Sunday, December 27, 2020

Sunday Morning Technology and More!

 Technology and more...



After Centuries, a Simple Math Problem Gets an Exact Solution

11KWired / 5h
Mathematicians have long pondered a deceptively easy puzzle about the reach of a goat tied to a fence. Until now, they’ve only found approximate answers.

Photos surface of a beautifully preserved ancient Roman fast food stand in Pompeii

200+Mashable / 2h
One of the 2020 holiday season's most surprising holiday gifts is an unexpected glimpse into the past. Archaeologists working to uncover ancient Rome's lost city of Pompeii made a stunning find at the "Regio V" dig site: A largely intact thermopolium , or what is essentially a street food stand. Complete with elaborate frescos, graffiti scrawls, traces of ancient food, and human remains. It's bee

Fireball over China creates loud explosions

29SlashGear / 2h
It’s not particularly uncommon for meteorites to enter the Earth’s atmosphere that are large enough to create fireballs and explosions. The latest unidentified fireball entered the atmosphere and streaked over Nanqiang County in China. According to Chinese media, the event happened on Wednesday, and there was no damage or casualties caused by the fireball. It did produce loud explosions heard … C


Among Us, Counter-Strike and Cyberpunk 2077 top Steam's list of top-played games in 2020

24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 29min
How many of these games did you play in 2020?

Samsung, Google Pixel 4a and Huawei among Amazon's Boxing Day phone deals

24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 43min
Buy your next smartphone outright in Amazon's Boxing Day sale, with up to £130 off SIM-free handsets - including Pixel 4a deals.

Someone deepfaked the epic cameo in 'The Mandalorian' Season 2 finale

28Mashable / 56min
Before we get started here, you must know: BIG SPOILER AHEAD for the final episode of The Mandalorian 's second season . If you haven't yet watched that episode, you might want to stop reading and not watch the video. Ok, now that that's out of the way... The YouTube account Shamook deepfaked the surprise appearance of Luke Skywalker in the final episode of Season 2 . To be honest, it might be a

Guide To Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status

100+One Mile at a Time / 58min
Marriott is the largest hotel group in the world in terms of number of rooms, so there’s value in having status in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Marriott Bonvoy has five elite tiers — Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador — and I’d argue that Platinum status is where the benefits really start to be worthwhile. In this post I wanted to share an in-depth guide to Marriott Bonvoy P

Mahindra Roxor changes just enough to beat Jeep’s challenge

SlashGear / 1h
Many people were excited at the prospect of a cheap, Jeep-like off-road vehicle like the Mahindra Roxor. The vehicle entered the United States and was preparing to go on sale when Jeep filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission claiming the Roxor looked too much like the Wrangler. Mahindra has now changed its small off-road vehicle just enough to … Continue reading

Xiaomi follows Apple’s lead, won’t include charger with Mi 11 phone

SlashGear / 1h
When Apple revealed that it wouldn’t include a charging brick with its iPhone 12, many consumers assumed that would be the start of an industry-wide trend — and all signs point toward that being correct. There’s a good reason to believe that Samsung won’t include a charger with its upcoming flagship, and we now know that Xiaomi plans to ditch … Continue reading

Intel in 2021: could Intel regain dominance?

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
Intel had a rough 2020, but there's light at the end of 2021.

Devaluations are Personal Failure, And Loyalty Programs Need To Bring Back Shame

View from the Wing / 1h
When a loyalty program executive finds themselves in a position of having to reduce the value of their currency by perhaps 30% or more it's a major business failure, or more likely many compounding failures. We need to bring back the idea of shame. There was once a stigma attached to failure. After decades of bankruptcies, and rewards for the executives who steered airlines through it, there's no

23 minutes, a $20 taxi and no boarding pass: How I pulled off a seemingly impossible international connection

The Points Guy / 1h
They say time is money, and last week, I learned that lesson firsthand. On Dec. 15, I flew on Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to San Francisco , leaving me about 2,500 miles away from my home in New York City when I landed in the Bay Area. With a winter storm on its way to the Northeast, I wanted to get back before the snow started. I’d already been gone for five days and feared getting

Now You Can Create Customized Vitamins Based on Your Own DNA

Futurism / 1h
Vitamins are a great idea in theory. If you’re not getting specific nutrients from your diet, why not just get them from a fruit-flavored gummy, right? Unfortunately, in reality, it’s not that simple. First off, no two bodies and lifestyle are exactly alike. The vitamins your body needs and is capable of absorbing might be completely different from the vitamins someone else needs. Secondly, most

Sunday's Best Deals: Belei Skincare Sale, Killer Queen Black, 16GB DDR4 XPG RAM, Nintendo Switch Anker Powerbank, 1080p Webcam, Bathroom Organizers, and More

80Gizmodo / 2h
A 1080p webcam and a sale on Belei skincare products lead Sunday’s best deals. Read more...

Sunday's Best Deals: Belei Skincare Sale, Killer Queen Black, 16GB DDR4 XPG RAM, Nintendo Switch Anker Powerbank, 1080p Webcam, Bathroom Organizers, and More

80Lifehacker / 2h
A 1080p webcam and a sale on Belei skincare products lead Sunday’s best deals. Read more...

A Pro LEGO Builder Just Recreated Hokusai's 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa'

42How-To Geek / 2h
Certified professional LEGO builder, Jumpei Mitsui, just finished building a LEGO replica of one of Japan’s most famous images: Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa. And what’s even more impressive is that he went beyond recreating the 2D image and built out an entire 3D landscape—complete with boats and all. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

How to Delete Your Play Activity on the Nintendo Switch

How-To Geek / 2h
If you’ve been playing some embarrassing games recently on your Nintendo Switch and you don’t want them to show up in your Play Activity where your friends can see it, you can delete your play activity completely. Here’s how to do it. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Sony says WarnerMedia's HBO Max gamble helped its movie business

100+Engadget / 2h
Directors aren’t thrilled about WarnerMedia’s decision to release every 2021 movie on HBO Max , and that’s proving to be good news for at least one rival. As The Verge reports , Sony Pictures chief Tony Vinciquerra told CNBC in an interview that his studio has enjoyed a “bit of a boom” from Hollywood creators who want a company devoted to movie theaters. The executive didn’t name talent, but did

Alaska Airlines Running “Buy One Get One” 50% Off Deal, Stack With $25 Fares

28View from the Wing / 2h
Alaska Airlines is running a ‘Buy One Get One’ sale which amounts to 50% off when two people are traveling. This is stackable on top of Alaska’s already-incredible fares such as Seattle – Las Vegas $25, Seattle – New York JFK $53 and San Jose – Honolulu $55 (including tax). Continue reading ...

Pilots might've captured the LA jetpack person on video

100+Mashable / 2h
Pilots might've spotted the elusive person who has apparently been jetpacking around the Los Angeles area. In case you haven't heard or seen, someone has, apparently, been flying what appears to be a jetpack near LA International Airport There have been multiple sightings . Now, pilots from the Sling Pilot Academy in California might've spotted the so-called jetpacker during an instructional flig

Colts vs Steelers live stream: how to watch NFL week 16 game online from anywhere

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
Can Pittsburgh snap its three-game losing streak in this huge game today? Don't miss a minute with an Indianapolis Colts vs Steelers live stream to watch the NFL online.

Cutting through the noise: managing tinnitus with tech

33TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
Can tech drown out the din? We look at the latest tech solutions for tinnitus.

Giants vs Ravens live stream: how to watch NFL week 16 game online from anywhere now

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
Can Baltimore make a final push for a playoff spot? See how to get a New York Giants vs Ravens live stream and watch the NFL online today - no matter where you are.

Relieve leg pain and stress with this compression massager

40Engadget / 2h
Nothing beats laying down after a long day, especially if you had an intense lower body workout or a physically demanding job that requires you to stand for hours on end. However, it’s back to the races the very next day and your legs haven’t received the adequate recovery. That’s where Re-Athlete’s soothing AIR-C + HEAT can help, and you can get 20% off this full leg massager using HOLIDAY20 at

Quick Tip: Create a QR Code to Easily Share Your Wi-Fi Password

43How-To Geek / 2h
Typing in your Wi-Fi details on new smartphones and tablets (and on your guests’ phones) can be a total hassle, especially if you have a long complex password. Make life a little simpler for yourself by turning your Wi-Fi password into a handy Wi-Fi QR code, so that anyone can log into your wireless network without bugging you. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

CDC says E. coli outbreak is over, but it never found the source

SlashGear / 2h
In mid-November, the CDC detailed a multi-state E. coli outbreak first announced by the FDA. As with other outbreaks, officials were investigating the source of the illnesses, something that was narrowed down to ‘leafy greens,’ but no specific variety, brand, or company was linked. In an update, the CDC says the outbreak is over, but the source is still a … Continue reading

KSTAR fusion reactor sets a record for high-temperature plasma duration

SlashGear / 2h
KSTAR, or the Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research, reactor is a superconducting fusion device called the Korean artificial sun. KSTAR has set a new world record for maintaining the high-temperature plasma for 20 seconds, reaching an ion temperature of over 100 million degrees Celsius. Scientists working on the project are now aiming to continuously operate high-temperature plasma ove

How to Highlight Text in Microsoft Word

How-To Geek / 3h
If you want to emphasize important text within a Microsoft Word document so that it’s not overlooked by the reader, you can use Word’s highlighting tool. You can also search for highlighted text within the document. Here’s how. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Unique meteorite hints at parent asteroid lurking in our solar system

32SlashGear / 3h
Researchers have been conducting a study on a mysterious meteorite that exploded over Sudan in 2008. The meteor was estimated by NASA to weigh about nine tons and to be nearly 13-foot in diameter when it was spotted before impact. After the meteorite entered the atmosphere and impacted the planet’s surface, researchers went to the Sudanese desert to collect its … Continue reading

Grab a 1080p Webcam for Just $10 With This Promo Code

20Lifehacker / 3h
Funcam 1080p Webcam | $10 | Amazon | Promo code NSTGTCXM Read more...

How to Spot the Mythical Green Flash (Which Is Actually Very Much Real)

40Lifehacker / 3h
Though it sounds like some type of superhero—specifically the unlicensed off-brand kind that hangs in Times Square—the “green flash” is actually a real thing that you can see in the sky with your own eyes. And while we know the green flash exists (there is plenty of photographic evidence ), it has reached more of a… Read more...

The Twitter fancams that got us through 2020

20Mashable / 3h
This year, we all collectively spent more time on social media than we needed. While many of us mindlessly scrolled, just looking for something to distract ourselves from the world around us, there were a bunch of Twitter users who were actively dedicated to their craft: making fancams. What is a fancam , you ask? If you're on Twitter, you've seen them: video montages of celebrities, popular TV s

2021 Toyota Land Cruiser is the end for the US

SlashGear / 3h
There aren’t a lot of large SUVs that are capable off-road. One of the few is the Toyota Land Cruiser. The vehicle has been around for more than 60 years, making it one of the longest-lived models from any automaker. Toyota has confirmed that 2021 will be the end for the Land Cruiser in America. 2021 isn’t the end of … Continue reading

Escape from Reality Via 70 Years' Worth of IKEA Catalogues

40Lifehacker / 4h
If you’ve found yourself with a few days off for the holidays, and have already caught up on all your shows and your brain is open to looking at things, but not reading reading, we have a suggestion we think you might enjoy. Yes, it’s 70 years’ worth of IKEA catalogues. Read more...

United, Alaska schedule first 737 MAX routes since ungrounding

30The Points Guy / 4h
Boeing’s beleaguered 737 MAX will be flying on two more domestic carriers come early 2021. Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines recently scheduled their first MAX routes since the jet’s nearly two-year grounding. Chicago-based United intends to restart MAX flights on Feb. 11, as previously reported . However, the plane’s first routes were still up in the air. Now, according to schedule data f

Researchers gather evidence on how Mars formed

SlashGear / 4h
Scientists have been studying the Red Planet to try and figure out how the planet formed and if it may have had life in the distant past. The NASA InSight spacecraft landed on Mars about two years ago and this month detected some boundaries in the rock, tens or hundreds of kilometers below the planet’s crust. Researchers say that the … Continue reading

Will you need an immunity passport to fly? How the COVID-19 vaccine will restart travel

61The Points Guy / 4h
After nine months of social distancing, mask-wearing, nasal swabs and quarantining, it seems like hope is finally on the horizon. Yes, there is a long, dark winter ahead with a record number of new cases and deaths expected, not to mention a more infectious strain of the virus that’s emerged in Europe. But for the first time since the onset of this pandemic, a clear exit has appeared. In the earl

Vizio’s First OLED TV Makes Nearly Perfect Contrast Accessible

100+Wired / 4h
These organic LED panels, usually seen on pricier TVs, are finally dipping to more affordable prices.

How to Tell if Your Car's Thermostat Is Broken & What to Do to Fix It

27Lifehacker / 4h
When a car’s heat is working, it can feel glorious on a cold day—thawing you out so efficiently that you might have to take your coat off to keep from overheating. (Just make sure you don’t do that while you’re driving.) And if you’re lucky enough to have heated seats? Basically a trip to the spa. (Although instead of… Read more...

Divers recover a WWII Enigma Machine from the Baltic Sea

200+Ars Technica / 4h
Enlarge (credit: Reuters/Christian Howe ) When Nazi naval officers tossed their ship’s Enigma encryption machine overboard, they probably thought they were putting the device beyond anyone’s reach. Blissfully unaware that Allied cryptanalysts in Poland and at Bletchley Park in the UK had broken the Enigma code, the Nazis had standing orders to destroy their encryption devices to keep them out of

Xbox Games with Gold January 2021 lineup includes combat and zombies

SlashGear / 4h
Microsoft has revealed the Xbox Games with Gold lineup for January 2021, giving players a look at what they’ll soon be able to download for free. The titles will be available to subscribers who have the Xbox One or Xbox Series S/X consoles — according to Microsoft, the games are collectively valued at $79.96 USD. The new year will kick … Continue reading

How to Control Alerts and Notifications on Your Apple Watch

How-To Geek / 4h
The Apple Watch brings notifications to your wrist. Finally, you can get important notifications without looking at your phone—and you’ll get unimportant notifications, too. Here’s how to control your watch’s alerts. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

The best cars, SUVs, and crossovers we drove in 2020

42Ars Technica / 4h
Enlarge (credit: Collage by Aurich Lawson) Like most of us, 2020 turned out quite differently than we might have expected back in January. By the end of February, it was clear that COVID-19 was going to be a serious problem as auto shows and drive events started being cancelled en masse . But our local press fleets have remained in operation, and a calendar free of travel has meant more time to t

OnePlus 9 prototype goes on sale on eBay, very briefly

78TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
Someone has tried to sell a prototype OnePlus 9 on eBay, though it's since been pulled from the auction site.

Air Canada 737 MAX Has Engine Issues & Diverts: Nonstory?

97One Mile at a Time / 4h
I wasn’t going to write a story about this, but I feel like perhaps some balance is needed compared to how I’ve otherwise seen this incident portrayed in the media. My mom even asked me about this story yesterday, because she saw it in the news — “did you hear about the Boeing 737 MAX that had the emergency?” Air Canada 737 MAX diverts due to engine issues Aviation regulators around the world are

How to Turn Off Player Drawings in “Splatoon 2”

How-To Geek / 5h
Nintendo’s Splatoon 2 translates the squad-based, first-person shooter into a nonviolent game that’s suitable for a younger audience. But the game displays drawings (called “posts”) created by other players. Luckily, there are two ways you can turn these off. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

WhatsApp will stop working on some older smartphones from January 1

100+TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 5h
Own an older smartphone? WhatsApp won't work from January 1 on some much older devices.

The Avengers is a timeless classic that brought the MCU dream to life

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 5h
Check out our retrospective of 2012's The Avengers, as we marathon the Marvel movies in order.

15 Tips and Hidden Tricks for the PS5 (You Lucky Dog)

97Wired / 5h
If you’re one of the lucky few to score Sony’s newest game console this holiday, check these features out for the best experience.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 price and specs leak out

54TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 5h
Almost everything you could want to know about the upcoming Galaxy Chromebook 2 appears in a leaked slide.

FBI and Europol seize VPN accused of supporting ‘criminal underworld’

30SlashGear / 6h
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has detailed an international law enforcement effort called ‘Operation Nova’ that targeted a ‘bulletproof’ VPN service accused of supporting criminals. The work was a joint effort between the FBI, Europol, and other agencies with the German Reutlingen Police Headquarters coordinating the operation. Under Operation Nova, the law enforce

Got a new DJI drone? Here's how to set it up and take great photos

43TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 6h
Woken up to find a DJI drone has miraculously flown into your Christmas stocking? Here's how to set it up and get shooting.

The Worst Hacks of 2020, a Surreal Pandemic Year

100+Wired / 6h
From ransomware schemes to supply chain attacks, this year melded classic hacks with extraordinary circumstances.

Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag design shows up early in the SmartThings app

46TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 6h
A new leak from one of Samsung's own apps gives us a sneak preview of what these tracking devices will look like.

Rising to meet the tide against the threat of coastal flooding

33Ars Technica / 6h
Flooding from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 (credit: Oliver Rich ) Christina Laughlin usually does whatever she can to avoid the flooding that plagues her neighborhood in Norfolk, Virginia, on the Chesapeake Bay. But on a blustery Sunday morning in October 2019, she donned a windbreaker and rain boots, grabbed her battered smartphone and deliberately headed straight to the high-water line. Like her, hu

What Does “BRB” Mean, and How Do You Use It?

28How-To Geek / 6h
What does it mean when a friend or coworker takes a bathroom break and uses the term “BRB”?We’ll explain what the popular acronym means, and how to use it properly. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

China Orders Ant Group to Revamp Its Business

100+NYT > Technology / 7h
The country’s central bank made clear its displeasure with the financial technology company, adding to the growing scrutiny of Chinese internet giants.

Galaxy S21 series: 7 things that make it better than previously thought

21SlashGear / 7h
Early 2021 is going to see some really exciting devices, including a set of smartphones from Samsung. This is going to be the long-anticipated Galaxy S21 series that many tech enthusiasts presume is not going to see a dynamic upgrade expected from the Samsung flagship. A major reason for this would be the Korean tech giant’s plan to present the … Continue reading

Turkey Adds Travel Coronavirus Testing Requirement

100+One Mile at a Time / 7h
For the first time since opening to tourists over the summer, Turkey will require all visitors to get a coronavirus test. I first wrote about this yesterday, but the rules were changed just hours after the initial set of guidelines were published, so I wanted to update this post to reflect that. Turkey has been wide open since the summer Turkey has been one of the most open countries in the world

Let's talk about that deliciously dramatic 'Bridgerton' finale

57Mashable / 8h
The horny holiday treat of Bridgerton is upon us, and this author has thoughts on that finale. After a highly eventful debutante season in London, the families of Bridgerton are going back into hibernation (I assume this is what Regency-era socialites do during the winter months), but not without a fresh crop of scandals and secrets to keep them company. Let's catch up with the show's central fam

Huge Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus leak means there's very little left to learn

100+TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
A big new Samsung Galaxy S21 leak shares almost every spec you could want to know about the upcoming phone.

New Rolls-Royce Ghost: like nothing else

58TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Comfort, quietness, power, prestige and a driving experience like nothing else.

Start a side gig selling online on the world’s biggest ecommerce marketplaces

Mashable / 8h
TL;DR: Create a side hustle selling products online, and learn how to to it with the Essential 2021 eCommerce Mastery Bundle , on sale for $29.99. There are big bucks to be made online these days. All you need to do is choose the right products, list them the right way, and (hopefully) watch your sales add up. But of course, it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. Rather than jumping in blindly, d

This $30 master class can help you create a WordPress online store from scratch

Mashable / 8h
TL;DR: Learn how to build your own website with this WordPress master class , on sale for $30 as of Dec. 27. The internet is full of opportunities — especially entrepreneurial ones. You just need to know how to seize them. With lots of time on your hands and new hobbies taking over your daily life, now’s the perfect time to use the good ol’ world wide web to your advantage. And this WordPress mas

Get a spa-quality massage at home with these heated compression massage booties

36Mashable / 8h
TL;DR: Give your legs some love with the Air-C + Heat full leg massage and heat treatment , on sale for $144.98 as of Dec. 27. Since walking is like second nature for most of us, you probably don't think twice about all the strain your legs go through on a daily basis — even if you're not doing a HIIT workout. Walking on sidewalks, concrete, or even grass can cause your muscles and joints to stif

Here's the best way to store your sex toy collection

Mashable / 8h
Congratulations to you, the proud owner of a buzzy new sex toy! Acquiring a new adult toy is such fun, but with it comes a much less fun act of adulting: Figuring out where and how to store it. We're here to give you the basics of sex toy safety and how you can take the best possible care of your precious sex toy collection. Sex toy storage 101 The most important thing to know about how to store

Make yummy pizzas every night with 39% off this wood fire oven

25Mashable / 8h
TL;DR: Make homemade meals like pizza, burgers, steaks, fish, and more with the Fremont Wood Fire Pizza Oven for $223.20 using the promo code HOLIDAY20 , a total of 39% savings. As easy as it is to make a frozen pizza, it doesn't hit the spot quite like a homemade pie. On the flip side, continually ordering delivery can add up. Why not take matters into your own hands by investing in the drool-wo

Save 20% on this stylish handcrafted oak wood wireless charger

38Mashable / 8h
TL;DR: Keep your devices juiced up with a Wooden Qi Wireless Charger for $69.99, a 29% savings as of Dec. 27. You probably don’t think of your iPhone charger as more than something purely functional. Phones die and they need to be charged. End of story. But, who said phone chargers can’t also be elegant and stylish? Oakywood’s Wooden Qi Wireless Charger brings a dose of flair and clutter-free cla

Become the in-demand project manager companies will need in 2021

28Mashable / 8h
TL;DR: Make yourself more marketable for jobs with the The Premium 2021 Project and Quality Management Certification Bundle , on sale for $45.99 as of Dec. 27. In theory, project management, at its core, is quite simple: applying knowledge, skills, and techniques to effectively manage projects and meet requirements. In reality, it holds much more power. Project managers are strategic leaders that
YESTERDAY

Samsung in 2020: Galaxy S20, QLED TVs, Buds Live, Z Fold 2, Watch 3 and more

64TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Samsung has had a big year with new TVs, audio products, wearables and some of the very best smartph


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