Life is full of unavoidable annoyances: aging knees, complicated tax codes, and Pete Davidson. Yet, some annoyances are deliberately imposed by corporations seeking to exploit their market power for financial gain. The iPhone cord falls into the latter category. For over a decade, Apple’s Lightning cable has been synonymous with consumer electronics. It’s both exorbitantly …
Joe Casabona’s love affair with Wirecutter began in 2013 when the site recommended a pair of inductive winter gloves that allowed for touch screen interaction while keeping hands warm. Impressed by the site’s rigorous product reviews, Casabona continued to rely on Wirecutter for recommendations. This personal experience is not uncommon, as Wirecutter has grown from …
This story was originally published in High Country News . In the serene community rose garden of Grandview, Washington, Amber Betts witnessed the aftermath of an invasive Japanese beetle infestation. The beetle invasion, which had subsided but not disappeared, showcased a few emerald-hued critters feasting on a delicate rose. The Washington State Department of Agriculture’s …
A stream of esteemed American policymakers is embarking on diplomatic visits to Beijing in an effort to repair the strained relationship between the United States and China. This surge in diplomatic activities is a positive development following almost a year of strained communication between the two countries. The aim is to establish a middle ground …
In 2018, researchers at the University of Padua conducted a study to uncover the true identity of renowned author Elena Ferrante. The scholars analyzed the work of various writers from the same region and discovered a striking resemblance between Ferrante’s writing style and that of Naples-born novelist Domenico Starnone. While Starnone has denied being the …
The Mona Lisa’s size is smaller than three feet tall and about two feet wide, and it hangs in the biggest exhibition room at France’s Louvre Museum. However, in recent weeks, some vigilante AI artists have decided it should be bigger. They are using Adobe Photoshop’s “generative fill” beta tool, which allows users to fill …