Editor 
A “mega API” could potentially allow someone with access to export all IRS data to the systems of their choosing, including private entities. If that person also had access to other interoperable datasets at separate government agencies, they could compare them against IRS data for their own purposes. “Schematizing this data and understanding it would … Read more
If you’re reading this, you’re looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game. Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky … Read more
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plans to host a hackathon next week focused on the creation of a “mega API” that will provide access to taxpayer data, according to Wired. Wired says the hackathon is being organized by two DOGE staffers at the Internal Revenue Service — Gavin Kliger and Sam Corcos, who’s … Read more
It looks like Google is doing it again, and of course, it’s all about AI. The company’s Google Cloud hosting program is reportedly facilitating a hare-brained scheme to use AI to catch “mules” and smugglers on the southern U.S. border. While Google’s own AI services aren’t being used, it’s right in the thick of things … Read more
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority TL;DR Recent rumors suggest that Samsung plans to release One UI 8 based on Android 16 much earlier than usual. A new report claims that the company’s next-gen foldables could run the new software release at launch. Rumor has it that Samsung may compensate for the slow rollout of One UI … Read more
Berkeley, California is “the latest city to try to block landlords from using algorithms when deciding rents,” reports the Associated Press (noting that officials in many cities claim the practice is driving up the price of housing). But then real estate software company RealPage filed a federal lawsuit against Berkeley on Wednesday: Texas-based RealPage said … Read more
We’re just two months away from WWDC where we’ll get our first glimpses of iOS 19 and related updates, but this week saw the public release of iOS 18.4 with a number of changes and improvements including some audio improvements for the USB-C AirPods Max. This week also saw the first beta of iOS 18.5, … Read more
Many of us have several old phones in a drawer that we don’t have any use for, and now Cricket Wireless says it will give users credit for trading those in. The new Device Trade-In Program launched April 4 and aims to set itself apart from similar offerings by applying credit directly to user’s accounts … Read more
Video game consoles are no stranger to weird and unusual gimmicks. Some of these features unexpectedly grew into system-selling successes, while others were forgotten for a reason. But not every good idea gets the recognition it deserves, especially when some of the best console features have been sorely underused. Here are some of the best … Read more
In particle physics, the smallest problems often require the biggest solutions. Along the border of France and Switzerland, around a hundred meters underneath the countryside, protons speed through a 27-kilometer ring—about seven times the length of the Indy 500 circuit—until they crash into protons going in the opposite direction. These particle pileups produce a petabyte … Read more