A mere week after it was forced to slash the FSD’s rolling stop function, Tesla is recalling yet another feature of its vehicles. This time, it’s something called Boombox that caught the eye of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). What’s wrong with Boombox, you ask? I’ll allow this tweet to explain: Change your horn sound to 🐐, 🐍🎷, 💨 or holiday jingles with latest Tesla software update! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 25, 2020 Because, hell, who in their right minds wo
Some of the cases of the mystery ailment that has afflicted U.S. embassy staff and CIA officers off and on since 2016 in Cuba, China, Russia and other countries most likely were caused by pulsed electromagnetic energy, according to a report by a panel of experts convened by national intelligence agencies. The report’s findings are similar to those of another report released by the National Academies in 2020. In that report, a committee of 19 experts in medicine and other fields concluded that di
Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. The smartphones of today are drearily similar, but what they lack in variety they offset in customization. Android users (we the best) are particularly blessed: we can personalize our devices until they’re unrecognizable. Our unglamorous status bars, however, are often cruelly neglected — and that isn’t fair. Here’s how to give your status bar the makeover it
This past Saturday and Monday, a UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter took flight for the first time without anyone on board. Each time, the helicopter successfully completed 30 minutes of autonomous flight, according to a press release from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). You know, the US Department of Defense’s research arm. Behold the next-level Black Hawk. Image: DARPA These test flights are part of DARPA’s Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program, which aim
Google released the first developer preview of Android 13 last night. This early build has some interesting new features like Material You theming for all apps, but thanks to Android sleuth Mishaal Rahman, I found one in here that I’ve wanted for years: runtime notification permissions. It’s basically an easily overlooked, but essential component of how notifications work — and I hope I can get you just as excited as I am about this feature by the time you’re done reading this. What’s runtime no
What do BMW, the Greek god Zeus, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have in common? No, that’s not a fucking riddle, it’s an actual question. And the answer? A Super Bowl commercial. Yep, for this year’s game, BMW has dressed up the Terminator as Zeus to promote the automaker’s new EV: the iX. Y’know, the god of lightning? Electricity? Clever, huh? Image: BMW The one-minute spot is called “Zeus and Hera” and takes us to, of course, Mount Olympus. Still, America’s better than Greece and, eventually, th
While the rest of us are doing good, honest work like podcasting and influencer-ing, there’s a group of “thinkers” out there conducting horrific experiments. They’re conjuring pedantic monsters, murdering innumerable cats, and putting humans inside of computers. Sure, these “thought experiments” are all in their heads. But that’s how it starts. First you don’t know whether the cat’s dead or alive and then a demon opens the box and we’re all in the Matrix. Unfortunately, there are only two ways t
Crypto’s Bonnie and Clyde had their (alleged) crime spree abruptly curtailed on Tuesday. Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein were arrested for conspiring to launder bitcoin that’s now worth $4.5bn. While Bonnie and Clyde’s rise and fall played out in the press, their crypto counterparts chronicled their lives on social media. This is the love story of Dutch and Razzlekhan, the (alleged) crime couple who stole our hearts. Chapter 1: Love at first sight The couple hasn’t reve
Samsung held its Unpacked event last night, launching the new Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy Tab S8 range of tablets. However, the most eye-catching announcement was that the company will provide four years of software updates to selected devices, as well as five years of security patches. This is a major announcement, as regular and long term software updates have been major complaints in the Android world. Let’s break down what it means for companies and users. How will Samsung’s coverage ex
Cars are evolving quickly — but it’s important that people know the difference between ADAS and autonomous driving. It’s also important that both vehicular categories receive a comparable level of due diligence when it comes to ensuring the safety of car occupants and other road users. And well, we have a problem. Let me explain what’s got me riled up. This week we’ve seen a clash of the titans between autonomous vehicle industry experts, The New York Times, and Tesla drivers. It started with a