Category: Science and Technology

On September 20th, FEMA will conduct a test of its Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which brings together two existing alert systems, the Emergency Alert System and the Wireless Emergency Alerts system, which will allow the government and president to send out an update to the public in the event of an emergency.

FEMA says that it’s testing the system to “assess the readiness” for a national emergency message, and to “determine whether improvements are needed.” The WEA test will take place at 2:18PM ET on the 20th in the form of a text message to cell phones (which will come with a different ringtone and vibration), while the EAS test will take place two minutes later via television, radio and wireline providers,…

Continue reading…

The new iPhone XS and XS Max and the Apple Watch Series 4 have found their way into lots of headlines this week. That’s because they’re all available now for preorder. A few retailers and carriers are offering some special deals associated with the preorder of a new Apple phone, but otherwise, this week’s best deals are a smattering of tech and home products that are discounted enough to be worth you checking them out.

Sam’s Club is offering a $100 gift card to members who preorder before September 16th, then activate an iPhone XS or XS Max with a 24-month contract at purchase before September 23rd.

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are offering $700 back in billing credits when its respective customers buy two iPhone XS or XS Max phones…

Continue reading…

Don’t take apart your phone! Circular motion, an app to record sensor data, and some physics is all you need.

Everyone else can’t stop talking about how great 5G is and how soon they’ll have it. Apple’s on a different wavelength.

HBO recently aired its adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s short novel Sharp Objects, and while I haven’t caught up on the entire thing yet, the first couple of episodes prompted me to dig my copy out to give it a read. I’ve been meaning to pick it up for years after a colleague of mine recommended it, and it seemed as good a time as any.

It’s a grim, modern gothic story, one that delves into the horrors of life on a claustrophobic small town, and the damage that people and families can inflict on one another. It made for the perfect book to delve into at the height of a very warm summer, and I’m eager to see just how well the rest of the TV show lines up with the book.

Here’s seven new science fiction and fantasy novels hitting bookstores in…

Continue reading…

There’s no need to “get to da choppa.” Just “stick around” your couch and watch these films before seeing the latest entry in the franchise.

Here’s a recap of all the iPhone news this week.

This year, Apple reached the end of its iPhone X (read: ten) names. Next year remains a mystery. Apple has gone through all the numbers from one through ten, skipping two and nine for its own reasons. Now, for better or worse, next year, it’ll likely need to figure out a new naming scheme.

Apple hastened its way toward a dead end last year when it decided to switch to Roman numerals rather than continuing with numbers as it had done in the past. A report from Bloomberg at the end of August indicated that the people behind the names struggled to come up with names that would work. Since this year’s iPhones didn’t really change many things beyond last year’s, they didn’t seem compelling enough to grant a whole new name. The cheapest iPhone…

Continue reading…

You want a new iPhone? So do we. And an Apple Watch.

In security news this week, some apps for children may violate privacy laws, State Department devices might be less secure than your Instagram account, and more.