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Even as researchers are working to turn skyscrapers into giant batteries, Polar Night Energy (PNE) in Finland has installed the first commercial sand battery, which can store energy for several months, to warm homes in winter when energy needs rise. “Production of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is highly volatile, and only partly overlapping with the consumption in time,” explains PNE on its website. “Our technology provides a way to refine cheap and clean surplus electricity to valuable heat in an affordable way to be used when most needed....

Whether you use the tried-and-true keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots or prefer to go through the Preview app or the Screenshot app (in Mojave or later) for that purpose, one of these fixes should get your Mac’s screenshot feature up and running. Possible Causes for Mac Screenshot Issues When you can’t take a screenshot on a Mac, you’re missing a valuable tool for troubleshooting and communicating ideas through email and text messages....

Why You Should Change the SSID Typical default SSIDs are simple words like Wireless, Netgear, Linksys, and Default. There’s a good chance that your neighbors have the same type of router you have using the same default SSID. That could be a recipe for a security disaster, particularly if neither of you uses encryption. Check your router’s SSID, and if it is one of these defaults, change the network name to something only you know....

The app’s clean and well organized menus are backed up by a solid set of useful features that will surely come in handy for hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, horseback riding, trail running, and other activities. You can visit AllTrails.com to search for trails from a computer or download the app for iOS or Android. What You Can Do With AllTrails Here are some quick-hit features available through the free version of AllTrails:...

The Silver Ticket STR-169100 is a fixed frame projector screen that’s built around an extruded aluminum frame. Silver Ticket is known for products that exude a premium look and feel without the premium price tag, and the STR-169100 projector screen lives up to that standard. We assembled an STR-169100 and installed it in a home theater environment to get some hands-on experience. Read on to see how easy this screen is to assemble and install, how well it performs in terms of picture quality, and whether it really stands up to more expensive screens....

For those cost-conscious gamers, Sony has started offering a free trial to let folks give the Premium and Extra subscriptions a whirl for a week. That’s the good news. The bad news? According to EuroGamer, this free trial is only available to European residents, particularly gamers located in the UK. If you are in England, however, and want to play the newly-released cat-sim/adventure game Stray, among many other titles, signing up for the free trial looks to be fairly effortless, with a clearly marked option available right on the splash page....

Whether or not high-res audio ever achieves mainstream appeal is still an open question, but if you’re an audiophile on a tight budget, consider these speakers. What’s unusual about this speaker is the super tweeter, of course, but also the foamed mica woofer cone. Seeing this material in a woofer cone is unusual, but it’s still light and stiff—just as a woofer cone should be. Even though the grills are attached with old-school grommets instead of magnets, the speakers look great with the grill on or off....

Known by their Twitch screenname, MermaidUnicorn, Sterling is drawn to the dramatic, the expressive, and the theatrical, with high-powered performances adorned with their signature rainbow hair and a patchwork background giving thousands a near-daily dose of live entertainment. Sterling came to Twitch in 2018 and has become a staple in the music scene with innovative performance art pieces. A young artist with something to prove, they knew they were meant for something greater and seized the opportunity to fulfill a dream deferred....

Download the Latest Windows 10 Update If your Surface Pen doesn’t work properly, it may be because the latest Windows update isn’t installed on your Surface Pro, Go, Book, or Laptop. Performing an update downloads the latest Windows 10 operating system patch, and it updates and fixes the device drivers used to make peripherals like the Surface Pen run properly. Check the Surface Pen’s Battery All Surface Pens are powered by an AAAA battery, and a flat battery could be the reason why the Surface Pen doesn’t work....

A new paper finds structural racism in academic STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs. The problems with education often mean obstacles to hiring minorities in STEM fields. Experts say the results of the report tally with their own experiences. “I persevered through undergraduate and graduate courses where professors and peers dismissed my presence and contributions,” Ivory Willams, the vice president of STEM Teaching, Learning, and Innovation at Liberty Science Center in New Jersey told Lifewire in an email interview....

Temple Run 2 Tips and Tricks Like the original, Temple Run 2 is an endless runner game in which your character, an explorer, flees from an ancient shrine after obtaining an artifact. The sequel does away with the trio of monkeys that pursued the hero in the first game in favor of a single, huge monkey that is just as bent on revenge. Along with a different antagonist and a new setting, Temple Run 2 introduces some different obstacles that require you to pay even more attention to stay alive....

Genre: Drama, Music, Romance Starring: Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala Director: Adrian Lyne Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Genre: Comedy Starring: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy Director: John Landis Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 56 minutes Genre: Comedy, Romance Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones Director: John Landis Motion Picture Rating: 16+ Running Time: 1 hour, 56 minutes Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn Director: James Cameron Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 2 hours, 17 minutes Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher Director: Irvin Kershner Motion Picture Rating: PG Running Time: 2 hours, 4 minutes Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Starring: Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner Director: Steven Lisberger Motion Picture Rating: PG Running Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes Genre: Action, Adventure Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman Director: Steven Spielberg Motion Picture Rating: PG Running Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver Director: Ivan Reitman Motion Picture Rating: PG Running Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes Genre: Comedy, Crime Starring: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline Director: Charles Crichton, John Cleese (uncredited) Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes Genre: Comedy, Drama Starring: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee Director: Spike Lee Motion Picture Rating: R Running Time: 2 hours

It’s one of the best value services out there for avid gamers or those who simply want to experiment with various genres. With so many titles to choose from, we played a huge number of games on the service to find the best titles for those who want to get straight into playing. Through GamePass, there are explosive first person shooters such as Gears 5 that are ideal for adult gamers keen to let off steam and explore new worlds, alongside the creative journey of Minecraft for the whole family to learn from....

Sony has proven itself to be the most versatile brand, offering upscaling of non-4K content as well as voice controls, screen mirroring capabilities, and even Bluetooth connectivity for wireless audio setups. Whether you’re looking to cut the cord with your cable or satellite provider and exclusively stream movies and shows, or want a well-rounded television for your living room, there is something out there for everyone. The remote has a built-in microphone that works with both Google Assistant and Alexa to give you hands-free controls right out of the box....

Gone are the days when photographers and videographers must pack in their gear once the sun sets, or lug heavy tripods around in order to get the shot. While some cameras give up resolution for low light capability, others such as the Nikon D850 are capable of shooting late into the evening or in dim interiors and producing incredibly detailed images, in addition to high-quality video footage. Also look for in-body image stabilization in Sony and Panasonic cameras, which represent some of the best professional cameras money can buy and are ideal for either your next vacation or a commercial video shoot....

Since 40-inch TVs work so well in several different environments, it’s a good idea to think about how you’ll use the TV. A budget 1080p model will work well in a guest room or kid’s room, but you may want to consider a more expensive OLED model with the latest high dynamic range (HDR) technology if you’ll be using the TV in the living room to watch movies or play games....

“If you buy your PC directly from Dell, you can customize it exactly how you like it.” HP at www8.hp.com “The company makes laptop and desktop models of all types, all with reasonable pricing for most budgets.” Apple at apple.com “Owners benefit from a level of customer support that easily tops the often unreliable services of other PC manufacturers.” Lenovo at lenovo.com “Most models are priced affordably, understated in design, and built for effective use....

Here are the best dating apps of 2022 to help you find that special someone. Of the dating apps on this list, Hinge may be the most traditional as it requires photos and questionnaire answers. Hinge is a minimalist app. The main focus is on your photos and responses, forcing you to put thoughtful effort into your profile. Hinge is free to download. The app comes with a free membership and offers monthly subscription access to premium services called Preferred....

The app encourages you to make a habit of practicing with a reward system and a social component. You’ll receive between one and five lingots of app currency for each day in which you meet your set threshold. You can spend lingots in the store on power-ups and fun accessories. Concurrently, the in-app social network encourages you to invite your friends to the app and compare scores to see who studies the hardest....

When shopping for a Thunderbolt dock, the primary concern is compatibility. Make sure the dock will work with your computer’s operating system (both the type and version) and its version of Thunderbolt. If you have existing peripherals like a display or audio setup, you’ll also want to make sure the dock has the right kind of ports available. Some feature HDMI connections, others feature DisplayPort, DVI/VGA connections, or a combination of the three....