How and where to watch the Japan Olympics

It's It's Thursday, July 22, 2021.

The Olympics, a year late, are here. The official start is the opening ceremony on Friday, July 23rd, at 7 AM ET, but a few events have already kicked off. The softball and women’s soccer competitions began yesterday, but the first games aired Tuesday night on the east coast. Softball, men’s soccer and rowing are taking place today (Tokyo time), and the good news is that every event is available to watch, you just need to know where to look.

We’ve got a full guide right here, and while NBC is the official broadcaster for the Summer Olympics in the US, there’s so much sport that coverage is also on NBCSN, USA, CNBC, Golf Channel and the Olympic Channel — some of which require subscriptions.

The good news is that NBC is still airing events live, following criticism over tape delays back in 2012. During prime time, expect to see all the highlights from the day’s events.

— Mat Smith

Tesla lowers the price of its Full Self-Driving computer upgrade

Prices fell by $500 but buyers still need to beware

Engadget

Tesla has knocked $500 from the price needed to upgrade to what it calls “full self-driving” in vehicles made between late 2016 and mid-2019. That, in conjunction with the high monthly subscription fee, was enough to send Tesla owners into revolt, and the price has since been cut to $1,000. Although it’s worth saying that what the automaker calls ‘self-driving’ is only really Level 2 autonomy, including lane changing and some self-parking features, so any utopian dreams of letting the car drive you to work are still a long way away. Continue Reading.

FTC votes to fight back against right to repair restrictions

It’s a huge victory for the right to repair movement

Avalon_Studio via Getty Images

The Federal Trade Commission has published a policy statement saying it will better enforce existing laws protecting the right to repair. It said it would bolster bills, like the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which prohibits manufacturers from preventing at-home repairs. It’s only a first step, but it could lead to a future where you’re able to fix your broken phone screen without needing to send it away for weeks at a time. Continue Reading.

The best student discounts we found for 2021

And the best gaming laptops for students.

Getty Creative

Today’s Back to School guide features the best discounts for students. Amazon Prime, for instance, is $60 a year if you’re in college and has everything the regular package does. Apple, meanwhile, will throw in free AirPods when you buy selected Macs or iPads to embark upon your educational dreams. And Spotify will let you listen to Premium and offer up Hulu and Showtime’s premium video on-demand platforms for as little as $5 a month. On the laptop front, we’ve also scrubbed through the best gaming laptops for the most affordable and nicest machines we could find. Continue Reading.

Study suggests EVs really are cleaner than gas-powered cars over their lifespan

No matter how you’re getting your energy.

JENS SCHLUETER via Getty Images

The International Council on Clean Transportation has published a new study saying electric vehicles really are cleaner than their gas-powered counterparts. The ICCT added it didn’t matter if they were juiced up with power from nuclear or coal-fired stations. Overall, the picture it paints suggests that on a life-cycle basis, from extracting raw materials to disposal, you’re better off with an electric car. And it’s not a marginal difference, either, buy a medium-sized EV (in Europe) and emissions are between 66 and 69 percent lower than a fossil-fuel-burning ride. Continue Reading.

Pro Evolution Soccer will become ‘eFootball’ in free-to-play shift

Konami’s last-ditch attempt to revive the former giant.

Konami

It’s hard to believe now, but Pro Evolution Soccer was the soccer/football game for diehards and casual players alike. Sadly, EA’s FIFA series managed to steal that crown, and Pro Evo’s popularity has waned sufficiently that developer Konami is going to extremes. The developer has announced the title will be rebranded as eFootball and recast as a free-to-play title on consoles, PCs and mobile devices. What’s not clear, right now, is how much of the game will be free, and how much will be paywalled behind DLC. Continue Reading.

Chromebook users were locked out of their laptops by a single typo.

It’s fixed now.

Google had to pull a Chrome OS update that broke logins for Chromebook users, apparently due to a simple typo. The company apparently added a second "&" to a line of code, preventing the OS from decrypting login info and locking users who’d updated out of their systems.

According to Android Police, with some users, it started bootloops (where the system keeps restarting). At least one system required a recovery USB stick to return to a working state. Continue Reading.

'The Last Video Store' is a Blockbuster-inspired PSVR game

Time to watch video rentals with friends in VR.

People are still weirdly fascinated with Blockbuster, even though (or perhaps because) there's only one remaining store in the entire world. You'll soon be able to (almost) re-experience the sensation of a video rental store — sans copyright logos — on PlayStation VR.

The Last Video Store trailer teases rows of DVDs and VHS tapes in a Blockbuster-like store, chilled out employees and an overly bright interior. It might even help you forget that in reality, the best titles were rarely available when you wanted them. You’ll apparently be able to watch these rentals in either a cinema or a virtual living room, although it’s a little unclear what sort of licensing deal the game has struck, but the trailer shows both Evil Dead and Mac and Me, with the ability for other PSVR players to watch the movie with you. Continue Reading.

The Sad Wolverine meme immortalized as an action figure

A physical representation of all that yearning will, however, cost you $200.

Mondo

Perfect for anyone who’s currently trying, and failing, to woo the love of their life away from some jerk who shoots laser beams out of his eyes. Continue Reading.

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