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Google is cracking down on apps with ‘disruptive’ ads

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Google defines disruptive ads as ones that either interfere with device usability or display when the user isn’t actively using the app. For example, an app could serve a full-screen ad when a user unlocks their phone to make a call. These popups affect more than just users — advertisers end up paying for inadvertent clicks, which wastes their budgets. (Google will refund advertisers who were impacted by the removed apps.)

Google says that it used a new machine learning algorithm to detect when apps violated the disruptive ad policy. This helped the company hone in on which apps to analyze — and to determine if developers and publishers were repeat offenders. “We give [developers and publishers] a notice and a warning [the first time a violation is detected] and allow them to correct the problem,” Per Bjorke, Google’s senior product manager for ad traffic quality said to BuzzFeed News. “And if it’s a repeat offense, then it will gradually be a stronger reaction.” As an example, Cheetah Mobile — which has been in hot water before — has finally been banned from the Play Store and all of its apps have been removed.

It’s encouraging to see that Google is making some efforts toward improving the Play Store experience. Hopefully this new machine learning strategy will help stop malicious and disruptive apps before a lot of people install them.

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HBO and HBO Max are coming to YouTube TV

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The AT&T-owned media company wants to make its “networks available as widely as possible,” Rich Warren, president of WarnerMedia Distribution, said in a statement. HBO and Cinemax are already accessible through several means, including Apple TV Channels and Amazon Prime Channels, but this is the first such distribution deal for HBO Max. WarnerMedia is trying to reach agreements with other distribution partners for the streaming service, which is set to debut in May.

Putting HBO Max on YouTube TV and other platforms will help WarnerMedia get more eyes on the service, which is entering a battle royale with a more expensive monthly subscription than many of its rival streaming services. WarnerMedia will surely be looking for distribution on Apple TV, Prime and Roku as well. It’ll be hoping to ensure there are as few hurdles as possible for people who want to stream the likes of Game of Thrones, Westworld, South Park and Studio Ghibli movies, not mention the originals that are on the way to HBO Max.



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Mobvoi’s latest TicWatch Pro is its most durable wearable yet

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Rather than an update to last year’s LTE model, Mobvoi says it sees the new model as an upgrade to the original TicWatch Pro, which the company released in 2018. The TicWatch Pro 2020’s most notable new feature is Military Standard 810G certification, which means it’s rated to survive drastic temperature fluctuations and other environmental hazards. Mobvoi claims the TicWatch Pro 2020 will work without issue in temperatures between -4 degrees and 131 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also operate underwater up to a depth of 4.9 feet for 30 minutes.

TicWatch Pro 2020

With 1GB of RAM onboard, the TicWatch Pro 2020 also features twice the RAM of the original model. Besides the usual performance and usability improvements, Mobvoi claims the extra memory allows the TicWatch Pro 2020 to collect more accurate health, sleep and fitness-tracking data.

Besides those updates, the 2020 model doesn’t bring a lot new to the table. It still uses the now ancient (in processor terms) Snapdragon Wear 2100, instead of the more modern Snapdragon Wear 3100. The aging chipset means the 2020 model doesn’t have the most modern connectivity features, with Bluetooth support limited to the older 4.2 standard rather than the current 5.0 one and WiFi support capped at 802.11n.

As before, however, the reason to buy the TicWatch Pro is its dual-screen design. Like its 2018 predecessor, the 2020 model features both OLED and FSTN LCD displays. The latter sits on top of the OLED and is transparent when not activated. Using the FSTN LCD only, you can get up to 30 days of battery life on a single charge.

The new TicWatch Pro will be available in early March on Amazon and Mobvoi’s website for $260. At launch, Mobvoi plans to offer the wearable in two colors: black and silver.

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Microsoft’s Defender security software is coming to iOS and Android

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On Android and iOS, Defender will help prevent people from visiting online destinations that Microsoft deems unsafe, Rob Lefferts, a Microsoft corporate vice president, told CNBC. It may also prevent phishing attacks. Lefferts told CNBC that iOS and Android are “pretty safe, but pretty safe is not the same as safe.”

It’s not yet clear when Defender will be ready for iOS and Android. Microsoft added Defender support for Linux today, and last year, it released extensions for Chrome and Firefox, as well as support for Mac, so its reach has been increasing steadily.

Microsoft also announced that, as of today, its Microsoft Threat Protection is available to customers with Microsoft 365. The service combines Defender, Office 365 ATP, Azure ATP and Microsoft Cloud App Security to search for threats across users, emails, applications and endpoints. It then uses AI to automatically block attacks.

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‘Hardspace: Shipbreaker’ is a PC game about salvaging space junk

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Its newest game, Hardspace: Shipbreaker, sees players take on the role of a blue collar space ship salvager. You owe a nefarious megacorp called Lynx about a billion credits, so you spend your days stripping down decommissioned ships for parts, bidding on salvage jobs and hunting out valuable materials in a bid to clear your debt. There’s more to it than simply smashing and grabbing, though. You’ll have to be careful about where you start slicing and dicing (with your plasma beam) because, well, this is space, so at any point you could get sucked out into the abyss, or start an explosion. Don’t worry, though, if you die Lynx will just resurrect you and stick the cost on your mounting debt.

So it’s a methodical game that brings with it the relaxing aspects of repetitive and visually-satisfying tasks, but also… danger — and intrigue, too. You’ll be left wondering exactly what Lynx is up to, questioning whether you’ll ever get out debt, and what will happen to you if you do. Hardspace: Shipbreaker will arrive on Steam Early Access sometime this summer.

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3Doodler’s newest kit lets preschoolers 3D-print tiny toys

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The device itself carries three AA batteries, and heats the plastic only when the user begins to turn the crank. Rather than allowing users to create any shape they want, they’re encouraged to pump the non-toxic, biodegradeable plastic — the same as on 3Doodler’s other kid-friendly products — into molds. These make characters that can take part in stories, guiding them “to the city and back,” and then on to new adventures afterward.

Since it’s designed to be used by children as young as four, it’s designed to be safe and encourage the development of fine motor skills. It’s also pretty affordable, priced at $29.99, when it arrives at some point in the second quarter of the year.

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Sony’s Xperia L4 is an entry-level phone with a 21:9 display

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Other standout features include a triple camera, with a 13 megapixel main lens, five megapixel ultra-wide lens and two megapixel depth camera, so you’ll be able to play around with bokeh effects. There’s also a reasonably beefy 3,580mAh battery.

If you’re in the market for an entertainment-focused device this could be a good option. But its proportions may be a little unsettling for some, so you’ll really have to be keen on that super narrow screen. Previous iterations of this design haven’t always reviewed well, so the real question is whether there’s any consumer appetite for this kind of style — Sony certainly seems keen to push this more modern design having moved away from the traditional bezels. In any case, it’ll be available in black and blue from spring this year.

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Zero’s SR/S electric motorcycle promises up to 201 miles of range

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On top of the full fairing, the SR/S has a more relaxed riding position, but otherwise uses the same battery pack and engine as the last model. As more of a sport touring-type bike, it also weighs about 20 pounds more than the 485-pound SR/F. However, it still goes like heck thanks to a 100 horsepower, 140 foot pound motor, hitting speeds up to 124 mph.

The base SR/S can go 161 miles on a charge or 82 miles on the highway, so to get the extra range you’ll need to add the Power Tank option. It takes four hours to charge the base model with a regular charger, or 1.3 hours with the 6 KW rapid charge option. However, you can speed that up to two hours (regular charge) and one hour (fast charge) with the premium bike.

Other features include the Cypher III operating system that can handles traction control, braking and charging, along with connected capabilities that lets the owner monitor bike status, alerts, system upgrades and more. The SR/S is now available starting at $19,995 (compared to $19,495 for the SR/F), or $21,995 for the premium model. The 3.6 kWh Power Tank option runs an additional $2,895 and will be available starting March 1st.

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‘Fortnite’ Chapter 2 Season 2 is all about secret agents and Deadpool

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As you can see from the trailer above, the new update has a distinct spy theme, offering a variety of new covert operatives that include a human-cat hybrid called Meowscles and customizable Maya skin that can be upgraded to look different to any other player in the game. Oh, and Deadpool will make an appearance as the “secret” Battle Pass skin (along with his own set of challenges).

Players will be asked to choose a side — Ghost or Shadow — and complete missions to “earn a battle pass variant” for each of the new characters. Finish the Challenge Table missions and other in-game requirements to “get 1,500 VBucks back,” Epic says.

In keeping with the Top Secret theme, Epic has added a giant luxury yacht, a fortified mountain hideout, an island mansion and an agency headquarters as new points of interest, mixing up a map that has admittedly become stale after four months with almost zero changes.

If everything goes to plan, Season Two will end on April 30th, which is roughly 10 weeks. That’ll be a relief to players who are tired of the grind and crave fresh features. As usual, the Battle Pass will cost 950 V-Bucks, normally around $10/£8.

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Gmail turns its inbox filters into clickable ‘search chips’

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Say, you get a hundred or so results when you type in the name of a co-worker you’ve been working with for years. With the search chips’ help, you’ll be able to narrow down the choices based on whether or not they have an attachment and even on the kind of attachment (PDF, spreadsheet, text file) they have. You’ll also be able to search for emails received within a specific time period and filter out results like chats and calendar entries.

As TechCrunch notes, you can already search for emails manually typing in filters like “has:attachment” and “from:[email address],” but this takes the difficulty out of the process. The feature will make its way to G Suite users first, but the tech giant told TC that it will also roll out search chips for consumer Gmail accounts in the near future.

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