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Tech News
Why the FCC Can’t Actually Save Net Neutrality
Network neutrality—the idea that Internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all data that travels over their networks equally—is a principle that EFF strongly supports. However, the power to enforce equal treatment on the Internet can easily become the power to control the Internet in less beneficent ways. Some people have condemned last week’s court decision … Continued
April Glaser - Electronic Frontier Foundation -
Tech News
The Navy Almost Built a “Flying Dorito” It Couldn’t Afford to Fly
While U.S. military has had its fair share of bungled development programs—just look at the V-22 Osprey or the littoral combat ship—the ill-fated A-12 Avenger II is a strong candidate for the worst. It was so poorly managed that, if completed, the program could have sunk nearly all of the Navy’s budget. https://gizmodo.com/the-president-gets-a-personal-osprey-hes-not-allowed-t-1108783801 The A-12 … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
How to turn old pizza into pure deliciousness using a waffle iron
I nominate Serious Eats’ J. Kenji López-Alt for fast food genius of the year for this clever hack: turn a leftover pizza slice into a delicious snack using a waffle iron. Oh gods of the junkgourmandize, simplicity can be truly beautiful and succulent indeed! Just add toppings, fold into a triangle, trim the excess, and … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
Bitcoin Exchange CEO Arrested for Money Laundering
The Justice Department has formally charged the CEO of Bitcoin exchange Bitinstant.com with running an illegal wire service, and according to reports by the New York Post’s Kaja Whitehouse, he’s just been arrested at JFK. Uh oh. The charges against Bitinstant’s 24-year old CEO Charlie Shrem are more sophisticated than just “running a Bitcoin exchange.” … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech News
The FBI Seized All of TorMail’s Data and Is Using It to Catch Hackers
If you had any faith left in anonymous email services, now would be the time to let that go. New court documents show that in chasing down associates of Freedom Hosting, the FBI managed to download the entire email database of TorMail. And now it’s using that information to take on the Darknet. It’s unknown … Continued
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Tech News
Take a Peek Inside National Geographic’s Giant Vintage Photo Archive
In the digital age, it’s easy to forget that the millions of physical photographs that exist in the world still need a physical home—somewhere they will be cared for so they don’t fall into decay or vanish without a trace. Bill Bonner is the caretaker of National Geographic’s immense archive of vintage photos, and this … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
This space image of the Sahara feels more painting than photograph
I’m loving these photos at an oblique angle from the International Space Station. Most Earth photos from space look so flat, but these have such a three-dimensional quality. This one in particular, showing clouds over the Western Sahara Desert also feels painted with delicate brushstrokes, thanks to the lighting and the surface’s palette and textures. … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
Flooded Ghost Towns Re-Emerge as Water Levels Drop Across the West
The ongoing drought in the U.S. west and mountain region is leading to the surprise reappearance of historical artifacts, including entire towns and villages emerging from the sand and muck left behind by drying reservoirs. “As water levels recede,” the Wall Street Journal quips, “the past has emerged.” More specifically, this means that “long-submerged historic … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
Move to Alaska if you want to avoid the incoming polar storm
Another ‘very strong cold front—one that will be stronger than before—is coming from the North!’ says the National Weather Service. No problem, says National Public Radio: ‘move to Alaska!‘ It’s warmer there. According to Accuweather: [On] multiple dates this month, temperatures have been warmer in Alaska than they have been in Texas, Louisiana and much … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech NewsPrivacy and Security
The Simpsons Call Out Google Glass for Being Creepy as Hell
Google Glass is demonstrably creepy, sure. But at least at this point, it’s still just a plaything of the tech elite—not that it’ll stay that way for long, though. Last night, The Simpsons gave us a glimpse into an arguably imminent future where Google Glass—or in this case, Oogle Goggles—become a part of the everyman. … Continued
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Tech News
China’s Lunar Rover Only Lasted a Month
China’s Yutu Lunar Rover landed on the moon just over a month ago, and promptly started sending back photos. Unfortunately, it looks like China’s triumph could be short-lived; the Xinhua news agency reported that the rover stalled in its tracks while shutting down for the evening. Space is hard! https://gizmodo.com/chinas-rover-has-reportedly-landed-on-the-moon-1483252000 The WSJ reports that the … Continued
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Tech News
Great Deals on a Variety of Transcend Storage Today on Amazon
Today’s Amazon Gold Box features SSDs, SD cards, and external hard drives from Transcend, all at great prices. Here’s the complete list: Transcend Information 128GB SSD | $70 Transcend Information 256GB SSD | $130 Transcend 16GB MicroSDHC with Adapter 45 MB/s | $10 Transcend 32GB MicroSDHC with Adapter 45 MB/s | $17 Transcend 64GB MicroSDXC … Continued
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Tech News
A Watch That Puts an Entire Planetarium on Your Wrist
If you’re planning on sticking around for longer—a lot longer—than a standard human lifespan, you’ll need a watch that keeps time on the galactic level. Van Cleef & Arpels’ new Complication Poétique Midnight Planétarium will certainly fit the bill. Instead of hands denoting the hours and minutes, it incorporates six of our solar system’s planets … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
Spectacular video of the Sinabung volcano spitting lava
Photovolcanica has captured a tremendous pyroclastic flow that happened last week at Mount Sinabung, Sumatra: “A close-up of the lava lobe is shown including the collapse of the lobe front leading to a pyroclastic flow. Movement of the lobe prior to collapse is just about visible.” That thing was really huge—it looks like the lava … Continued
By Attila Nagy -
Tech News
Watch Cosmonauts Install a Livestreaming HD Camera on the ISS Right Now
Everybody loves some good Earth porn, and if the mission currently in progress goes off without a hitch, we’ll all be in for a lot more of it. A pair of cosmonauts are currently on a spacewalk to install an Earth-facing Ultra HD camera on the ISS that will eventually livestream our blue marble to … Continued
By Eric Limer -
Tech News
A Brief History of the Body Told Through 10 Eye-Popping Drawings
We’ve all seen it: That colorful human body, staring blankly ahead in the doctor’s office, its stomach skin missing and guts exposed. But have you ever really stepped back and wondered what it took to perfect that anatomical diagram? Long story short, it took centuries of study—and plenty of mistakes, most of which have been … Continued
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Tech NewsMicrosoft
SkyDrive Is Now OneDrive, Until Microsoft Gets Sued Again
Microsoft’s SkyDrive is a terrific little cloud service that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. Unless, of course, it’s being sued by British Sky Broadcasting Group over its name. But now SkyDrive will be called OneDrive, for just as long as is legally allowable. https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-has-to-change-skydrives-name-because-of-a-la-976021224 Presumably Microsoft’s gaggles of lawyers have vetted the … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
A crazy compilation video of people risking death in wingsuits
At last, someone put together a cool compilation of the best wingsuit flight videos. It’s full of crazy people flying through tight mountain holes and gliding dangerously close to sharp rocks at full speed. Optional: Turn off the audio to avoid the horrible tecno track. SPLOID is a new blog about awesome stuff. Join us … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech NewsSploid
Google buys artificial intelligence company
Google has acquired a London-based artificial intelligence company called DeepMind for $500 million to add it to its existing AI division. DeepMind is dedicated to find “the best techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build powerful general-purpose learning algorithms.” One step closer to apocalypse or utopia. https://gizmodo.com/googles-buying-an-ai-startup-called-deepmind-for-500m-1509664408
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
First European Hunter-Gatherer Genome Reveals Blue Eyes Evolved Early
The first ever full genome sequence of a European hunter-gatherer has revealed that hunter-gatherers had far better immune systems that we thought—and evolved blue eyes way earlier than predicted, too. The genome was sequenced from the remains of a 7,000-year-old body found in a Spanish cave after DNA was extracted from its teeth. “This is … Continued