Latest Technology

An important change will soon be made to global timekeeping that aims to prevent potential infrastructure failures akin to the Y2K bug scare. On Thursday, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) voted to scrap the leap second, an ad hoc time adjustment that's occasionally added so tracked time standards mirror the Earth's real (and inconsistent) rotation. BIPM members previously agreed in 2022 to cease using leap seconds on or before 2035, but this is now being expedited to take effect on May 20th next year, aligning with World Metrology Day. There's an unprecedented reason for its retirement being brought forward: changes t … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/mtbUvhw

Last year, Amazon bought Bee , a relatively unknown startup with a $50 always-listening AI wearable that summarized every conversation you had. Today, the e-commerce giant is announcing two new Bee devices - and a new subscription to go with them. First is the $74.99 Bee Frontier, an updated version of the original Bee device. And coming soon is the $99.99 Bee Eclipse, a credit-card-shaped gadget that snaps magnetically onto the back of a smartphone. Both devices are framed as gadgets to help you stay present in the moment. They listen to your daily conversations and then provide summaries, transcripts, insights, and to-dos based on what ha … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/C4c0LOo

Eiliko. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge There's a new digital pet in town - a cute little marshmallow of a robot that can change its cartoony expressions to match your mood. But if you or your kids talk to "Eiliko" over Wi-Fi, it'll phone home to China. Its AI companion can store literally everything you tell it on Chinese servers, where hackers can easily gain access or even hijack its personality. And the company that made it, Energize Lab , doesn't seem to care. I bought an Eiliko from Amazon on August 29th. During a 10-minute conversation on August 30th, I asked the little bot: "Do you ever tell anybody else what I'm saying?" "Your secrets are safe with me," it replied. With … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/uXM4YlJ

Big Walk 's co-op multiplayer walking adventure has proved popular since launching in August, but Xbox players have been excluded from the fun - and now the game's creators have explained why. Developer House House said in a blog post that it decided not to release Big Walk on Xbox consoles in accordance with the Palestinian-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, which has called to boycott Microsoft, including products under the company's gaming division. Microsoft was named a priority BDS target in June last year over contracts it has with the Israeli military and government , with the boycott specifically calling out Xbox conso … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/ufhV5Ua

The screen looks good no matter what’s on it. Star Wars helps, though. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge We have to talk about this screen. It's the first thing you notice, and maybe the only thing that matters, about the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro . It's a 12-inch, 2800 x 1840 panel with a new technology Amazon calls "Nanomatte" that is meant to decrease glare and increase the feeling that you can reach out and touch the things you see onscreen. When Amazon set out to build the best tablet the company has ever shipped, it started with this screen. The $549.99 device I've been testing is one of four new models in the Alexa Tablet lineup, which ranges from a $229.99 8-inch model up to a $679.99 12 Pro with this Nanomatte coating and some extra RAM you … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/09Uy1cL

The Fairbuds 2 have had a total design revamp from the original pair. Repairable, ethical phone brand Fairphone has released its second pair of earbuds. The Fairbuds 2 are just as repairable as the first generation , but deliver improved audio and almost twice the battery life. The Fairbuds 2 are out now in the UK and Europe from £99 / €119, and a US launch at $119 will follow on November 2nd. The Fairbuds 2 have been redesigned from the ground up, moving to a stemmed design, available in black or green, and a case that's 37 percent smaller than the first generation. Despite that shrinking hardware, Fairphone has almost doubled the buds' battery life, which now totals 40 hours without active noise cancellation … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/gPE4X6J