• WhatsApp video chat now supports up to eight people thanks to a new update that’s currently rolling out to users.
• WhatsApp video calls are end-to-end encrypted, unlike the newly released Messenger Rooms video conferencing app.
• WhatsApp will also receive Rooms support soon, a new leak reveals.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

The novel coronavirus pandemic altered the way we live our lives, forcing us to spend more time indoors than we’d have wanted. But as annoying as these social measures might seem, they’re a necessity. Staying away from other people might save your life and theirs, as it’ll help curb the transmission of COVID-19. Thankfully, technology is here to help at every step of the way. Thanks to the internet, any smart device can be turned into an entertainment platform. YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, and any other streaming platform is ready to deliver instant access to movies, TV shows, and music. Games are also one tap away. And for those who have to study or work from home, there’s plenty of software to get the job done.

It’s actually the COVID-19 pandemic that made video chat apps even more popular, with Zoom being the clear winner. Zoom may have been riddled with privacy and security issues, but the video conferencing software is incredibly easy to use, whether it’s for school/work or for talking to your friends and family. Google updated its Meets platform to replicate some of Zoom’s features. Facebook just launched Messenger Rooms, a Zoom-like video chat app that works on any devices, regardless of whether you have a Facebook account. The app will also soon work with Instagram Direct, Portal, and WhatsApp. While you wait, you can at least take advantage of WhatsApp’s newest video calling feature, support for up to eight people.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Sunday: 3 different face masks, AirPods Pro, iPhone screen protectors, Bose 700, more
3. Today’s best deals: Face masks back in stock, $9 wireless charger, $37 headphones, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $199 Nest, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive
2. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones
3. The Pentagon just released three UFO videos, as if 2020 wasn’t already weird enough

WhatsApp video chat supports groups of up to 8 people ahead of Rooms integration originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 28 Apr 2020 at 07:31:03 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

• iPhone SE users have noticed that Haptic Touch doesn’t work on lock screen notifications or inside Notification Center.
• It appears that Haptic Touch behaves as it should, so this isn’t an iPhone SE software bug.
• There is a way to bypass the limitation, and that’s to use a different gesture on the incoming notifications that you want to interact with.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

The iPhone SE is a budget phone that has no rival right now. It’s the cheapest “new iPhone” you can buy, featuring the same powerful A13 chip that you get with any of the three iPhone 11 models. The A13 is so powerful that other 2020 flagship handsets will have a tough time keeping up. The $399 will receive new software updates for several years, well beyond what Android phones can’t offer, and that’s why the inclusion of the A13 chip in the package is so important. But no matter how amazing the iPhone SE might sound like it does feature a few compromises and limitations. For $399, you get a 2014 iPhone design, complete with large top and bottom bezels, and the rear camera is still a single-lens shooter — but at least it’s better than the iPhone XR’s camera thanks to the same A13 chip. Also, the phone lacks the 3D Touch screen layer that was a staple of iPhones since the iPhone 6s. Haptic Touch replaced 3D Touch on all phones, even the ones that still have 3D Touch hardware components, and the iPhone SE got it as well. But Haptic Touch does have an issue on iPhone SE: it doesn’t let you expand lock screen notifications. And it’s not a bug.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Sunday: 3 different face masks, AirPods Pro, iPhone screen protectors, Bose 700, more
3. Today’s best deals: Face masks back in stock, $9 wireless charger, $37 headphones, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $199 Nest, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Promising coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September
2. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones
3. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive

iPhone SE can’t expand lock screen notifications – and it’s not a bug originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 28 Apr 2020 at 06:50:02 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

• As if 2020 wasn’t a bizarre enough of a year already, the Pentagon sparked a flurry of news headlines Monday thanks to a turn of events that sounds like the stuff of science fiction movies.
• UFO videos declassified by the Pentagon were released on Monday, following the confirmation of their existence back in the fall by the US Navy — which initially refused to release them on national security grounds.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

At the beginning of this year, we were among a slew of media outlets who reported that the Navy was sitting on a small handful of videos purporting to show UFOs flying rapidly and in a weird fashion over the Pacific Ocean. At the time, the official line from the Office of Naval Intelligence was that, to borrow that famous line from the X-Files, the truth is definitely out there, but releasing the videos that the Navy was sitting on would supposedly cause “exceptionally grave damage” to the country’s national security.

On Monday, the Pentagon went ahead and released the footage. Which makes this something like the millionth piece of evidence so far that proves 2020 will go down as the most bizarre year in generations.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. Where to buy face masks online for coronavirus
3. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Sunday: 3 different face masks, AirPods Pro, iPhone screen protectors, Bose 700, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Promising coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September
2. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones
3. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive

The Pentagon just released three UFO videos, as if 2020 wasn’t already weird enough originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 28 Apr 2020 at 00:47:16 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

• Researchers developed a system that uses a brain implant and brain-computer interface to translate signals between the brain and limbs of a paralyzed person.
• Early testing shows that the system can restore the sense of touch and even allow a paralyzed patient to play Guitar Hero.
• Eventually, as the technology is further improved, a wearable version of this system could provide paralyzed patients with far more freedom than they currently have.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

When a person becomes paralyzed, whether by traumatic injury or as the result of a disease, there’s usually precious little hope for reversing it. Ian Burkhart became almost entirely paralyzed after an injury in 2010, and now he’s one of the first patients to show promise using a new system that combines a brain implant with signal-reading software to restore motion and, incredibly, the sense of touch.

As Syfy Wire reports, Burkhart’s progress is the subject of a new paper published in Cell, and it could change how doctors approach the difficult process of treating paralyzed patients.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. Where to buy face masks online for coronavirus
3. 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Sunday: 3 different face masks, AirPods Pro, iPhone screen protectors, Bose 700, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Promising coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September
2. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones
3. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive

Brain implant breakthrough may reverse paralysis originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 28 Apr 2020 at 00:15:12 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

• The fundraising organization Omaze has launched a donation drive to raise money for the Variety Boys & Girls Club, which is providing meals and emergency supplies to families during the coronavirus crisis.
• Everyone who donates will have a chance to win a prize that will surely excite fans of NBC’s beloved sitcom The Office – the chance to have a virtual coffee date with several The Office cast members including Oscar Nuñez, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, and Melora Hardin.
• More details about the donation drive can be found on the Omaze website.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

If there’s anyone out there who’d love a chance to hang out and enjoy a virtual coffee date with some of the erstwhile “people person’s paper people” from Dunder Mifflin, this one’s for you.

As you can probably imagine, nonprofits around the country are seriously hurting right now as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and even for those that aren’t, their mission is more critical than it’s ever been. That’s why the fundraising organization Omaze has announced a new donation drive, whereby people who donate funds that will go towards the Variety Boys & Girls Club — which is working to provide families during the coronavirus crisis with things like meals and emergency supplies — can also be in the running to win a virtual hangout session with several former cast members from NBC’s beloved sitcom The Office.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. Where to buy face masks online for coronavirus
3. Today’s best deals: Face masks back in stock, $9 wireless charger, $37 headphones, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $199 Nest, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Promising coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September
2. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones
3. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive

Here’s your chance to hang out with the cast of ‘The Office’ originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 27 Apr 2020 at 23:13:14 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

• With most people stuck at home right now, this might be a time when many of you are open to new credit card offers, since living our lives mostly online right now and ordering things for delivery tends to entail the use of cards instead of cash.
• Chase has the perfect credit card to consider adding to your wallet if you don’t already have it, especially if you’re looking for the best credit cards for rewards. This is our look at the Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits, plus all the other reasons this is the perfect card to sign up for at the moment.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

BGR has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. BGR and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic upended everyone’s daily life and routines — such that we’re now, among other things, relying on credit cards more than ever as we all socially distance at home, which means ordering more things online — the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was already regarded as one of the best mid-tier credit cards on the market. The best card, period, among some people, even, thanks to the way it’s gotten so many people started in the points-and-miles game and how it’s served as the first rewards credit card for many consumers who want to earn something back from purchases they make with plastic.

With so many great credit cards out there, why is this card still so highly regarded today? In this post, we’ll walk through our reasoning.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. Where to buy face masks online for coronavirus
3. Today’s best deals: Face masks back in stock, $9 wireless charger, $37 headphones, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $199 Nest, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Promising coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September
2. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive
3. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones

This credit card from Chase would be perfect to add to your wallet right now originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 27 Apr 2020 at 22:43:57 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

• Sony pushed back the launch of Spider-Man 3 by a few months, forcing Disney to make a few changes to other Phase 4 premiere dates.
• As a result of the coronavirus-related reshuffle, Thor 4 will launch a week earlier, and Doctor Strange 2 will premiere in late March 2022.
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now the last film in Marvel’s Phase 4, a spot that was once reserved to Thor: Love and Thunder.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

It seemed unfathomable a few months ago when the first reports from China detailed pneumonia of unknown origin, but the novel coronavirus turned into a full-blown pandemic that shut down life as we knew it. The entire world went into hiding, trying to stay away from an invisible, highly infectious microorganism. And every activity that involved gatherings of people came to a halt. Schools closed. Sporting events were delayed around the world, and theaters and cinemas shut their doors. Millions of people lost their jobs, while others were instructed to work from home.

Of course, this also affected the entertainment industry, as studios were forced to close up shop on various productions. Studios postponed the releases of their most significant blockbusters of the year, movies that are expected to make hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office. Black Widow, which was initially due on May 1st, was delayed by six months, and this forced Disney to push back every other MCU Phase 4 film, except for one: Spider-Man 3.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. Where to buy face masks online for coronavirus
3. Today’s best deals: Face masks back in stock, $9 wireless charger, $37 headphones, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $199 Nest, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Promising coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September
2. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive
3. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones

Sony delayed ‘Spider-Man 3,’ forcing more MCU Phase 4 moves originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 27 Apr 2020 at 22:11:41 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

• Tesla recently released a new software update which enables Tesla vehicles to identify traffic lights and stop signs and react accordingly.
• Tesla notes that the feature will operate conservatively at first.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

Tesla’s Autopilot feature is certainly an incredible technical achievement and a compelling feature, but there’s no denying that the feature still has a lot of room for improvement. Tesla, however, remains committed to continuously updating its Autopilot software and making it as reliable and safe as it can possibly be.

Most recently, Tesla rolled out a software update that enables eligible Tesla vehicles with the right Autopilot package to identify traffic lights and stop signs and respond accordingly. If this all sounds familiar, it’s because Tesla started rolling the feature out a while back, with a few videos demonstrating the new software in action making their way onto YouTube.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. Where to buy face masks online for coronavirus
3. Today’s best deals: Face masks back in stock, $9 wireless charger, $37 headphones, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $199 Nest, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive
2. Promising coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September
3. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones

Autopilot now lets Tesla vehicles identify traffic lights and stop signs originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 27 Apr 2020 at 21:09:30 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

• Researchers have discovered that particles of the novel coronavirus can bind to air pollution, which could allow the virus to travel over more significant distances.
• The work is still preliminary, and the scientists have yet to prove whether the virus would still be able to infect humans after traveling on pollutants.
• The study was performed in the northern Italian province that’s been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 outbreak. The region is also one of the most polluted in Europe.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

More and more research seems to indicate that the novel coronavirus can travel well beyond the 3-6 feet that the WHO and CDC recommend as a safe distance. Contact tracing in China showed that a person infected members of three families sitting more than three feet from each other in a restaurant, as virus-laden droplets and micro-droplets were carried by the air conditioning system to other tables.

A study that analyzed how the virus can travel indoors inside a hospital found viral particles 13 feet from a patient, and it was due to the airflow in the area where COVID-19 patients were being treated. Other studies have looked at how droplets traveled in the air after a sneeze and a cough and theorized that micro-droplets could linger in the air for a more extended period, and possibly infect other people. All these studies seem to prove that the use of a mask is mandatory during the health crisis, even if it’s an improvised solution.

But what if the virus could travel for over much greater distances than we previously imagined? Researchers are studying the hypothesis after having discovered that the virus can bind to pollution particles.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. Where to buy face masks online for coronavirus
3. Today’s best deals: Face masks back in stock, $9 wireless charger, $37 headphones, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $199 Nest, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones
2. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive
3. Promising coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September

Researchers want to know if pollution helps coronavirus spread farther originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 27 Apr 2020 at 20:38:27 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

• A SpaceX Starship prototype successfully passed a cryo pressure test that claimed the claimed the lives of several of its predecessors.
• This particular prototype, SN4, will now proceed to a static fire test and hope to eventually get the chance to ‘hop’ a short distance so SpaceX can test out its launch and landing chops.
• Future versions of Starship are expected to make regular trips to Mars and eventually even head to other star systems, but we’re obviously still a long way off from that.
• Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.

An early Starship prototype has finally managed to pass a crucial test that claimed several of its predecessors. In a tweet by SpaceX boss Elon Musk we see the Starship prototype SN4 undergoing a cryogenic pressure test. Tests like this caused structural failures in several other Starship prototypes, and it’s a good sign for SpaceX that SN4 managed to remain in one piece.

The biggest news here, aside from the fact that the rocket prototype didn’t fail outright, is that a successful cryo pressure test means that the spacecraft could soon see its first test flights.

Continue reading…

Today’s Top Deals

1. 10 deep discounts on Amazon devices
2. Where to buy face masks online for coronavirus
3. Today’s best deals: Face masks back in stock, $9 wireless charger, $37 headphones, $18 Wi-Fi extender, $199 Nest, more

Trending Right Now:

1. Best Buy has so many limited-time deals today – here are the 10 best ones
2. Waiting for your stimulus check? Here’s when it might finally arrive
3. Promising coronavirus vaccine could be ready by September

A SpaceX Starship prototype survived a test its predecessors failed originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 27 Apr 2020 at 20:07:37 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report