GadgetFreak

Andy Greenberg / Wired : The Wikileaks-style group DDoSecrets claims that Parler-like site Gab has been breached and is now set to share 70GB of passwords, private posts, and more   —  The transparency group DDoSecrets says it will make the 70GB of passwords, private posts, and more available to researchers, journalists, and social scientists. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2Ob3By8 via IFTTT

Credit: Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority Update: March 1, 2021 (1:30 AM ET) : A new report suggests the OnePlus Watch will launch alongside the OnePlus 9 series later this month. Read on for more details! Original article: September 27, 2020 (4 AM ET) : OnePlus has long aspired to create an ecosystem of devices that stretches beyond smartphones . The company’s efforts towards achieving this goal started with the OnePlus Bullets Wireless neckband earphones back in 2018. Since then, OnePlus has expanded its lineup with TWS earphones , wireless chargers , and even televisions . However, the fitness wearables space is one that the manufacturer has left untouched till now. This is about to change. From Oppo to Realme, to Vivo — all of OnePlus’ sister companies under the BBK Electronics umbrella have announced or launched a fitness wearable. The Oppo and Vivo smartwatches are the latest in this onslaught, and by the looks of it, OnePlus isn’t trailing far behind. Enter the OneP

The Redmi Note 10 series will be equipped with a 5MP telephoto macro camera. This allows you to get more detailed, zoomed-in macro shots. We’ve seen a trend in recent years for smartphone manufacturers to add measly, nigh-on useless 2MP cameras to the back of their phones. One of the most popular additions in this regard is the 2MP macro camera, allowing users to take close-up shots of various subjects and objects. Now, Xiaomi global vice-president Manu Kumar Jain has confirmed on Twitter that the Redmi Note 10 series will have an upgraded macro camera system. More specifically, the series will be equipped with a 5MP telephoto macro camera, which it’s calling a “5MP Super-Macro” system. Check out the tweet below. Credit: Twitter/Manu Kumar Jain We’re glad to see a 5MP macro lens here, joining the likes of Samsung in bringing a major resolution bump compared to 2MP macro cameras seen on typical budget phones. But that’s only part of the reason why we’re expecting good

Jennifer Epstein / Bloomberg : Pres. Biden says there should be “no coercion, no threats, no anti-union propaganda” by Amazon amid its warehouse workers' vote on whether to form a union in AL   —  - ‘The choice to join a union is up to the workers,’ Biden said  — Mail-in voting for 6,000 workers began in mid-February from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3r3QRrH via IFTTT

Bob Davis / Wall Street Journal : A look at Biden's efforts to partner with allies to boost key tech sectors and counter China, going beyond Trump-era measures like restricting sales of SMIC   —  Combined efforts in semiconductors, artificial intelligence seen as way to thwart Beijing's ambitions from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3bQ0lQK via IFTTT

Tom Krazit / Protocol : An oral history of #hugops and the growing community of operations engineers who offer support for their peers before and during major cloud service outages   —  When something breaks on the internet, the people who know how to fix it just want to give their colleagues a hug — even if they're a rival. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/301Jxku via IFTTT

Lime said Monday it has allocated $50 million towards its bike-share operation, an investment that has been used to develop a new ebike and will fund its expansion this year to another 25 cities in North America, Europe, and Australia and New Zealand.  If the company hits its goal, Lime’s bike-share service will be operational in 50 cities globally by the end of 2021. The latest generation e-bike, known internally as 6.0, has a  swappable battery that is interchangeable with Lime’s newest scooter. Additional upgrades to the e-bike include increased motor power, a phone holder, a new handlebar display, an electric lock that replaces the former generation’s cable lock and an automatic two-speed transmission. The new bikes are expected to launch and scale this summer.  The hardware upgrade builds off of the 5.8, a bike developed by Jump that was supposed to be deployed in 2020. That never happened at scale because Uber, which owned Jump, offloaded the unit to Lime as part of a comple

Will Oremus / OneZero  : Twitter Super Follows and Clubhouse portend a shift from algorithmic, scale-focused, low-attention feeds to low-volume, high-attention relationships with users   —  Products like Clubhouse and Twitter's “Super Follows” offer a new kind of engagement  —  Open Facebook, Instagram, TikTok … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/37V3SfF via IFTTT

Microsoft gets a new leader for its Greater China business. Yang Hou, a former executive at Qualcomm, will take over Alain Crozier as the chairman and chief executive officer for Microsoft Greater China Region, according to a company announcement  released Monday. More to come… from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/3kvK87n via IFTTT

Oppo confirmed that the Oppo Find X3 Pro will launch on March 11, 2021. The company also confirmed one of the major features of the phone as well as its chipset. You will be able to live stream the launch on YouTube. The hype machine has been working hard over the past few weeks when it comes to the upcoming Find X3 series . We expect there to be three devices in the lineup, including a Find X3 Lite and a Find X3 Neo. However, all eyes are on the big daddy in the group: the Oppo Find X3 Pro. Today, the company formally announced the launch date for the series in the invitation you see above. The launch will happen on March 11, 2021, at 11:30 AM GMT (or 6:30 AM ET that same day). You’ll notice the tagline for this launch is “Awaken Colour.” That has to do with a cool feature of the Find X3 Pro. Also, Oppo confirmed another important spec related to the device. Oppo Find X3 Pro: Confirmed specs and features In the invite  Android Authority received, Oppo confirmed two feat

Ben Smith / New York Times : Profile of Discovery+, which has hit 12M paid subscriptions globally and offers a reality TV-focused catalog with 55K episodes, rivaling Netflix in sheer volume   —  Discovery's new app has taken off largely because viewers love watching people fix houses, tour diners and bicker about their relationships. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3uBoMu1 via IFTTT

Skydio has raised $170 million in a Series D funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s Growth Fund. That pushes it into unicorn territory, with $340 million in total funding and a post-money valuation north of $1 billion. Skydio’s fresh capital comes on the heels of its expansion last year into the enterprise market, and it intends to use the considerable pile of cash to help it expand globally and accelerate product development. In July of last year, Skydio announced its $100 million Series C financing , and also debuted the X2, its first dedicated enterprise drone. The company also launched a suite of software for commercial and enterprise customers, its first departure from the consumer drone market where it had been focused prior to that raise since its founding in 2014. Skydio’s debut drone, the R1, received a lot of accolades and praise for its autonomous capabilities. Unlike other consumer drones at the time, including from recreational drone maker DJI, the R1 could track a t

Japanese space startup Gitai has raised a $17.1 million funding round, a Series B financing for the robotics startup. This new funding will be used for hiring, as well as funding the development and execution of an on-orbit demonstration mission for the company’s robotic technology, which will show its efficacy in performing in-space satellite servicing work. That mission is currently set to take place in 2023. Gitai will also be staffing up in the U.S., specifically, as it seeks to expand its stateside presence in a bid to attract more business from that market. “We are proceeding well in the Japanese market, and we’ve already contracted missions from Japanese companies, but we haven’t expanded to the U.S. market yet,” explained Gitai founder and CEO Sho Nakanose in an interview. So we would like to get missions from U.S. commercial space companies, as a subcontractor first. We’re especially interested in on-orbit servicing, and we would like to provide general-purpose robotic solu

Ed Siddons / The Guardian : Profile of lawyer and activist Cori Crider who is suing Facebook and outsourcing company CPL in Ireland's High Court on behalf of traumatized content moderators   —  Whether it's the CIA or Facebook, lawyer and activist Cori Crider is never one to shy away from a fight from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3uHGo7u via IFTTT

Mario Gabriele / The Generalist : How Reddit, at ~$6B arguably one of the most undervalued companies in world, can unlock the next step-change in valuation and protect against niche competitors   —  One of social media's oldest companies is also its most undervalued. … ‍  —  “You ever stop to realize how fragile all this is?” from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2PbQY6e via IFTTT

Patrick McGee / Financial Times : Skydio raises $171M led by a16z at a valuation of $1B+, the first significant fundraising by a US-based drone maker after China's DJI was blacklisted by the US   —  Placement of DJI on trade blacklist has opened new opportunities for US manufacturers  —  California-based Skydio has become … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/2O7dZXJ via IFTTT

Kim Lyons / The Verge : Verizon support is now advising its users on Twitter to “turn on LTE”, which would turn off 5G, to preserve battery life   —  This, despite the carrier's relentless promotion of its 5G network  —  Despite its relentless promotion of 5G phones and the fact that it spent … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/3q7jCSJ via IFTTT

Michael Kors is an established and renowned luxury brand in the fashion world. In 2016, it joined the smartwatch race under the wings of the Fossil Group . Now, Michael Kors smartwatches are among the pick for those who value the aesthetics of their wearables. Running Wear OS and built on Fossil’s smartwatch platforms, the brand’s wearables are proving more and more popular with our readers. In this article, we take a look at the best Michael Kors smartwatches you can buy. Why buy a Michael Kors smartwatch? Technology is an important factor for swathes of Wear OS smartwatch users, but design can’t be ignored either. As a fashion brand, Michael Kors smartwatches focus on the latter. Its wearables are available in a number of metal finishings, encrusted in stones, or bright statement colorways. As for the technology they tout, the wearables share Fossil’s technology, with newer watches running the latest Gen 5 and Gen 5E hardware. This makes them flashier alternatives to the watc