Tech

Google is making a new desktop app called Essentials that packages a few Google services, like Messages and Photos, and includes links to download many others. The app will be included with many new Windows laptops, with the first ones coming from HP. The Essentials app lets you “discover and install many of our best Google services,” according to Google’s …

In May 2024, around 200 employees at Google DeepMind (representing roughly 5 percent of the division) signed a letter urging the company to end its contracts with military organizations, expressing concerns that its AI technology was being used for warfare, Time magazine reported. The letter states that employee concerns aren’t “about the geopolitics of any particular conflict,” but it does …

The simpler design of prime lenses in general — which offer no zoom capabilities — can deliver several advantages, including sharper images and a shallower depth of field. The tradeoff is that photographers have to move closer or further away when framing subjects or swap between several prime lenses with different focal lengths. That approach can get expensive and heavy …

Image: Cath Virginia / IMR, Stuart Franklin Our basic assumptions about photos capturing reality are about to go up in smoke. Continue reading…

Kamala Harris’ strategy to reach young voters will see her debut on Twitch tonight, where she’ll be streaming her Democratic nomination acceptance speech. The new kamalaharris Twitch channel features a similar bio to the vice president’s accounts on X, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms: “Wife, Momala, Auntie. She/her. Fighting for the people. When we fight, we win” — and I …

The US government has charged a member of a Russian ransomware group known as Karakurt, as reported earlier by Bleeping Computer. In a press release on Tuesday, the Department of Justice claims 33-year-old Deniss Zolotarjovs of Moscow, Russia conspired to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion. As outlined in the criminal complaint, the FBI alleges Karakurt stole and threatened …

Google’s new deal with California lawmakers will pay newsrooms across the state up to $250 million over the next five years, while also helping the tech giant avoid an even bigger bill. The first-in-the-nation agreement, funded by taxpayers, Google, and potentially other private sources, allows the search giant to evade a proposed state bill that would force it to pay …

I will be the first to admit that the Kindle deals we saw during Amazon Prime Day in July were lackluster at best. Only the note-taking Kindle Scribe saw a discount worth highlighting, though, thankfully, we’re starting to see prices drop across the entire lineup. Right now, for instance, the latest Kindle Kids is on sale for $94.99 ($15 off) …

Every year, I ask IMR’s staff what kind of audio gear they like to use. And they are the perfect set of people to ask: besides working on videos and podcasts, our Slack channels are filled with discussions of the podcasts and music we listen to while working, walking, exercising, or just hanging out. So here are the headphones, earbuds, …

AMD says Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 11 version 24H2 update will improve performance for its new Zen 5 CPUs. The Ryzen 9000 series launched earlier this month, and failed to live up to AMD’s performance promises in most reviews. After rumors of a Windows bug, AMD has revealed that AMD-specific brand prediction code will be optimized in Windows 11 version 24H2, …