Tech Spite

Hospitals are evolving at warp speed, and autonomous surgical robots are just the beginning. from Wired https://ift.tt/H1cNK0x

The latest tiny addition to the Alexa family focuses on style rather than sound. from Wired https://ift.tt/dLnvT3O

Hidden code in hundreds of models of Gigabyte motherboards invisibly and insecurely downloads programs—a feature ripe for abuse, researchers say. from Wired https://ift.tt/0uKbRTx

New laws in Minnesota and Vermont understand that allowing people to test their drugs reduces harm—and is a vital public health measure. from Wired https://ift.tt/n1XYAus

We talk to media scholar Ethan Zuckerman about why Twitter became the de facto digital public square and what other platforms like Bluesky or Mastodon might offer. from Wired https://ift.tt/CKeYO5q

Psychedelics are hot, but flawed studies mean a lot of the health claims could be hype. To get better evidence, scientists are trying unusual methods. from Wired https://ift.tt/0L396dB

A new statement from industry leaders cautions that artificial intelligence poses a threat to humanity on par with nuclear war or a pandemic. from Wired https://ift.tt/DOfbo7G

While other networks sputter, LinkedIn is growing. Here’s how to use the professional social network to highlight your accomplishments and skills. from Wired https://ift.tt/iRIWvKX

The chatbot can help rehearse communication skills and for some provides a resource to turn to when life is tough. from Wired https://ift.tt/vm7liFL

CEO Sima Sistani is eager to leave problematic notions of weight loss behind and keep her company relevant in the midst of a drug-fueled revolution. from Wired https://ift.tt/hNWwIsE

These premium headphones from Yamaha sound great. But their awkward fit and so-so noise canceling put them behind the competition. from Wired https://ift.tt/DyJUHZ1

In 2021, software engineer Molly White launched a cautionary Web3 blog to pour cold water on cryptocurrency's dumpster fires from Wired https://ift.tt/Nr3IYzK

This elegant portable brings style and power to the conference table or the coffee shop. from Wired https://ift.tt/49qJZDY

Time is money. Reclaim your precious minutes with these strategies for in-person and virtual meetings. from Wired https://ift.tt/5qjSv2D

The social audio hype has died down—but its esoteric charms persist in certain corners of the internet. from Wired https://ift.tt/o12g8Pd

Everyone’s definition of what’s appropriate for kids to read or watch is different. But we can offer some advice for managing settings. from Wired https://ift.tt/HSXg9bl

The quantum energy teleportation protocol was proposed in 2008 and largely ignored. Now two independent experiments have shown that it works. from Wired https://ift.tt/0nf2ywv

Your messages, on your PC, in seconds. from Wired https://ift.tt/HKOuybF

The code-hosting platform's headquarters was a living testament to tech values and one of its first disputed territories. from Wired https://ift.tt/ZEMaYNi

These wireless gaming headphones aim to do it all, and they’re pretty darn close to perfect. from Wired https://ift.tt/Ub2nFXu

TikTok user data is exposed to Chinese ByteDance employees, a screen recording app goes rogue in Google Play, and privacy groups want Slack to expand encryption. from Wired https://ift.tt/lzuDUqK

The number of ocean going birds has declined 70 percent since the 1950s, but restoring their populations can bolster marine ecosystems that sequester carbon. from Wired https://ift.tt/4PIgJKE

The Baratza Encore ESP is fine-tuned to grind coffee to make espresso, but it's adept at prepping beans for almost all other brew methods too. from Wired https://ift.tt/epkn6fw

From Air to Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, these are the must-watch films on the streamer. from Wired https://ift.tt/WnyHYcq

The EV giant is under pressure to launch new products, but a huge dump of confidential files in Germany details a litany of technical failings. from Wired https://ift.tt/Ah0inUE

What better way to kick off the summer than with an upgrade to TV, camera, headphones, and more? from Wired https://ift.tt/6sMtF25

Wondering where to start during this weekend's sales bonanza? Right here. from Wired https://ift.tt/wT7aGpm

Scientists are “watching with bated breath” to see if ice will return to normal levels. The planetary consequences could be huge. from Wired https://ift.tt/sHbn5uO

HBO’s critical-darling drama may be ending on Sunday, but the internet will always remember the Roys. from Wired https://ift.tt/XCYeQ5s

New photo manipulation tools from Google and Adobe are blurring the lines between real memories and those dreamed up by AI. from Wired https://ift.tt/8cJapzK

As the main candidates head to a runoff, disinformation is running riot on Turkish social media. from Wired https://ift.tt/ldIQmnN

The co-inventor of “bcrypt” is reflecting on the ubiquitous function’s 25 years and channeling cybersecurity’s core themes into electronic dance music. from Wired https://ift.tt/kdotVLm

From Swan Song to CODA, here's everything you should be watching on Apple's streaming service. from Wired https://ift.tt/I9Q0i1t

Ocean creatures soak up huge amounts of humanity’s carbon mess. Should we value them like financial assets? from Wired https://ift.tt/vZPz35u

Researchers say Armenian government workers, journalists, and at least one United Nations official were targeted by the NSO tool. from Wired https://ift.tt/CZkQG2M

Nintendo's Luigi has a chaos-causing alter ego. AI's shadow could put humanity at risk—but can be contained. from Wired https://ift.tt/eW2j6iX

Indirect prompt-injection attacks can leave people vulnerable to scams and data theft when they use the AI chatbots. from Wired https://ift.tt/05wznCQ

Launching his White House bid on the social network revealed the technical and political limitations of Musk's platform. from Wired https://ift.tt/0WnB6O8

Researchers say the state-sponsored espionage operation may also lay the groundwork for disruptive cyberattacks. from Wired https://ift.tt/jSaLX7B

On a stop in London, the OpenAI CEO called for balanced regulation and warned of the risks of deepfake disinformation. from Wired https://ift.tt/de4j7W9

The DJI Air 2S has been a longstanding member of our guide to the best drones , but several leaks have revealed that its DJI Air 3 successor is imminent – and could well be the new sweet spot in DJI's drone range. A combination of rumored DJI Air 3 specs, plus leaked photos and a video, have started to build a picture of what we can expect from the mid-range drone. And the big news is that it's likely to get a new telephoto lens, similar to the one we saw recently on the DJI Mavic 3 Pro .   The DJI Air 2S currently has just a single camera with a 1-inch 20MP CMOS sensor. But according to regular DJI leaker @Quadro_News , the DJI Air 3 will add either a 1/1.3-inch mid-telephoto lens with an effective 3x zoom (like the one on the Mavic 3 Pro) or a 1/2-inch telephoto lens with an effective 7x zoom. Neither of these would be 'zoom' lenses in the technical sense, but their longer focal lengths would offer a handy way to shoot photos and video of distant subjects, partic...

It’s here: Netflix’s new password-sharing crackdown is finally coming to the US, UK, and Australia as the platform expands its controversial policy. According to a recent announcement , the streaming giant will be sending out emails to rule breakers caught sharing their Netflix password outside of their household. The letter starts off by reminding Netflix members that subscriptions are only meant for them and the other people they live with. It also encourages people to change their password if they suspect someone has unfettered access to their account and to kick them out.  But let’s say you really, really want to share an account with a buddy. Well, Netflix is giving you two options. A:) You can transfer access to another person who will then have to pay the monthly membership fee. Or B:) Spend an extra $7.99 a month (£4.99 a month in the UK and $7.99 a month in Australia) to add a friend to your account. That’s nearly the cost of a basic Netflix plan . If you want to add m...

Back in March 23, a new update allowed Cyberpunk 2077 to take full advantage of Nvidia’s DLSS 3 through an enhancement to the feature called Ray Tracing: Overdrive Mode. Unfortunately, an issue with AMD’s Ryzen 7000-series CPUs created complications with the tool. This issue is a strange bug that causes stuttering when DLSS Frame Generation is turned on with a PC that was equipped with a Ryzen 7000-series CPU. PCGamesN highlighted this issue in its review of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and received an official investigation and statement in return. Nvidia investigated and confirmed that there’s an incompatibility with DLSS and Ryzen 7000 series processors in Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 . The website was soon given .dll files that resolved the issue. According to an Nvidia representative: “The latest StreamLine 1.5.6 SL .dll files will be included in an upcoming patch of Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 , fixes stuttering on Ryzen 7000 CPUs.” So thankfully Nvidia will be...

How much should one pay for true wireless earbuds? If under $20 is your answer, then Skullcandy has good news for you. The company’s new Smokin’ Buds are priced at a mere $19.99 (around £16 / AU$30), which strikes us as a smokin’ good deal – as long as the buds live up to the hype. The best wireless earbuds can be expensive, with models like the Sony WF-1000XM4 and AirPods Pro 2 priced at $200, and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 at $300. But those buds all offer top-shelf noise canceling, which is a key feature Skullcandy’s new buds lack. Noise-canceling aside, this Skullcandy offering is fairly feature-packed for under-$20 buds. Bluetooth 5.2 is used for a wireless connection, and there’s a microphone in each bud, which lets you use just one and still be able to take calls. Capacitive touch controls let you play/pause streaming and accept calls, while auto-on and auto-connect features automatically power up and pair the buds with your phone when you remove them from their case...

“Container registries” are ubiquitous software clearinghouses, but they've been exposed for years. Chainguard says it now has a solution. from Wired https://ift.tt/0yVGL3j

ChatGPT, the AI chatbot, is about to get a significant upgrade, adding Bing as its search engine and further cementing the growing relationship between Microsoft and ChatGPT developer OpenAI. Microsoft announced the integration during its Build 2023 keynote on Tuesday stating that Bing is coming to ChatGPT as the default search experience. The announcement came amid a flurry of AI-related announcements, including the introduction of the GPT-4-based Windows Copilot coming to Windows 11 in June. "We're bringing search grounding and Bing to ChatGPT," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during his keynote. Bing won't suddenly appear in ChatGPT. Its availability is based on a plugin Microsoft built for the ChatGPT platform and will start on the premium ChatGPT+ (which is based on GPT-4). Nadella said it will arrive on the free version of ChatGPT "soon." ChatGPT (Image credit: Microsoft) While not much is known about this search update, it's clea...

Treatment in utero could cure diseases before birth. Recent advances in lab animals may bring medicine closer to achieving it—but this field is still in its infancy. from Wired https://ift.tt/PWVD3K2

There is a way to “brute-force” fingerprints on Android devices and with physical access to the smartphone , and enough time, a hacker would be able to unlock the device, a report from cybersecurity researchers at Tencent Labs and Zhejiang Unversity has claimed. As per the report, there are two zero-day vulnerabilities present in Android devices (as well as those powered by Apple’s iOS and Huawei’s HarmonyOS), called Cancel-After-Match-Fail (CAMF) and Match-After-Lock (MAL).  By abusing these flaws, the researchers managed to do two things: have Android allow an infinite number of fingerprint scanning attempts; and use databases found in academic datasets, biometric data leaks, and similar. Cheap hardware To pull the attacks off, the attackers needed a couple of things: physical access to an Android-powered smartphone, enough time, and $15 worth of hardware. The researchers named the attack “BrutePrint”, and claim that for a device that only has one fingerprint set up, it wou...

Photoshop has been steadily adding AI-powered tools to its menus in recent years, but an incredible new demo from an independent research team shows where the best photo editors are heading next. DragGAN may not be a fully-fledged consumer product yet, but the research paper (picked up on Twitter by AI researchers @_akhaliq and @icreatelife ) shows the kinds of reality-warping photo manipulation that's going to be possible very soon. This AI-powered tech will again challenge our definition of what a photo actually is. While we've seen similar photo editing effects before – most notably in Photoshop tools like Perspective Warp – the DragGAN demo takes the idea and user interface to a new level. As the examples below show, DragGAN lets you precisely manipulate photos to change their subject's expressions, body positions and even minor details like reflections. The results aren't always perfect, but they are impressive – and that's because DragGAN (whose name...

Another month, another slate of canceled TV shows being pulled from their streaming platforms. A number of high-profile series will be leaving both Disney Plus and Hulu on May 26, meaning there’s only a few days left to enjoy the condemned programs before they go (thanks to a heads up from Deadline ). There are some surprising choices among the purge, including big-name sequels and adaptations that, if not renewed for more seasons, still seemed notable enough to hang around for a little while longer. But in a streaming landscape where Paramount Plus is in ascendence , and the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus are scrambling to maintain subscriber growth, cancelations seem more cutthroat than ever. We’re seeing countless series and specials sent into oblivion so streamers can cut back on costs. If you have any free time in the coming days to watch some content on Disney Plus or Hulu, here are the four shows worth checking out before they’re gone for good. What else are lunch breaks...

It’s official ( as if there was ever any doubt ): the European Union (EU) has ordered Meta to pay a staggering $1.3 billion, and to stop transferring EU data to the US.  Per Associated Press , Meta plans to appeal the decision made by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, and promises “no immediate disruption to Facebook [and, presumably, other services such as WhatsApp and Instagram] in Europe”. Despite the fact that Meta is undoubtedly able to soak up even hefty fines like these, should the appeal fail, it could spell the end of Meta’s operations in EU territory. Meta unsettled Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, was, along with Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead, altogether less apologetic than usual in claiming that “this decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and U.S.” Being so uncomfortable with oversight, the former coalition government teaboy is, I suspect, quite...

Elon Musk’s appointment repeats a pattern in which companies led into crisis by men suddenly appoint women leaders. from Wired https://ift.tt/RgruiDL

The modding team at Minecraft New Vegas has successfully recreated the entire world of Fallout: New Vegas within the beloved sandbox game.  However, the folks behind this 1:1 recreation of one of the best RPGs of all time have gone a step further, using the world to build a roleplaying experience in the mould of a virtual, post-apocalyptic version of Dungeons and Dragons .  In addition to offering an accurate recreation of Obsidian’s original open-world, Minecraft New Vegas boasts a thriving player community, where gamers take on the roles of characters within the world. Players can join factions, explore the map and interact with other players and NPCs. There is also a group of Gamemasters – think moderators/referees – there to “enhance the player experience”.  Just like the original, Minecraft New Vegas places an emphasis on survival and exploration, a prospect made all the dicier by the other players wandering about. Knowing that those Caesar's Legion soldiers...

PSVR 2 may not have lit the world on fire as Sony hoped, but the Japanese manufacturer remains optimistic about its long-term success. Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan has shared his own thoughts on PSVR 2 's first few months on sale. In an interview with Famitsu , Ryan stated that "PSVR 2 has just been launched, so it may be a little early to judge its popularity, but we are happy to see many positive reactions from users and the media." (via VGC ). Ryan's comment follows a slew of bad news for the PS5 headset's opening months. Its reportedly poor pre-order performance prior to launch hinted a lukewarm consumer reaction to its eye-watering price point. Additionally, month one sales appeared to fall below Sony's targets , despite Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki expressing confidence that PSVR 2 could outsell its predecessor . Despite a slow start off the blocks, I do agree with Jim Ryan that it's far too early to judge PSVR 2's sales performanc...

We recently detailed a two-second iPhone trick that lets you delete Safari tabs en masse , but that helpful shortcut is far from the only hidden iOS feature worth knowing about in 2023.  We say ‘hidden’, but only hidden insofar as Apple doesn’t make a big song and dance about the myriad genuinely useful navigational tools scattered throughout iOS.  We’ve highlighted 9 iOS tricks that every iPhone user should know elsewhere on TechRadar, but in this article, we've picked out five more handy iOS loopholes to help you navigate your iPhone faster – from keyboard shortcuts to calculator tricks.  1. No more calculator headaches  (Image credit: Future / Axel Metz) Most iPhone users will know the pain of having to re-enter digits in the calculator app after accidentally pressing a wrong number, but did you know that you don’t need to go back to square one in order to rectify your mistake?  If you punch a wrong number in the calculator app, simply swipe le...

Ironically, using a device to help me fall asleep has relieved me of the burden of self-moralizing about my tech usage. from Wired https://ift.tt/p67leKV

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered two popular Android TV box products are being sold online preloaded with malware .  The malware generates revenue for the attackers by clicking on ads in the background, without the owners’ knowledge or consent, according to findings from cybersecurity researcher Daniel Milisic.  Milisic went to Amazon to buy an AllWinner T95, a popular set-top box with a four-out-of-five-star rating, and countless reviews. The TV box comes with multiple streaming services, can be customized, and is generally considered good value for its relatively low price (around $40 without shipping).  Impressive and unsettling However, soon after receiving the item, Milisic discovered the tool was communicating with a C2 server and awaiting certain instructions. A deeper investigation showed the device connecting to a wider botnet comprising countless devices all over the world. The instructions were to download stage-two malware which performs ad-click...

The Apple VR headset is getting close to its rumored arrival at WWDC 2023 on June 5 – and the mixed-reality wearable is expected be launched alongside an exciting new operating system, likely called xrOS. What is xrOS? We may now be approaching iOS 17 , iPadOS 16 and macOS 13 Ventura on Apple's other tech, but the Apple VR headset – rumored to be called the Apple Reality One – is expected to debut the first version of a new operating system that'll likely get regular updates just like its equivalents on iPhone, iPad and Mac. The latest leaks suggest that Apple has settled on the xrOS name for its AR/VR headset, but a lot of questions remain. For example, what new things might xrOS allow developers (and us) to do in mixed reality compared to the likes of iOS? And will xrOS run ports of existing Apple apps like Freeform? Here's everything we know so far about xrOS and the kinds of things it could allow Apple's mixed-reality headset to do in both augmented and virt...

FiiO is a name that's often said in the same sentence as "hi-res audio player" and "Astell & Kern" – and its latest player, the FiiO M15S, is easily the best FiiO player I've got my mitts on.  We covered the M15S when it launched in March , but to recap: it features dual desktop-grade ES9038PRO DACs, support for up to 384kHz/DSD256 hi-res audio, MQA, Roon, aptX HD, LDAC and LHDC, plus 3.5mm single-ended and 2.5mm/4.4mm balanced headphone outputs. And it does it all for $999 / £979 / (around AU$1,800), which is just a tad more than the excellent Astell & Kern A&norma SR25 MKII but a lot less than the newest A&ultima SP3000 . A lot. Did I mention that the snug protective case, with a reassuringly snappy volume knob protector, is included?  The M15S Digital Audio Player (often shortened to DAP in audiophile circles) builds on the success of previous award-winning portable audio equipment from FiiO, including the very talented FiiO MS11 . Th...