Since a fiber-optic cable was severed on Jan. 20, contact with the outside world has been difficult for residents of the remote island nation. Could You Last 11 Days Without the Internet? Tonga Finds Out the Hard Way Source: NY Times Tech
Read MoreOlga Kharif / Bloomberg: Crypto funds have begun resembling VC funds more than hedge funds, following a tough year; Polychain Capital raises $175M for fund with a 7-year lockup period — – Polychain’s $175 million fund includes 7-year lockup provision — More digital asset venture funds are opening than hedge funds Crypto funds have begun
Read MoreMillions of people will have the opportunity to see a lunar eclipse – an event popularly known in the media as a “blood moon.” During such an eclipse, the full moon moves into the shadow of the Earth cast by the sun, and is momentarily darkened. Some sunlight still reaches the moon, refracted by the
Read MoreVantablack is the darkest pigment ever created, capable of absorbing 99.96% of visible light. If you cover something in Vantablack, it turns into a black hole. No detail is presented, and physical objects become silhouettes. Objects covered in Vantablack are outside the human experience. The mammalian mind cannot comprehend a Vantablack object. Vantablack is cool,
Read MoreJoanna Glasner / Crunchbase News: Research: in 2018, startups in the SF Bay Area raised $22.4B across 87 $100M+ funding rounds; startups in the rest of US raised $24.9B across 103 $100M+ rounds — The San Francisco Bay Area 1 may be best understood as one giant reality distortion field. People live on top of
Read More{$inline_image}Last night, just when we were trying to get our heads around Facebook‘s data collecting program, TechCrunch reported that Google also had an app that monitored users’ activities on an iPhone and rewarded them. The Screenwise Meter app, launched in 2012, had a similar installation process to the Facebook Research app that’s now been shut down. It
Read MoreSetting up satellite dishes can be a finicky business. To aid in the alignment of these precision antennas, satellite finders are often used which can display audio and video feeds from the satellite while also providing signal strength readouts for accurate adjustment. However, these devices can also be used in interesting ways for more terrestrial
Read MoreCasey Newton / The Interface: Apple shutting down Facebook’s internal iOS apps should serve as a reminder of the power Apple holds over the rest of us — At around 2:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Facebook sent me an update about the controversial market research program revealed on Tuesday by TechCrunch. Apple shutting down Facebook's
Read MoreAs we learned last year, Facebook has a habit of stealthily grabbing customer data to improve its own products and services, and then apologizing when the world finds out. There have been several instances that highlight how the company will go to any lengths to learn more about its users. It’s worrying for a number
Read MoreIt’s a great commercial, and we love the A-Class but we have serious concerns about what happens to Free Willy, and Ludacris. Mercedes-Benz gives a guy god-like powers in its 2019 Super Bowl ad – Roadshow Source: CNet
Read MoreJon Russell / TechCrunch: Grab raises $200M from Thai retail conglomerate Central Group, says the deal is not part of ongoing Series H but an investment into its Thailand-based business — Grab’s fundraising push continues unabated after the Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm announced that it has raised $200 million … Grab raises 0M from Thai
Read MoreChristine Kim / CoinDesk: “Wrapped Bitcoin” (WBTC), a joint initiative between BitGo and other partners, has launched its ERC-20 token that is backed one-to-one by a regular bitcoin — A new token backed one-to-one with bitcoin is now live on the ethereum blockchain. — “Wrapped BTC” (WBTC) officially launched its ERC-20 token Wednesday evening. "Wrapped
Read MoreJordan Novet / CNBC: Ironclad, a startup focused on automating the creation and management of legal contracts and other paperwork, announces $23M funding round led by Sequoia — When Jason Boehmig was in law school at Notre Dame in 2012, he decided he really wanted to be in technology. Ironclad, a startup focused on automating
Read MoreThe news sent shares prices dropping by 5.9 percent in late trading. Elon Musk announces Tesla's CFO departure during earnings call – Roadshow Source: CNet
Read MoreIt always seems to us that the best robots mimic things that are alive. For an example look no further than the 3D printed mesh structures from researchers at North Carolina State University. External magnetic fields make the mesh-like “robot” flex and move while floating in water. The mechanism can grab small objects and carry
Read MoreMegan Rose Dickey / TechCrunch: Electric scooter startup Grin, which merged with São Paulo-based Ride in October, merges with Brazil-based Yellow as it expands further across Latin America — Consolidation in the micromobility space has arrived — in Brazil, at least. A few months after Y Combinator-backed Grin merged … Electric scooter startup Grin, which
Read MoreAthena Jones / CNN: New York AG, in precedent-setting settlement, finds selling fake followers and likes or using stolen IDs on social media is illegal in its case against Devumi — New York (CNN Business)A company that brought in millions of dollars in revenue by creating fake social media posts and comments … New York
Read MoreAre we all addicted to the Internet? Maybe. The latest Digital 2019 report, from Hootsuite and We Are Social, shows we’re spending on average 6 hours and 42 minutes online each day. Half of that is spent on mobile devices. That figure sounds like a lot, but it’s absolutely astronomical when spread across an entire
Read MoreThe ride-hailing companies say new minimum-wage calculations give Uber an unfair advantage. But drivers aren’t happy about the lawsuits. Lyft and Juno sue NYC over driver pay rules – CNET Source: CNet
Read MoreThe social network was paying people, including teens, $20 a month to collect their data. Apple says it took action to protect its users. Apple knocks Facebook with shutdown over app privacy flap – CNET Source: CNet
Read MoreIt’s not just Apple struggling in today’s smartphone market. Samsung sees slow phone sales too, but has hopes for Galaxy S10 debut – CNET Source: CNet
Read MoreThe company, Devumi, was exposed as a leading wholesaler of fake Twitter followers in a New York Times investigation last year. Firm That Sold Social Media Bots Settles With New York Attorney General Source: NY Times Tech
Read MoreThe company reported revenue of $32.5 billion in the last quarter, and it made a profit of almost $8.6 billion, big increases over the same period a year ago. Releasing Earnings, Microsoft Stays in Stride, With Cloud Powering the Way Source: NY Times Tech
Read MoreWelcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, tricks, guides, and advice on how to get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. The PlayStation Network is a perfectly serviceable gaming network, and you can meet some lovely people though it. But the truth is some gamers just want to play their single-player
Read MoreFor a country that few people know exists, Western Sahara has had a uniquely tumultuous history. Its modern history starts, as is unfortunately the case with most African nations, with colonialism. Until the mid-70’s, it lived under the thumb of Spanish rule. When Spain ultimately withdrew, it handed the territory to Mauritania and Morocco, sparking
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