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  1. H

    The Ars Technica AI coding agent test: Minesweeper edition

    Seems odd to put this article out without trying it on Gemini 3, which is making pretty big waves in the space. It's a big step forward compared to 2.5
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    For just a couple of months in the middle of 2025, it was an OK time to build a PC

    Costco has an ibuypower tower with a ryzen 9800x3d, geforce 5070, 2tb ssd and 32gb of RAM for $1400 right now. A similar build on PCPartPicker is over $1700 right now. If you need something now, premade is definitely the way to go.
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    Stung by customer losses, Comcast says all its new plans have unlimited data

    I'm stuck with Cox where I live, which has a measly 1TB data cap even on their 500mbit plan. My alternative is... starlink. I wish municipal fiber were more common.
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    EVgo gets $1.05B loan to build 7,500 DC fast chargers

    This is sorely needed. I live in southern California - possibly the friendliest place to own an EV - but every single DCFC in Orange County has a line around the block because they built four fucking dispensers and now every new car comes with two years of free charging.
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    Synology BeeStation review: A great way to start getting real about backups

    I'm not sure what the advantage is here over just... getting a regular Synology NAS. DSM is pretty user friendly already. You can get a DS124 for $150 and as much storage as you feel like paying for. It's upgradable, and all the features will work much more smoothly with the additional RAM and...
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    Palm OS and the devices that ran it: An Ars retrospective

    My dad worked for Handspring and then PalmOne through the late nineties and early 00's; our house always one of the latest Handspring devices floating around. I remember when he brought home one of the first Treo 180 prototypes, how excited he was. I used a Treo 650 through most of high school -...
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    EV fast-charging comes to condos and apartments

    Outrageous idle fees, and a sign that shows "cars not charging will be towed." If there's one group of people more happy than HOAs to screw people over, it's tow truck companies
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    EV fast-charging comes to condos and apartments

    Freewire is a similar system that is self-contained - no separate cabinet and dispenser. There are a few of these that have popped up at gas stations around me. https://freewiretech.com/pro-series/
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    Samsung’s profits are down 95 percent for a second consecutive quarter

    Corsair doesn't make their own RAM chips. There's a chance all that Corsair RAM you've been buying has Samsung flash on it. (of course, it could also be Micron, or some others - but Samsung doesn't need to be in the retail space to be successful here) I also picked up a Samsung 990 Pro 1TB on...
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    Hyundai reveals Ioniq 6 pricing, starting at $41,600

    Hyundai does this - the front axle of their E-GMP cars has an active disconnect. Rivian has one on the back axle of the R1T and R1S. Other manufacturers, like Tesla, put an induction motor on one axle (instead of permanent magnet), which has next to no drag, and so the disconnect isn't worth it...
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    Review: Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2 has a lot of problems, but I like it anyway

    M2 Macbook Air starts at $1200... that is not even in the same league as this...
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    Dell’s new dock wirelessly charges your phone while supporting two 4K monitors

    I work on a single 34" ultrawide, so I don't need dual monitors. This thing works just as well at home as the fancy dell docks at work- 4k 60hz out, connectivity for my mouse and keyboard, ethernet, and charges my laptop. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087QZVQJX/?t ... AAAAAAAhTp
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    California’s utility will begin testing EV vehicle-to-grid charging

    My time-of-use plan has electricity at 40c/kwh during peak (4-9pm), like 30c/kwh on off-peak and 11(!!!)c/kwh on super-offpeak midnight to 6am. I would love to charge my car from midnight to 6am, use whatever pittance is required during my commute, and then run all my appliances off the battery...
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    Sony trains “superhuman” AI to race in Gran Turismo

    Next step would be to minimize the amount of learning required... a human can drive a new track with a new car and within 15 minutes be very close to the optimum lap time. 45,000 hours of training is a pretty brute-force way of getting there.
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    Asus’ ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED is a $5,000 MacBook Pro alternative

    They'll sell dozens of them. Dozens!
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    Ted Cruz says bitcoin will stabilize Texas electric grid—here’s why he’s wrong

    Hmm... wonder how much btc Ted bought before unveiling this ridiculous plan
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    Moto G Pure is a $160 phone available just about everywhere in the US

    I thought this too, but after a year with a Pixel 4a I'm back onto a flagship phone. I don't game, but I do use my phone quite regularly for work. Being able to attend a zoom call, read email, or navigate, or carplay/android auto, or open a word document at the same time without everything...
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    GOP congressman gets COVID-19 after suing Pelosi over mask rule

    You know what, if it got these idiots vaccinated, I wouldn't even care.
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    Delta variant’s wild spread raises fears, fresh scrutiny of CDC mask guidance

    I know this is preaching to the choir, but I wish these anti-vax people wouldn't take up ICU beds in the hospital when they get sick. If you don't trust the doctors who tell you how to avoid the disease, then why would you trust them to make you better when you get it? Go ask your Facebook...
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    Controversial Alzheimer’s drug could cost US $334B—nearly half of DoD budget

    Ahh, now we see why this was passed through the FDA so quickly. This is actually a pretty brilliant scam. 1. Develop medication (efficacy irrelevant) for people on Medicare 2. Bribe FDA to approve it 3. Medicare can't negotiate pricing, so charge an absolutely obscene amount 5. Swim in giant...