Ten US states, including NY and NJ, that account for ~21% of the US population have released a COVID-19 contact tracing app based on Apple and Google's API — - New York and New Jersey both released Covid-19 apps this week, bringing the total to 10 states which have published alert apps using technology …
If you love Subaru, you'll love the new Outback. [credit: Eric Bangeman ]
The Ascent may be a surprisingly good three-row SUV and the redesigned Forester has been selling well, but the Outback is still Subaru's best-selling car and its best-known model. The 2020 Outback marks the sixth generation of Subaru's venerable crossover. If you're a long-time Subaru owner looking to upgrade, there's plenty to like here. If you're new to Subaru, the Outback has some selling points that make it stand out from the crowd of compact crossovers.
On the outside, not a lot has changed for the Outback. With 8.7 inches (22cm) of ground clearance, the Outlook still rocks that classic let's-go-off-roading-to-the-grocery-store look. Built on Subaru's global platform, the sixth-generation Outlook looks very similar to the previous year's model. Unless you're looking closely at the grille, which has black accents instead of chrome, or the taillights, you'll be hard-pressed to spot any big differences. The biggest changes come under the hood and inside the cabin.
The 2020 Outlook still comes standard with the naturally aspirated 2.5L boxer engine, but there's now a turbocharged 2.4L power plant that comes with the XT model we tested. Available in an Outback for the first time since 2009, the turbocharged engine is capable of 260hp (191kW) at 5,600rpm and 277lb-ft (376Nm) of torque at 2,00rpm. The standard, horizontally mounted 2.5L engine sees some modest performance gains from last year: 182hp/134kW and 176lb-ft/237Nm, up from 175hp/129kW and 174lb-ft/235Nm—basically the same as the Forester. What hasn't changed is an eight-speed Lineartronic continuously variable transmission, which has the same upside (fuel economy) and downside (noise) as always. The entire Outback lineup now comes equipped with paddle-shifters and an eight-speed manual-mode function.
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Nokia has officially confirmed the launch of new smart TVs in India. The company's Indian website is teasing a new range of Smart TVs slated to be launched on October 6. To recall, Flipkart launched the first Nokia TV in India last year, followed by a 43-inch and 65-inch models and an Android TV box.
NokiaPowerUser recently reported that the new TVs will be a 32-inch and a 50-inch model. The BSI certification reports of these TVs were spotted in early August, which makes it more likely to be the same range of TVs.
As per the previous leak, the 50-inch TV and the 32-inch TV have the model number 50TAUHDN and 32TAHDN. The UHD in the model number of the 50-inch TV signifies that it could be a 4K TV just like the other TVs in Nokia’s portfolio. However, it looks like the 32-inch variant could be an HD or FHD TV as the model number has “HD” only in its name. To put things into perspective, the Nokia 43-inch TV has the model number 43CAUHDN, while the 55-inch variant has the model number 55CAUHDN and the 65-inch variant carries the model number 65CAUHDN.
The report also claims that the new TVs will not feature JBL speakers like the previous model, but have Onkyo speakers instead. Onkyo is a Japanese acoustic engineering company that makes audio devices.
The upcoming TVs are said to come with Android 9.0 out of the box and preloaded set of apps like Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+Hotstar. The 32-inch model is said to come with Full HD resolution and is expected to be priced under Rs 25,000. The 50-inch TV, on the other hand, could be priced between Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000.
The TVs are likely to bring some features from the existing series like Intelligent Dimming, DTS TruSurround, and Dolby Audio alongside Android TVs basic set of features.
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Enlarge / Doctor in protection gloves examining & organising test kit for COVID-19 in laboratory. (credit: Tang Ming Tung | Getty Images)
The US's COVID testing failure has unfurled in stages. First, there weren’t close to enough tests, thanks to cascading policy failures and supply chain issues. Once the supply problem gradually came under control, it was replaced by processing backlogs: As cases soared over the summer, many people were having to wait a week or more to get results back. A national survey in August found that only 37 percent of people receiving nasal swab tests were getting results back in the two-day window necessary for effective contract tracing, while nearly a third of tests were taking longer than four days. This delay meant that, as Bill Gates colorfully told WIRED’s Steven Levy in August, “The majority of all US tests are completely garbage.” The root of the problem, Gates said, was that the federal reimbursement rate for the labs that process COVID tests is the same regardless of how long the results take. Change that, he argued, and the labs processing tests “will fix it overnight.”
A new House bill would aim to make Gates’ idea reality. On Thursday, Mikie Sherrill, a freshman congressperson from New Jersey, introduced the SPEEDY Act, which would tie federal reimbursement to test result speeds. (The full name is the “Strictly Pay for Efficient and Expedited Delivery of Your (SPEEDY) COVID-19 Test Act.”) At the outset of the pandemic, the government was paying about $51 per test for people covered by federal health plans. (The average marginal cost of a standard PCR test varies, but at a high-volume lab it runs at about $40.) To encourage labs to increase capacity, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) raised that to $100 in April. Under the SPEEDY Act, tests that deliver results in 24 hours would be rewarded with $125; within 48 hours, the current $100 rate would apply; and for results within 72 hours, labs would go back to the pre-April reimbursement. The government wouldn’t pay at all for results that come back after 72 hours. (To avoid having labs just give up on tests after that window closes, the law would require them to still process the tests in order to participate in Medicare.)
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A look at Alibaba's Tmall Haofang, a new sales channel on Tmall for buying homes online; Tmall Haofang says it'll use 3D tech and live streaming to help buyers — Developers are listing their home projects on Tmall Haofang, a new sales channel by world's largest e-commerce platform Selected projects sold …
How Taiwan's biggest chip maker TSMC is caught in a tough spot, forced to heed the dictates of Trump's tech policy, while trying to keep many customers in China — The island's biggest chip maker has been a coveted partner to both battling giants. But rising nationalism is making it harder to keep the middle ground.
Solo.io, a cloud-based API infrastructure startup, raises $23M Series B led by Redpoint Ventures and True Ventures, bringing its total raised to $37M — Cloud-native software company Solo.io Inc. said today it has bagged $23 million in new funding. — The Series B round was led …
ScriptDrop, an on-demand service that partners with pharmacies to deliver prescription medications to patients, raises $15M Series A led by Ohio Innovation Fund — Medication access startup ScriptDrop closed on an oversubscribed $15 million round of Series A funding led by the Ohio Innovation Fund.
Neuron Mobility, an e-scooter rental service operating in Australia, New Zealand, and SE Asia, adds $12M to its Series A, bringing the round's total to $30.5M — Neuron Mobility, a Singapore-based e-scooter rental startup, announced today that it has added $12 million to its Series A. Led by Square Peg …
Snappr raises $10M Series A led by Basis Set Ventures to develop its photographer and visual content on-demand marketplace, bringing its total raised to $13M — Snappr raised $10 million in Series A funding to further develop its photographer and visual content marketplace.
Abner Li / 9to5Google : YouTube launches a Premium paywall for song lyrics on YouTube Music, after testing it in recent months; users get...
