Places and Things

Japan’s October Sales Numbers Released: Sony Overtakes Canon October sales ranking from the six leading dealers in Japan has been released by Phileweb showing the Sony a7S III outsold both the Canon EOS R5 and R6 last month, but Canon still beat out Nikon in the DSLR category. Continue Reading . . . https://petapixel.com/2020/11/30/japans-october-sales-numbers-released-sony-overtakes-canon/

Maserati says all of its cars will be hybrid or fully electric in five years Over the next five years, Maserati plans to electrify its entire lineup — but, as Electrek points out, don’t expect to see the automaker announce a flood of battery-electric models just yet. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/maserati-electrifiction-plan-204757883.html

This Guy Watercooled His Canon R5 and Unlocked Unlimited 8K The Canon R5’s overheating time limit has been the subject of much discussion and controversy. Regardless of how or why the overheating happens, Matthew Perks over at DIY Perks has come up with an unusual mod that actually works to fix it: he watercooled his camera. Continue Reading . . . https://petapixel.com/2020/11/28/this-guy-watercooled-his-canon-r5-and-unlocked-unlimited-8k/

iPhone 12 Pro Max camera: Why this pro photographer is super excited As a professional photographer, I've been blown away by how the iPhone 11 Pro has been able to replace my DSLR on photo shoots. Continue Reading . . . https://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-12-pro-max-apple-camera-features-why-pro-photographers-excited-longer-zoom-bigger-image-sensor-night-mode/

Darth Vader actor David Prowse has died at 85 David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films, has died, the Associated Press reported. He was 85. George Lucas asked Prowse to audition for Star Wars after seeing the 6-foot-6 actor in the 1971 Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/29/21724911/darth-vader-actor-david-prowse-died-star-wars

Scientists might know why astronauts develop health problems in space People are more likely to develop health issues with extended time in space, such as cardiovascular and sleep disruptions. But why? Scientists might have an idea. They’ve published research indicating that mitochondria, the energy-producing “powerhouses” of cells, may play a key role. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/astronaut-health-issues-in-mitochondria-192126203.html

Review: Sony A7R IV (The Pound for Pound Resolution King) Earlier this summer, Sony announced its latest high-resolution flagship Full Frame Mirrorless camera, the Sony A7R IV, which was met with an overwhelmingly positive reception. At the heart of the Sony A7R IV is its brand new, 61MP, backside-illuminated sensor. Continue Reading . . . https://www.thephoblographer.com/2019/11/21/review-sony-a7r-iv/

Jaw-dropping visions in the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards Inarguably one of the most spectacular photo contests around, the International Landscape Photographer of the Year has again delivered a truly awe-inspiring selection of highlights in its seventh year. Continue Reading . . . https://newatlas.com/photography/international-landscape-photographer-of-the-year-2020-awards-gallery/

400 years on, the Pilgrims get a reality check The good people of Plymouth, Massachusetts, had big plans for 2020, the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival in New England. Continue Reading . . . https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/11/400-years-on-pilgrims-get-reality-check/

Scientists find neutrinos from star fusion for the first time Researchers have effectively confirmed one of the most important theories in star physics. NBC News reports that a team at the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics has detected neutrinos traced back to star fusion for the first time. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/scientists-detect-star-fusion-neutrinos-210031793.html

Germany's national rail operator will experiment with hydrogen trains Germany’s national rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) has announced that it’s developing a hydrogen-powered train with an eye to replacing diesel trains, CNBC has reported. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/germanys-national-rail-operator-will-experiment-with-hydrogen-trains-170153323.html

11 Ways to Overcome Creative Blocks as a Photographer Creative blocks can happen to everyone, including us photographers. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to combat that dreaded phenomenon. Continue Reading . . . https://digital-photography-school.com/?p=195408

Comcast to raise internet and TV prices nationwide next year If you’re a Comcast TV and internet user, prepare for price hikes. The company is planning to increase the prices of a variety of services starting January 1st, 2021, according to Ars Technica and a document detailing the various price increases being shared on Reddit. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/25/21719695/comcast-internet-tv-cost-bill-increase-price-2021

Satellite images show online shopping’s growing footprint You might not see it each time you make a purchase, but online shopping takes up a lot of space in the real world. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/21611862/satellite-images-online-shopping-growing-footprint-warehouses

7 Rules & Techniques Of Composition For Photographers As a photographer, it’s important to understand the rules and techniques of composition. Whether you already know them or not, brushing up on the basics can help give new life to your photography. Continue Reading . . . https://alphauniverse.com/stories/7-rules-and-techniques-of-composition-for-all-photographers/

Lightroom Color Grading: An Easy Way to Supercharge Your Photos The October 2020 update to Lightroom Classic introduced a feature called Color Grading, which puts an advanced color-correction tool in the hands of everyone who uses Lightroom. For newcomers who have never tried this technique, it can feel a bit overwhelming. Continue Reading . . . https://digital-photography-school.com/?p=197725

Amazon renews The Expanse for a sixth and final season The Expanse will come to a (second) end after its sixth season, Amazon Studios announced today. The news arrives ahead of the show’s fifth season premiere. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/24/21625801/expanse-season-6-renewed-finale-ending-amazon-cancel

Amazon and the US government team up to thwart online counterfeits Amazon is following through on its reported plans to work with officials in its fight against counterfeits. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/amazon-ipr-center-online-counterfeits-162145752.html

The Verge’s Guide to Black Friday 2020 If you’re looking for something to do while recovering from your Thanksgiving meal — whether you’ve enjoyed it with family or ate it while zooming with friends — something to enjoy are this year’s biggest shopping events: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/21583092/black-friday-guide-cyber-monday-tech-gadgets

Microsoft hints at turning Xbox into an app for your TV Microsoft is in the early phases of rolling out its xCloud streaming service on mobile devices, but TVs are the next logical step. In an interview with The Verge, Xbox chief Phil Spencer has revealed we’ll likely see an Xbox app appear on smart TVs over the next year. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/24/21612714/microsoft-xbox-app-tv-xcloud-streaming-app

The Ultimate Gear Guide To Wedding Day Photography – Part 2 Robert Evans is a Sony Artisan and storyteller wedding photographer. When photographing a wedding, he typically spends 10 hours a day capturing images to tell the story of the couple. Continue Reading . . . https://alphauniverse.com/stories/the-ultimate-gear-guide-to-wedding-day-photography-part-2/

Elon Musk overtakes Bill Gates to become world’s second richest person behind Jeff Bezos Elon Musk has passed Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to become the world’s second richest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Tesla CEO’s net worth now sits at around $128 billion, after increasing by $100 billion this year. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/24/21612410/elon-musk-overtakes-bill-gates-to-become-worlds-second-richest-person-behind-jeff-bezos

Watch a Porsche Taycan break the Guinness World Record for an EV drift If you’ve ever kicked out the tail of your car, you’re aware of the razor-thin line between a clean drift and a wild spin. Now, imagine holding that knife edge for 55 minutes over a marathon distance of 26.2 miles. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/watch-a-porsche-taycan-do-the-worlds-longest-ev-drift-095016285.html

Twitter will warn you if you 'like' misleading tweets Twitter started flagging tweets for disputed and potentially misleading content this year ahead of the 2020 Presidential Elections. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/twitter-misleading-tweets-like-warning-043253138.html

Biden Picks First Latino to Lead DHS, First Woman to Serve as Intel Chief President-elect Joe Biden named Avril Haines to be his director of national intelligence and Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security, his transition team announced Monday. Continue Reading . . . https://www.thedailybeast.com/biden-picks-alejandro-mayorkas-to-lead-dhs-avril-haines-to-serve-as-intel-chief

Doctors say CDC should warn people the side effects from Covid vaccine shots won't be 'a walk in the park' Public health officials and drugmakers must be transparent about the side effects people may experience after getting their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine, doctors urged during a meeting Monday with CDC advisors as states prepare to distribute doses as early as next month. Dr. Continue Reading . . . https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/23/covid-vaccine-cdc-should-warn-people-the-side-effects-from-shots-wont-be-walk-in-the-park-.html

Entering the Shadowlands: Introduction Questline During the intro questline, players will be introduced to the The Maw for the first time, which is the "max-level" zone of the Shadowlands. Continue Reading . . . https://www.icy-veins.com/wow/entering-the-shadowlands-introduction-questline

The biggest tech stories this morning. Cyperpunk 2077 is the most anticipated game of the year. It’s been able to hold on to that title by suffering heavy delays that have pushed the release date back several times. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-cyberpunk-2077-ray-tracing-122804080.html

How to find the best deals during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020 Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest shopping days of the year, a relentless, deals-packed weekend when you can find the best prices on tech products like laptops, 4K TVs, phones, and more. And of course, these good deals are all accessible online. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/21587765/black-friday-cyber-monday-best-deals-how-to-find

The latest 'Cyberpunk 2077' video shows off its ray-tracing features Cyberpunk 2077 should, at long last, arrive in three weeks. To whet your appetite a bit more, CD Projekt Red and NVIDIA have shed more light on the highly anticipated RPG's ray-tracing features.  Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/cyberpunk-2077-ray-tracing-gameplay-developer-video-160650272.html

The MacBook Air is once again the benchmark by which other laptops will be measured Last week I wrote that Apple seemed “astonishingly confident” in its new M1-based Macs. This week we know why: they are astonishingly good. I reviewed the MacBook Air, Nilay Patel reviewed the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Chris Welch reviewed the new Mac mini. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/20/21578582/macbook-air-benchmark-laptops-ultrabooks-apple-intel-qualcomm

Windows turns 35: a visual history The PC revolution started off life 35 years ago this week. Microsoft launched its first version of Windows on November 20th, 1985, to succeed MS-DOS. It was a huge milestone that paved the way for the modern versions of Windows we use today. While Windows 10 doesn’t look anything like Windows 1. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2015/11/19/9759874/microsoft-windows-35-years-old-visual-history

Deep Frozen Arctic Microbes Are Waking Up In August 2019, Iceland held a funeral for the Okjökull Glacier, the first Icelandic glacier lost to climate change. The community commemorated the event with a plaque in recognition of this irreversible change and the grave impacts it represents. Continue Reading . . . https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/deep-frozen-arctic-microbes-are-waking-up/

Google Assistant coming to Samsung TVs in 12 countries by year end Google Assistant is now available on Samsung’s 2020 TVs in the UK, France, Germany, and Italy, and will be available in 12 countries by the end of the year, Samsung has announced. This follows the launch of Google’s voice assistant on Samsung’s TVs in the US last month. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/20/21579081/google-assistant-samsung-2020-smart-tvs-voice-assistant

Microsoft Teams takes on Zoom with free all-day video calling on the web Microsoft is making a big push to entice fans of Zoom over to Microsoft Teams with a new all-day video calling option that can be used for free. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/20/21579076/microsoft-teams-free-video-calling-web-zoom-competition

YouTube will run ads on smaller creators' videos without paying them Don’t be surprised if you start seeing ads on videos made by smaller YouTube creators. The video-sharing website has updated its Terms of Service, and it includes a new section that gives it the right to monetize videos from channels not big enough to be part of its Partner Program. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/youtube-ads-on-small-creator-videos-111043478.html

Nik Collection Celebrates 25 Years Of Being The World’s Favourite Suite Of Photoshop Plugins Back in 1995, Nils Kokemohr founded a software company that went on to develop Nik Collection; one of the most popular suite of image plugins that help photographers using Adobe Photoshop to realize their vision through the use of simple tools based on exclusive algorithms and designed to improve th Continue Reading . . . https://www.forbes.com/sites/marksparrow/2020/11/18/nik-collection-celebrates-25-years-of-being-the-worlds-favourite-suite-of-photoshop-plugins/

'Wonder Woman 1984' leak points to HBO Max debut on Christmas Day Last week there were rumors that Warner Bros. might release its Wonder Woman sequel in theaters on Christmas and to streaming soon after, but a new leak suggests the schedule is even tighter than that. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/wonder-woman-hbo-max-december-25-234420280.html

Apple and PBS deal bring Peanuts holiday specials to TV ad-free It turns out beloved Peanuts specials A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas will air on TV this year, after all. Apple has come to an agreement with PBS and PBS Kids to bring the two specials to their audiences. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/peanuts-holiday-specials-tv-apple-pbs-deal-232441588.html

'Justice League' Snyder Cut gets a new teaser, no release date We still don’t know when Zack Snyder’s fabled reimagining of Justice League will hit HBO Max — aside from a vague 2021 target — but at least we’ve got some new footage to gawk at. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/justice-league-snyder-cut-teaser-hbo-max-181817841.html

Help your family create healthy digital habits Stay in the loop as your child explores on their Android device Continue Reading . . . https://families.google.com/familylink/

Google Assistant will let your kids ask it where you are If your family is anything like mine, smart displays like the Nest Hub tend to get a lot of use by both adults and kids. The conversational capabilities of Google Assistant make that almost a certainty. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/google-assistant-family-features-180053043.html

Google Pay’s massive relaunch makes it an all-encompassing money app Today, Google Pay for both Android and iOS is relaunching with a giant array of new features. It turns the app from something that most people think of as a tap-to-pay card repository or peer-to-peer payment system into a much more ambitious service. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/18/21571806/google-pay-relaunch-money-payments-finances-deals-offers-banking-plex

FAA says the Boeing 737 Max can fly again Boeing’s 737 Max is one large step closer to returning to American skies after being grounded for over a year and a half. The FAA has issued an order effectively clearing the 737 Max’s return to service once airlines follow key procedures. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/faa-approves-boeing-737-max-return-to-service-143637238.html

Apple will reduce App Store cut to 15 percent for most developers starting January 1st On Wednesday, Apple announced a reduction to its longstanding App Store commission rate, one of the most substantial changes to how iOS developers earn money in the history of the iPhone maker’s digital app marketplace, as part of a new program for small businesses. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/18/21572302/apple-app-store-small-business-program-commission-cut-15-percent-reduction

Google’s latest AI tool turns your MS Paint doodles into freakish monsters To back up this claim with incontrovertible evidence: here’s an AI tool made by Google researchers that turns doodles into weird monsters. What could be more profound? It’s certainly fun, anyway. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/11/18/21572884/google-ai-tool-gan-chimera-painter-machine-learning-monsters

What is ProRAW and How to Shoot RAW Photos on iPhone? As expected, Apple has once again bet big on the pro-grade camera to make the high-end iPhones a lucrative choice for mobile photographers and photography enthusiasts. The triple camera system has received some notable improvements along with the addition of ProRAW for shooting DSLR likes shots. Continue Reading . . . https://beebom.com/what-is-proraw-shoot-raw-photos-iphone/

Lightsaber technology has improved in the real world with the help of this retractable plasma sword Lightsaber technology has come a long way since Star Wars' George Lucas painted some wooden dowel rods for Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. Now people in the real world have actually created the ancient and respected blade of the Jedi — and it's getting closer and closer to the legit canon construction. Continue Reading . . . https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/lightsaber-real-world-retractable

Adobe's Black Friday sale discounts Creative Cloud plans by 25 percent If you’ve been mulling over making the leap to Adobe’s Creative Cloud for school, work or your latest quarantine project, now is the time to strike. The company is offering a 25 percent discount on its All Apps plan if you sign up between now and December 3rd. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/adobe-creative-cloud-black-friday-discounts-195841005.html

Google’s latest Chrome update delivers ‘largest performance gain in years’ Google is wrapping up 2020 with major performance enhancements to the company’s Google Chrome browser. “This month’s update represents the largest gain in Chrome performance in years,” Matt Waddell, Chrome’s director of product, wrote in a blog post. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/17/21571832/google-chrome-2020-speed-memory-improvements