Denon adds Siri to its smart speakers
Denon Home smart speakers now support Apple’s Siri voice assistant. | Image: Denon
Way back in 2021, Ecobee’s thermostats became the first non-Apple device to integrate Siri voice control into its hardware, following Apple’s making the voice assistant available to third-party devices at WWDC that year. Fast-forward a few years, and there’s finally another device with Siri on board: Denon smart speakers.
While primarily known for its receivers, Denon’s line of wireless whole-home audio and music-streaming smart speakers position it as a competitor to Sonos and Bose. Denon also happens to be owned by Masimo Consumer Audio, a division of Masimo, the company whose patent infringement case around its pulse oximetry tech is currently blocking some of the Apple Watch’s health features.
The hardware support for Siri on Denon...
Tile owner Life360 picks satellites over partnering with Apple or Google
Life360 owns Tile, which makes popular location trackers like the Tile Pro. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
Tile is promising satellite connectivity for its Bluetooth trackers in a move that could boost the company as an independent alternative to its Big Tech rivals: Apple’s Find My network and Google’s newly revamped Find My Device network.
Life360, the family locator and safety service company that bought Tile in 2021 announced a partnership with the satellite company Hubble Network as it introduces “Find with Life360,” a global location tracking network rival with an API that’s open for use by other developers. They say that using Hubble’s satellites, Tile trackers will eventually be able to find items on both Android and iPhone devices even outside the range of cellular connectivity.
Hubble says it has two satellites operating already,...
GameStop surges after meme stock investor 'Roaring Kitty' resurfaces online
Shares in the video game retailer more than doubled at one point after a prominent meme stock investor made his first online posting in about three years.
Apple is almost ready to sell the Vision Pro outside the US
The Vision Pro could be available in some international regions shortly after Apple’s WWDC event next month. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Apple is reportedly preparing to launch its $3,499 Vision Pro outside of the US for the first time, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, with the mixed reality headset’s international rollout expected to start shortly after the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference early next month.
On Monday, Gurman reported that Apple has flown “hundreds of employees from its international stores” over to its offices in Cupertino, California, to show them how to demonstrate the device. Training sessions reportedly started last week, with courses taking up to four days to complete according to Gurman’s sources.
Apple staffers from Germany, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and China are included in the training, but apparently, the...
You can already save up to $50 on the forthcoming iPad Pro and iPad Air
The screen on the 2024 iPad Pro is a hair bigger, yet the tablet is somehow thinner and lighter than the prior model. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge
The newest iPad Pro and iPad Air models don’t hit store shelves until Wednesday, May 15th, but we’re already seeing preorder discounts on select colors ahead of the launch. The 11-inch iPad Air is down to $569.99 ($30 off) with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage at Amazon, while the base 13-inch iPad Air is going for 769.99 ($30 off) at Amazon. Meanwhile, the 256GB 11-inch iPad Pro with the M4 chip / Wi-Fi is down to $949.99 ($50 off) at Amazon; you can also save $50 on all 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models at Best Buy if you’re a My Best Buy Total or Plus member (which itself starts at $49.99 a year).
We can’t speak to their worth just yet, but the 2024 iPad Air and iPad Pro are likely to be safe bets. On paper, neither rock the boat so much...
OpenAI’s custom GPT Store is now open to all for free
Screenshot: YouTube
OpenAI is making a number of its previously subscription-only features available to free users of ChatGPT, with the biggest being the ability to create custom chatbots and browse its GPT Store.
The company opened its GPT Store to paid subscribers just four months ago on January 10th. The store lets users create their own chatbots, called GPTs, and share them. Some of the trending bots right now include an image-generating bot, a chatbot called Consensus that’s geared toward helping with scientific research, and a logo-making bot.
The company said it would offer an engagement-based revenue sharing program for GPT builders — that started testing in March. But the audience for the bots has been limited due to the feature’s restriction to...
ChatGPT is getting a Mac app
Image: OpenAI
ChatGPT now has a desktop app — but it’s only available on macOS for now. OpenAI CTO Mira Murati announced the news during an event on Tuesday, where she also said that ChatGPT is getting a refreshed UI.
In the demo shown by OpenAI, users could open the ChatGPT desktop app in a small window, alongside another program. They asked ChatGPT questions about what’s on their screen — whether by typing or saying it. ChatGPT could then respond based on what it “sees.”
Image: OpenAI
OpenAI says users can ask ChatGPT a question by using the Option + Space keyboard shortcut, as well as take and discuss screenshots within the app. Both free and paid users will be able to access the new app, but it will only be available to...
OpenAI releases GPT-4o, a faster model that’s free for all ChatGPT users
Screenshot: OpenAI
OpenAI announced the launch of GPT-4o, an iteration of its GPT-4 model that powers its hallmark product, ChatGPT. The latest update “is much faster” and improves “capabilities across text, vision, and audio,” OpenAI CTO Mira Murati said in a livestream announcement on Monday. It’ll be free for all users, and paid users will continue to “have up to five times the capacity limits” of free users, Murati added.
In a blog post from the company, OpenAI says GPT-4o’s capabilities “will be rolled out iteratively (with extended red team access starting today),” but its text and image capabilities will start to roll out today in ChatGPT.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted that the model is “natively multimodal,” which means the model could generate...
It Looks Like Red Dead Redemption's PC Port Is Finally Happening
Rockstar has updated its PC launcher files and included text that appears to reference a still-unconfirmed PC port of 2010's Red Dead Redemption. It’s just the latest bit of evidence that the open-world cowboy sim might soon be arriving on personal computers after a decade of console exclusivity.
Ikea is adding energy monitoring to its Home Smart app
Ikea’s new Energy Insights feature will offer real-time data on energy consumption and electricity spot prices. | Photo: Ikea
Energy management is a big benefit of the smart home, and more companies are starting to offer easier ways to monitor and control your home’s energy use through their app on your phone. The next level is offering intelligent ways to automate the process to save you money without you having to think about it.
Swedish furniture giant Ikea just took a small step toward providing that to users of its smart home platform, Home Smart. This week, it launched an Energy Insights feature to monitor your home’s energy use and announced its first energy-monitoring smart plug, the Inspelning, is coming in October.
Image: Ikea
The Inspelning is Ikea’s first energy monitoring smart plug.
Ikea says the Inspelning can monitor...
How to type special characters on a Windows PC
Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge
Here’s the situation: you’re typing a report for work, and you suddenly have to write the phrase “Jones née Berkowitz.” Or you are adding a phrase in Spanish and need to use the word “años.” How do you add the special characters to the letters?
Special characters (also known as diacritical marks) may be more common in certain languages, but there are plenty of circumstances in which English speakers may need to use them. But because they are so rare in English, native English speakers may not have learned how to add those marks to documents, emails, or other writings. It’s not difficult to add them to your Windows document, although it’s not quite as smooth an operation as on a Mac, where all you have to do is hold the appropriate key...
As the FDA evaluates ecstasy treatment for PTSD, questions mount about the evidence
Clinical trials of MDMA have been promising, but concerns have emerged about the quality of the research. A June hearing scheduled by the Food and Drug Administration is likely to address them.
Meta Quest’s new Travel Mode will put more glassholes on your next flight
Photo: Meta
Meta Quest headsets are ready to go on flights with you as Meta has announced a new Travel Mode. The company is rolling out the experimental feature to Quest 2 and 3 headsets running Quest software version 65 or later, allowing owners to use the headset in passthrough on a flight without windows drifting away from them.
To try it, opt in under Settings > Experimental features. Then the new mode will live in the Quick settings panel, where you can toggle it from the Quest’s universal menu. Travel Mode isn’t without limitations — it’s not designed to account for the motion of a car or train, for instance; Meta says support for other transportation methods is coming. Also, if a game or app requires an internet connection, your plane will...
Last Of Us Season Two Set Photos Show Bella Ramsey Sporting The Part II Look
The second season of Max’s The Last of Us show is currently filming in British Columbia. While Joel actor Pedro Pascal is reportedly done with his part of the season, somehow, Ellie actor Bella Ramsey is still shooting their scenes alongside series newcomer Isabela Merced, who is playing her girlfriend Dina in the…
Awesome Helldivers 2 Mod Lets Players Reenact Their Star Wars Fantasies
Helldivers 2 may be a video game analog for the satire of the 1997 sci-fi film Starship Troopers, but there’s an entirely different space-faring movie franchise fans have been clamoring to see in the game. That franchise is, quite predictably, Star Wars, and folks have especially wanted to see characters and…
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
Enthused for the ooze freethought = leopards eating our faces party.
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VW releases battery and motor details for upcoming ID Buzz electric microbus
The North American ID Buzz. | Photo: Volkswagen
Volkswagen is one step closer to delivering the ID Buzz in the US, today revealing initial battery, powertrain, and trim options available when the all-electric microbus goes on sale later this year.
To start, the automaker will offer a First Edition model that comes with exclusive wheels, badging, and extra unknown “gifts.” Alongside that, VW has a Pro S model that is rear-wheel drive only (282 horsepower) and a Pro S Plus that can option in all-wheel drive (335 horsepower) and comes with standard premium features like a heads-up display.
While European customers have had fun going on road trips and camping for a year, Volkswagen has been slow to bring the retro-inspired microbus stateside. Last summer, the automaker confirmed the...
Fans Spot Powerpuff Girls In New MultiVersus Trailer
Last week, WB Games announced that The Joker—voiced by Mark Hamill—is going to appear in its franchise-mash-up platform fighter, MultiVersus, when it re-launches later this month. And now, via a new gameplay trailer for The Joker, it seems the Powerpuff Girls could also be a part of WB’s fighting game.
Google is bringing Project Starline’s ‘magic window’ experience to real video calls
Image: Google
Google’s futuristic videoconferencing technology will soon become a reality. In an update on Monday, Google shared that it’s working on integrating Project Starline with common videoconferencing setups like Google Meet and Zoom.
Google first took the wraps off Project Starline during Google I/O in 2021. Its first iteration involved a 3D video chat booth where you see a projection of the person you’re chatting with and they see a projection of you — almost like you’re talking to each other in the same room.
But Google later fit the technology into what looks like a large TV with a camera system mounted on the top, rather than an entire booth, making it more practical for offices and conference rooms.
Image: Google
N...
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
The BBC is hiring 2x data-focussed Technical Architects ("senior" & "lead") for UK-based folks (due to boring tax/legal reasons).
Great & smart team (we work with them regularly) using mostly AWS-based tech. Flexible location (mainly remote by default but options to work from a number of offices). Solid pension & benefits.
Shares/boosts would be much appreciated. Closes May 16th.
Full details on the adverts:
https://careers.bbc.co.uk/job/Glasgow-Senior-Architect-G511DA/794392302/
https://careers.bbc.co.uk/job/Glasgow-Lead-Architect-G511DA/794389302/
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
I am looking for some visual programming environment that allows not only small processing nodes (like NodeRED) but that also includes objects with state. Think NodeRED but with a another dimension that contains objects that the flows interact with.
Anyone knows something like this?
Microsoft Places uses AI to find the best time for your next office day
Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is attempting to solve the hassle of coordinating with colleagues on when everyone will be in the office. It’s a problem that emerged with the increase in hybrid and flexible work after the recent covid-19 pandemic, with workers spending less time in the office. Microsoft Places is an AI-powered app that goes into preview today and should help businesses that rely on Outlook and Microsoft Teams to better coordinate in-office time together.
“When employees get to the office, they don’t want to be greeted by a sea of empty desks — they want face-time with their manager and the coworkers they collaborate with most frequently,” says Microsoft’s corporate vice president of AI at work, Jared Spataro, in a blog post. “With Places, you...
Xbox Boss Can Finally Get His Revenge, Unlocks Ability To Nuke Other Players In Fallout 76
Amid turmoil and disillusionment over recent studio closures, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has continued grinding through Fallout 76 and has just finished the “Officer on Deck” questline, granting him the ability to launch the survival MMO’s infamous nukes. The new capability was unlocked just days after a fan…
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
macrumors ("MacRumors.com") wrote:
AppleCare+ Extends $29 Screen Repairs to New iPad Pro and iPad Air https://www.macrumors.com/2024/05/13/applecare-ipad-cracked-screen-repair-fee/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
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jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
pray for me, for now I must figure out how someone else has installed postgres, & then figure out how to configure the sucker securely
Marvel's Answer To Overwatch Blasted For Trying To Ban Criticism
Marvel Rivals, the Overwatch-like starring Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch, and other Marvel superheroes, came under fire over the weekend during its ongoing closed alpha playtest. After reading through developer NetEase’s contract for access to the playtest, streamers noticed a section that precludes them from speaking…
collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth") wrote:
Is this pithy complaining on my part? Sure.
But also, maybe we hold the most valuable corporation in the world to like, basically the lowest possible standard? Idk just a thought.
collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth") wrote:
A large part of this is the multiple-display issue on M2 Macs, which you can easily find many threads, support requests and bug tickets on starting well over a year ago, and which has never been fixed.
Several times a day, I either have to disconnect and reconnect cables, or reshuffle my spontaneously rearranged windows back into my preferred configuration, or both.
Apple blames monitor manufacturers, despite the issue _only_ occurring with M2(+?) machines. 🙃
GameStop's Meme Stock Explodes Again After YouTuber Roaring Kitty Returns
It’s been three years since GameStop’s stock originally exploded during the pandemic as big-time investors capitalized on an internet feud between deep-pocketed hedge funds and very online Redditors. Now the meme stock is back for round two after Roaring Kitty, AKA Deep Fucking Value, AKA Keith Gill, the…
collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth") wrote:
While I was restarting my iPad in order to fix an interminable FaceTime bug, so I could wish my mom a happy Mother's Day…
…It occurred to me that I literally never touch an Apple device without spending time doing something like that; working around a bug.
You should know: when I use the word "literally," I mean literally literally. I mean each and every time I use an Apple device, for any length of time, for any reason, I spend some of that time working around a bug.
What a state of affairs.
Reblogged by collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth"):
alvaromontoro@front-end.social ("Alvaro Montoro") wrote:
New comiCSS cartoon: Framework Fans vs Framework Bros
https://comicss.art/comics/140/It was inspired by a Pizza Cake Comic cartoon (linked in the source code).
Attachments:
- 4-panel comic showing a person who receives a message on their phone and says 'Oh! The developer of that framework you like is trending', a second person smiles, waving a flag with the text 'That Framework'. Then the first person looks shocked at the phone, which shows a message with emojis for fire and angry people: 'Oh... Oh no...' says while reading the developer's hot take. In the last panel, the second person looks shocked and ashamed and drops the flag. (remote)
- 4-panel comic showing a person who receives a message on their phone and says 'Oh! The developer of that framework you like is trending', a second person smiles waving a flag with the text 'That Framework'. Then the first person looks shocked at the phone, which shows a message with emojis for fire and angry people: 'Oh... Oh no...' says while reading the developer's hot take. In the last panel, the second person keeps smiling, and now they are waving more flags, with flags coming out of their ears and mouth, and even the t-shirt is from That Framework. (remote)
Microsoft Word just fixed its default paste option
Illustration: The Verge
Have you ever pasted text into your beautifully formatted Microsoft Word document, only for it to ruin everything? Well, the days of the should finally be over, as Microsoft Word will now merge the text’s formatting with your document by default.
Unlike the previous “keep source formatting” default, the “merge formatting” option preserves the original bold and underlined text, along with list and table structure. But it also changes the visual aspects of the text, such as font family, size, and color, to match the document you’re working on. That should save you from messing up the formatting of your entire document when pasting in text from another source.
You could previously choose the “merge formatting” option from Word’s pasting...
Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):
anatudor ("Ana Tudor 🐯") wrote:
Finally, some pure #CSS, single element halftone patterned cards:
✨ https://codepen.io/thebabydino/pen/QWMRWRQ
✨ https://codepen.io/thebabydino/full/NWxBzRv#filter #cssFilter #CodePen #halftone #filterEffect #cssGradient #blending #blendMode #code #coding #frontend #webDev #webDevelopment
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TCL’s new Mini LED TVs offer blazing brightness on a budget
Image: TCL
5,000 nits. That’s the incredible peak brightness of TCL’s latest flagship QM8 Mini LED TV, and there’s no better example of how the company is hoping to stand out from competitors like Samsung, LG, Hisense, Sony, and others. That’s just on a different level than what OLED can offer. Are we getting to a point where TVs are getting too bright? No such thing, right?
Starting at $1,999.99 for a 65-inch size (and ranging up to an enormous 115-inch model), the QM8 contains thousands of dimming zones — “up to over 5,000,” to be specific. Combined with TCL’s image processing, the company is confident that people will get an enthralling home theater experience from this Mini LED set for significantly less than, say, a top-tier OLED would cost.
...
Why Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen is confident we’ll all adapt to AI
Photo illustration by The Verge / Photo: Adobe
The tech and the consumers both might not be quite ready yet, but he’s betting big on an AI future.
The Pixel 8A and the camera you have with you
You know, normal backyard nighttime stuff.
Sometimes you travel thousands of miles from home to see something amazing. And every once in a while, that something appears right in your backyard.
That’s what happened on Friday. “What’s the aurora forecast for tonight?” I asked a friend who keeps up with those things. “Amazing,” he said. He wasn’t lying. At 9:30PM, my husband and I went to the backyard to check the sky — nothing but hazy light pollution on the northern horizon. But just an hour later, the sky erupted.
I didn’t think twice about what camera to use to photograph the event since I already had my SIM card in the Pixel 8A — it had arrived a couple of days ago fresh off its announcement. I handed my husband the Pixel 8 Pro; he left his night mode-less iPhone XR in the...
Amazon’s robotaxi company is under investigation after two crashes with motorcyclists
Image: Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
US safety regulators are looking into two crashes involving Amazon’s robotaxi company, Zoox. The Office of Defects Investigation, under the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, opened a preliminary evaluation into Zoox after two separate reports of the vehicles suddenly braking and causing motorcyclists to crash into their rear end.
NHTSA confirms that the Zoox vehicles were operating in driverless mode without safety drivers when the incidents occurred. The vehicles involved in both crashes were Toyota Highlander SUVs, which Zoox uses for testing and data gathering. According to the Office of Defects Investigation, the investigation covers an estimated 500 vehicles.
The crashes did not involve Zoox’s unique toaster-looking...
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
I'm hoping to attend Skepticon 16 on 26-28 July. Not sure I can make it happen, though…
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/05/13/skepticon-is-happening-on-26-28-july/
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pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
Roger Corman churned up a lot of cheese, but he did have a few camp classics I can watch over and over again.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/05/13/roger-corman-is-dead/
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Final Fantasy Maker Promises 'Quality Over Quantity' And Fewer Exclusives In Major Strategy Reboot
Square Enix has announced that it will be moving away from releasing games exclusively to select platforms, opting instead to pursue multiplatform launches in the near-future to amplify the sales of its flagging games. It’s all part of “aggressively pursuing” a new business strategy after a few years of bizarre…
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
I am "the godfather, or grandfather, or one of the prime people that ended up actually killing the unity of the [atheist] movement." Aww, that's so sweet of Thomas Sheedy.
Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):
bascule@mas.to ("Tony Arcieri 🌹🦀") wrote:
Musk claimed that Signal has unpatched security vulnerabilities. As a cryptography expert I’m not aware of any: instead Signal has top-notch state-of-the-art encryption which has been adopted by its competitors it’s so good.
Telegram isn’t end-to-end encrypted by default. It has no group chat encryption whatsoever. It uses a bizarre, badly designed “MTProto” protocol about which dozens of cryptography papers have documented myriad unfixed flaws.
Reblogged by collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth"):
anatudor ("Ana Tudor 🐯") wrote:
And here are two more pure CSS demos showcasing animated halftone patterns, while the elements they're on either fill the full viewport or are positioned in 3D.
✨ https://codepen.io/thebabydino/pen/gOpMeWv
✨ https://codepen.io/thebabydino/pen/RwQjpmQ#CSS #cssVariables #filter #cssFilter #blending #blendMode #code #coding #frontend #webDev #webDevelopment
Attachments:
- Cube made up of 6 pyramids with missing bases (coinciding with the cube faces). The lateral pyramid faces inside the cube showcase an halftone pattern with a map that's a repeating radial gradient at the common apex of these 6 pyramids. Animating the stop positions of the map creates halftone ripples.
- Scrolling though a bunch of full viewport halftone patterns with varying gradient maps having stop positions animated via CSS custom properties.
Reblogged by keul@fosstodon.org ("Luca Fabbri"):
markmetz@sfba.social ("Ⓜ️Mr.MarkⓂ️") wrote:
Sigh..
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Reblogged by collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth"):
taylorlorenz ("Taylor Lorenz") wrote:
“It explains why you get pathologized and called everything from a doomer to a snowflake for caring about anything but yourself” https://www.okdoomer.io/thebadguys/
A hidden danger in Gaza; a Haitian gang leader speaks up
Even if Israel and Gaza agree to a cease-fire, unexploded ordnance could continue to kill and maim Palestinians in Gaza for years. A Haitian gang leader says he's ready for a long fight.
Haiti's notorious gang leader, Barbecue, says his forces are ready for a long fight
Barbecue, one of Haiti's most powerful gang leaders, tells NPR his forces are readying for a long fight, as a Kenyan-led international force is due to arrive in Haiti.
Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):
astrid@fedi.astrid.tech ("malevolent dictator for life") wrote:
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Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):
szakib@freeradical.zone wrote:
Perspective: the biggest carbon capture plant in the world sequesters 1 millionth of our annual emissions. We would have to build a million of these plants to _not_increase_ the CO2 level. And we need to significantly _decrease_ the CO2 level.
Carbon capture is a scam.
#ClimateCrisis
https://www.fastcompany.com/91120071/climeworks-carbon-removal-factory-iceland
Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):
darrenmorin@mstdn.ca ("Dareno Dareno") wrote:
#LIttleKittyBigCity finally dropped, so that's what I've been playing when I pick up the Switch lately. TBH I've mostly spent my time learning the controls & knocking over potted plants.
🐈 *crash*
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Climate Scientists Ponder: “Do I Really Want to Bring a Child Into This World?”
This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. “I had the hormonal urges,” said Camille Parmesan, a professor and leading climate scientist based in France. “Oh my gosh, it was very strong. But it was: ‘Do I really want to bring a child into this world that we’re […]
Lost in the Crowd: The Hidden Biases of Medical Fundraising
More than 100 million Americans have medical debt, with half owing more than $2,000; disabled people are twice as likely to have it than those without disabilities. Annually, around half a million Americans are pushed into bankruptcy by health care costs. That’s understandably made medical fundraising through websites like GoFundMe appealing, with Americans seeking a combined $10 […]
My Octopus Teacher's Craig Foster dives into the ocean again in 'Amphibious Soul'
Nature's healing power is an immensely personal focus for Foster. He made his film after being burned out from long, grinding hours at work. After the release of the film, he suffered from insomnia.
With 'bleisure' and fewer workers, the American hotel is in recovery
A new type of traveler is part of the post-pandemic reset at U.S. hotels, along with fewer daily cleanings and pancake-slinging machines.
In Gaza, a hidden threat could kill Palestinians even after a cease-fire
The United Nations says 7,500 metric tons of unexploded ordnance litter the Gaza Strip. The U.N. says it could take 14 years to dispose of these dangers.
Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez goes on trial in New York on federal corruption charges
Sen. Robert Menendez, a powerful Democrat from New Jersey, goes on trial in Manhattan on federal corruption charges. Two New Jersey businessmen accused of bribing him are his co-defendants.
On this unassuming trail near LA, bird watchers see something spectacular
At Bear Divide, just outside Los Angeles, you can see a rare spectacle of nature. This is one of the only places in the western United States where you can see bird migration during daylight hours.
The USDA's gardening zones shifted. This map shows you what's changed in vivid detail
There's a good chance your zone shifted when the USDA updated its plant hardiness map in 2023. Zoom in on what that means for your garden.
As a brutal genocide raged around her, Josephine smuggled 12 people to safety
During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, Josephine Dusabimana smuggled ethnic Tutsis out of the country as neighbors attacked neighbors and almost a million people died.
Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, will testify against him in the hush-money trial
He is expected to bolster the prosecutors case that Trump falsified business records to pay off Stormy Daniels, the adult film star, with whom he is alleged to have had an affair
Outdoor time is good for your kids' eyesight. Here's why
Childhood myopia, or nearsightedness, is growing rapidly in the U.S and around the world. Researchers say kids who spend two hours outside every day, are less likely to develop the condition.
'Here's the money. Buy a house': A kind family receives kindness in return
Joy Diaz and her parents were dedicated to helping others. Then, they received some life-changing help themselves.
Counterfeit fentanyl pills are becoming a lot more common in law enforcement seizures
Almost half of the illicit fentanyl seized by law enforcement last year was pills made to look like prescription opioids, a new study says. The trend suggests a growing supply of illicit fentanyl.
Mercedes-Benz workers in Alabama begin union vote amid pressure from all sides
Workers at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama start voting this week on whether to join the United Auto Workers union. Last month, Volkswagen workers in Tennessee voted overwhelmingly to unionize.
Federal prosecutors request 40-year sentence for man who attacked Pelosi's husband
Prosecutors are asking a judge to impose a 40-year prison sentence for the man who broke into ex-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home seeking to hold her hostage and attacked her husband.
Catalan separatists lose majority as Spain's Socialists win regional elections
Catalonia's separatist parties are in danger of losing their hold on power in the northeastern region after the pro-union Socialist Party scored a historic result in Sunday's election.
The first person to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant has died
Richard Slayman died almost two months after the historic procedure, the Boston hospital where he had the transplant said Saturday. At 62, he had the transplant to treat his end-stage kidney disease.
Putin replaces his defense minister as he starts his 5th term in office
Putin proposed Andrei Belousov, who until recently served as the first deputy prime minister, to replace Sergei Shoigu in a Cabinet shakeup.
Survey research from European streaming service Deezer indicates that music discovery peaks at 24, with survey respondents reporting increased variety in their music rotation during this time. However, after this age, our ability to keep up with music trends typically declines, with respondents reporting significantly lower levels of discovery in their early thirties. Ultimately, the Deezer study pinpoints 31 as the age when musical tastes start to stagnate.
https://www.statsignificant.com/p/when-do-we-stop-finding-new-music
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There's still a chance to see the Northern Lights from lower latitudes
The solar storm that's pushing sightings of the Northern Lights to lower latitudes is forecast to continue into the coming days, but its impact has likely peaked.
Reblogged by collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth"):
randomgeek@hackers.town ("Random Geek") wrote:
That thing where you can't get your tests passing and your frustration steadily expands to include cats and dogs and that neighbor and that other state and maybe the entire universe and the inevitable zombie apocalypse can't come quick enough and
oh wait i messed up an import
birds chirp flowers are bright happy bees buzzing everything is right and good again
Student protests caused mostly minor disruptions at several graduation ceremonies
From California to North Carolina, students staged chants and walkouts over the weekend in protest of Israel's ongoing military offensive in Gaza.
Solar Storms are disrupting farmer GPS systems during critical planting time
Image: John Deere
The solar storms that have been wowing people with the Northern Lights across the United States the last two nights have also been disrupting GPS satellites, crippling some Midwest farmers’ operations, reports 404 Media. The issues have forced many to stop planting just as a crucial planting deadline for corn farmers approaches.
The storms reportedly knocked “some GPS systems” offline temporarily, which messed with the accuracy of “Real-Time Kinematic” (RTK) systems. Tractors from John Deere and other brands use RTK for “centimeter-level positional accuracy” when carrying out farming work like crop-planting or fertilizing, 404 Media writes.
The “extremely compromised” systems caused “drastic shifts in the field and even some heading...
Tribal Leaders Ban Gov. Kristi Noem from Twenty Percent of South Dakota
Governor Kristi Noem has had a tough stretch…of her own making. Ahead of the publication of her new book last week, No Going Back, the South Dakota Republican has been on a clean-up tour after it emerged that she included an anecdote about killing her own puppy and another that falsely boasted of meeting North […]
Reblogged by collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth"):
“The simplicity of HTML and CSS now feels like a radical act. To build a website with just these tools is a small protest against platform capitalism: a way to assert sustainability, independence, longevity.” — Jarrett Fuller
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#Business #OpenWeb #IndieWeb #SmallWeb #Website #Blog #WebDesign #Development #WebDev #Frontend #Quote
UN Officials Describe “Absolutely Catastrophic” Conditions in Gaza
Humanitarian officials are warning of increasingly dire conditions in Rafah as the Israeli army orders tens of thousands of civilians to evacuate the city in advance of further operations in the city. The situation is “absolutely catastrophic,” UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram told ABC’s Martha Raddatz on “This Week” Sunday. Approximately 300,000 people have fled Rafah […]
Reblogged by isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:"):
toor@citydweller.social ("TheCityDweller :verified_gay:") wrote:
@ben We all told everyone so. All of you. But you all dumped usenet news, public forums and other systems for fancy commercial ones. You all ran to Discord instead of continuing IRC. You all went to Reddit. You all went to Stack Overflow. Oh it was so "convenient".
Or back in time you all thought it would be cool to add information to IMDB without getting paid.Now we have the fediverse. And what do people do? They sign up for Bluesky and Threads or stay on X "because the press is there, too".
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
That laugh makes it quite clear that Tucker Carlson has been consorting with Cthulhu.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/05/12/tucker-carlson-has-always-been-ignorant-nuts/
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The Gamma app brings PS1 emulation to the iPhone
Time for some Abe’s Oddysee! | Screenshot: Gamma
iPhone users without a penchant for jailbreaking can finally enjoy the blocky polygons and shifty textures of the original PlayStation with Gamma, a free PS1 emulator that hit the iOS App Store last night. Gamma comes courtesy of developer ZodTTD, which has been creating emulators for the iPhone since the earliest days of third-party iOS apps.
The app has both iPhone and iPad versions with support for Bluetooth controllers and keyboards, as well as customizable on-screen controller skins. It uses Google Drive and Dropbox syncing for backing up your game files and save states (those are the snapshots you can save at any time and reload, a little like pausing your game — great for old-school games that don’t let you save any time you...
The DJI Pocket 3 is almost everything I wanted my iPhone camera to be
Despite its name, the Pocket 3 isn’t exactly comfortable to stuff in tighter pockets. | Photo by Quentyn Kennemer / The Verge
I can’t think of anything permeating mainstream camera culture as aggressively as the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. The Fujifilm X100VI has stolen some of its thunder among film simulation enthusiasts, but DJI’s still having somewhat of a cultural moment on YouTube, Instagram, and the troubled TikTok by spurring all sorts of creator glee.
Of course, the camera buffs are all over it, but serious and casual creators from other genres have paused their usual programming to rave about how it transcends amateur vlogging pursuits, whether you’re filming a wedding or self-shooting a scene for a Sundance-hopeful short film.
Some of us at The Verge are excited, too: Vjeran liked it enough to call it his favorite gadget of 2023, and Sean just bought one...
Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):
simon@simonwillison.net ("Simon Willison") wrote:
Several of the major social media platforms - Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter - have effectively declared war on linking to things and I absolutely hate it
"Link in my bio" / "Link in thread" / "Link in first comment"... or increasingly no link at all, just an unsourced screenshot of a page
The rise of the audio-only video game
Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge
Not all video games need video. Over the years, games that exist only in audio have taken players into entirely new worlds in which there’s nothing to see and still everything to do. These games have huge accessibility implications, allowing people who can’t see to play an equally fun, equally immersive game with their other senses. And when all you have is sound, there’s actually even more you can do to make your game great.
On this episode of The Vergecast, we explore the history of audio-only games with Paul Bennun, who has been in this space longer than most. Years ago, Bennun and his team at Somethin’ Else made a series of games called Papa Sangre that were among the most innovative and most popular games of their kind. He explains...
Starting Out Right In Hades 2, How Not To Suck In V Rising, And More Of The Week's Gaming Tips
Hades 2 is here, bringing with it all kinds of questions about how to gather materials, unlock the ward, and a whole lost of other things. Well, we’ve got answers. We’ll also shine a little light on the darkness of Shadow Moses with some fun tips for Metal Gear Solid, get you started right in V Rising, and more.
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
It's interesting how contemptibly vile conformist, conservative, Christian thought has become that now "Satanic" is a compliment and stand-in for open-mindedness and justice.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/05/12/oh-its-eurovision-season/
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
mxshift@treehouse.systems ("Rick Altherr") wrote:
Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandfather. He was an auto mechanic, an aircraft mechanic, and a tinkerer of all sorts. One of the biggest things he tinkered with was a Wurlitzer Hope-Jones Unit Orchestra (aka theatre orgran) that he purchased well before I was born and installed in his home. I've told plenty of folks about this but it's hard to convey the experience.
Recently, I've gotten everything put together to digitize VHS and one of the first I'm working on is a recording of him giving a demonstration. As he says in the video: "this is a demonstration, not a performance. This is about when these were built, why they were built, how they work, and a then a bit of performance to show how they were used." That video is going to take quite a bit of time to restore from the tape I have.
In the meantime, I found another tape that has a local news segment on him and his theatre organ. This is that tape straight from the capture.
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Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
Moving all my web content into "robots.txt" files on the presumption that they'll be ignored by crawlers
cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen") wrote:
It looks like the book banning efforts we have here in the US are spreading to other places, but one publisher has responded by freely sharing their banned book as a PDF.
https://aus.social/@KathyReid/112425556083534847
Kathy Reid's statement:
"Every time you ban a book filled with hope and kindness, and care and love, we will resist."
Gives me strength.
If you're curious to know more about the banning, I found this story. It is so similar to the stories we have over here:
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
The dress is going viral again, for the wrong reasons.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/05/12/a-cynical-mothers-day-connection/
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The new iPad Pro looks like a winner
Image: David Pierce / The Verge
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 37, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, send me links, and also, you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
This week, I’ve been writing about iPads and LinkedIn games, reading about auto shows and typewriters and treasure hunters, watching Everybody’s in LAand Sugar, looking for reasons to buy Yeti’s new French press even though I definitely don’t need more coffee gear, following almost all of Jerry Saltz’s favorite Instagram accounts, testing Capacities and Heptabase for all my note-taking needs and Plinky for all my link-saving, and playing a lot of Blind Drive.
I also have for you a thoroughly impressive new iPad, a clever...
Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):
zhuowei@notnow.dev ("Zhuowei Zhang") wrote:
ShinyQuagsire (the main developer of ALVR for visionOS) is probably the foremost expert of the Apple Vision Pro's rendering pipeline outside of Apple.
His new write up of the Vision Pro's eye tracking/dynamic resolution is incredibly detailed and worth a read (even if some parts went over my head, since I'm not a VR/graphics dev.)
Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):
NOTimothyLottes@mastodon.gamedev.place wrote:
It is not the amount of transistors, but rather what you do with them that counts ... C64 it on a real CRT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcUmVdd_t2s
A tribe in Maine is using opioid settlement funds on a sweat lodge to treat addiction
Hundreds of Native American tribes are getting money from lawsuit settlements with opioid companies. Some are investing the new funds in traditional healing practices to treat addiction.
Kenya's Samburu boys share a sacred bond. Why one teen broke with the brotherhood
After initiation rites – including circumcision – the boys leave their families to take charge of the herds, driving them high into the mountains. It's a way of life that climate change is testing.
A car-free town in the Amazon serves lessons for pedaling to net zero emissions
Afuá, a remote town in the Brazilian Amazon, banned motor vehicles over 20 years ago. Writer Mac Margolis and photographer Stefan Kolumban paid the town a visit to see what life is like.
Hammerheads Sharks Are Back in the Caribbean: “I Could Not Believe It”
This story was originally published by Hakai and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Hammerhead sharks—fish with pronounced oblong heads and bodies as long as small cars—are unmistakable. Seeing one of these critically endangered animals is a thrill, but seeing nearly a dozen plying the water side by side is worth writing home about. This was […]
Controlled demolition planned at Baltimore bridge collapse site
After weeks of preparation, crews are scheduled to conduct a controlled demolition Sunday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland.
Roger Corman, the B-movie legend who launched A-list careers, dies at 98
Over some five decades, Corman filled America's drive-ins with hundreds of low-budget movies. Many of Hollywood's most respected directors have at least one Corman picture buried in their resumes.
Reblogged by collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth"):
ipg@wetdry.world ("Emma") wrote:
My Despicable Wii got the Homegru Channel