Author: News Room
I’m standing outside a nondescript corporate office park in Las Vegas next to a box-shaped vehicle with no proper front or back. It’s got a set of sliding doors, no steering wheel, and touchpad controls. It’s bidirectional, meaning it can move in either direction without turning around. And to be completely frank, it looks more like an oversized toaster than an actual car. This is the second-generation Zoox robotaxi, a purpose-built autonomous shuttle that has been testing in and around Las Vegas for the last year and a half. Zoox, a subsidiary of Amazon, has been working on it for…
Training might improve your pace, but sometimes it takes a killer playlist to power past your PB. Want sweet beats while you pound the pavement? The best running headphones are built to go the distance – and deliver musical motivation all the way. Don’t worry if you’re not sure wireless earbuds are the best fit for your sprinting style: from lightweight ’buds to sturdy neckbands, the list below features our pick of the top headphones for every sort of jogger. Whether you’re working towards an endurance race or switching off with a few loops around the park, you’ll find your…
App subscriptions. Two words that in some circles unleash apoplectic fury. That’s because at some point, an evil presence rose from the pit (or a boardroom – same thing) and decreed software should no longer be something you owned outright. And then furiously mashed ‘software’ into ‘services’ with a fork. The resultant goop transformed into a product you merely rented. Need to perform some Photoshop magic today? Pay your monthly Adobe ‘tribute’ or they’ll cut you off! (Unless you can somehow coax that DVD of Photoshop Stone Age Edition to work on a modern computer.) This is bad enough with…
Access to water is always a concern when heading off the grid in my van — not when I’m home in Amsterdam, a city surrounded by the stuff. That certainty changed recently when government ministers began quietly prodding citizens to stock up on emergency supplies due to an increased risk of armed conflict and other regional unpleasantries. One recommendation, of many, is to have three liters (almost one gallon) per person per day on hand, or 15 liters per day for my five-person household. That means 105 liters for just one week or 450 liters each month! I don’t have…
Some Google Calendar users are angrily calling the company out after noticing that certain events like Pride month are no longer highlighted by default. Black History Month, Indigenous People Month, Jewish Heritage, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Hispanic Heritage have also been removed, according to a Google product expert.One user called the move “shameful” and said that the platform is being used to “capitulate to fascism.” Over the last few years, there have been comments and media reports complaining about the presence of the notes, but now they’re gone.Google confirmed it’s made changes to the default Calendar events, but with a…
The best Nintendo Switch controllers aren’t the ones that come with it. While the removable Joy-Cons included with all non-Lite Switch consoles are convenient given they can be detached for wireless use, their tiny contourless design isn’t that comfortable for long gaming sessions or large hands. And while Nintendo has taken steps to address the dreaded Joy-Con drift and earlier quality control problems, some issues persist.In this buying guide, we focus on wireless controllers that are both comfortable and reliable, as well as a few options that come with unique features designed to match your play style. We’re not covering…
During a Q&A with employees earlier this week, one of Meta’s top executives gave an ominous warning.After lamenting “a tremendous number of leaks” from inside the company, CTO Andrew Bosworth said that, while he didn’t want to “ruin the surprises,” the company was “making progress on catching people.”Since Mark Zuckerberg’s comments at a recent all-hands meeting were published, Meta’s leaders have tried to clamp down on an agitated and tense cohort of workers. The power struggle isn’t over. It’s unclear how Meta is going to look on the other side.“There’s a funny thing that’s happening with these leaks,” Bosworth said…
The Bigme Hibreak Pro is currently available for preorder through the company’s online store for $439. What sets it apart from similar Android-based E Ink devices that often feel sluggish is that it’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 2.6GHz processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s a two-year-old processor used in midrange devices like the Samsung Galaxy A34 that could help Android 14’s user interface feel more responsive on the Hibreak Pro, even if it’s lacking the latest OS updates.The experience won’t be comparable to what you get on smartphones like the $499 Pixel 8a,…
Marko Elez, the 25-year-old staffer Department of Government Efficiency staffer linked to a social media profile with racist posts, “will be brought back,” shortly after he resigned, Elon Musk announced on X.Elez resigned from his role where he reportedly had the ability to rewrite code in sensitive payments systems at the US Treasury, once The Wall Street Journal inquired about his connection to a deleted account. That account, which the Journal found previously had the username “@marko_elez,” called for reinstating a “eugenic immigration policy,” repealing the Civil Rights Act, and said that “99% of Indian H1Bs will be replaced by…
Within the past week, Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)-affiliated staffers have gained unprecedented access to sensitive US financial systems with data on millions of Americans, claimed to shut down one federal agency without an act of Congress, and invaded numerous government agencies. They’ve been opposed by lawsuits, public protests, and resistance within those agencies — and the situation remains constantly in flux. As a deadline for workers to accept a so-called “deferred resignation” looms on Monday, here’s where the rest of Musk’s government takeover attempt stands.Musk’s pseudo-department has reportedly deployed employees to at least 11 agencies:…
Apple currently sells MacBooks equipped with its own M-series chips in a wide range of sizes and price points. It discontinued the M1 MacBook Air to make room for the latest models, but some retailers are still selling the last-gen laptop starting at $649 — a far cry from the $2,499 starting price of the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro. Purchasing a new MacBook can certainly be a pricey endeavor, but thankfully, finding a deal on more recent models is actually not that difficult. Apple has recently shaken up the starting RAM for several models, creating more options…
I have a cable problem. I’m the guy with a giant box (three, actually) of ancient power cables that connect to nothing, just in case a time traveler appears with my hard drive from 2006 and demands I plug it in. I have approximately a thousand Lightning cables, even though the only Lightning-charging device I have left is my AirPods. (Which I charge wirelessly anyway.) I have a bunch of fancy braided USB-C cables, which I bought just so I’d know who was absconding with my chargers at family gatherings. When I travel, I have a case roughly the size…