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Motorola One Fusion smartphones rumored to land later this year

Shane McGlaun | Mobile Devices | Apr 20, 2020 3:50 PM CDT

A new rumor is going around that Motorola has a pair of new smartphones coming later this year for Android fans to enjoy. According to the rumor, the Motorola One Fusion series will include the Motorola One Fusion, which carries a codename Titan. The other device will be the Motorola One Fusion+, which carries the codename Liberty. Both the devices (not pictured) were tipped by well-known leaker Evan Blass.

Motorola One Fusion smartphones rumored to land later this year

According to Blass, both devices will land at the end of Q2, meaning they should turn up within the next couple of months. Other leaks have hinted at the hardware that would be found inside the Motorola One Fusion+ smartphone. The leak claims that the device will use a Snapdragon 675 processor paired up with 4GB to 6GB of RAM.

Storage is said to be 64GB or 128GB, and the smartphone is said to use a 12MP primary camera, support dual SIM cards, and lack NFC connectivity. Past reports have indicated that the smartphone will turn up in both India and the United States. The Motorola One line of smartphones has always been a mid-range segment making them affordable for people to buy. The smartphone world could use more mid-range devices with decent performance.

Continue reading: Motorola One Fusion smartphones rumored to land later this year (full post)

New Apple rumor pegs new AirPods to launch in May

Shane McGlaun | Audio | Apr 20, 2020 3:42 PM CDT

The iPhone remains incredibly popular among smartphone users around the world. Those invested in the Apple ecosystem tend to stay with Apple products. Sticking with the Apple ecosystem is particularly true with earbuds since modern iPhone models lack a headphone port. A new rumor has surfaced that claims Apple will be launching refreshed AirPods in May.

New Apple rumor pegs new AirPods to launch in May

Rumors suggest that there will be several new models (not pictured) added to the AirPods lineup, including the "AirPods Pro Lite," the "AirPods X Generation," and the over-ear headphones that have long been rumored to slot into the line. These devices were expected to have launched in March, but the coronavirus pandemic has delayed that. The new rumor started with Jon Prosser, a leaker with a history of accuracy with things related to Apple.

Prosser says that the new AirPods that were supposed to have launched in March are now ready to go. He says that they will probably launch alongside the new MacBook Pro next month. Prosser doesn't get specific on which version of the AirPods he is talking about in his tweet. There's a chance he could mean all of the rumored new models.

Continue reading: New Apple rumor pegs new AirPods to launch in May (full post)

The Tor Project laid off 13 staff members due to coronavirus

Shane McGlaun | Business, Financial & Legal | Apr 20, 2020 3:02 PM CDT

The Tor Project has been around since the mid-1990s and started with people who had a common belief that all Internet users should be allowed to have private access to an uncensored web. The project focused on onion routing, which is a way for people to use the Internet with as much privacy as possible. This routing process sends the traffic through multiple servers and encrypts it at each step of the way. The Tor Project says that is still a straightforward explanation of how Tor works today. As with other companies around the world during the coronavirus pandemic, Tor has announced that it has been forced to make cutbacks with its staff.

The Tor Project laid off 13 staff members due to coronavirus

The Tor Project has announced that the coronavirus pandemic has forced it to let go of "13 great people" that it says help make Tor available to millions of Internet users around the world. Moving forward, The Tor Project will have a core team of 22 people that it says will remain "dedicated" to continuing to work on the Tor Browser and the Tor software ecosystem.

The project says that the world won't be the same after the coronavirus pandemic crisis passes, and the need for privacy and secure access to information will become "more urgent." The Tor Project says that being online is critical, and many people around the globe face obstacles getting to and sharing information. The layoffs were done to help "ensure the Tor Project continues to exist and our technology stays available."

Continue reading: The Tor Project laid off 13 staff members due to coronavirus (full post)

Microsoft plans to retire the Xbox One X ahead of next-gen launch

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 20, 2020 2:30 PM CDT

Microsoft could retire the Xbox One X console soon as it preps for its new next-gen beast.

Microsoft plans to retire the Xbox One X ahead of next-gen launch

It looks like the Xbox One X is on its way out the door. Today Microsoft confirmed the new Cyberpunk 2077 special edition Xbox will be the last custom Xbox One X console ever made. It's not a direct confirmation the Xbox One X is being discontinued, but it's a strong hint, and it makes total sense with the next-gen Xbox Series X on the horizon in holiday 2020.

The Xbox Series X will be pretty expensive to produce, and may retail for as low as $500 and as high as $549. Internal estimates from Bloomberg pinpoint both the PS5 and Xbox Series X cost $450 to make, and developer sources and analysts approximate a $499 retail consumer MSRP. This raised prices put more stress on Microsoft's manufacturing processes and will likely squeeze out the Xbox One X from its new middle-tier position, leaving the cheaper and more flexible Xbox One S as the entry point for the system.

Continue reading: Microsoft plans to retire the Xbox One X ahead of next-gen launch (full post)

Google plans to design its own smartphone chips

Shane McGlaun | Processors | Apr 20, 2020 1:49 PM CDT

Smartphone makers have been moving away from using processors designed by industry giants like Qualcomm, instead choosing to make their own chips to help set their devices apart from the competition. Designing and building their own chips also means that the companies are more independent and have more control over their devices. Google has announced that it's creating its own chip with Samsung producing the processor.

Google plans to design its own smartphone chips

The self-developed SoC has been taped out and is expected to come first to the Google Pixel line of smartphones. The project is being operated under the code-name "Whitechapel" and is expected to be an eight-core CPU built using the Samsung 5nm process. Competition in the smartphone market is more robust than ever, and Google decided to develop its processors to help it fight the competition. In years past, major smartphone manufacturers all used the same processors from Qualcomm, such as the Snapdragon 865+ expected to be launched this year.

By building their own processors, Google and other smartphone makers can integrate features that work better for their hardware, giving them a possible leg up on the competition. Samsung builds chips for many companies, including Qualcomm's X60 5G modem. Samsung also manufactures the chip used inside the Apple iPhone, and the Exynos chips use inside the Samsung smartphone range.

Continue reading: Google plans to design its own smartphone chips (full post)

Zoom business partners allegedly knew about its security issues

Shane McGlaun | Software & Apps | Apr 20, 2020 12:51 PM CDT

With millions of people around the world stuck at home because of the coronavirus outbreak, businesses and workers from all sorts of fields have turned to videoconferencing apps such as Zoom. Zoom has been one of the highest-profile videoconferencing companies to gain popularity during the coronavirus outbreak. It's also had some very notable security issues. While end-users have been surprised by the security issues presented by Zoom, a new report claims that Zoom's business partners knew the company had security problems.

Zoom business partners allegedly knew about its security issues

A new report claims that Zoom partner Dropbox knew for months that Zoom had security issues. The report, from the New York Times, claims that Dropbox knew a year ago that there was a significant security vulnerability in the videoconferencing app, which was used by Dropbox employees. The vulnerability was discovered by a pair of Australian hackers while on a flight to attend a live hacking competition sponsored by Dropbox in Singapore.

The major security issue with Zoom the hackers discovered could have allowed an attacker to take control of certain users' Mac computers without the users knowing. The NYT cites three unnamed former Dropbox engineers who say that the vulnerability the hackers found was precisely what Dropbox feared. Since Zoom was so widely used by Dropbox, the company took on the policing of security practices for the videoconferencing app itself.

Continue reading: Zoom business partners allegedly knew about its security issues (full post)

iPhone 12 leak claims smartphone still shuns USB-C

Shane McGlaun | Mobile Devices | Apr 20, 2020 11:50 AM CDT

Apple moved to the USB-C port on the iPad Pro series, and fans loved the change. Apple typically uses its proprietary Lightning port to charge and sync its devices. The move to USB-C on the iPad Pro devices had many Apple fans anticipating the same change on the iPhone. However, when the iPhone 11 line landed, the devices still used Lightning to charge. Those hoping for USB-C with the iPhone 12 may be disappointed if a new leak is correct.

iPhone 12 leak claims smartphone still shuns USB-C

The iPhone 12 leak originated with Jon Prosser, a leaker who has a history of accuracy with things related to Apple. Prosser accurately predicted the rollout of the iPhone SE 2020 smartphone. He tweeted, "I feel like I shouldn't have to say this, but no - there's absolutely not USB-C in iPhone 12." He continued, "Apple will go portless before they go USB-C."

It's a mystery as to why Apple would be willing to use USB-C on the iPad Pro line, but not on the iPhone line. Going portless may be a better option, particularly if Apple decides to bundle in a wireless charger. Fiddling behind the bed for wires when you're ready to go to sleep is a task that most everyone would be willing to give up.

Continue reading: iPhone 12 leak claims smartphone still shuns USB-C (full post)

Facebook to release 'Facebook Gaming' app, here's when you can get it

Jak Connor | Internet & Websites | Apr 20, 2020 1:04 AM CDT

Facebook is still trying to do it's best to compete with video game streaming giant Twitch, and its new weapon against the Amazon-owned streaming platform is a dedicated app.

Facebook to release 'Facebook Gaming' app, here's when you can get it

Facebook has recently spoken to the New York Times, and has announced that it will be released a new app dedicated to gaming, and more specifically - live streaming. This app will be releasing on April 20th, and it will include some casual games users can play, but it will mostly be funneling users to live streamers who are streaming on Facebook. It will also be encouraging people to take up live streaming on mobile.

This new app from Facebook will also not include in ads, which is a massive bonus for viewers. Instead, the app will rely on viewer "stars", which is basically Facebook's version of Twitch bits. At the moment, the app will be rolled out to Android devices on April 20th, and the iOS version is currently undergoing approval from Apple, so once that is given the thumbs up, it will be released on the App Store for download.

Continue reading: Facebook to release 'Facebook Gaming' app, here's when you can get it (full post)

Coronavirus: new breathing aid design made in 10 days by F1 engineers

Anthony Garreffa | Science, Space, & Robotics | Apr 19, 2020 11:09 PM CDT

We are all aware of the number of people in hospital that are using, or require respiratory support is high right now over the coronavirus outbreak, with many companies changing their manufacturing output into helping out in any way they can with COVID-19.

Coronavirus: new breathing aid design made in 10 days by F1 engineers

This has now seen engineers from both the Formula 1 engine maker Mercedes-AMG HPP and the University of London working out a way to make continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices in bulk. CPAP machines are used to help treat patients with sleep apnea, but it can help people who are experiencing severe breathing problems -- which then free up the valuable ventilators for those who are quite ill.

In just 10 days the team were able to make it happen, where they reverse-engineered an original product -- and then making a new design, getting it tested and thrown through regulatory approval right into full-scale production all in under 10 days. Impressive stuff.

Continue reading: Coronavirus: new breathing aid design made in 10 days by F1 engineers (full post)

Here's how to get free transport if you're a COVID-19 essential worker

Anthony Garreffa | Electric Vehicles & Cars | Apr 19, 2020 7:25 PM CDT

If you're a health care worker or law enforcement officer in bunch of cities throughout the US and the world, e-scooter company Lime is reactivating a bunch of its scooters and offering them for free. Lime is the largest e-scooter-sharing company in the world, with 120,000+ scooters in 30 countries.

Here's how to get free transport if you're a COVID-19 essential worker

The new Lime Aid initiative is aimed at essential workers like police officers and health care workers with some easy-to-use transportation all with social distancing given the coronavirus pandemic. Lime is offering 30-minute rides for free, which would be enough to get around the city and even to-and-from work given you're an essential worker.

Lime is offering the 30-minute rides for free in the following cities at first: Austin, Baltimore, Columbus, Dallas, Nashville, Norfolk, Va., Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City, and Washington D.C. in the US; Berlin and Cologne in Germany; Paris, France; Rimini, Italy; and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Continue reading: Here's how to get free transport if you're a COVID-19 essential worker (full post)

Final Fantasy 7 Remake guilts you for being an eco-terrorist

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 19, 2020 6:56 PM CDT

I'm finally getting around to Final Fantasy 7 Remake. I know, it's been out forever. But there's something I didn't expect to feel when I played the second chapter: shame.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake guilts you for being an eco-terrorist

You're an eco-terrorist in FF7 Remake, and despite all the light-hearted camaraderie with your fellow teammates, your actions have dire consequences. Final Fantasy 7 Remake forces you to face your actions right away. As part of Avalanche, you're trying to save the planet by blowing up a mako reactor and stop Shinra from sucking out its lifestream. But it's not that simple. There's casualties, and lots of them.

After you blow up the reactor, you have to run through a ruined sector 7 and see all the harm and destruction you caused.. Everything's on fire. People are crying, scared, hurt, their lives massively disrupted by the attack. The roads are smashed, cars are utterly demolished, buildings are wrecked. It's the site of a major terrorist attack, a domestic warzone, and you have to mill you way through the suffering that you had a hand in.

Continue reading: Final Fantasy 7 Remake guilts you for being an eco-terrorist (full post)

id to Doom Eternal speedrunners: Beat the game fast the right way

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 19, 2020 3:39 PM CDT

Speedrunners are using a nifty mouse wheel trick to beat Doom Eternal in less than 27 minutes. id Software is good humored about the exploits, but seems perplexed on how it's even possible.

id to Doom Eternal speedrunners: Beat the game fast the right way

Doom Eternal devs joined up to stream a live chat while watching Xamide beat Doom Eternal in less than 30 minutes. The results were lots of disbelief, exclamations of "whoa!" and "how did he do that?" with a few "why didn't you clip that area?!" thrown in. The result is pretty hilarious and awesome, giving us rare insight into how games are made--and more importantly, how one of the best shooters in the past few years is held together.

Xamide's run was made possible by a mouse wheel glitch. Essentially there's a slow boost exploit that lets you jump incredibly high. To pull this off, you have to forcibly bind your jump to your mouse wheel by using the bind mwheeldown "_jump"_ command in the console. But not any mouse wheel will do; you need one that can seriously spin.

Continue reading: id to Doom Eternal speedrunners: Beat the game fast the right way (full post)

New Avengers live game has 10 different crafting resources

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 19, 2020 2:36 PM CDT

All live games are grind-fests, but Square Enix's new Avengers game could be exceptionally demanding for your time.

New Avengers live game has 10 different crafting resources

While watching the newly released Avengers trailer, I noticed something interesting: The game has ten different crafting material resources. Ten. This number doesn't include the classic free/premium currency combo that unlocks cosmetic skins. That's a lot of resources that hints at tons of collecting and grinding repeatable missions over and over to amass a mat horde. Why are there so many? Apparently the gear upgrade system is to blame.

I don't 100% know how the system works, but from the brief snippet of footage we can glean some details. It looks like items can be upgraded multiple times to unlock various perks. The perks can be upgraded more than once, but each time requires more resources. That's pretty logical and a lot of games do that. But Avengers apparently tacks on an extra resource for specific upgrades, meaning the starting resource cost is not only compounded, but also requires a separate new resource in addition to the initial cost.

Continue reading: New Avengers live game has 10 different crafting resources (full post)

Dino Crisis returns with new RE3 Remake dinosaur mod

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 19, 2020 1:32 PM CDT

If Capcom won't make it, then modders will: Dino Crisis invades Raccoon City with this new Resident Evil 3 Remake mod.

Dino Crisis returns with new RE3 Remake dinosaur mod

This new RE3 mod isn't exactly Dino Crisis, but it's the next best thing. The Dino Evil 3 mod over at Nexus Mods turns Jill into Regina, complete with signature fiery red hair and machete, and turns every enemy in the game into a dinosaur.

The monster swap, which was made possible by modder FluffyQuack, essentially transforms enemies into hunter betas with a different skin. The dino skin is kinda funny (those huge hips!) but it's a great effort and we'd try it out if we had RE3 on PC (we reviewed it on PS4).

Continue reading: Dino Crisis returns with new RE3 Remake dinosaur mod (full post)

Online gaming spikes by 75% on Verizon networks thanks to quarantines

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 19, 2020 12:37 PM CDT

Video game traffic on Verizon networks spiked by 75% in March as consumers stay indoors due to coronavirus lockdowns.

Online gaming spikes by 75% on Verizon networks thanks to quarantines

As COVID-19 wrecks whole industries and pauses the global economy, social quarantines are boosting other markets like gaming. Consumers are downloading, buying, and playing more games to stay entertained and connected. This influx puts tremendous stress on infrastructures, leading Sony and Microsoft to artificially slow download speeds on their networks. Now ISP Verizon gives some insight on the huge gaming usage spikes.

According to a recent report, Verizon saw a massive 75% uptick in gaming across its mobile and home internet services in March. There's no info on the current data numbers, but we'd expect them to be even higher in April.

Continue reading: Online gaming spikes by 75% on Verizon networks thanks to quarantines (full post)

Coronavirus cover-up: China hit with $4 TRILLION reparations lawsuit

Anthony Garreffa | Science, Space, & Robotics | Apr 19, 2020 8:59 AM CDT

A new class action lawsuit has been brought on by Florida-based law firm Berman Law Group against the Chinese Communist Party, with over 10,000 people signing the class action lawsuit seeking $4 trillion -- yes, trillion with a T.

Coronavirus cover-up: China hit with $4 TRILLION reparations lawsuit

The $4 trillion lawsuit has family members that have contracted, and died of COVID-19 as well as healthcare workers who have gotten sick and died from COVID-19, as they didn't have personal protective equipment. 60 Minutes Australia talked with the chief stategist behind the lawsuit in Florida, Jeremy Alters.

Alters said that China should take accountability for the human loss and economic destruction that has knocked the world onto its knees, telling a 60 Minutes reporter: "We are now in the depth of this economic and human crisis that could have been mostly prevented, if not all prevented".

Continue reading: Coronavirus cover-up: China hit with $4 TRILLION reparations lawsuit (full post)

Coronavirus could have spread to space and onto the ISS

Anthony Garreffa | Science, Space, & Robotics | Apr 19, 2020 5:18 AM CDT

In space, no one can hear you scream -- from finding out you've tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus, that is.

Coronavirus could have spread to space and onto the ISS

There are now concerns that coronavirus might have spread to the International Space Station (ISS) after a senior Russian official was at last week's launch to the ISS has tested positive for COVID-19.

Deputy head of Energia Rocket and Space Corporation Evgeniy Mikrin has tested positive for COVID-19, after being present at the launch of the Soyuz MS-16. He was in-person at the launch in Baikonur Cosmodrome, southern Kazakhstan, just under two weeks ago on April 9.

Continue reading: Coronavirus could have spread to space and onto the ISS (full post)

These dogs can sniff 750 people per hour to screen for coronavirus

Anthony Garreffa | Science, Space, & Robotics | Apr 19, 2020 4:20 AM CDT

COVID-19 coronavirus detection might be getting easier, with a new project in the works that is training dogs to sniff out coronavirus.

These dogs can sniff 750 people per hour to screen for coronavirus

The new project is the only one in the world training dogs to sniff out coronavirus, with the Medical Detection Dogs charity, the London School of Hygiene, as well as the Tropical Medicine and Durham University. The dogs will be given clothes and fabric worn by coronavirus patient, to see if the dogs can pick up a particular odour that would eventually be able to sniff out and identify someone with coronavirus.

Dr Claire Guest, CEO and founder of the Medical Detection Dogs charity explained: "There have already been so many fantastic achievements in the dogs' work to detect human disease, and I believe they can be trained to sniff out Covid-19. When resources and testing kits are low, hundreds of people can't be tested in one go. But the dogs can screen up to 750 people really quickly. By identifying those who need to be tested and self-isolate, they can stop the spread".

Continue reading: These dogs can sniff 750 people per hour to screen for coronavirus (full post)

Coronavirus: Australian government to use smartphones to track people

Anthony Garreffa | Hacking, Security & Privacy | Apr 19, 2020 3:43 AM CDT

The Australian government is tightening things Down Under to control coronavirus spread in the country, with lockdowns and borders heavily enforced the Australian government and authorities.

Coronavirus: Australian government to use smartphones to track people

Just like the current app deployment in Singapore, the Australian government is now forging through with plans to release an app to track coronavirus victims, and just exactly where they go. Australia is wanting to lift COVID-19 restrictions that have seen millions of people stop their lives -- work, running businesses, school and everything in between -- and this app, could be the solution.

The Australian government first said that it would be making the coronavirus tracking app mandatory -- but Australian government quickly hopped back a step or two. Australians saw the move as draconian, but Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted out that it wouldn't be mandatory.

Continue reading: Coronavirus: Australian government to use smartphones to track people (full post)

Sony could reveal PlayStation 5 info in May ahead of corporate meeting

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Apr 18, 2020 6:18 PM CDT

Although Mark Cerny blew the lid off the PlayStation 5's specs and hardware, the console itself is still shrouded in mystery. We don't know what it looks like, how much it costs, or what the launch lineup looks like. Sony may not reveal everything in May, but we could get some brand new info on the system.

Sony could reveal PlayStation 5 info in May ahead of corporate meeting

When will we get a full-on PS5 reveal? Sony's newly announced event schedule gives us some clues. Historically, Sony reveals its consoles at E3 showcases in June. But E3 2020 has been cancelled, and Sony hasn't attended E3 for the last two years. Sony with have two opportunities to reveal new PlayStation 5 info next month: At its Fiscal Year 2019 earnings report on May 13, and at its corporate strategy meeting on May 19. It's possible we'll get more info before those two events, though.

The idea is Sony could prepare investors and consumers with new PS5 info ahead of the two events. The FY2019 briefing will likely be centered around Sony's business plans and answer questions like PS5 projections vs PS4 sales in 2020, how long the PS4 will live alongside PS5, production costs, etc. Typically these events allow investors to ask questions that sometimes glean important info. That might not happen this year since both events will be livecast shows. The second event, Sony's annual corporate strategy meeting, will likewise focus on all of its business segments and basically reinforce the PlayStation ecosystem.

Continue reading: Sony could reveal PlayStation 5 info in May ahead of corporate meeting (full post)

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