Thursday, December 07, 2023

Technology News Thursdays, and More!

Technology News and More...



Microsoft charging for Windows 10 updates is a necessary evil – but will it get people to upgrade?
100+TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 23h
Microsoft has announced that from October 14, 2025, it will no longer support Windows 10 – and if you wish to continue to use the operating system, you’ll have to pay for security updates. While the idea of paying to update Windows 10 is concerning a lot of people, sadly it’s a bit of an inevitability. By the time Windows 10 reaches that ‘end of life’ date, the operating system will be 10 years o


Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000: When Will It Start Flying?
9KOne Mile at a Time / 14h
Note : Previously we knew that the A350-1000 wouldn’t enter service before January 1, 2024, but it looks like that timeline has now been pushed back to January 24, 2024, at the earliest. I’ve updated the below post to reflect that. Japan Airlines is preparing to refresh its long haul fleet, as the oneworld carrier will be taking delivery of Airbus A350-1000s, which will gradually replace Boeing 7
TODAY


YC-backed fintech Bujeti raises $2M for its corporate cards and spend management platform
TechCrunch / 12min
African corporate cards and spend management platform Bujeti has raised $2 million in seed funding. The startup, involved with how African businesses, including SMBs, startups and enterprises, manage and handle finances, received this capital from lead investor Y Combinator and other backers, including Entrée Capital, Voltron Capital, Unpopular VC, Kima Ventures, Dropbox co-founder Arash Ferdowsi


European neobroker Scalable Capital raises $65M on a flat $1.4B valuation
TechCrunch / 47min
Scalable Capital, a Munich startup that aims to make investing in financial markets accessible to a wider range of consumers, is putting more fuel in its tank to drive deeper into Europe. The company has raised €60 million in equity ($65 million at today’s rates). It will be using to build out its business in […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


After e-signatures, Tomorro believes e-contracts will be the next big thing
TechCrunch / 2h
You might not be familiar with the name Tomorro, but it is actually not a new startup. Tomorro is a French contract management platform that originally started as Leeway. And today, the company is announcing its new brand and an $11.9 million funding round (€11 million). The reason why Leeway is becoming Tomorro is that […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


The Best Mobile Hotspots of 2023
How-To Geek / 2h
Mobile hotspots are nifty little gadgets that can keep you connected on the go. They share a cellular data connection over Wi-Fi with nearby devices. Check out our handpicked recommendations to find the best one for you.


Five-month-old Indian AI startup Sarvam scores $41 million funding
30TechCrunch / 2h
Sarvam AI has come out of stealth mode and announced it has raised $41 million as the five-month old Indian startup races to build a suite of full-stack generative AI offerings. The $41 million funding raise is across the Seed and Series A financing rounds. Lightspeed led the Series A round, whereas it co-led the […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


27 of the best online MIT courses you can take for free
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: A wide range online courses from MIT are available to take for free on edX. edX is a popular online learning platform offering access to a wide range of courses on just about every topic you can imagine. And most of these online courses are delivered by famous institutions like MIT. This could be your chance to become a student of MIT without leaving the comfort of your own home. We've che


How to watch Spurs vs. West Ham online for free
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: Spurs vs. West Ham is available to stream on Prime Video. Watch this game for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime . Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Watch the Premier League on Prime Video Free with a 30-day Amazon Prime trial The Premier League is available to stream on Prime Video in December, and you can access every festive fixture for free. You don't need a subscription


How to watch Everton vs. Newcastle online for free
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: Everton vs. Newcastle is available to stream on Prime Video. Watch this game for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime . Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Watch the Premier League on Prime Video Free with a 30-day Amazon Prime trial It's the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas. It's that beautiful period when the Premier League comes to Prime Video . And you can w


Gain access to all Babbel language courses for under £120
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Babbel (all languages) is on sale for £118.43, saving you 74% on list price. In our globalised world, speaking multiple languages comes with its advantages. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply an avid traveller, the ability to communicate in different languages opens doors to new experiences, cultures, and opportunities. If you've always wanted to l


Russia’s Latest Disinformation Tactic Exploits American Celebrities
NYT > Technology / 3h
Videos from Elijah Wood, Mike Tyson and others have been used — unknowingly to them, it seems — in social media posts and Russian news coverage critical of Ukraine’s leader.


From Unicorns to Zombies: Tech Start-Ups Run Out of Time and Money
NYT > Technology / 3h
After staving off collapse by cutting costs, many young tech companies are out of options, fueling a cash bonfire.


Pixel 8 Pro update makes it Google's first AI phone – here are the 6 new features
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 3h
The Pixel 8 Pro is seeing a substantial upgrade as Google is rolling out several new features to the smartphone, some of which are powered by Gemini Nano. Recently, the tech giant launched its long-anticipated Gemini AI model to power a variety of platforms. There are three different versions of it, but the one coming to Pixel is the aforementioned Nano, which will be the driving force behind the


Updated Google Drive for desktop app offers a recovery tool for missing files
Engadget / 3h
It was reported in late November that Google Drive for desktop (v84.0.0.0-84.0.4.0) had a sync issue, which caused months or even years of files to disappear. If you were unfortunate enough to be part of this "small subset" of users, there's finally some good news. In the latest version of Drive for desktop app (version 85.0.13.0 or higher), you'll be able to access a file recovery tool via a few


'Good Grief' trailer: Dan Levy processes his husband's death in emotional dramedy
Mashable / 4h
The official trailer for dramedy Good Grief is here, and it looks like Dan Levy is aiming for a much different tone to Schitt's Creek . Good Grief follows Marc (Levy), a widower left reeling after the death of his husband Oliver (Luke Evans). Struggling to process the tragedy, Marc decides to visit Paris with his best friends Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel) in hopes of rekindling so


Facebook Messenger update sets default end-to-end encryption for chats and calls
39Engadget / 4h
Today, Meta has unveiled what it calls "the biggest set of improvements to Messenger since it was first launched in 2011." First and foremost, end-to-end encryption is now a default for private chats and calls on Messenger and Facebook, meaning your secured communication can't be spied on by others — not even by Meta itself, apparently. Once updated, Messenger will ask users to set up a PIN, in c


Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for December 7
Mashable / 5h
Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle . As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for Dec. 7'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 Wordle com


Meta finally starts rolling out default end-to-end encryption for Messenger
TechCrunch / 5h
After years of promises and limited tests, Meta has started rolling out default end-to-end encryption protection for Messenger. In an announcement, Mark Zuckerberg said that personal chats and calls will get default end-to-end encryption. However, encryption for group chats still remains an opt-in feature. End-to-end encryption is an important security layer as it doesn’t allow […] © 2023 TechCru


Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Thursday, December 7, 2023
LifeHacker / 5h
If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for December 7, 2023 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is going to take some time for most of us to figure out, but it’s not too hard; I got it in 4. Beware, there are spoilers below for December 7, Wordle #901! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game. H


Today's NYT Connections Hints (and Answer) for Thursday, December 7, 2023


LifeHacker / 5h
In which I lose my first Connections game ever. Join me for this historic moment and learn from my mistakes. If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Thursday, December 7, 2023, read on—I’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solutions to all four categories. Along the way, I’ll explain the meanings of the trickier words and we’ll learn how everything fits together. B


Meta Plans to Add Encryption to Messenger, Stoking a Privacy Debate
NYT > Technology / 5h
The move is part of an effort to make the app more like WhatsApp and iMessage. Law enforcement authorities say the privacy makes it harder to track criminals.


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for December 7
Mashable / 6h
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


India’s Paytm slides 20% on curbing low-value personal loans
TechCrunch / 6h
Paytm dropped 20% on Thursday before recovering slightly after the Indian financial services firm announced plans to issue fewer personal loans under 50,000 Indian rupees ($600), a move that has already started to rattle many fintech investors. Shares of Paytm were trading at 678 Indian rupees, down from 812 Indian rupees Wednesday afternoon. It dropped […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved.


American Airlines Changes How Credit Card Spend Counts Towards Status
View from the Wing / 6h
Since credit card spending is so important for driving elite status, American Airlines is letting customers know that they've changed how that spend is counted towards status. Continue reading ...


The Travel Holiday Gift Guide for Pop Culture Enthusiasts
Gizmodo / 7h
It’s almost time to jet-set for the holiday season in your fandom best to turn heads and raise brows at airport lounges. Read more...


The Secret World of Daytime Affairs: How Hotel Logistics Work For Clandestine Meetings
View from the Wing / 7h
Often people have affairs during the day, to keep their spouses from knowing about it. They’re supposed to be at work, maybe they grab a hotel room over lunch? But the logistics of it just don’t seem to work. Hotels clean their rooms precisely when people want to use those rooms for affairs. Continue reading ...


OpenAI Cofounder Reid Hoffman Gives Sam Altman a Vote of Confidence
30Wired / 7h
LinkedIn and OpenAI cofounder Reid Hoffman says he's glad Sam Altman is leading the AI company again. Hoffman and other AI experts discussed the perils and potential of AI at a WIRED event Tuesday.


Quordle today - hints and answers for Thursday, December 7 (game #682)
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


The people creating digital clones of themselves
BBC News - Technology / 8h
Business leaders and experts are making online copies of themselves to answer the questions they get.


ChatGPT builder helps create scam and hack campaigns
24BBC News - Technology / 8h
A cutting-edge tool from Open AI appears to be poorly moderated, allowing it to be abused by cyber-criminals.


The Meta Quest 3 Is Still Searching for a Reason to Exist
LifeHacker / 8h
Virtual reality is suffering from an identity problem. Users’ first experiences are generally awe-inspiring, but once the “wow” factor of entering a fully immersive 3D world wears off, you're left with the question, “but what is it for ?” Meta’s Quest 3 VR headset does not provide a compelling answer, but it does offer some intriguing glimpses at our possible VR future. It ultimately works better


Top Execs at Sports Illustrated's Publisher Fired After AI Debacle
Futurism / 8h
Sports Illustrated publisher The Arena Group has fired two senior executives, COO Andrew Kraft and President Rob Barrett, following its recent AI fiasco . The dismissals were confirmed by a representative for Arena Group majority owner Manoj Bhargava, the billionaire 5-hour Energy magnate who acquired a majority stake in the media company back in August. Arena Group's CEO Ross Levinsohn will stay


PlayStation Will Delete Purchased Discovery Shows
200+NYT > Technology / 8h
Sony said that the Discovery shows, including “MythBusters” and “Deadliest Catch,” would be deleted from the devices on Dec. 31, citing “content licensing arrangements with content providers.”


Video Games That Encourage Human Interaction Can Build Better Vibes
32Wired / 8h
At a WIRED event Tuesday, a panel of studio founders and researchers discussed game designs that foster civility and discourage toxicity.


Crossed wires led to high drama as NASA returned asteroid samples to Earth
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / The OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule, with its main parachute nearby, shortly after landing in Utah on September 24, 2023. (credit: Keegan Barber/NASA) This was the moment Dante Lauretta had waited for nearly 20 years to see. A small robotic capsule was on the way back to Earth with rocks scooped from an asteroid, and Lauretta was eager to get his hands on the samples. Led by Lauretta,


Ex-Twitter exec sues Musk, says he was fired for objecting to budget cuts
23Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto ) A former Twitter security executive sued Elon Musk and X Corp. yesterday, alleging that he was unlawfully fired for objecting to steep budget cuts implemented shortly after Musk bought the social network. Alan Rosa, who was fired on December 6, 2022, "was Head of Global Information Technology and Information Security and worked remotely for Twitter perfo


United Airlines adds another new long-haul route for next summer
100+The Points Guy / 9h
United Airlines seemingly isn’t concerned about transatlantic demand for next summer. The carrier announced on Wednesday that it was adding yet another new long-haul route to Europe — San Francisco to Barcelona — for the upcoming summer season, a carrier spokesperson told TPG. United will launch this service on May 23, 2024, and the route will operate daily throughout the summer season onboard a


Last chance for Southwest credit card offers: Earn 75,000 bonus points on 3 personal cards
1KThe Points Guy / 9h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. If you’re a Southwest loyalist, now is the time for you to earn some easy bonus points. All three personal Southwest credit cards have elevated welcome bonuses that are ending soon — 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. These offers end Dec.


Use Your Instacart+ Membership to Get Peacock Premium for Free
LifeHacker / 9h
If you've been on the hunt for a new grocery delivery service, a new partnership between Instacart and Peacock is worth checking out. Under the promotion, Instacart+ members can get a free Peacock Premium subscription for as long as their Instacart membership is active. How do Instacart and Peacock work? Instacart is a phone app that lets you shop for groceries from home. A shopper will receive y


Avoid These Four Common Mistakes When Driving on Black Ice
LifeHacker / 9h
Whether this will be your first winter living somewhere cold or you've been driving in the snow since you were a teenager, black ice can sneak up on you. Unlike snow and regular ice—which is visible when it's covering the road—black ice is thin, transparent, and typically hard to see from any kind of distance. It's also especially slippery, and therefore dangerous. For these reasons, a driver mig


Tech Billionaires' Quest To Build a New City in California Continues To Go Terribly
Gizmodo / 9h
California Forever, the quixotic, billionaire-backed effort to craft a new city out of $800 million in Bay Area farmland parcels , continues to struggle. The project, which is owned by an opaque parent company, Flannery Associates, and backed by a slew of Silicon Valley luminaries, envisions a utopian new community… Read more...


Aeroplan Card 10% Chase Transfer Bonus: Now An Ongoing Perk
One Mile at a Time / 9h
In May 2022, the Air Canada Aeroplan program introduced a creative long term transfer bonus in partnership with Chase. Initially this was only supposed to be valid through the end of 2023, but this has now been extended indefinitely, which is awesome news. Aeroplan Card 10% Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer bonus The Aeroplan® Credit Card ( review ) in the United States is a lucrative product that


Inside Feeld's disaster of a rebrand
Mashable / 9h
Weeks ago, Mashable reported that "dating app for the curious" Feeld partnered with users for a rebrand , with app updates coming in the following days. Not only did the relaunch take longer to roll out, but according to one employee, it's been a "complete shit show." Problems with the app included Feeld sharing potential matches' exact locations instead of reporting how many miles away they were


Intel, of all companies, knocks AMD’s CPU numbering in now-deleted presentation
21Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / A now-deleted Intel presentation makes a good point, but with a side of disingenuousness. AMD changed the way it numbers its Ryzen laptop processors last year, switching to a new system that simultaneously provides more concrete information than the old one while also partially obfuscating the exact age of the various CPU and GPU architectures being mixed-and-matched. For instance, a kn


Quantum computer performs error-resistant operations with logical qubits
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / Some of the optical hardware needed to get QuEra's machine to work. (credit: QuEra) There's widespread agreement that most useful quantum computing will have to wait for the development of error-corrected qubits. Error correction involves distributing a bit of quantum information—termed a logical qubit—among a small collection of hardware qubits. The disagreements mostly focus on how be


Meta’s new AI image generator was trained on 1.1 billion Instagram and Facebook photos
200+Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / Three images generated by "Imagine with Meta AI" using the Emu AI model. (credit: Meta | Benj Edwards) On Wednesday, Meta released a free standalone AI image generator website, " Imagine with Meta AI ," based on its Emu image synthesis model. Meta used 1.1 billion publicly visible Facebook and Instagram images to train the AI model , which can render a novel image from a written prompt.


Disney+ Now Has Hulu TV Shows & Movies
How-To Geek / 10h
Disney has a streaming problem it wants to solve. Aside from its main streaming service, Disney+, the company also has Hulu, which it got as part of the company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox. That streaming service is also partly owned by Comcast, but the company struck a deal to buy Comcast's stake in Hulu and make it fully Disney-owned—thus allowing it to merge into Disney+ . Now, Hulu cont


New Security Flaw in UEFI Affects Millions of PCs
How-To Geek / 10h
It's important to stay on top of security updates in this ever-changing online world. New vulnerabilities and issues on our hardware and software pop up every day, after all, and hackers and cybercriminals don't waste a second to take advantage of them. Now, a dangerous vulnerability has been discovered that affects countless computers through UEFI.


U.S. Airlines Have Been Flying With Fake Parts. The Man Who Sold Them Was Just Apprehended.
View from the Wing / 10h
There's are grey and black markets in aircraft parts you sometimes see in South Asia and Africa. However over the past several months a company based in London has come to light misrepresenting the parts they've been selling for CFM56 engines to major airlines around the world. Since these engines tend to power older Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 family jets, everyone has them - including the major


The most award-friendly hotel program: Everything you need to know about World of Hyatt
100+The Points Guy / 10h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information. With its recent milestone award, meeting planner/travel agent and Guest of Honor program changes as well as the termination of its MGM and Lindblad Expeditions partnerships, World of Hyatt has certainly made headlines in 2023. Despite the changes, the program continues to have a reputation for some of the most


Google Pixel Cameras Will Finally Unblur Your Pets and Work as a Webcam
Gizmodo / 10h
Today’s big Gemini AI announcement from Google was inevitably going to suck all the air from any other big Pixel product updates. However, amid all the talk of native AI on Pixel 8 Pros , Google is also dropping a big feature-rich Android 14 update for Pixel cameras that the company claims will enhance your videos… Read more...


GameStop Has a Great Deal on Gaming Consoles Right Now
LifeHacker / 10h
With so many retailers to choose from, it can be hard to know if you're getting the best deal possible on a video game console—especially if you just want to give a nice gift and don't know much about video games. If you've been on the hunt for a console, whether for yourself or someone else, this might be the time to strike, because GameStop's newest promotion is pretty dang good. At GameStop, y


Waffle This Frico-encrusted Sausage, Egg, and Cheese
LifeHacker / 10h
Frico-friends, crispy-corner mac and cheese compadres, and all crunchy fried cheese lovers, hear ye: you’ll appreciate this latest breakthrough in sandwich development. You can cover your breakfast sandwich in a crisp layer of frico, and you should do so as soon as possible. Let this inside-out waffled sausage, egg, and cheese be your guide to many more cheese-encrusted pressed sandwiches. Waffle


Commercial companies to collaborate for DARPA’s new lunar economy study
TechCrunch / 10h
Establishing commercial markets on the moon is going to require thinking a little differently. That’s DARPA’s hunch, anyway. DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) is the U.S. Department of Defense’s R&D arm, which has just selected 14 companies to participate in a new study to develop technological frameworks for a lunar future. “The next decade […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reser


As Bitcoin reaches the $44,000 threshold, why the surge and what’s next?
TechCrunch / 10h
Bitcoin’s price surge into year-end has been exceptionally encouraging, as it has been accompanied by the highest trading volume it has seen since November 2022. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Ink Business Preferred: 8 Reasons To Apply With Best-Ever 100K Bonus
72One Mile at a Time / 10h
Link: Apply now for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card In recent years we’ve seen business credit cards become more compelling than ever before, as credit card issuers increasingly try to create products that meet the needs of small business owners. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card ( review ) continues to be one of the most rewarding business cards out there. There’s not another busin


Another Person Dies After Ordering New Panera Menu Item
88Futurism / 10h
Panera Bread's infamous Charged Lemonade beverage has claimed a second victim after a Florida man died in October after chugging three servings of the highly caffeinated drink offered by the fast-casual dining establishment, according to The New York Times . The first fatality linked with Charged Lemonade happened last year in September when college student Sarah Katz died after drinking the beve


Secure a better seat! The ultimate guide to getting upgraded on Delta flights
500+The Points Guy / 10h
Delta Air Lines’ Medallion elite status has plenty of perks, including same-day confirmed changes, international lounge access and Choice Benefits . Still, one perk sits above all others when it comes to chasing status: the allure of a free seat upgrade. There’s nothing quite as magical as paying for one class of service and being upgraded into a superior cabin, be it premium economy, business or


These Are the Best Affordable Smartphones of 2023
LifeHacker / 10h
Finding a smartphone that's both full-featured and affordable isn't nearly as impossible as it used to be. In fact, many of the more budget-friendly and mid-range devices on the market today are leaps and bounds better than flagship models released only a few years ago. But with all those improvements come a ton of different options—so how do you know which affordable smartphone is the best for y


AMD's New Ryzen 8000 Laptop CPUs Have Arrived
How-To Geek / 10h
Last year was huge for AMD. The company launched two new architectures, Zen 3+ and Zen 4, with the latter becoming available to users through the Ryzen 7000-series CPUs on both desktops and laptops. The chips themselves represented a huge improvement from their predecessor, with clock speeds going up to a whopping 5.7 GHz. Now, AMD is launching the new Ryzen 8000 CPUs, although they're probably n


Woman Enters MRI Machine With a Gun, Gets Shot in Butt
200+Gizmodo / 10h
A woman’s medical exam turned into a literal pain in the butt, thanks to a poorly placed firearm. An adverse event report sent to the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year details an alleged incident where the woman was shot in the right buttock by her own gun that was activated by a magnetic resonance… Read more...


After hack, 23andMe gives users 30 days to opt out of class-action waiver
100+Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Bloomberg / Contributor | Bloomberg ) Shortly after 23andMe confirmed that hackers stole ancestry data of 6.9 million users , 23andMe has updated its terms of service, seemingly cutting off a path previously granted to users seeking public accountability when resolving disputes. According to a post on Hacker News , the "23andMe Team" notified users in an email that "important upd


iMessage will reportedly dodge EU regulations, won’t have to open up
22Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Android users' hopes that Apple's iMessage would be forced to open up in the European Union have been dashed. Bloomberg reports that iMessage won't qualify for the EU's new "Digital Markets Act," allowing Apple to keep iMessage exclusive to Apple users. The EU is deciding what should and shouldn't be under the new rules set out by the "Di


How to Use Google’s Gemini AI Right Now in Its Bard Chatbot
84Wired / 11h
You can try out Gemini, Google’s rival to ChatGPT, for free. It’s super easy to access right inside Bard.


The Last of Us Gets Season 2 Release Window, Plus First Look at It Prequel Footage and More
38Gizmodo / 11h
As expected, HBO just confirmed that season two of The Last of Us won’t arrive until 2025 . Which is certainly a long time but was mostly expected, since filming won’t begin until early next year. In the meantime though, fans of similar genre content have a ton more to look forward to and a new trailer puts a spotlight… Read more...


Overwatch 2 players say that frame rate drops are making the game 'unplayable' on PS5
Engadget / 11h
Overwatch 2's eighth season went live on Tuesday and things aren't exactly going smoothly for everyone. Some are complaining about performance issues, particularly concerning frame rates on PlayStation 5. On Blizzard's own forums and Reddit , players are suggesting that even the menus are lagging on the console. "I play on PS5 with 120 Hz monitor and settings for that output, but randomly either


Climate Groups to Biden: AI Will Worsen Climate Change Crisis
Gizmodo / 11h
An open letter to the White House from 17 major climate change and anti-disinformation groups says President Joe Biden and his administration have largely ignored the toll AI is already taking on a fast-warming world . At the top of these groups’ demands is a new rule executive order that would big tech to share just… Read more...


View of magnetos in C.F. Splitdorf exhibit during the 1910 Boston Auto Show at Mechanics Hall in…
Music, Arts & Literature / 11h
View of magnetos in C.F. Splitdorf exhibit during the 1910 Boston Auto Show at Mechanics Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. Room contains display case with magnetos; magneto with “Danger, hands off! 70000 volts” sign in background. “Splitdorf magneto” and “C.F. Splitdorf” signs in exhibit. Stamped on back: “Spooner & Wells, Inc., photographers, telephones 3472-3473 Columbus, 1931 Broadway, New York.”


Complex Error-Corrected Quantum Algorithm on 48 Logical Qubits
Next Big Future / 11h
We have entered the start of new era of error corrected quantum computers. There has been a journal Nature paper on the work of a 48 logical qubit error corrected system by QuEra with researchers from MIT , Harvard, NIST/Maryland Usher. There is another article that gives the state of quantum error correction today. There ... Read more


Study: Why a spritz of water before grinding coffee yields less waste, tastier espresso
36Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Researchers demonstrate how adding a splash of water reduces static electricity when grinding coffee. Credit: University of Oregon Scientific inspiration can strike at any time. For Christopher Hendon, a computational materials chemist at the University of Oregon, inspiration struck at a local coffee bar where his lab holds regular coffee hours for the Eugene campus community—a fitting venue sinc


AMD’s new Ryzen 8040 laptop chips look a lot like the Ryzen 7040 CPUs
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Enlarge / AMD's Ryzen 8040 series is a lot like the 7040 series but with a higher model number. (credit: AMD) Both Intel and AMD usually have processor updates to announce at CES in January, but AMD isn't waiting to introduce its next-generation flagship laptop chips: the Ryzen 8040 series is coming to laptops starting in early 2024, though at first blush these chips look awfully similar to the R


The 10 Biggest Things We Learned About Google's New Gemini AI
32Gizmodo / 11h
Google launched Gemini, its new supercharge AI model, on Wednesday, a technology that will touch on nearly every part of the search giant’s business. The company has spent the last year lagging behind OpenAI, its chief artificial intelligence rival. But Gemini is Google’s long-anticipated attempt to prove its AI is… Read more...


Google Shows Off "Gemini" AI, Says It Beats GPT-4
100+Futurism / 11h
Google has officially showed off its hotly-anticipated AI model, Gemini — which it claims is more powerful than OpenAI's GPT-4 large language model (LLM), saying it can rival "expert level" humans in an intelligence test. The model, which CEO Sundar Pichai first unveiled during the company's I/O conference in May, will come in three flavors: Nano, Pro, and Ultra, with Ultra being the most capable


Why Airlines Lie About Needing To Gate Check Carry On Bags [Roundup]
View from the Wing / 11h
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips. Continue reading ...


Apple Will Reportedly Drop New M3-Powered iPads and MacBook Airs in 2024
Gizmodo / 11h
Apple may be done for the year releasing any new hardware, but fans will only have to sit tight for just a few months into 2024 for brand-new tablets and laptops. A new report claims that Apple will share details on new, more powerful iPads and MacBook Airs coming soon. Everything is supposed to get a shiny, new M3… Read more...


Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary Is Celebrating Being in the Moment
100+Gizmodo / 12h
In just a few short days, Doctor Who will conclude its trio of 60th anniversary specials in a flurry of spectacle—a climatic battle, the death of its familiarly faced current hero, and their regeneration into a new era starting just a few weeks later. For the most part, it’s celebrated this event without the typical tr… Read more...


Bitwig Studio update brings tons of new sound design options
Engadget / 12h
The digital audio workstation (DAW) Bitwig Studio just received a substantial update that brings plenty of new sounds and effects. Version 5.1 boasts a spate of enhancements, including new waveshapers, new filters, polyphonic voice stacking, a dual oscillator and more. This is especially good news for avid sound designers, as the filters and waveshapers should allow for plenty of tinkering to fin


M3 iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models tipped for a spring 2024 launch
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Apple is reportedly readying new iPads and MacBook Air models equipped with the recently revealed Apple M3 chip for a spring launch next year. That’s according to Bloomberg chief correspondent and persistent and accurate Apple tipster, Mark Gurman, who claimed such a launch will come as a move to revitalize iPad sales that have recently slumped. Reportedly thrown into the mix will be a new iPad A


12 festive hotels for people who really love the holidays
200+The Points Guy / 12h
Ready or not, the holidays are here , and that means twinkling lights, garlands, hot cocoa, decorated trees, menorahs and — for many people around the world — travel . Are you looking to make a stop somewhere this year that really gets in the holiday spirit? Why not head to a hotel that takes the season seriously by decorating every square inch in tinsel, serving classic and modern holiday meals,


Acer's New Gaming Laptop Has AMD Ryzen 8000 CPUs
How-To Geek / 12h
Acer's laptops are usually great options in the very competitive market of gaming laptops, coming with amazing specs and equally premium prices. New laptops are always good, but it's even better when they come with brand-new chips. Now, Acer is coming out with new laptops of its own—and they happen to be among the first ones debuting AMD's latest lineup of laptop processors.


AMD's Ryzen 8040 chips remind Intel it's falling behind in AI PCs
29Engadget / 12h
Last January, AMD beat out Intel by launching its Ryzen 7040 chips , the first x86 processors to integrate a neural processing unit (NPU) for AI workloads. Intel's long-delayed Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" chips , its first to integrate an NPU, are set to arrive on December 14th. But it seems AMD can't help but remind Intel it's lagging behind: Today, AMD is announcing the Ryzen 8040 series chips, it


Acer's Nitro V16 gaming laptop is powered by new AMD Ryzen 8040 processors
24Engadget / 12h
Acer just announced a new gaming laptop, the Nitro V 16. This computer has some serious bells and whistles, with the key takeaway being the inclusion of the just-announced AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processor. The processor has plenty of oomph for modern gaming applications, with the addition of AI technology to enable enhanced ray-traced visuals. You can spec out the laptop how you see fit, with GPU


ITA Airways Cancels Milan To New York Route
One Mile at a Time / 12h
Italy’s national carrier, ITA Airways, will be throwing in the towel on Italy’s most competitive transatlantic route, and that seems sensible. ITA Airways cancels transatlantic flights from Milan As of January 8, 2024, ITA Airways will be discontinuing its route between Milan (MXP) and New York (JFK). The airline currently operates this 3,995-mile route daily with an Airbus A330-300, using the fo


A24's Theatrical Slate Will Exclusively Stream on HBO, Max, and Cinemax
Gizmodo / 12h
Important news for fans of A24 's Oscar-decorated film slate: the company has just signed a multiyear “pay-1" output deal in the U.S. with the HBO and Max brands. What that means is, if you want to stream A24 movies as part of a subscription service, you’ll have use Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO, Max , and Cinemax. Read more...


Why Water Beads Are Actually Dangerous for Kids
LifeHacker / 12h
There’s a scene in Trolls Band Together where Poppy and Branch visit Vacay Island. Water around the island is represented by what looks like mounds of undulating, sparkling water beads. They are so enchanting, of course you want to dive into the glittering, soothing, squishy marbles. Then you remember that, in real life, those water beads would be covered in sand and feel more like gritty snot th


How to Get Hulu Content on Disney+ Right Now
LifeHacker / 12h
Back in May , we learned that Disney was planning to merge Hulu and Disney+ into one, humungous app. The plan was to allow customers to choose each service individually if they wanted to, but for those who subscribed to both, their experience would be more convenient. I guess there are perks to monopolies. Just over half a year later, it seems the process is kicking off. Starting today, Dec. 6, t


AMD reveals a full stack of shiny new Ryzen laptop processors, supercharged with AI
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Hot on the heels of a catty attack from Intel , AMD has just announced the next lineup of Ryzen processors that we’ll be seeing in next year’s best laptops - a whopping nine new chips, all bearing the Ryzen 8040 name and equipped with AMD’s ‘XDNA’ AI technology. The new processors, codenamed ‘Hawk Point’, are already on their way to laptop manufacturers and will be available in new devices in ear


Google Bard's biggest AI upgrade so far sees it close the gap on ChatGPT
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Google Bard is receiving a huge boost in performance as it will now be powered by the company’s “most capable AI model”, Gemini. This news may come as a surprise as recent reports circulated claiming that Gemini’s launch was being delayed due to poor performance across multiple languages. But now, it appears Google felt the pressure to bump up the release of its long-awaited (and possibly worthy)


Your mobile password manager might be exposing your credentials
31TechCrunch / 12h
A number of popular mobile password managers are inadvertently spilling user credentials due to a vulnerability in the autofill functionality of Android apps. The vulnerability, dubbed “AutoSpill,” can expose users’ saved credentials from mobile password managers by circumventing Android’s secure autofill mechanism, according to university researchers at the IIIT Hyderabad, who discovered the vul


Hulu and Disney+ Are Finally (Slowly) Merging
27Gizmodo / 12h
Disney+ subscribers may have already noticed a new addition to the carousel on the app’s home screen: along with Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, there’s now a link to access Hulu content. The two apps won’t officially merge until March, but the beta test is now live. Read more...


Cable lobby to FCC: Please don’t look too closely at the prices we charge
27Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | imagedepotpro) The US broadband industry is protesting a Federal Communications Commission plan to measure the affordability of Internet service. The FCC has been evaluating US-wide broadband deployment progress on a near-annual basis for almost three decades but hasn't factored affordability into these regular reviews. The broadband industry is afraid that a thoro


Scientists Astonished by Planet That’s Way Too Big to Exist
Futurism / 12h
Odd Couple Scientists have discovered an impossibly large planet — so big, they say, that it should be too big to exist. And yet. In a new study published in the journal Science , researchers out of Pennsylvania State described their whopper discovery: a Neptune-sized planet that's 13 times the mass of Earth, which is orbiting a tiny ultracool star that's nine times less massive than our Sun. As


Zillow Says You’ll Buy Your Next House With… AI? | AI Unlocked
Gizmodo / 12h
Read more...


This crafty iPhone attack makes you think your phone is safe...until it's hacked
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Lockdown Mode, an iPhone feature introduced with iOS 16, is not an antivirus, does not detect malware, and cannot prevent malware from operating. Therefore, hackers can create a fake Lockdown Mode and run malware operating in the background unabated, a report from Jamf Threat Labs has noted. “Apple's Lockdown mode in iOS 16 is a useful feature for certain situations, but if your phone has already


Windows 10 updates won’t be free after 2025 — here’s why
75Mashable / 12h
Windows 10 is unfortunately coming to the end of its life cycle. In 2025, Microsoft's OS will no longer receive free updates and support as the company transitions its efforts to Windows 11 and potentially Windows 12. SEE ALSO: Windows 12 release date window leaked — but we're skeptical Why is Microsoft ending support for Windows 10? According to a blog post from Microsoft on Tuesday , starting O


Time's Person of the Year is Taylor Swift, here's what the internet thinks
100+Mashable / 12h
After dominating stadiums, charts, headlines, and the box office, it's official: Taylor Swift is Time 's Person of the Year for 2023 . For many, Swift is forever and always their person of the year, but that doesn't mean this isn't an opportunity for Swifties to celebrate. Since the release of Lover in 2019, the pop star shied away from interviews, preferring to keep her story in her own hands. T


Get your hands on the Garmin Forerunner 745 while it's down to its lowest price ever
Mashable / 12h
SAVE $230 : As of Dec. 6, the Garmin Forerunner 745 smartwatch is on sale for just $269.99 at Amazon, down from $499.99. That's not only 46% in savings, but also its lowest price ever. Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Forerunner 745 $269.99 at Amazon (save $230) Trying to select a smartwatch from the overly saturated market is overwhelming enough to make a grown man cry. There's health


Have you seen the most-viewed TikTok video of the year?
Mashable / 12h
We've watched a lot of TikTok this year. According to the screen time report on my phone, I've spent about 260 hours watching TikTok videos — that's nearly nine days straight of watching TikToks. And in all that time, one of the most-viewed videos on the app never crossed my page. According to TikTok's Year In TikTok 2023 , the top TikTok video of the year was from makeup artist Nyadollie , who p


Amazon Prime Student members can book $25 flights
20The Points Guy / 12h
Calling all TPG student readers! This deal is for you and only you. Through Dec. 7, Amazon Prime Student members can book domestic flights anywhere in the U.S. (based on availability and route) for just $25 through a promotion with Student Universe. There are two catches with this deal. Tickets are capped at the first 1,000 people. Also, tickets are distributed daily starting at midnight PST thro


How to use Personal Voice on iPhone with iOS 17
27Engadget / 12h
Ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities last Sunday, Apple released a short film that showcased its Personal Voice accessibility feature , which debuted earlier this year in iOS 17 . Personal Voice allows users to create digital versions of their voice to use on calls, supported apps and Apple’s own Live Speech tool. For those who are at risk of permanently losing their voice


Ryan Reynolds Is Disappointed With the Deadpool 3 Spoiler Leaks
41Gizmodo / 12h
With the actors’ strike now officially over , filming is once again up and running on Marvel’s next big movie , Deadpool 3. And just as was happening before the strike stopped production, photos from the set have revealed several potential spoilers and the film’s star is pretty bummed about it. Read more...


Sorry, smart speakers - the Echo Show 8 is better and on sale for just $55 at Amazon
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Forget smart speakers. Now's the time for the best smart displays , especially since many of them are more affordable than ever. The best smart speakers have had their time in the sun, but speaking as someone who's owned or tested more than 10 of them in my lifetime (and currently have three in her one-bedroom apartment), our smart home needs are starting to surpass what they can offer. Smart dis


View of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument and city hall. Pedestrians walk by as a street-car travels…
Music, Arts & Literature / 12h
View of Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument and city hall. Pedestrians walk by as a street-car travels the road. Horse-drawn vehicles are also shown. Printed on front: “Soldiers’ Monument and City Hall, Detroit, Mich.” Printed on back: “Soldiers’ Monument and City Hall, Detroit, Mich. The Soldiers’ Monument towers to a height of 60 feet. The body is of granite and statues are golden bronze. It was co


United’s Secretive Global Services Status Will Cost 50% More In 2024
View from the Wing / 12h
Big airlines have special programs for high revenue customers far beyond top elite status of their mileage programs. At Delta there's the 360 program. At American it's Concierge Key. At United Airlines it is Global Services. The criteria for obtaining this status is generally unpublished, however there are workarounds. Continue reading ...


Apple’s latest tvOS beta kills the iTunes Movies and TV shows apps
30Engadget / 12h
Apple’s latest tvOS beta suggests the iTunes Movies and TV Shows apps on Apple TV are on their way out. 9to5Mac reports the set-top box’s former home of streaming purchases and rentals is no longer in the tvOS 17.2 release candidate (RC), now available to developers. (Unless Apple finds unexpected bugs, RC firmware usually ends up identical to the public version.) Apple’s folding of the iTunes ap


23andMe to Hacked Users: We Won't See You in Court
53Gizmodo / 12h
23&Me admitted it lost 6.9 million users’ DNA in a hack , after initially reporting only 14,000 users were affected. If you’ve used 23andMe, there’s basically a coin-flip chance that your data was exposed. The company, however, updated its terms of service last week to ensure its customers