Losing Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram for several hours on Monday was inconvenient, damaging to businesses, and in some cases, almost catastrophic. According to Facebook, it was all due to configuration changes to its network coordinating routers. It’s a reasonable explanation, but the fact that a single error like that could bring not just Facebook but other Facebook-owned systems grinding to a halt is a bit alarming. One wrong router config change caused multiple services, and even VR headsets, to stop working entirely....

“I didn’t think I’d be a content creator at all, but ever since I started doing it it changed who I am as a person,” Gomez said in a phone interview with Lifewire. “It made me a better person and helped me break out of my shell. I’ve made so many connections and touched so many people it’s just crazy.” In two years, Gomez’s online brand has skyrocketed on Facebook’s relatively new gaming vertical: she’s pulled in over 120,000 followers in that short timeframe....

Animation, as you may or may not know, is a series of drawings strung together to create the illusion of movement. When an artist sits down to create an action for his animated character he or she will have to draw out the entire action in all it’s nuances if they want to create a compelling piece of animation to watch. Using Keyframes in Animation One successful way to do this is by using keyframes....

What Is a FORGE File? A file with the FORGE file extension is a game data file used in Ubisoft games like Assassin’s Creed. It’s a container format that might hold sounds, 3D models, textures, and other things used by the game. They’re typically pretty large, usually over 200 MB. How to Open a FORGE File FORGE files are produced by Ubisoft video games like Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia, and aren’t meant to be opened manually by you, but instead used by the game itself....

Fossil has a reputation for making cool watches, both of the traditional and smart variety, and Fossil Sport is no exception. The question is, does it work as well as it looks? Design: Classy looks, quality controls The Fossil Sport is one slick looking watch, and it’s impressively customizable. There are a number of different colors to choose from, as well as varying colors of extra bands you can buy as accessories....

The Default Photoshop CC Workspace When you open an image or create a new document in Photoshop, you’ll be taken to the workspace. The interface can be customized, but the default layout consists of four main sections: If you need help finding a specific tool or panel, select the magnifying glass in the top-right corner to search for it. You’ll also have the option to download free graphical assets from Adobe....

Google has 10 new features for its Messages app in the works, along with visual updates to the icons for Messages, Contacts, and Phone that will work with Material You themes. And as you might expect, a heavy emphasis is being placed on Rich Communication Services (RCS). Soon you’ll be able to reply to a specific message in your chat history (when RCS is enabled), so a delayed response won’t derail an ongoing conversation....

Overall Findings The choice between Google Home and Google Home Mini comes down to a few characteristics: sound quality, customization options, and size. Google Assistant is the same on both smart speakers. Sound: Google Home Has an Obvious Edge The biggest difference between the Google Home and the Google Home Mini is the sound they produce. The Google Home Mini is primarily a voice-enabled assistant for your home; the larger Google Home is designed to add music to the equation....

Overall Findings The easiest way to understand the differences between HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 is HDMI 2.1 is the current standard of the audio/video format. Since its initial release in 2002, the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) has received numerous version updates, and HDMI 2.1 is the most recent version release. Each subsequent version gets new capabilities or an increase in bandwidth. It means HDMI 2.1 has the most capabilities and highest bandwidth transmission rates of all HDMI versions....

There already are safety features in some vehicles like rear cross-traffic alerts, collision warnings, and automatic emergency braking, but Honda and Verizon want to further those features in cars using 5G connectivity. While their work is in the early stages, the companies are hoping that, if 5G ever is implemented in vehicles, it would provide greater safety for everyone on the road. “If the project eventually comes to fruition, then 5G and mobile edge computing will significantly improve the coordination of self-driving cars and maximize their road safety,” Ivan Kot, a solution consultant at Itransition, wrote to Lifewire in an email....

Nara Logics’ new AI engine uses recent discoveries in neuroscience to replicate brain structure and function. The research is part of a decades-long quest to make computers that can “think” as well as or better than humans. Simulating brain function is one promising approach. “There are obvious benefits to copying what seems to work in biology and implementing them in machines to aid automated decision making in a broad spectrum of daily activities,” Stephen T....

While Bluetooth connectivity is widely available in new cars, it’s easy to add at least some level of the same functionality to any car with any head unit. Depending on the route you go, you may be able to gain access to useful features such as hands-free calling or music streaming. You may even be able to control your car radio using your smartphone. Three Ways to Get Bluetooth for a Car If your current vehicle doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity, but your smartphone or tablet does, you can add the technology to any car using one of three methods....

While the use of facial recognition is growing in the U.S. for law enforcement purposes, in China, the use of facial recognition software is surging to monitor pigs in a bid to increase pork production. The AI-powered software is used to track diseases, make farms more efficient, and help protect endangered species. “If they are not happy and not eating well, in some cases, you can predict whether the pig is sick,” Jackson He, CEO of Yingzi Technologies, which developed the software, told The Guardian....

Sharing contacts on Android used to require you to go through a number of different steps, and the idea of sharing apps was no different, often requiring third-party systems to do so. With Nearby Share, users were finally able to seamlessly share content with other Android devices close to them using wireless Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Now, after over a year of development, Google finally has added the ability to share apps and updates between devices....

How Trilateration Works Trilateration is a sophisticated version of triangulation, though it does not use the measurement of angles in its calculations. Data from a single satellite provides a general location of a point within a large circular area on the Earth’s surface. Adding data from a second satellite allows the GPS to narrow the specific location of that point down to a region where the two areas of satellite data overlap....

The iPhone 4S Handset The iPhone 4S comes in two colors (black and white) and three storage capacities. There is no difference in price between the white handset and the black model, but the price for the different storage capacities varies greatly. The iPhone 4S with 16GB of storage costs $299. With 32GB of storage, the iPhone 4S costs $299. And the new 64GB version costs $399. All of these prices require that you sign a new two-year service agreement and assume that you are eligible for an upgrade from your carrier....

Scientists from MIT and Facebook recently came up with a way to preserve the internet when the fiber is down and reduce cost. The system, called ARROW, could carry 2 to 2.4 times more traffic without having to deploy new fibers. “ARROW can be used to improve service availability and enhance the resiliency of the internet infrastructure against fiber cuts,” MIT postdoc Zhizhen Zhong, the lead author on a new paper about ARROW, said in a news release....

OTT Services Here is an example to better understand the concept: You have a 4G data plan with a mobile operator, from which you have bought a smartphone and with which you have GSM calls and SMS service. Then, you use Skype or any other VoIP service to make cheaper and free voice calls and SMS using the 4G network. Skype is an OTT service. Using the Internet the Way You Want The network service provider utilized for an OTT service has no control, no rights, no responsibilities, and no claim on the latter....

The PICK is a little robot camera that sits in your home and takes photographs, but despite the possible privacy issues, it’s an impressive little gadget that could grow on you the more you learn about it. “While the PowerShot PICK looks like an interesting piece of technology, there are a few privacy concerns,” Chris Hauk, consumer privacy expert at PixelPrivacy, told Lifewire via email. “Depending on local laws, users could be required to inform everyone who enters their home that they may be the subject of photos and videos....

The ENGO 2 glasses were recently released with a heads-up display experience with gesture control and a 12-hour battery life. The $329 glasses are aimed at endurance athletes and show speed and other data on a transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their other activities. It’s part of a growing number of smart glasses hitting stores and online retailers. “The HUD display on glasses is great for providing supplemental information and instructional overlays,” tech analyst Bob Bilbruck, the CEO of Captjur, told Lifewire in an email interview....