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Amazon says email telling workers to delete TikTok app was sent in error
Hours after sending an email instructing employees to remove the social media app TikTok from their phones, citing unspecified "security risks," Amazon.com Inc. said Friday the message was sent in error.
The curious sequence of events came days after the White House amped up messaging that casts the popular Chinese-owned service as a potential ...Read more
Tech Q&A: Windows 10 updates are creating new problems
One of the big differences between Windows 10 and its predecessors is that it's updated frequently. That may fix flaws, but it also creates new ones.
Last week, Anita Winkley of Winter Haven, Fla., told me she was losing Gmail messages and their attached photos. We both wondered if her e-mail filter settings were to blame.
But it turns out ...Read more
Under Armour reportedly looks to sell fitness app MyFitnessPal
BALTIMORE -- Under Armour may be looking to shed MyFitnessPal, its fitness and nutrition app and website, as it scales back during a slowdown made worse by coronavirus-related revenue losses.
A potential sale of the app was reported Tuesday by The Information, a business technology news website. The athletic apparel brand has not confirmed the ...Read more
Fintech company Sezzle's growth rockets higher as online shopping soars
Sezzle Inc., the Minneapolis fintech firm that's listed in Australia, said Tuesday its e-commerce platform soared in transaction volume and revenue during the spring months as homebound consumers shopped online more often.
Sezzle's shares jumped 25% on the news, closing at Aus$5.07, the highest level since the company went public on the ...Read more
Jim Rossman: Free streaming content is getting harder to find
A reader wrote me recently about trying to navigate the free TV streaming jungle.
He has a Roku for streaming content with a login for PBS' Passport streaming service provided through his contributions to PBS.
He'd like to explore other shows and networks, noting that many of them tout "streaming the following day."
He tried to watch the CW...Read more
Police partnerships with Amazon Ring raise alarms about racial bias, privacy
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - As nationwide protests force a deep examination of police tactics and funding, technology companies say they are re-evaluating their relationship with law enforcement as well. Amazon has halted police use of its facial recognition technology for one year and the website Nextdoor has stopped forwarding tips to police.
Now,...Read more
'Pokemon Go': Gastly Community Day added to packed July schedule
Niantic is adding to an already packed July schedule with Gastly Community Day that is being held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 19.
Although the shiny version of the Gas Pokemon has been around a while, it has been relatively rare for players. With the Community Day, they have a chance to get one of the best-looking shiny Pokemon in the game. ...Read more
CNET: Best gas grills of 2020
If you're new to outdoor cooking or just need to replace an old grill, the abundance of options out there can make picking the best grill feel overwhelming - it's hard to know whether to go for a gas grill (fueled by propane or natural gas), kamado grill, charcoal grill, pellet grill or perhaps a portable model.
Gas grills are a great place ...Read more
Gadgets: Extend your Wi-Fi range
To the list of all the home improvements people have generated in the past few months, add an easy setup of extending the range of some of your home Wi-Fi smart products. The idea of doing this is great and a company called Lutron makes it a do-it-yourself easy project with a new Case´ta Wireless Repeater and Motion Sensor added to Lutron's ...Read more
As body cameras gain more attention, their uses are expanding well beyond law enforcement
Weeks of protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd have placed renewed attention on police body-worn cameras.
Axon and Motorola Solutions recently branched out to commercial sales even before Floyd's filmed killing in Minneapolis. Cellphone footage from bystanders put the case in the spotlight, but recordings from police body cameras ...Read more
Internet speeds were awful, so these rural Pennsylvanians put up their own wireless tower
Big Valley is a living postcard of Pennsylvania. Jet-black buggies hug the shoulders of its long, straight roads and knobby-kneed foals prance in fields so green they look electrified. Most signs there urge motorists to repent and rejoice, or to buy fresh strawberries from the Amish children sitting in the shade.
But one Pennsylvania tradition ...Read more
Not just about the data: Scientists seek to address racial bias in the lab and classroom
In this time of national reckoning, a grassroots movement of scientists and academics is asking their colleagues to solve problems beyond their research: the scientific community's own issues with racial discrimination and bias.
Scrolling through social media posts tagged #BlackInTheIvory illuminates just some of the experiences Black students,...Read more
Jim Rossman: How can you boost a poor cell signal?
I got this question from a reader recently: "I would like to know if you have any suggestions for boosting cellphone reception inside your home. There are areas in my house that drop my calls. It gets very frustrating."
This is a good question.
One method she could try is to switch to a different cell carrier that might cover her home with a...Read more
Michigan voters to decide whether to ban police use of electronic data without warrant
DETROIT - Voters in November will decide whether police should have access to an individual's electronic data and communications without a warrant.
The Michigan House and Senate passed a resolution that would place on the November ballot a constitutional amendment barring the search and seizure of private electronic data without a warrant. ...Read more
CNET: The best smart home devices of 2020: Google and Amazon lead the way
If you've already started connecting the various devices and fixtures around your home - perhaps more of you are thinking about this now that many of us are quarantined - you'll know that there are a lot of ways to tackle the problem. You might just want one device to solve a particular issue, like a smart plug to put a lamp on a regular ...Read more
Gadgets: A hearing aid you'll want to show off
I've never seen anyone go around showing off their new hearing aid. But often I see people bragging about their new earbuds. The Olive Smart Ear has the appearance and style of a single earbud in but does the job of a hearing aid.
I'll start off with some information supplied by the parent company, Olive Union, which caught my attention ...Read more
List of big names fleeing Facebook skyrockets as more companies yank ads
Facebook's friends are fleeing in droves.
From Habitat for Humanity to Russian Mail Order Brides, the advertiser exodus escalated from Facebook on Monday as dozens signed on to the "Stop Hate for Profit" campaign designed to purge hate speech from the platform.
So far, more than 150 big-name brands, representing hundreds of millions of ...Read more
Battling 'flawed' facial recognition software
DETROIT - Robert Williams says he was mistakenly tagged by facial recognition software as a suspected shoplifter in Detroit in 2018, a move that dumped him into the criminal justice system that he says was humiliating and frightening.
Williams, who is Black, now wants police to abandon the controversial use of facial recognition to find ...Read more
Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Google Chiefs to Testify in Congress
The chief executive officers of Facebook Inc., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. have agreed to testify before a congressional panel investigating competition issues in the technology industry, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee overseeing the probe.
Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, Jeff Bezos and Tim ...Read more
Tesla battery cooling system is subject of federal safety probe
Federal safety officials are probing allegations of defective cooling systems installed in early-model Tesla vehicles.
Tesla installed cooling tubes prone to leaks in Model S vehicles beginning in 2012, according to internal emails cited by Business Insider last week. The Times reviewed copies of the emails and other documentation that show the...Read more
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