April, 2019

• 30 April

  Facebook uploaded 1.5 million email addresses without permission. Find out if you played a role

  

  Recently, Facebook admitted that it “unintentionally” imported the email contact lists from 1.5 million people without their consent, starting from May 2016. Even if you don’t have a Facebook account, you might have been affected if one of your friends signed up for a new account. And if a friend of family member got a new …

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• 30 April

  Apple reportedly warning of consumer injury associated with Right to Repair bill

  

  An Apple representative is warning California lawmakers that they should reject legislation designed to make it easier for consumers to repair their own electronics, because the consumers might wind up hurting themselves, Motherboard reported Tuesday. California’s Right to Repair bill would require manufacturers of electronics to make repair information, diagnostic tools and service parts available to device owners and independent …

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• 30 April

  What iPhone? Apple’s betting the future on services

  

  Last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a new direction for his company. Yes, it will still sell iPhones, Macs and AirPods, but now it’ll also focus on the stuff you watch, listen to and play on those devices. Apple TV Plus, a video streaming service; Apple Arcade, a paid package of games; and Apple News Plus, a subscription service …

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• 30 April

  Valve Index VR headset to start at $499, ship before July

  

  As if there weren’t enough virtual reality headsets already, game maker Valve is preparing to release its own take on the technology. It may see odd that Valve — whose Steam online game store and popular adventure titles like Half-Life and Portal have made it a household fixture among gamers — is choosing to release its first headset now. The device, called …

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• 30 April

  Samsung: Exploded Galaxy S10 5G ’caused by external impact’

  

  Samsung is defusing worries that its first 5G Galaxy has an exploding battery problem.  After a report circulated Tuesday that Samsung denied reimbursing a South Korean customer whose Galaxy S10 5G exploded, the company has explained why. In a statement provided to CNET, the company says that the cause of the damage wasn’t a malfunction but rather the result of …

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• 30 April

  Drone danger at airports? Not if this task force can help it

  

  If you’re worried somebody’s drone will get sucked into the engine of your jet as you take off, you’re not alone. Which is why Michael Huerta, former chief of the US Federal Aviation Administration, is helping lead a task force that aims to tackle the problems of drones at airports. Two groups, one for drones and one for airports, announced …

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• 30 April

  Bird will deliver you a scooter, then pick it up when you’re done

  

  Bird scooters introduced a new service on Tuesday it’s calling “monthly personal rentals.” The idea is to sign people up for $25 monthly plans and they can scoot all they want during that time. The company will just drop off a scooter wherever you are and then pick it back up when you’re done. “Renting a Bird for an entire …

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• 30 April

  The Game of Thrones

  

  Let’s table, for a moment, the pacing and plotting problems from last Sunday’s Game of Thrones episode, The Long Night. The real problem was how dark the episode was — and I’m not talking about character deaths. Rather, many scenes were so dark, it was hard to tell what was happening. In fact, the effect was so pronounced that CNET …

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• 30 April

  Google’s pricey Pixel phones aren’t selling, even at steep discounts

  

  Google’s Pixel 3 line of phones may be praised for its speedy performance and excellent cameras, but that hasn’t done much to help the company gain traction in the smartphone market.  Speaking on parent company Alphabet’s earnings call Monday, chief financial officer Ruth Porat acknowledged, as transcribed by Seeking Alpha, that the company’s phones haven’t been selling as strongly as …

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• 30 April

  Indiegogo campaign for bizarre Energizer phone with huge battery fails, surprises no one

  

  Back in February during MWC 2019, French phone maker Avenir Telecom surprised everyone when it launched the Energizer Power Max P18K Pop, a massive phone with an 18,000mAh battery and a whole lot of junk in the trunk. Though it attracted show attendees and garnered news headlines, today it failed to secure $1.2 million in funding via its IndieGogo campaign.  …

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