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

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Technology News Tuesdays, and More!

 Technology News and More...





Proton’s device aims to help those with kidney disease and cut heart failure risks
45TechCrunch / 5h
People with chronic kidney disease, or those at risk of heart failure, are greatly affected by potassium imbalances in the body. These can even be life-threatening. While wearable glucose monitors are now commonplace and have transformed the lives of diabetes patients, potassium monitoring is in its infancy as it’s hard to do. Now, startups are […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For pers




Netflix's Zero Day teaser is the first time I've seen Robert De Niro starring in a TV series
22Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 3h
The creators of Netflix's new show also brought us Narcos and Griselda De Niro is a former President investigating a devastating cyberattack Zero Day is streaming from February 20, 2025 It's not every day you see a giant of cinema starring in a TV show: in the pre-streaming era that kind of thing was not something successful stars would do. But this is no ordinary day and this is no ordinary show




NASA spacecraft just plunged into the sun and broke stunning records
Mashable / 1h
Early on Christmas Eve in 2024, a NASA craft swooped at blazing speed through the sun's atmosphere. The Parker Solar Probe , equipped with a robust heat shield, made the closest-ever approach to our dynamic star, coming some 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) from the stellar surface. That's seven times closer than any other probe. The mission is designed to fly into the sun's corona, or





Host a Holiday Karaoke Night With Spotify or Apple Music
How-To Geek / 2min
You don't have to stick to just movies and food during the holidays–not while you can get karaoke night started in mere seconds using Spotify and Apple Music. Both platforms have their own karaoke mode!




It’s Your Last Chance to Get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 at the Lowest Price This Year
Gizmodo / 12min
Order Apple's highest-rated earbuds from Amazon for under $190 today for your Christmas gift.




Engadget's Games of the Year 2024
Engadget / 24min
This year may not have been as jam packed as 2023 was for gaming, but there were still plenty of amazing new releases. Whether you love a good indie or a big-budget production, this year had you covered. All you needed to do was look a bit deeper than you might have in 2023. Animal Well The core of Animal Well isn’t that structurally complicated: It’s a lock-and-key Metroidvania. You go to places




The M4 MacBook Air is tipped to show up before new iPads and the iPhone SE 4 in 2025
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 26min
New MacBook Airs could be next for Apple After that it's iPads and an iPhone in March iPadOS 18.3 and iOS 18.3 are on the way too Next year is lining up to be a pretty hectic one for Apple, with all kinds of new product unveilings being predicted by those in the know (including for the iPhone 17 ) – and we just got a little more information about when some of these launches are happening. Accordi




Condor In Trouble, As Lufthansa Wins Battle Over Feeder Flights
One Mile at a Time / 28min
Earlier I wrote about how German airline Condor will be cutting half a dozen transatlantic routes in the summer of 2025. We’re now getting more of a sense of why that is, and it’s very bad news for airline competition in German. The complicated Condor & Lufthansa relationship There’s a lot of history between Germany’s two largest airlines, Lufthansa and Condor. When Condor was founded back in 195




TV Technica 2024: Our picks for the best of TV
Ars Technica - All content / 29min
Editor's note : Warning: Although we’ve done our best to avoid spoiling anything major, please note this list does include a few specific references to several of the listed shows that some might consider spoiler-y. This was another good year for television, with established favorites sharing space on our list with some intriguing new shows. Really, 2024 had a little of everything, from wacky cri




This Electric Travel Kettle Is About $30 and Helps You Heat Your Tea or Coffee Wherever You Are
Gizmodo / 30min
Get the Sekaer travel electric tea kettle over at Amazon for just $31 for a limited time.




8 Signs Your Windows Computer Might Be Infected With Malware
How-To Geek / 31min
While Microsoft has strengthened Windows security over the years, cyber threats have also evolved and become more sophisticated. A single misstep can compromise your PC, allowing malware to operate undetected. Here are some telltale signs that your computer may be infected and how to protect it.




Top WordPress plugins found to have some serious security flaws, so make sure you're protected


4 TTPs•
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 33min
Two WordPress plugins found carrying 18 security flaws Most of them are deemed critical, since they allow RCE, among other things All have now been patched, so make sure to upgrade your plugins Two premium WordPress plugins were found carrying more than a dozen vulnerabilities, some of which were deemed critical. This is according to WordPress cybersecurity platform Patchstack, who found the issu




Garmin’s Most Popular Fenix 7 Smartwatch Now at Its Lowest Price Ever for the Holidays
Gizmodo / 36min
Save $250 on the Garmin Fenix 7 smartwatch for a limited time at Amazon.




All American Airlines flights in the US are currently grounded
Engadget / 42min
If you're traveling for the holidays today, I hope you're not flying on American Airlines. As of this morning, the airline said on X that all of its flights were currently grounded, with no current time table for when flights will resume. As The Verge notes, a notice posted by the Federal Aviation Administration confirms that there is a "nationwide groundstop" for all AA flights; it also says tha




The Best Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas for Under $30
LifeHacker / 45min
We may earn a commission from links on this page. For some people, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas until you’re curled up by the fire, eating Christmas cookies, or hanging your favorite ornaments on the tree. For me, the holiday season doesn’t feel real until an overwhelming state of panic sets in and I’m feverishly typing “last-minute gift ideas” in the hours leading up to a Secret Santa exc




AI development service Builder.ai exposed over 1TB of data on three million users
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 47min
Security researchers discovered a major database with 3M+ records It belongs to Builder.ai, a low code/no code platform It contains sensitive information, NDAs, and more Builder.ai may have unwillingly exposed sensitive information on millions of its users, researchers have claimed. Jeremiah Fowler, a security researcher known for hunting down non-password protected databases containing sensitive




9 new rides, attractions and experiences coming to Walt Disney World in 2025
The Points Guy / 50min
Looking back, 2024 was the first year since the pandemic that a visit to Walt Disney World felt largely like it did before 2020. For most visitors, theme park reservations became a thing of the past. We finally saw the return of all-day park-hopping, and even Disney Dining plans came back. It also marked the completion of Epcot’s multiyear transformation and the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure




Home Is Where the Couch Is: Photos by Natcha Wongchanglaw
Wired / 54min
Natcha Wongchanglaw’s Couchsurfing photos explore how travel turns transient encounters into meaningful—and vulnerable—moments.




Matt Gaetz Made Them Fly Spirit Airlines: The Scandal That’s Got Everyone Talking [Roundup]
View from the Wing / 57min
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 ...




UPDATE: American Airlines ground stop lifted after Christmas Eve technical issue
The Points Guy / 58min
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information Christmas Eve travel is off to a rocky start. American Airlines encountered a technical problem Tuesday morning, and requested the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily ground its flights, nationwide. Around 8:00 a.m. EST, the agency announced the ground stop had been lifted — but the disruption is likely to cause residual f




The Linux .bashrc File: What It Is, Plus 6 Things You Can Do With It
How-To Geek / 59min
The shell is so important to Linux, it has its own startup process. Discover how to configure the shell on startup, how to run commands automatically, and what you can do with all this power.




View of raccoons climbing on bare tree inside fenced enclosure at Belle Isle Zoo. Printed on front:…
Music, Arts & Literature / 59min
View of raccoons climbing on bare tree inside fenced enclosure at Belle Isle Zoo. Printed on front: “Coons, Belle Isle, Detroit, Mich.” Printed on back: “1234, Coons, Belle Isle. Belle Isle is in the Detroit River between Detroit and Windsor, Canada. The island contains 702 acres and is entirely covered with one of the most beautiful parks in the United States, having some 21 miles of macadam roa




A Babbel Lifetime Subscription Is Back to Its Super-Low Black Friday Price of Just $130, 78% Off!
Gizmodo / 1h
Save 78% off this one-time StackSocial purchase and master as many as 14 new languages for a lifetime.




Webb Telescope Solves a 20-Year-Old Planetary Mystery Sparked by Hubble
Gizmodo / 1h
Perplexing data in the early 2000s raised questions about how planetary formation began in the universe, and new data from Webb provides some answers.




Hyundai will offer its EV customers free NACS adapters starting next year
Engadget / 1h
Hyundai is offering select EV buyers a free CCS to NACS (North American Charging Standard) adapter so that they can charge current models at Tesla's Supercharger stations. That will allow owners to charge CCS-port Hyundai models at Tesla's 20,000 strong Supercharger network, once shipping starts in Q1 2025. Hyundai is offering the free adapter to owners of 2024 and earlier Kona Electric, Ioniq 5,




Save On Airfare By Tracking Flight Prices, Repricing Tickets
One Mile at a Time / 1h
I imagine that most OMAAT readers already do this, but I figure that it’s a topic that’s worth covering, and discussing the best ways to go about it… Lack of change fees make repricing tickets easy One of the positive things to come from the pandemic is that airlines (at least in the United States) largely eliminated change fees on most kinds of fares, with basic economy fares typically being the




How To Combine Hilton Honors Points Between Accounts
96One Mile at a Time / 1h
Every hotel loyalty program has a different policy when it comes to being able to combine points among members. Arguably Hilton Honors has the most generous policy of any program when it comes to letting members combine points, so I wanted to take a closer look at that in this post. For what it’s worth, I’ve written in the past about the policies of Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt when it come




After two decades, GIMP 3.0 has arrived with high-resolution compatibility and extensive improvements
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 1h
GIMP 3.0 revamps the interface for high-resolution screens Keeps projects compatible with older versions Extensive testing ensures a bug-free GIMP 3.0 After two decades of anticipation, the latest version of popular image editor GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is finally set to be released soon. As a popular, free, and open source Photoshop alternative , GIMP has been a reliable tool for us




The Morning After: Nissan and Honda plan to merge
Engadget / 1h
Honda and Nissan have officially confirmed the rumors that they're pursuing a merger. Both would still operate under their brands but with a new joint holding company as parent. If Nissan-controlled Mitsubishi also came on board, the combined group would become the world's third-largest automaker by sales volume, with a net worth of up to $50 billion. Nissan and Honda previously announced plans t




Disney Pulled the Plug on This Game in 2013. A Group of Teens Kept It Alive
Wired / 1h
Thanks to a bunch of game-makers who were still teens when Toontown Online disappeared, the beloved online world lives on as Toontown Rewritten.




8 Gadgets I Want To See Nintendo Make
How-To Geek / 1h
Nintendo sure caught everyone off-guard this year by releasing an alarm clock and music streaming platform when we were all the Switch 2. I welcome this quirky lifestyle product revolution and even have a few ideas as to what Nintendo could make next.




Morrisons customers still waiting for Christmas deliveries
24BBC News / 1h
The supermarket says its systems are back to normal but some customers still don't have their Christmas shop.




US Supreme Court to hear TikTok challenge to potential ban
500+BBC News / 1h
The US wants the app to be sold or banned because of what it says are links to the Chinese state.




Xerox buys Lexmark for $1.5 billion to build US printer giant capable of rivaling HP
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 2h
Lexmark acquisition will strengthen Xerox as it seeks to improve footprint in enterprise market Lexmark was IBM's former printer arm and, like its PCs and servers, was sold to Chinese investors Xerox faces huge competition from HP, Epson and Canon Xerox has announced an agreement to acquire Lexmark in a deal valued at $1.5 billion which will create a new global printer giant. The company says the




Max confirms more monster mayhem after renewing the DC animated series Creature Commandos for season 2
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 2h
Max renews Creature Commandos for a second season The show marks the first project in the new DC Universe Creature Commandos tells the story of a secret team of imprisoned monsters that take on deadly missions Creature Commandos are going on another mission, as the hit adult animated series has been renewed for a second season at Max . The best Max show is the first project to be released as part




The Best Games of 2024
Gizmodo / 2h
The best games of 2024 included plenty of sequels, but our favorite titles came from small developers with big ideas.




It Was a Record Year for Dating Apps. They Still Don’t Have It Figured Out
22Wired / 2h
Suddenly, every possible dating and hookup app for every possible scenario exists—AI girlfriends, kink-positive polyamory, gay cruising. Why does it feel like none of them are the answer?




Condor Cuts Flights To Baltimore, Minneapolis, Phoenix, San Antonio
One Mile at a Time / 3h
German leisure airline Condor has evolved its route network massively in recent years, as the airline has increasingly started competing head-to-head against Lufthansa. We’ve seen quite a bit of growth at the airline, especially across the Atlantic. There’s now an interesting update, as Condor has just slashed half a dozen transatlantic routes for next year. Condor cuts service to six North Ameri




Keychron K15 Max Review: A Low Profile, Alice Layout, Slightly Complicated Keyboard
How-To Geek / 3h
Alice keyboards like the Keychron K15 Max are designed to be more comfortable to use while you’re typing, but it can be a struggle to adjust to the new split key placements. While advanced features in the K15 Max are impressive, I think one or two changes would make it the perfect keyboard.




More malicious Python packages are on the loose, experts warn
2 TTPs•
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 3h
Security researchers found two packages on PyPI, showing malicious intent The packages grant the attackers access to systems and sensitive data The researchers warn developers to exercise caution when using third-party packages Experts have warned PyPI continues to be abused after researchers discovered more malicious packages hiding on the platform. A report from Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs disco




Sega CEO confirms the company won't be making more mini retro consoles, like a potential Dreamcast Mini
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 3h
Sega America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi has discussed the company's philosophy in a recent interview He stated that Sega "needs to be innovative" to remain relevant He also confirmed that there will not be any further mini retro consoles In some bad news for retro game enjoyers, Sega America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi has suggested that the company will not be making any more mini retro console




Hurdle hints and answers for December 24
Mashable / 3h
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle , then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine. There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give




From Grindr to Scruff: The best dating apps for gay, bi, and queer men to try in 2025
Mashable / 3h
Online dating as a gay man has its share of horror stories. It's also a rite of passage dating back to the Craigslist m4m era. It's a high-risk, high-reward activity. For members of the LGBTQ+ community , online dating presents a unique set of challenges, which can sour the experience. Ghosting and catfishing are still common, but you might also find people asking unnecessary questions about your




Get 1TB of cloud storage for life for just $120
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: Secure 1TB of lifetime cloud storage with Koofr for $109.97 — the no-nonsense last-minute gift or essential new year upgrade. Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $119.97 $810.00 Save $690.03 If you're looking for a practical, last-minute gift or a smart way to kick off your New Year organizational dreams with secure and streamlined digital s




Get an 8-in-1 charging cable for just $25
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: The GoCable Ultimate 8-in-1 Charger combines fast 100W charging, universal compatibility, and handy tools like a bottle opener and safe-proof cutter — all in one portable device for just $24.99 (reg. $44). Opens in a new window Credit: Muttant Design Lab GoCable Ultimate 8-in-1 Charger $24.99 at Mashable Shop $44.99 Save $20.00 Tired of tangled cables and dead devices? Meet the GoCable Ult




Too good to miss — take $400 off a refurbished iPad Pro
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: Enjoy the potential of the grade-A refurbished iPad Pro (256GB, WiFi + cellular) with top-tier performance, stunning visuals, and massive storage for $699.99 (reg. $1,099). Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Refurbished iPad Pro (256GB, WiFi + cellular) $699.99 $1,099.00 Save $399.01 If you’ve been dreaming of upgrading your tech setup, consider this your sign. The grade-A refurbished iPa




Design like a pro with an all-in-one AI toolbox for $70
Mashable / 3h
TL;DR: Design logos, create stunning visuals, and craft engaging content with a lifetime subscription to AI Magicx for just $69.99. Opens in a new window Credit: AI Magicx AI Magicx: Lifetime Subscription (Rune Plan) $69.99 at Mashable Shop $972.00 Save $902.01 Do you need a memorable logo but don’t have the time — or the skills — to design one? AI Magicx’s Rune Plan was made to make your life ea




NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 24
Mashable / 3h
Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans. Like the original Connections , 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 th




Wow: United Serving Laurent-Perrier Champagne In Polaris Business Class
One Mile at a Time / 3h
United Airlines is seriously upgrading the champagne in its long haul business class, and it’s something I’m sure many travelers will appreciate… United upgrades Polaris business class champagne United Airlines has internally revealed plans to upgrade the champagne it serves in its Polaris business class , as flagged by Live and Let’s Fly . As of January 1, 2025, United will serve Laurent-Perrier




NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for December 24, 2024
Mashable / 3h
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times ' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe. With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it. So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustr




Here are MIT Technology Review’s best-performing stories of 2024
MIT Technology Review / 3h
Another year is coming to a close, so let’s look back at the MIT Technology Review stories that resonated most with you, our readers. We published hundreds of stories in 2024, about AI, climate tech, biotech, robotics, space, and more. There were six new issues of our magazine, on themes including food , play , and hidden worlds . We launched two newsletters, to share tech industry analysis from




The humans behind the robots
MIT Technology Review / 3h
This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here . Here’s a question. Imagine that, for $15,000, you could purchase a robot to pitch in with all the mundane tasks in your household. The catch (aside from the price tag) is that for 80% of those tasks, the robot’s AI training isn’t good enough for it to act on i




Today's NYT Connections Hints and Answer for December 24 (#562)
How-To Geek / 4h
Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.




People With Extreme Wealth Should Give It Away—or Be Penalized
Wired / 4h
The gap between the ultra-rich minority and the vast majority has never been greater. But a wave of activist millionaires is asking for higher taxes.





Halide’s next version will come with new film filters, HDR
TechCrunch / 6h
Lux, which makes the iPhone camera app Halide, published a roadmap on Monday detailing the app’s next version, called Halide Mark III, to be released sometime next year. The company said Halide Mark III will ship with two new features: Color Grades, and its own take on HDR (High Dynamic Range) photos. The company plans […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.




Brazil shuts BYD factory site over 'slavery' conditions
100+BBC News / 6h
More than 160 workers have been rescued, according to local prosecutors.




Russian hosting firm RUVDS takes server tech to the South Pole for high-speed data tests in extreme conditions
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 7h
RUVDS expands hosting to Earth’s coldest, remote regions Tests promise high-speed data access for extreme remote environments Antarctica mission tests data center limits and innovation Russian hosting firm RUVDS has announced plans to deliver a server to one of Earth’s most isolated locations: the South Pole. Building on its previous Arctic experiment, the company aims to explore the feasibility




Stream thousands of documentaries with no adverts — the perfect gift for curious minds
Mashable / 8h
TL;DR: MagellanTV’s two-year documentary streaming subscription delivers advert-free access to 3,000+ hours of content for just £47.84 (reg. £95.56). If you or someone on your holiday gift list loves diving into history, science, or true crime, the MagellanTV two-year subscription is the perfect find. With over 3,000 hours of documentaries to choose from, this streaming service is packed with con




Why Mergers of Carmakers Like Honda and Nissan Often Falter
NYT > Technology / 8h
The Japanese companies are considering joining forces to survive in a rapidly changing auto industry, but auto history is filled with troubled and failed marriages.




NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 24, 2024
Mashable / 10h
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games 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




Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 24
Mashable / 10h
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 today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Su




NYT Strands hints, answers for December 24
Mashable / 10h
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands , the New York Times ' elevated word-search game. Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of




AI educators are coming to this school – and it's part of a trend
Latest from TechRadar US in News,opinion / 11h
An Arizona charter school will use AI instead of human teachers for two hours a day on academic lessons. The AI will customize lessons in real-time to match each student’s needs. The company has only tested this idea at private