Apple Watch Ultra first impressions

We posted a pair of Apple Watch reviews this time last week. Both the Series 8 and second gen SE received high marks for their categories — flagship and budget, respectively. Were Apple to stick to those two products, it’s easy to imagine the company maintaining roughly a third of the smartwatch market share it … Read more

Remofirst raises $14.1M to make it cheaper and easier for businesses to hire remote workers globally

Remote work has never been as accepted, or mainstream, as it is today. Yet some businesses hesitate to explore the option of hiring people in other countries because the prospect can be daunting and costly. Nurasyl Serik and Volodymyr Fedoriv started Remofirst in 2021 to open up that option to more businesses with a SaaS … Read more

What the CHIPS and Science Act means for the future of the semiconductor industry

Simon Butler Contributor Share on Twitter Simon Butler was founder and CEO of Methodics Inc, acquired by Perforce in 2020. He is currently the general manager of Perforce’s Methodics Business unit. This year is proving to be momentous for U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. During a global chip shortage and record inflation, U.S. President Biden signed into … Read more

Luka Dončić has been turned into a MetaHuman

This is a digital recreation of NBA star Luka Doncic. | Image: Epic Games NBA star Luka Dončić is launching a digital alter ego created using Epic Games’ remarkable MetaHuman technology. This is some seriously lifelike stuff — check out the pictures below. If I didn’t already know they were showing digital versions of Dončić, … Read more

Instagram is developing a nudity filter for direct messages

Instagram is testing a new way to filter out unsolicited nude messages sent over direct messages, confirming reports of the development posted by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi earlier this week. The images indicated Instagram was working on technology that would cover up photos that may contain nudity but noted that the company would not be … Read more

Hacking gang sends ransom demand to LA school district

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The hackers who hit the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) with ransomware over Labor Day weekend have now issued a ransom payment demand, according to the district superintendent. On Tuesday, superintendent Alberto Carvalho told the Los Angeles Times that a demand had been made but that … Read more

Google’s more affordable Chromecast HD is available today for $30

The cheaper Chromecast looks identical to the 4K model. | Image: Google Google’s less expensive no-4K streaming player is officially being announced today. As rumored, it’s called the Chromecast with Google TV HD and slots into the company’s lineup beneath the $49.99 4K-capable Chromecast with Google TV released in 2020. Leaving out support for Ultra … Read more

Yale’s new keypad locks are smaller and smarter

Yale’s new smart lock line includes touchscreen, keypad, and keyed versions. | Image: Yale Yale has revamped its smart lock lineup with four new keypad models: touchscreen or buttons, with or without a keyed lock. The new locks are smaller, sleeker, and all of them support Bluetooth and Apple Home out of the box. Thanks … Read more