Places and Things

18 Surprisingly Practical Uses for Apple AirTags Apple's new $29 Bluetooth beacons definitely drew some inspiration from Tile's lineup of trackers. But just because AirTags are designed like existing smart trackers doesn't mean you can't find other useful ways to use these little homing tags. Continue Reading . . . https://ios.gadgethacks.com/how-to/18-surprisingly-practical-uses-for-apple-airtags-0384571/

Beltane Fire Society casts first female Green Man EDINBURGH – In a break from tradition, this year Edinburgh’s Beltane Fire Society have cast a woman in the role of the Green Man. The actor, Rosamund McCormack, has been a volunteer with the society for many years. She will be playing opposite Rosa McKay, who has been cast as the May Queen. Continue Reading . . . https://wildhunt.org/2021/04/beltane-fire-society-casts-first-female-green-man.html

Apple's privacy battle with Facebook just became all-out war Apple and Facebook may be two of tech's biggest companies, but on the surface they seem very different. Apple rang up most of its $274.5 billion in sales last year pushing iPhones, iPads, Mac computers and AirPods headphones. Continue Reading . . . https://www.cnet.com/news/apples-privacy-battle-with-facebook-just-became-all-out-war/

Watch the trailer for the final season of Netflix's 'Castlevania' Netflix revealed a couple of weeks ago that the fourth season of Castlevania will also be its last. Now, the streaming giant has released a two-and-a-half minute trailer to give you a glimpse of what you can expect from the show. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/trailer-final-season-netflix-castlevania-090742646.html

Amazon to increase the pay of over 500,000 workers amid union battles Amazon has announced a pay rise of up to $3 an hour for logistics workers amid heightened scrutiny of its controversial labor practices. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/amazon-increase-pay-workers-union-110026547.html

Google updates latest Chromecast with more HDR controls and improved Wi-Fi performance Google is rolling out a new April update for the Chromecast with Google TV that launched last year. It’s a fairly large update for a streaming device — totaling 166MB on my Chromecast — but includes numerous improvements. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/29/22410534/google-chromecast-april-2021-update-hdr-wifi

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart looks incredible in 16 minutes of new gameplay footage Sony and Insomniac Games debuted 16 minutes of stunning new Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart gameplay footage in a new State of Play presentation on Thursday. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/29/22406719/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-state-of-play-sony-insomniac-games-playstation-5

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Watch Samsung's latest Galaxy Unpacked event with us at 10AM ET Samsung is on the cusp of its third Galaxy Unpacked event of 2021, and it won't surprise you to hear that the company would like you to tune in. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/watch-samsung-galaxy-unpacked-april-28-event-132339626.html

How Pixar created Luca’s adorable, transforming sea monsters Luca, the next feature film from Pixar, is a coming-of-age story about a pair of unassuming young boys who carry a big secret, as they’re actually sea monsters. Luca and Alberto appear as human on land, where they explore a quaint Italian seaside village. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/22406133/pixar-luca-sea-monsters-transformation-interview-disney-plus

Apple’s iPhone 12 and Mac sales skyrocket despite ongoing pandemic Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup maintained enormously strong demand from consumers from January through March, according to the company’s fiscal Q2 earnings posted today. Apple reported record March quarter revenue of $89.6 billion, up 54 percent year over year. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/28/22407894/apple-q2-2021-earnings-iphone-ipad-mac

Amazon’s pay raise for over 500,000 workers comes at an interesting time Amazon has announced that over 500,000 of its workers will get a permanent increase in their hourly wages starting in mid-May, from as low as an additional 50 cents an hour to as much as three extra dollars per hour (via GeekWire). That’s a substantial chunk of its 1. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/28/22408440/amazon-hourly-wage-increase-2021-factory-delivery-workers

Sony has sold 7.8 million PS5 consoles to date Sony has sold 7.8 million PlayStation 5 consoles since its launch last year, the company says in its latest earnings report. The number of PlayStation Plus subscribers is now 47.6 million, a 14.7 percent increase year on year. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/28/22407195/sony-ps5-sales-numbers-q4-2020-earnings

Nike's PlayStation 5-themed shoes arrive next month In 2018 Paul George talked up his PlayStation fandom while introducing a PG 2.5 shoe with lights and sounds linked to Sony's console, and now there's a PlayStation 5 set on the way for his latest silhouette. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/ps5-pg-5-030359959.html

iOS 14.5 walkthrough – hands-on with what's new - 9to5Mac Yesterday Apple released the final version of iOS iOS 14.5 to the public. If you’ve been following 9to5Mac‘s beta coverage for the past few months, you know that iOS 14.5 is a huge release that’s jam-packed with lots of new features and changes. Continue Reading . . . https://9to5mac.com/2021/04/27/ios-14-5-walkthrough-new-emoji-apple-watch-unlock-airtag-support-video/

Apple's next-gen 'M2' Mac processor has reportedly gone into production Apple's successor to its M1 Apple Silicon chip could arrive in MacBook computers by the second half of this year, according to a report from Nikkei. Tentatively known as M2, the processor has reportedly gone into production and could start shipping by July 2021. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/apple-m2-mac-processor-production-103824807.html

A Population Bust We look at the upsides and downsides of slow population growth in the U.S. The U.S. population grew by only 7.4 percent over the past decade, the smallest increase since the 1930s, the Census Bureau reported yesterday. Continue Reading . . . https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/briefing/vaccines-gavin-newsom-ransomware-attack.html

How to use iOS 14.5’s new app tracking blocker Privacy is on everyone’s mind these days, and in iOS 14.5, which is starting to roll out to the public today, there are new privacy features that may make you feel happier but are not endearing Apple to some other companies — specifically Facebook. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/22403523/ios-14-5-tracking-consent-app-transparency-how-to

What’s In My Bag: A Travel Photographer’s High End Kit For Landscapes, Astro & More Andy Luten (@realandyluten) is a proud Texan from Dallas, but he loves leaving home to go see, and photograph, the world. "It makes coming back home more fun!" In 2012 Luten founded a travel blog as a creatve outlet. Continue Reading . . . https://alphauniverse.com/stories/whats-in-my-bag-a-travel-photographers-high-end-kit-for-landscapes-astro-and-more/

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iOS 14.5 is out now with new Face ID mask features and Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Apple has begun rolling out iOS and iPadOS 14.5. The latest software update includes the new App Tracking Transparency feature, which lets users decide whether to allow apps to track their activity “across other companies’ apps and websites” for advertising purposes. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/26/22403554/apple-ios-ipados-14-5-now-available-iphone-unlock-face-mask-app-tracking

Alpha 1 Receives Gold Award & Highest Rating Ever From DPReview DPReview recently completed their extended review for the Sony Alpha 1. After examining the camera’s handling and controls, image quality, autofocus, video performance and more, they gave the Alpha 1 the Gold Award and a 93% rating, the highest rating DPReview has ever given a camera. Continue Reading . . . https://alphauniverse.com/stories/alpha-1-receives-gold-award-and-highest-rating-ever-from-dpreview/

How to unlock your iOS 14.5 iPhone with your Apple Watch Apple’s iOS 14.5 is out, and with it comes the ability to have your Apple Watch unlock your Face ID-protected phone if you happen to be wearing a mask. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/22403738/iphone-unlock-watch-ios-14-5

watchOS 7.4 arrives with an easier way to unlock your iPhone Along with iOS 14.5, Apple has rolled out updates to its other operating systems. One of the key features of the latest iOS firmware is an easier way to unlock your iPhone. As long as you're wearing an Apple Watch running watchOS 7. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/apple-watchos-iphone-unlock-macos-tvos-homepod-181749610.html

Spotify is raising the price of its family plan in the US Spotify is increasing the price of its Premium Family plan in the US. As of April 30th, it will cost $16 per month, up from $15 monthly, to get up to six in the same household access to the company's ad-free listening experience. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/spotify-family-plan-increase-us-183721355.html

PSA: You can apparently still lose jobs and get arrested for an overdue VHS rental Ever mysteriously lost a job opportunity? Did they treat you like a criminal? Better check to see if your family forgot to return a VHS tape 22 years ago! Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/26/22404134/vhs-tape-rental-overdue-warrant-caron-davis-mcbride-sabrina-teenage-witch

The macOS 11.3 update includes a massive security patch and new emoji Apple has just released macOS 11.3, alongside iOS 14.5. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/26/22404124/mac-macos-update-11-3-security-ios-app-m1-gaming-controller-music

Apple announces new $1 billion North Carolina campus and $80 billion additional US spending Apple has announced new spending plans for the US, including the establishment of a 3,000-employee “campus and engineering hub” in North Carolina and the commitment of an additional $80 billion in investment across the country. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/26/22403407/apple-us-spending-new-north-carolina-campus

Don’t Miss the Next Full Moon – A Pink “Supermoon” The Next Full Moon is the Pink Moon, the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, the Fish Moon, the Paschal Moon (for Eastern Christianity), Hanuman Jayanti, Bak Poya, and a Supermoon. Continue Reading . . . https://scitechdaily.com/dont-miss-the-next-full-moon-a-pink-supermoon/

New Siri Remote waves goodbye to Apple TV games that require motion control Apple’s new Siri Remote doesn’t come equipped with an accelerometer or gyroscope, which means it won’t work as a motion controller in certain Apple TV games. The omission was initially spotted by Digital Trends, and can be seen on the remotes’ product pages. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/23/22398974/apple-tv-siri-remote-motion-controls-accelerometer-three-axis-gyro

How to order Apple AirTags Apple announced a bunch of new devices at its "Spring Loaded" event earlier this week and now you can actually buy them. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/how-to-order-apple-airtags-iphone-12-purple-24-inch-imac-ipad-pro-apple-tv-4k-120012336.html

Despite lockdowns, Rome celebrates its 2774th birthday ROME – Last Thursday, the “eternal city” of Rome celebrated its founding 2,774 years ago. According to legend, the city was founded by Romulus, the first king of Rome, who was the son of the god Mars and a princess of the central Italian kingdom of Alba Longa, Rhea Silvia. Continue Reading . . . https://wildhunt.org/2021/04/despite-lockdowns-rome-celebrates-its-2774th-birthday.html

Europeans Are Sharing How Sex Is Treated In Their Countries Compared To The U.S. And It's Eye-Opening It's no secret that the United States has a weird relationship with sex. The media is seemingly obsessed with sex and nudity, yet a large portion of the country preaches a very conservative approach toward sexuality. We are very confusing. Europe, on the other hand, is way less uptight about sex. Continue Reading . . . https://www.buzzfeed.com/daniellaemanuel/europeans-sharing-sex-compared-us

There Is a Lot of Fungus Among Us Inside a state-of-the-art lab, tucked in an industrial neighborhood on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, employees wearing protective suits move around two clear boxes, careful not to disrupt the tubes and sensors that keep temperature and humidity constant. Inside the boxes are mushrooms. Continue Reading . . . https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/24/business/there-is-a-lot-of-fungus-among-us.html

‘Daredevil,’ ‘Jessica Jones’ & ‘The Punisher’ Rumored to Return in the MCU, But with a Twist With the rights to the likes of Daredevil, The Punisher, and Jessica Jones, as well as other figures of the MCU Netflix shows, having now reverted to Marvel Studios, fans have been waiting patiently to find out whether we will ever see them again. Continue Reading . . . https://movieweb.com/daredevil-jessica-jones-punisher-mcu-return/

The world's 'most powerful' tidal turbine is nearly ready to power on Earlier this week, a company Orbital Marine Power successfully launched its latest tidal turbine. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/orbital-marine-power-o2-tidal-turbine-212319827.html

High Hopes plans to extract atmospheric CO2 with hot air balloons A German-Israeli startup has chosen Earth Day to announce its plan to launch an audacious carbon capture plan with balloons. High Hopes believes that its proposed solution will make it easier, and cheaper, to extract large volumes of CO2 from the air. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/high-hopes-balloon-carbon-capture-120057079.html

The Morning After: NASA's Perseverance rover is making oxygen on Mars After a relatively quiet few months, all the game movie news came at the same time. No, it’s not another Uncharted delay (that we know of), but a new, reimagined Mortal Kombat movie lands tomorrow. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-nas-as-perseverance-rover-is-making-oxygen-on-mars-113356990.html

Joe Biden pledges to drastically slash US greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 President Joe Biden announced a new goal to sharply cut down US greenhouse gas emissions this decade. The country’s new mandate is to reduce planet-heating gases by 50 to 52 percent of what the US emitted in 2005. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/22/22394366/joe-biden-pledge-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-2030

Tesla's solar panels and Powerwall batteries are becoming a package deal If you're still thinking about getting a Tesla Powerwall or equip your roof with its redesigned solar panels, you should probably consider getting both or going elsewhere entirely. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/tesla-solar-powerwall-exclusive-bundle-063934061.html

Nikon products receive the “Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021” TOKYO - Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce that its products have received the "Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021", sponsored by Germany's Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen. The Red Dot Design Award is a world-class design competition that has around 65 years of history. Continue Reading . . . https://www.nikon.com/news/2021/0422_reddot_01.htm

Top 10 Mistakes That Cause Blurry Pictures (And How to Fix Them) It’s a common question, and one that doesn’t have an easy answer. The truth is that blurry pictures are caused by many factors – so if your photos are blurry, it’s often difficult to pinpoint the exact problem. That’s why I wrote this article. Continue Reading . . . https://digital-photography-school.com/?p=77028

Apple’s AirTags will work with Android... sort of Apple’s AirTags have one feature not mentioned during the announcement yesterday: they’ll work with Android to a limited extent. As 9to5Mac noted, there’s a support article on Apple’s site that details how AirTags will work with an Android device if you don’t have your iPhone handy. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/21/22395520/apples-airtags-android-bluetooth-uwb-nfc

The US has a long way to go to make up for its part in the climate crisis The US plans to officially ratchet up its climate commitments going into Earth Day tomorrow, but many advocates are skeptical that it will be ambitious enough to balance out the nation’s inordinate role in creating the climate crisis. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/22396522/us-climate-change-commitment-paris-agreement-joe-biden

Disney's new deal with Sony gets Spider-Man flicks on Disney+ Just a couple of weeks ago, Sony Pictures closed a deal with Netflix over exclusive streaming rights for its theatrical streaming releases starting in 2022 as well as catalog titles and some new originals they will team up to produce. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/sony-disney-licensing-014946942.html

Apple TV 4K box gets a long-overdue upgrade: Everything new It may have taken nearly three years, but Apple is finally giving the Apple TV 4K an upgrade, announced at Apple's 'Spring Loaded' event. The new streaming box costs $179 (£169, AU$249) with 32GB or $199 (£189, AU$279) for 64GB and boasts the company's A12 Bionic processor. Continue Reading . . . https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-tv-4k-box-gets-long-overdue-upgrade-everything-new/

New: Mars In 4K A world first. New footage from Mars rendered in stunning 4K resolution. We also talk about the cameras on board the Martian rovers and how we made the video. The cameras on board the rovers were the height of technology when the respective missions launched. A question often asked is: ‘Why do Continue Reading . . . https://youtu.be/ZEyAs3NWH4A

Why Mars? The fascination with exploring the red planet The mystique of Mars is one that humans can't seem to resist. The red planet has easily captured our interest for centuries, heavily featured in science fiction books and films and the subject of robotic exploration since the 1960s. Continue Reading . . . https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/15/world/mars-exploration-humankind-scn/index.html

You can buy Apple’s new $60 Siri remote a la carte for your old Apple TV, too Apple has finally excised its much-maligned Apple TV remote with a new iteration that ditches the confusing touchpad for some good old-fashioned buttons. But you won’t need to shell out for Apple’s updated Apple TV 4K to get one. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/20/22394196/apple-tv-4k-new-siri-remote-sold-separately-price-buttons

Here are all the AirTag accessories we know about The Apple AirTags have finally been announced, and with them come a ton of accessories to make them easier to use (so much easier than if it had, say, a built-in way to attach it to things). Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/20/22394331/apple-airtag-release-launch-accessory-roundup-nomad-belkin