Keenly priced at $299 and part of Xbox All-Access to make it even better value (we’ll get to that), the Xbox Series S might be a smaller and more modest version of the Xbox Series X, but it should still delight many. How Is the Xbox Series S More Budget-Friendly? Microsoft has divided up the latest Xbox console into two models: the Xbox Series S and the Xbox Series X....
Apple is reportedly planning to replace the current Lightning port with USB-C in the next version of its iPhone. It’s part of a growing movement to do away with proprietary chargers due to environmental concerns, and USB-C boasts better technology than competing standards. “It’s just a better connection method,” James Francis, a mobile phone expert at mobile phone company Mozillion, told Lifewire in an email interview. “For one, it’s faster, which means it can handle a far faster data transfer....
In a recent study from marketing analyst Drift Insider, looking at how consumers interact with businesses, brands using chatbots rose from 13% in 2019 to 25% in 2020. For some, however, chatbots cause more problems than they solve. In this age where personalization is everything, a majority of American consumers (83%) say they still want to interact with a real person even as technology improves, according to PWC. “As a customer do I really want to chat with a bot?...
In just over a month’s time, Microsoft has verified three security vulnerabilities tied to the Windows Print Spooler, with patches released for two of them so far. CVE-2021-34527 (aka “PrintNightmare”), CVE-2021-34481, and now CVE-2021-36958 made it possible for malicious actors to give themselves full SYSTEM privileges. Disabling the Print Spooler is an option, but this prevents you from being able to connect any printers to your computer. It’s far from an ideal solution....
How to Generate a Battery Report in Windows 10 The battery on your Windows 10 laptop or tablet is one of its most critical pieces of hardware. Over time, a battery’s life span shortens, and its ability to hold a charge decreases. If you suspect your battery’s performance is fading too quickly, use a built-in feature to create a battery report. The report is saved as an HTML file that you view in a web browser and includes data on your system, all installed batteries, usage, capacity history, and battery life estimates....
We all know that your little friend is a very good doggy. But occasionally, they may get overexcited and run off into the distance, possibly never to be seen again. There are plenty of expensive ways to track your pet, but they can include monthly fees and mean frequent battery charging. Enter AirTags. Are they really good for keeping tabs on doggos? “In reality, despite Apple’s advice, we believe this will become one of the key selling points of AirTags,” Tammi Avallone, managing editor of the FiveBarks dog blog, told Lifewire via email....
Once the feature rolls out, it can be enabled in Google Assistant’s settings. Right now, it lets users answer calls and snooze alarms just by saying one-word commands like “Answer,” “Stop,” “Decline,” and “Snooze.” More commands are reportedly on the way for things like timers, reminders, media controls, and to-do lists. There were hints Google was working to remove “Hey, Google” for some voice commands back in April. At the time, many users reported finding a mysterious “voice shortcuts” page in their Google Assistant settings, which led to documents for a feature codenamed “Guacamole....
Nearby Share is the first of many Android improvements that Google highlighted, as the AirDrop-alike will expand its reach to more devices. Yes, you could already share files between Android phones, but once this rolls out, you’ll also be able to connect with other Android devices. So you can easily transfer photos, videos, and so on between your phone, Android tablet, or Chromebook. Gboard is also getting emoji support, and Gboard Beta app users can try it out for themselves right now....
Formed under the aegis of the Linux Foundation, OWF has rallied together several technology and industry players (including Okta, Ping Identity, Accenture, CVS Health, and others) to support interoperability across digital wallets. Essentially an application that runs on smartphones, digital wallets are most popular for carrying payment information and can also carry digital versions of your driver’s license, library card, boarding passes, and more. The OWF intends to help facilitate the creation of universal digital wallets that people can use seamlessly for all kinds of services....
Causes of Wireless Adapter Problems and Access Point Error Message While there are a variety of specific causes for this kind of connectivity error, which you will have to determine by a systematic process of elimination, they generally have to do with either problems with your OS interacting with the access point, or problems with the access point offering up the network to client devices (like your Windows device). Most problems originate on the desktop Windows side of the connection, and could be anything from the software misinterpreting the connection somehow, or hardware like the wireless card not being activated properly....
There are titles you get to keep, borrow, hold in your hands, read online, listen to as an MP3, or put on your e-reader. Some you can get in the mail and others you’ll have to go out and pick up. Some of these tips you’ve more than likely heard of, but hopefully you’ll find some new ideas on how you can get free books for yourself and everyone in your family....
Commercial backup programs used to be the best way to go because they were the only way to get features like advanced scheduling, disk and partition cloning, incremental backup, and more. Not so anymore! Some of the best free software tools do everything expensive programs do…and more. While scheduling a backup, or once one has completed, you can run an incremental, differential, or full backup on the same data. Backups are not readable from File Explorer, so you must use EaseUS Todo Backup to view the data....
As initially reported by droidlife, Verizon looks to be extending the duration of its DPP contract to 36 months (three years) and is removing the option for 24 and 30-month contracts. Verizon has since confirmed this news to Lifewire in an email, stating that “36-months device payment plans will be the only contract option going forward.” When asked why Verizon decided to eliminate the 24 and 30-month contract options and offer only a 36-month plan, Lifewire was told that “Verizon’s 36-month device payment plan makes it easier than ever for customers to get their hands on the latest and greatest smartphones and tablets with 0% APR....
The most common cause of this error is an incorrect URL. It could also be caused by a slow connection or connectivity issues. 408 Request Timeout Errors These error messages are often customized by each website, especially very large ones, so this error may present itself in more ways than these common ones: 408: Request TimeoutHTTP Error 408 - Request TimeoutThe Request Has Timed Out The error displays inside the internet browser window, just as web pages do....
But, what if the file you need to convert isn’t one of these types of files? There are many formats that are not video, audio, image, or document-based. Here are several freeware file converters for several less common formats like disc images, fonts, compressed files, and more: Input Formats: APE, BIN, CCD, CDI, CDR, CUE, DI, DVD, FLAC, GCM, GI, IBQ, IMG, ISO, LST, MDS, NRG, PDI, TAK, UDI, and WV Output Formats: BIN, IMG, ISO, and MINISO Actually, this program is an advanced, full-featured CD/DVD/BD disc burning and image management tool, but it works great at converting between most popular disc image file types....
Best Birthday Captions for Yourself Well you’re one year older, one year wiser, a rock n’ roll star, king, tsar, and a kaiser. It can be overwhelming for a multitude of reasons, but don’t worry if you’re drawing a blank when sharing your exploits. Here are a bunch of birthday captions we’ve brought, just for you. “Happy birthday to me!”“Today is my special day.”“Guess what day it is?”“Check out my new hat!...
According to the announcement, the lineup is made up of the Acer Chromebook Spin 311, 314, 511, and 512, all of which come with a reinforced chassis, shock-absorbing bumpers, and a special drainage system to protect against spills. The devices’ touchpads are even made out of environmentally-friendly OceanGlass, a material made out of plastic waste taken from the ocean. The Spin 311 has an 11.6-inch convertible touchscreen display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass infused with ionic silver to resist odors and stains....
Two other new channels have been added to Luna as well—the Retro channel and the JackBox Games channel—which each cost $4.99 per month to access. The JackBox Games channel is fairly self-explanatory if you’re familiar with the JackBox series of popular party and trivia games like Quiplash and YOU DON’T KNOW JACK. And the Retro channel promises an assortment of classic gaming options like Metal Slug 3 and the Castlevania Anniversary Collection....
This new generation of Gallium Nitride (GaN) chargers uses an updated version of the technology, which Anker calls GaNPrime. In the press release, Anker’s CEO of Innovations, Steven Yang, said, “GaNPrime represents a new era in charging. In addition to delivering a faster and safer charging experience, our new GaNPrime chargers offer significant savings in energy consumption, reinforcing Anker’s commitment to a more sustainable future.” The new GaNPrime chargers maintain the compact design of other Anker chargers while also offering multiple ports for both USB-A and USB-C cables—even AC ports in some instances....
A new report finds that cybercriminals are duplicating real smartphone applications and inserting malware. Cybersecurity firm Pradeo found that hackers are using fake apps outside the official Google Play Store from over 700 external websites with third-party app stores. It’s part of a growing industry of real apps that contain malicious code. “Popular apps with millions of downloads—such as Angry Birds, for example—are prime targets for cybercriminals,” Ray Kelly, a fellow at the cybersecurity firm NTT Application Security told Lifewire in an email interview....
