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Tech NewsSocial MediaInstagram Tests Feature That Shares Your Location History With Facebook
Facebook could soon start gathering location information from users’ Instagram accounts, if it implements a feature that the company has prototyped. TechCrunch reports that Instagram has explored a new setting that enables the app to share users’ GPS coordinates with Facebook, which could allow Facebook to know Instagram users’ location even when they’re not using … Continued
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Tech News
Bottoms Up! 8,000 Gallons of Bubbly Bursts From Foamy Wine Tank
An Italian winery, L’enoteca Zanardo Giussano in Conegliano, Veneto, lost approximately 8,000 gallons of bubbly on September 25, due to an overserved silo. The winery posted a short video of the outburst on Facebook. I feel drunk just looking at this deluge of Prosecco flowing out of the giant tank. The short clip shows a … Continued
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Tech NewsTech Policy
Congress Is Giving Feds the OK to Shoot Down Drones
Law enforcement could soon be able to shoot down citizen drones, thanks to a new bill that will likely be signed into law by Donald Trump within days. The U.S. Senate approved the FAA Reauthorization Act on Wednesday. The bill includes new regulations for airports and airplanes, many of which relate to passenger safety—like one … Continued
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io9Movies
MoviePass Refuses to Die
We’ve been seeing the buzzards circling MoviePass for months. First, there were reports that the subscription movie ticket service has been hemorrhaging money, then the company stopped paying for major films, and then it nuked its unlimited plan. But the service continues to fumble along, employing bullshit businesses tactics. Just last week, MoviePass began re-enrolling … Continued
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EartherEarth ScienceThat Viral Shredded Hurricane Florence Flag Sold For $10,900 on eBay, and I Wish My Battered Spirits Were Worth as Much
Last month, millions of people watched the American flag that flew at the Frying Pan Tower lighthouse about 39 miles off the North Carolina coast, as a livestream showed the flag being pummeled by the 100-mph winds of Hurricane Florence. Now, that symbol of dreams and natural nightmares will live on for a good cause. … Continued
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Tech News
That Presidential Alert Test Will Annoy the Hell Out of You on Wednesday
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is finally testing the new U.S. “presidential alert” system after the initial test was delayed for nearly two weeks. The alert is planned to go out to approximately 225 million compatible phones across the U.S. on Wednesday at 2:18 pm ET. The message should read: “THIS IS A TEST … Continued
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Tech NewsTransportation
You Don’t Need to Sneak Weed Past Security at LAX
The Los Angeles International Airport now allows passengers to bring weed into the airport. According to LAX’s website, cops are chill about weed in their facilities: Los Angeles Airport Police Department will allow passengers to travel through LAX with up to 28.5 grams of marijuana and 8 grams of concentrated marijuana. However, passengers should be … Continued
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Tech NewsSocial Media
Facebook Makes It Easier to Report Bullies
Facebook is taking steps to hinder harassment on the social media platform with an array of new anti-bullying tools. At the beginning of this year, Facebook tweaked the News Feed so users saw more posts from family and friends and less content from publishers and companies. Mark Zuckerberg said at the time he wanted to … Continued
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EartherEarth Science
Border Agent Who Started Wildfire With Explosive ‘Gender Reveal’ Party Must Pay $220,000
An Arizona border patrol agent started a wildfire during a “gender reveal” party involving a firearm and explosives, likely making it the most expensive such celebration in the history of the ridiculous ritual. Dennis Dickey was off-duty when he celebrated the revelation of his unborn child’s sex on state-owned property close to Madera Canyon in … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
FBI Makes Child Porn Suspect Unlock iPhone X Using His Face
In August, federal agents in Ohio made a suspect unlock his iPhone X using his face, in what may be the first instance of law enforcement using such a tactic. Forbes reports that a child pornography investigation led the FBI to the home of Grant Michalski, 28, in Columbus, Ohio, where agents searched the house. … Continued
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ScienceBiologyEscaped Pup Rings Nest Doorbell to Get Back Inside
A good boy recently spent a regrettable evening on his front porch thinking about what he’d done. A Texas ABC affiliate reported that Marshall the dog escaped his home in Spokane, Washington, on September 25. He then pawed at the Nest doorbell camera, trying to get back in. Greg Basel, Marshall’s guardian, uploaded the video … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
First ATM Jackpotter Sentenced in U.S. Gets a Year in Prison
A federal judge this week sentenced a man in Springfield, Massachusetts, to prison because he hacked ATMs to make them spew money. It will be the first time someone in the U.S. goes to prison for this form of ATM hacking known as “jackpotting.” The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that 22-year-old Argenys Rodriguez … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
Teen Apple Fanboy Who Made ‘Hacky Hack Hack’ Folder of Evidence Avoids Jail
An Australian teenager has pled guilty to hacking Apple’s system multiple times in a span of several months, but will not be going to jail. He said he did it because he’s just a huge Apple fanboy. Melbourne news outlet the Age reported that Apple had alerted the FBI after the company detected a breach. … Continued
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Tech NewsSocial Media
Rich Dude Feud: Facebook Exec Overshares, Calls WhatsApp Founder ‘Low-Class’
Today has been exciting for anyone who cares about tension among Big Tech’s ultra-rich, as two executives have thrown barbs over Facebook’s management ethos. The beef heated up this morning when Forbes published an interview with WhatsApp founder Brian Acton. Acton left Facebook a year ago—three and a half years after selling WhatsApp to Facebook … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
Supreme Court Restricts India’s Colossal Biometric Database
India’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the country’s sweeping biometric database does not violate privacy rights. But the panel of five judges did decide to place restrictions on the program, according to the Times of India. Under the Aadhaar system, all citizens, residents, and visiting workers of India—an estimated 1.2 billion people—are virtually required … Continued
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Tech News
Twitter’s New Ban on ‘Dehumanizing Speech’ May Finally Shut Up Some Nazis
Twitter is expanding its rules on hateful conduct and will soon police “dehumanizing speech” on its platform. The move that could help stamp out some of the vilest content on the social network—if the company can adequately enforce it. The company announced the new rules in a blog Tuesday morning. In the post, Twitter trust … Continued
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Tech NewsCrime
Lion King Puppet Maker Charged With 3D-Printing Gun at Broadway Theater
A puppet master who helped bring to life Disney’s vision of an African animal kingdom was arrested last week for allegedly 3D-printing guns in the prop room of the Broadway theater, court records show. New York Daily News reports that Ilya Vett’s printer was discovered when security officials were helping him clear out his possessions … Continued
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Tech NewsCrime
Man Who Posed as Housewife Online Admits to Secretly Recording Sex With 80 Men for Porn Site
A man involved with the porn site “StraightBoyz” that featured hundreds of videos of his sex acts with other men—many of them unconsenting and unaware that they were being filmed—has pled guilty to charges against him in a federal court. Bryan Deneumostier, 33, was arrested in July following a US Homeland Security investigation into his … Continued
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Tech NewsCommerce
Looks Like Twitch Is Now Blocked in China
Twitch had a rush of popularity in China last month, but now reports indicate that the live streaming video platform is no longer available in the country. Abacas, a Hong Kong-based China tech news site, noticed that Twitch’s website was not accessible in parts of China as of earlier this week, and then found that … Continued
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