Wednesday, October 04, 2023

Technology News and More-Wednesday Edition...

Technology News and More...




If You Have a Secret Cell Phone, Turn It Off on Wednesday


500+Lifehacker / 14h
Your phone is about to get loud this week. Read more...


Sofia Coppola's 'Priscilla' trailer doesn't shy from the legendary romance's darker side
1KMashable / 18h
We've already had a glimpse of Sofia Coppola's Priscilla Presley biopic through a stunning teaser . Now, the full trailer is here, and it's not all burning love. Adapted from Presley's 1986 memoir Elvis And Me, Priscilla follows the romance of high school student Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) and rock and roll royalty Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi). Writer-director Coppola weaves the story of


Is Ahsoka Getting a Second Season?
2KGizmodo / 13h
This week brings the eighth and final episode of Ahsoka season one and while most fans assumed there would be a season two , that may still be up for debate. Read more...



Open Banking led to a FinTech boom — As Brite raises $60M, account-to-account payment grows
TechCrunch / 47min
The move towards Open Banking payments, especially in the EU, effectively kicked-off the FinTech boom. Open Baking standards meant that FinTech startups could create Wallets and effectively become Banks, or at least “Neo Banks,” in practical day-today-terms. Today, digital wallets are now the leading payment method globally in e-commerce, with a 49% share, according to […]


Indian fintech unicorn Slice secures rare approval to merge with bank
TechCrunch / 1h
Indian unicorn fintech Slice is merging with North East Small Finance Bank, they said Wednesday after receiving the approval from the central bank, in an extremely rare feat that has eluded many tech giants, top financial startups and tycoons for decades. Slice – which earlier offered credit card like cards and at peak issued over […]


Netflix's 'Doona!' trailer teases a gentle romance between a former K-pop idol and a college student
Mashable / 2h
Netflix has released the official trailer for Doona! , an upcoming Korean drama from Crash Landing on You director Lee Jung-hyo. Judging from this brief glimpse it looks as though he's going all in on the romance yet again, and we are ready for it. Based on webtoon The Girl Downstairs , the series focuses on average college student Won-jun (Yang Se-jong) who unexpectedly finds himself living in t


TikTok: Social media app shuts shop after Indonesia ban
52BBC News - Technology / 2h
The country's government banned the sale of goods on social media platforms to protect physical stores.


How generative AI is boosting the spread of disinformation and propaganda
22MIT Technology Review / 3h
Artificial intelligence has turbocharged state efforts to crack down on internet freedoms over the past year. Governments and political actors around the world, in both democracies and autocracies, are using AI to generate texts, images, and video to manipulate public opinion in their favor and to automatically censor critical online content. In a new report released by Freedom House , a human ri


OnePlus says it's made the best foldable phone so far - here's why it might be right
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 3h
We now know more about OnePlus's upcoming "OnePlus Open". OnePlus CEO Pete Lau recently sat down with tech YouTuber Unbox Therapy to show off an early build of the company’s upcoming foldable smartphone. The YouTube video doesn’t detail any of the hardware specifications or software features the rumored “OnePlus Open” will have at launch. The company is keeping its lips sealed. Instead, it focuse


A lifetime subscription to StackSkills Unlimited is on sale for under £40
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to StackSkills Unlimited is on sale for £36.71, saving you 96% on list price. Whether you want to learn a new hobby or skill or even explore a whole field, it’s tough to do it independently. There’s a wealth of material to learn from online, but then you have to find where to start, make sure you aren’t leaving anything out, and ensure it’s even the most recent info


25 of the best online MIT courses you can take for free
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: A wide range online courses from MIT are available to take for free on edX. If you're eager to pursue your passions, take a moment to explore edX . This popular learning platform offers a wide range of online courses, with lessons on everything from machine learning to modern finance. What's really impressive about edX is the fact that the world's biggest educational institutions host thei


How to access Indian Netflix for free
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: ExpressVPN is the best service for unlocking extra Netflix libraries. Access Indian Netflix from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN . If you're a Netflix subscriber, you should become familiar with VPNs . These powerful cybersecurity tools have the potential to significantly expand your entertainment options, allowing you to enjoy a broader selection of movies and shows . VPNs work by c


Generative AI Is the Newest Tool in the Dictator's Handbook
Gizmodo / 3h
When protests in Pakistan earlier this year escalated into clashes between pro-government forces and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan , the now-imprisoned leader turned to social media to bolster his message. Khan shared this brief video clip on Twitter showing his supporters holding up signs with his… Read more...


How to watch RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City online for free
Mashable / 4h
TL;DR: Watch RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN . The Champions League might be one of the biggest and best sporting competitions in the world, but it is particularly difficult to follow without a subscription. Sure, it's easy to watch the Champions League on TNT Sports, but a lot of dedicated fans wi


Judge Issues Gag Order After Trump Refers to Court Clerk as Chuck "Schumer's Girlfriend"
Gizmodo / 4h
As per usual, Donald Trump just can’t shut up—and it’s causing him, and everybody around him, major problems. Read more...


Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for October 4
Mashable / 5h
It is Wednesday, my dudes, and if you're here, you must be Wordle -ing. As always, 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 Oct. 4's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. Where did Word


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for October 4
Mashable / 5h
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


United Airlines Closes Aircraft Door Early, Leading To Denied Boarding
100+One Mile at a Time / 5h
A longtime OMAAT reader who prefers to remain anonymous shared a recent situation he encountered on United Airlines, and asked for my advice. This is an interesting one, so I wanted to discuss it here. Passenger missed United Airlines flight because door closed early A traveler was scheduled to fly United Airlines business class (on a paid cash fare) from Newark to San Francisco to Calgary. While


It’s crunch time for companies building NASA’s commercial lunar landers
Ars Technica - All content / 6h
Enlarge / Astrobotic's first lunar lander, named Peregrine, is complete and ready for shipment to the launch site at Cape Canaveral, Florida. (credit: Astrobotic ) Within a few months, NASA may celebrate the first successful landing of an American spacecraft on the Moon in more than 50 years. This would be an immense confidence boost for commercial startups with an eye on the nascent market for l


Today’s NYT Connections Hints (and Answer) for Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Lifehacker / 6h
If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Wednesday, October 4, 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 October 4, NYT Connections #115! Read on if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s… Read more...


The Heir of an Empire Rises in Our Ahsoka Finale Discussion Zone
Gizmodo / 7h
The moment is upon us: Rebels have reunited, Thrawn’s grand design has been put into motion, and everyone just wants to get back to the galaxy that’s a little less far, far away than the one they’re currently in. Ahsoka ’s finale is here, and... well, there’s a lot that needs sorting out. Read more...


Krafton India launches gaming incubator to expand local ecosystem
TechCrunch / 7h
Krafton India has launched a gaming incubator in the South Asian nation as it seeks to expand the local ecosystem and support the domestic talent looking to enter the fast-growing gaming market. Called Krafton India Gaming Incubator (KIGI), the program aims to support six to 10 teams annually, with the total duration ranging from six […]


Emergency Alert test on October 4: Everything you need to know
55Mashable / 7h
At 2:20 p.m. ET / 1:20 CT / 11:20 PT on Oct. 4, cellular devices, televisions, and radio systems across the U.S. will sound off as part of a national emergency alert test designed to ensure that the country's mass communication services are in working order. The alert will sound similar to that of an Amber Alert. When will it happen and how long will it last? At 2:20 p.m. ET / 1:20 CT / 11:20 PT



Rules of engagement issued to hacktivists after chaos
63BBC News - Technology / 7h
The Red Cross writes rules of engagement for civilian hackers as numbers rise


Totally Killer Clip: Kiernan Shipka Discovers Time Travel Amid Slasher Horror
Gizmodo / 7h
Read more...


Samsung's affordable Galaxy FE series lands – Galaxy S23 FE, Tab S9 FE and Buds FE explained
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
Samsung's going all-in on its affordable FE range this year, with the company now unveiling cheaper variations for the Samsung Galaxy S23 , the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 , and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 . We've not seen a new Galaxy FE phone since the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE launched in January 2022, and the label has never been applied to tablets or earbuds before. Samsung has clearly had a rethink abo


'Quordle' today: Here are the answers and hints for October 4, 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


Dealmaster: Early Amazon Prime Big Deal Days sales heat up, Apple deals, and more
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event is creeping ever closer. For early shoppers, there are plenty of excellent tech deals available today from Amazon and competing retailers. Our curated Dealmaster comes with savings on Sony's wildly popular WF-1000XM4 noise-canceling earbuds, serious sales on Apple gear (including the AirPods Pro and the still-excellent Apple Watch Series 8 ), as well as deals


Quordle today - hints and answers for Wednesday, October 4 (game #618)
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


Amex Improves Business Gold Earning And Benefits, Will Raise Annual Fee In February
View from the Wing / 8h
American Express just announced a refresh American Express® Business Gold Card. It comes with 4x Membership Rewards points-earning in new categories; up to $395 in statement credits at select merchants; new 3x points-earning accelerator categories; and an increased annual fee. Continue reading ...


Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, Tab S9 FE, Buds FE (2023): Features, Specs, Price
Wired / 8h
There’s a Galaxy S23 FE smartphone, a few Galaxy Tab S9 FE tablets, and Galaxy Buds FE wireless earbuds. All are priced lower than their flagship counterparts.


David Gordon Green on Finding the Truth inThe Exorcist: Believer's Horror
Gizmodo / 8h
After tackling the Halloween universe , director David Gordon Green set his sights on re-imagining The Exorcist for a new generation with The Exorcist: Believer . Read more...


Samsung’s Mid-Range FE Line Returns With S23 Phones and Tab S9 Tablets
Gizmodo / 8h
After taking a year off to regroup on its mid-range offerings, Samsung is reinvigorating its Fan Edition line by announcing its plans to offer cheaper and somewhat pared-down versions of its mainline Galaxy S23 phone, Tab S9 tablet, and Galaxy earbuds. Read more...


You Can Get Rosetta Stone and Microsoft Office Together for $200
Lifehacker / 9h
You can get a lifetime subscription to both Rosetta Stone and Microsoft Office on sale for $199 right now. Rosetta Stone has beginner and intermediate lessons for 25 languages, including French, Italian, German, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, and Filipino, and users can select one language at a time and switch languages… Read more...


They’ve begun: Attacks exploiting vulnerability with maximum 10 severity rating
IoC > 6 IPs•
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Ransomware hackers have started exploiting one or more recently fixed vulnerabilities that pose a grave threat to enterprise networks around the world, researchers said. One of the vulnerabilities has a severity rating of 10 out of a possible 10 and another 9.9. They reside in WS_FTP Server , a file-sharing app made by Progress Software. Progress Software is the mak


Probiotic bacterium kills preterm infant; FDA blasts supplement maker
20Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / A premature baby in the neonatal intensive care unit at University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa on August 13, 2021. The baby was born two days earlier at 22 weeks and at birth weighed just 1 lb., 0.1 oz. (credit: Getty | Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post ) The Food and Drug Administration is warning health care providers not to use probiotics conta


Ars takes a close-up look at the first US lunar lander in half a century
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / The Nova-C lander is seen at Intuitive Machines' facility in Houston, Texas. (credit: Lee Hutchinson) HOUSTON—It has been 18,558 days since the United States landed a spacecraft on the Moon. And counting. NASA has not sent a spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. Since that time, the Soviet Union, China, and India have successfully la


The Gaming Shelf Draws the Hidden Isle Card
Gizmodo / 9h
We’ve got so much news! First, Hex & Co. —a board game cafe and after-school program with three locations in New York City, is unionizing! Workers are asking people to sign their petition in support of their organization, as the owners are (currently) refusing to voluntarily recognize their union. Read more...


Where to Stream the Georgia Vs. Kentucky Game
Lifehacker / 9h
This epic clash pits two powerhouses of the Southeastern Conference meeting in to-the-death combat. The undefeated Kentucky Wildcats, fresh from embarrassing the Florida Gators in week five, are traveling to Sanford Stadium in Georgia to take on the number one college team in the nation, the undefeated Georgia… Read more...


Electric Hydrogen is the green hydrogen industry’s first unicorn
23TechCrunch / 10h
Investors have historically been skeptical of green hydrogen. High production costs, expensive infrastructure builds, competition with batteries and minimal government support have made the green hydrogen sector a risky bet. But at least one company, Electric Hydrogen, seems to have found a way to convince investors that its tech is a bet they should take. […]


Scandinavian Airlines Joining SkyTeam, Getting Air France-KLM Investment
500+One Mile at a Time / 10h
Wow, some significant changes are coming to Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)… SAS gets new shareholders, including Air France-KLM In July 2022, SAS filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection . The airline was in a rough financial situation, between the impacts of the pandemic, high costs, and the amount of competition the airline faced in many markets. While SAS intended to significantly cut costs and


Discovery+ Ad-Free Tier Announces First Price Increase
Gizmodo / 10h
Spooky season is here and discovery+ knows you’ll be wanting to enhance your horror-movie binge with true-crime and ghost-hunting reality shows. The Warner Bros.-adjacent streaming service has plenty to offer in that department, but it’ll now cost you a few more bucks to get your fix. Read more...


NASA Fixes Psyche Spacecraft's Thruster Issue Just in Time for Launch
Gizmodo / 10h
NASA’s mission to a metal-rich asteroid is back on track after a minor setback. Psyche is now all set to launch on October 12. Read more...



Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ Tour Is Coming to Movie Theaters
Lifehacker / 10h
Attention Beyhive and the Bey-curious: Beyoncé is coming to a theater near you. Not to be outdone by Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour theatrical event , Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé will be showing at theaters across North America on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for at least a month, beginning on Dec. 1. Read more...


Your phone's about to get loud. Here's how to manage the National Emergency Alert System Test
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Don't be alarmed. The National Emergency Alert System (EAS) is gearing up for its triennial test, and you can expect your phone to ring this Wednesday at around 2:20 PM Eastern Time (ET). Coordinated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), this test is an essential component of the nation's emergency preparedness framework. You might thin


In latest Cruise incident, video shows pedestrian struck by human-driven car, then run over by robotaxi
TechCrunch / 10h
The San Francisco Police Department is investigating an October 2 incident that left a woman stuck underneath a Cruise robotaxi after being hit by a human-driven vehicle. Video captured by Cruise and viewed by TechCrunch shows a robotaxi braking and then running over a pedestrian who is laying in the street after being struck by […]


Ahsoka's Composers on Evolving Her Musical Journey
Gizmodo / 10h
For almost two decades and across generations, the Kiner family has helped shape the sound of Star Wars animation—and now with Ahsoka , they, like the former Jedi, have made the leap into the live-action side of the galaxy far, far away. As Ahsoka brings its season to an end this week, we sat down with the Kiners to… Read more...


Buy IHG One Rewards points from 0.5 cents each through Oct. 9, 2023
100+The Points Guy / 10h
As a frequent user of the IHG One Rewards program, I feared the worst when the program moved to dynamic award pricing in 2020. But although some of the most expensive IHG hotels and resorts often cost significantly more points now than before dynamic pricing, I’m still finding it easy to get excellent value when redeeming IHG points . Luckily, IHG periodically offers buy points promotions that le


New York City Transfers Hotel Deed To Guest Who Wouldn’t Leave, Guest Tries To Take Out Mortgage
42View from the Wing / 10h
A guest checked into the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan in 2018. He wouldn’t leave, and keeps getting the hotel’s deed transferred into the name of a non-profit he created. He’s tried to take possession of the hotel’s bank accounts and even gone to its lenders to borrow against the property. And the city’s administration and courts even, in part, backed him up. Continue reading ...


Avoid These Common Window-Cleaning Mistakes
Lifehacker / 10h
It’s not just you: Getting windows streak-free and crystal-clear is harder than it looks. Although it seems like a few spritzes of an all-purpose cleaner and a quick swipe of a paper towel should get the job done, in most cases, it takes more effort and different supplies. Of course, a lot depends on the size and… Read more...


Everything You Need to Know About Amazon’s Next Prime Day in October
Gizmodo / 10h
Following a successful debut last year, we’re getting a second Prime Day from Amazon this year as well. Amazon is referring to this second event as the Prime Big Deal Days and it will run from 3 a.m EST on Tuesday October 10 through 3 a.m. EST on Wednesday October 11. The first, bigger, Prime Day sale ran from July… Read more...


Dungeons & Dragons Updates Bigby to Replace AI-Enhanced Images
74Gizmodo / 10h
Earlier this year, Dungeons & Dragons released the supplemental lorebook/bestiary, Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. Fans were quick to point out that some of the illustrations looked... off. After answering some questions on X/Twitter, artist Ilya Shkipin explained that yes, he did use generative AI to assist his… Read more...


A new “time window”: Meet the winners of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics
26Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge / Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L'Huillier have been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work using attosecond pulses to study the dynamics of electrons inside atoms. (credit: Niklas Elmehed/Nobel Prize Outreach) Electrons move and change energies at such a blistering speed that physicists long believed it would never be possible to capture their dynamics, even wit


Mercury is still shrinking as it cools
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge / In addition to craters, Mercury's terrain features faults generated by the planet's cooling. (credit: NASA ) The planet Mercury may be hot, but it appears to be cooling down. That's the conclusion of a new study that looked for the kinds of features on Mercury that can form as the surfaces of planets contract due to cooling. These vertical faults, called "graben," are not only common ac


United Orders 50 Boeing 787-9s, 60 Airbus A321neos
300+One Mile at a Time / 11h
United Airlines has just firmed up orders for 110 new aircraft, including both Boeing wide body jets and Airbus narrow body jets. In reality the airline is just firming up orders that were previous options, so let’s go over the details. With this new order, United plans to take delivery of a total of around 800 new jets over the next decade, between 2023 and 2032. United orders 50 Boeing 787-9s U


Mark Zuckerberg joins podcaster Lex Fridman for an interview in the Metaverse
Mashable / 11h
Mark Zuckerberg joined MIT research scientist Lex Fridman on the Lex Fridman Podcast to speak about the future of Meta’s AR and VR capabilities. The interview took place in the Metaverse and showcased some pretty impressive tech with both Zuckerberg and Fridman using photorealistic avatars of themselves.


How to shop Amazon Prime Big Deal Days
Mashable / 11h
The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days will run from Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 3 a.m. ET through Wednesday, Oct. 11. Mashable's Lead Shopping Reporter Dylan Haas drops a few tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your shopping experience.


Samsung’s New T9 Portable SSD Can Reach 2GB/s
How-To Geek / 11h
There are a lot of external solid state drives to choose from, ranging from more durable drives for travel to slimmer models intended to fit in any bag or pocket. Samsung sells many of the best drives in this category, and now the company is adding another option to that list: the portable T9 SSD, available in capacities of up to 4TB.


Spotify to include a selection of 150K audiobooks with its Premium subscription
100+TechCrunch / 11h
Spotify today unveiled what’s next for the future of its audiobooks service. At an event hosted in its New York offices on Tuesday afternoon, the company announced a new business model where it will now provide Spotify Premium subscribers with access to a subset of its audiobooks catalog — a total of 150,000 titles — […]


X Social Media sues Elon Musk's X over the 'X' name
Mashable / 11h
X is being sued by X. To be more specific: Elon Musk's X is being sued by a Florida-based legal marketing company called X Social Media for trademark infringement over the name X. The lawsuit marks the first time Musk's company has been sued regarding the name change. It very likely won't be the last such suit, as there are hundreds of federal trademarks for X owned by various companies in the te


Would you pay $14 for ad-free Instagram and Facebook? It may be a possibility in the near future.
82Mashable / 11h
We've known since early September that Meta is considering a paid, ad-free version of its apps for users in the European Union in response to some vocal privacy concerns and other uneasiness from EU regulators. But now we're getting our first idea of exactly how much that ad-free experience would cost. According to a Tuesday report from The Wall Street Journal , Meta is proposing an ad-free deskt


These Four New Games Are Coming to Apple Arcade This Month
Lifehacker / 11h
In terms of value, it’s tough to beat Apple Arcade. The service costs $5 per month following a one-month free trial, or comes as part of an Apple One subscription . Heck, if you bought an Apple device recently, like an iPhone 15 , you get three months of Apple Arcade free. But whether you’re rocking your free trial, or… Read more...


How an AI deepfake ad of MrBeast ended up on TikTok
39TechCrunch / 11h
AI deepfakes are getting so good that a fraudulent MrBeast ad slipped past TikTok’s ad moderation technology to end up on the platform. In the ad, the massively influential creator appeared to be offering 10,000 viewers an iPhone 15 Pro for just $2. In most cases, this would be a clear indication of a scam, […]



ChatGPT Vision lets you submit images in your prompts: 7 wild ways people are using it
Mashable / 11h
Despite OpenAI's anthropomorphizing headline, ChatGPT Vision can't actually see. But it can process and analyze image inputs, making its abilities even more creepily similar to what the human brain can do. ChatGPT Vision is the latest OpenAI deployment that brings multimodal capabilities to the generative AI chatbot. For ChatGPT Plus subscribers, you can upload an image to the ChatGPT app on iOS


Quasi-Planets Called JuMBOs Are Bopping Around in Space
30Gizmodo / 11h
A team of astronomers have detected over 500 planet-like objects in the inner Orion Nebula and the Trapezium Cluster that they believe could shake up the very definition of a planet. Read more...


Zoom Is Launching Its Own Google Docs Competitor
Gizmodo / 11h
Zoom is setting out to compete with Google and Microsoft by introducing Zoom Docs at its annual Zoomtopia 2023 event on Tuesday. Zoom Docs is the company’s own version of an AI-powered workspace that will provide users with AI capabilities to draft, edit, summarize, and include information from meeting discussions. Read more...


Dall-E 3 Image Generation Now Available in Bing (For Free)
How-To Geek / 11h
OpenAI released the next major version of its DALL-E image generator last month . The DALL-E 3 update has improved prompt recognition, more safety filters, and overall better visual quality for created images. Now, the same upgrades are heating to Bing Chat and the Bing Image Creator .


Spotify Gave Subscribers Music and Podcasts. Next: Audiobooks.
26NYT > Technology / 11h
A year after adding à la carte sales of audiobooks, Spotify is offering paying subscribers 15 hours of books a month.


Spotify Premium gets a great free audiobooks upgrade – here’s everything you need to know
32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Spotify has announced that its Premium subscribers will get a new perk: 15 hours of audiobooks each month. You can choose from a library of 150,000 audiobooks, including huge titles from the biggest publishers, and more titles will be added "constantly", according to Spotify Vice President David Kaefer in an interview with TechRadar. The new feature will launch on October 3, 2023, in the UK and A


United Polaris Gets New Therabody & Saks Amenities
66One Mile at a Time / 11h
United Airlines has today announced what it’s calling “the largest overhaul since 2016 of United Polaris.” I wouldn’t say that these changes are all that substantial, so perhaps it reflects how little has changed about United’s international business class product (well, other than the reduction in food quality). Let’s go over the details of what’s changing. United Polaris gets Therabody amenitie


7 companies to provide NASA with commercial satellite imagery under $476M contract
21TechCrunch / 11h
Umbra, Capella Space and GHGSat are among the seven companies that will provide NASA with commercial satellite imagery, part of an acquisition program that has a maximum potential value of $476 million across all providers. The contract duration is five years, with an option to extend it by six months. Maxar’s intelligence division, PlanetIQ, Spire […]


Mongula in episode 8 of Ultra Q, “Terror of the Sweet Honey.”
Music, Arts & Literature / 11h
chernobog13 : astoundingbeyondbelief : Mongula in episode 8 of Ultra Q , “Terror of the Sweet Honey.” I like the fake-out in the final gif, where you think Mongula is going to smash the car, but then he just swipes it aside.


AI LLM provider backed by MLPerf cofounder bets barn on mature AMD Instinct MI GPU — but where are the MI300s?
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
With demand for enterprise-grade large language models (LLMs) surging over the last year or so, Lamini has opened the doors to its LLM Superstation powered by AMD’s Instinct MI GPUs. The firm claims it’s been running LLMs on over 100 AMD instinct GPUs in secret for the last year in production situations – even before ChatGPT launched. With its LLM Superstation, it’s opening the doors to more pote


A YouTube Bug Is Allowing Users to Upload Hardcore Porn
Gizmodo / 11h
A new investigation shows that YouTube has a bug that allows users to upload hardcore pornography to its platform. To make matters funnier, it isn’t exactly clear that YouTube knows how to fix the bug or that it is capable of taking down all the explicit material that has been uploaded. Read more...


United adding 110 more long-haul jets, doubling down on bold international travel plan
300+The Points Guy / 11h
Long-haul travel has been in high demand since pandemic restrictions lifted, and United Airlines is betting that even as “revenge travel” calms down, the global trend is here to stay. United announced Tuesday that it had exercised options for 110 new long-haul airplanes, an evolution of what has been a series of record-breaking orders by the Chicago-based carrier. Want more airline-specific news?


This i7 Dell Inspiron 16 Laptop Is $320 Off Right Now
Lifehacker / 11h
If you’ve been looking for a new laptop capable of playing games and handling your day-to-day business, you might want to take advantage of the latest deal from Dell, only available for a limited time. It gets you a Dell Inspiron 16 with a 13th Gen Intel i7-1360P and an Nvidia RTX 2050 for $929.99, $320 off the retail… Read more...


Tom Hanks Says Someone Used AI to Make an Ad Featuring Him Without His Permission
300+Futurism / 11h
Ad Age Amid the still-ongoing Screen Actors' Guild strike , celebs are fighting back against AI being used to replicate their likenesses without their consent — and now, the great Tom Hanks has joined the battle. "BEWARE!!" the actor wrote in an Instagram post. "There's a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it." Hanks posted a noticeably


Dear Paramount: Stop Trying to Make TikTok Movies Happen, They're Not Going to Happen
100+Gizmodo / 11h
On October 3, I asked my editor what day it was. “It’s October 3,” he replied. October 3 has been crowned “Mean Girls Day” in reference to a scene in the hit 2004 teen comedy. To celebrate, Paramount has made the decision to upload the entire movie to TikTok in 23 parts, in a classic “how do you do fellow kids?”… Read more...


Netflix Reportedly Plans Another Price Hike When This Strike Business Is Over
100+Gizmodo / 12h
Netflix is one of the main production companies targeted by the ongoing actors’ strike, and that negative attention may be impacting the company’s plans to raise prices. One report suggests that the company is waiting until the spotlight is off its business practices so it can push prices on its cheapest, ad-based… Read more...


Venture X Business: Amazing New Card Launches Online
100+One Mile at a Time / 12h
Link: Apply now for Venture X Business ( Rates & Fees ) In 2021, we saw the launch of the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ( review ) ( Rates & Fees ), which has become incredibly popular with consumers. It’s a premium credit card that focuses on offering great value rather than just prestige. It’s not only a card that I have, but it’s also the card that I spend the most on. There’s now


Guide To The Alaska Airlines Companion Fare
400+One Mile at a Time / 12h
Link: Apply now for the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card or Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card There are various airline credit cards that offer some sort of a companion ticket for spending a certain amount. To me, one of the most valuable companion tickets is the one offered by Alaska Airlines, so in this post I wanted to look at that in more detail. How to earn an Alaska companion fare There


Pomegranate-Based Water Drops for Dogs Can Help Prevent Doggie Gingivitis
Gizmodo / 12h
A dose of pomegranate in your dog’s water bowl might just help keep their teeth and gums healthy, new research suggests. The randomized, controlled study found that dogs given an over-the-counter water additive made with pomegranate extract experienced less plaque and tartar on their teeth over a month’s time. The… Read more...


The Fastest Way to Turn iPhone Live Photos Into a Video
Lifehacker / 12h
By now, Live Photos are an iPhone staple. And not only can you relive a little of the action occurring in your still photo, you can also turn Live Photos into Boomerangs for Instagram , or even looping GIFs and long-exposure shots . But there’s one more thing you can do with Live Photos you might not know about—convert… Read more...



Heathrow passengers can now dodge queues by pre-booking free security time slots
26The Points Guy / 12h
Passengers traveling through London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) Terminal 3 can now pre-book security slots ahead of time. The new Heathrow Timeslot service is currently on trial for the next six months. It will allow passengers to book a designated time and entry point at security before arriving at the airport. Currently, the trial only operates in Terminal 3 and will be limited to passengers flyin


Yelp and Texas officials square off over free speech and anti-abortion centers
Mashable / 12h
Texas' tense reproductive health environment is once again under legal scrutiny, as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and business review site Yelp have both filed suits over the site's description of anti-abortion centers, also known as "crisis pregnancy centers." On Sept. 27, Yelp filed a preemptive lawsuit against the Attorney General of Texas, citing that the threatened prosecution of Yelp fo


Deepfake celebrities begin shilling products on social media, causing alarm
34Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / A cropped portion of the unauthorized AI-generated version of Hanks that the actor warned about on his Instagram feed. (credit: Tom Hanks) News of AI deepfakes spread quickly when you're Tom Hanks. On Sunday, the actor posted a warning on Instagram about an unauthorized AI-generated version of himself being used to sell a dental plan. Hanks' warning spread in the media, including The Ne


Google’s claim that search users have choice is “bogus,” Microsoft CEO tells judge
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella arrives at federal court on October 2, 2023 in Washington, DC. Nadella is testifying in the antitrust trial to determine if Alphabet Inc.'s Google maintains a monopoly in the online search business. (credit: Drew Angerer / Staff | Getty Images North America ) On Monday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella showed up at the Google antitrust trial to back the Department


OpenCore Legacy Patcher project brings macOS Sonoma support to 16-year-old Macs
20Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / Unsupported Mac models like this 2017 iMac can install macOS Sonoma using the OpenCore Legacy Patcher project. (credit: Andrew Cunningham) When Apple decides to end update support for your Mac, you can either try to install another OS or you can trick macOS into installing on your hardware anyway. That's the entire point of the OpenCore Legacy Patcher , a community-driven project that s


Netflix waiting for strikes to end before jacking up prices
22Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / Netflix's pirate series, One Piece , recently debuted on the platform. (credit: Netflix) Netflix, one of the only profitable TV streaming services ( along with Hulu ), is reportedly planning on increasing the monthly price of its ad-free subscription, The Wall Street Journal reported today . However, the price bump reportedly won't come for "a few months," as Netflix is waiting for the


You can now add PayPal and Venmo credit or debit cards to your Apple Wallet
37TechCrunch / 12h
PayPal announced today that users can now add their PayPal and Venmo credit or debit cards to their Apple Wallet. With this new integration, you can now make payments in-store, online or on apps using Apple Pay. The company notes that users will continue earning their cashback and rewards. You can get started by opening […]


The Xencelabs Pen Display 24 is a terrific alternative to Wacom’s big-screen drawing tablets
TechCrunch / 12h
For a long time, if you wanted something like the Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 but didn’t want to spend quite so much money, you were pretty much out of luck. The Xencelabs Pen 24, released earlier this year, is $300 less than the Cintiq Pro 24 and includes a lot of add-ons that Wacom charges […]


Monthly checklist: Credit card perks and benefits you should be using in October
The Points Guy / 12h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Depending on how many credit cards you have, the list of benefits you should be using this month might feel overwhelming. Can you remember all of these perks without help? Maybe not. Rather than trying to keep track of all of them on your own, we’ve compiled a monthly checklist of credit card perks and ben


These Latest Celebrity Deepfakes Show How Advanced Scams Have Become
Lifehacker / 12h
As long as the web has existed, this advice has rung true: “Don’t believe everything you see on the internet.” Whether it’s a personal blog, a tweet, a YouTube video, or a TikTok, anyone can say anything on here, and it’s tough to know whether or not they’re right (or even telling the truth). Read more...


Sam Bankman-Fried’s Dog Apparently Is Trained to Kill, But He Doesn’t Know the Command
Futurism / 12h
German to Me A biography of disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has dropped just in time for his trial to start — and it's full of bizarre and disparate tidbits that paint a complicated portrait of one of financial history's most idiosyncratic villains. As the New York Times describes in a review of career biographer Michael Lewis' new SBF book, " Going Infinite ," strange anecdotes abound in


Trump’s Lawyer Shows Up to Court With Glowing ROG Gaming Laptop
77Futurism / 12h
Interesting Choices Yesterday, former US president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump showed up to his $250 million fraud trial, which kicked off yesterday in New York City, with a lot of words to say about the prosecution and a self-inflicted lack of jury . And one of his lawyers, Alina Habba, showed up with a garish, light-changing gamer's laptop, as any attorney representing a for


Time to cancel? Netflix rumored to be raising its global prices again soon
42TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Seemingly not content with one price hike (arguably two) in recent years, Netflix is reportedly set to increase the cost of its streaming service across the board again. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) states in a new report the company is currently “discussing raising prices in several markets globally” with the rollout likely to start in the US and Canada. It’s unknown how much the bump will be n


Get a First Look at Scott Snyder's New Comics Collaboration With His Son, Jack
Gizmodo / 12h
When acclaimed comic book writer Scott Snyder (Barnstormers) settled on his latest collaborator, he didn’t have to search far: it’s his son, Jack, a high-school student. Their new series, post-apocalyptic tale By A Thread, features art by Valeria Favoccia ; issue #1 arrives next week from Amazon’s Comixology Originals . Read more...


US lawmakers ask TikTok about its ByteDance ties after recent exec transfers between the companies
TechCrunch / 12h
U.S. lawmakers have written a letter to TikTok questioning its independence from its Chinese parent company ByteDance, in the wake of a recent report from The Wall St. Journal that noted that several high-level executives had been transferred from ByteDance to TikTok, where they took on top roles