Thursday, January 11, 2024

Technology News Thursdays, and More!

Technology News and More...


Deploying high-performance, energy-efficient AI
500+MIT Technology Review / 17h
Although AI is by no means a new technology there have been massive and rapid investments in it and large language models. However, the high-performance computing that powers these rapidly growing AI tools — and enables record automation and operational efficiency — also consumes a staggering amount of energy. With the proliferation of AI comes the responsibility to deploy that AI responsibly and



I Found David Lynch’s Lost 'Dune II' Script
1KWired / 18h
It was only about halfway done, but the script David Lynch wrote for the sequel to his 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel, Dune, was still better than Dune Messiah.


Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantage
4KThe Points Guy / 10h
American Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world, and its AAdvantage loyalty program is popular with many travelers. While AAdvantage has seen some changes over the last few years — including the removal of published award charts — you can still get a ton of value from the program, especially if you can utilize its sweet spots . In 2022, American completely overhauled how flyers qual


Sample Return from the Surface of Venus
Next Big Future / 15min
A NASA NIAC phase 1 grant has been given to Geoffrey Landis to develop innovative concepts for a sample return from the surface of Venus. The project description is vague. At 450°C and 92 atmosphere pressure, the surface of Venus is the most hostile environment to explore in the solar system. This project will pioneer ... Read more


Zero-boil-off Space Fuel Depots
Next Big Future / 15min
One crucial area to enable trips to Mars is the long-duration storage of cryogenic propellants in various space environments. Relevant propellants include liquid Hydrogen (LH2) for high specific impulse Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) which can be deployed in strategic locations in advance of a mission. Such LH2 storage tanks could be used to refill a ... Read more


Summary of the Seokbae Lee PCPOSOS Superconductor Talk
Next Big Future / 15min
Here is a summary from a korean who attended the Seokbae Lee superconductor talk. I attended the vision declaration ceremony of the Quantum Industry Convergence Leading Group held today at the main building of Yonsei University Daewoo Hall and summarized the contents. ㅇ Reason for holding the vision declaration ceremony – LK99 has become such ... Read more


Korean News Video on Seokbae Lee Sulfur Modified LK99 Room Temperature Superconductor. It is Now Called PCPOSOS
Next Big Future / 15min
Seokbae Lee, CEO of Quantum Energy Research Institute, who claims to have created the room temperature and pressure superconductor ‘LK-99’, said, “The material developed is a superconductor.” Representative Lee said this while attending the Quantum Industry Convergence Leaders (QILI) vision declaration ceremony held at Yonsei University in Seoul on the 9th. This is the first ... Read more


Korean News Video of the LK99 Talk – Seems to Show New Images and Video of Levitation and Other Material Work
Next Big Future / 15min
There is a Korean news video of the recent LK99 talk by Sukbae Lee. There seems be video of more the LK99 experiments. Automated Translation of the Korean Transcript: There are errors in the Korean language transcript and more errors in the automated translation. 0:01 Senate superconductor LK 99 0:04 Quantum energy claimed to have ... Read more


Video of Full LK99 Superconductor Presentation from 2 Days Ago – Autotranslated Korean Transcript to English
Next Big Future / 15min
Sukbae Lee is one of the original lead researchers of the LK99 room temperature and room pressure superconductor. There is now a video of his complete talk. He is speaking his native korean. At the bottom of this article, I took the korean language transcript and autotranslated it all to english. There are likely many ... Read more


Google lays off hundreds of employees in its Assistant, hardware and other divisions
Engadget / 21min
Google has laid off "several hundred" workers in multiple divisions each in a new round of belt tightening, according to reports from The New York Times , 9to5Mac , Semafor and others. Divisions affected include hardware (Pixel, Nest and Fitbit), core engineering and Google Assistant. The cuts — which appear to be at least 600 but may be higher — are already effective and workers impacted have re


Finn raises $109M on a $658M valuation, taking its car subscription platform up another gear
TechCrunch / 44min
Finn, a startup based out of Munich that operates a platform for new car subscriptions — an alternative to buying or leasing for those who want to drive new vehicles — has raised a sizable round of growth funding, money it plans to use to expand its tech and reach, with a move into more […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


South African Airways Adds Perth Flights


One Mile at a Time / 48min
South African Airways (SAA) has had quite a few years. In late 2019, the company entered business rescue , as the airline had been losing money for years, and that’s not even accounting for the impacts of the pandemic. As part of this, the airline got rid of most of its planes, and completely discontinued long haul service. Fortunately in 2021, the airline emerged from business rescue , though on


No, Taylor Swift no está vendiendo ollas Le Creuset
NYT > Technology / 50min
El supuesto patrocinio de Swift a los productos de la empresa, que ha aparecido en anuncios publicados en Facebook y otros medios, es falso.


Pornography review to canvass public's view on issue
BBC News - Technology / 1h
Porn stars, parents and the public are invited to answer questions to help advise government.


Is India done with crypto?
TechCrunch / 1h
It wasn’t long ago when Indian venture capitalists were scrambling to establish their crypto credentials. Ethereum wallet addresses adorned Twitter profiles. Over a dozen VC firms scrambled to publish their own web3 investment theses, some even lowering their high bar for credentials to hire young analysts well-versed in crypto. Several young partners, fearing they would […] © 2023 TechCrunch. Al


Great Deal: Save 15% On IHG Free Night Awards
1KOne Mile at a Time / 1h
IHG One Rewards is currently offering a lucrative sale on award nights, which could save you quite a few points on a redemption. I wanted to post a reminder, as this promotion was initially only available to those with a co-branded IHG credit card, and has now been extended to elite members as well. That means a lot of people have access to this deal now. Save 15% on free night award redemptions


Google cuts hundreds of jobs in its voice assistance, hardware teams as Fitbit founders leave
TechCrunch / 1h
Google laid off hundreds of employees across multiple divisions including engineering and services late Wednesday. The affected divisions include voice-activated Google Assistant as part of the knowledge and information product team restructuring; and the Devices and Services PA (DSPA) team that manages Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit hardware. The company, which had 182,000 employees as of […] © 2023 Te


Lenovo launched an incredibly powerful external GPU — shame you can only use the ThinkBook Graphics Extension with one laptop right now
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
At CES 2024, Lenovo took the wraps off its new, impressively powerful external GPU , the ThinkBook Graphics Extension. However, it comes with a fairly major caveat - namely that it is currently only compatible with one laptop model, Lenovo’s own ThinkBook 14 i Gen 6+. Introduced at the same time, the ThinkBook 14 i Gen 6+ is a sleek, smart looking business laptop powered by an Intel Core Ultra pr


Meta faces another EU privacy challenge over ‘pay for privacy’ consent choice
TechCrunch / 2h
Adtech giant Meta’s bid to keep tracking and profiling users of Facebook and Instagram in Europe in spite of the bloc’s comprehensive data protection laws is facing a second challenge from privacy rights advocacy group noyb. It’s supporting a new complaint, which is being filed with the Austrian data protection authority, that alleges the company […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For pe


This comprehensive AI and ChatGPT training bundle is on sale for under £20
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: The Complete ChatGPT and AI Training Bundle is on sale for £19.62, saving you 51% on list price. If you've caught the learning bug and want to dive into a new topic, might we suggest the continuously evolving and incredibly relevant world of AI ? If you've been wanting to understand the ins and outs of ChatGPT, you can now do so from the comfort of your own home — and in your free time — t


Google Cuts Hundreds of Jobs in Engineering and Other Divisions
49NYT > Technology / 3h
The company, which has been working to trim expenses, laid off employees who worked on core engineering, the Google Assistant product and hardware such as the Pixel phone.


Funding for female founders remained consistent in 2023
TechCrunch / 3h
This is the lowest percentage of venture capital allocated to such teams since 2016, when they picked up 1.6% of all venture funds. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for January 11
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 Jan. 11'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 co


Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Thursday, January 11, 2024
LifeHacker / 5h
If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for January 11, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is medium, maybe slightly on the harder side; I lucked out and got it in two, though. Beware, there are spoilers below for January 11, Wordle #936! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game. How to pla


CES 2024 Day 2 recap: A wild Rabbit gadget appears while Google offers its own take on Apple software tricks
Engadget / 6h
The show floor at CES 2024 is open, and people have been racking up their steps, canvassing Las Vegas’ vast convention centers and hotel ballrooms to see all the latest and weirdest tech products. The Engadget team has been getting our cardio in, braving both vehicular and human traffic to get face and hand time (and other body parts?) with the most intriguing demos here, while companies haven’t


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for January 11
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


Today's NYT Connections Hints (and Answer) for Thursday, January 11, 2024
LifeHacker / 6h
If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Thursday, January 11, 2024, 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. Beware, there are spoilers below for January 11, NYT Connections #214! Read on if you want some hints (and the


The Barbie Movie Begets Barbie Movie Dolls
Gizmodo / 7h
In the year that Greta Gerwig ’s Barbie movie is a major awards contender—with a script the director co-wrote, starring and produced by Margot Robbie, and an incredible ensemble of female talent—women in film are still a majorly marginalized group. Mattel, no doubt inspired by Barbie’s success , has come out with a new… Read more...


180 Days for a SpaceX Starship Moonbase
Next Big Future / 7h
There is a proposal to use the SpaceX lunar starship as a rapidly deployable moonbase. It could be completed 180 days after the SpaceX lunar Starship lands on the moon. The payload area of the Starship is about 1000 cubic meters. This proposal would tip over the lunar Starship and cut it open to use ... Read more


NASA Can Reduce Extragalactic Distance Measurements From 10% to Less than 1%
Next Big Future / 7h
Dark Energy is inferred based upon distance and other measurements which could have 10% errors. Measurements of the distance to extragalactic sources allow us to infer the major energy constituents of our Universe. Two decades ago such measurements revealed that most of the energy in the Universe is in `dark energy’ — a discovery that ... Read more


10 Recent Horror Movies Streaming on Hulu
Gizmodo / 7h
Winter weather is a great reason not to leave the couch—so why not crank up the heat, pile on some blankets, and seek chills in your entertainment instead? Hulu ’s got a great selection of recent horror films streaming right now , so here are 10 to get you started. Read more...


Walmart makes a rare CES appearance to promote AI-powered shopping
Engadget / 7h
When Walmart announced it would be holding a CES keynote for the first time, we were admittedly a little skeptical. Now it all makes sense, though: America’s largest retailer came to CES 2024 in Las Vegas to talk about AI. In a joint announcement on Tuesday, the company said that it’s teaming up with Microsoft to build what it bills as AI-powered shopping experiences. In his keynote, Walmart CEO


WTF is a ‘software-defined vehicle?’
TechCrunch / 7h
Like any good buzz phrase, “software-defined vehicle” is as straightforward as it is obtuse. If you’re trying to figure out what automakers and suppliers mean by this term — which was all over CES 2024 — you’re in the right place. A software-defined vehicle is a vehicle defined by software — okay, sorry, I can […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Who knew dogs enjoyed downtempo music?
Engadget / 7h
Here at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, a Japanese startup is worried about the mental health of all those dogs you bought during the pandemic. One By One Music believes those dogs who, while everyone was sheltering in place, got too used to their family being at home for most of the day. Now that everyone’s back to work, school or generally enjoying the outdoors, they’re getting lonely and stressed on th


Animators say ‘AI isn't going to get you an Oscar’
27BBC News - Technology / 8h
Comic book writers and animators fear the growing impact of artificial intelligence.


This startup is trying to bring T9-like text input to your TV
TechCrunch / 8h
Some technologies make so much sense that they just won’t disappear. T9 — the old text input from our trusty Nokia phones from the 1990s — is one of those throwbacks. Direction 9 is a startup that is eager to introduce it to your television, so you can use the directional pad on your remote […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Quordle today – hints and answers for Thursday, January 11 (game #717)
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


CES 2024: The biggest transportation news, from Honda’s EVs to Hyundai’s air taxi ambitions
TechCrunch / 8h
CES has increasingly become defined by what automakers and other mobility-focused companies bring to Las Vegas, and CES 2024 has been no exception. Though some major CES automotive players from past years like Ford, GM and Toyota didn’t have a big presence, other companies filled the gaps with EV reveals, flying vehicles and a lot […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


VMware customers face uncertain future as Broadcom ends VMware partner programs
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge (credit: Getty ) VMware's new owner is ending the virtualization and cloud computing company's partner programs. It's unclear who or how many current partners will be able to sell VMware-related offerings after April 2024, leaving potential for tens of thousands of businesses to be disrupted. Broadcom, which closed its VMware acquisition in November, told The Register in late December tha


US verges on vaccination tipping point, faces thousands of needless deaths: FDA
100+Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge / A child with measles. (credit: Greene, Charles Lyman ) The US may be heading to a "dangerous vaccination tipping point," with immunization rates falling so low that population-level immunity is now at risk, and we will likely see thousands of needless deaths this respiratory virus season, two top officials for the Food and Drug Administration warned in a recent JAMA commentary . FDA Com


Diesel enginemaker agrees to nearly $2 billion in fines with feds and California
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge (credit: Cummins) Cummins, which makes diesel engines for trucks, among other products, will pay a record Clean Air Act civil penalty of $1.675 billion in a lawsuit brought by the US Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Air Resources Board. Like Volkswagen before it , Cummins was found to have fitted engines—in this case, diesel engines installed


Actively exploited 0-days in Ivanti VPN are letting hackers backdoor networks
Command and Scripting Interpreter (Enterprise T1059)•
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images ) Unknown threat actors are actively targeting two critical zero-day vulnerabilities that allow them to bypass two-factor authentication and execute malicious code inside networks that use a widely used virtual private network appliance sold by Ivanti, researchers said Wednesday. Ivanti reported bare-bones details concerning the zero-days in posts published on Wednes


A New Star Trek Movie Will Explore the Origins of Starfleet
48Gizmodo / 8h
Star Trek has been doing quite well on TV of late but it’s time to beam back to the big screen. While a fourth Star Trek film on the Kelvin timeline is still in the works, now a new project has been revealed too. Read more...


Zombie Sequel 28 Years Later Coming From Alex Garland and Danny Boyle
51Gizmodo / 8h
It’s the horror sequel we didn’t realize we were waiting for , and now demand ASAP: 28 Years Later, a continuation of the post-apocalyptic zombie tale started in 2002's 28 Days Later and further explored in 2007's 28 Weeks Later. And this time, director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland are coming back. Read more...


Nwm’s open-air headphones are literally not there
TechCrunch / 9h
A new audio brand spun out of Japan’s NTT is showing off some personal audio tech at CES 2024 that is remarkable not for what it has, but what it doesn’t have — in both cases, literally anything between you and the rest of the world. There’s nothing there! Nwm (short for New Wave Maker […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


12 Daily Podcasts to Add to Your Routine
LifeHacker / 9h
Looking to change your habits for the better in the new year? Sure, you could cut the sugar from your coffee or start walking to work instead of driving. Or you could adopt a new podcast into your daily routine. Here are the best shows dropping a new episode every day, from the informative, to the inspiring, to the amusing. Comedic news coverage, quick true crime updates and even the peaceful sou


The Best Movies to Stream on Tubi This Month
LifeHacker / 9h
Tubi is home to tons of scraggly movies that no one has ever heard of, but that's not the only kind of cinema you can find on the totally free streaming service. There are also a ton of truly great movies among the turkeys and weirdo flicks. The 20 films below are certified gold, great movies in a variety of genres. There's something for everyone—as long as they can put up with Tubi's commercial


Zoe Care uses existing Wi-Fi signals to detect falls in care homes
TechCrunch / 9h
Fall detection and autonomy for the elderly is front-and-center at CES in Las Vegas this year. Cherish Health introduced the $300 Serenity appliance that uses radar to cover a whole house with fall detection powers. Zoe Care is taking a different approach, by using existing Wi-Fi signals (and the way our bodies change how Wi-Fi […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


DC Is Hunting for Its New Supergirl
Gizmodo / 9h
Superman will make his return to the big screen next year and he might be bringing Supergirl with him. Last year, when James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed their ambitious schedule for the future of the DC Universe, it included a film called Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, based on the Tom King comics. Now, with that… Read more...


CES 2024: The weirdest tech, gadgets and AI claims from Las Vegas
27TechCrunch / 9h
CES 2024 is in full swing in Las Vegas. We’re on the ground giving you the most talked about news and announcements from the event, but much of the fun is to be found in the weirder margins of the show floor. In an era of CES where companies are all-in on the AI hype […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Congress Wants Tech Companies to Pay Up for AI Training Data
42Wired / 9h
At a Senate hearing on AI’s impact on journalism, lawmakers backed media industry calls to make OpenAI and other tech companies pay to license news articles and other data used to train algorithms.


There's still time for Fortnite players to request a refund for unwanted items
Engadget / 9h
Fortnite players in the US who believe they were charged for unwanted purchases during gameplay can request a refund via the Federal Trade Commission through the end of February. The claims process, which was previously set to end in January of this year, was initiated in September of 2023 after the regulatory agency finalized a settlement against Epic Games. About $245 million were earmarked for


Seven Common Household Items You're Better Off Not Washing With Soap
LifeHacker / 10h
While there's no shortage of cleaning products available in any grocery, hardware, or big-box store, much of the time, a solution of warm water and a squirt or two of mild dish detergent is all you need to clean many common household objects. There are, of course, some clear exceptions to this—electronics being the most obvious. But beyond that, there are also certain utensils, pieces of furnitur


SEC approves bitcoin ETFs (for real this time)
Engadget / 10h
The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the applications of 11 spot bitcoin ETFs in a highly anticipated decision that will make it much easier for people to dabble in cryptocurrency investing without directly buying and holding bitcoin. The approval comes one day after a hacker temporarily took over the SEC’s X account and posted a rogue tweet saying that bitcoin ETFs had been approv


Gyroglove is a hand-stabilizing glove for people with tremors
Engadget / 10h
A busy, stimulating convention like CES can exacerbate hand tremors for those living with Parkinson's Disease. For Roberta Wilson-Garrett, however, a new wearable device has been helping keep the tremors at bay. Wilson-Garrett has been using the GyroGlove, which launched here at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. It's a hand-stabilizing glove designed to "counteract hand tremors by utilizing advanced gyrosco


CES 2024 day 3: the 9 best gadgets we've seen, from the LG C4 OLED to neural headphones
29TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
It may already be day three of CES 2024 , but the tech announcements show no sign of slowing down – in fact, after hours of scouring the show floor, we're discovering more hidden gems than ever after the big keynote announcements earlier this week. We've already rounded up the best smart home tech of CES 2024 and the best wearable and fitness tech from the show , but what about some of our more l


My Memo adds some pill-zazz to automatic medicine dispensers
TechCrunch / 10h
Every few years, a new startup takes a stab at automatic pill dispensers to help with drug adherence and to prevent people from accidentally dosing more than they should. Makes sense: For many of us, as we get older, more and more medicines join the lineup that keeps us ticking along. Unfortunately, memories get fuzzy, […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


IHG cardholders: Book by Sunday to get 15% off award stays of up to 3 nights
100+The Points Guy / 10h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. IHG One Rewards ’ award discount is back, offering members with a Chase IHG One Rewards credit card 15% off award stays of up to three nights. Cardholders must book by Sunday and check in by Feb. 22 for this discount. On Monday, IHG members with a Chase IHG One Rewards credit card got an email about this p


Earn up to 150,000 points on these Marriott Bonvoy card offers
500+The Points Guy / 10h
With over 8,000 properties under 30 brand names , there is a Marriott hotel for everyone. And when it comes to choosing a Marriott credit card, there are multiple options from both Chase and American Express . If you’re looking for a new card as you plan upcoming trips, there are some solid offers on Marriott’s cobranded cards . Should you apply for one of these cards with these juicy welcome bon


Bitcoin: Crypto fans can now invest in exchange-traded funds - but what are they?
57BBC News - Technology / 10h
Long-awaited approval from US financial authorities means cryptocurrency fans have a new way to trade.


These Are the Best Bluetooth Speakers to Buy in 2024
LifeHacker / 10h
There are objectively good and bad speakers, but the lines get a little blurrier when you enter Bluetooth territory. In my experience, the Bluetooth variety tend to be much more specialized, designed for specific activities, or made with a relatively narrow audience in mind. The good news is that no matter when and where you plan on listening, there's sure to be an option that's near-perfect for


Alabama Can Execute a Prisoner with Nitrogen Gas, Federal Judge Says
Gizmodo / 10h
A legal battle over how death row prisoners in Alabama can be killed has reached a critical point. On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that the state can proceed with its planned execution of inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen gas. The execution is scheduled for later this month and would be the first ever to… Read more...


Detachable Lenovo laptop is two separate computers, runs Windows and Android
39Ars Technica - All content / 10h
The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid. It has two CPUs, two operating systems, and six speakers, and it generally sounds deeply complicated. [credit: Lenovo ] Have you ever used a Windows laptop and thought, "Gee, I really wish this was also an Android tablet"? Does Lenovo have a product for you! The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid laptop at CES 2024 is both a Windows laptop and an Android ta


Disney+ Says This Is the Right Order to Watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Gizmodo / 10h
To coincide with the release of Echo , Disney+ has rolled out its own take on the correct order to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s shows and movies. It includes shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones, holdovers from the Netflix slate of once loosely related universes. They officially enter the fold, with Echo … Read more...


American Airlines Passenger Threatened With Arrest: No Room For Mom’s Ashes In The Overhead Bin
27View from the Wing / 10h
The announcement that overhead bins were full, and everyone still remaining to board would have to gate check their carry on bags, came at the worst possible moment for one American Airlines passenger. She was carrying her mother's ashes. When she explained that to the gate agent, she says she was told to "take them out of the bag and hold them." She doesn't share whether her own reaction to this


ChatGPT gets its equivalent of the App Store – here are the best early GPTs
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
OpenAI has officially launched its GPT Store, allowing a select group of users and official partners to share customized chatbots with the community. The platform won't be available to the wider public, according to the company You must have a subscription to ChatGPT Plus ($20 / £16 a month), Enterprise, or the newly formed Teams plan. Once you buy the subscription, you’ll be given access to a va


Check your flights: Cancellations grow following 737 MAX 9 grounding
67The Points Guy / 10h
There’s no end in sight for cancellations triggered by the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft across the country in the wake of a harrowing inflight emergency late last week. Alaska Airlines on Wednesday announced plans to cancel hundreds of flights through at least Saturday, five days after one of its aircraft experienced an “explosive” loss of cabin pressure when a door plug separated from


SAG-AFTRA Inks Controversial Deal to Allow AI-Generated Voice Acting
Futurism / 10h
After spending months on strike over the use of artificial intelligence in media, the Screen Actor's Guild has decided to allow the use of AI "voice acting" in video games. In a press release , SAG-AFTRA announced that during this year's annual CES conference in Las Vegas, it had signed a deal with the AI voiceover firm Replica Studios to set the rules of engagement for AI voice cloning , or the


A new Windows update will let you use your Samsung Galaxy phone as a laptop webcam
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Looking your best on a video conferencing call, particularly when out and about, could soon be a lot easier thanks to a new collaboration between Samsung and Microsoft. The phone maker has announced that a new update to its Link to Windows software will mean that certain Samsung Galaxy smartphones can now be used as a business webcam on some laptops. The feature will utilize the smartphone's came


The Asus Zenbook Duo 2024 is the world's first dual-screen OLED laptop
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Asus is refreshing its Zenbook Duo series with a new 2024 model, which the company boasts is the “world’s first 14-inch dual-screen OLED laptop”. Technically, that's incorrect. Previous models in the line, like the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo , included a second OLED display, although that second screen was significantly smaller. It’s more accurate to say this is the first laptop with two equally sized As


Next-gen MEMS ultrasonic solid-state earbud drivers will deliver the bass
Engadget / 11h
While MEMS drivers may be the next big thing in true wireless earbuds, the first models with the solid-state components still require a hybrid setup. These products pair a MEMS speaker with a dynamic driver to ensure proper bass performance. The current-gen driver from xMEMS, a California-based company that develops the audio components, is called Cowell and it's already available in earbuds from


SEC Approves Bitcoin ETFs (For Real, This Time)
Gizmodo / 11h
After a hilarious fake out yesterday, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) *officially* approved 11 Bitcoin ETFs, giving the crypto world a much needed win. The ETFs will make it easier for normal, non-web3 people to invest in the cryptocurrency, opening up the opportunity for broader interest in the… Read more...


Are You Rich Enough to Buy This Folding TV?
Gizmodo / 11h
Read more...


The Best, Coolest, and Weirdest Gadgets at CES 2024
Gizmodo / 11h
CES 2024 was certainly interesting this year; while we did anticipate AI being inserted into everything from TVs to cars, there were some genuine surprises from the show floor here in Las Vegas. Despite going to what felt like a million press conferences and keynotes, the Gizmodo team did manage to find loads of cool,… Read more...


Grayscale CEO sees spot bitcoin ETF as first step toward ‘normalizing’ crypto
TechCrunch / 11h
It’s been a long road for spot bitcoin ETF filers — and today the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission finally approved all 11 standing applications from issuers. “I’ve known for 10 years that this was going to happen,” Michael Sonnenshein, CEO of Grayscale Investments, said on TechCrunch’s Chain Reaction podcast. “We always knew the investor sentiment […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserve


SEC Approves New Bitcoin ETFs, in Boon for Crypto Industry
300+NYT > Technology / 11h
The Securities and Exchange Commission authorized financial firms to offer a Bitcoin investment product that some hope will accelerate adoption of the technology.


Bitcoin ETFs Have Arrived. Here’s Who Stands to Get Rich
38Wired / 11h
The US approval of spot bitcoin ETFs, a new way to track the price of bitcoin, could trigger a gold rush for investors. But an exclusive cast of middlemen will earn big in the background, too.


Six Ways to Extend the Life of Any Vacuum
LifeHacker / 11h
It can be easy to forget that labor-saving devices used for cleaning—like dishwashers, washers, dryers, and vacuums—need to be cleaned and maintained themselves. Vacuum cleaners, for example, once were—and in some cases, continue to be—a major household investment. But, as materials and manufacturing have evolved over the decades, we've gotten to the point where repairing a vacuum (that's not und


CES 2024: The Coolest Smart Kitchen Tech We Saw
LifeHacker / 11h
I test a lot of smart tech and am an avid home cook, so I know the difference between a legitimately useful innovation and a tacked-on gimmick. I don’t want a remote for my icemaker: I want the ice maker to know when I want the ice, what kind of ice, and how much I need in my glass. This is the problem with so much kitchen tech on the market—it doesn’t really add much to the experience other than


Smart molluscs – yes, smart molluscs – could watch our waterways 24/7 for pollution
TechCrunch / 11h
If the clams could speak, what would they say? Surely we all ask ourselves this question every day. But a French startup is going further, allowing bivalves like clams, mussels and oysters to act as all-natural water quality inspectors. MolluSCAN was showing off its tech this year at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. The company […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Elon Musk Seems to Endorse Tweet Saying Students at Black Colleges Have Low IQs
200+Gizmodo / 11h
Elon Musk endorsed a tweet Tuesday that suggested graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have IQs approaching “borderline intellectual impairment.” This isn’t the first time the billionaire celebrated blatant bigotry on his platform in recent months. In November, Musk promoted a tweet that… Read more...


US approves first spot bitcoin ETF applications for 11 issuers
29TechCrunch / 11h
It’s been over a decade since the first application for a spot bitcoin ETF was filed. After a number of denials over the years, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has approved all 11 applications from spot bitcoin ETF issuers, marking a potential watershed moment for the crypto industry and potentially opening the floodgates by […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use


Microsoft hopes Android users ditch Chrome for Edge by powering up Copilot
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
The Android app version of Microsoft’s web browser, Edge, has received an optional upgrade with better Copilot support for images, amongst other new features. Windows Copilot, which Microsoft markets as a revolutionary general purpose digital assistant powered by artificial intelligence (AI), has been integrated in the Edge browser both on desktop and on Android smartphones and tablets for a whil


Brave Search can now deliver results for programming queries
24TechCrunch / 11h
Brave announced today that it’s adding its newly built CodeLLM to its search engine to deliver results for programming queries. The new AI-powered CodeLLM provides code snippets with step-by-step explanations and citations. CodeLLM is free and now integrated into Brave Search so users don’t have to switch apps to access it. CodeLLM is available to […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For p


Scientists Find Bottled Water Filled With Hundreds of Thousands of Microplastics
36Futurism / 11h
Put down that Dasani bottle and take a gander at some horrible news: there are way more tiny plastic particles in bottled water than previously thought, likely meaning untold deleterious impacts on the human body and our environment. Researchers from Columbia and Rutgers came out with a new study in the science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that detailed how they develop


NASA Starts Layoffs After Budget Cuts
84Futurism / 11h
Federal budget cuts have hit NASA hard. As a result, the space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has reportedly laid off 100 contractors last week, the LA Times reports , potentially forcing it to scale back its hugely ambitious Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. Last week, JPL director Laurie Leshin told staff that NASA's efforts to return samples from Mars back to Earth may be capped at just $3


I played Horizon Forbidden West inside Sony and Honda's Afeela concept EV at CES 2024
Engadget / 11h
A year since Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) announced its debut EV concept, the Afeela, the company is back at CES 2024 in Las Vegas to offer more details, more collaborations and a driving simulator. The name of the concept vehicle hasn’t changed since last we saw it. What is new, however, is the car's ability to be driven around with a PlayStation controller . I didn’t get to do that — it was a stun


The Game of Thrones Guys Say Lucasfilm Didn't Want Their 'First Jedi' Film
37Gizmodo / 11h
With a much-anticipated sci-fi project coming soon— Netflix’s 3 Body Problem series —creative partners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are reflecting back on a different, equally anticipated sci-fi project they never ended up making . In 2019, Disney revealed the Game of Thrones showrunners were working on a Star Wars movie ,… Read more...


Obscure Canadian startup wants you to connect four monitors to your laptop in a bid to boost your productivity — great for those looking to create their own hydra workstation
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
The Portable Monitor has turned heads at CES 2024 with its bizarre modular display system that can combine several displays to turn your laptop into a five-screen monster. The startup has launched three new products in a bid to one of the best portable monitor makers at the trade show, including its foldable 24-inch offering, the Twins, alongside a device with two slideable 14-inch display, the F


CES 2024: ASUS’s Latest Gaming Phone Is Thinner and Lighter Than Ever Before
LifeHacker / 11h
During CES 2024, ASUS debuted quite a few things, including new PC components designed to make building a PC even easier. Perhaps one of the most exciting announcements, though, was the reveal of its ROG Phone 8 series, which will blend lighter, slimmer designs with the powerful gaming potential of the ROG lineup. The ROG Phone 8 series will launch with a regular and Pro edition, allowing gamers


CES 2024: All the Coolest (and Weirdest) Gaming Gear We Saw
LifeHacker / 11h
When you get into gaming, you likely won't just shop for the essential hardware, like graphics cards and mice with extra buttons. Before you know it, you'll be Googling gaming chairs and headsets and light-up keyboards. CES 2024 kicked things up a notch, debuting a wide variety of innovative gaming tech—some of which is legitimately cool, and some of which is a little... quirky. Cushions with hap


Peregrine's Failure Won’t Derail NASA’s Outsourced Space Dreams
Gizmodo / 11h
The dreaded announcement arrived yesterday in a tweet , with Astrobotic admitting that, as a result of a catastrophic propellant leak, there’s “no chance of a soft landing on the Moon.” Mission specialists are scrambling to salvage what they can , but the much-hyped Peregrine-1 lunar mission is effectively over, with a f… Read more...


The $2,000 ASUS ZenScreen Fold solves the biggest issue with portable monitors
Engadget / 12h
When I’m away from home and don’t have access to my big desktop displays, it feels like I’m missing a limb. Unfortunately, there’s a limit to how big a portable monitor can really be. After a certain point, it’s not going to fit in a reasonably sized bag. ASUS’s ZenScreen Fold solves that problem through the use of a bendy OLED panel. I had a chance to see it person while covering CES 2024 here i


Kodi 20.3 Now Available: Here's What's New
How-To Geek / 12h
Kodi, formerly known as XBMC, is a popular media center interface that works on almost any device you can imagine. The project's developers have now released Kodi 20.3, which will be the last planned update before the arrival of Kodi 21.


Nowatch adds watch faces to a fitness tracker that vows not to interrupt you
TechCrunch / 12h
I first ran into Nowatch at CES last year, and its founders have been hard at work to evolve the product over the past year, packing in a bunch of AI-powered insights into its wearable jewelry that’s shaped like a watch, but doesn’t interrupt you or, well, do anything other than track you and look […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


The world’s most powerful passports for 2024 are revealed
2KThe Points Guy / 12h
The world’s most powerful passports for 2024 have been revealed — with the biggest shake-up in rankings we’ve seen in several years, including a never-before-seen six nations in first place. The annual Henley Passport Index ranks passports using data from the International Air Transport Association. The index looks at 199 national passports, which are then scored based on how many visa-free desti


Slack's new 'Catch Up' feature knows you're overwhelmed and overworked
Mashable / 12h
Slack knows you've got a lot going on at work. There are just so many channels, messages, and threads. A new feature is aimed at making things easier to navigate. The Verge reported Slack is set to add a feature called "Catch Up" that'll let you swipe through channels and DMs, either marking it as read or leaving it unread. Catch Up is reportedly slated to drop only for the mobile app and is aime


Accessibility startup Augmental is working on head tracking and ‘silent speech’
TechCrunch / 12h
Imagine a world where you can control your smartphone or laptop just by moving your head or subtly shifting your tongue — a future where voiceless communication becomes a reality. That’s exactly what Augmental has been working on, and it’s nothing short of awe-inspiring. Augmental is one of those startups that’s fantastically easy to cheer […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal


25 gadgets from CES 2024 that you can buy right now
Engadget / 12h
The best part about CES 2024 has been all of the cool product announcements. Many of these products are early in development, so not available for purchase. Some, however, are already on store shelves, allowing tech-crazed consumers to see what all the fuss is about. Here are some of the niftier items displayed at this year’s CES that are ready, willing and able to empty your bank account. These


OpenAI’s GPT Store lets ChatGPT users discover popular user-made chatbot roles
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images / Benj Edwards ) On Wednesday, OpenAI announced the launch of its GPT Store —a way for ChatGPT users to share and discover custom chatbot roles called "GPTs"—and ChatGPT Team , a collaborative ChatGPT workspace and subscription plan. OpenAI bills the new store as a way to "help you find useful and popular custom versions of ChatGPT" for members of Plus, Team, or Ente


Portable monitors could make foldable-screen gadgets finally make sense
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Asus plans to release this foldable OLED monitor in 2024. Electronics retailer Abt Electronics captured footage of it on display at CES. [credit: Abt Electronics/YouTube ] Foldable screens have been bending their way into consumer gadgets over the last few years. But with skepticism about durability, pricing, image quality, and the necessity of such devices, foldable screens aren't mainstream. Wi


I really wanted to hate the $2,000 earbuds I tried at CES
TechCrunch / 12h
Look, anyone who is saying they’re going to start selling a pair of $2,000 studio monitor-quality in-ear headphones had better show up with the receipts. At that price point, one could acquire Apple’s top-of-the-line AirPod Max headphones and have enough money left over to pick up a MacBook Pro as well. I spoke with Breggz […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Cat Goes Missing for 7 Years, Turns Out to Be Living at a Factory 900 Feet Away
78Gizmodo / 12h
A UK woman’s missing cat appears to have done the most cat thing imaginable—spending years on his own just 900 feet away from home. The missing Bengal cat, named Duke, was discovered leading a new life in a nearby factory seven years after he went missing. Read more...


10 gadgets from CES 2024 that you can buy already
Mashable / 12h
There are a lot of "maybes" and "hope tos" uttered at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) , as many of the products demoed there take months or years to launch. And that's if they even make it to market at all; prototypes, previews, and proofs of concept are running themes at the annual tech convention in Las Vegas. But fortunately for anyone eager to get their hands on the latest gadgets, there


Complete guide to airline status matches and challenges in 2024
3KThe Points Guy / 12h
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


Elon Musk Makes Ridiculous Excuse for His Enemies’ Accounts Getting Deleted
23Futurism / 12h
Excuse Goose Days after X-formerly-Twitter banned several left-leaning accounts on the social media platform with no good reason or warning, owner and head honcho Elon Musk tried to explain away the fiasco with a flimsy excuse. "We do sweeps for spam/scam accounts and sometimes real accounts get caught up in them," he posted on X after probing questions from other users. Sharp-elbowed X users in


Hyped AI Pin Startup Humane Lays Off Some Staff Amid Reorganization
Gizmodo / 12h
Only two months after it unveiled its much anticipated “AI Pin,” flashy startup Humane has laid off four percent of its staff, according to a report from The Verge Tuesday. The layoffs, which will affect 10 people, come as a wave of cuts are impacting workers at other , larger companies in the tech industry . Read more...


Our First Tease of Ahsoka Season 2 Is a Dave Filoni Sketch
55Gizmodo / 12h
Buried in Tuesday’s news of an upcoming Star Wars movie starring the Mandalorian and Grogu was an update that’s arguably even more exciting. Dave Filoni is hard at work developing a second season of Ahsoka, something that hadn’t yet been made official in the wake of season one. Read more...


Even wireless tools aren't safe from ransomware attacks
Financial Theft (Enterprise T1657)•
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Hackers can compromise intranet-connected wrenches - and it’s a lot more dangerous and disruptive than it sounds, with ransomware as the possible end threat. Cybersecurity researchers from Nozomi published a report in which they claim finding almost two dozen vulnerabilities in a device called Bosch Rexroth Handheld Nutrunner NXA015S-36V-B. This is a cordless, intranet-connected wrench that engin


ChatGPT maker OpenAI launches GPT Store and a subscription tier for teams
Engadget / 12h
OpenAI has rolled out its store for custom GPTs and a new ChatGPT subscription tier for smaller teams. The GPT Store allows developers and users to share and profit from their custom versions of the viral chatbot . Meanwhile, ChatGPT Team costs $25 to $30 monthly per user while offering