Hi-tech

All things tech, but some other stuff sprinkled in…

Fitness Technology
Health-Related Job Openings at Apple up 400% Since 2017
MacTrast - Chris Hauk
- Jan 17, 2019 A new report says health-related job openings at Apple have risen a whopping 400% since 2017. The numbers shouldn’t come as a huge …
Copyright Directive
Google shows its bleak vision of search under new EU copyright laws
Engadget - Jon Fingas
It's a digital ghost town, according to Google. Google hasn't been shy about decrying the consequences of the EU's proposed Copyright Directive. Now, however, it's using stark visuals to illustrate its
Gear & Gadgets
Leak: That sure looks like a Galaxy S10+ you’ve got there…
TNW - Napier Lopez
Samsung is set to announce its latest flagship phones next month, but that isn’t stopping the rumor mill from churning. Today, we got our first look at what sure looks like the Galaxy S10+ in public, the
Wireless
Digital license plates are now allowed in Michigan
The Verge - Shannon Liao
But they cost a lot Digital license plates are now allowed in Michigan thanks to a new state law. It will join California and Arizona as one of the few states in the US that allow digital license plates,
Android News
Oppo confirms 10x zoom camera for smartphones
The Verge - Sam Byford
From 15.9 to 159mm Oppo has confirmed that it’s developing a smartphone camera system with a 10x zoom lens, as rumored. The tech is similar to the 5x zoom prototype the company showed off a couple of ago,
Technology
Roku pulls InfoWars channel citing complaints from ‘concerned parties’
The Verge - Jon Porter
Previously it said that the channel hadn’t broken any of its rules After an intense social media backlash, Roku has backtracked on its decision to allow the InfoWars channel on its service. In a tweet
Social Media
Why screen time studies can’t measure the effect of smartphones on our well being
The Verge - Casey Newton
What a new paper in Nature misses about the world smartphones created What is the correlation between screen time and adolescent well-being? It’s an important question for which we have limited and often
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Mysterious PS4 game Vane doesn’t tell you anything, and that’s the best thing about it
The Verge - Andrew Webster
A short and difficult experience that channels Playdead and Fumito Ueda Vane is a hard game to put into words, which is appropriate since it doesn’t have any in it. Initially, it plays like the descendant
Motorola
Motorola’s RAZR is returning as a $1,500 folding smartphone
The Verge - Chaim Gartenberg
The price of nostalgia The legendary Motorola RAZR might be making a comeback as a $1,500 foldable screen smartphone, and it could launch as early as February, according to a new report from The Wall Journal.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile executives repeatedly stayed at Trump hotel while pushing for merger approval
The Verge - Colin Lecher
Executives checked in the day after announcing the merger As T-Mobile pushed for government approval for its merger with Sprint, company executives repeatedly stayed at a Trump hotel, according to a new
Rocket League
Fortnite made an estimated $2.4 billion last year
The Verge - Andrew Webster
That’s a lot of skins In 2018, Fortnite became a full-fledged pop culture phenomenon, one that has turned out to be incredibly lucrative. According to analyst firm SuperData, Fortnite was the top-grossing
Apple
Apple’s new battery cases are its most powerful ones yet
The Verge - Shannon Liao and Chaim Gartenberg
Not the smallest, as previously stated Apple’s newly launched battery cases for the iPhone XS and XS Max have more battery capacity than any of Apple’s prior cases. The Verge initially reported that the
Fortnite
Fortnite vulnerability let hackers take over player accounts
The Verge - Shannon Liao
After the takeover, attackers could potentially use the accounts to buy V-Bucks A Fortnite security bug let attackers access user accounts after they clicked a suspicious link that was sent to them. Researchers
Discussion Forum
Slack’s new logo trades a hashtag for a pinwheel
The Verge - Casey Newton
Part of a marketing push ahead of its stock going public Slack, the workplace chat app that plans to become a public company this year, is making a new marketing push that includes an updated logo. The
Apple
Apple’s iPhone XS battery case actually works with the iPhone X
The Verge - Sean Hollister and Chris Welch
Even though Apple says it isn’t compatible It looks like the new $129 Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS will support last year’s flagship iPhone X after all. Yesterday, it seemed like Apple was leaving
Columbia University
Largest US twin study probes whether nature or nurture makes us sick
The Verge - Angela Chen
The method the researchers used can bring us more insights in the future Data from a private insurance company has given scientists a new way to study whether nature or nurture matters more when it comes
Chinese Communist Party
Huawei could face charges over trade secrets in new federal investigation
The Verge - Makena Kelly
An indictment could come soon Federal prosecutors are pursuing a criminal investigation into the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei for reportedly stealing trade secrets and misappropriating technology
Android News
Android Q leak reveals system-wide dark mode and bigger emphasis on privacy
The Verge - Chris Welch
Expect to hear more about Android Q in the spring If the usual cycle holds, it’s going to be a few months before Google is ready to share anything about Android Q. But XDA Developers apparently managed
Apple
Apple reportedly plans to slow down hiring after weak iPhone sales
The Verge - Shannon Liao
CEO Tim Cook made the announcement after adjusting Apple’s earnings guidance for next quarter Apple will slow down its hiring in some divisions after holiday iPhone sales came in lower than expected, to
U.S. Politics
T-Mobile announced a merger needing Trump administration approval. The next day, 9 executives had reservations at Trump’s
The Washington Post - By Jonathan O'Connell, David A. Fahrenthold
Last April, telecom giant T-Mobile announced a megadeal: a $26 billion merger with rival Sprint, which would more than double T-Mobile’s value and give it a huge new chunk of the cellphone market. But
Batteries
iOS 12.1: Does your iPhone have a battery problem? (2019 edition)
ZDNet
Have you just installed iOS 12? If this is the case, the best thing to do is wait a couple of days for the dust to settle following the install. After …
Social Media
Google and Facebook employees are teaming up against their bosses
The Verge - Casey Newton
How tech workers are coming together to fight forced arbitration Last week we wrote about a pair of new lawsuits against Google’s parent company, Alphabet, alleging that the board acted improperly in it
Apps
This tiny Bluetooth chip doesn’t need a battery because it harvests energy from the air
The Verge - Jon Porter
Amazon and Samsung are both investors, and a full release planned for 2020 The Internet of Things promises to connect billions of otherwise ordinary devices to the internet, but when each one needs to
Technology
Hands-on with Nike’s self-lacing, app-controlled sneaker of the future
The Verge - Ashley Carman
Say hello to Adapt BB I flew across the country to Portland to experience the Adapt BB, Nike’s new self-lacing, Bluetooth-enabled sneakers, but the guy showing me around campus is wearing a pair of Zoom
Amazon’s Fire TV stick now comes with a remote that can control your TV
The Verge - Chaim Gartenberg
The previously $30 IR-compatible remote will now be bundled for free Amazon is now including its upgraded Alexa voice remote with its entry-level $39.99 Fire TV Stick, replacing the old, basic remote the
Molecular Biology
Facial recognition and AI could be used to identify rare genetic disorders
The Verge - James Vincent
Algorithms could help spot facial features linked to rare conditions A facial recognition scan could become part of a standard medical checkup in the not-too-distant future. Researchers have shown how
YouTube
YouTube is testing new, blue recommendation bubbles that appear under videos
The Verge - Julia Alexander
Testing is only affecting a small group of users right now YouTube is testing a new recommendation format for both mobile and desktop users that use blue bubbles to suggest keywords, creators, and related
Raspberry Pi
The ‘Computer’ Mouse is a mouse that is also a fully functional computer
The Verge - Chaim Gartenberg
The mouse is a computer, but also still works as a mouse for that computer The computer mouse is one of the most important accessories ever invented, one that essentially carried in a new wave of electronic
Qualcomm
Apple Wanted to Use Qualcomm Chips for 2018 iPhones, But Qualcomm Wouldn't Sell Them
MacRumors - by Juli Clover
As the FTC's antitrust trial against Qualcomm continues, Apple's chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, has taken the stand to share details on the terms of Apple's contracts with Qualcomm. There's no