Day: June 3, 2021
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Astrophysicist says researchers are developing possible ways to deflect asteroids away from Earth
National Science Foundation astrophysicist Joe Pesce said Thursday that with several asteroids being detected near Earth, researchers are looking at developing ways to deflect “potentially hazardous objects.” Pesce discussed the possibilities…
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Climate tech is about to fly commercial
Hiring private contractors to sample greenhouse gases from the air is an important aspect of NOAA’s climate research. Here, Paolo Wilczak pilots a sampling flight over southeastern Connecticut on April 25, 2020, as part of the East Coast Outflow field mission. The Global Monitoring Laboratory hopes to add civilian airliners to its sampling fleet. | […]
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Joe Biden signs order banning US investment in Chinese surveillance companies
Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images President Joe Biden signed an executive order Thursday expanding a Trump-era ban on Americans investing in Chinese companies with purported ties to China’s military. The order increases the number of restricted Chinese companies from 48 to 59. It also rewrites a previous order issued by former President Donald Trump to […]
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Apple is updating AirTags to make them less creepy
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Apple is distributing an AirTags software update that makes it harder for people to use them for surreptitious tracking, CNET reports. According to a statement sent to The Verge, Apple is also working on an app for Android users which will let them detect potentially unwanted trackers. AirTags […]
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Facebook to end special treatment for politicians after Trump ban
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook plans to end its controversial policy that mostly shields politicians from the content moderation rules that apply to other users, a sharp reversal that could have global ramifications for how elected officials use the social network. The change, which Facebook is set to announce as soon as […]
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Google confirms diversity exec no longer in role after problematic post
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge One of Google’s top executives in diversity strategy and research has left his post after a 2007 blog post slamming the state of Israel resurfaced on June 1st. In the post, Kamau Bobb used antisemitic language, insinuating Jews have an “insatiable appetite for war and killing.” The post […]
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Biden administration makes $1 billion in grants available for broadband on tribal lands
Illustration by Grayson Blackmon / The Verge The Biden administration will make $1 billion in grants available to expand broadband access and adoption on tribal lands, Vice President Kamala Harris announced at the White House Thursday. The funds, from the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), will be made to eligible Native American, […]
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Paramount Plus will launch its cheaper $5 plan next week
The Paramount Plus logo. | Paramount Plus Paramount Plus is set to introduce a new ad-supported plan on Monday that will cost just $5 per month — half the price of its more premium plan. The primary difference between what the service is calling its “essential” plan and the more expensive commercial-free plan — besides […]
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Nanoleaf’s light-up wall panels now look like wood accent pieces
Nanoleaf Elements accent lights | Image: Nanoleaf Nanoleaf, the company best known for illuminated panels that you stick to your wall, has announced the new Nanoleaf Elements line, a set of wall panels that are designed to look as nice turned off as they do when on. The new Elements line accomplishes this through a […]
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Ford delays Mustang Mach-E deliveries in the UK due to ‘safety risk’
Photo by Sean O’Kane / The Verge Deliveries of Ford’s first long-range electric vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E, in the United Kingdom are on hold after a “safety risk” was discovered, The Verge has learned. It’s the latest delivery snafu to hit the automaker’s much-hyped electric SUV, after US customers experienced similar delays earlier this year. […]