Twenty years ago, when photorealistic games were still just a faraway dream, companies like Square sent our imaginations soaring before we played, with big-budget intros and cutscenes. Long before Overwatch normalized the practice of releasing Pixar-quality animated shorts for each new character, Blizzard’s Diablo II and Capcom’s Onimusha 3 put us in the demon slaying
Read MoreEveryone makes mistakes in their job, but very few of us get the chance to make a one-character mistake with the potential to brick millions of devices. But that’s what happened to a hapless Google developer, who made an understandable typo in the ChromeOS code that ended up making it all the way to production.
Read MoreYinka Adegoke / Rest of World: Kenyan tech founders say there is a funding bias toward North American and European expats in the country; analysis: only one Kenyan founder raised $1M+ in 2019 — To break the cycle of favoritism and white privilege, Kenya’s tech ecosystem needs to back itself with money and self-belief. Kenyan
Read MoreBaseball has a sign stealing problem — or at least, a technological one, seeing how reading another team’s pitches is technically legal, but using Apple Watches or telephoto cameras and then suspiciously banging on trash cans is very much not. But soon the MLB may try fighting fire with fire: on August 3rd, it plans
Read MorePriya Anand / Bloomberg: Parking apps in the US have seen a new wave of customers amid a surge in car ownership spurred by people avoiding mass transit and ride sharing due to COVID-19 — During the depths of the U.S. coronavirus pandemic, cars sat idly in driveways, city streets were deserted, onetime commuters worked
Read MorePhoto by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge After months of government bans on DJI drones, with lawmakers questioning whether the company was sending information to the Chinese government, the Pentagon has admitted that the drones being used might actually be safe (via The Hill), with a report saying that two “Government Edition” DJI drones are
Read MoreMost Hackaday readers will be familiar with the idea of a network time server; a magical box nestled away in some distant data center that runs the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and allows us to conveniently synchronize the clocks in our computers and gadgets. Particularly eager clock watchers can actually rig up their own NTP
Read MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic has pushed Doctor Who to do something it hasn’t done in the modern era — dedicate an entire season to a single story. That’s the word from showrunner Chris Chibnall in a new Doctor Who panel at the online-only San Diego Comic-Con today. Oh, and did I mention we’re getting our very
Read MoreWhen Amazon started cracking down on mobile electronics companies with shady reviewer programs, Aukey and Mpow were the first to get whacked — and yet Aukey is still selling at least three sets of wireless earbuds at the giant online retailer, The Verge has found. Two weeks ago, I pointed out to Amazon PR that
Read MoreBloomberg: In a blow to the edtech sector, China orders tutoring companies teaching the school curriculum to go non-profit, bans them from IPOs and raising foreign capital — – After-school tutors can’t raise capital or float shares — Sweeping curbs will up-end a once-thriving, big-money sector In a blow to the edtech sector, China orders
Read MoreThe company is intensifying formal partnerships with faith groups across the United States and shaping the future of religious experience. Facebook’s Next Target: The Religious Experience Source: NY Times Tech
Read MoreThe move would reduce the size of the bets that investors can make by lowering the amount of leverage it offers to 20 times from 101 times. FTX, Cryptocurrency Leader, Moves to Curb High Risk Trades Source: NY Times Tech
Read MoreLike us, [Alberto] doesn’t compromise when it comes to a good cup of coffee. We figure that if he went to an office in the Before Times, he was the type of coworker to bring in their own coffee equipment so as not to suffer the office brew. Or perhaps he volunteered to order the
Read MoreIf you’re new to electric vehicles—or are starting to research options for an upcoming purchase—you may not know that in addition to the high-voltage battery pack that supplies power to the motor, they also use the same 12-volt batteries that gas-powered vehicles do. And, yes, these 12-volt batteries can lose their… Read more… How to
Read MoreWhen Valve and IGN revealed last Thursday that the new Steam Deck handheld will target 30Hz gameplay, not everyone was impressed with that low bar — but Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais has taken to Twitter to clarify his original comment, and reveal a new feature of the portable console. First, he says 30 fps is more
Read MoreSami Fathi / MacRumors: Mark Gurman: Face ID on the Mac is likely coming within a couple of years, and all iPhones and iPads will transition to Face ID within that timeframe, too — Apple plans to bring Face ID to the Mac within the next “couple of years,” respected Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman said
Read MoreBack-alley firms meddle in elections and promote falsehoods on behalf of clients who can claim deniability, escalating our era of unreality. Disinformation for Hire, a Shadow Industry, Is Quietly Booming Source: NY Times Tech
Read MoreWe may have walked on the Moon and sent probes across the solar system, but we know very little about what’s going on inside other planets. Now, for the first time, we have been able to view the interior of one, thanks to NASA’s Mars InSight probe. The probe, which landed in 2018, is equipped
Read MoreWhen you’re finally on your long-awaited (and likely previously canceled) vacation, you may face a conundrum. On the one hand, you want to document your trip—both for yourself, and so your friends and family can see and enjoy your travels. Read more… Use This Free App to Create a Shareable Travel Journal With Minimal Effort
Read MoreTLDR: The Complete 2021 Piano for Beginners Bundle is an all-in-one training package to get students of any age playing the keyboard with skill and confidence. If you want your kid to be smarter, it can occasionally mean some tough love. But for all those times you make them do their homework or read a
Read MoreWe’ve grown to expect seeing mechatronics project incorporate a standard complement of components, things like stepper motors, Arduinos, lead screws, timing belts and pulleys, and aluminum extrusions. So when a project comes along that breaks that mold, even just a little, we sit up and take notice. Departing somewhat from this hardware hacking lingua franca
Read MoreIs your best friend dating an asshole? At some point, your best friend is gonna date an asshole. These are the facts, unless you’re extremely lucky, and these facts suck. It hurts to see someone you care about dating someone who is terrible, especially if they don’t see that yet. Read more… How to Tell
Read MoreAfter spending so much time apart thanks to COVID travel restrictions, this summer’s family reunions have taken on new meaning. In some cases, families have decided to take these reunions on the road, and make it a multigenerational family vacation. Read more… How to Survive a Multigenerational Family Vacation Source: Life Hacker
Read MoreDriver-assist technologies have turned windshields into way more than a piece of glass. High-tech cars and cracked windshields don't mix well – Roadshow Source: CNet
Read MoreNow there’s a masculine-sounding option and you can call your device Ziggy. Plus, you can mix and match. Alexa finally gets a new name and voice: How to change them up on your Amazon Echo – CNET Source: CNet
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