Ireland’s health care system taken down after ransomware attack by Eric Bangeman on 2021-05-14 16:17 (#5HTQP) Doctors left unable to access patient records after "very sophisticated" attack.
Rocket Report: Starship orbital flight details, Ariane 5 may delay Webb launch by Eric Berger on 2021-05-14 11:00 (#5HTA4) Also, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft gets a new launch date.
Lenovo’s new “Go” brand of travel gear kicks off with a wireless-charging mouse by Samuel Axon on 2021-05-13 22:18 (#5HSVG) Also announced: a 20,000 mAh portable charger for users' various devices.
New users can get 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1 today by Ars Staff on 2021-05-13 19:33 (#5HSMC) Dealmaster also has deals on iPhone cases, Garmin watches, and robot vacuums.
New analysis confirms hypothesis for source of mysterious auroral “dunes” by Jennifer Ouellette on 2021-05-13 19:24 (#5HSMD) Ongoing collaboration between physicists and amateur stargazers yields new insights.
Tesla owner who “drives” from back seat got arrested, then did it again by Jon Brodkin on 2021-05-13 18:57 (#5HSH2) Man jailed for leaving driver seat empty says he feels safer in back seat.
Vaccinated people can now go maskless in most indoor locations [Updated] by John Timmer on 2021-05-13 18:32 (#5HSH3) With vaccines generally available and highly effective, the US shifts its advice.
Microsoft Surface Duo fire sale puts device at 50% off by Ron Amadeo on 2021-05-13 16:59 (#5HS8V) Microsoft's weird dual-screen Android phone hits the bargain bin.
Microsoft puts Windows 10X variant on the back burner by Jim Salter on 2021-05-13 16:20 (#5HS6T) It looks like Microsoft is abandoning its plans for the tablet-focused distro.
Musk: Bitcoin is bad for climate (and you can’t buy Teslas with it anymore) by Tim De Chant on 2021-05-13 16:00 (#5HS6V) Tesla CEO flip-flops, says that environmental concerns drove the decision.
Biden signs executive order to strengthen US cybersecurity by Financial Times on 2021-05-13 15:31 (#5HS6W) Move comes after high-profile hacks, including attack on crucial fuel pipeline.
Congress fires warning shot at NASA after SpaceX Moon lander award by Eric Berger on 2021-05-13 14:44 (#5HS4T) "This bill, in the main, is not supposed to be about space."
Real robotaxi service gets a step closer in San Francisco (Updated) by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2021-05-13 12:24 (#5HS0S) Waymo and Cruise have both applied for permits to deploy a commercial service.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition: Tests, thoughts, and a 10 am EDT Twitch stream by Sam Machkovech on 2021-05-13 12:00 (#5HS0T) If you can't make the morning Twitch stream, we still have tons of impressions to share.
Steam’s “price parity rule” isn’t wreaking havoc on game prices by Kyle Orland on 2021-05-13 10:45 (#5HRXG) Game publishers aren't "passing on the savings" from "cheaper" online storefronts.
Colonial Pipeline resumes operations after ransomware prompted closure by Dan Goodin on 2021-05-13 00:21 (#5HRJJ) Closure led to panic-buying, price hikes, and other disruptions in East Coast states.
Vizio TV buyers are becoming the product Vizio sells, not just its customers by Samuel Axon on 2021-05-12 22:01 (#5HRGD) Vizio's ads, streaming, and data business grew 133 percent year over year.
CDC advisory committee recommends COVID vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds by John Timmer on 2021-05-12 20:40 (#5HRFA) Formal approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech by the CDC expected within 24 hours.
Amazon’s 2nd-gen Echo Show offers better cameras, CPUs, and speakers by Jim Salter on 2021-05-12 20:12 (#5HRDX) Echo Show 8 features a 13mp wide-angle camera, 8-core CPU, and digital pan/zoom.
Better than holograms: 3D-animated starships can be viewed from any angle by Jennifer Ouellette on 2021-05-12 19:45 (#5HRDY) Unlike holograms, the optical trap display produces images viewable from all angles.
Xiaomi and the US government bury the hatchet, settle investment ban by Ron Amadeo on 2021-05-12 17:40 (#5HR99) Trump's DOD called Xiaomi a "Communist Chinese military company" in mid-January.
Neural implant lets paralyzed person type by imagining writing by John Timmer on 2021-05-12 17:03 (#5HR9A) A paralyzed individual hit 90 characters per minute, 99% accuracy.
$50 monthly broadband discounts available starting today via 825 ISPs by Jon Brodkin on 2021-05-12 16:36 (#5HR77) FCC's emergency pandemic fund is open, with 825 home and mobile ISPs participating.
Snap suspends Yolo, LMK anonymous messaging apps after lawsuit over teen’s death by Tim De Chant on 2021-05-12 16:23 (#5HR78) Lawsuit alleges messaging apps were “dangerous and defective.”
Valve’s Gabe Newell hints at vague console plans coming “this year” by Kyle Orland on 2021-05-12 15:31 (#5HR53) Indefinite tease comes during Q&A with New Zealand students.
J&J vaccine supply has run out; Emergent says it’s working on improvements by Beth Mole on 2021-05-12 14:57 (#5HR55) Vaccine production at Emergent's facility is still halted.
Volvo and Daimler bet on hydrogen truck boom this decade by Financial Times on 2021-05-12 10:45 (#5HQSZ) Swedish and German groups expect fuel to challenge diesel in long-distance freight.
Aston Martin’s new boss tells us about the future of the company by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2021-05-11 23:01 (#5HQDT) Former AMG CEO Tobias Moers is now in charge of the British carmaker.
Famed Arthurian tale comes to silver screen in The Green Knight trailer by Jennifer Ouellette on 2021-05-11 22:09 (#5HQCV) "Honor. That is why a knight does what he does."
Rare fungal infections that destroy eyeballs and kill are on the rise in India by Beth Mole on 2021-05-11 21:40 (#5HQBC) People with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to the aggressive fungus.
Ransomware crooks post cops’ psych evaluations after talks with DC police stall by Dan Goodin on 2021-05-11 21:07 (#5HQBD) Babuk demands $4 million, Metropolitan Police Department offers $100,000.
Nvidia’s RTX 3050 brings ray tracing and DLSS to $800 laptops by Ron Amadeo on 2021-05-11 20:56 (#5HQ9K) Performance-boosting DLSS on entry-level laptops could be a big deal.
Github reverses takedown of reverse-engineered GTA source code by Kyle Orland on 2021-05-11 19:55 (#5HQ85) Identical fork is restored after DMCA counterclaim.
Intel claims its new Tiger Lake-H CPUs for laptops beat AMD’s Ryzen 5000 by Samuel Axon on 2021-05-11 19:39 (#5HQ86) Flagship Core i9-11980HK allegedly beats Ryzen 9 5900HX by 11 to 26 percent.
Our fave gentleman thief is back for revenge in trailer for Lupin part 2 by Jennifer Ouellette on 2021-05-11 18:55 (#5HQ87) Viewers frustrated by part 1's maddening cliffhanger won't have much longer to wait.
Baltimore chief prosecutor asks FCC to stop negative news coverage about her by Jon Brodkin on 2021-05-11 18:25 (#5HQ6P) First Amendment prevents FCC from punishing news station for its "tone."
Apple’s MagSafe wireless charger is on sale for a new low price today by Ars Staff on 2021-05-11 18:14 (#5HQ6Q) Dealmaster also has wireless headphones, Switch gear, and gaming monitors.
After many delays, Massachusetts’ Vineyard Wind is finally approved by John Timmer on 2021-05-11 18:14 (#5HQ6R) The new project will be over 20 times larger than anything built in the US.
Samsung and AMD will reportedly take on Apple’s M1 SoC later this year by Ron Amadeo on 2021-05-11 17:48 (#5HQ4R) Exynos with an AMD GPU is coming for laptops, but maybe not phones?
Programming a robot to teach itself how to move by John Timmer on 2021-05-11 16:19 (#5HQ2G) Flexible, open-ended learning software works but finds the real world difficult.
HTC’s newest headsets signal end of Vive’s 5-year “VR for the home” mission by Sam Machkovech on 2021-05-11 16:00 (#5HQ2H) Vive Focus 3 is a $1,299, enterprise-grade answer to Oculus Quest 2, plus Vive Pro 2.
Amazon and others ordered to slash diesel pollution from warehouse trucks by Tim De Chant on 2021-05-11 15:37 (#5HPZW) Southern California is being smothered by pollution from e-commerce warehouses.
Fatal Tesla Model S crash unlikely to involve Autopilot, according to NTSB by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2021-05-11 13:57 (#5HPXD) Was the person found in the back of the car trying to manually release the door?
A new book, Amazon Unbound, reveals Jeff Bezos’ envy of SpaceX by Eric Berger on 2021-05-11 10:45 (#5HPP0) Bezos tried to hire Gwynne Shotwell to run Blue Origin in 2016.
FDA authorizes Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds by Beth Mole on 2021-05-10 23:08 (#5HP9X) The CDC's advisory committee will meet Wednesday to vote on recommending use.
Apple invests $45 million more in Gorilla Glass-maker Corning by Samuel Axon on 2021-05-10 21:19 (#5HP7K) Investment follows millions more that produced the iPhone 12's ceramic shield.
Amazon “seized and destroyed” 2 million counterfeit products in 2020 by Jon Brodkin on 2021-05-10 19:15 (#5HP42) Counterfeit products sent to Amazon warehouses are destroyed to prevent resale.
It’s the battle of the alien symbiotes in Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer by Jennifer Ouellette on 2021-05-10 18:48 (#5HP43) "I've been thinking about you, Eddie, because you and I are the same."
By eating them, hyenas gathered 9 Neanderthal skeletons in one cave by Kiona N. Smith on 2021-05-10 18:18 (#5HP29) The Neanderthals appear to have met a very bad end.
Security researcher successfully jailbreaks an Apple AirTag by Jim Salter on 2021-05-10 17:57 (#5HNZA) Successful jailbreak increases existing AirTag security and privacy concerns.