Posts

To get better at predicting where a pedestrian will be, and even what the configuration of their limbs might look like, researchers at the University of Michigan conducted real-world research at several intersections in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They parked a car that had both lidar units and cameras on it near an intersection, and let it gather data from the unknowing pedestrians walking about, doing typical human things like using their smartphones and carrying bags....

People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can now feel free to ditch their masks in most places, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week to the surprise of many. On Thursday, the CDC released updated guidelines for the nearly 124 million Americans now fully immunized against COVID-19. They no longer need to wear masks or maintain social distance during regular activities, the CDC says, except where required by federal, state, local or tribal laws, and regulations....

The massive earthquake drill is meant to give people across the country and around the world a chance to learn what to do in an earthquake before they’re caught in one. According to earthquake experts (and The Rock), these are the most important steps to take in an earthquake: Drop: Running or moving while the ground is shaking isn’t the best idea. The best course of action is to drop directly to the ground, not try to run to safety....

Though they may seem like magic, so-called floating shelves are a straightforward woodworking project—the trick is hiding the hanging brackets inside the wood. There are numerous ways to make floating shelves, but the one I tackled in my house features a piece of 2-by-12 construction lumber and some dowels. No part of the build is particularly complicated, but this project does have some steps that require precision. Accuracy here is important for strength, but also helps hide the wall-mounting method....

Change your habits Depending on your daily routine, you’ve probably gotten into the habit of checking your phone at specific times throughout the day. By becoming more aware of these habitual reflexes, and taking action to change them, you can reduce your phone time. Consider adopting these habits one at a time, gradually weaning yourself off your pocket companion. If you find yourself checking Instagram during a meal out with friends, playing Candy Crush as you walk down the street, or scrolling through your Facebook feed in bed until you look up and realize it’s 2 a....

By now, almost everyone has experienced a COVID-19 case. The milder COVID symptoms—which are often the early signs of an infection, and sometimes the only signs you’ll get—are easy to confuse with the flu or a cold. Distinguishing those COVID symptoms is still important as the state of the virus continues to shift: While new cases and hospitalizations associated with the disease are declining in the US, public health experts are keeping a cautious eye out for another surge of cases this fall and winter....

Starting with Android 10, Google began moving its operating system more toward gesture navigation. But there’s no right or wrong approach—just the one you’re most comfortable with. Being aware of the options available and how they work, can help you figure out which one is best for you: You can go back to the three-button navigation mode, or even get a middle-ground option that combines buttons and gestures. As always, how you find these options will vary depending on the make and model of your phone, but they shouldn’t be too difficult to find....

Unfortunately, it seems like that’s too much to ask. Twitter keeps adding more and more stuff, both to the timeline itself and to the sidebar. The result is a platform that used to be simple, turned into a bloated mess. So I decided to find a way to bring the old Twitter back. Turn off the algorithmic timeline In your quest to bring old Twitter back, the first and most important thing you need to do is turn off the algorithm....

But you can get rid of that with a little extra tapping, letting your aunties believe you were the one who came up with those funny reactions all on your own. Why does WhatsApp label forwarded messages Nothing makes you doubt a message more than a label that says it has been forwarded multiple times. And that’s exactly the point. A lot of people use WhatsApp’s forwarding feature to spread messages across multiple (and usually crowded) group chats, increasing the odds of virality with minimum input....

As a hematologist and clinician scientist at Queen’s University who cares for patients with inherited bleeding disorders, it is a major source of frustration for me that women with bleeding disorders can wait up to 15 years to get appropriate testing and treatment. I worry even more about what happens to those who never get diagnosed. These women are at risk of acute hemorrhages leading to blood transfusions and the need for hysterectomy....

No matter your skill level, making a wooden spatula, spoon, or some other kind of utensil offers lots of options for creativity with a wide range of shapes and styles. You can copy something you already have like I did, find a template online to use as a base, or create a style that is completely new. Whether you’re looking for a relatively quick present or trying to enhance your kitchen arsenal, whatever you craft is sure to be a crowd pleaser....

This essential food made headlines during the first months of quarantine when the internet suddenly became awash with people learning how to make sourdough. While the carb craze of 2020 may be over, baking bread for our enjoyment and wellbeing (both physical and mental) has been around for thousands of years. Now, she’s ready to reveal her findings and her own version of the recreated recipe, which she based on her research on this bread that dates back to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD....

Our laptops and smartphones hold a lot of appeal. After all, they’re how we check up on our friends, load up the latest game, or read through the knowledge collected on Wikipedia. There’s so much potential for entertainment and distraction. But too much of a good thing can be detrimental to our health, no matter what our age, and it seems hardware makers and app developers have been wising up to it....

Tired of constantly checking your phone? Instead of switching from device to device, simply forward those notifications to your computer. With Windows and macOS, you can put your phone out of arm’s reach and concentrate on your larger screen—without worrying that you’re missing out on dozens of missed calls and texts. This is also a great way to keep in touch with incoming alerts if you’re trying to avoid checking your phone at work....

The workaround does come with some security issues, but if you do it right, it’s a handy option to consider when you’re using gadgets that have Android on board. The pros and cons of sideloading Let’s start by talking about using sideloading to circumvent the Play Store. It’s great for doing whatever you want with your phone, but not so great from the perspective of device security. You sideload apps completely at your own risk, so if something you install ends up tracking your browsing habits or deleting your files, the responsibility is yours....

This sediment layer seems to have benefitted the mangroves by fertilizing their roots and helping to build up soil elevation, scientists reported February 18 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The findings suggest that the same hurricanes that batter mangroves also help these forests withstand sea level rise and deliver nutrients that allow the trees to bounce back after the storm. “These hurricanes are something that these [mangrove] systems have evolved to withstand or respond to,” says Ilka Feller, a senior scientist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center who was not involved in the new research....

That was how things stood–at least, until late last year. In October 2014, Intel launched the Core M processor, which is built on a new energy-efficient architecture that allows it to draw less than half the power of its predecessor without sacrificing performance. Less power consumption means less heat, and less heat means no need for active cooling. As a result, a number of manufacturers are launching lightweight, fanless, ultra-thin hybrid devices to go toe-to-toe with standard premium laptops....

In its current form, iTiger is accessible for fans sitting in the West Zone that have an iPod Touch or iPhone. A few dozen loaner units are also available for students on a first-come, first-served basis. Fans currently have access to instant replays of the entire game, categorized by quarter, and a short description. They can watch, pause, and re-watch to their hearts’ content. They also can access player profiles and statistics in real time....

Which makes stumbling upon a cool-for-the-rest-of-us product or service that much more satisfying. One of these was Dixero, an RSS-to-voice conversion tool. (Because driving without looking at your iPhone has its pluses.) Import your favorite feed or reader channels, convert it to an MP3 and listen on the go. You can set different channels up with different voices (I want a Cosell-like voice for sports and Angela Lansbury reading me the TMZ headlines; but alas, they’re all pretty robotic)....

Computer scientists at Stanford University have developed an artificial intelligence system that learns to perform in-flight maneuvers by watching human-operated helicopters do the same. Instead of having computer programmers, laymen when it comes to piloting aircraft, labor away translating exact flying instructions into code, the helicopters learn from human experts, in this case, radio control pilot Garett Oku. The scientists had Oku perform a complete airshow multiple times over while they recorded every movement of the helicopter....