AT&T, Verizon sued for giving businesses discounts on 911 fees
Calling 911 is one of those things you just expect to work regardless of the circumstances. A new lawsuit alleges that mobile carriers including AT&T and Engadget parent company Verizon are shortchanging the indispensable emergency service, however. Apparently, in an effort to cut deals with business customers, the aforementioned telcos have been lowering the typical $1 fee per-line charge that goes straight to funding 911 call centers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The suit comes from Alabama businessman Roger Schneider, a member of his local 911 oversight board, who once was offered a discount on his bill by reducing the funding tax. Whoops. He’s been keeping an eye on such matters for about a dozen years and got service providers to settle for $3 million after discovering his county’s call centers were being shorted over $1 million each year.
On a bigger stage, in 2014 there was apparently a $600 million gap between what the government spends for maintenance, wages and upkeep and what it collects in the 911 fees. That’s a huge problem. So much so that Schneider’s suit is joined by a raft of others across the country. For their parts, AT&T and Verizon each denied shortcutting the emergency tax, saying that the claims are “baseless” and that they aren’t breaking the law, respectively. But when you start looking at the numbers WSJ is reporting, those sentiments feel incredibly hollow — especially when those companies and more have had to shell out millions for 911-related delays and outages before.
Source: Wall Street Journal
New ‘Pokemon Go’ Update Adds Driving Warning, Changes ‘Nearby’ Into ‘Sightings’
Niantic has today updated Pokemon Go to version 1.3, bringing several improvements, tweaks and fixes to the game. The main addition is a dialogue option for users who may be playing while driving, while the “Nearby” feature has been transformed into “Sightings” as the developer continues work on testing a new tracking system.
If players are going over a certain speed, the game will now warn them that they’re moving too fast. To continue playing, users have to click a button that tells the app that they’re a passenger and not a driver. Throws have also seen improvements, with the curve ball throw receiving accuracy adjustments while the “Nice,” “Great” and “Excellent” throws now receive the appropriate experience from the game.
The game’s “Nearby” feature has also been changed into “Sightings.” The new feature, which Niantic says it is testing with a subset of users, points out Pokemon that have been sighted in the area. Behind illustrations of nearby Pokemon are illustrations of grass. Unlike before, tapping on a singular Pokemon does focus on a single Pokemon. In last week’s Pokemon Go update, Niantic disabled the vague and difficult-to-understand “three steps” tracking mechanic.
Other minor changes and fixes include art for the Mystic, Insight and Valor team leaders , the ability to change a user’s nickname, a fix for achievements that were showing incorrect medal icons and a fixed and re-enabled battery saver mode.
Pokemon Go is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Tag: Pokémon GO
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Buy an HTC 10, get a pair of $199 JBL USB-C headphones for free until Aug 31
HTC wants to get you into the USB-C audio future with this great promotion.
Now that the luster of the HTC 10 launch has worn off, HTC’s running a pretty fantastic promotion that’ll get you a pair of headphones and an additional $100 accessory credit when you buy an HTC 10 from its website. The headphones on offer here aren’t some cheapo pair, either — they’re the JBL Reflect Aware C headphones that were announced back with the phone and retail for $199.
A borderline purchase normally, now included for free with the phone.
The JBL Reflect Aware C headphones have some distinct advantages because they use the USB-C port on the phone rather than a typical headphone jack, offering active noise cancellation without additional batteries and higher quality end-to-end digital sound. They’re designed to be “sport” headphones that are built to take a beating and plenty of sweat, but they’ll of course work great for other situations as well.
And when you get them absolutely free when buying an HTC 10, it just makes the deal even sweeter. Just buy an HTC 10 from HTC.com between now and August 31, and the JBL Reflect Aware C headphones will automatically be added to your cart. To sweeten the deal even further, HTC is throwing in a $100 accessory credit to spend on the site with purchase. If you happen to want to buy the HTC 10 from another retailer, HTC is still throwing in the $100 accessory credit when you register your phone at HTC.com after buying — a nice gesture.
Not only can you get out ahead of the curve and be ready for the future of USB-C audio with some great headphones, you can do so for absolutely free if you’re interested in an HTC 10 — and if you’ve been on the fence maybe this will push you to getting one.
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Pokémon Go updates: Everything you need to know
There’s a new Pokemon Go update. Here’s what you need to know!
Pokémon Go updates aren’t common, but they are a big deal. Here’s what you need to know about each major one!
Update August 8: Added information about version 0.33.0 with new Sightings feature, and more!.
Version 0.33.0 – August 8, 2016
This version introduces a number of new features, including the ability to rename your trainer once — so consider it carefully — and a warning when the game detects that you’re moving in a vehicle, asking you to confirm that you are not actually driving while playing.
Here’s the official change log:
- Added a dialog to remind Trainers that they should not play while traveling above a certain speed; Trainers will have to indicate they aren’t the driver
- Fixed a bug that prevented “Nice,” “Great,” and “Excellent” Poké Ball throws from awarding the appropriate XP bonuses
- Enabled the ability for Trainers to change their nickname one time, so please choose your new nickname wisely
- Added visuals of Team Leaders Candela, Blanche, and Spark.
- We’re currently testing a variation of the “Nearby Pokémon” feature with a subset of users. During this period you may see some variation in the nearby Pokémon UI.
With this update, the game also introduces a change to the “Nearby Pokémon” box in the lower right of the screen, changing the wording to “Sightings”, along with the graphics behind the Pokémon in your vicinity. While we’re not sure how the new “Sightings” feature works just yet — and how different it is to the original “Nearby — we are exploring it and will update when we know more.
Show older updates
Version 0.31.0 — July 30, 2016
This version introduces a number of big changes to the game, including the contested removal of footprints for easily tracking nearby Pokémon. It also allows for the customization of Trainers after they have been outfitted, and introduces warnings to players against trespassing and playing the game dangerously.
- Avatars can now be re-customized from the Trainer profile screen
- Adjusted battle move damage values for some Pokémon
- Refined certain Gym animations
- Improved memory issues
- Removed footprints of nearby Pokémon
- Modified battle damage calculation
- Various bug fixes during wild Pokémon encounter
- Updated Pokémon details screen
- Updated achievement medal images
- Fixed issues with displaying certain map features
- Minor text fixes
Version 0.29.2 — July 13, 2016
This update fixes problems with Android Nougat Developer Preview users.
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Twitch is cracking down on ‘Pokémon Go’ cheaters
While livestreaming can be a boon for game developers, Twitch has made it clear the company has zero tolerance for players who flagrantly violate any game’s terms of service. For players streaming their Pokémon Go sessions, that means taking a hard stance on shared accounts and GPS spoofing.
“Recently we issued a statement that streaming content on our services which violates third-party terms of service or other user agreements is a violation of our own Terms of Service,” Brian Petrocelli wrote in a blog post. “Today we would like to make clear that this policy also holds true for Pokémon GO content on Twitch.”
Per Niantic’s guidelines, cheating in Pokémon Go can be anything from multiple users per account to selling accounts to “using tools or techniques to alter or falsify your location” — obviously the big point for Twitch here. As of today, anyone caught streaming their Pokémon cheats on Twitch will get a strike on their account. So think twice the next time you feel like livestreaming your GPS-hacked trip to a gym in Shibuya.
Qualcomm chip security holes affect most Android phones
If you own vaguely recent Android smartphone, there’s a good chance that at least one of Qualcomm’s many chips powers it… and if so, you might be at risk. Check Point has revealed four vulnerabilities, bundled under the QuadRooter nickname, that take advantage of problems with Qualcomm driver software (for elements such as graphics, memory and routing) to get root-level access and install malware that could hijack your device. All an attacker needs to do is load a seemingly innocuous, permissions-free app to deliver the payload.
Given the sheer ubiquity of Qualcomm in the mobile world, the exploits could affect the majority of Android devices — Check Point estimates 900 million in total, or most of the 1.4 billion active devices in use as of fall 2015. That includes many of the past and present flagship phones from companies you know, such as Google’s Nexus phones, the HTC 10, LG G5 and at least some variants of Samsung’s Galaxy S7. Check Point has gone so far as to release an app that tells you whether or not your hardware is vulnerable.
Thankfully, three of the four issues have been patched, and a fix is coming for the fourth. However, there’s a very real chance that you won’t get a fix. People with newer Nexus devices already have their fix, but it may take a while for vendors like LG and Samsung to test the solution with their heavily customized takes on Android. And while plenty of security vulnerabilities go unfixed on older hardware that no longer gets support, that lack of updates is a particularly sore point with QuadRooter — many of those 900 million devices are far from the cutting edge.
You probably aren’t under imminent threat given that you’d need to install an app. If you stick to Google Play downloads, you’ll likely be safe. With that said, attackers could easily prey on users who either don’t know this or live in countries where unofficial app stores dominate, such as China.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Check Point, Google Play
FCC hopes to speed up 5G rollouts by cutting red tape
The FCC really, really wants to get the ball rolling on 5G mobile networks, and it’s willing to make an end run around some of the usual bureaucracy to make that happen. The Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau has struck a deal that will skip historic preservation reviews for small 5G cell sites across the US. So long as the sites aren’t going to “adversely impact” historic locations, they’ll get up and running that much faster. The FCC will also “welcome input” on how to improve things further.
This doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be using a 5G smartphone any time soon. The telecom industry has yet to even settle on a 5G standard, let alone build the equipment you’ll need to get online. The FCC also isn’t giving carte blanche to carriers, as it still wants “responsible” deployments. However, this raises hopes that the next wave of high-speed cellular data won’t take quite so long to arrive as LTE did — you could see meaningful coverage relatively quickly.
Source: FCC
Internet Archive adds 10,000 Amiga games and applications
With zero fanfare, the Internet Archive uploaded a new collection of software last week from the Amiga, a mid-80s personal computer famous for its impressive-for-the-time game graphics. The new collection is no tidy sum, either, with over 10,000 games, applications and demos. Whether this is the first time these items have shown up on the archive is uncertain, but should you want to relive a golden age of personal computer gaming, head over and play them straight from your browser.
Some of the classic titles like Bubble Bobble and R-Type have already been added to the archive, but notably for other platforms, as in this lower-resolution Sega Master Drive version of the latter game. If you want to play games exactly as the Amiga ran them, this is your ticket. But it’s unclear how many of them were previously available, even in that specific computer format, as at least one 2013 story mentions the archive’s 30GB trove of games and applications for the “Amiga Commodore.” Yet that piece points readers interested in downloading toward an endless directory list of software, so it’s probably far easier on the eyes to parse through the newly-uploaded collection if you’re hunting down a particular digital curio.
Source: The Internet Archive (Amiga collection)
‘Pokémon Go’ update warns you not to catch and drive
You probably know that it’s unwise to play Pokémon Go while you’re behind the wheel, but Niantic and The Pokémon Company aren’t taking any chances. They’re trotting out an update to the mobile game (on both Android and iOS) that tells you not to catch creatures while driving. You have to tap an “I’m a passenger” button if you want to keep playing while moving at high speed. The game can’t check to see that you’re being honest, of course, but this will at least serve as a reminder that irresponsible gameplay can have serious consequences.
That’s not the only noteworthy addition. This is the upgrade that restores the battery saver mode on iOS, helping you eke a little more exploration time out of your iPhone. It also fixes a key bug that prevented you from getting experience with good throws, adds graphics for the leaders of the three teams, and will let a handful of users test a new “nearby Pokémon” interface. Even if you’re a cautious player, then, it’s worth grabbing this new version in a timely fashion.
Source: Google Play, App Store, Pokemon Go (Facebook)
Frigidaire Gallery FGHT1846QF Custom-Flex Top Freezer Refrigerator review – CNET
The Good There’s more to this fridge than meets the eye, with helpful, high-end features hidden inside and a smudge-proof stainless-steel exterior.
The Bad Cooling performance was pretty awful, with sections in the body of the fridge that come in above FDA-approved temperatures even at the coldest setting.
The Bottom Line This refrigerator’s performance disqualifies it from consideration, which is a shame, since the features are so good.
The Frigidaire Gallery FGHT1846QF is a good-looking top-freezer fridge that sells for $1,100 (or $1,000 if you skip the stainless steel). It’s filled with features you don’t often see in top freezer models, it feels sturdy and well-built and it offers a relatively ample 18.3 cubic feet of storage space. On paper, it’s the perfect pick for someone who wants to splurge on a noticeably nicer-than-average top freezer refrigerator.
It’s a splurge I can’t recommend, though. For all it’s got going for it, the Frigidaire Gallery FGHT1846QF is a weak performer — so weak that we found average temperatures up above 40 degrees F in the body of the fridge even at the coldest setting. Even if you dial it all the way down, it’s still too warm. For me, that’s a deal breaker.
Features galore in this Frigidaire top-freezer…
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A top freezer with panache
This Frigidaire’s top shelf slides in and folds up to make room for large items.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Top freezers are the classic freezer-on-top, fridge-down-below refrigerators that most of us probably grew up with, and they’re obviously nothing fancy. Still, the FGHT1846QF might surprise you with just how many features it comes with.
For starters, there’s a the “smudge-proof” stainless-steel exterior. It’s a finely contoured version of the popular finish that’s just as shiny and metallic as you’d expect, but noticeably better at repelling fingerprints. Then there’s the interior, where you’ll find a top shelf that slides in or folds up out of the way, along with a pantry drawer that runs the width of the fridge. Both are rare features for top freezers, and ones that you’d more commonly expect to see in French door models.
On top of that, Frigidaire takes a modular approach with the “Custom-Flex” in-door shelving. Each shelf hangs on a rail, making it easy to rearrange things as you see fit. Even better, you can swap any of those shelves out for different modular accessories, which include things like a water bottle holder and a can dispenser. You’ll have to buy those modular accessories separately, but none of them cost much more than $15.
Top freezer fridges for around $1,000
| 14.2 cubic feet | 13.5 cubic feet | 15.2 cubic feet | 17.6 cubic feet | 17.6 cubic feet |
| 4.1 cubic feet | 4.0 cubic feet | 6.1 cubic feet | 6.2 cubic feet | 6.2 cubic feet |
| 18.3 cubic feet | 17.5 cubic feet | 21.3 cubic feet | 23.8 cubic feet | 23.8 cubic feet |
| Slide-in shelf, Custom-Flex door shelves, full-width pantry drawer, smudge-proof stainless steel | Autofill Pitcher | Flexi-Slide Bin | Full-width pantry drawer, automatic ice maker | Full-width pantry drawer |
| Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| 363 kWh | 399 kWh | 443 kWh | 501 kWh | 547 kWh |
| $44 | $48 | $53 | $60 | $66 |
| $2.40 | $2.74 | $2.49 | $2.52 | $2.77 |
| 3 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7 | 9 |
| $1,100 | $1,000 | $1,100 | $1,200 | $1,420 |
| $900 | $800 | $900 | $1,095 | $1,000 |
The fridge features a storage-minded design that does a good job accomodating groceries of different sizes.
Tyler Lizenby/CNET
Those storage-minded features came in handy when it came time to start cramming in the groceries. All of my test goods fit inside just fine, with enough room left over to fit in five of our six large stress-test items, too.
That’s a strong result for an average-sized top freezer, and further evidence that capacity is more than just a number. Design has a role to play, too, and in this fridge, the design does a great job.
AIVAnet 