Author: Tech Support

    • Contrary to hype around big data, the explosion of available information amid eroding trust in media makes it harder, not easier, to achieve consensus on truth (William Davies/The Guardian)

    William Davies / The Guardian: Contrary to hype around big data, the explosion of available information amid eroding trust in media makes it harder, not easier, to achieve consensus on truth  —  It’s not about foreign trolls, filter bubbles or fake news.  Technology encourages us to believe we can all have first-hand access … Contrary

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    • Facebook acquires Servicefriend, a startup that builds customer service AI chatbots for messaging apps; founders now work for Facebook's Calibra, per LinkedIn (Ingrid Lunden/TechCrunch)

    Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch: Facebook acquires Servicefriend, a startup that builds customer service AI chatbots for messaging apps; founders now work for Facebook’s Calibra, per LinkedIn  —  As Facebook prepares to launch its new cryptocurrency Libra in 2020, it’s putting the pieces in place to help it run. Facebook acquires Servicefriend, a startup that builds

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    • YouTube Music rolling out "Discover Mix", a personalized playlist mostly focused on evergreen tunes and artists that the user might not have heard before (Abner Li/9to5Google)

    Abner Li / 9to5Google: YouTube Music rolling out “Discover Mix”, a personalized playlist mostly focused on evergreen tunes and artists that the user might not have heard before  —  From the beginning, YouTube Music has relied on playlists from the service’s curators to automated creations based on your listening history. YouTube Music rolling out "Discover

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    • AMD says it is delaying release of its Ryzen 9 3950X until November due to high demand and the time needed to ensure sufficient stock availability (Dr. Ian Cutress/AnandTech)

    Dr. Ian Cutress / AnandTech: AMD says it is delaying release of its Ryzen 9 3950X until November due to high demand and the time needed to ensure sufficient stock availability  —  In a shock email late on Friday, AMD has released a statement to clarify the situation it is in with the manufacturing of

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    • How Neil Young's reluctance to embrace streaming doomed his company PonoMusic, even as the company helped the industry to adapt high-resolution music (Patrick Flanary/Quartz)

    Patrick Flanary / Quartz: How Neil Young’s reluctance to embrace streaming doomed his company PonoMusic, even as the company helped the industry to adapt high-resolution music  —  Toward the end of music legend Neil Young’s recent memoir, he makes an admission: “I was wrong.”  —  The book, To Feel the Music … How Neil Young's

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    Can You Read Me the Time?

    If you’re like the average clock user, you’ve probably gotten annoyed at reading analog clocks before. Typically, the solution is just to use a digital timepiece, but [sjm4306] has opted to make a small word clock that you can carry with you wherever you go to remind you of the time in the English language.

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    • Polling of US adults shows that most, across party lines, support breaking up Big Tech, such as reversing Facebook's Instagram purchase, to improve competition (Emily Stewart/Vox)

    Emily Stewart / Vox: Polling of US adults shows that most, across party lines, support breaking up Big Tech, such as reversing Facebook’s Instagram purchase, to improve competition  —  One hundred cardboard cutouts of Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg stand outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC … Polling of US adults shows that

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    [Mr. Carlson] Fixes a Fridge

    A dead refrigerator is an occurrence determined to frustrate any homeowner. First there’s the discovery of hundreds of dollars in spoiled food, and then the cost of a repair call and the delay of the inevitable wait for parts. It’s clear to see why a hacker like [Mr. Carlson] would seek another way. Now, normally

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    • TiVo confirms it is planning to place pre-roll video ads before DVR recordings for all customers, even those with a lifetime subscription plan (Chris Welch/The Verge)

    Chris Welch / The Verge: TiVo confirms it is planning to place pre-roll video ads before DVR recordings for all customers, even those with a lifetime subscription plan  —  Rolling out to TiVo’s current devices over the next 90 days  —  So much for it being an early, experimental test. TiVo confirms it is planning

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    • Sources: many Airbnb employees are frustrated they can't sell company stock; to compensate, management has offered more perks to keep longtime employees happy (Erin Griffith/New York Times)

    Erin Griffith / New York Times: Sources: many Airbnb employees are frustrated they can’t sell company stock; to compensate, management has offered more perks to keep longtime employees happy  —  Tension has grown among a 6,000-person work force as it waits to sell company shares, people with knowledge of the situation said. Sources: many Airbnb

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