a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Gears 5 review: Amazing characters dance in empty, lifeless spaces

Sep04
by on September 4, 2019 at 11:36 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, gaming


Gears 5, the latest entry in the vaunted Gears of War series, is gearing up for release on Xbox One and PC. I’ve had the chance to spend several hours with the main campaign, and I’ve noticed that, while it’s overall an exceptional game, there is one big caveat I feel needs pointing out. Who’s on first? I won’t tell you too much about the story, because it’s something that most people will no doubt want to experience for themselves — but I will tell you it is prime melodrama. This is a thick hamburger of a game: not the most refined creation, perhaps,…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: 
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Another Tesla owner is dead because of Autopilot

Sep04
by on September 4, 2019 at 11:12 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, artificial intelligence, Cars, Insights


The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) today revealed that faulty software and human error were to blame for a recent fatal accident involving Tesla’s “Autopilot”. According to the report, the Tesla’s driver was operating his Model S P85 with the vehicle’s driver-assistance feature turned on. Data obtained by the NTSB shows the driver’s hands hadn’t been on the steering wheel for approximately thirteen minutes before the vehicle collided into a parked fire truck. Per the NTSB: The Tesla, which had its “Autopilot” system engaged, was traveling in the HOV lane, behind another vehicle. After the lead vehicle changed lanes…

This story continues at The Next Web

Or just read more coverage about: Tesla

└ Tags: ,
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Facebook leak contained phone numbers for 419 million users

Sep04
by on September 4, 2019 at 10:10 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider


Another month, another Facebook data breach. As reported by TechCrunch, security researcher Sanyam Jain was able to locate an online database containing phone numbers linked to user IDs for over 419 million Facebook users. While linking phone numbers to user IDs is bad enough, in some cases the data included the user’s real name, gender, and country. The exposed server was not protected with a password, and TechCrunch says it verified some of the numbers in the document. When the publication contacted the database’s web host, the information was taken offline. Facebook told TechCrunch “the data set is old and appears to…

This story continues at The Next Web

Or just read more coverage about: Facebook

└ Tags: ,
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

YouTube purges 17,000 hate speech channels after policy change

Sep04
by on September 4, 2019 at 6:47 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google


YouTube this week issued an update on its efforts to remove hate speech from its platform — and it would appear it’s managed to make some headway. It claims to have removed over 100,000 videos and 17,000 channels specifically over hate speech, which is both good and kind of terrifying when you think about it. The hate speech policies changed earlier this year, with YouTube “specifically prohibiting videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status.” It also added it’d…

This story continues at The Next Web

Or just read more coverage about: YouTube

└ Tags: 
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Here’s what the actual research says about the dangers of cannabis use

Sep04
by on September 4, 2019 at 5:31 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insights


A research team parsed 68 current cannabis studies last year on behalf of the Canadian government. The goal was to determine what dangers citizens would face once the drug was legalized. What they learned was science doesn’t know much about cannabis. Fiona Clement, a health-policy researcher at the University of Calgary’s Cummings School of Medicine, led the group in its study of studies on the subject of human cannabis consumption. Their job wasn’t to determine whether the studies were right, wrong, or conducted properly, it was to get the data from the papers and present it to the government as aggregated findings. A…

This story continues at The Next Web

└ Tags: ,