Robotics

The DeWalt 20V MAX XR impact driver is a powerhouse in the realm of heavy-duty electric screwdrivers, designed to handle the most demanding tasks with ease. This tool stands out with its impact drive feature, which does more than just turn fasteners. Instead, it delivers a powerful, rattling force that can break stubborn fasteners loose, making it significantly more powerful than a standard screwdriver. This capability makes it ideal for a variety of applications, from driving screws to tackling nuts and bolts. It’s so robust, I’ve even successfully used it to undo car wheel nuts.Equipped with a three-speed impact driver, this tool features a high-efficiency brushless motor that can deliver up to 1,825 in-lbs of maximum torque, which is more than enough to drive long, large-diameter screws with ease. For added convenience, the DeWalt 20V MAX XR also includes built-in LEDs to brighten up dim workspaces, ensuring precision even in poorly lit conditions. This tool is a true workhorse, ideal for anyone needing a reliable, powerful screwdriver for tough jobs, and the online reviews concur with this assessment.DeWalt 20V MAX XR impact driver tech specs: Rotation speed: 3250 rev/min | Battery type: 20V, from 1.5Ah to 5Ah lithium battery | Torque: up to 190Nm More

Image: Disney/Marvel Welcome to your multiverse. At the end of May, I participated in a fascinating experiment: Disney, Marvel, and Industrial Light & Magic teamed up to produce a mixed VR/AR immersive gaming experience for the Apple Vision Pro based on their What…If? TV series<!–>. Also: If you have an Apple Vision Pro, Marvel’s ‘What…If?’ […] More

Artie Beaty/ZDNETTikTok was the first social media app to label AI-generated or potentially dangerous content, but not all versions of the app offer this useful information. Two non-profit organizations dedicated to online safety say that’s a big issue.In a 16-page report released today, Mozilla and AI Forensics detail how TikTok Lite, a low-bandwidth version of the app intended for areas around the world with limited internet connectivity, has “alarming discrepancies” when it comes to safety features, several of which contradict TikTok’s own policies.Also: What caused the great CrowdStrike-Windows meltdown of 2024? History has the answerTikTok Lite, which isn’t available in the US or most of Europe, launched earlier this year in France and Spain. The app, which uses less battery, takes up less storage, and consumes less data, already has over 1 billion downloads. It immediately caught the attention of regulators because of a program that awarded users cash for engaging with content, creating an addictive atmosphere. TikTok quickly ended the rewards program, but the app is still facing scrutiny.TikTok Lite sacrifices user protection in two main areas, today’s study found.First, it has no warning labels for potentially harmful videos, like pranks, health-related content, graphic content, political misinformation, and AI-generated content.Also: TikTok is building a US-based version of its algorithm. Here’s what that means for youSecond, it lacks basic user controls to help you block certain content or keywords and set screen time limits, like the main TikTok app does. TikTok lets you set daily screen time limits or schedule breaks if you scroll for a certain amount of time. The Lite version of the app doesn’t have these same options. More

Bojanikus/Getty Images Several European countries are betting on open-source software for their technology. In the United States, eh, not so much. In the latest news from across the Atlantic, Switzerland has taken a major step forward with its “Federal Law on the Use of Electronic Means for the Fulfillment of Governmental Tasks” (EMBAG). This groundbreaking […] More

Google After years of indecision on the issue of third-party cookies, Google has finally made a decision: on Monday, the company revealed that it would no longer pursue its plan to cut off support for third-party cookies in Chrome. Instead, Google played up other options that would hand more control of privacy and tracking to […] More

Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images Enhancer for YouTube is a must-have extension for anyone who wants full control over how videos are played in their browser.  Also: How to download YouTube videos for free, plus two other methods I’ll show you how to use Enhancer for YouTube in Firefox, but the program is available […] More

Power stations — think power banks, only much bigger — are all the rage. They are essentially battery-powered inverter generators that can provide power to a variety of appliances and gadgets, making them perfect for camping, emergencies, and off-grid living.Problem is, they’re expensive, so being able to grab a good deal can save you well over $2,000. And even though Amazon Prime Day More

Alyson Windsor/ZDNETIs your company home to any of the 8.5 million Windows PCs clobbered by the July 18 CrowdStrike-induced outage? If so, Microsoft has a new recovery tool designed to help you repair those corrupted computers and get them up and running again.The outage was the result of a buggy software update from security provider CrowdStrike that impacted airports, banks, hotels, hospitals, and many other organizations. Only affecting Windows systems, the update triggered the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) on millions of computers.Also: What caused the great CrowdStrike-Windows meltdown of 2024?In response, several system administrators on a Reddit thread shared a potential fix that requires you to boot a Windows PC into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment and delete a problematic CrowdStrike file. On Sunday, Microsoft also published steps for repairing computers suffering BSODs due to the update that CrowdStrike cited on its own remediation page.Each of those procedures requires several manual steps. To automate the process, Microsoft devised its own recovery tool directed toward Windows clients, servers, and instances hosted on a Hyper-V virtual environment.How it worksUnlike the fix from the system admins, Microsoft’s tool automatically creates a boot drive for an affected computer. To use the boot media, the PC must be running a 64-bit version of Windows with at least 8GB of free space. Depending on how you boot up the computer, you may need local admin rights.Also: Who needs ransomware when a faulty software update can shut down critical infrastructure?You’ll need a USB drive with a minimum of 1GB and a maximum of 32GB of storage. The tool will wipe all the data on the USB drive, and automatically format it to FAT32.Like the system admin fix, Microsoft’s tool offers two options.Safe ModeYou can start the PC in Safe Mode, log in using an account with local admin privileges, and then run the required repair steps. The advantage of the Safe Mode option is that you may be able to recover a BitLocker-enabled PC without the necessary BitLocker recovery keys. If the PC isn’t secured with BitLocker, all you need to do is sign in with an account with local admin rights.Windows Preinstallation EnvironmentAlternatively, you can boot the PC using the Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) and then repair the computer. The WinPE option can recover a problematic PC more quickly and directly without requiring local admin rights, but you need to enter the BitLocker recovery keys for any BitLocker-enabled computer.Microsoft’s blog post on the recovery tool explains how to create and use the boot media. Based on early feedback on the tool, the company tweaked it on Sunday to add the safe boot option, let you create either a USB or ISO recovery file, and fix the USB size check.Also: Microsoft is changing how it delivers Windows updates: 4 things you need to knowAlthough Microsoft’s tool tries to automate the recovery steps, IT admins must visit each affected PC to implement the fix. That’s a lot of work, especially in organizations with thousands or tens of thousands of computers. More