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Everything you need for college: Tech gadgets to make school easier

As we approach back-to-school season, many students will be heading to college for the first time. This life-changing chapter can already be overwhelming, not to mention thinking about everything you may need for class. Luckily, technology has made things a lot easier for college students in 2025. Also: The best laptops for college You'll need a capable laptop to complete your assignments to keep up with your classes. When walking around campus, you need a pair of headphones to keep you entert

Lslvr/mwm: The smallest (usable) X11 window manager

mwm The window manager for the true minimalist: 20 LOC. No modes. No "eye-candy". No mouse control. No virtual desktops. No configuration files. Not standards-compliant. No title bars, no status bars, no buttons, no borders, no menus, etc. All windows are full-screen, just one is visible at any given time. Absolutely adaptable to your needs. Includes just what is strictly needed. This is the smallest, actually usable window manager I know about. Even TinyWM is twice as large. Howeve

There is no memory safety without thread safety

There is no memory safety without thread safety Memory safety is all the rage these days. But what does the term even mean? That turns out to be harder to nail down than you may think. Typically, people use this term to refer to languages that make sure that there are no use-after-free or out-of-bounds memory accesses in the program. This is then often seen as distinct from other notions of safety such as thread safety, which refers to programs that do not have certain kinds of concurrency bugs

It’s time to stop defending slow charging speeds

Robert Triggs / Android Authority We’re fast approaching the launch of the new Pixel 10 series and iPhone 17, and the one thing I’m really dreading is another year of sluggish charging speeds. While Google’s Pro XL model has gradually increased its charging power to a level close to Samsung’s Ultra, the smaller, more popular flagship phones in the US are stuck charging below 25W. Compared to their fast-charging Chinese counterparts, such as the 80W OnePlus 13, these supposed flagships feel pos

Google’s strategy to grow Gemini seems to be working

Tushar Mehta / Android Authority TL;DR Google executives say that the Gemini app has over 450 million monthly active users as of Q2 2025. Daily requests in the app have grown over 50% since the first quarter of the year. Gemini is replacing Google Assistant as the default voice assistant on Android phones. Gemini is so big right now, this year it basically ended up taking over Google I/O, pushing Android off to its own separate event. But if you still had any doubts about the popularity of G

Security Bite: How to password protect sensitive image files on Mac

9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Appl

Hackers breach Toptal GitHub account, publish malicious npm packages

Hackers compromised Toptal's GitHub organization account and used their access to publish ten malicious packages on the Node Package Manager (NPM) index. The packages included data-stealing code that collected GitHub authentication tokens and then wiped the victims' systems. Toptal is a freelance talent marketplace that connects companies with software developers, designers, and finance experts. The company also maintains internal developer tools and design systems, most notably Picasso, which

Google Photos is using AI to turn your photos into videos and remix them - try it for free

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Have you ever wished you could bring your favorite pictures to life? New AI-powered features in Google Photos will let you. Also: How to turn off Gemini in your Gmail, Docs, Photos, and more - it's easy to opt out Six-second clips Earlier today, Google announced several new creative tools to "help bring your memories to life" -- including one that lets you take any picture saved in your gallery and turn it into a short video. You can choose to add "subtl

UnitedHealth says it is facing DOJ investigation over Medicare billing practices

UnitedHealth Group revealed Thursday it is facing a Department of Justice investigation over its Medicare billing practices, adding to a string of setbacks for a company that owns the nation's largest and most powerful private insurer. In a securities filing, the company said it has started complying with formal criminal and civil requests from the DOJ, and that it reached out to the department after reports of the probes surfaced. UnitedHealth also said it has launched a third-party review of

Writing is thinking

Writing scientific articles is an integral part of the scientific method and common practice to communicate research findings. However, writing is not only about reporting results; it also provides a tool to uncover new thoughts and ideas. Writing compels us to think — not in the chaotic, non-linear way our minds typically wander, but in a structured, intentional manner. By writing it down, we can sort years of research, data and analysis into an actual story, thereby identifying our main messag

Web fingerprinting is worse than I thought (2023)

If you are reading this article, you are most likely using a web browser, and you have some expectations or beliefs about online privacy and security. For example, I do not know what you are reading on other tabs on your web browser, and you would like to keep it that way. But the websites themselves know that you are reading a particular page on their website. They most likely know your IP address and if you are signed in to their website, they also know your identity. This is not unreasonable

Photos: Here Are the Piles of Used Bedding and Children’s Play Sets Left Near DOGE’s Old Offices

Elon Musk’s associates at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have begun vacating their headquarters at the General Services Administration (GSA) in Washington, DC. An apocalyptic scene of toddler play sets, mattresses, and pillows remains. Near rooms where DOGE once operated, a seemingly abandoned children’s wooden kitchen set sits next to a rainbow climbing arch and an easel covered in crumpled paper, according to photos obtained by WIRED. Other children’s toys are within

Google AI Mode will generate fake clothes to help you buy real ones

Google is injecting more generative AI into its online shopping experience in Search. An upcoming feature for AI Mode will generate images of outfits and decor ideas based on user descriptions, to help people find visually similar products. Also launching is a new tool that allows people to virtually try on clothes. The new AI Mode shopping feature will launch this fall in the US. It’s designed to provide a visual aid that can better guide what kinds of products should be recommended, compared

Amazon venture fund backs startup developing fix for return fraud

Packages ride on a conveyor belt during Cyber Monday at an Amazon fulfillment center on December 2, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. The company has just closed a $12 million seed financing, led by venture firm Felicis, with participation from Amazon's $1 billion Industrial Innovation Fund and other investors. Cambridge Terahertz, a Sunnyvale, California-based startup, has developed a 3D imaging system that can see inside unopened packages, enabling retailers to more easily and quickly spot cases of

Writing Is Thinking

Writing scientific articles is an integral part of the scientific method and common practice to communicate research findings. However, writing is not only about reporting results; it also provides a tool to uncover new thoughts and ideas. Writing compels us to think — not in the chaotic, non-linear way our minds typically wander, but in a structured, intentional manner. By writing it down, we can sort years of research, data and analysis into an actual story, thereby identifying our main messag

AI-Generated Content on Netflix Is Already Here

How soon will it be before Netflix subscribers begin to see movies and TV shows that were made with generative AI technology? According to CEO Ted Sarandos, it's already happened. In a video conference call after Netflix's earnings were announced on July 17, Sarandos took questions, one of which was focused on when and how the streaming company will generate content with artificial intelligence tools. Surprisingly, Sarandos said the company already did it, on an Argentinian sci-fi show called

How I fixed Gemini’s biggest flaw with one simple sentence

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority It’s a known fact that ChatGPT, Gemini, and most AI chatbots hallucinate answers sometimes. They make up things out of thin air, lie to please you, and contort their answers the moment you challenge them. Although those are becoming more rare instances, they still happen, and they completely ruin trust. If I never know when Gemini is saying the truth and when it’s lying to me, what’s the point of even using it? That’s why I mostly gravitate towards Perplexity

Qi2 25W wireless phone chargers are official, but caution still advised

Last week saw certification of the first next-gen wireless chargers, and the latest standard has now been officially launched, as Qi2 25W. The new name will help ensure we can see for sure that we’re buying the more powerful models. The iPhone was the first to support the standard, with Android smartphones now following, but anyone planning to buy an iPhone 17 may want to hold off for now … A quick catch-up on Qi chargers Early wireless phone chargers were based on the original Qi standard, o

Bus Bunching

When two or more buses are scheduled at regular intervals on the same route, planners may expect that each will make the same progress, pausing at each stop for the same interval (1). But if Bus B is delayed by traffic congestion (2), it incurs a penalty: Because it arrives late to the next stop, it will pick up some passengers who’d planned to take Bus C (3). Accommodating these passengers delays Bus B even longer, putting it even further behind schedule. Meanwhile, Bus C begins to make unusual

Vanishing home field advantage in English football

Do clubs playing at home win more? Home field advantage is well-known to fans of different sports and is well-supported by the data. How prevalent is it in English football? That’s what I’m going to explore in this blog post. A few years ago, I did a similar analysis, but with a much smaller data set (see https://blog.engora.com/2021/01/covid-and-soccer-home-team-advantage.html). This time, I have complete English football league data from 1888 to the 2024-2025 season, so my analysis is going

We found Google’s next Pixel-only calling feature and it’s borrowed from Apple (APK teardown)

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google may be launching a new AI-powered “Call Message” feature that acts like an on-device voicemail with live transcriptions and summaries. The feature works offline without using data or Wi-Fi and is likely powered by Gemini Nano. Like many AI features Google debuts with new Pixel phones, Call Message could be a Pixel 10 exclusive launching next month. Google already packs its Pixel phones with a bunch of smart calling features like Call Screening

Itch.io: Update on NSFW Content

We have “deindexed” all adult NSFW content from our browse and search pages. We understand this action is sudden and disruptive, and we are truly sorry for the frustration and confusion caused by this change. Recently, we came under scrutiny from our payment processors regarding the nature of some content hosted on itch.io. Due to a game titled No Mercy, which was temporarily available on itch.io before being banned back in April, the organization Collective Shout launched a campaign against St

WhatsApp is testing message reminders

If you’re like me and often read a message, tell yourself you’ll reply later, and then instantly forget about it, a new WhatsApp experiment might bring the solution. New feature has presets and custom options According to recent findings by WABetaInfo (via Tecnoblog), WhatsApp is now testing a feature that lets users set reminders for specific messages. So rather than pinning chats, starring messages, or simply hoping to remember to check back later, users can schedule an actual notification

Lego Returns to ‘Stranger Things’ With These Adorable Chibi Models

San Diego Comic-Con is finally upon us! Of course, the opening of doors for preview night means the promise of our first glimpses of what to expect out of the next four days, from shiny booths to teases of big news—and of course, the many bits of radical merch that will be revealed. So why don’t we get the ball rolling on that last one with your first look at one of Lego’s reveals from the con, right here? To help celebrate the opening of Comic-Con 2025, io9 has your exclusive first look at Leg

Your Eyeballs Will Bug Out Like a Retro Cartoon Character When You Hear the Prices at Tesla's New Burger Joint

What do you do when your electric vehicle company is flailing, your shareholders are ready to mutiny, and your self-driving car venture is the laughingstock of Austin? If you're Elon Musk, apparently, you open a burger restaurant. Called Tesla Eats, the fast food joint made its debut this week next to a Supercharger lot in Los Angeles, seven years after it was first announced. Situated on a corner lot in Santa Monica, the restaurant sports a curved and sterile chic which Eater LA says makes it

Checklists are hard, but still a good thing

You're using a tool with a too-generic User-Agent You're probably reading this page because you've attempted to access some part of my blog (Wandering Thoughts) or CSpace, the wiki thing it's part of. Unfortunately whatever you're using to do so has a HTTP User-Agent header value that is too generic or otherwise excessively suspicious. Unfortunately, as of early 2025 there's a plague of high volume crawlers (apparently in part to gather data for LLM training) that behave like this. To reduce th

CARA – High precision robot dog using rope

Finding the Exact 8:1 Gear Ratio The starting point of this project was figuring out how to achieve an exact 8:1 gear ratio with the capstan drives. In my capstan drive video, I designed all the drives to have an 8:1 gear ratio—but when measured, none of them actually did. The commenters on that video pretty accurately diagnosed my mistake. I had made the outer diameter of the big drum 8 times larger than the outer diameter of the small drum, but this doesn't account for the diameter of the rop

Messages on iOS 26 will make it harder to fall for phishing scams

While even tech-savvy users can fall for elaborate phishing scams, most attacks are designed to target less technically inclined people. With that in mind, the new Messages app in iOS 26 introduces (or better yet, removes) two things that could make a pretty big difference in keeping users safe, regardless of how familiar they may be with phishing tactics. The new Messages app splits conversations into a few categories, accessible via the filter button in the top right: Messages, Unknown Sende

FDA employees say the agency's Elsa generative AI hallucinates entire studies

Current and former members of the FDA told CNN about issues with the Elsa generative AI tool unveiled by the federal agency last month. Three employees said that in practice, Elsa has hallucinated nonexistent studies or misrepresented real research. "Anything that you don't have time to double-check is unreliable," one source told the publication. "It hallucinates confidently." Which isn't exactly ideal for a tool that's supposed to be speeding up the clinical review process and aiding with maki

Topics: agency elsa fda told tool