Cable companies duped community groups into fighting net neutrality
Last week, it transpired that the big cable companies were bankrolling fake consumer groups like Broadband for America and The American Consumer Institute. These “independent consumer advocacy groups” are, in truth, nothing of the sort, and instead represent the interests of its benefactors, in the fight against net neutrality. If that wasn’t bad enough, VICE is now reporting that several of the real community groups (oh, and an Ohio bed-and-breakfast) that were signed up as supporters of Broadband for America were either duped into joining, or were signed up to the cause without their consent or knowledge.
For instance, TalkingWithHeroes, a veterans organization, was listed as a member, but its head hadn’t even heard of net neutrality, and insisted that they remain nonpolitical. Another, the Ohio League of Conservation Voters was unaware of Broadband for America until it discovered that it was listed as an official supporter. A third, the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals did sign up, but said that it had been duped, because it believed that Broadband for America was a cause promoting broadband installation in rural areas. The list of supposed members stops making sense when you read that Buster’s Auto Art and Summitville Tile and Roofing are, for some reason, members of an anti-net neutrality campaign group.
VICE has also discovered that Broadband for America, which describes itself as a consumer group, is actually run by a lawyer who supported Verizon’s lawsuit against the FCC. Former senator John Sununu, who co-chairs the organization, can’t really present himself as being nonpartisan, since he himself currently has a seat on Time Warner Cable’s board. Then there’s Beneva Shulte, another leading figure at BfA that just happens to be tied up with a lobbying firm that represents Verizon in the capital. We’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions, of course, but it’s probably worth saying that both Engadget and AOL do not endorse Broadband for America, just in case you see our names pop up somewhere they shouldn’t.
[Image Cedit: Shutterstock / Brandon Bourdages]
Filed under: Internet
Source: VICE
Intel’s cable-free future will use WiTricity’s advanced wireless charging
The wireless charging space recently expanded with the introduction of A4WP’s Rezence brand, followed by the participation of PC giants, Lenovo and Dell. Now, things are about to get even more interesting as WiTricity and Intel — both being A4WP board members — today announced their technology licensing deal. The basic idea is that WiTricity will be implementing its resonance-based charging technology onto future Intel-powered devices, as according to the Rezence specification. Conveniently, WiTricity’s newly appointed CEO, Alex Gruzen, is a veteran in the laptop industry, which will no doubt help his new company make a bigger push into the PC space.
The company’s technology boasts an efficiency of over 90 percent, and since it’s based on magnetic resonance instead of induction, you don’t have to place the devices directly on top of a pad for the power transfer; plus you can charge up multiple devices with a single transmitter (and you can add repeaters if you need to extend the range). In terms of power output, WiTricity already has solutions providing as little power as 10W for portable devices, all the way up to 6kW for cars; and it’s prepping for 20kW support for even bigger applications.
“We have been working with a variety of partners across a variety of industries,” Gruzen said. “We have great momentum in the automotive space, for example, and Toyota’s already announced that the next-generation Prius will have wireless charging with WiTricity’s technology.”
Another example mentioned by the CEO is a helmet kit that draws power wirelessly from a backpack, meaning front-line staff in the emergency services or the military wouldn’t have to worry about wires getting in the way. Similarly, protonics can be powered the same way. These are apparently already being tested in the field.
Medical implants is also an area of interest, and we were told that the FDA’s already testing a WiTricity-powered heart pump that charges up while the patient’s in bed, rather than having to plug a cable into a socket that sticks out of the body (which is a common cause of infection). This will be a few years before the FDA makes the approval, though, but Gruzen reassured that the technology is very safe.
“Everything we’re doing operates well below any defined standard around the world, so we’re pretty confident,” the CEO said. “The first revision has been locked in, we’re now in the process of bringing that in front of all the standards bodies to get an agreement on the approach.”
This echoes what Gruzen’s predecessor and company founder, Eric Giler, told us by way of a live demo back at CES 2013. As shown in the above video, the former CEO happily placed his head in between a power source and a receiver, to prove that there’s nothing to worry about this dark magic.
“That’s about 100 times safer than making a cellphone call,” Giler pointed out. “It’s about the same magnetic intensity as the Earth’s magnetic field. So we like to say to people: If you’re comfortable living on the Earth, you ought to be comfortable with WiTricity.”
With Rezence coming into shape and Intel partnering with WiTricity, Gruzen said we can expect the first WiTricity-powered portable devices to arrive by as early as end of this year, followed by cars in 2015 or 2016.
Filed under: Wireless
Europe opens investigation into Apple’s tax deals
Apple has said on more than one occasion that it pays its fair share of taxes, but it appears that the European Commission isn’t so sure. Today, the regulator confirmed it’s launched an investigation into whether the company is enjoying better tax deals than are warranted under EU law. It all centers around Apple’s Irish subsidiaries, Apple Sales International and Apple Operations Europe, which may have benefited from pricing arrangements that allowed it to minimize the overall amount of tax it paid. At 12.5 percent, Ireland’s business tax rate is lower than most EU member states, but Apple has previously been accused of securing rates as low as 2 percent.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has been questioned over Apple’s accounting practices before. Last year, Cook noted that Apple’s “effective tax rate” was 30.5 percent and it paid a total of $6 billion, which he claimed was more than any other company in the US. Due to its massive size, the company stores most of its cash overseas as it would cost billions in taxes to repatriate it. “I’ve seen something where people think we have a special deal with the Irish government where we get a two percent flat tax rate,” Cook has also said, referencing Apple’s operations in Ireland. “We don’t have that. Let me just set that aside.” Now the probe is official, the Commission says it will look to gather more information from Irish authorities and from Apple itself, no doubt following up on Cook’s claims in the process.
Filed under: Apple
Source: Europa
Microsoft resists US government demand to seize offshore emails
Microsoft has filed a court challenge to a US government demand that it hand over emails from its data center in Ireland. That appears to be the first time a US corporation has opposed such an order, and Microsoft has been backed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and an amicus brief from Verizon. The US prosecutor heading the drug case in question said that if the objection succeeds, tech companies like Microsoft could stymie domestic cases by merely storing data overseas. However, experts say the suspect was likely abroad when he sent the emails in question — making the legal situation murkier.
According to the NYT, the case could signal the start of US tech firms like Microsoft and Google taking a stand against heavy-handed US investigative techniques. Their business prospects outside the US have dipped considerably since the Edward Snowden revelations, which showed them to be largely complicit in (possibly illegal) US surveillance overseas. That submissiveness has possibly cost the US tech industry hundreds of billions of dollars in sales in Europe, China and elsewhere, according to some estimates. Though they’ve built more server farms abroad to satisfy local authorities, the case has raised alarm bells in the European Parliament — which is not thrilled about Microsoft handing private data to US authorities. The hearing is scheduled for next month, and looks to be just the beginning of a Big Tech vs. US government battle over privacy — and money, of course.
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Via: WSJ
Source: US District Court
OnePlus One gets delayed over ‘security issues’
OnePlus One equals more than the number of units of this $300 smartphone that have so far been shipped to paying customers. The high-spec, low-cost Android handset was meant to launch back in May, but the manufacturer has now admitted that it’s “perfecting some final issues,” which means it can no longer be certain when the phone will be ready. In terms of what these problems are, some helpful clarification has been posted to Reddit by OnePlus’s software partner, Cyanogen.
Abhisek Devkota (aka Ciwrl) says that it’s all to do with the security vulnerabilities that were recently discovered lurking in the OpenSSL software tool (yes, that’s the very same OpenSSL package that was also at the center of the Heartbleed scare). These flaws were only made public on June 5th, and they led to a decision to pause shipping of the OnePlus One in order to create and re-certify a new, hopefully better-protected software build. If that’s really all it is, then it sounds like it could be resolved soon — which would be a good, because pretty much the only thing we could find wrong with this phone in our full review was its limited availability.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: AndroidCommunity
Source: Reddit
If you like vibrating jewelry, put a Ringly on it
Remember HTC’s Rhyme? That slightly patronizing “women first” smartphone came with hobbled specs and a charm indicator: an accessory that clipped to your purse strap and glowed if you received a call. Now, a former eBay designer has taken the same idea and jammed it into an enormous piece of costume jewelry called Ringly. Connecting over Bluetooth LE to your iOS or Android device, Ringly will vibrate to advise you of an incoming notification, as a side-mounted LED glows to reinforce the point. We polled our colleagues who fit the target demographic, and they weren’t particularly whelmed, especially considering the price. Still, if you’re interested in owning one, the pre-sale begins today, with the black, purple and white models available for $145. Fans of emerald-green, however, will have to stump up $180.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Mobile
Source: Ringly
Uber launches new taxi service to appease London’s black cab drivers
As taxi drivers in London and other big European cities prepare to blockade streets in protest of Uber, the private hire service has come up with a compromise. Accused of stealing custom from London’s black cab drivers, Uber today added a new tier to its three existing ride options that allows its vocal opponents to offer rides using its mobile tech. The tier called UberTAXI and it lets users book and pay for a black cab directly through the Uber app.
Transport for London (TfL) has already said that Uber’s app-based fare system doesn’t need to be regulated (unlike black cab taximeters), but the transport agency will call upon the High Court to issue a final decision. In order to keep its nose clean, Uber says UberTAXI will follow the same fare rates set out by authorities and will not include booking fees or additional charges for riders. Commission is also capped at 5 percent, which the company insists is the the lowest in the city. It’s a blow for services like Hailo, which recently announced plans to offer private services, as Uber is now expanding into market where it had little competition.
There’s no saying whether today’s launch will affect planned demonstrations in London or do much to quell growing discontent over Uber’s operations. Remember, UberTAXI will be just one of four ride options Uber offers in the city (UberX, EXEC and LUX make up the other three) — even if drivers migrate across, users will ultimately decide whether those with The Knowledge are worth using.
Via: Bloomberg
Source: Uber Blog
SwiftKey Goes FREE with Theme Store, Takes Care of Previous Buyers Too
SwiftKey is one heck of a replacement keyboard for your Android device. It has been around for ages. It has been on sale, it has been updated with new features and more. It hovers at 4.7 star rating and the Play Store puts it between 1 million and 5 million downloads. SwiftKey is one keyboard that many have tried and that many still use today. I am here to let you know that a pretty damn great update is hitting SwiftKey that will make many of you extremely happy, I hope.
As of today, the official paid version of the keyboard, which is usually $3.99, is shedding its price tag and going totally free. No, this isn’t the current free limited version, nor is it a promotion of any kind. As of today, SwiftKey will cost users nothing out of pocket to own the full version. Before all you guys out there that paid for the app at $3.99 get all hot and bothered and feeling cheated, there is news for you too. All current owners of the keyboard app will be given access to a 10 pack of premium themes that cost $4.99, for absolutely free. The FREE premium theme pack is only for past users who have bought the keyboard. New owners will have to pony up the pocket change for them. Personally, I think it is a very good move on SwiftKeys part to repay the ones that paid and have helped them be successful.
The move to free isn’t the only news though. The update also brings in support for over 800 Emoji’s that are directly integrated into the keyboard functionality. If that isn’t enough, there is also a new prediction feature that learns how you use Emoji’s and will predict them as you type.
SwiftKey co-founder and CTO Ben Medlock said: “With the latest version of SwiftKey Keyboard, we’re providing an even more intuitive and personalized experience for our users, which they’re increasingly expecting. We’ve expanded our design team to focus on developing creative and beautiful user experiences. Our commitment to innovation has never been stronger and we are looking forward to sharing more exciting developments in the future.”
SwiftKey co-founder and CTO Ben Medlock said: “With the latest version of SwiftKey Keyboard, we’re providing an even more intuitive and personalized experience for our users, which they’re increasingly expecting. We’ve expanded our design team to focus on developing creative and beautiful user experiences. Our commitment to innovation has never been stronger and we are looking forward to sharing more exciting developments in the future.”
The remaining particulars of what is now included in the new free and updated version of SwiftKey are as follows:
SwiftKey Store
Stocked at launch with over 30 brand new themes, the SwiftKey Store will be regularly updated with fun customizable content.
New default theme
In addition to the new themes in the Store, SwiftKey Keyboard now features a clean new default theme design, ‘Nickel’, available free to all users. Nickel was designed to be a modernization and ergonomic improvement to SwiftKey’s ever-popular Cobalt theme.
Emoji Prediction
SwiftKey’s trademark prediction technology learns and proactively suggests from more than 800 emoji which are most often used with specific words and phrases.
Number row
Due to popular demand, this latest update introduces an optional number row for quick access without switching layouts or using long-press.
Improved prediction engine
Investment in SwiftKey’s core technology is higher than ever with a host of prediction engine improvements, including better support for complex languages and multilingual typing. Capitalization has also been enhanced, as well as the technology’s overall learning ability.
New language support
Support for Belarusian, Mongolian, Tatar, Uzbek and Welsh has been added.
New and improved flow trails
This gesture-based feature has been improved for better visibility and faster, more accurate input.
*Emoji are only supported on Android versions 4.1 and above. To enable emoji prediction, go to Settings > Advanced, and select the box marked “Emoji prediction.”
So, if you have SwiftKey already, go update and be sure to grab your new 10 premium theme pack. For those of you that just couldn’t convince yourself to buy it at $3.99, or when it was on sale a dozen or more times, now is your chance to get it. Hit the link below and enjoy.
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('’);
//]]>
ITV Player comes to Roku and Now TV streaming devices from today
If we’d written Jay Z’s 99 Problems, we’d have been tempted to mention that Roku’s failure to support ITV Player was a bigger issue than being pulled over for doing 55 in a 54. Thankfully, the company has just announced that ITV’s video platform is now supported across the current range of streaming players and sticks. Thanks to Sky’s partnership with Roku, Now TV users will be able to download the app on their £10 streaming boxes too. Users will be able to watch the previous 30 days worth of The Jeremy Kyle Show episodes, assuming, of course, that they already know who won Britain’s Got Talent.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
SwiftKey’s Android keyboard is now available for free
Of the third-party keyboards available on the Google Play Store, SwiftKey is among the oldest and most well-known. And although it’s getting its iOS8 app ready for the fall, it certainly isn’t forgetting the platform that helped the $4 app get its big break. With today’s update, SwiftKey’s premium Android keyboard is now permanently free of charge. This is great news for fresh users, and the loyal folks who’ve previously purchased the app won’t be left out of the update: Legacy customers will get a $5 theme ten-pack for free. Additionally, the refresh also comes with a SwiftKey store (with 30 themes available at launch), a number row and over 800 emoji. Many of the features in this update were offered as part of a beta, so it’s refreshing to see them added into the final product.
AIVAnet 