The Download: voting machines, and paying with your palm

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. This scientist is trying to create an accessible, unhackable voting machine For the past 19 years, computer science professor Juan Gilbert has immersed himself in perhaps the most contentious debate over election administration…

What it takes to re-create Rings of Power title sequence with Chladni figures

Steve Mould re-created The Rings of Power title sequence using patterns produced by vibrating square plates. The first time I saw the opening credits for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, I thought the patterns looked remarkably like so-called “Chladni figures“: vibrational patterns that form when one scatters sand on a vibrating…

Build your own desk with custom features like USB ports and biometrics

A surface made out of a door has plenty of room for my computer, monitors, speakers, and other work necessities. Whitson Gordon After spending countless hours putting together a killer workstation, you have a tricked-out desktop computer, multiple monitors, bangin’ speakers, and…a computer desk that’s too tiny to fit it all. Here’s how to build…

How to fix the annoying audio delay on your soundbar

No amount of angrily button-mashing the remote is going to fix the audio delay between your TV and soundbar. JESHOOTS.com/Pexels If you’re unsatisfied with the quiet, tinny sound coming from your TV’s speakers, a soundbar can seriously improve your movie-watching experience. But while most soundbars are space-efficient and easy to hook up, they still have…