The TRIM Command The TRIM command helps the OS clean up data in storage blocks that are no longer needed. This optimizes the write performance of an SSD by keeping more blocks of data free to be written to. It also prevents the SSD from being so aggressive in cleaning up after itself that it causes wear on the memory chips. In this way, it prevents premature failure. TRIM is supported in OS X Lion (10....

EU antitrust regulators reportedly are set to charge Apple with anti-competitive practices regarding Apple Pay and the NFC chip inside iPhones, which enables tap-and-go payments. The company allegedly refuses to allow rivals access to the payment system. “Allowing access to the NFC functionality via an open API would mean third-party payment services could have the same or similar functionality as Apple Pay without direct control or fees dictated by Apple,” Sean O’Brien, a visiting fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School, told Lifewire in an email interview....

Dubbed MoonBounce by the security sleuths at Kaspersky who discovered it, the malware, technically called a bootkit, traverses beyond the hard disk and burrows itself in the computer’s Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) boot firmware. “The attack is very sophisticated,” Tomer Bar, Director of Security Research at SafeBreach, told Lifewire over email. “Once the victim is infected, it is very persistent since even a hard drive format won’t help.”...

Add a Chart in Excel Charts and graphs are visual representations of worksheet data. These graphics help you understand the data in a worksheet by displaying patterns and trends that are difficult to see in the data. The best way to learn about the various charts in Excel is to try them out. Graphs are used to illustrate trends over time, and charts illustrate patterns or contain information about frequency. Select the Excel chart or graph format that best fits your needs....

The already eye-popping recording time is expandable via microSD up to 32GB of total storage for nearly eight times the recording space. The backlit displays add quick access to the date, time, and current recording mode, while a built-in earphone mini-jack offers private playback. Transferring files off the Sony is a snap, thanks to a built-in USB port that plugs right into both Windows and Mac computers. Storage: 4GB internal | Battery: 159 hours | Microphone: Stereo Playback speed control doesn’t alter pitch, so musicians learn new music and journalists can transcribe audio, free from concerns over quality shifting....

“Password use should become obsolete, and we should look for different ways to log into accounts,” CEO of security vendor Gurucul, Saryu Nayyar, told Lifewire via email. The Problem With Passwords In December, The Sun reported that the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) supplied over 500 million passwords to the popular Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) service, which it had uncovered during an investigation. HIBP enables users to check if their passwords have been leaked in a breach and are prone to abuse by hackers....

According to Windows Central, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published documents last week detailing Microsoft’s filing, which noted the device will include those capabilities in addition to “Wireless Power Transfer”—which Windows Central notes potentially could mean Qi Wireless charging or charging for the Surface Pen. The 5G and NFC compatibility would be the first time these features were made available in a Surface Duo device and something customers have been asking for....

Top charts: Spotify is launching a pair of new podcast charts—Top Podcasts and Trending Podcasts—that aim to make it easier for listeners to discover new favorites and see where their current favorites rank. How they work: Launching today in 26 markets, including the US, the UK, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Mexico, and Sweden, the charts will display the “fastest-climbing of-the-moment trends for podcasts,” as well as list the overall most popular shows in your area based on recent listener numbers....

The problem generally causes the Xbox to abort the download, and sometimes the console will drop the connection to the router, which may give the impression that the wireless adapter attached to the Xbox is faulty. However, for this specific error, an Xbox networking or connection issue is likely not the problem, and you can save yourself a good amount of troubleshooting time by trying this solution first. Correcting the Error First, check your Xbox network account status....

When it happens: Gamers will be able to catch the live in-game concert on any one of five days and times, including: April 23rd, 7PM ET for the U.S.April 24th, 10AM ET for EuropeApril 25th, 12AM ET for AsiaApril 25th, 11AM ET for EuropeApril 25th, 6PM ET for the U.S. You’ll be able to log in and watch any of these shows; they’re not locked to regions, but rather put on at times to afford people in those locations a chance to see the event....

Free Driver Scout will search for, download, and install all of your outdated device drivers for you, automatically and without any further taps, clicks, or other work from you. More About Free Driver Scout Support for most versions of Windows, along with a nice feature that’s helpful prior to a major Windows upgrade, are a few of the features you’ll find in Free Driver Scout: Free Driver Scout finds and installs device drivers for Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP....

On this day, thousands of online retailers, both large and small, offer free shipping and guarantee your items by Christmas Eve. In 2022, Free Shipping Day will be Wednesday, December 14. This shopping day has been going strong since 2008, and it gets bigger every year, generating more sales than even Black Friday in 2010. Participating retailers waive minimum ordering requirements, making it a great way to finish last-minute holiday shopping, save money, and steer clear of the crowds....

Inexpensive webcams opened up internet video to the masses. For less than $100, anyone can start recording video and uploading it to their favorite site. There are no fancy camcorders, and you don’t even need a phone to take high quality video and audio. Which one is right for you? We ran the Genius WideCam F100 through a series of popular tasks to see if it’s right for streaming, recording, or video chat....

Initially spotted by Android Police on Thursday, the company’s experiment to only show partial URLs in the browser bar will officially end without launching. Google has attempted to hide full URLs on and off for years, most notably in Chrome 86, which launched last year. Chrome 86 hid all parts of web addresses except the domain name, and was accompanied by a hover animation. A Google developer said the company’s initial reasoning behind hiding full URLs was “because phishing and other forms of social engineering are still rampant on the web, and much research shows that browsers’ current URL display patterns aren’t effective defenses,” according to the Chromium bug tracker....

According to 9to5Google, the tech giant is working on the development of “quick phrases,” so you won’t have to prompt the voice assistant every time you need something. Specifically, quick phrases would work with the most-asked commands, such as “turn up the volume,” “create a reminder,” “set an alarm for 8 a.m.,” “what’s the weather,” and more. The commands you can choose to be quick phrases reportedly are categorized as Recommended, Alarms, Connect, General info, Lights, Media Controls, Timers, and To-Dos....

How Often Is Google Maps Updated? Google regularly releases updates for Google Maps to ensure accuracy and improve directions. If your smartphone or tablet is set up to automatically update Android apps, these new features will become available right away. However, if you want to make sure you’re running the latest version, you can perform a manual update. How to Update Google Maps on Android To update Maps for Android:...

When Will the Google Nest Audio Be Released? The Nest Audio was announced on September 30, 2020. It launched on the Google Store and other retailers in the US, Canada, and India on October 5. Target, Best Buy, and other stores in 21 countries began offering the smart speaker on October 15. Google Nest Audio Price The Nest Audio is priced at $99.99 in the US, $30 less than the original Google Home when it first came out and the same price as some competing speakers like Apple’s HomePod mini....

Smart displays provide additional benefits over smart speakers, allowing you to visually interact with a voice assistant as well as communicate via voice. Google’s Nest Hub 2nd Gen is the successor to the brand’s original Nest Hub (previously called Google Home Hub). Design: A similar look The Nest Hub 2nd Gen looks similar to the original Nest Hub, and it’s tough to tell the difference between the new and old models at first glance....

The company just announced that Chrome has fallen victim to a zero-day attack, meaning hackers have taken advantage of a security lapse before a fix could be released, as reported by an official security warning. The bad news? This is extremely dangerous for all Chrome users and impacts Windows, Mac, and Linux browsers. The good news? Google is rolling out a security patch beginning today. The company pushed out Chrome 96....

In a blog post published Thursday, the tech giant wrote that a new safety section within Google Play would provide more transparency into the data that apps collect and share. Google said the new safety section would make developers disclose what type of data is collected and stored within their apps and how that data is used (i.e., for app functionality or personalization). The company said examples of personal data include user location, photos and videos, personal information, contacts, and more....