Feed aggregator

Amazon gaming boss predicts future where players no longer need consoles

BBC Tech News - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 9:24am
Jeff Gattis said the rising cost of gaming tech is likely to mean more people will stream their games online.

22 Back-to-School College Dorm Room Essentials (2026)

Wired Top Stories - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 8:01am
Deck out your room and make class a cinch with these WIRED-tested favorites.

'Let's enjoy the ride' says Elon Musk, as AI fears mount

BBC Tech News - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 7:39am
Talking to The Economist, Musk said he doesn't care if people hate him and said he was not a racist.

The Best Vacuum for Pet Hair—We Tested Many to Find Which Ones Work Best (2026)

Wired Top Stories - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 7:33am
Cordless, handheld, robot, and traditional—we tested them all to find the vacuum that’s fantastic for fur.

The Best MagSafe Wallets for Your Everyday Carry (2026)

Wired Top Stories - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 7:01am
The slim and convenient magnetic wallets you’ll actually want stuck to the back of your phone.

Verisign Is Finally Bringing<nobr> <wbr></nobr>.web Domains To the Internet

Slashdot - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 7:00am
BrianFagioli writes: Verisign is finally bringing web domains to the internet after a decade of fighting. Verisign says the .web top-level domain has finally been delegated into the DNS root, clearing the way for public registrations later in 2026. Until now, consumers could not buy normal working .web domains, despite the extension attracting a record $135 million winning bid in 2016. The launch could make .web one of the more recognizable alternatives to .com, but Verisign already operates both .com and .net, raising questions about whether this creates real competition or simply gives the dominant registry operator another valuable extension. The decade-long fight began after a company called Nu Dot Co won the rights to operate .web in a 2016 ICANN auction with a record $135 million bid secretly funded by Verisign. Rival bidder Afilias, which was later acquired by Donuts, challenged the sale, arguing ICANN should have investigated the relationship before allowing the auction. This triggered years of complaints, reviews, and legal disputes that have ultimately now been resolved under undisclosed terms.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

America’s Hot Hybrid Summer

Wired Top Stories - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 6:45am
Gas prices are up, and US car dealerships are full of hybrids. Customers are going for it.

10 Best Meal Delivery Services, Tested by an Ex-Restaurant Critic

Wired Top Stories - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 6:31am
Here are the best delivery services and meal kits in 2026, including Martha Stewart’s meal service, a GLP-1–supportive plan, and a budget-friendly option.

Google Turns a Selfie Video Into Your Account’s Spare Key

Wired Top Stories - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 6:00am
The next time you’re locked out of your Google account, you can use your face as part of the account recovery process.

Largest IT Consulting Firms in Massachusetts

Mass High Tech News - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 6:00am
Data for this list was obtained from participating firm representatives. The list includes firms that are paid to independently diagnose and solve clients' IT-related problems, providing full project management and oversight.

My Week of Transparent Living With Apple’s ‘More Clear’ Liquid Glass Setting

Wired Top Stories - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 5:30am
I cranked Apple’s iOS 27 beta to maximum transparency on my iPhone and enjoyed every warped second.

Remember Jibo? Its Successor Is a Wearable That Turns Your Life Into AI Slop

Wired Top Stories - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 5:15am
With “blessings” from the original Jibo founders, iKairos is a wearable or desk-mounted “AI journal” that turns your family moments into AI images and video.

This guide will help you paddle your way through western Maine

Portland Press Herald Business - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 4:00am
From rentals on Wilson Lake to delivered boats in Rangeley and shuttle-supported river trips in Bethel, western Maine offers several ways to paddle without owning a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard.

Google burning through cash with spiralling AI costs

BBC Tech News - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 3:15am
The company said earlier this year it expected to spend as much as $190bn on AI investments.

Private Mission Launches To Extend Life of Out-of-Gas Communication Satellites

Slashdot - Thu, 07/23/2026 - 3:00am
Northrop Grumman has launched a private satellite-servicing mission to attach life-extending "jetpacks" to aging communications satellites in geosynchronous orbit. "It's the second satellite-saving mission to launch this month, all part of a growing, money-saving effort to keep spacecraft running as long as possible," reports Phys.org. From the report: Launched by SpaceX, Northrop Grumman's mission robotic vehicle -- dubbed MRV -- and its jetpacks will spend the next year angling into the proper orbit 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) above Earth. Hundreds of satellites orbit at this so-called geosynchronous orbit, where they match the speed of Earth's rotation and keep to the same part of the sky for continuous coverage. Once in place by mid-2027, the minivan-sized spacecraft will use its 10-foot (9-meter) arms to attach a jetpack to an aging communication satellite. Then it will zip off to two more satellites in need. For its debut flight, the spacecraft was accompanied by three electric-propelled jetpacks that peeled away separately following liftoff. Like the MRV, the jetpacks will use their own xenon gas thrusters to get to the desired orbit. Once in place, the jetpacks will wait for the robot to grab them, one at a time, and plug them into their designated satellites. Each jetpack -- the size of a washing machine -- will provide the necessary oomph for an out-of-gas satellite to keep operating for several more years instead of retiring. If it works, it will be a boon for satellite operators SES of Luxembourg and Optus of Australia, saving them millions of dollars in replacement costs.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Pan Am Plane Crash That Inspired Modern Safety Briefings Found After 74 Years

Slashdot - Wed, 07/22/2026 - 11:30pm
Longtime Slashdot reader BeaverCleaver shares a report from the BBC: The wreckage of a Pan American Airways plane has been found 74 years after it plunged into the Atlantic Ocean in a crash that prompted mandatory airline safety briefings. The Clipper Endeavor was found 2,000ft (610m) below sea level off the coast of Puerto Rico with a sonar-equipped drone. It went down on April 11, 1952, following multiple-engine failure shortly after take-off. Everyone onboard survived the impact -- but passengers struggled to locate life vests and rafts as the plane rapidly sank. Of the 69 passengers and crew onboard, just 17 survived. The disaster led to sweeping reforms in aviation safety, including compulsory pre-flight safety briefings on every commercial flight. [...] Today, before every commercial flight, cabin crew are required to outline where a plane's exits are, as well as the location of life vests and how to inflate them.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

GM Is Quietly Becoming a Subscriptions Company

Slashdot - Wed, 07/22/2026 - 7:00pm
"General Motors has been pulling a Tim Cook and boosting its software and subscription business," reports Business Insider. During the automaker's Tuesday earnings call, executives said they're increasingly leaning on software subscriptions like OnStar and Super Cruise to generate high-margin recurring revenue long after customers buy their vehicles. GM says OnStar brought in about $800 million in the second quarter, while Super Cruise revenue grew about 70% year over year. From the report: GM says its software business keeps roughly 70 cents of every dollar it brings in. That's a rare level of profitability in the auto industry, as many car sales generate just four to 10 cents per sales dollar. [...] GM expects to add about 1 million OnStar subscribers this year, bringing the total close to 13 million. Super Cruise, GM's hands-free, eyes-on driving system, is growing even faster. GM added about 70,000 subscribers during the quarter and expects to end the year with more than 850,000. Revenue from the service increased about 70% from a year earlier. And a lot of drivers are sticking around after the free period ends. GM said between 30% and 40% of eligible owners continue paying after their included three-year Super Cruise subscription expires. [..] "We do think we have tremendous levers, multiple levers of growth," Barra said on the call. "We definitely think there's a lot of opportunity at GM to grow, improve margins, and become less cyclical." "Software and services are becoming increasingly important to how customers experience GM vehicles and how we deliver value beyond the initial purchase," a spokesperson previously told Business Insider. "As vehicles become more software-defined, we can introduce new digital experiences through updates and optional services rather than hardware changes."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

iOS 27 Code Suggests Apple Could Restrict Leased Devices After Missed Payments

Slashdot - Wed, 07/22/2026 - 6:00pm
Code found in the iOS 27 beta suggests Apple is developing a system that could restrict leased iPhones when customers fall behind on payments. The discovery follows a recent Bloomberg report that Apple may soon launch a new "Apple Upgrade" leasing program, allowing customers to pay for hardware through monthly installments. 9to5Mac reports: The code describes a system called App Managed Features, which allows an authorized financing or provider app to enroll an iPhone and perform ongoing status checks. If the contract is no longer in good standing, Apple's system services can place the iPhone in "Restricted Mode," which blocks access to most apps until the payment or contract issue is resolved, while keeping a small set of apps available. The fixed allowlist currently found in the iOS 27 beta includes: Accessibility Reader, App Store, Health, Magnifier, Phone, Clock, Settings, Wallet, Passwords, and the Restricted Mode interface itself. Apps that can send critical alerts, such as Messages, Home, and certain medication or safety apps, may also remain accessible. However, the provider appears to have some control over those exceptions. The code does not appear to cancel, suspend, or otherwise modify App Store subscriptions associated with blocked apps. As a result, a subscription could continue billing even while access to its app is restricted. Additionally, there isn't a fixed number of missed payments that automatically triggers the restrictions. The financing provider's app decides when to lock the device based on its own policies. Finally, the new framework also introduces a new type of activation lock called "Partner Finance Lock," which is meant to prevent users from erasing, reselling, or stripping a restricted device for parts.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Linux Kernel Team Publishes 432 CVEs In Two Days

Slashdot - Wed, 07/22/2026 - 5:00pm
Ancient Slashdot reader alanw shares a post from the OSS Security mailing list, where sysadmin Jan Schaumann wonders what to do after the Linux kernel cranked out 432 CVEs in a little over 24 hours: "I understand the position that CVEs were always a flawed way to track or prioritize security changes... But this onslaught really shows it's not feasible to attempt to prioritize individual kernel changes. I'm not sure what to do here going forward." The Register reports: The nixCraft team speculated on social media that AI bug reports are a likely reason for all those kernel CVEs, which wouldn't be without precedent - Linus Torvalds himself said in May that the Linux kernel security mailing list had become "almost entirely unmanageable" due to AI-assisted bug hunting. Nonetheless, Torvalds has described AI as a useful tool for Linux development while still noting it can be a drag for maintainers, both from a workload standpoint and the fact "it keeps finding embarrassing bugs." [...] Unfortunately for Linux sysadmins, the position in which they find themselves in this current mess isn't one that's readily solved. CVEs might be a messy way to track and prioritize security updates, especially when hundreds of them are published over a short period, but without something better, it falls to IT and security teams to determine which vulnerabilities affect their systems and which kernel updates they need to deploy. Senior kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman replied to Jan's post, pushing back on the idea that the kernel's CVE volume is uniquely unmanageable. The kernel isn't special, he argues -- companies everywhere are finally realizing they need to re-evaluate how they update all of their systems and devices, something that's traditionally been "woefully ignored." On the "just always update" approach, Greg says that's precisely what the kernel community endorses: "This is what the kernel developer community recommends and supports. If you want support from us, do this." Can't manage it yourself? Pay a company for support, or "just use Debian or Yocto as their security practices are amazing." He points to Android as proof the approach scales, calling it "the largest deployment of software in the world" -- billions of devices kept updated "with one very-overworked developer guiding it all." As for reviewing every CVE individually, he notes this can be largely automated by intersecting the files a CVE touches with the files you actually build, which typically trims the relevant set "down to about 10% of the overall total" -- the approach enterprise distros already take for their customers. Panic-mode selective patching gets a blunt "Good luck with that!" -- regulations like the EU's Cyber Resilience Act are set to legislate that habit away ("rightfully so," in his view), and "your insurance company might wish to have a talk with you as well." Greg also warns the flood isn't over: "The number of llm-found issues is only on the rise right now, it's going to be a very long 18 months at the least to dig ourselves out of this mess, and people had BETTER be updating their systems all along the way if they expect to be secure in any way." As for the 432-CVE burst itself, he explains it was simply him catching up on a weeks-old, publicly visible review queue over the weekend -- delayed by "a perfect storm of 6 weeks straight of conferences and vacations" -- so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone watching the public git repo.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Top Red-Light Therapy Deals at Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale (2026)

Wired Top Stories - Wed, 07/22/2026 - 4:40pm
Save on WIRED-tested LED therapy devices from TheraFace, HigherDose, and more.

Pages

Subscribe to TechMaine aggregator