safety

While not generally true, some gamers do have a reputation for having a rather loose tongue, especially during competitive gameplay. That's probably fine if you're simply among peers of the same age range but can be a problem when a more heterogeneous mix is involved. It especially becomes dangerous when there are younger gamers in play, like when using a family-owned console. At long last, Microsoft is finally giving Xbox One owners the ability to censor some potentially harmful speech and even gives an almost ridiculous amount of control over it.

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Ridesharing company Lyft has announced a new partnership with the security company ADT to offer new features on its platform. Under the partnership, Lyft will launch a pilot early next year that'll allow customers in select markets to directly contact ADT if there's a security issue. The ADT-powered feature will be available in Lyft's mobile app; the company indicates it will be the first of multiple new features.

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Futurists and car makers envision a day when cars would drive themselves while humans sit back and relax or chat on the way to their destinations. that future is still far away given innumerable considerations but one can always start with baby steps, like getting out of the parking space on its own. That's what Tesla newly released Smart Summon was supposed to deliver but, confirming increasing reports from owners, Consumer Reports' review found it to be severely lacking, even dangerous.

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There's an event happening in California of which you should be aware. The power is out for over 500,000 people on the west coast of the USA because of a threat of wildfire. The power is not out - this was voluntary. The company Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) initiated a Public Safety Power Shutoff that's now in effect - and will be spreading over the next few days.

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They say that the best tool is the one that you always or often have on hand and, these days, that is probably people's smartphones. While often portrayed as a corrupting influence, these smartphones can also be used to promote well-being. Accessibility features open up a new world for those with handicaps while health and safety apps try to keep people in one piece, like a new car crash detection and alert system that users will hopefully never have to use in the foreseeable future.

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Public health officials with the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency in California have reported the seventh death linked to the unnamed lung condition impacting hundreds of people who had a history of recent vape use. The death impacted an adult over the age of 40, according to an announcement from the county, which says this was related to electronic cigarette use.

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Since last year, the FDA has been looking into the presence of impurities in various types of medication, leading to multiple drug recalls over past months. In the latest announcement on this matter, the agency reports that some units of a popular heartburn and antihistamine drug called ranitidine may contain low levels of a cancer-causing impurity, though it isn't ordering a recall of the products at this time.

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Google has launched two new tools to help opioid addicts get help from nearby resources. The tools involve Google Maps, making it easier to find life-saving naloxone medication and to locate recovery centers that can help individuals get over their addiction. Both tools are free to access through Google's newly launched Recover Together website, which doesn't link searches for centers to one's Google account.

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In addition to the Salmonella outbreak linked to the growing trend of keeping backyard chickens is another Salmonella outbreak previously linked to dried pig ears sold as dog treats. The CDC previously issued an advisory about the matter, though it didn't have any information about the source of the potentially contaminated treats. In a new update, the agency is warning that people should avoid all pig ear treats, including ones that have already been purchased.

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A UK-based pet charity called PDSA has warned that the number of pet owners who are choosing not to vaccinate their pets are putting millions of animals at risk. The decrease in pet vaccination rates coincidences with the steady increase in anti-vax sentiment, the movement putting children, vulnerable adults, and their pets at risk of a variety of easily preventable diseases.

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The Hedkayse ONE is a bicycle helmet made with several innovative design elements that, together, create a multi-impact, foldable, adjustable piece of head protection. For many years I've been stuck between cost and comfort in head protection whilst cycling. Most often this meant that I didn't wear a helmet when I should have, despite more-than-ample reason to take the time to attain the helmet that was right for me. I was extremely fickle. This summer I got to test out the helmet called Hedkayse ONE, and it changed the way I thought about helmets entirely.

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What manual controls should be present in autonomous vehicles, how they should be tested as road-worthy, and just how advanced the current state-of-the-art is are all points of controversy, as US road safety regulators mull feedback on what might be holding back driverless technologies. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) threw down the gauntlet to skeptics, enthusiasts, and everyone in-between to comment on the challenges of control-free autonomous car regulations, and as you might expect the responses were spirited.

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