It

HBO Max has been busted for days

If you’ve attempted to stream something on HBO Max from an Apple TV sometime during the last several days, you may have noticed that its player controls are unusable. It’s not just you. Ongoing issues seem to be related to an app update that supposedly addressed “a few bugs lurking around” on June 5th. Since… Read more

Will Apple end the newsletter boom?

Today, let’s talk about one of Apple’s many announcements this week at its Worldwide Developer Conference, which some see as a possible threat to the rise of journalism distributed by email. If that sounds self-indulgent, given that it’s coming from a journalist who distributes his work via email, I apologize. But it touches on so… Read more

Senate approves billions for US semiconductor manufacturing

After months of political jockeying and procedural hurdles, the Senate approved a massive science and technology bill Tuesday to boost US competitiveness with China. The bill invests billions into emerging technology industries like artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum computing in the US. The bill — titled the US Innovation and Competition Act or USICA —… Read more

Apple brought back the beloved magnifying glass for selecting text in iOS 15

Apple’s text selection magnifying glass has reappeared in the iOS 15 beta, and Apple’s own site confirms its return by listing it as a feature. Bringing the feature back is a reversal from when Apple made the decision to dump it in iOS 13, which is a bit of a rare occurrence: Apple doesn’t usually… Read more

The IRS wants more authority to collect data on cryptocurrencies

The Internal Revenue Service asked Congress for more authority to request reporting on the transactions of cryptocurrency exchanges and brokers on Tuesday, Bloomberg reports. The IRS hopes to use the data it collects to develop regulations for the fast-growing crypto industry — if it’s able to get the space’s biggest players to comply. The organization… Read more

The US wants to fix its broken lithium battery supply chain

The US announced plans to build out a domestic supply chain for lithium batteries, which are critical for electric vehicles and renewable energy. Its new goal is to be able to do nearly everything — from mining to manufacturing and recycling batteries — within its borders by the end of the decade. If it fails,… Read more

Google’s password-protected photos feature is arriving on newer Pixels

Google’s Locked Folder feature, which allows you to password-protect specific images or videos to keep them from showing up in your main photo library, is available in the latest Pixel update, according to 9to5Google. Google’s page explaining Locked Folder says the feature is only currently available on Pixel devices, starting with the 3. When it… Read more

How to use Screen Time to keep your iPhone use within healthy limits

We all spend a lot of time on our phones, and it’s possible — just possible — that some of us spend too much time. In 2018, we ran an article explaining how to use what was then Apple’s brand-new Screen Time feature, which was built in order to help people keep their on-screen time… Read more

Nvidia Increases Market Share as GPU Sales Explode: JPR

Home News (Image credit: AMD) According to IDC, PC sales in the first quarter were up 55% year-over-year, and since the demand for personal computers is growing, component sales in Q1 2021 were high, too. Jon Peddie Research reports that shipments of integrated and standalone graphics processing units (GPUs) for PCs increased 38.74% year-over-year in the… Read more

Intel Expands List of Thunderbolt 4-Compatible Chips Due to Shortages

Home News (Image credit: Intel) Sometimes small chips cause major problems. According to a report from Igor’sLab, Intel recently had to allow its partners to use previously uncertified USB Type-C and Power Delivery controllers from Texas Instruments with its latest Tiger Lake platforms, as well as previously-uncertified discrete Thunderbolt 4 JHL8440/JHL8540 ‘Maple Ridge’ controllers. Every personal… Read more

Sony WF-1000XM4

Our Verdict You won’t find many true wireless earbuds that come close to matching the all-round brilliance of the Sony WF-1000XM4 For Clear, detailed bass performance Wonderful sense of musicality Comfortable Class-leading battery life Against Missing Sony’s Multipoint feature Lacking ear tip choices No aptX HD How do you improve on arguably the best all-round… Read more

CORSAIR Hydro X Series XG7 RGB 30-Series Reference GPU Water Block Review

Introduction The first of our latest GPU water block reviews went up as a two-parter covering both the EK-Quantum Vector GPU block with the regular backplate and new-to-this-generation EK-Quantum Vector Active Backplate. Today, we take a look at the CORSAIR offering, which is part of the company’s Hydro X series of products that have massively… Read more

The FBI secretly launched an encrypted messaging system for criminals

An encrypted phone service called Anom was secretly run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a yearslong international sting operation. Law enforcement agencies across Europe, the US, and Oceania revealed Anom’s origins earlier today, saying they had arrested 800 criminal suspects based on intercepted communications. According to public statements, the FBI and other agencies… Read more

Netflix’s live-action take on Cowboy Bebop is coming this fall

Netflix has announced that the long-awaited live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop will premiere this fall. The science fiction, noir, and Western-infused bounty hunting series will also feature new music from the anime’s original composer, Yoko Kanno. There was, unfortunately, no trailer alongside Netflix’s announcement, but it did reintroduce a few of the cast members, who… Read more

Instagram chief explains how the service decides what you see

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri shed some light on how the social network decides what you see in a new blog post published on Tuesday. The explanation seems to be meant at least in part to combat persistent rumors that Instagram intentionally hides or disfavors certain posts, which Instagram says isn’t exactly true. The short answer… Read more