Facebook Reports 'Signs of Stability' in Ad Spending After Coronavirus Drop

Facebook beat analysts' estimates for quarterly revenue on Wednesday and said it has seen "signs of stability" for sales in April after a plunge in March, in yet another signal that tech giants may...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3aVTuTC

US blacklists five Amazon foreign websites

The US government places some of the online shopping giant’s websites on its “notorious markets” list.

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/3f5fkqU

Facebook Reports 'Signs of Stability' in Ad Spending After Coronavirus Drop

Facebook beat analysts' estimates for quarterly revenue on Wednesday and said it has seen "signs of stability" for sales in April after a plunge in March, in yet another signal that tech giants may weather the coronavirus-induced economic collapse better than other sectors.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3aVTuTC

Everyone Can Now Use Google Meet for Free

With populations around the world either in lockdown and/or following social distancing rules, video chat has suddenly become much more popular. And Google is responding to that explosive uptick in interest by making Google Meet free for everyone to use.

How to Use Google Meet for Free

In a post on The Keyword, Google announced that Meet is free for everyone to use. Until now, Meet has only been available as part of G Suite, which is aimed at businesses, schools, and organizations. But now, Google Meet is free for everyone.

All you need in order to use Google Meet is a Google account. Which you already have if you use Gmail. Once you have a Google account, you can use Meet for free either on the web at meet.google.com, or via the Google Meet app on Android and iOS.

Coming soon ?: We'll be offering #GoogleMeet for free to anyone with an email address to help people, businesses, & schools stay connected. Availability for our premium video conferencing product will be rolling out in the coming weeks ? https://t.co/Km6EfP7nHl #MeetOurTeam pic.twitter.com/eLn0PV0Sci

— G Suite (@gsuite) April 29, 2020

Google Meet supports meetings for up to 100 people, with meetings limited to 60 minutes. However, this time limit will not be enforced until October 1st to ensure people can use Google Meet for as long as they want while the COVID-19 crisis is still playing out.

Given the security issues surrounding Zoom and Houseparty, Google points out how Meet is “designed, built and operated to be secure at scale.” Meet’s safety measures include the inability of anonymous users to join meetings, and the ability for hosts to boot people out.

Before you rush to try out Google Meet for free, Google is rolling it out over the next few weeks and “gradually expanding its availability to more and more people.” However, you can sign up here to be notified when you can start using Meet for free.

What Happened to Google Hangouts, Anyway?

Google has offered a confusing array of messaging apps over the years, and its lineup is still quite confusing. Google Meet has only been called Google Meet for a matter of weeks, and was formerly Google Hangouts Meet. And that was formerly just Google Hangouts.

Still, Google finally looks to be settling on a direction of travel, with Google Meet and Google Chat replacing Hangouts, and Google Duo (see our beginner’s guide to Google Duo) sticking around as a mobile-friendly option for smaller groups of friends.

Read the full article: Everyone Can Now Use Google Meet for Free

from MakeUseOf https://ift.tt/3f636Oz

How to Make Your Own DIY Chromecast With a Raspberry Pi

A Google Chromecast is an inexpensive piece of streaming kit. The Chromecast Ultra is more expensive, but at under $100 it remains affordable. But some parts of the world are restricted from buying Chromecasts.

The solution? A DIY alternative based on the Raspberry Pi. Costing under $50, you can configure this credit card-sized computer to receive media streamed from an Android app.

Let me explain how to use your Raspberry Pi like a DIY Chromecast with Raspicast.

Install the Raspicast App

Start by installing Raspicast on your Android device. This is a free app that connects to your Raspberry Pi and streams data to it. You’ll find Raspicast in the Google Play app store. Unfortunately, there is no reliable iPhone alternative for this.

Download: Raspicast for Android

It’s important to note that the Android phone and Raspberry Pi need to be on the same network for this. You can’t, for example, stream video from your phone to your TV if you’re sat on the bus. If you’re trying to share a video with someone sat at home, simply message them the link!

Configure Raspbian for Casting

With the app installed, turn your attention to the Raspberry Pi. This should be already connected to your TV via HDMI and powered up. Note that the Pi will require an individual power source—you can’t power it from your TV’s USB port. Even if the power rating was adequate, the Pi should not be shut down without the correct command. Ignoring this will result in the Pi’s SD card corrupting, so use the right power source.

We tested this on a Raspberry Pi 4 running Raspbian Buster Lite. However, you should find it works with other Raspberry Pi models and distributions (although some of the commands may differ).

Before proceeding, ensure omxplayer is installed on your Pi:

sudo apt install omxplayer

As you’ll need SSH enabled, here’s a quick primer. You have three options to enable it:

1. Via raspi-config. You can run this from the command line using sudo raspi-config, then select Interfacing Options > SSH and use the arrow keys to confirm with OK.
2. Use the Raspberry Pi Configuration tool. From the Raspbian desktop, open Menu > Preferences > Raspberry Pi Configuration. In the Interfaces tab, find SSH and set it to Enabled.
3. Finally, if you prefer simplicity, you can enable SSH before you boot up your Pi. Insert the microSD card into your computer, browse to the boot partition, and create a new file. This should be called ssh and have no file extension. Once you replace the SD card and reboot, SSH should be enabled.

The following can be done via a keyboard connected to your Pi or using SSH. You’ll need the Pi’s IP address to connect—open a terminal window and enter

ifconfig

Make note of the IP address that correspond’s with your Pi’s connection. For example, use the IP address that corresponds to the eth0 entry if you use an Ethernet connection; wlan0 for Wi-Fi.

Once the SSH connection is established, run some updates. Open a terminal window on your Pi and enter:

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

These commands will update your Raspberry Pi’s operating system and find and install any software updates.

Install and Build OpenMax

With the updates installed, we need some prerequisite packages:

sudo apt install libjpeg9-dev libpng12-dev

The packages libjpeg9-dev and libpng12-dev are necessary for programs that can handle JPG and PNG images. This will enable images media to be cast to your Raspberry Pi via the Raspicast app on Android!

Now, install OpenMax. This tool is the best option for casting video, audio, and images from Android to a TV-connected Raspberry Pi. It’s available via GitHub, and you can install it by “cloning” the data repository to your Pi. Don’t have git? Install it with

sudo apt install git

Then clone the repository with:

git clone https://github.com/HaarigerHarald/omxiv

This shouldn’t take long.

You’re nearly done; it’s time to build the OpenMax software. Begin by switching to the omxiv directory and using the make command.

cd omxiv
make ilclient
make

This will take a while. Once it’s done, install with:

sudo make install

A few moments later, OpenMax will be ready to use.

Get Ready to Cast to Your Raspberry Pi

Everything you need to cast from your Android device to your Raspberry Pi is now in place. Some configuration of Raspicast is still required, however.

1. Run the Raspicast app.
2. In the SSH settings input your Pi’s Hostname or IP address.
3. Input the username and password for your Pi.
4. Click OK to finish.

To cast to your Raspberry Pi, you have two options:

• Browse for the content within the Raspicast app and hit play.
• Cast from YouTube, find the video in the app and tap Share > Cast (Raspicast).

Meanwhile, to send videos, music and photos to your Raspberry Pi display, simply use the main Raspicast screen and select Cast. This will open a screen listing all videos on your Android device.

Selecting a media file on any of the corresponding tabs will prompt its immediate playback on your Raspberry Pi.

Need to change the IP address within the app (e.g. to cast to a different Pi)? Open the “three dots” menu and select SSH Settings. Simply input the new IP address and credentials.

More Raspicast Options

Also in the Raspicast menu, you’ll find a check box to Repeat the currently playing file. Further down the list, Audio output can be customized, using HDMI (default), local, both, or alsa. This will prove useful for anyone using an external audio solution with their Pi.

You should also check the Advanced options screen. Here, manage a queue of files, volume (audio volume offset), and specify custom commands. You can also switch to using HTTP if necessary (HTTPS is the default), and more.

Meanwhile, on the main Raspicast screen, use the Files button to navigate and play media stored on your Raspberry Pi. This includes streaming audio, thereby turning your Raspberry Pi into a Chromecast audio device!

You Can Also Cast With Kodi!

While you can’t run Raspicast with a Raspberry Pi running Kodi, don’t worry, there is an alternative. With the Kore remote control app for Android you can also cast media to a Raspberry Pi with Kodi installed.

Download: Kore, Official Remote for Kodi

Simply install the app, set it up with the IP address of your Raspberry Pi, and then head to YouTube. As with Raspicast, tap the Share button on the video you want to cast, then Play on Kodi.

This will immediately stream the video to your TV via Kodi!

Other Chromecast Alternatives

The Raspberry Pi isn’t the only alternative to a Chromecast. You might already have a solution that you were unaware of. Your smart TV, game console, or set-top box might have a YouTube app, enabling easy streaming.

In this situation, casting videos from the YouTube app to the TV is usually possible as long as the receiver is on the same network.

While other HDMI streaming solutions exist, if you have a device with an official YouTube app (like the Apple TV), you’ll probably be able to cast to it. And if you don’t own any of these devices or a Raspberry Pi, Miracast is a smart alternative.

Want to go further with media streaming and your Raspberry Pi? Here are the best ways to use a Raspberry Pi as a media server.

Read the full article: How to Make Your Own DIY Chromecast With a Raspberry Pi

from MakeUseOf https://ift.tt/2CLfhMC

How to Install Linux on a Chromebook

Did you know you can run Linux on your Chromebook? Installing a traditional Linux environment on your Chromebook is a quick and easy way to unlock your machine’s true potential and improve its functionality.

Because the Chrome OS is a Linux-based operating system, users can install an alternative Linux environment and get a fully-fledged Linux desktop on their Chromebooks. Before you start, please note that if you have an ARM-based machine, some Linux apps will not work, as they are only designed to run on Intel architecture.

So, here’s how you install Linux on your Chromebook.

How to Install Linux on a Chromebook

There are two main options you can use to install Linux on your Chromebook. You can either create a dual-boot environment using chrx, an open-source project that replaces the now-defunct ChrUbuntu project, or in a chroot environment using Crouton.

There is also a third option, which uses Crostini, Google’s Linux virtual machine container project that allows you to run Linux apps on top of Chrome OS. Crostini is similar to chroot, in that it allows for the creation of an environment where you can run Linux programs. The difference between the two is that Crostini doesn’t require you to enter Chromebook Developer Mode.

Each option has pros and cons. Read on for a simple step-by-step installation guide, while also considering their advantages and disadvantages.

Create a Chromebook Recovery

Before you start altering your Chromebook with a Linux installation, you should create a Chromebook recovery drive using the Chromebook Recovery Utility. If anything horrendous happens to your Chromebook during the Linux installation, you can restore your Chromebook using the drive.

You’ll need a USB flash drive with at least 8GB space that you don’t mind formatting during the process.

1. Download Chromebook Recovery Utility from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Use the app to download a copy of Chrome OS onto a removable media with 4GB storage.

That’s it!

If you do run into difficulties and encounter the dreaded “Chrome OS Is Missing or Damaged” message, you’re prepared for the worst. Follow our guide on reinstalling Chrome OS to bring your Chromebook back to life.

How to Put Your Chromebook into Developer Mode

The chrx dual-boot method and chroot installation methods require you to put your Chromebook into Developer Mode. Chromebook’s Developer Mode is a special integrated function that allows you to boot into an unapproved operating system, among other things.

A few words of caution before progressing.

Firstly, putting your device into Developer Mode will wipe all locally stored data, so please ensure you have made adequate backups of everything important.

Secondly, you are removing an important level of Chromebook’s security, as the machine will no-longer verify or authenticate the Chrome OS on start-up, which could leave you open to potential attacks.

Finally, remember any modifications you make are not supported by Google and may void your warranty.

The method for putting your Chromebook into Developer Mode varies depending on the make and model of the machine. Much older Chromebooks have a simple physical switch underneath the battery. Newer versions do not have a removable battery and thus require you follow these steps:

1. Hold down Esc + Refresh, and while keeping them pressed, hit the power button.
2. Once the computer restarts, you will enter Recovery Mode.
3. Press Ctrl + D, which will bring up a prompt asking if you want to enter Developer Mode. Press Enter to proceed.
4. The Chromebook will start initializing Developer Mode—this may take some time.
5. When the setup is complete, you will meet a screen that displays an exclamation mark, and the phrase OS verification is OFF. From now on, you will see this screen every time you turn on your Chromebook. If you wait 30 seconds, your Chromebook will start automatically, or you can press Ctrl + D to boot immediately.

How to Dual-Boot a Linux on a Chromebook Using chrx

Chrx is an open-source project that you can use to install a Linux distribution alongside Chrome OS. There are several Linux distros you can choose from. These include the full Ubuntu installation, or GalliumOS, which is derived from Xubuntu and is developed specifically for maximizing performance on Chromebook hardware.

There is one important thing to note before continuing. The chrx dual-boot method does is not compatible with Chromebooks that use ARM hardware. You can check the compatibility list before continuing with the tutorial.

Intel Skylake, Apollo Lake, and Kaby Lake models have varying levels of support and testing. Intel Amber Lake, Gemini Lake, and Whiskey Lake models are new and do not have much support.

The chrx installation is a two-part process. Phase one partitions your storage. Phase two installs the Linux distribution and configures your system.

Using chrx to Install Linux

Here is your step-by-step guide to installing Linux on your Chromebook using chrx. Before proceeding, double-check your compatibility, ensure Developer Mode is enabled, and that you have an active internet connection.

1. First up, press CTRL + ALT + T to open the Chrome OS terminal, then input shell
2. You now need to update the Chromebook firmware to allow legacy booting. Input cd; curl -LO https://mrchromebox.tech/firmware-util.sh && sudo bash firmware-util.sh. When the firmware update script loads, press 1, then Enter to Install/Update RW_Legacy Firmware.
3. Once your firmware update completes, input cd ; curl -Os https://chrx.org/go && sh go. Press N to install to your system storage.
4. Enter the storage size for the Linux partition, then hit Enter. The default installation option, GalliumOS, requires a minimum 3GB storage. Once the installation completes, press Enter to restart your system.
5. Once your system reboots, you will encounter a message stating, “Your system is repairing itself. Please wait.” As worrying as this sounds, it is perfectly normal. Wait for this to complete. The time it takes depends on your hard drive. For example, I have a 128GB hard drive in my Chromebook, and the process took nearly 20 minutes.
6. When you arrive at your desktop, open the Chrome OS terminal, input shell, then cd ; curl -Os https://chrx.org/go && sh go to being the second phase of the installation. When the installation finishes, press Enter.
7. At the boot screen, press CTRL + L to boot into Gallium OS (or an alternative Linux distro).

The chrx installation process is a little lengthy. Still, the result is excellent and provides you a stable dual-boot environment.

How to Install Linux as a Chroot Using Crouton

One alternative to the chrx method is to use Crouton, an open-source project that installs Linux in a chroot environment.

In practice, this means you can switch between the two operating systems seamlessly by using a simple keyboard command, and the machine will not require rebooting.

Further benefits include sharing the /Downloads folder across both systems. This means that you can easily access files from both environments. Furthermore, removing a Linux operating system installed using Crouton does not require a full system recovery.

The software itself was developed by a former Google employee and is, therefore, optimized to run extremely quickly, even on older machines. The two environments also share drivers, so they should work immediately and without problems.

Installing Linux With Crouton

The process of installing Crouton is very simple. Please check you have a connection to a Wi-Fi network, and you have Developer Mode enabled. Now, follow the steps below to install Ubuntu with Crouton.

1. Download the latest version of Crouton to your Chromebook hard drive
   Download: Crouton (Free)
2. Press CTRL + ALT + T to open the terminal, then input shell
3. Input sudo install -Dt /usr/local/bin -m 755 ~/Downloads/crouton to turn the installer into an executable file
4. Now, run the installer using sudo crouton -t xfce
5. Towards the end of the installation, you will receive a prompt to enter and username and password for your Linux installation. Choose something suitable, press Enter, and the installation will compete.

Once the installation is complete, head back into the Chromebook shell (from your desktop press Ctrl+Alt+T, type shell, press Enter), then type sudo startxfce4 and press Enter. After you have done this once, the new OS will continue to run until you either turn off your computer or log out of the Linux desktop environment.

The default installation option, as above, installs Ubuntu 16.04, which is now reasonably out of date. Crouton does support other Linux distros. If you want to check out the other Linux distros Crouton supports, run sh -e ~/Downloads/crouton -r list before starting the installation. Swap out the name of the Linux distro you want to install in step 4 of the tutorial.

Controlling and Customizing Your Linux Crouton Environment

The following keyboard shortcuts enable you to switch between the original Chrome OS and your new Linux environment:

• ARM-based machines: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Forward and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Back
• Intel-based machines: Ctrl+Alt+Back and Ctrl+Alt+Forward then Ctrl+Alt+Refresh

Once you have successfully installed your new environment, there are a couple of actions you should take to improve your experience.

1. Enable your keyboard’s brightness and volume keys to work inside the new OS. To do this, access the Chrome OS shell (from the Chrome OS desktop, press Ctrl+Alt+T, type shell, and press Enter).
2. Next, type sudo sh -e ~/Downloads/crouton -r precise -t keyboard –u and press Enter.
3. Remove the new environment’s screensaver as it has been known to cause graphics errors. You can do this from the terminal inside Linux by typing sudo apt-get remove xscreensaver then pressing Enter.
4. Install Ubuntu Software Centre and Synaptic (both used for installing additional apps). Do this by entering the terminal inside your new Linux installation, typing sudo apt-get install software-center synaptic and pressing Enter.

How to Remove a Crouton Installation

There are two principal ways to remove a Linux environment installed using Crouton.

The first is to enter the shell on your Chrome OS (press Ctrl+Alt+T, type shell, press Enter) and do the following.

1. Type cd /usr/local/chroots and press Enter
2. Type sudo delete-chroot * and press Enter
3. Type rm -rf /usr/local/bin and press Enter

The alternative is to reboot your Chromebook and press Space when you see the initial OS verification is OFF screen. This will take your device out of Developer Mode and wipe all local data, including any new environments you have installed.

As always, ensure you have made backups of any important data before taking this step. If you want to enter Developer Mode again after this point, you’ll have to repeat the process explained earlier.

How to Install Linux Apps Using Crostini

Now, onto the third and final method for running Linux apps on your Chromebook. Crostini allows you to create a virtual container for a Linux app. The Linux app runs on top of your existing Chrome OS installation, so there is no need to enter Developer Mode or make tweaks to the existing operating system.

The only downside is that Crostini is not available on many Chromebook models. At least, not many at the time of writing—and none that I currently own. Check out the full compatibility list to see if your Chromebook model can run the Linux (Beta) and, in turn, Crostini.

If you’re thinking of waiting around for Crostini to come to your Chromebook, owners of certain models should consider using one of the alternative methods. The list of Chromebook models that will not receive Crostini is lengthy.

How to Use Linux Apps on Your Chromebook With Crostini

The process of loading and using Crostini on a compatible Chromebook is simple. On your Chromebook:

1. Open the Settings menu
2. Scroll down to find Linux (Beta), then turn the option on
3. Follow the on-screen instructions. The setup process can take up to 10 minutes.
4. Once Linux finishes installing, a Linux terminal will appear. Update the Linux installation using the sudo apt update command, then sudo apt update upgrade.
5. On completion, open your Chrome browser and type chrome://flags. Type crostini in the Flags search bar, then search for the Crostini GPU Support
6. Switch it to Enabled.

After you complete the Linux (Beta) and Crostini installation, you can install Linux packages to your Chromebook. You will find a new option in your Chrome OS file menu for Linux apps, too, allowing you to launch Linux apps as if it were a Chromebook app.

3 Ways to Install Linux on a Chromebook

There are three options for you to start using Linux on your Chromebook. The main limitations of selecting a method come from your hardware type and its compatibility. ARM-based Chromebook models should opt for Crouton, whereas Intel-based Chromebook models have a wider range of options.

Are you getting into the Chrome OS terminal? Check out our list of the most important Crosh commands every user should know.

Read the full article: How to Install Linux on a Chromebook

from MakeUseOf https://ift.tt/3aQRUCn

Dozens of tracking apps for smartphones are being used or developed to help contain the pandemic, despite concerns about security, privacy, and effectiveness (New York Times)

New York Times:
Dozens of tracking apps for smartphones are being used or developed to help contain the pandemic, despite concerns about security, privacy, and effectiveness  —  Dozens of tracking apps for smartphones are being used or developed to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2W9KW6a

Researcher: major sites like Wish and Mailchimp were leaking email addresses to ads and analytics companies including Facebook and Twitter via URL query strings (Zach Edwards)

Zach Edwards:
Researcher: major sites like Wish and Mailchimp were leaking email addresses to ads and analytics companies including Facebook and Twitter via URL query strings  —  Breaches have been found on websites including Wish.com, JetBlue.com, Quibi.com, WashingtonPost.com, NGPVan.com and numerous other organizations...

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3aRcqTa

iPhone SE vs. iPhone 11 comparison: Which Apple phone to buy in 2020 - CNET

Apple's iPhone SE for 2020 is $300 cheaper than the baseline iPhone 11. Here's what you get (and don't get) for that price.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2ybz2Rb

Google introduces new rules for the Chrome Web Store to cut down on spammy extensions, says developers must comply by August 27 or extensions will be delisted (Catalin Cimpanu/ZDNet)

Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Google introduces new rules for the Chrome Web Store to cut down on spammy extensions, says developers must comply by August 27 or extensions will be delisted  —  Google plans to remove a bunch of garbage and useless Chrome extensions from the Web Store.  —  Google announced today new rules …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3d1941v

TikTok surpasses 2 billion download mark - CNET

Video-sharing app's popularity continues to grow as people look for new ways to connect during the coronavirus pandemic, an analytics firm reports.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2VOaDKn

Redmi Note 9, Mi Note 10 Lite Expected to Launch Today: Watch Live Stream

Xiaomi is all set to host its global launch event today, wherein it is expected to unveil the Redmi Note 9 and the Mi Note 10 Lite phones. The two phones have leaked on multiple occasions in the past,...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3d4vPl1

Redmi Note 9, Mi Note 10 Lite Expected to Launch Today: How to Watch Live Stream, Specifications, More

Xiaomi is all set to host its global launch event today, wherein it is expected to unveil the Redmi Note 9 and the Mi Note 10 Lite phones. The two phones have leaked on multiple occasions in the past, and the Mi Note 10 Lite was recently spotted on US FCC as well.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3d4vPl1

Booking Holdings' Priceline, OpenTable, and Kayak, along with Blix and others, form the lobbying group App Coalition, touting independence from Apple and Google (Bloomberg)

Bloomberg:
Booking Holdings' Priceline, OpenTable, and Kayak, along with Blix and others, form the lobbying group App Coalition, touting independence from Apple and Google  —  - OpenTable, Priceline create new mobile application trade group  — Mobile apps have sparred with Google and Apple over policies

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2KHk3Bc

Redmi Note 9, Mi Note 10 Lite Expected to Launch Today: How to Watch Live Stream, Specifications, More

Xiaomi is all set to host its global launch event today, wherein it is expected to unveil the Redmi Note 9 and the Mi Note 10 Lite phones. The two phones have leaked on multiple occasions in the past, and the Mi Note 10 Lite was recently spotted on US FCC as well.

from RSS Feeds | MOBILES - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3d4vPl1

Coronavirus: Serena Williams among stars to compete in Mario Tennis tournament

Naomi Osaka and the Williams sisters will play and be live-streamed on Facebook's gaming platform.

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/3aORrAr

The best prepared meal delivery services in 2020: Home Chef, Daily Harvest, Veestro and more - CNET

No-fuss, oven-ready meal kits.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2VN0uh2

The best meat delivery services in 2020: Crowd Cow, Thrive Market, Butcher Box and more - CNET

Explore your options for high-quality beef, pork, chicken and seafood all delivered to your door.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/3cZu4Wl

Elon Musk calls COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders 'fascist' on Tesla Q1 earnings call - CNET

Things got weird, fast.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2VPgTl3

Coronavirus drug remdesivir shows 'clear-cut positive effect' in US trial - CNET

Experimental antiviral remdesivir holds promise as a treatment for COVID-19 -- but questions remain.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/3d0LvG0

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra phones are reportedly cracking around the camera - CNET

Some users have complained of a fracture across their phone's camera.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2W426So

Reddit launches Start Chatting, a new tool that lets users start a chat room with up to seven randomly selected users within a subreddit (Karissa Bell/Engadget)

Karissa Bell / Engadget:
Reddit launches Start Chatting, a new tool that lets users start a chat room with up to seven randomly selected users within a subreddit  —  The “front page of the internet” is bringing back one of the web's oldest features: chat rooms.  Reddit company is introducing a new chat tool …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3dbQowj

Zuckerberg: 3B+ MAUs across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, with FB and IG Live video views up 2x and group video call time up 10x in recent weeks (Lucas Matney/TechCrunch)

Lucas Matney / TechCrunch:
Zuckerberg: 3B+ MAUs across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, with FB and IG Live video views up 2x and group video call time up 10x in recent weeks  —  The quarantine lockdown is driving a record number of users to Facebook's products.  On a conference call …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2zJHffV

OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 8 Pre-Bookings Open in India, Sale Date Revealed

OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8 pre-bookings have been kicked off in India. The pre-bookings are live through Amazon, with the sale date for both OnePlus 8 phones scheduled for May 11.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2VKgy32

Google Parent Alphabet Says Ad Sales Steady After Coronavirus Drop, Warns of Difficult Q2

A drop in Google ad sales steadied in April and some consumers returned to using the search engine for shopping in addition to finding novel coronavirus information, parent Alphabet said on Tuesday.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3cZXOlQ

Google Parent Alphabet Says Ad Sales Steady After Coronavirus Drop, Warns of Difficult Q2

A drop in Google ad sales steadied in April and some consumers returned to using the search engine for shopping in addition to finding novel coronavirus information, parent Alphabet said on Tuesday.

from RSS Feeds | LAPTOPS - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3cZXOlQ

OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 8 Are Now Listed for Pre-Bookings in India

OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus 8 pre-bookings have been kicked off in India. The pre-bookings are live through Amazon, with the sale date for both OnePlus 8 phones scheduled for May 11.

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2VKgy32

Google Ad Sales Steady After Coronavirus Drop, Warns of Difficult Q2

A drop in Google ad sales steadied in April and some consumers returned to using the search engine for shopping in addition to finding novel coronavirus information, parent Alphabet said on Tuesday.

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3cZXOlQ

Google Parent Alphabet Says Ad Sales Steady After Coronavirus Drop, Warns of Difficult Q2

A drop in Google ad sales steadied in April and some consumers returned to using the search engine for shopping in addition to finding novel coronavirus information, parent Alphabet said on Tuesday.

from RSS Feeds | MOBILES - RSS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3cZXOlQ

Roc Nation files copyright claim over deepfake YouTube videos which use AI to impersonate Jay-Z's voice, raising new copyright and fair use questions (Andy Baio/Waxy.org)

Andy Baio / Waxy.org:
Roc Nation files copyright claim over deepfake YouTube videos which use AI to impersonate Jay-Z's voice, raising new copyright and fair use questions  —  On Friday, I linked to several videos by Vocal Synthesis, a new YouTube channel dedicated to audio deepfakes — AI-generated speech …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2SgJX2U

Final Fantasy 7 Remake's confusing ending explained - CNET

The final scenes of Final Fantasy 7 Remake may have left you scratching your head. Spoilers inside.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/3bIueBg

PlayStation Store sale: 8 great PS4 games under $20 - CNET

Whether you're after a blockbuster game or a charming indie experience, the PlayStation Store's new sale has something for you.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/3aHj0M4

The best meat delivery services in 2020: Butcher Box, Crowd Cow, Thrive Market and more - CNET

Explore your options for high-quality beef, pork, chicken and seafood all delivered to your door.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2yWzRgw

Microsoft is pushing privacy bills, modeled on the Washington Privacy Act it failed to get passed twice, in Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, and Minnesota (Issie Lapowsky/Protocol)

Issie Lapowsky / Protocol:
Microsoft is pushing privacy bills, modeled on the Washington Privacy Act it failed to get passed twice, in Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, and Minnesota  —  The company is pushing versions of the failed Washington Privacy Act in at least four states far from Redmond.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2ShaLzP

Google is shutting down Shoelace, a hyper-local social networking app it had launched in New York City in July 2019 (Ryan Kovatch/9to5Google)

Ryan Kovatch / 9to5Google:
Google is shutting down Shoelace, a hyper-local social networking app it had launched in New York City in July 2019  —  In July 2019, Google's experimental project incubator Area 120 launched a new local meetup app that would connect users in New York City.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3eX90ln

Cybersecurity firm Rapid7 is acquiring DivvyCloud, a cloud security and governance startup, for $145M in cash and stock (Ron Miller/TechCrunch)

Ron Miller / TechCrunch:
Cybersecurity firm Rapid7 is acquiring DivvyCloud, a cloud security and governance startup, for $145M in cash and stock  —  Rapid7 announced today after the closing bell that it will be acquiring DivvyCloud, a cloud security and governance startup for $145 million in cash and stock.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2y10G3o

The best prepared meal delivery services in 2020: Home Chef, Daily Harvest, Freshology and more - CNET

No-fuss, oven-ready meal kits.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2KJu7ty

Dancing black holes create mega flare brighter than one trillion stars - CNET

OJ 287 is a black hole binary system that puts on an extreme light show every 12 years.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2Shw98q

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly overhauled board to assert more control - CNET

The departure of key directors has helped consolidate decision-making power at the social networking giant, the Wall Street Journal reports.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/35dTehn

The 17 best video games to play with your kids - CNET

So your kid wants to play video games with you? Here are a few to get started.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2YjwafF

How a handful of employees at Apple quickly pushed forward the development of a contract tracing API and collaboration with Google in less than a month (Christina Farr/CNBC)

Christina Farr / CNBC:
How a handful of employees at Apple quickly pushed forward the development of a contract tracing API and collaboration with Google in less than a month  —  - Apple and Google announced a partnership to bring contact tracing to smartphones on April 10th.  Their software toolkit will be released on Friday.

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2YfF4e0

Samsung reports Q1 earnings with total revenue ~$45.4B, up 5.6% YoY, and operating profit of ~$5.2B, up 3% YoY, as chip demand was solid amid COVID-19 crisis (Hyunjoo Jin/Reuters)

Hyunjoo Jin / Reuters:
Samsung reports Q1 earnings with total revenue ~$45.4B, up 5.6% YoY, and operating profit of ~$5.2B, up 3% YoY, as chip demand was solid amid COVID-19 crisis  —  SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) said its operating profit rose 3% in the January to March period …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2YasXz4

Animal Crossing New Horizons: How to earn bells quickly with Nookazon - CNET

You can buy, sell and swap almost anything in Animal Crossing using Nookazon.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2xgCxVW

24 amazing video games you can finish in one night - CNET

Time is short and video games are long. But you'll rattle through these in a night.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/35f0PvY

Samsung warns phone, TV sales will 'decline significantly' because of coronavirus - CNET

The company said its memory chip business will benefit from demand from server and PC companies, but many of its core products will take a hit.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/3cQRpcK

Ford says it is delaying the commercial launch of its self-driving vehicle services being developed with Argo AI to 2022, to reassess its strategy amid COVID-19 (Kirsten Korosec/TechCrunch)

Kirsten Korosec / TechCrunch:
Ford says it is delaying the commercial launch of its self-driving vehicle services being developed with Argo AI to 2022, to reassess its strategy amid COVID-19  —  Ford said Tuesday it will delay plans to launch an autonomous vehicle service to 2022, as the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2W59NYN

Extraction Ending: Its Ambiguity Is a Compromise, Says Director Sam Hargrave

Extraction — the Netflix action thriller movie with Chris Hemsworth — ends on an ambiguous ending, leaving the fate of Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) up in the air. Extraction director Sam Hargrave revealed that was purposeful, because he wants the audience to pick what works better for them.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2KBdaBo

Samsung Galaxy J2 Core 2020 With 16GB Storage, Android Go Edition Launched in India: Price, Specifications

Samsung Galaxy J2 Core 2020 is priced in India at Rs. 6,299 for the lone 1GB RAM + 16GB storage option. The phone has a dedicated microSD card slot that offers expansion of up to 256GB.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3bJUTxH

Extraction's Ambiguous Ending Is a Compromise, Director Says

Extraction - the Netflix action thriller movie with Chris Hemsworth - ends on an ambiguous ending, leaving the fate of Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) up in the air. Extraction director Sam Hargrave...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2KBdaBo

Samsung Galaxy J2 Core 2020 With Android Go Edition Launched in India

Samsung Galaxy J2 Core 2020 is priced in India at Rs. 6,299 for the lone 1GB RAM + 16GB storage option. The phone has a dedicated microSD card slot that offers expansion of up to 256GB.

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3bJUTxH

Digital-Ad Downturn May Complicate Life for Google, Facebook

Demand for digital advertising is shrivelling after a decade of explosive growth amid the pandemic-fuelled downturn. That could complicate things for Google and Facebook, who for the first time may...

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/2W48JUX

Coronavirus: Amazon Defends Safety Efforts Amid Fresh Protests

Amazon on Monday defended its coronavirus safety efforts as it faced renewed protests from warehouse workers, which have drawn support from some of the US giant's technology employees.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/3bLdZ6t

Amazon Defends Coronavirus Safety Efforts Amid Fresh Protests

Amazon on Monday defended its coronavirus safety efforts as it faced renewed protests from warehouse workers, which have drawn support from some of the US giant's technology employees.

from NDTV Gadgets - Latest https://ift.tt/3bLdZ6t

Jakarta-based Qoala, an online insurance marketplace for travel and gadgets, raises $13.5M Series A, as it works on expanding into health and P2P categories (Manish Singh/TechCrunch)

Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
Jakarta-based Qoala, an online insurance marketplace for travel and gadgets, raises $13.5M Series A, as it works on expanding into health and P2P categories  —  Online lending firms might be beginning to feel the heat of the coronavirus pandemic in Southeast Asia, but investors' faith …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3bK7dxW

In a letter to Amazon, NY AG office says that Amazon may have violated US health standards for "inadequate" warehouse safety measures, broke whistleblower laws (Alina Selyukh/NPR)

Alina Selyukh / NPR:
In a letter to Amazon, NY AG office says that Amazon may have violated US health standards for “inadequate” warehouse safety measures, broke whistleblower laws  —  Amazon may have violated federal safety standards for providing “inadequate” protections to warehouse workers in New York …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2zzhtuB

DJI unveils Mavic Air 2 with upgraded camera sensor that can take 48MP photos and shoot 4K at 60 fps, claims 34 minutes of flying time, shipping May 11 at $799 (Vjeran Pavic/The Verge)

Vjeran Pavic / The Verge:
DJI unveils Mavic Air 2 with upgraded camera sensor that can take 48MP photos and shoot 4K at 60 fps, claims 34 minutes of flying time, shipping May 11 at $799  —  A bigger sensor, a bigger battery, and redesigned controller come to DJI's mainstream drone  —  Two and a half years …

from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2SeBPQh

Apple Watch saved my life: 5 people share their stories - CNET

With its fall detection feature, heart rate notifications, exercise tracking or just the ability to make a call from your wrist, the Apple Watch has made a mark in each one of these stories.

from CNET News https://ift.tt/2yOOUZX

Coronavirus: DJI Mavic Air 2 jettisons drone safety feature in Europe

Mavic Air 2 lacks promised facility to spot nearby aircraft in models sold outside North America.

from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2Ydd8aD

What Language Is This? 5 Tools to Identify Unknown Languages

Have you come across a language that you can’t identify? Even if you don’t speak multiple languages, it can be useful to know what a language is just by looking at it.

Let’s look at some language finder services to show you which language you’re looking at.

1. Google Translate

You’ve probably used Google Translate before. But did you know that it has a “detect language” feature that lets you work with unknown languages?

To use it, copy some text in the unknown language and head to Google Translate. Paste your text in the box on the left. Above this, you should see a Detect Language option. If this doesn’t appear, click the dropdown arrow to show all supported languages and select Detect Language.

After a moment, the Detect Language text should change to [Language]—Detected. This lets you easily identify a language and see what the text says, to boot.

Google Translate offers a lot of cool features on its mobile apps, too. There you can translate handwriting or even use your camera to translate text in front of you.

2. What Language Is This?

This aptly named tool identifies any language when you paste or type text into it. It doesn’t translate the text, but that’s not a big deal if you only want to know which language the text is in.

After entering your text, give it a second and you’ll see what language you have. In cases where several languages are similar, the tool will suggest possible other languages. When this happens, you should try pasting a different sample from the source so you can confirm which language it is.

3. Translated Labs Language Identifier

Here’s another simple tool to help you find out about unknown languages. Simply enter some text and you’ll see its best guess instantly. The service supports 102 languages, so chances are that whatever you’re looking for is here.

There aren’t any frills, aside from the Pick a random language button if you want to challenge yourself to identify languages on your own.

4. Yandex Translate

Looking to detect a language from an image? Yandex Translate’s image translation tool makes this easy. Simply upload an image from your computer or drag it onto the page and the service will detect the language in the image.

Like Google Translate, auto-detect should be enabled by default. If it’s not, click the language name at the top-left and check Auto detect. The text will then change to show which language is in the image.

If you like, select the language you want to translate to on the right. Then you can click text in the image to display it in your language.

5. Language Identification Games

You’ll find many tools to help you tell what a language is that are almost identical to the above. For something a little different, why not try a website that challenges you to identify various languages? Not only is it enjoyable, but spending a bit of time with these languages will help you to identify them in the future.

LingYourLanguage is a great site for this. It allows you to play by yourself or in multiplayer mode in four difficulty levels: Easy, Regular, Hard, and Omniglot.

On each stage, you’ll hear a clip in a certain language and must pick the correct answer from a few choices. After you answer, click a language to learn a bit more about it if you like. You only have a limited number of lives, so see how high you can score!

The game contains over 2,000 samples in 80 languages, so there’s plenty to discover.

Another fun game like this is Language Squad. It offers both Audio and Alphabet challenges. Audio is a lot like LingYourLanguage, and offers four difficulty levels that progressively include more languages to increase the challenge level.

Alphabet, as you’d expect, presents you with a text sample of a language and asks you to identify it from several choices. Pick from Easy or Hard mode depending on the number of languages you want in the pool.

If you’re interested in general language identification, these will help you spot certain characters and phrases more easily.

Learn Language Basics to Better Identify Them

We’ve looked at five ways to quickly identify what language you’re looking at. Whether you want to identify a picture or text on a website, it’s not hard with these resources.

If you want to take this a step further, consider learning the basics of several languages. This will increase your knowledge of the world’s tongues and help you identify the differences between languages more easily. Have a look at the best language learning apps to get started.

Image Credit: Kanko*/Flickr

Read the full article: What Language Is This? 5 Tools to Identify Unknown Languages

from MakeUseOf https://ift.tt/2VIBnvS