Apple is reportedly working on ‘LLM Siri’ to compete with ChatGPT
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge
Apple is planning a major AI overhaul of Siri that will make the digital assistant more like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini Live, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The assistant, reportedly called “LLM Siri,” will be powered by Apple’s AI models and will let users have more conversational, natural-sounding interactions with Siri.
As part of Apple’s plan to infuse its iPhones with AI, Bloomberg says the company will make Siri better at handling more advanced tasks. The assistant will have an “expanded” ability to use App Intents to interact with third-party apps, while also using Apple Intelligence to summarize and write text, too.
Though Apple could announce these plans as soon as next year, the company intends...
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Gets New Photo Mode Options And A Bunch Of Bug Fixes In Latest Patch
If you’ve been enjoying the return of Dragon Age with The Veilguard, there are some cool quality of life changes and bug fixes in the latest patch that went live on November 21, 2024. I’ll break them down below to let you know what you’re getting into.
Making Rook The Hero Of The Next Dragon Age Could Fix The Series' Biggest Problem
Dragon Age: The Veilguard had a lot to live up to. Its predecessor, Dragon Age: Inquisition, launched in 2014 and left the series on a devastating cliffhanger, a cliffhanger that went unresolved as developer BioWare went through 10 years of development hell and internal reboots, before ultimately making its way to a…
OpenAI accidentally erases potential evidence in training data lawsuit
Image: The Verge
In a stunning misstep, OpenAI engineers accidentally erased critical evidence gathered by The New York Times and other major newspapers in their lawsuit over AI training data, according to a court filing Wednesday.
The newspapers’ legal teams had spent over 150 hours searching through OpenAI’s AI training data to find instances where their news articles were included, the filing claims. But it doesn’t explain how this mistake occurred or what precisely the data included. While the filing says OpenAI admitted to the error and tried to recover the data, what it managed to salvage was incomplete and unreliable — so what was recovered cannot help properly trace how the news organizations’ articles were used in building OpenAI’s AI models....
The Long, Slow Defeat of Pennsylvania’s Sen. Bob Casey
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, a stalwart moderate who rose to power on the heels of his late father’s political legacy, seems likely to lose his reelection bid. Shortly after Election Day, the Associated Press called the race for his opponent, former hedge fund executive Dave McCormick, who had a narrow lead in returns. Even though […]
Warning Dog Lovers, Stalker 2 Ain't For You
Stalker 2 is out now on Xbox Series X/S and PC. And you might be curious to check it out despite the bugs and performance problems. However, if you are someone who can’t stand the idea of shooting or killing dogs in a video game, then you probably should stay far away from Stalker 2.
In Gaza Organized Gangs Make a Bad Situation Even Worse
Israel has been accused of using starvation in Gaza as a weapon of war. It's a charge the government denies, however aid groups say too little food is being allowed into Gaza. And making the problem even worse, armed gangs are looting much of the aid that is coming in. We hear more about the issue and what Israel is doing about it. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates
Automakers plead with Trump: don’t kill the EV tax credit
Image: Laura Normand / The Verge
The auto industry is sending an urgent message to President-elect Donald Trump: spare the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit.
In a November 14th letter to Trump and his transition team, the auto industry’s main lobbying group urges the new administration to preserve incentives for EV buyers and manufacturers that were enacted under President Joe Biden, arguing these policies keep the US competitive globally while also creating “good jobs.”
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents the Big Three automakers — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis — as well as foreign car companies that sell in the US, are calling on Trump to “promote stability and predictability in auto-related emissions standards.” But at the same time,...
It will soon be easier than ever for Android apps to stay signed in on a new phone
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Transferring your data from your old Android deviceto a new one will soon be less daunting,thanks to “Restore Credentials,” a new developer feature for Androidwhich can keep you logged into your apps when you make the switch. While some apps already did this, Google is making it easier for developers to include this experience by implementing a “restore key” that automatically transfers to the new phone and logs you back into the app.
The change should help make going from one Android phone to another more like upgrading an iPhone. Apple users who move from one iPhone to another are used to having everything from email accounts to app credentials transfer to the new phone, but it hasn’t always been so seamless for Android users.
Verge...
Reblogged by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
patrickbrosset@mas.to ("Patrick Brosset") wrote:
"web-features" (the thing that powers Baseline) is an awesome open-source project that, with links to other data sources, has the potential of unlocking so many use cases. We're only scratching the surface.
I'm currently mapping web-features to MDN pages. Want to help complete the coverage? See this issue: https://github.com/web-platform-dx/web-features-explorer/issues/32
Reblogged by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
lcamtuf@infosec.exchange ("lcamtuf :verified: :verified: :verified:") wrote:
There's a good blog post from @april about cookie parsing: https://grayduck.mn/2024/11/21/handling-cookies-is-a-minefield/
And I guess it's time to dust off my broader, 2010 rant about the same: https://lcamtuf.blogspot.com/2010/10/http-cookies-or-how-not-to-design.html
Some things have improved, but cookies are still a bit of a design fail.
Linda McMahon, Secretary of Plunder
Educators are flipping out over Donald Trump’s choice of pro wrestling exec and longtime donor Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education. Predictably so, since experts in just about every field are flipping out when Trump chooses some poorly qualified (yet very loyal) hack to oversee their specialty—or selects another fox to guard the henhouse. America’s […]
Linda McMahon, Secretary of Plunder
Educators are flipping out over Donald Trump’s choice of pro wrestling exec and longtime donor Linda McMahon for secretary of education. Predictably so, since experts in just about every field are flipping out when Trump chooses some poorly qualified (yet very loyal) hack to oversee their specialty—or selects another fox to guard the henhouse. America’s […]
Elden Ring And Armored Core VI Are Both Absolute Steals Right Now At Just $20 Each
Elden Ring is an open world RPG about surviving incredible boss fights and piecing together fascinating bits of tragic lore. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is an arcade mech shooter about customizing robots and dueling to the death. They are both excellent and shockingly cheap right now at just $20 each.
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
beat a couple of s/w 🐞 to death, installed a secure channel between my service (aka seekrit project) & db server, installed said db server & set up databases & established tables. all in all, a productive day.
tomorrow at 1000 local time a class of (25-50??) students will hammer 🔨 the poor little bugger & we shall see how it does under a teeny bit of load & youthful ’ohhhhh… can I break this??’ energy 🙀
and now for a pipe, with a purring cat 🐈⬛ on my lap
What is the ICC and can it really arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
The ICC also issued warrants for Yoav Gallant, former Israeli defense minister, and Hamas leader Muhammad Deif. But it doesn't have an enforcement mechanism and relies on states to make the arrests.
The company that sold cameras with ‘terrible’ security flaw has a new problem
Image: Eken
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing more than $700,000 in fines against Eken, a Hong Kong-based video doorbell manufacturer whose products were found to be susceptible to hackers, for an unrelated rules violation discovered during the commission’s ongoing investigation.
The commission began investigating Eken after Consumer Reports found in February 2024 that its products, which are sold under more than 10 different brand names, had security vulnerabilities that let anyone with a doorbell’s serial number remotely access images from its video feed. The products are sold under brand names including Aiwit, Andoe, Bitepass, CutePanda, Eken, Fishbot, Gemee, Guggre, Luckwolf, Rakeblue and Tuck. Eken said in April that it...
The best budget robot vacuums
Illustration: The Verge
You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a robot clean your floors. Here’s our pick of the most cost-effective bots you can buy right now.
Former Brazlian president indicted over alleged coup plot
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro and several others have been charged with attempting to overthrow incoming government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022.
Athletes Have Embraced the Soft Power of a Trump Dance
On Monday night, Christian Pulisic, the star of the US men’s national soccer team, scored in a match against Jamaica and promptly jogged over to the corner flag. After a jumping fist pump, the red, white, and blue bedecked central midfielder did what’s become known as the “Trump Dance,” laughing as he wiggled his arms […]
Stalker 2 Is A Very Good Game Buried Under Bugs And Performance Problems
It was nighttime and I was creeping through grass of S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2's digital recreation of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. I needed to meet up with someone, but getting anywhere in the “Zone”— the eerie, desolate, but oddly beautiful irradiated setting of the game—is dangerous. To make sure I was going the right way I…
finn@surfin.dog ("tall and fragrant") wrote:
babe are you a capacitor from the mid 2000's because you're bulging and leaking
Steam Has New Rules For DLC And Season Passes To Prevent Players From Getting Screwed
You shouldn’t pre-order games, but people do it all the time anyway. Increasingly, people have gotten in the habit of pre-ordering DLC too, paying up front for content that won’t be delivered for months or even years, if ever. Valve’s now cracking down on the whole thing with stricter rules for companies selling…
jef ("Jef Poskanzer :batman:") wrote:
2BR top floor apt, bridge view. New paint! Includes cable!
Attachments:
Post Malone Has Played Hunt: Showdown For An Obscene Amount Of Hours
If you ever feel embarrassed that you’ve spent the equivalent of two and a half weeks on a video game, just remember that some of the most accomplished and busy entertainers in the world have done the same. During a sit-down chat with Scott Lussier, creative director of western-themed extraction shooter Hunt: Showdown…
Bernie Sanders’ Push to Limit Arms Sales to Israel Failed. But It Shows Dems Are Shifting.
It was clear from the outset that the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) would not pass. The trio of bills, brought to a vote on Wednesday night, would have stopped $20 billion in weapons from being sent to Israel. Every single Republican in the Senate voted against Sanders, as expected. A […]
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
frankashwood@flipping.rocks ("Frank Ashwood") wrote:
Since you all really like Onychophora, here's a Peripatoides - another of NZ's beautiful endemic velvet worms.
Unlike the previous post, these little critters give live birth, but that's not the strangest thing about their reproduction. During mating, males deposit sperm packages anywhere onto the skin of the female, which then DISSOLVE HOLES in her skin and travel throughout her body. This process has a name as unromantic as the act itself: 'dermal-haemocoelic sperm transfer'.
And they say romance is dead.
#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #Entomology #Macrophotography #Nature #NaturePhotography
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Google’s Black Friday sale features record low prices on Pixel, Nest, and more
The Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL have never been cheaper than they are today. | Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge
Google’s Black Friday sale has kicked off with sizable discounts on Pixel phones, wearables, earbuds, tablets, smart home gear, and more.
You’ll notice the base 128GB Pixel 9 is down to $649 ($150 off) at Google and Best Buy, for example. But some colors of the flagship Tensor G4 smartphone are actually even cheaper in Amazon’s Black Friday sale right now, with its porcelain and peony pink models going for $548.98 there. That’s beating the all-time low by a significant margin of about $49.
The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL — which have larger screens, bigger batteries, more cameras, and more RAM compared to the Pixel 9 — are also $150 off at Google, starting at $849 and $949 for their base 128GB configuration. Again, you’d probably...
Steam is adding support, and more rules, for ‘season pass’ content
Image: The Verge
Steam is building support for season passes into its platform and setting up rules to help protect buyers from buying ones with unclear promises. Steam published new guidelines urging developers to “think about whether there’s a customer benefit” for purchasing season passes, as reported by SteamDB creator Pavel Djundik.
Season passes have really picked up in popularity and are used mainly in free-to-play or other multiplayer video games that promise digital updates like special costumes and weapons for a fee.
As part of Steam’s new rules for season passes, developers must share a list of items with descriptions customers can expect to receive with the pass. If a DLC drop gets delayed, Steam will let developers reschedule it up to 3...
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
larsbrinkhoff@mastodon.sdf.org ("Lars Brinkhoff") wrote:
I made my own Forth a while back. Like most others, it's just a toy and my personal plaything. But I'd like to think it has some merits to make it interesting.
Google reportedly cancels Pixel Tablet 2 and might quit the category — again
Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
Yesterday Android Headlines reported that Google had canceled its development of the Pixel Tablet 3 — even before announcing a second-gen model. Well, today Android Authority is saying that it’s in fact the second-generation Pixel Tablet that has been canned, meaning that the device released last year will apparently be a one-off and that Google is bailing on the tablet category for the second time in a little over five years. At best, we’re in for a long pause until the next one.
If true, the news would suggest that sales of the Pixel Tablet have been so poor that Google has decided further investment in a follow-up just isn’t worth it. As recently as last week, there were rumors of new features and a keyboard accessory for the...
SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who took aim at crypto industry, to step down in January
Gensler said he would step down on Jan. 20, when Donald Trump will inaugurated as the next president. Gensler took big enforcement actions against the crypto industry.
Star Wars Outlaws’ first expansion brings Lando into the game
Image: Ubisoft
A few months after it first launched, Star Wars Outlaws is getting some major updates. First up is the game’s first batch of downloadable content, which adds a new storyline involving Lando Calrissian and what appears to be a very dangerous game of Sabacc. The new expansion is called Wild Card and will be followed by a second DLC update next spring called A Pirate’s Fortune.
Perhaps more significant, today, Outlaws is also getting a major update to address some of the game’s technical and design issues. Ubisoft describes it as the game’s “biggest patch yet.” Most notable, it seems, is that the stealth sections — a major point of frustration for many players — have been toned down.
Ubisoft says that the update includes “updates to...
Matt Gaetz Withdraws From Attorney General Consideration
Amid the escalating debate over whether to release a highly damaging report into allegations that he had sex with a minor, Matt Gaetz on Thursday announced that he was withdrawing from consideration to become President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction […]
Russia launched an experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, the U.S. says
Ukraine raised alarm suggesting Russia may have used an intercontinental ballistic missile to hit the city of Dnipro, but the U.S. National Security Council does not believe it was an ICBM.
Kia announces high-performance EV9 GT with virtual shifting and native Tesla charging
The new 2025 Kia EV9 GT
Kia came to the LA Auto Show with not one but two revamped electric vehicles, a sign that the South Korean automaker is still feeling bullish about its momentum in the plug-in car market.
First off, the 2025 Kia EV9 GT is a performance version of its three-row SUV, which we first tested earlier this year. This one promises more power and a sportier feel than the version we drove, which bore the GT Line badge but wasn’t specifically tuned for performance. The new GT trim comes with over 500 horsepower (compared to 379hp in the 2024 model) and a zero to 60mph acceleration of 4.3 seconds. Kia is calling it the “most powerful” three-row SUV it’s ever created.
The dual-motor EV9 GT will also be the first Kia vehicle to feature...
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdraws as attorney general nominee
Allegations of sex trafficking and drug use threatened to derail Matt Gaetz's nomination as attorney general.
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
astro_jcm@mastodon.online ("Juan Carlos Muñoz") wrote:
1/ Even though stars are huge, they're so far away they mostly look like points to us. While we've been able to resolve details in a handful of stars within the Milky Way, our home galaxy, we now have a close-up view of a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small galaxy orbiting our own, 160 000 lightyears away.
https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2417/
📷 ESO/K. Ohnaka et al.
Attachments:
The House Passes Bill Allowing Trump Admin to Declare Nonprofits Terrorist Supporters
The long, strange saga of the “nonprofit-killer bill” continues. The legislation—officially called HR 9495, or the “Stop Terror Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act”—would give the Secretary of the Treasury unilateral power to designate nonprofits as suspected “Terrorist Supporting Organizations,” taking away their tax-exempt status unless they are able to prove they are […]
Sonos speakers and soundbars are up to $200 off ahead of Black Friday
The Sonos Era 100, our go-to smart speaker, is down to an all-time low of $199 right now. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Good news: Black Friday has come early for Sonos fans. Now through December 2nd, you can potentially save hundreds on a variety of Sonos products, including soundbars, smart speakers, and headphones. There are a lot of things on sale — and the Sonos app is in better shape than it was a few months ago, thankfully — which means now is a great time to buy if you’ve been looking to upgrade your home theater setup.
First up is the Sonos Ace, the company’s first pair of wireless headphones. Right now, they’re down to a new low of $349 ($100 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos’ online storefront. They’re comfortable and stylish, with stellar noise cancellation, an exceptionally natural-sounding transparency mode, and excellent sound. However,...
Square Enix Has No Intergrade-Like DLC Plans For FF7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is already a massive game, but some out there might be wondering if DLC is on the way for the open-world RPG. According to Rebirth’s director Naoki Hamaguchi, the answer is no, as the team is focused on finishing part three of the FF7 Remake trilogy.
A new ‘ultra-secure’ phone carrier says it can make you harder to track
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images
A new cell phone carrier is launching with an interesting pitch: it says it will offer secure cell service that limits how much personal data users give up, as reported earlier by 404 Media. The service, called Cape, is geared toward “high-risk” individuals like politicians, journalists, activists, and others.
Cape is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses UScellular’s network. But since it runs its mobile own core, Cape says it can control the technology powering the mobile network and “implement protections over what data enters and leaves your phone.” When signing up for the service, Cape says it will ask users for the “minimum amount of personal information” and will store it “for as little time as possible.”
The carrier...
WhatsApp will soon transcribe your voice messages
Illustration: The Verge
WhatsApp is introducing a new transcription feature that makes it easier (and more convenient) to communicate using voice messaging. The feature is rolling out globally to Android and iOS users “in the coming weeks” according to WhatsApp, and will automatically create a text version of voice clips under the message for moments when you’re unable to listen to them.
This finds a great balance between the pros and cons of voice messages, which are easier to record than typing out lengthy conversations but can be cumbersome to listen to, especially on the go or in loud environments. Now you get the best of both worlds, but only voice message recipients who have the feature enabled can see the transcripts.
Image: WhatsApp ...
Josh Brolin Wants Denis Villeneuve To Get A Dune: Part Two Oscar Nom...Or Else
Here’s the plot: Popular 56-year-old actor threatens the voting body behind the most revered award in cinema with his retirement if they fail to deliver on his desired nomination. While that may sound like an A24 dark comedy waiting to happen, it’s actually Josh Brolin’s reality, as he has threatened to never act…
RFK Jr. Has Made False and Dangerous Claims about AIDS. That Could Become a Global Problem.
Of the many absurd things Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said over the years—about vaccines, about 5G technology as a tool of mass surveillance, about Covid being an “ethnically targeted” bioweapon designed to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people—his claims about HIV and AIDS have been some of the most fact-free. “He is entirely unqualified.” […]
This year's FAFSA is officially open. Early review says it's 'a piece of cake'
The FAFSA form is now open to students hoping to get help paying for college in the 2025-26 academic year. Students can expect a much smoother process compared to the last cycle.
He was stuck in a hospital for 8 months. How states can fail people with disabilities
In Georgia and other states, the federal government oversees the treatment of people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, because the states have been unable to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the subsequent Olmstead ruling.
Fans Found A Workaround For One Of The Most Frustrating Things In Dragon Age: The Veilguard
One of the reasons it took me so long to start a second playthrough of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is that recreating the Inquisitor, the protagonist of 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition, is a painstaking process. I loved making an older version of my Inquisition hero the first time I played through The Veilguard, but the…
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
evilchili@linernotes.club wrote:
#KEXP's album of the year voting page is a great place to learn about all the new records I missed this year:
An anti-deepfake declaration may have been written by AI
Illustration: The Verge
A federal lawsuit over Minnesota’s “Use of Deep Fake Technology to Influence An Election” law is now directly dealing with the influence of AI. In a recent filing, attorneys challenging the law say an affidavit submitted to support it shows signs of containing AI-generated text. The Minnesota Reformer reports Attorney General Keith Ellison asked Stanford Social Media Lab founding director Jeff Hancock to make the submission, but the document filed includes non-existent sources that seem to have been hallucinated by ChatGPT or another large language model (LLM).
Hancock’s affidavit cites a 2023 study published in the Journal of Information Technology & Politics titled “The Influence of Deepfake Videos on Political Attitudes and Behavior.”...
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
duncanlock@cosocial.ca ("Duncan Lock") wrote:
Things don't "fall into the public domain" at the end of their copyright term, Ugh.
Once released from copyright, works Ascend into the glorious ranks of the public domain, fulfilling their rightful destiny as part of the cultural heritage of humanity!
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
LauraJG@deacon.social ("Laura G, Sassy 70’s") wrote:
Your art history post for today: by Georges Garen (1854-1913), "Embrasement de la Tour Eiffel," original illustration for the lithograph produced for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, watercolor and gouach on paper mounted to thicker paper stock, 520x330 mm (20 1/2x13 inches on 24 1/4x17 in), sheet, photo from Swann Galleries, Dec 15, 2022. #arthistory #Art
From Swann Galleries: “Garen's bold, colorful image of the Eiffel Tower, the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair, and its grand pavillions, alighting the night sky above the twinkling Seine beautifully portrayed the wonders of the world-famous spectacle. It was chosen as one of the representative images of the Exposition and this original painting was made into a mass-produced lithograph on one of the latest printing technologies…
The lithograph was immediately disseminated throughout Europe, enticing visitors to the Exposition and establishing Garen's image as its iconic face.”
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The Unflinching Courage of Taylor Cadle
Melissa Turnage approached the 12-year-old girl with the imposing affect of a cop: arms crossed, lips pursed, badge visible, tone skeptical. “So, you don’t know how many times this has happened this week?” Taylor Cadle slouched on a couch, staring at her lap and picking at her nails. That morning, in the summer of 2016, […]
The Unflinching Courage of Taylor Cadle
Melissa Turnage approached the 12-year-old girl with the imposing affect of a cop: arms crossed, lips pursed, badge visible, tone skeptical. “So, you don’t know how many times this has happened this week?” Taylor Cadle slouched on a couch, staring at her lap and picking at her nails. That morning, in the summer of 2016, […]
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
amoroso@fosstodon.org ("Paolo Amoroso") wrote:
Sequin is a sort of ANSI disassembler that describes ANSI escape sequences in human readable form. The tool is handy for terminal emulation and other retrocomputing projects.
Threads’ algorithm will focus more on the people you follow
Illustration: The Verge
“We are rebalancing ranking to prioritize content from people you follow, which will mean less recommended content from accounts you don’t follow and more posts from the accounts you do starting today,” Threads boss Adam Mosseri announced on Thursday.
This is another significant change to Threads since many people started flocking to Bluesky. It lets people default to seeing their Following feed when they open the app and offers lots of customizability, including custom feeds. Threads just yesterday rolled out its take on custom feeds less than a week after it started testing them.
The change could make the For You feed include more accounts you care about, but we’ll have to wait and see if the update addresses the problem of the...
Brighter Shores, As Told By Steam Reviews
There aren’t too many MMORPGs that you can just throw up on a second monitor in the background while you watch Crunchyroll or zone out to your favorite podcast about foreign baking competitions. Most require your input as you quest, grind mobs, and run dungeons with random players you’ll never see again. But RuneScape …
Wicked is a dazzling reminder of how good movie musicals can be
Image: Universal
Jon M. Chu’s Wicked adaptation gets at the heart of what makes musicals such a spectacular form of storytelling.
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
Republican family values.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/11/21/poster-boy-for-maga-politicians/
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Foreign nationals propel U.S. science. Visa limits under Trump could change that
The incoming Trump administration is likely to crack down on the H-1B visas used by tech companies and research institutions to hire top talent from other countries.
Don't Bother Waiting Around For A Cyberpunk 2077 PS5 Pro Update
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of those benchmark games fans rush to check out when they upgrade their gaming hardware. From its disastrous launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to its 2.0 overhaul and excellent Phantom Liberty expansion last year, the open-world RPG has undergone an impressive makeover in the last few years.…
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Are you a caregiver for an adult? How has it changed you?
Many who care for family members and loved ones at home say it can be very stressful but also rich in meaning. Share your story and insights.
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
Google’s New Modular Phone May Be the Last You’ll Need to Buy | WIRED:
"it’s an attempt to launch a phone where all of the main components are interchangeable via modules that click in and out, attaching via electro-permanent magnets."
The early 2010s were exciting times for technology. https://www.wired.com/2014/04/google-project-ara/
Apple Pay, Cash App, and other digital wallets will be regulated more like banks now
Illustration: Hugo Herrera / The Verge
Major digital payment providers will soon be subject to bank-like supervision from the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). On Thursday, the CFPB issued a final rule that will regulate digital payment apps that process over 50 million transactions each year, covering services like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, PayPal, Cash App, and others.
The new rule is meant to ensure digital payment providers adhere to the same laws as credit unions and large banks. It will give the CFPB the authority to oversee their compliance with federal laws surrounding privacy, fraud, and other rules through “proactive examinations.” This follows the CFPB’s initial proposal to regulate digital payment providers last year, which would’ve covered a wider...
Star Wars Outlaws Is Ditching Its Most Annoying Feature
Star Wars Outlaws’ road to redemption has hit a major milestone today with the release of its first story pack, fourth major update, and long-awaited arrival on Steam. There will be a lot to unpack about the state of Ubisoft’s open-world stealth adventure in the days and weeks ahead but the most important thing to…
The Verge’s 2024 holiday gift guide for dads
Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
If you’re unsure what to gift the father figure in your life this year, we have more than a few suggestions.
Roblox is the latest target of state kids online safety bills
Image: The Verge
New York State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D) is a driving force behind kids online safety laws. He sponsored the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act, both signed by Governor Kathy Hochul earlier this year.But when parents talked to him about the rules, he says, they kept asking a question he hadn’t considered: “Does it cover Roblox?”
Like the vast majority of online regulation, New York’s rules were aimed at traditional social media companies like Meta, Snap, and TikTok. But there’s been increasing scrutiny of the massively popular and overwhelmingly child-focused social gaming platform, and Gounardes is introducing a new bill to target it.
The New York Children’s Online Safety...
Disney Dreamlight Valley's New Dragons Are Too Adorable
Disney Dreamlight Valley is a relaxing title filled to the brim with adorable creatures to meet and feed. If you want to befriend them all, you’ll need to know what foods they like and how to feed it to them. This continues in the game’s second expansion The Storybook Vale where you’ll interact with multiple new…
Democrats Need to Stop Defending a Broken Democratic System
Hours before the results started coming in on November 5, when Democrats were still full of hope, the exit polls released by the major news networks contained a striking piece of data that gave supporters of Kamala Harris reason for optimism. Voters chose the “the state of democracy” as their top priority over any other […]
This functional Rick and Morty Butter Bot can roam your breakfast table
The Butter Bot has a functional camera that can live stream video to an included wireless remote. | Image: Kickstarter
Geek Club and CircuitMess have created a functional replica of one of Rick and Morty’s most tragic characters — the Butter Bot — with new capabilities so the bot is more than just a breakfast butler. With a camera, working treads, and AI capabilities, this Butter Bot can navigate the world, recognize your face, and chat with you.
The tiny robot is available for preorder now through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for $139, with delivery expected as early as August 2025. For aspiring Ricks, the Butter Bot is also available as part of a pricier $219 “Mad Scientist Pack” that includes a collection of upgradeable modules expanding its functionality.
With any crowdfunded product there’s always the risk of delays or delivery never...
DNC Let Go of Staff With No Severance, Says Union
Last Thursday, workers with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) were told they would be laid off without severance and with little notice, according to the DNC’s union. The cuts included some longtime workers of the organization, the union said. With the election over, the DNC intends to downsize from about 680 staff to fewer than […]
Pokémon TCG Pocket Has A Hidden Wishlist Feature You'll Want To Use
There are a whole bunch of quality-of-like changes that Pokémon TCG Pocket could stand to introduce, not least giving its UI a significant overhaul to make certain features much clearer. One of those buried features that’s genuinely useful, and yet almost no one seems to know about, is wishlisting.
6 Hours With Avowed And I'm Already Thinking It's One Of 2025's Best Games
There’s a tradition when writing previews of games that says one must hold back on judgments, as a game is not yet finished and could see enormous changes before it’s released. I am, however improper it might be, going to ignore this principle on this occasion, because after spending at least six hours with the…
Pal Up With Disney Dreamlight Valley's Pegasus Companions
You can’t have a cozy game without cute companions to find and adore, and Disney Dreamlight Valley has them in spades. In fact, its second expansion The Storybook Vale has three all-new types of critters to meet, feed, and become pals with, like a Pegasus that comes in four unique colors.
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
The "leopards eating our schools" party has "won".
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/11/21/posturing-buffoon/
Attachments:
cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen") wrote:
It's still being decided, and who knows what will come of all this.
"The proposals ... include the forced sale of the Chrome browser and a five-year ban from entering the browser market; a block on paying third parties such as [Mozilla] to make Google the default search engine on their products..."
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
Clearly, I am disqualified from everything.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/11/21/how-could-they-pass-me-over/
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Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
valhalla@social.gl-como.it ("Elena ``of Valhalla''") wrote:
@mike , I assume, wrote this
and. it's. genius.
I salute you.
Only one thing: out of *pure curiosity* I have been wondering what safeguards are in place to prevent you from flagging random accounts for verification at any time when you are out of gin.
Why the U.S. shifted right. And, the Justice Department wants Google Chrome sold
Why and where the country shifted right in the 2024 election. And, the Justice Department wants Google Chrome on the auction block.
Reblogged by nadim@infosec.exchange ("Nadim Kobeissi"):
ayoub@spore.social ("Elia Ayoub (he/him)") wrote:
Breaking: The #ICC has officially issued arrest warrants for #Netanyahu and #Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
It was a unanimous ruling.
nadim@infosec.exchange ("Nadim Kobeissi") wrote:
Drove in the snow for the first time today. It was interesting to get some experience in how much weather affects driving. It would be very funny if weather affected computing to the same degree.
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Here's how Trump and the GOP may try to weaken Obamacare
Republican control of the White House and Congress sets the stage for potentially seismic changes including curtailing Medicaid, weakening patient protections, and increasing premium costs for millions.
Climate-Fueled Insurance Hikes Are Fueling Delinquent Mortgages, New Study Finds
This story was reported by Floodlight, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powerful interests stalling climate action. When Miguel Zablah bought his five-bedroom home in Miami’s leafy Shenandoah neighborhood in June of 2020, he said he paid $7,000 a year for homeowner’s insurance. The house, built in 1923, sits on high ground and has survived […]
Richer countries are starting to pay poorer ones for climate change damages
With climate-related disasters getting more extreme, richer countries are piloting ways to compensate developing nations, since they bear the least responsibility for causing climate change.
This digital D&D watch lets you roll a fireball from your wrist
Who even carries eight six-sided dice with them anyway? | Image: Timestop
Dice hoarding is a common hobby among Dungeons and Dragons players, but I’m betting most won’t have a digital watch in their collection. Alongside displaying the time, day, and date, the Timestop D-20 includes all the dice-rolling features you need to play tabletop roleplaying games directly from your wrist at the push of a button.
The watch allows the wearer to digitally roll a 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, 20-, or 100-sided dice, alongside “Advanced Combat” features such as rolling up to 12 dice at once, and D20s with advantage or disadvantage (a fancy way of rolling two dice and taking either the higher or lower results). It’ll also display specific icons when a D20 rolls a 1 or a 20 — known as a “critical failure” or “critical success”...
Most of the country shifted right in the 2024 presidential election
In 2020, President Biden won six of the seven closely watched states. This year, President-elect Donald Trump won all seven — plus he will got a majority of the popular vote.
nadim@infosec.exchange ("Nadim Kobeissi") wrote:
Alright, everyone. You all need to decide. Is it going to be X, Bluesky or Mastodon? It feels so disingenuous and self-absorbed to keep reposting everything I want to share across all three platforms, and tiring to keep track of which conversation I had where. Please decide!
Chinese vessel under investigation after 2 data cables found cut in the Baltic Sea
Germany's defense minister said damage to two data cables in the Baltic Sea appeared to be acts of sabotage. Several European countries have launched investigations.
To hit deep inside Russia, Ukraine has built its own drones
President Biden has now given Ukraine permission to use U.S. ballistic missiles inside Russia. While it was waiting, Ukraine built its own drones that can strike far across the border.
Reblogged by nadim@infosec.exchange ("Nadim Kobeissi"):
lritter@mastodon.gamedev.place ("Leonard Ritter") wrote:
TIL gossip is an outdated word and the new euphemism is "reports by members of the community"
Deno 2.1: Wasm Imports and other enhancements
Deno 2.1 introduces first-class Wasm imports, built-in tracing with OpenTelemetry, faster `deno compile`, and improved package management.
UConn's Geno Auriemma becomes the all-time winningest college basketball coach
Geno Auriemma has led the women Huskies to 11 championships and nearly two dozen Final Four appearances in his four decades as head coach.
Peak Design’s Outdoor Backpack is a more versatile everyday bag
The 25L model is an improvement on perfection, but not without some help.
A duct-taped banana sells for $6.2 million at an art auction
A piece of conceptual art consisting of a simple banana, duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million at an auction Wednesday, with the winning bid coming from a prominent cryptocurrency entrepreneur.
Reblogged by jakedel@mamot.fr ("S. Delafond"):
cjwatson@mastodon.ie ("Colin Watson") wrote:
Oh look, my former employer is on AAM. Alison is just about as unimpressed/bemused as you might expect. "It's a flag for something, all right." https://www.askamanager.org/2024/11/job-application-is-fixated-on-high-school-academic-performance.html
DOJ says Google must sell Chrome to crack open its search monopoly
Image: Laura Normand / The Verge
The Department of Justice says that Google must divest the Chrome web browser to restore competition to the online search market, and it left the door open to requiring the company to spin out Android, too.
Filed late Wednesday in DC District Court, the initial proposed final judgement refines the DOJ’s earlier high-level outline of remedies after Judge Amit Mehta found Google maintained an illegal monopoly in search and search text advertising.
The filing includes a broad range of requirements the DOJ hopes the court will impose on Google — from restricting the company from entering certain kinds of agreements to more broadly breaking the company up. The DOJ’s latest proposal doubles down on its request to spin out Google’s Chrome...
After a court win, the Justice Department is trying to make Google sell its Chrome browser
If a judge orders Google to sell Chrome, it could dramatically upend the multi-billion-dollar online search business.