Google vows to make Search ‘better’ after redesign backlash

Last week we updated the look of Search on desktop to mirror what's been on mobile for months. We've heard your feedback about the update. We always want to make Search better, so we're going to experiment with new placements for favicons....— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) January 24, 2020Over the coming weeks, Google says, it will…

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I am my own spy: A personal surveillance story

That was my first experience with internet-connected cameras, but it wouldn't be my last. Over the years, I acquired other cameras: an Amazon CloudCam to keep an eye on our cat and the Nest Hello video doorbell as it was a more sensible upgrade over my jerry-rigged Dropcam (plus I could use it to see…

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My quest to fix my terrible home WiFi

Ever since I moved into a Brooklyn duplex, I've struggled to blanket my space in consistent, speedy signal. Alright, fine, "struggled" might not be the right word -- I've mostly just muddled along with the far-from-great router provided by my ISP, lamenting that the furthest-flung corners of my home weren't much more than WiFi deserts.…

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How Weber used decades of expertise to improve smart grilling

Weber is admittedly a late entry into the pellet-grill game. It did its homework, however, and rather than simply put out a line of pellet grills with the Weber logo on them, it brought its wealth of grill knowledge to the table. It also listened to pellet-grill users, collecting info on what they did and…

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Valve Swears ‘Half-Life: Alyx’ Is Actually, Legitimately Done

Once again, it's on! Welcome to Replay, WIRED's rundown of all of the week's big videogame news. Grab a snack, lean back, and let's get to it.Valve Swears Half-Life: Alyx Is Actually, Really, Legitimately DoneValve does not have an amazing reputation for releasing games. Especially when it comes to Half-Life. Ask a certain breed of…

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Chime Takes the Hassle Out of Brewing Chai—for a Price

Growing up, anytime I brought home something to my Indian parents—whether it was new clothes, a gadget, or even food—they usually told me off. They'd tell me it was flimsily made, too expensive, or lacking proper flavor. Recently, I brought them the Chime chai machine I was testing. I expected them to tell me just…

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Patreon Still Has No Answer for the Yiff.Party Porn Pirates

Last fall, a prolific photographer who asked not to be named noticed a sharp, unexplained drop-off in earnings on his Patreon page, where fans shell out cash for tiered subscriptions to his photos of well-lit nude models. Then, in December, he received an anonymous email with a link to a website called Yiff.Party. When he…

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Athletic Authorities Must Reckon With Racing Tech Again

On October 12, 2019, Eliud Kipchoge crossed under a pink finishing arch emblazoned with the time 1:59:40. He had just become the first person to run a marathon in under two hours.For a few hours, this achievement, long unthinkable, was celebrated across the world. Then came the question: What was the deal with his fancy…

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Sure, ‘The Goop Lab’ Is Absurd—but It Also Offers Hope

The first episode of The Goop Lab, Gwyneth Paltrow’s new Netflix show, opens in Jamaica. The sun beams, the crystalline water sparkles, and a group of Goop staffers sit cross-legged in a circle, like schoolchildren poised for a read-aloud. Then, under the supervision of three “psychedelic elders,” they each drink a mug of psilocybin tea.It’s…

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Gadget Lab Podcast: Oral Hygiene Tech and Espresso Science

A growing number of startups and full-fledged companies are looking to bring their smart technology into your mouth. A toothbrush that uses AI to monitor your brushing, dental floss as a subscription service, wearables for teeth—oral hygiene is a booming business for tech companies, who see dollar signs every time you flash your pearly whites.…

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