What Is a Preamp, and Do I Really Need One?

Every audio system requires amplification. In a traditional hi-fi set-up, the loudspeakers are always “passive”—which is to say, they don’t produce their own power. Instead, they must receive an amplified audio signal from an external source, aptly called an amplifier, in order to do their thing. Even in a more modern, self-contained audio system (like…

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How to Avoid Collisions With Deer This Fall

Slow down. Watch for deer, especially around dawn and between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., when they’re most active. Be aware. Look out for deer-crossing signs and wooded areas where animals are likely to travel. If you travel the same route to and from work every day, you may find deer consistently grazing in…

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Psychological Tricks Can Get AI to Break the Rules

If you were trying to learn how to get other people to do what you want, you might use some of the techniques found in a book like Influence: The Power of Persuasion. Now, a preprint study out of the University of Pennsylvania suggests that those same psychological persuasion techniques can frequently “convince” some LLMs…

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Introducing a New Chapter for ‘Uncanny Valley’

Lauren Goode: I love that. Is it on Spotify? Michael Calore: Yeah, we’re everywhere. Lauren Goode: All right. Michael Calore: Yeah. We’re Trans Lunar on this one. Lauren Goode: That’s amazing. Michael Calore: Thanks, Brian. Brian Barrett: Yeah. Michael Calore: What do you like about it? What’s your favorite song? Name three songs. Lauren Goode:…

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Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable Review: Like Magic

The ThinkBook Plus Rollable is not about its performance, though Lenovo made a good choice in using the Intel Core Ultra 258V. Or so I thought. This is an efficient chip that gets solid performance, but more importantly, it usually gets great battery life. Not the case on this ThinkBook. There are a few things…

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