Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Technology News and More-Wednesday Edition..

Technology News and More...




You can now buy a flame-throwing robot dog for under $10,000
1KArs Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / The Thermonator robot flamethrower dog. (credit: Throwflame ) If you've been wondering when you'll be able to order the flame-throwing robot that Ohio-based Throwflame first announced last summer, that day has finally arrived. The Thermonator, what Throwflame bills as "the first-ever flamethrower-wielding robot dog" is now available for purchase. The price? $9,420. Thermonator is a quad


Tesla Earnings Report: Revenue Fell to $21.3 Billion, Adding to Strategy Concerns
3KNYT > Technology / 15h
The first-quarter results are likely to fuel worries that competitors will continue grabbing a bigger slice of a market dealing with slowing electric car sales.



Bang & Olufsen Beosystem 9000c: Price, Specs, Release Date
Wired / 13min
Bang & Olufsen has released just 200 units of its new-old CD changer, but it reminds us that a corporation can’t ever delete a physical, plastic disc out of your great big honking CD collection.



Wear OS 5: what we want to see, and all the leaks so far
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 43min
Wear OS 4 only launched last year, and despite new versions of Wear OS not usually landing yearly, it looks like Wear OS 5 might launch well before the end of 2024. That’s not confirmed just yet, but leaks point in that direction. So your Wear OS smartwatch could be getting a major software update much sooner than you might have expected. Exactly what that update will include is less clear, but b


French startup FlexAI exits stealth with $30M to ease access to AI compute
28TechCrunch / 1h
With the current iteration of its product going through its paces with a handful of beta customers, FlexAI will launch its first commercial product later this year. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


The obscure little PC that wanted to be a big NAS — super compact Maiyunda M1 doesn't cost that much, offers up to 40TB SSD storage, runs Windows and has 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
At first glance, the Maiyunda M1 doesn’t look all that special. It’s a mini PC with a large on/off button on the front, alongside a TF card slot, a USB 3.0 port, and two USB 2.0 ports. On the rear, there are HDMI 2.0 and DP ports to allow the device to drive two screens simultaneously (4K/60Hz). There are also four 2.5GbE RJ45 ports plus two additional USB 2.0 slots. With dimensions of just 165 x


Image site Abload going offline reminds me of how much online content we've permanently lost
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
In a devastating blog post, image-uploading site Abload announced that it would be permanently shutting down its website by June 30, 2024. Abload, which has been around as a free service since 2006, stopped accepting new uploads back in December 2023. According to the blog post , the team had spent four months trying to keep the site afloat but failed in the end and now its entire contents — lega


This renewable energy engineer course bundle is on sale for 85% off
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: The Complete Renewable Energy Engineer Preparation Bundle is on sale for £32.33, saving you 85% on list price. Wandering down a new career path can be daunting, what with the rising cost of tuition and the ever-changing job market. But don’t let that stand in your way if you’re really passionate about something like renewable energy and engineering. Something that you could do before makin


Gemini's next evolution could let you use the AI while you browse the internet
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 3h
Gemini may receive a big update on mobile in the near future where it’ll gain several new features including a text box overlay. Details of the upgrade come from industry insider AssembleDebug who shared his findings with a couple of publications. PiunikaWeb gained insight into the overlay and it’s quite fascinating seeing it in action. It converts the AI’s input box into a small floating window


Google-backed Glance pilots Android lockscreen platform in US
TechCrunch / 3h
Glance, which operates a popular lockscreen platform targeting Android smartphones, is setting its sights on the U.S. market. The Indian startup recently commenced a pilot program in partnership with Motorola and Verizon in the U.S., with plans for a full launch in the country later this year, sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. The […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For pe


TikTok faces US ban as bill set to be signed by Biden
71BBC News / 4h
The app's owner, ByteDance, has nine months to sell its stake or face being blocked in the US.


Tesla FSD, Robotaxi, AI Services and Optimus Teslabot From Q1 Earnings
Next Big Future / 4h
Tesla revealed a lot about all of their existing and planned artificial intelligence related products and services in the Q1 2024 earnings call. Elon talked about offering FSD/robotaxi as a hybrid Airbnb and Uber model. Tesla will operating the fleet and the network. The enduser will be able to control their participation in the robotaxi ... Read more


Tesla Accelerates Roadmaps – With Cybercab, Upgraded Factories Late 2024 or Early 2025
Next Big Future / 4h
Tesla is speeding up new car products and modifying current factories with aspects of the next generation unboxed factory processes. The partial updated factory processes will not enable the full full 50% cost reduction previously described for the unboxed process but could see 20-30% cost reductions. This would enable a smoother transition for vehicles volume ... Read more


Senate passes a bill that would ban TikTok if ByteDance doesn’t sell it
TechCrunch / 4h
The bill gives Bytedance nine months to force a sale with a 90-day extension, which is effectively a year to complete the deal. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


TikTok Divest-or-Ban Bill Passes in the Senate
Gizmodo / 4h
The U.S. Senate passed the TikTok bill on Tuesday evening in a vote of 79-18 . The bill, which bans TikTok unless Bytedance sells it to a U.S. owner, flew through Congress this week as part of a broader package to provide $90 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. President Joe Biden said in a statement … Read more...


The all-electric Mercedes G-Class ratchets up the tech and off-road capability


27TechCrunch / 4h
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class — the rugged off-road powerhouse that launched in 1979 and has since become a brutalist status symbol — has gone electric. This is, in many ways, Mercedes’ most prestigious car, a model more prized for its presence and exclusivity than its power and capability. Going electric, then, is more than an historic […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use onl


Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 24
Mashable / 4h
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 April 24'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 c


This Is the Beginning of the End of TikTok
24Wired / 5h
After years of negotiations, the Senate approved a bill to force TikTok to either divest from its Chinese owners or face an outright ban.


Fragments of bird flu virus genome found in pasteurized milk, FDA says
Ars Technica - All content / 5h
Enlarge / Cows being milked (credit: Getty | Edwin Remsberg ) The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced that genetic fragments from the highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 have been detected in the pasteurized, commercial milk supply. However, the testing completed so far—using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)—only detects the presence of viral genetic material a


Congress Passed a Bill That Could Ban TikTok. Now Comes the Hard Part.
100+NYT > Technology / 5h
After President Biden signs the bill to force a sale of the video app or ban it, the legislation will face court challenges, a shortage of qualified buyers and Beijing’s hostility.


Senate passes bill that could ban TikTok
Engadget / 5h
A bill that could ban TikTok is now all but certain to become law. The Senate approved a measure that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban, in a vote of 79 - 18. The “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” will next head to President Joe Biden, who has said he would sign the bill into law. While it’s far from the first effort to force a ban or divestm


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for April 24
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


Tesla’s new growth plan is centered around mysterious cheaper models
43TechCrunch / 7h
Tesla’s been undergoing some major changes, and now we have a sense of why: The company says it is upending its product roadmap because of “pressure” on EV sales. The new and accelerated plan now includes “more affordable models” that the company claims will be launched next year. Or if Tesla CEO Elon Musk is […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Noncompetes Are Dead—and Tech Workers Are Free to Roam
53Wired / 7h
A new rule from the US Federal Trade Commission invalidates most noncompete agreements, frequently used to bind tech workers. It could unlock higher wages and more entrepreneurship and innovation.


Quordle today – hints and answers for Wednesday, April 24 (game #821)
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Welcome to Wednesday's Quordle. It's the same as Monday's, Tuesday's and all the other days, other than it takes place today and not on a different one. Ahem. As always, you get four Wordle-style puzzles to solve at the same time, plus there's a further game in the form of the Daily Sequence variant, where you complete them in turn. And as always, it can be tricky – so there's no shame if you nee


NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, April 24 (game #52)
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Hello! Today's Strands puzzle is a real head-scratcher, so you'll need your wits about you to solve it. Not feeling at your smartest today? Don't worry, I have some helpful hints for you below. (But you don't need them really. Go on, you can do it. You got this!) SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers. NYT Strands toda


Weight Loss Drug Users Are Giving Up Their Vices
Gizmodo / 8h
It’s not only food CEOs who need to worry about their bottom lines thanks to in-demand weight loss drugs like Ozempic. Big Tobacco and Alcohol have reason to fret, too. Read more...


Bioluminescence Is at Least Half a Billion Years Old
Gizmodo / 8h
Bioluminescence, the eerie, beautiful phenomena that allows living things to glow, is way more ancient than previously thought, according to a team of researchers that recently studied the ability in octocorals. Read more...


The spam came from inside the house: How a smart TV can choke a Windows PC
22Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge / I have hundreds of UUIDs and I must scream. (credit: Getty Images) The modern "smart" TV asks a lot of us. In exchange for connecting you to a few streaming services you use, a TV will collect data , show ads , and serve as another vector for bad actors . In a few reported cases, though, a modern connected TV has been blamed for attacks not on privacy, eyeballs, or passwords but on an e


Why canned wine can smell like rotten eggs while beer and Coke are fine
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge (credit: BackyardProduction/Getty Images) True wine aficionados might turn up their noses, but canned wines are growing in popularity, particularly among younger crowds during the summer months, when style often takes a back seat to convenience. Yet these same wines can go bad rather quickly, taking on distinctly displeasing notes of rotten eggs or dirty socks. Scientists at Cornell Unive


JetBlue Stock Crashes 19% On Earnings Call, Future Looks Uncertain Without Coherent Strategy
View from the Wing / 8h
JetBlue Airlines stock was down nearly 19% today on its earnings report – on a day when the broader market, including Delta and United, were up. Continue reading ...


Dentist Alarmed to Spot Human Jawbone in Parents’ Tile Floor
26Futurism / 8h
Tile Driver A dentist was in for a huge shock when he looked down at his parents' new tile floor and saw what appeared to be the fossil of a human mandible. The dentist, who has not provided media outlets with his name to protect his privacy and that of his parents, first made waves on the r/fossils subreddit when he posted a photo of the jawbone in question to get information from others about i


You Can Get This Mini Poooli Pocket Printer on Sale for $70 Right Now
LifeHacker / 8h
You can get this PoooliPrint pocket-sized thermal printer on sale for $69.99 right now (reg. $160). The PoooliPrint is great for printing pictures, notes, and to-do lists, and it's small enough to fit into pockets, backpacks, or suitcases. It works by connecting to the Poooli app (available on iPhone and Android) and uploading pictures, notes, or to-do lists, then just hitting print. It comes wit


How to Use Photoshop’s New AI-powered Image Tools
LifeHacker / 8h
Photoshop maker Adobe is no stranger to AI images, but today marks a new milestone in the company’s efforts to make accessible, ethical generative AI. For the first time ever in the Photoshop app, users can now generate full images from scratch without ever needing to leave the program. The innovation is powered by the company’s new Firefly Image 3 model , and comes alongside the abilities to gen


United MileagePlus seemingly devalues first-class partner redemptions
The Points Guy / 9h
Editor’s note: This is a developing story. Sorry, United Airlines MileagePlus members — the airline is apparently rolling out another major mileage devaluation. As first reported on FlyerTalk , United is raising redemption prices on first-class travel with partners such as All Nippon Airways and Lufthansa. The news of another United devaluation comes less than a year after United increased award


Rebel Moon - Part Two Couldn’t Quite Eclipse Part One
Gizmodo / 9h
After a fourth-month wait, Netflix viewers turned up by the tens of millions to see how Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon saga finished , but the number didn’t quite hit that of the first film. Read more...


Tesla Upgrade Existing 3/Y Lines to Increase Volumes Towards 3 Million Cars in 2025
Next Big Future / 9h
Tesla has updated their future vehicle line-up to accelerate the launch of new models ahead of their previously communicated start of production in the second half of 2025. These new vehicles, including more affordable models, will utilize aspects of the next generation platform as well as aspects of the current platforms, and will be able ... Read more


Tesla Shows a Ridehailing App and Will Launch a Ride Hailing Service
Next Big Future / 9h
Tesla has been investing in the hardware and software ecosystems necessary to achieve vehicle autonomy and a ride-hailing service. They believe a scalable and profitable autonomy business can be realized through a vision-only architecture with end-to-end neural networks, trained on billions of miles of real-world data. Tesla had over 35,000 H100 at the end of ... Read more


Nestlé baby foods loaded with unhealthy sugars—but only in poorer countries
35Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / Night view of company logos in Nestlé Avanca Dairy Products Plant on January 21, 2019, in Avanca, Portugal. This plant produces Cerelac, Nestum, Mokambo, Pensal, Chocapic and Estrelitas, among others. (credit: Getty | Horacio Villalobos ) In high-income countries, Nestlé brand baby foods have no added sugars them, in line with recommendations from major health organizations around the w


FTC bans noncompete clauses, declares vast majority unenforceable
100+Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan talks with guests during an event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on April 03, 2024 (credit: Getty Images | Chip Somodevilla ) The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that it has issued a final rule banning noncompete clauses. The rule will render the vast majority of current noncompete clauses unenforceable, according to t


Hackers infect users of antivirus service that delivered updates over HTTP
4 TTPs•
49Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Hackers abused an antivirus service for five years in order to infect end users with malware. The attack worked because the service delivered updates over HTTP, a protocol vulnerable to attacks that corrupt or tamper with data as it travels over the Internet. The unknown hackers, who may have ties to the North Korean government, pulled off this feat by performing a


Microsoft’s Phi-3 shows the surprising power of small, locally run AI language models
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) On Tuesday, Microsoft announced a new, freely available lightweight AI language model named Phi-3-mini, which is simpler and less expensive to operate than traditional large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI's GPT-4 Turbo . Its small size is ideal for running locally, which could bring an AI model of similar capability to the free version of ChatGPT to a smartphone


Tesla Promises ‘More Affordable Models’ and a ‘Cybercab’
100+Wired / 9h
Elon Musk’s automaker told investors Tuesday that sales and revenue are down but that new “more affordable models” will launch before mid-2025, sooner than originally planned.


Minute Suites: Complete guide to the airport lounge
The Points Guy / 9h
Have you ever been so tired while traversing the airport that you would pay thousands of dollars just for somewhere to lie down and close your eyes for an hour or two? A Minute Suites airport lounge is what you’re looking for. Luckily, they don’t charge five figures for a cat nap — but they’re not cheap, either. Fortunately, you can hack your way in for free with one simple trick. Here’s what you


The world's leading AI companies pledge to protect the safety of children online
Engadget / 9h
Leading artificial intelligence companies including OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Meta and others have jointly pledged to prevent their AI tools from being used to exploit children and generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The initiative was led by child-safety group Thorn and All Tech Is Human, a non-profit focused on responsible tech. The pledges from AI companies, Thorn said , “set a groun


The Out-of-Touch Adults’ Guide to Kid Culture: 'The Tortured Poets Department'
27LifeHacker / 9h
Taylor Swift released a new album this week. While the singer is 34 years old—practically middle-aged—her music speaks to young people directly, and they are speaking back. Less mainstream young people are becoming huge fans of a Chinese industrial chemical company. Read on, and I'll explain why. The internet reacts to Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department The Tortured Poets Department rel


Does Electrical Muscle Stimulation Really Supercharge Your Workouts?
LifeHacker / 9h
I’ve tried a lot of strange workouts in the name of science, but there was no experience quite like seeing myself in an EMS suit for the first time. It’s all black, with straps and buckles everywhere. A long wire is about to connect me to a computer. I feel like I’m suiting up to operate a spaceship or a giant robot. Instead, I’m about to do lunges and pushups while being told that I’m getting a


What Could Go Wrong? Company Selling Robot Dog With Attached Flamethrower
500+Futurism / 9h
Convicted Arfonist Pyromaniacs rejoice! If you live in the US, you can now buy a stout little robot dog mounted with a full-blown flamethrower — because what else are you going to do with those terrifyingly capable quadrupeds? The "Thermonator," as it's known, was first teased by its manufacturer Throwflame last summer . And behold, it's now officially on sale. To mark the occasion, a new video s


Tesla previews ride-hailing experience ahead of August robotaxi unveil
Engadget / 9h
Tesla has shown off a preview of an upcoming ride-hailing feature in its app ahead of an August robotaxi unveiling. The company released mock-ups of the upcoming feature, which showed the ability to “summon” a ride from the Tesla app. The company didn’t offer many details about how it would work, but images show Uber-like functionality, with the ability to remotely set the car’s temperature ahead


Bane From Batman: The Animated Series Gets an Eye-Popping New Figure
Gizmodo / 9h
At over 13 inches tall, Mondo ’s take on Bane as he appears in Batman: The Animated Series will lend plenty of charismatic villainy to your toy shelf. He comes with swappable facial expressions and hands, with options increased if you go for the deluxe version. Read more...


Amazon's New Subscription is Great For Grocery Shopping
How-To Geek / 9h
Buying your groceries online is probably an increasingly popular option. Even as online purchases became popular, people still liked going into supermarkets and grabbing groceries themselves. While that hasn't changed, you can also just have your groceries delivered to your doorstep. Amazon has just added a subscription that'll be perfect for you if you're in the latter camp.


FTC Bans Non-Compete Clauses for All Companies Nationwide
83Gizmodo / 9h
Non-compete clauses are a thing of the past thanks to a new ruling from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Read more...


“I wanted to work on something that didn’t exist”
MIT Technology Review / 10h
In 2017 Polina Anikeeva, PhD ’09, was invited to a conference in the Netherlands to give a talk about magnetic technologies that she and her team had developed at MIT and how they might be used for deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson’s disease. After sitting through a long day of lectures, she was struck by one talk in particular, in which a researcher brought up the idea that Parkinson’s m


A walking antidote to political cynicism
MIT Technology Review / 10h
Burhan Azeem ’19 had never been to a city council meeting before he showed up to give a public comment on an affordable-­housing bill his senior year. Walking around Cambridge, he saw a “young, dynamic, racially diverse city,” but when he stepped inside City Hall, most of the others who had arrived to present comments were retirees reflecting a much narrower—and older—demographic. Less than a yea


Raman to go
MIT Technology Review / 10h
For a harried wastewater manager, a commercial farmer, a factory owner, or anyone who might want to analyze dozens of water samples, and fast, it sounds almost miraculous. Light beamed from a central laser zips along fiber-optic cables and hits one of dozens of probes waiting at the edge of a field, or at the mouth of a sewage outflow, or wherever it’s needed. In turn, these probes return nearly


Taking on climate change, Rad Lab style
MIT Technology Review / 10h
When I last wrote, the Institute had just announced MIT’s Climate Project . Now that it’s underway, I’d like to tell you a bit more about how we came to launch this ambitious new enterprise. In the fall of 2022, as soon as I accepted the president’s job at MIT, several of my oldest friends spontaneously called to say, in effect, “Can you please fix the climate?” And once I arrived, I heard the sa


I went to COP28. Now the real work begins.
MIT Technology Review / 10h
As an international student at MIT, I find that the privileges I’ve experienced in the States have made me even more conscious of my nation’s struggles. Brief visits home remind me that in Jamaica, I can’t always count on what I often take for granted in Massachusetts: water flowing through the faucet, timely public transportation, a safe neighborhood to live in. And after working hard in school


The silver-platter season
MIT Technology Review / 10h
In the spring of 1974, I was new to both MIT and rugby football. As a Course 2 graduate student, I shared a basement office with several other students, including two players on the Tech rugby club who encouraged me to join them. Being both an Anglophile and a beer drinker, I was pretty easily talked into participating in this sport, with its British roots and after-match parties. I played mainly


What’s one memento you kept from your time at MIT?
MIT Technology Review / 10h
Alumni leave MIT armed with knowledge and a whole lot of memories. During Tech Reunions in 2023, the MIT Alumni Association asked returning alums what else they had held onto since leaving campus. Here are just a few of their responses. Diane Marie McKnight ’75, SM ’78, PhD ’79, kept a bronze oarlock used for securing an oar on a boat. “I sand-casted it myself as part of my last class in mechanic


An invisibility cloak for would-be cancers
MIT Technology Review / 10h
One of the immune system’s roles is to detect and kill cells that have acquired cancerous mutations. However, some early-stage cancer cells manage to survive. A new study on colon cancer from MIT and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has identified one reason why: they turn on a gene called SOX17 , which renders them essentially invisible to immune surveillance. The researchers focused on precance


The energy transition’s effects on jobs
MIT Technology Review / 10h
A county-by-county analysis by MIT researchers shows the places in the US that stand to see the biggest economic changes from the switch to cleaner energy because their job markets are most closely linked to fossil fuels. While many of those places have intensive drilling and mining operations, the researchers find, areas that rely on industries such as heavy manufacturing could also be among the


A linguistic warning sign for dementia
MIT Technology Review / 10h
Older people with mild cognitive impairment, especially when characterized by episodic memory loss, are at increased risk for dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Now a study by researchers from MIT, Cornell, and Massachusetts General Hospital has identified a key deficit unrelated to memory that may help reveal the condition early—when any available treatments are likely to be most effective. Th


American Airlines Extends Mileage Earning For Tickets Bought Through Travel Agents Until July 11
View from the Wing / 10h
In February, American Airlines announced that tickets booked through many third parties would no longer earn miles starting May 1 – but they wouldn’t announce the list of sites whose bookings would become ineligible to earn miles until late April. Continue reading ...


Considering British Airways’ generous status match? I flew American Airlines with BA status
29The Points Guy / 10h
British Airways is offering a generous limited-time status match offer for U.S.-based members of its loyalty program, British Airways Executive Club . BA is a member of the Oneworld alliance, partnering with airlines such as American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. BA status when flying these airlines can be even more valuable than holding elite status with American’s or Alaska’s own program. So, w


The 8 Most Annoying Things About Windows 11 and How Microsoft Could Make It Better
Gizmodo / 10h
We’ve all been there before. You unbox your shiny new PC , everything preinstalled, and you’re so excited you’re practically molting in your chair in anticipation for it to boot up. You’re so engrossed that you forget there’s a 10-ton gorilla lying in wait just around the corner. It’s Windows 11, a mammoth operating… Read more...


Sustainable laptops to make every day Earth Day
Mashable / 10h
We all want to make greener choices, but shopping for sustainable tech products isn’t quite as easy as choosing greener fashion or furniture, partly because high-performance second-hand tech is almost impossible to come by. Dell and Intel have set out to change that with their Advancing Sustainability action plan, which aims to drive sustainability across the entire product lifecycle. Part of thi


Cops Are Now Using AI to Generate Police Reports
34Gizmodo / 10h
Axon, the public safety contractor that popularized the Taser , has launched a new product that is less actively terrifying but still vaguely concerning: an AI-powered software program that lets cops automate their police reports. Read more...


Grindr users seek payouts after dating app shared HIV status with vendors
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Thomas Trutschel) Grindr is facing a class action lawsuit from hundreds of users over the sharing of HIV statuses and other sensitive personal information with third-party firms. UK law firm Austen Hays filed the claim in the High Court in London yesterday, the firm announced . The class action "alleges the misuse of private information of thousands of affected UK


iPadOS 18 could ship with built-in Calculator app, after 14 Calculator-less years
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Apple/Andrew Cunningham) Last year, Apple introduced the ability to set multiple timers at once in the Clock app on its various platforms. “We truly live in an age of wonders,” deadpanned Apple’s Craig Federighi in the company’s official presentation , tacitly acknowledging the gap between the apparent simplicity of the feature and the amount of time that Apple took to implement


The New Samsung Galaxy A35 Comes With a $40 Amazon Gift Card
LifeHacker / 10h
In Europe, Samsung released the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G A Series in March, but it just launched in the U.S. on April 18. The phone continues Samsung's A-series lineup of budget phones, but this Samsung Galaxy A35 has a large, premium display and long battery life, making it a great choice for anyone looking for a new budget-friendly phone. And if you order it through Amazon, it costs $399.99 and in


Why You Should Read a Home's Permit History Before You Buy It
LifeHacker / 10h
Considering the expense and trouble involved in buying a home, it’s kind of amazing that most people only perform cursory research into the property. They might stop by a few times to walk around; they will probably hire an inspector to take a slightly more in-depth look (though most home inspections aren’t exactly what you might call exhaustive ), and rely on a title search as part of the lender


Southwest Rapid Rewards is now offering Cash + Points redemption
The Points Guy / 10h
Southwest Airlines is rolling out a new option for redeeming your Southwest Rapid Rewards points. As of Monday, the Dallas-based carrier now offers Cash + Points redemptions — the option to redeem a combination of cash and Rapid Rewards points toward your Southwest flight. Southwest noted in the FAQ section for the feature that not all Rapid Rewards members will have the option available to them


What’s the difference between a credit freeze and a fraud alert?
45The Points Guy / 10h
We do a lot of things in the name of security. We lock our doors, give our accounts complicated passwords and track our checked luggage with AirTags . But one thing we may overlook in our security efforts is our credit — and it’s something we should pay attention to. It seems there are always new reports of data breaches, and chances are good that our credit information has been exposed by now. A


Heathrow Border Force, Gatwick catering woes and French ATC: The travel strikes hitting Europe in April and May
500+The Points Guy / 10h
Editor’s note: This page will be updated as new information emerges. We always hope your travel will be trouble-free, but there are strikes and other disruptions across Europe to look out for in the coming weeks. If you plan to travel during these dates and need advice, read our guide to insurance policies and strike coverage . Additionally, find out what you may be entitled to in terms of compen


IHG cardholders: Book by Saturday 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. The popular award discount from IHG One Rewards 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 Saturday and check in by June 10 for this discount. I have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card . When I log in to my acc


Cops Using AI That Automatically Generates Police Reports From Body Cam Footage
64Futurism / 10h
Taser maker and police contractor Axon has announced a new product called "Draft One," an AI that can generate police reports from body cam audio. As Forbes reports , it's a brazen and worrying use of the tech that could easily lead to the furthering of institutional ills like racial bias in the hands of police departments. That's not to mention the propensity of AI models to "hallucinate" facts,


Tesla profits drop 55%, company says EV sales ‘under pressure’ from hybrids
57TechCrunch / 10h
Tesla profits fell 55% to $1.13 billion in the first quarter from the same year-ago period as a protracted EV price-cutting strategy and “several unforeseen challenges” cut into the automaker’s bottom line. Tesla reported revenue of $21.3 billion in the first quarter, a 9% drop from the first quarter of 2023. Analysts polled by Yahoo Finance […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For persona


The Best Things You Didn’t Know Your Switch Could Do
Gizmodo / 10h
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A TikTok ban would probably also take down CapCut, Lemon8, and more
Mashable / 11h
The U.S. government is inching closer and closer to a TikTok ban, a move that would impact more than just TikTok. As Mashable reported over the weekend, the House passed an updated version of the ban with bipartisan support. If or when it makes its way to President Biden's desk, Biden has signaled he will sign it into law, and effectively ban TikTok in the U.S. unless its China-based parent compa


This Westworld Auction Suggests the Show Really Is Over Forever
100Gizmodo / 11h
With Fallout’s success and season-two renewal , it’s been seeming ever more unlikely that Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy would get a chance to revisit their previous sci-fi series, Westworld— cancelled by HBO after four seasons, despite talk about how season five had already been plotted out. Well, here’s another nail in… Read more...


Elon Musk Has a Point
100+Gizmodo / 11h
Elon Musk is currently battling government officials in Australia who are trying to force X to remove a video of a man being stabbed last week . An Australian court has ordered the video removed globally rather than just having it geo-blocked in Australia. And while Gizmodo has been extremely critical of Musk’s poor… Read more...


Steve Jobs was wrong about the post-PC era and the next batch of iPads should embrace this
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
The original iPad was important enough to get its own live on-stage introduction by the late Steve Jobs. It was such a revolutionary idea that it predates the iPhone and we might've been using Apple's first tablet in 2007 if Steve Jobs hadn't steered the technology to a pocketable format. After the January 27, 2010 launch, the world, for a time, seemed to revolve around Apple's iPad, a silicon, g


You Can Check a Car's VIN History for Free
LifeHacker / 11h
Buying a used car can be risky business if you don't do your due diligence. One of the most important steps is to get the vehicle's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) checked for any unsavory histories like past accidents, flood damage, or odometer rollback fraud. Fortunately, there are ways to get a free VIN check that can alert you to potential issues before you seal the deal. What is a VIN ch


If Your Galaxy Notifications Are Messed Up, Here's the Fix
LifeHacker / 11h
If the notifications on your Galaxy smartphone are all messed up, you're not alone. As reported by Android Police , Samsung's latest One UI 6.1 update has inadvertently affected notification categories on some users' Galaxy devices, throwing their carefully curated alert settings out the window. Luckily, there's a fix. Notification categories, or notification channels as Google calls them, is a f


NASA Ponders Why Gas Produced by Life on Earth Is Leaking Out of Mars at Night
100+Futurism / 11h
Emission Control NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has made consistent and puzzling findings while roaming the barren surface of the planet's Gale Crater: mysterious puffs of methane gas that only appear at night and vanish during the day. Over the years, the rover's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument has repeatedly detected significant concentrations of the gas, sometimes spiking to 40 times the


Adobe unveils AI features for Photoshop — but not everyone is happy about it
Mashable / 11h
Adobe has new generative AI features for rookie Photoshop users, but there are concerns from creative professionals. On Tuesday, Adobe announced a beta version of Photoshop with new features to generate and edit images from text prompts. Generative AI capabilities are powered by Adobe's Firefly Image 3 model which was also released today. New to the photo-editing software is a Generate Image tool


Soundcore's new sports earbuds offer a Powerbeats Pro-style customizable secure fit for a fraction of the price
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Anker’s audio sub-brand Soundcore has very quietly launched a new pair of athletic earbuds known as the Sport X20. The company didn't exactly roll out the red carpet for the devices as it made the announcement on Reddit . But they do appear to be worthy successors to the Sport X10 . One of their main features is the adjustable ear hook. Made out of soft silicone, the hook can extend 4mm out and b


American Cuts Mileage Earning On Most Third Party Bookings
100+One Mile at a Time / 11h
Note : In February, American announced major changes to how miles will be earned on third party bookings. These changes were supposed to be implemented as of May 1, 2024, but this has now been delayed until July 11, 2024, as flagged by AwardWallet . I’ve updated the below post to reflect all that we know. American Airlines has announced a major change when it comes to being rewarded with the AAdv


Roland’s mobile podcasting studio gives you a mic and streaming app for $140
Engadget / 11h
Roland has a new on-the-go podcasting setup with an eye-catching price. The company’s Go:Podcast studio includes a USB condenser mic (with support for four polar patterns) and a companion app that can stream to platforms like YouTube, Twitch and Facebook. The company describes the Go:Podcast as “the simplest way to do high-quality live streaming with a mobile device.” For $140, you get the USB mi


Ouch: United MileagePlus Devalues International First Class Awards
29One Mile at a Time / 11h
United MileagePlus has just significantly hiked the cost of international first class awards, as flagged by ChazzaBazza and Live and Let’s Fly . These increases are rough, though I’m not sure this change matters all that much, quite frankly. United MileagePlus raises ANA & Lufthansa first class award costs While United no longer has international first class on its own planes, the airline does al


Chromecast With Google TV Might Finally Get an Update This Year
Gizmodo / 11h
It’s not like you didn’t already have a dozen Chromecasts floating around your house. What is one more? A new Google TV dongle, potentially packed with upgraded features, is on the horizon. Hopefully, this will be a significant update to the current four-year-old favorite. But the current pricepoint that’s rumored… Read more...


Bacteria-Hunting Viruses Could Be Key to Defeating Stinky Armpits
Gizmodo / 11h
The deodorant of the future might be possible thanks to viruses that hunt down stink-making bacteria. Scientists in Japan believe they’ve discovered a chemical weapon sourced from bacteriophages that can target a species of bacteria known for contributing to body odor emitted by our armpits. Read more...


The case for Tesla without Musk
300+Mashable / 12h
Pop quiz, Tesla fans. Who at the EV automaker made this memorable assessment of the company's latest product: "we have dug our own grave with the Cybertruck"? Was it some cowardly VP who doesn't believe in Dear Leader's glorious vision? Perhaps Drew Baglino or Rohan Patel, two top execs who joined the ten percent of Tesla employees getting pink slips this week? No, it was Elon Musk himself — maki


Tiny rubber spheres used to make a programmable fluid
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / At critical pressures, the fluid's spheres become a mixture of different states. (credit: Adel Djellouli/Harvard SEAS ) Building a robot that could pick up delicate objects like eggs or blueberries without crushing them took lots of control algorithms that process feeds from advanced vision systems or sensors that emulate the human sense of touch. The other way was to take a plunge into


Recoding Voyager 1—NASA’s interstellar explorer is finally making sense again
88Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Engineers have partially restored a 1970s-era computer on NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft after five months of long-distance troubleshooting, building confidence that humanity's first interstellar probe can eventually resume normal operations. Several dozen scientists and engineers gathered Saturday in a conference room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or connected virtually, to wait for a new si


Rumored new 4K Chromecast may fix long-standing storage issues
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge / The 2020 4K Chromecast with Google TV. It comes in colors. (credit: Google ) It sounds like Google is cooking up another Google TV dongle. 9to5Google's sources say a new 4K model of the Chromecast with Google TV is in the works. It would be a sequel to the aging 2020 model that was never really fit for the job in the first place. It would also sit alongside the 2022 HD model . The repor


That Game of Thrones Spin-Off About Queen Nymeria Would Have Been an Oceanic Epic
Gizmodo / 12h
House of the Dragon returns in June , and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight—aka “ Dunk and Egg ”—is moving full speed ahead. But despite the hunger for Game of Thrones projects, HBO is still being selective about its spin-offs. Among the shows left in the lurch: that Naomi Watts-starring prequel , the Jon… Read more...


Apple Vision Pro Gets a Reality Check
93Gizmodo / 12h
Many of us have moved on from the Vision Pro less than three months after its buzzy launch, but Apple can not. The company slashed its 2024 sales expectations for the Vision Pro to nearly half what the market expected for this year, according to a new report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday. As initial hype fades,… Read more...


Throw a 'Packing Party' to Declutter Your Home
LifeHacker / 12h
Decluttering can be stressful and hard. How do you decide what stays and what goes? How do you part with the things that have taken up your space for so long? One way is by making it kind of fun. Try throwing a “packing party” with your friends to declutter over time. What is a packing party? This idea comes from Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, a duo known as the Minimalists to the fan


United MileagePlus Hits Members Hard As Lufthansa and ANA First Class Award Prices Skyrocket
33View from the Wing / 12h
Lufthansa first class appears to have gone from 121,000 to 154,000 miles each way per person - meaning that a saver award now costs 308,000 miles roundtrip. That's a 27% increase. And these are tough awards to book, because Lufthansa only makes them available to United's program members within a few days of departure. Meanwhile ANA first class from the Midwest and East Coast appears to have jumpe


WTF Is Happening in the Star-Studded Trailer for Blink Twice?
Gizmodo / 12h
The best trailers are the ones that tell you absolutely nothing and that’s exactly what you get with the first trailer for Blink Twice. Directed by Zoë Kravitz and starring a who’s who of awesome actors, it’s some kind of murder