Technology

DuckDuckGo’s new tool aims to prevent apps from tracking Android users, first reported by Wired. The tool, called App Tracking Protection, is essentially a watered-down version of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature, which gives users the choice to opt-out of data tracking within apps. However, DuckDuckGo’s tool hasn’t been rolled out as part of an update to all Android phones, nor is it available as a separate download — it’s built into DuckDuckGo’s privacy-focused browser app, but works across your device. In a post on its blog, the company says that the tool will block “trackers it identifies in other apps from third-party companies.” GIF by DuckDuckGo Once App Tracking Protection is enabled, it will run in the background as you use your phone. The tool recognizes when an app is a...

Astra is now on the list of privately-owned space companies that have successfully reached orbit. Its Launch Vehicle 0007 (LV0007), which was carrying a test payload for the US military, took off from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak Island, Alaska on Saturday at 1:16AM ET. Following a smooth liftoff, the 43-foot rocket achieved orbit around nine minutes later at 500km above Earth. “The team’s worked so hard on this for so many years,” said Astra CEO Chris Kemp during a livestream after the launch. “We have rocket serial number eight, nine, 10 in production, so we’re just getting started.” The startup’s successful launch follows several failed attempts at reaching orbit The California-based startup’s successful launch follows several failed attempts at reaching orbit. Its first atte...

Rendered images of the Google Pixel 6A have been leaked by reliable leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks), and give us a glimpse at what the midrange device may look like, first reported by 91Mobiles. The leaked images show the Google Pixel 6A without a headphone jack. | Image: Steve Hemmerstoffer / 91Mobiles The rendered Pixel 6A, which belongs to the budget-friendly Pixel A-series lineup, looks almost identical to the standard Pixel 6. It seems to sport the same black camera strip on its rear that houses two cameras and a flash, along with a hole-punch selfie camera on the front. The bottom of the device appears to have a USB-C port, as well as a speaker and a microphone. As pointed out by 9to5Google, there appears to be no fingerprint sensor on the outside of the device — this might mea...

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, known in Japan by the much better name Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, was released in 2001 and takes place during the show’s final handful of episodes. Most anime movies don’t impact the overall arc of the show, featuring enemies, allies, and plot points that are rarely ever acknowledged outside the movie’s quarantine zone. However, Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door transcends the trope of the inconsequential anime movie and is critical to the conversation surrounding the show’s cultural impact. In Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, the gang are unwittingly sucked into a bio-terrorism plot, forced to stop the evil Vincent Volaju before he unleashes a deadly storm of nanobots on Mars. The movie hits on all the little things that make a typical Cowboy Bebop episode great. ...

In case you weren’t aware, the biggest shopping holiday of the year is right around the corner. Yes, Black Friday is nearly upon us, kicking off promptly following Thanksgiving in the US, which happens on Thursday, November 25th. And while some of the best deals are yet to come (don’t worry, we’ll have you covered), we’ve collected some of the best early Black Friday deals you can cash in on right now from various brands and retailers. But for now, here’s what is especially alluring in the deals world. The Black Friday sale at the Ubisoft store is live, and there are massive savings to be had on its catalog of games. Even brand new releases like Far Cry 6 and Riders Republic are enjoying solid discounts during this sale that runs until the 28th of November. At Ubisoft’s online store, make ...

Foundation’s first season has officially wrapped with its season finale, which saw the first chapter of Apple TV Plus’ most ambitious show come to a conclusion. The epic sci-fi show, based on Isaac Asimov’s centuries-spanning series of novels, has grown far beyond its quasi-magic space math from the initial episodes, spinning out different storylines ranging from drama in the Foundation’s newfound home of Terminus to the byzantine imperial politics of Trantor. In the wake of the finale, The Verge’s Chaim Gartenberg and Andrew Webster are revisiting the show to see what worked, what didn’t, and what they’re hoping to see in the already-announced second season. Spoilers for the entire first season of Foundation ahead Image: Apple Chaim: I’m really of two minds about Foundation. With the firs...

It turns out the way to beat the collective will of the internet’s cryptocurrency fans is to have way, way more money than them. Ken Griffin, the CEO and founder of Citadel, has revealed himself as the winner of last night’s $43.2 million auction for a rare copy of the US Constitution. A collective of crypto enthusiasts, calling themselves ConstitutionDAO, managed to raise $47 million in about a week’s time in a quixotic attempt to win the document themselves and put it on display to the public for free. While the DAO didn’t win, they did manage to push the price up on Griffin, with the two parties slowly going back and forth million by million during the auction last night, each seemingly uncertain if they would be able to go a million higher with every passing bid. Finally, ConstitutionD...

Elizabeth Holmes, her hair down and her makeup muted relative to her Theranos days, spelled her name for the court. After the prosecution rested its case in the morning, the defense called her as their third witness, about an hour before the end of the day. She wore a navy blazer with a white blouse — not one of the famous black turtlenecks has made an appearance in court during the months the case against her has dragged on. Holmes is facing 11 counts of wire fraud from her time as founder and CEO of Theranos. Though her testimony today is the first time she’s spoken for herself, we’ve heard her voice already — in the recordings of Fortune journalist Roger Parloff. In those recordings, she lies confidently about her device’s capabilities. And the lies Parloff recorded were consistent with...

A new website called The NFT Bay claims to have right-clicked and saved every NFT on the Ethereum and Solana blockchain networks as JPEG files, stirring up a debate on what makes NFTs so valuable. The website was created by Geoff Huntley, who described himself as “a software engineer and DevOps engineer with a ‘Jack-of-All-Trades’ background.” ?OMG WHO RIGHT CLICKED ALL OF THE #NFTs?☠️??‍☠️ https://t.co/o0YRK78AkL ?‍☠️?? pic.twitter.com/g74TFqzX0n — ?‍☠️ thenftbay.org ? ?? (@GeoffreyHuntley) November 18, 2021 “Did you know that an NFT is just a hyperlink to an image that is usually hosted on Google Drive or another Web2.0 webhost?” Huntley wrote in The NFT Bay’s description. “That’s why you can right-click save-as...

Hulu with Live TV is getting another price hike, but the subscription will now include Disney Plus and ESPN Plus at no additional cost. Beginning December 21st, Hulu with Live TV’s monthly subscription cost will jump from its current price of $65 per month to $70 per month for its ad-supported tier. Its ad-free live TV package, meanwhile, will jump from $71 per month to $76 per month when the change goes into effect. The new pricing will apply to both new subscribers and those already paying for the service. With the change, both of Hulu’s live TV packages will include ESPN Plus as well as Disney Plus, which cost $7 and $8 per month, respectively. That’s a major benefit to anyone currently paying for one or either of those services in addition to their Hulu with Live TV package. It’s less ...

Google sent a letter to the Department of Justice Friday requesting that the department examine whether newly confirmed antitrust division head Jonathan Kanter, who has been a vocal critic of the search giant, should be recused from federal antitrust investigations into Google. In his new role, Kanter will lead the department’s lawsuit against Google alleging it has a monopoly in the search and advertising markets. Kanter has represented a number of companies in motions against Google, which the search giant argues should disqualify him. Most notably, Kanter represented Microsoft in a motion arguing against Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick, which was eventually approved by regulators and was closed in 2008. “Mr. Kanter’s past statements and work representing competitors who have advocat...