Apple’s Shortcuts app has been integrated directly into iOS 13 and iPadOS 13. After years of consistent improvements, you can now create trigger-free, notification-based automations on your iPhone and iPad.

How Automations Work on iPhone and iPad

Apple introduced the Shortcuts app in iOS 12. Before that, the app was sold on the App Store as Workflow.

You can ask Siri to initiate a shortcut (a predefined set of actions) or press a button on your iPhone or iPad to do it. Now, a shortcut can fire off automatically based on given parameters. It can even happen in the background and use certain external triggers, like NFC. The Shortcuts Automations feature is available on devices that run iOS 13.1 or iPadOS 13.1 and above.

However, not all shortcut automations are automatic.

By default, the automation shows a notification in which you can trigger the shortcut after you tap “Run.” Some shortcuts based on direct physical manipulation with the iPhone or iPad do run automatically (more on this below).

RELATED: What Are iPhone Shortcuts and How Do I Use Them?

How to Create an Event Automation on iPhone or iPad

You can create two kinds of Automations on your iPhone or iPad: Personal and Home. Personal automations are related to your iOS and iPadOS device. The Home automations are related to your HomeKit devices.

In this article, we focus on the Personal automations on your iPhone and iPad. Let’s take a look at the actions you can trigger.

Events

• Time of Day: You can trigger this at any time of day, at sunrise, or sunset.
• Alarm: This shortcut runs when an alarm is stopped or snoozed.
• Apple Watch Workouts: This can be triggered when a workout on your Apple Watch starts, pauses, or ends.

Travel

• Arrive: A location-based trigger that activates when you arrive at a certain location.
• Leave: A trigger for when you leave a certain location.
• Before I Commute: This action tries to predict when you usually leave for work or home and triggers the shortcut at the given time, or up to an hour before you leave.
• CarPlay: A shortcut is triggered when you connect or disconnect from CarPlay.

Settings

• Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, Low Power Mode: This shortcut triggers when you turn these settings on or off.
• NFC: With this trigger, you can tap your iPhone on an NFC sticker and run a shortcut. Modern iPhones (iPhone XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max) can run NFC shortcuts in the background.
• Open App: This trigger runs a shortcut when you open any app.

Let’s walk through an example. Say you want to create a shortcut that plays soothing music when you open the Twitter app. Open the Shortcuts app, and then tap “Automation” in the bottom toolbar.

Read the remaining 66 paragraphs

If you’ve got little aspiring chefs in your home, we’ve got five fun Halloween treats for them to try. From festive Chex mix to Oreo lollipops, your kids will have a blast.

Halloween is an exciting holiday for many children and families all around. There are so many outdoor activities involved with this time of year, but sometimes the frigid, rainy weather keeps you indoors. If you find yourself in that dilemma, and you require an activity for your children, check out these neat recipe ideas.

Harvest Hash Chex Mix

If your family loves snacking on handfuls of Chex mix, then this recipe might be for you. It’s full of exciting ingredients and tastes super yummy. With pretzels, bugles, candy corn, and Reese’s pieces, each bite gives you a nice balance of sweet and salty.

If you have young kids, what’s awesome is this recipe has many steps they can do. You can have them pour in the separate ingredients or have them mix everything for the sauce. If you have older kids, they can melt the butter, do the measuring, and mix the entire combination of the Chex mix.

This recipe does involve an oven, so an adult will have to be present for that step. Once the Chex mixture has cooled, you’ll have a delicious snack for the kids to chow down on.

Get the Recipe: One Little Project

Ghostly Cheese and Crackers

If you need a no-oven snack that kids can make entirely on their own, this one is perfect. Festive Halloween cutters, sliced cheese, and crackers of your choice are all you’ll need. The author also gives an excellent recommendation to cut out apple slices, too.

Your kids will have to use the mini cookie cutters to cut out cheese and add them to the crackers. This is a great way to have your kids start “cooking” in the kitchen. The method is simple, but they can also learn about the cleanup aspect after their snack is complete.

Take this recipe to the next level by offering cold cut slices and other thinly sliced fruit to add to the arrangement of ghostly treats.

Read the remaining 15 paragraphs

macOS Catalina introduces new security controls. For example, apps are now required to ask your permission before accessing parts of the drive where documents and personal files are kept. Let’s take a look at what’s new for security in Catalina.

Some Apps Require Permission to Access Your Files

Apps now have to request permission to access certain parts of your file system. This includes your Documents and Desktop folders, your iCloud Drive, and any external volumes that are currently connected to your Mac (including flash drives, memory cards, and so on). This is the change that’s been getting the most headlines.

Apple has been pushing permission-based access for a while on iOS, and we’re seeing more of these security policies make their way into macOS. When you first upgrade to Catalina, this can result in a blizzard of permission request dialog boxes. This has led some to compare the feature to Windows Vista’s full-screen security prompts (but in reality, it’s nowhere near as egregious).

Unedited Catalina first-run experience.

And I haven't even begun to do actual work yet.

This could be Apple's shining Windows Vista moment. pic.twitter.com/CxuVhA3BxV

— Tyler Hall (@tylerhall) October 7, 2019

From a security standpoint, it’s a change to be welcomed, though it can take some time to get used to. Not every app will request access, either. In our tests, we were able to open and save files using markdown editor Typora, but navigating to the Documents folder in Terminal using the cd ~/Documents/ command prompted a request for permission.

Read the remaining 32 paragraphs

If you think you’ve aged out of party games, think again! We’ve revamped some Halloween tricks and treats for the 21 and older crowd. So, grab a costume, an adult beverage or two, and let’s have a grown-up good time!

You might have outgrown the standard balloon toss, and games like Spin the Bottle may have lost their thrill. Whether you’re looking for a game to break the ice, or one that’s more than fun with an icy beverage, we’ve got it!

We came up with nine spooky games to fill your FrightFest. All are best played in costume, and some might leave your guests genuinely terrified, but that’s okay. Because if there was ever a time to eat, drink, and be scary, it’s Halloween.

Boozing for Apples

Bobbing for apples is a classic harvest festival game. Of course, adults can play with the traditional fruit, but wouldn’t it be more fun to bob for something a bit less innocent?

There are two easy ways to turn this one into 21+ entertainment. You can buy a bunch of miniature liquor bottles (the kind you get on planes). Throw them into your tub or barrel with the apples and water. When a guest comes up with liquor instead of an apple, he has to take a shot.

Alternatively—and slightly more stealthy—is the shot-in-the-apple approach. For this, dig out a small hole in the top of the apples. Fill them with a shot of liquor, such as Fireball, and set aside. Give them a little time to absorb the liquor, and then float the spiked apples and let the games begin!

Don’t Say “Halloween”

Or “haunted,” or “scary,” or whatever you’d like the game to be. The idea is to create a “cursed phrase” that ties in with Halloween. This game lasts the entire party and—be warned—it can get intense. Be sure to let all guests know the phrase when they enter. A sign works well for this if you won’t be greeting everyone at the door.

Should anyone utter the cursed words, they have to take the anti-curse immediately! In this case, the anti-curse is, of course, an adult beverage.

For a twist, hand out inexpensive, colored beads at the beginning of the party. If someone hears another guest speak the curse, they can take that guest’s beads. The guest with the most collected necklaces at the end of the night wins the game.

Spooky Scavenger Hunt (with Pictures)

Read the remaining 18 paragraphs

Is macOS UNIX or just Unix? Or is it Unix-like? We answer the never-ending debate and explain standards like POSIX and the SUS along the way.

macOS: UNIX or Not?

This subject raises a bunch of different questions. What is the lineage of macOS? How much of that hereditary material is still present in today’s macOS, and does it matter? Before we can begin to answer whether something is UNIX, Unix, or Unix-like, we need to be comfortable with what those terms mean. Who gets to decide if something is Unix or UNIX, and what criteria do they use?

Let’s start at the beginning.

Unix was created fifty years ago at Bell Labs, a research and development company owned by AT&T. Fast-forward to 1973 and Version 4 of Unix, which was rewritten in the C programming language. This made the operating system much more portable and easier to transfer to different hardware platforms. That same year, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, two of the core Unix architects, presented a paper at a conference about operating systems. Immediately they received requests for copies of the operating system.

Bound by a consent decree that dated back to 1956, AT&T had to eschew “any business other than the furnishing of common carrier communications services.” Unix didn’t qualify as something AT&T could profit from. So, the company did something remarkable for that time: distributed Unix as source code with a liberal license. Small charges covered the shipping and packaging and a “reasonable royalty.”

A Proliferation of Unixes

Because Unix was provided “as-is,” it came without support. As a result, a Unix community began to coalesce to help members, and patch and extend Unix. So, you could get the source code, modify it, and get support from the community. That’s got a familiar ring to it. Different flavors of Unix began to appear, adapted and tweaked to suit the organization doing the work.

Bob Fabry, a computer science professor at UC Berkeley, was on the program committee for the 1973 Symposium on Operating Systems Principles. He listened to a presentation by Thompson and Ritchie, entitled The UNIX Time-Sharing System.

Fabry requested a copy of the operating system, and, in 1974, Unix was installed on a PDP/11 at the Computer Sciences Research Group (CSRG) at UC Berkeley. Significantly, Ken Thompson spent a year there, working on what quickly became the university’s own flavor of Unix. Copies of the UC Berkeley changes and additions were distributed and became known as the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). Eventually, these became distributions of an entire Unix system, still known as BSD. Version numbers, such as 4.2BSD, identified the different releases.

In 1984, AT&T was released from the strictures of the 1956 consent decree and able to market its operating system properly. It included BSD code, such as TCP/IP, vi, and the C shell, csh. Even with this cross-pollination and collaboration, there were difficulties with licensing. BSD contained AT&T code, which was not open source, but the BSD elements were.

Read the remaining 25 paragraphs

Throwing together a soiree for friends is fun, but it can also feel stressful without a bartender on hand. If you need to find the perfect fall cocktail for your next party, we’ve got some suggestions.

These 10 adult beverages are fantastic treats to share with your friends. With so many holidays around the corner, you’ll have many special occasions to enjoy sipping these fun refreshments.

Fall Sangria

Whether you’re an oenophile or just enjoy the occasional glass with friends, this sangria is a great way to take wine to a whole new level. We understand some wine lovers wouldn’t dare mix other ingredients with their fermented grapes. However, some people can’t get enough of this sweet, refreshing beverage.

You don’t have to say goodbye to this summer BBQ classic just yet, because the autumn flavors in this version are out of this world. The tart apple, lemon, and lime flavors perfectly complement the cinnamon and cherry brandy. You’ll want more than one glass.

Get the Recipe: Everyday Maven

Spiced Apple Moscow Mule

If you’ve never tried a Montana, Moscow, or Southern mule, there’s no better time than now. You can make this ginger cocktail in many ways, but the main ingredients consist of alcohol, ginger beer, and lime juice.

In this recipe, you learn how to make a spiced simple syrup out of sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. The spices come alive and infuse perfectly into a fresh, aromatic drink you’ll enjoy.

Get the Recipe: Home Cooking Memories

Ginger Pear Snap Cocktail

This is one fancy cocktail—and a tasty one, too. Pear is in season this time of year and makes a great snack, so why not use it to create an adult beverage? The pear and ginger flavors, coupled with lemon and fresh rosemary, create a daring cocktail that is both fresh and delicious.

Read the remaining 25 paragraphs

When you’re setting up a new smarthome, one of the easiest gadgets you can add to your arsenal is a smart lock. It’s not much harder than changing a standard lock on your home. Here’s what to do.

The Basics

For this guide, we’re installing a Schlage Encode smart lock. Even if you have a different smart lock from another brand, most (if not all) the steps will be the same. You’ll generally find three main components in a smart lock: an exterior piece that may have a keypad, lock for a key, or both, an interior piece that holds the batteries and circuitry, and the bolt that secures your door. The tricky part is connecting them all.

As a quick tip: You may have seen advice to test your smart lock before installing it by inserting the batteries to turn it on. Then you can be sure the lock powers up before it’s in the door.

That seems like sound advice, but the first time a smart lock turns on, it tests if the door is left facing or right facing and adjusts the bolt mechanism to match. Without an actual door to test against, it may guess wrong, and your install will fail to work correctly. If you want to perform this test, you should check the instructions for a factory reset process. After running the test, factory-reset the lock.

Removing the Old Lock

Before you can install your new smart lock, you need to take the old one out. Standard locks are easy to remove, so long as you have access to the interior of your home anyway. Start with finding the two screws on the interior thumb turn piece. Then unscrew them.

Open the door (if you haven’t already) and go to the front side of the lock (where you insert your key). The key assembly should be loose, pull that off.

Now on the side of your door, look for the bolt that slides out when you lock it. Unscrew the two screws and pull the bolt assembly out.

Installing Your Smart Lock

Now find the bolt for your new lock, and look for the top mark:

Read the remaining 12 paragraphs

Spooky season is upon us, which means it’s the perfect time to delve into scary stories that make your skin crawl. Add some excitement to your commute with these intriguing true-crime podcasts.

Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad

If you don’t need a happily-ever-after to enjoy a story, you might enjoy this podcast. Every week, ex-cold case investigator Paul Holes and investigative journalist Billy Jensen discuss unsolved murders, unidentified remains, and missing persons cases.

What makes this podcast unique is listeners get to ride along with the two experts as they attempt to solve crimes. You can also help them by providing tips or new information. While they don’t always succeed, the storytelling is always engaging and easy to binge.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

The Clearing

This brand-new podcast features April Balascio, a woman who, at the age of 40, realized her father, Edward Wayne Edwards, was a serial killer. With host, John Dean, she dives into her past and shares glimpses into the strange psyche of her father. She also recounts how her suspicions led her to contact the police, which resulted in his arrest and conviction. It’s a gripping and emotional journey that’s not to be missed.

Apple Podcast | Spotify | Stitcher

Criminal

Crime is not just about murder—it’s a function of our society, our homes, our system, and our history. Sometimes, there’s blood involved, or misinformation, or helplessness. With its hypnotic sound design and captivating words, criminals share stories far more complex than they might seem at first. In this award-winning podcast, the entrancing voice of host Phoebe Judge delves objectively into different crime tales that will satisfy the most analytical and curious minds.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher

Serial

Read the remaining 41 paragraphs

Are your closets and cabinets a little too dark? Could your drawers use some accent lighting? Maybe it’s time to grab a few motion-sensor lights for all those dark places in your life.

Motion sensor lights are great because they’re hassle-free. They turn on and off automatically, so you don’t have to worry about wasting electricity. Plus, they’re easy to install (easier than a light socket), and they usually run on batteries, so they don’t need an outlet.

But which light should you buy? How do you know if a motion sensor light will work for you?

What to Look for In Motion Sensor Lights

Every motion sensor light is different. Some are long and thin, while others are chunky and round. Some are meant to work as accent lights, while others can illuminate a whole room.

In other words, you need to be careful when you shop for motion sensor lights. It’s easy to end up with one that doesn’t suit your needs (or is just ugly).

Luckily, you can avoid any disappointment if you consider which of the following features are most important to you beforehand:

• Versatility: Some lighting products require adhesives to stick to the wall, while you can mount others with screws or magnets. Think about how much flexibility you need from your lights, along with extra features, like an “always-on” button or dimming settings.
• Power: Motion sensor lights have automatic shutoff features, but they can still eat through batteries pretty quickly. For that reason, we’ve only included rechargeable lights in this article (minus the Philips Hue LightStrip, which plugs into an outlet).
• Working Distance: Super-sensitive lights work best in walk-in pantries, closets, and other larger areas, while less sensitive lights work best in small drawers or cabinets. You can tell how sensitive a light is by its motion detection range.
• Size: How much lighting do you need? Do you need to illuminate your whole closet or just the inside of a drawer? Generally, large and long lights illuminate a larger area than small or directional lights.

Again, with the exception of the Philips Hue LightStrip, all the motion sensor lights in this article are powered by rechargeable batteries. This means they cost a few bucks more than lights powered by AAA or AA batteries, but they also don’t require battery replacements.

Now that you know what you’re looking for in a motion sensor light, it’s time to shop!

Best Overall: LUXJET LED Strips

LUXJET LED strips are an affordable, simple lighting option for your closet, cabinets, or any other dark or dim place. You can also use them as accent lights. You just attach them to a surface with the included adhesive, and you’re good to go!

Read the remaining 20 paragraphs

Want to be more productive on your Mac? Add another monitor, and you’ll spend less time switching between spaces, tabs, and windows. With Catalina, you can even use an iPad as a second monitor with the new “Sidecar” feature.

Pick a Monitor

First, you have to pick the right monitor for the job. Your budget will play a large role here, so first, decide what you want to spend, and which features are most important to you.

Here are some things to consider before you choose a monitor:

• Resolution: This is the number of pixels displayed onscreen at once, measured on two axes (e.g., 1920 x 1080). Generally, the higher the resolution, the better the image quality. Higher resolutions, like 4K and 5K, require more powerful hardware.
• Size: Most displays are around the 27-inch mark. Smaller, 24-inch displays remain popular with gamers, and people who have minimal desk space. Larger, 32-inch and ultrawide monitors are also available. Your decision ultimately depends on your budget and available space.
• Pixel density: Measured in pixels per inch (PPI), pixel density describes how closely-packed the pixels are on the display. The higher the pixel density, the better the image quality, as you’re less likely to see individual pixels.
• Display and panel type: This is the major factor when it comes to quality and performance. You can choose an LCD panel built on IPS, TN, or VA technology or opt for cutting-edge OLED panels if the budget allows.
• Refresh rate: This refers to the number of times the display refreshes per second. The refresh rate is measured in hertz (Hz). Basic monitors support 60 Hz, which is fine for office work, web browsing, or anything without fast-moving images. Most high-refresh-rate monitors (144 Hz) are considered “gaming” monitors and would be overkill for those who aren’t.
• Color accuracy: Which color profiles does the monitor support? If you use your monitor for creative work, like photo and video editing, or design, you need one with a high degree of color accuracy. You should also consider buying a monitor calibration tool.
• Other characteristics: Do you want a curved monitor for a more immersive viewing experience? How about one you can use in portrait mode for coding or mobile development that tilts 90 degrees? Do you plan to mount the monitor on a VESA mount?

If you have the hardware and budget for a 4K monitor, the HP Z27 comes highly recommended from sites like Wirecutter. You can get the reduced, 1440p resolution version of the same display for a few hundred dollars less.

Apple says LG’s Ultrafine 5K display is suitable to use with its latest range of laptops. This display uses Thunderbolt 3 to drive the monitor and simultaneously provide 85 watts of charge for your laptop over USB-C. Acer’s XR342CK 34-inch curved display scores top marks for an ultrawide if you have the necessary desk space.

RELATED: How to Use Your iPad as an External Mac Display With Sidecar

Can Your Mac Handle It?

It’s important to make sure your Mac is powerful enough to drive any external displays at the resolution and refresh rate you need. One easy way to do this is to check the technical specifications of your particular model. To find your model, click the Apple logo in the top-right corner of the screen and choose “About This Mac.”

Search for your exact model on Apple’s website (e.g., “MacBook Pro Retina mid-2012”), and then click “Support” to reveal the technical specifications sheet. Under “Graphics and Video Support” (or similar), you should see something like, “Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display, and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on up to two external displays.”

Read the remaining 29 paragraphs

“You’re going to flip,” reads an invitation that Motorola has begun sending out to media for an event that will almost surely involve the unveiling of a fresh take on the old school Razr flip phone.

Scheduled for the evening of November 13, the event will be hosted in downtown Los Angeles and will feature the “highly anticipated unveiling of a reinvented icon.” The event will include appearances from special guests and music performers along with “a journey through immersive experiences.”

When Motorola discussed the idea of resurrecting the Razr with CNET in December 2018, the company itself noted that while people are yearning for a new take on the Razr, the phone would have to be revived in a way that isn’t gimmicky and manages to deliver an incredible experience. “We’ve got to figure out how to deliver a breakthrough,” said Raul Pierce, co-designer of the original Razr.

Those are encouraging words and it will be interesting to see what Motorola has whipped up. We anticipate a more modern foldable device, perhaps with dual screens or a single folding display, which seems about the only thing Motorola could do for this phone to be anything more than just the old Razr with faster chips and a sharper screen.

Less encouraging words come from a January 2019 report in the Wall Street Journal, where it was claimed that the new Razer would cost $1,500 and only around 200,000 units would be produced. Speculation suggests that the new Razr will have a modern Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 2,730mAh battery, 4GB or 6GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of storage, and color options including white, black, and gold.

We’ll find out soon enough how accurate that is.

Source: CNET

Filters in Google Sheets let you analyze data in your document by showing only the things you want. However, it changes how others see the document, too. Here’s how to use filter views to leave each collaborator’s view unchanged.

Fire up Google Sheets and open up a spreadsheet to get started.

Click Data > Filter Views > Create New Filter View.

The row numbers and column letters will turn a dark gray color when activated. At this time, you should give your filter view a name to distinguish it from any other views you make in the future and check the range is correct. You can always edit both of these later if needed.

For this guide, we want to filter anything in the table that has a price per unit greater than $10. Click the filter icon in the field for “Price Per Unit.”

Read the remaining 21 paragraphs

Whether you’re old enough to remember them, or you’ve just noticed them while sorting through old family photos, you might be curious how the little glowing date was imprinted on photos in the late-20th century.

In the digital photography era, the little orange date stamp in the lower-right corner of snapshots has largely fallen by the wayside. However, the technology used to superimpose the dates on old photos is pretty cool—and surprisingly low-tech.

In this video from Applied Science, we’re treated to a tour of an old camera body. You’ll see how a little extra bit in the body made it possible to add the date to a photo negative the moment it was taken.

Pretty cool! We love finding out how things work—even more so when how they work is so simple and elegant.

[via PetaPixel]

There’s no way to leave email conversations if someone accidentally hits the “Reply All” button. What you can do is mute the conversation on your end to disable notifications. Here’s how to mute threads on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac using the Mail app.

How to Mute Mail Threads on iPhone and iPad

To mute a thread on an iPhone or iPad, you need to be running iOS 13 or iPadOS 13 and higher.

There are two ways to do this. The first works without even opening the email. You can also mute a message from the reply menu.

If you’re in the Inbox, swipe left on an email and select the “More” option.

From the popup, tap on the “Mute” button.

The email will now have a small “Bell” icon to tell you that the thread has been muted.

Read the remaining 17 paragraphs

Halloween is fun for so many reasons, but preparing goodies that look like creepy critters is what it’s all about for us. Learn to create treats that might make you think twice before taking a bite.

Whether you want spider-covered cookies, or something a bit more yucky—like bloody rat cupcakes—we’ve got you covered. Check out these seven bizarre yet delicious creepy-crawly food recipes.

Jell-O Worms with Oreo Dirt

These worms might not have legs to crawl, but they look super realistic, which is why they made it to our list of creepy-crawly desserts. You might find it disturbing to take a bite, but don’t worry, once you take in a mouthful, you’ll see they taste oh so good. You might even go for a second helping.

The author will take you through steps and teach you how to make realistic-looking worms using gelatin in straw molds. You’ll then put them in a cup of crushed Oreo, which resembles dirt.

For a little extra deliciousness, place chocolate pudding in individual cups, and then add the Oreo crumbs and, finally, the worms. Right before your eyes will be a bowl of worm-infested mud. Yummy.

Get the Recipe: Cakes Cottage

Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

These spider cookies are a great combination of adorable and yummy. If you aren’t a fan of spiders, you might still get away with making these. The silly eyeballs help make this one a little less creepy and a bit goofier.

You’ll learn to make peanut butter cookies from scratch, and then decorate them using Whoppers candy and melted chocolate. Enjoy these with the kids—but watch out for peanut allergies.

Get the Recipe: Crafty Morning

Creepy-Crawly Bugs

Read the remaining 19 paragraphs

If you’re a bike commuter or active mountain biker, you’ll want to get your shine on as the days get shorter. Here are our favorite bike lights for all types of cyclists.

Before you shop for a bike light, the first thing you have to think about is how you plan to use it. For example, if you ride to and from work in the city, you have the benefit of overhead streetlights, so being visible to cars will be your primary concern. In this scenario, a super-bright, white flashing light might be enough.

However, if you’re an off-road biker, who blasts down single-track trails after dark, you need a more comprehensive setup, with possibly two lights so you can see every root or rock in your path.

Let’s take a look at some other things you should look for in your new bike light.

A Few Things to Consider

When it comes to judging bike lights, battery life and brightness are the two most important considerations, followed by design and mounting style. If you’ve never shopped for a bike light—or haven’t in a while—you’re going to be pleasantly surprised. This ain’t your grandpa’s flashlight!

Battery Life

The great thing about modern bike lights is they’re almost all powered by rechargeable lithium batteries. Many of them also have incredibly long burn times between charges. Obviously, you want to pick one with a battery life that will comfortably cover the amount of time you ride.

Many lights feature indicators that show how much power is left. This gives you the option of shifting to a lower output setting if you need to nurse the light long enough to get home.

You can charge most lights via USB; you can even use some lights as a spare battery pack to recharge other devices in a pinch.

Bright Enough or Too Bright?

Bike lights can go so long between charges now due to LED technology. It requires less energy but produces super-bright output. Unfortunately, brightness is an area where making apples-to-apples comparisons can get a bit confusing. I’ll try to explain.

Read the remaining 51 paragraphs

While Google focuses on the Assistant, Android owners shouldn’t forget about the Text-to-Speech (TTS) accessibility feature. It’ll convert text from your Android apps, but you might need to modify it to get the speech to sound the way you want it.

Modifying Text-to-Speech voices is easily done from the Android accessibility settings menu. You can change the speed and pitch of your chosen voice, as well as the voice engine you use.

Google Text-to-Speech is the default voice engine and is pre-installed on most Android devices. If your Android device doesn’t have it installed, you can download the Google Text-to-Speech app from the Google Play Store.

Changing Speech Rate and Pitch

Android will use default settings for Google Text-to-Speech, but you might need to change the speed and pitch of the Text-to-Speech voice to make it easier for you to understand.

Changing the TTS speech rate and pitch requires you to get into the Google accessibility settings menu. The steps for this might vary slightly, depending on your version of Android and your device manufacturer.

To open the Android accessibility menu, go to Android’s “Settings” menu. You can get to this by swiping down on your display to access your notification shade and tapping the gear icon in the top right, or by launching the “Settings” app from within your apps drawer.

In the “Settings” menu, tap the “Accessibility” option.

Read the remaining 46 paragraphs