Yesterday I was sharpening my axe. It’s a simple chore, not too complicated and pretty darn satisfying. And as with all simple things, you can easily do it wrong, so it pays off to watch a few YouTube videos on how to do it properly. One of the lessons I learned is why it’s so important to keep your axe as sharp as possible. The danger of having a dull axe is that you’ll have to use more power to get the job done....
After this long period of lockdowns and quarantine, the itch to travel and experience new things has gotten even stronger. Luckily, if you work in tech, the overwhelmingly high demand for talent means you don’t have to be an armchair traveler for much longer. The growth of mini startup ecosystems, digital transformation movements across enterprise companies, and rise of the globetrotting entrepreneur means there is literally a world of options....
In other words, they’re never gonna be popular. So, considering two-million units of Asus’ ROG Phone II was just pre-ordered in China (according to Android Police), I probably should eat my hat. Well, at least part of it. If I had a hat. First off, the Asus ROG Phone 2? As the name suggests, this is the second iteration of the, uh, Asus ROG Phone. I liked the first version of the device — which had incredible specs, but also a very specific ‘gamer’ aesthetic....
The main driver behind this will be a slew of more affordable EVs — like the VW ID.3, ID.4, and Ford Mustang Mach-E — coming to market. “This transition from niche to mainstream will be built on the introduction of low-cost EV models that satisfy the typical mileage requirements at an acceptable price point,” said James Hodgson, Smart Mobility & Automotive Principal Analyst at ABI Research. According to the report, by the end of this decade, EVs will make up a quarter of all new vehicles shipped....
A source told Axios that Mitchell had been using automated scripts to find messages showing discriminatory treatment of Gebru, whose recent ousting from the tech giant sparked outrage among colleagues. A Google spokesperson said the company was investigating the incident: [Read: How Netflix shapes mainstream culture, explained by data] Gebru tweeted on Tuesday that Mitchell had not been fired “yet,” but that the researcher would be locked out of her account “for at least a few days....
The Xbox owner made the announcement at Gamescom 2019 event in Germany yesterday. The game was originally scheduled for an October release. The updated version of the popular real-time strategy game will include four brand-new civilizations, three new campaigns, and add support for 4K HD graphics. When it releases, it will be available on Microsoft Store, Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Steam. That’s not all. The company is also making available the original Age of Empires: Definitive Edition — released last year — on all aforementioned platforms for $19....
Build Change, a foundation dedicated to preventing housing loss caused by natural disasters such as earthquakes and windstorms, is announcing the “Intelligence Supervision Assistant for Construction” (ISAC-SIMO) app. It’s an open-source, AI-powered quality assurance tool for construction. And it could save countless lives. Meet ISAC-SIMO: The tool utilizes machine learning to help people ensure they’re using the best materials and construction methods to ensure buildings are disaster-ready. Typically, when we discuss earthquake-proofing, we’re talking about making skyscrapers and bridges safe using advanced engineering and materials....
Ostensibly because “The world has become more flexible”, and “We also had the most productive two-year period in our company’s history — all while working remotely” (presumably, also: massive decrease in operating costs; consequent increase in profit margins). More highlights from Chesky’s thread include the ability to move anywhere in the US without any change in compensation; in-person team gatherings facilitated quarterly; and the implementation of a multi-year roadmap with two product releases per year, to “keep us working in a highly coordinated way”....
Overnight they were in the news, with an announcement from Klein Vision that their AirCar flying car had received a Certificate of Airworthiness from the Slovak Transport Authority, making it legal to fly. The news follows 142 successful landings in Bratislava. At yesterday’s landing, inventor Professor Stefan Klein clicked a button, transforming the aircraft into a sports car in under three minutes. In earlier tests, the AirCar flew at 8200ft, reaching a maximum speed of 190kmph (103knots)....
The solar-powered prototype roams autonomously through fields, using GPS software to identify the location of plants. When it finds them, it uses cameras and machine perception tools to study their traits and any issues in the field. The cart combines data collected from the field, such as plant height and fruit size, with environmental factors including weather forecasts and soil information. This is all analyzed by machine learning to evaluate how the crops are growing and interacting with their surroundings....
That’s why we’ve put together a handy guide outlining everything you should do to mess up your MacBook’s battery as quickly as possible. And yes, you are very welcome. Keep all your apps running all of the time Answer me this: what’s the fastest way to open that bit of software you sometimes need? You guessed correctly: never close it. Every single app on your laptop should be open all the time....
Solidarity and mutually shared responsibility have proved critical in the very slow return to normalcy, as both private and public organizations look to each other for advice on how to best mitigate the effects of the pandemic. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released its COVID Action Platform, with an aim to mobilize collective support from all stakeholders for the COVID-19 response. Meanwhile, the US government signed a $2.2 trillion rescue package to brace the nation for the virus’ effect, following the example of other governments worldwide....
As the coronavirus pandemic took hold, many of us started working from and spending much more time at home. The situation has made us far more aware of how our neighborhoods are built around driving, working life, and commuting by car. It’s got many of us asking: are our neighborhoods really as good as they can be? Over the past year, cities around the world have experimented with low-traffic neighborhoods, with much success....
Since then, a number of other trials in Britain have launched, and you guessed it, some have been canceled because people are riding them in places that they shouldn’t be, BBC reports. One trial, which saw 200 escooters deployed to the streets of Coventry and Birmingham, was supposed to last 12 months. However, it’s been brought to a close in Coventry just five days after it started due to reports of people riding them on sidewalks and in pedestrianized areas....
We most recently reported on the AirTags back in January and rumors had been floating around for months earlier. But Apple today posted a support video — now deleted — which all but confirmed the tags. Assuming this wasn’t a belated April Fools video, it seems AirTags are not too far off. The deleted video did not directly deal with AirTags, but rather showed a screen in the Find My iPhone settings menu that mentioned the gizmos....
By serious, I mean a headphone that actually prioritizes sound quality. While the AirPods are decent for what they are, they won’t win any prizes for their fidelity. It’s difficult to make an earbud with a proper bass balance unless you create a seal with the ear canal. The AirPods Pro do just that, as Apple’s first headphones to use ear tips since the aforementioned 2008 model. Because the headphones now create a proper seal, they will presumably block out more sound by default....
In a keynote that focused intently on health and fitness, the company displayed some new features and upgrades it hopes will improve people’s lives. The biggest of these is the introduction of blood oxygen monitoring. Sensors on the back of the Apple Watch Series 6 can deliver this result in only 15 seconds. This measurement is a sign of your overall health, but it’s important to realize that this isn’t a medical grade bit of equipment — it’ll be indicative, rather that definitive....
Albert Einstein first published his book explaining the theory of general relativity – which postulated black holes – in 1922. One hundred years later, astronomers captured actual images of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way. In a recent paper, a team of astronomers describes another exciting new discovery: the first “dormant” black hole observed outside of the galaxy. I am an astrophysicist who has studied black holes – the most dense objects in the universe – for nearly two decades....
During the last few decades, the human being has become an increasingly acceptable object of study and technological intervention. We are an engineering project ourselves. An important engine behind this development is the combination of nano-, bio-, information, and cognitive technology. This so-called NBIC convergence is creating a new wave of applications, consisting in large part of intimate technologies capable of monitoring, analyzing, and influencing our bodies and behavior. In essence, the NBIC convergence means a steadily more profound interaction between the natural sciences (nano and info) and the life sciences (bio and cogno)....
Concerned about growing momentum behind efforts to regulate the commercial use of personal data, Big Tech has begun seeding watered-down “privacy” legislation in states with the goal of preempting greater protections, experts say. Meanwhile, the small handful of bills that have not adhered to two key industry demands—that companies can’t be sued for violations and consumers would have to opt out of rather than into tracking—have quickly died in committee or been rewritten....
