Technology

On April 17th, the decentralized finance (DeFi) project Beanstalk Farms was exploited for $182 million after an attacker mounted a lightning-fast hostile takeover, buying a controlling stake of tokens and immediately voting to send themself all of the funds. The incident sparked discussion around “governance attacks,” a way of manipulating blockchain projects that use decentralized governance structures by gaining enough voting rights to reshape the rules. In the wake of the attack, chat logs and video evidence show that the founders were warned about the risk of exactly this kind of attack, but they dismissed community members’ concerns. The Beanstalk exploit was made possible by another DeFi mechanism known as a “flash loan,” which allows users to borrow large amounts of cryptocurrency f...

While we’re likely months away from seeing Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 lineup, a disturbing report is making its way around the smartwatch rumor mill. According to a SamMobile report, Samsung is considering ditching the Classic model — and possibly the physical rotating bezel along with it. To put it nicely, that is a stupid idea. It is not hyperbole to say that the physical rotating bezel is one of the most beloved features on Samsung smartwatches. It goes back all the way to when its smartwatches were under the “Gear” moniker. The bezel at that time actually looked like a gear — teeth and all. It was a clever design aesthetically, but it was also functional. Being able to rotate the bezel to scroll through widgets, screens, and apps is one of those things that’s so intuitive, it makes you w...

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones have been one of the best options since they debuted in 2020, but it appears the company is gearing up to release the next generation. German tech news site TechnikNews has published some images and specs of the successor, seemingly called the WH-1000XM5 (via Gizmodo). The first thing you might notice is a sleek new design, particularly a thinner headband. The 1000XM3s and 1000XM4s were almost identical, but Sony could change the way things look for the new 1000XM5s. Instead of a shrouded arm that swivels, the arm is exposed, with a single contact point replacing the XM4’s larger folding hinge over the ear cups. That changes the design of the ear cups as well but suggests just a bit more of their space is available for the stuff that affects wha...

Tech startup Viture has worked with London-based design agency LAYER to create a pair of smart glasses that display a 120-inch virtual screen in its lenses, allowing wearers to stream and game discreetly while on the move. Designed to blur the boundaries between a design and tech object, the Viture One glasses have been adapted to have a super-slim profile. The virtual screen simply appears to float in the user’s line of vision and can be used in most lighting conditions. Its operating system is compatible with almost all major streaming and gaming platforms, and can also be synced up to other Viture glasses – enabling the wearer to watch or play with friends. LAYER has also designed the corresponding neckband, which contains both the central processing unit and graphic processing unit, as...

NASA has tapped SpaceX, Amazon and four other American companies to begin developing “near-Earth space communication services” that it may use in future agency missions. The agency, which is in the process of decommissioning its own near-Earth satellite fleet, has been evaluating using commercially-provided SATCOM (satellite communication) networks for over a year and started the search for partners in 2021. The combined value of the agency’s deal, termed the Communications Services Project (CSP) funded agreements, is $278.5 million USD. “We are following the agency’s proven approach developed through commercial cargo and commercial crew services. By using funded Space Act Agreements, we’re able to stimulate industry to demonstrate end-to-end capability leading to operational service,...

While his primary focus is to continue building his vintage empire known as Round Two, Sean Wotherspoon often likes to indulge in collaborative projects. He recently popped up during weekend one of Coachella to team up with adidas and give out repurposed vintage jackets, and now he’s dipping his toes in the tech world to link up with Samsung for an accessories capsule that celebrates Earth Day. Sustainability has always been a key component of his ethos as a brand owner and collaborator, and he certainly incorporates that into this latest partnership that features phone cases and watch straps for the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy Watch4 series. “From the start, it was clear that we were aligned on our commitment to sustainability and finding real eco-conscious solutions people can use in their eve...

I’m a little annoyed that Elon Musk actually raised his money for Twitter because I was so excited to say “Where’s the money, Lebowski?” a lot of times. But fine, he found the money, according to the documents he filed with the SEC. So Musk is planning to pay $21 billion himself. The rest of the money, according to the letters of commitment, is coming from Morgan Stanley and assorted other banks. In one letter, the banks are offering $13 million in loans to Twitter; the second offers a $12.5 billion personal loan against Musk’s Tesla stock, which I’m sure will just thrill Tesla shareholders. The dates on these letters are, you guessed it, April 20th or 4/20, blaze it, etc. You’d think some private equity firms would belly up to the bar These letters give his bid more gravitas than before (...

You can’t keep a good Sonic game down. As Sonic fans flail about, overjoyed that Sonic Origins will be launching soon, some fans expressed dismay that the franchise’s blue-headed stepchild Sonic Spinball seems to have been forgotten in all these anniversary bundles and rereleases yet again. Nintendo heard those cries of injustice and is adding the “what if Sonic was a pinball?” game to the Sega Genesis library in the Switch Online Expansion Pack. Released in 1993 on the Sega Genesis, Sonic Spinball is a clunky pinball platformer. Sonic rolls around, buffeted by player-controlled paddles, in search of, what else, Chaos Emeralds. The controls are fiddly, the platforming can get very confusing, and the game churns like an arthritic milkmaid whenever there’s more than two moving things on the ...

Those squid kids finally have a release date. Nintendo has announced that Splatoon 3 will hit the Nintendo Switch on September 9th. The colorful shooter was previously pegged to launch sometime this summer. Like past entries in the series, Splatoon 3 is a four-on-four shooter that’s like a cross between paintball and Call of Duty where teams of humanoid creatures called Inklings and Octolings compete to paint a battlefield a particular color. The lack of violence and vibrant tone have helped differentiate the series from the glut of other competitive shooters. The new entry will introduce the typical new weapons and stages along with an improved co-op experience and what looks to be a much more in-depth single-player campaign. With the recent delay of the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Bre...

This Earth Day, Google is dedicating its Doodle to how badly we’re messing up our beloved planet. It’s actually kind of a cool Doodle. Four different GIFs show time lapses of dramatic changes driven by climate change. From Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, you’ll see footage of bright corals losing their color under the stress of warmer waters. Corals are living creatures that get their color from algae in their tissues with which they have a symbiotic relationship. Under stress, including rising ocean temperatures, corals lose that algae in a depressing phenomenon called “bleaching.” Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching on Lizard Island, Australia. The images were taken each month from March to May 2016.GIF: Google / The Ocean Agency A sixth mass bleaching event struck the Great Barrier Reef ...