TPS Consulting Daily

TECHNOLOGY AND MORE!

Conan O'Brien will shoot full-length shows using an iPhone and Skype

77Engadget / 33min
To that end, Conan O'Brien and his staff aim to prove that it's possible to produce a full-length television show from home using technology.
"We have a staff that wants to work, that doesn't want to not get paid, and you just want to keep the business going," Conan executive producer Jeff Ross told Variety .

Samsung shuts down stores in the U.S. and Canada

39Mashable / 25min
Samsung has shut down its branded stores in the U.S. and Canada, the company said in notices on its U.S. and Canadian websites. Citing the "health and safety of our employees, customers and partners" as its "top priority," Samsung said the measure became effective on Tuesday, March 17. The similarly worded notices on both websites did not say for how long the stores will be closed. "We appreciate

Xiaomi Mi 10 with 108MP camera set to launch in India on March 31

24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 23min
Xiaomi has finally confirmed the date for the launch of the Mi 10 in India — March 31.
Years later, Xiaomi made big changes in its structuring, spun off Redmi and Poco as individual brands, and decided that the time was right to return to India’s flagship smartphone space.


This Lexus UX is brandishing a new tattoo

SlashGear / 21min
In some cases, the artist had to engrave through bare metal to achieve the desired look – “the best thing about tattooing the Lexus UX, and the reason why this car was ideal for the project is due to its streamlined shape” added De Sabe.
After many hours of tedious drilling, the artists applied five-liters of car paint to bring the patterns to life.

Volunteers 3D print emergency respiratory valves

Popular Mechanics / 24min
To get around this problem and ease the strain on Italian hospitals, a group of engineers have turned to 3D printing to quickly and easily produce these scares respiratory valves.
According to Cristian Fracass, one of the engineers printing the valves, “We were told the hospital was desperately looking for more valves.

Stephen Colbert shares a powerful message of hope from his back porch

Colbert Fallon Late NightMashable / 25min
Stephen Colbert's self-isolation monologues are getting more and more ambitious. On the first day we had a 10-minute update from his bathtub, but now we've moved on to the full, 15-minute shebang — additional segments and all. On today's Late Show menu are a host of jokes about politics, Cats , social distancing , and a woman who accidentally washed her hands with a block of cheese. There's also

How to improve your WiFi while you're stuck at home

Mashable / 31min
It would be nice if things worked that way, but we live in a world where wireless signals can only do so much on their own, so we need to help them as much as we can.
Still, if you're having signal problems, a direct connection between your device and your router should help stabilize things.

This router is a great buy if you're spending a lot more time at home

VPN ISC SANS Hulu PTMashable / 31min
Syfer looks just like your typical internet router, but is actually an all-in-one privacy solution, with an unlimited smart VPN router, next-gen smart firewall, and smart home and IoT protection.
Social networks want to sell you stuff, so they gather your data.

Take an extra 15% off this electric scooter

Mashable / 31min
TL;DR: As of March 19, you can save an extra 15% off a Levy Plus electric scooter making it just $594.99.
Try the Levy Plus Electric Scooter on for size.

The best dating apps for finding love while social distancing

Mashable / 31min
Hinge is the best app to turn to for conversation — you literally can't match with someone unless one of you likes or comments on a photo or prompt.
If you're using a dating app , it could actually have a positive effect because you now have the opportunity to get to know someone a bit deeper and better before meeting up with them in person.

Sharjah launches first edition of accelerator programme for startups

24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 52min
Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTI Park, said that the programme is aimed at developing and managing an innovation ecosystem within a free zone that promotes research and development and supports the triple helix collaboration among the industry, government, and academia.
In a bid to transform Sharjah into capital for education, art and culture, and innovation, Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park) has launched the first edition of the accelerator programme aimed at bringing startups across the MENA region towards the fourth industrial revolution.

MacBook Air 2020 vs MacBook Air 2019: is it worth an upgrade?

24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 59min
There's also a higher-end MacBook Air 2020, priced at $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$1,999, which comes with a 10th-generation quad-core Intel Core i5 processor – the first time a quad-core CPU has been included in a MacBook Air – 512GB SSD storage and 8GB of RAM.
Not only is this cheaper, but the specs are better, with the entry-level model featuring a dual-core 10th-generation 1.1GHz Intel Core i3 processor with a boost of 3.2GHz, 256GB storage and 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM.

Y Combinator-backed Kosh is a neobank for blue-collar workers in India

52TechCrunch / 1h
This way of banding together people allows Kosh to charge a lower rate of interest on the loan, said Goel.
But before they do that, they need to add some of their colleagues and friends who are also looking for a loan,” explained Aayush Goel, co-founder of Kosh, in an interview with TechCrunch.

SA to prosecute those sharing fake covid-19 news

Popular Mechanics / 1h
The South African government has announced new regulations extending the government’s powers under the state of disaster. These include the ability to prosecute anyone spreading false information about the coronavirus in the country. Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma signed the new regulations on Wednesday 18 March, making them applicable with i

Business readiness: The antidote to moving ahead in an unpredictable world

24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
And when they do, organisations need to be prepared to ensure the safety of their employees, customers and partners and minimise disruptions to their business.
Organisations that enable mobile workstyles are way ahead of the game in this scenario as instead of having to get used to disaster mode as an entirely different way of working, people just keep using the same remote access tools they always do, just in a different physical setting.

MBC Group’s Shahid streaming service offers free VIP subscription

24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
The VIP subscription grants access to Shahid’s premium library of family entertainment, which includes exclusive Shahid Premieres, Shahid Originals, Arabic movies fresh off the big screen, live TV channels in true HD quality, as well as diverse range of offerings to the entire family courtesy of Disney, Marvel, FOX, ABC Studios and more.
The video on demand platform is offering new users a 1-month VIP subscription, starting Friday 20th March.

Realme Narzo will be a new series of smartphones

Realme Narzo 2 6 Series24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne.../ 2h
Notably, all Realme smartphones have been well-rounded devices until now, so the Narzo series could be a specialist of sorts.
91mobiles suggests that the Realme Narzo series will have two smartphones for the first launch.

When the ‘dry powder’ disappears

64TechCrunch / 2h
In extreme downturns, limited partners or LPs — the people and institutions that promise capital to venture capital firms, and then wire it when the VCs need it for their startups — have little choice but to answer the phone less.
“The public markets end up being the ATM for the illiquid stuff,” says Chris Douvos of Ahoy Capital, an LP who has backed such firms as First Round, Data Collective, and True Ventures.
YESTERDAY

SpaceX Crew Dragon's Demo-2 test flight is still scheduled for May

67Engadget / 3h
SpaceX and NASA are pushing through with Crew Dragon's first manned flight in May. They're gearing up for a mid-to-late May launch, so it'll happen a bit later than the original May 7th target date . However, it doesn't sound like they're expecting the coronavirus outbreak to cause a huge delay. The historic flight will launch humans to space from US soil for the first time since the final space

The best VPNs for watching Hulu in the UK

VPN ISC SANS Hulu PTMashable / 3h
To prevent users outside the U.S. from accessing its shows and movies, Hulu requires two things of its accountholders: a U.S.-issued form of payment and a U.S. IP (internet protocol) address — that's the numerical ID containing information about your location and web activity that gets assigned to your device by your internet search provider, or ISP, when you connect to a local network.
Unlimited bandwidth • Supports up to seven simultaneous connections • Kill switch • Dedicated IP addresses available • 45-day money-back guarantee

Facebook’s $1,000 bonus only applies to full-time employees working from home, not contractors

Zuckerberg Facebook96TechCrunch / 3h
In the call covered by the BBC, Zuckerberg said that Facebook full-time employees will take over decisions about sensitive topics, including self-harm and suicide, in part to reduce the mental health impact of viewing such content on contractors, and added he was “personally quite worried that the isolation from people being at home could potentially lead to more depression or mental health issues, and I want to make sure that we are ahead of that supporting our community.”
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an internal memo earlier this week that the company will give employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic a $1,000 cash bonus.

Air Canada to Sharply Cut International, US flights

One Mile at a Time / 4h
Air Canada announced today that it would be shutting down the vast majority of its international and transborder flights effective April 1, 2020, as well as curtailing some of its domestic flights.
On the home front, Air Canada will continue to serve all 13 provinces and territories, but the domestic network will drop from 62 airports to 40.

Your next phone might get revolutionary new storage tech that may never come to PCs

32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
uMCp5 will offer 12GB of LPDDR5-6400 memory in a dual-channel arrangement (for enhanced performance), 256 GB of 96-layer 3D TLC NAND storage with a UFS interface and an onboard controller.
Mid-range smartphones are first in line to receive a new type of component that combines super-fast memory and storage in one physical package, cutting cost thanks to increased simplicity.

Elon Musk: Tesla 'will make ventilators if there is a shortage'

Elon Musk Tesla Fremont3KEngadget / 4h
Which hospitals have these shortages you speak of right now?" and people began pointing out the problems faced in Italy where doctors have reported exactly such shortages.
Finally, Musk said "Ventilators are not difficult, but cannot be produced instantly.

SLING TV launches free tier to get people to “Stay in & SLING”

SlashGear / 5h
Some of those services, however, do require some form of paid subscription so what better way to both show solidarity and also advertise their product than by offering a new free tier, which is exactly what SLING TV is doing to give its streaming service a bit of good publicity.
Calling it “Stay in & SLING” the new free tier expands on previously limited offers by including dozens of channels and hundreds of movies and shows in the no-cost package.

If you're going to fake paying attention with Zoom backgrounds, make it a looping video

100+Mashable / 5h
But if you really want to get away with it, Mailchimp Engineering Manager and remote meeting pro David Zhou suggests setting your background to a looping video of yourself.
Zoom has become the go-to video platform for remote calls, online classes, and social distancing parties.

GameStop to launch DOOM Eternal before Animal Crossing for crowd control

GameStop Midnight ACSlashGear / 5h
That’s why GameStop is announcing that two games launching on March 20 won’t be launching at the same time in the hopes that the crowds will be split more or less in half during in two days.
DOOM Eternal, which takes place after the events of 2016’s DOOM sequel, will be available from GameStop stores on March 19.

Jimmy Fallon's kids create adorable chaos and Lin-Manuel Miranda performs on the DIY 'Tonight Show'

500+Mashable / 6h
Can Jimmy Fallon do his shows from home even after the coronavirus pandemic ends, please? The Roots can write a new album and we can keep his new (literal) house band, The Franny and Winnie Fallon Bang-On-A-Cup Experience. Day 2 of Fallon's Tonight Show: Home Edition features a lot more of his two young daughters than Day 1 , with the host trying to deliver a monologue off an A4 page while being

Dammit, Legends of Tomorrow, It's Only Wednesday

100+Gizmodo / 6h
Juliet: Dawn of Justness,” which aired on Tuesday night, was the final episode for Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford, who’ve played Ray Palmer and Nora Darhk on Legends .
William Shakespeare, looking decidedly like Joseph Fiennes’ Shakespeare in Love version, ends up turning Romeo and Juliet into a Justice League- style crossover event after watching the gang get into a super-powered fight.

Ray tracing comes to more games thanks to new software tools

100+Engadget / 6h
The Khronos Group has released "provisional" ray tracing extensions for Vulkan, the open graphics standard effectively replacing OpenGL on multiple platforms.
Whether or not developers support the approach depends on their reliance on Vulkan and willingness to implement ray tracing in the first place.

Galaxy Tab S7 or Tab S20 reportedly already in the works

SlashGear / 6h
Depending on when it launches its own Galaxy Tab S tablets, Samsung could try to aim for both high-end and mid-range markets at the same time.
The SM-TXXX names have always been used for Samsung’s high-end Galaxy Tab S but the previous models all had SM-T8XX in their names.

PSA: You Can Watch News and Other Content Free on Sling Without an Account

69How-To Geek / 6h
We’ve tried to put together the best TV streaming value guide and failed. But what if the best value was actually something free? Good news, for a few months now, Sling has offered free news, movies, and shows. Best of all, you don’t need to sign up for an account or provide a credit card. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

GOG Stay At Home collection has free PC games to while the time away

29SlashGear / 7h
What all these games have in common, being distributed by GOG, is that they all come free of DRM.
There are more interactive forms of entertainment, the ones we call “games”, and Good Old Games is dusting off its shelf of free games and presenting them as a more engaging way to keep sane and, at the same time, mentally active to some extent.

Twitter broadly bans any COVID-19 tweets that could help the virus spread

Facebook Twitter YouTube300+TechCrunch / 7h
The new policy bans tweets denying expert guidance on the virus, encouraging “fake or ineffective treatments, preventions and diagnostic techniques” as well as tweets that mislead users by pretending to be from health authorities or experts.
On Wednesday, Twitter updated its safety policy to prohibit tweets that “could place people at a higher risk of transmitting COVID-19.”

FreshDirect says worker who tested positive for COVID-19 not involved in food prep or delivery

72TechCrunch / 7h
The news is unsurprising, as the pandemic spreads across the U.S. As of tonight, more than 8,000 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, across all States and D.C. As residents increasingly adhere to stay in place orders, food deliver is becoming an even more essential aspect of daily life.
Popular online grocer FreshDirect sent an email today notifying consumers that a warehouse worker has tested positive for COVID-19.

Here’s What Comic Book Stores Are Doing to Help Combat Covid-19

100+Gizmodo / 7h
One of the biggest challenges facing comic book store owners as more cities are implementing measures to combat the covid-19 outbreak is the fact that people simply do not want to (and in some cases can not) patronize their brick and mortar businesses.
For stores that are being drastically impacted by the outbreak, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation is offering financial assistance for those who need it, but BINC executive director Pamela French made clear in a statement that retailers shouldn’t hesitate to reach out for help even if their struggles aren’t strictly covid-19-related.

Android 11 Developer Preview 2 promises improvements for foldable phones

Google Android 11 Pixel44TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
You can download the new version from the Android Developer blog , but as was the case with the first release, it’s still only compatible with Google Pixel handsets (excluding the first generation) and you’ll need to flash your device in order to install it, unless you have the previous version which will get updated over-the-air.
Some improvements to additions from the first Developer Preview have landed too, with 5G detection getting more granular so that apps can more accurately tell when a user is on a high-speed network and adapt its experience accordingly.
Also in
Between the Lines
Android Central +3 sources

Twitter clamps down on coronavirus hoaxes and fake ‘experts’

Twitter Coronavirus100+Engadget / 7h
Under the policies , the company will require users to remove tweets that deny "expert guidance," promote "fake or ineffective treatments," or share "misleading content purporting to be from experts or authorities."
Twitter detailed several examples of the kinds of tweets that would be removed under the new rules, including the claim about holding your breath.

Galaxy S20 GPS lock issue joins growing list of problems

Samsung Galaxy S20SlashGear / 7h
From day one, people have been reporting a growing number of issues with the phone, ranging from wireless charging to its much-boasted cameras.
This new issue is just the latest of what seems to be a slowly expanding list of complaints about the Galaxy S20 phones.

The next BMW 7 Series lineup will include an all-electric car

77Engadget / 8h
BMW's next-generation Series 7 luxury sedan models will include an all-electric version, according to Autocar .
According to Autoblog , the zero-emission 7 Series model will be powered by BMW's fifth-generation electric technology -- the same one that'll power the i4.
Also in
The Unofficial Apple...
Engadget +1 sources

NASA, SpaceX Still Aiming to Launch Manned Crew Dragon Demo-2 Test as Early as May

95Gizmodo / 8h
A NASA media invitation posted on Wednesday and first reported on by TechCrunch said that SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Demo-2 test, which will send astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Falcon 9 rocket, is “currently targeting no earlier than mid-to-late May for launch.”
NASA and SpaceX are still planning on conducting the first manned commercial crew program launch to space as early as May, indicating that the timetable for the mission has not shifted despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Slack is rolling out a simpler redesigned UI with new features

SlashGear / 8h
The new design includes the ability to start a new message from anywhere in the app using a dedicated ‘compose’ button, as well as better options for organizing channels and shortcuts for various actions.
The company is rolling out the new design over the next several weeks, according to Slack, which boasts that its paid users spend an average of more than nine hours on the platform every business day.
Also in
TechCrunch
TechSpot +1 sources

Gently undulating jellyfish are the soothing stars of this gorgeous guided meditation

200+Mashable / 8h
March Mindfulness is Mashable's series that examines the intersection of meditation practice and technology. Because even in the time of coronavirus, March doesn't have to be madness. We're all in need of a little calm right now, and the natural world is full of chill inspiration. If you're not a meditation regular already, guided meditations are a great way to start. This gem from the Monterey B

This Weapon Is Not Your Life

31Gizmodo / 8h
Our heroes are likewise desolate: Leia, desperate to find a way to recover Han; Luke, shaken by the revelation of his lineage, unsure of his place in the Force; and Lando, unsure of just what he’s gotten himself into with these upstart rebels.
As a frustrated Luke realizes the odds are against him, he attempts a drastic move: After trying to shut himself off from the Force in the wake of his father’s revelations, he reached out, attempting to seek out the weapon that, in his eyes, is what defines him as a Jedi, even after learning his heritage as the child of a Sith Lord.

Twitter steps up enforcement in the face of coronavirus misinformation

100+Mashable / 8h
"Update: we’re expanding our safety rules to include content that could place people at a higher risk of transmitting COVID-19," read the announcement .
Notably, those changes include: "Denial of expert guidance," "Encouragement to use fake or ineffective treatments, preventions, and diagnostic techniques," and "Misleading content purporting to be from experts or authorities."

Samsung is closing all US stores due to COVID-19

SlashGear / 8h
We often hear about tech stores being closed in countries like China and Italy because of the widespread cases of confirmed COVID-19 infections there.
The close contact could inevitably lead to the risk of COVID-19 infection and Samsung can’t risk both the health of its employees and customers as well as the PR mess it would result in.

Senators ask Alphabet how it will protect COVID-19 screening site data

100+Engadget / 9h
Five Democratic senators have sent letters to Vice President Mike Pence and Alphabet chief Sundar Pichai asking if they've studied the potential for privacy and security holes in Verily's Baseline triage system.
Verily was only using Google platforms to "safely store and protect" Baseline's health data, the representative said.

Qantas to end international flying through May, ground all wide-bodies

500+The Points Guy / 9h
The Australian carrier become the latest major airline to announce draconian cuts to its schedule in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
After that, Qantas said international flying “will then be suspended until at least the end of May 2020.”

PS5 specs: why Sony faces an uphill battle

PS5 Sony PlayStation 568TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
While Sony lead system architect Mark Cerny spent a long time talking about SSDs and the PS5 vs PS4 loading times – and that's something we'll definitely get into in a bit – something else takes priority here, and it's boost clocks.
But, the difference in how the PS5 is going to handle boost clocks vs the Xbox Series X is one of the biggest distinctions between two platforms that are using pretty similar silicon.

Jalopnik Here's How The New Tesla Model Y Compares To The Model 3 | Jezebel What To Expect When You're Expecting During...

36Lifehacker / 9h
Jalopnik Here's How The New Tesla Model Y Compares To The Model 3 | Jezebel What To Expect When You're Expecting During a Pandemic | The A.V. Club Fox News’ coronavirus response is just the latest evidence that they don’t care about anything | The Root Linda Fairstein Files Federal Suit Against Ava DuVernay Over Her Portrayal in When They See Us | Read more...

Facebook content moderators paid to work from home

Zuckerberg Facebook300+BBC News - Technology / 9h
He added some decisions about the most sensitive topics - including content involving self-harm and suicide - would be taken over by Facebook's full-time staff because the infrastructure was not in place to support the mental health repercussions of the contractors dealing with the posts.
On a call with reporters, Facebook's chief Mark Zuckerberg said the contract workers would still get their full salaries even if they were unable to do all their normal tasks.

John Constantine hates his hipster replacement in this Hellblazer exclusive

200+Gizmodo / 9h
Written by The Dreaming ’s Simon Spurrier—check out last week’s Big Issues for more on his phenomenal work on that title—this new Hellblazer title is an exceptional return to form featuring stunning artwork from artists Aaron Campbell, Matías Bergara, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Aditya Bidikar.
While that iteration still exists in books like Justice League Dark , the original Constantine has returned in all his messy glory in the new John Constantine: Hellblazer series.

Five Inexpensive Add-Ons to Power Up Your Home-Built PC

28Lifehacker / 9h
(Check the manual if you aren’t sure.) I’m using this MSI TPM on my MSI motherboard, but there are models for ASRock , ASUS , and other boards if you look around.
You may need to do some digging to find the right one for your motherboard, but in my case, the MSI TPM has worked on three separate MSI boards without issue.

Love Is Blind in Quarantine

200+NYT > Technology / 9h
Mr. Lam and his roommate, Rance Nix, 28, are hoping to replicate the experiment virtually, as the new coronavirus has confined many people to their homes.
For singles practicing social distancing in their houses and apartments, dating presents some obvious challenges.

Jose Canseco’s Credit Card Advice

View from the Wing / 9h
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print pub

Apple's new iPad has built-in laser depth-scanner

Apple MacBook Air Keyboard200+BBC News - Technology / 9h
Apple said the Lidar technology can also be used for measurement apps, to more accurately deduce a person’s height, for example, or the width of an object.
Apple has announced its first mobile device to feature laser-scanning technology, which the firm says will aid augmented reality apps.
Also in
Ars Technica

The 20 best startups from Y Combinator’s W20 Demo Day

100+TechCrunch / 10h
With world events overtaking the tech world’s preferences to meet for coffees and convene at events, Y Combinator skipped its famous two-day live Demo event and went for a radical experiment: no demos at all, but instead a long list of the nearly 200 startups in its Winter 2020 batch, with links to their sites and one-page slides. We’ve done the legwork for you in giving you a full rundown of who

Photokina 2020 postponed two whole years due to Covid-19

56TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
This announcement comes only three weeks after Photokina organizers said everything would go on as per schedule, but growing health concerns have prompted Koelnmesse GmbH to cancel all events that it organizes at least until June 2020.
However, instead of postponing the show for a few months or moving it to next year, event organizer Koelnmesse GmbH says the next instalment of Photokina will only take place in May 2022.

NASA and SpaceX targeting mid-to-late May for first astronaut launch, despite coronavirus pandemic

200+TechCrunch / 10h
SpaceX was reportedly early on readying the Crew Dragon spacecraft that would be flying the mission, but NASA also changed the mission parameters to include a longer stay at the International Space Station for the crew going up on the demo mission, astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.
This will be the first time ever that astronauts fly aboard a SpaceX spacecraft, and the first crewed mission for the commercial crew program, through which NASA is working with private company launch operators to return human spaceflight capabilities to American soil.

How To Get To Calala Island (Brace Yourself)

55One Mile at a Time / 10h
Even once you get to Managua Airport, your transfer to Calala Island includes planes, cars, and boats.
The transfer first includes flying to the Nicaraguan coastal city of Bluefields, then you have to take a car to the port of Bluefields, and then there’s a 90-120 minute boat ride to the resort.

eBay's dishing out AU$99 Apple AirPods in new Plus-exclusive sale

24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
eBay Australia is rolling out a selection of mid-season mega deals exclusive to Plus members over the next few days, with a number of hot tech products seeing a huge price drop. Those highly sought-after items will come from the likes of Apple, Bose, Sony and Dyson – plus there's exclusive discounts on upcoming Switch games such as Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing. We've done the graft for you an

NYSE will temporarily move to all-electronic stock trading

NYSE Temporarily Trading300+Engadget / 10h
If you thought it was incredibly risky to have legions of traders gather at the New York Stock Exchange in light of the COVID-19 pandemic , you're not the only one. Intercontinental Exchange is temporarily closing the physical NYSE floors in New York and San Francisco on March 23rd in favor of all-electronic trading. Business and regulatory oversight will carry on during the usual hours -- trader

Zuckerberg tries to prevent Facebook server ‘melt down’ as WhatsApp call volume spikes

Zuckerberg Facebook1KMashable / 10h
That news comes directly from Mark Zuckerberg who, on a Wednesday conference call regarding Facebook's response to COVID-19, told members of the press that the voice call volume for WhatsApp and Messenger in Italy, and other countries significantly affected by the coronavirus is more than double normal levels.
In response, Facebook has had to beef up its infrastructure and capacity of its servers, noting that it has already doubled the server capacity for WhatsApp. Zuckerberg said Facebook must continue to plan and build for even more strain on its infrastructure in case the coronavirus spreads more widely around the world in countries whose citizens rely on WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram as their primary means of communication .

NYSE will temporarily close its trading floor and move to electronic trading only

NYSE Temporarily Trading100+TechCrunch / 10h
The New York Stock Exchange will close its trading floor on Monday, March 23 and fully move to electronic trading, the exchange’s operator Intercontinental Exchange announced today.
“NYSE’s trading floors provide unique value to issuers and investors, but our markets are fully capable of operating in an all-electronic fashion to serve all participants, and we will proceed in that manner until we can re-open our trading floors to our members,” said Cunningham in the announcement.

Fortnite changes you’ve missed: Slurp Trucks gone, cabbages inbound

SlashGear / 10h
In addition, Fortnite data-miner FireMonkey has announced the discovery of new consumables in the game version 12.20 files, including ones called ‘Apple Sun,’ cabbage, banana, apple, coconut, corn, and pepper.
Data-miners have been picking through the most recent update game files and have identified some interesting bits of information that hint at future consumables, including cabbages.

Charter staff told to report to offices despite positive coronavirus tests

1KTechCrunch / 10h
Internal emails and correspondence sent by multiple Charter employees, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution from the company, show several staff in offices across the U.S. have shown symptoms and have been tested for the coronavirus strain, known as COVID-19.
Staff at telecommunications giant Charter Communications are still having to work from corporate offices — against the advice from the federal government — despite at least one employee testing positive for coronavirus and other staff coming into contact with another confirmed case.

Global Entry enrollment temporarily suspended due to coronavirus

The Points Guy / 10h
Customs and Border Protection, the agency that oversees the Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI trusted traveler programs, announced Wednesday that enrollment in all three would be suspended beginning Thursday (March 19) through at least May 1.
CBP will continue to monitor the situation in order to resume enrollment centers interviews as soon as possible,” the statement said.

Cheap TV deals at Walmart: price cuts from Samsung, Sony, LG and more

Samsung Galaxy S2024TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Walmart's TV sale includes massive price cuts from top brands like Samsung, LG, Sony, and more.
Our top Walmart TV deal is the Samsung 55-inch 4K TV that's on sale for just $328 .

Build Your Own Portable, Packable Work-From-Home Setup

Lifehacker / 10h
AmazonBasics has their own laptop stand for half the price, but it isn’t really adjustable or portable—the Nexstand is well worth the extra money if you want a workstation you can tear down at the end of the day (so you can actually use your dining room table for, you know, eating).
Finally, while it isn’t strictly necessary, a pair of headphones can go a long way when working from home—especially if you’re in a common area, like the kitchen or dining room.

Jalopnik Here's How The New Tesla Model Y Compares To The Model 3 | Jezebel What To Expect When You're Expecting During...

36Gizmodo / 10h
Jalopnik Here's How The New Tesla Model Y Compares To The Model 3 | Jezebel What To Expect When You're Expecting During a Pandemic | The A.V. Club Fox News’ coronavirus response is just the latest evidence that they don’t care about anything | The Root Linda Fairstein Files Federal Suit Against Ava DuVernay Over Her Portrayal in When They See Us | Read more...

Mitsubishi’s SpaceJet takes first flight in bid to become player in regional jet market

The Points Guy / 11h
“Today’s announcement is especially encouraging, as it marks the start of certification flight testing for the first SpaceJet M90 in final, certifiable configuration,” Alex Bellamy, Mitsubishi Aircraft’s chief development officer said in a statement .
The M90 SpaceJet departed Wednesday afternoon from the Nagoya Airport in Japan and performed flight tests over the Pacific Ocean for about two hours before returning to the field.

Uber Eats waiving delivery fees for local restaurants during the coronavirus outbreak

87The Points Guy / 11h
That’s why we’re waiving the Delivery Fee for all orders from every independent restaurant on Uber Eats — more than 100,000 local restaurants on the app.
Uber Eats announced that it is waiving all delivery fees for local restaurants as of March 16.

DOJ Kills One of the Best Ways to Settle Legal Cases Against Polluters

84Gizmodo / 11h
But the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division announced an end to these supplemental environmental projects, or SEPs, in a memo last Thursday, claiming that the program violates a federal act requiring money acquired by the government in court to go straight into the U.S. Treasury.
“SEPs have been really good tools to create local and immediate impacts that the courts might not otherwise have been able to grant under the statutes that they’re suing under,” Scott Edwards, Food and Water Justice Director at the environmental organization Food and Water Watch, told Earther.

Watch Sony's PS5 deep dive in under 10 minutes

PS5 Sony PlayStation 5500+Engadget / 11h
Today Sony revealed a ton of information and specs about the upcoming PlayStation 5 . Everything from its speedy SSD, details on the clock speed of its CPU and GPU and plans for 3D audio are now revealed. If you tuned in for the hour-long livestream then you've probably heard everything, but if you'd prefer to cut out any filler or just get a quick replay then we have the solution. Besides a rund

Can Apple keep the AR industry alive?

Apple Pro LIDAR AR92TechCrunch / 11h
The reasons why increasingly seem to have little to do with individual technical features of the development platform or camera hardware.
For the AR industry, the hardware inclusion amounts to an industry gift, signaling once again that Apple is still committed to making an augmented reality future happen.

Who is this $2,300 luxury fitness watch really for?

36TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
This is far from the first smartwatch from a luxury brand to hit the market – the Montblanc Summit 2 , for instance, came out a year ago – but there’s a fitness edge to the new Tag Heuer Connected that seems at odds with vigorous exercise.
At its lightest configuration – with titanium case and rubber watchband – the Connected weighs 86g, which is twice as heavy as the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 (42g).

How to watch Motherland: Fort Salem online - stream the new show from anywhere

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Set to cast its spell on audiences across the globe, Motherland: Fort Salem is a new supernatural drama that follows a group of young cadets learning to conjure at a US military academy.
With that in mind, here's how to watch Motherland: Fort Salem and stream the new series online from all corners of the globe.

Tesla Told Employees to Show Up for Work on Wednesday Despite Shelter-in-Place Order

Elon Musk Tesla Fremont300+Gizmodo / 11h
Electric car company Tesla asked employees to show up to work on Wednesday despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, including at its sprawling Fremont, California, production facility, according to emails obtained by CNBC .
According to CNBC, in an email to workers on Wednesday, Tesla North America HR leader Valerie Workman wrote the company had received “conflicting guidance from different levels of government.”

China says it has approved a coronavirus vaccine for clinical trials

61SlashGear / 11h
Chinese state media has announced that a subunit vaccine against the novel coronavirus has been developed and is now entering clinical trials.
In its announcement this week, Chinese media said that the Academy of Military Medical Sciences Major General Chen Wei, a bioengineer, and her team developed the subunit vaccine in Wuhan.

Unfortunately, There's No Butthole Cut of Cats

Seth Rogen Butthole Cats1KGizmodo / 11h
Tuesday marked the digital release of Tom Hooper’s Cats and the timing probably couldn’t have been better, what with the majority of the world self-isolating ( hopefully ) in their houses.
However, there were a dozen or so shot where the skin and fur sim was groomed or just folded in a way that really REALLY looked like very furry lady genitals and buttholes by accident.

Coronavirus Disrupts Social Media’s First Line of Defense

500+Wired / 11h
The automated systems Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other sites use vary, but often work by detecting things like keywords, automatically scanning images, and looking for other signals that a post violates the rules.
Klonick says what struck her about the most recent report, from November, was that the majority of takedown decisions Facebook reversed came from its automated flagging tools and technologies.

Meditation apps offer free mindfulness, as social distancing takes a toll

100+TechCrunch / 11h
As we collectively lose our grip on reality and socialization and increasingly turn to technology to cope, a number of meditation apps are offering up content free to help folks recenter as we push to shelter in place.
Those who qualify need only email help [at] simple habit.com and note that they’re in a precarious financial position due to the pandemic.

VC firms offer group therapy for founders due to the COVID-19 outbreak

100+TechCrunch / 11h
Sulenes, the founder and executive director, noted that while these firms were in prior communication with Atlas, the outbreak helped increase their business with the company (in other words, the world ending inspired the firms to bring its mental health resources out to its portfolio founders).
More recently, as a response to the coronavirus outbreak, the company was hired by a number of venture capital firms to provide mental health services to portfolio companies.

Facebook is making Workplace Advanced free to emergency services and governments

64TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
In an effort to help emergency services and governments deal with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Facebook has announced that it will offer the premium version of its workplace chat service, Workplace Advanced , to them for free for 12 months.
Google and Microsoft offer free teleconferencing tools to combat coronavirus

TikTok names experts who will help shape its content policies

TikTok Content98Engadget / 11h
TikTok has named the group of experts who will help guide the app's content moderation policies as part of the newly formed "Content Advisory Council." The group, chaired by George Washington University Law Professor Dawn Nunziato , is made up of academics who are experts in issues like child safety, free speech, politics, and video forensics. The seven-member council (the company says it will ev

These are the only long-haul routes American, Delta, Hawaiian and United plan to fly in April

500+The Points Guy / 11h
Atlanta (ATL) – Amsterdam (AMS), Lagos (LOS), London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Sanitago de Chile (SCL, resumes April 1), São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU), and Tokyo Haneda (HND)
Delta Air Lines will ground more than two-thirds of the carrier for several months, and United Airlines has lopped off 85% of international capacity .

Intel CPUs at risk from new 'Snoop' attack

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Many popular Intel processors, including those from the company's Core and Xeon lines, are vulnerable to Snoop attacks and you can check this list to see all of the CPUs that are affected.
Wieczorkiewicz promptly reported the issue to Intel and following its own investigations into the matter, the chipmaker realized that patches released back in August of 2018 to fix the Foreshadow vulnerability could also be applied to this new attack.

Netflix Party makes virtual movie theater for COVID-19 quarantine

63SlashGear / 12h
There’s a new system called Netflix Party with which you’ll be able to connect with friends and sync streaming video.
Take a peek at Netflix Party dot com to get the extension for your Chrome web browser.

Watch These Coronavirus-Ignoring Idiots Having a Great Spring Break, Dooming Us

8KFuturism / 12h
With apologies to T.S. Eliot: This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a bro, on spring break. Oh my god. https://t.co/BCalUyQ6Dz pic.twitter.com/qmmaEmQxvt — Tim Hogan (@timjhogan) March 18, 2020 The smooth-brained knuckle-dragging morons portrayed above are, writ large, our long national nightmare, and Great Americans, at least in the sense that they subscribe to a historic tra

10 Must-Have Accessories for Your New iPad

40Lifehacker / 12h
But there needs to be a dongle for this, as the iPad Pro line has just one USB-C Port (Or two, once the Magic Keyboard peripheral releases in May)
After today’s announcements from Apple, we’ve been blessed with a new iPad Pro, and a keyboard that also comes with a trackpad.

Urban Coyotes Live Off Trash, Fruit, and Cats

300+Gizmodo / 12h
The new research, a project of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), shows that 65 percent of an urban coyote’s diet comes from trash, fruiting ornamental plants, and domesticated animals, namely cats.
A multi-year survey in the Los Angeles metropolitan area shows that nearly two-thirds of an urban coyote’s diet comes from human-related sources—including a surprising amount of cats.

Crazy Times Bring Out Dumb Ideas, and Nationalizing Airlines Is The Worst

32View from the Wing / 12h
And what’s to suggest that a nationalized airline , actually run by the government (“airlines will be again treated as public utilities”), means better service – when an airline isn’t answerable to customers, just to politicians?
The Prospect piece lays all complaints about airlines at the feet of ‘deregulation’ which it fails to understand, when in fact airlines have their own regulator in the Department of Transportation that other businesses do not answer to.

NASA Apollo 15 astronaut Alfred Worden dies at 88

27SlashGear / 12h
Worden was a command module pilot on the Apollo 15 lunar landing; he spent time in orbit while two other astronauts explored the Moon.
Worden stayed in orbit while fellow astronauts James B Irwin, a lunar model pilot, and commander David Scott explored the Moon’s surface.

Popcorn Time Is Back to Help You Stream Movies and TV Shows

Popcorn Time VPN ISC SANS73Lifehacker / 12h
Most of us will probably fire up one of the many paid streaming services to get our content fix, but there are also plenty of free options , too, including Popcorn Time—a popular (and notoriously not-so-legal) free streaming app that uses BitTorrent technology to find and watch videos.
Unlike other BitTorrent apps, Popcorn Time allows for near-instant playback of whatever you want to watch—you don’t have to wait for any downloads to finish.