Tech Bites

The Indian government said today it plans to invest ₹8000 crores ($1.12 billion) in quantum computing research over five years. The country’s finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, said the scheme will boost the research for technology under the National Mission of Quantum Technology and Application project. India’s investment comes quite late as plenty of nations have already allotted grants for research in the area. In 2016, the European Commission announced €1-billion ($1.13 billion) funding for quantum computing projects. In 2018, US President Donald Trump signed a bill that promised investment of $1.2 billion in the area. Meanwhile, China has already committed over $2 billion… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2SltXfl

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday proposed a scheme for manufacturing cell phones, semi-conductors, and other electronic devices. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2GIVCkP

Google has claimed that its new chatbot, called Meena, can chat just about anything and is better than other similar conversational agents. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/36IfvTv

The European Organisation for Nuclear Research or CERN has decided to shun enterprise connectivity platform Workplace by Facebook, citing concerns around the management of user data by the social... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2Og2Z7o

For a moment, it looked Roku owners would be losing the highest-quality way to stream the Super Bowl for free, when the set-top box maker announced Thursday that it would abruptly pull Fox’s apps off the platform a day ahead of the game. But that won’t actually be happening. Late Friday, Roku and Fox announced that they’ve reached a new agreement that will ensure the Fox apps keep on working without pause — and they’ll be restored to the Roku app store this weekend ahead of the game, Roku tells The Verge . “We are delighted that we reached an agreement with FOX to distribute FOX channels on the Roku platform. Roku customers can stream the Super Bowl through FOX Now, Fox Sports and NFL in addition to other ways,” reads a statement from... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2RK9tgZ

Facebook said it will take down misinformation about China's fast-spreading coronavirus, in a rare departure from its usual approach to dubious health content that is presenting a fresh challenge for... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/37YWLk0

After going live on iOS and Android last week , Vine’s successor, Byte, has dropped some more information that “partner program” it’s been teasing since launch, basically its plan to get users paid. None too soon, I’d wager, given the app—a video platform for six-second looping clips—has already become overrun with … Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/2Sle1d1

Budget 2020 live stream can be watched on the NDTV Hindi and NDTV English channels, and on the website as well. Users can alternatively download the apps to enjoy the live stream in-app, or they could... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2RMAzEg

Brooklyn Nine-Nine season 7, Narcos: Mexico season 2, Altered Carbon season 2, Homeland season 8, Al Pacino's Hunters, Taj Mahal 1989, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver season 7, Locke & Key -... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/38VyOu1

Phones are rounded rectangles now. Have been for years — ever since the iPhone killed the QWERTY slider dead. They’re getting rounder and rounder, in fact, as manufacturers continue to figure out how to bend OLED screens and raw metals to their will. They’re far too samey, unless you count an array of sci-fi inspired foldables that are so far basically just recreating the flip phone . I want something edgier to exist in the world. And now, just as Tesla’s Cybertruck shook up the world of automobile design , a Cybertruck-inspired phone has emerged to maybe, possibly, OK probably not inspire the same sort of design in phones. The exorbitantly priced Cyberphone , which is effectively just a fancy shell around an Apple iPhone 11 Pro, was... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2S6FzCK

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Twitter says it has permanently suspended markets blog Zero Hedge’s Twitter account, @ zerohedge , for violating the company’s platform manipulation policy . On Wednesday, Zero Hedge posted a blog that doxxed a Chinese scientist and strongly suggested without evidence that the scientist created the strain of coronavirus that’s currently spreading around the world. That blog lists a name, photo, email, and phone number that are reportedly tied to the scientist, and suggested that readers “pay [him] a visit” if they wanted to know “what really caused the coronavirus pandemic.” BuzzFeed News reported on Zero Hedge’s blog that doxxed the scientist earlier this evening, ahead of the Twitter suspension. The Verge is not publishing a link to Zero... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Ojhc3D

Ring has begun pushing out an update to its phone app with the aim of consolidating all of its security settings, a likely response to general privacy concerns, as well as more specific ones about “ hackers ” who’ve hijacked in-home camera feeds in recent months. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/2Og50kb

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge In our review of the Amazon Echo Show 5 smart display , Dan called it the “smart alarm clock to get.” But I think I might move mine to the kitchen, right next to the garbage can. That’s partly because Amazon has just added the ability for the Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8’s camera to scan barcodes, and automatically add those items to your shopping list (via VentureBeat ). I might do that when I’ve got an empty package I’m about to toss in the trash. You start by saying “Alexa, scan this to my shopping list.” Up pops this screen: Image by Sean Hollister / The Verge I just tried it with a milk carton, orange juice, and a New Balance shoebox, and it seems to work fine in each case, adding each to my Alexa shopping list.... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Uf3emV

Top Trump ally and consistent encryption scaremonger Senator Lindsey Graham is working on a bill that could coerce tech companies to stop providing end-to-end encryption by threatening them with massive legal liability, The Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act of 2019 (or EARN IT… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/2tgsAG0

Hey guys, it’s me, the Inventory’s Resident Cat Lady/Tyrone’s mom, here to talk about something besides my pets. Today, I want to talk to you about pre-workout supplements. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/2GEfdTa

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge A California man has pled guilty to hacking Nintendo’s servers to steal confidential files, including taking information about the Nintendo Switch months before it was announced, the US Department of Justice revealed today . According to the DOJ, Ryan Hernandez, 21, and an associate phished a Nintendo employee in 2016 to get access to and steal confidential information from the company. In October 2017, the FBI contacted Hernandez and his parents to ask him to stop hacking, at which time Hernandez “confirmed that he understood the consequences of any future hacking.” Hernandez hacked into multiple Nintendo servers However, from at least June 2018 to June 2019, Hernandez continued to illegally access confidential corporate information,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/38W9rbz

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Twitter announced a subtle design change to its iOS app today that may go a long way in both making conversations easier to parse and to join. The change, which looks like it’s a change on Twitter’s end that does not require an update, is to the threading feature in the Twitter timeline, which currently does a poor job of differentiating between standard tweets and replies. The update now draws a concrete line between a parent tweet and the replies, with the replies indented slightly and connected by the series of vertical and horizontal lines. It makes a Twitter conversation look effectively like thread of connected notes. The feature was first demoed in the company’s experimental twttr beta app back in spring of last year . It only... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/31cr2tn

Social media companies tend to take up copyright issues only when a) mitigating the pain in the ass of takedown notices and b) ensuring users keep reposting memes. Instagram has erred cautiously on the side of supporting potential infringers for the latter reason, so we found it curious when TorrentFreak reported that… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/38W8pwd

NASA has said goodbye to the Spitzer space telescope after 16 years of service using infrared light to unveil otherwise invisible features of the universe, including seven planets the size of Earth... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3195de4

Fabric curtains stretch across the huge Warragamba Dam to trap ash and sediment expected to wash off wildfire-scorched slopes and into the reservoir that holds 80 percent of untreated drinking water for the Greater Sydney area. In Australia’s national capital of Canberra, authorities are keeping a wary eye on burning forests and bushland, hoping a new water treatment plant and other measures will prevent a repeat of water quality problems and disruption that followed deadly wildfires 17 years ago. There have not yet been major impacts on drinking water systems in southeast Australia from the intense fires that have burned more than 104,000 square kilometers since September. But authorities know from experience that the biggest risks will come with repeated rains over many months or years while the damaged watersheds, or catchment areas, recover. And because of the size and intensity of the fires, the potential impacts are not clear yet. “The forest area burned in Australia within

OnePlus has joined Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) that is a group responsible for developing and maintaining of wireless charging standards. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2GFuN0M

The Samsung US website reveals on its reservation confirmation page that the delivery date for the next Galaxy phone is slated for March 6. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/38XFyI7

South Korea's SK Hynix, a chip supplier to Apple and Huawei, on Friday warned of growing uncertainties, after posting its lowest quarterly profit in seven years, hit by a protracted industry downturn. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/36L6tFk

Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa said the gaming company has no plans to launch a new Switch model this year. Nintendo launched a handheld-only version of its hit console in September, driving demand... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2S0u9Ai

Fabric curtains stretch across the huge Warragamba Dam to trap ash and sediment expected to wash off wildfire-scorched slopes and into the reservoir that holds 80 percent of untreated drinking water for the Greater Sydney area. In Australia’s national capital of Canberra, authorities are keeping a wary eye on burning forests and bushland, hoping a new water treatment plant and other measures will prevent a repeat of water quality problems and disruption that followed deadly wildfires 17 years ago. A boom floats across a small bay near the dam wall at Warragamba Dam in Warragamba, Australia. IMage credit: AP There have not yet been major impacts on drinking water systems in southeast Australia from the intense fires that have burned more than 104,000 square kilometers since September. But authorities know from experience that the biggest risks will come with repeated rains over many months or years while the damaged watersheds, or catchment areas, recover. And because of the size

Google has joined the race to launch short-video making apps with unveiling Tangi that is focused on creativity and Do It Yourself (DIY) space. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/37Jx4nG

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip unlocked variant has been listed on FCC with the model number SM-F700U, and the listing suggests that the phone will support NFC and Samsung Pay's MST as well. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2GCDKYN

Apple on Thursday said it has finished rolling out an overhauled map app in the US in another attempt to challenge Google's popular smartphone navigation software. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/38XU81Z

Apple has rolled out a redesigned version of its Maps for users in the United States, offering features including indoor maps of airports and malls. Apple has previously said that it is completely rebuilding its Maps app — the most frequently used app on its iPhones — with data gathered by its own fleet of sensor-equipped vans and with anonymous data from iPhone users who choose to share it. The company said the redesigned version will offer a more comprehensive view of roads, buildings, and includes features such as 3D view of flyovers. "Customers from anywhere in the world can navigate through New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston and Oahu, with many more places to come," says Apple . Redesigned Apple Maps Apple also said the new version will roll out across Europe in the coming months. “We set out to create the best and most private maps app on the planet that is reflective of how people explore the world today,” said Eddy Cue, A

EU lawmakers overwhelmingly called on Thursday for rules to establish a common charger for all mobile device makers across Europe, a drive that iPhone maker Apple has criticised. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/31emH8P

Amazon.com on Thursday posted holiday quarter results well above expectations as the expansion of its one-day shipping program came under budget and membership in its Prime loyalty club notched a 50... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2RGTKz8

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images Americans shouldn’t travel to China because of the risks from the new coronavirus, the US State Department said . US citizens currently in China should “consider departing using commercial means,” the alert said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed the warning on Twitter. A Level 4 travel advisory is the most severe warning issued by the State Department, and it applies only to areas with a “greater likelihood of life-threatening risks.” . @StateDept is increasing the #China Travel Advisory to Level 4 – Do Not Travel. This is due to the spread of the novel #coronavirus throughout China & the @WHO determination that the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. https://t.co/BIIUdavoP0 — Secretary Pompeo... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3b6W9Ls

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge Nintendo CEO and president Shuntaro Furukawa told investors today that the company has “no plans” to launch a new model of the Switch in 2020. Speaking as part of a corporate management policy briefing following yesterday’s release of financial results, Furukawa instead pointed to today’s announcement of the new Animal Crossing -branded model . “According to the conventional wisdom for dedicated video game platforms, Nintendo Switch should be entering the midway phase of the hardware lifecycle,” Furukawa said. “But we believe we have built a foundation on which we can pursue further growth opportunities for Nintendo Switch.” It wouldn’t really be surprising if there were no new Switch hardware this year. The original system came out in... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2U6vk3U

International Business Machines (IBM) Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty will hand over the reins to the head of the company's cloud business, as the pioneer tech company continues its efforts to... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2GCerpL

If you were hoping to watch the Super Bowl on your Roku TV or set-top box, I hope you don’t mind paying for streaming services like FuboTV, Sling or Hulu, because your existing cable subscription is no good as of today — Roku is pulling all of its Fox apps off of the platform, effective tomorrow, two days before the Big Game. That might strike you as sudden, considering we reported this very morning that Fox Sports was working hard to bring a 4K HDR stream of the Super Bowl to Roku’s streaming sticks, pucks, and TVs. But minutes ago, Fox Sports removed references to Roku from multiple spots on its Super Bowl website, and we confirmed with Roku that seven channels in total are leaving... unless Fox and Roku strike a deal. ... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/37JwVRd

Nintendo is releasing an Animal Crossing -themed Switch on March 13th, just one week before the launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it’s one of the best-looking Switch models yet. Nintendo says you’ll be able to pre-order the themed console at select retailers soon. This is the full-size Switch, which means it can be played in handheld mode or on a TV by dropping the Switch into the (Nook family-adorned) dock. It also comes with detachable Joy-Con controllers, and the colors on them look amazing. Image: Nintendo This model of the Switch also has an embossed design on the back that’s just awesome. Image: Nintendo If you do pick this up, though, you should be aware that Animal Crossing: New... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3aSD0wJ

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. Twitter‘s attempting to combat the spread of election misinformation, just as the 2020 U.S. Presidential Race is starting to heat up. Today it rolls out a new reporting option that specifically targets such falsifications. This option essentially allows users to report things like voter suppression, which is probably going to be critical in the months to come. The new feature, first spotted by Politico, adds a new option to the menu when you try to… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/317QY9e

The defendants have allegedly connected hundreds of millions of fraudulent robocalls to US residents. from Wired https://ift.tt/2tdezZP

At the risk of mixing cultural metaphors, Valentine’s Day is the Super Bowl of men buying lingerie for their significant others. Christmas and Hanukkah are celebrated with family, usually, making sexy undergarments a less-than-ideal gift, while anniversaries call for nostalgic presents rather than romantic ones. As… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/36IjfEw

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Searching Google for “coronavirus” will now send users to a curated search results page with resources from the World Health Organization, safety tips, and news updates, Google and the WHO announced today . This effort, which is just one of Google’s SOS Alerts , is now live. Google also announced a $250,000 direct grant from Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, that will go to the Chinese Red Cross to help support coronavirus relief efforts. To help support relief efforts, @Googleorg issued a $250,000 direct grant to the Chinese Red Cross. Additionally we launched an internal campaign inviting Googlers to donate. So far, https://t.co/ldmgae16C7 and Googlers have raised over $800K USD (3.5M rmb). — Google Communications... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/37J5Du2

In the world of anime and manga, there’s no franchise more enduring than Eichiro Oda‘s One Piece. Both show and comic have been running for over twenty years, maintaining remarkably consistent quality throughout. To that point, the story’s current arc is one of the series’ very best. So when Netflix announced it was adapting the story into a live-action series yesterday I was a little concerned. The history of live-action anime adaptations is… not good. The fact that the series has avoided one so far is something I considered a blessing, not a curse. BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: A One Piece live… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Netflix from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2uROMGP

 NASA is pulling the plug on one of its great observatories -- the Spitzer Space Telescope -- after 16 years of scanning the universe with infrared eyes. The end comes Thursday when ground controllers put the aging spacecraft into permanent hibernation. For years,  Spitzer   peered through dusty clouds at untold stars and galaxies, uncovered a huge, nearly invisible ring around Saturn, and helped discover seven Earth-size planets around a nearby star. Spitzer’s last observation was Wednesday. Altogether, Spitzer observed 800,000 celestial targets and churned out more than 36 million raw images as part of the $1.4 billion mission. An estimated 4,000 scientists around the world took part in the observations and published nearly 9,000 studies, according to NASA. “You have to be proud ... when you look back and say, ‘Look at the team that’s operating Spitzer, look at the team that’s contributing to having all of this great science,’ ” said project manager Joseph Hunt. Designed to la

Sophisticated hackers infiltrated U.N. networks in Geneva and Vienna last year in an apparent espionage operation that top officials at the world body kept largely quiet. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3aW9YvS

Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images E-commerce billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has backtracked on his bizarre plan to find a girlfriend to take into space by way of reality TV show. Maezawa, the founder of Zozotown, made a significant downpayment on a private SpaceX flight around the Moon and had initially planned to take several artists with him, but later announced plans to solicit a romantic partner for the journey and beyond through an AbemaTV documentary to be called “Full Moon Lovers.” Now those dreams are dead, as Maezawa has requested the show’s cancellation citing “personal reasons.” “Despite my genuine and honest determination toward the show, there was a part of me that still had mixed feelings about my participation,” he writes on Twitter . “To think that 27,722... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2vyleP2

In the penultimate issue of Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, and Marte Gracia’s House of X , Charles Xavier’s grand plan to ensure that no X-Men ever truly die again is revealed. In the months since then, the concept of death has become something different for the world’s population of mutants. People carrying x-genes… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/3aSEWVU

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has an ominous message for the rest of us: You may not like me, but you will understand me. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/3aVlYhe

Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth had confirmed in his latest #AskMadhav episode that the first Realme fitness band will be launched in India next month. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/37zUo7c

The world's biggest smartphone maker, Samsung Electronics, reported a slump in fourth-quarter net profits on Thursday, blaming weakening demand in key products and falling chip prices. from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/36C0Idg

Facebook said on Wednesday that growth would continue to slow as its business matured and it reported a surge in quarterly expenses, disappointing Wall Street expectations that the costs of improving... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2RDS1Le

Photo credit should read JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images Netflix has ordered a live-action show based on One Piece , the colossally popular Japanese manga and anime franchise, as first reported by Deadline . It’s said to be a ten-episode series from publisher Shueisha and Tomorrow Studios, the studio also working on Netflix’s forthcoming Cowboy Bebop show . Steven Maeda ( The X-Files , Lost ) is reportedly the showrunner as well as writer and executive producer, with Matt Owens ( Luke Cage , Agents of SHIELD ) also writing and executive-producing. Further executive producer credits go to One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda and Tomorrow Studios’ Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements. Plans for the series were first announced in 2017, though Netflix wasn’t on board at that point. BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: A One Piece... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/315IFe3

There’s something very DC/CW-niverse-y about the idea that Arrow —the show that started it all  as a grounded and (occasionally) self-serious comic book adaptation—got the inspiration for its very last scene from someone who was mid-tranquil-state. You could almost say it appeared as a vision. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/2Gxj04v

The electric automaker posted $105 million in fourth-quarter profit on $7.4 billion in revenue. It delivered a record 112,000 vehicles.  from Wired https://ift.tt/2td6lAU

An enterprising developer has brought chaotic goose energy to Windows with Desktop Goose.  from Wired https://ift.tt/36Jju2s

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is at it again with a new batch of leaks, but there’s more than just iPhones, iPads, and Macs, for a change. Instead, Kuo’s latest research note (via MacRumors) details a variety of devices Cupertino appears to be working on for release this year, including high-end headphones, tracking tags, and a small wireless charging mat. We’ve long heard rumors about Apple working on full-size headphones, but it seems like they might finally come to fruition; Kuo notes the company is working on “high-end headphones.” Of course, the company owns the highly successful Beats lineup, but as… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/38R8n92

New York has cleared Times Square and 14th Street, while Oslo is banishing drivers from its city center. from Wired https://ift.tt/3aPiJrT

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Samsung Electronics just released fourth-quarter earnings that told much the same story as the rest of 2019. Revenue was more or less flat year-on-year — up 1 percent to 59.9 trillion won ($50.7 billion) — while operating profit slid 34 percent to 7.1 trillion won ($6 billion). The primary reason for the decline remains the fall in prices of memory chips, Samsung’s biggest profit driver in recent years. The display panel business also saw profits fall year-on-year due to weak demand. The mobile division, on the other hand, did better than a year ago, with Samsung calling out “solid” flagship sales and the profitability of phones like the Galaxy A series. Samsung is hoping that the wider adoption of 5G in 2020 will improve its numbers... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2uJ7GzT

Photo: Carlton Beener / Blizzard Entertainment The Overwatch League’s plans for a truly global e-sports league have taken a major hit. Today, Blizzard announced that the China-based games taking place in February and March planned for the 2020 season have been canceled following the outbreak of the coronavirus. In a statement posted this evening to Twitter , the league explained that the decision was made to “protect the health and safety of our players, fans, and staff.” “We hope fans have a safe and happy Lunar New Year, and we remain incredibly excited to play Overwatch League matches in China later this season,” the statement reads. “We’ll share more information about when and where the matches will take place at a later date.” pic.twitter.com/nLEPHrJZXS — Overwatch League... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/38QwhRX

Image: Epic Games Epic has announced an in-game Fortnite tournament for this weekend that’s timed with the Australian Open, and players who compete will have a shot to earn the game’s first-ever competition skin. The in-game item can only be earned by placing well in the tournament. But there is a catch — only players on its OCE (Oceania) or Asia servers can compete for the prize. If that’s you, and if your Fortnite account is level 15 or higher, Epic says you’ll be able to compete in the Summer Smash Cup, which takes place on February 1st and 2nd from 7PM AEDT to 10PM AEDT (3AM ET to 6AM ET). You’ll be able to play in 10 matches each day to earn in-game points for surviving a battle royale match for as long as you can and earning eliminations. You can... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2Ob9TL7

It is a fact somewhat lost to time—though certainly not one Blizzard will ever forget—that the eternally enduring MOBA genre got its start in Blizzard games. Riot and Valve, however, ended up reaping the rewards of seeds that were sown by custom game-makers in StarCraft and Warcraft 3 . After a 2012 lawsuit, Valve even… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/2tZuV8A

Accounts of mysterious drones flying over rural Colorado that drew national attention after they were published by the Denver Post in December 2019 are probably hot bullshit, Motherboard reported on Wednesday, with a joint task force failing to find evidence anything suspicious was happening and local officials joking… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/2RCQZz3

There are three universal truths: we have to pay taxes, Facebook will never die, and outdoor gear is perpetually pricey. Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/2O7urUI

Xinhua/Ding Ting via Getty Images The Chinese government has ordered the shutdown of Tesla’s new factory in Shanghai over coronavirus fears, which will delay the company’s production of the Model 3 there, executives announced in a call with investors . The ramp of the Model 3 production will be delayed by a week and a half and the shutdown may “slightly” impact the company’s profitability in the first quarter of 2020, Tesla finance chief Zach Kirkhorn said. “At this point we’re expecting a one to one-and-a-half week delay in the ramp of Shanghai built Model 3s due to a government required factory shutdown,” he said on the call. Tesla began delivering the first cars produced at its Shanghai factory at the end of 2019. The deliveries marked an important milestone for Tesla,... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2GA4Srj

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Facebook says it has agreed to pay $550 million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding its use of facial recognition technology. The news, reported first this evening by The New York Times , was part of a disclosure the company made as part of its fourth quarter earnings report today. The case against Facebook has been going on since 2015. The lawsuit alleged that Facebook’s initial version of the its Tag Suggestions tool, which scans a user’s face in photos and offers suggestions about who that person might be, stored biometric data without user consent, violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. The $550 million settlement is a drop in the bucket for Facebook In 2018, Facebook began more transparently explaining its... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/2RYzSGJ

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Nearly four years after the California Institute of Technology sued Apple and Broadcom for allegedly infringing four of the university’s patents on Wi-Fi data transmission, a federal jury has agreed that the two companies infringed — and has awarded $1.1 billion in damages to Caltech for the infringement, Law360 reports . Reporting from the courtroom today, Law360 writes that the jury ordered Apple to pay $837 million, with Broadcom owing $270 million. That seems to be based on Caltech’s hypothetical estimate of what it might have been able to negotiate in royalties back in 2010 — if Broadcom and Apple had actually struck a deal with Caltech before they put Broadcom’s Wi-Fi chips into new Apple devices. Caltech figured that Apple would... Continue reading… from The Verge - All Posts https://ift.tt/3aTQs3i

Facebook said Tuesday a new tool allowing users of the social network to view and delete data it collects from third parties is rolling out to the estimated two billion members of the leading social... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/38QZhJt

On the last day of the year 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was  alerted to a "pneumonia" outbreak "of unknown cause"  in Wuhan, a city in China's Hubei Province. Wuhan happens to be the seventh-largest city in the most populated country in the world – home to some 11 million people . The epicentre of the outbreak is thought to be a wet market in Wuhan that sells seafood, animal meat and unregulated wild game meat. The market has been shut down and sanitised since 1 January 2020. Yet, the earliest symptoms of respiratory infection in those who tested positive for the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) go back to 8 December 2019. The virus has had ample time to spread like any common respiratory illness would in people – through coughs, sneezes, and close contact. As of 29 January 2020, a total of 6,057 confirmed cases of the infection have been reported, in at least 25 regions within China, and 19 other nations world over. There's little that can be done

Most major railway stations in India will use facial recognition to fight crime by the end of 2020, a senior official said, in a move that digital rights campaigners on Tuesday warned could breach... from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/38KSxwy

Daniel Radcliffe could’ve sailed into early retirement after the Harry Potter films, but his career has kept going at a brisk pace. He’s done rom-coms, action flicks, and regular ol’ dramas, but he’s also quite clearly committed to keeping it weird whenever possible. Here are six examples—the good, the bad, and the… Read more... from Gizmodo https://ift.tt/2Gvl2lN

Apple has announced financial results for Q1 2020 ending 28 December 2019. The company posted quarterly revenue of $91.8 billion, an increase of 9 percent from the year-ago quarter and an all-time record. International sales accounted for 61 percent of the quarter’s revenue. Apple reported earnings per share of $4.99, compared with analyst estimates of $4.55 per share. Apple’s earnings were partially powered by iPhone revenue, which was up 8 percent thanks to the new iPhone models to $55.96 billion. The number of active iPhones, computers and other devices owned by customers, called Apple’s installed base, grew by 100 million to more than 1.5 billion over the past year. Apple executives set a new target of 600 million paid subscribers for music, TV, gaming and other services by the end of the calendar 2020. “We are thrilled to report Apple’s highest quarterly revenue ever, fueled by strong demand for our iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, and all-time records for Services and Wear