Last minute geek

1. Podcast: Steering with the Windshield Wipers
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... pro-competitive answers. We are the fallen descendants of a lost civilization, destroyed by Robert Bork in the 1970s, and we have forgotten that once we had a mighty tool for correcting our problems in ...

2. The rent's less damned high: rents falling in most of America's most expensive cities
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

In all but a few of the most expensive cities in the USA, median rents on one- and two-bedroom apartments have fallen, sometimes quite sharply (for example, in NYC median asking rents on a one bedroom ...

3. Study: Acceptance of queer folk falls sharply among young Americans
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

A GLAAD study claims that the number of young Americans comfortable with LGBTQ people has fallen from 53% to 45%, the second consecutive annual drop. Variety: Scenarios for the survey included learning ...

4. McDonald's offers burgers made with fresh beef, sales soar
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

How far the mighty have fallen! I remember the global spectacle of MickeyD's opening in Moscow. Likely the highwater mark for the Golden Arches. CNN: Last year, the burger chain switched to fresh beef ...

5. Independent audit finds Facebook activity has fallen by 20% since Cambridge Analytica
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

The "business analytics" firm Mixpanel has released its figures estimating the total usage of Facebook (liking, sharing and posting) since the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke; they showed usage falling ...

6. Con Raspberry Pi hacker nei sistemi della NASA
(Italiano/webnews)

Un'indagine di sicurezza ha individuato una serie di falle nei sistemi della NASA, che permettono a un Raspberry Pi di navigare nei server. The post Con Raspberry Pi hacker nei sistemi della NASA appeared ...

7. Respawn will share more about its 'AAA' VR shooter later this year
(English/engadget)

Back in 2017, Facebook and Respawn Entertainment revealed the developer was working on a virtual reality AAA shooter. While things have been fairly secretive since (so much so that it might have fallen ...

8. South Korea's government will switch to Linux over cost concerns
(English/engadget)

Some governments might have fallen out of love with Linux, but South Korea appears ready to start a torrid affair. The country's Ministry of the Interior and Safety has outlined plans to switch government ...

9. Dive Underwater With This Toy Star Destroyer Submarine Hack
(English/makezine)

... all fallen in love with on the big screen. He’s delighted crowds at many Maker Faires, and […] Read more on MAKE The post Dive Underwater With This Toy Star Destroyer Submarine Hack ...

10. What it's like in a scam call center
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... of people who will be his next potential victims. All are numbers of people who have previously fallen victim to a popup scam." These guys are a particularly nasty group from Kolkata in India. They run ...

11. Scagli la prima pietra il router senza falle…
(Italiano/webnews)

Vodafone Italia ha individuato vulnerabilità a bordo dei router a marchio Huawei nel 2011, come accaduto già in passato per decine di altri marchi. The post Scagli la prima pietra il router senza falle… ...

12. Respawn's 'Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order' arrives November 15th
(English/engadget)

Respawn has pulled back the curtains on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order after months of teases. The single-player game is now due to launch on November 15th and follows Cal Kestis, a Padawan trying to survive ...

13. The Boston Globe on breaking up Big Tech falls into the trap of tech exceptionalism
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... the proponents for it have fallen into the trap of tech exceptionalism, the idea that tech is either intrinsically monopolistic (something you hear from Big Tech itself, as they insist that "network effects" ...

14. Leaked Sonic the Hedgehog movie design looks like a dollar-store cereal mascot
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

The live-action Sonic was expected to be overly "realistic" in a possibly-unwholesome way, perhaps even hinting at the unofficial internet life of Sega's "fallen" mascot. But a leaked "style guide" from ...

15. Respawn will premiere its 'Star Wars' game on April 13th
(English/engadget)

After years of work, Respawn is nearly ready to show what its Star Wars game is all about. Lucasfilm has announced that EA and Respawn will formally reveal Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at a Celebration ...

16. WRZ S8 Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Magnetic Earbuds review
(English/the-gadgeteer)

REVIEW – Here at the Gadgeteer I have reviewed numerous earbuds/headphones, both large and small, wired and wireless.  I have never really fallen in love with any one product when it comes to this category.  ...

17. Twitter says abuse reports have fallen by 16 percent
(English/engadget)

Twitter's attempts to improve the "health" of its conversation are paying dividends, according to the company's latest financial figures. The company is reporting a 16 percent fall ...

18. Alphabet is exploring smart shoes that know when you fall
(English/engadget)

... detect when you've fallen -- not a novel concept, but s... Read all  ...

19. How to: make up swears
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... Is it a hat that has fallen out of fashion and is now only good for…? There’s no discernible meaning behind the word; it only expresses contempt and the author’s vain originality. I submit that this aspect ...

20. After $4.1 billion subsidy, Foxconn cancels plan to build Wisconsin "factory," now proposing a small R&D facility
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... The company originally promised to create some 13,000 jobs in the state, but it has already fallen short of modest targets. Read the rest Read all  ...

21. Limits to trickle-down: Trump's tax-cut "boom" fizzles
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

... anyway). But investment in "factories, software and new equipment" only rose modestly for a single quarter, and has now fallen again. "There hasn't been a huge surge in response to tax reform," ...

22. Silicon Valley real estate asking prices fall 12% from peak
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

There are more houses for sale in San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and San Francisco County than at any time since 2013; inventory in December was up 113% year-on-year, and asking prices have fallen ...

23. Warner Bros. pulls Lego 'Lord of the Rings' games from digital stores
(English/engadget)

If your child is a big Lord of the Rings fan, they might be a little crestfallen. Warner Bros. has pulled both Lego: Lord of the Rings and Lego: The Hobbit from digital stores, including Steam. The company ...

24. Fallen officer honored
(English/BoingBoing ibag)

Detective Deirdre Mengedoht was killed when a truck crashed into her police cruiser on Christmas Eve. Some local news outlets experienced difficulties covering the story. Read the rest Read all

25. The OYO Fitness Gym review
(English/the-gadgeteer)

... that will keep me fit. One way or another they have fallen short of the goal either because they … The OYO Fitness Gym review Read More Read all  ...