Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Sonos in bricked speaker 'recycling' row

Customers who recycle old speakers qualify for a 30% discount on new products but there is a catch.

Monday, December 30, 2019

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Using Technology to Fix the Flawed Impeachment Process

When the U.S. president was impeached last week, it surfaced the fact that impeachment, and particularly the removal of a U.S. president, is a process that doesn't work. Throughout U.S. history, there have been 45 presidents, and given that no one trains for that job, you'd figure several would have been removed for cause. However, impeachment has been attempted three times without a removal. If a process that has been in place for more than 200 years has never been successful, it is a really bad process.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Friday, December 27, 2019

App helps parents of premature babies stay in touch

An app has been developed to help parents stay in touch with their premature baby in hospital.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Iran internet 'disrupted' ahead of protests

The authorities reportedly order services to be cut off ahead of fresh planned demonstrations.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick steps down from board

Ride-hailing firm's co-founder steps down from its board saying he wants to focus on other pursuits.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

9 Extremely Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Procrastinators

If your Christmas tree is missing a present, these gifts—and excuses—will keep you on the nice list.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Fund manager defends backing blacklisted Chinese surveillance firm

Fidelity International owns a stake in Hikvision, which is accused of contributing to human rights abuses.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Best Kids Travel Gear: Strollers, Flasks, Toys, and More

Traveling with babies, toddlers, or young children is no picnic. These accessories should help.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Is Your Health Data at Risk?

We've recently seen much breathless news coverage of the Nightingale Project, Google's half-secret partnership with Ascension, the second-largest healthcare system in the United States. The details of the project -- which involves sharing the healthcare data of tens of millions of unsuspecting patients -- have raised significant concerns. The concerns have centered around issues that by now are familiar: Many people are uncomfortable with Google knowing about their personal, sensitive and potentially embarrassing health complaints.

Friday, December 20, 2019

Amazon Device Christmas Sale (2019): Fire Tablets, Kindles, Echos

Hunting for gifts? Fear not, there are still plenty of deals to be found. Some of Amazon's most popular products are on sale.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Why India shuts down the internet more than any other democracy

India shut down the internet 93 times this year, and a blackout in Kashmir is the world's longest.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

People with epilepsy targeted in Twitter attack

Trolls posted strobing Gifs and videos on Twitter with the Epilepsy Foundation's handle and hashtag.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Human Problems Underlying Intel's Diversity Report

When Intel released its diversity report last week, it got pounded for the lack of diversity in its executive staff. Intel is one of the few companies being transparent about diversity. Given that lack of diversity is the problem we want to solve, the bashing is stupid. It is only going to make it harder to address the problem. In effect, Intel did the right thing and was punished for it. It strikes me that taking positive steps to make progress is a more prudent approach than beating up companies that are doing the right thing.

Monday, December 16, 2019

The 6 Best TVs to Buy for Every Budget (2019)

The best, boldest, and most budget-friendly 4K and 8K TVs WIRED has seen, including LG, Samsung, Vizio, and TCL.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Saturday, December 14, 2019

China's Tech Ban Could Have Grave Long-Term Consequences

China has issued an order that all foreign-made computer equipment and software be removed from government offices and public institutions within the next three years. China has estimated that upwards of 30 million pieces of hardware will need to be replaced. This is just the latest salvo in the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China. It began last year when President Trump began to set tariffs and other trade barriers on China. The goal of the White House's policy was to address what the president has called "unfair trade practices."

Friday, December 13, 2019

Here’s How to Survive Sitting in the Bleachers This Winter

Our favorite gear to fend off the cold if you're braving the elements to see a football game this season—socks, gloves, hand warmers, and more.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Facebook Won't Let US, UK, Australia Get Toe in Backdoor

Facebook has rejected a request from the U.S., the UK and Australia for a "backdoor" in its encrypted messenger apps to help law enforcement agencies combat crime and terrorism. "Cybersecurity experts have repeatedly proven that when you weaken any part of an encrypted system, you weaken it for everyone, everywhere," WhatsApp head Will Cathcart and Facebook Messenger head Stan Chudnovsky wrote in a letter to officials. "The 'backdoor' access you are demanding for law enforcement would be a gift to criminals, hackers and repressive regimes..."

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

New 'DNA of Things' Method Stores Digital Memory in Common Objects

Researchers at Swedish university ETH Zurichat have unveiled a method for mixing genetically encoded digital data into common manufacturing materials. They carried out the project in collaboration with an Israeli scientist. The team succeeded in embedding artificial DNA in a small plastic 3D-printed plastic bunny, which would allow self-replication, according to a report published in Nature Biotechnology. The name of the new process -- "DNA of Things," or "DoT" -- alludes to the Internet of Things, or IoT.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Why the ‘Queen of Shitty Robots’ Renounced Her Crown

YouTuber Simone Giertz gave up wildly popular but barely functioning machines and confronted her fears of imperfection (while facing her own mortality and making an awesome Truckla EV).

Monday, December 9, 2019

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Your Smart TV Could Give Hackers a Window on Your World

Cybercriminals have discovered ways to compromise smart TVs, including hacking them, the Portland office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently warned. Smart TV owners should do their due diligence to secure the devices, the bureau urged. Smart TVs are just as accessible to unauthorized parties as computers or other Internet-connected devices. Because many TVs now feature microphones and cameras, predators could commit serious privacy intrusions, such as cyberstalking users in their own homes, the FBI pointed out.

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Leica SL2 Review: Wonderful (If You Can Afford It)

The iconic company's take on the big, powerful, DSLR-style camera delivers beautifully sharp, detailed images while offering surprisingly powerful video capabilities.

Friday, December 6, 2019

The 9 Best Soundbars for Every Budget (2019)

We've listened to a ton of soundbars and these are the best sounding systems from Vizio, Sonos, Yamaha, and more.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Twitter Sets Up Privacy Center but Moves to Skirt GDPR

Twitter has launched a new Privacy Center to give users more clarity on what it does to protect the information people share. The center will host everything relevant to Twitter's privacy and data protection work, including initiatives, announcements, new privacy products and communication about security incidents. Twitter also announced the relocation of accounts of users outside the U.S. and EU from its international base in Dublin to San Francisco, where they won't be covered by the EU's tough new data privacy law.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin step back from top roles

Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping back from the day-to-day running of Google's parent company.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Tapping AI for a Future of Better, Faster, Cheaper Gift Shopping

If you are like me, every Christmas you dread shopping because figuring out what everyone wants is a bit of a nightmare. You don't know what folks want in your price range. If you find out, there is no easy way to be sure they haven't bought it themselves, or that someone else didn't get it for them. Choosing sizes and colors adds to the nightmare. These problems aren't limited to Christmas, as the same gift-selection issues exist for other occasions. Maintaining multiple gift lists and keeping them current is just not something we do well.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Sunday, December 1, 2019

30 Best Outdoor and Fitness Deals

From Patagonia outerwear to the Fitbit Versa Lite, we've got Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to keep you moving, outside, and happy.