Gizmodo

Ten Democratic senators are urging lawmakers with power over federal spending to explicitly prohibit Justice and Homeland Security Department officials from engaging with street protesters—as both are currently in Portland and other major cities, to sometimes injurious effect, in response to Black Lives Matter…Read more...

Even though Microsoft has been causing a lot of headaches lately with feature changes, bugs, and some other unnecessary tomfoolery, it seems like it will hit a few subtle home runs according to the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build. It offers some cosmetic changes, like theme-aware tiles in Start that will…Read more...

With weeks to decide how and whether to reopen schools, the CDC has released a broadsheet arguing for reopening schools. It is titled “The Importance of Reopening America’s Schools this Fall,” and, though it’s a fact-based argument for the wellbeing of children, it’s also alarming heel-turn after the CDC—the last…Read more...

Look, OK, some of you are going to blast me as a chump who’s willing to give up her face to Big Tech for convenience, but I really hope this rumor that Face ID may be coming to Macs is true.Read more...

Even if you weren’t afraid of stepping onto an airplane before, the global coronavirus pandemic has given us a slew of new reasons to be stressed out by air travel. Even if you’re not turned off by the idea of being cooped up in a germ-filled metal tube in the sky for hours on end, there’s the chance that you might be…Read more...

A group of public health experts and medical professionals in the U.S. made a simple plead to the country’s leaders via an open letter this week: Bring back the shutdowns that helped slow the spread of covid-19 earlier in the year, and build up the resources that will allow the country to reopen safely once…Read more...

Levo II | $275 | Amazon

The long-awaited return of Maggie (Lauren Cohan) to The Walking Dead has taken longer than anticipated, as season 10 was cut short because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. But AMC has given a peek at what we can expect when that finally happens—and the date when we can expect it.Read more...

About a month ago, Oculus announced that it was slimming down its VR headset portfolio by dropping support for the Oculus Go in order to focus more on Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift S. But now, new photos have emerged depicting a revamped Oculus Quest with potentially a new set of lenses and a launch date that’s not too…Read more...

Elsie Pruitt, a young brown queer woman from Evergreen Harbor, kicks off her weekends by voting. From Friday at 8 a.m. to Monday at 6 p.m., the aspiring green technician can head to her community voting board across the street to vote on whatever changes she wants to see in her neighborhood, Grimms Quarry. One week,…Read more...

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson—whose government is not exactly known for his successful handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic—said he thinks that anti-vaxxers are “nuts” threatening public health as a UK-wide mask mandate program goes into effect.

Fear the Walking Dead’s fifth season wrapped up back in September, and a promo (dropped in April) for season six hinted of more grim Wild West vibes ahead, complete with cowboy hats, mask-wearing horseback riders, and flaming oil wells. Today’s Comic-Con panel revealed even more about what’s to come.Read more...

Deep in the Amazon rainforest, there are mysterious canines with short ears, pointy noses, and bushy tails that roam the undergrowth. The creatures, which are one of the least studied variety of dogs on the planet, are rarely seen even by scientists who have spent years studying the region.

Initially developed to make it easier to interact with touchscreens in cars to reduce distractions, researchers at the University of Cambridge have created a touchscreen interface that users don’t actually have to physically tap, and it’s perfectly timed for a post-pandemic world where we’re all going to be too…Read more...

Universal could help support Tom Cruise’s plans to go to space (for a movie). Brad Dourif will return as everyone’s favorite killer doll in Syfy’s take on Child’s Play. A year after committing, Amazon gives another go-ahead to its Paper Girls adaptation. Plus, what’s to come on Doom Patrol, and a tiny tease for Hulu’s …Read more...

When you think about it, video chat is a marvel. Yes, I said it: a goddamn marvel. That is, when it works.Read more...

Murmurs that Microsoft’s Surface Duo might appear earlier than expected have been floating around for a while—but an FCC filing earlier this week and Bluetooth SIG certification that popped up today are strong hints that we’re probably a just a few weeks away from launch.Read more...

While we wait patiently for the next breakthrough in battery life technology, we’re seeing plenty of innovation in battery charging. Manufacturers are building phones that can be juiced up quicker than ever before, while new technologies such as gallium nitride (or GaN) to make fast-charging even faster. Here’s what…Read more...

The New York Times published a story Thursday night about the likelihood that aliens have visited Earth. The main takeaway? Aliens could be real and the U.S. government has been conducting classified briefings in recent years about things left behind by “off world vehicles.”

During a study in mid-2019, a team of Facebook employees found that proposed rules for Instagram’s automated account removal system disproportionately flagged and banned Black users. When the team approached CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his upper echelon of cronies with this alarming information, they were purportedly…Read more...

It wouldn’t be a virtual event without a few technical difficulties. Though I can’t imagine the media giants showcasing at San Diego Comic-Con’s online event were worried about copyright violations affecting their panels. Considering, you know, they’re the ones that own the copyright.Read more...

If you’ve been following along with Intel’s troubles moving away from its 14nm process to 10nm over the years, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the company is now having trouble getting its 7nm process off the ground. On its Q2 earnings call today, Intel revealed that it’s pushing back its previously…Read more...

TikTok is an app at the center of national scrutiny here in the U.S. and abroad, an app beloved by witches and convicted felons alike, an app that’s recently been accused of hooking children up with local drug cartels. It’s also an app that recently announced it would be launching a $200 million funding pool for…Read more...

Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and its de facto leader, his son-in-law and Jimmy Neutron wannabe Jared Kushner, is locked in an increasingly bitter feud with mobile networks preventing them from spamming millions of people with donation or get out the vote requests.

Now would be a good time to change your Instacart password.Read more...

Mailing your spit to an ancestry site and uploading it to a DNA matching database has seemed like a pretty bad idea since 2018 when federal law enforcement officials tracked down the Golden State killer through a discarded tissue and his relatives’ online genetic profiles on GEDMatch. Since that episode generated a…Read more...

Always in motion, the future is, especially in the era of covid-19. And as a result Disney just made some major release date shuffles. Mulan, which was most recently scheduled for release in August, has been undated, and all future Avatar and Star Wars movies have been delayed one year.

In recent weeks, I have succumbed to the insidious allure of TikTok, an app that requires nothing more from me than my undivided attention. When watching television or reading are unpalatable, TikTok’s algorithm is the only thing I can concentrate on, and my extended stints on the app, slumped in a chair drinking ice…Read more...

During a recent earnings call, Microsoft CFO Amy Hood appeared to confirm that the Xbox Series X will launch in November 2020. Only a tad more specific than the holiday 2020 release Xbox has on its website, but we’ll take it.

Have you seen that photo of beloved actor Jim Varney, famous for the Ernest movie franchise, standing next to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein? The photo has been doing the rounds on Twitter today, but we’re here to tell you Ernest isn’t canceled. The image is photoshopped.Read more...

Anyone out there completely overwhelmed with the sheer mountain of Comic-Con 2020 exclusives available online? If so, our apologies, we’re about to make it much, much, worse.

Lego continues its big push towards positioning its sets as the perfect way for adults to pass the time during the ongoing coronabirus pandemic. But like its other recent releases targeted at adult fans of the building toy, Lego’s new playable Grand Piano comes with a steep price tag that’s starting to make playing…Read more...

NASA is set to launch its next rover to Mars on July 30, in what is certain to be an exciting new phase in humanity’s exploration of the Red Planet. Here’s what you’ll want to know about the Perseverance rover and why it’s our best bet yet for finding evidence of life on Mars.

Are you a frontline worker dealing with new stresses or irresponsible management? Is working (or not working) from home starting to take a psychological toll? How are you coping with reopening? Submit a story using this Google form or send me an email with the subject line “My Covid Story” and provide…Read more...

New research looks to provide a fuller retelling of the tragic, brutal past that was the transatlantic slave trade. Based on genetic analysis of over 50,000 people, the study reaffirms other historical evidence of how different groups of people in Africa were forcibly taken from their homes, as well as how those…Read more...

Corning’s Gorilla Glass is one of the most recognized components used to help protect smartphones against the perils of everyday life. Typically, each new generation of Gorilla Glass comes with improved durability against either drops or scratches, but not both. However, for its newest formula of Gorilla Glass—Gorilla…Read more...

People pace the bus stop at Queensboro Plaza on a Saturday before New York City’s covid-19 shelter-in-place order. They are waiting for the Q100 bus, which serves as the only modes of public transportation with a direct route to Rikers Island, the location of New York City’s largest jail complex. Metal containment…Read more...

If you’re going to try to convince collectors, who’ve already dropped hundreds of dollars on various model kits, to spend another $2,000 on just a single tiny model, this is the way to do it. At just five-inches tall, this RX-78-2 Gundam justifies its obscene price tag by swapping plastic for a fictional metal alloy…Read more...

Samsung Galaxy S10e (Unlocked) | $500 | Amazon Gold BoxRead more...

China successfully launched its first independent mission to Mars, dubbed Tianwen-1, from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Province on Thursday. China’s “Long March-5” rocket is carrying an orbiter, lander, and even an uncrewed rover that will explore the surface of Mars in 2021, provided everything goes…Read more...

As part of its ambitious bid to be your go-to streaming service for virtually everything, Plex this week announced the addition of a new, free TV feature with more than 80 channels available at launch.Read more...

U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez plans to file an amendment that would bar any part of the U.S. military from spending federal funds to operate accounts on any “video game, esports, or live-streaming platform,” Vice reported on Wednesday. At the same time, prominent civil rights groups have demanded…Read more...

Considering Facebook’s, um, questionable track record on all things privacy, you’d think the company would learn to stop leaning into the phrase when rolling out new products that promise to be safe and secure when the company actually means they’re safe and secure from everyone except, y’know, Facebook.Read more...

Usually when companies make major changes to their services, a little advanced notice is a good thing. Unfortunately, when AT&T recently began sending out emails telling customers that their phones would no longer work on its network when AT&T phases out support for 3G, the carrier forgot to include one important…Read more...

As part of a series of security updates to G Suite announced this week, Google says it’s piloting a new standard for email authentication that will display a company or brand icon next to email that Google has verified as legit—a measure that may help curb phishing and other malicious activity from bad actors.Read more...

Dreaming of other planets, other realities, or other timelines? So far, 2020 has us wishing we could be literally anywhere else. Here’s a temporary escape hatch: these awesome new short films, all of which share glimpses of a future where so much more has gone wrong. At least we aren’t there... yet?Read more...

Hurricane season is unfortunately alive and well, folks. As of Wednesday, two storms are brewing: Hurricane Douglas in the Pacific and Tropical Storm Gonzalo in the Atlantic. A third is also likely to spring up in the Gulf of Mexico later this week.

According to a public letter from the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency, the federal group responsible for the security of the banking system, banks are now allowed to hold cryptocurrencies.Read more...

Democratic Party officials put together a draft of the 2020 platform which includes several pages on the climate crisis, but contains barely any mention of the biggest cause of that crisis: burning fossil fuels.Read more...

The U.S. Army has dealt with sustained backlash over the past few weeks against its recruitment-oriented Twitch channel, which has banned viewers for asking about war crimes and hosted supposed giveaways that just dumped people out onto a recruitment page (which the Army has since claimed did enter viewers into a…Read more...