Study Point

The company says its been cracking down on false ads for products like face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. from CNET News https://ift.tt/3bQN3SP

Google Pixel 4a is a much-anticipated smartphone that has often been leaked with pictures of retail boxes being spotted on the internet recently. As per the latest piece of information, the Pixel 4a is slated to go on sale from May 22 in Germany. The phone was earlier set to be unveiled during Google I/O 2020, the company’s annual developers conference but the event was called off due to the Coronavirus outbreak across the world. The successor to last year’s Pixel 3a, the 4a is expected to be a slightly trimmed down version of the Pixel 4 and is aimed at markets like India where the Pixel 4 didn’t launch. According to a German report, the 4a will likely go on sale from May 22 and will be offered by Vodafone under contract. The phone is reportedly priced starting at 399 Euros which roughly translates to around Rs 32,000 by direct conversion. Google Pixel 4a comes after Apple announced an affordable iPhone SE 2020 and OnePlus launched its latest OnePlus 8 series of smartphones earlier ...

Mostly they make no sense, but some will mess with entire whole world view. from CNET News https://ift.tt/3aOpWXY

Apple has released its new beta of iOS 13.5 today and the highlight of this version is the introduction of "exposure notification API" . Now before we go into the details of what exactly is exposure settings API, you should know that Google and Apple have recently teamed up to develop a digital contract tracing tool. This tool is named as exposure notification. It aims to control the spread of Coronavirus. The new iOS 13.5 is now available to developers  and public health authorities so that it can collect feedback and make changes accordingly. To bring you up to speed, with this tool, all the Android phones, and iPhone users will be notified if they have come in contact with a Coronavirus patient. The system will make use of Bluetooth on users' devices, that will exchange and record an anonymous identity of all the users that come into close contact, so that if they are tested positive for Coronavirus, everyone who came on their contact will be notified. ...

Security researchers are sounding the alarm over a newly discovered Android malware that targets banking apps and cryptocurrency wallets. The malware, which researchers at security firm Cybereason recently discovered and called EventBot , masquerades as a legitimate Android app — like Adobe Flash or Microsoft Word for Android — which abuses Android’s in-built accessibility features to obtain deep access to the device’s operating system. Once installed — either by an unsuspecting user or by a malicious person with access to a victim’s phone —  the EventBot-infected fake app quietly siphons off passwords for more than 200 banking and cryptocurrency apps — including PayPal, Coinbase, CapitalOne and HSBC — and intercepts and two-factor authentication text message codes. With a victim’s password and two-factor code, the hackers can break into bank accounts, apps and wallets, and steal a victim’s funds. “The developer behind Eventbot has invested a lot of time and resources into cr...

Google Meet , a video conferencing platform, will be available for free starting early May. Anyone with an email ID can sign up for Meet and enjoy its services. Google Meet offers features such as simple scheduling and screen sharing, real-time captions and layouts that adapt to users’ preferences. Those who want to use the video conferencing platform straightaway from next week might not be able to create meetings, as the company will be “gradually expanding its availability to more and more people over the following weeks.” (Also read: Facebook Messenger Rooms: What is it, how does it work and should you use it? All your questions answered ) Users can sign up on Meet to be notified when it is available to them. Meet claims to keep data safe and secure. The platform lets a user admit or deny entry to a meeting, and mute or remove participants, if required. Anonymous users are not allowed to join meetings created by individual accounts. Meet does not require plugins to use ...

New York Times : Dozens of tracking apps for smartphones are being used or developed to help contain the pandemic, despite concerns about security, privacy, and effectiveness   —  Dozens of tracking apps for smartphones are being used or developed to help contain the coronavirus pandemic. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2W9KW6a

Zach Edwards : Researcher: major sites like Wish and Mailchimp were leaking email addresses to ads and analytics companies including Facebook and Twitter via URL query strings   —  Breaches have been found on websites including Wish.com, JetBlue.com, Quibi.com, WashingtonPost.com, NGPVan.com and numerous other organizations... from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3aRcqTa

U nion Minister of Science & Technology, Health & Family Welfare and Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan, here today reviewed, through video-conferencing, the various initiatives undertaken by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and its Autonomous Institutes and its Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) – BIRAC and BIBCOL, to tackle the current COVID-19 crisis especially with respect to the progress made in indigenous development of a vaccine, Rapid Test and RT-PCR Diagnostic Kits. Secretary, DBT, Dr Renu Swarup informed that DBT has evolved a multi-pronged research strategy and action plan for an immediate response as well as for long-term preparedness to tackle COVID-19. These multifaceted efforts include research towards the development of candidate vaccines, therapeutics, and suitable animal models for COVID-19 as well as the development of indigenous diagnostics and genomic studies on the host and pathogen. The DBT and its PSU, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Counci...

Apple's iPhone SE for 2020 is $300 cheaper than the baseline iPhone 11. Here's what you get (and don't get) for that price. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2ybz2Rb

The Hubble space telescope stood witness to the comet Atlas shattering into pieces on its journey towards the Sun. NASA subsequently published a detailed note on the breaking up of the comet. The comet was discovered on 29 December last year by the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) robotic astronomical survey system. NASA says the telescope spotted about 30 fragments on 20 April and 25 pieces on 23 April. "Their appearance changes substantially between the two days, so much so that it's quite difficult to connect the dots," said David Jewitt, professor of planetary science and astronomy at UCLA, Los Angeles. He led one of two teams that took pictures of the comet with the telescope. Jewitt added that he is not sure if the appearance changes “because the individual pieces are flashing on and off as they reflect sunlight or different fragments appear on different days.” Quanzhi Ye, the leader of a second Hubble observation team, said it is an inte...

Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet : Google introduces new rules for the Chrome Web Store to cut down on spammy extensions, says developers must comply by August 27 or extensions will be delisted   —  Google plans to remove a bunch of garbage and useless Chrome extensions from the Web Store.  —  Google announced today new rules … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3d1941v

Video-sharing app's popularity continues to grow as people look for new ways to connect during the coronavirus pandemic, an analytics firm reports. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2VOaDKn

Bloomberg : Booking Holdings' Priceline, OpenTable, and Kayak, along with Blix and others, form the lobbying group App Coalition, touting independence from Apple and Google   —  - OpenTable, Priceline create new mobile application trade group  — Mobile apps have sparred with Google and Apple over policies from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2KHk3Bc

Last week, Facebook announced a new video calling tool called  Messenger Rooms . The tool is built on Facebooks's Messenger platform and is currently accessible via the  Facebook and  Messenger apps. As of now, Facebook is still testing the feature, so only a select number of users are able to access it. When rolled out, the tool will be available on both iOS and Android, and will be accessible via both mobile and desktop apps and browsers. But why Messenger Rooms when WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger already offer video calling? Unlike WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram ,  which have a smaller limit to how many people can join a video call simultaneously,  Messenger Rooms  allows up to 50 people to participate in a call at one time. Also, to use Messenger Rooms,   only the creator of the room requires a Facebook account, others can join the video call using a shared link even if they don't have an account on Facebook . Additi...

No-fuss, oven-ready meal kits. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2VN0uh2

Explore your options for high-quality beef, pork, chicken and seafood all delivered to your door. from CNET News https://ift.tt/3cZu4Wl

Things got weird, fast. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2VPgTl3

Experimental antiviral remdesivir holds promise as a treatment for COVID-19 -- but questions remain. from CNET News https://ift.tt/3d0LvG0

Some users have complained of a fracture across their phone's camera. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2W426So

Karissa Bell / Engadget : Reddit launches Start Chatting, a new tool that lets users start a chat room with up to seven randomly selected users within a subreddit   —  The “front page of the internet” is bringing back one of the web's oldest features: chat rooms.  Reddit company is introducing a new chat tool … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3dbQowj

Lucas Matney / TechCrunch : Zuckerberg: 3B+ MAUs across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, with FB and IG Live video views up 2x and group video call time up 10x in recent weeks   —  The quarantine lockdown is driving a record number of users to Facebook's products.  On a conference call … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2zJHffV

With millions of people now working from home and conducting video calls from their computer or mobile devices, the quality of these calls is suddenly more important than it once was. A quick check of Logitech’s website reveals that all of their business-minded webcams are out of stock due to... from TechSpot https://ift.tt/2SgFYTS

The final scenes of Final Fantasy 7 Remake may have left you scratching your head. Spoilers inside. from CNET News https://ift.tt/3bIueBg

Whether you're after a blockbuster game or a charming indie experience, the PlayStation Store's new sale has something for you. from CNET News https://ift.tt/3aHj0M4

Explore your options for high-quality beef, pork, chicken and seafood all delivered to your door. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2yWzRgw

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. While hospitals, urgent care facilities and health systems have stored patient records electronically for years thanks to laws passed under the Clinton administration, those records were difficult for patients themselves to access. The way the system has been historically structured has made it nearly imposs...

Issie Lapowsky / Protocol : Microsoft is pushing privacy bills, modeled on the Washington Privacy Act it failed to get passed twice, in Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, and Minnesota   —  The company is pushing versions of the failed Washington Privacy Act in at least four states far from Redmond. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2ShaLzP

Ryan Kovatch / 9to5Google : Google is shutting down Shoelace, a hyper-local social networking app it had launched in New York City in July 2019   —  In July 2019, Google's experimental project incubator Area 120 launched a new local meetup app that would connect users in New York City. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3eX90ln

Ron Miller / TechCrunch : Cybersecurity firm Rapid7 is acquiring DivvyCloud, a cloud security and governance startup, for $145M in cash and stock   —  Rapid7 announced today after the closing bell that it will be acquiring DivvyCloud, a cloud security and governance startup for $145 million in cash and stock. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2y10G3o

Extensive contact tracing, isolating cases, and testing may reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, and favour control of the COVID-19 outbreak, suggests a study carried out in China. However, the researchers from the Harbin Institute of Technology at Shenzhen, China, caution that the impact of contact tracing to rapidly isolate people who could be infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) depends on identifying asymptomatic cases. Published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal , the study of 391 cases and 1,286 of their close contacts found that contact tracing reduced the length of time people were infectious in the community over 4 weeks in Shenzhen, China. According to results from In Shenzhen, authorities identified whom to isolate based on their contact with confirmed cases, as well as isolating people who already had symptoms, the researchers said. The new study found that contact tracing increased the speed at which new cases were confirmed by two days —...

No-fuss, oven-ready meal kits. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2KJu7ty

OJ 287 is a black hole binary system that puts on an extreme light show every 12 years. from CNET News https://ift.tt/2Shw98q

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. Said an Uber spokesman to The Information’s Amir Efrati: “As you would expect, the company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever.” Uber has been hard hit as much of the country and world remains at home, awaiting a vaccine for — or at least more testing around — COVID-19. Last Thursday, Uber said it expects an impairment charge of up to $2....