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18 Jul 14:54

The best free tools and services for college students

by Jon Fingas

Whether or not you’re returning to in-person classes this fall, you’ll likely need a slew of services and software to get your classwork done, manage your time and relax after a long day of lectures. Don’t worry about adding to your ever-growing student debt in the process, though. There’s an increasing number of free services and tools that have surprisingly robust features, ranging from office suites to pro-quality media editors. You might not need to pay a cent to listen to a hot new album or indulge in a TV marathon, either. Our recommendations could help you thrive this school year while leaving some money for extracurricular fun.

Google Docs

Google Docs
Engadget

You’re probably going to need a productivity suite at school. Thankfully, the days of having to buy an expensive software bundle are long gone. Google Docs can handle the document creation you’ll need over a semester, whether it’s writing term papers, crunching data in spreadsheets or whipping up group presentations. Automatic cloud saves can spare you the heartache of losing progress.

You may want to subscribe to a Google One plan if the free 15GB of Drive storage proves too limiting. And as capable as Docs may be, there may be some classes where professors insist on paid services like Microsoft 365. If you’re free to choose your work tools, however, Docs is an easy choice — particularly if you already rely on Calendar, Meet and other parts of the Google ecosystem.

Todoist

Todoist
Engadget

Student life is defined by time management. You’ll likely have to juggle multiple assignments, study sessions and a personal life (remember that?) without missing a beat. Todoist is our pick for keeping yourself on track. You can not only create the usual to-do lists, but set up task boards, set priorities and even delegate items to others — helpful if it’s a roommate’s turn to buy dinner.

The free Todoist plan will likely be enough for school with support for five active projects, five collaborators and 5MB file uploads. You’ll only want to shell out $36 per year for a Pro account if you have many on-the-go projects (up to 300), need to upload large files or want to set reminder alerts. Whatever you need, this might be key to getting a paper done on time.

Inmagine Pixlr E

Inmagine Pixlr E
Engadget

It used to be that free image editors were underpowered or ungainly, and you could generally forget about web versions. That’s not the case with Pixlr E. Inmagine’s more advanced free editor offers many of the tools that previously required a subscription or a hefty offline app, such as image healing, visual effects and multi-layer compositing. It works with Photoshop files (PSD) and other common formats, too. You might not need much more if you want to touch up a presentation picture or crop a snapshot for photography class.

There are limitations. Pixlr E is ad-supported, and you’ll miss out on the $59 Premium level’s AI-powered tools, 8K by 8K resolution support and templates. You’ll also want to investigate tools like Inkscape if you’re creating vector illustrations or need a host of artistic apps. Pixlr is far more affordable than Adobe Creative Suite, mind you, and the browser-based technology might prove a lifesaver if you have to edit a project on an unfamiliar computer.

Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve

Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve
Blackmagic

You might not have to pay for a costly video editing package to make it through film school. Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve provides an in-depth bundle of editing, color correction, audio and effects tools at no cost. You could make a short film for class using the same core tools used to produce Hollywood blockbusters, complete with multi-user collaboration.

In fact, you’ll likely have little need for paid editing products unless your coursework has very specific requirements. You’ll only want to think about spending $295 for DaVinci Resolve Studio if you want to edit footage beyond 4K at 60 frames per second, work with more video formats or rely on advanced 3D, AI and HDR tools. Unless your professors demand that you use a rival tool like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro, this should be enough to learn the fundamentals.

Blender

Blender
Engadget

If you’re creating 3D artwork for games or videos at school, you’ll want a strong modeling suite — and one of the more capable packages happens to be free. Blender provides a wide range of modeling, animation and sculpting tools for 3D content, while budding movie producers can take advantage of built-in compositing, motion tracking, story art drawing and simple video editing. You might have everything you need to create a CG short film.

You’ll want to be sure that Blender can fulfill your class requirements, and you might want more focused software like Natron (an equally free compositing tool) to supplement your work. With that said, Blender’s open source code and extensible design work in its favor. It’s easy to find a bevy of free or low-cost add-ons that can meet your needs, and you can even write your own extensions if you’re comfortable with scripting.

Audacity

Audacity
Engadget

Some courses may need an audio editor, whether it’s to create a podcast, tweak game sound effects or finesse a song. If you’re in that boat, Audacity can sometimes do the trick. The free, open source editor gives you the essentials for capturing and editing multi-track recordings, including support for effects and plugins.

Audacity won’t replace heavy-duty digital audio workstations like Audition, Logic Pro, Pro Tools or Reason. Those offer non-destructive editing, and often include a slew of effects generators and other tools aimed at music and video production. This is a good place to learn some basics, though, and may well be all you need if a class isn’t particularly demanding.

Evernote Scannable

Evernote Scannable
Engadget

Paper is still a reality in the classroom, whether it comes in the form of a handout, a sketched diagram or a friend’s handwritten notes. But you won’t have to worry about how you’ll digitize them. There are a number of free document scanning apps available, and Evernote Scannable is one of the best. You just have to point your camera at documents to produce easily readable PDF and JPEG files you can share with the rest of the class. While you can sync content with Evernote, it’s not required.

Scannable is limited to iPads and iPhones as of this writing, so you’ll want to look to alternatives like Microsoft Lens if you prefer Android (there’s also an iOS version). Microsoft’s app is also a good pick if you want to export scans in Office formats or convert handwritten text. Either way, you might not have to worry about lugging a binder around campus.

Spotify

Spotify
Engadget

Let’s be frank: you’re going to need some study music, and Spotify still provides the best free soundtrack for those lengthy learning sessions. The no-charge tier will periodically interrupt your listening with ads, but you can create playlists, follow podcasts and enjoy much of the core Spotify experience. You can stream songs on mobile and smart speakers, too, so the music won’t stop when you leave your desk.

You may still want to pay for service. Spotify’s mobile app makes you listen to all but a handful of playlists in shuffle mode, and you’ll have a limited number of skips per hour. The higher maximum audio quality (320Kbps versus 160Kbps) is also worthwhile if your audio system can do it justice. Mercifully, you might not have to deal with the full $10 monthly fee if you upgrade. Students can get Premium for $5 per month, and you’re eligible for up to four years. The free plan is nonetheless a good way to test the waters, and might just do the trick if you’re searching for some background tunes.

PDF Candy

PDF Candy
Engadget

There’s a distinct possibility you’ll encounter PDF documents at school, whether it’s a research paper or the class syllabus. You won’t have to pay for apps like Adobe Acrobat to edit those files, at least. PDF Candy offers a free web-based editor. You can modify PDFs, convert to and from common formats (including Word and PowerPoint), extract images and otherwise take control. This might do the job if you need to flesh out scanned class notes or extract a quote from a scientific study.

There are time and size limits for the free version (up to 500MB per task), and you should also consider the $48 yearly or $99 lifetime plans if you want faster web processing or the Windows app’s offline editing. Alternatives like Acrobat are also better if you need commenting, mobile editing and other advanced features. Still, the free web tool is difficult to beat for basic utilities.

Peacock

NBC Peacock
Engadget

You won’t need to pay for a streaming video service to help yourself unwind after a mind-frying midterm. NBCUniversal’s Peacock is one of the few major streamers to offer completely free viewing. You’ll have to live with ads and won’t get the full breadth of content (more on that in a moment), but it might be just what you need if you’d rather watch back-to-back episodes of The Office than hunt down YouTube videos.

The no-cost version only includes a portion of what the service has to offer. You may want to spend $5 per month for Peacock Premium to get originals like Bel-Air, every season of The Office, next-day access to current NBC shows and live sports. And if you despise ads with a bitter passion, your only choice is to pay for a $10 per month Premium Plus membership. Competing services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix often don’t have any free option, however. This lets you splurge for a sports event or must-see show without losing access to the entire video catalog when you stop paying.

28 Oct 23:53

Trump's Closing Argument on Virus Clashes With Science, and Voters' Lives (Alexander Burns/New York Times)

Alexander Burns / New York Times:
Trump's Closing Argument on Virus Clashes With Science, and Voters' Lives  —  The president has continued to downplay he severity of the coronavirus and declare before largely maskless crowds that it is vanishing.  The surge in new cases across the country suggests otherwise.

21 Jul 21:07

‘Gonna Make You My Little Wh*re’: Ed Henry’s Disturbing Alleged Texts to His Accuser Revealed in Lawsuit

by Charlie Nash

Fox News Channel anchor Ed Henry

Explicit texts allegedly sent by former Fox News anchor Ed Henry to former Fox Business producer Jennifer Eckhart — who accused Henry of rape in a new lawsuit — were revealed this week as part of the legal action.

The lawsuit from Eckhart and journalist Cathy Areu, filed against Ed Henry and other current personalities at the cable news network, included screenshots of the messages Henry allegedly sent to Eckhart. They included, “Fuck you and your safe word… You will know when i am done,” “When u r owned U dont get a ‘Choice’,” “Gona make you my little whore again,” “Owned & submissive… More anal,” and “Good long session last time… Left you bruised batter dazed sated begging for more.”

The messages and accusations were so graphic that the lawsuit contained a “trigger warning” at the top.

Ed Henry's Alleged Texts

Ed Henry's Alleged Texts 2

[Read the full lawsuit here]

According to the lawsuit, “Mr. Henry, approximately twice Ms. Eckhart’s age, preyed upon, manipulated and groomed Ms. Eckhart starting at the young age of 24, by exerting his abuse of power over her and her career.”

“Mr. Henry not only leveraged this imbalance of power for control over his victim, Ms. Eckhart, but asked her to be his ‘sex slave’ and his ‘little whore,’ and threatened punishment and retaliation if Ms. Eckhart did not comply with his sexual demands,” the lawsuit alleged, claiming Henry “sexually assaulted her on office property, and raped her at a hotel where Fox News frequently lodged its visiting employees.”

The lawsuit also claimed that Henry sent Cathy Areu “a slew of wildly inappropriate sexual images and messages.”

Fox News fired Henry on July 1, less than a week after the network received a sexual misconduct complaint against the anchor by Eckhart. In a statement issued Monday, Fox News did not challenge her allegations against Henry: “Fox News already took swift action as soon as it learned of Ms. Eckhart’s claims on June 25 and Mr. Henry is no longer employed by the network.”

Henry’s lawyer issued a statement calling the claims “false” and maintaining the two had a consensual relationship.

16 Mar 17:52

Dropkick Murphys will livestream a St. Patrick’s Day show with no audience

by Christine Fisher
The Dropkick Murphys have been playing St. Patrick's Day shows for 24 years. This year the show, like most things, will be a little different. In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, the band is canceling its regular concert but will livestream...
07 Dec 21:28

News Post: Coupon For 15% Off On The Store

by Tycho@penny-arcade.com (Tycho)
Tycho: Our Merchandise Manager, the incomparable Lidija Piper, has given me a code for the store.  The code is KTHRISSMAS.  It will give you fifteen percent off.  That’s real good.  The only question is what you’re gonna do with it. You could…  explore Gavin Greco’s WASD Collection: You could… grab a copy of LEXCALIBUR, now blissfully in stock: You could… take a chunk off more elaborate purchases, like Thornwatch or The Dark Of Wood.  Any Eyrewood stuff, really: You could pragmatically celebrate Penny Arcade’s 20th…
18 Sep 21:47

Google will now show you what ebooks are available in your local library

by Micah Singleton

Google has added a new feature to Search that will show you if your local library has the ebook you’re looking for in stock. If you’re old like me and didn’t know that you could borrow ebooks, well you can, and many libraries across the US have a digital collection that you can borrow from.

Now you don’t have to bother searching through what’s likely an archaic library website — Google will do all the legwork for you. The company says the feature is now available on both mobile and desktop to users in the US.

Continue reading…

18 May 21:23

How To Tell The FCC Just What You Think Of Its Plan To Break Net Neutrality

by Kate Cox

Do you like being able to access what you want on the internet without Comcast, Charter, AT&T, or some other ISP slowing it down, blocking it, or charging you extra? Well, bad news: The FCC has begun a process that will — unless things change dramatically in the coming months — repeal rules intended to protect internet users from this sort of interference. Here’s the better news: You can tell them what you think about that.

As expected, the FCC voted 2-1 earlier today to start considering a rule that would reverse the Open Internet Order of 2015 and consign its consumer protections to the scrap heap.

How we got here
Yes, we did spend three years on net neutrality already — and now the fight for it has started again. Here’s a TL;DR roundup of the need-to-know milestones from the last few years:

Jan. 2014: Federal appeals court throws out 2010 open internet rule

May 2014: FCC Chair Tom Wheeler proposes rule that would allow fast lanes

July 2014: A record-breaking 4 million comments, largely against fast lanes and in favor of true net neutrality, crash the system

Feb. 2015: FCC officially votes to reclassify broadband as common carrier, create strong net neutrality rules

April 2015: ISPs and their lobbying groups sue the FCC to block the rule

June 2016: Court sides with FCC; rule gets to stay

Jan. 2017: Long-time net neutrality foe Ajit Pai becomes FCC chairman

May 2017: FCC starts work on Pai’s proposal to reverse net neutrality rule

To most of us, the Open Internet Order is better known as Net Neutrality. After years of back and forth legal fights and deliberation, the FCC adopted the order in 2015 that had three bright-line rules that internet service providers had to follow:

  1. Broadband providers may not block access to legal content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices.
  2. They may not impair or degrade lawful internet traffic on the basis of content, application, services, or any classes thereof.
  3. They may not favor some internet traffic over other internet traffic in exchange for consideration of any kind — no paid prioritization or fast lanes.

In order to do that, the FCC had to reclassify internet services as telecommunications services under Title II of the Communications Act, making them common carriers like phone companies. In the same way that your copper-wire telephone carrier couldn’t block you from dialing AOL or charge you extra for calling CompuServe 25 years ago, your cable or wireless ISP can’t block you from using Netflix instead of Hulu, or charge you extra for reaching Google instead of Yahoo.

However, Pai’s proposal seeks to undo that, by removing Title II classification for ISPs. Without that legal underpinning, the law falls down. Pai is also seeking comment on whether or not those bright line rules should even exist at all.

Luckily for the public, one required step of the lengthy process for considering a new rule is a public comment period. You, the public, have from today until JULY 17 to submit your comment on whether you support or oppose the FCC doing this.

If you’d like to lodge a comment, read on.

WHERE TO GO

1. Go to FCC.gov.

2. Click on where it says “ECFS.”
That link will take you to the system where you can submit a comment.

3. Search for “17-108.”
All the files, including public comments, for an FCC proceeding are stored together under a single docket number. For the proceeding to kill off net neutrality, that docket number is 17-108. After you’ve selected it from the drop-down, click “Search.”

4. Look for a link that says “+ Express.”
This link will take you directly to the comment form you can fill out to submit a text comment in this docket. It’s over on the left, not as obvious as you’d maybe expect.

5. Fill out the form.
The fields of the form are pretty self-explanatory. You do have to fill out all the fields and, please note, they are viewable by the public online. If you want to receive an email confirmation when your comment is received, click the “Email confirmation” box near the bottom.

6. Review and submit!
When you’re all done, make sure you click the blue button that takes you to review your comment. If you’re satisfied with what you see, make sure you click “Submit” to get your comment in the docket!

Not sure what to say to get counted, or how to say it?

The advice we gave in 2014 still holds true today: just think about what matters to you.

If you use the internet at all (and you do!), you have your own reasons for wanting to make sure you can still manage your life online in the way that best suits you. If you think the FCC’s plan to let the biggest of the big companies spend more money to limit your access for you isn’t harmful to your goal to just keep on doing your thing, that’s what the FCC needs to hear.

DO

  • Be relevant. We know: you’re frustrated with a lot of things having to do with your cable company, your wireless carrier, or the internet at large. But they aren’t all at stake here. Stick to the actual NPRM.
  • Be honest. If you actually do use the internet to provide for 37 orphans’ education every day, then by all means say so — but you don’t need to pretend to have concerns you don’t. Your real consumer concerns are valid just the way they are.
  • Be clear. What is it you actually want? Who do you want to do it? Be very clear with what you ask, and also with your reasons for why. A one-liner isn’t enough; a 5000-word essay is much too much.
  • Be you. Public comments are public record, and we get it can be scary to attach your real name to that — but a fake name is going to lead to whatever you say being considered a fake comment. Own it.

DON’T

  • Use bad language. We get it: we feel pretty strongly about this, too. But don’t use words you couldn’t say on prime-time broadcast TV. When in doubt, imagine if you had to read it to your significant other’s grandma. As much as you might want to, dropping the F-bomb (and its many, many, many creative variants) into a comment is not going to convince anyone at the FCC to change their mind.
  • Get personal. It doesn’t matter what you think of Chairman Pai, the CEO of Comcast, or that guy next door. This isn’t a place for ad hominem attacks; you need to talk about the proposal at hand and leave your opinion about others’ personal attributes out of it.
  • Use fake information. Like we said: A public comment is a public record. To have your voice taken seriously, you need to make sure it’s labeled as your voice.

QUALITY MATTERS

While everyone expects a huge volume of comments to come pouring in — and indeed, as of this writing ECFS says more than 2 million already have — quality, over quantity, matters even more than usual this time around.

John Oliver once again kicked off a tide of comments by discussing net neutrality on his show, Last Week Tonight, earlier this month. And while many of the comments were perfectly fine, the language he chose to promote the initiative — gofccyourself.com — as well as the language he uses on his show inspired many net neutrality supporters to be less than polite in their filings. Other comments also employed racist language against Chairman Pai or used false names (including Chairman Pai’s), and he and the Commission have already been using those to point to a wide swath of feedback as invalid.

Meanwhile, not only are form letters pouring in from both sides, but also apparently robot spam using names stolen from data breaches is pouring in to the system at an alarming rate.

Reporters asked Pai today at a press conference about the contentious developments with comments for this proceeding.

“I encourage broad participation in this rulemaking as in any,” Pai told reporters. “What matters most are the quality of the comments, not the quantity. We will make our decision based on the facts and the relevant law.”

Pai pointed to thousands of total comments filed under false names — including “John Oliver,” “Wonder Woman,” “Mickey Mouse,” and his own — and those full of invective as, basically, useless. “Those are not going to have an impact,” he told the press.

Reporters also asked about the robot comments, and how the Commission plans to handle those in the future. Pai largely deferred to the FCC’s IT team as the experts, but said, “Obviously, there’s a tension between an open process and preventing questionable comments from being filed.” Usually, he added, the Commission errs on the side of openness — but because of that, fake comments are sometimes going to happen.

Was this helpful? We’re a non-profit! You can get more stories like this in our twice weekly ad-free newsletter! Click here to sign up.

17 May 14:41

It's Time For The FCC To Actually Listen: The Vast Majority Of FCC Commenters Support Net Neutrality

by Karl Bode

The vast majority of consumers (from both parties) support net neutrality. This has been supported repeatedly not only by independent polls, but even the cable industry's own surveys.

Yet for most of the last decade, ISP lobbyists and think tankers have managed to frame the subject in the media as a partisan one -- quite successfully using the country's deep political divisions to fuel disagreement and stall real progress. In reality, our collective disdain for growing monopolies like Comcast (and the high prices and abysmal customer service that result) tends to burn through partisan myopia. As a result, most people realize that in the absence of real competition you need some basic rules of the road to protect consumers and Comcast competitors alike.

That's why, when the FCC passed relatively basic net neutrality protections in 2015, the vast majority of the record 4 million public comments filed with the FCC supported the creation of these rules. And again, data analysis of the comments filed so far show massive opposition to dismantling those same rules. Data scientist Jeffrey Fossett managed to dig through the more than 1.5 million comments filed with the FCC so far and found that -- once you exclude form letter submissions (in common use by both sides), 97% of the remaining comments support keeping the rules intact:

We recently discussed how some unidentified group or individual isn't happy with the fact that the rules have broad support, and has begun using a bot to stuff the comment section with entirely fake net neutrality opposition. According to Fossett's analysis, a whopping 40% of the 1.5 million comments are courtesy of this bot, which appears to just have pulled names from a hacked database somewhere to craft its phony opposition. You can leave it up to your imagination as to which groups, companies or individuals might benefit by such a massive fabrication, but Fossett makes the impact obvious:

At the moment, the FCC has frozen all public comments for what's known as a "sunshine period," a bit of bureaucratic prattle during which the FCC is supposed to avoid being lobbied and seriously reflect upon all of the input they've received so far. And Fossett suggests that the FCC may just want to actually listen to what the public (the non-bots among us, anyway) are telling them:

"The FCC has now entered a “Sunshine” period for docket 17-108, during which it will not consider new comments. Given the magnitude of filings (~695,000 if you exclude the anti-NN spam) and the balance of opinion expressed (97% in favor of net neutrality or 59% if you include the spam), this analysis suggests that the FCC should reconsider its position on net neutrality during this period of reflection."

While FCC boss Ajit Pai has breathlessly claimed he'll be reflecting very deeply on the public's input, there's every indication he intends to ignore the public and push forward with dismantling the rules anyway. In fact, instead of seriously contemplating the public's support for the rules, the FCC spent a large amount of the sunshine period trying to portray net neutrality supporters as unhinged, unreasonable and racist. And when the FCC votes on Thursday to begin rolling back the rules (with a final killing vote likely later this year), you can be damn sure that Pai will lecture everyone on how he's gutting oversight of some of the least competitive and least liked companies in America -- for the immense benefit of the American people.



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24 Apr 19:53

DON’T deep fry gnocchi

by Jason Kottke

If you’re like me from three minutes ago and you’ve never seen this video but want to laugh really hard, push play on this little number. You can safely skip ahead to about 0:33…that’s when the action starts.

P.S. Yo Kenji! Why does the gnocchi do that?! (via @essl)

Update: I have not gotten an answer from Kenji yet (to be fair, he just became a father), but the consensus on Twitter is gnocchi and popcorn share some similarities. I will let John Vermylen, who is a Stanford PhD and also runs the pasta company Zerega, explain:

Hydrated starch on gnocchi exterior gelatinizes with temp, forming impervious barrier. Temp builds up inside. Water tries to boil as temp rises, but can’t turn to steam due to barrier. So pressure builds up, which pushes against wall of gnocchi. Eventually high pressure forces crack in that wall, which leads to pressure drop and instant flash off of high temp water to steam.

There’s an opportunity here to make crispy popcorn gnocchi…which brave chef will take up the challenge?

Tags: food   funny   how to   John Vermylen   video
27 Jan 22:20

FDA Once Again Finds Elevated Levels Of Belladonna In Some Hyland’s Homeopathic Teething Tablets

by Chris Morran

Your infant is in pain from sore gums, and you want to do something to ease that pain, so maybe you consider a homeopathic treatment, with its heavily diluted active ingredients. What you may not know is that this seemingly innocuous teething tablet might contain unsafe levels of potentially dangerous belladonna.

The Food and Drug Administration confirmed today that it had found varying and elevated levels of belladonna, a plant that contains potentially deadly toxins, in teething tablets sold under the Hyland’s brand.

Homeopathic treatments generally contain ingredients that are so heavily diluted that there may not be any detectable traces in the final product. The end result is usually a treatment that is no more helpful than a placebo.

READ MORE FROM CONSUMER REPORTS: What You Should Know About Homeopathy

However, if you’re going to provide a dangerous toxin directly into the mouths of young children, you need to make sure that not only is the level not dangerous, but that it’s consistent.

According to the FDA, belladonna levels in teething tablets have been neither.

“The body’s response to belladonna in children under two years of age is unpredictable and puts them at unnecessary risk,” says Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. ”We recommend that parents and caregivers not give these homeopathic teething tablets to children and seek advice from their health care professional for safe alternatives.”

The agency has compiled numerous incidents of children reacting negatively to Hyland’s teething products. These include everything from complaints about red, bumpy rashes, to children suddenly appearing listless, to multiple reports of seizures.

In these incident reports, several parents point out that they had no idea that Hyland’s products had been recalled in 2010 over potentially dangerous levels of belladonna.

However, as the FDA notes in today’s annoucements, Hyland’s has thus far refused to issue a recall related to these latest concerns. The company did decide in Oct. 2016 to stop selling the teething products in the U.S. but stores may still have older inventory in stock, and parents may have teething tablets sitting around waiting to be used.

The FDA says that these products “pose an unnecessary risk to infants and children” and is urging consumers to not use them.

Hyland’s is not the sole focus of this FDA report. As a result of an earlier warning to consumers, CVS announced in Sept. 2016 that it was pulling all homeopathic teething products from store shelves. Another company, Raritan Pharmaceuticals, subsequently issued a recall on its teething products.

Update: Because Hyland’s has yet to recall teething tablets from stores, parents and caregivers might have them in their homes, our colleagues at Consumers Union note the importance of not using these products that have no proven benefit.

“In light of the serious potential risks to infants from belladonna, Consumers Union urges retailers, pharmacy chains and online web merchants to immediately stop selling the Hyland’s teething products, until and unless the unresolved safety questions raised by the FDA are fully addressed by the products’ manufacturer,” reads a statement from CU. “We further urge retailers to act swiftly to remove the Hyland’s teething products from store shelves and other sales channels immediately.”

Consumers Union says it intends to contact supermarkets and drugstores that carry these products to make sure they are aware of the FDA’s findings.

25 Jan 18:09

30 Roku channel hidden gems you (probably) haven’t added yet

by Melissa Morell

Whether you’re a super streamer or new to the Roku family, there are always fresh Roku channels to discover. With more than 4,500 streaming channels available in the Roku Channel Store it can be difficult to find those hidden gems so we put together 30 channels to pique your interest. Bonus: the majority are FREE!

MOVIES & TV

Popcornflix (free) – Currently streaming popular movie titles including Revolutionary Road, Flashdance, The Heartbreak Kid, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Naked Gun, Bloodsport and more.

Jim Henson Family TV (free) – All your Henson favorites including Fraggle Rock, Secret Life of Toys, Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss and more.

Pluto TV (free) – Features a channel guide with something for everyone: MSNBC, NASA TV, The Weather Network, Pop Sugar, CNET, Classic TV, Sports News, among many others.

OVGuide (free) – Films and TV from over 15 different genres, including comedy, horror, and action.

Tubi TV (free) – A collection of popular movies such as The Usual Suspects, Mad Max (1980), Crash, The Man in the Iron MaskParanormal Activity and All Dogs Go to Heaven.

SnagFilms (free) – Currently streaming movies Motherhood with Uma Thurman, The Slaughter Rule with Ryan Gosling, biopic Amy Winehouse: Fallen Star and much more.

Flix Premiere (standard movies start at $4.99) – Discover movies exclusive only to Flix Premiere, with your first movie free.

MUBI ($5.99/month after a 30-day free trial) – Whether it’s an acclaimed masterpiece, a gem fresh from the world’s greatest film festivals, or a beloved classic, there are always 30 beautiful hand-picked films to discover.

Feeln (starts at $1.99/month) – Stream heartfelt stories of love and togetherness with the beloved library of Hallmark Hall of Fame features, handpicked Hollywood movies and TV series, and expertly crafted originals.

NEWS/SCI & TECH

Reuters TV (free) – Lets you choose the length of your personalized news program, from 5 to 30 minutes.

Popular Science (free) – Short videos that explain, inform, and entertain. You’ll always know what’s going on in the world of science.

CuriosityStream ($2.99/month in SD, $5.99/month in HD after 30-day free trial) – Dive deep into science, technology, and history commercial-free and enjoy documentaries crafted by the world’s top filmmakers.

LIFESTYLE

Bob Ross (free) – Paint happy clouds, mountains and trees in about twenty-six minutes with the beloved Bob Ross.

The Scene (free) – Original programming from Vogue, Buzzfeed, ABC News, WIRED, GQ, Glamour, Vanity Fair, and more.

Tiny Desk Concerts (free) – Intimate video performances, recorded live at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.

James Kingston (free) – Follow British “forerunner” and adventurer James Kingston as he climbs skyscrapers all over the world.

Saveur (free) – Stunning cooking videos from ‘How to dice an avocado in 10 seconds’ and ‘How to fix a cracked pie crust’ to ‘How to cook clams with Jacques Pepin’ and ‘The real bananas foster with Ralph Brennan.’

Comedy Dynamics (free) – The largest independent comedy library in the world including stand-up specials from DL Hughley, Kevin Nealon and Whitney Cummings.

PTA PlanesTrainsAutomobiles (free) – This is a must-add for travel lovers looking for a unique perspective through PTA originals such as Foreign in the USA, Day Off with Noah Abrams and Staycation.

Baeble Music (free) – Experience concerts from Ellie Goulding, CHVRCHES, Sara Bareilles, Hanson and more up-and-coming artists from the comfort of your couch.

Relax My Dog (free) – 4-hour long playlists and slideshows composed to relax your pet or keep them company when you’re away.

UPROXX (free) – Short form videos covering fascinating stories from around the world, a three-part documentary on Guns & Roses, the story behind the man who inspired the legendary movie, The Big Lebowski and more.

Great Big Story (free) – Videos on the flat-out amazing including the voice behind Nintendo’s Mario, the story behind the iconic Seinfeld theme song and a 17-year-old Olympian and much more.

Above Average (free) – Premium comedy series featuring top digital entertainers, celebrities, and comedians such as SNL cast members Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, Mike O’Brien and Sassier Zamata.

TED (free) – Browse more than 2,000 TED Talks with topics ranging from science and nutrition to love and psychology.

INTERNATIONAL

Telemundo NOW (free, log in from participating TV provider required) – New episodes of La Chema, Mujeres AmbiciosasLa Fan available the day after they air on TV.

DW (free) – Latest insights and analysis of the issues that are moving the world. Programs are live or on-demand and in four languages.

Acorn TV ($4.99 per month) – Streams world class mysteries, dramas, and comedies from Britain and beyond.

YuppTV (starts at $9.99/month) – One of the largest online TV platform with over 200 live Indian TV channels, 7 days of catch-up TV, and latest regional and Bollywood/Hindi Movies.

Vivoplay ($8.99/month) – Live TV from Latin America, including 30 live channels and more than 2,000 hours in on demand video.

Looking for more free channels? Check out the links below.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Subscribe to Roku blog

The post 30 Roku channel hidden gems you (probably) haven’t added yet appeared first on The Official Roku Blog.

12 Jan 14:49

Google’s Toontastic storytelling app for kids goes 3D

by Frederic Lardinois
toontasticblog Two years ago, Google bought Launchpad Toys, the company behind the popular Toontastic kids app for iOS that allows you — whether you are a kid or not — to easily tell your stories through animations. Today, Google is launching the first major new version of Toontastic for Android and iOS since it acquired the company. With this update, Toontastic is going 3D, though not in… Read More
13 Dec 17:40

Cuisinart Recalls 8.3 Million Food Processor Blades Dating Back To 1996

by Laura Northrup

When using the whirling blades of a food processor to prepare a meal, you assume that the common kitchen appliance is not going to put shards of its steel blades in your food, causing you pain and injury. Yet Cuisinart has recalled 8.3 million food processors in the United States and Canada that pose a risk of exactly that kind of problem.

That’s not a typo: the total really is 8 million. Conair, owner of the Cuisinart brand, is recalling food processors with riveted blades that the company sold between July 1996 and December 2015.

The company told the Consumer Product Safety Commission that it has received 69 reports of blades shattering in action, including 30 reported injuries to the teeth and mouths of people eating food from affected food processors.

Here’s a list of affected models, but you can also simply check the blade and look for four rivets that hold the two blades together. Does it resemble the photo at the top of this post? If it does, you’ll probably need to send away for a replacement blade.

Affected models: CFP-9, CFP-11, DFP-7, DFP-11, DFP-14, DLC-5, DLC-7, DLC-8, DLC-10, DLC-XP, DLC-2007, DLC-2009, DLC-2011, DLC-2014, DLC-3011, DLC-3014, EV-7, EV-10, EV-11, EV-14, KFP-7 and MP-14

dfp14bc dlc2014n

If you have questions about the recall or to get your replacement blade, visit the recall site (which is down right now, at least from Consumerist HQ) or call Conair at 877-339-2534.

Was this helpful? We’re a non-profit! You can get more stories like this in our twice weekly ad-free newsletter! Click here to sign up.

15 Nov 21:03

'Minecraft' game-making tutorial teaches kids how to code

by Jon Fingas
Microsoft knows that Minecraft can get kids into programming, and it's banking on that strategy again this year. It just teamed up with Code.org to introduce the Minecraft Hour of Code Designer, a tutorial that teaches young newcomers (6 years old an...
11 Oct 17:11

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - The Presidency

by tech@thehiveworks.com


Hovertext:
Yes, this is exactly how immunity works.

New comic!
Today's News:
22 Sep 15:20

Minecraft: Education Edition arrives November 1

by Darrell Etherington
mc_education_webpage_50_1920x820 The full version of Minecraft: Education Edition is finally arriving on November 1, following an extended testing and free trial period that began this summer. The version of Minecraft aimed at educators and schools came out of Microsoft’s acquisition of learning game MinecraftEdu earlier this year, which built upon Minecraft to give teachers tools to build lessons around STEM, art,… Read More
25 Mar 04:56

Apple Temporarily Pulls iOS 9.3 Update for Older iOS Devices

by Juli Clover
Schleifnet

a reason we don't install for at least a week after release

Apple has temporarily stopped offering the iOS 9.3 update for older devices like the iPad Air and earlier and the iPhone 5s and earlier due to installation issues some users have experienced. On older devices, iOS 9.3 requires users to input the Apple ID and password originally used to set up the device, which can lead to the device becoming stuck at the Activation Lock screen if the original account information can't be recalled.

In a statement given to iMore, Apple says it is working on a fix and plans to issue a new version of iOS 9.3 in the next few days. Customers with an affected device who attempt to download iOS 9.3 during this time will not be able to install the update as Apple has stopped signing it.

activateiphoneerror
Updating some iOS devices (iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier) to iOS 9.3 can require entering the Apple ID and password used to set up the device in order to complete the software update," an Apple spokesperson told iMore. "In some cases, if customers do not recall their password, their device will remain in an inactivated state until they can recover or reset their password. For these older devices, we have temporarily pulled back the update and will release an updated version of iOS 9.3 in the next few days that does not require this step."
For customers who have already installed iOS 9.3 and have gotten stuck at the Activation Lock, Apple has published a support document with steps on how to solve the issue. Apple recommends removing Activation Lock via iCloud or attempting to enter an Apple ID or password through iTunes.

Update: Apple has released a new build of iOS 9.3 for the iPad 2 and may be planning to roll out updates for additional devices. Apple has not yet resumed signing iOS 9.3 for affected devices.

Related Roundup: iOS 9
Tag: iOS 9.3

Discuss this article in our forums

08 Mar 22:24

Changes to Flickr Pro and coupon for 30% off annual rate

by Matthew Roth

When we brought back Flickr Pro last year, we wanted to reaffirm our commitment to the members of the Flickr community who wanted to know more about how people were sharing and engaging with their photos. Today, we are making a few changes to Flickr Pro and offering a discount for new Flickr Pro members.

The biggest change is that we are making the desktop Auto-Uploadr a Flickr Pro-only feature, giving Pro members exclusive access to the tool. This feature lets you effortlessly upload all of your photos from wherever they are being stored, while making them accessible from any device. If you are already a Pro member, you won’t see any changes to your existing subscription.

For any members with free accounts, you can continue enjoying the Auto-Uploadr by upgrading to Flickr Pro in the next 14 days. In order to make this transition easier, we’re offering a 30% discount on the annual Flickr Pro membership.

With a new year-long subscription to Flickr Pro, you will now receive:

  • Access to the Flickr Uploadr desktop tool.
  • A 20% discount on an Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan.
  • Free standard U.S. shipping on Flickr merchandise or 50% off international shipping ($25 minimum purchase).
  • An ad-free experience both on your own photos and when viewing everyone else’s photos
  • A Pro badge highlighted on your account.
  • Access to our robust stats page, including improved data navigation and insights into your most popular photos.

Coupon code: FLICKRPRO30

Please visit the Flickr upgrade page for more information on how to purchase the new Flickr Pro today.


01 Mar 17:12

You Can Now Add Pit Stops In Google Maps On iOS Devices

by Mary Beth Quirk
Schleifnet

good, I do this with Waze all the time

(Google Maps)
Anyone who’s ever been on a road trip know that pit stops are essential: you may need a bathroom break, or emergency beef jerky and a tuna sandwich in a triangular plastic wedge. For anyone who’s ever found themselves getting lost while trying to find a gas station or restaurant on the road, you’ll likely be glad to hear that you can now add those pit stops to your route in Google Maps on iOS devices.

Android users have had access to the feature since its launch last October, but now any iOS user in the world where Google Maps offers navigation — more than 100 countries — will be able to add a detour to their mapped out journey, the company says, instead of having to navigate to it in a separate search, and then continue their journey after.

While in Navigation mode, users can tap the magnifying glass at the top right corner of the screen to see a menu of options for places you might need to stop at, like gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. with ratings for each result and the estimated amount of time the detour will add to your trip, so you can choose the best.

If you know you want to stop at a specific spot, say, Mars Cheese Castle, you can also search for specific spots and add them to your route as well.

The feature is rolling out over the next few weeks, Google says.

Easily add pit stops to your trips – all over the world, on Android and iPhone [Google Maps]

01 Mar 17:12

Down With Algebra II!

by Dana Goldstein
Schleifnet

I don't use my calc and algebra in normal life, but the way of thinking they taught me has helped shape the way I think and work as a supervisor and technician

In his new book The Math Myth: And Other STEM Delusions, political scientist Andrew Hacker proposes replacing algebra II and calculus in the high school and college curriculum with a practical course in statistics for citizenship (more on that later). Only mathematicians and some engineers actually use advanced math in their day-to-day work, Hacker argues—even the doctors, accountants, and coders of the future shouldn’t have to master abstract math that they’ll never need.

24 Feb 19:23

FBI’s One-off iPhone Hack Argument Crumbles as More Cases Line Up

by Jeff Gamet

The one-off use the FBI promised for the iPhone it wants Apple to help hack already looks to be falling apart because the Department of Justice is working to get similar orders for about 12 more cases. Like the iPhone in the San Bernardino shooting, the DOJ is using the All Writs Act in an effort to force Apple to bypass the passcode security features built into iOS.

read more


22 Feb 18:31

Google plans to provide Fiber to Huntsville, AL on top of the municipally-owned broadband network (Frederic Lardinois/TechCrunch)

Schleifnet

wish i lived in huntsville

Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
Google plans to provide Fiber to Huntsville, AL on top of the municipally-owned broadband network  —  Google Fiber Is Coming To Huntsville, Alabama  —  Google today announced that it is bringing its gigabit Fiber service to Huntsville, Alabama.  As Google noted in today's announcement …

18 Feb 23:01

No, A Judge Did Not Just Order Apple To Break Encryption On San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone, But To Create A New Backdoor

by Mike Masnick
So... have you heard the story about how a magistrate judge in California has ordered Apple to help the FBI disable encryption on the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters? You may have because it's showing up everywhere. Here's NBC News reporting on it:
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Apple to give investigators access to encrypted data on the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters, assistance the computer giant "declined to provide voluntarily," according to court papers.

In a 40-page filing, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles argued that it needed Apple to help it find the password and access "relevant, critical … data" on the locked cellphone of Syed Farook, who with his wife Tashfeen Malik murdered 14 people in San Bernardino, California on December 2.
And you'd be forgiven for believing that the court has now ordered Apple to do the impossible. After all, for well over a year, the DOJ has been arguing that the All Writs Act of 1789 can be used to force Apple to help unlock encrypted phones. And that's an argument it has continued to make in multiple cases.

Many people are now mocking this ruling, pointing out that with end-to-end encryption it's actually impossible for Apple to do very much to help the FBI, which makes the order seem ridiculous. But that's because much of the reporting on this story appears to be wrong. Ellen Nakashima, at the Washington Post, has a more detailed report that notes that Apple is actually required to do something a little different:
The order does not ask Apple to break the phone’s encryption, but rather to disable the feature that wipes the data on the phone after 10 incorrect tries at entering a password. That way, the government can try to crack the password using “brute force” — attempting tens of millions of combinations without risking the deletion of the data.

The order, signed by a magistrate judge in Los Angeles, comes a week after FBI Director James B. Comey told Congress that the bureau has not been able to open one of the killers’ phones. “It has been two months now, and we are still working on it,” he said.
In other words, the order does not tell Apple to crack the encryption when Apple does not have the key. Rather, it is asking Apple to turn off a specific feature so that the FBI can try to brute force the key — and we can still argue over whether or not it's appropriate to force Apple to disable a key feature that is designed to protect someone's privacy. It also raises questions about whether or not Apple can just turn off that feature or if it will have to do development work to obey the court's order. In fact, the same report notes that there is no way for Apple to actually do this:
According to industry officials, Apple cannot unilaterally dismantle or override the 10-tries-and-wipe feature. Only the user or person who controls the phone’s settings can do so. The company could theoretically write new software to bypass the feature, but likely would see that as a “backdoor” or a weakening of device security and would resist it, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.
So you could argue that this is effectively the same thing as asking Apple to break the encryption, since it (apparently) has no direct access to turning off that feature. However, the specifics do matter -- and most of the kneejerk responses to the order (and the reporting on it) are suggesting something very different than what the court order seems to say.

I think it's still perfectly reasonable to argue that this order is highly problematic, and not legally sound. However, it is still quite different than what most are claiming. It also seems like something that could be quite dangerous. Apple is being pressured to write code that undermines an important security feature, and will probably have little time to debug or test it overall, meaning that this feature it is being ordered to build will almost certainly put more users at risk.

Update: Okay, we've got the full order and it is, indeed, troubling. Here's the key part:
Apple's reasonable technical assistance shall accomplish the following three important functions: (1) it will bypass or disable the auto-erase function whether or not it has been enabled; (2) it will enable the FBI to submit passcodes to the SUBJECT DEVICE for testing electronically via the physical device port, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other protocol available on the SUBJECT DEVICE and (3) it will ensure that when the FBI submits passcodes to the SUBJECT DEVICE, software running on the device will not purposefully introduce any additional delay between passcode attempts beyond what is incurred by Apple hardware.

Apple's reasonable technical assistance may include, but is not limited to: providing the FBI with a signed iPhone Software file, recovery bundle, or other Software Image File ("SIF") that can be loaded onto the SUBJECT DEVICE. The SIF will load and run from Random Access Memory and will not modify the iOS on the actual phone, the user data partition or system partition on the device's flash memory. The SIF will be coded by Apple with a unique identifier of the phone so that the SIF would only load and execute on the SUBJECT DEVICE. The SIF will be loaded via Device Firmware Upgrade ("DFU") mode, recovery mode, or other applicable mode available to the FBI. Once active on the SUBJECT DEVICE, the SIF will accomplish the three functions specified in paragraph 2. The SIF will be loaded on the SUBJECT DEVICE at either a government facility, or alternatively, at an Apple facility; if the latter, Apple shall provide the government with remote access to the SUBJECT DEVICE through a computer allowing the government to conduct passcode recovery analysis.

If Apple determines that it can achieve the three functions stated above in paragraph 2, as well as the functionality set forth in paragraph 3, using an alternate technological means from that recommended by the government, and the government concurs, Apple may comply with this Order in that way.
The order also sets out that:
To the extent that Apple believes that compliance with this Order would be unreasonably burdensome, it may make an application to this Court for relief within five business days of receipt of the Order.
I would imagine that Apple will be taking the court up on that...

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05 Feb 15:53

strip for February / 4 / 2016 - Chase Bank: "The People's Bank...for People!"

strip for February / 4 / 2016 - Chase Bank: "The People's Bank...for People!"
Chase Bank: "The People's Bank...for People!"

Jump to a Random Strip in the Archives! | Buy This Original Art | Archives | E-mail Dave

02 Feb 17:46

Trailer for the upcoming Lego + The Force Awakens video game

by Jason Kottke

Lego and Disney are teaming up for a Star Wars: The Force Awakens video game, out this summer. The trailer for it is possibly more fun than the movie was and is well worth watching if you enjoyed The Lego Movie.

Tags: Legos   movies   Star Wars   video   video games
11 Jan 21:06

Apple has no clue how many people read News on iOS

by Caitlin McGarry
Schleifnet

none, and I wish I could delete it

Apple is working with more than 100 news publishers to put content in the News app for iOS, but there’s a slight hiccup: Neither Apple nor the publishers know how many people are reading News.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple has been underestimating the number of News readers it reports to publishers, though the company didn’t say how or why the problem happened, or when it might be fixed.

The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Washington Post, and other major news publications can’t be happy about the glitch, which means they’ve been giving their advertisers wrong information. Publishers can sell their own ads in the app and reap 100 percent of the revenues, or they can let Apple sell ads on their behalf and keep 70 percent. But when publishers don’t have an accurate view of how big their audience is, that leads to lower ad rates and is generally bad for business.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

28 Dec 04:06

20151227

by Lar deSouza

20151227

09 Dec 16:53

WordPress 4.4 “Clifford”

by Matt Mullenweg
Schleifnet

no better blog platform out there

Version 4.4 of WordPress, named “Clifford” in honor of jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown, is available for download or update in your WordPress dashboard. New features in 4.4 make your site more connected and responsive. Clifford also introduces a new default theme, Twenty Sixteen.


Introducing Twenty Sixteen

A screenshot of Twenty Sixteen set in an iPad frame

Our newest default theme, Twenty Sixteen, is a modern take on a classic blog design.

Twenty Sixteen was built to look great on any device. A fluid grid design, flexible header, fun color schemes, and more, will all make your content shine.


Responsive Images

An image of a laptop, iPad, Android phone, and iPhone containing the same image displayed at multiple sizes to demonstrate responsive image features.

WordPress now takes a smarter approach to displaying appropriate image sizes on any device, ensuring a perfect fit every time. You don’t need to do anything to your theme, it just works.


Embed Everything

Now you can embed your posts on other WordPress sites. Simply drop a post URL into the editor and see an instant embed preview, complete with the title, excerpt, and featured image if you’ve set one. We’ll even include your site icon and links for comments and sharing.

In addition to post embeds, WordPress 4.4 also adds support for five new oEmbed providers: Cloudup, Reddit Comments, ReverbNation, Speaker Deck, and VideoPress.


Under the Hood

The WordPress REST API logo

REST API infrastructure

Infrastructure for the REST API has been integrated into core, marking a new era in developing with WordPress. The REST API gives developers an easy way to build and extend RESTful APIs on top of WordPress.

Infrastructure is the first part of a multi-stage rollout for the REST API. Inclusion of core endpoints is targeted for an upcoming release. To get a sneak peek of the core endpoints, and for more information on extending the REST API, check out the official WordPress REST API plugin.

Term meta

Terms now support metadata, just like posts. See add_term_meta(), get_term_meta(), and update_term_meta() for more information.

Comment query improvements

Comment queries now have cache handling to improve performance. New arguments in WP_Comment_Query make crafting robust comment queries simpler.

Term, comment, and network objects

New WP_Term, WP_Comment, and WP_Network objects make interacting with terms, comments, and networks more predictable and intuitive in code.


The Team

Scott TaylorThis release was led by Scott Taylor, with the help of these fine individuals. There are 471 contributors with props in this release (by far the most ever!). Pull up some Clifford Brown on your music service of choice, and check out some of their profiles:

@mercime, _smartik_, A5hleyRich, Aaron D. Campbell, Aaron Jorbin, Aaron Rutley, Adam Harley (Kawauso), Adam Silverstein, adamholisky, Ahmad Awais, Aki Björklund, AlbertoCT, Alex Kirk, Alex Mills (Viper007Bond), Alex Shiels, Alexander Gounder, alireza1375, Amanda Giles, amereservant, Amy Hendrix (sabreuse), Andrea Fercia, Andrew Duthie, Andrew Nacin, Andrew Norcross, Andrew Ozz, Andy Fragen, Angelo Mandato, Ankit Gade, Ankit K Gupta, Anthony Burchell, ap.koponen, apokalyptik, atomicjack, Austin Ginder, Austin Matzko, Barry Ceelen, Barry Kooij, bcworkz, BdN3504, Bego Mario Garde, Ben May, Benjamin Pick, berengerzyla, Bernhard Riedl, bigdawggi, bilalcoder, BinaryKitten, Birgir Erlendsson (birgire), Bjørn Johansen, bobbingwide, bonger, Boone B. Gorges, Brad Touesnard, bradparbs, Brady Vercher, Brandon Kraft, bravokeyl, brentvr, brettz95, Bruno Kos, Cam, Cami Kaos, carolinegeven, Casey Bisson, ch1902, Chandra M, Chandra Patel, Chase Wiseman, Chiara Dossena, Chip Bennett, Chirag Swadia, Chris Christoff, Chris Kindred, Chris Klosowski, chriscoyier, Chrisdc1, christianoliff, Christoph Herr, Christopher Finke, cjhaas, codeelite, Coen Jacobs, Compute, Courtney Ivey, Craig Ralston, Curtiss Grymala, Cătălin Dogaru, Daisuke Takahashi, Dan Boulet, Daniel Bachhuber, Daniel Jalkut (Red Sweater), Daniel Koskinen, Daniel Ménard, Daniele Scasciafratte, daniellandau, daniloercoli, Danny de Haan, Danny van Kooten, Darren Ethier (nerrad), Daryl L. L. Houston (dllh), Datta Parad, Dave McHale, David A. Kennedy, David Anderson, David Binovec, David Herrera, David Shanske, DeBAAT, Denis de Bernardy, Dennis Ploetner, Derek Herman, Devin Price, Dezzy, Dion Hulse, Dipali Dhole, dipesh.kakadiya, Dominik Bruderer, Dominik Schilling, Dossy Shiobara, Dreb Bits, Drew Jaynes, dustinbolton, Dzikri Aziz, edirect24, Eduardo Reveles, Eduardo Zulian, Edward Caissie, Egill R. Erlendsson, egower, Ehsaan, ehtis, Ella Iseulde Van Dorpe, Ellie Strejlau, Elliott Stocks, elusiveunit, enshrined, Eric Andrew Lewis, Eric Binnion, Eric Daams, Eric Mann, ericjuden, Evan Herman, F4rkie, Felix Arntz, Firdaus Zahari, firebird75, fonglh, francoisb, Frank Klein, Frankie Jarrett, Fredrik Forsmo, Gaelan Lloyd, Gagan Deep Singh, Gary Cao, Gary Jones, Gary Pendergast, garza, Gaurav Pareek, Gautam Gupta, gblsm, geminorum, Gerhard Potgieter, geza.miklo, Gijs Jorissen, Giuseppe Mamone, Giustino Borzacchiello, gnaka08, gradyetc, Greg Rickaby, Gregory Karpinsky (@tivnet), Gustavo Bordoni, Gustavo Bordoni, gwinh.lopez, hakre, hauvong, Helen Hou-Sandí, Hinaloe, Hrishikesh Vaipurkar, Hugh Lashbrooke, Hugo Baeta, Iain Poulson, Ian Dunn, Ian Stewart, icetee, Ignacio Cruz Moreno, Ihor Vorotnov, imath, ippetkov, Ivan Kristianto, J.D. Grimes, J.Sugiyama, jadpm, jakub.tyrcha, James Huff, Jan Henckens, Japh, Jasper de Groot, jazbek, jcroucher, Jeff Farthing, Jeff Stieler, JeffMatson, Jeffrey de Wit, Jeffrey Schutzman, jeichorn, Jennifer M. Dodd, Jeremy Felt, Jeremy Pry, Jeroen Schmit, Jesin A, Jesper van Engelen, jim912, jliman, jmayhak, jnylen0, Jobst Schmalenbach, Joe Dolson, Joe Hoyle, Joe McGill, joehills, John Blackbourn, John James Jacoby, John P. Bloch, John Parris, Jon Cave, Jonathan Bardo, Jonathan Desrosiers, Joost de Valk, Jorge Bernal, Josh Betz, Josh Eaton, Josh Pollock, jpr, jrf, Juhi Saxena, Julio Potier, justdaiv, Justin Sainton, Justin Shreve, Justin Sternberg, Justin Tadlock, K.Adam White, Kailey (trepmal), KalenJohnson, karinedo, karpstrucking, Kelly Dwan, Kevin Behrens, Kevin Langley, kevinatelement, kitchin, Kite, Konstantin Kovshenin, Konstantin Obenland, KrissieV, Krzysiek Dróżdż, Kurt Payne, laceous, Lance Willett, Laurens Offereins, lcherpit, ldinclaux, Lee Willis, leemon, lessbloat, linuxologos, Lucas Karpiuk, lucatume, luciole135, Lucy Tomas, Luke Carbis, madalin.ungureanu, Mako, manolis09, Marcin Pietrzak, Marin Atanasov, Mario Peshev, Marius (Clorith), Mark Jaquith, Marko Heijnen, Markus, Mat Marquis, Matheus Martins, Matt Bagwell, Matt Gibbs, Matt Martz, Matt Mullenweg, Matt van Andel, Matthew Boynes, Matthew Ell, Matthew Haines-Young, mazurstas, mbrandys, mdmcginn, Mehul Kaklotar, Meitar, Mel Choyce, meloniq, micahmills, micahwave, Michael Adams (mdawaffe), Michael Arestad, Michael Cain, Michiel Habraken, Mickey Kay, Mike Glendinning, Mike Hansen, Mike Jolley, Mike Jordan, Mike Schinkel, Mike Schroder, Milan Dinić, mismith227, misterunknown, mitcho (Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine), Monika, morganestes, Morten Rand-Hendriksen, moto hachi ( mt8.biz ), Mr Papa, mrmist, mulvane, neoscrib, NExT-Season, Niall Kennedy, nicholas_io, Nick Ciske, Nick Halsey, NickDuncan, Nicolas Juen, nikeo, Nikhil Chavan, Niklas, Nikola Nikolov, Nikolay Bachiyski, Nilambar Sharma, OriginalEXE, Paresh Radadiya, Pascal Birchler, Pat O'Brien, Paul Bearne, Paul de Wouters, Paul Ryan, Paul Wilde, pavelevap, Payton Swick, Peter Wilson, Petter Walbø Johnsgård, Petya Raykovska, pfefferle, Philip Arthur Moore, PhilipLakin, Philipp Cordes, Piotr Delawski, Piotr Soluch, Pippin Williamson, Prasad Nevase, Prasath Nadarajah, Pratik, Rachel Baker, rajnikmit, Rakesh Lawaju (Racase Lawaju), ramay, Rami Yushuvaev, Raul Illana, renoirb, rhubbardreverb, Rhys Wynne, Rian Rietveld, Richard Tape, Robert Chapin, Rodrigo Primo, Roger Chen, Rommel Castro, Ron Rennick, Ronald Huereca, Russell Heimlich, Ruud Laan, Ryan Kienstra, Ryan Markel, Ryan McCue, Ryan Welcher, Safirul Alredha, Sal Ferrarello, salvoaranzulla, Sam Brodie, sam2kb, Samir Shah, Samuel Sidler, Samuel Wood (Otto), Sanket Parmar, Sara Rosso, sarciszewski, sboisvert, Scott Grant, Scott Kingsley Clark, Scott Reilly, scottbrownconsulting, ScreenfeedFr, scribu, sdavis2702, Sean Hayes, Sebastian Pisula, Sergey Biryukov, serpent7776, several27, shimakyohsuke, Shinichi Nishikawa, side777, Simon Prosser, Simon Wheatley, Siobhan, sirzooro, sjmur, smerriman, Spacedmonkey, Stanislav Khromov, Stanko Metodiev, stebbiv, Stefan Froehlich, Stephanie Leary, Stephen Edgar, Stephen Harris, Steve Grunwell, stevehenty, SteveHoneyNZ, Steven Word, Store Locator Plus, Sudar Muthu, Sujay, Sumit Singh, summerblue, Sunny Ratilal, Takashi Irie, Takayuki Miyauchi, Tammie Lister, Tanner Moushey, tbcorr, Terry Chay, tharsheblows, theMikeD, Thomas Kräftner, thomaswm, Thorsten Frommen, Thorsten Ott, tigertech, Till, Tim Evko, tmatsuur, tmeister, TobiasBg, Tom Willmot, TomHarrigan, tommarshall, tomsommer, Toni Viemerö, Toro_Unit (Hiroshi Urabe), Tracy Levesque, Tran Ngoc Tuan Anh, Travis Smith, trenzterra, Tryon Eggleston, tszming, ty, Ty Carlson, Tyler Carter, Ulrich, Ulrich Sossou, Umesh Kumar, Umesh Nevase, Utkarsh, vilkatis, voldemortensen, Walter Ebert, walterbarcelos, webaware, webdevmattcrom, WEN Solutions, WEN Themes, Weston Ruter, wmertens, Wojtek Szkutnik, WP Plugin Dev dot com, wpdev101, wpseek, wturrell, Yam Chhetri, Yoav Farhi, Zach Wills, Zack Rothauser, and Zack Tollman.

 

Special thanks go to Siobhan McKeown for producing the release video with Sara Rosso, and Cami Kaos for the voice-over.

Finally, thanks to all of the contributors who provided subtitles for the release video, which at last count had been translated into 23 languages!

If you want to follow along or help out, check out Make WordPress and our core development blog. Thanks for choosing WordPress. See you soon for version 4.5!

04 Nov 19:21

JavaScript for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming

by Mark Frauenfelder

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JavaScript for Kids is for kids, but also for adults who don't know anything about coding and want to learn. The author, Nick Morgan, is a front-end programmer at Twitter, and he does a great job of clearly presenting programming concepts like data types, control structures, functions strings, arrays, loops. Nothing is dumbed down. You'll also learn jQuery to make interactive web pages, and Canvas to create graphics. Along the way you'll write several computer games.

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09 Oct 21:05

A Look Inside the Smitten Kitchen

by Anne Marie Lindemann

Deb Perelman, the writer behind the wildly popular food blog Smitten Kitchen, recently published her 1,000th recipe. She’s also written a cookbook that spent weeks on the New York Times best-seller list in 2012 and is still No. 1 on Amazon in the “gourmet cooking” category. Perelman’s success is easy to understand: She’s a stunning photographer, her writing is chatty and self-deprecating, and her taste is impeccable. (If Perelman recommends a recipe, you know it’s going to be good.) Perelman’s image is both relatable and aspirational—she is an everywoman who, by force of will, has transformed her small New York City kitchen into a stage for irresistible delicacies.