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If you’re hooked on Alexa and want a more capable smart display, Amazon just announced a refresh to the Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5, with better cameras than their predecessors. There’s also an update to the Echo Show 5 Kids Edition, which includes access to Amazon’s kid-friendly content. The Echo Show 8 and Echo…
The Irish Parliament today held a hearing on Facebook’s treatment of subcontracted content moderators—the thousands of people up to their eyeballs in toxic waste in the company basement. Moderators have repeatedly reported over the years that their contract companies hurl them into traumatizing work with little coaching or mental health support, in a system designed…
Two months ago, Apple decided to discontinue the original HomePod. And yet, it appears the product is still available in the Apple Store—and if you buy one, you might actually get sent a HomePod from the original launch stock. Typically when a product is discontinued, you can find massive discounts, and if the product is…
Sometime before the disastrous ransomware attack on its network and the East Coast gas shortage that followed, Colonial Pipeline was apparently looking for someone to help run its cybersecurity team. The energy company, which manages America’s largest oil pipeline, is currently working feverishly to restore full service after being targeted by the ransomware gang DarkSide.…
As powerful as video game consoles have become, even the most graphically stunning video games don’t look like realistic, real-world footage, which is arguably the ultimate goal. But researchers at Intel Labs may have found a shortcut by applying machine learning techniques to rendered footage from a console that takes it from beautiful to photorealistic.…
A slew of new wifi vulnerabilities impacts everything from cellphones and routers to, well, anything wifi-connected.
Last week, Lenovo shared a photo on its Weibo social media page showing a tablet propped up on the company’s signature built-in kickstand. Behind it, a Nintendo Switch is shown plugged in to the tablet and using it as a monitor. Rumor has it Lenovo is working on such an Android tablet with a dedicated…
Judge Jeffrey Middleton, a rising YouTube star who hosts a live chat during Zoom court, brusquely dismissed a ding dong who showed up to an arraignment with the name “Buttfucker 3000.” Thank you, Twitter, for bringing the masterful performance to our attention. Sadly, the official video was just removed, but Gizmodo viewed it this morning…
The past year has proven how vital the internet is for remote learning, working from home, and staying sane during lockdowns. As part of the stimulus package passed in December, Congress also set aside $3.2 billion for emergency broadband subsidies. Starting today, if you’ve lost a job during the pandemic or are facing other financial…
Google is pretty regularly adds new features to Gmail, but there’s always room for improvement, and third-party developers have been quick to plug the gaps. Here are seven browser add-ons that are polished and powerful enough to be native features (and hopefully will be one day…). 1. Checker Plus for Gmail (Chrome, Edge) Checker Plus…
The UK’s conservative government will ban technology companies from “discriminating” against particular political viewpoints, according to a press release about the country’s new proposed Online Safety Bill. The anti-censorship clause is just a minor part of a much larger draft bill, but will likely get attention from conservatives around the globe who believe their viewpoints…
The Chicago Police Department started a secret drone program using untraceable money seized in drug raids and other criminal investigations, according to a bombshell new report from the Chicago Sun-Times. The drone program is reportedly used for crime scene photos and terrorism-related issues, among other investigations, according to internal Chicago Police Department emails obtained by…
A ransomware gang, Babuk Locker, has been attempting to extort the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington D.C. for $4 million, but negotiations between the cops and the criminals recently collapsed, leaked documents appear to show. Several weeks ago, the cybercriminal group announced that it had stolen the MPD’s data—some 250GB that included thousands of pages…
Twitter said Tuesday night that the abrupt suspension of a Palestinian journalist’s account had been in error, but refused to clarify what content its system flagged as a violation of its policies. “We took enforcement action on the account you referenced in error,” a Twitter spokesperson said in an email. “That has since been reversed.”…
Did you know that former edgelord president Donald J. Trump is now an edgelord blogger? Most people do not, evidently. Operation: Blog, aka “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump,” launched last Tuesday. In the meantime, Trump has posted 19 times, beginning with an Armageddon-inspired trailer ending with the message “SAVE AMERICA.” America has not…
These days, if you’re arrested and charged with a crime, the first thing cops will likely try to do is look at the contents of your phone. Digital forensics is increasingly a favorite way to secure a conviction, or at least gain a broader understanding of a suspect. However, the tools used to crack into…
Click & Grow 25 is the latest project by former orchestra conductor Mattias Lepp who felt that the idea of indoor gardens—essentially, a farmer’s market in a box—would be just the tool for staving off future food shortages. His company, founded in 2009, raised $11 million in 2018 to develop new materials and hardware technologies…
Hundreds of Republicans that still believe that, contrary to any and all evidence, Donald Trump actually won the 2020 elections and only didn’t get a second term in office due to mass voter fraud congregated together on the Corn Palace in South Dakota on Monday to see the World’s Biggest Corn Cob. By which we…
Apple, Amazon, and Google rarely have a reason to work together, but the companies are teaming up for a new smart home standard, now called Matter, that will make it easier for you to buy devices that work seamlessly together without thinking about it. The Matter branding, which emerged from what was formerly known as…
While you might expect that Bose’s latest gadget has something to do with music, it’s actually a lot closer to wearable health tech. In fact, they’re actually FDA-cleared, self-fitted hearing aids designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The Bose SoundControl Hearing Aids are technologically intriguing. They feature a behind-the-ear, receiver-in-canal design with…
