Notices by Ars Technica (arstechnica@mastodon.social)

Bowing to Trump, Google Maps plans to “quickly” rename the Gulf of Mexico
"We will update Google Maps in the US quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America."
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/bowing-to-trump-google-maps-plans-to-quickly-rename-the-gulf-of-mexico/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Streaming prices climb in 2025 after already surpassing inflation rates
Five services started charging more in January.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/streaming-prices-climb-in-2025-after-already-surpassing-inflation-rates/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Pebble smartwatch founder is launching a smaller-scale, open source reboot
With help from Google, a focused team wants to make sustainable watches.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/pebble-smartwatch-founder-is-launching-a-smaller-scale-open-source-reboot/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

US solar boom continues, but it’s offset by rising power use
Utility-scale solar generation is up by over 30% amid future uncertainties.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/01/us-solar-boom-continues-but-its-offset-by-rising-power-use/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Trump may leave TikTok’s algorithm under ByteDance’s control
Everything insiders are saying about Trump’s plan to save TikTok.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/trump-may-leave-tiktoks-algorithm-under-bytedances-control/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

DeepSeek spooks American tech industry as it tops the Apple App Store
A new Chinese AI app is sparking existential panic in American AI companies and investors.
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/01/deepseek-spooks-american-tech-industry-as-it-tops-the-apple-app-store/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

New Netflix price hikes increase subscription fees by up to $2.50 a month
The cheapest ad-free plan increases from $15.49 to $17.99.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/new-netflix-price-hikes-increase-subscription-fees-by-up-to-2-50-a-month/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

UK opens probe into Google’s and Apple’s mobile platforms
Regulator will examine how the tech giants compete with one another, treat developers.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/uk-opens-probe-into-googles-and-apples-mobile-platforms/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

NASA moves swiftly to end DEI programs, ask employees to “report” violations
"Failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences."
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/01/nasa-moves-swiftly-to-end-dei-programs-ask-employees-to-report-violations/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Reddit won’t interfere with users revolting against X with subreddit bans
Hundreds of Reddit communities are currently considering disallowing X.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/reddit-wont-interfere-with-users-revolting-against-x-with-subreddit-bans/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Samsung’s Galaxy S25 event was an AI presentation with occasional phone hardware
Samsung somehow packed even more AI into its event, and phones, than last year.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/samsungs-galaxy-s25-event-was-an-ai-presentation-with-occasional-phone-hardware/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

The Internet is (once again) awash with IoT botnets delivering record DDoSes
Bigger, badder DDoSes are flooding the Internet. Dismal IoT security is largely to blame.
https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/01/the-internet-is-once-again-awash-with-iot-botnets-delivering-record-ddoses/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht pardoned by Trump 10 years into life sentence
Trump confirmed the pardon was partly to “honor” Libertarian movement.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/silk-road-founder-ross-ulbricht-pardoned-by-trump-10-years-into-life-sentence/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Bambu Lab pushes a “control system” for 3D printers, and boy, did it not go well
Security measure? Boxing out third-party tools? Or something more complex?
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/bambu-lab-pushes-a-control-system-for-3d-printers-and-boy-did-it-not-go-well/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Robotic hand helps pianists overcome “ceiling effect”
Passive training with robotic exoskeleton hand even led to motor improvements in the untrained hand.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/01/robotic-hand-helps-pianists-overcome-ceiling-effect/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Canon charges $50 per year to use a $900 camera as a functional webcam
Just because it's a good rig doesn't mean you can use it on Zoom.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/canon-charges-50-per-year-to-use-a-900-camera-as-a-functional-webcam/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

European Union orders X to hand over algorithm documents
EC has also requested access to information on how X moderates and amplifies content.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/european-union-orders-x-to-hand-over-algorithm-documents/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Supreme Court rules TikTok can be banned
TikTok has said it's preparing to shut down Sunday.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/supreme-court-rules-tiktok-can-be-banned/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

GM patents EV that can charge and power stuff simultaneously
I'm not sure why you'd want to do both at the same time, but this EV could.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/01/gm-patents-ev-that-can-charge-and-power-stuff-simultaneously/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

The Editors weaves Wikipedia’s volunteers into a global suspense tale
Fiction gives a Wikipedia expert room to explore a small but powerful community.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/the-editors-weaves-wikipedias-volunteers-into-a-global-suspense-tale/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social