Lead Hacker

Juggling multiple chargers for your gadgets while you’re commuting, working from a cafe, or traveling can get heavy (and pricey!) fast, which is why today’s deal on the Anker Prime Power Bank (20K, 200W) is worth checking out. It can quickly charge three devices at once — including laptops — and it’s down to just $79.99 ($60 off) in black at Woot , which is a new low, through February 27th. Anker Prime Power Bank (20K, 200W) Where to Buy: $139.99 $79.99 at Woot Anker says the 20,000mAh power bank is powerful enough to get an iPhone 16 Pro to 30 percent in just 15 minutes or a 16-inch MacBook Pro to 50 percent in about 40 minutes, making it an easy way to quickly top up your devices while on the go. To deliver those speeds, it offers up to 200W of combined output via two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, so you can charge everything from earbuds to handheld consoles, e-readers, and more. And when the power pack dies, it supports 100W fast recharging via the USB-C port, allowin...

New users on the decentralized social network Mastodon could soon have an easier time getting started. Mastodon is running " onboarding experiments " to test ways to improve the new user experience, starting with default server recommendations. Now when new users join Mastodon from the mobile app, they may see a button to "join" a recommended server rather than the default "join mastodon.social" button that's currently displayed. Unlike most other social platforms, Mastodon has hundreds of independent servers users can join, catering to different communities and niches. The addition of default server recommendations could potentially help ne … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/tech/881352/mastodon-default-server-recommendations-experiment

Maybe you've heard, but Elon Musk is apparently a Moon fan now. He has historically been the ultimate cheerleader for human missions to Mars, and as recently as last year, he said his aim was to go straight to the red planet and that the Moon was "a distraction." Now, he has apparently changed his mind, announcing that SpaceX has shifted focus to building a city on the Moon. Within the space science community, this news about the Moon has largely been met with eye rolls, primarily because so many have become jaded toward Musk's overly ambitious plans and wildly unrealistic time scales. "It was hard for me to take those Mars plans seriousl … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/science/880672/spacex-elon-musk-moon-mars-ipo-blue-origin

Let Gemini be your, uh, Bard? | Image: Google Google has given Gemini the ability to spit out AI-generated music, courtesy of DeepMind's latest audio model. Beta access to Lyria 3 is rolling out in the Gemini app, enabling users to generate 30-second tracks based on text, images, and videos, without having to leave the chatbot window. The new music-making tool is available globally starting today in English, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese, with plans to expand in the future. Access is limited to Gemini app users who are 18 years or older. Lyria 3's text-to-music capabilities allow Gemini app users to make songs by describing specific genres, moods, or … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/880584/google-gemini-ai-music-maker-lyria-3-beta

The Lens Lizard is installed using your car’s existing license plate screw holes. | Image: Lens Lizard A Vermont-based startup has announced a new upgrade kit that adds a remotely triggered backup camera cleaner to your car. The Lens Lizard system might seem like an unnecessary luxury to some, but if you deal with ice and snow obscuring your backup camera every winter, or live somewhere remote with dirt roads mucking up your ride, the upgrade will save you from having to frequently clean the camera yourself. Its creators are making the Lens Lizard available through a Kickstarter and those who back the crowdfunding campaign can preorder a kit discounted to $99. Full retail pricing is expected to be closer to $149 while shipping will start in … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/877893/lens-lizard-backup-camera-cleaner-aftermarket-wiper-fluid-kickstarter

To say that Ford has struggled to make profitable electric vehicles would be an understatement. The company recently pulled the plug on its F-150 Lightning, a truck once heralded as the most important EV ever made, after taking a staggering $19.5 billion hit on its EV investments in 2025. A new focus on hybrids and extended-range EVs, as well as internal-combustion engine vehicles that still bring in the most revenue, are now the new way forward for the iconic 122-year old company. Everything old is new again. But Ford still sees EVs as the future - just not oversize ones with "no path to profitability," like the Lightning, as Andrew Frick … Read the full story at The Verge. source https://www.theverge.com/transportation/879975/ford-universal-ev-platform-skunkworks-aero-battery-range