Coronavirus canceled MWC, but new phones have continued to appear all the same. That’s why I really needed Cherlynn Low’s breakdown just to keep up with all the new mobile devices we’ve seen this spring, from the Reno Ace 2 to the just-unveiled iPhone SE (pre-orders open today at 8 AM ET) and OnePlus 8 and devices that have yet to appear, like Motorola’s new flagship and the mysterious LG Velvet.

-- Richard

You can now set up Google Fi on your iPhone using an eSIM

Could it be any easier?

Engadget

So long as you’re a new customer, you only need the Fi app and a nearby computer (displaying a QR code) to get started.

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ACLU outlines privacy concerns for contact tracing tech

One of its main concerns is ‘mission creep.’

Google

With contact tracing tech under development to fight the spread of COVID-19, watchdogs at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are urging the government and tech companies to take a tougher stance on privacy. Apple and Google’s proposal would use Bluetooth data to detect phone owners’ potential exposure to people who have tested positive for COVID-19. The companies say they will take a “privacy-preserving” approach to data collection.

“While some of these systems could offer public health benefits, they may also cause significant risks to privacy, civil rights and civil liberties,” the ACLU’s Surveillance and Cybersecurity Counsel Jennifer Stisa Granick wrote in a blog post.

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Facebook’s global currency plans were always doomed

Of course governments were against it.

After almost a full year of criticism, the Libra Association has climbed down from its original goal of creating a single “stablecoin” for the world. Rather than make what could be described as a global currency, Libra will now be a little bit more, uh, like PayPal. Dan Cooper explains how we got here.

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