We may earn a commission from links on this page.Whether youre hosting a huge Christmas dinner or plan to spend New Years Eve cuddled up inside this year, your home is likely to be the setting of at least some of your holiday plans. You might be thinking about how to maximize your hosting capabilities to please the humans entering your space, but you shouldnt forget your pets this season, either. Their comfort and safety is important, but the holiday season can be rough for them. Here are a few seasonal pet safety tips beyond the basics you already know, like keeping them away from your burning candles.Holiday decor can be dangerous to petsThe first thing to do is to make sure your tree is anchored down well so it doesnt topple over if your cat does decide to climb it or your dog gets the nighttime zoomies and runs into it. If that seems like kind of a given, this part isnt: Keep pets away from the water base keeping your tree fresh. It can contain fertilizer or chemicals that can be harmful if your pet drinks from it. Tree water can also breed bacteria, which can give your pet nausea or diarrhea. Neither your pet nor your guests will love that. Make sure there are alternative water sources for your pets nearby. Tinsel, too, is a risk, especially to cats, who love batting it around and nibbling on it. Swallowing tinsel can lead to an obstructed digestive tract, vomiting, dehydration, or maybe even surgery. The same goes for glass ornaments. If your pet isn't a climber but still shows interest in your decor, put those items closer to the top of the tree. Keep light wires well out of pets reach, as they can shock any animal that chews on them. If you dont favor the plug-in kind, know that punctured batteries can burn their mouths and esophaguses. To protect animals from themselves and keep all your cords functional, during the holidays and year-round, try specialized cord deterrents. I've always used CritterCord ($16.99 for 10 feet) and found it to work great. Not only is it thick, to protect cords from teeth, but it is infused with a bitter taste that stops the animal from even continuing to try to bite through it. CritterCord cord protector $16.99 at Amazon $19.69 Save $2.70 Learn More Learn More $16.99 at Amazon $19.69 Save $2.70 Finally, if you have a fireplace and a dog, be wary of firestarter logs, says the Humane Society. Those can contain sawdust and paraffin, which could irritate doggie stomachs or even cause an intestinal blockage if eaten. Heres a helpful guide for finding good, pet-safe firewood.Holiday foods your pets should never eatYou probably already try to curb your dogs begging at dinnertime, but the holiday season involves a lot of food, most of which you dont get all year round, to say nothing of your hungry pooch. Still, resist the urge to throw your dog a literal bone from your holiday ham or turkey. It might seem harmless, but when chewed, bones can splinter and put your pet at risk of choking or suffering an intestinal injury. Obviously, your dog should never, ever have chocolate. Here are a few other holiday foods you might not know your dog shouldnt consume:ChivesAnything containing citric acid Anything with a pitRaw eggsFishGarlicLeaves and stemsNuts (safe in small quantities)Onions (including flakes and powder)Anything too saltyHoliday plants that are no good for animalsNibbling on the Christmas tree can be a bad idea for a pet, as they may consume needles that can cause an intestinal obstruction. The needles can puncture the intestinal lining or bunch together in there and cause a blockage, neither of which is pleasant and both of which can be dangerous. You can sidestep this risk by getting a fake tree or not allowing your pet near your real one, especially if they're young and/or a known nibbler.The ASPCA also points out that if your pet eats holly, they can become nauseous, vomit, or have diarrhea. Mistletoe can lead to gastrointestinal upset or even cardiovascular problems and lilies can cause kidney failure in cats if ingested. Finally, poinsettias are mildly toxic to pets, so if you're planning to have some around for the season, keep them out of reach.

WhatsApp is indisputably the most popular messaging app in the world. Chances are you use it to message friends and family around the world, and while the majority of communications are likely texts, you probably use the app for audio and video calls, too. (WhatsApp says two billion calls are made on the app every day.) The next time you open up WhatsApp on your phone or computer to make a call, you may notice some changesmostly for the better. Choose specific group chat members to callSometimes, texting gets to be too much, and you want to break the group chat into a call. That said, there are also times where not everyone in the chat should be (or wants to be) in the call. That call button has always been all or nothing, though: You hit it, and you ring everyone in the grouplike it or not.Now, however, WhatsApp is letting users choose who among the group chat should be included in a call. It's a great upgrade for breaking out some of the chatwhether you're trying not disturb friends who are working or sleeping, or simply talking smack.Your calls should look betterAccording to WhatsApp, the new update means that calls are more "reliable," and are now higher resolutionalthough the company didn't say how high that resolution really is. These upgrades apply to group chats and one-on-one calls on both desktop and mobile. It's easier to start a call on desktopWhatsApp says it has improved the "Calls" tab on the WhatsApp desktop app. Now when you click into this tab, you'll be able to start a call, create a link for a call, and dial a specific numberalthough the company is working on ditching phone numbers altogether.Ten new effects for video callsThese types of announcements always go over my headI simply never use them. But for any WhatsApp users who also enjoy video call effects, there are 10 new ones for you to try. WhatsApp highlighted a new puppy ear filter, an underwater setting, as well as a new karaoke filter that places a microphone in front of you.

We may see the next HDMI standard, HDMI 2.2, in only a matter of weeks. According to an email from the HDMI Forum sent around to press including Engadget this weekend, a new HDMI specification will be announced on Monday, January 6 in Las Vegas ahead of the official start to CES 2025. The details at this point are pretty scant all were told is that the new spec enables a wide range of higher resolutions and refresh rates and will be supported with a new HDMI Cable.Its been seven years since the introduction of HDMI 2.1. It was most recently updated to version 2.1b in 2023, to support bandwidths of up to 48Gbps and resolutions up to 10K. The new specification with the next gen HDMI technology will bring higher bandwidth, according to the email. Thats about all we know now, but well have a team on the ground at CES keeping you up to speed on this and all the other announcements as they come.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/hdmi-22-could-make-its-debut-at-ces-next-month-233627519.html?src=rss

According to a report from Reuters, president-elect Donald Trumps transition team is trying to kill a rule set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that requires automakers to report crashes if advanced driver assistance technology or automated driving systems were in use within 30 seconds of the crash. The NHTSA issued the Standing General Order in 2021, stating that its goal is to gather data that could help it identify potential safety issues.The data has been used in investigations into crashes involving six companies so far, including Tesla and GMs Cruise (which is shutting down its robotaxi program as of this week). Tesla despises the reporting requirement and believes the data could be misleading to consumers, Reuters reports, citing sources close to Tesla executives. In a document seen by Reuters, the transition team in charge of making a 100-day strategy for automotive policy reportedly recommended that the incoming administration repeal the requirement, saying it calls for excessive data collection.Its unknown whether Elon Musk who donated over $250 million to help Trump get elected and was chosen to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency alongside Vivek Ramaswamy had any hand in the recommendation. Tesla has reported over 1,500 crashes, and accounted for 40 out of 45 fatal crashes reported to the NHTSA, Reuters reports. But, according to University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith, who spoke to Reuters, Tesla has more cars on the road with advanced driver assistance technology and collects more real-time crash data than other companies, which could make for a disproportionate number of incidents reported.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/trumps-team-reportedly-wants-to-end-nhtsa-reporting-requirement-for-car-crashes-involving-automated-systems-213720835.html?src=rss

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OpenAI said service to its application programming interface, ChatGPT and Sora had been restored after not working for hours.

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With the pace of technology increasing, building a strong and effective company culture becomes more critical. Rapidly shifting markets and increasingly diverse workforces can cause organizations to struggle to find a strong base from which to operate. As an expert in emotional intelligence, I believe the ability to understand our emotions and successfully navigate the wide range of emotions of others is crucial to developing good working relationships among individuals.I recently spoke with Zach Blumenfeld and Nick Lombardino, cofounders of CultureCon, a certified B Corp, which seeks to promote positive workplace culture change. Blumenfeld told me that emotional intelligence is something that his organization embraces. At CultureCon, we emphasize that leaders who develop emotional intelligence create environments where trust thrives and diverse perspectives are embraced, says Blumenfeld.Studies have shown that emotional intelligence has a significant impact upon employee engagement, collaboration, and building effective teams. When we have these elements working together, performance and productivity increase. Not only does it make organizations more competitive and successful, but reduces turnover and increases employee satisfaction and well-being.This leads to sustainable growth, more innovation, and a workplace that becomes known as a great place to work. [There is a] growing recognition that self-awareness doesnt just benefit individualsit benefits the entire organization, says Lombardino.Investing in emotional intelligence is one of the most effective ways that an organization can build individuals into a cohesive and engaged workforce. Here is why emotional intelligence is so important for building strong and resilient cultures:It builds self-awarenessThe roots of emotional intelligence come from increasing self-awareness. This helps people understand their emotions, values, strengths, and weaknesses. Understanding how we come across to others and better awareness of where others are coming from will greatly increase our ability to work effectively with them. Better self-awareness increases our ability to positively welcome change, work on areas of self-improvement and personal growth.It increases communication skillsWhen we boost our awareness of self and others, our ability to be understood (and understand others) increases. This results in more effective, clear communication, as well as less misunderstanding and defensiveness. Less time spent in conflict and confusion results in less friction, greater productivity, and more effective collaboration.It leads to quicker, more effective decision-makingOur emotions affect all levels of our decision-making. When we become aware of the role that our emotions play, we become better at navigating our way through them.While we cant eliminate all misunderstanding or defensiveness at work, emotional intelligence gives us tools for not only recognizing what is happening, but helps us ensure that everyone can feel heard and respected. Understanding our values, as well as respecting those of others by ensuring they feel heard, help us reduce the negative effects of decisions.This is especially important when we make a decision that isnt popular but has to be made in the best overall interest of the organization. When people feel they have been heard, they find it easier to move on and are less likely to harbor resentment toward those making the decision they dont agree with.It improves empathyRecognizing what others may be feeling helps us offer support and comfort to them. This creates a feeling of safety, that if missing, could cause people to leave their workplace. Feeling safe and like our colleagues and leaders have our backs results in increased motivation, additional discretionary effort, and a workplace that people look forward to coming to every day.

Ah, tracking numbers. Theyre a real lifesaverespecially this time of year!but keeping track of all those tracking numbers can sometimes feel like a full-time job.Ive lost count of the number of times Ive been trying to track down some tracking number or other and then thought to myself: Seriouslythere has to be a better way.My fellow eager seeker, Im here to tell you: There is. With the right virtual tool in your metaphorical toolbelt, youll never exert an ounce of effort thinking about package tracking again.No matter what type of device youre using at any given moment, in fact, the tool were about to go over will be the streamlined delivery genie you never knew you needed.Ready for a major life upgrade?Psst: If you love these types of tools as much as I do, check out my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. Youll be the first to find all sorts of simple tech treasures!Your personal package tracking upgradeWhether youre the one shipping stuff or receiving it, the simplest and most effective way to keep track of all your package tracking is with a friendly free service called AfterShip. AfterShip is an app and a website that makes it as easy as can be to collect all your pending package tracking numbers in a single placethen see the status of each delivery anytime and optionally even get notifications about new delivery-related activity. Itll take you all of seven seconds to figure out and start using. Either pull up aftership.com/track in any browser you likeor, if youd rather, install the Android app or the iOS app on your favorite phone and/or tablet.From there, youve got a few options:You can simply cut and paste tracking numbers from emails or websites into AfterShip as you receive emone per line, with as many as you want at a time.AfterShip supports practically every common carrier.On mobile devices, you can highlight a tracking number in any other app and then use the system-level Share command to send it directly into AfterShip for ongoing tracking.And also on the mobile front, you can optionally grant AfterShip access to your email to let it automatically detect and import any and all tracking numbers that show up in your inbox.You can have the service automatically import your shipments, if you want. AfterShip is clear about the fact that it only looks at emails related to shipping, and it never shares or sells your personal info in any way. Still, if you arent comfortable allowing that level of access, you can use the service without providing any access info and simply copy or share over tracking numbers on your own instead.However you go about it, once you get your tracking info into AfterShip, it automatically detects the carrier for each deliverywith any service, anywhere in the worldand then shows you up-to-the-minute info about each packages delivery status.AfterShips dashboard shows you the current status for all your stuff, no matter who sent it or which company is doing the delivery.Whats especially cool is that AfterShip will automatically save whatever info you give it and then continue tracking the associated deliveries on your behalf each time you open it back up again.That works even if you never sign in, both with the app (where local app storage allows any info you paste in to remain in place) and in your browser (where first-party cookies keep your data visible only on your device).Once your infos inside AfterShip, your latest tracking statuses are never more than a quick tap or click away.On the mobile front, you can also have the app actively notify you anytime something changes with a packages status.~aftership-package-tracker-delivery-notifications-android.jpgAfterShips mobile apps can alert you of any and all delivery progress.~No digging, no wondering, and virtually no ongoing effort at alldoesnt get much easier than that.AfterShip is available on the web as well as in native Android and iOS app forms.You can also opt to install the website as an app on your device for easy ongoing access. Just look in the Cast, save, and share menu in Chrome and Chrome-related browsers or in the Apps menu in Edge. (Firefox, unfortunately, doesnt support the progressive web app standard that makes this possible.)The service is completely free to use for this purpose. The company behind it makes its money by offering integrated tracking technology for retailers and other businesses.AfterShip doesnt require any account creation or personal info sharing, and whether you opt to sign in and allow direct access to your email or not, the service promises to never share or sell any data in any way.Ready for even more productivity-boosting goodness? Check out my free Cool Tools newsletter for an instant introduction to an AI-powered supertool that transcribes your brainand another off-the-beaten-path gem every Wednesday!