An anonymous reader quotes a report from MacRumors: Apple will soon be making a significant change to its serial number format for future products that will see some key information stripped out. In an internal AppleCare email this week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple said the new serial number format will consist of a randomized alphanumeric string of 8-14 characters that will…
Category: Geek
Geek News Articles from around the Web. Posting these articles on ValeriansRealm does not imply any wholesale endorsement of the material or viewpoints found within. Credit (and sources) are posted at the end of each article, belong to the original authors and content is provided here for informational purposes only. A stance of wonder and awe at the world around us and within us – as well as a healthy skepticism and critical thinking is expected when engaging these news articles.
China Debuts Train Prototype That Can Hit Speeds of 385 Miles Per Hour
China has revealed a prototype for a new high-speed Maglev train that is capable of reaching speeds of 385 miles (620 kilometers) per hour. CNN reports: The train runs on high-temperature superconducting (HTS) power that makes it look as if the train is floating along the magnetized tracks. The sleek 21-meter-long (69 feet) prototype was unveiled to media in the city…
HTC Now Seems To Be Teasing Vive Lip-Tracking
HTC’s latest tease on its Twitter account looks related to the lip-tracking module for its Vive headsets. UploadVR reports: Paired with last week’s tease that included the message “It’s your move,” plus numerous replies that use the word ‘tracking’ and even a more recent reference to Avatar, it certainly seems like HTC is teasing new add-ons for its existing Vive headsets,…
Taiwan Has Enough Water To Keep Chipmakers Humming Till May
Hmmmmmm shares a report from Bloomberg: Taiwan offered reassurances Monday it has sufficient water reserves to keep a giant tech industry led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. humming till late May, when monsoon rains arrive to alleviate its worst drought in decades. The island should have enough water to supply the public and industry till then though precipitation is likely to…
Polymer Cables Could Replace Thunderbolt and USB, Deliver More Than Twice the Speed
New submitter Obipale shares a report from Apple Insider: Researchers are working on a cabling system that could provide data transfer speeds multiple times faster than existing USB connections using an extremely thin polymer cable, in a system that echoes the design path of Thunderbolt. Presented at the February IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, the research aims to develop a connection…
Amazon Expands Its Palm Recognition Payment Tech To More of Its Stores
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Amazon One, the technology that lets customers pay in shops by scanning their palm, is expanding to more stores in the greater Seattle area. The company says it’s available starting today in its 4-star store in Lynnwood, and in the coming weeks, Amazon One is also coming to its Amazon Books store…
LG Hopes To Make New Battery Cells For Tesla In 2023 In US or Europe
LG’s battery division is planning to build advanced battery cells for Tesla’s electric vehicles in 2023 and is considering potential production sites in the U.S. and Europe, according to Reuters. From the report: Tesla has not yet agreed to a deal that would expand LG’s role in its supply chain beyond China, one of the sources said. Last week, the Korean…
UK Businesses Caught Buying Five-Star Google Reviews
Google is failing to do enough to combat fake reviews within its business listings, and must be held to account by a UK watchdog, according to Which? The BBC reports: Which? conducted its research by essentially setting up a “sting” operation to catch unscrupulous operators in the act. It created a fake business listing which it called “five-star reviews,” and searched…
Instagram’s Algorithms Serve Up COVID-19 Misinformation, Study Finds
An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: Instagram recommended false claims about COVID-19, vaccines and the 2020 U.S. election to people who appeared interested in related topics, according to a new report from a group that tracks online misinformation. From September to November 2020, Instagram recommended 104 posts containing misinformation, or about one post a week per profile, to 15…
Disney+ Tops 100 Million Subscribers Worldwide
Disney+ continues to grow apace, topping 100 million subscribers worldwide, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said Tuesday during its annual shareholders meeting. That’s up from the 94.9 million Disney reported last month. From a report: “The enormous success of Disney+ has inspired us to be even more ambitious, and to significantly increase our investment in the development of high-quality content,” Chapek said….