Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
With phones like the MiMix Alpha and its mysterious tri-fold prototype, Xiaomi is no stranger when it comes to dreaming up far out concept devices. But in a recently discovered patent, Xiaomi may have come up with a novel smartphone idea that’s better left on paper. In a recent patent filed to the Hague International…
Today, Konami, owner of multiple sports clubs, maker of pachinko machines, and occasional developer of video games decided that instead of putting out a real update to PES that it would dive into the world of PC gaming with a new line of esports-focused hardware. Consisting of three budget/mid-range Windows desktops, two keyboards, and a…
As covid-19 disrupted the world in March, online retail giant Amazon struggled to respond to the sudden shift caused by the pandemic. Household items like bottled water and toilet paper, which never ran out of stock, suddenly became in short supply. One- and two-day deliveries were delayed for several days. Though Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos…
Google and Samsung are apparently working out a deal that would give Google products a boost on Samsung smartphones, according to a Bloomberg report. That means Google might get greater access to Samsung users, while Samsung’s own ecosystem takes a hit. Samsung is the biggest smartphone maker in the world, and Google’s Android is its…
I’ve yet to determine why exactly I gravitate to portable gadgets, but I can remember being obsessed with everything high-tech and pocketable since I was a kid. It started with obvious devices like the Game Boy which all of my friends had, but eventually included personal organizers: devices that tended to appeal more to corporate…
Hackers are using Dogecoin, the meme-themed cryptocurrency that recently experienced a bull run thanks to TikTokkers, to help expand a malware botnet. A new exploit called Doki is piggybacking on software that targets unprotected Docker containers. By pointing their botnet at a specific Dogecoin wallet, hackers are changing the command and control addresses for various…
If you’re an aspiring astronaut too young to even drive a car, for the past 38 years Space Camp has been a fun and educational way to start your training. But as a result of the pandemic and a severe lack of attendance, the last remaining Space Camp is in a state of financial crisis, and…
Technology standards don’t stay still for very long, whether it’s USB, DisplayPort, or wifi, they’re constantly gaining new abilities and a new number tacked to the end of their names. The latest protocol to edge its way to the consumer masses is Thunderbolt 4. Its arrival is likely to have a big impact on the…
Big Tech companies will make history on Wednesday when some of the most powerful CEOs in the country testify to Congress. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Tim Cook of Apple, and Sundar Pichai of Alphabet/Google will get the spotlight starting at 12 p.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Wednesday, July 29. And…
Oh god: Someone at Substack accidentally sent out an email blast exposing the email addresses of numerous users. Substack is a subscription newsletter service that has recently won a lot of positive publicity for providing a home for journalists and others to build independent audiences in an era defined by mass layoffs in media. So…
Earlier this year—roughly 100 years ago now—you’ll recall that AMC had a very public, very messy falling out with NBCUniversal over distribution rights that saw the movie theater chain swear off Universal Pictures films in its theaters globally, ostensibly forever. In a somewhat surprising turn, it appears the two parties have made nice—though the terms…
Rite Aid used face recognition to scan the faces of every single customer who walked into hundreds of its stores in a program encompassing most of the past decade, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The program spanned eight years, two vendors, and was implemented in 200 stores—a disproportionate number of which were located in non-white, low-income…
Here’s the thing about plants: They’re gorgeous, they improve just about any space, and in most cases, they’re generally fairly easy to take care of with a little consideration to their needs. Personally, I can’t live without them, and they were some of the first things I bought after relocating to the West Coast recently…
Quibi—a new streaming service that reportedlylost 92% of its users after their free trial ended, only garnered around 300,000 downloads on launch day, and only added Apple AirPlay and Chromecast compatibility after people kept complaining about only being able to watch shows on their phones—has been nominated for ten freaking Emmy Awards. Ten. Which is…
Let’s face it: A 25 Mbps download speed isn’t enough internet these days. It wasn’t necessarily enough before the current pandemic, but with many families now working and going to school from home, those with the minimum broadband speed have probably discovered there isn’t enough bandwidth to go around. Which is why it’s time for…
Back in the 20th century, novelist C. S. Forester described an 18th century sailor entertaining his crew members by killing rats with his teeth, his hands tied behind his back. I think of this story often during my daily drift through the endless seas of social media. With no wind in the sails and no…
The Mellow Sous-Vide machine-made soft, gentle, susurrating waves when it first launched in 2014. Designed to keep and cook foods at a specific temperature, it featured an elegant design and an integrated tub that ensured uniform heating and cooling. Fast forward a few years and it looks like the Mellow team has finally figured out…
A group calling itself “America’s Frontline Doctors” held a press conference in Washington, D.C. on Monday, falsely declaring that there is a cure for covid-19—hydroxychloroquine—and it was was being suppressed by the world’s leading health experts. The group’s videos were seen by millions on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, before they were pulled down overnight for…
With a top speed of 30 mph and a growing body of malfunction-based lawsuits and traffic incident data working against them, Revel’s fleet of app-rentable mopeds is, as of today, no longer operating in its home city of New York. Who, besides absolutely everyone, could have seen this coming. After a second rider was killed…
Scientists have revived microbes found deep beneath the seafloor in 100-million-year-old sediment, dramatically expanding our view of where life exists on Earth and for how long. An international team of scientists led by geomicrobiologist Yuki Morono from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology has revived microbes pulled from energy-poor seafloor sediments dated to…
