Articles by Carl Velasco
Airbnb Plus Is For Filthy Rich Travelers Who Don’t Mind Spending A Luxury On Nice Rooms
Airbnb has unveiled two new tiers to its home-booking service to cater to its richer customer base. They’re called Airbnb Plus and Beyond, and they include homes verified and checked by the company itself.
2 New Apple iPad Models Reportedly Launching Soon, But Don’t Get Excited Yet
Apple is reportedly releasing two new iPad models pretty soon. But a closer look tells us that it’s just going to release one, and it might not be the Face ID version everyone is hyped about.
Snapchat To Petitioners: The Redesigned App Is Here To Stay, But We Hear You
Snap Inc. has finally responded to a million petitioners who want to get the old Snapchat design back. They’ll all be sorely disappointed with the company’s response, though.
Payday 2 On Nintendo Switch Will Get ‘Future Content Updates,’ Developers Confirm
Starbreeze Studios has now confirmed that the Nintendo Switch port of ‘Payday 2’ is based on an older version of the game. It also promised to release a series of updates after the game launches.
Antidepressants Work On Treating Major Depression, New Study Says
The largest study on the effectiveness of antidepressants has just been published, showing that they do work on treating major depressive disorders. However, depression remains a mystery.
Everything You Need To Know About Uber Express Pool, The New Cheaper Service With A Catch
Uber rides are about to get much cheaper. The ride-hailing company has launched Express Pool in a handful of cities, which, with a little bit of walking, lets people save a lot of bucks.
What It Takes To Change Batteries: Customers Report Terrible Experiences With Apple’s Battery Replacement Program
Apple launched its iPhone battery replacement program after the company admitted that it was deliberately throttling older models to avoid too much battery strain. However, users are reporting that it’s not an easy process.
Instagram Direct Gets New Replay Options As It Tries To Steals Snapchat’s Spotlight
Instagram is expanding options within its Direct messaging platform to give users the ability to send content that can be replayed permanently. Before, everything sent in threads always vanished.
You’ll Now Start Seeing 3D Content On Your Facebook Newsfeed
Facebook is now making it easier for users to share 3D content on the site. With support for the gITF 2.0 3D file format, prepare to see a lot more 3D objects on Facebook moving forward.
HPV Vaccination Rates Among American Teens Still Low: Why It’s Important To Get The Vaccine
The number of American teenagers who receive HPV vaccinations are still low, according to a new research. Only a measly 43 percent of them are up to date on the vaccines, in fact.
Spotify Reportedly Building Its Very Own Connected Hardware Products
It looks like Spotify is this close to launching its very first hardware product, according to just-spotted job listings. Could the streaming service be building its own smart speaker?
Microsoft Accidentally Leaks Windows 10 ARM Limitations: Here’s Everything You Need To Know
Microsoft accidentally revealed the limitation of its upcoming operating system variant Windows 10 ARM. These devices, which have mobile processors, will run a version of the OS that contains a handful of limitations.
Your DNA Has No Relation To Your Weight Loss Diet, New Study Says
Stanford University researchers wanted to know whether a person’s DNA ultimately affects how efficiently they lose weight when given the right type of diet. The result? Turns out DNA might be irrelevant.
Xbox One X, S To Get 1440p Gaming Resolution Support Soon
It appears both the Xbox One X and Xbox One S will get 1440p support soon. What’s more, a program manager just hinted that Xbox Insiders might finally be able to try it out.
Hackers Turn The Nintendo Switch Into A Linux Tablet
A hacker group called fail0verflow just uploaded a video showing a Nintendo Switch running Linux. It even supports touch input, has a web browser, and runs a GPU demo.
Google Chrome Now Automatically Shortens And Cleans Up Messy URLs When You Share Them
Google Chrome now makes long URLs much nicer to look at by automatically shortening tracking strings after a link. But while it looks less chaotic, there are some disadvantages.
SpaceX Pushes Back Starlink Satellite Launch To Feb. 21 For Further Testing
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch, which will blast Starlink broadband satellites and a radar-imaging satellite called Paz into space, has been delayed. From Feb. 18, the launch has been pushed to Feb. 21.
These Wearable Throat Sensors That Stick On Like Band-Aids Help Stroke Patients Recover
Researchers just proved that monitoring a person’s health after a stroke is as easy as sticking a pair of throat sensors on one’s neck. Best of all, they might hit widespread use by the next year or so.
Xbox Engineering Lead Talks Keyboard, Mouse Support On Xbox One, Says ‘Developers Have The Choice’
No, Microsoft isn’t planning on banning keyboard and mouse support on Xbox One anytime soon. That’s because it wants developers to have the freedom of making their games as they see fit.
Facebook Solution To Election Trolls Involves Sending Postcards To Advertisers
Facebook has unveiled an unconventional way of preventing fraudulent foreign advertisers from easily purchasing election ads. The company is going to send them postcards containing special codes to prove they’re in the United States.
Where Is Starman And His Tesla Roadster Right This Very Moment? Here’s How To Track Them
An engineer has created a website to keep track of where Starman and his Tesla Roadster is going. He even says they could return to Earth after several decades.
Facebook Apologizes For Two-Factor Authentication Fiasco, Claims It Was A Bug: How To Protect Your Account
Facebook has now clarified the issue surrounding accounts who have received unwanted text notifications. The company claims that a two-factor authentication bug caused the spam messages.
Google Is Helping 911 Save Lives With Improved Location Data For Responders
Google helped 911 acquire more accurate location data for emergency calls in a trial that involved tens of thousands of calls in the span of two months across several states. Google’s tech could help 911 operators save even more lives.
Google Pixel 2 Owners Complain About Warming And Diminished Battery Life After February Update
Several users allege that their Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL handsets are warming up and having battery problems after installing the February security update. This comes as yet another dent in the already-rough release cycle for Google’s flagships.
With Over A Million Dollars Raised In Crowdfunding, ‘System Shock’ Reboot Hits Hiatus
Another seemingly promising Kickstarter project has gone awry. Nightdive Studios has officially announced that the much-anticipated reboot of the 1994 classic ‘System Shock’ is on hiatus.
Twitter Shuts Down Mac Desktop Client, Says It’s Focusing On More Consistent ‘Twitter Experience’ Across Platforms
Twitter just ended support for its desktop client on Mac, encouraging users to use the web version instead. It’s safe to say that it won’t be missed, though.
Gene-Editing Tool CRISPR Used To Detect Infections Such As Dengue, Zika Virus, HPV
New diagnostic tools have been developed using the CRISPR gene editing tool. A bunch of researchers were able to come up with new CRISPR variants that can diagnose certain diseases, detect viruses, and even record a cell’s exposure to chemicals.
Twitter Is Fighting Fake News By Livestreaming Local News Stations During Breaking News Events
Twitter is embracing its role as a media company by enlisting local news stations to broadcast breaking news on the site. The move contrasts with Facebook’s recent changes to deemphasize news items.
Google Removes ‘View Image’ Button On Search Results As Part Of Getty Images Partnership
Google just made a decision that could upset a lot of people who depend on Google Search to look for and download images. The convenient view image button is now gone.
Developers Must Make Apps Compatible With iPhone X Retina Display, Notch Starting April
Apple has told developers that new apps submitted by April should embrace the iPhone X’s notch and nearly bezel-less display. This means that the apps’ design should accommodate the screen’s unique qualities.
