What Are Burst Photos? Burst photos are a rapidly-captured series of photographs, usually of fast-moving action—sporting events, playful children, or pets—to catch a specific action without needing to capture the moment at precisely the right time. Burst mode may sound like video, but it’s different in a key way: Burst mode is designed to create a series of discrete, sharp photographs in situations where even video would be blurry, in the expectation that at least some of the frames will be in focus....

What Is Google Home Max? Part of a growing family of smart speakers, Google Home Max is essentially the same as the Google Home Mini or Google Home, just somewhat larger (and with a few extra features). Essentially, it is a speaker with an integrated microphone so you can ask questions and issue commands to Google Assistant. In addition to those basic features, Google Home Max has built-in Wi-Fi (which is essential for connecting to the internet) and Bluetooth, so you can stream music or other audio from your phone to the Home Max....

What’s the Difference Between Lossy and Lossless? When you create a series of MP3 files by ripping one of your music CDs, some of the detail from the original recording is lost, making it lossy. This type of compression isn’t restricted to audio; image files in the JPEG format, for example, are also “lossily” compressed. This method is the opposite of lossless audio compression used for formats such as FLAC, ALAC, and others....

Shareware vs. Freeware At odds with freeware which is intended to be free forever and is often permitted to be used in many different scenarios without a fee, shareware is cost-free but often severely limited in one or more ways, and only fully functional with the use of a paid shareware license. While shareware can be downloaded at no cost and is often how companies provide a free, limited version of their application to users, the program might nag the user to buy the full edition or prevent all functionality after a certain period of time....

How Do I Turn Siri On or Off? Siri is probably already turned on for your device. If not, you can activate or modify Siri by opening your iPad’s Settings app and then selecting Siri & Search from the left menu. You can also turn on Hey Siri, which allows you to activate Siri by saying, “Hey Siri,” rather than pressing down on the home button. For some iPads, “Hey Siri” will only work when you connect the iPad to a power source, and some older models do not have access to Hey Siri at all....

Unlike other podcast services which focus on the playing of individual episodes, Stitcher sets itself apart by focusing on the continuous streaming of podcasts and radio stations from playlists that are either curated by Stitcher staff or the user. Listening to episodes one at a time is also possible, however. How Do Stitcher Accounts Work? The Stitcher apps and website require you to use an account to subscribe to podcasts and stations and to sync preferences between devices....

Laser scanning is a method for using a projected laser in order to create virtual representations of any existing space or object using a collection of “points” that have a distance and elevation from the laser itself. Each scan creates thousands of points (i.e. a point cloud) and those dots can be viewed as a simplified model of your scanned items. Think of it as sonar, or echolocation, but using light to outline physical objects instead of sounds....

Setting Up Pushbullet Start by downloading the Pushbullet Android app to your smartphone or tablet. To sign up for Pushbullet, you need to connect it with your Facebook or Google profile; there’s no option to create a unique login. Once you’re signed in, the app walks you through its features, including sending text messages from your desktop, managing notifications, and sharing links and files between devices. Download For: Pushbullet on Chrome and Other Browsers Once you have a login, you can install a browser plug-in for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or a desktop client....

Apple just added a feature that lets you export your entire Photos library to Google Photos. This is pretty great, as it avoids having your photos locked up on your Apple device or in Apple’s iCloud. But that feature seems more like a way to stave off growing antitrust pressure from government regulators than an actual feature people will use. “To be honest, I think the move to Google is redundant,” professional photo organizer Caroline Guntur told Lifewire via email....

During Monday’s WWDC keynote, Apple will provide details on its upcoming software updates. Of those, the most interesting could be iPadOS 15. Why? For starters, the iPad missed out on some major changes in iOS 14 last year—home-screen widgets, for example. But more than that, the iPad’s incredible hardware is held back by its software. Even the 2018 iPad Pro has more power than most people can use, and yet the OS still lacks basic features....

In shopping for an audio or speaker system, it’s important to consider your wireless options, as well as the various tech specs and features associated with each device. Consider the pros and cons of these wireless platforms and standards when deciding which one is right for you. Audio enthusiasts like AirPlay because it doesn’t degrade sound quality by compressing music files. AirPlay can also stream any audio file, internet radio station, or podcast from apps running on your iPhone or iPad....

With promises to close the digital divide, faster download and upload speeds for improved web-browsing and in-app experiences, and increased speeds in communication between mobile networks, 5G looked to be the future. It’s been relatively disappointing so far. Many of us are disappointed with the 5G rollout, but we have to be patient with the overhaul it takes to build these 5G networks. “The disappointment around 5G speeds right now has a lot to do with how the hype around 5G has failed to reflect the reality of what it takes to actually build these networks,” wrote Peter Holslin, staff writer at HighSpeedInternet....

Bandcamp is a marketplace where you can buy downloads, vinyls, even cassettes, and you can stream your purchases with the Bandcamp app. But more important than all that are two simple features. Bandcamp connects artists directly with fans, and the artists actually get most of the money you spend. Oh, and it has a killer blog for finding new music. Streaming Is Killing Music When you listen to a track on Spotify or Apple Music, the artist gets almost nothing....

BlizzCon 2021 is the latest big event to switch to an at-home format, with other shows like Fanime and E3 having already announced a similar shift. As such, BlizzCon’s approach—favoring live streamed panels, virtual performances, and new events such as a Diablo-themed Dungeons & Dragons live play by the cast of Critical Role—puts it on the ragged edge of the new normal. Expect other shows throughout the year to look here for further inspiration, as more cons switch to a virtual approach for safety’s sake....

Mechanical speaker failures typically happen when the cone in a speaker is forced to move further than it was designed to do, and thermal failures happen when a speaker is hit with too much power and delicate internal components either melt or burn. In most cases, car speakers blow out due to accidents or carelessness, like cranking up the volume too high and leaving it like that for too long....

According to reports from Bloomberg’s reliable rumormonger, Mark Gurman, Apple’s next-generation MacBook Pros will come with an SD card slot. Nerds are in rapture, and being able to plug your camera’s storage card directly into your laptop is very handy. But why do we love SD cards so much? And can they do anything else? “I generally use the mini SD card formats, and have adapters in the form of USB sticks and full-sized SD cards,” technology consultant Smythe Richbourg told Lifewire via Twitter....

Until now, people could only appeal to restore content that Facebook took down, but the latest update allows users to appeal to the board what content they think needs to be removed. Experts say it’s a step in the right direction to make content moderation on the platform better, but, overall, won’t address Facebook’s real issues. “I know [Facebook has] a diverse panel, but I think Facebook has a long way to go, and this is just a drop in the ocean,” Tom Leach, the co-founder and director of Hike Agency, told Lifewire over the phone....

Bethesda Softworks announced last week that a new original story with the fictional archaeologist and famed explorer, Indiana Jones, is in the works. It’s news that came as a surprise to many, and leaves fans hoping the studio that brought them Wolfenstein and Fallout will be the perfect home for Indy. While details on the game are scarce, longtime gamers expect it to have the same kind of high-quality and expansive open world that Bethesda is known for....

I say eight years because I discount the 2016 reboot that purely served as a tie-in to the mediocre movie of the same name. Canonically, Into The Nexus was the last game in the series that built upon the nearly two-decade-long story I’ve invested my time into, and it’s that history I’m excited to continue with the latest installment. Ratchet & Clank is one of those series that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside....

Widgets are super handy, glanceable quick-launchers for apps on your iPhone, and as of the newly launched iPadOS 15, your iPad, too. As we saw over the past year, not all apps are suited to widgets. Sometimes, they add more confusion than convenience. But when they fit, they fit, and podcasts apps are just perfect. “App widgets are ideal for information that can be consumed ‘at a glance,’ like sport scores, stock prices, weather forecasts, photos, etc....