Новости за 13.07.2017

How did we get here? And by “here,” I don’t mean “Barb from Stranger Things nominated for an Emmy” or “another bad haircut for me,” because I know the answers to the questions in both of those cases. I mean to the point where the “How do you do, fellow kids?” meme has maintained an inexplicable popularity for so long as to achieve the rare double-meta (memes are already meta) status, a height from which it is capable of breaking my brain.

Sony’s latest 4K, HDR-equipped TVs, those powered by Google’s Android TV software, will soon be compatible with some Amazon Echo devices, Sony announced today. The feature should roll out as part of a firmware update sometime this month, and it will give users of the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot devices the ability to turn Sony TVs on and off, adjust the channel and volume, change inputs, and control minor playback features for DVR and streaming services.

Like a phoenix from the ashes, Samsung’s ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 has emerged from the fires of its battery woes reborn as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition, a refurbished Note 7 that, hopefully, won’t explode. Samsung announced that it’d be using some original Galaxy Note 7 parts in the Fan Edition back when it was first announced, but it was unclear what that balance would be between old and new parts.

The cub of the Jaguar family aims to repeat the success of the F-Pace at a smaller size and price

Radiohead recently included a special Easter egg in the remastered 20th anniversary edition of their album OK Computer, but you can only uncover it with the help of a British 8-bit ZX Spectrum computer, or at least an emulator of one.

This year’s Emmy nominations are out, and one thing is abundantly clear: Netflix is now an entertainment powerhouse, close on the heels of HBO. The company nabbed a record 93 nominations for its original streaming content, nearly double what it earned last year, and just 17 shy of HBO’s eye-popping 110. While House of Cards has arguably overstayed its welcome on the awards show circuit, Netflix has nonetheless used that program and many others — including The Crown, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt... Читать дальше...

The BlackBerry KeyOne — the company’s latest attempt to return to the good old days of hardware keyboards — has been available to purchase in the US since May 31st unlocked for $549.

At CE Week 2017, Jabra debuted the next iteration of its Elite Sport earbuds. Launched last year, the Elite Sport are Jabra’s first truly wireless earbuds, and they now come with a few upgrades — most notably in battery life.

Good news for people who hate practicing scales: scientists have created a musical instrument you can play with just your thoughts.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that the Chinese government would be requiring internet provides to block users’ access to personal VPNs. However, a new report published today in the state-run news site The Paper (spotted by Engadget) seems to contradict that report.

A couple of years ago, I read a book that examined the changing nature of war that’s stuck with me. The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order by former soldier and contractor Sean McFate examines the rise of the Private Military Companies (PMCs) that offer security services to governments, companies, and private citizens around the world. He outlines that they represent a fundamental change in the conduct of war, and draws parallels between the Middle Ages — before... Читать дальше...

Windows 10 S is Microsoft’s newest version of its Windows operating system. It’s designed for students, and it’s meant to take on Google’s Chromebook and Chrome OS ecosystem. What that means in practical terms is that 10 S is a more locked-down version of Windows, with users limited to only being able to install Windows Store applications. The flip side is that by requiring applications to only come from the Windows Store, Microsoft can do a whole lot more to ensure that Windows 10 S is a fast, secure operating system. Читать дальше...

The Manimals, a glam rock / punk band from Brooklyn that recorded a Game of Thrones-themed concept album last year called SEVEN, just released its first official music video. It’s a fun time, and I recommend it to anyone who’s trying to get hyped about Arya Stark as their first-round Game of Thrones fantasy league pick.

The rivalry between HBO and Netflix will be on full display at the 69th annual Emmy awards. Veep star Anna Chlumsky and S.W.A.T.’s Shemar Moore were on hand with Television Academy Chairman and CEO Hayma Washington to host today’s nomination presentation, which covers TV shows, limited series, and movies aired between June 1st, 2016 and May 31st, 2017. Stephen Colbert, who’s already a nine-time Emmy winner, will host the awards on ABC on September 17th at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater, meaning... Читать дальше...

Groupon isn’t exactly the place you’d expect to find a flagship smartphone, but the deals site has a pretty staggering discount on Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and S8+. The unlocked US models (which support all major networks) are available for $150 off in both sizes. That brings the S8 down to $574.99 and the S8+ to just $674.99. There’s no fine print and you don’t have to trade in your phone. Those are just the prices. And they’re very, very good prices — the best I’ve seen if you missed out on Samsung’s guaranteed $200 off trade-in offer. Читать дальше...

France, the birthplace of vaccine pioneer Louis Pasteur, has a major problem with vaccines. Skepticism around the safety of vaccines has soared in the country, fueled by growing distrust in public health institutions and the pharmaceutical industry. French authorities hope that a new law will change that.

Destiny 2 is going to be the first non-Blizzard game to use Battle.net for online services on PC, and you can now link your Bungie account to your Blizzard one — which is timely, given that the Destiny 2 beta is set to hit consoles next week and PCs in August.

Microsoft has been beta testing custom gamerpics for Xbox Live since March, and it’s now rolling out the feature to everyone on the gaming service. You can now set custom images on Clubs, Gamerpics, and even Club backgrounds, all through Windows 10, an Xbox console, or the Xbox apps for iOS and Android.

If you live in an earthquake danger zone you’re probably already familiar with what to expect and how to keep safe. But if you want to ramp up your earthquake preparedness (or if you’re an amateur seismologist on a budget) this add-on for the Raspberry Pi could be perfect for you. An update to last year’s Raspberry Shake, the new Raspberry Shake 4D — now raising funds on Kickstarter — adds more sensors for extra sensitivity.

An Airbnb host has been fined $5,000 for racial discrimination and will have to take a course in Asian-American studies after canceling a woman’s reservation because of her ethnicity, reports The Guardian. It’s the first time an Airbnb host has been penalized after California regulators passed an agreement that allows officials to test Airbnb hosts for racial discrimination earlier this year.

Apple is building a new data center in China in order to comply with new cybersecurity laws passed last year that, among other restrictions, require companies to store data for Chinese users on servers located in China, via The Wall Street Journal.

AMD announced its high-end, multi-core Threadripper processors back in May, and today the company is finally giving some solid details as to what we can expect from the new chips, along with pricing and release information.

Logitech is making it much easier to operate your Harmony-controlled smart home with Alexa. The company has announced its Alexa skill now comes with simplified commands, which will allow users to say things like “Alexa, turn on the TV” instead of “Alexa, ask Harmony to turn on the TV.”

Most economist agree that advances in robotics and AI over the next few decades are likely to lead to significant job losses. But what’s less often considered is how these changes could also 90 impact social mobility. A new report from UK charity Sutton Trust explains the danger, noting that unless governments take action, the next wave of automation will dramatically increase inequality within societies, further entrenching the divide between rich and poor.

When Boyan Slat was 16, he went diving in Greece, and was shocked to see more plastic bags than fish. Seven years later, he’s raised more than $30 million to get rid of ocean plastic. Two-thirds of donations in the last few months came from Silicon Valley — including Peter Thiel, who granted Slat his prize for entrepreneurial college dropouts. What started as a high school science project is now a multimillion-dollar effort to launch what Slat promises will be “the largest cleanup in history,” as early as next year. Читать дальше...