Technology - Google News

Microsoft built Japan's contact-tracing app using Apple and Google tech - Engadget
Cyberpunk 2077 PS4 will get a free upgrade for PlayStation 5 - Eurogamer.net
Apple Events app for tvOS migrates to TV app, adds support for 4K streams [U] - 9to5Mac

Microsoft built Japan's contact-tracing app using Apple and Google tech - Engadget

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 04:53 AM PDT

Person using phone against white background — Christina Reichl Photography via Getty Images

Japan is finally getting ready to launch its COVID-19 contact-tracing app, which officials hope will help prevent a second wave of infections. The app — expected to roll out this week — has been besieged with various legislative challenges since work first began on it with the hopes of launching in early May. As Nikkei Asian Review reports, a government source involved in the discussions said, "We wanted to introduce the app when the sense of urgency was high among the public, but we did not make it in time."

The Japanese government commissioned a team of Microsoft developers to create the app, which uses core technology jointly developed by Apple and Google. Tokyo-based company Code for Japan was initially hired to lead the project, but conditions imposed by Apple and Google — namely that the software could only be managed by public health agencies — meant the project was eventually transferred to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare while another developer was found. Around a month's worth of work had gone to waste and in the meantime, contact-tracing apps were rolled out by more than 40 other countries.

The app — known in Japan as COCOA (COVID-19 Contact-Confirming Application) — uses Bluetooth to collect data when it comes into one-meter contact of another device for more than 15 minutes. If a person subsequently tells the app they have tested positive for COVID-19, it will scan two weeks' worth of contact data and inform anyone who had been in close proximity to the patient. It doesn't store any personal information like locations or phone numbers, in accordance with Apple and Google's tracking platform.

Japan's delay in launching the app has left some concerned about its effectiveness. According to the University of Oxford, this type of app needs to be used by 60 percent of the population to be useful. In countries that adopted contact-tracing apps early on, such as Singapore and Iceland, that figure stands at around just 40 percent. Integrating the technology with existing apps is also a no-go, due to Apple and Google's stipulations. As Nikkei reports, "A concrete plan for disseminating the app has yet to take shape," a spokesperson for Japan's health ministry said.

In this article: Japan, coronavirus, COVID-19, contact tracing, app, Microsoft, Apple, Google, news, gear

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Cyberpunk 2077 PS4 will get a free upgrade for PlayStation 5 - Eurogamer.net

Posted: 19 Jun 2020 02:36 AM PDT

Cyberpunk 2077's PS4 version will be playable on PlayStation 5 as soon as the game launches, developer CD Projekt Red has said.

Anyone with a PS4 copy will be able to play that on PS5 and receive a free update to improve the game's visuals on Sony's next-gen machine.

The news, confirmed last night in an investor call, follows CD Projekt Red's announcement in February it would support Microsoft's Smart Delivery initiative for Xbox - meaning the free upgrade will work the same there for Xbox One copies on Xbox Series X.

The developer further clarified that this would not be the final update to buff the next-gen version of Cyberpunk 2077. A beefier version of the game optimised for Microsoft and Sony's new machines will follow down the line - perhaps some time down the line - but again be available to PS4 and Xbox One owners free of charge.

"I can confirm this is not the final update," CD Projekt exec Michał Nowakowski said. "At some point we will have a more robust update for next-gen which we plan to give free of charge to anyone who purchases the PS4 or Xbox One version.

"But in any case you will be able to play the game on next-gen from 19th November when the game releases and it will look better than on current-gen from that moment as well."

When questioned on the timing of the "proper" next-gen version, CD Projekt could not confirm it would arrive in 2021.

A later upgrade to Cyberpunk 2077, taking full advantage of the next-gen hardware, will be available for free.
— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) June 19, 2020

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With yesterday's delay of Cyberpunk 2077 until 19th November, CD Projekt unsurprsingly acknowledged that the game's unannounced single-player expansions and mysterious multiplayer portion would also shuffle back.

Single-player expansions are not "in a drawer" somewhere but still need to be made, the developer said, while multiplayer was still "distant" anyway.

One final note - CD Projekt's comments suggest the developer is working under the assumption PlayStation 5 will be available by the release of Cyberpunk 2077 on 19th November. All things can get delayed, of course, but it's promising to hear the game could be playable on next-gen straight away.

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Apple Events app for tvOS migrates to TV app, adds support for 4K streams [U] - 9to5Mac

Posted: 18 Jun 2020 03:43 PM PDT

Apple has just released an update to the Apple Events app for tvOS, which allows users to watch Apple presentations on Apple TV. Today's update prepares the app for the live broadcast of the WWDC 2020 opening keynote next Monday.

What's different this year however, is that when you download the new version of the Apple Events app, it now shows a message that redirects you to the Apple TV app — where the event will be streamed. This also suggests that Apple is discontinuing the Apple Events app, focusing on transmitting special events through the Apple TV app.

Another interesting fact is that the Apple Special Event is now listed as a 4K broadcast on the Apple TV app, while all previous Apple events were recorded in 1080p. This could be the first Apple keynote to be streamed in 4K resolution.

The keynote will begin on Monday, June 22 at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. This event will stream "directly from Apple Park" and be also available to watch through the Apple Developer app and YouTube. The Platforms State of the Union and other WWDC sections will remain exclusive to the Apple Developer website.

You can download the Apple Events app for Apple TV from the tvOS App Store for free or access the Apple Special Event on the Apple TV app. Stay tuned to 9to5Mac with our coverage of everything Apple will announce at WWDC 2020 next Monday.