Gas Rebate Checks: These States Are Offering Money Back To Drivers


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Gas Rebate Checks: These States Are Offering Money Back to Drivers


Gas Rebate Checks: These States Are Offering Money Back to Drivers

What's happening

Lawmakers in Congress and state legislatures are considering giving motorists cash rebates to defray the elevated cost of gasoline.

Why it matters

Gas has averaged more than $4 a gallon nationwide since March, hitting $5 in more recent weeks.

After steadily increasing for months, the price of gas has made something of a U-turn, dropping to $4.80 a gallon just weeks after reaching a high of more than $5 in mid-June. 

But the national average is still well above what it was before the pandemic, and lawmakers are looking for ways to provide relief at the pump: Some states have instituted a gas tax holiday, and President Joe Biden has endorsed a similar pause on the federal gas tax.

Another option, though, is a federal gas "stimulus check" that would give eligible Americans $100 a month through the end of the year or for as long as the price of gas exceeds $4 a gallon. Democratic Reps. Lauren Underwood, Mike Thompson and John Larson proposed the idea in March with their Gas Rebate Act of 2022.

Read moreStimulus Check: More Than a Dozen States Are Sending Tax Rebates to Residents

Given the attitude in Congress toward more stimulus handouts, the proposal hasn't gotten very far. But individual states have picked up the idea and run with it.

Here's what you need to know about gas rebates, including which states are offering them, how much they're for and efforts on the federal level.

What states and cities are offering gas rebates?

A handful of municipalities have begun -- or are looking into -- gas refunds.

California

After efforts to suspend California's 51-cent gas tax failed, Gov. Gavin Newsom tried inserting a gas tax rebate into the state budget in May. He wanted every household with a car registered in the state to receive a $400 debit card, up to two cars per family. 

But he compromised with lawmakers and agreed to suspend the state sales tax on diesel fuel. Residents will also receive "inflation relief" checks of up to $1,050 per family.

North Carolina

Democratic state senators have proposed giving all licensed adult drivers a one-time payment of $200 toward fueling up. That's roughly what the average North Carolinian pays in state gas taxes from July to December, according to State Sen. Michael Garrett, a co-sponsor of the gas rebate bill.

The plan would cost $1.3 billion, but sponsors say it could come out of the state's approximate $4.241 billion tax surplus.

"This approach keeps the Highway Fund and the Highway Trust Fund whole, while still collecting revenue from non-residents passing through our state using our roads, highways and bridges," Garrett said in a statement.

If their bill passes, the rebates would be sent by Oct. 1.

Read moreHelp Defray the Cost of Gas With the Best Gas Credit Cards 

Chicago

The Windy City has already started issuing some of the 50,000 prepaid $150 gas cards and 100,000 prepaid $50 transit cards approved by the city council.

Those interested in benefiting from the Chicago Moves plan must be at least 18 years old, in possession of a valid driver's license and earn no more than $73,000, the city's median annual income.

Applications must be received by the first of the month, and recipients are chosen via lottery monthly through to September.

Does the White House support a federal gas rebate?

Biden said he supports pausing the federal gas tax for three months and encouraged individual states to consider similar money-saving efforts, including "consumer rebates and relief payments," the White House said in a June 22 statement.

The president told reporters that a nationwide gas rebate card program "is part of what we're considering," Cox Media reported.

The administration first considered rebate cards in March but determined that the computer chip shortage would make it hard to produce enough cards, according to The Washington Post.

In addition, there would be no mechanism to ensure consumers didn't use the cards for purchases other than gasoline, and getting support from Congress would be a long shot. 

What is the Gas Rebate Act of 2022?

The measure will give eligible Americans $100 for every month left in 2022 that gasoline continues to average more than $4 a gallon. If they have dependents, they would receive another $100.

The US passed the $4 threshold in March and hasn't dropped back below since. (The individual average in all 50 states surpassed $4 per gallon in May.)

Who would be eligible for a federal gas rebate?

As with the pandemic stimulus checks, compensation depends on income levels: Individuals earning less than $75,000 will get the full $100. The amount would diminish the more you earn, and individuals making over $80,000 wouldn't be eligible for any rebate. 

Joint filers earning less than $150,000 would receive the full $100, phased out at $160,000.


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FBI Remotely Installs Spyware To Trace Bomb Threat


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FBI remotely installs spyware to trace bomb threat


FBI remotely installs spyware to trace bomb threat

The FBI used a novel type of remotely installed spyware last month to investigate who was e-mailing bomb threats to a high school near Olympia, Wash.

Federal agents obtained a court order on June 12 to send spyware called CIPAV to a MySpace account suspected of being used by the bomb threat hoaxster. Once implanted, the software was designed to report back to the FBI with the Internet Protocol address of the suspect's computer, other information found on the PC and, notably, an ongoing log of the user's outbound connections.

Screen snapshot of 'timberlinebombinfo' MySpace account

The suspect, a former Timberline High School student, was sentenced this week to 90 days in juvenile detention after pleading guilty to making bomb threats and other charges.

While there's been plenty of speculation about how the FBI might deliver spyware electronically, this case appears to be the first to reveal how the technique is used in practice. The FBI did confirm in 2001 that it was working on a virus called Magic Lantern but hasn't said much about it since. The two other cases in which federal investigators were known to have used spyware--the Scarfo and Forrester cases--involved agents actually sneaking into offices to implant key loggers.

An 18-page affidavit filed in federal court by FBI Agent Norm Sanders last month and obtained by CNET News.com claims details about the governmental spyware are confidential. The FBI calls its spyware a Computer and Internet Protocol Address Verifier, or CIPAV.

"The exact nature of these commands, processes, capabilities, and their configuration is classified as a law enforcement sensitive investigative technique, the disclosure of which would likely jeopardize other ongoing investigations and/or future use of the technique," Sanders wrote. A reference to the operating system's registry indicates that CIPAV can target, as you might expect given its market share, Microsoft Windows. Other data sent back to the FBI include the operating system type and serial number, the logged-in user name, and the Web URL that the computer was "previously connected to."

News.com has posted Sanders' affidavit and a summary of the CIPAV results that the FBI submitted to U.S. Magistrate Judge James Donohue.

There have been hints in the past that the FBI has employed this technique. In 2004, an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that the bureau had used an "Internet Protocol Address Verifier" that was sent to a suspect via e-mail.

But bloggers at the time dismissed it--in hindsight, perhaps erroneously--as the FBI merely using an embedded image in an HTML-formatted e-mail message, also known as a Web bug.

Finding out who's behind a MySpace account

An interesting twist in the current case is that the county sheriff's office learned about the MySpace profile -- timberlinebombinfo -- when the creator tried to persuade other students to link to it and at least one of their parents called the police. The sheriff's office reported that 33 students received a request to post the link to "timberlinebombinfo" on their own MySpace pages.

In addition, the bomb hoaxster was sending a series of taunting messages from Google Gmail accounts (including dougbrigs@gmail.com) the week of June 4. A representative excerpt: "There are 4 bombs planted throughout Timberline High School. One in the math hall, library hall, and one portable. The bombs will go off in 5 minute intervals at 9:15 am."

The FBI replied by obtaining account logs from Google and MySpace. Both pointed to the Internet Protocol address of 80.76.80.103, which turned out to be a compromised computer in Italy.

That's when the FBI decided to roll out the heavy artillery: CIPAV. "I have concluded that using a CIPAV on the target MySpace 'Timberlinebombinfo' account may assist the FBI to determine the identities of the individual(s) using the activating computer," Sanders' affidavit says.

CIPAV was going to be installed "through an electronic messaging program from an account controlled by the FBI," which probably means e-mail. (Either e-mail or instant messaging could be used to deliver an infected file with CIPAV hidden in it, but the wording of that portion of the affidavit makes e-mail more likely.)

After CIPAV is installed, the FBI said, it will immediately report back to the government the computer's Internet Protocol address, Ethernet MAC address, "other variables, and certain registry-type information." And then, for the next 60 days, it will record Internet Protocol addresses visited but not the contents of the communications.

Putting the legal issues aside for the moment, one key question remains a mystery: Assuming the FBI delivered the CIPAV spyware via e-mail, how did the the program bypass antispyware defenses and install itself as malicious software? (There's no mention of antivirus defenses in the court documents, true, but the bomb-hoaxster also performed a denial of service attack against the school district computers -- which, coupled with compromising the server in Italy, points to some modicum of technical knowledge.)

One possibility is that the FBI has persuaded security software makers to overlook CIPAV and not alert their users to its presence.

Another is that the FBI has found (or paid someone to uncover) unknown vulnerabilities in Windows or Windows-based security software that would permit CIPAV to be installed. From the FBI's perspective, this would be the most desirable: for one thing, it would also obviate the need to strong-arm dozens of different security vendors, some with headquarters in other countries, into whitelisting CIPAV.

Earlier this week, News.com surveyed 13 security vendors and all said it was their general policy to detect police spyware. Some, however, indicated they would obey a court order to ignore policeware, and neither McAfee nor Microsoft would say whether they had received such a court order.

The verbatim results of our survey are here.

Updated August 18, 2014: The name of the Timberline High School student, who was a minor at the time of the incident, has been removed.


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5 Mistakes People Make When Lifting Weights At Home


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5 mistakes people make when lifting weights at home


5 mistakes people make when lifting weights at home

One of the most important aspects of any workout, but especially weight lifting, is practicing good form for each exercise you do. But that can be difficult to master when you don't have someone watching you and showing you what to do IRL. 

It's always a good idea to work with a trainer in some capacity, at least at first, even if it's on a video or Zoom chat, so you get a baseline of what to expect in your workout. But if that's out of your price range, or you just want to get started now, let this be your guide.

Below, two certified trainers share the most common mistakes people make when they start out with weight lifting, plus their best tips to stay safe and get the best results as you start your home strength training routine.

Why should you lift weights at home? 

"Weight training builds muscle which, apart from appearances, can help promote a healthy metabolism and support sustainable fat loss and/or weight loss efforts," says April Whitney, certified personal trainer and founder of Smalletics. "Weight training also improves bone density which is important for women especially, who are at an increased risk of osteoporosis with age."

If one of your goals is to lose weight and boost your metabolism, strength training is the way to go. But if that's not your goal, weight lifting offers a ton of other benefits like improving posture, flexibility, mobility and sleep, and helps reduce stress and improve energy too, according to Whitney. 

gettyimages-1217857292

Lifting weights at home is convenient because you can do it anytime that fits your schedule.

Gary Yeowell/Getty Images

"One of the misconceptions about weight training is that you need fancy machines," Whitney says. "In reality, you can reap the benefits of strength training and get functionally fit right from your own home with just a pair of dumbbells or resistance bands in combination with bodyweight exercises."

Another benefit of lifting weights at home is the intimidation factor is significantly lower for newbies. For some people, entering the weight room at a crowded gym is intimidating enough to make them want to quit or avoid getting started in the first place. 

"You can take the time you need to learn the moves and build confidence in what you're learning," Whitney says. "It's also convenient to have an at-home routine, and you can squeeze it in on your own terms without traveling or abiding by the gym's schedule."

Now, let's explore five common beginner weight-lifting mistakes and how to fix them.

1. Using incorrect form

Learning correct form is one of the most important parts of your weight-lifting routine, since not using correct form and technique can lead to injury. 

"Some common mistakes with form include not correctly engaging or bracing the core and also not spending enough time learning the basic prime movements of the human body, which include the hip hinge, the squat and the press," Whitney says. 

deadlift-mistakes-2.png

Good form is imperative to prevent injury and help your muscles get stronger. 

Amanda Capritto/CNET

How to fix it

"Spend time early on studying deadlift, squat and press videos, including the chest press and shoulder press, or hire a coach who can give you feedback, whether in person or virtually," Whitney says. 

If you don't want to hire a trainer, you can also record yourself doing each workout move with your form to watch after. "If you're not in the market for a trainer, I suggest propping up your phone and recording yourself," says Tatiana Lampa, a certified personal trainer and founder of Training with T. You can compare your own form to a video demonstrating the proper form, and then readjust as needed.

2. Skipping the warm up

It's tempting to jump straight into a workout, but with weight training, it's especially important to take the time to warm up properly. "Your warm up doesn't need to be a long elaborate routine, but it's really important to get your overactive (tight) muscles lengthened and inhibited," Lampa says.

How to fix it

You can start with foam rolling, or a dynamic yoga flow to warm up your body. "From there start activating the muscles you'll be working," Lampa says. "I like to start with some core and glute work before my workout."

3. Using the same weights for months at a time

The key to getting strong and seeing the results you want with weight training is to progressively challenge yourself. In other words, don't let your workout feel too easy. 

"To continue to make progress, you must increase the demands (the resistance) on your body by increasing the weights every four to six weeks, or whenever you can. You want to be able to perform all of the reps of a given exercise with good form, with the two final reps feeling challenging," Whitney says.

How to fix it

If the reps you do start to feel easy, then you know that's a sign to move up a few pounds. "The good news is, the research shows you can make a lot of progress here if you are new to weight training. This is colloquially referred to as 'newbie gains,'" Whitney says.

If you have the budget, this is the time to invest in a new set of dumbbells or a kettlebell. But if you're not ready to spend the money, or can't find weights to buy (there's an ongoing shortage), you can use household items that you already have.

gettyimages-1224889619

You may be eager to lift heavy, but starting out too heavy is one way to get injured. 

IngredientsPhoto/Getty Images

4. Overtraining or using weights that are too heavy 

On the flip side of not progressing your weights often or challenging yourself is overdoing it.

"It can be easy to fall into a trap of thinking you need to lift the heaviest weight possible to see progress, however this can backfire leading to injury or overtraining," Whitney says.

How to fix it

"If you can't finish a set without taking a break or severely modifying your form, that's a sign to drop the weight lower, until you find the right amount of challenge," Whitney says. "Proper form at a lower weight will train you better than a heavier weight with improper form in the long run."

5. Not following a program 

There's nothing wrong with following YouTube or Instagram workout videos to help you get started, but you will get the best results if you have some sort of workout plan or strategy in place. 

"You'll save a lot of time and energy investing or finding a proven program," Whitney says. "Not only will the workouts be progressive with time, but it will also teach you how to perform the exercises safely, educate you around what weights to choose, how to track progress and more (if it's a good program!)."

How to fix it

You can search online for workout programs that focus on your goals, like programs to help you lose weight, or simply build muscle. You can also download apps with guided videos, or some plans have the workouts laid out for you in a PDF or printable calendar you can follow. 

No matter what type of program you choose, Whitney recommends "beginners start weight training anywhere from three to five days depending on their current level of fitness. They should be able to increase their weights within the first four weeks if they have been consistent."

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.


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The 2022 Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week With A Shooting Star Spectacular


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The 2022 Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week With a Shooting Star Spectacular


The 2022 Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week With a Shooting Star Spectacular

The middle of August marks one of the most active and exciting periods of the year for meteor fans, as the Perseids zip across night skies.

The most photogenic meteor shower on the calendar peaks Friday and Saturday, but shooting stars should be visible right now in smaller amounts. The respected Southern Delta Aquariids and the lesser-known Alpha Capricornids are also still active, adding even more juice to an already tasty offering for skywatchers.

Predictions for the exact peak of the Perseids differ, but between Thursday evening and the early hours of Sunday morning seems to be the sweet spot. The American Meteor Society predicts up to a hundred meteors per hour could be visible from a dark sky with minimal light pollution. 

Unfortunately, the moon will be at its full phase, providing a significant amount of light pollution much of the night this week. Even still, this shower remains worth venturing outside to check out on the peak nights, if you can get yourself to a viewing location with clear skies and no city lights. 

There are some tricks you can employ to shut out the meddling moon. You can turn your back to the rising moon and even place a physical screen such as a wall or tall tree between you and the moon to reduce its impact on your view of the broader sky. 

Regardless of when and where you try to see some shooting stars, plan ahead and make sure to set aside at least an hour or two for the experience. You'll need at least 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust. Dedicating an hour to observation will make sure you aren't discouraged by the inevitable lulls in meteor activity, which can often be punctuated by sudden bursts of multiple meteors sizzling across the sky just seconds apart. 

Don't forget to bring blankets or comfy chairs, and snacks to round out the experience. If any of you astro-photographers out there grab great pics, please share them with me on Twitter @EricCMack. 


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Metal Gear Creator Hideo Kojima Considers Legal Action Over Fake Abe Assassin Posts


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Metal Gear Creator Hideo Kojima Considers Legal Action Over Fake Abe Assassin Posts


Metal Gear Creator Hideo Kojima Considers Legal Action Over Fake Abe Assassin Posts

Hideo Kojima, developer of the Metal Gear Solid game series and Death Stranding, was the subject of social media posts falsely accusing him of being involved with the shooting of former Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe. The accused shooter was arrested after the violent act and has no ties to Kojima. 

The famed game developer is now threatening legal action over these false claims. Kojima's game studio, Kojima Productions, tweeted Saturday that it is considering legal recourse over the false posts. 

"#KojimaProductions strongly condemns the spread of fake news and rumors that convey false information," the studio tweeted Saturday. "We do not tolerate such libel and will consider taking legal action in some cases."

Abe was shot and killed Friday while giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara, 40 minutes east of Osaka, Japan. Police arrested 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami at the scene. He has reportedly been charged with murder. 

Shortly after the shooting, people on anonymous image board 4chan began circulating a picture of the alleged shooter, and falsely identified him as Kojima. The false posts spread to other social media sites and news outlets in Greece and Iran reportedly shared the inaccurate information. 

Police reportedly are continuing to investigate the motive behind the shooting. Abe twice served as Japan's prime minister. He held the office for one year in 2007 and again from 2012 and 2020.


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HP Omen 27U Gaming Monitor Review: An Unassuming Choice For PC And Console


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HP Omen 27U Gaming Monitor Review: An Unassuming Choice for PC and Console


HP Omen 27U Gaming Monitor Review: An Unassuming Choice for PC and Console

There aren't a ton of gaming monitors in the same class as HP's Omen 27U. While it's one of the higher-priced models of its competitive cohort at $700, it stands out from the competition for a variety of reasons. Notably, it has an HDMI 2.1 connection with support for variable refresh and 4K 120Hz when connected to an Xbox Series X or VRR on the PS5 -- a feature that's starting to gain traction for gaming displays. And it comes in a sleek design you don't usually see in a gaming monitor, even when you light it up, along with a functional layout for the connectors that's also rare. 

The monitor isn't available internationally, but $700 converts to roughly £570 or AU$1,020.

Like

  • Well designed, with relatively easy access to connections
  • Console VRR and 4K at 120Hz compatible

Don't Like

  • The built-in speakers are not worth it
  • No downstream USB-C connection
  • Stand doesn't allow for swivel

The monitor is DisplayHDR 400 certified, but that just means it's brighter than average with possibly a broader color gamut than a typical monitor. Most of the current competitors at this price are the same. But if you're actually looking for a monitor to use for HDR, look to one with DisplayHDR 600-level specs, like the similarly priced LG Ultragear 27GN950. That model doesn't support VRR on consoles, so there's your tradeoff.

The HP also includes built-in stereo speakers, though they're low power, 2-watt versions that are basically good for system notifications and similarly undemanding audio. It also has a small USB hub with two USB-A connections, but sadly no USB-C out.

HP Omen 27U

Price $700
Size (diagonal) 27 inch (68.5 cm)
Panel and backlight IPS with edgelit backlight
Flat or curved Flat
Resolution and pixel density 3,840x2,160, 163 ppi
Aspect ratio 16:9
Maximum gamut 95% DCI-P3
Brightness (nits, peak/typical) 450/450
HDR DisplayHDR 400
Adaptive sync FreeSync Premium Pro
Max vertical refresh rate at 4K 144Hz (DisplayPort), 120Hz (HDMI 2.1), 60Hz (HDMI 2.0)
Gray-to-gray response time  1ms
Connections 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x DP 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB-A 5Gbps (out), 1x USB-C (in)
Audio Headphone jack, 2x 2-watt speakers
VESA mountable Yes, 100x100 mm
Panel warranty 1 year; 2 max bright sub-pixels, 5 max dark subpixels, 5 max combined bright and dark. Image retention damage not covered for monitors in use 24 hours a day.
Release date April 2022

I've grown quite fond of the 27U's design since HP debuted the style several years ago. The connections sit on either side of a diamond-shaped section that houses the electronics; that means they're facing the sides rather than the desk, which makes it easier to get to them. And its high-to-low position ranges over 130mm compared with most monitors' 110mm range. Plus the stand has a headset hook, if you prefer them unseen when not in use.

HP Omen M27u gaming monitor side view, angled backward and raised as high as it will go

The HP Omen 27U at its highest point.

Lori Grunin/CNET

The display behaves as expected when connected to an Xbox Series X, meaning it will automatically sense the connection coming online when you turn on the console and will set the refresh rate to 120Hz.   

HP Omen M27u gaming monitor side view, showing it lowered as far as it will go and tilted backwards

The HP Omen 27U at its lowest point.

Lori Grunin/CNET

It has the usual set of game-specific features, like a crosshair, framerate display, fudgy shadow boosting and so on. It's got an MPRT mode to compensate for motion blur, which only works at refresh rates over 100Hz and in SDR. This visibly lowers the brightness as you level it up, as well as multiple speed settings for pixel response, half of which result in bad halos around moving objects.  

HP Omen 27u connection labels, showing how the connections are angled for easy access

The connectors face out rather than down, making them easier to access.

Lori Grunin/CNET

There's a single Game preset, which is essentially the Native mode with lower brightness and the correct tone curve for HDR when it's enabled. You don't have any real HDR options: When you turn it on in Windows, or on the console, it's on. Because of the around-the-edge backlight, it has little control over local contrast -- HDR only really looks like HDR when the bright and dark areas next to each other pop. That, combined with the low peak brightness, makes it less HDR and more SDR-plus. That's sadly true of many "HDR" monitors.

Color measurements


Default/sRGB Native/P3
Gamut (% covered; before/after correction) 97.8/100 93.2/93.2
White point (before/after correction) 7100K/6600K 7200K/6500K
Gamma 2.06 2.1
Brightness (nits) 242 (typical)/381 (peak) 434
Accuracy (DE2K average/max after adjustment) 1.49/2.62 1.66/5.09
Contrast (before/after adjustment) 1,000:1/1,024:1 999:1/1,030:1

There is also a novel Game Remaster mode, which "automatically applies enhancement filters to lower-resolution games." I tried it with the original Fallout and couldn't see any difference. Your mileage may vary, though.

I'd say the monitor delivers pleasing, rather than accurate, colors. HP says the monitor is factory-calibrated, but my measurements had it high across the board by roughly 500 degrees Kelvin, including in the Warm (5,000K) and Cool (9,300K) presets. In other words, graphics were a little cooler and bluer than they should have been. Decreasing the blue gain from 255 to 240 put all the numbers roughly back in line with HP's claims. If you're not sensitive to color temperature, though, you probably won't notice: It's not that far out of whack. If you want to get the tone curve to a strict 2.2 gamma, you'd have to calibrate the monitor.

"Pleasing" is probably the adjective that most suits the Omen 27U in general. It's not the bestest in its class, but the great design and console compatibility elevate it above what it might otherwise rate. I don't know that it's a good choice for the traditional, hardcore PC gamer, but if you need a display for a small space that looks nice, works well and, oh yes, is good for gaming on a PC as well as console, the 27U ticks all the boxes.

How we test monitors

All measurements are performed using Portrait Displays' Calman Ultimate 2021 software using a Calibrite ColorChecker Display Plus (formerly X-Rite i1Display Pro Plus). We use a Murideo Six-G pattern generator for HDR testing where necessary, or the Client3 HDR patterns within Calman, where possible. The extent of our testing depends on the capabilities of the monitor, the screen and backlight technology used and the judgment of the reviewer.

On the most basic models, we may stick with just brightness, contrast and color gamut, while on more capable displays we may run tests of most user-selectable modes for gaming or color-critical usage, uniformity and so on. For the color work, we may also run tests to verify how white point accuracy varies with brightness.

Color accuracy results reported in units of Delta E 2000 are based on Calman's standard Pantone patch set, plus the grayscale and skin tone patches. White points results are based on both the actual white value plus the correlated color temperature for the entire gray scale (21 patches, 0 to 100%) rounded to the nearest 50K as long as there are no big variations. We also use Blur Busters' motion tests to judge motion artifacts (such as ghosting) or refresh rate-related problems that can affect gaming.


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'Paper Girls' Review: Newsies Vs. Terminator, But Don't Mention 'Stranger Things'


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'Paper Girls' Review: Newsies vs. Terminator, but Don't Mention 'Stranger Things'


'Paper Girls' Review: Newsies vs. Terminator, but Don't Mention 'Stranger Things'

There's a new streaming series about four walkie-talkie-toting 1980s teens, pedaling their bikes into action against fantastical goings-on.

Yes, I know. Sounds a lot like Stranger Things. But let's try to forget about Netflix's smash hit for a minute and give Amazon's entertaining new sci-fi show Paper Girls a chance.

Paper Girls is based on the award-winning comic by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Cliff Chiang, which began in 2015 and ran for 30 issues. All eight episodes of the first season began streaming on Prime Video in July.

The show begins in the wee small hours as Halloween 1988 draws to a close. Four 12-year-old paper delivery girls take to the darkened suburban streets to begin their round. Tough-talking Mac, shy new kid Erin, rich kid KJ and budding prodigy Tiffany have to contend with racists, bullies and drunks, but these everyday assholes pale into insignificance when the girls are caught up in a war between time travelers.

The first episode is thrillingly chaotic, with the sodium-yellow streetlights giving way to a roiling pink sky as the kids find themselves caught up in craziness and confusion. Their paper round spirals into escalating weirdness and action, with some genuine shocks building to a solid cliffhanger. It's all there: four engaging leads, an intriguing premise and some deliciously odd twists and turns.

The main strength of the show is the young cast as they're catapulted forward 30 years and are thrown around in time, facing themselves and their loved ones in years to come. Riley Lai Nelet and Fina Strazza are relatable as the unassuming underdog and sensitive scion of a wealthy family, while Camryn Jones shines later in the show as the team's sparky thinker. The standout throughout is Sofia Rosinsky, channeling Edward Furlong's rebellious juvenile delinquent from Terminator 2 with a combination of bravado and vulnerability.

The Terminator is probably the other big influence on the series, as a ruthless hunter infiltrates the suburbs to track down our time-displaced young heroines. As with all time travel stories, paradoxes and timelines soon get tangled, with the young newsies encountering their future selves (including comedian Ali Wong).

This is the key thing about Paper Girls: it's a coming-of-age story, using the sci-fi conceit of time travel to allow characters to see how they turned out and demand answers from the people they come to be. The older versions of the girls have as much to learn from their younger selves as the youngsters do from any adult, and it's a compelling way to explore these questions of what it means to grow up and take control of your life.

Or at least, the show comes pretty close. Later in the series one of the young cast meets their older self in an encounter that's bribing with conflict and revelation. But Wong is under-served in her appearance as an adult who just turns out to be a bit mediocre. A slightly disappointing life isn't really the stuff of drama, especially in a show when the other storyline is a frickin' guerrilla war between sci-fi commandos and laser-gun-toting fanatics jumping through time.

Paper Girls has enough twists and compelling characters to keep you involved, but the show does lose momentum after the eventful first episode. All too often the girls arrive in a new location and then just… go to bed. People need to sleep, sure, but scenes like this feel like intermissions when the momentum flags, even sapping the tension out of the pursuing hunter's approach. Paper Girls could do with more urgency and energy as the heroes fight both their enemies and their desire to get back to their home time (or not).

A lack of momentum isn't a problem that troubles Stranger Things, and Paper Girls will suffer by comparison with Netflix's hit show. But it's worth noting that Paper Girls is a different animal. Stranger Things is set in the 1980s because it's all about the '80s: the hair, the music, the clothes, Dungeons & Dragons -- the pop culture references are the point, as this retro nostalgia is a loving tribute to (and updating of) the movies and culture of that era. Paper Girls, however, starts in the 1980s so the kids can hop forward through their lives. There are some excellent vintage needledrops (if only it would do for New Order, Danzing or Echo and the Bunnymen what Stranger Things season 4 did for Kate Bush), but this isn't a show about the '80s specifically: it's a story about growing up told across the timeline of a life.

Paper Girls could do with a jolt of the energy that makes Stranger Things fizz. But set aside any comparisons and there's a lot to like about this twisty show, especially its winning young cast.


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10 Spotify Features To Make Listening Better


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10 Spotify Features to Make Listening Better


10 Spotify Features to Make Listening Better

Spotify has over 406 million users worldwide who enjoy a wide range of musical artists, as well as a large selection of audio and video podcasts

If you've only listened to music or podcasts in the Spotify mobile app and never changed the settings, you're missing out on features that can improve your listening experience. 

Here are 10 Spotify features on the mobile app to use to get the most of the service.

Find an artist's radio page 

Did you know there's an easier way to find an artist's radio playlist instead of searching through their Spotify page? Open an artist's page or album, tap the three dots settings button next to the Follow button. On the next page, tap Go to radio, and you will be taken to that artist's radio playlist.  

Use Data Saver

Spotify's Data Saver is one way you can save money while using the app. To turn Data Saver on, open the Spotify app, tap the gear icon and tap Data Saver. You can choose to set your audio quality to low or stream the audio from video podcasts when you aren't on Wi-Fi. There's also an option to only download the audio from video podcasts to save memory on your phone.

Turn on Offline mode

Offline mode can be good if you're running out of data on your mobile plan, or if you only want to listen to what you've downloaded. To enable Offline mode, open the Spotify app, tap the gear icon, tap Playback and Offline will be an option at the top of the menu. Once enabled, premium members will be able to listen to downloaded songs and podcasts and free users will be able to listen to downloaded podcasts. 

Turn on Gapless Playback

Gaps between songs can be annoying. Turning on Gapless Playback can make the songs on a playlist or album overlap so it feels like a continuous flow of music from your favorite DJ. To turn it on, open the Spotify app, tap the gear icon, tap Playback and tap Gapless Playback. Above Gapless Playback, there is a Crossfade slider that lets you adjust how much overlap songs have with each other. Pick one second to have a slight overlap or 12 seconds to listen as one song spins up as another winds down. 

Manage Autoplay for similar songs

If the album or playlist you are listening to comes to an end, Autoplay will play similar songs to the album or playlist that ended. This feature is automatically on, but to turn it off or back on, open the Spotify app, tap the gear icon, tap Playback and scroll down to Autoplay. You'll see the options On this device and On other devices under Autoplay. If enabled, after your Action Bronson album ends, you might start hearing Chance the Rapper or Mac Miller. If disabled, the music stops once the album ends. Autoplay works whether you shuffle an album or playlist or play them straight through. The feature won't work if you use Spotify's repeat feature for albums or playlists.

Enable voice commands 

Siri or Alexa voice commands are a convenient way to get things done hands-free, and you can use them in Spotify. To enable voice commands open the Spotify app, tap the gear icon, tap Voice Interactions and tap "Hey Spotify." Once you give the app permission to use your microphone, you can say commands like, "Hey, Spotify, play Dolly Parton," or "Hey, Spotify, next song." To turn voice commands off, open the Spotify app, tap the gear icon and tap Voice Interactions. In the menu, tap Hey Spotify to turn the feature off. Then tap Microphone permissions to go to your phone's settings to not allow Spotify to access your phone's microphone.

For users of iOS 13 and later, you can also use Siri to control Spotify. To use Siri with Spotify, download and log into the Spotify app, then from any screen say, "Hey, Siri, play Willie Nelson on Spotify." Siri will ask permission to access Spotify, but once you've given permission you can start playing music hands-free without going into the Spotify app.

Manage your app notifications

Spotify can send you push alerts or email notifications for things like new music from artists you follow, virtual or in-person concerts from your favorite acts or other Spotify news. These are automatically on, but if you want to turn them off open the Spotify app, tap the gear icon and tap Notifications near the bottom of the menu. In the next menu you'll see options like Recommended Music and New Music. Tap into the options you want to turn off and you'll be able to turn off push and/or email notifications.

Start a Private session

Spotify makes recommendations based on what users listen to. If you want to listen to the Jonas Brothers, a guilty pleasure you would never tell anyone about, without being recommended to 5 Seconds of Summer, start a Private session. To do this, open Spotify, tap the gear icon and tap Social. Private session will be the top option. Now you can listen without fear of unwanted recommendations. 

Adjust your audio quality

The Spotify app also lets you adjust your base volume, audio quality and even access an equalizer. Changing these settings can improve your audio quality for any situation. Check out CNET's article detailing how to change these settings.

Reorder your playlists

If you keep making and losing playlists, Spotify makes it easy to organize and reorder your playlists. The app lets you sort playlists by Recently played, Recently added, Alphabetical and Creator. You can also create a Custom order, but you have to do that on a desktop. Check out CNET's article on how to change the order of your Spotify playlists.

For more on Spotify, read how to find the lyrics to what's playing on Spotify or check out Spotify's revamped design.


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GM Will Make EV Motor Components In New York With $154 Million Investment


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GM will make EV motor components in New York with $154 million investment


GM will make EV motor components in New York with $154 million investment

General Motors will soon make electric vehicle motor parts in western New York. On Friday, the automaker announced a $154 million investment in the Lockport Components plant, which will bring EV motor stators to the plant's production lines. The stator is a stationary part within the motor's rotary system. It creates a magnetic field to help drive the rotating armature. Essentially, it's a crucial component for any electric motor.

The millions of dollars will be spent to renovate the facility and bring in new machinery to produce these stators for upcoming electric vehicles. It will be yet another component built at the New York-based facility. Today, the Lockport plant builds radiators, HVAC modules and a number of other parts for new vehicles. The additional product at the facility will also see approximately 230 new jobs at the plant by 2026 on top of the 1,500 employed there today.

The news follows a number of high profile investment GM plans to make to build future electric cars, and batteries, here in the US. The automaker will operate at least three battery plants with LG Chem in the US, while production of its next-generation EVs, built on the Ultium platform, will take place at factories in Michigan and Tennessee.

The renovations will begin immediately, while a timetable for when stator production will come online will be available at a later date, GM said.


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WatchOS 9 Brings Advanced Running Features To Apple Watch


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WatchOS 9 Brings Advanced Running Features to Apple Watch


WatchOS 9 Brings Advanced Running Features to Apple Watch

Apple's WatchOS 9 is expected to be released in September, and there are a lot of new features to be excited about. The new OS brings upgraded sleeping tracking, new watch faces and advanced tracking for runners. 

This looks to be the biggest leap in running features on the Apple Watch since its launch. There are new workout views, including heart rate zone tracking and elevation, enhanced custom workouts, multisport features and more. To see these upgrades in action, watch the video below.

New workout views

The new OS lets you swap between multiple tracking views while exercising with the built-in Workout app. There are two customizable metric views. Each has space for four metrics that can be swapped out for a list of information (cadence, distance, pace, duration and more) that is most important to you on your run. Apple has introduced four new metrics with the new OS: vertical oscillation, stride length, ground contact time and power. 

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The new heart rate workout view displays current heart rate zone. 

Richard Peterson/CNET

WatchOS 9 also adds a new heart rate zone workout view. On top, there is a color coded bar that shows your current heart rate zone -- it's like having OrangeTheory Fitness on your wrist. OrangeTheory Fitness is a workout class that projects your heart rate level on screens throughout class. Now that information is right on your wrist. Heart rate zones are automatically created using your estimated max heart rate and resting heart rate, which is saved in the Health app. You can manually set your own zones right on the watch. 

In addition to heart rate zones, there are separate workout views for segments, splits, elevation gain, power and activity rings. Workout views can be cycled through using the dial or swiping up and down. Each of these views can be turned on or off and reordered for all custom workouts so if you return to the same workout, it will retain its layout each time you use it.

Personally, I'd love to see the integration of outside app metrics into these workout views. As someone who has type 1 diabetes, it would be fantastic to see my current blood sugar levels and trajectory from the Dexcom app on my workout views since it's an important stat during my physical activity.

Enhanced custom workouts

With the current WatchOS, you can set running guidelines for distance, calories or time, but WatchOS 9 adds even more control and customization with custom workouts.

Tapping the "..." on any workout will bring a list of custom workouts. Now you can program workouts with warm-ups, cool downs, and intervals for work and recovery. You can even set these intervals to repeat. Haptic and voice alerts can be created to help you move through the different stages of your workout and stay on pace. I could see these custom workouts being used by coaches to set workout plans for their trainees. It would be cool if one day someone could send you a workout via text directly to your watch.

pacer

The Pacer view updates runners with the pace needed to achieve their custom workout guidelines.

Richard Peterson/CNET

There's a custom workout called Pacer. For this, you choose a distance and target finish time and the workout displays the pace you need to run in order to hit your goal. It will also send you alerts along the run.

Another cool feature is the ability to race a route you've already completed. When you complete an outdoor run, the distance, time and route data is securely saved on your iPhone. If you go on the same route again, the iPhone can detect it's the same route and display a workout view comparing your current run with the last one and alert you if you go off course.

Multisport auto-detection

If you're training for a triathlon or just like to combine biking, swimming and running into one workout, you are in luck! Until now, if you wanted to switch between workouts, you had to end one and start a new one or manually add on another workout type by swiping over to the right and hitting "new." But with Multisport on WatchOS 9, you don't have to!

multisport

A Multisport workout can detect when you switch between running, biking and/or swimming.

Richard Peterson/CNET

There is now a dedicated Multisport workout on Apple Watch that can be programmed to include running, biking and/or swimming. Better yet, the watch will auto-detect when you switch from one activity to another.

To see all of these new running features in action, watch the video above. And to learn more about all the updates coming to WatchOS 9, check out this article.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.


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