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Zoom will enable waiting rooms by default to keep trolls out

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Company CEO Eric S. Yuan recently promised to dedicate all of Zoom’s engineering resources to fixing its “biggest trust, safety, and privacy issues.” The platform notified users about the changes in an email, telling them that the new security measures need to be enforced to protect their privacy.

Zoom will automatically include passwords in invites for scheduled meetings going forward. Those who had previously scheduled meetings for after April 5th are encouraged to resend their invites, so attendees won’t have to ask for them. Also, now that waiting rooms are on by default, hosts will have to approve attendees before they can participate in a call. It could make hosting meetings a bit more difficult for those heading up large calls, but it’s probably small price to pay to prevent unwanted guests from barging in.

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Recommended Reading: Inside the PlayStation 5 with Mark Cerny

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PlayStation 5 uncovered: The Mark Cerny tech deep dive
Richard Leadbetter,
Eurogamer

If you're craving even more explanation on the PlayStation 5 than lead architect Mark Cerny shared during his in-depth chat a couple weeks ago, get comfy. Eur…

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The Morning After: Apple’s iPad turns 10

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Need something to watch this weekend?HBO’s free streaming includes ‘The Wire’ and its Theranos documentary

For a ‘limited time,’ HBO is streaming over 500 hours of content for free via the HBO Go and HBO Now services. Non-subscribers won’t be able to binge Game of Thrones this way, but there are full series runs of critically acclaimed shows like The Wire, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and True Blood. HBO is also including some recent movies, plus documentaries including McMillion$ and its look inside the scandal at Theranos, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley.

Don’t forget to get up and move.Engadget Podcast: Keeping fit with tech at home

From home exercise machines to the best activity trackers to places offering free workout tutorials and streams, Devindra, Cherlynn and commerce editor Valentina Palladino have plenty of tips to offer. They also go over the importance of nutrition and eating well, and some of the tech that can help you in that mission. And as always, they have many great entertainment recommendations for those looking for something fresh to enjoy.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Pocket Casts or Stitcher.

The Android and Wear OS apps will shut down on July 1st.Apple buys Dark Sky weather app

Apple has bought the highly regarded weather app Dark Sky, in an apparent bid to bolster its own offering. The original app will still be available on the iOS App Store, but Android iterations will shut down on July 1st. If you subscribed, you will get a refund.

Apple previously used data from Yahoo (owned by Engadget’s parent company Verizon) and The Weather Channel. Dark Sky’s by-the-minute weather predictions and radar maps could offer some useful improvements.

Some problems can be fixed.Disney+ will stop cropping old ‘Simpsons’ episodes in May

When Disney+ launched last year, it brought along a library of streaming Simpsons content. The only problem is that in a repeat of a mistake FXX made in 2014, it reformatted old SD-era episodes in widescreen. Cropping the picture cut off many visual gags in episodes, but now Disney says that “by the end of May” 4:3 episodes will be available for viewing as they were originally intended. Separately, Disney+ just added Pixar’s Onward for streaming, and announced that Artemis Fowl will skip a theatrical release and come straight to the service instead.

The subscription service is evolving beyond productivity apps.Office 365 is turning into Microsoft 365 as it moves into your life

On April 21st, Microsoft is renaming its Office suite service to Microsoft 365 as it adds more AI- and cloud-powered tools to make you more productive. It all costs the same — $7 a month/$70 a year for personal use and $10 a month/$100 a year for the family plan — but the scope of the service is much broader. For one, Microsoft is launching a new Family Safety app for tracking screentime and other aspects of your digital life.

New features include expanded functionality for Microsoft Editor, the company’s AI tool for writing help. You can use it on Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome with a browser extension and highlight a sentence to get some rewriting suggestions. Meanwhile, PowerPoint’s Presenter Coach will also monitor your pitch and suggest speech variations to add some sparkle to your sales deck. PowerPoint Designer is also adding access to over 8,000 images and 175 looping videos from Getty.

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‘Artemis Fowl’ will debut on Disney+

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Artemis Fowl, based on the first book of the Artemis Fowl series by author Eoin Colfer, was originally supposed to be out in theaters in August 2019. Its release got pushed back to 2020 even before COVID-19 became a global issue.

Disney didn’t explain why it’ll no longer get a theatrical run, but as Variety says, it could give more people an incentive to try out its streaming service. If Disney’s going to experiment with putting a high-budget flick on the platform, now is the perfect time to do so when streaming services are getting even more popular. Fans may have to wait a bit longer to be able to watch it, though, because it’s going to be part of the platform’s summer lineup.

Disney+ content and marketing president Ricky Strauss said in a statement:

“With audiences largely unable to attend theatres in the current environment, we are thrilled to offer the premiere of ‘Artemis Fowl’ on Disney Plus. Director Kenneth Branagh and his spectacular cast take viewers right into the vibrant, fantasy world of the beloved book, which fans have been waiting to see brought to life onscreen for years. It’s great family entertainment that is the perfect addition to Disney Plus’s summer lineup.”

Aside from announcing Artemis Fowl’s Disney+ debut, the company has also revealed its other movies’ new theatrical release dates. Mulan is now scheduled for July 24th, while Black Widow will take over Eternals’ November 6th showing date.

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Skype rolls out ‘Meet Now’ calls that don’t need a a sign-up or installation

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With people forced out of their offices and schools to avoid spreading coronavirus, there are more video calls going on than ever. However, a significant chunk of the action has gone to Zoom, and not Skype, Microsoft’s product that has been at the center of online voice and video chats since well before smartphones were commonplace. That’s mostly because Zoom has made sharing meetings and the necessary software so easy — perhaps too easy, with some security and privacy compromises — but Skype is finally ready to fight back with “Meet Now.”

With Meet Now, hosts can create and share a free meeting with just three clicks, according to the company. Even the host doesn’t need to have Skype installed — you can start the process from its website right here — and then invite people either using a simple link or the share button. If the person you’re inviting has Skype installed then it will open the app directly to the call, and if not then it will open the web client that works in Chrome or Edge.

Zoom has already made some changes and pledged more to address its issues — we’ll see if this setup helps Skype claw back any users who’ve already gotten used to using competitor’s software for their meetings.



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Google rolls back Chrome feature that blocks cross-site tracking

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The feature requires developers to indicate their website cookies’ SameSite attribute, which dictates how those small files a browser saves should behave. If they don’t, then Google will automatically switch that attribute to a secure option that prevents cookies from tracking users across websites. However, the change can break products and services that need cross-site tracking to work.

Google says most developers were prepared for the change — it was first revealed in mid-2019, after all. But the company still decided to roll back its enforcement, because it wants to ensure that websites providing essential services, such as banking, online groceries, government services and healthcare, continue to be accessible in these difficult times. The tech giant will start the rollback today and promises to announce when it plans to resume its enforcement on the SameSite updates page.

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Apple’s latest acquisition could help Siri understand what you’re saying

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The battle between AI voice assistants continues to rage on, and now Apple has acquired a tech firm, Voysis, that is all about helping computers understand natural language. As reported by Bloomberg, the firm’s now-deleted website said it could produce search results from phrases like “I need a new LED TV, my budget is $1,000.”

In 2017 TechCrunch interviewed CEO Peter Cahill, who pitched his company’s approach as not a competitor to Siri, Assistant or Alexa, but a more general platform that businesses could use to build their own customer service bots on. Voysis is now just one of many AI startups Apple has bought in the last few years, and hopefully users will see benefits from its technology son.

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FCC, FTC give providers 48 hours to block COVID-19 scam robocalls

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The de facto order is not-so-subtly aimed at VoIP providers accused of easing access for these scam callers, including Connexum, SIPJoin and VoIP Terminator/BLMarketing.

It’s a drastic step, but it might be vital. Among the campaigns are bogus COVID-19 tests and cleaning services. These scams could rob people of money or even get someone sick if they incorrectly believe they’re safe. This likely won’t deter other scammers, but it could ensure that people get proper information and help when they need it the most.

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Blackmagic’s pro livestreaming switcher can broadcast without software

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The ATEM Mini Pro includes all the features of the base model, including four HDMI inputs, chroma key, 12-channel audio mixing and a built-in video editor for picture-in-picture and other effects. If you do have favorite streaming software, a USB connection treats the switcher like a wildly overpowered webcam.

Blackmagic is selling the Pro now for $595. That’s utter overkill for most streamers, many of whom who would be better-served by a simple device like the Elgato Stream Deck Mini. Even the $295 standard ATEM Mini may be more than enough for serious users. If your stream is large enough that you have a multi-cam setup and might only spend some of your time at a desk, though, the price might be easier to swallow.

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Porsche’s virtual race series starts tomorrow with pro drivers at the wheel

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Most of the world will have to watch the races online, although TV networks like Germany’s Sport1 and the Netherlands’ Ziggo Sport will also cover the competition. The simulated Supercup will have three more events on April 18th (Silverstone), April 25th (Spa-Francorchamps) and May 16th (Monza).

As with other leagues, Porsche really doesn’t have much choice during the outbreak — it’s either this or cancel all its scheduled racing. The question is whether or not viewers will take to this the way they have other races in a similar position. If the virtual Supercup is reasonably successful, it might encourage Porsche to devote more attention to esports even once it’s safe for real cars to hit the track.

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