All posts filed under: Technology

My USB drive does 4 things cloud backup can’t — here’s why I’ll never ditch it

My USB drive does 4 things cloud backup can’t — here’s why I’ll never ditch it

Published by skeptic

As much as I love the convenience of keeping my important data safe in the cloud, there’s still a lingering fear in my head — what if the cloud or my internet connection fails me? It has happened to me at least a few times, which is why I am always adamant about keeping a fail-safe that is actually reliable. In this regard, good old physical media will never fail me; that is why I keep a cohort of USB drives as a safety net in case anything goes wrong. Now this backup plan doesn’t just involve keeping my personal data safe; I also use these drives as security tools or as bootable drives for when I want to switch to another OS. Related 10 Practical Uses for a USB Flash Drive You Didn’t Know About You’ve used USB sticks to transport files between computers and back up files, but there is much more you can do with a USB stick. Some of my files are too sensitive to back up in the cloud No …

Solid-state EV batteries leave the lab as North American road tests begin

Solid-state EV batteries leave the lab as North American road tests begin

Published by skeptic

Solid-state EV batteries are now being tested on the road in North America for the first time, promising longer range, faster charging, and lower costs. Factorial, Stellantis test solid-state EV batteries in real life Jeep maker Stellantis and US-based Factorial Energy officially began testing the advanced new battery tech on the road, marking the first time solid-state batteries have been integrated into an EV in North America. Factorial’s FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology) solid-state battery cells were used to power a Dodge Charger Daytona development vehicle. The milestone comes after Stellantis and Factorial validated that 77Ah FEST cells achieved an energy density of 375 Wh/kg with over 600 cycles last April. Advertisement – scroll for more content Factorial’s advanced solid-state battery cells also proved ultra-fast charging from 15% to 90% in just 18 minutes, and maintained performance in extreme temperatures ranging from -22°F to 113°F (-30°C to 45°C). Plus, the cells deliver a discharge rate of up to 4C. Moving the new battery tech from the lab to the real world wasn’t easy. Stellantis said …

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide vs Ultra: Which Samsung Foldable is Better

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide vs Ultra: Which Samsung Foldable is Better

Published by skeptic

Samsung continues to lead the charge in foldable smartphone innovation with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. These two models represent a bold step forward, offering innovative advancements in display technology, design, and performance. By providing distinct options tailored to different user preferences, Samsung ensures that whether you value multitasking efficiency or sleek portability, there is a device designed to meet your needs. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 series underscores Samsung’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of what foldable smartphones can achieve. The video below from Talks Daily Tech gives us more details on the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide. Enhanced Display Technology The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide introduces a new 4:3 aspect ratio, delivering a tablet-like experience that is ideal for multitasking. This wider format allows you to seamlessly run multiple apps side by side, making it a productivity powerhouse. Both the cover and inner displays are equipped with vibrant, high-resolution panels, featuring a 432 PPI cover screen and a 403 PPI inner screen. The inclusion …

These Are the Lowest Prices Ever on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2

These Are the Lowest Prices Ever on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2

Published by skeptic

Yesterday we began tracking a new record low price on the AirPods Pro 3 on Amazon, and they’re still available for $179.00 today, down from $249.00. This beats the previous Amazon low price by $20. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that’s meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts. Additionally, Amazon is also offering a best-ever price on the AirPods Max 2 this week. You can get all five colors for $499.00, down from $549.00, which beats the previous low price by about $10. Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we’ve been tracking over the past week. Deals …

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Is Ready to Start Its Cosmic Survey

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Is Ready to Start Its Cosmic Survey

Published by skeptic

After nearly a decade in development, NASA’s next big telescope is almost ready to travel into space. The agency has set Aug. 30 as the launch date for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. This places the project approximately eight months ahead of its original schedule and, according to NASA leadership, significantly under budget. “With less than three months to go, the Roman team now is finishing up tasks,” NASA said in a blog post. “Engineers are currently packing Roman up for a voyage from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, down to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida later this month.” Once at the launch site, the telescope will undergo a detailed inspection to verify that it sustained no damage during transit. Engineers will then fuel it with roughly 290 gallons of hydrazine and conduct several dress rehearsals before launching it into space. The destination for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, located about 1 million miles from Earth on the far side of the …

12 home solar power myths you shouldn’t fall for in 2026

12 home solar power myths you shouldn’t fall for in 2026

Published by skeptic

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Solar savings depend heavily on location. Solar panels can cause burns, shock, or death. Plug-in solar needs a battery during power cuts. Renewable energy is a topic that seems to be mired in a fog of war of myths and nonsense. It seems that everyone has an opinion, and a polarized opinion at that, and myths and nonsense are common on both sides of the debate. And these myths aren’t helping people who want to figure out if solar is for them or, if they’ve taken the plunge, get the most out of their investment. Also: Considering plug-in solar? My expert advice after setting up the DIY energy tech at home Time to do some mythbusting. I’ve been using portable solar generators and solar panels for years, from small 100 W portable units to arrays that can capture thousands, to simple but effective plug-in solar systems that shave a few bucks a month off the power bill. I know what I’m …

How to tweak Instagram’s algorithm to show you the content you really want

How to tweak Instagram’s algorithm to show you the content you really want

Published by skeptic

Ever felt like social media sites don’t really care about your interests anymore, instead showing you random stuff you don’t even like? Instagram is taking some steps to change that. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri announced the change on Threads on Wednesday, with Instagram adding a new feature called Your Algorithm. “As software gets better at predicting what we want, our sense of agency gets smaller. The main feed on every major app is now mostly accounts you never decided to follow, surfaced by algorithms rather than your explicit choices,” he wrote. No s***, Sherlock. Mashable Light Speed The way to remedy that is through the Your Algorithm tool, which allows you to choose which topics you want to see in your Instagram feed. While this sounds like the same thing you go through when signing up for a new social site, Your Algorithm is a welcome change as these topics previously weren’t explicitly visible on Instagram. It also gives you the option to choose the topics you don’t want to see. When I checked my …

The Download: soccer’s data renaissance and China’s big nuclear plans

The Download: soccer’s data renaissance and China’s big nuclear plans

Published by skeptic

5 SpaceX’s listing price is expected to be revealed todayIt could lead to the biggest IPO ever. (NPR)+ And turn 4,400 employees into millionaires. (NYT $) 6 EPA scientists say they’re pushed to downplay risks of household productsThey’re under pressure to alter reviews of chemicals in products. (CNN) 7 Anthropic has walked back a policy that “sabotaged” researchIt would have limited Claude’s ability to develop competing AI models. (Wired $) 8 Congress wants in on the data center backlashMembers are jumping on the fervor with new policy plans. (Axios)+ Should we be moving data centers to space? (MIT Technology Review) 9 Your search results are getting sloptimizedCompanies are gaming the chatbot internet. (Atlantic $) 10 Scientists have discovered that humans prefer to walk anticlockwiseIt’s a discovery that could improve crowd and evacuation management. (Guardian) Quote of the day “We’re the extracted and exploited colony of what is going to be one of the most highly valued entities in the world. People are going to die because of this pollution.”  —Justin Pearson, who represents portions of …

Anthropic taps TCS to scale its enterprise AI deployments

Anthropic taps TCS to scale its enterprise AI deployments

Published by skeptic

Anthropic has partnered with Indian IT services giant Tata Consultancy Services in a bid to accelerate adoption of its artificial intelligence models at enterprises. The partnership will see TCS creating a business unit focused on deploying Anthropic’s AI models to its customers. TCS will also gain early access to new model releases, which it says it will use to build expertise, and it will provide Anthropic’s Claude AI assistant to its employee base of more than 50,000 people. The companies said they would develop solutions for sectors like financial services, healthcare, telecommunications and aviation. Frontier AI companies have been securing enterprise distribution channels by partnering with firms like TCS in India. Earlier this year, Anthropic teamed up with Infosys, and OpenAI roped in Infosys and HCLTech to do something similar. Beyond enterprise deployments, the partnership extends to several TCS businesses and platforms. Diligenta, TCS’s UK-based life and pensions business with over 22 million customers, plans to use Claude for customer service and process automation. Similarly, TCS iON, the company’s digital learning platform, will offer training …

Everything You Need to Know About Apple watchOS 27

Everything You Need to Know About Apple watchOS 27

Published by skeptic

Apple has unveiled watchOS 27 beta 1, offering developers an early glimpse into the latest iteration of its smartwatch operating system. With the public beta anticipated in July, this update introduces a range of new features, refined functionalities, and compatibility changes. However, as with any beta software, it comes with its share of bugs and incomplete elements. Here’s a detailed look at what watchOS 27 brings to the table. The video below from Zollotech gives us more details on the new watchOS.   Device Compatibility: A Shift Toward Newer Models watchOS 27 marks a significant transition by focusing exclusively on newer Apple Watch models, leaving older devices behind. Supported models include: Apple Watch SE 3 Series 9, 10 and 11 Ultra 2 and Ultra 3 To install watchOS 27, your Apple Watch must be compatible and your iPhone must be running iOS 27 beta 1. This shift underscores Apple’s commitment to using the hardware capabilities of its latest devices, but it also means users of older models will remain on watchOS 26, signaling the end …