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Showing posts from February, 2021

Warnings From the Queer History of Modern Internet Regulation

Section 230 faces countless reform efforts. But a look back reminds us that categorical content bans often come at the expense of marginalized groups. https://bit.ly/37U64nz

Period Underwear Changed My Life—and I'm Never Going Back

Wearing underwear designed to absorb my menstrual flow—with no additional protection—has made my period more comfortable. It’s kinder to the planet too. https://bit.ly/3dTuhhz

The SolarWinds Body Count Now Includes NASA and the FAA

Plus: Firefox blocks more tracking, how to fight a robodog, and more of the week’s top security news. https://bit.ly/2ZUW7ls

How Google's Grand Plan to Make Stadia Games Fell Apart

The tech giant hired 150 game developers for Stadia Games and Entertainment, only to lay them all off. Sources say it never gave the studios a chance. https://bit.ly/3kB9d0D

A Shot Nears Approval, Experts Study Transmission, and More

Catch up on the most important updates from this week. https://bit.ly/2NCpzu5

Clubhouse's Security and Privacy Lag Behind Its Huge Growth

The platform has promised to do better after a string of incidents. But the hardest part might be managing user expectations. https://bit.ly/3pUvho0

Billie Eilish and the Future of the Pop Star Documentary

The Grammy-winner’s Apple TV+ film The World’s a Little Blurry is radical in its transparency. https://bit.ly/2ZRvqy7

I Found My Niche on TikTok—You Can Too

You have one minute to make a statement, but trust me, it's enough time to do something amazing. https://bit.ly/3bWF2xd

Could Fruit Flies Help Match Patients With Cancer Treatments?

A British company is seeding genetically modified flies with human tumors, giving patients their own personal drug trials. https://bit.ly/3pYatw3

Teaching Classic Lit Helps Game Designers Make Better Stories

Are you game? See How Homer, Faulkner, and Ibsen can help. https://bit.ly/3kzm9UZ

So Long, Fry’s. I Learned Everything About Gadgets From You

Now that the big-box electronics  store has shuttered, future generations need a place where they can touch and discover the next great technology. https://bit.ly/3kk32hq

Jim Ryan: There Will Be ‘a Completely New VR Format for PS5’

PlayStation's head honcho shares news on PS5 stock, Sony’s 2021 release schedule, and a new PlayStation VR headset. https://bit.ly/3pSd7TR

Hackers Tied to Russia's GRU Targeted the US Grid for Years

A Sandworm-adjacent group has successfully breached US critical infrastructure a handful of times, according to new findings from the security firm Dragos. https://bit.ly/2P7yAvs

When the Grid Goes Down, Can a Fleet of Batteries Replace It?

In a power crisis, maybe the solution is a network of smaller energy sources distributed across multiple places—like your garage. https://bit.ly/2ZOQ5Tc

Twitch’s DMCA Takedowns Threaten to Drive Musicians Away

Twitch once looked like a lifeline for DJs and singers during the pandemic. The platform’s copyright issues tarnish that promise. https://bit.ly/3aO3elO

Perseverance’s Eyes See a Different Mars

The Red Planet’s red looks different to an Earthling than it would to a Martian—or to a robot with hyperspectral cameras for eyes. https://bit.ly/3aNvm8w

The Woman Bulldozing Video Games’ Toughest DRM

For Empress, cracking titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Immortals Fenyx Rising is more than a pastime. It's a mission. https://bit.ly/3bv0pVW

How Planes Keep Flying After an Engine Catches Fire

A Boeing 777 shed huge chunks of metal over a Denver suburb over the weekend—but wasn't in danger of going down itself. https://bit.ly/3pN3uWC

Alexa Has No Place on Your Face. The Echo Frames Prove it

The tech giant’s new smart glasses are an innovative way to accomplish very little. https://bit.ly/2Mehjj7

The Pandemic Will End—but Covid-19 May Be Here to Stay

Some viruses became endemic over time, circulating constantly, perhaps in a less lethal form. We’ll need a new game plan if this one sticks around. https://bit.ly/3aI9gUZ

China Hijacked an NSA Hacking Tool—and Used It for Years

The hackers used the agency’s EpMe exploit to attack Windows devices years before the Shadow Brokers leaked the agency’s zero-day arsenal online. https://bit.ly/2OQEMaT

The Best Loungewear for Working From Home in Comfort

No one has time to look professional anymore. Just toss on one of these hoodies, shirts, or sweatpants and bask in the snuggles. https://bit.ly/37z7mEu

A Trippy Visualization Charts the Internet's Growth

In 2003, Barrett Lyon created a map of the internet. In 2021, he did it again—and showed just how quickly it's expanded. https://bit.ly/3qI0qfw

Sites Have a Sneaky New Way to Track You Across the Web

Plus: A LastPass rate change, Clubhouse concerns, and more of the week's top security news. https://bit.ly/2OTAuiZ

The UK Is the Latest Country to Tighten the Screws on Uber

The country's highest court ruled that the 25 drivers who filed a lawsuit should be considered workers and entitled to minimum wage and vacations. https://bit.ly/3uiHFBt

L.L.Bean’s Extra-Warm Bean Boots Are $140 Off Right Now

The limited-edition, Gore-Tex lined, insulated version of the classic duck boot is $129 at the moment. https://bit.ly/3qFO7Am

Storm Delays for Vaccines, Expanded Sequencing, and More News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week. https://bit.ly/3kalVDw

Our 14 Favorite Headphones and Earbuds for $100 or Less

You can probably fill a football stadium with all the cheap headphones out there. We're here to help you pick the right pair. https://bit.ly/2H4aEoW

Apple Offers Its Closest Look Yet at iOS and MacOS Security

In its latest Platform Security Guide, Cupertino raised the curtain on the critical features that protect against hackers. https://bit.ly/2NGhFzg

NASA Lands the Perseverance Rover on Mars

The science mission will launch the first drone to fly on another planet, attempt making oxygen in space, and search for signs of ancient life. https://bit.ly/3udw6M6

Online Meetups Are Sad, but What If You Were a Cute Animal?

A conference organizer's solution to virtual gatherings during the pandemic is equal parts audio chat, serendipity, and Animal Crossing. https://bit.ly/2NARf1S

The Best Smart Bulbs to Light Up Your Home

They're the easiest way to start building a smarter home. From Nooie and Ikea bulbs to Phillips Hue and ambient lighting kits, here are our favorites. https://bit.ly/3cALv0m

Feds Indict North Korean Hackers for Years of Heists

The three men are allegedly part of a group that tried to steal $1.3 billion in an extended—and ongoing—cybercrime spree. https://bit.ly/3bg3r0i

How to Watch NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Landing

NASA’s biggest and boldest rover attempts a momentous landing on February 18. Here’s how to watch—and why you should. https://bit.ly/3qtJABd

The LA Musician Who Designed a Microphone for Mars

How an obsession with space led to a partnership on the Perseverance rover—and the chance we could finally hear what our planetary neighbor sounds like. https://bit.ly/3qwwVNH

What My Dialup Youth Taught Me About Sex and the Internet

The first generation of girls to grow up on the internet are now parents themselves. That might mean a new approach to sex education. https://bit.ly/3u5RItG

France Ties Russia's Sandworm to a Multiyear Hacking Spree

A French security agency warns that the destructively minded group has exploited an IT monitoring tool from Centreon. https://bit.ly/3augRqp

How to Calculate the String Angle of a Kite vs. a Balloon

It's a beautiful day to go outside with a kite or a balloon, and compute how wind speed alters their flight. https://bit.ly/37mLFHk

How to Use Your PS5 or Xbox Controller Everywhere Else

Want to play games on your phone, desktop, laptop, or tablet? If you own a console, you probably don't need a separate controller. https://bit.ly/3aqJxAm

How Covid Gums Up the Court System

Videofeeds sometimes fail, defense attorneys can’t confer with clients, and witnesses have a hard time reviewing documents. https://bit.ly/3jSPFUY

Scientists Find Strange Critters Under a Half Mile of Ice

Researchers only drilled through an Antarctic ice shelf to sample sediment. Instead, they found animals that weren't supposed to be there. https://bit.ly/3tUWpGN

What Happens When You Swap a Human Gene With a Neanderthal’s?

Now that we’ve gotten a look at the genomes of archaic humans, researchers are trying to determine whether our differences are due to genetics. https://bit.ly/3akeplV

Don’t Tell Einstein, but Black Holes Might Have ‘Hair’

The general theory of relativity states that black holes have only three observable properties; additional ones, or “hair,” do not exist. Or do they? https://bit.ly/3ddXT8T

How to Level Up Your At-Home Recording Studio

Ready to upgrade your USB microphone or headset to something better? Here’s how to make sense of pro(ish) audio gear. https://bit.ly/3tYmXac

The Untold History of America’s Zero-Day Market

The lucrative business of dealing in code vulnerabilities is central to espionage and war planning, which is why brokers never spoke about it—until now. https://bit.ly/3aha9Uu

The Rot of Riot Games Culture Starts at the Top

CEO Nicolo Laurent continues to employ multiple top executives who have been accused of sexism and harassment—and is himself the subject of a complaint. https://bit.ly/3rIj7zY

Researchers Levitated a Small Tray Using Nothing but Light

One day a “magic carpet” based on this light-induced flow technology could carry climate sensors high in the atmosphere—wind permitting. https://bit.ly/3jJW2tQ

Vaccine Progress, New Mask Guidelines, and More News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week. https://bit.ly/3b0G4aJ

This Cryptocurrency Is Really Burning a Hole in My Pocket

This week, we discuss crypto’s role in the future of shopping. When can we to use it to buy everything from Nikes to Teslas? https://bit.ly/3d6uspf

If You Can Learn Twitch-Speak, You Can Learn a Language

If I could come to understand forsenCD and poggers, then teaching myself Mandarin Chinese didn't seem too far-fetched. https://bit.ly/37b6BRM