Posts

Technical Limitations of Satellite Service for VPN Virtual private networks require a connection with high bandwidth and low latency to function efficiently. Satellite internet services normally suffer high latencies because of the long distance that satellite signals must travel. Most satellite internet services tend to support low-upstream bandwidth. Satellite bandwidth for uploads is much slower than for downloads, and not much faster than that of dial-up internet services. VPNs demand high bandwidth for both uploads and downloads....

A new survey finds that more than a third of scientists doing AI research believe that the decisions made by AIs could trigger a debacle as bad or worse than nuclear war. The research highlights growing concern that AI could have unintended dangerous effects and produce many benefits. The way to stop computers from harming people? “Develop principles for safe and trustworthy AI,” Michael Huth, the head of the Department of Computing at Imperial College London and a senior researcher at the AI company Xayn told Lifewire in an email interview....

Dual-band wireless routers are fairly affordable now that the 802.11ac wireless standard has become more of the norm in routers and other devices. If you’re hoping to upgrade from a single-band router or you’re simply interested in leveling up to a device that’s at the forefront of the latest router technology, consider the Asus RT-AC68U. It has enough power to support large homes and boasts parental controls, gaming support, and AiMesh home networking....

There’s been a massive resurgence of analog music in the past few years and the popularity of vinyl records has continued to rise. The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB-BK is a beautifully designed, premium turntable that not only plays your favorite records but can digitize your record collection. We tested Audio-Technica’s latest way to ride the vinyl trend to find out if it was easy to set up, play records, and convert your favorite albums into digital files....

Is this the rumored PlayStation mobile controller hinted at back in November of 2021? It’s difficult to say for certain, but the new Backbone One PlayStation Edition iPhone controller comes pretty close to those early rumblings. Just like the regular Backbone One, it’s an external device that clamps around your phone to provide physical buttons as a replacement for touch screen controls. Unlike the regular version, however, this one is officially licensed by Sony and has been designed to look like a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller....

Beacons Support Proximity Marketing Beacons are used in various environments, such as retail stores, to track customers’ movements, via their smartphones, and deliver relevant information and offers. This type of interaction between businesses and consumers is known as proximity marketing. Beacon technology has been used by businesses in every industry since the Apple iBeacon was introduced in 2013. The widespread use of smartphones creates these opportunities for location-based advertising and other services....

How Much Am I Willing to Spend? Set-top DVRs range in price from about $40 to upwards of $400, and you’re looking for a BlueRay DVR you could pay as much as $2500. The prices climb as the hours of recording increase. Other set-top DVRs vary in price depending on the size of the hard drive (the larger the drive, the more hours you can record) and whether or not the device records to DVD....

Software Download vs. No Download One difference among the various Twitter client and dashboard programs is whether they require a software download and installation on your computer, or if they run through an internet browser and require no downloads. Also, some Twitter client tools allow you to manage other social media networks and services. Increasingly, Twitter is making changes to its site to make it more useful. Still, the Twitter homepage isn’t as powerful as the top independent Twitter clients listed in this article....

BIC America, maker of the highly popular Formula F12 subwoofer, has done it again with their newer Acoustech PL-200 II Subwoofer. With a huge 1000 watts of dynamic peak power, this sub will never struggle filling your space with loud, deep, impactful low end. We looked at its construction, sound quality, and overall value to see if it edges out the Formula F12 as one of the best budget subs you can buy....

Brave is based on Chromium, so it’s a great alternative to Google’s Chrome browser, and can use all the same extensions. And now, it uses its own search engine. You can, of course, change the search engine for any browser, but defaults are powerful, and many people never switch. So, is Brave now the most private browser? Or are you better off tweaking Safari or Chrome? “When it comes to privacy…Brave performs better than other competitors due to the simple fact that it does not store users’ browsing history and personal data,” Professor Nir Kshetri, of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, told Lifewire via email....

Technology Is Always Changing and Improving Changes in technology don’t mean that the improvements will be relevant for your needs, but some things are a universal improvement. Most Android phones are 4G and 4G LTE, but many of the soon to be released models for 2020 are building towards 5G networks. It’s uncertain when 5G will see widespread adoption or if the speed increase will make a difference to you. Eventually, 5G will become the standard, but if your 4G LTE phone is fast enough for your needs, there’s no need to upgrade to get 5G....

Can a Smart TV Get a Virus? A smart TV can get a virus or other malware and these are not new. In two separate instances in mid-2019, smart TV viruses and malware were reported to infect two different brands of televisions. If that makes you worry, you probably should. But there is good news. TV viruses and malware are not the norm. Rather, they are an anomaly that seems to be rare, because it’s difficult to create a virus that will work on a TV....

Does Fix-a-Flat Damage Tire Pressure Sensors? Fix-a-Flat will not damage a tire pressure monitor sensor simply by coming into contact with it. There are a number of concerns you need to be aware of when using Fix-a-Flat in a tire that contains a tire pressure monitor sensor, but the bottom line is that you can use it in an emergency situation as long as you take the necessary steps to protect your sensors afterwards....

Can I Ask My ISP for My Internet History? While it’s true that your ISP tracks your internet history, most ISPs will not give out this information, even to the customer. Nonetheless, it never hurts to ask. The only way to know for sure is to check with your provider. Can My ISP See My Internet History? Your ISP keeps records of the websites you visit and the files you download....

Terms and Definitions Here’s a basic rundown of the most common terms and definitions associated with car audio: Head unit: Any in-dash car stereo control unit.Car stereo: The entire sound system in a vehicle. It includes both head units and speaker systems.Receiver: A specific type of head unit that features a built-in amplifier.Tuner: Another term for a head unit—usually one without a built-in amplifier and usually referencing the radio.Car radio: Catch-all term that refers to both receivers and tuners....

Developers and engineers from both Google and Mozilla have released a report explaining why they’re a little nervous about their respective browser versions nearing the triple digits. With Chrome’s set for a public release at the end of March and Firefox’s set for early May, there isn’t much time left to prepare. Though, in fairness, the potential issue wasn’t exactly a surprise. These worries stem from a problem similar to the Y2K bug from 20+ years ago: programs not accounting for larger numbers....

Overall Findings Chromebooks have the familiar clamshell design of a laptop but come with a lower price tag because they’re designed for word processing and accessing the web. They’re similar to netbooks, but they run the Google Chrome OS instead of a scaled-back version of Windows. They can’t run most Windows and Mac programs, but you can install and run Linux on a Chromebook. Size and Weight: Tablets Are More Portable Chromebooks are essentially laptops but with the same size and shape as a classic portable computer....

There are tons of options ranging from consumer to commercial applications, but today we’ll be comparing a pair of our most popular models from APC and Cyberpower to figure out which model is best for you. While these accessories are probably the least attractive part of any home office or living room setup, they are a handy bit of everyday insurance for some of your more sensitive electronics. One key difference here, however, is that the LED screen for the CyberPower can be tilted upwards, allowing you to view the screen without having to get down on the ground....

The closest UPS I have in my own office is an old APC Back-UPS BGE90M, which I use to keep my networking equipment up and running. Since the CP685AVRG has a slightly better battery and easily outclasses my old APC in terms of wattage, I slotted the Cyberpower unit into my system to see how it works in real-world conditions. Over the course of about a week I tested how well it works in normal operation, how well it switches over during simulated brownouts, and how well it’s able to handle an extended load during a simulated power outage....

What Is a DAE File? A file with the DAE file extension is a Digital Asset Exchange file. As the name implies, it’s used by various graphics programs to exchange digital assets. They may be images, textures, 3D models, etc. This file format is based on the XML COLLADA format, which is short for Collaborative Design Activity. How to Open a DAE File Several programs are suitable: Adobe Photoshop, SketchUp, Chief Architect, DAZ Studio, Cheetah3D, Cinema 4D, MODO, and Autodesk’s AutoCAD, 3ds Max, and Maya programs....