Connect with us

Tech Hangover

Tech Hangover: The U.S government wants to track your phone to curb COVID-19’s reach

Wake me up when September ends.

Tech hangover coronavirus
Image: KnowTechie

We get it, you have a life. There’s no way you can read all of the day’s news in one single shot, let alone visit every web page, which is why we’re here to help. Well, sort of.

There’s a ton of tech news we weren’t able to cover throughout the day (hey, give us a break, we’re a small independent outfit), so to help you stay up to speed with everything we didn’t get to, we rounded up some of the biggest stories, which should help you keep up to date. Hence the tech hangover. 

Here’s some tech news you probably missed out on today (and when we say you, we mean us, but also…you).

U.S. government reportedly in talks with tech companies on how to use location data in COVID-19 fight 

Spam calls on a smartphone

Image: Unsplash

I can see a lot of people being put off by this idea, but in the end, it could surely help experts track the spread of this virus.

U.S. government officials are currently in discussion with a number of tech companies, including Facebook and Google,  around how data from cell phones might provide methods for combatting the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to a new Washington Post report. – TechCrunch via Washington Post

Internet’s largest social networks issue joint statement on COVID-19 misinformation

Tech hangover google apple amazon

Image: KnowTechie

Some of the companies included in this initiative include Facebook, Google, Linkedin, Reddit, Microsoft, YouTube, and Twitter. This is good.

The internet’s largest social networks have issued today a joint statement on the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, promising to fight fraud and curb misinformation shared on their platforms. – ZDNet

Amazon limiting shipments to certain types of products due to COVID-19 pandemic 

Amazon delivery boxes stacked on a porch

Image: Joe Rice-Jones / KnowTechie

By doing this, Amazon can focus on getting “household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products”

Amazon’s  “Fulfillment by Amazon” (FBA) program, through which it provides warehousing and shipment services for products from third-party sellers, was well as its larger vendor shipment services are being partially suspended through April 5 due to the global coronavirus outbreak. – TechCrunch

Uber Has Suspended Uber Pool Due To The Coronavirus 

Uber driver setting own price

Image: Unsplash

In the future, everything is suspended.

Uber has suspended its Uber Pool feature in the United States, Canada, London, and Paris due to the worsening outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Uber Pool allows riders to share rides via a route of predetermined stops. – BuzzFeed News

Legendary Piracy App Popcorn Time Comes Back From the Dead During Coronavirus Pandemic 

Popcorn time ios

We’ve covered Popcorn Time extensively here on KnowTechie. A while back it was shut down but now it seems to be back? Good timing.

Popcorn Time, the highly popular and extremely-easy-to-use “Netflix for piracy” service, came back Tuesday after a years-long hiatus. The move comes as people around the world are quarantined or being asked to stay in their homes during the coronavirus pandemic. – Motherboard

And in just case you missed some of our stuff earlier, here’s what you may have missed:


Notable Mentions

Amazon Said That During The Pandemic, Sales Are Soaring. Workers Say They Feel Unsafe. 

We Live in Zoom Now 

The Coronavirus Crisis Is Showing Us How to Live Online

A Side-By-Side Comparison Showing The Insane Decrease In Loading Time Between The New Xbox And The Xbox One X

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Follow us on Flipboard, Google News, or Apple News

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com or find him on Mastodon or Post.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TikTok wants to give you free money

More in Tech Hangover