All posts tagged: tool

The National Guard is a tool of tyranny where we need justice

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] (RNS) — In a democracy, the National Guard should represent both protection and presence — a sign that government stands ready to defend its people, not dominate them. But how, when and why we deploy the guard tells a deeper story about our national priorities, and about whose lives, griefs and demands we take seriously.  In just over a decade, the National Guard has been deployed in dramatically different ways, each revealing who we believe is worth protecting in this nation, and who is seen as a threat to be subdued.  In May 2025, a devastating tornado tore through North St. Louis, an overwhelmingly Black community still bearing the scars of redlining, disinvestment and environmental neglect. The state sent 41 National Guard troops to help with cleanup. No tanks, no tear gas, just people in uniform doing the slow, quiet work of lifting debris, clearing roads and restoring dignity. It was a small gesture, but a righteous one.  Compare that with 2014, when I stood in Ferguson, Missouri, after the police killing of Michael …

Unreal Editor for Fortnite’s AI character creation tool has ambitions beyond Darth Vader

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] Epic Games took a big step with conversational AI when it added a new version of Darth Vader in Fortnite that could speak with players. But later this year, any creator using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) will be able to make their own AI-powered characters with the same underlying technology behind Vader. During the 2025 State of Unreal keynote, Epic revealed that a new tool in UEFN called the Persona Device will allow anyone to create non-playable characters (NPCs) with AI-driven personalities. The company showed this in action with an internal demo where the player has to talk to a robot named Mr. Buttons. Epic Games executive vice president Saxs Persson said this was meant to show how the Persona Device can “enable emergent, reactive gameplay for creators and deeper experiences for players.” Within the demo’s Verse code (the programming language used in UEFN), the AI prompt that defines Mr. Buttons’ personality describes it as a “mysterious cosmic entity” with infinite knowledge and curiosity, and that it must respond to the player with …

If you don’t like crunches but want to get a stronger core this one fitness tool can help

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[ad_1] If you’re trying to build core strength and don’t really like doing crunches, because you find it hard to engage your core, then get your hands on a Pilates ring, sometimes known as the magic circle. Placing a Pilates ring between your knees or ankles can help you to more effectively engage your abdominal muscles, including the obliques that run down the sides of your torso and the lower back. For three ways to activate those hard-to-reach deep core muscles, take a look at these low-impact Pilates ring exercises posted on Instagram by Pilates Prescription app founder Rebecca Dadoun. You may like Then keep reading to discover why Dadoun thinks the Pilates ring is so good for building a stronger core. How to do Dadoun’s low-impact Pilates ring exercises Probody Pilates Ring Circle The top-rated Pilates ring on Amazon. Why a Pilates ring is good for core exercises “The Pilates ring builds core strength by creating resistance and encouraging deep muscle activation,” Dadoun tells Fit&Well, “especially in the inner thighs, pelvic floor and abdominals. …

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

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[ad_1] Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to ‌Apple Music‌. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced back in February 2024, when an Android user saw a reference to the option in the ‌Apple Music‌ beta for Android. There is no word on when library and playlist transfer options might expand to other countries, but it is likely Apple is planning to expand the rollout in the near future. Apple is partnering with SongShift for the new ‌Apple Music‌ feature. SongShift is an app that transfers music playlists across streaming platforms, but by working with Apple, the functionality has been integrated directly in the ‌Apple Music‌ app. Adding a simple option for transferring content from another service to ‌Apple Music‌ could spur people with large, curated …

For children with a rare form of dementia, music could be a powerful therapy tool

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[ad_1] When we hear the word “dementia”, we usually think of memory loss in older adults. But there’s another, much rarer form of the disease that strikes far earlier in life – childhood dementia, also known as Batten disease. Batten disease is a rare but serious genetic disorder that affects the brain and nervous system. It is unknown how many children in the UK are living with this heartbreaking condition, but recent estimates show between 150-200 are affected. It often appears in early in life – usually between the ages of 12 months to 12 years. The condition can lead to problems with vision, movement and thinking. And, because the condition is genetic, it often means that more than one child in a family can be affected. Right now, there’s no cure for Batten disease. Sadly, many children with the condition don’t survive into adulthood. Scientists and doctors are working hard to change that, but there’s still a long way to go. Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to …

Moonbird review: A screen-free breathing tool

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[ad_1] I love sleeping — getting under the covers and rubbing my feet together like a little cricket before drifting into an easy sleep. Except that last part — drifting into an easy sleep — doesn’t always happen for me. As an anxious person with insomnia, falling asleep is a battle. I’ve spent my lifetime gathering a tool kit of breathing exercises, trying sleep trackers, and developing a routine to combat sleepless nights. While I’m usually good at counting my breaths in my mindfulness practice, the Moonbird device promises to be a personal breathing coach for further relaxation. Over a few weeks, I tested the Moonbird handheld breathing coach, using it to relax in the evenings or calm down in anxious moments. While it’s an effective tool, I’m not sure it’s worth the price. Plus, we’ve got to talk about its… interesting design. Here are all my thoughts on the Moonbird breathing coach. It’s an effective, distraction-free breathing tool Holding your thumb to the Moonbird’s sensor automatically starts a new breathing exercise. Credit: Samantha Mangino …

How I used this AI tool to build an app with just one prompt – and you can too

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[ad_1] Anna Bliokh/Getty Images Have you ever wanted to build your own custom application but didn’t want to take the time to do any of the pesky learning that software development requires? If so, a new experimental project from GitHub might just make your dreams come true. GitHub Spark lets you build what the company calls “micro apps” or “sparks.” These are very limited custom applications that perform one or two basic tasks. You create them through a chatbot interface, and when you’re done, you get a spark you can (someday) share with all your friends. Also: Microsoft is offering free AI skills training for all – and it’s not too late to sign up I recently got access to the preview and was able to do some testing. Fundamentally, the tool is extremely limited. But because there’s an AI operating underneath, it’s possible for the AI to do some very sophisticated AI magic within the very limited interface of Spark. Linking and configuring The first thing you need to do is link your GitHub …

TV show’s portrayal of one boyhood may do more harm than good when used as a teaching tool

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[ad_1] Netflix television series Adolescence follows a 13-year-old boy accused of the murder of his female classmate. It touches upon incel online hate groups, toxic influencers and the misogynistic online spaces of the manosphere. Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, has backed a move for Adolescence to be shown in schools, and Netflix has now made the series available to be shown for free in classrooms through charity Into Film+, which has also produced a guide for teachers. Resources for teachers and parents will also be produced by relationships charity Tender. Adolescence is a drama and deserves the praise it has attracted. But it wasn’t developed as an educational resource, the kind that is produced in consultation with young people and schools and should be underpinned by robust research and well planned evaluations. The series shows an extreme example of one teenager drawn into the world of the manosphere. Not all boys will see themselves reflected in this portrayal. And as a researcher working on masculinity and misogyny, my concern is that showing the series …

This New Designer Kitchen Tool Is Just a Stick. So Why Are We Obsessed With It?

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[ad_1] Alongside making steel, brass, and wooden sculptures, Richardt has created minimalist designs for more than a decade for Danish design studio Frama: A day bed, a lounge chair, candle holders, a shelving system, a “very minimalist” lamp for the restaurant Noma. Sophie Charara Frama passed on Tool One, though, so Richardt kept it at home until he stumbled on kitchenware studio Veark, also in Copenhagen, which makes tools inspired by professional kitchens. For cofounders Daniel Ronge and Christian Lorentzen, it was love at first stick. We jest about the sheer simplicity of this thing, but Richardt’s inspiration came, of course, partly from utensils in Asia. Cooking chopsticks, often made from bamboo, have long been used by professional stir-fry chefs for tasting and sampling in the kitchen. “I had some chopsticks at home that I used to stir my oatmeal in the morning for a couple of years, and it was a little too small for doing that,” he says. “Then I thought I could make it larger into a design that could also flip …

I Tried NordVPN’s Free Remote Connection Tool and Found It Super Useful

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[ad_1] NordVPN introduced Meshnet in 2022. Yet, there’s a chance you haven’t checked out this powerful feature (as I hadn’t). Since this tool is now free, it may be the right time to give it a second look. What Is Meshnet and How Does It Work? Although the name implies that Meshnet is a technology that could usher in the end of the world, it’s relatively simple. This NordVPN feature is a virtual network you can utilize to connect external devices, plus devices where you’re logged into your Nord account. If you remember the olden days when LAN networks (as opposed to WAN networks) reigned supreme, you’ll have the gist of it. However, while a LAN requires physical connection and proximity, Meshnet eliminates this limitation and allows you to remotely connect different devices into a singular secure network. By combining the NordLynx protocol and P2P technology, Meshnet connects two or more points (devices with unique IP addresses you add to the network), thus forming an encrypted tunnel and turning the device into a VPN of …