Tech news, analysis, culture, business, security, and more
Before swiftly deleting the tweet, Anthony Scaramucci informed the world of his decision to cast his vote in favor of Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris, on New York’s Working Families ticket. Neat! Luckily a Daniel Marans of the Huffington Post grabbed a screenshot before it disappeared from Scaramucci’s feed. New York is expected to be…
Earlier this year, Apple very subtly teased that third-party music services would be coming to the HomePod. Well folks, that time has come. The HomePod (and the new HomePod Mini) will now let you use another music service other than Apple Music. No, it’s not Spotify—it’s Pandora. In an app update pushed out yesterday, Pandora…
Real-life robots are still relatively primitive compared to those featured in science fiction, but that hasn’t stopped us from building bots that can take care of most of our physical needs. (Yes, including that.) In Japan, there’s even now a robot that can simulate going on a walk and holding hands with your significant other,…
As stores run low on plywood barricades, guns fly off the shelves, and the president plans not to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, social media companies have begrudgingly developed contingency plans for election day and the confusion that’s sure to follow. Belying most of these policies are the likely scenarios that 1) a…
In case this election wasn’t stressful enough, a confusing, controversial ballot measure in California is creating a rift among civil liberties advocates over whether the legislation is truly good for people’s privacy—or a half-step in the wrong direction. The California Privacy Rights and Enforcement Act, also known as Prop 24, or CPRA, is an update…
You probably use your smartphone to get from point A to point B, but have you fully explored all the features and options available along the way? Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze all have navigation modes that are smarter and more versatile than you might have realized. From changing direction mid-route to avoiding parking…
It’s election day in the U.S., with millions of Americans heading to the polls to vote for either Donald Trump, a hate-filled turd who’s determined to dismantle democracy, or his Democratic challenger Joe Biden. And if you’re wondering how to watch the first day of election results live on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and more, Gizmodo…
With just hours to go until the 2020 general election gets underway, Twitter has slapped a “disputed” label on one of President Donald Trump’s tweets, limiting users’ abilities to interact with content the platform has deemed “misleading about an election or other civic process.” In the marked tweet, Trump makes the baseless claim that a…
The human workers whose jobs restocking the shelves at Walmart were nearly rendered obsolete by a sophisticated fleet of robots dealt a surprising retaliatory blow to the robots on Monday by, somehow, rendering them obsolete first. After a five year-long partnership, Walmart announced that it had terminated its agreement with robotics company Bossa Nova Robotics…
Apple TV will be available on the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox consoles at launch. This is a big deal. Microsoft today announced that Apple TV would be available for the Xbox Series X and S models right out of the gate, with its older generation Xbox One also getting support on Nov. 10. Just weeks…
As far as big tech media companies go, Spotify’s algorithms have largely avoided scrutiny. But we’re entering a new era for the music streaming giant’s relationship with the algos. People are slowly gaining awareness of Spotify’s potential for emotional surveillance—a model for personality profiling that does for music what Facebook did for friends. And on…
Heads up for folks catching a train, plane, or bus in the New York or New Jersey area: Starting today, the Port Authority is implementing a $50 penalty for travelers caught without a face covering within their facilities. While it still wants to put the “primary emphasis” on keeping mask-wearing voluntary for all riders, the…
Apple’s Q4 earnings report could have been an unmitigated disaster, considering the hatchet job the year 2020 has been on consumer spending, but the official numbers released last Thursday tell the story of a fourth fiscal quarter that was actually—luckily?—pretty meh overall for the tech giant. But a modest, pandemic-induced uptick in laptop and tablet…
Tech funding usually happens in one of two ways. In one scenario, a software or service product— think Twitter — usually sells equity to venture capitalists who expect some kind of return on their investment. Hardware products usually go the crowdfunding route, building up a list of pre-orders that they can then use to pay…
Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor and whistleblower who leaked a trove of classified National Security Agency secrets to journalists, never quite made it to Ecuador. His attempt to avoid extradition and prosecution by U.S. authorities hit a snag in Russia back in 2013 where he claimed political asylum and has been stranded ever since.…
You’re probably spending more time at home right now, and maybe you’re looking for a new streaming service to try—preferably without paying, at least until you decide to commit. Netflix and Disney+ have ditched their free trials, but there are plenty of other music and movie streaming services you can try out without spending a dime,…
Reader, how do you flaunt your opulent wealth within the four walls of your own home? If you are the owner of one of Samsung’s popular the Frame televisions—which display art when the TV is not in use—perhaps you do this by keeping your television not in a place one would normally watch TV, like…
After Apple’s September event for Apple Watch and iPad and an October event for iPhones, you’d be forgiven for assuming Apple was done launching stuff for the year. But you would also be wrong. Next Tuesday, Nov. 10, Apple is hosting yet another online event—and while we don’t know exactly what’s on deck, it’s a…
World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that he would be self-quarantining over the coming days after coming into close contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Per a series of tweets made Sunday evening, Tedros wrote that while he was well and not showing any symptoms, he was planning to isolate…
As the pandemic stretches out before us with a long winter ahead, it’s clear that work-from-home will remain the status quo for millions. So any advances to make our video chat hell a little easier to navigate are welcome. With that in mind, Zoom is adding the option to integrate Otter.ai’s live caption system with…
