Canada’s 84-year radio time check has stopped because of accuracy concerns

Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Canada’s 84-year radio time check has stopped because of accuracy concerns

Elon Musk’s X fined $380K over “serious” child safety concerns, watchdog says

Elon Musk’s X fined $380K over “serious” child safety concerns, watchdog says

Enlarge (credit: Chesnot / Contributor | Getty Images Europe)

Today, X (formerly known as Twitter) became the first platform fined under Australia’s Online Safety Act. The fine comes after X failed to respond to more than a dozen key questions from Australia eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who was seeking clarity on how effectively X detects and mitigates harms of child exploitation and grooming on the platform.

In a press release, Inman Grant said that X was given 28 days to either appeal the decision or pay the approximately $380,000 fine. While the fine seems small, the reputational ding could further hurt X’s chances of persuading advertisers to increase spending on the platform, Reuters suggested. And any failure to comply or respond could trigger even more fines—with X potentially on the hook for as much as $493,402 daily for alleged non-compliance dating back to March 2023, The Guardian reported. That could quickly add up to tens of millions if X misses the Australian regulator’s deadline.

“If they choose not to pay, it’s open to eSafety to take other action or to seek a civil penalty through the courts,” Inman Grant told the Sydney Morning Herald. “We’re talking about some of the most heinous crimes playing out on these platforms, committed against innocent children.”

Read 24 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Elon Musk’s X fined 0K over “serious” child safety concerns, watchdog says

Comcast should stop advertising slower speeds as “10G,” industry group says

A Comcast Xfinity logo displayed on a smartphone. A stock exchange graph is shown in the background behind the phone.

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | SOPA Images )

An advertising industry group urged Comcast to stop its “10G” ads or modify them to state that 10G is an “aspirational” technology rather than something the company actually provides on its cable network today. The National Advertising Division (NAD), part of the advertising industry’s self-regulatory system run by BBB National Programs, ruled against Comcast after a challenge lodged by T-Mobile.

In its decision announced Thursday, the NAD recommended that Comcast “discontinue its ’10G’ claims” or “modify its advertising to (a) make clear that it is implementing improvements that will enable it to achieve ’10G’ and that it is aspirational or (b) use ’10G’ in a manner that is not false or misleading, consistent with this decision.”

Comcast plans to appeal the decision, so it won’t make any changes to marketing immediately. If Comcast loses the appeal and agrees to change its practices, it would affect more than just a few ads because Comcast now calls its entire broadband network “10G.”

Read 12 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Comcast should stop advertising slower speeds as “10G,” industry group says

The Nissan Leaf now qualifies for a partial EV tax credit

A white Nissan Leaf parked outside a modern house in the desert at night.

Enlarge / The Leaf was given a midlife facelift last year. (credit: Nissan)

While it is true that the recent wave of new electric vehicles has been anything but cheap, there are still a few relatively affordable EVs out there for people who don’t mind smaller cars— including the Nissan Leaf. An early pioneer in the electrification game, the venerable Leaf has been rather forgotten. Well, forget no more because there’s now Nissan Leaf news: The car once again qualifies for a federal tax credit.

We saw a big revamp of the federal EV incentive this year thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Before, the tax credit was tied to the storage capacity of the car’s battery. Now, it’s determined by how much of the pack was domestically sourced or assembled.

For this year, if at least half the pack’s critical minerals were refined in the United States (or a country with a free trade agreement with the US), then the EV is eligible for a $3,750 tax credit, provided that final assembly also occurs in North America. Another $3,750 is available if half or more of the pack’s components were assembled in the US.

Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – The Nissan Leaf now qualifies for a partial EV tax credit

Analogue’s next project is an accurate, hardware-emulated Nintendo 64 replica

The Analogue 3D is the company's next FPGA-based retro console, but the company isn't showing the whole thing off yet.

Enlarge / The Analogue 3D is the company’s next FPGA-based retro console, but the company isn’t showing the whole thing off yet. (credit: Analogue)

Retro game enthusiasts will know Analogue for its consoles’ dedication to accuracy. From the original Analogue Nt, which used chips harvested from broken NES consoles, to the Analogue Pocket, which uses an FPGA chip to accurately emulate handheld hardware, the company has always focused on modern hardware that can play actual game cartridges while preserving the idiosyncrasies of the original game consoles.

Today Analogue is announcing the Analogue 3D, a console that will use an FPGA to run games made for 1996’s Nintendo 64. Because FPGAs emulate consoles at a hardware level, they’re much better at replicating all of the specific quirks of the original hardware, making games look and run like they would have on the original consoles without any performance problems or rendering inaccuracies. Like Analogue’s other home console replicas, the Analogue 3D is designed to play original cartridges and not ROM files, and the cartridge slot is region-free, so it’ll work with games from all over the world.

Analogue didn’t reveal a price or a specific launch date for the Analogue 3D, just that the console will show up at some point in 2024. It also didn’t show off the design of the console itself or the controller, though it did tease both—if you look closely, you’ll see an 8BitDo logo on the controller, the same company that made Analogue’s replica controllers for its Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and TurboGrafx retro consoles.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Analogue’s next project is an accurate, hardware-emulated Nintendo 64 replica

Dealmaster: Save on laptops, Lego, CPUs, GPUs, and more

The back of the 2019 iPad Air

Enlarge / The back of the 2019 iPad Air. (credit: Samuel Axon)

Whether you’re shopping for a new laptop or you’re looking to build your own PC, we found some great savings for you with some post-Prime Day sales. Many of the items on our list, from Vitamix blenders to Dyson vacuums, from headphones to USB-C chargers, from Tempur-pedic office chairs to tools and games, have been popular with Amazon shoppers and Ars readers. There’s plenty to choose from in our curated selection of deals.

Featured deals

  • Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender for $290 (was $350) at Amazon
  • Dyson V15 Detect Absolute vacuum for $600 (was $750) at Dyson
  • Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute vacuum for $450 (was $650) at Dyson
  • Theragun PRO 4th Gen for $499 (was $599) at Therabody
  • Apple AirTag 4 Pack for $89 (was $99) at Amazon
  • Soundcore by Anker A20i True Wireless Earbuds for $30 (was $40) at Amazon
  • Beats Studio Pro for $180 (was $350) at Amazon
  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1270P) for $1,375 (was $3,439) at Lenovo
  • Apple iPad (9th Generation) for $249 (was $329) at Amazon
  • Anker Prime 67 W USB C Charger for $45 after coupon (was $60) at Amazon
  • LG C2 55-inch Class 4K OLED for $1,300 (was $1,499) at LG
  • LG 65-inch Class B2 OLED 4K UHD for $1,500 (was $2,300) at LG

Apple deals

  • Apple AirPods (3rd Generation, Lightning) Wireless Earbuds for $150 (was $170) at Amazon
  • Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones for $480 (was $549) at Amazon
  • Apple MacBook Air 13.3-inch Laptop M1 for $899 (was $999) at Amazon
  • Apple iPad Air (5th Generation) for $559 (was $599) at Amazon
  • Apple iPad (9th Generation) for $249 (was $329) at Amazon
  • Apple 2021 10.2-inch iPad (Wi-Fi, 64GB) with AppleCare+ (2 Years) for $318 (was $398) at Amazon
  • Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) for $469 (was $499) at Amazon
  • Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) for $1,049 (was $1,099) at Amazon
  • Apple AirTag 4 Pack for $89 (was $99) at Amazon
  • Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad for $96 (was $129) at Amazon

Tempur-pedic ergonomic office chairs

  • TEMPUR-Lumbar Support Office Chair for $299 (was $352) at Tempur-pedic

Lenovo deals

  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1270P) for $1,624 (was $3,609) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1270P) for $1,375 (was $3,439) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo Legion Slim 7i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTX 4060) for $1,450 (was $1,820) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 4 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1360P and RTX A500) for $1,689 (was $3,389) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad T16 (16-inch, Intel Core i5-1240P) for $1,131 (was $2,829) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700HX and RTX 4060) for $1,300 (was $1,700) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 2 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-1360P and RTX A500) for $1,809 (was $3,629) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (14-inch, Intel Core i5-1250P) for $1,372 (was $3,049) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo LOQ (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13620H and RTX 4050) for $1,000 (was $1,360) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P16v (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTX A500) for $1,669 (was $3,339) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 6 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTX A2000) for $2,189 (was $4,389) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700HX and RTX A1000) for $1,949 (was $3,899) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850H and RX 6500M) for $1,284 (was $2,919) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo LOQ (15-inch, Intel Core i5-13500H and RTX 3050) for $770 (was $1,020) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 (13-inch, Intel Core i5-1340P) for $1,279 (was $1,969) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 3 (13-inch, Intel Core i5-1235U) for $1,105 (was $2,009) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 3 (13-inch, Intel Core i7-1265U) for $1,633 (was $2,969) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 3 (13-inch, Intel Core i7-1255U) for $1,292 (was $2,349) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 (13-inch, Intel Core i5-1245U) for $1,138 (was $2,069) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 (13-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 5875U) for $1,242 (was $2,259) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Gen 3 (13-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 5875U) for $1,275 (was $2,319) at Lenovo
  • Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 3 (13-inch, Intel Core i5-1245U) for $1,209 (was $2,199) at Lenovo

PC components deals

  • Intel Core i7-12700KF for $215 (was $260) at Amazon
  • Intel Core i5-12400 for $172 (was $238) at Amazon
  • Intel Core i5-12400F for $150 (was $206) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D for $370 (was $449) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5500 for $97 (was $159) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600 for $134 (was $199) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600G for $124 (was $259) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600X for $159 (was $309) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 7 5700X for $170 (was $319) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 7 5700G for $164 (was $359) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 7 5800X for $209 (was $449) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 7 7700X for $319 (was $399) at Amazon
  • AMD Ryzen 5 7600X for $249 (was $299) at Amazon
  • Predator BiFrost Intel Arc A770 for $379 (was $400) at Amazon
  • ASUS TUF Gaming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti OC for $390 (was $435) at Amazon
  • GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC for $550 (was $600) at Amazon
  • ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3050 Twin Edge OC for $220 (was $300) at Amazon
  • MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 for $290 (was $460) at Amazon
  • GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3060 WINDFORCE OC for $300 (was $430) at Amazon
  • ASUS Dual NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 V2 OC for $300 (was $410) at Amazon
  • XFX Speedster SWFT309 AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT CORE for $331 (was $410) at Amazon
  • PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT for $320 (was $350) at Amazon
  • ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 3050 Twin Edge OC for $220 (was $300) at Amazon
  • GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4070 Ti WINDFORCE OC for $800 (was $900) at Amazon
  • ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4060 Ti OC for $423 (was $460) at Amazon
  • Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT for $750 (was $830) at Amazon
  • ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 AMP AIRO for $650 (was $700) at Amazon
  • MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR for $299 (was $325) at Amazon
  • MSI Gaming Radeon RX 6750 XT for $360 (was $445) at Amazon

Lego deals

  • Lego Star Wars Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder 75341 for $150 with Prime (was $240) at Amazon
  • Lego Creator 3 in 1 Exotic Parrot to Frog to Fish for $16 (was $20) at Amazon
  • Lego Icons Bonsai Tree Building Set 10281 for $40 (was $50) at Amazon
  • Lego Star Wars 2023 Advent Calendar 75366 Christmas Holiday Countdown for $40 (was $45) at Amazon
  • Lego Icons Succulents 10309 for $40 (was $50) at Amazon
  • Lego Creator 3in1 Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 for $11 (was $15) at Amazon
  • Lego Icons Flower Bouquet 10280 for $45 (was $60) at Amazon
  • Lego Speed Champions Pagani Utopia 76915 for $20 (was $25) at Amazon
  • Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter Microfighter 75363 for $12 (was $16) at Amazon
  • Lego Icons Orchid 10311 for $40 (was $50) at Amazon
  • Lego Marvel Hulkbuster 76210 for $386 (was $550) at Amazon
  • Lego Star Wars TIE Bomber 75347 for $52 (was $65) at Amazon
  • Lego Star Wars Captain Rex Helmet Set 75349 for $56 (was $70) at Amazon
  • Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts: Dumbledore’s Office 76402 for $64 (was $80) at Amazon
  • Lego Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Fighter Plane Chase 77012 for $28 (was $35) at Amazon
  • Lego Architecture Skyline Collection 21044 for $45 (was $50) at Amazon
  • Lego Star Wars 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack 75345 for $16 (was $20) at Amazon
  • Lego Speed Champions Porsche 963 76916 for $20 (was $25) at Amazon
  • Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter 75325 for $48 (was $60) at Amazon

LG OLED TVs

  • LG 77-inch Class B3 series OLED 4K UHD for $2,000 (was $3,300) at LG
  • LG C2 55-inch Class 4K OLED for $1,300 (was $1,499) at LG
  • LG 65-inch Class B2 OLED 4K UHD for $1,500 (was $2,300) at LG

Chargers and USB-C cables

  • Anker Prime 67 W USB C Charger for $45 after coupon (was $60) at Amazon
  • Anker USB C Charger, 735 Charger (Nano II 65 W) for $38 (was $56) at Amazon
  • Anker Power Bank 24K 3-Port Portable Charger with 140 W Output for $100 with Prime (was $150) at Amazon
  • Anker 323 33 W Charger for $19 with Prime (was $24) at Amazon
  • Anker GaNPrime 10K Power Bank 2-in-1 Hybrid Charger for $70 (was $100) at Amazon
  • Anker USB C Charger Cable (6-ft, 2-pack) for $13 after coupon (was $14) at Amazon
  • Anker USB C Charger (GaN II 100 W) for $43 (was $75) at Amazon
  • UGREEN RG 65 W USB C Charger, Nexode Robot GaN Fast Charger Block 3-Port for $40 (was $50) at Amazon
  • UGREEN USB C Charger Cable 2-Pack 60 W USB C Cable for $8 (was $12) at Amazon
  • UGREEN 300 W USB C Charger Nexode GaN 5 Ports Desktop Charging Station for $200 after coupon (was $270) at Amazon
  • UGREEN Nexode 100 W USB C Charger with 15 W MagSafe Charger Wireless for iPhone for $150 after coupon (was $180) at Amazon

Tools deals

  • DeWalt 20V Max XR Brushless Cordless 1/2 in. Drill/Driver Kit for $169 (was $249) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Battery Pack with Charger, 3 Ah, extra long run time for $94 (was $179) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Circular Saw, 6 1/2-Inch, Cordless, tool only for $149 (was $219) at Amazon
  • DeWalt Powerstack 20V Max Battery, Rechargeable, 5 Ah, lithium-ion, 2-Pack for $249 (was $349) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill Combo Kit, 3-Tool (DCK340C2) for $231 (was $271) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max XR Rotary Hammer Drill, D-Handle, 1-Inch, Tool Only (DCH133B) for $169 (was $249) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Batteries, Compact, 4.0-Ah, 2-Pack (DCB240-2) for $129 (was $239) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Impact Driver, Cordless, 3-Speed, Battery and Charger Included for $169 (was $219) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver for $139 (was $239) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Hammer Drill and Impact Driver for $310 (was $409) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill / Driver Kit for $99 (was $179) at Amazon
  • DeWalt 20V Max Heat Gun for $120 (was $148) at Amazon
  • DeWalt Atomic 20V Max* 1/4 in. Brushless Cordless 3-Speed Impact Driver Kit for $169 (was $199) at Amazon
  • DeWalt Screwdriver Bit Set, Impact Ready, FlexTorq, 40-Piece for $30 (was $40) at Amazon
  • Greenworks 80 Volt Pro Rapid Battery Charger for $62 (was $100) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt 12-Inch Single Stage Cordless Brushless Snow Shovel for $276 (was $350) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 10-inch 80 Volt Cultivator/Tiller for $334 (was $400) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt 2 Ah Battery for $129 (was $150) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 24-Volt 22-Inch Cordless Hedge Trimmer for $130 (was $150) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 24-Volt 22-Inch Cordless Hedge Trimmer for $70 (was $80) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks 80 Volt 20-Inch Single Stage Cordless Brushless Snow Blower for $440 (was $500) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks TORQDRIVE 24-Volt 12-Inch Cutting Diameter Straight Shaft Grass Trimmer and Edger for $120 (was $130) at Best Buy
  • Greenworks Multi Tool w. 2 AH battery, 2 A charger for $103 (was $110) at Best Buy

Video games

  • Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope – Standard Edition for $30 (was $60) at Amazon
  • Octopath Traveler II – Nintendo Switch for $43 (was $60) at Amazon
  • Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening – Nintendo Switch Standard Edition (European Version) for $49 (was $60) at Amazon
  • Mario Golf: Super Rush – Nintendo Switch for $48 (was $60) at Amazon
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch (International Version) for $56 (was $59) at Amazon
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – The Complete Official Guide: Collector’s Edition Hardcover for $27 (was $45) at Amazon

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

 

Read on Ars Technica | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Dealmaster: Save on laptops, Lego, CPUs, GPUs, and more

AMD pulls graphics driver after “Anti-Lag+” triggers Counter-Strike 2 bans

The red eyes represent the mark of VAC for Anti-Lag+ players.

Enlarge / The red eyes represent the mark of VAC for Anti-Lag+ players. (credit: Valve)

AMD has taken down the latest version of its AMD Adrenalin Edition graphics driver after Counter-Strike 2-maker Valve warned that players using its Anti-Lag+ technology would result in a ban under Valve’s anti-cheat rules.

AMD first introduced regular Anti-Lag mitigation in its drivers back in 2019, limiting input lag by reducing the amount of queued CPU work when the processor was getting too far ahead of the GPU frame processing. But the newer Anti-Lag+ system—which was first rolled out for a handful of games last month—updates this system by “applying frame alignment within the game code itself,” according to AMD. That method leads to additional lag reduction of up to 10 ms, according to AMD’s data.

That additional lag reduction could offer players a bit of a competitive advantage in these games (with the usual arguments about whether that advantage is “unfair” or not). But it’s Anti-Lag+’s particular method of altering the “game code itself” that sets off warning bells for the Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) system. After AMD added Anti-Lag+ support for Counter-Strike 2 in a version 23.10.1 update last week, VAC started issuing bans to unsuspecting AMD users that activated the feature.

Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – AMD pulls graphics driver after “Anti-Lag+” triggers Counter-Strike 2 bans

After six decades, ‘Gagarin’s Start’ will meet its end as a launch pad

Read 10 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – After six decades, ‘Gagarin’s Start’ will meet its end as a launch pad

Scientists combine evolution, physics, and robotics to decode insect flight

Image of a hummingbird-like moth sipping nectar from a flower.

Enlarge / A hawk moth in flight. (credit: Gregory Dubus)

Different insects flap their wings in different manners. Understanding the variations between these modes of flight may help scientists design better and more efficient flying robots in the future. However, decoding insect flight is not as easy as it sounds.

Winged insects have been around for nearly 400 million years, and the evolution of flight in different insect species influences things like how insects flap their wings, what makes some insects highly maneuverable, and how their flight muscles work. A new study has used a mix of evolutionary analysis and robotic model wings to better understand how different flight modes operate.

Insects are the most skilled flyers

There are organisms other than insects that can fly. Scientists can also take inspiration from them, so what makes insect flight so special?

Read 21 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Scientists combine evolution, physics, and robotics to decode insect flight

10 examples of technology going from the racetrack to the road

A garage full of Porsche race cars. A blue 550 is in the foreground

Enlarge / The Porsche Museum brought plenty of its toys to Laguna Seca for Rennsport Reunion 7 in September 2023. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

MONTEREY, CALIF.—Few car brands have managed to stake out the kind of mindshare occupied by Porsche. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the company just held its seventh Rennsport Reunion, a car show crossed with a race meet at the Laguna Seca racetrack in Northern California. It drew a crowd of more than 90,000 Porschephiles at the end of September.

From its start in the aftermath of World War II, Porsche has concentrated on using clever engineering to make cars for people who like to drive. Much of that clever engineering was first proven at the racetrack before making the jump to something a bit more road-legal. And almost all of it was on display at Rennsport Reunion, from early engines with twin spark plugs and early experiments with aerodynamics through turbocharging, hybrids, and now extremely high-performance EVs.

The early days

The first Porsche-designed racing cars predate the family firm and date back to 1934 and the fearsome Auto Union V16. But the first factory-built Porsche racing car took five years to follow the company’s first road car, which appeared in 1948. When Porsche started building 356s, customers started racing them in sprints, hill climbs, and long-distance races, complete with pleas to the factory to see if it couldn’t deliver a little more power, particularly from American owners.

Read 46 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – 10 examples of technology going from the racetrack to the road

Air purifiers aren’t enough to clean your home from wildfire smoke

Read 24 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Air purifiers aren’t enough to clean your home from wildfire smoke

Plant-based cheese may be getting more appetizing

Read 10 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Plant-based cheese may be getting more appetizing

This exoplanet might literally be the most metal planet out there

Image of a dark, reddish orb on a black background.

Enlarge / Computer-generated conception of the hot, metal planet. (credit: NASA)

Metals are everywhere in the Universe, from hot gas giants where it rains molten iron to heavy elements formed as a star goes supernova. Exoplanet GJ 367b one-ups them all. This planet is made of metal.

GJ 367b is an extreme planet. This “super Mercury,” which orbits its star once every 7.7 hours, was first discovered by NASA’s TESS planet hunter in 2015. Now, scientists from the University of Turin in Italy and the Thüringer Landessternwarte in Germany have examined more recent measurements of the planet using ESO’s HARPS spectrograph along with the original TESS observations. They found that this object is almost twice as dense as Earth—which suggests it is most likely made of solid iron.

Even though GJ 367b is now a solid iron planet, it might have once been the core of an ancient rocky planet.

Read 11 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – This exoplanet might literally be the most metal planet out there

CEO Bobby Kotick will leave Activision Blizzard on January 1, 2024

Bobby Kotick, in suit, approaching a courthouse, looking at the camera.

Enlarge / Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, in June, arriving to court in San Francisco to testify in the Federal Trade Commission’s suit to stop Microsoft’s acquisition of the company Kotick has led for 33 years. (credit: Getty Images)

Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, emailed employees after news of Microsoft’s successful $69 billion acquisition to say that he was “fully committed to helping with the transition” and that he would stay on as CEO through the end of 2023.

Kotick’s statement left some ambiguity about his plans for 2024, but Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reports that on January 1, Kotick will depart. It’s “a massive change for the video game industry,” Schreier writes, which seems almost restrained, given Kotick’s longevity and recent history. Several employees Schreier spoke to are “very excited for this deal to go through,” specifically to see leadership change.

Kotick, who has led Activision for more than 30 years and orchestrated its merger with Blizzard, had considered stepping down in late 2021. Following a lawsuit from the state of California alleging a “frat boy culture” rife with pay disparity and sexual harassment, a Wall Street Journal report alleged that Kotick failed to act on hundreds of abuse allegations within the company and also kept the company’s board of directors in the dark. Activision was also sued by its shareholders and pressured by state treasurers over its secrecy and responses regarding the California lawsuit. All of this led to an employee walkout and calls for Kotick’s resignation.

Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – CEO Bobby Kotick will leave Activision Blizzard on January 1, 2024

Hydro dams are struggling to handle the world’s intensifying weather

The Hemenway Harbor Marina at Lake Mead.

Enlarge / The Hemenway Harbor Marina at Lake Mead, the country’s largest man-made water reservoir, formed by Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States, as viewed from Boulder Beach on August 14, 2023. The Lake Mead, a national recreation area, located within the states of Nevada and Arizona 24 miles east of the Las Vegas Strip, serves water to the states of Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada, as well as parts of Mexico, providing fresh water to nearly 20 million people and large swaths of farmland. (credit: George Rose/Getty Images)

It’s been one of the wettest years in California since records began. From October 2022 to March 2023, the state was blasted by 31 atmospheric rivers—colossal bands of water vapor that form above the Pacific and become firehoses when they reach the West Coast. What surprised climate scientists wasn’t the number of storms, but their strength and rat-a-tat frequency. The downpours shocked a water system that had just experienced the driest three years in recorded state history, causing floods, mass evacuations, and at least 22 deaths.

Swinging between wet and dry extremes is typical for California, but last winter’s rain, potentially intensified by climate change, was almost unmanageable. Add to that the arrival of El Niño, and more extreme weather looks likely for the state. This is going to make life very difficult for the dam operators tasked with capturing and controlling much of the state’s water.

Like most of the world’s 58,700 large dams, those in California were built for yesterday’s more stable climate patterns. But as climate change taxes the world’s water systems—affecting rainfall, snowmelt, and evaporation—it’s getting tough to predict how much water gets to a dam, and when. Dams are increasingly either water-starved, unable to maintain supplies of power and water for their communities, or overwhelmed and forced to release more water than desired—risking flooding downstream.

Read 15 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Hydro dams are struggling to handle the world’s intensifying weather

Raw milk outbreak sickens 14 in Utah—a state with loose laws, bad track record

A hand holding a glass of milk.

Enlarge (credit: Getty | Lukas Schulze)

At least 14 people in Utah have been sickened with a serious gastrointestinal infection after drinking “raw,” unpasteurized milk, the Salt Lake County Health Department reported this week.

Raw milk outbreaks are not uncommon in Utah, which has some of the more permissive laws regarding the sale and distribution of unpasteurized milk in the country—and an unenviable record of outbreaks. Retail sales of raw milk are legal in Utah and, in 2015, the state passed a law expressly allowing herd-share programs. In these programs people pay for a share of an animal or herd and are thereby entitled to a portion of the unpasteurized milk produced.

In a 2022 study, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Utah had the largest number of single-state raw milk outbreaks of any other state between 2012 and 2019. In that timeframe, Utah saw 14 outbreaks. The next-closest state was Pennsylvania, with nine outbreaks.

Read 7 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Raw milk outbreak sickens 14 in Utah—a state with loose laws, bad track record

Acer’s 27-inch monitor has headphones-free 3D audio, glasses-free 3D screen

Acer SpatialLabs View Pro 27 with hood

Enlarge / The hood is detachable. (credit: Acer)

Acer is expanding its series of glasses-free 3D products with a new 4K monitor. The 27-inch monitor announced Thursday differs from Acer’s previous 3D designs with its desktop size and introduction of Acer’s headphones-free spatial audio feature.

Like other glasses-free products, Acer’s SpatialLabs View Pro 27 uses a lenticular lens and eye-tracking with an infrared (IR) camera to present a 3D view to users, without the clunky 3D glasses associated with yesterday’s abandoned 3D TVs. Acer claims its eye-tracking infrared camera has 1280×480 resolution and runs at 60 frames per second. Eye-tracking purportedly works with indoor lighting as low as 10 lux. Only one person can experience 3D at a time, though.

Acer hasn’t specified how close you have to be to use the monitor’s 3D functions yet but says it works with up to 11.8-inch (30cm) movements across the X-axis or up and down the Y-axis, as well as 19.7-106.3 inches (50 to 270cm) across the Z-axis (or up to 59.1 inches/150cm with low lighting).

Read 18 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Acer’s 27-inch monitor has headphones-free 3D audio, glasses-free 3D screen

SBF’s dream of being US president and other weird anecdotes from FTX trial

Read 17 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – SBF’s dream of being US president and other weird anecdotes from FTX trial

Google will shield AI users from copyright challenges, within limits

A gavel in front of a laptop computer, overlaid with Google colors.

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images / Benj Edwards)

On Thursday, Google announced that it plans to defend users of its generative AI systems on Google Cloud and Workspace platforms against intellectual property violation claims, reports Reuters. The move follows similar commitments by Microsoft and Adobe, but Google claims its approach is more comprehensive, covering both the use of copyrighted works for training AI and the output generated by the systems.

The generated output indemnity means that you can use content generated with a range of our products knowing Google will indemnify you for third-party IP claims, including copyright,” Google writes in its announcement post.

Specifically, the new policy will cover software like its Vertex AI development platform and Duet AI system, which are used for generating text and images in Google Workspace and Cloud programs. Notably, the Google announcement did not mention Bard, Google’s more well-known generative AI chatbot.

Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Google will shield AI users from copyright challenges, within limits

NASA should consider commercial alternatives to SLS, inspector general says

NASA's Space Launch System rocket is seen on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in April 2022.

Enlarge / NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is seen on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in April 2022. (credit: Trevor Mahlmann)

In recent years NASA has acknowledged that its large Space Launch System rocket is unaffordable and has sought to bring its costs down to a more reasonable level. The most recent estimate is that it costs $2.2 billion to build a single SLS rocket, and this does not include add-ons such as ground systems, integration, a payload, and more.

Broadly speaking, NASA’s cost-reduction plan is to transfer responsibility for production of the rocket to a new company co-owned by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, who are key contractors for the rocket. This company, “Deep Space Transport,” would then build the rockets and sell them to NASA. The space agency has said that this services-based model could reduce the cost of the rocket by as much as 50 percent.

However, in a damning new report, NASA’s own inspector general, Paul Martin, says that is not going to happen. Rather, Martin writes, the cost of building the rocket is actually likely to increase.

Read 15 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – NASA should consider commercial alternatives to SLS, inspector general says