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Tech NewsHow Making a Funny Face Could Boost the Security of Face Unlock Features
Securing a device using your face is much easier than remembering a PIN or password, but the technology is not infallible. There are many tricks that can be used to circumvent various facial recognition security systems (including just a static photo of your face), but researchers have developed a new algorithm that could change that … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsOK, You Jackals, I’ve Finally Come Around to 1440p Monitors
I’m a few years behind the curve when it comes to PCs. I’ve never really had the latest and greatest hardware; I’ve historically made do with a mix of older, secondhand, or budget parts, whether it’s the CPU, RAM, and graphics card or peripherals like speakers and screens. For example, my PC’s sound system is … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsGadgetsAlienware’s Upgraded Gaming Laptops Have the Good Cherry Switches
Three years ago, Alienware partnered with legendary keyboard switch-maker Cherry to create a binary mechanical switch experience just for laptops. Now those switches are finally available in Alienware’s m15 R4 and m17 R4 laptops. Unlike its previous MX Low Profile laptop switches, Cherry’s new MX Ultra Low Profile switches are significantly thinner, measuring just 3.5mm … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsHow to Sideload Any App on Your Chromecast With Google TV
Google’s newest Chromecast dongle has a lot going for it, including support for an increasingly broad range of apps. But despite being made by Google, you won’t find every Android app on the device—just the ones that have been approved and tweaked for big-screen use. If you want to install other apps and games, here’s … Continued
By David Nield -
Tech NewsGadgetsThese Tiny Chips Give Your DIY Projects Worldwide Cellular Connectivity
Particle is a component company for hobbyists and IT specialists that makes network-connected parts for DIY projects. For years they made mostly wifi devices, allowing users to connect things like robots and 3D printers to the internet. Now, they’ve announced a new system that offers global cellular connectivity for the price of the hardware. The … Continued
By John Biggs -
Tech NewsInternetAT&T Is Not Happy About California’s Net Neutrality Law
AT&T just lambasted California’s recently enacted net neutrality laws, blaming the state as the reason why it can no longer offer certain data features to consumers free of charge. “We regret the inconvenience to customers caused by California’s new ‘net neutrality’ law,” AT&T said in a Wednesday blog post. Last month, U.S. District Court Judge … Continued
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Tech NewsNew iPad Pros Are Potentially Launching in April
Amid a pandemic that has created a fresh need for many people to perform their essential work and school functions from home, sources in the know said Wednesday that Apple plans to expand its iPad Pro line in April. According to Bloomberg, the design of the updated iPad Pro is expected to resemble the 11-inch … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & SecurityThis Surveillance Company Claims It Can Track Nearly Any Car in Real-Time
A defense contractor that claims to have access to motor vehicle location data on a global scale says it wants to use that data to help U.S. federal agencies conduct more efficient spying and military operations. The Ulysses Group, which offers “cutting edge operational and intelligence services, support, and equipment” to government clients, says it … Continued
By Lucas Ropek -
Tech NewsRIP Piracy on YouTube?
Anyone with hit with a copyright claim on YouTube can probably tell you about the complicated, confusing, and drawn out hassle that comes with them. Thankfully, the platform is releasing a tool to proactively notify creators about their video’s potential copyright issues before they’re published. On Wednesday, social media analyst Matt Navarra tweeted out a … Continued
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Tech NewsWho the Hell Is Behind the Zombie MoviePass Website?
A mysterious new MoviePass website has resurrected the memory of one of the most chaotic services in paid subscription history. A site at the domain “moviepass.ventures” bears the MoviePass name and styling, a countdown to March 22, and the words “the movie is about to start.” The only other thing on the page is an … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech NewsThe ‘I’m a Mac’ Guy Is Now Mocking Macs for Intel
Intel has doubled down on its marketing blitz to persuade buyers that PCs are better than Macs, but this time there’s a twist. As MacRumors spotted, the chipmaker has recruited Justin Long, the cool “I’m a Mac” guy from Apple’s Mac vs. PC commercials, in a series of new ads it released today called “Justin … Continued
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Tech NewsAmazon’s Kindle Author Service Dumps Problematic Mobi Files
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably a self-published author who has once struggled with Amazon’s fussy Kindle Direct Publishing platform. The platform, which allows you to upload and sell ebooks and paperbacks, has always been unusually frustrating when it came to ebook layout. If you did it right, you were fine. If you did … Continued
By John Biggs -
Tech News9 Conspiracy Theories We Wish QAnon People Would Obsess Over Instead
QAnon is, unfortunately, one of the most popular conspiracy theories in town these days. But let’s not forget that there are conspiracy theories that are way more interesting and far less of a threat to American democracy. For those unaware, QAnon is a conspiracy theory that, in general, claims we are governed by Satan-worshipping pedophiles—which … Continued
By Jody Serrano -
Tech NewsInternetThe State of 5G in 2021: Are We There Yet?
About two years ago, wireless carriers in the U.S. and South Korea flipped the switches on the first commercial 5G networks. And while 5G is still in its infancy, now seems like a good time to take stock of where 5G is at right now, and where it’s going. For those who have managed to … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsSamsung Might Have Another Reason Not to Make a New Galaxy Note This Year
Late last year, rumors started swirling that the expansion of stylus support across Samsung’s Galaxy phones might herald the demise of the Galaxy Note, but now Samsung just revealed another reason it might not make a new version of its iconic big-screen phone in 2021. At its recent annual shareholder’s meeting, Samsung co-CEO Koh Dong-jin … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsThe Galaxy A52 and A72 Are the Stars of Samsung’s New Mid-Range Phone Lineup
Earlier this year, Samsung released a new batch of premium phones in the Galaxy S21 lineup, and now the company has returned to give its mid-range handsets a revamp. Meet the new Galaxy A72, A52, and A52 5G. All three phones share similar specs, but there are subtle differences between the two A52 models and … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsI Miss My First PC
Most of my early childhood memories are filled with vivid flashes of new and unusual experiences, like the time I climbed out of my crib and landed flat on my ass. Just a few years later, I remember using my first Windows PC that solidified the trajectory of the rest of my life. It was … Continued
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Tech NewsGadgetsNASA’s Nearly Indestructible Airless Titanium Tires Might Soon Be Available for Your Bike
When you’re exploring another planet, the last thing you want to have to deal with is tire damage when AAA is millions of miles away. It’s a concern that prompted NASA to develop an airless titanium tire that’s flexible like rubber, but nearly indestructible. As has been the case with many of NASA’s inventions over … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy & SecurityRussia ‘Amplified’ the Hunter Biden Story and Spread Election Conspiracy Theories, Intel Agencies Claim
Russia wants America to hate Hunter Biden. That, and other odd claims, are at the heart of a newly declassified report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), meant to examine the role of foreign influence in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. The 15-page report, published Tuesday, says multiple foreign governments used … Continued
By Lucas Ropek -
Tech NewsPoliticsParler’s Horrible Reboot Is Courtesy of ‘Big Checks’ From GOP Mega-Donor Rebekah Mercer
Parler, the right-wing social network that was hounded off the web after many of its users predictably used the site to organize and stream the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, is doubling down on being worse on the dime of its ultra-conservative board chairwoman Rebekah Mercer, according to a Tuesday report by Bloomberg. Apple and Google … Continued
By Tom McKay