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Science/Tech

FCC Grants Netgear Conditional Approval For Routers

15 April at 01:06 AM, via Slashdot

The FCC has granted (PDF) Netgear the first exemption from its foreign-made router ban, allowing the company to keep selling new consumer router models made outside the U.S. through Oct. 1, 2027. PCMag reports: The Defense Department reviewed Netgear’s application for an exemption and found that its products “do not pose risks to US national security.” The FCC’s order doesn’t elaborate on why....

Microsoft Reveals Major Price Increase For All Surface PCs

15 April at 00:00 AM, via Slashdot

Microsoft has sharply raised prices across its Surface lineup as RAM and component costs keep climbing. “Both its midrange and flagship Surface lines are now significantly more expensive than they were just a few weeks ago, with the flagship Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 now starting at $500 more than they launched at in 2024,” reports Windows Central. From the report: The Surface Pro...

California Ghost-Gun Bill Wants 3D Printers To Play Cop, EFF Says

14 April at 23:00 PM, via Slashdot

A proposed California bill would require 3D printer makers to use state-certified software to detect and block files for gun parts, but advocates at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) say it would be easy to evade and could lead to widespread surveillance of users’ printing activity. The Register reports: The bill in question is AB 2047, the scope of which, on paper, appears strict. The...

Audit Finds Google, Microsoft, and Meta Still Tracking Users After Opt-Out

14 April at 22:00 PM, via Slashdot

alternative_right shares a report from 404 Media: An independent privacy audit of Microsoft, Meta, and Google web traffic in California found that the companies may be violating state regulations and racking up billions in fines. According to the audit from privacy search engine webXray, 55 percent of the sites it checked set ad cookies in a user’s browser even if they opted out of tracking....

Chrome Now Lets You Turn AI Prompts Into Repeatable ‘Skills’

14 April at 21:00 PM, via Slashdot

Google is rolling out a Chrome feature called “Skills” that lets users save Gemini prompts as reusable one-click workflows they can run across multiple tabs. The feature also includes preset Skills from Google. It’s launching first for Chrome desktop users set to US English. The Verge reports: Once you have access to the feature, it can be managed by typing a forward slash ( / ) in Gemini and...

Thousands of Rare Concert Recordings Are Landing On the Internet Archive

14 April at 20:00 PM, via Slashdot

A Chicago concert superfan Aadam Jacobs who has recorded more than 10,000 shows since the 1980s is working with Internet Archive volunteers to digitize the collection before the cassettes deteriorate. “So far, about 2,500 of these tapes have been posted on the Internet Archive, including some rare gems like a Nirvana performance from 1989,” reports TechCrunch. From the report: For many of these...

Social Media Platforms Need To Stop Never-Ending Scrolling, UK’s Starmer Says

14 April at 19:00 PM, via Slashdot

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said social media platforms should remove addictive infinite-scroll features for young users as Britain considers new child-safety measures. “We’re consulting on whether there should be a ban for under 16s,” Starmer told BBC Radio. “But I think equally important, the addictive scrolling mechanisms are really problematic to my mind. They need to go.” Reuters...

Amazon to buy satellite firm Globalstar for $11.57bn in challenge to Musk’s Starlink

14 April at 18:20 PM, via The Guardian

Deal, subject to regulatory approval, would give Bezos firm access to Globalstar’s network of two dozen satellites

Amazon said on Tuesday it would acquire a satellite company in an $11.57bn deal, bolstering its own fledgling space business as it looks to take on Elon Musk-led bigger rival Starlink.

The deal gives Amazon access to Globalstar’s network of two dozen satellites, boosting the tech...

Google Faces Mass Arbitration By Advertisers Seeking Billions

14 April at 18:00 PM, via Slashdot

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Alphabet’s Google is facing billions of dollars in potential damage claims as part of mass arbitration tied to the company’s online search and advertising technology businesses, which courts have ruled were illegal monopolies. Advertisers are banding together to seek payouts through mass arbitration proceedings. While many companies that...

A New Computer Chip Could Finally Withstand The Hellscape of Venus

14 April at 17:00 PM, via Slashdot

Researchers at the University of Southern California say they’ve developed a memristor memory device that continued operating at 700 degrees Celsius. “And crucially, 700 degrees was not the limit, it was simply as hot as their testing equipment could go,” adds ScienceAlert. “The device showed no signs of failing.” From the report: The device is called a memristor and it’s a nanoscale component...

Amazon To Acquire Globalstar And Expand Amazon Leo Satellite Network

14 April at 16:09 PM, via Tech Financials

Globalstar satellites, radio frequency spectrum, and operational expertise will enable Amazon Leo to add Direct-to-Device (D2D) services to future generations of its low Earth orbit satellite network. New Amazon Leo D2D system will help mobile network operators extend voice, text, and data services to customers beyond the reach of terrestrial cellular networks. Amazon and Apple […]

The case for unbundling SuperSport

14 April at 15:37 PM, via TechCentral

Many DStv subscribers never watch sport. The cross-subsidy funding SuperSport is getting harder to sustain.

Why Buying An Outgoing Car Model Can Still Be A Savvy Choice

14 April at 14:37 PM, via Tech Financials

The recent influx of new automotive brands and models into South Africa has significantly revitalised the local industry – a trend clearly reflected by the robust growth in monthly sales figures. However, this market enthusiasm isn’t reserved solely for entirely new entrants. Updates and facelifts to established product lines generate a similar level of anticipation […]

City Of Cape Town’s Smart Speed Signs An Effective Speed Calming Tool

14 April at 14:18 PM, via Tech Financials

The City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate continues to install Smart Speed Signs (SSS) on request from wards across Cape Town. The City has noticed a 25% reduction in vehicles that exceed the speed limit at some of the locations where these signs have been installed. There are currently 10 smart speed signs in […]

AI learns language from skewed sources. That could change how we humans speak – and think | Bruce Schneier

14 April at 14:00 PM, via The Guardian

Large language models aren’t trained on real-life conversations. As we encounter their language, it could affect our own

Because of the way they are trained, large language models capture only a slice of human language. They’re trained on the written word, from textbooks to social media posts, and our speech as captured in movies and on television. These models have minimal access to the...

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