Coronavirus outbreak prompts Google to temporarily close China offices
Google announced that the company is temporarily shutting down its offices in China due to the coronavirus outbreak. The company's offices in mainland China, as well as in Hong Kong and Taiwan, will remain closed past the Lunar New Year holiday, per government guidance.
Wawa data breach: Hacker is selling 30 million credit cards on the dark web
Credit card data from a security breach last year that affected Wawa, an East Coast convenience store chain, was discovered being sold in the corners of the dark web this week. The estimated 30 million credit cards affected makes it the third-largest credit card breach in history.
Feds ban Chinese-made drones over spying fears. Could your drone be next?
The U.S. Department of Interior essentially banned Chinese-made drones and drone parts because of the fear of these drones’ potential to be used for spying. The new no-fly rule is explicitly aimed at foreign drones and the only exceptions would be for responding to natural disasters or other emergencies.
Microsoft wants to use A.I. to make health care better for everyone
Microsoft is bringing artificial intelligence into the health care world with the launch of a new program that aims to improve the health of people and communities around the globe. A.I. for Health will focus on advancing medical research, reducing health inequality, and compiling global health insights.
Insane iPhone 11 sales gave Apple its all-time highest-revenue quarter
Apple just made more money than ever before thanks to the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, according to the company's earnings report released Tuesday, January 28. The tech giant earned $91.8 billion in revenue — an all-time record, thanks largely to iPhone sales.
Meet the robot helping doctors treat coronavirus patients
There have been five confirmed cases of the quickly spreading coronavirus in the U.S. Since the coronavirus can transmit from person to person, doctors at a hospital in Washington treating one of the patients have taken extra caution to protect themselves by using a robot.
Andrew Yang broke Tesla’s one big Autopilot rule in campaign commercial
Presidential candidate Andrew Yang has talked about the automation industry in his campaign, but he could stand to learn a few things when it comes to how to drive Autopilot. When he’s behind the wheel of the Tesla Model X in his new commercial, he takes his hands off while on autopilot, which is a big no-no.
The Off-Facebook Activity tool lets you take control of your shared data
Facebook is hoping to be more transparent about your data and activity by expanding a new privacy feature to the U.S. and the rest of the world. The Off-Facebook Activity tool allows users to see and control their personal data that other apps and websites share with the social network.
Ring allows undisclosed third parties to track you through its Android app
Amazon Ring’s Android app has been found to allow third-party trackers access to your data like your name, IP address, mobile network carrier, and more. An investigation from EFF found analytics and marketing companies not mentioned in Ring’s privacy notice have access to your data directly through the Ring app.
Comcast cable subscribers’ bills will go up in 2020
Xfinity X1 and Flex customers excited to try out the Peacock streaming service for free once it debuts should expect their cable rates to go up as a result of the new service. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said that the company is shifting to the streaming world, so costs will have to follow suit.
Tinder’s new panic button is a safety net during your sketchy date
Swiping right is about to get safer: Tinder just introduced a ton of new safety features. Location sharing, a panic button, photo verification, machine-learning technology in direct messages, and a safety center will soon be available to provide Tinder members ease of mind as they navigate the digital dating scene.
The Twitter app is crashing for Android users: Here’s how to fix it
If you have the Twitter app downloaded on your phone, you may have noticed it hasn’t been working right. A recent update makes the app crash before opening, but there’s a way to fix it. The latest version of the Twitter app (version 8.28) crashes as soon as it is opened on your phone.
Jeff Bezos’ phone allegedly hacked by Saudi crown prince’s WhatsApp message
New evidence suggests that data from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ phone was hacked in 2018 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. An encrypted message sent by Salman’s number via WhatsApp most likely contained a malicious video file that was able to infiltrate Bezos’ phone and much of his data.
Another partner backs out of Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency
Yet another partner of Facebook’s proposed cryptocurrency known as Libra has backed out of the deal. The British telecommunications operator Vodafone announced its departure from Facebook’s Libra Association on Tuesday. In total, eight companies have now backed out of Libra.
Sensoria Program sends an all-female crew on a mission to ‘Mars’
An all-women crew just finished an inaugural, two-week stint in a Mars habitat simulator as part of what is known as the Sensoria Space Program. It is the first of many female-led missions the new program has planned. Six female scientists spent time conducting research and communication training from January 4 to 18.
Uber responds to gig-economy law by testing driver-led bidding system
Uber drivers in California will be able to set their own fares as part of a new feature the rideshare company is testing as a response to the state’s new gig-economy law, which categorizes individual contractors of a company as employees. Drivers can charge their passengers up to five times the regular ride fare.
NBC’s Peacock streaming service launches in July with free, $5, and $10 tiers
During a Comcast investor meeting on Thursday, the company — which owns NBCUniversal — announced that the Peacock streaming service will debut with three pricing tiers from free to $10. Only one of the tiers will be ad-free.
Moon rooms made of mushrooms could be the future of space habitat
Potential future inhabitants of the moon and Mars could live in rooms made of mushrooms. NASA is looking at the possibilities of fungi as a more sustainable option to metal and glass, since it can easily grow around an existing frame. Scientists are also looking into whether these 'shroom rooms could be used on Earth.
The iPhone 12 could have the performance of a 15-inch MacBook Pro
People are already making predictions about this year’s iPhone, and new reports suggest it could have the performance of a MacBook thanks to the possibility of an A14 processor. An A14 processor chip would allow Apple to jump to 5 nm manufacturing, meaning a faster and more power-efficient iPhone.
Mayor Pete thinks Zuckerberg is too powerful and it’s time to break up Facebook
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg criticized Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, saying that he has too much power and that the social network should be broken up. In a new interview with the New York Times editorial board, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, voiced his concerns over Facebook.
Does your dog love yacht rock? Find out with Spotify’s pet playlist generator
If you’ve ever wondered if your dog prefers rap or rock and roll, Spotify has got the answers with a new pet playlist generator. The generator lets you choose what kind of pet you have, answer some questions, and then curates a playlist based on your pet's personality and your own listening history.
Sleep Number’s Climate360 smart bed warms and cools sleepers for better comfort
To get a better night’s sleep, Sleep Number debuted a new smart bed at CES this week that is sure to lull even insomniacs to sleep by controlling the bed's temperature. The Climate360 Smart Bed creates microclimates on each side of the bed and can be adjusted based on if someone prefers a hot or cold bed.
Need a friend? Samsung’s new humanoid chatbots known as Neons can show emotions
Samsung just debuted an artificial humanoid chatbot at CES 2020. Known as Neon,the technology focuses on realistic-looking humans that also act like real people. They can even speak in different languages. Samsung’s Star Labs group is behind these human-like avatars.
The Atmos is a personal air filter that straps to your face
Ao Air’s Atmos Faceware is trying to solve increasing levels of air pollution throughout the world with a new high-tech gadget in the form of a futuristic-looking air filter face mask. The Atmos debuted at CES 2020 and is a clear mask that goes across your face, covering your nose and mouth.
FDA officially bans fruit- and mint-flavored vaping cartridges
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially banned fruit- and mint-flavored e-cigarette cartridges currently on the market as a result of the vaping illness epidemic that caused lung diseases and deaths over the past year.
Google’s A.I. can now detect breast cancer more accurately than doctors can
Google’s artificial intelligence technology is able to spot signs of breast cancer in women with more accuracy than doctors, according to a new study. By using A.I. technology, there was a reduction in false positives and false negatives when it came to diagnosing forms of breast cancer in women in the U.S. and U.K.
Facebook faces another huge data leak affecting 267 million users
More than 260 million U.S. Facebook users’ IDs, phone numbers, and names were exposed to an online database that could potentially be used for spam and phishing campaigns. Comparitech reports that before the database was taken down, it was found on a hacker forum as a downloadable file.
Senate passes legislation to finally crack down on robocallers
Robocalls may soon be automatically blocked by phone companies, thanks to new legislation that the Senate passed. The TRACED Act would require phone carriers and companies to block robocalls without charging customers extra and require carriers to make sure that customers’ calls are coming from actual numbers.
Data leak exposes personal info of more than 3,000 Ring users
More than 3,000 Amazon Ring cameras were reportedly compromised this past week, exposing the login credentials of users and possibly enabling hackers easy access to all kinds of information. The data leak could have given hackers access to Ring customers’ payment information, camera footage, and video cameras’ history.
You’re not paranoid: Apps are tracking your location 24/7 and it’s totally legal
A shocking new investigation reveals that companies can track you constantly, with your phone constantly broadcasting your exact location at all times. The New York Times looked at data of more than 50 billion location "pings" and found that companies are constantly tracking you.
Google is monitoring animal populations with a giant network of wildlife cameras
A new artificial intelligence program streamlines wildlife conservation monitoring to protect the animals better. Wildlife Insights uses A.I. and the Google Cloud, so conservationists and others can keep tabs on more than 4.5 million animals in the wild without actually disrupting their habitat.
Man hacks Ring camera in woman’s home to make explicit comments
In yet another example of a smart home hack, an in-home Amazon Ring camera was hijacked to make inappropriate comments toward a woman in her California home. The woman said she heard a voice coming from her Ring security camera that was located in her bedroom. The hacker was also able to set off her home's alarms.
DrLupo hopes to raise money for St. Jude’s through Twitch livestream
One Twitch streamer is using his career and fame on the platform to partner with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital for the holiday season. Benjamin Lupo, who is known on the game-streaming platform as DrLupo, hopes to raise $2 million for St. Jude during the 24-hour Play Live event on Saturday, December 21.
Hacker accesses Ring camera in little girl’s bedroom to tell her he’s Santa
A family in Tennessee says that a man hacked into their Amazon Ring security camera to talk to an 8-year-old girl in her bedroom. Ashley LeMay of Memphis said she bought a Ring security camera for Black Friday, but now plans to get rid of it after a hacker accessed the camera to tell her daughter he's Santa Claus.
Apple could release 5 iPhones in 2020 and one without a lightning port in 2021
You may have only just gotten your hands on the new iPhone 11, but new predictions hints at five new iPhone models launching in 2020. TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is predicting that four of the five iPhones would have 5G support. He also predicts an iPhone without a lightning port that would debut in 2021.
Tesla fans want a Cybertruck made of Legos, and it might actually happen
One Lego fan is hoping to make a Lego Cybertruck set a reality. A Lego Ideas user posted a rendering of a Tesla Cybertruck Lego set that looks just like the original version, complete with front trunk and tailgate opening and closing function. So far, the idea is backed by more than 2,100 supporters.
