Urban

Facebook’s ad delivery system still has gender bias, new study finds

An audit by researchers at the University of Southern California found that Facebook’s ad delivery system discriminates against women, showing them different ads than it shows to men and excluding women from seeing some ads. “Facebook’s ad delivery can result in skew of job ad delivery by gender beyond what can be legally justified by… Read more

The French army is testing Boston Dynamics’ robot dog Spot in combat scenarios

Spot, the quadruped robot built by US firm Boston Dynamics, has appeared alongside soldiers during military exercises carried out by the French army. The robot was apparently being used for reconnaissance during a two-day training exercise, but the deployment raises questions about how and where Boston Dynamics’ machines will be used in future. Pictures of… Read more

Wisk Aero accuses rival flying taxi firm Archer Aviation of ‘brazen theft’ in a new lawsuit

Wisk Aero, a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk, is suing rival air taxi firm Archer Aviation for allegedly stealing its trade secrets and infringing on its patents. Wisk is seeking unspecified monetary damages and an injunction against Archer to prevent it from using the allegedly stolen technology. In response, Archer says it has… Read more

Gocycle’s folding G4 e-bikes promise more power and less noise

Gocycle, the maker of some of the most eye-catching and adaptable electric bikes on the planet, is back with its fourth-generation e-bike. The G4 series brings a new motor, better tires, lighter carbon-fiber components, and more to improve upon what’s already one of our favorite e-bikes. But before you get too excited, know that the… Read more

Codename: Urban Legends is a taste of what Niantic thinks 5G could do for AR gaming

Pokémon Go developer Niantic has unveiled Codename: Urban Legends, which it describes as “a multiplayer demo experience that offers a glimpse into the future of AR and 5G networks.” The game revolves around casting magic spells to kill monsters and rescue allies. It’s similar to Niantic’s previously released games, but the trailer includes a unique… Read more

DS 3 Crossback E-Tense review: Electric with a touch of flair

(Pocket-lint) – The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense name might be something of a mouthful, but hidden behind the nomenclature is a nice compact hatchback, boosted to give it crossover appeal, while retaining the charms of the regular DS 3. The E-Tense is the first fully electric car from DS Automobiles, arriving in full DS style,… Read more

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M

Our Verdict Cambridge’s top-of-the-line DAC is a well-armed, high-performing all-rounder For Smooth, clean, insightful sound Generous connectivity Native MQA support Against No remote control Tough competition Cambridge Audio’s flagship DacMagic 200M is the DAC equivalent of an all-inclusive holiday that not only offers flights, meals and accommodation but also throws in room upgrades, free excursions… Read more

Waymo is disclosing more autonomous vehicle data for research purposes

Waymo is publicizing more data from its autonomous vehicles, which it says is for the benefit of the research community. Building on the trove of data it released in 2019, the Alphabet company is calling this latest batch “the largest interactive dataset yet released for research into behavior prediction and motion forecasting for autonomous driving.”… Read more

Spice up your daily pandemic walk with these apps

Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge As you may have heard one or two times, we’re now roughly a year into COVID and pandemic lockdown life. To fill the void in our lives that was once occupied by social gatherings, visiting family, and breathing indoor air freely, many of us have turned to new hobbies… Read more

Six Days in Fallujah publisher now says the game is ‘inseparable from politics’

Nearly a month after distancing itself from political statements, the publisher of the controversial military shooter Six Days in Fallujah has backtracked and now says the events in the game are “inseparable from politics.” The game, which takes place during the Iraq War’s Second Battle of Fallujah, has come under scrutiny for seemingly portraying a… Read more

Senators call on FCC to quadruple base high-speed internet speeds

The federal government’s definition of high-speed broadband has remained stagnant over the last six years, sitting at 25Mbps down and 3Mbps up since 2015. But faced with pandemic-fueled network loads and a new push for infrastructure spending, lawmakers are getting ready to upgrade that definition. In a letter to government leaders Thursday, a bipartisan group… Read more

Elon Musk says Starlink internet speeds will double to 300 Mbps this year

Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite-based internet provider, will double in speed “later this year”, according to a tweet by Elon Musk, posted as a reply to someone who had just received their Starlink beta kit (via CNET). The company currently promises speeds between 50 to 150 Mbps, and Musk specifically calls out a 300 Mbps goal in… Read more

Furosystems Aventa e-bike review: ice breaker

Ease your way into the joys of commuting by electric bike Aventa is a new electric bike with a secret: its battery is removable despite the clean design. London-based Furosystems just launched the Aventa series of pedal-assist e-bikes into the European market. A more powerful US model is planned for later this year, or early… Read more

Revel introduces a $99-a-month e-bike subscription for NYC residents

Electric moped rental company Revel is expanding its product lineup to include monthly e-bike subscriptions for residents of New York City. It’s the latest company to try to capitalize on the e-bike boom by shifting to a Netflix or Spotify subscription model for transportation. For $99 a month, interested customers can get a stylish electric… Read more

How to score a COVID-19 vaccine appointment

One of the most frustrating tasks for many of us these days is finding how and where to get an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination. It can be a real exercise in exasperation: the websites are often difficult to navigate and prone to frequent crashes; in addition, after finding an open appointment slot and filling… Read more