It’s been crazy cold this week, even down where I live in Louisiana, thanks to an outbreak of a polar vortex. This frigid air is bad for all kinds of things, including football helmets, apparently. But it’s actually a great time to demonstrate one of the basic ideas in science: the ideal gas law. You… Continue reading Why the Polar Vortex Is Bad for Balloon Artists
Author: Wired Magazine
1More Comfobuds Mini Review: Dashing Design, Spotty Execution
1More’s minuscule Comfobuds Mini raise an intriguing question from the outset: Just how much smaller can wireless earbuds get? To borrow a phrase from your favorite clickbait sites, the answer may surprise you. With advancements in battery efficiency and speaker technology, we can expect future earbuds to continue to push the boundaries of size and… Continue reading 1More Comfobuds Mini Review: Dashing Design, Spotty Execution
Fujitsu Bugs That Sent Innocent People to Prison Were Known ‘From the Start’
Software flaws were allegedly hidden from lawyers of wrongly convicted UK postal workers. Go to Source
US Agencies Urged to Patch Ivanti VPNs That Are Actively Being Hacked
A major coordinated disclosure this week called attention to the importance of prioritizing security in the design of graphics processing units (GPUs). Researchers published details about the “LeftoverLocals” vulnerability in multiple brands and models of mainstream GPUs—including Apple, Qualcomm, and AMD chips—that could be exploited to steal sensitive data, such as responses from AI systems.… Continue reading US Agencies Urged to Patch Ivanti VPNs That Are Actively Being Hacked
Sony A7C R Review (2024): A Full Frame Travel Camera
Sony is no stranger to producing impressively small full-frame cameras. The original A7C took the innards of the larger A7 series and stuffed them in a more compact body. The ZV-E1 went further, with a tiny body that looks positively comical attached to long lenses. These smaller bodies always involve feature compromises. No one wants… Continue reading Sony A7C R Review (2024): A Full Frame Travel Camera
How the Mighty Heat Pump Is Helping (but Not Solving) EVs’ Cold Weather Problem
Perhaps you’ve heard: In many places, it’s really very cold out. Deep freezes hit wide bands of the US this week; snow and freezing rain have swept across northern Europe. This is all less than ideal for electric vehicles, which historically have not loved the cold. A handful of Chicago Tesla Supercharger stations made headlines… Continue reading How the Mighty Heat Pump Is Helping (but Not Solving) EVs’ Cold Weather Problem
Apple Shares the Secret of Why the 40-Year-Old Mac Still Rules
On January 24, Apple’s Macintosh computer turns 40. Normally that number is an inexorable milestone of middle age. Indeed, in the last reported sales year, Macintosh sales dipped below $30 billion, more than a 25 percent drop from the previous year’s $40 billion. But unlike an aging person, Macs now are slimmer, faster, and last… Continue reading Apple Shares the Secret of Why the 40-Year-Old Mac Still Rules
The One Part of Apple Vision Pro That Apple Doesn’t Want You to See
Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal. Courtesy of Joanna Stern If Vision Pro is mostly meant to be used from a couch cushion or desk chair, the external battery pack may not factor in as much. As I pointed out last spring, it’s an unusual choice for a consumer tech company that has, over… Continue reading The One Part of Apple Vision Pro That Apple Doesn’t Want You to See
Cable Firms to FTC: We Shouldn’t Have to Let Users Cancel Service With a Click
Lobbyists for cable companies and advertisers yesterday expressed their displeasure with a proposed “click-to-cancel” regulation that aims to make it easier for consumers to cancel services. Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan has said that changes are needed because “some businesses too often trick consumers into paying for subscriptions they no longer want or didn’t… Continue reading Cable Firms to FTC: We Shouldn’t Have to Let Users Cancel Service With a Click
ChatGPT’s Hunger for Energy Could Trigger a GPU Revolution
The cost of making further progress in artificial intelligence is becoming as startling as a hallucination by ChatGPT. Demand for the graphics chips known as GPUs needed for large-scale AI training has driven prices of the crucial components through the roof. OpenAI has said that training the algorithm that now powers ChatGPT cost the firm… Continue reading ChatGPT’s Hunger for Energy Could Trigger a GPU Revolution