Technology News and More-Wednesday Edition

Technology News and More...

4 Reasons You Should Still Keep an Optical Drive Around


500+How-To Geek / 2h
Modern desktop and laptop computers usually ship without an optical drive , and you might think they're obsolete now. The truth is that everyone should have an optical drive tucked away somewhere because there's a good chance you'll need it.

Bad news: Netflix just removed its cheapest ad-free plan for new US and UK subscribers
100+TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 14h
Once again, Netflix has quietly made a change to its pricing model. While no official announcement has been made, the streaming service’s plans and pricing page no longer offers the option to sign up for its Basic plan in the US and UK. That means that the Basic plan, which bridged the gap between its $6.99 / £4.99 per month ad-supported tier and more expensive Standard ad-free plan of $15.49 / £


Heat Leftover Pizza In a Skillet to Re-Crisp the Crust
41Lifehacker / 2h
Pizza-for-breakfast is an American classic, but you’ve probably been doing it wrong. Using the oven takes too long, and a microwave turns last night’s pizza slice from cold and stiff to hot and soggy—plus the heating is so uneven, you might as well eat it cold. Or, you can use a skillet on your stovetop to restore… Read more...



Artificial intelligence: Experts propose guidelines for safe systems
BBC News - Technology / 25min
A new voluntary framework has the backing of hundreds of experts around the world.


AI: Workers need more protection - TUC union
BBC News - Technology / 25min
The warning comes as Octopus Energy's boss says customers prefer emails written by AI over humans.


Quordle today - hints and answers for Thursday, July 20 (game #542)
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 31min
It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off. Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, around 18 months after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's good fun, but also difficult. What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also


Amazon Prime Is More than Free Shipping: Here Are All of Its Extra Features
44How-To Geek / 34min
Millions of people have an Amazon Prime subscription for one reason: you can get just about anything shipped to your house in two days, with no extra shipping fees. But Amazon Prime comes with a ton of other features that you may not know about. Here are all the ways you can maximize the value of your Prime membership.


Make a San Diego Comic-Con Pitstop at the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe
Gizmodo / 41min
io9 is at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 and we made a pre-convention center detour to the Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe , a fast food activation inspired by SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog video game universe . Read more...


How to Avoid Fake and Scammy Amazon Sellers
400+How-To Geek / 41min
Amazon is one of the biggest direct-to-consumer marketplaces on the planet. And not just of its own goods and services: though the company operates huge warehouses all over the world, it also lets smaller companies sell harder-to-find items on its marketplace, including individual sellers of new and used items. But with a relatively wide-open policy towards third party sellers, a few with less th


Unity launches visionOS beta, opening the doors for existing apps and games
Ars Technica - All content / 42min
Enlarge / What the Golf? , a popular Apple Arcade game, running in shared 3D space with other visionOS applications. (credit: Unity) Starting today, some developers can use the popular software Unity to make apps and games for Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset. A partnership between Unity and Apple was first announced during Apple's WWDC 2023 keynote last month, in the same segment the Vision P


Beijing robotics firm ForwardX’s Series C hits $61 million
TechCrunch / 54min
ForwardX this week announced an additional $30 million in funding, bringing the Beijing-based firm’s Series C up to $61 million. The funding follows an initial tranche announced way back in December 2021 . It brings the warehouse robotics firm’s total funding up to $140 million since its 2016 launch. The last few years have been a good time to be running an autonomous mobile robotics (AMR) compan


Karat, a startup building financial tools for content creators, raises $70M
TechCrunch / 1h
Despite earning six-to-seven-figure-a-year incomes, many content creators are denied the capital they need to expand their businesses. The reasons vary, but most are relatively young and have limited business and credit histories, and deal with inconsistent income across platforms. It’s a lucrative problem to crack. According to one source , hundreds of millions of people now create content full-


Where to Watch 'They Cloned Tyrone' (and What You Should Know)
Lifehacker / 1h
They Cloned Tyrone is a sci-fi comedy movie starring Teyonah Parris, Jaime Foxx, and John Boyega that centers around a series of eerie events in a Black neighborhood that brings together an oddball trio of characters—a drug dealer, a pimp, and a sex worker—who discover a government conspiracy. Read more...


The Best Chromebooks of 2023
35How-To Geek / 1h



Study claims ChatGPT is losing capability, but some experts aren’t convinced
Ars Technica - All content / 1h
Enlarge (credit: Benj Edwards / Getty Images) On Tuesday, researchers from Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley published a research paper that purports to show changes in GPT-4 's outputs over time. The paper fuels a common-but-unproven belief that the AI language model has grown worse at coding and compositional tasks over the past few months. Some experts aren't convinced


Google’s new security pilot program will ban employee Internet access
Ars Technica - All content / 1h
Enlarge (credit: Sean Gallup | Getty Images ) The Internet is dangerous, so what if you just didn't use it? That's the somewhat ironic recommendation Google, one of the world's largest Internet companies, is making to its employees. CNBC's Jennifer Elias reports that Google is "starting a new pilot program where some employees will be restricted to Internet-free desktop PCs" while they work. An i


Florida malaria outbreak still going with local cases now at 7
Ars Technica - All content / 1h
Anopheles stephensi An Anopheles stephensi mosquito, which can carry the malaria parasite. (credit: CDC) A seventh person has been diagnosed with a locally acquired case of malaria in Florida's Sarasota County, state health officials reported this week . The rare outbreak is now in its third month after authorities in the Sunshine State reported the first case in May. When Florida had identified


Where to Watch 'Warrior' Season 3 (and What You Should Know)
Lifehacker / 1h
Set in 1870s San Francisco during the Chinatown Tong Wars, Warrior is a martial arts crime drama that centers around Ah Sahm, a martial arts phenom from China who immigrates to the U.S. in search of his lost sister. After joining a Chinatown gang called Hop Wei, he eventually learns that his sister’s circumstances are… Read more...


James Cameron Is More Worried About an AI Apocalypse Than an AI Movie Script for Now
Gizmodo / 1h
Fears over the increasing and encroaching role of large language models and other generative AI tools in media have become the heart of Hollywood’s current labor struggle , as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have both centered safeguards for human workers in the face of an industry eager to jump on the latest tech bandwagon. But… Read more...


Trying to grind Escape From Tarkov ahead of the wipe? These codes will give you free stuff
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
It's official, Escape From Tarkov is handing out stacks of free stuff to eagle-eyed players ready to put in a few codes, and if you want to get hold of some of the best armour, guns and ammo in the game it can be yours by just entering a code on Escape From Tarkov 's website. There's no limit to have many of these you can redeem, so strap in, enter a stack of codes, and you can walk away with the


PSA: You Might Be Eligible for a Free Smart Thermostat
50How-To Geek / 1h
The cost of a smart thermostat certainly weighs into the decision to get one. But in many areas, power companies will give you one for a steep discount or even for free. Here's what you need to know.


10 Games You Won't Believe Your M1 or M2 Mac Can Run
31How-To Geek / 1h
Even the humble base-model M1 Macbook Air packs more punch than the previous generation of consoles, yet it may still come as a surprise to realize that the M1 and M2 Apple computers can play some intense games.


Is WhatsApp down? Here's what we know.
Mashable / 2h
Yes, the world's most popular messaging app, Meta's WhatsApp , was having serious issues on Wednesday. As of 5:18 p.m. ET, internet service status tracker Downdetector was picking up enough errors to conclude that there were "problems at Whatsapp." WhatsApp itself acknowledged the problem in a tweet , saying it was "working quickly to resolve connectivity issues with WhatsApp and we’ll update you



Has the Time for 32GB of RAM Finally Come?
400+How-To Geek / 2h
We've finally established that 640K of memory isn't quite enough for anyone , but the correct amount of RAM remains a hot debate topic. RAM isn't cheap, but the time may finally be here to move on to 32GB of memory.


How Much Money Will Unplugging My TV and Accessories Save?
51How-To Geek / 2h
TV sets and all the various support devices and accessories can carry a surprising phantom load , adding to our electric bills even when we're not using them. Here's how much you can save by unplugging them.


Microsoft will deliver improved HoloLens combat goggles to Army testers this month
20Engadget / 2h
Microsoft is taking another turn at testing its HoloLens-based combat goggles with the US military. The company has confirmed to Engadget that it's delivering improved IVAS (Integrated Visual Augmentation System) 1.2 devices to the Army before the end of July. These updated augmented reality models are "slimmer, lighter and more balanced" than before, Microsoft says. That, in turn, should make th


This Nix Mini 2 Color Sensor Is $60 Right Now
Lifehacker / 2h
This Nix Mini 2 Color Sensor can scan and read the color of just about any surface—great for matching paint colors—and it’s on sale for $59.97 (reg. $99) right now until July 23. With the Nix Mini 2, you can scan a surface and get matches to brand-name paint colors or sRGB, HEX, CMYK, or LAB colors. Read more...


Hilton Refuses To Upgrade Elite Members At 44% Of Its Brands
View from the Wing / 2h
Did you know that Hilton specifically says that 44% of its brands do not have to upgrade elite members at all? Continue reading ...


Enjoy Post-Prime Day Deals on Gaming Monitors, Smart TVs, and More
How-To Geek / 2h
Prime Day 2023 might be over, but that doesn't mean there aren't any good tech-related sales still available online. This week you'll be able to save big on an LG gaming monitor, a Fire TV, and much more.


GPU Fans Not Spinning: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
How-To Geek / 2h
GPUs tend to get hot processing millions of pixels for you, so cooling fans going quiet can be understandably concerning! If you notice your GPU's fans aren't spinning, here's how to assess whether there's a real problem or not and then how to fix the problem.


Stop Using Your Phone as a Flashlight
500+How-To Geek / 2h
Smartphones come with a fairly powerful built-in flashlight that is so convenient and easy to use. But you should stop relying on it (and putting your phone in peril) right now.


Gaming Laptops: How Far Are They Behind Desktops?
60How-To Geek / 2h
You probably know that choosing a gaming laptop over a gaming desktop PC means getting less performance, but how big is that gap exactly? The answer is probably not as large as you think. In fact, it may not matter!


How Screen Savers Literally Save Your Screen
87How-To Geek / 2h
Winding pipes, dizzying 3D mazes, a haunted house, colorful flurries---screen savers used to be fun. They also used to serve a very important purpose, and may still today. That purpose was described in the name itself all this time.


5 DuckDuckGo Features You Should Be Using
100+How-To Geek / 2h
DuckDuckGo is primarily known for its focus on privacy. But the search engine (and now browser) offers several helpful features, many of which aren't even available on Google or Bing. So if you are new to DuckDuckGo, here are five features to improve your search experience.


Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro Review: ANC True Wireless Earbuds on a Budget
35How-To Geek / 2h
True wireless earbuds have come a long way, with affordable models boasting features that would have only been available in high-end models a few years ago. The Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro are a great example, offering hybrid active noise cancellation complete with a transparency mode on a budget.


Government Opens Investigation Into Tesla Autopilot Crash That Killed Teen and Baby
Futurism / 2h
Tragedy Strikes Tesla's troubled Autopilot is under additional scrutiny after federal officials announced they're investigating the driver assist tech in a horrific car crash in California that killed a teenager and a baby, Reuters reports. "In the blink of an eye, our lives have been forever shattered as baby Charlie has now been declared brain dead from injuries sustained in this tragic acciden


Juul Seeks FDA Approval for New Vape That Can Verify a User's Age
Gizmodo / 2h
Juul is requesting FDA approval for an updated version of its e-cigarette a year after it was forced to briefly remove its fruity-flavored devices from the market. The new e-cigarette reportedly has age-verification capabilities and a unique Pod ID chip that will prevent consumers from using counterfeit pods with the… Read more...


You Can Install and Use Windows 11 Without a Product Key
100+How-To Geek / 2h
Long gone are the days of requiring a valid product key to install Windows, but what happens if you never activate Microsoft's latest desktop OS with a license? Here's what you need to know about installing and running Windows 11 without paying a dime.


You Should Store Files on Your Desktop, Here's Why
100+How-To Geek / 2h
People are passionate about how the desktop on your PC or Mac should look. Show someone a cluttered desktop full of files and you'll probably hear a repulsed gasp. Don't feel bad about storing files on the desktop. Everyone should do it.


8 Surprising Things You Can Do With ChatGPT
83How-To Geek / 2h
If you've heard about ChatGPT and think it's just a fancy chatbot, you might be underestimating the range of what it can do. Here are some surprising things you can do with ChatGPT, whether you want to write a resume or have it dungeon-master an epic role-playing adventure.


Why does the internet love tree law so much?
TechCrunch / 2h
It was day 76 of the Hollywood writers’ strike, and once again, comedian Chris Stephens journeyed out to the picket line. But when he arrived in front of Universal Studios, he noticed something odd. The trees outside the studio — which offer a rare bit of shade from the brutal Los Angeles sun — had been trimmed until they were almost bare. Quick shoutout to the good people at @UniversalPics for t


Snowstorm raises seed and launches open beta to keep the internet free
TechCrunch / 2h
Created to ensure open and free access to the internet, Snowflake saw a huge uptick in users during the start of the Ukraine War — and has grown even more since then. Started as an open source project by Serene (who goes by her first name only for privacy reasons), Snowflake, which began as a pluggable transport for Tor, has had a makeover into Snowstorm , and now promises faster connections and



Don't Overlook These 10 Useful Wi-Fi Router Features
61How-To Geek / 2h
It's all too easy to get a new Wi-Fi router , spend a few minutes doing some basic setup, and then ignore it until it's so old and slow you're forced to upgrade. Here are some settings and features you should take advantage of now.


6 Tricks That Won't Secure Your Wi-Fi (And 6 That Will)
45How-To Geek / 2h
Like anything related to computer and network security, quite a few oft-repeated Wi-Fi security tricks don't help at all. Here are the tips and tricks you should avoid and an equal number you should be sure to use.


10 Old Tech Gadgets You Forgot Existed
100+How-To Geek / 2h
The world is filled with gadgets---and it has been for a long time. Some tech gadgets have stood the test of time, but others have long been forgotten. Some things that were commonplace only a decade ago are relics today.


The Best MicroSD Cards of 2023
How-To Geek / 2h



Apple is reportedly working on a ChatGPT rival – but you won't see it anytime soon
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
Of course, Apple is working on its own generative AI, Large Language Model (LLM) and possible ChatGPT rival called, naturally, AppleGPT. Sure, the news is based on a Bloomberg report and Apple is predictably mum on the matter but, seriously, how could the Cupertino tech giant not be working on its own AI? According to the Bloomberg report, Apple is basing its ultra-secret project on a learning fr


Melania Trump's Apollo 11 NFTs Violate NASA Guidelines
Gizmodo / 2h
Melania Trump released her latest collection of nonfungible tokens (NFTs), this time commemorating humanity’s giant leap on the Moon with a famous photo of NASA Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walking on the lunar surface. There’s just one thing though: NASA does not approve the use of its imagery for the digital tokens. Read more...


Keep Your Desk Clutter-Free With These Gadgets
Lifehacker / 2h
It doesn’t matter if you’re working from home or in an office: You need to maximize your desk’s functionality so you can be more productive and happy. Here are some of the best products to spruce up your workspace. Read more...


FTC rewrites rules on Big Tech mergers with aim to ease monopoly-busting
Ars Technica - All content / 2h
Enlarge / Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission. (credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg ) Antitrust enforcers released a draft update outlining new rules today that officials say will make it easier to crack down on mergers and acquisitions that could substantially lessen competition in the US. Now the public has 60 days to review the draft guidelines and submit comments to the F


Attackers find new ways to deliver DDoSes with “alarming” sophistication
2 TTPs•
Ars Technica - All content / 2h
Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson / Getty) The protracted arms race between criminals who wage distributed denial-of-service attacks and the defenders who attempt to stop them continues, as the former embraces “alarming” new methods to make their online offensives more powerful and destructive, researchers from content-delivery network Cloudflare reported Wednesday. With a global network spanning mo


6 best portable fans to keep you cool when traveling
The Points Guy / 2h
As you’ve likely noticed, summer is well and truly upon us. So far t his year, we’ve seen record-high temperatures worldwide, with peaks in places where the mercury has repeatedly hit over 100 degrees Fahrenheit from Arizona to Nevada, Texas and across the ocean stretching into Athens, Greece and beyond. If you’re heading out on vacation any time soon, you might be worried about staying cool when


Tesla plans to license its Full Self-Driving system to other automakers
29Engadget / 2h
In a surprise announcement during Tesla's Q2 2023 investor call, company head Elon Musk revealed that and OEMs. "We are very open to licensing our FSD software and hardware to other car companies," Musk said, "and we're already in discussions with a major OEM about using a Tesla FSD." Musk also announced a "one-time amnesty," during Q3 which will allow owners to transfer their existing FSD subsc


Aquaman 2's Reported Production Problems Already Seem Lost At Sea
Gizmodo / 2h
Did you know that Aquaman (2018) is the highest grossing DC Universe movie? At least according to The Hollywood Reporter , it is the “highest grossing” DC movie of all time at 1.148 billion dollars. Which, absolutely bonkers considering what a weird over-developed riot of CGI that film was. And of course the sequel, Aqu … Read more...


Ripple’s XRP case ‘underscores the need for regulatory clarity’
TechCrunch / 2h
Last week, the crypto community celebrated a U.S. federal court case that ruled Ripple’s XRP token does not make up illegal securities sales — but only in some cases. Though many celebrated the ruling, it’s not a true win for crypto. Judge Analisa Torres, who presided over the case, approved the SEC’s motion with regard to institutional sales of Ripple’s XRP token, meaning that the cryptocurrency


Stanford President to Step Down Over Allegations He Manipulated Mountains of Science
Gizmodo / 2h
The most preeminent member of one of the U.S.’s most preeminent universities plans to step down in a month’s time. The news out of Stanford comes after student journalists uncovered allegations that their dear leader’s old lab had manipulated data in dozens of major scientific papers published in many preeminent… Read more...


Severe outage knocked WhatsApp down
TechCrunch / 2h
WhatsApp, the Meta-owned ubiquitous messaging app, was inaccessible to many users around the globe due to a “major disruption” earlier Wednesday. Tens of thousands of users reported issues sending and receiving messages on the social app, used by more than 2 billion users each month. The outage started at around 1:15 p.m. Pacific time, according to user messages, and lasted about 40 to 50 minutes


Tesla hits $25B in Q2 revenue, but margins decrease amid price cuts
TechCrunch / 2h
Tesla reported Wednesday net income of $2.7 billion in the second quarter, up 20% from the same period last year as once again, the company’s EV price cuts dug into profits. The automaker has repeatedly reduced the cost of its four EV models in the United States, Mexico, Europe and China. The move helped boost sales in the first half of the year, with Tesla hitting record Q2 deliveries of 466,140


Netflix added nearly 6 million new subscribers amid password sharing crackdown
68Engadget / 2h
Netflix’s attempts to crack down on password sharing is starting to pay off. The company reported substantial growth in subscribers in the months following its push to stop users from sharing accounts with people outside of their household. The streaming company added nearly 6 million paying subscribers, an increase of 8 percent, during the second quarter of 2023. The results confirm earlier repo


The 12 best places to travel in August
100+The Points Guy / 3h
Editor’s note: This guide has been updated with the latest information. August is a wonderful time to embark on a memorable journey and explore new destinations worldwide. Whether you are a sports enthusiast, a foodie or a music lover, numerous destinations offer exciting experiences during this summer month. From the artsy streetscapes of Providence, Rhode Island, to the serene landscapes of Nor


Tesla blames solar slump on interest rates as energy storage biz booms
TechCrunch / 3h
Tesla’s solar installations are still slipping, the company told investors on Wednesday. The automaker reported 66 megawatts’ worth of solar deployments during its second quarter of 2023, representing a 1 MW decline from the first quarter and a 40 MW decline from the second quarter of 2022. In other words, Tesla solar installations fell by roughly 37% from Q2 2022 to Q2 2023. Tesla said the year-



Make a Quick Peanut Butter Cup in Your Freezer
Lifehacker / 3h
I’ve been on a magic shell kick recently. Ever since I made this Sara Lee ice cream cake . I’ve been drizzling it on ice cream, obviously, but the fast-setting chocolate sauce has other uses. It will freeze onto any cold food, including fruit (like frozen bananas) and peanut butter. Read more...


Netflix gains nearly 6M subscribers as paid sharing soars
TechCrunch / 3h
A year ago today, Netflix reported its largest quarterly loss ever, with 970,000 subscribers dropping the service. The company has since crawled out from under the rubble. Netflix revealed Wednesday that, for the second quarter of 2023, the streaming giant saw a jump (or should we say leap ) in 5.9 million global subscribers, bringing the total to 238.4 million subs. The subscriber addition far e


Tesla’s Profit Rose in the Second Quarter as Price Cuts Spurred Demand
NYT > Technology / 3h
Elon Musk’s electric car company is facing intensifying competition from newer Chinese automakers and established Western car companies.


How to Stream All the Women’s World Cup 2023 Games for Free
Lifehacker / 3h
The Women’s World Cup 2023 will be held in Australia and New Zealand starting July 20, and you, as an American, should be hyped. We have the best team and best record in the world. Our women have also kicked ass the last two world cups, winning them back to back, and are on great footing to win it a third time… Read more...


Some VCs are turning away from crypto, but CoinFund is diving deeper with latest $158M fund
TechCrunch / 3h
As other venture capitalists veer away from the crypto world in hopes of finding other promising startups, CoinFund is doubling down on its investment into the world of web3 with a new $158 million fund. The oversubscribed pool of capital, or CoinFund Seed IV Fund, initially had a target fundraising goal of $125 million and is backed by institutional investors, family offices and high-net-worth i


Complete guide to earning and redeeming Avianca LifeMiles
93The Points Guy / 3h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information. After United increased award rates on some MileagePlus awards by over 100% , the best Star Alliance “ sweet spot ” awards now largely come from foreign carriers. While navigating a foreign airline’s frequent flyer program may seem daunting, the rewards can be significant. This is particularly true for Colombia


James Cameron Says He Tried to Warn Us About AI
200+Futurism / 3h
Fair Warning Fresh on the heels of his lamentations about the imploded submersible , "Titanic" director James Cameron is going for the "I told you so" one-two punch with his repeated warnings about artificial intelligence. In an interview with CTV , the Canada-born director said that he attempted to bring his fears about AI to the forefront nearly 40 years ago with his first "Terminator" film, to


Doctor Who's New Sonic Screwdriver Is a Blinding Throwback
Gizmodo / 3h
A new incarnation of the Doctor—even if they have a very familiar face—means, inevitably, a new sonic screwdriver for them to wave about the place with reckless Time Lord abandon. David Tennant’s 14th Doctor is no exception, but his updated tool of choice is suitably new and familiar at the same time. Read more...


shaykarniel: Hamsters & Gerbils - Vintage bookcover
Music, Arts & Literature / 3h
shaykarniel : Hamsters & Gerbils - Vintage bookcover


17 easy ways to earn more Delta SkyMiles in 2023
300+The Points Guy / 3h
A message from our partner: With the new Delta Vacations, SkyMiles members earn up to 10,000 bonus miles on every vacation package — plus earn more than ever before toward Medallion status. Click here to learn more. Delta SkyMiles has been devalued time and again , but it can still be a valuable program for domestic awards and other partner redemptions. The airline has a vast route network with s


AT&T says lead cables in Lake Tahoe “pose no danger” and should stay in place
Ars Technica - All content / 3h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Ronald Martinez ) AT&T's legacy telephone network may have nearly 200,000 miles of lead-covered cables, according to an estimate by AT&T submitted in a court filing. "Based on its records, AT&T estimates that lead-clad cables represent less than 10 percent of its copper footprint of roughly two million sheath miles of cable, the overwhelming majority of which remai


Something in space has been lighting up every 20 minutes since 1988
33Ars Technica - All content / 3h
Enlarge / Most of the explanations for this phenomenon involve a neutron star, depicted above. These explanations are uniformly terrible. (credit: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY ) On Wednesday, researchers announced the discovery of a new astronomical enigma. The new object, GPM J1839–10, behaves a bit like a pulsar, sending out regular bursts of radio energy. But the physics that drives puls


The Cyber Trust Mark is a voluntary IoT label coming in 2024. What does it mean?
Ars Technica - All content / 3h
Enlarge / The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark logos, which may or may not have an assigned order at the moment. Which one most says "secure" to you? (credit: Federal Communications Commission) The goal of the new US Cyber Trust Mark , coming voluntarily to Internet of Things (IoT) devices by the end of 2024, is to keep people from having to do deep research before buying a thermostat, sprinkler controller,


What An American Airlines Flight Attendant Strike Would Look Like
View from the Wing / 4h
American Airlines flight attendants will vote to authorize a strike next week. The union is demanding 35% raises, up to $95 per hour plus 6% annual bumps and additional increases based on what pilots are given. They aren't going to get this. And that leaves negotiations at an impasse. Continue reading ...


Google’s Nearby Share for Windows app is now officially available
TechCrunch / 4h
Google announced today that its Nearby Share app for Windows PCs is now officially available. Nearby Share makes its easier to share files across your phones, tablets, Chromebooks and more devices. A PC version of the app has been in beta since March 2023, and is now officially available. The tech giant says the beta version has been installed by more than 1.7 million people, and that it has seen


Wait, How Much Does Netflix Cost Now?
Lifehacker / 4h
Keeping track of how much Netflix costs these days is trickier since the company killed free password sharing in the U.S. back in May. That decision might’ve given their stock a boost, but it had real financial consequences for Netflix customers who shared their account with friends and family outside their household.… Read more...


The Beats Studio Pro finally makes landfall, with the promise of a premium audio experience
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
It’s been six long years, but audio brand Beats is finally back in action with the release of its new flagship pair of headphones: the Beats Studio Pro. For the launch, the company is coming out swinging, packing the Studio Pro with all the features and boost in performance you expect to see on a next-gen device. Chief among these upgrades is the 40mm drivers that, according to Beats, have “been


Blizzard is bringing 'Overwatch 2' to Steam on August 10th
400+Engadget / 4h
Blizzard is bringing some of its PC games to Steam for the first time. The company announced today that the transition will start with Overwatch 2 on August 10th, but did not go into detail as to what other titles may be coming to the platform. President of Blizzard Mike Ybarra said in a press release that Battle.net will remain a priority for them but that “we’ve heard players want the choice of


Samsung is Launching Ultra-Fast GDDR7 Graphics Memory
How-To Geek / 4h
It seems like we've been using GDDR6 and GDDR6X video memory on graphics cards for a long time. Indeed, the first GPUs to launch with GDDR6 memory were the RTX 2000 series of GPUs launched in early 2019. Then, GDDR6X was launched with RTX 3000 in 2020, although GDDR6 is still used in a widespread manner. Luckily, we're getting even faster memory now, as Samsung says it's now ready to produce GDDR


No, Threads didn't rate limit like Twitter. Here's what Meta did.
Mashable / 4h
It seemed like exactly the type of juicy hypocrisy that the internet lives for. On Monday, Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced that in order to tackle the spam problem on its new Twitter competitor, Threads, the company was going to introduce tighter rate limits on the platform. Sounds familiar? That's because rate limits were one of the controversial decisions implemented by Elon Musk on Twitt



'Dear David's trailer breathes life into Twitter's most terrifying thread
Mashable / 4h
If you weren't chronically online on Twitter in 2017, allow me to acquaint you with the thread that changed the site forever. Created by BuzzFeed writer Adam Ellis, Dear David was a Twitter thread documenting Ellis' supernatural encounters with the ghost of a young boy. The ghost, named David, would haunt Ellis at night and had a habit of answering questions only if prefaced with a "Dear David" f


The Impact of AMPTP's Refusal to Negotiate Fairly Will Add Up Fast
49Gizmodo / 4h
There is nothing more satisfying than when bosses realize who does the work needed to make them money. While the WGA successfully picketed and shut down productions on both coasts, the SAG-AFTRA action shut down productions shooting internationally, like Interview With the Vampire and Gladiator 2 . And now, according… Read more...


Bird Uses Anti-Bird Spikes to Create Fortified Nest
96Futurism / 4h
Spiky Ball A patient in a hospital in Belgium saw something highly unusual when looking out of his window: a peculiar bird's nest that appeared to be made out of metal spikes designed — ironically — to keep birds away from buildings. "It just was this very big ball of metallic, nasty bird spikes," Auke-Florian Hiemstra, naturalist and PhD candidate at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Neth


Chase Ink Preferred Card Best-Ever 100K Bonus Now Easier To Earn
One Mile at a Time / 4h
Link: Apply now for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card with 100K bonus points The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is arguably the best business credit card there is. The card has long had an exceptional welcome bonus, which I rank as the best bonus of any credit card . However, the minimum spending requirement to earn the bonus has recently been decreased, making the bonus easier to earn


I tried to buy a post on TechCrunch.com
TechCrunch / 4h
A few times per day, I get a message that asks something along the lines of: “How much do you charge for a guest article on TechCrunch?” People are trying to get inbound links from TechCrunch for SEO reasons. The theory is: A link from TechCrunch gives your site trustworthiness in the eyes of Google, and so it’s worth doing. But is that what’s really happening here? I know I should ignore these,


How to stream the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
300+Engadget / 4h
It’s a sporting spectacle that only happens once every four years. The FIFA Women’s World Cup returns this week as the United States Women’s National Team seeks a historic third-straight title. Will the US be able to repeat the magic it unlocked in 2015 and 2019? Is it finally “coming home” for the Lionesses of England? Will an unexpected contender shock the world? We’ve got all the information y


Florida Man Blames 'Wokeness' for Fragile Insurance Market
29Gizmodo / 4h
Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer, is threatening to investigate insurance companies that leave the state. Patronis blames “wokeness” for the moves, not rampant lawsuits or climate change. Read more...


How to Cool Off a Windowless Room
Lifehacker / 4h
If you live in a home with a windowless room inside it, you know how hot it can get. A room without windows is typically a room without ventilation, and unless you have a robust air conditioning system that blasts cold air into that small slice of Mordor you call your unofficial spare bedroom, it’s almost certainly a… Read more...


Eurostar passengers can now avoid UK border checks by having their face scanned
23The Points Guy / 4h
Some Eurostar passengers passing through London’s St. Pancras International Station will now be able to use a facial verification system instead of manual ticket and passport checks. The new technology, called SmartCheck, aims to reduce passport and ticket check lines at St. Pancras and is currently being tested for Business Premier and Carte Blanche customers. Eurostar hopes to roll out the tech


Is ChatGPT Getting Worse?
20Gizmodo / 4h
ChatGPT is changing, though so far it’s been incredibly hard to say how or why. Users have widely complained that the GPT-4 language model powering the paid version of OpenAI’s chatbot has been degrading over time, spitting out false answers and declining to follow through on prompts it once happily abided. New… Read more...


Netflix kills Basic plan, making its cheapest ad-free tier $15.49
Ars Technica - All content / 5h
Enlarge (credit: Getty ) Netflix no longer lets new subscribers select its Basic plan in the US. The $9.99-per-month plan is nixed in the UK, too, making the lowest-tier plan available for Netflix newcomers the $6.99/month one with ads and a limited library. As spotted by UK-based cord-cutting publication Cord Busters today, Netflix's Basic plan, which was the lowest-priced tier available to thos


Nissan is the next automaker to adopt Tesla-style EV charging plugs
Ars Technica - All content / 5h
Enlarge / Model-year 2023 and 2024 Nissan Ariyas will feature CCS1 ports like this, but from 2025 Nissan is moving to the NACS plug. (credit: Stephen Edelstein) When the North American Charging Standard was announced by Tesla in November 2022, the name was pretty ambitious, considering that it was not controlled by a standards body or available on any electric vehicle other than those wearing Tes


US military leans into megaconstellations after their “resiliency” in Ukraine
Ars Technica - All content / 5h
Enlarge / Commander of US Space Command General James Dickinson testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing March 8, 2022, in Washington, DC. (credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) The leader of the United States Space Command, an Army general named James H. Dickinson, said Wednesday that megaconstellations such as SpaceX's Starlink network have played an important role in Ukraine's e


Apple Is Reportedly Making Fast Progress on Its Own 'Apple GPT'
Gizmodo / 5h
The AI gold rush is showing no signs of slowing down. As ChatGPT continues to enamor the world with its strings of relatively coherent text, Apple is looking for its piece of the pie by developing its own artificial intelligence engine. Read more...


Your Google Pixel phone just got a big smart home update
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 5h
Managing your smart home with Google Home is about to get simpler – if you have a Google Pixel device that is. That’s because Home Panel is rolling out to devices, including the Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel Fold , and it allows you to control much of your smart home tech from your lock screen. Home Panel debuted on the Google Pixel tablet , and it allows you to access controls like the brightn


Four Passengers Rowed Their Boat Down The Airport Moving Walkway
View from the Wing / 5h
It's hardly the first time passengers have appropriated this functional piece of equipment to serve their own recreational needs. Just before the start of the pandemic actress Jennifer Garner treated the travelator as a ballet barre and set the whole thing to music! Continue reading ...


Why You Need One No-Meetings Day a Week, According to Science
Lifehacker / 5h
There will always be those surprise meetings added to your work calendar, and those regular meetings you simply have no control over, but you probably schedule some of them too. And when you do, you should always try to do so on days you already have meetings, even though it might seem to make sense to space them out.… Read more...


This Python Certification Bootcamp Bundle Is $20 Right Now
Lifehacker / 5h
Plenty of IT professionals don’t hold Bachelor’s degrees, and they instead earn certifications or build a portfolios to show their skills. Whether you’re after a new career or just want to build your own apps, this 2023 Complete Python Boot Camp Bundle could help, and the 12 courses are on sale for $19.99 right now … Read more...


8 VCs say they are still bullish on SAFE rounds, but it’s not 2021 anymore
TechCrunch / 5h
SAFE rounds, or simple agreements for future equity , have been around since Y Combinator invented them a decade ago. But they took on a different role in 2021 when they became a fast-moving tool that helped startups close deals in mere days. Before that they were used to close really early rounds or were used between financings. But the market looks very different now. Valuations have started to


Robosen’s auto-transforming Grimlock will set you back about a mortgage payment
97Engadget / 5h
Robosen announced a new auto-converting Transformer today. After launching its self-transforming Optimus Prime in 2021, the company set its sights on Grimlock, the Autobot-allied leader of the Dinobots who changes from a robot into a mechanical T-Rex. However, its $1,699 sticker price (a mere $1,499 for pre-orders) also allows it to transform your finances for the worse. The Grimlock collectible



The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the E-Wing, Star Wars' Legendary Starfighter
27Gizmodo / 5h
When the Star Wars Expanded Universe began to take nascent steps towards building a world beyond the original movie trilogy, it dug into the same questions Disney and Lucasfilm explored decades later in creating the sequel trilogy. What does Star Wars look like in this new time? What parts of its world have evolved?… Read more...


Divers Discover Epic Shipwreck From World War II
Futurism / 5h
War Games While on the hunt for a different shipwreck, a group of divers happened upon mysterious undersea ruins that appear to be from a lost fleet of British warships. As the scuba diving website Divernet reports , a United Kingdom-based volunteer dive team known as the Gasperados were looking for remnants of a private shipwreck off the coast of Cornwall, England when they encountered a strange


Is American Airlines Lying About “Weather” Delays?
200+One Mile at a Time / 5h
Airlines are notorious for blaming any sort of operational issues on weather, in order to limit their liability. Along those lines, I’d like to share a situation we’re currently dealing with, as I’m curious to hear what OMAAT readers think… Pursuing government mandated compensation from American A few weeks ago, I wrote about a rough American Airlines trip that Ford had to Canada: His outbound fl


New Biggest-Ever Offer For Southwest Business Card: 120,000 Points Plus Earn A Companion Pass
View from the Wing / 5h
Chase and Southwest have a huge new offer, in fact the biggest ever, for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: earn up to 120,000 bonus points. You'll earn a Companion Pass and have a boatload of points. Continue reading ...


centuriespast:Ms. Ludwig XIII 5, v1 (83.MP.148.1), fol....
Music, Arts & Literature / 5h
centuriespast : Ms. Ludwig XIII 5, v1 (83.MP.148.1), fol. 68v Scylla and Sirens about 1475 Unknown artist/maker Not currently on view getty museum collection


Instagram’s Threads Adds Some New Features, Still Falls Short of Being a True Twitter Clone
Gizmodo / 5h
Threads is getting some new feature updates, inching it a little closer to the Twitter clone that was promised . The updated features will include a followers list, the option to subscribe to unfollowed users, and a revised “follows” tab, Threads developer Cameron Roth, said in a Threads post . Unfortunately, the most… Read more...


Apple GPT: Tech giant reportedly working on a ChatGPT, generative AI competitor
Mashable / 5h
Look out ChatGPT. Apple is reportedly working on a generative AI tool in the same vein as Open AI's popular chatbot. Bloomberg first reported the news on Wednesday, noting that some Apple engineers have dubbed the chatbot "Apple GPT." The report noted that the chatbot uses its own large language model (LLM) framework called "Ajax" and involves the work of several teams. Right now the chatbot is o


Google's Nearby Share app for Windows PCs is now officially available
29Engadget / 5h
Google says its Nearby Share app for Windows PCs is now officially available. A PC version of the app, which makes it a cinch to share files between devices like Android phones and Chromebooks, has been in beta for a few months , but it's now ready for prime time . More than 1.7 million people installed the beta, Google says. They've used it to transfer more than 50 million files, primarily photo


Apple is reportedly developing its own generative AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT
86Engadget / 5h
Throughout the burgeoning “AI wars”, Apple has remained suspiciously silent, until now. The company is creating its very own chatbot, as originally reported by Bloomberg. Engineers have cheekily named the toolset “AppleGPT,” but it’s actually called Ajax, as the large language model (LLM) was built using Google’s JAX framework. Sources indicate that Apple has multiple teams working on the project


Some Google Pixel owners are reporting constant app crashes
Mashable / 6h
It sounds real annoying to try and use a Google Pixel device right now. As spotted by 9to5Google , owners of Google's flagship smartphone line are reporting constant, annoying app crashes across various apps. While I haven't encountered this myself (I'm not a Pixel user), apparently apps will just close immediately after they've been opened. SEE ALSO: Nothing Phone (2) review: A worthy new Androi


Microsoft announces Bing Chat for business with built-in privacy features
Mashable / 6h
On Wednesday, Microsoft announced a business-friendly version of Bing Chat, so you can use the AI chatbot for work without risking some kind of security breach. Chatbots like Bing , ChatGPT , and Bard are powerful productivity tools for workers. They can summarize vast amounts of text, generate code, and help brainstorm new ideas. But using AI chatbots for work come with major privacy risks, sinc


Fintech valuations have fallen. Where do they go from here?
TechCrunch / 6h
With the market having changed dramatically since the heyday of 2021’s venture funding boom, fintech valuations have largely shifted accordingly. With only a few exceptions, the once most valuable companies operating in the fintech space have seen their valuations drop significantly, based on secondary share activity as analyzed by Notice.co, a company that has built a pricing tool for the privat


How to Make Taco Bell's Breakfast Crunchwrap at Home
Lifehacker / 6h
Taco Bell might not be necessary for my cell function, but it is necessary for my self-function. Sadly, none of their locations are convenient for me to frequent, so I have to take matters into my own hands when I crave their self-proclaimed “Mexican-inspired” items. I’m happy to report that your mornings don’t have… Read more...


Inside the dizzying process of commercial aircraft maintenance
41The Points Guy / 6h
Every American Airlines plane flies for hundreds of hours, carrying thousands of passengers for miles across the globe. But after a while, even the most reliable aircraft needs a break. For some of them, that break comes at a sprawling 3.3 million-square-foot facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Functioning as its own ecosystem within Tulsa, this facility’s various hangars and warehouses are where the ai


LGBTQ youth of color feel safest on their TikTok FYP, report finds
Mashable / 6h
For LGBTQ youth, social media is a double-edged sword: a digital public space that acts as both an important lifeline for identity-based community and an increasingly dangerous threat to their mental wellbeing. And a new research brief from nonprofit The Trevor Project documents just how much this dynamic affects the online behavior of LGBTQ young people of color, specifically. According to the o


The Venture Bros. Creators on Superheroes, Super Nerds, and Saying Goodbye
21Gizmodo / 6h
Long-running, much-loved Adult Swim series The Venture Bros. may sadly be over, but there’s some consolation, and some sense of closure, for its many fans: five years after its seventh season ended, a direct-to-video film— The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (yes, the title makes sense once you… Read more...


Asus takes over everything about Intel’s current and future NUC mini PCs
Ars Technica - All content / 6h
Enlarge / Intel's NUC 12 Extreme kit. (credit: Andrew Cunningham) When Intel announced that it was discontinuing its line of NUC mini PCs earlier this month, the company's statement left the door open for future development; Intel was stopping "direct investment" and would rely on "ecosystem partners to continue NUC innovation and growth." Now one specific ecosystem partner is picking up where In


DC fits fleet of EVs with bogus gadget promising 60% range boost
23Ars Technica - All content / 6h
Enlarge / One of DC Government's Chevrolet Bolt EVs. (credit: Mullen Automotive) The District of Columbia has signed a $680,000 contract for an impossible-sounding gadget that claims to increase the range of an electric vehicle by 60 percent. The contract was signed in May, but it mostly slipped under the radar until it was picked up by WUSA9 this month. The gadget in question is called an Energy


Watch Celebrities Try to Patch Leaks in Simulated Mars Base
Futurism / 6h
Strong Arms A new reality TV show is challenging an unlikely group of celebrities to survive in a simulated Mars habitat — and by the looks of it, it's playing out in an absolutely unhinged way. The sixth episode of Fox 's "Stars on Mars," which aired earlier this week, saw reality TV personality and former "The Bachelor" contestant Ashley Iaconetti team up with cycling champion Lance Armstrong —


Friend of OceanGate CEO Says Sub Was a “Mousetrap for Billionaires”
100+Futurism / 6h
Sub Standard In a bonkers interview with the Australian version of "60 Minutes," a sub operator purporting to be a friend of the late OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush made a bunch of outlandish statements that seemed to accuse the deceased of gross negligence — if not outright knowing the sub was doomed to catastrophically fail. "I think Stockton was designing a mousetrap for billionaires," tourist su



Two-Faced: Wacky White Dwarf Keeps Its Surface Gases Separate
Gizmodo / 6h
Astronomers have discovered an ancient stellar remnant that keeps its light elements separate, in a strange first. Read more...


Qualtrics claims it’ll spend $500M on AI over the next four years
20TechCrunch / 6h
Qualtrics, the cloud-based platform for managing online customer experiences, intends to spend $500 million on AI over the next four years. The company made the announcement this morning alongside the launch of its new AI-integrated platform, XM/os2 (an unwieldy name, to be sure), which offers generative AI solutions tailored to enterprise experience management use cases. “For the very first time


Instagram beats copyright infringement lawsuit involving embedded photos
Engadget / 6h
A three-judge panel with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Meta-owned Instagram after a pair of photographers accused the social media giant of copyright infringement, as reported by Gizmodo. The basic gist of the case was that Instagram violated copyrights by letting outside websites and publications embed images without the explicit consent of content creators. The cas


How (and Why) to Add Strides to Your Runs
Lifehacker / 6h
If you can only do one type of running, many of us choose slow, steady running— “zone 2” is the trendy name for it these days . But if you want to take the next step toward becoming faster and more athletic, consider adding strides to your run. Read more...


6 valuable travel perks that you can get with a credit card
The Points Guy / 6h
There’s no shortage of great travel perks out there that you can receive with a credit card. Premium cards can shield you from risk with travel insurance and rental car insurance, and help you enjoy (almost) every minute of your vacation with luxuries like lounge access. So what are some of the best travel perks, and which cards offer these perks? Keep reading to find out. Lounge access Airport l


You Now Have to Pay More for Netflix Without Ads
How-To Geek / 6h
Netflix's ad-supported plan gives you a lower monthly subscription cost in exchange for occasional commercial breaks. It's a reasonable option for people looking to cut their streaming service bills, but now Netflix is making it harder to avoid by dropping the ad-free Basic plan in the United States and United Kingdom. Netflix impossible impossibe


Apple is testing a ChatGPT-like AI chatbot
100+TechCrunch / 7h
Apple is developing artificial intelligence tools to challenge Open AI, Google and others, according to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The tech giant has created a chatbot that some engineers are internally referring to as “Apple GPT.” Apple has yet to determine a strategy for releasing the technology consumers, but is reportedly aiming to make a significant AI-related announcement ne


Alicia Silverstone goes horror in eerie 'Perpetrator' trailer
Mashable / 7h
Ever wanted to see Alicia Silverstone embody Morticia Addams? Then look no further than the spooky trailer for Jennifer Reeder's feminist horror film Perpetrator . SEE ALSO: 'Perpetrator' review: Alicia Silverstone hits surreal heights in this bloody, feminist horror film Perpetrator 's first trailer, featuring a surreal school shooting drill and rivers of blood, only just scrapes the surface of


Startup Avelo expands again, is now flying from half of US states
The Points Guy / 7h
Avelo is adding a new state to its map: Wisconsin. The startup carrier announced Wednesday that it will operate flights between Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA) near Wausau and its base at Orlando International Airport (MCO). With that, CWA will become Avelo’s 46th destination — and give the airline a presence in its 25th state. Avelo plans to fly out of CWA twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays,


This Refurbished Lenovo ThinkPad Is $120 Right Now
Lifehacker / 7h
This refurbished Lenovo ThinkPad 5th-Generation with an 11.6-inch touchscreen is $119.99 right now (reg. $219). It comes with an Intel Quad-Core N4100 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage space, Windows 10 Pro, and USB, USB-C, HDMI, and microSD card ports. Read more...


AMD Ryzen 8000-series CPUs built on Zen 5 might beat Intel's Arrow Lake to market
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
AMD Ryzen 8000-series CPUs have hit a major milestone on the way to launch, as major industry benchmarking utility AIDA64 is now able to recognize AMD's new Zen 5 microarchitecture. The new AMD architecture popped up in FireWire's most recent update release notes to its popular AIDA64 tool, which many professionals and PC enthusiasts use to help measure the health and performance of their system.


You can still get the 2021 iPad at its lowest price ever
Mashable / 7h
SAVE $79.01: As of July 19, the 2021 Apple iPad (WiFi, 64GB) is on sale for $249.99, down from $329 at Amazon. That's a discount of 24%. Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 2021 Apple iPad (WiFi, 64GB) $249.99 at Amazon (save $79.01) From bingeing shows to working on presentations, iPads are great for work, school, or personal use. If you didn't get the chance to purchase one during Amazon Prime


Secret Invasion's Plot Craters, But Leaves Little Impact
Gizmodo / 7h
We are in the penultimate episode of Marvel’s Disney+ series Secret Invasion , and, surprisingly, we don’t have a lot of questions or plot points to wrap up. After the first four episodes of the Samuel L. Jackson -led spy-thriller series, most mysteries have been solved or explained in... Gravik detail. (Get it?… Read more...


Netflix Reports Sunny Earnings Amid Hollywood Strikes
NYT > Technology / 7h
The streaming company’s performance has been helped by its crackdown on password sharing and a relatively new advertising tier introduced last year.


'Oppenheimer' review: Ambitious, deeply Nolan, deeply flawed
29Mashable / 7h
How do you turn the story of the atomic bomb's creation into a thriller suitable for blockbuster status in the thick of summer movie season ? If you're writer/director Christopher Nolan, you stack your cast with an almost absurd list of stars and twist the tale of J. Robert Oppenheimer into a three-prong exploration of genius, regret, and historic horror. For Nolan devotees, there's plenty in Opp


The Cybertruck Has a Small Issue With Looking Like Complete Garbage
300+Futurism / 7h
Spendy Lemon Tesla's Cybertruck has finally rolled out of the assembly line after years of delay, announced via a triumphant tweet accompanied by a photo of smiling autoworkers posing around the vehicle. But a zoomed in view of the Cybertruck clearly shows that the front passenger door doesn't align with the rear one — yet another sign that quality control remains a struggle for Tesla, especially


My Top Choices for Neck Fans, Stroller Fans, and Tent Fans
Lifehacker / 7h
While a heat wave rages outside, the headlines about the consequences increase by the day. It’s been hot and humid for weeks—not the cute kind that makes you want to lay by the pool, but the kind that sees you carrying around an umbrella to protect from rain, while also covered in sweat. Humans are generally not… Read more...


Rick Fox gets concrete about planet-friendly cement at Disrupt 2023
TechCrunch / 7h
The modern world is a concrete jungle, and cement — a binding agent — is concrete’s key ingredient. It’s also one of the least climate-friendly materials. Used for housing, transportation and commerce, it produces nearly 10% of the world’s carbon pollution. But concrete that removes CO 2 from the atmosphere could change all that. We’re excited to announce that Rick Fox — three-time NBA champion,


6 Best Deals From the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (2023): Dyson Hair Tools, Fellow Grinder
24Wired / 7h
Dyson hair tools, Fellow coffee grinders, and more WIRED-approved products are on sale.


A nasty Google Cloud bug could let hackers use it to launch attacks
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
Cybersecurity researchers from Orca Security have uncovered a new bug in the Google Cloud Build service which could allow threat actors to gain almost full access to Google Artifact Registry code repositories. The repercussions of the flaw, the researchers are saying in their report , are quite dire. The researchers named the vulnerability Bad.Build, saying it allows threat actors to impersonate



Complete guide to airline and hotel transfer partners for the major credit card programs
The Points Guy / 7h
We love transferable credit card points here at TPG. The ability to transfer your rewards to a wide range of airline and hotel loyalty programs at a moment’s notice provides valuable flexibility to maximize your travel. You’re not locked into a single redemption scheme as you plan your trips. If you can’t find the seats available in one program, you can choose another program before transferring


The best Disney World hotels for your 2023 stay
500+The Points Guy / 7h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, updated with new information and offers. Things have certainly changed since Walt Disney World first opened more than 50 years ago . There used to be just a handful of hotels and one theme park. Now, you have the magic — and the challenge — of choice. There are numerous hotels to choose from and multiple parks to visit when you embark on a Disney vacation.


4 reasons someone in your family needs a United credit card
The Points Guy / 7h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Airline credit cards weren’t always super exciting, especially when compared to other, more flexible card options. Many airline cards earned just one mile per dollar on most purchases and didn’t provide many incentives to keep them around beyond the initial bonus. But — things have changed. While it is sti


[no title]
Music, Arts & Literature / 7h
oldshowbiz : Channel 56 in Detroit


How to Un-Repost on TikTok
How-To Geek / 7h
Want to pull back a video that you've reposted in your TikTok profile ? If so, un-reposting TikTok videos is as easy as finding the video and tapping an option. We'll show you how to do that on your iPhone or Android phone.


Why Airline Gate Agents Lie – Claiming Overhead Bins Are Full And You Have To Check Carry On Bags
20View from the Wing / 7h
The two most common complaints I see about airlines in social media, being offered with photos, are both about baggage. Passengers share photos of checked bags being damaged, and about overhead bins with plenty of space after being forced to check their carry-ons 'because the bins were full'. Continue reading ...


TikTok is where young LGBTQ people of color feel the safest online
TechCrunch / 7h
While the relationship between all young people and social media is complex, yielding both positive social effects and posing unique risks to mental health, queer teens spend even more time on the internet than their non-LGBTQ counterparts — time often spent searching for community and vital connection around identity. In new research, The Trevor Project explores where young LGBTQ people of color


Nothing Phone 2 review: An offbeat alternative to boring midrange phones
500+Engadget / 7h
Being a smartphone startup is hard, particularly when you’re up against tech giants like Apple, Google and Samsung. But after selling more than 500,000 Phone 1s last year, Nothing has returned with a sequel: the Phone 2 . And while it looks similar to the previous model, it feels like Nothing is finally figuring out its groove. Not only does it have a significantly faster CPU, its cameras have be


Cities Skylines 2 release date, trailers, and everything we know so far
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
The Cities: Skylines 2 release date has finally been announced. It's the city building sim sequel to one of the best strategy and building simulators ever made. The worthy successor of the SimCity series, is coming out later this year. Coming to Xbox Series X |S, PS5 , and PC October 24, 2023, Cities: Skylines 2 will build on the previous game's foundations with several new features. Like the fir


Good Omens Season 2 Reminds Us That Everyone Should Feel Welcome
39Gizmodo / 7h
Good Omens fans know what it means to pine for a couple to be together . Season two adds more shipping to the mix with Nina (Nina Sosanya) and Maggie (Maggie Service), shopkeeper neighbors of bookselling angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen). If their names and faces are familiar, that’s because you’ve seen them together… Read more...


Samsung Galaxy Ring rumors suggest it's taken another small step towards reality
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
The Samsung Galaxy Ring has long been rumored to be tech giant's answer to the Oura Ring – and according to some new rumors, Samsung is ramping up its plan to deliver what could be a minimalist take on the best fitness trackers around. According to the Korean tech news site The Elec (as spotted by Android Central ), Samsung has "started developing" some prototypes of the Galaxy Ring, which is an


The global cloud market is booming, and these two giants are dominating it
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
According to new figures from Gartner, the infrastructure-as-a-service sector of the global cloud market, which is now valued at more than $120 billion, grew by 30% last year. The sector reportedly grew from an already healthy $92.8 billion in 2021 to $120.3 billion in 2022, representing a 29.7% increase despite the slowdown in growth that many companies experienced toward the end of 2022 due to


Astro Barbie: Pair of Dolls That Went to Space Now on Display at the Smithsonian
26Gizmodo / 8h
In February 2022, two Barbie dolls responded to an unusual call: “Come on Barbie, let’s go party.....in space.” Dressed in white spacesuits, the pair spent a few months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) among real-life astronauts. Now that they’re back on Earth, the two astronaut Barbies are on display at… Read more...


Pikmin 4 review: Falling in love with micromanagement
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge / Run for your life! And also the lives of those adorable Pikmin! When it comes down to it, most video games are elaborate exercises in time management. Every time you fail a tough challenge in a game, you don't just lose in-game resources (lives, items, stats, physical progress on the map, etc.); you also lose the real-world time you put into that attempt. The hours you put into a game a


Prime Video drops Wheel of Time S2 trailer ahead of San Diego Comic-Con
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
The Wheel of Time , starring Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, returns to Prime Video for its second season in September. The planned Wheel of Time panel at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend has understandably been canceled in light of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes in Hollywood. So Prime Video released the first full trailer for the show's second season today, and it's full of the eye-popping vis


Biden Administration Updates Guidelines on Busting Up Monopolies
Gizmodo / 8h
In the wake of legal turmoil that has stalled—but not prevented—a merger between Microsoft and Activision, the Biden administration has opted to revisit the guidelines that the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission will use to assess mergers and acquisitions under the lens of federal antitrust laws. Read more...


What's New on Hulu in August 2023
Lifehacker / 8h
The streaming era has changed a lot about how TV works—so much so that both the Writers Guild and the Screen Actors Guild are on strike together for the first time since Eisenhower was president and Ronald Reagan was considered a labor leader. But one thing will likely never change: Good shows ending way too soon,… Read more...


Google Is Restricting Internet Access for Some Employees to Combat Cyberattacks
26Gizmodo / 8h
Google is restricting some employees’ Internet access in a pilot program created to combat cyberattacks. An internal memo informed employees that 2,500 were selected to use internet-free desktop PCs during the pilot program, but the memo was revised to include the caveat that they have the option to opt out of the… Read more...


Wake up to fresh coffee and donuts with kitchen appliances up to 33% off
Mashable / 8h
Our top picks BEST COFFEE MAKER DEAL Keurig K-Mini Plus single-serve coffee maker $79 at Amazon (save $30.99) BEST DONUT MAKER DEAL DASH mini donut maker $21.95 at Amazon (save $3.04 ) BEST TOASTER OVEN DEAL Breville Mini (BOV450XL) smart toaster oven $159.95 at Amazon (save $20) There are two types of people in this world: early risers and those who hit the snooze button multiple times before dr


Study Pushes Back Interactions Between Copper Age Europeans By a Millennium
Gizmodo / 8h
Researchers poring over genomes of people who lived during the Copper Age have found older cultural contacts between ancient groups than previously known. Read more...



Activision Blizzard lays off around 50 esports staff amid a potential Overwatch League overhaul
500+Engadget / 8h
Amid the pending takeover of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft , the former has laid off around 50 employees from its esports division. The company is also preparing for some potential huge changes to the Overwatch League (OWL), which may bring an end to its city-based franchise format. Employees were informed of the layoffs on Tuesday, according to The Verge . One now-former member of the team to


Choice Privileges Promo Summer 2023: 8K Points After Two Stays
200+One Mile at a Time / 8h
Choice Privileges has just extended the promotion that it has been offering since late March, giving guests more opportunities to be rewarded for stays this summer. This is similar to some promotions we’ve seen from the program in the past. While probably not a reason to switch any stays to Choice, it’s worth taking advantage of if you were planning such a stay anyway. Choice promo: earn 8,000 po


Why You Should Back Up Your iPhone to Your Computer Too
40Lifehacker / 8h
One backup is never enough. An automatic service like iCloud is great—if your phone ends up in a ditch somewhere, you won’t lose all the photos of your family. But an iCloud backup doesn’t cover everything on your device. That’s why you should also do it the old school way, and make a local backup to your Mac or PC. Read more...


In an effort to surpass ChatGPT, Meta is open-sourcing its large language AI model
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
In what could be an effort to catch up to - and maybe even surpass - the internet’s current AI darling ChatGPT , Meta will be open-sourcing its large language model, LLaMA 2, in collaboration with Microsoft. This makes LLaMA 2 free to use for commercial and research purposes, putting it on the same level as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing. The announcement was part of Microsoft’s Inspire even


Fully AI-Generated Influencers Are Getting Thousands of Reactions Per Thirst Trap
500+Futurism / 8h
For years, CGI-generated virtual influencers have been shilling brands , enjoying lavish lifestyles, and amassing substantial followings on social media. So it was probably inevitable that influencer culture would soon be sucked into the AI craze. Indeed, earlier this year, one influencer created an AI chatbot version of herself that she rented out as a $1-per-minute "virtual girlfriend." Now thi


Netflix removes its $10 'Basic' plan in the US
Mashable / 8h
We warned you it was coming. Netflix has officially removed its $9.99 "Basic" subscription plan for users in the U.S. and UK. The U.S. and UK changes were first noticed on Wednesday morning by Cord Busters . As Mashable previously reported, the removal of its lowest-priced ad-free tier was hinted at last month when Netflix dropped the "Basic" option for its customers in Canada. Much like how it w


What Is Ubuntu Pro, and Is It Worth It?
How-To Geek / 8h
Ubuntu Pro guarantees security updates for ten years for Ubuntu Linux desktops and servers. That's attractive for corporations and anyone providing critical infrastructure. For the rest of us, it's free for personal use.


A New Haunting In Venice Trailer Pits Poirot Against the Supernatural
42Gizmodo / 8h
One of Agatha Christie’s most famous characters, Hercule Poirot, returns to the big screen in A Haunting in Venice , the third film to come out of the partnership of director/actor Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green. The previous two films; Murder on the Orient Expres s (2017) and Death on the Nile (2022),… Read more...


WhatsApp launches standalone smartwatch app for Wear OS
22TechCrunch / 8h
WhatsApp has finally launched its standalone app for smartwatches running Google’s Wear OS, after much anticipation and months-long beta testing. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday announced the launch of the WhatsApp app for Wear OS that will allow users to start new conversations, reply to messages and take VoIP calls without requiring them to have their connected phone with them. The app, w


Unstructured, which offers tools to prep enterprise data for LLMs, raises $25M
TechCrunch / 8h
Large language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 are the building blocks for an increasing number of AI applications. But some enterprises have been reluctant to adopt them, owing to their inability to access first-party and proprietary data. It’s not an easy problem to solve, necessarily — considering that sort of data tends to sit behind firewalls and comes in formats that can’t be tapped by


'A Haunting in Venice' trailer throws Hercule Poirot into a ghost story
43Mashable / 8h
If you've ever read an Agatha Christie mystery (or watched Jonathan Creek or Scooby Doo), you know it's never ghosts. There's always an explanation. However, the trailer for A Haunting in Venice will have you thinking otherwise. Based upon the author's 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party , the film sees Kenneth Branaugh return as famous fictional detective Hercule Poirot, this time taking on a seemingly


Haunted Chocolatier gameplay, trailer and news
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Haunted Chocolatier, a new simulation RPG, has been announced by the creator of Stardew Valley . From what we've seen, it does seem to be similar to Stardew, which is no doubt a very exciting prospect for a lot of gamers. In Haunted Chocolatier , you'll be playing as a chocolatier with the goal of making the best delicious desserts possible. Success requires gathering as many rare and exciting in


UK amends encrypted message scanning plans
24BBC News - Technology / 8h
Extra oversight for powers to scan encrypted messages for child abuse images passed by peers.


As Egnyte continues to grow steadily, an IPO seems like the inevitable conclusion
36TechCrunch / 8h
Egnyte has never been a startup in a hurry and has been content to take a slow but steady growth trajectory over its 15-year history. Today it’s a $200 million company growing at around 25% a year. That’s pretty impressive for a private company at a time when many enterprise SaaS companies are struggling to reach double digits. In a crowded storage, governance and security market, it has managed


Meta’s New ChatGPT Competitor Is Llama 2
How-To Geek / 8h
ChatGPT is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) generative AI chatbots around, and its underlying GPT language model powers many other services. Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has now partnered with Microsoft to create an alternative: Llama 2.


SAP invests in generative AI startups Anthropic, Cohere and Aleph Alpha
TechCrunch / 8h
In case one needed more evidence that there’s a massive appetite for generative AI, SAP, the Germany-based consulting giant, yesterday invested in three major generative AI players: Anthropic, Cohere and Aleph Alpha. The terms of the direct investments, which weren’t disclosed, build on SAP’s $1 billion-plus commitment to back AI-powered enterprise tech startups from Sapphire Ventures, the enterp


LOT Polish Airlines Apologizes For Beijing Denied Boarding
400+One Mile at a Time / 9h
There’s a positive update regarding a story involving LOT Polish Airlines in Beijing… LOT reimburses customer for Beijing denied boarding A few days ago I wrote about how an OMAAT reader was denied boarding on a LOT flight from Beijing to Warsaw while traveling on an Air Canada Aeroplan business class award ticket. If you haven’t read the post yet, I’d recommend checking it out . Long story short


Splunk reveals new AI tools to improve your security workflow
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Splunk has introduced several enhancements to its products, including increased AI capabilities to improve threat detection, investigation and response times. Like almost every company in the post-ChatGPT world, Splunk has been developing its AI integration even further, with new AI-powered tools that span its portfolio of security and observability solutions. These include the new Splunk AI Assi


Reddit's Newest Offense: Making Its iOS App Icon Ugly as Hell
94Gizmodo / 9h
It is entirely possible that we are witnessing the death of one of the internet’s favorite social media platforms in real-time. After charging for access to its API and attempting to squash subsequent protests via interviews with the hare-brained CEO, Reddit has now made its iOS app icon into a tacky, 8-bit… Read more...


This 3-in-1 knife sharpener is on sale for under $60
Mashable / 9h
TL;DR: As of July 18, get the Angle Pro Knife Sharpener with Angle Gauge for only $59.97 — you'll save 69%. When faced with dull knives, instead of purchasing new ones, consider investing in a high-quality knife sharpener to save both your money and your beloved, trusty knives. The Angle Pro Knife Sharpener serves a valuable purpose as it's designed to perform three essential functions: honing, s



My Three Favorite Tools for Processing Summer Fruit
Lifehacker / 9h
Processing fruit every summer can be daunting. We all start out with the same ambition: We see the cherry branches dripping with red lobes and dream of an entire winter of cherry pies. We side-eye the apple tree, thinking this is the year we’re going to finally make apple cider. And clearly no one knows how many… Read more...


Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth release date, trailers, gameplay, and news
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the second chapter of Square Enix's modern reimagining of the classic 1997 RPG. Following on from the events of Final Fantasy 7 Remake , Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth continues the tale of Cloud Strife and his merry band of eco-warriors as they attempt to thwart the explorative machinations of the Shinra corporation and their supersoldier gone-awry: Sephiroth. In contrast to


iPhone 16: rumored release date, specs, cameras, features and more
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
The iPhone 16 line isn’t expected to arrive until 2024, but that hasn’t stopped leakers from sharing early information about the standard iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max (which may end up being called the iPhone 16 Ultra). For obvious reasons, we expect more information to emerge about the iPhone 16 once Apple has officially debuted its iPhone 15 line this September, but we’ve alre


Flyer beware: Don’t fall for this airline customer service scam
24The Points Guy / 9h
Travelers recently uncovered an increasingly common and elaborate airline customer service scam. Here’s what you need to know to keep your information safe. There are some things we do every day without giving them a second thought, whether that’s brushing our teeth, checking social media or looking up a phone number online when we need to get a hold of a customer service associate. Each of these


Microsoft, Activision give themselves three more months to close $68.7BN mega-merger
TechCrunch / 9h
Microsoft and Activision have jointly agreed to extend the deadline to complete their mega merger for a further three months in order, they say, to allow time to resolve “remaining regulatory concerns”. The original deadline for Microsoft to close the $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision it announced back in January 2022 was July 18 (yesterday). But the pair have agreed a new date of October 1


EA Sports FC 24 release date, gameplay, leagues, players, and news
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
With the EA Sports FC 24 release date now public knowledge , the newest take on football gamin g is hotly anticipated for any player eager to get on the pitch, and following the announcement of FIFA 23 being the last FIFA game by EA, there has been a pretty significant scratch to itch. Fortunately, there’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to what makes EA Sports FC 24 worth adding to your r


Microsoft and Activision Delay Deal to Settle UK Regulatory Issues
NYT > Technology / 9h
The extension is most likely a signal that the companies believe they will eventually receive needed approvals.


Maybe Don't Get Too Excited About Those Gargoyles Rumors After All
Gizmodo / 9h
Get a new look at the upcoming Pet Sematary prequel. The cast of Barbie gush over Greta Gerwig in a new featurette. Plus, what’s coming on Riverdale and Secret Invasion this week, and a turtle-tot-tastic new clip from TMNT: Mutant Mayhem . Spoilers, away! Read more...


Indian Officials ‘Can Neither Confirm Nor Deny Anything’ About Mystery Object Found in Australia
Gizmodo / 9h
The provenance of a large metallic object that washed ashore near Jurien Bay in Western Australia this past weekend remains unknown, despite rampant speculation about it hailing from an Indian PSLV launch vehicle. Read more...


Google Meet is testing AI-generated backgrounds
Mashable / 9h
Getting bored of all the usual Google Meet backgrounds? Soon you'll probably be able to quickly create your own with the help of artificial intelligence. The new feature, noticed by Artem Russakovskii , rolled out as a test on Google Workspace Labs, the company's program that lets a small number of users try new AI features before they roll out more widely. Users who are enrolled with Google Work


Intel signs up Asus as its first NUC builder partner
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Intel has announced a new partnership with Asus that will see the Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer become its first Next Unit of Compute (NUC) mini PC builder. Earlier this month, the chipmaker confirmed that it would be ending “direct investment[s]” into its own NUC projects as it sought to build on third-party partnerships. But now, Intel and Asus have reached an agreement for the latte


Expert Says Rock That Hit Woman Was NOT a Meteorite
25Futurism / 9h
Meteor Not? Earlier this week, reports emerged of a woman in France who claimed she'd been struck by a tiny, rebounding piece of meteorite while chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee. It would've been an exceedingly rare event — as many have pointed out, there has only been a single incident of somebody being hit by a falling meteorite in recorded history. As it turns out, plenty of experts


ASUS Will Continue Making Intel's NUC Tiny PCs
How-To Geek / 9h
To the chagrin of tiny PC enthusiasts, Intel announced earlier this month that it was discontinuing its excellent NUC PCs . Instead, the company would be looking to invest in PCs made by other manufacturers. While NUC can't keep going under Intel, the company has reached an agreement with ASUS to take the NUC line forward, keep current designs alive, and develop new ones in the future.


The Best Scanners of 2023
How-To Geek / 9h
Scanners can transform your physical documents, photos, and artwork into digital files that you can store, edit, share, and print. But not all scanners are created equal---make sure to get the right one for your needs.


After five years, Beats Studio 3’s replacement is finally here
48TechCrunch / 9h
Next week, Beats will have debuted its first product 15 years ago. The headphone maker quickly established itself as a status symbol, on the strength of partnerships with musicians and sports influencers. It was a rare feat in the world of consumer electronics, where cool factor largely takes a back seat to functionality. For Beats, that sometimes meant sacrificing quality in those days. Its earl


Venture’s Q2 was calm (and that’s not good)
TechCrunch / 9h
Hello, and welcome back to Equity , the podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. So, what happened in venture capital during Q2 2023? A lot, and not very much. The TechCrunch+ crew has been busy as bees in a meadow trying to get our heads around the data. So, we got PitchBook venture guru Kyle Stanford to come back on the podcast to riff


More Hotels Charging Hidden Fees, And The Big Chains Aren’t Stopping Them
View from the Wing / 9h
Since I wrote about "parking recapture fees" readers have been sharing other hotels that do this. One sent me a folio from the Hilton Garden Inn Orlando at SeaWorld with a $2.13 charge. Another sent me a folio from Hampton Inn Philadelphia/King Of Prussia (Valley Forge) showing a $3.87 parking recapture fee. Continue reading ...


Beats Studio Pro review: Upgraded sound makes all the difference
2KEngadget / 9h
After almost six years, Beats is back with new over-ear, noise-canceling headphones. A significant update from the Studio 3 Wireless , the new Studio Pro is a familiar formula that’s been reconfigured from the inside out. A second-generation version of Beats’ own audio chip powers this new model, delivering improvements to active noise cancellation (ANC), spatial audio with dynamic head tracking


Lexar's SD cards and storage gear are up to 52 percent off right now
28Engadget / 9h
Amazon's Prime Day sale on Lexar storage is still going on, with deals now available to non-Prime members as well. One of the best is on Lexar's Play 1TB microSD V30 card , ideal for gamers, smartphone users and others for just $63, or 52 percent off the regular price. There are other bargains as well, like a pair of 128GB V60 1667x SD cards ideal for mirrorless cameras priced at $58 (34 percent


Beats Studio Pro Review: Solid ANC But Is Missing Features I've Come to Expect From $350 Wireless Headphones
Gizmodo / 9h
As we said back in 2017, when the Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones debuted, Beats’ products have been getting better and better since Apple bought the company and started contributing to their design and hardware. The new Beats Studio Pro, the first new addition to the Beats Studio line in six years, bring excellent… Read more...



What happens if your cruise is canceled, or you get bumped?
The Points Guy / 9h
Cruise passengers do not get bumped as often as airline passengers do, and you aren’t likely to find out there’s no room for you on the ship during the boarding process the way you might on a flight. But cruises can be oversold or canceled in advance for a variety of reasons. Cruise lines employ some of the same approaches to inventory management as their airline counterparts, resulting in the ev


Portrait of ventriloquist act Richard and Willie. Printed on front: “Richard and Willie. John Levy Enterprises, 8467 Be...
Music, Arts & Literature / 9h
Portrait of ventriloquist act Richard and Willie. Printed on front: “Richard and Willie. John Levy Enterprises, 8467 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90048.” Label on back: “July 19 thru July 24, ‘The Roberta Flack show.’ 'Cannonball’ Adderly, Les McCann, Joe Williams, Letta Mbulu and Richard and Willie fill the bill with some of the most exciting music heard in years.” Handwritten on back: “Ri


Why You Should Think of New Habits As Skills
Lifehacker / 9h
I do a lot of things on a regular basis that people might classify as “good habits.” I go for a walk every morning. I hit the gym nearly every day. I prep my meals on the weekends so I always have something healthy to eat for lunch. Read more...


Netflix removes its basic tier in the US and the UK
33TechCrunch / 9h
After removing the basic subscription plan in Canada , Netflix has removed the plan in the U.S. and the U.K. as well. The basic plan allowed users to consume Netflix on one screen in 720p quality. While users already subscribed to this plan will be able to continue, new subscribers won’t be able to purchase the basic plan. The move, spotted by the U.K.-based website Code Busters , indicates that


Hightouch, which helps companies sync customer data across systems, lands $38M
TechCrunch / 9h
Hightouch , a platform that helps companies sync customer data across different back-end databases and systems, today announced that it raised $38 million in a funding round that values the startup at $615 million. Kashish Gupta, Tejas Manohar and Josh Curl co-founded Hightouch in 2020 after living together in a “hacker house” in the Mission District of San Francisco. Manohar and Curl were growin


Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island Opening February 2024
500+One Mile at a Time / 9h
The luxury points property that I’m most looking forward to finally has a website, and a new projected opening date. I wanted to provide an update, as I know I’m not the only one tracking this property’s opening. Waldorf Astoria Platte Island Seychelles basics In early 2021, Waldorf Astoria announced plans to open a private island resort in the Seychelles. This hotel now has a website , with a pr


The ‘Basic’ Netflix Subscription Is Now All But Deceased
33Gizmodo / 10h
Whelp, I guess we all knew this was coming. With no formal announcement, Netflix removed its $9.99 “Basic” subscription tier for anybody trying to sign up for a new account or resubscribe in the U.S. and UK. Now your two options are to pay $5.50 more per month for the “Standard” plan, or otherwise suffer through… Read more...


Umbra is a Silicon Valley outsider — they prefer it that way
79TechCrunch / 10h
Umbra co-founder Gabe Dominocielo’s last name is roughly translated from the Latin as “lord of the skies.” It’s a fitting title for the head of a satellite imagery company — but in a recent interview with TechCrunch, he joked that his last name should be “unit economics.” “Space isn’t my background,” he said. “My passion is unit economics.” Umbra’s story can be summed up as a marriage of technolo


A chic motor lodge in Napa Valley just joined World of Hyatt – and it even has a spa
40The Points Guy / 10h
What’s old is new again, especially when it comes to the highway, as old motor lodges in every corner of the country are being rebirthed as chic, Instagram-friendly places to not just spend the night but to go for an entire vacation. And one of the most popular examples of the trend, the Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa in California’s Napa Valley, can now be booked with World of Hyatt points . Loca


Digital 'immortality' is coming and we're not ready for it
2KEngadget / 10h
In the 1990 fantasy drama - Truly, Madly, Deeply , lead character Nina, (Juliet Stevenson), is grieving the recent death of her boyfriend Jamie (Alan Rickman). Sensing her profound sadness, Jamie returns as a ghost to help her process her loss. If you’ve seen the film, you’ll know that his reappearance forces her to question her memory of him and, in turn, accept that maybe he wasn’t as perfect a


New Ahsoka Lego Star Wars Sets Feature Her Ship and More
25Gizmodo / 10h
Begun, the Comic-Con news , has. Though the convention won’t start until later this evening, Lego is already breaking news by revealing three brand new Star Wars sets that’ll be revealed at the event. Two are from Star Wars Ahsoka , the upcoming show coming to Disney+ on August 23, and the third is a big, brick-built… Read more...


TikTok, Meta, Twitter, and YouTube All Have Different Plans for 2024 Election Misinformation
27Lifehacker / 10h
It’s never easy to separate political speech from disinformation in a democracy built upon the right of free speech, but the firehose of foreign and domestic weaponized bullshit that began in 2016, reached a fever pitch in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, and continued throughout the pandemic, saw… Read more...


Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 accessories leak ahead of Galaxy Unpacked launch event
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Samsung will announce its new foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Samsung Galaxy Flip 5 , in exactly one week (July 26), and a new set of renders give us a closer look at what could be official Samsung accessories, set to launch alongside the phones. The leaks – which come from well-known tipster Evan Blass by way of 9to5Google – show off ring-grip cases for two of the best foldables we’re likely


Many businesses don't even know they've been hit by a security breach
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Many businesses don’t know if they have suffered a data breach, and probably wouldn’t be able to spot such an event at all, due to the ever-expanding threat landscape, and notification fatigue among IT staff, new research has claimed. A report from cybersecurity experts Vectra AI surveying more than 2,000 IT security analysts found that nearly all (97%) are worried they’ll miss important security


Fear, loathing, and excitement as Threads adopts open standard used by Mastodon
99Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Jacqui VanLiew/Wired) Days after Meta launched its new app, Threads , this month, a software engineer at the company named Ben Savage introduced himself to a developer group at the World Wide Web Consortium, a web standards body. The group, which maintains a protocol for connecting social networks called ActivityPub, had been preparing for this moment for months, ever since rumor


Behind the scenes: How we host Ars Technica, part 1
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge / Take a peek inside the Ars vault with us! (credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images) A bit over three years ago, just before COVID hit, we ran a long piece on the tools and tricks that make Ars function without a physical office . Ars has spent decades perfecting how to get things done as a distributed remote workforce, and as it turns out, we were even more fortunate than we realized becau


Microsoft and Activision extend the deadline for their $68.7 billion merger to October 18th
500+Engadget / 10h
After 18 months of battling their way through regulatory red tape, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are closer than ever to making their merger happen. However, with some issues still to smooth out in the UK, the companies weren't able to neatly tie things up in time for their initial July 18th deadline. As such, they've agreed to extend their merger agreement by three months to get the $68.7 bi


Everything to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, including Galaxy Z Flip, Z Fold phones
Mashable / 10h
It's been a long few weeks since the last major tech event. Thankfully, that draught is about to end. Samsung is back with a new batch of product announcements next week. The latest Galaxy Unpacked livestream takes place at 7 a.m. ET on July 26 (an early start because it's in South Korea), and we already have a pretty good idea of what we expect to see at this event. Let's not waste any more time


Moiraine and Rand face growing darkness in 'The Wheel of Time' Season 2 trailer
Mashable / 10h
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, bringing a second season of The Wheel of Time ever closer. In the first trailer for the new series, we see what the future holds for our heroes — and it looks dark . (Fitting, given that darkness has been unleashed upon the world once again.) We see how Rand (Josha Stradowski) is processing the news that he is the famed Dragon Reborn, while Aes Sed


These 26 credit cards can get you free checked bags
63The Points Guy / 10h
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information. Checked bag fees can cost as much as $35 one-way — adding up quickly, especially if you travel with your family. But by carrying the right credit card, you may be able to get these charges waived completely , and possibly even for your travel companions. In this guide, we’ll go over the credit cards that feature free checked baggage



Intel Capital, Khosla lead $27M investment into SiPhox Health’s at-home blood-testing tech
TechCrunch / 10h
Six out of 10 Americans are living with a chronic disease , but access to convenient and low-cost health testing isn’t always available for patients, and bottlenecks still exist with current testing approaches. SiPhox Health wants to change that through more advanced blood testing using silicon photonic chip technology to put a lab-grade health testing device in every home. This is the semiconduc


Big Sky Capital debuts its $20M fund to invest in enterprise SaaS startups
100+TechCrunch / 10h
Early-stage venture capital firm Big Sky Capital , operating in Miami, Kazakhstan and Singapore, today announced its Fund I with $20 million in capital commitments. Founded by Jahn Karsybaev and Adil Nurgozhin, who met while at the University of Montana — which inspired the firm’s name — after careers in corporate IT and venture capital, respectively. They launched five startups together, some th


Team behind crypto privacy protocol Manta Network is now valued at $500M
TechCrunch / 10h
Even amid the crypto winter, some web3 companies are racking up hefty valuations. P0x Labs , the team behind Manta Network , a privacy-preserving protocol running on the Polkadot blockchain, announced today that it has reached a $500 million valuation following a $25 million Series A funding round. Lead investors in the round are crypto-focused Polychain Capital and China-focused venture firm Qim


CodeSee adds generative AI to explore code bases with natural language queries
TechCrunch / 10h
CodeSee was founded in 2019 with the goal of helping programmers understand the entire code base inside a company. The idea was to provide visual maps, so you could see the connections between services and systems and how changes might affect the different links. Today, the company announced it was adding a generative AI capability to the platform, making it easy to ask questions about the code b


Passenger Shamed For Refusing To Trade Her Window Seat With Mother Of Two
View from the Wing / 10h
Three million people have viewed a video of a woman who refused to give up her window seat for a mother traveling with her two kids. The mother offered the passenger a middle seat in exchange for her window. Not happening! And the kids looked 11 and 15 - not four and six. Continue reading ...


Wheel of Time Season 2 Reveals a Mystical First Trailer
59Gizmodo / 10h
Though its San Diego Comic-Con panel was understandably cancelled in light of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes in Hollywood, Prime Video’s Wheel of Time still has a treat for fans: a first trailer for season two . It reveals a dramatic glimpse of the battles ahead . Read more...


Air Canada Introduces Oat Milk & Aperol Spritzes!
300+One Mile at a Time / 10h
Millennials rejoice… now we just need avocado toast! Air Canada’s inflight product improvements While minor individually, Air Canada has just rolled out a series of thoughtful food & beverage improvements, which I’m sure many will appreciate. These changes include the following: For travelers in all cabins, Air Canada will offer oat milk from Earth’s Own, offering guests a non-dairy alternative F


Your Vegetable Plants Might Need Hormone Therapy
Lifehacker / 10h
A watched pot never boils, and checking to see if your summer vegetable starts have hit puberty yet has the same results. Until now, your adorable little tomato, eggplant, and pepper starts have been spending all their energy growing, producing leaves and gaining mass. Those suckers have been existing on a high that … Read more...


How to See Which Free TV Channels Are Available in Your Area
How-To Geek / 10h
No matter where you live, there are almost certainly TV channels---likely even HD---that you can watch for free with a simple OTA antenna. But you don't need to buy an antenna to find out which channels you can get.


Samsung all but confirms this major Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 design rumor
24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
While we already have a pretty clear picture of what Samsung's next foldables – the expected Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 – are likely to offer, the company's TM Roh has confirmed at least one previously rumored trait ahead of their official launch at the next Samsung Unpacked on July 26. In an official Samsung blog post titled 'Unpacking the Designs and Innovations Inspired by You', shared on Ju


Preply, the language app known for its live tutors, closes out Series C at $120M and doubles down on AI
100+TechCrunch / 10h
Language learning platform Preply made a name for itself for connecting students with a selection of some 35,000 tutors and group classes across some 50 languages. Now it’s looking to the future — an AI future. The company today announced that it has raised a further $70 million in funding — a combination of debt and equity — to extend its Series C to $120 million. Horizon Capital is leading this


Netflix axes its $10 ‘Basic’ plan in the US and UK
84Engadget / 11h
Netflix has removed its $10 Basic tier option — the service's most affordable one that doesn't come with ads — in the US and the UK . The company has updated its Plans and Pricing page to say that new and rejoining members in the US and the UK will no longer be able to sign up for the Basic tier. Meanwhile, those already on the plan can keep their membership as is (and pay $10 a month) until they


Instagram adds templates to 'easily create' Reels
Mashable / 11h
Instagram has launched new tools to help creators more easily make Reels . This includes a bunch of "templates" that can be browsed, adapted, and posted in just a few clicks. The app's new "template browser" lets users discover pre-made video blueprints, which you can use to make a Reel with your own footage. The audio, number of clips, duration of the clips, and AR effects will be automatically


United Airlines Might Owe You 30,000 Miles
38Lifehacker / 11h
If you were caught up in the United Airlines delay debacle back in June and found yourself either stranded overnight or never made it to your destination, there’s good news now: You have 30,000 MileagePlus miles waiting for you. Read more...


Here’s what to know as JetBlue and American end the Northeast Alliance
50The Points Guy / 11h
The Northeast Alliance is coming to an end. Even as American Airlines plans to push ahead with an appeal of the federal antitrust ruling against its partnership with JetBlue , the two airlines will begin the process of unwinding the alliance which has defined their domestic networks since early 2021. Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly Aviation newsletter . JetBlue ha


Intel’s next-gen processors look great – but has the tech giant already set itself up to fail?
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Well, it looks like Intel’s Arrow Lake processors are really on the way, with an expected 2024 release date and some seriously impressive performance leaks . These are the ones to watch, folks; forget about Meteor Lake and the underwhelming Raptor Lake refresh expected later this year. There’s a big problem with these incoming chips, though, and it’s probably not one that Intel can fix. German te


This is how you lose the Threads-Twitter war
29Mashable / 11h
Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Sincere congratulations on gaining 100 million users in week one of your intriguing new app, Threads ! Sincere commiserations on losing half of your daily active users — including, reluctantly, me — in week two! I know, I know, like most incurably optimistic Silicon Valley founders, you're inclined to focus on the glorious first number and worry less about the second. In oth


Could two planets share an orbit? This may be a first.
Mashable / 11h
Astronomers think they've found the first pair of planets sharing the same orbit around a star, something never before seen in space . A confirmed planet circling PDS 70, a star about 370 light-years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus, appears to have a mysterious companion. Along the known world's orbit, the team detected a debris cloud, which they say could hold the makings of a new plan


The Download: Meta’s new AI system, and covert Chinese social media activity
28MIT Technology Review / 11h
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. Meta’s latest AI model is free for all The news: Meta is going all in on open-source AI. The company has unveiled LLaMA 2, its first large language model that’s available for anyone to use—for free. It’s also releasing a version of the AI model that people can


India tax officials search edtech UpGrad offices
TechCrunch / 11h
Officials from India’s GST tax department are searching the offices of UpGrad, an edtech unicorn that counts Temasek, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems and World Bank’s International Finance Corporation among its backers, the startup said Wednesday. “It’s a routine survey and we are fully compliant and cooperating with the GST department,” said Koell Hemdev, Head of Legal at UpGrad, in a statement. Th



Upgrade Strategy, Maybe Your Profession And Reputation Really Do Help? [Roundup]
View from the Wing / 11h
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips. Continue reading ...


The Best Way to Close Your Bread Bag Without a Twist-Tie
Lifehacker / 11h
Unless I was visiting my grandmother, most of my childhood sandwiches were made on whole-wheat sandwich bread, with Ezekiel sprouted grain bread making an appearance every once in a while (a real lunchbox jump scare). It was hard for me, as I’ve always been deeply devoted to squishy, white sandwich bread. Read more...


Google is nagging you to browse more safely using Gmail
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Gmail users are set to get a security boost, but only if they give into some serious nagging from Google. As noted by 9to5Google , users of the Gmail email app on Android and desktop have been seeing pop-ups reminding them of the company's Enhanced Safe Browsing feature, with the tool's anti-phishing protection getting particular prominence. "Turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing to get additional prote


YouTube Says You're Offline? Here's How to Fix It
How-To Geek / 11h
Can't watch your favorite videos as YouTube keeps displaying a "You're offline. Check your connection" error in Chrome or another browser? There are a few actions you can take to possibly get online again, and we'll show you what those actions are.


This Robotic Transforming Grimlock Is a Masterpiece of Engineering and an Expensive $1,699 Collectible
200+Gizmodo / 11h
In 2021, Robosen and Hasbro left ‘80s toys fans with their jaws on the floor after revealing a $700 robotic Optimus Prime that could autonomously transform from the Autobot leader to a Freightliner truck. Two years later, Optimus is finally getting some backup with a new robotic Grimlock that transforms nearly exactly… Read more...


Want to Win a Chip War? You’re Gonna Need a Lot of Water
29Wired / 11h
The US is spending billions to boost semiconductor manufacturing. For the new plants to crank out silicon chips, they need to source millions of gallons of ultrapure water.


AeroPress XL Coffee Maker Review: Double the Size, Double the Brew
39Wired / 11h
The new larger version of our favorite portable coffee maker doubles the capacity of each brew, but its sheer size makes it a bit unwieldy.


Unity’s Apple Vision Pro game development tool opens in beta
TechCrunch / 11h
Unity this morning announced that it has opened the beta version of its development platform for visionOS. PolySpatial , which was announced in conjunction with Vision Pro headset at WWDC, is designed to help developers port and create a 3D experience for Apple’s “spatial computing” platform. The platform is designed to remove as much friction as possible during the development process, offering


[no title]
Music, Arts & Literature / 11h
From our vertical files: “Library Note” by Eve Merriam


Don't worry, House of the Dragon season 2 on Max won't be delayed by the Hollywood strikes
22TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Amid the ongoing Hollywood writers and actors strike, a large number of shows and movies have just been given the green light to go ahead with recommencing production even while the industrial action continues. According to industry magazines Deadline and Variety , the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) has given the okay to 39 independent produc


Bing AI chatbot is about to get two much-wanted features
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Bing AI is getting a couple of the most-wanted features folks have been badgering Microsoft for, with image search rolling out to everyone imminently, and dark mode shouldn’t be too far behind that. These nuggets of info come from Mikhail Parakhin, Microsoft’s head of Advertising and Web Services, who shared the details in a couple of tweets. OK, we have finally rolled out the Multimodal/Image un


Airline Pilots Don’t Want To Be Promoted To Captain, And It’s A Problem
200+One Mile at a Time / 12h
It’s every pilot’s goal to earn their “four stripes” and become a captain, and that’s currently easier than ever before to secure. Yet despite the much better pay, some airlines can’t actually convince enough people to take the upgrade from first officer to captain. What’s going on here? The difference between captains and first officers For some basic context, airlines always have at least two p


Neckband earbuds aren't dead yet – and at this price, I'm lovin' the cord
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
It's a constant dilemma for the music-loving athlete: do you opt for some of the best wired earbuds (and feed those pesky cables around your body during your run), the best true wireless earbuds (and accept the occasional puddle/sidewalk sacrifice), or even some of the best bone conduction headphones and take a hit on immersive bass? Well, there is still another option. If you thought neckband ea


FedML raises $11.5M to combine MLOps tools with a decentralized AI compute network
30TechCrunch / 12h
Interest in AI among the enterprise continues to rise, with one recent survey finding that nearly two-thirds of companies plan to increase or maintain their spending on AI and machine learning into this year. But often, these companies are encountering blockers in deploying various forms of AI into production. A 2020 poll from Rexer Analytics found that only 11% of AI models are always deployed.


TikTok is testing its music streaming service in even more countries
Mashable / 12h
TikTok is launching a subscription-based music streaming service in Australia, Singapore, and Mexico. The company says it's inviting users in the three countries to participate in a beta test that starts today. Using your existing TikTok account, users will be able to listen, download, and share songs from big-league record companies like Warner Music Group, which just inked a fresh licensing dea


Google is experimenting with AI-generated background on Meet
46TechCrunch / 12h
Google is experimenting with a generative AI feature to create new backgrounds for Google Meet calls. This new test lets people type in a prompt to generate a background for the call. The feature, which was first posted by Artem Russakovsii on Twitter, is part of Google Workspace Labs. That means only a few people that are part of the test will get to use it. Google Meet is starting to roll out A


The Morning After: An unopened first-gen iPhone just sold for $190,000
400+Engadget / 12h
Don’t go poking around your kitchen drawer gadget graveyard just yet. The first-gen iPhone , sold by LCG Auctions, was apparently a factory-sealed device in "exceptional condition." The auctioneer noted the former owner was part of Apple's engineering team when the iPhone debuted. The lot drew 28 bids, including five over $100,000. In recent months, LCG Auctions has sold two 8GB variants of the f


Google is making some employees work without the Internet to keep them safe from cyberattacks
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Google is reportedly running a pilot scheme to encourage employees to work without access to the Internet in a bid to reduce their risk of cyberattacks. Under the program, the company is reportedly limiting access to most areas of the Internet, with a few important exceptions such as internal pages and some Google domains, such as Gmail and Google Drive . According to a recent post by CNBC , afte


Get back-to-school ready with these major sales on school essentials
Mashable / 12h
We know — it's painful to think about a new school year starting. After all, didn't summer just begin? Time flies, but you can stay ahead of the curve by stocking up on back-to-school essentials that will ensure you have an easy-breezy fall term. For your convenience, we've rounded up some top picks for laptops , school supplies, backpacks, and beyond. These deals will make you feel good about sa


5 Things to Check When Buying a Used Android Phone
How-To Geek / 12h
Buying a used Android phone is a great way to save money and keep perfectly good gadgets from going to waste. Of course, buying used is not as straightforward as buying new---there are some important things to keep in mind.



11 Best Barbie Collabs (2023): Polaroids, Pool Floats, Hair Tools
24Wired / 12h
Live in Barbie’s world with a hot pink electric toothbrush, sparkly phone case, and bright yellow inline skates.


Why You Should Read a 900-Page Novel About the Climate Crisis
21Wired / 12h
Despite The Deluge’s harrowing, hyperrealistic story, author Steven Markley is more hopeful than ever—especially after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.


Ticks and the Diseases They Carry Are Spreading. Can This Drug Stamp Them Out?
25Wired / 12h
A small study showed that feeding deer a type of ivermectin reduced the number of ticks drinking their blood. (Yes, it’s that ivermectin. No, you shouldn’t eat it.)


Threads Is the New Cool Hangout—for Brands
34Wired / 12h
With big names like Wendy’s and Netflix, brand-on-brand chatter is shaping Meta’s new social media app. That could leave little room for people.


The Ukraine War Shows the US Military-Industrial Complex Isn’t Battle Ready
21Wired / 12h
Meeting Ukraine’s vast demand for ammunition and weapons means tapping into a web of small manufacturers across America, and rethinking how military supply chains work.


Almost All Research on the Mind Is in English. That’s a Problem
100+Wired / 12h
Language can shape how you think in subtle and profound ways. But most researchers only study English speakers.