Author Archives: Carol Edwards

Big results don’t always require a big effort.

Maintaining your online and offline privacy can seem like a Herculean, or even Sisyphean, task. Never-before-heard-of companies with vaguely menacing names regularly brag about infringing upon it, and each day seems to bring with it new privacy scandals. But here’s the thing: There are small and relatively painless steps you can take, right now, to protect your privacy.

As you brace for, then settle into, 2022, take a few moments to spruce up your life with these privacy-focused New Year’s resolutions — no gym membership required.

1. Encrypt your computer

Your computer is the keeper of your secrets. Tax documents, bank accounts, and medical records are just a few of the personal files people keep on their laptops and desktops. And, if those computers are ever lost or stolen, those files can easily end up in the wrong hands.

Thankfully, there’s an easy way to protect yourself: encrypting your computer.

“It’s a really fantastic bit of basic security hygiene, like washing your hands or wearing a mask, that anyone can do that really gets you a lot of benefits,” Cooper Quintin, a security researcher with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, explained in August.

2. Adjust your smart TV settings

Watching you, watching it.
Credit: Vicky Leta / Mashable

Watching TV is typically thought of as a passive activity, but that conception fails to take into account all the questionable goings on happening behind the screen. With smart TVs now the default being sold, viewing is no longer a one-way activity.

“Beyond the risk that your TV manufacturer and app developers may be listening and watching you, that television can also be a gateway for hackers to come into your home,” warned the FBI in 2019. “In a worst-case scenario, they can turn on your bedroom TV’s camera and microphone and silently cyberstalk you.”

You can mitigate at least some of the risks posed by smart TVs, however, and all it takes is tweaking some settings.

3. Blur your house on Google Street View and Bing Maps

Google Street View is both incredibly useful, and incredibly invasive.

The tool, which grants anyone with internet access a street-level view of houses and apartments around the world, seems custom built for online stalkers. It is also, however, relatively easy to partially opt out by requesting that Google — or Microsoft with its corresponding Bing Maps — blur its image of your home.

Anyone hoping to get a digital peep through your windows will be left sorely out of luck.

4. Check your smartphone for stalkerware

Your phone is your phone, except when it’s not. Stalkerware is a broad term for a family of apps, secretly installed on victims’ smartphones, that report all kinds of private data back to abusers.

“Stalkerware can track your location, record your phone calls and text messages, steal the passwords to the social media accounts you log into through your phone, reveal your contacts, your photos, your emails, and even your end-to-end encrypted communications,” explained the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s director of cybersecurity, Eva Galperin, in 2019.

While you may not suspect someone has secretly installed stalkerware on your smartphone, it’s a good habit to regularly check for it. If you haven’t already, start that habit now.

5. Tell your cell provider to stop sharing your data

Tap.
Credit: Bob Al-Greene / Mashable

Cell providers know a lot about you, and in exploitative hands that knowledge translates to cold, hard cash.

T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon all share some form of customer data with third parties — often for advertising. While the specifics vary based on the carrier, the overall theme remains the same: What should be private information, like, in the case of T-Mobile, customers’ “web and device usage data,” isn’t so private.

Take the time to tell your provider to stop sharing your data with third parties. You pay them, after all, and it’s literally the least they can do to protect your privacy.

6. Check your computer for keyloggers

Using a computer can feel like a solitary act. It often consists of sitting alone in a room, typing endlessly into the seeming digital void. But a type of hidden software, dubbed a keylogger, running in the background on your personal or work computer puts those solitary actions on display.

Keyloggers, as the name suggests, record and save every keystroke a person makes. In other words, every email you write, password you enter, or web search you make is stored and later presented to whomever installed the keylogger. Like stalkerware, keyloggers are often a form of abuse.

With a work computer, they’re also perfectly legal.

“Employees have virtually no right to privacy on employer-provided computers,” explained Lewis Maltby, the head of the National Workrights Institute, in 2019. “Even highly personal communications that would be protected if they took place over the telephone are not protected if an employer computer is involved.”

So checking your computer, be it work or personal, for keyloggers every now and then is just common sense.

7. Be smarter about watching porn online privately

If there’s ever a time you don’t want a corporation looking over your shoulder, it’s while watching pornography online. And yet, porn websites record user data and often leak it to third parties.

The unappealing nature of this corporate voyeurism is obvious on its face, and yet there’s a good chance your attempts to mitigate it are a complete failure. That’s because Google’s Incognito Mode, which people often assume keeps their browsing anonymous, does nothing of the sort. Instead, it merely prevents Chrome from doing things like saving your browsing history.

When using Incognito Mode, warns Google, “[your] activity isn’t hidden from websites you visit, your employer or school, or your internet service provider.”

There is a free tool that does just this, however. It’s called Tor, and it requires no special computer skills to use (just remember to keep it updated!). So download and use Tor, and feel safe knowing that your specific pornography preferences are a secret kept between you and your keyboard.

If you think Ted Lasso is life … we agree.

The heartwarming, thought-provoking sports comedy has been celebrated for its lovable characters, penchant for swear words, and accurate portrayal of mental health struggles. But a still-underrated aspect of the show is its attention to detail — as shown by an impressive roster of Easter eggs scattered throughout its 22 episodes.

When we say Easter eggs, we don’t mean the overt pop-culture gags and celebrity mentions that pepper the show’s dialogue. We’re talking about more obscure shout-outs that writers purposefully slip into scenes — both for their own satisfaction and to reward fans who are watching carefully.

Since co-creators Bill Lawrence and Jason Sudeikis have both outed themselves as Easter eggs fans, it’s no surprise that Ted Lasso has its fair share. Here are 20 details that even the most hardcore AFC Richmond fans will have missed.

1. Rebecca and Sam’s rom-com names

If Ted Lasso fans had any doubt that its writers appreciate a good rom-com, the fifth episode of Season 2, “Rainbow,” clears things up. It’s chock full of classic rom-com references and acknowledges everything from “the Three Kates” — Beckinsale, Hudson, and Winslet (rom-com queens) — to iconic movie quotes and common tropes. Most of Ted Lasso‘s rom-com references are easy to pick up on, but others are made for eagle-eyed experts — such as this You’ve Got Mail reference from Season 2.

Notice anything special about Rebecca and Sam’s Bantr usernames? They’re a nod to Joe and Kathleen’s screen names from the 1998 Nora Ephron rom-com starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. In You’ve Got Mail, Ryan’s character Kathleen has the screen name “Shopgirl” and Hanks’ character Joe goes by “NY152.” In Ted Lasso, Rebecca moonlights as “Bossgirl” and Sam’s known as “LDN152.” NY and LDN obviously represent the locations of the men, but according to IMDB, the number 152 signifies when Kathleen and Joe meet — an hour and 52 minutes into the film.

Tweet may have been deleted

2. All the Kansas love 

Fans have come to learn that Ted and Jason have a lot in common, including the fact that they’re both proud Kansas boys. Sudeikis, who grew up in Overland Park, shows his hometown some on-screen love whenever he gets the chance.

Ted Lasso also pays special tribute to Kansas City barbecue. You may have spotted the Richmond coach sporting a “JoeArthur Gatestack” shirt, which refers to four iconic Kansas City barbeque spots — Joe’s, Arthur Bryant’s, Gates, and Jack Stack — and was created by Sudeikis’ childhood pal, Brendan Curran.

Ted has a photo of Arthur Bryant’s as his desktop background, and receives a bottle of their barbecue sauce in one of his care packages from home. “You know, this right here is some of the best barbecue sauce in Kansas City, which makes it some of the best barbecue sauce in the world,” he tells Rebecca.

And who could forget Ted saying “barbecue sauce” after throwing the final dart and beating Rupert in Season 1, episode 8, “The Diamond Dogs”? Now that’s love. “There’s an old writing adage of write what you know,” Sudeikis told Kansas City’s KSHB 41. “This one has really resonated …. I’m proud of the fact that folks from back home enjoy all those little touches.”

3. A nod to Saturday Night Live

If Ted’s Episode 1 locker room dance looks familiar, that’s because it pays homage to Vance, Sudeikis’s red tracksuit-wearing move-busting character in SNL‘s “What’s Up With That” sketches.

Though the Vance sketches started in 2009, as Sudeikis told Entertainment Weekly, “It’s the same dance I did when I was 15 years old and one of the few white kids on a basketball team in Kansas City to make my teammates laugh … The irony and the beauty is that I went through all this [comedy] training, did all this stuff, and the same thing that I did at 15 is the same thing I did at the beginning of [Ted Lasso].”

If you’re a fan of the dance, consider following the @dancinglasso Twitter account, which regularly sets Ted’s moves to different songs. It’s delightful.

4. All the Cheers references

Ted’s a fan of the 1982 sitcom Cheers — likely because Sudeikis is a big fan of the show as well. That’s no surprise considering he’s the nephew of actor and comedian George Wendt, who played Norm Peterson on Cheers. Check out the wall of Roy’s favorite kebab place. To the left of our favorite former AFC Richmond player is a signed photo of Wendt, which begins with the word “Cheers.” Aww.

Tweet may have been deleted

5. A Marcus Mumford cameo

Speaking of photos in that sacred kebab shop, a signed photo of Marcus Mumford is up on the wall too. Mumford and Sudeikis, who met when Mumford & Sons first appeared on Saturday Night Live in 2012, have a long history as pals. In 2013, Sudeikis starred in the band’s “Hopeless Wanderer” music video alongside Jason Bateman, Will Forte, and Ed Helms. When it was time to find the sound of Ted Lasso, Sudeikis reached out to Mumford for assistance. In addition to scoring the show, Mumford also wrote the Ted Lasso theme song, so he’s certainly earned that kebab shop glory.

Tweet may have been deleted

6. Don’t love the player, love the name

Ted Lasso fans are acquainted with the last names of players who get major screen time, such as Kent, Tartt, Obisanya, and McAdoo. But look around the locker room at the jerseys from lesser-known players, and you’ll find a few stealth Easter eggs.

One player’s last name is Cockburn, the family name of Sudeikis’ ex, Olivia Wilde. Another is Kukoč, said to be a reference to former professional basketball player Toni Kukoč. The show’s character Kukoč is #7, which was the real Kukoč’s number when he played for the Chicago Bulls, a team Brendan Hunt (who plays Coach Beard and also writes for the show) stans. 

Fans also analyzed a white board in a locker room scene and found a shoutout to one of Sudeikis’ IRL pals, Billy Brimblecom. Sudeikis and Brimblecom met doing improv in Kansas City, and have been friends for more than two decades, KSHB 41 reports. Brimblecom is executive director of the Steps of Faith Foundation, an organization that offers amputees like himself financial assistance for pricey prosthetics. Sudeikis has been a longtime supporter of Brimblecom’s work, and together they host Thundergong! — an annual charity concert that supports the foundation.

Tweet may have been deleted

7. Weaving in more real-life inspiration 

The last names of AFC Richmond players aren’t the only references to real people in the show. Sudeikis has said that Donnie Campbell, his basketball coach at Shawnee Mission West High School, served as inspiration for the character Ted Lasso, but he’s also weaved in references to his life with mentions of Brookridge Elementary School (his former elementary school) and Ted’s former art teacher named Mrs. Scanlon (Sudeikis’ real childhood art teacher).

Ted also calls his upstairs neighbor Mrs. Shipley, which as Sudeikis’ mom told The Arizona Republic is a reference to Sally Shipley, Sudeikis’ high school forensics coach. Kathy Sudeikis also shared that the voice that says “Ruby” at the end of the show’s credits is a shoutout to Jason’s Nana.

8. What’s Dani Rojas singing?

Season 1, Episode 9, “All Apologies” begins with Roy wallowing alone in an ice bath while thinking about his less than ideal performance in the last game. After a quick pep talk from Ted, Roy looks forward to being alone with his sorrows again, but fellow teammate Dani Rojas enters the room and starts running on the treadmill behind Roy and belting a song in Spanish.

It’s not just any song. Dani is breaking the fourth wall by singing Marcus Mumford and Thomas Howe’s “Ted Lasso Theme,” and ends on a big old “siiiiiiii!” — before the show cuts to the intro and the “yeeeahhh” of the real theme song plays.

9. Escape to Victory

There are a plethora of sports references to both real and fictional teams in Ted Lasso. One of the latter is in Season 1, Episode 7, “Make Rebecca Great Again.” When Coach Beard is strategizing and writing names on the white board many fans noticed he wrote the name “HATCH” in the goalkeeper’s spot. In case you had any doubt that was a reference to the 1981 movie, Victory, in which Sylvester Stallone plays a goalkeeper named Robert Hatch, just check the rest of the names on the board. Beard’s got the whole lineup on there. King.

Tweet may have been deleted

10. The reappearing head coach

Some characters on Ted Lasso are referenced but never seen. Others — like AFC Richmond’s former head coach, George Cartrick (Bill Fellows), who Rebecca fires at the start of the pilot — reappear multiple times. You may have noticed Cartrick’s next gig as a football pundit on Gillette Soccer Saturday, a show on the UK’s Sky Sports, alongside his former charge Roy Kent. That’s real-life host Jeff Stelling challenging the sour-grapes former coach while apologizing for Roy’s language.

11. Deez signs

Not all Ted Lasso Easter eggs are intricately woven into the storyline. Some are as simple and satisfying as the “(Nutz)” written after the “Ds” for defense on the whiteboard behind Coach Beard in Season 2. Puerile, and yet also brilliant.

Tweet may have been deleted

12. Practice makes perfect

Did you notice Edwin Akufo’s handshake guy, Francis, practicing his handshakes on a skeleton in the back of a scene? I’m telling you, this show is all about the details.

Tweet may have been deleted

13. Bernard Actually

Time to talk about rom-coms again. In Season 2’s Christmas episode, “Carol of the Bells,” Roy, Keeley, and Phoebe pull a Love Actually by standing in front of Phoebe’s bully’s door and delivering a crucial message via large notecards. But that bully’s name, Bernard, was also an intentional nod to Love Actually‘s director, Richard Curtis.

Bernard is the son of Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman’s characters in the 2003 rom-com, but the name Bernard is reportedly given to an unlikeable character in every Richard Curtis screenplay. Why? When Curtis was in college, his girlfriend left him for a guy named Bernard.

14. The ultimate ‘ussie’

The dentist Roy and Keeley find in that Christmas episode turns out to be the mom of Tommy, a recurring kid character who took a photo with Ted — not a selfie, an “ussie” — on their flight to London. The dentist played by Claire Skinner, who is the real-life mom of ussie kid actor Bill Skinner. Just think of all the ussies those two have taken together IRL.

15. Higgins and the hometowns

Remember that heartwarming Christmas dinner speech Higgins made for his massive table of guests? He made sure to list all the hometowns of the players in attendance — which, according to the LA Times, were the real hometowns of all the actors in the scene. Awww.

16. Bearding Man

The Season 2 episode “Beard After Hours” not only tells us about Coach Beard and his inner turmoil over the course of one long night in London; it also reveals that Beard’s a Burner. A large print from Burning Man is shown in his living room. Beard pays his respects to the Man, which is the version from 2002, which as any veteran Burner will tell you was one of the best years to go.

Beard actor and Ted Lasso co-creator Brendan Hunt is a Burner too. Hunt told the New York Observer that a short one-man play he wrote and performed in 2014, Absolutely Filthy, was inspired by “dancing alone at Burning Man” during a dust storm shortly before sunrise. Likewise, the plot of “Beard After Hours” seems to reference the kind of eventful evenings that are common at the annual event — from the colorful shiny pants Beard receives as a gift to the random rave filled with hula hoops.

17. The obscure organ

In the same episode, Beard wins the respect of an entitled bunch of Oxford graduates in a fancy club by claiming to be a professor at Merton College. Why Merton, one of the smallest of the 39 colleges that make up Oxford University? The answer may lie in Beard’s reference to the sound of the “Dobson organ” in Merton’s chapel.

Dobson Organ Company, which did indeed build that organ in 2013 and was thrilled to be referenced in the show, is headquartered in Lake City, Iowa, across the state line from Brendan Hunt’s alma mater, Illinois State. Which makes the Merton organ Ted Lasso’s most obscure American shout-out yet … at least, until Season 3.

18. Easter eggs of success

The Season 2 finale, “Inverting the Pyramid of Success,” features several Easter eggs related to the title. As on the plane to London, Coach Beard is once again seen reading Jonathan Wilson’s book Inverting The Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics. We see Nate studying a framed “Pyramid of Success” (signed by UCLA basketball coach John Wooden) that hangs on Ted and Beard’s office wall. There’s even a theory that the three time jumps at the end of the episode — 5 days later, 3 weeks later, 2 months later — signify the “Pyramid” formation (2-3-5) inverted.

The “Pyramid of Success” has a special place in Sudeikis’ heart. His aforementioned high school basketball coach, Donnie Campbell, was a big Wooden fan. As heard in an episode of The Lead podcast, Campbell loved inspirational quotes, and used the Pyramid of Success to teach Sudeikis and his players. Sudeikis also says he used a laminated Pyramid of Success poster and dry erase marker to teach improv teams.

19. Mom’s trip to Spain

In the Season 2 finale, Roy hands Keeley two actual paper plane tickets to Marbella, Spain — where Goldstein used to work at a strip club that his dad bought. When she asks if anyone still uses printed tickets anymore, he says they’re from his travel agent, Kathy, who’s “old school.” Anyone know an old-school travel agent named Kathy? Come on down Jason’s mom, Kathy Sudeikis.

20. Nate in the frame 

Ted Lasso saw plenty of character development in Season 2. The most stomach-churning example was Nate’s transformation from one of the show’s kindly underdogs to its next big villain.

When the credits rolled on Season 2, a chilling final image of Nate the Formerly Great staring into the camera not only lingered with fans, but also mirrored the season’s opening shot. In a post-finale tweet, actor Nick Mohammed, who plays Nate, explains that the two shots were intentional and scripted.

“In the final shot the light in Nate’s eyes has supposedly ‘gone out,'” Mohammed wrote.

Merton alumnus and Burning Man veteran Chris Taylor contributed to this report.

Ted Lasso is currently streaming on Apple TV+.

Tesla has had a very good year.

On Sunday, the electric car maker released its vehicle production and deliveries report for the fourth quarter of 2021. The company says it produced more than 305,000 vehicles and delivered 308,000 vehicles in Q4, well above the estimates of most analysts.

In 2021, Tesla delivered “over 936,000” vehicles, the company said. This is a new record for Tesla, and nearly double the result from 2020, when the company delivered a total of 499,500 cars.

Tweet may have been deleted

The bulk of these numbers came from Tesla Model 3 and Model Y sales, which accounted for 911,208 deliveries in 2021, as opposed to just 24,964 deliveries of Model S and Model X cars.

Like virtually all other automakers, Tesla struggled with the global chip shortage which hampered production and pushed deliveries of Model S and Model X many months into the future. But the company was able to capitalize from the added production capacity of its new Giga Shanghai factory in China. Tesla’s production rate is likely to further increase next year thanks to the company’s new factories in Berlin, Germany and Austin, Texas.

Tesla’s results are even more impressive given that the 2021 was the first year the company got some real competition from other carmakers, including Ford’s electric Mustang Mach-E and Chevrolet’s redesigned Bolt.

Tesla is yet to announce its earnings report for the final quarter of 2021.

TL;DR: As of Jan. 3, you can get The 2022 All-in-One Computer Science Certification Bundle — valued at $2,200 — for just $20. That’s savings of 99%.

If you’re interested in learning computer science, but you never knew where (or when) to start, you’re in luck! The new year is the perfect time to reflect on how you want to spend your time. In honor of this transition, you can score a comprehensive e-learning bundle that contains over 100 hours of content on how to learn Python, Java, and more. 

With the 2022 All-in-One Computer Science Certification Bundle, you’ll gain lifetime access to 11 courses and over 1,000 lessons that cover what you need to know to be successful in the industry in the new year. The best part is that it’s just $20; there’s no coupon necessary to score this deal as the savings are automatically applied.

One piece of wisdom for new coders is to learn a simple, popular language, which you can do by taking the Complete Java Developer Course. This can guide beginners with no coding experience toward true mastery of the language. From there, you can progress to more complicated courses that include C++ tutorials, the basics of Ruby on Rails, and much more. You’ll even complete hands-on projects to create your own applications as you move through the lessons.

Each course is taught by instructors like Tony Staunton, who boasts an impressive 4.2 out of five-star instructor rating. Staunton has taught over 20,000 how to code and create better within computer science systems. Staunton even created and ran his own software business, so he knows what employers look for and what skills you have to have to make it in the industry.

Normally, each course in the 2022 All-in-One Computer Science Certification Bundle retails for $200 individually. But for a limited time, you can get all 11 courses in the collection for just $20 as part of this New Year, New You Sale — no coupon necessary.

Prices subject to change.

TL;DR: As of Jan. 3, the BetterMe app is offering an extra 30% off the price of a subscription for new members with the code BetterMe-Plan-21. The app itself is free to download, and there are a range of subscriptions if you would like to sign up for more features.

App-based diet and fitness programs generally come down to what tech does best: calculating equations, optimizing data, and turning the process into a simple matter of calories consumed and calories burned.

However, the smartest of those programs also take the human factor into account, approaching diet and fitness from a more holistic standpoint, one that embraces positivity and addresses the psychological triggers that led to wanting an app like this in the first place.

That’s the approach at the heart of the BetterMe behavioral healthcare program.

This health app offers all the tools for healthy eating and better workouts, but the key to BetterMe is found in how it shapes a behavior-changing healthy lifestyle from a shifted mindset achieved through advanced psychology.

After working with each member to create a personalized meal plan and workout regimen tailored to each person’s specific goals and lifestyle, BetterMe then really gets to work getting to the root of each user’s relationship with food and fitness.

BetterMe delves into why you mindlessly eat that slice of cake just because it’s there or why you drive to work rather than take the train or walk. From those situations, BetterMe helps nudge along long-term behavior changes to break old habits, make proactive decisions, and detect and manage stress triggers to help stop problems at their source.

Over the past five years, BetterMe has generated over 100 million downloads in 189 countries and 10 languages by working to make sure anyone and everyone feels included. That commitment extends to workout programs dedicated to expectant mothers, folks who use wheelchairs, and seniors, addressing their specific health issues with exercises and processes specific to their needs.

People ready to take their health seriously can take the BetterMe personal plan quiz, then launch their own personalized workout and meal plan. New members can also earn an extra 30 percent off the price of their subscription by entering the code BetterMe-Plan-21 when they get started today.

There are times when I look at a photo and think, “Huh, that one’s actually not bad…I’m gonna post it.”

Then I’ll see that photo a few weeks or months down the line and say to myself, “This is terrible. WHY did I post this?”

So I move to delete it, but right before I hit that button, I think, “…what if I miraculously end up liking this again later on? What if, some day, I stop caring that this photo is terrible and wish I had posted it anyway because it has sentimental value.

SEE ALSO: How to see who viewed your LinkedIn profile

It could be a photo of a half-eaten chicken sandwich. Maybe I wanna commemorate the time I ate that chicken sandwich. Maybe it was a really really good chicken sandwich! Or maybe it was an aggressively mediocre chicken sandwich but even eating aggressively mediocre chicken sandwiches are highlight-worthy moments in my life.

For anybody with similar anxieties about such things, you’ll be thrilled to know Instagram gives you an option to remove photos from your timeline without permanently deleting them. Here’s how it’s done.

1. Find the photo you want to remove on your Instagram profile.

2. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the photo.

A masterful artistic creation. And also the icon you tap to view your photo options.
Credit: Instagram

Yes, I tried to carve a Star Wars Porg pumpkin for Halloween. Please be kind.

3. In the menu that pops up, select “Archive.”

Find your “Archive” in your profile menu
Credit: instagram

4. Boom. Your photo has vanished from your profile and can no longer be seen by others. It’s not permanently gone — just hidden.

But wait…what if you want to get it back?

1. Go to your profile menu and select “Archive.”

This will pull up all your archived posts and stories.

Find your “Archive” in your profile menu
Credit: instagram

2. At the top of the screen, select “Post Archive” to see photos that you have archived on your grid.

Credit: Instagram

3. To make an archived post visible again, simply select the post and tap the three dots in the upper right corner again.

3. When you’re prompted to either “Delete” or “Show on Profile,” select “Show on Profile.”

Credit: Instagram

Your post will now reappear on your profile just as it did before.

Samsung’s lineup of extremely curvy, futuristic Odyssey monitors for gamers has so far consisted of the absolutely massive 49-inch Odyssey G9 and Neo G9, and the 28-inch Odyssey G7.

On Sunday, ahead of CES 2022, Samsung launched a new monitor which will sit in the middle of that lineup, the Odyssey Neo G8. It’s a 32-inch monitor with a 1000R curvature, a 4K (3,840×2,160) resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time.

Just like the Odyssey Neo G9, it features Samsung’s Quantum Mini LED tech, which should provide deep, realistic blacks, as well as the company’s Quantum HDR 2000 tech, 2,000nit peak brightness, and a million-to-one contrast ratio. Also of note is the CoreSync lighting tech, which detects colors on the display and projects them on the back side of the monitor for deeper immersion.

Samsung says the Neo G8 is the world’s first 32-inch, 1000R, 4K monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate.
Credit: Samsung

In short, the Odyssey Neo G8 is basically a smaller Neo G9, which makes it ideal for someone who wants the same tech but doesn’t have the room (or budget) for a 49-inch monitor. Notably, the Neo G8 also has a bigger vertical resolution than the Neo G9 (2,160 vs. 1,440 pixels), meaning you’d get a lot more screen real estate if you had the audacity to buy two of these babies and turn them into a dual monitor setup.

Speaking of budget, Samsung didn’t mention the price or exact date of availability for the Odyssey Neo G8; we’ll update this post when we find out more.

Samsung also announced two other new monitors, the ultra-slim Smart Monitor M8, and the sexily-named High Resolution Monitor S8.

The first one is a 32-inch monitor with an 11.4mm thickness and a flat back design that doubles as a smart TV. It comes with a movable, magnetic SlimFit Cam webcam, built-in, 2.2-channel speakers, and a USB-C port that can be used to charge other gadgets.

The Smart Monitor M8 comes with a webcam and a built-in video call app.
Credit: Samsung

The High Resolution Monitor S8 comes in 27-inch and 32-inch sizes and is primarily aimed at designers, who will appreciate its UHD resolution, matte screen, and VESA DisplayHDR 600 compatibility (that’s for the 32-inch model; the 27-inch model only supports VESA DisplayHDR 400).

Both the 27-inch and 32-inch model have a USB-C port with 90W charging capabilities, and a built-in LAN port.
Credit: Samsung

There’s no word on price or availability for these models, either.

It’s a rarity to find a peer with a printer, let alone a scanner. As technology evolves, it seems like the scanner is going the way of the fax machine, slowly but surely slipping into oblivion.

That is, until you’re moving apartments, applying for a loan, or doing your taxes, and, all of a sudden, you need one of those ancient technologies and don’t have access to one.

Thankfully, there are a few apps for that.

1. Notes (iOS)

This might be the easiest way to get scannning done, but there aren’t a lot of extra frills.
Credit: Screenshot Notes

If you have an iPhone, are in dire need of a PDF scanner, and don’t want to download a new app, you can scan by using your pre-installed Notes app. Simply tap on the camera icon, choose “Scan Documents,” and follow the prompts. This is great if you need a quick job, but there aren’t many additional features beyond a simple scan.

2. Adobe Scan (Android and iOS)

This might be the easiest way to get scannning done, but there aren’t a lot of extra frills.
Credit: Screenshot/iOS store Adobe Scan

Adobe Scan is super easy to use, and reviewers say the scans come out looking great. Your scans are automatically saved on Adobe Document Cloud, so you can access them from any phone, tablet, or computer. It’s free, and it’s reliable.

3. Microsoft Office Lens (Android and iOS)

Adobe Scan is one of the easiest and most reliable options
Credit: Screenshot/iOS store Microsoft Office Lens

Microsoft Office Lens is very similar to Adobe Scan, but is great if you’re more accustomed to Microsoft software. It is also free, reliable, and easy to use.

4. CamScanner (Android and iOS)

Free and simple
Credit: Screenshot/iOS store CamScanner

This free app allows you to scan, merge, and access cloud storage — like iCloud or Google Drive. But the app does add a small watermark on your scanned documents, so it might not work for every document scan.

5. SwiftScan (Android and iOS)

It’s free, but it adds a watermark
Credit: Screenshot/iOS store SwiftScan

SwiftScan has a ton of features that other scanners don’t have, like file naming, faxing, organization tools, and dozens of cloud storage services. There are free versions of the app for iPhone, iPad, and Android, but the $7.99 upgrade to “Pro” is what really steals the show.

If you can’t convince yourself to download an app, you can always scan documents at your local printing kiosk and at some office supply stores. Happy scanning!

Just before 2021 passed into history, it delivered one last gut-punch by taking Betty White with it. An outpouring of adoration flooded social media, where fans and colleagues toasted the comedienne who was beloved in Hollywood for over half a century. Clips from her television and film work popped up in celebration of her life and legacy. And if you’re craving more, you’re not alone, and we’ve got you covered.

Whether you want to relish her in roles saucy or sweet, salty or savage, you can enjoy it all.

Here are 5 career highlights of Betty White that are now streaming:

The Golden Girls

From 1985 to 1992, The Golden Girls was a sensational sitcom, dazzling with warmth and wit. The series followed four elderly single women (played Betty White, Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan) as they lived, loved, laughed, and lusted in sunny Miami. Week after week, their banter was electric, their charisma bombastic, and their tales of friendship heart-warming and unforgettable. Over the course 7 seasons and 11 Emmy wins, The Golden Girls gave White a dizzying amount of highlights. But one particularly perfect moment has been making the rounds online. 

Tweet may have been deleted

In Season 3 episode 1,”Old Friends,” Rose Nylund loses her adored teddy bear to a plucky Sunshine Cadet, played by then child-actor Jenny Lewis. Though Rose was not the brightest crayon in the box, she’s able to outwit the smirking kiddo in a moment that has had fans cracking up since its 1987 debut. In honor of White, Lewis tweeted about the experience, sharing a life lesson that the legendary leading lady delivered with flare. 

How to watch: The Golden Girls is streaming on Hulu. 

Hot in Cleveland

The magic of The Golden Girls can’t be re-created (sorry The Golden Palace). But White made a new trio of friends on this saucy sitcom, which ran from 2010 to 2015. Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendie Malick starred as three 40-something women, who move from Los Angeles to Cleveland, where they find hilarious hijinks and colorful characters. Chief among them is local Elka Ostrovsky (White), who has no patience for bullshit but possesses killer comedic timing. 

If you’re new to Hot in Cleveland, fans online are suggesting Season 2 episode 1, “Free Elka” as a great place to jump in for White reveling. But there’s also plenty of fun found in the show’s bloopers reel. 

Tweet may have been deleted

How to watch: Hot in Cleveland is streaming on Paramount+. 

Saturday Night Live 

Maybe the best thing the internet has ever manifested was Betty White hosting SNL (Season 35, episode 21). Then “88 and a half years old,” the iconic comedienne took to the New York stage and gave a shoutout to the Facebook campaign that brought her there. Then, with a bright smile she declared, “When I first heard about the campaign to get me to host Saturday Night Live, I didn’t know what Facebook was. And now that I do know what it is, I have to say it sounds like a huge waste of time.” 

After crushing the monologue (and coming for our necks), she slayed in sketches, many of which are finding new life on social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. In honor of White, Lorne Michaels reran her episode last night. But don’t fret. You can stream the performance that won White the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

How to watch: Saturday Night Live is streaming on Hulu. 

The Proposal

Among the fleets of celebrities singing White’s praises, Ryan Reynolds had an especially fun connection with the nonagenarian legend. The two had a faux feud that began in promotion of the 2009 rom-com The Proposal, where she played his eccentric grandmother.  

Tweet may have been deleted

Directed by Anne Fletcher, this winsome romance stars Sandra Bullock as a high-powered and hard-headed businesswoman, who needs a quick green-card marriage to avoid being deported to Canada. So, she begs her harried assistant (Reynolds) to wed her. They strike a shaky arrangement, which includes visiting her soon-to-be in-laws in Alaska for his grandmother’s 90th birthday. Even in a supporting role, White shone brightly opposite Reynolds and his onscreen love-interest Bullock. So, treat yourself to this heart-thumping romp. 

How to watch: The Proposal is available on Prime Video. 

Lake Placid 

If you want your White with a bit more of an edge, then (re)visit the outrageous pleasures of Lake Placid. Here, Betty White plays a wily old woman, who lives alone in the wilderness alongside the titular water body. And sure, there’s a massive, man-eating crocodile in it. But to her, it’s a lovable pet. And if you have anything to say about that, she’ll curse you out with a blue-streak so bold that it’d make a sailor blush. 

Tweet may have been deleted

Directed by Steve Miner and written by David E. Kelley, Lake Placid combines comedy, action, and scares for a creature feature that’s wild fun. To tame (or terminate) the massive croc, a motley crew is assembled made up of the scowling local sheriff (Brendan Gleeson), a heroic Fish and Game officer (Bill Pullman), a flabbergasted paleontologist (Bridget Fonda), and an arrogant mythology professor (Oliver Platt). Thanks to their best efforts, there will be blood in the water — and laughs on land.

How to watch: Lake Placid is available on Prime Video. 

A new ad from Apple touts the emergency services its watch offers. But in a somewhat surreal turn, the ad uses real, actual emergencies from real people, who were in serious danger.

The commercial titled “911” tells the real stories of a farmer who fell from a ladder and a paddleboarder who drifted out to sea. The ad is incredibly effective and, as The Verge points out, kind of playing on fear. The unspoken part of the commercial is that one day you might die some horrible death, maybe at the bottom of a ditch, if you don’t have an Apple Watch.

Of course, the Apple Watch does have potentially life-saving features, like its SOS calling feature, its heart rate monitor, and its fall detector. The Apple ad really drives that home.

“With the help of their watch, Jason, Jim, and Amanda were rescued in minutes,” it concludes.