Places and Things

World Of Warcraft Now Requires an SSD To Run Shadowlands Expansion World of Warcraft: Shadowlands' full PC system requirements are unveiled, and the expansion finally requires players to have SSD storage. Continue Reading . . . https://screenrant.com/world-warcraft-shadowlands-system-requirements-ssd-gpu/

Storm Surge: The Science behind This Year’s Hyperactive Hurricane Season The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season has arrived and is living up to its name: Two storms, Laura and Marco, developed within the relatively small confines of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea area late last week. Continue Reading . . . https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/storm-surge-the-science-behind-this-years-hyperactive-hurricane-season/

Android 101: How to stop location tracking Location tracking can be very handy — it’s convenient when an app can tell you, say, where the near restaurants or gas stations are — but it’s also a privacy issue. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/21401280/android-101-location-tracking-history-stop-how-to

Apple makes Final Cut Pro X work better for remote and collaborative video editing Apple has announced a new major update to Final Cut Pro X that adds several new improvements to proxy workflows, making the software far more suited to remote and collaborative editing for videos. The 10.4. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/25/21400969/apple-final-cut-pro-x-update-proxy-social-media-cropping-edits

Bloomberg: Nintendo is working on a 4K-capable Switch for 2021 Sony and Microsoft have shown off the 4K-ready consoles they’ll deliver later this year with the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X, but what is Nintendo working on? According to sources cited in a report by Bloomberg, while its convertible console tops the sales charts along with hit games like Anim Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-switch-4k-061428807.html

Blizzard is finally making a World of Warcraft animated series called Afterlives Blizzard is releasing an original animated series based on World of Warcraft, the developer announced today. Afterlives will premiere this Thursday during Gamescom 2020’s online celebrations. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/24/21399597/world-of-warcraft-afterlives-blizzard-animated-series

Please remain calm while the robot swabs your nose If you’ve been tested for COVID-19 then you’ve probably experienced the unpleasantness of a nasal swab. Someone takes a long-handled cotton swab and sticks it up your nose — way up your nose — until it reaches the back of the mucus-cave that is your nasal cavity. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/24/21377011/robot-nasal-swab-machine-autonomous-covid-19-test-brain-navi

A tiny space rock holds clues about the evolution of life Back in 2012, a team of Japanese and Belgian researchers in Antarctica found a golf ball-sized space rock resting in the snow. Now, NASA astronauts have had a chance to study a piece of that meteorite, Asuka 12236, and they say it may hold new clues about the development of life.  Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/nasa-meteorite-asuka-12236-amino-acids-140557805.html

A New Adobe Lightroom Update Just Deleted Customers' Photos and Presets Last week, Adobe released Lightroom 5.4.0, a routine update meant for the iPad and iPhone Lightroom app. But it soon became clear that the update was far more than users bargained for when customers who installed Lightroom 5.4.0 found that their photos and presets had disappeared. Continue Reading . . . https://digital-photography-school.com/?p=195514

Apple is opening its first 'floating' store in Singapore Apple has hundreds of physical stores dotted around the world, serving as stores, repair centers and community hubs where people can learn to be more creative. Until now, though, none of these glistening Apple meccas have been built on water. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/apple-marina-bay-sands-singapore-store-water-092604779.html

Judge orders Trump to reimburse Stormy Daniels for legal fees A California Superior Court judge has ordered President Donald Trump to pay $44,100 to Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, to reimburse her attorneys’ fees in the legal battle surrounding her nondisclosure agreement. Continue Reading . . . https://ktla.com/news/politics/judge-orders-trump-to-reimburse-stormy-daniels-for-legal-fees/

Watch Electric Blue Bioluminescent Waves Light Up California’s Monterey Bay As a wildfire outbreak threatens California, some blazes worsened by copious lightning, Monterey Bay is experiencing an additional natural phenomenon—one that’s thankfully, much less dangerous. Continue Reading . . . https://www.prevention.com/life/a33666718/california-monterey-bay-bioluminescent-waves/

How a designer used AI and Photoshop to bring ancient Roman emperors back to life Machine learning is a fantastic tool for renovating old photos and videos. So much so that it can even bring ancient statues to life, transforming the chipped stone busts of long-dead Roman emperors into photorealistic faces you could imagine walking past on the street. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/21/21395115/roman-emperors-photorealistic-portraits-ai-artbreeder-dan-voshart

LG's transparent OLED displays are on subway windows in China LG is bringing transparent OLED displays to subways in Beijing and Shenzhen. The 55-inch, see-through displays show real-time info about subway schedules, locations and transfers on train windows. They also provide info on flights, weather and the news. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/lg-display-transparent-oled-subway-windows-134125906.html

Ikea gives its 2021 catalog an Animal Crossing-themed makeover in Taiwan - The Verge Continue Reading . . . http://googleweblight.com/i?u=https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/8/21/21395096/ikea-tawain-animal-crossing-catalog&f=1&source=wax

Adobe Lightroom iOS update permanently deleted users’ photos A recent update to the Adobe Lightroom app permanently deleted some iOS users’ photos and presets, an Adobe rep confirmed on the Photoshop feedback forums. Adobe has since corrected the issue, which was first spotted by PetaPixel, but not before drawing the ire of many disappointed users. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/adobe-lightroom-ios-update-permanently-deleted-photos-194651501.html

TikTok has removed hundreds of thousands of videos for hate speech TikTok is the latest social media platform to peel back the curtain on its efforts to fight hate speech. Since the beginning of the year, the company says it’s taken down more than 380,000 videos and 64,000 comments in the US for breaking its hate speech rules. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-details-hate-speech-takedowns-160007621.html

Google Maps will show wildfire boundaries in near real time Type in the name of an ongoing wildfire into Google search, and the site will now bring up a map featuring a near-real-time boundary of the fire. Google revealed the feature today, which was piloted in California last year and will now be available across the US. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/20/21376343/google-maps-search-wildfire-boundaries-california

Sony cameras join the work-from-home webcam party Following most of its rivals, Sony is helping you look better on Zoom calls with a software release that transforms its mirrorless, compact and DLSR cameras into webcams. The Imaging Edge Webcam app for Windows 10 works on models from the 2014 A7S up to the recent A7R IV and A6600 models. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/sonys-mirrorless-cameras-can-now-be-used-as-webcams-too-093006575.html

Google's overnight Gmail outage is finally over (updated) Can’t send something on Gmail? If so then you’re in good company, ever since about midnight ET, people have been complaining about issues connecting to many of the G suite services, but especially Gmail. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/gmail-is-down-053821685.html

Nintendo is bringing the Switch to Brazil at last More than five years after it stopped all of its direct sales in Brazil, Nintendo says it will soon release the Switch in the country. Since the console’s debut in 2017, the only way people there have been able to get their hands on the Switch is through imports or resellers. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-switch-brazil-152833236.html

As wildfires blaze across California and Colorado, Google adds maps to track them Google on Thursday said it will give people more information on wildfires when they search for them on the tech giant's home page and maps app, an update that comes as California and Colorado battles blazes raging across their states. Continue Reading . . . https://www.cnet.com/news/as-wildfires-blaze-across-california-and-colorado-google-adds-maps-to-track-them/

What coronavirus? Apple becomes a $2 trillion company For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website. Just two years ago, Wall Street investors pushed Apple to a trillion-dollar market capitalization, making it the most valuable tech company in the world. Continue Reading . . . https://www.cnet.com/news/what-coronavirus-apple-becomes-a-two-trillion-dollar-company/

New Pen-and-Ink Method Draws Health Sensors Directly on Skin A handful of stencils and three pens sound like materials for a child’s art project. But researchers have now used these tools to draw functional heart monitors directly on human skin. Continue Reading . . . https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-pen-and-ink-method-draws-health-sensors-directly-on-skin/

Four Nikon products, including the Nikon D780 digital SLR camera and Nikon Z 50 mirrorless camera, honored with EISA Awards TOKYO - Nikon Corporation (Nikon) is pleased to announce that four of its products have been successful at the EISA Awards 2020-2021, presented by the Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA). Continue Reading . . . https://www.nikon.com/news/2020/0818_award_01.htm

Apple will now give customers an entire year to buy extended warranty for products Apple is yet again making changes to the window of time customers have to buy its AppleCare+ extended warranty for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other products. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/17/21372569/apple-applecare-plus-purchase-window-now-one-year

Microsoft will bid farewell to Internet Explorer and legacy Edge in 2021 Microsoft will end support for Internet Explorer 11 across its Microsoft 365 apps and services next year. In exactly a year, on August 17th, 2021, Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported for Microsoft’s online services like Office 365, OneDrive, Outlook, and more. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/17/21372487/microsoft-internet-explorer-11-support-end-365-legacy-edge

Google location data led police to investigate an innocent cyclist Those concerns about police indiscriminately collecting Google location data have some grounding in the real world. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/2020/03/08/google-location-data-embroils-innocent-cyclist/

More than 20 attorneys general are trying to ban 3D-printed guns The fight over 3D-printed guns has gone back and forth for years. One side wins, the other appeals and so on. Now, 21 US attorneys general are banding together to renew the fight and sue the Trump administration. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/2020-01-24-attorneys-general-sue-trump-administration-3d-printed-guns.html

Apple will 'verify' third-party iPhone repair stores Apple has announced it will begin verifying third-party repair stores, widening the number of places that can fix your broken iPhone. The company has said that it'll offer third-parties the same "genuine parts, tools, training, repair manuals and diagnostics" as Apple Authorized Service Providers. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/2019-08-29-apple-verify-third-party-repair.html

Decline in Camera Sales Continues While Sony Outpaces Nikon Nikkei has unveiled the 2019 sales and market share data for digital cameras, and numbers are looking bad across the board: In 2019, camera units sold dropped by over 22%, which mirrors last year’s 22% decline, and suggests that the shrinking digital camera market won’t stabilize anytime soon. Continue Reading . . . https://digital-photography-school.com/?p=195277

Bald eagle takes out EGLE’s drone because it’s 2020 and irony is dead A bald eagle beat the crap out of a government drone mapping the shoreline of Lake Michigan, ripping off its propeller and sending it plunging to the lake’s bottom, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Yes. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/16/21370357/bald-eagle-drone-egle-michigan

Apple may offer half-off CBS All Access and Showtime bundle for TV+ Apple is still looking for ways to promote its Apple TV+ streaming service. Its next attempt may be to offer subscribers a discounted CBS All Access and Showtime bundle. People familiar with the plans told Bloomberg the new bundle could launch as early as Monday.  Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/apple-tv-plus-cbs-all-access-showtime-bundle-162832593.html

Trump Administration Completes Climate Dismantling with Methane Rollback EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the final rollback of Obama-era methane rules during a trip yesterday to Pittsburgh. The move marked the culmination of a 3 ½-year struggle by the Trump administration to undo emissions rules established at the end of President Obama's second term. Continue Reading . . . https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-administration-completes-climate-dismantling-with-methane-rollback/

Hyperion's hydrogen-electric XP-1 supercar is capable of 220 MPH We were supposed to see this hydrogen-electric supercar at the New York Auto Show, but with that canceled due to coronavirus, Hyperion has revealed the look of its XP-1 with this brief video. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/hyperion-xp-1-hydrogen-ev-065517664.html

You can pre-order Microsoft's Surface Duo foldable phone today We had an inkling that the Surface Duo would be coming soon, and — after letting things slip a little early — Microsoft just confirmed it. The dual-screen Android phone is officially arriving on September 10th, with a starting price of $1,399. Pre-orders begin today. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-surface-duo-launch-september-10-130047268.html

Carbon's Trainer is a smart mirror designed to deliver guided workouts With many gyms off-limits during the pandemic, home workout classes from Peloton and others are more popular than ever. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/the-carbon-mirror-lets-you-see-your-form-during-guided-workouts-130008366.html

Quip’s new Smart Brush and app rewards you for brushing your teeth Oral care company Quip announced today it’s upgrading its signature product, the electric toothbrush, with a new Smart Brush. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/quip-smart-brush-app-120028422.html

US passes 5 million coronavirus cases As school districts across the country struggle to figure out how — or if— to safely reopen schools to teachers and students, the number of coronavirus cases in the US passed 5 million on Sunday, according to the Coronavirus Research Center at Johns Hopkins University. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/9/21360916/us-5-million-coronavirus-cases

Awareness of Our Biases Is Essential to Good Science In a recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Lawrence Krauss bemoans what he sees as contemporary science’s “ideological corruption.” He blames this corruption on humanities scholars for pointing out how science can be “tainted by ideological biases due to race, sex or economic dominance. Continue Reading . . . https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/awareness-of-our-biases-is-essential-to-good-science/

See How These Creators Capture The Night Sky & Find Out About Kando Everywhere This week on AlphaUniverse.com, we’ve highlighted content related to night sky and astro-photography. Continue Reading . . . https://alphauniverse.com/stories/see-how-these-creators-capture-the-night-sky/

Facebook extends remote work for employees through June 2021 Facebook will let its employees continue to work from home through June 2021, joining other companies like Google, which announced similar plans to have employees work remotely until next summer due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, via Business Insider. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/6/21357768/facebook-extends-remote-work-employees-june-2021-covid-19

Google Play Music on Wear OS will shut down in a few weeks Google Play Music as a service will begin its staggered, region-based shutdown starting next month, but Wear OS users have only a few weeks left to use the smartwatch app before it’s rendered unusable. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/5/21355887/google-play-music-wear-os-smartwatch-shut-down-youtube-music

Microsoft integrates Android apps into Windows 10 with new Your Phone update Microsoft is now allowing Windows 10 users to run Android apps side by side with Windows applications on a PC. It’s part of a new feature in Your Phone, and it builds upon the mirroring that Microsoft’s Your Phone app already provides. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/5/21355997/microsoft-your-phone-app-windows-10-android-support

Donald Trump trying to control the FCC is a ‘disaster,’ says Sen. Ron Wyden Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) says President Donald Trump’s recent handling of Federal Communications Commission nominations is a “disaster. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/4/21354244/ron-wyden-fcc-nomination-section-230-trump-order-vergecast-interview

China won't accept 'theft' of TikTok, according to state newspaper China won’t accept the “theft” of TikTok, and that it has “plenty of ways to respond” if the US government tries to force a sale through, according to an editorial in the state-run China Daily (via Reuters). Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/china-wont-accept-theft-of-tik-tok-according-to-state-newspaper-113221792.html

The Morning After: Google's $350 Pixel 4a is the best midrange phone you can buy Google’s Pixel 4a will cost $350 and launches at the end of the month. After suffering from very detailed leaks as well as the company’s own preamble and teases, there wasn’t much left to the imagination — or press release, for that matter. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/pixel-4a-review-morning-after-111504208.html

What's on TV this week: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Sports are back in action and even baseball hasn’t given up its season yet, but this week we’ll also see a new Star Trek series. CBS All Access is ready to releaseStar Trek: Lower Decks, an offbeat animated series that focuses on some of the least important members of Starfleet. Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-lower-decks-cbs-034445944.html

Microsoft says CEO Satya Nadella has talked to Trump about buying TikTok In a blog post Sunday, Microsoft said it was “prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States,” following a conversation between its CEO Satya Nadella and President Trump. Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/2/21352004/microsoft-tiktok-acquisition-trump-bytedance