Tuesday 30 April 2019
IFA GPC 2019 highlights: Sennheiser’s superb soundbar, an AI razor and a new 8K TV
Providing something of an early teaser for the massive IFA tech expo in Berlin in September, the annual IFA Global Press Conference offers a first look at new gadgets set to be shown off at the show later in the year.
This year’s event took place in Huelva in Spain over the weekend, attracting over 300 media attendees from around the world and it didn’t disappoint – delivering a number of intriguing announcements and unveilings, including an AI-powered razor, an 8K screen and a number of neat new appliances.
For those who weren't able to attend, we've rounded up all the big news from the show and have categorized it by manufacturer below.
Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar
Sennheiser’s long awaited first foray in to the world of consumer speakers is edging closer. With its original prototype having wowed visitors at CES back in January, the final retail version of their 3D audio AMBEO soundbar was being demoed at IFA GPC ahead of its release next month.
Packed with 13 separate drivers including two 3.5” top-firing speakers, the AMBEO delivers 5.1.4 immersive sound with compatibility with the three main 3D audio formats (Dolby Atmos, MPEG-H and DTS:X).
Using a combination of acoustic wave guides and digital processing, like most other soundbars, the AMBEO uses reflections off walls via its directional speakers to create a surround effect. On the evidence of our demo however, Sennheiser’s processing appears to be on another level to its rivals, with a real sense of height and separation of sounds delivered. This was particularly acute during a demo of a rainforest scene, with the sound of dripping water genuinely feeling like it was coming from a non-existent speaker behind us thanks to the convincing 360 degree soundstage.
Most impressive of all is its sheer power. With its bass response dropping to 30hz, while there’s the option of adding a separate third-party subwoofer, the amount of low-end the soundbar provides renders this option as all but unnecessary.
There’s no support for Apple Airplay 2 at this stage, but both Google Chromecast and Bluetooth (4.2) are integrated, as well as support for UPnP. On the physical input front, there’s three HDMI (v2.0a) inputs, one HDMI Out (eARC, v2.0a) as well as digital optical audio and aux-in.
The high-end performance will carry an unsurprisingly hefty asking price of €2,499 / £2,200, when it goes on sale on May 28 in Germany, UK, and Australia, while home cinema fans in the US will be able to pick one in early June for $2,499.
A further barrier for some will be that in order to fit in all those drivers, the AMBEO has a fairly sizable footprint compared to other soundbars. As well as being almost 17 cm deep, its 13.44cm height will likely cause an issue when pairing it with TV’s that aren’t wall mounted.
Nevertheless, on this showing the Ambeo soundbar is clearly set to be something of a game-changer for home cinema. With Sennheiser hinting at the show that they may be planning smaller speakers and systems in the future, the home audio market looks to have a new major player that’s set to shake things up.
Philips S7000 Smart Shaver
Proving that beards can indeed be smart, Philips announced at the event that it will be releasing a new AI-powered razor.
Nestling underneath its flagship S9000 shaver in its range, (thanks to boasting fancier finishing and housing), the new S7000 is nevertheless far more advanced, featuring its own dedicated app which helps to prevent skin irritation. The app works in conjunction with the S7000’s built-in Beard Adapt Sensor, which records dozens of measurements per second of hair density and direction and adjusts the blade accordingly to optimise shaving for each area of the face.
Having transferred its TV business to a joint venture with TPV Technology, and spun off its lighting line, Philips now concerns itself primarily with matters of health. A big part of this focus is on those with sleep-related issues including insomnia and sleep apnoea. The big talking point of its new Smart Sleeping range however appears to be its new anti-snoring wearable which aims to tackle the problem which, according to Philips, affects around 40% of the world’s population.
The belt-like SmartSleep Snoring Relief Band works using “positional training”, with its built-in sensor first monitoring the user’s sleep positions over a period of a few nights. After learning your resting habits, it then delivers gentle vibrations when it detects that you’re lying on your back – the chief cause of snoring – prompting you to instead lay on your side. Philips claim the vibrations will be light enough not to break your sleep, unlike the sharp kick in the shins most suffers no doubt normally experience from their partners.
Hisense 74U9E 8K TV
Chinese manufacturer Hisense used the event to show off its new 8K TV, the 74U9E, due for release in Asia at the end of the year, with the US and Europe to follow early in 2020. The 75” LED display has an impressive 5,376 local dimming zones for improved contrast and it seemed to perform very well during an encouraging demo session with what appeared to be upscaled 4K content.
It’s also set to boast a somewhat unique approach to sound: The prototype on show featured a subwoofer cleverly integrated into the set’s triangular rear stand. The 74U9E’s design is still yet to be finalised - there’s a fair amount of depth required to place the set on a table top thanks to the sub and it’s not yet clear if the speaker needs to be discarded completely in order to wall-mount the display.
Nevertheless, while we weren’t able to hear the speaker in action, it certainly seems like an ingenious way of adding some decent low-end to the notoriously underpowered speakers commonly found on super-flat TVs.
TCL's plan to take over TVs
While fellow Chinese rivals TCL didn’t have any products on show, a briefing delivered by Sales and Marketing Manager Frédéric Langin outlined the company’s hugely ambitious plans to become the world’s biggest TV manufacturer – with the company claiming it expects to increase sales in the UK by 50% in the coming year.
As well as revealing it would be joining Panasonic and Philips in supporting both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ with its 2019 TVs, the company also announced that their forthcoming ranges would feature printed OLED, QLED and Mini LED displays – with TCL’s next flagship TV set to use the latter technology, which will boast an astounding 20000 LEDs and 1000 zones.
Haier Candy Rapid'ò Washing Machines
Having recently added white goods maker Candy to its stable alongside other big brands like Hoover and GE Electrical, Chinese firm Haier is fast on its way to becoming the world’s biggest home appliances manufacturer.
Judging by European CEO’s Yannick Fierling’s presentation, Haier looked to be making good on their aim of not just being the biggest, but the most innovative company in the market, after highlighting some intriguing new solutions for everyday household chores from its upcoming ranges.
Its new line of Candy Rapid'ò washing machines work in tandem with a dedicated app, which will feature a “Snap and Wash” option. Take a picture of your laundry pile and Haier claim the app’s sophisticated built-in algorithm will magically recognise the material of each item and then automatically set the appropriate program and maximum water temperature for the wash.
Arguably even more impressive was the new Hoover H-KEEPHEAT 700, which offers the tantalising prospect of being able to keep meals at the perfect serving temperature for up to two weeks - doing away with the need for freezing and re-heating dishes.
Making use of its new Exever technology, the top-spec convection oven is able to keep its chamber at between 63 degrees Centigrade or 70 degrees Centigrade depending on what ingredients have been used, ensuring that the perfect temperature is used to preserve the food for a prolonged period.
Responding to questions on what sort of impact on energy consumption using the feature would have, a Haier rep claimed it would costs around 75p a day to run the oven in its keep-warm mode.
Safera Power Control Unit
Among a number of kitchen appliances showcased at IFA CPC 2019, arguably the most important on display was that from Finish firm Safera,
It’s new Sense smart cooking sensor aims to eradicate cooking-related fires – the current leading cause of domestic blazes.
The simple, one primary button device is placed above the stove and can recognise different cooking events, set timers automatically and act as an alarm should it notices irregularities.
As well as monitoring surface temperature and air quality when used with its corresponding app, the sensor can also be linked up to an optional smart plug called the Power Control Unit. This automatically shuts off electricity to the stove should the sensor detect dangerous heat levels. The sensor can also be linked to similar third-party options for gas stoves.
Sense also offers support for voice control via Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home, while Apple’s HomeKit digital assistant is also catered for. The sensor is available with a one price fits all fee of 149 pounds/euros/dollars depending on where you are in the world, with the Power Control Unitsold separately for the same price. The company is also working with cooker manufacturers to offer the sensor as an inbuilt feature, with several big name brands set to be named as partners in the coming months.
- Can't recall what happened at CES 2019? We've got you covered
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2V4eOTv
The Huawei P30 Pro camera just got even better somehow
We just updated our best camera phone page to name the Huawei P30 Pro the best for taking photos in 2019 (so far), and it's about to get even better soon.
The promised dual-view video recording mode has arrived in a software update, according to XDA Developers, and it allows you to capture video from two perspectives.
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Specifically, you're now able to simultaneously record 'panoramic' and 'close-up video images', according to the official EMUI 9.1.0.153 release notes in China. In practice, this seems to record both standard and zoomed-in footage.
The update still needs to launch worldwide, but we know what the resulting footage looks like: it appears in a split-screen video format, as demoed below. (Sorry, Huawei P30 standard owners – the report only mentions the update coming to the P30 Pro.)
Why the Huawei P30 Pro is the best camera
The P30 Pro combines its powers of the main camera and the 'periscope' telephoto lens, which is icing on the cake. There are four cameras on the phone's rear (the above, plus an ultrawide and depth-sensing time-of-flight lenses) and one front-facing shooter.
The entire camera array handles low-light scenes without much trouble compared to its competition, and the 40MP main camera sometimes beats the Google Pixel 3.
As Huawei continues to tweak the software of the P30 Pro, we're destined to get an even better camera while we wait for the Google Pixel 4 to reclaim its crown.
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2WhpkU8
Samsung is making a vertical TV for all your Instagram Stories
Continuing the trend of creating new form factor screens, Samsung has announced a new TV for the South Korean market called 'The Sero' that can swivel to display videos vertically, similar to how you watch content on your phone.
The Sero, a close cousin to Samsung's Serif and The Frame TVs, will be part of the manufacturer’s 2019 Samsung TV lineup and will also use a quantum dot screen similar to the ones we’ve seen in its other QLED TV series.
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According to the specs provided by Samsung, the TV is 43-inches across from corner-to-corner and features 4.1-channel audio through its 60w speakers.
The Sero will also include Bixby. Because a TV this strange wouldn’t be complete without Bixby.
The Sero will be available exclusively in Korea for now with no international release in the near future – which is a shame, because at just 1.9 million won (around $1,600, £1,260, AU$2,300), there are plenty of influencers who'd buy it ironically.
Vertical screens: fad or functional?
Admittedly, even to us the idea of a vertical TV sounds a bit laughable - especially considering the TV’s eye-watering price tag.
And yet, while Samsung is really taking vertical screens to their limit, other tech companies are behind the idea of smaller vertical screens. Just look at the Facebook Portal, a Google Home Hub-type display that connects you with friends and family members on Facebook.
Whether vertical screens will take off outside of the computing world remains to be seen, but you can't blame Samsung for not trying.
- Looking for a better TV? These are the best 4K TVs of 2019
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2Pz5fWK
VMB launches new 500MBps broadband for SMEs
Virgin Media Business (VMB) has launched Voom 500 business broadband to improve the connectivity of SMEs by offering download speeds of up to 500Mbps and upload speeds of up to 35Mbps.
This speed boost will allow the telecom's business division to deliver broadband service that is more than four times faster than the equivalent speeds offered by its rivals.
New and existing business customers will be able to take advantage of the new download and upload speeds on May 2nd.
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Additionally, customers will be able to choose a range of additional options to suit their needs including increased upload speeds and support options.
Voom Fibre
With VMB's Voom Fibre, businesses will have a choice between three price plans and upload speeds with a number of add-ons and discounts on additional services to help them tailor the product to the specific needs of their business. Prices start from £30 per month though there are two additional options priced at £40 and £55 a month.
Managing Director at Virgin Media Business, Peter Kelly explained the company's decision to launch Voom Fibre, saying:
“We have, for many years now been the champions of small business, in particular entrepreneurs, through both our VOOM Competition platform and our Pioneers Community. With the launch of Voom Fibre we want to unleash every small business by providing the digital backbone they need for their business. For UK small business to thrive in this evolving digital economy they should have the technical ability and capacity in place so they can focus on development and growth, we are removing a barrier and enabling them to fulfil their digital potential - offering them all the speed they need to achieve success.”
VMB is also helping SMEs connect with each other through socializing and developing their community. The community will be a UK-wide network of seers and providers of advice where a geo-located platform will enable entrepreneurs to share, co-create and collaborate with other SME owners in their local area.
- We've also highlighted the best small business software
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2J1DBAE
Europe lags behind in race to the cloud
New research from O'Reilly Media has revealed that Europe is struggling to keep pace with global cloud development.
The company's Evolving Data Infrastructure report also revealed that companies in the region have been slower than others to adopt the necessary tools and capabilities for cutting-edge solutions such as analytics and artificial intelligence (AI).
European organizations are aiming to make progress this year by investing heavily in data solutions to catch up. However, persistent skill shortages may continue to derail the region's efforts to emerge as a world leader in future technologies.
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Businesses in Europe have been slower to adopt cloud-based data infrastructures than the rest of the world with less than a quarter (24%) having used cloud in production for over four years. Surprisingly as many as a third (32%) of European companies say they are 'just exploring' cloud options and are yet to commit.
Looking to the future
Despite falling behind in cloud adoptions, European organizations broadly align with the rest of the world when it comes to their future priorities. The region has invested heavily in solutions that will help improve accessibility and usability of data with 59 percent building or evaluating solutions in data integration and extract, transform, load (ETL) processes.
When it comes to adopting DevOps modes of working, Europe has been slightly faster than the rest of the world with almost half (48%) of the organizations surveyed saying they are using specialized DevOps roles for machine cloud computing services and deployments, compared to 47 percent worldwide.
However, European progress in data infrastructure and analytics is being held back by skill shortages in several key areas. Data science talent is in especially high demand (47%) as well as data engineering (37%) roles. Companies in the region are also finding it slightly higher on average to fill roles in security.
Chief Data Scientist and Program Chair for the Strata Data Conference at O'Reilly Media, Ben Lorica provided further insight on the report's findings, saying:
“Innovation needs a strong foundation. Years of delayed investment and a reliance on legacy infrastructures may be holding European organisations back in the global race to the cloud. Yet, whilst they have some way to go before they achieve parity with their counterparts, it’s positive to see so many investing in data. A strong core of organised, clean and actionable data is crucial for any AI or analytics project. Provided companies become more competitive in attracting the best talent, 2019 may be the year that the continent turns a corner.”
- We've also highlighted the best cloud hosting
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2VChibl
Samsung TV sale at Walmart: save up to $500 on Samsung 4K TVs
If you're looking to save money on a new TV, then you've come to the right place. For a limited time, you can find discounts on a wide array of Samsung TVs at Walmart. The deals include fantastic savings on Samsung 4K HDR TVs that even include 2019 models.
A standout deal from the sale is the Samsung 65-inch 4K TV that's on sale for $597.99. That's a massive $500+ discount and the lowest price we've found for the UHD TV. The 65-inch TV features smart capabilities, so you can stream your favorite movies and TV shows all in one place using the Samsung remote. You can also control other smart home devices from your TV by downloading the SmartThings app. You'll enjoy a stunning picture with sharp contrasts and vibrant colors thanks to the 2160p Ultra HD resolution. The Samsung TV will also look good in your home thanks to ultra slim design and clean cable solution.
This week-long sale ends on Sunday May 5, so be sure to snag one of these discounted TVs before it's too late.
See more Samsung TV deals below.
Samsung TV deals:
See more of the cheapest OLED TV prices and deals and shop other cheap TV deals and sale prices that are currently going on.
You can also learn more about our top-rated TVs with our guide on the best TVs of 2019: the big-screen TVs worth buying this year.
Learn more about Prime Day with our guide on Amazon Prime Day 2019: everything you need to know for the July deals event.
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2XNiczg
GoDaddy shuts down 15k subdomains used in massive spam campaign
Web hosting provider and domain registrar GoDaddy has taken down over 15,000 subdomains following a two year investigation into a spam operation that tried to sell consumers fake products.
First users would receive a spam email promoting a product and if they happened to click on any of the links contained within the message, they would be sent to one of the fraudulent subdomains which were hosted on legitimate sites without their owner's knowledge.
All of the subdomains that were part of the scam shared one thing in common, they all sold products backed by fake endorsements from celebrities including Stephen Hawking, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Wolf Blitzer, the cast from Shark Tank and others.
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In terms of the fake products being peddled on these scam subdomains, the majority were health-related such as CBD oil, weight loss pills and brain supplements.
Hacked GoDaddy accounts
The massive network of shady domains was first discovered by security researcher Jeff White at Palo Alto Networks two years ago and since then he has been collecting the spam emails sent out in the campaign and indexing the subdomain URLs promoting these fake products.
White shared his findings with GoDaddy earlier this year and the company then launched its own investigation into the matter in which it discovered that the group behind the scam had likely used either phishing or credential stuffing attacks to gain access to its customers' accounts.
After gaining access to a user's GoDaddy account, the cybercriminals would create a subdomain for their legitimate sites that would later be used to host shady product pages and lure users with spam email campaigns.
The web host has put the number of hacked accounts at “several hundred”. After taking down more than 15k subdomains from its servers, GoDaddy also reset the passwords for the accounts that had been compromised and notified the users that had been impacted.
In related web hosting news, ICANN, the organization which oversees the domain name system, has proposed an end to price caps on the .org, .info and .biz top-level domains. The move comes at a time when the domain name system has seen thousands of new extensions added over the past five years, all of which are free to set their own prices. If the change does go into effect, the cost of hosting a website could rise significantly over the next few years.
Via ZDNet
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from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2vqX1qu
The best iPhone 8 Plus deals and UK contracts in April 2019
Apple is the king of brilliant, yet expensive phones. With devices such as the iPhone XS Max and XR costing eye-watering prices, it can make sense to go back a models and pick yourself up one of Apple's older plus size models.
This is where the iPhone 8 Plus deals come in. If you want one of the newest large screened Apple smartphones, but the price of the iPhone XS make you feel dizzy, then the 8 Plus will be the one for you.
So how are iPhone 8 Plus prices looking. On average, if you shop wisely (using our price comparison chart below) you'll save yourself around £300 if you go for this handset over the iPhone X. We've seen monthly tariffs as low as the £25 region if you're prepared to stick a wedge down upfront.
Still feeling a bit overwhelmed by these prices? Don't forget that iPhone 8 deals are also available if you'd prefer the smaller smartphone, along with the smaller prices. And you can save £10 on the upfront cost of any iPhone 8 Plus deal at Mobiles.co.uk by using the voucher code 10OFF at the checkout.
See also: iPhone X deals | iPhone 8 deals | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals | Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus deals | Best mobile phone deals | Best SIM only deals
The 5 best iPhone 8 Plus deals you can get in the UK right now:
iPhone 8 Plus price: how much does it cost?
A mighty £699. That's how much the 64GB iPhone 8 Plus will cost you in the UK according to the RRP. That might seem like a lot but that's one hundred pounds cheaper than when it first came out.
Need more memory? Then your only other option is spending an extra £150 and grabbing a £849 256GB iPhone 8 Plus.
If you opt to buy the iPhone 8 Plus upfront without a contract you will save money in the long run, but of course £699 is a lot of money to pay. If you can afford it though it the way to go once you pair it with a cheap SIM only deal.
This is the iPhone you want if you can't quite afford the iPhone X or iPhone XS Max. It's got the larger battery, same powerful innards and strong camera. If you don't mind the poorer screen, it's a good option - and the screen is still a beaut. And we prefer it quite a lot more to the regular iPhone 8.
Read more in TechRadar's full iPhone 8 Plus review
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://bit.ly/2wUH11E
Samsung says Galaxy S10 sold better than the company’s plummeting profit suggests
Samsung Electronics warned investors it was going to make a lot less money this quarter, and sure enough, the company just reported first-quarter earnings that show profits slid 60 percent compared to last year, from 15.64 trillion won (roughly $13.4 billion) to just 6.2 trillion won (about $5.3 billion).
But unlike Google earlier today, the company’s not blaming its expensive phones for anything whatsoever — Samsung says the Galaxy S10 lineup actually sold well, with the company shipping 78 million phones overall (as well as 5 million tablets) in the quarter, and that any weakness in phones can be explained by its low and mid-range models cannibalizing sales for last year’s Galaxy models. (A big part of Samsung’s new phone strategy is...
from The Verge - Tech Posts http://bit.ly/2XW8JFY
The man who predicted Antennagate is no longer at Apple
Apple’s had a few public embarrassments in recent years — AirPower, the MacBook’s unreliable butterfly keyboard, and the iPhone slowdown saga come to mind — but it’s been a minute since since the original tech scandal of “Antennagate,” when the iPhone 4 had a tendency to drop calls if you held it in certain ways.
Today, The Information is reporting (and AppleInsider is corroborating) that Apple VP of engineering and wireless specialist Rubén Caballero has left the company, which is notable for a couple of reasons.
First, The Information reports he was the driving force behind Apple’s in-house 5G modem efforts — because yes, it seems that Apple is trying to design its own 5G modem to compete with Qualcomm. We can’t read too much into his...
from The Verge - Tech Posts http://bit.ly/2IPuovI
Google admits trouble selling expensive Pixels, but it’s got a cheaper one coming soon
Google has a simple, yet subtle, reason for its anticipated push into the midrange smartphone market: there’s too much competition in the high-end one.
Next month, on the first day of its I/O developer conference, Google is expected to show off its new, cheaper Pixel 3a and 3a XL. And on an earnings call with reporters today, Ruth Porat, the chief financial officer of Google parent company Alphabet, said that industry-wide pressure on high-end phones led to fewer Pixel sales last quarter compared to this time a year ago. Porat specifically cited “some of the recent pressures in the premium smartphone market.”
Maybe making $1000+ phones isn't such a great idea after all?
— Janko Roettgers (@jank0) April 29, 2019
While Porat didn’t...
from The Verge - Tech Posts http://bit.ly/2vBz5B3
A new startup helps podcasts get promoted on other podcasts
Podcast startup RedCircle is officially launching today with a focus on helping small shows grow. Its first step is releasing a feature that assists podcasters in setting up cross-promotions with other podcasters, agreements in which two shows promote each other. It promises there’s more to come.
RedCircle raised $1.5 million in its seed round and offers free hosting, analytics access, distribution help, and other features designed for smaller creators. The company’s cross-promotion feature allows RedCircle to automatically insert promotions into shows once both podcasters have agreed.
“The short story [of how we got started] is that there’s not a lot of interesting technology that’s being built for the small podcaster,” Mike Kadin,...
from The Verge - Tech Posts http://bit.ly/2PB6DrR
Robot toy company Anki is going out of business
Anki, the San Francisco-based robotics company that specialized in making smartphone-controlled toys, is shutting down this week, reports Recode. The sudden news, delivered to staff today by CEO Boris Sofman, means the company’s staff of nearly 200 people will lose their jobs by Wednesday, with only one week of severance. Anki raised more than $200 million in venture capital funding to date.
According to Recode, Anki ran out of money and could no longer “support a hardware and software business” that would enable it to achieve its “long-term product roadmap.” Last August, Anki said it had sold 1.5 million robot units to date, which appears to have included both its toy cars and personal robots. That wasn’t enough to keep the business...
from The Verge - Tech Posts http://bit.ly/2ZJ2UgK
T-Mobile and Sprint’s merger deadline was extended — again
Last April, T-Mobile and Sprint announced their plans to merge, yet one year later neither the US Federal Communications Commission nor the Justice Department have approved the deal — and the telecommunications companies just opted to extend the deadline an extra month.
On Monday, T-Mobile and Sprint announced a deadline extension for the $26.5 billion merger in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The two companies will now have until July 29th to convince officials at both the FCC and DOJ to approve the transaction that would combine the third and fourth largest telecommunications companies in the country into one.
Makan Delrahim, who heads the antitrust division of the Justice Department, says that he had not decided...
from The Verge - Tech Posts http://bit.ly/2WdTNm3
Uber and Lyft stop hiring new drivers in New York City
Uber and Lyft have stopped accepting new drivers on their respective platforms in New York City, Politico reports. The move comes after the city passed new rules that are designed to curb the explosive growth of ride-hail companies.
On its website, Uber attributes the new policy to “new [Taxi and Limousine Commission] regulations.” (To find Lyft’s notice about not accepting new drivers, I had to go through the process of signing up as a new driver.) This is a reference to legislation passed by the New York City Council in December 2018, which requires ride-hail companies to pay drivers at least $17.22 an hour after expenses. The pay formula uses a so-called “utilization rate,” which accounts for the share of time a driver spends with...
from The Verge - Tech Posts http://bit.ly/2PB2pRe
How to fix your TV settings for a rewatch of last night’s Game of Thrones
For many viewers tuning into Game of Thrones last night, what was supposed to be one of the show’s most remarkable and momentous scenes ever was marred by, well, darkness. The Battle of Winterfell, playing out in the season 8 episode “The Long Night,” took an arduous 55 nights to shoot, and was the largest-scale battle sequence in Thrones history. It was meant to be a final-season flex of epic proportions.
But Miguel Sapochnik’s close-up directing choices and the battle’s nighttime setting were a perfect combination to expose the weaknesses of the streaming world we live in today. Many fans took to Twitter to complain about constant pixelation and an extreme difficulty following what was transpiring on-screen. A dozen variations on “who...
from The Verge - Tech Posts http://bit.ly/2ZLeNTa
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Fix the basics first, then worry about AI, advise experts
from ComputerWeekly.com http://bit.ly/2ZFQvKo
Home Office to award £300m contract for management of biometric services
from ComputerWeekly.com http://bit.ly/2W7y0wh
Ofcom must rethink rural broadband USO, says Lords report
from ComputerWeekly.com http://bit.ly/2GIwkTz
CIO interview: Dylan Roberts, CDIO, Leeds City Council
from ComputerWeekly.com http://bit.ly/2VFTmEd
German chauffeur service Blacklane plans IPO within three years
from Reuters: Technology News https://reut.rs/2PEmi9V
Google parent's shares dive as YouTube changes, competition hurt revenue
from Reuters: Technology News https://reut.rs/2IOMbDu
Chinese EV maker CHJ seeks to raise up to $500 million in growth push: sources
from Reuters: Technology News https://reut.rs/2J1sI1C
Samsung Electronics bets on better second half after first quarter profit slumps
from Reuters: Technology News https://reut.rs/2IZnKCC
Logitech fourth-quarter profit rises 22 percent
from Reuters: Technology News https://reut.rs/2XQRZje
Uber quizzed on growth at IPO roadshow in London
from Reuters: Technology News https://reut.rs/2Lb6M6Y
Uber drivers plan protest over pay ahead of IPO
from Reuters: Technology News https://reut.rs/2WiKgKE
Daimler will pull Smart mini-cars out of United States, Canada
from Reuters: Technology News https://reut.rs/2GQAN7H
Amazon starts recruiting and leases office for Virginia 'HQ2'
from Reuters: Technology News https://reut.rs/2vu9b1K