Recent content by Cal Jeffrey

<h5><strong>In brief:</strong> A CNN investigation found that despite being aware of the hidden camera problem, Airbnb has consistently failed to protect its guests. Thousands of images, including private moments such as guests changing clothes or being intimate, have been recovered from hidden...

<h5><strong>The good old days:</strong> When I was a young whipper-snapper driving off into unfamiliar territory, I had to buy a paper map. Yes, maps used to be printed on large sheets of folded paper that you could never refold. I would plan out my route in advance, and turn-by-turn directions...

<h5><strong>What is Eton?</strong> Eton College, a boys boarding school located near Windsor just outside London, boasts an impressive list of notable alums, including Prince William, Prince Harry, Tom Hiddleston, and Eddie Redmayne. The school is also renowned for educating several future...

<h5><strong>Bottom line:</strong> Apple has been very slow and careful in jumping on the AI bandwagon. It even refused to call its model AI during WWDC, introducing Apple Intelligence instead to set itself apart. However, no matter what you call it, developers must still feed models with...

<h5><strong>In a nutshell:</strong> Interfacing brains with computers is challenging. It requires decoding complex neural signals, ensuring biocompatibility, and preventing immune responses, to name a few hurdles. Seamless communication between organic and inorganic systems requires advanced...

<h5><strong>The writing was on the wall:</strong> Physical entertainment media has been in a slow death spiral for years. It started with the closures of video rental outlets. Stores selling pre-owned games are also losing out to digital media. The trend was abundantly evident over a decade ago...

<h5><strong>Editor's take:</strong> Having the option to play without a console is an attractive incentive for subscribing to a gaming service. However, while cloud gaming has improved substantially in the last several years, the platform is still not ready to become the medium of choice for...

<h5><strong>Retro tech is cool:</strong> The YouTube channel Denki loves to collect and delve into old tech. Its most recent score is a Sony Bravia television with a PlayStation 2 built into its base that you probably only heard of if you lived in the UK in or around 2010. Although YouTubers...

<h5><strong>In context:</strong> The EU enacted the European Digital Markets Act last November, but companies like Google and Apple had until earlier this year to comply. Despite tweaking its policies and procedures, Apple may become the first Big Tech "gatekeeper" to get fined under the new...

<h5><strong>In context:</strong> In the early 2000s, Interplay was working on a sequel to its popular Fallout series. It was a time when developers were beginning to favor 3D game designs. So, instead of pulling out the old top-down 2D spite-based Fallout engine from 1997, Interplay decided to...

<h5><strong>In brief:</strong> Patent trolls are companies that do not produce any products. Instead, they buy up and hold onto patents solely to sue for profit. It happens constantly, but a Korean publication points out that what we see as trolling is actually a war between rivals waged by...

<h5><strong>Highly anticipated:</strong> After a false start that cost two years of progress, Nintendo has finally dropped the first trailer for Metroid Prime 4, now subtitled "Beyond." Aside from a newly designed ship, which only ever plays a small role in the games, not much has changed since...

<h5><strong>The bleeding edge:</strong> Electronics manufacturer TDK just announced a solid-state battery breakthrough that could lead to smaller consumer devices and, eventually, longer ranges for electronic vehicles. The company claims the small ceramic cells can hold 100 times the charge of...

<h5><strong>WTF?!</strong> The endlessly beleaguered facial recognition company Clearview AI is making news again. However, it's not over the startup's image scraping practices, which are questionable at best. This time, the company is attempting to keep itself out of bankruptcy by offering...

<h5><strong>Recap:</strong> Apple revealed many new features for its operating systems during WWDC 2024. While the event started with a full head of AI steam, it wasn't all about artificial intelligence. Apple has made some neat tweaks to all of its operating systems, including a native...