Apple is again closing some stores across the US as infection cases go up

Apple is again shutting down some retail stores in the US owing to a sharp growth in the number of COVID-19 cases in a few regions. As per a Bloomberg report, the company is closing a total of 11 brick-and-mortar stores across Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

“Due to current COVID-19 conditions in some of the communities we serve, we are temporarily closing stores in these areas. We take this step with an abundance of caution as we closely monitor the situation and we look forward to having our teams and customers back as soon as possible,” an Apple spokesperson was quoted as saying.

However, customers can retrieve the devices they had given at those stores for repair over the weekend. Apple has made it clear that employees at stores that are being shut down again will be paid, but the company has not revealed a date as to when those outlets will be opened again.

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Pocketnow Daily: Google Pixel 5 Specs: Oh boy… (video)

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Several Apple products, gaming monitors and more, on sale today

Deals. Come on, we know you missed the Apple deals so we have some new ones for you. The latest 16in MacBook Pro is currently $300 off at B&H, leaving the 2.7GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage variant for $2099. The latest MacBook Air is also $100 off, leaving the 512GB of storage variant for $1200. For those of you gamers, the Razer Jungle Cat controller is also $15 off, leaving it at $85 shipped. We have deals on more Apple products, BenQ monitors and more in the links in the description.

iOS 13.5 brings Exposure Notification API, faster unlock experience while wearing a mask

Apple just started rolling out iOS 13.5 which brings some changes directly related to the pandemic. For starters, it brings the new notification exposure API they built with Google which is the foundation on which contact tracing apps will be developed. Other key features include Face ID now detecting that you’re wearing a mask and immediately asks for your password instead of it taking forever to realize, it also works with Apple Pay and other apps. We have the full list of changes in the description.

OnePlus might not launch another McLaren Edition phone in the future

Remember the phone with the coolest name ever? Yes, we’re talking about the OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren Edition. It seems we won’t have another one to mock as, OnePlus is no longer listed in the official McLaren partners page. None of the companies has made a statement yet but it seems that their partnership has come to an end, meaning that we won’t see any McLaren branded phone from OnePlus soon. It could be a mistake or part of a strategy but, the logo still isn’t back on the site. We’ll keep you posted in case we have official statements. Let’s hope that if they do decide to work together again, the name becomes a bit less ridiculous.

We have new details about the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 launch event

Now as for some sad possible updates from the pandemic, well, Samsung usually hosts two major Unpacked Events each year for their flagship releases but. I’m actually shocked we still got the February Unpacked. Thing is, for obvious reasons this year will be different. According to a report from South Korea, Samsung has already taken their decision and this will be the first time ever that the company is releasing a flagship online. We get tons of silent releases online from Samsung but they will obviously have some sort of event for the Note’s Unpacked. The event is still slated for August but we don’t have any specific dates yet. Some other products we might get at this event include obviously the Galaxy Note 20, the Galaxy Fold 2 and some wearables.

Samsung Galaxy S21 could arrive with Chinese OLED displays

A couple of weeks ago we reported that Samsung could be ditching Samsung Display for the Galaxy S21 but, not entirely. According to some industry insiders, after a month of preliminary negotiations, Samsung just sent an official request for quotation to BOE which hints to the deal happening and also the fact that they are already working on the S21. Now, it isn’t clear if we’ll be getting a Galaxy S21 Ultra but, that one wouldn’t be using a BOE display because these orders are for 90Hz displays. They have also sent a quotation request to Samsung Display for 60Hz and 120Hz displays so, they aren’t leaving them completely. According to other insiders, Samsung is trying to get Samsung Display to lower the price on the panels and the threat of having BOE replace them might work.

Story of the day:

More rumors say that the Google Pixel 5 will have a mid-range processor

And finally, let’s call this the most interesting news today. I mean, Pixels have taken the spotlight for weeks now, though I wish they would sell as much as people care about the news. Thing is we’ve been getting several rumors that the Google Pixel 5 might not be a flagship. Yesterday we covered the fact that a Google survey showed that this phone might cost as low as $699. Now, XDA has found some new evidence in the Android 11 Developer Preview that hint to the Pixel 5 bringing the Snapdragon 765G processor. It isn’t clear if it will be the 765G or the new 768G but it is compatible to what they found in the new Google Camera APK for upcoming Pixel phones. The price tag also hints that this phone might not bring a Snapdragon 865 after all.

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We have new details about the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 launch event

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We know that Samsung is still planning to present the new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series and the Galaxy Fold 2 in the second half of 2020. We also know that Samsung usually holds its Unpacked event in the United States, in San Francisco and New York, but the current pandemic may change things a bit.

It seems that Samsung’s next Unpacked event would still take place in August, but with a different approach. According to a new report from South Korea, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 launch event will be held online in August, but there’s no mention of a specific date. We will probably miss out on a huge show, like other years, but at least Samsung may have taken the best decision since mass gatherings are still prohibited because of the ongoing situation. This would be the first time Samsung changes the way it unveils its flagships, and let’s remember that we could also see the arrival of a new Samsung Galaxy Fold 2. Whatever the case, an online presentation would still be better than a press release, since Samsung is also known for launching some of its tablets, mid-rangers and a couple of wearables this way.

Source SamMobile

Via News Herald

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Poynter Institute’s WhatsApp bot will fact check COVID-19 claims to curb misinformation

WhatsApp recently reduced the message forwarding limit on its platform to curb the spread of coronavirus-related misinformation and even saw positive results after doing so. Moving forward in the same direction, WhatsApp has partnered with Poynter Institute to launch a bot for fact-checking COVID-19 claims and control the spread of false news and rumors.

The WhatsApp bot from Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checkers Network (IFCN) will let users in 70 countries quickly verify a coronavirus-related claim and check if it is true or just a hoax. The bot will rely on a bank of over 4,000 myths debunked by 80 fact-checking organizations from 74 countries across the globe.

Just save +1 (727) 2912606 as a contact or click on this link (http://poy.nu/ifcnbot), send a “hi” text and then follow the on-screen instructions. Users can send a simple keyword or phrase to fact check if there is any COVID-19 misinformation related to it. The chatbot currently has support for English language only, but more languages will soon be added to its database too.

Via: TNW

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Apple, Google share sample code and UI design concepts for exposure notification apps

Apple and Google have today revealed more information about their jointly-developed COVID-19 exposure notification system. The new resources are aimed at developers and include details such as UI design concepts and sample codes for both Android (as an SDK) and iOS (in the form of an Xcode toolkit) that will serve as building blocks for their respective apps.

The UI schematics give us an early look at how this system will work and look on mobile devices. Both the companies have also made it clear that the API will be restricted to one app per country, and in case a country goes for a regional/state-wise approach, the two companies will continue to provide additional updates.

Lastly, Apple and Google have also made a few changes to the policies governing the usage of exposure notification API, and they are listed below:

  • Apps must be created by or for a government public health authority and they can only be used for COVID-19 response efforts.
  • Apps must require users to consent before the app can use the Exposure Notifications API.
  • Apps must require users to consent before sharing a positive test result, and the “Diagnosis Keys” associated with their devices, with the public health authority.
  • Apps should only collect the minimum amount of data necessary and can only use that data for COVID-19 response efforts. All other uses of user data, including targeting advertising, is not permitted.
  • Apps are prohibited from seeking permission to access Location Services.

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Pocketnow Daily: Google Pixel 4a Camera LEAKS: Wait for it? (video)

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On today’s Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the leaked pictures taken by the Google Pixel 4a, the new features of the Apple Watch Series 6 and more

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Apple’s Q2 2020 results: Quarterly revenue, earnings go up despite COVID-19 impact

Despite lowering revenue estimates due to uncertainty brought by the coronavirus pandemic, Apple actually managed to grow in the Q2 2020 fiscal quarter.

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Pocketnow Daily: iPhone SE NOT as POWERFUL as we thought?(video)

On today's Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the AnTuTu scores for the latest iPhone SE, the specs and launch date of the LG Velvet and more

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Apple and Google will shut down contact tracing system once the coronavirus threat is over

Apple and Google will disable the cross-platform contact tracing system on a regional basis once the coronavirus threat has been brought under control.

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