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Showing posts from April, 2020

Worldwide smartphone sales showed 'biggest decline ever' in Q1 2020

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Analysts estimated the Q1 drop in smartphone sales was between 11 and 17 percent -- the worst they've ever seen. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2KPjK7o

Walmart's two-hour Express Delivery is coming to thousands of stores

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Walmart has introduced a faster delivery service called Express Delivery, which can get your orders to your door in less than two hours. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2y7luGx

Apple releases new software to unlock iPhone without face ID, while wearing coronavirus mask

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Apple releases new software to unlock iPhone without face ID, while wearing coronavirus mask Apple released a new version of software for iPhones that will enable users to unlock their phones without Face ID and while wearing a mask. 

Netflix removes a 'Designated Survivor' episode in Turkey

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Censors objected to its depiction of a fictional US-Turkey conflict. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3aQh9oo

Amazon details the war mechanics of its 'New World' MMO

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Amazon’s New World MMO will apparently have an intricately detailed war system, based on the company’s latest post about the game. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3f77NIa

Epic cancels 2020 Fortnite World Cup

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Epic has axed plans for a Fortnite World Cup in 2020 due to COVID-19 -- it won't even be online. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2Wj5uce

Amazon Sells More, but Warns of Much Higher Costs Ahead

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By BY KAREN WEISE from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/2xrY3Hw

New tools to help IT empower employees securely in a remote work world

The post New tools to help IT empower employees securely in a remote work world appeared first on Stories . from Stories https://ift.tt/2WbM8Wx

How Xbox Game Pass is helping friends stay connected

The post How Xbox Game Pass is helping friends stay connected appeared first on Stories . from Stories https://ift.tt/3aPsapX

HTC's Vive Sync beta offers businesses free access to VR meetings

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HTC’s Vive Sync collaboration platform is now in open beta, giving businesses a way to hold meetings in VR at a time when people are meeting online more than ever. The company even made the app free to use for businesses of all sizes throughout the beta period this year to help keep them running in the midst of a global pandemic. HTC announced Vive Sync way back in 2018, promising a “VR collaboration tool where internal teams can meet in a virtual shared space.” from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3f1j0Ke

Xbox Game Pass clears 10 million subscribers

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An equivalent offer for PG gamers -- appropriately called Xbox Game Pass for PC -- was released in open beta two years later. PlayStation Now, for comparison, hit 1 million subscribers last October. PlayStation Now leans heavily on video game streaming, for instance. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2ygmuYP

Twitter sees record user growth, thanks to COVID-19

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Twitter's growth has increased thanks to COVID-19, but it lost money in the process. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2zEtbEg

The Morning After: Facebook.com is about to show off a new look

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Engadget's daily tech news bulletin. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2VNZ9GI

Twitter Q1: sales up 3% to $808M as it swigs to a loss on COVID-19, mDAUS hit record 166M

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Despite traffic for many online properties being at an all-time high, advertising has fallen off a cliff because of the downturn in consumer activity outside the home and the wider economic pressures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The ad-based social networking and media company said that in Q1 it made $808 million in revenues, actually up 3% on a year ago, with monetizable daily active users (Twitter's own metric for measuring its audience) grew 24% to 166 million, an all-time high, adding 14 million average mDAUs since Q4 (152 million) and 32 million since Q1 of last year (134 million). Analysts had expected, on average, to see $775.96 million in revenues on earnings per share of $0.10, so Twitter beat on sales, and missed on earnings. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2zEqi6o

Google gives $2.3M to 18 news organizations in Asia Pacific

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Google announced today it is providing $2.3 million in funding to 18 news organizations in the Asia Pacific region, the latest in its ongoing effort to support publishers globally. News organizations from 11 nations, including Australia, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan are receiving the grant as part of Thursday’s announcement, the company said, which began accepting applications for the new innovation challenge fund in the region late last year. The search giant said more than 250 organizations had applied for the funding. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2y1PuU9

B2B challenger bank Finom raises $7M Seed from Target Global and General Catalyst

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Just as challenger banks have appeared in the B2C space, so to have B2B startup banks aimed small businesses, among them startups like Qonto (Fr), Tide (UK), Penta (GER) and CountingUp (UK). Today another such firm, Finom, has closed a €6.5m ($7M) seed funding round led by Target Global, with participation from General Catalyst. Further investors include FJ Labs, Raisin founders Tamaz Georgadze, Frank Freund and Michael Stephan, and Ilya Kondrashov, the founder of MarketFinance. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3aOFvPd

'Luigi's Mansion 3' adds more multiplayer minigames with new DLC

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Need a break from Animal Crossing? Nintendo just added more content for 'Luigi's Mansion 3' multiplayer modes. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3cWg0Ne

Trump’s Disinfectant Talk Trips Up Sites’ Vows Against Misinformation

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By BY SHEERA FRENKEL AND DAVEY ALBA from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/2KIszzX

Which browser is best? Comparing Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Tor

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Which browser is best? Comparing Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Tor Your browser can go a long way in keeping you safe. It’s also vital to stay informed on the latest hacks and scams so you know what to avoid. Tap or click to see fake delivery notices from FedEx, UPS and DLH that are spreading right now.

Raspberry Pi's improved camera module supports interchangeable lenses

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Raspberry Pi has launched a new high-quality, interchangeable lens camera for budding photographers or folks who want to learn how integrate a camera into their build projects from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2KYrhRz

African fintech firm Flutterwave launches SME e-commerce portal

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San Francisco and Lagos-based fintech startup Flutterwave has launched Flutterwave Store, a portal for African merchants to create digital shops to sell online. The product is less Amazon and more eBay — with no inventory or warehouse requirements. Flutterwave insists the move doesn't represent any shift away from its core payments business. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2yf1CB3

Microsoft Office for iPad tests multi-window support

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Microsoft will soon make it easier to juggle multiple Word documents and PowerPoint presentations for iOS users. The tech giant has given Office Insiders the ability to open multiple Word and PowerPoint windows side-by-side on an iPad. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3aOyJcq

Extreme E races will have male and female driver changeovers

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“We are striving for equality, and this sporting format is the truest reflection of that goal,” Alejandro Agag, the CEO and founder of Extreme E said. A spokesperson for Extreme E said that each course will "essentially" be a large loop. Extreme E was officially unveiled in January 2019 by Agag and former professional racing driver Gil de Ferran. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2VPQbsQ

Balmuda's $329 steam-based toaster finally arrives in the US

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Balmuda has brought its legendary steam-based toaster to the US for the first time. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3bRuPRl

British Museum makes over half of its collection viewable online

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The British Museum is helping history buffs during the pandemic by making over half its collection, and 1.9 million images, available online. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2VMysSY

Uber AI plays any Atari 2600 game with 'superhuman' skill

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A new approach has led to AI that can play many Atari 2600 games better than any human. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3eYbY9b

Musk Calls Orders to Stay Home ‘Fascist’ During Tesla Earnings Call

Tesla  CEO Elon Musk lashed out at government stay at home orders as “fascist” in an expletive-laced rant on Tesla’s  Q1 2020 earnings call . While answering analysts’ questions about liquidity amid the  coronavirus  pandemic, Musk called shelter-in-place orders “forcibly imprisoning people in their homes against all their constitutional rights.” Musk said he was concerned about not being able to resume operations at the company’s factory in Fremont, California, saying that possibility should be considered “a serious risk” given Tesla produces most of its cars there in addition to its Shanghai-based plant. Tesla had  initially said the factory it would remain open  despite shelter-in -lace orders until the  county where it’s located said it could not be considered an essential business . Six counties, including Alameda, where Tesla’s factory is located, recently extended their shelter-in-place orders  through the end of May .  Musk had spo...

New Minecraft Earth features out now

The post New Minecraft Earth features out now appeared first on Stories . from Stories https://ift.tt/2xe00qK

New Minecraft Earth features out now

The post New Minecraft Earth features out now appeared first on Stories . from Stories https://ift.tt/2xe00qK

Tesla's 'full self-driving' feature is coming in subscription form

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During its Q1 2020 earnings on Wednesday, Tesla revealed that the "Full Self-Driving" system will be available as a monthly subscription later this year. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/35iz85E

‘Minecraft Earth’ adds seasonal challenges for its AR builders

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Minecraft Earth, Microsoft’s blocky answer to Pokémon Go, continues to evolve despite still being in Early Access mode. The latest update adds three important new features to challenge players and make it easier to keep track of past feats. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2xYLKTn

NASA will test a new spacecraft solar sail using a NanoAvionics satellite

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NASA is going to test a new solar sail system to determine if it's a viable alternative to propellant-based thrusters for maneuvering small satellites, and potentially for low-cost transportation of spacecraft set on deep-space missions. The agency has selected Illinois-based NanoAvionics to provide the spacecraft that will be used to test the solar sail system, the company announced today. The mission, called NASA's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System or ACS3, is headed by NASA's Ames Research System, and will see a small satellite deployed to low Earth orbit equipped with a solar sail that unfurls to cover around 800 square feet – the size of a pretty large one bedroom apartment. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3aMoh4Y

Cooper FX's multi-effect guitar pedal uses tiny cartridges

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Get 32 different effects from just four cartridges. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/35e47zT

Parents’ boozy balancing act is nothing to ‘wine’ about

This couple really leaned into TikTok’s Wine Glass Challenge. Watch as Bridgette Miller in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, holds a wine glass in her mouth, leans back against her husband and pours the contents into his mouth. The duo pulled off the stunt without spilling a drop of vino. “My husband, Joe, and I have been... from Technology News & Reviews | New York Post https://ift.tt/3bNijCr

The Morning After: How to buy a monitor

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Engadget's daily tech news bulletin. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/35hwux1

Fairphone 3 can now be bought with a ‘de-googled’ OS

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Do you want an ethical smartphone that blocks Google's services? Fairphone seems to think so. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3bNj5iP

What is UV disinfection and how does it work?

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What is UV disinfection and how does it work? Xenex Disinfection Services CEO Morris Miller on using UV light to destroy coronavirus on N95 masks.

Spotify Q1 beats on sales of $2B with monthly active users up 31% to 286M

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The coronavirus may be decimating some corners of the economy, but the impact on the digital music, as evidenced by the world's biggest music streaming company, appears to be minimal. Today Spotify reported its earnings for Q1 with revenues of €1.848 billion ($2 billion at today's rates) and an inching into a positive net income of $1 million. Ad-supported are growing at a slightly higher rate at the moment, at 32% versus 31%, Spotify said. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3bPgxkb

Spotify users are flocking to ‘chill’ playlists during COVID-19

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Nobody's accessing Spotify through their cars and watches now, but game consoles. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3aMIfg3

Deliveroo cuts ~15% of staff as coronavirus challenges food delivery

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Is it feast or famine for food delivery startups during the coronavirus pandemic? The UK's Deliveroo has confirmed it's axing more than 350 staff -- or around 15% of its global headcount. A Deliveroo spokesman blamed the cuts on the coronavirus crisis, saying the public health emergency has put pressure on the business to reduce long-term costs. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3cT72QQ

Google Meet will soon be free for anyone with a Gmail account

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You’ll soon be able to access Google Meet for free even if you’re not a G Suite customer: Starting in early May, you’ll be able to sign up for Meet as long as you have a Gmail account. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2KHvdFQ

Dice is moving on from ‘Battlefield V’ and ‘Battlefront II’

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A new Battlefield game will arrive next year from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2W7UJtj

Create Your Own Digital Comics Whether You Can Draw or Not

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By BY J. D. BIERSDORFER from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/3aQCeim

Apple will pay $18 million to settle broken FaceTime suit

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Apple has agreed to pay $18 million to settle a case accusing the company of intentionally breaking FaceTime on iOS 6. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2W2ZN28

Universal's plans for more 'premium VOD' push AMC to drop its movies

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'Trolls World Tour' skipped a theatrical release earlier this month, and now NBCUniversal is planning to use the premium VOD strategy for future movies -- even after theaters are open again. AMC isn't happy about that. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3cYl3ga

Samsung expects COVID-19 to hurt smartphone and TV sales, but increase demand for memory

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In its first-quarter earnings report today, Samsung said it expects the COVID-19 pandemic to continue impacting its business for the rest of the year, cutting into sales for smartphones and TVs, but increasing demand for PCs, servers and memory chips as people continue to work or study from home. Samsung’s results for the first-quarter of 2020 was in line with the guidance it released earlier this month. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 3 million confirmed cases around the world and more than 217,000 deaths, and resulted in shelter-in-place orders in countries around the world and a global recession. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2xmLJIA

Google is killing its experimental social network Shoelace

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Google’s experimental Area 120 unit launched Shoelace in mid-2019 as a way to help people get together in real life. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2SiO8ey

Can API vendors solve healthcare's data woes?

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A functioning healthcare system depends on caregivers having the right data at the right time to make the right decision about what course of treatment a patient needs. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 epidemic and the acceleration of the consumer adoption of telemedicine, along with the fragmentation of care to a number of different low-cost providers, access to a patient's medical records to get an accurate picture of their health becomes even more important. Opening access to developers also could unlock new, integrated services that could give consumers a better window into their own health and consumer product companies opportunities to develop new tools to improve health. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2W5i8eU

Thuan Pham, who fled Vietnam as a child and became Uber's CTO in 2013, is leaving the company

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Thuan Pham, hired as Uber’s chief technology officer by former CEO Travis Kalanick back in 2013, is leaving the company in three weeks, the ride-share giant revealed today in an SEC filing that came out as a piece in The Information reported that massive layoffs at Uber are being proposed to preserve some of the company's dwindling capital reserves. The outlet suggests the discussed cuts could impact upwards of 20 percent of Uber's 27,000 employees, roughly 800 of whom could theoretically come from Pham's engineering team, which currently comprises 3,800 people. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/35c1izg

Amazon to end unlimited unpaid time off policy for warehouse workers

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Amazon to end unlimited unpaid time off policy for warehouse workers Amazon is rolling back its "unlimited time off" policy starting Friday, and employees who don't return to work due to the fear of contracting coronavirus will have to apply for a leave of absence. 

Dave Rubin on Big Tech censorship: We are entering a dystopian, authoritarian future

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Dave Rubin on Big Tech censorship: We are entering a dystopian, authoritarian future With Americans trapped at home, Big Tech has got us more than ever, says Dave Rubin, author of 'Don't Burn This Book.

The reigning Overwatch League MVP is switching to 'Valorant'

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Jay 'Sinatraa' Won was the top Overwatch League player last season, but now he's leaving the game and switching to 'Valorant.' from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2YasfBU

Lincoln cancels its Rivian-based EV due to COVID-19

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Lincoln has cancelled its Rivian-based EV due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although it still plans an electric vehicle in the future. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2y85xj9

Todoist's latest feature helps you better organize upcoming tasks

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Upcoming View will be easily accessible in the left navigation right under Today and simply labeled “Upcoming.” from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/3f2gtPR

UK's coronavirus contacts tracing app could ask users to share location data

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More details have emerged about a coronavirus contacts tracing app being developed by UK authorities. NHSX CEO, Matthew Gould, said today that future versions of the app could ask users to share location data to help authorities learn more about how the virus propagates. Gould, who heads up the digital transformation unit of the UK's National Health Service, was giving evidence to the UK parliament's Science & Technology Committee today. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2YcsM6d

A16Z-backed Tomorrow Health launches with $7.5M seed round to improve in-home healthcare

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New startup Tomorrow Health emerged from stealth today, led by former Oscar Health executive Vijay Kedar and Casper co-founder Gabriel Flateman, with a $7.5 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The goal of the new company is to address a particular aspect of home healthcare – access to the often confusing and frequently difficult to navigate world of in-home healthcare resources including equipment and supplies. Tomorrow Health aims to take the complication out of the process of securing products instrumental in caring for patients at home, including gear like orthotic supports, mobility equipment like walkers and wheelchairs, CPAP machines and other respiratory hardware, and much more. from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2YeJJNm