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In news that you already assumed was already happening, the NSA declassified documents that reveal repeated violations of American’s phone records. A judge said the NSA had “daily violations” for over two years and that “thousands” of American phone numbers had been improperly accessed. Is it massive incompetence or a blatant disregard for privacy? Probably…
On today, the high holy day of frenzied consumerism, please take a moment to reflect on your position of relative privilege in these uncertain times. Let us not forget the real trials and hardships of people both around the world and around this country while we vapidly argue the perceived advantages between competing operating systems.…
The level of realism and scale of next-generation games is staggering. This is Los Santos, the world of the fifth installment of the crime simulation game series Grand Theft Auto. It’s truly as big and detailed as real-life Los Angeles, the city that inspired it. https://kotaku.com/leaked-grand-theft-auto-v-map-is-massive-1287570002
When the Soviet Tupolev Tu-4 bomber made its debut in 1949, it was more than a big deal. This reverse-engineered Boeing B-29 Superfortress gave the Russians intercontinental strategic strike capabilities that the existing US fleet of F-61 Black Widows and F-82 Twin Mustangs simply couldn’t compete with. The American response: Build a better interceptor. Enter…
The best job in the US—based on a combination of factors like income and stress level—is being an actuary, someone who “analyzes statistics of financial risk for insurance companies.” Obviously, one of the factors wasn’t excitement. But what’s the worst? Scroll to the bottom. https://lifehacker.com/the-best-and-worst-careers-based-on-job-outlook-and-wo-1284106147
The Toronto Sun has the story of a Canadian family so fed up with modern technology that they’ve reverted back to 1986. And that goes for everything — they’ve ditched their smartphones and closed their social media accounts. They’re listening to audio cassettes, using fax machines, and even wearing their hair in mullets! In a…
Say goodbye to “slide to unlock.” At today’s press conference, Apple introduced the new iPhone 5S with a biometric lock it claims will revolutionize mobile security. Here’s how it works, and what it means for you. Tricks of the Trade There are two major technological schools when it comes to fingerprint authentication—electro-optical and capacitance. EO…
Having a nibble of astronaut ice cream is a rite of passage for field-tripping American youths, but the reality of subsisting solely on specialty dehydrated vittles with long shelf lives doesn’t have the same kind of novelty in space. NASA has already been developing tactics to fight “menu fatigue,” and later this year will mark…
Today marks a major milestone in Apple history: the introduction of the second iPhone. Not only did we get a sleek new iPhone 5S (and a goldpagne one, at that), but we also saw the Apple’s first foray in the mid-range phone market—a very colorful foray. Those were the only new products, but they came…
In New York City, you can cross the street and then—bam!—you’re in a completely different neighborhood. But those exact boundaries are hard to pinpoint, and they’re always changing. These minimalist maps by Archie’s Press condenses them into simple circular designs that convey the way neighborhoods overlap. So, why circles? “I use circles because they are…
Self-driving cars stand to be the next piece of technology that shakes the foundations of modern life. It’s not hard to see why—it’s basically science fiction come to life. Since it seems like everybody wants to be involved, news that Mercedes and Nokia were teaming up didn’t come as a huge surprise. The German automaker…
Photographer Ben Marcin grew up Baltimore and has lived there for decades since, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that he began to notice a unique phenomenon in what he dubs the “rougher sections” of town: a single curbside home with no direct neighbors to either side. These multiple-story structures weren’t built to…
You want an iPod Touch and/or iPod Nano in “Space Grey”? You got it! Because of course. Goldpagne however, is still reserved for the iPhone 5S bourgeoisie.
You may have seen timelapse videos of people who took a daily photograph of themselves for a few years of their lives. This one goes beyond anything you’ve ever seen before. Unbelievable. https://gizmodo.com/this-girl-ages-into-an-old-woman-before-your-eyes-witho-1283215638
There were plenty of ooo’s and ahh’s at today’s iPhone 5S event, many of them direct at the new revolutionary fingerprint scanner. But many people overlooked a tiny piece of hardware that stands to open the doors to a whole new set of apps—and potential anxiety: The motion-sensing M7 chip. https://gizmodo.com/the-iphone-5s-fingerprint-scanner-is-full-of-next-level-1285618943 Alongside the new superfast…
I learned to type on the original Macintosh, worshipped my click wheel iPod, and still believe in Apple TV. I am an enthusiastic Apple evangelist in pretty much every aspect of my life. But I have never been excited about a single Apple announcement until today. My iPhone is my constant companion. I look at…
The iPhone 5C sure turned out to be exactly what we expected, except with some serious iPhone 5 guts in there instead of the old 4S snoozers. And just $100 (on contract). But that’s only half the fun. How do those plastic backs feel, with and without the horrible cases? There’s one big takeaway: This…
Apple just posted the full video stream from today’s unveiling of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, so you can relive the whole debut all over again. [Apple]
The iPhone 5S is finally here, complete with the long-rumored fingerprint scanner, blazing guts with a second brain, and all new colors. Sounds good, but how does it feel? How does the thumb-print scanner work? The hands-on impressions have started rolling in and the verdict is: pretty great, actually. https://gizmodo.com/apple-iphone-5s-everything-you-need-to-know-1282062460 The Verge [The champagne iPhone…
Speed-dialing! Electronic exchanges! Call forwarding! Okay, it’s no gold iPhone, but back in 1965 (when Apple CEO Timmy Cook was just four years old), this was the future of phones! As someone whose job it is to study past visions of the future every single day, it’s easy for me to pull out the flying…
