Tech

Last week, an American-Israeli company that claims it’s developed proprietary technology to cool the planet announced it had raised $60 million, by far the largest known venture capital round to date for a solar geoengineering startup. The company, Stardust, says the funding will enable it to develop a system that could be deployed by the …

Why the for-profit race into solar geoengineering is bad for science and public trust Read More »

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. How AGI became the most consequential conspiracy theory of our time —Will Douglas Heaven, senior AI editor  Are you feeling it? I hear it’s close: two years, five years—maybe next year! And I …

The Download: the AGI myth, and US/China AI competition Read More »

Hrach Hovhannisyan/Shutterstock Remembered with pure automotive nostalgia, the 1980s gave us car fads that are still missed and celebrated today. Vinyl graphics, chrome bumpers, and loud paint jobs are certainly up there with pop-up headlights, wedge-shape design, and louvres. The 1980s truck era was also defined by colorful gradient stripe effects, geometric patterns, metallic finishes, and multi-tone vinyls that …

5 Of The Coolest 1980s Truck Paint Jobs We’ve Seen Read More »

Harry Howitt/Shutterstock Apple CarPlay was first introduced back in 2014, and it’s become a staple in so many vehicles in the 11 years since then. Because we’re so indebted to our iPhones for both information and entertainment, it only makes sense that Apple gave us a way to safely use our iPhones while driving. There are …

Does CarPlay Use Bluetooth Or Wi-Fi? Here’s What You Should Know Read More »

Nwz/Shutterstock After many, many years of frustration from Windows users, Microsoft has finally fixed one of its most persistent operating system bugs: the long-broken “Update and shut down” option that would restart instead of quickly shutting down the PC. This frustrating feature is officially gone in the Oct. 28 Windows 11 update. Important to note: …

Microsoft’s Latest Update Finally Fixed A Decade-Old Windows Bug Read More »

Image: StackCommerce TL;DR: The MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card for Android helps you keep track of your stuff for just $23.99 (MSRP $59.99). If you’re an Android user—or you love someone who is—this little gadget might just save your sanity. The MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card slides right into your wallet and connects directly to Android’s Find My Device or …

The Android-friendly way to keep track of your wallet, luggage, or keys is $24 Read More »

Image: Valve It’s finally happening! The year of the Linux… PC gaming handheld device. (Okay, that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue.) According to the latest Steam hardware survey, Linux has just over 3 percent of the market share of users who have Steam installed. It has almost certainly benefited from Valve’s own Steam Deck, …

The Steam Deck pushes Linux past a new milestone: 3% of Steam gamers Read More »

If the pace of a first-person shooter is too much for your tired reflexes, take heart: Electronic Arts’ Battlefield 6 has added “Casual Breakthrough,” a mode where most human players are replaced with bots but experience gain isn’t really affected. The new addition to the frenetic shooter sim was announced over the weekend on the …

Battlefield 6’s new ‘dad mode’ replaces trash-talkers with bot armies Read More »

Image: Rob Schultz / Foundry Torrenting, or P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing, is a convenient way to download large files quickly. But it isn’t without its risks. Not only is there the risk of accidentally downloading a malicious file or malware, but there’s a privacy risk as well—your ISP can see all your online activity and …

Best VPNs for torrenting: 5 top picks for speed, privacy, and security Read More »

Image: Matt Smith Alienware’s OLED gaming monitors are a big hit for anyone who wants value, and today you can get one for an even better deal. The AW3423DWF is a 34-inch ultrawide with plenty of speed and a gorgeous OLED panel. Normally it goes for $700, which ain’t bad, but Amazon is selling it for …

This Alienware ultrawide OLED gaming monitor is just $550 today Read More »