Women in Tech: 20 Trailblazers Share Their Journeys
Successful women in the tech trenches share their insights and tackle subjects ranging from how to search out a strong mentor to how to be one -- from how to advance in a large company to how to start your own firm.
This book is an excellent guide for students considering STEM courses, graduates pondering job choices, and career changers at any stage in life. It's also a useful tool for school and career counselors, recruiters, and HR pros eager to diversify their workplaces.
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Over the last few weeks, we've considered what a "ban" on TikTok might mean — and the reasons, shady or otherwise, for implementing one. But Tencent is another issue altogether, given its swath of investments in gaming, music and film, not to mention the wide use of WeChat by people in the US who want to communicate with someone in China. The administration later clarified that should the ban go into effect (over various legal protests) in 45 days, it only applies to deals with WeChat specifically. In the meantime, you may want to find out who owns your favorite services before the next shoe drops.
— Richard
Sony upgrades our favorite noise-canceling headphones
The WH-1000XM4 will arrive mid-August for $350.
Engadget
As expected, the WH-1000XM4 is the follow-up to the stellar WH-1000XM3 headphones that arrived in 2018 — long due an upgrade. We've reviewed the new set right here, but expect a bunch of small improvements to ensure Sony retains its crown when it comes to mainstream wireless headphones. They're more comfortable and less likely to squeeze your head during extended use.
Sony added multi-device connectivity, so you can automatically hop back and forth between your phone and computer when you receive a call. It also means you can make changes in the Headphones app while you're working, without having to connect to your phone exclusively. In regards to noise cancellation, Sony added the ability for the M4 to automatically adjust the noise canceling levels based on your location. The WH-1000XM4 will arrive in mid-August for $350, but you can preorder now. We liked them. A lot. Continue reading.
Scientists rename genes because Microsoft Excel reads them as dates
Damn it, Clippy.
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee
Microsoft Excel's automatic formatting is making more work for geneticists. The HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee has issued official new guidelines for naming human genes to prevent Excel's spreadsheet date formatting from ruining things. MARCH1 (Membrane Associated Ring-CH-Type Finger 1), for example, should now be labeled MARCHF1 to stop Excel from changing it to 1-Mar or March 1st. Apparently, 27 genes have been relabeled to avoid the drama of a spreadsheet in disarray. Continue reading.
Cadillac's first full-EV is the Lyriq luxury crossover
It's promising over 300 miles of range thanks to a next-gen battery.
Cadillac
We're still waiting to see GMC's electric Hummers, but they will share their Ultium battery tech with this new Cadillac. The Lyriq is slated for delivery starting in late 2022, complete with 150-kilowatt fast DC charging, as well as "dual-plane augmented reality-enhanced head-up display and remote self-parking." Continue reading.
Google is done with the Pixel 4
Just like that, it's gone from the Google Store
Engadget
The Google Store has apparently "sold through its inventory" and "completed sales of Pixel 4 [and] Pixel 4 XL." For now, it's still possible to buy the regular Pixel 4 from Google's Store, if you're willing to use the company's Fi network. That option, however, will presumably vanish in the very near future.
Depending on your region, you might see the phone still in stock — it's still listed on UK and Spanish store fronts, but that might be because Europe won't see the phone for a few months.
It's a surprisingly sudden end to the Google flagship phone, which launched in October 2019. For now, you'll have to make do with the Pixel 4a— in most regards, a better proposition. Continue reading.
Can anyone figure out the foldable? Samsung hopes the third time's the charm. Alongside its new Note 20 series, the company revealed the Galaxy Z Fold 2, with more screen on both the folding surface and the secondary outer display. The latter was a weak point on the original Galaxy Fold, a tiny mediocre screen that was hard to use.
Samsung
The Fold 2 also appears thinner than the original, partly thanks to shorter fiber brushes between the hinge parts, meant to clean out trapped dust and particles. The company has also reengineered the display layers for improved durability — a question that still lingers around foldables.
As the line between the flagship Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series blurs — they're all big phones now — foldables could be the new Note. Maybe.
For now, Samsung's third folding phone still doesn't appear to be reinventing what smartphones can offer. Expect more details (and a hefty price) on September 1st.
— Mat
What you need to know about the new Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra
Do you want premium or 'premium' premium?
Engadget
Samsung has officially revealed the Galaxy Note 20 ($999) and Note 20 Ultra ($1,299), and the more expensive model comes with some major differences. The Note 20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch screen, though it has a narrower, taller build, making it easier to handle than you might think. The Note 20 is a little smaller at 6.7 inches, but that still makes for a pretty big phone. It also has a lower resolution and the typical 60Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the Note 20 Ultra gets an ultra-smooth 120Hz screen. Camera specs, similarly, separate the two, making the Note 20 a harder device to recommend, at least going on spec sheets. Take a look for yourself. Continue reading.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds Live offer 'open' ANC and hands-free access to Bixby
They go on sale today for $170.
Samsung
They're weird looking, but Samsung's next-generation wireless buds are here. Their curved bean shape is apparently meant to mimic the crevices of your ear, and they sit flat on the outside of your ear canal without a tip that goes inside. Instead, a pair of speakers on the underside of the Buds Live beam sound in on each side. This allows for "open" active noise cancellation (ANC) tech. Rather than piping outside noise in with an ambient sound mode, the Buds Live has vents that let you hear what's going on around you. The ANC focuses on low-frequency noise. Continue reading.
A quick read that you'll finish before your first cup of coffee.
Disney has no idea what it's doing with 'Mulan'
A $200 million Hail Mary.
Disney
Is Disney's direct-to-streaming release of Mulan a calculated shot to kill movie theaters, a dastardly plot to eliminate movie ownership in favor of leases that keep customers hooked on Disney+ or something else? Devindra Hardawar explains the factors that make this look more like a salvage operation than strategic attack, and why fumbling the rollout could upset "premium VOD" possibilities in the future. Continue reading.
Zoom adds silly filters and more noise suppression options
Reclaim that wacky office worker crown.
Zoom
Zoom's upgraded its video conferencing app with a bunch of social media-inspired filters and overlays, as well as settings sliders to improve the brightness and fidelity of your video stream. (So they can better see your janky pirate eye-patch?)
Looking at the more buttoned-down features, background noise suppression will soon have four options — auto, low, medium and high — so you can fine tune your audio levels on calls. Continue reading.
