from the most well-known authors, these four websites have you covered. Plus, you can take a look at other genres besides the classics like humor, thriller, science fiction, or romance. So, take a seat in your favorite chair, grab your laptop, and prepare to immerse yourself in a...
Read the full article: 4 Sites With LOTS Of Completely Free Ebooks That Don’t Suck
Watching Christmas movies on Netflix, regardless of the device, is a great way to enjoy the holidays, especially if you want to immerse yourself in the season. And don’t worry about your connection, as there are many ways to improve your Netflix stream. Whatever your preference, and whether or not you think Netflix is worth the money, Netflix is here to help you chill out and enjoy the holidays, wherever you are in the world. Netflix has so much content it’s often difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. So, to help you out over the holidays, we have selected 12 Christmas...
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Everyone loves drones, including companies with very specific needs. Drones once were the hot new thing and the perfect birthday gift. But drone makers are now realizing that there’s a bigger opportunity with commercial use cases, from farming to inspection. That’s why we’re excited to announce that three founders of three amazing companies in the drone industry will join us… Read More
Last year Instagram introduced live streaming to its Stories feature. Since then, livestreaming on Instagram has continued to grow, allowing users to add friends to their livestreams. The latest addition to that is how you can request joining in on a live Instagram stream. How to Request Joining a Friend’s Instagram Livestream When you’re watching a friend’s live video, you can tap the Request button that should be viewable on the screen. If your friend accepts your request, you’ll have a moment to get ready before going live to your friend’s audience. Both livestreams will be displayed on one split screen. How to Accept or Reject Instagram Requests If you’re...
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Dreaming of a job at Google? Or any other big tech company? It won’t be easy. In fact, even finding out which things you need to study and in what order can be difficult, regardless of what kind of tech career you aim to pursue. A simple question like which programming language to choose can lead you down all sorts of rabbit holes. What if Google offered to be your technical “mentor”? Not a mentor in flesh and blood, but as a resource that plants the guiding posts along the path you can take towards a great tech career. The Google Tech Dev...
Read the full article: Google Has Some Great Advice for Your Tech Career
Steam is certainly the most popular PC gaming digital distribution platform, though there are some competitors. But even though Steam is known for games, did you know that there’s more than meets the eye available on the Steam Store? Indeed, there’s an entire section dedicated to software that you can buy on Steam. Visit the Software page to check it out. Like games, Steam will show you some recommendations here if you’re logged in. Even without your account, though, you can browse the latest releases and what’s popular. Unsurprisingly, you’ll find lots of game-related software offered on Steam. Video editors,...
Read the full article: Did You Know Steam Sells More Than Just Games?
Valve is trying to fix Steam user reviews. Again. Having already taken steps to prevent groups from review-bombing certain games, Valve is once again making changes aimed at making Steam user reviews more helpful. And this time it’s employing cold, hard math and a dose of logic. Steam user reviews were meant to offer users a simple way of seeing whether a game was good or not. Unfortunately, it only takes a few bad apples to turn the whole pie into a stinking mess. Thus, thanks to the actions of a few, review scores can become skewed wildly one way...
Read the full article: Valve Is Fixing Those Terrible Steam User Reviews
YouTube, that strange stew of the best and worst content on the web, is cracking down on abuse and error relating to kid-focused video. Jokers and questionably ethical creators who targeted kids or used them in their videos will have a harder time getting viewers and getting money. Read More
Every year, Apple airs a new ad in the U.S. for Thanksgiving. Compared to other Apple ads, this is less about showing product features and more like a greeting card. This year is no different — you still see a lot of AirPods. Apple’s new ad is called “Sway” and takes place in the streets of New York. A woman starts playing Sam Smith’s “Palace” on her… Read More
On December 14, the FCC will vote on whether or not to roll back Obama-era policies protecting a free and open internet. In fact, during yesterday’s announcement of the upcoming vote, the FCC neglected to mention the historic 22 million comments on the issue, the majority of which were opposed to its rollback. Read More
ProtonMail has launched a new contacts manager for its encrypted email service. And just like its email service, ProtonMail Contacts offers enviable levels of encryption. This makes it perfect for anyone who believes Big Brother is watching their every move. Which is 1984-level stuff. In these troubled times, with governments spying on their citizens, encryption is more important than ever. ProtonMail already offers an encrypted email service for people keen to keep their communications private, and it has now added an encrypted contacts manager to its offerings. The World’s First Encrypted Contacts Manager ProtonMail Contacts, which ProtonMail is describing as...
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