Realme adds opt-out advertisements to phone OS

Realme smartphones will have ads (content recommendations) with the newest software update at the start of 2020. This system of content recommendation will “promote apps and commercial links” in the base operating system, through the Phone Manager app and Security Check page after installing new apps. Major brands like Google and Samsung have released ads in phones like these in … Continue reading

The 100 Most Popular io9 Posts of 2019

Another year has come and gone and with it so, so, so many nerd blogs. Here are the ones you, dear io9 readers, clicked on the most. A big thank you and a Happy New Year to all of you.

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The Baghdad Embassy Crisis Is A Warning Sign About Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy

Trump says he wants to bring home troops. He keeps resisting diplomacy that could actually secure U.S. interests abroad.

LeBron James Named Male Athlete Of The Decade By The Associated Press

King James was honored for “reigning over all others — with no signs of slowing down.”

Superintendent Of Iowa Care Center Fired Amid Human Experiment Concerns

The DoJ is investigating whether experiments, including “sexual arousal studies,” were performed on residents.

‘What Not To Wear’ Host Stacy London Wraps 2019 With Touching Tribute To Girlfriend

Calling Cat Yezbak a “beautiful, sexy, kind soul,” London noted this is her first “serious” same-sex relationship.

US Army is the latest military branch to ban TikTok

The Navy isn’t the only American military branch clamping down on TikTok. The Army has banned the use of TikTok on government-issued phones, with Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa telling Military.com that it’s “considered a cyber threat.” The…

Audible nears settlement over controversial AI captions feature

Back in August, Audible was sued by a handful of major publishing houses that took issue with its then-newly introduced AI-powered captions feature. As first revealed in July, Audible wants to introduce a captions feature that shows scrolling text in a window as an audiobook plays. The feature would prove useful for users, but raised questions over whether the company … Continue reading

Microsoft Seizes 'Hotrnall.com' and Other Copycat Domains From North Korea-Linked Hackers

On Monday, Microsoft announced that it had taken control of 50 domains associated with a hackers believed to be operating out of North Korea. Unsealed court documents show that the domains include “hotrnall.com,” “office356-us.org,” and “mai1.info,” among other copycat URLs.

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Texas Church Shooting Victim’s Daughter Says She Forgives Killer

Tiffany Wallace’s father, Anton “Tony” Wallace, died when a gunman opened fire at West Freeway Church of Christ.