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A simple two-dimensional grid can convey a lot of information – whether making pictures with Lite-Brite or storing data in DNA. Justin Day/Flickr , CC BY-SA The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea We and our colleagues have developed a way to store data using pegs and pegboards made out of DNA and retrieving the data with a microscope – a molecular version of the Lite-Brite toy. Our prototype stores information in patterns using DNA strands spaced about 10 nanometers apart. Ten nanometers is more than a thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair and about 100 times smaller than the diameter of a bacterium. We tested our digital nucleic acid memory (dNAM) by storing the statement “Data is in our DNA!n.” We described the research in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications on April 22, 2021. Previous methods for retrieving data in DNA require the DNA to be sequenced. Sequencing is the process of reading the genetic ...

Work smarter, not harder is a saying we are all familiar with but what does it mean? If a person is a coal miner and they painstakingly carry coal from one end of the mine to the other by hand instead of loading it into a rail cart, are they working hard or smart? In this article, we will explore the difference between working hard and working smart. We will also look at ways to work smarter, not harder. Hard Work Okay, grab a pen and paper, it’s time to take some notes because chances are good that most people reading this are working way too hard. When there is a project that needs to get done and a person works diligently to complete that task, the outcome may be excellent but were they working smart in their approach? Hard work can be defined simply as performing a task over several hours strenuously. When a coworker is seen working coming in early, working through lunch, and still at their desk hammering away on their keyboard, preparing for a big presentation they are working ha...

As lockdown restrictions continue to ease, many businesses are preparing to reopen their doors for a new hybrid type of working. It’s no doubt that being forced to operate remotely came with its challenges, but it also proved beneficial for employers and employees. Several businesses are creating a balance of office and home working for the foreseeable future to get the best of both worlds. Not having to commute daily saves staff an abundance of time and money, offering them a better work-life balance. However, having some time in the office ensures they can connect with their colleagues to prevent feelings of isolation. With employees following a rota and reducing the people in the office each day, businesses can downsize to cut costs too. For this flexible workstyle to function efficiently, employees will need access to company documents remotely and in-house, which can leave your data vulnerable. To protect your business from cybercrime, here are six ways to improve your online secu...

With more than a handful of companies dipping their hands into the business of making True Wireless Earbuds, it is quite rare to see wireless earbuds with a neckband. So, I was quite taken aback when I saw the box of the new Sudio Elva! Is this innovative or outdated? Read on to find out in this review.  Sudio Elva & Sudio Flyg Unpacking the product was definitely a strange experience as there were 2 parts to the product. One being the headphone themselves, and the other the Bluetooth receiver called the Sudio Flyg, which serves as an in-flight Bluetooth adapter.  Accessories Also packed in the box were the USB-A male to female adapter for the Sudio Elva, the USB-C to USB-A for the Sudio Flyg, the usual 5 additional pairs of ear tips, and the manuals for both the Sudio Elva and Sudio Flyg. Another thing that came as a surprise was that unlike its predecessors (the  Sudio Tolv ,  Sudio Fem , and  Sudio Ett ), these particular earbuds did not come with a case. The white version of bo...

LG’s latest release for home audio is the SK9Y. The key features of this soundbar includes Dolby Atmos, High Resolution Audio, Sound Up-converting and 4K Pass-through. In addition to that, it also has Chromecast built-in! Brace yourselves audiophiles, is the LG SK9Y Soundbar a game changer for your home theater experience? Watch the video to find out! If you enjoyed this video and want to watch more videos like these, subscribe to our YouTube Channel ! LG’s latest release for home audio is the SK9Y. The key features of this soundbar includes Dolby Atmos, High Resolution Audio, Sound Up-converting and 4K Pass-through. In addition to that, it also has Chromecast built-in! Brace yourselves audiophiles, is the LG SK9Y Soundbar a game changer for your home theater experience? Watch the video to find out!Reviews, Technology

The Beats X is one of the newest (as of posting) wireless earbuds from the Beats lineup. Since Apple has taken over Beats, the company has only been going up. It took a pretty long for me to get my hands on this but I finally managed to. (YAY me!) I got the Beats X in blue as it’s a pretty unique colour. This is my 2nd Beats product and really, the unboxing experience was awesome!!! Straight away you are greeted by the earpiece itself and underneath it was the manuals, the extra eartips of various size, as well as earhooks of various sizes if you require a more secure fit. Behind all the eartips and earhooks was the case and a charging cable. Unlike the previous wireless products made by Beats, this charger has a lightning adapter, so all those Apple users should be glad. My only slight complain is that the case is a dust magnet and it gets dirty super easily. Now moving on to the earpiece… Syncing the Beats X to my iPhone was a breeze. The moment I turned on the Bluetooth on my phone ...

I recently got a Dell XPS 15 9500 for work and have come to really enjoy it. I have been a MacBook Pro guy for years but I needed a windows machine and felt that this was the right fit for me. I have read a lot of great reviews on this laptop and I am happy with the purchase let me explain why.   Design   I love the design coming from a MacBook Pro user every day to a Dell XPS 15 I can see how people can make the transition the touchpad is just like the MacBook Pro with the same gestures and  large style of the MacBook Pro. The keyboard is designed as well  to be similar to a MacBook Pro with the short reach allowing you to type faster I love using it. The keyboard sports the power button and fingerprint combo sensor.   Screen   I love the 15 .6 inches 4K display with very minimal bezels I think the screen looks amazing  with clear color and contrast. The touch screen part I am still getting used to I do not really use it that much but I am sure I will get used to it or find a reaso...

Many of us watched the Apple event yesterday and we all noticed Apple make the announcement about Apple Podcast Subscriptions. Many people have talked about how this might be a big game-changer for the podcast world but really it’s about Apple playing catchup or at least taking podcast subscriptions mainstream. I would like to point out that Spotify is in a different market. Spotify offers exclusives that are only available on their platform. The difference is Spotify exclusives are free to all who download the app you do not need to pay for Spotify Premium to listen to podcasts. For example, Joe Rogan’s show is still free you just have to go to Spotify to get it and have to use their app to listen to his show. The same goes for many others that Spotify owns. Many companies have premium podcasts Relay.fm, Twit.TV and PodcastOne just to name a few. They offer a way to pay on their websites then offering a premium feed. Many podcast companies already offer the tools to make this happen ...

We recently invested in Nest Protect alarms for our home. The Nest Protect is a fire and carbon dioxide detector all in one. My wife and I have a vintage home and we have always been a fan of the smoke alarm systems that are wired together so if one alarm goes off, they all go off to help alert the entire household. If you have just one or two detectors in a home and they are not wired together you may not hear the one downstairs the Nest Protect solves this issue. Just like Sono’s speakers the Nest Protect creates its own little network so if one goes off, they all go off and if for some reason your internet goes down, they can still trigger all the devices. Since they are wireless there is no need to run wiring. Nest Protect does have a wired version and if we were remodeling or building a new home from scratch, I would do those so this way I do not have to worry about replacing the batteries on the Nest Protect every few years. The hardwire ones still do have a battery backup in th...

Android notifications can be annoying at times, but they don’t have to be. Enabling “Do Not Disturb” mode is one way to mute pesky notifications at times when you don’t need them. Here’s how to set it up on your Google Pixel. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Instagram has three account types: Personal, Creator, and Business. Personal accounts work for most people, while the two Professional account options are ideal for those who have a business and plan to run ads, promote posts, sell products, and gather analytics. Here’s how to switch between them. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

By default, Adobe Photoshop displays large animated tooltips (called “rich tooltips”) when you hover over tools. They’re handy at first, but can quickly become annoying. Here’s how to turn them off. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

The HomePod is best used in conjunction with other Apple devices. One such device is the Apple TV 4K, which allows you to use your HomePod as its default speaker. We’ll show you how to set that up. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

After buying a new Mac and launching the App Store, you might see a message that asks you to adopt a handful of apps. We’ll explain what that means and how to do it. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that doesn’t track you. This alternative to Google, Bing, and Yahoo is growing fast. Here’s an introduction to DuckDuckGo and a look at how it protects your privacy. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

1Password is among our favorite password managers, and if you also use it, you should enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security to your account. Here’s how to enable two-factor authentication in 1Password. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

AirTags let you track nearby or missing items with Apple’s Find My network, which is powered by hundreds of millions of iPhones around the world. So how will Apple prevent someone from slipping an AirTag into your bag and tracking your movements? Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Microsoft is previewing Azure Web PubSub, an Azure cloud service for building real-time web applications using the WebSocket protocol for two-way communication. Unveiled April 29, Azure Web PubSub enables developers to use WebSockets and a publish-subscribe pattern to build real-time web applications such as live monitoring dashboards, real-time location on maps, and cross-platform live chats. [ Also on InfoWorld: Why Microsoft Azure wins with enterprise customers ] Microsoft said Azure Web PubSub is meant to spare developers from significant infrastructure investment, setup, and maintenance tasks, allowing them to focus on user experiences. Implementing a WebSocket-based real-time experience would otherwise require a developer to set up infrastructure to handle client connections, establish mechanisms for on-demand scaling, and ensure business SLA requirements are met. To read this article in full, please click here

Did you get an Apple AirTag and are not quite sure how to set it up? Not a problem! Pairing an AirTag to your iPhone or iPad is as simple as connecting a new pair of AirPods to your Apple account. Here’s what you need to know. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

If you’re a Mozilla Firefox user, you can take a screenshot of a web page or a selected region directly within your browser on Windows, Linux, and Mac using a built-in tool—no plug-ins necessary. Here’s how to use it. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›