DirecTV Is Losing Customers Fast (And Now They Raised Prices on New Customers)

AT&T absolutely bled subscribers in the first quarter of 2020, even by the standards of cord-cutting that have accelerated. According to one measure, the company lost over a million video subscribers in the quarter, with DirecTV losing nearly 900,000 and AT&T Now losing about 138,000. This makes up for around half of the 2 million subscribers lost in the first quarter by major pay-TV providers in the U.S.
Read more: https://nationalinterest.org/blog/techland/directv-losing-customers-fast-and-now-they-raised-prices-new-customers-163729?source=Snapzu

Aon to restore most salaries cut by COVID-19 pandemic — and pay employees back what they gave up

Two months after cutting pay for most employees by 20% in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Aon is restoring their salaries, repaying them for what they gave up -- and adding a bonus. The global insurance giant announced Tuesday it was ending most of those salary reductions, in part because the likelihood of a worst-case macroeconomic outcome had “decreased significantly” since the pay ...
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/finance/companies/aon-to-restore-most-salaries-cut-by-covid-19-pandemic-e2-80-94-and-pay-employees-back-what-they-gave-up/ar-BB169Rvq?source=Snapzu

Oxitec wins approval to release GMO mosquitoes in US

Oxitec has received state and federal approval to release genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes in a pilot project planned for the Florida Keys now through 2022. The research is intended to show that GM mosquitoes are a viable alternative to spraying insecticides in a bid to control the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads Zika, dengue, yellow fever and other diseases.
Read more: https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/2020/06/oxitec-wins-approval-to-release-gmo-mosquitoes-in-us/?source=Snapzu

California Police Are Using Copyright to Hide Surveillance Documents

California police are refusing to release documents about the surveillance technology it uses, despite a new law that requires their release.
Read more: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5dzdqq/california-police-are-using-copyright-to-hide-surveillance-documents?source=Snapzu

Canada is Going to be Building Canadarm3 for the Artemis Missions

When you need a robotic arm in space, you call in the experts. Over the past several decades, the Canadian Space Agency has expertly provided robotic arms for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. And now it will build the next-generation of robotic systems for going to the Moon, called Canadarm3.
Read more: https://www.universetoday.com/146755/canada-is-going-to-be-building-canadarm3-for-the-artemis-missions/?source=Snapzu

Samsung Reveals Breakthrough: Solid-State EV Battery with 500-Mile Range

Researchers perfect a battery that will let electric vehicles charge faster and drive farther while lasting a lot longer, but don't expect to see it anytime soon.
Read more: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a31409442/samsung-solid-state-battery-revealed/?source=Snapzu

Facebook Begins Dark Mode Rollout for iOS

Facebook has begun rolling out Dark Mode support for its flagship iOS app, which comes just over a year after the Facebook Messenger app also gained ‌Dark Mode‌ support.
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/06/29/facebook-ios-dark-mode-rollout/?source=Snapzu

Reddit bans The_Donald forum as part of major hate speech purge

The message board has been a longtime hub for supporters of President Trump.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/reddit-bans-the_donald-forum-as-part-of-major-hate-speech-purge-fbc8a185-0f81-402a-8629-08bec50be4f9.html?source=Snapzu

Twitch has suspended Donald Trump's account

The President's account broke the platform's hateful conduct policy.
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/twitch-suspends-donald-trump-account-174145621.html?source=Snapzu

India bans 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser

India bans Chinese apps: The government stated they were “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of india, security of state and public order.”
Read more: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/china-apps-banned-in-india-6482079/?source=Snapzu

Autonomous robot uses UVC light to disinfect warehouses

Researchers from MIT have developed a new way to keep shared spaces free of the coronavirus and other pathogens: a UVC light-equipped robot.
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/mit-robot-uvc-light-disinfects-coronavirus-040003303.html?source=Snapzu

PS5 price leaks for both consoles — and it won’t be cheap

The PS5 will cost $499 in the US and £449 in the UK when it launches at the end of the year, according to somewhat reliable leaker IronManPS5 on Twitter. That tracks with the rumors we’ve heard so far around Sony’s next-generation games console. But the leaker also revealed that the PS5 Digital Edition will be $100 and £100 less than its disk drive-equipped sibling, costing $399 and £349 in the US and UK respectively.
Read more: https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/news/ps5-price-leaks-for-both-consoles-and-it-wont-be-cheap?source=Snapzu

VW factory produces last ever combustion engine car, shifts to EVs only

Volkswagen’s Zwickau factory produces its last ever combustion engine vehicle, closing a 116-year chapter on fossil-fuelled cars and switching to EV production, only.
Read more: https://reneweconomy.com.au/vw-factory-produces-last-ever-combustion-engine-car-shifts-to-evs-only-81238/?source=Snapzu

Developers Begin Receiving Mac Mini With A12Z Chip to Prepare Apps for Apple Silicon Macs

As part of WWDC last week, Apple announced that it will be switching to its own custom-designed processors for Macs starting later this year. As part of this transition, the company is allowing developers to apply for a modified Mac mini with an A12Z chip and 16GB of RAM to develop and test their apps on a Mac with Arm-based architecture. As noted on Twitter and in the MacRumors forums, some developers are now beginning to receive this Mac mini, which is officially known as the "Developer Transition Kit."
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/06/29/mac-mini-developer-transition-kit-arriving/?source=Snapzu

Gaming on Apple platforms is set for some big changes—here are a few

WWDC 2020 has concluded, and that means it's time to glean some insights from all the documentation, sessions, and other materials that Apple released. We're going to do this on a few topics in the coming weeks, but to start, we're looking at the new initiatives and features Apple has announced for game developers on the iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and macOS platforms.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/06/gaming-on-apple-platforms-is-set-for-some-big-changes-here-are-a-few/?source=Snapzu

The best 5G smartphones of 2020

5G is a new generation of mobile communications already operating in the USA, Great Britain and some other developed countries of the world. 5G is very fast, and many industries will benefit from the introduction of the new network, including mobile Internet and drones. It is planned to introduce 5G communication networks in Russia.
Read more: https://www.geekspit.com/2020/06/the-best-5g-smartphones-of-2020.html?source=Snapzu

Linus Torvalds on the future of Linux kernel developers and development

Dirk Hohndel and Linus Torvalds talked about Linux developers, hardware, and coding in their latest, and first virtual Linux conversation.
Read more: https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-looks-at-the-future-of-linux-kernel-developers-and-development/?source=Snapzu

The British are fatter than the rest of Europe, says PM Johnson

The British are far fatter than any other nation in Europe bar the Maltese so there needs to be a debate about how to tackle soaring rates of obesity which cost the country dearly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday. Johnson, who said at the start of the year that he needed to lose weight, was hospitalised in April with coronavirus and treated in intensive care with oxygen. He later said doctors in the National Health Service (NHS) had saved his life.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-johnson-ob/the-british-are-fatter-than-the-rest-of-europe-says-pm-johnson-idUSKBN2400PO?il=0?source=Snapzu

How to move your role-playing game nights online

When the dust cleared, the golem lay in pieces across the dungeon floor. Erik sighed deeply, and though his vision blurred, he could still see the rest of the party coming to his aid. Emmelina, the knight that had first welcomed him into the group, cradled him in her arms as he took his last breath. Our team had come this far only to lose its youngest member. Across five different states, there wasn't a dry eye among our team, but we recomposed ourselves and continued to play our tabletop adventure through the service we’ve used for half a decade now: Roll20.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/06/how-to-move-your-role-playing-game-nights-online/?source=Snapzu

Amazon India scraps single-use plastic in packaging across centers

The Indian unit of Amazon.com Inc has eliminated all single-use plastic in its packaging across fulfillment centers in the country, in line with its target to weed out the packaging material by June, the e-commerce giant said on Monday.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-india-plastic/amazon-india-scraps-single-use-plastic-in-packaging-across-centers-idUSKBN24011F?source=Snapzu

Facebook has bent its hate speech and misinformation policies around Trump since before he was president, report says

An explosive new report from The Washington Post claims Facebook has weakened its hate speech and misinformation policies because of Donald Trump's ascent to power. In 2015, when Trump was a presidential candidate, he posted a video advocating a ban on Muslims entering the US. The video provoked outrage internally, the report said. Sources told The Post that CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in favor of taking action against the post but was persuaded not to by Joel Kaplan, Facebook's senior vice president of global public policy and former aide to President George W. Bush.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/report-facebook-started-bending-policies-trump-before-presidency-2020-6?source=Snapzu

Starbucks to halt advertising on social media

It will continue to post to social media but not for paid promotions
Read more: http://www.theverge.com/2020/6/28/21306065/starbucks-advertising-social-media-july-facebook-twitter?source=Snapzu

Italy for 1st time sees single-digit daily deaths from coronavirus

Italy on Saturday reported eight more novel coronavirus-related fatalities – the lowest daily rise since the beginning of the outbreak in early March – bringing the country's death toll to 34,716. The record low in daily deaths, however, contrasts with news of new clusters that recently emerged across the country, from north to south. Authorities and experts worry that the start of the summer season, with huge crowds of Italians traveling to holiday sites, could spark a second wave of contagion.
Read more: https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/italy-for-1st-time-sees-single-digit-daily-deaths-from-coronavirus?source=Snapzu

Colliding black holes may have created a surprising flare of light

In spite of their dark reputations, two black holes may have set off a cosmic light show. Subtle gravitational rumbles from a collision of two black holes may have been accompanied by a flare of light about a month later, physicists report June 25 in Physical Review Letters. It’s a surprising conclusion given black holes’ propensity to swallow up light and matter. “The normal expectation has been they just merge and all you would detect is gravitational waves,” says astrophysicist Matthew Graham of Caltech.
Read more: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/colliding-black-holes-may-have-created-surprising-flare-light?source=Snapzu

‘PizzaGate’ Conspiracy Theory Thrives Anew in the TikTok Era

The false theory targeting Democrats, now fueled by QAnon and teenagers on TikTok, is entangling new targets like Justin Bieber.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/27/technology/pizzagate-justin-bieber-qanon-tiktok.html?source=Snapzu

Universal is reportedly delaying the opening of its Nintendo theme park in Japan

Universal Studios Japan has reportedly postponed plans to open its Nintendo theme park due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While official confirmation of the delay has yet to be made, according to Business Times and sources "familiar with the matter", the developers of the theme park - which is own by Comcast's NBCUniversal - is expected to formalise its plans publicly soon, possibly as early as this week.
Read more: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-06-28-universal-is-reportedly-delaying-the-opening-of-its-nintendo-theme-park-in-japan?source=Snapzu

Samsung makes it easier to buy Bitcoin on its phones

Samsung is diving deeper into cryptocurrencies, the South Korean technology giant and creator of the Galaxy smartphone range, could soon become one of the biggest drivers of bitcoin, crypto and blockchain adoption.While bitcoin traders and investors are focused on the upcoming bitcoin halving, a looming U.S. bitcoin crackdown, and rocky crypto trading volume, Samsung is putting the power of bitcoin, crypto and blockchain in people's hands.
Read more: https://www.publish0x.com/crypto-news101/samsung-makes-it-easier-to-buy-bitcoin-on-its-phones-xejvrqq?a=LDdwxl8e1Y?source=Snapzu

Exclusive: Facebook ad boycott campaign to go global, organizers say

Organizers of a Facebook Inc advertising boycott campaign that has drawn support from a rapidly expanding list of major companies are now preparing to take the battle global to increase pressure on the social media company to remove hate speech.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-ads-boycott-exclusive/exclusive-facebook-ad-boycott-campaign-to-go-global-organizers-say-idUSKBN23Z0O4?source=Snapzu

Why Pro-Police Is Racism: Systemic Racism in America

Recently, I saw a friend post an alarming pro-Police copypasta and say that “White Privilege” isn’t real. In response, I have written an essay that addresses Systemic Racism that I think everyone can benefit from. You will find the text of the copy pasta and my rebuttal including sources for my claims below. This is long but I implore you to be an active participant in the discourse.
Read more: https://medium.com/@madisonjiongo/why-pro-police-is-racism-systemic-racism-in-america-90d49603807c?source=Snapzu

An embattled group of leakers picks up the WikiLeaks mantle

For the past year, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has sat in a London jail awaiting extradition to the US. This week, the US Justice Department piled on yet more hacking conspiracy allegations against him, all related to his decade-plus at the helm of an organization that exposed reams of government and corporate secrets to the public. But in Assange's absence, another group has picked up where WikiLeaks left off—and is also picking new fights.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/06/an-embattled-group-of-leakers-picks-up-the-wikileaks-mantle/?source=Snapzu

Warning—Apple Suddenly Catches TikTok Secretly Spying On Millions Of iPhone Users

If you are a TikTok user, you should be worried—here's what you need to know.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/06/26/warning-apple-suddenly-catches-tiktok-secretly-spying-on-millions-of-iphone-users/?source=Snapzu

Your Personal Data Is Worth Money, and Andrew Yang Wants to Get You Paid

Contact tracing has been a somewhat controversial tool for fighting coronavirus in the US. American consumers wanted privacy to be preserved, so Apple and Google set about devising an API that could help track potential Covid-19 outbreaks while keeping users’ identities anonymous. But what many of us seemed to forget during conversations about contact tracing is that we’re already living under a digital microscope, with multiple companies following and recording our every move.
Read more: https://singularityhub.com/2020/06/28/your-personal-data-is-worth-money-and-andrew-yang-wants-to-get-you-paid/?source=Snapzu

Accessibility Features for Hearing Loss on iOS 14

The all-new online Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2020 recently concluded this week, announcing some of the biggest updates to Apple’s popular platforms. Most notably, the new features coming to iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7 and macOS Big Sur.
Read more: https://medium.com/macoclock/accessibility-features-for-hearing-loss-on-ios-14-a37b5c7ebf51?source=Snapzu

Mark Zuckerberg has $7 billion wiped off his fortune as Coca-Cola halts all social media advertising for 30 days

A boycott of Facebook by major advertisers is hammering the social media giant's stock price and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg's personal fortune. Zuckerberg's net wealth is down by $7.21 billion as of Saturday, while Facebook's share price dropped more than 8% at the close of Friday trading, as the ad boycott snowballs.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-worth-craters-coca-cola-boycott-ads-2020-6?source=Snapzu

NASA is offering $35,000 in prizes to design a toilet that will work on the moon

NASA wants you to help put the loo in lunar, so it's offering $35,000 in prizes to design a toilet that can be used on the moon.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/26/tech/nasa-moon-toilet-scn-trnd/index.html?source=Snapzu

U.S. likely regained 3 million jobs in June, but coronavirus flareups hamper recovery

Investors already got fooled once after several million people returned to work in May. They might get fooled again in June, but they worry the next surprise won’t be so pleasant. Wall Street DJIA, -2.83% predicts the U.S. regained an additional 3 million jobs in June, with forecasts going as high as 8 million.
Read more: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-likely-regained-3-million-jobs-in-june-but-coronavirus-flareups-hamper-recovery-2020-06-27?source=Snapzu

California set to ban all heavy diesel trucks and vans by 2045

Heavy-duty trucks are responsible for 70% of vehicle air pollution in the state.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/06/california-set-to-ban-all-heavy-diesel-trucks-and-vans-by-2045/?source=Snapzu

Netflix is making it easier for people to remove titles from their ‘continue watching’ row

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019.
Read more: https://www-theverge-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2020/6/23/21300987/netflix-continue-watching-row-remove-movie-tv-show-title-homepage?source=Snapzu

A Judge Ordered ICE To Release Immigrant Children Over Coronavirus Concerns

Citing COVID-19 concerns, a federal judge ordered US officials on Friday to release immigrant children detained at facilities for families by July 17. "The [family residential centers] are 'on fire' and there is no more time for half measures," US District Judge Dolly Gee wrote.
Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/adolfoflores/judge-orders-immigrant-children-released-over-covid-fears?source=Snapzu

Amazon launches Counterfeit Crimes Unit to fight knockoffs on its store

Despite the name, it’s not a new CSI show.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/24/21302114/amazon-counterfeit-crimes-unit-knockoffs-store-online-investigators?source=Snapzu

Apple resurrects Game Center in iOS 14, macOS Big Sur

When iOS 4 was launched in 2010, Game Center was one of the big draws: the feature made it possible to play games against friends online, keep track of scores and achievements and more. But for four years now, Game Center has been out of favour, having been dropped from iOS 10 and macOS Sierra.
Read more: https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/iosapps/apple-resurrects-game-center-3790972/?source=Snapzu

The studio behind Kill la Kill and Promare is making a Cyberpunk 2077 anime for Netflix

Studio Trigger, the anime production company made up of former members of the legendary studio Gainax, is producing a Cyberpunk 2077 anime for Netflix set to premiere in 2022. Called Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the anime will be a standalone story set in the world of developer CD Projekt Red’s upcoming open-world action roleplaying game.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/25/21303233/cyberpunk-2077-anime-edgerunners-netflix-studio-trigger-2022-release-date?source=Snapzu

Cotton fields could soon be pink, black or gold, thanks to CSIRO breakthrough

A few dozen petri dishes in a high-tech greenhouse in Canberra hold the potential to transform the global textiles industry. They contain plant tissue, which within days will grow into cotton plants: not standard, everyday white cotton, but ones with a dazzling array of colours.
Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-27/csiro-scientists-grow-coloured-cotton/12395250?source=Snapzu

The Rocket Motor of the Future Breathes Air Like a Jet Engine

This theoretical engine could drastically reduce the cost of getting to space. Now two companies are trying to make it real.
Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/the-rocket-motor-of-the-future-breathes-air-like-a-jet-engine/?source=Snapzu

Hundreds of dead dolphins washing up on French coast

Dead dolphins are washing up on France’s Atlantic coast in such high numbers that local populations of the mammals are at risk, according to marine biologists. The overwhelming majority of dolphins are found drowned in the nets of fishing trawlers, and post mortems often show fractures, broken tails and flippers, and deep incisions cut into their skin by the nets.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/dolphins-dead-france-fishing-brittany-a9588606.html?source=Snapzu

Charles Webb, who inspired a Hollywood classic with 'The Graduate,' dies at 81

The first $20,000 went quickly. Charles Webb simply just gave it all away, along with the VIP passes for the premiere of “The Graduate,” the soon-to-be Hollywood classic based on his book. Though Webb kept on writing — sometimes to acclaim, sometimes not — he lived in poverty, a life choice he made by giving away his earnings, his inheritance and the occasional house he bought. After giving away the $20,000 he received for the film rights to “The Graduate,” he gave the copyright for the novel to the Anti-Defamation League, only because he admired the group’s work.
Read more: https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2020-06-26/charles-webb-the-graduate-dies?source=Snapzu

Justin Trudeau Invests $95 Million In Facility Aiming To 'Redefine Plant-Based Protein'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invested $95 million in a facility aiming to 'redefine plant-based protein'. The money has been given to Merit Functional Foods by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a 10-year interest-free loan.
Read more: https://www.plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/justin-trudeau-invests-95-million-in-plant-protein?source=Snapzu

Major Automakers Choose Not To Back Trump On Fuel Economy Standards Rollback

The Trump administration wants to require automakers to improve fuel economy standards by only about 1.5% per year, less than the previously required roughly 5% per year. An influential group of automakers won't take a side but wants a say.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottcarpenter/2020/06/26/major-automakers-choose-not-to-back-trump-on-fuel-economy-standards-rollback/#797e463b34f9?source=Snapzu

Europe will bar Americans traveling from the US as the coronavirus pandemic spirals out of control in the states

European Union officials confirmed on Friday that the EU would bar American travelers when it reopens its external borders on July 1, The New York Times reported. The US is among dozens of countries deemed too risky because their coronavirus outbreaks are poorly contained, according to The Times.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-travel-ban-americans-eu-coronavirus-final-2020-6?source=Snapzu

This may be America's first known wrongful arrest involving facial recognition

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed an administrative complaint with Detroit's police department over what the advocacy organization claims is the country's first known wrongful arrest involving facial-recognition technology.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/tech/aclu-mistaken-facial-recognition/index.html?source=Snapzu