News

The Drone Iran Shot Down Was a $220M Surveillance Monster

Early Thursday morning, Iran shot down a United States unmanned aerial vehicle over the Strait of Hormuz, which runs between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Iran identified the drone as an RQ-4A Global Hawk, a $220 million UAV that acts as a massive surveillance platform in the sky. The attack marks an […]

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Subscriptions Are About to Swallow Gaming

By now, you’ve likely felt the subscription pinch, and readied yourself for the coming escalation. Netflix, Amazon, HBO Now, Hulu, Disney Plus—it’s a mess out there! Then again, it’s nothing compared to what’s coming for gamers. Subscriptions aren’t anything new to the world of videogames. Microsoft and Sony have both offered them for over a […]

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Apple Recalls MacBook Pro Batteries, Adding to Its Laptop Problems

Earlier today Apple announced a recall for some of its MacBook Pro laptops because of problematic and potentially hazardous batteries. The batteries, according to Apple’s support page, “may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.” The recall is said to affect 15-inch MacBook Pros with Retina displays sold between September 2015 and February 2017, and […]

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Google Turns to Retro Cryptography to Keep Data Sets Private

Certain studies require sensitive data sets: the relationship between nutritious school lunch and student health, the effectiveness of salary equity initiatives, and so on. Valuable insights require navigating a minefield of private, personal information. Now, after years of work, cryptographers and data scientists at Google have come up with a technique to enable this "multiparty […]

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Cold War Spy Photos Show How Fast Himalayan Glaciers Are Melting

During the height of the Cold War, a telescope-shaped American spy satellite code-named Hexagon circled the globe snapping high-resolution photographs of forests, mountains, and perhaps a few Russian military bases. From time to time, the satellite would eject metal canisters containing the film of the imagery. The canister would deploy its parachute, and high-flying spy […]

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Stop Meme-ing Taylor Swift

At this point, thinking sober thoughts about a new Taylor Swift song is painfully predictable. It's a here we go again exercise that think-piece writers and social media pundits have come to dread and celebrate in equal measure. Yet, no matter how formulaic the Swift responses are, the internet must be fed. Luckily for all […]

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Korean Cars Are Officially the Best, a Blood-Powered Robot, and More News

Korea has taken the top spot among quality cars, scientists have created a robot fish that runs on blood, and Taylor Swift is causing a stir. Here's the news you need to know, in two minutes or less. Want to receive this two-minute roundup as an email every week day? Sign up here! Today's Headlines […]

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Nuro’s Pizza Robot Will Bring You a Domino’s Pie

Nuro, the self-driving delivery company started in 2016 by a trio of Google veterans, is moving into the pizza game. Later this year, Nuro’s robot will start delivering Domino’s pies and cheesy breads to customers in the Houston area. The robot in question is the R2, the yet-to-be-revealed version of Nuro’s R1 vehicle, which is […]

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This Colorful Keyboard Wants to Teach You How to Play Music

It’s typical to see a new gizmo advertised in some flashy, attention-grabbing way. It’s less typical to see that flashiness also touted as the product’s core feature. The Roli Lumi (you know, because “illumination”) is a multicolored, light-up keyboard aimed at musical novices eager to learn to play the piano. The device won’t ship until […]

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MTV's 'Most Meme-Able Moment' Honors Internet Culture—Barely

Colton Underwood jumping over a fence. That, according to the MTV Movie & TV Awards, was the past year's Most Meme-Able Moment. Don't remember that one? You're not alone. But as a refresher, it's a clip from ABC's The Bachelor, in which Underwood, the show's 23rd Dude Looking for Romance, vaults over a barrier after […]

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