Email privacy bill passes Congress with flying colors

Authorities might soon be required to get a search warrant if they want providers like Gmail to hand over your emails, even if they’re older than 180 days. The US House of Representatives has unanimously passed the Email Privacy Act, which updates the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). Under ECPA, authorities are allowed to request for old emails with only a subpoena instead of a warrant. The new bill’s advocates argue that ECPA is incredibly outdated at this point in time and the subpoena loophole should be closed.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said: “In 1896, mail was sent through the US Postal Service, a search engine was called a library, tweets were the sounds made by birds in the trees and clouds were found only in the sky. In 1986, computer storage was finite and expensive.”

The Hill notes, however, that authorities can still subpoena individuals relevant to their investigation. Users also aren’t notified if the government’s looking into their old emails, according to the EFF. Plus, the government still isn’t required to get a warrant when asking for people’s geolocation data. The good news is that tech service providers can choose to let you know if you’re the subject of an investigation.

Source: The Hill, EFF, Reuters

Cracker Jack ditches toys in favor of augmented reality

Ah yes, Cracker Jack. The classic American snack food and ballpark staple that offers the thrill of finding a cheap plastic toy at the bottom of the box. Well, I should say offered, since PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division is modernizing snacking by nixing the toy in favor of a “baseball-inspired mobile digital experience.” What does that mean exactly? Rather than unwrapping a plastic figurine or trinket, you’ll find a sticker that you scan with your phone’s camera to “bring the ballpark to life” with a mobile game or photo treatment. Oh yeah, you’ll have to download the Blippar augmented reality app first.

Once you scan the included sticker, you’ll be greeted with one of four “experiences” that mimic activities at a real baseball game. There’s “Dance Cam” that allows you to pretend you’re up on the jumbotron, a “Dot Race” around the field and the ability to create both baseball cards and autographed photos of yourself. Those cards and photos can be traded among your family and friends, in case you were wondering. The changes coincide with the start of baseball season across a number of leagues, so don’t forget to take your phone when you head to the stadium this year.

Via: Polygon, San Francisco Chronicle

Source: Frito-Lay (PR Newswire)

Moving the Galaxy S7 launch up helped Samsung’s profits

Samsung’s Galaxy phones drove rapidly growing profits until sales peaked a couple of years ago, but the company just reported its Q1 2016 operating profit is up 12 percent from 2015. Coming at the same time as Apple faced its first revenue drop in a decade, Samsung is getting a boost from releasing its Galaxy S7 earlier in the year than usual. Even a “one time royalty expense” didn’t make a noticeable dent in the segment’s performance, which is the highest it’s been since the second quarter of 2014.

Of course, there’s more than just timing at play, as Samsung says shipments of the S7 and S7 Edge are outpacing their predecessors. It’s also pushing more high-end Ultra HD televisions, and expects events like the Olympics to drive more sales later this year. The only bad news is that it sees a “softening” smartphone market for the rest of the year and less demand for tablets, but for now at least, things are going in the right direction.

Source: Samsung

FTC widens its probe into Android’s antitrust concerns

Google’s Android regulatory headaches aren’t clearing up. If anything, they’re getting a bit worse. Wall Street Journal tipsters claim that the US Federal Trade Commission is expanding its probe into Android’s possible antitrust violations. The regulator has been meeting with “at least” two companies to gather additional information about Google’s potential abuse of its mobile lead to push its services. It’s even hoping to get some of the European Union’s evidence to help make its decision.

The insiders are quick to warn that the FTC hasn’t reached any definitive answers. It’s still entirely possible that the FTC will decide against any kind of formal complaint against Google. In part, that could stem from the nature of the American smartphone market. While Android tends to have a clear majority of the smartphone market in many European countries, it’s not so lopsided in the US — Android has just over half of the market, while Apple has nearly all the rest. Even if officials think that Google has too much leverage over its hardware partners, it might not think that Android is so dominant that those deals are hurting your choice of services.

Via: The Verge

Source: Wall Street Journal

2017 Hyundai Elantra review – Roadshow

The Good The dashboard electronics in the 2017 Hyundai Elantra use an 8-inch touchscreen, feature Google destination search, and also support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Fuel economy from the 2-liter engine averages in the low to mid-30s.

The Bad Low-end torque feels a little weak with the Elantra’s Atkinson cycle engine.

The Bottom Line The 2017 Hyundai Elantra’s driving dynamics feel pretty average compared with other cars in its segment, but its dashboard and driver-assist electronics lift it higher than much of the competition.

With its arched roofline sloping all the way back to the trunk lid, the 2017 Hyundai Elantra almost looks like a hatchback. And that’s just one of the deceptively odd things about Hyundai’s small sedan.

If you are familiar with older Elantras, you might expect this car to be compact, but it actually classifies as a midsize car according to EPA definitions. Having gained almost an inch in length and a bit more in width, the 2017 Elantra looks and feels larger inside and out.

What really threw me as I drove the new Elantra and examined its spec sheet was the engine. Four cylinders, displacing 2.0 liters, has been pretty standard fare for cars of this size, but Hyundai also notes that this engine uses an Atkinson cycle, a valve timing scheme most often used in hybrids. What is going on here?

Hyundai gave the Elantra sedan a major update for the 2017 model year, with new styling, chassis, engine and electronics. This car slots under the Sonata, Hyundai’s larger midsize sedan. I drove a fully loaded Limited-trim version, pricing out at over $27,000 and a big step ahead in features compared to the base SE model. Hyundai will add an Eco model with a smaller, turbocharged engine later this year.

The Elantra’s interior dimensions make it a midsize sedan, according to EPA categorization, meaning a roomier cabin for passengers.

Josh Miller/CNET

Atkinson diet

In city driving, the Elantra pulled just fine up to about 25 mph, but above that I felt it struggle, especially going uphill. At 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, the engine’s output is in line with typical four-cylinder engines, but the valve timing gives it a slight different character. Atkinson cycle engines leave their intake valves open longer than does a conventional engine, allowing a more complete fuel burn.

While this cycle makes more efficient use of fuel, it generally results in lower torque. Hence, Atkinson cycle engines see the most use with hybrid drivetrains, where electric propulsion can make up for power deficiencies.

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In the Elantra, the Atkinson cycle mainly affected acceleration. I was able to hum along on the freeway at 65 mph without a problem, but when I contemplated passing maneuvers, I had to take some more care. The car’s six-speed automatic transmission did its best to give me power when I needed it, but its behavior meant more gear changes, which some might describe as “hunting.”

The Elantra proves the Atkinson cycle’s efficiency, however, with fuel economy ratings of 28 mpg city and 37 mph highway. Those number proved realistic, as I found a consistent mid-30s fuel economy in city and freeway driving.

Over bumps, the suspension felt bouncy as it tried to maintain a comfortable ride quality, but sound deadening improved the overall in-cabin experience. The steering felt reasonably responsive, with a strong pull to center. However, the tuning of this electronic power system wasn’t particularly natural.

The Elantra serves well for transportation, but doesn’t make for a lot of fun behind the wheel.

Josh Miller/CNET

I wouldn’t call the new Elantra a driver’s car, but most people will find it a comfortable and economical means of getting to work and running errands.

Tech package upgrade

While the Elantra’s driving dynamics should span all trims, moving up to the Limited model and adding the Tech package brings in navigation on an 8-inch touchscreen with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.The touchscreen, larger than on most cars of this class, also shows digital audio sources as well as phone features.

The car’s native navigation system shows maps with a clean design and very extensive traffic coverage, with flow information for many surface streets as well as freeways. Although the maps lack a perspective view, only showing a top-down format, I was pleased to find Google search integrated with the destination options. Using it, I entered a search term and quickly got a list of any businesses with that term in the name.

The HTC 10 will cost more than the Galaxy S7 on contract at Bell

The HTC 10 will cost more than the Galaxy S7 on contract when it goes on sale at Bell this Friday.

According to sources close to Android Central, the HTC 10 will cost $349.99 on a 2-year contract at its exclusive carrier on April 29, with an outright price of $899.99 — $100 less than HTC’s retail price for the handset unlocked.

While the HTC is one of the finest devices on the market at the moment, it does have its fair share of issues, including, according to our own Phil Nickinson, some lingering camera problems that, despite claims to the otherwise, likely won’t get magically fixed through a software update.

While smartphones often debut at the high end of their pricing curve, it is concerning that the HTC 10 will be more expensive than the Galaxy S7, which costs $299.99 on contract at the moment. Still, given the weak Canadian Dollar, it comes in lower than we thought.

Pricing will officially be reflected on Bell’s site in the coming days.

See HTC 10 at Bell

‘Modern Warfare’ could return in a ‘Remastered’ edition

The Call of Duty franchise experienced a major turning point during its Modern Warfare stage, and roared into popularity not long after that. It’s been nearly a decade since the game’s release, but we could soon be storming the Bloc multiplayer stage and bringing those UAVs online again. In addition to the yet-to-be-officially-announced Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, it looks as though a remastered version of the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is also in development.

This leak comes in the form of a photo posted to the brand new Infinite Warfare subreddit. It appears to be a reservation card from Target that depicts a special “Legacy Edition” of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, including a special remastered edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. There isn’t any indication as to when the game may be released on its own or if it’s simply coming as a bundled item, but if it’s true it’s a safe bet we’ll hear more by the time E3 rolls around.

It’s a great thing to hear that Modern Warfare could very well be receiving a remastered edition, especially since it garnered so many fans. Aside from that, experiencing John “Soap” MacTavish’s story once more without having to go back to an older console would be extremely convenient. This would be the latest addition to a long list of remastered games having been released as of late, including Resident Evil and System Shock: Enhanced Edition.

Via: Destructoid, Polygon

Source: Reddit

Cop accused of peeping on breastfeeding mom via iPhone app

Remote video capture is cool technology, but in the wrong hands it’s ripe for abuse — especially if the wrong people end up with your device-linked smartphone. A lawsuit filed on Tuesday accused a police officer from Hazel Park, MI allegedly of using a confiscated iPhone to watch a nude mother breastfeed her infant child.
The phone belonged to the fiance of the mother, Megan Pearce (who works as a police dispatcher in another city), and had been seized as evidence during his arrest on drug charges. The lawsuit alleges that Hazel Park officer Michael Emmi took the phone home with him and used it to look through a paired Nest Cam the couple had been using as a baby monitor. Through it, the officer could see and hear whatever the camera pointed at.

The Nest Cam blinks green when a paired device is looking through it, the lawsuit says. Pearce saw a light blinking when every device paired with the camera but the confiscated phone was accounted for, which tipped her off. The mother used the phone’s “Find My iPhone” feature and found its location, which the lawsuit alleges was the home of the officer in question.

Hazel Park Police Chief Martin Barner told the Detroit Free Press that there is no plan for an internal investigation of Emmi. The officer had been involved in two previous lawsuits. He was first sued in 2010 for unlawful search and acquitted, and sued again in 2011 for excessive force when he allegedly used a taser on a mentally ill man who was under restraint, a case which is still pending.

Source: The Detroit Free Press

Go on a bitcoin spending spree in the next Steam sale

Both high-end gaming PCs and bitcoin mining rigs require an awful lot of power to operate at their best, so this next bit of news is a pretty natural fit: You can load your Steam wallet using Silk Road’s favorite currency. Cryptocurrency payment processing outfit Bitpay says that Valve approached the company because the gaming juggernaut was looking for a way to process payments in emerging markets like Brazil, China and India. Meaning, countries where credit cards aren’t easily accessible.

Bitpay is looking to partner with more gaming platforms in the future, so it might not be long before we see it on other storefronts. Consoles might be a little bit out of reach, but PC platforms like Green Man Gaming, or maybe GOG seem pretty likely.

Source: Bitpay

Remote app for Android TV finally comes to iOS

Google announced that Android TV would launch with an accompanying remote app for Android devices, and two years later, they’re releasing it for iOS. Lest you think that’s a long delay, the newest Apple TV only got connected to its iOS Remote app in December.

If you’ve used the app on Android, there won’t be many surprises from the iOS version, aside from not being able to connect via Bluetooth. So long as you’re on the same WiFi network as your Android TV, the app will let your iOS device control it via touch or voice command. While this now lets you use your iPhone to play games, it will probably mostly be used to type in passwords and searches. This should be a blessing for anyone who’s ever agonizingly typed on an onscreen keyboard using a handheld remote’s directional pad.

Via: Android Police

Source: iTunes App Store