Saturday, March 14, 2020

TPS Consulting Daily


TECHNOLOGY AND MORE!

Surprise! Frozen 2 is on Disney Plus right now

Frozen 2 Disney Early1KTechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 20h
Original story: Frozen 2 is coming to Disney Plus in the US on June 26, according to a new listing on the streaming service.
On Disney Plus Australia, the listing page says Frozen 2 is coming on July 31.

Moog and Korg make synth apps free to help musicians stuck at home

4KEngadget / 8h
If you're a musician (or fan) whose concerts got scrapped over coronavirus concerns, you'll at least have more tools to produce music when you're at home . To start, Moog has made its Minimoog Model D iOS synth app available for free . It wasn't hugely expensive to start, but this could make it easy to recreate the first portable synth and slip some Kraftwerk- or Dr. Dre-inspired sounds into your

Organize a Virtual Happy Hour With Friends Over Video Chat

2KLifehacker / 9h
And if video chatting isn’t your thing, a lot of my friends have also started playing games online together at night.
Social distancing means that many of us will be spending quality time at home this weekend rather than out at bars, restaurants, and concerts with friends.


Your next security camera could record videos only machines can understand

20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
Enter Fujitsu with a new compression algorithm that, it says, can reduce the size of a video that needs to be interpreted by 90%; the not-so-insignificant caveat is that the resulting video can only be interpreted by AI (artificial intelligence) because of the level of degradation.
The key aspect of the new technology developed by the scientists at the Japanese firm is that it automatically analyzes areas within an image that AI prioritizes and compresses data to the minimum size that AI can recognize.

Google details what you need to play Stadia games in 4K on the web

100+Engadget / 2h
It recently posted requirements, and the main demand is a Chromebook or Windows PC that can decode video in Google's preferred VP9 format, a 4K display to match and enough bandwidth to handle the "best visual quality" option.
As 9to5Google observed , the unofficial Stadia+ extension for Chrome can force 4K on Macs if you're determined to play in full quality on your iMac.

Following Italy, Spain Locks Down Entire Country to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus

Apple Spain Coronavirus300+Gizmodo / 2h
Days after neighboring Italy locked down the entire country because of the novel coronavirus, Spain declared a state of emergency and announced that it will become the second European country to impose these drastic measures to control the spread of the virus.
Before the official lockdown, some regions in Spain were already pleading with people to stay home to prevent new community transmitted infections and keep the healthcare system from collapsing.

Facebook is hosting a virtual GDC for Oculus VR titles

100+Engadget / 4h
On the last day of the event, Facebook is also giving you access to three workshop videos featuring new and upcoming VR developer tools, as well as insider tips and techniques, for the Oculus platform.
Facebook says you can expect to hear the earliest details on new experiences coming to popular titles like Pistol Whip and Beat Saber .

United Makes Their Schedule Change Policy Less Terrible (But Still Deplorable)

29View from the Wing / 5h
Initially United adjusted the policy to say that they’d consider refunds for customers with significant schedule changes on a case-by-case basis.
Any customer whose travel is disrupted by more than 6 hours because of our schedule changes will be eligible for a refund.

Disney Has Released Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on Digital Platforms Several Days Early

TRS Disney Star Wars500+Gizmodo / 5h
Do you need something to do while you’re staying home, which is easily the best thing you can do to stem the tide of covid-19, the sickness caused by the novel coronavirus, which is currently spreading widely throughout a large swath of the world?
That’s right, a few days ahead of schedule , Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now for sale on a variety of digital platforms, including Amazon Video, Google Play, Vudu, and iTunes.

What Monty Python’s Ministry of Silly Walks can teach us about peer review

200+Ars Technica / 5h
The sketch might be satirizing bureaucratic inefficiency, but Cleese's Minister is essentially engaging in a hyper-streamlined version of the peer review process in his meeting with Mr. Putey that (the authors concluded) resulted in a fair assessment.
It's intended in part as a commemoration on the 50-year anniversary of the sketch, but also to draw attention to the need for a more streamlined peer review process for grants in the health sciences.

Iran's coronavirus 'diagnosis' app looks more like a surveillance tool

100+Engadget / 5h
Iran is known to have one of the more serious coronavirus infection rates at the moment, but the country's government appears to be exploiting that for the sake of political control. Vice has learned that a government-endorsed app, AC19, poses as a tool to help diagnose the presence of the virus (a bogus claim by itself) but also asks for real-time location data -- clearly not necessary for telli

How big tech is taking on COVID-19

100+TechCrunch / 5h
There will be plenty of time to call out the inevitable opportunism of corporate America (and it looks like I’m going to have a lot more free time on my hands in the coming months to do exactly that), but for now, let’s note some of the folks who are pitching in by donating supplies or easing some of the burden on a strained and uncertain population.
Over the past week, one thing has become painfully clear for U.S. residents: COVID-19 is going to permeate every aspect of our lives for a long time to come.

Here are the places on coronavirus lockdown so far

Coronavirus Italy US71Mashable / 6h
Despite protests against France banning large gatherings , the country took its lockdown measures a step further by shutting down theaters, restaurants, and stores Saturday — all before elections , at that.
Italy was the first in Europe (now the pandemic's epicenter, according to the WHO) to institute the policy, but a whole slew of countries followed suit over the weekend.

Apple sets clearer rules for coronavirus-related apps

100+Engadget / 6h
The company is also encouraging developers to mark their coronavirus apps as time-sensitive to ensure a timely release.
Apple has been cracking down on coronavirus-related apps for days, but now it's clarifying just what it will accept on the App Store.

Delta Ordered Half A Million Face Masks. 250,000 Were Stolen Off A Truck.

51View from the Wing / 7h
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips. Continue reading ...

Your guide to contactless payment — and the many benefits of using it

The Points Guy / 7h
Contactless payments come in two main forms on a credit card – mobile wallet or app payments and via contactless technology embedded directly into the card.
As technology continues to advance, credit card issuers are introducing contactless payment methods to the U.S., where it has been much less popular than other areas, like Europe and Canada.

UFC live stream: watch Fight Night and PPV events online anywhere

36TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
For the events that matter most, follow our guide and find out the best ways to watch a UFC live stream wherever you are.
Below, we'll talk all your options for live streaming UFC Fight Night events and PPV cards in a number of countries where MMA is particularly popular.

Coronavirus ski report: What to know before hitting the slopes during the outbreak

The Points Guy / 7h
Katz’s email also stated that, “Many things like ski school, lift tickets, equipment rentals, and transportation can be fully refunded,” and that Vail Resorts has new credit policies in place for its owned and operated lodging properties.
Lodging and property management operations will remain open to service guests on location or with existing reservations, but Vail Resorts will not be taking new reservations for this upcoming week.

Sure looks like Robert Downey Jr. gave us a sneak peek at the OnePlus 8 Pro

68Mashable / 7h
Leave it to Robert Downey Jr. to leak a smartphone: The highly anticipated OnePlus 8 Pro, to be exact. As first spotted by 9to5Google , a photo of the actor holding what appears to be the flagship phone was posted to Instagram. It hasn't been confirmed that it's the 8 Pro, though Downey Jr. just happens to be a brand ambassador for OnePlus. The photo, which was originally uploaded to a photograph

Apple Closes All Stores Outside China to Prevent Spread of Coronavirus

Apple China March 27500+Gizmodo / 8h
Apple announced on Friday that it was closing all of its stores worldwide, except for those in China, for two weeks until March 27 t o prevent the spread of the new coronavirus , which has steadily ravaged communities worldwide and forced millions into lockdown.
The measures do not include Apple’s 42 stores in China, which had been closed since February because of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

fravery: Ophelia Redpath, 1965 | Surrealist painter

Music, Arts & Literature / 8h
fravery : Ophelia Redpath, 1965 | Surrealist painter

How pilots and aircraft keep cabin air fresher than you may think

72The Points Guy / 8h
On an aircraft like the Boeing 777 , high-pressure bleed air is directed to the air conditioning packs, which sit in the belly of the aircraft.
In fact, due to the regular changing and cleaning of air in an aircraft, passengers on a flight are likely to be breathing better quality air than that on a train or bus.

It may be easier to get coronavirus than we thought

1KMashable / 8h
Birx, the highly experienced coronavirus response coordinator at the White House, said that there may be a group of people who are asymptomatic yet spreading the virus.
The website currently reads, "Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads."

British Airways stops sending physical cards to Executive Club members

The Points Guy / 8h
British Airways has confirmed that it is no longer automatically sending Bronze, Silver and Gold Executive Club members physical membership packs in the post. Instead, members should use the app or the BA website to view their membership details. Most of the time, a Oneworld airline-issued boarding pass should already display the member’s status level and thus grant access benefits, such as loung

Can't Pay Your Apple Card Bill This Month? Apple Says Don't Sweat It

Apple Card March CAP200+Gizmodo / 8h
To sign up, iOS users should contact Apple Card support via Messages and send the phrase: “I would like to enroll in the Customer Assistance Program.”
Apple has announced a “Customer Assistance Program” for its credit card aimed at helping those affected by the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic who may be struggling to make this month’s payment.

aiastelamonian: Black Cat by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1957

Music, Arts & Literature / 8h
aiastelamonian : Black Cat by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1957

dadalux: Casey Weldon

Music, Arts & Literature / 9h
dadalux : Casey Weldon

WestJet May Lay Off More Than Half Its Staff

67View from the Wing / 9h
The union that represents flight attendants at Canada’s WestJet Airlines expects layoffs “of more than 50 per cent of its staff.”
…Rauenbusch said one flight from Vancouver to Los Angeles this morning that had booked 150 passengers took off with just 12 on board.

Bloodshot's Director Shares How He'd Adapt Star Wars: The Old Republic

78Gizmodo / 9h
“Most of them are sort of focused around a big set piece or a battle or something like that,” Wilson said, explaining the work Blur’s trailers did.
So, naturally, in a recent interview on Collider , Wilson was asked to talk about his Blur experience, how it impacted Bloodshot , and how he’d adapt The Old Republic if ever given the chance.

Sprint, T-Mobile pledge to keep subscribers connected amid outbreak

T-Mobile 60 Days Sprint200+Engadget / 9h
Like AT&T and Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have also vowed to support their customers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an announcement posted on its website, Sprint said it won't be terminating service for residential and small business customers if they're unable to pay their bill because of the outbreak, ad it's waiving late fees "incurred because of economic circumstances related to t

Apple sets restrictions for COVID-19-related apps

Apple App Store Covid100+TechCrunch / 9h
Apple today put in place more COVID-19-related safeguards — this time centered on its App Store. In a note posted to its developer community, the company explains that it will take steps to vet submissions of apps focused on the global pandemic that has begun to impact nearly every aspect of life across the globe. “To help fulfill these expectations, we’re evaluating apps critically to ensure dat

EA live esports events suspended due to coronavirus

32TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
According to the EA website, the company will “continue to monitor the situation around the coronavirus and receive updated guidance from health officials around the world, we will use this time to determine next steps for moving forward with all of EA’s Competitive Gaming live events and online broadcasts.”
EA is now suspending all of its live esports events as coronavirus cases continue to rise around the world, according to GamesRadar .

Coronavirus relief: The Apple Card is letting customers skip a payment with no interest

32The Points Guy / 9h
Apple has sent out an email to its cardholders saying it will allow them to skip payments on their cards this month without penalty.
Should you need assistance, please click here to be connected to Apple Card support via Messages and enroll in our Customer Assistance Program, which will allow you to skip your March payment without incurring interest charges.”

fravery: Pedro Ruiz Tigre Mariposa, 2009

Music, Arts & Literature / 9h
fravery : Pedro Ruiz Tigre Mariposa, 2009

How Italy is fighting its coronavirus isolation with music

Coronavirus Italy US3KMashable / 9h
The planes displayed colors of their flag "defeat" a single plane representing the virus while the voice of the late, great Luciano Pavarotti helped a nation remember that they will overcome.
🇮🇹 The Italian airforce gives a big emotional lift to their nation with Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma (let no one sleep) and where lyrics say venceremos (we will overcome).

Disney, Universal Shut Down Film Production Over Concern About the Novel Coronavirus [Update: The Batman, Too]

200+Gizmodo / 10h
In a statement, a Disney spokesperson said, “While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our productions, after considering the current environment and the best interests of our cast and crew, we have made the decision to pause production on some of our live-action films for a short time.”
Shutdowns continue to sweep film and television , as alongside TV producers like Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and the CW, Disney and Universal have suspended production on nearly all of their live-action films.

Saturday's Best Deals: Instant Pot, Robin Comics, Solar Power Generators, and More

52Gizmodo / 10h
The Amazon Fire 7 is a great way to do it, and the kids’ edition comes with a fun protective case to make sure they don’t break the thing.
An Instant Pot , solar power generator , a sale on high-quality soap , and Sonic the Hedgehog pre-order bonuses lead Saturday’s best deals around the Web.

TSA allowing passengers to bring up to 12 ounces of hand sanitizer through security

47The Points Guy / 10h
With that in mind, TSA is allowing passengers to bring liquid hand sanitizer containers up to 12 ounces to be permitted in carry-on bags until further notice.
Now, in the latest batch of outbreak fighting measures, the TSA has announced that it will allows passengers to bring a larger bottle of hand sanitizer in their carry-on luggage.

widenerlibrary: “Warm meals at all hours”. Another historical...

Music, Arts & Literature / 10h
widenerlibrary : “Warm meals at all hours”. Another historical cat photo for Feline Friday. From: The Photographed Cat (2013) #felinefriday #gatos #cats #catsofinstagram #catsinart #kat #katt #neko #猫 #ネコ #고양r이 #feline #кошка #kittens #kittensofinstagram (at Harvard Yard) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9rbJi-nRzR/?igshid=gdetmyxuc50o

Rustic paradise: A review of Calala Island, a private island bookable with World of Hyatt points

33The Points Guy / 10h
Each room can accommodate two people, which means that a total of eight guests can occupy the island at any given time.
Some of these SLH properties stick out and one of these is Calala Island, a private-island retreat with just four rooms off the coast of Nicaragua that touts itself as part of the “NiCaribbean,” the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua.

Windows 10's built-in Linux kernel will be available to everyone soon

Medium1KEngadget / 10h
You won't have to be a tester to try Windows 10's new, built-in Linux kernel in the near future. Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 will be widely available when Windows 10 version 2004 arrives. You'll have to install it manually for a "few months" until an update adds automatic installs and updates, but that's a small price to pay if you want Linux and Windows to coexist

fravery: m. yamada

Music, Arts & Literature / 10h
fravery : m. yamada

Disney+ to stream 'Frozen 2' just in time for your quarantine

Frozen 2 Disney Early400+Mashable / 10h
With all the news of movie release delays amid the coronavirus pandemic, Disney just became the first company to offer the opposite. Disney+ will make Frozen 2 available this weekend, three months earlier than planned, due to "these challenging times," according to a press release. U.S. users will be able to watch the hit movie on streaming Sunday March 15; it will be available in Canada, the Net

Original Content podcast: ‘Devs’ is a strange and delightful technothriller

100+TechCrunch / 10h
While it’s too early to evaluate how the show will answer its big questions, we’re all fans, thanks to its eerie visuals, impressive performances (particularly from Offerman and Mizuno) and the tantalizing way that it lays out its mysteries — during the spoiler discussion, we spent most of our time puzzling over clues about the ultimate goal of the Devs team.
Amaya is also home to a division known as Devs — a group that’s mysterious enough that most employees don’t even know what the team is working on.

The Orville Is Getting New Comics to Bridge the Gap Between Seasons 2 and 3

400+Gizmodo / 11h
The Orville , Seth MacFarlane’s (surprisingly) faithful Star Trek homage , is getting another series of comics by Dark Horse, this time set in the space between the show’s second and third season.
Dark Horse also released the cover of the first issue of Launch Day , which you can check out below.

Startups Weekly: Investors are excited to write checks during the pandemic

100+TechCrunch / 11h
“Because with other investors departing the market, deal terms are getting better, the competition is less keen, [many investors] can do more due diligence and there are a lot of companies being built that have great growth prospects and are going to survive this global pandemic,” Danny Crichton detailed on Extra Crunch after calling around to his sources.
Founders should expect big haircuts on valuation (the 20-30% range), he concludes, but should find plenty of investors considering the explosion of VC funding in recent years — provided the company fundamentals show a path to long-term success.

fravery: Photo by Kurt Hutton, 1944

Music, Arts & Literature / 11h
fravery : Photo by Kurt Hutton, 1944

NASA’s Orion spacecraft completes testing ahead of Artemis 1 Moon mission

NASA Coronavirus Mercury100+TechCrunch / 11h
NASA has completed the testing process meant to simulate performance in in-space conditions for its Orion crew spacecraft, developed by Lockheed Martin and designed to carry crew on the agency’s Artemis missions.
It’ll fly to Kennedy aboard NASA’s Super Guppy aircraft, which is a specially-built cargo aircraft with an extremely wide body designed for the purposes of transporting larger-than-normal cargo just like the Lockheed-built Orion capsule.

This startup got a meeting with Mark Suster by getting clever with Google ads

200+TechCrunch / 11h
Hoover told TechCrunch he was Googling Mark Suster to facilitate an introduction between Suster and one of Hoover’s portfolio companies.
Startups have done some wild things to get the attention of VCs. In fact, Instacart founder Apoorva Mehta sent YC partner (at the time) Garry Tan a six-pack of beer through the service after missing the deadline for Y Combinator by two months.

fishstickmonkey: Crouching panther or lioness Greco-Persian,...

Music, Arts & Literature / 11h
fishstickmonkey : Crouching panther or lioness Greco-Persian, Hellenistic, 3rd–1st century B.C. Silver Princeton University Art Museum

EA suspends live esports events due to coronavirus outbreak

EA Live Esports Events200+Engadget / 11h
EA is suspending all its live esports events "until the global coronavirus situation improves." The company's decision affects all Apex Legends Global Series, EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series, FIFA Online 4 and Madden NFL 20 Championship Series matches. It also covers all third-party events run under license from EA. The only exceptions are online events where staff can work remotely and separatel

Why BT Sport and Sky should refund subscribers for the suspended football

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 11h
Flick through your BT Sports channels or Sky Sports planner this weekend and you'd be forgiven for thinking it's 2014 – with the coronavirus cancellations affecting all but a smattering of non-league football matches in the UK, the major broadcasters have dug deep into their archives for re-runs and nostalgic filler that's normally reserved for daytime TV.
As recently as Wednesday 11 March, BT Sport had a packed schedule of Champions League football, including the live broadcast of a match in Liverpool where it was considered perfectly safe for over 50,000 people from around the country and abroad to be packed tightly into a football stadium.

This Week in Apps: WWDC goes online, coronavirus leads to more cancellations, sneaky spy apps exposed

100+TechCrunch / 12h
This week we’re taking a look at several stories related to the coronavirus outbreak, including the cancellation of WWDC in San Jose, as well as other app industry events that are going online.
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the Extra Crunch series that recaps the latest OS news, the applications they support and the money that flows through it all.

danskjavlarna: What do these cats have to do with a yearbook?...

Music, Arts & Literature / 12h
danskjavlarna : What do these cats have to do with a yearbook? Well, a tabby named Tom Terrific earned his medical degree in 1972. From Medical College of Virginia’s 1972 yearbook. They’ve had many lives and many ages: cats I’ve met in my time travels . Shiver in wonderment: Weblog ◆ Books ◆ Videos ◆ Music ◆ Etsy

Apple will close all retail stores outside of China until late March

Apple China March 2721SlashGear / 12h
As well, the company detailed plans to close all of its retail stores outside of the Greater China region until later this month in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.
As a result, Apple says that its retail stores outside of Greater China will close until March 27.

Are Movies Getting Worse Because We Don't Have Warp Drive?

300+Wired / 12h
“They’ve become entertaining but repetitive and superficial in a way that the biggest adult Hollywood movies of 20 or 30 years ago weren’t,” Douthat says in Episode 405 of the Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast.
When it comes to the modern world, Douthat sees malaise everywhere, whether it’s culture, politics, economics, or technology.

8 biggest factors that impact your credit score

36The Points Guy / 12h
Credit scores help lenders predict the likelihood that you’ll become 90 days+ late on a payment during the next 24 months.
The extra spending would cause your utilization ratio to jump from 50% up to 75% when your card issuer sends your updated account information to the credit bureaus — Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.

The Witcher 4: what we want to see in a new Witcher name

24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Sure, we’ve got the massive, sprawling world of Cyberpunk 2077 to get through first – which won’t happen overnight – but we now know that developer CD Projekt RED is gearing up to develop a new The Witcher game as its next title.
So, what would we want to see in a new The Witcher game, possibly ten years after its previous entry?


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