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NVIDIA releases a brand new video card and AMD follows up with a cheaper one. That’s basically been the cycle of the GPU industry for the last decade, with NVIDIA typically leading the pack and AMD rushing to keep up. But with the recent Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT, AMD finally found a winning formula with GPUs that were both cheaper than NVIDIA’s and, in many cases, more powerful. The new Radeon RX 9060 XT, which is meant to take on NVIDIA’s RTX 5060 Ti in 1080p and 1440p gaming, mostly repeats that formula. Starting at $350 with 16GB of RAM (and $300 with a paltry 8GB), it’s launching for much less than the $429 RTX 5060 Ti while delivering a similar level of performance.

Once again, the key for AMD is offering much more RAM than NVIDIA for far less money. Sure, AMD is using slower GDDR6 RAM with 320 GB/s of memory bandwidth, compared to NVIDIAs’ 448 GB/s GDDR7. But in practice, actually having a larger memory pool is more useful when you’re dealing with massive textures and 3D models in modern games. So if you’re looking for the best gaming bang for the buck under $400, the 16GB Radeon RX 9060 XT is undoubtedly a winner.

What is the Radeon RX 9060 Ti?

The least powerful member of AMD’s Radeon RX 9000 family (so far), the RX 9060 XT is basically the card you’d get if you can’t stomach spending more than $500 on a GPU. Just remember that video cards tend to jump up in cost once they actually hit stores, depending on availability and the whims of retailers. The RX 9060 XT sports 32 RDNA 4 compute units, 32 RT accelerators and 64 AI accelerators. It can reach up to 3.1GHz speeds with its boost clock and consumes up to 180W of power. In comparison, the $549 MSRP RX 9070 has 56 compute units, while the $599 RX 9070 XT has eight more.

AMD is pitching this GPU as a replacement for the RX 7600 XT, which launched at $329 last year. That card also had 16GB of VRAM, but it had a slower 288 GB/s bandwidth. While the 7600 XT was more focused on entry-level 1440p gaming, the 9060 XT’s hardware improvements make it far more capable. AMD claims it’s 46 percent faster than the 7600 XT across more than 40 games, and in my testing that figure checks out.

For this review, I tested Gigabyte’s RX 9060 XT GPU, which has three cooling fans pointed at a typical copper heatsink. There’s no fancy vapor cooling chamber or any extravagant materials on the card, but at this price range I didn’t expect much.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

What’s good about the Radeon RX 9060 Ti?

Across games and benchmarks, the 9060 XT clocked in just about where I expected: noticeably slower than the RX 9070, and either on-par or slightly slower than the NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti. In 3DMark’s Steel Nomad benchmark, the 9060 XT scored 200 more points than that NVIDIA card, and it was also 90 points ahead in Timespy Extreme. But NVIDIA had a 1,000 point lead in the Speedway benchmark and it was more than 2,000 points ahead in the Luxmark HDR 4 test.

Despite those figures, I’m still impressed that the 9060 XT can stay in the same league as NVIDIA’s RTX 5060 Ti while costing a lot less. AMD’s ray tracing performance has also improved quite a bit from its previous generations, scoring 45 percent faster in the 3DMark Port Royal benchmark. NVIDIA still has the lead in ray tracing in games though, especially with the one-two punch of DLSS 4 AI upscaling and multi-frame generation. NVIDIA’s RTX 5000-series cards can produce up to three interpolate frames for every natively rendered frame, while AMD is still stuck with generating a single extra frame with its FSR 3 and 4 (Fidelity Super Resolution 4) upscaling.

None	3DMark TimeSpy Extreme	Geekbench 6 GPU	Cyberpunk (1440p RT Overdrive DLSS/FSR 3)	Blender
AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT	8,192	91,617	80fps	1,560
NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti (16GB)	8,100	139,756	136 fps (4X frame gen)	4,220
AMD Radeon RX 9070	10,997	113,012	117 fps	N/A
AMD Radeon RX 7600	5,526	N/A	20 fps	1,013

The Radeon RX 9060 XT was able to run Cyberpunk 2077 in 1440p ray tracing "overdrive" mode at a respectable 80 fps, whereas NVIDIA’s RTX 5060 Ti hit 136 fps thanks to multi-frame generation. Still, there’s plenty of wiggle room to crank out more frames: Stepping down to 1080p got me 120 fps, and I saw 90 fps while using the less demanding ray tracing "ultra" preset in 1440p. In terms of raw performance, without any upscaling fanciness, the 9060 XT hit 114 fps in 1080p and 90 fps in 1440p.

The Radeon RX 9060 XT didn’t run very hot during my testing, but that makes sense since it’s purely focused on 1080p and 1440p gaming, During 3DMark’s Steel Nomad stress test, which repeats the benchmark 20 times in succession, the card only topped out at 54 Celsius. I’m used to seeing video cards reaching upwards of 70C under load, so the 9060 XT was a nice surprise. While idling, it sits at 42 Celsius. That’s higher than cards with vapor chamber cooling, but it’s about average for cards in this price range. I didn’t hear any annoying fan noise under load either, since it barely broke a sweat.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

What’s bad about the Radeon RX 9060 XT?

There isn’t really much to complain about with the Radeon RX 9060 XT, so long as you’re not expecting too much from a sub-$400 GPU. Still, it would be nice to see support for AMD’s new FSR 4 AI upscaling spread out more quickly. When the RX 9070 XT launched, the feature was only available in a handful of games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and now it’s supported over 60 games. That’s still about half of the games that NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 supports (which so far includes over 125 titles).

On the RX 9060 XT, the FSR 4 user experience still isn’t as simple as activating DLSS on NVIDIA cards. I had to enable it manually in AMD’s Adrenaline software, then flip it on in Call of Duty: Warzone to activate it. On the bright side, I saw an average of 254 fps while playing a match in 1440p with extreme graphics settings, FSR 4 and frame generation flipped on. With frame gen enabled, but no FSR 4, performance dipped to 174fps. And if I removed both of those features, it fell to 110 fps. Clearly, FSR 4 and frame gen helps quite a bit, I just wish it were in more games. 

Should you buy the Radeon RX 9060 XT?

Assuming retailers don’t go wild by overpricing the Radeon RX 9060 XT, it’s a solid option if you’re looking for an affordable GPU that’s dedicated to 1080p and 1440p gameplay. At $350, the 9060 XT is well below the RTX 5060 Ti’s $429 retail price, and certainly much cheaper than models being sold for more than $500.

To reach a lower $300 price point, AMD also unveiled an RX 9060 Ti with 8GB of RAM. But honestly, I’d recommend avoiding that entirely unless you only play ancient games in 1080p. It’s worth spending a bit more so you can play newer games with less headaches, and it’s practically a requirement if you want to play in 1440p.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

Wrap-up

The Radeon RX 9060 XT is a reminder of a world where we didn’t have to pay more than $400 to get a capable GPU. We already know more than 80 percent of PC gamers play at 1440p or lower resolutions, according to Steam’s data. So for the vast majority of players out there — the ones who aren’t using monitors with crazy high refresh rates or 4K+ resolutions — it’s all the GPU you really need.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/amd-radeon-rx-9060-xt-16gb-review-finally-a-powerful-350-gpu-130037952.html?src=rssEngadget

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Payphones "were the only things that were built to last for decades and be out in the elements," says electrical engineer Patrick Schlott. He should know; as a hobby, he buys secondhand payphones, rewires them, then asks local businesses in rural Vermont if they’d let him install them. His goal is to offer, for free, public telephone service. (Schlott foots the bill himself.)

"It’s assumed most folks own cell phones," writes Schlott. "Well, not everyone does, sometimes they don’t work out on dirt roads, sometimes you forget your charger, and sometimes you just really need to make a phone call. We aim to provide a valuable public service to the community while teaching people about the US telephone system that has over a century of history behind it."

Schlott’s company, RandTel, currently operates three phones in his neck of Vermont: One at the North Tunbridge General Store in Tunbridge, one at the Latham Library and a third—a rotary model from the 1950s–at the town of Randolph’s information booth. He’s particularly proud of that last one, as "This installation is 100% solar-powered, provided graciously by Catamount Solar," he writes. "Many thanks to the White River Valley Chamber of Commerce for hosting!"

Here’s a look at what Schlott does:

Core77

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This Laravel Blade + Apline.js starter kit emphasizes simplicity by offering a lightweight, Blade-only kit.

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ElasticLens is a Laravel package that integrates Elasticsearch with Eloquent models. It provides advanced search capabilities while maintaining Laravel’s familiar syntax.

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MakeUseOf

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Whether you’re setting up an AR-15 for home defense, duty use, or range days, one decision makes a big difference: your zero distance.

Zeroing determines how your point of aim (POA) and point of impact (POI) match up across different distances.

Today, we’ll break down four common zeroing options — 25, 36/300, 50/200, and 100 yards — and help you pick the best one for your mission.

Understanding POA vs. POI and Bullet Trajectory

Before diving into distances, it’s important to understand the relationship between Point of Aim (POA) and Point of Impact (POI).

• POA is where your optic’s reticle or red dot is placed.
• POI is where the bullet actually lands.

Because your optic sits higher than your barrel — known as height over bore — bullets travel in an arc, not a straight line. As a result, your POA and POI only truly match at specific distances. Picking the right zero helps manage that arc and makes hits easier across varying ranges.

The 25-Yard Zero: Quick Setup, but Not Always Ideal

If you’re working with a 25-yard zero, it’s usually because:

• Your range is short.
• You need a fast, practical zero for close-quarters use.

Zeroing at 25 yards theoretically sets you up for a second intersection around 300 yards. But here’s the downside: between 100 and 200 yards, your rounds can hit 4–6 inches high.

Best for:

• Indoor ranges.
• Emergency field zeroing.
• Defensive shooting inside 50 yards.

If you expect to engage past 100 yards regularly, there are better options.

Understanding the 36/300 Yard Zero (USMC Style)

This classic Marine Corps zero involves aligning your rifle at 36 yards, which theoretically matches again at 300 yards.

Sounds perfect, right?

Here’s the catch: At 200 yards, the bullet’s trajectory peaks significantly — often 5+ inches higher than your point of aim. That may not seem like much, but it can easily cause misses on smaller, partially exposed targets or when aiming for vital zones.

Best for:

• Shooters trained in range estimation.
• Full-size rifle setups designed for engagements from 0–300 yards.
• Military marksmanship qualifiers.

Be cautious: Unless you’re trained to account for that mid-range rise, the 36/300 zero can create problems at common engagement distances.

The 50/200 Yard Zero: The Practical General-Purpose Zero

The 50/200-yard zero is one of the most popular for modern AR-15 users, especially those running red dot optics.

• Bullet crosses the line of sight at 50 yards.
• Slightly peaks at 100 yards (around 1–2 inches high).
• Meets the line of sight again at 200 yards.

This creates a Maximum Point Blank Range (MPBR), meaning you can aim center mass and expect effective hits from 0–250 yards without needing to compensate for bullet drop.

Best for:

• Red dots and holographic sights.
• Home defense, patrol rifles, general-purpose ARs.
• Shooters who want simple, stress-proof aiming.

Pro Tip: You can even rough zero at 10 yards indoors by placing your POA about 1.9 inches above your bore’s centerline before fine-tuning at the range.

The 100-Yard Zero: Precision at Known Distances

The 100-yard zero is a favorite for those using magnified optics like ACOGs, LPVOs, or variable scopes.

• POA and POI align exactly at 100 yards.
• Bullet trajectory stays relatively flat beyond that.

Many BDC reticles are calibrated assuming a 100-yard zero, making it easier to estimate holdovers at extended distances.

Best for:

• Precision shooting at known distances.
• Hunting applications where bullet placement matters.
• Rifles with 3x, 4x, or variable magnification.

Heads up: With a 100-yard zero, you’ll need to understand and apply elevation holds once you stretch past 150–200 yards.

Matching Zeros to BDC Reticles

If your optic has a BDC reticle, match your zero distance to its design.

• ACOGs, LPVOs, and similar optics often assume a 100-yard zero.
• Red dots benefit more from the flatter trajectory of a 50-yard zero because simple center-mass aiming covers more ground without complicated holds.

Final Thoughts: Pick Your Zero, Train With It

Choosing the right zero for your AR-15 isn’t just about ballistics — it’s about matching your gear to your purpose.

• Red dot, home defense, patrol? Choose the 50/200-yard zero.
• Hunting, precision shooting, magnified optics? The 100-yard zero is your friend.
• Limited range space? 25 yards gets you functional fast, but know the limitations.
• Long-range shooting? 36/300 yard zero — if you’re trained to manage the trajectory.

No matter which zero you choose, training is everything. Know your holds, your bullet rise and fall, and how your rifle behaves under stress. Confidence in your zero could make the difference when it counts.

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About Scott Witner

Scott Witner is a former Marine Corps Infantryman with 2ndBn/8th Marines. He completed training in desert warfare at the Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Mountain Warfare and survival at the Mountain Warfare Training Center, the South Korean Mountain Warfare School in Pohang, and the Jungle Warfare school in the jungles of Okinawa, Japan. He now enjoys recreational shooting, trail running, hiking, functional fitness, and working on his truck. Scott resides in Northeastern Ohio.

AmmoLand Shooting Sports News

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A multimeter is invaluable for the DIY troubleshooting of electrical problems around the house. You can use it to identify faulty wiring, check if electrical sockets have power, and test batteries. My electrical engineer brother-in-law, Ryan Davis, recently showed me how to use one. Here’s a write-up of what I learned. Maybe you’ll find it handy.

What Does a Multimeter Measure?

A multimeter measures three electrical properties:

• Voltage (Volts): The electrical potential difference that pushes electrons through a circuit. Measure voltage to check battery charge or verify power in outlets.
• Current (Amps): The flow of electrical charge through a conductor, indicating how much electricity is moving through a circuit. Measure current to verify that circuits or devices are drawing the correct amount of electricity.
• Resistance (Ohms): How much a material opposes electrical flow. Higher resistance means less electricity flow. Measure resistance to check component continuity, verifying that a wire or fuse isn’t broken.

Basic Multimeter Components

Multimeters come in analog and digital forms. One of the nice features of digital multimeters is that they’re auto-ranging, meaning the multimeter automatically selects the correct measurement range for the quantity you’re testing — voltage, current, or resistance — so you don’t have to manually dial in an expected value range. That makes digital multimeters easier for beginners to use.

The main components of a multimeter (whether digital or analog) include:

• Display: Shows the measured value.
• Dial: Lets you select what to measure (voltage, current, resistance).
• Ports: COM (black) and two red ports: one for voltage, resistance, and milliamp/μA measurements, and one for high current (up to 10A). Most pro multimeters separate the ports for measuring voltage/resistance and milliamp/μA. There will be a port you use when you’re measuring voltage and resistance measurements. Never plug into the 10A jack unless you’re measuring large currents.
• Probes: Black (negative) and red (positive) wires to connect to test points.

Real-World Applications

 

Testing Batteries (Voltage)

You can use a multimeter to test if your batteries still have juice. Here’s how to do it:

Plug the black probe into “COM” and red probe into the milliamp/μA port.

Turn the dial to DC voltage (~ V).

Touch red probe to battery’s positive terminal, black to negative.

Read the display — AA/AAA should be around 1.5V, 9V around 9V, car batteries 12.6V when charged.

Testing for Parasitic Draw (Current)

A few years ago, my car wouldn’t start in the mornings. Once I jumped the battery, it was fine. The battery was good. But then a few days later, the car wouldn’t start again. I made sure I wasn’t leaving dome lights on or anything.

I ended up taking it to a mechanic, and he used a multimeter to discover a parasitic draw from a wireless phone adapter plugged into the cigarette lighter. Here’s how I could have used my multimeter to diagnose this on my own:

1. Set Up Your Meter

• Turn the dial to DC Amps (A⎓ or mA⎓).
• Plug the black lead into COM.
• Plug the red lead into the mA jack.

2. Break the Circuit at the Negative Terminal

Use a wrench to loosen and remove the negative battery cable from the battery post.

3. Connect the Meter in Series

You’re going to place the meter in series, which means you’re connecting it directly into the path of the electrical current. Instead of electricity flowing directly from the battery to the cable, it now flows through the meter first, then continues to the cable. Because the meter and cable form a single continuous path (like links in a chain), they’re said to be connected “in series.” This setup lets the meter measure all the electricity moving through that pathway.

It’s hard to see what I’m doing in this pic, but it’s this:

• Touch the black probe to the negative battery post.
• Touch the red probe to the loose battery cable.
• You’ve now inserted the multimeter in series and the battery current is flowing through your meter.

4. Read the Display

• A normal reading is typically 20–80 milliamps (0.02–0.08A).
• Anything above 100mA (0.1A) is excessive and warrants investigation.

5. Track the Culprit

If the meter reads above 100mA:

• Have another person start pulling fuses one at a time from the fuse box.
• Watch the current draw after each one.
• When the draw drops significantly, you’ve found the circuit responsible. From there, trace what’s connected to it.

Testing Extension Cords (Resistance/Continuity)

Extension cords take a beating. Over time, the insulation can crack, wires can loosen, and corrosion can creep into the connections.

A damaged extension cord is a fire or shock waiting to happen. Fortunately, your multimeter makes it easy to test cords and catch problems before they become dangerous.

Step 1: Check for Continuity and Shorts

Start with the cord completely unplugged.

Set your multimeter to resistance (Ω) or continuity mode. Plug the red probe into the voltage/resistance port.

To test each wire:

Ground:

• Insert the red probe into the round ground hole on the female (plug-in) end.
• Touch the black probe to the round ground prong on the male (wall plug) end.
• Expect a reading under a few ohms depending on cord length and gauge. Anything over ~5 ohms could indicate corrosion or a partial break.

Now check for shorts:

• Keep the red probe in the ground hole and touch the black probe to each flat prong on the male end.
• Your multimeter should display “O.L.” or infinity, indicating no connection. If you get a low reading, the cord has a short and should be tossed.

Hot and Neutral Slots:

Repeat the same procedure for the short (hot) slot and long (neutral) slot:

• Match each slot to its corresponding prong and test for continuity (0.8 ohms or less).
• Cross-test against the other prongs for “O.L.” readings to confirm there are no shorts between wires.

If any test shows continuity between circuits that shouldn’t be connected, that cord goes in the trash. It’s not worth trying to repair.

Step 2: Test for Live Voltage

Once you’ve confirmed the cord isn’t damaged, you can check that it’s delivering voltage properly.

Plug the cord into a live wall outlet.

Set your multimeter to AC voltage (VAC).

Insert the probes into the two female holes of the cord. You should get around 120 volts.

Move one of the probes to the ground hole (it’s round). You should again see ~120 volts.

These readings confirm the cord is carrying voltage properly and safely.

There you go. How to use a multimeter. Whether you’re checking batteries, hunting down mysterious electrical problems in your vehicle, or making sure your extension cords aren’t fire hazards waiting to happen, this simple tool can save you time, money, and headaches.

This article was originally published on The Art of Manliness.

The Art of Manliness

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Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers features a contraption that slides Wallace out of his bed, downstairs to the kitchen, into his clothes, then fixes him some toast and jam. Joseph’s Machines thought it would be fun to reenact the sequence in real life, but as his video reveals, it took a lot of prep, trial, and error to get everything to work just right.

The Awesomer

If you purchased an Apple device in the last 10 years, you might be able to receive some of the money from the company’s recently settled spying lawsuit. The original lawsuit claimed Apple was capturing sensitive information with its Siri voice assistant without users’ consent, and sending it to third-party contractors. The company agreed to settle the case for $95 million in January 2025, and thanks to the new landing page for the settlement, there’s now a way to file a claim on your own.

To file a claim, you you need to have bought an "iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch or Apple TV" between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024, and believe Siri accidentally activated on your device during a private conversation. From the $95 million Apple is paying out, you can receive up to $20 per device you believe called up Siri, provided you swear under oath it happened.

You have until July 2, 2025 to file your claim. If you qualify for the settlement, you may have already been notified with information on your Claim Identification Number and Claim Confirmation Code. If you haven’t received either but believe the settlement applies, you’re free to submit a claim on your own.

Apple claims that Siri was designed with protecting users’ privacy in mind, and agreeing to share data to improve the voice assistant — through your device’s Privacy & Security settings — never uses audio recordings or transcripts for anything other than training. In the case of newer devices, voice data is processed locally anyway, so agreeing to share your data is supposed to be the only way Apple could ever access it.

Given the growing focus on AI, and the large amounts of data needed to train it, there’s good reason to be skeptical about where companies are getting their training material. Apple prefers to get its customers consent, but the company has turned to new sources to help its AI research along. For example, Apple recently disclosed that it will start using the images captured for its Street View-esque feature in Apple Maps to train its models.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/you-can-now-claim-your-piece-of-apples-95-million-siri-privacy-settlement-213020351.html?src=rssEngadget

To help beginners and professionals alike, we are sharing a comprehensive Python cheatsheet that covers everything from the basic syntax to powerful data science libraries. Bookmark it, print it, share it—this is the companion you didn’t know you needed.Planet Python