technology

/ Relationships were an important resource during the Flint water crisis, a new survey shows. It’s a lesson for other disasters. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images In the wake of disaster, maintaining close ties with friends and family is a crucial part of recovery. Those relationships might help keep people safe in the moment and even nurture better mental health long after the initial disaster, according to new research on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, that started in 2014. Sure, that might seem like common sense. But paying attention to ...

/ The company says it’ll continue providing internet service to new and existing customers as it restructures.

Microsoft is hoping two gaming giants will help get its Activision Blizzard deal across the line with regulators in Europe. Share this story

We’ve been reporting for months on Sonos’ upcoming speakers, but yesterday my colleague Chris Welch published some pretty final-looking marketing images of the Era 100 and Era 300 smart speakers. Expect both to offer USB-C line-in and support for Bluetooth streaming, while the Era 300 will additionally support spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. An official announcement is apparently just a few short weeks away. Next up, my colleague Andrew Webster got to visit the new Super Nintendo World attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood recently and chat with legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto himself. Finally, Microsoft is continuing to work hard to close its deal to acquire Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard. It’s reiterated the ten-year deal it’s signed with Nintendo to bring the fir...

/ The 10-year legal agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo players was announced as Microsoft prepares to make its case to EU regulators.

Sometimes you don’t need violence and zombies. Sometimes you just need human beings hanging out at the end of the world. Share this story a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: HBO Watching episode six of The Last of Us I was filled with dread. I’d played the game years ago (despite a very rational and healthy fear of all things zombie) and I knew where this episode was headed and what kind of fights Joel and Ellie would be forced into. But then the show didn’t spend hours in one location as Joel and Ellie snuck around trying to avoid getting murdered and doing a little murdering ...

/ Embraer’s patented system would read passengers’ emotions and offer them deep brain stimulation. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Embraer Commercial air travel is a largely terrible experience, and aviation companies patent a lot of ways to make it either slightly less miserable or an even more dystopian hell. Where does reading passengers’ emotions to offer them transcranial stimulation therapy fall? I’ll leave that up to you. Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer filed a patent application for a “brain stimulation system to provide a sense of wellbeing” back in 2016, and it ...

/ Meta and Twitter are both using account security to attract paid subscribers — but in very different ways.

/ The Sonos Era 300 and 100 are coming in late March. Both will support Bluetooth and USB-C line-in on top of Wi-Fi streaming as the company looks to reset the bar for smart speakers. a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>The Sonos Era 100 will include Bluetooth and line-in audio, two features that the Sonos One lacks. Combined with the introduction of Bluetooth for both home speakers, Sonos seems to be purposefully embracing choice and flexibility with its new products. In 2023, the preservation of physical input, even if it’s not as simple as a 3.5mm aux jack, is refreshing. Apple’s HomePod and Google’s Nest...

/ Memory Saver and Energy Saver modes pause unnecessary background tasks, and are now available on Chrome 110. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Google Google has released optimization features designed to improve battery life and memory usage on machines running the latest version of its Chrome desktop web browser. Chrome’s new Energy Saver and Memory Saver modes were first announced in December last year alongside the release of Chrome 108, and now as noted by Android Police, the two optimization utilities are starting to roll out globally onto Chrome 110 desktops for Mac, ...

As Super Nintendo World opens up in Los Angeles, the creator of Mario talks about getting back to his roots, and exploring new creative fields. Share this story a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood.a:hover]:text-black [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-e9 dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray-63 [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-13 dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63″>A giant Bowser statue greets visitors looking to ride the Mario Kart attraction.

/ The new Hellboy film will enter production next month with a script co-written by the creator of the comics. a:hover]:text-gray-63 [&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&>a:hover]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a:hover]:shadow-underline-gray [&>a]:shadow-underline-gray-63 dark:[&>a]:text-gray-bd dark:[&>a]:shadow-underline-gray”>Image: Lionsgate Almost two decades after the release of the Guillermo del Toro-directed Hellboy, the character is getting yet another reboot. Millennium Media has confirmed that Hellboy: The Crooked Man will enter production next month in Bulgaria, Deadline reports. Casting for the titular character (originally played by Ron Perlman and then David Harbour) is yet to be announced, but the new film will be directed by Brian Taylor, best know...