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What to Do with an Old iPad

I recently inherited my parents’ old iPad 2. It had iOS 9 on it and was barely usable, in part due to how slow it was but mostly because of old SSL certificates and apps stopping support. But I wanted to give it some life because I hate to see a working machine go to waste. So I asked around and got a great answer: The iPad 2 can be downgraded to iOS 6.1.3 or 8.4.1. Both offer better performance than iOS 9 and have untethered jailbreaks. Once downgraded and jailbroken you can sideload hours and

Topics: ios ipad server ssh vps

Stop writing CLI validation. Parse it right the first time

I have this bad habit. When something annoys me enough times, I end up building a library for it. This time, it was CLI validation code. See, I spend a lot of time reading other people's code. Open source projects, work stuff, random GitHub repos I stumble upon at 2 AM. And I kept noticing this thing: every CLI tool has the same ugly validation code tucked away somewhere. You know the kind: if ( ! opts . server && opts . port ) { throw new Error ( " --port requires --server flag " ); } if ( op

Oldest recorded transaction

Oldest recorded transaction The other day I posted a tweet with this image which I thought was funny: This is the oldest transaction database from 3100 BC - recording accounts of malt and barley groats. Considering this thing survived 5000 years (holy shit!) with zero downtime and has stronger durability guarantees than most databases today. I call it rock solid durability. This got me thinking, can I insert this date in today’s database? What is the oldest timestamp a database can support?

Topics: 01 4713 bc date insert

Anonymous recursive functions in Racket

Anonymous recursive functions in Racket Context Some languages, like PowerShell, have “anonymous recursive functions”. That is, normally, a function needs to use a name to refer to itself to recur. But “anonymous recursion” means the language has some special mechanism by which the function can refer to itself without having to explicitly introduce a name. In some contexts, this is called an anaphoric reference. Code Here we show how we can easily implement this feature in Racket. The file a

Stop Shipping PNGs in Your Games

Are you shipping textures to players as PNGs? The goal of this post is to convince you that this is suboptimal, and walk you through a better approach. I’ll also share my implementation of the suggested approach, but if you’d rather do it yourself I’ll also provide you with the information you need to get started. If you’re using a game engine, it is almost certainly doing what this post suggests automatically, but it doesn’t hurt to double check! What’s wrong with PNGs? source PNGs are great f

How the "Kim" dump exposed North Korea's credential theft playbook

Contents: Part I: Technical Analysis Part II: Goals Analysis Part III: Threat Intelligence Report Executive Summary A rare and revealing breach attributed to a North Korean-affiliated actor, known only as “Kim” as named by the hackers who dumped the data, has delivered a new insight into Kimsuky (APT43) tactics, techniques, and infrastructure. This actor’s operational profile showcases credential-focused intrusions targeting South Korean and Taiwanese networks, with a blending of Chinese-la

Please, ‘Highlander’ Reboot, Don’t Waste Djimon Hounsou

The upcoming Highlander movie continues to build out its cast: after recently nabbing Karen Gillan and Dave Bautista of Guardians of the Galaxy fame, we’ve got another Marvel alum in Djimon Hounsou. Per the Hollywood Reporter, Hounsou will play an immortal African warrior and presumably cross paths with either Henry Cavill’s Connor MacLeod or Bautista’s villainous Kurgen. We really don’t know much about this movie, save for director Chad Stahelski’s aim to expand upon the mythology from the pre

‘Witch Hat Atelier’ Anime Gets Delayed Into 2026

Bad news for anyone looking forward to watching the anime adaptation of Witch Hat Atelier: it’s leaving 2026 and coming sometime next year. Animation studio Bug Films announced the delay on Twitter, explaining it needed more time to “deliver the charm of the work with even higher quality. All staff are working hard on the production, and we sincerely apologize for this disappointing news to everyone who has been looking forward to the broadcast.” Before now, Bug was pretty quiet about it since

Nvidia Is Not Happy With the Gain AI Act, Says As Much

In a move drawing considerable attention across the tech industry, Nvidia Corporation has publicly critiqued the recently proposed Gain AI Act, emphasizing its potential to stifle competition in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector. The GAIN AI Act, which stands for Guaranteeing Access and Innovation for National Artificial Intelligence Act, was introduced as part of the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, with the goal of ensuring that the United States is the dominant mark

A New Graphic Novel Will Chronicle How ‘Star Wars’ Got Made

For anyone who wants to read about the history of the original Star Wars, a new graphic novel is coming. That would be Lucas Wars, the newly translated version of a story originally published in 2023 by French journalist Laurent Hopman and illustrator Renaud Roche. The graphic novel tells of George Lucas’ decade-long journey to get the classic sci-fi film made, starting from him surviving a car accident to his journey through film school and clashes with 20th Century Fox. In an email to the Hol

Wired Earbuds Are So Back

Belkin showcased a range of recently released Qi2.2 magnetic wireless chargers at IFA 2025, along with other charging accessories and wireless earbuds. Nestled in all of this were two products that immediately caught my eye: the Belkin UltraCharge Magnetic Charger 25W and the SoundForm USB-C Wired Earbuds with ANC. I want to talk about that second product, because this is something that has been stuck in a tiny space in the back of my mind for years. I rarely actively seek out noise-canceling w

Withings Updates ScanWatch 2 With 35-Day Battery Life the Apple Watch Could Only Dream Of

Withings, which is best known for its smart scales and similar devices, also makes a smartwatch series, the latest of which is the ScanWatch 2. At IFA 2025, the company announced a new blue and silver version of the 42mm model. It also unveiled HealthSense 4, an AI-laden software update that leverages the tech to handle a set of new health- and sleep-tracking features. I grabbed a picture of the ScanWatch 2 while I was there, and now I get the appeal of this watch. If you’re not familiar, the S

The Robot Vacuum’s Next Humble Trick: Climbing Stairs

Stair-climbing robot vacuums are actually about to be a reality, sort of. That’s courtesy of a little baby trend at IFA 2025 of robot vacuums slipping into something more climbable—a little caddy that carries them upstairs when it’s time to move floors, then waits to carry them back down when they’re done. The first one we encountered was the Eufy MarsWalker. Then, it turned out that Dreame had one, too, using almost the exact same approach, only it’s weirdly much scarier-looking. Both have a s

Is Local AI the Unexpected Fix to the Obsolescence of Robot Vacuums?

During a presentation at IFA 2025, Deebot parent company Ecovacs (full disclosure: travel and lodging were paid by Ecovacs, but Gizmodo did not guarantee any coverage as a condition of accepting the trip) said repeatedly that its new X11 OmniCyclone robot vacuum‘s AI smarts are all on-device. Or the bulk of them are, anyway. I returned to the booth later and spoke with a couple of the company’s representatives to try to figure out exactly how divorced from the cloud the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone tr

This Robot Vacuum Has 4WD and Fast Charging Like An Electric SUV. Here’s Why It Matters

Most robot vacuums have two wheels in the back that are directly powered, though they may still have front roller that allows them to move smoothly. This works fine for most people’s homes but if, like me, you have a lot of dramatic thresholds that measure an inch or more, you’ll find your robot cleaner getting stuck a lot. Ecovac’s new Deebot X11 Pro Omnicyclone (X11 Pro Omni), showcased at IFA 2025, is designed to tackle this problem by giving it four-wheel drive and the ability to climb thres

Today's NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 7, #819

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles. Today's NYT Connections puzzle has a fun mix of words that all look like a certain Little Mermaid's name. If you can sort them out, you're well on your way to solving today's puzzle. Read on for clues and today's Connections answers. The Times now has a Connections Bot, l

Today's NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Sept. 7 #553

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Today's NYT Strands puzzle might be tough if you're not familiar with this particular ritual and celebration. If you need hints and answers, read on. I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossw

Today's Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Sept. 7, #1541

Gael Cooper CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.

How to Watch the 2025 MTV VMAs Live Without Cable

The MTV Video Music Awards are back, giving fans a chance to vote for their favorite nominees across 19 categories including Best Collaboration, Best New Artist, Best Choreography, and the coveted Video of the Year. In recent years, the addition of social-driven categories has opened the door for viral artists and internet favorites to take home a trophy, making the competition broader than ever. This year's ceremony will be hosted by L.L. Cool J and feature a star-studded lineup of presenters

How to Watch Apple’s iPhone 17 Announcement, and What to Expect

Ah, September. The kiddos head back to school, the geese head south for the winter, and we all head to Cupertino to see the new iPhones. Apple’s latest product launch event is happening on September 9. The livestreamed announcement starts on Tuesday at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern, and 6 pm British Summer Time. You can watch the livestream right here on this page, on Apple's website, or on Apple's YouTube channel. If you're already deep in the Appleverse, you can also watch in the Apple TV app o

Google Pixel 10 review: perfectly fine

is a senior reviewer with over a decade of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Asking the Pixel 10 to be more than what it is feels greedy. Google’s non-Pro Pixel is priced fairly at $799, which is significantly less than the $999 Pixel 10 Pro. It comes with some handy upgrades, like Qi2 charging with buil

Herdling is a serene and adorable way to unwind

is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. Herdling is a slow game about herding fuzzy animals through a vibrant natural world. That may not sound particularly exciting, but I found it to be a perfect game to unwind with after a stressful day. In Herdling, you play as a kid who makes friends with and shepherds large fluffy creatures called Calicorns, which kind of look like a mix of a sheep and a woolly mammoth. T

EU fines Google $3.5B over adtech ‘abuse’

The European Commission announced this week that it’s fining Google €2.95 billion (just under $3.5 billion). The commission found that Google had violated European Union antitrust rules by favoring its own advertising services. Specifically, the commission said Google “abused” its “dominant positions” by favoring its ad exchange AdX in both its publisher ad server and in its ad-buying tools. The commission also said Google has 60 days to “bring these self-preferencing practices to an end” and

Why is an Amazon-backed AI startup making Orson Welles fan fiction?

On Friday, a startup called Fable announced an ambitious, if head-scratching, plan to recreate the lost 43 minutes of Orson Welles’ classic film “The Magnificent Ambersons.” Why is a startup that bills itself as the “Netflix of AI,” and that recently raised money from Amazon’s Alexa Fund, talking about remaking a movie that was first released in 1942? Well, the company has built a platform that allows users to create their own cartoons with AI prompts — Fable is starting out with its own intel

Paper Finds Earth May Have Been Terraformed by "Advanced Extraterrestrials"

It's one of the most longstanding questions in biology: how did life first arise? Research on the topic abounds, but there's no one accepted answer. And according to one new paper, the chances that life emerged by pure chance on Earth are so slim that it's possible that our planet was instead seeded by "advanced extraterrestrials." While Imperial College London professor of systems biology Robert Endres concedes that the emergence of life still could've been the result of chemical reactions mo

Venture Capitalist Sues Surrogate Mother After Stillbirth

Losing a baby to a stillbirth is arguably the most heartbreaking outcome an expecting mother can experience. But what would you do if that stillbirth kicked off a lengthy and protracted legal battle in which your most intimate details are spilled to the police, the courts, and social media? That's the horrifying conundrum facing Rebecca Smith, a 34 year old would-be surrogate mother who says her stillbirth almost killed her. Despite almost paying for the unfortunate complication with her life,

Scientists Intrigued by Non-Human Skull Embedded in Cave Wall

Scientists believe they're close to solving an ancient mystery involving a strange hominin skull, neither Neanderthal nor human, that was found fused to a cave wall — with a stalagmite sticking out of the top, to complete the eerie scene — in Macedonia, Greece. In a new study published in the Journal of Human Evolution, researchers from France's Institut de Paléontologie Humaine (or Human Paleontology Institute in English) claim they've been able to place an age on the "Petralona cranium," whic

Topics: 000 human new skull years