TECHTONICS

Snapchat’s Spectacles are available today from strange yellow vending machines

Snap Inc. made waves a few weeks ago when it announced Spectacles, a pair of $130 sunglasses with a camera on it that connect to your smartphone to take and send Snaps. Now the company has revealed how you’ll actually be able to buy a pair: from bright yellow vending machines — called “Snapbots” — that will travel...

Instagram stories now have mentions, links, and Boomerangs

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Three months after they were introduced, Instagram stories are beginning to separate themselves from the Snapchat stories they are derived from. Today Instagram is introducing mentions, links, and an inline version of its Boomerang tool into stories. The result is a product that feels livelier than before, and truly distinct...

Google to EU: Android can’t be a monopoly when the iPhone exists

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Android is the crown jewel in Google’s vast empire of software and web services, and its unprecedented success has inevitably attracted the scrutiny of European Union regulators. Today, Google steps up its public efforts to diminish European concerns over its mobile market dominance, and it’s doing it with the power of GIFs. Google You...

Will Trump go after Apple and Amazon?

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The day after the election, Walt and Nilay sat down to discuss what the tech industry might have in store for the next four years under the new president. We love your feedback on the topics of the show and suggestions on how to make our show better and more fun — you can tweet at Walt at @waltmossberg and Nilay at @reckless....

WhatsApp is rolling out two-factor authentication

Unknown 09:39:00 0

WhatsApp users are beginning to see an option for two-factor authentication their account settings folder. According to Android Police, the feature is live in the most recent betas of the app (2.16.341 and above), and has also been spotted in the Windows Phone beta. Once activated, the app will prompt a user for a static...

What does a Trump presidency mean for climate change?

Unknown 09:36:00 0

Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, has called climate change a “Chinese hoax,” so it’s no wonder climate scientists are freaking out about what will happen to the environment in the years to come. Trump has already threatened to pull America out of the landmark Paris climate change accord, eliminate the...

YOUTUBE VR IS DAYDREAM'S KILLER APP

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There is a thick fog drifting through the woods, obscuring everything more than few feet in front of my face. I can see a crooked sapling, and then behind me I hear the crunching of dry leaves. Turning, I spot several figures lurching slowly forward. As they come closer, details emerge: a stain of dark blood on one’s clothing, a piece...