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Tech NewsQ’s Last Haven Briefly Shut by Internet Providers
The last haven for “real” Qdrops, 8kun (previously called 8chan), briefly went down Sunday night after a security researcher called the head of CNServers, the anti-denial-of-service provider that controversial site uses to stay online. CNServers quickly pulled their support for the message board, resulting in a vanishingly brief outage. The site currently runs on a … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsThe Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Module Is a Mini Brain for Your DIY Projects
The Raspberry Pi—a single-board computer that lets you run Linux systems on devices the size of a deck of cards—is popular with DIYers thanks to its small size and extreme power. But when you need something even smaller, you turn to the Raspberry Pi Compute Module, essentially a stripped-down RaspPi without many of the built-in … Continued
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Tech NewsThis Satyrlike Robot Brings Boxes to You Like a Metal Mr. Tumnus
Agility Robotics has announced a $20 million funding round for a robot that looks like a Greek myth crossed with a cyberpunk fever dream. The robot, called Digit, is designed to work alongside meat humans in environments where people congregate but that might be difficult for robots to manage. “Digit, Agility Robotics’ humanoid robot with … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & SecurityHackers Allegedly Stole Over 3 Million Customer Credit Cards From Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
Hackers are currently selling a trove of 3 million credit card numbers and customer records apparently stolen from Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, one of the biggest barbecue chains in the United States. The company made a statement today about the hack, suggesting that charges made to the stolen cards will be reversed. “We received a report … Continued
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io9GamesThis In-Browser Game Gives the Chrome Dino a Run for Its Money
A game hidden in Vivaldi version 3.4 is adding “pixel-perfect” 8-bit cyberpunk action to your browsing sessions. The game, which appears when you type “vivaldi://game” in the browser’s URL field, is a side-scrolling shooter that pits a speedy, wheeled hero against flying snail monsters in a dystopian future. It runs on both desktop and mobile … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & SecurityZoom Is Adding End-To-End Encryption to Your Endless Meetings
Zoom is adding end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to its popular videoconferencing platform, according to a post on the company’s website. The rollout will begin during the week of Oct. 19 and will add features created by a company it acquired in May, Keybase. “We’re excited to announce that starting next week, Zoom’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE) offering … Continued
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Tech NewsA New App Lets You Catalog Your Thoughts Like an Engineer
Bytebase, a new app by two Columbia University software engineers, promises to let you store your snippets, thoughts, and notes in a way that is instantly searchable and automatically organized. Created by ex-Twilio engineer Cara Borenstein and ex-Nextdoor engineer Theo Marin, the barebones web app is sort of like Evernote amped up on the drug … Continued
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Tech NewsOnePlus Co-Founder Reportedly Quits to Build a Startup
OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has left the company to work on a new venture, according to a report by TechCrunch. Pei has not announced the move officially, but persons familiar with the decision said he will not be joining Samsung, a company seen as a model for his own. He is also said to be … Continued
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ReviewsOther GadgetsThe Future of Male Sextech Sounds Like a Bike Pump
The Arcwave Ion, a new sex toy from a company called Wow Tech, promises a different kind of male orgasm. They deliver… kind of. BTW, friends, this review is NSFW. Wow Tech makes the disgustingly-named Womanizer, a popular ladies toy that uses vibration and suction to directly stimulate the clitoris. The product, which took the … Continued
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Tech NewsLearn to Type by Copying Literary Masters
A new project by a Canadian techie named Adam Doquiatan aims to teach you to type by asking you to copy great literature. The site, called TypeLit.io, lets you pick from a library of public domain classics—Alice in Wonderland, 1984, and many more—and then shows you the text of each chapter. To complete the exercise … Continued
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Tech NewsPoliticsSilicon Valley Is Fighting a Losing War Against Politics
You’d be excused for not following the recent brouhaha associated with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s announcement that the company would no longer play politics. The statement, posted to Medium on Sunday, is a doozy. “In short, I want Coinbase to be laser focused on achieving its mission, because I believe that this is the way … Continued
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Tech NewsPreteens Rejoice! Federal Judge Delays TikTok Ban
A U.S federal judge has said that a ban on TikTok—scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28—will not go ahead as planned. The delay will allow users to access the app on various app stores while the court explores the legality of banning a consumer application on security grounds. TikTok, by Chinese software house ByteDance, has filed … Continued
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Tech NewsAtari’s Vaporware Console Is Getting Blockchain-Based Games
In what is certain to be one of the least promising moves in console gaming in 2020, Atari has partnered with a company called Ultra Gaming to offer blockchain-based game streaming to its forthcoming VCS console. The fabled Atari VCS has long been a bit of fun vaporware that is currently suffering from shipping issues … Continued
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Tech NewsCommerceAmazon’s Echo Is Now a Ball
Amazon has upgraded its Echo lineup, giving the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Dot with Clock a spherical design that looks less awkward in your house than a cylinder or puck. The Kids’ Edition Dots got similar treatment but instead of a bright candy cane design, these little guys now have Panda and Tiger faces … Continued
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ReviewsHome Entertainment & Smart HomeThis Solar-Powered Weather Station Is Stealthy, Accurate, and Works With Alexa
Weather stations are sort of like a pocket protector for your lawn. They tell the world that the person inside the house is kind of techy, kind of fascinated by the weather, and kind of a dork. Thanks to the Tempest from WeatherFlow, you can now hide your dorkiness with a device that looks more … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsIndustrial Designers Create New ‘Human-God Interfaces’
A joint project between students in the Industrial Design course at the University of Wuppertal, Germany, and the Catholic Educational Institution in Bonn is bringing (sort of) high tech to the Catholic Mass. The Catholic faith hasn’t really upgraded since the Second Vatican Council, at which time they swapped development environments and communication protocols from … Continued
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Tech NewsThe TikTok Saga Would Be a Comedy if It Weren’t So Tragic
The United States is ceding its position as a world technological power. For decades, the world’s brightest landed here to build. They chose the U.S. for a few simple reasons, among them access to world-class equipment and education, the ability to take high-paying tech jobs, and a business climate that rewarded the hard-working and lucky … Continued
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Tech NewsParents Agree: Don’t Give Your Kids an Apple Watch
The easiest way to sell something is to tell people it will help them not die or get hurt. This is definitely true when it comes to the Apple Watch, a product whose—arguably excellent—marketing message is, “Wear this and you might survive a heart attack.” So when Apple announced Family Setup, a service that lets … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsFacebook’s AR Ray-Bans Are a Stylish but Horrible Idea
We learned two things about Facebook today. First, it’s working on Project Aria, an experimental platform that will eventually lead to a pair of AR glasses that will stream data to your face. Next, we learned that it’s in partnership with sunglasses manufacturer Ray-Ban to make, we assume, a fancy pair of the company’s signature … Continued
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