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Saturday, December 9, 2023

Technology News and More-Saturday Edition...

 Technology News and More...





How to See How Busy a Store Is Right Now with Google Maps
1KHow-To Geek / 16h
If you have the choice, you'd probably want to go to grocery stores and other businesses when they're not crowded. With a few taps, Google Maps can tell you how busy a store, restaurant, park, or other location is at that very moment and at other times of the day.


Prime Video’s Mr and Mrs Smith trailer shows off an exhilarating spinoff series with a twist
100TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 17h
Some concepts are just brilliant: 'Jaws... in space!' for Alien ; 'What if Nicholas Cage and John Travolta were arch-enemies who swapped faces?' for Face: Off ; 'What if there were snakes... on a plane?' for Snakes on a Plane . And one of my favorites was for the 2005 movie Mr & Mrs Smith : what if two spies were married and didn't know their spouse was also a spy? The Brad Pitt and Angelina Joli


Elon Musk Says CEO of Disney Should Be Fired, Seemingly for Hurting His Feelings
500+Futurism / 15h
Another day, another person of note being singled out by conspiracy theorist and X owner Elon Musk. The mercurial CEO's latest target is Disney CEO Bob Iger, whose empire recently pulled out of advertising on Musk's much-maligned social media network. Along with plenty of other big names in the advertising space , Disney decided to call it quits after Musk infamously threw his weight behind an ap


How to watch Dragons vs. Oyonnax online for free
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: Stream Dragons vs. Oyonnax for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN . The Investec Champions Cup is here once again to deliver some of the best club rugby of the season. There's a new format, with four pool stage rounds and four knockout stage rounds. The final will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in May 2024. But befor


How to watch Munster vs. Bayonne online for free
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: Stream Munster vs. Bayonne for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN . The European Champions Cup is back once again, bringing together some of the very best club rugby teams in the world. The competition will be played over eight weekends with four pool stage rounds and four knockout stage rounds, with the final taking place at


How to watch Toulouse vs. Cardiff online for free
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: Stream Toulouse vs. Cardiff for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN . The European Rugby Champions Cup (or Investec Champions Cup) is back with a brave new format. The competition will be played over eight weekends with four pool stage rounds and four knockout stage rounds. Everything culminates in the final at Tottenham Hotsp


This comprehensive data science bundle is on sale for 92% off
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: The 2023 Comprehensive 3-in-1 Data Science Bundle is on sale for £31.58, saving you 92% on list price. In many fields, you have to stay current to stay in the game. This certainly holds true for anything related to science, as things constantly change. Data science uses a variety of ways to analyse and interpret large volumes of data. The goal is to make data-driven decisions and solve com


Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for December 9
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. 9'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 com


AI: EU agrees landmark deal on regulation of artificial intelligence
47BBC News - Technology / 4h
The proposed rules cover the use of AI in systems like ChatGPT and by law enforcement.


Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Saturday, December 9, 2023
LifeHacker / 4h
If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for December 9, 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 9, Wordle #903! 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 T


Today's NYT Connections Hints (and Answer) for Saturday, December 9, 2023
LifeHacker / 4h
If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Saturday, December 9, 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 9, NYT Connections #181! Read on if you want some hints (and the


Hubble back in service after gyro scare—NASA still studying reboost options
Ars Technica - All content / 5h
Enlarge / The Hubble Space Telescope viewed from Space Shuttle Atlantis during a servicing mission in 2009. (credit: NASA) The Hubble Space Telescope resumed science observations on Friday after ground teams spent most of the last three weeks assessing the performance of a finicky gyroscope, NASA said. The troublesome gyroscope is a critical part of the observatory's pointing system. Hubble's gyr


Gag City is a viral win for Nicki Minaj
TechCrunch / 5h
Welcome to Gag City, the pink metropolis inhabited by stans and brands alike. In the days leading up to the release of “Pink Friday 2,” Nicki Minaj’s fifth studio album and sequel to her debut record “Pink Friday” that dropped on Friday, Twitter was flooded with AI-generated images of pink-toned cityscapes. Gag City, the dreamy […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


EU lawmakers bag late night deal on ‘global first’ AI rules
21TechCrunch / 5h
After marathon ‘final’ talks which stretched to almost three days European Union lawmakers have tonight clinched a political deal on a risk-based framework for regulating artificial intelligence. The file was originally proposed back in April 2021 but it’s taken months of tricky three-way negotiations to get a deal over the line. The development means a […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved.


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for December 9
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


New Report Accuses Sam Altman of Being a Terrible Boss
Gizmodo / 5h
Ever since Sam Altman was fired by the OpenAI board two weeks ago, questions have swirled about what precipitated the drama. The fact of the matter is this: We still don’t really know what happened or why Altman was forced out. Altman himself has said he won’t be talking about it . Microsoft obviously isn’t talking.… Read more...


EU agrees to landmark rules on artificial intelligence
Ars Technica - All content / 6h
Enlarge / EU Commissioner Thierry Breton talks to media during a press conference in June. (credit: Thierry Monasse | Getty Images) European Union lawmakers have agreed on the terms for landmark legislation to regulate artificial intelligence, pushing ahead with enacting the world’s most restrictive regime on the development of the technology. Thierry Breton, EU commissioner, confirmed in a post


Quordle today - hints and answers for Saturday, December 9 (game #684)
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


The Beats Powerbeats Pro Are at Their Lowest Price Right Now
LifeHacker / 7h
The Beats Powerbeats Pro has been considered one of the best pairs of earbuds for those who stay active and want the confidence of a secure fit. Until Sunday, Dec. 10, you can get them for their lowest price since their release after a 48% discount, currently at $129.95 (originally $249.95). Woot only ships to the 48 contiguous states in the U.S. If you have Amazon Prime, you get free shipping; o


Poor Things and 22 Other Frankenstein Adaptations in Pop Culture


Gizmodo / 7h
There’d be no science fiction without a 19-year-old Mary Shelley in 1816 writing the tale of a scientist who their undead creature to life. Ever since, her tale of creation has inspired adaptations that have propelled the evolution of genre in film, television, and even music. Read more...


Google's AI-powered NotebookLM is now available to help organize your life
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
Google’s AI-powered writing assistant, NotebookLM , is leaving its experimental phase behind and launching as an official service with multiple performance upgrades. First revealed during I/O 2023 as Project Tailwind , the tool’s primary purpose is to help organize your messy notes by creating a summary detailing what you wrote down. It will even highlight important topics plus come up with sever


Revisiting the Ford Mustang Mach-E—how’s the pony EV doing 3 years later?
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge / The Ford Mustang Mach-E is now in its third year of production, so it felt like a good idea to see how it's maturing. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin) When Ars first drove the then-new Ford Mustang Mach-E back in early 2021 , the car was an attention magnet. Now, almost three years later, the Mustang Mach-E is a much more common sight on our roads, but so are other electric crossovers from mos


FDA approves first CRISPR therapy—here’s how it works against sickle cell
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge / This digitally colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) revealed some of the comparative ultrastructural morphology between normal red blood cells (RBCs), and a sickle cell RBC (left) found in a blood specimen of an 18-year-old female patient with sickle cell anemia. (credit: CDC ) The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved two gene therapies to treat sickle cell disease ,


Apple appears to have blocked Beeper Mini’s iMessage app in less than a week
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge / Beeper Mini's promises of "Blue bubbles" on Android seemed to have been nixed by a certain Cupertino-based firm on Friday. (credit: Beeper) Beeper Mini, the Android app born from a reverse-engineering of Apple's iMessage service , is currently broken, and it is unknown whether it will resume functioning. Beeper desktop users received a message from co-founder Eric Migicovsky late on Fri


HP printer app is installing on PCs whether they have HP printers or not
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Enlarge / The HP LaserJet M106w is one of the printer models that is mysteriously appearing for some users in Windows 10 and 11. (credit: HP) Earlier this month, Microsoft posted a new entry in its list of known issues with fully up-to-date Windows 11 PCs: The HP Smart printer app was installing automatically on Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs whether they had an HP printer installed or not, changi


'Doctor Who' is about to change forever. You're not ready.
Mashable / 8h
If you're a fan of the face-changing, shape-shifting, time-traveling TV show known as Doctor Who — and more specifically, a fan of the 2006-2010 run in which David Tennant was the 10th actor to play the lead role — then Christmas came early this year. And at the same time, in a very Who -ish, timey-wimey way, it didn't come early enough. Tennant and his co-star Catherine Tate, who plays the Docto


Worldchanging Quantum Computers Means Science and Technology Will Get Better Faster
Next Big Future / 8h
Despite steady improvements in quantum computers, they are still noisy and error prone, which leads to questionable or wrong answers. In June, 2023, scientists predicted that Quantum Computers won’t truly outcompete todays classical supercomputers for at least five or 10 years, until researchers can adequately correct the errors that bedevil entangled quantum bits, or qubits. ... Read more


The EU has reached a historic regulatory agreement over AI development
22Engadget / 8h
The Washington Post reports that after a marathon 72-hour debate European Union legislators Friday have reached a historic deal on a broad-ranging AI safety development bill, the most expansive and far-reaching of its kind to date. Details of the deal itself were not immediately available. Deal! #AIAct pic.twitter.com/UwNoqmEHt5 — Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) December 8, 2023 The proposed regu


The EU Just Passed Sweeping New Rules to Regulate AI
37Wired / 8h
The European Union agreed on terms of the AI Act, a major new set of rules that will govern the building and use of AI and have major implications for Google, OpenAI, and others racing to develop AI systems.


Report: FAA should improve investigation process after a rocket launch goes awry
28TechCrunch / 8h
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has let launch providers conduct their own investigations in nearly every instance that a launch mishap has occurred since the start of the century — a practice that needs closer scrutiny, a federal watchdog said in a new report. The report, published Thursday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. F


The Out-of-Touch Adults' Guide to Kid Culture: 'Grand Theft Auto 6' Trailer Breaks Internet
LifeHacker / 8h
This week's Out-of-Touch guide features one of the most viral videos of all time, the first trailer for RockStar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6. On the opposite side of the mass-appeal spectrum: artsy musician Laurie Anderson is becoming an unlikely TikTok star, and I finally have a resource to help explain all the internet jokes I don't understand. Viral video of the week: GTA 6 trailer instantly bre


OpenAI Cofounder Who Pushed Out Sam Altman Is In a Confusing Limbo
Futurism / 9h
Do The Limbo After moving to oust Sam Altman , OpenAI cofounder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever is in a sort of limbo, and nobody seems to know what will happen next. As Business Insider reports based on interviews with people in the know — who spoke on the condition that their identities remain anonymous — it remains unclear what role Sutskever will play in the AI firm moving forward after tu


E.U. Agrees on AI Act, Landmark Regulation for Artificial Intelligence
500+NYT > Technology / 9h
The agreement over the A.I. Act solidifies one of the world’s first comprehensive attempts to limit the use of artificial intelligence.


James Gunn Has Found His DC Universe's Mandatory Sean Gunn Role
Gizmodo / 9h
Sean Gunn has been tapped to play Maxwell Lord in James Gunn ’s new DC Universe. Read more...


Quick points: How Hyatt and American loyalists can earn more rewards by linking accounts
53The Points Guy / 9h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information. If you have elite status with American Airlines AAdvantage or World of Hyatt , you should ensure your accounts are linked. The linking process is very straightforward and can be completed in minutes. But it’s worth doing if you’re eligible, as then you’ll earn extra points, miles and perks during your travels.


Should Section 230 Protect AI Companies From Being Sued Out of Existence?
Gizmodo / 9h
Welcome to AI This Week, Gizmodo’s weekly deep dive on what’s been happening in artificial intelligence. Read more...


Sneak peek: First look at Disneyland Paris’ royally reimagined 5-star hotel
The Points Guy / 9h
Editor’s note: TPG was provided with travel to Disneyland Paris from London and a two-night stay with access to the park. All opinions expressed are the author’s and were not subject to review by Disney. After closing for renovations in 2020, the five-star Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris is finally set to reopen its doors on Jan. 25, 2024. While the doors were shut, it underwent a major new


Skip the lounge and get free food! Use your Priority Pass at 37 US airport restaurants
500+The Points Guy / 9h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information. Priority Pass is most well known for its network of airport lounges . But Priority Pass also includes some non-lounge experiences, including restaurants. These restaurants let eligible Priority Pass members enjoy sit-down dining experiences at select airports as part of their membership. The list of U.S. restaurants


Apple exec departure leads to major iPhone, Apple Watch reshuffle
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / The iPhone 15 Pro. (credit: Samuel Axon) According to a report in Bloomberg , Tang Tan, vice president of Product Design, is leaving Apple, and his departure heralds a shuffle of executives heading up some of the company's most important products. Sometimes, you might wonder just how much a specific executive influences the grand scheme of things, but the report claims that people withi


Verizon fell for fake “search warrant,” gave victim’s phone data to stalker
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Enlarge / A Verizon logo at GSMA Mobile World Congress 2019 on February 26, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (credit: Getty Images | David Ramos ) Verizon Wireless gave a female victim's address and phone logs to an alleged stalker who pretended to be a police officer, according to an affidavit filed by an FBI special agent. The man, Robert Michael Glauner, was later arrested near the victim's home and


20 jobs in jeopardy due to AI, according to new study. Is yours on the list?
58Mashable / 9h
The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, and the large language models (LLMs) that underpin them, have been alarming anti-AI advocates, particularly as ChatGPT — and its ilk — skyrocketed in popularity this year. A new study conducted by the UK Department of Education implies that the fearful cries of "Ah, AI is coming after our jobs!" are, indeed, sound. According to the lead inv


The Shocking Ending of Indiana Jones 5 Wasn't Always What's in the Movie
Gizmodo / 9h
Indiana Jones movies always end with the impossible. Ghosts coming out of an ark , a rock healing a village , a cup granting immortality , aliens with crystal skulls . So, when Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny gets to its big third-act moment, it’s shocking, but also fits right in. However, getting to that idea… Read more...


Beeper Mini Rules, But It Doesn't Solve Android's Messaging Problem
Gizmodo / 9h
Note: As I was getting ready to publish this piece, Beeper’s servers began faltering . TechCrunch reports that Beeper Mini had lost access to Apple’s servers, though I’m still able to send text-based messages with a bit of delay. This piece covers the experience before this breaking news hit. I reached out to Beeper to… Read more...


This Smart Soundbar and Subwoofer Combo Is a Great Deal Right Now
LifeHacker / 9h
The Roku Streambar and Roku Wireless Bass bundle can do a lot for your entertainment area and kick your TV to the next gear, especially if you don’t have a lot of space to spare. As I’ve covered before, getting a soundbar is one of the best and easiest ways to dramatically improve your TV’s audio . Right now, you can get a streaming device soundbar and subwoofer combo from Roku for $149.99 (origi


Readers Want Publications to Label AI-Generated Content
21Futurism / 10h
Trust Issues With levels of distrust towards the news reaching new heights, some publications have begun experimenting with publishing artificial intelligence-generated content — which has been an unmitigated disaster in many instances . And as it turns out, readers are becoming increasingly wary of the trend, which could only serve to erode their trust even further. According to a new preprint s


The Secret Behind AI Drive-Thrus? It’s Humans Doing the Work.
28Gizmodo / 10h
Presto, the self-acclaimed “leader in drive-thru voice automation” wants artificial intelligence to take your order. The drive-thru AI company works with Carls Jr, Chili’s, and Del Taco, and it partially runs on ChatGPT . However, SEC filings from November reveal that Presto’s AI may not be capable of taking your… Read more...


Time runs out Dec. 31: 16 things you can buy with the Amex Platinum’s $50 Saks credit
200+The Points Guy / 10h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. With lounge access , built-in credits and many travel perks, The Platinum Card® from American Express is an ideal card for frequent travelers. It also comes with various lifestyle benefits worth noting. For instance, you can get up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits awarded every calendar year, up to $50


Hideo Kojima Documentary Connecting Worlds Will Stream Exclusively on Disney+
Gizmodo / 10h
Hideo Kojima ’s in the news for his appearance last night at the Game Awards where he announced he’s working on a spooky Xbox game, OD, alongside Oscar-winning horror director Jordan Peele . Now, fans wishing to know more about the popular game designer (Metal Gear, Death Stranding) can look forward to the streaming… Read more...


Apple cuts off Beeper Mini’s access after launch of service that brought iMessage to Android
68TechCrunch / 10h
Was it too good to be true? Beeper, the startup that reverse-engineered iMessage to bring blue bubble texts to Android users, is experiencing an outage, the company reported via a post on X on Friday. And Apple is to blame, it seems. Users, including those of us at TechCrunch with access to the app, began […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Scandalous: British Airways Told Flight Attendants To Wear See-Through Blouses
View from the Wing / 10h
British Airways retracted their guidance requiring female cabin crew to wear white bras to go with the new sheer blouse included with their uniform after union objections. This follows similar past controversies over uniform-related 'sexualization' and contrasts with extreme practices at airlines like Malindo Air and Kuwait Airways, where female applicants were asked to disrobe during interviews.


What are points and miles worth? TPG’s December 2023 monthly valuations
500+The Points Guy / 10h
One of the questions people often ask us is, “How much is a point or mile worth?” The true answer varies from point to point and person to person. It also depends on your travel goals and how well you can maximize a particular loyalty currency. Still, some rewards credit cards are clearly worth more than others, and our goal is to give you a sense of how they stack up. Historically, TPG has value


Developing the Character of Lee Shaw Together in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Gizmodo / 10h
Read more...


Beeper Mini’s iMessage integration is on the fritz
20Engadget / 10h
Beeper Mini, the chat app that reverse-engineered Apple’s iMessage for Android , is having problems. 9to5Google reported Friday the entire Beeper platform is seemingly broken right now, leading to the obvious speculation that Apple has stomped on the bootleg iMessage workaround. Beeper posted on X that it’s “investigating reports that sending/receiving is not working in Beeper Mini.” Engadget con


Nintendo Switch OLED vs. Steam Deck OLED: Which handheld is better?
Mashable / 10h
The Nintendo Switch OLED finally has real competition in the handheld gaming space: the Steam Deck OLED Competition among portable consoles is the fiercest it's ever been. This duo of OLED devices can unlock tons of gaming potential, thanks to their friendly design and extensive libraries of games, but do you really need to own both? Probably not! So, with that in mind, here's how the Switch OLED


Stealthy Linux rootkit found in the wild after going undetected for 2 years
3 TTPs•
Ars Technica - All content / 10h
Enlarge Stealthy and multifunctional Linux malware that has been infecting telecommunications companies went largely unnoticed for two years until being documented for the first time by researchers on Thursday. Researchers from security firm Group-IB have named the remote access trojan “Krasue,” after a nocturnal spirit depicted in Southeast Asian folklore “floating in mid-air, with no torso, jus


You May Now Add One, Yes One, Tag to Threads Posts
LifeHacker / 10h
Threads launched earlier this year in an attempt to take advantage of X's ( sigh , formerly known as Twitter's) fall from grace. Threads 1.0 might have arrived a little too soon, with users wondering "Hey, where are all the features?" Well, in the half-year since its debut, Threads has gained some standard social media features , courtesy of developer Meta. It's still not perfect and Meta continu


Meta's New Image-Generating AI Is Trained on Your Instagram and Facebook Posts
Futurism / 11h
Cashing In Earlier this week, Meta announced a new AI image generator dubbed "Imagine with Meta AI." And while it may seem like an otherwise conventional tool meant to compete with the likes of Google's DALL-E 3, Diffusion, and Midjourney, Meta's underlying "Emu" image-synthesis model has a dirty little secret. What's that? Well, as Ars Technica points out , the social media company trained it us


How to Watch SpaceX Launch Space Force’s Spaceplane for the First Time
52Gizmodo / 11h
For the first time, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy will attempt to deliver the Pentagon’s spaceplane to low Earth orbit. The mission marks the seventh for the mysterious spacecraft, aiming to expand the Space Force’s knowledge of the space environment and test new technologies. Read more...


Breakthrough Demo of 3D DNA Industrial Nanorobots Manufacturing
Next Big Future / 11h
DNA nanostructures can perform some of the complex robotic fabrication process for manufacturing and self-replication. Building things and performing work with nanorobots has been a major technical and scientific goal. This has been done and published in the peer reviewed journal Science. Nadrian C. “Ned” Seeman (December 16, 1945 – November 16, 2021) was an ... Read more


Godzilla Minus One Is Now the Biggest Live-Action Japanese Film in U.S. Box Office History
100+Gizmodo / 11h
Godzilla Minus One’s critical and public acclaim has skyrocketed it to box-office heights—heights so worthy of such a titanic being that Toho has had to dash its plans to bring the film’s theatrical run to an end and extend screenings. But now the King of All Monsters is now also the king of live-action Japanese cinema Read more...


Earn Hilton Honors bonus points in 2024 with this new promotion
200+The Points Guy / 11h
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post regularly updated with the latest information. Hilton has already unveiled another sweet bonus points deal for 2024 well before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. On top of its Multiply Your Points promotion that runs until Dec. 31, Hilton has a new Points Plus promotion for select stays after New Year’s. Keep reading to find out how you can easi


Your Air Fried Chickpeas Can Get Even Crispier
24LifeHacker / 11h
Crispy chickpeas are a classic air fryer snack. What used to be a 30 to 40 minute affair in the conventional oven is now quick work in your countertop convection oven. They're one of the first things you should make when you buy an air fryer, but if you haven’t tried them yet, I’m kind of glad. That means your first experience with air fried chickpeas can be the ultimate experience, because I'm g


What Finally Got the Scuffs Out of My (Borrowed) Patent Leather Shoes
LifeHacker / 11h
I recently found myself in a bit of a pickle. I borrowed someone’s patent leather boots for Halloween and scuffed the hell out of them. I was dressed as Old Gregg ( how'd I do? ) a respectable and humorous costume that demands the wearer tote around a large bottle of Bailey’s; there was an inverse relationship between the amount of cream liqueur I had left at the end of the night and the amount o


Worm’s rear end develops its own head, wanders off to mate
100+Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Enlarge / From left to right, the head of an actual worm, and the stolon of a male and female. (credit: Nakamura et. al. ) Some do it horizontally, some do it vertically, some do it sexually, and some asexually. Then there are some organisms that would rather grow a butt that develops into an autonomous appendage equipped with its own antennae, eyes, and brain. This appendage will detach from the


Reminder: Donate to win swag in our annual Charity Drive sweepstakes
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Enlarge / Just some of the prizes you can win in this year's charity drive sweepstakes. (credit: Kyle Orland) If you've been too busy playing Against the Storm to take part in this year's Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes , don't worry. You still have time to donate to a good cause and get a chance to win your share of over $2,500 worth of swag (no purchase necessary to win). So far, in the


Elon Musk 'considers' Alex Jones' return to X / Twitter
Mashable / 11h
Is Alex Jones headed back to Elon Musk's X? According to Musk, he's considering unsuspending Jones, who was first banned from the platform in 2018, when it was still known as Twitter. Musk will "hear" Jones out On Thursday, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson released a brand new episode of his online "Tucker on X" program, which he uploads exclusively to Musk's platform. His guest for this editi


CRISPR-based gene editing therapy approved by the FDA for the first time
32Engadget / 11h
In a landmark decision, the FDA greenlit two new drugs for the treatment of sickle cell disease in patients 12 and older, one of which —Vertex’s drug Casgevy — is the first approved use of genome editing technology CRISPR in the US. Bluebird Bio’s Lyfgenia also is a cell-based gene therapy, however, it uses a different gene modification technique to deliver tweaked stem cells to the patient. Both


Will December bring startup winter?
26TechCrunch / 11h
Borrowing has become more expensive, and profits are harder to come by, which means that 2023 has been a savage year in startup land. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Android phones just got a life-saving update for the Personal Safety app
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Select Android phones will be receiving a literal life-saving update allowing users to instantly share critical medical information with first responders. The feature will be available on the Personal Safety app, and the way it works, according to developer RapidSOS , is the software will send over the information whenever a call is placed to a “supported emergency number – like 911.” Or if they


Now Open: The Riviera Maya EDITION At Kanai
One Mile at a Time / 11h
Marriott Bonvoy’s newest luxury property in North America has just opened , though details remain fairly limited… Basics of the EDITION Kanai Riviera Maya The Riviera Maya EDITION at Kanai has opened as of December 2023. This follows the debut of the adjacent St. Regis Kanai in early 2023. The resort is located inside the 620-acre gated community of Kanai, near downtown Playa del Carmen, and next


Reality Cruise Robotaxi Traffic Jams Vs Fiction Julia Roberts Runs From Tesla FSD
Next Big Future / 11h
Julia Roberts faces a mysterious apocalypse in Netflix’s Leave the World Behind. Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke are also in the movie. The fictional movie shows Tesla FSD going crazy and Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke trying to escape. Real world robotaxi problems were multiple GM Cruise cars blocking traffic for hours in San Francisco ... Read more


Travelsist hopes its air travel concierge will take off from Atlanta
22TechCrunch / 12h
Founded by a former flight attendant, Atlanta-based startup Travelsist and its Travelsistants provides assistance to travelers on behalf of airports and airlines. © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


10 Sci-Fi Movies to Watch on Paramount+ (That Aren't Star Trek)
Gizmodo / 12h
If you want a Star Trek or Transformers fix, Paramount+ is your go-to. But once you’ve landed on the streamer, you’ll find plenty of sci-fi options beyond just those big franchises. Here are 10 sci-fi tales to get keep you going after you’ve finished watching Bumblebee or binging Strange New Worlds . Read more...


This Cartoonish New Robot Dog Somehow Looks Even Scarier
Futurism / 12h
Dog Days We've come across plenty of robot dogs over the years that can dance , speak using ChatGPT , or even assist doctors in hospitals. But they all have one thing in common: they look like lifeless machines on four stilts. In an apparent effort to put the "dog " back into "robodog," a Chinese robotics company called Weilan recently showed off an entirely new class of robotic quadruped called


Alan Wake 2 to dispatch a new game plus mode on December 11
Engadget / 12h
Alan Wake 2 won big at last night’s The Game Awards and the developer wasted no time to capitalize on that momentum. Remedy just announced that the game is getting free DLC next week, December 11, in the form of a New Game Plus mode. This has been a long-requested feature for fans of the title. Well, if by long-requested you mean within the past two months. Alan Wake 2: The Final Draft will inclu


Passenger’s Movie Pick From Plane’s Seatback Entertainment Led To A Religious Scolding
View from the Wing / 12h
A woman settled into her flight back to Australia by watching Magic Mike where Channing Tatum is a male stripper and he’s apparently got some steamy dancing with Salma Hayek. The woman looked around before selecting it on her seat back screen, says that there were no “kids around” but she attracted attention anyway. Continue reading ...


DNA companies should receive the death penalty for getting hacked
61TechCrunch / 12h
Personal data is the new gold. The recent 23andMe data breach is a stark reminder of a chilling reality — our most intimate, personal information might not be as secure as we think. It’s a damning indictment of the sheer negligence of companies that, while profiting from our DNA, are failing to protect it. The […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Fundraising trends for 2024: Get to the point, explain ‘why now’
TechCrunch / 12h
It appears that investors have even less patience for long, rambling pitch decks. The name of the game now is "Short and Sweet." © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


American Express expands vacation rental platform to new destinations
The Points Guy / 12h
It appears American Express’ pilot program of a luxury vacation home rental platform is doing well enough to expand to new destinations and invite more members into the mix. American Express first piloted Select Homes + Retreats in August, according to Travel Weekly . The vacation home rental platform was initially only offered to a small group of consumer and Business Platinum Card members and l


You will need an Nvidia GPU to achieve some of the fastest SSD speeds ever — here's how and why
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Graid's SupremeRAID technology combines a GPU with a software-defined storage (SDS) stack to deliver frighteningly high storage speeds that go above what most servers can hit today with conventional RAID configurations. By pairing Graid's SupremeRAID card with the Nvidia RTX A2000 GPU, Storage Review managed to hit 5.6M IOPS at 1.1ms using the best RAID performance at 4K chunk size, while Graid l


Round 2: We test the new Gemini-powered Bard against ChatGPT
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson) Back in April , we ran a series of useful and/or somewhat goofy prompts through Google's ( then-new ) PaLM-powered Bard chatbot and OpenAI's (slightly older) ChatGPT-4 to see which AI chatbot reigned supreme. At the time, we gave the edge to ChatGPT on five of seven trials, while noting that "it's still early days in the generative AI business." Now, the AI days ar


Google announces April 2024 shutdown date for Google Podcasts
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Enlarge (credit: Google) Google Podcasts has been sitting on Google's death row for a few months now since the September announcement . Now, a new support article details Google's plans to kill the product, with a shutdown coming in April 2024. Google Podcasts (2016–2024) is Google's third attempt at a podcasting app after the Google Reader-powered Google Listen (2009–2012) and Google Play Music


PsiQuantum Developing Megaqubit Photonic Quantum Computer
Next Big Future / 12h
PsiQuantum has raised about $665 million and has a valuation of over $3 billion. PsiQuantum is developing a photonic quantum computer that will have millions of physical qubits and eventually millions of error corrected qubits. Their belief is that small scale quantum systems will not be useful and only large scale systems will be able ... Read more



Music, Arts & Literature / 12h



Mulch and the enduring appeal of internet absurdism
TechCrunch / 12h
I am haunted by mulch posts. The most recent mulch video came to me in the middle of the night, when I was hours into scrolling through a particularly nasty bout of insomnia. The video was an edit of a tiny dog surrounded by a frame of glittering hearts, with an AI-generated voice narrating, “Today, […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


Getting Approved For Chase 100,000 Point Offer Despite Being Over “5/24”
34View from the Wing / 12h
Traditionally, Chase hasn't been willing to approve customers for new cards who have opened 5 or more new card accounts in the past 24 months. This is referred to as "5/24." However recently there are reports of new card offers from Chase where people do get approved despite being over this limit. Continue reading ...


Google’s AI-Powered Notebook App Has Arrived
How-To Geek / 12h
Large language models are useful chatbots such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, but as they become increasingly more popular, more and more potential uses are coming up for them. Google announced NotebookLM earlier this year , which promised an upgraded notetaking app with AI powers, and now it's exiting a testing period and getting new features.


‘Secondaries summer’ is over, but 2024 looks promising
TechCrunch / 12h
Secondary venture activity has ebbed and flowed over the last few months, following a particularly busy summer. But 2024 may see investors returning for good, writes Rebecca Szkutak. Full TechCrunch+ articles are only available to members. Use discount code TCPLUSROUNDUP to save 20% off a one- or two-year subscription. “The buyer universe for pre-IPOs expands […] © 2023 TechCrunch. All rights res


Free bags and open seating: Why I choose Southwest every time
74The Points Guy / 12h
I think it’s safe to say that I am TPG’s resident Southwest Airlines fangirl. I grew up flying Southwest exclusively, so I spent my early travel years assuming that free checked bags, a high-stakes check-in process and choosing a seat away from the screaming baby were all part of the universal flying experience. Color me shocked when I eventually learned these experiences were unique to flying So


Luke Wilson on Finding His Batman Voice
Gizmodo / 12h
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Tyrannosaur Ate Baby Dino Drumsticks Before It Died, Stunning Fossil Reveals
65Gizmodo / 12h
A team of paleontologists revealed a remarkable fossil: a young tyrannosaurid with the hindlimbs of two year-old dinosaurs in its stomach. In other words, this theropod was chowing down on baby legs. Read more...


OpenAI taps former Twitter India head to kickstart in the country
26TechCrunch / 12h
OpenAI is working with former Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly as a senior advisor to facilitate talks with the government about AI policy, TechCrunch has exclusively learned. OpenAI is also looking to set up a local team in India. People familiar with the matter told TechCrunch that Jaitly has been helping