Geek News

To date, using Tesla's trip planning tool has meant sitting inside your electric car while you map a route that takes you past charging stations. That doesn't make much sense if you're gearing up for vacation, does it? There's now a better way: Tesla has launched a web version of its trip planner to use while you're still sitting at your desk. It's not as fleshed out as the in-car version, but it can tell you where you'll need to charge and how long you need to drive based on both the route and the particular Tesla you're driving. You could see fewer stops with a Model S P100D than you would with a Model X 75D , for instance. Convenience is clearly the main goal for the web planner, but it's also helpful if you're a prospective buyer. You can tell whether or not it's practical to drive to your favorite destination without having to search the internet for charging maps and unofficial guides. Tesla is no doubt hoping that you'll pull ...

Harold Martin, the former US National Security Agency contractor accused of stealing classified information, has agreed to plead guilty to his charges. According to court filings posted on Wednesday, Martin will plead guilty to one count of wilful retention of national defense information and could face up to 10 years in prison on the single count. Martin, who spent 20 years working for intelligence agencies with top-level security clearance, was indicated in February last year after authorities seized 50 terabytes of data from his home in October 2016. Officials say this could be the biggest heist of US government secrets in history, although it's not yet clear what Martin did with the stolen data. At the time of his arrest he was working for Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp., the same firm Edward Snowden was working for when he leaked top secret files to the press in 2013. The court filings say that Martin is due to plead guilty at a federal court in Baltimore on January ...

Intel says it and its partners have “made significant progress” in rolling out security patches and firmware updates to protect against two major CPU bugs . The flaws were disclosed by Google’s Project Zero team this week, and the industry is scrambling to issue fixes and secure machines for customers. Dubbed “Meltdown” and “Spectre,” the flaws affect nearly every device made in the past 20 years, and could allow attackers to use JavaScript code running in a browser to access memory in the attacker’s process. That memory content could contain key strokes, passwords, and other valuable information. Intel says it has developed and is issuing updates for all types of Intel-based machines that will “render those systems immune from both... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CGW4k7"

Two major computer processor security bugs, dubbed Meltdown and Spectre, affect nearly every device made in the last 20 years. The ramifications of how much these bugs will impact computing is still playing out, but it could lead to compromised servers for cloud platforms and other farther-reaching effects. Meltdown is specific to Intel devices, and companies are already working on patches that will provide protection, although there is the possibility of performance loss due to the patch. Spectre is more widespread, affecting CPUs from AMD, Intel, and even ARM chips on mobile devices. It’s a far more serious problem that will likely need wholly redesigned processors to fix in future hardware generations. Here’s what you need to know. Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CGw1tb"

Animals Here's what to do if your furry friend is flying high. The ASPCA reports an anecdotal increase in the number of dogs accidentally consume cannabis. Here's what to do if your furry friend is flying high. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2CVyNru"

Both Hyundai and the Volkswagen Group announced today that they are partnering with self-driving technology company Aurora Innovation and will be incorporating the firm's autonomous driving systems into their own vehicles. Hyundai will be working the technology into its latest fuel cell vehicle , debuting next week at CES, while the Volkswagen Group says it could be incorporated into a number of its brands' vehicles, including self-driving Sedric pods , shuttles, delivery vans or trucks. Aurora was launched last year by three big shots in the self-driving world -- Chris Urmson , who headed Google's self-driving project before it was spun out as Waymo, Tesla's Sterling Anderson and Uber's Drew Bagnell. The company is focused on developing highly and fully autonomous driving systems that they can then license to companies like Hyundai and Volkswagen. While this sort of strategy means those companies won't have exclusive technology like they would if they devel...

Apple has agreed to join the Open Media Alliance, a consortium of tech companies including Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft that is working on a new compression technology to make online video streaming and downloading use less data. The group was formed back in 2015 around a new video codec initiative that ultimately resulted in AV1, a next-generation video compression technology that could be used to push media files to all sorts of devices. Apple’s participation came quietly with a change on the Open Media Alliance’s website today, noted first by CNET . The goal of the Open Media Alliance was to unify the industry around a new, more cohesive standard. It was also to avoid an increasingly messy royalty fee arrangement with... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CFbKUS"

While Google's Pixel 2 didn't change much from its predecessor, which came out only a year before, one of the newer smartphone's standout features is the background-blurring Portrait mode. But this photo tech might not be exclusive to Google's flagship phone anymore: Members of XDA Developers community got Portrait Mode working on other devices, from the original Pixel to non-Google devices running Android Oreo. XDA Senior Member Charles_I, known for previous Google Camera mods, was the first to port the Portrait Mode software beyond the Pixel 2, getting it working on the Pixel & Pixel XL as well as Google's Nexus 5X and 6P phones via a custom app. Then XDA Senior Member Arnova8G2 adjusted that app to work on a broad range of non-Google devices, with users reporting it functioning on Xiaomi, OnePlus and Moto G5s Plus phones. Google's imaging and HDR algorithms have long been prized, and they work magic with the Pixel 2's basic lenses. Porting tha...

If you've been avoiding the visual refresh Google recently gave to the web version of Calendar, your time is almost at an end. Starting January 8th, users of G Suite and Google Domains will be automatically switched to the new design. Anyone who opted out manually won't be forced to use the new Calendar until February 5th, but all users will get the upgrade on February 28th. The new Google Calendar on the web looks much more like the mobile version , now, with a matching color palette and a self-adjusting interface based on your browser's window size. There's a new drop-down menu that lets you switch views between day, week, month, year, schedule and four days, too. You can put rich text and hyperlinks in calendar entries, and format text and create bulleted lists as well. Enterprise users will see more details on conference rooms if administrators have added the information. Via: 9to5Google Source: Google via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2CHYG1b...

Health Clearing the driveway during a blizzard may be the perfect storm for a cardiac event. Snow shoveling during or after a blizzard may be the “perfect storm” for a cardiac event. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2CBGLbo"

Toyota Research Institute (TRI) will debut the latest version of its automated driving research vehicle at CES next week. TRI had three major goals with this latest model and Platform 3.0 incorporates them all into a car with more perception capabilities, a design that's easier to produce at scale and a much sleeker look. "To elevate our test platform to a new level, we tapped Toyota's design and engineering expertise to create an all-new test platform that has the potential to be a benchmark in function and style," TRI CEO Gill Pratt said in a statement . First, the vehicle now has 360-degree LiDAR sensing -- previous platforms only had forward-facing LiDAR sensing capabilities -- and new shorter-range LiDAR sensors placed lower to the ground allow for detection of smaller objects like road debris or children. Secondly, Platform 3.0, built on a Lexus LS 600hL, will go into low-volume production this spring and will come in two versions. One will feature a dual c...

The Consumer Electronics Show won’t have any female keynote speakers this year after weeks of attempting to add some diversity to the lineup, a source told Fast Company . All six top positions will instead be filled by male CEOS: Intel’s Brian Krzanich, Ford’s Jim Hackett, Huawei’s Richard Yu, Turner’s John Martin, Hulu’s Randy Freer, and the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) Gary Shapiro. The news is a blow to attendees of the show looking to be inspired by and hear from female executives at tech companies, after the CTA, which runs the show, hinted it was trying to gather more female speakers at all levels. The show officially begins in five days, making it unlikely that the CTA would be able to add to the lineup any further. The... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CTdXsz"

Today's Deal: Save 50% on Phantom Brave PC / ファントム・ブレイブ PC !* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Saturday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2lWmKTl"

Alexa's smart home skills aren't just for turning on the lights or locking your door these days -- now, they can help fulfill your culinary ambitions. Amazon has added cooking abilities to its Smart Home Skill framework, letting you control microwaves (and eventually conventional ovens) with your voice. Instead of pressing umpteen buttons, you can simply ask Alexa to "defrost 3lbs of chicken." Suffice it to say this could be helpful if you don't want to start cooking right away, or if you just hate your microwave's interface. Expect to see the cooking features in use very soon. Whirlpool has already created its own Alexa skill for microwaves, and plans to launch it "soon." GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG and Samsung have also committed to working on skills for their own ovens and "more appliances." Also, Amazon is putting its money where its mouth is. It's investing in June Life, the company behind the connected June Oven . The move w...

This week, two disastrous new processor vulnerabilities spilled out into the open — and the tech world is still coming to terms with the damage. The vulnerabilities, dubbed Meltdown and Spectre, affect nearly every processor made in the last 20 years. Meltdown is the immediate threat, with proof-of-concept exploits already available, but Spectre is much deeper and harder to patch, potentially leading to generations of more subtle exploits in the years to come. The result has left nearly every major technology company scrambling to protect themselves and their customers. The focus so far has been on personal devices, with a flood of patches already available this morning, but many experts think the most severe damage is likely to come... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2ET3jmd"

As is tradition, Mark Zuckerberg is starting this year off with a new personal challenge. He kicked off 2017 with a promise to visit every US state to meet the masses in a totally-not-preparing-for-a-Presidential-run way, but that was before a year of criticism leveled at the social network he founded. This year, Zuckerberg is staying at home for a new pledge : Fixing the mess Facebook has made. "The world feels anxious and divided, and Facebook has a lot of work to do -- whether it's protecting our community from abuse and hate, defending against interference by nation states, or making sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent," Zuckerberg wrote in his post. This public admission of Facebook's issues starkly contrasts what Zuckerberg said in the days following the 2016 Presidential election, when he denied the social media platform influenced voters. He spent much of 2017 walking that stance back, especially as so much evidence emerged that Russian-...

Gadgets The best offerings, both handheld and motor-powered. Five tools to assist in clearing snow after a snow day, from handheld tools to motored machines. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2EXXOCU"

During a media briefing yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he would soon introduce new legislation aimed at combating fake news during elections. Under the new law, websites publishing sponsored content would have to disclose who paid for it and fees for that content would have a cap. Additionally, authorities would have the power to remove fake content and block websites if they're found to be publishing fake news. "If we want to protect liberal democracies, we must be strong and have clear rules," Macron said . Fake news and actions by foreign groups have become a major focus since the US presidential election, particularly when it comes to what circulates on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Investigations into Russia-backed Facebook ads are ongoing in the US and the UK has asked both Facebook and Twitter to provide information on any evidence of Russian meddling during the Brexit referendum. Facebook made efforts to curtail the spre...

The White House has issued a ban on employees using personal cell phones while at work, according to Bloomberg . Rumors of the ban surfaced back in November , but according to Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, it is going into effect Monday. The order reportedly came from White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, and security concerns are cited as the reasons behind the decision. "The security and integrity of the technology systems at the White House is a top priority for the Trump administration and therefore starting next week the use of all personal devices for both guests and staff will no longer be allowed in the West Wing," Sanders said in a statement today. "Staff will be able to conduct business on their government-issued devices and continue working hard on behalf of the American people." The concern among staff members has been they may be cut off from their families during busy days in the West Wing. Work phones can't be used for personal busi...

YouTube has a long history of failure when it comes to self-policing. It's gotten in hot water multiple times because it has not been able to guarantee that that advertisers' videos wouldn't run on channels that had objectionable content. Indeed, the UK government even pulled advertisements from the service after discovering that they were running alongside extremist videos. Now, Business Insider reports that JP Morgan has created its own in-house algorithm to identify YouTube channels that are "safe" to advertise on. This is interesting for multiple reasons. First, it highlights just how bad YouTube's problem is. YouTube uses both algorithms and human moderators to police content on its site. Contractors rate content, which trains YouTube's AI on what consists of "high quality" content. The problem is that contractors were told that videos with high production values got an automatic "high quality" rating , regardless of any objec...

Microsoft unveiled its Cortana-powered thermostat, called GLAS , back in July, and now we have more details on it. The software giant partnered with Johnson Controls, the maker of the first in-room thermostat, to create the device, and it's a beauty. It also comes with a hefty price tag: $319 , and is available for pre-order now for delivery in March 2018. GLAD is powered by a Windows 10 IoT Core and features a gorgeous translucent touch display. You can control the temperature, check the weather, monitor both indoor and outdoor air quality and more. GLAD will keep track of the air quality and adjust its settings to ensure your home is comfortable. Like Nest, GLAD will learn your preferred temperatures and routines and make adjustments as needed. Users can also take advantage of Cortana, which is integrated into the smart thermostat, to control GLAD. You can say things like, "Hey Cortana, adjust the temperature to 70 degrees," and the thermostat will respond and chang...

The bill aimed to curb online sex trafficking has gained support from 60 senators, which means it has enough backing to withstand a filibuster once it reaches the floor. Both republican and democrat lawmakers have put their weight behind the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, with three additional members of the GOP backing it this week Bloomberg reports . Previously, the Internet Association (which counts Amazon, Facebook and Google as members) was opposed to any changes to the Communications Decency Act's Section 230, but in November the organization changed its tune after vague wording was cleared up. If the bill passes, it'll mean that a website can't use safe harbor rules if it "knowingly" aids in sex trafficking, a la Backpage's sex listings . The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has been fighting the bill, saying that it will actually undermine law enforcement efforts to combat trafficking. The EFF argues that taking these sites offline woul...

Personal devices are now banned from Donald Trump’s White House, according to a statement from press secretary Sarah Sanders. Staff will be still be allowed to use government-issued devices, but they can’t send texts on those devices. In a statement, Sanders attributes the ban to upholding "the security and integrity of the technology systems.” The move comes only a day after excerpts of journalist Michael Wolff’s new book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House were released, a book that has chagrined the president. Wolff’s reporting was done through multiple staff interviews that Steve Bannon arranged, Sanders told reporters yesterday. In response to the excerpts, Trump denounced Bannon in a public statement to reporters —... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CCLgmO"

Fat Month Submental fat is not your enemy. Double chins get a bad rap, considering they're just a little pocket of harmless fat. But they're actually kind of mysterious. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2CEaBwE"

Samsung has unveiled its next-generation smartphone chip that will give its upcoming Galaxy S9 some iPhone X-like features, including face unlocking and animated emojis. The Exynos 9810 is built on its second-generation 10-nanometer fabrication tech, and will outperform the current flagship Exynos 8895 chip by up to 100 percent in single-core mode, Samsung said. The chip is likely to be sold in Asia, while US and European customers will get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip . Samsung emphasized that the new chip will be much better at AI, improving face detection, image recognition and other deep learning activities. That, in turn, will allow it to do real-time scanning of your face in 3D. "Hybrid face detection enables realistic face-tracking filters as well as stronger security when unlocking a device with one's face," the press release notes. In other words, future Galaxy smartphones will offer Samsung's answer to Apple's FaceID and animated emojis . Sams...