FLAC files are popular in the lossless audio space. In digital audio, a lossless codec is one that does not lose any important signal information about the original analog music during the file-compression process. Many popular codecs use lossy compression algorithms—for example, the MP3 and Windows Media Audio standards—which lose some audio fidelity during rendering. Ripping Music CDs Many users wishing to back up their original audio CDs (​CD ripping) opt to use FLAC to preserve the sound rather than using a ​lossy format....

What Is Marco Polo? Marco Polo is a one-way-at-a-time video chat service. You use it on your device to record a video message to send to a friend or group of friends. The recipients can watch you live, but they can’t send their video back at the same time (like a FaceTime call). The recipient can also watch your videos at a later time. Essentially, the people in the chat take turns sending videos....

The Xbox Adaptive Controller’s Design The design of the Xbox Adaptive Controller appears very basic at first glance, with two giant black circle buttons replacing the traditional A and B buttons next to a larger-than-normal D-pad and slightly bigger Xbox One menu buttons. Despite its streamlined appearance, though, the Xbox Adaptive Controller also features 19 ports for additional accessories that, once connected, can work as inputs for the other buttons on the regular Xbox controller, such as X, Y, RT, RB, LT, and LB....

What Is VRAM on a Graphics Card? VRAM is a specific type of RAM or random-access memory as it is solely dedicated to assisting your graphics card. It’s not possible to use VRAM with the rest of the computer. Instead, it focuses on helping the GPU work better. While regular RAM reads and stores data for the CPU, VRAM completes the same job for your GPU. Generally, the more VRAM a system has, the faster it performs because it doesn’t need to rely on the computer’s RAM or processor as much....

Only Available on Netbooks The most important thing to know is that Windows 7 Starter edition is exclusively for use on netbook computers. You can’t get it on a standard PC (nor would you want it, in most cases). It may still be offered as an option on the netbook models still available for purchase. What’s Missing in Windows 7 Starter Windows 7 Starter is a significantly stripped-down version of Windows 7....

How to Sign Up for YouTube Premium To sign up for YouTube Premium, you need a Google account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one when you sign up for YouTube Premium. YouTube Premium Family and Student Plans A YouTube Premium subscription applies only to a single account. If you have multiple YouTube accounts, only the one you sign up with gets YouTube Premium benefits. If you want to extend your YouTube Premium benefits to more than one person, YouTube offers a family plan....

The entry-level MacBook Air is also silent, because it has no fan, and can run for up to 18 hours on a single charge. And the story just gets crazier from there. In tests, the M1 chips powering these new “Apple Silicon” Macs is faster in single-core performance (more on that in a second) than any other Mac ever made, including the high-end $6,000 Mac Pro. Oh, and you can also run your iPhone and iPad apps on these new Macs....

The MacBook Air now comes with the M2 chip. The latest MacBook Pro comes in three sizes and several configurations. The 13-inch models run on either Apple’s original M1 chip or the M2 chip. The 14-inch models are equipped with the new M1 Pro chip, and the 16-inch model gives users a choice between the M1 Pro chip and the power-packed M1 Max chip. MacBook Air With M2 Chip The M2 MacBook Air packs a lot of power into a slim, lightweight laptop....

Since the mid-1990s, surround sound has been an integral part of the home theater experience and, with that, there is an abundance of surround sound formats to choose from. The Big Players in the Surround Sound Landscape The main players in the surround sound landscape are Dolby and DTS. However, there are others. Most home theater receiver producers have additional third-party partnerships with one or more companies that offer their own twists to enhance your surround experience....

Something went wrongThere was a problem with the updateError codes like 800072xxxError codes like Exxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxYour Xbox is almost full Additionally, you may experience one of two different problems that aren’t associated with error messages: Your Xbox One may get stuck on the screen startup animation with the Xbox logo.Your console may display a black screen instead of the startup animation after which it may load into a broken home screen....

The beta test was announced on parent company Facebook’s official engineering blog and it will only be available to a small group of users on the WhatsApp beta program. As time moves on, WhatsApp plans on expanding its beta test and allowing more people to come in to check out the new feature, albeit slowly. Currently, WhatsApp allows users to use the service on other non-phone devices like tablets or desktops, but they must keep a direct and secure link to the phone app....

Just like “neutral” algorithms programmed by white computer programmers, photography has long favored white skin over black. In 2020, Twitter’s auto-cropping tool got caught ignoring non-white faces, but it goes back a lot farther than that. Photographic film itself was optimized for pale skin tones. Digital cameras are way better, but much of that can be attributed to how they work rather than an effort to capture dark skin better....

Apple Music compresses its audio files for the sake of download speeds, which according to some users can degrade the overall sound quality. Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) is designed to offset these compression issues and preserve the original file’s data. This will allow Apple Music’s entire catalog, encoded at 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD Quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz resolutions, to be played at its best. This is provided listeners also have high-quality wired audio output devices connected to their devices, though....

Many companies show off concept designs, or release products that are unlikely to sell in large numbers. These “halo” products can be fantastic, like Fujifilm’s new 50mm ƒ1.0 lens, or they can be pride-driven white elephants, like the 20th Anniversary Mac. They’re almost always interesting, but why do companies make them? “In general, the design and production of a halo product is a calculated move to move forward the technology capability and brand image,” John Carter, ex-chief engineer at Bose and inventor of Bose’s noise-cancelling headphones, told Lifewire via email....

Why Does My TV Look Blue? Your TV’s settings are the most common reason your TV might look blue. Most TVs have a wide variety of image quality adjustments that can alter how the image looks. While most settings make the TV look better, a mistake can cause unwanted results, including an overly blue appearance. It’s not the only reason a TV may look blue. Other causes include: An incorrect setting on an attached device....

Where Pokémon Legends: Arceus promises a big, open world for players to explore, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl offer a welcome escape to the Pokémon that many of us grew up playing. The introduction of Pokémon’s fourth generation was an exciting time, and the opportunity to re-explore it is just as enticing as the promises that future Pokémon games offer. “Diamond and Pearl were the first Pokémon games that I played entirely through, and with friends,” Talyah Regusters, a fan of the series, told Lifewire via email....

The new Nest models include an indoor-only camera, an indoor/outdoor camera, a floodlight, and the video doorbell, and will replace the current generation Nest IQ cameras and Nest Hello doorbells. The upgraded Nests have more features and cost less than the previous models. While saving some money is nice, I’m also looking forward to the new designs of the NEST lineup. The new cameras have muted color options and soft edges that make them fit better into my apartment’s decor....

The Watch4 is better looking than the Apple Watch with a more traditional-looking round shape and offers some intriguing health features. The watch’s new sensors allow it to detect snores and measure body fat percentages. I’ve been toying with the idea of replacing my Apple Watch even though it does a great job with what it does. The design of Apple’s wearable is getting stale, and I’d love to have even more health monitoring abilities....

Privacy continues to be a driving force in the tech industry. While big tech companies like Apple and Google continue to offer new features, social media sites like Twitter are taking a turn, too. The latter is working on more privacy-focused features and options for users, though experts say you never should post anything on social media that you aren’t comfortable with being shared. Even with privacy features, almost anything you post can be shared in some way, making it available to anyone online....

#ADayOffTwitch is streamers’ way of signaling the serious change that needs to occur in Twitch’s hate speech and harassment policies to better protect users on the platform. Streamers participating in the boycott say that Twitch hasn’t done enough and needs to work with them to develop a viable solution to the problem. “Having one tweet sent out that says ‘we’re working on things’—that’s just not enough for us anymore,” Twitch streamer Lucia Everblack told Lifewire over the phone....