Steam hardware shipper breach leaks customer data, including names and addresses
Valve says a data breach may have exposed the personal information of customers who ordered its Steam hardware in Europe. In an email sent to users, Valve says its European shipping partner, CEVA Logistics, suffered a data breach that may have included customer names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.
The breach at CEVA occurred between July 29th and August 1st, weeks after Valve began taking reservations for its new Steam Machine and Steam Controller. Valve adds that European customer data "was likely compromised" as part of the breach, as CEVA stores "delivery-related information" for up to 90 days after orders.
This great retro-inspired keyboard now comes preassembled
You probably know just by looking at it if the Classic-TKL Underscore Edition is for you. Do you want a retro-looking wired keyboard without a number pad? Great. Do you care that it doesn't have wireless? Perfect. Do you want it preassembled? Buddy, you're in the right place.
But Nathan, you might say, preassembled is the regular way to buy a keyboard. That is the baseline expectation. Most people buying a cake expect a cake, not a box of cake mix. And that's true, for most people and most keyboards. But until now, the Classic-TKL has only been available as a bare-bones kit, and now you can buy one ready to go, with quality components, for …
The first rival Android app store just arrived in the US Play Store
Following the latest twist in Google's legal battles with Epic, US Android users are now able to open Google's Play Store and download a third-party digital store with its own selection of apps. Aptoide, a store specializing in mobile games, is the first to become available.
Third-party app stores have always been available on Android, which is a more open platform than iOS in that respect. However, until now they've only been available if pre-installed on a device - as with the Amazon Appstore on Fire tablets or Samsung's Galaxy Store - or installed via sideloading. Listing rival storefronts within the Play Store makes them much easier for …
Ford’s new AI assistant can check your fuel levels and tire pressure
Ford is rolling out a new AI-powered assistant that can answer questions about your Ford or Lincoln vehicle, such as how much fuel you'll need for your next road trip or whether your truck can tow that new motor boat.
The app is rolling out first to the Ford and Lincoln mobile apps, where it will work as a chatbot that can answer questions about the vehicle's capabilities or future service needs. Since the app is linked to the customer's vehicle, the assistant knows many of the details about the particular make and model, including fuel levels, cargo capacity, and towing capabilities. Ford plans on rolling out a voice-powered assistant that …
Space mirrors could ruin astronomy — and your eyes
Solar energy, at any time of day or night - that's the dream of space mirror projects. Futurists have been imagining satellite mirrors that could reflect the sun's light onto the Earth's surface for over a century. Russian scientists experimented with the concept in the '90s with the Znamya project. The idea is to put a large mirror in orbit and angle it such that sunlight can be reflected onto a specific geographical area for illumination or the generation of solar power.
Now, the California-based company Reflect Orbital wants to try this idea again, launching a test satellite named Eärendil-1 as a precursor to a fleet of up to 50,000 spa …
No Dogs in Space is a music history podcast for true obsessives
Sadly, there hasn't been a new episode of No Dogs in Space since July of 2024. Part four of the podcast's series on Can wrapped up an abbreviated season 3, which focused on experimental rock. Don't get me wrong, I loved seasons 1 and 2, but the show seemed to be gearing up for a deep dive into Krautrock, and I was hype. Unfortunately, that episode ended with hosts Marcus Parks (Last Podcast on the Left) and Carolina Hidalgo declaring they were going to do another season on punk (the topic of season 1), only for the feed to go quiet.
If you're a music obsessive, this is a must-listen podcast. Over the course of 73 episodes, the husband-and- …
Zuckerberg’s yacht was closer, but someone else saved a stranded boat
Earlier this week, the Alaskan cruise ship Wilderness Legacy rescued a small skiff stranded near Farragut Bay after running out of fuel. But, according to tracking data reviewed by the Alaska Beacon and Halifax Shipping News, the closest vessel was actually Mark Zuckerberg's super yacht, Launchpad.
Michael Love, a passenger on the Wilderness Legacy, posted on Bluesky that the captain announced the Launchpad was closer, but "repeatedly refused to respond," which was met with booing from the passengers. The AIS tracking (embedded below) seems to support that the Launchpad was closer to the vessel in trouble, but then stopped near the entrance …
49ers coach says his Tesla was on Autopilot when he crashed
Four weeks ago, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in an accident near downtown Palo Alto. At the time, Shanahan said only that the accident was his fault. But during a recent press conference, he shared more details about the incident, including the fact that he had his Tesla's Autopilot engaged at the time. Shanahan was not passing the buck, however, saying it was his fault regardless of whether or not Autopilot was engaged.
"I've had Autopilot for nine years, so I'm pretty comfortable with it and, you know, who knows what happened when I turned around? Whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off? That's someth …
Dropbox is a PC builder’s best friend
In 2018 I bet my reputation and self-worth on a huge crowdfunded game design project. It could have been a failure for many reasons, but the one I became most worried about was losing all of the work that was stored locally on my home-built PC - a scenario that would have left a lot of people very upset and placed me in deep trouble. I wasn't irresponsible, I had local backups, but at some point I found myself in custody of so many important files that it scared me. And no matter how many redundancies I could build at home, they'd all still be in the same place - a risky bet. So I bought a subscription to Dropbox. Years later, it's still one …
AI detectors are creating a new era of distrust
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more news about how AI is changing our daily lives, follow Emma Roth. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.
How it started
Long before ChatGPT became a thing, educators and editors frequently used anti-plagiarism tools to see if writers were being honest about their work. These tools work by comparing a written work against a database filled with content from across the web, scholarly articles, and more to check for matching sentences and phrases. Some, like Turnitin, offer a percentage th …