Tech Archive

Honda and Nissan plan to merge as we enter the age of electric cars

Jess WeatherbedDec 23, 2024

T’is the season to leak restricted military info.

Classified documents about the Eurofighter Typhoon’s radar systems have appeared on the War Thunder military hardware simulator’s gaming forum — mirroring a similar leak last December related to the M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

The materials have since been removed, with a forum community manager posting the following warning:

“I will take this opportunity to again remind everyone here, please do not, under any circumstances try to post, use or share any sources unless you are 100% certain they are legally declassified and publicly safe for use.”

Classified fighter jet specs leaked on War Thunder – again

[UK Defence Journal]

X raises Premium Plus subscription pricing by almost 40 percent

Jess WeatherbedDec 23, 2024

Wes DavisDec 22, 2024

Google Photos is getting a new row of shortcuts on iOS.

Google is rolling out a set of shortcuts to the top of the Photos tab that take you to Favorites, Recently Added, Trash, and a recent album, according to 9to5Google.

The outlet reports spotting the change in version 7.11 of the app on iOS, though I don’t see it there quite yet. The change hasn’t made it to the Android version.

Screenshot showing the new shortcuts, appearing just below the top bar in Google Photos.

The new shortcuts are similar to those in the “Collections” tab.

Screenshot: Google Photos / 9to5Google

Wes DavisDec 22, 2024

Google may be found guilty of antitrust violations in Japan.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission is expected to announce that Google’s preferential Search deals with smartphone makers are anticompetitive, reports Nikkei Asia.

Like in the US, Google will get to weigh in after the JFTC releases its verdict. The regulator will “notify Google of the draft of its order, hear the company’s opinion and make a final decision,” writes Nikkei.

Japan antitrust watchdog to find Google violated law in search case

[Nikkei Asia]

Wes DavisDec 22, 2024

Go watch this caper about salvaging an extremely rare 400-plus pound CRT TV.

Shank Mods’ winding tale about rescuing the behemoth Sony PVM-4300 from a recently closed restaurant on the other side of the globe is a delight from start to finish. (And getting the TV is only part of the story.)

All I will think about for the rest of the day is playing 4-player Mario Kart: Double Dash!! on this beauty.

All of Canoo’s employees are reportedly on a ‘mandatory unpaid break’

Wes DavisDec 22, 2024

Is Apple skimping on its app review team?

A new Wall Street Journal story detailing two nonprofits’ discovery of hundreds of iOS apps inappropriately rated for kids identifies a possible reason so many apps that seem to clearly defy Apple’s guidelines end up in its App Store anyway:

[The app review team has] several hundred reviewers who work long hours and struggle to keep up with the large numbers of apps coming in everyday, according to former employees ... Apple expects [them] to move quickly through a certain number of apps a day, making it difficult to spot potential problems, the former employees said.

Apple’s App Store Puts Kids a Click Away From a Slew of Inappropriate Apps

[The Wall Street Journal]

Wes DavisDec 22, 2024

Fixing badly-named apps.

I talked to Allison Johnson about my home screen for her guide to living off the iPhone app grid. But I forgot to mention something: one reason I use iOS Shortcuts icons on my home screen is so I can remember what badly-named apps do.

Take the “Library” Shortcut below. It opens “CountyCat,” my local library’s app. Why is it called CountyCat? Who approved that? Doesn’t matter; it’s just “Library” to me.