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Atlantic’s First Major Hurricane May Be Just Hours Away

Tropical Storm Erin is on track to reach the Caribbean this weekend, with current forecasts predicting it will curve north of the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico without making landfall. Still, Caribbean nations are bracing for severe storm impacts as Erin moves into warmer waters, increasing the risk of rapid intensification. A National Hurricane Center update issued at 5 a.m. AST Thursday, August 14, stated that Erin should gradually strengthen over the next day or so. After that, the storm w

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 14 #529

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's NYT Strands puzzle might be a stumper. Some of the answers are quite long and tough to unscramble, though all of them match the theme very well. If you need hints and answers, read on. I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. If you're looking for

AI Agents Make Up a Third of All Search Traffic Toward Brands, Report Says

AI agents are engaging in searching for brands at a scale that's equal to a third of equivalent organic search, according to a report from digital marketing company BrightEdge published Wednesday. BrightEdge defines an AI agent as any AI tool that does work on your behalf. For example, if you ask ChatGPT to find the most cost-effective bikes for teenagers to ride on gravel, OpenAI will use its live web browsing feature to look across bicycle brands to find the information. ChatGPT isn't the onl

AI Agents Are Using a Third of All Search Traffic Meant Towards Brands, Report Says

AI agents are engaging in searching for brands at a scale that's equal to a third of equivalent organic search, according to a report from digital marketing company BrightEdge published Wednesday. BrightEdge defines an AI agent as any AI tool that does work on your behalf. For example, if you ask ChatGPT to find the most cost-effective bikes for teenagers to ride on gravel, OpenAI will use its live web browsing feature to look across bicycle brands to find the information. ChatGPT isn't the onl

Instagram is developing a feature that helps users find shared interests

Instagram is working on a feature called “Picks” that aims to help users find common interests. The Meta-owned social network confirmed to TechCrunch that Picks is an internal prototype and isn’t being tested externally. The feature was first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who often finds unreleased features while they’re still under development. According to screenshots shared by Paluzzi, people select their favorite movies, books, TV shows, games, and music, or their “Picks.

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 13 #528

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's NYT Strands puzzle focuses on a certain film director who's made some of my favorite movies. The titles are pretty popular, so my guess if you will find them easily and unscramble them without difficulty. If you need hints and answers, read on. I go into depth about

I'm a Linux expert, and here are 6 commands I can't live without

ogeday çelik/Getty ZDNET's key takeaways There are certain Linux commands I consider essential. These commands range from networking, troubleshooting, and file viewing. They're also easy enough for new users to learn. Even though I've been using Linux for decades and am perfectly at home with the command line, I often tell those who are thinking about trying the open-source operating system that it isn't necessary. It's not. Truly. If I wanted to, I could give up the command line altogeth

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 12 #527

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's NYT Strands puzzle has some complex answers to find, and they're tough to unscramble, too. If you need hints and answers, read on. I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers

Matter enhancements enable cheaper HomeKit devices and slicker control

The Matter standard – which brings HomeKit compatibility to a far broader range of devices – is getting a significant upgrade. The latest version will enable the production of lower cost HomeKit-compatible smart home devices, as well as slicker control over your existing ones … A quick recap on Matter and HomeKit Originally, brands wanting to offer HomeKit compatibility had to comply with an Apple-specific standard, and submit their devices for approval. The Matter standard eliminates both st

Basic Social Skills Guide

The basic guide covers the core concepts of social interaction. It contains three sections made up of seventeen in-depth lessons, and it's 100% free. If you find the basic guide helpful, please share it with your friends or your favorite social skills forum. Also, don't forget to check out the member's guide once you finish reading the basic guide. Good luck, and enjoy improving your social skills! Think of Foundations as the introduction to the guide. It explains how to get the most out of th

Best Resistance Bands of 2025

Resistance bands are usually made out of latex, but there are some that are latex-free and some that come with a fabric cover to prevent injury if it snaps. Resistance bands come in light, medium and heavy weights. The tension weight will vary per brand, but this is how they are usually labeled. There are different types of resistance bands that vary in length and style. Some come in closed loops, some with handles and then there are mini bands. CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or busi

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 11, #526

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Oof, today's NYT Strands puzzle was really hard for me. It was hard to figure out the theme, hard to find the answers and hard to unscramble the letters. And one of the answers relates more to travel gifts in my head than to this puzzle's theme. If you need hints and answers,

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 10 #525

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Just how old are the New York Times staffers writing today's NYT Strands puzzle? I swear, some of these words haven't been used in 50 years. So cast your mind back for some historical terms, and let's get at it. If you need hints and answers, read on. I go into depth about t

Today's Tricky NYT Strands Answers for Aug. 8, #523, Explained

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's NYT Strands puzzle assumes you have deep knowledge of a very specific musical genre. Could be tough. I knew some of the answers, but not others. I did a little research and explain what the answers refer to further down in this story. If you need hints and answers to

What Even Is Instagram Now?

In her classic novel Frankenstein, author Mary Shelley imagines a monster that's reanimated with its piecemeal body sewn together, tendon by tendon. “The dissecting room and the slaughter-house furnished many of my materials,” Shelley writes. That’s exactly what scrolling through Instagram feels like right now—an ungodly morass of features stitched together. It’s an AI search tool! It’s a shopping app! It’s getting on my last nerve. Instagram is having a full-blown identity crisis, and I’m exha

Windsurf Gets Margin Called

the $82 million ARR product nobody wanted imagine you relaunch your company twice, and manage to become one of the fastest-growing saas companies in history — literally record-breaking. go from zero to $82m arr in eight months. get enterprise customers like nvidia and palantir. go on every single vc podcast to tell people about it. then give it all away for almost free. in 72 hours. over a weekend. that's exactly what the windsurf founders did last week. everyone's so busy talking about the t

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 9, #524

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Julia Child wannabes, today's NYT Strands puzzle is for you. None of the words were too difficult to find, and the theme was a fun one. If you need hints and answers, read on. I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. If you're looking for today's Wordle, C

Today's Super-Tough NYT Strands Answers for Aug. 8, #523, Explained

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's NYT Strands puzzle assumes you have deep knowledge of a very specific musical genre. Could be tough. I knew some of the answers, but not others. I did a little research and explain what the answers refer to further down in this story. If you need hints and answers to

Best Wireless Headphones (2025): Tested Over Many Hours

Other Wireless Headphones We’ve Tested Wireless headphones are the default these days, and there are roughly 1 gazillion of them (and counting). We do our best to test them all, but not everything we test can make the big list. Here are some other good options worth trying. Sony WH-1000XM5 for $300-348: Sony's XM5 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) remain a top headphone, even after being supplanted by the fancier XM6. For a fairly sizable price reduction, you'll get still-fabulous noise-canceling tech,

Friendslop is coming for the Switch 2

is a reporter who covers the business, culture, and communities of video games, with a focus on marginalized gamers and the quirky, horny culture of video game communities. During today’s Nintendo Indie World showcase, I had two epiphanies. The first was the realization that friendslop games are about to hit the Switch 2 like a falling piano in a Road Runner cartoon. The second was that I love that for me, because that means I can finally play them. My friends love “friendslop,” the initially

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 8, #523

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's NYT Strands puzzle assumes you have deep knowledge of a very specific musical genre. Could be tough. I knew some of the answers, but not others. If you need hints and answers, read on. I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. If you're looking for

Instagram lets you see your friends' locations now, and vice versa - here's how

Instagram / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET's takeaways Instagram is unveiling several new features. Its new Snapchat-style map lets you see where your friends are. There's also a new way to see content your friends are interacting with. Meta has unveiled a number of changes to Instagram, all aimed at helping you better connect with your friends and their favorite content. A new location-sharing map is on the way, along with new ways to find content. A Snapchat-style friend map Maybe t

Instagram adds a new friends map feature that sure looks a lot like the Snap Map

Instagram just announced an update with some long-requested features. The most notable is the introduction of a location-sharing tool for friends, though the long-awaited reposting tool is nothing ot sneeze at, either. Once opted into, the map shares a user's last active location with chosen contacts. The location sharing feature is turned off until selected and there are numerous customization controls. For instance, Instagram users can choose to share location data with all friends, Close Fri

Debounce

Debouncing, in the context of programming, means to discard operations that occur too close together during a specific interval, and consolidate them into a single invocation. Debouncing is very similar to throttling. The key difference is that throttling enforces limits on continuous operations, while debouncing waits for invocations to stop for a specific time to consolidate many noisy invocations into one single invocation. A typical use case of debouncing is when responding to user input.

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 7 #522

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's NYT Strands puzzle isn't that simple of a topic. The spangram especially confused me. If you need hints and answers, read on. I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you

Instagram's new location sharing feature sure looks a lot like the Snap Map

Instagram just announced an update with some long-requested features. The most notable is the introduction of a location-sharing tool for friends. Once opted into, the map shares a user's last active location with chosen contacts. The location sharing feature is turned off until selected and there are numerous customization controls. For instance, Instagram users can choose to share location data with all friends, Close Friends, selected accounts or nobody at all. This data can be restricted wh

Instagram adds two familiar social media features to its app

Meta is updating Instagram today with some familiar social network features from other services. For example, the photo- and video-sharing service is basically getting its own version of the classic retweet. Separately, Instagram continues to take inspiration from Snapchat with its own social map feature. Instagram is two months shy of turning 15, and as a sign of maturity, we’re getting the first official repost button: With reposts, you can repost public reels and feed posts, making it easie

Here's How to Add a Background to Your Text Chats in iOS 26

The iOS 26 beta brings chat backgrounds to Messages, giving a visual identifier for each chat so you can easily tell if you're messaging the right person or group. It's a nice quality-of-life update that can help you distinguish whether you're texting your family chat or your family chat minus your one uncle you don't get along with. Apple released the first public beta of iOS 26 on July 24, and that beta brought a new Liquid Glass design and other new features to the iPhones of developers and