Using a Dial-Up Network Getting online via dial-up works the same today as it did during those early days of the web. A household subscribes to a service plan with a dial-up internet provider, connects a dial-up modem to their home telephone line, and calls a public access number to make an online connection. The home modem calls another modem belonging to the provider (making a distinctive range of sounds in the process)....

When Google Dropped Support for Apple Watch Google Maps worked only on computers, tablets, and smartphones until September 2015, when Google announced the Apple Watch version of its maps app. The app was redesigned to fit on a watch screen, and it offered an easy way to find directions quickly without pulling out your phone. It’s unclear why Google quit supporting Apple Watch for its maps app, but some theories are that it had too small a user base to keep it running and that Google wanted to redesign the app from the ground up....

No, but it is water-resistant. Is the Apple Watch Series 6 Waterproof? Technically speaking, no, the Apple Watch Series 6 is not waterproof. It is water-resistant, and there is a difference. Waterproof means it cannot be harmed by water, and the Apple Watch can be. Instead, it’s water-resistant, which means it’s OK to expose the Apple Watch to water under some circumstances. Those circumstances, however, are pretty specific. The Apple Watch Series 6 meets the ISO standard 22810:2010, which means the watch is rated to be water-resistant up to 50 meters....

What Is a JAR File? A file with the .JAR file extension is a Java Archive file used for storing Java programs and games in a single file. Some contain files that make them work as standalone apps, and others hold program libraries for other programs to use. JAR files are ZIP compressed and often store things like CLASS files, a manifest file, and application resources like images, sound clips, and security certificates....

CarPlay’s recent iOS 15 troubles, which caused the app to switch off when playing music, were expected to be addressed in iOS 15.0.2. Unfortunately, it looks like trying to fix one problem created a much bigger one because now some users can’t connect to their vehicles at all. More specifically, the physical connection works, and the phone will charge, but CarPlay, itself, won’t launch or show up on the car’s head unit....

The pandemic unexpectedly forced office workers into remote work, leaving them stranded in front of subpar laptop webcams. The resulting rush to buy webcams cleared out stock. Now, new options are finally hitting store shelves, but whether they’re an upgrade depends on what you already have at your desk. “These new webcams still seem focused on people who either want to add a webcam to their desktop computer or augment their laptop’s built-in webcam,” said Andrew Cunningham, a senior staff writer at Wirecutter....

TFT Benefits and Uses Since the transistors in a TFT LCD screen are so small, the technology offers the added benefit of requiring less power. However, while TFT LCDs can deliver sharp images, they also tend to offer relatively poor viewing angles. The result is that TFT LCDs look best when viewed head-on, but viewing images from the side is often difficult. TFT LCDs are found on low-end smartphones as well as basic cell phones....

Don’t expect Tencent and Logitech’s hardware to be a direct Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch competitor, though, as the device (which looks to still be in the planning stages) will act as a hub for cloud gaming. So you won’t buy physical games for it or purchase digital copies on a company-specific online marketplace. Instead, you’ll be able to access multiple cloud gaming services from one travel-sized device. “Multiple cloud gaming services” will be supported, with Logitech mentioning it’s also working with NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming on the project....

When Will the Mac in a Keyboard Be Released? The only information we have thus far pointing to this becoming something real is a patent discovered by Patently Apple about a full Mac in a keyboard. Titled Computer in an Input Device, it was filed in late 2020 and then published by the US Patent & Trademark Office in early 2022. Mac In a Keyboard Price Rumors It’s too early to make any real price predictions....

Universal Control If you own multiple Apple devices, Universal Control is the most significant update coming to macOS Monterey. The feature effectively allows you to share a single keyboard and mouse across all your devices, providing they’re all in close proximity to each other. You’ll be able to move your mouse to the edge of your iMac or MacBook’s screen and ‘push’ it across to your iPad meaning you can use your mouse and keyboard on the tablet instead of your fingertips....

Case in point? Industry stalwart Magic Leap is back with a refresh of their AR glasses, as announced in a company blog post by CEO Peggy Johnson. The Magic Leap 2 glasses feature a number of innovations over the previous iteration, such as a wider field of view, a smaller form factor, and perhaps most importantly, embedded dimming technology to improve outdoor use. The company has not yet revealed actual tech specifications, a release window, or price....

The report comes from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo has a history of excellent sources inside the Asian supply chain, and is almost always correct. The new Macs will have a squared-off design, like the latest iPads and iPhones, come in 14- and 16-inch sizes, have brighter screens, and replace the Touch Bar with regular function keys. Apple reportedly also will add back the MagSafe charging port (among others)....

What Is an MDW File? A file with the MDW file extension is a Microsoft Access Workgroup Information file, sometimes just called a WIF (workgroup information file). It stores the usernames and passwords for users and groups that should have access to a particular Access database, like an MDB file. While the credentials for a database are stored in the MDW file, it’s the MDB file that holds the permissions that the users are granted....

Privacy and safety are constant concerns when it comes to online spaces—particularly for teens—and Meta is experimenting with more ways it can improve both on its social media platforms. From new defaults and notifications to future additions that will make it more difficult for adults with questionable motives to interact with teens at all. The most immediate change is to new Facebook accounts, which now turn on more privacy settings by default for any profiles made for anyone younger than 16 (18 in some countries)....

While the social network itself takes steps to catch and curtail these automated programs called scrapers, the platform has now decided to enlist the help of independent security researchers by expanding its bug bounty programs. Its goal is to not just fix the bugs that leak such details about its users but also to help find such databases that hold scraped information. “The bug bounty program will help fill the gaps in Facebook’s defenses against scraping and alert Meta to scraped databases that surface on the web,” Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate and editor of Infosec research outlet Comparitech, told Lifewire over email....

Facebook’s Virtual World: Glimpses of Meta’s Metaverse Horizon Worlds is the first glimpse of Meta’s idea of a metaverse, and you can see it for yourself through Meta’s Rift S or Quest 2 VR headsets. This virtual reality experience builds on older products like Oculus Rooms and Facebook Spaces, but it allows you to create a single avatar and move seamlessly between a variety of different games, activities, and events. Some examples of the activities you can take part in include playing games with your friends, having a work meeting with colleagues, and attending a music event with thousands of other users....

Overall Findings The Metaverse and virtual reality are intertwined, but they aren’t the same thing, and they aren’t even in the same class of concepts. The Metaverse is a platform that could augment or even replace the Internet, while virtual reality is a technology that lets you experience virtual worlds. Virtual reality is also something you can experience right now, while the Metaverse is still in development, and its final form isn’t yet clear....

Metro by T-Mobile Services Metro by T-Mobile offers several domestic-service packages, none of which incur per-minute roaming charges in the nationwide coverage area or on the networks of T-Mobile partners. Metro by T-Mobile plans don’t require a contract, so it’s easy to switch to a plan that makes more sense for you and your family. Popular Metro by T-Mobile plans include a 10 GB high-speed tier for $40 per month and an unlimited data plan for $50 per month (you get discounts when you add lines)....

Siri’s Stubborn Streak in Action If you ask Siri questions about where to eat, it presents you with a list of local restaurants. But when you ask it to read you a story, poem, or joke, it’s quick to make up excuses. Ask it again, and it can be equally aloof. On the third or fourth time, it will give in and share a lengthy, entertaining story. Siri and Its Movie-Star, Techy Friends In addition to its working knowledge about its friends in Westworld, 2001 a Space Odyssey, and Inception, find out what happens when you chat it up....

Netflix said the two new features are a bi-weekly kids recap email that parents receive, as well as a Kids Top 10 row so kids can discover new shows they might want to watch on the platform. The bi-weekly emails will give parents kid-friendly show and movie recommendations based on shows your child has watched, as well as printable coloring sheets and activities featuring kids’ favorite characters, a breakdown of the top topics your kid likes to watch (such as science or friendship), and tips on how to use kid-friendly features on Netflix....