Tech Boys

As Ukraine continues to make efforts to mobilize and equip ordinary citizens on the ground to resist Russia’s unprovoked invasion of the country, those who are outside Ukraine who want to help are being asked to get involved in the fight in the virtual world. While the G7 (today with the addition of Japan ) mobilize to shut down Russia’s access to the Swift banking system, the country has been running campaign corralling developers to join an “IT army” tasked with specific cyber challenges. It’s also making specific calls to technology leaders to do their part, too. The “ IT Army of Ukraine “, announced yesterday and already with nearly 184,000 users on its main Telegram channel (and that number is growing – it gained almost 10,000 users in the time I wrote this story), is using that account to name specific projects and call-outs for help to shut down Russian sites, Russian agents and those working in concert with the country, and to mobilize those living in Ukraine around work ...

Portal fans, rejoice — or rather, bask in the mixed feelings of a new game set in the beloved franchise's universe that isn't at all what you've been clamoring for over the past decade. Just as Steam Deck pre-orders started going out, Valve dropped a surprise trailer for Aperture Desk Job , a free Steam Deck game that's coming on March 1 and is set within the world of Portal . BUT (isn't there always a "but" when it comes to long-awaited continuations of Valve games?), as the description on Steam emphasizes in bolded capital letters, it is " Not Portal 3! " Instead of a long-awaited follow-up to the iconic puzzle game, Aperture Desk Job is characterized as a "walking simulator" and playable short. You begin as a starry-eyed, entry-level employee of the game's eponymous and cheerily dystopic corporation (which sorta kinda probably accidentally brought about the apocalypse), Aperture Science. While eager to jump-start your brigh...

YouTube has temporarily barred Russia Today (RT) and a handful of other Russian channels from earning ad revenue. Citing “extraordinary circumstances” and the recent sanctions against the country, the company told Reuters it was putting a pause on the ability of several channels to monetize their content on the platform. Additionally, YouTube said videos from those content creators would appear less frequently in user recommendations, and that RT and a handful of other channels would no longer be accessible in Ukraine following a request from the country’s government. YouTube did not provide Reuters with a full list of the restricted channels. We’ve reached out to the company for comment and more information. It’s hard to say how much of an effect the restrictions will have on those channels. In 2019 , internet research firm Omelas estimated the Kremlin generated $27 million in ad revenue between 2017 and 2018. Over the span of a 12 year period, Russia has earned as much as $73 m...

Space is brutal. In a vivid cosmic image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, two galaxies are shown after what is almost certainly a dramatic deep space collision. On right is the dazzling galaxy NGC 2445, surrounded by vivid bursts of star formation. On left is the less brilliant, but still powerful NGC 2444. What happened? "Astronomers suggest that the galaxies passed through each other, igniting the uniquely shaped star-formation firestorm in NGC 2445, where thousands of stars are bursting to life on the right-hand side of the image," NASA explained . Yes, they struck each other, but then, like apparitions, traveled through one another (over millions of years). The ancient impact stoked those vivid outer bands of stellar activity around NGC 2445. "Simulations show that head-on collisions between two galaxies is one way of making rings of new stars," astronomer Julianne Dalcanton of the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Astrophysics in New Yo...

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is escorted through a throng of media as she attends the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on February 26, 2022. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene explained her decision to attend an event hosted by Nick Fuentes. Fuentes is an alt-right figure who the Anti-Defamation League calls a "well-known white supremacist pundit and organizer." Greene on Saturday said she didn't know anything about him or his views before she appeared. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Saturday defended her decision to speak at an event organized by alt-right figure Nick Fuentes , claiming she didn't know anything about him or his views when she decided to speak there on Friday. The GOP lawmaker on Friday night made a surprise appearance at a far-right conference organized by Nick Fuentes, who is known for statements questioning the existence of the Holocaust, criticizing interracial marriage, and praising Jim Crow...

Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images YouTube is prohibiting state-owned Russian media accounts from monetizing on its platform.  The move follows Meta enacting similar restrictions on Friday after Russia began attacks on Ukraine.  The suspension pertains to outlets like RT and other Russian media organizations operated by the state.  YouTube is joining Meta in banning state-funded Russian media organizations from running ads or profiting on its platform.  The company suspended RT and several other Russian accounts on Saturday, a YouTube spokesperson confirmed to Insider. The removal comes in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin authorizing a full-scale attack on Ukraine on Thursday, involving launching airstrikes across the country and pushing forces into the country's capital of Kyiv. The spokesperson said the company is also in the process of removing thousands of videos that violate YouTube's policies against deceptive pract...

Valve says it’s willing to work with Microsoft to bring PC Game Pass to Steam. “I don’t think it’s something that we think we need to do ourselves, building a subscription service at this time,” Valve CEO Gabe Newell told PC Gamer in a recent interview. “But for their customers it’s clearly a popular option, and we’d be more than happy to work with them to get that on Steam.” Newell’s subsequent comments suggest PC Game Pass won’t come to Steam anytime soon, but that the two companies have had discussions about the possibility. “We’ve talked to people there quite a bit about that topic,” he said. “If your customers want it, then you should figure out how to make it happen. That’s where we’re at.” While PC Game Pass may never come to Steam there’s at least precedent for Microsoft to follow. In the summer of 2020, publisher Electronic Arts made EA Play, its subscription service, available on Steam . It's worth noting, as The Verge points out, not every EA Play tier is availabl...

Prices are accurate at the time of publication. Sarah Saril/Insider When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Xbox PC Game Pass lets you play more than 100 PC games on-demand for only $10 a month.  My friends recently convinced me to subscribe, and I've already clocked over 50 gameplay hours.  It's worth the price if you're a PC gamer, especially if you like any of the service's library. Xbox Game Pass for PC (3-Month Membership) $24.29 FROM AMAZON Originally $29.99 | Save 19% $29.99 FROM BEST BUY $24.29 FROM WALMART Originally $29.99 | Save 19% I spend most of my nights playing games with friends online on my PC. Usually, Steam is my service of choice, but after much persuasion, I've finally added Xbox Game Pass to my growing list of subscriptions. If you're unfamiliar with Xbox PC Game Pass , here's how it works: for $10 a month, you get instant access to more than 100 PC games...

People take shelter in a subway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24. Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped Friday, leading another rally in US stocks and closing out a volatile week.  Stocks began the trading session strong after Moscow said it would be open to talks with Ukrainian leadership. Wall Street is also weighing the prospect of the Federal Reserve turning less aggressive about hiking rates. US stocks jumped Friday to cap off a volatile week of trading, led by an 800-point surge from the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Indexes began the trading session strong after Moscow said it would be open to talks with Ukrainian leadership, even as Russian forces closed in on Kyiv and air raids intensified . Wall Street is also weighing the prospect of the Federal Reserve turning less aggressive about hiking rates. "US stocks are rallying as Wall Street anticipates central bank reluctance to go overly aggressive with tightening monetary polic...

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergei Naryshkin on January 18, 2022 in Moscow, Russia. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images Naryshkin appeared on Russian state television to reiterate Putin's talking points, specifically that Russia's military operations will "restore peace in Ukraine." Naryshkin's appearance comes just days after Putin humiliated him on video, telling him twice to "speak directly." Putin's war rhetoric pushes the false narrative that there is a genocide against Russian speakers in Ukraine.   Just days after being humiliated in a broadcast meeting by Vladimir Putin, the head of Russia's foreign intelligence agency, Sergei Naryshkin, returned to the screen to reiterate war rhetoric. "Russia cannot allow Ukraine to become a dagger raised above us in the hands of Washington," Naryshkin said in a video on state television, according to the New York Times . "The special military operation will res...