Techdirt: Auto Industry Pushes Bullshit Claim That ‘Right To Repair’ Laws Aid Sexual Predators . “[Michigan] is contemplating the expansion of an existing state law that lets users get their vehicles repaired anywhere they’d like. In a bid to kill these efforts, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents most major automakers, has taken to running ads in the state falsely claiming that the legislation would aid sexual predators.”
hardware
Amazon Echo Frames: We decided we don’t really want to wear Alexa (CNET)
CNET: Amazon Echo Frames: We decided we don’t really want to wear Alexa. “…the Day One Edition of Amazon’s Echo Frames is very much a beta product. If Amazon wants to truly lead in smart glasses, it needs to make big improvements on the frames’ sound quality, build and performance. Otherwise, the Echo Frames run the risk of joining the tech graveyard with Glass, Spectacles and the rest of them.”
BetaNews: Sony’s latest free app lets you use your digital camera as a webcam
BetaNews: Sony’s latest free app lets you use your digital camera as a webcam. “Sony has released a new app which makes it possible to use your regular digital camera as a webcam. The app is called Image Edge Webcam and it is only available for Windows 10 — it’s not clear if Sony intends to release a macOS or Linux version as well.”
The Verge: Google’s Kids Space aims to make Android tablets more kid-friendly
The Verge: Google’s Kids Space aims to make Android tablets more kid-friendly. “There are a number of tablets out there that offer content specifically for children, such as Amazon’s Fire HD Kids Edition line. There are also various third-party parental control apps that families can download. Kids Space stands out in that it will be built into a number of Android tablets — not just tablets designed for kids.”
TechCrunch: Many Canon cameras can now automatically back up pictures to Google Photos
TechCrunch: Many Canon cameras can now automatically back up pictures to Google Photos. “Canon and Google today announced a new software integration that enables automatic Google Photos backup of pictures taken with select Canon cameras — a full list is available here, but it’s most of their recent interchangeable lens cameras dating back basically to when they started getting Wi-Fi on board.”
Inverse: How the humble office printer has persevered in a digitized world
Inverse: How the humble office printer has persevered in a digitized world. “As technology has gotten better, the ambiance in offices has changed as well. Computers have been reduced from large towers and boxy monitors to slim laptops and pocket-sized smartphones. These changes include the sounds of offices since those older computers required plenty of cooling and had more audible processes. Another sound missing from offices is the distinct hum of the office printer. (This one sounds like a techno song.) Although the sounds of printers have quieted over the years, and there’s much less need to print documents in many professions, printers still persist in offices as a bridge between the physical and digitals worlds.” I worked with dot-matrix printers, so the “distinct hum” was more like RRRAAAAAACK, RAAAACK, RAAAAACKKKKKK…
The Register: The sun is shining, the birds are singing. You can shut the curtains and tour The National Museum of Computing in VR
The Register: The sun is shining, the birds are singing. You can shut the curtains and tour The National Museum of Computing in VR. “The world’s largest collection of working historic computers, kept at England’s wartime code-cracking nerve centre of Bletchley Park, has thrown open its doors – virtually – so anyone anywhere can view it. With but a click, you will be whisked away to a 3D render of the Buckinghamshire hoard, then zoomed down into the museum’s entrance lobby. From there, you can navigate the long white halls of computing history in Google StreetView style.”
Gearogs: Gearogs Closing
Gearogs: Gearogs Closing . “We will be shutting down Gearogs on August 31, 2020. This was not an easy decision, but we have not been able to give this project the attention and focus that it needs to prosper. At the same time, there are still many opportunities and things to improve on Discogs, so we will be putting all of our focus on Discogs. Thank you for your contributions to and support for this project over the past six years. During that time we’ve had over 21,000 pieces of gear submitted and 21,000 registered users. We will be preserving the data. Our monthly data exports are still available, so please download the latest if you would like to have your own copy of the data. We will also be storing the last export on archive.org, with images.”
AP: Google unveils budget Pixel phone as pandemic curbs spending
AP: Google unveils budget Pixel phone as pandemic curbs spending. “Google has started selling a long-delayed budget smartphone boasting the same high-quality camera and several other features available in fancier Pixel models that cost hundreds of dollars more. The Pixel 4a unveiled Monday will be available Aug. 20 after months of delay caused by supply problems triggered by the pandemic.”
CNET: Tablets spike in popularity during pandemic lockdown, report finds
CNET: Tablets spike in popularity during pandemic lockdown, report finds. “Tablet shipments for the top five brands rose notably in the second quarter of this year, according to analysts at Canalys, a market research firm. The upswing came just when people around the world were asked to work remotely and keep their kids home from school to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.”
Mashable: Google will replace certain Nest thermostats that can’t connect to Wi-Fi
Mashable: Google will replace certain Nest thermostats that can’t connect to Wi-Fi. “The company has acknowledged the existence of a hardware fault leading to the w5 error some Nest owners have encountered. And while it’s still not clear exactly what is causing the problem, Google will replace thermostats if the normal troubleshooting steps fail.”
An Archive for Pocket PC Software
Spotted via Reddit: a new archive for Pocket PC software. From the front page: “As time goes on, software for Pocket PCs becomes harder and harder to find. Pocket PC Planet’s goal is to make software for Windows CE, Pocket PC 2000/2002, and Windows Mobile easy to find. Something important to note is that Pocket PC Planet does not support piracy. The software on the website is either abandonware or available with the developer’s consent.” The site is still under development, but there’s plenty here.
BetaNews: Google announces Explore app for Chromebook
BetaNews: Google announces Explore app for Chromebook. “Even though Chromebooks are simple to use, that doesn’t mean everyone will become an expert on day one. Through experience and education, Chrome OS users can always improve their knowledge of the platform. Today, Google launches a new app for Chromebooks called ‘Explore’ aimed at helping users get the most from the Chromebook experience. For instance, as part of the onboarding process, it can teach you how to change your wallpaper or lock your screen.”
Ubergizmo: Apple’s AR Glasses Could Offer Enhanced Privacy For The iPhone
Ubergizmo: Apple’s AR Glasses Could Offer Enhanced Privacy For The iPhone. “According to the rumors, Apple is said to be working on a pair of AR glasses. What the company plans on doing with these glasses is unclear, but now in a patent discovered by AppleInsider, it seems that one of the potential uses for Apple’s wearable headset could be enhanced privacy for iPhone users.”
Tom’s Guide: Google Pixel 4 XL glass backs are prying off — and it gets worse
Tom’s Guide: Google Pixel 4 XL glass backs are prying off — and it gets worse. “Wear and tear is an inevitability with any tech product. Smartphones are especially vulnerable, given that we carry them around and use them every day. But a disconcertingly large group of Google Pixel 4 XL owners have found that their devices are aging in quite a strange and potentially dangerous way.”
