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Apple bans Hong Kong safety map app
Apple has banned an app that's being used to help people avoid troublespots amid violent police repression of protests in the region (The Register). HKmap allows users to post the location of protests and police activity, and Apple told its creators that it has been banned because “the app allowed users to evade law enforcement.”
However, the app's creators note that that that it simply provides an information sharing service, in some cases duplicating the flag warnings shared by Hong Kong police themselves when they wish passers-by to avoid an illegal gathering.
Microsoft reveals folding dual-screen Surface phones and PCs
Microsoft has returned to making phones, starting with the folding, Android-based, dual-display Surface Duo, which has two 5.6in OLED screens and is scheduled for release in time for “Holiday 2020” (Ars Technica). Microsoft also showed off the folding, dual-screen Neo PC, which can be used as a laptop with one screen displaying a keyboard, or stood up to create a pair of 9-inch displays for use with an accompanying magnetic keyboard and trackpad.
Coming this year are a new ARM-based Surface Pro X and the latest version of the 15in Surface laptop, powered by a custom AMD Ryzen processor
Selective breeding made floppy-eared pet rabbits prone to disease
It's not just cats and dogs whose lives have been made painful by humans' desire to create fancy breeds: new research indicates that lop-eared rabbits are far more prone to painful dental and aural conditions that other breeds (Gizmodo). The domestic rabbits have been selectively bred to have long, floppy ears that massively compromise their keen lagomorphic hearing, which also led to a misshapen skull with narrow ear canals prone to painful infections, a short jaw and teeth that are prone to overgrowing, resulting in pain when eating.
Google will now let you know if your password has been hacked
Google will now alert you if you're using a password that has been compromised by hackers or leaked as part of a wider data breach (WIRED). The feature, Password Checkup, is built into Google's existing password manager and tells you if your username or password has been compromised in a third-party data breach. It'll also warn you if you're reusing passwords across different sites and let you know if your password should be strengthened.
Listen to seismic activity on Mars
Nasa has released a library of audio recordings captured by the InSight lander's air pressure sensors and seismometer (Space.com). That includes the first likely recording of a Marsquake, processed to make it audible to humans.
Google’s quantum leap
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
