Top Tech stories: Ford’s buzzing wristband, Google Meet pimped

Chris Price looks at the biggest tech stories of the week, including the launch of new, cut-price iPhone SE and Ford trialling social distancing wristbands in factories…

Ford is trialling a wristband that buzzes when workers come too close to one another. The experiment, which aims to encourage social distancing in the workplace, took place at a factory in Michigan and could be rolled out to its factories worldwide. See story here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8225665/Ford-trials-vibrating-wristbands-ensure-employees-stay-6ft-apart-coronavirus-pandemic.html

Google is blocking 18 million hoax emails about Covid-19 to Gmail users EVERY day. The tech giant says the pandemic has led to an explosion of phishing attacks in which criminals try to trick users into revealing their personal data. Over the past week, almost a fifth of scam emails related to Coronavirus. See story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52319093

Apple is hoping to drive smartphone sales with a new version of the cut-price iPhone SE, but faces tough competition from Chinese rivals. Less than half the price of Apple’s leading flagship devices, the new smartphone features a 4.7-inch display, fingerprint scanner and a home button. It’s available to pre-order from today (Friday, April 17) from £419. See story here: https://www.techdigest.tv/2020/04/apple-announces-419-iphone-se-with-4-7inch-screen.html

Facebook is to start warning users who engage with ‘harmful’ misinformation about Covid-19. The new policy applies only to misinformation that Facebook considers is likely to contribute to ‘imminent physical harm’ such as false claims about “cures” or statements that physical distancing is not effective. See story here: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/apr/16/coronavirus-facebook-misinformation-warning

How do you pimp Google Meet to give it Zoom’s best features? With video conferencing software in vogue like never before – but with security concerns remaining over Zoom – Wired reports on two developers who have created free software designed to give Google Meet the features and functionality of its rival. See story here: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/google-meet-enhancement-suite-zoom-features