Apple caves on NFC exclusivity, but don't expect Google Wallet for iPhone anytime soon

Near-field communication (NFC) has changed the way we use our phones, allowing us to connect them wirelessly to other devices. Since NFC functionality started being integrated into phones, the option to make purchases through NFC-based payment methods has altered how we shop. Apple has managed to keep the NFC feature on the iPhone somewhat limited to developers — specifically, those looking to create alternatives toApple Pay. Now, European Union (EU) regulators are questioning the move, which is being viewed by some as an attempt to stifle competition....

July 24, 2025 · 3 min · 453 words · Emily Bolton

BenQ HT4550i Projector: The 4K HDR Quad-LED Cinephile's Choice

Priced at $3000, the BenQ HT4550i is the latest addition to their Home Cinema lineup and is currently their second most expensive projector behind only the HT8060. With its higher price tag, you’ll find a slew of premium features for those seeking the best true 4K cinematic and gaming experiences up to 150 inches. BenQ HT4550i The BenQ HT4550i uses 4LED and DLP technology to deliver incredibly vibrant, bright, and rich contrast video in sharp 4K, offering you some of the best at-home cinema experiences you can buy in 2023....

July 24, 2025 · 8 min · 1657 words · Sarah Foster

Climb and Slide Codes [World 3] (August 2025)

In Climb and Slide, you take on tall towers, avoiding obstacles while collecting rewards and sliding down at high speed. you’re able to explore places like the Beach and City, unlock rides, and open new maps, including towers made by other players! To get Potions inClimb and Slide, you just need to redeem codes, so you can make the beginning more fun by using a boost whenever you want. Searching for working codes can take ages, but we already have them ready....

July 24, 2025 · 2 min · 318 words · Tracy Curry

Daily Themed Crossword August 12, 2025 Answers (6/5/25)

Our Daily Themed Crossword August 23, 2025 answers guide should help you finish today’s crossword if you’ve found yourself stuck on a crossword clue. TheDaily Themed Crosswordis available as a mobile app on both iOS and Android devices. It has become a popular crossword app due to its regular crossword offerings and difficulty level (not too easy, not too difficult, generally). They release a new crossword each day, every day of the year, and each crossword has a theme and allows for hints in case an answer involves a more obscure word....

July 24, 2025 · 2 min · 346 words · Michael Fischer

Flash Officially Replaces His Speed Powers with Super-Fast New Vehicle

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Absolute Power #2!TheFlashmight not be able to run fast anymore, but he’s found a new way to reach incredible speeds.DC’s summer eventAbsolute Powercontinues to upend the lives of metahumans everywhere as Amanda Waller’s plans finally come to fruition. Waller has unleashed a team composed of themost powerful versions of Amazo, Task Force VII, and has stolen the special abilities of DC’s greatest heroes. As metahumans are incarcerated in Waller’s secret prison on the island nation of Gamorra, the last remaining heroes gather at the Fortress of Solitude, where the Fastest Man Alive finds a replacement that helps him put his quick thinking to good use....

July 24, 2025 · 6 min · 1149 words · Vanessa Rhodes

Game Of Thrones: 10 Strongest Castles In Westeros, Ranked

Summary The continent of Westeros inGame of Thronesis filled with renowned castles and fortresses, though some stand out as the strongest and most defensible. The eight seasons ofGame of Thronesare based onGeorge R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice & Firenovel series, but the TV series doesn’t actually make it to each of the well-known castles from the books. Therefore, to accurately determine the strongest castles in Westeros,the books and HBO’s prequel seriesHouse of the Dragonare necessary for supplementary information and visuals....

July 24, 2025 · 10 min · 2103 words · Michael West

George Lucas' Original Star Wars Episodes 10-12 Movie Plans Explained

While the tale ofGeorge Lucas' long-lost sequelStar Warstrilogy is quite well-known, what’s perhaps lesser known is that he also had plans for Episodes X-XII in the Skywalker saga. Throughout Lucas' sixStar Warsmovies, the original and prequel trilogies respectively, it’s easy to see how things changed over the course of the story’s creation. Lucas decided to make Darth Vader the father of Luke Skywalker inThe Empire Strikes Back, and in the same vein, he also decided to make Luke and Leia siblings inReturn of the Jedi, contrary to their kiss in the prior movie....

July 24, 2025 · 6 min · 1127 words · Tracey Brown

Google Chat web client gets new emoji ahead of the forced Workspace Hangouts migration

Google Chat web client gets new emoji ahead of the forced Workspace Hangouts migration The last stages in the Hangouts to Chat transition are building up. Just beforeWorkspace-subscribed Hangouts users are pushed to Chat, Google has given Chat’s web clients the same updated emoji it delivered to the Android applast summer— it took a little longer than the “coming weeks” previously promised. The change brings the Emoji 13.1 set to the Chat web client — the version of it that lives in Gmail, as well as the PWA you may install (confirmed by harassing people in my contacts list with random 13....

July 24, 2025 · 2 min · 356 words · William Mckee

Google isn’t done with online gaming, starts internally testing YouTube Playables

In the wake of Google’s decision toshut down its game streaming service Stadiaearlier this year, the project’s General ManagerPhil Harrison mentionedthe company isn’t giving up on the idea of gaming entirely, and we could see the underlying tech make its way to other Google services, Including YouTube. Now, we are learning of the first steps in this direction, with YouTube reportedly testing a new gaming product called Playables. YouTube is already one of thehottest destinations for our eyeballsthanks to its massive library of user-generated content....

July 24, 2025 · 2 min · 320 words · Becky Vaughan

Google Maps can now tell you about air quality in your area, just in time for summer

Google Maps can now tell you about air quality in your area, just in time for summer Last summer, amid an especially dicey wildfire season, Nest Hub devices got an update thatadded a local air quality rating to the home screen, right next to the weather. Now, just a couple of weeks ahead of summer 2022, Google’sadded a similar feature to Maps: a map of air quality ratings in your area, accessible from the layers menu....

July 24, 2025 · 2 min · 239 words · Charles Jordan

Google Meet and Zoom achieve bilateral interoperability

Google Meet and Zoom achieve bilateral interoperability Since the onset of the pandemic and the transition to remote work, we have a newfound respect for the capabilities of thebest video conferencing utilities. While many services tried to make a name for themselves in this space over the last few years, Zoom and Google Meet were arguably among the most successful of the lot. Google is now announcing deep interoperability with Zoom....

July 24, 2025 · 2 min · 345 words · Tammy Myers

How I Use a Backup Email Address to Keep My Online Accounts Secure

Quick Links There is one simple tool everyone should use to protect their online accounts: a backup email address. Often overlooked, a backup email account is an easy way to streamline recovery, protect against data breaches, and help organize your digital life. What Is a Backup Email Address? A backup email address is essentially what it says on the tin: a secondary account linked to your primary email for a little more security....

July 24, 2025 · 3 min · 633 words · Nina Williams

How to Create a CRUD API Using Node, PostgresSQL, and Express

How to Create a CRUD API Using Node, PostgresSQL, and Express A CRUD API manages data through four basic database operations: create, read, update, and delete. You can create a simple CRUD API with just Express and a PostgreSQL database. Start by creating an Express server to which you’ll connect PostgreSQL. Then, create the CRUD functions and hook them up to API endpoints. Once you’ve done so, you’ll be able to connect Node to PostgreSQL and perform database queries on each route....

July 24, 2025 · 4 min · 785 words · Marie Arnold