Techno

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Latest Tech News

Audio brand Shokz is best known for its bone-conduction headphones but for its new OpenFit wireless earbuds, the company is doing something different: air conduction.

One of the problems with bone-conduction headphones is the audio they output isn’t as good quality as a traditional pair of headphones. The sound reproduction isn’t quite the same. Seemingly because of this discrepancy, Shokz is equipping the OpenFit with DirectPitch, a feature that will gauge both the “distance and angle between” the earbuds and a person’s ear in order to deliver high-quality audio. It's the air being vibrated; not the inner ear. The company claims the tech introduces a sound “that perfectly balances bold highs, clear mids, and [a] surging bass".

Additionally, Shokz is throwing in some of its proprietary tech to improve the output even more. You have the OpenBass algorithm to direct “low-frequency vibrations” into the ear canal for better bass, and Dynamic Range Control for automatically adjusting the equalizer “in real-time”. Each bud will also include a lightweight, “18x11mm customized dynamic driver”.

Notable features

Like with other Shokz products, the OpenFit has an open-ear design so people can still hear the world around them even with the volume cranked up. The company also added a flexible ear hook made out of a “dual-layered liquid silicone” to ensure user comfort. Admittedly, not everyone is a fan of open-ear headphones as audio can leak out. However, it looks like Shokz has a solution. Thanks to DirectPitch, the devices will push the sound pressure towards the ear canal allowing listeners “to hear sounds clearly". This also helps reduce sound leakage and ensures privacy.

Other notable features include AI Noise Cancellation for phone calls, a water resistance rating of IP54 so they can survive splashes of water and dust (just don’t go into the pool with them), as well as a battery life (with the charging case) of up to 28 hours. Shokz states “a quick five-minute charge provides one hour of listening time”.

Available in black and beige, you can purchase the OpenFit earbuds from either Shokz’s website or Amazon for $179.95. It’s unknown if they’ll be available globally. We checked the UK and Australian versions of Amazon, but didn’t find any listings apart from the older OpenRun Pro. We asked Shokz if it plans on releasing the OpenFit model outside the United States. This story will be updated at a later time.

In the meantime, check out TechRadar’s recently updated list of the best bone-conduction headphones for 2023.

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Apple Rumored to Drop New Beats Studio Pro Headphones in July - CNET

If true, the new headphones could come with spatial audio and noise cancellation.

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Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Apple Arcade: Every New Game Arriving in July - CNET

Here are the games Apple Arcade is adding this month.

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Latest Tech News

Meta is kicking off a sizable security update as the tech giant begins rolling out new parental tools to Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram.

The goal here is to give parents and legal guardians a lot more control over how their teenage children interact with these apps. Messenger's tools will be housed in the new Parental Supervision hub where users can learn “how much time their teen spends on” the platform, receive notifications whenever someone new is added to the contacts list, as well as dictate who can message them. Parents can restrict incoming messages to “only their [child’s] friends, friends of friends, or no one”. Parents will also be able to control “who can see their [kid’s] stories” and get told whenever someone is reported on the account. Teenagers can change some of the security settings themselves, but if they do that, their guardians will get a notification informing them of any adjustments.

This first batch is currently “available in the US, UK, and Canada… with plans to [roll out] to more countries around the world in the coming months.” Later on, Meta will upgrade Messenger a second time by adding time management tools to Parental Supervision.

Messenger parental controls — (Image credit: Meta)

Increased transparency

Instagram’s own Parental Supervision hub is getting an update similar to Messenger’s as Meta seeks to improve transparency between teenagers and their parents.

Right now, the platform shows parents the accounts their child follows as well as who follows them in return. This tool is being expanded to display any mutual friends those accounts may share with your teenager. Additionally, whenever a minor blocks someone, a notice will appear recommending they add their guardian to help supervise the account.

Outside of the Supervision hub, Meta is testing a new privacy feature for Instagram where people must first send an invite before any messages can be sent. Those invites will be limited to just text – no images, videos, or anything else. It’s unknown if everyone will get to try these out or just a handful of people, but hopefully, it launches globally in an official capacity soon. Speaking of global launches, Instagram’s Quiet Mode, which turns off notifications for a more silent experience, is set to release in other countries sometime “[within] the coming weeks.”

Instagram new parental tools — (Image credit: Meta)

As for Facebook, Meta isn't doing much. The company seems to be content with simply bringing over the Take a Break tool from Instagram. According to the announcement, teens will get a notice telling them to take a breather from the app after 20 minutes have passed. Parents can also set daily reminders if they want to stay on top of things. Be sure to keep an eye out for the patch when it arrives. Updates usually release in waves so you may have to wait a bit.

While these security upgrades are great, your child may have other apps on their smartphone that you're not aware of. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the 10 riskiest apps and sites for kids to learn more.

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Best Internet Providers in Fort Worth Texas - CNET

Fort Worth has some of the best options for internet in Texas. Here's what you need to know about price, speeds and availability.

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Your Paramount Plus Subscription Just Got More Expensive - CNET

The streamer's subscription price has increased as it integrates with Showtime.

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Latest Tech News

Microsoft Launcher’s latest June update has been giving users plenty of trouble, especially if they happen to be using a Surface Duo.

The update, released on June 27, 2023, has already amassed plenty of posts from Reddit and Twitter users about their devices not working properly with Microsoft Launcher. Though it’s a wide range of devices having issues, the Surface Duo seems to be the most common which, according to Windows Central, seems to be tied to a recent system update.

screenshot of microsoft launcher error — (Image credit: Reddit user /yugabe)

Right now, the only real solution has been to reset the launcher when prompted by the error message, though some users are apparently reporting that doesn’t work either. This could especially be a problem for Surface Duo as it’s that device’s only launcher, because if resetting doesn’t work then you might have to resort to customizing settings again. Other phone users can simply switch launchers when the error pops up, however, saving a bit of a headache.

TechRadar has reached out to Microsoft concerning this issue, and will update this story if and when we hear back from the company.

Surface Duo users getting the short stick

Microsoft Launcher was first released in 2015 as a beta under the name Arrow Launcher, and officially released in 2017 for both iOS and Android. It was an initiative made to make its devices as accessible as possible across platforms.

It’s generally a solid feature that allows users the option to integrate between Windows PCs and smartphones, especially for larger devices like the Surface Duo with more screen real estate that can better take advantage of the feature.

However, for the Duo, this recent error proves that it should be able to switch launchers like other phones can, as Duo users who are experiencing this problem are stuck troubleshooting until Microsoft pushes out a fix. And it certainly can’t be fun having an otherwise functional device that you’re forced to constantly either reset or customize options on repeatedly.

Hopefully, the tech giant will have answers for this soon, and even better, will ensure that Duo users will have other options going forward.

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Monday, June 26, 2023

Latest Tech News

Netflix has very quietly killed off its Basic subscription tier in Canada, effectively removing the cheapest option without ads from the country.

The removal only affects “new or rejoining members" forcing potential customers to choose between spending $5.99 CAD for the Standard with ads plan, $16.49 CAD for Standard, or $20.99 for Premium, according to Netflix’s Help website. The silver lining, if you can call it that, in all this is users already on the Basic plan can remain there until they either change plans or cancel their account. Apparently, the streaming giant ended the tier some time ago; it’s just that no one noticed until recently. The earliest mention we could find comes from a Twitter user who complained about the Basic plan termination back on June 10.

Currently, other countries across the globe haven’t seen any changes. The American Netflix Plans and Pricing page, for instance, still has the Basic plan listed at $9.99, so people elsewhere there are safe – at least for now. It’s worth mentioning Canada has been used as a testing ground of sorts by Netflix. The nation was among the first group to get the ad-supported plan back in early November 2022 before launching in other global regions.

Analysis: history repeating

Although there’s no indication Netflix will end the Basic plan anywhere else, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility. Reed Hastings, one of the streaming service’s co-founders, said back in 2020 the company would never introduce advertising to users. The platform also famously tweeted “Love is sharing a password” (which is still up) back in 2017. Well as it turns out, both of those comments have aged like milk. We now have an ad-supported plan plus Netflix enacted a crackdown on password sharing angering a lot of people. The company is no stranger to changing its mind years down the line.

But the burning question is will this be successful? Will Canadian users move onto another tier? Probably. The password-sharing crackdown, although controversial, did actually work in bringing in new subscriptions. In fact, Netflix recently saw the “largest days of subscriber growth in the US in four-and-a-half years” as a result of the new policy.

We reached out to Netflix to see if it would like to make a statement about this latest move and if it plans to terminate the basic plan in other countries. This story will be updated at a later time.

Speaking of commercials, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best ad blockers for 2023 if you want an ad-free experience on the internet

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The 7 Best Cheap Meal Delivery Services of 2023 - CNET

There are affordable meal delivery options to keep you and the crew stress-free and well fed. We've tested to find the best budget meal subscriptions and services for 2023.

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Latest Tech News

Guerrilla Games has included a memorial site to Lance Reddick in Horizon Forbidden West via a game patch. The site pays tribute to the actor who played the iconic character of Sylens in the game as well as its predecessor Horizon Zero Dawn.

The commemorative shrine for Lance Reddick can be found in the Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores expansion and features the actor's name brightly illuminated among some gorgeous foliage of the game's beautiful open world.

In a statement posted to Twitter, Guerilla Games wrote that: "In honor of Lance Reddick, we created a memorial to commemorate the profound impact he had on us all". This was followed by: " Thank you, Lance, for everything you brought to the role of Sylens: your gravitas, energy, wisdom, and more. An incomparable talent and friend. We miss you terribly".

Lance Reddick's character of Sylens was integral to the stories of both Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Zero Dawn before it, some of the best PS5 games available on the platform to date. Revealing himself to players as an unlikely ally to series protagonist Aloy, he would go on to have a deeper and more meaningful role in the sequel and expansion which would further connect with players.

It's a touching tribute to the actor who was no stranger to bringing video game characters to life. Lance Reddick famously portrayed Commander Zavala in the popular online shooter Destiny 2, the Titan Vanguard of the Tower. In a blog post from March, Bungie confirmed that there is more to come from the late actor's contributions to the massively successful title.

Bungie wrote that: "As the voice of Commander Zavala—the stalwart commander of the Vanguard—Lance brought to life a character who has become virtually synonymous with Destiny itself. For nearly a decade, Guardians around the world have found purpose and comfort in Zavala’s presence, bolstered by that unmistakable voice, so full of strength, serenity, and nobility".

Lance Reddick will be dearly missed in the worlds of video games and movies and TV, and this latest tribute from Guerrilla is an excellent way to pay respects forward. His other video game credits include roles in titles such as Quantum Break and Payday 2, and he is arguably most known to modern audiences on the silver screen as Charon, the concierge of the Continental Hotel in the critically acclaimed John Wick series. He passed at the age of 60.

The Horizon series is beautiful and best enjoyed with one of the best monitors for PS5 or one of the best gaming TVs. If you enjoy Destiny 2 then our list of the best FPS games can help you find more to play in a similar vein.

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Latest Tech News

It looks like Google is whipping up another game streaming service, albeit this time through the YouTube video-sharing platform.

YouTube Playables will reportedly be the company's succeeding streaming platform after the failure of Google Stadia, which shut down entirely earlier this year. The report of YouTube Playables' existence comes from the Wall Street Journal, which cites an internal email sent out to Google employees.

According to the report, YouTube Playables will allow users to stream games via the popular video platform on mobile and PC, much like Xbox Cloud Gaming or Nvidia GeForce Now. And if the company is reusing much of the code it developed for Stadia, there's a likelihood the service will work through the Google Chrome browser or a Chromecast device, too.

That said, it's yet unclear as to what kinds of games will be hosted on the YouTube Playables service. The name suggests more bite-sized, potentially bespoke experiences unlike the full games available to stream via Google Stadia. That'll make Playables similar to Discord's Activities which can be played via voice call.

And that might be the smarter move here. Google wasn't able to keep the momentum going with Stadia, which had a library largely similar to other streaming platforms including Amazon Luna and the previously mentioned Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Playables' business model also isn't known at this point. You'd think the smart play would be to add it to the YouTube Premium subscription's various benefits, which also includes YouTube Music and ad-free viewing among other perks.

Ultimately, YouTube Playables doesn't sound like it'll shake up the streaming landscape too much, but if Google can provide a service filled with titles you can't play anywhere else, like Apple Arcade, it could succeed where Stadia didn't.

YouTube Playables will signal another push into a fully digital gaming landscape, similar to Bethesda, who seemed to let slip that Starfield's physical editions will not include "physical discs" to the ire of many.

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Sunday, June 25, 2023

Latest Tech News

It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off.

Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, around 18 months after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's good fun, but also difficult.

What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keeping it fresh in the form of a new variant called the Daily Sequence, which sees you complete four puzzles consecutively, rather than concurrently.

But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for this game 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 #518 and the answers to the main game and 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 #518) - 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 #518) - 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 8.

Quordle today (game #518) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #518) - 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 #518) - 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 #518) - 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 #518) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• R

• I

• O

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

Quordle today (game #518) - the answers

Quordle answers for game 518 on a yellow background — (Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #518, are…

SCARE
RIGHT
IRATE
ORBIT

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

Daily Sequence today (game #518) - the answers

Quordle daily sequence answers for game 518 on a yellow background — (Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #518, are…

THUMB
SOAPY
BILLY
ABACK

Quordle answers: The past 20

Quordle #517, Sunday 25 June: GAUNT, SLANG, ROUSE, UNITE
Quordle #516, Saturday 24 June: BILGE, LEAPT, GLOAT, PLEAT
Quordle #515, Friday 23 June: FIELD, BRINE, BEGUN, PITCH
Quordle #514, Thursday 22 June: AMAZE, BINGO, MUMMY, WEIRD
Quordle #513, Wednesday 21 June: BRIDE, TILDE, LOWER, REVEL
Quordle #512, Tuesday 20 June: DUVET, BLAST, FILMY, CEASE
Quordle #511, Monday 19 June: HORDE, LOSER, GUSTO, PRONE
Quordle #510, Sunday 18 June: SHORN, FRIAR, THREE, UNTIE
Quordle #509, Saturday 17 June: JUROR, BUSED, SAPPY, VYING
Quordle #508, Friday 16 June: PASTA, RABID, UNFIT, CURLY
Quordle #507, Thursday 15 June: COBRA, CORNY, MINCE, CHILI
Quordle #506, Wednesday 14 June: LIBEL, SAVVY, VAULT, TROLL
Quordle #505, Tuesday 13 June: LOWLY, CORAL, PLANK, AMISS
Quordle #504, Monday 12 June: STAMP, BONEY, TRACE, CLOVE
Quordle #503, Sunday 11 June: QUACK, SCALP, DRIER, FOLLY
Quordle #502, Saturday 10 June: WRUNG, TROLL, TAKER, ELATE
Quordle #501, Friday 9 June: HAZEL, REACT, SPOKE, CHART
Quordle #500, Thursday 8 June: TRAWL, CRUDE, BRAVE, FURRY
Quordle #499, Wednesday 7 June: QUELL, GUISE, UNDUE, PALER
Quordle #498, Tuesday 6 June: BRICK, TIGHT, SHOWY, ARDOR
Quordle #497, Monday 5 June: STUNG, SHAPE, QUAIL, BLURT
Quordle #496, Sunday 4 June: GUILT, BIRTH, QUOTH, EVADE

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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