• Google is widely expected to launch an affordable Pixel 4a phone in the coming weeks, possibly as soon as early June.
• The Pixel 4a release date has been delayed slightly, reports said earlier this week.
• The Pixel 4a price has also changed from previous estimates, and the phone might be even cheaper than before. The iPhone SE might be to blame for all that.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Google has been making phones for years, yet it failed to come up with its own iPhone-like success story. The Nexus handsets were cheaper than other devices, at least at first, but Google was unable to grow a large enough base of loyal users. The rebranding to Pixel came with a pivot to premium devices. Google wanted its Android flagships to be as good as the iPhones. That’s probably why the iPhone has been the primary source of inspiration for the Pixel series all these years. But even so, the Pixel series failed to sell as well as Google had hoped. So Google had to adjust its flagship-only strategy last year, and launch mid-range Pixels that people would want to buy. The Pixel 3a may have been a bigger success for Google than flagship versions, and it’s the Pixel 4a that might similarly boost sales. In fact, the Pixel 4a might be and even better deal, and it’s all the iPhone’s “fault.”

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Why Pixel fans should praise the iPhone originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 15 May 2020 at 07:31:54 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Google Chrome will implement new rules meant to prevent ads from consuming resources excessively.
• The browser will soon block ads from hogging CPU and network bandwidth to save battery life and data consumption.
• Google Chrome has been criticized for years for its battery drain problem on laptops.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Google Chrome is one of the most popular internet browsers out there, and it certainly deserves its crown. It works on all desktop and mobile platforms, as Google spent years improving its gateway to the internet. The browser does have a significant flaw, however, one that Google is finally ready to fix. Google Chrome is a serious resource hog, having a considerable impact on battery life on laptops. Forget about what the manufacturer tells you to expect. Run Chrome with a bunch of tabs open, and you’ll find yourself going for the charger faster than you’d have imagined. However, Google is now taking steps to address the issue. And, unsurprisingly, it’s about ads.

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Google is finally fixing the worst thing about Chrome originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 15 May 2020 at 06:50:36 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Scientists tried to figure out why otters like to juggle rocks but came up empty-handed.
• Several theories, including rock juggling to build dexterity or practice for getting food from shellfish, were largely debunked by the research.
• For now, it seems nobody really knows why the adorable animals juggle rocks.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Otters are adorable, intelligent, and… mysterious? You might not think of the furry little aquatic creature as having many tricks up their sleeve, but a new study by researchers at the University of Exeter reveals that otters have developed a habit that is hard for science to crack.

The study, which was published in Royal Society Open Science, focuses on otters’ rock-juggling habits and attempts to decode the peculiar behavior. Unfortunately for the researchers, they didn’t get far. The otters, it seems, will get to keep their secrets.

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Scientists can’t figure out why otters love to juggle originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 15 May 2020 at 00:15:03 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Amazon is seeing record sales at the moment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced millions of people to quarantine and hunker down at home — forcing them to rely even more on essential goods sold and delivered by Amazon.
• Because of Amazon’s record sales and strong earnings growth, that’s helping CEO Jeff Bezos’ to rise even higher, leading to speculation that his expanding net worth might soon (within this decade) see him become the first trillionaire in history.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Earlier this year, firebrand New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went viral for a clip of remarks she gave at an event which saw her on stage with author Ta-Nehisi Coates, who at one point gently prodded her to explain her contention that the existence of billionaires is “immoral.” Coates played devil’s advocate, asking the congresswoman to imagine a businessman who made billions of dollars “making widgets” and “selling those widgets.” Doesn’t he deserve the fruits of his labor? Ocasio-Cortez shot back that it wasn’t really his labor — “Well, you didn’t make those widgets, did you?” She pointed to the possibility of the workers who actually did make those widgets having likely been paid poverty wages, winding herself up to her applause line: “No one ever makes a billion dollars. You take a billion dollars.”

Point of clarification, though, congresswoman: Now tell us how you feel about the existence of trillionaires! Because that level of wealth, thanks to his company continuing to rake in record profits during the coronavirus pandemic, is starting to seem within reach as soon as this decade for Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

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Because of coronavirus, could Jeff Bezos become the first trillionaire? Maybe. originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 14 May 2020 at 23:39:21 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• The World Health Organization has stressed in recent days that no current coronavirus treatments being talked about or trialed can stop or kill the coronavirus that’s sparked a global pandemic.
• However, scientists are racing to find a coronavirus treatment that will work, which is why a group of UK researchers is taking a close look at a common household item they think might show promise — mouthwash.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Part of the reason why normal life seems so far away right now, and why it will still be a while longer before we can fully enjoy simple pleasures and conveniences of modern life again, is the fact that we still don’t know when we’re going to get two important things related to the coronavirus. One is a vaccine, and the other is a treatment that helps people who do test positive for the virus be able to manage it.

As a result, Congress is still considering additional massive economic stimulus to help the battered US economy, though we’re not likely to see anything along those lines anytime soon. Life is still in a weird kind of limbo most everywhere in the US right now, and really everywhere around the world, though scientists and researchers are racing to find a vaccine and a successful treatment for the virus. Even if that means trying something unusual, which is what several UK researchers are doing — by investigating whether, get this, mouthwash can successfully attack the deadly coronavirus.

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2. Today’s best deals: 70¢ face masks, AirPods Pro at new lowest price, Prime-exclusive deals, $19.59 earphones, more
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UK researchers are studying whether a simple household item can kill coronavirus originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 14 May 2020 at 23:13:15 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Ghost of Tsushima is coming out on PS4 in July, and on Thursday, Sucker Punch showed off 18 minutes of brand new gameplay from the open-world game.
• The 18-minute gameplay video shows off open-world exploration, different types of combat, and some of the abilities and skills that the main character Jin will be able to use.
• Ghost of Tsushima is one of the last major releases for PS4 ahead of the PS5’s launch.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Although many of us have already turned our attention to the next generation of game consoles, there are still a few major releases yet to come before the eighth generation ends. Last month, Sony confirmed the release dates for two triple-A games coming to PS4: The Last of Us Part II is making its delayed debut on June 19th, and Sucker Punch’s open-world samurai stealth adventure Ghost of Tsushima will follow on July 17th.

Between trailers and demos and leaks, we’ve seen plenty of The Last of Us Part II in recent months, but we’d yet to get a deep dive into Ghost of Tsushima, from the team behind the Infamous and Sly Cooper franchises. On Thursday, Sony finally delivered in a State of Play episode that featured 18 minutes of brand new gameplay footage from Ghost of Tsushima, providing details we’ve been waiting for since the game’s reveal.

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2. Coronavirus is flaring up again in the Chinese city where it began
3. Scientists genetically modified a mouse to be 4 percent human

‘Ghost of Tsushima’: Watch 18 minutes of brand new gameplay originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 14 May 2020 at 22:11:02 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• A new coronavirus study from Italy shows that plasma therapy can significantly reduce COVID-19 mortality in moderate to severe cases.
• The research shows plasma transfusion from COVID-19 survivors can improve the overall condition of patients and reduce the risk of complications and death.
• The study also indicates that antibody-based coronavirus treatment can yield results, and synthetic antibody drugs could be equally effective.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

The novel coronavirus is here to stay, experts warned this week. But that’s not as bad as it may sound. We’ve learned how to live with all sorts of pathogens over the years. Medical breakthroughs eradicated some of them, but others are harder to kill. Take the flu and AIDS, which keep spreading despite our best efforts. Yet both diseases can be managed successfully, as we have plenty of therapies that are safe and effective.

The same will be true of COVID-19 in the not-so-distant future. We might have a reliable cure even before vaccines are widely deployed, and we’ve seen a mountain of evidence to support that idea. Doctors have repurposed several drugs for COVID-19 therapy and are in the midst of creating antibody-based medications that could speed up recovery. A new study suggests antibody therapy can be useful, as doctors from Italy proved that plasma transfusion from recovered COVID-19 patients can reduce mortality rates in severe cases.

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1. When will more coronavirus stimulus checks go out? You won’t like the answer
2. Coronavirus is flaring up again in the Chinese city where it began
3. The world’s coronavirus problem is much bigger than we thought

Plasma treatment reduces death risk in coronavirus patients, new study says originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 14 May 2020 at 21:09:15 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Jupiter’s moon Europa may have a vast ocean of water beneath its surface, and new data from Galileo supports that theory.
• Researchers found that a lack of protons over Europa’s north pole could indicate an active water plume.
• Tidal forces prevent the water from freezing, but whether life exists there remains a mystery.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Jupiter’s moon Europa is an incredibly interesting place. It’s a massive ball of ice that scientists believe is hiding a vast ocean of liquid water. Proving that there’s water buried beneath the crust is tricky, but a new study reveals that data gathered two decades ago supports that theory.

As Gizmodo reports, a new paper published in Geophysical Research Letters focuses on readings taken by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft way back in 2000. During that mission, Galileo’s Energetic Particle Detector was constantly on the lookout for charged particles moving rapidly through space. When the spacecraft cruised over Europa’s north pole, its particle detector noted a dearth of protons.

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Europa’s hidden ocean supported by decades-old data originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 14 May 2020 at 20:07:41 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Facebook launched its Zoom rival, Messenger Rooms, in the US and Canada on Thursday.
• Messenger Rooms can hold up to 50 people, have no time limit, and don’t require an account.
• Messenger Rooms are free on Facebook, Messenger, and soon WhatsApp and Instagram as well.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Zoom got an early lead over the competition when the viral pandemic began, beating out other video chat apps with high-quality video streaming and a bunch of features that its rivals couldn’t match. The limitations of the free tier and the multitude of security concerns weren’t enough to turn away millions of new users, but over the past few weeks, some of the biggest technology companies in the world have set their sights on Zoom.

On Tuesday, Google Meet went free for anyone with an email address, with new features such as grid view in order to give Zoom a run for its money. Two days later, Facebook has announced that its own Zoom rival, Messenger Rooms, is now available to everyone in the US and Canada, completely free of charge.

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Facebook’s Zoom rival is now available in the US and Canada originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 14 May 2020 at 19:36:53 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• The U.S. has seen a record number of unemployment claims in recent weeks due to the coronavirus.
• The $2 trillion stimulus package passed in March calls for a $600 increase in weekly unemployment benefits.
• Unemployment benefit payouts vary by state, but a video helps provide a rough framework for how the weekly payout amount is calculated.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

As the coronavirus pandemic started sweeping across the country in March, all non-essential businesses closed up shop and millions of people found themselves stuck at home without a job. In turn, unemployment claims in the United States quickly reached historic levels. During the last week of March, the number of unemployment applications reached 6.9 million. As a point of contrast, unemployment applications hovered around the 210,000 mark this past January.

Though the volume of unemployment claims has dropped off in recent weeks, it’s still at a historically high level. In short, a large percentage of the U.S. workforce is without work, and there’s no indication as to when the economy might return to a fraction of its previous strength.

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2. The next stimulus check might be $5,000, but there’s a huge catch
3. Coronavirus is flaring up again in the Chinese city where it began

This video shows how to calculate your weekly unemployment payout originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 14 May 2020 at 19:05:43 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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