Defense

The Verge’s Kara Verlaney on copy editing and its tools

You may come across the occasional writer who will claim (wrongly) that they don’t need an editor, but you will seldom, if ever, meet a writer or editor who will say they don’t need a copy editor. The role of a copy editor is often misunderstood or underestimated by those not in the business. Kara… Read more

Former NASA chief Jim Bridenstine joins satellite internet firm Viasat’s board

Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine is joining space-based broadband firm Viasat’s board of directors as his latest post-NASA gig, after joining a space-focused private equity firm in January. Wading into the world of satellite internet, he says he’s concerned about the digital divide and the future of humanity, and he wants to try something new…. Read more

Grassroots online efforts are forming a new queer network of care

Almost exactly one year ago, Theo Hendrie thought he might have to drop out of school. His partner had lost his job, and they were struggling to pay bills and make ends meet. He worried that X Marks The Spot, his newly released anthology, might be the only creative project that he’d ever be able… Read more

EU aims to double chip manufacturing amid growing fears about ‘digital sovereignty’

The European Union wants to double its chip manufacturing output to 20 percent of the global market by 2030. The goal is part of its new Digital Compass plan, announced yesterday, which aims to boost “digital sovereignty” by funding various high-tech initiatives. As well as doubling chip output, the EU also wants all households to… Read more

PNY XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB DDR4-3200 C16 2x8GB Review: The Safe Bet

Our Verdict PNY’s XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB DDR4-3200 C16 memory kit is a good partner for contemporary AMD and Intel processors that natively support DDR4-3200 memory. For Acceptable performance RGB lighting doesn’t require proprietary software Against Too expensive Limited overclocking potential Nowadays, it feels like the norm that every computer hardware company has a dedicated… Read more

A Silicon Valley school is using virtual escape rooms to evaluate prospective students

Applying to an elite middle school sounds like a stressful experience, and I’m sure COVID-19 doesn’t help. With things like open houses, campus tours, and in-person interviews off the table, applicants have fewer chances to experience their prospective schools — and admissions offices have fewer chances to meet their prospective students. One San Jose private… Read more

Nikola stops work on electric watercraft and ATV projects

Zero-emission trucking company Nikola has shuttered its so-called Powersports division and is pausing work on an electric personal watercraft and off-road vehicle first announced in April 2019. Nikola stopped work on the projects as part of a larger push to focus on getting its first hydrogen-powered truck out the door, following a number of stumbles… Read more

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin delays New Glenn debut to late 2022

Blue Origin is delaying the debut launch of its massive, centerpiece rocket New Glenn to late 2022, the company announced Thursday, citing a key Pentagon contract it lost out on to rival firms SpaceX and United Launch Alliance as the reason for the delay. New Glenn is a massive, partially reusable heavy-lift rocket designed to… Read more

USPS unveils next-generation mail truck with electric drivetrain option

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has revealed its new mail truck after a years-long competition. The new truck will be built by Wisconsin-based defense contractor Oshkosh and can be fitted with both gasoline and electric drivetrains. But it won’t hit the road until 2023. Oshkosh winning the contract is a potentially major blow to… Read more

Russia’s Elbrus Development: A Homebrew SSD Controller

Home News (Image credit: Kraftway) Russia’s MCST Elbrus microprocessors made a splash last year, but it takes a lot mot than a microprocessor to develop a completely self-sufficient computing platform. Among other things such nationally-oriented platforms need is a proprietary SSD controller, and apparently server maker Kraftway has developed one and demonstrated it at a… Read more

US announces charges against North Korean hackers for sweeping hacking scheme

The Justice Department unsealed charges Wednesday for three North Korean computer programmers accused of conspiring to extort over $1.3 billion from banks and other businesses across the globe, as first reported by The Washington Post. In 2018, the Justice Department brought charges against one North Korean operative, Park Jin Hyok, for their involvement in the… Read more

PS5 Scalpers Explain How They Can Sleep at Night

Home News (Image credit: Shutterstock) Playstation 5 scalpers are mad that people don’t like them, according to recent interviews they had with Forbes writer Janhoi McGregor, and it’s hilarious. The writer recently spoke to several British scalpers who were trying to recover their public image, probably in light of recent efforts from UK legislators to… Read more

Instagram bans prominent anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy, but Facebook page remains active

Facebook-owned Instagram has permanently banned Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a prominent anti-vaccine activist who had over 800,000 followers on the platform, The Wall Street Journal reports. A spokesperson for the service said his account was removed “for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines.” His account on Facebook, however, is still live, with… Read more

The original Barcode Scanner app, seemingly mistaken for malware, is getting review-bombed

One of the first Android apps — ZXing Team’s Barcode Scanner, an app that predates the first official release of Android itself — is currently getting review-bombed on the Google Play Store. Hundreds of users are leaving 1-star reviews claiming a recent update spews unwanted ads, while nearly 200 more have come to the app’s… Read more

Baltimore’s spy planes will fly no more

Baltimore, Maryland city officials have unanimously voted to end the city police department’s spy plane surveillance program, according to The Baltimore Sun (via Vice). Sorry, wait, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) had a spy plane program? Yes, and it was called AIR, which stands for Aerial Investigation Research. The program was run by a company… Read more