FBI confirms new rules for accessing Americans’ NSA spying data

Score one for privacy… I guess? The FBI has confirmed to The Guardian that it’s accepted new privacy rules for accessing data on American citizens collected by the NSA. The only rub? We don’t know what the heck has been changed. In fact, the agency won’t even say when the new rules took affect. All we know is that the government watchdog group PCLOB (the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Group) noted the change in its most recent compliance report. Specifically, the group says the Obama administration has introduced “revised FBI minimization procedures” that take into account its earlier privacy concerns about how the agency accesses surveillance data.

Back in 2014, the PCLOB noted that the FBI had full access to data from the NSA’s “Prism” surveillance program. In particular, the PCLOB was worried that the agency’s rules for keeping out sensitive information about Americans weren’t being observed, given the freewheeling access it had to surveillance data. So the best we can gather now is something about those rules has been revised, which can only be a good thing when it comes to data privacy.

Still, it sure would be nice to eventually see how the US government is actually addressing privacy concerns. Timothy Barrett, a spokesperson for the NSA, tells The Guardian that the rule changes could eventually be made public, just as it did for similar revisions in 2014. “As we have done with the 2014 702 minimization procedures, we are considering releasing the 2015 procedures,” he said. “Due to other ongoing reviews, we do not have a set date that review will be completed.”

Source: The Guardian

Yik Yak ‘Handles’ finally attach names to posts

Since it launched, Yik Yak has allowed users to anonymously post messages and pictures viewable by others within their local area. Popular among students, the service has been controversial and considered by some as a vehicle for cyberbullying, and threats of violence, but now for the first time it’s letting users attach their nicknames to posts. If you choose to grab a “Handle,” it will be on by default for new posts afterwards, but you can choose to post without it, or continue using the service without one.

Yik Yak hasn’t been the only anonymous mobile app out there, as other notable apps have included Whisper and Secret. We profiled the rise and fall of Secret almost a year ago, and adding an identity may be a way for Yik Yak to hang on. Of course, if you’re just trying to escape any online identity in a world full of Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and the rest, maybe anonymity is preferred.

Will you grab a Yik Yak Handle?

Source: Yik Yak blog

Lollipop becomes the most popular version of Android

At last, there’s a new flavor of Android on top of the heap. Google has published updated stats which show that Lollipop is now the most-used version of Android, snagging 36.1 percent of device share in early March versus former champ KitKat’s 34.3 percent. It’s a big milestone that suggests many Android users are using a reasonably modern take on the mobile platform.

As VentureBeat notes, Lollipop is claiming the lead 16 months after it shipped, and 5 months after the arrival of Marshmallow. Phone owners have either had to wait a long time for their Lollipop upgrades, or they were in no rush to get those few devices running the latest code.

On the positive front, Marshmallow use nearly doubled in the space of a month, to 2.3 percent. That’s far from huge (it’s the same share as the 2011-era Ice Cream Sandwich), but it shows that Marshmallow upgrades are arriving in earnest. And those figures should get a healthy boost soon: Marshmallow-toting flagships like the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 are arriving in force this spring, so many users will jump to Google’s freshest OS as a matter of course.

Via: VentureBeat

Source: Android Developers

‘Gears of War 4’ stars ‘Dragon Ball Z,’ ‘Spartacus’ actors

Gears of War 4 is set 25 years after the events of Gears of War 3, and its story stars JD Fenix, the son of long-time series protagonist Marcus Fenix, Game Informer reports. He’s joined by Kait Diaz, a survivalist who grew up outside of JD’s walled-off world, and Delmont “Del” Walker, one of JD’s best friends from boarding school and the army. After a mysterious military incident, Del and JD find themselves in the wild — in Kait’s territory, in fact — and that’s where the game kicks off. But, it’s not going to go very far without a handful of talented voice actors.

Developer The Coalition tapped three accomplished video game and television actors to portray Gears of War 4’s main characters. Kait is portrayed by Laura Bailey, who provided the voice of Kid Trunks in Dragon Ball Z, Fiona in Tales from the Borderlands, Spartan Olympia Vale in Halo 5: Guardians and numerous other roles. Del is voiced by Eugene Byrd, who plays Marcus “Boomer” Boone in Battlefield Hardline and has recurring roles on the TV shows Bones and Arrow. JD gets his voice from Liam McIntyre, who also plays the lead in Starz’s Spartacus series and had a run on The Flash as Weather Wizard.

They all appear fairly pumped to have roles in Gears of War 4.

Thanks for all the huge love guys re: @GearsofWar – Huge role, huge responsibility, huge honor. GEARS IS BACK!! Thanks @GearsViking

— Liam McIntyre (@Liam_J_McIntyre) March 8, 2016

Beyond excited to finally talk about this! #GearsofWar4 https://t.co/JhHfSezS5X

— Laura Bailey (@LauraBaileyVO) March 8, 2016

Hey @Liam_J_McIntyre and @LauraBaileyVO…We look goooooood. #bosses #GearsofWar4 #GICoverReveal https://t.co/rYh1emaW1i

— Eugene Byrd (@Vududaddy) March 8, 2016

Hey @Vududaddy @Liam_J_McIntyre @LauraBaileyVO I can finally share this photo of the newest Gears family members! pic.twitter.com/k1oyZOeL9c

— Rod Fergusson (@GearsViking) March 8, 2016

Source: Game Informer

Random Fighters: Fight against your memory [Review]

Overview In an ecosystem in which pixel graphic games are a dime a dozen, developers have to find ways to come up with interesting gameplay in order to stand out.

Tom Clancy’s The Division Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

In Tom Clancy’s The Division, New York is a desolate wasteland. A smallpox epidemic has ravaged the US, and as the member of a strategic task force, it’s up to you and your fellow operatives to piece the nation back together. Naturally, this mostly involves shooting at a lot of things.

Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET

What exactly is Tom Clancy’s The Division? And when can I play it?

The Division is a cover-based, third-person shooter; expect to spend a lot of time ducking behind conveniently placed dumpsters and vehicles, taking potshots at similarly crouched foes. It’s also an RPG: you’ll roam the rather stunning backdrop of a dilapidated New York City, checking out points of interest scattered around the map, hopping from mission to mission, or just exploring the desolate city streets. There’s also loot to sift through, levels to gain by earning experience, and skills to earn and equip.

And you can play right now! The game is available today, on the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, and PC. Don’t expect reviews for a while, though: developer Ubisoft believes that the best way for reviewers to assess the game is to get into the trenches with the players, and play the game the way it’s meant to be played.

Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET

That sounds like a lot of random stuff, cobbled together.

I know, right? But it actually works rather well. Co-operative play is at the heart of the game, so you can run around tackling events and the like with a crew of up to 4 buddies if you’d rather not go it alone.

It actually really reminds me of a more grounded version of Destiny. There are no spaceships and aliens, and you won’t scale towers, or leap around verdant jungles. But the tight, focused levels should lend itself well to chaotic gameplay.

Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET

What if I want to, say, shoot other people?

The player-versus-player mode offers some of the best loot in the game: you just have to go get it. The catch, of course, is that the goodies you find inside these “Dark Zones” won’t be yours until you’ve successfully escaped — die, and you’ll lose everything you picked up.

And so every trip to the Dark Zones is one fraught with a kind of terror. Any player can strike you down at a moment’s notice. Or maybe they’ll cooperate with you, sharing the spoils so you’ll all get ahead, together. I aware there’s little to no chance of that actually happening, so be sure to rope some (trustworthy) friends in.

Screenshot by Nate Ralph/CNET

What do I do when I’m not shooting?

Well, there’s an entire city to explore. It’s not exactly a 1:1 representation of New York City — that would take ages to roam. But as someone who was born and raised in the city, it’s eerily reminiscent of the place I used to call home.

Beleaguered citizens roam the streets, looking for a hand — in exchange for loot — or just trying to get out of your way. There are bad guys to tangle with, random nuggets of information hidden discarded documents and voice recordings, and lots of random encounters littered around the city. You also have a base that you’ll build up and personalized, using supplies earned from completing missions. Ubisoft has also pledged to ship three expansions for the game over the course of the year, promising to flesh out the city and give us more things to do over time.

Launch the iOS app switcher with 3D Touch – CNET

Double-tapping the Home button to call up the app switcher to jump to another app or close an app has probably become such a force of habit that you can’t imagine app switching or app closing by any other means. But should you have an iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus with 3D Touch and a desire to shun the Home button, there is another way to access the multitasking app switcher.

To open the app switcher with 3D Touch, press down on the left edge of the screen — at the very left-most edge of the screen. Press down hard enough until the screen slides a bit to the right. From here, you have two options: quickly swipe right to jump to the last app you used, or slowly swipe right to open the app switcher.

And while we are on the topic of the app switcher, there is a setting that changes the way you swipe through the carousel of apps. Head to Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion and toggle the switch on.

Left: the app switcher with Reduce Motion turned off.

Right: with Reduce Motion turned on.

Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

With Reduce Motion turned on, swiping through the app switcher occurs in a more controlled manner. Apps are presented one by one, so you can swipe through the carousel more slowly but without ever skipping past an app you are searching for.

Check out each way to make your own decision about the Reduce Motion setting.

For more, see everything you can do with 3D Touch.

Galaxy S7 teardown shows off the bigger battery and more

The folks at iFixit have given Samsung’s latest, the Galaxy S7, a full tear down. Sometimes, we forget to appreciate everything that goes inside the phone, and this gives us a great chance to do just that. Samsung has once again not added screws to the outside of the phone, so removing the front and back are a bit tricky, and can cause big damage if you aren’t careful. On the inside you can see how Samsung jammed a larger battery in next to all the other sensors and chips it needed to make the phone operate properly.

It isn’t everyday we get to admire the components that make up the inside of our phones. If you recently purchased, or plan to purchase the Galaxy S7, you may want to check out the inside of the phone just for fun.

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

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Nexus 5X update improves performance, stability and brings March security patches

In addition to the March security patches, the Nexus 5X will also gain a number of other fixes and improvements in its latest OTA download. According to a new post on Reddit from a Nexus Community Manager, the update will bring various bug fixes, performance, connectivity and stability enhancements and the March security update.

We have listened to your feedback, and this update includes a number of bug fixes that will improve overall stability, connectivity, and performance on the Nexus 5X. The March security update will be included with this OTA for the Nexus 5X.

The update is starting to roll out now, though it isn’t likely to be available for everyone just yet. You can check manually for the update by heading into your Settings then About Phone and finally check for updates. If you receive the update, be sure to let us know if it improves your phone at all.

Discuss the incoming Nexus 5X update in the forums

Nexus 5X

• Nexus 5X review
• 5 things to know about the Nexus 5X
• Read the latest Nexus 5X news
• Learn about Nexus Protect insurance
• Learn about Project Fi
• Join the Nexus 5X forums
• Nexus 5X specs

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‘On Ice’ is the latest Spotlight Story from Google

Google has released a new Spotlight Story, “On Ice”, which takes you on a 360-degree journey following the star of an ice show as he finds competition from an unlikely rival. Spotlight Stories are a new way to tell stories, making them more interactive and putting you inside them.

This film was directed by Shannon Tindle, and created in collaboration with Evil Eye Pictures. From the YouTube description:

“On Ice” tells the story of an over-the-top, sci-fi themed ice show and its star, who suddenly finds he has competition for the spotlight from an unlikely rival.

You can watch this story on your computer, smartphone or in your Google Cardboard viewer if you want. Be sure to check it out and let us know what you think of it.