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Garbage collection is the process by which Kubernetes removes dependent objects after you delete a resource. It also handles automatic clean-up of redundant items in your cluster. Finished containers and disused images are periodically removed to prevent large numbers of unnecessary resources accumulating over time. Several garbage collection strategies can be deployed depending on the type of object that’s being deleted. Garbage collection of unused resources is configurable by Kubelet settings on your cluster’s worker nodes....

If you’ve used Linux, you’re probably familiar with the virtual desktop feature. It provides a convenient way to organize programs and folders open on your desktop. You can switch among multiple desktops and have different programs and folders open on each one. However, virtual desktops is a feature missing in Windows. There are many third-party options for adding virtual desktops to Windows, including one called Dexpot, which we have covered previously....

If you ever played Super Mario Brothers or Mario Galaxy, you probably thought it was only a fun videogame—but fun can be serious. Super Mario has lessons to teach you might not expect about graphics and the concepts behind them. The basics of image technology (and then some) can all be explained with a little help from everybody’s favorite little plumber. So read on to see what we can learn from Mario about pixels, polygons, computers and math, as well as dispelling a common misconception about those blocky old graphics we remember from when me first met Mario....

The annual release of ECMAScript is here, bringing new features and syntax improvements. The specification was finalized by the ECMA International standards organization on June 22, 2021, indicating it’s now ready to use. ECMAScript’s most popular implementation is JavaScript, the language supported by web browsers and cloud environments via runtimes like Node.js. Here’s a rundown of the major changes in ES2021. Promise.any() Promise.any() completes the aggregate error handling support for promises....

Geeks the world over know their local host as 127.0.0.1, but why is that specific address, of all available addresses, reserved for the local host? Read on to delve into the history of local hosts. Image by GMPhoenix; available as wallpaper here. Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-drive grouping of Q&A web sites. The Question SuperUser reader Roee Adler, curious about the default localhost IP, posed the following question to the community:...

Facebook is a popular platform for sharing photos, even though it’s not a very good one. They prioritize fast loading images over high quality ones. You can’t stop it from happening, but you can minimize the quality loss. In the image above, you can see a side-by-side close up of the original photo and the version that’s on Facebook. The difference is noticeable. And Facebook is going to make some changes to pretty much any photo you upload in order to compress them so they load faster....

While Ubuntu One might seem like a Ubuntu-only file synchronization service, it’s more than that – you can use Ubuntu One on Windows, Android, iOS, and from the web. Ubuntu One offers 5GB of free storage space to everyone. Ubuntu One includes features for sharing files or folders online, streaming music to your smartphone, synchronizing installed applications across all your devices, and more. Sync Any Folder By default, Ubuntu only synchronizes files inside the Ubuntu One folder in your home directory....

Ever wonder how geeks stay connected with their favorite blogs and writers? Read on to learn about RSS feeds and how easy they are to use with these 45 apps, services, and websites that can help you stay current. Note: Of course, our more geeky readers are going to understand a lot of this already, which is why we included 45 great services that you might not have heard about before....

If you’re looking for just the right font for your retro computing project, this collection of 8-bit system fonts from the 1970s and 1980s can help. Damien G shares, on his personal blog devoted to design and typography, a collection of 8-bit system fonts available for download as TrueType. His collection includes system fonts for the Commodore PET, Apple II, Atari 400/800, Acorn BBC Micro, Commodore 64, and more. What makes his collection especially interesting is that he hasn’t just collected fonts together he’s provided an interesting back story to the design of the fonts–each entry includes an “Unusual characteristics” section that outlines unique things about that font and a “Rationale” section explaining why those unique variances are present....

Once a week we round up some of the reader questions we’ve answered and share the solutions with everyone. Today we’re looking at laptop visibility in sunny areas, resizing Windows partitions, and a dependable way to download YouTube videos. How Can I Keep My Laptop Screen Readable In Sunlight? Dear Sunshine Guy, It’s finally getting nice and warm out… and I’d really like to work on the terrace at my office....

Once a week we dip into our reader mailbag and answer three of your pressing tech questions. This week we’re looking at how to keep windows always on top, adding custom libraries to the Start Menu, and how to fix a corrupt IE User Agent entry. Set Windows to Always on Top Dear Stacking, From time to time I want various programs or windows to stay on top of everything else, even when I click on something else....

Bulk Rename Tool is a great portable application (available as an installed version if you crave context menu integration) that blasts through file renaming tasks. The main panel is intimidatingly packed with toggles and variables you can alter; this isn’t a one-click solution by any means. That said, once you get comfortable using the interface it’s lightening fast and extremely flexible. One tip that will save you an enormous amount of frustrating when you get started: make sure to highlight the files you want to change in the file preview window (located in the upper right corner) or else you won’t see the preview and won’t know if the changes you’re making in the control panel are yielding the file names you desire....

Have you ever tried to change the type of a section break in Word and only managed to ruin your sections and have to set them up and format them all over again? You probably thought that you had to delete a section break and reinsert it to change its type. Fortunately, that is not the case. There is an easy way to change the type of a section while preserving the section at the same time....

That’s a Notification Area, Thank You! If you poke around on Windows 10—or Windows 7, or Windows Vista, or Windows XP, or Windows 98—you won’t find any references to the term “system tray” in the Windows interface. Under Windows 10’s taskbar settings (Settings > Personalization > Taskbar), the settings for the “system tray” icons appear under “Notification area.” The Term “System Tray” Probably Led to Bloatware Does it really matter what it’s called—“notification area” or “system tray”?...

Once a week we dump out the tips box mailbag and share some of the reader-submitted tips with you. This week we’re looking at creating mind maps on Android devices, desktop Pandora notifications, and easy to use to-do lists. Mind Mapping on Android Devices Erin writes in with a mind mapping tip: We do love a good mind map (and, like you, we’re a bit puzzled by the lack of tablet support)....

Kenneth Finnegan started his adventures in electronics tinkering a little over two years ago and in that time advanced from being a complete beginner to putting together some really advanced projects. After his projects started appearing on popular hacking/electronics blogs like Hack A Day he decided to put together a guide to help out all the new hobbyists who were emailing him about his projects and what kind of gear they should get....

What Does “Refresh Rate” Mean? The term “refresh rate” is used to describe how many times a monitor updates in a single second. This is measured in hertz (Hz), with most regular monitors designed for office use having a refresh rate of 60Hz, though higher refresh rates are becoming more common. All displays use this metric, whether or not you see it quoted on the box. This includes smartphones and tablets, most of which use 60Hz displays....

A common question about the Google Chrome Browser is “why isn’t there a master password?” Google has (unofficially) taken the position that a master password provides a false sense of security and the most viable form of protection for this sensitive data is through overall system security. So exactly how secure is your saved password data inside of Google Chrome? Viewing Saved Passwords Chrome, includes its own password manager which is accessible via Options > Personal Stuff > Manage saved passwords....

Storing login information in the Windows Credential Manager can save time when you access a file share on another machine frequently. Lets take a look at how we can add our own credentials to the vault. Adding Login Information To The Credential Manager Open the Start Menu and click on the Control Panel link. When the Control Panel open click on the User Accounts and Family Safety link. Then open the Credential Manager....

Steam’s game management client is very streamlined if you’re only using Steam-purchased games, but it needs a little tweaking if you’re adding non-Steam games to the launcher. Read on as we show you how to add any game, application, or emulator to Steam with custom icons and artwork. Why Do I Want to Do This? The Steam client is a really handy way to organize your games and it works for both games you’ve purchased from Steam and games you’ve added from your own collection (e....