Sunday, April 30, 2023

Don't Forget Grandma! She Deserves a Mother's Day Gift Too - CNET

Show your grandmother just how much you appreciate her this Mother's Day with these meaningful gifts.

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Latest Tech News

While we wait patiently for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 to get its grand unveiling, some unofficial renders of the foldable have appeared online. These are third-party renders, based on information from a variety of sources that has leaked out so far.

The images are courtesy of the well-known leak-monger OnLeaks and Smartprix, and they show a phone that's very much like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 that was launched last year. It looks like there won't be any massive design changes this time around.

That's partly to be expected – there aren't that many ways you can design a foldable phone, really. One change is on the rear camera module, where the flash has moved to the side of the camera lenses rather than sitting underneath them.

See more

Dimension details

What will be different, apparently, are the dimensions of the device. The Z Fold 5 apparently measures 154.9 mm x 129.9 mm x 6.3 mm when unfolded, compared with 155.1 mm x 130.1 mm x 6.3 mm for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.

When folded up, the new phone is said to be a few millimeters thinner than its predecessor, thanks to the introduction of a waterdrop hinge that means both sides of the screen are going to be able to lie fully flat against each other.

It would seem that the biggest upgrade is going to be on the inside, with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 rumored to be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. As per the most recent report, the Z Fold 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 could launch before the end of July.


Analysis: design changes cost money

It always adds a little bit of extra interest to a phone launch when there are significant design changes to talk about – but as we mentioned earlier, it's hard to see too many ways to innovate when it comes to two slabs of glass and metal folding against each other.

What's more, design changes cost money. If the Z Fold 5 looks similar to the Z Fold 4, then Samsung may well already be able to use existing components and manufacturing lines to get the handset out to the masses.

When your profits have been declining as fast as Samsung's over recent months, saving money is important. Let's hope that some of the savings are passed on to consumers – the Z Fold 5 is rumored to cost the same as its predecessor (from $1,799 / £1,649 / AU$2,499).

It looks as though we might have to wait for next year for the design of this foldable to be significantly different: the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is reportedly going to come with a "major form factor change", but what exactly that looks like remains to be seen.



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Best Mattress for Side Sleepers for 2023 - CNET

Alleviate your back and shoulder pain by using the best mattress for side sleepers.

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Saturday, April 29, 2023

Formula 1 Racing 2023: How to Watch and Livestream the Azerbaijan GP Today - CNET

Red Bull are now three for three in the 2023 season. Will they grab a fourth? Here's how to watch without cable.

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Latest Tech News

It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints - now with added Daily Sequence answers! 

Yes, that's right: the makers of Quordle have a new game, which sees you complete four Wordle puzzles consecutively. The twist is that the letters you've already used on the first game are repeated on the second and so on. 

It's good fun, but also difficult - so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for Quordle and the Daily Sequence too. 

I'm a Quordle and Wordle fanatic who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #461 and the answers to the Daily Sequence. 

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers. 

Quordle today (game #461) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). 

Quordle today (game #461) - hint #2 - total vowels

What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?

The total number of vowels across today's Quordle answers is 7.

Quordle today (game #461) - hint #3 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #461) - hint #4 - total letters

How many different letters are used in Quordle today?

The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 11.

Quordle today (game #461) - hint #5 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #461) - hint #6 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #461) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• G

• R

• R

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #461) - the answers

Quordle 461 answers on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #461, are…

  • STOUT
  • GROUT
  • RALPH
  • RIGOR

Today's Quordle is a real mixed bag. Two of the answers, STOUT and GROUT, end in the same three letters, so once you found one, you'll have been in a good place to find the other. But on the flipside, STOUT has a repeated T, RIGOR has a repeated R and RALPH is not necessarily a word you'd expect to find in Quordle. 

Meanwhile, the Daily Sequence (see below) has four reasonably straightforward answers, although SHUCK might not be the most obvious word in the English language.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Daily Sequence today (game #461) - the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence 461 answers on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #461, are…

  • SAVOR
  • SHUCK
  • RURAL
  • CORAL

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #460, Saturday 29 April: SCOUR, BLUSH, WHINE, ELIDE
  • Quordle #459, Friday 28 April: TRITE, SLEEK, ALTAR, VOTER
  • Quordle #458, Thursday 27 April: QUASI, PLUSH, CHUTE, SOAPY
  • Quordle #457, Wednesday 26 April: PARKA, SPINY, BUSHY, CHAIR
  • Quordle #456, Tuesday 25 April: CREST, SHRUB, CREDO, BELOW
  • Quordle #455, Monday 24 April: DEUCE, BEAST, NOISY, YOUNG
  • Quordle #454, Sunday 23 April: FALSE, LUSTY, EMPTY, FLESH
  • Quordle #453, Saturday 22 April: LIMIT, IRONY, TERRA, ARBOR
  • Quordle #452, Friday 21 April: WARTY, SEVER, KNAVE, PUBIC
  • Quordle #451, Thursday 20 April: JELLY, PRONG, GLOBE, BLOOM
  • Quordle #450, Wednesday 19 April: PURGE, OPINE, LILAC, CHEAP
  • Quordle #449, Tuesday 18 April: MOLAR, PROBE, DRIER, BORNE
  • Quordle #448, Monday 17 April: ASSAY, SLANT, NADIR, DENIM
  • Quordle #447, Sunday 16 April: SLATE, BENCH, QUASH, FOGGY
  • Quordle #446, Saturday 15 April: HAZEL, BERET, FALSE, COVEN
  • Quordle #445, Friday 14 April: BROWN, PLAZA, DRUNK, DODGE
  • Quordle #444, Thursday 13 April: DELVE, PIXEL, MINOR, CLOAK
  • Quordle #443, Wednesday 12 April: INCUR, DRUNK, COVEN, THERE
  • Quordle #442, Tuesday 11 April: CHIME, DRAIN, WHOSE, BOXER
  • Quordle #441, Monday 10 April: THUMB, CHESS, SYRUP, HOTEL

Quordle FAQs: Everything you need to know

What is Quordle?

Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar. 

It's played online via the Quordle website and you can also get to it via the Merriam-Webster site, after the dictionary purchased Quordle last year

As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you're competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.

The website also includes a practice mode - which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! - and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements - specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.

Oh, and it's difficult. Really difficult.

What are the Quordle rules?

The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.

1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.

2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow. 

3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…

4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two. 

5. Answers are never plural.

6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.

7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle's dictionary. You can't guess ABCDE, for instance.

8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle's Hard mode.

9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.

10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.

What is a good Quordle strategy?

Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can't blindly throw letters at it and expect to win - you'll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.

That's the case in Wordle too, of course, but it's even more important in Quordle.

There are two key things to remember. 

1. Use several starting words

Firstly, you won't want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words. 

The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.

For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options - you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe - but something like that should do the trick.

If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!

2. Narrow things down

Secondly, if you're faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options - for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH - you'll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options. 

In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It's risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it's the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure - you simply don't have enough guesses.

In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.



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Best Monitor Deals: 27-Inch QHD Displays From $180, 32-Inch UHD Displays From $272 - CNET

Save big on discounted 2K and 4K displays from top brands like HP, Dell, LG, Samsung, ViewSonic and more.

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Friday, April 28, 2023

Best Cellphone Deals: Save Big on Unlocked and Carrier Phone Deals - CNET

We're scoured the web to find you the best phone deals currently available so you can save some cash on your new phone.

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Is It Time to Upgrade to the iPhone 14? How to Decide - CNET

Your current phone and budget will play a big role in the decision.

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Latest Tech News

Samsung has quietly launched the 2023 version of its Frame QLED (Quantum Light Emitting Diode) Smart TV line with the company closely adhering to the idea of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. 

The Frame series is a bit of an oddball in the realm of smart TVs as it has exclusive access to Samsung’s Art Store, a subscription service where owners can purchase pieces of digital versions of famous artworks. These TVs double as decorative pieces and the 2023 rendition is no different. Each display can be customized by installing magnetic wooden bezels onto its frame, or, as is the case with this year’s Frame, a metallic one sporting a Sand Gold finish for that extra pizzazz.

Beyond the aesthetic changes, the 2023 Frame is nearly identical to the 2022 model. You still get a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels with a refresh rate of 60Hz. You still get all of the bells and whistles like HDR10 Plus, an Anti-Reflection matte screen to “reduce the effects of glare”, plus a motion sensor to “display [art] when you’re in the room”. And support for Quantum Dot technology for outputting vibrant colors is migrating over too. 

Availability

At the time of this writing, the 2023 Frame TV is seeing a limited release. In the United States, you can purchase just the 32-inch model for $599; shipping out on May 1. Bezels are currently available for pre-order in wood only for $99.99 in three different colors: white, teak (which is a light brown), and dark brown. The Sand Gold metal bezel won’t be out until June 2023, so you’ll have to wait a bit longer.

For those in the United Kingdom, they have way more options. Interested buyers there can buy from six different sizes ranging from 32 inches to 85 inches, except the 50-inch model. That one is unavailable at this time. Prices for the TVs start at £549. The metal bezels are indeed available in the UK except for the 32-inch Frame TV. If you want the metal option, you’ll need to purchase the 43-inch model or anything bigger. Prices for the decorative bezels start at £89. We should also mention the full range of Frame TVs is available in Germany but on Amazon instead. Prices start at €685.

We asked Samsung if it has plans to expand the number of Frame TV sizes in the United States. Will the US get the full range or be stuck with the 32-inch screen? And whether or not there are plans for an international release. This story will be updated if we hear back.

Check out TechRadar’s list of the best TVs for 2023. We cover a wide range from low-budget to top-tier 8K displays.  



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Best Fiber Internet Providers of 2023 - CNET

Fiber internet leads the way in speed, consistency and overall performance. I've tested top fiber internet providers so you can find the best option.

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Facebook Users Can Get Part of a $725 Million Privacy Settlement. Here's How - CNET

Facebook is settling claims it improperly shared users' data with third parties, including Cambridge Analytica.

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Don't Miss Out on These 7 Wayfair Way Day Deals - CNET

Way Day has been extended, so you can shop these deals for a little while longer.

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Thursday, April 27, 2023

Don't Wait. Experts Say You Should Lock in a Long-Term CD Soon - CNET

The clock is ticking to earn interest on your savings.

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Latest Tech News

A new Apple rumor is making the rounds claiming the tech giant is looking to expand the reach of Apple Watches by giving the devices a way to sync to other company devices.

This information comes from industry analyst and notable leaker analyst941 on Twitter who claims the Apple Watch will longer be tied to just a single iPhone. One day, users will be able to sync their wearable gadget to multiple iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. A rollout date is unknown as analyst941 hopes this software update comes out this year, something that is not out of the realm of possibility.

It's unclear how exactly the expansion will be implemented, although as MacRumors suggests, it may all be done via iCloud. AirPods, for example, can work across multiple Apple devices by linking your iCloud account, which means you don't need to reconnect every time. So the company may just be figuring out a way to migrate the tech over.

Health focused

Like with any rumor, take this information with a grain of salt. But what gives this leak some degree of believability (besides coming from a reputable source) are the other rumors regarding a big push for health and fitness on the Apple Watch. 

It appears Apple is working on growing its health and fitness platform. The Apple Watch Series 9, possibly set to launch this September, could be, according to Bloomberg's Marg Gurman, getting an AI coach that will give users suggestions on how to improve sleep and eating habits, and create exercise programs based on personal stats. Access to the coach, codenamed Quartz, will “reportedly require a separate subscription.” The rumors go on to say Quartz will have a way to "track emotions," which may be a reference to the upcoming mood tracker for Apple Health.

Gurman states the AI coach won’t be announced until next year. However, the tech giant will likely reveal the mood tracker plus other Health app tools at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WDCC) in June. And at that event, we hope to see the Apple Watch syncing expansion officially revealed. 

Be sure to check out TechRadar’s roundup of the best cheap Apple Watch deals for April 2023 if you’re looking to get one for yourself. 



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Latest Gadgets News

Coinbase Global has reiterated its view to the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it has not broken any securities laws in its formal response to a legal threat received from the regulator, the firm said on Thursday. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal said the crypto exchange would like to list securities in the future but would ...

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Dyson Zone Review: We Test the $1,000 Air-Purifying Headphones - CNET

With their air-purifying face visor, the Dyson Zone headphones are certainly unusual. We put them to the test.

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Latest Tech News

Alongside its announcements that Facebook and Instagram will soon feature AI whether you want or not, Meta’s most recent investor call saw a triple down on Oculus Quest 3 being affordable – and also revealed that its VR business isn’t doing too well.

Starting with the great news, Meta has reaffirmed its pledge that this year’s “next-gen VR headset” – almost certainly the Quest 3 – will be available “at a price point that will be accessible for lots of people," according to its CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

This most likely means we’ll see it launch around the same price as what the Oculus Quest 2 currently sells for – $399.99 / £399.99 / AU$629.99 for the base 128GB model and $429.99 / £429.99 / AU$719.99 for the 256GB model. Just don’t get your hopes up that we’ll see the Quest 3 sell for the Quest 2’s original launch price of £299 / $299 / AU$479, since those days of super-cheaper Meta headsets are likely gone (more on that below).

This announcement is entirely unsurprising. Speaking to Meta and hearing it talk to other outlets in interviews and during its conferences it’s clear that the main differences between the Quest and Quest Pro lines are price and accessibility. The regular Quest VR headsets will offer solid core specs at a more affordable price, while the Quest Pro models will boast slightly improved specs and a slew of bonus features at a premium.

We can see that already in the headsets that have launched. The Quest 2 is a solid VR headset – the best VR headset for most people if you ask us – but the Meta Quest Pro offers slightly more RAM, a better chipset, and exclusive features such as full-color mixed reality, face tracking, and eye tracking for $999.99 / £999.99 / AU$1,729.99.

Some Pro features will make their way to regular Quests eventually – Meta has already confirmed that full-color passthrough for mixed reality is headed to the Quest 3 after debuting on the Quest Pro – but only when the tech is more affordable.

Unsustainable losses?

As for the bad news, Meta’s VR business is still extremely not-profitable according to figures revealed in its investor call. In Q1 2023, Meta’s Reality Labs division made around $339 million in revenue but posted losses of roughly $4 billion. What’s more its revenue compared to the same timeframe in 2022 is down (from $695 million) and its reported losses are greater as well (it only lost $2.9 billion in Q1 2022).

The Meta Quest Pro

Will Meta eventually only launch expensive VR headsets like the Quest Pro? (Image credit: Future)

Thankfully the company’s other ventures are performing better – with its wider “Family of Apps” generating $11.2 billion in income – but VR is nevertheless a huge drain on its coffers. Meta partially blames extenuating circumstances for Reality Labs’ terrible Q1 2023 performance – such as the severance payments it had to pay out to the employees it laid off – though it adds that low Quest 2 sales are also at fault.

For now, these losses are not too much of an issue – as long as you aren’t a Meta shareholder. Despite the unfavorable figures Meta is publicly still gung ho about its metaverse plans, but who knows how much longer this attitude will last?

AI has become the new big thing and in its efforts to chase the latest hotness Meta could reallocate Reality Labs resources – especially if AI ventures look to be more profitable – hampering the growth of its VR endeavors. On top of that Meta might decide its hardware needs to become more expensive in order to better counter its high losses; Meta may have promised the Quest 3 would be budget-friendly, but no such guarantees yet exist for the Quest 4, Quest 5, or beyond – if they even get made at all.

We’ll have to wait and see what Meta announces in the coming months and years, but fans of its VR efforts should hope it starts making money soon. Reality Labs can only hemorrhage cash for so long before Meta is forced to abandon its VR projects.



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Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Latest Tech News

Amazon is done with the Halo health brand and every product associated with it, TechRadar has confirmed.

If you were looking forward to a summer with your Halo band, Halo Rise lamp, or Halo View, you can forget about it. Amazon announced in a blog post on Wednesday (April 26, 2023), that it would end support for all Halo devices on July 31, 2023. A month later, your Halo app will stop working and the devices connected to it, yes, the bands and that funky light, will stop functioning and become worthless pieces of plastic and metal. Amazon is helpfully recommending you recycle them.

In a statement shared with TechRadar, Amazon wrote:
"We continually evaluate the progress and potential of our products to deliver customer value, and we regularly make adjustments based on those assessments. We recently made the difficult decision to stop supporting Amazon Halo effective July 31, 2023. We are incredibly proud of the invention and hard work that went into building Halo on behalf of our customers, and our priorities are taking care of our customers and supporting our employees.”

It's an ignominious end for Amazon's short-lived brand and the Halo Band that launched during the pandemic. Amazon could be credited for doing things differently. Instead of a screen, the band and app focused on things like Body Tone and overall fitness. Plus, the band's ability to track and report on your tone of voice certainly generated a bit of a buzz.

Here's how our original review described it:

The Amazon Halo is a neat, minimalist fitness tracker without a screen. All the info goes straight to the phone app, which has extra optional features, like monitoring your vocal tone and tracking your body fat percentage. It's not too pricey, but requires a subscription service to use more than basic tracking – and despite getting six months free with purchase, we’re left wondering about the long-term value of the device.

The last line was nothing if not prescient.

A year after launching the original Halo Band, Amazon introduced the Halo View, which cost a bit more but added a small AMOLED screen. Late last year, the Amazon sub-brand added the sleep-focused Halo Rise lamp, an illuminator with a light source that looked like a giant on switch (even though it was tracking when you turned on your biological off - or sleep - switch). 

As of this writing, all of these products have disappeared from Amazon's website. You could still buy accessory bands for the Halo band, but what would be the point?

Amazon, by the way, is ready to refund all Halo purchases made in the last 12 months. It'll also return unused subscription fees (many of Halo Band's core features were only available via subscription).

While Amazon isn't saying so, the shuttering of the Halo brand is likely connected to the waves of layoffs at the tech giant. That doesn't lessen the pain though for people who invested in the brand and have their fitness tracking and wellness regimen tied to the Halo product.

It's also a little embarrassing for Halo partners like US-based fitness club Planet Fitness, which is currently offering free Halo bands if you sign up today. Someone should probably tell them.

Planet Fitness free Halo

(Image credit: Future)


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Latest Gadgets News

Reliance General Insurance on Wednesday said it has become a forerunner general insurance company in the country to accept the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Central Bank Digital Currency e-Rupee for premium payments. The company has tied up with Yes Bank to facilitate the collection of premiums in the digital mode using the bank's e-Rupee platform, a statement said.

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Benefits of a Sleep Mask: How Light Affects Your Sleep video - CNET

Certified Sleep Science Coach McKenzie explains how light can negatively affect your sleep and how a cheap bedtime accessory can help.

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Latest Gadgets News

The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday urged CEOs of several artificial intelligence (AI) companies to prioritize security measures, combat bias, and responsibly roll out new technologies. Democratic Senator Mark Warner raised concerns about potential risks posed by AI technology.

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Snapchat's Invisible AR Moves Hint at Where We're All Heading - CNET

Snap's face filters and AR mirrors are moving outside of its app. Is this part of getting the world ready for a future of AR glasses?

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Latest Tech News

XGIMI has a whole host of projectors to cover the home theater spectrum, but its MoGo series has been the most affordable and portable from the brand. And now, with the MoGo 2 Series, upgrades have arrived that you can get your hands on now. The pair of projectors has just gone on sale, letting you get a home theater on-the-go upgrade from $400

The MoGo 2 and MoGo 2 Pro may change your understanding of what a portable projector can do. These compact units are small enough to throw into a bag or backpack, and they’ve got all the onboard hardware necessary for you to set up and watch content anywhere you want. You’ll find capable projection, powerful 8-watt speakers with Dolby Audio, a smart TV platform by way of AndroidTV 11.0, and — crucially — the ability to run off of an external power bank lets these projectors go anywhere with you.

MoGo 2 projector in living room

(Image credit: XGIMI)

So, turn out the lights or wait until dark and head outside, then get ready to see what the MoGo 2 Series can do. The MoGo 2 Pro will let you tap into standard 2D and even 3D, a rarity for projectors in this price range and even from more expensive models.

XGIMI’s projectors offer Hollywood-grade cinematic visuals alongside that support for 3D movies and can project a 100-inch picture, making it easy to set up for movie night at home. These projectors offer brightness up to 400 ISO Lumens and support HDR10. Pair that with their use of the D65 color temperature standard and 90% coverage of the cinematic DCI-P3 color gamut, and the MoGo 2 Series projectors are ready to show you movies and TV closer to how the creators intended.

It’s up to you whether that cinematic picture is shining big on a projector screen, cast onto the back of a garage, or stretched across your ceiling is up to you. Wherever you choose to shine the MoGo 2 projector, XGIMI’s Intelligent Screen Adaption (ISA) tech is onboard to help make the picture fit with minimal fuss.

XGIMI MoGo 2 and MoGo 2 Pro projecting onto a wall

(Image credit: XGIMI)

ISA provides automatic keystone and focus adjustment, so your picture will be shaped right and in focus in seconds. If you’re projecting somewhere with objects in the way, ISA will also avoid those obstacles and shrink the image down to fit in the clear space available. The MoGo 2 Pro upgrades to ISA 2.0, which performs these tasks even faster and can detect when someone or a pet is in front of the projector and dim the projection to protect their eyes.

MoGo 2 projector in living room

(Image credit: XGIMI)

With Android running on the MoGo 2 Series, you can install streaming apps right onto the projector and access content with just a Wi-Fi or hotspot connection. You can also load up content onto a USB drive. If you want to extend the time you can watch TV and movies away from a power outlet, you can bring as big a USB-C power bank as you want to use with these projectors.

That USB-C port also allows you to pipe in video. With an HDMI 2.0 port as well, you get support for an especially wide variety of video sources, like Blu-ray players, phones, or game consoles. 

With all the features and capabilities packed into these projectors, it's all the more impressive how low XGIMI keeps the prices, letting the company offer a strong value to shoppers. If you’re ready to see what the XGIMI MoGo 2 Series will do for your home (and away-from-home) entertainment, you can pick up the 720p MoGo 2 or 1080p MoGo 2 Pro here.



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Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Best Video Doorbell Cameras of 2023 - CNET

We've tested the best doorbell camera brands, from Arlo to Wyze, on a variety of factors to determine our top picks. Find the perfect video doorbell camera for your needs.

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Best Laptop 2023: The 12 Laptops We Recommend - CNET

From Mac to HP, we've reviewed the best laptops on the market. Through our rigorous testing process, we've identified a list of the best laptops for any need.

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The Best VR Games for Escaping to Other Worlds - CNET

It might be a little too cold to go outside, but you can still transport yourself to another world with these great VR game experiences.

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Google Authenticator Now Syncs One-Time Passcodes to Your Account - CNET

This feature will come in handy if you ever lose your phone. Here's how to enable it.

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Best Phones Under $300: 5G Phones at Starter Prices - CNET

These phones prioritize essential features while providing a few productivity perks.

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Latest Tech News

More information has been revealed about how criminals are using the recently-discovered PaperCut security flaws, which looked to use humble office printers to gain entrance to corporate networks.

According to a new report on BleepingComputer, cybercriminals are using two flaws in the popular print management software to deliver the Atera remote management software to vulnerable endpoints. Such software allows the attackers to take full control of the target devices. 

We have also gotten two proofs-of-concept (PoC) showcasing exactly how the vulnerabilities could be exploited, exponentially increasing their destructive potential. The first PoC was released by attack surface assessment firm Horizon3, which explained that the exploit allows for "remote code execution by abusing the built-in 'Scripting' functionality for printers."

Few targets

The managed cybersecurity platform providers Huntress also showcased their PoC, but only in the form of a video demo. The actual PoC is yete to be released.

The silver lining is that there are only around 1,700 internet-exposed PaperCut servers that the attackers could target, BleepingComputer says, citing data from a Shodan search. Still, even one successful attack is one too many.

There are patches and workarounds for the flaws, though, so users are advised to address the problem immediately and minimize any potential risk. System admins should make sure their software is patched to versions 20.1.7, 21.2.11 (MF), and 22.0.9 (NG). 

The second flaw can also be mitigated by applying “Allow list” restrictions found in Options > Advanced > Security > Allowed site server IP addresses, and only allowing verified Site Server IP addresses to access the network.

Those interested in double-checking whether or not your systems were compromised are out of luck, as PaperCut says it’s impossible to determine, with absolute certainty, if a threat actor breached the network. 

The devs suggested IT teams look for suspicious activity in the PaperCut admin interface under Logs > Application Log, including updates from a user called [setup wizard]. They can also look for new users being created, or configuration keys changed. 

Via: BleepingComputer



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Monday, April 24, 2023

6 Easy Ways to Save on Air Conditioning Costs This Summer - CNET

Learning how to be savvy with your air conditioner can help you stay cool while not breaking the bank.

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Latest Tech News

New rumors for Apple’s virtual reality headset, the reportedly named Reality Pro, suggest the company is taking an unusual approach by giving it an external battery pack.

This round of information comes from a recent Bloomberg newsletter by notable industry analyst Mark Gurman who claims Apple made the choice in an effort to “reduce weight and improve comfort.” The battery pack is said to be small enough to fit inside your pocket and will connect to the VR headset via cable. This design choice flies in the face of most headsets which typically have an internal battery like the Oculus Quest 2.

Gurman goes on to say the pack looks similar to the iPhone MagSafe battery. However, it’s bigger at “about the size of an iPhone but thicker.” It's revealed that the Reality Pro will have two ports: a USB-C connector for handling data while the other is a proprietary charger input. Gurman states the charging cable jutting from the pack will connect to the port magnetically where future users will then have to “rotate it clockwise to lock it in” place.  

Clunky design

Now here’s the kicker: the charging cable is integrated into the battery and apparently that battery only lasts about two hours. You won’t be able to hot-swap in a third-party power bank with a longer lifespan, making what should be a simple process pretty cumbersome.  What’s strange is the pack can be charged via USB-C and can connect to a MacBook Pro power adapter, according to the newsletter. Given the short battery life, future users will probably be forced to purchase extra battery packs, something that Gurman imagines will be the case. He also points out that the short battery life is most likely a consequence of the Reality Pro sporting an M2 chip plus two 4K displays.

The newsletter doesn’t show what the battery pack looks like; however, Twitter user Marcus Kane took Gurman’s description to create a render of what the device may look like. He did take some creative liberties as his render looks thinner and taller than the MagSafe battery. Kane speculates that “two battery packs will be enough for indefinite use [as] you could charge one as you use the other.” 

Pricey tech

Funny enough, Kane’s comments speak to the other major problem with Apple’s rumored headset: the price tag. Rumors suggest the Reality Pro is predicted to cost around $3,000 USD (Ouch!). With customers potentially needing extra battery packs, you’re looking at a really expensive gadget. People already complain about the PSVR 2 being more than a PS5 and that’s, like, about a sixth of what Apple’s headset is reported to cost.

The company is set to hold WWDC 2023 from June 5 to 9. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about the VR headset then, but don’t hold your breath. Another notable Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, claimed back in late March some production delays “have created ‘uncertainty’ around the device” even making an appearance at the big event.  



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All You Need to Know About Solar Panels in Los Angeles - CNET

If you live in Los Angeles, you can lower your home's carbon footprint and save on energy costs by switching to solar.

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Latest Tech News

Apple will reportedly drop support for a few iPads with the release of iPadOS 17, including the first-generation iPad Pros. This rumor comes after a previous one that claimed Apple would be dropping support for older iPhones too.

According to French tech publication, IPhoneSoft – citing an internal source at Apple – the company will not be updating iPads running Apple’s own A9 and A9X processors; eliminating the 2015 iPad Pro (both the 9.7-inch model and the 12.9-inch model) and the iPad 5 from the running. Processors are often a benchmark that Apple uses to decide which devices to upgrade year over year, as they provide a baseline of supported features.

Apple is expected to continue to update the current best iPads, including all subsequent iPad Pros, for the foreseeable future. At the time of writing, it’s not exactly clear what the company is putting in iPadOS 17 to differentiate it from iOS 17. We’ll learn more about that when Apple announces these updates at WWDC 2023 in June.

 The track always runs out

Though Apple supports its iPhones and iPads with OS updates for far longer than most Android rivals, this support is never indefinite. As devices age, their chips are less able to keep up with the demands of new operating system releases and features. The passage of time also means that the hardware physically begins to degrade, with battery life dropping and performance slowing to the point where an older device becomes more trouble than it’s worth.

It’s not just owners of older iPads that will be looking nervously over their shoulders, as Apple is expected to also cull some iPhones with the release of iOS 17. Specifically, it’s rumored to be ending support for the iPhone X and iPhone 8. Though the iPhone X is iconic for kickstarting the current bezel-less smartphone design paradigm, both the best iPhones and the best Android phones have moved away from that look in their own respective ways.

With the iPhone 15 and 15 Ultra on their way to shape the future of iOS (and iPadOS by implication), it's bittersweet to watch the past retreat further into the rearview.



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Tick Season Is Back. Here's How to Remove Ticks From Your Pets - CNET

We'll also tell you how to prevent ticks from latching on to your furry friends in the first place.

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Latest Tech News

Criminals are aiming to steal Fortnite user accounts, and is using websites belonging to American universities to do so. 

A new report from BleepingComputer claims to have found an ongoing phishing campaign leveraging compromised websites belonging to Stanford, MIT, Berkeley, UMass Amherst, Northeastern, Caltech, and other universities.

Tipped off by Twitter user g0njxa, the publication says that there are multiple websites, powered by TWiki or MediaWiki (content management systems and web app platforms), that are hosting Fortnite and gift card spam sites.

No free lunch

Apparently, someone managed to compromise these websites and upload wiki pages that promote fake websites that offer free gift cards and free Fortnite in-game currency, among other things. 

Visitors that click the links promoted on these pages will see a login form mimicking Fortnite. Should they try to enter their credentials, they’d give them directly to the attackers. 

“Are you an avid Fortnite player looking for the most efficient way to get your hands on V Bucks? If so, you've come to the right place!” one of the malicious pages reads.

Besides university sites, some government websites were also abused for the same purpose, the publication claims, mentioning mini-sites hosted by a Brazilian state government, as well as European Union’s Europa.eu. In the latter’s case, the Europass e-Portfolio service (a job search portal) seems to have been leveraged. 

Aside from BleepingComputer, no cybersecurity researchers have yet joined the investigation, it seems. At the moment, we don’t know who is behind the attack, or if they used any malware, or leveraged any zero-day vulnerabilities, to compromise these websites. The publication says that MediaWiki released security updates last month, but none of those addressed this campaign.

System admins operating MediaWiki and TWiki sites should run a search on their sites for malicious content such as “gift card”, “Fortnite”, and similar. 

Via: BleepingComputer



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Sunday, April 23, 2023

Latest Tech News

It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints. And you might need them - because this popular online game takes the Wordle format and quadruples the difficulty. So if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for Quordle too. 

I'm a Quordle and Wordle fanatic who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #455 and bookmark this page so you can easily return. 

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers. 

Quordle today (game #455) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). 

Quordle today (game #455) - hint #2 - total vowels

What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?

The total number of vowels across today's Quordle answers is 9.

Quordle today (game #455) - hint #3 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #455) - hint #4 - total letters

How many different letters are used in Quordle today?

The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 13.

Quordle today (game #455) - hint #5 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #455) - hint #6 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #455) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• B

• N

• Y

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #455) - the answers

Quordle 455 answers on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #455, are…

  • DEUCE
  • BEAST
  • NOISY
  • YOUNG

Today's Quordle is not one of the more difficult games in recent memory. I solved all four in short order, with two guesses remaining and with no real hiccups. DEUCE contains a repeated E, but the other three words are all standard CONSONANT-VOWEL-VOWEL-CONSONANT-CONSONANT answers and use common letters throughout.

I had slightly more trouble with Quordle's new Daily Sequence game, which challenges you to solve each of four Quordles in turn, but using the letters you've already played. You get one extra guess to complete them all, but it can prove quite difficult. If you've not tried it yet, I recommend you give it a go! 

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #454, Sunday 23 April: FALSE, LUSTY, EMPTY, FLESH
  • Quordle #453, Saturday 22 April: LIMIT, IRONY, TERRA, ARBOR
  • Quordle #452, Friday 21 April: WARTY, SEVER, KNAVE, PUBIC
  • Quordle #451, Thursday 20 April: JELLY, PRONG, GLOBE, BLOOM
  • Quordle #450, Wednesday 19 April: PURGE, OPINE, LILAC, CHEAP
  • Quordle #449, Tuesday 18 April: MOLAR, PROBE, DRIER, BORNE
  • Quordle #448, Monday 17 April: ASSAY, SLANT, NADIR, DENIM
  • Quordle #447, Sunday 16 April: SLATE, BENCH, QUASH, FOGGY
  • Quordle #446, Saturday 15 April: HAZEL, BERET, FALSE, COVEN
  • Quordle #445, Friday 14 April: BROWN, PLAZA, DRUNK, DODGE
  • Quordle #444, Thursday 13 April: DELVE, PIXEL, MINOR, CLOAK
  • Quordle #443, Wednesday 12 April: INCUR, DRUNK, COVEN, THERE
  • Quordle #442, Tuesday 11 April: CHIME, DRAIN, WHOSE, BOXER
  • Quordle #441, Monday 10 April: THUMB, CHESS, SYRUP, HOTEL
  • Quordle #440, Sunday 9 April: VERGE, CAMEL, PUTTY, GRASS
  • Quordle #439, Saturday 8 April: CRUEL, LIVID, SPIED, BLEND
  • Quordle #438, Friday 7 April: RIVET, VISOR, CEASE, AFOOT
  • Quordle #437, Thursday 6 April: COVEY, BREAK, AWASH, STALK
  • Quordle #436, Wednesday 5 April: SKULL, POLAR, SPREE, THOSE
  • Quordle #435, Tuesday 4 April: OUNCE, WHINE, FROCK, POSIT

Quordle FAQs: Everything you need to know

What is Quordle?

Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar. 

It's played online via the Quordle website and you can also get to it via the Merriam-Webster site, after the dictionary purchased Quordle last year

As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you're competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.

The website also includes a practice mode - which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! - and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements - specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.

Oh, and it's difficult. Really difficult.

What are the Quordle rules?

The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.

1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.

2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow. 

3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…

4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two. 

5. Answers are never plural.

6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.

7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle's dictionary. You can't guess ABCDE, for instance.

8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle's Hard mode.

9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.

10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.

What is a good Quordle strategy?

Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can't blindly throw letters at it and expect to win - you'll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.

That's the case in Wordle too, of course, but it's even more important in Quordle.

There are two key things to remember. 

1. Use several starting words

Firstly, you won't want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words. 

The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.

For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options - you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe - but something like that should do the trick.

If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!

2. Narrow things down

Secondly, if you're faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options - for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH - you'll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options. 

In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It's risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it's the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure - you simply don't have enough guesses.

In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.



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Latest Gadgets News

Vivo Pad 2 has been launched in China in three colour variants and two RAM and storage options. The handset is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 SoC paired with upto 12GB RAM. It features a 12.1-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate.

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How Hundreds of 24-Ton Bricks Could Fix a Huge Renewable Energy Problem - CNET

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Saturday, April 22, 2023

Are Solar Panels Worth It in Idaho? What You Need to Know - CNET

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Friday, April 21, 2023

PlayStation Plus Deals: Get Sony's Gaming Subscription for Less - CNET

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Latest Tech News

WhatsApp is giving users a chance to hold onto Disappearing Messages just a bit longer with the new Keep in Chat tool.

The way it works is pretty simple. First, select the text with the important piece of information. Then tap the bookmark icon in the app’s top bar to save said message. The feature works with plain text as well as voice notes, according to a post on WhatsApp. Saved messages will sport the bookmark icon so you don't forget. You can also check the Kept Messages folder in the Settings menu which organizes everything by chat.

However, there’s a catch: you must have the consent of the person who sent the message in the first place. When you attempt to save something, the sender will get a notification informing them the recipient in the chat wants to keep the message. WhatsApp states the sender has final say. If they veto your request, there’s nothing you can do. The message will then “be deleted when the timer expires.”

Flexible messaging

You may think this update is rather strange as it appears to undermine the very concept of Disappearing Messages. Meta has been tweaking the feature to have texts last longer in chats since its launch back in 2021. The maximum amount of time before deletion is 90 days. Meta states in the announcement that Keep in Chat offers better “flexibility to keep the messages [people] need.” Of course, you can always screenshot the messages to keep them permanently, but maybe your on-device folder is a rat’s nest of random images making finding the right image a real chore. This update can help you organize things.

Keep in Chat “will roll out globally" over the coming weeks.

Speaking of texts, files discovered in a WhatsApp iOS beta from late March revealed Meta is working on finally allowing users a way to edit messages. So someday iPhone owners may be able to undo those embarrassing typos. It’s unknown exactly when the editing tool will launch since the feature is apparently still in development, but it is something to look forward to if it happens. Android owners, on the other hand, do have a beta readily available to them adding a new way to edit their contacts list. It’s available for download via the Google Play Store.

Be sure to check out TechRadar’s recently updated list of the best smartphone deals for April 2023 if you’re looking for something new on which to run the latest version of WhatsApp.



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Watch Your Electric Bills Drop By Unplugging These Appliances - CNET

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Latest Tech News

Besides writing cover letters, the future of ChatGPT may be in the health sector. Researchers from Stanford University took the generative AI and successfully linked it to an iPhone’s Apple Health app to create HealthGPT.

The large language model (LLM) will answer any question you have regarding your own personal well-being via a “chat-style interface” as it grabs information from Apple Health. For example, you can ask HealthGPT how much you’ve been sleeping in the past week if you’re feeling particularly tired. The app will respond by giving you a detailed description of your recent sleeping habits. Since it’s a reworked ChatGPT, you can ask follow-up questions, like tips on how to get better sleep. HealthGPT will then provide those tips as it pulls information from the internet.

The LLM also keeps track of other body metrics like “step count, active energy, exercise minutes, heart rate, and body mass.” In order to access this data, HealthGPT requires the necessary permissions to read from Apple Health features like Active Energy. It can even give users “tailored advice towards... fitness goals”, according to recent a Twitter post by Varun Shenoy, one of the developers. 

Installing the demo

You can download the HealthGPT demo on your iPhone via its GitHub repository. Instructions on installation are provided, although the process is pretty complex. The developers state their LLM was built on top of the CardinalKit framework from the Standard Byers Center for Biodesign which allows “for easy customization.” So if you know your way around coding on iOS, you can tweak the experimental HealthGPT to your liking.

In the demo, the developers remind those curious that the AI is not meant to be a “substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.” They even point out the LLM may “hallucinate” at times meaning it may provide “false information” so use HealthGPT “at your own risk.” Even if you don’t mind downloading experimental software, you may want to hold off on it. In the GitHub repository, the developers note that aggregated HealthKit data from the past two weeks will be shared with OpenAI. For people who don't want their health data uploaded to OpenAI, perhaps it's best to pass on this opportunity.

It’s unknown what the team intends to do with HealthGPT outside of this neat little experiment. If it ever comes out on the App Store as a full-fledged app, it could totally change fitness software as we know it. Imagine having a fitness assistant on your iPhone with intimate knowledge of your own health providing personalized advice. It’s certainly possible. Other developers have successfully added ChatGPT to the Apple Watch as a digital assistant of sorts.

We asked Varun Shenoy via email what the future holds for HealthGPT. It'll be interesting to see if it becomes an official app. This story will be updated if and when he responds.



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Best Wireless Charger for 2023 - CNET

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Thursday, April 20, 2023

5G May Be Your Answer to a Better Home Internet Experience - CNET

Mobile companies are raving about the wonders of 5G for your phone, but there's a real opportunity for your home broadband connection too.

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The 8 Best Wireless Car Chargers for 2023 - CNET

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Best Cheaper Rivals to Apple AirPods Max for 2023: Sony, Bose, AirPods Pro 2 and More - CNET

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Latest Tech News

As promised, Twitter Legacy Blue verification checks started quietly disappearing from user accounts Thursday afternoon. Now the only way to hold onto the coveted Blue Tick is by paying Twitter a $7.99 a month subscription fee.

Elon Musk announced the final day to pay up last week and -- even as he juggled the first SpaceX StarShip launch (which ended with a spectacular mid-air explosion) -- Musk found time to set his draconian plan in motion.

The change appears to have impacted many legacy verified accounts including those of The Pope, who goes by Pontifex on the platform, and actor Halle Berry, who made it clear in a tweet that she would not be paying. Even Beyoncé and Lady Gaga lost their Blue Checks.

As of this writing, basketball player Lebron James still had his Blue Check, which says he now subscribes to Twitter Blue. This despite the fact that James tweeted on March 31, "Welp guess my blue will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the 5."

Who are you on Twitter?

The good news is that those who are verified with a Blue Check are being asked for more than just a credit card. Now, when you click on a Blue Check, you see this message: "This account is verified because they are subscribed to Twitter Blue and verified their phone number."

The phone number is to ensure that those seeking Twitter verification aren't impersonating someone. But is it useful? After all, it's still completely possible to have a phone number and claim you're Beyoncé even if you're not. There's also little to stop someone from changing their Twitter name (but not the "@" handle) to someone else's name. An issue Monica Lewinsky pointed out last month.

As Journalist Ed Krassenstien (a paying Twitter Blue member) wrote on Twitter on Thursday, there could be an imposter problem for those who've put in the time growing a Twitter following. "Some people spent years building up accounts and building a presence on this platform. They did so without the assumption of having to eventually pay for it. Now, it is extremely difficult for their fans to differentiate their posts from imposters’ posts unless they pay."

What does Blue get you

Twitter Blue is not all about the Blue Tick. Subscription has its privileges, including massive 10,000-character tweets, fewer ads, the ability to post longer and higher-quality videos, and prioritized rankings.

The last bit may prove frustrating for those previously verified, since it may soon be harder to get their Tweets noticed and found through search. Still, Musk's pay-to-play system may be necessary as the now-private Twitter struggles to become profitable. Musk's previous efforts have included massive staff cuts. He's also undermined his own efforts with tweets and actions that have so concerned advertisers that they fled the platform. There are some indications, though, that they are returning.

Today is a new day for Twitter. If nothing else, it's a social media landscape where anyone can have a Blue Check, if they're willing to pay. It remains to be seen if this is the magic elixir Twitter needs to survive.



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It's all to play for in this quarterfinal, second leg clash at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.

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Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Latest Tech News

It seems like we’re in the midst of something exciting for AMD when it comes to the creative market.

Team Red seems to have gotten a bit of its mojo back after having launched a pair of new graphic cards for workstations (the Navi-3 infused W7900 and the W7800), GPUs may be the precursors to the followup of the Radeon Pro W6800X Duo, which can be found in the Apple Mac Pro and pairs two GPU on one card. 

There’s also the more widespread adoption of EPYC as a workstation-class processor (rather than just for servers) with at least a dozen boutique vendors worldwide offering AMD’s Xeon rival in workstations (The Mediaworkstations aX2P deserves an accolade for being by far the most innovative with its 6-display mobile workstation).

The Mac Pro is the last Apple product that runs on non Apple silicon and while many may argue that the Mac Studio - Apple’s most powerful PC to date - is a great substitute for the majority of creatives, there’s a slim but still (probably) significant portion of professionals that would need (and want) more modularity and expansion capabilities.

Other than the fact that the Studio can be configured with up to only 128GB of RAM (the Mac Pro can take up to 12x more RAM), its GPU performance is still far behind what AMD and Nvidia’s discrete professional video cards can achieve. So unless Apple chooses to eliminate the Mac Pro line (because it is no longer a priority) or if it manages to magically solve all the current obstacles to a Mac Pro with Apple Silicon, chances are the next Mac Pro will still be based on x86.

AMD-based Apple Mac Pro?

Is there a potential for an Epyc-based Mac Pro on the horizon? We wouldn’t discount that possibility. AMD is no longer the challenger, Intel is (at least based on market capitalization) and while future Intel Xeon products look very promising, right now, AMD, with its Zen 4 architecture, has the upper hand and seems to be the logical partner for an x86-based Mac Pro, one that will buy Apple a few years until it finally get the Mac Pro on its own silicon.

So what would a top-of-the-range Mac Pro based on AMD parts look like? We went for a fairly comparable spec but there’s the possibility that Apple goes for a significantly more powerful system as Epyc processors can be paired with a total of 192 cores.



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Galaxy Watch 5 Update Makes It Easier to Track Your Menstrual Cycle - CNET

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Facebook might owe you some money and now you have the means to collect.

Meta, Facebook's parent company, agreed late last year to pay out $725 million to settle the Cambridge Analytica data privacy leak class-action lawsuit.

The now four-year-old case started after journalists discovered the political research firm had collected and shared private data on at least 87 million Facebook users and that Facebook had failed to notify users of the data leak.

Finally, roughly six months after the company settled, an estimated 280 million Facebook members (current and former) may be entitled to a cash payout.

If you've already done the math, you know that no one is getting rich off this settlement. Sure, it's nearly a billion dollars out of Meta's pocket, but you might see just a few dollars.

This scandal marks what may have been the darkest time in Facebook's history. It was a massive personal data breach that happened not because Cambridge Analytica hacked Facebook, but because Facebook didn't pay close attention to what Cambridge Analytica was doing.

In a 2018 interview Meta CEO and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg apologized and admitted it "was a major breach of trust," and added, "We have a basic responsibility to protect people’s data."

How to collect your Facebook settlement

Meta and Facebook have made it easy to gather your handful of dollars, launching an online Claim Form.  You have until August 25, 2023, at 11:59 PM PT to fill it out. 

The only eligibility requirement is that you must have been a member of Facebook between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. Even if you deleted Facebook, you can still collect funds.

Granted, the amount of information Meta requests may give you pause, especially considering the company's data privacy record. Among the requested bits of personal information are your full name, address, email, phone number, and payment information.

That last bit, which includes credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle info, is not so you can pay them, but so Meta can get those few dollars to you.

You even have to sign a form saying you are not making any of this up. It is a lot to go through for what might just be $3 or less. On the other hand, if enough people are turned off by Meta's form, a hearty, relative few may in fact get a windfall of, who knows, $50?



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Latest Tech News

Russian state-sponsored threat actors have built custom malware and are using it against old, unpatched Cisco IOS routers, a joint US-UK report has warned. 

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a report in which they state that APT28, a group allegedly affiliated with the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), developed a custom malware named “Jaguar Tooth”. 

This malware is capable of stealing sensitive data passing through the router, and allows threat actors unauthenticated backdoor access to the device.

Stealing data

The attackers would first scan for public Cisco routers using weak SNMP community strings, such as the commonly used “public” string, BleepingComputer reports. As per the publication, SNMP community strings are like “credentials that allow anyone who knows the configured string to query SNMP data on a device”. 

If they find a valid SNMP community string, the attackers will look to exploit CVE-2017-6742, a six-year-old vulnerability that allows for remote code execution. That allows them to install the Jaguar Tooth malware directly into the memory of Cisco routers. 

"Jaguar Tooth is non-persistent malware that targets Cisco IOS routers running firmware: C5350-ISM, Version 12.3(6)," the advisory reads. "It includes functionality to collect device information, which it exfiltrates over TFTP, and enables unauthenticated backdoor access. It has been observed being deployed and executed via exploitation of the patched SNMP vulnerability CVE-2017-6742."

The malware will then create a new process called “Service Policy Lock” that gathers all the output from these Command Line Interface commands and harvests them using TFTP: 

  • show running-config
  • show version
  • show ip interface brief
  • show arp
  • show cdp neighbors
  • show start
  • show ip route
  • show flash

To address the problem, admins should update their Cisco routers’ firmware immediately. Furthermore, they can switch from SNMP to NETCONF/RESTCONF on public routers. If they can’t switch from SNMP, they should configure allow and deny lists to limit who can access the SNMP interface on internet-connected routers. Also, the community string should be changed to something stronger.

The advisory also says admins should disable SNMP v2 or Telnet.

 Via: BleepingComputer



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