Friday Afternoon Technology and More...

Technology and more...


The Mandalorian's Ahsoka Tano and New Republic Will Receive Their Own Spinoffs

25KGizmodo / 6h
Two new Mandalorian spinoffs are coming—one for Clone Wars and Rebels legend Ahsoka Tano , and another focusing on the New Republic that replaced the overthrown Empire. Read more...

Best speech-to-text software in 2020: Free, paid and online voice recognition apps and services

1KTechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
If talking is easier for you than typing, then these best voice to text apps will capture and convert your speech into text.

Boeing's tanker drone completes first flight with refueling pod

2KEngadget / 7h
Humans might not have much involvement in mid-air refueling before long. Boeing has flown a test version of its MQ-25 tanker drone with a refueling pod attached for the first time, taking it one step closer to topping up military aircraft. The 2.5-hour flight showed that the autonomous drone’s aerodynamics were sound with the wing-mounted pod it’s expected to carry much of the time. The test dron


Daily Crunch: Hyundai acquires 80% stake in Boston Robotics

60TechCrunch / 17min
Hyundai takes a controlling stake in an iconic robotics company, Twitter acquires a screen-sharing startup and we round up some security-themed gift ideas. This is your Daily Crunch for December 11, 2020. The big story: Hyundai acquires 80% stake in Boston Robotics Boston Robotics is behind a number of impressive robots, including the dog-like quadruped Spot. Over the past decade, it’s changed ow

Cyberpunk 2077 hotfix 1.04 brings bug fixes and adjusts flashing lights

SlashGear / 34min
CD Projekt has released a hotfix for its highly anticipated and newly launched game Cyberpunk 2077. Hotfix 1.04 is currently available for PC and PlayStation consoles, but it won’t be available on Xbox for a bit longer. With this update comes a huge number of bug fixes, as well as a few tweaks and improved stability. The hotfix 1.04 bug … Continue reading

Candles Recalled For Presenting Fire Hazard

28Gizmodo / 36min
Candles, an ancient technology that has contained fire since time immemorial so that we may safely fill our dwellings with light and warmth, have been recalled by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) as fire hazards. Read more...

First 'Cyberpunk 2077' update includes a fix for epilepsy triggers

30Engadget / 45min
Cyberpunk 2077 has only been available for a couple of days, but its first post-launch patch is already rolling out. Hotfix 1.04 is already available to PC and PlayStation players, and CD Projekt Red says it should go out “as soon as possible” on Xbox platforms. There’s a long list of tweaks for various mission-based issues that could otherwise interrupt your gameplay, and there’s nothing specifi

Matt Smith and Olivia Cooke Join Game of Thrones Prequel House of the Dragon

81Gizmodo / 54min
This dance (of the dragons) card is starting to fill up. Ready Player One ’s Olivia Cooke, Doctor Who ’s Matt Smith, and Truth Seekers ’ Emma D’Arcy have signed onto HBO’s next journey into Westeros: House of the Dragon . It’s about the fall of Targaryen empire , which led to the rise of the Mother of Dragons. Read more...

This 24-year-old activist wants to teach you about antiracism through Instagram stories

54Mashable / 1h
On June 2, 2020, otherwise known as Blackout Tuesday , countless people posted a black square to their Instagram feeds in solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement and the growing protests for racial justice and against police brutality. While well-intentioned, the black squares also clogged up the #blm and #blacklivesmatter hashtags, which were used to disseminate important protest informat

The Top New Features to Try Out in macOS Big Sur

23Gizmodo / 1h
I know macOS Big Sur has been available to install for about a month now, but I also know that there are plenty of Mac users who have dismissed that update button every day for weeks. That’s understandable: While macOS Big Sur has been stable for me, some have reported issues with it . Read more...

This Hideously Expensive Smart Bed Cured My Back Pain

34Gizmodo / 1h
In the last few years, tech companies have sunk an incredible amount of time, money, and hype into solving sleep. Some companies offer to help you track your sleep with wearables, some aim to help you sleep more soundly with meditation services or devices, and others have developed products that will cure your… Read more...

Disney World Seems to be Editing Masks Into Visitors’ Photos

Futurism / 1h
Covering Up At the Walt Disney World theme parks in Florida , masks are required at all times — even during photo ops. But that hasn’t stopped some defiant park guests from sneaking around and getting on rides mask-free. Now, Disney is reportedly taking an eccentric approach to mask enforcement: editing a digital mask onto visitors’ faces in photos. The bizarre practice, first spotted on social m

Get Guaranteed Price Matching at These Retailers for Your Holiday Shopping

36Lifehacker / 1h
Price matching is often overlooked as a way to get on-the-spot discounts when shopping in department stores. The savings can be generous, and hey, you’re already in the store—why not ask? Here’s a look at the price shopping policies at some of the biggest major retailers. Read more...

How Jon Hamm, Emily Blunt, and the Cast of ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ fell in love with Ireland

Mashable / 1h
Wild Mountain Thyme is a love story set in Ireland, but in many ways it's a story about falling in love with Ireland itself. Cast members Jon Hamm, Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, and writer and director John Patrick Shanley talk about how much fun they had in their roles, and the beauty of the Irish countryside. Read more... More about Mashable Video , Jon Hamm , Emily Blunt , Ireland , and Jamie Dor

DARPA Gremlins project closer than ever to grabbing drones in flight

SlashGear / 1h
DARPA has announced that its Gremlins project came closer than ever to snatching a drone out of the air. The series of flight tests kicked off in late October, with the most recent having taken place earlier this month. According to officials, the aircraft came within ‘inches’ of retrieving a Gremlins drone in flight. The project involves the X-61A Gremlins … Continue reading

The Mandalorian Tempers High Action With Some Rewarding Character Work

200+Gizmodo / 1h
After Moff Gideon kidnapped Grogu (Baby Yoda), the Mandalorian and his newfound crew had a singular goal: Find the Child and get him back. That journey took them to a few new places, with a few familiar faces, and through some tense, emotional moments that got to the core of Star Wars as we know it. Read more...

Oracle is headed to Texas now, too

Oracle Austin Texas•
100+TechCrunch / 1h
Austinites, watch out; another tech company is headed into town. Just days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed during an interview that he has moved to Texas , and less than two weeks after HP Enterprises, a spin-out of one of the iconic Silicon Valley company Hewlett-Packard, announced that it is separately moving to Texas, yet another of the Bay Area’s best-known brands — Oracle — is pulling up

Tech giants form Modern Computing Alliance to do...something

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
The Modern Computing Alliance plans to develop new standards and interoperable technologies that work across its partners' platforms and products

So Many People Are Dying From COVID Every Day That It Almost Defies Comprehension

4KFuturism / 1h
A vaccine is on the way , but countries around the world are getting clobbered by COVID-19 at record-breaking levels. The death toll in the U.S. continues to climb, reaching an all-time high of over 3,300 deaths on Thursday, according to The Washington Post . And other countries — especially in Europe — that initially seemed to be on the mend are seeing record-breaking death tolls as well. So far

FBI Agents Put People On The No-Fly List Out Of Spite, Supreme Court Lets Victims Sue

View from the Wing / 2h
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips. Continue reading ...

Check your accounts: A complete list of rewards that are expiring at the end of this year

The Points Guy / 2h
In the grand scheme of things, most airline and hotel loyalty programs did a terrific job quickly adapting to the pandemic. Airlines and hotels have proactively extended elite status , extended expiring rewards and even reduced elite qualification requirements for 2021. With the situation taking longer to recover than originally anticipated, many loyalty programs have extended rewards for the sec

How to Get Rid of Drain Flies

46Lifehacker / 2h
Drain flies, also known as moth flies, are small gnat-like bugs that are commonly seen flying around a bathroom sink given that they live in damp, dark spaces where their larva can feed. They hatch in water, much like mosquitos, and live for about two weeks. You might also see them in your tub or basement, or any… Read more...

Volunteers Are Racing to Save Endangered Sea Turtles Stunned by the Cold

22Gizmodo / 2h
For decades, volunteers in Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts have spent November and December trekking up and down the area’s beaches during high tide. They have a very important mission: finding stranded sea turtles that are so cold they can barely move, leaving them essentially defenseless on the shore. Read more...

2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport Carbon Review – Gilding the Lily

SlashGear / 2h
It’s tough to argue against the idea that the real excitement in the compact luxury sports sedan segment is happening away from the big German dealerships. Witness, as prime example, the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia, perhaps not the first car you’d think of in the category but carving out an enthusiastic little niche there all the same. The lion’s share … Continue reading

We made a royal mess to test this Shark robot vac

24Mashable / 2h
Read more... More about Supported , Robot Vacuum , Sharkninja , Smart Vacuum , and Mashable Brand X

Aman New York Opening Spring 2021

21One Mile at a Time / 2h
What will likely be New York City’s most expensive hotel is just months from opening. Aman Hotel New York City opening soon A few years back it was announced that uber-luxury hotel group Aman will be opening a property in New York City, and that’s now nearing completion. It has officially been announced that Aman New York will open in the spring of 2021. The property will be located in the iconic

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra release date level deluge of details with S Pen

SlashGear / 2h
The flood gates have opened, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 was essentially revealed on several fronts. The Galaxy S21 was leaked in gray, white, pink, and violet. The Galaxy S21+ was leaked in silver, black, and violet. The most extravagant member of the family, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, was leaked in Silver and Black. And there’ll be an S … Continue reading

Daily wine and cheese may be a surprising way to keep your mind sharp

SlashGear / 2h
A study from Iowa State University has found that consuming certain food products may help preserve cognitive acuity in one’s later years. The results, which were described as surprising, found that consuming alcohol and cheese every day may have a protective effect on one’s cognitive function, as well as one type of red meat. The study involved analyzing data on … Continue reading

Dune Director Slams Warner Bros. for HBO Max Release, Warns It May Doom the Franchise

200+Gizmodo / 2h
Fear might be the mind killer, but streaming could wind up killing Dune itself. Director Denis Villeneuve is speaking out against WarnerMedia’s recent decision to give all of next year’s movies simultaneous releases on HBO Max, warning that it could mean the end of the franchise before it’s even begun. Read more...

Someone Managed to Overclock a 14-Year-Old Intel Processor to 8.36 GHz

400+Gizmodo / 2h
There’s overclocking, and then there’s overclocking . Sure, there’s a certain satisfaction in overclocking a brand new AMD Ryzen 9 5950X , but that seems like child’s play compared to what one overclocker was able to do with a 14-year-old Intel processor. According to TechSpot , HWBot.org user ivanqu0208 took an Intel… Read more...

UK reduces quarantine period to 10 days

The Points Guy / 2h
The government has reduced the period of quarantine required for travelers entering the U.K. Since the U.K. reopened travel in July, it’s implemented a system of a 14-day quarantine period for anyone entering from a high-risk destination — known as a travel corridor . However, on Friday, the government announced that the quarantine period will be reduced from 14 days to 10 days. The new self-isol

The 10 Best Deals of December 11, 2020

68Lifehacker / 3h
Friday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals Read more...

Get a Free $50 Chromecast as a YouTube TV Subscriber

24Lifehacker / 3h
For the rest of December, Google is giving loyal YouTube TV subscribers a free Chromecast with Google TV (normally $49). The catch? You will need to have subscribed to YouTube TV since June 2018 with no pauses or cancellations to qualify for the complimentary Chromecast. Read more...

The 10 Best Deals of December 11, 2020

68Gizmodo / 3h
Friday’s Best Deals | Kinja Deals Read more...

Have You Ever Heard of This App by Apple? Well, It’s Dying

40Gizmodo / 3h
While Google launches and discontinues products at a rate that no one can keep up with, Apple’s modern track record for sticking with its bets is virtually unparalleled among its peers. But nothing lasts forever, and this week brought the beginning of the end for Music Memos. Read more...

Apple is full-steam ahead on replacing Qualcomm modems with its own

48Ars Technica / 3h
Enlarge / The iPhone 12. (credit: Samuel Axon) As rumored many months ago, Apple's silicon ambitions don't end with replacing Intel CPUs with its own in Macs—it plans to ditch Qualcomm modems in favor of its own custom-designed chips for iPhones, according to Apple hardware tech lead Johny Srouji. Srouji confirmed the company's plans when speaking to employees during an internal town hall meeting

Data breach hoax used to hijack cryptocurrency wallets

40TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 3h
Fake data breach notifications are being sent out to Ledger users as part of a new phishing campaign.

A pair of last-minute Xbox Series X gamer gifts

SlashGear / 3h
Today we’re taking a peek at a pair of products that’ll be ideal for last-minute gifts for gamers. Like “gamer gift guides” we’ve done in the past, this guide does not include games – at least not directly. Instead, we’re taking a quite peek at a controller and a charger for controllers – ideal for the Xbox user who already … Continue reading

A New Windows Insider Build Lets ARM PCs Emulate x64 Like Apple's Rosetta 2

24Gizmodo / 3h
Yesterday, Microsoft announced it released the first preview of x64 emulation for ARM64 devices on Windows 10 to users enrolled in the Windows Insider Program. The new feature is a part of Build 21277 (RS_PRERELEASE) , which also includes updates to emojis, redesigned touch keyboard, voice typing, and theme-aware… Read more...

Your Entire Life Is Online. Isn’t It Time To Start Protecting It?

Futurism / 3h
In today’s world, it seems like almost everything we do is online. Not only are we shopping and banking via the web, but we’re also having virtual get-togethers with loved ones, watching movies and TV shows, playing video games, and even working and going to school online. And if you want to make sure you have privacy and security when you do these things, you need to get a VPN . And right now, t

Combine Wine, Whiskey, and Jam for a Fruity Fireside Sipper

40Lifehacker / 3h
I expected the pandemic to have many surprising ramifications, but one thing I could not have predicted was for my booze tolerance to plummet. It turns out I really am a social drinker and, without a bar to hang out in, a previously standard three-cocktail evening absolutely wrecks me in a way I haven’t experienced… Read more...

9 Reasons To Get The IHG Premier Card

300+One Mile at a Time / 3h
The IHG ® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card ( review ) is phenomenal — it’s worth getting for the exceptional bonus that is being offered right now, and it’s worth keeping for the long term perks . We’ve known that the card’s current welcome bonus is limited time, but we didn’t know when the offer would change. Now we know — the current welcome bonus on the IHG Premier Card is valid through Januar

I Paid $250 To Drive For Lyft Last Year

500+Gizmodo / 3h
I’ve been a driver for ride-hailing services since 2016, and between Lyft and Uber , I’ve racked up nearly 10,000 rides. I’ve put more than 150,000 miles on my Chevy Sonic, driving something like 40 hours a week. Read more...

Here comes the Faraday fabric

100+TechCrunch / 3h
You don’t have to buy into 5G conspiracy theories to think that you could do with a little less radiation in your life. One way of blocking radiation is a Faraday cage, but this is usually a metal mesh of some kind, making everyday use difficult. Researchers at Drexel University have managed to create a Faraday fabric by infusing ordinary cotton with a compound called MXene — meaning your tinfoil

Apple’s app store is an illegal monopoly, rival Cydia claims in suit

56Ars Technica / 3h
The company behind Cydia, an iPhone app store that launched before Apple's own App Store, has sued Apple arguing that Apple has monopolized the market for iOS app stores, violating antitrust law in the process. When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, it didn't have any mechanism for natively running third-party software. Instead, Steve Jobs encouraged developers to create Web apps that would run

Keeping ready-to-bake croissants in the freezer is a WFH gamechanger

25Mashable / 3h
Essentials Week spotlights unexpected items that make our daily lives just a little bit better. Breakfast, they say, is the most important meal of the day. So important, in fact, that I fail to prepare for it on an almost daily basis. Since pivoting to working from home during the pandemic, I have come face to face with some of my most irritating personality traits, like the fact I'm pathological

Skyrim helps Xbox Game Pass close out December strong

SlashGear / 3h
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that was acquiring ZeniMax Media for a whopping $7.5 billion. This has pretty big implications for ZeniMax’s studios and properties – for instance, we’re not sure if big series like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, DOOM, and Wolfenstein will be Xbox (and PC) exclusives moving forward. What we do know is that many of ZeniMax’s games … Continue reading

Popular flavored vape liquids like cinnamon may be toxic to the heart

SlashGear / 3h
A preclinical trial involving mice has found indications that the flavorings used in electronic cigarette liquids may be cardiotoxic. The researchers found popular flavors had a noticeable impact on heart cells that may lead to heart rhythm disorders, including vanilla custard, cinnamon, and the various fruit flavors. Electronic cigarettes — more commonly called ‘vapes’ — are small devices that u

Have You Tested Your Muscular Endurance Lately?

35Lifehacker / 3h
As 2020 draws to a close, I’d like to encourage us all to look back at whatever fitness successes we’ve had. If you kept up with any training at all, that’s a victory. If you took time off because that’s what best supported your mental health, that’s a victory too. Read more...

This Massive New Vertical Farm Can Produce 1,000 Tons of Produce a Year

200+Futurism / 3h
Going Vertical A new vertical farm , opening on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark, is set to start producing nearly 1,000 metric tons of greens a year. Danish startup Nordic Harvest partnered up with Taiwanese vertical farm tech company YesHealth Group to create the towering facility. The plants are grown on 14 stacked shelves totaling to more than 75,000 square feet , where they rely entirely

Where do I go now that CentOS Linux is gone? Check our list

41Ars Technica / 3h
Enlarge (credit: Red Hat ) In an unexpected announcement earlier this week, Red Hat killed off the free-as-in-beer CentOS variant of their flagship distribution, Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The announcement—which clearly stated "CentOS Stream is not a replacement for CentOS Linux"—left thousands of CentOS users stunned and bewildered. In many cases, CentOS users had migrated to CentOS 8—which they

The next Mass Effect game may pick up where 'ME3' left off

100+Engadget / 3h
We learned last month that a new Mass Effect game was in the works , and BioWare has given its first peek at what's in store. A trailer that premiered at The Game Awards (during which the studio also offered a look at its next Dragon Age game ) suggests it'll pick up where Mass Effect 3 left off. There's some audio towards the beginning of the teaser that references incidents throughout the franc

Leica's SL2-S Is a Cheaper and Lighter but Still Very Expensive Flagship Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera

31Gizmodo / 4h
Last year, Leica introduced its SL2 full-frame mirrorless cam , featuring a new 47-MP sensor and support for 4K/60 fps video capture, and now Leica has returned to offer a slightly sleeker and cheaper take on its flagship mirrorless cam in the SL2-S. Read more...

How Can You Teach Your Kids to Receive Gifts Graciously?

41Lifehacker / 4h
As we approach the biggest gift-giving time of year, kids are bound to experience the anticipatory excitement this month brings, the thrill of tearing into all that paper and, yes, even a bit of disappointment. (“Socks?? I don’t want socks !”) Read more...

General Catalyst’s Katherine Boyle and Peter Boyce are looking for ‘obsessive’ founders

100+TechCrunch / 4h
General Catalyst has made early bets on some of the biggest companies in tech today, including Airbnb, Lemonade and Warby Parker. We sat down with Katherine Boyle and Peter Boyce, who co-lead the firm’s seed-stage investments, to discuss what they look for in founders, which sectors they’re most excited about and how business has changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This conversation is

Does Vicks VapoRub Really Cure Toenail Fungus?

300+Lifehacker / 4h
A longstanding rumor among those who suffer from fungus-ridden feet contends that over-the-counter Vicks VapoRub has a hidden podiatric power: it allegedly cures toenail fungus. Read more...

Facebook says hackers backed by Vietnam’s government are linked to IT firm

100Ars Technica / 4h
Enlarge (credit: Lino Mirgeler/picture alliance via Getty Images ) Facebook said it has linked an advanced hacking group widely believed to be sponsored by the government of Vietnam to what's purported to be a legitimate IT company in that country. The so-called advanced persistent threat group goes under the monikers APT32 and OceanLotus. It has been operating since at least 2014 and targets pri

Twitter acquires screen-sharing and video chat startup Squad

65Engadget / 4h
On Friday, Twitter announced the acquisition of Squad , an app that allows you to share your screen and video chat with friends at the same time. According to TechCrunch , the entire team, including co-founders Esther Crawford and Ethan Sutin, will join the company as part of the deal. In a Medium post , Crawford said Twitter plans to leverage her team’s expertise in audio and video. The group is

'Big Mouth' made a great point with its 'Pen15' crossover

71Mashable / 4h
Welcome to Thanks, I Love It , our series highlighting something onscreen we're obsessed with this week. If the existence of two very good shows can constitute a golden age in a particular subgenre of television, then we are living in a golden age of the puberty comedy. Netflix’s Big Mouth and Hulu’s Pen15 are both incredible series that allow millennials of a certain age to relive and reexamine

Avoid Long Lines And Risk Of Getting Turned Away From Hawaii By ‘Pre-Clearing’ Before You Fly

View from the Wing / 4h
There can be long lines to wait in when you land in Hawaii, not always well socially-distanced, to show you've met the state's testing requirements to avoid a 14 day quarantine. And the state makes mistakes, too, one family showed up with negative results from an approved testing provider but was told to quarantine anyway by mistake. By the time the state sorted it out, they'd already turned back

The First Shots, Grim Milestones, and More Coronavirus News

100+Wired / 4h
Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

PS5 and Xbox Series X restock – A new list of ways to check for unit sales

SlashGear / 4h
Today we’re running down a set of ways to watch for restocks of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 on the internet and at your local retailer. This is a tricky business, really, watching the web for updates in stores that don’t normally handle online quick-attack buys like this, but it’s manageable. The most difficult part of this process … Continue reading

FDA says Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine authorization likely: What happens next

SlashGear / 4h
The US FDA plans to grant Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization, the agency has confirmed today, in a move that could see deployment of the drug as early as next week. BNT162b2, the mRNA vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical company this year amid the spreading coronavirus pandemic, received the blessing of the FDA’s vaccine committee yesterday. In what amounted … Continue readi

The Stand Cast and Crew on Updating Stephen King's Classic and Bringing Captain Trips to Life

100+Gizmodo / 4h
Production on CBS All Access’ new adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand wrapped shortly before the pandemic took hold. With an eerie new context now couching its release, the series aims to update the 1978 novel, which was previously made into the 1994 miniseries and features a new ending written by King himself. Read more...

Give the gift of Extra Crunch for 25% off

77TechCrunch / 4h
This holiday season, TechCrunch readers can send an Extra Crunch annual membership as a gift to a friend, family member or co-worker for 25% off. The gifting feature can be found here . Extra Crunch is our membership program that helps you spot technology trends and opportunities, build better startups and stay connected. It features thousands of articles, including weekly investor surveys, daily

Bring your own marine creature designs to life with this interactive installation — Future Blink

32Mashable / 4h
This digital installation, called Sketch Ocean , lets you design and upload marine creatures onto an interactive "ocean." Read more... More about Mashable Video , Ocean , Fish , Ocean Life , and Marine Life

IKEA made gingerbread versions of its (in)famous instructions

31Mashable / 4h
The holidays just got a lot brighter. You can recreate some of IKEA's most iconic furniture items thanks to this free printable kit. Read more... More about Mashable Video , Ikea , Gingerbread , Ikea Furniture , and Ikea Furniture Assembly

Update Android's 'Carrier Services' If Your Texts Won't Send

56Lifehacker / 4h
A mysterious bug built into an updated version of Android’s Carrier Services app has messed with Android users’ ability to send and receive text messages. If you feel like you’ve been struggling with your texting for around a week and a half or so, you’re in luck: Google has identified the issue and is rolling out a… Read more...

U.S. Schools Are Buying Phone-Hacking Tech That the FBI Uses to Investigate Terrorists

1KGizmodo / 4h
In May 2016, a student enrolled in a high-school in Shelbyville, Texas, consented to having his phone searched by one of the district’s school resource officers. Looking for evidence of a romantic relationship between the student and a teacher, the officer plugged the phone into a Cellebrite UFED to recover deleted… Read more...

What to expect while fundraising in 2021

200+TechCrunch / 4h
Russ Heddleston Contributor Russ is the co-founder and CEO of DocSend . He was previously a product manager at Facebook, where he arrived via the acquisition of his startup Pursuit.com, and has held roles at Dropbox, Greystripe and Trulia. Follow him here: @rheddleston and @docsend More posts by this contributor What Q2 fundraising data tells us about the rest of 2020 Q3 2020 is primed to be an i

Boston Dynamics sells to Hyundai Motor Group in $1.1 billion deal

400+Ars Technica / 4h
Meet Spot, the robodog. [credit: Boston Dynamics ] Fresh off of selling ARM to Nvidia for $40 billion, Softbank is again divesting itself of a flashy company. This time it's selling Boston Dynamics, the state-of-the-art robotics company, to Hyundai Motor Group . Hyundai is acquiring an 80 percent stake in Boston Dynamics in a deal valuing the company at $1.1 billion. Softbank will retain a 20 per

Get Up to $250 in Bitcoin When You Sign Up for a Blockfi Crypto Savings Account

Futurism / 4h
When it comes to investing in crypto , it used to be that your only real option for turning a profit was to buy assets, hold on to them until the price went up, and then sell. Unfortunately, using that strategy successfully required quite a bit of luck. But now there’s a smarter way to invest in crypto. Thanks to an innovative crypto startup called BlockFi , today you can actually put your crypto

A NASA Scientist Heralds “One of the Most Profound Discoveries” of the Space Age

4KFuturism / 4h
Water Worlds In recent years, scientists have learned that one of Earth’s most unique features — its liquid oceans — is far more common throughout the solar system than scientists ever expected. Take Ceres, a dwarf planet orbiting our Sun inside the asteroid belt, which scientists discovered earlier this year is actually an ocean world, according to Discover Magazine . The discovery of abundant w

Apple staff won't return to the office until summer 2021

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
Apple CEO Tim Cook shared his thoughts on remote working and the challenges it presents at a recent virtual town hall meeting.

Owlet knocks $75 off its Monitor Duo today and tomorrow

21Engadget / 4h
Today and tomorrow Owlet is having a sale on the 3rd-generation smart sock and camera Duo package. Using the code LASTCHANCE2020 at checkout will save you $75 off the Duo’s $399 price tag, bringing it down to $324. A limited-edition leopard-pattern sock comes with the purchase of the Duo. There’s also a sale on the smart sock alone which will also take $75 off the price of the $299, 3rd-gen weara

Hyatt’s best-kept secrets: 16 incredible hotels you’d never know belonged to World of Hyatt

35The Points Guy / 5h
Hyatt hotels and World of Hyatt occupy a soft spot in the hearts of many TPG staffers. The chain’s loyalty program, World of Hyatt , is known for its lucrative promotions , valuable elite tiers and generous award chart . The one Achilles heel was that Hyatt simply didn’t have as many properties in certain destinations as its peers. However, Hyatt’s been on a growth spurt lately, growing its overa

WTF Should You Write in Your Holiday Cards This Year?

38Lifehacker / 5h
As I sat down to write out this year’s holiday cards, I was immediately faced with a roadblock: I was writing them in 2020. After the year we’ve had, how are you supposed to pen a cheery holiday missive, drop it in a red envelope, affix a seasonally appropriate stamp, and stick it in the mail? Read more...

Keep a Close Eye on Your Home With $130 off an Arlo Pro Four-Camera System

69Lifehacker / 5h
Arlo Pro 2 Security System (Four Pack) | $250 | Newegg Read more...

How you could get term life insurance coverage in 10 minutes

44Engadget / 5h
If there’s one thing this year has taught us, it’s about the fragility of life. The thought of leaving our loved ones to fend for themselves is harrowing, especially if you’re a new parent. Try as we might, we weren’t meant to live forever, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take care of our family once we’re gone. That’s why life insurance policies exist. Paying a small premium each month could pay

Brave Releases Privacy-Focused News Reader

37Gizmodo / 5h
Brave is continuing its war against data-collection giants like Google with the introduction of a privacy-centered news reader to its privacy-centered web browser. Read more...

The Expanse S5 review: The show is bigger, bolder, and better than ever

200+Ars Technica / 5h
Enlarge / Space is mind-bogglingly big... but what happens there may not stay there. The science fiction space opera is by now a well-known genre, and yet somehow The Expanse is hard to describe. Let me try to sum it up at its most basic: The Expanse is a show about space. It is a show about society, about resources, about people with passions and problems and desires and—most especially—about wh

CERN is making the Large Hadron Collider's data more accessible

100+Engadget / 5h
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) will open up access to more data from Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments. Under an updated policy, data will be released around five years after it's collected and CERN hopes to release the full dataset publicly "by the close of the experiment concerned." Core LHC collaborators ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb all endorsed the move. CERN will m

Get Free Food From McDonald's, Now Through Christmas

200+Lifehacker / 5h
Starting Monday, McDonald’s is offering free food each day until Christmas—menu items like Big Macs, six-piece McNuggets, Egg McMuffins and medium fries will be free as long as you spend at least $1 and make the order through their app. This isn’t a free lunch, but it’s pretty close. Read more...

Hello Squad, goodbye Periscope? Twitter makes moves in live video.

28Mashable / 5h
Zoom might have some competition…from Twitter. On Friday, two pieces of news hinted at Twitter mixing up its video strategy after buying Periscope five years ago. First, prolific code detective Jane Manchun Wong found some code hidden in the Twitter app indicating that the Periscope app would shut down, per TechCrunch . That code points to a currently broken Twitter support link, but one would as

Benchmark fills out its, yes, bench, with Miles Grimshaw

92TechCrunch / 5h
Benchmark, the storied venture firm, has brought aboard a fifth general partner: 29-year-old Miles Grimshaw, a Yale graduate who joins the outfit from Thrive Capital, where he similarly joined a team of four other partners back in 2013, helping them raise the firm’s fourth and fifth funds (per Forbes). From his post as a general partner with New York-based Thrive, Grimshaw had sourced deals in so

Capital One Venture Card Review (100K Bonus Venture Miles)

300+One Mile at a Time / 5h
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card 2x miles on everyday purchases 17 airline + hotel transfer partners no foreign transaction fees Annual Fee: $95 Apply Now Back in September we saw a huge limited-time offer introduced for new cardmembers on the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card . This is a reminder that the Venture Card increased bonus is valid through Monday, December 14, 2020 , so y

Space Agencies Acknowledge That Asteroids Could Host Life

400+Futurism / 5h
Welcome Wagon Space agencies are preparing for the possibility, however farfetched, that the numerous asteroid and Mars sample return missions slated for the next few years might reveal traces of extraterrestrial life . Specifically, organizations including NASA, its Japanese counterpart JAXA, and the European Space Agency (ESA) are collaborating on high-tech facilities that will allow them to se

Facebook outs company behind infamous APT32 malware group, suspends accounts

49TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 5h
Facebook has unexpectedly revealed the identity of the notorious APT32 hacking group - a little-known Vietnamese IT firm.

Cloud-gaming platforms were 2020’s most overhyped trend

100+TechCrunch / 5h
It was an unprecedented year for [insert anything under the sun], and while plenty of tech verticals saw shifts that warped business models and shifted user habits, the gaming industry experienced plenty of new ideas in 2020. However, the loudest trends don’t always take hold as predicted. This year, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon each leaned hard into new cloud-streaming tech that shifts

What to Do If You're Exposed to COVID-19

83Lifehacker / 5h
As COVID-19 cases spike across the country, inundating hospital systems and prompting new restrictions on economic activity in some states, it’s important to keep a key distinction in mind, at least when it comes to your own place in the tangled pandemic mess: the difference between infection and exposure. Read more...

Let's Talk About the Peloton Guy's Whole Water Thing

68Gizmodo / 5h
John Foley, the founder and CEO of expensive treadmill company Peloton, is not someone I know much about. Or knew, rather, since I received a crash course into the man’s psyche via New York Times profile this morning. Read more...

New Theory Throws Out Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity

500+Futurism / 5h
A pair of professors fr0m North Carolina State University are proposing an entirely new model of physics that could rewrite the way we think about matter. Their extremely ambitious proposal, as outlined in an essay for The Conversation , does away with particles or waves, both fundamental building blocks of matter, and suggests instead that all the physical stuff in the universe is made up of “fr

Gift Guide: 9 security and privacy gifts to keep your friends and family safe

72TechCrunch / 5h
Welcome to TechCrunch’s 2020 Holiday Gift Guide! Need help with gift ideas? We’re here to help! We’ll be rolling out gift guides from now through the end of December. You can find our other guides right here. For many of us, being home a lot more right now also means being online a lot more. It’s a great time to evaluate how you’re keeping your data safe — and to help others in your life do the s

Got Cyberpunk 2077? Here's how to play it in Dolby Atmos for free

32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 5h
If you've got Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox Series X or S, Xbox One, or a Windows 10 PC, you can try it in Dolby Atmos for free.

We're Probably Hours Away From a COVID Vaccine

100+Lifehacker / 5h
The FDA’s vaccine advisory panel spent all of yesterday discussing the results of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID vaccine studies. At the end of the day, they voted “yes” to the question of whether the available science suggests the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks. The FDA is expected to move quickly to grant… Read more...

The Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Pressure Cooker Is Close to Its Lowest Price Ever

52Gizmodo / 6h
Instant Pot Duo Nova | $60 | Amazon Read more...

Cyberpunk 2077 running poorly? Try turning these settings off

SlashGear / 6h
Cyberpunk 2077 is here at last and, from a performance perspective at least, a lot of people are finding it underwhelming. A lot of players are reporting that the game runs poorly on consoles, and given that new GPUs from both NVIDIA and AMD are hard to come by at the moment, there are likely a number of PC players … Continue reading

Apple is shutting down its Music Memos recording app

63Engadget / 6h
Anytime you download an app, there’s a chance the developer that created it will one day sunset one of your favorite experiences. Unfortunately, that’s to be the fate of Apple’s Music Memos software. This week, the company updated the app to version 1.0.7 . Coincidently, this is the first time Apple has updated Music Memos in more than a year, and the sole purpose of this new version is to facili

Subway customers receive 'malware' emails

200+BBC News - Technology / 6h
UK consumers say they are receiving fraudulent emails, apparently from the sandwich chain's brand.

“Mass Effect Will Return:” Teaser trailer sets a new (old) direction for the sequel

45Ars Technica / 6h
Mass Effect 4 trailer. We knew it was coming , and now we have confirmation: a new Mass Effect game is on the horizon. It was announced with a teaser trailer during last night's Game Awards broadcast. What we have is a short trailer with no gameplay but one that still makes a few things clear about the direction of the series. The new game will be made by BioWare under the EA umbrella, and the fo

The Exponential Failure of Doing Nothing

200+Gizmodo / 6h
For the past few weeks, the COVID Tracking Project’s graphs have haunted my Twitter feed with growing regularity. If you, too, are online, then you’ve probably seen them. Read more...

Toyota Making Electric Car With “Game-Changing” Solid State Battery

1KFuturism / 6h
Solid State Japanese carmaker Toyota is set to unveil what the media is calling a “game-changing” solid state battery as soon as next year, Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei reports . Such tech could allow electric cars of the future to drive over 300 miles on one charge and completely recharge in just ten minutes. Toyota, currently ranked as the largest automaker in the world, is set to unveil

Pizza Chili Is an Agent of Chaos

300+Lifehacker / 6h
As some of you may recall, I started this chili journey to find a chili recipe—or at least a style—that spoke to me. I didn’t grow up with a strong chili identity, so sampling the recipes of those who did seemed like the best way to form opinions about the highly regional dish. I’ve eaten a Texan style all-meat chili,… Read more...

The best dating apps for lesbians who haven't found love on TikTok yet

24Mashable / 6h
Online dating as a lesbian, for the most part, still involves having to deal with straight people. The heteronormative weirdness got so alienating that lesbians began turning to TikTok as a means of meeting other single lesbians — turns out, it's a damn good matchmaker. But it's unrealistic to expect a social media app to work like a dating app for everyone. (It's hard for some of us to comprehen

Norman Abramson, Pioneer Behind Wireless Networks, Dies at 88

400+NYT > Technology / 6h
His ALOHAnet, designed a half-century ago in Hawaii, was a precursor to the technology used in today’s smartphones and home WiFi networks.

Give Virus Alert Apps a Shot

100+NYT > Technology / 6h
These Google and Apple apps work and aren’t stealing all your data. More people should use them.

We’ve got our first real look at Loki as Disney drops lengthy teaser trailer

68Ars Technica / 6h
Marvel’s Loki trailer. Among the many (many!) tidbits unveiled during Disney's Investor Day was a lengthy teaser trailer for Loki , the Marvel spinoff limited series featuring Tom Hiddleston's charismatic trickster demigod and (adoptive) brother to Thor, last seen in Avengers: Endgame . Marvel Studios had vowed to provide "hefty" budgets for its various limited series, like WandaVision (which als

Galaxy S21+ 5G hands-on leak shows phone ready for release

SlashGear / 6h
This week a leak divulged a whole bunch of details about the Samsung Galaxy S21 in a hands-on video. This version of the device is almost certainly one of the two “lesser” versions of the S21 family, as evidenced by its lack of curved-edge left and right sides. The device has a relatively flat frontside display and appears to be … Continue reading

One of the First Computer Mice Ever Built Is Going Up For Auction

100+Gizmodo / 6h
On December 9, 1968, Douglas Engelbart and 17 other researchers from the Stanford Research Institute gave a 90-minute demo of groundbreaking technologies that provided a startlingly accurate glimpse of a future that was still decades away. One of those technologies was a computer interface navigated with a mouse: a… Read more...

United Kingdom Reduces Self-Quarantine To 10 Days

67One Mile at a Time / 6h
Those in the UK (and in particular England) will have a much easier time traveling to “high-risk” destinations as of next week. UK reducing quarantine to 10 days Back in May, the UK introduced a mandatory 14 day quarantine for all travelers arriving from “high-risk” areas (last week an exception was added for “high-value business travelers” ). As of Monday, December 14, 2020, the UK will be reduc

SpaceShipTwo's next big test flight could happen this weekend

74Engadget / 6h
Virgin Galactic is poised to launch the SpaceShipTwo as early as Saturday on a milestone powered flight test following a month-long delay due to COVID-19 restrictions in New Mexico . The company hopes to send a pair of astronauts, CJ Sturckow and Dave Mackay, aboard the VSS Unity on a suborbital trip, marking the spaceplane’s third crewed test mission. What’s more, this launch will be the first t

You Can Grab Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox One for $48 Right Now

64Gizmodo / 6h
Cyberpunk 2077 (XBO) | $48 | Eneba | Use code CP20OFFXBOX Read more...

Don’t miss these breakout sessions at TC Sessions: Space 2020

100+TechCrunch / 6h
Ready to blast off and join thousands of attendees around the world at TC Sessions: Space 2020 on December 16-17? The event, focused on space technology and dedicated to helping early-stage startups succeed in this exciting yet daunting industry, features panel discussions and interviews with the top leaders, visionaries and makers on the planet. Want to save $50? Buy your pass before Tuesday, De

An Unexpected Joy In These Dark Times Is Tracking Scotland's Fleet Of Hilariously Named Snowplows

500+Gizmodo / 7h
There’s a certain, undeniable delight to be found in giving funny names to Very Serious Things, and there’s another different kind of delight to be found in being able to track things that have nothing to do with you, in detail, halfway across the world. Maybe that’s why this online map that lets you track Scottish… Read more...

2020 Audi A6 Allroad Review – A stylish SUV alternative

SlashGear / 7h
There are only so many times you can tell someone they should buy a wagon, then see them park a new SUV on their driveway, before you start to question your sanity. America’s wholehearted embrace of trucks, SUVs, and crossovers has done a shockingly efficient job of squeezing out the humble wagon from consideration. Audi’s strategy with the 2020 A6 … Continue reading

DARPA says it's getting closer to snatching drones out of midair

100+Engadget / 7h
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is still developing its Gremlins project , which is apparently getting closer to grabbing drones out of the sky. The agency said it was "inches from success" during its latest round of test flights. Each of the three X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicles (GAV) flew for more than two hours in the third series of test flights. DARPA made nine attempts to

Cyberpunk 2077 invades Forza Horizon 4 with 2058 Quadra Turbo-R V-TECH

SlashGear / 7h
Forza Horizon 4 revealed a brand new, NEW vehicle for release in the near future. This is the Cyberpunk 2077 crossover vehicle, the 2058 Quadra Turbo-R V-TECH. Just in time for the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, this vehicle will be available for drivers by completing one single head-to-head race starting on December 11. The race you’ll need to complete in … Continue reading

Passenger Takes Revenge On The Woman In Front Of Her By Sticking Gum And A Lollipop In Her Hair

86View from the Wing / 7h
A video viewed nearly 110 million times, and liked 11 million, shows a woman clipping and destroying the hair of the passenger seated in front of her on a flight when the woman keeps flipping her hair over the seatback and blocking the video screen behind her. It speaks to something we all feel sitting in the confined space of an economy cabin when another passenger violates norms and invades our

Blocking a Single Protein Makes Aging Mice Way Stronger and Healthier

1KFuturism / 7h
In a stunning mouse experiment, scientists found that inhibiting just a single protein made elderly mice as strong and fit as younger mice in their prime. A team of Stanford researchers found that a single protein, 15-PDGH, plays a large role in the loss of muscle that occurs as an animal ages . According to their research , which they published yesterday in the top-tier journal Science , blockin

Amazon’s Judgy Wearable Tells You If You Sound “Condescending”

500+Futurism / 7h
Fresh Lip It’s perhaps the most invasive and judgmental piece of technology we’ve ever seen on the market — and, fittingly, it’s also a thinly veiled attempt to cash in on any data Amazon can get its hands on. The tech giant’s new wearable, called Halo Band, literally listens to your every word, and it tells you if your voice is too “overbearing” or “irritated,” as The Washington Post reports . T

Hurry - it's your last chance to bag an Amazon Echo Dot for just £29 before Christmas

20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
The new 2020 Amazon Echo Dot is now back down to £29 - its lowest price ever, although you'll have to hurry to snag one.

This week's best deals: $110 AirPods, $278 Sony headphones and more

34Engadget / 7h
As the holidays inch closer we’re still seeing solid deals on some of the latest gadgets. Even though most of the flagship deals have come and gone now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, you’re still able to save a lot of money on speakers, robot vacuums, computer accessories and more. What’s more, many of these items are still slated to arrive before Christmas if you don’t delay you

How to Drive With Santa and Enable a Christmas Theme in Waze

51How-To Geek / 7h
If you find yourself navigating with your phone this Holiday season, why not jazz it up with a little Christmas spirit and drive with Santa? The Waze app has a number of Santa-themed options that are available for a limited time. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

'Raya and the Last Dragon' Will Hit Theaters and Disney+ on the Same Day

Disney Star 2024 2021•
How-To Geek / 7h
In what could be called a growing trend, Disney announced it would release its upcoming film, Raya and the Last Dragon, on March 5, 2021, in both theaters and on Disney+. But, much like Mulan, you’ll have to pay extra to stream it from home on launch day. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Raspberry Pi Press Unveils a Computer Repair Book for the Tech-Intolerant

60How-To Geek / 7h
Fix your family’s computer, and they’ll leave you alone for the day. Give your family the Help! My Computer Is Broken repair book and … well, they may still need your help. The Raspberry Pi Press’ latest book, written by the brilliant Barry Collins, addresses common computer problems and repair solutions for the tech-intolerant. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Top Christmas gifts for home cinema dreamers: what to get true cinephiles

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
Friends with an AV enthusiast? Here's what you should buy them this Christmas.

Apple Does the Inevitable and Begins Development on Its Own Cellular Modem

89Gizmodo / 7h
After bringing processor development in-house with the arrival of its Arm-based M1 chip, Apple has now taken the next logical step by beginning the development of custom-designed cellular modems. Read more...

We toured Virgin Atlantic’s final 747 — here’s why we’ll miss the Queen

42The Points Guy / 7h
Friday was an emotional day at Virgin Atlantic’s Heathrow hangar. The airline invited media to Heathrow for a preview of the farewell to its final Boeing 747 . To retire its final Queen of the Skies, Virgin released tickets on Monday for a public dinner party on Saturday — and they sold out within a couple of minutes. Sign up to receive the daily TPG newsletter for more aviation news! TPG U.K. sp

Gift idea alert: Ninja's 4-quart air fryer is $50 off and arrives in time for Christmas

36Mashable / 7h
SAVE $50: Typically $129.99, the 4-quart Ninja Air Fryer is on sale at Best Buy and Amazon for just $79.99 as of Dec. 11 (a 38% savings); order it from the former if you need it before Christmas. As you may have already learned from TikTok's Air Fryer Guy , there aren't many foods that won't bake or toast up into a crispy, golden-brown (read: better) version of themselves when you pop them into a

Twitter acquires screen-sharing social app Squad

200+TechCrunch / 7h
Today, Twitter announced that it is acquiring Squad and that the team from the screen-sharing social app will be joining Twitter’s ranks. Squad’s co-founders, CEO Esther Crawford and CTO Ethan Sutin, and the rest of the team will be coming aboard inside Twitter’s design, engineering and product departments, Twitter tells us. Crawford specifically notes that she will be leading a product in the co

'Dune' director slams AT&T's decision to release films on HBO Max

100+Engadget / 7h
Following the news that all of Warner Bros.’ films in 2021 will be released on HBO Max the same day they hit theaters, Dune director Denis Villeneuve has written an essay ( published on Variety ) slamming AT&T for the move. Warner Bros. is owned by WarnerMedia, which is part of the telecommunications giant. In his article, Villeneuve called the release strategy “a desperate attempt to grab the au

What Is Money in Excel, and How Do You Get Started?

51How-To Geek / 7h
Microsoft wants to make managing your finances easier. Money in Excel allows you to connect your financial, bank, and credit card accounts, view transactions, and budget your money. We’ll help you get started! Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Indie Hit 'Among Us' Will Add a New Airship Map (So You Can Pick Skeld Again)

How-To Geek / 7h
In a year when The Last of Us II, DOOM Eternal, and Cyberpunk 2077 landed on game consoles, the biggest success might just be a weird little mobile game from 2018. Among Us is a cultural phenomenon, and a fascinating gameplay innovation. The game’s developers have discarded a sequel and committed to improving the original, including a new airship map in 2021. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Holiday 2020: 15 Card and Dice Game Stocking Stuffers

How-To Geek / 7h
If you have board game lovers in your life, why not drop a game or two in their stockings this year? There are plenty of fun dice and card-playing options that are the perfect size for stocking stuffers. Read This Article on LifeSavvy ›

The hidden gem TV deals we found in the aftermath of Cyber Week

28Mashable / 7h
If all of Disney's new announcements don't make you want to splurge on a new TV, we don't know what will. From live action Disney classics to Marvel to so many Star Wars spin-offs , there's something for every type of fan to freak out over. You already know that the visuals will be next-level, and that an old HD TV (or, *shudder,* a laptop screen) won't do these long-awaited sequels justice. The

Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Xbox, but not everyone gets to play

SlashGear / 7h
Ever since Microsoft Flight Simulator launched on PC earlier this year, Xbox owners have been asking for Microsoft to port the game over from PC. Last night, Microsoft shared some more news on that front, but it was a mix of good and bad news. The good news is that Microsoft Flight Simulator is indeed coming to consoles, but the … Continue reading

New Star Wars – everything Disney announced this week

SlashGear / 7h
Today we’re taking a quick journey down the list of Star Wars projects announced by Disney this week. Disney revealed that there’d be a number of new television shows that’ll be shown on Disney+ and at least one more feature-length movie in the near future, too. This comes after the initial announcement that there’ll be 15 Star Wars projects on … Continue reading

How to Dress Your Kids to Play Outside All Winter

89Lifehacker / 7h
Do you remember when a snow day would feel like such an inconvenience? HowEVER will I work with these children underfoot all DAY, you moaned to yourself. Imagine if someone had told us way back in 2019 that it could be worse—you could have what amounted to a year’s worth of snow days, made all the worse by a little… Read more...

Friday's Best Deals: Cyberpunk 2077, Bella Air Fryer, Funko Pops, Champion Hoodies, World of Warcraft Game Card, Winter Hats, Instant Pot Duo Nova, and More

60Gizmodo / 8h
Cyberpunk 2077 and the Bella Air Fryer lead Friday’s best deals. Read more...

Patty Jenkins Will Direct the Next Star Wars Movie, Rogue Squadron

24KGizmodo / 8h
It’s going to be some time before we see a new Star Wars movie in theaters but, now, at least we know what that’s going to be. Read more...

14 best tweets of the week, including Taylor Swift, the Postal Service, beer, and steak

Mashable / 8h
Well, well, well, another week in the books. Can you believe it? Me neither. But here we are. Since it is Friday, we're going to share some of our favorite tweets from this week with you. Why? Why not, my good friend? And we've been doing it for quite some time now, and we want to keep that up So, yes, please enjoy. Here they are, the 14 best tweets of the week. 1. This both very funny and too re

Prepare for travel’s comeback: The 12 hottest destinations of 2021

61The Points Guy / 8h
It’s hard to believe that, this time last year, we were putting the finishing touches on our list of the 20 hottest travel destinations of 2020 . Everything then seemed so auspicious: A whole new decade was right around the corner. Airlines were expanding their route networks and making it easier than ever to reach far-flung destinations. Hotel brands were dropping their flags in new corners of t

Dell XPS 13 deals could save you $300 on a brand new Core i7 model today

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Dell's latest XPS 13 deals could save you a hefty chunk on a brand new upgraded machine with a Core i7 and 16GB of RAM.

Friday's Best Deals: Cyberpunk 2077, Bella Air Fryer, Funko Pops, Champion Hoodies, World of Warcraft Game Card, Winter Hats, Instant Pot Duo Nova, and More

60Lifehacker / 8h
Cyberpunk 2077 and the Bella Air Fryer lead Friday’s best deals. Read more...

Jailbreak app store Cydia files its own antitrust lawsuit against Apple

93Engadget / 8h
Cydia, the original app store for jailbroken iPhones , has joined a wave of companies and regulators in targeting Apple over antitrust concerns. In a lawsuit it filed on Thursday , it accused Apple of "anti-competitive acquisition and maintenance of an illegal monopoly over iOS app distribution." Were that not the case, Cydia argues, users would "be able to choose how and where to locate and obta

In public and private markets, cloud earnings and valuations heat up

200+TechCrunch / 8h
This quarter, strong earnings results from public cloud companies were overshadowed by a seemingly endless IPO cycle . Another moment we somewhat missed over the last few weeks was the stock market pushing the value of public cloud companies to all-time highs. These events are connected. And they bode well for startups working on SaaS and API-delivered software, which are keeping the climate for

Shopping for someone tech-savvy? Check out these smart home bundles.

45Mashable / 8h
Best deals on Ring Video Doorbell and Echo Show 5 bundles as of Dec. 11: BEST FEATURES FOR THE PRICE: Ring Video Doorbell 3 with Echo Show 5 — save $139.99 BEST FOR LIVE MONITORING: Ring Video Doorbell Pro with Echo Show 5 — save $169.99 If you have someone tech-savvy on your holiday shopping list and aren't sure what to get them, consider a video doorbell and smart assistant combo. As of Dec. 11

These three impressive SIM only deals are ruling the market this weekend

TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
These three SIM only deals are the best out there right now, appealing to every kind of need.

The Mandalorian season 2 episode 7 recap: too formulaic to be memorable

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Baby Yoda takes a breather as Mando takes an old accomplice on a mission behind Empire lines in The Mandalorian season 2 episode 7.

The five key business benefits of ethical web scraping

TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
As we move towards the holiday trading period, e-commerce should be a major focus.

Apple's AirPods drop back down to $110 at Amazon

35Engadget / 8h
If you missed the opportunity to buy Apple’s AirPods at a discount during the Black Friday weekend, you have another chance now. AirPods with the wired charging case have returned to $110, which is $50 off their normal price and $20 cheaper than the price they’ve been hovering at for the past few days. The list price is $128.99 right now, but Amazon has an automatically applied coupon that will b

Somehow, Nintendo Switch outsold the PS5 and Xbox Series X in their launch month

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Nintendo's handheld hybrid console is still the best-selling gaming console in the US, despite the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X in November.

The Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide to Kids Culture: Teen Internet Is Different From Yours

200+Lifehacker / 8h
It might use the same technological architecture, but the internet of kids is a totally different place than the adult internet. Instead of infuriating political news, weight-loss apps, and Zoom meetings you have to go to even though the whole thing could have been taken care of with an email, the kidernet has weird… Read more...

Thai Airways Selling Boeing 747, Airbus A380 Fleet

89One Mile at a Time / 8h
Thai Airways is continuing to put much of its fleet on sale, and it’s not good news for those who like flying super jumbos, or those who like Thai Airways’ first class. I wrote a few weeks ago about many of the planes that Thai Airways put up for sale, including its entire 747 fleet. Well, the airline is now putting some A380s up for sale as well. For sale: Thai Airways A380s, 747s, 777s, A340s T

How to ethically shop and give back this holiday season

Mashable / 8h
Mashable's Dylan Haas explains how to ethically shop, find black-owned businesses, and give back this holiday season. Read more... More about Mashable Video , Holiday Shopping , Donating , Black Owned Businesses , and Giving Back

Experimental COVID Vaccine Was Giving False Positives For HIV

1KFuturism / 8h
An experimental COVID-19 vaccine developed in Australia produced false positive test results for HIV in some trial participants, The New York Times reports . “I’m sure a lot of people are very embarrassed by it,” John Moore, immunologist at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York who was not involved in the development of the vaccine, told the newspaper. “It’s not great to be associated with a

What Do All the Modes Do on My Apple Watch?

How-To Geek / 8h
With the release of watchOS 7, the number of modes available on an Apple Watch has become a little silly. There’s now Airplane Mode, Silent Mode, Do Not Disturb Mode, Theater Mode, Schooltime Mode, and Sleep Mode. Here’s what they all do. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Roku Unveils Five Music Channels and Makes Ten Premium Series Free to Watch

52How-To Geek / 8h
Whether you’re a cable subscriber or a cord cutter, TV is only as good as the content you can watch. Roku, the streaming stick that does everything but HBO Max, knows that and wants to help. The company plans to add five music channels to its lineup and access to ten series from premium channels like Showtime and Starz. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

'Songbird' is a COVID-inspired thriller that's scared of all the wrong things

32Mashable / 8h
Songbird makes no secret of the fact that it's inspired by current events. It's touted in marketing materials as "the first feature film to be made during COVID-19 in Los Angeles," and unfolds in a dystopian near-future in which the virus has mutated into the far deadlier COVID-23 strain. "Remember the good old days of fake news? The real news is worse!" a disembodied voice squawks in the opening

Taylor Swift's 'evermore' is a bright note for a dark year

200+Mashable / 8h
How does she do it? A mere four-ish months after the surprise drop of Taylor Swift’s eighth album folklore she’s back at it again with its “sister record” evermore , meaning fans are once again treated to her romantic folk poetry — and an all-time great country revenge song. There’s plenty to say about the album’s vivid wordplay, dreamscapes and feelings bubbling up like a brook in the woods she’

2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost hybrid economy revealed

SlashGear / 8h
Ford promised flexibility and better economy from the 2021 F-150 PowerBoost hybrid, and now it’s spilling the details on its EPA estimates. The 4×2 version of the V6 gas-electric hybrid has a combined estimated fuel economy rating of 25 mpg, Ford said today. In the city you can expect 25 mpg, and 26 mpg on the highway. As for the … Continue reading

Tiny four-bit computers are now all you need to train AI

400+MIT Technology Review / 8h
Deep learning is an inefficient energy hog . It requires massive amounts of data and abundant computational resources, which explodes its electricity consumption. In the last few years, the overall research trend has made the problem worse. Models of gargantuan proportions—trained on billions of data points for several days—are in vogue, and likely won’t be going away any time soon. Some research

Master Chief joins Fortnite along with Halo’s most iconic map

SlashGear / 8h
Fortnite players have quite the surprise waiting for them when they log in today, as none other than Master Chief has joined the game. As one of the hooks of Chapter 2, Season 5 involves Agent Jonesy gathering the greatest hunters from across realities, perhaps we should have seen this crossover with Halo coming. Regardless, Master Chief is now in … Continue reading

Cyberpunk 2077 pre-sold 8 million copies and is now the biggest PC launch of all time

64TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Cyberpunk 2077 shifted 4.72 million copies on PC from pre-orders alone, CD Projekt Red says.

Amazfit GTR 2 price in India, features, where to buy online and review

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
The Amazfit GTR 2 release date in India is December 17, but it is already available at Rs 12,999 on Flipkart.

Among Us, Skyrim and more Yakuza games are coming to Xbox Game Pass

67TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Microsoft details when three fan-favorite games will debut on its subscription service.

Alleged Pixel 5 Pro leaked images hint at an in-display selfie camera

TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
A set of leaked images hint at the biggest ever camera upgrade on a Pixel device. If true, it may be the first major device to sport an under-display selfie camera.

Can Your Hardware Handle 'Minecraft' With Ray Tracing?

70Lifehacker / 8h
After months in beta, Minecraft with ray tracing is now available for Windows 10 players . It’s the biggest visual upgrade Minecraft has received in its nine-year lifespan, adding realistic lighting behavior to the game’s blocky, malleable worlds. You’ll need to meet high hardware requirements to experience the effect… Read more...

Woman Shows Up At The Airport, Proposes To A Man She Met Online 10 Days Ago

32View from the Wing / 8h
Here's a new twist on the age old marriage proposal in the skies. A woman who met 'her soulmate' online 10 days earlier showed up at the Las Vegas airport to propose to him. Since meeting they had video chatted every night, but they had never met in person. This would be their first time seeing each other in person - and he doesn't know she's coming. Continue reading ...

Get Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for $45 and Kill Mario With a Sword

24Gizmodo / 8h
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | $45 | Best Buy Read more...

Europe urged to block Google-Fitbit ahead of major digital policy overhaul

300+TechCrunch / 9h
The European Commission must block the Google -Fitbit merger as a matter of democratic imperative, prominent academic and author Shoshana Zuboff has warned. The Harvard professor who wrote the defining book on surveillance capitalism has become the latest voice raised against the $2.1 billion data+devices deal — that’s now been delayed at the regulatory clearance stage for more than a year. Other

shewhoworshipscarlin:Stage costume worn by Jermaine Jackson,...

Music, Arts & Literature / 9h
shewhoworshipscarlin : Stage costume worn by Jermaine Jackson, 1972.

Long-delayed 'Super Meat Boy Forever' arrives on PC December 23rd

74Engadget / 9h
Like other games with “Forever” in the name, Super Meat Boy Forever has been in development purgatory — we first got to try it in 2014 , and even a 2019 delay proved wildly optimistic. It’s nearly here at last, though. Team Meat has confirmed that its extra-challenging platformer will be available on Windows PCs through the Epic Games Store on December 23rd. There’s no mention of release dates fo

TPG’S 21 most anticipated hotel openings of 2021

The Points Guy / 9h
For the first time in a while, travelers who have been sidelined for nearly a year are starting to feel optimistic. While there’s still a tough road ahead of us as we stamp out the novel coronavirus, there are viable vaccines in the works. And, Operation Warp Speed, the government group handling the distribution of those vaccines, says that most Americans who want to get vaccinated could do so by

Hyundai acquires robotics company Boston Dynamics in $1.1 billion deal

200+Mashable / 9h
Hyundai has officially confirmed rumors that have been flying around since November. It has acquired a controlling interest in robotics company Boston Dynamics. Under the terms of the agreement, Hyundai will hold an approximately 80 percent stake in Boston Dynamics, while previous owner SoftBank will retain the remaining 20 percent. The deal values Boston Dynamics at $1.1 billion. "The deal came

Let your VPN deals search stop here - these are the best 5 around

31TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Get three months free with NordVPN or go for some super cheap pricing - there's something for all budgets with today's best VPN deals.

Official launch event suggests DJI FPV drone isn't what we were hoping for

84TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
An official DJI launch event suggests that the rumored DJI FPV drone won't be the fun racing drone we were hoping for.

Huge TV deal: this Samsung 65-inch QLED TV gets a $200 price cut at Amazon

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Snag this epic TV deal while you can - Amazon has this Samsung 65-inch QLED TV on sale for $1,097.99.

In&motion raises $12 million for its wearable airbag systems

100+TechCrunch / 9h
French startup In&motion has raised a $12 million (€10 million) funding round led by Upfront Ventures, with 360 Capital also participating. The company has been working on wearable airbag systems for motorbikes. Integrated in a vest, the airbag is completely autonomous and can detect crashes in 60 milliseconds. The company has worked on a device called the In&box that analyzes movements in real t

Google is finally making it easier to search your Drive cloud storage on mobile

20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Google Drive is bringing intelligent search functionality to mobile users, making it quicker and easier to find the files they need.

Oculus Rift S VR headset now $100 off but Quest 2 stock levels are creeping up

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
VR headset deals are slashing prices on the Rift S, but with rising stock levels is the Quest 2 a better option?

A Rare Original Apple 1 Computer Was Sacrificed For These Ugly Custom iPhones

100Gizmodo / 9h
In October of 2014, a rare Apple 1 motherboard, thought to be one of the first 50 built by Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs’ family home, was sold by Bohnams at auction for $905,000. Today, you can own a small piece of that Silicon Valley artifact, but it comes attached to a customized iPhone 12 Pro or Max with… Read more...

AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs are now supported by MSI’s older motherboards

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
MSI is also introducing support for AMD’s Smart Access Memory on 400-series boards, to boost performance further.

Mastercard and Visa will stop processing payments to Pornhub

500+Mashable / 9h
Following the viral New York Times report that detailed Pornhub's hosting of videos featuring underaged girls — and the massive tube site not doing much to rectify the problem — Mastercard and Visa have announced on Thursday that they're cutting ties with Pornhub . Mastercard full-stop won't allow their cards to be used to process Pornhub payments Visa is suspending card use and will conduct thei

Oculus Facebook account row prompts German competition probe

200+BBC News - Technology / 9h
Germany is investigating the tech giant for forcing VR users to use their Facebook accounts.

Scientists Find Mammoth Seemingly Butchered by Humans on Arctic Island

1KGizmodo / 9h
Kotelny Island sits high up in the Arctic, off the coast of Northern Siberia. It’s cold and barren now, mostly absent of humans. But over 20,000 years ago, this island was home to huge megafauna. Melting permafrost is exposing evidence of this past life, including three large woolly mammoth skeletons discovered there… Read more...

Brian K. Vaughan Is Resurrecting Another Sci-Fi Classic

100+Gizmodo / 9h
Chris Evans has joined Adam McKay’s asteroid disaster movie at Netflix. The Green Hornet and Kato reboot has found its writer. NBC has tapped a female-focused take on Zorro . Plus, good news for The Handmaid’s Tale , what’s to come on Star Trek: Discovery , and were-folks fight Santas. To me, my spoilers! Read more...

Use This Tool to Track Hospital Capacity In Your County

100+Lifehacker / 9h
Hospitals have faced growing numbers of inpatient care since the start of the pandemic, and as spikes continue across the country, available beds are again becoming scarce. But as the pandemic is spreading at different rates across the country, how can you know if your local hospital in particular is overwhelmed? An… Read more...

Absa wants you to be smart with your money

32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Absa has developed a very cool Snapchat game that teaches money management

Where Are Your Microsoft Teams Files Stored?

24How-To Geek / 9h
Microsoft Teams is great for collaborating on documents, but finding files again can be tricky. Thankfully, Teams stores your files in a logical structure in a dedicated SharePoint site. Here’s how to access that site and find your files. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Caution: You might only save $7 with the Citi Premier’s $100 hotel credit

20The Points Guy / 9h
Citi is a TPG advertising partner. The Citi Premier® Card has really stepped up its benefits over the last year. In June, the card began offering 3x points at supermarkets , a permanent change that competing cards are only adding temporarily. Citi also introduced an annual $100 hotel credit per calendar year, which is pretty unique considering the card only has a $95 annual fee. But is the $100 h

Windows on ARM can finally emulate x64 apps in latest preview

81Engadget / 9h
ARM-based Windows 10 PCs like the Surface Pro X have been limited to running non-native apps with 32-bit code — frustrating when many apps are either 64-bit only or are more capable using the newer technology. You won’t be quite so limited if you’re willing to experiment, at least. Microsoft has enabled x64 emulation on ARM64 devices for the first time through its latest Dev Channel preview for W

Why You Should Consider Applying For The Hilton Aspire Card Now

200+One Mile at a Time / 9h
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card ( review ) is my favorite hotel credit card. The card has a steep $450 annual fee ( Rates & Fees ), but has perks that more than offset it, in my opinion. Some people might read about the card and think “well, it sounds great, but I’m not traveling much right now, so I’ll hold off.” In this post I wanted to lay out why I think the current circumstanc

Honeybees use animal dung to deter giant hornets

Popular Mechanics / 9h
The post appeared first on Popular Mechanics .

Apple Boxing Day and January sales 2020: what we expect to see

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Bag a top deal on an iPad, MacBook, Watch, or iPhone with our handy guide to this year's Apple Boxing Day sales.

Tonies is a connected speaker for kids with Amiibo-like figurines

26Engadget / 9h
As a child you likely had some sort of media player for your favorite tunes. Some might remember the Fisher Price record player , or maybe you had a My First Sony tape deck like I did. These days it’s a little trickier to build up a kid’s audio library — we don’t rely on physical media for our music and audiobooks anymore, and you might not be comfortable putting a smart speaker in your child’s r

Looking for the Best Smart Scale? Step On Up

56Wired / 10h
If you're ready to start tracking your weight, BMI, and other critical health data on your phone, we've weighed in on some great options.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Blue Christmas

100+Wired / 10h
Plus: A WhatsApp cofounder’s regrets, the rules of chip hoarding, and a failed attempt at influencer marketing.

Charlize Theron and the Best Movie Never Made

100+Wired / 10h
As with so many things in 2020, it all started with a tweet.

Copyright Law Is Bricking Your Game Console. Time to Fix That

92Wired / 10h
Repairing your own console is either impossible or illegal. An exemption to Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act could change that.

Disney+ Will Raise Its Price for the First Time to $7.99 a Month

59How-To Geek / 10h
Disney+ plans to increase its price for the first time. The $1 price hike will bring the base subscription to $7.99 a month. If you’re on the yearly plan, your next bill will set you back $79.99. And the Disney bundle, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, will increase to $13.99 a month. You get a short reprieve though, Disney won’t raise the prices until March 2021. Read This Article on Revi

Microsoft Edge will now hog much less of your computer's processing power

36TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
New feature will put inactive Microsoft Edge tabs to sleep.

Get Two of Obsidian Entertainment's Best PC RPGs for Free

500+Lifehacker / 10h
I love isometric RPGs. I grew up on Baldur’s Gate , I believe Planescape: Torment is the second-best video game ever made, and I’ve sunk more than 35 hours into beating everything I possibly could in Obsidian Entertainment’s Tyranny , whose evil-centric story I absolutely devoured. Read more...

Anker's EufyCam Is Nearly Everything I Want in a Secure Security Camera

54Gizmodo / 10h
I don’t know about you, but I’d like to be able to walk around my neighborhood with my kid without concern that my neighbor’s camera is disseminating video of it to anyone who wants it in the area . As the owner of a camera, I don’t really want it to serve as an anchor for data scraping companies who make their money… Read more...

Gorillas, the on-demand grocery delivery startup taking Berlin by storm, has raised $44M Series A

200+TechCrunch / 10h
Gorillas , a grocery delivery startup that operates its own hyper local fulfillment centers and has already been a hit in Berlin, has raised $44 million in Series A funding. Probably one of European tech’s worst kept secrets this year, the round is led by hedge fund Coatue, with participation from other unnamed European investors. Coatue’s Daniel Senft and Bennett Siegel will join Gorillas‘ board

Watch SpaceX launch a SiriusXM broadcasting satellite live during its 25th flight of 2020

100+TechCrunch / 10h
UPDATE 12:55 PM EST: SpaceX called a hold in the countdown with 30 seconds remaining. It hasn’t shared details about the cause yet, but they did confirm that they won’t be attempting the launch today and will advise as to the next attempt window. SpaceX is already having a banner year, with major accomplishments including its first human spaceflight, and it’s aiming to pad its current record-brea

Decrypted: Google finds a devastating iPhone security flaw, FireEye hack sends alarm bells ringing

200+TechCrunch / 10h
In case you missed it: A ransomware attack saw patient data stolen from one of the largest U.S. fertility networks ; the Supreme Court began hearing a case that may change how millions of Americans use computers and the internet; and lawmakers in Massachusetts have voted to ban police from using facial recognition across the state. In this week’s Decrypted, we’re deep-diving into two stories beyo

How to Choose Your Default Speakers on Windows 10

70How-To Geek / 10h
Windows 10 users often have to switch between several sets of speakers. Some might be built into a monitor, while others might be included in a headset or headphones. Here’s how to set certain speakers as your default output devices. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

TPG honors Kristin Kitchen, who helped shelter Miami’s homeless during the pandemic

20The Points Guy / 10h
2020 has been a tough year, and we can all use an uplifting story as we head toward (hopefully) brighter skies in 2021. And that’s exactly what we have for you as we close out Hotels & Destinations Week at the 2020 TPG Awards . Today, TPG is proud to present the Inspiration Award to Kristin Kitchen of Sojourn Accommodations . Kitchen was raised in Cincinnati and got into the hospitality industry

Apple modem plan aims to oust Qualcomm 5G

SlashGear / 10h
Apple is working on its own cellular modem, aiming to oust Qualcomm from its iPhone, iPad, and other devices, much in the same way that Apple Silicon is squeezing out Intel from Mac. The move would see Apple gain another degree of control in its device design, a strategy which has seen the consumer electronics firm already segue into chip-design … Continue reading

The Expanse's Thomas Jane on Bringing His Acting Experience Behind the Camera

200+Gizmodo / 10h
The protomolecule entity formerly known as Joe Miller might have disappeared at the end of The Expanse season four , but actor Thomas Jane didn’t go anywhere. He ventured behind the scenes to direct an episode of season five, one that gives us some of the most emotional moments of the series so far. Luckily for The … Read more...

Apple Watch 7 will double down on fitness features, judging by Tim Cook's comments

48TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Tim Cook has teased the Apple Watch 7 with regards to wellness, health and fitness features. So what could that mean?

Razer mice and keyboards hit all-time lows in Best Buy one-day sale

40Engadget / 10h
Now’s a good time to grab a gaming mouse, keyboard or headset if you’re in need of an upgrade or you’re still searching for a good gift for the gamer in your life . Best Buy has a one-day-only sale on Razer peripherals today and included in it is one of our favorite mice, the Basilisk X HyperSpeed , at a new record-low price of $38. That’s a couple dollars cheaper than its previous all-time low w

Oppo Reno 5 series won’t be coming to Europe

33TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
The new Oppo Reno 5 range is now confirmed to not be launching in Europe.

How Secure Is Your Digital Assistant?

83Gizmodo / 10h
Chatting with Google Assistant, Alexa, or Siri has become a part of our day-to-day life, whether we’re using our voices to turn on smart lights or ask our devices for the weather forecast. But what you might not think about daily is just how secure and private these three voice assistants actually are. Read more...

Twitter app code indicates that live video broadcasting app Periscope may get shut down

200+TechCrunch / 10h
Twitter has been doubling down on video services within its app, building out Twitter Live and recently launching Fleets so that users can share more moving media alongside their pithy 180-word observations, links and still photos. But in the process, it appears that it may also be streamlining its bigger stable of services. Code in the Twitter app indicates that Periscope — the live video broadc

Podcast: AirPods Max, 'Cyberpunk 2077' and the death of cinema

28Engadget / 10h
This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into Apple’s newest headphones, the AirPods Max, and discuss if they’re actually worth $549. They also chat about the FTC’s antitrust charges against Facebook, and Warner Bros.’ decision to premiere all of their 2021 films on HBO Max. Jessica Conditt also joins to discuss her impressions of Cyberpunk 2077 — was it worth the long wait? Listen below, or subscri

How to Stream the Classic Rankin/Bass Christmas Animated Specials

100+How-To Geek / 10h
Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment created some of the most enduring holiday TV specials of all time featuring Rudolph, Frosty, and more. Here’s how you can stream some of those beloved claymation, stop-motion, and animated holiday classics. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Sony launches Apple TV app on select smart TVs

32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Sony Electronics announced that South African customers will soon be able to access Apple TV via select Sony Smart televisions on 10 December 2020

2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata: Pricing and Trim Levels

SlashGear / 10h
The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata is entering the new year with new paint colors and more standard equipment. All trim models of the 2021 Miata have a folding soft-top roof, while the RF model (Retractable Fastback) with its fancy power-folding hardtop is exclusive to the MX-5 Club and Grand Touring models. Standard to all 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miatas is a … Continue reading

Millions of smart devices could still have major security flaws

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
A new report claims 33 zero-day vulnerabilities are present in millions of smart devices, from more than 150 manufacturers.

YouTube lets users mute gambling and alcohol ads

100+BBC News - Technology / 10h
Google says it will let users opt out of specific types of ads, starting with alcohol and gambling.

FCC continues bid to remove Huawei gear from US networks

36TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Publication of banned list, including Huawei kit, paves way for US congress funding.

Instead Of Outdoor Dining, Restaurants Are Offering Private Meals In Hotel Suites

34View from the Wing / 10h
As the weather has turned colder in much of the country this presents a challenge. It's no longer viable for many restaurants to attract diners to an outdoor setting. So some restaurants have turned to offering meals inside private hotel suites. Hotels are frequently empty, so there's an easy unused resource to leverage and private rooms provide guests the comfort and safety of outdoors, without

Hackers Accessed Covid Vaccine Data Through the EU Regulator

100+Wired / 11h
The European Medicines Agency has released limited details about the cyberattack.

Severe Wildfires Are Devastating the California Condor

1KWired / 11h
This year’s aggressive fire season wiped out a record number of the endangered birds, as well as a facility wildlife biologists use to track and care for them.

This Season’s Most In-Demand Gifts

72Wired / 11h
This week, we discuss how holiday gift-giving has been influenced by the pandemic. Also, we list the things we’ll be giving, and offer some gift suggestions.

Ten Awesome Holiday Action Movies (That Aren't 'Die Hard')

33How-To Geek / 11h
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? We don’t know. But let’s assume for a moment that it is, and skip that tired debate. If Die Hard counts as a Christmas movie just because it’s set around Christmastime, then so does any movie more or less situated at the business end of the calendar. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

How To Use AWS Textract OCR To Pull Text and Data From Documents

How-To Geek / 11h
Many companies use human workers to do manual data entry on forms, applications, and other physical documents. While this is very accurate, it’s slow and costly. AWS Textract uses machine learning to automate this process. Read This Article on CloudSavvy IT ›

How to Put Your Xbox Series X or S into Developer Mode

How-To Geek / 11h
Developer Mode is available on the Xbox Series X and S. This feature can turn every console into a development kit. Microsoft officially announced it for the Xbox One back in 2016. Here’s how to use Developer Mode on a modern Xbox, and why you might want to. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

How (and why) you should be earning lots of Capital One miles

The Points Guy / 11h
Thanks to generous credit card sign-up bonuses and the introduction of transfer partners in 2018 , Capital One miles have become more valuable over the years. You can redeem miles at a fixed rate of one cent each toward travel purchases or transfer them to 10+ travel partners at a solid ratio. The redemption flexibility and above-standard earning rate of Capital One credit cards have made these m

Exoplanet HD 106906 b’s orbit pinned down by the Hubble Space Telescope

SlashGear / 11h
NASA leverages the Hubble Space Telescope for all manner of scientific endeavors. Recently Hubble was used to pin down the orbit of a massive exoplanet called HD 106906 b that is 11 times the mass of Jupiter. The planet resides in a double-star solar system 336 light-years away. Scientists hope that learning about HD 106906 b will allow them to … Continue reading

Hilton Honors Diamond Members Can Gift Status

55One Mile at a Time / 11h
Hilton Honors has been doing a great job throughout the pandemic with engaging members , and that trend is continuing, as the loyalty program has a nice holiday gift for Diamond members. Hilton Diamond members can gift status Hilton Honors will be extending a one-time opportunity for all current Hilton Honors Diamond members to gift status to someone else, regardless of their stay activity this y

The Morning After: Disney+ will raise its price to $8 per month

200+Engadget / 11h
After surpassing its own projections for Disney+ in year one — and facing unprecedented issues for its theatrical and theme park businesses — Disney is leaning even harder into streaming. During a presentation for investors on Thursday, it pitched a seemingly unending list of content that will all become a part of its streaming services sooner or later. Multiple streaming spinoffs from The Mandal

Wormable code-execution flaw in Cisco Jabber has a severity rating of 9.9 out of 10

100+Ars Technica / 11h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Cisco has patched its Jabber conferencing and messaging application against a critical vulnerability that made it possible for attackers to execute malicious code that would spread from computer to computer with no user interaction required. Again. The vulnerability, which was first disclosed in September , was the result of several flaws discovered by researchers a

Apple is making moves that could allow it to abandon Qualcomm chips

20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
The company continues to cut its reliance on external hardware vendors.

AirPods Pro vs Beats Powerbeats Pro: Apple’s true wireless earbuds do battle

100+TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
We put Apple’s two true wireless earbuds head-to-head to find out which model is the best choice for you.

Working from home at 25MHz: You could do worse than a Quadra 700 (even in 2020)

500+Ars Technica / 11h
Enlarge / Be a shame if anything happened to those dinosaur paddock gates, so it's a good thing Sam Jackson can monitor this situation with his Quadra 700. (credit: Universal Pictures ) The crop of personal computers available in the last decade of the 20th century were markedly faster, more capable, and more connected than their primitive ancestors. Clock speeds and transistor counts were rapidl

NYPD's New Robot Police Dog Will Get Special Arm For Opening Doors

300+Gizmodo / 11h
The New York Police Department’s new robot dog will receive a special robotic arm for opening doors and moving objects next month, according to a new report from ABC7 in New York. The existence of the NYPD’s robot was first revealed in late October after it assisted in the apprehension of a suspect in Brooklyn. But… Read more...

‘Cyberpunk 2077’ sets a Steam record with one million concurrent players

1KEngadget / 11h
Cyberpunk 2077 had some interesting glitches on launch, but those haven’t dissuaded anyone from playing it. The title set a new record for the largest number of simultaneous players in a single player game, with a record 1,003,262 playing just after the December 10th launch, according to Steam Database. That tops the previous Steam record of 472,962 players set by Fallout 4 back in 2015. . @Cyber

Microsoft Teams calls are getting bigger than ever

42TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Web users of Microsoft Teams now have access to 49-person Large Gallery view and the platform's AI-powered Together Mode.

Hyundai dropped $1.1 billion for 80 percent of Boston Dynamics

SlashGear / 11h
Automaker Hyundai Motor Group has announced it has completed a deal to acquire a controlling interest in robotics manufacturer Boston Dynamics. The deal is costing Hyundai $1.1 billion and gives the automaker group approximately an 80 percent stake in Boston Dynamics. SoftBank retains a roughly 20 percent stake in Boston Dynamics after the deal’s close through one of its affiliates. … Continue re

AI needs to face up to its invisible-worker problem

200+MIT Technology Review / 11h
Many of the most successful and widely used machine-learning models are trained with the help of thousands of low-paid gig workers . Millions of people around the world earn money on platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk, which allow companies and researchers to outsource small tasks to online crowdworkers. According to one estimate , more than a million people in the US alone earn money each mon

This retailer has released the cheapest iPhone 12 and 12 Mini deals yet

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
iPhone 12 and 12 Mini deals have fell way down in price recently and these are the cheapest options we've seen.

How to watch High School Musical: The Musical Holiday Special on Disney Plus now

29TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
High School Musical fans are in for a festive treat - here's how to watch High School Musical: The Musical Holiday Special on Disney Plus today.

I Tested Positive for Covid-19. What Does That Really Mean?

500+Wired / 12h
We reduce test results to “positive” or “negative.” Some experts think patients, and the community, would be better served by a more nuanced approach.

The FDA's Green Light for a Vaccine Might Tank Ongoing Trials

300+Wired / 12h
The agency is close to authorizing Pfizer's Covid-19 shot. That raises questions about the fate of study volunteers and lost opportunities to collect their data.

‘Beyond These Stars Other Tribulations of Love’

200+Wired / 12h
“The trick was to lift consciousness into a superposition and help it lock into distinct space-time coordinates.”

Rocket Report: SN8 meets its fate, SLS Green Run tests to resume next week

33Ars Technica / 12h
Enlarge / Starhopper survived, but SpaceX's SN8 Starship prototype did not. (credit: Trevor Mahlmann ) Welcome to Edition 3.25 of the Rocket Report! These are wild times in the world of launch. The window for Virgin Galactic's first powered launch from its New Mexico facility opens Friday, and this is on top of United Launch Alliance's attempt to fly NROL-44 Thursday night on its Delta IV Heavy r

Spiders in space orient themselves by light

SlashGear / 12h
One of the interesting things about space is that it’s hard to tell which way is up in micro or no gravity. Scientists have been sending spiders into space to see how the spider’s web-making ability changes in the microgravity aboard the ISS. As simple as it sounds on the surface to put a spider in space and see how … Continue reading

Leica’s SL2-S is a $4,895 beast with 4K 60 fps video capability

100+Engadget / 12h
Leica has launched the SL2-S, a sportier and cheaper version of its flagship 47-megapixel, $5,995 mirrorless SL2 camera . With the new model, it’s emphasizing speed, low-light capability and video prowess, with a 24.6-megapixel sensor, up to 25 fps second shooting speed (with caveats), ISOs up to 100,000 and 4K 60 fps video. The SL2-S is the first Leica with a back-side illuminated (BSI) sensor t

How can the telecommunications industry build true diversity?

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
The telecommunications sector has exploded over the last decade. As we restart the economy, here's what companies can do to attract more women in technical roles.

How to Cascade All Your Windows on Windows 10

98How-To Geek / 12h
Windows 10 includes several little-known but very useful ways to automatically organize your open windows, and they’re only a click away on the taskbar. Here’s how to cascade your windows automatically. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Your boss could be the biggest cyber-threat in the office

41TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Report finds senior members of staff more likely to take security risks than junior counterparts.

HPE will soon be able to deliver HPC solutions as-a-service

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Hewlett Packard Enterprise has announced that it will soon offer high performance computing solutions as-a-service.

Last of Us 2 wins big at The Game Awards

100+BBC News - Technology / 12h
The action-adventure horror game took home seven awards at the ceremony.

Hyundai buys controlling interest in Boston Dynamics

200+TechCrunch / 12h
It’s official. Boston Dynamics is becoming part of the Hyundai family (pending regulatory approval, naturally). The Waltham, Massachusetts-based robot maker confirmed in a press release today that the South Korean technology company is acquiring controlling interest. The deal, which values the company at $1.1 billion, gives Hyundai Motor Group an 80% stake, with SoftBank controlling the remaining

2021 Subaru WRX starts at $37,245, WRX STI has a $37,245 base price

SlashGear / 12h
We have good news if you want a 2021 Subaru WRX or WRX STI. The new Subaru WRX has the same base price as last year, but the Japanese carmaker has given it more standard kit. Starting at $27,495, Subaru’s rally-bred, four-door sedan remains standard with Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, active torque vectoring, and a six-speed manual transmission (Subaru’s Sport … Continue reading

Hyundai confirms its $1.1 billion acquisition of Boston Dynamics

500+Engadget / 12h
Boston Dynamics is now officially part of Hyundai Motor Group. The Korean conglomerate has struck a deal with Softbank to acquire a controlling interest — an 80 percent stake — in the robotics company for $1.1 billion. Softbank will retain a 20 percent stake through one of its affiliates. The companies have been in talks since at least early November, and the deal is expected to be finalized in J

Fujifilm GFX100S leak hints at name and design for the 102MP wonder

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
The Fujifilm GFX100S will apparently be the name of Fuji's incoming medium format camera – and that tells us a lot about its possible design.

Oppo Reno 5 release date, price, news and features

32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
The Oppo Reno 5, and Reno 5 Pro, are the company's new mid-rangers that you might be waiting a while to buy.

AMD changes its mind about killing off reference design RX 6000 GPUs

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
AMD promises it will sell its reference design RX 6000 cards ‘indefinitely’.

More Disney 2021 plans: Kate McKinnon as Elizabeth Holmes, Y: The Last Man on FX

41Ars Technica / 12h
Raya and the Last Dragon , now coming to Disney+ simultaneously in March 2021. Disney held its 2020 Investor Day event on Thursday, and naturally the House of Mouse's high-profile franchises have grabbed all the initial headlines. Yada, yada, Fantastic Four MCU film and Loki series . Blah, blah, seven new Star Wars things . But Lucasfilm and Marvel were far from the only Disney-owned entities mak

Windows on ARM could finally compete with Apple's M1 chips thanks to x64 emulation

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
After its announcement back in September 2020, Microsoft has finally rolled out x64 emulation for Windows 10 on ARM PCs.

This fan-favorite Windows application is vulnerable to various malware attacks

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
A number of WinZip vulnerabilities have been discovered that could be used to inject malware into a user’s device.