Sci-tech / 23

European Union proposes ‘right to repair’ legislation to curb e-waste

March 14, 2020

By extending the lifespan of products, via measures which target design and production to encourage fix, reuse and recycling, the policy push aims to reduce resource use and shrink the environmental impact of buying and selling stuff. Meanwhile, the final version of the strategy seems to be watered-down, as the commission was initially considering introducing targets for the EU's "material footprint" - that is, the total amount of raw materials the European Union economy consumes in products ...

Apple Reopens All China Stores As Coronavirus Cases Drop In Country

March 13, 2020

Apple retail stores in China saw a full lockdown for a period of time but gradually reopened, with all 42 now fully operational. People wearing protective masks wait for checking their temperature in an Apple Store, in Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus , February 21, 2020.

Coronavirus hits Google employee, who tests positive in Bengaluru

March 13, 2020

In a statement to Moneycontrol, Google said, "We can confirm that an employee from our Bangalore office has been diagnosed with COVID-19". Previously in Bengaluru , one Dell employee who had returned from Austin, Texas via Dubai, his wife and daughter were the first three positive cases in the city.

Logitech's 3-in-1 wireless charger succeeds where Apple AirPower failed

March 13, 2020

There are three models from which to choose - the "POWERED Wireless Charging Pad" which holds your phone flat, the "POWERED Wireless Charging Stand" which holds it vertically, and the "POWERED Wireless Charging 3-in-1 Dock" which holds your phone upright while also charging an Apple Watch and AirPods (or second phone).

Nubia launches the Red Magic 5G in China

March 13, 2020

Nubia's most recent gaming smartphone, the Red Magic 5G is no exception, it packs top-tier specs and costs as low as $540. A 4,500mAh battery is also included, and it supports 55W wired charging . Good thermals are essential for a gaming phone. And the firm has also implemented a fan and liquid cooling of sorts for sustained performance. Nubia says the high refresh rate experience is not limited to just gaming phones but also tens of other apps including browsers, chat apps, and ...

Fake 'Coronavirus Maps' Are Infecting PCs With Malware To Steal Passwords

March 13, 2020

Using a malware called AZORult , hackers have been attacking users who are interested in maps that show the spread of COVID-19. A PC application ( Corona-virus-Map.com.exe ) disguised as a Coronavirus map has been found to be spreading malware .

NCAA cancels March Madness, other championships

March 13, 2020

Hours after the National Basketball Association was forced to suspend their season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus, the NCAA chose to make the decision to cancel March Madness. The Gophers women were scheduled to play host to Ohio State in an NCAA quarterfinal on Saturday. "The Big Ten Conference will use this time to work with the appropriate medical experts and institutional leadership to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Major League Baseball to delay opening day by at least 2 weeks

March 13, 2020

Major League Baseball announced Thursday that spring training has been canceled and that the opening of the 2020 MLB season will be delayed at least two weeks. The health and safety of Minor League Baseball fans, players and executives is our top priority, and our thoughts are with those around the world who have been affected by this outbreak ".

Dark Theme on Google Play is now available on every Android device

March 13, 2020

Going forward, even without those two versions of Android, you should be able to open Google Play, swipe out the side menu , jump into Settings , and see a theme picker. Hence, if a manufacturer releases an Android smartphone, it can not then release an Amazon Fire OS-powered TV. The policies reportedly fall under the Android Compatibility Commitment that reportedly enables Google to prevent Android OEMs from using third-party platforms on their TVs and other IoT devices.

Pelosi to bring coronavirus bill to House floor Thursday

March 13, 2020

Republican Senator Mike Rounds said the health officials were having trouble giving them details on how many test kits were needed and "there was lots of frustration that we were not getting the numbers we were hoping to get". "I am glad talks are ongoing between the administration and Speaker Pelosi", McConnell said. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the initiative "unworkable".

20 popular VPN, ad-blocking apps caught spying on users

March 13, 2020

A few popular names include Free and Unlimited VPN , Luna VPN, Mobile Data, and Adblock Focus. For the moment, Apple and Google are investigating the issue, and while Adblock Focus has been removed from Apple's store, LunaVPN is still available for download on both platforms.

Introducing Amazon Braket, a service for exploring and evaluating quantum computing

March 13, 2020

In addition to Studio, AWS also today announced a number of other updates to SageMaker that are integrated into Studio. These applications require latencies that are 5-10 times lower to deliver business impact. Starting with Verizon's 5G network locations in the USA, customers will be able to deploy the latency-sensitive portions of an application at the edge to provide single-digit millisecond latency to mobile and connected devices.

McConnell Trashes Dems' Coronavirus Bill Calling For Paid Sick Leave, Free Testing

March 13, 2020

Senate leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, both Republicans, voiced opposition to the measure as Mnuchin engaged in talks with Pelosi. Yet House Republicans called for delaying the decision, describing the legislation as written in a rush and lacking Republican ideas. "I think I can say with some confidence, whatever the House does, it's not going anywhere in the Senate", said Representative Tom Cole, the top Republican on the committee, which must clear the ...

School district near Sioux Falls shut down after parent diagnosed with coronavirus

March 13, 2020

The district made the announcement on Twitter on Wednesday, saying that the closure will take effect on Thursday. The three campuses are due to reopen on Thursday, March 19. If students need to pick up any personal items, schools will be open during regular hours on March 13. "The decision to close the district was extremely hard", the district wrote in a message crafted by its public affairs department.

House Democrats to hold vote on coronavirus package

March 13, 2020

The question now is whether Democrats and the Trump administration can reach a deal that paves the way for Congress to send the President a new legislative package to sign to respond to the spread of coronavirus and how quickly that could happen.

Major tech firms meet with White House to discuss coronavirus response

March 12, 2020

Companies that took part in the meeting include Amazon, Apple, Cisco Systems, Facebook, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Twitter. Fox Business first reported the meeting on Wednesday White House officials are meeting members from the airline, financial and healthcare industries to discuss ways to contain the impact from the spread of the virus.

OnePlus to Unveil 5G Product Lineup During Upcoming Launch Event

March 12, 2020

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau had actually hinted in 2015 that the OnePlus 8 series can be an all-5G schedule, and also now he has actually verified that the OnePlus 8 series phones will certainly all be 5G-ready. Months after showcasing the 120Hz display technology that will be used on future devices, OnePlus CEO and co-founder Pete Lau has sat down with CNET to discuss the highly anticipated OnePlus 8 series.

The new series from 'Bob's Burgers' creator, 'Central Park', gets a trailer

March 12, 2020

And they do it all in song. The new series will premiere globally on Apple TV+. " Central Park " will follow the lives of various NY residents as they go about their day-to-day adventures, with Bitsy Brandenham and her chest-strapped doggie set to throw a major spanner in the works.

Redmi Note 9 series launched in India: Specs, price, sale

March 12, 2020

The smartphone comes with a punch-hole placed on top center and a quad-camera setup in a square module. The frame is also a matching colour and is made of polycarbonate. As for the insides, Xiaomi says that the new Snapdragon 720G processor runs cool and is a big step up from the 600-series Snapdragon SoCs usually seen at this price level.

Vivo NEX 3s is Official with 99.6% StB and UFS 3.1 Memory

March 12, 2020

The device's top and bottom bezels are proportional, and the phone also included a pop-up selfie camera. Vivo has launched the V19 in Indonesia, and the smartphone shares a similar spec-sheet and design as the V17, which was launched in India in December 2019.

Saudi Arabia announces plan to increase oil production

March 12, 2020

The surprise move is likely to mean a further drop in demand for jet and other fuels in an already battered oil market, although just how much is hard to quantify. Meanwhile, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday discussions are continuing with OPEC and that Moscow will send a representative to the organization's Joint Technical Committee (JTC) meeting in Vienna on March 18.

Samsung Galaxy M21 design, key features revealed on Amazon India

March 12, 2020

After launching the Galaxy M31 ( our first impressions ) last month, Samsung could soon launch the Galaxy M11 and the Galaxy M21. The Amazon India has revealed that the upcoming Samsung phone will sport a 48-megapixel primary sensor. On the camera front, the handset will boast of a 48MP triple camera on the rear side and a 20MP selfie camera at the front. It comes with an Infinity-U Super AMOLED display.

No plans to close schools over coronavirus concerns - Department of Education

March 12, 2020

As schools shutter across NY and New Jersey, districts are preparing plans to feed the hundreds of thousands of children who rely on free meals at schools. "The notion of having everybody come to a central location would be, you know, perhaps problematic". Local districts have planned home instruction and those plans include access to nutrition programs, a state Education Department spokesman said.

Horizon Zero Dawn PC Version Will Arrive in Summer 2020

March 12, 2020

Announced by Hermen Hulst, the Head of PlayStation Worldwide Studios and ex-Managing Director of Guerilla Games stated in an interview on the PlayStation blog that "I can confirm that Horizon Zero Dawn is coming to PC this summer...." Aware of how the Horizon Zero Dawn PC announcement might be received by some sections of the PlayStation community, Hulst assured fans that it won't necessarily bring all of its titles to the platorm.

Microsoft Releases the March 2020 Security Updates for Office

March 12, 2020

There are three Remote Code Execution, or RCE, flaws that are resolved this month. "When the user opens this drive (or remote share) in Windows Explorer or any other application that parses the.LNK file, the malicious binary will execute code of the attacker's choice on the target system".

Google's Next-Gen Chromecast Ultra Will Be Powered by Android TV

March 12, 2020

That said, the device's reliance on your smartphone as a second screen always added a layer of complication to the whole endeavour. Thanks go a new report, were learning that Google might finally change up the way we use the Chromecast .

Huawei P40 launch event moved to online event

March 11, 2020

However, concerning the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus, it seems like the company has resorted to an online-only event. That is the most powerful chip that Huawei has to offer at the moment. Do note that Google services will not be a part of the package, though, due to the U.S. ban. The company's AppGallery is in a bit of a state at the moment, but Huawei has some 3,000 engineers working on HMS Core and is even planning to open up offices in London to be closer to Western app developers.

Asus started rolling out Android 10 OS for ROG Phone 2 smartphone

March 11, 2020

Despite this bad mix-up, Asus ROG Phone II will eventually be updated to Android 10, we're just not sure when, and it looks like Asus isn't sure either. ASUS is expected to upload the entire update file to its site. We'll update you once it goes live along with the changelog. Some of the new features and enhancements that Android 10 brings include a new Dark theme, gesture navigation and improved privacy features.

Saudi Arabia makes oil price drop to $ 31 per barrel

March 11, 2020

For at least the last five years, USA shale producers have been the market's marginal suppliers, providing a medium term anchor. In Iran , where the outbreak is among the deadliest outside of China, authorities say the virus has killed more than 290 people and infected over 8,000.

It Sounds Like E3 2020 Is Going To Be Cancelled

March 11, 2020

However, it appears that this won't happen this year as ESA will most likely cancel the event. Speculation ran rampant on Tuesday night, as esteemed members of the gaming press pointed to E3's potential demise being imminent. Over on Twitter, the likes of publisher Devolver Digital , Kotaku news editor Jason Schreier , and the ever-reliable Wario64 are all suggesting that it's done.

Samsung Galaxy M21 launch likely on March 16, specifications tipped

March 11, 2020

Aside from giving us a glimpse of the phone's design, Samsung has also revealed some of the Galaxy M21's key specifications, such as the presence of a huge 6,000mAh battery, triple rear cameras, and a Super AMOLED display among others. Spotted by TechieJerry , the Google Play Console listing includes a render of the phone (shown above), as well as the phone's specs. Previously, the companion app - which is necessary to setup and use WearOS smartwatches like the Fossil Sport or the ...

Plunging oil prices amid coronavirus fears slam Wall Street, TSX

March 11, 2020

The S&P 500 has fallen 18% from its record high hit as recently as three weeks ago, and stands only about 3% away from moving into bear market territory, in one of the most dramatic swings ever. The April crude contract was up US$2.53 at US$33.66 per barrel and the April natural gas contract was up 11.2 cents at US$1.890 per mmBTU. Saudi Arabia has the lowest production costs in the world.

Stocks rebound from major losses on hope for U.S. economic aid

March 11, 2020

The market slide came as Italy, the hardest-hit place in Europe, began enforcing a lockdown against 16 million people in the north, or one-quarter of the country's population, with masked police officers and soldiers checking travelers' documents amid restrictions that affected such daily activities as enjoying a espresso at a cafe or running to the grocery store.

Tim Cook encouraging remote work at Apple global offices due to coronavirus

March 10, 2020

Apple is reacting to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States by offering employees, including retailers and hourly workers, unlimited sick leave for symptoms associated with a COVID-19 infection. Apart from China, over 3,400 people have died of the deadly disease and over 101,000 have been infected from the virus globally. Apple last week asked its employees to work from home.

Apple may expand mouse support with iPadOS 14

March 10, 2020

According to the report based on code in the iOS 14 build, this will add system-wide support for the mouse included in the standard operating system as opposed to the now limited support, which must be triggered in the Accessibility settings.

Google Pixel 4a hands-on video details design and specs of unreleased phone

March 10, 2020

On the back, the Pixel 3a has the same squircle camera bump as the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL but it houses a single camera and the LED flash. That's something we'd first heard about a month ago . The video dives into the varied nooks and crannies of the Android 10 software program, and a benchmark app reveals the Snapdragon 730 processor (which matches what XDA-Developers reported final month) and 6GB of RAM, which is a whopping rely for an low-priced telephone.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro specs leaked online

March 10, 2020

Additionally, the Redmi Note 9 Pro will feature an LCD panel. According to the data shared by the aforementioned leaker, the Redmi Note 9 Pro would arrive with a large 6.67-inch screen with Full HD + resolution and LCD technology, covered by a Gorilla Glass 5.

IPhone: Apple's travel restrictions may delay the launch of iPhone 12

March 10, 2020

But UBS equities analyst Timothy Arcuri said in an investor brief today that he now expects iPhone sales for the first three months of 2020 to be off by 2 million devices from the same quarter previous year. The drop, reported by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, is due to the closing of multiple factories across China. Overall, 6.34 million smartphones were shipped in China in February, a 54.7 percent drop from 14 million previous year.

Apple Watch might detect your blood oxygen levels

March 10, 2020

The news comes from 9To5Mac, who had a look at a snippet of the next-generation iOS's code. First and foremost, watchOS 7 could finally bring sleep tracking to the Apple Watch . A new feature reportedly called Schooltime will let parents limit what features and apps are available on a child's Apple Watch during specific hours.

Check out Spotify's brand new Home screen page

March 10, 2020

Now, the homepage has a devoted house on the high of the display screen in your most-played content material. Spotify is also working on improvements to the Now Playing screen, with added functionality, which is already rolling out to iOS and which is coming to Android soon.

Huawei Mate 30 Pro set to debut in Canada without Google apps

March 10, 2020

In the second year, Huawei will allow all app developers to keep 85 percent of revenue generated by their apps or games, and 90 percent for educational apps. Google itself takes years and years to be able to now. The company has invested in more than 3,000 engineers to develop apps for the HUAWEI AppGallery and invested US$1 billion in developer incentives.

Marnie the Dog, Famous Tongue-Out Pup, Dies at 18

March 10, 2020

She called Marnie "the ideal best friend and companion" and told Marnie's followers she's "grateful I was able to give this magical creature the fun and deeply loving life she wanted and deserved". Marnie was born in 2001 and was adopted from a shelter in CT in 2012. Marnie attracted 1.8 million Instagram followers and became a regular presence at celebrity photo opportunities, posing with A-listers like Neil Patrick Harris , Jimmy Kimmel , and Chance the Rapper .

Samsung Galaxy M21 smartphone might be launched in India on March 16

March 09, 2020

Others are functional and can give you a better experience with the Galaxy S20 . All three phones got tested. The S20+ got a score of 71, which is fairly close to the "Ultra". the iPhone's display getting shattered. The Galaxy S20+'s was barely usable, while the Galaxy S20 Ultra's display continued functioning, despite some hairline fractures and loose glass.

Apple launches free iPad Air fix program: Check if you're eligible

March 09, 2020

Apple didn't explain what causes the issue, but there's likely a manufacturing fault behind the LCD panel that disables functionality. The company will fix eligible devices free of charge. This service program also covers Malaysian customers and you can find your nearest authorised service centre here. That's good news because even if you're an early adopter who purchased the tablet in March then Apple's one-year warranty should cover you for a replacement unit.

Amazon could win challenge to $10 bn Pentagon contract: Judge

March 09, 2020

The judge's opinion - unsealed on Friday - said that Amazon "is likely to succeed on the merits of [this] argument". In an 18-page opinion, Judge Patricia E. Amazon, which had been seen as a front-runner to win the contract, filed a lawsuit in November just weeks after the contract was awarded to Microsoft.

Google Assistant For Android Can Read Online Content Aloud!

March 09, 2020

Announcing the new feature, the tech company said: "Think about how much you read on your phone every day: catching up on the news, scanning a new blog, finally reading the article that everyone is talking about". So after just under a year, the first celebrity voice on Google Assistant will be gone. If the text on the web pages are not in the user's native language, they may use Read It's translation menu to select the language they want.

Apple Launches iPad Air (2019) Service Program to Fix 'Blank Screen' Issue

March 09, 2020

The program covers affected iPad Air devices for 2 years after the first retail sale of the unit. Under particular conditions, the issue shows up when the impacted iPad Air (2019) might go empty completely. It's identified an issue where the device's display may go blank permanently, with or without a brief flicker or flash immediately before. The company says its new service program will apply to iPads that were manufactured between March 2019 and October 2019.

More Call of Duty: Modern Warfare leaks confirm battle royale Warzone details

March 09, 2020

While the video was made private, over 10,000 people were able to watch it before it was removed from the site entirely, with those who managed to catch it able to watch 11 minutes of gameplay recorded by the YouTuber when he attended Infinity Ward's studio to test the game.

Epic Games store exclusives will be available on GeForce Now

March 09, 2020

In a post on the Nvidia forums , community manager Cory Banks said that the National Basketball Association and Borderlands firm has asked for its games to be taken off the streaming platform. At this point, things are starting to look shaky indeed, with an increasing amount of disgruntled folks out there who simply can't play the games they want to enjoy on Nvidia's service any longer.

Pope Francis livestreams Sunday prayers amid Italy's coronavirus outbreak

March 09, 2020

The home to the catholic Pontiff and leader, Vatican has confirmed its first case of the coronavirus on Friday. Around 10,000 people gather in St Peter's Square for the two events with the Pope each week. The pope's weekly audience next Wednesday, an opportunity to see the pope in the flesh even closer on the square, will also take place in the same mode as this Sunday: the pope will read his homily live by video.