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The best tech support helplines for seniors (according to my 73-year-old mom)
If you know a senior who relies on you for tech troubles, one of these free services could help take some of the stress off of you.
Discord lays off 170 workers in latest round of cuts
Discord have decided to cut its staff by 17 percent, according to an internal memo.
Researchers say current AI watermarks are trivial to remove
In the context of AI, watermarking can allow a computer to detect if text or an image is generated from artificial intelligence. Researchers have found its pretty easy to evade the current methods of watermarking.
This $90,000 fireproof tankbot will scout burning buildings for people to save
FireBot, a remote-controlled robot that can withstand temperatures as high as 650 degrees Celsius, is hoping to make scoping dangerous scenes safer for firefighters.
Agility Robotics is building its first bipedal robot factory in Oregon
Agility Robotics, the maker of humanoid robots, is opening a new manufacturing plant in Oregon that is expected to produce 10,000 "Digits" a year. The warehouse robots are designed to fill a gap in the logistics and distribution industry.
GoodRx now offers an iOS 'Medicine Cabinet' for managing prescription meds
Health tech company GoodRx, best known for offering a prescription drug price comparison tool, has launched “Medicine Cabinet.” The new product will expand the company's offering and expand user engagement.
Walmart’s best Black Friday deals today: A 70-inch Vizio TV for under $450 and a Samsung smart watch for over $200 off
Plus, a TCL sound system for $59 bucks, save over $100 a Nintendo Switch bundle and so much more!
Get your sweatpants ready, virtual CES 2021 is about to begin!
Instead of braving the hordes in endless trade show halls, questionable restrooms and very poor food decisions, we’ve swapped our badges for comfy clothes and solitude for CES 2021. We’re also replacing our usual stage show with a fully virtual experience.
Department of Homeland Security tells US businesses to avoid Chinese tech
The DHS has issued an advisory saying that US businesses should steer clear of using Chinese-based companies both for data centers and equipment.
Bose appoints its first female CEO
Bose names Lila Snyder as CEO, making her one of tech's few female CEOs.
Bipartisan Senate bill aims to invest $100 billion in technology R&D
The Endless Frontiers Act would invest $100 billion in AI, high-performance computing, robotics, automation and more.
Charmin thinks your bathroom needs robots and VR
Charmin, the popular toilet paper brand, has big plans for CES. Its Charmin GoLab will showcase "cheeky" conceptual prototypes all meant to improve the bathroom experience. They're a blend of robotics, sensors and virtual reality, and they're all equally ridiculous.
Ivanka Trump will reportedly appear on a panel at CES
According to documents reviewed by CNET, Ivanka Trump is scheduled to speak at CES 2020. Supposedly, she's slated as a headline speaker in a panel with Consumer Technology Association (CTA) president Gary Shapiro.
Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang wants your data to be your property
Andrew Yang, the tech entrepreneur turned Democratic presidential hopeful, may not be a leading candidate in the race, but he has gained attention for his unique ideas about how to address technology -- the companies behind it and the impact it's having on the country. He has proposed giving every American $12,000 per year to soften the blow of jobs lost to automation, and he has toyed with campaigning via hologram. While these ideas have come out in bits and pieces, Yang officially revealed his comprehensive tech policy today.
G20 leaders will discuss raising taxes for big tech firms next week
For years, European countries have been grappling with how to get big tech firms to pay more taxes. They've proposed interim taxes on revenues, suggested global minimum taxes and slapped companies with hefty fines. We may be getting closer to a solution. Next week, G20 finance ministers are expected to discuss a proposed tax overhaul that would target big multinational firms, including Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook.
The US and France reportedly reach a deal over 'digital services' tax
The Trump Administration and the French government have supposedly reached a deal that ends a feud over France's tax on tech giants, Bloomberg reports. Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a three percent tax on revenues earned on digital services in France. President Trump threatened a tariff on French wine if the tax went through, sparking a standoff. Trump and Macron reportedly worked through some of their differences at a G7 summit, and today, Macron told reporters, "We have a deal to overcome the difficulties between us."
White House invites tech companies to discuss violent online extremism
The White House plans to host a meeting with tech companies to discuss the rise of violent online extremism. According to The Washington Post, this is the Trump administration's first major engagement on the issue after the recent mass shooting in Texas left 22 people dead. Trump is scheduled to be at fundraisers in the Hamptons, so he may not attend.
Brain-controlled VR lightshows could lull you to sleep
By most accounts, technology wreaks havoc on our sleep. Even tools meant to help us sleep better can make insomnia worse. But sleep and tech don't have to be mutually exclusive. Artists and researchers from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University have created a virtual reality tool to induce sleep. The device, Inter-Dream, combines ambient music controlled by artists with kaleidoscopic visuals controlled by the user's brainwaves, via EEG.
The baby gadgets you actually need (and what you can skip)
One of Engadget's resident dads on the tech new parents actually need (and what you can probably skip). READ ON: The best baby gadgets for new parents
Women in tech: Success still hangs on relationships and privilege
March is Women's History Month and last Friday was International Women's Day. Many organizations, including tech companies, took the opportunity to celebrate the occasion in different ways. Google, for example, partnered with UN Women to share stories of women's rights defenders around the world, Facebook held an event that shone the spotlight on notable women in the community, and Twitter asked prominent users to tell tales of inspirational women in their lives.