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Tech NewsMoto Z2 Force Still Has Those Sad Mods, But Maybe the Phone Will Be Good This Time
Motorola stands alone. Last year LG and Google both killed their respective modular phones. So the new Moto Z2 Force, with its small array of magnetic attachments, is the closest thing we have to a smartphone with customizable modular hardware. No one actually wants this, but that’s not stopping Motorola from doubling down and insisting … Continued
By Alex Cranz -
Tech NewsSploidAn Incredible Camcorder Tour of the Gadgets That Made Nerds Drool in 1987
Fifty years ago the first Consumer Electronics Show was held in New York City, giving local nerds a sneak peek at all the electronic toys arriving in 1967. Twenty years later, Art Vuolo attended the ‘Summer’ edition of the trade show with a giant camera on his shoulder, giving us a wonderful time capsule of … Continued
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Tech NewsMicrosoftJust How Dead Is Microsoft Paint? [Updated]
This morning, Windows users woke to terrible news: Microsoft was reportedly axing its beloved Microsoft Paint. The program, which has been annotating our memes, creating our webcomics, and teaching us how to art since 1985, is on Microsoft’s list of Windows features to be removed or deprecated in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. But … Continued
By Alex Cranz -
Tech NewsGoogleLenovo’s Folding Tablet Prototype Is My Dream Gadget
At Lenovo’s Tech World conference in San Francisco last week, the company showed off Folio, a fully-functional prototype with flexible screen that allows it to transform from a smartphone-sized mobile device to a larger tablet. The idea, of course, is to put the best features of both devices into a gadget you can easily carry … Continued
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Tech NewsPerennial Runner-Up Lyft Joins Race to Develop Self-Driving Cars
As Uber implodes spectacularly, ride-hailing company Lyft is again following its biggest competitor’s footsteps, this time diving headfirst into a massive autonomous car project that could someday send its human drivers off to some other corner of the godforsaken sharing economy. In a multi-outlet embargo bonanza, Lyft announced today that it’s creating a self-driving car … Continued
By Harri Weber -
Tech NewsApple
iPhone 4S Owner Sues Apple After ‘Defective’ Battery Allegedly Starts House Fire
A woman from Wisconsin and insurance company State Farm are suing Apple for $75,000, claiming the tech giant sold her a “defective” iPhone 4S that caused a fire in her home—not unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7. Xai Thao and State Farm claim “the design, manufacture, and sale of the iPhone created a dangerous, unsafe, and … Continued
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ReviewsGamingIf You Actually Want to Play Games, Get the New Nintendo 2DS XL
The Nintendo Switch exists, and is a fantastic gaming system that you can, in a pinch, play in a bar, a car, or on the train. Phones exist too, and the games on them are better than ever. So why the hell should you own anything else? Because games. The Switch’s library is still small, … Continued
By Alex Cranz -
Tech News
After Raising $62 Million, Overpriced Shipping Startup Can’t Find Enough Lazy Customers
After raising millions from some of the most influential investors in Silicon Valley, Shyp—a startup that picks up your stuff and ships it for you—told users today that it’s significantly downsizing its service, cancelling operations in three cities: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. It’s also laying off some of the people who work at … Continued
By Harri Weber -
Tech NewsGadgetsHow to Access the Amazon Echo Show’s Hidden Web Browser
Amazon’s Alexa-powered obelisk is built for a lot of things, but accessing webpages isn’t one of them. “Alexa, take me to Google.com” is met with a puzzled “I can’t find that skill” from Jeff Bezos’s newest user data sponge. But with a bizarre workaround, there is a way to access a very, very limited browser … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
Tech NewsBuild This DIY Cannon to Catch Rogue Drones
Unlike an RC car that will simply crash into a wall if you lose control, an expensive drone can potentially fly for miles after it stops heeding your remote’s commands. But while a shotgun can blast your treasured robot out of the sky before causes any trouble, this net-firing, air-powered, anti-drone cannon seems like a … Continued
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Tech NewsFacebook
Millions of People Just Watched a ‘Live’ GIF on Facebook for Hours
Earlier today, approximately 17 million Facebook Live users tuned in to an awe-inspiring video of nature at its fiercest: a massive, swirling supercell storm. In the sense that “live” means “actually happening right now,” however, this stream was 100 percent fake. As many commenters surmised, the “stream” was little more than a short, looping gif … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
Tech News
Elon Musk Says He Got ‘Verbal Govt Approval’ for Hyperloop From NY to DC [Updated]
Elon Musk tweeted this morning that he has received “verbal” government approval for his Boring Company to build an underground Hyperloop tunnel connecting New York City and Washington, DC. According to Musk, a Hyperloop passenger would be able to travel between the two city centers in 29 minutes. His plans also include stops in Philadelphia … Continued
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Tech News
Twitter Says It’s a Safer Place, But There’s No Hard Data to Prove It
Twitter claims it has become a safer site thanks to all its anti-abuse efforts, but there’s no way to tell if that’s true because the company didn’t share any hard numbers behind its data. In a closed-door meeting with reporters from several outlets this week this week, Twitter said it’s taking action against 10 times … Continued
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ReviewsHome Entertainment & Smart HomeThe Biem Butter Sprayer Solves My Most Pressing First World Problem
I hate getting anything greasy on my hands. That includes moisturizer, sunscreen, olive oil, margarine, and butter. Until recently I had reserved myself to living a life of dry toast and flavorless corn-on-the-cob, but then a one-trick kitchen gadget came along with exactly the one-trick I desperately wanted. You might assume there are only two … Continued
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Tech News
Atari’s ‘Speakerhat’ Is the Asshat Asshats Have Been Waiting For
You’ve probably called someone an asshat before. But do you know what an asshat literally is? It’s this. This Speakerhat is an asshat. It is a hat with two embedded speakers and a microphone that connects to your phone via Bluetooth. It’s for the casual hat-wearer who wants to bathe their face in music, but … Continued
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Tech News
Even Intel Thinks Wearables Don’t Stand a Chance
Wearables are out and augmented reality is in over at Intel. CNBC is reporting that Intel completely shuttered its wearables division just two weeks ago, and the New Technologies group that housed the division is now focused on augmented reality. From one fad to another, Intel is trying to chase the next big thing. AR … Continued
By Alex Cranz -
Tech News
Genius Converts an ’80s Intercom Into a Google Home With Raspberry Pi
When it comes to homebrew projects, Google is actually a pretty cool company. Unlike some of its rivals in Silicon Valley—particularly in Cupertino—the search giant sometimes likes to help people hack into its hardware and make it their own. The latest example of this fine tradition helped one crafty British man turn a vintage intercom … Continued
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Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
Uber and Airbnb Want To Tap Into India’s Massive and Controversial Biometric Database [Updated]
The Indian government spent seven years compiling a national database that includes citizens’ iris scans, fingerprints, addresses, and phone numbers—and now Airbnb, Uber, and India ride-hailing service Ola are all interested in incorporating the system into their services, according to a report from BuzzFeed News. The national ID database, Aadhar, contains information on about 90 … Continued
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Tech NewsSamsungCheck Out How Samsung Describes Its Male and Female Bixby Assistants [UPDATED]
After months of delays, Samsung’s much ballyhooed voice assistant Bixby is here—and users on social media are already noticing the company’s loaded, sexist characterizations of its female and male voices. Inside Bixby’s “language and speaking style” menu, Samsung describes its female voice as “chipper” and “cheerful,” while the male voice is described as “confident” and … Continued
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Tech NewsSamsung
Samsung Galaxy S8’s Killer Feature Lands Months Late
Samsung’s AI assistant Bixby is finally available in the US—months late. But, hey, at least it doesn’t explode. Akin to Google’s Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, Bixby is a voice service that lives inside the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus smartphones. It was first announced in March and was supposed to arrive by the end of … Continued