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Showing posts from November, 2024

Aerogel is meant to make EV batteries safer — but what is this special substance?

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Aerogel is meant to make EV batteries safer — but what is this special substance? https://ift.tt/FMBAtHk The Department of Energy is focusing on aerogels to reduce the severity of lithium battery fires. a lab that creates the substance shares the pros and cons of this technology in creating safer EVs.

All I want for Christmas is ... help getting this song out of my head

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All I want for Christmas is ... help getting this song out of my head https://ift.tt/2mY395w and also an earworm for many. Here, she sings at a 2014 holiday concert in New York City.'/> The Earworm Eraser is a 40-second audio track specifically designed to banish "Jingle Bells," "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and other much-too-catchy seasonal tunes. (Image credit: Dimitrios Kambouris)

Holidays are a perfect time for hackers to test individuals', companies' defenses

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Holidays are a perfect time for hackers to test individuals', companies' defenses https://ift.tt/WgDiNpz Shoppers and retailers alike are at heightened risk of fraud and cyberattacks during the holiday season.

Holidays are a perfect time for hackers to test individuals, companys' defenses

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Holidays are a perfect time for hackers to test individuals, companys' defenses https://ift.tt/WgDiNpz Shoppers and retailers alike are at heightened risk of fraud and cyberattacks during the holiday season.

A social media ban in Australia for children under 16 will be first in the world

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A social media ban in Australia for children under 16 will be first in the world https://ift.tt/XpgtzLO A social media ban for children under 16 will become first law in the world to levy fines on TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram for allowing youth accounts. (Image credit: Rick Rycroft)

Zuckerberg dines with Trump in Mar-a-Lago

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Zuckerberg dines with Trump in Mar-a-Lago https://ift.tt/iBaEQzO A spokesperson for Meta confirmed that Zuckerberg and Trump met on Wednesday, saying he was invited for dinner with the president-elect to talk about the incoming administration. (Image credit: Godofredo A. Vásquez)

A TikTok sale under Trump? Experts say it could actually happen this time

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A TikTok sale under Trump? Experts say it could actually happen this time https://ift.tt/j2AiDB1 Will TikTok be sold? The question has been asked before, during Trump's first term. But now, the situation has changed considerably. (Image credit: Michael M. Santiago)

A group of experts team up to reconstruct Richard III's voice

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A group of experts team up to reconstruct Richard III's voice https://ift.tt/qhuCZ9M

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt discusses the DOJ move to have Google sell off Chrome

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Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt discusses the DOJ move to have Google sell off Chrome https://ift.tt/bfTXvpa Michel Martin asks former Google CEO Eric Schmidt about the government's move to separate Google from its Chrome browser and the future of artificial intelligence as envisioned in the book "Genesis." (Image credit: David Levenson)

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt discusses the DOJ move to have Google sell off Chrome

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Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt discusses the DOJ move to have Google sell off Chrome https://ift.tt/DOwE7Rf Michel Martin asks former Google CEO Eric Schmidt about the government's move to separate Google from its Chrome browser and the future of artificial intelligence as envisioned in the book "Genesis."

Foreign nationals propel U.S. science. Visa limits under Trump could change that

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Foreign nationals propel U.S. science. Visa limits under Trump could change that https://ift.tt/CfpXGEz The incoming Trump administration is likely to crack down on the H-1B visas used by tech companies and research institutions to hire top talent from other countries. (Image credit: Kiichiro Sato/AP)

Is video streaming infrastructure up to par?

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Is video streaming infrastructure up to par? https://ift.tt/R2EA5H7 Netflix says more than 100 million people tuned in to watch a boxing match last week, and many people reported problems with the stream. What is needed for streaming to serve huge live audiences?

After a court win, the Justice Department is trying to make Google sell its Chrome browser

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After a court win, the Justice Department is trying to make Google sell its Chrome browser https://ift.tt/vHgodSa If a judge orders Google to sell Chrome, it could dramatically upend the multi-billion-dollar online search business. (Image credit: Matt Slocum)

Witnesses say Israel is using sniper drones in Gaza and they're shooting civilians

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Witnesses say Israel is using sniper drones in Gaza and they're shooting civilians https://ift.tt/irquFv4 Last week British surgeon Nizam Mamode testified in front of a committee in the U.K. Parliament. Dr. Mamode had recently returned from working at a hospital in Central Gaza. He told parliamentary members what he witnessed, including drones that would come down and "pick off civilians, children. And we had description after description. This is not, you know, an occasional thing. This was day after day after day." For months, NPR has been collecting eyewitness accounts from Gaza that corroborate Dr. Mamode's testimony, saying the Israeli military has been using sniper drone technology and that they're not just shooting enemies, but also civilians.| For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for C onsider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Email us at considerthis@npr.org . (Image credit: EYAD BABA)

Bluesky, a social media alternative to X, sees huge growth after Trump's election win

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Bluesky, a social media alternative to X, sees huge growth after Trump's election win https://ift.tt/2F3MmPN Social media site Bluesky is exploding with growth, adding more than 1 million users a day. New interest is being driven by users fed up with Elon Musk's X. We talk to Bluesky CEO Jay Graber.

Traffic on Bluesky, an X competitor, is up 500% since the election. How will they handle the surge?

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Traffic on Bluesky, an X competitor, is up 500% since the election. How will they handle the surge? https://ift.tt/u5aY6QM Unlike other social media sites, Bluesky allows users to create their own algorithm. The site does not have ads, nor harvest data for artificial intelligence training. But it is still very small, and it does not make money. (Image credit: Provided by Bluesky)

Is Israel Using New, Deadly Military Technology in Gaza?

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Is Israel Using New, Deadly Military Technology in Gaza? https://ift.tt/VMrFADP NPR has been collecting eyewitness accounts from Gaza that indicate Israel is using a new type of drone. One that has a gun attached that can shoot people remotely. We hear how Israel is using it in Gaza and what this technology could mean for the future of warfare. (Image credit: Eyad Baba)

With new safety update, Roblox aims to boost protection for young gamers

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With new safety update, Roblox aims to boost protection for young gamers https://ift.tt/FLXoCer In an effort to address child safety concerns, digital gaming platform Roblox announced Monday that it is rolling out a major update to its safety features and parental controls.

Development of Elon Musk's rocket to Mars will likely take off under Trump

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Development of Elon Musk's rocket to Mars will likely take off under Trump https://ift.tt/z1SDrsx Regulators have slowed the pace of Starship launches over environmental concerns, but that may be about to change. (Image credit: SpaceX)

Trump taps FCC's Brendan Carr to lead the agency

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Trump taps FCC's Brendan Carr to lead the agency https://ift.tt/uUbmCrQ Carr was seen as a pretty conventional Republican with a pro-corporate outlook for most of his career. More recently, he has embraced Trumpian themes about social media, tech and television companies. (Image credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Biden and Xi take a first step to limit AI and nuclear decisions at their last meeting

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Biden and Xi take a first step to limit AI and nuclear decisions at their last meeting https://ift.tt/EFs5oiI The leaders agreed that humans should control decisions to use nuclear weapons — not AI. And they talked about the importance of stability during the transition to a new U.S. administration. (Image credit: Leah Millis)

Will Spotify's AI DJ make you listen longer?

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Will Spotify's AI DJ make you listen longer? https://ift.tt/Zy2u9hw The music streamer's AI DJ feature offers personalized playlists with a warm AI voice that gives context to song picks. (Image credit: Spotify)

Australia will require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users

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Australia will require social media platforms to act to prevent online harm to users https://ift.tt/z9JBZvI Australia plans to require social media platforms to act to prevent online harms to users such as bullying, predatory behavior and algorithms pushing destructive content, the government said Thursday. (Image credit: Rick Rycroft)

Nintendo has launched a music app, seizing on the appeal of video game playlists

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Nintendo has launched a music app, seizing on the appeal of video game playlists https://ift.tt/Hg0Isra The Nintendo Music app lets you listen to dozens of hours of music from games like Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong. (Image credit: Dimitar Dilkoff)

The strange way the world's fastest microchips are made

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The strange way the world's fastest microchips are made https://ift.tt/btsMaBQ This is the story behind one of the most valuable — and perhaps, most improbable — technologies humanity has ever created. It's a breakthrough called extreme ultraviolet lithography, and it's how the most advanced microchips in the world are made. The kind of chips powering the latest AI models. The kind of chips that the U.S. is desperately trying to keep out of the hands of China. For years, few thought this technology was even possible. It still sounds like science fiction: A laser strong enough to blast holes in a bank vault hits a droplet of molten tin. The droplet explodes into a burst of extreme ultraviolet light. That precious light is funneled onto a wafer of silicon, where it etches circuits as fine as a strand of DNA. Only one company in the world that can make these advanced microchip etching machines: a Dutch firm called ASML. Today on the show, how this breakthrough in advanced...

Google's AI Overview has no opt-out. That's making some people unhappy

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Google's AI Overview has no opt-out. That's making some people unhappy https://ift.tt/RKvGrdg Tech companies are force-feeding people AI on search engines and social media platforms and there's no way to opt out. Google search, considered the gateway to the internet, is especially frustrating.

Foreign influence efforts reached a fever pitch during the 2024 elections

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Foreign influence efforts reached a fever pitch during the 2024 elections https://ift.tt/0fPiwSC While some fake videos made by actors with Russian ties received millions of views, researchers say there's so far no indication that these efforts swayed U.S. election results. (Image credit: Megan Varner)

From Taiwan to technology, China ponders what's to come under Trump 2.0

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From Taiwan to technology, China ponders what's to come under Trump 2.0 https://ift.tt/MA3jO4t Chinese business people may be able to find creative ways to avoid U.S. tariffs, but for Beijing, its concerns for the incoming Trump presidency go beyond trade. (Image credit: Frederic J. Brown)

2020’s debunked election fraud claims are coming back due to Trump’s 2024 victory

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2020’s debunked election fraud claims are coming back due to Trump’s 2024 victory https://ift.tt/yTbXPF6 Election deniers have spent the past four years focused on false claims that 2020 was rigged. This year, it raised similar alarms about fraud — only for those claims to evaporate as returns came in. (Image credit: Ed Jones)