Ad Makers Use Deepfakes to 'Refresh' Old Content

With measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 putting a chokehold on their filming capabilities, advertising agencies are enhancing old content with new tech, including deepfakes. Deepfakes typically blend one person's likeness, or parts thereof, with the image of another person. For example, a recent commercial for State Farm insurance blended the mouth of 2020 ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne over the image of 1998 Mayne to make it appear as if the younger Mayne was predicting events in 2020.

HP's COVID-19 Response: There Should Be an Award for This

Some of the troubling reports of corporate responses to COVID-19 include forced work in unsafe areas, not enough -- or any -- protection gear, massive layoffs and furloughs, and the sense that a critical mass of well-paid CEOs and politicians don't get that many people live paycheck to paycheck. There are exceptions though. HP stands out for moving aggressively to protect not only its employees' lives but also their quality of life. HP generally knew what was going on when the virus outbreak was just starting.

9 Best Running Socks (2020): Compression, Moisture-Wicking, and More

Leave the cotton behind in favor of technical fabrics and constructions that help you pile on the miles.

16 Best Couch Co-Op Games (2020): PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch

These are some of the best local cooperative multiplayer games for 2 - 4 players—split screen fun for every gaming system.

The Best iPhone SE Deals (2020): And Should You Buy It?

The cheapest iPhone is back and just as powerful as its much pricier siblings. Here's where you can score great discounts on it.

Coronavirus: People-tracking wristbands tested to enforce lockdown

Several nations are testing people-tracking wristbands to make sure citizens stay at home.

How to Grieve and Support Others During a Pandemic

What can you do for a friend when you can't give them a hug? We talked to some experts to find out.

Facebook Gaming Powers Ahead With Live Streaming

Facebook has launched a free standalone app for creating and watching live video game play on Android devices. Some 700 million users already engage in gaming on the platform, but with its dedicated app Facebook is locking horns with the leaders in the market -- Amazon, Google and Microsoft. "Live streaming was a growth opportunity before the pandemic came along, and it's going to be a growth opportunity long after the pandemic has passed," observed Michael Goodman, director for digital media at Strategy Analytics.

Cosmos: Possible Worlds Fires Up Hopes and Dreams

Humans may be wanderers by nature, but in the year 2020, with planet Earth overrun by a pandemic, most human activity has come to a shocking halt. Perhaps one of the best things for a wandering race stuck at home is an opportunity to look outward -- to thought-travel into the boundless universe and dream of possibilities so grand and sweeping that they boomerang back from the far reaches of time and space to shower our poor struggling planet with hope. That's the experience Cosmos: Possible Worlds offers.

Why You Should Buy a Cheap Gaming Mouse

Using a mouse or a trackpad for a long period of time is going to give you carpal tunnel or mouse shoulder. Why not invest in gamer-approved peripherals?

Coronavirus lockdown: Laptops offered for online school lessons at home

Pupils studying at home will have online lessons and disadvantaged teenagers can borrow computers.

Coronavirus: AI steps up in battle against Covid-19

How machine learning is crunching data to search for drugs that could alleviate or cure Covid-19.

Coronavirus: German and Australian tracing apps 'ready in weeks'

Italy, Germany and Australia all announce progress on their tracing apps for the population.

Apple Offers 'Good Enough' iPhone SE at Attractive Price

Apple has introduced the second-gen iPhone SE, based on its A13 Bionic processor. The phone has the best single-camera system in an iPhone, according to the company. "I'd pay attention to the cameras," said Ramon Llamas, research director at IDC. "Apple insists that its iPhones have best-in-class cameras, and at the price points that the SE is shooting for, I'd be curious about the comparisons you could make." The device is offered in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB versions. Pricing begins at $399.

Burger King 'plant-based' Whopper tweets banned

Ads suggested the burger, which is cooked alongside meat, is suitable for vegans, the watchdog says.

Coronavirus: 20 suspected phone mast attacks over Easter

Industry body says conspiracy theories linking 5G to the pandemic are baseless and risking lives.

Coronavirus: UK confirms plan for its own contact tracing app

App will send yellow and red alerts to those who have come into contact with a suspected carrier.

Coronavirus: Churches live-stream to reach worshipers

With mass gatherings banned, some churches are providing online services to reach people.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake: 'This is not just for the players of the original'

The original 1997 game sold more than 12 million copies and a 2020 remake has just been released.

From the Moon to the Earth: Changing Perspectives

On July 20, 1969, Commander Neil Armstrong descended from the lunar module to become the first human to ever step on the surface of the Moon: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," he famously said. More than 50 years later, the next Moon landings are being prepared with the goal of landing the first woman on the Moon by 2024. This shows that we are still eager to explore the unknown and grasp the mysteries of the vast, wonderful universe. However, space exploration also puts the value of planet Earth in perspective.

Disney Plus racks up 50m subscribers in five months

Disney's new video streaming service almost doubles its subscription base during coronavirus lockdowns.

Steam Remote Play Together: Setup Guide and Best Games to Try

Steam lets you run local multiplayer videogames over the internet, allowing you to play with friends even when they’re not next to you.

Coronavirus: 'Reading about virus online makes me anxious'

Parents are urged to consider their children's mental health as they are kept indoors.

Airbnb hosts defy lockdown laws with 'Covid-19 retreats'

Government criticises "dangerous and irresponsible" listings of coronavirus isolation properties.

7 Best Pizza Ovens (2020): Outdoor, Indoor, Gas, and Wood

You want pizza? After months of testing, we picked our favorite portable pizza ovens for backyards, countertops, or camping.

Coronavirus: 'Not smart' memo shows Amazon's union stance

The firm's lawyer says his comments were personal, spoken out of emotional frustration.

11 Best Mattresses You Can Buy Online (2020): Memory Foam, Hybrid, and More

We tried dozens of bed-in-a-box mattresses. These are the best (and worst) we found.

Apple Buys Dark Sky in an Android Worst-Case Scenario

The best, most beautiful weather app is about to be an iOS exclusive.

Coronavirus: Zoom under increased scrutiny as popularity soars

The New York attorney general has written to the videoconferencing company about its security measures.

Living in the COVID-19 World: TV Hosts Struggle at Home

Being stuck at home gives us all way too much time to think, and many of us are burning through online content very rapidly. One of the things that's become painfully apparent is that TV shows that used to have live audiences -- like The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight -- have become almost unwatchable. In the context of the COVID-19 virus and our sudden need to view events remotely, coming up with ways to make audiences feel engaged has never been more critical. With today's technology, why not create virtual audiences?

Coronavirus: Mercedes F1 to make breathing aid

Thousands of the devices, which deliver oxygen to the lungs without needing a ventilator, could be made.

Upright Go 2 Review: A Posture Trainer That Works

Maybe a tiny vibrating device can remind you to sit up straight once and for all.

Coronavirus lockdown: Clubbers go online for music

With the coronavirus lockdown bringing normal nightlife to an end, some enterprising DJs are going online.

How to Get Your Data-Cap Fees Waived During the Pandemic

Verizon and AT&T will drop mobile data overage charges for customers experiencing financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus. 

Coronavirus: Tracking app aims for one million downloads

Experts warn people to be careful about other apps that claim to do the same.

Coronavirus: Millions yet to receive UK government's Covid-19 text

Vodafone has yet to deliver all the text messages urging the public to stay indoors when possible.

COVID-19 Outbreak: Thoughts From the Stay-at-Home Front

Steps can be taken to mitigate the threat of spreading the coronavirus to folks who are sheltering at home. For example, in many cases delivery drivers don't seem to have any protection, and if it's necessary to sign for something, customers are expected to touch a stylus or a screen that has been used by others. Drivers should be practicing social distancing, setting down packages at least six feet away instead of handing them to customers. Despite precautions, it's likely that someone in any given "isolated" home has or will get the virus.

UK coronavirus app 'must respect privacy rights'

Health chiefs are asked to be more open about plans for an app to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

Step-by-step guide: How to video call your family

This guide will show you how to make and receive video calls on a variety of devices.

Coronavirus: The school of Mum and Dad

There are plenty of online resources to help children keep learning while schools are closed.

Loss Prevention 101: Future-Proofing Your Network Begins With Resilience

Critical server outages cost businesses an average of $300,000 hourly, with many cases exceeding $5 million. As network demands increase and maximum uptime becomes a necessity, it is crucial to implement the proper processes and systems to ensure organizations constantly are able to mitigate the threat of outages. A host of factors can cause network or system downtime, from ISP carrier problems to power cuts and simple human errors. Additionally, network infrastructures are becoming more complicated.

Crowdsourcing App Takes Aim at COVID-19

Researchers into the COVID-19 virus have a new source of distributed computing power: crowdsourcing. Usually crowdsourcing involves information or opinion gathering, but in this case it involves computing power. By installing the Folding@home software program, anyone with a computer, gaming console, or even some phones and compute cycles to spare can contribute to the work of coronavirus researchers around the world. Folding@home is a distributed computing project from Stanford University's Pande Lab.

Apple iPad Pro and MacBook Air (2020): Specs, Features, Price

A new iPad Pro is in town as well as a refreshed MacBook Air. There's Lidar tech, better keyboards, and perhaps most importantly, a trackpad.

Carphone Warehouse to close all standalone stores at cost of 2,900 jobs

The move, which is not related to the coronavirus outbreak, will lead to 531 shops being shut.

Coronavirus: PM urges industry to help make NHS ventilators

Boris Johnson is to ask engineering firms to shift production lines to build the life-saving equipment.

Apple's WWDC annual showcase cancelled in favour of online event

The Worldwide Developers Conference is often where new hardware and software products are announced.

Game-playing robot admits mistakes, plus other news

BBC Click’s Kitty Knowles looks at some of the best technology news stories of the week.

How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer

No Purell? No problem! When disinfecting gel sells out everywhere, you can just make some yourself with stuff you (maybe) already have at home.

Google tells staff to work home due to coronavirus

Parent company Alphabet is the latest tech firm to make such a move as the outbreak spreads in the US.

Coronavirus: UK tactics defended as cases expected to rise

England's deputy chief medical officer says a "balanced response" could see further measures follow.