Facebook has announced it is forming a new Metaverse product group to advance its efforts to build a 3D social space using virtual and augmented reality tech. From a report: In an interview with journalist Casey Newton, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sai…
Power Regulations Cut Off Select Dell PCs from Certain US States
Dell is no longer shipping certain PCs to a handful of U.S. states that have tightened their rules and regulations around computer power consumption. From a report: The headline and “what you need to know” box already summarize this, meaning you’re 99%…
A Grandfather Died in ‘Swatting’ Over His Twitter Handle, Officials Say
Mark Herring had a fatal heart attack after the police swarmed his house after a fake emergency call. A Tennessee man was sentenced to five years in prison in connection with the episode. From a report: Mark Herring was at home in Bethpage, Tenn., one …
Facebook Pauses Sales of the Oculus Quest 2 Due To Face Irritation Concerns
Facebook said on Tuesday that it is temporarily halting sales of the Oculus Quest 2, a month before a planned update to a new entry-level model with more onboard storage. The move comes after several reported cases of skin reactions to the headset’s in…
Google Launches New Bug Hunters Vulnerability Rewards Platform
Google has announced a new platform and community designed to host all its Vulnerability Rewards Programs (VRP) under the same roof. From a report: Since launching its first VRP more than ten years ago, the company has rewarded 2,022 security researche…
Intel Details Comeback Plan To Leapfrog Chipmaking Rivals by 2025
Intel unveiled on Tuesday a smorgasbord of new technologies designed to help it reclaim processor manufacturing leadership within four years. The plans bear the fingerprints of newly installed CEO Pat Gelsinger, who has pledged to restore the company’s…
Tencent’s WeChat Suspends New User Registration for Security Compliance
Tencent’s WeChat has temporarily suspended registration of new users in mainland China as it undergoes a technical upgrade “to align with relevant laws and regulations,” China’s dominant instant messaging platform said on Tuesday. From a report: “We ar…
Fauci Wants To Make Vaccines for the Next Pandemic Before It Hits
If funded, a government program costing several billion dollars could develop “prototype” vaccines to protect against 20 families of viruses. From a report: In one sense, the world got lucky with the new coronavirus. By sheer chance, scientists just ha…
Internal Documents Reveal NSA Cafeteria Sucks
An anonymous reader writes: As reported by Motherboard, Emily Crose, a FOIA researcher, obtained emailed complaints showing how life at the NSA can be incredibly mundane:”The cafe menu items and pricing are out of control! Weighing the food to get more…
Consumer Losses Top $500 Million Due To Covid-Related Fraud
Consumer losses due to Covid-related fraud top $500 million, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission. From a report: The agency has received more than 558,000 complaints from consumers related to the pandemic since the start of 2020. About …