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Design: Sturdy and well made The RE505X Wi-Fi Extender is a white rectangular box that plugs into a wall outlet. It’s somewhat large, measuring almost 5 inches tall, just under 3 inches wide, and just under 2 inches in thickness, but it has a monotone color scheme and minimal branding that render it unassuming. It’s not colorful or loud in appearance, so even though it has two rather large antennas protruding from the sides, you still don’t really notice the device once it’s plugged into the wall....

While you used to be able to stream your XboxOne and Xbox Series X/S games to Twitch via a special app installed on the console, now Microsoft is making things a bit simpler. The feature, according to Microsoft, has been re-engineered with no need for an extra app—it’s all handled directly through the console’s interface. Some initial setup is required. You’ll have to link your Twitch account to your Xbox first via a QR code or by visiting the provided URL....

It’s a lot to keep track of, but we’ve examined both technologies to pick out the difference and help you pick the right screen for you. Here’s what you need to know about ULED and QLED TVs. Overall Findings Since “QLED” refers primarily to a specific kind of display, you don’t necessarily have to choose between these two features. In fact, some ULED TVs have the same types of quantum-dot displays that QLEDs use....

Map a Network Drive in Windows XP A mapped drive is a virtual hard drive that points to a folder on a remote computer. Here’s how to map a network drive in Windows XP. Tips Access the mapped network drive like you can any hard drive, through My Computer. It’s listed in the “Network Drives” section. To disconnect a mapped network drive, use the Tools > Disconnect Network Drive option from a Windows Explorer window such as My Computer....

How to Use the Lasso Tool in Paint.NET To select a specific area of an image using the lasso select tool: Lasso Select Tool Options While a tool is active, the icons beside Tools change to display all available options. In this case, the only option is the selection mode. By default, this will be set to Replace. In this mode, every time you click to start drawing a new selection, any existing selections are removed from the document....

What Is Video Upscaling? Video upscaling is a process that mathematically matches the pixel count of an incoming video signal to the displayable pixel count on a TV or video projector. An upscaling processor analyzes the pixel resolution of the source and uses interpolation to create additional pixels. Common display resolutions include: 1280 x 720 or 1366 x 768 (720p) 1920 x 1080 (1080i or 1080p) 3840 x 2160 or 4096 x 2160 (referred to as 2160p, UHD, or 4K) 7680 x 4320 (4320p or 8K)...

With the release of Wear OS 3, Google has unveiled a YouTube Music app designed specifically for Android smartwatches. While the app was previously only available on Wear OS 3, it has now been revealed that it will be coming to Wear OS 2 watches, as well, starting with Fossil and TicWatch watches, 9To5Google reports. The YouTube Music app on Wear OS is broken down into three areas, a Downloads section, a Recommended section, and your Library....

Both of these programs–DLGDIAG for DOS and Western Digital Dashboard—are operating system independent, meaning they work no matter what’s installed on the hard drive, but testing is only available on Western Digital hard drives. More About Western Digital Data LifeGuard Diagnostic The supported operating systems for Western Digital Dashboard are 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 11 and Windows 10. Getting started with the Western Digital Dashboard utility is simple: download the installation file and then run it to install it....

Previously, you had to get your Macs fixed by Apple, or by its authorized service providers. Now you can get your broken Mac repaired at an independent workshop, using official Apple parts and techniques. Independent repair shops have always been a third option, but it’s only now they can operate with Apple’s approval. “I think this is about getting ready for legislation,” Kyle Wiens, founder of repair-guide site iFixit, told Lifewire via email conversation....

How Does GPS Tracking Work? GPS tracking uses a network of satellites to determine the location of a device designed for that purpose. The basic idea is that a GPS tracker uses trilateration to determine its physical location based on its distance from three GPS satellites. This is the same technology used by a portable or in-car navigation system. The difference between a GPS tracker and a car navigation system is that the navigation system provides you with your location and driving directions....

What Are Uninterruptible Power Supplies Used For? Most UPS should turn on almost instantly when a power disruption is detected, providing uninterrupted electrical power to the connected systems. The amount of time a UPS can operate depends on the model, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, to always-on. Then users have time to safely shut down their hardware or connect to another power source. In the case of an always-on UPS, they continually protect critical equipment....

When you define a backup tool’s backup frequency, you’re setting a schedule for how often data should be backed up. Most online backup services, as well as offline, local backup tools, support customizing the backup frequency, sometimes in simple ways but other times in advanced ones. What Backup Frequencies Are Typically Available? All backup software programs support a backup frequency, but some may be more useful or customizable than others....

What Does WLAN Mean? WLAN means wireless local area network. A WLAN can be built using any of several different wireless network protocols, most commonly Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Network security remains an important issue for WLANs. Wireless clients usually have their identity verified (a process called authentication) when joining a wireless LAN. Technologies such as WPA raise the level of security on wireless networks to rival that of traditional wired networks....

The bezel adds structural integrity to a device, but it is at odds with the technological trend to create the biggest and best screen possible on those devices. Smartphones have pushed up against the maximum possible size with phablets like the iPhone Plus series, the XS Max, and the Samsung Galaxy Note models. After all, a phone must fit into the user’s pocket and rest comfortably in the hand. So, to increase screen size, manufacturers must decrease the size of the bezel....

How Small is a Nanometer? Metric measurements are all based on the meter. Inspect any ruler or measuring tape, and you can see the numbered markings for meters, centimeters, and millimeters. With a mechanical pencil and steady hand, it’s not hard to draw lines one millimeter apart. Now imagine trying to fit one million parallel lines within the space of a millimeter–that’s a nanometer. Making those lines would definitely require specialized equipment since:...

What Is a PSD File? A PSD file is used mainly in Adobe Photoshop as the default format for saving data. Files with this file extension are called Adobe Photoshop Document files and are in a proprietary format developed by Adobe. Although some PSD files contain just one single image and nothing else, the common use for a PSD file includes much more than just storing an image file. They support multiple pictures, objects, filters, text, and more, as well as using layers, vector paths and shapes, and transparency....

They combine specialized computer chips, microphones, and software that listen for specific spoken commands from you and can answer back in a voice that you select. The Basics of Virtual Assistants There are five primary virtual assistants on the market (others exist but aren’t as popular): Alexa Siri Google Assistant Cortana Bixby Virtual assistants like these can do everything from answer questions, tell jokes, play music, and control items in your home such as lights, thermostats, door locks, and smart home devices....

What Is an MSG File? A file with the .MSG file extension is most likely an Outlook Mail Message file. The Microsoft Outlook program can make an MSG file that pertains to an email, appointment, contact, or task. If an email, the MSG file might contain message information like the date, sender, recipient, subject, and message body (including custom formatting and hyperlinks), but it might instead just be contact details, appointment information, or a task description....

What Is an XPS File? An .XPS file is an XML Paper Specification file that describes the structure and content of a document, including the layout and appearance. XPS files can be one page or several. XPS files were first implemented as a replacement for the EMF format, and are a bit like Microsoft’s version of PDFs, but based instead on the XML format. Because of the structure of XPS files, their description of a document does not change based on the operating system or printer and is consistent across all platforms....

Slack Workspaces and Channels A Slack workspace is your team’s home, similar to a dashboard. Groups or teams of people can create a free Slack workspace and then upgrade their Slack plan if they need advanced features, such as unlimited workspaces and guaranteed uptime. Workspace users populate a directory, and all users can communicate directly with one another through instant messaging. Slack Channels are shared group chat rooms for members of a workspace....