Space companies and telecommunication providers are racing to litter the Earth’s skies with tens of thousands of new twinkling satellites capable of completing a vast variety of tasks, from research and internet communication to military espionage. Up until now, the security practices of these hefty floating…
Amazon Prime Day was a great time to pick up Apple products, but if you didn’t happen to catch the sale, you’re in luck: Amazon just dropped the 9th generation iPad back to its all-time low price of $250. You’ll see the full discount applied at checkout, as it includes an automatic coupon for an extra $29 off the $279 sale price. It’s routinely gone for $275 recently, but the extra savings was previously only seen during Prime day. The deal is open not just to Prime members, but to any one shopping on Amazon right now.
The 9th generation iPad isn’t the newest model in Apple’s tablet lineup, but it’s still a good buy. We named it the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads and gave it a review score of 86 when it first came out in 2021. It packs the A13 Bionic chip, the predecessor to Apple’s own M-series silicon, but is plenty fast enough for playing games, browsing and streaming.
Like older models, it has a lightning port instead of USB-C charging. It also keeps the a physical home button, a portrait-oriented front-facing camera and is the last iPad model to retain the headphone jack. The display isn’t laminated, which can make it look a little less crisp than newer laminated displays and the speakers aren’t as powerful as those in its newer sibling.
While it may not stack up to the latest, (much) more expensive Apple tables, it’s the least expensive way to get yourself an iPad — one that’s plenty fast for casual use, looks clean and sharp for streaming and can handle the vast array of iPad gaming and productivity apps out there. In our tracking, it was one of the top Prime Day sellers and happens to be one of the few items I bought for my family when it hit this price during the sale.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-9th-gen-ipad-returns-to-a-record-low-of-250-163040885.html?src=rss
HBO series 30 Coins flew a bit under the radar in its first season; there’s a lot of horror on TV these days, and most of it doesn’t involve subtitles. But with a season two on the way—again coming from acclaimed artistic weirdo Álex de la Iglesia (The Day of the Beast, The Last Circus), who directs and…
The Dolphin Emulator, the software that lets you play old Wii and GameCube games, isn’t coming to Steam after all. The developers published a blog post today explaining how the fumbled launch went down — and why they still believe they were in the right legally. In short, Nintendo’s lawyers didn’t want it on Steam, and Valve wasn’t about to take a stand in a potential showdown with a fellow gaming behemoth.
The emulator’s creators explained that, contrary to online perceptions, Nintendo didn’t send the team a DMCA takedown notice (or any other legal action). However, Valve’s legal department contacted Nintendo, asking about the planned release of the app that could run old games like Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask through the ubiquitous PC storefront. Valve then forwarded a statement from Nintendo’s lawyers to the Dolphin team and told them they could only launch the emulator if Nintendo approved. “We specifically request that Dolphin’s ‘coming soon’ notice be removed and that you ensure the emulator does not release on the Steam store moving forward,” Nintendo’s letter to Valve read.
It sounds like Valve didn’t want to get involved and instead put the onus on Dolphin’s developers to get permission which everyone involved must have known wouldn’t have been granted. Considering how quick a trigger Nintendo’s lawyers have had in the past — coupled with the wording of the letter they sent about the matter — the development team saw the writing on the wall and pulled the plug on the Steam release. Of course, the Dolphin Emulator is still available as a discrete download for Windows, macOS and Linux from the project’s website. However, having it on Steam could have boosted its perceived legitimacy and opened it up to a much wider audience.
“Valve ultimately runs the store and can set any condition they wish for software to appear on it,” the Dolphin team wrote today. “But given Nintendo’s long-held stance on emulation, we find Valve’s requirement for us to get approval from Nintendo for a Steam release to be impossible. Unfortunately, that’s that.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dolphins-wii-and-gamecube-emulator-isnt-coming-to-steam-after-all-170029820.html?src=rss
The Kylie Cosmetics founder said she wanted to correct “one of the biggest misconceptions about me.”
If you’re at San Diego Comic-Con and you want to maximize your “activation” situation—you can’t do better than “The Lodge: A Paramount+ Experience,” which combines multiple of the streamer’s projects in a pop-up packed with photo ops. There’s also a bar with themed cocktails.
This is a great moment to get a Mac laptop on a budget, particularly if you’re heading back to school. Amazon has the MacBook Air M1 with 256GB of storage on sale for a record low of $750, or $249 off. That’s the same price we saw on Prime Day, and applies regardless of color.
The MacBook Air M1 remains our top pick for a budget Mac laptop, and not just because it’s the lowest-priced option. It’s a capable machine even two and a half years after launch. It’s still quick, boasts a vibrant display and lasts a long while on battery. The keyboard and trackpad are among the best we’ve tried on any portable. It’s easy to carry at 2.8lbs. And since it’s fanless, you’ll never be distracted by system noise while you’re on a video call or finishing classwork.
This is no longer the fastest MacBook Air now that there are M2 variants, and the 15-inch M2 model is worth considering if you want more screen area. M3 versions could arrive in October. There are also viable Windows and Chrome alternatives if you’re not sold on the Apple ecosystem. At this price, though, the M1 Air is a safe choice if you’re happy with the performance and storage.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-macbook-air-m1-is-back-on-sale-for-750-160059819.html?src=rss
The far-right lawmaker had Newsmax’s ear after driving a House committee hearing to distraction with the naked photos.
You may be more or less prepared for the academics of college, but the other life stuff can be an eye-opener. College might be the first time you’re in charge of your own finances, and with new living situations, new jobs and new connections, you may also be expanding the amount of personal data you’re putting out into the world. If you could use a little help with budgeting, remembering passwords or making sure everything you do online is secure, here are the finance and security apps we’ve used, tested and ultimately recommend.
If you’re new to tracking finances, getting an overview of your banking, credit and loan accounts in one place can be helpful. Mint is a simple and free app that does just that. I tested it for our subscription guide and continue to use it. The interface is intuitive and it’s pretty good at correctly categorizing purchases. The main features, like transaction history, self-budgeting and goal-setting, are available free. For $5 per month, you can have Mint cancel subscriptions on your behalf and you won’t see as many ad links peppered throughout the app (though, I’ve never found the ads particularly distracting.)
For help creating a more formal budget, a few Engadget staffers use YNAB (You Need A Budget) and we recommend it in our guide to student budgeting. It’s based around a theory that imposes four “rules” to improve your money management, and learning those principles now will benefit you long after graduation. The browser and mobile app interfaces are pretty easy to use, and YNAB has a ton of instructional content for newbies that can point you in the right direction when you’re first setting up expense categories, debt trackers and sinking funds. It’s usually $15 per month or $99 per year, but students who can prove they’re in school can get a year for free.
Between loans, jobs and, if you’re lucky, scholarships and financial aid, a student’s “extra” money can be pretty limited. Goodbudget translates the envelope technique to an app format, earmarking your money for the things you need to pay for. By visualizing what you have and what you need, you can see when there’s room for stuff you want, like going out with friends or decorating your first apartment. Plenty of graphs and sliders help map out your situation, and Goodbudget also offers free online classes for those who want to get better with money (granted, that may be a hard sell when you’re already in school). The free version gives you twenty total envelopes, split between expenses and goals, and lets you add one bank account. For unlimited accounts and envelopes, the paid version is $8 per month or $70 per year.
Say you indulge in an Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso for $5.75. The Acorns investment app rounds up that last 25 cents and deposits it into an investment account, and over time, your money grows. By providing a simple app and recommending just a few different portfolios, Acorns takes some of the complexity out of investing. For students in particular, it’s also easier to invest a few cents here and there than larger chunks of cash when you’re already just trying to get by. The monthly plan defaults to $5 per month with an option of a $3 plan at sign up. Both come with a checking and a retirement savings account in addition to the investment features, so if you’re totally starting fresh, this could prove useful.
Our senior security reporter, Katie Malone, put 1Password at the top of Engadget’s guide to password managers. Like all services like this, 1Password one helps you create unique and complex credentials for every site you use, and then saves them securely so you don’t have to remember them all. It works across most platforms and even lets you share logins and credit card info with other people as needed, which will make it easier to access any family accounts you may need while in school. The security and encryption measures are top-notch, with a zero-knowledge policy that ensures the company doesn’t store your data, as well as a bug bounty program that rewards ethical hackers who discover any vulnerabilities.
If you study in public places where the WiFi is suspect, a VPN can give you an extra layer of protection. It’s not a cure-all for online security woes, but VPNs do create a protected “tunnel” to keep out people who may otherwise have access to your data, like your internet service provider or hackers targeting public WiFi. Proton VPN is the best overall option not just because it’s easy to use. The Switzerland-based company also enforces a no-log policy and their open-source software continually stands up to independent audits. Unlike some VPNs, it didn’t tank our connection speeds in our tests, either. Proton goes for $10 per month to access servers in 65 countries, or you can get the free version with access to just three.
Free email services are everywhere, but finding one that isn’t propped up by selling your habits and history to advertisers is almost impossible. And while you might get a school email address, a good personal email will serve you long after access to your alumni mail is discontinued. ProtonMail is focused on privacy: It uses end-to-end encryption, whereas a service like Gmail encrypts messages in transit only. Proton’s open-source encryption methods are independently audited, and since the service is supported by paid subscriptions and not advertising, the company has little incentive to snoop your info. Free plans give you one gigabyte of storage and allow for 150 emails per day, while a $12-per-month subscription grants 500GB of storage and removes email limits.
As a non-profit, there’s no tech giant behind the wheel at Signal, which sets it apart from most other messaging services. A phone number is required for set up, but that’s about all the information Signal ever collects. It’s a favorite of journalists, protestors and people living in unstable territories, but students who realize their communications are no one else’s business will find the app useful, too. Texts, videos and images you send are end-to-end encrypted using open-source protocols, and you can even set messages to expire. Recent additions that enhance group chats may make Signal feel a little more like other messaging apps, but the core structure of the service will always be fundamentally more private than many competitors.
Staying safe in college extends beyond online safety, which is where apps like Noonlight come in. Tinder bought a stake in the app a few years ago to help people in the event of a date gone wrong. Within the app, you’ll find a giant white button that you press and hold in sketchy situations. As long as you hold the button, nothing happens. Let go of it, and unless you enter a secret pin to prove you’re safe, the police will be dispatched to your location. A timeline feature lets you add names and images when you’re meeting someone new. The safety network allows your friends and family to request check-ins and take action when they don’t hear from you. The free version includes all three of the features mentioned above, while the $5-per-month plan adds an iPhone widget and the ability to sync with rideshare apps.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-finance-and-security-apps-for-college-students-130035602.html?src=rss
Paleontologists recently revisited a trove of fossils found in a South African quarry and found two previously unknown species of sabertooth cats in their mix.
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.
