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Today, thousands of websites and organizations are showing their support for net neutrality in hopes of preserving the open internet. Consider Engadget among them. The Federal Communication Commission, as chaired by former Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai, is exploring ways to repeal the open internet rules put into effect by former chairman Tom Wheeler, and that's just not OK. I'm not just saying this as person whose livelihood directly depends on the internet. I'm saying this as someone who has loved and relied on the internet for almost as long I've been capable of love and reliance. The world we live in now is... strange, to be sure, but it's more closely knit and more prosperous because we've found meaningful new ways to connect with each other. For me, maintaining the quality of those connections means upholding the fairness of the network those connections happen on. That requires regulation, but Pai is in favor of undoing the internet's classification as ...

Hyperloop One , one of the leading startups working to bring the next-gen hyperloop transportation system from concept to reality, just shared footage of its first full-scale test in a vacuum environment.  SEE ALSO: Elon Musk had a 'promising' conversation about tunnels with Los Angeles mayor The test marks an important milestone in the development of the futuristic transportation system that can, in theory, carry travelers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in under 30 minutes . Hyperloop One says it's the first time anyone has conducted a fully-realized test of the system, which was first outlined by Elon Musk back in 2013 .  Read more... More about Hyperloop , Hyperloop One , Tech , Innovations , and Transportation Tech http://ift.tt/2vefogg July 13, 2017 at 01:51AM

 Transportation is a huge category: Automakers, motorcycle manufacturers, trucking firms, logistics companies, car leasing firms, energy companies with big networks of gasoline stations around the world… Given the dramatic changes underway in the way that people travel, you can imagine these industries are acutely interested in knowing what technologies are on the horizon. Read More Tech http://ift.tt/2tNA6Ed July 13, 2017 at 01:43AM

 Google today announced the latest updates to its Google Container Engine, its service for running Kubernetes-based software containers in its cloud. Like with previous releases, this update brings the Container Engine, or GKE, as Google calls it (where the ‘K’ stands for Kubernetes), up to date with the latest updates from the Kubernetes project. Read More Tech http://ift.tt/2tfEFW8 July 13, 2017 at 01:43AM

 In a new study published in Nature, a group of scientists at Harvard have successfully stored a GIF— yes, like a moving meme — into live bacteria (E. coli to be specific). It’s a weird idea, but scientists have actually been using the genetic wondertool known as CRISPR or “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats” for data storage parlor tricks… Read More Tech http://ift.tt/2ujZuEx July 13, 2017 at 01:34AM

 Frank Artale, a managing director at Ignition Partners, has resigned, according to the firm. Earlier this month, the firm received a misconduct complaint regarding Artale, Ignition Partners wrote on Twitter last night. Within a few days of receiving the complaint, the firm asked for Artale’s resignation and he agreed. Read More Tech http://ift.tt/2ujZ1lL July 13, 2017 at 01:32AM

It's been over two years since Amazon debuted the Echo , which kickstarted the current wave of voice-controlled, virtual assistant-powered speakers. And while the company has added more devices to the Echo family, with the tiny Dot , portable Tap and screen-toting Show , it hasn't touched the original model (aside from a white coat of paint for the UK ). That's going to change later this year. Amazon is working on a new Echo that will improve on the first speaker in practically every way, a source tells Engadget. And, not surprisingly, it's aiming to take some of the hype away from Apple's HomePod . The new Echo will be both shorter and slimmer than the original, almost as if it were three or four Echo Dots stacked on top of each other, our source claims. Amazon is also softening its design with rounded edges and a cloth-like covering, rather than the current Echo's plastic shell and flat ends. And yes, it should sound better, too. The company is packing in s...

The Day of Action gave the fight for net neutrality its spotlight moment. But it shouldn't end here.Tech http://ift.tt/2tOdKT1 July 13, 2017 at 12:53AM

Amazon has just released a software update for its Fire TV devices that allows you to control them using Alexa on another device... like, say, an Amazon Echo. The update was first spotted by Android Police . To use the new feature, you’ll have to link your Fire TV to your Alexa device using the Alexa app on your smartphone. Once set up, you’ll be able to use voice commands through Alexa for things like playback controls, searching for videos, and opening apps. It’s similar to the functionality provided by Amazon’s Alexa Voice Remote for the Fire TV, just without actually requiring that you use a physical remote. The update is compatible with all of Amazon’s Fire TV devices, except for the original first generation Fire TV Stick. It’s also a move that puts Amazon’s virtual assistant on par with Google’s Home speaker and Chromecast, which have granted the ability use the Home in tandem with a Chromecast for voice commands for a while now. Tech http://ift.tt/2vd9UlY July 12, 2017 at...

With net neutrality on the chopping block, web companies and activists have once again banded together in its support. On July 12th, over 200 groups — from Kickstarter and Etsy, to Vimeo and Netflix, to Pornhub and High Times — updated their websites with statements, banners, and spinning wheels to tell their visitors about the troubles that could come with an internet free from net neutrality rules. Not sure where to start? Read this first: The internet is fucked (again) Tech http://ift.tt/2tJf6Qq July 12, 2017 at 09:53PM

Apple has offered student discounts on its hardware and services for awhile now, but now it's taking that further. In an effort to make its gear even more ubiquitous on campus, Apple will throw in a pair of Beats headphones with Mac and iPad Pro purchases from now until September 25th, full details here (PDF). Which ones? The recent Solo3 wireless on-ear, Powerbeats 3 wireless or BeatsX. If you're trying to maximize your freebie, the Solo3 are your best option given their $300 pricetag. The Powerbeats come in at $100 cheaper if you're looking for something a little lower profile and the BeatsX are available if you want a more traditional earbud. The offer extends to faculty, staff and students who are at the K - 12 level as well as those at colleges and universities. Want to see how the whole Beats and Apple deal came to be? Check out HBO's The Defiant Ones documentary about Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. All four episodes are streaming now on HBO Go/Now and it'...

Pakistan's government is in turmoil after the strange plot twist in an ongoing corruption scandal that has ensnared one of the country's wealthiest and most powerful families — and a Microsoft Word font might just be one of the keys to discovering the truth. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Sharif allegedly submitted forged documents in a judicial investigation into the family's "unusual wealth," according to Reuters . The documents served as a smokescreen of her alleged ownership of valuable properties outside the country. So how did the investigators conclude that the documents were forged? Sharif reportedly used the Microsoft's Calibri font, which wasn't publicly available until 2007, while claiming the documents were created in 2006.  Read more... More about Pakistan , Microsoft Word , Corruption , Font , and Tech Tech http://ift.tt/2sQZsja July 12, 2017 at 09:28PM

You are? Good, welcome. We need to talk. The future of the internet is at stake. We've been here before ( paging John Oliver ), but we have a new administration now so we're essentially back where we started.  SEE ALSO: Cable companies are going to screw up the internet because that's their job Yes, we're talking about net neutrality. We see you stifling that yawn, but honestly, you're reading this on the internet right now, so get on board.  What's net neutrality? It's the idea of providing a free and open internet for all.  In a world where net neutrality does not exist, websites and online platforms, like the Facebook app or Netflix on your Apple TV, could pay more money to have high-speed (essentially priority) access to you.  Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger could load much faster on your smartphone than Snapchat, for example, since the first three have money to throw at service providers. Read more... More about Verizon , Fcc , At T , Net N...