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After taking a moment to angle the machine just so, he turns it on, the bit rotating at dizzying speeds inside his head. The terrible whirring sound is enough to make even me—a stalwart masochist and the author of a book about the pleasure of pain—nearly black out from the rushing sensation of dread. But instead of straightforward revulsion or concern, my wooziness transmutes into a celebratory high. If the shocked silence that gives way to applause and relieved laughter is any indication, I am not alone in feeling a surge of something wonderful....

Essentially, NAS drives are hard drives that connect to the web, making them extremely versatile and presenting a host of useful applications. The basics You’re probably familiar with the hard drive inside your computer that stores all your files, including the operating system that runs everything, the applications you use, and anything you create. A NAS drive takes one or more of that type of hard drive and puts them in a separate enclosure that connects directly to the internet, typically via an Ethernet cable plugged into your router....

With the coronavirus spreading rapidly across the country, the coalition of youth climate organizers preparing for Earth Day decided that their nationwide marches could not go forward as planned. After months of preparation, Soin, who helped organize New York’s climate strikes last year, is now one of a large group of activists adapting their original agenda to the digital realm. “It has been upsetting to have these plans canceled,” he admits....

Moving power magically between objects without a cord is something many may have encountered in electric toothbrushes. By placing the toothbrush on its stand, energy is transferred from the metal plate to the brush. Similar charging technology can be found in Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy S6, LG G4 and Nexus 5. But just because Apple didn’t include it inside the latest iPhone doesn’t mean iOS users don’t have options....

Early Wednesday morning, PG&E began power cuts on well over half a million homes and businesses, affecting millions of residents. At press time on Friday, thousands of PG&E customers are still without power. High winds in the dry season prompted the blackout. Last year, toppled PG&E power lines caused the most deadly and destructive forest fire in state history, and the company claimed suspending service was the only way to be sure it wouldn’t happen again....

Though presumably all sorts of organs are available on the black market, kidneys are the most in demand. Of the approximately 122,000 people on the U.S. transplant list, about 101,000 of them—more than 80 percent—are waiting for kidneys. But because there aren’t enough organs to go around, only 10 percent of those people will receive the transplants they need. Those patients with means can find other ways to get the life-saving kidneys, often in one of 91 countries abroad with the help of a transplant broker....

Congress members like Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) have called out the program for “allowing indiscriminate rifling through Americans’ private records.” Still, there isn’t much reform on the horizon regarding the ways CBP and other law enforcement agents can easily access your smartphones, tablets, and laptops if they deem you suspicious, or merely worth further investigation. This is largely thanks to a longstanding court exception granted to border officials that allows them to search private devices without a warrant, unlike other law enforcement agency personnel....

“Sleep disruption is not just a consequence” of illness, says Phillipe Mourrain, a neurobiologist at Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, “but it’s casual, part of the etiology.” Mourrain is a molecular plant geneticist turned developmental biologist who now, in what he calls the “third phase of [his] scientific life”, studies sleep. Why? Because it happens across the animal kingdom. “From octopi, to insects, to vertebrates,” Mourrain says, we all sleep to survive....

So, @ellipses asks what is your second favorite planet? Well, they probably presume that Mars is my favorite planet, but actually my favorite planet is Earth ’cause I live on it. So Mars is my second favorite planet. But answering the spirit of the question, I would say the next favorite planet after Mars is probably Venus, I think it’s very interesting, it’s Earth analog planet, it’s about the same size....

Plants aren’t out to harm you. On the other hand, they don’t seem to mind if they do. Even the most harmless shrub won’t go out of its way to prevent you from scratching, bleeding, or, in rare cases, dying from respiratory paralysis. And some plants, including all 10 of the ones listed here, are well equipped to make your life miserable if you mess with them. You can learn all about this by donning a Speedo and racing through thick underbrush....

But using your hot glue gun to craft a Halloween costume once a year just seems like a waste. Here are three other ways you can take advantage of this truly versatile gadget. Well, not literally. It’s basic science: high temperatures melt plastic, and once the heat is gone, the polymer returns to its previous solid state. This gives you the chance to reshape these plastic sticks into something else, including the bond that keeps two objects together—maybe ribbons and a hair clip, or a rhinestone and, you know, anything....

Today you can save 33 percent on an 8-quart Instant Pot, a pressure cooker big enough to cook food for more than six people. The cooker acts as a steamer, rice cooker, and egg maker, and can make stews, curries, and baked beans in a fraction of the time. You can customize the settings or use the pre-programmed options to bake, sauté, boil, sterilize, or slow cook. The staff-favorite cooker is currently $120—it usually sells for $180....

Anker, a beloved maker of tech basics, is offering 45 percent off a lot of its power products, including wireless chargers, portable power banks, and corded chargers for your home. The wireless charging PowerWave is on sale for 30 percent off. It has a built-in fan to prevent overheating and even detects what type of device it’s charging to serve up the right amount of juice. All power options, this way....

Before you get started, it’s worth emphasizing the volatility of cryptocurrencies. It’s not a good idea to invest huge sums that you can’t afford to lose, especially in the short term, as exchange rates can fluctuate quickly and significantly. We recommend you spend several months just watching the markets before investing in them. Most cryptocurrencies are built on what is known as a blockchain, which is a term you’ll come across a lot....

We have a couple of tips to make the most of it. The collaborator button doesn’t show up when you’re creating or editing notes on mobile, so you need to tap the three dots (lower right) to find the option. Collaborators will have full access to the note and will be able to change its contents, color, and everything else you can edit as the note creator. Tap the background options button (it looks like a painter’s palette), and alongside the standard choice of pastel colors you can also pick from nine images, each designed to fit a particular theme, like recipes or music....

The DuckDuckGo interface is designed to be simple to use—just type out your search query and go—but if you need more advanced features, the plucky underdog has plenty. You can choose between walking and driving instructions, and in most cases you’ll get multiple routes to choose from. This is all powered by Apple Maps and, per DuckDuckGo’s usual practices, none of your searches are logged. 2. Customize its appearance As we said, the DuckDuckGo web interface is simple, but you don’t have to settle for the default: Click the menu button (three lines, top right) and choose Themes to see the various looks that are available....

With the hurricane season being more intense than normal, it’s better to be prepared. Being fully equipped can minimize the impact of a disaster for you, so you need to ensure that you have all that’s necessary to weather through anything. You can start with this list, which is packed with discounted, top-rated items worthy to be part of your go-bag: The Recon: First Aid Kit This medium-sized bag comes fully stocked with medical emergency supplies you need for emergency situations....

But that’s so much less satisfying, isn’t it? “Eating healthy” is this ambiguous idea that might seem only tangentially related to cancer, whereas eating an antioxidant that supposedly blocks free radicals feels like much more direct action. And yet the truth is that just as many cancer cases are caused by poor diet as by drinking alcohol, and even more are tied to the excess body weight that comes with eating that poor diet....