Market data — Chrome OS’s rise in market share has been swift and decisive. Samuel Axon – Feb 17, 2021 10:27 pm UTC Ars TechnicaFor ages now, every annual report on desktop operating system market share has had the same top two contenders: Microsoft’s Windows in a commanding lead at number one and Apple’s macOS…
A “Very Positive” article — Steam UI made it hard to tell if “Very Positive” games had “Very Positive” reviews. Kyle Orland – Feb 17, 2021 10:10 pm UTC Enlarge / An archived copy of Emoji Evolution’s Steam store page shows how hard it is to distinguish the developer’s “Very Positive” name from the merely…
The head that wears the crown — An earlier X-ray had suggested that the king might have been murdered in his sleep. Kiona N. Smith – Feb 17, 2021 9:59 pm UTC Saleem and Hawass 2021CT scans of a mummified Egyptian pharaoh, once suspected to be the victim of a palace assassination, suggest that he…
Russians at it again — Destructively minded group has exploited an IT monitoring tool from Centreon. Andy Greenberg, wired.com – Feb 17, 2021 1:26 am UTC Enlarge / The logo of the French national cybersecurity agency Agence Nationale de la securite des systemes d’information(ANSSI) taken at ANSSI headquarters in Paris.The Russian military hackers known as…
$225,000 — It’s the first car to use McLaren’s new V6, as well as its new MCLA platform. Jonathan M. Gitlin – Feb 17, 2021 12:15 am UTC This is the McLaren Artura, a new $225,000 plug-in hybrid supercar. It’s not McLaren’s first hybrid, but it is the company’s first plug-in hybrid. I think this…
Rollback to the future — We played Guilty Gear Strive’s online beta to see how its netcode holds up Aurich Lawson – Feb 16, 2021 11:54 pm UTC Enlarge / Sol Badguy faces off against Faust in Guilty Gear Strive, the latest entry in the long running fighting game series coming in AprilAs a huge…
All your old are belong to us — Back in our day, memes didn’t benefit from centralized services like YouTube, Twitter. Sam Machkovech – Feb 16, 2021 9:02 pm UTC As the Internet began crystallizing into its modern form—one that now arguably buttresses society as we know it—its anthropology of common language and references matured…
Amazon review fraud — Fake Amazon reviews still sold in bulk—it costs $10,900 for 1,000 reviews. Jon Brodkin – Feb 16, 2021 8:28 pm UTC Enlarge / Cardboard boxes made to resemble Amazon packages during a protest outside the home of Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos in New York on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020.…
The age of heroes — “If you can’t bring down the charging bull, then don’t wave the red cape at it.” Jennifer Ouellette – Feb 14, 2021 7:04 pm UTC Happy Valentine’s Day, DCEU fans: HBO Max dropped a new trailer for Zack Snyder’s Justice League.Disappointed DC Extended Universe fans were clamoring for a “Snyder cut”…
Back to schools — CDC head Walensky promises the new guidance is “free from political meddling.” John Timmer – Feb 14, 2021 4:00 pm UTC Enlarge / Rochelle Walensky during the announcement of her nomination to head the CDC.As the US approached the start of the school year in 2020, the guidance it received from…
Lots of contracts — “Customer demand has been extremely strong.” Eric Berger – Feb 12, 2021 12:00 pm UTC Enlarge / The Transporter-1 mission launches from Florida on January 24, 2021.Welcome to Edition 3.33 of the Rocket Report! Plenty of news this week about NASA awarding contracts to launch companies and also some new details…
A touch of splice — Neural stem cells with the Neanderthal version of a key gene behave differently. John Timmer – Feb 11, 2021 11:50 pm UTC Enlarge / The difference between modern human (left) and Neanderthal skulls means there must be some differences in how their brains develop.What are the key differences between modern…