Here’s how you can play Facebook Messenger’s hidden basketball game

Just in time for March Madness, Facebook has rolled out an update to Messenger that lets you play a basketball mini-game with your friend directly from the conversation window. To get started, you need to select the basketball emoji, send it to a friend, and then tap on the emoji to load the game.

You’ll get a basketball located at different positions at the bottom of the screen, and you have to swipe up to put the ball in the hoop. The goal is to score consecutive baskets, which gets challenging after you hit 10 points, as that’s when the backboard starts moving.

This isn’t the first time Facebook built a game into the messaging platform. Late last year, it introduced a chess game that can be accessed by entering @FBChess in the conversation window.

What did you guys score?

Thanks Christopher!

Netflix will premiere ‘The Little Prince’ in the US

It looks like Netflix is now snapping up new foreign films for domestic distribution. The video-on-demand service will premiere the French-made animation The Little Prince in the US, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Paramount was supposed to release the newest adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s novella in US theaters today, March 18th, but last week it suddenly dropped those plans. Why? Well, the movie studio never explained and even the movie’s director could only say that it would be released later this year.

Take note that the film isn’t only critically acclaimed, it also seemed to do well financially, grossing around $100 million outside the US. Plus, it features the voices of some well-known actors, including Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, James Franco and Marion Cotillard. Whatever the reason is, Netflix is the chosen avenue of delivery for all viewers in the States who want to see the CGI/stop-motion offering. Too bad you won’t be able to watch it on a big screen — unless you have a gargantuan TV — and it won’t arrive on the streaming service until later this year. But at least one month of Netflix only costs $8.99, and you can play it again and again for the kids.

1/3 Many thanks to everyone for the outpouring of love and support in these strange times.

— Mark Osborne (@happyproduct) March 12, 2016

2/3 – As it turns out, the much anticipated U.S. release of this special and unique film will have to be anticipated just a little bit more.

— Mark Osborne (@happyproduct) March 12, 2016

3/3 – All I can say is #thelittleprince will in fact be released by another distributor later this year.

— Mark Osborne (@happyproduct) March 12, 2016

4/4 – Until then, head to Canada! The film opens there in wide release this weekend!

— Mark Osborne (@happyproduct) March 12, 2016

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Edward Snowden is the Lavabit user the government was after

There was never hard proof that the government was after Edward Snowden during its pursuit of now-defunct secure email service Lavabit, but that’s changed. In an embarrassing gaffe, the feds released unredacted court documents confirming the suspicion everyone had but no one could prove outright. Wired reports that Lavabit’s former owner Ladar Levison has been threatened with contempt and possible jail time in the event of breaking his silence. It’s a good thing he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore, isn’t it?

Wired says that the documents were released as a result of Levison’s continued efforts for transparency with the case. After shuttering the service, Levinson kept after the government to unseal the court case and release the documents. The motion he filed to vacate the the non-disclosure order was denied, but the court did tell the attorneys involved to release all the documents but to keep the “identity of the subscriber [Snowden] and the subscriber’s email address” redacted, but everything else unredacted.

That didn’t work out entirely as planned and an August 2013 document recently revealed what we’d assumed all along. Whoops. Hit the source link for a peek at the appeal transmittal sheet for yourself.

Source: Wired

Siri knows where sadness resides in Cleveland – CNET

Et tu, Siri?

As a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan, I recall fondly the heady days of Bernie Kosar and a time when the Browns weren’t the laughing stock of the NFL. That’s what the Detroit Lions were for!

Of course, it’s been a long time since Bernie was slinging side-armed passes and leading the Browns to, if not a Super Bowl, then at least a handful of conference finals. Since then, we lost our franchise, got it back, and have gone through losing season after losing season and too many quarterbacks to count. We’ve made one — one! — playoff appearance in the past 20 years. And, predictably, we lost that game in excruciating fashion to the loathsome Pittsburgh Steelers.

With such a tortured history, I’ve grown accustomed to the abuse and jokes from other NFL fans. In fact, the Browns have been so bad for so long that Browns fans themselves have become the best at poking fun of our comically and perennially mismanaged franchise, from the saddest jersey ever to a fan standing outside the Browns’ stadium and calling it a Factory of Sadness.

Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

It is perhaps the Factory of Sadness video that inspired Apple’s digital assistant to get in on the Browns-bashing fun. Yes, even Siri knows the Browns are terrible. Thanks to location services, if you ask Siri, “Where is sadness?” while standing in Cleveland, she will point you to FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Cleveland Browns.

As a New England-based fan of the Browns, I had to ask Siri, “Where is sadness in Cleveland?” to be directed to FirstEnergy Stadium along the shores of Lake Erie.

While this is certainly a sad comment on the state of my Browns, even sadder is the fact that Siri didn’t do the same trick when I asked her where sadness is in Buffalo or Detroit. Nope, it’s just us. All alone in last place.

You can now connect Facebook to Gear VR and play games with friends – CNET

Oculus — the Facebook-owned platform that runs on Samsung Gear VR and, of course, Oculus Rift — is doing the inevitable and getting a lot more social.

New features let you connect your Facebook account with a Gear VR headset to watch 360 videos from your Facebook feed, connect with friends and watch Twitch streams with friends in real time.

If you own a Gear VR headset (or plan to get one gratis with your Galaxy S7 or s7 Edge) then you can start using these new features. Here’s how to get started.

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Updating the Oculus Video app and how the Facebook Video interface looks before you connect.

Screenshot by Nic Healey/CNET

Facebook Videos

Right now the Facebook integration is all about video. For that you’ll need the Oculus Video app which should have installed itself when you set up the Oculus Gear VR app. When you launch it, you’ll be prompted to update it so that these new social features are available.

Once you fire up the app, you’ll see a list of Trending and Featured 360-degree videos as the default menu screen. On the left you can check out Twitch streams and Vimeo videos. For the moment, look to your right.

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Screenshot by Nic Healey/CNET

You’ll see a prompt asking you to connect your Facebook account. Click that and you’ll be told to take your phone out of the Gear headset. A standards permission form pops up and once you’ve confirmed that, you can clip it back in.

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And here’s how it all looks once you’re connected.

Screenshot by Nic Healey/CNET

Now you’ll get a featured video experience that’s tailored to you, based on the people and pages you follow. You’ll also get a list of 360 videos that your Facebook friends have shared and the ones you’ve saved yourself.

This is the just the start of the Facebook features coming your way. In the next few weeks you’ll be able to like and share videos directly from the Gear VR interface. But there are a few other social tricks you can try.

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Get your profile set up, check your privacy settings and add some friends.

Screenshot by Nic Healey/CNET

Set up an Oculus profile

You should already have an Oculus account if you’ve been using the Gear VR app. If not, it’s a standard email address, password and username setup process.

Follow the prompts to add a picture and a username, as well as select basic privacy settings. These are up to you, but I would always recommend erring on the side of caution — you can always go back and change them later if you feel like you’re too locked down. That’s a matter of checking your settings and making some alterations.

Next up, add some friends. You can search via username or real name, depending on the privacy settings of the individual.

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Watch Twitch streams or even Vimeo videos with friends and chat while you do it.

Screenshot by Nic Healey/CNET

Video, trivia and Twitch

So what now? Well there’s a few things you can do with a friends list, but you’ll need to grab the Oculus Social Beta and Social Trivia Apps. You can find these via your Gear VR, but it’s a lot easier to get them on the App before popping your headset on. Search for ‘Social’ and download both.

Once you’ve got the Gear VR on, jump into Oculus Social Beta. Set up your avatar and get started. At the moment, Oculus Social lets you join groups of five to watch Twitch streams, Vimeo videos or play trivia.

You can also start your own room using the Create Room button up the top right of the list. A trivia game always takes place on an animated space station, but for Vimeo and Twitch watching, you can set up your shared room to look like a private movie theatre, the moon or a tiny mushroom…kingdom…thing. It’s weird.

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Set up your own social room and invite friends.

Screenshot by Nic Healey/CNET

It’s a bit counter-intuitive, but Twitch starts streaming automatically, rather than letting you pick the stream first. You’ll need to tap on the screen and then select the icon on the right to get into the menu and choose what you want to watch.

Remember that you’ll need headphones and a mic to get both audio and chat functions. It’s a great way to have fun with some friends and, for trivia at least, the mic is essential for trash talk.

Oculus

Security updates now rolling out to T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

Just a week after launch, T-Mobile has pushed out a new security update to both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. Though the updates don’t contain the March Android security patch, T-Mobile’s patch notes for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge seem to indicate general security improvements are tagging along. From the update notes:

• The security of your device has been improved.
• A software update can include, but is not limited to:
  • Device stability improvements, bug fixes.
  • New and / or enhanced features
  • Further improvements to performance.

The update clocks in at just above 41MB, and Galaxy S7 and S7 edge users on T-Mobile should be able to start pulling it down now.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 edge with Exynos: A Canadian perspective
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Details on the Galaxy S7’s camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon

‘Gears of War’ creator’s ‘LawBreakers’ is a timed Steam exclusive

It turns out Cliff “CliffyB” Bleszinski hasn’t abandoned PC gamers after years of making Gears of War games for the Xbox 360. His new shooter LawBreakers will be a Steam exclusive “at launch.” What’s more, the game where humanity destroyed The Moon isn’t free-to-play any longer — but it won’t cost $60, either. Why the change of heart? “As the game continued to take shape, we realized free-to-play wasn’t the right fit for what we’re building,” Bleszinski says in a canned press release quote.

He adds that because it’s a competitive game, balance is an extremely big focus for the development team and using a premium price helps maintain a level playing field for everyone. Rather than using paid unlocks for certain characters or classes, everyone who plays will have access to everything, it sounds like.

And in a move that really shouldn’t surprise anyone who played the original Gears of War, the art direction is being changed to “a more mature look and feel” that will help it stand out from the current crowd of colorful shooters like Battleborn and Overwatch.

“We decided to take a step back and explore how we could dial up the maturity in LawBreakers, going back to our original vision,” Bleszinski says. “The new look and feel embraces the innovative and vertical nature of our game elevated by violence, intensity and competition.”

Sure, because a game that’s both serious and colorful at the same time is impossible? You can see comparison shots from last year’s debut to today in the gallery up above.

Source: Boss Key Productions

Michael Kors’ Android Wear smartwatches can change faces

Michael Kors already has a healthy lineup of watches in different shapes and sizes, but he still clearly wants a piece of the smartwatch action. The American designer has launched a new line of Android Wear devices called “Access” at Baselworld 2016. Its introduction videos (embedded below the fold) show a black “for him” version and a gold “for her,” but it sounds like the brand’s releasing more variants with interchangeable bands. Expect the ones for women to look glamorous, which most likely means that at least some of them will be studded with crystals, and those for men to look sporty.

Kors puts a lot of emphasis on the line’s looks, as he created the devices because he wanted to make “chic” tech accessories. But, yes, the iPhone- and Android-compatible wearables do come with standard smartwatch features. They have exclusive display faces that you can switch around, depending on the occasion, with a swipe. The watches can show you app notifications, support Google’s voice commands and have a built-in fitness tracker. They won’t be available until fall this year (for $395 each), but it’s not like you don’t have a wide array of choices if you want to buy a smartwatch right this minute.

Source: Michael Kors

DARPA’s ‘Improv’ initiative crowdsources solutions to DIY terrorists

The quality gap between technology available to the Department of Defense and regular citizens is rapidly shrinking — just look at UAVs. While that’s a good thing for hobbyists, it also enables terrorists (either external or home-grown) to craft increasingly sophisticated devices and weapons, like IEDs, which is why DARPA launched its “Improv” initiative on Thursday.

The program will solicit feedback from both skilled hobbyists and experts across a range of industries — from agriculture and transportation to medicine and infotech — to identify and understand how common, off-the-shelf components can be repurposed as security threats. To that end, DARPA wants people to submit their repurposed system ideas with winning candidates receiving funding and government assistance to build a functional prototype within 90 days. From there, DARPA has the option submit qualifying prototypes to “a detailed evaluation regimen.”

“DARPA often looks at the world from the point of view of our potential adversaries to predict what they might do with available technology,” program manager John Main said in a statement. “Historically we did this by pulling together a small group of technical experts, but the easy availability in today’s world of an enormous range of powerful technologies means that any group of experts only covers a small slice of the available possibilities. In Improv we are reaching out to the full range of technical experts to involve them in a critical national security issue.”

The defense agency is holding a Proposer’s Day webinar on March 29th.

Source: DARPA

Kickstarter buys crowd-funded music community Drip

Drip, a community for independent artists and record label, has been acquired by Kickstarter, the company announced today. The company was set to shut down tomorrow, but Kickstarter has swooped in at the last minute and will let the platform continue to operate as-is, at least for the time being. In many ways, it’s a logical pickup for Kickstarter — a major part of Drip essentially amounts to a crowdfunding platform for fans to pay artists directly for their work.

Currently, Drip lets you “subscribe” to artists and record labels to retrieve an ongoing stream of music and videos; you can also get access to perks like discount codes, music archives and other such bonuses. Given how many Kickstarter campaigns focus on music projects, it seems like Kickstarter will be able to learn more about how to get fans to open their wallets and support musicians with the Drip acquisition — and the huge visibility of Kickstarter should help Drip get more attention for the artists currently using it.

Source: Kickstarter