TMO Deals

With an AI Smart Chip, This Massage Gun Adjusts to Your Muscle Condition: $84.95

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on Actigun, a percussive massager with what the company calls an AI Smart Chip that offers you a humanized intelligent interactive experience by reacting to the condition of your muscle. In other words, it self-adjusts according to what the device senses as it goes to work. It comes with 4 massage heads to suit all your massage need, and it’s wireless. It’s $84.95 through our deal.

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‘Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act’ is Latest Encryption Attack

Andrew Orr ·

Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) introduced the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act yesterday. It seeks to bring back the Crypto Wars of the 1990s by crippling encryption with the introduction of backdoors.

Yet increasingly, technology providers are deliberately designing their products and services so that only the user, and not law enforcement, has access to content – even when criminal activity is clearly taking place.  This type of “warrant-proof” encryption adds little to the security of the communications of the ordinary user, but it is a serious benefit for those who use the internet for illicit purposes.

”Adds little to the security of the communications of the ordinary user.” That’s the level of contempt these people have for the rest of us.

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Apple Silicon Goes Beyond ARM

Charlotte Henry ·

Undoubtedly one of the biggest announcements from WWDC 2020 was the forthcoming rollout of Apple Silicon. As AppleInsider explained, the move is about more than ARM-chips.

Many custom software optimizations already developed for iOS — such as Metal graphics — can be brought over to the Mac directly now that both share the same access to Apple’s own sophisticated silicon. Currently, Apple has had to develop two versions of Metal, one for iOS and another for the GPUs used on Macs. So Apple isn’t just arbitrarily moving from “x86 to ARM,” but rather using its custom silicon work to enhance the performance, features, and deep integration on its Macs. Moving “to ARM” is sort of a side effect of Apple’s wanting to use its own custom silicon. Up to this point, Apple has been limited to adding a helper chip like the T2 to its Intel Macs to handle custom features like Touch ID and Touch Bar.

Podcast

Science Communicator Dr. Kiki Sanford (#9) - TMO Background Mode Interview

John Martellaro · · Add Comment

Dr. Kiki Sanford makes her ninth appearance on Background Mode. Kiki is a neurophysiologist with a B.S. in conservation biology and a Ph.D. avian neurophysiology from the University of California. She’s a popular science communicator and creator/co-host of This Week in Science (TWIS) podcast and radio show.

In this episode, we spend the first segment clearing up some confusion about COVID-19. Mask theory of use, the value of lockdowns, how the U.S. is doing compared to Europe, how blood type affects the body’s response, presymptomatic vs. asymptomatic, and what we know about how the virus survives on surfaces. In part II, we discussed how computer neural networks trained to learn like developing human brains also need something akin to sleep. Also, how dogs have a genetic desire to save their owner from trouble. And more. As always, Kiki is delightful as she makes science both fun and interesting.

TMO Deals

Nordic Hygge AirChill Personal Evaporative Cooler: $69.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on the Nordic Hygge AirChill, a personal evaporative cooler. It’s designed to cool and humidify the air, and is best for hot dry summers at home or in the office. It’s powered by a high-speed, 9-blade fan for steady wind and rapid cooling, and it doesn’t need an app to control it. This device is $69.99 through our deal.

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EyeQue’s Update Lets You Try On Glasses at Home

Andrew Orr ·

EyeQue’s new Try-On Glasses service means you can try on several pairs of glasses based on your vision results to find a pair you like best, all while staying safely at home.

EyeQue Try-On Glasses are a low-risk way for consumers to experience their vision through lenses made using their EyeGlass Numbers® (EGNs) – the lens power required to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. EGNs are obtained by taking EyeQue’s self-administered refractive error tests using either the VisionCheck or Personal Vision Tracker, and are in the same format as a traditional prescription.

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NSO Group Tools Used to Hack Journalist Omar Radi’s iPhone

Andrew Orr ·

An investigation from Amnesty International reveals that NSO Group tools were used to target human rights journalist Omar Radi via his iPhone.

Through our investigation we were able to confirm that his phone was targeted and put under surveillance during the same period he was prosecuted. This illustrates how human rights defenders (HRDs) may often have to deal with the twin challenges of digital surveillance alongside other tactics of criminalisation at the hands of Moroccan authorities leading to a shrinking space for dissent.

The same NSO Group that hopes to woo American law enforcement with its dazzlingly array of hacking tools.