Getting an Account In its infancy, Gmail was available by invitation only, but now you can just sign up for an account whenever you like. When you do, you’ll join a user base of more than 1.8 billion. The process is very simple and fast. How It’s Funded Gmail is sponsored by AdSense ads, which appear on the side panels of messages when you open them from within Gmail’s website. The ads are unobtrusive and computer-matched to keywords within the mail message by Gmail’s algorithms....

Try one of several ways to find your Windows 7 login password that has somehow slipped your mind. Let’s work through the ideas one by one, starting with the easiest: Use Your Windows 7 Password Reset Disk Right now is the time to use that Windows 7 password reset disk that you created. Congrats to you for being proactive! It’s likely, however, that most of you don’t have a password reset disk either because you didn’t know the feature existed or you never thought you’d actually forget your password....

Check Connections Check that there are no loose strands of speaker wire touching either the receiver’s back panel or the back of any connected speakers. Even one tiny strand of stray speaker wire is enough to cause the receiver to switch off because of a short circuit. Remove loose strands, strip the affected speaker wires with the wire strippers, and reconnect the speakers to the receiver. Inspect Speaker Wires for Damage or Fraying If you have pets, check the entire length of all speaker wires to make sure your pets didn’t chew through any of the wires....

While some bargains are available in the full-price market, pro-quality optics are never cheap. And there seems to be a never-ending list of lenses a photographer needs. A solution to all this is to look into buying second-hand lenses. Buying used camera lenses for your DSLR is a far cheaper option for most photographers. Use these tips for buying used camera lenses to have a successful buying experience. Look for Damage Don’t be put off by scratches and dents on the outer casing....

If this is the case, building your own computer is a great way to get started. Not only do you end up with a machine that’s exactly to your specifications, you’ll also gain a lot of insight into how they work. Below, we’ll not only outline what you’ll need, but also put together a list of parts for a very capable PC for $500 or less. But your main concern should be which type(s) of processor you can install....

Apple may not be switching to the increasingly popular USB-C standard for charging, according to a recent report by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. That’s bad news for those who want to cut down on the different types of chargers cluttering their lives. But experts say wireless charging supported by recent iPhone models is a good alternative. “Wireless charging known as Qi Wireless charging has been a standard and a popular feature in flagship smartphones for a few years now,” Jamshed Tamoor, a telecommunications expert for New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said in an email interview....

Apple makes almost universally excellent hardware, except its keyboards are often fairly terrible. I’m testing out the new iMac M1, and it’s a fantastic machine that comes with a tiny, irritating keyboard that seems designed for someone who occasionally might tap daintily on a key, perhaps frowning gently and holding a china teacup in the other hand. On the other hand, I type thousands of words a day and demand a keyboard that works as well as it looks....

Short-form videos have been the trend over the past few years, but TikTok is making a major leap in its platform by increasing its video length to creators. While there’s a place for both long-form and short-form videos on the internet, social media platforms like TikTok were made for shorter clips that capture our attention. “TikTok’s entire unique selling point is based upon short videos that allow users to create content on the go to share to their followers,” Ryan Stewart, a managing partner for WEBRIS Agency, wrote to Lifewire in an email....

Expect to see lots of Mini-LED screens in 2021, in TVs, laptops, and even iPads. The advantage of this screen tech is that it can give superior images, but without the cost and difficulty of manufacturing large OLED screens. It’s going to be (literally) big. “I believe with smaller pixel elements [mini-LED] improves black levels and overall image quality,” tech writer Orestis Bastounis told Lifewire via Twitter. “Black is closer to ’true’ black—still not as good as OLED which is a pixel emitting zero light as it’s turned off completely, but closer....

Sony recently announced plans to offer online-only launch day purchases for the hotly-anticipated PlayStation 5 in a post on the PlayStation Blog. The announcement immediately caused quite a bit of backlash in the comments, with some fans even taking to Twitter to share their disgust over the decision. Twitter users like @Mfant13 responded to the original tweet about the launch day plans with concerns about availability. “In years past, PlayStation fans eager to nab the newest iteration of the console on release date have camped outside retailers by the thousands,” Dr....

Samsung and Apple might have just released their latest flagship phones, but chipset manufacturer Qualcomm is already looking towards the future. The company recently announced the Snapdragon 870 5G, the latest in its 5G lineup. Like previous iterations, the 870 5G will offer better connectivity, more power, and a renewed focus on bringing desktop quality to mobile devices. “The 870 delivers best-in-class 5G performance with peak speeds up to 7....

The company has patented technology that lets it monitor your voice and suggest tunes based on your “emotional state, gender, age, or accent.” The patent granted last month lets Spotify “make observations” about a user’s environment and emotions using speech recognition technology. Some experts say gathering information on users’ moods is a privacy risk. “Our identities are becoming more and more visual, and any personal or sensitive information that is stolen from a user can have devastating results for an individual,” Mikaela Pisani, senior data scientist at software company Rootstrap, said in an email interview....

Well known leaker Jon Prosser has shared a leaked spec sheet for both the upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Among these specs were their screen sizes, camera setups, and the types of displays that they would use. While the specs look great, one notable detail about the Pixel 6 Pro is it will use a plastic OLED (POLED) display. This inclusion has led to some concerns that the phone will follow in the footsteps of the Pixel 2 XL, which experienced a multitude of display-related issues upon release....

Since Microsoft officially revealed Windows 11 on June 24, many users have found themselves excited or confused about some of the company’s changes to the OS. Not only is Windows 11 getting a huge overhaul, but Microsoft also will require TPM 2.0, a special security chip currently only used by professionals in the business and IT sectors. Microsoft is leaning heavily on claims that TPM 2.0 will help Windows better defend against cyberattacks....

Problems at Intel have opened the door for competition, and it’s not just Apple taking advantage. Microsoft is working with Qualcomm to smoothly transition Windows to ARM-based chips. Laptop makers gradually are introducing these Qualcomm-powered PCs, some of which will debut at CES 2021. “Both Microsoft and Qualcomm have invested heavily in this space, and even Apple’s switch to ARM will help the Windows camp,” Jitesh Urbani, research manager at IDC focused on worldwide mobile device trackers, said in an email to Lifewire....

If you’re like us, you’ve probably burned through a controller or two during the Xbox One’s long-lasting lifetime. Whether it be stick drift, worn out joysticks, broken bumpers or a combination of those common issues (or maybe you threw one across the room in a ragequit), most gamers will need to purchase a fresh controller at some point during their ownership. Improving on the original Xbox One controller, Microsoft put out the new Xbox One S controller—named after the S console it debuted alongside—a few noteworthy improvements over its predecessor....

Security researchers Kevin26000 and Wesley Li have discovered an exploit that records the wireless unlock signal from a Honda key fob and then plays it back at will. If this sounds like an old problem that carmakers have since fixed, you’re correct. But the Rolling-PWN attack, as it is called, exploits built-in safety features to circumvent the security fix. The researchers say the attack works on all Honda models from 2012 to 2022, although they’ve only tested it on ten models....

Set in the universe of the Alien movies, 22 years after the events of Alien 3, Elite puts you in the role of one member of a three-person unit of Colonial Marines, out to investigate a distress call from a refinery station that had been reported as destroyed. Naturally, because it’s this series, that means someone’s been messing with the Xenomorphs, and soon you’re hip-deep in angry, acidic killing machines....

But that humble little cigarette lighter socket is capable of more. Here’s a list of the top ten appliances and accessories you can plug into your car. This is the gold standard, so it’s where everything begins. Since cigarette lighters were originally introduced, they have evolved into a de facto power socket for cars, and that has led to the industry-wide adoption of the cigarette lighter socket as a mobile power source for personal electronics....

Collectors — from Star Wars to Disney — will also appreciate these websites because frequenting them is a great way to expand your collection without breaking the bank. The company claims to be where the world goes to shop, sell, and give. There doesn’t seem to be anything you can’t find at this bargain-hunters behemoth. Place your bids from your computer or with the eBay auction app. Sometimes, too much of a good thing is tough to navigate....