The Morning After: Weightlifting with a robotic exosuit
And the SSD bug that can brick drives after 40,000 hours.
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
When the International Olympic Committee decided to make the right call and postpone the Tokyo Olympics, I was disappointed. I was writing a story about Panasonic's robotic exosuits that were going to be assisting Tokyo visitors and Paralympic athletes this summer. I had hoped to report on all the major tech showcases that Japan had planned, too. (Like a broken record, yes, I used to live there and, sure, wanted to visit again.)
Whether it was self-driving transport, robotics or 8K broadcast, it was going to be a quintessentially tech Olympics. It still will be, I'm sure, just in 2021.
-- Mat
Xbox and PlayStation networks adjusted due to surging demand
In a statement sent to Engadget, Xbox product services corporate vice president Dave McCarthy said the company is "actively monitoring usage and making temporary adjustments as needed to ensure the smoothest possible experience for our gamers."
Meanwhile, in a blog post, Sony CEO Jim Ryan said that PlayStation was doing its bit to "address internet stability concerns," noting that players in Europe "may experience somewhat slower or delayed game downloads but will still enjoy robust gameplay."
Google Assistant's redesigned Snapshot feed is rolling out on iOS
You can check out the new experience by launching Assistant and tapping on the inbox icon (marked Update on Android) near the bottom left of the interface. You'll see the redesigned feed, which organizes information using chronological cards.
iFixit's MacBook Air teardown confirms 0.5mm thicker keyboard
Now that a new MacBook Air is here, it was just a matter of time before the repair-minded folks at iFixit took one apart. They focused on the upgraded keyboard -- to quote our Editor in Chief Dana Wollman: "I love this keyboard" -- and found that Apple was able to replace the butterfly mechanism of its recent laptops for a more satisfying scissor switch while only adding an extra half millimeter in thickness.
'Picard' finally shows us how 'Star Trek's' technology evolves
There's one new episode left in the first season of Star Trek: Picard, and Kris Naudus is looking back at one big way this series stands apart from other shows. "It's because we finally get to see what happens next in the Star Trek universe."
Google lets businesses mark locations as temporarily closed
When Sundar Pichai revealed Google's initial responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, he promised to give business owners a quick way to mark themselves as temporarily closed. Google My Business users can now do exactly that. Head to "Close this business on Google" in the menu to find the new feature, with three options: "Mark as temporarily closed," "Mark as permanently closed" and "Remove Listing." Prior to launching the capability, Google only relied on information from governments and other authoritative sources.
Of course, this all still depends on whether businesses take the time to update their status. Google previously said, however, that it's using AI tech to seek out businesses to confirm and update their operating hours.
But wait, there's more...
An enterprise SSD flaw will brick drives after exactly 40,000 hours if they aren't updated
A hacker stole and leaked the Xbox Series X graphics source code
NASCAR's virtual race was the most-watched esports TV show to date
The Big Picture: Hubble captures the immense 'tsunami' power of quasars
Comcast, Verizon make some on-demand viewing free, including Showtime and Epix
SpaceX parachute test failure could further delay crewed flight
Square Enix's 'War of the Visions' is a mobile spin on 'Final Fantasy Tactics'
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