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DIY Hang on to your memories. Photos and videos you post to social media don't necessarily get saved to your phone. Here's how to preserve them properly so you can check in later. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2Elb04r"

It’s been emotional. Again. Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2lxQwwD"

My best way to look back on 2017 in the world of headphones is to consider the things I wasn’t able to say a year ago. The best portable headphones today are wireless. That wasn’t true last year — at least not in my Beoplay H6 -loving judgment — however Bowers & Wilkins’ PX have shot to the top of the charts with an exquisitely tuned sound, handsome looks, and solid battery life. The noise-cancelling PX are a transformational pair of headphones because they take NC cans out of their traditional role of being merely functional and into the competition for best sound quality. Gone are the days of Bose singularly dominating the NC field with awesome ergonomics but mediocre sound: today we have all the big names like Beats, Sony, and... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2q56mo4"

Can the Ben Heck Show team recreate the fabled 5.51 world record with micro-controller hardware? In an effort to find out, the team invites world record holder Todd Rogers into the workshop to help train the simulation. Can Ben's hardware beat the fastest-ever time? Find out, and let us know what you think over on the element14 Community . via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2DE6qNo"

Authoritarian leaders are fond of severing communications in a bid to hold on to power, and that tradition sadly isn't going away. The Democratic Republic of Congo's government has ordered telecoms to cut internet and SMS access ahead of planned mass protests against President Joseph Kabila, whose administration has continuously delayed elections to replace him. Telecom minister Emery Okundji told Reuters that it was a response to "violence that is being prepared," but people aren't buying that argument. Officials had already banned demonstrations, and the country has history of cutting communications and blocking social network access in a bid to quash dissent. Historically, these attempts at disrupting communication have had mixed results. Kabila used a communications cut in 2015 with some success, but attempts in Egypt and elsewhere have failed -- if just because service eventually has to come back . And the Congo protests this time around promise to be p...

OkCupid is facing a lot of backlash for ditching usernames in favor of real names. As TechCrunch noted, its app's Google Play and App Store pages are flooded with one-star reviews posted over the past month, complaining about the features the service has recently changed or killed. The reviews talked about how the forced transparency of the new name requirement could compromise people's privacy and security, since the service now also matches users with others nearby based on their shared interests. Those with stalkery tendencies might take advantage of these new offerings. A lot of them also discussed concerns that Match.com is simply turning OkCupid (which it owns) into another Tinder (which it also owns). OkCupid explained again and again as responses to the reviews that it's not requiring people to use their legal names. They can use nicknames, even initials, so long as they don't have numbers and symbols. It told TechCrunch in a statement that the change...

Google talked about wireless Android Auto back in spring 2016, but there hasn't exactly been widespread adoption. You still have to assume that you'll need a USB cable when you hit the road. That's about to change: JVCKenwood has casually teased plans to unveil a high-end head end unit with "wireless connectivity for Android Auto" at CES in January. It's keeping most details close to the vest, as you might expect before the big show, but it will pack Apple CarPlay support and a 720p screen. It may take a while for this head end to arrive. Many products announced at CES tend not to ship for a few months. And this certainly won't be a trivial expense when it does arrive. However, this might be one of your better options if you want to get directions or listen to music without plugging in your Android phone. Also, we won't be shocked if this hints at other wireless Android Auto introductions in the near future, including built-in implementations. ...

Iran is currently engulfed in demonstrations: many are protesting the clerical leadership, corruption and increasing costs of living, while counter-protestors are trying to protect the regime. And Telegram finds itself caught in the middle. The chat service has suspended the Amadnews channel after it started encouraging subscribers to lob Molotov cocktails at police, breaking the company's policy against calls for violence. The move came after Iran telecoms minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi complained to company founder Pavel Durov, who said Telegram would have to block the channel if it was promoting violence as claimed. It's not clear if or when the channel might come back. The incident highlights the fine line Telegram has to walk. It doesn't want to be seen as supporting an oppressive government, especially one that wants to spy on Telegram users , but it also has to maintain a consistent anti-violence policy. If it's going to ban ISIS , it also has to ba...

There are 43 states that currently treat texting while driving as a primary offense, but Florida isn't one of them -- you have to break another law before texting enters the picture. However, less-than-attentive commuters might not get away with it for much longer. The state legislature is about to consider a bill that would make texting a primary offense. In other words, officers could finally pull drivers over without waiting until they speed or otherwise put other road-goers at risk. Whether or not the measure works is another story. The AP notes that there are conflicting studies on the effectiveness of these laws. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said that those states without texting as a main offense had higher-than-average highway death rates, but also stated that existing bans haven't led to a decrease in accidents despite many people putting their phones down. There's also a concern that police may use texting as an opportunity for racial profi...

On Tuesday, cryptocurrency expert Pavel Lerner was snatched by an armed gang wearing ski masks near his office in Ukraine. It was a kidnap-for-ransom scheme, but with a high-tech twist: instead of asking for easily traceable paper money, the kidnappers demanded to be paid $1 million worth of bitcoins. Turns out NY County District Attorney Cyrus Vance was right when he said we can expect cryptocurrency-related crimes (outside of cyber attacks ) to be more common as its value surges. Vance made the statement after armed robbers held up a victim at gunpoint earlier this month to steal $1.8 million worth of virtual coins in New York. For the robbers, Lerner was a great target: he's a known bitcoin authority in Ukraine and is an executive at cryptocurrency exchange Exmo. He was thankfully released (shocked but alive) a couple of days later, but it's unclear who made the transfer for him and whether he did it himself. His company has assured users, though, that their coins are ...

Gadgets Whether you’re splitting wood or tearing down a whole house, these implements can do the job. Whether you’re splitting wood or tearing down a whole house, these implements can do the job. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2DAjvr4"

Apple was only poised to offer discounted iPhone battery replacements to Americans in late January, but they're already here. The company has issued a statement announcing that the $29 replacements are available today (December 30th) in the US for affected users with an iPhone 6 or later, whether or not they have an active AppleCare warranty. It didn't explain the move beyond saying that it "expected to need more time to be ready," but it was "happy" to provide the lower prices "right away." It warned that there might be initial shortages of batteries for some models. As before, the discount should last through the end of 2018. The $50 price slash is part of Apple's public apology for failing to disclose that it slows processor speeds on iPhones with severely degraded batteries. The company claimed that it slows the phones down to prevent unexpected shutdowns and extend longevity, but the lack of transparency led to accusations that it w...

It’s been a pretty good year for gadgets. While the most popular gadget may have been the fidget spinner, there have been a number of devices released in 2017 that will make a lasting impact for years to come. From the Nintendo Switch, which turned out to be a major hit for the Japanese gaming company , to new smart home devices from companies like Nest and Arlo, to changes in policy around smart luggage that threaten industry leaders in the space, 2017 has been nothing if not exciting for gadget enthusiasts. The biggest gadget win of the year is undoubtedly the Nintendo Switch . The portable gaming console landed in March and immediately made its mark as the best portable console in years. There have been very few gadgets that have... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CknYRY"

Like it or not, the Hillary Clinton email saga isn't over yet. The US State Department has released about 2,800 emails and other documents from former Clinton aide Huma Abedin that were found on the laptop of her soon-to-be-former husband Anthony Weiner. The disclosure is a response to a 2015 Freedom of Information Act request from Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group that has been hoping to use the presence of classified emails from personal accounts as evidence of lawbreaking by Abedin and Clinton. Most of the messages (covering January 2009 to February 2013) are unclassified, though a handful have been redacted at least in part. Five of Abedin's messages were deemed classified and discussed Middle Eastern affairs, including a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a deal with talks between Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization and chats with the UAE's foreign minister. The least redacted message discussed a call to Saudi Arabia's P...

The Steam Winter Sale continues today, through January 4th!* Save big on thousands of games for Windows, Mac and Linux! Be sure to vote in The Steam Awards! Come back every day through January 2nd to vote for each award, and find out the winners on January 3rd. Voting continues today with The "Soul of Vitruvius" Award. Here are the finalists: Bayonetta Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice I am Bread NieR: Automata Rise of the Tomb Raider Remember to check back every day to see the new category and cast your vote! *Discounts end January 4th at 10pm Pacific, unless otherwise indicated. via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2CsyeVM"