Brian Heater
Hardware Editor
The Latest from Brian Heater
Apple will donate 10M face masks to healthcare workers
By way of a working from home Twitter message, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company has sourced and will be donating 10 million face masks. The number is a sizable increase over the two milli
Tencent launches $100M fund to fight COVID-19
Tencent this week announced the launch of the Global Anti-Pandemic Fund, a $100 million effort designed to help curb the devastating spread of COVID-19. The news follows the launch of $100 million fun
Amazon issues COVID-19 guidelines, as cases are reported in multiple US fulfillment centers
For many across the world, online retail services like Amazon have become a lifeline, as the COVID-19 pandemic forces self- and government-imposed isolation. Warehouse employees and gig workers have b
Google Podcasts is finally available on iOS
Just in time for our collective house arrests, Google has unveiled a redesigned version of Podcasts. The revamped version of the app is centered around discovery, broken up into three primary tabs. Th
Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2 are a great-sounding pair of $300 earbuds
They’re doing construction in my apartment building right now. I live on the first floor and can hear the distinct sound of jackhammering on concrete coming from the basement below. There’s also t
Anchor expands Record With Friends to make remote podcasting easier across devices
Admit it, even if you’ve never thought about starting a podcast in your life, these last few weeks of isolation have made you consider the possibility. One of the least-harmful knock-on effects of t
Computex delayed until late September over continued COVID-19 concerns
Scheduled for early June in Taipei, Computex has been one of the world’s largest technology trade shows for decades now. It was also among the last big hold outs as events all over the world have be
Musicians pulled in $4.3M after Bandcamp waived revenue shares for 24 hours
Last week, popular music platform Bandcamp announced that it would be waiving its revenue shares from all sales for 24 hours, starting Friday morning. The move was an effort to help boost income for t
Carriers introduce plans to keep consumers connected during COVID-19 pandemic
Earlier this month, the FCC issued a new measure aimed at easing some of the burdens on consumers as COVID-19 continues to have an increasingly profound impact on nearly every aspect of life. Most or
Japan and IOC reach deal to postpone Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Update: Per earlier reports, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has agreed with the International Olympics Committee’s decision to delay the games. No word yet on timing, but the games will lik
How I (remotely) podcast
Over the last five-plus years of my podcast, I’ve turned down a number of interview offers with artists who weren’t able to meet face to face. I know a lot of folks who do great podcasts remotely,
A few things to consider before pitching a COVID-19 story
In recent weeks, the novel coronavirus has permeated nearly every aspect of our lives, from the work we do, to the food we buy, to the simple things we’ve tended to take for granted, like leaving ou
Tinder waives Passport fee to help users connect virtually around the world
Dating may be proving next to impossible for many during this era of mass social distancing, but Tinder’s hoping to leverage an existing feature to help bring people closer together. Virtually, at l
New York governor announces ‘100% workforce reduction’ for non-essential services
Update: The full order, including exceptions, is available here. In a press conference today, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced orders for residents to stay at home amid rising COVID-19
Amazon follows Netflix’s lead, reducing streaming quality in Europe
Following moves by Netflix and YouTube, Amazon announced today that it, too, will be throttling streaming bitrates in Europe in an effort to conserve bandwidth. The online giant confirmed the move in
Apple MacBook Air review
Let’s address the elephant in the room. There’s an undeniable irony reviewing an ultraportable laptop when you’re not allowed to leave your house. Of course, Apple didn’t see this coming. None
Here’s how TechCrunch is keeping our brains busy while we’re stuck at home
This is a difficult time. Whoever and wherever you are, your life is likely already changing in ways you never could have anticipated as the world grapples with the fast-spreading global outbreak of a
Workers sent home after Amazon warehouse employee tests positive for COVID-19
It was, it seems, only a matter of time before something like this happened. As we noted in yesterday’s FreshDirect story, not everyone has the ability of being able to shelter in place during the s
FreshDirect says worker who tested positive for COVID-19 not involved in food prep or delivery
Popular online grocer FreshDirect sent an email today notifying consumers that a warehouse worker has tested positive for COVID-19. CEO David McInerney stressed that the worker had not been present in
The 20 best startups from Y Combinator’s W20 Demo Day
With world events overtaking the tech world’s preferences to meet for coffees and convene at events, Y Combinator skipped its famous two-day live Demo event and went for a radical experiment: no