Blog

Google lets businesses mark locations as ‘temporarily closed’

[ad_1]

Google My Business users can go to “Close this business on Google” in the menu to find the new feature. As SearchEngineLand notes, that section now shows three options: “Mark as temporarily closed,” “Mark as permanently closed” and “Remove Listing.” Prior to launching the capability, Google only relied on information from governments and other authoritative sources.

Of course, the feature’s usefulness still depends on whether businesses take the time to update their status. Google previously said, however, that it’s using an AI technology where possible to ask businesses to confirm and update their operating hours.

[ad_2]

Source link

Plex makes live TV free for three months

[ad_1]

There are some catches. The free access doesn’t include DVR functionality. You’ll also only receive guide data for 48 hours of programming versus the two weeks of a Plex Pass subscriber. This is as much about pitching subscriptions as it is supporting the community. Nonetheless, it might be appreciated if you’ve run out of on-demand shows to watch while you’re stuck at home.

[ad_2]

Source link

Lyft tries offering free bike-share passes to hospital workers

[ad_1]

In New York City, Lyft will provide hospital workers, first responders and transit workers with a free, one-month Citi Bike membership. Those passes can be obtained through employers, who can email HeroBikes@Lyft.com to enroll their staff. The offer applies to anyone working in these fields who recently purchased a membership or has an upcoming membership renewal, too. After this initial trial, Lyft and its partners will determine ridership needs and reevaluate.

“Having seen higher demand for Citi Bikes near our critical hospitals, Lyft has arrived at a generous and creative plan that will help get first responders where they need to go,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.

At certain high-traffic Citi Bike stations — like those outside of hospitals — Lyft valets will dock and disinfect bikes. Lyft will expand its cleaning operations and continue to disinfect bikes every time they enter the depot or are repaired in the field.

Healthcare workers in Boston and Chicago will also have access to discounts, The Verge reports. In Boston, Lyft’s Bluebikes is offering hospital workers a free 30-day membership, and in Chicago, healthcare workers have access to free rides on the city’s Divvy bikes through April 30th.

Lyft tends to be the more altruistic of the major ride-share players. Previously, Lyft has offered free rides to voters and people traveling to job interviews. This latest move will help workers who still have to head outside during the pandemic.

[ad_2]

Source link

Comcast, Verizon make some on-demand viewing free

[ad_1]

If you want to hunt the videos down on Comcast, you only have to say “free” into your voice remote. More material from “dozens” of networks and other partners will be available on a “rolling basis” over the weeks ahead, Comcast said.

Verizon, meanwhile, is offering a mix of similar on-demand viewing as well as educational tools for wireless and Fios customers. Epix, Showtime and Gaiam’s fitness channel will be available for free for 30 days starting on April 1st. Students get access to educational resources like Bookful, Chegg, Epic! and Quizlet.

This should help subscribers stay informed and entertained while they’re isolating themselves during the coronavirus outbreak. With that said, Comcast and Verizon also have a vested interest in handing out freebies. Financial uncertainty, however temporary, could lead some subscribers to cancel service or avoid upgrades to premium packages — the offers might convince them to stay subscribed or expand their selection while they’re stuck at home.

[ad_2]

Source link

European mobile carriers will share location data to track COVID-19 spread

[ad_1]

The data will be aggregated and anonymized, the official said. The Commission will also delete the info when the pandemic is over. The European Data Protection Supervisor also wants the Commission to “clearly define” the data it wants to collect, maintain transparency and limit access to epidemiologists and other relevant experts.

Separately, the World Health Organization has maintained that any technological assistance in fighting COVID-19 would have to protect human rights and privacy.

While this could alleviate some fears that the tracking would be used as a pretext to surveil EU residents, there are still concerns. No matter how trustworthy the EU may be, it’s unclear just how effectively it might anonymize and secure that data. And while the height of the coronavirus outbreak might be relatively brief, it’s not clear how long the crisis will last. There’s a possibility the tracking could last longer than some would like.

[ad_2]

Source link

Google Assistant’s redesigned feed is rolling out on iOS

[ad_1]

You can check out the new experience by launching Assistant and then tapping on the inbox icon located near the bottom left of the interface. You’ll then see the redesigned feed, which organizes a variety of information using chronological cards.

You can tap on the cards to expand them and see additional information. Expanding the weather widget, for instance, will display a five-day forecast, with additional prompts to save you the trouble of asking Assistant a question with your voice. Expanding a calendar reminder, meanwhile, allows you to see the description of an upcoming event and a list of attendees. There’s also a shortcut that takes you directly to the invite in Google Calendar.

The new experience also integrates with Google Podcasts. If you pause an episode, you can resume it directly from the top of the screen. At the bottom of the interface, there’s an “Other Important Things” heading, under which you can do stuff like quickly put together a shopping list. Assistant will also highlight things you can in the surrounding area using Maps.

If you weren’t a consistent Assistant user already, the new Snapshot interface likely won’t change your mind on Google’s digital helper. But for those of us who already depend on the AI, the redesigned feed is a nice tweak.

[ad_2]

Source link

iFixit’s MacBook Air teardown confirms 0.5mm thicker keyboard

[ad_1]

“More than anything, that 0.5 mm illustrates the sheer unnecessary-ness of the five painful years that Mac fans spent smashing on unresponsive butterfly keyboards,” iFixit writes. “Knowing that Apple’s thinnest-and-lightest notebook accommodates a scissor-switch keyboard so gracefully makes us wonder what it was all for.”

The keys also lack the silicon barrier that iFixit found in a previous MacBook Pro teardown. Apple first claimed that the barrier was meant to make the keys quieter, but internal documents later revealed that they were intended to “prevent debris from entering the butterfly mechanism.” By ditching the butterfly keyboard, it looks like Apple is able to get rid of the silicon barrier, too.

As far as repairability, the biggest change iFixit found is that the trackpad cables are no longer wedged beneath the logic board, so you can remove the trackpad without removing the board. The same goes for the battery, which is under those trackpad cables. This should make repairs and battery replacements easier and faster. (The battery still sits on stretchy pull tabs.)

Overall, iFixit gave the new MacBook Air a 4 out of 10 for repairability. While that’s not exactly a winning score, it is one point more than the previous generation received.

[ad_2]

Source link

A hacker stole and leaked the Xbox Series X graphics source code

[ad_1]

The self-proclaimed hacker added that she wanted $100 million for the source code and threatened to “leak everything” if there was no buyer. She reportedly found the GPU data in a “hacked computer” in November, although AMD said it hadn’t been approached until December.

AMD doesn’t appear to be bowing under pressure. It believed the stolen code was “not core to the competitiveness or security” of its products, and said there was an “ongoing criminal investigation.” This shouldn’t affect the launches of the Xbox Series X or other products. Even so, leaks for any sensitive files are still big deals — they suggest a significant lapse in security.

[ad_2]

Source link

SpaceX parachute test failure could further delay crewed flight

[ad_1]

It’s not clear what led to the problem, although SpaceX said the parachutes weren’t responsible.

The crewed demo mission is still officially expected in May. However, Parabolic Arc sources said that the failure along with separate preparation issues made it “likely” that the flight would wait until June. It wouldn’t be surprising if the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the situation, for that matter.

The failure compounds problems NASA has had getting viable private crew capsules into service. On top of SpaceX’s challenges, Boeing’s botched Starliner test flight is introducing setbacks. It could be a while before US rockets and capsules are once again ferrying astronauts into orbit, as eager as the US might be to reinvigorate its space program.

[ad_2]

Source link

‘Below’ arrives on PS4 on April 7th with an easier exploration mode

[ad_1]

Kris Piotrowski, creative director at developer Capybara Games, detailed some of the changes explore mode makes to the game over on the PlayStation Blog. To start, you won’t have to deal with the game’s hunger and thirst mechanics. Explore mode also removes one-hit kills, and you’ll always have a permanent checkpoint to return to should your character die. All three tweaks should help address a lot of the tedium that kept some people from enjoying Below‘s mysterious and atmospheric world. If you already own the game on PC or Xbox One, you’ll get access to the new mode as part of a free update.

When Capy first announced it was releasing Below on PS4, the studio said explore mode came out of listening to player feedback. “As time passed, one thing became resoundingly clear: people loved the brooding tone and melancholic atmosphere of the Isle, and we wanted to provide a way for players to experience that world without necessarily having to overcome the brutal test of endurance required to fully experience the world of Below.“

With those changes in tow, Below may finally get its time in the sun.

[ad_2]

Source link