After Google’s beta test in Brazil, the initial suite of theft protection features for Android smartphones is now widely available—but you have to opt in. Why isn’t the company automatically adding the protections to every compatible device? Insight from the Brazil beta test helped developers at the company make this decision. “We learned that users…
Smartphones and computers often have helpful built-in accessibility settings, which can read aloud text on the screen, make default text sizes larger, and increase screen contrast. You can also take a photo with your phone of something you want to see, then boost the brightness, contrast, or zoom. Televisions, too, may have accessibility features you can adjust…
To determine which brands make the best ranges, CR created a statistical model that incorporates the Overall Scores for every gas, electric smoothtop, electric coil, and induction range in our ratings. Our calculations reflect lab performance, available features, predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction scores. We also looked at prices: Brands get credit for delivering high…
No, there are instances where they might help. But right now the pickings are mighty slim, especially for the average PC user. The latest version of Microsoft Paint has an AI PC feature called “generative fill” that allows you to add a new element to a photo by simply typing a description into a box….
Now, after Trump’s comment and actions on the first day of his presidency, the group’s crisis helpline is once again receiving a torrent of calls. Sixty-two percent of incoming calls this week, the group tells WIRED, are from trans and gender nonconforming adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17. The callers are expressing varying…
All the tech we rely on, from cars to smartphones, was engineered using physics. You don’t need to know the science to use these things. But a well-rounded human should understand at least some of the key concepts—along with some music, art, history, and economics. Robert Heinlein said it all in Time Enough for Love:…
When it comes to buying a new car, Consumer Reports members have told us that a low price or a luxury badge doesn’t automatically translate into happiness. Some models that you might expect to put a smile on an owner’s face actually make them frown—or worse. The models that top the owner satisfaction ratings deliver…
The recall occurred after several infants became ill with a foodborne pathogen, cronobacter, after being fed powdered formula manufactured at a Michigan plant owned by Abbott Nutrition. At the time, the plant produced more than 40 percent of the nation’s powdered baby formula under brand names including Similac, Alimentum, and EleCare. Although an investigation by…
Gather information. Collect details about the accident: names, contact information, and insurance policy information for anyone involved. Take photos of the damage to your car and any other vehicles and property, and write down or photograph license plate numbers. If you can, try to also record the involved cars’ vehicle identification number (VIN), the 17-digit…
Opt for hot water. Today’s laundry detergents work effectively in cold, warm, and hot water. But there’s clean, and then there’s a deep clean. To address cleanliness, smells, stains, and bacteria, Gerba and Handel recommend washing towels (especially white towels) in hot water. Gerba also suggests using an anti-microbial laundry sanitizer to kill odor-causing bacteria…