Catch up on the basics of Apple’s virtual assistant.
11 new science fiction and fantasy books to check out in early June
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been catching up on a book that’s been on my to-read list for a while now: Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear. It came out back in March, and I’m kind of kicking myself for not getting to it earlier. It’s a huge space opera that follows the adventures of two salvage workers and their AI as they discover a fantastical alien ship.
Engineer Halmey Dz is infected with something on board the alien ship, and that paints a target on their back by governments and space pirates. It’s a book that reminds me quite a bit of The Expanse and other recent space operas like R.E. Stearns’ Barbary Station, Mike Brooks’ Keiko trilogy, and Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series.
While I’m enjoying the adventures of the crew and…
Space Photos of the Week: How Stars Get 86’d
Sometimes a host galaxy ejects your drunk friend—and you along with him.
Curvaceous Revel speakers will delight discerning audiophiles – CNET
The Revel Concerta2 M16 stand mount speakers roll out a huge soundstage.
These affordable audiophile in-ear headphones banish noise – CNET
The Etymotic ER2 in-ear ‘phones sound great and keep noise at bay.
Take these broken wings: Touring the Yanks Air Museum Boneyard – CNET
Supersonic fighters and WWII bombers sit in silence, awaiting their fate. Some could learn to fly again.
Security News This Week: A Teen Waltzed Into Mar-a-Lago
Google’s ad-blocking backlash, a privacy lawsuit against Apple, and more of the week’s top security news.
The YouTuber on a Mission to Save the Classic RPG
English professor Matt Barton is out to draw attention to the bygone favorites of the genre.
‘Start With Truth And End With Art’: Poet Ocean Vuong On His Debut Novel
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, written as a letter from a son to his immigrant mother who cannot read, aims “to speak to a rich American tradition of autobiography,” its author says.
(Image credit: Patrick Jarenwattananon/NPR)
An Illicit Chemical Is Again Jeopardizing the Ozone Layer
An unwelcome spike in emissions from a long-banned chemical has been traced to Chinese factories, raising concerns about the ozone layer’s integrity.