End-to-end encryption for RCS RCS messages are getting end-to-end encryption support on Google’s Messages app. Apps like WhatsApp and Signal use this tech to keep your conversations private, so no one can see them. Currently, this feature is available to those who have access to RCS messaging and only for one-to-one chats. Plus, you’ll need to enable the chat feature in your Messages app. [Read: Why entrepreneurship in emerging markets matters]...
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) April 10, 2020 Both companies said in a joint press release that they’re working on a two-step approach to help health organizations track the spread of coronavirus. The system would essentially track interactions between phone users, and when one is diagnosed with COVID-19, everyone they’d interact with would be notified — provided they’ve consented to involvement. Read: Google is offering Stadia for free to quarantined gamers The first step would be: “[B]oth companies will release APIs that enable interoperability between Android and iOS devices using apps from public health authorities....
I don’t normally get excited for laptop updates, but the 16-inch MacBook Pro is a bit different. Why? Because the company has finally backtracked on its awful butterfly keyboard and has installed a new one with the far more reliable scissor mechanism instead. No, it’s not exactly the “new” keyboard Apple’s marketing would have you believe, but whatever. Thank fuck the butterfly nightmare is over… for the moment. The company refers to the, uh, “new” typing area as the Magic Keyboard, stating that it delivers “1mm of key travel” and a “stable” feel....
As it stands, Apple Pay is responsible for around 5% of card transactions, globally. However, over the next five years this is expected to grow to 10%, Quartz reports. Eventually, Apple Pay could be competing with the likes of payment processing mainstay PayPal. [Read: How to add Apple Pay to your Watch ahead of your next gym visit] Analysts from research firm Bernstein say it’s plausible Apple might attempt to shake up the payments industry, worth a staggering $1 trillion around the world....
Yes, in a video just posted on YouTube, John Prosser — a leaker currently making waves in the Apple community — revealed a whole load about the AR glasses. You’re gonna want to read this. Before we go ahead though, remember that these are just rumors and could be proven incorrect. Still, Prosser has been spot on with his leaks recently. Anyway, true or not, there’s a lot of food-for-thought about the Apple Glass below....
9to5Mac cites a “highly trusted reader” in its report, claiming Apple could be planning on opening orders for the new iPhone tomorrow. Whether or not that’s the actual date, 9to5Mac is confident Apple plans on selling the device “very soon.” It’s worth noting the device was previously rumored to launch at a March 31 event, but that ship has sailed. However, that report did mention the device would actually go on sale April 3, which lines up with the current rumor....
If only there was a gadget that could give them a little assistance, so they could actually ride to the trailhead, rather than having to drive there. There are plenty of options for retrofitting motors to bicycles nowadays, but one neat — albeit shockingly expensive — little device has caught my eye because it is so minimalist and means you don’t have to remove your fancy wheels or add a crazy heavy motor to your rig....
This change is being driven by a surge of new startups and scaleups on a mission to push forward a new mobility paradigm. Instead of creating futuristic (yet accident-prone doors, they’re focusing on innovations and new service offerings that will help us accelerate towards a future that’s circular, sustainable, and more affordable for the masses. The future of mobility is here; it may not come in the shape of a flying Delorean but it will be much cooler (if not thousands of times more practical)....
The fine comes five years after the suit was brought forth by FTC chairpersons who, in 2014, determined that AT&T had likely begun the practice of throttling data on customers’ “unlimited” plans as far back 2011. The suit alleges that all customers on the specific plan(s) were subject to this practice upon reaching a specific usage threshold. AT&T, in reference to the fine, gave the following statement to The Verge earlier today: It’s no surprise that AT&T appears to have no objection to the $60 million fine....
According to cybersecurity vendor Proofpoint, the email phishing campaigns — discovered between October 16 and November 12 — impersonate the German Federal Ministry of Finance and the Italian Ministry of Taxation using malicious Microsoft Word attachments, which when opened, downloads and installs the Maze ransomware payload onto the target’s system. In addition to luring unsuspecting victims with notifications of tax refunds and law enforcement procedures to avoid tax penalties, the threat actor was found to leverage lookalike domains, verbiage, and stolen branding in the emails to increase the likelihood of social engineering the recipients....
According to Finance Feeds, employees of the Bank of Ireland have been asked to testify in the case against Mark Scott, one of the alleged figureheads of the $3 billion-plus OneCoin scam. Scott, a former partner with international law firm Locke Lord, has been accused of laundering $300 million in OneCoin proceeds using corporate accounts at the Bank of Ireland. It’s believed that he misrepresented the source of the funds to the bank....
For 40 years, everyone who’s ever turned on a computer has ended up using Microsoft Office somewhere. From written documents in Word to spreadsheets in Excel to presentations in PowerPoint, it’s been the backbone of global business for most of that time. But how well does the average user really know the full depths of the world’s most popular software package? Sure, you might build a slide presentation in PowerPoint, but did you know Microsoft Sway can make those presentations interactive?...
Give me a moment — I’m rubbing my hands together in a totally normal, not creepy at all, gleeful manner. Details: for the very acceptable price of $74,500, your company could be in possession of its very own four-legged, mechanical hell-hound. And, boy, the Spot robot truly is the four-legged, mechanical hell-hound. Stairs? No problem. Steps? Please. Ropes? Well, okay, it can’t deal with those, but you can’t have everything....
Obviously, these problems exist in many different companies, so it isn’t a problem within a single company’s culture. You could argue that these examples were disproportionately highlighted by the media, making us believe tech products are more problematic than they actually are. Or you could argue that these types of product failures are inevitable, and not that big of a deal. However, it seems obvious that most of these problems should have been detected—and dealt with—long before the products went to market....
As usual, the criminals told victims that their personal banking details, social insurance number, and other information had been used in a major fraud case or money laundering case. Victims were then instructed to transfer Bitcoin if they wanted to solve the problem. Despite the outlandish scenario, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Back in April, Hard Fork reported on how a phone scammer was posing as a police officer and targeting victims in California, telling them to exchange all the money in their bank account to Bitcoin and hand it over....
The move follows a series of lawsuits filed against financial institutions that refuse to accept money generated by selling digital currency such as Bitcoin. Israel’s banks have even reportedly blocked cryptocurrency traders from opening accounts altogether. The Israel Bitcoin Association told reporters that the Bank of Israel (the nation’s central bank) had even declined a previous request to publish its official policy for digital currency, referring to those details as “commercial secrets....
The video racked up 82.4 million views within the first 24 hours of release on June 26. It ousted the previous record holder, which happens to be another K-pop track: BTS’ ‘Boy With Luv,’ which garnered 74.6 million views back in April 2019. This isn’t the first time Blackpink has held the record for most views in 24 hours on YouTube. ‘Kill This Love’ earned the group this title back in April 2019, just before BTS snatched it up....
In an interview with Bloomberg, published yesterday, Peter made a number of attestations laying down the challenge to the Apple Car. Peter nonchalantly welcomed the potential newcomer to the market, suggesting that BMW is either totally not worried about the threat the Apple Car poses, or is putting on a brave face. [Read: How do you build a pet-friendly gadget? We asked experts and animal owners] “I sleep very peacefully,” Peter told Bloomberg when asked about the Apple Car....
It’s called Stretch, it doesn’t do backflips, it doesn’t dance, and it’s made to do one task: moving boxes. It sounds pretty boring. But this could, in fact, become the most successful commercial product of Boston Dynamics and turn it into a profitable company. What does Stretch do? Stretch has a box-like base with a set of wheels that can move in all directions. On top of the base are a large robotic arm and a perception mast....
Boston Dynamics has just released the latest update for its famous quadruped robot Spot, giving it better capability to make inspections and collect data without the need for human intervention. Called Spot Release 3.0, the new update adds “flexible autonomy and repeatable data capture, making Spot the data collection solution you need to make inspection rounds safer and more efficient.” Unlike many other Boston Dynamics announcements, this one is not accompanied by a flashy video....
