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Showing posts from January 11, 2018

ZTE shares its plans to keep experimenting with mobile phones

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ZTE has had an interesting 2017. The crowd-sourced eye-sensing phone it was planning didn't happen, because of criticism about its proposed specs. Then, the company released a dual-screen foldable phone via AT&T, which drew plenty of curiosity. ZTE continues to make what it calls "affordable premium" phones -- the large, sub-$200 phones you'll find at low-cost carriers like Boost -- and says it remains dedicated to creating a line of foldable phones. Check out what vice president of marketing Jeff Yee had to say about the year ZTE has had and the year ahead. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018. via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2qUgQat"

‘Dark Souls’ and 'Mario Tennis' join Switch's 2018 lineup

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Nintendo revealed another slew of titles that will come to the Switch, from old favorites and cult classics to, uh, Dark Souls . In today's Nintendo Direct video , the company announced new Kirby and Mario Tennis games headed to the console, plus a couple indie games and re-releases. There's also DLC coming for some of the console's best games, including Super Mario Odyssey , Pokkén Tournament DX and Mario + Rabbids . Dark Souls: Remastered , out on May 25th, joins Skyrim and Doom as prominent third-party games getting new life on Nintendo's console. The 2013 game Payday 2 is also coming to the Switch on February 27th, complete with online cooperative gameplay. On the indie side, the EA Originals game Fe is coming to Nintendo's console on February 16th, while tower platformer Celeste is out on January 25th. Players looking for more relaxed gameplay can try out the Dragon Quest Builders demo, live on the Nintendo eShop today. The Switch is also getting a

Stephanie McMahon is bringing the WWE to new audiences

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Stephanie McMahon was born into the WWE franchise and she's built a successful career inside and outside of the ring. Today, her job involves spreading the word about professional wrestling and bringing WWE to as many people as possible, wherever and whenever they want to catch a match. This means interacting with fans on social media and putting WWE on new platforms, like Facebook Live and VR. For CES, WWE revealed a new channel on NextVR , the platform that hosts official NBA, NFL and boxing content. On the Engadget stage, McMahon dove into WWE's vision for VR (and beyond), and she told a few heartwarming stories: One about how a Twitter hashtag helped nudge WWE toward gender equality in the ring, and another about famed wrestler Andre the Giant. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018. via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2D1QatH"

Now Available on Steam Early Access - Next Up Hero

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Next Up Hero is Now Available on Steam Early Access! The Ceaseless Dirge has attacked! Fight as Legendary Heroes against tough-as-nails mechs and monsters. Every time you die, you leave behind an Echo who can be raised by the next player. The more heroes who die, the stronger we all become, until we win together. Are you a Hero? Good. You’re up next. via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2EzslWB"

Daily Deal - Kingdoms and Castles, 25% Off

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Today's Deal: Save 25% on Kingdoms and Castles !* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Saturday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2qWXhOC"

Weekend Deal - Life is Strange Franchise, Up to 75% Off!

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Save up to 75% on the Life is Strange series as part of this week's Weekend Deal*! *Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2mk61IY"

A pair of vibrating wearables kept me calm during the stress of CES

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I'll admit I was skeptical at first. Can wearing two vibrating devices really reduce stress? That's what Touchpoints claims to do, and as I found out this week during a crazy day at CES , the company delivers on that promise. What's more, I have the brain scans to prove it. The company was co-founded by neuropsychologist Dr. Amy Serin as part of her effort to help people who suffer from PTSD. During the course of her research, she discovered that wearing a pair of tiny pulsing gadgets can also help gifted children or stressed out adults. In fact, she told me that the product is most popular among women aged 35 to 55, who are typically dealing with the stresses of managing family life and making sure the kids get from A to B with everything they need. Touchpoints can also help with things like night terrors or other sleep-related issues. The devices are tiny squares about the size of a watch face. There's a single button for turning them on/off and they'll auto

House votes to extend NSA’s warrantless surveillance capabilities

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Today, the US House of Representatives voted to renew the law that allows the National Security Agency to surveil communications between American companies and foreigners located outside of the country without a warrant. It's Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act , and the House extended its provision for six years. It still go through the Senate, but according to The New York Times , there are fewer advocates of major overhaul to current spying laws in that chamber, so it will likely pass without too much difficulty. The House also rejected an amendment to the bill that would have included extra protections, including requiring investigators to obtain warrants before looking at personal communications of American citizens that get caught up in the provisions of FISA. There was also a proposal for a less dramatic overhaul of spying law that was developed by the House Judiciary Committee, but it was blocked by House Speaker Ryan. It's a victory for the Trump administration,

I tried out a sleep mask that emits light from the inside to wake you up naturally

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Startup Dreamlight debuted a new sleep mask at CES that makes a number of promises, including the ability to lessen the effects of jet lag, recommend adjustments to your sleep habits based on your 23andMe profile, and, um, project infrared light to supposedly help with under eye circles. Aside from some of these questionable claims, the Dreamlight mask does have concrete features that are unique and can help you get a more restful night’s sleep. I tried it for a night, and it does work. The Dreamlight is a heavily padded and contoured strip that wraps around your head and attaches with velcro. The design is meant to spread out any pressure applied to the face and block out as much light as possible. It also has an optical heart rate... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2mt0uB0"

Apple Health app data used as evidence in rape investigation

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Law enforcement might have difficulty accessing iPhones , but it can obtain a wealth of information when it does get in. German investigators have used data from iOS' built-in Health app as evidence in the investigation of a rape and murder case. Police cracked the suspect's phone with the help of an unnamed Munich company and discovered Health data that corresponded with his reported activity the day of the crimes, which included dragging the victim down a river embankment and climbing back up. The suspect's Health app appeared to have registered this last action as two instances of stair climbing, and an officer obtained similar results when replicating the accused's movements. The Health info (which also included his overall activity levels) was only part of the information investigators collected. They only had incomplete public surveillance video and geodata, but they noticed that his phone contacted a cell tower near the crime scene at a time consistent with v

US Senate and Navy computers tied to revenge porn site

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The Daily Beast reports today that a number of users of revenge porn site Anon-IB appear to be connecting from government computers. Einar Otto Stangvik, a security analyst with Norway's VG newspaper, was able to pull IP addresses from the website and they showed that a number of Anon-IB commenters and posters were logging on through IP addresses belonging to the US Navy, the US Senate, the Department of Energy and the Executive Office of the President. Some of the messages originating from Senate IP addresses asked for nude photos, or "wins," of specific women while others included so-called "Xray" posts -- photos edited so the women in them appear to be nude or dressed in more revealing clothing. A post linked to the Executive Office of the President shared an image of a naked woman and claimed to have more that would be shared once others posted photos. Users connected to Navy IP addresses asked for photos of specific women -- including servicewomen -- a

When it comes to sleep gadgets, the ideas are moving faster than the research

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This is the second year that CES has had a section dedicated to sleep tech and the gadgets that promise to make everything right with the world if you just get enough sleep. Sleep trackers, “three-in-one” kits, and a variety of headsets all dangle the possibility of better rest. But while the tracking technology might be getting more accurate, most scientists agree that more data is not always better. Sleep is important for quality of life, and sleep deprivation is associated with health risks like increased blood pressure and heart disease. Because sleep deprivation leads to inattention, it can also end up being a public health danger if the sleep-deprived are driving or operating other machinery. Though sleep problems are a legitimate... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CSG4aA"

Keeping Spectre secret

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How an industry-breaking bug stayed secret for seven months — and then leaked out Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2qU0fTZ"

Peloton Tread is the treadmill I want but can’t afford

CES 2018 Day 4: a glimpse of 2030

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After several packed days at CES, it’s time for the crew here in Las Vegas to start packing up and heading home. But not before we talk about our experiences with gadgets, robots, toys, and rides that happened here in Sin City. Here are all the things we loved (and didn’t like so much) from CES 2018. Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2mslxTY"

Uber remotely locked PCs in foreign offices to thwart investigators

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We all know by now that Uber has some shady practices when it comes to law enforcement. Today, Bloomberg reported that the ride-hailing startup has a program called Ripley, which is designed to thwart local police and government investigators that raid Uber's local offices. When officials show up at Uber's offices, company managers were instructed to call a number that pinged Uber headquarters. Employees in San Francisco would then log onto the foreign office's machines remotely and sign out of computers and devices, change passwords and even lock up data in order to ensure that investigators couldn't find what they were looking for. Uber has used Ripley multiple times in various countries, such as Belgium, Amsterdam and France. The last time it was used is unclear, but insiders told Bloomberg the protocol was definitely utilized in late 2016. While managers were reportedly informed about Ripley, regular employees at foreign offices were not. The idea for Ripley c

Let the robots speak to one another

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I’ve been coming to CES since before The Verge even existed, and in all that time one problem has vexed consumer electronics companies trying to build the smart home. That problem is interoperability. My smart TV, your smart lightbulbs, Samsung’s smart fridge, August’s smart lock, they all work in slightly different ways, use slightly different software, and don’t have a common language to unite them. And at this particular CES, I’m coming to wonder: why not just use human language? Let the gadgets speak to each other. The device that inspired this idea in me is Kohler’s new voice-activated smart mirror , which can do fun stuff like dispensing a precise amount of water from the tap connected to it. The mirror already has Amazon’s Alexa... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2mhPDJd"

2017's natural disasters are going to cost us

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Environment Hundreds of billions of dollars, to be precise. Hurricanes, fires, droughts and more caused more than $300 billion in damages in the United States alone. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2D4FEkY"

House votes to renew controversial surveillance program that powers the NSA

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After a contentious debate, the House of Representatives has voted to extend a controversial government surveillance program that powers American spying operations, as it voted down a proposal to include new privacy safeguards. The debate centers on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows for collection of foreign intelligence data, and that privacy advocates say invasively scoops up Americans’ communications. The authorization for the program is set to expire later this month, if not reauthorized. Section 702 allows the National Security Agency to continue controversial surveillance activities like PRISM, which the agency uses to scan through data held by American tech companies. Problematic for privacy... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2mtM0kd"

I faced off against a Scrabble-playing robot and lost miserably

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I thought hanging out with a Scrabble-playing robot would be a nice, chill time. I even imagined they would be useful at nursing homes, as therapy companions to elderly residents. I was extremely wrong. Scrabble bot’s official name is actually the Intelligent Vision System for Companion Robots, made by Taiwanese research company ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute). It uses a combination of AI, 3D vision, and hand-eye coordination to pour its opponent a cup of coffee, and then mercilessly crush them at Scrabble. The AI determines which combination of letter tiles can create the highest scoring word, and tallies up the opponents score accurately as well. But it’s not really all that fun playing against a robot that’s... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2mvWJuD"

Google shares which Chromebooks won’t get a Meltdown fix

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Google has published a list that includes every Chromebook model, which are vulnerable to Meltdown and the patch status of each one. You can check out the list here . The column you'll most want to pay attention to is the one titled "CVE-2017-5754 mitigations (KPTI) on M63?" If the device has a "Yes" or a "Not needed" in that column, it's safe and if you own it, you have one less thing to worry about. A "No" in that column means the device will need an update to be protected against Meltdown. But if the device is listed as "EoL," there will be no patches for it because it's an end of life product and is no longer supported. EoL devices include Samsung Chromebook Series 5, Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550, Cr-48, Acer C7 Chromebook and Acer AC700. The Meltdown and Spectre exploits were revealed earlier this month and a number of updates to address the security issues have already been released by Intel , Apple , Microsoft

Skype starts testing new ‘private conversations’ with end-to-end encryption

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Microsoft is testing a new feature for Skype: end-to-end encrypted chat conversations , secured using the industry standard Signal Protocol by Open Whisper Systems. The company announced the experimental feature named “Private Conversations” in a blog post today. It’ll be available to anyone running the beta Skype Insider build (version 8.13.76.8) on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, or iOS, although users will only be able to start private chats with other individuals with the same Insider build. The encryption will cover chat, files, and audio messages, but not audio or video calls. Skype does already offer some degree of encryption that protects the communication channel itself. But end-to-end encryption is more secure. It means the... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2qTwimW"

Boeing's prototype cargo drone can haul 500-pound loads

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In the future, autonomy won't just mean you can relax in the passenger seat on your drive home from work. Driverless vehicles of all kinds are set to revolutionize the cargo industry, too, from delivering a pizza or dropping off an Amazon package , to hauling much larger shipments across continents and the high seas . Naturally, Boeing is one of many companies investing in cargo planes of tomorrow, and is keen to show off some of its early work in the form of a huge octocopter capable of carrying loads of up to 500 pounds (over 250kg). In less than three months, Boeing eggheads built and carried out successful test flights of the all-electric prototype, possibly (but unofficially) breaking a Guinness world record in the process. The rough-and-ready concoction of metal and batteries measures 15 feet long, 18 feet wide and 4 feet tall, weighing in at 747 pounds (nearly 339kg). In other words, it dwarfs the consumer DJI drone you got for Christmas. Obviously Boeing's proto

I rode in the Mercedes concept car that shut down the Las Vegas Strip

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A glimpse of 2030 Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EzJ5NE"

Apple won’t replace your old iPhone 6 Plus battery until March because of short supplies

Ford will fit auto emergency brakes on two 2019 models

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Ford always seems to be on the back foot when it comes to vehicle innovation -- it only began working on a robotics team last year , for example. Now the brand is playing catch-up again, announcing plans to install automatic emergency brakes as standard on two key 2019 models, which is something its rivals have been doing for a while. The brakes, designed to help drivers avoid collisions, will be fitted on Ford's redesigned 2019 Edge midsize crossover and its 2019 Ranger midsize pickup. The Edge also offers a range of new optional safety features, including automatic steering assist and a revamped cruise control system. According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, four out of 20 carmakers installed these kinds of brakes on at least half of their US models in 2017. They can be found on 56 percent of Toyota 's fleet, compared to less than 10 percent of Ford's. Twenty brands have pledged to fit all of their new passenger vehicles with automatic em

South Korean officials plan to ban all domestic cryptocurrency exchanges

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South Korean officials announced today that they’re preparing a bill that will completely ban domestic cryptocurrency trading. In response to the news, the price of bitcoin in South Korea dropped by $2,000 this morning. “There are great concerns regarding virtual currencies,” explained justice minister Park Sang-ki, at a news conference attended by Reuters . The move comes after the prices of bitcoin, Ethereum, and other top digital currencies were priced higher in South Korean exchanges compared to the rest of the world. South Korea’s tough stance on cryptocurrency isn’t new. Last September, South Korea banned initial coin offerings , and then in December, the government proposed legislation that would limit how traditional banks would... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2D57eOI"