Bill Nelson backs NASA decision on lunar lander in confirmation hearing by Eric Berger on 2021-04-21 17:05 (#5GWNY) The hearing was bland, but Nelson's backing of the bidding process was significant.
PS4 owners lament the shutdown of beloved “Communities” social network by Kyle Orland on 2021-04-21 16:50 (#5GWNZ) Built-in message boards were a way to find and connect with like-minded players.
Samsung starts official smartphone upcycling program by Ron Amadeo on 2021-04-21 16:23 (#5GWP0) Users can now try the "beta" program to repurpose old devices.
2021’s World Car of the Year goes to the electric Volkswagen ID.4 by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2021-04-21 16:02 (#5GWJ9) Plus, the adorable Honda E wins World Urban Car.
Sony takes aim at Xbox Game Pass with PlayStation Plus Video Pass by Sam Machkovech on 2021-04-21 13:52 (#5GWF1) Scant details suggest Sony-published movies with your Sony-published games.
Brace yourselves. Facebook has a new mega-leak on its hands by Dan Goodin on 2021-04-21 01:41 (#5GVNZ) Facebook Email Search v1.0 can process 5 million email addresses per day, researcher says.
Pause of J&J vaccine was the right call, say 88% of polled Americans by Beth Mole on 2021-04-20 22:25 (#5GVJ1) Poll results contradict concerns that the pause added to hesitancy.
Everybody hates “FLoC,” Google’s tracking plan for Chrome ads by Ron Amadeo on 2021-04-20 21:48 (#5GVJ2) The EFF, Mozilla, Brave, Vivaldi, and DuckDuckGo say "no way" to FLoC.
Grab a pair of recommended Anker noise-canceling headphones for $64 by Ars Staff on 2021-04-20 19:58 (#5GVCT) Dealmaster also has deals on Fitbit trackers, great wireless mice, and more.
Hackers are exploiting a Pulse Secure 0-day to breach orgs around the world by Dan Goodin on 2021-04-20 19:40 (#5GVCV) Exploits allow state-backed hackers to bypass 2FA and breach defense contractors.
In evolving to infect mink, SARS-CoV-2’s risk for humans changes by John Timmer on 2021-04-20 18:38 (#5GVAG) It's less infective, but it has a lower immune profile.
EU lawmakers propose strict curbs on use of facial recognition by Financial Times on 2021-04-20 18:28 (#5GV7R) Draft legislation would limit use to essential public-interest scenarios.
Apple announces new M1-based iMac in 7 fancy colors by Samuel Axon on 2021-04-20 17:46 (#5GV7S) Apple's new all-in-one desktops have a completely different look.
Venmo’s new crypto service lets you buy and sell bitcoin, ether, and litecoin by Jon Brodkin on 2021-04-20 17:42 (#5GV7T) PayPal subsidiary Venmo rolls crypto platform out to users starting today.
iPad Pro gets M1 chip, “Liquid Retina” mini-LED screen by Samuel Axon on 2021-04-20 17:41 (#5GV7V) iPad Pros get Apple's best SoC, with a mini-LED display for the 12.9-inch version.
Apple updates the Apple TV 4K with the A12 processor, new remote by Corey Gaskin on 2021-04-20 17:26 (#5GV3S) The A12 Bionic chip will make games run faster and enhances video as well.
Apple takes on Tile with AR-ready AirTags tracking devices by Samuel Axon on 2021-04-20 17:14 (#5GV3T) The Find My app and the iPhone's U1 chip finally make a lot more sense.
Liveblog—All the news from Apple’s “Spring Loaded” event by Samuel Axon on 2021-04-20 16:40 (#5GSK1) Get your updates about new iPads and more here, starting at 10am Pacific!
How “cosmetic” DLC became “pay to win” camouflage in some online shooters by Kyle Orland on 2021-04-20 16:17 (#5GV0T) COD: Warzone and Fortnite struggle to balance player style and gameplay visibility.
Minivans are better at daily life than SUVs, and it’s time for a comeback by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2021-04-20 16:08 (#5GV0V) They have a commanding view, three rows of seats, and even handle OK, too.
Elon Musk denies Autopilot was active before deadly crash in Texas by Timothy B. Lee on 2021-04-20 15:49 (#5GV0W) "Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled," Musk tweeted.
Coal miners’ union lobbies for jobs in renewable energy by Tim De Chant on 2021-04-20 15:36 (#5GTX2) “We’ll take good paying jobs any way we can get them.”
HTC’s wireless Vive Air headset outed by a premature award by Sam Machkovech on 2021-04-20 13:37 (#5GTPE) All-in-one VR headset resembles a pair of running shoes. That could be good HTC news.
Google Play apps steal texts and pepper you with unauthorized purchases by Dan Goodin on 2021-04-20 11:42 (#5GTH3) Google removes eight apps after receiving report from researchers.
Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 will (finally) enter the 64-bit world by Jim Salter on 2021-04-20 10:45 (#5GTH4) Next year's upgrade—out for preview later this summer—looks like a doozy.
Marvel drops first teaser for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings by Jennifer Ouellette on 2021-04-19 23:28 (#5GSZG) Simu Liu stars as a gifted martial artist seeking to escape his dark family history.
More J&J troubles: Vaccine manufacturing halted and more possible clot cases by Beth Mole on 2021-04-19 22:36 (#5GSXW) CDC advisory committee will meet Friday to decide the fate of the troubled vaccine.
Parler re-platformed as Apple allows social network back into App Store by Tim De Chant on 2021-04-19 20:48 (#5GST8) "Free speech" social media network reportedly revamped its moderation approach.
Millions of web surfers are being targeted by a single malvertising group by Dan Goodin on 2021-04-19 20:08 (#5GSQR) Tag Barnakle is using infected ad servers to go "straight for the jugular," firm says.
Sony reverses course, keeps legacy PlayStation online stores open by Kyle Orland on 2021-04-19 19:29 (#5GSN2) PS3 and Vita stores will remain available, but PSP will sunset as planned.
Missing Arctic ice fueled the “Beast of the East” winter storm by Ars Contributors on 2021-04-19 19:11 (#5GSN3) Less ice means more moisture in the air, but connecting it to weather is difficult.
Cops “almost 99.9% sure” Tesla had no one at the wheel before deadly crash by Timothy B. Lee on 2021-04-19 18:41 (#5GSN4) Car was reportedly traveling at a "high rate of speed" in a residential area.
Denisovans may have met us in the Pacific by John Timmer on 2021-04-19 17:55 (#5GSK2) Different island populations also intermingled in complex ways.
Dishy McFlatface to become “fully mobile,” allowing Starlink use away from home by Jon Brodkin on 2021-04-19 17:35 (#5GSK3) Musk: Starlink customers will be able to use their dishes "anywhere" by year-end.
Fitbit announces new style-focused Luxe smartband by Corey Gaskin on 2021-04-19 17:00 (#5GSFP) The Luxe is the Fitbit's first attempt at a stylish fitness tracker.
“Chrome Memories”—an early look at Google’s UI update to History by Jim Salter on 2021-04-19 16:58 (#5GSFQ) The new view is hidden behind a feature flag that defaults to "off" for now.
Years after Google and Apple, Samsung finally gets eSIM working in the US by Ron Amadeo on 2021-04-19 16:03 (#5GSCK) If you have the Note 20 and T-Mobile, you can finally ditch your plastic SIM card.
Amazon’s first Internet satellites will not launch on Blue Origin rockets by Eric Berger on 2021-04-19 16:00 (#5GSCM) "ULA is a fantastic partner that’s successfully launched dozens of missions."
Cracking the case: New study sheds more light on the “Brazil nut effect” by Jennifer Ouellette on 2021-04-19 15:41 (#5GSCN) Shape and orientation of a given Brazil nut is the key to its upward movement.
Nintendo sues Bowser (not that one) over Team Xecuter’s Switch hacks by Kyle Orland on 2021-04-19 15:25 (#5GS9A) Civil suit seeks monetary damages following Bowser's October arrest.
NASA has flown a helicopter on Mars, and it went brilliantly [Updated] by Eric Berger on 2021-04-19 11:10 (#5GQHK) This is all experimental, but Ingenuity pulled it off.
Who will win the self-driving race? Here are eight possibilities by Timothy B. Lee on 2021-04-19 11:00 (#5GRY1) The state of the self-driving industry, from Argo to Zoox.
This electric fastback is the next Audi A6 e-tron, due in late 2022 by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2021-04-19 05:00 (#5GRMN) It's the first car to use the new Premium Platform Electric architecture.
The humble shrub that’s predicting a terrible fire season by WIRED on 2021-04-18 11:00 (#5GQYK) Chamise is kind of a crystal ball for understanding how badly California might burn.
Novel hydrogels can safely remove graffiti from vandalized street art by Jennifer Ouellette on 2021-04-17 18:39 (#5GQGF) Italian chemists successfully tested their hydrogels on actual street art in Florence.
At 38.5% vaccinated, US may be running low on people eager for a shot by Beth Mole on 2021-04-17 11:31 (#5GQ3S) Some worry the country can't keep up the current pace of vaccination.
DC’s Rorschach: A detective walks into a world shaped by squids and superheroes by Nathan Mattise on 2021-04-17 10:00 (#5GQ2E) During COVID-19, Rorschach has been something to look forward to each month.
NASA selects SpaceX as its sole provider for a lunar lander by Eric Berger on 2021-04-16 21:35 (#5GPME) "We looked at what’s the best value to the government."
21.5-inch iMac supply dwindles amid chip shortages, possible refresh by Samuel Axon on 2021-04-16 21:30 (#5GPMF) A new iMac landing next week is a real possibility.
Backdoored developer tool that stole credentials escaped notice for 3 months by Dan Goodin on 2021-04-16 20:07 (#5GPJ8) AWS credentials and private repository tokens could allow self-perpetuating attacks.