Slate Magazine ([syndicated profile] slate_feed) wrote2025-07-03 09:20 am
Slate Magazine ([syndicated profile] careandfeeding_feed) wrote2025-07-03 09:20 am
Slate Magazine ([syndicated profile] dear_prudence_feed) wrote2025-07-03 09:20 am
Mashable ([syndicated profile] mashablexml_feed) wrote2025-07-03 07:31 am

Dubai introduces four-day work week for government workers

Skyscrapers along the Dubai Marina waterfront in the Gulf emirate.

The government of Dubai has officially implemented a temporary four-day work week for all its public sector workers. That could be us, but you playin'.

Dubai's new shorter work week will now involve all government workers, who will be divided into two groups. The first will work eight hours per day, but get Fridays completely off. The second will still work for 4.5 hours on Friday, but will only need to be on for seven hours on other days.

Such changes will be in effect from July 1 to September 12, at which point Dubai's government workers will presumably be obliged to return to their usual five-day schedules. The four-day work week is part of Dubai's 2025 Our Flexible Summer initiative.

"This initiative demonstrates our firm commitment to enhancing the government work environment, making it more adaptable and responsive to the needs of employees and the community," said Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, director general of the Dubai government's human resources department. "This supports Dubai’s aspirations to lead in delivering flexible, sustainable, and people-centric government services."

Dubai's four-day work week follows a trial it conducted in 2024 involving 21 government entities. This experiment resulted in overall employee satisfaction increasing by 98 percent, with workers experiencing enhanced productivity and happiness. Yet despite these results, as well as positive outcomes from previous experiments by other organisations, it seems Dubai's government still isn't quite ready to commit to a more permanent change.

Is the four-day work week the future?

Numerous organisations across the globe have tried out shorter work weeks over the years, which have repeatedly reported positive results. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders also reiterated his ongoing support for a four-day work week last month, arguing that there's no reason workers shouldn't get a four-day work week if artificial intelligence is enhancing workers' productivity as its advocates claim.

"[A four-day work week is] not a radical idea," said Sanders. "There are companies around the world that are doing it, with some success."

Companies which have tried it include Microsoft Japan, which announced in 2019 that its four-day work week trial had increased productivity by 40 percent. New Zealand firm Perpetual Guardian saw productivity increase by 20 percent during their own trial, prompting them to switch to a permanent four-day work week in 2018. Both organisations saw savings in reduced electricity costs as well.

Iceland ran a four-day work week trial between from 2015 to 2019, and found that the almost 3,000 workers involved were happier, healthier, and more productive. A similar 2022 UK trial produced favourable results as well, with the overwhelming majority of participating organisations still operating on a four-day work week one year after the study's publication. Belgium also approved a four-day work week in 2022, enabling workers to request longer 10-hour days in exchange for one day off, while Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic introduced an optional four-day work week.

Yet despite years of trials spanning the globe, resulting in mountains of evidence demonstrating benefits to employers as well as employees, the four-day work week still remains a rare model. Though it's popular for companies to portray themselves as forward thinking and at the cutting-edge, it seems few are willing to actually follow through and apply widely tested and scientifically-backed changes with clear proven benefits.

Mashable ([syndicated profile] mashablexml_feed) wrote2025-07-03 07:20 am

Apple is now on Threads

Apple Threads

Apple now has an official Threads account.

The company recently created and verified an account on Meta's social network, though it hasn't really done much with it yet. It's located at https://www.threads.com/@apple, has the company logo as a profile pic and the description "apple" (very imaginative, Apple), but it hasn't posted anything yet.

Apple has an account on Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter), but it doesn't keep any posts there, even though it sometimes uses X to highlight products and events. Currently, the company has 0 displayed posts, even though it has 9.8 million followers.

Seeing Apple on Threads isn't much of a surprise given that Apple maintains an active Instagram account (both Instagram and Threads are owned by Meta, and share the same account verification process). On Instagram, Apple is active, and it uses the account to post photos from its "ShotoniPhone" campaign.

Notably, Apple already has a couple of other accounts on Threads, including Apple News, Apple Music and Apple Books, though they're devoid of content, too. The only Apple-related accounts that are active on Threads that we could find were Shazam and Beats by Dre.

IKEA Hackers ([syndicated profile] ikeahacker_feed) wrote2025-07-02 12:00 pm

A Japanese Furniture Maker Holds the Key to Luxe (Simple) Record Storage

Posted by Stacy Randall

Ask any discophile and they’ll tell you—digging through crates at a record store is thrilling, especially when you come across a rare cover.  But at home? If your vinyl’s crammed sideways into a shelf, the magic kind of dies. “Thing is, I don’t like browsing for the records, just looking at the spine. And, visually, it does not look good. I long wanted a record storage drawer system where I can pull out and flip through the albums as I […]

The post A Japanese Furniture Maker Holds the Key to Luxe (Simple) Record Storage appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Mashable ([syndicated profile] mashablexml_feed) wrote2025-07-03 05:00 am

This AI image generator lets you create NSFW art, and it’s only £22 for life

Imagiyo AI Image Generator: Lifetime Subscription (Standard Plan)

TL;DR: Create anything, even NSFW art, with a lifetime subscription to Imagiyo for only £21.98.


Digital creativity has never been more accessible, yet many of us remember the days when crafting a single image meant wrestling with layers and plugins for hours on end. Now there’s a way to generate stunning visuals in seconds simply by typing a description of what you have in mind.

Imagiyo uses Stable Diffusion AI alongside FLUX AI to turn text prompts into high-quality images ready for commercial use, and there aren’t many limits to what you can create. Here’s what that means.

What art can you make with Imagiyo

What do you want to make first? It only takes a brief description to put Imagiyo’s advanced algorithms to work, and unlike other image generators, Imagiyo actually lets you really follow your creativity. Craft stunning landscapes, visualise characters from books, or go for something a little more daring. Imagiyo supports NSFW content creation. Just set your prompts to private and let your mind run wild.

Imagiyo’s commercial-use license means you can take some of the images you generate and incorporate them into client projects, social media campaigns, or personal portfolios without fear of copyright issues.

Each month, you receive 500 image-generation credits and can submit up to two prompts at once. Unused credits roll over, so you never lose access to your creative potential. Best of all, Imagiyo delivers your purchased engine updates and feature improvements automatically, ensuring you always work with the latest AI models.

You have through July 15 to get an Imagiyo AI Image Generator lifetime subscription for £21.98.

StackSocial prices subject to change

Mashable ([syndicated profile] mashablexml_feed) wrote2025-07-03 04:00 am

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Georgia

Pornhub shown on digital screens

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Georgia with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.


Georgia has joined the growing number of U.S. states that have introduced age verification laws for porn sites. Pornhub has responded by banning users in Georgia from accessing their website. It's a complicated situation, with a straightforward workaround.

If you want to unblock Pornhub for free from Georgia, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Georgia

VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub

  4. Visit Pornhub

ExpressVPN logo
Credit: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

  • Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Unblock Pornhub for free in Georgia with ExpressVPN.

Mashable ([syndicated profile] mashablexml_feed) wrote2025-07-03 04:00 am

Hurdle hints and answers for July 3, 2025

Hurdle game on a smartphone

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Not a winner.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

LOSER

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A device used on fruit.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

CORER

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Useful.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

UTILE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A home.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

ABODE

Final Hurdle hint

Rapid fire.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

SALVO

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Mashable ([syndicated profile] mashablexml_feed) wrote2025-07-03 04:00 am

Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on July 3, 2025

An image of a full moon.

The moon is looking bright in the sky tonight, and that's for good reason. It's all down to where we are in the current lunar cycle.

What is the lunar cycle, you ask? This is a recurring series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days (according to NASA), and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. The moon is always there, but what we see on Earth changes depending on how much is lit up.

See what's happening with the moon tonight, July 3.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, July 3, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 57% of the moon will be lit up and visible to us on Earth. This is also day eight of the lunar cycle.

Tonight there is plenty to see with the naked eye, so keep your fingers crossed for a clear sky.

With the naked eye, you'll be able to spot the Mare Crisium, Mare Tranquillitatis, and the Mare Fecunditatis on the moon's surface. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, these will be positioned in the top right of the moon. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, they're on the bottom left.

If you have binoculars, you'll also spot the Endymion Crater, the Posidonius Nectaris, and the Mare Nectaris.

If you have a telescope, the Apollo 16 and Apollo 11 landing spots will be visible, as well as the Caucasus Mountains, a 323-mile-long mountain range.

When is the next full moon?

This month's full moon will take place on July 10. The last full moon was on June 11.

What are moon phases?

Moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side.

Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.