Reveal

There’s a hidden message in the parachute of NASA’s Mars rover

The parachute that helped NASA’s Perseverance rover land on Mars last week unfurled to reveal a seemingly random pattern of colors in video clips of the rover’s landing. But there was more to the story: NASA officials later said it contained a hidden message written in binary computer code. Internet sleuths cracked the message within… Read more

Gran Turismo 7 release date pushed back to 2022

The next entry in Polyphony Digital’s long-running Gran Turismo franchise has been delayed to 2022, GQ reports. In a statement, Sony said Gran Turismo 7 has been impacted by “COVID-related production challenges,” which means its planned 2021 release date has been shifted to 2022. “With the ongoing pandemic, it’s a dynamic and changing situation and… Read more

After firing a top AI ethicist, Google is changing its diversity and research policies

Google is changing its policies related to research and diversity after completing an internal investigation into the firing of ethical AI team co-leader Timnit Gebru, according to Axios. The company intends to tie the pay of certain executives to diversity and inclusivity goals. It’s also making changes to how sensitive employee exits are managed. Although… Read more

Apple Drags Valve Into Epic Games Dispute Over App Store Policies

Home News (Image credit: Shutterstock) How much information should a legal conflict between Apple and Epic Games reveal about Steam? Apple seems to think the answer is “a lot,” according to a report from PCGamer, but Valve maintains that its platform isn’t directly related to the dispute. The companies made their positions clear in a… Read more

Puss is a seemingly simple puzzle game except for the psychedelic cats

Puss might be the strangest video game I’ve ever played. In Puss, you play as a small pixelated cat head navigating short mazes. The mazes are often filled with obstacles and bullets impeding your route to the end, and if you touch a wall for too long, you’ll get zapped and lose a life. That’s… Read more

Splatoon 3 is coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2022

Nintendo ended its Direct live stream on Wednesday with a surprise announcement of Splatoon 3. Very little about the game was shown in the introduction trailer beyond customization options for a player’s inkling and what at first glance appears to be a more narrative-focused approach, showing the inkling traveling by train from a desert location… Read more

Sonos wireless headphones: final design revealed in patent filing?

Home News (Image credit: German Patent and Trademark Office) We first caught wind of the rumoured Sonos headphones headphones back in September, but a new patent filing appears to show off their final design (via (TheVerge). The new sketch doesn’t go into a whole lot of detail, but it does reveal a sleeker look courtesy… Read more

Samsung’s Chip Fabs in Texas Ordered to Shut Down Due to Power Shortage

Home News (Image credit: Samsung) In a development that certainly isn’t going to help the ongoing global chip shortage, according to a report from the Austin-American Statesman, Samsung has been ordered to completely shut down its fabs in Austin, Texas, due to power shortages in the state. The unprecedented move also impacts NXP Semiconductors and… Read more

Fortnite is hosting a film festival on the party royale island

Fortnite’s violence-free mode, party royale, will soon be the home of a short film festival. Today, developer Epic announced “Short Nite,” which will feature multiple animated shorts, all broadcast on the virtual island’s big screen. The event will start on February 20th at 2PM ET, and Epic says the entire run will last around 30… Read more

Google Pixel 6: rumours, leaks, specs and all of the news

Home Advice (Image credit: Google) Google’s Pixel handsets are some of the best smartphones money can buy. And unlike most of their rivals, they don’t come with crazy price tags. The most recent in the range, the Pixel 5, costs just £599 ($699, AU$999), which is very good value for such a well-specced handset. The… Read more

Nvidia Finally Confirms (Some) RTX 3060 Specs

Home News (Image credit: Shutterstock) Nvidia has taken its time revealing the RTX 3060’s specs, but it’s finally updated its website with additional information about the latest 30-series graphics card, just a little over a week before it’s supposed to reach consumers. (At least in theory.) The drip-drip-drip of information regarding the RTX 3060 has… Read more

Go read this New York Times report on SlateStarCodex and Silicon Valley tech leaders

Last year, the pseudonymous writer behind the SlateStarCodex blog abruptly shut it down, claiming a forthcoming story from The New York Times was going to reveal his real name and potentially put him in danger. Reporter Cade Metz says he was able to easily find the blogger’s real name —Scott Siskind— online. After a farewell… Read more

Chrome for iOS will soon keep incognito tabs even more secret with Face ID

Google is testing a new privacy feature to its Chrome browser for iOS that can lock incognito tabs behind Face ID. Apple’s facial recognition system is used to secure an iPhone or iPad, but many apps have their own Face ID support for extra security. Google has started testing securing incognito tabs behind Face ID… Read more

Burmester announces “several” new core hi-fi and Reference Line products for 2021

Home News (Image credit: Burmester) To commemorate Burmester’s late founder, Dieter Burmester, who would have turned 75 yesterday, Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH is announcing several new products to be released in 2021. What’s new on the menu? Plenty, actually. Burmester is promising a slew of “new products such as music centres, power amplifiers, and a new… Read more

Turn Your Raspberry Pi Into a Motorola Droid-like Handheld PC

Home News (Image credit: Rahmanshaber) Do you miss phones with slide-out keyboards? Can you pretend you miss them long enough to hear about a cool Raspberry Pi project? Ok, great, because there’s a new open-source handheld computer project that basically turns your Raspberry Pi (or similar board like the Pine H64 Model B or the… Read more