Thursday, September 28, 2023

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Netflix’s third most-watched movie this week is an old sci-fi film that nobody liked


2KTechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 19h
If we were to tell you to stream a 12-year-old movie with a terrible 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, you'd probably give that one a swerve. But something is making people flock to In Time on Netflix . This week, the sci-fi-thriller-action film is the third most-watched movie on the best streaming service , despite a load of new Netflix movies being added to the platform this month. What's going on


Considering a breakup with Delta? Here’s our complete guide to airline status matches and challenges
3KThe Points Guy / 16h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. While most loyalty programs do not offer a way to extend elite status beyond the current year, a workaround is available: By matching your expiring elite status to a competing loyalty program, you can potentially maintain your benefits by selecting different carriers. Numerous airline loyalty programs prov


Sing, hum or say 'Happy Birthday' to any Google product today. Thank us later.
100+Mashable / 15h
Happy birthday, Google ! Thanks for the doodles! A quarter of a century ago, American computer scientists Larry Page and Sergey Brin created Google. Today, the search-engine tech giant turns 25 years old and it's giving us all sorts of nostalgic surprises to celebrate the big day. Google is known for delighting searchers with fun little Google doodles and Easter eggs. For instance, on Pac-Man's 3



Investors taking 30% of a startup in a round are short-sighted
TechCrunch / 19min
Over the last couple of months I’ve spoken to a number of early-stage investors — both angels and VCs — who seem to be proud of having been able to take 25-30% of a startup’s equity in an early-stage funding round. In one case, an angel investor patted themselves on the back for “managing to […]


Vivaldi browser arrives on iPhones and iPads
Engadget / 25min
The Vivaldi browser, which has been in beta testing for iOS devices over the past few months, is ready for a public release. Vivaldi for iPhones and iPads is now available for download from the App Store, bringing with it the features Android and desktop users have been enjoying for a while. One of the features that sets the browser apart from its peers on mobile is its desktop-style Tab Bar, whi


African VC firm Enza Capital launches founder partner program as it closes $58M across funds
TechCrunch / 26min
Enza Capital, a venture capital firm that backs startups “organizing the offline online” and “digitizing key African industries,” has closed $58 million across two funds. In 2019, the company launched an early-stage fund to “find, back, and help build category-defining startups” in the pre-seed and seed stages. The fund is still active and has invested […]


Vivaldi launches an iOS version of its browser
TechCrunch / 26min
Almost eight years after former Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner launched a new browser for desktop users, his company named Vivaldi has introduced its iOS version today. As it’s mandatory for browsers on iOS today to use WebKit as the core engine, Vivaldi uses the same engine. Von Tetzchner told TechCrunch that this was the […]


Vivaldi Browser Is Now on iPhone & iPad
How-To Geek / 27min
There are a lot of third-party browsers on iOS . Mostly, people get them because of extra features they might not find in Safari — all browsers in iOS are based on Safari's engine, even giants such as Google Chrome, so they have to stand out in other ways. Vivaldi is an option many have been awaiting ever since the development of an iOS version of the browser was announced . Now, though, you can


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for September 28
Mashable / 31min
Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle , Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle. If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the e


The self-driving trucks that are deliberately crashed
BBC News - Technology / 44min
A maker of autonomous lorries is using AI software to prang computerised versions of the vehicles.


The Raspberry Pi 5 uses the company's own chip designs
Engadget / 1h
It's been four years since Raspberry Pi 4 was released, and since then, the company has only rolled out minor upgrades, including doubling the RAM for the base $35 version. Now, the company has officially launched Raspberry Pi 5, which is the first full-size computer from the brand that uses silicon it built in-house. It offers double or even triple the CPU performance of Raspberry Pi 4, with bet


The Raspberry Pi 5 is here and looks yummier than ever
43TechCrunch / 1h
Four years after the release of the Raspberry Pi 4, the Raspberry Pi team is back with a new small-but-mighty computer — the Raspberry Pi 5. It’s a worthy successor that features updated components with better specifications — and even some custom silicon. But first, you may not be familiar with the original concept behind […]


Watch Nathan Lane sing about his 'Gay Old Life' in 'Dicks: The Musical'
Mashable / 1h
A24 has released an official lyric video "Gay Old Time," an irreverent musical number from upcoming comedy Dicks: The Musical . It reveals absolutely nothing about the film's plot, but an awful lot about what Nathan Lane's character thinks is normal queer behaviour. Dicks: The Musical is about a pair of womanising identical twins (non-identical non-twins Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson), who were se


Sony PlayStation boss Jim Ryan is retiring in March 2024
46Engadget / 2h
Jim Ryan, Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) President and CEO, is stepping down in March 2024. In a post announcing his retirement, the executive said he's been finding it "increasingly difficult" to juggle his home life in the UK and his job that's located in the US. Ryan has been with SIE since 1994, before the first PlayStation was launched worldwide. He helped establish the company's pre


X scraps tool to report electoral fake news - researchers
BBC News - Technology / 2h
A research organisation says the feature is now only available in European Union countries.


Disney+ is already cracking down on password sharing in Canada
Mashable / 3h
The Disney+ password-sharing crackdown is arriving earlier than expected. The House of Mouse is already setting its sights on Canada, with restrictions to be imposed in the country from November. Engadget reports that Disney has emailed Canadian Disney+ subscribers informing them that it will soon prohibit them from sharing their password outside their household. This was affirmed in a new segmen


Save 52% on a 1-year subscription to this brain training app
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: A one-year subscription to NeuroNation Brain Training is on sale for £32.30, saving you 52% on list price. Your brain may not be a muscle, but it might work like one. If you want to keep yourself feeling sharp, you might benefit from dedicated brain-training in the same way you hit the gym to beef up your arms. NeuroNation gives you access to cognitive exercises designed to help you improv


Ilia Calderón’s Questions at GOP Debate Catch Candidates Off-Guard
28NYT > Technology / 3h
The Univision anchor, one of three moderators, caught some candidates off-guard with questions on immigration and hate crimes.


How to watch 'The Great British Bake Off' 2023 for free
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking free streaming platforms. Watch the latest season of The Great British Bake Off for free with ExpressVPN. Everyone can finally relax, because we've made it. Sure, there have been some tough moments this year, but we pulled through and got there. We got there, guys! Britain's best amateur bakers are back in the iconic white tent for the 14th sea


Scientists transformed a cockroach into a remote-controlled zombie cyborg using an electrical backpack — and no, there’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 3h
Mechanical engineers with the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have created a remote-controlled cockroach using a pain-free method. The aim? Use this novel technology to create an army of cyborg insects to explore the ruins in the aftermath of a disaster, or let us inspect aspects of our critical infrastructure that are difficult to reach. The researchers used a new technology based


How to watch the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 online for free
Mashable / 3h
This has been a big year for cricket. Fans have enjoyed The Ashes , the Asia Cup , and some high-quality series between the best teams in the world. And it gets better, because the flagship event of the international cricket calendar is finally here: the ICC Cricket World Cup. If you're interested in watching the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the info


Disney's 'Wish' trailer reveals a magical kingdom hiding a cruel secret
Mashable / 4h
Disney has released the first official full-length trailer for Wish , offering a closer look at the latest magical kingdom ruled by a super-powered monarch. Unfortunately, this one isn't quite as as benevolent as Elsa . Wish is set in the fantasy kingdom of Rosas, where ruler King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine ) has the power to grant any wish. This gift makes him incredibly beloved by his subj


X will be profitable in 2024, CEO claims in tense interview
21TechCrunch / 5h
According to X CEO Linda Yaccarino, the company formerly known as Twitter will be profitable by early 2024. “Now that I have immersed myself in the business, and we have a good set of eyes on what is predictable, what’s coming is that it looks like in early ’24, we will be turning a profit,” Yaccarino […]



PlayStation boss Jim Ryan is leaving Sony
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 6h
Sony has announced that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan will be retiring next March, capping off nearly 30 years with the company that saw him take the lead for the launch of Sony's current-gen offering, the PlayStation 5. Ryan took the top job at PlayStation back in 2019, becoming the president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Before that he was in charge of SIE's European business and also


Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for September 28
Mashable / 6h
You're nearly there! It's almost Friday — but if your brain's clocked off for the week already and your Wordle isn't quite wordling, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out the answer. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the end of this article for September 28's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some c


Today’s NYT Connections Hints (and Answer) for Thursday, September 28
Lifehacker / 6h
If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Thursday, September 28, 2023, read on—I’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solutions to all four categories. Beware, there are spoilers below for September 28, NYT Connections #109! Scroll to the end if you want some hints (and then the answer)… Read more...


Epic asks the Supreme Court to weigh in on its beef with Apple
TechCrunch / 6h
We haven’t heard the last of Epic’s crusade against Apple over the iPhone maker’s App Store fees. Epic Games filed a cert petition with the Supreme Court on Wednesday, setting things in motion for the highest court in the land to reexamine if Apple’s software business violates federal antitrust laws. We’ll know in the coming […]


Teamsters urge NHTSA to deny Cruise Origin exemption
TechCrunch / 6h
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters union is urging U.S. auto safety regulators to deny a petition by General Motors to grant an exemption to Cruise, the automaker’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, that would allow it to build its Origin AV without traditional vehicle safety standards. Cruise’s Origin is purpose-built for autonomy, meaning it doesn’t have a […]


The dairy industry is trying to outlaw plant-based “milk” labels—again
Ars Technica - All content / 7h
Enlarge (credit: Getty | Thomas Trutschel ) In an utterly firm effort to undercut plant-based rivals, big players in the dairy industry are again putting the squeeze on lawmakers to outlaw the use of the term "milk" for non-dairy beverages—or, in Food and Drug Administration lingo, beverages that are not the "lacteal secretion of cows." Earlier this year, the dairy industry's blood curdled when t


'Quordle' today: Here are the answers and hints for September 28, 2023
Mashable / 8h
If Quordle is a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for hints. There aren't just hints here, but the whole Quordle solution. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and there it is. But are you sure you need all four answers? Maybe you just need a strategy guide. Either way, scroll down, and you'll get what you need. What is Quordle ? Quordle is a five-letter word guessing gam


Quordle today - hints and answers for Thursday, September 28 (game #612)
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
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 fun, but also difficult. What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keep


From AI Assistant to image restyler: Meta’s new AI features
TechCrunch / 8h
Meta announced a host of new AI-powered bots, features and products to be released across its messaging apps, the Meta Quest 3 and the future Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. The new features — ranging from an AI assistant to image editing — harness the power of generative AI to make Meta’s technology just that much […]


9 things announced at the Meta Connect 2023 event
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Meta’s Connect developer conferences have been fairly humble these past couple of years as the company shifted to online events due to the pandemic. But for 2023, the tech giant returned to an in-person event and took some big swings. During the keynote, we received a ton of new information regarding the Meta Quest 3 VR headset , Meta's generative AI projects, and the next generation of Ray-Ban s


12 Podcasts With the Best Listener Communities
Lifehacker / 8h
Some podcasts have fans, and some podcasts have super fans. A show has to be really great to entice its listeners to join its Patreon and subreddit, buy its merch and attend its live events. These are fans who self-identify as members of the podcast’s community, taking on names like “Thought Leaders,” “Spoon Nation,”… Read more...


Sony’s PlayStation Chief to Retire Next Year
NYT > Technology / 8h
Jim Ryan, who has been with the company for nearly 30 years, has led one of the most dominant businesses in the video game industry.


Riddle of Fire Puts a Fantasy Spin on a 1980s Kids Adventure Movie
Gizmodo / 8h
Recovering a password has never been as elaborate or entertaining as it is in Riddle of Fire, which had its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest 2023 this week . In the film, a trio of badass kids steal a yet-to-be-released video game console, get it home, but run into a problem. Mom has password-protected the TV. All they… Read more...


These Are the Best Features of macOS Sonoma
Lifehacker / 8h
The latest version of macOS is now widely available, offering several small changes to the operating system you might miss if you don’t know where to look. It really shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Apple is once again playing things safe, offering what might seem like minor updates to its already solid operating… Read more...


Delta CEO Promises To Unwind Some SkyMiles Changes After Customer Backlash
View from the Wing / 9h
Bastian has previously said that the changes to elite status and lounge access are not the end of what members can expect ("over the next several years we’ll announce additional changes to qualification and to how a mile is awarded"). And, of course, even after those changes were announced they quietly devalued SkyMiles further by raising the price of Mexico-originating awards (one of the bets va


Epic Games asks Supreme Court to reconsider Apple antitrust ruling
Engadget / 9h
Epic Games has asked the US Supreme Court to review a ruling from 2021 that cleared Apple of violating antitrust laws, according to a Bloomberg report. The Fortnite maker previously claimed that Apple violated California's Unfair Competition law, stating that the App Store prohibits developers from directing users to other third-party payment systems. The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld


Castlevania: Nocturne's Opening Explores the Bloody Belmont Legacy
Gizmodo / 9h
Netflix’s new Castlevania show, Nocturne , is set hundreds of years after the events of the original series, with a long-line descendant of heroes Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, Richter, headlining the cast. What better way to connect the Belmont Clan bloodline across shows than immediately giving the poor young… Read more...


“Unprecedented” youth climate trial demands action from 32 European governments
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / Firefighters tackle a wildfire at Vale de Abelha village in Macao, Portugal, on August 16, 2017. (credit: AFP Contributor / Contributor | AFP ) The largest climate case ever raised before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) kicked off Wednesday in Strasbourg, France, Reuters reported . It's an "unprecedented" effort from six young Portuguese people—ages 11 to 24—who allege that 32


These Are the Best National Coffee Day Deals of 2023
Lifehacker / 9h
We’ll never say no to free coffee, and there’s plenty to go around this week: National Coffee Day falls on Friday, Sept. 29, and International Coffee Day comes just two days later on Oct. 1. Here are a few deals to take advantage of. Read more...


Meta Is Adding a Ton of AI-powered Features to Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp
Lifehacker / 9h
While the headlining announcement of Meta Connect 2023 might be the Meta Quest 3, AI made its own significant splash. Like all other tech companies right now, Meta is pouring resources into artificial intelligence, and previewed a slew of new AI features coming to its apps and services over the next few months months. Read more...



Twitter/X removes option to report posts for 'misleading information'
Mashable / 9h
X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, used to provide users with an option to report content for "misleading information." Under Elon Musk, that is no longer the case. As The Guardian highlighted in its report, digital advocacy group Reset Australia first noticed the removal of the option in the "Report" tool found on posts across the platform. The organization penned an open letter detailin


ChatGPT internet browsing is back after being disabled for months
Mashable / 9h
"We are so back," posted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In other words, ChatGPT can now browse the internet again. A week after the ChatGPT creator launched a Browse with Bing plugin , the feature was deactivated after it was discovered that users could access paywalled content. Now, internet browsing is back, meaning users can get real-time information past the September 2021 cutoff of data that was use


Regulators close investigation into Blue Origin’s New Shepard anomaly
TechCrunch / 9h
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has closed the investigation into a mishap that occurred last September during a launch of Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle, with the regulator saying that Blue must implement 21 corrective actions before it can fly New Shepard again. New Shepard was grounded after a September 2022 launch ended with an […]


Your GPU Might Have a New Security Vulnerability
How-To Geek / 10h
Security breaches and vulnerabilities are a daily part of our lives now. After all, there's always going to be someone poking around in software and hardware to see how they can get in. It's especially bad when those vulnerabilities affect hardware, and more importantly, your hardware. A newly-surfaced vulnerability seems to affect basically every popular GPU model out there.


Marriott launches another affordable hotel chain — its 33rd brand
78The Points Guy / 10h
The battle of budget hotel brands is now a war that extends across the Atlantic Ocean. On Wednesday, Marriott International launched another midscale brand, Four Points Express by Sheraton, aimed at courting travelers craving a more affordable hotel stay experience. Four Points Express by Sheraton will fall in the midscale tier while Four Points falls in the upscale category, according to a brand


ChatGPT is allowed to browse the internet once again
31Engadget / 10h
Ironically, when ChatGPT debuted last November and basically broke the internet for a few days, the AI itself wasn't informed. In fact, its entire knowledge base stopped abruptly in September, 2021 because that was the most recent data the system was initially trained on. Wednesday, OpenAI announced that ChatGPT will now be able to answer even the most modern of queries as the generative AI assis


Plucky CPU maker beats AMD and Intel to become first to offer 320 cores per server — with even bigger models in the pipeline
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Oracle has snubbed leading CPUs from the likes of AMD and Intel in favor of AmpereOne processors for use in its Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) A2 Instances – offering the highest core count in the industry. Coming in 2024, the new OCI service – which has 320 cores in the bare metal shape and 156 cores in the flexible virtual machine (VM) shape – will be used to power general-purpose cloud work


A Rabid Otter in Florida Went on a Rampage Last Week, Attacking a Man and a Dog
35Gizmodo / 10h
As if life isn’t hard enough already: rabid otters are apparently a thing. Florida health officials reported this week that a 74-year-old man and a dog were bitten by an aggressive otter, one that later tested positive for the usually fatal viral infection. Both victims have reportedly received treatment and the otter… Read more...


NASA's Cloud Observing Satellite Bids Farewell After 17 Years
20Gizmodo / 10h
After blasting beams of energy through the clouds for the past 17 years, NASA’s lidar satellite mission came to an end this past August, the agency has revealed. Read more...


NASA astronaut Frank Rubio is home after a year in space
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge / NASA astronaut Frank Rubio smiles and waves moments after arriving back on Earth to wrap up more than a year in orbit. (credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls ) NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and two Russian crewmates parachuted to a landing on the remote steppe of Kazakhstan on Wednesday, capping a 371-day mission at the International Space Station, the longest single spaceflight ever undertaken by an


Musk’s X spreads more disinformation than rival social networks, EU says
31Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto ) Disinformation is more prevalent on Twitter (aka X) than on Facebook and other social networks, according to a European Union report. The report released yesterday is a pilot study conducted as part of the voluntary Code of Practice on Disinformation that was created before Elon Musk bought Twitter, which he renamed to X. Musk pulled his social network f


We finally know for sure what a trilobite ate
36Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Jiri Svoboda) Trilobites first appear early in the Cambrian and are one of the earliest examples of arthropods, the group that includes all insects. They flourished for over 100 million years, leaving fossils that are seemingly ubiquitous—we've described over 20,000 different trilobite species. That's over three times the number of mammalian species we're aware of. Despite all th


PlayStation sci-fi epic Horizon Forbidden West makes its way to PC
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
The release will include the California-based expansion that was recently launched. [credit: Sony ] Sony has announced that the sprawling open-world sci-fi epic Horizon Forbidden West will make its way to PCs "in early 2024," almost two years after it debuted on the PlayStation 4 and 5 and four years after its predecessor Horizon Zero Dawn reached PC gamers. Titled Horizon Forbidden West: Complet


Powerful new EV charger starts field tests in Arizona this weekend
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge / This cube is Nxu's new charging system, designed to handle up to 4.5 MW of bidirectional power. You can test it out in Mesa, Arizona, between September 28 and October 1, 2023. (credit: Nxu) Electric vehicles have matured over the past decade to the point where, with few exceptions, they're now a superior alternative to internal combustion engines. They're quiet, produce instant torque,


Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Altman reportedly collaborating on mysterious AI device
31Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge / Ex-Apple designer Jony Ive (left) and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (right). (credit: Getty Images) Ex-Apple design star Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have been discussing the design of an unspecified new AI device, reports The Information, citing two people familiar with the talks. It's unclear what exactly the device may be, but the report has many people on social media and the press gu


Why You Should Plant Your Tulips in Crates Instead
Lifehacker / 10h
Tulips are the flower world’s most addictive drug—plant them once and you’ll never stop. Seeing those pops of color come up at the beginning of spring provides a needed hit of dopamine after a long, gray winter. There’s a reason tulip festivals are popular, and if you want to reproduce that look at home, you don’t… Read more...


FedEx’s New Robot Loads Delivery Trucks Like It’s Playing 3D Tetris
52Wired / 10h
FedEx handles over 15 million packages daily. A two-armed, AI-infused robot is now helping pack some of them into delivery trucks with expert care.


Concrete Utopia Takes the Disaster Movie in a Whole New Direction
Gizmodo / 10h
Most modern disaster movies are rather cheesy— big, special effects spectacles that are an excuse to showcase lots of destruction and action . Concrete Utopia, a South Korean disaster movie, has some of that, but really focuses more on what comes in the immediate aftermath. First, the film grabs your attention with a… Read more...


DoJ Accuses eBay of Selling Thousands of Environmentally Harmful Products
Gizmodo / 10h
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a lawsuit against eBay, Inc. in a Brooklyn Court on Wednesday for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act and other environmental laws and for permitting users to sell harmful products that don’t align with automobile pollution controls. Read more...


Counter-Strike 2 has finally released on PC - players can dive in now
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
It finally happened - Counter-Strike 2 has officially released on PC after a week of hints and teasers, which have probably left fans wholly unsurprised about this whole thing. For those out of the loop, the official Counter-Strike Twitter account set the ball rolling last week, on September 20, when it tweeted : “What are you doing next Wednesday?” From this point on, many fans believed that thi



Redbox Offers Free Rentals to Former Netflix DVD Customers
How-To Geek / 10h
The longstanding and oft-forgotten Netflix DVD service shuts down on September 29th. Any remaining Netflix DVD customers are free to keep their rentals , but they won't receive any other gifts for their years of patronage. That said, Redbox hopes to capitalize on the situation with a quick promotional offer. From September 29th to October 1st, former Netflix DVD customers who share a photo of the


Delta CEO: Airline Will Scale Back SkyMiles Changes
400+One Mile at a Time / 10h
Delta recently announced some major changes for loyal flyers, including a complete overhaul of the SkyMiles program, plus new Sky Club access restrictions. Many SkyMiles members aren’t happy about these changes, and it sounds like the airline will act on that frustration. Delta CEO says airline went too far with SkyMiles changes Earlier this week, Delta CEO Ed Bastian was interviewed at the Rotar


Counter-Strike 2 is now available as a free upgrade to CS:GO
61Engadget / 10h
Valve launched Counter-Strike 2 today. The long-rumored game, officially announced in March , has replaced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive as a free upgrade. It uses Valve’s in-house Source 2 engine, leading to sharper textures, more believable lighting and new geometry. Valve said it broke down maps into three categories. First, “Touchstone” maps are classic scenes “with solid foundations” left


Artifact takes on X and Threads with new Posts feature
TechCrunch / 10h
Artifact, a platform built by Instagram’s co-founders, is launching the ability for users to make posts. Up until now, the platform has been an aggregator for news and links, but is now becoming more of a social network by allowing users to create posts. Artifact co-founder and CTO Mike Krieger announced the launch of the […]


New Alaska Airlines Visa personal card offer: Earn 60,000 miles and a companion fare
100+The Points Guy / 10h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. If you’re looking to boost your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan balance, here is a good opportunity to do so. Right now, applicants for the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card can earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare™ from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $3,000


New Alaska Airlines Visa business card offer: Earn 50,000 miles and a companion fare
100+The Points Guy / 10h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. If you’re looking to earn valuable miles with an airline, this could be the offer for you. Bank of America’s Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card is currently offering a bonus of 50,000 bonus miles and Alaska’s Famous Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23). To qualify, make $3,000


Snoop Dogg's a Dungeon Master and All of Meta’s Other AI Announcements
24Gizmodo / 10h
Every tech company in existence is currently racing to cram as much AI into their product base as possible, so it’s not at all surprising that Meta’s annual Connect event was flush with such developments this year. In addition to a number of new VR and “metaverse”-adjacent products and features , Meta’s pale commander… Read more...


Meta AI, AI celebrities, and everything else 'AI-ified' at Meta Connect 2023
Mashable / 10h
Meta's vision for generative AI is making it more accessible to the masses. That means integrating various features and tools within Meta-owned Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook in myriad ways. At Meta Connect 2023 , CEO Mark Zuckerberg's keynote spent a good chunk of time announcing AI features for image generation, as a personal assistant, and as an AI-generated version of your favorite celebri


Make This Gooey, Stretchy Cheese Sauce With Lemon Juice and Baking Soda
Lifehacker / 10h
I consider myself a champion of processed cheese. Velveeta, Kraft Singles, and the like may not belong on a cheese board, but they have their places, usually in a Crockpot of queso dip, in a grilled cheese sandwich, or on a burger. They are engineered to melt and stay gooey and stretchy, something you don’t get with a… Read more...


MSI Just Released a Tiny Tenkeyless Keyboard
How-To Geek / 10h
Smaller keyboards are as popular as ever, as they can take up less space on your desk and remove features that not everyone needs ( like number pads ). Tenkeyless keyboards are one of the most common options for a more compact keyboard, and MSI has just revealed a new one in that category: the VIGOR GK50 Elite TKL keyboard.


Meta filmed Mr Beast, Paris Hilton and 26 more to build celebrity AIs based on Llama 2
34TechCrunch / 10h
Actors are in the middle of a major, protracted battle with Hollywood over what role AI will be playing in the future of entertainment, and how they’ll be compensated for that when those AIs are basically likenesses of them. Over at Meta, it looks like some of those kinks have been ironed out… Today, the […]


Security researcher warns of chilling effect after feds search phone at airport
22TechCrunch / 10h
A U.S. security researcher is warning of a chilling effect after he was detained on arrival at a U.S. airport, his phone was searched, and was ordered to testify to a grand jury, only to have prosecutors reverse course and drop the investigation later. On Wednesday, Sam Curry, a security engineer at blockchain technology company […]


OpenAI Employee Says She's Never Tried Therapy But ChatGPT Is Pretty Much a Replacement For It
Futurism / 11h
TheraGPT A senior OpenAI employee opened a veritable can of worms this week when she claimed that the latest version of ChatGPT, which now has voice recognition capabilities , is akin to talking with a human therapist — even though, as she admitted, she'd never actually done therapy herself. "Just had a quite emotional, personal conversation [with] ChatGPT in voice mode, talking about stress [and


Strike Ends With Writers Guild Forcing Concessions on AI
50Futurism / 11h
After a five-month strike, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has officially reached an agreement with Hollywood studios. Writers are officially back at work. And while better residuals, health and pension contributions, and pay increases are unquestionably a big win for the Guild, things get a little murkier when it comes to artificial intelligence. AI quickly turned into a contentious part of t


This robotic exoskeleton can help runners sprint faster
42MIT Technology Review / 11h
A wearable exoskeleton can help runners increase their speed by encouraging them to take more steps, allowing them to cover short distances more quickly. While previous studies have focused on how wearable exoskeletons can help people reduce the energy they expend while running, the new study, published today in Science Robotics , examines how wearable robots can assist runners as they sprint. Th


Meta reveals Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Quest 3 in December
Mashable / 11h
At last year's Meta Connect , it was revealed that Xbox Cloud Gaming would make its way to Meta Quest headsets sometime in the future. Now, a year later, at the latest installment of the tech giant's keynote event, that "sometime in the future" is now this December. SEE ALSO: Meta Quest 3 hands-on review: Why it's way better than Quest 2 Meta CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg was sparse on the e


macOS Sonoma has a whole host of security fixes - should we be worried?
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
The highly anticipated macOS 14 Sonoma , filled to the brim with exciting new features, may already have been the target of cybercriminals, experts have warned.. Just 24 hours after its release, Apple has released an update to the new software that patches 61 apparent security issues. The full list of fixes, available here , included issues with the App Store, Bluetooth, iCloud, Maps, Messages, M


Scientists Spot Black Dust and Debris on Canister Containing Asteroid Sample
100+Gizmodo / 11h
Following a nearly three-year journey through space, the canister containing samples from asteroid Bennu has finally been opened. Read more...


Wonderworld
Music, Arts & Literature / 11h
covrettcreative : Keep reading


Dan Harmon Dishes on Justin Roiland and Rick and Morty's New Voices
39Gizmodo / 11h
The much-anticipated seventh season of Rick and Morty arrives in just a few weeks; a few days ago, we got a trailer revealing the show’s new “soundalike” voices for its lead characters after Justin Roiland ’s departure. It’s been a weird ride for Rick and Morty fans—and now, in a new interview, Roiland’s co-creator Dan… Read more...



ChatGPT can now access up to date information
100+BBC News - Technology / 11h
The chatbot's knowledge previously only included data up to September 2021, but not any more.


Paleontologists Find Trilobite’s Last Meal in 465-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Stomach
59Gizmodo / 11h
Here’s something to chew on: a fossilized trilobite from the Ordovician Period, which is so well preserved that a team of paleontologists was able to identify its last meal, now mineralized in the creature’s fossil stomach. Read more...


How to preorder the new AI-powered Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses
Mashable / 11h
PRE-ORDER NOW: Meta announced its new Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses at the Meta Connect Event on Sept. 27. Pre-order them now for $299 at Ray-Ban or Meta . Opens in a new window Credit: Ray-Ban / Meta Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses Preorder for $299 at Ray-Ban Meta hopes that two years has been enough time for everyone to forgive the flop that was the Facebook Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses. The new Ray-


Warner Music Group CEO Says We Should Embrace AI in the Music Industry
77Gizmodo / 11h
As the Writers Guild of America comes to an agreement with movie and television studios over the use of AI in Hollywood, it would appear that the music industry is in for a reckoning too. CEO of Warner Music Group Robert Kyncl thinks AI is a really good thing for the music industry, actually. TechCrunch reported on… Read more...


Delta CEO says SkyMiles changes ‘probably went too far,’ and that ‘modifications’ are coming
2KThe Points Guy / 11h
In his first public comments since changes to his airline’s frequent flyer program outraged scores of loyalists, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian admitted that the airline may have overdone the changes, alienating some customers . “No question, we probably went too far,” Bastian said. “Our team wanted to kind of rip the band-aid off.” Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG’s free biweekly


The 20 Best Romantic Comedies Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Lifehacker / 11h
Romantic comedy is one of cinema’s oldest and most reliable genres for good reason: Real-life romance is complicated and sometimes exhausting. That can be true for characters in movies, too, but their problems are generally funnier than our own and, anyway, they’re not our problems. We’re comforted either because we… Read more...


Can Bird’s Spin acquisition give it the lift it needs?
TechCrunch / 11h
Back in the scooter craze days of 2019, Bird was valued at a whopping $2.5 billion.


Meta’s ‘augments’ place digital objects around your physical space
TechCrunch / 11h
Meta's new Quest 3 mixed-reality headset will allow users to personalize their physical spaces with "augments."


The Meta AI Chatbot Is Mark Zuckerberg's Answer to ChatGPT
Wired / 11h
Meta's AI assistant can do things like suggest travel plans in a group chat. The company also announced a string of chatbots modeled on celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton.


What’s the best ski pass this season? Comparing Epic, Ikon, Mountain Collective and Indy passes
400+The Points Guy / 11h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, updated with new information and offers. Believe it or not, ski season is just around the corner, and many mountain resorts are hoping they’ll be able to open in the next month or two. While resort openings obviously depend on the weather, a few mountains already saw a dusting over Labor Day weekend. And the Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a snowy winte


Meta announces AI chatbots with 'personality'
100+BBC News - Technology / 11h
At Meta's first in-person event since before the pandemic, Mark Zuckerberg announced his AI plans.


Disney+ is getting strict about password sharing, starting in Canada
95Engadget / 11h
As of November 1, Disney+ will restrict its Canadian users from sharing their accounts with people outside their households unless they’re willing to pay more. The company sent out an email to subscribers notifying them of the change, which Disney CEO Bob Iger foreshadowed in an earnings call back in August . With this move, the company is following closely in the footsteps of Netflix, which offi


EV boat startup Arc wades into watersports with $70M in fresh funding
TechCrunch / 11h
Arc is making a splash with investors as it wraps up deliveries of its limited edition $300,000 electric boat and eyes its next target: watersports. And, specifically the kind that require a wake. The Los Angeles-based electric boat startup, which designed, built and has now delivered a limited edition run of the Arc One, recently […]


This startup wants to verify your ID without storing your personal data
TechCrunch / 11h
As government and banking services move away from verifying identities in the real world, moving toward online ID verification, several companies have entered the market to solve this problem. A new startup from France is entering the market with a solution that, in theory, should protect people’s privacy. ShareID spokesperson Eliana Daboul described the company […]


Headspace is bringing an immersive VR experience to Meta Quest 3 ‘soon’
TechCrunch / 11h
Headspace is coming to Meta’s Quest 3 VR headset “soon,” Meta’s Head of Developer Relations, Melissa Brown, announced at the company’s Connect event today. The Headspace experience is a “virtual playground for your mind” and a place to hang out with your friends and wind down, find your focus and feel more energized, Headspace told […]


Everything announced at Meta Connect 2023: Quest 3 release date, smart glasses and Meta AI
25Engadget / 11h
Meta has just wrapped up its 2023 Connect keynote . As promised, the company had a lot more to share about its Meta Quest 3 headset. It also announced the latest pair of smart glasses it created in collaboration with Ray-Ban. In an astoundingly shocking turn of events, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also had some AI updates to discuss. Meta Quest 3 release date Meta first showed off the Quest 3 back in


The Most Common Myths That Keep People From Investing
Lifehacker / 11h
Plenty of people avoid the stock market out of fear, but learning how it works can help you make the right choices to mitigate your personal risk. If you’re looking to learn the “secrets” to investing before getting started, I’m sorry to report that there really aren’t any. Investing your money is one of the best ways… Read more...


DOJ says eBay sold thousands of illegal, poisonous, and polluting products
TechCrunch / 11h
The Department of Justice raked eBay over the proverbial coals today, accusing the online retailer of “unlawfully selling and distributing hundreds of thousands” of products that threaten the environment and public health. In a statement on Wednesday, the DOJ said it’s suing eBay for distributing restricted and mislabeled pesticides, defeat devices that mess with vehicles’ […]


Meta parties like it’s 2015, brings new chatbots to its messaging apps
TechCrunch / 11h
Meta, angling for a seat at the AI chatbot table, is launching a host of new AI-powered bots across its messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. They’re available for select users in beta in the U.S. as of today. One is an AI assistant called Meta AI, which, judging by The Verge’s hands-on piece, […]


Should Doctors Only Pretend to Resuscitate Dying Patients?
58Futurism / 12h
Healthcare professionals are ethically obliged to do all they can to ensure the survival of their patients. But in some instances, some physicians are willing to go the extra mile and attempt to perform CPR on a patient even though they know there's absolutely no hope of survival, The Messenger reports , a practice that has become known as "slow codes" or "show codes." It's a thorny debate when i



Cuphead is adding free behind-the-scenes bonus content
40Engadget / 12h
Cuphead developer Studio MDHR is celebrating the indie game’s sixth anniversary by giving Xbox and Windows players free behind-the-scenes content. The DLC includes high-res photos, concept art, a video player and the entire soundtrack. The developer describes the bonus content as a “love letter” to fans on the game’s initial platforms. It will be available on Friday, September 29. The Cuphead DLC


The Next Big Boner Treatment Might Come From Spider Venom
26Gizmodo / 12h
Men looking for a better sex life might someday own their thanks to a spider. A Brazilian pharmaceutical company is developing a topical treatment for erectile dysfunction derived from the venom of Phoneutria nigriventer, aka the Brazilian wandering spider. The treatment has already cleared an early human trial and… Read more...


Meta Quest 3 Is Like the Apple Vision Pro, but 1/7th the Price
How-To Geek / 12h
With pre-orders starting at $500, the Meta Quest 3 headset boasts full-color video passthrough, a 2064 x 2208 per-eye video resolution, and a second-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset for increased graphical capabilities. It's a clear and compelling upgrade from the Quest 2, especially for those who want to see their real-world surroundings while inhabiting a virtual world. This release m


Breaking Down What the Writers Guild Won
200+Gizmodo / 12h
After nearly 150 days on strike, the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers have finally reached an agreement. The unit members celebrated across the country, and now the WGA has released a Memorandum of Agreement , as well as some additional documents to inform members… Read more...


Backdoored firmware lets China state hackers control routers with “magic packets”
2 TTPs•
59Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Hackers backed by the Chinese government are planting malware into routers that provides long-lasting and undetectable backdoor access to the networks of multinational companies in the US and Japan, governments in both countries said Wednesday. The hacking group, tracked under names including BlackTech, Palmerworm, Temp.Overboard, Circuit Panda, and Radio Panda, has


Google deal may have kept Apple from building search engine, exec says
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / Apple Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue. (credit: Justin Sullivan / Staff | Getty Images North America ) One of the most anticipated witnesses in the Department of Justice's antitrust trial over Google's search business was Apple executive Eddy Cue. But Cue, who testified this week for approximately four hours, publicly revealed very few details about the hotly debated deal bet


Kerbal Space Program 2 has a big pre-launch issue: Windows registry stuffing
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / It's what you signed up for. (credit: Intercept Games / Private Division) When it comes to early access games, the only thing harder than code and quality assurance may be setting expectations. Kerbal Space Program 2 was initially announced for 2020 , then, after a whole bunch of development shifts , arrived in early access in February 2023—a bit too early, as suggested by player feedba


Meta’s Quest 3 headset launches October 10, starts at $499
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / The Quest 3 release date is unveiled at the Meta Connect conference. Following a small tease in July , Meta has announced an October 10 release date for its Quest 3 headset. The follow-up to 2020's hot-selling Quest 2 and 2022's overpriced Quest Pro will start at $499 for a 128GB model or $649 for a 512GB model. The lower-end model comes bundled with a copy of Asgard's Wrath 2 (availabl


Intel reiterates: Next-gen Meteor Lake CPUs aren’t coming to most desktops
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge (credit: Intel) Intel’s Meteor Lake processor architecture promises to be its most interesting in recent history, but we’ve known for a while now that Intel isn’t planning to launch a version for socketed desktop motherboards like the ones you’d find in a self-built PC or an off-the-shelf mini tower. For those systems, Intel plans to release a second consecutive refresh of the old Alder L


Smartphone sales down 22 percent in Q2, the worst performance in a decade
73Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / The Pixel 7 Pro camera layout. Between the first two lenses, you can make out sensors for laser autofocus and a color sensor. Canalys has some gruesome new numbers out for the North American smartphone market in Q2 2023, detailing what it's calling the "worst quarterly performance for over a decade." Q2 has plummeted 22 percent, year over year, and with these numbers, Canalys is predict


Meta's New Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Look Kinda Cool and Can Livestream Your Life
32Gizmodo / 12h
Smart glasses seem to be having a resurgence lately. First, Amazon reminded us they still make them with Alexa built in. Now, Meta is launching a new lineup with a slight rebrand. They’re no longer called Stories . Instead, they’re called the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, and they are so much more stylish than the… Read more...


Mark Zuckerberg went 33 minutes without saying ‘metaverse’ at his keynote
22TechCrunch / 12h
When Meta rebranded from Facebook two years ago, the word “metaverse” went mainstream. Even people outside the tech world wondered if we would soon start to socialize via virtual reality headsets. But at least according to public opinion and the stock market, the metaverse proved itself to be pretty mid. Propelled by founder and CEO […]


4 things you should do now for holiday travel
79The Points Guy / 12h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Though fall has just begun, it’s not too early to start thinking about your holiday travel plans. In preparation for Thanksgiving , Christmas , Hanukkah , New Year’s Eve and any other holiday travel, there are some timely to-do items, such as booking your flights and renewing your passport. Book your fligh


What to Do When Your Toddler Acts Aggressively
Lifehacker / 12h
Anger is a big feeling, especially when a kid experiences it. Whether arguing over a toy with a sibling or not getting something they wanted, a furious child can spin out of control anywhere: at the park, on a Target run, or during playtime at school. And hearing that your son or daughter hit, pushed, or bit someone… Read more...


Hollywood Writers Reached an AI Deal That Will Rewrite History
500+Wired / 12h
A faction of scribes is putting guardrails around AI's encroachment on their work. The effects will echo in industries far beyond Hollywood.


Congress's Lone Surgeon Wants States to Regulate AI
Gizmodo / 12h
A new battle is brewing between states and the federal government. This time the fight isn’t over taxes or immigration but rather the limits of regulating advanced artificial intelligence systems. Political disagreements around AI’s role in healthcare , in particular, could be the tip of the spear in that emerging… Read more...


The Future Supercontinent Will Be Way Too Hot for Mammals to Survive, Study Says
30Gizmodo / 12h
Mammals are halfway through their era on this planet. We’ve existed about 250 million years since mammals evolved on earth and we only have another 250 million left before most of the world is no longer habitable. Read more...


Meta’s 512GB Quest 3 now comes with 6 months of the Quest+ subscription
TechCrunch / 12h
Meta’s VR subscription service, Quest+, is now being bundled with the company’s Quest 3 mixed-reality headset. The subscription, which provides VR device owners the ability to two handpicked games from the Quest library each month, will now be included as a free, six-month trial with the 512GB model ($650) of the Quest 3 headset. In […]


Mistral AI makes its first large language model free for everyone
TechCrunch / 12h
The most popular language models out there may be accessed via API, but open models — as far as that term can be taken seriously — are gaining ground. Mistral, a French AI startup that raised a huge seed round in June, has just taken the wraps off its first model, which it claims outperforms […]


Regional Business Class In USA Vs. Europe: Which Is Better?
81One Mile at a Time / 12h
What consumers expect in business varies greatly around the globe, especially for short haul and regional flights. You’ll probably find the world’s best regional business class products in Asia (including the Middle East), where you’ll often receive lounge access, flat beds, delicious food, and attentive service. Meanwhile in the United States and Europe, it’s a totally different story. I’m alway



Coperni's CD-player bag is a fantastically reimagined relic
Mashable / 12h
The modern Y2K style resurgence has brought with it the ingenious reuse of the decade's most iconic devices, but ready-to-wear brand Coperni seems to be flipping the script by adding today's tech to 2000s-era accessories. The label is giving its signature Swipe bag a CD-player punch-up for its Spring-Summer 2024 collection with its "CD-PLAYER Swipe Bag," which appears to take direct inspiration f


Generative AI image editing is coming to Instagram
Engadget / 12h
Meta is starting to make good on its promise to bring generative AI to all of its products. At the company’s Connect event, it revealed new AI image editing and sticker-creation features for Instagram. A tool called "restyle" is a bit like a supercharged generative AI filter. It allows users to remix their existing photos into different looks. “Think of typing a descriptor like ‘watercolor’ or a


Southwest Airlines Had A Stowaway, And It Took 40 Minutes To Figure Out Who It Was
View from the Wing / 12h
woman boarded a Southwest Airlines flight to New Orleans without a ticket trying to see a Beyonce’ on tour. The flight’s manifest has one fewer passenger on it than there were on the plane. According to one report the flight was sold out and there were more people on the plane than seats. Continue reading ...


Round-trip flights to Mexico and the Caribbean starting at $267 this fall and winter
24The Points Guy / 12h
Multiple airlines are offering discounted flights to destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico, including hot spots like Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Montego Bay in Jamaica. There is plenty of availability this fall and winter, so you can escape the cold and lounge on the beach. There is also some scattered availability from March to August 2024. Deal basics Airlines: Alaska Airlines,


All the Wolfenstein Games Are Up to 85% Off Right Now
Lifehacker / 12h
I grew up playing ‘90s computer games, and must admit my earliest memory of playing a video game of any kind is of the bloody, first-person shooter Wolfenstein 3D that my father had installed on his Windows 95 computer. Read more...


Disney's Jennifer Lee on World of Frozen and Co-Creating a New Heroine in Wish
Gizmodo / 12h
It all starts with a classic “wish upon a star” in Disney’s centennial animated release Wish . Read more...


With Meta’s Quest 3, Mixed Reality Is Here. So Now What?
NYT > Technology / 12h
The new $500 headset lets people see the outside world while immersed in virtual reality. The benefits are to be determined.


Meta Quest 3 convinced me to love VR by downplaying the metaverse
TechCrunch / 12h
Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the Meta Quest 3 VR headset onstage at Meta’s Connect event in California today, but I was lucky enough to get a chance to try it out last week in San Francisco. The Meta Quest 3 is similar to its two