In Wales, deprived areas have the highest levels of major pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, from traffic exhausts, industrial pollution, and wood-burning stoves. Particulate matter forms a fine mist of toxic debris that affects more people than any other type of pollution. Inhaling it can contribute to heart attacks and respiratory diseases, including lung cancer. For the very smallest particles, there’s no safe threshold below which “no damage to health is observed,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO)....

The feature will be available to some users in the US today, and all users in the country over the next few weeks; you can mute ads both on Facebook and Instagram. People in the US will be able to mute any ad from candidates, Super PACs or other organizations that have the “Paid for by” political disclaimer on them. In a story penned by Mark Zuckerberg in USA Today, the Facebook CEO said even if you turn off political ads, the company will still remind you to vote: The company also said that this feature will be available in other countries, where it has enforcements on political ads, later this fall....

You’ll have to be 18 years or older to join, as well as confirm your neighborhood (the app gives you the option of a few nearby locations). The company gives you the option of adding “interests, favorite places, and a bio” so your neighbors can get to know you. The announcement post also notes you can also take on the role of a ‘socializer’ to start conversations too, whatever that means....

Specifically, the two apps Facebook’s closing down are Lasso, the aforementioned TikTok clone, and Hobbi, a Pinterest lookalike. Both were developed by Facebook’s New Product Experimentation team and released within the last few years. Both were immediately called out for their similarities to other apps — even the positive reviews for Lasso compare it to TikTok. I guess I can’t really judge Facebook too harshly for the naked attempts to swipe other platforms’ gimmicks — it worked, and gloriously so, in the case of Instagram and Snapchat....

The company imposed the temporary ban after the November 2020 presidential election to curb the spread of misinformation in the aftermath of the vote. It will now resume advertising on “social issues, elections or politics,” Facebook announced in a blog post: The decision follows a similar move by online advertising rival Google. The search giant had also briefly prohibited political ads following the election, and again after the US Capital insurrection....

In August, Audi unveiled its Skysphere concept EV that took our breath away, and now get ready to feast your eyes upon the second model of the concept car series, the Grandsphere. Because, BOY, it’s absolutely stunning. Just take a look at this video: The Gransphere is described by Audi as “the private jet for the road,” and is a 5.35 meter long electric sedan. Well, there you have it....

Making a living in the gig economy was tough enough before COVID-19. Now…well, let’s just say all those freelancers and side-hustlers have a lot of new competition for those remote work-from-home gigs. In many cases, scoring a quality remote assignment from a reputable company isn’t even about your qualifications or the quality of your work. No, it’s often just about knowing where to find those premium jobs. Many job sites and other work-for-hire forums are chock full of scam or deceptive posts....

What are the greatest guitar riffs of all time? If you’re a hard rock fan, you can probably list the usual suspects off the top of your head. Like clockwork, readers of Total Guitar Magazine recently made their picks about which hot licks should be on the Axe God Mount Rushmore — and the list includes plenty of riffs that are as iconic as they are instantly identifiable. The ominous opening thunder of AC/DC’s Back in Black....

That’s according to the country’s central bank governor who announced the news today. The announcement comes days after Facebook announced the launch of its upcoming digital currency, Libra. According to Reuters, France, which currently holds G7’s rotating presidency, has said it’s not against Facebook creating an instrument for financial transactions. But, it opposes that instrument becoming a sovereign currency. It’s important to note that despite Facebook, and several mainstream media outlets, branding Libra a cryptocurrency, it can be argued the term has been used quite loosely....

Hola socially-distant pals, Gamer Juice. That’s it, that’s the whole newsletter. Gamer Juice. Okay, here’s some context. I’ve been playing video games to deal with my isolation and depression during lock down. And now all of my internet ads are for energy drinks aimed at gamers. Gamer Juice. Gamefuel. Biohazard Coffee. Respawn. In fairness, as distasteful as the idea of “Gamer Juice” sounds, it’s actually a fictional drink from the Disney show “Dog With A Blog....

On Thursday, Korean luxury brand Genesis committed to manufacture only fully electric vehicles from 2025. That’s a big and promising move from an automaker that became a standalone brand under its parent company, Hyundai, just five years ago. Specifically, Genesis will follow a dual electrification plan, which means that all its models with be either battery electric or powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain. For this reason, the company’s working on higher-output fuel-cell systems, more efficient EV powertrains, and next-gen lithium-ion battery tech....

The staff member lost his job after posting a message on the company’s Slack channel saying, “stay safe homies, Nazis are about.” One of his coworkers criticized him for using the word “Nazi,” triggering a heated internal debate, Business Insider reported on Tuesday. The employee was promptly reprimanded for his comment by GitHub’s HR department. Two days later, he was terminated for unspecified “patterns of behavior.” [Read: How Netflix shapes mainstream culture, explained by data] The decision sparked outrage among Github staff....

According to a recent forecast from Wood Mackenzie, a global energy, chemicals, and renewables consultancy, EV sales are expected to surpass 320 million unit sales globally by 2040. With current volumes just under 10 million, the forecasted growth would make the EV market 35 times bigger than it is now. [Read: The perfect Rolls-Royce is this electric restomod from 1961] By 2040, Wood Mackenzie also expects global annual EV sales to be around 45 million units per year....

What does someone who’s hard of hearing, someone with a severe ear infection, and a commuter on a packed subway who forgot their earphones have in common? They would all struggle to interact with audio content in a digital interface. There are two primary ways to approach design that can solve problems such as this: accessible design and inclusive design. Accessible design has guidelines in place to assist people who are hard of hearing....

You can now start such a party on Duo by simply saying ‘Hey Google, make a group call.’ You’ll have to set up groups first in your phone’s Duo app, but after that you can simply select which group you want from your smart display. The feature is currently available on the Nest Hub Max, the LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK9 Smart Display, JBL Link View, and Lenovo’s 8-inch and 10-inch Smart Displays....

6.2” OLED display. Ultrawide lens. A more powerful battery. And even a headphone jack. https://t.co/OH3Q4IKmFq #LaunchNightIn pic.twitter.com/RS02Et4nIR — Made By Google (@madebygoogle) September 30, 2020 As the name suggests, the biggest difference between the Pixel 4a and the 4a 5G is that the latter has 5G support, but it’s not the only difference. The Pixel 4a 5G has a larger display than the 4a, along with a better battery — with Extreme Battery Saver, it can last up to 48 hours....

But try as I might to offer useful insights for buyers, a single user’s limited review period does not always translate to long-term experience. Case in point: many users have complained about connectivity issues plaguing their new Pixel Buds, including frequent cutouts, and uneven volume. Now Google has acknowledged the issue and promises improvements are on the way. As spotted by 9to5Google, a Google employee has promised a fix is on the way on the company’s support forums....

This feature helps visually impaired people get to their destination when walking. It works by continually reminding users they’re on the right path, while giving warnings if there’s a busy crosswalk ahead, and telling them how far away their next turn is using detailed voice navigation. In a blogspot published yesterday by Google, which was also World Sight Day, the tech giant outlined all there is to know about the feature....

As noted in the headlines, the most interesting feature might be a new ‘safety check.’ Within the Pixel’s Personal Safety App (which is now available on the Pixel 3 as well as 4), you can ask your phone to check in to make sure you’re okay at a given time. This is useful if you’re walking home at night, are hiking alone, or are otherwise in a potentially risky situation....

Family members will first need to set up a Google family group and a payment method; these are the same family groups Google already uses for Google Play apps and the like. Once they set up a Stadia account, they’ll be able to play shared games, even if they haven’t claimed the game on their account. You’ll also be able to share games included with a Stadia Pro subscription, though these titles will of course no longer be available once you end that subscription....