Tech Industry

4,092 'Tech Industry' stories June 2007 - August 2021

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Continued work from home is worth a pay cut

Continued work from home is worth a pay cut, say many US employees

Ben Lovejoy Aug 25 2021 - 5:30 am PT

As Apple’s plan for staff to return to the office are again delayed, a new survey shows that two-thirds of US employees seek continued work-from-home arrangements; most of them would be willing to take a pay cut in return; and many would quit their jobs if ordered to return to the office full-time.

Apple announced a hybrid working model, with employees able to work from home on two fixed days a week, subject to line-management approval. Some, however, say they want greater flexibility, and would leave the company if they don’t get it …

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Face ID could help protect Afghan allies against US face recognition kit now in Taliban hands

Ben Lovejoy Aug 18 2021 - 5:47 am PT

One of the many worrying developments in the tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan is that US face recognition and fingerprint devices and databases have been seized by the Taliban. They were apparently left behind during the hurried withdrawal of US forces, leaving coalition collaborators at risk from reprisals.

However, a human rights organization says there are measures Afghans can take to try to protect themselves, and that Face ID can play a role in this.

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Nurabuds subscription

Tech Industry

The latest product to switch from purchase to subscription is… earbuds

Ben Lovejoy Aug 17 2021 - 7:08 am PT

If you are one of those who dislike the switch in business model of apps from outright purchase to monthly or annual subscriptions, you’re going to hate the latest development…

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Twitter photo-cropping algorithms are racist, sexist, and more, admits company

Ben Lovejoy Aug 10 2021 - 5:39 am PT

The Twitter photo-cropping feature, which uses machine learning to decide which part of a photo to show in user feeds, was accused of being racist and sexist last year, when it was found more likely to crop out Black people and women.

The company announced a bug bounty for anyone able to prove biases in its algorithms, and has now named the winners, who variously proved a number of biases …

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Vodafone second UK carrier to reintroduce European roaming charges after Brexit

Ben Lovejoy Aug 9 2021 - 7:29 am PT

All the main UK mobile carriers promised they had no plans to reintroduce European roaming charges after Brexit. EE was the first to do a U-turn, and now Vodafone has followed suit…

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IMDb TV iPhone and iPad apps land; free streaming with ads

Ben Lovejoy Aug 5 2021 - 4:10 am PT

IMDb TV iPhone and iPad apps

Amazon has now launched IMDb TV iPhone and iPad apps, letting US Apple users easily stream a mix of popular TV shows and Amazon originals at no cost. An Android app is also available.

The app will also provide early access to Universal movies under a recently signed deal …

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iPhone camera embedded into display a step closer as tech improves

Ben Lovejoy Aug 4 2021 - 5:24 am PT

An iPhone camera embedded into the display is likely Apple’s long-term plan as it works toward its ambition of an iPhone being effectively “a single slab of glass.” That possibility got a step closer today as two early players both claim to have improved on the fledgling technology.

We saw some first attempts more than a year ago, but the results weren’t very impressive …

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Apple’s return-to-office plans may not reflect new reality, say academics

Ben Lovejoy Jul 26 2021 - 4:46 am PT

Apple's return to office plans may be unrealistic

Apple’s plans to require most workers to return to the office for three days a week may not reflect the new reality, suggest academics.

They say that the trend of people wanting to continue with full-time remote working arrangements may now be irreversible …

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EU digital vaccine passport goes live; no data is stored after checks

Ben Lovejoy Jul 1 2021 - 5:41 am PT

The EU digital vaccine passport goes live today, allowing travelers from all 27 European Union countries to use their smartphone to prove that they have been vaccinated, have tested negative, or have recovered from COVID-19. It’s available for both iPhone and Android smartphones …

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Stars call for UK gadget tax

Celebrities call for UK gadget tax, which would include Apple products

Ben Lovejoy Jun 29 2021 - 6:29 am PT

A number of high-profile British actors, artists, and authors are calling for a UK gadget tax of anywhere from 1% to 3% to “fairly reward creators and performers in making a living from their content.” They have dubbed the proposal “the Smart Fund.”

The tax would be applied to any device that can be used to download and store “creative content,” so would apply to iPhones, iPads, and Macs …

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PSA: Western Digital My Book Live drives being maliciously erased; disconnect them from internet

Ben Lovejoy Jun 25 2021 - 4:07 am PT

A significant number of Western Digital My Book Live NAS owners are reporting that their drives have been totally erased. This has been done remotely by unknown attackers …

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EU roaming charges begin for Brits as first carrier breaks its Brexit promise

Ben Lovejoy Jun 24 2021 - 6:01 am PT

Act surprised: Some Brits will face EU roaming charges for the first time since 2017, as EE is the first carrier to break its promise that nothing would change after Brexit…

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London Underground mobile coverage reaching all stations and tunnels by 2024

Ben Lovejoy Jun 22 2021 - 4:08 am PT

London Underground mobile coverage

London Underground mobile coverage is being extended to all stations and tunnels by the end of 2024. However, at present only 4G (LTE) coverage is guaranteed, and it will be up to individual carriers to decide whether or not to offer 5G support too.

Transport for London says five of the busiest tube stations will get full coverage by the end of next year …

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Tech Industry

Smartphone and smartwatch data led husband to confess to murdering his wife

Ben Lovejoy Jun 18 2021 - 6:55 am PT

Smartphone and smartwatch data provided crucial evidence that led yesterday to a man confessing to murdering his wife. The data showed that his story about what happened could not have been true…

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Average mobile data usage now exceeds 10GB per month

Ben Lovejoy Jun 16 2021 - 6:07 am PT

Average mobile data usage now exceeds10GB per month

Average mobile data usage now exceeds 10GB per month, says a new report. The increase in data usage is partly driven by growth in 5G devices, with 5G users set to double this year.

But two further factors explain the surprisingly high figure, says mobile network company Ericsson…

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Tech Industry

Smartphone shipments will grow 12% this year, despite chip shortages – Canalys

Ben Lovejoy Jun 14 2021 - 6:40 am PT

Market intelligence company Canalys is forecasting that global smartphone shipments will grow 12% this year, despite challenges posed by the chip shortage. However, it says that phone makers will need to choose their priority countries and regions…

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US chip production on track for $52B government investment after Apple lobbying

Ben Lovejoy Jun 9 2021 - 5:03 am PT

The US Senate has approved $52B in funding to boost US chip production, as part of an effort to address the global chip shortage, and to reduce dependence on China. Apple was one of the companies lobbying for the move.

In total, the US Innovation and Competition Act provides almost $250B in funding for US manufacturing, with $52B of it specifically allocated to chip fabrication. However, it is as yet unclear whether it will also pass in the House …

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Chip shortages could last into 2023, warns electronics giant Flex

Ben Lovejoy Jun 7 2021 - 5:35 am PT

Global chip shortages could last significantly longer than expected, continuing until at least the middle of next year, and possibly into 2023. The warning was given by contract manufacturing giant Flex …

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Tech Industry

15% of US adults are now mobile-only internet users – Pew Research

Ben Lovejoy Jun 4 2021 - 5:53 am PT

15% of US adults are now mobile-only Internet users

A new Pew Research study shows that some 15% of US adults are now mobile-only internet users, which is to say they do not have a home broadband connection, but instead rely solely on their smartphone.

Coincidentally, the same study reveals that a further 15% of American adults still don’t own a smartphone …

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Cell Alpha speaker by formed HomePod designer

Former HomePod designer has created $1,800 Cell Alpha speakers, and recommends three

Ben Lovejoy May 17 2021 - 4:39 am PT

A former Apple designer who worked on both the iPhone and HomePod has created a startup company for speakers known as Cell Alpha, which aim to take spatial audio to the next level …

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Tech Industry

PSA: 15-fold growth in scam messages a reminder to treat all links as suspicious

Ben Lovejoy May 10 2021 - 6:03 am PT

The pandemic has seen a dramatic increase in the number of scam messages sent via text, email, WhatsApp, and other messaging platforms …

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COVID relief broadband subsidy

Tech Industry

$50/month broadband subsidy for low-income Americans starts on May 12

Ben Lovejoy May 4 2021 - 6:05 am PT

American families below or close to the poverty line will soon be able to apply for a broadband subsidy worth $50 per month, as part of the COVID relief package. Applications open on May 12, with a number of additional ways to qualify…

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Net zero emissions by 2040 says HP

HP (slowly) follows Apple’s example in promising net zero emissions

Ben Lovejoy Apr 20 2021 - 6:54 am PT

Computer giant HP is following Apple’s environmental example in promising to achieve net zero emissions. However, while Apple achieved this in 2018 for its own operations, and is pledging to do so for its entire supply-chain by 2030, HP is setting itself a less ambitious target…

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Most want to keep working from home

Poll finds most want to keep working from home; worth $30k/year to some

Ben Lovejoy Apr 6 2021 - 4:53 am PT

The pandemic has seen many people working from home, and it appears that a significant majority want the option to continue doing so at least some of the time once the crisis has passed. A new poll found that some would even turn down an extra $30K a year to retain that flexibility …

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