Coined in 2007 by eBay, Green Monday is the second Monday in December, when many retailers offer final discounts and deals for last-minute shoppers. This year, Green Monday falls on December 14, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until that day to shop. “It’s unclear whether or not that will still be a ’last day’ for some people since we’ll see some variance between retailers this year,” Katherine Cullen, the senior director of industry and consumer insights at the National Retail Federation (NRF), told Lifewire in a phone interview....

One new software platform, called Cryfe, combines behavioral analysis techniques with artificial intelligence. The developer claims that by analyzing minute clues, the software can reveal people’s intentions during interviews. But some observers say that Cryfe and other types of software that analyze behavior can invade privacy. “Companies increasingly rely on AI for profiling,” AI expert Vaclav Vincale said in an email interview. “But even the humans who code these algorithms, much less a customer support person you reach on the phone, couldn’t tell you why they make any given recommendation....

TikTok recently added a new feature that will prompt users before allowing them to send what it deems a hateful or rule-breaking comment. The move is an attempt to help curb the online hate and bullying that has spread across various social media networks, including the popular video-sharing app. Unfortunately, while sites may mean well with these features, they don’t address the more significant issue that lies beneath the surface....

If it seems like bite-sized videos are everywhere on the internet these days, it’s because they are. From the explosion of TikTok to Instagram introducing Reels and Reddit’s recent purchase of Dubsmash, social platforms are getting in on the short-form video content trend. “[Short-form content] is really appealing to many groups because it lets people create what they want to create when they want to,” Meridith Rojas, the global head of creator marketing at Logitech, told Lifewire in a phone interview....

In macOS 12 Monterey, Apple brings the iOS automation system Shortcuts to the Mac. You’ll still be able to use good old AppleScript and bad old Automator, but from now on, automating apps on your Mac will be all about Shortcuts. This is fantastic news for pretty much everyone. So, what makes Shortcuts so good, why is Apple adding an iOS feature to the more powerful Mac, and what will you be able to do that you couldn’t before?...

The dirty little secret of the two operating systems, however, is that Windows 7 is really just a tuned-up version of Vista that improves on the earlier operating system’s deficits. Regardless, there’s no denying that Windows 7 rocks. Here are five ways it’s superior to Vista. Increased Speed Windows 7, unlike previous versions of Windows, didn’t demand increased hardware requirements to run smoothly—a trend that Microsoft has held onto with Windows 8 and 10....

The Facebook Marketplace service can be accessed directly from within Facebook for free via the following methods: Facebook website: Click the Marketplace link on the main menu on the left side of the screen.Facebook apps: Tap the icon that looks like three horizontal lines to open the secondary menu and then tap on Marketplace. If you can’t see the link, it may be hidden under the See More link. Tap on it to view all the menu options....

Several years ago, when AT&T, Verizon, and other big telecom providers started ditching unlimited data plans, users worried about how much data they’d use each month. Now, after a few years of offering unlimited plans with high-speed data caps, big telecom companies once again are changing how unlimited data works. This time, T-Mobile and AT&T are starting to remove the caps, offering truly unlimited data on their more expensive plans....

1. Make Tasks More Convenient Many tasks that are repetitive in nature can be accomplished automatically or with fewer steps using home automation. Instead of turning off or dimming four different lights when you want to watch a movie, home automation allows you to accomplish this task with one button. 2. Save Money on Utilities Utilities can amount to several hundred dollars per month. Home automation can turn off lights or lower the thermostat automatically when you aren’t using them and easily lower your utility bills by 10% to 25%....

A software update caused the breach, and it was fixed after an hour. But during that time, a handful of Eufy users noticed they had access to other users’ live camera feeds, as well as recorded video. The breach also granted full account access, meaning anyone could pan and tilt strangers’ cameras to get a good look around their homes. This highlights the problems inherent in all smart home gadgets....

One of Windows users’ biggest hurdles when upgrading to Windows 11 is its TPM 2.0 chip requirements. Microsoft says it’s pushing TPM for the new operating system to improve security for its users, but not everybody has 2.0 in their system. Fortunately, there’s an official workaround for installing Windows 11 that can bypass the TPM 2.0 requirement, but you still need to have at least TPM 1.2 for it to work....

The productivity app Immersed is adding support for the iPhone and iPad so you can see those devices in VR. It’s part of a growing movement to make VR more than just a platform for games. “In the future, your apps may be able to integrate with VR, and you could access them as part of the experience,” Rex Freiberger, CEO of Gadget Review, said in an email interview. “It’s also useful if you need to ensure you can receive messages, calls, or important notifications while using VR....

The “WT” in its name stands for “WikiTribune,” which used to be a standalone, wiki-based news platform created by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales. WikiTribune has since been turned into WT Social, bringing its original news aspect together with social sharing and discussion. What Makes WT.Social Different From Other Social Networks There are already lots of social networks out there, but WT Social stands out specifically for being focused on news stories—not the personal updates you’re typically used to seeing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media....

Finding a good, modern flight simulator these days doesn’t leave you with too many options. You could always stick with the classics like Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX), but what if you want something that can fully take advantage of your new gaming rig or high-end graphics card? This is where Laminar Research comes in with their next-gen X-Plane 11 Global Flight Simulator—a modern take on flight sims built for more current hardware....

The Xiaomi 12T Series is about to see an international release, with both models pushing an upgraded camera system as their main draw. Something that may be benefitting from the company’s recent partnership with Leica, though that isn’t explicitly stated. The catch is that this release doesn’t include the US, and is limited to the same regions Xiaomi is typically available in, including China, most of Europe, and India. Each of the 12T Series phones includes a “pro-grade” camera with low-light functionality, with a 108MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP macro camera built into the 12T....

What Is an XLL File? A file with the XLL file extension is an Excel Add-in file. These files provide a way to use third-party tools and functions in Microsoft Excel that aren’t natively part of the software. Excel Add-in files are similar to DLL files except that they’re built specifically for Excel. How to Open an XLL File XLL files can be opened with Microsoft Excel. If double-clicking it doesn’t open the file in Excel, you can do it manually via the File > Options menu....

The European Union (EU) feels our pain and is pushing new legislation called the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that’ll make the developers of popular messaging apps, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or iMessage, make changes to ensure their platforms work together and exchange messages with smaller apps. “The DMA is a total game-changer,” Aron Solomon, chief legal analyst for digital marketing agency Esquire Digital, told Lifewire in an email exchange....

The PS4 has a low-power battery on its motherboard that it uses to keep track of time when the unit is unplugged. If that battery runs down or is removed, the PS4 instead tries to contact Sony’s servers to sync its internal clock. If it can’t do that, the PS4 won’t play anything, even physical media. For the average consumer in 2021, this isn’t much more than a unique case of buyer-beware....

You can select the crop tool to visually cut out the part you want to keep. This works by having you drag the crop box over the part you want to keep, or you can enter the exact pixels to ensure that the crop is uniform as you see fit. There are also some preset sizes so that you can get the image resized to fit Facebook, Twitter, and other sites....

Searching the web more effectively doesn’t really take much effort. There are slight changes you can make to your searches to better explain to the search engine what it is you’re looking for. Plus, most of them have advanced options you can use to make an even better ultra-targeted search. Below are some tried and true web search techniques that work with virtually any search engine, along with a few basic web search skills you need to have for truly successful web searches....