Exoplanet discoveries include two super-Earths that could support life

Two new exoplanets have been discovered outside of our galaxy that have the potential to support life. GJ180 d and GJ229A c are “super-Earths” and are located relatively close to us in space terms. The exoplanets orbit red dwarf stars, which are cooler and dimmer than our sun, meaning that liquid could be stable.

Space News         April 28, 2022

U.S. Space Force first launch: How to watch live

The U.S. Space Force will launch a military communications satellite into geostationary orbit as part of a national security mission on Thursday, March 26.

Space News         April 28, 2022

A wayward Chinese rocket reportedly rained metal debris in West Africa

China's Long March 5B rocket fell back to Earth on Monday, May, 11, and scattered metal debris over parts of the country of Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa.

Space News         April 28, 2022

NASA renames planet-finding telescope after woman trailblazer

NASA has renamed its planet-finding telescope the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, after one of the agency's trailblazing women and first female executive.

Space News         April 28, 2022

SpaceX Crew Dragon launch postponed due to poor weather

SpaceX and NASA’s historic Crew Dragon launch, which was scheduled to take place on Wednesday afternoon, has been postponed due to poor weather conditions.

Space News         April 28, 2022

NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps will go to space aboard Boeing Starliner

Jeanette Epps is the third astronaut announced for the mission, which is scheduled for next year.

Space News         April 28, 2022

SpaceX claims Starlink hit speeds of 100 Mbps in initial tests

SpaceX says Starlink satellites' initial tests show super-low latency and advanced download speeds.

Space News         April 28, 2022

The first black hole ever photographed is ‘wobbling,’ scientists say

Scientists have found the first black hole ever to get its picture taken, known as M87, is rotating and changing over time.

Space News         April 28, 2022

Samsonite, American Tourister luggage sets are half off on Amazon for Black Friday

If you plan on traveling for the upcoming holiday season, you’re going to need luggage. For Black Friday, you can get half off of Samsonite and American Tourister luggage sets on Amazon. You can snag a two-piece Samsonite set for $140 or $135, and an American Tourister set for $110.

Emerging Tech         April 21, 2022

iOS 13.3 provides parental control over how kids communicate

The iOS 13.3 update has a feature that can track and limit how much time your child talks on the phone, FaceTimes, or text messages, as well as control your kid’s contact list. The Communication Limits features works as a parental control for parents to better manage how much time their kids spend on the phone.

Apple         August 13, 2021

Hackers stole 26 million credit cards, but vigilantes just rescued them

In an ironic twist of fate, BriansClub, a black market site that contains stolen credit cards, was hacked to rescue the data of more than 26 million credit and debit cards. The data stolen was shared with financial institutions who were able to identify, monitor, and reissue cards that were compromised. 

Web         June 29, 2021

Foreign hackers targeted Trump and Biden campaign Gmail accounts, Google says

Hackers from Iran and China have targeted the presidential campaigns of both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, according to Google. 

Trash         June 29, 2021

What tech companies are doing to celebrate Juneteenth

Many tech companies have pledged to make Juneteenth an official company holiday, while others are encouraging employees to take the day to educate themselves.

Trash         June 19, 2021

Watch NASA’s Mars rover train for its 2020 mission with some bicep curls

The Mars 2020 rover is preparing for its big mission by doing some "bicep curls" in a new video released by NASA. The rover will head to Mars in July 2020 and is scheduled to land on the Red Planet’s Jezero Crater in February 2021 -- with a swole arm to collect dirt and rocks.

Emerging Tech         April 2, 2021

The Mars 2020 rover officially has a name: Perseverance

Perseverance was submitted by Alexander Mather, who is a student at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia. 

Emerging Tech         April 2, 2021

Cloudflare outage knocks out major sites and services, including Discord

Cloudfare, an international website and internet hosting platform, experience a worldwide outage earlier Tuesday. Sites and services that are hosted on the platform reported outages in countries around the world. According to Cloudfare’s system status page, service was restored within 30 minutes. 

Trash         March 15, 2021

Google bans employees from using Zoom over privacy concerns

Google told employees in an email last week that they could no longer use Zoom, attributing the decision to Zoom's recent increase in security vulnerabilities. 

Trash         March 15, 2021

Reddit now lets you post multiple photos and GIFs at once

Reddit said that the new image gallery feature was consistently requested by various Reddit communities, especially in the Style, DIY, and Food subreddits.

News         March 15, 2021

Trump asks Apple to build out 5G in U.S. That’s not how it works

In a recent visit to Apple’s Mac Pro manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, President Donald Trump asked Apple CEO, Tim Cook, to help build 5G in the U.S…even though Apple is not a cellular carrier. Trump tweeted about his visit to the facility and how Apple should get involved with building 5G connection.

Apple         March 1, 2021

Amazon wants your kids to use Alexa and its new Echo Glow night-light

Amazon announced a slew of new Alexa features geared towards kids during the Amazon Devices Event, including the new Echo Glow, a a multicolor smart lamp that pairs with Alexa, the Alexa Education Skill API pairs up with programs like Canvas, Kickboard, and Coursera, and a new FreeTime feature.

Smart Home News         February 16, 2021

How to get the anime filter on Snapchat

Snapchat's popular Anime Style filter makes you look like a real-life anime character.

News         January 27, 2021

Discord ‘Spidey Bot’ malware is stealing users’ data, including passwords

Discord has been infiltrated by malware that has the potential to steal users’ email addresses, phone numbers, usernames, IP addresses, and more. The malware affecting the gaming-centric online chat app is being called “Spidey Bot." Twitter user MalwareHunterTeam first brought attention to the malware on October 9.

Gaming         January 20, 2021

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 health features arrive for Watch Active 2 owners

New features include Running Analysis, Fall Detection feature, Smart Reply, and more.

News         January 11, 2021

A Google Maps detour trapped 100 drivers on a muddy one-lane road

You can't always trust your map app: faulty Google Maps directions led some Aurora, Colo. area drivers to a strange and muddy detour on Sunday. The app seemed to be trying to route them around a crash, but instead ended up causing a separate traffic jam. 

Trash         January 8, 2021

Google Maps will now show coronavirus outbreaks in your area

The tool shows how many new confirmed coronavirus cases there have been in an area in the last seven days.

Trash         January 8, 2021

Hackers can fake WhatsApp messages that seem like they’re from you

A WhatsApp security vulnerability has been revealed that could allow someone to intercept or manipulate messages within personal conversations in the app. A 2018 report from Check Point Research found three vulnerabilities within the popular Facebook-owned app. One of the three issues has been fixed, Check Point says.

Social Media         January 8, 2021

Spotify wants to turn its popular podcasts into movies and TV shows

Spotify partnered with Chernin Entertainment in hopes of turning some of its more than 250 original podcasts into viewable entertainment. 

News         January 7, 2021

Spotify is making it even easier to judge your friends’ musical tastes

A not-yet-released feature on Spotify, called “Tastebuds” would let you discover new music through your friends’ lists by curating a playlist for you based on your and your friends’ similar tastes. App researcher Jane Manchun Wong, tweeted that the Tastebuds tab would be located in Spotify’s main navigation.

Music         January 7, 2021

Reddit bans impersonation content, including deepfakes

Reddit updated its policies to ban impersonation on its platform. The ban encompasses everything from deepfakes to individuals making false claims about their identities. Reddit explains that even though instances of impersonation are rare, they pose a threat if people impersonate a journalist or a politician.

Web         January 7, 2021

Reddit has banned roughly 7,000 hateful subreddits since late June

Reddit banned about 7,000 subreddits that contained or promoted hateful content like harassment, bullying, and violent threats.

Social Media         January 7, 2021

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an even bigger hit than you thought

Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold more games in just its first six weeks on the market than the previous Animal Crossing game sold in its entire lifetime.

News         November 21, 2020

Apple announces the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE

Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 6 on Tuesday with features like measuring blood oxygen levels.

Mobile         November 19, 2020

Cyber Monday predicted to be most popular shopping day of Thanksgiving weekend

New data suggests that this year’s Cyber Monday will be the biggest shopping day out of the whole Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Data reveals that 28% of people plan on shopping on Cyber Monday this year compared to 23% of shoppers who plan to brave the crowds on Black Friday.

Web         November 10, 2020

Netflix reveals release date and cast for Space Force

Space Force is from the same minds as comedy favorites like The Office and Parks and Recreation and will make its debut on the streaming service on May 29.

News         October 28, 2020

What is Bitcoin halving and when does it happen?

If you're new to Bitcoin or unfamiliar with what Bitcoin halving means, we’ve broken down what to expect next month during the third Bitcoin halving event. 

Trash         October 28, 2020

Amazon introduces Explore virtual experiences platform

Amazon Explore lets you explore a new place, learn a new skill, or shop at unique boutiques virtually.

Trash         September 30, 2020

How to watch the first Biden vs. Trump presidential debate

The first presidential debate will air without commercials from 6 to 7:30 p.m. PT on  Tuesday, Sept. 29. 

Trash         September 29, 2020

What the biggest tech companies are doing to make the 2020 election more secure

From banning certain ads to providing places where you can find voting information, here’s what tech companies are doing to secure the election.

Social Media         September 29, 2020