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Microsoft closes all of its stores due to coronavirus risk

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The move follows similar from other tech companies, adhering to US government advice to limit gatherings to no more than 10 people. Apple, for example, recently announced it was closing all of its stores outside greater China until March 27th. Microsoft has not specified a timeframe for its store closures.

Tech companies are taking on a new social focus during these unprecedented times, with many adapting their usual offerings to help communities during the virus outbreak, and with government officials calling on them to help find ways to tackle the pandemic. As such, Microsoft also released a joint industry statement with Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Reddit, Twitter and YouTube, saying they are working together to keep communities “healthy and safe.”



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Grab Amazon’s Fire HD 8 tablet for $50 today

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As part of its latest deal of the day, Amazon has discounted the Fire HD 8, pushing the already affordable tablet into impulse purchase territory. At the moment, the usually $80 16GB model is $50, matching its Black Friday price. The 32GB model is also on sale. That said, you can get away with the 16GB model since the Fire HD 8 includes a microSD slot, allowing you to add up to 400GB of additional storage to the tablet. One thing to keep in mind is that the $50 tablet includes lock-screen ads. If you don’t want to deal with those, you’ll need to spend a bit more to get the ad-free version — tap the “Without Special Offers” button on the product page.

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The UK’s biggest phone store chain is closing all of its outlets

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In a statement, Dixons Carphone says that it expects around 1,800 people to take new jobs with the company. It expects to make 2,900 people redundant as a consequence of the closures, around 60 percent of those affected. The hope is, with the closures and associated cost-savings, the company can stop losing money on its mobile retail business, which is expected to make a £90 million ($109 million) loss this year.

The company says that a variety of factors have hurt its business, including the fact that people are “replacing their handsets less often” and often “buying them separately.” That reduces the need for a dedicated phone retail outlet on every street corner, especially when carriers have their own stores too. As part of the restructuring, the Dixons Carphone has asked to be released from its sales target-led deals.

Mass-closure of all of CPW’s outlets represents the end for a company that once thrived as a major independent phone retailer. In 2014, CPW was a behemoth, with 2,000 stores and stakes in mobile operators, shortly before it merged with the equally big Dixons. The intervening years have seen a lot of retail activity move online, especially in the phone space where it’s very easy to negotiate a contract.

Electronics retail giant Dixons has similarly felt the pinch, and while it had 950 outlets in 2014, that figure has fallen to 305. After the merger, noises began emerging that not all was well, and that trends were hurting the combined business’ bottom line.

In 2017, CPW issued guidance saying profits would drop, citing a lack of “innovation” in the phone business (and the ever-higher price of flagship handsets, which acted as a deterrent for casual upgraders). A year after that, and the combined company was the victim of a cyber attack that compromised as many as 10 million personal accounts.

It does appear, however, that the days of being able to casually browse handsets at your local phone shop is now a thing of the past. In its place is online sales and contract negotiation, and if you’re not happy, you can always trek out to your regional Currys PCWorld Carphone Warehouse.

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Samsung shuts down its PC-to-mobile game streaming on March 27th

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There may be a simple explanation. Samsung has already revealed that it’s teaming with Microsoft on a game streaming experience that should debut later in 2020. It wouldn’t be surprising if Samsung saw that as more viable and decided to shut down PlayGalaxy Link to avoid duplicating efforts.

Samsung’s service already faced stiff odds. Between direct competition like Valve’s Steam Link as well as subscription services like Google Stadia and GeForce Now (which have their own share of problems), there’s not as much need for PlayGalaxy Link — especially when others aren’t as closely tied to a specific phone brand. The Microsoft collaboration could lead to a better service that stands a greater chance of competing with incumbents.

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Universal is releasing movies in theaters and at home on the same day

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In a statement, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said “Rather than delaying these films or releasing them into a challenged distribution landscape, we wanted to provide an option for people to view these titles in the home that is both accessible and affordable. We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theaters where available, but we understand that for people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible.”

Notably, NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast, which can sell the movies via cable boxes unlike most of its competitors and has been itching to do this since 2007 (remember Tower Heist?). With box office returns dropping off right now, others will have to consider following its lead. So far, Disney pushed up the release of Frozen 2 on Disney+ by a couple of months and also released the latest Star Wars flick for video on-demand purchase a few days early, and this windowless release schedule could quickly become a new normal even it’s not Netflix that makes it happen.

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San Diego police ban Clearview AI’s facial recognition tool

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Clearview AI’s platform has raised a number of ethical concerns. Police can theoretically use photos and videos from security cameras to discover your online presence, including details you might not have realized were public. There’s also evidence to suggest some (if not many) facial recognition algorithms have gender and race biases. And that’s assuming the technology works as promised. Many security cameras capture footage at angles that make facial recognition difficult.

It’s not certain that other law enforcement agencies and attorneys’ offices will follow suit. In the past, police have credited the technology with assisting in some cases. They may be reluctant to ditch Clearview AI’s system, even if it introduces the risk of false matches or exposes sensitive details.

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Spectrum offers free internet so students can do classwork at home

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The company says it will also open its WiFi hotspots to the public. Spectrum Internet service is available in 41 states across the country.

Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum, was one of the telecoms that took up the FCC’s Keep Americans Connected Pledge last week. As part of the pledge, it said it wouldn’t cancel service for people who have trouble paying their bills as a result of the current outbreak. The company agreed to waive late fees for the time being as well. Like Charter, some companies have tried to do more than the FCC asked for. For instance, this weekend MVNO Mint Mobile started giving out free data to anyone who needs it.

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Best Buy knocked $70 off the Instant Pot Viva

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The pressure cooker comes with 15 smart programs that let you pressure cook, slow-cook, steam, saute and more. It also has a delay start function, so you can schedule cooking. Normally, that would mean you could program meals to be ready when you get home, but since so many people are working from home due to the coronavirus, you might have to wait to test that feature. On the other hand, this could be the perfect time to fill your home with the smell of delicious, slow-cooked meals.

While this model has many of the features that make Instant Pots such a fan favorite, it also comes with a less common sous vide mode. This allows you to slow-cook foods placed in plastic or glass in a water bath for an extended period of time. The technique helps control cooking temperatures and locks in flavors, so if you’ve been looking for a new way to cook steak, or an easy way to make roulades, the Instant Pot Viva might do the trick.

We have seen this model drop to $60 before, so this $50 deal is one of the best (if not the best) you can get for this model. There is one catch. Because this is a Best Buy deal of the day, it might not stick around long. If you’re thinking of making the purchase, it may be wise to act quickly. If you do buy the Viva, be sure to check out our guide to making the most of your Instant Pot.

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Apple may release a large version of its upcoming budget iPhone

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Effectively, both of these lower-cost iPhones are expected to replace the iPhone 8 series and reel in both budget buyers as well as those who aren’t willing to jump to modern iPhone designs with Face ID.

The same code also hints at four updated iPad Pro models, possibly referencing WiFi and cellular revisions to today’s 11- and 12.9-inch tablets.

The iOS 14 hardware references don’t necessarily mean you’ll have to wait until the new software arrives (probably in the fall) to get the new iPhones. It’s possible that Apple will release an interim iOS 13 version to support the new hardware, and many suspect the upcoming iOS 13.4 is that version. With that said, you may have to be patient. The coronavirus pandemic has led to temporary device shortages and store closures on top of shutdowns for social infrastructure. Apple probably isn’t in a rush to launch products when many people are reluctant to head outside, let alone go shopping.

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