Connect with us

Tech

Poem: The Attraction of Blackberries

Published

on

The first time she tried to seduce me,
(atoms falling in a vacuum)
she asked about blackberries—
(every mass exerts some gravity)

Did I know their season, where they grow?
(galvanometers, gravimeters)
I could answer both easily—
(tools to measure small attractions)

down the dirt road in September.
(devices that report, don’t interfere)
She eagerly went there with me,
(variations in readings occur)

We ate more berries than we kept.
(electron exchange may explain this)
The sweet dark juice painted our lips.
(equilibrium then entropy)

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tech

What About the Droid Attack on the Repos?

Published

on

A grim reaper knocking on a door labelled "open source"

You might not have noticed, but we here at Hackaday are pretty big fans of Open Source — software, hardware, you name it. We’ve also spilled our fair share of electronic ink on things people are doing with AI. So naturally when [Jeff Greerling] declares on his blog (and in a video embedded below) that AI is destroying open source, well, we had to take a look.

[Jeff]’s article highlights a problem he and many others who manage open source projects have noticed: they’re getting flooded with agenetic slop pull requests (PRs). It’s now to the point that GitHub will let you turn off PRs completely, at which point you’ve given up a key piece of the ‘hub’s functionality. That ability to share openly with everyone seemed like a big source of strength for open source projects, but [Jeff] here is joining his voice with others like [Daniel Stenberg] of curl fame, who has dropped bug bounties over a flood of spurious AI-generated PRs.

It’s a problem for maintainers, to be sure, but it’s as much a human problem as an AI one. After all, someone set up that AI agent and pointed at your PRs. While changing the incentive structure– like removing bug bounties– might discourage such actions, [Jeff] has no bounties and the same problem. Ultimately it may be necessary for open source projects to become a little less open, only allowing invited collaborators to submit PRs, which is also now an option on GitHub.

Combine invitation-only access with a strong policy against agenetic AI and LLM code, and you can still run a quality project. The cost of such actions is that the random user with no connection to the project can no longer find and squash bugs. As unlikely as that sounds, it happens! Rather, it did. If the random user is just going to throw their AI agent at the problem, it’s not doing anybody any good.

First they came for our RAM, now they’re here for our repos. If it wasn’t for getting distracted by the cute cat pictures we might just start to think vibe coding could kill open source. Extra bugs was bad enough, but now we can’t even trust the PRs to help us squash them!

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

The US Gas Station Convenience Stores You Might Not Know Are Owned By Mexico

Published

on





A transaction in October of 2024, between an American company and a Mexican one, resulted in a chain of U.S.-located gas station convenience stores being owned by the Mexican firm. The American company is Delek US Holdings, Inc., which sold its retail operations for $385 million. These retail operations consisted of 249 convenience stores that operated under the DK brand, located in New Mexico, Arkansas, and Texas. Delek is an energy company involved in petroleum and renewable fuels. As an oil products producer, it has a refining capacity of 302,000 barrels each day. It is also one of five owners of the 650-mile oil pipeline that goes from Wink to Webster in the Permian Basin in Texas, moving over one million barrels per day of crude oil and condensate to the Gulf Coast. 

The Mexican company that bought the convenience stores at Delek’s gas stations is called FEMSA. It’s a huge conglomerate that includes the OXXO chain of 28,800 convenience stores located in Mexico, Chile, Peru, Brazil, and Colombia. FEMSA also owns the largest volume Coca-Cola products franchise bottler in the world. It has a total of over 392,000 employees located in 18 countries, including Europe, having purchased the food retail company Valora in 2022. FEMSA is also involved in many other business ventures, including retail drugstores and digital financial services.

Advertisement

How FEMSA’s acquisition affected DK convenience stores

FEMSA has now rebranded many DK stores, which now operate as OXXO, a well-known brand near the Mexican border. By 2027, all of the stores in the El Paso area, which adjoins the border, will be rebranded as OXXO stores. Once the OXXO brand starts to expand beyond its initial footprint, it may build even larger stores, following the trend of U.S. gas stations turning into massive convenience stores.

As far as the supply of fuel products to the stores, FEMSA has continued to purchase them from Delek after the ownership change. Delek continues to operate hundreds of gas stations under both the DK and Alon brands, positioning itself as a locally sourced, high-quality fuel supplier with a lower carbon footprint. While this acquisition may have been FEMSA’s first attempt to plant its flag in the U.S., the company has said it has plans to become a major player in the U.S. market. FEMSA is not the only foreign operator to land here; the Speedway gas station chain is owned by a Japanese company.

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Tech

Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Feb. 15, 2026

Published

on

Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Feb. 15, 2026.

Sign up to receive these updates every Sunday in your inbox by subscribing to our GeekWire Weekly email newsletter.

Most popular stories on GeekWire

Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

Elon Musk confirms target window for next Starship launch

Published

on

If you’re wondering what happened to the Starship, then rest assured, SpaceX engineers are still working to get it airborne again soon.

In fact, in a post on X on Saturday, SpaceX chief Elon Musk confirmed an earlier stated target window for the 12th launch of the most powerful rocket: next month.

In that case, the Starship could be blasting off from SpaceX’s Starbase site in near Boca Chica, Texas, in a matter of weeks, treating onlookers and those watching online to a spectacular display of raw rocket power.

The 12th Starship flight is particularly special because it involves a new version — the third — of the first-stage Super Heavy booster, which lifts the upper-stage Ship to space.

Advertisement

Version 3 of the Starship rocket is 124.4 meters tall, making it just over a meter taller than its predecessor. Its engines have also been given a power upgrade, together with a number of design tweaks that will improve the rocket’s overall performance.

This year promises to be an exciting one for the Starship as SpaceX is heavily focused on getting it ready for a trip to the moon in the Artemis III mission.

First, it needs to achieve a number of important milestones, including getting the Ship to orbit, refueling the Ship in Earth orbit, and then landing it back at Boca Chica in a similar way to how it’s already landed the Super Heavy booster.

The Artemis III mission is currently set for 2027, though that date could slip due to technical challenges with the rocket. NASA wants to use a modified version of the Ship to land two astronauts on the lunar surface in what would be the first crewed moon landing since 1972.

Advertisement

The astronauts won’t travel to lunar orbit aboard the Ship, flying instead aboard an Orion spacecraft launched by NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. Once in lunar orbit, they’ll transfer to SpaceX’s Ship and descend to the lunar surface.

The same Orion spacecraft is about to carry its first crew on a voyage around the moon in the Artemis II mission, which will pave the way for the Artemis III lunar landing in a few years’ time.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Tech

Anthropic-Backed Group Enters NY-12 AI PAC Fight

Published

on

A political group funded by Anthropic is backing New York Assembly member Alex Bores in a high-profile House race that’s turned into a proxy fight over how AI should be regulated. (As of Feb 2026.)

What we know

  • Anthropic says it is contributing $20 million to Public First Action, describing it as a bipartisan 501(c)(4) focused on public education and policy engagement around AI governance.
  • Bloomberg reports Public First Action’s Democratic arm is spending $450,000 to boost Alex Bores in New York’s 12th congressional district.
  • Bloomberg also reports that Leading the Future, a rival super PAC, has already spent $1.1 million on TV ads and messages attacking Bores.
  • Leading the Future has been reported as backed by more than $100 million from prominent tech investors and executives, including Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI President Greg Brockman.
  • The dispute is tied to an ongoing policy fight over AI rules, including New York’s RAISE Act, which (per New York State) requires large AI developers to publish safety protocol information and to report AI incidents to the state within 72 hours of determining an incident occurred.

What’s not confirmed

  • Whether Public First Action will expand spending beyond the reported $450,000 in NY-12, or move significant money into other specific races. (Watch for new filings, public statements, and follow-up reporting.)
  • Whether Leading the Future will increase, pause, or redirect ad spending in response, and what the next wave of ad creative will claim. (Verify via ad libraries where available and reputable reporting.)
  • How voters will respond, and whether this race becomes a durable template for AI-focused political spending in 2026. (This is outcome-dependent and can’t be stated as fact today.)

Timeline

  • Aug 2025: TechCrunch reports Leading the Future’s pro-AI PAC network had backing of “more than $100 million,” including Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI President Greg Brockman.
  • Dec 18, 2025: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announces she signed the RAISE Act, describing reporting and transparency requirements for large AI developers and establishing an oversight office within the Department of Financial Services.
  • Feb 11, 2026: Anthropic publishes a statement saying it is donating $20 million to Public First Action.
  • Feb 12, 2026: Reuters reports on Anthropic’s $20 million contribution to Public First Action and frames it as backing candidates who support regulating AI.
  • Feb 19, 2026: Bloomberg reports Public First Action’s Democratic arm spending $450,000 for Bores and notes $1.1 million already spent attacking him by Leading the Future.

Impact and why it matters (analysis)

This isn’t just a normal “outside money” story—it’s a preview of how the AI policy debate may be fought in 2026: by funding competing political operations that reward different regulatory instincts (stronger public oversight vs. lighter-touch rules).

For readers tracking AI regulation, the practical signal is that state-level legislation like New York’s RAISE Act is becoming a political flashpoint, not just a policy document—so future changes may be driven as much by elections as by technical risk arguments.

Updates

Last updated: Feb 21, 2026.

Advertisement

How to verify future changes: Look for (1) follow-up reporting from outlets with campaign-finance reporters, (2) official statements from the groups involved, and (3) public campaign-finance filings that match the spending claims.

Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

You Asked: From blinding brightness to fading OLEDs

Published

on

On today’s episode of You Asked, we cover what to do about an 83-inch TV that’s too bright, whether it’s time to upgrade a 10-year-old TV, and whether a calibration can extend the life of your OLED.

Is an 83-inch TV too bright?

@msbgone asks: I went with an 83-inch TV, and it’s so bright that at times I have to close my eyes. I love the size, but man, being so bright is not always great, and I do not have it at max brightness. Also, when there are shows with flashing, wow, it can be a hard watch. So would I go smaller? Well, I’m not sure. Larger seems overall better in most cases.

Well, to answer your last question first: Yeah. Larger is usually better when you want to be fully immersed in what you’re watching. However, I would say there is such a thing as too large of a TV. Like, if you’re within 10–12 feet, 83 inches feels like a little bit of overkill.

At that distance, 65 inches should be fine. 77 inches is probably all you need. And both would save you a considerable amount of money versus an 83-inch TV. And I’m gonna assume you’re talking about an OLED TV in response to a recent episode of You Asked.

Anyway, I think if you’re finding the TV too bright and you aren’t at max brightness, there could be a few things at play.

Advertisement

One: Picture mode matters a lot. Especially in a Vivid or Dynamic mode, but even sometimes just in its Standard or Eco mode out of the box, you’re getting a cooler or more blue color temperature than you would in a Movie or Filmmaker mode. Those modes, movie and filmmaker, tend to give you a warmer color temperature that’s easier on the eyes regardless of where your brightness is set. So if you’re not in one of those modes, it’s worth making that change and getting rid of that harsh blue light that can cause a little more eye discomfort.

Another thing could be your Local Dimming setting. Set to High, it’s going to push the highlights a little harder and darken the shadows to create more contrast. If you were to lower that setting, while it would take away a bit from the higher contrast HDR experience, it would probably be another step toward lowering the brightness.

And the third thing: it could just be the size. If it’s too big, it’s too big and there’s just too much light coming at you at a close distance. So maybe going smaller would be the answer.

Should you upgrade a 10-year-old TV?

@petekropf5335 asks: I need your help on if I would see a huge improvement buying a new low-cost TV versus my current 10-year-old TV. I currently have a 65-inch LG UH6150… that’s an LED TV if you didn’t know… Peter continues… It’s still working, but hard to see dark scenes in shows, and the ethernet / wireless have not worked in years. So I have not been able to update the TV. I was wondering if the picture quality would be worth it if I got a low-cost TV such as the TCL 75-inch Q671G or Hisense QD7N. When you have watched the same TV for a decade, it’s hard to know if the one I got has better picture quality than a cheaper new one. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hey Peter, before getting into the details, I would say straight up, yes, you’re due for a new TV. I know it’s a badge of honor for us to boast about how long we’ve had something and how well it’s aged, and how good of a value it is since you haven’t had to spend money on an upgrade in a decade. But at some point, if you do value picture quality and a lot of the quality of life improvements that have come in the last 10 years, it’s time to say a respectful farewell to the TV and upgrade. And this is coming from someone, me, who had the same LG LED TV in my living room from 2011 until 2023. I used a Roku streaming stick to keep up with the times and quickly access and update my favorite apps, but I was long overdue.

Advertisement

So, to you, I would say you can confidently upgrade and know that you’ll see a difference in picture quality and how quickly the TV operates and the smart TV interface.

In terms of the TVs you’re looking at upgrading to, I’m sure you’re well aware that as budget models, both have their compromises, but it really comes down to a few key differences, with a caveat I’ll mention at the end.

The TCL uses a VA panel, which will have better contrast, and that’s its biggest advantage.

The Hisense, on the other hand, is brighter and uses an IPS panel, which gives it a much wider viewing angle. But that comes at the cost of contrast.

So if you and your viewing party are primarily watching the TV from straight on and the room dimly lit, or better yet, just straight up dark, the TCL Q671G is probably the way to go. But if you’re in a brighter room or someone will be frequently watching TV from a side angle, I lean toward the Hisense.

Advertisement

The only potential flaw in this logic is this: in the United States, we have the TCL Q651G, which is what I’m basing my advice from. You’re talking about the Canadian Costco version, which is the Q671G. From what I can find, they’re pretty much the same, but just wanted to have that in there so you know in case you’re doing further research.

Can a calibration extend the life of your OLED?

John Craig asks: I have a Sony A8G OLED that I bought after watching a Digital Trends review. It’s been great, and I still enjoy it even more than the newer Sony X90L, which was also a Digital Trends recommendation. Recently, the A8G seems to have lost some of its pop. I’ve tried adjusting some settings based on YouTube channel recommendations, but it still seems like it has lost some of its luster. My questions: Would getting a professional calibration be worthwhile at this point? Can the picture on an older TV be revitalized through those adjustments? Or is the OLED just fading with age?

Oh this is a good one John. First of all, I think that speaks volumes about OLED TVs and how even older models still turn out a superior image compared to newer LED TVs. Glad to hear you’re still enjoying your A8G.

As for your question though, if you’ve gone through the suggested advice, which is probably some of the same stuff I’d say, I’ll save you the time and say that a professional calibration is the next logical choice, but is it worth it?

If you can really tell that it’s lost some of its pop, and you would know better than anyone online because it’s YOUR EYES that have been on it for more than half a decade, then maybe it is too far gone.

Advertisement

But a calibration from a professional can make a big difference. What a pro can do is adjust the TV to what best fits your room and viewing environment. Everything from color to black levels and brightness can be tuned to improve the image. And again, I think it would help.

But consider the price of the calibration and the age of the TV. That professional is probably gonna cost anywhere from 200 to 500 dollars… maybe more. It’s not cheap, but it is less expensive than a new Sony OLED. I’m just assuming you’re Team Sony since you have two of them and like the processing of the A8G.

At one point, I probably would’ve just recommended the Bravia 8 Mark 1 when it was on a bigger sale during the holidays, but a 65-inch model is nearly 2,000 dollars again, and that’s a lot more than it would cost you to get your current TV calibrated.

All that to say, I’d say go for the calibration if you want to see the improvement and put off buying a new OLED… OR… If you were to venture from Team Sony, check out the LG B5. At 65 inches, I’m seeing it for 1,000 dollars right now, and THAT might be worth it for a new OLED TV instead. I hope that helps.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Tech

iPhone 18 Pro may come in deep red after success of its orange predecessor

Published

on

A new report claims that Apple will repeat the vibrant color of the iPhone 17 Pro Max and offer options including a return to a deep red for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but not the iPhone Fold.

Close-up of a red smartphone's back showing three large black camera lenses, a small flash, and a microphone hole on a smooth metallic surface.
Mockup of a deep red iPhone 18 Pro Max

It has traditionally been that lower-end iPhones can get bright colors such as the purple iPhone 12, while with exceptions, the Pro models have more muted ones. Now according to Bloomberg, the iPhone 18 Pro line will also get stronger than usual colors.
This is said to be specifically because the orange iPhone 17 Pro Max has allegedly been particularly popular in China. Consequently, the claim is that deep red is in consideration as the color of the two Pro models in the iPhone 18 range.
Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible
Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

Recreating Mega Man’s Mega Buster

Published

on

Mega Man is a popular video game character who is perhaps most notable for having a sort of lasery-type blaster for an arm. A real hand cannon, if you will. It’s officially called the Mega Buster, and [Arnov Sharma] recently recreated it for cosplay purposes.

Key to any good cosplay build is getting the visuals right, and [Arnov] achieved that well. The Mega Buster was first recreated in Fusion 360, scaled to an appropriate size to fit [Arnov]’s arm. It was 3D printed in several sections, with the body including a grab handle and fire button inside, and the side panel and blaster nozzle having provision for installing LEDs. The former is the blaster’s “power meter” which shows how many shots it has left until it runs out of energy, with the blaster able to fire six times before needing to cooldown. A Raspberry Pi Pico controls the LEDs and provides sound effects with the aid of a PAM8403 class D amplifier module and a small speaker.

The 3D files are available on Instructables for the curious. Perhaps by virtue of its arm-mounted nature, this build reminds us of the venerable Pip Boy from Fallout, of which we’ve seen many grand recreations before. Video after the break.

Advertisement

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Tech

Expect at least five announcements during Apple's March launch week

Published

on

Apple’s early March string of announcements will include at least five product launches capped off by its triple-location event on March 4, with the budget MacBook and iPhone 17e tipped to appear.

White Apple iPhone showing a dark abstract sphere wallpaper beside an open silver MacBook laptop on a bright yellow and green gradient background
iPhone 17e and new MacBooks are expected in March

An “Apple Experience” is being held on March 4, which is widely expected to include multiple product launches. While no-one knows definitively what will be promoted by the company, it will consist of quite a few product introductions.
In Sunday’s “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman writes that Apple is planning three days of announcements. They will take place on Monday, March 2, until Wednesday, March 4.
Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

How to Hide Google’s AI Overviews From Your Search Results

Published

on

Going online in 2026 means subjecting yourself to a relentless bombardment of generative AI tools. How about a few AI agents to get you started? Do you want to use this chatbot sidebar? Would you like every search query to be answered with an AI summary? While there’s no off switch to avoid this smorgasbord of AI tools entirely, there is one keyboard trick you can use to dodge Google’s AI Overviews for a brief respite.

If you don’t want to see an AI-generated summarization of webpage links when you use Google Search, you can type “–ai” at the end of your query. It’s an option WIRED readers highlighted under a recent article about scams found in Google’s AI Overviews. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using this nifty addendum over the past week, and I wish Google offered a permanent toggle with similar zapping capabilities.

“People find Search more helpful with AI Overviews, and they’re coming back to search more as a result,” a Google spokesperson tells WIRED. “We offer a ‘web’ filter to see links only, but people only use it for a tiny fraction of searches.” The spokesperson compared AI Overviews to other features baked into the search results, like knowledge panels, that can’t be removed.

If you want to try this out, you can put any combination of letters or numbers attached to an en dash, like “–1” or “–z,” at the end of your Google search, and it works just the same, as reported by PCMag. It prevents AI Overviews from appearing completely. The en dash function in Google is designed to remove whatever topic you attach to it from the search results. The removal of AI Overviews seems incidental, and it’s unclear how long this trick will stick around. After typing in a result, you can also tap on the “Web” tab—sometimes hidden under “More”—right below the search bar to see site links.

Advertisement

In my tests, the –ai trick appears to be limited to search queries in computer browsers. When I tried it in the Safari and Chrome apps on iOS, Google’s AI-generated “web guide” still popped up prominently in the results. However, Google does offer a Classic Search button on the right side of these results. After clicking that button, the results will reload and show you a mix of website links and short-form videos. The exception seems to be on Android—at least on a Google Pixel phone we tested with, using “–ai” removed AI Overviews.

It’s a nice change from the current default when I’m using my laptop, and I’ll likely continue typing “–ai” at the end of every search until it becomes muscle memory, just like I add “Reddit” all the time to my queries. Even so, I feel nostalgic for the minimalist Google I grew up with and the utter simplicity of those top 10 blue links.

If you’re looking to switch search engines to a service without any generative AI, DuckDuckGo and Brave are two solid options worth considering. Both search engines allow users to toggle AI summaries on and off in the settings. You don’t need to change browsers to use a different search engine, as Google lets you swap the default search engine in Chrome’s settings menu.

When Google launched AI Overviews in 2024, it was a major turning point for the search engine. But AI Overviews was widely mocked on social media for incorrect answers, like an infamous result that suggested baking pizza with glue. It didn’t stop Google, though, as the company has continued to lean further into AI tools since the initial release of AI Overviews and has kept iterating on the user experience.

Advertisement

While Google claims the accuracy of these results has improved over time, generative AI tools still sometimes insert inaccuracies when summarizing information. So, it’s always worth clicking through and double-checking anything you read in an AI Overview. All the more reason, I think, to cut out the middlebot completely and visit those dang websites directly.

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025