advertisementadvertisementA new report says the U.S. Postal Service has run a secret surveillance program targeting protestors on social media, and its reasons have no apparent connection to delivering the mail.advertisementadvertisement, longtime investigative journalist Jana Winter uncovered a document from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service describing an “Internet Covert Operations Program.” The program’s purpose has been to monitor social media for potential security threats and share information with other agencies, and it appears to have targeted right-wing conspiracy groups in...…advertisementadvertisementA new report says the U.S. Postal Service has run a secret surveillance program targeting protestors on social media, and its reasons have no apparent connection to delivering the mail.advertisementadvertisement, longtime investigative journalist Jana Winter uncovered a document from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service describing an “Internet Covert Operations Program.” The program’s purpose has been to monitor social media for potential security threats and share information with other agencies, and it appears to have targeted right-wing conspiracy groups in...WW…

advertisementadvertisementFor more than two decades, building a new web browser from scratch has been practically unheard of. But a small company called Ekioh has its reasons.advertisementadvertisementThe Cambridge, U.K.-based company is developing a browser called , and unlike the vast majority of browsers that have arrived in recent years, it’s not based on Google’s Chromium or Apple’s WebKit open-source code. Instead, Flow is starting with a blank slate and building its own rendering engine. Its goal is to make web-based apps run smoothly even on cheap microcomputers such as the...…advertisementadvertisementFor more than two decades, building a new web browser from scratch has been practically unheard of. But a small company called Ekioh has its reasons.advertisementadvertisementThe Cambridge, U.K.-based company is developing a browser called , and unlike the vast majority of browsers that have arrived in recent years, it’s not based on Google’s Chromium or Apple’s WebKit open-source code. Instead, Flow is starting with a blank slate and building its own rendering engine. Its goal is to make web-based apps run smoothly even on cheap microcomputers such as the...WW…

advertisementadvertisementThe rise of cord cutting and streaming video was supposed to render the digital video recorder (DVR) irrelevant. In theory, you shouldn’t need to record anything when services like Netflix and Amazon Prime make everything available on demand.advertisementadvertisementBut now that every big media company has its own streaming service, all that instant gratification has come at a cost. Watching TV now means bouncing between a dozen different apps, each with its own separate menu system, catalog, and watch list. Say what you will about the stodginess of cable, at...…advertisementadvertisementThe rise of cord cutting and streaming video was supposed to render the digital video recorder (DVR) irrelevant. In theory, you shouldn’t need to record anything when services like Netflix and Amazon Prime make everything available on demand.advertisementadvertisementBut now that every big media company has its own streaming service, all that instant gratification has come at a cost. Watching TV now means bouncing between a dozen different apps, each with its own separate menu system, catalog, and watch list. Say what you will about the stodginess of cable, at...WW…

advertisementadvertisementAlthough the Apple TV 4K is a great streaming box, its remote control is—to put it lightly—polarizing.advertisementadvertisementThe symmetrical design is too easy to hold upside down, and it’s so thin that it often slips between couch cushions. Meanwhile, the touchpad at the top rejects your feeble attempts at precision; you often over- or undershoot whatever on-screen icon you were attempting to press.Now, a leading maker of remote controls for cable companies is stepping in to fix the remote itself. has a proper directional pad instead of a touchpad, along with...…advertisementadvertisementAlthough the Apple TV 4K is a great streaming box, its remote control is—to put it lightly—polarizing.advertisementadvertisementThe symmetrical design is too easy to hold upside down, and it’s so thin that it often slips between couch cushions. Meanwhile, the touchpad at the top rejects your feeble attempts at precision; you often over- or undershoot whatever on-screen icon you were attempting to press.Now, a leading maker of remote controls for cable companies is stepping in to fix the remote itself. has a proper directional pad instead of a touchpad, along with...WW…

advertisementadvertisementAmong the 15 million developers, hackers, and tinkerers who visit XDA Developers every month, there’s a recurring joke that the site should just build its own smartphone.advertisementadvertisement hosts one of the largest online forums for Android enthusiasts, and it’s often the first stop for users who want to modify their phones in ways that the manufacturer never intended. Wouldn’t it be easier to just make a phone where the hacking was the point?Now it’s not such a joke anymore. This week, XDA announced a partnership with a startup called F(x)tec, and together...…advertisementadvertisementAmong the 15 million developers, hackers, and tinkerers who visit XDA Developers every month, there’s a recurring joke that the site should just build its own smartphone.advertisementadvertisement hosts one of the largest online forums for Android enthusiasts, and it’s often the first stop for users who want to modify their phones in ways that the manufacturer never intended. Wouldn’t it be easier to just make a phone where the hacking was the point?Now it’s not such a joke anymore. This week, XDA announced a partnership with a startup called F(x)tec, and together...WW…

advertisementadvertisementWhen you’re working from home, it’s all too easy to develop some bad habits. Maybe you’re staring at the screen for too long without interruption, or hunching over your laptop with little regard for posture. Or perhaps you’re just working too much in the first place.advertisementadvertisementA new website called wants to help with all that, offering a free suite of tools that promote a healthier remote work routine. While there are lots of apps and websites that offer some similar resources, Working Den helpfully puts them all in one place. It’s got playlists of...…advertisementadvertisementWhen you’re working from home, it’s all too easy to develop some bad habits. Maybe you’re staring at the screen for too long without interruption, or hunching over your laptop with little regard for posture. Or perhaps you’re just working too much in the first place.advertisementadvertisementA new website called wants to help with all that, offering a free suite of tools that promote a healthier remote work routine. While there are lots of apps and websites that offer some similar resources, Working Den helpfully puts them all in one place. It’s got playlists of...WW…

advertisementadvertisementIn May of this year, Facebook started rolling out a , with a more modern look, big navigation buttons on top, and a .advertisementadvertisementWhile the overhaul was overdue, it also turned several third-party browser extensions into collateral damage, including ones that help users evaluate the trustworthiness of news stories and customize their feeds. That’s because Facebook has fundamentally changed its website’s code in ways that make various parts of the site harder to identify. That’s left developers scrambling to make their extensions somewhat useful again,...…advertisementadvertisementIn May of this year, Facebook started rolling out a , with a more modern look, big navigation buttons on top, and a .advertisementadvertisementWhile the overhaul was overdue, it also turned several third-party browser extensions into collateral damage, including ones that help users evaluate the trustworthiness of news stories and customize their feeds. That’s because Facebook has fundamentally changed its website’s code in ways that make various parts of the site harder to identify. That’s left developers scrambling to make their extensions somewhat useful again,...WW…

advertisementadvertisementRight now, my Amazon Echo speaker is looking a lot uglier than usual.advertisementadvertisementProtruding from the top of the speaker is a three-inch-tall cylinder of yellow plastic, with a sunburst pattern around the edges. When it’s plugged in and turned on, an array of ultrasonic speakers on the device’s underside confuse the Echo’s always-on microphones, rendering Alexa inoperable until I either clap three times or triple-tap the top of the cylinder.The device, called Alexagate, is the latest effort from , a Brooklyn-based startup that makes . In this case,...…advertisementadvertisementRight now, my Amazon Echo speaker is looking a lot uglier than usual.advertisementadvertisementProtruding from the top of the speaker is a three-inch-tall cylinder of yellow plastic, with a sunburst pattern around the edges. When it’s plugged in and turned on, an array of ultrasonic speakers on the device’s underside confuse the Echo’s always-on microphones, rendering Alexa inoperable until I either clap three times or triple-tap the top of the cylinder.The device, called Alexagate, is the latest effort from , a Brooklyn-based startup that makes . In this case,...WW…

advertisementadvertisementOn Tuesday, President Donald Trump amplified a conspiracy theory from the far-right news channel One America News Network.advertisementadvertisementIn a Twitter post that , Trump smeared a 75-year-old protester who was pushed to the ground by Buffalo police officers last week and subsequently hospitalized in serious condition. Trump suggested that the protester, Martin Gugino, was “an antifa provocateur” who was trying to scan police equipment with his phone and “fell harder than he was pushed.”“Could be a set up?” Trump wrote.The tweet, which drew criticism ,...…advertisementadvertisementOn Tuesday, President Donald Trump amplified a conspiracy theory from the far-right news channel One America News Network.advertisementadvertisementIn a Twitter post that , Trump smeared a 75-year-old protester who was pushed to the ground by Buffalo police officers last week and subsequently hospitalized in serious condition. Trump suggested that the protester, Martin Gugino, was “an antifa provocateur” who was trying to scan police equipment with his phone and “fell harder than he was pushed.”“Could be a set up?” Trump wrote.The tweet, which drew criticism ,...WW…

advertisementadvertisementWith the new year approaching, it’s a great time to take stock of your app situation. Think about which apps you might , then clear them out to make room for some of these genuinely great ones. Here are 25 of the best new apps—and substantial updates—that arrived in 2019:advertisementadvertisementInfinite notes: No need to confine your ideas to the size of a printed page. Flow by Moleskine provides an endlessly scrolling notepad for jotting and sketching on an iPad—ideally with an Apple Pencil—along with customizable gestures for erasing, selecting, and more. The...…advertisementadvertisementWith the new year approaching, it’s a great time to take stock of your app situation. Think about which apps you might , then clear them out to make room for some of these genuinely great ones. Here are 25 of the best new apps—and substantial updates—that arrived in 2019:advertisementadvertisementInfinite notes: No need to confine your ideas to the size of a printed page. Flow by Moleskine provides an endlessly scrolling notepad for jotting and sketching on an iPad—ideally with an Apple Pencil—along with customizable gestures for erasing, selecting, and more. The...WW…