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Chamberlain blocks smart home integrations with its garage door openers — again

The MyQ garage door controller is an accessory that can connect Chamberlain Group garage door openers to the MyQ app. The MyQ platform used to support more smart home integrations, but has increasingly become focused on those that require subscriptions. Garage door opener manufacturer The Chamberlain Group has launched a...
The MyQ garage door controller is an accessory that can connect Chamberlain Group garage door openers to the MyQ app. The MyQ platform used to support more smart home integrations, but has increasingly become focused on those that require subscriptions. Garage door opener manufacturer The Chamberlain Group has launched a new version of the communication platform that powers its connected garage door openers - and it's bad news for smart home users. The new Security+ 3.0 platform, launching alongside Chamberlain's latest openers, shuts down the workarounds that third-party accessory makers such as Tailwind, Meross, and Ratgdo developed to let you integrate your garage door with Apple Home, Home Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and others. Instead, you're pushed into Chamberlain's ad-stuffed MyQ app and a short list of partners and integrations, nearly all of which require paid subsc …Read the full story at The Verge.

New York

Published by: aplhsindia.in

Chrome can now autofill details from your Google account

Google has announced several autofill improvements being rolled out to the mobile and desktop versions of Chrome. The updates will give autofill access to more of your data from places like Google Wallet and make it easier to select the right info a form is asking for when there are...
Google has announced several autofill improvements being rolled out to the mobile and desktop versions of Chrome. The updates will give autofill access to more of your data from places like Google Wallet and make it easier to select the right info a form is asking for when there are multiple suggestions.Autofill can now access your name, email address, and saved work and home addresses from your Google Account while you’re signed into the desktop, iOS, and Android versions of Chrome.For Chrome on Android, Google is expanding the autofill suggestions that appear above the onscreen keyboard so they’re not as condensed and easier to differentiate. The suggestions will now display two lines of information that could, for example, include the addresses of two contacts with the same name so you have more context for choosing the correct one.Google is also improving how Chrome’s autofill completes forms with international addresses, including Mexican descriptions that often reference two cross-streets, while support for “phonetic names in Japan” will be introduced later.Last month Chrome added the ability to autofill details like your passport number, driver’s license, loyalty cards, and info about your vehicle including its VIN and license plate for desktop users who turned on “enhanced autofill.” Both the desktop and Android versions of Chrome will now be able to access data from travel bookings saved in Google Wallet, so if you’re booking an airport rental car online, you can autofill details like the time and day your flight arrives.

Los Angeles

Published by: aplhsindia.in

Pantone’s ‘Cloud Dancer’ color party is a recession indicator

Pantone's color of the year for 2026 is white - sorry, Cloud Dancer. Pantone announced the shade on Thursday, and describes it as a "discrete white hue offering a promise of clarity." The accompanying image shows a person with cropped hair in billowy white clothing, arms outstretched over a background...
Pantone's color of the year for 2026 is white - sorry, Cloud Dancer. Pantone announced the shade on Thursday, and describes it as a "discrete white hue offering a promise of clarity." The accompanying image shows a person with cropped hair in billowy white clothing, arms outstretched over a background of clouds."PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer encourages true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation," the company writes. But all I can see is a recession indicator.This is the third year in a row where the Pantone color has slid more and more into unobtrusive, dispassionat …Read the full story at The Verge.

New York

Published by: aplhsindia.in

You can now use Pixel phones as a Switch 2 webcam

That Pixel phone in your pocket is now a Switch 2 webcam. | Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge When it launched the Switch 2’s compatibility with various webcams was hit or miss. A webcam isn’t a necessary accessory, but since the Switch 2 lacks one of its own,...
That Pixel phone in your pocket is now a Switch 2 webcam. | Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge When it launched the Switch 2’s compatibility with various webcams was hit or miss. A webcam isn’t a necessary accessory, but since the Switch 2 lacks one of its own, you need one to take full advantage of the console’s GameChat feature that can livestream players’ faces during multiplayer matches. Switch 2 webcam compatibility has since improved, but if you don’t already own one, you can now use your Pixel smartphone, according to Android Authority.Despite Nintendo’s claims that the Switch 2 works with most USB webcams, our own testing confirmed that Pixel smartphones could not be used as webcams at launch, even with the device’s settings switched to the USB webcam mode that Google introduced with Android 14. Switch 2 users eventually found that Android phones and iPhones could be used as a webcam for the console, but with the help of additional USB-C to HDMI adapters, and HDMI capture cables.But extra hardware is no longer needed to use a Pixel smartphone as a Switch 2 webcam. We tested a Pixel 9 Pro connected directly to the Switch 2’s top USB-C port with a single cable and, after switching the USB preferences to “Webcam” mode, we were able to use the smartphone as the camera for GameChat. If you’re playing multiplayer games like Mario Kart World, GameChat lets you not only speak with other competitors around the world, but also see them superimposed over a livestream of them playing if you’re using a webcam.It’s not known if recent updates on Google’s or Nintendo’s end are responsible for making this work (the Pixel 9 Pro we tested it with is running the Android 16 December release), but it’s a welcome upgrade for those who frequently travel with their Switch 2 and don’t want to lug a separate webcam everywhere they go.

Dallas

Published by: aplhsindia.in

Create a retro-style weather station with modern features using ESP32

Many of us probably remember the monochrome weather displays of the 80s and 90s, letting us view the indoor and outdoor temperatures at a glance, often even the current relative humidity. What if you could build something just as nostalgic but with even more real-time weather details? This project only...
Many of us probably remember the monochrome weather displays of the 80s and 90s, letting us view the indoor and outdoor temperatures at a glance, often even the current relative humidity. What if you could build something just as nostalgic but with even more real-time weather details? This project only requires a few components to do precisely that, and you can likely create it in just a single afternoon.

Norway

Published by: aplhsindia.in

Stop buying motherboards for the in-built Wi-Fi

Motherboard Wi-Fi has quietly become one of the most common marketing upsells in PC hardware as of late. Many mid-range and high-end boards from large manufacturers now include it by default, often at a noticeably higher price than their non-Wi-Fi counterparts. On paper, the appeal to convenience seems obvious, but...
Motherboard Wi-Fi has quietly become one of the most common marketing upsells in PC hardware as of late. Many mid-range and high-end boards from large manufacturers now include it by default, often at a noticeably higher price than their non-Wi-Fi counterparts. On paper, the appeal to convenience seems obvious, but once you look beyond it, the shortcomings can become much harder to ignore.

Houston

Published by: aplhsindia.in

These command-line tools replaced my entire GUI monitoring setup

If you work in DevOps or systems engineering, you have probably noticed the slow and steady shift away from GUI dashboards. The industry spent a decade pushing you toward Electron apps for everything from Docker to Kubernetes, convincing you that heavy graphical interfaces were the only way to monitor modern...
If you work in DevOps or systems engineering, you have probably noticed the slow and steady shift away from GUI dashboards. The industry spent a decade pushing you toward Electron apps for everything from Docker to Kubernetes, convincing you that heavy graphical interfaces were the only way to monitor modern infrastructure.

Dallas

Published by: aplhsindia.in

Trump Mobile’s refurbished iPhones are an unsurprisingly bad deal

2023’s iPhone 15 is the most recent that Trump Mobile offers. It's been well established that the Trump Phone doesn't exist. But that isn't the only phone Trump Mobile sells. It also offers a range of refurbished Apple and Samsung handsets that you can buy right now. You really shouldn't...
2023’s iPhone 15 is the most recent that Trump Mobile offers. It's been well established that the Trump Phone doesn't exist. But that isn't the only phone Trump Mobile sells. It also offers a range of refurbished Apple and Samsung handsets that you can buy right now. You really shouldn't though.I was relieved reading Allison's coverage over the last two weeks to discover that not everything about Trump Mobile is a scam. It may have taken her a couple weeks to actually get a SIM card, but once it arrived it did work just fine - it's T-Mobile, after all. It made me realize that you could, if you wanted, get Trump Mobile coverage on a Trump Mobile-sold phone right now, so long as you don't mind that the …Read the full story at The Verge.

United States

Published by: aplhsindia.in

This anime Grand Theft Auto knock-off has me more hyped than GTA 6

Modern gaming, in my opinion, is poetically chaotic. On one hand, you have billion-dollar juggernauts like GTA VI and StarCitizen. These are massive games whose shadows alone make the ground tremble. On the other hand, you've got unexpected wildcards that barge into the conversation, seemingly out of nowhere, and that's...
Modern gaming, in my opinion, is poetically chaotic. On one hand, you have billion-dollar juggernauts like GTA VI and StarCitizen. These are massive games whose shadows alone make the ground tremble. On the other hand, you've got unexpected wildcards that barge into the conversation, seemingly out of nowhere, and that's what Ananta is.

New York

Published by: aplhsindia.in

Star Wars’ original theatrical cut returns to theaters in 2027

Disney is bringing a “newly restored version” of the original, 1977 theatrical cut of Star Wars back to theaters on February 19th, 2027. It will only be available in theaters for “a limited time,” Disney says, and it’s being released as part of “Lucasfilm’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration” for the...
Disney is bringing a “newly restored version” of the original, 1977 theatrical cut of Star Wars back to theaters on February 19th, 2027. It will only be available in theaters for “a limited time,” Disney says, and it’s being released as part of “Lucasfilm’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration” for the franchise. Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but Disney says it will share details on when and where to buy tickets on StarWars.com.Disney initially revealed earlier this year that it would be bringing Star Wars back to theaters. Star Wars creator George Lucas has famously tinkered with what’s now called A New Hope, but a few lucky fans have already been able to recently see the first theatrical cut; The British Film Institute showed an original, 35mm release print of the movie in June at an event that featured an introduction from Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who confirmed that it was “in fact, the first print.”Ahead of the re-release of the first Star Wars, Disney is bringing The Mandalorian and Grogu to theaters on May 22nd, 2026. Another film, Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, is coming to theaters on May 28th, 2027.

Seattle

Published by: aplhsindia.in

Horses is a hit, but its studio might still be in trouble

After indie narrative horror game Horses was banned from Steam two years ago, it put the studio, Santa Ragione, at risk of closure. Studio cofounder and Horses producer Pietro Righi Riva had to make a difficult phone call to the game’s director, Italian filmmaker Andrea Lucco Borlera. “I was terrified...
After indie narrative horror game Horses was banned from Steam two years ago, it put the studio, Santa Ragione, at risk of closure. Studio cofounder and Horses producer Pietro Righi Riva had to make a difficult phone call to the game’s director, Italian filmmaker Andrea Lucco Borlera. “I was terrified for him,” Riva said in an interview with The Verge. “This was his first game and he put so much work, so much passion, so many years, and it was supposed to be his big breakthrough.” But Horses has broken through even without Steam. Riva’s detailed accounting of the game’s multiple storefront bans caught the attention of journalists, developers, and curious gamers eager to see just what was so objectionable that the game couldn’t be sold on Steam alongside the likes of Sex Standing or Sex with Hitler 2. That attention has made Horses the video game cause célèbre of the moment, catapulting it to bestseller status on GOG.com.But while this all sounds like a happy ending, Riva isn’t ready to breathe easy just yet. “I’m relieved because with all this attention, I’m probably going to be able to give back most of the money [roughly half of $100,000] that I had to borrow,” he said. “But we’re not out of the [woods] yet, no.” Horses is a short, crunchy-looking game, boasting Dreamcast-era graphics with gameplay that’s no more involved than clicking things to put them in and take them out of your inventory. And while Santa Ragione has had success with Saturnalia and Milky Way Prince before the bans, it was largely a little-known developer. Riva is aware of how that looks, acknowledging that the bans have been instrumental in Horses punching through the noise.“There is no way the same kind of interest would have happened,” he said. And despite that first difficult call, Riva says Borlera is quite pleased at what the bans have done for his game. “He’s extremely happy with the reception that the game is getting,” Riva said. “People are reading into the game and […] engaging with it in a way that he hoped.”“There is no way the same kind of interest would have happened.”That engagement, though, isn’t enough to make up for the access Steam could have provided. While Riva is grateful for the support of gamers and storefronts like GOG, it’s not enough, and he’s still very much in fear of Santa Ragione’s future. “Even with all the publicity, all the reporting, all the reviews, everything else,” he said. “This still does not compare to the kind of audience we would have on Steam.”Steam has an outsize influence on the PC video game market. The indie studios that cannot afford the costs of porting their games to consoles are at the mercy of Valve’s vague, capricious, and often inconsistent moderation whims. Though Horses has found a roundabout way to relative success without it, Riva said that journey has been traumatic, affecting not just him and his team but his peers and future projects.“I think there is going to be, in my case, and in other people’s case, a certain degree of self-censorship,” he said. “It’s terrifying, and it’s going to make people make safer and safer games, me included.”

Boston

Published by: aplhsindia.in

The Luigi Mangione trial is all about narrative control

On Monday, several dozen members of the public are lined up outside 100 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, hoping to squeeze into the courtroom to hear testimony from witnesses called by the state against Luigi Mangione - the man accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson a year...
On Monday, several dozen members of the public are lined up outside 100 Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, hoping to squeeze into the courtroom to hear testimony from witnesses called by the state against Luigi Mangione - the man accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson a year ago. Despite the endless news coverage, viral memes, and photos seen by millions of people, the group that shows up to hearings has thinned out significantly since the court date in February, when hundreds gathered outside and in the courthouse. There is a small demonstration ramping up, organized by healthcare reform group People Over Profi …Read the full story at The Verge.

Dallas

Published by: aplhsindia.in

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