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The new version of Apple's web browser is now here for macOS running Catalina and Big Sur with the official release of Safari 15. In testing since its unveiling at WWDC 2021 in June, Safari 15 has seen major changes this year, with design updates being rolled back and giving users the option to switch between the older or newer user interface.While this version will start shipping with macOS 12 Monterey once a release date is confirmed, users running Catalina and later can update to Safari 15 and benefit from improved security features alongside the updated design. What’s immediately apparent is the new design that Safari 15 features, with tabs sitting beside the address bar, alongside the entire window adapting to the current web page’s color scheme, so you may see it turn entirely blue or red from time to time. However you can revert to the previous design by going to Preferences > Tabs > Separate Layout, alongside making sure that the window doesn’t change color by unchecking ‘Show Color in tab bar’.Under the hood, Safari 15 can switch to a HTTPS connection automatically when browsing, alongside better tracking protection, and a bunch of security updates.You can update to Safari 15 by going to Software Update > Check for Updates and the new version will be available to download.Here’s our list of the best privacy tools for anonymous browsing Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he's written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider', alongside podcasting and usually found playing games old and new on his PC and iPad. If you have a story about a newly-updated app or one that's about to launch, drop him a line.

Intel's flagship Alder Lake processor pushes past AMD's current offerings. A series of images provided by Twitter user @hw_reveal (via videocardz) allegedly shows Intel's Core i9-12900K processor breaking the 30k score barrier on Cinebench R23. We know that some qualification samples of the Alder Lake CPU have shown up and are being sold in China for over $1,000, not to mention partners are bound to be testing by now, so there is a chance that there may be some validity to these leaked images. What's impressive about the 30,549 CPU multi-core score is that it appears the i9-12900K hasn't been tweaked, modified, or overclocked—as far as we know, anyway. It just passes the AMD Threadripper 2990WX's 30,054 Cinebench score and blows past a non-overclocked AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which usually scores in the 28k ballpark. This is kind of a big deal considering the 5950X retails for $799: If last week's retail leaks prove correct, Intel's new flagship CPU will be selling for a lot less than that. You can attribute the performance to Intel's hybrid bit.LITTLE design that combines Intel's high-performance CPU cores with its lower-spec silicon. Hence the 8+8 count because of eight big cores and eight smaller, more efficient ones. We don't see any single-core CPU scores, though leakers claim it to be over 2,000, making it higher than any desktop CPU currently on the market. You can see how other CPUs would stack up against the i9-12900K right here. The motherboard used is a Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Ultra with PCI Express 5.0 and DDR5-5200 memory for more added context. If true, this would be a massive boon to Intel; consider how underwhelming we found the Core i9 11900K in our review earlier this year. We expect to see the first of these Alder Lake CPUs showing later this year but as early as October.

The team behind the Half-Life inspired FPS says "we are not here to change the whole system, but we are here to be an alternative." Industria has everything it needs to land a spot in an E3 sizzle reel. It's an FPS with an eerie, abandoned city to explore, lots of Cold War era guns to shoot at homicidal robots, and the graphical polish to stand up to plenty of today's big budget games. But developer Bleakmill wants you to know that Industria is nowhere near the scale or length of those big budget games, and it's also the team's first project together. Industria started when the core members were just 19 years old."I often get messages about pre-ordering, 12 hour campaigns, multiplayer and comparisons to AAA games. We can't deliver that," co-founder David Jungnickel tweeted. Industria is only about four hours long, will cost $20, is entirely singleplayer, and was made by two to six people at various times throughout development.That blunt, upfront expectation-setting is rare even in indie game development, but it pushes back against the unrealistic expectations facing small games that break out big, like Valheim. These caveats are in contrast to not only the approach of many triple-A studios, but independent ones like Splitgate's developer, which after finding success and raising $100 million has said that it wants to become "the next Riot Games." Industria is a first-person shooter with a bigger focus on storytelling than is usual for the genre. As a young woman named Nora, you receive a message from a friend who has decided to investigate a secret research facility in Berlin. Nora pursues him into what appears to be an alternate reality, a European city lined with strange cables and machinery (ala Half-Life 2's City 17) watched over by a giant creature.On paper, Industria is exactly the kind of game you might expect a major publisher to put out with lofty goals of releasing DLC, frequent updates, or a grand story arc meant to last 20-plus hours. Think of how BioShock Infinite changed its franchise's DNA from immersive sim-style worldbuilding to a more straightforward, considerably grander action-adventure, for better or worse."After a few years we reached a point where Industria often looked like a more high quality 3D production than it was at its core," Jungnickel told PC Gamer. "Not in the consistency and polish of triple-A productions, but more and more people started to compare Industria with Battlefield, Atomic Heart, BioShock or Call of Duty. While humbling to hear every time we heard that, we knew this honor and actually positive thing could quickly become a problem, as we were never and will never be able to deliver the same quality throughout and size of these productions we were getting compared to." Some of those early comparisons genuinely did push Bleakmill to expand the scope of its game beyond what might have been reasonable for their small team. A 2020 devlog shows the team discussing how Industria's opening featured a car driving sequence, with intermittent breaks where player control would be taken away. That was later scrapped to make Nora's journey from her apartment to the research facility one shorter, more seamless stretch of playtime, both reducing the amount of work the team would need to do and making the game a tighter experience. Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/industria-dev-triple-A/

The Ami is coming to the UK with a price tag of around £6,000, making it one of the cheapest ways to get a new car today Citroen’s award-winning Ami city car has been confirmed for sale in the UK from next Spring, with prices that could start from close to £6,000.The news was confirmed by Citroen CEO Vincent Cobée who told Auto Express, “We have agreed and decided that we will bring Ami to the UK as it is – as a left-hand drive car – in the early part of next year.” Citroen has already had over 12,000 people in the UK register their interest in Ami, with order books now open so cars can be reserved with a £250 refundable fee.Auto Express understands that Ami prices in the UK are expected to be close to those in Europe. In France, the basic Ami costs €6,990 (£5,945) rising to €8,350 (£7,119) for the My Ami Vibe. However, UK cars will come with a Type 2 EV charging adaptor in addition to a three-pin plug, which may add a little to the price; Citroen hopes to get it as close to European prices as possible, though. Otherwise, the car will remain unchanged in the UK with four different trim levels likely, plus the commercial Cargo version, expected over here, too.Citroen Ami: range and chargingThe Ami – winner of the 2021 Auto Express Technology Award – is powered by an 8bhp motor fed by a 5.5kWh battery, giving it a range of up to 46 miles and a top speed of 28mph. A full charge from either plug will take three hours.Using innovative, lightweight body panels, the Ami weighs just 485kg and has a turning circle of just 7.2 meters. At 2,410mm in length there are only seats for two inside and no boot – instead there’s space for a standard plane-cabin-sized piece of luggage. There’s no fancy touchscreen, either, just a holder for the driver’s smartphone, although there is a large glass roof to give a good view up as well as forward.The Ami is classed as a quadricycle rather than a car, which means that currently it’s not eligible for the plug-in car grant. And unlike on the continent you will have to be a minimum of 17 years old to drive an Ami in the UK.Citroen CEO Vincent Cobée on the Citroen AmiCobée is hoping that Citroen UK can replicate some of the leasing deals on offer in France. “It’s available on lease in France for below a mobile phone subscription,” he told us. “You can put €3,000 down and the monthly subscription is a mobile phone subscription [from €20 a month], or you put €1,000 down and the monthly subscription is the same as a subway pass [from €69 a month].” In spite of the low leasing costs, just 25% of Ami buyers go for that option. “So far most people who buy it, actually buy it,” said Cobée. Citroen is promising a revolution in the way Ami is bought, too, as Cobée explained: “There’s only one way you can buy an Ami – online. You can go to a dealer, see and test the car and ask the dealer to order the car, but they’ll order the car in your name online. We’re starting with the assumption of tomorrow’s economy, not today’s economy.” Link: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/citroen/351749/ps6k-citroen-ami-electric-city-car-gets-green-light-uk

Christmas is, above all, a time for tradition. The smallest changes can send shockwaves which disrupt longstanding routines and cause worse friction than a post-dinner game of charades.Throughout its 85-year history, minor tweaks to Quality Street have caused uproar or adulation. Old varieties are scrapped, new ones are introduced and, in an attempt to end family feuds, the brand recently began offering personalised pick-n-mix tins.Now there is a new flavour to fight over, the brand’s first white chocolate sweet – the “crème caramel crisp”. And, after the Guardian invited members of the public to sample it on Tuesday, it seems to be that most rare of things – a successful break with tradition. With nearly three months to go until Christmas, Quality Street said it decided to introduce the new flavour to meet consumer demand. The new variety becomes the brand’s 12th flavour after one of the toffee flavours was discontinued last year.The new silver and gold-wrapped sweet is brown and white on the outside with crunchy pieces of biscuit inside. Shoppers at the Oxford Street branch of John Lewis in London, where the new variety went on sale on Tuesday, gave the new white chocolate variety their seal of approval.Taking a break from perusing the shelves, Frank Vergara, 53, was so keen to try it that he made an exception from his usual rule of avoiding treats on weekdays. The sales and marketing worker from Waterloo said: “I definitely taste the white chocolate. There are little grains in there, I’m not sure exactly what they are but it’s quite pleasant. Quite sweet of course … But definitely indulgent, nice.”Such was his enthusiasm that he suggested they remove the strawberry or orange flavours from the tins, longstanding favourites of which he is not a fan, and replace them with the white chocolate.Marie Soupe, 71, who is retired and lives in Bromley, also approved. “Mm, mm, it’s lovely,” she said. “It’s very moreish unfortunately.” Harriet Canby, 30, a surveyor from south-west London, nodded approvingly as she tasted the sweet, but said she was usually more of a Celebrations person. She said white chocolate, which she associates with children’s chocolates like Milky Bars, can be a “love-hate” flavour for people. But she said the new Quality Street was delicious. “Really good. I like the crunchy centre.”Muhamad Hamzapur, 18, said he is not usually a big chocolate fan but that he liked the new Quality Street. “To be honest, I don’t normally want to eat them [Quality Streets], but this one’s delicious,” said the student from Bermondsey.Perhaps predictably, the only complaint came from a dental hygienist. Sairan Fattah, 49, from Tottenham, said she liked the “crunchy milky nice flavour”, but that she found it “a little too sweet”.The crème caramel crisp will not be in standard tins in time for Christmas, instead being available at the Quality Street pick-n-mix stations at selected John Lewis stores. The confectionery brand said the most po[CENSORED]r flavour for pick-n-mix is “the purple one” (hazelnut, milk chocolate and caramel), followed by the hazelnut noisette “green triangle”, “strawberry delight” and “orange creme”.Cat Mews, a brand manager for Quality Street, said: “White chocolate is a growing trend among consumers generally and so feels like a great time to be introducing the first Quality Sweet featuring white chocolate.”The chocolate brand, now owned by Nestlé, was named after the JM Barrie play Quality Street and has been made in Halifax, West Yorkshire, since its inception in 1936. It was originally created by Mackintosh’s of Yorkshire with the aim of making an affordable and brightly coloured selection of confectionery. The first box cost two shillings. Link: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/sep/22/quality-streets-new-sweet-proves-po[CENSORED]r

The US is to donate 500 million more doses of the Pfizer vaccine to developing nations from next year.President Joe Biden made the pledge at a virtual Covid-19 summit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, promising an "arsenal of vaccines".The additional jabs will see the total US commitment on vaccine sharing exceed one billion jabs.Experts say some 11 billion doses are required to vaccinate at least 70% of the global po[CENSORED]tion.The World Health Organisation has set a minimum target of 40% vaccine coverage in every country by the end of 2021.But the goal is unlikely to be met.While many high-income countries have now given at least one shot to more than half their po[CENSORED]tions, only 2% of people in low-income countries have had their first dose, according to data from the University of Oxford.Covid vaccine tracker: How's my country doing?Could 241m vaccine doses go to waste?2px presentational grey lineGlobal vaccine supply is still laggingAnalysis by Stephanie Hegarty, BBC po[CENSORED]tion correspondentIt's a big pledge but it'll be met with a fair share of scepticism from countries still waiting to vaccinate even 2% of their po[CENSORED]tion.The US had already pledged 580m doses but delivered only 160m of those so far.So what's different now? Well, global production has picked up in the past few months and there are doses available.Rich countries could have 1.2bn spare doses by the end of the year, even if they run booster campaigns, according to science analytics firm Airfinity. 241m of those could go to waste if they're not donated. But these need to be sent very soon.Covax, the WHO-backed scheme to help distribute vaccines fairly, has told the BBC that too many of the donations it's receiving have come in small quantities, at the last minute and with little time left before they expire.That makes their job of getting them to where they are needed very hard. If Biden want to meet this ambitious goal of vaccinating the world by this time next year, that will have to change.2px presentational grey lineThe White House's Covid summit comes as research shows rich countries are still holding surpluses of vaccines, many of which could soon be thrown out.In June, members of the G7 - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US - pledged to donate one billion doses to poor countries over the next year.President Biden pledged 580m at the time, of which the US has delivered only 160m so far. The donated vaccines are routed through Covax, the global scheme supported by the WHO to get doses where they're needed most.Covax purchases and then sells vaccines at low-cost to middle income countries and donates to poor countries.In the US - where more than 76% of adults have received at least one dose - criticism that the country is doing too little to help the rest of the world has grown.On Friday, a panel advising the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended booster shots - third doses - of the Pfizer vaccine for people 65 and over.The WHO has previously called on wealthier nations to hold off on providing boosters until vaccination rates go up in lesser developed countries.Last week, in a letter to Mr Biden, eight lawmakers of his own party wrote: "Clearly, there is an inequitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccine doses, and it is getting worse." Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58654350

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HyperX on Tuesday, September 21, launched brand new gaming headphones called the Cloud Stinger S in India. The new addition to HyperX's gaming headset range comes equipped with 50mm drivers, and rotating ear cups. The Cloud Stinger S features a noise-cancelling microphone that is claimed to deliver clear sound. The headphones also have adjustable steel sliders. HyperX Cloud Stinger S is said to provide a 7.1 virtual surround sound experience using HyperX's NGENUITY software, which also helps customise other HyperX headsets like the HyperX Cloud II Wireless, Cloud Alpha S, and Cloud Stinger Core Wireless + 7.1.HyperX Cloud Stinger S price in IndiaHyperX Cloud Stinger S is priced at Rs. 5,990 in India. As of now, the device is available for purchase exclusively through HP World stores.HyperX Cloud Stinger S specificationsThe HyperX Cloud Stinger S headphones are lightweight at 275 grams. They are equipped with 50mm drivers that are said to deliver a virtual 7.1 surround sound. The headphones also have a ‘swivel-to-mute' noise-cancelling microphone. The ear cushions are constructed out of leatherette and memory foam and the adjustable sliders are made of steel. As said above, the headset comes with earcups that can rotate up to 90 degrees and allow gamers to rest the pair on the neck during breaks. The headset also includes volume control on the earcup.JBL Launches Three New TWS Earbuds, Wireless Gaming Headset: All Details HyperX Cloud Stinger S comes with a frequency response range of 18Hz-23,000Hz and an impedance of 32 Ohms. HyperX says the headphones are compatible with PC. The headphone cable is 2.5 metres in length that allows for a 3.5mm connection.HyperX NGENUITY software can be used to customise the button assignments on the headset. Users can also use the software to set up lighting and effects, create and store macros, adjust mice DPI settings, and customise keyboard Game Mode. What were the best games at E3 2021? We discussed this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Automation is the way forward for successful lead generation reckons the database specialist Oracle has unveiled a new system that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help businesses automate digital marketing campaigns more effectively.Experts at the database software specialist have developed the system in an attempt to grab a larger slice of the cloud-based software market from the likes of Adobe and Salesforce.High-cost marketing business-to-business products could be enhanced following the development of the new Oracle Fusion Marketing System. The product will use AI to automate processes, including the generation of marketing campaigns while also scrutinizing data that will determine how likely people are to interact with emails and advertisements. The resulting information can subsequently be used determine how many might buy a product. Sales teams will be able to tap into the data sources, while the system will also share contact information more accurately to relevant departments.A big part of the Fusion Marketing System operating equation is the data, which is culled from a combination of sources. This includes email contact lists along with Oracle customers that are using the system directly. Oracle has also amassed a mountain of third-party data having evolved its digital advertising business on top of its long history of working with databases.Digital selling has been growing rapidly, especially since the worldwide pandemic. Indeed, 64% of B2B businesses have reported that they intend to increase the number of hybrid sellers over the next six months. Lead sales staff are utilising a range of methods to interact with customers including video, phone, apps and occasional in-person visits as demand increases, according to McKinsey.And missed lead-generation opportunities can spell trouble for businesses, according to ZoomInfo. It reports that 85% of B2B marketers say lead generation is their most important content marketing goal. However, only 5 to 10% of qualified leads successfully convert for marketers. This is because only 56% of B2B companies verify business leads before passing it to the sales team claims the ZoomInfo research.Also, check out our roundup of the best ecommerce hosting services Rob Clymo has been a tech journalist for more years than he can actually remember, having started out in the wacky world of print magazines before discovering the power of the internet. Since he's been all-digital he has run the Innovation channel during a few years at Microsoft as well as turning out regular news, reviews, features and other content for the likes of TechRadar, TechRadar Pro, Tom's Guide, Fit&Well, Gizmodo, Shortlist, Automotive Interiors World, Automotive Testing Technology International, Future of Transportation and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International. In the rare moments he's not working he's usually out and about on one of numerous e-bikes in his collection.

If you're fast, you can stake your claim on an Asus ROG Strix G10DK gaming PC for $999.99 at Walmart before it sells out. Obviously I can't say for 100% certainty that it will fly off the virtual store shelf, but I'm at least 99.998% confident it will, given that these types of systems never stay in stock very long.It's not on sale, but finding a gaming PC with an actual discrete graphics card that is (A) in stock and (B) selling for anywhere near what it would cost to build it yourself is a bargain these days. And that is what we have here—this system pairs an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G APU with an GeForce RTX 2060 Super GPU. Yes, running an APU and a separate discrete graphics card in the same system is somewhat of an odd combination. But hey, think of the onboard graphics on the APU as a backup, in case the graphics card bites the dust, especially in this climate where trying to replace a discrete GPU is so frustratingly difficult.The APU is a good one, too. It's based on AMD's latest generation Zen 3 architecture and features an 8-core/16-thread design, clocked at 3.8GHz to 4.6GHz. It's similar to the Ryzen 7 5800X, but with a 100MHz slower boost clock and half the L3 cache (16MB versus 32MB).As for the GPU, it's a last generation part, but still a fast one with dedicated hardware real-time ray tracing and DLSS. It will get you by until the GPU shortage ends, by which time we'll be debating between Nvidia's next-gen Ada Lovelace and AMD's RDNA 3/Navi 31, and perhaps Intel's Battlemage.Other specs include 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD for storage, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) connectivity, an assortment of ports (including several USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Gen 1 ports), and RGB lighting. It ships with Windows 10 out of the box, and will be eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 for free.

Good news for fans of fashionable teens and JRPGs. After making its console debut back in July, Neo: The World Ends With You finally arrives on PC via the Epic Games Store later this month.First released on the Nintendo DS back in 2007, The World Ends With You built up a reputation as a cult classic in the decade-plus since. Last year, Square Enix announced a sequel, one that acts as a direct successor while still throwing stylish gangs of teens into a deadly game.Rather than the original's lo-fi sprites, Neo renders Shibuya as a full 3D environment to explore, and reimagines a neat (if awkward) dual-screen battle system with something a little more conventional. Reviews from the game's console release praised it for having fantastic style, fun characters and a good deal of combat depth, though the common sentiment seems to be that Neo: TWEWY can get a bit repetitive over its runtime. Neo: The World Ends With You launches on September 28. If you're curious, TWEWY also saw an official anime adaptation in Japan earlier this year, with a western release due on an as-yet-unannounced date. 20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time—and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and having herself developed critically acclaimed small games like Can Androids Pray, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She's also played for a competitive Splatoon team, and unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon. Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/neo-the-world-ends-with-you-arrives-on-epic-this-month/

The new Volkswagen ID. Life GTX electric car is set to arrive in 2025, and our exclusive image previews how it could look Hot on the heels of Volkswagen’s ID. Life will be a performance-focused GTX model, according to the brand’s sales and marketing boss, Klaus Zellmer. The VW ID. Life GTX is set to arrive soon after the eventual production version of VW’s baby EV crossover in 2025, bringing more power and a sportier chassis set-up, along with a host of cosmetic upgrades, and our exclusive image previews how it could look. Zellmer told Auto Express at the Munich Motor Show that the GTX name is set to be attached to every ID. model in the German brand’s line-up: “GTX, in the long run, is something that we want for every derivative,” he said. “So GTX is also something that we want to have, potentially, for the ID. Life”.This plan is integral to a new range structure that VW is set to adopt with its future EVs. The idea is that instead of offering cars with a wide variety of specifications from the factory, the range will be more uniform, with customers purchasing a ‘base’ car and enabling options through over-the-air software updates. This will simplify each model line and reduce manufacturing costs – and with electric powertrains, the digital engineering possibilities extend further still.A software update could in the future unlock more power from the electric motor, as well as additional range from the battery, a strategy that could potentially be used to create future GTX variants in some sectors of the market. However, it remains to be seen whether the powertrain set-up of the ID. Life production car will be adequate to bring the required level of performance a GTX-badged model will need with software optimisation alone.Zellmer said: “We will have to see whether the battery technology will be able to fulfil the GTX performance promise. If it does, then we will stay with limited [powertrain] variants. If it doesn’t, then we will have to adjust accordingly, with a bigger battery and a different motor.”Motor calibration and software tweaks could also potentially improve the ID. Life GTX’s handling, with retuned torque vectoring and active torque split capabilities likely to unlock a new dynamic personality as it has done in VW’s already-launched ID.4 GTX and ID.5 GTX electric performance SUVs. Those cars’ clever Vehicle Dynamics Manager integrated stability control system will also probably feature to boost agility. In concept form the ID. Life has a 228bhp electric motor, front-wheel drive and a claimed 248-mile range. With its extra performance potential, expect a GTX variant to deliver a more modest figure.The brand is targeting a starting price of around £17,000 for the ID. Life, but with the GTX bookending the line-up it is likely to be the priciest variant and could cost more than £25,000.Now read about the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX electric hot hatchback which has been confirmed for production Link: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/355934/new-hot-volkswagen-id-life-gtx-variant-cards

This month, How to Eat is ordering loaded fries. Is this a meal or a side? Which chips best defy the sogginess? And is it ever possible to have too much cheese n food, there is very little that has not been documented in incredible detail. Google anything from apple pie to zucchini, and your search will return endless recipes, exhaustive histories and examinations of said item’s cultural resonance.Information about loaded fries, however, is notable by its absence. You can unearth fragments of the 1950s origin story, which involves a precocious 16-year-old Texas genius creating chilli cheese fries. But whereas Canada’s Quebecers proudly celebrate poutine – a dish of chips, fresh curds and gravy – there is a distinct lack of curiosity about the timeline that gave the United States pizza fries or post-clubbing disco fries.This is despite loaded fries now being a staple of menus, not just in New York, but in faraway Norwich and Aberdeen. The US has exported outrageously topped fries to the world.Are loaded fries somehow beyond the pale, too simple, too calorific, too unsophisticated to warrant investigation? Is disregarding them the last acceptable snobbery? A bit like Blur, Banksy or Breaking Bad, loaded fries are kind of cool, good fun and po[CENSORED]r, but it seems no one is quite sure if we should take them seriously.You might say it would take a particularly shallow food column to go deep on this topic. So here we go. How to Eat, the series defining how best to enjoy our favourite foods, is here to pick through the tangled mess that is loaded fries. The inflationary greed of the (ugh!) “dude food” era, the more-is-more mantra of the Man v Food epoch, their nudge-nudge proximity to burgers on restaurant menus, have all helped to position loaded fries as a side dish. This is erroneous.Both from a volume and a boredom perspective, you do not need a portion of loaded fries with a burger. You do not even need to share one. That combination is both repetitive (pair your hunk of meat and carbs with another hillock of meat and carbs!), and creates a confusing crossfire of flavours if your fries are loaded with a radically different topping.Essentially, you are eating two meals at once, which, while it sounds good, frequently leaves you nauseous, bewildered and nine quid worse off. Think of loaded fries as a meal in itself.FriesIdeally, you want to eat loaded fries with your fingers. A key appeal of this dish is that it allows you to disavow parental authority and the arid discipline of the bourgeois western dining table – and dig greedily and unapologetically in with your fingers.Loaded fries are food’s equivalent of finger painting, mud baths or four days without showering at a music festival – a return to a more uninhibited sense of ourselves and our tactile pleasures. That desire to get hands-on requires fries that can both support their own weight and act as delivery mechanism – part nacho, part chopsticks.Here, fries are food and utensil. A requirement that rules out traditional British chips on a spectrum from chunky, chain-pub chips to soft, golden chip-shop numbers. Too long, too limp, prone to sogginess and liable to break as you lift them, such chips cannot be relied upon to carry heavy loads.Instead, look to the chip world’s extremes. What you need as a base for your load is either thin french fries (squeezed between two fingers they form a convenient fanned scoop) or for heavier, wetter loads, glassy, crunchy, triple-cooked chips (they are more robust and have a slower rate of absorption).Properly browned and encased in a crisp crust of starches and sugars, such chips will withstand excess moisture without becoming waterlogged and, rather than a potato flavour, will be notable for their caramelised, sweet, buttery fried character. This is not a dish in which you want elemental flavours of the land. If you want an overt potato flavour, bake one. Loaded fries should be a rich, indulgent feast.Note: yes, you may need to use a fork on the last few sodden mouthfuls (and that is a good thing – you want a variety of textures through this meal), but that will only be at the load’s core. Not before. Sweet potato fries have no place in loaded fries. See also: curly fries, overly literal matchstick fries, wedges, earthy skin-on interlopers. Link: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/sep/21/how-to-eat-loaded-fries

Abba star Bjorn Ulvaeus has launched a campaign to ensure musicians don't miss out on millions of pounds in royalties. Called Credits Due, the scheme aims to ensure all songwriters and musicians are correctly identified when a song is recorded. At present, missing and incomplete data means that about £500m is unallocated or misallocated globally every year."It happens frequently," Ulvaeus told the BBC. "Which means that streaming services don't know who to pay."The scheme will also ensure fans see the correct credits for songs - from the writers and producers to the session musicians and engineers."We want to get back to that experience we had when we opened a double-sleeved LP and listened to the songs while reading the liner notes," Ulvaeus explained. "I think that's a very valuable experience that young listeners today are missing." The scheme will ensure that every person who is involved in the creation of a song will be "clickable in the digital liner notes", allowing you to look up every other record they have worked on. "Every new person that walks into the recording studio will be registered," Ulvaeus said. "So, even in a symphony orchestra, every member will be clickable." The Abba star launched the scheme at Tuesday's Ivor Novello Awards in London - which recognise the contribution of songwriters. Among the attendees, there was widespread support for the idea."I think it's really important because there's lots of people behind the scenes that don't get the credit they deserve," said singer Emeli Sande."You've got musicians that have practised and refined their art for their whole lives - so yeah, I'm very happy to support Bjorn."Songwriter MNEK, who has penned hits for Little Mix and Beyoncé and scored his own number one single last year with Head and Heart, said: "I think it highlights that more that goes into making music, than just being a pop star."'What a mess'The Credits Due campaign tackles one of the most boring, broken, complex and crucial problems facing the music industry: metadata.When a song is released, either on CD and vinyl or on a streaming service like Spotify, it includes a huge amount of underlying information, including titles, alternative titles, featured artists, songwriter and producer names, publishers, and much more.That information needs to be synchronised with databases around the world to make sure the right people get paid when a song is streamed, bought or played.Often, that doesn't happen - and with 60,000 new songs uploaded to Spotify every day, the problem is growing. "Can you imagine what a mess it is?" asked Ulvaeus.The new scheme is backed by The Ivors Academy for songwriters and The Music Rights Awareness Foundation, which Ulvaeus founded with songwriters Max Martin and Niclas Molinder in 2016.Together they are launching an app to help songwriters, producers and record labels gather all the necessary data before a song is released."It's in the interest of all these people to get it right," said Ulvaeus. "Today, in 2021, there's really no excuse." The star was speaking three weeks after Abba unveiled their comeback - with a new album and a virtual tour that will launch in the UK next March.Their return, after a 39-year break, was met with a rapturous reception around the world. Two new singles, Don't Shut Me Down and I Still Have Faith In You, entered the UK top 20, while the Abba Voyage album broke pre-sale records."I didn't anticipate it being so global," said Ulvaeus. "How that happened, I don't know. But I'm very grateful."He explained that the concert will feature a mixture of live music and pre-recorded elements, with a live band augmenting the "Abba avatars" on stage.Some of the songs may sound different - singers Agnetha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad now sing "one tone lower than they used to" - but he said the group "laughed all the time" during rehearsals. Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-58643787

voted

i see you just started but i will give you a chance ,try to be always active here and on vgr channel in ts3

Google Pixel Fold, the first foldable smartphone from the tech giant, may launch in late 2021. Google's foldable smartphone under the Pixel lineup has been in rumours for quite a while and new leaks suggest that the handset will make its debut by the end of this year. The foldable Pixel smartphone is reportedly codenamed “Passport” and is speculated to feature a low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED display. Samsung has tapped the market for foldable screens with its foldable devices, including the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3. However, foldable smartphones are becoming a more common form factor for premium smartphones it seems. Brands such as Vivo and Xiaomi are also reportedly working on new foldable smartphones.As per a tweet by tipster Evan Blass, the upcoming foldable Pixel smartphone, which is codenamed as “Passport” will be launched by the end of this year. He said that Google has been working on this new smartphone for more than two years.This is not the first time that Google Pixel Fold's launch timeline has been hinted at. David Naranjo, Senior Director, Display Supply Chain Consultants, tweeted on the development of Google Pixel Fold as well. His tweet indicated that the handset may launch in the fourth quarter of 2021 (October 1 to December 31). It also suggested that the Google Pixel Fold will use an LTPO OLED display. The analyst also adds that Google Pixel 6 Pro will launch in the same quarter.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Review: A Refined NoveltyIn 2019, Google disclosed that it had started working on foldable smartphone prototypes. The company also provided support for foldable displays in Android 10 that was leveraged by companies including Samsung to develop their in-house foldable phones. There is certainly scope for Google to challenge Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, and the recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 with the upcoming Google Pixel Fold. Huawei with its Mate X and X2 foldable smartphones marked its presence in the space. Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has also unveiled the Mi Mix Fold as the company's first foldable smartphone in China in March this year. Other companies such as Oppo and Vivo are also eyeing to launch their foldable smartphones. It is expected to launch in India in the remainder of this year too.Google has not yet announced any details on whether it is planning to launch a foldable phone or if it is just testing prototypes for making Android more optimised for existing and new foldable devices in the market. Once unveiled, the Pixel Fold could take on these foldable smartphones.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 First Impressions Are the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 still made for enthusiasts — or are they good enough for everyone? We discussed this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

New 'quiet time' feature will shield you from Teams notification storms If you're finding yourself overloaded with Microsoft Teams update notifications, you may be in luck, thanks to a new update.The video conferencing service is introducing new settings across both Teams and its Microsoft Outlook email service that the company hopes will help users become less stressed or snowed under by mobile notifications.According to the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the new "quiet time settings" will help to "create better boundaries and protect your personal time" - hopefully making work a less stressful experience for users everywhere.Check out our list of the best online collaboration tools out thereHere's our list of the best business webcams right nowWe've built a list of the best productivity software aroundFinally some quiet timeThe update comes as part of the Microsoft Viva platform, which looks to help improve the all-round employee experience for customers. Set to be available later in 2021, the Viva Insights service will soon offer the ability to silence mobile notifications from Outlook and Teams outside your working hours.Users will also be able to set specific quiet time periods directly from within Teams and Outlook mobile, and gain "personalized insights" into how well you are disconnecting.Given how many workers are now embracing hybrid working, the new feature could be vital for those looking to silence the endless notification pings and focus on specific work tasks both in and out of the office.The launch is the latest addition from Microsoft as it looks to make Teams the ideal hybrid working partner. The company recently introduced another similar update which allows users greater control over the way they receive push notifications. Users are now able to receive notifications either within Teams itself or the native Windows notification center when a message comes in, working alongside Microsoft's "focus assist" mode to help avoid distractions. This feature is built into the Windows 10 operating system, allowing users to control the types of notifications they receive. Notifications can be filtered by priority alerts or alarms only, or disabled entirely.

Now averaging 70% pricier than MSRP, with availability tumbling, the GPU market is unlikely to recover soon. As we move into the later part of 2021, trends and evil rumours point to a worsening of both price and availability for GPU stock. That means it could be a while longer before the GPU shortage finally subsides and the ridiculous pricing we've been subject to fully balances out. According to a recent report from 3DCenter, Nvidia GeForce RTX 30-Series GPUs and AMD Radeon RX 6000-Series GPUs have been steadily moving up in price over the past couple of months, while availability has continued to dwindle. This is the case at least around Germany, with these trends likely being pretty well reflective of the wider picture across the market today. After a somewhat encouraging price drop between June and July—45% for Nvidia cards, and 28% for AMD cards—as well as an almost 300% availability spike, things are looking lamentable once more. Since the last report on August 29, availability has continued to decline, while average prices have seen around a 10% rise for both AMD and Nvidia cards. As it usually goes with low supply and high demand products, price and availability tend to fluctuate proportionately. GPU stock is no different. As the report indicates, "Based on the trend, if this continues, then we can end up with 2x markup over MSRP by the beginning of Q4 2021."This, along with forecasts from Jon Peddie Research and reports claiming TSMC has hiked the price of it's 7nm process don't give us much hope for improvement in the near future.It seems it'll be some time then before GPU prices and availability balance out after the shambles of a year we've had. I'm trying to be hopeful, though, even if it's unlikely current-gen card prices will ever slip fully back into MSRP territory.Just be aware that PC gaming isn't likely to get any cheaper. Screw sports, Katie would rather watch Intel, AMD and Nvidia go at it. She can often be found admiring AI advancements, sighing over semiconductors, or gawping at the latest GPU upgrades. She's been obsessed with computers and graphics since she was small, and took Game Art and Design up to Masters level at uni. Her thirst for absurd Raspberry Pi projects will never be sated, and she will stop at nothing to spread internet safety awareness—down with the hackers.

The mainline Pokémon games might still be locked to Nintendo consoles, but did you know you've been able to play the trading card game on PC since 2012? Now, after nine years, The Pokémon Company has announced a long-due successor to Pokémon TCG Online with the fancier new Pokémon TCG Live. Like its predecessor, Live will let you play online with folks across PC, Mac, Android and iOS, and uses the same digital codes to transfer physical card collections to the game. But this new iteration also features online matchmaking and battle passes, along with an overhauled character customisation system that replaces somewhat-creepy 2D sprites with somewhat-creepy 3D avatars. Collections from the old game should carry over too, though cards outside of Standard format won't be playable until a later Expanded format update (while Legacy format cards straight up won't be supported). Pokémon news site Serebii also notes that trading won't be possible in Live—a bit of a downer for something that literally has "trading" in the name.Some parts of the fanbase are already calling Live a downgrade, citing a difference in visuals between PTCGO's digital tabletop board and Live's more abstracted playing field. The old client for playing Pokémon cards online was starting to show its age, but the limited feature set seems to have many concerned about its replacement.Pokémon TCG Live is currently expected to hit a global open beta on PC later this year. When it does, Pokémon TCG Online will go offline.20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time—and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and having herself developed critically acclaimed small games like Can Androids Pray, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She's also played for a competitive Splatoon team, and unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon. Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/theres-a-new-pokemon-trading-card-game-coming-to-pc/

The Ford Bronco SUV could be coming to Europe, according to Ford CEO Jim Farley. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express at the Goodwood Revival, where he was racing his 1966 Ford GT40, Farley said with a smile on his face, “I’m just waiting for these guys [Ford of Europe] to make up their mind.”Asked how well the Bronco would work in Europe, Farley said, “Absolutely, it works. I see all these Defenders around – absolutely. I think it would work fine.” Although the Bronco is a strong possibility for Europe, Auto Express understands that it’s unlikely to be built in right-hand drive. That’s not to say Ford dealers in the UK wouldn’t be prepared to import left-hand drive models from Europe if customers wanted.Farley has a large collection of Fords himself that includes a 1973 Bronco alongside a four-door version of the new model.In the US the all-new Bronco has been a massive sales success with waiting lists for the two- or four-door models stretching well into 2022. Buyers in the US can choose from a 2.7-litre six-cylinder EcoBoost engine with 325bhp and 563Nm of torque or a 2.3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost engine with 296bhp and 441Nm. It’s not known whether both powertrains will come to Europe, with the four-cylinder the most likely.Although Ford has hinted at an all-electric full-size SUV which could be the Bronco, a high-performance Bronco Raptor version is expected to come much sooner with a high-performance 395bhp 3.0-litre V6 engine rumoured to be under the bonnet. The Bronco starts at around $30,000 in the US including taxes, although most buyers will spend much more with myriad optional extras and option packs available. There’s no word on possible European prices yet, but we’d expect a European Bronco to start at well over €30,000 depending on which specifications are offered.Equally, with demand for Broncos so strong in its home market, it would be unlikely that Bronco would come to Europe any time before 2023.Ford Bronco: chassis and drivetrainLike most purpose built off-roaders, the new Ford Bronco is based on a high-strength steel ladder chassis and it features a host of heavy-duty equipment, such as selectable four-wheel drive, a solid rear axle, locking front and rear differentials, extensive underbody protection panels and a two-speed transfer case.There’s also a set of long-travel Bilstein shock absorbers, enormous 35-inch off-road tyres and a pair of semi-active anti-roll bars, which can be disconnected to allow greater wheel articulation when tackling off-camber terrain.The Bronco also has 11.6 inches (almost 300mm) of ground clearance – which is more than the new Land Rover Defender – as well as breakover and departure angles of 29 degrees and 37.2 degrees respectively. Finally, Ford says its revamped off-roader has a class-leading water fording depth of up to 33.5 inches (or 851mm).However, unlike the original, the new Bronco is more than a piece of simple farm machinery. Ford has fitted this new model with a range of clever driver assistance technology, which the firm says will make off-road driving more manageable. Ford’s Terrain Management System comes with a choice of seven driver profiles – four of which are geared towards off-road conditions. On top of the usual Normal, Eco and Sport modes, buyers also get Ford’s Sand, Baja, Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl settings, each of which play with the Bronco’s diff-locks and traction control to keep the car moving. Link: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ford/98238/ford-bronco-being-considered-europe-says-ford-boss

After a disappointing British summer, many of us won’t be looking forward to autumn and winter. But there are many ways to keep your spirits high in the bleaker seasons f you have ever spent summer in the UK, you will know that there is often little to distinguish the season from any other wet, miserable time of year. Nonetheless, many of us cling to the idea that we are in for endless days of sunshine and cheerfulness – so, when the season draws to a close, having been a washout, it can feel disappointing.“We have expectations of how things are supposed to be or how we’d imagined them – and invariably it’s not the way we envisaged,” says Rakhi Chand, a psychotherapist. It can be challenging to let this go. As the climate crisis worsens, we should expect our summers to become more extreme, in terms of temperature and rainfall.The first thing to do, clearly, is push for urgent climate action – and being involved in activism makes you happier. But here are some other ways to boost your mood when it is miserable outside.Identify Sad symptoms“Many of us feel disappointed when the British summertime has been a bit of a washout,” says Kerry McLeod, head of information at the mental health charity Mind. Many people are affected by the change in seasons, she says, but for those with seasonal affective disorder (Sad) “the change has a much greater effect on mood and energy levels, leading to symptoms of depression that have a significant impact on day-to-day life”. Symptoms can include a lack of energy, low mood and difficulty concentrating.McLeod advises speaking to your GP if you notice a change in feelings, thoughts and behaviour that lasts for more than two weeks or keeps returning. “A lot of the stuff that we know is important for keeping ourselves mentally healthy in general applies here,” says Chand. Without a good dose of sunshine, “it’s even more important to exercise, eat well, socialise and keep a regular sleep pattern”.See the (artificial) light A light therapy lamp or box may help, says Chand (although she advises using one under the guidance of a professional). “There’s been a fair bit of research since about the 80s supporting light therapy as being effective for seasonal kinds of depression,” she says.Take vitamin DWe create vitamin D from UVB radiation (via direct sunlight) and it can be hard to make enough in the UK, particularly when the sky is steel-grey and we are inside all day. While not clinically proven, a low concentration of vitamin D has been associated with depression. Chand, who takes a vitamin D supplement, says: “Regardless of whether it’s winter or autumn or not, that has an impact.” Just because it is windy or rainy (or both) doesn’t mean you should give up an outdoor exercise routine. Andy Baddeley, a former middle-distance Olympic runner and the CEO of the Running Channel, says he finds it easier to get out of the door before it starts raining, even if you know it will rain, so keep an eye on the forecast.Having the right kit will definitely make it a better experience. “Ultimately, your skin is waterproof, so if you’re going out for a short run, and it’s warm enough, you probably don’t need anything in particular. But if you’re going for a longer run and want to be protected from the elements, lightweight Gore-Tex running jackets will keep you completely dry, but they heat up a bit as well.” A pair of waterproof trail-running shoes might be a good investment “and means you can take on puddles, mud and slippery trails”. A peaked running hat will keep the rain from pouring down your face, while glasses help in the wind, to prevent streaming eyes or squinting, “which can make your whole upper body tense up”.You may need to alter your route – stick to well-draining roads or gravel paths rather than fields, for instance – but a difference in weather can make your usual circuit more exciting if you suddenly have puddles to leap over. “It brings out the child in us,” says Baddeley. Link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/sep/20/right-as-rain-10-ways-to-boost-your-mood-on-grey-wet-or-cold-days