July 2024
Japanese gymnastics star Shoko Miyata reportedly sent home from Olympics for smoking
The captain of Japan’s Olympic women’s gymnastics team is set to be sent home from Europe after allegations she was caught smoking. Japan’s Kyodo News said multiple sources had indicated Shoko Miyata will leave the team’s training base in Monaco, where she was preparing for the Paris Olympics, which start next week. Smoking is illegal for anyone under the age of 20 in Japan, and Miyata is 19.
Use This App to Change What Happens When You Close Your MacBook
When there’s no external display connected to your MacBook, closing it puts the entire laptop to sleep. That’s straightforward enough. When there is an external display, mouse, and keyboard connected, closing your MacBook allows you use it in “Clamshell” mode—that is, you can use the computer using the external display and controls.
This default behavior should cover most use cases, which is probably why Apple doesn’t allow much configuration. But maybe you want the MacBook to go to sleep when you close it, even if there’s a display connected. Or maybe you want the computer to shut down entirely? If that’s you, check out Clamshell, a free app that lets you choose.
The application lives in the menu bar and gives you five options. There’s the default behavior, which we outlined above, and then four more. Sleep will put your MacBook to sleep as soon as you close the lid, even if there’s another display connected. This is great if you use an external display but never use your MacBook in clamshell mode. Beautiful.
Shut Down goes a step further by shutting your computer down entirely (this requires installing a system-wide background helper). Shutting down your computer is great if you want to preserve battery life, but is in other ways extreme—you might lose any unsaved work, and you’ll need to start the laptop up again. Still, if you’re using your MacBook in a public place, this is the most secure option—it’s really hard to access a Mac without the password if it’s completely shut down.
Those two features are easy enough to understand, but there are two more that are a touch more tricky. The first of these, Keep External Displays On & Prevent Idle Sleep, will keep the display on and also keep your displays from going to sleep. It’s great if there’s something on your display that you want to ensure stays visible, even if you’re not actively using the laptop.
The next option, Turn Off Displays & Prevent Idle Sleep, will turn off your displays but not your device. This is great if you want your MacBook to keep playing music or downloading files while the screen is turned off. Note that this won’t happen if you’re not connected to power, meaning you don’t have to worry about this option draining your battery.
All of these are great options to have around, which is why I’m surprised Apple doesn’t offer some way to configure them in settings. The good news is that Clamshell is free and does the job well.
Giants open 2025 season at Reds, face A’s in Sacramento on July 4
MLB officially announced the 2025 schedule. Here’s who the Giants are slated to play next season.
Man gets 3 years in death of fiancée who went missing in Ohio in 2011
Cubs, White Sox announce change to Crosstown Classic in 2025
MLB is still on hold for the All-Star break, but they’ve already started looking ahead to next year. The league announced its full schedule for 2025, which means we know about Opening Day and when key divisional games will take place. In Chicago, it also means we know exactly when the Crosstown Classic will continue. The Cubs and White Sox…
Shaquille O’Neal jokingly tries to convince Dana White to make $1 million bet on Bulls
Shaquille O’Neal has a questionable plan to earn a quick $100 million this upcoming NBA season. The Hall of Fame center wants to place a $1 million bet on the Chicago Bulls to win the NBA Finals. But on his podcast, “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” he tried to convince UFC owner Dana White to join him in the venture….
SunPower Plunges After Halting Solar Installs and Shipments
Russell Westbrook reportedly on way to Denver via sign-and-trade with Jazz
The Clippers pick up veteran point guard Kris Dunn in the deal.
Voice Changers Are Coming to Console Gaming
There are plenty of reasons to use a voice changer when gaming, whether you just want anonymity, or the jokes and memes that come with using a soundboard. Historically, voice changers have been easier to use on PC than on consoles, because PCs let you run your voice changing program alongside your game, and console manufacturers aren’t keen to let you do the same thing on their machines. That’s where the Voicemod Key comes in.
A custom piece of hardware, Voicemod Key gets around console restrictions by changing your voice before it even gets to your console. It’s a USB dongle that you plug into your phone, with an input for the voice signal from your headphones, and an output that sends a modified version of that signal to your device. Essentially, you run your voice through the Voicemod app, which passes it on to your game.
While in the app, you’ll be able to access user-generated sound clips, real-time voice customization, and over 100 pre-made voice changers. The downside is that you’ll need to deal with at least two extra cables and to keep your phone nearby and tethered to you while you play, and you’ll need to be using a wired headset with a 3.5mm cable. The upside is that you can make yourself sound like Snoop Dogg on Xbox, so, priorities.
Voicemod Key is a clever idea, and certainly far more robust than the dozens of voice changer boxes currently for sale from no-name companies on Amazon that are limited to a handful of fixed settings. It avoids the lag that comes with using Remote Play, which is Voicemod’s current solution for consoles.
Voicemod Key will first launch to 500 beta testers, with the company aiming for testers to get their devices in Q3 2024. The company says the device will support both USB-C and Lightning connectors, and you can sign up for the beta on its website. No official pricing has been announced yet, although The Verge reports the key will be bundled with a Voicemod Pro subscription.