Author Archives: Brittany A. Roston

Verizon has introduced Unlimited Plus, a new plan that offers wireless customers connectivity for their compatible tablets, laptops, and Verizon Jetpack hotspot devices. The plan offers both 4G LTE and 5G Ultra Wideband data, the latter of which is obviously dependent on using a device that supports the next-gen connectivity. In addition, Verizon is offering connected smartwatch owners a standalone plan for $10/month.

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The massively popular and controversial short video app TikTok may remain available to users in the United States following a new deal between the company, Oracle, and Walmart. The announcement comes from TikTok itself, which states that it is 'pleased' with this new arrangement and that it expects it will 'settle questions around TikTok's future in the US.' The announcement comes only days after President Trump's order to ban the app in the US over national security concerns.

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The Unicode Consortium has announced the finalized lineup of emoji for Emoji 13.1, adding a total of seven new images, as well as a huge number of skin tone variants for couples. These new emoji have been listed in the 'Emoji Recently Added v13.1' release on the Unicode website where anyone can browse the additions and their related keywords.

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Researchers with Hiroshima University in Japan have demonstrated that a UV light wavelength safe for use around humans is also capable of killing the virus that causes COVID-19. The newly published study is the first to show that Ultraviolet C light with a 222nm wavelength (Far-UVC) is effective against SARS-CoV-2 specifically, not just similarly-structured coronaviruses that pop up seasonally and cause less extreme illnesses.

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Months after officially opening to the public, Roku has finally settled a deal that will bring NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock to its platform, the company has announced. The news comes only days after the negotiations entered a more heated phase, with Roku and Comcast dragging their drama into the public light alongside the threat of Roku's platform entirely losing NBC TV apps.

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The United States Navy has tapped Lockheed Martin to study the potential for large autonomous ships that will be able to operate for long periods of time at sea without any human crew members. The company is now the main contractor behind the US Navy's Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV) competition, joining multiple other companies in working toward the eventual development and launch of a large autonomous ship.

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Many consumers have expressed frustration over YouTube's pushy Premium marketing, which often badgers users with prompts encouraging them to sign up for the service. The company may have taken things to a new level for iPhone users, though, by seemingly disabling their ability to use the system's picture-in-picture mode unless they pay for the subscription service. Users are, quite understandably, not happy about this change.

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The battle royale portion of Epic's hit game Fortnite will turn three years old later this month, and, as with the past two milestones, the company has planned a birthday celebration event for players. Though Epic hasn't revealed any official details about this event, we've seen a few leaks pop up since the most recent update hinting at the celebration and what it will offer players.

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Early on in the pandemic, there was some controversy over the use of homemade and reusable face masks, with the public expressing concerns over whether these common materials could suitably slow the spread of airborne droplets. A number of studies have validated the use of these masks, though they've focused on smaller droplets, not the larger ones expelled forcibly when sneezing.

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Earlier this week, Sony unveiled the prices for its upcoming PlayStation 5 console with preorders going live soon after. Many consumers found the price agreeable and were quick to preorder the console, but now there's some bad news to go alongside them: delays. Amazon has fired off an email to many customers who preordered the next-generation console through its platform, warning that shipments may be delayed beyond the console's release date.

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Weeks after it was announced that DC Universe would be moving its video content to WarnerMedia's HBO Max, the company has announced plans to relaunch the service as DC Universe Infinite, a comic book subscription service that provides users with access to the company's vast catalog. The service will first launch in the US, but DC plans to make it available internationally, as well.

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The European Space Agency has announced the funding of Hera, its part of the overall AIDA mission it will participate in with NASA. The Hera mission will involve sending a probe to investigate the impact of a NASA mission on an asteroid, two aspects of an overall mission designed to help protect our planet from asteroids. The awarded contract covers spacecraft design and more.

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