Technology

Google Chrome has built-in phishing detection that scans pages to see if they match known fake or malicious sites (using more than just the URL, since scammers rotate those more quickly than it can keep up). And, now, that tech is getting better. Google also says that, in Chrome 102, it will use machine learning that runs entirely within the browser (without sending data back to Google or elsewhere) to help identify websites that make unsolicited permission requests for notifications and silence them before they pop up. As Google explains it, “To further improve the browsing experience, we’re also evolving how people interact with web notifications. On the one hand, page notifications help deliver updates from sites you care about; on the other hand, notification permission prompts can bec...

A forum post at ResetEra points out a leaked listing on the PlayStation Direct site (via IGN) that reveals confirmation of the previously rumored PS5 remake of The Last of Us — the first one, that is — scheduled for release on September 2nd. The page they spotted included box art, screenshots, and information about a PlayStation Direct-exclusive Firefly Edition with special bonuses, but it’s already been pulled. However, the source link for a trailer advertising the release is still live as of this writing, and a title card at the end reveals not only the potential PS5 release date but one final tag saying “also in development for PC.” That sets up Joel and Ellie’s adventure to follow in the footsteps of the PC ports for updated older PlayStation exclusives like God of War, Uncharted: Lega...

Today, NASA announced that it is putting together an independent team of researchers this fall to study sightings of unidentified aerial phenomena, or UAPs, the updated term now used to refer to UFOs. The space agency says it plans to study these sightings from a scientific perspective but also stressed that “there is no evidence UAPs are extra-terrestrial in origin.” The study team, to be led by astrophysicist David Spergel, will attempt to identify what data is out there on UAPs and figure out how to best capture data on UAPs in the future. NASA noted that the limitations in sightings make it hard to come to logical conclusions about where UAPs come from. The researchers will also try to identify how “NASA can use that data to move the scientific understanding of UAPs forward,” according...

The federal government is upgrading its investigation into over a dozen incidents of Tesla vehicles using Autopilot that crashed into emergency vehicles. The probe is now designated as an “Engineering Analysis,” which is the second and final phase of an investigation before a possible recall. This next phase will involve additional tests and crash analyses “to explore the degree to which Autopilot and associated Tesla systems may exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the driver’s supervision,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in documents posted on its website Thursday. Exploring how Autopilot may “exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks” The NHTSA is also expanding the number of Tesla vehicles tha...

Playing games on the new Xbox app made for TVs feels like a big deal. There’s no console and no hidden HDMI streaming device. Yet, in my brief hands-on demo, games like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 loaded quickly and — most importantly — they played well with both Xbox and PlayStation 5 wireless controllers. And if you aren’t a Game Pass subscriber, you’ll still be able to jump into Fortnite immediately through the app for free after you sign in with a Microsoft account. The app aims to provide a console-like experience to people who don’t want the cost and cruft of buying and setting up a console. It lets you pair a Bluetooth headset to hear audio and chat with Xbox friends, and Xbox save data gets synced over the cloud, letting you pick up on the TV where you last left off. You’ll b...

Microsoft is planning to bring a lot more games to Xbox Cloud Gaming later this year, allowing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to stream most of their own game library. “We’re excited to share that later this year, it’s our intent to roll out the ability for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play, from the cloud, select games they already own or have purchased outside the Xbox Game Pass library,” says Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire editor in chief. This expansion will make Xbox Cloud Gaming a lot more valuable, opening the service up to potentially thousands of more games. Microsoft only says “select games,” so it’s clear not every single Xbox game will be available, and the company isn’t saying anything more about its plans. But it looks like the intent is to cover most of the games you alre...

Microsoft is planning to bring a lot more games to Xbox Cloud Gaming later this year, allowing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to stream most of their own game library. “We’re excited to share that later this year, it’s our intent to roll out the ability for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play, from the cloud, select games they already own or have purchased outside the Xbox Game Pass library,” says Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire editor in chief. This expansion will make Xbox Cloud Gaming a lot more valuable, opening the service up to potentially thousands of more games. Microsoft only says “select games,” so it’s clear not every single Xbox game will be available, and the company isn’t saying anything more about its plans. But it looks like the intent is to cover most of the games you alre...

If you were passing through Art Basel Miami in December, you might have heard about a Pudgy Penguins club night. The founder Cole Thereum was there, surrounded by penguin artwork on the wall and even etched into ice. The artist behind it all, Antoine Mingo, was there too, sipping a gin and tonic in the back of the venue, but he kept a lower profile. He drew the faces and bodies that made up the penguins, but his connection to the project has stayed under the radar. Unlike Cole, no one at the party recognized him. The Miami event was a high point in Mingo’s unusual career as an NFT artist. Tokens built from his art have sold for upwards of $400,000 even as he remains largely on the sidelines. As far as the NFT world is concerned, the real leaders of Pudgy Penguins are the founders, who code...

If you were passing through Art Basel Miami in December, you might have heard about a Pudgy Penguins club night. The founder Cole Thereum was there, surrounded by penguin artwork on the wall and even etched into ice. The artist behind it all, Antoine Mingo, was there too, sipping a gin and tonic in the back of the venue, but he kept a lower profile. He drew the faces and bodies that made up the penguins, but his connection to the project has stayed under the radar. Unlike Cole, no one at the party recognized him. The Miami event was a high point in Mingo’s unusual career as an NFT artist. Tokens built from his art have sold for upwards of $400,000 even as he remains largely on the sidelines. As far as the NFT world is concerned, the real leaders of Pudgy Penguins are the founders, who code...