FDA allows new coronavirus testing tech before it gets emergency approval

The FDA is determined to step up the pace of coronavirus testing in the US to cope with the recent coronavirus outbreak, and it's willing to greenlight technology at an early stage to make that happen. The regulator said it will allow new diagnostic tech to be used to test for COVID-19 before an Emergency Use Authorization request has gone through a review. This will only apply to validated methods from labs that are certified to handle "high-complexity" tests in line with key requirements, the FDA said, and doesn't amount to lowering standards -- this is only to ensure there's "wide availability"...

LG Display halts work at phone screen factory after coronavirus infection

Samsung isn't the only Korean tech giant grappling with coronavirus infections. LG Display has temporarily halted work at a smartphone screen factory in Gumi, South Korea after a bank worker near the facility tested positive for COVID-19. The company expected to resume production on March 3rd, but didn't say what kind of effect it expected the closure to have on phone output. https://ift.tt/387DRXz from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2VxDmDy via IFTT...

Facebook now lets you create 3D photos without a portrait mode camera

Imagine if every photo in your Facebook news feed looked alive, like something out of a Harry Potter universe newspaper. That's the reality Facebook is moving toward with a new feature that makes 3D photos available to everyone. First launched in 2018, the feature let people give their photos the appearance of a "moving" 3D background, provided the source image was shot using some manner of portrait mode. Support for 3D photos arrived on Facebook right around the time that dual-lens smartphone cameras  popularized the feature called portrait mode, which captures a foreground subject in...

9 great reads from CNET this week - CNET

How schools are using kid's phones to surveil them, why Amazon now operates seven different kinds of physical stores and what's keeping foldable phones from winning us over. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J from CNET News https://ift.tt/39bB3ds via IFT...

9 great reads from CNET this week - CNET

How schools are using kid's phones to surveil them, why Amazon now operates seven different kinds of physical stores and what's keeping foldable phones from winning us over. https://ift.tt/eA8V8J from CNET https://ift.tt/2I71ftH via IFT...

This Pocket ChainSaw is the survival tool you never knew you needed

TL;DR: As of Feb. 29, you can keep a convenient Pocket ChainSaw® by your side for just $22.99, a 23% savings.  While Donald Trump, Jr. is out here trying to hunt grizzly bears and baboons are making glorious escapes through Sydney, it feels like it's high time we all take a walk on the wild side. However, if we're going to be heading into the woods, it's probably time to admit evolution has made us woefully ill-equipped to survive. We need tools. Tools like the Pocket ChainSaw®. This ingenious saw is made from high strength, heat-treated steel and can cut through a 3-inch limb in less...

There's finally a portable battery pack you can't forget at home

TL;DR: You can carry around a charger with you wherever you go for just $39.99, a 20% savings as of Feb. 29, thanks to this deal on the AtomXS emergency keychain charger. Even if you have the latest and (arguably) greatest iPhone 11, the battery isn't going to last if you're on it 24/7. And stopping for a charge at the nearest outlet isn't always feasible. That's why portable battery packs were created, kids. Portable charging banks can restore your phone to a full charge on the go, but a. you have to actually remember to bring it with you, and b. you have to try not to lose it while you're...

These Dell and Apple device deals show why it pays to shop refurbished

Sure, Black Friday, President's Day, Labor Day, and pretty much any other holiday gives you the excuse to buy tech devices at great prices, but that shouldn't stop you from jumping on a deal when we see one.  If you can't wait another 12 weeks or so for a major shopping holiday to roll around, then we have good news for you: All nine of these certified-refurbished Dell and Apple computing devices are on sale this weekend, some upwards of 70% off their retail prices.  To those uninitiated into the world of refurbished products, these gently-used devices have been tested by certified...

This affordable language app teaches you through audiobooks

TL;DR: Perfect your proficiency in a foreign language for just $39.99, a 60% savings as of Feb. 29, with a lifetime subscription to the Beelinguapp language learning app.  Mispronouncing a word in another language might seem like an innocent mistake, but it could also lead to a seriously embarrassing – and potentially offensive – faux pas. For instance, you may think you're saying "thank you very much," but you could actually be saying "thank you, nice bum." Not quite the same thing. Luckily, you can avoid those awkward indiscretions with the convenience of a language learning app. There...

8 of the best home printers in the UK

This might sound totally ridiculous, but some people still prefer to get their hands on a physical copy of something. Yep, not content with access to a digital version of a photo, document, or whatever else, these people will pursue something they can actually touch. In defence of this old school approach, there are occasions when only a physical copy will do. For example, it's bad form to turn up to an interview and show your prospective employer a copy of your CV on your phone. Contracts and other important documents also tend to be printed out, as there is still something more official about...

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review: It's powerful. It's beautiful. But do you really need it?

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra $1,399.99 View Product The Good Beautiful 120Hz display • Long battery life • Smooth performance • Impressive 108MP camera sensor The Bad Too large • Autofocus is buggy • Frustrating in-display fingerprint sensor • Expensive The Bottom Line The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is a powerful phone with crazy specs. But it's unlikely you'll use its special features on a daily basis. ⚡ Mashable Score 4.25 😎 Cool Factor 5.0 📘Learning Curve 4.0 💪Performance 4.5 💵Bang for the Buck 4.0 Of the three phones in Samsung's Galaxy S20 family, it's easy to understand...

This Lenovo deal is huge — plus, more discounts on laptops and tablets this weekend

It's not every day that you can score $2,000 off of a laptop, but friends, today is that day. The Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 7 is, in fact, $2,000 off right now (which is a steal — it's a great laptop), but it's not the only great piece of tech that's being discounted over the weekend. SEE ALSO: 11 of the best tablets on the market right now, according to online reviews If you're wondering what else is in store, check out the best deals we found — and check back in on Monday for more. Laptops $499 and below Asus 11.6-inch Laptop — $174.99 (list price $199.99) Asus Chromebook C423NA — $179 (list...

Dell is going HAM with free gift cards on TV purchases this weekend

If what you did on Leap Day decided what you'll do every day for the next four years, what would you do? We'd probably binge-watch Love is Blind, plus maybe a few Jordan Peele movies to get us into the spirit for Candyman. If that's what most of your weekends look like, you might as well make it the best experience possible by investing in a 4K TV. Every true horror junkie knows that you can't make out the dark details fully unless you're watching in 4K HDR, anyway. Dell is sweetening your splurge this weekend: We've found a slew of 4K TVs on sale that come with free Dell gift cards tacked onto...

Stair-climbing robot snake is almost as agile as the IRL version

A team of engineers at Johns Hopkins University published a paper showcasing a robot snake they built that is almost as fast and agile as its live counterpart.  The robot snake is based on new evidence that shows how real snakes deform their body in different sections to overcome various 3D obstacles.  Read more... More about Mashable Video, Disaster Relief, Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, and Robot Snake https://ift.tt/2I0CRtQ from Tech https://ift.tt/2I6cp20 via IFT...

This gorgeous 4K TV is basically a work of art — and it's up to $1,250 off

TL;DR: Samsung's gorgeous 55-inch and 65-inch "The Frame" 4K TVs are on sale for up to $1,250 off with the code SAVE300 Feb. 28 through March 1. We've written about Samsung's "The Frame" 4K TV before, and here we are again because it's back on sale for a super low price. We're talking more than $1,000 off MSRP. The 55-inch and 65-inch Frame TVs are on sale in the PCMag Shop (PCMag and Mashable are both owned by Ziff Davis), and you save an additional $300 if you enter the code SAVE300 at checkout Feb. 28 through March 1. This will bring the price of the 55-inch down to $1,149 and the 65-inch...

Engadget Podcast: Reviewing Samsung's Galaxy S20 Ultra

This week, it's all about Samsung's chonky boi, the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Cherlynn gives us a preview of her review for the new flagship phone -- including its 5G performance in NYC and its "100X" camera -- while Devindra wonders what's the point of an incredibly heavy $1,400 brick. Also, we chat about how the coronavirus is continuing to affect the tech world (and why that's not stopping anytime soon. Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check...

This cute tentacle robot will make you feel like a tiny Cthulhu

Not an Elder God or octopus, but still want to pick up things with tentacles?  Look no further than this octopus-inspired soft robotic arm that you can use to manipulate objects.  Created by the researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and Beihang University, the little tentacle arm can firmly grab and move objects such as eggs, iPhones, medicine balls, and, yes, live crabs.  Got you, crab! Image: Bertoldi Lab/Harvard SEAS Beyond being cute, there's some interesting science behind the robot. According to co-author of the...

The rise of cloud computing has had a smaller climate impact than feared

As more and more gargantuan data centers come on line, environmentalists have been concerned about massive increases in electricity consumption and pollution. However, according to a new study published in Science, that simply hasn't happened. While cloud computing output has jumped by 600 percent from 2010 to 2018, energy consumption rose by just 6 percent. That's because companies like Google have massively increased efficiencies with new chip designs, custom-tailored airflow solutions and other tech. https://ift.tt/387Fch9 from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/2Ps8ZL1 via IFTT...

This Supreme Court case could criminalize online immigration activism. Here’s why.

When the Trump administration announced plans to phase out Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals in 2017 — the federal program which offers renewable legal status to undocumented immigrant children —  Twitter blew up overnight with hashtags like #HereToStay, #HomeIsHere and #DefendDACA. Three years later, discussions around immigration continue to gain visibility online: Photos and videos of border detention centers go viral on social media, while immigration activists and organizations alike use Twitter to show solidarity and mobilize supporters with hashtags like #NoBusinessWithICE,...

Save over £200 on the Philips Series 9000 electric shaver

TL;DR: The Philips Series 9000 electric shaver is on sale for £160 on Amazon, saving you 59% on list price. This goes without saying but you should be looking after your face. You've only got one face, and you're stuck with each other for life. Your face deserves to be clean, fresh, and cared for at all times, and that's why you need to consider investing in a quality electric shaver. The top devices deliver a close and customisable shave for your face and neck. The best options follow every contour of your face for a comfortable experience. SEE ALSO: 8 of the best beard trimmers in the UK There...

Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions are on sale

TL;DR: 12-month subscriptions to Nintendo Switch Online are on sale for £13.99 on CD Keys, saving you 22% on list price. Some gamers are perfectly content with solo play, but most need the rush of competition.  Your favourite gaming buddies won't always be on hand for a lengthy session, and that's why the weird and wonderful world of online gaming exists. There's a massive pool of potential playmates out there, just waiting for you. SEE ALSO: Disney+ is finally available to pre-order in the UK Most Nintendo Switch games require a Nintendo Switch Online membership to unlock online features,...

Wait, what? Mac Pro's $400 wheels don't have a lock.

When Apple announced that the wheels for its pro-grade, $6,000 Mac Pro desktop machine are purchased separately for $400, we thought they must be special. And they are. That's because, unlike most wheels on furniture that cost half that of Mac Pro's wheels, the Mac Pro wheels don't have a lock.  This was pointed out by tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, near the end of his Mac Pro review on YouTube (the bit with the wheels is around the 11:00 mark in the video).  So, if you plan to keep the Mac Pro on a desk, or if your floor isn't quite even, or if you just don't want the Mac Pro...

Facebook cancels F8 conference over coronavirus fears

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J from Technology Intelligence https://ift.tt/388Yym6 via IFT...

Geneva Motor Show cancellation imminent after Switzerland bans large-scale events

Geneva International Motor Show, scheduled to take place in Geneva on March 5-15, is one of the most important annual events in the automotive industry. This year, however, it's very likely to be cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.  On Friday, Switzerland's Federal Council banned large-scale events, defined as "events involving more than 1000 people." The ban is effective immediately and it applies "at least until March 15." Geneva Motor Show being a massive event, with more than 690,000 people in attendance in 2017 and 660,000 in 2018, it definitely falls into this criteria. We've...

Get workout help at home with these 8 devices that are on sale

Whether you're a Peloton wife, a fitness influencer, or just an average gym-goer, it's important to take the time you need to rest your bones. Trust us: recovery days are just as essential as the days you push yourself to the limit. The problem is between work, a social life, and struggling to get eight hours of sleep at night, workouts often get squeezed into your day's only free time slot, and proper cooldowns (let alone muscle recovery) are usually glossed over or skipped completely. Well, lucky for you, we've found eight products – from at-home exercise equipment to massage guns –  to...

Save over 60% on this teeth cleaner, whitener, and gum massager device

TL;DR: As of Feb.28, you can get your teeth pearly white with Total White Photocatalyst Whitener, Massager and Cleaner for $46.99, a 63% savings.  Classic blue may be the new black. But no one in the history of ever has said that yellow is the new white, especially when it comes to teeth. After all, they're called pearly whites for a reason. They're supposed to be gleaming and blindingly bright like The Rock's, not coffee-stained. While no one will abandon you for wanting to live with yellow teeth, having whiter teeth can improve your self-esteem — not to mention good oral hygiene habits...

Improve your memory and focus with the help of this $20 training

TL;DR: As of Feb. 28, you can strengthen your memory with the Ultimate Memory Mastery Bundle for $19.99, a 98% savings.  While spending your weekend wiling away the hours on a Netflix binge certainly sounds nice, it may not be the most productive use of your time. Crazy, right? Perhaps you'd like to increase your attention span, focus, and memory instead? The Ultimate Memory Mastery Bundle can help. Whether you've noticed your attention span isn't quite what it used to be or you've been having trouble remembering people's names or things on your to-do list, this seven-course bundle will...

Vivo's new Apex concept phone has zero ports and a 7.5x optical zoom camera

Vivo's first Apex phone, unveiled in Feb. 2018, was the first functional phone with nearly no bezels and a pop-up selfie camera. It was just a concept, but it was way ahead of its time, with countless manufacturers later ditching various display-obstructing elements from their phones, one by one.  Two iterations later, Vivo is still working to perfect its vision of a bezel-less, hole-less phone. The Vivo Apex 2020 takes the concept a step further with a 6.45-inch display that bends at a 120-degree angle on both sides — a more extreme version of what Vivo has done with its Nex 3 smartphone....

Indian research firm Convergence Catalyst is ready for its second act

A 9-year-old is smashing the shuttle far and wide, and frantically pacing back and forth on the court in Bangalore, India, as her competition refuses to back down. Kolla is a familiar name in the tech startup and business ecosystem in India. For the last eight years, he has been helming the research firm Convergence Catalyst, which covers mobility, telecom, AI and IoT. https://ift.tt/2TmN5tB from Yahoo Tech https://ift.tt/398bslC via IFTT...

8 of the best online courses to kickstart your photography career

There is more to a photography career than you might think. With everything from night time shooting, photo editing in Lightroom, and drone shots, the world of cameras is constantly expanding and there is always something new to learn. A few tips and tricks will certainly improve your photographic skills, but sometimes it is worth taking your abilities to the next level.  If you're passionate about photography and want to expand your knowledge, there is no better place to start than online courses. Whether you're excited about your hobby or want to pursue a new career, online courses can...

Senate approves $1 billion budget to help rural carriers replace Huawei gear

The US Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would give rural carriers access to a $1 billion fund meant to help them remove and replace Huawei gear. According to The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch, the Senate has voted to send the bill to the President a couple of months after the House approved its own version. If Trump signs it -- and a previous Politico report said top administration figures expressed their support for it -- then 40 rural carriers currently using equipment from Chinese tech giants like Huawei and ZTE will have access to the fund. https://ift.tt/2vnMyQi from Yahoo...

U.S. wireless carriers face $200 million in FCC fines for mishandling customer data

Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T can definitely hear the FCC now.  The nation's largest mobile providers are facing potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in fines after the Federal Communications Commission determined the companies didn't adequately protect customers' location data. At issue was the practice of selling customers' real-time location data to third parties — data which then ended up in the hands of bounty hunters, debt collectors, and other questionable parties.  The news, reported by the Wall Street Journal, follows a Jan. 31 announcement by the FCC that...

Latin America roundup: Softbank adds $1B, Stori raises $10M and Grow Mobility puts on the brakes

After investing nearly $2 billion of its Innovation Fund in Latin America in 2019, Softbank announced this month that it would add an additional $1 billion into the fund to continue supporting tech startups across the region. While the Japanese investor faces the challenge of raising a second global fund after its Vision Fund, Softbank is still investing heavily in Latin America. One of its early Latin American investments - and the first in Colombia - Ayenda Rooms, is performing particularly well, raising $8.7 million from Kaszek Ventures this month. https://ift.tt/2HYOdi1...

Immigrants trusted Maryland to give them licenses. Then ICE betrayed them.

Today in corrosive public policy, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been running warrantless facial recognition searches of Maryland driver's licenses allegedly as a way to hunt down undocumented immigrants, according to a report from The Washington Post. Why Maryland? In 2013, the state passed a bill that allowed undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, a policy intended and proven to increase public safety. The state has issued more than 275,000 of these licenses to date. ICE says that it mostly conducts the license searches to look for child exploitation or cybercrime and...

Facebook has paused election reminders in Europe after data watchdog raises transparency concerns

Big tech's lead privacy regulator in Europe has intervened to flag transparency concerns about a Facebook election reminder feature -- asking the tech giant to provide it with information about what data it collects from users who interact with the notification and how their personal data is used, including whether it's used for targeting them with ads. Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch it has paused use of the election reminder feature in the European Union while it works on addressing the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC)'s concerns. Facebook's Election Day Reminder (EDR) feature is a notification...

Moving into an apartment with a crappy kitchen? Get a toaster oven.

Apartment hunting season has crept up once again, making many of us face the decisions we've pretended weren't happening for the past few months: Do I care about a dishwasher or laundry in unit? Is the fridge in this kitchen even full-size? If you've found the perfect, affordable place but can't shake the idea that the kitchen looks like one that kids would play house in, the simple purchase of a toaster oven is a smart compromise. A microwave can't do everything, and that precious block of counter space could be put to better use with an appliance that can air fry, toast breakfast sandwiches,...