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snopes_feed) wrote2026-03-13 06:42 pm
lifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 06:30 pmIf you're a Chrome user, this is your reminder not to ignore available security updates. Google is pushing an emergency patch for a zero-day vulnerability that has been exploited in the wild, and a second zero-day has been identified and is expected to be fixed in a future update.
As a reminder, zero-days are security vulnerabilities that have been actively exploited or publicly disclosed before the developer releases an official fix. These latest Chrome bugs are the second and third zero-days addressed so far in 2026—Google patched the first back in February.
The vulnerability addressed with the current update is labeled as CVE-2026-3910 and is an inappropriate implementation in V8, Google's JavaScript and WebAssembly engine. The flaw was reported by the Google Threat Analysis Group on March 10, though no additional details as to how it has been exploited have been released.
Google initially planned to patch a second zero-day, labeled CVE-2026-3909, with this update, an out-of-bounds write weakness in the 2D graphics library (Skia). When exploited, attackers could crash Chrome or execute code remotely. The fix for that vulnerability is now expected in a future update.
Google released a Stable Channel update on March 12, so you should ensure you are on the latest version of Chrome: 146.0.7680.75/76 for Windows/Mac and 146.0.7680.75 for Linux. It could take several days or even weeks to roll out to everyone, so install it as soon as you see the option. You can check your version via the Chrome menu > About Google Chrome.
If you regularly quit and restart your browser, the update will be applied automatically—or you can do it manually by tapping the three dots in the top-right corner of the browser window. You'll need to restart Chrome to finalize the update.
lifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 06:00 pmWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
It hasn't even been a month since Samsung announced the new Galaxy S26 lineup of phones, and the flagship version, the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which starts at $1,299.99, is already getting a solid deal from Amazon: You can get a $200 Amazon gift card when placing your order through the online retailer. The deal applies to all four colors, and both the basic 256GB version and the maxed-out 512GB storage option as well.
It's worth noting that if you plan to do a trade-in, Samsung offers better trade-in credits than Amazon, going up to $720.
The new Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is impressive, both in specs, design, and with practical new features. The most impressive new feature you'll notice is the built-in privacy display, which works like a privacy screen you would buy from a third-party seller. It's a feature no phone company has tried before, but if it works, I wouldn't be surprised if others follow suit. (The feature can be toggled on and off.)
The cameras are excellent, with three lenses (200MP, 50MP, 50MP, and 10MP). The front-facing camera is a 12MP. You'll notice the hardware isn't very different from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but there are new features. One is the pro video recording feature, which lets you record to external drives and shoot in the APV codec (Samsung's pro video codec); more advanced photographers will enjoy the higher resolution video formats. There's also a new video stabilizer to keep your videos from looking bumpy, new AI processors to bring out details in photos, better night-time shooting features, and more.
You'll notice there is a clear price jump compared to the previous generation, but hopefully the $200 Amazon gift card helps alleviate that pain. You can learn more about the Galaxy S26 Ultra on PCMag's s"excellent" review.
lifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 05:30 pmWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
The feature I love most on the Coros Pace 4 right now is one that I didn’t even notice at first. I knew that it had an extra button compared to the Pace 3, and I knew that I could use it to drop “voice pins” when I was out on my trail runs. I’m always fumbling with buttons to mark water taps or interesting things I find in the woods, so this seemed useful—but once I realized I could also use the feature to record end-of-workout notes, I suddenly became the kind of person who keeps end-of-workout notes.
On the Pace 4, when a workout is over—any workout, be it a trail run or a strength session—you have the option to rate how hard it was. And once you do that, you get an option to record a 60-second voice note with anything you’d like to say about your training. A Coros rep told me in a briefing that it’s meant to help athletes add notes to their training log, since we don’t all have time to remember to come back and add those notes in text.
To be honest, I didn’t realize you could already add notes to training sessions after the fact. But once I knew about this voice feature, I found myself using it all the time. Heck, I started to look forward to that prompt. At first I just logged a few words about how the workout felt, but then I realized I could also use it to bridge the gap between my paper and digital records.
When I do a strength workout, I jot down my sets, reps, and weights in a notebook. Even though I have tons of fitness apps at my disposal, it’s a lot easier to write down “hang power snatch plus snatch” than it is to search through a database of exercises and then try to figure out how to log two exercises in the same rep. ('ve yet to encounter a strength app that does this well.) It’s easier to have everything on paper.
So now, when my workout ends, I read the highlights of my training log into the voice note. This way, when I look back at the workout on my phone, I have the data I need, plus any little notes I thought to add about my mindset that day, or the intensity, or any modifications I made in the moment.
The Coros app transcribes the note, so I can skim it as text when I look at my workout later. But the audio file is right there, should I want to listen to it to verify what I said. It’s also kind of a touching slice of life—I can hear my daughter interrupt me in one note, with my “wait sweetie” dutifully transcribed in the middle of a sentence. On another workout, I can hear myself laughing a bit as I describe getting caught by surprise by a muddy trail section.
It’s safe to say I wouldn’t have returned to the app to add a text note about these things, but I do really enjoy being prompted to add them with my voice. Coros has this feature on the Pace 4, Apex 4, and Nomad watches. Amazfit has a similar feature on the T-Rex 3 and T-Rex 3 Pro. Garmin has a voice note feature on newer Forerunner and Fenix watches, but it’s a bit clunkier and doesn’t prompt you at the end of the workout like Coros does. Still, any of them can be a useful addition to your workout routine.
lifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 05:00 pmWhen you hit the share button on social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook, or Threads, these sites tack on a tracker to the link you're sharing. This tracker means that Instagram can tell who you've shared the link with, and it likely uses this information to further optimize its algorithm for ads. While the tech here is sneaky, it is easy to remove tracking information from these links.
It's actually pretty easy to spot a link that has trackers. To check it out, copy the link to any Instagram post and paste it somewhere safe, like your notes app. A normal Instagram link looks like this: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVrMKVVAaBi/
The same link with tracking has a bunch of additional characters at the end: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVrMKVVAaBi/?igsh=cGd5cGx4enJmcThu
Every character after that ? is used to identify that your profile shared the link. While this example highlights Instagram, the same thing happens on many other apps and websites. Facebook, Threads, Reddit, YouTube, Amazon, and many others use some kind of tracking parameters in links to see how people arrived at a certain post or a page. These trackers have some legitimate use cases, such as tracking affiliate links to pay commissions or keeping tabs on social media traffic.
In some cases, however, these tracking links serve no purpose other than to identify who shared the link with you, and who you're sharing links with. That can be used to identify people you're close to, which in turn, helps social media giants deliver targeted ads to you and your friends or loved ones. It can also compromise your privacy, since someone opening your link will see your account was the one to originally share it—even if you don't share that link directly with them.
The easiest way to remove tracking links is to manually delete the tracker from the URLs. This is quite easy to do on desktop browsers, where you have larger screens that let you see and delete tracking parameters from long URLs. In the case of Instagram, you can safely delete the part after the ? in most URLs. The same often applies to links from other social media sites too.
To automate this process on desktop, you can use the built-in Copy Clean Link feature in Firefox, as well as similar features in browsers like Brave. Just right-click any link and select Copy Clean Link to remove its tracking parameters. You can also use uBlock Origin to remove tracking from URLs. In the extension's settings, go to Filter lists and enable URL Tracking Protection. The ClearURLs extension for Firefox or Microsoft Edge used to be a good option here, but it hasn't been updated in a while, and it may break some links, so I'd recommend avoiding it.
If you have an iPhone, you can install the Anonymize Meta Sharing shortcut, which removes tracking parameters from Facebook, Instagram, and Threads links. Just copy the link, run the shortcut, and it'll give you a tracking-free version of the same URL. If you're on Android, or want an alternative on iOS, there's also a simple website called URL Clean that removes tracking from links. You can use it to remove some kinds of tracking, but you should note that it breaks some URLs.
lifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 04:30 pmWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
The MacBook Neo seems to be anything anyone in the tech world can talk about this week. Apple somehow made a MacBook that does just about everything you want a MacBook to do, all for $599 ($499 with an education discount). That price point makes Apple's next-cheapest computer, the MacBook Air, seem borderline unreasonable for $1,099.
Part of what's fueling the hype here is how much the MacBook Neo could disrupt the budget and midrange laptop markets. Why spend $200 or $300 on a Chromebook when for a bit more, you could have a near-complete macOS experience? In the same vein, if you're turned off by Windows' insistence on unnecessary AI features and aggressive ads, but avoided Macs because of their high price tags, the Neo could turn you away from PC. In fact, much of the discussion around the Neo is how this might finally be the midrange Windows laptop replacement the market has been looking for.
But a $499 MacBook isn't without compromises. The Neo has certain limitations you might not be used to from Apple's usual Macs, or from your Windows PC: There's only 8GB of RAM, even if you pay for the model with 512GB of storage; the keyboard doesn't have a backlight; and the USB-C ports are older, which means you can't charge as fast as other devices, or transfer data as quickly.
But if you're coming from a Windows machine, and you're used to a certain way of doing things, you might be thinking: Can the MacBook Neo run Windows? The answer, it seems, is yes—but you probably shouldn't buy it for that.
First things first: the MacBook Neo can't run Windows natively. Those days are long behind us, once Apple switched from Intel chips to its own ARM-based Apple silicon. Intel Macs have "Boot Camp," which can install Windows directly onto a partition of the machine. With Apple silicon Macs, you need to use a third-party program to run Windows in a virtual machine.
One such program is Parallels, long an option for Mac users looking to run Windows while still having ready access to macOS. As it happens, Parallels confirmed the MacBook Neo is compatible with its application, which means the computer's A18 Pro chip can handle running Windows in a virtual machine. Problem solved, right?
Unfortunately, no. While Windows will run in Parallels on MacBook Neo, it might not be an ideal experience for many PC users. That's directly from Parallels itself, which commented: "For light, occasional Windows use, like a legacy business tool, or a Windows-only utility, MacBook Neo may provide an acceptable experience. For CPU- or GPU-intensive Windows applications, this computer is not the right choice."
Part of the issue is that the virtual machine running Windows 11 requires at least 4GB of RAM. The MacBook Neo is locked at 8GB, which doesn't leave much room for macOS. Parallels runs concurrently with macOS, since it runs Windows 11 in its own window. It's like if Windows 11 was an app on your Mac, alongside Safari, Messages, or Mail. Once you start running too much at once, you could easily choke your machine.
If you don't really care about Windows support, and you're just looking for a capable laptop at that $500 or $600 price point, then the MacBook Neo could definitely replace a comparable Windows machine. It'll also runs Microsoft apps that have Mac support, like Word, PowerPoint, and Teams. But I wouldn't recommend it for users looking for something that also runs Windows, and the Windows-only programs they're used to. If that sounds like you, you might want to look at budget and midrange Windows laptops, like the Acer Aspire 3 or Acer Aspire 16.
If you still want both Windows and macOS access, consider a different MacBook. At that Neo price point, you could find an M1 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM. The Neo actually outperforms the M1 in some ways, but that extra RAM will help you run Windows better in Parallels.
snopes_feed) wrote2026-03-13 04:12 pmlifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 04:00 pmWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
This might be the whitest thing I've ever written, but I'm getting into sailing. A friend recently took me on a sail around Santa Barbara, and I finally really understand what Christopher Cross meant when he sang, "The canvas can do miracles. Just you wait and see."
Except I don't know how to do it. So I was just sitting there, not actually sailing. It's personally frustrating to feel useless on the poop deck (It's called a "poop deck," right?), so I downloaded MarineVerse Sailing Club for the Meta Quest 3, and it became my "Upgrade of the Week."
The next time I go sailing (which I hope is going to be soon, eh, Doug?), I'm going to be armed with whatever salty seamanship skills one can gain in virtual reality. MarineVerse Sailing Club lets you pilot and race five different crafts, from dinghies to yachts, in exotic VR locations all over the world like fake-Sydney and ersatz-Rio. But more importantly to me, it's a way to learn the basics of sailing: things like the names of parts of the boat, and more advanced boat-biz like tacking, jibing, and right-of-way rules. It features a series of easy-to-follow lessons that are way more interesting and fun than just reading about sailing, and you can take what you learn and face off with others in multiplayer races, or just sail around the virtual seas.
I haven't really gotten into the community aspect of it yet, but Sailing Club has an active userbase of thousands of scalawags, many of whom are real-life sailors, who compete in organized racing leagues and jaw about the sea on Discord, just like a real sailing club. It's the kind of niche community that flourishes in virtual spaces.
The focus is on realism instead of thrills and the graphics are very last-generation, so I don't know if I would recommend Sailing Club strictly as a game, but as a learning tool or cheap fix when you're far from the marina, it's worth $29.99. Even if you throw in the cost of a Meta Quest 3, that's a small fraction of the $10,000 you'd pay for a cheap sailboat.
Obviously, you're only scratching the surface of sailing knowledge with a VR simulation, and the best VR sailing experience is about a two on the awesomeness scale compared to actually floating around in the ocean, but if you're like me, and you don't want to be a total sailing noob, it's a very fun first step. Ahoy!
lifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 03:30 pmWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
Cleaning your home can be exhausting and time-consuming at the best of times—but then there are all of those areas that are also just downright annoying to clean, often because they are difficult to reach or uncomfortable to work on.
To help you out, here is a range of gadgets, tools, and products that can make cleaning those problem areas a little faster, easier, and less likely to raise your blood pressure. If you’re tired of climbing ladders, kneeling until your back aches, and wasting time doing cleaning tasks that don’t actually seem to leave your house feeling cleaner, consider these 10 products that can make cleaning less annoying.
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dolorosa_12) wrote2026-03-13 03:33 pmtrepkos's answer got me thinking of a follow-up question, which I hope people will enjoy just as much. This week's question is not about things you've heard, but rather about things you've seen:askamanager_feed) wrote2026-03-13 03:00 pmIt’s the Friday open thread!
The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to take your questions to other readers.
* If you submitted a question to me recently, please do not repost it here, as it may be in my queue to answer.
The post open thread – March 13, 2026 appeared first on Ask a Manager.
snopes_feed) wrote2026-03-13 03:00 pmmindstalk) wrote2026-03-13 10:26 amJapan drives on the left, so in streams of people, they tend to walk on the left. Unless they're walking on the right to face oncoming traffic, or are standing on the escalator in Osaka (which for some reason went to the right), or randomly ended up on the right. But mostly they're on the left.
Taiwan drives on the right, so people walk on the right, and after 3 months of doing things the Japanese way, it takes effort to adhere to local custom, and I still find myself going on the left "to be polite."
You might wonder why I just don't fall back to US habits. But the US rarely has pedestrians dense enough to need stream efficiency, outside of some escalators and airport slidewalks. Even where sidewalks are congestion, like in Manhattan, my impression is mostly of interleaved chaos.
( Read more... )
james_davis_nicoll) wrote2026-03-13 10:06 am
lifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 01:30 pmIf you have an Asus router on your home network, it may have been targeted by a sophisticated form of malware capable of adding devices to a botnet and using them for criminal activity. Researchers at Lumen's Black Lotus Labs identified this threat—dubbed KadNap—in August 2025 and estimate that more than 14,000 devices have been infected.
As Ars Technica reports, KadNap exploits unpatched vulnerabilities in connected devices, most of which are Asus routers. Infected devices are added to a proxy network that can hide malicious traffic. In this case, they are carrying traffic for service called Doppelganger, which allows users to browse anonymously and engage in brute-force attacks and targeted exploitation.
KadNap is particularly difficult to detect because its protocol conceals the IP addresses of hackers' command-and-control (C2) servers, allowing it to evade traditional monitoring. The design also makes it highly scalable and resistant to takedown.
An estimated 60% of affected devices are located in the U.S. Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Russia account for another 5% each, with the remainder spread across numerous other countries around the world.
If you think your router may be infected with KadNap, compare the IP address and file hash in your device log with those on Black Lotus Labs' indicators of compromise (IOCs). You'll need to do a factory reset, as rebooting will run a shell script, not remove the malware.
You could also run IP Check, a tool from threat monitoring firm Greynoise that can help determine if your router is potentially being used for malicious purposes (the KadNap botnet or otherwise). If your IP is flagged as suspicious, you'll be able to see recent scanning activity to investigate further.
When it comes to network security, prevention is good protection. Update your network name and administrative password from your router's defaults (which are easy to discover). Consider disabling remote access controls, which prevents threat actors from changing settings without your knowledge, and log out of your admin account when it's not in use. Finally, keep your router's firmware up to date to ensure vulnerabilities are patched quickly.
snopes_feed) wrote2026-03-13 01:00 pmlifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 01:00 pmWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ (128GB) is currently $499.99 (down from $649.99) on Amazon, and price trackers confirm this is the lowest price it has ever reached. According to PCMag’s “excellent” review, the Tab S10 FE+ works well as a general-purpose tablet for both entertainment and productivity, making it one of the best tablets you can buy in 2026.
Samsung gives the tablet an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, something you still don’t see on every tablet. It runs Android 15 with Samsung’s One UI interface and comes with the S Pen stylus included, which is useful if you like taking handwritten notes, marking up documents, or sketching. Storage caps at 128GB, but there’s a microSD slot that supports cards up to 2TB, so you can expand it later if your tablet ends up holding a lot of downloads, files, or videos. Its 13.1-inch display has a resolution of 2,880 by 1,800 pixels and supports refresh rates up to 90Hz, so scrolling through apps, reading, and watching videos all look smooth and sharp. The tablet itself stays fairly slim for its size at 0.24 inches thick and weighs about 1.46 pounds. It feels balanced whether you hold it in portrait for reading or landscape for movies.
Inside, the tablet runs on Samsung’s Exynos 1580 processor with 8GB of RAM, which keeps everyday tasks running smoothly. Apps open quickly, and Samsung’s software helps you use the large screen more effectively. Tools like the Edge Panel and multi-window mode make it easy to keep two or three apps open at once, while Samsung’s DeX mode can turn the tablet into a more desktop-like workspace if you connect a keyboard or external display. The battery reportedly lasts around eight hours, which is enough for a day of streaming, browsing, or light work. The tablet’s speakers sound loud and clear with Dolby Atmos support, and the cameras—a 13MP rear and 12MP front—are decent for video calls or quick photos.
The main omission compared with Samsung’s flagship tablets is Galaxy AI, though you still get tools like Circle to Search, Object Eraser, and Best Face for basic editing and everyday convenience.
james_davis_nicoll) wrote2026-03-13 09:08 am
lifehacker_feed) wrote2026-03-13 12:30 pmWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold (256GB, Unlocked) is currently $1,499 (originally $1,799) on Amazon, and price trackers show this is the lowest it has reached so far. Physically, the phone keeps the same overall size as the earlier 9 Pro Fold, but it runs on the new Tensor G5 processor with Android 16 and, since the phone is unlocked, works across major U.S. carriers like Google Fi, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. That flexibility is helpful if you plan to change carriers down the line.
Folded, it measures 6.11 by 3.00 by 0.43 inches, and when opened, it spreads into an eight-inch inner display that feels more like a small tablet. The outer screen is now 6.4 inches with slimmer bezels and significantly brighter output, reaching roughly 3,000 nits, which makes a noticeable difference when using the phone outdoors. Both screens support refresh rates up to 120Hz, so scrolling and animations look smooth. Google also strengthened the aluminum frame and simplified the hinge design by reducing the number of internal parts.
It is also one of the few foldable phones with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, something still rare in this category. At 9.1 ounces, though, the phone is heavier than many competing foldables, and the raised camera module on the back causes a bit of wobble when placed on a table.
As for its battery life, it lasted over 13 hours in PCMag’s testing, which puts it ahead of others in its category, including Samsung's Z Fold 7. Charging is capped at 25W wired and 15W Qi2 wireless, and it works with Google’s new Pixelsnap magnetic charging accessories (which our writer has called a delightful MagSafe clone).
Google also leans heavily on its AI features here. The phone runs Gemini tools locally, including Live Voice Translation and Instant View, which briefly shows the photo you just took on the outer screen before you move on to the next shot.
The cameras are another strong point. You get a 48MP main sensor, a 10.5MP ultra-wide, and a 10.8MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, along with Pixel photo tools like Best Take and Add Me. In practice, the phone delivers some of the best camera results currently available on a folding phone, according to this PCMag review.
