The Future of Tech, News and making sense of it all!

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Early Thursday Technology News and More!

Technology news and more...



Amazon Prime Includes a Bunch of Free, Live TV Channels You May Not Know About


200+How-To Geek / 1h
If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you know that it includes tons and tons of streaming TV and movies, some of which is original and exclusive. You might know that you can subscribe to additional streaming catalogs, like HBO and Showtime. But did you know that Prime also has a bunch of live TV channels, available at no extra charge? Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Future OnePlus phones could come with selfie camera in the bezel


60TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
OnePlus is rumoured to be investing heavily to improve the camera performance on its phones. A patent around the selfie camera tech hints at steps taken in the right direction.

Google apps on iOS telling you they're outdated? Don't worry, it's a bug.


37Mashable / 23min
Google's iOS apps have been sending ominous messages to users recently, telling them they're out of date and that it's risky to continue using them. These messages are the result of a bug, which has already been fixed, Google told The Verge on Wednesday. "This app is out of date. You should update this app. The version you're using doesn't include the latest security features to keep you protecte


Waze adds Audible to its built-in audio player


Engadget / 8min
Waze is making it easier to listen to your audiobooks while also using your phone for navigation. The Google subsidiary has added Audible to the list of streaming services you can access through its app’s built-in audio player. Simply choose Audible as your audio player after tapping on Waze’s music icon, though you’ll of course still need a membership to be able to listen to its audiobooks, podc

'Little Nightmares II' is a messy charmer with some real bite


Mashable / 8min
Little Nightmares II is rough around the edges, but that's honestly half the fun. In this ambitious sequel to the 2017 game horror fans loved , players re-enter the cute-yet-creepy world of Little Nightmares — a terrifying realm of childhood fears come to dangerous life. Raincoat-wearing hero Six returns as an AI companion in a much scarier follow-up adventure led by new protagonist Mono. He's a

Box Shuttle makes it easier than ever to move your business data to the cloud


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10min
Box Shuttle gives organizations a clearer overview of the data migration process, including real-time insight and visualization.

Gina Carano will no longer appear in Star Wars projects


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10min
Lucasfilm has parted ways with Carano after a widely-condemned social media post.

Intel could have a new tactic to undermine AMD – slashing prices on Comet Lake CPUs


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10min
Big discounts on 10th-gen CPUs suggest that Intel is trying to capitalize on AMD’s stock misery.

Data traffic grew 60 times over past 5 yrs in India


28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 24min
A Nokia annual report said the smartphone industry will clock a double-digit growth this year as consumers adopt hybrid work models—a combination of remote and work from office, consume online content, and meet their education and healthcare needs digitally.

How to watch Nadal vs Mmoh: live stream Australian Open 2021 tennis from anywhere


28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 24min
Spanish legend faces American qualifier in Melbourne tonight - here's how to watch Australian Open tennis online and get a Nadal vs Mmoh live stream right now.

This cube-shaped Raspberry Pi alternative can run both Android and Linux


28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 24min
A full-fledged computer inside a box that measures just eight cubic inches.

The UK’s covid app made a serious difference during the winter surge


45MIT Technology Review / 26min
The news: Researchers in the UK have calculated that its contact tracing app may have prevented around 600,000 cases of covid-19 . The announcement is good news for the system—which underwent serious teething problems —and a step forward for exposure notification systems more generally. What they found: The study by a team of Oxford researchers modeled the impact of 1.5 million notifications that

Auditors are testing hiring algorithms for bias, but find there’s no easy fix


44MIT Technology Review / 26min
I’m at home playing a video game on my computer. My job is to pump up one balloon at a time and earn as much money as possible. Every time I click “Pump,” the balloon expands and I receive five virtual cents. But if the balloon pops before I press “Collect,” all my digital earnings disappear. After filling 39 balloons, I’ve earned $14.40. A message appears on the screen: “You stick to a consisten

Moto G30 and Moto E7 Power leaked in full


28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 31min
Full specs have been leaked and unofficial renders have been shared for two upcoming Motorola handsets.

SuperAnnotate, a computer vision platform, partners with with open-source to spread visual ML


56TechCrunch / 32min
SuperAnnotate , a NoCode computer vision platform, is partnering with OpenCV , a non-profit organization that has built a large collection of open-source computer vision algorithms. The move means startups and entrepreneurs will be able to build their own AI models and allow cameras to detect objects using machine learning. SuperAnnotate has so far raised $3M to date from investors including Poin

How African startups raised investments in 2020


90TechCrunch / 32min
The venture capital scene in Africa has consistently grown, with an influx of capital from local and international investors reaching unprecedented heights in recent years. To understand how much growth has occurred, African startups raised a meagre $400 million in 2015 compared to the $2 billion that came into the continent in 2019, according to Africa-focused fund Partech Africa. However, that

Instagram Bans Anti-Vaxxer Robert Kennedy Jr. For Spreading Covid-19 Misinformation


20Gizmodo / 32min
Instagram has banned notorious anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for spreading misinformation about covid-19 and the safety of vaccines. Strangely, Kennedy is still doing the exact same schtick on Instagram’s parent platform Facebook, a place where he hasn’t been banned. At least not yet. Read more...

10 drones on sale, from photography drones to DIY kits


20Mashable / 38min
Drones can carry a hefty price tag, so it's good to catch one on sale if you can. As of Feb. 10, you can slash up to 75% off drones of all shapes, sizes, and styles — just be sure to use the code PREZ2021 at checkout to get the best price. From photography drones to compact picks to DIY kits, there's something here to please every type of hobbyist. TRNDlabs Spectre Drone The Spectre Drone from TR

Slip this mat under your desk and get a foot massage while you work


Mashable / 38min
TL;DR: Make working at a desk easier with this Anti-Fatigue Mat with Built-In Vibrating Foot Massager . As of Feb. 11, get it for $101.99 with code PREZ2021 for a 20% total savings. If you work at a desk, whether it's a standing desk or a regular one, your feet could probably use some TLC. This massaging mat features a built-in vibrating massager, which is programmed to provide a deep, soothing f

Get cell service for less than $7 a month from Tello


Mashable / 38min
TL;DR: Connect with your loved ones with Tello's Value Prepaid 6-Month Plan , on sale for $41.65 with code PREZ2021 as of Feb. 11, a total savings of 50%. Sometimes you just want no-frills phone service that works. With Tello's pre-paid six-month plan , you know exactly what you're getting up front — and you only have to pay one flat fee for. Plus, you can save an extra 15% for a limited time. Wi

Save over 20% on a 12-foot (!) charging cable


Mashable / 38min
TL;DR: Charge your phone from across the room with the 12-foot Naztech Lightning charging cable . As of Feb. 11, get it for $22.99, a 23% savings. If your outlets are located on the other side of the room from your bed, couch, or workspace, charging your phone is likely a big ordeal. The original three-foot cable that came with your device isn't much help — especially if you actually want to use

PS5 restock update: PS5 bundles now live at Game


24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 39min
Game has more PS5 stock available this morning, but it probably won't last long.


Future OnePlus phones could hide a selfie camera in the bezel


28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 39min
A new OnePlus patent suggests its selfie camera tech may be moving its way toward the bezel.

This noise-cancelling headphones deal slashes the Jabra Elite 45h to lowest price


24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 39min
You can save big on these stellar noise-cancelling headphones from Jabra at Amazon.

Alexa can now answer your Ring doorbell and take a message, if you can't


24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 39min
Alexa can answer your Ring Video Doorbell for you and take a message as part of a new Smart Responses feature.

Crypto-currency pioneer Diana Biggs joins digital assets startup Valour as its new CEO


64TechCrunch / 49min
Crypto-currency pioneer and early Bitcoin thought-leader Diana Biggs has joined Swiss-based startup Valour , which lets investors easily buy digital assets through their bank or broker. The move is significant with the news that Tesla has bought $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin, thus massively boosting the mainstream markets for crypto assets. Biggs explored the potential for blockchain technology t

Monzo, the British challenger bank nearing 5 million customers, has recruited a new U.S. CEO


77TechCrunch / 49min
Monzo , the U.K. challenger bank with just shy of 5 million customers, has recruited a new U.S CEO to head up its efforts states-side, TechCrunch has learned. Carol Nelson, who previously spent ten years as CEO of Cascade Bank and prior to that was a long time senior vice president of Bank of America, will start as early as next week, staff at Monzo were informed this morning. Notably, she has be

Cloud automation startup Spacelift raises $6M Series A led by Blossom Capital


57TechCrunch / 49min
Spacelift , a startup that automates the management of cloud infrastructure, has raised $6 million in a Series A funding round led by London’s Blossom Capital. Polish fund Inovo Venture Partners and Hoxton Ventures are also investing. The Polish and US-based startup is taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the increasingly complex cloud world, with what it dubs as an ‘infrastructure-as

There's a new The Witcher board game on the way


66Engadget / 56min
The Witcher series is already quite the franchise, consisting of video game , novels , and a TV series , along with an upcoming anime and prequel . You might not remember that developer CD Projekt Red also developed a board game version back in 2014 . Now, the company has announced that it’s creating another board game called The Witcher: Old World in partnership with publisher Go on Board. The c

DARPA selects three companies to develop concepts for its LongShot program


Popular Mechanics / 1h
The post appeared first on Popular Mechanics .

The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal just got cast in The Last of Us HBO TV show


Pedro Pascal HBO Us•
32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
Pedro Pascal, of Narcos and The Mandalorian fame, will be taking on the role of Joel in the upcoming HBO adaptation of The Last of Us.

Ring Doorbell Pro and Alexa Can Now Greet Your Visitors With Custom Messages


23How-To Geek / 1h
Video doorbells are one of the best smart home devices you can own, and Ring doorbells are worthy of your consideration again. And to help prove that, Ring is releasing a few handy new features, including the ability to greet your visitors for you. It can even tell a delivery person where to leave a package, all without any interaction from you. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

You Can Send Music to Your Friends' Echos 👀


26How-To Geek / 1h
If you’re the kind of person who needs to share the latest and greatest song with all your friends (whether they like or not), Alexa is about to make that easier. In an update rolling out now, you’ll be able to ask Alexa to share a song with your friends’ Echo devices, and they’ll get to listen regardless of what music services they use. If they want to hear the song, that is. Read This Article o

Titan TraQ Lite, TraQ Cardio, and TraQ Triathlon smartwatches launched in India


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
Titan has announced three new smartwatches in India - TraQ Lite, TraQ Cardio, and TraQ Triathlon. These are developed by Titan’s in-house design studio located in Bangalore, and prices start at Rs 3,999.

South Africa takes part in Microsoft HoloLens 2 surgery


36TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
South African surgeon, Professor Stephen Roche, participated in a pioneering medical event with Microsoft

AWS is giving football fans another way to study the beautiful game


28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
AWS is delivering a next generation viewing experience for football fans.

Hacked Florida water plant used shared passwords and Windows 7 PCs


96Engadget / 2h
The Oldsmar, Florida water plant hacked earlier this week used outdated Windows 7 PCs and shared passwords, the Associated Press has reported. A government advisory also revealed that the relatively unsophisticated attack used the remote-access program TeamViewer. However, officials also said that the hacker’s attempt to boost chemicals to dangerous levels was stopped almost immediately after it

Bugatti unveils first Centodieci prototype, production model arrives in 2022


23SlashGear / 2h
No doubt, the Bugatti Centodieci is a special one. Born to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bugatti, Centodieci has the most potent iteration of the French supercar maker’s quad-turbocharged W16 engine. The design pays homage to Bugatti’s very own EB110 supercar, the latter spearheaded by former Bugatti owner Roman Artioli and architect Giampaolo Benedini in the early 1990s. Centodieci is … C

Why Is Facebook Rejecting These Fashion Ads?


100+NYT > Technology / 2h
The automated intelligence systems of Instagram and Facebook have repeatedly denied ads placed by small businesses that make stylish clothing for the disabled.

ASUS runs ‘Win Your Fees’ competition for parents


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
ASUS is running a unique competition that has the winner's schools fees paid up to the value of R130 000


Pngme, a financial data platform, closes $3M seed to accelerate growth in Sub-Saharan Africa


100+TechCrunch / 2h
Since M-Pesa’s mobile money infrastructure came into play in 2007, there has been a proliferation of fintech services ranging from wallets to savings and loans . With this mobile money ecosystem growing in double-digits year-on-year, a lot of data is being created in the process . But this has left some fragmentation, where one person’s information is diverse and can be accessed via multiple chan
YESTERDAY

Toyota is launching three electrified vehicles in the US this year


95Engadget / 3h
Toyota has revealed that it’s debuting three electrified versions of its vehicles in the US this year. While the automaker didn’t name the models of the vehicles it’s launching, it did say that two of them are fully electric, while the other is a plug-in hybrid. It’s a step towards one of the company’s goals, which is for 40 percent of all new vehicles sales to be made up of electrified models by

Almost half a million users duped by Facebook phishing campaign


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 3h
The “Is that you?” phishing scam resurfaced last year to predominantly target German users on Facebook.

Infinix Smart 5 with 6000mAh battery, 6.82-inch display launched


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 3h
Infinix Smart 5 with massive 6000mAh battery is now official in India. The device comes with a gem-cut design and is priced at 7,199.

ShareChat’s Moj ties up with Snap for Snapchat Camera


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 3h
Moj becomes the first Indian company to integrate Snap’s Camera Kit and is launching 30+ Snapchat Lenses in the first leg of partnership.

The cinemas now hiring out their screens to gamers


5KBBC News - Technology / 4h
With cinemas badly hit by Covid-19 restrictions they are looking for new revenue streams.

India’s BharatPe valued at $900 million in new $108 million fundraise


BharatPe Series India•
76TechCrunch / 4h
India may soon have another fintech unicorn. BharatPe said on Thursday it has raised $108 million in a financing round that valued the New Delhi-based financial services startup at $900 million, up from $425 million last year. Coatue Management led the three-year-old startup’s Series D round. Other six existing institutional investors — Ribbit Capital, Insight Partners, Steadview Capital, Beenext

Sweden-based digital bank Northmill raises $30M


100+TechCrunch / 4h
Northmill Bank , the Sweden-based challenger that has around 200,000 customers across three European countries, has raised around $30 million in new funding. Leading the round is M2 Asset Management, the Swedish investment company controlled by Rutger Arnhult, and asset management firm Coeli. The injection of cash will be used for continued geographical expansion and to accelerate the development

US airline set to buy flying electric taxis for airport runs


1KBBC News - Technology / 4h
United Airlines plans to buy 200 of the aircraft to fly passengers to airports within the next five years.

Xiaomi flagship with Snapdragon 870 gets certified with a familiar design


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
A version of the Xiaomi Mi 10 with Snapdragon 870 was rumoured to be launch earlier. Its TENAA certification reveals a design similar to the Mi 10 Ultra's.

Polar Verity Sense heart monitor strap can be worn anywhere


SlashGear / 4h
Smartwatches and smart fitness trackers are a dime a dozen these days, almost all of them equipped with one form of heart rate monitor or another. These might be fine for some consumers that don’t mind the designs these smartwatches come in or don’t require more accurate or dedicated readings. There will, however, always be people who shirk from these … Continue reading

Xiaomi Mi 11 vs iPhone 12: can the underdog gain the upper hand?


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
The Xiaomi Mi 11 has impressive specs, but can it compete with Apple's main flagship?

Study finds Indians comfortable with using multiple messaging apps


28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
WhatsApp has more than 53% of its users for over 3 years. In the past 3 years, Telegram gained most of its users, while in the past 1 years, Signal gained more than 47% of its users.

Video Game-Playing Pigs Stretch Our Concepts of Animal Intelligence


200+Gizmodo / 5h
The four pigs came to win. If they played the game well, they got delicious dog food (they used to get M&Ms, but the humans decided those were too sugary). Time and again, when prompted by researchers to complete a video game task—guiding a cursor with a joystick, a sort of rudimentary Pong —they did so with impressive… Read more...

Unlock and watch American Netflix with this cheap VPN


28Mashable / 5h
SAVE 85%: A three-year subscription to ZenMate VPN is on sale for £1.44 per month as of Feb. 11, saving you 85% on list price. We know you're short on content options right now, because we're short on options. Everyone is short on options, OK? There simply aren't enough shows and films to go around at the moment. Before you rewatch that series for the umpteenth time, there is something you can do

Track your progress with these powerful smartwatches from Polar


Mashable / 5h
SAVE UP TO 49%: Polar running watches and smartwatches are on sale for up to 49% off on Amazon. There are two camps that have formed over the last year. There are those who are taking this opportunity to get in seriously good shape, and then there are those who are resting and relaxing. Both are valid decisions. Whether you're a fitness fanatic or not, Polar has a wide range of smartwatches and r

Vivo X50 Pro Plus tipped to launch in India in the coming weeks


36TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 5h
Vivo X50 Pro Plus is expected to arrive in India in the next few weeks. The device is said to launch alongside the Vivo X60 series.

Connect everything in your home with a discounted Echo Dot


Mashable / 5h
SAVE £15: The Echo Dot (fourth generation) is on sale for £34.99 on Amazon, saving you 30% on list price. It's now more important than ever to stay connected with friends and family, and the latest Echo Dot provides everything you need to keep in touch with everyone important in your life. You can use it to call almost anyone hands free, and drop in on other rooms to announce something to your fa

Disney fires Mandalorian’s Gina Carano over “abhorrent, unacceptable” posts


Carano Mandalorian•
200+Ars Technica / 6h
Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson / Lucasfilm) Gina Carano's turbulent tenure as a member of the Star Wars acting universe has come to an abrupt end. Lucasfilm issued a statement to the press on Wednesday, which Ars first found on io9 , confirming that Carlano was out of not just The Mandalorian , on which she co-starred for two seasons, but all Star Wars properties. It read: Gina Carano is not curr

Motorola teams up with CAT phone maker Bullitt for a rugged lineup


SlashGear / 6h
At this point, Motorola’s strategy in the smartphone market seems to be best described as “throw everything at a wall and see which sticks.” Its phones are all over the place, from an expensive foldable to a handful of mid-range phones to budget-friendly entry-level handsets. As if that weren’t enough, Motorola has entered into a partnership that will create yet … Continue reading


SpaceX Selected by NASA To Launch First Two Elements of the Lunar Gateway


Gizmodo / 7h
NASA selected SpaceX to deliver the first two segments of the moon-orbiting Lunar Gateway space station on Wednesday, the second high-profile contract the government agency awarded the private aerospace manufacturer this week. Read more...

'The Mandalorian' has reportedly dropped Gina Carano after her 'abhorrent' social media posts


Carano Mandalorian•
3KMashable / 7h
It looks as though The Mandalorian is cleaning house. Actor Gina Carano has reportedly been released from her role on The Mandalorian as former Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune following significant criticism regarding her social media posts. She has also parted ways with her agency UTA, according to a report from Deadline . In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter , a Lucasfilm spokesperson reveale

iPhone could be ruined by North Dakota bill, warns Apple


SlashGear / 7h
Apple’s App Store has been in the center of some high-profile controversy and rhetoric last year when Epic Games made a bold move that, according to some sources, has been planned months ahead. An action as simple as offering a different in-app purchasing method set off a chain that now involves lawsuits filed across several countries, all of them accusing … Continue reading

After Twitter, Facebook is looking to clone Clubhouse


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
For those who haven't heard, Clubhouse is an invitation-only audio chat social networking app that arrived in 2020 and has been already valued at over $1 billion.

Facebook reportedly eying Clubhouse clone for its next trick


SlashGear / 7h
While Facebook displaced many of the old friends-centric social networks like MySpace, Friendster, and other forgotten names, it hasn’t exactly cornered all the social markets, at least not by itself. It had to resort to different strategies to compete with the likes of Snapchat, sometimes making controversial acquisitions that are now under regulatory and legal scrutiny. Sometimes, though, it ju

Gina Carano Is No Longer a Part of Star Wars


Carano Mandalorian•
265KGizmodo / 8h
Gina Carano, who plays Cara Dune on The Mandaloria n, will no longer be on the show. Read more...

Telstra knocks AU$40 off its NBN 250 plan – get super-fast internet for just AU$100


36TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Following a similar offer from Aussie Broadband, Telstra has also slashed the price of its fastest NBN plans.

PlayStation Network sudden outage causes brief panic


SlashGear / 8h
The Internet has definitely made the world a smaller place but that does have its price. Being an Internet-dependent culture means that when Internet services go down, many have no recourse but to sit it out and wait for things to go green again, hopefully, sooner rather than later. That’s especially true for critical services like email and search but … Continue reading

CDC study backs mask doubling with exposure to risky particles down 83%


200+Ars Technica / 8h
Enlarge / Self-sewn protective face masks in a fabric store on April 3, 2020, in Jena, Germany. (credit: Getty | Jens Schlueter ) With the pandemic still raging and several dangerous variants looming, many experts have suggested doubling up on masks. Now, a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doubles down on that strategy. Adding a cloth mask over a surgical mask on a rubb

Rocket League is about to get a special Ford F-150 RLE bundle


SlashGear / 8h
Psyonix has announced the Ford F-150 Rocket League Edition (RLE), an upcoming vehicle bundle that will be available in hit game Rocket League. The bundle, quite obviously, will feature a version of the Ford F-150 truck, as well as some bundled items like a player banner, SE wheels, RLE engine audio, and more. The Ford F-150 RLE features a Rocket … Continue reading

HBO's 'The Last of Us' series will feature Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey


Pedro Pascal HBO Us•
500+Engadget / 8h
While we’re still waiting to see Uncharted on the big screen, another key adaptation of a Naughty Dog title is continuing to move forward in the form of a notable casting for Sony’s The Last of Us TV show on HBO . Bella Ramsey is best known for her role as Lyanna Mormont in HBO’s Game of Thrones series, and now she’ll step into the role of Ellie, a teenage girl being smuggled through quarantine z

Toyota Will Introduce Its First All-Electric Vehicles in the US This Year


56Gizmodo / 9h
After years of resisting all-electric vehicles, Toyota announced on Wednesday plans to debut its first mass-market all-electric vehicles in the United States later this year. Read more...

Google’s new synesthesia experiment turns iconic painting into music


SlashGear / 9h
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to experience synesthesia? If so, Google’s latest Arts & Culture experiment is here to help. The experiment is inspired by Russian art theorist and painter Vassily Kandinsky, who experienced synesthesia and could hear musical chords and tones as he painted with different colors. Google’s new experiment briefly introduces users to this concept, giving … Contin

Swiping for friends: Why managing others' dating apps is so damn fun


Mashable / 9h
In our Love App-tually series, Mashable shines a light into the foggy world of online dating. I may be a single 27-year-old who's never downloaded a dating app, but that doesn't mean I haven't swiped. While I don't think online dating is for me, I have nothing against anyone looking for love virtually, wading through an endless digital catalogue of romantic contenders or awkwardly breaking the ic

Oracle users can now run hybrid cloud absolutely anywhere in the world


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Oracle's latest solution brings secure, scalable cloud services to even the most remote areas.

The Mario Games You Should Play First To Prepare Yourself for Super Mario Bros. 3D World + Bowser’s Fury


BF Super Mario Bowser•
24Gizmodo / 9h
Super Mario Bros. 3D World + Bowser’s Fury ( Physical , Digital ) | $60 | Amazon Read more...

Unreal Engine's MetaHuman Creator Is Like The Sims 4 on Steroids, and I Love It


84Gizmodo / 10h
Epic’s Unreal Engine is making it easier for game developers to create and customize realistic human-like characters with its new MetaHuman Creator , which gives devs the ability to fine-tune facial features, skin complexion, and work from preset body types, hair, clothing, and even teeth. Watching it in action, I… Read more...

American Airlines Flight Attendants Need 50 Years With The Company To Get A Schedule Out Of Phoenix


200+View from the Wing / 10h
American Airlines isn't operating as many flights as it used to. They've downsized their Phoenix flight attendant base as well. US Airways needed a large contingent out of Phoenix before merging with American, because it was the airline's only hub west of Charlotte. That's no longer the case. Many flight attendants who weren't furloughed back in the fall have transferred to other cities. Those th

Instagram has a strong warning for users who send abusive DMs


SlashGear / 10h
Instagram has had enough of users who send abusive and harassing private messages through its platform and is back with a strong warning for anyone who continues to do this. In an update on additional steps it is taking to reduce abuse, Instagram warned that it will be issuing ‘stricter penalties’ going forward. According to Instagram, users who break the … Continue reading

Apple Watch ECG monitoring one step closer to approval in Australia


36TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration gives the green light to the Apple Watch's irregular heart rhythm notifications.


Bumble prices IPO at $43 per share


200+TechCrunch / 10h
This afternoon Bumble priced its IPO at $43 per share, ahead of its raised IPO range of $37 to $39 per share. Bumble filed to go public in mid-January , and offered up its first price range on February 2 . That range, $28 to $30 per share, wound up coming up short. Bumble raised its price range to $37 to $39 per share earlier this week . Before counting a possible underwriters’ option, Bumble rai

A one-and-done card option: U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature Card review


The Points Guy / 10h
U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card Overview The U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card is a solid no-annual-fee credit card and has a fairly impressive rewards structure. However, the points are only worth a fixed 1 cent each, which makes this card essentially a cash-back credit card. Plus, you won’t earn rewards on travel purchases — a major focus area for many TPG readers. Card Ra

Arturia's flagship PolyBrute synth is shipping now


96Engadget / 10h
Arturia’s $2,899 PolyBrute isn’t for the faint of heart. But it’s definitely gotten the synth nerd world all worked up . And with good reason: Its six analog voices, three LFOs, dual filters, digital effects, unique Morphée and ribbon controllers make it one of the more interesting instruments to be announced in the last couple years. Until now though, only a lucky few have managed to get their h

WordPress now powers 40% of the world's websites


70TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Two out of of every five websites are now powered by WordPress according to new data from W3Techs.

Epic Games teases TRON as the next Fortnite crossover


SlashGear / 11h
Epic Games has all but bluntly confirmed an upcoming Fortnite x TRON crossover. The revelation was, as with the previous Predator teaser, made in a recently published transmission from the game’s Agent Jonesy as he details his arrival in yet another dimension. Though Epic hasn’t explicitly said that TRON is inbound, there are a few good reasons to believe it … Continue reading

What's the Best Valentine's Day Gift for a Year Like This?


36Gizmodo / 11h
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and we all know what that means. Some poor fool has completely forgotten about the holiday entirely and will wake up in a cold sweat one night with the sudden realization of their folly. There’s going to be a chaotic online shopping scramble over the next few days as partners with terrible… Read more...

A lithium-ion upgrade for your car, but not the one you’re expecting


100+Ars Technica / 11h
Enlarge / The Antigravity battery in place, with the Bluetooth monitor dongle. (credit: Bradley Iger) From iPhones to Teslas, lithium-ion battery technology is ubiquitous in today's world. It's the chemistry of choice for a wide range of applications due to its high charge density relative to its mass, which in turn yields things like high-end laptops that can run for more than 10 hours on a sing

Alexa Can Share Songs You're Listening to With Friends


28Gizmodo / 11h
Love a song and want to share it with a pal? You can do it with your Alexa device now. Read more...

NASA Is Using Fitbits to Prevent COVID Spread Among Astronauts


200+Futurism / 11h
To prevent the spread of COVID-19 across its facilities, NASA is handing out Fitbit devices to 1,000 of its employees, including 150 astronauts. The wrist-worn devices can track several key health metrics, including body temperature. By logging all that data, the agency is hoping to get ahead of any outbreaks of COVID in any of its facilities, which stretch across the entire country. “There is ev

Vitrazza Glass Floor Mats Protect Your Floors From Expensive Office Chair Damage


Futurism / 11h
It’s no secret that office work can be demanding, especially during those countless hours of sitting in uncomfortable office chairs . But aside from the wear and tear office chairs can put on your back, they’re also known to cause major damage to unprotected floors. However, with the arrival of Vitrazza glass chair mats , damaged flooring from office chairs is becoming a thing of the past. Vitraz

This Researcher Hacked Into 35 Major Tech Companies, Including Microsoft, Tesla, and Netflix


100+Gizmodo / 11h
Alex Birsan, a Romanian threat researcher, recently made over $130,000 by virtuously breaking into IT systems at dozens of major tech companies. Read more...

Breached water plant employees used the same TeamViewer password and no firewall


500+Ars Technica / 11h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images / Leon Justice ) The Florida water treatment facility whose computer system experienced a potentially hazardous computer breach last week used an unsupported version of Windows with no firewall and shared the same TeamViewer password among its employees, government officials have reported. The computer intrusion happened last Friday in Oldsmar, a Florida city of abou

Bitcoin-prisen rammer ny rekord, efter Tesla bekræfter køb på 1,5 mia. dollars


32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Tesla har lavet et kæmpe køb af bitcoin for at diversificere sine aktiver, da det planlægger at acceptere kryptovaluta som betaling.

How Virtuoso Can Score You Perks At Luxury Hotels


51One Mile at a Time / 11h
While I ideally like staying at hotels with robust loyalty programs, the reality is that there are lots of charming independent hotels out there that don’t have a loyalty program. Often there’s a tradeoff for staying at these properties, though — you may not get complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, or a number of other amenities that you may otherwise be accustomed to. The great thing is that

Scalarr raises $7.5M to fight mobile ad fraud


200+TechCrunch / 11h
Scalarr , a startup that says it uses machine learning to combat ad fraud, is announcing that it has raised $7.5 million in Series A funding. The company was founded by CEO Inna Ushakova and CPO Yuriy Yashunin, who previously led the mobile marketing agency Zenna. Ushakova told me that while at Zenna, they realized that ad fraud had grown to the point that it posed a real threat to their business

DARPA taps three companies to develop LongShot UAV missile concept


20SlashGear / 11h
DARPA has announced the three companies it selected to develop concepts for its LongShot program. The agency didn’t reveal the financial details for its selection, but did state that the contracts are for concepts on a UAV that would be launched in the air, after which point the drone would be able to launch its own air-to-air weapons. At this … Continue reading

United Airlines orders 200 vertical-takeoff electric airplanes


100+Ars Technica / 11h
Enlarge / An artist's rendering of Archer's first aircraft, due out in 2024. (credit: Archer ) The success of uncrewed electric drones in the last couple of decades has caused some people to wonder if similar construction techniques to those used in drones could be employed to create small electric aircraft to carry people. Not only are electric motors more reliable than conventional engines, but

The Most Iconic Sci-Fi and Fantasy Films Streaming on HBO Max


100+Gizmodo / 11h
So, you’ve got an HBO Max subscription. Maybe you got it to watch Wonder Woman 1984 and are gonna hold on to it until Godzilla vs. Kong comes out. Maybe you’ll keep it going until the fourth Matrix or the new Dune . But what can you watch in the meantime? Is there more than just all of HBO’s old shows and some upcoming… Read more...

A 'Clone High' reboot and Velma 'Scooby-Doo' spinoff are heading to HBO Max


84Engadget / 11h
You’ll soon see even more adult cartoons on HBO Max. In an announcement spotted by The Hollywood Reporter , WarnerMedia said it recently ordered three new animated series. Those include a two-season reboot of classic MTV series Clone High , a new Scooby-Doo show that will tell the origin story of Velma Dinkley and a workplace comedy starring Pete Davidson of Saturday Night Live fame. The company

Beacons debuts a ‘link in bio’ mobile website builder that helps creators make money, not just list links


100+TechCrunch / 11h
Today, there are a number of website builders aimed at creators who want to point fans to a dedicated landing page from their social media profile. If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Instagram, you’ve likely come across one of these simplified “link in bio”-style websites — like those hosted by Linktree , for example. A new startup called Beacons is now entering this market with the goal of ma


How to Turn Yourself Into a Cat (In a Video Call)


200+Gizmodo / 12h
By now you’ve probably seen that viral video of the lawyer who accidentally turned himself into a cat during an important Zoom hearing. If you’re looking to mimic his feline appearance, we have good news and bad news. Read more...

A terabyte isn’t what it used to be—14% of Internet customers use more


100+Ars Technica / 12h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Andrzej Wojcicki ) Large numbers of US Internet subscribers are using over 1TB a month for the first time as the pandemic continues to boost home-Internet usage, according to research released today by the vendor OpenVault. "The power user category continue[d] to accelerate [in Q4 2020], with 14.1 percent of weighted average subscribers now consuming over 1TB of da

Double-masking offers more protection from COVID-19, says CDC


The Points Guy / 12h
You might already be wearing two masks, but science now backs it up: double-masking is the way to go. New research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask, which is known as double masking, could reduce exposure to COVID-19. According to the CDC, exposure to COVID-19 was reduced by up to 96.4% when both an infected person

Pokemon TCG will soon reprint cards to scorch scalpers


SlashGear / 12h
The Pokemon Company International just released a note on the near-future of the Pokemon card game, especially regarding availability constraints. The wording of the statement seems to suggest they MAY be speaking about the McDonald’s release that’s taken the scalper world by storm… but we shall see. Per the statement, they are “actively working to print more of the impacted … Continue reading

HBO Max signs “adult” cartoon series based on Scooby-Doo’s Velma


200+Ars Technica / 12h
Scooby-Doo Enlarge / This artist's approximation imagines Velma from the Scooby-Doo series getting chummy with the Clone High cast. We doubt that such a crossover will happen, but animation nerds can dream, right? (credit: WarnerMedia / Aurich Lawson ) One of HBO Max's biggest differentiators in the video-streaming scramble has been its animation family, which includes a glut of established "matu

VTubing Is More Than Just Livestreaming With Cute Anime Avatars


36Gizmodo / 12h
There’s a new type of livestream building steam: It’s called VTubing, and for many people, it might only exist as thumbnails in YouTube’s recommended videos section. But VTubing is way more involved than just clips that feature kawaii anime avatars. It’s an important evolution of our social media landscape. Read more...

House Republican video gets stuck upside down: 'At least you're not a cat'


51Mashable / 12h
Republican Rep. Tom Emmer on Wednesday had a video-conferencing snafu, an all too common experience in the COVID world. During a virtual House Financial Services meeting, the Minnesota lawmaker was flipped via a filter, his head upside-down and detached from his body with an abstract blue and white background. "Are you OK," asked Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters. Emmer responded he was before someon

One Airline Is Thankful Its First Class Is Worse Than Competitors


View from the Wing / 12h
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 ...

Clear Health Pass will soon speed up quarantine-free Hawaii arrivals


94The Points Guy / 12h
It’s time to start thinking about creating a “COVID-19” folder on your smartphone — if you’re hoping to travel over the next few months, there’s a good chance you’re going to need to install some apps. Sign up to get the daily TPG newsletter delivered to your inbox each morning Airlines around the world will likely roll out their own document-verification tools, like the “Travel-Ready Center” now

Google, Facebook tell SCOTUS it should be harder for you to sue them


100+Ars Technica / 12h
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images / Aurich Lawson ) Suing technology firms when they mess up is already hard, especially when it's over privacy violations. Now, Facebook, Google, and the trade groups representing all the big tech firms are asking the Supreme Court to make it even harder for class actions to pursue cases against them. Facebook, Google, and all the others submitted a filing ( PDF ) to

Magic: The Gathering Smitten Secret Lair February goes from Brutal to Lisa Frank


20SlashGear / 12h
Today the folks at Wizards of the Coast revealed a new set of cards – or several sets of cards, as it were. The big multi-drop is called a Secret Lair Superdrop, and it’s aimed at the month of February, 2021. In the mix are a set of faeries, Valentine’s Day, a few full-art basic lands, and a pair of … Continue reading

How to Stop Waking Up to Pee


100+Lifehacker / 12h
We’ve all been there: a groggy, middle-of-the-night realization that, ugh, it’s time to pee again . While sometimes this is the result of a medical condition, often it’s just an inconvenient routine. In that case, there are a few simple fixes that can make nighttime bathroom breaks a lot less common. Read more...

How I Podcast: Welcome to Your Fantasy’s Eleanor Kagan


79TechCrunch / 12h
The beauty of podcasting is that anyone can do it. It’s a rare medium that’s nearly as easy to make as it is to consume. And as such, no two people do it exactly the same way. There are a wealth of hardware and software solutions open to potential podcasters, so setups run the gamut from NPR studios to USB Skype rigs (the latter of which has become a kind of default during the current pandemic).

Commercializing deep tech startups: A practical guide for founders and investors


100+TechCrunch / 12h
Vin Lingathoti Contributor Vin Lingathoti is a partner at Cambridge Innovation Capital , where he focuses on technology investments. A software engineer by background, Vin has spent more than a decade in Silicon Valley working with tech companies. Before joining CIC, he led venture investments and acquisitions for Cisco Systems in London and San Jose. As a deep tech investor, I have often noticed

CDC Releases New Advice and Data on Double-Masking


67Gizmodo / 12h
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new guidance about the best ways to use masks to help prevent transmission of covid-19. One key reco


Backblaze