Author: skeptic

Drug Sites Hijacked Spotify’s Search Ranking Through Fake Podcasts, Report Finds

Drug Sites Hijacked Spotify’s Search Ranking Through Fake Podcasts, Report Finds

Published by skeptic

For the past year, Spotify has been quietly purging tens of thousands of podcasts that advertised illegal online pharmacies. A report released Thursday by Senator Maggie Hassan, ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee, faults the company for acting only after news outlets exposed the content and her office spent nearly a year pressing for answers. None of what it removed was sent to law enforcement, the report says. Spotify reportedly removed more than 57,000 podcast episodes and 3,000 shows, and took enforcement action against 3,500 accounts, all pushing links to illegal online pharmacies advertising opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants for sale without a prescription. Nevertheless, the report frames the cleanup as a moderation failure. The report leans on one comparison in particular: Spotify acted against more than 3,500 accounts for drug content in 2025 but fewer than 100 the year before. The committee presents the jump as evidence the company moved only after it came under scrutiny. Spotify offered a different explanation: that its older counts are incomplete because, as it says in the report, …

Waymo launches a loyalty program with 10% cash back and free cancellations

Waymo launches a loyalty program with 10% cash back and free cancellations

Published by skeptic

Waymo is launching a loyalty program called Waymo Premier, which will offer frequent robotaxi riders a number of perks in exchange for $29.99 per month. Premier members will be able to skip the virtual line and earn 10% cash back on every trip (and “even more during busy times,” according to Waymo). They’ll also get five free ride cancellations every month, and Waymo says Premier members will even be able to hail a robotaxi in cities where the service still has a waitlist. Waymo Premier will not be available to riders in Austin or Atlanta, the company told TechCrunch, because its robotaxis are only available via the Uber app in those cities. The loyalty program is launching as Waymo ramps up its expansion in the U.S., and prepares for an international launch later this year. Waymo is also starting to roll out its newest vehicle, the Zeekr-built van that it calls “Ojai,” in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. The Premier program could also be the start of a new line of business for Waymo …

My USB drive does 4 things cloud backup can’t — here’s why I’ll never ditch it

My USB drive does 4 things cloud backup can’t — here’s why I’ll never ditch it

Published by skeptic

As much as I love the convenience of keeping my important data safe in the cloud, there’s still a lingering fear in my head — what if the cloud or my internet connection fails me? It has happened to me at least a few times, which is why I am always adamant about keeping a fail-safe that is actually reliable. In this regard, good old physical media will never fail me; that is why I keep a cohort of USB drives as a safety net in case anything goes wrong. Now this backup plan doesn’t just involve keeping my personal data safe; I also use these drives as security tools or as bootable drives for when I want to switch to another OS. Related 10 Practical Uses for a USB Flash Drive You Didn’t Know About You’ve used USB sticks to transport files between computers and back up files, but there is much more you can do with a USB stick. Some of my files are too sensitive to back up in the cloud No …

Solid-state EV batteries leave the lab as North American road tests begin

Solid-state EV batteries leave the lab as North American road tests begin

Published by skeptic

Solid-state EV batteries are now being tested on the road in North America for the first time, promising longer range, faster charging, and lower costs. Factorial, Stellantis test solid-state EV batteries in real life Jeep maker Stellantis and US-based Factorial Energy officially began testing the advanced new battery tech on the road, marking the first time solid-state batteries have been integrated into an EV in North America. Factorial’s FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology) solid-state battery cells were used to power a Dodge Charger Daytona development vehicle. The milestone comes after Stellantis and Factorial validated that 77Ah FEST cells achieved an energy density of 375 Wh/kg with over 600 cycles last April. Advertisement – scroll for more content Factorial’s advanced solid-state battery cells also proved ultra-fast charging from 15% to 90% in just 18 minutes, and maintained performance in extreme temperatures ranging from -22°F to 113°F (-30°C to 45°C). Plus, the cells deliver a discharge rate of up to 4C. Moving the new battery tech from the lab to the real world wasn’t easy. Stellantis said …

what this means for the process of learning

what this means for the process of learning

Published by skeptic

Deep in Book VII of Plato’s Republic, Socrates describes prisoners chained inside a cave, mistaking shadows cast on a wall by firelight for reality itself. They name the shadows, debate them and develop expertise about them. The prisoners are completely, sincerely wrong, and they have no idea. The cave isn’t a place of stupidity, it’s a place of convincing, well-organised illusion. But Plato’s real interest wasn’t the cave, it was in the periagoge – a Greek word meaning the turning of the soul away from shadows and toward the light. For Plato, this was education itself: not the filling of an empty vessel with facts, but a fundamental reorientation of how a person relates to truth and how they come to know that truth. The shadows persist but today they aren’t cast by firelight, they are generated by machines. Large language models (LLMs), image making and AI-powered search produce outputs that are fluent, confident and immediate. But here’s the crucial difference from Plato’s original problem, his shadows were at least connected to something real. What …

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide vs Ultra: Which Samsung Foldable is Better

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide vs Ultra: Which Samsung Foldable is Better

Published by skeptic

Samsung continues to lead the charge in foldable smartphone innovation with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. These two models represent a bold step forward, offering innovative advancements in display technology, design, and performance. By providing distinct options tailored to different user preferences, Samsung ensures that whether you value multitasking efficiency or sleek portability, there is a device designed to meet your needs. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 series underscores Samsung’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of what foldable smartphones can achieve. The video below from Talks Daily Tech gives us more details on the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide. Enhanced Display Technology The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide introduces a new 4:3 aspect ratio, delivering a tablet-like experience that is ideal for multitasking. This wider format allows you to seamlessly run multiple apps side by side, making it a productivity powerhouse. Both the cover and inner displays are equipped with vibrant, high-resolution panels, featuring a 432 PPI cover screen and a 403 PPI inner screen. The inclusion …

These Are the Lowest Prices Ever on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2

These Are the Lowest Prices Ever on AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2

Published by skeptic

Yesterday we began tracking a new record low price on the AirPods Pro 3 on Amazon, and they’re still available for $179.00 today, down from $249.00. This beats the previous Amazon low price by $20. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that’s meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts. Additionally, Amazon is also offering a best-ever price on the AirPods Max 2 this week. You can get all five colors for $499.00, down from $549.00, which beats the previous low price by about $10. Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we’ve been tracking over the past week. Deals …

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Is Ready to Start Its Cosmic Survey

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Is Ready to Start Its Cosmic Survey

Published by skeptic

After nearly a decade in development, NASA’s next big telescope is almost ready to travel into space. The agency has set Aug. 30 as the launch date for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. This places the project approximately eight months ahead of its original schedule and, according to NASA leadership, significantly under budget. “With less than three months to go, the Roman team now is finishing up tasks,” NASA said in a blog post. “Engineers are currently packing Roman up for a voyage from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, down to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida later this month.” Once at the launch site, the telescope will undergo a detailed inspection to verify that it sustained no damage during transit. Engineers will then fuel it with roughly 290 gallons of hydrazine and conduct several dress rehearsals before launching it into space. The destination for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, located about 1 million miles from Earth on the far side of the …

12 home solar power myths you shouldn’t fall for in 2026

12 home solar power myths you shouldn’t fall for in 2026

Published by skeptic

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Solar savings depend heavily on location. Solar panels can cause burns, shock, or death. Plug-in solar needs a battery during power cuts. Renewable energy is a topic that seems to be mired in a fog of war of myths and nonsense. It seems that everyone has an opinion, and a polarized opinion at that, and myths and nonsense are common on both sides of the debate. And these myths aren’t helping people who want to figure out if solar is for them or, if they’ve taken the plunge, get the most out of their investment. Also: Considering plug-in solar? My expert advice after setting up the DIY energy tech at home Time to do some mythbusting. I’ve been using portable solar generators and solar panels for years, from small 100 W portable units to arrays that can capture thousands, to simple but effective plug-in solar systems that shave a few bucks a month off the power bill. I know what I’m …

Grapheal secures €2.5M EIC grant for real-time PFAS monitoring

Grapheal secures €2.5M EIC grant for real-time PFAS monitoring

Published by skeptic

French deep-tech company Grapheal has secured a €2.5m grant through the latest European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator programme to advance its next-generation PFAS monitoring technology. The funding will support the development and commercialisation of PFAST, a portable graphene-based sensing platform that detects harmful PFAS contaminants in water within minutes. The grant comes as European regulators introduce stricter controls on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals.” New requirements under the EU Drinking Water Directive are increasing pressure on water utilities to conduct more frequent testing and demonstrate compliance with tighter contamination limits. With the additional funding, Grapheal aims to accelerate deployment of its field-ready sensor system, enabling water treatment operators to perform real-time PFAS monitoring without relying on laboratory analysis that can take weeks to deliver results. Rising demand for faster PFAS monitoring PFAS comprise a family of roughly 12,000 synthetic chemicals used across a wide range of industrial, consumer and technological applications. Their extreme persistence in the environment has led to widespread contamination across Europe, with studies identifying thousands of affected …