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The bounty challenge opened in July after Twitter users showed that the site’s automated cropping tool favored the faces of people with lighter complexions over those with darker complexions. It raised some questions about how the software prioritized skin color and certain factors over others. The challenge sought to find what other bugs and biases the cropping system may have in order to fix the issues. First place went to Bogdan Kulynych, whose submission showed how beauty filters could game the algorithm’s scoring model, which, in turn, amplify traditional beauty standards....

Optimal Twitter Profile Picture Dimensions Twitter changes its optimal profile picture dimensions from time to time, but one thing you can always count on is that a large image can always be cropped down to the small image format Twitter uses. So start large and use the following dimensions as guidelines for the many ways your profile image is displayed: 400 x 400 pixels: This is the size the social network recommends....

USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 both have their advantages and disadvantages and choosing the right one for you largely depends on your needs and budget. USB 2.0 devices and cables are for those who have a smaller budget and don’t mind slower data transfer and charging speeds. Those who opt for USB 3.0 may accept the higher price tag that comes with it because it can offer blazing fast transfer speeds, faster device charging, and the ability to handle devices with high power consumption needs....

However, as USB became even more popular with other devices like smartphones, and USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 were developed, other connectors became more common, confusing the USB landscape. USB Connector Compatibility Chart Use the USB physical compatibility chart below to see which USB plug (male connector) is compatible with which USB receptacle (female connector). Some connectors changed from USB version to USB version, so be sure to use the correct one at either end....

Apple’s Mail app includes a built-in Photo Browser that you can use to look through your Aperture, Photos, or iPhoto libraries. You can then select the image you want to share and add it to your message with just a click Using the Mail Photo Browser is a lot easier than opening Aperture, Photos, or iPhoto, and then dragging an image to the Mail app. It also has the added advantage of not taking up system resources to launch one of the photo applications....

Reading iBooks The most basic aspects of reading books in Apple Books are simple. Tapping a book in your library (the bookshelf interface that appears when you open the app) opens it. Tap the right side of the page, or swipe from right to left, to turn to the next page. Tap on the left side or swipe left to right to go back a page. Those may be the basics, but there are a number of options that can make your reading experience more pleasurable....

The SmartGlass app is also useful when you’re playing games, as you can use it to activate the game DVR feature on Xbox One, and many games use the Xbox 360 version to display critical second screen information like maps. In addition to controlling your console from your phone, the app also provides easy access to your Xbox friends list, achievements and gamerscore, TV listings, and more. How to Get Xbox One SmartGlass SmartGlass is available for both phones and tablets, and it works on Android, iOS, and Windows, so pretty much everyone can take advantage of it....

The screen that will work best depends on: The roomThe projectorScreen distanceSeating positionScreen size.Screen aspect ratioScreen typesScreen material The Room Before purchasing a video projector and screen, take a good look at the room you will be placing them in. Make sure the room is of sufficient size to project a large image on the wall area where you intend to place your screen. Check for ambient light sources, such as windows, french doors, or other factors that would prevent the room from being dark enough for a good video projection experience....

Twitter now requires permission from the subjects of photos and videos published on its network. There are some implementation issues, but the intention is good. However, photographers, especially street photographers whose bread and butter is candid shots of strangers, are not happy. Would photographers like Helen Levitt, Gerald Cyrus, or Vivian Maier be if they had to get permission from every person they photographed? “I can see why street photographers would be frustrated over Twitter’s new image-consent rules,” journalist Nikki Attkisson told Lifewire via email....

Each standard is faster and more reliable than the one that came before it and is generally backward-compatible. The packaging of any Wi-Fi device you purchase reflects which of these standards the device supports. Key Wireless Technologies in 802.11n 802.11n uses multiple wireless antennas in tandem to transmit and receive data. The associated term MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) refers to the ability of 802.11n and similar technologies to coordinate multiple simultaneous radio signals....

What Is an MD File? There are several different file formats that utilize the MD file extension. It’s important to recognize which format your file is in before you decide which program you need to open or convert it. Markdown Documentation Files A .MD or .MARKDOWN file might be a Markdown Documentation file. It’s a plain text file that uses the Markdown language to describe how to format the document. README....

Parts of a Softphone A softphone has the following parts: An interface that acts as a platform for communication between the user and the computer or device. It usually consists of a graphical pad of numbers similar to a telephone, and in some cases a keyboard to enter names of new contacts and searches. The interface also includes control buttons to manage calls and presentations. It works with audio inputs and outputs available on the softphone device for microphone and speaker functions for calls....

A staggering number of companies manufacture video cards, but almost every one includes a graphics processing unit (GPU) from either NVIDIA Corporation or AMD. Video Card Description A video card is a piece of computer hardware that’s rectangular in shape with numerous contacts on the bottom of the card and one or more ports on the side for connection to video displays and other devices. The video card installs in an expansion slot on the motherboard....

What Does a Wi-Fi Router Actually Do? To understand what a Wi-Fi router is, it’s essential to understand what a traditional, non-Wi-Fi router is. In simplest terms, a router is a networking device that connects your home or office devices to the internet. When your internet service provider (ISP) provides an internet connection to your home or office, it installs a modem. In most cases, you don’t connect your computer, game console, streaming TV box, or another internet-enabled device to the modem (you can, but most people don’t)....

Audiobooks are usually purchased and downloaded in the same way as digital music and video. They can also be purchased from online bookstores or downloaded free from public domain sites. Most public library systems offer audiobook downloads online—all you need is a library card. Even Spotify has an audiobook section. How Do You Listen to an Audiobook? Available as digital audio files, audiobooks can be played on a wide variety of consumer electronic devices, including phones, tablets, and computers—any device that supports streaming audio....

What Is an XML File? An XML file is an Extensible Markup Language file. They are plain text files that don’t do anything in and of themselves except describe the transportation, structure, and storage of data. An RSS feed is one common example of an XML-based file. Some XML files are instead Cinelerra Video Project files used with the Cinelerra video editing program. The file holds project-related settings like a list of past edits made to the project as well as paths to where the media files are located....

What Is Dolphin Browser? The Dolphin web browser is an entirely free app that adapts to how you use it, so its features are always relevant and convenient. It’s one of the oldest web browsers for smartphones, and thanks to features like tabbed browsing, it feels more like the same experience you get on a desktop browser than most alternatives. It works just like other web browsers so you can set it as your default option for when you click a link in a message, providing you with extra options on how to interact with web content....

Fibre Channel vs. Fiber Optic Cables Fibre Channel technology supports both fiber and copper cabling, but copper limits Fibre Channel to a maximum recommended reach of 100 feet, whereas more expensive fiber optic cables reach up to 6 miles. The technology was specifically named Fibre Channel rather than Fiber Channel to distinguish it as supporting both fiber and copper cabling. Fibre Channel Speed and Performance The original version of Fibre Channel operated at a maximum data rate of 1 Gbps....

File transfer encryption helps prevent someone, who may be listening or gathering information during a data transfer, from being able to read and understand what’s being transferred. This kind of encryption is accomplished by scrambling the data into a non-human readable format, and then decrypting it back to a readable form once it has reached its destination. When Is File Transfer Encryption Used? File transfer encryption is usually used only when data is moving from one computer to another computer or server over the internet, though it can also be seen in things much less long-distance, like wireless payment systems....

Defragmentation, then, is the process of un-fragmenting or piecing together, those fragmented files so they sit closer, physically, on the drive or other media, potentially speeding up the drive’s ability to access the file. What Are File Fragments? Fragments, like you just read, are simply pieces of files that aren’t placed next to each other on the drive. That might be kind of strange to think about, and nothing you would ever notice, but it’s true....