Eye on Tech

The president's executive order to reign-in social media is based on the unproven assumption that they discriminate against conservatives and a misunderstanding of the First Amendment, which applies to government, not private companies.

Until Tuesday, Twitter had never taken down or labelled any of President Trump's tweets. But it put a link on his claim that mail-in ballots are fraudulent, providing facts on the integrity of voting by mail

HBO is launching HBO Max on Wed to compete with the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. It's $15 a month but millions can get a free subscription depending on phone or cable provider.

3D printers have a new mission during Covid-19. They're being used to make personal protection equipment (PPE) such as face masks and shields

President Trump is using Twitter to complain that it and other social media companies are illegally discriminating against conservatives. But that tweet, like social media posts from millions of conservatives, was not taken down.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees that -- over the coming years -- it may be possible for more than half of them to work from home. Some like that idea and others want to get back to the office. But the company has learned that employees can be productive without coming into the office.

Apple and Google have released the underlying technology for public health officials to develop Covid-19 tracing apps.

Facebook is launching Shops to enables businesses to sell products on Facebook and Instagram

A scanner from Butterfly Networks connects to a smartphone to perform ultrasounds at home under the guidance of a medical professional.

Facebook has acquired the popular GIF making app Giphy, which will become part of Instagram

Apple's acquisition of the sports virtual reality streaming company NextVR is an indication that Apple is likely to introduce a VR and augmented reality headset

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced that Chinese hackers may be trying to infiltrate networks of U.S. Covid-19 researchers. The Wall Street Journal reports that Iran may also be attempting to hack research facilities.

Facebook said it took down 9.6 million pieces of hate speech and hundreds of thousands of misleading Covid-19 posts

Twitter will post warnings about disputed Covid-19 related information on its platform

Singapore is using a robotic dog to patrol a park and warn people to keep their distance to prevent the spread of Covid-19

The new Android app, "Read Along by Google" helps children with their reading skills via a character in-named Diya who uses Google’s text-to-speech and speech recognition technology to verify if the child is reading correctly.

Facebook has revealed details and the names of the initial 20 members of its independent oversight board that will have the power to overrule CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding what content to leave up or take down.

Google and Apple have shown samples of the screen for the Covid-19 tracing apps that will be based on technology they're developing.

Apple has a new MacBook Pro starting at $1,299 with double the base storage as the previous model

People staying at home means more people watching streaming video but it also puts production on hold. Disney is responding by streaming new films ahead of schedule and adding older movies from its catalog.

Earnings reports from Amazon and Facebook show increased revenue and usage, but Amazon's profits and down and Facebook's future profits this year are questionable

Both Google and Facebook are now offering free video conferencing services to complete with Zoom.

Otter.AI, a company that provides a web-based transcription service, can now embed live transcriptions inside Zoom meetings

A Tesla software update enables cars with the "full self driving" package to automatically stop and stop signs and red lights.

Facebook is going after Zoom with its new Messenger Rooms that enable up to 50 people to have a video chat with no time limits

The FCC on Thursday approved the use of unlicensed spectrum for higher speed 6 Ghz WiFi

YouTube, which now reaches more than 2 billion people a month, started with a short and humble video

Scam artists are taking advantage of the Covid-19 crisis and some people are taking the bait.

Taking down posts promoting in-person demonstrations is not about suppressing opinion, says Facebook, but protecting public health and adhering to state laws

Google's Chrome browser now lets you organize your open tabs into groups

TikTok, the popular app that allows users to share short (typically 15 second) videos announced Family Pairing to give parents greater control over their teen’s safety setting.

Apple announced the new iPhone SE, starting at $399, making it cost-competitive with moderately priced Android phones

Chinese phone maker OnePlus announced two new phones. The flagship OnePlus 8 Pro starts at $899 and features a stunning 120 Ghz screen. Both it and the $699 OnePlus 8 are 5G compatible.

Apple and Google are collaborating on technology that uses phones' Bluetooth to trace who people have been in proximity. If one is later infected, it anonymously notifies people they've been near

Korean phone maker LG is upping its came when it comes to both the name and design of its upcoming Velvet phone.

Facebook's new Quiet Mode stops notifications and reminds you to take a break

Some school districts have banned Zoom, but there video conferencing tool has been made safer since we started hearing about 'Zoombombing' disruptions of meetings and classes.

In an effort to limit the spread of false information, WhatsApp is limiting the number of times people can forward messages

It's always a good time to review your security settings and passwords but, if you're working from home, now is a very good time for such a review.

There's a false rumor spreading on social media that 5G cellular networks could have caused or might spread Covid-19. It's totally false, so don't believe or spread it.

April 3rd marks the 10th anniversary of when the Apple iPad became available to purchase.

There are online tools that will help you calculate, based on family size, how much food to buy for 2 weeks along with how many rolls of toilet paper your family needs.

The merger between Sprint and T-Mobile is expected to go into effect April 1st. What will it mean for customers?

Office 365 will become Microsoft 365 --- a subscription service with new writing tools and other features and benefits

The Folding@Home project is asking people to download software so their idle computer can run simulations to help find a cure for Covid-19

Even if your local library is closed for now, it may offer digital collections of books, magazines, movies and more

YouTube has reduced video quality worldwide to preserve internet bandwidth. Netflix has done so in Europe. So far, the internet is holding up OK.

Eye on Tech's Larry Magid is staying connected while staying at home

Amazon is delaying shipping of non-essential items for up to a month. The company is struggling to keep up with increased demand because of the Coronavirus. It is also hiring an additional 100,000 workers in the U.S.

It may not be possible to bring a tech device in for service or have a technician or tech-savvy friend come over. But there are tools you can install that will allow a person you trust to remotely access your machine to diagnose and fix problems.

As schools close, some students are getting laptops and tablets to continue their education while others are getting packets, if that.