Report: 2015 Twitter breach targeted Saudi dissidents, led to arrests by Timothy B. Lee on 2020-08-19 16:36 (#573CN) A sister is speaking out after her brother has been in prison for two years.
Menus on Xbox Series X will look a lot like those on Xbox One by Kyle Orland on 2020-08-19 16:23 (#5739A) Coming tweaks include faster loading, larger text, and improved mobile integration.
Quantum reality is either weirdly different or it collapses by Chris Lee on 2020-08-19 16:17 (#5739B) Either quantum state has to collapse at macroscopic level, or reality is unreal.
Google Maps gets “more detailed, colorful map” by Ron Amadeo on 2020-08-19 15:57 (#5739C) Expect bluer blues, greener greens, brown deserts, and more detail.
Should Massachusetts extend its right-to-repair law to connected cars? by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2020-08-19 15:03 (#5736C) The proposal is well-meaning, but vague language risks car hacking.
New P2P botnet infects SSH servers all over the world by Dan Goodin on 2020-08-19 13:00 (#572YE) Botnet is hard to detect and with no centralized control server, harder to take down.
In face of federal inaction, California gets five automakers to cut CO2 by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2020-08-19 12:50 (#572YF) BMW, Ford, Honda, VW Group, and Volvo agree 17% emissions cut with California.
The Golden Age of computer user groups by Ars Staff on 2020-08-19 11:45 (#572V7) Long before subreddits, computer enthusiasts used to get together—in-person!
Coronavirus creeps into US mink farms, “unusually large numbers” dead by Beth Mole on 2020-08-18 22:06 (#57257) Transmission risks to humans are unclear.
A dark comic book conspiracy turns out to be all too real in Utopia trailer by Jennifer Ouellette on 2020-08-18 21:51 (#57258) "What have you done today to earn your place in this crowded world?"
Plastic face shields seem to make masks better by John Timmer on 2020-08-18 21:08 (#5723Q) They made a big difference for people meeting with families of the infected.
Booze and cruise providers are the latest to be hit by ransomware scourge by Dan Goodin on 2020-08-18 20:56 (#5723R) Jack Daniel's distiller and Carnival cruise operator both warn of personal data theft.
Anti-vaccine group sues Facebook, claims fact-checking is “censorship” by Kate Cox on 2020-08-18 20:39 (#5723S) Facebook's former biggest anti-vax advertiser is back with a new tactic.
FCC asks for more public input on whether to let Charter impose data caps by Jon Brodkin on 2020-08-18 19:39 (#57224) FCC reopens docket after court ruled Charter can charge for network connections.
A number of Amazon Fire, Kindle, and Echo devices are back on sale today by Ars Staff on 2020-08-18 18:49 (#5720C) Dealmaster also has deals on Nintendo Switch games, Apple's iPad Mini, and more.
The Facebookening of Oculus VR becomes more pronounced starting in October [Updated] by Sam Machkovech on 2020-08-18 18:02 (#571XV) October change won't immediately apply to existing accounts.
Surface Duo internals show Microsoft’s fanatical commitment to thinness by Ron Amadeo on 2020-08-18 17:51 (#571XW) Get a peek at the Duo's unique construction with a single-sided motherboard.
Chip and phone supply chain shaken as Huawei faces mortal threat by Financial Times on 2020-08-18 17:13 (#571TH) New US sanctions bar Chinese telecom equipment maker from buying semiconductors.
Apple bundles CBS and Showtime with Apple TV+, announces new Music radio stations by Samuel Axon on 2020-08-18 16:50 (#571TJ) App Store drama aside, Apple's services push continues with new channels.
New carbon price focuses on results you want, not impacts you don’t by Scott K. Johnson on 2020-08-18 15:58 (#571QK) Pragmatic method works backward from the year you want zero emissions.
War Stories: Diablo’s loot lottery was almost a turn-based affair by Lee Hutchinson on 2020-08-18 15:10 (#571M5) Lead designer David Brevik reminisces on Rogue and the path almost-but-not-quite taken.
COVID spit test is faster, cheaper, avoids shortages—and now greenlit by FDA by Beth Mole on 2020-08-18 14:10 (#571G4) It’s not a rapid test to use at home, but it still stands to help speed things up.
SpaceX flies the same, sooty booster for the sixth time [Updated] by Eric Berger on 2020-08-18 13:09 (#571CM) This booster's career began nearly two years ago.
Oracle enters race to buy TikTok’s US operations by Financial Times on 2020-08-18 13:05 (#571CN) Working with investors in effort to outbid Microsoft after Trump divestment order.
Study confirms that painting eyes on cow butts helps ward off predators by Jennifer Ouellette on 2020-08-18 12:43 (#571CP) There's no silver bullet, but "eye-cow" technique is one available tool for farmers.
Apple threatens to boot Epic and Unreal Engine off Mac and iOS [Updated] by Kate Cox on 2020-08-17 21:38 (#570JZ) Fortnite is just one game; Unreal Engine powers dozens more.
Cities sue Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, claim they owe cable “franchise fees” by Jon Brodkin on 2020-08-17 20:00 (#570FP) Cities demand 5% of revenue, claim online video uses "public rights of way."
Secret Service buys location data that would otherwise need a warrant by Kate Cox on 2020-08-17 19:39 (#570FQ) Agencies' ability to purchase any data on the open market is a big loophole.
You can now play an ultra-rare Quake arcade cabinet at home by Kyle Orland on 2020-08-17 19:15 (#570DH) Broken encryption unlocks gameplay from 22-year-old cabinets.
Third-party Mac repair shops will gain access to Apple tools, parts by Samuel Axon on 2020-08-17 18:57 (#570DJ) The new program is a compromise that represents a change in Apple's strategy.
The first road tests of the Volkswagen ID.3 electric car are showing up by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2020-08-17 17:54 (#570B5) Ars had plans to drive the ID.3, but then the coronavirus came along.
This 9,000-year-old skeleton is the oldest cremation in the Near East by Kiona N. Smith on 2020-08-17 17:24 (#5706S) The cremated remains are a reminder of what archaeology can, and can't, tell us.
Review: Smartly satirical Teenage Bounty Hunters is a perfect weekend binge by Jennifer Ouellette on 2020-08-17 17:00 (#5706T) Netflix series shares similar sensibility with GLOW, Weeds, Orange Is the New Black
Facebook Messenger starts taking over Instagram Direct messages by Ron Amadeo on 2020-08-17 16:46 (#5706V) Facebook's mega messaging merge begins! Is WhatsApp next?
Formula E crowns a new champion as season six ends in Berlin by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2020-08-17 16:32 (#5705D) Pre-race quarantine worked, and the packed season finale delivered good racing.
Intel’s run at the GPU market begins with Tiger Lake onboard graphics by Jim Salter on 2020-08-17 13:00 (#5700S) Xe LP graphics in Tiger Lake laptops are only the first part of the story.
Could a Dragon spacecraft fly humans to the Moon? It’s complicated by Eric Berger on 2020-08-16 15:00 (#56ZB9) "Do you really want to get to the Moon by 2024 or not?"
Netflix’s Project Power, the most fun you won’t have at the movies this summer by Nathan Mattise on 2020-08-16 14:30 (#56Z9G) Engaging premise + nice scenery + stars + action + some humor = pairs well with popcorn.
An extended interview with Subnautica director Charlie Cleveland by Nathan Mattise on 2020-08-16 14:00 (#56Z9H) If 20 minutes on this underwater gem wasn't enough, can we interest you in 90 minutes?
Planet X? Why not a tiny black hole instead? by Chris Lee on 2020-08-16 13:30 (#56Z84) Unsuccessful at finding planet X? Substitute with undetectable black hole.
ISIS allegedly ran a COVID-19 PPE scam site by WIRED on 2020-08-16 11:30 (#56Z65) DOJ says an agent of the terrorist organization operated FaceMaskCenter.com.
Fabulous fossil preserves eyes of 429-million-year-old trilobite by Scott K. Johnson on 2020-08-15 16:49 (#56YN6) Cellular structure of compound eye preserved in beautiful detail.
NASCAR had to tweak the Daytona road course for stock cars—here’s why by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2020-08-15 16:35 (#56YN7) Slowing a stock car is a lot harder than a sports car.
The iconic Arecibo Telescope goes quiet after major damage by WIRED on 2020-08-15 14:00 (#56YGQ) A cable cut a large gash into the telescope—who knows when it will be back in working order.
An Alexa bug could have exposed your voice history to hackers by WIRED on 2020-08-15 11:40 (#56YE6) Amazon has patched the flaw, but remember to lock down your voice assistant interactions.
NASA official may face criminal investigation for contact with Boeing by Eric Berger on 2020-08-14 22:32 (#56XZZ) This does not bode well for keeping to the 2024 landing goal.
Charter can charge online video sites for network connections, court rules by Jon Brodkin on 2020-08-14 20:22 (#56XWM) Court kills ban on interconnection fees because FCC didn't defend merger condition.
FDA finds new toxic hand-sanitizer ingredient, expands warning to 157 products by Beth Mole on 2020-08-14 19:35 (#56XTV) Regulators find toxic 1-propanol as well as methanol in some products.
Trump admin. finally kills off Obama-era rule limiting methane emissions by Kate Cox on 2020-08-14 18:44 (#56XTW) Limiting greenhouse gases is apparently not part of “environmental protection.”
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes final bow with high-octane journey through time by Jennifer Ouellette on 2020-08-14 18:08 (#56XS8) Ars chats with the show's VFX team about the challenges for this time-jumping season.