Monthly Archives: December 2020
The 15 best TV shows of 2020
Well, this year certainly happened. Months felt like years, weeks felt like seconds, and time generally stopped making sense sometimes around mid-March. Sometime it felt like the only way to mark time was knowing certain events would definitely happen on a certain date, like television show premiere dates. As in every year, not every season […]
Activists demand Google open up about user data shared with police
Law enforcement shouldn’t be the only outside group peering inside Google. A coalition of 59 civil rights, labor, and civil society organizations sent an open letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai Tuesday, demanding the company be more transparent when it comes to how often it complies with law enforcement requests for user data. What’s more, […]
Tesla's Berlin Gigafactory halted due to hibernating snakes
Tesla’s colossal Gigafactory being built just outside Berlin could see construction halted again, but this time by an unlikely foe: hibernating snakes. First reported by Berlin’s Tagesspiegel and then by Reuters, a German court has required Tesla to suspend all forest clearing at the 300-hectare site, located in Grünheide in Brandenburg, south-east of Berlin, due […]
There's an art to the way video games deliver info. A new website celebrates that.
The newly launched Game UI Database turns an often-overlooked aspect of artful video game design into a headlining star. For most people who play games, on screen accoutrements like ammo readouts and minimaps — not to mention pause menus, inventory screens, and tooltips — are just a part of the scenery. We take them for […]
Is your iPhone draining battery fast after iOS 14.2? You're not alone.
Apple’s iOS 14.2 is causing battery-related headaches to a number of users. According to complaints on Apple’s Developer Forums, posts on Apple Support forums, and this Reddit thread (via MacRumors), some users are seeing reduced battery life and longer charging times after upgrading to iOS 14.2. Some users also are complaining about Battery Health metric […]
The wild world of VRChat is a joyful antidote to these dark times
Essentials Week spotlights unexpected items that make our daily lives just a little bit better. Want to soar around a floating iridescent tree in a neon-lit, Tron-inspired atrium with one arm outstretched like some virtual Superman? Or perhaps you’re the type who’d prefer to hang around an “Ancient Art Museum” offering dating advice to strangers […]
First reactions to 'Wonder Woman 1984' describe a wonderful, hopeful, original sequel
A group of film critics have released their first reactions to the full cut of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984, and their responses are near unanimously positive. Critics called the film, which is a follow up to 2017’s well received Wonder Woman, an “absolute blast,” “a wonderful movie for this moment in time,” and an […]
Save 35% on a 2-pack of magnetic chargers for your iPhone 12
TL;DR: Get a two-pack of magnetic wireless chargers for the iPhone 12 for $49.99, a 35% savings as of Dec. 6. With a new iPhone launch usually comes a new way to charge your phone. And in this case, it’s about to get a whole lot easier to charge your favorite device. If you purchased […]
Tricking out your iOS group texts is worth the tiny bit of effort
Essentials Week spotlights unexpected items that make our daily lives just a little bit better. Between the election, the holidays, and the need to stay virtually connected to friends and family amid the pandemic, my group texts have been, shall we say, popping off. While this is usually a joy, group texts on iMessage can […]
HBO Max deal: Get a 6-month subscription for over 20% off
SAVE $19.95: As of Dec. 4, sign up for HBO Max and prepay your six-month subscription for only $69.99. It’s that time of year when all we want to do is snuggle up and watch movies. Bonus points if it’s a heartwarming holiday movie that will incite happy crying (we deserve it after the year […]