GadgetFreak

A Texas judge issued an injunction today to stall the enforcement of an online age verification bill. The Free Speech Coalition, along with adult video sites like Pornhub, led the legal challenge against Texas’ HB 1181, arguing that the bill violates the First Amendment and infringes on rights guaranteed by Section 230. “The Court agrees […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/H9TQJDc via IFTTT

Every year, we see the newest and best smartphones from the big brands, such as Samsung, Apple, Google, etc. Regardless of your preferred brand, the messaging is always crystal clear: “Your old phone is not as good as this new phone, so out with the old and in with the new!” While this is usually great for a company’s revenue, it’s not so great for the environment — or the usually underpaid folks who actually produce those phones on the factory line. These are trends the just-launched Fairphone 5 aims to disrupt. In this sense, the Fairphone 5 is the anti-smartphone. It’s designed to be kept for a very long time by being easily repairable, easily upgradeable, and kept up-to-date with software for an ambitious ten years. In other words, Fairphone wants you to buy this phone and then not buy another until well into 2030. That’s not the message we get from pretty much any other brand. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/cqwoS4a via IFTTT

Clothing giant Forever 21 said a data breach earlier in the year affects more than half a million individuals. A data breach notice filed with Maine’s attorney general said the fashion giant was hacked over a three-month period beginning early January 2023, during which intruders obtained files from its systems. This data included the personal […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/dOUXuv3 via IFTTT

Google Play Points, the marketplace’s rewards program first introduced in 2019, is announcing its latest line-up of perks and deals at its second annual Google Play Live event this afternoon. Of particular interest, the points Android users collect will now be able to be redeemed for offers from partners outside of Google itself, including Walmart+, […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/YS0c7iZ via IFTTT

Screenly has long offered developers ways to build applications for the kiosks and checkout systems that use its Screenly Box hardware (or a Raspberry Pi, for the DIY crowd). Its customers include the likes of Amazon, NASA and Lowe’s. Today, it’s taking a next step in making it easier for developers to build applications for […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Vq9kAM7 via IFTTT

Back in 2018, the Cato Institute estimated it would take 151 years for a person born in India to get a green card in the EB-2 category. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/dguA1b4 via IFTTT

The clock is ticking for Firefly Aerospace and Millennium Space Systems, with the two companies announced today that they have entered the “hot standby phase” for an orbital mission for the U.S. Space Force. The exact launch date of the Victus Nox mission, Firefly’s third mission using the Alpha rocket, is unknown. This is by […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/MoRwrOh via IFTTT

Credit: Tech Deals Your free upgrade to Windows 11 Home is great for casual users, but many professionals and businesses will be interested in the enhanced functionality of the Pro version. If you’re keen to know more, we’ve been alerted to this excellent Windows 11 Pro deal, which massively drops the price of the Microsoft OS to just $32.97 ( $162 off ). You might be wondering, what’s the difference? Well, for one, the Home edition lacks support for Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox. While it can serve as a Remote Desktop client, it can’t host one. The Pro version fully supports these features, including the creation of virtual machines via Hyper-V and safe app testing with Windows Sandbox. Security-wise, the Pro edition offers BitLocker encryption, safeguarding data on hard drives, and Windows Information Protection, which prevents company data leakage and distinguishes between personal and business data on a device. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/4iNEZsR via IFTTT

There’s little denying that the PlayStation 5 is an excellent console with tons of raw power, features, and a growing library of excellent games. It’s also pretty bulky and stands out a bit more as a result. The good news is that the rumor mill suggests the PlayStation 5 Slim is just around the corner. Here’s everything we know about the PS5 Slim release date, price, and features. PS5 Slim: At a glance from Android Authority https://ift.tt/LkQfPJ8 via IFTTT

We have customized our 'people-first' framework to apply to AI companies and are using it to guide our investment decisions. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/70LZqOz via IFTTT

Once again, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is requesting more information from Tesla regarding the safety of Autopilot. In a special order dated July 26, the regulator shared concerns about a change to Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system that allows drivers to use the system for extended periods of time without prompting the […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/QTzqpae via IFTTT

Against all odds, Starfish Space has managed to pull its first orbital mission back from the brink of catastrophe, with the startup saying Tuesday that it has re-gained control over the Otter Pup spacecraft that had been rapidly tumbling through space. The Kent, Washington-based startup said it will now move ahead with an “extensive checkout” […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/NcEhOAq via IFTTT

A massive social media disinformation campaign linked to Chinese law enforcement is no more, according to Meta. In its latest report on what Facebook and Instagram’s parent company calls “coordinated inauthentic behavior” — usually covert state-sponsored social media campaigns designed to shape public opinion — Meta detailed the discovery of a huge network of fake […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/KjONE31 via IFTTT

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority Google is discontinuing its Pixel Pass subscription plan. Existing subscribers will be able to continue using the plan throughout the duration of their subscription. At the end of the subscription, Google One, YouTube Premium, and Google Play Pass will renew together at a discount. When the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro launched in 2021, Google also launched a subscription plan called Pixel Pass. This subscription allowed you to pay a monthly fee to pay for the cost of your Pixel phone, YouTube Premium subscription, Google One subscription, and Google Play Pass. With plans lasting for a span of two years, Pixel Pass subscribers could save a lot of money on these services. But now Google is putting an end to the program. Today, Google published a new entry in its Pixel Pass support page . In the post, Google announced that Pixel Pass will no longer be offered for new Pixel purchases starting today. So, if you were hoping to take advan

It’s time to beta test Meta’s greatest technological innovation since the News Feed: legs. Now on Meta Quest headsets, you can download an update that lets you walk on two feet, just like our ancient ancestor, the Ardipithecus ramidus, an early hominid that achieved bipedality 4.4 million years ago. Now, it comes full circle. When […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2BA9Lae via IFTTT

AI — the tech that’s everywhere and touching everything — keeps evolving at a pace that’s surprising even in an industry where change is just about the only constant. It’s complicated, unregulated, thrilling and unnerving all at once. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, we’re dedicating a day and a stage to this galloping industry — and […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/Yuqwt5A via IFTTT

Credit: Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority Garmin Venu 3: At a glance  When is it coming out?  Based on the most recent leaks, our best guess is that the Venu 3 will arrive in September 2023. What’s new? Though rumors have not yet revealed all, we expect to see improved sleep tracking as well as overnight skin temperature sensing. We’re also hopeful Garmin will include upgrades to the line’s smartwatch features. How much will it cost? We anticipate the cost will be higher than the Venu 2 Plus which landed at $449. General rising costs in the market make a $499 price tag most likely. Update, August 28, 2023 (4:00 PM ET): We have updated our Garmin Venu 3 rumor hub to include leaks regarding sleep. skin temperature, and a retailer listing. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/Fy3qhlo via IFTTT

Two years ago, Astra hailed its acquisition of satellite propulsion startup Apollo Fusion as a strategic move that would round out its launch business and bring expert engineers into the fold. But under Astra leadership, Apollo Fusion quickly disintegrated, with the majority of the original team resigning, leaving few people to staff the one part […] from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/4Bl8DEC via IFTTT

The gamers behind the Gray Lady have a new game to add into our morning rotations: Connections , which invites the player to categorize 16 words or phrases into four distinct groups of four. The daily puzzle game debuted in beta on June 12, and according to The New York Times, it’s now the paper’s second most popular game — of course, Wordle holds the top spot. This is an impressive feat for the game, since until today, it was only playable on web browsers. But now, the game will be integrated into The New York Times and New York Times Games apps on iOS and Android, bringing in even more players. “Each day reveals a clever, thoughtful, relevant, human-made puzzle that tries to trick you, and makes the challenge of solving it extremely rewarding,” said New York Times head of games Jonathan Knight (isn’t it wild that he has to clarify the game is made by humans?). The Times also said that about nine out of 10 people who play the game will see it through until the end, whether they win

Credit: Oliver Cragg / Android Authority Nothing is now starting to roll out Nothing OS 2.0 to the Phone 1. The update will add new features, more customization, and improved functionality. The Nothing Phone 2 got the Nothing OS 2.0 update in July. Nothing released Nothing OS 2.0 back in July, bringing with it new features, enhanced functionality, and more customizations. While the update came to the Nothing Phone 2 when it launched, Phone 1 users were left having to sit on their hands waiting for the update to come to the last-generation handset. It appears that the wait is now over, as the OS is finally beginning to roll out to the older hardware. Today, the London-based technology brand announced it is starting to roll out Nothing OS 2.0 to the Nothing Phone 1. Nothing CEO Carl Pei announced back in June that the update would arrive on the Phone 1 by the end of August and it looks like the company has delivered. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/TNxOIZH via

It may be time to put to rest yet another effort to build a social network on a blockchain: The number of transactions on decentralized social network friend.tech has cratered after less than 20 days since its launch. Friend.tech is trying a new spin on a decentralized social network by letting users tokenize themselves and sell “shares,” now dubbed “keys,” to fans and followers. People who buy these shares then become “shareholders” and can engage with the creator directly. While many rushed to sign up like it was the next gold mine as big name crypto influencers, NBA players and OnlyFans creators jumped onto the platform, others were more cautious and skeptical because the app needed you to deposit funds when signing up, lacked a clear privacy policy, and had a pretty foggy roadmap. Now, it appears the people who hesitated on betting their net worth on others’ may be the ones to come out on top. Activity on the app, running as an invite-only public beta since August 10, had decli

Reliance Industries said Monday it has appointed the three children of billionaire Mukesh Ambani — Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani and Anant Ambani — to its board, the latest in the succession plan at the country’s largest company, which operates the nation’s largest telecom operator and retail chain. Nita, Ambani’s wife, has resigned from the board, the company said in a statement, published on the local stock exchange. “Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani and Anant Ambani have been closely involved with and are leading and managing key businesses of RIL over the last few years including retail, digital services and energy and materials businesses,” the company said in a statement. “They also serve on the boards of the key subsidiaries of RIL. Their appointment to the Board of RIL will enable RIL to gain from their insights and infuse new ideas, the Board opined.” from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/JVoanpy via IFTTT

Credit: Realme Realme has launched the Realme GT 5 in China. The phone brings a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and 240W wired charging speeds. The GT 5 starts at ~$411 in China, but there’s no word on a global launch. Realme launched the GT 3 at MWC 2023 early this year, bringing 240W charging that effectively reached the limit of USB-C . The phone stuck with last year’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset though, but Realme has rectified that (and then some) with the newly announced Realme GT 5. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/ASty5UV via IFTTT

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Evidence has emerged that satellite-based SOS texting on Google Messages may launch in partnership with Garmin. Garmin provides emergency response services via satellite in over 150 countries. It’s still unclear when the feature will go live on Google Messages. More evidence has emerged about satellite-based texting features coming to Google Messages. According to strings of code found within the latest version of the app, Google might be partnering with Garmin to bring emergency SOS via satellite to Android phones. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/k5ZL0Id via IFTTT

Bluesky introduced a bunch of updates on Friday to its mobile apps and website including a new tab to see your own likes, notification support for apps, and an emoji picker for the web composer. Earlier this month, Bluesky’s rival Threads added a new tab in settings , called “Your Likes,” to let users look at their own liked posts. In contrast, Bluesky has added a “Likes” tab to users’ profiles. The placement of the tab is similar to X (formerly Twitter), but unlike the Elon Musk-owned social network, Bluesky doesn’t let you see liked posts of other people. Bluesky has added a new likes tab The platform specified in a post that the likes of a user can be accessed through the API as they are public. While the native client doesn’t show them, other apps can choose to include functionality to display the likes of other users. Additionally, the social network has also added the ability to suggest people to mention when someone types an “@” in the composer. This update is available a

Chinese electric vehicle upstart Xpeng is acquiring the smart EV assets of Didi, China’s ride hailing giant, marking another significant alliance that the Tesla challenge has struck in recent months. In an announcement on Monday, Didi said the duo is forming a strategic partnership to “promote the global application of smart electric vehicles and technologies.” The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Notably, the Didi assets will become a new sub-brand called “Mona” under Xpeng, which is scheduled to launch in 2024. The partnership also extends to areas including marketing, financial insurance services, charging and international expansion. The news followed on the heels of Volkswagen’s $700 million investment in Xpeng which would see the production of two new models under the Volkswagen brand utilizing XPeng’s key ADAS technologies. More to come — this is a developing story… from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/1YSImqa via IFTTT

The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here —  just click The Station  — to receive the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. Subscribe for free.  Welcome back to The Station, your central hub for all past, present and future means of moving people and packages from Point A to Point B. We have a lot to cover so let’s jump in. But wait! One note to share: These days, I’m a semi-regular guest on TechCrunch’s Equity Podcast , including an episode that aired Friday that covers robotaxis, Nvidia’s earning, plus Better.com and startups that are full of shit (you’ll get the joke if you listen). Vamos. Want to reach out with a tip, comment or complaint? Email Kirsten at kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com . Reminder that you can drop us a note at  tips@techcrunch.com .  If you prefer to remain anonymous ,  click here to contact us , which includes SecureDrop ( instructions here ) and various encrypted messaging apps. Deal of the week The batte

Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority Google’s Pixel phones have long had a reputation for delivering fantastic cameras, harking back to the original Pixel and even the Nexus 6P. But after using my Pixel 7 Pro for over nine months, I’ve realized that the Pixel camera app needs an overhaul. No, I’m not talking about an overhaul per our recent Pixel 8 camera UI leak . Instead, I’m talking about broader additions that would bring the camera app in line with camera apps from the likes of Samsung, Xiaomi, and others. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/JV4G60K via IFTTT

When investors look at a startup slide deck, they are looking for something very specific. Yes, they want to know if the team is great and the market is huge and the problem is worth solving and the solution makes sense. Of course. But another thing they are looking for is whether the founders understand the journey they are on. If you step on the VC treadmill, you’re signing up for rapid, explosive growth. You have to: If you don’t, you don’t fit into the models of how VC works . And that’s OK — not every company is suitable for VC funding. The other truth is that your funding amount includes a very literal deadline: If you run out of money, that’s the end of your company. So, before you run out of money, one of three things needs to happen: You have an exit event, which usually means getting acquired or going public through an IPO. The latter is more predictable than the former, and early-stage companies usually don’t have that as an option. You reach break-even and are able to

Credit: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority I don’t like sticking permanent things to the back of my Android phone . Dealing with a thicker phone, an obstacle that creates friction each time I want to put it in my pocket or take it out, and an uneven and wobbly device every time I place it on a flat surface is just not worth the sacrifice for me. Or at least that’s what I thought until I got to test a couple of PopSockets. On paper, these little round pucks are everything I hate attaching to my phone. But there’s a MagSafe version that promises to provide the same ergonomics while still being easily removable. A win-win solution, right? To my surprise, I’ve found myself getting used to the regular, sticky PopSocket more than the MagSafe one. Maybe it was the very fact that I couldn’t remove it that got me sold on it, or maybe I was too busy hopping around Czechia for 10 days of adventures that I didn’t give it a second thought. Suffice it to say, I kind of get why PopSockets are

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority A report from Taiwan suggests that ASUS has shut down the Zenfone division, moving employees to the ROG Phone division and other areas of its business. The report follows incidents of disallowing bootloader unlock and removal of older firmware. This could mark the end of the Zenfone line. The ASUS Zenfone 10 is our pick for the best compact flagship , delivering a powerful experience in a compact form factor without any of the usual downsides. The Zenfone 10 and even the Zenfone 9 have received critical acclaim from reviewers like us. Many praise ASUS for continuing with trends like including a 3.5mm headphone jack and maintaining a compact flagship with no real compromises. But it could be the end of the lineup, as new reports have emerged about ASUS shutting down the Zenfone division. According to a report from Technews Taiwan , ASUS is carrying out internal restructuring, and as part of the process, certain departments have

Welcome back to The Interchange, where we take a look at the hottest fintech news of the previous week.  Better.com finally went public last week, and the stock’s performance was worse than expected. Affirm, on the other hand, saw its shares get a boost on the back of a better-than-expected earnings report. There was also a mega-raise, and an acquisition too. On another note, if you want to receive The Interchange directly in your inbox every Sunday, head  here  to sign up! Better.com finally went public The biggest fintech news of the week centered around Better.com’s no good, very bad public market debut. Or as my friend and colleague Alex Wilhelm described it, Better.com had a Miserable.com week . To sum it up, digital mortgage lender Better.com made its public debut on August 24. To no one’s surprise, the stock wasn’t exactly a hit with public investors. In fact, it was a resounding bomb. As of Friday, August 25, the stock had closed a mere $1.19. Shares of SPAC partner, Auro

Credit: Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Watch 6 lineup boasts bigger displays than ever. If you ask most smartwatch wearers, more screen space should mean a better user experience. If nothing else, larger graphics are easier to tap and larger text is easier to read. But how does the expansion actually translate on users’ wrists, and is the experience significantly different on a Galaxy Watch 6 versus a Galaxy Watch 5 ? We dug in. When it comes to Galaxy Watch display space, bigger is better from Android Authority https://ift.tt/4hnyPK2 via IFTTT

Hello, folks, and welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s regular newsletter that covers the biggest happenings in tech over the past few days. Haven’t been able to follow the news closely? Don’t sweat it. WiR will get you up to speed. In this edition of WiR, we cover Microsoft bringing Python to Excel, Cruise being forced to reduce its robotaxi fleet following a crash, and Amazon launching its new Fire TV Channels app. We also recap Twitter competitor Bluesky buckling under load, influencer MrBeast’s poorly timed Olympics video, IBM building a code translator for COBOL, and Snapchat expanding further into generative AI. If you haven’t already, sign up here to get WiR in your inbox every Saturday. Now, without further ado, here’s the week’s news! Most read Microsoft brings Python to Excel: Microsoft this week announced the public preview of Python in Excel, which will allow advanced spreadsheet users to combine scripts in the popular Python language and their usual Excel