I'm a big fan of mirroring my MacBook's screen to my Apple TV. It's how my partner and I researched and planned our wedding, and it's what we use any time we need to make a calculated shopping decision. I like the stability of mirroring to my Apple TV, but now with AirPlay 2 integrated in so many modern displays, mirroring a Mac display to any TV is accessible and convenient.For the longest time, the only real downside to AirPlay mirroring was that you had no control over which parts of your screen you could share: You couldeither mirror your whole display or nothing at all. But now in macOS Sequoia 15.2 beta 3 (currently available in developer beta, and will roll out to the public at large sometime in December), there are plenty of options for mirroring your Mac's screen. You can choose to show a single window or app, or, my favorite, finally use your TV as an extended display, like a monitor that's docked next to your laptop. How to share a single app or window on MacJust as with a Zoom call, it's nice to only share one app or window when screen mirroring, instead of everything going on with your Mac. It can save you from displaying the wrong notification, photo, or message thread when you're in a big meeting, or even when sharing with friends and family. If you're only going to be sharing your browser, or perhaps a PowerPoint presentation, it's best to just share that with your viewers. To start, click on Control Center in the menu bar and choose Screen Mirroring. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Then, choose the TV or Apple TV you want to mirror to. If you're doing this for the first time, macOS will prompt you to ask if you wish to mirror your whole screen, just an app, or use the TV as an extended display. If you don't see the popup, click the Choose Content button from the Screen Mirroring menu. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Now, you will see a popup with the aforementioned options. Here, choose Window or App and click Start Mirroring. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Next, switch to the app you want to mirror, and simply hover over it. macOS will add a blue tint over the window, to suggest this window will be mirrored. Here, you can choose if you want to mirror this particular window, or all windows from the appin question (so when you switch between all open windows from the app they will still be shown on the TV). Once you make the selection, the content will show up on the screen. Credit: Khamosh Pathak The window that's being mirrored will show a new Screen Mirroring icon in the top left-hand corner, in place of the usual window management buttons. You can use this button to manage and stop the screen mirroring. Alternatively, go to the Screen Mirroring menu bar drop-down and click Stop Mirroring.This feature isn't limited to a single app or window. You can keep adding apps you want to show on the TV, and as you switch between them, they will update accordingly on the TV. To add more apps or windows, go back to the Screen Mirroring menu and choose Add Windows. Credit: Khamosh Pathak The feature is currently in beta, and I've had mixed results with the stability of the app and window mirroring. Sometimes the screen goes blank when I shift to a different app, but most of the time it stays put. I hope that by the stable update this won't be an issue.How to use your TV as an external monitor for your MacIf you want to keep a particular window or multiple windows docked to your TV while you continue to work on other things on your Mac, you can use the Extend Display featurean option I've been waiting some time for. When you're using this mode, your TV essentially works as an external monitor while your MacBook's display stays in its native resolution. This way, both displays are independently usable.To use it, click Screen Mirroring, choose your TV, then click Replace. Finally, choose Extended Display. Once set, your TV will show an empty desktop view by default. You can move your mouse over to your TV to begin using it as a new display. To set that up, go to System Settings > Display Settings > Arrange Displays and drag the TV to a position that you like. I keep the TV on the top of my laptop, as it's more ergonomic. Hit Done to finalize your choice. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Now, you can drag any window or app over to the TV using a drag and drop gesture, and it will stay there just like that.

You can get a BJs Wholesale Club+ membershipon sale for $65 right now(reg. $110). Club+ members earn up to 2% back on both in-store and online purchases, get five cents off per gallon at BJs Gas, and get up to 3x back in additional rewards during special events. BJ's offers savings of up to25% compared to grocery stores, and members can shop for groceries, household essentials, clothing, electronics, furniture, and outdoor supplies. You can also save at BJs Travel and BJs Optical Center. This offer is only available for new members.You can get a BJs Wholesale Club+ membershipon sale for $65 right now(reg. $110), though prices can change at any time. No coupon is needed.

Spotify is aiming to give YouTube some competition with its new partner program for video creators and content that goes viral. The music and podcast app announced a new Partner Program that monetizes audio and video beyond income from advertising starting on January 2, 2025.The new monetization program pays Spotify creators in two ways. Creators can earn a share of ad revenue from their content on all platforms through its Partner Program. They can also earn money through monthly podcast subscriptions that allow listeners to support creators directly in return for exclusive bonus content and perks.Both tiers also come with eligibility requirements. The Spotify Partner Program requires participants to host and upload their content through its Spotify for Creators platform, have streamed 10,000 hours and at least 2,000 unique views in a 30-day period and published at least 12 episodes. Subscriptions will be open to content creators who have at least two published episodes and at least 100 unique Spotify listeners in a 60-day period. The new programs will be available for subscribers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia next January.Spotify has taken other steps to make its video and music content more accessible and mainstream. The music and video streamer integrated with TikTok and Instagram so users can post tracks on the social media sites.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/spotify-unveils-a-new-payout-model-for-creators-with-popular-videos-221706698.html?src=rss

After a lengthy consideration, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Amazons captive-audience meetings are a violation of the National Labor Relations Act. These are mandatory meetings where an employer shares its stance on unionization.Ensuring that workers can make a truly free choice about whether they want union representation is one of the fundamental goals of the National Labor Relations Act. Captive audience meetingswhich give employers near-unfettered freedom to force their message about unionization on workers under threat of discipline or dischargeundermine this important goal, Chairman Lauren McFerran said of the ruling. Todays decision better protects workers freedom to make their own choices in exercising their rights under the Act, while ensuring that employers can convey their views about unionization in a noncoercive manner.The decision noted that employers may hold meetings about unionization as long as workers receive advanced notice about the topic, are told that attendance is voluntary and without consequences for opting not to participate, and that attendance records are not kept.Todays ruling centers on Amazon, which has a rocky history with its employees efforts to organize and with the NLRB. However, the decision could impact other big tech firms that have followed similar practices around unionization.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-cant-force-employees-into-anti-unionization-meetings-214438177.html?src=rss

Check out El Ranchito's VFX breakdown of its combat sequences for Season 2 of the Halo TV seriesWatch the full video on the El Ranchito website (also shows large CG cityscapes: https://elranchito.es/our-work/filmography/halo/

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Lunchablespre-packaged boxes of crackers, cheese, and deli meatwill no longer be part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), a school program that provides free lunches to kids in need, Kraft Heinz announced Tuesday. While Lunchables, which were first introduced in the 80s, are popular with kids (and parents, given they are easy to pop in a lunchbox), critics have suggested that the meals, including those the brand made specifically for schools, arent nutritious.In early 2023, Kraft Heinz introduced two meals built for schoolsa pizza kit and a turkey and cheese plate. In an advertisement for the meal kits, the brand listed the amount of protein and whole grains. Two Lunchables now meet NSLP guidelines! it wrote. But criticism over including the snack in the program came quickly.The Center for Science in the Public Interest called having Lunchables in cafeterias a highly questionable move for school nutrition. Then, Consumer Reports (CR) tested the products.While the Lunchables were said to be tailored to meet school standards, CR found that they contained high levels of sodiumeven higher than those kits found in the grocery store, as well as potentially troubling levels of phthalates and heavy metals. CR said the products contained between 460 to 740 milligrams per serving, or nearly a quarter to half of a childs daily recommended limit for sodium. Amy Keating, a dietician for CR, explained that Lunchables are highly processed and that processed meat has been linked to an increased risk of some cancers.Guidelines for the NSLP must meet federal guidelines, which are always evolving. There are requirements on things like the percentage of whole grains a meal must be, and caps on sugar and sodium (which depend on age/grade).For grades K-5, breakfast must contain less than 540 mg of sodium, and lunch should contain less than 1,110 mg. The turkey and cheddar school versions of Lunchables contained 930 milligrams of sodium, putting it at the high end of the guidelines range, compared to 740 milligrams in the store-bought version. School lunches must also be whole-grain rich, meaning products served have to have at least 50% whole grains for 80% of the meal. The standard turkey and cheese Lunchable, not designed for schools, has 13 grams of protein, while the school version has 16. Similarly, the standard extra cheesy pizza has 14 grams but the school version has 19. Kraft Heinz said it added extra whole grains to the school Lunchables so that it meets whole-grain-rich criteria of the NSLP.The biggest complaints about the meals seemed to be the concerns with processed meat, high sodium levels, and the fact that they contain heavy metals like lead and cadmium. Cadmium has been linked to liver and bone disease. While the levels didnt exceed the federal limit for school meals, there is no safe level of the heavy metal, according to the World Health Organization.Kraft Heinz said that the decision to remove the lunch-time snack from schools had nothing to do with the criticism, but rather demandor lack thereof. While many school administrators were excited to have these options, the demand did not meet our targets, Kraft Heinz said in a statement emailed to Fast Company. This happens occasionally across our broad portfolio, especially as we explore new sales channels. Lunchables products are not available in schools this year and we hope to revisit at a future date.Consumer Reports is now applauding the move. Lunchables and other lunch kits with concerning levels of sodium and harmful chemicals have no place on the school lunch menu, Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, stated on Tuesday. Were pleased that Heinz Kraft has pulled Lunchables from the school lunch program.While all school meals have to meet federal guidelines, the quality of those meals vary from state to state and from neighborhood to neighborhood. But logs of popular food items that are common in many lunchrooms across the country shows that a non-Lunchable turkey and cheese lunch meal has 1,038 mg of sodium putting it at the top of the federal guidelines. The same chart shows the classic school pepperoni pizzas containing 1,130 of sodium, slightly over the threshold.The NSLP is the second-largest food-assistance program (behind SNAP) in the U.S., serving 30 million children a year. According to the programs fact sheet, its available in all states and the vast majority of schools participate in it. Its unclear how many schools were serving the school-friendly Lunchables.