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Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday pressed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over its response to Verizon’s throttling of firefighters’ data speeds as they battled a major wildfire in Northern California. The Santa Clara County fire chief, Anthony Bowden, declared last week that Verizon’s decision to throttle the communications of firefighters at a crucial command center during…
In a post-capitalistic world that seems very specifically and violently designed to rip off the poor for the benefit of the rich, spending money is complicated. But at least, until recently, you could live without fear that some multibillion-dollar Silicon Valley giant would buy up your banking data in order to serve you more effective…
How our data is used—or rather, misused—has been a growing concern for the public. So it’s in tech companies’ best interest to signal to their users that they care about their privacy, and Apple has just taken a small step to put its users at ease. The tech giant announced to developers on Thursday that…
In a world plagued by both fake news and “FAKE NEWS,” fact-checking has become something like a civic duty for nerds on the internet. For some, this is the culmination of a lifetime spent being an insufferable know-it-all at parties. For me, it’s just a chance to finally call Buzzfeed on its bullshit. In January,…
It should’ve been a simple, feel-good story. A homeless man used his last $20 to help a woman with car troubles, and she returned the favor by starting a GoFundMe that raised $400,000 to get the man on his feet. Now a judge has ordered all the funds handed over to the man’s legal team…
With Samsung working on bendy displays to put in flexible phones and even providing those screens to Chinese phonemakers to help grow the ecosystem, it’s clear a new era for smartphones is just around the corner. However, it seems like Nubia couldn’t wait that long, because at IFA 2018, the company released a frankly outrageous…
The U.S. government claims that China is using LinkedIn to recruit spies in America. And it’s now calling for Microsoft, the company that owns LinkedIn, to shut down allegedly fake accounts being used to build its spy network. First reported by Reuters, the allegations are being made by William Evanina, the head of U.S. counter-intelligence.…
Whenever Edward Snowden “appears” at conferences around the world, he does so via livestream video from his home in Russia. And it looks like that’s the future that might be in store for whistleblower Chelsea Manning after she was denied a visa to visit Australia. Manning will have to appear by video link from Los…
After months of grueling committee proceedings, the California State Assembly on Thursday passed Senate Bill 822, all but ensuring that residents will soon enjoy the strongest net neutrality protections in the country. “Today’s vote is a huge win for Californians everywhere,” State Senator Scott Wiener, the bill’s principal author, told Gizmodo. Having been amended considerably,…
After the entire Russian blogosphere seemed to get its hands on Google’s upcoming Pixel 3 XL, we weren’t expecting any more surprises from the Pixel camp. But now, some alleged pictures of the smaller Pixel 3 have made their way onto the net and brought back some hope for people unhappy with what we’ve heard…
Just because President Trump’s baseless accusations of bias in Google search results are likely another sideshow doesn’t mean the search giant doesn’t have real political troubles. On Thursday, Senator Orin Hatch asked the Federal Trade Commission to take another look at whether Google is guilty of antitrust violations and unfair competitive practices. The president is…
Held in Berlin, Germany, IFA is a huge mashup of appliances, audio equipment, computers, and sausages, and unlike CES, it’s open to the public. Think Coachella for gadget nerds if you will, but with way better beer. And it’s here that a lot of big Asian and European companies get to show their wares, many…
It looks like the latest gadgets to leak early this year belong to none other than Apple. New images published by 9to5Mac appear to show Apple’s next iPhones as well as a bigger-screened Apple Watch, both of which seem to be slated for an official reveal on September 12. It is not September 12, of…
You wanted to love the original Lenovo Yoga Book. It had a pretty display, and its keyboard doubled as a pad for pen input, which besides just being neat also allowed it to be one of the thinnest laptops available at .38 inches. Plus, it cost just $500. But the original Yoga Book was profoundly…
Ever wonder why your wifi router just sits there, delivering you sweet access to the whole internet but not much more? Netgear evidently realizes that people like multipurpose gadgets because it’s now offering an Orbi wifi router with a built-in Harman Kardon speaker and Amazon Alexa capabilities. It’s like a pumped up Echo, in a…
For the past three years, Lenovo’s flaghip 900-series Yoga 2-in-1s have been some of the best convertibles on the market. They were sleek, powerful, and had way more flexibility than a boring old clamshell, with essentially zero downsides. Thanks to their sophisticated watch-band hinges, Lenovo’s high-end convertibles also had a real sense of style and…
Along with anything related to smart speakers and voice assistant integration, one of the biggest gold rushes in tech is the rapidly expanding smarthome market. And with companies both new and old trying to find a way in, there’s a lot of a confusion among consumer about which brands are legit. So naturally, Lenovo, with…
Currently, the Google Assistant supports more than 10 different languages (along with number of regional variations), with Google hoping to bring that number to 30 before the end of the year. Unfortunately, up till now, you’ve only been able to use those languages one at a time—a hassle for anyone in a household of multiple…
We’ll finally know what those new iPhones are called on September 12, according to CNET. The invitation CNET received doesn’t specify what products will be announced or when said products would ship. Instead, it asks invitees to “gather round”—a joke about the impressively circular Steve Jobs Theater that the event will be held at. The…
Here’s the frustrating thing about Sennheiser. The company makes consistently terrific (and terrific-looking) products that cost a little more than you want to spend. At least that’s the case with the new Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless earbuds. They are handsome, and they cost $300. The Momentum True Wireless earbuds promise premium sound in a package…
