BlackBerry rolls out the DTEK50 and DTEK60 in India
BlackBerry’s latest phones are now available in India.
BlackBerry has launched the DTEK50 and DTEK60 in the Indian market. The former will retail for ₹21,990 ($330), while the latter is debuting at ₹46,990 ($700).
The DTEK50 has a 5.2-inch FHD display, Snapdragon 617, 3GB of RAM, 16GB storage, microSD slot, 13MP camera, 8MP front shooter, and a 2610mAh battery. While it may not be the fastest phone in this segment — which sees the likes of the Lenovo Z2 Plus — BlackBerry’s security-focused software customizations make it more secure than its competitors.
Meanwhile, the DTEK60 has a 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, 32GB storage, 21MP camera, 8MP front camera, and a 3000mAh battery. The DTEK50 is a decent offering in the mid-range category, but BlackBerry is unlikely to gain any momentum with the DTEK60 in a segment dominated by Samsung.
Want to know if the DTEK50 and DTEK60 are worthy of your consideration? We have you covered:
- BlackBerry DTEK50 review
- CrackBerry’s BlackBerry DTEK60 hands-on
California’s Prop 60 would make it legal to harass porn stars
California voters will decide this week if they will be able to become online condom cops, with the ability to out porn performers and get paid for it. That’s the bottom line of Proposition 60, whose proponents were busted this week by San Jose Mercury News fact-checkers who caught pro-60 commercials lying about the measure’s privacy implications.
Meanwhile, porn performers and sex workers, and a long list of medical and political organizations, oppose the proposition.
On the surface, The Condoms in Pornographic Films Initiative seems like a yes-or-no decision about requiring California porn performers to wear condoms while at work, as it were. To the ordinary voter, this seems like a no-brainer: Of course we want these people to have safer sex.
But there are really three different key components here. One is a sector of workers whose health and well-being rely on a workplace-specific set of sexual safety measures — ones that work. Next, at the heart of Prop 60’s campaign, is a sex-negative HIV organization run by “the most hated man in the [AIDS] business.” And finally, a proposition that formalizes the online harassment of sex workers — allowing online trolls to be digital vigilantes, granting them the power to punish sex workers by fining and outing them.
In a statement from the Free Speech Coalition, Chief Executive Diane Duke said, “If the proposed initiative were to pass, adult performers would immediately be targeted by stalkers and profiteers, who would use the initiatives’ sue-a-performer provision to harass and extort adult performers.” She added:, “This is an unconscionable initiative that would take a legal and safe industry and push its performers into the shadows.”
Online witch hunts
Proposition 60, known as California’s “condoms in porn” measure, allows any state resident to sue adult performers and companies when the viewer believes condoms haven’t been used in a porn scene. In the interest of attracting condom cops, the measure gives anyone successfully filing such a lawsuit a cut of the fees imposed on performers — 25% of any fine assessed.
The initiative intentionally incentivizes a cyber lynch mob of anti-porn-ers, stalkers, upset family members and profiteers combing through clip sites/blogs and filing lawsuits. For performers, this means that their private names, contact information and health records become part of the public record through discovery. It’s the legal equivalent of the “Porn Wikileaks” exposure of performers’ names, medical records and addresses a few years ago.
California law already requires adult film productions to follow its blood-borne-pathogen standards. In addition, in accordance with the adult industry’s program for sexual wellness, actors are required to provide clean HIV and STD test results every 14 days (at their own expense; average test cost is around $200). Actors without verified test results are not allowed to work.
The measure comes from the not-for-profit Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) sub-organization, FAIR (For Adult Industry Responsibility, which actually has nothing to do with California’s adult industry, and everything to do with anti-porn zealots). Leading the Proposition 60 charge is AHF President Michael Weinstein, whose campaigning on the matter has a fervor much like the UK’s legally problematic, anti-internet-porn hysteria. When Proposition 60 made it onto the ballot, Weinstein told the press it would save the children from the dangers of internet porn, while he promulgated the image of diseased porn stars.
Weinstein has been keen to tell press: “The No. 1 way that young people learn about sex in this day and age is pornography on the internet. In porn, real people are having real sex. They’re transmitting actual diseases, and the audience knows it. It’s not like a fictional Hollywood film.”
Adult performers have united against Prop 60, but AHF and Weinstein aren’t interested in what they have to say. On several occasions, porn-industry groups have attempted to publicly speak with or debate Weinstein about condoms on the set and Prop 60, only to be avoided at every turn.
San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Scott Weiner said in a Medium op-ed, “This ballot measure, of course, isn’t about public health, since it won’t have any public-health benefit. Rather, it’s about a moralistic, ideological crusade that will do great damage to this California industry and to the health of its employees. It needs to be defeated.”
Adult performers routinely face harassment and financial discrimination. Prop 60 legally incentivizes a digital mob into enacting sexual-behavior witch hunts. It ensures that porn performers will live in fear, similar to the fear felt by women whose stalkers and trolls publish their names and addresses online. Because it facilitates filing suit against producers and performers, it ensures their legal names and addresses will be published in the public record.
It’s easy to see the chilling effect at work here. This is the opposite of the open internet’s free-speech values. In California, porn is legal to make as an act of free speech. Under Proposition 60, a specific type of speech is made so vulnerable to lawsuits that no one can even talk about it without opening themselves to liability.
As we pointed out in October, Prop 60 is set to be a litigation minefield. The way the initiative is written, any representation of actual sex is subject to the law, even if you don’t see penetration. This means that not only are “adult films” themselves subject to lawsuits and fines, but includes any representation of that scene — banner ads, still images, clips, even if they’re just on blogs that write about it.
The list of organizations opposing Prop 60 is astonishing. Both the California Democratic and Republican parties formally oppose it, as does the California Libertarian Party. AIDS Project Los Angeles and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation hate it. The San Francisco Medical Society and the International Entertainment Adult Union both oppose it and fought in court to have their names removed as supporters when AHF wrongly listed them as formally endorsing the measure.
“The most hated man in the AIDS business”
None of the organizations opposing Prop 60 believe its mission is one of public health, which only adds to growing speculation about AHF’s increasingly bizarre role on the global HIV-prevention stage. The New York Times last November called Weinstein “the most hated man in the AIDS business.”
And make no mistake, AIDS is a big business. Nowhere is that more evident than in Weinstein and AHF’s other war against PrEP (a method for preventing HIV) and the success of its key component, a new drug called Truvada.
From the minute Truvada became available two years ago, AHF was the prevention drug’s most vocal and misleading critic. Along with numerous ad campaigns claiming that Truvada didn’t work, Weinstein derisively called it “a party drug” that people take to enjoy reckless sex. In contrast, the National Institutes of Health states Truvada is up to 99 percent effective in preventing HIV when taken daily.
James Loduca, VP for public affairs at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, likens Weinstein to a “climate-change denialist.”
If so, then he’s one with a stunning amount of resources for promulgating that denial. The Los Angeles-based AHF is the world’s largest AIDS nongovernmental organization (NGO), with more than 630,000 patients spanning 36 countries and a $1.3 billion budget. It raked in $696,135,524 in pharmacy revenue in 2014 alone.
In addition to all that pharmacy revenue, AHF’s financial statements include the accounts of a suborganization it runs, called the HIV Immunotherapeutics Institute (formerly the AHF Pharmacy Network). Its long-term mission is to “render current antiretroviral medications obsolete,” which explains AHF and Weinstein’s war against antiretroviral drug Truvada. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation would rather shame people out of having sex than rely on an advancement of medicine.
Last year, the AHF ran an inflammatory Los Angeles billboard and bus-ad campaign depicting users of dating apps Tinder and Grindr as shadowy characters that spread STDs. The billboard’s imagery labeled Tinder’s sex-date partner as “chlamydia” and Grindr’s potential hookup as “gonorrhea.”
In response to public backlash against the billboards, Weinstein told The Guardian, “There are consequences to hooking up.”
The only thing all three of AHF’s campaigns — Truvada, condoms in porn, online hookups — seem to have in common is the notion that promiscuous people are spreading disease, vis-a-vis the evils of modern technology.
And in Weinstein’s perverse war on porn in California, that technology is the weapon he’d like to turn against his immoral nemeses, the performers, at apparently any cost.
‘Pokémon Go’ might soon add Ditto and generation 2 monsters
If catch and daily bonuses aren’t enough to lure you back into playing Pokémon Go, maybe new monsters are. The SilphRoad has dissected newly added codes in the game’s files and found references to shapeshifting Ditto and 100 Generation 2 monsters, from #152 Chikorita to #251 Celebi. Ditto has been in the game’s codes for a while, but the team discovered a new “Transform” move meant for the critter with its own animation sequence. As you might know, Ditto is known for turning into the Pokémon it’s battling in addition to its ability to breed with any monster.
Some codes found in previous APKs made it to the game quite quickly — the buddy system, for instance, was found a week before it came out. However, Ditto has been lurking in the codes for quite a while now, but it still hasn’t made its debut despite being a Gen 1 monster. So if you’re wondering when the new monsters will start popping up, we’re afraid you’ll just have to wait for Niantic to announce an update.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: SilphRoad
The USS Zumwalt can’t afford its own $800,000-per-round ammo
The USS Zumwalt, America’s newest stealth destroyer packs some impressive firepower but there’s just one problem: the US Navy can’t afford the ammunition for the vessel’s 155-millimeter Advanced Gun Systems. These weapons are designed to fire a GPS-guided shell, dubbed the Long Range Land Attack Projectile, up to 60 miles where it strikes with unprecedented accuracy. What’s more, the Zumwalt can lob up to ten of these shells every minute. But while the LRLAPs are quite lethal, they’re also ludicrously expensive at $800,000 a pop.
The problem lies with the Navy’s shrinking demand for Zumwalt-class ships. In the 1990s when the Zumwalts were being designed, the Navy envisioned an armada of them — 32 ships in total. However, in the 26 years since, that number has been whittled down to just three. With that decline in ship orders came a similar drop in the need for ammo. And as the number of rounds the Navy was willing to buy decreased, the price per round increased dramatically. This is a wild departure from the sub-$50,000 price Lockheed originally claimed and an utterly astronomical cost compared to the unguided rounds fired by the Mk. 45 5-inch gun, which is standard on existing destroyers.
This leaves the Navy in a tight spot as it has already sunk around $23 billion into the program. But according to Defense News, the DoD isn’t completely out of options. For one, the Zumwalts could conceivably switch over to the Excalibur GPS-guided artillery round, which does the same thing as an LRLAP but only out to a range of 23 miles. Conversely, the Navy could yank the 155mm gun systems and use that space for additional long-range, anti-air missile batteries. Or, it could forego traditional armaments entirely and install one of those fancy railguns that it’s been working on for the past few years. Fingers crossed for railguns.
Via: Popular Mechanics
Source: Defense News
Huawei is asking Android Central readers to help test Nougat on the Honor 8
Be a part of the solution.
Last week, we showed you what the next generation of Huawei’s EMUI 5.0 looks like on the Mate 9, and it’s a big upgrade from the previous version. Not only is it slicker and faster, but it has a bunch of great features, like in-line replies and multi window, that work wonders with Huawei’s improvements.
Now, Honor, in collaboration with Android Central, is asking for volunteers to help test that same version — EMUI 5.0 — on the incredible Honor 8! Honor is committed to bringing Nougat to customers as quickly and bug-free as possible, and we’ve partnered with them to find 25 people to help make it better before a wider public release — by testing it and reporting back!
Here’s what Honor needs from you, if you’re interested:
Go to this form and fill out the requested information.
- Your first and last name
- Your email address
- Your Honor 8’s IMEI number
If you’re not sure how to get your IMEI, it’s easy:
Open your phone dialer.
Type *#06#.
Copy the information and paste it into the email.
The program is only for U.S.-based Honor 8 owners for now, and you have from now until November 15 to send the information. If you’re selected, Honor will get in touch with you directly.
Apply now for the Android 7.0 Nougat beta on the Honor 8!
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Samsung’s Print Service app now supports 88 million different printers
Printing from your Samsung Galaxy phone just got a whole lot easier.
Samsung’s Print Services app — you can find it here in Google Play if it didn’t come installed on your phone — has been updated to support the Mopria Print library. That means your Samsung phone can now connect to any of over 88 million printers, regardless of the brand or requirements for speciality apps.
“Samsung continues to develop easier ways for today’s on-the-go consumer or business professional to print from their mobile devices that surpass the “File>Print” experience from their PCs and laptops,” said Matt Smith, Vice President, Printing Solutions, Samsung Electronics America. “Adding the Mopria Print Library to Samsung Print Service is just the latest effort in our continued leadership within the Mopria Alliance to remove the barriers users face when trying to print to multiple printer brands.”
We know that most of us aren’t printing things from our phones, but if you’ve ever had to do it you know pairing a wireless printer to any phone can be a pain. This update takes all the guesswork and multiple app installs out of the picture and should provide a much better experience.
Samsung says the update is now pushing out for folks using a Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S6, or Galaxy S7. You can read the full press release.
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Google Home’s interchangeable bases now available at the Google Store
One of the things that separates Google Home from its competition is the ability to swap out the base for another color or material. Google told us about them during the unveiling at Google I/O 2016, but we haven’t seen them available until today.
For $20, you can get fabric bases in mango, marine or violet (orange, blue or purple if you’re not up on the latest). For $40, you can get a metal base in carbon, copper or snow. Shipping is free on all orders.
While this won’t change the way Google Home works, it might make it fit in better with your living room decor.
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Catalyze your next tech career with the CompTIA-IT Certification Career Advancement Bundle (98 per cent)
Certifications are essential for breaking into the tech world, and while there are many to choose from, few carry as much weight as a CompTIA certification.
Whether you’re looking to get into online security or network administration, the CompTIA-IT Certification Career Advancement Bundle can help you land the certifications you need to get your foot in the door.For a limited time, the CompTIA-IT Certification Career Advancement Bundle is on sale for just £48.40 ($59 USD).
Featuring a whopping 420 hours of IT training, this course collection will help you ace the following certification exams:
- CompTIA A+ 220-901 And 220-902
- CompTIA Cloud Essentials
- CompTIA Cloud+
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+ SYO-401
Starting with the A+ certifications, you’ll learn the basic skills needed to start working in IT. From there, you can steer your career in a specific direction with the cloud and network security certifications. These certifications will validate your skills and make you eligible for careers in ethical hacking, network administration, and much more.
What’s more, since CompTIA’s certifications are vendor-neutral, you can take them to any employer. Make your way through the entire collection, and you’ll emerge with a broad skillset perfect for making your entrance into a new industry.
The CompTIA-IT Certification Career Advancement Bundle usually retails for £3,362, but you can get it on sale for just £48.40 ($59 USD)–that’s 420 hours of training for over 90 per cent off.
Get a cutting-edge phone for free by entering the Google Pixel XL Phone Giveaway
Google has finally entered the smartphone game, and its Pixel smartphone is shaping up to be a real contender.
Boasting a fast-charging battery and the market’s highest-rated smartphone camera, the Pixel makes for a tempting upgrade. But before you shell out the money for one, try your hand at winning a Pixel XL for free in The Google Pixel XL Phone Giveaway.
Featuring the top-rated 89 DxOMark Mobile score, the Pixel is adept at taking photos in any environment. It shoots at 12.3mp for extra sharp images and uses an f/2.0 aperture to make even the darkest shots look bright.
However, the camera isn’t the only thing about the Pixel that’s turning heads. The Pixel’s battery can last for about a day of moderate usage, but that’s nothing special. What is special, however, is the fact that it can charge up to seven hours of battery life in only 15 minutes. Combine that with its cinematic display, and you’ll be watching videos for hours on end with absolutely no problem.
What’s more, the Pixel is the first phone to come with the Google Assistant built in—Google’s answer to Apple’s siri. This voice-controlled virtual assistant answers all your questions, manages your tasks and schedule, and much more.
Google’s Pixel XL usually retails for £712, but you can save your money and win it for free by entering the Google Pixel XL Phone Giveaway.
Hydroponic gardens could end Arctic food shortages
You don’t have a wide variety of food choices if you live in remote parts of the Arctic. Some consumables can take so long to arrive that they’re already past their “best before” dates, and that’s assuming they arrive in the first place — shortages are considerably more common. However, Alaskan companies Native Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corp and Vertical Harvest Hydroponics could make fresh greens a mainstay even in more inaccessible regions. They’ve developed indoor hydroponic gardens that grow vegetables like kale and lettuce in shipping containers filled with LED lights. As you don’t need soil or a warm climate, you can provide tasty veggies just about anywhere you have reliable power.
There are plenty of challenges. First and foremost is price: an initial container cost $200,000 to deploy. That’s not a huge sum for most cities, but it’s a big deal in small towns and villages where that could be a large chunk of the budget. There’s also the matter of electricity. Arctic towns frequently depend on generators instead of power plants, and a constantly running hydroponic garden could be a significant drain on the local grid. They may require solar power and other renewable sources to run in areas where every kilowatt matters.
However, early results are promising. People are buying food from prototype gardens right now through the Arctic Greens brand, and an expansion of sales to more locations might just happen if it’s cost-effective. Should that go ahead, residents in the Arctic (or any hard-to-cross territory) wouldn’t have to make hard choices about what they eat, or make do without certain vegetables for significant stretches of time.
Source: AP (Popular Mechanics)
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