Comcast’s justification for refusing to carry channels by Entertainment Studios Network owner Byron Allen–whose channels include Cars.TV, Pets.TV, and Recipe.TV–could arguably dismantle 1866 civil rights protections, in a case that appeared before the Supreme Court today. Totally unrelated to the case, I submit to the…Read more...
by Ethan Gach on Kotaku, shared by Andrew Couts to Gi on (#4V43M)
Ahead of Stadia’s launch next week, Google’s representatives fielded questions during an AMA on Reddit about what exactly the video game streaming service will include in the beginning. The answer is, not much.Read more...
Satellite observations of Jezero crater on Mars, the chosen landing site for NASA’s next rover mission, have revealed evidence of minerals that are exceptionally good at preserving traces of ancient life, making this an even better place to send the rover than initially thought.
Artificial intelligence has changed the way we roam the internet, buy things, and in many cases, navigate the world. At the same time, AI can be incredibly weird, such as when an algorithm suggests “Butty Brlomy†as a name for a guinea pig or “Brother Panty Tripel†as a beer name. Few people are more familiar with the…Read more...
You may have seen alarming headlines today warning of the “Black Death plague†that’s believed to have infected two people in China. But while there are real reasons for public health officials and residents in that area of the world to be concerned, there’s no reason to fear a deadly pandemic.
by Aaron Gordon on Jalopnik, shared by Andrew Couts t on (#4V3VX)
On Monday, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was roundly condemned, including by this website, for telling Axios’s HBO show that the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi government was “a serious mistake,†just like when Uber killed a woman with its self-driving car. Khosrowshahi then dismissed both incidents by…Read more...
by Beth Elderkin and Charles Pulliam-Moore on io9, sh on (#4V3VY)
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power stepped up its game in season four, giving us a story that was big, challenging, and tragic. The Netflix animated series isn’t afraid to take risks and bring its characters to their lowest points, just to see what they can do. There was a lot to celebrate this season, but there were…Read more...
By solving a complex protein structure, biologists have unlocked a critical mechanism in plants that could lead to improvements in how photosynthesis works, and by consequence, greater crop yields.Read more...
by Charles Pulliam-Moore on io9, shared by Andrew Cou on (#4V3JF)
The first season of Netflix’s The Witcher isn’t even out yet, but the studio knows that basically everyone is on-board to stare at Henry Cavill’s Geralt, which is why it makes all the sense in the world that the series has already been renewed for a second season.Read more...
There you are, minding your own DM business, when all of a sudden you’re added to a group chat with a bunch of other work colleagues, neighbors, parents, old school friends, or people probably, maybe going to a party in three weeks’ time. You don’t have to settle for this shoddy group chat etiquette—here’s how to stay…Read more...
This year saw plenty of tech giants dabble in finance. Apple released its credit card, Facebook just launched a Venmo competitor and is trying to get its Libra cryptocurrency off the ground, and now Google is reportedly mulling offering a financial product of its own—checking accounts.Read more...
The Trump administration continues to fail at making blueprints for untraceable, undetectable 3D-printed firearms free and easy for anyone to attain. On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that Trump’s State Department could not allow plans for such guns to be posted online, claiming that it had circumvented Congress in…Read more...
by James Whitbrook on io9, shared by Andrew Couts to on (#4V38C)
The first look at the Sonic movie was an unmitigated disaster. Its horrifying take on the blue speedster was so universally reviled that it sparked a wave of backlash so furious, the film was delayed and conversations about the undue pressure on its animators to comprehensively redesign the movie’s hero emerged. But…Read more...
The good news for MacBook and MacBook Pro users is that Apple has finally capitulated and fixed, or at least improved, the low profile butterfly keyboards that have been causing headaches, and straight-up failing, since 2015. The bad news is that, for the time being, the only upgrade path available is the new…Read more...
The impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump start today in Washington, D.C. at 10 am ET/ 7 am PT. And even if you’re not near a TV, you can watch it all unfold on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and more, with our links below.Read more...
A federal court in Boston ruled on Tuesday that suspicionless searches of electronics at U.S. border crossings are unconstitutional, finding that reasonable suspicion of an actual crime is required before authorities can demand access to cell phones and other devices.
Donald Trump’s senior policy advisor Stephen Miller, the immigration ultra-hardliner behind this White House’s nastiest efforts to villify and torment immigrants and refugees, pushed racist talking points and linked to white supremacist websites in leaked emails published on Tuesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
by Germain Lussier on io9, shared by Tom McKay to Giz on (#4V2EW)
Disney+ is finally here and with it comes hundreds of classic Disney movies, some impressive original content, and zero new Marvel Studios shows. Which, of course, we knew. Those shows aren’t going to start rolling out until late next year. However, to tease fans of what’s to come, Marvel Studios did add a 12-minute…Read more...
by James Whitbrook on io9, shared by Tom McKay to Giz on (#4V2K3)
If you’re lucky enough to live in a country where Disney has launched its vast, occasionally breaking, and petrifyingly all-encompassing new streaming service today, you’ve probably watched the first episode of The Mandalorian by now. Shall we talk about it? Let’s talk about it.
Facebook, a company best known for its societal fuckery and gross mismanagement of user data, has announced the launch of its Venmo competitor, Facebook Pay. A real treat for anyone looking to share even more of their valuable data with what is arguably one of the most reckless companies in the world.Read more...
On Monday, we reported that dirt-cheap transcription service Rev was lowering the already precarious minimum pay for its independently contracted workforce by over 3o percent. The change wasn’t even announced in an email, according to multiple Rev workers.Read more...
A handful of folks recently spotted an unwelcome addition to the Facebook app for iPhone. Some stray swipes on the News Feed would inexplicably reveal the viewfinder for the phone’s rear camera. It’s unclear if the camera was recording, but there it was lurking in the background of an app that’s infamous for running…Read more...
The Japanese space agency has declared an end to the exploratory phase of the Hayabusa2 mission. Beginning tomorrow, the overachieving spacecraft will leave Ryugu and head back to Earth, bringing—hopefully—its asteroid samples along with it.Read more...
Security researchers who played a role in uncovering the Spectre and Meltdown attacks that targeted microprocessors revealed on Tuesday a new vulnerability in Intel chips which they claim the company failed to address after it was first alerted a year ago.
Just in case you forgot that Microsoft is deep into augmented reality, the early access version of Minecraft Earth is finally available on iOS and Android for Americans to get a taste of the future.Read more...
by Ethan Gach on Kotaku, shared by Andrew Couts to Gi on (#4V204)
A new “Surprise Me†button will be added to the Xbox One’s game library, Microsoft announced yesterday on Twitter. Rolling out first for players in the Xbox One insider testing program, the “Surprise Me†button will allow the indecisive player to select a game randomly from their library to play.
Leadership at WeWork knew that the company’s custom phone booths had elevated amounts of formaldehyde for months before it warned its customers about sitting inside the small toxic cells, according to a report from Bloomberg.Read more...
Last night, Goldman Sachs issued a second statement dimly alluding to the algorithmic voodoo behind the Apple Card’s allegedly discriminatory determinations of creditworthiness, claiming that the banking giant “[has] not and never will make decisions based on factors like gender.â€Read more...
by David Murphy on Lifehacker, shared by Andrew Couts on (#4V1S8)
Finally, the day has arrived—Disney+ launch day, that is. Tempting as it was to call in sick today with a terrible case of the Mandalorian (and a stuffy nose), I’m here, and I’ve created a guide that will help get you started with Disney+. This includes how to quickly install the app on your various devices, activate…Read more...
by Germain Lussier on io9, shared by Andrew Couts to on (#4V207)
Just when fans though a brand new live-action Star Wars TV show would be the biggest headline with the launch of Disney+, a historical change is there to challenge for the title.Read more...
Inspired by the way diving bell spiders and fire ants use their water-repelling legs and bodies to trap air in order to float on water, researchers from the University of Rochester have found a way to make solid metal structures float on water, potentially paving the way for unsinkable boats or smartphones that won’t…Read more...
A heartbreaking number of Americans know someone who has died after not being able to afford medical treatment, according to the results of a new Gallup survey out Tuesday. Within the last five years, it found, some 34 million Americans believe they’ve lost someone in exactly that way, and even more Americans…Read more...
by Brian Kahn on Earther, shared by Andrew Couts to G on (#4V1P5)
The Midwest woke up this week to weather colder than somewhere between Mars and a witch’s tit. Record-setting temperatures have already been recorded across the U.S. The chill will continue to push into the East Coast on Tuesday, raising the odds of more temperature records falling.Read more...
by Yessenia Funes on Earther, shared by Brian Kahn to on (#4V1P7)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking its denial of science a step further. The New York Times got its hands on a new draft of “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science,†a proposal the agency first announced last year. Unfortunately the latest version of the document looks even worse than the…Read more...
Disney+ day is officially here. Everyone has the chance to size up the massive catalog of Disney+ content with a free seven-day trial (don’t forget to unsubscribe if you don’t want to keep the service). But if you’re a Verizon customer, you can get an entire year of Disney+ for free—if you have the right type of…Read more...
by Tercius, Ana Suarez, Corey Foster, and Shep McAlli on (#4V1B6)
A Mr. Coffee Gold Box, Lenovo gaming laptop, camping pillow, and a home decor sale lead off the Tuesday’s best deals from around the web.Read more...
First, Instagram killed Snapchat when it cribbed its Stories feature. Now, the social media platform is reportedly gunning for TikTok with a new format called Reels.
A year ago, Adobe revealed a potential game changer for the iPad that could help turn the tablet into a legitimate laptop replacement: the full version of Photoshop was coming to iPadOS. A year later, the mobile version of the long-revered photo editing app is finally here, and it’s a near unusable disappointment.…Read more...
by James Whitbrook and Gordon Jackson on io9, shared on (#4V1B9)
Chris Pratt’s next sci-fi movie gets a name change. Kevin Feige promises new characters and worlds in whatever he’s got cooking up for Star Wars. DC’s Stargirl has been pushed back. Plus, even more Mandalorian footage, and what’s to come on His Dark Materials and Black Lightning. Spoilers now!
The UK Labour Party announced on Tuesday that it’s been hit with a “sophisticated and large scale†cyber attack on its digital platforms but suggested that all of its data was secure.