Cassetteboy mashup pokes fun at the Investigatory Powers Bill

As the British government pushes ahead with the Investigatory Powers Bill, a new piece of legislation designed to update and extend its surveillance powers, the notorious Casetteboy has struck again. The mysterious duo are renowned for their mashup videos which carefully cut political speeches to viciously funny effect. Today, they’ve teamed up with Privacy International to ridicule the proposed IP Bill, which many consider to be a reworking of the divisive “Snoopers’ Charter” from 2012. That bill never came to pass, although the new one has some controversial elements of its own, including the power to obtain “internet connection records.”

The video doesn’t delve into the details, instead focusing on the idea that the government wants access to anything and everything you say online. The reality is a little more complicated than that, but still, it’s entertaining to see the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister’s speeches rearranged like this. Ultimately, it’s this sort of video that could attract the public’s attention and trigger further debates about the bill — one which many, including the intelligence community, have taken issue with.

Source: Cassetteboy (YouTube)

There’s an app for saying “I told you so”

If you’re the sort of person who relishes bellowing “I told you so!” into other people’s faces then, congratulations, you’re an asshole. You’re also the prime target for an app called IKI (I Knew It) that aims to take the lowest form of douchebaggery into the 21st century. Essentially, IKI is a digital, gamified record of things that you knew, or could guess, were likely to happen at some point in the future. If your prediction comes true, you’ll earn points that’ll keep you smugly warm while your former friends go hang out together.

Open the app and you’ll be presented with a Tinder-like swiping mechanism and 20 seconds to make a snap decision. A right swipe means that you agree with someone else’s prediction, while a left one adds the inverse to your record. The first option I saw was to decide if Donald Trump’s square on the Hollywood walk of fame will be stolen, followed by a question about Lady Gaga’s piano. Then I was asked to decide if manufacturing firm Alcoa will hit its financial targets this quarter, since that’s what all hip millennials are into.

You can add your own, too, and the app will even help you pull a picture from Google if you don’t have any to hand. All you have to do is add a comment that’s up to 140 characters and, once approved, others can swipe in judgment to see if they agree with you. We’re not sure if the app will have a human constantly monitoring each guess to dole out points when they’re proved right, but it seems likely. If any of that sounds like something you want to do then you can grab the iOS version right now — with an Android edition planned for later in the year.

Source: App Store

Where to buy LG’s G5 in the UK

If LG flagships have played it relatively safe over the past few years, then the new G5 is downright dangerous. Like any top-of-the-range smartphone, its specs tick all the right boxes, but otherwise it’s not exactly typical. First, there’s the handset’s dual-camera arrangement for super-wide-angle shots, and then, there are “Friends.” That’s LG’s cute/creepy term for a range of quirky accessories that compliment the kind-of-modular G5, which has a removable, replaceable bottom bezel. If you’re looking for something different, the G5 is far from generic, and it’s now available to buy in the UK.

For whatever reason, LG flagships don’t seem to make quite the same splash as new releases from rivals like Samsung and Apple. Three isn’t even ranging the device on launch day, for instance, and while Carphone Warehouse is slightly less apathetic, it’s still listing the device as up for pre-order at time of writing. But there are plenty of contract options, though you might want to pay special attention to O2 and Vodafone, since both are offering early bird bonuses in the form of a free Cam Plus accessory.

Ending 27th April, O2’s promotion is available on monthly plans with a data cap of at least 1GB (note that the cheapest contract options in the table above only include 500MB of data). Any Vodafone Red or Red Value tariff will make you eligible for a free Cam Plus, though only the first 3,000 customers will get one.

MVNOs aren’t showing a great deal of love for the G5 on launch day. In fact, Virgin Mobile appears to be the only one with available stock right now. It’s offering the G5 on contracts from £31 per month for non-customers, and any order before May 31st will snag you a free 32-inch LG HDTV to boot. TalkTalk and giffgaff will definitely be ranging the G5, it seems, but you can’t actually get one from either currently.

If it’s an unlocked, SIM-free G5 you’re after, circa £530 is what you’ll be expected to pay at the online retailers we’re most familiar with (Expansys, Unlocked Mobiles, Clove and a few others). Carphone Warehouse, however, is selling the G5 for £500 online, and Amazon is matching that price at the moment, though it’s asking you wait until April 22nd at the earliest for delivery.

One of the key selling points of the G5 is its range of quirky accessories, known as “Friends.” LG’s UK website only points us towards one retailer pushing the whole range — LaptopOutlet.co.uk — where everything but the robot ball camera is now up for pre-order.

NASA’s resurrected telescope seeks wandering planets

NASA is kicking off a search for free-spirited exoplanets as part of the Kepler space telescope’s extended K2 mission. It’s an impressive quest for an instrument that was all but written off several years ago because of damage to its control wheels. NASA managed to stabilize the device using radiation pressure from the sun and it’s been spotting exoplanets, stars and galaxies ever since. Now, the space agency wants to use the device to survey millions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy looking for signs of “wandering” exoplanets with no companion star.

Astronomers think there may be more free-range planets in our galaxy than stars, but finding them isn’t easy since they don’t regularly block starlight like orbiting planets. To help, scientists will use a phenomenon called micro-gravitational lensing. A passing planet’s gravity causes a star’s light to bend, making it appear brighter for several days. The amount of deflection and brightening caused by such planets is small (hence “micro-gravitational”), but Kepler can spot it. “We are seizing the opportunity to use Kepler’s uniquely sensitive camera to sniff for planets in a different way,” said NASA researcher Geert Barentsen.

Because Kepler is 100 million miles from Earth, scientists will use ground-based satellites to observe the same stars from a slightly different angle. The resulting “parallax effect” should yield additional information about expolanets and stars. Kepler will also be flipped around so that it can be observed from Earth at the same time it observes the sky. That will give it a unique opportunity to snap the Earth and moon as they cross its field of view on April 14th. Once it’s cleaned up and processed, the snap will be released to the public in June.

NASA is also using the mission as a test run for its Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). That satellite, launching in the 2020s, will also use micro-gravitational lensing to spot planets, but on a much larger scale. Kepler will stand on its own, however, as scientists expect to spot 10 or more expolanets in 80 days. “The chance for the K2 mission to use gravity to help us explore exoplanets is one of the most fantastic astronomical experiments of the decade,” says NASA Kepler scientist Steve Howell. Not bad for an instrument that finished it’s primary mission in November, 2012.

Source: NASA

Up to 40% Thinner Apple Watch 2 Predicted to Debut at WWDC in June

Apple analyst Brian White of Wall Street firm Drexel Hamilton, who is currently on a Chinese tech tour, has issued a pair of research notes highlighting his upcoming Apple Watch and iPhone expectations through the end of 2016.

Foremost, White cites a source who believes only the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus will feature a dual camera system, echoing the same prediction made by often-accurate KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this week.

The analyst claims that iPhone 7 production is expected to begin in July, and the next-generation smartphone is expected to help Apple and its suppliers return to smartphone growth in the second half of 2016, just months after the iPhone likely experienced its first year-over-year quarterly sales decline ever. Apple announces its Q2 2016 earnings results on Monday, April 25 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific.

Our meeting with a tech supply chain company highlighted a rough end to 2015 with significant forecast reductions from Apple; however, forecasts have been stable since then with 2Q:16 expected to be the trough. After a YoY sales decline in 1Q:16, our contact expects to return to growth in H2:2016. Production of parts of the iPhone 7 are expected to begin in July.

Meanwhile, White predicts that the Apple Watch could be refreshed within the next two to three months. He believes that a 20% to 40% thinner Apple Watch 2 could be unveiled by June, possibly at Apple’s annual WWDC, which could take place between June 13-17 based on scheduled availability at Moscone West, the San Francisco convention center where the developer event is typically held.

Finally, we walked away with the sense that the Apple Watch refresh will not occur in September with the iPhone 7, but is more likely to occur within the next 2-3 months, and thus we believe an unveiling at WWDC in June makes sense. We believe Apple Watch 2 could be 20-40% thinner than the current Apple Watch.

Early rumors suggested that the Apple Watch 2 could debut at Apple’s “Let Us Loop You In” event in March, which saw the introduction of the iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro, but multiple sources have now reported that the next-generation wearable could debut around September. The original Apple Watch was announced in early September 2014 and released in late April 2015.

A few reports do line up with the June timeframe. In November 2015, a Chinese report surfaced indicating that Taiwan-based supplier Quanta Computer was developing the Apple Watch 2 in time for a late-second-quarter launch, with volume shipments beginning in the third quarter. In January 2016, another Chinese report said Quanta would begin trial production of the Apple Watch 2 by the end of that month.

Moreover, in September 2015, Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri claimed that the second-generation Apple Watch will launch in mid- to late-2016 and be thinner than current models. Few details are known about the upcoming device beyond a June 2015 report that said it will feature a FaceTime video camera and expanded Wi-Fi capabilities, while new bands and finishes are always a possibility.

Whether the Apple Watch 2 is introduced in June or September, it appears clear that Apple may be elongating the wearable’s release cycle beyond one year to avoid consumer exhaustion. Many customers only received the Apple Watch in December during the holiday shopping season, so a new model launching this spring may be considered too soon. A closer to year-and-a-half refresh would seem more appropriate.

Brian White is a longtime Apple analyst that currently serves as Global Head of Technology Hardware & Software at institutional brokerage firm Drexel Hamilton. He previously worked at investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, where he held the same title, and Topeka Capital Markets. Like many analysts, he has both hits and misses in regards to Apple’s upcoming product plans.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, iPhone 7, WWDC 2016
Tags: Brian White, Apple Watch 2
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BMW uses the HTC Vive to design new vehicles

Since the Oculus Rift was first unveiled, it’s been clear that virtual reality has applications beyond the home. One such use case is the automotive industry, where designers are constantly drawing, examining and comparing new ideas. BMW has been using the technology since the 1990s, and now it’s adopting the consumer-ready HTC Vive. Staff will be using the headset to visualise new interiors and other physical features. Once they’ve been implemented in VR, designers will be able to simulate a city and test whether the driver has enough visibility behind the wheel.

Engineers can also evaluate whether the dashboard and controls can be grasped properly from a seated position. It’s valuable because decisions can be made without flying in designers from all over the world. Team members can strap on a headset, review the prototype and submit their feedback before moving on to the next version. Once the design has reached a certain threshold, the headsets will be put aside and a physical prototype can be built for further testing. It’s a big change for BMW — before, employees had to visit specialised, costly facilities to access VR.

For an authentic drive, BMW has developed a mockup, reusable car prop. Together with the HTC Vive, this creates a “mixed reality experience” that can be supplemented with engine sounds and other ambient noise.

For most consumers, the Vive is an expensive piece of hardware. For BMW, however, it’s a relatively cheap investment, and one that will improve as companies release new, more affordable headsets. Over time, the company expects to install more hardware in “many different developer workstations, with little effort.” Just picture a large, open office with dozens of Lighthouse base stations and people wiggling wand controllers in front of their monitors. That’s the future BMW seems to be aiming for.

Source: BMW

Security director rigged lotteries with code

New evidence in an Iowa case shows a former security director at the Multi-State Lottery Association used code to rig draws. If someone made an 80s wish fulfilment movie for hackers, this might just be the plot. Or at least, until the whole getting caught part. Eddie Raymond Tipton was convicted for jackpot-fixing last year, but much of the prosecution’s case was based on circumstantial evidence — as the number generators involved had since been destroyed. A new filing on Wednesday this week claims to show that investigators have recovered code that proves the draws were fixed.

The prosecution suggests that the lottery machines were programmed/tampered with after (or during) a security audit. The added hack picked three specific dates (all of which related to lotteries involved in the case), and if two other conditions were met, the machine wouldn’t use the regular random number generator, instead it’d pick the winning set from an algorithm. Tipton would be able to use this algorithm to predict the winning numbers claim the prosecution. Investigators were able to use the same code and methods to predict the exact same winning numbers.

The new evidence will help prosecutors figure out to what extend other parties were involved in the lottery rigging, and related crimes. Tipton’s original downfall was security camera footage showing him buying a $16.5-million winning ticket, along with some hot dogs, at a Des Moines gas station. Tipton’s brother, Tommy, gave testimony at the time saying the person looked nothing like Eddie, who doesn’t even like hot dogs, reports ABC news. Surely suspicions were raised immediately. After all who doesn’t like hot dogs?

Via: ARS Technica

Source: ABC News

Microsoft’s Edge browser is clamping down on Flash, too

“Adobe Flash isn’t responding.” It’s the message you can feel coming as soon as your browser grinds to a halt and you abandon all hope of salvaging what you were working on. Well, if you’re a developer that’s part of the Windows Insider program and have grabbed Windows 10 build 14316, you’re living in a future where the aforementioned nightmare scenario sounds less likely. Microsoft is changing how its Edge browser handles Flash elements by disabling all but those that it says are central to the page you’re viewing, like games or Flash-based video.

Specifically, a post on the Edge developer’s blog calls out that ads and animations using the aging browser plugin will be click-to-play from here on out. Microsoft’s John Hazen says that this will decrease power consumption and boost performance with Edge, like it similarly has on Chrome and Safari before it. Furthermore, Hazen promises that in time Edge will offer additional user control over Flash that’s the main part of a web page, as well.

However, you’ll have to wait a bit before this goes mainstream. The new Flash rules won’t be out for the masses until the Windows 10 Anniversary update releases this summer.

Via: VentureBeat

Source: Edge Developer’s Blog

Facebook Plans to Introduce Customer Service Chatbot and Live Chat APIs for iOS Messenger App

Facebook is planning to provide developers with toolkits for customer service chatbots and live chat APIs, according to a few sources that spoke with TechCrunch.

The company will debut the new features at Facebook’s F8 conference next week, following in line with a host of recent institutions getting behind chatbot support. Facebook’s intentions are to connect its users with businesses via its standalone chat app, Messenger. [Direct Link]

The new program will connect those businesses with Facebook-approved chatbot developers, so instead of needing to navigate the construction of complex automated response systems themselves, they can focus on their company while developers create the chatbot software. TechCrunch acquired a presentation by Facebook aimed at chatbot developers, and it described some of the functionality the automated responses might have.

It details how beyond just text chatbots will be able to respond with what it calls “Structured Messages.” These include a title, image, a description, a URL and calls to action such as visiting a website, viewing an e-commerce order or making a restaurant reservation.

To further encourage the universality of Messenger, the social media company is also hard at work on plug-ins for the app that can be installed on a website’s contact page. Facebook’s idea is that this would eventually take preference over calling or emailing for questions, linking them out directly to the Messenger app on iOS or Messenger.com on the web.

Going one step beyond automated responses, this would lead to live chat conversations with representatives. So while Facebook would provide the means, each business would still need to find the resources for fully implementing the feature. Other tidbits from the presentation hint at user-targeted advertising in Messenger, a way for Facebook to make money off of the new feature when it rolls out. After paying a fee, advertisers would gain the ability to send targeted messaging ads to users who have already chatted with a business.

Image of a chatbot already running in Messenger that details airline information
The beginning of the steps to Facebook’s vision can be seen in a small update to Messenger yesterday, which introduced truncated “Messenger Links” and “Messenger Codes.” The update provides businesses with Twitter-like usernames that are easier to remember, and easier to navigate to thanks to links directly from the Facebook page of each business.

Similar to Snapchat, Messenger Codes can be used on a peer-to-peer basis to add a friend on Messenger, but companies will be able to install the RFID feature as advertisements and marketing materials, as well. Users can even search for businesses to chat with directly within the iOS Messenger app, although since none of the APIs are available yet it’s on an inconsistent business-to-business basis regarding how helpful the experience will be.

Introducing chatbots into popular messaging apps has become more and more popular, with platforms like Kik and Skype gaining bot features to provide users with interactive chat logs that provide information on the weather, entertainment, or world news. Facebook even launched an airline information bot last week, with limited scope centering on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and providing users with threaded ticket, boarding time, and check-in information directly in Messenger.

Tags: Facebook, Facebook Messenger, chat bots
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Samsung reportedly rolling out Marshmallow to the Galaxy Note 4

Samsung is reportedly rolling out Marshmallow to the Galaxy Note 4. A number of owners have got in touch with SamMobile, noting that the Exynos variant of the phone is starting to receive the update.

According to details passed on by those who have updated their device, the update including Marshmallow clocks in at just under 1.3GB and bumps the operating system up to version to 6.0.1. It’s also stated this update includes the recent April security patch.

Have you received Marshmallow on your Galaxy Note 4? Let us know in the comments!

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