Thursday 16 January 2020

Riding around in the Audi E-Tron

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It's Thursday, January 16, 2020.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

2020 coming around means it’s an election year, again, and if there’s one lesson to take away from 2016, it’s that you don’t want to cough up your login info due to a phishing attack. Google’s latest tweak makes it easier than ever to get Advanced Protection on your account using iPhone or Android, and if you’re a potential target it’s something you should check out, along with two-factor authentication use and adding a password manager to the mix. Stay safe out there.

-- Richard

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It could help track breathing issues -- if you have the right device.

Fitbit quietly enables blood oxygen tracking on its wearables

A bunch of Fitbit models already have blood oxygen monitoring hardware, but until now it wasn’t being used. The company has just snuck out an update to its Versa, Ionic and Charge 3 devices, which will look at blood oxygen levels to help track things like asthma, heart disease and sleep apnea.

When ordinary two-factor authentication isn’t enough.

Google makes it easier to sign up for advanced hacking protection

Now, all you need is an Android device or iPhone to get Google's Advanced Protection on your account. Until now, turning on Google’s extra security required adding physical key fobs to your personal security setup. However, now that iPhones (running iOS 10 or higher) and Android devices (on 7.0 or higher) can double as security keys, Google will let you enable the feature with a smartphone. It’s an excellent way to prevent the threat of phishing attacks, and worth considering.

The company is hoping to get it back in stock before 'Half-Life: Alyx' comes out.

Valve's Index headset is sold out and VR 'Half-Life' isn't even here yet

Valve's Index VR headset is sold out in most regions where it's officially available, and just a few months before Half-Life: Alyx comes out. In fact, only Japan has it at the moment. Even there, you can only get the headset or the headset with controllers bundle: The full kit with base stations is also sold out. The company has added a notification button for anyone looking to get a headset in time for the VR-only Half-Life game. The game launches in March.

Become an in-demand project manager with this training.

A successful merger of luxury and electrification.

Audi E-Tron review

One of the most interesting bits of tech in Las Vegas during CES was the Audi E-Tron. Now that Roberto Baldwin has reviewed the SUV, he can explain how the E-Tron's shorter-than-most 204-mile range isn’t the dealbreaker you might assume it would be.

The latest update also bumps up the maximum iPad Pro refresh rate to 120 fps.

There’s a Ninja ‘Fortnite’ skin now, guys

Tyler "Ninja" Blevins is arguably Fortnite’s best-known player, and the streamer is being rewarded for his contributions to battle royale with his very own in-game skin. (There’s also a Ninja-themed pickaxe.)

At the same time, the latest Fortnite update also bumps up the maximum refresh rate on the 2018 iPad Pro to a whopping 120 frames per second -- outstripping the game's console refresh rates, even on the top-end Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, which max out at 60 fps.

But wait, there's more...

1. Microsoft's Chromium Edge browser is here

2. Google reveals its timeline for killing off Chrome apps

3. 2020 will bring new ways to upgrade your hearing

4. 2019 was Earth's second-warmest year on record

5. Logitech's K860 split ergonomic keyboard is heaven for your wrists

6. Android devices stop alerting users to completed app updates

7. Akai's MPC One is a $699 standalone production studio

8. Scientists created living robots out of stem cells

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Wednesday 15 January 2020

Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Wednesday -- January 15, 2020

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
https://www.TechNewsWorld.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
Apple, DoJ Grapple Over Cracking Terrorist's iPhones
Clock Runs Out for Windows 7 Holdouts: Upgrade or Replace?
The Most Important Autonomous Car Announcement at CES
Cybersecurity 2020: The Danger of Ransomware
Arduino Aims to Secure IoT With New Dev Platform, Hardware

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Today's Story Highlights

Apple, DoJ Grapple Over Cracking Terrorist's iPhones

Apple and the U.S. Justice Department are at it again. This time it's
over cracking a brace of iPhones owned by the Saudi Air Force cadet who
killed three sailors in a shooting spree last month at the naval air
station in Pensacola, Florida. At a news conference on the findings of
an investigation into the incident, U.S. Attorney General William Barr
called out Apple for refusing to help the FBI.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86454.html

Clock Runs Out for Windows 7 Holdouts: Upgrade or Replace?

After 10 years of fully supporting Windows 7, Microsoft ended its
official support for the out-of-date Windows operating system on
Tuesday. The popular classic Windows 7 OS still runs on some 200 million
PCs around the globe, according to industry estimates. Users include
small business owners, some larger companies, and hordes of consumers
holding onto aging personal computers.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86452.html

The Most Important Autonomous Car Announcement at CES

Getting around Las Vegas during CES is a nightmare. One evening I wanted
to go to the In-N-Out Burger place, and even though it was only a mile
or two from my hotel, the traffic was so bad that I doubted I'd make
there and back before midnight -- and it was only 6 p.m. I used to try
to walk CES, but the miles of fast walking on concrete ripped the soles
off both my feet one year.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86446.html

Cybersecurity 2020: The Danger of Ransomware

Ransomware tops the list of cybersecurity threats for 2020. While there
have been efforts to convince individuals, corporations and
municipalities not to pay ransoms, the simple fact is that whenever one
is paid, the attack becomes a success that encourages cyberthieves to
try again. Ransomware attacks increased 18 percent in 2019, up from an
average 12 percent increase over the past five years.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86447.html

Arduino Aims to Secure IoT With New Dev Platform, Hardware

Arduino announced a new low-code Internet of Things application
development platform at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. It also introduced the
low-power Arduino Portenta H7 module, a new family of Portenta chips for
a variety of hardware applications. Arduino has achieved prominence as a
go-to developer of an innovation platform for connecting IoT products.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86448.html

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This is why PlayStation is sitting out E3 2020

Engadget Email Newsletter

Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts

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It's Wednesday, January 15, 2020.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

So Sony isn’t showing up at E3 this year. Again. While Nick has explained why that makes perfect sense for PlayStation, with its next-gen console fast approaching. But gaming as a thing is in a very different space from when the PS4 launched back in November 2013.

Can console launches in 2020 -- with cloud gaming and relentless sequels, remakes and remasters -- capture the imagination the same way as Halo or Super Mario 64 did in the past? It’s going to be a challenge. Fancy controllers and high-latency claims don’t ignite the passions quite as much. Sony and Microsoft: It’s up to you.

-- Mat

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Update ASAP.

Microsoft is patching a major Windows 10 flaw discovered by the NSA

Yesterday, Microsoft issued patches for Windows 10 as well as Windows Server 2016 and 2019. However, it wasn’t a normal Patch Tuesday, because this time it addressed a flaw that had been uncovered by the NSA and could be used to exploit computers remotely or spy on and manipulate encrypted internet traffic. Disclosing the vulnerability so it can be fixed will hopefully stop it from leaking out, which is what happened in 2017 with the EternalBlue exploit.

No need to share the spotlight.

Why Sony is skipping E3 (again)

With a brand new console to pitch, why is the PlayStation brand sitting out the biggest video game event of the year? Nick Summers explains why Sony might prefer its own showcase for the PS5, and what it means for gamers this year.

It will help enforce the five-kilometer drone no-fly zone around the airport.

Heathrow Airport installs anti-drone system that can locate UAV pilots

The UK’s biggest airport now has its own Counter Drone system that can detect and track unauthorized drones as well as locate the drone pilots, who face up to five years in prison for flying in a UK Flight Restriction Zone without permission.

According to Bloomberg, the Counter Drone technology uses a holographic radar system, the same used at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. It's unclear, though, if Heathrow's system includes a way to disable drones once they've been identified.

Grab this portable charger for half-off today.

You won’t play this in March.

Square Enix delays 'Final Fantasy VII Remake' until April 10th

“Ha, ha, ha. Stop acting as if you're sad.”
“And there's no need to act as if you're angry either.”

Sony added buttons to its DualShock 4 and little else.

PlayStation's new Back Button accessory is a wasted opportunity

Sony's DualShock is a good controller. Its Emmy award-winning design has hardly changed over the last couple of decades. But in 2020, things are different. PlayStation's biggest rival, Xbox, has a high-end controller for top-level gamers, while expensive third-party options from SCUFF and Hori have proved there are better ways to play PS4.

Enter the unimaginatively named Back Button Attachment, aimed at giving your six-year-old DualShock 4 a few new tricks. It’s aimed at high-level gamers that need more sensitive controls and the ability to remap buttons to more handy locations. There is also an accessibility boon, which could help even more people play the games they want to play. It’s just a shame the accessory doesn’t go further.