Innehållsförteckning för November 2021 från TechLife

Not only are we looking at ways to find those hard to find folks from our past, but we also run down the best ways to find old records in this issue, too. It’s a wealth of knowledge! Every now and then, I get the idea that I’m going to trace my family tree. I’ve a few data-points from other family that have tried, and I’ve taken one side back quite a ways, to medieval England. But the other side... that’s a bit tougher, as I really know little about them, or where to start looking for them. If you’ve ever found yourself in a similar situation, either with a whole branch like me, or just a stubborn MIA relative, this issue is for you. Not only are we looking…

Ever since Apple made its own fancy custom CPU with its M1 chip, we’ve been starting to see rumors about other tech giants making their own silicon. First it was Microsoft, and now we hear that Google is looking to make its own processors for Chromebooks and tablets running Chrome OS. After revealing its own Tensor chipsets will power its upcoming Google Pixel 6 phones, it seems like Google is going to be using its tensor processing units (TPUs) in some upcoming chips for its laptops, according to a report from Nikkei Asia, though the company wouldn’t confirm that it’s actually happening. Though, given that it’s using the TPUs for its upcoming Pixel 6 smartphone, it’s not much of a stretch that Chromebooks could follow soon. The report claims that…

When it comes to design, the Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless is a good looking headset, with a similar look to the other HS headsets. Parts of it are made from lightweight machined aluminium, which gives it a solid feel, while still feeling light enough to wear comfortable. It also has a new floating headband design, which is a piece of fabric that stretches between the left and right earcups, and this rests against your head, rather than the stiffer top of the headset. This leads to a far more comfortable experience, especially when wearing this headset for long periods of time. The ear pads are made of a premium-feeling fabric, and these again feel comfortable to wear, even after several hours of playing. The overall design of the Corsair HS80…

US life expectancy dropped 1.5 years in 2020 – the largest decline since World War II – as a result of the high death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report, which is based on preliminary death data for all of last year, estimated that US life expectancy fell from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77.3 years in 2020. That’s the biggest decline in life expectancy in nearly 80 years, since 1942 to 1943, when life expectancy fell 2.9 years. The drop also brings life expectancy down to the lowest level since 2003. About three-quarters of 2020’s decline in life expectancy can be attributed to deaths from COVID-19, while 11 per cent of the decline is due…

Unlike its mechanical Standing Desk, Vari’s Electric Standing Desk features a design that has become quite popular among other standing desk manufacturers where the two legs of the desk attach to a metal frame which is fastened to the desktop. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though as this is a tried and true design. The desk’s T-Style legs are not only sturdy but also house the motors that allow it to move from a sitting to a standing position. Each leg contains a wire that plugs into the desk’s control box, which is lowered into the frame during assembly. The control panel that needs to be attached to the front of the desk on either the right or left side depending on your preference also has a cord that…

Death Stranding 2 is “in negotiations”, says Norman Reedus It looks like a Death Stranding sequel may be on the way. While we’ve yet to get official confirmation from creator Hideo Kojima nor Sony itself, Death Stranding lead character Norman Reedus recently told journalists at a The Walking Dead roundtable that Death Stranding 2 was “in negotiations” before finishing off with an enthusiastic: “yay!” Pokémon TV is available now on Nintendo Switch Pokémon TV was already available on smart TVs, mobiles, and tablets, but this is the first time we can download the new app on Nintendo Switch. “Fans have the opportunity to watch select episodes and seasons of Pokémon the Series, journeying with Ash and his friends from Kanto to Galar and everywhere in between!” The Pokemon Company explains.…

On July 20th, California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard collecting “numerous complaints about unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation” at the company. Employees the DFEH spoke to said Activision Blizzard has a “frat boy” culture that’s been a “breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women.” In the period since, more than 3,000 Activision Blizzard employees have signed an open letter to management speaking up for victims and making a call for “official statements that recognise the seriousness of the allegations and demonstrate compassion for victims of harassment and assault.” On top of this, a number of senior developers have left the company. It’s been a dramatic period for Activision Blizzard, including a response plan from CEO Bobby Kotick and a work stoppage by…

$99.95, PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Linux, www.doublefine.com Psychonauts 2 is a time sink. Now that’s a phrase laden with negative connotations, an expression typically associated with the type of always-online and open world experiences that show little appreciation for your attention. Just so we’re all clear, that’s not what’s going on here, as developer Double Fine has delivered a generous and expansive adventure full of heart and humor. Psychonauts 2 is a time sink in the truest sense, in that your time will sink into the ether as you play. Minutes will turn to hours with ease, and before you know it, the credits are rolling and your cheekbones are sore from all the smiling. Double Fine’s psychodyssey defies all expectations. And what expectations they were. Psychonauts 2 is an unlikely…

From $1,199, www.apple.com/au The iPad Pro is available in 11-inch and 12.9-inch models, and if you want to use it primarily as a tablet rather than a stand-in for a laptop, the smaller version is definitely the one to choose. In terms of size and design, the new 11-inch iPad Pro is identical to last year’s model. It has dimensions of 178.5 x 247.6mm with a thickness of just 5.9mm, and is slightly lighter than its predecessor at 466g. This makes the iPad Pro 11-inch comfortable to hold and easy to use, and with an aluminum frame and back and rounded corners, the iPad continues to feel like a premium device. It’s available in just two colours: Space Grey and Silver, which is a shame, as we’d have loved to…

$TBC, www.sony-asia.com If the Sony Xperia 1 III felt familiar, then the Sony Xperia 5 III is liable to instigate a major bout of déjà vu. Sony’s current full-sized flagship phone took the Xperia 1 II’s boxy design and added a smart matte finish that subtly distinguished it. It’s a shame the Xperia 5 III, as a compact alternative, doesn’t repeat the trick. Instead, Sony has stuck with the same slightly rounded edges and shiny finish as the Xperia 5 II before it. This is still a distinctively handsome, unusually tall and thin phone, distinguished by an extra-skinny 21:9 display and a non-regulation forehead and chin. As before, there’s a very good reason for those extended top and bottom bezels. The top one contains the Sony Xperia 5 III’s selfie…

$2,898, store.irobot.com It’s been almost 20 years since the original Roomba robot vacuum launched and now robot vacuums are ten-a-penny, and a staple in many households. Compared to similar models, the iRobot Roomba S9 Plus is pricey but in return, it promises the brand’s deepest cleaning yet (up to 40 times the suction of previous generation Roomba vacuums), and a more accurate room mapping system so it won’t waste time going over the same areas. iRobot’s latest incarnation, the Roomba S9 Plus, might operate on similar principles, but thanks to a host of high-tech features, it’s a very different beast from the first iteration, and one of the best robot vacuums we’ve tested to date. Most noticeably, it’ll empty itself, meaning that rather than shaking out a dust box every…

1 If you’ve searched at length, and an ancestor is still missing in action, you need to consider whether you might be dealing with a master of disguise, rather than a disappearing act. A name-change is the most obvious way in which an ancestor’s identity might be hidden in the census. 2 Search for alternative spellings of a surname, or use a wildcard search. Try to imagine how the name might have been misheard or misread. Check for variants of given names, and for confusion between male and female versions of a name. 3 If you’re aware of a re-marriage or illegitimacy, then consider the possibility of deliberate name changes. A woman might take her partner’s name, even without a genuine marriage. A stepchild might take a stepfather’s name to…

1 Many families emigrated to the new world in the 19th century. The Ellis Island website (www. ellisisland.org) is a good place to start for North America research, as new arrivals were required to register upon entering the country. This is a free website, with some useful historical information, as well as a searchable index. 2 There are various websites with indexes of passenger lists.Ancestry.co.uk (www.ancestry.com. au) has a number of these searchable collections. Findmypast’s (www.findmypast.co.uk) travel and migration section has good coverage, and you can do a free name search before deciding whether to pay for results. 3 Be aware that not all migration was voluntary. Many of those convicted of crimes in the 19th century were deported overseas. You can buy The Kings Passengers to Maryland and Virginia,…

1 MEDIEVAL GENEALOGY The best website for old records is www.medievalgenealogy.org.uk, which provides the most detailed free guide to medieval records available. Spend some time exploring the site to get an idea of the kind of information it contains. If you click on the ‘Families’ tab, you will find a list of surnames which have been researched, with links. 2 MEDIEVAL SOLDIER DATABASE The ICMA Centre’s website (www. medievalsoldier.org/search.php) is great if you’re looking for your medieval military ancestors. The database, which contains details on 14th- and 15th-century conflicts are invaluable if you’re want to trace ancestors in this era. The muster roll database 1369-1453 lists over 60,000 archers. 3 BRITISH HISTORY ONLINE You’ll find a wealth of detail at British History Online (www. british-history.ac.uk), which holds primary and secondary…

Your media is now, all being well, ready for action, so the next step is to install your media server. The step-by-step guide below reveals how to download and install Emby Media Server on your Windows 10 PC. It’s a straightforward enough process, and once complete, Emby will launch as a background service so you’ll barely notice it. When you come to set up and manage your server going forward, you’ll do so through your web browser. By default, Emby won’t start with Windows, so if you’d like to have it launch automatically so your media is always accessible when your PC is switched on, navigate to the ‘Settings’ section of the Emby dashboard and tick the ‘Run server at startup’ box. Once up and running, we recommend adding your…

1 Manage metadata Emby should automatically tag your media correctly, but if it doesn’t – or if you have particular labelling tastes – you can manually edit and add information and artwork (metadata) to any media file, such as home videos. Click the slide-out menu button and choose ‘Metadata Manager’ under Admin. Browse your library using the left-hand pane to select an item, such as a TV show, season or an individual episode. 2 Make changes You can manually edit any of the fields by clicking inside it and making changes, then clicking the ‘Save’ button. Alternatively, click the menu button next to ‘Save’ (the button with three lines on top of each other) and choose ‘Edit images’ to change the imagery for that item, or ‘Identify’ to correct a…

THIS MONTH Q&A Your questions answered WINDOWS Tips and tricks for emailing photos WINDOWS How to zip and unzip files MAC Start your Mac with Folder Tidy iOS Make music in iOS LINUX Manage files and more ANDROID How to use an Android as a dashcam SECURITY & PRIVACY Securing cryptocurrencies HOME NETWORKING 5G home internet FITNESS Strengthen your mental muscle with Smiling Mind PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS Shoot colourful landscapes DIGITAL DARKROOM Embrace blur for maximum creativity Frame stutter problem I’m experiencing an intermittent frame stutter issue in games as varied as World of Warships and Ghost Recon Breakpoint. It’s not tied to graphics quality settings, as I’ve tried everything from maxed out to turning them down to mud, and still have the issue. I’ve tried killing all background apps/processes, I…

REQUIRES MacUpdater US$14.99, macOS 10.14 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to quickly update all your apps in one process IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes Keeping your files organised on your Mac can be a laborious process, and the longer you leave it, the harder it is to do. Locations like your Downloads folder and your desktop can quickly become overwhelmed with loose files bursting to get out. Even getting started can feel intimidating when there is so much to do. At that point, you start to question whether there’s any hope… Fortunately, there is. Folder Tidy is a lightweight Mac app (US$4.99) that can automatically sort all your files into neatly ordered folders – one for your images, one for your video files, and more. Just tell it where…

REQUIRES GarageBand, iOS 14.0 or later YOU WILL LEARN You will learn how to make music on iPhone or iPad IT WILL TAKE 20 minutes We love GarageBand on our iPad and iPhone: it’s tons of fun, easy to use, and it works brilliantly with GarageBand and Logic Pro X on the Mac. That means it’s as happy in a serious music production workflow as it is being poked and prodded by a young kid on the sofa. We use it to demo songs or capture musical ideas before turning them into finished songs in Logic; but it’s as easy for complete novices to experiment with unusual instruments and make beats. There are lots of great music apps for iOS and iPadOS, with faithful reproductions of vintage synths rubbing shoulders…

In the wisp-thin sky of Ganymede, the largest satellite in the Solar System, astronomers have detected evidence of water vapour for the first time. The discovery could shed light on similar watery atmospheres that may envelop other icy bodies in the Solar System and beyond. Previous research suggested that Ganymede – which is larger than Mercury and Pluto and only slightly smaller than Mars – may contain more water than all of Earth’s oceans. However, the Jovian moon is so cold that water on its surface is frozen. Any liquid water would lurk about 100 miles below its crust. Ultraviolet signals detected in these auroral bands suggested the presence of oxygen molecules, each made of two oxygen atoms, which are produced when charged particles erode Ganymede’s icy surface. Prior work…

The OLED65CX is gorgeous. The star of the show, as usual with OLED TV technology, is how incredibly thin its screen is: for around two-thirds of its rear area it’s insanely skinny - just a couple of millimetres deep. Though of course, unless you’re fond of looking at the back of your TV rather than the front, you probably won’t notice this much once you’ve installed the set for the first time. The bottom third or so of the OLED65CX’s rear sticks out quite a bit more than the rest. But the design still wears this pretty well - and the set’s speakers, connections and processors do have to go somewhere. The screen attaches to one of the centrally mounted metallic sheet stands we’ve seen for a few C-series generations…

If you’re excited about XR (cross reality, or extended reality), but don’t love the bulky headsets, you’ll be keen to know that the world’s first AR contact lens, Mojo Vision, is very close to a working prototype of the micro displays. As always, AI is again reshaping what we can expect from computers by taking the helm of a crewless cargo ship in Norway, and helping lawyers identify problematic arguments made by opposing counsel. There were also some less pleasant developments, since a paralympian was hit by one of Toyota’s autonomous shuttles and it appears China is hacking the US for information to train massive AI’s. XR VR helps reduce needle anxiety in children VR more effective than simple distraction. chla.org A new study has shown that VR is an…

Double Fine boss Tim Schafer has made no secret about the fact that Psychonauts 2 would not have had boss fights if his formerly independent company had not become part of Xbox in 2019. In an interview with G4 on YouTube, Schafer explained how the studio initially made the decision to cut each stage’s boss battles to make up for being behind schedule and its then-publisher running into some financial troubles. “And then, in talking to Microsoft, their question was, ‘What would the game be like if you weren’t as constrained by resources?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I’d put those boss fights back in,’ Schafer explained. “It’s so easy to cut boss fights, because they’re kind of separate from the level, the level’s complete without them. “But not a…

$89.95, PC, Xbox, PlayStation www.ea.com For anyone who’s not a fan of sports games, it’s common to think that “it’s the same every year”. But, those of us who do play every year would argue against that, preferring rather to pick apart an annual sports game on the merits of its new, if sometimes subtle, changes. However, the idea has rung true in one regard as it comes to the Madden series: the abandonment of Franchise mode. Going on nearly a decade since the last sweeping changes to one of Madden’s most popular modes, the wait has been agonizing, but it’s finally over. As a whole, Madden 22 is an inconsistent game, but Franchise is, at long last, the priority. Perhaps the surest sign of renewed focus in Madden NFL…

$54.95, PC, Xbox, Playstation aliensfireteamelite.com Like the Colonial Marines of the 1986 Aliens film, nothing about Aliens: Fireteam Elite is delicate or quiet. It’s not hiding in ventilation shafts trying to silently breathe while a xenomorph stomps by, but kicking down doors and letting loose a barrage of fire from an array of weapons that would make Hudson salivate. Aliens: Fireteam Elite is not a deftly handled tool that only belongs in the hands of a well-trained professional, but a big ol’ hammer looking for some nails to beat in. Those nails are the xenos, and there’s plenty of them to go around. Aliens: Fireteam Elite feels like the ideological and mechanical sequel to Alien: Isolation - the gaming version of Aliens to Alien. Aliens: Fireteam Elite drops you into…

$2,699, au.msi.com The Summit E13 Flip Evo is a ludicrously long name for a laptop, but naming conventions are about as silly as this splendid 2-in-1 device gets – while typically known for its gaming optimised machines, MSI is deadly serious about its latest foray into the world of professional business laptops. Design As mentioned, the MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo is remarkably similar in design to HP’s Spectre x360, with an angular hinge and sharp, industrial-styled font for the branded logo emblazoned on the lid. This isn’t a bad thing – there’s only so much creative freedom you can get with a laptop, and the HP Spectre is a gorgeous device, but if you were looking for something with a really original look, you won’t find it here. That…

From $499, www.samsung.com The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is a sequel to one of our favorite smartwatches ever, and it’s the first time in a while that we’ve seen the company embrace Wear OS software. It’s not your typical Wear OS watch though; it’s called One UI Watch 3, and it’s been built by Samsung with Google’s help. On paper, the overall upgrade is limited, but the Watch 4 is suitable for anyone who’s looking for a top-end smartwatch that can track workouts, as well as offer a lot of other smart features that many alternative wrist companions can’t. That said, the Galaxy Watch 4’s compatibility isn’t as varied as previous Samsung watches. If you own an iPhone, this won’t work with it, and while it’s compatible with all modern…

$269, www.ikea.com Calling it the Symfonisk Picture Frame is perhaps a little confusing, as you won’t be able to display your family portrait or favourite snap with this device. Instead the Picture Frame features a print created by IKEA designers. Creating a default print that appeals to everyone was always going to be tough, but we think the design chosen by IKEA and Sonos (which is meant to be a visual representation of music and sound) looks neat. If you aren’t a fan though, other options are available for purchase, including a paint splatter design and one that resembles a turntable. You can also choose to purchase the Symfonisk Picture Frame in either white or black, which again, will come down to personal preference. Whatever option you choose, we’re sure…

1 The 1841 Census comes with its own particular difficulties, and more careful searching might be needed to locate elusive ancestors in that year. One problem is that all adult ages were rounded up to the nearest five years. Search in the five-year period on either side of the actual age. 2 The lack of birthplace information makes it trickier to locate ancestors who moved away from home. A move to another county is easier to identify, as you can search for those born outside the county. A shorter move is harder to figure out, and it’s worth carrying out detailed searches in neighbouring parishes. 3 Try cross-referencing with other records. Parish registers had good coverage in the 1800s. Use FamilySearch and Ancestry. co.uk to find baptisms, marriages and burials…

The internet has revolutionised family history research, allowing you to tackle your family tree from your own living room. Although well-known sources, such as BMD Indexes, censuses and parish records are readily available on the internet, you’re going to need to use a wider range of records if you want to find your ancestors in the 16th century and earlier. Luckily, many of these are easy to access online, and should soon help you begin to identify your medieval ancestors. Having taken your family tree back to the early parish registers in the 16th or 17th centuries, it’s time to explore your medieval and early modern ancestors. There are a wealth of resources available to help you, on a mixture of both free and subscription sites. Your first step is…

These days, we consume our media – from music and photos to movies and TV – on a variety of devices in various locations. However, digital media is both liberating and yet constricting at the same time. If you’ve built up a library and want quick and easy access to it from any location, then you need a media server. A media server allows you to collect your media together in one location – your PC’s main storage, a USBattached drive or even a network-attached drive – and can access it from just about any smart device – other computers, phones or tablets, even the set-top box or smart TV in your living room. It provides you with a consistent experience wherever you happen to be, and allows you to…

TIME TAKEN 1 hour For anyone who’d like to add live TV to Emby’s capabilities (plus add support for recording programme to add to your library) then you need to know the job’s more involved than simply plugging in your TV tuner and letting Emby handle the rest. Emby needs to interact with a separate TV server, which can be a standalone device (the HDHomeRun CONNECT – see over the page), the PC you’re running Emby Server on, or another computer. The latter option is a good choice if your Emby PC isn’t particularly powerful, or your TV aerial socket is a long way away from your main PC. HDHomeRun users can simply set up support directly from within Emby itself; other devices require you to first install TV server…

“Tesla’s new breed of solar panels look just like regular roof tiles.” 1 UPGRADE YOUR GUARD DOG Security cameras can keep an eye on your home 24/7, alerting you if there’s movement and flooding the area with light to deter intruders. 2 SMART DOORBELL A video doorbell allows you to see, hear and even speak to anyone at your door, even if you are not at home. 3 AIR SENSING If you have allergies or asthma, the Cair Smart Air Quality Sensor can alert you as soon as issues arise. 4 UPGRADE THE SMOKE ALARM The Nest Protect is a smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that also doubles up as a night light. 5 SAY HELLO TO ALEXA Smart voice assistants act like the boss of your home, bringing…

TOP TIP You can’t guarantee the connection speed of those you send photos to – so try to keep files as small as you can. Part of the joy of photography is sharing your pictures with others, looking back and reminiscing. There are various ways to share your snaps from your PC, starting with the basic option of just gathering with friends and family around a laptop screen – or your TV or projector. There is, of course, the option of sharing photos on social media sites such as Facebook, but another quick and easy way is to make use of email. There is something important that you need to consider before emailing photographs to people: size. The high-quality image files produced by modern cameras and smartphones can be impossible…

As we’re celebrating 30 years of the Linux kernel, we’ve decided to focus on a wonderful command-line project that’s been around for nearly as long. Midnight Commander is an orthodox file manager that features a split-pane interface and is one of the oldest file managers that’s still being actively developed. Currently under the GPLv3+ license, Midnight Commander is part of the GNU project. First released in 1994, Midnight Commander quickly became a favourite of most of the Linux crowd. Despite its soaring popularity, with the ever-increasing focus on GUI applications in the late 90s to early 2000s, Midnight Commander slowly fell away by the wayside. This explains why none of the popular desktop distributions offer it as part of the default installation. And yet, you can gauge the continuing popularity…

We often see car dash cam video clips in anything from daily news reports to YouTube craziness. Dash cams are very popular in Europe, and apparently just about all vehicles in Russia have them as an insurance requirement. They are also becoming increasingly popular in Australia, and police investigations routinely ask for any dash cam footage from passing motorists. A few years ago we drove from London to Edinburgh via the west coast of Wales, and hope to have more road trips in future. A high definition dash cam recorded the entire trip on a small stack of SD cards, which have since been transcribed into a very long road movie that provides virtual travel when the craving is strong! A basic dash cam can be purchased for under $50,…

5G is the new hotness in the mobile world, and the major mobile providers (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone) have started offering home internet services and devices using the new mobile technology now. So this month we’re taking a look at the technology as a home internet medium – how does it stack up against the competition, what are the implications of 5G, and what do you need to do to get it? What is 5G again? As you can probably guess from the name, 5G is an upgrade to the existing 4G mobile standards. Its headline feature is that it can use a far larger slice of spectrum across multiple bands to deliver much higher bandwidth than 4G. That has some interesting and complex implications for speed. 5G is capable of…

As spring progresses and starts to move into summer the landscape becomes awash with strong colours. This creates some deep contrast which, combined with the intensity of the sunlight, produces the style of scenic we associate with the summer months. Vegetation plays a big part in the process, and is the element which provides the diversity of colour across different locations. This offers tremendous possibilities for dramatic, eye-catching landscape shots, but also introduces some unique challenges for the digital photographer. Oil seed rape is one such crop, which produces a noticeable transformation in the landscape. The member of the Brassicaceae family is well-known for its bright yellow flowers, which form a patchwork of colour when viewed from above, and a sea of luminescent crop when shot from ground level. Love…

Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, but the company hasn’t forgotten about its older foldable phones, as it’s rolling out an update that adds a bunch of software features from the newer handsets. Dubbed One UI 3.1.1, this update is coming to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G, original Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, and original Samsung Galaxy Fold – so in other words all of Samsung’s older foldable phones, while the new models have this software already. One UI 3.1.1 includes a wealth of features, including Drag and Split, which lets you drag a link to open it on the same screen as the current window you’re viewing. That will be available for all of Samsung’s…

Since 27 July, roughly 8.5 billion tonnes of ice has been lost per day from the surface of the enormous ice sheet – twice its normal average rate of loss during summer. The huge loss comes after temperatures in north Greenland soared to above 20 degrees Celsius, which is double the summer average. High temperatures on 28 July caused the third-largest single-day loss of ice in Greenland since 1950 – the second and first-biggest single-day losses occurred in 2012 and 2019. Greenland’s yearly ice loss began in 1990. In recent years it has accelerated to roughly four times the levels before 2000. Even though the amount of ice that melted in this summer’s event was less than two years ago, in some ways it could be worse. “While not as…

How do I get garlic smell off my hands? “Steel apparently pulls away the sulphur molecules responsible for that tell-tale garlic niff, and jumbling a bar of it around in your hands under cold water can effectively get you clean.” Ryan Weston On the hunt for classic tips Guru consulted Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, but she just called garlic ‘offensive’, ‘most acrimonious’ and suggested that the best thing to do with it is to use it to ‘rub the dish on which the substance to be flavoured is going to be served’, which is frankly terrible advice. Gadget Guru’s Book of Household Manglement (and yes, he will accept a lucrative publishing deal) says you should use eight times as much garlic as is suggested in any recipe, and…

These Animal Crossing: New Horizons-themed Puma sneakers are cooler than they have any right to be, and they’re launching on Saturday, September 18 as part of a collaboration between Nintendo and the German apparel company. Every once in a while, a piece of video game apparel ascends beyond its status as such and into Cool Cat territory. There are a few different tiers of video game clothes before you reach that level: there’s the stiff, boxy N64 t-shirts from Walmart whose logos peel off after one go at the laundromat, then there’s the slightly more stylish retro-themed stuff you might find at places like Target, and finally, you’ve got truly high-quality, good-looking video game merch from specialty stores. As revealed in a first look from SneakerFreaker, these Animal Crossing Puma…

$69.95, PC, humankind.game Humankind strips away the victory conditions of other 4X games and replaces them with a single metric: fame. While this isn’t wholly unique – it functions on a similar level to Civilization’s score victories – it brings the ‘backup victory’ front and center. No longer totting up the interesting things you did as a sort of tie-breaker, the interesting things you do are the point. Charting a new continent? Fame. First to discover writing? Fame. Absolute best at farming? Fame. You start the game off in the Neolithic era, without any kind of culture yet. Your culture defines who you are in any given era – from Ancient Egyptian builders to British expansionists – but that can’t develop in a vacuum, so your first job is to…

Marvel: Future Revolution MARVEL. MOBILE. MMO. Free Future Revolution is a hard game to put inside a box. It has MMO elements, but it’s not an open world. You play a Marvel character that levels, but it’s not really an RPG. If anything, it’s a fairly on-the-rails action title where you are moving from enemy groups to enemy groups, using your character-specific powers to take out Hydra and Oscorp goons. On the surface, the game looks and runs great. Graphic detail and animations are top notch, environments are packed with good looking textures that differ from location to location. While the game claims an open world, it’s instead an open “area”, where you are free to wander around to meet quest points, but you still load into “missions” from a…

$49, www.samsung.com If you’re prone to forgetting various things from your wallet to your keys or even your bag, the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag Plus is almost certain to be instantly appealing to you. It’s a device you attach to your precious item, so you can use its Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chip to help you track it down if the worst happens. It’s compact and practical. Providing that is, you already own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. That’s the main catch to the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag Plus - it exclusively works with Samsung phones. If you own a different Android phone, you’re out of luck. If you want the full benefits, which includes the ability to use your phone’s rear-facing camera to guide you towards the SmartTag, you’ll need one of…

$319, www.robertsradio.com If there is an iconic design in the world of DAB radios, it’s Roberts’ Revival. Styled as a 1950s ‘wireless’ in the old sense of the word, the RD70 now tackles the modern meaning of that phrase to add Bluetooth streaming from smartphones. Do you remember what radios were like in the 1950s? Nope. Nor us. In fact, you could argue the vintage styling is a tad overdone, and the RD70 more museum piece than truly retro – but either way there are few more design-led DAB radios out there, save for the Ruark R1 Mk4. It’s mostly aimed at kitchen sides, window sills, bathrooms and bedside tables. The latter is obvious from its provision of a sleep timer (for up to 90 minutes), two alarms and a…

$1,199, www.ecovacs.com The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N8 Plus is a little larger than some robot vacuums, in part because of its 240ml water reservoir, but not substantially so. It’s 9.3cm tall and has a diameter of 35.3cm. This does mean it’s not quite as nimble as some when nipping underneath tables and chairs, and carrying it upstairs could be a chore – it weighs 3.6kg. In terms of outward appearance, it’s incredibly sleek, with one button on top to start it cleaning, and is available in glossy white as well as black. The Auto-Empty Station comes in a matching colour and is fairly sizeable at 42.6cm tall, 30cm wide and 41cm deep, plus it needs 50cm clearance on either side – we found it struggled to get back onto the…

1 You might find that an ancestor who upped sticks and moved to another area is difficult to track down, but there are many clues that can help you find them. Start off by extracting all the details from their last appearance in the records. Look at age, profession, family relationships and any other available information. 2 If your ancestor was employed in a profession that involved travel, such as the church or Merchant Navy, try a wide search without residence criteria. If this yields too many results, try adding a birthplace, or an age range. It’s worth checking possible death records in other areas, in case your relative died away from home. 3 If there’s no obvious reason for a move, look for other family members. Your ancestors might…

1 If you’re fairly sure that your ancestors stayed put, despite their apparent absence from the records, then it’s worth devoting some more time to detailed checks. Try and find them in the records either side of their disappearance. Find their home address in other censuses, and familiarise yourself with nearby streets and properties. 2 Ancestry.co.uk is a useful tool for searching in a particular area. Find your ancestors in an earlier or later census, and have a look at the parish or enumeration district details at the top of the screen. The first page of each district should be a written description of that area. 3 Districts weren’t the same from one census to another, but when you go back to your problem year, you can browse the districts…

1 SEARCH FOR A WILL To find your ancestor’s will, log on to TNA’s Discovery Catalogue (http://discovery.nationalarchives. gov.uk/SearchUI). Click on ‘Advanced Search’ below the search box. You can then add your ancestor’s details, such as keyword ‘Peshall’. Type ‘PROB’ in the reference box below ‘Search Within’ to limit your results to wills. 2 REVIEW YOUR RESULTS You’ll find that for most names there should be results. For example, ‘Peshall’ gives 17 in wills and probate. To only see those that relate to 1400-1499 you can tick the box next to this date range on the left-hand side of the page and then click ‘refine’. 3 VIEW THE RECORD By limiting your results, you should find one or two remaining records. For Peshall there is now just one, that of Hugh…

TIME TAKEN 30 minutes (depending on your collection) There are two things to consider before you import your media files into your media server: their format and their filename. The format of a media file consists of two elements: the “container” or the filetype, and the “codecs”, which are used to compress and decompress the video and audio streams when being played back. Not all devices can play the same media formats, and while Emby can convert between different formats while streaming media to overcome these compatibility issues (a process called “transcoding”), it uses up a lot of system resources and can slow the process down considerably. With this in mind, try to source your media using a format that’s close to being a universal standard. For music files, aim…

One way to watch your Emby hosted media on another PC is to log into it through your web browser by typing servername:8096 into the Address Bar, substituting ‘servername’ for the network name or IP address of the PC that Emby Media Server is running on. But why do that when there’s a beautifully designed app that’s geared towards letting you consume your media in the best possible environment? The app in question is Emby Theater. The latest version, available through the Windows Store, requires an Emby Premiere subscription to use, but don’t let that stop you: a special Legacy version can be downloaded for free via the link provided at https://emby.media/emby-theater.html – it’s completely portable, no installation required, and should connect to your server the moment it’s up and…

Generally speaking, there are two things that an update can bring to the table. One of which is an element of fear and the other, an element of excitement. We fear that features we have grown to love and use every day may vanish (we haven’t forgotten about you Clippy). We also fear that too much change will interrupt the ease of use we have built up by using a certain OS for years on end. This fear of the unknown can make you hesitant about updating. Certain parts of an operating system make you fall in love with it, especially if it helps day-to-day life, whether that is work or just domestic social use. Also, new bugs can be introduced and it may take a while for everything to…

TOP TIP Is your zip too big to email? Don’t worry! Upload it to WeTransfer.com and send a download link instead. If tech years are like dog years, then zip files were invented 217 years ago – and despite their age they remain incredibly useful things in 2020. Zip files take a bunch of files and/ or folders, squash them down and package them up as a single, smaller file that’s better for sending, for sharing on the likes of USB sticks and for freeing up hard drive space. And in Windows 10, zipping files is baked right into File Explorer. The files we use today are a lot bigger than the ones we used to zip back in 1989. Back then, PCs with 10MB of hard disk space seemed…

It has been a busy few months in the cryptocurrency hacking world. In the last six months we have seen a variety of hacks and scams, major and minor, hit the crypto world. The largest was a recent hack of the Poly Network, which saw US$600 million stolen using a protocol exploit. Then there are the many scams, from hacked YouTube videos to fake coin offerings where the coin/token creator just runs off with the money people invested. If you run your own wallet, there’s also the danger of your PC being compromised by malware. A ransomware hack or data loss can leave you unable to access your wallet and therefore funds; and if the hackers get access to your wallet, then they can transfer the money out of it.…

“While mimicking lens effects during processing is rarely as good as the real thing, we’re sure you’ll agree that the techniques we’ll be looking at here are highly effective.” Using blur in your images can perform a wide range of functions, depending on how the blur has been applied. Motion blur, changing the depth of field and even defocusing the lens are three of the main ways of controlling blur in-camera, but some techniques can only be applied during post-processing. We’ll take a look at four techniques here with two that can only be applied during post-processing, with the additional two being possible in-camera but with the use of specialist lenses. While mimicking lens effects during processing is rarely as good as the real thing, we’re sure you’ll agree that…

MB&F + L’Epée 1839 Balthazar robot clock On sale for just 56,000 Swiss Francs. ~$83,000 | shop.madgallery.ch/products/balthazar Do you ever look at your Rolex and wonder why you are wearing such a budget timepiece? No? Well this 8kg bedside table robot clock isn’t for your broke arse, then. Costing around $83,000, this intricate contraption does time so well that it’s all it has to do. While it does have a robot design on the front, if you spin it round its head is actually the shape of a skeleton, so you’re actually getting 2-for-1 value. You will just have to remind your butler to wind the unit every 35 days... Ripl One Headphones Rip yourself a new one with these headbanging headphones. US$200 | helloripl.com Razer invented face-shaking bass with…