Geek News

Now that Roku is a publicly traded company , it has to release quarterly updates about how things are going. Today in its first Q4 earnings release ( PDF ), the company said that revenue is up 28 percent from last year to $188 million, while the number of active accounts grew from 13.4 million to 19.3 million and those users streamed over 4.3 billion hours of video. While investors are concerned about lower estimates for Q1 2018, the report also reveals Roku's focus going forward. The Roku Entertainment Assistant with voice commands announced late last year is expected to roll out "this fall." The company said one in five smart TVs sold in the US last year ran Roku software, and that it plans to maintain its position as the largest licensor of a smart TV OS. That will be key to the other part of its business, which is advertising. A big part of what it's doing is taking over as viewers move from broadcast to internet video, which Roku sees as an opportunity to se...

Ford will have to adjust its technology strategy, and not for the right reasons. The automaker's North America President Raj Nair has left the company after an internal investigation determined that "inappropriate behavior" was out of line with the employee code of conduct. While the company wouldn't actually say what that was, it noted that it was committed to a "safe and respectful culture." Nair's departure took effect "immediately," and was abrupt enough that Ford doesn't have a replacement lined up. The exit comes right as scrutiny over sexual harassment is reaching a fever pitch in many industries . While it's not certain Nair left for that reason, zero-tolerance policies on harassment are increasingly commonplace -- companies don't want to be seen as tolerating harassment, regardless of a worker's position or experience. And in Ford's case, that experience played an important part in its technology decisions. Na...

A former Google engineer is suing the company for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination, according to court documents filed today. Tim Chevalier, a software developer and former site-reliability engineer at Google, claims that Google fired him when he responded with internal posts and memes to racist and sexist encounters within the company and the general response to the now-infamous James Damore memo . News of Chevalier’s lawsuit was reported earlier today by Gizmodo . Chevalier said in a statement to The Verge , “It is a cruel irony that Google attempted to justify firing me by claiming that my social networking posts showed bias against my harassers.” Chevalier, who is also disabled and transgender, alleges... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EIB8pP"

American companies haven't always been forthright about disclosing data breaches in a responsible way, and regulators want to encourage better behavior. The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued "interpretive guidance" that it hopes will both promote clearer disclosures and fewer ethical conflicts. The guidance asks companies to share more information about cyberattacks and other risks, and warns executives against trading securities before they've publicly shared the details of a breach -- they shouldn't dump shares knowing a hack will tank the company's stock price. Whether or not this makes a difference is another story. Although Democrats at the SEC supported the guidance, they argued that the real solution would be tougher rules requiring better disclosures and improved security standards. The guidance may formalize SEC interpretations that haven't always been made public, but it doesn't change those laws to keep pace with modern cy...

Technology Emojis are symbols, not images in a textbook. Sometime later this year, 157 new emojis will grace your phone or computer, and one of them will be a lobster. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2EXfu4c"

Space He was excited to test his new camera, but he also captured something totally unique. Victor Buso was looking forward to testing his brand-new camera. He had no idea he would help capture the start of one of the most unpredictable events in the universe;… via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2sLEZ3B"

Moog announced last week that it is bringing back one of its iconic synthesizers — the IIIp — for a limited reissue for $35,000. The company says only 40 units will be handcrafted, and each one will feature the original’s documentation, art, and circuit board files. In total, each IIIp will have 37 modules including ten 901-Series audio oscillators, the 984 4-channel Matrix Mixer, and the 905 Spring Reverb. Originally released in the late 1960s, the Moog Synthesizer IIIp was the company’s first portable system, coming in roadworthy flight cases, and was used by artists like Isao Tomita and George Harrison. They were discontinued in 1973 but are still coveted, not only because of their limitless ability to be reconfigured, but for the... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EXdfxO"

Google's ubiquitous AdSense ads are already heavily automated by their nature (they're targeted based on a look at a site's content), but it's taking that hands-off approach one step further. The search firm has officially launched Auto Ads, a system that uses machine learning to not only determine the types of ads you see, but how they're placed. The AI technology will decide how many ads are appropriate for a page and where to put them. Advertisers have to give up control, but Google has bet that they won't mind the results. A long beta test saw publishers rake in an average of 10 percent more revenue. There is a concern that trusting AI could create problems. Beta testers complained about ads crowing their pages, and there's always the concern that it'll serve fake ads or other dodgy promotions. While this could give small ad publishers an easy way to reach a wide audience, it raises the possibility of inappropriate ads not only surfacing on a ...

You have to admire Pavel Durov’s audacity. Over the past few months, the CEO of Telegram convinced 81 accredited investors, including Silicon Valley giants Sequoia Capital and Benchmark, to give him $850 million in a presale of his company’s cryptocurrency in advance of an initial coin offering, or ICO. Now he’s trying to raise even more money from accredited investors before the coin gets offered to the public in a secretive second presale. This week, investors got an email explaining that Telegram is doing another private presale, four sources with knowledge of the deal told The Verge. The exact amount to be raised is still being determined, according to one source, but two other sources said Telegram is estimating it will be around... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GzyC5s"

Medium is taking its own steps in the fight against fake news and following a major reworking of its rules, has suspended the accounts of a handful of writers. As The Outline reports, the accounts of Mike Cernovich, Jack Posobiec and Laura Loomer now link to a largely blank page that says, "This page is unavailable." Earlier this month, Medium revamped its Rules page, saying at the time , "Beyond Medium itself, we recognize that we are also part of the larger internet ecosystem. Just as we rely on outside technology, systems and information to run Medium, we also consider off-platform signals when assessing potential rules violations. We have all seen an increase and evolution of online hate, abuse, harassment and disinformation, along with ever-evolving campaigns of fraud and spam. To continue to be good citizens of the internet, and provide our users with a trusted and safe environment to read, write and share new ideas, we have strengthened our policies aroun...

Today, budget Android phone maker Blu announced its latest flagship handset, the Blu Vivo X. The device’s standout feature is that it has not two or even three, but four cameras. The Blu Vivo X continues the trend of lower-end phones featuring four cameras, with a dual front-facing one for taking selfies and a more powerful dual rear-facing system for standard mobile photography. Blu explains the logic in the press release: “When it comes to cameras, two is better than one, and four is better than two.” The phone has a six-inch screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a 1440 x 720 resolution. The front of the phone is made of curved Gorilla Glass, with a 20-megapixel camera and a 8-megapixel camera to help create a bokeh, or blurred... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2olZtuk"

Abandon Ship is Now Available on Steam Early Access and is 15% off!* In Abandon Ship you take command of a ship and her crew, exploring a diverse, procedurally generated world and engaging enemy vessels in tactical combat. The game focuses on “Age of Sail” ships in a Fantasy setting, framed in an Art Style inspired by classic Naval Oil Paintings. *Offer ends February 28 at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2GyLAR2"

Knights of Pen and Paper 2: Free Edition is Now Available on Steam! Join the retro RPG world of Paperos - become a Knight of Pen and Paper in the newly revamped "Free Edition"! via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2Fl0N8S"

Rad Rodgers is Now Available on Steam and is 25% off!* Bringing back the 90's-era PC platformer with a game inspired by classics like Commander Keen, Conker, Ruff'n'Tumble & Jazz Jackrabbit. *Offer ends February 28 at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2Gyw6fV"

Look, it's no secret that Spotify is out to make its own hardware. As of last April , Spotify was already looking for people to help craft "a category defining product akin to Pebble Watch, Amazon Echo and Snap Spectacles." (In hindsight, Spotify's HR team probably should've left that last thing off the list.) More recently, a new set of job listings for hardware production managers and operations manager suggest Spotify is finally gearing up to build... well, whatever these things are. Consider us skeptical. After all, this is a company with zero hardware and supply chain experience — the odds of striking it big with gadgets don't seem great. We can't be sure about what Spotify is actually trying to build in Stockholm, but its search for employees are in line with what you'd expect from a company trying to make a smart speaker. Last April, Spotify was looking for people with expertise in voice recognition and natural language processing. And more...

Not every child wants to be a coder or an engineer, which can make it hard to get them playing with STEM toys if they don't really care about making their own video games or building a cool robot . However, many kids are into role playing and telling stories, which is what Tech Will Save Us' newest set focuses on instead. The Electro Hero Kit asks children to build stuff to help out their favorite Marvel characters , while imparting some basic lessons about electricity in the process. Tech Will Save Us is probably best known for its Dough Universe kits, which ask kids to build all sorts of electricity-powered toys out of conductive dough. Each set comes with an assortment of electrical parts and a few tubs of colorful dough. It's very similar to Play-Doh , but with a higher salt content -- if you run out, Tech Will Save Us even provides recipes on its site for making more. The sets are basically a more tactile, squishier way to teach STEM skills. The Electro Hero Kit...

Science In super-cold temperatures, it's more like skiing on sand than snow. Turns out that in the right temperatures, snowflakes can turn from fluffy sparkles into razor-sharp, ski-destroying spikes. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2EKiphE"

A couple years ago, I got to test out the (potential) future of text input . It was called the “Tap Strap,” and it was a weird foam prototype that slid up over my fingers and allowed me to painstakingly input text through taps and combo taps. Well, now it’s shipping. It’s just called Tap now, and it looks a bit more comfortable: a series of loosely connected rings, instead of a foam block. It’s $149.99, it connects to your phone or computer over Bluetooth, it has eight hours of battery life, and it also works as a mouse now. But what the hell is it? Tap has sensors for each of your five fingers. When you tap them on a relatively solid surface (I used a table, but in the launch video people are typing on the chest of a significant other,... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EWw9oE"

Security researchers at Appsecure found a way to access anyone's Tinder account via their phone number. The exploit took advantage of a software flaw in both the dating app's login process as well as the Facebook API that it's based on. The issues have been fixed since, but represent a pretty big security lapse. "Both the vulnerabilities were fixed by Tinder and Facebook quickly," wrote Appsecure's Anand Prakash on Medium . Facebook and Tinder rewarded the company $5000 and $1250, respectively, for its report. This isn't the first report of Tinder security flaws, either, like when the company failed to encrypt user photos and (back in 2014) exposed users' exact locations for months. When you login to Tinder, you have the option of using your phone number, which is then passed along to Facebook's Account Kit for authentication to Tinder. The Appsecure folks found that they could get a valid access token with an API request to Facebook's ...

Snap has officially responded to a hugely popular Change.org petition calling for the company to walk back the recent redesign of Snapchat . In a message signed by the Snapchat team and posted as a reply to the petition , the company says it’s heard the feedback loud and clear and that it acknowledges how the “new Snapchat has felt uncomfortable for many.” The petition was signed by more than 1.2 million people, a milestone that perhaps prompted Snap leadership to draft a response. However, Snap essentially goes on in its reply to say tough luck, echoing comments made by CEO Evan Spiegel last week. The company tries to reassure users that the new Snapchat will adapt to them over time, and it also teased a new feature coming soon for iOS... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EKvinW"

It's no secret that Disney's upcoming streaming service will bank on familiar names , but we're now getting a clearer sense of what that means. Hollywood Reporter sources have claimed that Disney is working on a "reboot" of The Muppets , the short-lived ABC comedy that followed the lives of Kermit, Miss Piggy and crew. Other details aren't clear, but the series is reportedly in its earliest stages -- Disney hasn't even found a writer yet. The tipsters also said that Disney was exploring projects based on other recognizable names, including Honey, I Shrunk the Kids , Father of the Bride , The Mighty Ducks and The Parent Trap . In essence: if you have any positive memory associated with a Disney production, there's a chance (if just a chance) it's coming back as a streaming series. You probably won't hear about a definitive show roster until closer to the actual launch, which is currently expected in fall 2019. However, The Muppets and o...

Dish has announced separate numbers for its Sling TV over-the-top subscription service for the first time, and things seem to be looking good, with the company revealing it had over 2 million subscribers by the end of 2017. That number — 2.212 million, to be exact — represents a 47 percent growth year over year for the streaming service, which Dish claims is the “#1 live and on-demand internet streaming service” available. That works out to a gain of around 700,000 new users in 2017, which isn’t bad, but also means that it’s growing at a slower rate than newer services like DirecTV Now, which picked up over 1 million users last year . In the past, Dish has combined its Sling TV numbers with its regular Dish TV satellite customers when... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2GxzaJc"

In discussions of the ongoing battle over fake news, we often hear Facebook and Google criticized for playing a hand in spreading false information. And while both have made efforts recently to stem the spread of misinformation on their platforms, they've each had some major missteps. YouTube is talked about less often when it comes to fake news, though it isn't short of scandals itself. Last year, a number of companies and groups pulled their ads once it became known that they were appearing alongside extremist content and YouTube has also had to deal with predatory comments on children's videos , content falsely parading as being appropriate for kids and of course Logan Paul . But today, YouTube has stepped into the fake news spotlight. The number one trending video on the site earlier today was a video purporting to be evidence that David Hogg isn't a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student but instead an actor paid to speak out during crises . Hogg has b...

BitTorrent's peer-to-peer app and its lightweight uTorrent counterpart are susceptible to particularly nasty hijacking flaws. Google researcher Tavis Ormandy recently detailed a host of DNS rebinding exploits in Windows versions of the software that lets attackers resolve web domains to the user's computer, essentially giving the intruders the keys to the kingdom. They could execute remote code, download malware to Windows' startup folder (making it launch on the next reboot), grab downloaded files and look at your download history. The flaws touch on all unpatched versions, including uTorrent Web . Thankfully, fixes are either here or around the bend. Although Ormandy was concerned by the lack of communication after reporting the fix in December, BitTorrent engineering VP Dave Rees told Engadget that the flaws in the conventional client have been fixed in beta versions released last week. Those on the stable releases should see it this week. Ormandy was initially conce...