thenextweb.com

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Geeky international news on technology, business and culture.

AI startup Sereact lands €25M to give dumb robots better brains

20 January 2025 @ 10:57 am

Stuttgart, Germany-based Sereact has secured €25mn to advance its embodied AI software that enables robots to carry out tasks they were never trained to do.  “With our technology, robots act situationally rather than following rigidly programmed sequences. They adapt to dynamic tasks in real-time, enabling an unprecedented level of autonomy,” said Ralf Gulde, CEO and co-founder of Sereact (short for “sense, reason, act”). Early Spotify and Klarna-backer Creandum led the Series A round. Existing investors Point Nine and Air Street Capital also chipped in as did several prominent angel investors. These include former Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg, ex-DeepMind…

Digital twins of cities to expand under plans from new Dutch startup Scenexus

17 January 2025 @ 2:48 pm

A startup called Scenexus has unveiled plans to build digital twins of cities around the world. A spin-off from Dutch research organisation TNO, Scenexus launched this week with a new platform for urban planning. The software blends multiple datasets to clone entire cities and regions. Planners and engineers then use the replicas to precisely analyse the impacts of their ideas. According to Scenexus, the platform can accelerate their assessments from days to just minutes. They can then forecast the social, environmental, and economic impacts of developments. A host of factors can be reviewed, from traffic and safety to financial growth…

This robot worm digs for geothermal energy in your backyard

17 January 2025 @ 11:19 am

Four billion years ago, Earth was a fiery, tumultuous world of molten rock, volcanic eruptions, and toxic skies, with searing heat and the constant threat of asteroid impacts. Thankfully, our planet has cooled off a bit since then. Nevertheless, the Earth still radiates vast amounts of geothermal energy. It’s a clean, limitless, always-on power source lying beneath our feet — we just have to dig for it. Or get robots to do the hard work for us.  Borobotics, a startup from Switzerland, has developed an autonomous drilling machine — dubbed the “world’s most powerful worm” — that promises to make…

GenAI deals with news giants increase as Mistral partners with AFP

16 January 2025 @ 4:40 pm

Yet another deal has been signed between a publisher and a GenAI leader. Paris startup Mistral and news outlet Agence France-Presse (AFP) announced today that they are combining their services to improve AI responses. The deal provides Mistral’s chatbot — imaginatively named Le Chat — with access to all of AFP’s text stories.  According to Mistral, the integration will bring “enhanced factuality” to the AI assistant. “Partnering with a globally trusted news agency like AFP allows Le Chat to offer reliable, factual, and up-to-date responses, verified by professional journalists,” said Arthur Mensch, the startup’s CEO and co-founder. Mistral also highlighted…

Quantum Brilliance secures $20M for portable diamond-based accelerators

15 January 2025 @ 11:00 am

Australian-German startup Quantum Brilliance has raised $20mn in Series A funding as it looks to deploy small, portable quantum accelerators that promise to supercharge the computational power of everything from data centres and robots to satellites. A quantum accelerator is a specialised hardware unit that speeds up specific quantum algorithms, or tasks. They act as co-processors to classical computers, such as CPUs or GPUs, taking on specific quantum calculations.   Austrian deep tech fund Main Sequence, In-Q-Tel (IQT) in the US, and Japan’s Intervalley Ventures led the funding round. “It represents a significant step forward as we advance the design, performance,…

TNW Conference 2025 is reborn — with a new startup mission

15 January 2025 @ 10:11 am

TNW Conference will be born again this summer. Over 18 years of unforgettable events, countless future tech stars have used our stage as a springboard to success. We’ve driven vast investments, showcased endless innovations, and made friends along the way. We’ve also learnt from our mistakes. But don’t worry, fellow kids — we’re not getting old yet. We’re still mixing serious business with festival vibes. We are, however, shaking the party up a bit. To celebrate our coming of age, we’re going back to our roots. Today, we’re relaunching TNW Conference with a renewed focus on our founding mission: elevating…

Synthesia becomes UK’s biggest GenAI company with $2.1B valuation

15 January 2025 @ 7:00 am

Synthesia has claimed the crown of Britain’s biggest GenAI company after raising $180mn at a $2.1bn valuation. The London-based business generates lifelike avatars for video content. Enterprises use the software to produce training content and corporate communications. The tech has made Synthesia a leader in the burgeoning synthetic media industry. According to the startup, over 60,000 businesses are customers — including more than 60% of the Fortune 100. Investors have also shown a growing interest. In 2023, Synthesia earned unicorn status after securing $90 million in Series C funding at a valuation of $1 billion.  The latest cash injection creates another…

Dutch startup Shift plans to build $250M ‘world wonder’ to inspire climate action

15 January 2025 @ 6:00 am

Shift, a social enterprise founded by Dutch tech entrepreneur Don Ritzen, has announced its ambitious plans to construct a massive landmark designed to inspire action on climate change.  Shift aims to attract 1 million annual visitors to the “New World Wonder,” which it estimates will cost up to $250mn. The startup plans to build the monument in the Netherlands, and if that’s successful, construct one on every continent.   “Civilisations before us built grand monuments to celebrate gods, momentous events or industrial progress,” Ritzen told TNW over the phone. “I truly believe that our generation needs something equally big and extraordinary…

Fintech startup LemFi raises $53M to help immigrants send money back home

14 January 2025 @ 2:52 pm

Coming from South Africa but living in Europe, I can tell you that sending money to family and friends back home is a bit of a nightmare. Typically you must use a traditional bank, which can take a week or more, or payment apps like PayPal or Wise, which charge high fees.  The antiquated nature of remittance payments is something that immigrants are all too familiar with. Demand for better alternatives is giving rise to a new cohort of fintech companies looking to streamline the process. One of them is London-headquartered LemFi. Founded in 2021, the financial services platform enables…

AI tools to elevate your job search in 2025

14 January 2025 @ 11:58 am

More than half of knowledge workers now use generative AI weekly, according to a recent piece of research from Asana’s Work Innovation Lab, in partnership with Anthropic. The study also found that takeup ramped up by 44% over nine months in 2024. And those who use AI daily benefit most. Eighty-nine percent reported a productivity boost, whereas casual monthly users only saw a 39% increase in productivity. The report also found that knowledge workers believe generative AI has the potential to automate 31% of their job responsibilities. And the more ways they use AI tools at work, the more possibilities…

arstechnica.com

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Serving the Technologist for more than a decade. IT news, reviews, and analysis.

RIP EA’s Origin launcher: We knew ye all too well, unfortunately

21 January 2025 @ 9:17 pm

End of 32-bit Windows support put the nail in the coffin.

Apple Intelligence, previously opt-in by default, enabled automatically in iOS 18.3

21 January 2025 @ 8:33 pm

Opting out is still possible in Settings, but only after setup is complete.

Cutting-edge Chinese “reasoning” model rivals OpenAI o1—and it’s free to download

21 January 2025 @ 6:28 pm

DeepSeek R1 is free to run locally and modify, and it matches OpenAI's o1 in several benchmarks.

Satellite firm bucks miniaturization trend, aims to build big for big rockets

21 January 2025 @ 6:04 pm

"We decided to go after one of the big problems."

How to get a perfect salt ring deposit in your pasta pot

21 January 2025 @ 5:41 pm

Particle diameter, height from which they fall through water, and particle volume are key factors.

Trump issues flurry of orders on TikTok, DOGE, social media, AI, and energy

21 January 2025 @ 4:56 pm

A roundup of executive orders issued by Trump after his second inauguration.

Southern California wildfires likely outpace ability of wildlife to adapt

21 January 2025 @ 3:35 pm

Even species that evolved with wildfires, like mountain lions, are struggling.

California’s air pollution waiver and the “EV mandate” are banned by Trump

21 January 2025 @ 1:19 pm

Among the new president's many executive orders were attacks on clean vehicle policies.

Trump orders US withdrawal from the World Health Organization

21 January 2025 @ 3:35 am

A withdrawal from the UN health agency is a yearlong process.

Report: Apple Mail is getting automatic categories on iPadOS and macOS

20 January 2025 @ 10:28 pm

It's pretty smart, but it doesn't require Apple Intelligence.

gizmag.com

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odd look at news on the web

Super-functional remote packs a wireless mouse, trackpad and laser beam

21 January 2025 @ 6:08 pm

The Xring D13 is presently on KickstarterThere are wireless computer mice, touchpads, TV remotes, and laser pointers … and then there's the Xring D13. It combines all of those tools in one wireless device, which could be yours for US$109.Continue ReadingCategory: Electronics, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: Mouse, Remot

Monochrome e-note grows E Ink productivity to 13 inches

21 January 2025 @ 3:57 pm

If you like to scribble thoughts on paper but are looking for something less wasteful and more modern, an e-note can be a great option. BOOX has just launched its 13.3-inch Note Max, an ePaper tablet featuring E Ink Carta 1300 for sharp visuals.Continue ReadingCategory: Mobile Technology, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags: E-Ink, Productivity,

Triple-laser smart projector can throw 300-inch billion-color visuals

21 January 2025 @ 12:27 pm

The VisionMaster Pro 2 officially launches in February, after being part of a successful Kickstarter in 2024 that raised more than $10 millionAfter raising more than $10 million in crowdfunded cash last year, Valerion has announced the official consumer launch of its VisionMaster Pro 2 triple-laser long-throw smart projector – with Google TV loaded in for streaming entertainment.Continue ReadingCategory: Home Entertainment, Consumer Tech, TechnologyTags:

Huge duplex tiny house fits two homes on a single trailer

21 January 2025 @ 10:38 am

The TinyPlex is a duplex tiny house – so it holds two homes on one trailer – that costs US$118,500The TinyPlex is an unusually large towable dwelling. It consists of not just one but two homes, each of which measures 200 sq ft (18.6 sq m) and has an open and light-filled layout that sleeps up to two people.Continue ReadingCategory: Tiny Houses, LifestyleTags: Building and Construction,

Film sets of the near future: Just as fake as the 'film' itself

21 January 2025 @ 6:52 am

If you want to understand the cataclysmic impact generative AI is about to have on the film industry, this one short video should make it very clear. Only one shot is 'real' - and that includes the 'behind-the-scenes footage.'Continue ReadingCategory: AI & Humanoids, TechnologyTags: Creative AI, AI Art and Music, Google DeepMind

New fuel withstands nuclear thermal propulsion reactor conditions

21 January 2025 @ 6:34 am

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has successfully tested the nuclear fuel that may one day propel and power the spacecraft of the future. The trials verify that the fuel can survive the harsh environment of a nuclear rocket reactor.Continue ReadingCategory: Space, ScienceTags: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Nuclear Rocket, Fuel, Rocket

Cube-inspired e-scooter offers unique "range boost" feature

21 January 2025 @ 2:45 am

The TVS Vision iQube is a cube-inspired electric scooter conceptElectric motorcycles have gotten wild in recent times. We’ve seen some whacky concepts … from a transparent electric motorcycle that looks like a Nintendo console to a folding electric motorcycle. Now, the India-based TVS motor has whipped up a rather funky cube-inspired electric scooter concept.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: Scooter, TVS Motor

Production version of striking HydroBlade e-foil debuts at CES

20 January 2025 @ 11:57 pm

The production version of the HydroBlade (minus its proprietary front canard) presented on a wheeled stand at CES 2025It was two years ago that we first heard about the HydroBlade, a unique electric hydrofoil (e-foil) board that sports a set of handlebars. Well, its designers are now accepting preorders for the just-revealed production model, which should ship later this year.Continue ReadingCategory: Marine, TransportTags: eFoil,

Zen one-legged telescoping stool gets a stronger, comfier upgrade

20 January 2025 @ 7:09 pm

The new version of the Sitpack Zen stool can be deployed in just a few secondsHaving to stand for long periods of time can be a drag, but so can carrying a full-size folding chair everywhere you go. The Sitpack Zen offers a telescoping one-legged alternative, and it's now being offered in a new-and-improved form.Continue ReadingCategory: Outdoors, LifestyleTags: Chair, Collapsible,

Loaded carbon fiber gravel ebike offers lights, camera and action

20 January 2025 @ 5:04 pm

The Cyctron Infini X1 is presently on KickstarterWhile some ebikes just stick to being bikes with motors, others really lean into the electronic bells and whistles. With features such as a camera, lights and a power bank, the carbon fiber Infini X1 definitely falls into the latter pack.Continue ReadingCategory: Bicycles, TransportTags: ebikes, Carbon+Fibre, Cycling,

superuser.com

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Super User is a Q&A site for computer enthusiasts that’s free. Free to ask questions, free to answer questions, free to read, free to index

Private Key recovery

22 January 2025 @ 2:22 am

How do I find my private Key Password in Windows 11. I do not remember assigning a Password to Private Key, This is a new HP Laptop I received for Christmas 2024. I am now getting familiar with it. Help would be greatly appreciated. Thank You

Why am I getting "broken pipe" errors in my remote backup scripts after years of stable operation?

22 January 2025 @ 1:43 am

I have the following setup: loon: System76 laptop running Pop OS 22.04 at home. acme: Raspberry Pi running at another residence. Both residences use ISP-provided modems. I wrote some scripts using rsync to do backups from loon to acme. This has been running without incident for six years, between the same two locations (and with different Pop OS versions on loon). In the last few weeks, rsync operations have been failing with broken pipe messages. Trying to simplify, I established that rsync is not the problem, but transfers through ssh seem to be the problem. I established that using this command on loon: tar cf - SOME_DIR | ssh root@acme tar xf - This seems to work consistently with streams under 10MB. A 78MB stream that I tested with fails about half the time. I have used strace to determine that a write operation issued by tar cf (running on loon, the client), experiences a SIGPIPE

Showing a specific day on google sheets for covers

22 January 2025 @ 1:22 am

I need help preparing a spreadsheet for our school team of 8 coworkers. I want to create a sheet that displays everyone's timetables side by side for a given day. This will make it easier to find coverage when someone is sick. Currently, my supervisor has to look at 9 different papers, which is challenging, especially since we find out about absences between 6-7 am and need to arrange cover by 8 am. My supervisor uses a Google Doc for each coworker’s schedule, with some cells merged. We’d like to keep this format to minimize changes. I’ve copied each schedule into one sheet (one per coworker). If the timetable changes, we can easily copy and paste the updates from the Google Doc. The idea is to use the main sheet to display schedules for a selected day by choosing from a dropdown in cell A1 (merged for better visibility). I’ve figured out how to display the information for a specific coworker and day (e.g., Main, Lika, Monday) using the dropdown feature.

What is a "good" way to back up my data?

22 January 2025 @ 1:02 am

I make music, art, and writings. My pictures are backed up on a hard disk and also on Google (multiple accounts). My music and art is backed up on a variety of websites and cloud services, my writings are backed up with Syncthing on multiple devices and then again on github (the ones that do not include private details). All my non-suitable-to-public data is archived either in a password protected folder or on external drives. I would like to streamline a little bit. My ultimate solution would be multiple NAS devices at my relatives houses that would sync up overnight to store everything, at least a NAS at home with a cloud backup solution. However, would it be equally reasonable just to use a cloud service to back stuff up? I'm incredible organized so I really only need maybe half a terabyte for the vitals, but could see myself using 10 tb over the next decade.

how to extract filtered data from excel?

22 January 2025 @ 12:51 am

I want to save into a file (CSV or a simple text file) a selection of cells filtered. if I try my code or some other code it takes also the cells unfiltered. is it possible ? Sub EstraiTabellaInFileTesto() Dim ws As Worksheet Dim rng As Range Dim cell As Range Dim testo As String Dim percorsoFile As String Dim FSO As Object Dim fileTesto As Object ' Imposta il foglio attivo Set ws = ActiveSheet ' Chiedi all'utente di selezionare l'intervallo On Error Resume Next Set rng = Application.InputBox("Seleziona l'intervallo di celle da esportare:", Type:=8) On Error GoTo 0 If rng Is Nothing Then MsgBox "Operazione annullata.", vbExclamation Exit Sub End If ' Chiedi il percorso del file di testo percorsoFile = Application.GetSaveAsFilename(FileFilter:="File di testo (*.txt), *.txt") If percorsoFile = "Falso" Then

Deploying Redis Cluster on Kubernetes with Operator Pattern: Master and Slave Deployment Strategy

22 January 2025 @ 12:19 am

I'm planning to deploy a Redis cluster on Kubernetes using the operator pattern. Here's my current approach: Master Deployment: Redis master instances will be deployed using a single master Deployment. This allows me to scale the master Deployment horizontally using an HPA (Horizontal Pod Autoscaler). The reason for using an HPA is to handle scaling based on CPU load effectively. Slave Deployment: Redis slave instances will be deployed using a separate slave Deployment. My reasoning is that slaves might face memory issues, so I want to enable HPA only for the slave Deployment. Here's my question: Should I manage the slaves in a single Deployment or create one Deployment per master instance? For example, if my custom resource definition (CRD) spec is: master: 2 replicas: 1 This means: 1 master Deployment with replicas: 2. For

UltraVNC server and client pair sending unknown server message types: 173, 13, and 7

21 January 2025 @ 11:56 pm

I am trying to write a VNC proxy application that amongst other things records the RFB traffic passing between a VNC server and client to an FBS file. When the server and client are both UltraVNC version 1.4.3.6 there are four messages sent which are not listed in the RFB spec https://github.com/rfbproto/rfbproto/blob/master/rfbproto.rst with IDs of 173, 13, and 7. Wireshark trace showing unknown server message type First instance of message 173 Message 13 Second instance of 173 Messa

How can I combine two File Explorer windows into one without using drag and drop?

21 January 2025 @ 11:43 pm

I use Windows 11 24H2 Pro's File Explorer. I have opened 2 File Explorer windows. How can I combine them into a single File Explorer window without using drag and drop? The single window would contain all the tabs that each of the two File Explorer windows contain.

How to make Chrome 132+ stop nagging about security on localhost?

21 January 2025 @ 11:07 pm

Make Chrome 132 stop nagging about insecure localhost I just downloaded Chrome portable 132 and the "flags" that were available are now missing. I know the certificate for localhost is "self-signed". No, I don't care, I'm not hacking or spying on myself. Testing locally before deploying to a live server will never become obsolete. No, previous threads are no longer valid as the referenced flags are, obviously, missing. How do I make Chrome 132 stop nagging about localhost not being "secure?"

Is there a way in macOS to get a full recursive directory listing from an SMB share all at once, without explicitly walking all directories?

21 January 2025 @ 11:01 pm

The included macOS smbutil command doesn't seem to have such a capability. Perhaps smbclient can do this, but that command doesn't seem to be available for macOS (at least I can't brew install it). My current hack is to depend on also having an ssh connection to my file server (something I hate to depend on) and parsing the results of a remotely-executed command. This is WAY faster (~1 second vs. ~90 seconds) than reading the top directory of a mounted SBM share, reading all of its sub-directories, then the sub-sub-directories, etc. I'm hoping to be able to accomplish something with similarly fast performance which relies on nothing more than the SMB protocol and and existing mounted SMB share. I'm working in TypeScript/NodeJS, so I'd prefer something I can access without dealing with native macOS code if I can avoid that.

codinghorror.com

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Programming and human factors

Stay Gold, America

7 January 2025 @ 7:42 am

We are at an unprecedented point in American history, and I'm concerned we may lose sight of the American Dream.

The Great Filter Comes For Us All

2 December 2024 @ 6:25 pm

With a 13 billion year head start on evolution, why haven't any other forms of life in the universe contacted us by now?teaching the aliens how to exit Vim(Arrival is a fantastic movie. Watch it, but don't stop there - read the

I Fight For The Users

30 November 2023 @ 8:11 pm

If you haven't been able to keep up with my blistering pace of one blog post per year, I don't blame you. There's a lot going on right now. It's a busy time. But let's pause and take a moment

The 2030 Self-Driving Car Bet

4 March 2022 @ 6:53 pm

It's my honor to announce that John Carmack and I have initiated a friendly bet of $10,000* to the 501(c)(3) charity of the winner’s choice:By January 1st, 2030, completely autonomous self-driving cars meeting SAE J3016 level 5 will be commercially available for

Updating The Single Most Influential Book of the BASIC Era

31 December 2021 @ 11:49 pm

In a way, these two books are responsible for my entire professional career.With early computers, you didn't boot up to a fancy schmancy desktop, or a screen full of apps you could easily poke and prod with your finger. No, those computers booted up to the command

Building a PC, Part IX: Downsizing

19 April 2020 @ 11:56 pm

Hard to believe that I've had the same PC case since 2011, and my last serious upgrade was in 2015. I guess that's yet another sign that the PC is over, because PC upgrades have gotten really boring. It took 5 years for me to muster

The Rise of the Electric Scooter

12 September 2019 @ 7:24 am

In an electric car, the (enormous) battery is a major part of the price. If electric car prices are decreasing, battery costs must be decreasing, because it's not like the cost of fabricating rubber, aluminum, glass, and steel into car shapes can decline that much, right? ev-battery-costs On an

Electric Geek Transportation Systems

20 August 2019 @ 11:35 am

I've never thought of myself as a "car person". The last new car I bought (and in fact, now that I think about it, the first new car I ever bought) was the quirky 1998 Ford Contour SVT. Since then we bought a VW station wagon

An Exercise Program for the Fat Web

30 May 2019 @ 11:04 am

When I wrote about App-pocalypse Now in 2014, I implied the future still belonged to the web. And it does. But it's also true that the web has changed a lot in the last 10 years, much less the last 20 or 30. fat city Websites have gotten a lot

The Cloud Is Just Someone Else's Computer

17 February 2019 @ 2:15 am

When we started Discourse in 2013, our server requirements were high: 1GB RAM modern, fast dual core CPU speedy solid state drive with 20+ GB I'm not talking about a cheapo shared cpanel server, either, I mean a dedicated virtual private server with those specifications. We were OK

gizmodo.com

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Gadgets and hardware gossip mainly written by SJWs.

The huffingtonpost of tech.

Using Thoughts Alone, Paralyzed Man Flies Virtual Drone With Remarkable Precision

21 January 2025 @ 7:20 pm

Screenshot Of Virtual Drone ControlThe brain–computer interface allowed the participant to control the drone with six times the accuracy of EEG-based systems.

You Can Now Watch More Orlok Seduction in Nosferatu‘s Extended Cut

21 January 2025 @ 7:00 pm

Lily Rose Depp NosferatuRobert Eggers' moody vampire film starring Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgård, and Nicholas Hoult is now available on digital.

The U.S. Constitution Delivers a 404 Now

21 January 2025 @ 6:40 pm

The White House URL that used to include the U.S. Constitution.Democracy not found.

Elon Musk Admits to Paying People to Play Video Games for Him

21 January 2025 @ 6:10 pm

The world’s richest man doesn’t have time to level his characters but wants people to see him as a ‘living god of video games.’

Being a Manga Letterer Is More Than Having a Fun Job

21 January 2025 @ 5:55 pm

Yen Press The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy At All Green Yuri Tgswiiwaga Manga Aya Osawa Sumiko Araimitsuki KogaTypesetting popular manga like Dandadan, Kaiju No. 8, and Gokurakugai can be crushing for its pool of mostly freelance workers.

Why Trump’s Decision to Leave the WHO Is a Catastrophe in the Making

21 January 2025 @ 5:45 pm

WhoFrom bird flu to polio, the U.S. leaving the WHO would weaken global public health in ways big and small.

Eufy’s Solar Security Camera Is Back at 50% Off, the Best Price You’ll Ever Find

21 January 2025 @ 5:40 pm

EufysolocomKeep a watchful eye on your home for less with this can't-miss security deal.

Amid Criticism, IMDb Founder Col Needham Steps Down as CEO After 35 Years

21 January 2025 @ 5:25 pm

#imdboat At San Diego Comic Con 2017: Day TwoThe site has been criticized by loyal users over disbanding of message boards and poorly-received redesigns.

The Next Era of Marvel’s Star Wars Comics Will Head Into the New Republic

21 January 2025 @ 5:15 pm

Marvel Star Wars Han Luke Leia New RepublicAn expected-yet-unexpected move will see the next volume of Marvel's Star Wars ongoing explore the early days of the New Republic.

Trump Orders Government to Stop ‘Trampling’ Conservatives on Social Media

21 January 2025 @ 5:00 pm

Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk stand in a line during the Inauguration of Donald J. Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.The president has frequently railed against anti-conservative bias on social media and once threatened to jail Mark Zuckerberg.

techradar.com

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All the latest technology reviews

Microsoft wants AI to make searching for files a more casual experience

21 January 2025 @ 10:00 pm

Microsoft tests A-powered Windows search.

OpenAI Operator leak suggests it's coming to the ChatGPT Mac app soon – here’s why it’s a big deal

21 January 2025 @ 8:30 pm

ChatGPT's Operator agent could be coming to its Mac app very soon.

Trump issues executive order to make DOGE official, targets "software modernization"

21 January 2025 @ 7:00 pm

Executive order could give the Department of Government Efficiency official powers.

Small and mighty, this 2lbs Android tablet has a 10 inch display and can even be used in heavy rain

21 January 2025 @ 6:32 pm

Getac ZX10 has two batteries that can be swapped to avoid downtime.

Asus Tarius VR headset could use the Meta Quest 3’s best feature to defeat it – and it already sounds like the headset of my dreams

21 January 2025 @ 6:00 pm

Asus Tarius VR leak proves why we should be excited for non-Quest Horizon OS headsets.

Korg's new portable turntables make me want to hit the streets and rock some blocks

21 January 2025 @ 5:50 pm

Get-up-and-go turntables for DJs and digital music fans alike

G.Skill DDR5 RAM is overclocked to a blazing 12,054MT/s with no liquid nitrogen needed – just air cooling

21 January 2025 @ 5:25 pm

DDR5 overclock using air cooling is seriously impressive, albeit with a slight catch.

A Diablo 4 port is reportedly in development for Nintendo Switch 2

21 January 2025 @ 5:21 pm

Diablo 4 is reportedly coming to Nintendo Switch 2.

The Night Agent season 2's first five minutes have been released early, and Gabriel Basso's Peter Sutherland is forced to flee when a job goes awry

21 January 2025 @ 5:10 pm

Netflix has unveiled the first few minutes from The Night Agent season 2 just two days before it's released.

This cheap Bluetooth speaker could be the perfect companion for the hygge lifestyle I wish I had

21 January 2025 @ 5:07 pm

Want a portable Bluetooth speaker that vaguely reminds you of Baby Yoda? Meet the Happy Plugs Joy.

techcrunch.com

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TechCrunch is a group-edited blog that profiles the companies, products and events defining and transforming the new web.

LimeWire AI Studio Review 2023: Details, Pricing & Features

12 December 2023 @ 4:10 pm

 In the rapidly advancing landscape of AI technology and innovation, LimeWire emerges as a unique platform in the realm of generative AI tools. This platform not only stands out from the multitude of existing AI tools but also brings a fresh approach to content generation. LimeWire not only empowers users to create AI content but also provides creators with creative ways to share and monetize their creations.As we explore LimeWire, our aim is to uncover its features, benefits for creators, and the exciting possibilities it offers for AI content generation. This platform presents an opportunity for users to harness the power of AI in image creation, all while enjoying the advantages of a free and accessible service.

ProWritingAid VS Grammarly: Which Grammar Checker is Better in (2022) ?

13 March 2022 @ 3:04 pm

Grammarly vs prowritingaidProWritingAid VS Grammarly:

Sellfy Review 2022: How Good Is This Ecommerce Platform?

12 March 2022 @ 11:54 am

 SellfyAre you searching for an

TheRegister.co.uk

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Sci/Tech News for the World

PowerSchool theft latest: Decades of Canadian student records, data from 40-plus US states feared stolen

22 January 2025 @ 1:02 am

Lawsuits pile up after database accessed by miscreants Canada's largest school board has revealed that student records dating back to 1985 may have been accessed by miscreants who compromised software provider PowerSchool.…

App stores unconvinced by Trump's TikTok ban pause, which may itself be on shaky legal ground

21 January 2025 @ 10:45 pm

El Reg asked a lawyer to explain WTH is going on Analysis  President Trump's executive order stalling the enforcement of the TikTok ban in the United States has created legal uncertainty for companies hosting or distributing the app. To further confuse the matter, it's not even clear that Trump's decree is within his power to issue or enforce. …

Atlassian's Bitbucket Cloud went down 'hard' today

21 January 2025 @ 8:15 pm

Same, Big A, same If you were unable to access Atlassian's Bitbucket Cloud today, it's because in the words of the IT giant, the service was "hard down."…

Patch procrastination leaves 50,000 Fortinet firewalls vulnerable to zero-day

21 January 2025 @ 6:45 pm

Seven days after disclosure and little action taken, data shows Fortinet customers need to get with the program and apply the latest updates as nearly 50,000 management interfaces are still vulnerable to the latest zero-day exploit.…

Trump hits undo on Biden AI safety order, EV mandate, emissions standards, and more

21 January 2025 @ 5:30 pm

Also, prepare for paused wind projects and the Gulf of America from Trump 2.0 – and that's just day 1 US President Donald Trump has wasted no time in culling Biden-era programs, including the elimination of the prior administration's executive orders on AI safety and electric vehicles, and freezing funds for EV infrastructure.…

Neural interface lets paralyzed person steer virtual quadcopter, opening new doors for gaming

21 January 2025 @ 4:57 pm

Researchers aim to tackle unmet needs for social connection and recreation Scientists in the US have developed a neural interface that enables an individual with paralysis to control a virtual quadcopter by decoding brain activity into distinct finger movements.…

Words alone won't get the stars and stripes to Mars

21 January 2025 @ 3:32 pm

So you want to go to the Red Planet. How deep are your pockets and how much time do you have? Comment  "America is going to Mars," said Elon Musk at yesterday's inauguration of US President Donald Trump. America is already there, thanks to decades of robotic exploration.…

Meta, X sign up to Euro Commish code of conduct on hate speech

21 January 2025 @ 2:45 pm

Under Digital Services Act, monitors will be allowed to report abusive language and platforms should respond in 1 day Online platform companies, including X and Meta, have signed up to a new code of conduct aimed at targeting online hate speech, which the European Commission has now baked into the Digital Services Act.…

Tariff uncertainty looms large over budget conscious CIOs

21 January 2025 @ 2:00 pm

It’s a feature not a bug, and what the US electorate voted for, says analyst As US president Donald Trump's inauguration passes into history, tech leaders face uncertainty as they wait to see if repeated promises of global US import tariffs are put into action.…

HPE probes IntelBroker's bold data theft boasts

21 January 2025 @ 1:19 pm

Incident response protocols engaged following claims of source code burglary Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is probing assertions made by prolific Big Tech intruder IntelBroker that they broke into the US corporation's systems and accessed source code, among other things.…

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Donald Trump pardons Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht

22 January 2025 @ 1:02 am

President Donald Trump has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road who was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of money laundering, narcotics trafficking and computer hacking. “I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright [sic] to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Ulbricht has been serving a life sentence since 2015. Prosecutors

Netflix plans now cost between $8 and $25 after yet another subscription price hike

21 January 2025 @ 11:43 pm

Netflix has released its earnings figures for the fourth quarter of 2024. While a lot of the results seem like good news for the company's shareholders, like operating income of more than $10 billion and a 16 percent revenue increase, there's a sting in the tail for its viewers. Subscription prices are going up yet again, starting today. "As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix," the company said in its shareholder letter. "To that end, we are adjusting prices today across most plans in the US, Canada, Portug

Report: Meta could release its first true AR headset as soon as 2027

21 January 2025 @ 10:25 pm

Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has released a report about Meta's next steps in hardware, crediting sources familiar with the company's work. According to these insiders, Meta is developing at least three new smart glasses models and has set a roadmap toward releasing its first true augmented reality glasses. The company is reportedly also continuing efforts to implement AI tools in a wrist wearable and in earbuds. Meta already sells smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban, a product line internally called Supernova. Gurman reports that this existing lineup will be intr

Meta is trying to lure TikTok creators with a new bonus program

21 January 2025 @ 10:06 pm

The TikTok ban may have lasted only a few hours (at least for now), but Meta is still trying to capitalize on its rival’s tenuous future. Meta has rolled out a new “breakthrough bonus program” that offers up to $5,000 to creators who are new to the company’s apps. According to Meta, the bonus program is open to US adults who “have an existing presence on a third party social app that you can link or already have linked during the application process.” Participants will also be required to create a professional account on Instagram and a page on Facebook. If accepted, creators will then be able to earn up to $5,000 over a 90-day period in exchange for sharing “at least 20 reels on Facebook and 10 reels on Instagram posted natively within each app within each 30-day bonus period” and sharing “on at least 10 separate da

Samsung Unpacked: How to watch the Galaxy S25 event on Wednesday

21 January 2025 @ 8:27 pm

The wait for the first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event of the year is almost over. On Wednesday, January 22, you'll be able to watch Samsung announce its newest devices. Based on the combination of recent history and credible leaks, you can safely assume that the event will include an updated lineup of

Instagram blocked searches for #democrats and other political hashtags

21 January 2025 @ 7:56 pm

Instagram blocked searches related to a number of political hashtags, including #democrats, #democrat, #jan6th, #republicans and a number of other terms Tuesday. Users who searched for these hashtags were instead greeted with a notice that “we’ve hidden these results" because they "may contain sensitive content." It’s not clear exactly how many search terms were affected but users on Reddit reported that dozens of tags were unsearchable. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone blamed an unspecified “issue” in a post on Threads and said the company was working on a fix.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Unpacked 2025 event: What to expect on Wednesday

21 January 2025 @ 7:29 pm

We're less than 24 hours away from new devices from Samsung. The company's Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on Wednesday, January 22 at 1PM ET in San Jose, CA, where Samsung’s “Next Big Thing” (to borrow a 14-year-old marketing slogan) will be unveiled. What will be revealed? Well, apart from a few sure bets and some likely leaks, only those sworn to a blood oath under an NDA know for certain. But here are the most likely products and features we’ll see. Spoilers: There will be phones. Before we detail everything we know, take note: If you're enough of a Samsung fan to preorder sight unseen, it's your last chance to do so. Reserving "the next evolut

EA's Origin app for PC gaming will shut down in April

21 January 2025 @ 7:18 pm

EA's Origin PC client has officially reached the end of the line. The gaming company had previously announced its plans to rebrand the Origin app for desktop players back in 2020 and began rolling out the new EA app in 2022. However, Origin will be completely shuttered on April 17, 2025, as Microsoft ends support for 32-bit software. Anyone still using Origin will need to swap over to the EA app before that date. For those PC play

Polyend stuffed a fully programmable drum machine in a stompbox

21 January 2025 @ 7:00 pm

This year’s NAMM trade show has opened up its doors, so that means there will be a wealth of new musical doodads to lust over. Case in point? Polyend just dropped a hybrid device that combines the functionality of a standard guitar pedal with a drum machine. The Polyend Step is a “fully-featured, programmable drum machine in stompbox format.” This should be an absolute boon for those who want some accompaniment while playing guitar, or any other instrument. That alone makes it the perfect practice tool, however it looks like it could also be a great resource for anyone doing the whole “one person band” thing. Drum stompboxes are nothing new, but the Step kicks things up several notches. It comes with over 200 drum kits to peruse, along with 350 preset rhythm patterns. These patterns consist o

The UK’s digital driver’s licence is coming later this year

21 January 2025 @ 4:50 pm

The UK will release a digital driver’s license later this year, along with a digital wallet issued by the government. This will allow folks to “easily prove their age when buying age restricted items online and in person.” Obviously, it will also prove a person’s right to drive. This will be one of the first digital documents available via the GOV.UK digital wallet, which is also launching later this year. The wallet will also be home to documents like Veterans Cards, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and “every other credential issued by the government.” However, many of these digital versions won’t be available until the end of 2027. The technology harnesses the security features of modern smartphones, for enhanced privacy. The documents won’t open without a facial recognition che