ICE Spent $825,000 on Vehicles Equipped with IMSI-Catchers U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) paid $825,000 this year for vehicles fitted with cell-site simulators (IMSI-catchers), according to public-contract reporting covered by TechCrunch. These devices impersonate cellular towers to collect identifiers, location, and potentially intercept phone data from all devices within range. What are IMSI-catchers? IMSI stands for International Mobile Subscriber Identity, a unique identifier for each cellular user. Cell-site simulators (aka "stingrays") act as fake cell towers to force nearby phones to connect, enabling location tracking and data interception. There are passive and active variants: passive devices are less intrusive; active devices can intercept calls, messages, and data streams. Key concerns Warrantless use can sweep data from innocent bystanders, raising Fourth Amendment issues. Active IMSI-catchers can disrupt emergency calls (e.g.,…

Prime Big Deal Days: Best Tech Deals Under $50 (curated) Amazon’s October Prime sale (aka Prime Big Deal Days) brings lots of small-but-useful tech bargains. Below is a curated, Engadget-inspired list of tested picks under $50, with quick notes and Amazon search links (affiliate tag included). I removed the original RSS link to Engadget; the summary is based on their roundup. Note: affiliate search links use Amazon’s search query format (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=searchterm&tag=f1rede-20). Beats Pill (Kim Kardashian edition) — portable Bluetooth speaker. Search: Beats Pill (Kim Kardashian) Anker Nano 30W USB-C charger — compact, good for iPhones/iPads. Search: Anker Nano 30W Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max — 4K streaming dongle with Dolby Vision/Atmos. Search: Fire TV Stick 4K Max Anker Soundcore Space A40 — budget true wireless earbuds with ANC. Search:…

Prime Day Deal: Ninja DZ302 10‑Quart Dual‑Basket Air Fryer — $160 (30% off) Looking for a kitchen upgrade this Prime Day? The Ninja DZ302 10‑quart Dual‑Basket Air Fryer is on sale for $160 (about 30% off). It’s a versatile, countertop-friendly model designed to cook two different dishes at once with minimal fuss. Key Features Dual 5‑quart baskets — cook two foods simultaneously at different settings Six cooking modes: Air Fry, Air Broil, Bake, Dehydrate, Keep Warm, Roast Smart Finish — times the baskets so both foods finish together Match Cook — apply the same settings across both baskets when needed Compact footprint — under 15 inches wide (may be large for the smallest kitchens) Dishwasher‑safe baskets and crisper plates for easy cleanup Why it’s worth considering If you often make…

Best October Prime Day Amazon Device Deals — Kindles, Echoes, Fire TVs & Tablets Amazon’s October Prime Day is offering record-low prices (or close to them) on many Amazon-made devices. Below are top picks and quick links so you can shop via Amazon (affiliate links included). Kindles Kindle Kids — $95 (was $130) — Shop Kindle Kids Kindle Paperwhite — $125 (was $160) — Shop Kindle Paperwhite Kindle Color — $200 (was $250) — Shop Kindle Color Kindle Scribe — $300 (was $400) — Shop Kindle Scribe Echo smart speakers & displays Echo Pop — $25 — Shop Echo Pop Echo Dot — $35 — Shop Echo Dot Echo Show 5 — $55 — Shop Echo Show 5 Echo Show 8 — $100 — Shop Echo Show 8 Fire TV…

Mastodon Introduces “Packs” — a Bluesky‑style Follow List for Newcomers Mastodon is testing a new feature called “Packs” — curated collections of accounts new users can follow to jumpstart their timeline. Inspired by Bluesky’s Starter Packs, Mastodon’s approach emphasizes user control and Fediverse compatibility. Key points What Packs are: Curated lists of accounts you can follow in one go to help new users find interesting people faster. User control: Mastodon gGmbH says users can opt in or out of appearing in Packs by toggling the existing “Feature profile and posts in discovery algorithms” setting. Neutral removal: Unlike Bluesky (where removal required blocking or reporting), Mastodon will let users remove themselves from a Pack in a neutral way after they’re notified. Fediverse standard: Mastodon is collaborating on a Fediverse Enhancement Proposal…

Meta updates Facebook Reels (2025) Meta is rolling out several changes to Facebook Reels to make the experience more like Instagram Reels. Key updates include: Friend bubbles: Reels will show friend bubbles indicating which friends liked a post, making it easier to start conversations around shared interests. Refreshed recommendation engine: Meta says the recommender learns interests faster, surfaces about 50% more Reels published the same day, and will factor in preferred video length (recommending longer or shorter Reels based on your viewing habits). A new Not Interested button aims to further improve relevance. AI-powered suggestions: Reels will offer AI-driven suggestions for deeper exploration of specific topics or interests. These features are described in recent coverage and align with Meta's posts about improving recommendations with AI. For the official announcement and…

Prime Day Anker Charging Deals — What to Buy and WhyPrime Day is a great time to pick up Anker charging essentials at a discount. Below we cover the best categories to consider and tips for choosing the right gear.Power banksPower banks come in many sizes and with different features. For phones, a 5,000–10,000 mAh charger is often enough. If you need to charge tablets, laptops, or multiple devices, look for higher capacity bricks with multiple ports.Shop power banks on Amazon: Anker power banks on AmazonWireless chargersWireless chargers reduce cable clutter. Choose a stand if you want to see notifications while charging, or a flat pad for bedside use. Consider multi‑device stations for phones, watches and earbuds.Shop wireless chargers on Amazon: Anker wireless chargers on AmazonCharging gear & cablesExtra USB‑C…

Steam outage Tuesday — Services restored after major disruption Steam experienced a significant outage on Tuesday affecting the Steam Store, Steam Community and the Web API. Services have been coming back online and, for the past hour, most users report normal access. Key points Steamstat.us recorded ~1.5 million pageviews in one hour at the outage peak — a sign many users were checking status updates. PC Gamer and other outlets reported that APIs for Valve first‑party games (including Counter‑Strike 2 and Deadlock) were offline during the outage. There has been no detailed official statement from Valve as of publishing; Steam’s public-facing status pages are limited, so community trackers were the fastest source of real-time info. Where to check live status Steamstat.us — unofficial real-time tracker for Steam services DownDetector —…

Prime Day Deal: Apple iPad (11th gen, A16) — $280 (Record Low) Amazon Prime Day has knocked the entry-level Apple iPad (11th generation, A16 Bionic) down to $280, about $70 off and a new record-low price for this model. If you want a solid-budget iPad that handles everyday tasks well, this is one of the best Apple deals we've seen this Prime Day. Key specs Model: Apple iPad (11th generation) Chip: Apple A16 Bionic Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina (commonly rounded to 11") RAM: 6GB Battery: ~10 hours typical use Connectivity: Wi‑Fi 6, USB‑C Cameras: Dual 12MP cameras Biometrics: Touch ID What it lacks No Apple Pencil Pro support No support for the full Magic Keyboard (no trackpad Magic Keyboard compatibility) No ProMotion or some higher-end display features found on iPad…

Baseus PrimeTrip VD1 Pro: Dual Dashcam with Solar Power The Baseus PrimeTrip VD1 Pro is a dual-channel dashcam designed for drivers who want continuous vehicle monitoring without complex hardwiring. It pairs a 4K front camera with a 1080p rear camera and combines a built-in lithium battery with a solar panel to extend parking mode runtime. Key Features Front camera: 4K UHD (3840×2160 @30fps) with a wide field of view (~170°) Rear camera: 1080p with ~120° field of view Power: Built-in lithium battery plus solar panel — enables long-term parking monitoring without hardwiring Parking mode: Extended standby (reports mention up to ~14 days depending on use and sunlight) Sensors & image processing: Sony Starvis sensor + HDR/night enhancements Connectivity: 5GHz Wi‑Fi (Wi-Fi 6 support reported) and app control Placement: Designed to…