Computer America

Computer and Technology News.
Topics:
Intel’s neuromorphic chip learns to ‘smell’ 10 hazardous chemicals | Engadget

Microsoft unveils a ton of Xbox Series X hardware details | Engadget

AMD’s efficient Ryzen 9 CPUs target Intel’s gaming laptop crown | Engadget

Microsoft hits its goal of 1 billion devices running Windows 10 – The Verge

Apple accidentally listed four new iPad Pro models on its website | Engadget

Nearly 20 Million People Were Using Steam Today, Shattering Record – IGN

Password found to rescue victims of malicious COVID-19 tracker app

Universal is releasing movies in theaters and at home on the same day | Engadget

Uncensored Minecraft Library

Amazon to hire 100,000 people to handle coronavirus-induced online shopping – CBS News

TikTok will stop using China-based moderators to screen foreign content | Engadget

TikTok Told Moderators: Suppress Posts by the “Ugly” and Poor
For full show notes, check out ComputerAmerica.com!

Today’s show was dedicated entirely to the idea that false information is working its way through the system.

Topics:
4 Tips for Spotting a Fake News Story | Harvard Summer School

Introducing Poynter’s International Fact-checking Network – Poynter

How to Spot Fake News – FactCheck.org

ABCnews.com.co – Wikipedia

WTOE 5NEWS – WTOE 5NEWS

Brazilian president Bolsonaro’s coronavirus test shows how media can misinform, too

Whole Foods workers angry over coronavirus paid time off policy

Fake News: How to Spot It

7 ways to avoid misinformation during the coronavirus pandemic – Poynter

Contrary to False Posts, Sanitizer Helpful Against Coronavirus – FactCheck.org

Twitter takes down coronavirus tweets from John McAfee, David Clarke, and others – The Verge

PowerPoint Presentation

Divorce cases spike in China after ‘couples spend too much time during coronavirus quarantine’ | Daily Mail Online

Manipulated Video Targeting Pelosi Goes Viral – FactCheck.org

There’s a coronavirus rumor going viral about a national quarantine — it’s fake – The Verge

Coronavirus Fears Haven’t Sunk Sales of Corona Beer in U.S. – FactCheck.org

Guide: How to spot cheap, out-of-context and deepfake videos | Africa Check

How to detect video that’s been manipulated
For full show notes, check out ComputerAmerica.com!

For more about me, see: https://ralphbond.wixsite.com/aboutme

Today I'm available to provide spot project support in PR, podcast production, and general marketing communications. My 10 years of service to Autodesk introduced me to the world of Architecture, Engineering and Construction [AEC] technology. I'm always open to project work in that field.

Computer And Technology News
Topics:
E3 cancelled: World’s biggest gaming event axed because of coronavirus, reports say | The Independent

Apple is shutting down all of its stores in Italy indefinitely due to the coronavirus – The Verge

YouTube will allow some creators to monetize coronavirus videos | Engadget

California ends opposition to T-Mobile and Sprint merger | Engadget

EU plans to introduce sweeping ‘right to repair’ legislation for electronics | Engadget

UK to levy additional tax on big tech companies beginning April 1st | Engadget

Elon Musk: Starlink latency will be good enough for competitive gaming | Ars Technica

How Riot Games’ new team plans to curb trolling before it begins | Engadget

Get your first look at a real Pixel 4a prototype | Ars Technica

NASA’s future monster rocket is once again over budget and behind schedule – The Verge
For more interviews, reviews, news, radio, podcasts, video, and more, check out ComputerAmerica.com!

Introduction
Before we get started, you should really follow my YouTube channel, my personal Websites, and if you are curious, my Flipboard magazines where you can follow the things that catch my attention.

Subscribe to Marcel’s YouTube channel where you can view the latest editions of the Cooking With Linux show.
https://www.youtube.com/user/freethinkeratlarge/

You might also want to support Marcel’s video habits on Patreon.
https://patreon.com/marcelgagne

“Cooking With Linux” on Flipboard https://flipboard.com/@wftl/cooking-with-linux-oun4gv1ly

My own site is http://marcelgagne.com where I talk about whatever comes into my head, including Linux and Open Source software. If you just want the Linux and Open Source stuff, head over to http://cookingwithlinux.com .


Today’s Wine

Today, we travel to Spain for our feature wine. It’s a 2018 Verdejo Sauvignon Blanc by Toro Bravo, of La Mancha, Spain. The Verdejo accounts for 70% of the grapes with the remaining 30% going to the Sauvignon Blanc grapes. This is a lovely crisp, straw colored white, with pear overtones coupled with a lemony zest. There’s also a hint of mustard that follows in behind, giving this wine a great deal more character than you’d expect in a $7 bottle of wine (Canadian prices). Honestly, there’s no way a wine this cheap should taste so good, but it does.

Enjoy!

News. Rumors. Conspiracy Theories
The EU has officially adopted Signal for its instant messaging because “privacy”
https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/24/21150918/european-commission-signal-encrypted-messaging

Open Source sustainability called into question
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/new-study-throws-the-open-source-sustainability-debate-into-question/

Latest episode of TIC TEK TOE drops at #011
https://tic-tek-toe.com/2020/02/14/not-that-virus-restaurants-stupid-government-oversight-star-trek-picard-bad-science-and-alcohol/

Today’s Featured Topic
Linux, Open Source, and Civil Disobedience

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the Open Source community and its willingness to flout local and international laws, sometimes for very good reasons. For example, think back, if you can, to “libdvdcss,” a library that allowed Linux users to play encrypted DVDs on their computers, even though that could bring a felony charge in the United States. Consider that users had movies on DVD that they bought and paid for, and they wanted to play them on a DVD player they had bought and paid for, using a computer they had bought a paid for. Despite following all the rules and legally paying for every hardware piece along the chain, Linux users were barred because the code necessary to allow that to play their legal content was barred to them.

So they broke the encryption, thereby breaking the law, the infamous Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA. The whole thing was obviously unfair, at least to those of us in the Linux community, so it seemed like a good reason to ignore the law. This law, remember, carried a felony charge.

Open Source VR Worlds

I’ve been spending a lot of time in VR lately, mostly playing games like “Drop Dead: Dual Strike” and “Sairento VR”, but I’ve also been exploring virtual worlds like AltspaceVR and VRChat. It’s in this search that I found out about Mozilla HUBS, a completely open source VR (social) platform.

https://hubs.mozilla.com

Distribution Focus
I’m always on the lookout for something really new and this month, I have a real winner. It’s called eXternOS and it’s create by a guy named, Anesu Chiodze. The idea is frankly new and very fresh. It’s powered by NW.js for it’s desktop.


You can find, and download, your copy here:

https://externos.io
Other Stuff
Bonus content!

We never have time for bonus content!

Until next time . . . A votre santé! Bon appétit!

— Marcel Gagné

First Segment: Andrew Skafel, CEO, Edgewater Wireless.
Edgewater Wireless is revolutionizing Wi-Fi infrastructure with our patented (over 20 and counting) MCSR™ technology and Next Generation Access Points. MCSR™ is the difference, delivering up to 50x greater throughput vs traditional Wi-Fi and dramatically lowering network infrastructure investment.

Edgewater Wireless commercializes leading edge wireless technologies for the service provider market. With a rich patent portfolio and some of the world’s most talented engineers, Edgewater Wireless is developing what service providers and your customers have long been asking for — vastly improved Wi-Fi network performance across a variety of industries and challenging environments with unparalleled performance, high flexibility and unsurpassed security.

Topics:
INVESTOR PRESENTATION – Edgewater Wireless

Edgewater Investor presentation

German state bans Office 365 in schools, citing privacy concerns – The Verge

New $3 ‘robot lawyer’ can automatically sue data brokers for not deleting your personal info | Fortune

DuckDuckGo Made a List of Jerks Tracking You Online

DoNotPay – The World’s First Robot Lawyer

Scientists break Google’s quantum algorithm

Researchers discover that Intel chips have an unfixable security flaw | Engadget
For full show notes, check out ComputerAmerica.com!

WORX, Tom Duncan, Executive Board Chair.
WORX employees easily find themselves motivated to innovate — it’s a message our President and CEO Tom Duncan has stood behind his entire career.

Tom has brought over a decade’s worth of international business experience and leadership to help create a tightknit team that’s efficient, collaborative and known for innovation and excellence.

Tom’s mantra: “Our company is winning not only because of our knowledge but because of our passion. It’s easy to work hard when you love what you’re doing. And I absolutely love what I’m doing.”

Topics:
Landroid M 20V Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower – WR140 | WORX

WORX Landroid Robotic Lawn Mower – YouTube

Landroid Boundary Wire Kit – WA0184 | WORX

Landroid Choose Landroid

Plague Inc. removed from Chinese app stores amid outbreak · TechNode

First Amendment doesn’t apply on YouTube; judges reject PragerU lawsuit | Ars Technica
For full show notes, check out ComputerAmerica.com!

Swann Security. Jeremy Stewart, VP of Global Marketing
Swann has always been a leader. From humble beginnings in the basement of David Swann’s family home in Melbourne, Australia the business now has offices in the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Hong Kong and China and a presence in over 40 countries on 6 continents. Swann pioneered the category of Do-it-Yourself security and is proud of the work it has done to make local communities safer. Today, Swann is part of the Infinova Group, providing the business with enhanced manufacturing capabilities, cutting-edge research and development of security and networking solutions, and access to an expanded international network.

Topics:
Spotlight Outdoor Security Camera USA

Wireless Home Security Systems | Swann Security USA

Innovation Award Honorees – CES 2020

Hackers Can Clone Millions of Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia Keys | WIRED

Ex-Waymo engineer Levandowski ordered to pay Google $179 million | Engadget
For full show notes, check out ComputerAmerica.com!

Nathan Evans, Managing Editor, Popzara.
Throughout Popzara you’ll find views on gaming, movies, technology, cultural icons and so much more. Reviews and previews, in-depth analyses, opinion pieces, conversations, and a regularly updated Podcast help keep things interesting and always entertaining. Our diverse editorial staff is committed to bringing this cornucopia of editorial goodness in fair-minded and positive ways, with minimal snark. A little bit of everything for the discriminating reader and curious listener is what you’ll find at Popzara.

Topics:
Xbox, Epic, and Unity are the latest to cancel GDC plans

Coronavirus concerns prompt cancellation of Facebook F8 developer conference – CNET

First Amendment doesn’t apply on YouTube; judges reject PragerU lawsuit | Ars Technica
For full show notes, check out ComputerAmerica.com!

Mike Cermak, Techguy.org, Correspondent

Uber, Lyft issue coronavirus warnings, but some drivers feel left in the lurch – CNET

Uber temporarily shutters 240 accounts in Mexico because of coronavirus – CNET

Amazon removes 1 million products for misleading claims, price gouging amid coronavirus outbreak – ABC News

Clean phone, happy phone: Get a UV sanitizer for $60 or less – CNET

SETI@home Search for Alien Life Project Shuts Down After 21 Years

Did Apple throttle your iPhone? Settlement will give you a whopping $25 | Ars Technica

Tesla customer lawsuit claims company throttled battery range | Autoblog

The PlayStation 2 turns 20 and our readers have feelings | Engadget

For full show notes, check out ComputerAmerica.com!