Peter's Quasi-Daily Blah-g

https://www.popsci.com/diy/how-to-clear-space-in-google-for-free/

If Google keeps bothering you to pay for cloud storage, it’s not just you. You only get a relatively measly 15GB of storage free of charge with a Google account, and you have to split that across Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive.

That 15GB can fill up quickly, but it doesn’t have to. We’ve curated a few tricks to help trim down space in all three of these key Google apps. That can mean you won’t have to pay Google every month for file space in the cloud.

These tips focus on the various web apps, but you’ll find you can access the same features from the mobile apps too (though the buttons and menus may be laid out differently).

Gmail

In Gmail, scroll down to the bottom of your inbox and click the X% of X GB link to see how much space Gmail is using (the exact label will vary depending on your Gmail usage). Once you know the severity of the situation, you can start doing something about it.

The search box up at the top of the screen is your main tool here: Click the slider icon to the right of it to see your options. You can search for a particular sender, for example, or a particular email subject if there are groups of emails you know you no longer need. Use the Size field to look for large emails, and the Has attachment box to find emails with bulky files attached.

Once a certain set of search results are shown—all the newsletters you’ve ever been sent from a particular site, for example—click the group selection box up in the top left corner, then click the Select all link at the top. With that done, you can click the trash can icon to delete all the messages at once.

You can also click All Mail (on the left) and then the older arrow (top right) to go back through time. It might take you a while to get all the way to the oldest emails in your inbox, but you can probably now do without a lot of them (note that there’s also a date option in the search panel).

Google Photos

Google Photos is actually pretty helpful when it comes to clearing out storage and saving you some room. You can see how much cloud storage space the app is taking up by clicking on the storage bar at the bottom of the left-hand navigation pane.

The same screen that tells you how much room Google Photos is taking up also gives you some suggestions for clearing out space. You might see links including Large photos and videos, Screenshots, Blurry photos, and Unsupported videos. Click on any of these links to see matching images and video clips, which can then be deleted if you want.

There should also be a link labeled Convert existing photos and videos to Storage saver. Click on this to compress your existing photos and videos to free up space. Note that this is an operation that can’t be undone, so make sure you want to do it—you can follow the Learn more link to get information on exactly how it works.

Note that there won’t be any duplicates in Google Photos—the app makes sure these are filtered out automatically at the upload stage. You can of course use the standard search tool to find and delete photos and videos as well. Maybe search for a year or month and select the files you don’t really need any more via the check boxes. Use the trash can icon (top right) to delete them once selected.

Consider printing some of your favorite photos while you’re at it.

Google Drive

Over to Google Drive, and here you get the same storage bar on the left-hand navigation pane as you do in Google Photos. Click on the bar to see a breakdown of how your cloud storage space is being used up, including how much Google Drive accounts for.

Underneath the storage breakdown, you’ll see the biggest files currently saved in your Google Drive account, with the largest at the top. If you see anything you know you don’t need any more, you can click on the filename and then on the trash can icon at the top of the list, freeing up the space.

You can do your own investigating by clicking on the Home link on the left, then using the search bar up at the top: Click the sliders icon just to the right of the search bar to see all the options. You can look for particular types of files for example (like videos), or look for files older than a certain date.

On every search result page you can sort by Date modified (so you can quickly get to the oldest and most out of date files), and on every folder view you can sort by File size (so you can quickly get to the biggest files). If you need to delete entire folders at once, click on the folder name at the top of the screen, then Move to trash.

Use alternative apps

There is a strategy you can use across all of these apps to free up space, which is to use alternative apps. You could even use the Google apps to sync your files somewhere else (like your laptop), and then back them up in a different way using a method of your choice—maybe an external hard drive, perhaps.

You can easily download individual files and folders from Google Drive and Google Photos, but getting your emails out of Gmail is a little more difficult. One way of doing it is to use a desktop email client (instructions here), but bear in mind if you delete emails in Gmail the local copies will be deleted to, by default—if you want to keep them, export them first.

There’s also the very useful Google Takeout service: From this web portal you can select Drive, Mail, and Google Photos to download everything from the three apps and save them to a local computer. When that’s done, you can delete files from the cloud (just make sure your computer copies have backups somewhere else).

For the most comprehensive clean out of your Google cloud storage, you’ll probably want to combine a few different methods for deleting your files—and these apps offer plenty of help along the way too. If you stay below the 15GB limit then it’s one less subscription to have to worry about or pay for.

The post How to clear space in your Google for free appeared first on Popular Science.

via Popular Science – New Technology, Science News, The Future Now https://www.popsci.com

February 7, 2026 at 07:41AM

https://gizmodo.com/lawsuit-details-horrifying-911-call-before-tesla-driver-died-while-trapped-inside-car-2000718671

via Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/

February 5, 2026 at 03:37PM

https://gizmodo.com/not-quantum-not-classical-this-light-based-computer-is-something-else-entirely-2000719687

In a world of ever-improving computing hardware—both classical and quantum—one team of engineers is veering off the familiar path. And the unusual device, based on a century-old physics concept, appears to be surprisingly capable of addressing some difficult computing challenges.

The new device, described in a recent Nature paper, is specifically an Ising machine. Based on the physics model of the same name, the processor uses pulses of light instead of binary bits to find the best mathematical solutions to real-life problems, such as protein folding, cryptography, or traffic routing. It’s made of relatively accessible components, operates at room temperature, and can juggle billions of operations per second.

“This breakthrough shows that it is possible to build a practical and scalable machine that can tackle extremely difficult problems,” the researchers said in a statement.

Realizing an old physics idea

The new machine’s specialty lies in optimization problems, or challenges in which the goal is to select the best option from a large number of potential solutions. One real-life example involves finding the most efficient route for delivering packages. The number of possible routes increases exponentially as the number of packages increases, so finding the best—optimized—route becomes increasingly difficult.

“With five stops, there are only 12 possible routes. With 10 stops, there are 180,000. With 20 stops, there are more than 60 million billion options,” explained Bhavin J. Shastri, study senior author and a physicist at Queen’s University in Canada, in the release.

When there are 50 stops, Shastri continued, that inflates the number of solutions so much that it’d take “longer than the age of the universe” to check them all. This is where an Ising model can come in handy.

This model represents such problems as a collection of interacting magnets whose spins point up or down. Over time, this collection of magnets naturally falls into an equilibrium that represents the lowest possible energy state. Mathematically, that translates into the most efficient solution to optimization problems, the researchers explained.

A “computer” running on light

Instead of magnets, the new device uses pulses of light that loop around the hardware and “gradually settle into a configuration that represents a good solution, much like a group reaching a consensus after many quick exchanges,” according to the researchers. “It’s a way to turn light into a problem solver,” Shastri added.

What’s more, the team built the system using components commonly found in commercial internet infrastructure, such as standard lasers, fiber-optic cables, and modulators. The resulting machine needed just five basic components to achieve 256 spins (65,536 couplings), allowing it to process billions of operations per second.

Impressively, the machine also remained stable for hours at room temperature. That’s a significant improvement over earlier Ising machines, as well as supercomputers and quantum processors that require extremely cold temperatures and specialized materials, the team said.

Optimized, just for specific tasks

All that said, the Ising machine won’t be replacing supercomputers and quantum computers anytime soon, if ever. As the team admits, the system is highly optimized for very specific applications and isn’t meant to be a general computing device.

Still, the practicality of scaling and operating the new system holds great potential for the problems it is good at solving, the team added. Accordingly, the researchers shared that their next steps are to develop pilot projects with industry partners to see how and whether the machine could address real-world optimization problems.

via Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/

February 9, 2026 at 11:10AM

https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/bipartisan-scam-act-would-require-online-platforms-to-crack-down-on-fraudulent-ads-210316594.html

Without meaningful deterrents, Big Tech companies will do what’s profitable, regardless of the cost to consumers. But a new bipartisan bill could add a check that would make them think twice, at least in one area. On Wednesday, Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH) introduced legislation that would require social platforms to crack down on scam ads.

The Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct (SCAM) Act would require platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent fraudulent or deceptive ads that they profit from. If they don’t, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general could take civil legal action against them.

Ruben Gallego / Bluesky / Bernie Moreno

The backdrop to the SCAM Act is a Reuters report from last November. Meta reportedly estimated that up to 10 percent of its 2024 revenue came from scam ads. The company is said to have calculated that as much as $16 billion of its revenue that year was from scams, including "fraudulent e-commerce and investment schemes, illegal online casinos and the sale of banned medical products."

Making matters worse, Meta reportedly refused to block small fraudsters until their ads were flagged at least eight times. Meanwhile, bigger spenders were said to have accrued at least 500 strikes without being removed. Executives reportedly wrestled with how to get the problem under control — but only without affecting the company’s bottom line. At one point, managers were told not to take any action that could cost Meta more than 0.15 percent of its total revenue. (See what I mean about needing meaningful deterrents?)

According to the FTC and noted in the text of the bill, Americans’ estimated total loss from fraud in 2024 (adjusted for underreporting) was nearly $196 billion. An estimated $81.5 billion of that came from seniors.

"If a company is making money from running ads on their site, it has a responsibility to make sure those ads aren’t fraudulent," Sen. Gallego said in a statement. "This bipartisan bill will hold social media companies accountable and protect consumers’ money online."

"It is critical that we protect American consumers from deceptive ads and shameless fraudsters who make millions taking advantage of legal loopholes," Moreno added. "We can’t sit by while social media companies have business models that knowingly enable scams that target the American people."

Correction, February 5, 2026, 8:18AM ET: This story originally stated that Americans’ estimated loss from fraud in 2024 was $19 billion. It was nearly $196 billion. We apologize for the error.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/Bp513AP

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

February 4, 2026 at 03:05PM

https://www.autoblog.com/news/worlds-biggest-ev-battery-maker-claims-1-1-million-miles-of-fast-charging-with-minimal-degradation

Charge EV Batteries Faster Without Dying Out

EV Battery manufacturer CATL says it has effectively addressed one of the biggest anxieties in EV ownership: battery degradation from repeated DC fast charging. According to a report from InsideEVs, the Chinese battery giant claims its new 5C lithium-ion cells can retain 80 percent of their capacity after 1,400 full charge-discharge cycles at 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

With a theoretical 372 miles of range per cycle, that equates to roughly 522,000 miles in what it describes as “Dubai summer heat.”

Under more moderate conditions of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, CATL says the same battery can endure 3,000 cycles and still maintain at least 80 percent capacity. That translates to 1.12 million miles. The improvements are attributed to a denser cathode coating to limit degradation, a repair additive in the electrolyte to seal micro-cracks and reduce lithium loss, and temperature-responsive agents within the separator. An upgraded battery management system can also direct cooling to specific hotspots, extending pack longevity. What CATL has not disclosed is timing, production partners, or real-world validation.

Fast Charging Has Always Been the Double-Edged Sword

Fast charging has long been one of the paradoxes of EV ownership. Consumers demand shorter charging times, yet repeated high-power DC charging is known to accelerate battery wear. Used EV listings often highlight “never fast charged” as a value proposition, underscoring lingering concerns. Replacing a degraded battery pack can cost tens of thousands of dollars, making long-term durability critical to resale value and total cost of ownership.

Automakers have aggressively pursued faster charging. Infrastructure upgrades, thermal innovations, and connector standardization have all contributed to faster charging. Toyota’s switch to Tesla’s NACS connector reportedly more than doubled fast-charging access and improved real-world usability.

Yet even when chargers advertise 350 kW or more, vehicles rarely sustain peak rates for long due to thermal and safety constraints. Misconceptions persist about how fast charging works, and some manufacturers have even cautioned owners against excessive use under certain conditions. In that context, CATL’s claim that routine 5C charging no longer compromises longevity is significant.

Solid-State Remains the Holy Grail

Despite CATL’s advances in conventional lithium-ion chemistry, solid-state batteries remain the industry’s holy grail. Promises of five-minute charging times, higher energy density, and improved safety continue to dominate research and investor narratives. A truly production-ready solid-state pack would theoretically deliver both ultra-fast charging and greater capacity without the same degradation mechanisms inherent in liquid electrolytes.

However, large-scale commercialization remains elusive. Even as companies showcase prototype breakthroughs, questions about manufacturing scalability, cost, and durability persist. Toyota and Honda have acknowledged that technical barriers remain before solid-state batteries can be deployed widely. At the same time, major energy and industrial players continue investing heavily in development programs. Incremental improvements to established lithium-ion chemistries, like CATL’s 5C battery, may therefore prove more immediately impactful than waiting for a breakthrough that could still be years away.

via Autoblog https://ift.tt/WsylOXw

February 9, 2026 at 07:53AM

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gaming-stocks-get-hammered-after-google-reveals-new-ai-vibe-coding-technology/1100-6537806/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f

Google has rolled out a new AI technology, Project Genie, that claims to allow users to create interactive worlds "generated in real time." Apparently some video game investors are spooked, as a number of gaming companies saw their stock prices get hammered today.

In particular, Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two’s stock price took a massive beating, falling by more than 9% today, wiping out billions in market cap along the way. Roblox Corp., which makes the hugely popular game Roblox, saw an even steeper sell-off, with the share price dipping by more than 12% today alone. Unity, the company that makes the popular Unity game engine, saw a massive 30% stock price slip today.

Stock prices are known to bounce around in this way based on real-world news headlines, but the sell-off happening today is more substantial than normal. People have already used Project Genie to make worlds that rip off Mario, and it’s not hard to imagine how things may snowball from here and invite lawsuits.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

via GameSpot’s PC Reviews https://ift.tt/Hfvtldy

January 30, 2026 at 01:24PM

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3048106/scientists-discover-simple-trick-that-extends-lithium-battery-life.html

via PCWorld https://www.pcworld.com

January 30, 2026 at 07:55AM