technology
The EPA says it still cares about forever chemicals, but health advocates are wary
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a new plan to address “forever chemicals” once widely used in non-stick and water-proof products that have since been linked to cancer, reproductive health issues, and liver damage. The vague details the EPA has shared so far, however, have health and environmental advocates wondering whether the EPA’s plan helps […]
MAGA’s next wave of influencers saved TikTok
The death knell for American TikTok should have been on March 13th, 2024, when Congress voted on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis to force its parent company to sell the app or face an outright ban. Rarely do you ever see Republicans and Democrats in agreement over anything, but both sides saw the app as a […]
White House calls Amazon ‘hostile’ after report says it will label tariff price hikes
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Amazon “hostile” based on a rumor that its site will adjust to show how tariffs affect the total cost of a product. The statement comes just hours after a report from Punchbowl News suggested that the ecommerce giant will display the added fees right next to a product’s […]
Take It Down Act heads to Trump’s desk
The Take It Down Act is heading to President Donald Trump’s desk after the House voted 409-2 to pass the bill, which will require social media companies to take down content flagged as nonconsensual (including AI-generated) sexual images. Trump has pledged to sign it. The bill is among the only pieces of online safety legislation […]
Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI
Duolingo will “gradually stop using contractors to do work that AI can handle,” according to an all-hands email sent by co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn announcing that the company will be “AI-first.” The email was posted on Duolingo’s LinkedIn account. According to von Ahn, being “AI-first” means the company will “need to rethink much […]
‘Video games are not manufactured in China,’ Playasia reassures tariff-wary customers
Playasia, a popular retailer for buying video games, toys, and more from Asia, says that it “does not expect” the Trump administration’s planned import rule changes on Chinese-made goods to apply to “game-related orders” because “those orders will not include Chinese-manufactured goods.” On May 2nd, the Trump administration is planning to end the de minimis […]
GOG is adding some classic Star Wars games to its preservation program
The PC gaming platform GOG is adding a bunch of classic Star Wars games to its preservation program, which aims to keep older games playable on modern systems. The games joining the program include: First announced last November, GOG’s game preservation program includes 162 DRM-free games, such as Breath of Fire IV, Diablo, System Shock […]
FTC commissioners on fighting back against Trump’s illegal firing
Today, we have something special for you: A few days ago, I hosted a panel with FTC commissioners Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya at the IAPP Global Privacy Summit in Washington, DC. We recorded the discussion, and we’re bringing it to you today. That’s all pretty normal Decoder stuff, you might say — except these […]
Nothing’s second modular phone reinvents the rules
Nothing has announced the second phone under its colorful subbrand CMF: the Phone 2 Pro. Just like the first CMF phone, this is a modular handset with extra accessories you can screw into place. And also just like the first CMF phone, it’s not getting an official US release. Buy the Phone 2 Pro by […]
Nike is facing a lawsuit from people who bought its NFTs
A group of people sued Nike this week over its decision to wind down its virtual show project RTFKT last year. The buyers of the digital assets accuse Nike of causing “the rug to be pulled out from under them,” and say they wouldn’t have bought its NFTs if they’d known they were “unregistered securities,” […]
OnePlus 13R review: Maybe just buy a Pixel 9A
The OnePlus 13R is a particular kind of midrange phone for a particular kind of person. It's a pared-down version of the OnePlus 13 - which is a full-on flagship and a good one at that. And even though it shares a lot of the flagship DNA, the 13R lacks peace-of-mind features present on the […]
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s battles are best when you break them
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has flashy, thrilling battles, but the best thing about them is how you can twist the game's many systems to your advantage. The turn-based RPG combat might feel familiar, but it offers a lot of ways to customize your approach to battles so that you can do absolutely devastating amounts of […]
