NASA Makes Contact With Satellite Thought Lost 13 Years Ago

NASA's IMAGE satellite has reactivated itself after over a decade of silence. Is there any data left to find?

The post NASA Makes Contact With Satellite Thought Lost 13 Years Ago appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Ransomware Scammers Get Scammed Themselves By Tor Proxy Hack

Ransomware payments are being diverted via a man-in-the-middle attack, which is some sort of perverse justice. Still, it won't do the original ransomware victims any good.

The post Ransomware Scammers Get Scammed Themselves By Tor Proxy Hack appeared first on ExtremeTech.

The Nintendo Switch Has Outsold the Wii U in Less Than a Year

As part of its quarterly report, Nintendo said the Switch has moved 14.86 million units as of the end of 2017. That's already more than the Wii U in its entire life, which is even faster than expected.

The post The Nintendo Switch Has Outsold the Wii U in Less Than a Year appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Hands On: How Mazda’s Gasoline-Powered Diesel May Lift MPG 20-30 Percent

Creativity flows from the smallest of automakers: The SkyActiv-X engine compresses gasoline until it self-combusts. It uses ultra-lean air/fuel mixtures, low enough to sometimes need a spark plug to start (only) combustion.

The post Hands On: How Mazda’s Gasoline-Powered Diesel May Lift MPG 20-30 Percent appeared first on ExtremeTech.

ET deals: Save Big on NordVPN

If you're on public WiFi at the library or a coffee shop, anyone can look at your unencrypted traffic. Even when you're online at home, your ISP and government might very well be snooping on your day-to-day activities. Thankfully, investing in a VPN is incredibly affordable. Take advantage of today's deal from NordVPN, and you can get an entire year of service for less than $3 per month.

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Google Pulled ‘Bad’ Android Apps in 2017 Faster Than Ever Before

Google reports that it took down more than 700,000 "bad" apps in 2017, and it did so faster than ever before.

The post Google Pulled ‘Bad’ Android Apps in 2017 Faster Than Ever Before appeared first on ExtremeTech.

New Bill Mandates Replaceable Batteries in Consumer Electronics

The state of Washington is proposing a new bill that would mandate the inclusion of user-replaceable batteries in all consumer electronics.

The post New Bill Mandates Replaceable Batteries in Consumer Electronics appeared first on ExtremeTech.

AMD Triumphantly Returns to Full-Year Profitability, Forecasts Strong 2018

AMD's financial earnings for 2017 were the companies greatest success in years and marked its return to full-year profitability. Can it pull off the same trick two years in a row?

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Apple Slashes iPhone X Production by Half On Weak Demand

Apple is slashing production on its iPhone X to adjust to a drop in overall demand, according to a new report. No word yet on how this hit the company's financials as a whole.

The post Apple Slashes iPhone X Production by Half On Weak Demand appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Apple Prepping New Coprocessors, Macs, iPad for Later This Year

Apple is already hard at work on a new set of chips and hardware for this year, but Meltdown and Spectre could have ramifications well beyond Intel.

The post Apple Prepping New Coprocessors, Macs, iPad for Later This Year appeared first on ExtremeTech.

ET Deals Roundup: Bonus $100 Gift Card on Xbox One X, Amazon Fire 4K Streamer for $55, and more

Ready to invest in a 4K gaming console? Right now, Dell is offering up the excellent 1TB Xbox One X console with a bonus $100 gift card to sweeten the deal. You can also grab a discounted 4K Amazon Fire Stick, a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a 60-inch 4K Vizio, and so much more.Featured DealsMicrosoft Xbox…

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AI May Have Unlocked the Secrets of the Mysterious Voynich Manuscript

Researchers from the University of Alberta now claim to have made significant progress in understanding the manuscript with the aid of artificial intelligence.

The post AI May Have Unlocked the Secrets of the Mysterious Voynich Manuscript appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Waymo Buys ‘Thousands’ More Self-Driving Vehicles From Fiat Chrysler

When all the receipts are tallied, Waymo has surely just dropped tens of millions to expand its fleet.

The post Waymo Buys ‘Thousands’ More Self-Driving Vehicles From Fiat Chrysler appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Best Xbox One X-Enhanced Games for $20 or Less

After spending big on a new console and 4K set, paying $60 a pop for a bunch of brand new games is a tough sell for many of us. Thankfully, there are plenty of affordable games that natively support the high-res goodness of the Xbox One X.

The post Best Xbox One X-Enhanced Games for $20 or Less appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Emergency Windows Update Removes Intel’s Buggy Spectre Patch

Microsoft has issued a rare out-of-cycle patch for Windows systems that removes Intel's Spectre patch. That has to be embarrassing for Intel.

The post Emergency Windows Update Removes Intel’s Buggy Spectre Patch appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Why RAM Prices Are Through the Roof

DRAM prices haven't hit the same crazy levels as GPU pricing has of late, but the increases have been huge -- and they're sticking around for awhile.

The post Why RAM Prices Are Through the Roof appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Microsoft May Be Mulling a Major Studio Acquisition, Possibly Even EA

Microsoft has a problem with console exclusives and it's thinking about picking up a studio or two to help out -- including, believe it or not, EA.

The post Microsoft May Be Mulling a Major Studio Acquisition, Possibly Even EA appeared first on ExtremeTech.

MIT Researchers Create Color-Shifting Ink for 3D Printers

A new printing technology designed by MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) has the potential to add significantly more colors to 3D printing without the need for additional print heads.

The post MIT Researchers Create Color-Shifting Ink for 3D Printers appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Intel Disclosed Spectre, Meltdown to Chinese Companies Before US Government

Intel's Spectre and Meltdown notification process and the rollout of fixes have been pretty rocky. The company is now under fire for notifying its Chinese customers of the flaws before the US government.

The post Intel Disclosed Spectre, Meltdown to Chinese Companies Before US Government appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Trump Administration Denies Plan to Nationalize 5G Network

A memo leaked from the Trump administration discusses the possibility of nationalizing the 5G networks under construction in the US, but the administration states it has no plans to do so.

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Ford Patents Autonomous Police Car to Hand Out Tickets

The patent describes a self-driving police car that can monitor for traffic violations, then chase down the perpetrators to deliver a ticket with the cold, unfeeling efficiency that can only be achieved with a machine.

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Elon Musk Has Sold More Than $3.5 Million Worth of Flamethrowers

The company is anything but "boring" now that it'll sell you a flamethrower. It's apparently sold a lot of them, too.

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8K Displays Could Be Ready This Year, but Content Could Take Until 2025

8K panels could arrive as soon as this year (at extraordinary prices), but 8K content? That might be seven years away -- or even more. This depends, to some extent, and how you define "content."

The post 8K Displays Could Be Ready This Year, but Content Could Take Until 2025 appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Dutch Intelligence Tipped off FBI, NSA on Russian Cyber Attacks

The US has been certain the Russians hacked the DNC and State Department, and now we know part of why. It was Dutch intelligence operatives that hacked into some of Russia's own institutions -- including their closed-circuit television cameras.

The post Dutch Intelligence Tipped off FBI, NSA on Russian Cyber Attacks appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Google Hired Photographers To Help Train the AI-Powered ‘Clips’ Camera

Google unveiled this device in October 2017, but it's still not available. It's expected to go on sale soon, and now Google has detailed how it tuned the camera's neural network to understand what is a significant moment.

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YouTube Is Serving Covert Cryptocurrency Mining Ads

Cryptocurrency mining in-browser (and without user consent) is finally infecting sites like YouTube, to the widespread detriment of the site's users.

The post YouTube Is Serving Covert Cryptocurrency Mining Ads appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Buying a Pre-Built Gaming PC Is Now Smarter Than Building Your Own

With component prices skyrocketing, you may actually be further ahead to purchase a pre-built gaming computer even if it's not exactly what you want.

The post Buying a Pre-Built Gaming PC Is Now Smarter Than Building Your Own appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Former Tesla Employees Warn of Defective Model 3 Batteries

Some former Tesla employees report that many Model 3 batteries were assembled by hand, and there could be quality issues that make them more prone to failure. Tesla, however, denies this.

The post Former Tesla Employees Warn of Defective Model 3 Batteries appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Montana, New York State Mandate ISPs Uphold Net Neutrality Principles

New York State and Montana don't normally team up, but politics makes for strange bedfellows. Montana and NYS became the first two states to order that all ISPs wishing to do business with the state government must uphold net neutrality principles as a condition of any state contract.

The post Montana, New York State Mandate ISPs Uphold Net Neutrality Principles appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Intel Has 10nm Fixes for Meltdown, Spectre; May Have Lost Share to AMD in 2017

Intel's Q4 earnings call was yesterday, and the company shared updates on its battle against Meltdown and Spectre, its plans for 10nm, and its overall performance in a much more competitive environment throughout the year.

The post Intel Has 10nm Fixes for Meltdown, Spectre; May Have Lost Share to AMD in 2017 appeared first on ExtremeTech.

New Jupiter Images From Juno Probe Reveal Amazing Detail

In a pair of recently released images, you can see an unprecedented amount of detail in Jupiter's clouds, and they were both created by citizen scientists.

The post New Jupiter Images From Juno Probe Reveal Amazing Detail appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Trump Administration: End ISS Funding, Return to Lunar Exploration

The Trump administration has called for NASA to cease funding ISS operations in 2024, in order to divert that money into manned lunar exploration in 2025.

The post Trump Administration: End ISS Funding, Return to Lunar Exploration appeared first on ExtremeTech.

2018 Toyota Yaris iA Review: An Affordable Car That’s Fun to Drive, Too

The Mazda-designed Toyota Yaris iA vies with the Honda Fit for bragging rights in the subcompact-car category. The iA has a stylish cockpit and decent tech, though it lacks the high-tech features of other Toyotas: adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and blind spot detection.

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ET Deals Roundup: Dell 4K Laptop only $612, Get a 55-inch 4K TV under $400, and more

For a limited time, Dell is offering up a quad-core Inspiron 15 7000 laptop with a 4K display at a 38% discount. You can also grab discounted smartphones on Amazon, and a sleek HP Titan smartwatch on the PCMag store. Of course, with the big game coming up quickly, there are plenty of bargains to be found for televisions too.

The post ET Deals Roundup: Dell 4K Laptop only $612, Get a 55-inch 4K TV under $400, and more appeared first on ExtremeTech.

People Are Using a Neural Network App to Create Fake Celebrity Porn

Machine learning has become so advanced that a handful of developers have created a tool called FakeApp that can create convincing "face swap" videos. And of course, they're using it to make porn.

The post People Are Using a Neural Network App to Create Fake Celebrity Porn appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Samsung to Unveil Galaxy S9 on February 25th

We don't know a lot about the device, but Samsung's event invitation offers at least one tantalizing teaser.

The post Samsung to Unveil Galaxy S9 on February 25th appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Today’s Surprisingly Excellent Net Neutrality Explainer Is Brought to You by Burger King

Burger King -- yes, Burger King -- made a pretty darn good video to explain what net neutrality is, why it's important, and why the FCC killing it last month represents a loss for Americans.

The post Today’s Surprisingly Excellent Net Neutrality Explainer Is Brought to You by Burger King appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Best PS4 Pro Games For $20 or Less

A surprisingly wide selection of titles received excellent PS4 Pro patches. From relatively small indies to beloved Sony exclusives and third-party best sellers, there's plenty of high-res enjoyment to be had for little cash.

The post Best PS4 Pro Games For $20 or Less appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Do Spectre, Meltdown Mean the Death of Moore’s Law?

Meltdown and Spectre are serious problems. Are they serious enough to kill all hope of future CPU performance improvements?

The post Do Spectre, Meltdown Mean the Death of Moore’s Law? appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Tesla Semi Spotted on California Street

After showing off its design for an electric semi truck, the company has been working on an aggressive release schedule. However, the vehicle hasn't been spotted in real life until now.

The post Tesla Semi Spotted on California Street appeared first on ExtremeTech.

SpaceX Test Fires Falcon Heavy Rocket

SpaceX has successfully test fired the Falcon Heavy for the first time ever, proving that if nothing else, the engines will be able to ignite and send the rocket upward. Everything after that is still unknown.

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For the Love of God and All Things Holy, Don’t Bite an iPhone Battery

It's difficult to know when you're buying a genuine battery and when you might be getting a counterfeit or substandard replacement. Biting into it is pretty much the worst validation method we can think of.

The post For the Love of God and All Things Holy, Don’t Bite an iPhone Battery appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Microsoft Announces New Data Privacy Tools for Windows 10

Soon you'll be able to see the diagnostic data Microsoft collects from Windows and what it's doing with it.

The post Microsoft Announces New Data Privacy Tools for Windows 10 appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Michelin’s Acorus Means Potholes Won’t Damage Low-Profile Tires, Wheels

Bend, not break: Acorus wheel adds a pair of rubber flanges for extra flex, saving short-sidewall tires from their early demise.

The post Michelin’s Acorus Means Potholes Won’t Damage Low-Profile Tires, Wheels appeared first on ExtremeTech.

DIY Manned Rocket Launch Aims to Prove Earth is Flat

Sixty-one-year-old limo driver and stuntman "Mad Mike" Hughes is still looking to prove once and for all the Earth is flat. His opinion on whether it rests on a turtle's back is unclear.

The post DIY Manned Rocket Launch Aims to Prove Earth is Flat appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Post-Quantum Firefox 58 Packs Additional Multi-Threading

Firefox Quantum launched a few months ago and impressed us with its performance and capabilities. Now FF 58 is here to smooth off a few rough edges and add some performance improvements of its own.

The post Post-Quantum Firefox 58 Packs Additional Multi-Threading appeared first on ExtremeTech.

How To Boost Older GPU Performance, Since You Can’t Buy a New One

With GPU prices beyond crazy, there's no way we're recommending anybody buy right now. If you're stuck making do with an older card, here's some advice and tips for maximizing every last bit of performance it can give you.

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Android 8.1 Now Tells You How Fast Nearby Wi-Fi Networks Are

You won't get exact speed measurements, but a general descriptor tells you if the network is lightning fast or slow as molasses.

The post Android 8.1 Now Tells You How Fast Nearby Wi-Fi Networks Are appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Samsung’s New Exynos M3 Processor Is an Ultra-Wide Mobile Monster

Samsung's new Exynos M3 is an ultra-wide CPU that Samsung promises can deliver up to 50 percent more performance per clock.

The post Samsung’s New Exynos M3 Processor Is an Ultra-Wide Mobile Monster appeared first on ExtremeTech.

Confirmed: No One Will Win the Google Lunar XPRIZE

The XPRIZE Foundation has confirmed the Google Lunar XPRIZE will expire in March with no winners.

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