Leaker Claims AirPods Pro 2 Could Come in Multiple Sizes

Apple may have just released the AirPods Max, but it seems Apple is already working on the next addition to its headphone line with a new version of the AirPods Pro that for the first time might come in multiple sizes.
Read more: https://gizmodo.com/leaker-claims-airpods-pro-2-could-come-in-multiple-size-1845967748?source=Snapzu

‘Gilligan’s Island’ Star Dawn Wells Dies Of COVID-19

Actress Dawn Wells, best known for playing Mary Ann on the hit sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” has died at the age of 82 after becoming infected with COVID-19. Her publicist announced that Wells died Wednesday morning of complications due to the coronavirus. “Truly, at the top of the list of hardest things to do is announce the passing of a friend or family member,” publicist Harlan Boll wrote. “I feel I lost both this morning with the passing of Dawn Wells – America’s favorite castaway, Dawn Wells, passed peacefully this morning, in no pain as a result of complications due to Covid at the age of 82.”
Read more: https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/12/30/gilligans-island-star-dawn-wells-dies-of-covid-19/?source=Snapzu

13 tech luminaries we lost in 2020

Developers, translators, and human calculators, these 13 men and women made the world a better place through IT.
Read more: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3599511/tech-luminaries-we-lost-in-2020.html?source=Snapzu

UPS reserves 125 Tesla semi-trucks, largest public pre-order yet

United Parcel Service Inc said on Tuesday it is buying 125 Tesla Inc all-electric semi-trucks, the largest known order for the big rig so far, as the package delivery company expands its fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ups-tesla-orders/ups-pre-orders-125-tesla-electric-semi-trucks-largest-order-yet-idUSKBN1ED1QM?source=Snapzu

Mob attacks and sets fire to Hindu temple in Pakistan

Crowds reportedly led by Islamic clerics attempt to destroy ancient shrine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/30/mob-tears-down-hindu-temple-and-torch-holy-shrine-in-pakistan?source=Snapzu

The Air Force Is Building a Spacecraft That Will Beam Solar Power to Earth

This is some real sci-fi stuff.
Read more: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a35092898/air-force-solar-power-beaming-spacecraft/?source=Snapzu

Ticketmaster pleads guilty to illegally gaining access to competitor's accounts

Ticketmaster entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York and will pay $10 million in fines to resolve charges that it accessed the computer systems of a competitor without authorization.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/30/business/ticketmaster-plea-passwords-computers/index.html?source=Snapzu

How Does Space Travel Affect Natural Aging?

Growing older can take a serious toll on the body. Bones become brittle, muscle shrinks, the immune system loses strength, and age-related ailments like arthritis can set in. More serious complications like declining cognitive function and heart disease can also take hold as the later years of life progress.
Read more: http://spacetravelaffect.space/?source=Snapzu

Primordial black holes and the search for dark matter from the multiverse

Astronomers are studying black holes that could have formed in the early universe, before stars and galaxies were born. Such primordial black holes (PBHs) could account for all or part of dark matter, be responsible for some of the observed gravitational waves signals, and seed supermassive black holes found in the center of our Galaxy and other galaxies
Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201228095432.htm?source=Snapzu

New York Bans Most Evictions as Tenants Struggle to Pay Rent

The Legislature, addressing hardship caused by the pandemic, convened an unusual special session between Christmas and New Year’s to pass the measure.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/28/nyregion/new-york-eviction-ban.html?source=Snapzu

Here’s what we know about the signal from Proxima Centauri

An enigmatic radio signal from the direction of Proxima Centauri, the Sun’s nearest stellar neighbor, has set the internet ablaze with rumor and speculation. It could turn out to be the real deal — a calling card from another civilization. More likely, it’s much ado about nothing.
Read more: https://astronomy.com/news/2020/12/heres-what-we-know-about-the-signal-from-proxima-centauri?source=Snapzu

Automation isn't wiping out jobs. It's that our engine of growth is winding down

In army of robots now scrub floors, grow microgreens and flip burgers. Due to advances in artificial intelligence, computers will supposedly take over much more of the service sector in the coming decade, including jobs in law, finance and medicine that require years of education and training.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/23/robots-economy-growth-wages-jobs?source=Snapzu

How to spend your money for maximum happiness

The idea that materialistic values can obstruct our path to happiness dates back hundreds of years. The Buddha encouraged a balance between asceticism and pleasure; early Christian monasticism preached spiritual transformation through simple living; philosopher Lao Tzu warned that if you chase after money, “your heart will never unclench.”
Read more: https://www.popsci.com/story/science/how-to-spend-money-happiness?source=Snapzu

TikTok removed an account that was promoting secret large, indoor parties as COVID-19 surges across the US

A TikTok promoting "secret gatherings" in NYC with crowds of people indoors without wearing masks had been viewed nearly 11,000 times.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/vybe-together-tiktok-promote-nye-parties-amid-covid-19-2020-12?source=Snapzu

Apple suffers a loss in lawsuit against maker of iPhone emulators

Apple sued security start-up Corellium last year, accusing it of violating copyright law for offering researchers access to “virtual” iPhones that can help them find bugs in iOS products. Now, a federal judge in Florida has tossed Apple’s copyright complaint, giving Corellium a major victory in its legal battle against the tech giant.
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/apple-loss-lawsuit-corellium-120347028.html?source=Snapzu

Even If It's 'Bonkers,' Poll Finds Many Believe QAnon And Other Conspiracy Theories

A significant number of Americans believe misinformation about the origins of the coronavirus and the recent presidential election, as well as conspiracy theories like QAnon, according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll. Forty percent of respondents said they believe the coronavirus was made in a lab in China even though there is no evidence for this. Scientists say the virus was transmitted to humans from another species.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2020/12/30/951095644/even-if-its-bonkers-poll-finds-many-believe-qanon-and-other-conspiracy-theories?source=Snapzu

Ohio State study: 30% of student athletes have heart damage linked to COVID-19

In a study published in September, researchers from Ohio State University found that out of more than two dozen athletes from the university who tested positive for COVID-19, 30% had cellular heart damage and 15% showed signs of heart inflammation caused by a condition known as myocarditis.
Read more: https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/ohio-state-study-30-of-student-athletes-have-heart-damage-linked-to-covid-19?source=Snapzu

Apple removes app promoting private parties in pandemic

An American app that promoted private parties during the coronavirus pandemic has been removed from the Apple App Store. Vybe Together calls itself a “private community to find, join and host parties." A recent video on its TikTok account claimed it held secret parties every weekend. Although its account on the platform, as well as its own website, has been taken down, the company vows to return.
Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55485961?source=Snapzu

The Life in The Simpsons Is No Longer Attainable

The most famous dysfunctional family of 1990s television enjoyed, by today’s standards, an almost dreamily secure existence.
Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/12/life-simpsons-no-longer-attainable/617499/?source=Snapzu

Man sues police over a facial recognition-related wrongful arrest

Nijeer Parks says he spent 10 days in jail after he was falsely identified as a shoplifter.
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/facial-recognition-wrongful-arrest-lawsuit-new-jersey-201517290.html?source=Snapzu

Russell Okung will have half his $13M salary paid in bitcoins

Russell Okung is setting a new trend in the NFL.
Read more: https://sports.yahoo.com/russell-okung-will-have-half-his-13-million-salary-paid-in-bitcoin-154406450.html?source=Snapzu

FBI investigating whether man linked to Nashville bombing was paranoid about 5G networks

Steve Fridrich said he was asked by FBI agents whether Anthony Warner ever mentioned being concerned about 5G networks
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/nashville-bombing-rv-5g-fbi-b1779300.html?source=Snapzu

What Hundreds of American Public Libraries Owe to Carnegie’s Disdain for Inherited Wealth

One reason why the steel magnate spent much of his fortune building libraries is that he saw handing large fortunes to the next generation as a waste of money.
Read more: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/what-hundreds-of-american-public-libraries-owe-to-carnegie-s-disdain-for-inherited-wealth?utm_source=pocket-newtab?source=Snapzu

Apple Reportedly in Talks With Mariah Carey to Make 'Magical Christmas Special' Follow-Up

Apple is reportedly in talks with singer Mariah Carey to make a 2021 follow-up to her "Magical Christmas Special," which premiered on Apple TV+ earlier this month. According to The Sun, the festive show cost £4 million ($5.4 million) and went to number one in Apple's charts in over 100 countries, and was such a "runaway hit" that Apple executives now want to secure her for another special show next Christmas, but this time with an "unlimited" budget.
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/12/29/apple-mariah-carey-christmas-special-followup/?source=Snapzu

Brexit deal mentions Netscape browser and Mozilla Mail

Experts suggest officials saved time by copying and pasting text from old legislation.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55475433?source=Snapzu

Virginia man finds stolen 1969 Camaro after 17 years

A Virginia man whose 1969 Camaro was stolen 17 years ago was reunited with the vehicle after spotting it in a garage while helping a friend buy another vehicle.
Read more: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/12/28/Virginia-man-finds-stolen-1969-Camaro-after-17-years/8071609187420/?source=Snapzu

New rules to tackle ‘wild west’ of plastic waste dumped on poorer countries

International convention to stop richer countries exporting contaminated material for recycling could mean a cleaner ocean in five years
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/29/new-rules-to-tackle-wild-west-of-plastic-waste-dumped-on-poorer-countries?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other?source=Snapzu

Apple loses early challenge in virtualization copyright claim

Fair use wins again
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/29/22205130/apple-corellium-dismissed-copyright-dmca-fair-use?source=Snapzu

French designer Pierre Cardin dies aged 98

The French designer Pierre Cardin, who upended fashion in the 1960s and 70s with his futuristic looks and pioneering approach to merchandise, has died at the age of 98. His death was announced by France’s Fine Arts Academy on Twitter. Cardin’s family told Agence France-Presse he died in hospital in Neuilly, near Paris.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/dec/29/french-designer-pierre-cardin-dies-aged-98?source=Snapzu

One of America’s Richest Islands Got Pummeled by COVID. Then The Warring Started.

As the freezing water sloshed up against the sides of the boat and the first winter Nor’easter formed off the shores of Cape Cod, a team of men hoisted a small white box onto a ferry. Under a gray sky, morning commuters shuffled up a ramp and onto the high-speed ferry and sat next to the package. No one on the boat knew the importance of that box. How could they? It was so nondescript as to elicit non reactions among the gathered.
Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/nantucket-one-of-americas-richest-islands-got-pummeled-by-covid-then-the-warring-started?source=Snapzu

CD Projekt Red investors sue company over Cyberpunk 2077 debacle

Players aren't the only ones angry about how the game's console versions launched.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/12/cd-projekt-red-investors-sue-company-over-cyberpunk-2077-debacle/?source=Snapzu

Apple’s longtime supplier accused of using forced labor in China

One of the oldest and most well-known iPhone suppliers has been accused of using forced Muslim labor in its factories, according to documents uncovered by a human rights group, adding new scrutiny to Apple’s human rights record in China.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/12/29/lens-technology-apple-uighur/?source=Snapzu

500,000 graphics cards found in an abandoned container

The RTX 3070, 3080 and 3090 are still hard to find. A shortage favored by strong demand, excessively long production cycles and the global pandemic, which does not make things easier. Good news however, since a South Korean port operator has just got hold of a lost shipment of 500,000 GeForce RTX 3000 cards!
Read more: https://www.france24.news/en/2020/12/500000-graphics-cards-found-in-an-abandoned-container.html?source=Snapzu

Reddit clone Voat, home to hate speech and QAnon, has shut down

The platform was a haven for communities deemed too racist or hateful for Reddit.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/12/reddit-clone-voat-home-to-hate-speech-and-qanon-has-shut-down/?source=Snapzu

The Galaxy Note 20's One UI 3.0 update is rolling out globally

Samsung’s been making some good headway to keep up with its original Android 11 rollout schedule. Its current flagship lines have already received the One UI 3.0 update on AT&T and Verizon, although T-Mobile’s S20 hit a roadblock last week resulting in a halted rollout. However, T-Mobile has still seemingly gone ahead with the Note20's update as many users have already started receiving the Android 11-based One UI 3.0 experience on their 2020 Note flagships.
Read more: https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/12/29/samsung-galaxy-note20-series-picks-up-one-ui-3-0-with-android-11-on-t-mobile?aa?source=Snapzu

iPhone workers: forced labor or detention centers, says report

A fresh claim of iPhone workers being used as forced labor in China has appeared today, following an investigation by the Tech Transparency Project. It suggests that iPhone glass supplier Lens Technology has been using Muslim minority Uighurs, who were given the stark choice of working in the company’s plant or being sent to detention centers which have been likened to concentration camps …
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2020/12/29/iphone-workers-forced-labor/?source=Snapzu

Reddit clone Voat shut down on Christmas Day

Voat, an “anti-censorship” alternative social network that’s been described as the “alt-right Reddit,” is scheduled to shut down on December 25th. Voat co-founder Justin Chastain announced the pending closure yesterday, saying the site had run out of money after an investor defaulted on their contract in March. “I personally decided to keep Voat up until after the US election of 2020. I’ve been paying the costs out of pocket but now I’m out of money,” Chastain wrote.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/voat-shutdown-christmas-qanon-reddit-b1779890.html?source=Snapzu

Zoom woes reveal companies’ struggles to reconcile US, China systems

Recently revealed US charges against a China-based Zoom employee for censoring virtual meetings commemorating Beijing’s crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in 1989 show how the space for global technology firms to operate in both China and the US is narrowing amid an economic, technological and ideological rivalry between the two countries, according to analysts.
Read more: https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3115337/us-china-tech-decoupling-zoom-woes-reveal-narrowing-space-firms?source=Snapzu

Apple Car launch could be delayed to 2028 or later

The rumors about Apple making its own EV shot back onto the scene last week with a report from Reuters about production possibly starting by 2024. Sources have said that Apple has a breakthrough monocell battery in the works and more. However, reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is out with a special note on Apple Car that says the market is “too bullish about Apple Car” and that 2025 would be the very earliest we could see the vehicle launch and says realistically, 2028 or later is possible.
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2020/12/27/apple-car-launch-2028-market-too-bullish/?source=Snapzu

Greg Norman back in US hospital with 'hideous' Covid-19 symptoms

Greg Norman is back in hospital in Florida with “hideous” Covid-19 symptoms after the Australian golfing great tested positive. The 65-year-old, whose two major titles came at the Open in 1986 and 1993, has been posting regular updates regarding his diagnosis on his Instagram page.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/28/greg-norman-back-in-us-hospital-with-hideous-covid-19-symptoms?source=Snapzu

It's time for big tech companies to stand up to China

On Dec. 18, prosecutors from the U.S. Justice Department charged a China-based Zoom executive with conspiring to terminate Zoom meetings this year that commemorated the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre at the Chinese government’s behest. The 47-page complaint contains detailed exchanges between the executive and employees at Zoom’s California headquarters this year.
Read more: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/how-zoom-violated-its-own-terms-service-access-china-s-n1252092?source=Snapzu

Tesla to start operations in India next year - report

Tesla Inc will come to India early next year, country’s transport minister Nitin Gadkari told national daily the Indian Express on Monday. The electric-car maker will start with sales and then might look at assembly and manufacturing based on the response, the minister told here the newspaper.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-india/tesla-to-start-operations-in-india-next-year-report-idUSKBN2920ZL?source=Snapzu

Tesla to start operations in India next year - report

Tesla Inc will come to India early next year, country’s transport minister Nitin Gadkari told national daily the Indian Express on Monday. The electric-car maker will start with sales and then might look at assembly and manufacturing based on the response, the minister told here the newspaper.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-india/tesla-to-start-operations-in-india-next-year-report-idUSKBN2920ZL?source=Snapzu

'Growing Pains' stars call out Kirk Cameron for maskless caroling

Kirk Cameron's former co-stars are definitely not in harmony with the onetime "Growing Pains" actor. Cameron has recently been making headlines for organizing and attending maskless caroling events in California, to protest the state's stay-at-home order to avoid spreading COVID-19 further.
Read more: https://www.today.com/popculture/growing-pains-stars-tracey-gold-jeremy-miller-call-out-kirk-t204678?source=Snapzu

'Demon Slayer' Overtakes 'Spirited Away' to Become Japan's Biggest Box-Office Hit Ever

Thanks to low local levels of COVID-19 infection and fully operating cinemas, the anime feature has smashed nearly every one of Japan's major box-office records, becoming an inescapable cultural phenomenon in the country.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/demon-slayer-overtakes-spirited-away-to-become-japans-biggest-box-office-hit-ever??source=Snapzu

What If You Could Do It All Over?

Once, in another life, I was a tech founder. It was the late nineties, when the Web was young, and everyone was trying to cash in on the dot-com boom. In college, two of my dorm mates and I discovered that we’d each started an Internet company in high school, and we merged them to form a single, teen-age megacorp. For around six hundred dollars a month, we rented office space in the basement of a building in town.
Read more: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/12/21/what-if-you-could-do-it-all-over?source=Snapzu

Fusion energy device sets a record by running for 20 seconds

A Korean fusion device has set a record by running for 20 seconds at 180 million degrees.
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/kstar-fusion-device-sets-record-210817623.html?source=Snapzu

The Internet Is Starting to Turn on MLMs

Multilevel-marketing companies rely on social media for recruiting. TikTok just became the first major platform to ban it.
Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/12/tiktok-bans-multilevel-marketing-mlm/617422/?source=Snapzu

The year of Karen: how a meme changed the way Americans talked about racism

There was no direct connection between the “Central Park Karen” incident in New York City and the police killing of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, beyond the coincidence of timing. Time in the pandemic has been elastic and confusing, and reports of the separate incidents did not emerge immediately, but the two events occurred on Monday 25 May, Memorial Day.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/27/karen-race-white-women-black-americans-racism?source=Snapzu

Pennsylvania legalizes delivery robots that weigh up to 550 pounds, classifies them as pedestrians

Pennsylvania has legalized autonomous delivery robots that roam sidewalks to deliver goods same-day from business-to-business or from point of sale to the buyer. The use of delivery robots which can weigh up 550 pounds, was legalized after the bill was approved 105-97 last month, making Pennsylvania the twelfth U.S state permitted to use autonomous devices for deliveries.
Read more: https://mazech.com/2020/12/pennsylvania-legalizes-delivery-robots-that-can-weigh-up-to-550-pounds-classifies-them-as-pedestrians/?source=Snapzu