Sega’s Genesis Mini 2 launches in October with more power and more games

Sega has announced that it’s releasing a second edition of its Genesis Mini console in the US on October 27th. The company says this version is more powerful than the hardware released in 2019. It’ll ship with a batch of over 50 games, and this time, some of those will be Sega CD titles. (Yes,… Continue reading Sega’s Genesis Mini 2 launches in October with more power and more games

The future of cars is a subscription nightmare

As cars get more expensive to make and profit margins dwindle, automakers are coming up with new and loathsome ways to squeeze more money out of their customers. Subscription-based access to vehicle features, like heated seats or remote-start key fobs, are the latest attempt to charge people for things their car already came with. The… Continue reading The future of cars is a subscription nightmare

EV owners won’t be able to pick their own low-speed noise after NHTSA scraps proposal

Well, that’s a bummer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration won’t be moving forward with a proposal to let electric vehicle owners pick their own low-speed sounds, citing a lack of “supportable data.” The move was first reported by Reuters. Back in 2019, NHTSA introduced a proposed rule-making that would have allowed drivers to “select… Continue reading EV owners won’t be able to pick their own low-speed noise after NHTSA scraps proposal

My war on animation

Imagine entering a house with an endless series of doors and corridors. Behind some of those doors are the most delightful things imaginable: feasts straight out of Redwall, unicorns, an endless supply of scenic vistas, and unionized workplaces. Behind other doors, however, are grotesque and terrifying jack-in-the-boxes that pop up the minute you crack the… Continue reading My war on animation

Read the memo Google’s CEO sent employees about a hiring slowdown

Google has told employees that it’ll be “slowing down the pace of hiring for the rest of the year,” according to an internal memo Tuesday by CEO Sundar Pichai obtained by The Verge. Pichai says the company will have to “be more entrepreneurial” and work with “greater urgency, sharper focus, and more hunger than we’ve… Continue reading Read the memo Google’s CEO sent employees about a hiring slowdown

Canoo gets lifeline from Walmart after moving HQ to the retailer’s neck of the woods

Walmart is here to throw a life preserver to ailing EV manufacturer Canoo. It’s taking the form of a very helpful order of 4,500 all-electric delivery vehicles from the big box retailer / e-commerce giant, with the potential to buy up to 10,000. Walmart and Canoo became neighbors last year when Canoo’s headquarters moved out… Continue reading Canoo gets lifeline from Walmart after moving HQ to the retailer’s neck of the woods

Hunter Biden phone hack claims test platforms’ misinformation policies

Once again, search and social media platforms are facing moderation challenges tied to data allegedly leaked from the president’s son’s devices. Over the weekend, users of 4Chan’s /pol/ messageboard were whipped into a frenzy of excitement by one poster claiming to have hacked into Hunter Biden’s phone. Exact details are hard to confirm, but the… Continue reading Hunter Biden phone hack claims test platforms’ misinformation policies

Texas heatwave and energy crunch curtails Bitcoin mining

Bitcoin miners in the Lone Star State are powering down this week as a punishing heatwave stresses the power grid. Texas’ grid operator asked residents and businesses to conserve energy on Monday with “extreme hot weather driving record power demand across Texas.” Bitcoin mining companies in the state responded by turning off their machines that… Continue reading Texas heatwave and energy crunch curtails Bitcoin mining

How Starlink and other satellite services are changing the shape of the internet

With so much attention on Elon Musk’s bizarre Twitter adventures, it’s easy to forget how fast SpaceX’s Starlink project has been moving. In just the past six months, the service has launched service in nine new countries, a new service for vehicles, and a new premium tier. There’s even a spectrum fight quietly bubbling in… Continue reading How Starlink and other satellite services are changing the shape of the internet

BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month

BMW is now selling subscriptions for heated seats in a number of countries — the latest example of the company’s adoption of microtransactions for high-end car features. A monthly subscription to heat your BMW’s front seats costs roughly $18, with options to subscribe for a year ($180), three years ($300), or pay for “unlimited” access… Continue reading BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month