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Tuesday, August 1, 2023

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Twitter’s Obnoxious 'X' Sign Is Gone


3KGizmodo / 9h
Elon Musk finally dismantled the obnoxious, flashing “X” sign on top of Twitter’s headquarters on Monday following complaints from city authorities and residents. San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspections (DBI) received “24 complaints about the unpermitted structure, including concerns about its structural… Read more...


Giant X removed from Twitter HQ after slew of safety complaints
500+Mashable / 7h
Goodbye, giant X logo sign erected hastily atop Twitter headquarters in San Francisco on Friday night. Just days after the large metal "X" logo was built to mark the new name of Elon Musk's social media platform, workers were already deconstructing the sign, according to local news reports . It was completely removed by Monday afternoon. Tweet may have been deleted Its removal ends a short saga w


Sony announces US pricing for its 2023 QD-OLED TVs – and it’s lower than predicted
200+TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Sony has announced US pricing for its A95L QD-OLED TVs, the company’s flagship OLED TV line for 2023. The new models will be sold in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes, and will be available for pre-order starting on August 21. General pricing and availability for Sony’s 2023 TV lineup had been announced back in early June, but there was no mention of the A95L series in Sony’s announcement. Last



Rapyd acquires a piece of PayU from Prosus for $610M to scale its fintech-as-a-service platform
TechCrunch / 7min
Rapyd , the fintech-as-a-service startup that provides APIs to enable payments, card issuing, digital wallet and other financial services to companies like Uber and Ikea, is taking a significant step forward in its growth with a big acquisition: it is paying $610 million to acquire a giant piece of PayU — the payments group of internet giant Prosus that focuses on emerging markets. While full fin


Elon Musk's X Corp sues anti-hate group over its research
Engadget / 27min
After threatening to do so , X Corp (aka Twitter) has filed a lawsuit against The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), Bloomberg has reported. It claimed that the anti-hate group is illegally "scraping" its servers and cherry picking hateful posts as part of "a scare campaign to drive away advertisers," according to documents filed in San Francisco federal court. X Corp. is asking for unspe


MySpace turns 20: 5 things we still miss in the age of Twitter's meltdown
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
MySpace launched exactly 20 years ago today – so if you remember the pre-Facebook beast of social networks, it's time to join us for a celebration of its charms and idiosyncrasies. As we survey the charred remains of Twitter , it's easy to forget just how massive MySpace was in the early 2000s. Soon after launching on August 1, 2003, MySpace overtook Google and Yahoo Mail in 2006 to become Americ


'Bomb Rush Cyberfunk' arrives on the PlayStation and Xbox in September
Engadget / 1h
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk , the upcoming game from Team Reptile with major Jet Set Radio vibes, is also heading to PlayStation and Xbox. It was initially announced for Switch and PC with a release date of August 18th. Now, the developer has revealed that PlayStation and Xbox gamers only have to wait a couple of weeks more, because the title will be released for their consoles two weeks later, on Septem


Nigeria’s Remedial Health gets QED backing in $12M round
TechCrunch / 1h
Remedial Health , a Nigerian startup digitizing pharmacies and bringing efficiency to the pharmaceutical value chain, has raised $12 million Series A equity-debt funding, to scale operations in the West African country. Fintech VC firm QED Investors co-led the round, banking on embedded financial opportunities like payments, and lending in the pharmaceutical sector. This is QED’s third investment


This artificial intelligence and automation developer bundle is on sale for under £50
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: The 2023 Ultimate Artificial Intelligence and Automation Developer Bundle is on sale for £46.69, saving you 74% on list price. Want to get in on this new wave of AI buzz, but unsure where to start? Don't be intimidated by this new technology; embrace it and figure out how to make it work for you with the 2023 Ultimate Artificial Intelligence and Automation Developer Bundle . This bundle of


How to watch Arsenal vs Man City in the Community Shield for free
Mashable / 2h
It doesn't feel like a lot of time has passed since the last Premier League season came to an end. Maybe that's because we've been treated to plenty of action from the Women's World Cup . We're not complaining, because the break between seasons can often feel like a lifetime. The good news is that the 2023/24 Premier League season is not too far away. We know that because the curtain-raiser for t


How to watch French Netflix for free from anywhere in the world
Mashable / 2h
SAVE 49%: Unblock and watch French Netflix for free with ExpressVPN. A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. You've probably never heard of geo-restrictions, but there is a good chance that you've experienced them when online. Streaming sites recognise your location when you sign in, and only provide acc


33 of the best Stanford University courses you can take online for free this month
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: edX is offering a wide range of free online courses from Stanford University. Find lessons on computer science, R programming fundamentals, economics, and much more. edX is arguably the best place to find free online courses from famous universities. It hosts free courses on a massive range of topics from the likes of Harvard , MIT , and Stanford. It's worth taking some time to check out e


FBI Ordered to Find Out Which Agency Disobeyed White House in Secret Deal, Finds Out It Was Itself
Gizmodo / 4h
Earlier this year, the New York Times reported that an unknown federal agency had breached official White House policy and used secretive methods to conduct a business deal with the NSO Group , a blacklisted spyware vendor known for selling powerful surveillance tools. The agency in question not only brazenly… Read more...


X sign removed at Twitter HQ after neighbours complain
100+BBC News - Technology / 6h
The flashing sign went up three days ago. San Francisco officials investigated its installation.


Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for August 1
Mashable / 7h
It's an all new month, and we're well into the second half of 2023. How's your Wordle streak going? As always, we're here with some tips and tricks to help you figure out the solution and keep that number climbing. If you just want to be told the answer, you can jump to the end of this article for August 1's Wordle solution revealed. But if you want to solve it yourself, keep reading for some clu


Hollywood Pays Tribute to the Late Paul Reubens
Gizmodo / 7h
One of the most recognizable, versatile, and hilarious performers of our generation passed away this week and the loss is being felt all over the world. Paul Reubens, best known for his iconic character Pee-wee Herman , lost a battle with cancer this week at the age of 70 and his friends in Hollywood have been paying… Read more...


New AI systems collide with copyright law
100+BBC News - Technology / 7h
Artists are worried that their work is being fed into AI systems and are taking legal action.


'Quordle' today: Here are the answers and hints for July 31
Mashable / 7h
If Quordle is a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for hints. There aren't just hints here, but the whole Quordle solution. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and there it is. But are you sure you need all four answers? Maybe you just need a strategy guide. Either way, scroll down, and you'll get what you need. What is Quordle ? Quordle is a five-letter word guessing gam


'Quordle' today: Here are the answers and hints for August 1
Mashable / 7h
If Quordle is a little too challenging today, you've come to the right place for hints. There aren't just hints here, but the whole Quordle solution. Scroll to the bottom of this page, and there it is. But are you sure you need all four answers? Maybe you just need a strategy guide. Either way, scroll down, and you'll get what you need. What is Quordle ? Quordle is a five-letter word guessing gam


End of the line for Russia and Ukraine’s partnership in rocketry
Ars Technica - All content / 7h
Enlarge / Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket rolls out of its hangar at Wallops Island, Virginia. Its two Russian engines are visible on the back of the first stage. (credit: NASA/Patrick Black ) A last gasp in a long-standing link between Russia and Ukraine in the field of rocketry could come this week in an unlikely place—the rural wetlands of eastern Virginia—halfway around the world from the b


After Seeing This Terrifying Study, We're Never Microwaving Plastic Again
Futurism / 7h
New research has found that microwaving plastic food containers spews out toxic microplastics — and it's really freaked out the guy who's studying it. In an interview with Wired about a new study out of the University of Nebraska — Lincoln , researcher Kazi Albab Hussain said that becoming a new dad inspired him to figure out what was going on with the containers his baby's food came in. The resu


Google Assistant reportedly pivoting to generative AI
20TechCrunch / 8h
When Google had its unpleasant realization that it had been complacently spinning its wheels on a form of fake AI for a decade, chances are it started realigning itself that day. And it sounds like Assistant itself is now getting a generative face-lift, according to an internal email reported by Axios . The email says that the Assistant team leads “see a huge opportunity to explore what a superch



Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag 2 design revealed by FCC—it’s very big
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge / The regional headquarters of Samsung in Mountain View, California. (credit: Getty Images/Smith Collection) Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 was a no-show at Galaxy Fold 5 launch , but considering it was just spotted at the Federal Communications Commission by 9to5Google , it should be out on store shelves eventually. A Galaxy SmartTag, if you haven't heard, is a Bluetooth tracker, just like


Facebook to unmask anonymous Dutch user accused of repeated defamatory posts
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge (credit: SOPA Images / Contributor | LightRocket ) Starting today, Facebook users may feel a little less safe posting anonymously. The Court of the Hague in The Netherlands ruled that Meta Ireland must unmask an anonymous user accused of defaming the claimant, a male Facebook user who allegedly manipulated and made secret recordings of women he dated. The anonymous Facebook user posted th


Dissolving circuit boards in water sounds better than shredding and burning
39Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge / 30 minutes in near-boiling water, and those soldered chips come right off, leaving you with something that's non-toxic, compostable, and looking like something from your grandparent's attic. (credit: Infineon) Right now, the destination for the circuit board inside a device you no longer need is almost certainly a gigantic shredder, and that's the best-case scenario. Most devices that d


Dracula in The Last Voyage of the Demeter Is All Practical Horror
Gizmodo / 8h
Vampires aren’t supposed to be sparkly , and we’re here for bat creature Dracula in The Last Voyage of the Demeter . Read more...


Max Q: Solving artificial gravity with gravityLab
TechCrunch / 8h
Hello and welcome back to Max Q! In this issue: Solving artificial gravity with gravityLab News from Atomos Space and more But first… The Aerospace Corporation and TechCrunch are joining forces to host a pitch competition to find the strongest startups using AI/Machine Learning to work with satellite data streams. Finalists will get the rare opportunity to pitch in front of our judges on the Spac


Elon Forced to Remove Strobing "X" Sign From Twitter Building
500+Futurism / 8h
X Eyes San Franciscans are already bidding adieu to the strobing "X" sign that sat atop the Twitter headquarters, which came down earlier today after the city launched an investigation into the eyesore. As the San Francisco Standard reports , the sign was removed from the roof of the Elon Musk-owned company's HQ after complaints from neighbors about its annoying, uber-bright strobing effect. Not


Elon Musk Possibly Bypassing Permits to Test SpaceX’s Fancy New Water Deluge System
Gizmodo / 8h
SpaceX recently performed two tests of its new water deluge system, which is meant to protect the surrounding infrastructure during launches of the company’s Starship megarocket. The company is doing so, it would appear, without applying for the environmental permits that would have allowed SpaceX to legally discharge… Read more...


Uber safety driver involved in fatal self-driving car crash pleads guilty
26Engadget / 9h
The Uber safety driver at the wheel during the first known fatal self-driving car crash involving a pedestrian has pleaded guilty to and been sentenced for an endangerment charge. Rafaela Vasquez will serve three years of probation for her role in the 2018 Tempe, Arizona collision that killed Elaine Herzberg while she was jaywalking at night. The sentence honors the prosecutors' demands and is st


Thunderbird Mail's Sync Feature Has Been Delayed
How-To Geek / 9h
Mozilla's Thunderbird email client is back, and it's better than ever. In addition to recently releasing a revamp of the desktop version, the Thunderbird team is also working on a mobile version , which will in a future date replace what we currently know as K-9 Mail. One of the features Thunderbird will be getting at a later date is support for Firefox Sync, and the Thunderbird team has just rel


Is ChatGPT Smart Enough to Solve Problems Without Words?
Gizmodo / 9h
The latest in a slew of speculative AI research papers is making some pretty outlandish claims about how deep learning models have some subtle, unrealized cognitive abilities akin to, or even surpassing humans. Though researchers found a modern pre-training transformer model does well at multiple-choice tests that… Read more...


Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 Finally Has Official Episode Guides
Gizmodo / 9h
If you haven’t been to the official Star Wars website in a while, today’s a perfect day to do so. Besides being a place to find excellent Star Wars -themed interviews and videos, it also has a near-encyclopedic database on most of the canon storytelling. So movies , TV shows , animated series , and more almost all have… Read more...


Twitter accused of bullying anti-hate campaigners
100+BBC News - Technology / 9h
A social media monitoring group says legal threats sent by X Corp are an attempt to "silence criticism".


New Orleans' Facial Recognition Systems Led to Exactly Zero Arrests in Nine Months
53Gizmodo / 9h
Police in New Orleans have been using facial recognition for the better part of a year, but the tech hasn’t had much of an impact on the city’s violent crime crisis . NOLA’s recently published quarterly public safety review , compiled by consulting firm Datalytics, shows that between October 1, 2022, and July 1,… Read more...


The comeback begins: Luxury cruise line Crystal resumes sailings 18 months after shutdown
The Points Guy / 9h
The comeback of luxury cruise line Crystal is finally at hand. On Monday, the much-beloved, 35-year-old brand will operate its first voyage with paying passengers in 18 months as it restarts operations under new owners . The 12-night Mediterranean sailing out of Marseille, France, will take place on the 740-passenger Crystal Serenity, which is the first Crystal vessel to return to service. A seco


Dynatrace acquires cloud-native debugging platform Rookout
TechCrunch / 9h
Observability and security platform Dynatrace today announced that it plans to acquire Rookout , a Tel Aviv-based observability startup that focuses on helping developers troubleshoot and debug their code in production. Publicly traded Dynatrace already offers a comprehensive suite of observability tools, but the addition of Rookout will allow it to expand these services with code-level observabi


Southwest Airlines Passenger Films Man Texting His Mistress
View from the Wing / 9h
A passenger on Southwest Airlines flight 239 from Denver to Des Moines was reportedly seen texting a woman named Samantha - who wasn't his wife - by another passenger. Earlier in the text streams they exchanged goodbyes and I love you's. And then there was this: Continue reading ...


Cosmic Question Mark Spotted in Deep Space Suggests the Universe Is Stumped
200+Gizmodo / 9h
The James Webb Space Telescope captured the eerie punctuation mark, found buried within an image of Herbig-Haro 46/47—a tightly bound pair of actively forming stars located 1,470 light years from Earth. Read more...


Samsung didn't put an S Pen inside the Galaxy Z Fold 5 for a very relatable reason
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 could have included an S Pen. No, not the one currently offered on the optional case, but inside the body of Samsung's largest and most productive foldable. This isn't guesswork, Samsung's design team considered it, going so far as to create an aluminum mockup with the integrated S Pen. I saw it, touched it, and even popped the S Pen out. Samsung however, chose a diffe


British Airways First Class Passenger Was So Large It Took 3 Hours And A Hoist To Deplane Him [Roundup]
View from the Wing / 9h
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 ...



Multiple Countries Investigating Sam Altman’s Eye-Scanning Orb
Futurism / 9h
Pondering the Orb Germany announced Friday that it has been quietly investigating Worldcoin, a new iris-scanning cryptocurrency venture by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman — which seemingly brings the total number of European investigations into the scheme up to three, signaling what could be a tough regulatory road ahead for the project. As Reuters reports , the president of the Bavarian State Office for D


The Spookiest Cosplay at Midsummer Scream 2023
30Gizmodo / 9h
Halloween started this past weekend at Midsummer Scream, the season’s official kick-off convention in Long Beach, CA. Read more...


What's New on Prime Video and Freevee in August 2023
Lifehacker / 10h
Last year, Universal Studios released Bros , widely touted as the first mainstream queer romantic comedy, and it flopped...hard. Co-writer and star Billy Eichner blamed straight audiences “in certain parts of the country” and “homophobic weirdoes” for its failure, but I was in neither of those demos (you know what… Read more...


Don’t call it an SUV—the 2023 Toyota Crown, reviewed
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge / An endangered species, the sedan is starting to adapt to the new crossover-based environment. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin) The sedan might not be properly extinct like non-avian dinosaurs, but it has certainly fallen out of favor with the car-buying public. That's a topic that Toyota knows plenty about—even as the SUV becomes ascendant, its Camry sedan remains the nation's best-selling veh


Nintendo’s Switch successor is already in third-party devs’ hands, report claims
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge / The Nintendo Switch OLED. (credit: Samuel Axon) Development hardware for Nintendo's next console is already in some third-party developers' hands in preparation for a launch in the second half of 2024, according to sources who spoke with gaming news site Video Games Chronicle . Sources that spoke to Eurogamer corroborated the late 2024 release window, and a Nikkei Asia report previously


GPT-3 aces tests of reasoning by analogy
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: zoom ) Large language models are a class of AI algorithm that relies on a high number computational nodes and an equally large number of connections among them. They can be trained to perform a variety of functions— protein folding, anyone ?—but they're mostly recognized for their capabilities with human languages. LLMs trained to simply predict the next word that will appear in


The interesting reason why American Airlines will send its poshest plane to Las Vegas
100+The Points Guy / 10h
There’s a very unusual airplane in American Airlines’ fleet, and it’ll soon be flying on a very unusual route. Over the weekend, American filed plans to deploy its special Airbus A321T between New York and Las Vegas on just four flights this November, as first seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by a carrier spokesperson. The 102-seat three-cabin jet, which fits a whopping 228 passengers


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Music, Arts & Literature / 10h
the-book-design :


Water-soluble circuit boards could cut carbon footprints by 60 percent
41Engadget / 10h
German semiconductor maker Infineon Technologies AG announced that it’s producing a printed circuit board (PCB) that dissolves in water. Sourced from UK startup Jiva Materials , the plant-based Soluboard could provide a new avenue for the tech industry to reduce e-waste as companies scramble to meet climate goals by 2030. Jiva’s biodegradable PCB is made from natural fibers and a halogen-free pol


Ouch: United 767 Sustains Serious Damage From Rough Landing
200+One Mile at a Time / 10h
To the untrained eye, this looks like it’ll take more than just some duct tape to fix… Rough landing damages United Boeing 767 This incident happened on Saturday, July 29, 2023, and involves a 32-year-old United Airlines Boeing 767-300 with the registration code N641UA. The jet was performing flight UA702 from Newark (EWR) to Houston (IAH). The flight was routine, until the landing, as flagged by


TCGPlayer Employees File Unfair Labor Complaint Against eBay for Anti-Union Tactics
34Gizmodo / 10h
TCGPlayer employees have filed an unfair labor complaint against parent company eBay, The Verg e reports. The company, which sells and authenticates trading cards was acquired by eBay in 2022. The complaint accuses eBay of ignoring the union’s existence after workers organized in March. Read more...


How to succeed in today’s grocery delivery market
26TechCrunch / 10h
The instant grocery delivery market has been on a roller-coaster ride over the past few years, and recently the ride has been down. For example, Dunzo, a hyperlocal delivery startup in India, reportedly postponed employee salaries for a month and plans additional layoffs, with a strategy on “streamlining our cash flow so we can build a more sustainable business for the future,” it wrote to employ


This Apple Pen Alternative Is $36 Right Now
Lifehacker / 10h
Brand-name styluses can get expensive, and some of them may be worth it if you want extreme precision or need a certain brand to work with your device. But if you want a low-cost option the Digi Pen is a 1.2mm fine-tip stylus you can use on iPads and other tablets, and it’s on sale for $35.97 until August 13. Read more...


Why the Venture X is a mainstay in my wallet
The Points Guy / 10h
I’ll admit it — I’m addicted to premium travel rewards cards . Most people choose just one or two of the most popular top-tier cards — such as The Platinum Card® from American Express , Chase Sapphire Reserve and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees ) — but I have all three. That being said, the Venture X is the premium card I most often recommend to points-and-miles coll


8bitdo is Launching an NES-Inspired Mechanical Keyboard
How-To Geek / 10h
8bitdo is best known for its extense range of controllers , most of which combine a retro aesthetic with modern connectivity and extensive device support. The company has built its reputation on its nostalgic looks, and it also happens to make other stuff that looks retro. You can now add mechanical keyboards to that list, as 8Bitdo's first attempt might be close to what you would get if Nintendo


8BitDo's new keyboard is a blast from the past, but operates like a modern machine
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Gaming accessory brand 8BitDo is going old school with its first-ever mechanical keyboard sporting a design reminiscent of past Nintendo consoles. Aptly named the Retro Mechanical Keyboard , it comes in two distinct color schemes: one in black, gray, and red matches the NES, while the other is based on the Famicom – the Japanese rendition of the console. On the latter, the red will have a more ru


8BitDo’s $100 wireless mechanical keyboard screams ’80s NES
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
The keyboard comes with detachable "Super Buttons." [credit: 8BitDo ] Iconic, impactful, and unforgettable, the original Nintendo Entertainment System ( NES ) changed the video game industry for good when it came out in the '80s. Originally released as the Family Computer, aka Famicom, in Japan, the landmark console still holds a place in people's hearts, whether it's through cherished maintained


“Blaze your glory!”—Twitter’s “X” becomes first one-letter iPhone app
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Anadolu Agency / Contributor | Anadolu ) Apple has granted a rare exception to its strict App Store rules, allowing Twitter to rebrand as X and become the first one-character iPhone app. Two days ago, Bleeping Computer reported that Apple had rejected Twitter's attempt to update its app name to simply X due to minimum character requirements. As a result, the app was temporarily l


Arizona law school embraces ChatGPT use in student applications
21Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge (credit: Benj Edwards / Arizona State University) On Friday, Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law announced that prospective students would be allowed to use AI tools, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, to assist in preparing their applications, according to a report by Reuters. This decision comes a week after the University of Michigan Law School notably decided to ban s


What Makes Immortal Longings an Epic Fantasy? | io9 Interview
Gizmodo / 10h
Read more...



Amazon Amp is the under-the-radar app that's trying to reinvent radio
63Engadget / 10h
Last spring, Amazon launched its long- rumored live audio- streaming platform , Amp. The pitch was to reinvent radio with “an infinite dial of shows .” Amp offers users access to a vast, built-in music library to create their own DJ sets with. No need to buy songs or flirt with the DMCA, just make a playlist, go live, talk in between tracks, follow the chat and even invite callers. When I wrote a


Scientists Say Atlantic Current Collapse Could Lead to Extreme Cold in Europe and South America
87Futurism / 10h
Researchers are warning that the crucial ocean currents known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could collapse as soon as 2025 — an impending, climate change-fueled disaster that could usher in a new era of extreme temperature fluctuations. It's important to note that not every scientist is convinced by this assessment. And though the researchers say the collapse could tak


What's New on Max in August 2023
Lifehacker / 10h
Max giveth, and Max taketh away: On the same day the streaming service—briefly the official hub for decades’ worth of classic modern cartoons that originally aired on Cartoon Network—welcomes Fiona & Cake (Aug. 31), the long-awaited continuation of the animation cult sensation Adventure Time , it’s giving the boot to … Read more...


Known Android flaws are just as bad as zero-days, finds Google
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Google’s latest annual review of zero-day exploits has claimed known vulnerabilities could be even worse than zero-day vulnerabilities. In its report, Google asks whether zero-days are even needed on Android. Typically, a vulnerability would be most concerning before it becomes public. During this (hopefully short) period, an attacker can execute exploits without having to worry about a patch. In


Elon Musk is probably right about one thing
100+TechCrunch / 11h
It’s become an internet pastime to point out all the things that Elon Musk is wrong about and all the ways he’s wrong about them. A list of them could be an article of its own, but in lieu of that, here’s a link that should suffice. Instead, this article is about something that Musk is almost certainly right about: the perilous state of the electrical grid. Over the past year and especially in th


This Costco Membership Comes With a $45 Gift Card and $40 Off One Purchase
Lifehacker / 11h
Costco and Groupon have partnered up to bring you a package deal for a Gold Star, one-year membership : Buy the $60 membership and get a $45 Digital Costco gift card , $40 off an order of $250 or more, and a promo code to receive a $100 Digital Costco gift card when you buy a vacation package of at least $2,500. Read more...


Bandai Wants Gundam's Lesbian Couple to Be Open to Interpretation, Somehow
200+Gizmodo / 11h
Witch From Mercury broke ground for the Gundam franchise with— and sales records spurred in part by—its depiction of the burgeoning romantic relationship between its main characters Suletta Mercury and Miorine Rembran. But while the series itself came about as close to text as it could on their bond, Bandai itself is… Read more...


5 things I’d tell my younger self about airline status
23The Points Guy / 11h
Eight years ago, I qualified for United Airlines Premier 1K status , and earlier this year, I earned American Airlines Executive Platinum status for the first time. I’ve been mapping out how I could get to the 18,000 Premier qualifying points and 54 Premier qualifying flights to retain my 1K status, but after realizing the cost and time commitment to do so, I’ve been wondering if it’s worth it .


GM begins shipping a pricier-than-expected Chevy Blazer EV
22TechCrunch / 11h
The Chevrolet Blazer EV, a battery electric SUV that is part of GM’s bid to surpass Tesla in U.S. EV sales by 2025, is headed to dealerships. The automaker said Monday that the first 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EVs have started shipping from GM’s factory in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. GM also released details on pricing and range estimates for a few of the SUV’s trim models. The upshot? Prices are higher tha


iPhone 15 rumors take shape: More screen, titanium body, and (finally) USB-C
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Enlarge / The iPhone 14 Pro. (credit: Apple) We're just a few weeks out from Apple's typical launch window for new iPhone models, and, according to reputable rumors, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series are looking like fairly significant upgrades for anyone with a phone that’s more than a couple of years old. As with the iPhone 14, Apple is expected to continue offering four iPhone models in t


Dealmaster: Laptops, Apple Watch, EDC essentials, home organization, and more
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Enlarge / The display on the 2022 MacBook Pro is outstanding, but not everyone will love the camera notch. (credit: Samuel Axon) Whether you're preparing to organize your dorm room or you have some home cleaning ahead, we have some deals that will help you tidy up. From storage boxes and home organization items to laptops and keyboards, there should be something for everyone in this Dealmaster. O


A great idea or sacrilege? We test a Jaguar E-Type converted to EV
46Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Enlarge / Replacing the XK engine in this Jaguar E-Type won't meet with everyone's approval. But if it's not your classic car, who cares? (credit: Electrogenic) Few things are as wonderful as classic cars. They come with pretty lines and tactile switches. They make people of a certain age think you're living some sort of dream, and people on the Internet will celebrate you. Having a kickass car f


Europe turns its new $1.5 billion space telescope on, and happily it works
78Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Enlarge / Euclid’s Visible instrument (VIS) will image the sky in visible light (550–900 nm) to take sharp images of billions of galaxies and measure their shapes. This image was taken during the commissioning of Euclid. (credit: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA) Nearly one month after launching into space , a European telescope has begun taking its first images and data of the Universe. And to


Musk and building inspectors in standoff over giant neon X sign [Updated]
200+Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Enlarge (credit: JOSH EDELSON / Contributor | AFP ) "Wtf is X" was trending Monday morning as the Twitter app logo on devices everywhere suddenly changed from the blue bird to a black-and-white X. Many of the social media platform's users have criticized the company's flashy new logo as the app rebrands from Twitter to X. But more disastrous than the mad dash to rebrand the app is the company's s


Loki S2 trailer finds the god of mischief battling for the “soul of the TVA”
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Tom Hiddleston is back as everyone's favorite Norse god of mischief in the second season of Loki . Of all the various TV spinoffs of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki was perhaps the most popular, largely thanks to the winsome bantering chemistry between stars Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson. The much-anticipated second season is set to debut this fall, and we finally have an official trailer. G


UK Man Gets Gnarly, Newly Discovered Infection From Stray Cat Bite
35Gizmodo / 11h
A man in the UK has become a medical first, though not in a great way. In a recent paper, scientists say he’s the first known person to have caught a newly discovered bacteria from a stray cat’s bite. Though the feline encounter resulted in a gnarly infection of his hands, the man was eventually treated successfully… Read more...


Make Summer Cooking Tolerable With These Tools
Lifehacker / 11h
It’s tragically unfair that the precise moment that summer produce hits its peak and I want to cook all the things is also when it becomes absolutely miserable to be in my kitchen. Sure, I’ve added some fans , but there is no way to ameliorate the sweatbox that is my stovetop (or oven) in summer. As such, I’ve found… Read more...


Screen Time on iPhone Is Broken, and Apple Is Working on a Fix
How-To Geek / 11h
Keeping tabs and controlling the time we spend on our smartphones and devices is very important, but it's even more important for children. Apple's Screen Time is great for that... but it's not working right now. Thankfully, Apple is working on a fix.


British Airways First Class Passenger Was So Large It 3 Hours And A Hoist To Deplane Him [Roundup]
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 ...



Mazda stops selling its only EV in the US
100+Engadget / 12h
Mazda's MX-30 is a strange EV , and it appears the company knows this. The automaker is pulling the small crossover from the US market after the 2023 model year. The company says it's currently focused on "large platform" plug-in hybrids like the CX-70 and CX-90, and also offers conventional hybrids like the CX-50. The MX-30 is Mazda's first and only mass-produced EV to date, and it came to the c


The Mystery of Subway's Tuna Lives On as Lawsuit Is Dismissed
Gizmodo / 12h
We may never definitively know the content of Subway’s “tuna” after all. A class action lawsuit filed over the alleged mystery meat has now been dismissed two and a half years after it was filed. Read more...


Flying With A Baby: Lap Infant Vs. Buying A Seat?
88One Mile at a Time / 12h
We became parents about a year ago, and suffice it to say that traveling with an infant sure presents all kinds of new challenges that may have never previously crossed your mind. While I’d consider myself a “travel expert” who can go through the whole airport and flying experience half asleep, flying with a baby is a whole new challenge. If you’re traveling with a baby under two years old (meani


shockinggrasp:treasures-and-beauty:by EV...
Music, Arts & Literature / 12h
shockinggrasp : treasures-and-beauty : by EV Miniatures @wearelibrarian


August's Supermoon Duo Begins with Tuesday's 'Sturgeon Moon'
100+Gizmodo / 12h
August will kick off with a full supermoon, which is set to rise less than 226,000 miles (363,300 kilometers) from Earth tomorrow night. Read more...


Record temperatures have nothing on these portable ACs on sale at Amazon
Mashable / 12h
July has been the hottest month on record . Ever. If you've survived without central AC up to this point but now need a cooling solution, Invest in a trusty portable AC to prevent sweat from dripping down your face all summer. Best portable AC deals this week: Best affordable AC deal Black+Decker 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner $299.99 at Amazon (save $120) Best AC for large spaces deal Whynte


Thunderbird Mail Is Reviving an Old Mozilla Service
How-To Geek / 12h
Mozilla's Thunderbird email client is better than ever right now, as the long-awaited Thunderbird 115 update with the 'Supernova' interface overhaul was just released earlier in July. There are more updates on the horizon, though, including one that will mark the return of Mozilla's online file sharing service.


How to redeem points with the Marriott Bonvoy program
100+The Points Guy / 12h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information. Despite recent changes, Marriott Bonvoy points still hold value for hotel stays and in some cases, it can even make sense to transfer Marriott points to foreign airline currencies. In this article, we will explore the various ways to use and maximize your Marriott points, including hotel reservations, airline


New Bask Bank Bonus Offer: New And Existing Customers Earn Up To 20,000 Miles
View from the Wing / 12h
Bask Bank has increased how fast you earn American Airlines AAdvantage® miles by 150% since they launched their Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account just before the start of the pandemic. They now reward you with 2.5 miles per dollar saved annually. And they've just launched a new bonus offer to encourage you to start saving with them, or grow your savings. You can earn up to 20,000 bonus miles on t


New Relic’s sale tells us much about the value of middling growth today
TechCrunch / 12h
Monitoring service New Relic this morning said it has agreed to be acquired by Francisco Partners and TPG for $6.5 billion in cash. Shares of the company, which went public back in 2014, are up around 13.5% on the news. The Exchange explores startups, markets and money. Read it every morning on TechCrunch+ or get The Exchange newsletter every Saturday. The deal is interesting because of its size,


Trader Joe’s Falafel Might Contain Rocks, Too
Lifehacker / 12h
Trader Joe’s did not have a good week: They made headlines for recalling two types of cookies for potentially containing rocks , then insects were found in some of their broccoli cheddar soups , and then Trader Joe’s put out an announcement on Friday warning their customers not to eat their falafels because they might … Read more...


Sony's latest QD-OLED TV is significantly brighter than last year’s models
44Engadget / 12h
Sony announced pricing and availability today for its high-end 2023 QD-OLED television that the electronics giant says offers its “best color ever.” The Google TV-powered Bravia XR A95L will ship in 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch models, starting at $2,800. The Sony Bravia XR A95L has a QD-OLED panel that takes the best of OLED screens (deep blacks, rich contrast) while adding the superior brightne


Warner Bros. Japan Calls on Western Studio to Apologize for Interacting With Barbenheimer Tweets
400+Gizmodo / 12h
It’s the summer of Barbenheimer in the west, as the twin successes of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer have bought a soothing balm to an industry wracked by uncertainty , and plenty of memes to social media. But not everyone is exactly pleased with the latter. Read more...


Would-be Twitter rival T2 adds DMs — a feature others, including Threads, don’t yet have
TechCrunch / 12h
As the battle among would-be Twitter rivals continues, one of the smaller apps to vie for Twitter’s ( now X ) fleeing user base, T2 , has added an in-demand feature that even Meta’s Threads doesn’t yet have: DMs. The company recently announced it added support for direct messages, which has been among users’ top requests, it said. The addition differentiates T2 from buzzier Twitter competitors li


Instagram seems to be working on labels for posts 'generated by Meta AI'
53Engadget / 12h
Meta’s consumer-facing generative AI tools based on its new Llama 2 model may not be far off. The company appears to be working on several new generative AI features for Instagram, including labels that allow creators to identify images “generated by Meta AI.” That’s according to screenshots shared by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi who often teases unreleased features from Meta’s apps. Paluz


Nintendo Switch Sequel Rumored for Second Half of 2024 With LCD Display
100+Gizmodo / 12h
It’s been seven years since the Switch first hit the market. Noting how many folks still pop out their Switch for a lengthy subway ride or just how many new, ingenious inventions are still flowing out of Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom . Knowing all that, Nintendo’s next mobile/docked device could be far more of… Read more...


Save Money With These Wifi-Enabled Smart Watering Devices
Lifehacker / 12h
Smart watering devices are here, and now is exactly when to install them to save money as we head into August. Most of the major players in the sprinkler space like Hunter , Orbit and Rainbird have released smart watering devices , from sprinkler timers to hose timers. Having tried them out for the last year, I can… Read more...


Man Jumps Into Lake, Dies From Electrocution
23Futurism / 12h
Nightmare Lake Georgia's notorious Lake Lanier has claimed another victim in what authorities say was a bizarre electrocution incident. That's right: in a grim and counterintuitive tragedy, they're saying someone jumped into a lake, where they were killed by electricity. The 24-year-old Thomas Shepard "Shep" Milner apparently jumped off his family's dock for a swim, where he started screaming, pr


OceanGate Cofounder Now Planning Totally Safe Colony Above Venus
2KFuturism / 12h
Cloud Nine Ever wanted to live in the atmosphere of our Solar System's hottest planet? In just a few short decades, you might — or at least, that's what the other co-founder of OceanGate, the builder of the doomed Titanic-seeking submersible , is saying. In an interview with Insider , still-living