The Verge - Tech Posts |
- The Taliban may have seized biometric data that can ID US allies in Afghanistan
- Apple’s been playing it too MagSafe
- How to turn off unwanted ‘memories’ in Apple Photos, Google Photos, and Facebook
- Waymo is building a hub for its autonomous trucks in Texas
- Apple’s attempt at podcast subscriptions is off to a messy start
- Pinterest is adding search filters for different hair textures
- Water shortages loom over future semiconductor fabs in Arizona
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ latest trailer shows off big changes for battles
- T-Mobile data breach exposed the personal info of more than 47 million people
- Galaxy Watch 4 review: welcome to Samsung’s garden
| The Taliban may have seized biometric data that can ID US allies in Afghanistan Posted: 18 Aug 2021 11:16 AM PDT  The US military created a vast database of biometric data — one report suggests it had a goal of 25 million entries — as part of its effort to track terrorists in Afghanistan. Now that the US has withdrawn from the country, reports from The Intercept and Reuters suggest the Taliban could potentially use it to target allies left behind. As The Intercept notes, the collection of biometric data was primarily billed as a military project, but Afghan civilians who worked for US embassies and the broader coalition government were reportedly also included in the database. The biometric information that could be on file for those people varies: the Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment (HIIDE) used by the military collects...  |
| Apple’s been playing it too MagSafe Posted: 18 Aug 2021 10:03 AM PDT  It's been almost a year since Apple first debuted the iPhone 12 lineup, and introduced its MagSafe accessory system. So where are all the MagSafe chargers? Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of accessory developers making cases, wallets, car mounts, desk stands, and even magnetic Qi chargers and battery packs that work with MagSafe — but almost no actual MagSafe accessories. And that's a big difference because of how Apple has designed the MagSafe standard. Anyone can wirelessly charge an iPhone 12 device using a Qi charger at Apple's standard rate of 7.5W. Magnets, being a physical phenomenon, are even more universal, meaning that device manufacturers can easily stick an iPhone 12 and a Qi charger together. (Many already have.)  |
| How to turn off unwanted ‘memories’ in Apple Photos, Google Photos, and Facebook Posted: 18 Aug 2021 09:55 AM PDT  The memory machines that Apple, Facebook, and Google have built to remind us of our favorite moments can, like any algorithmic creation, serve up subpar output. Instead of evoking recollections of those times we felt like we were living our best lives, they can invoke the low points of our existence — a miserable job, a rotten commute, a bad breakup, or the death of a loved one. Apple Photos, Facebook, and Google Photos provide tools to manage what their "memories" features can push out to you. But these settings to control what pictures and posts get algorithmically bubbled up to your screen aren't always easy to find — even, in some situations, after these apps have presented a gut-punch of a reminder. Here's how to control, at least...  |
| Waymo is building a hub for its autonomous trucks in Texas Posted: 18 Aug 2021 09:05 AM PDT  Waymo announced plans to build a hub for its autonomous semi-trailer trucks on a nine-acre site near Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. The Alphabet-owned company also said it is partnering with rental truck company Ryder on fleet management as it looks to grow the delivery and logistics portion of its business. The hub in South Dallas will be Waymo's "primary operations center" in the state for its fleet of autonomous trucks. The hub will be built to accommodate "hundreds of trucks and personnel" as the company gets closer to launching a full-scale freight-hauling operation using its fully autonomous vehicles — though Waymo has yet to say exactly when that will be. Currently, Waymo is testing the fifth generation of...  |
| Apple’s attempt at podcast subscriptions is off to a messy start Posted: 18 Aug 2021 08:56 AM PDT |
| Pinterest is adding search filters for different hair textures Posted: 18 Aug 2021 08:02 AM PDT Pinterest is launching a search tool to help people narrow their hair inspiration searches by hair pattern. When users search for hairstyles, new filter options — for coily, curly, wavy, and straight textures, as well as shaved / bald and protective styles — will appear under the search bar. The filters should be particularly useful for people of color looking for styles tailored to their hair textures, and Pinterest says they were created with Black, brown, and Latinx people in mind. "Just the simple idea that I don't have to work twice as hard to find a hairstyle because of my hair type is a game changer," says Naeemah LaFond, an editorial hair stylist and global artistic director of the Amika hair care brand, who advised Pinterest...  |
| Water shortages loom over future semiconductor fabs in Arizona Posted: 18 Aug 2021 07:48 AM PDT  Major semiconductor manufacturers looking to expand in Arizona will likely be spared from water cuts induced by an unprecedented water shortage in the Southwest, at least for now. As part of the scramble to end a shortage of another kind — the global dearth in semiconductor chips — both Intel and TSMC plan to open new facilities in Arizona. But they're setting up shop just as one of the worst droughts in decades grows worse across the Western US. Federal authorities officially declared a shortage on the Colorado River for the first time ever this week, which will trigger water cuts in several states and Mexico starting January 1st, 2022. The shortage is at the Hoover Dam's Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US and a huge source of...  |
| Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ latest trailer shows off big changes for battles Posted: 18 Aug 2021 07:37 AM PDT  Nintendo announced a ton of new information for the hotly anticipated Pokémon Legends: Arceus during today's Pokémon Presents showcase. In addition to covering a new battle system, new regional pokémon, and the new skills trainers will need to catch 'em all, Nintendo also released a brand-new, beautiful trailer. Pokémon Legend: Arceus takes place in the Hisui region — a natural paradise filled with different ecosystems and stuffed all kinds of regional pokémon. Your goal is to help the Galaxy Expedition Team study and catalog the pokémon of the region by compiling the very first Pokédex. Nintendo offered a glimpse into Pokémon Legends: Arceus' battle system, which combines classic pokémon gameplay with a couple of new twists. One new...  |
| T-Mobile data breach exposed the personal info of more than 47 million people Posted: 18 Aug 2021 07:37 AM PDT  T-Mobile has released more information about its most recent data breach, and while the company's findings fall short of the reported 100 million records, the numbers are staggering. While saying its investigation is still ongoing, the company confirmed that records of over 40 million "former or prospective customers" who had previously applied for credit and 7.8 million postpaid customers (those who currently have a contract) were stolen. In its last earnings report (PDF), T-Mobile said it had over 104 million customers. The data in the stolen files contained critical personal information included first and last names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and driver's license / ID numbers — the kind of information you could use to...  |
| Galaxy Watch 4 review: welcome to Samsung’s garden Posted: 18 Aug 2021 07:30 AM PDT |
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