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Most of us have seen weather maps at some point in our lives – in geography lessons at school, or in weather forecasts. But what do all the lines, labels and shapes actually mean? 1. Air pressure Areas of high and low air pressure are labelled on weather maps with the letters H and L. High pressure generally brings calm, dry and settled weather, whereas low pressure typically means unsettled weather, with cloud , wind and rain . 2. Isobars The continuous parallel lines with numbers on them are called isobars and connect areas with the same air pressure. The closer the isobars are together, the stronger the wind will be. 3. Weather fronts These define the boundaries between different air masses, typically bringing cloud, precipitation and changes in temperature and humidity. They’re depicted through coloured lines with shapes on one side, with the side featuring the shapes showing the direction of movement. Warm fronts are shown through red lines featuring semi-circles, whi

A good BBQ, gardening session or just plain long days lying in the sun can be vastly improved with some summer tunes. But if you want to have a speaker that both sounds good and is ready to fight the trials of the outside world, your options quickly become more limited. Water- and dust-resistance are important, as is good sound quality, but these factors also need to be considered next to value for money, portability and a host of other key factors. That’s obviously a lot to think through. Luckily, we’ve done the hard part, picking out and testing some of the best outdoor speakers on the market. Below we’ve listed the top choices from a range of big-name brands. Klipsch If you’ve been wanting to try a Klipsch product but have been put off by the prices, the Heritage Groove is a good place to start. It has all of the class of their larger kit without breaking the bank – and does its best to match the sound quality, too. But while the Heritage Groove sits in line with many portabl

In the realm of medicine, conversations around vaginas have been remarkably narrow. Usually, the focus is only given either following a vaginal delivery of a child, as a ‘passing glance’ as health care professionals access the cervix for screening, or when the body of the uterus is examined for other medical procedures. And when vaginal health is reviewed, it’s usually focused on infections such as sexually transmitted diseases and cancerous lesions. But the vagina is a dynamic organ. For example, the many biological changes that occur throughout the menstrual cycle. It also has its own microenvironment, a carefully balanced microbiome containing billions of bacteria . And we are only just beginning to understand the role this plays in vaginal, reproductive and public health . The vagina’s potential as a route for diagnostics and therapeutics has largely been ignored. But now, scientists, doctors, and pharma companies have started to look at the organ in a new way. As it can be e

Tactical watches are timepieces designed to be especially durable and functional in harsh environments. Their robustness makes them popular with outdoor enthusiasts or people who want their watch to have a long lifespan. To characterise a tactical watch, they’re typically made using hardy materials like steel, carbon fibre or high-strength polymers. They’ll also be designed to withstand water submersion to varying degrees, with well-sealed components. While traditional tactical watches commonly have timeless features like a compass, altitude measurement and timer, modern watches often include smart specs such as high-tech GPS , health monitoring and a range of other digital features. If you’re looking to get hold of a tactical watch, we’ve listed our top picks with key specifications below. Best all rounder Garmin Instinct Solar Tactical Garmin’s Instinct Solar GPS watch features a fibre-reinforced polymer case with a gorilla glass screen, which is said to deliver military sta

From recovering lost possessions to hunting for historical artefacts, and, of course, searching for ‘treasure’, there’s plenty you can do with a trusty metal detector. Of course, there’s a huge selection of models out there, ranging in price from under £100 to thousands of pounds, so planning a purchase can be tricky. We’ve found the highest-reviewed metal detectors out there from the entry-level to mid-range bracket, all available for under £500. See our top choices below or skip ahead to read our full buyer’s guide for more information before making your decision. Skip to our metal detector buyer’s guide The best metal detectors you can buy today Minelab Vanquish 540   Priced at around £400, Minelab’s Vanquish 540 is a mid-range option for detectorists who want a bit more control. It comes with a 30x22cm waterproof coil and five depth levels. You’ll also get 25 discrimination modes to find or ignore specific metals, as well as 10 sensitivity levels and adjustable iron bias c

Music production is a demanding process that might prove too strenuous for some laptops. You need a speedy, multicore CPU that can handle real-time processing for loading audio plugins. And don’t skimp on the RAM, as you’ll want a laptop with loads of memory to handle those beefy DAWs, plugins, and audio processing. A large SSD storage is also useful if you’re not planning on lugging around an external hard drive (although we always recommend backing up your work) because audio files aren’t small, and you’ll need somewhere to store audio, sample libraries, and plugin resource files. In general, more power often comes with a hefty price tag, but we’ve scoured the web to find you the best options for all budgets. Whether you’re a novice music producer just starting out, or a seasoned expert looking to upgrade your set-up, our top picks have got you covered. Keep reading and get ready to unleash your musical magic! Best laptops for music production Acer Aspire 5 15.6 Inch Key spec

When drying clothes indoors, three main factors determine drying time: temperature, humidity and airflow. The water molecules trapped in the fabric’s fibres must evaporate by turning into water vapour. This happens as water molecules jostling within the fabric gain enough energy to turn into a gas, a process that is accelerated if the material is warmer. At the same time, water molecules in the air randomly condense onto the fabric. So, the drier the air, the higher the ratio of evaporation to condensation, and the faster clothes will dry. Warmer air holds more water , so higher temperatures reduce the relative humidity, which help clothes dry faster. A flow of fresh air carries moisture-laden air away from the drying clothes, minimising condensation back onto the fabric. So, when drying clothes indoors, pick a warm, dry room with good ventilation. Of course, there are also some technological solutions that can speed up this process. Heated clothes airers accelerate evaporation vi

After 15 years of painstaking observations, an international team of researchers has listened in on the ripples of gravitational waves that perpetually course throughout the Universe for the first time. The discovery of the long-theorised ‘gravitational wave background’ could lead to answers to some of cosmology’s longest-standing questions, from the fate of colliding supermassive black holes to the frequency of galaxy mergers and maybe even the birth of the Universe. The newly detected gravitational waves were observed by a team at the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) and are by far the most powerful ever measured. They were likely created by pairs of supermassive black holes spiralling together in hugely energetic collisions throughout the Universe, the researchers say. “It’s like a choir, with all these supermassive black hole pairs chiming in at different frequencies,” said NANOGrav scientist Dr Chiara Mingarelli , who worked on the new

Not all budding photographers can be bothered with the admin of setting up a tripod, changing lenses and altering various controls, which is where a trusty point-and-shoot camera comes in handy. As their not-so-cryptic name suggests, the portable, hassle-free digital cameras allow you to simply point and shoot. Find your muse, point the camera, and hit the shutter. Easy. For more on the workings and advantages of a point-and-shoot camera, jump to our short buyer’s guide . While they may be looked down upon by those who swear by the advanced nature and flexible controls of DSLRs, point-and-shoot cameras let you take beautiful pictures in a far more convenient way, and they’re perfect for everyday use. We’ve gathered eight designs for you to consider below. Take a browse for speedier, more straightforward snapping. You can also check out our favourite photography gadgets for the latest cool tech. Best point-and-shoot cameras for 2023 Sony RX100 VII f/2.8 – f/4.5 lens Built-in

This intriguing piece of tech aims to change the way you think about sound. Bone conduction headphones are headphones that harness the power of human bones to transmit audio, bypassing the eardrums. This design leaves the ear canals open, allowing users to hear their surroundings. This can be advantageous in certain situations, such as during outdoor activities or when maintaining situational awareness is important, such as sports, outdoor activities or commuting. They can also be useful for people with physical or sensory challenges that can’t use traditional earbuds. How do bone conduction headphones work? Rather than using traditional speakers or earbuds that produce sound waves that are then received by the eardrums, they directly deliver sound to the cochlea, a part of the inner ear which plays a vital role in our perception of sound frequencies. The headphones typically consist of transducers that are placed just above or in front of the ears. These transducers generate vib