Mar 23
The answer for Wordle #642 is a word that describes something as boring and unadventurous. It’s a relatively unpopular word, but we have some hints to help.
Mar 23
Special edition Chevy Camaros often go beyond mere specs. From a Hot Wheels-inspired trim to “The Exorcist,” here are some of the coolest variants ever.
Mar 23
Someone Has Been Mailing USB Drives to Journalists That Are Programmed to Explode
Posted in: Today's Chili
Everybody knows that you’re not supposed to plug a random USB stick into your computer. Worst case scenario, you’re typically looking at a desktop full of malware. However, it now appears that someone has come up with a much worse thing to load USBs with than malicious software: bombs.
Mar 23
In February, Opera shared plans to integrate generative AI capabilities into its web browser using ChatGPT. Now, the independent browser maker has launched sidebar integration for both ChatGPT and ChatSonic and has introduced another feature called smart AI Prompts. To get these features, you’ll need to update your browser and then go to Easy Setup to toggle on the “AI Prompts” option at the bottom. For the Opera GX browser for games, you also need to have the Early Bird option enabled in your browser settings.
Once the option is switched on, you’ll see buttons for the chatbots on your sidebar, which you can click if you want to launch them within the browser. Take note that you’ll still need to log in to be able to use either. You can also launch the chatbots by using the browser’s new contextual AI Prompts that show up when you highlight text on a website.
The prompts suggest different ways you can use the chatbots with the text on page, such as turning a chunk of text into a soap opera or a football commentary and using information to create quiz questions. (I turned our post about the new quests feature for Horizon Worlds VR into a soap opera, and let’s just say it wouldn’t feel out of place in Dynasty or Riverdale.) Green prompts use ChatGPT, while purple prompts use ChatSonic’s service.
Opera says these are merely parts of the first stage of its Browser AI plan and that the features launching with the second stage will be based on its own GPT-based browser AI engine. A lot of tech companies are rushing to get their own AI products out after ChatGPT shot up in popularity and Microsoft, a long-time OpenAI backer, launched its Bing Chat AI and Edge Copilot tools. Baidu unveiled its ERNIE bot a few days ago, while Google just made its chatbot Bard more widely available in the US and the UK.
Opera’s announcement, however, shows that even smaller companies are keen to gain entry and secure their position in the AI race as early as possible.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/opera-adds-chatgpt-and-ai-prompts-into-its-browser-113500436.html?src=rss
Mar 23
It kind of makes sense that Tesla would make wireless chargers. After all, when you think of the company, you think electric vehicles and their Superchargers (at least, after you force the image of Elon Musk out of your mind). But wireless charging is a slightly different beast that requires understanding of magnetic fields and expertise in power transfer technologies. That’s where Freepower, formerly known as Aira, comes in. Founder Jake Slatnick started the company in 2017 and told Engadget that it has spent the last five and a half years developing a “much more advanced form of Qi,” the industry-wide standard for wireless charging.
As a “technology supplier” according to Slatnick, Freepower doesn’t typically make products for consumers, besides the Base Station chargers it made in collaboration with Nomad Goods. When the Pro model launched in 2019, it was considered an enticing alternative to Apple’s canceled AirPower charging mat. Both promised to deliver power to up to three devices without you having to carefully align them to the charging coils. But the Base Station series is no longer supported and had compatibility issues that affected its charging speeds.
In December last year, Tesla and Freepower announced the Wireless Charging Platform, and it might be a spiritual successor to the Base Station Pro. Like many of the car maker’s other products, though, it’s almost ludicrously expensive. At $300, Tesla’s offering is twice the cost of the priciest item on our roundup of the best multi-device wireless chargers. Still, diehard fans might not mind the premium, and there are some unique characteristics here that could explain the delta (although I maintain that it’s still too much to justify).
For that money, you’re at least getting what feels like a sturdy, premium product. The charging platform is a dense, solid block about 220mm (8.66inches) wide that weighs 747 grams (1.64 pounds). Together with the magnetic stand that props it up at an angle, the whole thing comes in at 1.02kg (2.26 pounds), which is pretty hefty. It’s not like you’re going to be carrying this around in your backpack so it’s not a huge deal, but it’s worth noting in case you were hoping to take it on your next trip.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Aside from that minor note, there isn’t much to complain about. The alcantara fabric on the surface provides a grippy texture for my slippery phones, and the power cable is an ample 60 inches long, so it easily extends to my side table from the nearest outlet. The wire also tucks away neatly into the understated slot so cable management fans can rejoice. The platform and the included 65-watt charger all feature an angular style that’s reminiscent of the Cybertruck, in a sleek all-matte-black finish. It’s not much to look at, until you take a closer look and start noticing the little aesthetic touches.
While Tesla was responsible for the charging platform’s appearance, Freepower handled the tech. Thanks to the 30 coils embedded beneath the surface, with the loops overlapping each other in layers, you should not only be able to charge up to 3 devices at once, but it also doesn’t matter where you place them. This is the idea of “spatial freedom” that Slatnick mentioned, where, unlike Magsafe or other Qi products, you won’t have to align your handset with the rings on the charger to establish a connection.
I enjoyed being able to throw my iPhone 14 Pro down haphazardly and not worry about lining up circles or waiting for magnets to click into place. It was also nice that when I shifted the iPhone slightly to make room for my Pixel 6 Pro, the charging wasn’t interrupted.
One tiny thing I noticed was a slight delay of a few seconds from the time I placed my phone on the surface till the charging indicator appeared onscreen. This is a tad slower than other Qi chargers I’ve experienced, but not a major concern. The actual charging speed is comparable to Magsafe and other Qi devices that support 15W rates. My iPhone 14 Pro got from 57 percent to 65 percent in 22 minutes, which is in line with my experience with an older Belkin wireless charger.
Freepower
One thing that was different was how warm my phone felt after sitting on the platform for about half an hour. Charging in general, and wireless charging in particular, can cause a device to get hot, but this felt warmer than usual. It wasn’t enough to alarm or burn me, but I also haven’t left my gadgets on this longer than an hour, so I’m not sure how it would pan out if left overnight. This greater heat output than usual suggests there might be some energy wasted in the process, and we’ve asked Freepower to elaborate on the efficiency of its tech and will update when we get an answer.
It’s worth pointing out that the issue often cited as the reason behind Apple’s cancellation of the AirPower charging mat was that it was reportedly running “way too hot” due to its multi-coil design. Slatnick told Engadget that while its technology is “functionally equivalent to AirPower,” it has a team of expert engineers that have managed to work out many of the challenges in multi-coil design. These include determining how to deliver power to multiple devices at once, locating where each one’s receiver coils are, the varying levels of charge they might be at, as well as how to do all that without using too much energy.
I’m not about to drop $300 for a Tesla-branded wireless charging station, even if it is very sleek and technologically impressive. Setting aside my concern about how hot it makes my phones, I’m just not the sort of person who would pay $300 for something I don’t actually need. But I am interested in what Freepower is working on. Slatnick wants to continue working with other vehicle manufacturers or furniture companies to see how to embed its multi-device wireless charging technology into all the surfaces that surround us. Maybe one day we’ll see kitchen counters or backseat pockets in cars that can charge the devices that we’ve become so reliant on. Let’s hope that we get there without too many exploding phones or electrical fires in the process.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-wireless-charging-platform-hands-on-well-made-and-exorbitant-123056735.html?src=rss
Mar 23
Paying a monthly fee for something you never use makes zero financial sense. But subscription overload is real, with dozens of streaming, gaming, dating and even hot-sauce delivery services lining up to take a monthly cut of your paycheck. While it’s tough to keep track of everything you signed up for – especially the ones you don’t use – we’ve come up with a few tricks to help thin the ranks of your recurring charges. We included a list of common subscriptions you may have forgotten about, as well as instructions on how to cancel a few of the most unwanted. And for those who could use a little cancellation help, we tested a couple of finance apps that track and nix stuff on your behalf.
First things first: Find out what subscriptions you have
Before putting this post together, I had no idea how many subscriptions I was paying for. Surprises included a coding game for my kid (that he no longer plays) and a British streaming app I’d gotten for one show (that I finished nearly a year ago). You, too, may not know what subscriptions are quietly subtracting dollars from your accounts. One of the most comprehensive ways to see what you’re paying for is to look at your bank and credit card transactions, performing a search for every transaction in the previous full month. It may be a lot to scroll through, but each monthly subscription will appear at least once in that time frame.
Another approach is to search for welcome and thank you emails, since most services send out an initial message confirming your new subscription. Using the advanced search function in your email, enter the words “welcome” or “thank you” in the subject field, and variations on the words “annual” “subscribing” and “membership” in the general or keyword search fields. You should get a decent idea of the things you’ve signed up for, but may have to wade through lots of promotional emails before you find the services you actually subscribed to. This method isn’t as comprehensive as going through your banking statements, but it could help you find annual subscriptions that won’t show up in a month’s worth of transactions.
Sometimes it’s helpful to simply see a list of common subscriptions people pay for (and often forget about). Here are a few:
Entertainment
• YouTube Premium
• Amazon Prime Video (or Prime in general)
• Netflix
• Disney+
• Pandora Premium
• Twitch Subscriber
• Crunchyroll
Gaming
• PlayStation Plus
• Xbox Game Pass
• Nintendo Switch Online
Work/Productivity
• LinkedIn Premium
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Microsoft 365
• ToDo
• Evernote
Dating
• Tinder
• Grindr
• Bumble
• Hinge
• Raya
Food
• Hello Fresh
• Green Chef
• Blue Apron
• Doordash DashPass
• Uber Eats Uber One
• Monthly coffee, hot sauce and jerky boxes
How to cancel subscriptions
For the most part, if you sign up and pay for a service through an app, you can cancel through the same app. Some app developers will instead direct you to their website to pay for a subscription. A cancellation process will nearly always involve logging in to your account and navigating to your profile or account details to view and cancel your subscription.
Here are steps to cancel a few of the most popular subs.
From the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
When you pay for a subscription through an app store, the transaction will likely be listed as a payment to either Apple or Google, so it’s harder to see what you’re paying for using the banking suggestion above. Here’s how to see what you’ve subscribed to using the two major app marketplaces, plus how to cancel.
How to cancel subscriptions through Apple’s App Store
1. Open the Settings app from your iPhone or iPad’s home page.
2. Tap your profile box at the top.
3. Tap on Media & Purchases.
4. A pop up window will appear; tap on View Account
5. Scroll down and tap on Subscriptions.
6. You’ll see your active and inactive subscriptions listed.
7. Tap the one you want to cancel and follow the prompts.
How to cancel subscriptions through Google’s Play Store
1. Open the Google Play app.
2. Tap your profile circle in the upper right.
3. Tap on Payments & Subscriptions.
4. Tap on Subscriptions.
4. You’ll see your active subscriptions and can decide which ones you no longer want.
How to cancel Amazon Prime
Amazon
Amazon raised the price of a Prime membership last February, bringing it to $15 per month or $139 per year. While a membership gets you things like free shipping and access to Prime Video, if you aren’t shopping online as much as you used to and you’ve already finished The Peripheral, here’s how to cancel.
Through the Amazon app:
1. Tap the person icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap on the Your Account button at the top of the screen.
3. Scroll down to and tap Manage Prime Membership under the Account Settings section.
4. You’ll be taken to a Prime page; tap Manage Membership.
5. Select the Manage Membership option and tap End Membership. Here, you can also opt for a reminder to be sent three days before your next renewal if you don’t want to cancel right away.
Via a web browser:
1. Sign in to Amazon.
2. Hover over Accounts & Lists to the right of the search bar up top.
3. Click on Memberships & Subscriptions under Your Account.
4. You’ll see your Prime membership listed; click on the Prime Membership Settings button.
5. Click on Update, Cancel & More under Manage Memberships.
6. In the pop-up menu, click the End Membership button.
How to cancel Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus is one of the cheaper subscriptions out there, going for $5 per month for the ad-supported version, or $10 if you don’t want to see commercials. But if you’re done with Picard, we feel you.
1. Log in to your Paramount Plus account on a web browser.
2. Select the primary profile for the account.
3. Hover over your profile name in the upper right and select Account from the drop down menu.
4. Click on Cancel Subscription in the Subscription and Billing section.
How to cancel Apple TV+
Apple
For just $7 per month, Apple TV+ offers some qualityshows. But if you’re just waiting for Severance to come back, there’s no penalty for canceling the service until the denizens of Lumon Industries return. Since Apple TV+ requires an Apple ID, it’s easiest to cancel through the settings app on your Apple device. If you didn’t sign up through a Mac, iPad or iPhone or don’t have an Apple TV box, follow the PC instructions.
On an iPhone or iPad:
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap your profile box at the top.
3. Tap on Media & Purchases.
4. A pop-up window will appear; tap View Account.
5. Scroll down to and tap on Subscriptions.
6. Tap either Apple TV+ or Apple One membership, depending on how you first signed up.
7. Select which subscriptions you want to cancel and follow the prompts.
On a Mac:
1. Open the App Store app.
2. Click on your name and profile image at the bottom left.
3. Click on Account Settings at the top of the screen.
4. In the pop-up window, scroll down to the Manage section and click the Manage link to the right of the word Subscriptions.
5. Select the Edit link next to the subscription you want to cancel, then click the Cancel Subscription button.
On an Apple TV box:
Open the Settings app from the home page.
Click on Users & Accounts.
Click on Subscriptions.
Find the subscription you want to cancel and follow the prompts.
On a PC:
1. Open the iTunes app.
2. Click the Account tab at the top of the iTunes window and select View My Account.
3. Scroll down to the Settings section and click the Manage link to the right of the word Subscriptions.
4. Select the Edit link next to the subscription you want to cancel, then click the Cancel Subscription button.
How to cancel an Audible membership
If you downloaded Audible for a 12-hour road trip but haven’t used it much since, here’s how to stop paying $8 per month. If you didn’t sign up via Amazon or Audible and instead went through Apple’s App Store or Google Play, follow the “From an app store” instructions above.
Through Amazon:
1. Sign in to your Amazon account.
2. Hover over Accounts & Lists to the right of the search bar.
3. Click on Memberships & Subscriptions under YourAccount.
4. You’ll see your Audible membership listed; click the Audible Settings button.
5. Scroll down to Membership Options & Help and click on Cancel Membership.
Through Audible:
1. Sign in to your Audible account.
2. Hover over the link that says Hi [your name] and select Account Details from the menu.
3. You’ll see a box with your membership details; click on Cancel Membership.
4. Answer the “reason for canceling” question and follow the prompts.
How to cancel Spotify Premium
Spotify
Spotify finally added a feature that lets you exclude certain playlists so your kids’ tastes don’t influence your recommendations – and that feature is available whether you pay for $10 for Premium or not. If you want to go back to the free version of Spotify, you’ll need to do so on a web browser, as you can’t cancel through the app. Luckily, you can use either a mobile browser or a desktop version.
1. Head to Spotify on a web browser and log in.
2. If you haven’t logged in via the web before, you’ll see a button for Web Player or Account Overview; select Account Overview.
3. If you’re already in the Web Player, click either the gear icon (mobile browser) or your profile image (desktop browser) in the upper right corner.
4. Select Your Account.
5. Your subscription will appear under the Your Plan section; click the Change Plan button.
6. A list of subscription plans will appear; scroll to the bottom and select Cancel Premium under the Spotify Free plan.
How to cancel YouTube TV
YouTube TV happens to be one of the few subscription services that allows you to cancel through the app itself, as long as you’re on an Android device. Non-Android users can cancel through a web browser. If you’re not watching enough live TV to justify the $65 per month, here’s what to do.
On an Android device:
1. Open the YouTube TV app.
2. Tap your profile circle at the top right.
3. Tap on Settings, then tap on Membership.
4. Under your membership details, tap Manage.
5. Click on Cancel Membership and follow the prompts.
Via a web browser:
1. Head to YouTubeTV.
2. Log in and click your profile circle in the top right.
3. Tap on Settings, then tap on Membership.
4. Under your membership details, tap on Manage next to Base Plan.
5. Click on Cancel Membership and follow the prompts.
Apps that can help
Some finance apps will track and manage your subscriptions for you. We researched a bunch and tried out a couple of the best to see how they can help. Note that some of these cost money, and adding another subscription to your life can feel counterproductive when you’re trying to do the opposite.
Rocket Money
Owned by the same company as Rocket Mortgages, Rocket Money is a finance app that connects with your bank account and offers to help you budget and track your overall spending, in addition to managing your subscriptions. You’ll pay for the app using a sliding scale from $3 to $12 per month for the premium version, which includes automated cancellation and other features. To access the free version at sign-up, move the slider to the left until you reach $0.
Once you’ve linked your account, navigating to the Recurring tab gives you an overview of your subscriptions. I liked that you can access this using either the mobile or desktop app. After linking my accounts, it reminded me of an upcoming renewal for a magazine I don’t read and hosting fees for a website I no longer need. Canceling both of those would save me nearly $200 in a year. Unfortunately, my monthly Apple One payment and the HBO Max access that I pay for through my Samsung TV didn’t show up as recurring subscriptions. That could be due to how my bank lists the transaction, but I’d like to have seen those on the list, too.
Next to each transaction is a three dot menu, which includes an option to “cancel this for me” for Premium subscribers. Click and you’ll see contact methods to handle it yourself or a button to have Rocket Money do it. After you provide your username and password for the service, you’ll get an email confirmation that tells you the process could take up to ten days to complete. When I had Rocket Money cancel Paramount Plus for me, I got an email later that night saying the cancellation was complete.
While it’s not a magic program that zaps your subscriptions away, Rocket Money could save you a few steps. Seeing (most of) your recurring charges together is also helpful for staying on top of things. It’s up to you whether the Premium charge (and taking on another subscription) is worth the cancellation service.
Mint
Brought to you by Intuit, whose products include TurboTax and QuickBooks, Mint works a lot like Rocket Money, syncing with your bank accounts and offering to cancel subscriptions on your behalf. Here, though, subscription management is only available on the iOS and Android apps. That’s fine for mobile bankers, but disappointing for those who prefer using a desktop.
When I tried to get a picture of what I’m paying for each month, the app told me no subscriptions were found in my transaction history, despite the fact that I pay for many. We reached out to Mint to find out if this is just a glitch on my end, or if there’s something else going on. We’ll update when we hear back.
While it didn’t show me any of my subscriptions, it did provide a list of common ones, like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+. Tapping on one prompts an upgrade to premium for $5 per month. After that, the process works similarly to Rocket Money, asking for your login details so the app can cancel what you don’t want.
One thing I did appreciate was the inclusion of a Rent and Mortgage designation within Mint’s regular banking function – categorization that, bizarrely, Rocket Money doesn’t offer.
Reminder apps
There are other apps, like Bobby (iOS) and Tilla (Android), that don’t connect with your bank account. Instead, you enter the details of the subscriptions you already have and add new ones as you go. The apps will remind you about upcoming renewals and let you quickly see what you’re paying for, all in one place. Both are free to use but limit the number of subscriptions you can track until you upgrade, which costs a flat $4 for Bobby and $2 for Tilla. I feel like if you possess the diligence to keep apps like these up to date, you could just as easily use a spreadsheet or native apps like Apple or Google’s Reminders, though these are more colorful.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-find-and-cancel-your-unused-subscriptions-130036314.html?src=rss
Mar 23
At Engadget, we’ve covered plenty of standing desks and peripherals that have changed up our work-from-home setups, but everyone’s use case (and living arrangements) differ. Until now, I’ve struggled to find a standing desk that balances versatility and compactness.
I live in a small, one-bedroom apartment in London, usually working on a dining table instead of a work desk. I don’t use a second screen (I know I should) as I prefer to take my work computer to a coffee shop or across London without losing utility. I do have a wireless keyboard and trackpad, which I usually break out during hectic writing deadlines. But, beyond an IKEA laptop shelf, I’ve never found a standing desk to which I’d be willing to dedicate a corner of my home. I also didn’t want to be reminded of work while relaxing on a Saturday morning.
But Intension’s tripod standing desk, with a collapsible design and adjustable height, might be the solution. There are several ‘portable’ standing desks, but Intension’s ‘pro’ model, with particularly industrial legs and an optional wheel add-on, ticked many boxes. The desk surface can be fixed between 28 and 53 inches, making it a suitable work surface for most people.
The tripod setup offers more versatility than typical standing desks, as you can set it up at knee height and use it for board games or puzzles. (People still do puzzles, okay?) The desk can also be angled and fixed if you prefer to type or write at an incline, too. Along one edge, there are two ‘laptop stops’ to keep your laptop on the desk surface, even when tilted.
The wheels (an optional add-on) add even more freedom: I can roll the desk into my bedroom if I’m taking conference calls and want to be out of earshot of the running washing machine in the background. Wouldn’t taking your standing desk outside be nice if you have a garden? That’s possible with a tripod desk. As you can see in the pictures, the tripod part of the desk is pretty substantial, so it’ll stay there once it’s tightened in place. That said, because of the way the surface is affixed in a uniform line, the desk part can wobble a little.
Mat Smith / Engadget
Talking of the surface, some tripod desks offer work space barely larger than an inflight tray table in economy-comfort class. Fortunately, this one has a 16- by 28-inch surface, leaving enough space for a (light!) secondary screen, your phone and more. I attached my Blue podcasting mic to an articulating arm and clamped it to the far edge of the desk.
Beyond using a standing desk for everyday PC work, it’s come into its own when I need to film videos for this job, with the perfect space for my autocue (my laptop) and my mic.
It’s a lot more substantial than a typical camera tripod, but also so much sturdier. Oddly enough, the wheelbase is a solid, adjustable triangular base that makes it feel even more rigid. Each wheel can also be locked in place and there are also rubberized feet on the tripod, too. Once it’s set up, the feet are unlikely to move independently, whether on hard floors, carpet or rugs.
Its maneuverability is the best part of this tripod desk – even when it’s not in use. While testing, I didn’t deconstruct it and pack it away often, but the ability to do so when I have visitors over or need extra floor space is a boon. Most of the time, I can wheel it into a corner, behind a shelf, out of sight.
Mat Smith / Engadget
The pro model tripod is so incredibly hardy it would probably outlast several items of static furniture. It’s a shame the surface is a little shaky – if they’re looking to refresh this model, a cross strut to stabilize the surface would be a smart place to begin.. It’s not enough of an angle for cups to slide off, but it does feel oddly precarious when the tripod itself is so substantial – and when the desk costs $400.
I tested out the Intension Tripod Standing Desk Pro as a simple standing desk, but its versatility meant I used it for more than just laptop work – it even turned into my podcasting surface of choice. If you’re looking for an even lighter, petite tripod desk – or just a cheaper option – Intension’s basic option is currently on sale for under $200.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-tripod-desk-pro-is-a-portable-standing-desk-that-upgraded-my-wfh-setup-150037026.html?src=rss
Mar 23
Tuesday came and went, and the former president was not arrested.
Mar 23
Using split-screen on Mac is excellent for productivity and it doesn’t require buying, connecting, and finding room for a secondary display.
Who's in charge here?
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.