Posts

Showing posts from January, 2022

VR, AR, MR, XR: Which reality is the best?

Image
When immersive experiences first became accessible to everyday consumers in the form of headsets like the Oculus Rift and Google Glass, it seemed like the industry was ripe for mainstream acceptance. A few years later, the hype around VR and AR seemed to have died down, and it seemed we’d have to wait some time before the hype built up again. Then Facebook (the company) changed its name to Meta and signaled its investment in the metaverse. Suddenly everyone cared about VR and AR again. Yet I still find many people still aren’t quite clear on what all these terms… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/nbEAP7xVD

Why China’s Communist approach to AI is a blueprint for second place

Image
There are few more compelling story lines at the intersection of Wall Street and Fear Street than China‘s rise to global prominence in the field of artificial intelligence. You don’t have to look very far to find a military or financial expert who believes China‘s AI program will some day surpass the capabilities of its democratic counterparts in Silicon Valley. But, as we’ve written before, the idea that China is in second place behind the US is a bit misleading. Sure, it’s technically correct, but we’re talking about a very distant second place. Currently, it would be a huge stretch… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/QrRotfbKG

This is the best word to start Wordle with, according to science

Image
If you’ve been on any social media platform in the past two weeks, you’ve probably seen a grid of green, yellow and black squares. This is the latest pandemic phenomenon called Wordle – a free online game that gives users a new word puzzle each day. It was created by Josh Wardle for his crossword-loving partner. As of January 10, the game has 2.7 million players. In Wordle, players have six tries to guess a target five-letter word. Every time they make a guess, they are told which letters in their guess are in the word and in the correct… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/4293cOpfv

Biden’s Build Back Better bill aims for ‘zero fatalities’ on US roadways

Image
Last week, the US Department of Transportation Secretary announced the National Roadway Safety Strategy launch. The strategy aims to respond to a national crisis: deaths and serious injuries involving cars and heavy trucks. It’s a collaborative effort between a range of government departments, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, to centralize many tasks and responsibilities under a central plan. It gets its funding from the bipartisan Build Back Better bill. I took a look through the 40-something page document, and I’m summarising the main points for you and offering some analysis.  The… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/kjimJtYc9

You can add your COVID vaccination certificate to the Apple Wallet… but should you?

Image
The modern world hurts my brain. Let’s take the news that Apple enables users to store their COVID vaccination certificates in the Wallet and Health apps as an example. When I first heard about it, I was pumped. Flashing my QR code to enter a restaurant or grab a coffee would be far simpler if it sat in my Apple Wallet. Friends, the time I’d save! But, of course, the world had something to say about that. While putting my digital certificate of vaccination in an easy-to-access place is cool… is it safe? And because I can do it, does that… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/XpiOzatK8

Next up in Apple’s plan for financial domination: Turning iPhones into payment terminals

Image
After its introduction in 2014, Apple Pay has made spending seamless for swathes of people. Now, the company wants to move to the other side of the aisle. This time, to accept payments. Last week, Bloomberg reported that Apple is planning to introduce a new feature in the coming months that will let merchants accept card payments directly through their iPhones. In short, it wants to make its device a payment terminal or a point of sale (POS) machine.  How will it work? The report noted that this feature will be part of a software update in the coming months. So… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/rE1guxIwA

Use these questions to spot a toxic work culture during your interview

Image
Earlier this year, a viral article on Fast Company gained attention around the world. In the piece, entitled ‘How to spot a toxic culture by reading between the lines of a job ad’, writer Stephanie Vozza discussed how to interpret some of the key phrases company’s use to get down to what the work culture is really like. For example, if a job advertises free snacks, meals and drinks, could that mean that you’ll be expected to work long hours and not leave the office during lunchtime? Or, if a business says they have a small “tight-knit team” could you… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/cA7IrMzNZ

A DDoS Attack Wiped Out Andorra's Internet

Plus: Securing US water systems, the FBI's NSO Group dealings, and more of the week's top security news. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/fcSzZOpRB

Stop hyping batteries, it’s pumped hydro that will save the planet

Image
To cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half within a decade, the Biden administration’s goal, the U.S. is going to need a lot more solar and wind power generation, and lots of cheap energy storage. Wind and solar power vary over the course of a day, so energy storage is essential to provide a continuous flow of electricity. But today’s batteries are typically quite small and store enough energy for only a few hours of electricity. To rely more on wind and solar power, the U.S. will need more overnight and longer-term storage as well. While battery innovations get a lot of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/F2IWewHQk

What's the Deal With Anti-Cheat Software in Online Games?

Cheat deterrents like kernel drivers are raising legitimate privacy concerns. But it's not all bad news. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/MqCnFbRgT

3 ways Sony can fight back against Microsoft

Image
Sony has had a rough few days. The Japanese tech giant has lost a whopping US$14 billion (£10 billion), or about 9% of its total value, since rival Microsoft’s announcement that it is purchasing popular videogames maker Activision Blizzard for nearly US$70 billion. While some of Sony’s loss is arguably due to short-term panic selling across the wider market, the company is clearly in a corner. PlayStation is Sony’s largest, most profitable, and fastest-growing business, and the loss of a key supplier of games content to its arch-rival could make its consoles less attractive to gamers around the world. Sony… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/Vgh8AyJ41

The Internet Gave Rise to 'Cancel Culture OCD'

Leftist must grapple with their own digitized purity culture. Catholic saints and OCD sufferers can help. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/U8FtlViyL

SpaceX’s derelict rocket will crash and create a worrying new Moon crater

Image
It’s not often that the sudden appearance of a new impact crater on the Moon can be predicted, but it’s going to happen on March 4, when a derelict SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will crash into it. The rocket launched in 2015, carrying Nasa’s Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) probe into a position 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth, facing the Sun. But the expended upper stage of the rocket had insufficient speed to escape into an independent orbit around the Sun, and was abandoned without an option to steer back into the Earth’s atmosphere. That would be normal practice, allowing stages… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://bit.ly/3AHwK8c

From Couch Guy to West Elm Caleb: How TikTok replaced modern-day tabloids

Image
Can you believe Makayla was dropped from Bama Rush? Do you think Couch Guy was cheating? Did you see Gabby Petito’s last post before she went missing? If you don’t spend much time online, you may not recognize these names. But on TikTok, their stories became sensationalized, memeified, hashtagged and rehashed. The most recent is “#WestElmCaleb.” Women took to TikTok to share their experiences of being peppered with affection, strung along and ultimately ghosted by a New York City-based designer named Caleb, who became the exemplar for the worst aspects of online dating culture. Together, these stories represent the emergence… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://bit.ly/3s3woEP

Can EV battery swap stations really go mainstream?

Image
Let’s face it: wrapping your head around EV charging infrastructure can be confusing. And actually waiting while your car gets filled with juice? No thanks. But what if you didn’t have to charge your vehicle at all? What if there was another way? And what if that way was battery swap stations? Way back in 2013, Tesla proposed the idea of a 90-second battery swap shop. Two years later, Tesla quit the effort. It switched its strategy, focused on the Supercharger network, and declared that battery swapping was a dead-end. But is it really? Let’s dig in. How do battery swap stations work?… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/33ZBdaf

This mysterious space object pulsed for 3 months and disappeared. WHAT THE HELL?

Image
“Holy sharks, Batman, it’s periodic!” I exclaimed on Slack. It was the first lockdown of 2021 in Perth, and we were all working from home. And when astronomers look for something to distract themselves from looming existential dread, there’s nothing better than a new cosmic mystery. In 2020, I gave an undergraduate student, Tyrone O’Doherty, a fun project: look for radio sources that are changing in a large radio survey I’m leading. By the end of the year, he’d found a particularly unusual source that was visible in data from early 2018, but had disappeared within a few months. The… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3r8SkPW

Wordle fans love feeding their brains puzzles — but they aren’t getting any smarter

Image
In recent weeks, a web-based word puzzle called Wordle has become a popular daily distraction. Suddenly, millions of people are focused on their vocabulary of five-letter words, and are newly aware of concepts like letter frequency and letter position as they strategize about the best opening words and faster solutions. For these people, Wordle is captivating. Previous research can help us understand how our brains respond to word games, and why we love them. Wordle is a single-player puzzle that combines elements of several games, including Scrabble and Battleship. My colleagues and I have studied Scrabble as a way of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3r3Njbb

Could Android apps finally make Windows tablets a thing?

Image
Let me start by clarifying the headline: I know Windows tablets exist. I’m one of the rare nerds who’s been using 2-in-1 PCs as my primary device for over a decade. I’ve been on the tablet train before the Microsoft Surface even existed, back when 2-in-1’s were just called tablet PCs. And yet, after all this time, tablet PCs have been never been great at being, you know, tablets. Usually, it’s not been for the lack of decent hardware — manufacturers have been able to put out devices with good designs and nearly iPad-matching performance. Instead, it’s the dearth of software that… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Android from The Next Web https://thenextweb.com/news/android-apps-windows-tablets

Theory: We’re running out of time if we ever want to meet aliens

Image
It seems like just yesterday the dinosaurs were frolicking about the canyons of Pangaea, living their last few oblivious moments before an asteroid changed everything. You don’t really notice it while it’s happening, but 65 million years goes by pretty fast. At least it does in the grand scheme of things. The universe has been around some 14 billion-or-so years according to the Big Bang Theory. In that context, 65 million years is just a few flakes of sand in a giant hourglass. And that makes it all the more scary to read a pre-print research paper suggesting that our… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3o3Dt7n

EV charging software goes open source with Project Everest

Image
The development and expansion of the EV charging software ecosystem is a critical component to the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles. However, the industry has become complex and fragmented, with multiple isolated solutions and inconsistent technology standards. This slows and threatens the adoption of EVs. In response, PIONIX has developed a project called EVerest, an open-source software stack designed to establish a common base layer for a unified EV charging ecosystem.  EVerest has gained some serious cred in the developer world, with its biggest support LF Energy (the Linux open-source foundation for the power systems sector). I spoke to the project’s brainchild, Dr.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/34dhu71

Are you a digital nomad? Consider these countries for 2022

Image
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, working from home was something that was reserved for the lucky few. Now, it is a reasonable work perk that many employees are searching for. However, working from home doesn’t mean staying in your hometown. More and more people are taking advantage of this new opportunity and using it to explore different cultures, new cities and other continents. If you’d like to start living as a digital nomad this year, here are the best places to visit. Portugal Portugal ticks lots of boxes for tech nomads. It’s an expat-friendly country, the internet is excellent, the food… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3AzRRt8

The Capitalist Trap of Pig Organ Transplants

The “miracle” pig heart transplant plays with the expectations of desperate patients and makes clear how the system values certain lives over others. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3o2PWYQ

A brief history of El Salvador’s crypto feud with the IMF

Image
Investing in crypto is a risky business — particularly when you’re betting with a country’s future. It’s nonetheless a gamble that El Salvador’s president has been eager to make. Nayib Bukele’s splurging on bitcoin has been lauded by crypto advocates, but criticized in the traditional financial world. The IMF has been among his most vociferous detractors. The International Monetary Fund has repeatedly urged El Salvador to ditch Bitcoin’s legal sentence — much to Bukele’s chagrin. Here’s a brief history of the dispute between the lender and the Central American nation. March 2021: El Salvador pursues IMF funding Days after Bukele’s… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/34cS9tz

Trump’s censorship czar for TRUTH social media once sued a cow over Twitter beef

Image
Devin Nunes, the CEO of Trump’s TRUTH network, a former California politician who once sued an imaginary cow over a Twitter beef, recently declared that the upcoming conservative conversation chamber would be “the most family-friendly of all social media sites.” In order to accomplish this, Nunes says the company’s hired the same artificial intelligence moderation firm as OnlyFans. Yes MAGA fans, Trump’s TRUTH will be censored using the same technology as every other social media site. Oh the irony: Hive, the AI firm in question, serves numerous high-profile clients including Reddit, Parler, and the aforementioned OnlyFans. And, according to its… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3u8yHcJ

Samsung Galaxy S22: All the leaks so far

Image
It’s that time of year again: Samsung is gearing up to release its latest flagship phone. It’s an interesting year for Samsung, as the phone market has heated up with stronger competition from Google than ever and an increasing number of esoteric designs hitting the scenes. You can bet that Samsung is going to be trying its darndest to make the Galaxy S22 family feel relevant. Here’s what we know about the phones so far based on numerous leaks leading up to Samsung’s reveal. When are they coming? You won’t have too long to wait — Samsung announced that its… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Samsung from The Next Web https://ift.tt/33O47ua

Escooters in the UK: Over-policing, media hysteria, and antiquated laws

Image
When is a form of transport both legal and illegal simultaneously? In England, this is the reality for escooters, where their legality depends on whether riders own or hire them.  The battle between public and private escooters has meant that their low carbon footprint has been obscured mainly by police intervention and what some call over-policing. I wanted to understand the situation more. So I reached out to Dott, who is participating in Transport for London’s (TfL) escooter hire scheme, and also a private escooter retailer,  Escootered. But first, let’s take a walk through the legalities of escooters in the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3rQSfzs

Why Google is in deep trouble for tracking your ‘dark patterns’

Image
Google’s surveillance-based business model has attracted another prominent opponent. After surviving attacks from employees, human rights groups, Harvard professors, and rival firms, the company now faces a more powerful foe: a quartet of US attorneys general. The bipartisan group of AGs sued Google on Monday for allegedly deceiving users to profit from their location data. “Google falsely led consumers to believe that changing their account and device settings would allow customers to protect their privacy and control what personal data the company could access,” said Karl Racine, the Washington DC AG who is leading the campaign. “The truth is that contrary… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3fXvhRz

Why the Belarus Railways Hack Marks a First for Ransomware

The politically motivated attack represents a new frontier for hacktivists—and won’t be the last of its kind. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/3nUnF6M

Mini joins the EV restomod craze with reversible conversions

Image
During the past few years, there’s been a flurry of electrified classic vehicle unveilings from newly launched independent firms, such as Lunaz, Electric Classic Cars, and Electrogenic, as well as an array from automotive giants. The latest carmaker that’s putting an electric motor into a classic model is Mini. Meet the Mini Recharged The idea was born when the brand showcased a one-off classic Mini Electric at the New York Autoshow back in 2018.  According to the company, the reactions were so positive that now a team of engineers at MINI’s Oxford plant have devised an EV conversion package for the iconic hatchback to… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3AEdcle

Smart devices can now read your mood and mind — they shouldn’t without consent

Image
While waiting to board a plane on a recent trip out of town, an airline staff member asked me to momentarily take off my face mask to allow the facial recognition technology to check me in to expedite my boarding process. I was taken aback by the bluntness of the request — I did not want to take my mask off in such a crowded space and I had not given permission to have my face scanned. While this encounter felt like an invasion of my privacy, it also got me thinking about other biometric recognition devices which, for better… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3rKZHw1

Optimizing Machines Is Perilous. Consider ‘Creatively Adequate’ AI.

The future of artificial intelligence needs less data and can tolerate ambiguity. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3FZIRhO

How to easily set up a wallet for cryptocurrency and NFTs with MetaMask

Image
Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. If you want to experience a metaverse, buy NFTs, or trade in cryptocurrency, it’s essential to have a wallet that’s easy to create and use. MetaMask is a pretty popular choice these days. It’s free to use, and is available as a desktop browser extension and a mobile app. You can sign up to create a wallet to store your digital assets in just a few seconds, and it will also let you connect like… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3IF803l

EV charging stations can be hacked — here’s what you need to know

Image
As the number of EVs on the streets grows, so does the number of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) needed to juice them up — and along with them the number of the internet-connected managing systems within those stations.  These management systems offer an array of valuable capabilities like remote monitoring, scheduling, and user billing. However, they come with a significant drawback: as with virtually every device connected to the internet, they’re prone to cyberattacks. An EV charging station in Thörey, Germany A team of researchers led by Elia Bou Harb, director of the University of Texas Cyber Center for… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3tVX25g

13 tough lessons I learned switching jobs as developer

Image
Toward the end of 2021, I was one of the countless tech workers who left one job and took another. The process surprised me in a number of ways. I needed to update my priors about a few things, and by writing this, maybe I’ll update yours, too. First, I thought it would be easy. My reasoning was as follows: I know how hard it is to hire great developers I know I’m a good developer… Everyone’s desperate to fill roles… So it should be a walk in the park. It turns out it wasn’t. It wasn’t radically hard, but… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/33GlVY6

Oh great — AI can not only be racist and sexist, but ageist too

Image
We have accepted the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in complex processes — from health care to our daily use of social media — often without critical investigation, until it is too late. The use of AI is inescapable in our modern society, and it may perpetuate discrimination without its users being aware of any prejudice. When health-care providers rely on biased technology, there are real and harmful impacts. This became clear recently when a study showed that pulse oximeters — which measure the amount of oxygen in the blood and have been an essential tool for clinical management of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3FQLFOd

Is It OK to Listen to a Butt-Dial Message?

WIRED’s spiritual advice columnist explores the forgotten comfort of accidental surveillance. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3tVkks8

Twitter launched NFT profile pictures — people are hella mad

Image
I envy your internet if you don’t come across ‘NFT’ once a day. It’s not enthusiasts; even large tech companies want to explore and integrate this new tech into their services. Last week, Twitter became the first major platform to introduce NFT-based profile pictures. The trouble is it didn’t go down well with its user base at large. Here’s how this feature works on the bird site: If you have bought or minted an NFT on an Etherum-based marketplace, you can set it as your profile picture, and it’ll show up in the hexagonal shape. Tap on the tweet below… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3GWvssr

Rent, food, and other nice things I can’t afford — can fintech solve our money problems?

Image
In her ode to the big apple, Alicia Keys said, ‘if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere.’ Only to sing a verse later, ‘someone sleeps tonight with a hunger that’s more than an empty fridge.’ The song is 12 years old, but the message is current. Major cities like New York, London, and Hong Kong have become symbolic of ‘making it’. The wins are big, the falls are crushing. Innovation thrives, and so does inequality. This polarity has caused chaos for young people. Armed with expensive educations, low credit scores, and limited access to loans, young… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Fintech from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3rNzEnV

How I scaled my freelance business to $10,000/month

Image
When I quit my full-time job and started freelancing five years ago, I figured it was just a stop-gap until I landed my next marketing job. I had never fancied myself a business owner and didn’t think I could command a freelance income that rivaled a full-time salary. But as time passed and I kept procrastinating my “real job” search, I started taking freelancing as a permanent career move more seriously. I’d always valued independence and had come away burnt out from my last job, so the flexibility and autonomy that freelance writing gave me was appealing. Coming from a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3AmLrxn

The Prisoner Who Revolutionized Chinese Language With a Teacup

While imprisoned for being a “reactionary,” physicist and engineer Zhi Bingyi began devising a system to help computing machines read Chinese characters. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3IoUpNg

Now Is a Good Time to Update Your Recovery Email Addresses

You know those “emergency” email addresses you can use to get into your email and other accounts in case you're locked out? Make sure they're up-to-date. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/3KE0De0

Here are 10 reasons why space exploration benefits Earth

Image
Space exploration benefits Earth and everyone living on it in ways most people never expect — Here’s 10 reasons why investing in space is our best hope for humanity. Space exploration is the grandest endeavor the human race has ever undertaken. Reaching out beyond the planetary cradle on which we evolved represents the next logical step in the evolution of the human race. In the words of Gene Roddenberry, space truly is “the final frontier.” It is certainly tempting to think of exploration as coming at a tremendous financial cost. There are also many pressing needs right here at home,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3IrDY2W

Crypto.com Finally Admits It Lost $30 Million in a Hack

Plus: Scammer arrests, the NSA plays defense, and more of the week's top security news. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/3Akt5gt

TinyML is bringing deep learning models to microcontrollers

Image
This article is part of our reviews of AI research papers, a series of posts that explore the latest findings in artificial intelligence. Deep learning models owe their initial success to large servers with large amounts of memory and clusters of GPUs. The promises of deep learning gave rise to an entire industry of cloud computing services for deep neural networks. Consequently, very large neural networks running on virtually unlimited cloud resources became very popular, especially among wealthy tech companies that can foot the bill. But at the same time, recent years have also seen a reverse trend, a concerted… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3FPmdsv

TikTok Has Created a West Elm Caleb Cinematic Universe

The imaginative play that makes the platform so much fun also helps explain the controversy around the internet's new main character. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3fSGK4I

Why your small business should make use of Instagram collections

Image
Instagram‘s users flood the app with millions of posts every day. There’s always fresh content, but a lot of great stuff gets lost in the shuffle. When you’re using Instagram for your business, you can’t afford to doomscroll the day away—so you need to use Instagram‘s collections feature. Save posts for later, create custom collections, and spend less time trying to find what you need. Instagram collections: Your Pinterest board to-do list Instagram‘s Saves isn’t a public feature—the user who posted won’t be notified when their post has been saved, nor can a user’s saved posts be seen from their… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Instagram from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3AmV8f3

UK startup to build flying taxi hubs in 65 cities

Image
This article was originally published by Christopher Carey on Cities Today, the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders. For the latest updates, follow Cities Today on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, or sign up for Cities Today News. UK start-up Urban-Air Port (UAP) has announced plans to establish 200 hubs for flying taxis and cargo drones across 65 cities globally over the next five years. The firm is set to launch its first ‘vertiport’, dubbed the “worlds smallest airport”, in Coventry in April, and says a “significant investment” from Hyundai Motor Group’s urban air division Supernal will enable expansion to further sites. “We… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3tX4tce

4 threats posed by Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites

Image
Elon Musk’s Starlink is a divisive project. The satellite internet constellation aims to provide low-cost internet to remote locations, but it’s producing some alarming side effects. Here are the biggest problems posed by the SpaceX network, from spoiling views to damaging the ozone layer. Causing collision threats SpaceX recently fired the 2,000th Starlink satellite into orbit. The vast number of these devices has raised concerns of collisions with other objects in space. The issue caused uproar in China after the Tiangong space station reportedly had two near misses involving the satellites. “For safety reasons, the China Space Station implemented preventive… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3ItqDa2

A love letter to my lord and savior, the LaCie portable SSD

Image
Love is unpredictable. You never know how it’s going to strike, so when it does, it’s often in the moments you least expect — and that’s precisely what happened when I fell in love with a 2TB LaCie portable SSD. It was a day, really, like many other days in my part of the world. The sky was grey. Drizzle coated the outdoors. And the postperson was tired with having to deliver me more shit. For weeks, a thought had been rolling around my mind: maybe the time is nigh for an external drive to enter my life. In my… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3GSw4ix

The unbearably cute Microlino EV is almost ready to hit European streets

Image
Say hello to the Microlonino 2.0, the adorable EV that wants to bring bubble cars back. And it’s coming to Europe very soon. Small and compact, it’s designed for the urbanites who might want a mini city-vehicle without the hustle of finding (or paying for) a large parking space. The electric two-seater measures 2.4m long, 1.5m wide, and 1.4m high (Credit: Microlino) Technically, the Microlino is a quadricycle, but we can definitely call it a retro electric bubble car, mainly due to its resemblance with the 1950s Isetta. The 1955 Isetta. Unlike the Isetta, the Microlino 2.0 is powered by… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3k1sBFA

9 tips to perfect your ‘working from home’ morning routine

Image
If you work from home, getting your morning routine down to a tee will have a huge impact on how you work — and feel — for the rest of the day. Ultimately, it’s about doing what works for you, but here are a few pointers that will hopefully help you start your day right. Wake up at the same time When you work from home, it can be tempting to stay in bed until the very last minute possible. While it’s OK to treat yourself and do this on the odd occasion, I would advise you to be more disciplined… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/33RvNOi

The Internet Is Failing Moms-to-Be

Even as a disinformation researcher, I was surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of manipulation in pregnancy apps. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3fIecLk

Third time’s the charm: Google’s reportedly making another headset

Image
Meta has already announced its plans to release an AR headset, while several reports have suggested Apple might release a mixed reality device in 2022 or 2023. And the latest entrant to hop on this bandwagon? Well, that’s Google. According to a report by The Verge‘s Alex Heath, the Big G is working on a new headset — under the Project Iris codename  —with a target shipping date of 2024. In this story, we’ll look at what to expect from this new device, and Google’s history with headsets. What will the device be like? The Verge’s report notes that Project Iris will… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/32l0w5T

Simulation Tech Can Help Predict the Biggest Threats

In the face of myriad global problems, Single Synthetic Environments will make life and death decisions easier to navigate. from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/3nGGqui

5G is grounding planes and freaking out airlines: We found out why

Image
The journey to 5G is having a turbulent takeoff in the US. The rollout of the wireless service has been partially postponed due to fears that it poses a threat to aircraft safety. International airlines including Emirates, British Airways, and Air India canceled flights to the US on Wednesday over concerns about interference from 5G towers.  Telecoms giants Verizon and AT&T have agreed to restrict the rollout near key airports, but this hasn’t allayed the anger of the aviation industry. In scientific terms, carriers, airlines, pilots, and passengers are really fucking pissed off. Here’s what you need to know about… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3FLi7BB

Safari bug is leaking users’ browsing history — but a fix is on the way

Image
If you use an Apple device, chances are that Safari is your default browser. If that’s the case, you’ll want to avoid using Safari for a bit because a bug in the app could leak your entire browsing history. Last week,  the team behind  FingerprintJS, a browser fingerprinting library, wrote a blog post about a vulnerability in Safari 15 that gives away your browser history. By exploiting this bug, an attacker can learn about what websites you’re visiting, and even see your Google ID for services like YouTube, Google Calendar, and Google Keep. You can read more about it here.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3IiZOFG

5 weird things people have transformed into crypto miners

Image
When can something bad also be used for good? The answer is crypto mining!   Traditional crypto mining is notoriously resource-intensive with the annual carbon footprint of mining Bitcoin equivalent to that of countries like Argentina and Norway. But rest assured, companies are hard at work finding creative ways to mine crypto sustainably. Further, because the creativity of people knows no bounds, it’s not just computers they have been mining crypto with. Oh, not at all. DIY hackers are turning all kinds of hardware into crypto mining machines and companies are finding ways to capture the energy generated in the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3AdAiPn

People no longer accept shitty jobs, and it’s fuelling the Great Resignation

Image
“Do what you love,” is no longer just advice. High school students learn early on that their future careers should be passion-driven. Self-help books counsel job searchers to start with reflection on what they love. And Hollywood films teach people, in romantic fashion, to aspire to work that is intrinsically satisfying and expresses our authentic selves. Researchers call this way of thinking about work the passion paradigm, and studies show it has become pervasive in modern societies. The passion paradigm emerged in the 1960s. During this time, there was widespread questioning of social and cultural norms — especially among youth… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3qMaVRH

Europe’s Move Against Google Analytics Is Just the Beginning

Austria’s data regulator has found that the use of Google Analytics is a breach of GDPR. In the absence of a new EU-US data deal, other countries may follow. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/33yQuyL

Rimac’s selling its hypercar EV tech to other automakers

Image
We’ve already been blown away by Rimac’s breathtaking Nevera, the all-electric hypercar that goes 0-60mph in just 1.85 seconds. And we were stunned when Rimac swallowed Bugatti to become, well, Bugatti Rimac. But here’s another bombshell from the Croatian automaker… The Rimac Group announced that its engineering division, Rimac Technology, is set to become a standalone company. It will be entirely dedicated to developing EV tech for the Croatian-French hypercar maker and third-party manufacturers. This is what its structure will look like: FEAST UPON IT (Credit: Bugatti – Rimac) Under the new structure, Rimac Technology is 100% owned by the Rimac Group.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3FMUI2B

This car can (probably) mine crypto and we’re not sure that’s a good thing

Image
The thing mobility and blockchain technology have in common are grandiose ideas that promise a lot, but don’t consistently deliver. So can a product that combines both overcome this? Canadian company, Daymak, believes it can. Since 2002, Daymak has been the biggest distributor and developer of electric light vehicles in Canada. It has over 150 dealers, has sold more than 100,000 vehicles, and exports to 25 countries. For reference, light electric vehicles refer to electric-powered transport like escooters, autocycles, and ebikes. But what we’re most interested in today is one of the company’s latest EVs: the Spiritus.  This promises crypto mining capabilities while it… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3tOgh0m

Monopoly in jeopardy: The two US bills that have Big Tech worried

Image
With increased scrutiny from regulators around the globe these days, legal departments at the world’s biggest tech companies are likely working overtime on a daily basis. This week, the focus is on the US — home to Apple, Google, and Amazon — with two bills slated to be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee. These two proposals, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act and the Open App Markets Act, will focus on preferential treatment to indigenous products and the monopoly of app stores. In this story, we’ll break down both these bills and their impact on companies and consumers.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3IdyTuI

The 'Dune' NFT Copyright Fiasco Is the Least of Crypto's Legal Worries

Spice DAO's copyright misstep shows how many questions there are about the rules of cryptoart. This is an opportunity for transformation from Ideas Latest https://ift.tt/33TWbHu

The Tonga volcanic disaster shows we need to rethink telecom infrastructure

Image
In the wake of a violent volcanic eruption in Tonga, much of the communication with residents on the islands remains at a standstill. In our modern, highly-connected world, more than 95% of global data transfer occurs along fibre-optic cables that criss-cross through the world’s oceans. Breakage or interruption to this critical infrastructure can have catastrophic local, regional and even global consequences. This is exactly what has happened in Tonga following Saturday’s volcano-tsunami disaster. But this isn’t the first time a natural disaster has cut off critical submarine cables, and it won’t be the last. The video below shows the incredible… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3nEggII

‘Zero-Click’ Zoom Vulnerabilities Could Have Exposed Calls

The flaws are now fixed, but speak to the growing concerns around interactionless attacks. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/3Iek4rP

BP says its EV chargers will be more profitable than pumps — here’s how it can happen

Image
Oil giants like BP and Shell have been reluctant to welcome the transition to electric cars, for fear of losing money and market share. But now things seem to be changing and it looks like investing in EV infrastructure could bring more money than selling fuel.  BP’s head of customers and products Emma Delaney told Reuters that while the company’s charging division isn’t expected to be profitable before 2025, on a margin level (money in, money out) it’s nearing the levels of gas filling.  As per Delaney, If I think about a tank of fuel versus a fast charge, we… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/3nxKHAc