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Showing posts from June, 2020

Nuclear ‘Power Balls’ May Make Meltdowns a Thing of the Past

Triso particles are an alien-looking fuel with built-in safety features that will power a new generation of high-temperature reactors. https://bit.ly/2VxeqLG

Social Media Drops the Hammer on Team Trump

Reddit and Twitch are the latest companies to take action against the president and his supporters, as platforms reevaluate and reinforce hate-speech policies. https://bit.ly/2COUGfW

The 'Eye Mouth Eye' Debacle Sums Up Tech's Race Issues

Last weekend, the stunt aimed to use Silicon Valley's love of shiny new things for charity. The result left people wondering about the memeification of movements. https://bit.ly/38cZlE6

Privacy Isn’t a Right You Can Click Away

Senator Sherrod Brown wants to drastically scale back the permitted uses of your personal data—and ban facial recognition outright. https://bit.ly/2NAvk7Q

NASA’s New Moon-Bound Space Suits Will Get a Boost From AI

Engineers are turning to generative design algorithms to build components for NASA’s next-generation space suit—the first major update in decades. https://bit.ly/2VtiFI6

The Anthropause: How the Pandemic Gives Scientists a New Way to Study Wildlife

A group of scientists argue that the Covid lockdown, what they're calling the “anthropause,” is an unprecedented opportunity to study how humans affect animal behavior. https://bit.ly/2CIUWNt

Review: Food Network Kitchen App Is Long on Recipes, Short on Diversity

The cable-TV cooking channel’s Kitchen app is full of videos from celebrity chefs, but the lack of racial representation feels more glaring than ever. https://bit.ly/2ZblEWI

How to Get Safari's New Privacy Features in Chrome and Firefox

Apple's browser is getting serious about security protections. If you can't or won't switch, don't worry: you don't have to fall behind. https://bit.ly/3eJDNRS

Is It Legal for Cops to Force You to Unlock Your Phone?

Because the relevant Supreme Court precedents predate the smartphone era, the courts are divided on how to apply the Fifth Amendment. https://bit.ly/3g9I7dJ

Amazon Shakes Up the Race for Self-Driving—and Ride-Hailing

The ecommerce giant is buying Zoox, which is designing autonomous robotaxis. Beware Uber and Lyft. https://bit.ly/3g5dHJC

Twitch Confronts Its Role in Streaming’s #MeToo Reckoning

Dozens of women have come forward with allegations of harassment and abuse by streamers who built their followings and power on the platform. https://bit.ly/3i6TRPH

It's Time to Reboot the Violent Videogames Debate

Psychology professor Christopher J. Ferguson talks about his work on games—and about how gaming researchers can be surprisingly nasty. https://bit.ly/2VnMNVm

Vaccine Makers Turn to Microchip Tech to Beat Glass Shortages

We'll need millions of vials to distribute the vaccine. The US government thinks manufacturing methods from the semiconductor industry can help. https://bit.ly/2VirvIr

How to Build the Perfect Pump-Up Playlist

Research shows that music makes a lot of us feel more inspired and productive. Here are some tips on finding your flow—and some tracks to get you started. https://bit.ly/3eBB119

Trump's Latest Antics Are Just Reality TV Rebooted

Streaming broke the TV box. In 2016, Trump capitalized on that very disintegration—but his act is getting old. https://bit.ly/2Nu7MS3

Scientists Taught Mice to Smell an Odor That Doesn’t Exist

With direct brain stimulation, mice learned to recognize an imaginary scent—and helped researchers understand a key piece of the olfactory puzzle. https://bit.ly/2VyKiQf

Why Massive Saharan Dust Plumes Are Blowing Into the US

Every summer, an atmospheric event propels desert dust thousands of miles across the Atlantic. This year is particularly bad, and timed terribly with Covid-19. https://bit.ly/2NGjCbX

How Thousands of Misplaced Emails Took Over This Engineer's Inbox

Kenton Varda gets dozens of messages a day from Spanish-speakers around the world, all thanks to a Gmail address he registered 16 years ago. https://bit.ly/3fWJMTD

An Algorithm That 'Predicts' Criminality Based on a Face Sparks a Furor

Its creators said they could use facial analysis to determine if someone would become a criminal. Critics said the work recalled debunked “race science.” https://bit.ly/2VbKuEQ

The Best Smart Displays (2020): Google Assistant, Alexa, Portal

Ever wish you could smash a tablet and smart speaker together? These devices try to offer the best of both worlds. https://bit.ly/3evVft1

Why the Arctic Is Warming So Fast, and Why That’s So Alarming

When permafrost thaws, sea ice disappears, and wildfires rage in the north, the consequences extend to the rest of the world. https://bit.ly/3du3V1K

How ‘Sustainable’ Web Design Can Help Fight Climate Change

To cut the carbon, programmers are cutting the code. Call it green programming. https://bit.ly/2CvTGND

The Infinite Loop of Supply Chains

They aren't just petroleum and extruders and cargo ships. You and I are part of them too. https://bit.ly/31f5AGd

5 Weird Concepts to (Theoretically) Supercharge Mask Fabrics

From diamonds to salt, researchers are exploring novel materials for face coverings. But don't expect to see these far-out ideas in stores anytime soon. https://bit.ly/3et37M2

Once a WFH Staple, Athleisure Gets Down to Business

When people go back to work, they won't want to return to the office wear of the Before Times. So sporty clothing brands are pivoting to productive comfort. https://bit.ly/2Z0dRLc

The Two Faces of Facebook's Election Plans

The social media giant plans a big voter-registration push. But it still struggles to combat political misinformation. https://bit.ly/3dpQOhY

European Football Clubs Are Turning to AI for an Assist

Software company Acronis has been storing the data of the best and brightest teams. Now, it wants to use that to help them win games. https://bit.ly/37TcMZy

How to Watch Apple's WWDC 2020 Keynote (and What to Expect)

You can stream Monday's WWDC keynote on your iOS device, on your computer, or—the best way—on your Apple TV. https://bit.ly/37Za45b

How to Switch to Signal and Bring All your Texts With You

Thinking of boosting your SMS security by switching to Signal? These tips make sure your messages come with you—even to a new phone. https://bit.ly/2AVrSBW

Ground-Penetrating Radar Mapped a Buried Ancient Roman City

Archaeologists have found a monument, market, temple, bath complex, and water pipes from the walled town of Falerii Novi. https://bit.ly/2NjFc5z

A Deep Dive With the Weirdest Fishes in the Sea

Go behind the scenes at the California Academy of Sciences to see their greatest specimens, including fish from the “twilight zone” and a massive megalodon tooth. https://bit.ly/2YgdUDE

Best Bike Accessories (2020): Helmets, Bells, Tools, and More

You got a bicycle! Here are our favorite items, from bells to helmets, to make your rides safer and more pleasant. https://bit.ly/37J7UX9

A Report Blames ‘CIA Failures’ for the Agency's Worst Hack

A series of WikiLeaks disclosures that exposed a trove of the intelligence organization's secrets could have been avoided, a task force found. https://bit.ly/37NUGrT

How Surveillance Has Always Reinforced Racism

Sociologist and author Simone Browne connects the dots between modern marketing and the branding of slaves. https://bit.ly/3dnvEBr

Amazon Touts AI for Social Distancing Amid Worker Complaints

Facing criticism over workplace safety, the company is using cameras, sensors, and augmented reality to warn employees when they're too close to one another. https://bit.ly/3fGMmgA

What Minnesota’s Protests Are Revealing About Covid-19 Spread

After George Floyd’s killing, experts warned that demonstrations could set off new waves of infections. But early testing in Minneapolis tells another story. https://bit.ly/2Bk3IAU

After the Virus: How We'll Learn, Age, Move, Listen, and Create

We asked a geriatrician, the CEO of Bandcamp, a public schools chief, a transportation expert, and the US poet laureate what to expect in the wake of Covid-19. https://bit.ly/37MA4QX

News at 11: Kid Reporters Tackle the Coronavirus

I started a Covid-themed newspaper for the children in my neighborhood. It turned into a global outlet for youth journalism—and no-parents-allowed tips for acquiring candy. https://bit.ly/3ednOv7

Coronavirus Researchers Are Dismantling Science’s Ivory Tower—One Study at a Time

Homebound scientists were looking for ways to help battle the pandemic. I put out a call on Twitter, and the Covid-19 Dispersed Volunteer Network was born. https://bit.ly/2Z14Rpp

How to Spot Phony Images and Online Propaganda

During times of crisis—and presidential elections—manipulated photos and videos flood social media. But there are a few tricks you can use to avoid getting duped. https://bit.ly/2N4C5OK

Apple Threatens to Move Basecamp's New Email App to Trash

Scrutiny of Apple’s App Store policies heats up as the company heads into its annual software conference. https://bit.ly/3hBhobp

The Russian Disinfo Operation You Never Heard About

The campaign known as Secondary Infektion appears to be a distinct effort from the meddling of the IRA and GRU—and it went undetected for years. https://bit.ly/3fwS58v

We Can Protect the Economy From Pandemics. Why Didn't We?

A virologist helped crack an impossible problem: how to insure against the economic fallout from devastating viral outbreaks. The plan was ingenious. Yet we're still in this mess. https://bit.ly/2AE8f0Y

Former eBay Execs Allegedly Made Life Hell for Critics

Surveillance. Harassment. A live cockroach delivery. US attorneys have charged six former eBay workers in association with an outrageous cyberstalking campaign. https://bit.ly/30I26f0

Dating Apps Exposed 845 GB of Explicit Photos, Chats, and More

3somes, Gay Daddy Bear, and Herpes Dating are among the nine services that leaked the data of hundreds of thousands of users. https://bit.ly/2YI2Ldx

Home Office Setup Guide: The Best Gear for Working at Home

Do you need a monitor, desk, webcam, laptop, microphone, or pair of headphones? Here's our ultimate laundry list of recommended gear to improve your new home office. https://bit.ly/3hu2fIK

As Cities Reopen, Expect to Wait in Lots of Lines

Capacity limits and social distancing requirements prompt businesses to count how many people are inside—and force some to wait outside. https://bit.ly/2Y4BLpH

Can a Keyboard Crusade Stem the Vaccine Infodemic?

Anti-vaccine messages on social media have tripled since the pandemic began. One public health group wants to teach pro-vaccine Americans to fight fire with fire. https://bit.ly/2BbOWvS

A Bird Feeder Will Bring You Joy

The world seems terrible these days. Let yourself soar above it all—at least for a moment—by making some new feathered friends. https://bit.ly/3d1iDNA

The Grandmaster Who Got Twitch Hooked on Chess

Hikaru Nakamura is the top-ranked blitz chess player in the world—and his channel has seen a meteoric rise as he coaches streamers in the ancient game. https://bit.ly/2UKo39g