April, 2019

• 1 April

  Google adds Snake to Maps for April Fools’ Day gag

  

  Remember Snake? It’s back — in Google Maps form! Snake, the iconic Nokia game first introduced on the Nokia 6110 in 1997, has been reimagined for Google Maps in celebration of April Fools’ Day. You can play it on iOS and Android versions of the Google Maps app. Just touch the sidebar option on the …

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• 1 April

  Apple cuts price of iPhone, iPad, AirPods in China

  

  Apple has cut the prices of some of its most popular products — including the iPhone, iPad, AirPods and Mac computers — on its online store for Chinese consumers. Though pricing changes vary from product to product, most of the decreases are around 5 percent, according to CNBC, which first reported the news. For example, on Apple’s Chinese website, a …

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• 1 April

  New York capital hit by ransomware attack, taking services offline

  

  Albany is the latest in a long list of cities ensnared by ransomware. On Saturday, the city government announced it was hit by a ransomware attack. In such attacks, hackers infect computers with malware that holds the content hostage unless the victims pay to free their machines. The attack took out several city services that remain impacted, including its ability …

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• 1 April

  Valve Index VR headset preorders start May 1. Look out PlayStation, Oculus

  

  Valve is known for making hit shooting games like Half-Life and Portal, and the battle strategy game Dota 2. It runs the popular Steam online game store. It’s pioneered new virtual reality technology.  Now Valve appears to be building a headset too. Enlarge Image Valve quietly announced its new Index headset last Friday. Screenshot by CNET The Bellevue, Washington, game …

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• 1 April

  Why Apple AirPower’s death might be good for you and your iPhone

  

  Apple officially killed AirPower last week citing an inability to “achieve [Apple’s] high standards”, and I was crestfallen. I had been looking forward to finally trying AirPower, the wireless charging pad for iPhones, AirPods and the Apple Watch that would simultaneously charge multiple devices, up to three in Apple’s case. Uniquely, it would communicate with the devices to manage the power distribution among …

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• 1 April

  ‘Super recognizer’ cops give facial recognition systems a run for their money

  

  Kenny Long recalls that when the London Metropolitan Police first identified his talent for spotting faces, back in 2015, he had an interesting gut reaction to being called a “super-recognizer.”  “It sounds like a rubbish superhero,” he told his commanding officer. But in crime-fighting circles in London, and with British intelligence, it’s no joke. Long’s talent, the ability to put …

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• 1 April

  Qualcomm ex

  

  Qualcomm’s former CEO won’t take the company private after all. Paul Jacobs has dropped his attempts to buy the chipmaker, according to The Wall Street Journal. Instead, he plans to focus on his new wireless technology company, called XCOM, the publication said.  Qualcomm declined to comment. Jacobs couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.  Virtually every major handset maker — besides …

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• 1 April

  Pixel 2 removed from Google store

  

  Google is no longer selling the Pixel 2 on its online store. A link for the phone will redirect you to the Pixel 3, Android Police noticed Monday. The Pixel 2 XL was also nowhere to be found under a list of phones on Google’s store, but a web search for the device still shows a link where you can buy …

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• 1 April

  How to get the most out of the Apple Watch heart rate features

  

  One of the main selling points of the Apple Watch ($70 at Amazon) is how it can contribute to helping you live a healthier life by recording workouts, completing challenges or monitoring your heart’s health. For those who are just getting started with an Apple Watch, or those who have had one for a while but never used any of …

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• 1 April

  Firefox, Chrome try banishing spammy website requests you probably hate

  

  Chances are that when a website pop-up asks your permission to send you notifications, you don’t want to grant it. That’s a problem Firefox and Chrome engineers have begun trying to fix. Website notifications can be useful, for example, when you want your web-based calendar to alert you to an upcoming meeting or when an important message arrives on your …

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