• 'Watch Something Wonderful' Brings Back the Charm of the Algorithm-Free Internet
    lifehacker.com
    Before modern social media, a browser extension called StumbleUpon let you click a button and see a random website. I, like many people, find myself missing this site a lot. Partly it was the serendipity of it: You'd click a button and get one of a curated collection of sites. Watch Something Wonderful is a simple website that brings that same experience to YouTube. Using the site is simple: Just click a button and you'll see a random YouTube video pulled from a curated collection. The videos are a blend of comedy and infotainmentnotably with nothing outright political. I ended up watching a half-hour vlog-style documentary about the origin of sparkling watersomething I'm glad I've seen and know I wouldn't have watched otherwise.There's not a lot of information on the website about who built it and how they choose videosit just says "A Team 7 Product" without any kind of link. This made the site feel mysterious, so naturally I had to track down the people behind it. I finally got in touch with Akhil, one of the four people behind the site. Team 7, it turns out, isn't a company or anythingit's "a team of four builders who like making fun stuff for people to use." The other three members are Ankit, Vidhatha, and Devesh.The idea for "Watch Something Wonderful," according to Akhil, came from wanting something to watch during lunch."We always watch YouTube while eating, but finding good videos takes too much time," he told me. "So we made a site that picks random videos for you." The site currently cycles between 300 videos, mostly taken from the creators' favorite playlists and the subreddit MealTimeVideos. The plan, according to Akhil, is to add a form for users to add their own videos.Is this a site I'm going to use every day for the rest of my life? No. But it's worth checking out and seeing what you find. Think of it as a website that feels like the old interneta chance to get outside your YouTube algorithm for a while and, well, stumble upon something new.
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  • The PowerSchool Breach May Have Compromised Over 70 Million Users' Data
    lifehacker.com
    Major data breaches and cybersecurity threats are now a fact of life, the consequence of which is our personal information being exposed at some point. One of the latest significant leaks involves data from PowerSchool, a software provider for thousands of K12 school districts in the United States and Canada. The incident affected millions of users. What happened in the PowerSchool hack According to reports, PowerSchool discovered that personal information had been stolen from its customer support platform on Dec. 28, 2024. Hackers used compromised credentials to log into and export from its "Students" and "Teacher" database. BleepingComputer is reporting that the hack may have compromised the personal data of 62.4 million students and 9.5 million teachers across 6,505 school districts. The stolen data includes contact information (such as names and addresses) as well as birthdates, Social Security numbers, medical information, and grades, though the specifics vary across affected districts. PowerSchool believes that fewer than 25% of individuals had their Social Security numbers stolen. While the incident was not a ransomware attack, PowerSchool has stated that the company paid the hackers to prevent the compromised data from being published. The company began notifying affected customers on Jan. 7, 2025. What you can do if your data was stolen As I've written before, you can't take back information that's been leakedand since your data has almost inevitably been compromised at some point, the best you can do is to be on the lookout for any signs that said data is being used in a malicious way. This includes keeping tabs on your credit report and sensitive accounts for unfamiliar or fraudulent activity and considering credit monitoring and identity protection services that will notify you of anything suspicious. For those affected by this recent hack, PowerSchool is offering two years of identity protection services to all students and teachers (regardless of whether your Social Security number was compromised) through Experian. The company will also cover two years of credit monitoring for anyone over 18. According to a Jan. 17 update on the incident, PowerSchool and Experian will communicate with customersincluding parents and guardians of students under 18in the coming weeks about setting up these services. Of course, you should also follow other basic security best practices: Don't click strange links or engage with communication asking for your personal information. When in doubt, hang up the phone, delete the text, or flag the email as spam, and contact the company directly to confirm any requests. (Note that PowerSchool will not contact you directly by phone or email to request or confirm your personal information.)
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  • Tesla's new Model Y arrives in the US
    www.engadget.com
    Tesla has officially launched the redesigned Model Y in North America and Europe, a couple of weeks after the vehicle was announced for the Asia Pacific region. The new version isn't replacing the original Model Y, though at least not yet and Tesla is selling both of them on its website. At the moment, you can only get the long-range all wheel drive launch series variant for the new Model Y in the US with prices starting at $46,490. The launch series is a limited edition release with exclusive badging on the rear liftgate, puddle light, doorsill plate and other parts of the car.While the new Model Y retains the older version's proportions, it has rounder edges, with its smaller headlights and taillights bookending a redesigned lightbar. Inside, it has ambient lighting wrapping around most of the car, ventilated seats and a 15.4-inch touchscreen in the front. The second row seats have power recline and can fold flat. Passengers sitting in the back row will also have access to a Bluetooth-enabled 8-inch rearscreen display with a touch panel.The new long-range all wheel drive Model Y has an estimated range of 325 miles, has a top speed of 125 mph and can go from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. To compare, the old Model Y long-range AWD can reach 311 miles on one charge, has a top speed of 135 mph and can go from zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Deliveries for the new Model Y begin in March. If you'd still rather get the old version, its prices start at $31,490, though take note that it's getting a $4,000 price hike in Canada.TeslaThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/teslas-new-model-y-arrives-in-the-us-055746103.html?src=rss
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  • The striking South of Midnight comes to Xbox and PC on April 8
    www.engadget.com
    South of Midnight, Compulsion Games' upcoming Southern Gothic/dark fantasy adventure, got some time in the spotlight during Xbox's Developer Direct event on Thursday. The studio revealed that the game is coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Cloud Gaming and PC on April 8.As ever, Game Pass Ultimate, Console and PC subscribers will get access on day one. Those who snap up the premium edition can jump in five days early.This deep dive into South of Midnight focused on the world, combat and story, which sees a hurricane tear through the part of the Deep South where main character Hazel and her mother live. The two get into an argument that ends in disaster, as their home is swept away with Hazel's mom still inside. As she sets out to find her mother, Hazel finds that the hurricane has brought some fantasy creatures, both friendly and otherwise, to her corner of the world.Our hero learns that she is a weaver, someone who possesses magical abilities. A gold star for anyone who guessed that these can be used for traversal and in combat. Timing is said to be a critical component of battles, so you'd best be sure that your reactions are on point. Speaking of time, Compulsion Games says that South of Midnight should take most players between 10 and 12 hours to finish.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/the-striking-south-of-midnight-comes-to-xbox-and-pc-on-april-8-185157726.html?src=rss
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  • Insomniac still can't confirm if Marvel's Wolverine will launch in 2025
    www.techradar.com
    Insomniac is still keeping quiet on the release date for Marvel's Wolverine.
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  • AMD confirms processor security flaws after Asus patch slips out early
    www.techradar.com
    Asus removed mentions of AMD, while the chipmaker confirmed the news.
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  • Tesla starts sales of revamped Model Y in U.S. for about $60,000
    www.cnbc.com
    Tesla will start deliveries of the Model Y Juniper in the U.S. in March.
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  • Why investors are buying Trump-linked World Liberty Financial tokens
    www.fastcompany.com
    On Sunday, just before Donald Trumps inauguration, crypto investor Mike Dudas bought more than $145,000 worth of tokens from World Liberty Financial, a fledgling crypto company partly owned by the U.S. president.Unlike typical crypto investments, the World Liberty Financial tokens give their holders a vote on decisions about product features and marketing. Crypto tokens such as bitcoin and ether can be used for payments or developing applications.Dudas said he invested because he was friendly with the projects advisers and was excited about their plan to make decentralized finance (DeFi) more accessible. DeFi is a financial network run on crypto, without traditional gatekeepers like banks.I think theyll appreciate greatly in value, Dudas told Reuters, explaining why he bought the tokens. I believe a Trump DeFi company can be worth very much and that the public sale price was attractive.World Liberty Financial was announced just two months before the U.S. election by Trump, his three sons and one of his top advisors, the billionaire real estate businessman Steve Witkoff. The firm has so far raised at least $300 million selling the tokens, known as $WLFI, according to Reuters calculations based on World Libertys website and its social media posts.Trumps crypto ventures, including a meme coin known as $TRUMP that has become worth $7.7 billion in just a few days, are raising concerns among ethics experts, market participants, and others about the dangers of conflicts of interest and potential of influence over the administration. Trump has long licensed out his name to sell everything from steaks to condos to real estate courses, such as at the now-defunct Trump University.Ethics experts said Trump does not appear to have violated any laws. While federal rules prohibit executive branch employees from being involved in policy issues that will affect their financial interests, that law does not apply to the president or vice president.The Trump administration, the Trump Organization, World Liberty Financial, and Steve Witkoff, who is Trumps special envoy to the Middle East, did not respond to requests for comment.So far, Justin Sun, the Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur who founded the blockchain network Tron, has emerged as the most prominent buyer of the token, spending at least $75 million, according to his posts on X. Suns purchase into an entity where Trump directly benefits financially has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and ethics due to Trons alleged use by militant groups and pending charges against him by U.S. securities regulators.Reuters has identified five othersin locations including Gibraltar and Puerto Ricowho have bought millions of $WLFI tokens, based on interviews and data from Singapore-based blockchain analysis firm Nansen.To identify these people, Reuters reviewed the data from Nansen, which uses algorithms, investigations, and user submissions to pinpoint the people behind anonymous crypto wallets. Reuters then confirmed their investments through interviews and analysis of public comments on social media.A primary draw for some of them: the connection with Trump, according to interviews with Dudas and two other investors.World Liberty Financial is directly connected to our new crypto president Donald Trump, said Sigil Fund, a Gibraltar-based fund whose chief investment officer is one of the investors.The CIO, who goes who goes only by the pseudonym Fiskantes, spent 40 ether tokens, worth around $130,000 on Wednesday on $WLFI tokens, it said via email.Fiskantes did ape some WLFI, the fund said, using a slang term popular in the crypto world for investing in new projects without doing due diligence.Big rewards?Trump and other unnamed affiliates are set to reap 75% of some World Liberty Financial revenues and own about 22.5 billion $WLFI tokens through subsidiaries. The project had by Wednesday sold another 22 billion of its tokens to investors. It is not clear how much of that money, if any, goes to Trump, according to World Libertys gold paper listed on its website.Unlike factories and warehouses, the costs in setting up crypto companies is negligible, said Jeff Hauser, director of the nonprofit Revolving Door Project, which scrutinizes executive branch employees. So political investment is the way to influence it.Trump said earlier this month he will hand over daily management of his business assets to his children on entering the White House.Asked on Tuesday whether he would continue to sell products such as his $TRUMP coin that debuted over inauguration weekend and that could that benefit himself while president, Trump said: I dont know much about it other than I launched it. I heard it was very successful. I havent checked it. Where is it today?Dudas, who founded crypto media outlet The Block, bought 9.7 million of the tokens at 1.5 cents each, according to blockchain records he shared with Reuters. The World Liberty Financial tokens cannot be resold to other investors.When asked if he worried about the prospect of any conflict of interest, Dudas rejected the idea. This is very different from a meme coin in the Presidents name, said Dudas, referring to the $TRUMP coin brandished with an image from the Presidents assassination attempt. Dudas stressed that World Liberty was about the future of decentralized finance.Once a Democrat but now a registered Independent, Dudas said he donated to Republicans during the last election cycle, citing what he described as the Biden administrations hostility to the crypto industry.The investorsThe sales of the tokens are recorded anonymously on the blockchain, the public ledger that underpins crypto transactions.Nansen identified a number of other holders which Reuters could not independently confirm. Reuters also could not ascertain the number of individual holders of the token.Trons Sun is the largest outside investor in the token, according to this analysis.In 2023, the SEC charged Sun with fraud linked to crypto trading and hiding payments to celebrities to promote his companies. The case is pending. The Swiss-based entrepreneur has said the SEC charges lack merit. He did not respond to a request for comment. The SEC did not respond to a request for comment.Another buyer of the tokens is Troy Murray, a crypto entrepreneur based in Puerto Rico, according to the Nansen data. Murray bought about 666,000 $WLFI tokens, the data show.In 2023, Murray was hit by the SEC with a cease-and-desist order over a blockchain company he developed for selling complex investments via crypto asset vehicles, in violation of securities laws. The case was settled that year.I was curious about the legal structure they set up around selling the tokens, and once I had gotten through all the steps I kind of figured, why not? Murray told Reuters in a message on X, adding the whynot emoji.Michelle Conlin and Tom Wilson; additional reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft and Luc Cohen, Reuters
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  • Why small acts of care matter now, more than ever
    www.fastcompany.com
    For many of us, its a terrifying time to be alive. Wars are breaking out around the world, with death tolls rising daily. Cities are burning, as climate change exacts its toll. Democracy is on the decline and authoritarianism is risingincluding here in America.In the face of so much instability, Ive been paralyzed. I havent had it in me to take to the streets in protest. Ive been pouring what little energy I have into caring for my children, looking out for my neighbors, gathering with friends. This caregiving feel so paltry in the face of global tragedy. But what if its not? What if small acts of care are actually profound acts of resistance?Cameron Russell, the author and activist, wants us to rethink caregiving.She and her longtime collaborator, photographer Mei Tao, just launched an art exhibition calledThe Art of CareatGallery 263in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The show elevates acts of care into works of art. It displays sweaters and quilts crafted to keep a loved ones warm, along with photographs of haircuts, meals, and made-up games to keep children entertained.Cameron Russell & Mei Tao: The Art of Care at Gallery 236, Cambridge, MA. 2025. [Photo: Darrick Harris/courtesy The Art of Care]The show makes the bigger argument that caregiving is transformative. Acts of care allow us to keep one another healthy and happy, but they also foster stronger, kinder, and more stable communities. They allow us to gather the strength we need to eventually rise up and create more systemic political change.[Photo: courtesy The Art of Care]Its an important message now, at the beginning of a new administration whose policies will harm undocumented immigrants, transpeople, and women. This past election, I felt so powerless, she recalls. I had to sit with the reality that there is so little I can do as an individual. But then I realize that through caregiving, we build the muscle, and labor, and skill we need to resist.Caregiving In FashionRussell is best known for her work as a model in the fashion industry, which she documents in her recent memoir, How to Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone. Scouted at 16, she quickly rose through the industry, appearing on the covers of Vogue and Elle; walking the runway for Chanel and Louis Vuitton; and starring in ad campaigns for Calvin Klein and H&M. But it didnt take long for her to see firsthand the injustices that occur at every stage of the fashion industry, from the sexual harassment that models endure to the garment workers who labor under unsafe conditions while struggling to feed their families to its gargantuan climate impact. [Cover Image: Random House]In her book, Russell describes how she was both a victim of the industrys evils, but also complicit in them. She experienced sexual harassment at the hands of photographers and agents, while simultaneously acknowledging that she was getting paid enormous sums of money to market clothes for brands that abused their workers. It took her years to make sense of it all. She responded by becoming an activist. She began attendingthen organizingprotests to fight for garment workers rights and demand that brands be accountable for their environmental impact.But then it became clear to her that caregiving is effectively a form of activism. Care work was my respite from feeling powerless, she says. Taking care of the people that I can tangibly reach is a place where I have agency and can make a difference. But as I looked at some of the wisest and most skilled caregivers, I realized that they knew how to go bigger, turn these acts of care into broader systemic change.To Russell, one form of caregiving was looking out for other models in her orbit and listening to their experiences of sexual harassment and rape. But she saw that this simple act of care could also become a form of activism. In the midst of the #MeToo movement, she began anonymously posting these stories on her Instagram account. These stories went viral, helping to draw attention to systemic problems in the fashion industry.Cynthia Albertos handlooms, at the How to Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone Book Launch, 2024. [Photo: Mary Kang/courtesy The Art of Care]Acts of Care Are PoliticalThe Art of Care exhibit is a natural extension of this work. There are carefully knitted sweaters and handmade wooden chairs displayed as works of art. On the walls, people in the community have shared pictures of artifacts that reflect caregiving, like birthday cakes and flower crowns. Theres a joyful portrait of musician RoseLove Joseph playing the ukulele to her daughter Ilani Maat Neter while theyre out in the snow.There are large photographs lensed by Mei Tao, a fashion photographer who has shot everyone from Michelle Obama to the stars ofBridgerton.In one photo, her father is wearinga baseball cap from Emory University. Tao explains that she brings him caps from all the places she visits, so he can feel like he was part of the journey.The photo is accompanied by a QR code where visitors can hear an edit of decades of her fatherformerly and actor and radio show host, work that stopped when they left Chinadelivering gripping performances of family history and lore just for the family.In another archival image,her daughter Dashiel Tao Harris, had photographed a Chinese meal he made. At home, we would put newspaper on the table, to keep the table clean, Tao says. Its an immigrant thing. (Tao was born in China and raised in Brooklyn.)In another series, Russellsgrandmother is pictured in her home where shes painted everything in bright colors. In one photo, this grandmother paints Russells sisters face. In another photo, Russells sister looks up while relatives give her a haircut.The show makes it clear that care work can also be political. It was her son, a freshman in high school, who reminded her of Gandhis acts of caregiving. We often tend to think about Gandhi as a powerful organizer, who led campaigns of non-violent resistance against the British in an effort to help India gain independence. But, in a panel at the exhibit, Russell describes how Gandhi also spent hours at a spinning wheel turning cotton into thread which would be woven into fabric.[Photo: courtesy The Art of Care]Making fabric was a way for Gandhi to create garments that would clothe the people around him. But it was also a radical act. At the time, the British controlled the global textile trade. The British government took Indian cotton to England to be turned into cloth, which it then sold back to Indians at a large markup. It was yet another way for the colonizer to extract wealth from the colonized. For Gandhi, making cloth was a way of demonstrating that Indians could be economically independent from the British, paving the way for their political independence. There was so much meaning in that act, Russell says. He was reclaiming culture, refusing to dress like the colonizer. He was divesting from the economy, which ultimately allowed India to reject foreign rule.For Russell, Gandhis example is powerful, particularly as someone who is embedded in the fashion industry, where clothing continues to be tied to oppression. But it also says something bigger about caregiving. The personal is political. The small acts of care we show our families and communities are connected to broader systems of power. They nourish us and give us the strength to fight when we need to. Movements require a collective, she says. And by taking care of each other, we gather the strength we need to move forward.
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  • Wix 2025 review: easy to like, impossible to love
    www.creativebloq.com
    Wixs impressive capabilities are let down by its poor design solutions.
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