Qualcomm recently announced the Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset. Much like the company’s high-end Snapdragon 888, the new device brings additional video capture features, AI capabilities, and better performance to premium mid-range devices. This is yet another move by the company to improve the overall capabilities of the system chips available in more-affordable devices, and could completely negate the need to purchase a more expensive flagship device. “Qualcomm chipsets are slowly narrowing the gap between mid-range and flagship phones,” Steven Athwal, a smartphone expert with The Big Phone Store, told Lifewire in an email....

Even if the internet never has been more secure than today, there still are plenty of security threats to look out for as hackers become more advanced in their techniques. Experts advise to always be aware when you’re surfing the web, and to treat your credentials and information as sacred. “People just need to be aware and use common sense,” Ralph Pisani, president at Exabeam, told Lifewire in a phone interview....

The iPad is a unique device in that it’s so flexible. It’s a tablet for reading. Add an Apple Pencil and it’s a notepad or a sketchbook. Add Apple’s Magic Keyboard and it’s a laptop. Add a stand, a mouse, and any old keyboard, and it’s a miniature iMac. Or a TV. Or a games console. You get the point. And a stand is essential for many of these functions....

It’s easy to look at any chance big tech takes to cut off access to older devices as a way of pushing users to upgrade or buy new devices. However, that isn’t the case with Google’s latest move to block apps on Android phones running Android 2.3.7 or older. According to experts, Google’s statement that the move will help provide a more secure environment for Android and Google users is actually true, which is why the move is a necessary one....

A new study finds that of the nearly 850 shutdowns that occurred over the last decade, 768 have happened since 2016. India’s government was the top offender when it came to shutdowns, with 109 instances last year. Shutdowns happen most often around elections and civil unrest. “When Internet access is limited or blocked, it not only affects the daily activities of citizens, but also impedes their rights to freedom of expression and opinion, as well as the right to peaceful assembly,” Kenneth Olmstead, a senior advisor to the Internet Society, a nonprofit that advocates for open access to the internet, told Lifewire in an email interview....

The GR IIIx is an update to Ricoh’s popular—almost cult—GR line. It’s a small, genuinely pocket-sized fixed-lens camera with a large APS-C sensor, a touch screen, no viewfinder, and—in this version—a longer 40mm lens. This makes it perfect for portraits, as well as for general snapshotting. But why would you buy a camera—even a tiny one like this—if you already have a great camera in your phone? “The capabilities of smartphone cameras and computational photography are astounding,” UX designer and photography enthusiast Adam Fard told Lifewire via email....

With a contentious history dating back to the aughts, data scraping (or web scraping) is essentially the automated collection of public-facing data from websites on the internet. Although not always a bad thing depending on its use, scraping can carry privacy risks when it involves personal information. “Everyone needs to realize that the minute you turn your phone on, your data is going everywhere,” Raffaele Mautone, CEO and founder of AaDya Security, a cybersecurity firm that works with small to midsize businesses, told Lifewire in a phone interview....

How Does It Work? The key to Real World Golf is the Gametrak system. You can’t play without hooking up the Gametrak, but that is fine because without it Real World Golf is pretty average. With the Gametrak, though, the game perfectly mimics your real-world swing and translates it into your onscreen avatar smacking the ball on your TV screen. The Gametrak is made up of a heavy base unit with two retractable wires that clip onto a set of special gloves, a foot pedal so you can select menu items, and a small plastic golf club so you don’t look like a doofus when you play....

Budget fitness trackers like the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 tend to be hit or miss, with some budget models providing accurate data and useful features, and others serving as basic monitors and pedometers with a few additional features that may or may not work well. I tested the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 for two weeks to see how it performs compared to other budget and mid-range fitness trackers on the market....

Moving a step closer to such a possibility, researchers from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, together with Tesla’s advanced battery research group, have shared details of a new nickel-based battery that under the right conditions could last an extremely long time. Battery yet, one of the paper’s authors is Jeff Dahn, considered one of the pioneers of the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. “Whilst this study shows promise in developing batteries that could last for a century,” Gavin Harper, Critical Materials Research Fellow, Birmingham Centre for Strategic Elements & Critical Materials, at the University of Birmingham, told Lifewire over email, “we will only be able to maximize the environmental gains that could come from this technology if we are able to find applications that will make use of a battery over its century lifetime....

How to Install Shortcuts Some of the shortcuts listed below are custom-made and aren’t found in the Gallery section of the app. Here’s how to get these onto your phone or tablet: To use untrusted shortcuts, select a shortcut from the Gallery section of the app and run it at least once. Then, go to the Settings app, select Shortcuts, and tap the button next to Allow Untrusted Shortcuts. Using the Shortcuts App You can enable the Shortcuts widget if you want easy access to one or more shortcuts from the widget area....

Computer to Computer (or Smartphone to Smartphone) The word “computer” includes all devices that use digital data and run an operating system, including desktop and laptop computers, tablets, and smartphones. This mode is the most common, as it is easy and free. You need to have a computer connected to the internet and the necessary hardware to talk and listen—either a headset or speakers and a microphone. You can install voice communication software like Skype and you’ll be ready to go....

You or Your Family’s Full Birth Dates Everyone loves getting birthday messages on Facebook, feeling love and warmth from friends and family members near and far. But when you list your birthday in your Facebook profile, you’re offering criminals a key piece of information they can use to steal your identity. If you absolutely must have those birthday greetings on your wall, at least leave your birth year off your profile....

Types of Computer Networks Networks can be categorized in several different ways. One method defines the type of a network according to the geographic area it spans. Alternatively, networks can also be classified based on topology or on the types of protocols they support. Types of Network Equipment: The Hardware The building blocks of a home computer network include adapters, routers, and/or access points. Wired (and hybrid wired/wireless) networking also involves cables of varying types....

Film photography is only getting more popular. At the same time, film is getting more expensive, and the manufacturers are having trouble making it, partly thanks to supply issues. In an odd twist, Fujifilm is even selling rebranded rolls of Kodak Gold 200 as its own. Adox, as we shall see below, is a German company with a mission to keep making old film and photographic chemicals, and now, to create new ones....

Design and Durability: Quick to dirty and a bit flimsy The Apple Lightning Cable is a bit of a puzzle. Compared to the expensive and high-end hardware of iPhones, this rubber cable is both flimsy and underwhelming. There’s a sheen to the USB connector and Lightning cable heads, but the cord itself is a dull white color that smudges almost immediately. It also isn’t thick or ultra-durable. If you’re hard on devices, you may want to exercise a bit of extra care when plugging and unplugging this cable....

Known as Lockdown Mode, the new feature is designed to help protect users’ devices from spyware. Apple has said the feature is an extreme measure for people who are at high-risk of being targeted by spyware used by governments and law enforcement. “I don’t think this is that extreme at all,” Tom Bridge, Principal Product Manager at JumpCloud, told Lifewire over email. “I used to work with a number of people who were on the radar of various nation-state actors, and it was a constant worry....

Interconnected VoIP vs. Non-Interconnected VoIP Whether or not you have access to 911 depends on if your VoIP service is interconnected or non-interconnected. Non-Interconnected VoIP Non-interconnected VoIP, also known as peer-to-peer VoIP, lets people call others using the same VoIP app. When you talk to a friend via the Xbox network or another gaming system, for example, you’re using non-interconnected VoIP. You wouldn’t be able to call the friend’s smartphone or landline phone....

For music purists, those that own a massive music library, or anyone who wants to download hi-res audio files, the Astell & Kern AK Jr is a digital audio player meant to provide excellent sound reproduction and ample storage. A portable hi-fi audio player with a unique design, the Astell & Kern AK Jr offers support for multiple file formats, expandable storage, and external USB DAC functionality. I tested the Astell & Kern AK Jr alongside five other DAP and MP3 players to see how its design, features, and sound quality compare to other options on the market....

It works great on Windows, Mac, Linux, and any other computer with a modern web browser. You can easily collaborate and share without downloading anything, add missing features with plugin integrations, and work with files from a variety of formats including Microsoft Office files. The biggest downside is offline use. While Google offers offline versions through plugins with the Chrome browser, they are not always consistent or reliable. But if you do have a connection, you’ll be happy to know it works well on Android devices as well with native apps for Google’s mobile operating system....