August, 2016

• 24 August

  Wil Wheaton talks growing up on Star Trek, as actor and man

  

  When you spend your teens on the USS Enterprise, you’re bound to have some interesting memories to share. While Wil Wheaton started as an ’80s child actor in such films “The Secret of NIMH,” “The Last Starfighter” and “Stand by Me,” he’s best-known to many for his role as teen genius Ensign Wesley Crusher on …

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• 24 August

  Hackers post ‘Ghostbusters’ star Leslie Jones’ nude photos, private data

  

  The worst parts of the internet have turned their sights on Leslie Jones. Over the past month, the comedian and “Ghostbusters” star has been the target of people sending racist and misogynist messages over social media. The campaign against her appeared to intensify after she called attention to it in July. Now, hackers appear to have broken into her personal …

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• 24 August

  Class up your emojis with the NYPLEmoji Twitter bot

  

  Try tweeting an eggplant at @NYPLEmoji and see what you get in return. Created and curated by New York Public Library reference librarian Lauren Lampasone, the Twitter bot will respond to any emoji tweeted at it with a surprisingly relevant image from the library’s extensive archive. The Jack O’ Lantern, for example, returned a vintage Collier’s magazine cover. The eye …

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• 24 August

  Ever wanted to make your own phone? Cyrcle shows you how

  

  If you’ve always wanted to know how to make a phone, a new Kickstarter campaign is offering classes to teach you how to build a 3D-printed phone of your very own. The classes will take place in maker spaces around the US in early 2017. Pledge $199 or more to Dtoor’s campaign and you get to join the class, at …

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• 24 August

  Apple under Tim Cook: A nicer company, but a better one?

  

  My, how things haven’t changed. Five years ago, Tim Cook officially took over as CEO of Apple amid questions about his ability to live up to the legacy of Steve Jobs. As the anniversary rolls around on Wednesday, questions continue to swirl. When Jobs officially stepped down from the top spot, he said he believed “Apple’s brightest and most innovative …

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• 24 August

  Google extends Project Fi Wi

  

  Google Nexus device owners can get a little taste of Google’s experimental Project Fi service without dumping their current wireless carrier. Google has made a feature developed for its Project Fi Wi-Fi wireless service available to all Nexus devices. Google Google said Tuesday that the Wi-Fi Assistant technology used as part of its Project Fi service to automatically and securely …

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• 24 August

  Google will soon crack down on mobile sites with intrusive pop

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Mobile web to annoy us less thanks to Google 1:33 Who doesn’t enjoy a good pop-up ad? Everyone, that’s who. Now Google is trying to be the ultimate bro, announcing on Tuesday that it’ll soon be punishing mobile sites with obstructive advertisements. “Pages that show intrusive interstitials provide a poorer experience to users than other pages …

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• 24 August

  Guard your secrets with HP’s Sure View privacy screen

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Keep prying eyes off your laptop screen with this built-in… 1:22 Hacking fears keep many up at night, worried about everything from malware to phishing. But it’s easy to overlook the most primitive form of hacking, simply eyeballing someone’s computer screen while they enter passwords or read confidential material. If you’ve ever sat in a crowded …

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• 23 August

  Courageous couple scales crane perched atop giant skyscraper

  

  When making a grand romantic gesture, most of us opt for expensive chocolate or a candlelit dinner for two. When couple Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus wanted to show off their affections for each other, they decided to climb one of the world’s highest construction sites in Tianjin, China. Related stories ‘Skyslide’ off the side of the tallest skyscraper in …

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• 23 August

  North Korea debuts its own Netflix

  

  Among other things, Netflix is not available in North Korea, but now there’s an alternative — sort of. The communist country has launched a set-top box called Manbang (which means “everywhere” in Korean) that allows for two-way communication between users and the service provider, according to NK News. Korea Central Television, which is North Korea’s state broadcaster, revealed the device …

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