Tools For Installing Quartz Countertops In Phoenix

How To Install Quartz Countertops And The Tools Used

new quartz countertops installed in phoenix homeQuartz countertops are created from walnut and resin binders, they are a popular option to solid rock countertops like granite and marble that are frequently utilized in high-end home settings. Quartz countertops are produced from a manufactured substance and are a lot more affordable than the marbles and granite you’ll find out there on the market. The resin on the counters provides additional waterproofing, reducing the requirement to seal the quartz countertops and reducing maintenance requirements. Installation of Quartz is a simple procedure requiring little cutting of the actual counter and some gluing and positioning. We buy the best Quartz countertops Phoenix sells in their local market, and no real special installation tools are needed, general contracting tools typically get the job done. For many DIY homeowners, this can be accomplished in a day or two depending on the size of the counters you are trying to install. Here are some tips of the trade to help you get your quartz countertops installed in a timely manner efficiently.

Four Basic Steps To Installing Quartz Countertops Phoenix

 


• First, like anything else you install, accurately measure the area where you would like to install the countertop using a measuring tape. Buy your quartz slab to match the dimensions as close as possible to prevent the need to cut the quartz countertop to match the space available. Make note of some backsplash ideas if you decide you want to install that also.

• Next, test place the countertop into the measured area by installing the counter as you will be doing permanently. Take into account any additional space for cabinetry. Leave space in the back to allow for the mounting brackets of the countertops. If trimming is necessary to match the space available, then mark cutting lines using a tape measure and carefully make your cuts. Be sure you double check the measurements before you start. Once you cut, you can’t go back. Fortunately, there are scrap yards that stock miscellaneous pieces of quartz countertops phoenix contractors dispose of.

• Spray the quartz with water to cool the saw blade. Wear a pair of work gloves and safety goggles to guard against potential quartz chips. Use a circular saw with a diamond blade attached to decrease the potential damage caused to the quartz countertops. Begin the cut out of the edge of the counter in a clockwise direction, pushing the blade across the line gradually with minimal pressure. Let the blade work it’s magic, just guide it, and let it cut through the quartz for you. Keep the surface of the countertop moist by spraying it with water as you move along till you have completed the cut you want. Examine the new cut against the space you will be installing it in. Make sure that the dimensions are accurate.

installing quartz countertops in az home• Mount the backsplash into the wall with construction adhesive brushed on the rear of the backsplash using a paintbrush. Examine the degree of the backsplash using a carpenter’s level and make any alterations necessary. Apply a coating of the building glue to the tops of the cabinets in which the countertop will lie and across the back of the countertop where it moves against the backsplash. Put the quartz countertop on the cabinets and slip it back from the backsplash. Fill out the seams between the backsplash and the countertop with silicone caulk and then wait immediately for the caulk and glue to dry.

Installing quartz countertops is not difficult if you take the time to do it right. Hiring a professional is always suggested, but you can do this yourself if you take the time to learn the process and have patience when completing the project. New countertops can turn an outdated kitchen or bathroom into a refreshing area in the home.

For more on DIY home, improvements subscribe to our newsletter. For home and garden tips check out this blog on pest control.

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Gardening Tips And Tools For Pest Control

10 Ways to Maintain Pest Control In Your Garden

pest and rodent control for your garden

There are plenty of rodents wondering amongst the shrubs in Arizona, so how do you keep your Garden free of them, and what tools should you use to accomplish proper pest control? Some of them are cute, but it’s not cute when they start munching on your freshly planted vegetables and chow down on your cactus root. Like it or not, these pests are not selective about what is yours and what is theirs. Your lawn and garden are a part of a bigger system, and it’s called the great outdoors. The animals were there first, now you need to eco-friendly ways of protecting your gardens from these Arizona pests.

While it’s not possible to make your garden 100% pest-proof, here are a couple of ways to minimize the nibbling and live peacefully with the wild rodents and pests of the Arizona desert. Here are some tips from our friends at Green Home (https://greenhomepest.com/) that has plenty of experience handling rodent and insect infestations.

#1 Find Out What The Pest/Rodent Is

Picking the right type of pest control will be easier if you know what is destroying your garden, maybe you need a trap and relocation mechanism, or maybe you need a trap that exterminates the rodent completely? Rodents that seem to create the fastest damage are rabbits, deer, and groundhogs. You can look for signs on the shrubs themselves to help better identify what it is that’s eating away at your garden. Deer can leave trails in the dirt and bite clean snips on crops or rip away at woody plants. Rabbits make sharp cuts on plants and might leave pellet droppings. Groundhogs leave big mounds of dirt 10″ to 12″ in diameter at the entry point of their burrows, typically eating greens, not woody shrubs. Birds peck holes in fruit or sneak it before you even know it is ripe.

#2 Fence The Garden In

Fencing is the most successful (and at times only!) way to keep unwanted rodents and pests out of your garden. Put a fence up from day one to keep them from discovering the food source at the first place. A fence that is a couple of feet tall will do the job for many rabbits, even, however, persistent bunnies and groundhogs may dig under. To stop that, bury it about 10″ deep. Chicken wire, hardware cloth, or bunny fencing would be the cheapest alternatives for smaller mammals. A stake post that is at least 4 ft tall will do the job for many deer looking to jump over and grub on your garden. However, if your area is overrun by deer, then you might need one that is 8 feet tall. Vinyl bird netting can be placed over trees with edible berries a few weeks before they ripen, to safeguard the fruit.

#3 Pick Plants The Animals Don’t Like

pest eating plant leafs in gardenEasier said than done. But if you know beforehand that there are roaming deer and rabbits wandering the property than a little research before planting your garden is highly recommended. When they are hungry enough and competition for food is large, animals will consume anything. But there are particular types of plants which are less attractive than others, particularly plants which are highly aromatic, fuzzy, or have prickles. Look around your area to find out what’s fared well, speak to nurseries, and consult some local farmers that have had success or battled the same pests in their gardens.

#4 Protect Your Plants

Those new nursery plants, that are pampered and fertilized until you purchased them, provide yummy, tender new growth. Whether a plant is yummy or a deterrent to creatures has to do with all the nutritional supplement and compounds a plant generates. Plants recently bought from a nursery are superior in quality and are a preference for roaming animals. The animals can sense those micronutrients, and they are naturally attracted to them. New plants can’t take as much grazing harm as established plants, so fence off your new plants to protect them from the rodents and insects that may sense the new crops. Having proper pest control in place will be important for the survival of your young plant life.

#5 Elevate Your Plants With Risers

At times you may be able to eliminate the nibbling from rodents by elevating containers or planting in raised garden beds. A raised bed two feet or taller will restrict rabbit damage, and stop most smaller rodents from jumping up into the raised containers. While this is not necessarily pest control, it does act as a deterrent.

#6 Do Clear Out The Surrounding Foliage

If you can, allow the grasses and shrubs around the borders of your lawn/yard to go a little crazy. When there are other varieties of plant life available, your garden won’t be as appealing. Animals will not be as inclined to come out to your garden and expose themselves to predators when they can find food to eat in the outer perimeter. They would rather eat sheltered than in the open, so give them the option.

#7 Keep Your Mulch Contained

Open mulch piles attract all sorts of animals that then find the other delicacies growing in your garden. Use an enclosed compost bin with a lid to keep rodents and pests away. And should you feed your pets outside, make certain to bring their bowls indoors after they eat so that you won’t attract unwanted rodents and pests to your property.

#8 Scare Them

Metallic streamers, or bird tape, or an old-fashioned scarecrow can keep birds out of your garden, even though you may need to relocate and adjust daily as the birds wisen up. You can not let it just sit there. Otherwise, as soon as they get used to it, this technique loses its effectiveness. Also, try motion-activated sprinklers or lighting to detour rodents from your yard.

pest control - rodent repellent#9 Repellants Work

Odor repellents are an option and can be sprayed on crops to keep animals away. Taste repellents can be sprayed on plants as well. When ingested these repellants create a foul experience and detour rodents from nibbling on your plants.

#10 Take It All In And Relax

The weather patterns change year to year, temperatures change, and life happens. Take a look around, make note of the changing earth that surrounds your property and understand it for what it is. Relax, don’t let pest control consume you, make an effort, move things around if needed, but don’t stress about it. After all, isn’t gardening supposed to be a stress reliever?

Want to move your existing Garden to your new home? Check out these tips on moving.

Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed On Celebrities

In today’s world, where social media rules and celebrities are emulated and worshiped, it is no surprise that many of us regular folk strive to look like our favorite celebs, even to the point of having plastic surgery to do so. Have you ever dreamed of having a more voluminous bust line or a perfect pout, on par with your favorite stars? Simulated perfection is as close as the nearest plastic surgeon.

So which famous people have the most coveted body parts, according to plastic surgeons? Well, much depends on who you ask, but the following celebrities are named most often when people decide they want to change a feature—or features—to improve their looks:

Jennifer Aniston’s name is often mentioned when women visit the plastic surgeon. Known for her youthful, girl-next-door look, many women ask for the “Aniston nose” as well as Natalie Portman’s nose and Nicole Kidman’s nose. A skilled surgeon can determine if the nose shape you request fits with the rest of your face, otherwise, no matter whose nose you have, you won’t be happy!

Men also request rhinoplasty, the technical term for a nose job. Men often request the noses of famoplastic surgeryus gents like Ben Affleck, and Ryan Reynolds but truth be known—a nose like theirs doesn’t suddenly transform you into a superhero!

So what’s it take to achieve a sniffer like your favorite actor or actress? Undergoing a rhinoplasty procedure can include removal or addition of bone or cartilage, skin grafting, and essentially ‘molding’ the nose to a new shape. Performed by a surgeon, the procedure can be complete either in an outpatient setting or in a hospital for more complicated procedures. Expect a nose job to set you back anywhere from $3000 to $6000.

With a steady rise in popularity, butt lifts and butt implants are all the rage. Which famous ladies have the best backsides, according to the inquiries received by plastic surgeons? It looks as if Kim Kardashian derriere has eclipsed that of beauties Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé—but just by a shadow. And how can you have your very own Kardashian? Either a Brazilian butt lift, where fat is transferred from another part of your body to your rear or with the insertion of butt implants. Both will enhance the roundness and fullness of your backside, but it comes at a cost: the procedures start at around $4000 not including additional fees.

Another very popular plastic surgery procedure is breast augmentation. Many women seek breast augmentation surgery to fill out their form or to even out their proportions. As far as celebrities with envied assets, Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Simpson are oftentimes mentioned as having the perfect balance of fullness and firmness while not appearing too fake. The newest twist on breast augmentation is much like the Brazilian butt lift, where fat from another part of the body is siphoned off and injected into the new site. Expect to pay anywhere from $3000 to approximately $10000, depending upon the doctor’s experience, the type of materials used for the implant, and assorted costs, including anesthesia.

Want to have pillow-y lips like Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie or Kiley Jenner? Prepare to spend anywhere from a few hundred dollars for lip augmentation fillers to several thousand dollars for synthetic lip inserts or fat grafting. Lip augmentation can be achieved by using any one of several dermal fillers such as the popular Restylane and Juvederm. These fillers can plump up your pout but not permanently. To achieve an everlasting look, you’ll need to go the lip implant route, like the silicone lip implant PermaLip, or to have fat grafted from another part of your body and injected into your lips. It is recommended that you try the fillers first to ensure you love the plumped up look before you decide to permanently change your appearance.

If you are looking for perfect cheekbones, look no further than superstars Jennifer Garner, Beyoncé, Ashton Kutcher or Will Smith—they are the celebrities with the most sought after cheekbones. Accentuating your cheekbones will give you a younger, more contoured appearance to your face. But be prepared: silicone cheek implants will cost you a few thousand dollars.

Want amazing abs but don’t want the hassle of working out? A few options can possibly give you a six pack like Janet Jackson, Fergie, or Channing Tatum, the most requested sets of abs on the planet. To achieve the envied abs, you can undergo an abdominal etching, a form of liposuction that gives you a flat, tight stomach with greater muscle definition. The surgeon removes excess fat, and then creates grooves in remaining fat layers to simulate the appearance of toned abs. The other option is abdominal implants that are designed to replicate the look of the six-pack, and they can provide an even more defined appearance than abdominal etching. Hopefully, you’ve been saving your pennies; the average cost for abdominal etching runs about $6500 while abdominal implants cost upwards to ten grand.

Obviously, many famous people have appealing physical features, ones that regular people pay good money to try to duplicate. Plastic surgeons everywhere caution their patients trying to mirror their favorite star’s look: these procedures will not change your life; just your appearance. Don’t expect to be starring in movies after receiving a nose like Jennifer Aniston’s or landing a promotion just because your breasts are as ample as Scarlett Johansson’s—it just doesn’t work that way. And recognize that while your doctor—while skilled and aptly trained, no doubt—is not a magician. Keep your expectations realistic. Take, for instance, people who were born with beauty, and decided to forge ahead with plastic surgery anyway. Heidi Montag, for one, was a gorgeous girl who opted to have ten plastic surgery operations in one day—and morphed into a Franken-babe. She regrets all her surgeries and says she will always feel like Edward Scissorhands from the movie of the same name. Kenny Rogers, of “The Gambler” fame, gambled on a facelift to look younger for his kittenish wife and wound up discontent with his outcome. Just goes to show you, you can have fame and money, but it doesn’t guarantee the outcome of your plastic surgery. Be careful; do your research and keep your expectations in line.

 

Questions To Ask a Moving Company

Just like trying to find a new job or a loved one’s passing, moving can be a really stressful period in an individual’s life. Many professional moving companies understand this and thus attempt to create their clients moving expertise stress-free and exciting. They eliminate each negative emotion by managing every intricate feature of the move. Moving mid-month, instead of the start or end of this month, can save you a significant quantity of money. The majority of the movers are incredibly active towards the start and end of this month. But prior to employing a plumber execute a background check to ascertain their reliability. A few of the questions to ask a plumber before hiring their support include:

Do they have testimonials?

It is very important to seek the services of movers from Lawton, OK which have over a dozen references. Additionally, the mover ought to be eager to provide you contacts of those references. When you get in contact with several of these, you may discover their expertise in the palms of the agency. You need to avoid as far as possible to employ services of unidentified businesses. Small businesses can be well worth the time in case you check them out. The ideal supplier ought to have offices in your region. Additionally, they need to have been operating for at least 5 year.

Can they tackle an in-house quote?

You shouldn’t select an organization which purports to provide cost estimates over the telephone or through email. In-house estimates permit the service provider to find out the quantity and weight of your products before making up a trusted price. Moreover, learn in the firm whether the cost quotes are binding or non-binding. Low prices don’t necessarily imply low closing bills with a flat-rate quote. Moreover, learn what the prices include to assist you consider alternative courses of actions to decrease the bill. You have to understand that a great standing equals to great rates because nobody gets excellent reviews and wins awards by overcharging.

Will the firm be tackling the movement or will it employ a subcontractor?

It is extremely important to understand who will be managing your merchandise to be able to take on a careful history check to the service supplier. When the movers use a subcontractor, request their name, contacts and location. The standing of this subcontractor is something which you might have to learn as you can’t afford to entrust your precious items to somebody that has a suspicious character. By studying the neighborhood small business agency and client testimonials, you may find out more about the support supplier.

Will the relocation need particular arrangements?

To browse the city roads, movers from Lawton are time to time needed to transport things from a bigger truck to the house. This often impacts the expenses of moving and raises the odds of precious items being ruined. For that reason, it’s very important to discover if any special arrangements are needed.

Advancement In Digital Hearing Aids Helping Seniors

Today everyone uses credit/debit card to make purchases online or in store. Same thing applies when someone is choosing to buy electronic hearing aids, be it middle aged people or seniors. People of this generation have the capability as well as the wish to use the internet easily, which enables them to study hearing-aid technologies on their own.

Back in the days, when patients required changes for their digital hearing aid, or discuss any problems concerning the hearing-aid efficiency, they had to travel to an audiologist’s or representative’s office. The audiologist would makes adjustments along with the patient would abandon the office, trying out the new options in the world out. Each time a change is needed, an individual would need to revisit the audiologist’s office and perhaps spend cash in an event the vendor limits the number of changes that are free, or could require a substantial amount of time.

However, hearing-aid technologies has transformed, and programming computer software is accessible that may be used by both the buyer or the audiologist. Patients can decide to plan the system themselves within their own properties utilizing customer-pleasant computer software, where the hearing aid could be altered for the individual, or else they can have the programming PC software deliver the results of queries through the internet to the audiologist’s office. This newest hearing-aid technologies, enables the software to be much more user pleasant and more intuitive than plans before.

earThis latest alternative in hearing-aid technologies is of excellent gain to several of today’s tech savvy middle-aged people. It allows them to be more earnestly a part of their electronic hearing aids – especially these fascinated in being capable to function with programming computer software that runs on their computers. Additionally, they will not have to take faraway from time function to visit an office for changes. Should they do have queries about changes or hearing-aid engineering, they are able to simply select up the telephone and contact the seller for mo-Re info.

Another big change in hearing-aid technologies is the support versions don’t require the same method that is fitting from the past. Older digital hearing aids at the same time as some that are nonetheless obtainable today require to be fit together with the development of a silicon mold. Today, seniors with gentle to average hearing reduction can make the most of new electronic hearing-aid engineering and and buy open-match and speaker-in-the-ear hearing aids. These gadgets may be placed on anybody’s ear with no need to get a custom ear mold. With really minor tweaks to the bodily human anatomy of the hearing-aid, an open match could be customized for the person. By enabling sound to to feed to the ear-canal unprocessed by the help, and after that combining it with indicators that are amplified, fit aids that are open block or don’t occlude the ear canal.

Unlike generations before them, middle-aged people are much more comfortable obtaining details about digital hearing aids on the web or on the telephone, other than face-to-face. Consequently, they might never go to the office of an audiologist at any given point in the getting method. Instead, they’re able to begin by studying articles that are educational and found on the internet talking about hearing support technologies. They’re also able to call different audiologists to request queries – equally particular and basic – before building a purchase.

That also might be done on the internet when it takes time to acquire electronic hearing aids. They finally make the purchase on the web or within the phone after which can get several costs before creating a decision. As formerly mentioned, today, buyers get tech support team on the phone, or can alter their electronic hearing aids online.

If you’re located in the Oklahoma City market- here’s direction for one of the best places to get your ears checked.

Foundation Repair Tools

Tools Needed For DIY Foundation Repair

foundation repair - injecting solutionsFoundation repair can consist of multiple processes and multiple tools. Depending on the severity of the damage done to the foundation, a simple fix could be required, or a more sophisticated approach may be needed. Having the proper to knowledge to repair cracked or damaged foundation is only part of the remedy, the other part is having the right tools. Below I will list 5 tools we recommend using when repairing your foundation. If you are not a DIY individual and do not intent on repairing the foundation yourself then consider hiring a foundation repair contractor.

• Low Pressure Crack Injector System

If there is a crack in the foundation, you will need to inject to properly fill the crack. It’s possible that while injecting you will notice that the injection solution is leaking out the other side of the wall. If this is the case you will need to seal that side up before proceeding with any more injections. Sealing the other side will also prevent water, insects, rodents, and any other exterior element from penetrating the wall barrier into the interior of the structure.

• Injecting The Proper Solution

Identifying what solution you want to inject into your foundation will be extremely important. Various solutions provide various results and depending on how you want the foundation treated this will be important to determine. Do you want a flex in the crack or are you looking for a more solid result that doesn’t allow that foundation to move? There are injection solutions on the market for everything. Some solutions will react with water, while some expand in water. Some will stop water, while some react and bond with it. Contact your local hardware store and ask an expert for assistance when purchasing your injection solution.

• Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiver is commonly used in foundation work, both for new structures and for the repair of existing structures. There is carbon fiber mesh material and carbon fiber sheets on the market for whole wall repair, and carbon fiber staples for crack repair. Carbon fiber is a great tool to have and works best in conjunction with other foundation stabilization products and systems.

• Wall Bowing Toolsfoundation repair - bowing walls in the basement

If you conduct business or live in a region with concrete block foundations, you will need to have a solution for bowing walls. There are several systems on the market that accomplish the same thing, however personal preference comes into play for most of it. Typically to repair bowing walls you will want to choose an interior steel beam system or an exterior wall anchor system you should have a solution to fix bowed walls.

• Underpinning

Underpinning is an important skill to have when repairing foundations. Make sure that if you are offering underpinning to your list of services that you have the proper training and certifications in place for you and your employees. Every manufacture offers proprietary installation instructions and training for their products.

NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 25

A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for April 25’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

Want a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

  • Yellow: Science stuff

  • Green: The Middle

  • Blue: Things in Microsoft Excel

  • Purple: Languages that aren’t spoken

Here are today’s Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

  • Yellow: Lab Equipment

  • Green: Nexus

  • Blue: Spreadsheet Terms

  • Purple: ___Language

Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #319 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

  • Lab Equipment: BREAKER, DROPPER, GOGGLES, MICROSCOPE

  • Nexus: CENTER, HEART, HUB, NUCLEUS

  • Spreadsheet Terms: CELL, FORMULA, SHEET, SORT

  • ___Launguage: BODY, LOVE, ROMANCE, SIGN

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday’s Connections.

Rabbit R1: I spent 17 hours with it — and something’s iffy about it

Rabbit R1 device in a woman's hand

“Hm, this is a lot wider than I expected,” I said when I held the Rabbit R1 for the first time. Laying flat on my hand, the vivid, electric orange chassis exceeded the span of my palm.

Rabbit R1 on someone's palm


Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

No, it’s not the most comfortable gadget to hold with its unforgiving flat edges, but it’s not unwieldy either. Buttons, including the scrolling wheel and the push-to-talk button, are strategically placed, allowing my fingers to navigate the Rabbit R1 with ease.

When people gushed about the Rabbit R1, calling it a “beautiful gadget,” I didn’t get it — until I saw it with my own eyes. “That bright orange chassis is an eyesore,” I thought. “What’s the big deal?” But now I get it. It’s the nostalgia.

With the cute black-and-white rabbit icon bouncing up and down the screen surrounded by a “loud” color, the device reminded me of my childhood obsession with ’90s pocket toys like the Tamagotchi or Digimon (handheld virtual pets).

Shout-out to Teenage Engineering for designing this AI device; the Rabbit R1 makes me feel like a kid again.

Woman clutching the Rabbit R1


Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

While the Rabbit R1 stirs up memories of the past, I can’t help but feel a bit iffy about the gadget. Why? I’ll get it into that, but first, my first impressions.

The gestures are addictive

There’s something very fidget spinner toy-esque about the Rabbit R1 in that the functions all operate differently, whether it’s a scrolling wheel or a clicky side button.

The scrolling wheel, to my surprise, is very smooth. In other words, it doesn’t have that “staccato” feel, if that makes sense, in which the wheel has fits and starts (à la Apple’s digital crown), allowing you to stop at selections.

Woman holding Rabbit R1


Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Instead, you have to keep rolling the wheel downward until your desired word is highlighted in orange. Truthfully, I don’t love the scrolling wheel. It takes too many “rolls” to get to the word I want to select.

On the plus side, you can shake the device to invoke the Settings menu. I’m telling you — it’s like a Bop It toy.

It has a 2.88-inch screen, but no, it can’t browse the web

The Rabbit R1 has a touchscreen in that you can enable a virtual keyboard to appear, allowing you to make prompts that way.

However, as far as using your fingers to navigate RabbitOS, that’s not happening. You’ll have to use the scroll wheel and select by using the side button.

Woman holding Rabbit R1 with both hands


Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

You may be wondering, “Can I browse the web with this thing?” The answer is no. If you had dreams of using this as some sort of mini reading device, I’ve got no choice but to dash them. Plus, you wouldn’t want to — the screen is too dim for that.

No, it doesn’t text or make calls

The Rabbit R1 can do a lot of things, but sending texts and making calls isn’t one of them. This was admittedly a bit disappointing. Before grabbing this device, I had fantasies of dictating texts to friends without lifting a finger.

Rabbit R1 on a neon-lit platform


Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

However, I quickly realized that the Rabbit R1 can’t be connected to my phone. Boo!

Faster-than-expected responses

From my asking about the local weather (it’s 59 degrees today in my town, by the way) to questions about the Premiere League, the Rabbit R1 took about two seconds to respond.

Rabbit R1


Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

However, when it comes to using the camera and basing its responses on what it “sees,” it took slightly longer. After I asked it a question about a painting, it took 2-3 seconds to say “Taking a look now” before responding in one second with its description.

But some answers were wrong

One time, I asked the Rabbit R1, “Which Premiere League team won the most titles?” It correctly responded with “Manchester United.” However, it went on to say that the team won 13 titles, which I don’t believe is accurate.

It can “see” and describe things

The Rabbit R1 has a cool functionality thanks to an auto-rotating camera that you can invoke by double tapping the right action button, which lets you point to any object — which it will then tell you about it. It’s very Google Lens. Hell, even my iPhone can perform this functionality, too.

In the video below, you can see it successfully describing the masterpiece in my living room.

However, I tried testing to see if it could, for example, translate a foreign language to English. I thought this see-and-describe feature would be helpful while traveling to countries to diminish language barriers (particularly while ordering at a restaurant with a menu in another language). Sadly, I found that it doesn’t have this capability.

So far, the best use case I’ve found for this is that I can use it to tell me which dishes I can make when I’m stumped.

Speakers are a bit quiet

Based on its responses, I found the speakers to be too quiet — even at max volume.

Rabbit R1 on a kickstand


Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Keep in mind that it can play music and podcasts from a paid Spotify account, but I haven’t tested it yet.

Yes, you can connect Bluetooth headphones

Fortunately, a solution for the quiet speakers is pairing it with my trusty Sony XM4 headphones. I simply shook the Rabbit R1 to get the Settings menu, turned on Bluetooth, and paired my headphones with ease.

It connects via 4G LTE and Wi-Fi

As it turns out, the Rabbit R1 has a SIM card slot, allowing you to be connected at all times (i.e., 4G LTE). If you don’t care to grab a SIM card for this AI assistant, you can also rely on Wi-Fi.

Battery life is OK

Strangely, when I unboxed my Rabbit R1, it wasn’t charged. As such, I couldn’t even use it at the Rabbit R1 launch party, where I obtained it.

Rabbit R1 USB-C port


Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

When I got home, I charged it up to about 50% (no, the Rabbit R1 does not come with a charging cable). Seventeen hours later, the battery life is about 15%.

Don’t worry, though. In my full review, I’ll give you a better idea on battery life at full charge.

But something is iffy about the Rabbit R1

As the old saying goes, “If something is too good to be true, it probably is.” Jesse Lyu, CEO of Rabbit R1, keeps boasting that the Rabbit R1 is only $199 and is subscription free. However, there’s no way in hell it can be subscription free for long.

Once the hype dies down and nerds like me wipe the shelves clean, what’s next? To put it succinctly, how does Rabbit R1 intend to make money?

There’s got to be something down the pipeline through which Rabbit intends to squeeze money out of its user base, no?

Also, I’m still not totally clear about whether the Rabbit R1 squelches all privacy concerns consumers may have.

Final thoughts

Someone on Twitter saw a video of me asking the Rabbit R1 to describe what it was seeing. Paraphrasing his reply, he said something to the effect of, “Google Lens can do that. Why would be the point of getting this?”

Rabbit’s mission here is to create this all-in-one AI device. Yes, it can do what Google Lens can do, but it can also do what Spotify, ChatGPT, DoorDash, and Uber can do in one device — and with nothing but your voice.

There’s still so much to test, including ordering DoorDash to my door, but I’ll be sure to come back with a thorough review.

UPDATE: Apr. 24, 2024, 6:06 p.m. EDT This hands-on review was updated to reflect that the Rabbit R1 is, indeed, a touchscreen, but only when enabling the virtual keyboard. Otherwise, you can’t use your fingers to make any other selections.

Windows 11 Start menu ads arrive. How to turn them off.

Windows 11 logo on phone screen

Sometimes it feels like everything is getting a little bit worse every day. This latest Windows 11 update is a good example of that.

In the patch notes for Windows 11 update KB5036980, Microsoft noted that the start menu in Windows 11 will now display recommended apps from the Windows app store. In other words, they put ads in the start menu.

“The Recommended section of the Start menu will show some Microsoft Store apps. These apps come from a small set of curated developers,” the patch notes said. “This will help you to discover some of the great apps that are available.”

SEE ALSO:

Windows 10 will start pushing users to use Microsoft accounts. How to turn it off.

How to turn off recommended apps in the Windows 11 start menu

In case you’re wondering, yes, you can turn this off. Here’s how:

  1. Go to Settings

  2. Click on Personalization

  3. Click on Start

  4. Find the toggle that says “Show recommendations for tips, app promotions, and more”

  5. Turn the toggle off

It’s good that Microsoft gives you the option to straight up disable those ads. Take advantage of it while you can.

Watch Ryan Gosling do carpool karaoke — with a stuntman twist

Three men in Letterman jackets that say

Ryan Gosling sang in Barbie. He sang at the Oscars. He even sang about Barbie on Saturday Night Live. Now, the Academy Award nominee continues his singing streak with a promotional video for The Fall Guy, a film in which he plays a stuntman.

SEE ALSO:

‘The Fall Guy’ review: Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt make movie magic

In the clip, The Fall Guy director David Leitch tasks Ryan Gosling with driving around and picking up his stuntmen. “It’s like Carpool Karaoke… without the music,” Leitch tells Gosling.

But not even that will stop Gosling from singing along to Journey’s “Any Way You Want It” with his stunt team. First, he picks up Logan Holladay, who roars onscreen on a motorcycle and proceeds to take over driving duty. Then, the two (literally) run into Ben Jenkin. He takes the hit like a champ and joins the fun with some enthusiastic vocals. Rounding out the crew is Troy Brown, who straight-up jumps off a building to get down to Gosling. Why not just use an elevator? “I’m claustrophobic,” Brown explains.

With its celebration of stunts and Gosling in full Gleek mode, the clip is a fun preview for what to expect from The Fall Guy, which Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko called a “gonzo gift to cinema.”

The Fall Guy hits theaters May 3.

‘Jim Henson Idea Man’ trailer: Meet the man behind the Muppets

Jim Henson puppeteering Kermit.

Between the Muppets, Sesame Street, and fantasy films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, there’s a good chance Jim Henson played a key part in your childhood. Want to know more about the man behind the puppets? Check out the first trailer for the upcoming Disney+ documentary Jim Henson Idea Man, which dives deep into Henson’s storied life and career.

Directed by Ron Howard, Jim Henson Idea Man uses Henson’s archival, never-before-seen home videos and sketches to create an in-depth portrait of the beloved puppeteer. The documentary’s trailer features behind-the-scenes footage from his best-known work, as well as interviews with Frank Oz, Jennifer Connelly, Rita Moreno, and Henson’s children. Oh, and it’s all set to Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection,” so you may want to have some tissues handy.

Jim Henson Idea Man premieres May 31 on Disney+.

Get a Blueair Air Purifier for 30% off at Amazon and breathe easy

Blueair Air Purifier on orange and purple abstract background

SAVE $70: As of April 24, get the Blueair Air Purifier for $159.99 at Amazon. That’s a discount of 30%.


Blueair Air Purifier on white background

Credit: Amazon

Blueair Air Purifier

$159.99
at Amazon

$229.99
Save $70.00

Whether you have severe allergies or you sniffle here and there due to pet dander, dealing with not-so-fresh air in your home can be a nightmare. A runny nose can lead to head congestion and general discomfort along with clogged sinuses, and that’s a recipe for disaster during the warmer months. Get ahead of those headaches by introducing an air purifier into your home.

As of April 24, you can get the Blueair Air Purifier for just $159.99 at Amazon. That’s $70 off its normal price of $229.99 and a 30% discount.

SEE ALSO:

Shop the Brooklinen 10th Anniversary Sale and give your home a cozy spring refresh

This air purifier is part of the Blueair Pure Max series and is perfect for a medium-to-large–size room, as it can clean up to 929 square feet in just 30 minutes. With its proprietary HEPASilent cleaning tech, it claims to perform up to 83% faster with 50% less noise than competitors at just 23-50 dB. It can remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles with its carbon filter, including those that cause viruses, as well as smoke, pet dander, mold, dust, and pollen.

You can control the air purifier with its companion app which allows for real-time scheduling, air quality monitoring, and filter tracking. You’ll receive alerts when it’s time to swap out the filter so you won’t accidentally let it marinate in the unit too long. It also has geofencing abilities that can automatically power the unit off and on depending on when you leave or arrive at your home.

If clean air is a consistent issue for you in your home, let this smart unit do all the work while you enjoy the benefits. Everyone deserves fresh air to breathe, after all.

The TikTok ban is law. Here’s what happens next.

hand holding phone showing tiktok logo

President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on Wednesday that could, effectively, ban TikTok in the U.S. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be without the app right now or, really, anytime soon.

Like any bill, things are complicated. The bill Biden signed is primarily a foreign aid package that’ll send $60 billion to Ukraine to fight Russia’s invasion and some $26 billion to both Israel and relief in Gaza. However, tied to that bill was legislation that gave ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, up to one year to divest itself from the app in the U.S.

Basically, it’s a demand to sell or be banned.

SEE ALSO:

President Biden signs TikTok ban bill into law

So, what happens now? Well, in short, a legal fight. TikTok indicated Wednesday, pretty much right away, that it intended to battle the legislation in court.

“Make no mistake, this is a ban,” TikTok CEO Shou Chew said in a video posted to the company’s platform on Tuesday.

Chew promised a fight. And, to be clear, there won’t be any real changes for TikTok users in the immediate term.

“Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere,” Chew said in the TikTok. “We are confident and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The facts and the Constitution are on our side, and we expect to prevail again.”

The lawmakers against TikTok have argued that, since the app is owned by a Chinese company, it could be forced to hand over American users’ data to the Chinese government. That would be worrisome, considering there are 170 million American users on the app. Other lawmakers in other countries have successfully made similar arguments to ban or restrict the app.

TikTok has flatly and routinely denied that it shares U.S. users’ data with the Chinese government.

SEE ALSO:

A TikTok ban would probably also take down CapCut, Lemon8, and more

TikTok has fended off bans in the courts before, notably in Montana last year.

“This unconstitutional law is a TikTok ban, and we will challenge it in court,” TikTok said in a statement Wednesday after Biden signed the bill. “We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail. The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation.”

So what comes next?

Well, as The Verge noted, if TikTok gets a court to agree with the company or delay enforcement of the legislation, then the timeline for a ban would get extended. In other words, as taking something to court is wont to do, TikTok could drag things out.

And, of course, even if the legislation is upheld, ByteDance has, at minimum, nine months to decide if it will sell the app in the U.S. The timeline can be extended out to a year if the president feels there is progress on a deal.

The next year for TikTok in the U.S. will be rife with lawyers and laws and a PR push. Perhaps the biggest tool at the company’s disposal is its massive user base. Remember when it sent a pop-up asking users to call lawmakers, then Congress was inundated with calls? You can expect more messaging from the company as it fights to stay in the U.S.

But as far as a regular user goes, the next year of TikTok might look like, well, the last year on TikTok. For now, things will remain as they were. You’ll see videos of people dancing, cute dogs, good food, music, jokes, the whole nine.

But the fight for the long-term survival of the app will hang over it all.

Calling all business owners: Save 25% on the Square Reader with Amazon Prime

a person pays for a transaction with their cell phone and a square reader

SAVE 25%: The Square Reader (2nd gen) for contactless and chip transactions is just $44.43 at Amazon for Prime members, down from the usual price of $58.99. That’s a savings of $14.56.


a white square reader on a white background

Credit: Square

Square Reader (2nd gen) for contactless and chip payment

$44.43
at Amazon

$58.99
Save $14.56

Prime membership required

Owning a small business comes with plenty of challenges, but a few hurdles are becoming easier thanks to tech advancements. If you’re ready to start accepting chip and contactless payments, today’s deal at Amazon could be a great addition to your business strategy.

As of April 24, the Square Reader (2nd gen) for chip and contactless transactions is just $44.43, down from the normal price of $58.99. That’s a 25% discount or a savings of $14.56. To get this sale price, you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member, which costs $14.99 per month.

SEE ALSO:

TikTok for Business: Everything you need to know

The quest to create the best customer experience is never-ending, but thanks to today’s sale price at Amazon, you can make accepting payments faster and more convenient. The Square Reader can handle payments from chip cards or contactless payments like Google Pay or Apple Pay. Square says the chip reader takes about two seconds while the contactless payment method is even faster, saving both you and your customer precious time.

Square designed the 2nd gen Reader with a battery that’ll last all day without needing a recharge, which means it can handle 20% more transactions compared to the 1st gen Reader. Worry less about battery life and sell more.

If your business could use an upgrade in how it handles transactions, snag the Square Reader (2nd gen) that’s capable of accepting both chip and contactless payments. Your customers will appreciate the convenience and speed.

Microsoft launches Phi-3 Mini, a tiny AI model that packs a punch

a futuristic rendering of a brain on top of a computing chip

Microsoft released Phi-3 Mini, a new version of its lightweight AI model designed for specific tasks.

According to the research paper published earlier this week, Phi-3 Mini has 3.8 billion parameters which is significantly less than other models like OpenAI’s GPT-4, making it small enough to be deployed on a smartphone. OpenAI hasn’t shared how many parameters GPT-4 has but it’s believed to have over one trillion parameters per Semafor.

SEE ALSO:

ChatGPT Plus can exploit zero-day security vulnerabilities — why this should concern you

Traditional AI models require massive amounts of computing power, which is very expensive and has a huge carbon footprint. Companies like Microsoft and Google have been working on smaller lightweight models that handle common tasks, which would make hosting their models more sustainable — in the operational sense — and more suitable for smartphones which is where the industry is heavily leaning. Samsung is going all in on generative AI with a collection of features for its Galaxy devices, Google is also adding generative AI features to its Pixel lineup, and even Apple is expected to make some big AI announcements for iOS 18.

Parameters relate to how models are able to tackle complexity, so the more parameters, the more capable a model is at handling vast and nuanced requests. But for everyday tasks that the average user would need from an AI model, such as translating, help drafting an email, or looking for local restaurants, a smaller lightweight model is presumed to be sufficient.

Phi-3 Mini scored similarly against Meta’s open-source model Llama 3 and OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 on common benchmarks with a few exceptions. It surpassed Llama 3 and scored just below GPT 3.5 in natural language understanding (MMLU) and commonsense reasoning (HellaSwag) and beat both models on arithmetic reasoning (GSM8K). As the paper notes, it scored lower on trivia and “factual knowledge” but researchers believe “such weakness can be resolved by augmentation with a search engine,” meaning once the model is hooked up to the internet, that won’t be such an issue.

Researchers trained Phi-3 Mini on a combination of “heavily filtered web data” that meets standards for high quality educational information, as well as synthetic data, which challenges the idea that scraping everything from the web is the best way to train a model. The model was also trained on… bedtime stories, according to DailyAI, which actually makes a ton of sense for understanding the way human brains work. The idea is to opt for quality over quantity with curated data so it can run on fewer parameters while still retaining its potency.

Phi-3 Mini is now available on HuggingFace, Azure, and Ollama.