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It's Friday, May 08, 2020.
Over the last few years, social networks have instituted slightly stiffer policies against misinformation, [but those systems are being pressed to their limit by a fast-spreading new video](. The âPlandemicâ clip âspreads debunked conspiracy theories about the coronavirus and features a discredited biologist.â Meanwhile, the removal of coronavirus misinformation has pushed theorists to suggest such reasonable moderation is just another conspiracy. Ugh.
-- Richard
Apple MacBook Pro review (13-inch, 2020)
Finally.
[MacBook Pro, 13-inch (2020)]
Dana Wollman / Engadget
For the first time in years, our discussion of new Apple laptops doesnât include any consideration of waiting for an updated keyboard. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is the last machine in its lineup to get the new/old Magic Keyboard design as part of a hardware refresh that also brings Intelâs latest 10th-generation Core CPUs with more power and better battery life. Now, about that Touch Bar...
[Continue reading.](
Xbox Series X third-party games take the stage
Microsoftâs âgameplayâ event was just the beginning
['The Ascent']
Neon Giant
Well. Weâve had our first look at a bunch of next-gen games, and even if Microsoft is slightly massaging the meaning of âgameplay,â its 20/20 event gave some impressive previews of Xbox Series X action. Jessica Conditt [has a breakdown of the 13 games shown](, with 10 supporting Smart Delivery that stretches purchases across console generations.
Of course, some donât support it because they wonât be available on Xbox One at all, like [The Medium](. But more conventional experiences will, including [Assassinâs Creed: Valhalla](, [Dirt 5]( and [Madden 21](. You can catch [all the action with no filler in our 15-minute supercut]( or click through below for an evaluation of everything we saw and what Microsoft has yet to reveal about the Xbox Series X.
[Continue reading.](
The new Surface notebooks are a grab bag of bad decisions
Certain design choices make Microsoftâs latest convertibles hard to recommend.
[Surface Book 3]
Microsoft
Microsoftâs new Surface lineup looks good, and Cherlynn Low was impressed by the companyâs efforts in audio with new earbuds and headphones. Where she does have questions is its notebook strategy -- the Surface Go 2 gets expensive quickly when you upgrade the processor and add on a must-have keyboard cover, while the Surface Book 3âs detachable screen design is the thing holding it back from including more powerful six- or eight-core CPU options.
[Continue reading.](
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Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs abandons its Toronto smart-neighborhood project
Just like that, it's over.
Alphabet subsidiary Sidewalk Labs will no longer pursue its dream of a smart neighbourhood in Toronto. In a Medium blog post, CEO Daniel Doctoroff said, âunprecedented economic uncertaintyâ meant it was âtoo difficultâ to achieve its dreams for Quayside, a proposed redevelopment on the cityâs waterfront.
Doctoroff said the coronavirus pandemic had made his team âfeel even more strongly about the importance of reimagining cities for the future.â He said his team would continue to work on smart city innovations, including factory-made mass-timber construction. The big question, though, is whether Sidewalk will attempt another large-scale development like Quayside.
[Continue reading.](
Samsung will introduce an 'innovative' debit card this summer
Can you call it innovative when half the competition has already done it?
[Samsung Pay virtual card]
Samsung
Samsung wants to do more with payments than offer a virtual prepaid card. The company plans to grow Samsung Pay this summer by introducing a new âexperienceâ that includes an âinnovativeâ debit card supported by a cash management account. Details are only slated to arrive in the âcoming weeks,â but itâll have help from the financial startup SoFi.
Itâs not a surprising move for Samsung. Apple has offered a credit card since 2019, and Huawei is following suit. Google is believed to be working on a debit card of its own -- it seems like the company has a case of financial FOMO.
[Continue reading.](
FDA approves a rapid COVID-19 test that uses CRISPR
This is the first time the FDA has authorized the gene-editing tool.
Sherlock Biosciences has received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for a rapid COVID-19 test that uses CRISPR technology. This is the first FDA-authorized use of the gene-editing tool, which combines massive potential and possible ethical issues.Â
Sherlockâs test uses a CRISPR molecule to detect the genetic signature of the virus. If it finds the virus, the CRISPR enzyme is activated, and that releases a detectable signal. The kit is designed for use in laboratories authorized to perform high complexity tests. While itâs considered a ârapidâ test, Sherlock did not say how long it takes to process the results.
[Continue reading.](
But wait, thereâs more...
[Best Buy price drops the 75-inch TCL 8-Series Roku TV from $2,999 to $1,799 for one day only](
[US senators ask Amazon why it keeps firing COVID-19 whistleblowers](
[HBO Max's launch lineup includes anime from Crunchyroll](
[Gocycleâs GXi is a folding e-bike with few equals](
[Sony's latest true wireless earbuds offer ANC and adaptive sound for $200](
[LG finally takes the wraps off its mid-range Velvet smartphone](
[How do you feel about the Nintendo Switchâs Joy-Con gamepads?](
[Alamo Drafthouse offsets closures with an on-demand movie service](
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