Technology

Ohio asked employers to report workers who stay home during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but at least one person is trying to clog the system in protest. As the state begins lifting its shelter-in-place orders, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) posted a form for reporting coronavirus-related “employee fraud” — in other words, people who quit their jobs or refuse to work because they’re concerned about contracting COVID-19. In response, someone released a script that submits junk data through the form, aiming to drown out the real reports from employers. Ohio’s site is supposed to help it sniff out workers who aren’t eligible for unemployment because they voluntarily stopped working out of disease fears instead of being laid off. State officials have defended the app...

Google has extended its work-from-home policy for the remainder of 2020. After previously telling employees that they would be working remotely until June 1st, CEO Sundar Pichai has told employees that they’ll likely work from home until the end of the year, via The Information. According to Pichai, employees whose work requires physically being in the office will be allowed back in either June or July, but with increased safety precautions and a “different” in-office experience. But for most of Google’s staff, working at home will continue to be the new normal for the rest of the year. Google began advising employees to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early March. Google isn’t the only major tech company to ask employees to stay home for the rest of the year. Facebook made ...

Google’s Duo video chat app will soon let you make group video calls on the web, the search company announced today. That could be a handy way to catch up with your friends and family while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, though group call participants will need a Google account to join, Google says. The feature is rolling out as a preview in Chrome in the coming weeks. There’s also a new “family mode” in Duo, which lets you draw on the screen in real time and apply Snapchat-like masks and effects on yourself. Duo will hide the buttons to mute and hang up while you’re in family mode so that you can doodle and play around without needing to worry about accidentally dropping the call, Google says. Family mode is available if you’re using Duo while signed in with your Google a...

Facebook’s redesigned desktop site is now available globally, the company announced on Friday. Prior to this change, the new version of Facebook was available only if you opted into it starting in March and only in some markets, although the company said at the time that a majority of people would get access that month. In a blog post published today, Facebook says the new site will “now be the web experience for Facebook globally,” adding that “it’s faster, easier to use and gives your eyes a break with dark mode.” Dark mode is indeed the standout of the new version, but the update also delivers another pretty dramatic overhaul. The home layout features a new skinnier News Feed, ample empty space on the left and right rails, and larger icons and a menu bar that lets you easily jump to var...

Taylor Walker worked hard during her time at Salem State University. She was her class’s homecoming queen, she sang in the university’s Grammy award-winning choir, and she completed a double degree in communication and speech. Graduation was her chance to reflect on all those accomplishments. To celebrate, she planned to host a party with her family, who she hasn’t seen much because she’s been so busy. “I wanted to have this time to celebrate not just me, but my family,” she says. “This whole college journey for me has been really a team effort for who I call ‘my village,’ my family unit.” Then the pandemic happened. On March 16th, her school postponed her graduation ceremony indefinitely, and on April 29th, she received her cap and gown in the mail. She started crying when she opened the ...

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Deals on the Apple Watch Series 5 have mostly dried up for the time being, but if that model was still a little out of reach price-wise, Walmart and Best Buy each have the Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm, GPS) for $179. This price isn’t necessarily the lowest ever, though this deal is notable because stock, in general, for this model has been scarce since Black Friday. Both retailers currently have a few color options to choose between. Image: Sony If you want to load up on used video games without paying a lot, GameStop is hosting a one-day sale where you can get up to 50 percent off when you buy five preowned games that cost $19.99 or less. The percentage you’ll save increases when you add more games to your cart. (Two games nets you 20 percent in savings, three gets you 30 percent off, and s...

Andy Serkis, perhaps best known for his CGI-enhanced performance as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings movies, is reading The Hobbit live on YouTube as a benefit for UK charities providing COVID-19 relief. He started his Hobbitathon at around 5AM ET today and already has raised £203,699 (about $253,000). “So many of us are struggling in isolation during the lockdown,” Serkis wrote on the GoFundMe page for the fundraiser. “While times are tough, I want to take you on one of the greatest fantasy adventures ever written, a 12 hour armchair marathon across Middle Earth whilst raising money for two amazing charities which are doing extraordinary work right now to help those most in need in the UK: Best Beginnings and NHS Charities Together.” [embedded content] Best Beginnings works with families w...

Microsoft is planning to update Office for iPad with support for Apple’s latest iPadOS trackpad and mouse support. The software maker has always been quick to update its range of iOS apps with Apple’s latest software features, and work is already underway to update Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more. Apple surprised everyone with cursor support in iPadOS back in March, and developers are now racing to update their iPad apps. TechCrunch reported earlier this week that Microsoft is working on cursor support for Office for iPad, that’s “expected to ship in Office for iPad this fall.” We understand that Microsoft is planning to include cursor support by the fall, so it could come to some Office apps a lot sooner. Microsoft is not sharing details on its exact plans just yet. Microsoft has a hist...

On February 6th, NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned back to Earth after making history during a nearly year-long stay on board the International Space Station. She had just broken the record for longest continuous spaceflight by a woman, and while she was up there, she performed the first all-female spacewalk in history with her friend and crewmate Jessica Meir. In fact, they did three total spacewalks together. Now back on solid ground, Koch is experiencing another long-duration mission: social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. But she says her turn aboard the ISS is helping her cope during this time, and she has some tips for others who may be struggling to stay positive throughout the crisis. Koch also says she has a better understanding of what it’s going to take to send ...

At a time when simply sharing space with a fellow human being can be a dangerous activity, many governments, airports, and hospitals are discovering the non-contagious delights of robots, which can be deployed to clean surfaces and deliver goods without fear. Their latest deployment comes from Singapore, where municipal authorities are using Boston Dynamics’ four-legged Spot robot to remind park visitors to keep a safe distance from one another. Starting today, a Spot unit will patrol the city’s Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park as part of a two-week trial, broadcasting prerecorded messages “to remind park visitors to observe safe distancing measures.” Singapore authorities say the robot won’t be used to identify individuals The robot is fitted with cameras that will be used to estimate the number of...

Last year, three of the top five bestselling phones worldwide were Samsung phones, according to Counterpoint Research, holding the number three, four, and five spots after the iPhone XR and 11. If you live in the US, when you think of Samsung, you probably think of the Galaxy S or Note — but the Samsung phones that sold so well were midrange Galaxy A-series phones. Samsung is making a big push to sell more of these phones in the US with the $399 Galaxy A51. That price puts it in direct competition with the iPhone SE, but there are plenty of other Android phones that come in under $500. What makes the A51 different is Samsung’s marketing budget and partnerships. It is available unlocked on Amazon and Samsung’s website, which is significant for a midrange Samsung device, and it’s also on AT&...