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December, 2016
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21 December
Tom Wheeler: The open internet’s unlikely defender
Tom Wheeler wasn’t expected to be a hero of the open internet. But that’s how the outgoing FCC chairman will be remembered when he leaves his office in January. In 2015, Wheeler, a telecom-lobbyist-turned-regulator, pushed through a set of sweeping net neutrality rules that reclassified internet service providers as public utilities. He’s also protected consumer privacy by championing stringent regulations, …
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20 December
Next Viber update will let you share 30
Messaging app Viber will soon join the crowd of apps that allow you to record and share short videos, according to The Next Web. In Viber’s case, that means you’ll be able to record up to 30 seconds, tap and send. The update will also introduce Chat Extensions, which allows Viber’s partners to add bot-like services to the app. Initial …
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20 December
The Pirate Bay is blocked Australia wide… except it really isn’t
Now playing: Watch this: Silly Australia, you can’t block The Pirate Bay 1:12 The Pirate Bay The Pirate Bay has been blocked in Australia for a matter of hours, but that won’t stop many people from accessing it. Why? Because despite a long-running legal battle, an official Federal Court order and ISP-level blocks by the likes of Telstra, Vodafone and …
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20 December
Zuckerberg’s smart home AI is voiced by Morgan Freeman
Yesterday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed off Jarvis, the artificial intelligence system he built to serve as a digital assistant around his house. Now we know what the software sounds like, and it’s got the voice of God. Well, the guy who played God in movies. Zuckerberg on Tuesday released a video of Jarvis at work, and the software is …
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20 December
Don’t Force it! Fix it with this ‘Star Wars’ multi
Anyone who’s watched “Star Wars” knows the Millennium Falcon spaceship malfunctions frequently, often at the worst time possible for Han Solo and Chewbacca. Maybe if the pair had a multi-tool handy, they would have been in better shape. This Millennium Falcon multi-tool ($29.99, £24, AU$41) from ThinkGeek does a lot more than previously-licensed Star Wars multi-tools that served mostly as …
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20 December
HTC has a ‘big announcement’ for ‘U’ on January 12
HTC has something for you, or rather “U.” The Taiwanese electronics maker on Tuesday sent out press invites for its “next big announcement” on January 12, 2017. The date comes after CES 2017 and before Mobile World Congress, two trade shows that tech companies often use to show off new products. Maybe HTC doesn’t want to share the spotlight? The …
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20 December
11 things every Snapchat Spectacles owner should know
Now playing: Watch this: Spectacles are worth snapping up 3:06 Now that Snapchat Spectacles can be purchased online — and you don’t have to chase down a vending machine — it’s a lot easier to get your hands on a pair of Specs. If you picked up a pair, know this: There’s a lot more to the sunglasses than you’d …
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20 December
7
Oh, thank heaven for drones. 7-Eleven, one of the world’s largest chains of convenience stores, has completed 77 delivers via drone to customers in Reno, Nevada. The deliveries were made in collaboration with Flirtey, a commercial drone startup that began working with the retail chain over the summer. In November, Flirty made regular deliveries from a 7-Eleven store in Reno …
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20 December
How to scan and archive your old printed photos
Chances are you have a stack of photo albums collecting dust in a closet somewhere. Maybe they make for a fun coffee-table chat, but if you want to share your memories with friends and family online, or create a backup of your photos, where do you start? There are several ways to go about digitizing your printed photo collection. Depending …
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