3/24/23
Consumer Tech
How and where to buy refurbished tech online (Engadget)
How to get Android 14's new notification powers now (Computerworld)
9 Apple products we’re expecting in 2023: iPhone 15, M2 Mac Pro, and more (DT)
Dynamic Island on the iPhone 15 is getting a big upgrade (Tom’s)
The Leia Lume Pad 2 is a $1,100, glasses-free 3D Android tablet (Ars)
Framework’s first gaming laptop features upgradeable GPUs, swappable keyboards (Ars)
Framework gives its modular laptops 13th-gen Intel CPUs and (finally) an AMD option (Ars)
Dell’s new Latitude 9440 is one of the smallest 14-inch business laptops you can buy (Verge)
The new Kubuntu XE could be the Linux laptop for you (HTG)
Acer Predator X32 FP review: A Mini-LED monitor for work and play (PCWorld)
The best SSDs of 2023: Reviews and buying advice (PCWorld)
Belkin’s backpedal exposes Matter’s inherent tension (Verge)
Information
Attention, travelers: Now is the best time to switch to eSIM (NYT)
IFTTT now has AI-powered automations for paying subscribers (Verge)
OpenAI is massively expanding ChatGPT’s capabilities to let it browse the web and more (Verge)
AI platform allegedly bans journalist over fake Trump arrest images (Ars)
Mozilla launches a new startup focused on ‘trustworthy’ AI (TechCrunch)
Maybe AI will be a threat—to government (Reason)
Publishers prepare for showdown with Microsoft, Google over AI tools (WSJ)
A 16-month-old chatbot startup with no revenue is now a $1 billion unicorn (WSJ)
WhatsApp introduces a new Windows client with better calling features (TechCrunch)
Mesh Wi-Fi vs Traditional Routers: Which is better? (PCWorld)
Commerce/Gig Economy
Amazon, other retailers revamp 'free' shipping as costs soar (Reuters)
Entertainment
Apple reportedly plans to spend $1B a year to release Apple TV+ movies in theaters (TechCrunch)
Apple Music bug on iOS is reportedly mixing up people's playlists (Engadget)
YouTube Music vs. Spotify: Which is better for streaming? (HTG)
I switched from Xbox to PlayStation because Microsoft loves the PC (PCWorld)
Microsoft says ‘we haven’t pulled any games from PlayStation’ amid Redfall PS5 discussion (Gamespot)
‘Sonic Origins Plus’ brings the hedgehog’s Game Gear entries to modern consoles (Engadget)
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum offers an authentic take on Tolkien's Middle-earth (Eurogamer)
Video game Everywhere crams the ambition of GTA inside a Roblox competitor (Polygon)
Elden Ring gets ray tracing in new update (Verge)
Beloved TMNT graphic novel The Last Ronin is becoming a video game (Polygon)
Lego 2K Drive melds the best parts of kart racers and Forza Horizon (DT)
Social
New accounts now have to wait only 30 days for Twitter Blue (TechCrunch)
Twitter to begin culling legacy verified marks from April 1 (Bloomberg)
Snap is offering its image filter technology to let shoppers try on clothes virtually (Bloomberg)
Policy/Industry
Huawei makes breakthroughs in design tools for 14nm chips -media (Reuters)
Tech makers must provide repairs for up to 10 years under proposed EU law (Ars)
Network fee not the fix for European telecoms financial problems, Meta says (Reuters)
TikTok CEO grilled by skeptical lawmakers on safety, content (AP)
American solve using TikTok. Politicians love punching TikTok (Slate)
New York lawmakers consider streaming-services tax for transit funding (WSJ)
Utah social media law means kids need approval from parents (AP)
Chipmakers fight spread of US crackdowns on “forever chemicals” (Ars)
Rare earths supply chains and confrontation with China (National Interest)
Made-in-US rules for EV batteries shift in fine print of climate law (Bloomberg)
EV battery makers test a future without lithium (Bloomberg)
Jack Dorsey’s Block vows to fight back after Hindenburg says it’s short the stock (Bloomberg)
Former Stripe engineer raises $4M for Beam, a fintech startup out to help contractors get paid faster (TechCrunch)
GameStop stock soars after retailer posts first quarterly profit in two years (CNBC)
Walmart lays off hundreds of workers at e-commerce facilities (CNBC)
Musk denies report on SpaceX's plans for new funding from Saudi, UAE (Reuters)
Musk’s new Texas neighbors alarmed by his huge development plans (WSJ)
Cybersecurity/Privacy
France looks to AI-powered surveillance to secure Olympics (Reuters)
Names, photos of Los Angeles undercover police posted online (AP)
PayPal’s bringing its passkey logins to Android (Verge)
Kids tech camp iD Tech still silent weeks after data breach (TechCrunch)
Next
A 3D-printed rocket launched successfully but failed to reach orbit (NPR)
United and Archer will open an air taxi route to Chicago’s O’Hare airport in 2025 (Engadget)
Joby Aviation names former FAA administrator as director (Reuters)
For smarter robots, just add humans (Wired)