Sunday, December 11, 2022

Social Security Payment Problems: How to Get Your Questions Answered - CNET

Learn how to contact the Social Security Administration regarding issues with your SSI, SSDI, Medicare and more.

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Crisis Core Reunion Marries a Final Fantasy 7 Classic With Its Remake - CNET

Review: Zack Fair's beautifully 2007 spinoff adventure escapes the PSP, and it's mostly gotten better with age.

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Saturday, December 10, 2022

How to Easily Transfer Data from iPhone to Android - CNET

Transfer your texts, photos and more from Apple's iOS into your new Android phone.

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How To Use the iPhone 14's Emergency SOS To Contact 911 With a Satellite - CNET

Apple's iPhone 14 models now have the ability to use the new feature in crisis situations.

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The Samsung Galaxy S23 Needs These 3 Giant Upgrades To Succeed - CNET

Commentary: I'm hoping to see Samsung improve basics like the camera, battery life and charging experience.

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I Ditched My 5G Home Internet To Go Back to Spectrum. Here's Why - CNET

Commentary: The "killer app" for 5G isn't remote surgery or driverless cars. Its most appealing advantage for 5G right now is that it's finally challenging cable companies.

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Latest Tech News

An ingredient that naturally occurs in coffee may be able to make semiconductors run faster according to research from the Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) institute in Japan.

The researchers formed a thin layer of caffeic acid on a gold electrode within an organic semiconductor, via a process known as vacuum deposition.

This was reportedly able to boost the semiconductor's current flow by up to 100 times, measured via a process called the Kelvin probe method.

How did the process work?

According to the research, after the thin layer of caffeic acid formed on the electrode surface, the caffeic acid molecules spontaneously lined up on the electrode surface, enabling faster current flow.

Though this won't mean that you can spill coffee on your mobile workstation to get a boost to your rendering times, Japanese researchers believe this breakthrough could have some practical applications.

These include the development of fully sustainable organic semiconductor devices, which could potentially be created entirely with biomass-derived materials.

Though organic semiconductors already exist, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic solar cells (OPVs), the researchers pointed to the environmental impact of disposing of these technologies.

The researchers pointed towards the current implementation of electrode modification layers, which are used to expedite the flow of electric charges within semiconductors, highlighting how using these materials "may adversely affect aquatic organisms".

The use of caffeic acid, which can be derived entirely from plants, could lessen the need to use unsustainable chemicals in semiconductor production as per the researcher's claims. 

  • Want to get your work done faster without another coffee? Check out our guide to the best workstations


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Which 'The White Lotus' Season 2 Characters Die? We Have Some Thoughts - CNET

Before tomorrow's finale, let's go over all the theories that have arisen over the first 6 episodes.

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Friday, December 9, 2022

Xbox Game Pass Will Save You $1,000 in League of Legends (Sort Of) - CNET

The new partnership with Riot Games starts Monday, Dec. 12.

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Best MagSafe and Magnetic Wireless Chargers for Apple iPhone 13 - CNET

Looking for a wireless MagSafe charger for your iPhone? Here are some options beyond Apple's own model.

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Stimulus Checks 2022: These States Are Sending Out Tax Rebates in December - CNET

Taxpayers in numerous states are still receiving special one-time refunds. Are you one of them?

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Astronomers Spot a Ghostly Light Glowing Throughout the Solar System - CNET

Scientists used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to identify the presence of an unexplained glow amid the blackness of space.

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The 34 Absolute Best TV Shows to Watch on Prime Video - CNET

This month, catch a new season of the John Krasinski-led action series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan.

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Latest Tech News

Each night, before I go to bed, I ask the Alexa-enabled Lenovo nightstand clock what the weather will be like. Last night, right after dutifully announcing the weirdly balmy weather, Alexa informed me that I could tip my Amazon driver $5 by saying, "Alexa, thank my driver."

There are currently about 275,000 Amazon drivers delivering more than a billion holiday gift-carrying boxes, and making holiday dreams come true for consumers and, of course, Amazon. But what do drivers who carefully place these precious boxes at our doorsteps get out of it? Other than roughly $20 an hour, not much. Giving one of my drivers a tiny tip seemed like the least I could do.

"Alexa," I said, "thank my driver." I waited a moment for confirmation that some hardworking driver would get a tiny bit of cheer. Instead, Alexa informed me she did not understand the request.

I decided to contact Amazon because I had a few questions, Plus, when I posted the news on Twitter, people peppered me with their own queries about who gets paid and how.

Amazon representatives apologized for Alexa's initial misstep, insisted that the feature is working as promised, and urged me to try again.

Who got paid?

Apparently, Amazon based the $5 tip on your most recent delivery. It might make sense to, as soon as you see a package on your doorstep, ask Alexa to thank the driver. Otherwise, the thanks might go to the next delivery and one that might not even be for you (perhaps it's for another member of the household).

How long does the program run?

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you can keep thanking your Amazon drivers as long as they deliver packages. The bad news is that the $5 tip promotion period, which was a US-only event, is over. 

"Alexa, thank my driver exceeded our expectations. We’re glad to see customers interested in thanking their drivers and encourage them to continue doing so. Drivers will continue to be notified of the gratitude received," Amazon told me via email.

There are still some rules revolving around the Alexa gratitude system:

Amazon drivers can receive your thanks once per order. If they're dropping off multiple orders in one visit, you could thank them for each order. We're imagining a long list of thank yous on an Amazon driver's mobile device.

The program, which began on Dec. 7, was set to deliver up to 1 million $5 tips to Amazon Flex Delivery Partners, Delivery Associates employed by Amazon Delivery Service Partners, and Hub DP drivers who deliver Amazon packages in the United States.

Finally, while you can open your front door and thank your Amazon driver directly, there is no other way to send thank yous through Amazon without the Alexa system. Fortunately, you can use it on Echo devices, Alexa in the Amazon App, and through Amazon's Alexa app on your smartphone.

On the bright side, it's heartening to see that so many people jumped at the chance to monetarily thank their hardworking Amazon drivers, but on the other, maybe Amazon could've earmarked a little more than $5 million to slow down the transition from gratuity to pure gratitude.

As I finished writing this, another holiday package arrived on my doorstep. I didn't see the driver, so I went to my Echo device and said, "Alexa, thank my driver." She instantly responded, "Glad you enjoyed your most recent delivery. We'll share your thanks with the driver."

I guess that's better than nothing.



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Epic Cosmic Blast Is Unlike Anything Astronomers Have Seen Before - CNET

A long gamma ray burst, one of the most powerful phenomena known, was traced back to a rare kilonova, leaving astrophysicists baffled.

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Latest Tech News

They say fortune favors the bold, so why not rebel from cookie-cutter colorways and mix things up with some eye-catching tech instead? As a...