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

Friday, December 29, 2023

Technology News and More-Friday Edition...

 Technology News and More...





The Best Wi-Fi Routers of 2023
300+How-To Geek / 14h
A wireless router is an essential piece of technology. A new router upgrades your wireless network with faster speeds, a stronger signal, better security, and an extended range.


[ENDS DEC 31st] Frontier Airlines Status Match: Top Tier Status Available, Even If You’ve Matched Before
100+View from the Wing / 11h
Do you have elite status with an airline - or even a hotel chain? Or even a cruise line? You might even have this just from having a credit card. Frontier Airlines wants to match your status and depending on your current elite level will even give you top tier in their program. Continue reading ...


OnePlus confirms that its new 'flagship' wireless earbuds are arriving on January 4
35TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 19h
If you've been eyeing up some of the best wireless earbuds over the holiday break, maybe hang on until January 4 to make a purchase: that's the date when OnePlus has said it's going to be launching its next pair, and "flagship" levels of sound quality are promised. This comes from an official OnePlus post on Chinese social network Weibo (via 9to5Google ), and although we're relying on Google Tran


5 of the biggest expected Samsung Galaxy S24 features
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 48min
The Samsung Galaxy S24 is expected to land on January 17, so this high-profile handset is probably almost here. But you don’t need to wait until then to learn about it. Well, officially you do, but leaks and rumors have revealed many likely specs and features of the phone, the best of which we’ve highlighted below. None of these details are confirmed just yet, but they’re all looking very likely,


A lifetime subscription to this premium flight deal finder is on sale for 96% off
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus+ (two-pack) is on sale for £110.33, saving you 96% on list price. Some people are travel enthusiasts, frequent flyers, and adventure seekers. They get amped up at the mere thought of planning a trip. Others travel only when necessary, like during the holidays, to visit family. Regardless of where you lie on the travel enthusiast sp


Google agrees to settle $5 billion lawsuit accusing it of tracking Incognito users
Engadget / 3h
In 2020, Google was hit with a lawsuit that accused it of tracking Chrome users' activities even when they were using Incognito mode. Now, after a failed attempt to get it dismissed, the company has agreed to settle the complaint that originally sought $5 billion in damages. According to Reuters and The Washington Post , neither side has made the details of the settlement public, but they've alre


Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for December 29
Mashable / 4h
Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle . As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for Dec. 29's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. Where did Wordle co


Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Friday, December 29, 2023
LifeHacker / 4h
If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for December 29, 2023 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is on the easier side; I got it in three. Beware, there are spoilers below for December 29, Wordle #923! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game. How to play Wordle Wordle lives here on the New York


Today's NYT Connections Hints (and Answer) for Friday, December 29, 2023


LifeHacker / 4h
If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Friday, December 29, 2023, read on—I’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solutions to all four categories. Along the way, I’ll explain the meanings of the trickier words and we’ll learn how everything fits together. Beware, there are spoilers below for December 29, NYT Connections #201! Read on if you want some hints (and the


Google settles $5bn lawsuit for 'private mode' tracking
84BBC News - Technology / 5h
Large technology firms have faced increased scrutiny of their practices in the US and beyond.


Canada’s Weak GDP Growth Despite Population Surge
Next Big Future / 5h
Canada’s GDP growth has been flat or weak throughout 2023 despite growing population by 3.5%. Early data points to 0.5% growth in final quarter of 2023. There was no growth from May to October 2023. The mayor of Vancouver proposed pro-growth rules to reduce the barriers to building and streamlining regulations. Ken Sim released a ... Read more


Successful SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch
Next Big Future / 5h
SpaceX had the fifth Falcon Heavy of 2023 Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. It is carrying the US Space Force X-37B spaceplane.


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for December 29
Mashable / 5h
Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle , Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle. If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the e


A forensic artist has given a 500-year-old Inca “ice maiden” a face
Ars Technica - All content / 6h
Enlarge / The final approximation of the Incan girl dubbed "Juanita" wearing clothing similar to what she was wearing when she died. (credit: Dagmara Socha) There's rarely time to write about every cool science-y story that comes our way. So this year, we're once again running a special Twelve Days of Christmas series of posts, highlighting one science story that fell through the cracks in 2023,


Sandy Munro Says the Teslabot Can Do All Factory Assembly Line Tasks
Next Big Future / 6h
Factory and electric car expert Sandy Munro says the Teslabot can perform all factory assembly line tasks. He says based upon what I saw. Sandy Munro has been given special tours of the Tesla factories. He says he thinks Teslabot will on the real Tesla production lines later in 2024. IF this is true then ... Read more


SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch of X-37B in Less Than an Hour
Next Big Future / 6h
All systems are looking good and weather is 90% favorable for tonight’s Falcon Heavy launch of USSF-52. Launch should be in less than an hour. All systems are looking good and weather is 90% favorable for tonight’s Falcon Heavy launch of USSF-52. The webcast will go live ~15 minutes ahead of liftoff → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK pic.twitter.com/vO0Cl3UVdy ... Read more


Quordle today - hints and answers for Friday, December 29 (game #704)
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off. Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, around 18 months after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's fun, but also difficult. What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keep


LG is Promising Five Years of Updates For Its Smart TVs
How-To Geek / 7h
Planned obsolescence is not trendy anymore. These days, more and more of our tech is coming attached to promises of updates for multiple years, whether that's actual feature updates or security updates. The reason why is pretty clear—vulnerabilities and cyber attacks are rampant, and users need to be protected against them. Now, your TV might last the time it'll spend in your living room receivin


The Newest Echo Show 8 Is Down to Its Lowest Price Yet
LifeHacker / 8h
The latest Amazon Echo Show 8 was released in September, bringing some cool new features to the third-generation Echo Show device. And right now, Amazon has dropped the price of its best smart display device with a 40% discount, bringing it down to $89.99 (originally $149.99), the lowest price it has ever been since its release, according to Camelcamelcamel's price history . A great bedside or ki


How to Figure Out Whether Your Floors are Vinyl or Linoleum (and Why You Should)
LifeHacker / 8h
Let's say you recently moved into a new home, and want to deep-clean and then properly maintain your kitchen floors. That should be a relatively straightforward task, but unfortunately, you aren't entirely sure whether they're vinyl or linoleum. The good news is that there are a few simple ways you can make that distinction so you can care for the flooring in the best possible way. The difference


See a Rover’s Day on Mars in 10 Seconds
28Gizmodo / 8h
What were you doing on November 8, 2023? I couldn’t say for myself, but I can tell you what NASA’s Curiosity rover was doing: sitting still on its 4,002nd day on Mars, taking snapshots of the Martian surface. Read more...


The Slow Living Movement Can Reduce Your Stress (and Save You Money)
21LifeHacker / 8h
After emptying your bank account on holiday gifts, testing the limits of your stress with family time, and forcing your brain to clock into work the week between Christmas and New Year's Day—well, there's nothing like the new year to force you to take stock of what really matters in life. Faced with society's fixation on speed and convenience, you may have seen the term "slow living" crop up as a


The ASUS Rog Ally Is at Its Lowest Price Ever
LifeHacker / 9h
Handheld gaming consoles are no longer dominated by Nintendo; PC games are entering the handheld industry with competition from Valve and ASUS. Valve’s Steam Deck was the best budget option available until ASUS released the ASUS ROG Ally Z1 earlier this summer, which is the budget version of the more powerful ASUS ROG Ally Z1 Extreme . And now, the ASUS ROG Ally Z1 has become a bit more budget-fr


Wonka's Surprisingly Sweet Box Office Helped Cure Warner's Aquaman Blues
Gizmodo / 9h
We snickered at the concept when we first heard about Wonka , and we scratched our heads once we saw the trailers —especially the parts revealing Hugh Grant’s Ooompa-Loompa character. But one should never doubt the power of chocolate... or a singing, dancing, Timothée Chalamet, because Wonka is a hit. Read more...


FDA would like to stop finding Viagra in supplements sold on Amazon
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge (credit: Viaframe ) If you were to search for a product called “Mens Maximum Energy Supplement" on Amazon, you'd be bombarded with everything from caffeine pills to amino acid supplements to the latest herb craze. But at some point last year, the FDA had purchased a specific product by that name from Amazon and sent it off to one of its labs to find out if the self-proclaimed "dietary sup


Missed Connections: Why Some Airlines Hold The Plane For You But Others Won’t
View from the Wing / 9h
On Thursday afternoon, Southwest Airlines delayed flight 19, the 1:35 p.m. departure from Houston Hobby airport to Las Vegas. They told passengers on board that 20 connecting passengers were inbound on other flights to Houston, and they wanted those passengers to make their connections. The airline originally announced a 20 to 25 minute hold. It became longer. Continue reading ...


Our 2023 credit card predictions and trends: What did we get right and wrong?
21The Points Guy / 9h
A year ago, we made our best guesses at what would happen with credit card rewards in 2023 . The past year has been filled with innovative developments — and persistent challenges — in the credit card industry. Let’s take a moment to revisit the predictions we made at the start of the year and assess their accuracy. Best-ever offers will be rare: Correct 2021 and 2022 saw much more lucrative welc


Give Pigs a Break With Pickles in a Blanket
LifeHacker / 10h
As a food writer, I love the magnitude of a Thanksgiving dinner. As a human garbage can with the dietary pickiness of a goat, I love the grazing culture of a New Year’s Eve party—specifically, salty snacks, like pigs in a blanket. This year, as you unleash pastry from its pressurized tubes, I’m suggesting a delightful twist on this classic New Year’s nosh. Give your piggies a break, and make pick


Dry January Could Lower Your Cancer Risk
24Gizmodo / 10h
In case you need it, here’s another reason to go all-in on Dry January: Scientists with the World Health Organization found that reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption can lower your risk of oral and related cancers. The findings are the latest to indicate that even modest drinking isn’t harmless. Read more...


You Can Make Money by Sexting
LifeHacker / 10h
There are plenty of scams strewn throughout the intersection of lust and tech—but making money by sexting actually is legit. In fact, it's similar to old-school sex hotlines, but reimagined for the digital-focused age. If that's something you're interesting in pursuing, you first should know what apps are available in this space and understand that there are professionals and sex workers who use


The Best True Crime Podcasts of 2023
LifeHacker / 10h
True crime is the most popular genre in podcasting, which makes coming up with the best of the year a huge challenge. Here’s a list of the shows that kept us up all night in 2023: the ones with top-notch reporting, unforgettable people, and the kind of twists that will have you at the edge of your seat. The Bakersfield Three Credit: Podcast logo I recently got completely swept up by The Bakersfie


Sanna Marin, the popular former prime minister of Finland, on Putin, powerful women and legislating in the age of AI
25TechCrunch / 10h
Earlier this month, at the Slush tech conference in Helsinki, this editor had the opportunity to sit down with Sanna Marin, the popular former prime minister of Finland who became known internationally for socializing with friends, but whose accomplishments in office are far more significant, including successfully pushing Finland to join NATO to better protect the […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All righ


Oneworld status match opportunity available for 20-plus loyalty programs — but is it worth it?
68The Points Guy / 10h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Elite status matches are a unique opportunity to extend the value of your existing frequent flyer benefits to other programs. Currently, Royal Air Maroc is offering the chance to earn Silver, Gold or Platinum status to elite status holders in a wide variety of loyalty programs — for a cost. Royal Air Maroc


Citi Bike Rings in the New Year With a Price Hike
Gizmodo / 10h
New York City and New Jersey residents who are already exasperated by periodic increases in MTA subway fares are going to lack even more options for cheap public transit. Out of the blue on Thursday, Citi Bike suddenly announced its bike share program was raising prices across the board, impacting annual paying… Read more...


Maggie Smith-Rod Taylor “El soñador rebelde” (Young Cassidy) 1965, de Jack Cardiff, John Ford.
Music, Arts & Literature / 10h
gatutor :


What the 30-30-30 Trend Gets Right About Weight Loss (and What It Gets Wrong)
LifeHacker / 10h
TikTok loves a pithy rule for weight loss, and the latest to make the rounds is a 30-30-30 morning routine (no relation to the 12-3-30 treadmill workout ). And as a routine, it’s not bad, actually—but as a weight loss hack, it makes bigger promises than it can deliver on. What is the 30-30-30 rule? Even though people call it a “rule,” 30-30-30 is just a routine that includes breakfast and a short


Nvidia’s CEO Was the Man of This Year, Next Year, and the One After That
21Gizmodo / 11h
Jensen Huang was BFFs with everyone in Silicon Valley this year, becoming the only person to walk across all three conference stages of Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Why? Because everyone needs his GPUs to power their AI dreams. Read more...


Pokémon Concierge Delivers a Chill, Feel-Good Hour of Cuteness
24Gizmodo / 11h
Pokémon fans of all ages will delight in the island vacation vibes of Pokémon Concierge and wish it was a real place after binge-watching the series on Netflix. The stop-motion animated show is a gem that makes the world of Pokémon feel even more magical with funny and heartfelt mini-stories. The colors and textures… Read more...


Reminder: Many Delta eCredits expire on Dec. 31 — here’s how to use them
38The Points Guy / 11h
Delta Air Lines , like many carriers, extended the expiration date for credits from canceled flights several times over the past few years. However, that is coming to an end. Some TPG readers might have forgotten that they have these credits, which expire on Dec. 31 but can be used for travel through November 2024. Here is how to check if you have any unused credits and how to use them before it’


Linux SSH servers are under attack once again
3 TTPs•
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Hackers are once again targeting poorly secured Linux SSH servers, researchers have claimed. The aim of the attackers is to install tools that will enable them to breach more servers . Ultimately, they either sell this access to their peers or install cryptocurrency miners and other malware on the endpoints . Cybersecurity researchers from the AhnLab Security Emergency Response (ASEC) claim to ha


You Can Get Dreamscreens for Your TV on Sale for $40 Right Now
LifeHacker / 12h
Dreamscreens is both clever and simple: It's a USB that turns a blank TV screen into a digital art gallery. And right now, you can get Dreamscreens on sale for $39.99 (reg. $49). It comes with two USB versions: One is widescreen, which fills the entire screen, and the other is the standard version, which is to scale, with black bars of space surrounding the image. You just put one of them into th


40% of US electricity is now emissions-free
100+Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge (credit: fhm / Getty Images ) Just before the holiday break, the US Energy Information Agency released data on the country's electrical generation. Because of delays in reporting, the monthly data runs through October, so it doesn't provide a complete picture of the changes we've seen in 2023. But some of the trends now seem locked in for the year: wind and solar are likely to be in a dea


Apple is selling its contested Watch models again after import ban pause
Engadget / 12h
The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 wearables are back on sale via the manufacturer. We knew this was coming yesterday, after a federal appeals court in Washington D.C. granted a temporary pause on an import and sales ban. The ban could be reinstated on January 10, when the International Trade Commission (ITC) decides on whether to grant Apple a longer pause. It could also come back on January 1


There Are Actual Health Benefits to Wearing Scrotal Support Underwear
24LifeHacker / 12h
When it comes to underwear, most men think in binary terms: the classic boxers versus briefs debate, with a lot of guys dodging by wearing boxer-briefs for the best of both worlds. As with a lot of male clothing choices, there’s a traditional and gender-defined lack of interest in anything beyond sheer utility. Even men who do put some extra thought into what they’re wearing concentrate mainly on


Miraculous Survival: Man Found Alive In Paris Flight’s Landing Gear
View from the Wing / 12h
With temperatures falling to less than 50 degrees below zero at cruising altitude, and lack of oxygen, conditions are excruciating. There are 132 people known to have stowed away in aircraft wheel wells between 1947 and 2021, and they have a mortality rate of 77%. Continue reading ...


Ohio lottery hit by serious ransomware attack forcing some system shutdowns
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
The Ohio Lottery apperas to have suffered a ransomware attack which forced it to shut some of its systems down and also allegedly lost sensitive data on millions of its users. On December 24, the company issued a press release claiming to have suffered a “cybersecurity incident” that resulted in the shutdown of “some of its internal applications”. An investigation is already underway, but the gam


LG developed a two-legged AI-powered robot that can watch your pets for you
51Engadget / 12h
LG is going to start selling a compact bipedal robot that can roll around your house freely. The AI-powered robot, which will debut at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, has a wide range of capabilities — from notifying you that you left the AC on while you're away to watching your pet while you're at work. Like stationary smart home aids, like Alexa or Apple HomePod , LG’s robot can also tell you the weathe


Giga ML wants to help companies deploy LLMs offline
TechCrunch / 12h
AI is all the rage — particularly text-generating AI, also known as large language models (think models along the lines of ChatGPT). In one recent survey of ~1,000 enterprise organizations, 67.2% say that they see adopting large language models (LLMs) as a top priority by early 2024. But barriers stand in the way. According to […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Ayaneo Mini PC Hands-On: A Fist-Sized Macintosh-Like That's as Cute as It Is Mundane
Gizmodo / 12h
Normally, I wouldn’t care what my mini PC looks like. Why would I? It’s just the box I stick next to my monitor for on-the-go computing needs. It doesn’t need all the flashing lights and LEDs of an ultimate gaming rig, it just needs to function. At least, that’s how I originally felt about your average NUC. Then I… Read more...


Diana Ross photographed by Lawrence Schiller at Central Park in New York City, 1970.
Music, Arts & Literature / 12h
twixnmix :


My Favorite Journals to Help You Meet Your Goals
LifeHacker / 12h
Writing things down by hand helps you remember information, set goals, and connect with what you’re creating. Getting into journaling is a popular New Year’s resolution, but if you want to stick with it, finding the right journal for your needs is key. Here are some of my favorites for you to try in 2024, depending on the type of journaling you'd like to do. The best regular journals As you’ll se


The Last of Us Was the Most-Pirated Show of 2023
Gizmodo / 12h
Piracy is a fact of life in the entertainment industry, no matter how much studios try to fight it—and in an age where the streaming industry is feeling more and more like cable television by the day —it’s going to remain that way for the foreseeable future. But that doesn’t mean it’s not interesting to see what… Read more...


How the 'Poor Things' design team created the film's surreal world
Mashable / 12h
Poor Things production designers do a deep dive with Mashable's Kristy Puchko into the inspiration behind the surreal film. Stars William Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo describe how the production design helped them develop their own characters in the film .


Lynx Air: Fast-growing budget airline now in 8 US cities with addition of Boston, San Francisco
The Points Guy / 12h
Canadian budget carrier Lynx Air is expanding its U.S. footprint. The airline, which began flying in April 2022, will make Boston and San Francisco its newest U.S. destinations. Lynx will serve both cities from Toronto Pearson