Pick up The Last of Us Part II for $10 off—or take $30 off a used copy by Ars Staff on 2020-09-03 19:16 (#57QEP) Dealmaster also has deals on microSD cards, AirPods Pro, monitors, and more.
NSA spying exposed by Snowden was illegal and not very useful, court says by Jon Brodkin on 2020-09-03 19:08 (#57QEQ) NSA's illegal mass surveillance did not help thwart terror plot, court says.
Facebook halts Oculus Quest sales in Germany amid privacy concerns by Kyle Orland on 2020-09-03 18:53 (#57QER) Headset’s Facebook-login requirement may fall afoul of GDPR’s “coupling ban.”
Three stars, warped rings may show how planets end up moving backward by John Timmer on 2020-09-03 18:38 (#57QES) Not every system is as neat and tidy as our Solar System.
Trump ban on Chinese drone parts risks worsening wildfires by Financial Times on 2020-09-03 15:50 (#57Q7M) Only a quarter of possible controlled burning has been carried out because of order.
Qualcomm is bringing 5G to everyone with cheap 5G Snapdragon chips by Ron Amadeo on 2020-09-03 15:45 (#57Q7N) Dirt-cheap Snapdragon 4-series chips will make nearly every phone a 5G phone.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars brings three high-res ports to Switch by Kyle Orland on 2020-09-03 14:24 (#57Q0Z) 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy to be sold in a “limited production” through March.
SpaceX launches 12th Starlink mission, says users getting 100Mbps downloads by Eric Berger on 2020-09-03 13:37 (#57Q10) Company also says it has successfully tested Inter-Satellite links.
Impressions from Intel’s Tiger Lake laptop CPU launch event by Jim Salter on 2020-09-03 11:47 (#57PV5) Intel wants people to stop thinking “CPU” and start thinking “experience.”
SpaceX targets another Starlink launch Thursday to continue record pace by Eric Berger on 2020-09-03 00:26 (#57P7C) California company appears likely to launch at least two dozen rockets in 2020.
Pre-election vaccination plans by CDC heighten fears of political meddling by Beth Mole on 2020-09-02 22:58 (#57P5V) Vaccine may prove safe, effective by the end of year—but quick distribution is unlikely.
NASA tests a booster that produces 3 million pounds of thrust by Eric Berger on 2020-09-02 22:24 (#57P4G) These solid rocket boosters are a holdover from the space shuttle era.
Feds can’t ask Google for every phone in a 100-meter radius, court says by Timothy B. Lee on 2020-09-02 21:59 (#57P4H) Google says “geofence” search requests grew 100-fold between 2017 and 2019.
Glacial meltwater lakes have grown by half since the 1990s by Scott K. Johnson on 2020-09-02 21:26 (#57P30) Satellite images track remarkable growth with local consequences.
Amazon deletes anti-union listing, watches workers’ “secret” social groups by Kate Cox on 2020-09-02 20:58 (#57P31) Amazon is keeping a watchful eye on workers, lest they try to become organized.
ZTE announces the world’s first phone with a behind-the-screen camera by Ron Amadeo on 2020-09-02 20:39 (#57P32) No notches and no camera cutouts—it's the holy grail of selfie camera design.
SpaceX seeks FCC broadband funds, must prove it can deliver sub-100ms latency by Jon Brodkin on 2020-09-02 18:42 (#57NYN) Hundreds of ISPs apply for $16 billion in grants to expand in rural areas.
Three new Tiger Lake-powered laptop models are coming from Acer by Jim Salter on 2020-09-02 18:31 (#57NVS) One Swift 3 has a 13.5" 2K display; the Swift 5 and other Swift 3 are 14" 1080p.
Shiva “Inventor of Email” Ayyadurai loses race for GOP Senate nod by Timothy B. Lee on 2020-09-02 18:13 (#57NVT) Ayyadurai has touted vitamins as the solution to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is the day”: Disney+ announces The Mandalorian season 2 premiere date by Samuel Axon on 2020-09-02 17:55 (#57NVV) Season will see the return of several characters, plus (reportedly) Boba Fett.
Hurricane evacuations and electric cars—here’s what we know by Jonathan M. Gitlin on 2020-09-02 17:35 (#57NRQ) EV adoption would have to be above 45% to trouble today's power grid, study finds.
Meet GW190521—a black-hole merger for the record books by Jennifer Ouellette on 2020-09-02 16:54 (#57NRR) It's the most massive, distant, and energetic black-hole merger yet.
CDC issues unprecedented order halting evictions to prevent COVID-19 spread by Beth Mole on 2020-09-02 16:00 (#57NN7) COVID-19 has prompted “exceedingly rare actions” by the government.
The finer points of Mario Kart 8 on the Switch, explained by a pro by Lee Hutchinson on 2020-09-02 15:19 (#57NHF) We grabbed Mario Kart 8 players with a... wide range of skills.
Acer Swift 3 with Ryzen 4700U—a budget laptop punching above its class by Jim Salter on 2020-09-02 12:47 (#57NBE) The Swift 3 isn't a status symbol—but it's a solid, budget-friendly workhorse.
The accidental notary: Apple approves notorious malware to run on Macs by Dan Goodin on 2020-09-02 12:17 (#57N8S) New-fangled malware protection gives users a false sense of security, critics say.
Walmart+ takes aim at Amazon Prime, launches September 15 by Jim Salter on 2020-09-02 11:49 (#57N8T) The new service runs $20 cheaper than Prime and includes gas discounts, too.
Hackers are exploiting a critical flaw affecting >350,000 WordPress sites by Dan Goodin on 2020-09-02 01:40 (#57MS0) Flaw is in File Manager, a plugin with more than 700,000 users; 52% are affected.
National Institutes of Health disses FDA on plasma as COVID treatment by John Timmer on 2020-09-02 00:32 (#57MP8) Internal dissent about the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization spills out in public.
EPA issues new rules on coal plant pollution by John Timmer on 2020-09-01 23:13 (#57MMZ) Heavy metal contamination rules are changed to ensure they don't close coal plants.
“Shortsighted” and “Self-defeating”: US rejects global COVID-19 vaccine effort by Beth Mole on 2020-09-01 22:25 (#57MKK) Over 170 countries are involved in the plan, which is like a vaccine insurance plan.
iOS 13.7 launched today with a new system for battling the pandemic by Samuel Axon on 2020-09-01 21:36 (#57MHK) Google has its own version of this exposure tracking and notification, too.
“Stonehenge Lego” scale model reveals the pagan monument’s unique soundscape by Jennifer Ouellette on 2020-09-01 21:19 (#57MHM) Stone configuration amplified speech and enhanced music, but only within the circle.
Biden presidential campaign rolls out yard signs in Animal Crossing by Kyle Orland on 2020-09-01 19:17 (#57MCC) Political support squeezed onto 32 x 32 pixel designs.
Grab a new Roku Streaming Stick+ for $39 today by Ars Staff on 2020-09-01 19:05 (#57MCD) Dealmaster also has deals on smart speakers, Sony and LG 4K TVs, and more.
NuScale’s small nuclear reactor is first to get US safety approval by Scott K. Johnson on 2020-09-01 17:43 (#57M8T) Small size can help with economics and safety.
AT&T backs Trump plan, demands “neutrality” on Facebook, Amazon, and Google by Jon Brodkin on 2020-09-01 17:25 (#57M5T) AT&T: Trump-admin petition to FCC is "the neutrality debate that really matters."
New report details Apple’s plan for iPhones (and other gadgets) this year by Samuel Axon on 2020-09-01 17:05 (#57M5V) iPhones will be joined by new Watches, a HomePod, a new iPad Air, and more.
The US military took a big step toward a future space network this week by Eric Berger on 2020-09-01 17:00 (#57M5W) The Department of Defense is going for smaller low-cost satellites.
Behold, Nvidia’s 3080 GPU: 2x 2080 power, starting at $699 on Sept. 17 [Updated] by Sam Machkovech on 2020-09-01 16:53 (#57M5X) RTX 3070 will exceed RTX 2080 Ti at $499 in October. Three-slot RTX 3090 is $1,499.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 is official: It’s $2,000 and ships 9/18 by Ron Amadeo on 2020-09-01 16:14 (#57M1P) The Fold 2 comes with bigger displays, flexible glass, and a big price tag.
The CDC has failed: Ex-health officials urge states to abandon agency by Beth Mole on 2020-09-01 15:23 (#57KYE) In the void of “sensible guidance from the CDC,” states and leaders need to act.
Tesla will cash in on surging stock price with $5 billion stock sale by Timothy B. Lee on 2020-09-01 14:31 (#57KS5) Tesla needs to expand rapidly to justify its soaring stock price.
Facebook threatens to block news-sharing in Australia by Financial Times on 2020-09-01 14:25 (#57KS6) Facebook responds to Canberra’s push to force big tech to pay media for content.
Science and steely nerves spared Houston from a nightmare hurricane evacuation by Eric Berger on 2020-09-01 11:45 (#57KN1) It would have been hell for a sprawling city already in the grips of a pandemic.
Empirical evidence that nice people don’t always finish last by John Timmer on 2020-09-01 10:45 (#57KKJ) Disagreeable personalities only use a subset of the skills that provide success.
Trump adviser reportedly wants to let COVID-19 spread, repeat Sweden’s mistakes by Beth Mole on 2020-08-31 23:19 (#57K1P) Looking to herd immunity is “not a solution,” experts say.
Samsung accidentally leaks details of its upcoming 980 Pro NVMe SSD by Jim Salter on 2020-08-31 22:50 (#57K1Q) The PCIe 4.0-based 980 Pro looks fast—but it may not really be a “Pro” anymore.
Today, Apple made changes to its app review process to save face with devs by Samuel Axon on 2020-08-31 22:10 (#57K01) The changes may reduce bad press for Apple, but they don't address the big questions.
Ubisoft removes Black Lives Matter image from Tom Clancy game’s terror group by Kyle Orland on 2020-08-31 21:41 (#57K02) Raised fist was used to highlight group organizing “deadly terrorist attacks.”