News
This Somerville matchmaker has Boston's dating scene down to a science
2+ hour, 42+ min ago (866+ words) On the upper level of Somerville's Bow Market, 85 people sipped Valentine's Day cocktails while making small talk. A nervous energy rippled through the room. Regina Frizzi was among those waiting for Mingle Mayhem, a singles mixer for 26 to 38-year-olds, to…...
There's an internet blackout in Iran. How are videos and images getting out?
4+ week, 23+ hour ago (795+ words) Iranian authorities have implemented a near-total shutdown of the internet in a crackdown on widespread anti-government protests, but a sliver of the population is keeping in touch with the outside world by satellite. Starlink, a division of Elon Musk's rocket…...
Open up your TikTok world: Reels from the Global South are funny, fresh, informative
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (1829+ words) More than one billion users visit TikTok every month, and since its launch in 2016, it's grown to become one of the most popular social media platforms. And controversial, too. India, for example, banned the app in 2020, and Australia barred children…...
Russia sends 3 Iranian satellites into orbit, report says
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (273+ words) TEHRAN, Iran " Russia on Sunday sent three Iranian communications satellites into orbit, the second such launch since July, Iranian state television reported. The report said that a Russian rocket sent the satellites to circle the Earth on a 500-kilometer (310-mile)…...
Social media ban for children under 16 starts in Australia
2+ mon, 2+ day ago (704+ words) MELBOURNE, Australia " Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a world-first social media ban for children younger than 16 that took effect Wednesday as families taking back power from tech giants but warned the implementation would be difficult. Parents reported distraught children…...
Your glitchy video calls may make people mistrust you
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (796+ words) Those pesky glitches that occasionally interrupt your video calls may be more than just an annoyance " they could undermine your success in everything from job interviews to sales pitches to court cases. That's because brief video freezes, lags, or audio…...
In the age of algorithms, one Irish town still does love the old-fashioned way
4+ mon, 2+ day ago (1149+ words) LISDOONVARNA, Ireland " Years ago, while traveling with my family along Ireland's west coast, I spotted a curious billboard. It was blue and hot pink, and showed a man with shoulder-length hair and a gray beard smiling out from the roadside....
The U.N. mission appeals to the Taliban to restore internet access in Afghanistan
4+ mon, 1+ week ago (235+ words) ISLAMABAD " The United Nations mission in Afghanistan urged the Taliban on Tuesday to restore internet and telecommunications access across the country, saying the blackout imposed by the government in Kabul has left the nation almost entirely cut off from the…...
What's dating in Boston like in 2025?
4+ mon, 3+ week ago (517+ words) "We know we have a window because it's going to get cold....the fall feels electric of 'let's get this done,' says Meredith Goldstein, a dating advice columnist. What's dating in Boston like in 2025? It can be hard to keep…...
Postal traffic to U.S. drops over 80% after trade exemption rule ends, U.N. agency says
5+ mon, 4+ day ago (178+ words) Postal traffic to the U.S. has fallen significantly after the Trump administration suspended a trade exemption rule in late August, according to a global postal union. "The UPU has in its mission the responsibility to guarantee the free circulation of postal…...