Thursday, December 31, 2020

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Ticketmaster pays $10 million fine after hacking a startup rival

Posted: 31 Dec 2020 03:01 AM PST

Ticketmaster has agreed to pay a $10 million criminal fine to avoid prosecution over charges that it illegally accessed a rival's computer system, Reuters has reported. "Ticketmaster employees repeatedly — and illegally — accessed a competitor's comp...

Pixel phones only use Adaptive Charging if your alarm is set between certain hours

Posted: 31 Dec 2020 12:45 AM PST

Adaptive Charging is one of the most useful features Google rolled out this month for Pixel phones. It makes sure the device's battery gets filled slower than usual if you leave it plugged in overnight, which is something that can help maintain the b...

Brave's privacy-focused browser rolls out a version for Apple's M1 Macs

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 11:20 PM PST

If you have a new M1-powered Mac and you're looking for a non-Apple, non-Google, non-Mozilla browser, then good news, Brave has updated the release channel of its privacy-focused browser with native Apple Silicon support. At the moment, the Microsoft...

GM's CES keynote will reportedly show off an electric Chevrolet pickup

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 08:48 PM PST

Last month, GM announced that it was ramping up its electrification efforts and aiming to have 30 EVs on the market by the end of 2025. Turns out we might see some of those vehicles very, very soon: according to Bloomberg, the automaker will give us...

A new update makes it easier to move apps between the LG Wing's displays

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 07:01 PM PST

If you're the proud owner of an LG Wing, your quirky dual-screen phone is about to pick up new features. As spotted by Droid Life, Verizon (Engadget's parent company) has released a new update that builds out the Wing's unique functionality and shoul...

LG Display's transparent OLED puts a screen between you and the sushi chef

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 05:39 PM PST

As per its annual tradition, LG Display is preparing to show off some new display tech demos for CES 2021, with the latest focus set on showing where transparent OLED may fit in the pandemic age. The Korean company is setting up a few physical demos...

'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' gameplay teaser previews the game's 2021 launch

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 04:48 PM PST

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl was announced in 2001 and didn't ship until 2007, so news that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is preparing for a 2021 release more than ten years after it was originally announced is fitting. Presumably first-person shooter play...

Gazelle will stop accepting trade-ins by mail on February 1st

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 02:39 PM PST

Used electronics marketplace Gazelle is ending its mail-in trade-in program. In an email obtained by The Verge, the company says it will stop offering the service on February 1st, 2021, meaning potential customers have until January 31st to get an ol...

The ESPN+ annual subscription is going up by $10

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 01:05 PM PST

For the first time since the service arrived in April 2018, the ESPN+ annual plan is getting a price increase. From January 8th, it'll cost new members $59.99 instead of $49.99. Existing annual subscribers will have until at least March 2nd to renew...

Amazon has purchased podcast network Wondery

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 10:27 AM PST

As expected, Amazon has agreed to buy one of the few remaining large and independent podcast networks in the US. On Wednesday, the retailer announced that it's acquiring Wondery, best known for producing shows like Blood Ties and Dying for Sex. Amazo...

January's free PS Plus games include 'Shadow of the Tomb Raider'

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 09:49 AM PST

January is just a couple of days away, and there'll soon be a fresh slate of games you can pick up at no extra cost if you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber. Among the January selections is Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the third entry in the rebooted To...

Peloton will debut three exclusive Elvis remixes

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 08:00 AM PST

Peloton will be the only place anyone can hear a trio of classic Elvis Presley songs remixed by DJ Dillon Francis, Big Boi and Chromeo, at least for now. The songs, Do The Vega, Catchin' On Fast, and Clean Up Your Own Backyard, will play out as part...

Learn how to sell products using Amazon and Alibaba for $30

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 07:55 AM PST

If you've dreamed of running a profitable side gig or escaping your 9-to-5 entirely, you might want to consider running an eCommerce store on a marketplace like Amazon or Alibaba. You can make a killing once you learn how to source products overseas...

I tried to play 'Unsung Story' and fell for 'Mario Party' instead

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 07:30 AM PST

Six years ago I bought into the hype and backed Unsung Story, then touted as a spiritual sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics. I loved the latter title for its gameplay, music and character designs — especially Agrias, as I have a thing for women in plate...

2020 put us on the edge of a processor revolution

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 07:01 AM PST

In this episode of our explainer show Upscaled, we took a look back at the year in CPUs. From one perspective 2020 feels like the new normal for CPUs. Intel put out another high-end chip, 10th-gen "Comet Lake", which added a few cores but is still ba...

Google experiments with surfacing TikTok and Instagram videos in search

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 06:29 AM PST

It might soon be easier to track down a favorite social video without launching the relevant app. TechCrunch has confirmed reports from Brian Freiesleben, Search Engine Roundtable and others that Google is testing a search feature that highlights cli...

Modeling the bizarre remnants of a supernova

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 05:36 AM PST

When stars of a certain large size and energy run out of fuel, the result is a supernova explosion that can be spotted with the naked eye just once in a lifetime. Some leave behind a relatively spherical supernova remnant. However, others expand with...

Apple pulled an app that promoted potentially COVID-unsafe parties

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 05:08 AM PST

Apple has pulled an iOS app called Vybe Together that promoted private parties in New York City and elsewhere during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Verge has reported. The app quickly gained notoriety yesterday following critical tweets by New York Times...

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

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The Morning After: Boston Dynamics' dancing robots are back

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 04:31 AM PST

Today, we've got stories on Apple's "ultra" security measures, someone squeezing entire movies on floppy disks and a deep dive on the ways we might connect, without touch, in a post-pandemic world. But for this opening salvo, let's home in on a famil...

Apple suffers a loss in lawsuit against maker of iPhone emulators

Posted: 30 Dec 2020 04:03 AM PST

Apple sued security start-up Corellium last year, accusing it of violating copyright law for offering researchers access to "virtual" iPhones that can help them find bugs in iOS products. Now, a federal judge in Florida has tossed Apple's copyright c...

NASA approves two missions to better understand space weather

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 11:20 PM PST

NASA will take part in two heliophysics missions that could give us the data needed to better understand solar winds and explosions, or space weather as a whole. The agency has officially announced its participation in the Extreme Ultraviolet High-Th...

Google is selling the Home Max smart speaker again, for now

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 09:22 PM PST

Despite Google's Home Max being officially retired and pulled from sale a couple of weeks ago, the Google Store is once again offering the speaker for sale. While flashing a message saying the device is sold out and prompting customers to try out a p...

Samsung's HDR10+ Adaptive takes your room's lighting into account

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 07:43 PM PST

Last year one of our Best of CES awards went to Dolby Vision IQ. It expanded on the display spec that already tweaked HDR output to look its best from scene-to-scene by taking into account the lighting conditions. That way content can look the way it...

Tesla uses three free months of 'Full Self-Driving' to push year-end sales

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 05:13 PM PST

The "Full Self-Driving" system that Tesla sells as a $10,000 option isn't available in subscription form yet, but the car company is already using that idea to boost sales. Reported earlier by Electrek and confirmed in a tweet by Elon Musk, "All Tesl...

Google removed the Pixel 5's and 4a 5G's ultrawide astrophotography mode

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 03:02 PM PST

When Google came out with the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G earlier this year, you could use the company's astrophotography mode with any one of their primary cameras. But that's not the case anymore. After Google updated its camera app in November, the Pixel co...

Watch the Boston Dynamics robot family dance like 2020 was a good year

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 01:45 PM PST

With a namesake like Atlas, you wouldn't think Boston Dynamics' bipedal robot would be the most lithe specimen on the planet. But then we've already seen it has a knack for parkouring, and now you can add dancing to its list of talents. In its latest...

Man sues police over a facial recognition-related wrongful arrest

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 12:15 PM PST

A New Jersey man is suing the town of Woodbridge and its police department after he was falsely arrested following an incorrect facial recognition match. Nijeer Parks spent 10 days in jail last year, including a week in "functional solitary confineme...

Google is shutting down Cloud Print this week

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 11:29 AM PST

In a few short days, Google will officially shutdown Cloud Print. We knew this day was coming since 2019, but now that it's finally here, consider this a friendly reminder. For most people, chances are the shutdown won't be anything more than a minor...

A Spotify loophole allowed people to upload bootleg remixes as podcasts

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 10:30 AM PST

When most people want to find a reworking of their favorite songs, they usually turn to platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube. The fact almost anyone can upload a track to those services has allowed songs like 'Plastic Love' and 'Dead to Me' to find...

A Redditor is squeezing entire movies onto a single floppy disk

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 10:02 AM PST

Sure, you can have an 8K TV displaying incredible visuals and a top-of-the-line sound system pumping out crystal-clear 22.2 channel audio. But why bother when you can fit an entire movie onto a floppy disk and use a custom VCR to play it?A Redditor n...

Apple, Amazon and Tesla supplier accused of using forced labor

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 08:36 AM PST

According to an investigation by The Washington Post and the Tech Transparency Project, companies including Apple, Amazon and Tesla are sourcing parts from a Chinese supplier that allegedly uses forced Muslim labor. The Tech Transparency Project foun...

A touchless 2020

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 08:00 AM PST

The last time I exited an all-encompassing public health crisis, day to day life changed subtly but permanently. It was 2003 and, living in Hong Kong, we had just faced a SARS epidemic that left a little under 300 people in the city dead.This crisis...

Why Apollo Neuro is the must-have stress relief wearable for 2021

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 07:55 AM PST

Everyone encounters stress, from challenges at work and squabbles with family members or friends to the unprecedented reality of living during a pandemic, but we all deal with it differently. Some people, for example, need to go for a run or meditate...

How Twitch kept its crown in a controversial year

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 07:00 AM PST

Whenever Twitch announces a new approach to handling harassment on the platform, there's been a common, overwhelming response from streamers: "Please, please, be more than just words. Please follow this up with actions."That's how Twitch Partner Jenn...

Apple Watch prototype exposes the company's 'Ultra' security testing program

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 05:50 AM PST

A video leak appears to show a Watch prototype and reveals how Apple gets such devices to developers while still keeping them under a veil of "ultra" security. Released by a leak site called Apple Demo and first discovered via The Verge, it shows a W...

American Airlines will resume Boeing 737 Max passenger flights today

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 05:20 AM PST

American Airlines is the first domestic carrier to resume flights with Boeing's 737 Max after the plane was withdrawn from service more than a year ago. CNBC reports that the craft's return to active duty begins with Flight 718, a roundtrip jaunt fro...

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

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The Morning After: VW shows off an EV charging robot that comes to you

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 04:15 AM PST

Electric vehicles haven't taken over yet, but in 2020 nearly every automaker was discussing its plans for the segment. Between regulations muscling combustion engines out and advancements in battery technology and infrastructure, the groundwork is in...

UK vinyl sales have grown for the 13th year in a row

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 03:35 AM PST

Vinyl's resurgence wasn't a fad. Today, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has announced that 4.8 million LP albums were sold this year in the UK. That's almost 10 percent higher than 2019 and consistent year-over-year growth since 2007. For com...

Twitter hit with defamation lawsuit from NY Post Biden laptop source

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 02:35 AM PST

John Paul Mac Isaac, the owner of the Delaware computer repair shop at the heart of that controversial New York Post story on Hunter Biden's emails, has filed a $500 million defamation lawsuit against Twitter. Isaac owned the Mac Shop, which the NY P...

LA residents can use their phones to provide COVID-19 vaccination proof

Posted: 29 Dec 2020 01:23 AM PST

After seeing record COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, Los Angeles County will use technology to help residents track and prove their vaccination records, Bloomberg reports. The public health department has teamed with startup Healthvana on an app...

China pushes Alibaba founder Jack Ma to downsize his finance business

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 09:58 PM PST

China's crackdown on Jack Ma's empire is far from over: The country's regulators have ordered the Ma-founded Alibaba affiliate Ant Group to scale down its business. In particular, they've ordered the company to "return to its origins" as a payment pr...

LG will add 8K QNED TVs to its lineup in 2021

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 08:06 PM PST

While we typically focus on LG's outstanding OLED TVs, it also has LCD panels, and for 2021 it will unveil a new line with Mini LED tech. Branded QNED, they will occupy a high-end slot in the company's LCD line, although its flagship technology will...

What's on TV this week: NYE 2021, and 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 06:31 PM PST

As 2020 comes to a close we have the usual slew of wrap-ups and college football bowl games, but not many video games or movies to look forward to. Fans of Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina will get the series finale later this week, followed...

FAA lays out its Remote ID 'license plate for drones' requirements

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 03:53 PM PST

On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shared its latest set of drone regulations. When the new rules go into effect early next year, they'll allow licensed drone operators to fly their UAVs at night, provided they complete additional t...

Xiaomi’s Mi 11 is the first Snapdragon 888 phone

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 02:10 PM PST

Most rumors suggest Samsung will launch its new Galaxy S-series lineup earlier than usual this year. But even with a supposed January 14th reveal date, the S21 won't be the first phone to come out with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 888 processor. That di...

Tesla will reportedly start selling the Model 3 in India next year

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 12:55 PM PST

Tesla is preparing to push into a potentially vast market for its electric vehicles. Reports have suggested the company will expand into India in early 2021. While that might not occur as soon as January, CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter the move would...

Apple quietly launched a one-on-one college mentorship program

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 12:33 PM PST

Apple has started accepting applications for a new mentorship program that aims to help first-generation college students. In a PDF obtained by MacRumors, the company details Launch@Apple. The document invites immigrant college freshmen and sophomore...

Canon patents an Osmo-style camera with interchangeable lenses

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 11:39 AM PST

Canon could take a page from DJI's playback for its next camera. The company has filed a patent, first spotted by Canon News, that showcases a handheld camera that combines an Osmo Pocket-like design with its RF series of mirrorless lenses. The camer...

VW shows its mobile EV charging robot in action

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 08:48 AM PST

It's now clearer how VW's prototype EV charging robot will work in practice. VW has offered its first real-world glimpse of the mobile charger bot in action. It's not just helpful for charging EVs away from dedicated spaces, it's cute — the prototype...

Samsung has opened its virtual waiting room for Galaxy S21 preorders

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 08:33 AM PST

Rumors have been swirling that Samsung will reveal its Galaxy S21 lineup a little earlier than usual next year, perhaps on January 14th (the last day of CES) rather than at an Unpacked event in February. Samsung has stoked the flames of those reports...

2020 was the year of the casual gamer

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 08:00 AM PST

Unlike most other forms of entertainment, video games weren't hit as hard this year. Sure, the big live events like E3 and EVO were cancelled, but gaming is an activity enjoyed by most at home. That means the majority of big releases — like Doom Eter...

This realistic golf simulator is $59 with this coupon

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 07:55 AM PST

The first supply of COVID-19 vaccines is finally reaching the states, but we're not out of the woods yet. You're probably itching to hit the driving range or golf course to finally meet up with your tee buddies again, but PhiGolf can keep you occupie...

You can open LG's new refrigerators with your voice

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 07:33 AM PST

Voice-controlled refrigerators are already a practical reality, but LG might just make them particularly handy. The tech giant has introduced a 2021 line of InstaView fridges that can open the door with a voice command. That's useful when you have yo...

2020 has proven that electric vehicles are the future of transportation

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 07:00 AM PST

This year has made clear that the internal combustion engine's (ICE) days are numbered. 2020 saw explosive growth in the automotive industry's EV segment, with nearly every major manufacturer and brand group announcing, unveiling or debuting new and...

Apple's 10-inch iPad is on sale at an all-time low at Best Buy

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 06:29 AM PST

Don't fret if you didn't get a tablet as a gift this holiday — you might have a chance to buy one for yourself at a discount. Best Buy is selling the current-generation 10.2-inch iPad at all-time low prices, starting at $300 for the 32GB version and...

Nintendo seals court victory against knock-off 'Mario Kart' tour company

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 05:30 AM PST

A judge has confirmed Nintendo's court victory over a go-kart company that did Mario Kart-themed tours on the streets of Tokyo, Engadget Japan reports. Early this, year, MariCar (now branded as Street Kart) was ordered to pay Nintendo $50 million yen...

The Morning After: Breakthrough fusion energy experiment sets new world record

Posted: 28 Dec 2020 04:30 AM PST

Fusion energy could, possibly, meet all our energy demands. It's just a not-so-simple matter of getting the process to work in a sustained way. We're still talking seconds of output at the moment, but the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Resear...