Category: World

Apple And Google Are Building Coronavirus Tracking Tech Into iOS And Android | CNET

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The two companies are working together, representing most of the phones used around the world. Two of the tech industry’s biggest players are working together to fight the coronavirus, announcing a new set of tools that could come to a majority of smartphones around the world. The new technology, outlined in white papers published by Apple and Google Friday, relies on Bluetooth wireless radio technology to help phones communicate with one another, ultimately warning people about people they’d come in contact with who are infected with the coronavirus. Apple and Google plan to…

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Google’s COVID-19 Location Data Shows Regions That Are Violating Lockdown Orders. | Engadget

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Google has unveiled the COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports in an effort to help public health officials understand how people are moving about in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The reports show location data from folks who have agreed to share their location history with Google in order to show places that are following instructions to shelter in place — or not. “As global communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasing emphasis on public health strategies, like social distancing measures, to slow the rate of transmission,” wrote…

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Governments Could Track COVID-19 Lockdowns Through Social Media Posts | CNET

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A research group scrapes more than 500,000 Instagram profiles in Italy to see if people abiding by the quarantine. The Italian government enforcing its nationwide lockdown measures to control the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Your posts on social media have been harvested for advertising. They’ve been taken to build up a massive facial recognition database. Now, that same data could be used by companies and governments to help maintain quarantines during the coronavirus outbreak. Ghost Data, a research group in Italy and the US, collected more than half a…

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Coronavirus Pandemic Changes How Your Privacy Is Protected | CNET

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Data protection officials around the world are loosening rules on how your data can be used during the COVID-19 outbreak. Privacy protections around the world are getting lifted during the coronavirus outbreak. As the coronavirus pandemic gets worse, privacy commissioners are lifting data restrictions for health officials to keep track of the outbreak. A review of policy changes around the world shows that data protection agencies are prioritizing lives over privacy, and it could be a sign of what’s to come for the US. In Hong Kong, the city’s privacy…

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Coronavirus Exposes Digital Disparities Between Students | Digital Trends

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With universities across the country closing their campuses, canceling classes, and moving everything online, the coronavirus pandemic has complicated learning for many students and faculty, despite the wide use of technology to keep classes going. Perhaps the most basic issue is what students will do when they do not have reliable high-speed internet access. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) doesn’t have accurate data on how many millions of Americans lack broadband, but Microsoft estimates it is likely far more than the 25 million people the government agency cited in a…

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How Apps Secretly Spy On You With Third-Party Trackers | Digital Trends

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The moment you install an app, it begins scavenging and pestering you for your data. It requests permissions to tap into your phone’s internals, asks you to register a handful of personal information — you know the drill. However, no matter how frugal and vigilant you are at each step, there’s still one way most apps end up covertly mining your data. Every app comes packaged with a range of what are technically called Software Development Kits (SDK). To understand these better, think of an app as a Lego house…

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We Bought Dozens Of Products From AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Walmart And Wish. Over Half Were Suspected Fakes | CBC News

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It’s quick, convenient and ships right to your front door. But a Marketplace investigation found that you can’t always trust what you purchase online — even if the seller, platform or price seems legit. To test how prevalent counterfeits are online, Marketplace purchased dozens of well-known products — ranging from electronics to sportswear to cosmetics — from five popular online retailers: AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Walmart and Wish. Read full story here: We Bought Dozens Of Products From AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Walmart And Wish. Over Half Were Suspected Fakes | CBC News

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Google Knows What You Look Like. Here’s What It Means And How To Opt Out | CNET

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Google’s Face Match technology isn’t everywhere yet, but it’s always looking. Find out what’s happening with your face data and what you can do to stop it. Google’s largest smart display, the Google Nest Hub Max, includes a controversial feature that’s always watching. Face Match, the name Google calls the technology, keeps a digital eye out for faces passing by. When it recognizes yours, it displays content just for you: photos, messages, appointments and even how long of a commute you can expect. Read full story here: Google Knows What You Look…

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Windows 10: Why Upgrade Time Has Finally Arrived For Windows 7 Users | CNET

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The end is near for Windows 7 users: After 10 years, Microsoft will stop supporting the OS on Tuesday, which means it’s time to upgrade to Windows 10 to keep your PC running smoothly and securely. (Extended support for Windows 8.1 users ends in January 2023.) Some users have been hesitant to make the switch, as the rollout of Windows 10 saw several issues, including a series of bugs that led Microsoft to pull its October 2018 Update days after its release. In April, however, Microsoft laid out several changes…

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