Let us know when this future arrives and can beat their system.

Given how careful Google has been with account security, with zero mass hacks ever, unlike say Apple where their incompetence was responsible for a huge crime wave of stolen iCloud photos, I would be very surprised if this wasn't secure.

There is variation in the size of the waves, and thus the amount of power generated.

They are a lot like offshore wind in places like the North Sea. They never stop generating entirely, except for faults, but their output goes varies.

I'm sure someone will publish a proof of concept if it really is so easy, but if they are using the same tech as the Pixel phones (which don't have IR, just ordinary cameras) then so far nobody has been able to get past it with a real time avatar app.

Why would Google offer a completely anonymous service?

People keep complaining about Gmail spam. I've never seen any, but let's assume they are not lying. Wouldn't a service like Gmail want to validate who users are, and perma ban ones who abuse their service for spamming?

If you want anonymity you are looking in the wrong place.

As it points out in the summary, it requires you to turn your head on command, to prevent people using photos of you.

Google has form here. Their Pixel phones with face unlock cannot be fooled by photos, or even videos of people's faces. The only thing that works is an identical twin.

It's an interesting design. Anchored to the sea bed, with a linear shaft to move up and down on with the waves. It should be highly predictable, like wind and solar. They don't mention how the cost compares to offshore wind, but it's early days and diversity counts for something.

That's true, WHQL is only for the drivers.

It's a general problem with all kinds of software repos and update systems. How many times have we seen library code being tampered with, or apps being bought and replaced with adware?

Many car companies seem to have decided that it's most profitable to sell luxury vehicles, and finance to let people who can't afford one rent it instead. Throw in some subscriptions and re-sale into other markets.

This leaves the door open to better manufacturers who will simply sell you a reasonably priced vehicle that doesn't charge you monthly to turn on features it has built in.

Yes, but Microsoft only allows utility software to be distributed that way, not ads.

A similar thing happened years ago when FTDI distributed a driver that bricked clones of their USB to UART chips. Microsoft stopped them once it came to light by withdrawing the driver until they fixed it. Personally I would have banned them until they paid compensation.

Because most people have things like email and photo storage that they really don't want to lose access to.

Nah, I just ask the pilot to kindly invert the aircraft so I can jump safely from the side doors.

It's just impossible to get people to behave well in that kind of situation, at least in most cultures. I have seen video of Japanese people doing an orderly evacuation, leaving baggage behind, but from what I've read it never works that way anywhere else. People aren't willing to abandon their stuff, they want to get out first and don't understand that pushing is just slowing things down for everyone. If there is smoke in the cabin or fire visible outside, panic is inevitable.

Most EVs don't have gears, although some have fake software gears to simulate driving a fossil. A bit like the fake engine noises in some exceptionally silly cars.

Well, most EVs do have a fixed reduction gear, because it's more efficient to run the motor at higher speed. No clutch though.

But you do still need a forward, reverse, and neutral "gear" selector of some sort. Most cars have a knob or lever. Tesla has a swipe on the touch screen. Combined with their now retired yoke instead of a steering wheel, parking one is... Hard work.

I think they may have relented but they dropped the wiper control stalk too, so owners had to rely on the janky auto mode, or touch the screen. The auto mode was particularly crap because instead of using a water sensor like most cars, Tesla tried to use their camera.