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New Facial Recognition Tech Works Even When People Are Wearing Masks

Charlotte Henry ·

Japan’s NEC has launched a facial recognition system that works even when people are wearing masks. Customers for the tool include Lufthansa and Swiss International Airlines, Shinya Takashima, assistant manager of the company’s digital platform division, told Reuters. (BBC News also reported that London’s Metropolitan Police uses the technology.)

The system determines when a person is wearing a mask and hones in on the parts that are not covered up, such as the eyes and surrounding areas, to verify the subject’s identity. Users register a photo of their face in advance. NEC says verification takes less than one second and claims an accuracy rate of more than 99.9%. The system can be used at security gates in office buildings and other facilities. NEC is also trialing the technology for automated payments at an unmanned convenience store in its Tokyo headquarters.

 

App Sale: ‘Book Track’ Library Manager on Sale for $2
Cool Stuff Found

App Sale: ‘Book Track’ Library Manager on Sale for $2

Andrew Orr ·

Book Track is a library manager and is currently on sale for US$1.99, down from US$4.99. Book Track is the application built for iPhone, iPad and Mac to easily keep track of the books you have purchased and which you would like to read. Manage your personal collection and wish list, searching for books by name or author, doing a barcode scan or entering them manually. Digitizing your personal library has never been easier or faster.

TMO Deals

KRAFTGUN Massage Gun: $369.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on the KRAFTGUN Massage Gun. This noise-free massage gun is equipped with a brushless 24V motor and a frequency that reaches up to 40Hz. It comes with three interchangeable attachments and 3.5 hours of work time. It’s $369.99 through our deal.

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‘ElectroRAT’ is the First Mac Malware Spotted in 2021

Andrew Orr ·

We’re barely a week into 2021 and a piece of Mac malware has already been spotted. Dubbed “ElectroRAT” its primary goal is to steal personal information from cryptocurrency users.

These [malicous] applications were promoted in cryptocurrency and blockchain-related forums such as bitcointalk and SteemCoinPan. The promotional posts, published by fake users, tempted readers to browse the applications’ web pages, where they could download the application without knowing they were actually installing malware.

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Why Apple Should Make a Foldable iPhone

Charlotte Henry ·

There has been increased talk of Apple making a foldable iPhone in the near(ish) future. Writing for Inc. Jason Aten said that he doesn’t expect such a device anytime soon, but that it should happen.

In the case of a foldable device, Apple is actually uniquely suited to building something that both makes sense and actually works. Unlike Samsung or Microsoft or Android, Apple makes both the software and the hardware and is very good at both.  And, Apple has clearly been working on the hardware. The company was awarded patents as far back as 2017 for “electronic devices with flexible displays.” As far as software, Apple’s advantage is that it can tailor the experience to whatever device it decides to build. I actually think there’s room for a device that fits into your pocket, but still unfolds into something you can use for more than just scrolling through your Twitter or Instagram feed. Honestly, the Z Fold2 was a great device for reading, consuming content, dealing with emails, sending messages, and even video chat. The Duo was even more interesting, especially because of how well made it was, and how thin its overall form factor.

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Program Your Own Robot or Drone With a pi-top Kit

Jeff Butts ·

I’ve been a fan of Raspberry Pi for years. This tiny computer can do so much with such a tiny footprint. It can be your desktop computer, a classic arcade game, or whatever you dream up. The board even features a general purpose input/ouput (GPIO) header. This allows you to incorporate electronics components, like sensors, LED lighting, motors and servos. Hobbyists have used the Raspberry Pi in robotics applications almost from day one. This latest product, though, takes the hobby to another level. It’s the pi-top [4] robotics kit, and it allows makers to develop just about anything they can imagine. It’s programmable in Python, .NET, and more. You can program your robot or drone to avoid obstacles, recognize lines and objects, respond to gestures, racognize faces, and more. The pi-top [4] Complete Kit includes everything you need to get started. You’ll get the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, the pi-top case, and enough electronic components to really get your feet wet. For construction of your robot or drone, the pi-top and included metal plate work with LEGO and Meccano, as well as things you make from raw materials or repurposed objects.

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President Trump Bans Transactions With Alipay and Other Chinese Apps

Charlotte Henry ·

Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that banned transactions with eight Chinese apps, Reuters reported. Those barred included Alipay.

The order argues that the United States must take “aggressive action” against developers of Chinese software applications to protect national security. It tasks the Commerce Department with defining which transactions will be banned under the directive within 45 days and targets Tencent Holdings Ltd’s QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay as well. The order also names CamScanner, SHAREit, Tencent QQ, VMate which is published by Alibaba Group subsidiary UCWeb, and Beijing Kingsoft Office Software’s WPS Office. “By accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information,” the executive order states.