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It's not just students and internet debaters who lean on Wikipedia in a pinch. MIT CSAIL researchers have conducted a study revealing that Wikipedia can influence the legal decisions of judges when there are articles covering relevant cases. The existence of a Wiki page for a case increased its citations by over 20 percent, the scientists said. The boost was pronounced when a case supported a judge's argument, and the language of the articles sometimes manifested in the decisions.

The team conducted the study by having law students write over 150 articles on Irish Supreme Court decisions. Half of the pieces were randomly chosen to be uploaded where judges, lawyers and clerks could use them, while the rest were kept offline to help understand what would happen in the absence of a Wikipedia article. The randomized nature showed a true causal link between articles and citations, according to lead researcher Neil Thompson.

CSAIL also noted that the Irish legal system was an ideal testing ground. Higher courts' decisions bind lower courts, as they do in the UK and US, but there aren't nearly as many articles on Irish Supreme Court decisions as there are for its US counterpart. The researchers increased the number of relevant articles "tenfold" just by writing examples for the study.

As to why people might turn to Wikipedia? It might come down to a simple matter of time. The spike in citations mainly came from lower courts (the High Court) rather than the Supreme Court itself or the Court of Appeal. To CSAIL, that suggested judges and clerks were using Wikipedia to cope with busy court dockets — it was easier to find precedent-setting cases through a quick online search.

The findings are potentially problematic. While the cases themselves might be sound, Wikipedia isn't always accurate. There's a risk that a judge might issue a ruling based on a flawed article, or that malicious actors could manipulate entries to skew a trial's outcome. Study co-author Brian Flanagan argued that the legal community should verify that any online analysis, whether it's from Wikipedia or elsewhere, is both comprehensive and comes from expert sources.

If you've been eyeballing a 2nd-generation Google Nest Hub but can't stomach the regular $100 price tag, there's good news. It's now on sale for just $55 or 45 percent off at B&H Photo Video, matching one of the lowest prices we've seen to date. B&H also has other Nest devices on sale including the Google Nest Audio ($60 or $40 off), Nest Hub Max ($169 or $60 off) and Nest Mini at just $30, for a savings of $20. 

The Nest Hub earned a score of 89 in our review for good reason. It has a minimalist design, a bright 7-inch display, clearer and louder audio than its predecessor and faster performance as well. It's just the right size to fit into any room and can act as a second screen for your video doorbell or even track your sleep from your bedside table. While it may not be as accurate as a slumber-focused wearable, the Nest Hub will show you sleep duration, quality, schedules and snoring data (if that's something you're after).

If it's just a smart speaker you're after and don't need a screen, you may want the Google Nest Audio instead, on sale for $60 or 40 percent off. It has an unassuming yet attractive design, plus great audio quality that's made even better if you pair two of them together and use them in stereo mode. It also functions as a Google Assistant device, giving you the forecast, control of smart home gadgets, music capabilities and more. 

Next up is the Nest Hub Max, available for $169 or $60 off. It's the biggest of Google's smart displays with the best sound quality, thanks to a 10-inch display large enough to comfortably watch YouTube or Netflix videos, or even take a Zoom call. Inside are stereo speakers that help the Hub Max sound better than any other Nest smart display, making it a good option if you want an all-in-one device to stream videos, listen to music and control devices like smart lights, cameras, thermostats and more.

And finally if budget is an issue, the Nest Mini is on sale for just $30, for a savings of $20. It offers the same functionality as Google Nest Audio, but without the same sound quality, of course. Still, it gives you a smart speaker with Google Assistant powers on the cheap for a spare or a kids room. 

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In a piece examining what the NVIDIA Broadcast can do, we praised its noise removal capability for being "impressively adept" at stripping away everything but your voice. Now, AMD has launched a similar tool for computers powered by its chips, and it could vastly improve your gaming and live streaming experience or lead to cleaner recordings. AMD's Noise Suppression tool can reduce background chatter and sounds in real time through the use of a deep learning algorithm. 

The feature works for both input and output devices, which means it can not only suppress noise captured on your mic, but also noise coming from someone else's. It can help you stay focused if you're in a meeting or attending online classes, for instance, because it can block the sounds of somebody's barking dog or crying baby in the background.

That said, Noise Suppression is only available for computers with Ryzen 5000 series and newer processors, as well as for systems with Radeon RX 6000 series and newer graphics cards. If you know your computer has the components needed to access the feature, make sure to upgrade to the latest version of AMD Software before heading to the Settings page. 

Under Audio Settings in the Audio & Video tab, you'll see a toggle to enable the feature. You can also choose to switch it on for either your input or your output device or for both of them at the same time. The next time you fire up a game or a communications app, such as Microsoft Teams or Slack, you can take advantage of the benefits of the noise suppression tool, so long as you select the "AMD Streaming Device" option as your input and/or output device.

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Spotify’s second-quarter financial release shows the streaming giant hasn’t yet felt the dread hand of the looming global recession. Unlike Netflix, which had to report a fall in its overall customer base, Spotify has seen both free and paying accounts grow. It now has 433 million users, up from the 422 million reported at the end of the first quarter. 188 million of those are paying for Premium, a leap of six million from three months ago, while a further four million are signed up on an ad-supported basis.

Despite industry-wide fears that household budgets would cut entertainment costs to help free up much-needed cash, Spotify has dodged cost-cutting so far. The company said that while it was keeping an eye on the “uncertain” environment, it was “pleased with the resilience of [its] business.” That said, the company did spend big to help grow its user figures, with marketing campaigns designed to coax back users who let their subscriptions lapse, or who wanted to expand to a family plan.

That marketing spend helped blow a hole in the company’s finances, with Spotify posting a quarterly loss of €194 million ($197 million). The company is banking on sharp increases in revenue both for subscriptions and advertising to help balance those losses out. In addition, its plan to pivot toward cheaper forms of audio content, like podcasts and audiobooks, should see the volume of cash it pays to record labels fall to a more tolerable (for Spotify) level — even if recording artists continue to demonstrate that they’re being starved of an income by the piddling royalties paid out on a per-stream basis.

Instagram's TikTok-like test feed is underwhelming, and a lot of people hate it. But it’s not going anywhere. Social network head Adam Mosseri posted a Twitter clip acknowledging the video-focused trial feed is "not yet good." He also said Instagram would invariably become more video-centric over time, as that was the content being shared on the network.

Mosseri also defended the rise of recommended posts in users' feeds. He said they were the "most effective and important" way for creators to grow their audiences. Users can pause all recommendations for a month, but is that a priority for creators, or the audience? It’s a bit of a chicken-or-egg situation.

— Mat Smith

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Russia says it will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024

The country will focus on building its own space outpost.

The head of Russia's space program says the country will withdraw from the International Space Station after 2024. It will instead focus on building its own space station as a successor to Mir. Russia, and its cosmonauts will remain on the ISS for at least the next two and a half years to fulfill obligations to partners. Earlier this month, NASA and Roscosmos signed an agreement to swap seats on flights to the ISS starting in September.

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Logitech's new Aurora gaming accessories are 'inclusive' but expensive

They offer new colors, designs for smaller hands and pricey accessories.

Logitech

Logitech’s Aurora Collection is a line of "gender-inclusive" gaming accessories: a mouse, keyboard and headset. The devices are built around "comfort, approachability and playfulness," based on "feedback from women gamers across the community," the company said. There are some interesting features but at relatively high prices, indicative of a pink tax for products designed for women.

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Seville is naming heat waves like hurricanes, thanks to climate change

Zoe arrived this week.

The city of Seville is trying something new to raise awareness of climate change. With oppressive heat waves becoming a fact of life in Europe and other parts of the world, the Spanish metropolis has begun naming them. The first one, Zoe, arrived this week, bringing with it expected daytime highs above 109 degrees Fahrenheit (or 43 degrees Celsius). It’s a system akin to ones organizations like the US National Hurricane Center have used for decades to raise awareness of impending tropical storms, tornadoes and hurricanes. The idea is that people are more likely to take a threat seriously and act accordingly when it's given a name.

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This is what Saudi Arabia's 100-mile long emission-free smart city could look like

The Line is part of Saudi's controversial Neom mega-city project.

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi government has released image renders of what The Line could look like. The linear city was designed to only be 200 meters (656 feet) wide, but 500 meters (1,640 feet) tall and 170 kilometers (105 miles) long. It will house multiple communities encased in a glass facade running along the coast and will eventually accommodate up to nine million residents. The plans feature no roads or cars, and the city would run purely on renewable energy. The Line is part of Saudi's $500 billion Neom mega-city project, beset with controversy from the time it started. Around 20,000 people will be forced to relocate by its construction.

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If you're one of the few people in the US who've yet to get an Instant Pot — or if you want another model to add to the one(s) you already have — this is your chance to grab one at a discount. Amazon is holding a one-day sale for the brand's products, including the 5.7-quart Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer, which is currently listed on the website for 52 percent off. At $67, that's the lowest price we've seen on Amazon for the air fryer-oven combo that has an original retail price of $140. While Instant Pot Vortex is an air fryer, it also has one-touch controls for baking, roasting and reheating. You can also create customized programs for specific types of food, so you can cook wings, potatoes or even cinnamon buns with a single touch.

Instant Pot's 8-quart 9-in-1 Duo Plus model is also on sale, if you what you need is the brand's classic pressure cooker. It has dropped back to an all-time low of $80, or $70 less than its retail price. The Duo Plus has nine functions in one device and could act as a rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan, food warmer, sous vide and sterilizer, in addition to being a pressure cooker. It has 15 customizable programs to make cooking ribs, cake, soup, among other types of food a lot easier, as well. 

But if you're looking to get an air fryer and a pressure cooker on a limited budget, you can get the Instant Pot Duo Crisp instead. It has nine functionalities that include air frying and pressure cooking — plus, it lets you easily switch between lids especially designed for each function. The Duo Crisp is currently on sale for $100, which $50 off its retail price. You'll find a few more models to choose from on the deals homepage. Some of them aren't selling for their all-time low prices at the moment, but Instant Pots are always a great pick-up on a deal.

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A federal court has ruled that Uber does not need to provide wheelchair-accessible service in every US market, ABC News has reported. The company's decision to provide such a service only in certain cities was not in violation of federal law and would be overly burdensome, said Chief Judge Richard Seeborg of the federal San Francisco Court. 

Two users of motorized wheelchairs in New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi sued Uber over the lack of accessible services in those cities. Since Uber couldn't accommodate non-foldable wheelchairs, they claimed that it was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that prohibits businesses from discriminating against people based on their disabilities. They further argued that Uber has a "deep-rooted accessibility problem," treating it as an "afterthought." The trial for the case lasted nearly five years. 

Uber said in its defense that it would be too expensive to offer wheelchair service in every city if it needed to contract with providers of wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Judge Seeborg agreed, saying that the plaintiffs gave "scant evidence" that Uber could do so cost-effectively and that wait times would still be "significant" if it did. "The anticipated cost here is too high for the limited service that would result, making the proposed modification unreasonable," he said. 

The judge did reject Uber's argument that it didn't need to provide wheelchair-accessible services everywhere because it has done so in some cities, noting that the ADA looks at each modification for reasonableness.

Uber does accommodate wheelchair users in other cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston. New Orleans considered mandating the service, but Uber lobbied against those efforts, according to the court records. "We welcome the outcome and are proud of our efforts to improve accessibility for all users, including through Uber WAV,” said an Uber spokesperson in a statement.

Noting that the decision arrived on the eve of the anniversary of the ADA's passage into law, lead plaintiff Scott Crawford decried the ruling. "Uber made no sincere attempt to provide accessible service, but instead claimed it was too burdensome," he said. "This could have been economically resolved years ago.'

It's rough seas for crytpocurrency exchanges these days and the latest to be buffeted is one of the world's largest, Kraken. It's reportedly under investigation by the US Treasury Department over possible sanctions violations for letting users in Iran and elsewhere trade digital tokens, according to The New York Times. 

Kraken is a private exchange valued at $11 billion co-founded by chief executive Jesse Powell in 2011. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has been investigating the company since 2019 and may impose a fine, according to the NYT's sources. It would be the largest crypto company to face enforcement action related to US sanctions imposed in 1979 prohibiting the export of goods or services to Iran.

Sanctions issues at Kraken first came up in November 2019 when an employee sued the company for doing business with prohibited countries. That suit was settled, but the OFAC began investigating the company the same year over accounts in Iran, along with other sanctioned countries including Syria and Cuba.

Powell allegedly posted a spreadsheet to a company Slack channel showing that Kraken had 1,522 accounts in Iran, 149 in Syria and 83 in Cuba as of last month, according to the NYT. The data supposedly came from residence information on "verified accounts." 

Kraken declined to comment to the NYT, but said that it "closely monitors compliance with sanctions laws and, as a general matter, reports to regulators even potential issues." A Treasury spokesperson said the agency was committed to enforcing "sanctions that protect US national security," but also gave no further details. 

OFAC has previously fined other cryptocurrency exchanges over similar sanctions violations. BitGo was hit with a $98,000 fine in 2020 over 183 violations, and BitPay face a $500,000-plus fine last year for 2,102 violations.

Cryptocurrency exchanges are facing more than the usual scrutiny these days. Last year, the world's largest crytpo exchange Binance faced a US money laundering probe for being a major destination of illicit cryptocurrency. Crypto lender Celcius is under investigation by multiple states after it froze transactions, and the Winklevoss twins' crytpo exchange Gemini is facing lawsuits over a $36 million crypto theft. 

Google's 3D "immersive view" isn't completely ready, but you can get a glimpse of it starting today. The company is rolling out updates to Google Maps for Android and iOS that introduce aerial views of close to 100 famous landmarks, including Alcatraz in San Francisco, Big Ben in London and the Empire State Building in New York City. The feature melds AI with billions of images (including satellite and Street View shots) to create realistic 3D views. Google pitches this as a preview tool for tourists, but it's also a handy way to satisfy your curiosity without booking a flight.

Aerial views are accessible to users worldwide. If one is available, you just have to find a landmark in Google Maps and visit the Photos section.

There's also a pair of more conventional but very practical upgrades. Google is upgrading Maps' cycling navigation with more detailed routing info, including heavy car traffic, stairs, steep hills and road types (such as a major thoroughfare versus a side street). You'll also have an easier time comparing routes. The biking upgrades will reach "hundreds" of cities in the weeks ahead.

On top of this, there are new location sharing notifications that let you know when a friend arrives at (or leaves) a given place. This could help you find out when fellow concert-goers have reached the venue, for instance. The notifications only kick in for people who've already agreed to share their locations, and Google promises app and email notifications to ensure people don't leave sharing enabled any longer than necessary.