An anonymous reader quotes a report from PCWorld: Major Internet service providers are scheduled to end their quarantine benefits soon, once again subjecting Americans to data caps and removing protections if they are unable to pay their bills. The FCC’s Keep Americans Connected Pledge is set to expire on June 30. Companies initially agreed to the pledge and rushed to add benefits. ISPs like CenturyLink, T-Mobile, Verizon, and many others said they would not discontinue service or charge late fees for those unable to pay because of the coronavirus. They also agreed to open their Wi-Fi access points for free. So far, the FCC has not publicly said that it would extend the pledge.

In some ways, ISPs face the same decision as governors in Florida and Texas: end their benefits, which encouraged users to stay home, or continue them for an indeterminate period of time. This could be the last weekend of unlimited data for Comcast Xfinity subscribers and other major ISPs. For many of those who are out of work, ISPs could begin demanding payment for outstanding broadband bills on June 30. Consumers who have been riding out the quarantine by streaming may also find that their unlimited data expires June 30. On that day AT&T, Comcast Xfinity, Mediacom, and T-Mobile are scheduled to resume normal service, and once again impose data caps. Some ISPs, like Cox, have already terminated some benefits, as its temporary unlimited data program expired in May.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot – Data Caps On AT&T, Comcast, T-Mobile Will Return June 30

A new strain of flu which has the potential to become pandemic has been identified in China by scientists. From a report: It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say. The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak. They say it has “all the hallmarks” of being highly adapted to infect humans – and needs close monitoring. As it’s new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus. A bad new strain of influenza is among the top disease threats that experts are watching for, even as the world attempts to bring to an end the current coronavirus pandemic. The last pandemic flu the world encountered – the swine flu outbreak of 2009 that began in Mexico – was less deadly than initially feared, largely because many older people had some immunity to it, probably because of its similarity to other flu viruses that had circulated years before.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot – Flu Virus With ‘Pandemic Potential’ Found in China

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, iPhone 12 models will not include EarPods or a power adapter in the box. MacRumors reports: Kuo said that Apple will instead release a new 20W power adapter as an optional accessory for iPhones and end production of its existing 5W and 18W power adapters later this year. The form factor of the new 20W power adapter is said to be similar to the 18W version, with USB-C Power Delivery for fast charging, as seen in the leaked photo below. Kuo believes that iPhone 12 production costs will significantly increase due to 5G support, but he expects Apple to sell the new models at a comparable price to its iPhone 11 lineup, and removing the EarPods and power adapter from the box is one way to reduce costs. Apple would likely also tout the environmental benefits of such a move. Barclays still expects Apple to include a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box as the only accessory included with iPhone 12 models.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot – iPhone 12 Won’t Include Charger In Box, Says Analyst

A 20-year-old man was killed and two others injured when two suspects opened fire outside an Amazon warehouse in Jacksonville. From a report: According to JSO, the man who was killed was targeted by the shooters who fled from the scene in a silver car. JSO is now searching for three suspects, including the driver of the getaway car. The 20-year-old victim was standing in line for job applications with about six others outside of the facility when the suspects began firing, JSO said. JSO believes the suspects knew the victim.

“We’re trying to determine what the motive was why they were after this victim. We have about 10 eyewitnesses that were both inside and outside of the facility,” said JSO Assistant Chief Brian Kee. “This does not appear to be a workplace violent incident that you would normally associate with workplace violence or mass shootings.” A 29-year-old man was grazed in the arm and a 22-year-old man was grazed in the foot during the shooting. Both were treated and did not require hospitalization, JSO said. People claiming to be family members of Amazon employees at the facility said on social media that employees were placed on lockdown inside. A woman who said she witnessed the shooting and asked not to be identified said she was just feet away from the man who was killed. “As I started to go back inside the Amazon doors, I turned my head slightly to the right, I saw the gunman standing right there with a gun in his hand and next thing you know he just started shooting,” she said. “He just let off about five or six rounds. I stood there in complete shock because I couldn’t believe what was actually happening in front of my face.”

Developing…

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot – 1 Killed, 2 Shot Outside Amazon Warehouse In Jacksonville