Tech news

Amazon has announced the Echo Show 5 and is taking preorders. This third-generation Echo Show is called the "5" because it has a 5.5-inch diagonal display. he Echo Show 5 is available in the line's standard Charcoal and Sandstone colors. It is priced at $90. New Alexa routines are available on the Echo Show 5, such as a nighttime routine that turns off the bedroom lamp and begins playing soothing sounds. Users can personalize the Echo Show 5's home screen with a variety of new clock faces or a photo. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2YZfHKJ

GitHub has made it easier for open source developers to garner financial support as recipients of paid sponsorships. GitHub Sponsors, launched in beta last week, is a new funding mechanism that enables open source users to make recurring payments, much like crowdfunding services such as Patreon and managed open source subscription services backed by creators and maintainers, like Tidelift. GitHub also launched the GitHub Sponsors Matching Fund to boost community funding efforts. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2EHN64P

Apple has refreshed its iPod touch line of media players with a faster processor, greater storage capacity and improved communications features. The new iPod is built on Apple's A10 Fusion chip, the same processor used in the iPhone 7. According to Apple, the power upgrade delivers two times faster performance than previous models and three times better graphics. As with the last generation of iPods, introduced in 2015, there are 32-GB and 128-GB models. However, a new 256-GB version has joined the new lineup. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2XiVZta

Aside from malware and viruses, nothing has the potential to be more dangerous to your computer's health than power outages. Here is how to ensure your computer keeps it boot on when a power failure turns the lights off. With the approach of the turbulent summer season, it is important to know what kills the electrical lifeline, how to safeguard your digital gear from fatal reboot disease, and how to reach the desktop when the computer refuses to restart. This knowledge is vital whether you work in a business office or in your own home office. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2YOVcQI

OK, so last week Qualcomm lost its seemingly no-lose case against the FTC, largely because it looks like the judge was only physically in the room during the trial. The ruling makes it look like she and I observed very different trials. In addition, the U.S. apparently declared war against Huawei, which actually could benefit Huawei. The result of both efforts effectively could be to give the 5G market to China. It's kind of like watching everyone decide to run naked with some really big scissors. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2MajuU0

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai this week gave the green light to a merger between T-Mobile and Sprint, currently the third- and fourth-largest mobile carriers respectively. The nation's top telecom regulator agreed to the $26 billion merger, but with some conditions -- the most notable being that Sprint would sell off its Boost Mobile prepaid cellphone brand. In addition, the combined firm would commit to deploying 5G network coverage to 97 percent of the country within three years, and to 99 percent of the country within six years. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2X1KAh6

The U.S. Postal Service has announced a pilot project using self-driving trucks. It will conduct the two-week experiment in collaboration with TuSimple, an autonomous driving technology company based in San Diego. TuSimple's contract with the postal service calls for one of the company's self-driving trucks to make five round trips hauling USPS trailers between Dallas and Phoenix. Although the truck's operation will be automated, humans won't be left out of the picture entirely. A safety engineer and driver will be aboard. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2VHgRIP

Next-generation 5G mobile communications technology could have a harmful impact on weather forecasting in the United States, based on expert testimony presented before a U.S. House committee during a hearing on the future of weather forecasting. Interference from 5G wireless phones could reduce the accuracy of weather forecasts by 30 percent, said Neil Jacobs, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere at NOAA. Jacobs made the remarks to members of the Environment Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/30BdS8j

I went to Lenovo Accelerate last week and feasted my eyes on one of the most innovative PCs I've ever seen. However, as I absorbed the rest of Lenovo's announcements, I realized I was looking at just the tip of what could be a significant coming change in personal computers -- one that could eclipse every change we have seen so far. It is interesting that Lenovo is doing the old Jobs "one more thing" better than Apple is at the moment. Lenovo's "one more thing" is a coming foldable screen laptop. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2JY53PY

Budgeting apps come in all sizes and shapes. Budget apps for Linux are part of a software category that has been all but abandoned. But take heart. A number of Web-based solutions will more than meet your budget-tracking needs. If you still insist on finding a pure Linux-based application, do not mix the concept of open source with free. If you want an actual free budget program that works well with your flavor of Linux OS, a Web-based offering may your only option. A few of these non-Linux solutions are proprietary products. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2EezGx6

Shoppers soon might see a lot more robots in Walmart stores -- but not toy robots or even human assistant gadgets that are available for purchase. Walmart's new robots will be taking over repeatable, predictable and manual tasks that up to now have been carried out by human employees. At Walmart stores, robots will scan shelf inventory and track boxes as part of the retail chain's inventory management. Walmart is hardly alone in deploying robots or artificial intelligence to handle these mundane tasks, however. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2Vzotgd

It would have been reasonable for those attending Josh Bressers' session at CypherCon -- myself included -- to expect a presentation by a cryptocurrency expert. It was billed as a talk about plumbing the depths of the bitcoin blockchain. When Bressers admitted that his material grew out of a hobby, I was surprised. Still, the talk was far from disappointing. Instead, "Spelunking the Bitcoin Blockchain" offered a glimpse of the impact that "amateurs," in the best sense of the word, ultimately have on the development of cryptocurrencies. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2JKe0wm

The high-tech industry once again is in a tizzy over flaws discovered in Intel CPUs -- four new microarchitectural data sampling vulnerabilities. MDS is a sub-class of previously disclosed vulnerabilities that sample data leaked from small structures within the CPU using a locally executed speculative execution side channel. The four newly identified flaws: Zombieload, Fallout, CVE-2018-12127 and CVE-2018-11091. Zombieload, Fallout and CVE-2018-12127 have a medium severity rating, while CVE-2018-11091 is considered low severity. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2HAkHyy

Many users of Facebook's WhatsApp messaging software are scrambling to patch the program in response to news of a flaw that allowed spyware to be installed on mobile phones running Android and iOS. "This new type of attack is deeply worrying and shows how even the most trusted mobile apps and platforms can be vulnerable," said Mike Campin, vice president of engineering at Wandera, a mobile security provider based in San Francisco. WhatsApp is used by 1.5 billion people worldwide, both on personal devices and corporate-issued devices. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2YooghY

The U.S. Supreme Court has given thumbs up for a class action antitrust lawsuit to proceed against Apple for alleged monopolistic practices at its App Store. In the case, Apple Inc. v. Pepper et al. , the consumer plaintiffs maintain the company has monopolized the retail market for the sale of apps, and that it used its position to charge higher-than-competitive prices for the software it sells in its App Store. Apple tried to keep the case from advancing in the courts by arguing that it doesn't set the prices at the App Store. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2YvZZGW

Apple, Google and Microsoft are three very powerful companies. Two of them had big events last week -- Google I/O and Microsoft Build. What I found interesting was that both Google and Microsoft largely were on the same page about focusing on the customer. Both Google and Microsoft have been making massive advancements with artificial intelligence. Both have increased their efforts to make the world a better place. Apple, on the other hand, is still using the lock-in model to keep customers from abandoning it. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2vVDjTU

The Elive distro's integration of the Debian Linux base and the Enlightenment desktop is a powerful combination. Together, they offer a unique computing platform that is powerful and flexible. Elive is not like most Linux distributions. It does not have a team of workers supporting multiple desktop offerings cranking out frequent upgrades each year. It also does not have a thriving community. In fact, Elive is one of a few Linux distros that aggressively asks for donations in order to download the installation ISO file. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2Vad1rj

Baltimore officials have admitted that the city government once again has been victimized by ransomware -- the second such attack that Baltimore has faced in just over a year. City computers reportedly were infected with the RobinHood ransomware virus. Hackers told city officials that they would unlock the computers in return for payment of three bitcoins per system, or 13 Bitcoins for the entire system. Based on the current exchange rate the ransom added up to about $17,600 per computer or $76,280 for the system. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2Vt9fhD

Microsoft has announced that its own full Linux kernel will power WSL2, the newest version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux. Microsoft also introduced a Windows command line terminal that will add functionality to PowerShell and WSL. Both the in-house custom-built Linux kernel for WSL2 and the Windows command line terminal are intended primarily for developers. "This is a strong move in the battle against AWS," remarked Joshua Swartz, principal in the digital transformation practice at A.T. Kearney. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2Jbe88E

Google's Pixel 3a smartphone, launched at Google's 2019 I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California, has wowed reviewers with the quality of its photos and other features, as well as its low price. "I like the direction Google is taking with the 3a," said Ramon Llamas, research director at IDC. "While it removes some of the features and functionalities of its cousins, it still retains the key ones and includes some of the new ones too. It almost feels like a high-end phone masquerading at a mid-range price." from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2YkRnTj

Google showed off its chops in AI and ML, renewed its commitment to giving users greater control over their data, and introduced a new economically priced smartphone during a keynote presentation at its annual I/O conference. "They were there to hammer home the point that when it comes to AI, they are ahead of their peers," said Paul Erickson, a senior analyst at IHS Markit. "Whether it be translation for the disabled or some of the other things they showcased, they wanted to put a different face on what they're doing with their AI." from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2DZqIno

Apple plans to introduce a boatload of new apps, features and development tools at its World Wide Developers Conference next month, according to a report. As it does every year, Apple will use the WWDC, set to begin June 3, to reveal the next versions of operating systems for its hardware products. For its mobile devices, new additions iOS 13 include speed improvements and interface changes, a Dark Mode, a new fast typing option, a refreshed health app, use of the iPad as an auxiliary Mac screen, and a revamped Books app. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2JpdVhp

I spent a good deal of my educational and early career as an analyst doing research at scale. In fact, the way I got into the executive resources program at IBM was through one of the largest research projects my division had ever undertaken. A recurring issue with those who attempt to address the diversity and inclusion problem is that in the absence understanding it, they focus on the symptoms. Like taking a decongestant for a cold, it might offer temporary relief, but that approach hasn't been successful in fixing the problem. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2DRm9eB

Are you Looking for a hassle-free Linux OS that is very user-friendly and extremely stable? Pop!_OS from System76 is a prime candidate to fit that order. Pop!_OS is an Ubuntu-based Linux distro featuring a custom GNOME desktop. Custom is *the* essential part of that description. The developers have done an impressive job of tailoring the classic GNOME environment into a unique desktop flavor. That Ubuntu connection is important. The combination of an Ubuntu base and customization of the very stable GNOME desktop makes POP!_OS a winning choice. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2UXXmLH

Many consumers in recent years have opted to cut the cord -- that is, to ditch cable or satellite TV and instead rely on over-the-top streaming services for their viewing pleasure. Price has been one factor, but changing viewing habits has been another. As a reporter who regularly covers pay-TV services of all varieties, I actually went the opposite direction and for some time have had both cable and satellite. It allowed me to relate to Michael Scott of TV's The Office , who explained he had satellite TV and cable as a "back up." from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2WhHKEo

An advocacy organization formed by cybersecurity professionals has joined the fight for "right to repair" legislation, which would allow consumers and third parties to repair electronic equipment without voiding manufacturers' warranties. Legislators in about 20 states have been working on some form of this legislation, but their efforts have been stymied by a number of tech companies, including Apple, and industry groups, including the Consumer Technology Association. Business interests have killed the proposals, according to Securepairs.org. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2WluQ8a

These could be the worst of times for high-end flagship smartphones. Google CEO Sundar Pichai told Alphabet shareholders that his company's flagship phones, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, released last fall, had encountered some "year over year headwinds." Samsung maintained that its flagship phone lineup, which includes the Galaxy S10, has been selling well, but it acknowledged that sales were being cannibalized by its lower-priced models. Meanwhile, Apple saw iPhone sales plummet, year over year -- 15 percent during the holiday quarter of 2018. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2Lhtp9J