• Monday 11/11: First event begins online (12 p.m. ET for Walmart+ members/5 p.m. ET for all customers)


• Monday 11/25: Second event begins online (12 p.m. ET for Walmart+ members/5 p.m. ET for all customers)


• Friday 11/29: Black Friday begins in stores at 6 a.m. local time


• Sunday 12/1: Cyber Monday begins (5 p.m. ET for Walmart+ members/8 p.m. ET for all customers)

• 50-inch Hisense Roku Smart TV - $138.00, down from $238.00


• 55-inch Samsung Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV - $298.00, down from $348.00


• 75-inch TCL Smart Roku TV - $378.00, down from $498.00


• 65-inch Samsung Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV - $398.00, down from $448.00


• 65-inch Samsung QLED 4K Smart TV - $698.00, down from $798.00


• 55-inch LG 4K OLED Smart TV - $798.00, down from $1,696.99

• GTRACING Gaming Chair - $93.99, down from $249.99


• Xbox Series X Digital Edition (with extra controller) - $489.99, down from $599.99

• Top Vision Sound Bar - $29.99, down from $89.99


• Ultimea Sound Bar - $49.99, down from $139.99


• Beats Solo3 Headphones - $69.00, down from $129.00

• HP Windows Laptop - $229.00, down from $549.00


• HP Victus Gaming Laptop - $499.00, down from $999.00


• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim Laptop - $429.00, down from $599.00

Seattle intends to maintain minimum parking requirements in much of the city, even as it has reduced other restrictions on new housing construction, reports Ryan Packer in The Urbanist.

“The fact that the City of Seattle intends to keep parking mandates that could impede housing growth was a footnote as the City released new zoning maps last month, as part of the latest update to Bruce Harrell’s One Seattle Comprehensive Plan.” Yet the city has led the way on parking reform in the past, eliminating parking mandates near transit in 2012.

The updated rules would lower requirements to one stall per every two housing units. “This would apply to the city’s new middle housing regulations, which are set to allow four to six units on all lots across the city, but also to the 30 new “neighborhood centers” proposed, which include places like Tangletown, North Magnolia, and central Beacon Hill, where more units would be allowed.”

According to Matt Hutchins, founding principal at CAST Architecture, “The difference between having zero parking spaces and having one parking space might be that there’s 1,000 square feet of extra paved area.” Hutchins told The Urbanist, “It has an outsized effect. And many, many places have demonstrated that that [sic] not requiring parking doesn’t mean that developers won’t provide it when they can or want to.”

• Seattle
• Parking Requirements

According to an article from Bloomberg, environmental groups are preparing for “copious litigation” in the coming years to hold the line against a second Trump administration’s efforts to open up federal land for fossil fuels and other development. “Though President-elect Donald Trump disavowed the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, his new administration is expected to take cues from its approach to public lands and natural resources development, and he repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he’d promote oil drilling,” writes reporter Bobby Magill.

The chapter of Project 2025 pertaining to federal lands was written by a former Bureau of Land Management official who served under the first Trump administration and calls for “a rapid ramp-up of oil, natural gas, and coal production,” including in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which the Biden administration moved to restrict last week.

While it remains unclear how much the Trump administration will rely on Project 2025, the document represents a “is a ‘wish list’ for the oil and gas and mining industries and private developers,” Melinda Taylor, senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law told Bloomberg. The article says, “Environmental attorneys and legal experts say they’ll be watching how the new administration approaches calls for the abolishment of national monuments, Utah’s push to take over public lands from the federal government, and its adherence to federal law.”

• Federal Land
• Public Land
• National Monuments
• Bureau of Land Management
• Election 2024

• M2 13-inch MacBook Air (16GB RAM/256GB) for $749.99 ($249 off)


• M3 13-inch MacBook Air (16GB RAM/256GB) for $899.00 ($200 off)


• M4 iMac (8-core/16GB RAM/256GB) for $1,204.00 ($95 off)

• The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals


• The Best Early Black Friday AirPods Deals


• The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals


• The Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals

• M2 16GB RAM/256GB - $749.99 ($249 off) [on-page coupon via Amazon]


• M3 16GB RAM/256GB - $899.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]


• M3 16GB RAM/512GB - $1,099.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]


• M3 24GB RAM/512GB - $1,299.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]

• M3 16GB RAM/256GB - $1,099.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]


• M3 16GB RAM/512GB - $1,299.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]


• M3 24GB RAM/512GB - $1,499.00 ($200 off) [matched at Amazon]

• M3 16GB RAM/1TB - $1,399.00 ($300 off)


• M3 Pro 512GB - $1,599.00 ($300 off)


• M3 Pro 1TB - $1,999.00 ($300 off)


• M3 Max 1TB - $2,799.00 ($300 off)

• M4 16GB RAM/512GB - $1,474.00 ($125 off)


• M4 16GB RAM/1TB - $1,654.00 ($145 off)

• M3 Pro 18GB RAM/512GB - $1,899.00 ($500 off)


• M3 Pro 36GB RAM/512GB - $2,299.00 ($500 off)


• M3 Max 36GB RAM/1TB - $2,899.00 ($500 off)


• M3 Max 48GB RAM/1TB - $3,399.00 ($500 off)

• M4 Pro 48GB RAM/512GB - $2,664.00 ($235 off)

• M4 8-core/16GB RAM/256GB - $1,204.00 ($95 off)


• M4 10-core/16GB RAM/256GB - $1,389.00 ($110 off)


• M4 10-core/16GB RAM/256GB (Nano-texture) - $1,499.00 ($200 off)


• M4 10-core/16GB RAM/512GB - $1,569.00 ($130 off)

“Robotaxis appeared with promises of safety, accessibility, and environmental benefits. The appeal is clear: driverless taxis eliminate the need for human drivers, theoretically reducing human error in accidents and lowering transportation costs for the public.” But as an article in Cities of the Future explains and Planetizen has chronicled, their impact on the rest of the transportation system and urban infrastructure becomes more evident.

Waymo, for example, touts its extensive safety protocols, with each vehicle equipped with a suite of sensors, including lidar, radar, and cameras that can operate with higher precision than human vision. Early data seems to indicate that, in controlled environments, robotaxis have lower accident rates than human-driven cars​, but high-profile crashes involving autonomous cars have created an atmosphere of mistrust.

“The rollout could have been smoother. Cities like San Francisco have already seen issues with these vehicles interacting poorly with emergency services and blocking public transit lanes, causing frustration among officials and residents. Incidents in which AVs halt suddenly in traffic or interfere with emergency responders highlight concerns about their readiness for the unpredictable nature of urban driving. In response, some residents have attempted to disable AVs by placing traffic cones on their hoods, expressing a belief that these vehicles may worsen, rather than improve, traffic congestion and public safety​.”

• Robot Cars
• Robotaxis
• Public Transit
• Rideshare
• Waymo
• cruise
• Autonomous Cars
• MaaS

In another attempt to bring down housing costs by limiting the short-term rental market, the French Parliament voted to tighten regulations on Airbnb and similar vacation rental companies, report Arnaud Bouvier and Severine Rouby in Fortune. “The legislation, which has been in the works since April 2023, aims to slash tax breaks for tourist properties in a bid to curb short-term rentals amid shortages of affordable housing.”

According to the article, the number of furnished short-term rentals in the country shot up from 300,000 to 1.2 million in eight years, while housing costs have gone up. 

Under the new law, “The tax allowance for furnished tourist accommodation would fall to 50 percent from 71 percent, with a cap lowered to 77,700 euros (83,500 dollars).” Local jurisdictions will also be allowed to reduce the rental duration from 120 days per year to 90 days per year and set quotas for furnished accommodations.

• Paris
• France
• Airbnb
• Short-Term Rentals
• Vacation Rentals
• Housing Crisis
• Housing Costs
• Lodging Tax

If you’re interested in ways to upgrade your home entertainment, you might want to pay close attention to this little product. For just $64.99 (regularly $169) with free shipping, the XGODY Gimbal 3 Mini Projector transforms any room into a cozy theater.

With its impressive 12,000 lumens of brightness and native 1280x720p resolution, this compact yet powerful projector delivers stunning visuals for movie nights, gaming sessions, and beyond. 

When the temperatures drop, create memorable indoor experiences with family and friends using the XGODY Gimbal Projector. Equipped with Android 11, you can access popular streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video directly on the device. Or, connect your favorite game console via HDMI and enjoy an immersive gaming experience on a big screen.

Featuring 4K decoding support and a 1500:1 contrast ratio, the XGODY Gimbal 3 projects vivid colors and deeper blacks, perfect for enhancing movie and gaming visuals. The rotating 180-degree lens lets you adjust the projection angle so you can project from the floor, ceiling, or wall to get the best view for any setup.

Add in automatic keystone correction and electronic focus, and you’ll enjoy sharp, perfectly aligned images even if you’re projecting at an angle. Plus, its Wi-Fi 6 compatibility means faster streaming with less buffering, while Bluetooth and USB connectivity make it easy to connect speakers, headphones, and more.

Weighing just a few pounds, the XGODY Gimbal 3 is highly portable. You can easily bring it to gatherings or set it up for an outdoor viewing experience (weather permitting). Its 50,000-hour lamp life ensures many hours of use, so this projector is here for the long haul.

Whether planning a cozy winter night in, hosting a viewing party, or setting up a gaming session, the XGODY Gimbal 3 delivers everything you need for a high-quality, big-screen experience—without the high price tag.

Get the XGODY Gimbal 3 Mini Projector for just $64.99 (regularly $169) with free shipping.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The post Ready for movie nights? This mini projector’s got you appeared first on Popular Science.

L’integrazione di dati geolocalizzati provenienti da fonti eterogenee (satelliti, droni, telecamere, sensori, modelli), codificati in formati diversi, condivisi con differenti processi e protocolli, rappresenta una sfida per professionisti e imprese impegnati a vario titolo nella trasformazione verde e digitale. Acquisire competenze in tema di interoperabilità di dati geospaziali, non solo da un punto di vista tecnico, ma anche semantico, legale ed organizzativo, costituisce una corsia preferenziale per tutti coloro che desiderano rafforzare le strategie aziendali di trasformazione digitale.

In questo contesto, Epsilon Italia, nell’ambito del progetto europeo DIS4SME “Data Interoperability Skills for SMEs”, organizza un corso introduttivo sull’interoperabilità dei dati geolocalizzati, riservato a manager e dirigenti d’azienda.

Il corso è on-line (su piattaforma Zoom) e gratuito.

Si articola in 3 ore di lezioni teoriche, che si terranno il prossimo 29 novembre dalle 10 alle 13, ed in una prova pratica della durata di 2 ore, che si terrà in data da concordarsi con i partecipanti.

Alla fine del corso, agli iscritti che concluderanno positivamente la prova pratica, sarà rilasciata una certificazione digitale secondo il sistema europeo delle microcredenziali.

A tutti sarà rilasciato attestato di partecipazione.

Obiettivi formativi:

• Comprendere il contesto, i concetti e le sfide dell'interoperabilità dei dati in generale e dell'interoperabilità dei dati geolocalizzati in particolare.
• Comprendere i principali strumenti delle politiche Europee sull'interoperabilità dei dati.
• Riconoscere i

Time is absolutely critical during medical emergencies, particularly cardiac arrest. New preliminary research of close to 200,000 incidences where cardiac arrest occurred outside of a hospital shows just how crucial every second really is. The sooner a bystander begins cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)–ideally up to 10 minutes after the cardiac arrest starts–the better the chances of survival. Those who received quick CPR had an 81 percent higher chance of surviving up to hospital discharge and a 95 percent higher rate of surviving the episode without significant brain damage. The preliminary data will be presented at the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium on November 16 and 17.

Cardiac arrest happens when the heart malfunctions and abruptly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, the lack of blood flow to the brain and other organs can cause organ damage or death if not treated immediately. Administering CPR increases the blood flow to the heart and brain, ultimately buying time before paramedics can arrive. Without quick medical attention to restore blood flow, cardiac arrest is often fatal.

[Related: Cardiac arrests like Damar Hamlin’s are rare—but teams must be prepared.]

According to the American Heart Association, over 357,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States with a 9.3 percent survival rate.

“Our findings reinforce that every second counts when starting bystander CPR and even a few minutes delay can make a big difference,” Doctor Evan O’Keefe, a study co-author and a cardiovascular fellow at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said in a statement. “If you see someone in need of CPR, don’t dwell on how long they’ve been down, your quick actions could save their life.”

The new research analyzed 160,822 cases of cardiac arrests that occurred outside of a hospital from 2013-2022. The average age was 64 and more than 54,000 were women.

The team compared incidences where bystanders began CPR within different time windows with the outcomes where there wasn’t any bystander intervention to see if there was a difference in survival and brain function after the patient left the hospital.

“We found that people who received bystander CPR within the first few minutes of their cardiac arrest were much more likely to survive and have better brain function than those who didn’t,” said O’Keefe. “The longer it took for CPR to start, the less survival benefit one received. However, even when CPR was started up to 10 minutes after cardiac arrest, there was still a significant survival benefit compared to individuals who did not receive CPR from a bystander.”

Additionally, those who received CPR within two minutes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest had an 81 percent higher rate of survival up to release from the hospital. They also had a 95 percent higher rate of surviving the episode without significant brain damage compared with those who didn’t receive bystander CPR.

[Related: CPR can save lives. Here’s how (and when) to do it.]

Even those who received bystander CPR up to 10 minutes after cardiac arrest were 19 percent more likely to survive to hospital discharge and 22 percent more likely to have better neurological outcomes than those who did not receive early bystander CPR at all.

In the cases where the patient did not receive bystander CPR, about 12 percent survived to be released from the hospital. More than nine percent survived without significant brain damage or major disabilities. In instances where bystander CPR was initiated more than 10 minutes after cardiac arrest, the CPR was no longer associated with improved survival.

Some of the study’s limitations include that the average time of arrival for emergency medical technicians to the person in cardiac arrest was roughly 10 minutes. In this sample, those who received bystander CPR 10 minutes after their cardiac arrest were likely being compared to a group receiving medical attention from processionals.

CPR is a life saving skill that anyone can learn. The American Red Cross  and American Heart Association offer training and certifications nationwide. There are also plenty of reliable bystander CPR resources for easy learning available. Learning from these trusted resources is generally better than asking an AI assistant like Siri or Alexa, as the information can change from year to year based on research.  

It is also important to follow the three C’s–check, call, care. Check the scene, call 911 for medical help, then care for them to the best of your ability. Several states have Good Samaritan laws that can protect against negligence when administering bystander CPR in an emergency.

“These results highlight the critical importance of quick action in emergencies. It suggests that we need to focus on teaching more people how to perform CPR, and we also need to emphasize ways to get help to those suffering cardiac arrest faster,” O’Keefe said. “This might include more widespread CPR training programs, as well as better public access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and improved dispatch systems.”

The post Bystander CPR done within 10 minutes likely increases survival rates appeared first on Popular Science.

• In its visionOS 2 press release in June, Apple said an update to Final Cut Pro for the Mac will add the ability to edit spatial videos recorded with devices like iPhone 15 Pro models, any iPhone 16 model, or the Canon EOS R7 mirrorless camera with a spatial video lens that recently became available for pre-order. Spatial videos have 3D depth and can be viewed on Apple's Vision Pro headset.


• In the Mac mini announcement video, Apple said the Final Cut Pro update will enable users to instantly apply AI-generated effects to videos. In the visionOS 2 press release from June, Apple similarly mentioned the upcoming ability to add "immersive titles and effects" to videos. It seems plausible that the new AI features in Final Cut Pro could have Apple Intelligence branding, but this is not certain.


• In the Mac mini video, Apple also previewed automatic AI-generated captions for videos in Final Cut Pro, eliminating the need to use caption plugins or other software. This feature has been long awaited amid the rise of short-form videos with captions across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels.


• An image of Final Cut Pro in the Mac mini video showed an unreleased "Magnetic Mask" feature. While no details are known about this feature, it will likely allow users to isolate moving objects in the foreground to remove them, add text behind them, apply color grading, or so on. This feature will likely be similar to MotionVFX's mRotoAI plugin for Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve's Magic Mask feature.

Is there one simple yet impactful design choice that can make urban housing more family-friendly and safe for children? According to Alexandra Lange, the answer is yes: the courtyard apartment building.

As noted by Jenny French of design firm French 2D, “In an urban setting, the barrier that the contemporary parent has to letting their child out the door, thinking about the car-dominated city where they are unable to play in the street – the courtyard is a natural alternative.”

Lange offers examples from around the country, showing how thoughtfully designed courtyard apartments offer a way for children and neighbors to safely play and interact. “For Brunson Terrace, a 48-unit, 100% affordable project which opened in Santa Monica in 2024, Los Angeles architects Brooks + Scarpa left its modest ground-level courtyard to the kids, with bright climbing structures surrounded by organic planting beds. Exterior bridges, stairs and walkways provide access to quieter seating areas. They also make circulation more fun and functional: laundry rooms are located adjacent to the stairs, so caregivers can do chores with an ear out for their kids playing below.”

Courtyards don’t have to belong to the past. While textbook examples in brick and stone are lovely — and still home to thriving communities — contemporary architects are making courts in all sorts of materials, and for all types of housing, from apartments to townhomes.

As Lange points out, “Courtyard housing also offers a powerful salve for the housing affordability crisis. Most courtyard housing is also ‘missing middle housing’ — defined as multifamily projects ranging from accessory dwelling units and duplexes to mid-rise apartment buildings — most of which could easily be arranged around common green space.”

• Courtyards
• Apartment Buildings
• Affordable Housing
• Children
• Family-Friendly Neighborhoods
• Families
• Children and cities

1. Where 2024 Presidential Candidates Stand on 12 Issues Important to Urban Planners

This blog was published prior to Election Day last Tuesday, but it is still a good place to start if you’re wondering what a Trump presidency could mean for urban planning in the U.S. over the next four years.

2. Commentary: How Can We Solve America’s Affordable Housing Crisis? CDFIs are the Key

Bernel Hall offers his perspective as president and CEO of the largest community development financial institution in New Jersey on how CDFIs can be important partners to ensure public-private efforts to build affordable housing pencil out.

3. America’s 10 ‘Greenest’ Cities

An analysis from Wallet Hub ranks cities based on their environmental quality, energy consumption and production, transportation, density, and other factors.

4. San Diego Begins to See Results of State Housing Law

A local news outlet reports that homeowners in Southern California are starting to take advantage of a state law that allows lot splitting and higher density in residential areas, which was passed to increase housing supply and affordability.

5. Amtrak Expanding Service in California’s Central Valley

Amtrak is planning a major expansion to the passenger rail lines connecting the Central Valley and the Bay Area, reports the Modesto Bee.

6.  New Jersey Towns Call for Suspension of Affordable Housing Law

According to the Gothamist, close to two dozen municipalities are suing New Jersey, arguing that the affordable housing requirements mandated by the Mount Laurel Doctrine are unrealistic and discriminate against suburban communities.

7. How the Post-Covid Reality Is Reshaping Central Business Districts and Urban Centers

This feature story by Wes Guckert explores how U.S. cities are working to redefine their downtowns in response to the “donut effect”: people and businesses abandoning city centers and flocking to suburban areas and beyond.

8. Project 2025 and Housing Policy

Michael Lewyn weighed in on the Heritage Foundation’s list of policy proposals for the next Republican administration. In the wake of President-Elect Donald Trump’s win, readers appear to be brushing up on it.

9. Commentary: New Bill Holds Key to Solving US Housing Crisis. We Just Have to Pass It.

Architect Jordan Rogove gives context on how two bills currently moving through Congress could make mass production of prefabricated, affordable housing possible on a large scale.

10. It’s Now Legal to Jaywalk in New York City

CNN travel reports that, for the first time since 1958, pedestrians in New York City are free to cross the street without adhering to traffic signals or marked crosswalks.

• “Unfunded inclusionary zoning is not inclusionary. To fix it, fund it,” says Dan Bertolet . (Sightline Institute)
• Fully automated vehicles aren’t quite here yet, but lawmakers in Alabama, California, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Washington D.C. are getting proactive. (Stateline)
• A 2023 federal program that uses the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) and Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) programs to finance housing development near transportation has yet to close on any loan for housing projects. (GlobeSt)
• Nationwide’s 2024 Driving Behaviors Survey shows traffic deaths occur more frequently on a rural road versus a city street. (Farm Bureau)
• In this video, Wall Street Journal sat down with train manufacturer Alstom to explore what a perfected commuter train could look like. (The Wall Street Journal)

Planetizen’s latest YouTube video tells the story of the 57-year battle to stop trucks from decapitating people, which began with Jane Mansfield’s tragic death in 1967, the creation of the “Mansfield bar,” and ongoing fight to strengthen safety regulations to prevent underride crashes between large trucks and smaller vehicles.

Be sure to give it a like and subscribe to Planetizen’s YouTube channel for more great video content.

• Top Stories

Orphan oil and gas wells, abandoned with no responsible party, present significant environmental and health hazards across the U.S., especially in communities with a strong history of fossil fuel production. These sites release harmful pollutants, such as methane, contributing to air and water pollution and elevating climate change risks. As the nation transitions toward cleaner energy, addressing these orphan wells is crucial for environmental justice, particularly in marginalized communities that bear the brunt of pollution. By converting some of these hazardous areas into parks and public spaces, local governments and community advocates can help foster healthier environments and provide recreational spaces that benefit both individual well-being and community health.

Remediating orphan wells opens pathways to repurposing these areas into much-needed parks, enhancing green spaces, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. Parks offer more than just recreational areas; they improve air quality, provide spaces for physical and mental wellness, and help mitigate urban heat. This transformation aligns with the goals of a "just transition," prioritizing the communities most impacted by fossil fuel decline in recovery and restoration efforts. In regions where orphan wells are concentrated in densely populated, underserved areas, remediated sites can become valuable resources, addressing both public health concerns and the historical lack of accessible green spaces.

However, challenges such as high remediation costs and competing land-use interests complicate efforts to turn orphan well sites into parks. Parks and recreation advocates and professionals must navigate financial constraints, competition from commercial or residential developers, and community needs, making the case that green spaces offer long-term environmental and social benefits. Public-private partnerships may help bridge funding gaps but must be carefully managed to ensure that community interests and accessibility are preserved. With collaborative action and a focus on equitable outcomes, these remediated sites can be transformed into vibrant, accessible public spaces that benefit communities now and in the future.

• Orphan Wells
• Oil Drilling
• Environmental Justice
• Fossil Fuels
• Oil Wells
• Pollution
• Public Health

If your monitor hurts your eyes, a problem sometimes referred to as computer vision syndrome, there isn’t just one thing that could be the culprit. Instead, there are a host of problems that could be affecting your eyes. A few simple steps can provide clues as to whether or not your monitor is damaging your eyes. They can also suggest some other possible causes, basic fixes, and what to look for in your next monitor. This is not medical advice and you should absolutely talk to your eye doctor about any and all issues. 

With the rise of computer-based work, those experiencing eye pain are more likely to blame their monitor today than ever. It isn’t an entirely unfounded belief, either, with one study in Nature suggesting that the use of electronic devices like computer, laptops, phones, and tablets for as low as three hours a day could contribute to “computer vision syndrome.”

Symptoms include watering of the eyes, double vision, dryness of the eyes, and generic eye pain among others recognized in a cross-sectional study of computer vision syndrome. In other words, any sort of pain or discomfort related to the use of screens is part of the syndrome. If you find your eyes hurting while looking at (or just after looking at) screens then you could be affected and it’s worth mentioning to your doctor.

However, it’s important that noticing a few symptoms isn’t the same as a real diagnosis. You could have simply developed another issue while using screens, as most of us do use screens on a regular basis. For example, BlueCross BlueShield recognizes dry eye as the most common eye problem, citing that it can result in itchy, red eyes and blurred vision — all symptoms of computer vision syndrome. While taking a good look at your monitor and monitor health is a good idea, going to see a doctor or ophthalmologist may also be highly beneficial.

There are several possible problems that can arise from too much staring into a monitor. Here are some common possible culprits.

If your monitor is at an incorrect height, you’ll probably feel it in your neck at some point. However, a study conducted in an office environment suggests that higher screens cause eye strain at a greater rate than lower screens. Most people prefer a screen that they can look at head on or that is somewhat lower (as low as -16 degrees) for comfort. Your monitor likely has a height-adjustment feature, so if you find that it is too high, go ahead and take the time to adjust it now. Alternatively, consider picking up a monitor arm for easy and precise adjustment.

“If you sit too close to your TV, you’ll go blind!” sounds like the parental advice of a bygone era, especially with how close we are to our monitors and phones each day. But is there something to viewing distance after all?

In the same study mentioned above, participants were shown to prefer viewing distances between 60 and 100 cm (from about 2 ft. to 3 ft. 4 in. away). Screens closer than the preferred distance were shown to cause increased visual strain. Physical moving your monitor on your desk or your chair’s location can help. You can also use a monitor wall mount if you happen to use a narrow desk.

Monitor size is rather tricky to get right, and you’ll hear several opinions about it, all backed up with their own research. To sum up the complex, a smaller computer monitor is likely going to be better for your eyes but there are cases for larger screens, too.

If you research screen size and eye health, you’ll likely come across mentions of a BMC Ophthalmology study on eye accommodation when using smart devices, where the smaller screen was more damaging. However, this study utilized the iPhone XR and a 9.7 inch iPad, both notably not monitors, and also not used in the stationary way that monitors are. Additionally, it focused on specific measurements of eye convergence ability instead of overall eye comfort.

When we look at more typical use patterns for monitors, however, and overall eye health, the results are different. It seems that smaller screens are better. According to optometrist Dr. Jennifer Lyerly in an interview with OCuSOFT, smaller screens are much more comfortable to the eyes. In the interview, she notes a study that showed workers who use small laptop screens report less eye symptoms than those who use large monitors. She attributes this to our behavior when using screens. Larger screens mean our eyes are opened wider and we’re blinking less, giving us less time with healthy and protective “tears” on our eyeball surface.

Refresh rate and screen flickering could be the issue, but are somewhat unlikely to be. Humans quit sensing images as individuals and start to perceive them as flowing objects around 50Hz, or 50 unique images per second. (Dogs, on the other hand, see unique images until around 75Hz, which is why dogs couldn’t watch TV in the past.) Below this rate you may suffer from an often unperceived screen flickering. However, the typical lower bound for monitors today is 60Hz, which should greatly reduce if not outright eliminate eye-fatiguing screen flickering from refresh rate sources.

You’ll also note that many of our favorite monitors for eye strain clock in at that 60Hz level and beyond. That’s because screen flickering can be reduced further in other ways than just increasing the refresh rate. For example, ViewSonic flicker-free technology uses a single continuous light source instead of rapid light source cycling to change brightness levels.

Conclusion: Higher refresh rates are likely to help your screen experience. Finding a screen that emphasizes being flicker-free or flicker reduction can help even more.

Most people prefer higher resolution imagery for the sharper details and clearer picture, but is there anything more to it than that? According to the science, the results are pretty inconclusive:

• One 2022 report from the Review of Optometry suggests higher resolution screens might reduce digital eye fatigue as they reduce accommodative lag (the time it takes for your eye to focus on an object that’s closer than the one previously looked at).
• A 2016 study comparing a 4K curved TV to an FHD TV led the researchers to conclude that 4K resolutions (on TVs!) might be worse for people with some relatively rare eye movement patterns.

Furthermore, while recent studies suggest that people rate and enjoy 8K images more than 4K images (though whether they can fully perceive them is still up in the air) there is little to conclusively say that they affect eye fatigue at all.

Conclusion: Upgrade to a 4K monitor for the looks, but don’t count on it affecting your eyes.

Blue light often receives sweeping condemnation for every type of eye strain, but it’s more complicated than that. Given adjectives like “harmful” or even “deadly” by manufacturers with blue-light filtering built-in to their monitors, it is easy to get panicky. Research suggests, however, that blue light isn’t the enemy you might have been led to think it is. It can, however, affect your sleep physiology and sleeplessness could be affecting your eyes.

Don’t worry about the blue light and instead make a plan to avoid sleep loss from screen light (of all colors).

If your monitor hurts your eyes, it could be from your screen’s brightness level. In fact, one big tip from the American Association of Ophthalmologists (AAO) is to simply reduce glare and brightness. Screens with matte finishes reduce brightness from glare while the screen’s brightness and contrast controls can tone down the bright light.

QLED, OLED, and mini-LED backlighting styles are all the rage in consumer TVs these days and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a quality TV without one of them. But, now that they’re sneaking into monitor tech, could they be hurting our eyes?

The answer is likely “no” but the full research is still coming out. For example, a 2020 study showed that while OLED tech still damaged eye cells in culture, it was less harmful than LED lighting for tested parameters. However, at this point there are still few accessible studies about this tech, QLED, or their long-term effects on the eyes. 

As a final piece of advice, part of the reason your monitor hurts your eyes may not be from the monitor at all, so much as your behavior. If your eyes are focused on something near for too long without a break, tension builds. Looking away in the distance periodically helps.

For a long time, when it came to preventing eye strain, the rule of thumb was the 20-20-20 rule: “Every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.” However, with the pandemic and more work-from-home jobs, there has been more scrutiny on the 20-20-20 rule from academics.

Still, optometrists will tell you that looking away from your screen periodically helps.That’s because, while the 20-20-20 rule is iffy, optometrists will still tell you the data suggests taking near work breaks may be beneficial. So, take a break from work or stare out the window periodically, optometrists are telling you to!

If you want to make sure your next monitor does not hurt your eyes, doing a bit of research on various monitors and monitor types will certainly help. Here, we’ll look at some of the most important things to look for in a new monitor. But, before we get started, also consider buying a computer monitor screen protector for eyes for your current monitor if you want to save it. Those with matte finish ones being particularly useful for stopping glare.

Also note that if you find that some monitors hurt your eyes quickly (as do I, personally) it is always fine to go into a store and stare at them for a moment. Best Buy, Walmart, and Staples all have monitors on display for a reason.

TÜV Rheinland provides a number of safety and other certifications, with one of the more prominent ones for the tech-oriented being the TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certification. The latest 2023 certifications check for everything from flickers to ambient light management. While not having this certification does not imply that a monitor is bad for your eyes, it can give you peace of mind when choosing a new monitor. Manufacturers will proudly show off this certification since they had to pay for testing, so it won’t be hard to find out if an individual monitor has it.

Curved monitors allow us to quickly view a larger area of screen with less movement of the eyes. Your peripheral can check the edges and the screen shape is not dissimilar to your curved eye shape. Indeed, a 2016 study found participants had less eye strain and blurred-vision when searching for information on curved monitors than flat ones.

If you’ve checked out the best curved monitors, you’ll know that they have a curve rating expressed in R, which represents the distance in millimeters you should sit away from it to be in the circle it’d make. What R rating is best, though? Another 2016 study using flat, 1000R, 2000R, 3000R, and 4000R monitors found that 1000R was significantly better than flat monitors in eye pain scores from users.

Conclusion: Curved monitors are better for eye strain than flat monitors, and 1000R monitors are shown to be better for eye pain.

If you’re interested in using a TV as a monitor, you aren’t alone. And, typically, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with it from an eye health standpoint. However, since TVs are made to be placed far away and tend to be bigger, it is possible you might find the experience mildly uncomfortable. It is probably better to go for a monitor designed with flicker-free tech and with the eyes in mind than a TV, but a smaller TV shouldn’t do anything harmful to your eyes.

Remember, your eye health is important and while it may seem that your monitor is the source of your eye problems, there may be other things wrong, so please be sure to check with an eye doctor if problems persist. However, remember that most of the eye strain from working at home isn’t going to hurt your eyes in the long run. Adjust your current monitor, change your settings, or grab a new monitor to get the right fit for you and you’ll likely be good to go without a panic.

The post Why your computer screen hurts your eyes (and how to help) appeared first on Popular Science.

The Biden administration moved swiftly to limit oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which the previous Trump administration opened up for more extraction.

According to a CNN article by Ella Nilsen, a Trump-era law requires a lease sale for fossil fuel drilling by the end of 2024. “The Biden administration signaled Wednesday it plans to move forward with a 400,000-acre auction — the lowest acreage it could legally offer.”

The move is one of several the Biden administration is making to protect some of its achievements and prevent a rolling back of environmental protections. “Although President Joe Biden approved the major new Willow oil drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope, his administration has also put in protections for a vast amount of Alaskan wilderness trying to limit drilling in other regions,” Nilsen adds.

Some communities worry the restrictions will harm the state’s economy, which historically depends heavily on revenue from fossil fuel extraction.

• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Oil Drilling
• Fossil Fuels
• extraction