You’ve probably seen the impressive and weird products of Dall-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion, so-called AI image creators that generate images from a soup of existing works, gathered from the internet. So far, AI art has been a curiosity, a tool for nerdy artists, and a fun way to waste some time. But now, apps that charge money to generate images based on those copyrighted sources without permission are appearing....
The original iPhone launched for $400. The current cheapest iPhone is the iPhone 12 mini, which comes in at $729 for the 64 GB model, which really isn’t enough storage, anyway. The original Samsung Galaxy went for $599, and now the cheapest model costs $799. That’s quite a hike, and usually the prices of gadgets tend to drop, not increase. What’s going on? “Apple and Samsung have dominated the market for years so they have the ability to charge a premium, particularly for their flagship phones,” Beth Klongpayabal, analytics manager and author of a new report on phone prices at Savings....
The new battery pack may be light on capacity, but it’s long on features third-party makers can’t add, thanks to Apple’s exclusive access to the depths of the iPhone’s brain and guts. Add to that the fact that this is a supremely convenient charger, and that MagSafe makes it more future-proof than Apple’s previous efforts, and you may have a winner. “I guess the big advantage this battery pack has is that it’s a genuine MagSafe charger,” traveling businessman and Filter King-founder Rick Hoskins told Lifewire via email....
Center Channel and Stereo Audio Stereo audio was originally designed to separate recorded sound into two channels (that is what the term “stereo” means), with left and right channel speakers placed in front of the room. Although some sounds come specifically from the left or right channel speakers, principle vocals or dialog are mixed into both speakers. With the vocals mixed to come out of both the left and right channels, a “sweet spot” is created that is equidistant between the left and right channel speakers....
Shortcuts lets you automate pretty much anything on your iPhone, iPad, or your HomeKit devices. Just by dragging a few steps into the order you want them to play back, you can make awesome, and surprisingly powerful, automations. Many people take a look at the Shortcuts app and dismiss it as too complex, but it’s just the opposite. Using shortcuts actually makes things simpler, quicker, and easier. You can even download shortcuts created by other people....
French electronics company Withings just released the Scanwatch Horizon, a best of both worlds smartwatch, for the United States market. This follow-up to the original Scanwatch has both beauty and brains to spare. Let’s start with beauty. The Scanwatch Horizon boasts a sapphire-glass casing, a metallic face with an anti-reflection coating, white accents, and a stainless steel chassis. The design is inspired by old-school diver watches, featuring a rotating bezel with laser-engraved markings to make the face easier to see while underwater....
What Is an XSPF File? A file with the XSPF file extension (pronounced as “spiff”) is an XML Shareable Playlist Format file. They’re not media files in and of themselves, but instead just XML text files that point to, or reference media files. A media player uses this file to determine what should be opened and played in the program. It reads the file to understand where the media content is stored, and plays them according to those instructions....
While smart light bulbs are more expensive than traditional light bulbs or even regular LED bulbs, they use less energy and should last as long as traditional LED bulbs (that’s around 20 years). They are available in standard white or with a color-changing feature, depending on the brand. How Do Smart Light Bulbs Work? Smart bulbs require a smartphone, tablet, or home automation hub to operate because they use wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or Zigbee to connect to an app on your device or to your automation system....
Motorola recently said that it’s partnering with former Caltech scientists to develop smartphones that can be powered up to 3 feet away from a charger. The effort could mean an end to the constant search for power cords. “Over-the-air charging gives users much more freedom with their devices,” Cesar Johnston, the chief operating officer of the wireless charging company Energous, said in an email interview. “No need to feel tethered to the nearest wall socket....
Here’s what you need to know about YouTube TV’s channel offerings, supported devices, and monthly costs. YouTube TV Channel List YouTube TV is one of the most full-featured live TV services available, as its wide variety of channels make it an attractive option for those looking to cut the cord. While the selection may vary based on your region, YouTube TV’s list of popular channels includes AMC, Bravo, FX, and many more....
The Sims 2 Primary Career Tracks There are 10 levels in each career track, each with a unique pay and work schedule. Moving forward in a career is a linear process, because each job has certain criteria that must be achieved before a Sim can move to the next level of pay in that career track. As the Sims make progress in their careers, they can earn a Career Reward object that makes learning one of the required skills easier....
You can never be too careful on the web, especially when it comes to sharing personal photos, videos, and other sensitive information. The following Snapchat privacy tips can help keep your account secure. To enable two-factor authentication on Snapchat, go to your Profile > Settings, then tap the button beside SMS Verification to turn it on. Snapchat will walk you through the process of getting it all set up. You can choose to allow only your friends to contact you (a....
So what good is one? These types of antimalware tools are great when you think you might have some kind of virus or other malware but the antivirus program you’re using now hasn’t caught it. Sometimes, a really nasty piece of malware will prevent your installed antivirus program from running properly, in which case one of these tools can come in handy. Below is a complete list of the very best free on-demand virus scanners available....
Why It’s Rare to Use 192.168.1.0 Internet protocol organizes each network into one continuous address range. The first number in the range serves a special purpose in IP. Routers use it to support the 192.168.1.x network as a whole. When 192.168.1.0 (or any other address) is configured as a network number, it becomes unusable for any other purpose. If an administrator assigns 192.168.1.0 as a static IP address, the network stops functioning until that device is taken offline....
2009 Mac Pro Processor Upgrade Although you can upgrade a 2009 Mac Pro’s processors, you likely find it isn’t practical to do so. The processors supporting easy upgrades are no longer sold new. It’s possible to find used processors on the salvage market, on eBay, and in other places, but they are usually sold as-is, or with very limited guarantees, such as “pulled from a known working computer.” Firmware Hack and Six-Core Westmere Another option is to upgrade to a six-core Westmere processor, like the ones used in the 2010 and 2012 Mac Pros....
Vine: A Refresher on What It Was Vine was a short, looping video social network that looked similar to Instagram. With Vine, there was no need to sit through even seven seconds of a video since Vine videos were just six seconds long. The biggest and most popular Vine users (most of whom were young teens and 20-somethings) were able to attract millions of followers and participate in lucrative advertising campaigns....
3D Displays vs. 3D Graphics 3D graphics are nothing new to the world of personal computers. 3D graphics represent a three-dimensional world rendered in a two-dimensional display. While viewers have a sense of the depth between objects, it is no different than viewing a standard television program or film shot in two dimensions. 3D displays, on the other hand, are designed to simulate depth using stereoscopic vision, presenting two different images so that the viewers’ eyes interpret the images as a single 3D image....
Animated GIFs have become wildly popular all over social media and even on popular websites and blogs too, but if you’re not too keen on creating them manually (or simply don’t know how), you can download one of the many useful free apps to simplify the process and save time. Many apps also allow you to film right through the app or use existing videos on your device for your GIFs, giving you the opportunity to turn almost anything you want into a GIF – from your vacation videos to the videos you have of your cat....
We’d argue that you should almost always try to fix your own computer problem, but it’s understandable if you’re just completely against it. No hard feelings. However, before you call tech support, or run off to the computer repair shop, we get one more shot to convince you to at least try something before you pay someone else for help. Having worked in the computer service industry for years, I’m very familiar with the simple things that most people overlook, things that could completely eliminate the need to have a computer worked on at all....
Scene Optimization has 20 modes, allowing the camera to accurately adjust color, temperature, white balance, and other settings so that you get the best picture possible every time. These modes include: To enable Flaw Detection, open the camera settings and choose Flaw Detection in the Common section. Pro: Allows for manual adjustment of settings including ISO, f-stop, white balance, and more. Slow-motion: Automatically captures video in slow-motion. Hyper-lapse: Creates a time-lapse video of longer duration action scenes....
