Covid-19 vaccines have been available to the general public for about two months now, though far too few people have been vaccinated. But the real-world data from these vaccines are starting to become clear, and the news is encouraging so far. New reports from the UK and Israel this week suggest that these vaccines…Read more...
So, you’ve heard about a new feature that will allow you to unlock your iPhone while you’re wearing a mask, and you want it. (Who could blame you?!) The good news is, you can access it with a public beta that’s now available. The bad news is that you’ll have to jump through a few hoops before you’re able to use it.…Read more...
A proper surround sound setup usually involved a room filled with boxy speakers in every corner, but researchers at Germany’s Chemnitz University of Technology have developed a way to print long strips of paper loudspeakers that can be rolled up into a 360-degree surround sound experience more immersive than even a…Read more...
by Charles Pulliam-Moore on io9, shared by Andrew Cou on (#5DTPK)
WandaVision hit a major turning point last week when it showed the state of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe outside of Westview, New Jersey by looking back on how Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Paris), Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), and Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) all came to be involved in the situation. This week’s “On A…Read more...
New legislation introduced Friday by three Democratic senators purportedly aimed at holding social media companies accountable for harassment and discrimination on their platforms could have dire consequences unforeseen by the bill’s authors, experts said.
by Germain Lussier on io9, shared by Andrew Couts to on (#5DTEX)
Christopher Plummer, one of the greatest actors of all time, has passed away at the age of 91. It happened at his home in Connecticut with his wife of 53 years, Elaine Taylor, by his side.
Parler, the social media network for right-wingers who had already successfully alienated their family and friends on other sites, has canned its CEO John Matze.
You may be asking: Tom, why are you reviewing an electronic dust blower? Well, there are multiple reasons why I decided to pick up an XPOWER A-2 Airrow Pro. They’re pretty simple: I’ve come to truly hate ordering compressed air cans, especially when I forget to do so until dust becomes a problem, and I’ve sat idly by…Read more...
Xiaomi’s no stranger to far-out concept phones. In a new teaser, the Chinese phone maker is pushing things to the extreme with a concept handset that features waterfall edges that wrap around all four sides of the device.
Australians suffering through anxiety caused by the looming threat of having to switch to Bing for their search results received a bit of welcome news on Friday. As the country’s lawmakers move forward on plans to force Google to pay news providers, the tech giant has launched a small paid news platform in Australia.Read more...
by James Whitbrook on io9, shared by Andrew Couts to on (#5DTBY)
The first and last half-hours of Space Sweepers, Jo Sung-Hee’s new Netflix movie, have some of the grandest, most fun space action we’re likely to see in a movie this year. It’s got a bit of a problem, though: in between those chunks is another hour-plus of movie that can’t really decide what it wants to be until it’s…Read more...
Peloton may have experienced massive success during the pandemic, but its struggle to ship its Bikes and Treads on time is threatening to derail that. Customers have taken to social media to vent their frustrations about weeks and months-long delays, prompting Peloton to announce it’s ready to invest $100 million to…Read more...
A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece for the Columbia Journalism Review about the way that my lifelong interest in heavy metal and ongoing career as a metal journalist had equipped me with a very specific skill set—namely, spotting Nazis, especially when they would prefer not to be found. In this respect, I am nothing…Read more...
by Jody Serrano on Earther, shared by Brian Kahn to G on (#5DT5M)
If you eat oysters in Galveston, there’s a chance your discarded oyster shells will end up back in the bay near the Texas city. Unlike throwing trash in the sea, that’s a good thing.Read more...
A team of researchers recently strapped a dismembered carnivorous plant to a sensitive instrument in Berlin, in a room that shuts out the world’s magnetic noise. It was a Venus flytrap’s “jaw”—really a specialized leaf—and when the team turned up the heat, the jaw summoned the energy to try to close. In that moment, a…Read more...
by James Whitbrook and Gordon Jackson on io9, shared on (#5DSYG)
The Resident Evil reboot sets a theatrical date (that will inevitably change, because, well). Another obscure comic book character is coming to DC’s The Suicide Squad spinoff Peacemaker. Plus, a new look at Resident Alien, and the CW shares what’s coming on Superman & Lois, Batwoman, Legacies, and more. To me, my…Read more...
The PocketGo handhelds were some of the first portable emulators out of China that delivered a reliable retro gaming experience, but just a year later the consoles are really starting to show their age. The PocketGo S30 is a welcome upgrade, and while its performance still feels a little dated, its design, price, and…Read more...
by Molly Taft on Earther, shared by Brian Kahn to Giz on (#5DSYJ)
Climate change is basically messing up everything in our lives. It’s tempting to find a way to pin the coronavirus pandemic on it, and a new study released today does just that, claiming that climate change “may have driven the emergence” of coronavirus. But it may be more complicated than it seems at first blush.Read more...
Volcanoes can kill you in many different ways. Are you on their slopes? A volcanic avalanche of superheated ash and gas or a sneaky lava flow would do it. Far across the bay? A tsunami caused by a collapsing flank will be delivered to your door. On the other side of the planet? The aerosols jettisoned into the…Read more...
Steve Sisolak, the Democratic governor of Nevada, wants to incentivize technology companies to move to his state, and he’s got some wild ideas about how to make that happen. The latest draft proposal, obtained by the Review-Journal, doesn’t just hand out the typical tax breaks that you’d expect from a governor. The…Read more...
Dominion Voting Systems is taking some of the most vocal election fraud conspiracy theorists to court over their toothless claims in a string of billion-dollar defamation lawsuits. But with social media platforms purging far-right commentators and cracking down on election misinformation among other long-overdue…Read more...
With so many people stuck at home, upgrading the good ‘ole home gaming battlestation has become sort of a hobby. Razer’s new Huntsman V2 Analog, the company’s latest flagship keyboard, has three new features that may be worth the splurge.Read more...
Google has reportedly blocked the popular extension The Great Suspender and removed it from its Chrome Web Store for containing malware. But if you were one of the many users who relied on the tab manager to keep your browser running smoothly, don’t freak out just yet. You may still be able to recover your lost tabs…Read more...
Some regional internet service providers are urging the FCC to reexamine the recent rural broadband auction process that awarded unproven companies like SpaceX’s Starlink hundreds of millions of dollars to provide reliable broadband access to people in rural areas of the U.S.
On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that the Google was “exploring an alternative” to to the anti-ad-tracking features that Apple will soon begin rolling out in iOS 14.Read more...
A new study suggests that feeding your pup fresh food fit for a person might have an added welcome effect: smaller poops. The findings suggest that a fresh human-grade diet is more easily digestible for dogs than standard diets made of dry processed food, and it may also satisfy a dog’s appetite with fewer calories…Read more...
by Charles Pulliam-Moore on io9, shared by Andrew Cou on (#5DS6F)
In Marvel’s Immortal Hulk #43—out this week from writer Al Ewing and artist Joe Bennett—there is a scene in which Bruce Banner, as a very human-looking version of his Joe Fixit Hulk persona, attempts to make some quick cash and throw people off his tail by pulling off a scam. Small as the scene is, it quickly drew…Read more...
Enabling Apple’s “Limit Adult Websites” filter in the iOS Screen Time setting will block users from seeing any Google search results for “Asian” in any browser on their iPhone. That’s not great, folks.
by Dharna Noor on Earther, shared by Brian Kahn to Gi on (#5DS46)
No matter how you feel about nuclear energy, nuclear waste is generally something you want to stay as far away from as possible—unless you’re two villages on the Hokkaido, Japan’s second-largest island. The two small fishing towns, Suttsu and Kamoenai, are competing to become the site for a high-level radioactive…Read more...
You don’t become a trillion-dollar tech company by asking how you can make the world a better place; you do it by asking how much can I get away with now? And then you squeeze working class people for every ounce of their mental and physical energy. This is the guiding philosophy of Amazon, which is now allegedly…Read more...
by Germain Lussier on io9, shared by Andrew Couts to on (#5DS1K)
These days, Blade Runner is considered one of the all-time masterpieces of science fiction. The combination of Philip K. Dick’s idea, Ridley Scott’s direction, Harrison Ford’s performance, and a laundry list of technical masters behind the scenes created a film that has stood the test of time. But it wasn’t that way…Read more...
Perhaps the only thing more embarrassing than being the Newsmax guy interviewing the MyPillow CEO on election fraud is being the Newsmax guy forced to apologize to the MyPillow CEO about election fraud.
Since the 2020 election was called for Joe Biden as the winner, Donald Trump and his team of lawyers, sycophants, and media representatives have engaged in a broad disinformation campaign to obscure the truth. A string of lawsuits from the voting machine manufacturer Dominion began in January, and the legal effort has…Read more...
Archaeologists investigating burial shafts near Alexandria, Egypt have discovered over a dozen interred individuals, two of whom still feature golden tongues that were carefully placed inside their mouths.
A bonafide treatment for the common cold has eluded scientists for decades. But recent animal research from a team in Australia suggests that their experimental drug—delivered via nasal spray—could help the immune system fend off all sorts of respiratory infections. The treatment is now set to be tested out in a…Read more...
Last month, the Apple rumor mill was buzzing that the company’s long-whispered-about mixed-reality headset would be powered by the new M1 chip and, unsurprisingly, would have an outrageous price tag. A new report from the Information seems to corroborate those juicy tidbits, as well as reveal some new jaw-dropping…Read more...
Fecal transplants, already being studied as a treatment for colon infections and type 2 diabetes, may also help the body fight cancer, new U.S. government-funded research suggests. In a small clinical trial, some patients with advanced cancer who received the transplants began responding to treatments that hadn’t…Read more...
If I was a college student or a professor shopping around for a new Windows laptop, MSI’s Prestige 14 Evo would be at the top of my list. It’s small, it’s light, the battery lasts for hours and hours, and it will save lengthy dissertations in a snap. It’s a well-rounded productivity laptop that isn’t loud or flashy,…Read more...
by Molly Taft on Earther, shared by Brian Kahn to Giz on (#5DRPJ)
If New York doesn’t meet its renewable energy goals over the next few years, some billionaires might be to blame. A group of well-heeled Hamptons property owners filed a lawsuit this week seeking to block a key piece of infrastructure needed to construct a large wind farm off the coast of Long Island.Read more...
The explosive crash of a SpaceX prototype Starship rocket this week has prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to oversee an investigation into the incident. The news follows recent reports that SpaceX violated federal safety regulations late last year.