Category: Tech

YouTube follows Netflix by reducing video stream quality in Europe

[ad_1] Most countries in Europe have introduced confinement measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. That means folks working at home or kids taking classes via teleconferencing will be using bandwidth-hungry services like Skype or Zoom. As such, EU industry czar Thierry Breton has asked streaming platforms to reduce video quality in order to keep […]

GameStop tells employee it’s ‘essential’ and can stay open during lockdowns

[ad_1] In a memo the company sent, it explained that it believes it’s an essential business since the products it carries “enable and enhance [its] customers’ experience in working from home.” The memo even includes instructions on what to do in case law enforcement officers attempt to enforce closure. It told store managers to hand […]

Uber’s former self-driving lead pleads guilty to stealing from Google

[ad_1] After about three years of legal wrangling between Uber and Waymo over self-driving car tech, the engineer at the center of it has agreed to plead guilty to one count of stealing materials from Google. Anthony Levandowski was a lead engineer on the self-driving car project that’s now known as Waymo, until he left […]

GDC could return to San Francisco as a 3-day event in August

[ad_1] In addition, attendees may see exhibitors they’ve never seen at a GDC event before, since the organizers are giving organizations the chance to apply for space onsite. Those who do can hold meetings and meet-ups alongside the main event. GDC Summer is scheduled to take place from August 4th through 6th at the Moscone […]

Facebook finally lets desktop users opt-in to dark mode

[ad_1] This has been in the works for a long time. Facebook first promised a cleaner and faster desktop interface at its F8 developers conference last spring. A limited number of users began testing the revamped design in January. If you use Facebook’s desktop version, you’ll likely see a banner at the top of the […]

Snapchat adds mental health tools to ease coronavirus anxiety

[ad_1] With the new feature, Snapchat users can find mental health resources in the app when they search for terms like “anxiety,” “stress,” “depression,” or “bullying.” Search results turn up videos from organizations, such as Crisis Text Line or the Ad Council. Besides these previously-planned updates, Snap says it’s working on a section of “Here […]

NASCAR is replacing canceled races with esports featuring pro drivers

[ad_1] Familiar Fox broadcasters like Jeff Gordon will commentate on the 90-minute race programs. And before you’re wondering: no, this isn’t another giant opportunity for the novel coronavirus to spread. Fox said it was “following CDC guidelines” to make sure the production is safe. The first event takes place on March 22nd at 1:30PM Eastern […]

Tesla suspends work at Fremont plant, will comply with shelter in place order

[ad_1] The Alameda County had initially deemed Tesla’s 10,000-employee plant an essential business, allowing it to stay open and fully staffed despite the shelter in place order, but quickly reversed that decision when challenged by reporters. “We have followed and are continuing to follow all legal directions and safety guidelines with respect to the operations […]

Essential designer shows off the phones that might’ve been

[ad_1] In a post he has since locked, Kevin Hoffman, a former employee who says he was the lead designer on two successor devices, the PH-2 and PH-3, shared images of the phones and detailed their backstories. Let’s start with the PH-2. It appears it would have featured the same basic design as the original […]