Month: February 2023
YouTube could be your next lifetime cloud storage provider
It’s almost certainly not intended to be used in this way, and there are several bugs, but one Github user thinks we have things to learn about data compression.
A loophole on YouTube has been spotted that allows users to upload and access compressed data hidden into videos as a backup solution, although it’s not as easy or advisable as it sounds.
For it to work, Infinite-Storage-Glitch (via PC Gamer), a tool developed in Rust by Github user DvorakDwarf, must be run from a Linux distro and compiled either from source or using software development platform Docker. There are no readily available releases on Github, and perhaps for good reason.
DvorakDwarf muses on the Github project page that, although YouTube’s Terms of Service (TOS) may not expressly forbid uploading videos that contain files, it is possible that Google lawyers have planned ahead, given a section about ‘circumventing the service’.
File storage in a YouTube video
As a result, although this is an interesting development, TechRadar Pro can’t expressly suggest that you rush to try this.
The tool’s creator, also being careful with their words, has warned against making this your next cloud storage solution, noting that it lacks filesystem support and comes with many bugs that they do not plan on fixing. These include bad RAM usage, which limits individual files to “about” 100MB.
Still, if you don’t particularly value your Google account, or are as interested in novel forms of storing data (like in tape and HDD hybrids, or even DNA) as us, you might find this fascinating.
Users store files inside a .zip archive, and the tool embeds them into a video file: the new one, being “several times larger”. The video can then be uploaded, as well as downloaded, with the files able to be “dislodged” using the tool.
Users have a couple of options to store their data: inside RGB pixels (quick and efficient, but more prone to corruption and sensitive to compression) or black and white binary ones.
Both modes are susceptible to compression, so several settings, such as pixel size (with 2×2 pixels recommended for binary) are available to tweak, and are stored in the first frame of a processed video to make it easier to remember options that work.
Here’s our list of the best video editing software right now
Windows 11 disaster strikes again as incompatible PCs are offered an upgrade
Ineligible Windows 10 users have had the upgrade pushed to their computers, and not for the first time.
Windows 11 upgrades were recently offered to some Windows 10 users with PCs that did not meet the requirements for the newer operating system.
The major clanger dropped by Microsoft was made worse by the fact that this is the second time such an upgrade has been pushed to devices that don’t actually meet the system specs required for Windows 11.
PhantomOfEarth first highlighted that this was happening on Twitter when the Windows leaker was offered Windows 11 on a PC with just 2GB of RAM (when the OS needs a minimum of 4GB).
Windows 11 free upgrade being offered to unsupported Windows 10 devices/VMs?Screenshots from a Windows 10 22H2 VM that does not meet the Windows 11 system requirements, big ones being TPM (none) and RAM (2 GB) pic.twitter.com/VNNswgMLiCFebruary 23, 2023
The installation failed, though, when PhantomOfEarth tried to go through with the upgrade to see what happened.
Microsoft further clarified in a support document (spotted by The Verge) that a number of ineligible Windows 10 version 21H2 PCs had seen the upgrade to Windows 11 offer, but that: “Devices that experienced this issue were not able to complete the upgrade installation process.”
Analysis: A quick fix – but how did this happen again?
So, the good news, if you can call it that, is that at least if a user tried to forge ahead with the upgrade, the installer didn’t allow it to go ahead (possibly leaving the PC in an unfortunate creek-related situation if it did). The user could go as far as downloading the installer, mind you, and firing it up.
Furthermore, only some users were affected, and Microsoft notes that the problem was fixed on the same day that it was discovered, which is a laudably swift remedy.
The main problem here is that as mentioned, this isn’t the first time this has happened, which certainly gives more than a little pause for thought about why the upgrade system went awry once again. Last time, though, unsupported PCs were allowed to upgrade, doubtless with unpredictable results in some cases.
Hopefully Microsoft will take a good hard look at whatever might be causing these sorts of problems, and we won’t see a third episode of errant Windows 11 upgrades playing on monitors near us anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the relatively stringent upgrade requirements for Windows 11 remain a cause of controversy, as folks with relatively modern processors are left out in the cold (and PCs without TPM functionality, of course).
Twitter reportedly lays off 200 more employees
The cuts account for about 10% of Twitter’s remaining 2,000 workers, down from 7,500 in 2022.
The cuts account for about 10% of Twitter’s remaining 2,000 workers, down from 7,500 in 2022.
The Morning After: Scientists confirm a fifth layer inside the Earth’s core
Tear down the middle school geology posters: We have an update. A team at Australian National University (ANU) has found evidence of a new fifth layer to the planet, an iron-nickel alloy ball in the inner core. The scientists found the hidden core by studying seismic waves that travel up to five times across the Earth’s diameter – previous studies only looked at single bounces. The earthquake waves probed places near the center at angles that suggested a different crystalline structure deep inside.
The ANU researchers also believe the innermost inner core hints at a major event in Earth’s past that had a “significant” impact on the planet’s heart. As researchers told The Washington Post, it could also help explain the formation of the Earth’s magnetic field. The field plays a major role in supporting life as it shields the Earth from harmful radiation and keeps water from drifting into space.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
The biggest stories you might have missed
Hitting the Books: Why America once leaded its gasoline
The best wireless earbuds for 2023
‘Dead Space’ highlights the biggest problem with AAA games
TCL gave its color paper-like display tech an upgrade for its latest tablets
Lenovo updates its IdeaPad Duet 3i 2-in-1 with a larger display and new Intel CPU
Russia’s replacement Soyuz spacecraft arrives at ISS to bring back MS-22 crew
The spacecraft successfully docked on Saturday evening.
ROCOSMOSMS-23, the Soyuz spacecraft Russia sent to bring cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio back to Earth, has arrived at the International Space Station. According to Space.com, the vessel docked with the ISS at 7:58 PM ET on Saturday evening. MS-23 was scheduled to launch later this year, but Roscosmos was forced to push up the flight after MS-22 – Prokopyev, Petelin and Rubio’s original return craft – sprung a coolant leak in December following a micrometeoroid strike. If an emergency broke out on the ISS and the entire crew had to evacuate, it wasn’t clear whether MS-22 could carry its crew safely back to Earth. That’s no longer the case, now the Soyuz spacecraft is docked.
Continue reading.
Watch the first episode of Star Trek: Picard’s final season for free
You can watch it on YouTube before paying out for a Paramount+ sub.
If you can’t resist the chance to see the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation one last time, Paramount is offering a free way to watch the first episode of season three. The debut episode sees Jean-Luc Picard return from retirement (yet again) after his friend and former first officer Will Riker receives a warning from Dr. Beverly Crusher. We’ve shared opinions on the first six episodes, but if you’re still intrigued, now there’s a chance to make your own mind up.
Continue reading.
Engadget Podcast: AI all the things!
ChatGPT is popping up on the Kindle Store, and even Spotify is looking at AI.
EngadgetThe AI news just won’t stop! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discussed the latest on Bing AI – Microsoft is loosening up recent restrictions, following reports of its bad behavior – as well as the rise of ChatGPT stories on the Kindle store. Spotify is also launching its own AI DJ, starring the digitized voice of one of its current hosts.
Continue reading.
Tear down the middle school geology posters: We have an update. A team at Australian National University (ANU) has found evidence of a new fifth layer to the planet, an iron-nickel alloy ball in the inner core. The scientists found the hidden core by studying seismic waves that travel up to five times across the Earth’s diameter – previous studies only looked at single bounces. The earthquake waves probed places near the center at angles that suggested a different crystalline structure deep inside.
The ANU researchers also believe the innermost inner core hints at a major event in Earth’s past that had a “significant” impact on the planet’s heart. As researchers told The Washington Post, it could also help explain the formation of the Earth’s magnetic field. The field plays a major role in supporting life as it shields the Earth from harmful radiation and keeps water from drifting into space.
– Mat Smith
The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.
The biggest stories you might have missed
Hitting the Books: Why America once leaded its gasoline
The best wireless earbuds for 2023
‘Dead Space’ highlights the biggest problem with AAA games
TCL gave its color paper-like display tech an upgrade for its latest tablets
Lenovo updates its IdeaPad Duet 3i 2-in-1 with a larger display and new Intel CPU
Russia’s replacement Soyuz spacecraft arrives at ISS to bring back MS-22 crew
The spacecraft successfully docked on Saturday evening.
MS-23, the Soyuz spacecraft Russia sent to bring cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio back to Earth, has arrived at the International Space Station. According to Space.com, the vessel docked with the ISS at 7:58 PM ET on Saturday evening. MS-23 was scheduled to launch later this year, but Roscosmos was forced to push up the flight after MS-22 – Prokopyev, Petelin and Rubio’s original return craft – sprung a coolant leak in December following a micrometeoroid strike. If an emergency broke out on the ISS and the entire crew had to evacuate, it wasn’t clear whether MS-22 could carry its crew safely back to Earth. That’s no longer the case, now the Soyuz spacecraft is docked.
Watch the first episode of Star Trek: Picard’s final season for free
You can watch it on YouTube before paying out for a Paramount+ sub.
If you can’t resist the chance to see the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation one last time, Paramount is offering a free way to watch the first episode of season three. The debut episode sees Jean-Luc Picard return from retirement (yet again) after his friend and former first officer Will Riker receives a warning from Dr. Beverly Crusher. We’ve shared opinions on the first six episodes, but if you’re still intrigued, now there’s a chance to make your own mind up.
Engadget Podcast: AI all the things!
ChatGPT is popping up on the Kindle Store, and even Spotify is looking at AI.
The AI news just won’t stop! This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discussed the latest on Bing AI – Microsoft is loosening up recent restrictions, following reports of its bad behavior – as well as the rise of ChatGPT stories on the Kindle store. Spotify is also launching its own AI DJ, starring the digitized voice of one of its current hosts.
4 super-handy features coming in the next Android 13 update
At MWC Google has announced some new features coming in the next Android 13 update.
At MWC 2023 in Barcelona, Google has announced several handy features coming to your Android smartphone via its next Android 13 update.
As expected, the changes are more incremental than you’d see from a larger Android 14 overhaul, but nevertheless, the tools being added to the best Android phones are still worth paying attention to. They include new Emoji Kitchen brews, handier Google keep notes, and less noise in Google Meet calls (via Google’s blog).
The updates should be rolled out over the next few days and weeks, so be sure to check your device’s update settings to see when you can upgrade to the latest Android OS.
Google Keep widget
If you rely on Google Keep notes to keep your life in order, you’ll be excited to hear that the app is getting an Android widget that lets you see notes on your phone’s home screen. This can include your shopping list note that you can tick off as you go around the store, an image of some specific item you need to look out for, or any of your many other reminders.
(Image credit: Google)
Plus, those of you with a WearOS watch like the Galaxy Watch 5 or the Pixel Watch will benefit from two new shortcuts, allowing you to create notes and to-do lists with a couple of taps on your watch face.
Google Meet noise cancellation
This feature was already available on some Android devices, but it’s finally rolling out to more of them. Thanks to noise cancellation, the next time you have to join a meeting from your smartphone you won’t need to worry so much about the noise around you – like that annoying neighbor mowing their lawn, or the noise of the cafe you’re working in – will be filtered out. The system isn’t able to hide all background noise, but it does a pretty solid job of making callers easier to understand.
New Emoji Kitchen combos
Emoji Kitchen is the Gboard feature that automatically melds your Android emojis to create a combination that better captures your mood. If, for example, you want to communicate that you find something both mind-blowing and hilarious, Gboard can merge the exploding head and crying laughing emojis into one image to capture that emotion.
(Image credit: Google)
This Android update brings new possible emoji mash-ups to help you convey an even wider range of emotions. In the teaser gif above we see that a basketball fan is able to express their love of the game by merging the basketball and sparkling heart emoji.
Improved zoom for Chrome
Zooming in on pages in Google Chrome was like zooming in on a static image; the words and icons get larger but disappear off the screen. The upcoming Android update will allow you to zoom on a page up to 300% while still maintaining the page’s layout and keeping everything on-screen. You can also set a preferred content size, so that each page is automatically zoomed in when you load it.
This feature won’t roll out until March, but you can access it via the Chrome Beta and going into the app’s Accessibility Settings.