Geek News

It seemed like pretty much every detail had leaked about Huawei’s forthcoming P20, P20 Lite, and P20 Pro — but some new images published today by WinFuture ’s Roland Quandt reveal something new: the colors they’ll come in. And there are some real surprises among the photos. First up, just look at these images of the P20 Pro. There’s a gradient! 6/6. That's all I have for the P20 Pro. pic.twitter.com/clQa3ps7xZ — Roland Quandt (@rquandt) March 12, 2018 Okay, sure, maybe I’m overreacting a bit here, but phone colors are so often just incredibly dull — black and white, silver and gray, those same colors in glossy and matte. So anytime a company really does something different, it’s a nice change of pace, like Essential’s bright blue... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GlZcAa"

In a video posted today to his channel, YouTuber Jake Paul speaks with survivors of the tragic school shooting that took place last month at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, as well as state senator Marco Rubio, in an awkward and at times tone-deaf new video that he hopes will help “activate parents and kids within their own schools and communities.” In the video’s description, Paul “[vows] to be part of the solution and utilize my platform to raise awareness and action across the board,” but the execution is often clumsy and painful to watch. On his way to meet one of the students, he stares out the car window before noting that he just wants to “become homies with them and just be there for them.” When talking to a student whose... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2p5hOxa"

President Donald Trump issued an order Monday evening blocking any merger of the chipmaking giants Broadcom and Qualcomm, saying it was necessary to protect national security. Broadcom’s control over Qualcomm, the order says might let it “take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.” Broadcom has been trying to purchase Qualcomm for the last several months, but has continually been rebuffed. It’s since tried to stack Qualcomm’s board with friendly members. Trump’s order says that Broadcom will not be allowed to purchase or merge with Qualcomm in any way, and that all of the people Broadcom has proposed to Qualcomm’s board are disqualified. Developing... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2p9hRHv"

Space The company's open source AI software is an armchair explorer's dream. What unknown worlds might be hiding behind nearby stars? We’ll never know until we take a look. Now Google is giving you a chance to take a peek. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2Fy5EqU"

Apple has updated the specs for its MFi accessories program (which also got a snazzy new logo over the weekend), letting companies now put USB-C ports on licensed devices, as well as create 3.5mm to Lightning cables for the first time, as reported by 9to5Mac . They’re useful additions for Apple product users, especially as the company switches more towards using USB-C — at least on its laptops. Now third-party companies building things like controllers, battery packs, and speakers can use USB-C charging while still keeping Apple’s stamp of approval. But Apple is still frustratingly limiting the specification: unlike Lightning ports, which are also part of the MFi spec for accessories, USB-C ports can’t be used for pass-through charging... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2HpEwH1"

Fornite cross-play between consoles and PC, Mac, and mobile is coming soon , but PlayStation 4 owners won’t be able to play against Xbox One gamers. Epic Games revealed this weekend that Xbox One players will be able to play Fortnite with PC, Mac, and mobile players, but not PS4 players; similarly, PS4 owners will be able to play against all platforms except Xbox. In a new statement to Kotaku , Microsoft is directing the blame squarely towards Sony. “We’ve worked closely with Nintendo to allow cross-network play between Xbox One and Switch and our offer to do the same with PlayStation players still holds,” says a Microsoft spokesperson. “For any other questions regarding Fortnite cross-network play between Xbox and PlayStation, please... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FJveZ5"

Technology When the GM Cruise AV says “self-driving,” it really means it. The 2019 GM Cruise AV is ready to drive you around. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2paU4b5"

The only things that actually move on a modern smartphone these days are the silencing switch, the lock button, a volume rocker, and (if you’re lucky) a dedicated button for Bixby. So it’s natural that we’re a little curious to see how the Samsung Galaxy S9’s new dual aperture works. Lucky for us, iFixit’s requisite teardown of the phone includes a couple of close-up shots of the aperture in action. As iFixit points out, a regular camera’s aperture is controlled by a number of aperture blades, which are designed to keep the hole which the light goes through (that’s all an aperture is) roughly circular. The S9, however, does it with just two blades — because the aperture only has two settings, f/1.5 and f/2.4; two blades was apparently... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2tHjmC8"

A calendar app in the Mac App Store has been mining cryptocurrency in the background in exchange for giving users additional features — and an option to opt out of mining has been broken. So far, Apple has not taken the scheduling app Calendar 2 down, even after Ars Technica informed the company that Calendar 2 has been mining virtual currency. The app is supposed to be a buffed-up version of Apple’s Calendar app in macOS, but recently, its developer, Qbix, added extra code to mine monero, a digital coin launched in April 2014 and meant to be a more anonymous version of bitcoin, as you can’t view transactions on a public ledger. That makes Calendar 2 something of a rarity in the App Store — there don’t appear to be other mining apps in... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2DkWWWY"

Tesla drivers may enjoy a vast network of Supercharger stations across the US, but it’s coming at a cost: the price of charging. The automaker has quietly raised prices per kilowatt hour for using the fast-charging stations. The average increase for pay-per-use customers ranges from roughly 20 to 40 percent, according to Electrek . In California, for example, the price went from 20 cents per kWh to 26 cents. In Oregon, the price doubled from 12 cents to 24 cents, and New York’s went up five cents to 24 cents per kWh. Owners of new Model S and Model X vehicles continue to have 400kWh of credit per year, while Model 3 drivers have no credits. “Tesla is committed to ensuring that Supercharger will never be a profit center,” the company says... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FJLGsh"

Animals It's a beautiful day for bacteria. Rats are more likely to pick up disease-causing bacteria like C. difficile during some kinds of weather than others. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2FxHTiN"

China’s police have been testing sunglasses with built-in facial recognition since at least last month to catch suspects and those traveling under false identities. Now China is expanding the facial recognition sunglasses program as police are beginning to use them in the outskirts of Beijing, according to Reuters . The program was used as extra security while Parliament voted to extend Xi Jinping’s presidency to a lifetime rule, and paralleled the increased censorship and surveillance measures seen throughout China. Police used the sunglasses to check travelers and car registration plates against the government’s blacklist before Parliament’s annual meeting this past weekend. The Chinese government has a list of people who are not... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FNe39a"

Apple Maps has been getting a few more features to keep up with the likes of Google Maps. Now those features include more comprehensive bike-sharing information for various global cities. Through a partnership with Ito World , Apple Maps now supports bike-sharing data in more than 175 cities in 36 countries, including San Francisco, New York, and London, according to TechCrunch . Ito says its global bike-share data, “curates and integrates the disparate data of Bike Share schemes around the world,” in real time. But TechCrunch says Apple Maps doesn’t tell you how many bikes are at a given location, just that bikes should be available at an address or intersection. Still, it’s a step up over what information Apple Maps did offer in the past... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FJ6m3M"

Science Factors like temperature and humidity have a real impact on your ability to hit a homer. Did you know that warm weather makes for better baseball? A ball’s trajectory is affected by other conditions, too, including humidity, altitude, and wind speed. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2FDob0K"

An influx of rumors suggest that we should expect cheaper iPads and MacBooks this year. First, we know that the MacBook Air may be getting a less-expensive refresh, as hinted by multiple reports. The latest comes from DigiTimes , which today reported that Apple will launch a new 13.3-inch “entry-level” MacBook late in Q2 this year. While the report refers to the new device as a “MacBook,” its screen size suggests it may be an updated version of the Air, since the MacBook only comes with a 12-inch display. The timeline also matches with WWDC in June. DigiTimes indicates that the MacBook will have a Retina Display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this month that Apple would release a cheaper... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FClBZ9"

Technology Check out some fancy new cars, Samsung's new TVs, and our experimental podcast. We're talking tech—literally. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2HuD7iv"

The PGA Tour is now bringing the golf course to your home through Apple’s augmented reality platform. Using Apple’s ARKit in iOS 11, the PGA Tour has made a new app called PGA Tour AR that lets you compare professional golfers against each other and check out featured golf holes. You’ll be able to better visualize players’ strokes and the angles from which they sank the balls. To use the app, first let your camera sense a surface, and then tap the screen to select a hole. The terrain will materialize and you can select players and rounds to compare shot trails. The app also lets you enter the pro player’s name and compare them to up to three other pros. You can move your phone closer to see the golf balls and terrain up close, but as... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FDUrkx"

Robot avatars have been a sci-fi staple for decades, letting fictional humans remotely carry out delicate and dextrous tasks, from hospital care to mining on the Moon. But, as usual, our imagination outstrips reality. The best commercially available “avatars” are telepresence bots, which are little more than iPads on wheels , while cutting-edge humanoid robots look flashy but struggle to keep their balance. The X Prize Foundation wants to change this, and today, it announced its latest challenge: building “real-world avatars” by 2021. As per the foundation’s modus operandi, the goal here is to spur development by offering teams cash prizes. Researchers will sign up to enter the prize and develop avatars (the deadline for entry is October... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GjDw7U"

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Apple is buying a digital magazine subscription service known as the “ Netflix of magazines ,” which lets readers access over 200 magazines for a monthly fee. The acquisition of the service Texture, owned by Next Issue Media, comes at a time when news publishing as an industry is being shaken up by fake news accusations and Facebook’s changing algorithms in ways that prioritize friend activity over brands. The bridge between tech companies and journalism continues to narrow with Apple’s latest purchase. Apple already delivers curated news from third-party publishers through its Apple News platform. In a statement, Apple’s SVP of internet software and services, Eddy Cue, said, “We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2p5pteZ"

Huawei announced at CES this year that it would be bringing its Honor 7X and Honor View 10 phones to the US. Now we know when to expect the View 10: March 23rd, with preorders opening today for $499. The Honor View 10 (aka the V10) has similar specs to Huawei’s flagship Mate 10 Pro . It’s got the same Kirin 970 processor, although there’s a slightly worse 16-megapixel camera (along with a second, monochrome 20-megapixel shooter), a slightly smaller 3,750mAh battery, and an LCD instead of an OLED display. There’s also 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a bezel-reducing design, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the latest version of Android 8.1 Oreo. Not bad for a $500 phone. As for the 7X, it’s been around in the US for a bit already, with a lower... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FsBrJL"

Nexus Media News New York City is a crystal, but Boston is a liquid. New research shows urban heat island varies according to city layout. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2Ikh27t"

Amazon now lets you use Alexa to place phone and video calls and send messages on tablets, so you no longer need an Echo to talk to other Alexa users. Compatible tablets include Android tablets, iPads, and Amazon’s Fire tablets, as spotted by Engadget . To set it up on the Fire HD 10 tablet in Hands-Free mode, just ask Alexa to place a call. On other Fire tablets that don’t yet have the Hands-Free mode, first tap the home button and then ask Alexa to make a call. On all other devices, just open the Alexa app, head to Conversations, select a contact, and press call. Alexa users could already receive calls simply through the Alexa app, so nothing’s changed for receiving calls. Amazon’s Drop In feature lets you connect tablets and other Echo... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GjJ9TI"

The University of Arizona is tracking freshman students’ ID card swipes to anticipate which students are more likely to drop out. University researchers hope to use the data to lower dropout rates. (Dropping out refers to those who have left higher-education entirely and those who transfer to other colleges.) The card data tells researchers how frequently a student has entered a residence hall, library, and the student recreation center, which includes a salon, convenience store, mail room, and movie theater. The cards are also used for buying vending machine snacks and more, putting the total number of locations near 700. There’s a sensor embedded in the CatCard student IDs, which are given to every student attending the university. “By... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Fz6oIg"

The AliveCor KardiaBand, a sensor compatible with the Apple Watch, can detect dangerous levels of potassium in blood with 94 percent accuracy. Though the US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved KardiaBand for this purpose, it’s an interesting step forward considering that, right now, the condition is usually caught using invasive blood tests that use needles. The KardiaBand by AliveCor is a sensor that snaps into a slot on the watchband. The user touches the sensor, which then takes a reading of the electrical activity of the heart, called an electrocardiogram (EKG). This reading can reveal abnormal heart rhythm and atrial fibrillation (AFib), and the sensor sends the information to an app. Yesterday, at the American... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2HrS4lr"