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Tech
Industry, products, and the wires that hold it all together.
472 stories archived
Ruf debuts new flat-eight engine at Goodwood
The 4.8 L eight-cylinder generates more than 1,000 hp and 1,000 Nm, Ruf says.
Farmers Finally Get a John Deere Right to Repair Agreement That Doesn’t Screw Them Over
The FTC's settlement with John Deere actually has teeth, unlike previous settlements that largely maintained the status quo.
Free Waymo rides in California? You can thank a regulatory quirk.
State agency's delay could mean free robotaxi rides in company’s new Ojai vehicle for a few months.
LinkedIn and X Are Flooded With AI Spam, Browsing Data Suggests
An AI detection company found that amount of AI content that users actually see in their day-to-day browsing is shockingly high.
The newest entrant in the military’s launch competition isn't actually a launch company
"I think it's fair to say that Phase 3 did not contemplate this."
Payloads used to dictate the terms of launch. That's finally changing.
"The Starship Pez dispenser demonstrates very smart industrial design and scale."
PlayStation says it will stop making physical games – and that should worry us all
Sony’s announcement spells the end of a whole ecosystem built by superfan collectors – and signals a troubling shift in the industry Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Sony’s decision last week to quietly announce the end of physical games production for the PlayStation in 2028 is one of the most perfect PR disasters in recent gaming history – and considering what has been happening with Xbox , that’s saying something. First, there was the timing. Sony posted the news of its decision on the PlayStation blog, less than a week after admitting that it would be deleting 550 movies from the digital libraries of PlayStation owners due to the end of a licensing deal – thereby perfectly illustrating the dangers of purchasing digital products. (Surprise! You never actually owned them!) The move is in stark contrast with the company’s stance on this very issue back in 2013. When Microsoft was attempting to push Xbox One as a digital-first console with strict controls on the sharing and reselling of its games, Sony brilliantly mocked its rival with a short video on how easy it was to lend physical games to pals on the PS4. Oh dear. Continue reading...
Low-e windows keep homes cool … but may set neighbours’ property on fire
Low-emissivity windows also keep houses warm in winter, but use on bowed glass can have magnifying-glass effect Low-emissivity or low-E window glass is a useful green technology for keeping buildings warm in winter and cool in summer … but a rare side-effect can set the neighbours’ property on fire. The glass is coated with a thin layer of metal or metal oxide which lets visible light through but acts like a mirror in the infrared. Heat from the interior is reflected back in, retaining warmth in winter, while unwanted solar radiation is repelled in summer. Continue reading...
"We cannot choose to become idiots": The AI cheating scandal roiling Brown University
AI cheating leads to "a failed society," professor says.
Lawsuit: Grok user made 7K child sex images; xAI only reported one gang rape prompt
More young girls sue X over Grok CSAM; X accused of shielding child predators.
Judge rejects Kalshi attempt to override New York state gambling laws
Kalshi tried to ignore gambling laws on its prediction market, NY governor says.
Google pays $250K for Linux vulnerability allowing guest VM escapes
Both vulnerabilities allow untrusted users to gain root privileges.
Aussie gov't tells volunteers to throw out thousands of functioning test routers
But the devices could "easily be reflashed."
TikTok users don't have as much agency over their FYPs as they think
The "not interested" feature is your friend, but users must intentionally and constantly curate their FYPs
US seeks cheaper hunter-killer drones after Iran destroys $1B worth of Reapers
US military drone losses in Iran war spur Pentagon call for cheap replacements.
Miami-based City Labs achieves a first for commercial nuclear power in space
"The BOHR mission serves as a pathfinder for future nuclear-powered spacecraft."
Meta Patents AI Device That Tracks Your Emotions, Watches You Take Your Meds
Imagine a wearable device that records every moment of your day and makes suggestions based on your mood.
Google updates Android Bench with new LLMs, but Gemini still lags behind
Android Bench is evolving, and developers can help guide that process.
Porn Platform Gives Sex Workers Stake in the Company's Profits
One of the co-founders of MintStars, a subscription site used by adult content creators, announced she's giving 20 percent of her stake in the company to a pool for the platform's creators.
Two teens learn the hard way not to do toy gun drive-bys from a Waymo
The robotaxi stopped, called 911, and waited for the San Mateo Police to show up.
Ocean rift zone saw spreading happen in a sudden burst
The crust expands at mid-ocean rifts. But how?
We Are Living in a ‘ChatGPT Flyer Pandemic’
"Hey if this is your flyer, I’m not going, I’m not donating, I’m not sharing. Don’t ask me."
US rare earths flow to Asia as domestic demand is slow to emerge
Miners backed by Trump admin. sell to Japan, South Korea despite push to develop domestic supply chain.
Can AI equalize political campaign ads – or will it remain a tool for spreading lies?
Political campaigns are increasingly deploying AI and deepfakes to further their messaging, and the scale of spread has experts concerned From the comfort of his bed, Jonathan Rinaldi, a political candidate for a city council seat in Queens, New York, tinkered away on his iPhone, prompting an artificial intelligence chatbot to mock up fake news hits and endorsements he had never received. During the campaign last October, Rinaldi shared one of those stories, made to appear real with a CNN logo, on his Facebook and Instagram. It stated that Lynn Schulman, his opponent and an incumbent Democrat, had been “forced to drop out of the race due to a series of critical mistakes”. But Schulman had not quit her campaign, and in November, won by a landslide. Continue reading...