Facebook leak reveals Oculus Quest 2 as a 4K standalone VR headset by Kyle Orland on 2020-09-14 19:03 (#583S2) New Snapdragon XR2 processor pushes nearly 50% more pixels than the original Quest.
Nvidia will keep ARM licensing “neutral,” wants to license GPU tech, too by Ron Amadeo on 2020-09-14 18:38 (#583S3) But can Nvidia play nice with Apple, Linux, and other ARM partners?
Nikola admits prototype was rolling downhill in promotional video by Timothy B. Lee on 2020-09-14 17:58 (#583P4) “This thing fully functions,” Trevor Milton said in 2016. It didn't.
YouTube unlawfully violates kids’ privacy, new $3.2B lawsuit claims by Kate Cox on 2020-09-14 17:51 (#583P5) YouTube is “a weird technicolored nightmare” for families, nonprofit alleges.
Verizon to buy TracFone, expanding big carriers’ control of prepaid industry by Jon Brodkin on 2020-09-14 17:00 (#583JY) Verizon would surpass AT&T and T-Mobile in prepaid if TracFone deal is approved.
Beautifully preserved cave bears emerge from Siberian permafrost by Kiona N. Smith on 2020-09-14 15:52 (#583DT) Two finds recently unearthed the frozen remains of an adult cave bear and a cub.
Lexus’ new 2021 LC500 Convertible puts on the pretty by Jim Resnick on 2020-09-14 15:27 (#583AW) Slicing the roof off improves what was already the most attractive Lexus in years.
Feds seize OnePlus Buds, mistaking them for “counterfeit” AirPods by Kate Cox on 2020-09-14 14:07 (#58365) One of these things is not like the others...
Private data gone public: Razer leaks 100,000+ gamers’ personal info by Jim Salter on 2020-09-14 13:35 (#58351) No need to breach any systems when the vendor gives the data away for free.
5G in rural areas bridges a gap that 4G doesn’t, especially low- and mid-band by Jim Salter on 2020-09-14 13:00 (#58352) The mmWave revolution isn't here yet, but the other parts of 5G are more important.
Astra finally launches its first orbital rocket, and it flew for 30 seconds by Eric Berger on 2020-09-14 12:22 (#5833Z) “For us, what's expensive is not learning.”
Oracle, one of Donald Trump’s favorite companies, wins TikTok deal by Timothy B. Lee on 2020-09-14 02:40 (#582VD) Ellison has raised money for Trump. Trump has called Ellison a “tremendous guy.”
How the Warsaw Ghetto beat back typhus during World War II by Jennifer Ouellette on 2020-09-13 18:13 (#582N3) Social distancing, self-isolation, underground training of medical students were key.
Nvidia buys ARM Holdings from SoftBank for $40 billion [Updated] by Financial Times on 2020-09-13 16:50 (#582M3) UK set to impose strict terms including protection of jobs, UK headquarters
AI ruined chess. Now it’s making the game beautiful again by WIRED on 2020-09-13 11:10 (#582G7) Testing variants on the age-old game that can jolt players into creative patterns.
Political appointees demand ability to rewrite CDC case reports by John Timmer on 2020-09-12 18:40 (#5827J) “CDC to me appears to be writing hit pieces on the administration,” reads one email.
Rush Limbaugh downplaying hurricane Irma may have decreased evacuations by Scott K. Johnson on 2020-09-12 16:59 (#5825Z) Phone-location dataset shows correlation with election results.
Defying crackdowns, QAnon continues its relentless global spread by Financial Times on 2020-09-12 15:58 (#5824M) Persistent online conspiracy theory repurposes itself for new audiences around the world.
Don’t risk your health to see Tenet, which is uber-fun but still just a movie by Nathan Mattise on 2020-09-12 14:00 (#5822W) No film critics were at risk in the making of this review—thank you rural Texas drive-ins.
Why online voting is harder than online banking by Timothy B. Lee on 2020-09-12 13:00 (#5822B) A common argument for online voting doesn't actually make sense.
Porn surfers have a dirty secret. They’re using Internet Explorer by Dan Goodin on 2020-09-12 12:30 (#5821F) IE users, take note: Malvertising is rearing its head after laying low for a while.
Trump and Twitter are on likely showdown path with expanded misinfo rules by Kate Cox on 2020-09-12 12:00 (#5821G) Social media firms are trying to stop making things even worse before it's too late.
Review: Small World of Warcraft takes the tabletop strategy hit to Azeroth by Ars Staff on 2020-09-12 11:00 (#58202) But it works best with a crowded table.
How does a Sturgis-sized crowd affect COVID-19? It’s complicated by WIRED on 2020-09-12 10:15 (#581YM) A paper on the South Dakota motorcycle rally had flaws, but it's not useless.
E-sports pros have “dream” jobs—but game publishers have all the power by WIRED on 2020-09-12 10:01 (#581YN) What happens when a marketing initiative becomes a billion-dollar industry
Judge in Theranos fraud case orders 14-hour psychological test for Holmes by Beth Mole on 2020-09-11 22:10 (#581HE) It's the latest twist in the long, long saga of a disastrous startup.
This tiny reproduction of Girl With a Pearl Earring is “painted” with light by Jennifer Ouellette on 2020-09-11 19:18 (#581A3) Scientists used millions of nanopillars to control color, density of incident light.
Apple allows streaming games on iOS, but there’s a catch [Updated] by Kyle Orland on 2020-09-11 19:06 (#581A4) New guidelines also allow for "standalone companion apps" like hey.com email.
New Google Nest Thermostat hits the FCC, possibly with air gesture controls by Ron Amadeo on 2020-09-11 18:51 (#581A5) A mysterious “60Ghz” transmitter points to Project Soli air gestures.
Grab a recommended 90W charger for your phone, Switch, and laptop for $43 by Ars Staff on 2020-09-11 17:41 (#58173) Dealmaster also has deals on Anker accessories, Apple's MacBook Pro, and more.
Price gouging and defective products rampant on Amazon, reports find by Kate Cox on 2020-09-11 17:31 (#5813N) Problems aren't just in Marketplace but also in Amazon's first-party listings.
Control snafu shows how one publisher is struggling with next-gen upgrades by Kyle Orland on 2020-09-11 17:22 (#5813P) Glitch briefly gives free “Ultimate Edition” that 505 Games sells for $40.
Nikola stock craters after chairman fails to rebut fraud allegations by Timothy B. Lee on 2020-09-11 16:59 (#5813Q) Short-seller says truck in a promotional video was actually rolling down a hill.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s pseudoscience Goop series renewed on Netflix by Beth Mole on 2020-09-11 15:43 (#580TK) An apt addition to 2020.
The weird and wonderful Flying-V made a successful first flight by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2020-09-11 15:07 (#580RT) The plane, designed in the Netherlands, was affected by Dutch roll.
How I learned to tell stories on purpose in the new Frog Fractions by Ars Staff on 2020-09-11 14:53 (#580RV) Developer Jim Stormdancer explains how strong characters draw out strong emotions.
Archaeologists with drones discover pre-Columbian earthworks in Kansas by Kiona N. Smith on 2020-09-11 14:52 (#580RW) The ditched enclosure is one of just a handful ever found.
Charlie Bolden says the quiet part out loud: SLS rocket will go away by Eric Berger on 2020-09-11 14:44 (#580RX) “At some point, commercial entities are going to catch up.”
Russian state hackers are targeting Biden and Trump campaigns, MSFT warns by Dan Goodin on 2020-09-11 12:45 (#580N7) Russia's most notorious hacking group is using new techniques to breach accounts.
Rocket Report: Delta IV Heavy gets a new date, SpaceX to destroy test tank by Eric Berger on 2020-09-11 12:01 (#580M0) “We believe the current providers address the plans we have today for the near future.”
Apple’s September 15 “Time Flies” event: What to expect by Samuel Axon on 2020-09-11 11:54 (#580M1) It's a strange event for a strange time—will the iPhone 12 actually appear?
The Ars Technica ultimate buying guide for your home office setup by Corey Gaskin on 2020-09-11 11:30 (#580K8) From monitors to standing desks, we find the best buys for your new workspace.
Trump vows not to extend TikTok deadline beyond September 15 by Timothy B. Lee on 2020-09-11 03:40 (#580CR) TikTok could face a US ban if it doesn't find a US buyer in the next five days.
It’s the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, and the tropics are bonkers by Eric Berger on 2020-09-10 20:46 (#5806J) It is quite zany, but if these storms remain out to sea then, hey, go crazy, 2020.
Immortals hands-on: I guess Ubisoft is copying Breath of the Wild now by Sam Machkovech on 2020-09-10 19:45 (#58057) Formerly titled Gods & Monsters, it launches Dec. 2. It's pretty, but it's messy.
Revisiting the spectacular failure that was the Bill Gates deposition by Dan Goodin on 2020-09-10 19:40 (#58058) In the 1990s, Microsoft wore its disdain for antitrust on its sleeve. Now, not so much.
New gravitational-lensing study hints at problems for dark matter models by John Timmer on 2020-09-10 19:12 (#5803X) On a fine scale, the Universe seems lumpier than it should be.
AT&T hopes you’ll forget its years-long fight against accurate broadband maps by Jon Brodkin on 2020-09-10 18:19 (#5802F) AT&T's call for new maps ignores its ongoing fight against more accurate data.
Microsoft’s first Android phone, the Surface Duo, is now available by Samuel Axon on 2020-09-10 18:00 (#5802G) The dual-screen phone costs a lofty $1,399.
Motorola’s Razr 2 hopes to right the wrongs of the original Razr reboot by Ron Amadeo on 2020-09-10 17:51 (#5802H) It's only slightly different from the Razr 1, hopefully with all the bugs worked out.