Weekend tech reading: Microsoft to open Edge's Chakra JS engine, were older phones better?

Matthew DeCarlo

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Microsoft Edge's JavaScript engine to go open-source Today at JSConf US Last Call in Florida, we announced that we will open-source the core components of Chakra as ChakraCore, which will include all the key components of the JavaScript engine powering Microsoft Edge. We expect to open the ChakraCore repository on GitHub next month. Chakra offers best-in-class JavaScript execution with the broadest set of ES2015 feature coverage and dependable performance, reliability, and scalability. Microsoft

Let's Encrypt enters public beta Today marks a major milestone for the encrypted Web. Let's Encrypt, the free and automated certificate authority, has entered Public Beta. That means it's easier than ever for websites to adopt HTTPS encryption. A huge percentage of the world's daily Internet usage currently takes place over unecrypted HTTP, exposing people to illegal surveillance and injection of unwanted ads, malware, and tracking headers into the websites they visit. EFF

Playing Fallout 4 without ever leaving Sanctuary Every now and then I'll start playing a game, in this case Fallout 4, one that potentially offers dozens of hours of stories, quests, adventure, and excitement. And I'll say, essentially: "Nah. What else you got?" That's why when I climbed out of Vault 111 and arrived in Sanctuary, the first settlement area in the game, I decided to simply stay there. No exploring, no wandering, just staying put. I've now been there for roughly ten hours. PC Gamer

Why your new £600 smartphone is probably not as good as your phone from a decade ago Ever suspected that your £600, top-of-the-range smartphone is not as good for basic communications as the mobile you used a decade ago? Now there is official confirmation you are probably right. A study commissioned by the industry regulator Ofcom has found that for all the technology packed into flagship devices by Apple, Samsung and others, a handset costing a fraction of the price typically provides better signal performance for voice calls and texts. Telegraph

A short history of AI, and why it's heading in the wrong direction Sir Winston Churchill often spoke of World War 2 as the “Wizard War”. Both the Allies and Axis powers were in a race to gain the electronic advantage over each other on the battlefield. Many technologies were born during this time -- one of them being the ability to decipher coded messages. The devices that were able to achieve this feat were the precursors to the modern computer. Hackaday

A supercharged system to teach robots new tricks in little time A new artificial intelligence startup called Osaro aims to give industrial robots the same turbocharge that DeepMind Technologies gave Atari-playing computer programs. In December 2013, DeepMind showcased a type of artificial intelligence that had mastered seven Atari 2600 games from scratch in a matter of hours, and could outperform some of the best human players. MIT.

Into a new era (Scott Wasson leaves TR for AMD) Sixteen years ago, we fired up a modest web server session and began posting news items about the latest in PC tech and gaming. Over time, that little fly-by-night endeavor grew to become something bigger and better than anything we could anticipate -- a full-time job for a number of very sharp people and a publication that produced some of the finest in-depth articles and reviews in the PC hardware space. The Tech Report

Fedora 23 review: Skip if you want stability, stay to try Linux's bleeding edge Two releases ago, Fedora 21 introduced its namesake project's "Fedora Next" plan. The goal was simple -- bring the massive, sprawling entity that is Fedora into some neatly organized categories that would clearly define the project's aims. And since Next launched, Fedora has been busy doing just that. The results are impressive, and it feels like the distro has found a renewed sense of purpose. Ars Technica

FBI says suspected Silk Road architect Variety Jones has been arrested The man suspected of being a "senior adviser" to Ross Ulbricht, the convicted creatorof the drug marketplace Silk Road, has been arrested, according to the United States Attorney's Office. Roger Thomas Clark is accused of being "Variety Jones," according to a press release, and allegedly was "a close confidante of Ulbricht's who advised on all aspects of Silk Road's operations and helped him grow the site into an extensive criminal enterprise." Vice

The Pinnacle of V - World Enhancement Project is a massive game enhancer modification bringing you only the best of GTA Not only is this a visual enhancement, but literally every aspect of the game has been tweaked, adjusted, and fine tuned to create the most realistic, stunning, and immersive Grand Theft Auto experience to date. Check out the full features list below to get a grasp at the size of this ever expanding project. The Pinnacle of V

A dog that lives 300 years? Solving the mysteries of aging in our pets Jeanne Calment has nothing on Creme Puff, the cat. The oldest living human made it to the ripe age of 122—not bad for a species with an average life span of 71 years. But Creme Puff, a Texas feline that allegedly subsisted on bacon, broccoli, and heavy cream, more than doubled the longevity of her kind, surviving a reported 38 years. Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, was no slouch either. At age 29, he became the oldest canine on record... Science Mag

China calling: Huawei’s media tour, Kirin 950 and why we went Sometimes the only way to develop a relationship with a technology manufacturer beyond a simple press release exchange with a media relations team, and the odd limited-time product review sample, is to meet the people responsible for designing, managing and marketing the products. Over the past two decades (almost), AnandTech has done this with numerous companies in the East and the West... AnandTech

Big data's mathematical mysteries At a dinner I attended some years ago, the distinguished differential geometer Eugenio Calabi volunteered to me his tongue-in-cheek distinction between pure and applied mathematicians. A pure mathematician, when stuck on the problem under study, often decides to narrow the problem further and so avoid the obstruction. An applied mathematician interprets being stuck as an indication that it is time to learn more mathematics and find better tools. Quanta

What was it like to be a Nintendo game play counselor? With so many entertainment options available to consumers today, the bygone era of all-encompassing Nintendo mania in America seems quaint. During the late '80s and into the early '90s, the company's characters were licensed for breakfast cereal, trading cards, clothing, and even ceiling fans as its gaming systems became a way of life. In 1989 alone, the company sold $2.7 billion of product... AV Club

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