Author: Zech

A good pair of headphones is key to victory in many games – particularly shooters like Counter-Strike, Call of Duty and Fortnite – where hearing a single footstep from a wayward enemy could mean the difference between a delicious chicken dinner and an ignoble defeat. That’s why we’ve gathered up our top recommendations for the best gaming headsets for the money on the market right now. Whether you prefer the lower cost and audio fidelity of wired headphones or the convenience of wireless headsets, we’ve got you covered. We’ve also included recommendations for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and…

Space technology is dynamic and rapidly evolving, demanding continuous innovation, which is why startups are uniquely positioned to offer fresh ideas and agile solutions. Startup involvement not only accelerates technological advancements, but also fosters competition and an environment of creativity and collaboration. Across Europe, pioneering start-ups are leading this transformation, introducing groundbreaking solutions that are redefining our approach to space technology. These start-ups are more than just innovators: they are playing a key role in setting new standards for how we explore and harness space to create a sustainable future. In this article, we take a closer look at this…

“The new system is very fast and reduces the risk of money being sent to the wrong person,” said Mariam*, an internally displaced Voice ID user from Hingalur in north-eastern Somalia. Previously, anyone with her mobile phone could access her money, despite the CARE team employing fingerprinting and other verification methods. “Now, once my cash payment is complete, I receive a voice message from my mobile operator. To collect my cash, I dial 374, press 2 and say the phrase I recorded when I signed up – this is my PIN,” she says. Once the system authenticates her voice, the…

In 2017, a couple of disgruntled Silicon Valley founders launched a startup to use their internet skills to elect Democrats. They built a network of digitally savvy volunteers that eventually ended up advising hundreds of state legislative candidates on how to modernize their digital footprints.Now, a group called Tech for Campaigns is expanding those efforts, using digital advertising tools to register Democrats to vote. The social media ad blitz, honed with performance-testing tactics common to corporate advertisers, is reaching voters in battleground states across the country, including Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, to encourage them to vote…

German luxury brand Mercedes is already selling cars with Level 3 self-driving capabilities in the US, ahead of Tesla, Fortune magazine reported. Called Drive Pilot, the feature allows drivers to take their eyes off the road and their hands off the wheel under certain conditions. Elon Musk has been touting Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature for years. Last month, version 12 of FSD was released with the Supervised tag, fulfilling a long-held promise to bring FSD out of beta. But while Musk’s talk of a great feature will allow Tesla’s cars to stay in lane, brake in emergencies, and warn…

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), two-thirds of global energy investment this year will be directed towards clean technologies. In its latest annual World Energy Investment report, the IEA said total global energy investment will exceed $3 trillion for the first time, with almost $2 trillion allocated to renewables, electric vehicles, nuclear, electricity grids, storage, low-emission fuels, efficiency improvements and clean technologies such as heat pumps. The IEA noted that clean energy investment has accelerated since 2020, with spending on renewables, grids and storage now exceeding spending on oil, gas and coal combined, attributing the increase to improving supply…

If you’re looking for the right cell phone provider, consider which companies impress their customers the most.  American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and J.D. Power, two companies that study consumer insights, have recently released the latest data on overall purchase satisfaction and customer service among wireless providers. In this article, I’ll take a close look at the study results and share the key takeaways you should keep in mind while shopping for a new cell phone service provider. This article was updated in May 2024 and I review it every 12 months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found…

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nate Carey, a Penn State Schreier Honors student and Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate (IUG) student from Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, has been awarded the 2024 Astronaut Scholarship. The national scholarship, administered by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, provides $15,000 for educational expenses to undergraduate students pursuing careers in engineering, mathematics, natural sciences or applied scientific research. This year, scholarships were awarded to 71 students from 48 national universities. Carrie is a fourth-year student in the Penn State IUG Master of Biotechnology (MBIOT) program, majoring in Biotechnology with minors in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Military Studies. He is studying…

Meanwhile, in invisibly, AI is already transforming education, commerce, and the workplace. A friend recently told me about a large IT company where he works. The company had a long-established protocol for launching major initiatives that included designing the solution, coding the product, and designing the rollout. It took months to go from concept to execution. But he recently saw a demonstration of cutting-edge AI applied to a typical software project. “Everything that took months happened in just a few hours,” he says. “So I resonated with your column. A lot of the companies around us are now walking corpses.”…

A new initiative announced this week will help Commonwealth countries use powerful space technology to better predict and manage natural disasters and become more climate resilient. Commonwealth Secretary-General Her Excellency Patricia Scotland announced the initiative at an event hosted by the Mayor of London on 5 June 2024. Developing countries are disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters, despite contributing a smaller share of global greenhouse gas emissions and having more limited financial resources to respond and recover. The Secretary-General told representatives of governments, space agencies, academia and business at the event: “Through our work, it has become clear that technological advances…