If Starship is real, we’re going to need big cargo movers on the Moon and Mars
"I left SpaceX knowing the width of the Starship door." Enlarge / The author tries not to crash a lunar rover. (credit: Eric Berger) As a SpaceX engineer working on the Starship program about five years ago, Jaret Matthe.....»»
In the face of bans, ByteDance tightens grip over US TikTok operations
Relationship between TikTok, ByteDance deepens as tensions over the app’s ownership escalate. Enlarge (credit: FT/Getty Images) TikTok’s Beijing-based owner ByteDance tightened its grip over its US operations over th.....»»
Palm OS and the devices that ran it: An Ars retrospective
Before smartphones, we had PDAs in our pockets. Palm did them best. Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson) “Gadgets aren’t fun anymore,” sighed my wife, watching me tap away on my Palm Zire 72 as she sat on the couch wit.....»»
Qualcomm says lower-end Snapdragon X Plus chips can still outrun Apple’s M3
Same NPU, same architecture as X Elite, but fewer cores and lower clock speeds. Enlarge (credit: Qualcomm) Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series of chips promises to be the company’s first that can go toe-to-toe with Apple.....»»
Google can’t quit third-party cookies—delays shut down for a third time
Google says UK regulator testing means the advertising tech will last until 2025. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Will Chrome, the world's most popular browser, ever kill third-party cookies? Apple and Mozilla both killed.....»»
No more refunds after 100 hours: Steam closes Early Access playtime loophole
It's largely a win against scammers, but a simple policy doesn't fit all games. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) "Early Access" was once a novel, quirky thing, giving a select set of Steam PC games a way to involve enthusi.....»»
Chamber of Commerce sues FTC in Texas, asks court to block ban on noncompetes
Noncompete clauses "benefit employers and workers alike," Chamber tells court. (credit: Getty Images | eccolo74) The US Chamber of Commerce and other business groups sued the Federal Trade Commission and FTC Chair Lina K.....»»
Deepfakes in the courtroom: US judicial panel debates new AI evidence rules
Panel of eight judges confronts deep-faking AI tech that may undermine legal trials. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) On Friday, a federal judicial panel convened in Washington, DC, to discuss the challenges of policing AI.....»»
Nation-state hackers exploit Cisco firewall 0-days to backdoor government networks
Perimeter devices ought to prevent network hacks. Why are so many devices allowing attacks? Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Hackers backed by a powerful nation-state have been exploiting two zero-day vulnerabilities in Ci.....»»
We may have spotted the first magnetar flare outside our galaxy
Not all gamma-ray bursts come from supernovae. Enlarge / M82, the site of what's likely to be a giant flare from a magnetar. (credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team) Gamma rays are a broad category of high-energy.....»»
A Polestar Phone now inexplicably exists
Polestar normally makes electric cars, but now it's releasing a phone. The Polestar Phone. Someday it will unlock your Polestar car. [credit:.....»»
Reddit, AI spam bots explore new ways to show ads in your feed
Reddit says its "communities are naturally commercial." Enlarge (credit: Getty) Reddit has made it clear that it’s an ad-first business. Today, it expanded on that practice with a new ad format that looks to sell thin.....»»
Hackers are using developing countries for ransomware practice
Businesses in Africa, Asia, and South America hit before moving on to Western targets. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Cyber attackers are experimenting with their latest ransomware on businesses in Africa, Asia, and Sout.....»»
Mercedes’ electric G-Wagon is more capable than the gas version
With four motors, deeper fording, and more power, you can forget about the gas version. Enlarge / Electric power has not robbed the G-Wagon of its off-road skills. If anything, it has enhanced them. (credit: Mercedes-Benz).....»»
SpaceX has now landed more boosters than most other rockets ever launch
Can the Falcon 9 eventually challenge Soyuz for launch totals? Enlarge / SpaceX landed its 300th booster on Tuesday. (credit: SpaceX webcast) SpaceX launches have become extremely routine. On Tuesday evening, SpaceX laun.....»»
Elite: Dangerous’s real-money ship sales spark “pay-to-win” outrage
In 2019, dev promised purchases would "only be used to buy cosmetic Game Extras." Enlarge / Players will be able to throw down a few bucks to get the Python Mk 2 starting next month. (credit: Frontier Developments) Elite.....»»
US bans TikTok owner ByteDance, will prohibit app in US unless it is sold
Bill gives ByteDance 270 days to sell TikTok or app loses access to US market. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Chesnot ) The Senate last night approved a bill that orders TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the company within.....»»
The Fall Guy spotlights its amazing stuntmen in meta marketing video
It's the latest and best of a string of meta marketing videos to promote the film. Ryan Gosling hosts a round of carpool karaoke with his stuntmen for the forthcoming action comedy The Fall Guy. Universal Studios has been going meta.....»»
Updating California’s grid for EVs may cost up to $20 billion
Charging electric vehicles at home will exceed most power lines' capacity. Enlarge (credit: boonchai wedmakawand) California's electric grid, with its massive solar production and booming battery installations, is alread.....»»
Tesla profits drop 55% as Elon Musk dodges cheap car questions
Tesla spent $1 billion on GPUs even as its profit margins shrank by half. Enlarge / Tesla shares rose by almost 11 percent in premarket trading despite the disastrous financial results. (credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty.....»»