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Saturday, May 15, 2021

Technology News and More-Early Saturday Edition

 Technology news and more...




Disney Movies Will Hit Disney+ Sooner Thanks to Shortened Theatrical Window


54How-To Geek / 1h
Disney will ease its way back into theaters with the release of Free Guy and Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings later this year. But the company is abandoning the typical 90-day release window for these movies, opting for a 45-day theatrical runtime before the titles move to Disney+ and digital rental services. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Track your heart rate and more with a refurbished Apple Watch on sale


40Mashable / 1h
TL;DR: As of May 15, score a refurbished Apple Watch Series 2 for only $169.95 — a 57% discount on the retail price. Like all Apple products, the Apple Watch isn't cheap. But if you've been eyeing one for a while now, this deal could make your dream a reality. This refurbished Apple Watch Series 2 tracks how often you move, exercise, and stand, and will break down your progress for you. It measur

Year of foldable phones: Best ones to show up in 2021


SlashGear / 4min
It wouldn’t be an understatement to say, foldable phones have come of age in 2021. After the initial quirks, the industry has steadied itself to present a viable option for consumers wanting bigger screen real estate from their handhelds. Foldable phones are still an exclusive device and pretty expensive in comparison to the flagship smartphones, but considering their advantages, the … Continue r


Love interior design? Spoak’s virtual design studio might be your new favorite hobby


Mashable / 7min
Spoak $7.99/month and up View Product The Good Puts a lot of tools in one place • Color palette and sourcing tools are fun • Floorplan tool is useful The Bad Vizis take a lot of practice to look good • Not a real Photoshop replacement The Bottom Line Spoak is fun to play around with, but casual users might not get enough out of it to justify the subscription cost. ⚡ Mashable Score 3.5 😎 Cool Fac

PS5 restock tracker: live Twitter updates for Walmart, Best Buy and Target


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 19min
PS5 restock Twitter tracker Matt Swider is offering live updates for when and where to find the Sony console in stock.

218,000 UK households face an average £280 rise in their energy bills


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 26min
Unless they switch now, those affected will be rolled onto their supplier's more expensive default tariff in May

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit drops to lowest price yet in Amazon’s Nintendo Switch deals


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 26min
Amazon’s latest Nintendo Switch deals are offering some excellent prices on Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and plenty of other games and peripherals.

HostPapa ushers Rocket.net into growth program with $1.1m financing


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 48min
HostPapa looks to keep Rocket.net moving on up.

Windows 10 update is failing to install for some – but there’s a fix (of sorts)


24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
The fresh update for May hasn’t caused any major problems, but an installation error is proving frustrating for some.

Hundreds of Malicious Mobile Apps Promised Financial Peace and Stole Money


28How-To Geek / 1h
Security researchers have uncovered hundreds of malicious Android and iOS apps posing legitimate cryptocurrency, banking, and financial apps. Thanks to social engineering techniques, scammers tricked victims into installing apps to steal both money and credentials. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

YouTube TV Customers Can Watch Showtime for Free Through May 16th


How-To Geek / 1h
Can you binge a show in three days? YouTube TV is running a three-day Showtime promotion, providing full access to all its exclusive shows and movies through Sunday, May 16th. Those who subscribe to Showtime during the promotion can get the service for $5 a month for the next 6 months, a significant discount on Showtime’s usual $11 a month price tag. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Netflix is Expanding the 'Ultraman' Universe with a New Movie


34How-To Geek / 1h
Fans of Netflix’s Ultraman series now have a new CG-animated Ultraman movie to look forward to alongside the second series of the show. The film will be produced in partnership with its original creator, Tsuburaya Productions. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Rumored Third Gen AirPods and Apple HiFi Music Service Could Arrive Next Week


22How-To Geek / 1h
Apple’s plans are constantly changing, but if the latest rumors are accurate, we could see the company announce all-new third-generation AirPods next week. Additionally, it sounds like a new HiFi Apple Music service is in the works, too. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

TP-Link's New 2K HD Kasa Smart Cameras and Wi-Fi Plugs Are Here


49How-To Geek / 1h
In January, TP-Link announced it would be releasing a line of new smart gadgets later this year, and now, some of them are available. Up for grabs are two new Kasa smart cameras and two new Wi-Fi plugs. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Limited-Time Deal: Buy a Wyze Lock, Get a Free Keypad


How-To Geek / 1h
Released in 2020, the Wyze Lock is still one of the most affordable smart locks on the market—but it’s hard to recommend without the $25 Keypad. Now, Wyze is offering a free Keypad with all Wyze Lock purchases, a limited-time deal to help you add a layer of security and convenience to your smart home. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Friday Deal: Get Eufy's Robot Vacuums up to 44% Off


How-To Geek / 1h
If you still don’t have one yet, robot vacuums are life-changing. And while there are a lot of options in this space, we love Eufy’s robotic vacuums. They’re affordable, easy to use, and do a great job cleaning so you can sit on the couch and watch Netflix. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

LEGO Debuts Preschooler-Friendly Disney Mickey and Friends Sets


27How-To Geek / 1h
To make sure kids of all ages have something to build, LEGO has teamed up with Disney to release the new Mickey and Friends range. The range features five sets designed to inspire creativity for kids aged 4 and up. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

What on earth is an NFT? This beginner’s guide will catch you up.


24Mashable / 1h
TL;DR: Finally figure out WTF everyone is talking about with The Beginner's Guide to NFTs , which is on sale for 89% off. As of May 15, get it for only $19.99. The newest thing everyone loves (or loves to hate): NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Every NFT is unique and immutable, created on the blockchain, and tied to a digital asset: art, photos, memes , GIFs , or even tweets . If you’re interested in

Save on an all-weather jacket that's making its mark on Kickstarter


Mashable / 1h
TL;DR: A featherweight graphene-infused jacket that cools and warms your body has racked up $1.8 million on Kickstarter, and you can buy one for $295 for a limited time. Need a new jacket? The Gamma Jacket from Wear Graphene is made to keep you comfortable in all kinds of weather. Having met over 350% of its goal on Kickstarter, the Gamma Jacket has raked in about $1.8 million in less than two mo

Create some serious ambiance with a color-changing wall light on sale


Mashable / 1h
TL;DR: Set the mood in your room with the Color-Changing Wall Light , which is on sale for 42% off. As of May 15, get one for $79.95. Regular old light fixtures just don’t cut it in the age of TikTok. From galaxy lights to colored LEDs to lamps that double as art , the lighting options these days allow you to truly customize a space and make it your own little sanctuary. If you’re searching for s

Save on a refurbished iPad Air for AT&T or Verizon


20Mashable / 1h
TL;DR: To save a little cash, opt for a refurbished iPad Air with WiFi and 4G AT&T or an iPad Air with WiFi and 4G Verizon . As of May 15, choose from either carrier for only $239. Refurbished products have been inspected and tested, confirmed to work well, and discounted. For example, these Apple iPad Air models , available for either AT&T or Verizon , will cost you less than $250. Although it h


What TikTok Stars Owe ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’


96NYT > Technology / 1h
The comedian is ending her daytime talk show after 19 years. Her segment “Ellen’s Wonderful Web of Wonderment” was the start of a new kind of fame.

The Assorted Teachings of Dogecoin


88NYT > Technology / 1h
Created as a cryptocurrency parody in 2013, Dogecoin languished for years. Then, in 2021, it went absolutely wild. What have its holders learned?

E3 2021 app and online portal revealed—here’s how the all-digital event will work


20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
The app and online portal for E3 2021 have been revealed, showing how fans will be able to take part in this year's entirely online show.

Echo Show 8 (2021) vs Echo Show 5 (2021): which Amazon smart display is for you?


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
Weighing up whether to buy the new Echo Show 5 or the Echo Show 8? We compare the early specs

Fujifilm may not launch another X-series camera in 2021 – and that's no bad thing


TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
Rumors suggest Fujifilm won't release any more X-Series cameras in 2021 – here's why that's not necessarily bad news.

Apple Stores in the US will keep mask mandates in place, for now


54Engadget / 2h
Visiting an Apple Store in the US? For now, you'll still need to wear a mask.
YESTERDAY

Apple Find My network could be abused to siphon data from nearby devices


24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
Researchers have discovered a flaw in Apple’s Find My system that allows arbitrary data to be lifted from nearby devices.

Apple ends the Space Gray era, discontinuing the color for Magic Keyboards, mice, and trackpads


24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
Apple has officially discontinued ‘space gray’ versions of Magic Keyboards, mice, trackpads, and other accessories, seemingly retiring the color.

Ex-Apple Employee Claims Company Knew About His 'Misogynistic' Writings and Hired Him Anyway


Gizmodo / 5h
Former Apple employee Antonio García Martínez has refuted the company’s portrayal of his high-profile ouster this week and claims Apple knew about his past writings demeaning women and people of color, which came under fire from employees this week, before it made a job offer. Read more...

Know your way around data with this stacked online course bundle


Mashable / 6h
TL;DR: The 2021 Advanced Data Analyst Bundle is on sale for £21.34 as of May 15, saving you 93% on list price. When put to good use, data can make a positive impact. It can fuel social good initiatives and innovations. And when used wisely by businesses, data can help us make smarter investment decisions, improve risk management processes, and much, much more. If you want to become a data analyst

This professional email marketing bootcamp is on sale for 97% off


Mashable / 6h
TL;DR : The Complete Email Marketing Bootcamp is on sale for £21.34 as of May 15, saving you 97% on list price. To market your business yourself, it's essential to understand a few basic things — like copywriting, how to produce an email, and the fundamentals of email marketing systems. Get your feet wet by signing up for the Complete Email Marketing Bootcamp and investing a little time. This cou

Solana, a blockchain platform followed by top crypto investors, says it’s far faster than Ethereum


100+TechCrunch / 6h
Solana isn’t widely known yet outside of the crypto community. But insiders think the blockchain platform is interesting for a wide variety of reasons, beginning with its amiable founder, Anatoly Yakovenko, who spent more than a dozen years as an engineer working on wireless protocols at Qualcomm and who says he had a lightbulb moment at a San Francisco cafe several years ago following two coffee

Save 70% on a subscription to this streaming-friendly VPN


Mashable / 6h
SAVE 70%: A two-year subscription to PureVPN is on sale for £2.46 per month as of May 15, saving you 70% on list price. The battle to be the best VPN for streaming is pretty competitive. There are plenty of services that do the job effectively, but ExpressVPN is probably the best. It's also one of the most expensive services, so PureVPN may be better suited to beginners. PureVPN is one of the few

Brave and Unstoppable Domains join forces to allow users to access the decentralized web


24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
Brave is the latest browser to add support for .crypto domains and the decentralized web through Unstoppable Domains.

Save AU$1,497 on this RTX 3080 Alienware gaming laptop


20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
Dell’s latest sale sees the XPS 13, Alienware rigs, Inspiron 2-in-1s and more discounted by up to 40% off.

One of Waymo's Autonomous Taxis Got Stumped by Traffic Cones and Fled Its Fleshy Overlords


62Gizmodo / 8h
The taxi hurt itself in confusion! Read more...

China's Tianwen-1 mission has successfully landed on Mars


China Mars Zhurong•
100+Engadget / 9h
China's Mars mission has successfully reached the planet's surface.

Chinese Mars Rover Reportedly Touches Down on Surface of Mars


China Mars Zhurong•
4KFuturism / 9h
The Chinese space program’s hotly anticipated Zhurong Mars lander landed successfully on the Red Planet’s Utopia Planitia region on Friday evening, according to state-owned media group CGTN and SpaceNews . The mission, which is the first that China has ever attempted to land on the Red Planet, launched back in July 2020 and arrived in Martian orbit earlier this year along with the Tianwen-1 orbit

Apple Music HiFi lossless audio details found in latest Android app beta


SlashGear / 9h
It seems that Apple is gearing up to launch a lossless audio plan for its Apple Music streaming service, and a new app teardown reveals some new details about this unannounced lossless option. The hints were found in a teardown of the Apple Music 3.6.0 Beta app, including warnings about how much data it will take to stream lossless music … Continue reading


More Indiana Jones 5 Casting Suggests It Might Actually Happen This Time


80Gizmodo / 10h
Fans have been waiting for Indiana Jones 5 for so long you wouldn’t blame them if they don’t believe it’s real until they sit down to watch it. But after years and years of delays, Steven Spielberg dropping out as director, Harrison Ford pushing 80, and more, it seems like it’s finally happening. Especially when the… Read more...

A Mitchells vs. the Machines Deleted Scene Reveals a Voltron-Esque Villain


63Gizmodo / 10h
Not only is The Mitchells vs. the Machines one of the best movies of the year so far, it’s got an absolutely unforgettable ending. The way the family comes together to fight the villainous PAL, complete with flying robot skateboards, laser gauntlets, and a soundtrack by T.I and Rihanna? It’s epic and touching at the… Read more...

You’ll be able to stream Disney’s Jungle Cruise the day it hits theaters


SlashGear / 10h
Jungle Cruise, the Disney movie that was extensively delayed by the pandemic, will finally hit theaters this summer. With the vaccine widely available in the US and the CDC giving the green light for vaccinated people to ditch their masks, it’s likely many people will head to their local cinema to watch the film. For those who aren’t comfortable doing … Continue reading

Dyson's V11 Outsize Pro gets tempting AU$250 discount in early Click Frenzy sale


20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
This excellent Click Frenzy 2021 offer makes some of Dyson's most premium vacuum cleaners a lot more affordable.

Simone Giertz used to make useless inventions, then she beat Tesla to the Cybertuck


58Mashable / 10h
From the robots that fail miserably at their jobs to the robots dealing with our literal crap, Mashable’s Crappy Robots dives into the complex world of automation — for better or worse or much, much worse. The inventor once known as the "Queen of Shitty Robots," tells us why she stopped making purposefully dumb machines and what she's up to now. Read more... More about Mashable Video , Simone Gie

Best cards to pair with the Amex Gold


The Points Guy / 11h
The American Express® Gold Card has been one of my most-used cards during the pandemic . I earn 4x on U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; 1x after) and worldwide dining at restaurants and 3x on flights booked directly or through Amex Travel , a game changer a year where most of my spending each month is on groceries at U.S. supermarkets and dining at restaurants. The

Apple Music for Android offers more details on upcoming lossless streaming


94Engadget / 11h
Conducting an APK teardown of the latest version of the Apple Music app for Android, 9to5Google found code snippets referencing two different tiers of high-fidelity audio.

Extra Crunch roundup: Selling SaaS to developers, cracking YC after 13 tries, all about Expensify


100+TechCrunch / 11h
Before Twilio had a market cap approaching $56 billion and more than 200,000 customers, the cloud-communications platform developed a secret sauce to fuel its growth: a developer-focused model that dispensed with traditional marketing rules. Software companies that sell directly to end users share a simple framework for managing growth that leverages discoverability, desirability and do-ability —

Daily Crunch: Stripe buys Y Combinator alum Bouncer for undisclosed sum


72TechCrunch / 11h
To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PDT, subscribe here . Wrapping the week here at Daily Crunch with a big thanks to Henry for taking over yesterday and a fist bump to everyone who has written in with notes on its format. We’re still tinkering, so your notes are read and (mostly) appreciated, even if we can’t respond to

All the Animals American Men Think They Can Beat in a Fight and Why They Can't


100+Gizmodo / 11h
According to a YouGov poll released on Friday , some humans have extremely poor judgment when it comes to determining which animals they could win a one-on-one, unarmed fight against. Namely, they think they can win those fights at all. Read more...

Google Docs is getting an upgrade that could mess with your browser extensions


24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Docs is switching from HTML-based rendering to canvas-based rendering and some Chrome extensions may no longer work as a result.

Doctor Who Audio Adventure Starring John Barrowman and David Tennant Canceled


100+Gizmodo / 11h
It’s only been two days since the Doctor Who immersive experience Time Fracture announced actor John Barrowman’s role as Jack Harkness would be removed from the exhibition. Now, another upcoming Barrowman project has disappeared. The audio adventure publisher Big Finish has canceled the upcoming series Torchwood: … Read more...

Pigs can breathe through their butts, sort of, and that’s a big deal


57SlashGear / 11h
A new discovery about mammals and their potential ability to ‘breathe’ through their rectum into the intestines has paved the way for a potential new way to treat humans suffering from severe respiratory issues. The research comes from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, revealing that pigs and rodents are both capable of ‘intestinal … Contin

Update: Disney World, Universal Orlando loosen up masking rules effective May 15


500+The Points Guy / 11h
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional information. Thursday, the CDC created shockwaves that have since been reverberating through the travel industry when it issued updated guidance that those who are vaccinated can safely cease wearing masks in most situations. Almost immediately, Hersheypark dropped its masking rules for guests who are fully vaccinated. Overnight, this mean

Colonial Pipeline Hack Reveals Weaknesses in US Cybersecurity


300+NYT > Technology / 11h
The hack underscored how vulnerable government and industry are to even basic assaults on computer networks.

Archivists Want to Make Sci-Hub 'Un-Censorable'


39Gizmodo / 11h
For roughly the past decade, Sci-Hub—aka, the “Pirate Bay of Science—has been giving researchers, reporters, and open-source advocates unfettered access to countless scientific papers across every discipline you can imagine. In return, it’s been hit with multiple lawsuits , a suspended Twitter account, and an … Read more...

Colonial Pipeline paid $5m ransom to hackers


Colonial Pipeline Paid•
24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Colonial apparently paid the ransom within a few hours of the attack.

Big Smiles, Big Abs, and Big Swords in the Giant-Sized Toys of the Week


Gizmodo / 12h
Welcome back to Toy Aisle, io9's regular round up of the latest and greatest in giant hunks of plastic to go on your shelf. This week: He-Man returns in a revelatory manner, Lego heads back to New York and the ‘90s for a retro Friends treat, and Odin smiles upon you... distressingly. Check it out! Read more...

Pipeline attacker Darkside suddenly goes dark—here’s what we know


100+Ars Technica / 12h
Enlarge Darkside—the ransomware group that disrupted gasoline distribution across a wide swath of the US this week—has gone dark, leaving it unclear if the group is ceasing, suspending, or altering its operations or is simply orchestrating an exit scam. On Thursday, all eight of the dark web sites Darkside used to communicate with the public went down , and they remain down as of publication time

Scientists Want a Serious Investigation Into the Origins of the Coronavirus


58Gizmodo / 12h
Scientists in several countries are calling for a serious investigation into the beginnings of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that gave rise to the covid-19 pandemic. In an open letter released Thursday, the group says that there are still too many unanswered questions about how the pandemic started and that the… Read more...


Google’s ‘DVD Screensaver’ Easter egg makes the logo bounce around your screen accordingly


80TechCrunch / 12h
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a good Easter egg out of Google. Not too long ago it felt like someone would discover a new hidden gag in Google’s products every few weeks. The company cranked them out like it was their job. While we haven’t seen as many new ones pop up lately, it looks like they’re still finding their way in. The latest: with the right search terms, you can make the Google se

Albert Einstein Ponders Birds and Bees in Previously Unpublished Letter


40Gizmodo / 12h
In 1949, a 70-year-old Albert Einstein shot off a message to England-based radar researcher Glyn Davys. The topic wasn’t physics or radar—it was birds and bees and the way those animals navigate. Read more...

Flush with bitcoin, hacker group behind Colonial Pipeline attack says it's done


DarkSide CP US Pipeline•
52Mashable / 12h
When you're newly in the money with roughly $17.5 million worth of cryptocurrency, $5 million of which came courtesy of Colonial Pipeline , it makes sense to take some time off work and enjoy yourself. DarkSide, the possibly Russian-based hacking group behind the ransomware which prompted Colonial Pipeline to proactively take its 5,500 miles of U.S pipeline briefly offline , claimed Thursday that

Waymo had to rescue an autonomous van that was confused by safety cones


100+Engadget / 12h
Programming a computer to understand and navigate roads designed for human drivers is hard.

Here's What to Expect From Google I/O


Gizmodo / 12h
Google canceled last year’s annual Google I/O developers conference due to the pandemic, but this year, it’s back— virtually . Read more...

Thousands of public-facing VoIP devices identifiable worldwide


20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Almost 40k public-facing VoIP devices can be identified and accessed from anywhere in the world.

New Relic’s business remodel will leave new CEO with work to do


84TechCrunch / 12h
For Bill Staples, the freshly appointed CEO at New Relic, who takes over on July 1, yesterday was a good day. After more than 20 years in the industry, he was given his own company to run. It’s quite an accomplishment, but now the hard work begins. On the positive side of the equation, New Relic is one of the market leaders in the application performance monitoring space. Lew Cirne, New Relic’s f

A Toaster Company Is Releasing an Android Phone


25Gizmodo / 12h
If a company can figure out how to perfectly toast a slice of bread, it can surely bring something to the table with regards to Android smartphone design. And anyway, some people think Android phones are nothing but chunks of carbs, so there’s clearly a market out there! Read more...

2021 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 AWD Review: Too much and not enough


SlashGear / 12h
Infiniti is getting squeezed. On the one hand, its premium rivals have fresher ranges, more competitive models, and sports sedans like this 2021 Q50 Red Sport 400 AWD can no longer count on power alone to distinguish them. On the other, mainstream and more affordable vehicles are getting ever-stronger, including cars from Infiniti’s own Nissan sibling. It’s a pinch that … Continue reading

How to Hook Grip a Barbell


Lifehacker / 12h
As we’ve discussed before, there are three ways to hold onto a barbell if you’re worried your grip is going to slip . You can use straps, you can face your palms in different directions (mixed grip), or you can hook grip it. A hook grip is more secure than mixed, but one thing scares many people away: the pain. Read more...

Netflix plans major Ultraman movie to join its budding anime series


SlashGear / 12h
Netflix has teamed up with Tsuburaya Productions to create a computer-animated movie based on Ultraman, the same subject of its relatively new anime series. Netflix’s effort may bring Ultraman to a global audience, building upon its decades of popularity in Japan. The company notes that its movie will introduce a new storyline and a new character. Ultraman was introduced to … Continue reading

LG is making a $399 Dolby Atmos soundbar with Hi-Res Audio upscaling


40TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
LG is making an affordable 3.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar with Hi-Res Audio support for under $400 that looks like a


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