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Apple And Google Clash With NHS Over COVID-19 App

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple and Google appear to be in a standoff with the UK’s National Health Service over the development of a COVID-19 contact tracing app. The Guardian reported that the firms’ desire to protect user privacy is as odds with proposals for the NHS’s app which aims to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

Apple and Google are encouraging health services worldwide to build contact-tracing apps that operate in a decentralised way, allowing individuals to know when they’ve been in contact with an infected person but preventing governments from using that data to build a picture of population movements in aggregate. Their policies, unveiled last week, mean that if the NHS goes ahead with its original plans, its app would face severe limitations on how it operates. The app would not work if the phone’s screen is turned off or if an app other than the contact-tracing app is being used at the same time. It would require the screen to be active all the time, rapidly running down battery life, and would leave users’ personal data at risk if their phone was lost or stolen while the app was in use.

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Eric Schmidt Says Coronavirus Should Make You Grateful For Big Tech

Andrew Orr ·

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt believes that the coronavirus should make everyone “a little bit grateful” for Big Tech, and direct their anger at the government instead.

The benefit of these corporations — which we love to malign — in terms of the ability to communicate … the ability to get information, is profound — and I hope people will remember that when this thing is finally over. So let’s be a little bit grateful that these companies got the capital, did the investment, built the tools that we’re using now and have really helped us out. Imagine having the same reality of this pandemic without these tools.

Of course, as Mr. Schmidt undoubtedly knows, reality is never black and white. We can be grateful to Big Tech while also keeping them and their policies in check. The internet is certainly an essential service, and this pandemic is an argument for making the internet a public utility.

Apple Music Offers Insight Into Popstars Lockdown Lives With ‘At Home’ Collection
Cool Stuff Found

Apple Music Offers Insight Into Popstars Lockdown Lives With 'At Home' Collection

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple Music now has a collection called “At Home.” It includes playlists compiled by a number of stars including Harry Styles and Charli XCX. There are also playlists to suit different moods. Furthermore, Beats 1 personalities such as Zane Lowe are joined by various music stars for FaceTime chats and there are interviews too. More content is on the way, and it is all available in the ‘Browse’ section of the Music app. (The link below will send you to Elton John’s playlist in the collection…because Elton John.)

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Keeper Unlimited Password Manager 3-Year Subscription: $53.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on Keeper, a password manager for iOS, Mac, Android, Windows, and Linux. With Keeper’s password manager and vault, you can generate, store, and AutoFill strong passwords on all devices while securely storing private documents. It also supports multiple forms of 2FA, including TOTP, SMS, Touch ID, Face ID, and U2F security keys (e.g. Yubikey). A 3-year subscription is $53.99 through our deal.