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16.11.2022 22:10 You no longer need one of Samsung's latest TVs to try its game streaming features. The electronics giant will roll out cloud gaming to compatible 2021 TV sets starting next week. This includes all 2021 models, ranging from entry AU7000 series through to 8K flagships like the QN900. You can find the full list below this story. You should have access to streaming services by the end of 2022, Samsung says. There is a caveat: you'll need a Q70A, AU8000 or certain QN90A and Q60A models to get the full Gaming Hub, not just individual apps. You'll also have easy access to 4K games. Samsung says GeForce Now will stream in 4K on 2022 and "select" 2021 TVs within a few weeks. You'll need the GeForce Now RTX 3080 subscription to get that higher resolution, but it may be worthwhile if you intend to use your TV as a substitute for a high-end gaming PC.The company also hopes some gaming bonuses will encourage you to buy a new TV. A promo running until the end of the year will give you both a free Xbox controller and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate when you buy the QN85B, QN90B, QN95B, QN800B, QN850B, QN900B or S95B. You'll get just the three-month Game Pass freebie if you buy a Q60B or Q80B. We wouldn't buy a set solely with these extras in mind, but they could tip the balance if you already had cloud games in mind.The range of services is expanding at the same time, however slightly. Antstream Arcade's collection of roughly 1,500 classic games will be available to stream in 2023, as will Blacknut's over 500 family-friendly titles. They probably won't be as appealing as major services like Game Pass, GeForce Now and Amazon's Luna. However, they might do the trick if you're nostalgic or looking for kid-safe alternatives.AU7000AU8000AU9000Q50Q60Q70Q95QN700QN800QN850QN900LS03AWS1AUpdate 11/16 1:22PM ET: Samsung will roll out cloud gaming services to 2021 models starting next week, not today, as previously noted.

16.11.2022 22:10 Back in the 80s and 90s, immersion blenders were often restricted to high-end restaurants and the kitchens of nerdy home cooks. But thanks to improvements in tech, these types of blenders have become powerful and affordable general-purpose cooking gadgets – especially for people who might not have the space for a traditional countertop model. Unfortunately picking the best immersion blender can get a bit confusing, so here’s a guide covering the important things you need to consider, along with our favorite devices across a handful of categories.Engadget's picksBest wired immersion blender: Breville Control GripBest cordless immersion blender: KitchenAid Cordless Variable Speed Hand BlenderBest budget immersion blender: Hamilton Beach 2-Speed Hand BlenderWhich device is right for you?Before you even think about buying a new kitchen gadget, it’s important to figure out how you’re going to use it and where it fits in with any appliances you already own. In an ideal world, everyone would have a dedicated food processor, countertop blender and a stand mixer. But the reality is that many people don’t have the room or the budget. Sam Rutherford/Engadget While immersion blenders and traditional countertop models have a lot of overlap, there are strengths and weaknesses to both. For example, if you’re looking to make smoothies every day, a countertop blender might be a better choice. The bigger pitchers make it easier to blend drinks for multiple people at once, while larger motors will make short work of ice and frozen fruit. Additionally, more expensive options like those from Vitamix or Robocoupe can even cook soup during the blending process using the heat generated from the blender’s motor, which isn’t something you can do with an immersion model. I’d even go so far as to say that if you have the space for it and don’t own a blender of any kind, a countertop version is probably the best option for most people.That said, immersion blenders are often less expensive and, thanks to a wide variety of accessories offered by some manufacturers, they can be great multitaskers. A whisk attachment allows you to make whipped cream or meringues quickly without needing an electric hand mixer, or risk getting tendonitis in your elbow doing it manually. Some immersion blenders also come with food processing bowls, so you can easily throw together things like a homemade pesto in minutes. And because immersion blenders are smaller and less bulky than traditional models, they're a great choice for apartment dwellers or anyone with limited storage or counter space. That means if you’re simply trying to expand your culinary repertoire without blowing up your budget, an immersion blender can be a great way to try something new without committing too hard.Corded or cordless?Similar to figuring out if you should get a blender or not, trying to decide between a corded or cordless model depends a lot on the other gadgets you already own. Corded versions typically have more powerful motors, which makes them great for people who don’t have a countertop blender or food processor. But if you do own one of both of those, cordless is the way to go. Not only do you get the convenience of not worrying about wires, but the ease of use makes it fast and easy to whip out your immersion blender to add some extra texture to a soup or sauce.A quick word about safety Sam Rutherford/Engadget No one should be ashamed of being nervous around a device that is essentially a motorized blending wand with a spinning blade at the end. But with proper care and use, an immersion blender doesn’t have to be much more dangerous than a chef’s knife. The most important safety tip is to make sure you always keep the sharp end pointed down and away from you or anyone else nearby. That includes your hands, along with any utensils , that might be in or around your mixing bowl.Thankfully, all consumer immersion blenders are designed to prevent their blade from directly hitting the vessel holding your food . However, to be extra safe, you should avoid blending things in glass containers or non-stick cookware, as glass can chip or shatter while the metal blades and shroud of an immersion blender can damage teflon and ceramic. Sam Rutherford/Engadget You’ll also want to make sure you keep water away from the plug or outlet of corded immersion blenders. And if you want to remove the blade or clear away any food that might have gotten tangled, first make sure the blender is off and disconnected from its power source .On the bright side, cleaning an immersion is rather simple and straightforward. All you have to do is fill up a bowl or cup with soapy water, submerge the immersion blender, and then run it for 10 to 20 seconds. That’s it. If it’s still not clean, you can repeat that process again until it is. And if that’s too much work, the blending wand on a lot of models are dishwasher safe too.Best wired immersion blender: Breville Control GripStarting at $130, Breville’s Control Grip not only has one of the most powerful motors available on a corded immersion blender in this price range, it also comes with a wealth of handy accessories. In addition to the main 8-inch shaft/immersion blade, the kit features a 25-ounce chopping bowl for cutting and mincing and a 42-ounce blending jug for making soups and smoothies. There’s also a whisk attachment, which means that between all of its accessories, the Control Grip can take the place of three different common kitchen gadgets: a food processor, traditional blender and hand mixer.I also appreciate the two-button attachment system, which ensures accessories are properly locked in before use. Breville even includes a removable blade guard to help prevent the blender from scratching your other appliances in storage. And with support for 15 different speed settings, there’s a lot of flexibility to handle all sorts of dishes. Alternatively, if you’re looking for an all-purpose immersion blender with even more attachments for making drinks and pureeing soup, you may want to consider KitchenAid’s 5-Speed Hand Blender, which comes with two extra bell blades to help crush ice, whisk egg whites and more.Best cordless immersion blender: KitchenAid Cordless Variable Speed Hand BlenderIf you just want an immersion blender that’s simple and easy to use, KitchenAid’s Cordless Variable Speed Blender is the one to get. It comes with a dishwasher-safe blending jar and an optional pan guard to help ensure you won’t nick your cookware. However, the real nifty feature is that instead of having discrete speed settings, you can adjust the blender’s 180-watt motor simply by squeezing down on the trigger. This makes using it incredibly intuitive, and thanks to its built-in safety switch, it’s much more difficult to spin up the blade by accident.KitchenAid also claims the battery can blend up to 25 bowls of soup on a single charge. And while my kitchen is too small to test this properly, I never ran into any issues. That said, you’re going to want to make sure to top off its battery beforehand because its charging port is next to where you attach the blending arm, which means you can’t have it plugged in while it's running.Best budget immersion blender: Hamilton Beach 2-Speed Hand BlenderFor those who want something that’s versatile and a great value, Hamilton Beach’s 2-Speed Hand Blender is a great pick. While it isn’t cordless, in addition to the main blending arm you also get a whisk attachment and a chopping bowl – all for just $35. On top of that, its 225-watt motor is rather powerful for its price, though you don’t get as many speed settings as you would on more premium rivals. With this thing having been on the market for more than 15 years, this blender has long been a top choice among budget-conscious cooks.

16.11.2022 22:10 Apple's Major League Soccer streaming finally has a launch date and, importantly, a price. The company has revealed that the MLS Season Pass will debut February 1st, 2023 at a price of $99 per season, or $15 per month. As you might guess, Apple TV+ subscribers get a discounted rate of $79 per season and $13 per month. The regular season kicks off February 25th, so you'll have a while to decide before the competition begins in earnest.Full-season ticket packages will include MLS Season Pass. You won't always have to subscribe, however. Some MLS and Leagues Cup matches will stream at no extra charge for Apple TV+ viewers, and certain matches will be completely free to view.The allure, as mentioned in June, is the complete coverage. You can watch every match, including the playoffs and League Cup, without running into regional blackouts. Replays, highlights and other content will be available if you miss the live action. MLS games will be available through the Apple TV app and the web. English, Spanish and French commentary will be available, and you can also tune into a team's local radio broadcast.The premiere marks the start of a 10-year deal between Apple and the MLS. It's also a significant expansion of Apple's sports strategy. Until now, live sports from Apple were limited to free, weekly Friday Night Baseball double-headers. Now, the company is streaming whole seasons and charging for it like the leagues themselves. MLS Season Pass might not be as desirable as offerings like NFL+, but it could put pressure on Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+ and other streamers using live sports as a selling point.

16.11.2022 22:10 Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks now include freebies from an erstwhile rival. The company now offers Ultimate subscribers three-month free trials of Apple Music and Apple TV+ to newcomers for either media service. You can stream tunes in the background while you're playing Halo Infinite, or catch up on Ted Lasso in between cloud gaming sessions.You can claim either or both Apple trials until March 31st, 2023. They're available on consoles and the Xbox app for Windows. You can use the promos everywhere Apple Music and Apple TV+ is available except for Russia and Turkey.The bonuses come weeks after Apple Music launched on Xbox consoles. In that light, the trials represent Microsoft's chance to spread the word about availability. The company was relatively late to Apple Music, which came to the PS5 a year earlier — this makes clear that you don't need a PlayStation to have console games and Apple streaming on the same machine.It also comes as Apple and Microsoft have bolstered interoperability. You can now access iCloud Photos libraries in Windows 11's native Photos app, for instance. While the tech companies still compete against each other , they're now willing to cooperate when it serves their mutual interests.

16.11.2022 22:10 As American cannabis has grown from cottage industry to $25 billion-a-year commercial enterprise that employs 428,059 folks nationwide, the product that weed has become now often bears little resemblance from the product that used to be sold raw. Flower, once delivered in sandwich bags, now arrives wrapped in child-safety-locked, plastic-lined mylar pouches; every gram of hash seemingly needs its own glass jar, plastic lid, and cardboard box; and half-gram vape pens must often be dug from three times their own weight in display and security packaging before use. And while most of the outer packaging can be easily recycled, vaporizer cartridges themselves can be far more problematic to dispose of.Cannabis is more popular than ever in the US — 44 percent of adults have access to it, either medically or recreationally, more than 90 percent of adults support its full legalization, and a 2021 Weedmaps survey suggests that usage has increased by 50 percent since the start of the pandemic. What’s more, edibles and concentrates continue to rise in popularity among all age groups, from boomers to doomers. This increased demand for vape cartridges — both near-ubiquitous 510-threads like those from Rove or more specialized carts like the Pax Era Pods — has led to their increased production and, in turn, their inevitable arrival in American landfills. In California, the nation’s largest legal cannabis market, 510 cartridges are quite popular but, due to the state’s strict hazardous waste disposal regulations, difficult to dispose of in a responsible manner.On the production side, virtually every ingredient, component, growth medium, nutrient, castoff, trimming, and scrap is carefully destroyed, typically either dismantled on-site or rendered unusable before being shipped to a certified waste facility. At the cultivation level, Taylor Vozniak, Sales and Marketing Manager for California cannabis waste management company Gaiaca, told Engadget, “it would be plants after they've been trimmed, grow medium — that's either going to be soil or rock wool or cocoa husk — any sort of water nutrients or pesticides.”At the manufacturing stage, the company handles post-production green waste as well as hazardous waste like concentrate solvents and failed edible product batches like misshapen canna-gummies or burned weed brownies — the latter must be destroyed on-site to stay within bounds of the California Cannabis Track and Trace system operated by the state’s Department of Cannabis Control. The CCTT extends to the point of sale, meaning that local dispensaries are responsible for seeing returned product and defective merchandise properly destroyed.“Single-use batteries have been a big sticking point for a while now,” Vozniak said. “We're proud that we can recycle those vape batteries either with or without cannabis.” As it turns out, much of the underlying impetus for the creation of the CCTT system, Vozniak notes, is to prevent this waste from being illicitly harvested and resold. “The overarching way these regulations were written the way they were is to prevent any sort of product going into the black market,” he noted, which is why cannabis by-products, which is what all the stuff above is considered, has to be rendered into inert “waste” before it gets put in the ground. It’s also why your local dispensary doesn’t have a drop-off bin for used cartridges.Products are handled slightly differently depending on whether they’re THC or CBD-based. “CBD is federally legal,” Vozniak said — so that it can be transported across state lines for disposal, “while THC is state-by-state regulated. A lot of the time you'll see, especially in California, CBD destroyed on site, but I have a client in Dallas who I've been able to just take their product as-is off site to a disposal facility.”The materials that can be directly recycled or composted, will be. The six-month composting process is sufficient to leach out and fully decay any leftover THC before the material is repackaged and sold as a gardening amendment. Less sustainable materials like used nitrile gloves, non-recyclable or food-contaminated packaging will instead be routed to local landfills and incinerators. But not vape cartridges. Those, along with the Li-ion batteries that power them, are considered e-waste in California so there’s a litany of additional regulatory hurdles to jump through before throwing one away.“What ends up happening is you'll be able to take to a recycling vendor for a while,” Vozniak said, until “they realize it's a difficult product to deal with, so we'll have to find new vendors.”MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images via Getty ImagesThe difficulty with recycling cartridges lies in their complex construction and mix of materials — woven cloth wicks and aluminum atomizers sealed by plastic walls with rubber o-rings keeping the viscous liquid in place. You can’t very well clean, sort, and disassemble these items by hand; as e-waste, they’re sorted, cleaned and then repeatedly mechanically shredded and resorted into progressively smaller chunks until they’re reduced and separated into their constituent materials. Vape pen batteries, both rechargeable and single-use all-in-one varieties, go through a similar process, Vizniak explains. They’re first statically separated by density, then dipped into liquid nitrogen to instantly freeze and deactivate the lithium ion cells before they’re pulverized with mechanical hammers and further sorted for commodity sale.If that seems like a whole lot of work for such tiny devices, you’re not wrong. Despite the legal cannabis industry in California existing for less than a decade, much of the verbiage of Prop 54 is already falling out of relevance. “When things were first written, there was a lack of understanding of how the cannabis industry would end up operating,” Vozniak said. He points to all-in-one pen battery disposal as one such example.“We still have to destroy these products on site — and I understand the concern there, they don't want anything going to the black market — but for these all-in-one-pens, there really is no way to destroy them without putting the operators at risk,” he continued. “A lot of times, operators are going to try to destroy these products themselves because Gaica can be on the more expensive side just because of the nature of what we do. It's very labor intensive.”Vozniak has seen cannabis retailers encase old AIOs in blocks of resin to deactivate them — whole drums of resin-ensconced lithium batteries that no recycler would ever take — in order to comply with the state’s “destroy on-site” order. Vozniak argues that a basic exemption to that rule specifically for cannabis e-waste could, “really help the industry out because that's really what I'm seeing most — out of state as well.”In addition to contacting their district and state representatives to advocate for regulatory amendments, vape pen users looking to reduce their consumption footprints have a number of options. Refillable 510 cartridges are a thing — they operate just as the single-use canisters from the dispensary do but have a screw-on lid for injecting fresh oil — such as the Flacko Jodye from KandyPens, the SPRK ceramic from PCKT, an all-in-one kit from Kiara Naturals, or the Puffco Plus. Maintaining and cleaning refillable tanks is straightforward and they can easily be topped off using a dab syringe from either your local dispensary or friendly neighborhood drug dealer if you prefer a more homebrewed product.

16.11.2022 22:10 I hope you're not yet tired of the current avalanche of video game adaptations, because another fun-sounding one is on the way. Lionsgate has picked up the rights to make a Streets of Rage movie, which is being written and produced by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad. Production companies dj2 Entertainment and Escape Artists, which are involved in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, are on board as well.It was reported earlier this year that Kolstad was working on a Streets of Rage movie. While the games don't exactly have a rich narrative to speak of, the beat-'em-up series fits right within Nobody writer Kolstad's oeuvre of gritty, violent action. The series seems ripe for the picking after a successful revival in 2020 with Streets of Rage 4.“When first mentioned the idea of cracking a Streets of Rage movie, I was so immediately freaking in,” Kolstad said in a statement, according to Variety. “And to play with Sega? The 10-year-old me is still grinning.”Lionsgate will also put out the Borderlands movie, which completed filming last year but doesn't yet have a release date. Among the many, many other movies and TV shows based on games that are in the works is a Ghost of Tsushima film, on which Chad Stahelski, the director of all four John Wick movies, is taking the reins.

16.11.2022 22:10 Microsoft is now rolling out the Xbox November update, which includes a heap of useful features. Starting today, all Xbox One and Series X/S owners will be able to connect to Discord voice channels directly through their console — you'll no longer need to set things up with your phone. That should make it easier for you to chat with friends even if you’re all playing different games on different platforms . Once you've connected your Discord account to Xbox, simply go to the Parties chats menu and select Discord. You’ll see your available servers and be able to pick a voice channel. You can check which of your friends are in a server or voice channel before you hop in.Although Sony has invested in Discord, Microsoft beat it to the punch with voice integration on Xbox . PlayStation is reportedly due to gain deeper Discord integration next year.Elsewhere, Xbox users can more easily start a livestream via Twitch, Lightstream or Streamlabs thanks to built-in options. From the guide, go to Capture share, Live streaming and then More options. In the Destination section, you’ll be able to start a stream with the Twitch, Lightstream or Streamlabs Studio apps. As part of this move, the Xbox Twitch app will now only be used for watching other streamers.MicrosoftAdditionally, there's the option to ask a friend if you can join their game by going to their profile. Previously, you had to do this from the Happening now page.There’s a new Capture app, which is in the Capture share tab of the guide, as well as in My games apps. Microsoft says the app improves the viewing, management and editing of your captures. You’ll be able to copy screenshots and clips to an external drive, while Xbox Series X/S systems have higher bitrate options for 720p and 1080p clips.Other features Microsoft is now rolling out include notifications when someone shares their wish list with you and alerts when items on your wish list go on sale. You’ll be able to view more details about power consumption when your console is off versus when it’s in sleep mode.On top of all that, Microsoft now supports controller rumble for Xbox Cloud Gaming on PC and Mac if you opt to play via Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. Rumble support for Samsung TVs will be available later this month — Samsung just announced that it’s rolling out cloud gaming services on some older smart TV models.

16.11.2022 22:10 The wait is over. One of the best mobile gamepads you can buy is finally available to use with Android phones. Starting today, you can order the Backbone One for Android from the company’s website and select retailers. At $100, it’s in the same price range as options like the Razer Kishi, but the Backbone One has a few things going for it over some more affordable controllers.To start, it features an intelligent design that incorporates a USB-C passthrough for charging and a 3.5mm audio connection. If you’ve used an Xbox controller in the past, you’ll feel at home with the Backbone One thanks to its asymmetrical stick layout and standard A, B, X and Y button layout. A PlayStation version of the controller for Android phones isn’t listed yet, but back when Backbone announced it was partnering with Sony, the company told Engadget it was working on a USB-C variant. The new Android variant still comes with the company’s excellent companion app. The software makes capturing and sharing screenshots and footage from your games easy. It also simplifies finding games that are compatible with the controller.The Backbone One is compatible with “most” Android handsets. As with the iPhone version, you will probably need to remove your phone from its case to ensure a snug fit. If you pre-ordered the Backbone One for Android before November 1st, the company says it will fulfill your order before the end of the month. All purchases come with a one-month trial to Google Play Pass.

16.11.2022 22:10 Unlike doomscrolling on Twitter, the Headspace app can actually improve your mental state, and right now you can get a year of the service for half price. Their Black Friday sale is live and brings the annual plan down to $35 when you pay for one year up front. The monthly plan is on sale for $6.50 per month for your first 12 months. This discount is available to new and previous Headspace users, so you can renew at a lower-than-usual price.Shop Headspace's Black Friday saleOriginally launched as a meditation app, Headspace has grown to include stress relief, sleep guides, workouts and even an interactive Netflix experience. The audio and video guides can be broadly divided into the categories of sleep, mindfulness, mediation and stress, with exercises branching out from there to cover whatever your current situation might require. If you've ever woken up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep, there are guided meditations to help coax you back down. A daily video called The Wake Up combines breathing and inspiration for your morning. The app also offers fitness courses like yoga, guided runs and a 28-day movement and cardio course. There's even help for things as specific as building a mindful home office and dealing with climate anxiety.There are no shortage of mindfulness apps out there. Headspace has the advantage of a 12-year history and amassing more than 70 million downloads. They even made it a point to help New Yorkers and teens during the earlier waves of the pandemic. If you've been curious about checking out the app, the half-price Black Friday deal is a good time to make your move. Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

16.11.2022 22:10 Things aren't exactly going smoothly at Twitter under Elon Musk's chaotic stewardship, to put it mildly. But although reports suggest that engineers have been prohibited from deploying non-critical features and products, the company is working on a few updates. One of those is an attempt to salvage the Twitter Blue "verification" catastrophe. Another project that appears to be in the works is end-to-end encryption for direct messages.As spotted by researcher Jane Manchun Wong, Twitter's Android app includes code indicating that E2EE is on the way for DMs. Musk added fuel to the fire by replying to Wong's tweet with a winking emoji — a strong indicator that E2EE is indeed in development for direct messages. We've contacted Twitter for confirmation, but Musk has dismantled the communications team.

16.11.2022 22:10 Notion, the company behind the popular note-taking app of the same name, has started testing a new feature called Notion AI that uses a generative AI to write notes and other content. The Verge got a chance to use the software before today’s announcement. The interface is straightforward. You first select the type of writing you want help with from a list that includes options like “blog post,” “marketing email” and “to-do list.” You then provide the software with a suitable prompt, hit the blue “Generate” button and then watch as it creates text in real-time.Judging from some of the writing the tool produced for The Verge, it benefits, like other generative AIs, from the user being as specific as possible about what they want. For instance, when the outlet asked Notion AI to write a blog post about the state of the smartwatch industry, the resulting draft mentioned the Apple Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Tizen. In other words, it wrote about the state of the market in 2018, not as it exists today.Notion CEO Ivan Zhao was quick to acknowledge the feature is a work in progress. It’s currently labeled as an alpha, with no release date announced. To try Notion AI, you’ll need to sign up for a waitlist and wait for an invite from the company. As for who this is for, Zhao said he envisions the software solving the “cold start” problem a lot of people face when they sit down to write something. The idea isn’t so much for Notion AI to produce a piece that’s ready to publish right away, but it could give you a first draft you can revise and polish into something that you’re comfortable sharing with the world. Zhao suggests the software is also handy for brainstorming and translating text you’ve written.“The truth is sometimes we all just get stuck. In those cases, Notion AI can help you write,” Notion says of its new tool in a one-minute promotional video the company shared. With today’s soft launch, Notion AI is free to use, but Notion notes it will likely cost extra in the future. The company also says it will open the feature to more testers as its AI gets better.

16.11.2022 22:10 It looks like Evernote's 2020 redesign wasn't enough to keep it independent. Today, the former darling notetaking app for productivity hounds, which was once valued at 1 billion dollars, announced that it has been purchased by Bending Spoons. If that name sounds unfamiliar to you, you're not alone. It's a Milan-based developer behind mobile apps like the video editor Splice, and the AI image editing tool Gemini. They look like well-designed and genuinely useful apps, but they're far from Evernote's once lofty goal of helping you to remember everything.In a blog post, Evernote CEO Ian Small said the company is currently testing out collaborative editing between multiple users, and it's close to launching beta tests for deep Office 365 calendar integration. While that's good to hear, especially for the few remaining Evernote addicts like this reporter, those are also features that have existed in other platforms for years. It may also be tough to convince friends and colleagues to collaborate on an Evernote document — which may involve signing up for an account and learning a new interface — when Google Docs has made that simple for years."While ownership is changing hands, our commitment to keeping your data safe and secure remains as steadfast as ever, and the Evernote you know and love will continue to thrive," Smalls said in the post. "Joining Bending Spoons allows us to take advantage of their proven app expertise and wide range of proprietary technologies." Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. But the fact that Evernote was purchased by a small app firm, rather than a notable tech giant, may be telling. Evernote raised nearly $300 million during the initial hype cycle around mobile apps. But the company eventually lost focus, branching out to real-world products like a smart notebook with Moleskin. Its apps were incredibly buggy for years, and it did a poor job of convincing users to actually pay for its product. Somehow, I stuck with it though. I have over a decade's worth of notes living in Evernote — countless news stories, interviews , reviews and PDFs. My attempts at finding replacements have typically ended in failure . This acquisition isn't exactly the death knell for Evernote, but it certainly feels like the end of an era. Will my data be safe under a new owner? Can I rely on fast and accurate synchronization? I'll probably stick around for a bit longer, but all of a sudden, the alternatives are looking a lot more compelling.

16.11.2022 22:10 The head of Amazon’s hardware division has confirmed that the tech giant is cutting jobs. Dave Limp, who leads the company’s Devices Services organization, told his team that Amazon would “consolidate some teams and programs” and that “some roles will no longer be required.”“It pains me to have to deliver this news as we know we will lose talented Amazonians from the Devices Services org as a result,” Limp wrote in a note to staff shared by Amazon. “While I know this news is tough to digest, I do want to emphasize that the Devices Services organization remains an important area of investment for Amazon, and we will continue to invent on behalf of our customers.”Limp didn’t share how many employees would be affected, but an earlier report in The New York Times indicated as many as 10,000 jobs could be cut as a result of the layoffs. Limp said that Amazon was providing employees with “a package that includes a separation payment, transitional benefits, and external job placement support.” He added that some workers may be able to find different jobs within Amazon.Amazon is the latest tech giant to lay off large numbers of staff in recent weeks. Meta cut 11,000 jobs last week, its first-ever mass-layoffs, and Twitter laid off about half its staff and cut thousands of contractor jobs.

16.11.2022 22:10 With widespread misinformation, echo chambers and dubious fact-checking — not to mention Twitter appearing on the verge of collapse — you might expect today's teenagers to view social media as a cesspool. But a survey released today by the Pew Research Center paints a significantly less dire picture of how today’s teens perceive social media’s effect on their lives.The Pew Research Center polled 1,316 American teens ages 13 to 17 between April 14th and May 4th, 2022. Much like a previous version of the poll from 2018, the adolescents reported a more nuanced — and often rosier — experience than adults who grew up in pre-social-media eras may expect.Eighty percent of teens surveyed say what they view on social media makes them feel more connected to their friends’ lives, while 71 percent report that it gives them a place to express their creativity. Sixty-seven percent answered that it connects them with people who support them during tough times, while fewer — 58 percent — say it makes them feel more accepted.Most teens describe social media as a largely neutral experience, with 59 percent saying it has neither a positive nor negative effect on them. Still, it skews more positive than negative as more adolescents say it’s been more favorable than unfavorable .Pew Research CenterHowever, some of the teens polled expressed concerns. Thirty-eight percent said they feel overwhelmed by the platforms’ daily drama, while one-third say they feel like their friends are leaving them out of things. Another 29 percent report pressure to post content receiving many likes or comments, and 23 percent describe social media apps as making them feel worse about their lives. As The Wall Street Journal reported in 2021, Meta knew its product made teen girls feel worse about themselves — and proceeded to downplay it.Online privacy is a hotbed issue in today’s climate, and teens don’t report high levels of confidence — or concern — about social media companies harvesting their data. Sixty percent of teens say they feel little to no control over how companies collect and use their data. However, only 20 percent report feeling very or extremely concerned about data collection. More than double that describe having little or no concern about how much social-media companies like TikTok and Meta know about them.Only one in ten teens polled say they use social media to encourage political action or post about social issues. An even lower rate reported posting hashtags related to political or social causes. However, among those who engaged in online activism, that rate more than doubled among Democrat or left-leaning teens compared to Republican or right-leaning teens .Teen girls report feeling overwhelmed at higher rates than their male counterparts: 45 percent to about one third. Higher rates of girls also answered that social media has made them feel left out. Older girls report more caution about posting content that others could use against them: Half of girls aged 15 to 17 say they often or sometimes decide not to post content out of fear of embarrassment. Lower rates of younger girls and adolescent boys report the same.Self-reporting surveys can illustrate the polled groups’ perceptions about how social media affects them. Still, it would be a mistake to assume that it always reflects reality. Past studies focused more on measurable effects have concluded it depends primarily on how you use it. For example, those who use social media to connect with others benefit more than those who passively read content.One issue the survey didn't address was the rate of teens using social media. Although Gen Z — to which most of today's teens belong —still has high social media usage, it's the only generation showing declining use. Maybe growing up on social media has led to a generational indifference.

16.11.2022 16:50 It’s an exciting time to be a fan of space. NASA’s going back to the moon with the Artemis program, more and more companies are flying space tourist missions, and the new JWST observatory has already started changing the way we think of ourselves and the universe around us.The good news is that all of this ongoing and renewed interest in space means that there’s a ton of merch out there. There’s never been a better time to be into space — or to be buying a gift for someone who loves it. These are some of our favorite things that any space lover will appreciate.Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZEngadgetIf you’re looking for a beginner telescope, the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a fantastic choice. It’s easy to put together, provides a clear crisp view of night sky objects, and is relatively lightweight and portable. The telescope doesn’t have a motor, but it’s more affordable as a result. Compatibility with the StarSense app makes this telescope brilliantly easy to use and drastically reduces the time and effort it takes to find cool objects to look at in the night sky.Buy Celestron StarSense Explorer at Amazon - $480Startorialist JWST Cosmic Cliffs High Top SneakersEngadgetJWST has been fully operational since June 2022, and it’s already sent us stunning images of our universe. One is a star-forming region in the Carina Nebula called the Cosmic Cliffs and you can get this amazing image on a classy pair of high-top sneakers from Startorialist, a STEM fashion brand. Keep in mind these are a custom order, so they may take a few weeks to ship.Buy Cosmic Cliffs sneakers at Startorialist - $89Banllis Decorative Astronaut and Moon BookendsBanllisWant to spruce up someone’s book shelves? These adorable astronaut moon bookends will delight any space lover. They come in two colors, gold and gray – depending on whether you want them to pop or blend in. They aren’t the heaviest bookends, so you probably don’t want to hold up a huge stack of hardcovers with these, but they look good from both far away and close up – the detailing on the moons is an especially nice touch.Buy bookends at Amazon - $47The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our GalaxyEngadgetMoiya McTier tells the story of the Milky Way in a unique way: from the point of view of the galaxy. It’s a funny and smart look at our galaxy , and presents scientific information in an approachable and often hilarious way. Whether you’ve read every space book out there and are looking for something new or don’t know where to start, this is a unique perspective for sure.Buy The Milky Way at Amazon - $14Four Point Puzzles Moon PuzzleWill Lipman Photography for EngadgetThis 1,000 piece puzzle features an exquisite NASA image of the Moon’s surface. The rich detail here, and the intricate lunar features, will provide a challenge to even experienced puzzle aficionados.Buy moon puzzle at Four Points - $28Emily's Space Craft JewelryEmily's Space Craft JewelryWant to buy some space jewelry? Emily Lakdawalla, planetary scientist and former Senior Editor of The Planetary Society, has a space-themed jewelry shop on Etsy. And frankly, her designs are stunning. You can find everything from Hertzsprung-Russell star diagram necklaces to solar system bracelets and more.Shop jewelry at Emily's Space CraftNikon 7245 Action BinocularsEngadgetInterested in looking at the night sky on the go? Consider a pair of binoculars instead of a telescope. They’re much more portable and easy to carry, and they don’t require nearly the setup that a telescope does. This Nikon ATB set is widely considered the best for stargazing — they’re lightweight, compact, and the price is equivalent to the most beginner telescopes.Buy Nikon 7245 Action Binoculars at Amazon - $167Svaha USA JWST Deep Field Custom HoodieEngadgetSvaha USA is another great brand that’s got some fantastic STEM merch. They’ve even got JWST’s Deep Field image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 on a hoodie! If a pullover hoodie isn’t your thing, you can also find the image on tote bags, dresses, and more. These are custom printed upon ordering, so don’t wait until the last minute or you may not receive yours by the holidays.Buy at custom hoodie at Svaha - $60Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Training ExperienceKennedy Space CenterIf you’re more of an “experience” gift giver than a “things” gift giver, then the Astronaut Training Experience might be just what you’re looking for. Located at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on the Space Coast of Florida, this unique trip allows visitors and guests to train like an astronaut — everything from docking to navigating the Martian surface and even performing a spacewalk in low gravity.Buy training experience at Kennedy Space Center - $175Astronomy Activity Book For KidsEngadgetIf you have five to seven year old kid on your holiday gift list who’s fascinated by galaxies far away, this activity book is a great choice. Written by a former NASA scientist and beautifully illustrated, it contains games and projects about space, information on how to find constellations and big astronomical events such as meteor showers, and more.Buy Astronomy Activity Book at Amazon - $9LEGO Space Shuttle DiscoveryLEGOBuying for someone who loves building things? LEGO’s space models are unparalleled. The Space Shuttle Discovery is 2,354 pieces and comes with a display stand. Of note is the fact that LEGO is retiring a few of their cool space sets this year — Discovery has been spared, but if you want the Apollo Saturn V or International Space Station, you should snag those while you can still find them.Buy LEGO Space Shuttle Discovery at Amazon - $200Super Cool Space FactsEngadgetIf the kid on your list is more into cool facts and less into hands-on projects, this book is exactly what you think it is from the title: full of hundreds of space facts, along with full-color photos. It’s a great choice for any younger space nerd – but honestly, it’s a good read for the adults in your life who want to know more about space but don’t know where to start.Buy Super Cool Space Facts at Amazon - $8The Night Sky Poster by KurzgesagtKurzgesagtKurzgesagt has tons of gorgeous educational content and products. The Night Sky poster is definitely a highlight, though. It’s a detailed map of the stars, complete with highlighted constellations, planets and “messier objects” like nebulas and star clusters. Along the bottom is a brief history of astronomy and human kind’s connection to stars. If you’re shopping for someone who seems to constantly be staring off into space , they’ll definitely appreciate this touch of educational decor. — Terrence O'Brien, Managing EditorBuy Night Sky Poster at Kurzgesagt - $25NASA JPL Space Tourism postersNASADesigners at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory originally created these “Visions of the Future” posters in 2018. The whimsical posters, which imagine a future space tourism industry, were styled after the vintage National Parks posters that have long been popular with travel buffs. They’ve been adding to the collection ever since. Whether it’s Jupiter’s multicolored auroras, Venus’ peach-toned clouds or imagined nightlife on PSO J318.5-22, each one is also its own mini lesson about a piece of our solar system. NASA has the whole set available to download on its website, or you can buy physical prints from allposters.com. — Karissa Bell, Senior ReporterShop Space Tourism posters at AllPosters