Technology Simplified

A brand we’ve never heard of before has come up with a product we’ve never seen before. Maxtang from Aliexpress sells a mini PC that runs on an embedded AMD Ryzen chip - the V1605B - with four, yes four, DisplayPort connectors. We don’t know any other PC that offers this, let alone something that doesn’t require a separate display card or as small as this box. This Maxtang thin client costs as little as $410.92 from Aliexpress after a $3 coupon . That price is for the barebone model and note that this device ships without any operating system or Wi-Fi module. Other RAM/Storage bundles are available. Please check the website. Here's our list of the best thin clients on the market Check out our list of the best business computers of 2020 We've built a list of the best workstations available Exact prices after the discount in other territories will vary depending on the day’s exchange rate. Aliexpress ships to most territories worldwide via expedited shipping although yo...

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.  via https://ift.tt/3fahMfA

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

Vaping is a controversial habit: it certainly has its downsides, but anecdotally it’s a fantastic smoking cessation aid. The thing is, until behavioral scientists know a bit more about who does it, when, how much and other details, its use will continue to be something of a mystery. That’s where the PuffPacket comes in. Designed by Cornell engineers, the PuffPacket is a small device that attaches to e-cigarettes (or vape pens, or whatever you call yours) and precisely measures their use, sharing that information with a smartphone app for the user, and potentially researchers, to review later. Some vaping devices are already set up with something like this, to tell a user when the cartridge is running low or a certain limit has been reached. But generally when vaping habits are studied, they rely on self-report data, not proprietary apps. How companies are working around Apple’s ban on vaping apps “The lack of continuous and objective understanding of vaping behaviors led us t...

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We knew it was going to be bad — but not necessarily “lowest level since 2013” bad. As Apple was busy reporting its earnings , Canalys just dropped some of its own figures — and they’re not pretty. After two quarters of much-needed growing, the global smartphone market just took a big hit. And you no doubt already know who the culprit is. The mobile industry joins countless others that have taken a massive hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with shipments dropping 13% from this time last year. Here’s a graph for those of you who are visual learners: Analyst Ben Stanton used the word “crushed” to describe the novel coronavirus’s impact on the mobile market. “In February, when the coronavirus was centered on China, vendors were mainly concerned about how to build enough smartphones to meet global demand,” he writes. “But in March, the situation flipped on its head. Smartphone manufacturing has now recovered, but as half the world entered lockdown, sales plummeted.” First it was impact...

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Dad builds 500-in-1 classic video game arcade for son during coronavirus lockdown One father, however, has gone above and beyond, creating a retro video game arcade for his three-year-old-son. via https://ift.tt/35hgZFo

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Apple and Google-backed COVID-19 contact tracing apps are coming: Q&A Apple and Google are working together to support coronavirus contact tracing apps. What are the apps and what will they mean to you? via https://ift.tt/2Wek98M

Resources for understanding cryptocurrency and blockchain technology 87 by todsacerdoti | 71 comments on Hacker News.

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Businesses around the world have turned to video conferencing software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams as a means to hold meetings during the coronavirus outbreak but interacting with coworkers does prove somewhat difficult when behind a webcam. This is why HTC has announced that the beta version of its remote collaboration and meeting platform for VR, VIVE Sync will be available free of charge for businesses and remote employees during the pandemic. VIVE Sync, from first-party developer 2 Bears Studio and HTC, supports up to 30 attendees simultaneously and features full body tracking so that participant's personally created avatars can communicate using their actual body language.  HTC VIVE reveals new VR headset bundles for enterprises How VR and eye-tracking can help you understand your customers VR is the future of remote working The platform also supports Tobii eye tracking, which is embedded in headsets such as the VIVE Pro Eye , for more natural lifelike interactio...

If you've finished Final Fantasy 7 Remake , you may be wondering when Part 2 of the game will be releasing. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a re-imagining of classic '90s JRPG Final Fantasy 7. But, rather than releasing the remake as one single title, developer Square Enix has opted to release the remake as a series of games instead - with the first part releasing in April, 2020. While Square Enix announced in November 2019 that development on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 has started, the company hasn't confirmed a release date for the second part of the game; and, unfortunately, we're expecting a wait of at least a few years. While we wait, we've rounded up everything we know about Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 so far, including news, rumors and what we're hoping to see in the second game. Cut to the chase What is it? The second part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake When can I play it? TBC What can I play it on? TBC but likely PS4 and PS5 How many parts wi...

Meet Biloba , a French startup that wants to leverage tech to make it easier to keep your children healthy. The company recently launched a new mobile app that lets you chat with a doctor whenever you want between 8 AM and 8 PM. This way, if you have questions about your kids, you can get a quick answer. Of course, a text conversation will never replace a visit to the pediatrician. But chances are you have a ton of questions, especially if you’re a first-time parent. Instead of browsing obscure discussion forums, you can go straight to a doctor. Biloba isn’t working with pediatricians specifically. The company is also partnering with nurses and general practitioners. Eventually, the service is going to cost €10 per month but the company is waving fees during the lockdown. After just three weeks, the startup managed to attract 4,000 users with around 200 conversations per day. Compared to other telemedicine services in France, such as Doctolib , Biloba doesn’t rely on video consul...

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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. via https://ift.tt/2Sjg7uo

Convertible laptops tend to carry a significant premium over their traditional siblings. A new laptop however bucks that trend; the Nanote will only be sold in Japan for 19,800 yen (that’s about US$185, £149 or AU$285). Its unique selling point is its unbelievably tiny price tag that’s matched by an equally small screen - a 7-inch touchscreen display - and its 360-degree hinge. The Nanote resembles the Chuwi Minibook we reviewed last year but is even smaller (181 x 114 x 19.6mm and a weight of 520g) and has the same physical constraints. Here's our list of the best business laptops of 2020 Check out our list of the best business tablets available We've put together a list of the best rugged tablets on the market There’s no trackpad - only an optical touch sensor - and the keyboard is cramped. The rest of the specification makes it painfully obvious that corners had to be cut to keep the price down; there’s a 5-year old Intel Atom x5-Z8350 paired with 4GB of RAM and 6...

Google extends work-from-home until June, proposes 'staggered' return to offices Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the tech giant's offices worldwide would stay closed until at least June 1, according to multiple reports. via https://ift.tt/3aS1VPw

By BY MIKE ISAAC from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/2YmjmVR

Air Force says nuclear weapons and stealth bombers remain ready for war, despite COVID-19 U.S. B-2 stealth bombers and nuclear-armed ICBMs are ready to attack and defend in minutes, should America be suddenly catapulted into a massive, great-power war -- despite the perils, distractions and challenges of COVID-19, senior Air Force officials said.  via https://ift.tt/2zFP8Tr

TikTok, the widely popular video sharing app developed by one of the world’s most valued startups (ByteDance), continues to grow rapidly despite suspicion from the U.S. as more people look for ways to keep themselves entertained amid the coronavirus pandemic. The global app and its Chinese version, called Douyin , have amassed over 2 billion downloads on Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store, mobile insight firm Sensor Tower said Wednesday. TikTok is the first app after Facebook’s marquee app, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger to break past the 2 billion downloads figure since January 1 of 2014, a Sensor Tower official told TechCrunch. (Sensor Tower began its app analysis on that date.) A number of apps from Google, the developer of Android, including Gmail and YouTube have amassed over 5 billion downloads, but they ship pre-installed on most Android smartphones and tables. TikTok’s 2 billion download milestone, a key metric to assuage an app’s growth, comes five months ...

How technology is helping Americans maintain their mental health during the pandemic Technology gives us the power to connect with each other during lockdowns and isolation. via https://ift.tt/3aQeT0n

MIT Tech Review Says It Proves Silicon Valley Innovation Is a Myth 13 by caution | 2 comments on Hacker News.

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The makers of the world’s most ethical smartphone, the Fairphone 3 , have teamed up for a version of the device with even less big tech on board. The Netherlands-based device maker has partnered with France’s /e/OS to offer a ‘de-Googled’ version of its latest handset, running an Android AOSP fork out of the box that’s itself built atop a fork of CyanogenMod ( remember them? ) — called LineageOS (via  Engadget ). “The deGoogled Fairphone 3 is most likely the first privacy conscious and sustainable phone,” runs the blurb on /e/OS’ website. “It combines a phone that cares for people and planet and an OS and apps that care for your privacy.” A pithy explainer of its “privacy by design ecosystem” — and the point of “ Android without Google” — further notes: “We have removed many pieces of code that send your personal data to remote servers without your consent. We don’t scan your data in your phone or in your cloud space, and we don’t track your location hundred times a day or c...

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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. via https://ift.tt/2Wn2JHd

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

Chuwi’s UBook Pro is probably the best alternative to the Surface Go that Microsoft seems to have retired. All stocks of the diminutive tablet are currently out of stock and have been so for a while. You can still get it from third parties, often at a much higher price. Gearbest sells the Chuwi UBook Pro for $399.99 (or £340/AU$670) when you use the coupon code GBCHUWI123. Exact prices after the discount in other territories will vary depending on the day’s exchange rate. Gearbest ships to most territories worldwide via expedited shipping although you may be levied additional charges and fees by customs. Here's our list of the best business tablets on the market Check out our list of the best business laptops of 2020 We've built a list of the best rugged tablets available Add the capacitive stylus pen and the original keyboard cover and the price creeps up to just under $470, which is still far lower than the 128GB version of the Surface Go (that comes without acces...

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.  via https://ift.tt/3bYDNvS

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. via https://ift.tt/2SxBIzJ

By BY DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/3eYcYtP

WhatsApp, which began testing its mobile payments feature in India two years ago , could offer at least one more financial service to people in its biggest market: credit. In a filing with the local regulator in India, the company has listed credit as one of the areas it plans to explore in the country. At an event in Bangalore late last year, Abhijit Bose, WhatsApp’s head in India, said he believed that mobile payments, which has attracted dozens of local and international firms , is still at a very early stage in India and eventually firms would look to move beyond just offering a way for people to send money to one another. WhatsApp has yet to receive approval from New Delhi for a nationwide rollout of Pay in India. Local media reports claimed earlier this year that WhatsApp had started to expand Pay’s reach in the country in various phases. Ajit Mohan, a Facebook VP and India head, told TechCrunch in an interview last week that only 1 million WhatsApp users in India, same as...

NJ school district halts Zoom meetings after hacker reportedly streamed porn, racist message A New Jersey school district on Monday announced it will halt using Zoom, the video conferencing platform, amid an investigation into allegations that a hacker streamed pornography and racist language during an online lesson. via https://ift.tt/2YbNNOx

YouTube expands fact-check panels to US amid widespread coronavirus misinformation Amid the onslaught of coronavirus misinformation, YouTube announced on Tuesday an expansion of its fact-check panels to the United States. via https://ift.tt/3f0hTKR