National Express coaches are getting on-board entertainment
Long-haul flights have offered seat-back TVs to distract weary passengers for some time, and it’s looking like it won’t be too long before every transport option has its own form of on-board entertainment. Following the arrival of Virgin Trains’ entertainment app earlier this year, National Express has announced a similar service called VUER — short for View, Unwind, Enjoy and Relax (sigh) — for its coaches. Launching at the end of November, the VUER app for Android and iOS will give passengers complimentary access to TV shows, magazines, news and weather via free on-board WiFi.
Initially coming to nearly 300 coaches on popular routes with over 100 hours of launch content, the entertainment service will reach National Express’ entire fleet by next summer. Live journey updates and films will also become available within the VUER app early next year. National Express is promising there will be something for adults and kids alike, hopefully keeping the little ones quiet on those long and boring cross-county trips.
Via: Gizmodo
Facebook Halts Collection of WhatsApp User Data Across Europe
Facebook has temporarily halted the collection of WhatsApp user data across Europe after pressure from privacy watchdogs, according to the Financial Times. The move follows news last week that the social media company, which owns the popular chat platform, agreed to pause data collection in the U.K. while a government probe there inquired into WhatsApp’s privacy policy.
The Irish Data Protection Commissioner’s office, which acts as Facebook’s European regulatory body, confirmed to FT that the company had suspended European data collection since last week.
The change in data gathering means that WhatsApp users across Europe will no longer have select information shared with Facebook, including the phone number a user verifies during the registration process and the last time a user accessed the service.
Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014, but only began collecting data from users of the chat service in August this year. In September, German authorities ordered a halt to the practice in the country after ruling that it was an infringement of national data protection law.
Last month, pan-European privacy watchdogs signed an open letter to WhatsApp saying they had serious concerns over the privacy policy change, and urged Facebook to pause data collection until appropriate legal protections could be assured.
Tags: Facebook, WhatsApp
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‘FIFA’ hackers guilty of ‘mining’ $16 million from EA
We tend to think of ‘wire fraud’ as a white collar crime perpetrated against a banking institution, but in a world with virtual currencies and online marketplace, the reality can be a bit more complex. Take the case of Anthony Clark, a 24-year-old man from Whittier, CA, who was found guilty of a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He didn’t defraud a major US bank — he and three others mined $16 million worth of FIFA Coins from EA Sports’ popular series of soccer games.
This isn’t the first time there have been legal charges surrounding the EA games’ digital currency — earlier this year some popular YouTube streamers got in trouble for violating the UK Gambling Act by creating online lotteries with FIFA Coins. Compared to this hacker group’s efforts, however, that was almost nothing: According to the Justice Department, Clark and his team created software that tricked EA’s servers into thinking their accounts had played thousands of FIFA Soccer matches in seconds, causing the game’s normally small FIFA Coin payouts to be multiplied exponentially. Over time, the group sold these ill-gotten winnings on secondary coin markets for millions.
The feds closed in on Clark and the rest last year, seizing money, cars and a house, before things ended this week when a jury convicted Clark on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The rest of the group pleaded guilty earlier, and all four are currently awaiting sentencing. Check out the Justice Department’s official statement for more details.
Source: Department of Justice
Joby Griptight POV Kit: The selfie stick has evolved (review)
Everyone has a friend whose face is always in front of their phone. You can usually sniff that person out by going to eat at a restaurant and seeing who pulls their phone out to Instagram their food. Selfies have increased exponentially with apps such as Snapchat, where sending pictures through text messages has become obsolete. Companies like Joby have taken advantage of the selfie game and have come out with accessories to capture the perfect picture. Let me introduce you to Joby’s Griptight POV Kit.
Build
- Product dimensions: 4 x 6 x 9 cm
- Weight: 60 grams
The package contains a Griptight POV, universal flash shoe, and an Impulse Bluetooth remote.
The Griptight POV is a portable smartphone mount that is built with a lightweight, plastic design. It will fit most phone sizes using an adjustable locking clamp. The clamp contains a jagged grip to ensure a secure fit on your phone.
This versatile mount has multiple viewing angles that are adjusted with the black screw towards the back. The multiple viewing angles can be achieved by rotating the handgrip, which will rotate 180 degrees. This allows everything from taking a selfie, all the way to a grip that will give you a camera-like feel. The mount can also be angled so that your smartphone will stand up on its own like a tripod.
Located at the top of Griptight POV is the Impulse Bluetooth remote that can be removed by sliding it out. The remote is paired by long-pressing the Joby button and then pairing it to your phone. This allows you to take a picture by simply pressing the Joby button.
The Griptight POV’s handgrip can be unscrewed and put onto a GoPro mount. You can capture all your action-packed moments by attaching it a wide array of GoPro mounts.
Usage
I was under the impression when I first saw the Joby Griptight POV that it was going to be just a portable selfie stick. I was pleasantly surprised at the versatility of this smartphone mount after using it for the past couple of weeks. I must admit the selfie game was pretty strong while I was using the Griptight POV mount. The Bluetooth remote worked effectively, especially when I put the mount in the tripod position to take a picture of my family.
I have a friend who uses a GoPro frequently while skateboarding. I had no trouble hooking it up to the GoPro helmet mount and caught a couple of laughable attempts at my inability to skateboard. I wouldn’t recommend using this for hardcore activities like on a motorcycle. The clamp is tight on the phone but I don’t know how it will hold up when you are flying at 85 miles per hour.
My favorite use for this mount was in the smartphone stand position. My biggest first world problem is having to hold my phone while watching Netflix before I go to bed. My arm gets tired holding the phone up to my face. I’ve tried leaning it against my alarm clock but it falls over all the time. This handy smartphone mount made my first world problems go away by letting me watch my favorite shows hands-free.
Conclusion
The Joby Griptight POV kit is so much more than just a selfie stick. This portable smartphone mount has so many functions, despite its small size. Multiple viewing angles combined with a removable Bluetooth remote ensures that you will always capture the perfect picture. The kit is compatible with GoPro mounts, so you will never miss another action shot. The Griptight POV kit can be found on Joby’s website for only $49.95. With the holidays coming around the corner, make sure your friends have all the right tools for their selfie-obsession.
Unitek 60W 5 Port USB Car Charger: Keep your backseat passengers happy with a USB charging extension hub (review)
The dreaded low battery symbol shows up on my phone at least four times a week. You would think that I would learn to plug in my phone before going to bed every night, but I guess I subconsciously enjoy making my life difficult. There seems to be a correlation to my phone dying only when I am following directions from Google Maps. Luckily, Unitek offers an inexpensive car charger that will keep you fully charged at all times. Let me introduce you to the Unitek 60W 5 port USB car charger.
Build
The package contains a USB car charger and a USB extension hub
The main USB car charger that plugs into your car is equipped with two USB ports. The top port supports QC3.0 technology. QC3.0 is a technology developed by Qualcomm that allows your phone to be charged from 0% to 80% in 35 minutes. This relatively new technology is only supported by a limited number of phones. However, the QC3.0 port will automatically detect if it is compatible and if it isn’t it will change to the correct power output. The great thing about QC3.0 is that it is backwards-compatible with QC2.0 and QC1.0 which supports many more phones.
The bottom port on the main car charger is a standard 2.4A USB port. There is a light indicator at the top of the main charging unit that lights up green when quick charge is detected or blue when regular charging is detected.
The USB extension hub connects at the bottom of the Unitek Smart Car Charger. The extension hub is aimed towards backseat passengers so everyone can have the option of charging their devices. The extension hub features two standard 2.4A USB ports and one USB Type C for those that have newer devices.
Usage
My car comes with a USB port so that I can charge my phone. However, over the past year, I’ve noticed the charging wasn’t as quick as I would like it to be. The Unitek car charger was a great addition to my car. The QC3.0 port was extremely useful because it decreased the charging time significantly. I have the LG G5 and found that it only takes around 40 minutes to charge my phone from 0% to 80%. Rapid charging is extremely convenient for me because I do not take many car trips longer than 20 minutes. Its ability to charge my phone to at least 50% in that time span is really crucial because of my bad habit of not charging my phone.
The extension hub is a nice addition for road trips with friends. It measures 22 inches which isn’t that long, but it should reach the backseat with the additional length of the charging cable. I took a trip up to Big Bear with my buddies for the weekend and had no problem charging four phones at one time.
Conclusion
Smartphone companies aren’t focusing on increasing battery life in phones so it is absolutely imperative to have various options of being able to charge your phone on the go. Many newer cars have a USB port that comes standard; however, these USB charging ports do not charge our smartphones fast enough. There are better options available such as the Unitek 60W 5 port USB charger.
Five ports allow for many devices to be charged at the same time. There is one port that has QC3.0 charging capability, which is also backwards-compatible with QC2.0 and QC1.0. The fifth port is strictly for USB Type C. Amazon is having a sale on the Unitek 60W 5 port USB charger for only $21.99 with free shipping. If you are like me and always forgets to charge your phone, then this charger will be a great addition to your car.
Spray-on conductive concrete will shield us from EMP attacks
While the threat of an EMP attack knocking out electronics and sending the world into an apocalyptic spiral seems far off, it’s good to know that someone is working to protect us from it anyway. University of Nebraska engineers Christopher Tuan and Lim Nguyen have successfully created a cost-effective concrete mix that acts as a shield against “intense pulses of electromagnetic energy” and protects any electronic devices inside.
The EMP-proof concrete has actually been adapted from Tuan and Nguyen’s previous — and slightly more pedestrian — breakthrough: self-warming concrete that can melt ice and snow with a safe, low-level electrical current. The pair was originally working on a way to build safer roads and bridges when they realized their new concrete could also block electromagnetic energy.
That microwave-blocking property comes from a key ingredient in the concrete mix called magnetite — an iron ore with magnetic properties that allow it to soak up radiation. Tuan and Nguyen also added in more carbon and metal elements than traditional concrete in order to boost the absorption even further. Compared to building expensive metal enclosures or faraday cages, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says the new conductive concrete is much cheaper and easier to deploy, and a prototype structure built with the material exceeded the military’s own shielding requirements. As part of a licensing agreement with American Business Continuity Group, the University has even developed a commercially available, spray-on “shotcrete” version, so the material can easily be used to retrofit older buildings and potentially vulnerable infrastructure.
Source: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Apple’s OLED Suppliers Won’t Be Able to Meet Demand for 2017 iPhone
Apple’s four main OLED suppliers won’t be able to meet the production capacity necessary to match demand for the 2017 iPhone, according to a new report from Bloomberg. Supply constraints are expected to last until 2018.
OLED screens are more difficult to produce in mass quantities than LCD screens, which means Apple is “at the mercy” of suppliers who are willing to produce them in the necessary quantities. Bloomberg notes that the supply constraints may force Apple to either restrict OLED use to one version of the next iPhone or push adoption of the technology back.
While Apple and Samsung have an exclusive OLED deal for 2017, it doesn’t guarantee that the company will be able to meet Apple’s demand. For example, Samsung’s OLED supplies have already been constrained due to its own smartphones, like the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
Apple’s OLED screen order is for displays larger than 5 inches, according to Bloomberg. The Cupertino company has ordered an initial round of 100 million units over the next year, but Samsung will only be able to provide a portion of that for the Holiday 2017 quarter. Apple may face troubles if Samsung can’t meet its demand.
If Samsung sees supply constraints in its ramp up of OLED panels for the fall 2017 iPhone launch, Apple may not have another major provider to fall back on. That’s why Apple usually has multiple suppliers for key components. For example, it has sourced LCD panels from all of the major Asia-based display makers. For next year, at least, it appears that OLED supply chain may be a single-company affair.
On Tuesday, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that he believes Apple will launch an all-new OLED iPhone alongside 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch LCD iPhones. While all three iPhones are likely to sport a new design with a glass back, the new OLED iPhone will have a curved edge-to-edge display. Kuo previously said the OLED iPhone would sport a 5.8-inch display with a bezel-free design.
Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
Tags: bloomberg.com, OLED
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LeEco LePro 3 review – CNET
The Good The LeEco LePro 3 has a long battery life, is both fast and competitively priced.
The Bad The phone is heavy, has an unrefined interface and its video streaming service has no compelling content right now.
The Bottom Line The extremely affordable LeEco Pro 3 is a satisfactory phone, but its unpolished UI makes the OnePlus 3 the better, safer bet.
Visit manufacturer site for details.
If the LeEco LePro 3 were the only $400 (or about £320 and AU$530, converted) phone in town, I’d say you should buy it, no problem. At that price, many of the qualms I have with it would be offset by its lightning-fast speed and long battery life.
Unfortunately for LeEco, it isn’t the only game in town. Though it’s certainly a capable handset for the company to court its new US market with, its problematic interface and underwhelming camera keep it from besting the OnePlus 3 (and the upcoming 3T), or even the Motorola Moto Z Play — all of which hit that sub-$450 price range. The LePro 3’s streaming video platform, which is tied to LeEco’s overall media ecosystem, is also nothing to be too excited about.
That’s not to say that these other companies shouldn’t be worried. For some countries, this is LeEco first high-end phone and if it continues to push out low-priced, high-end devices to market, it could soon become a top contender for the budget market. But for now, the LePro 3 is not the standout choice.
The LePro 3’s polished but hefty design
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It’s well-made, but heavy
The LePro 3 has a solid, unibody construction, a sharp display and its angled edges keep it from falling out of my hand. The edges also have a different finish than the rest of the phone, so it catches the light in interesting ways.
But despite being solidly made (it certainly doesn’t feel cheap), it looks uninspiring. The brushed-metal finish feels outdated, and it’s heavy. Also, don’t expect it to fit comfortably in your pants pocket. Even if it does, it will weigh you down. The camera also has a noticeable, unsightly bump. And finally, there’s no headphone jack. Just like the Apple iPhone 7 and the Motorola Moto Z (excluding the aforementioned Z Play), you’ll have to listen to music using either a headphone dongle or wireless Bluetooth headphones. Ugh.
Phones with big screens are no problem, but it’s the LePro’s 3 weight that’s the issue.
Josh Miller/CNET
It’s super fast
The LePro 3 has a Snapdragon 821 processor, one of the most advanced mobile processors available right now (it’s the same used in the Google Pixel and the OnePlus 3T). Day to day tasks like launching the camera, quitting apps and calling up the keyboard were smooth and fast, and I didn’t experience any stuttering or lag. On paper, the LePro3 edged out its other Android competitors — even the OnePlus 3, which has been leading the scores in these tests. (Keep in mind that the OnePlus 3 has an 820 processor, and we have yet to test out the upcoming 3T’s 821 chipset).
LeEco LePro 3 Benchmark Scores
LeEco LePro 3
1,878
4,372
32,304
OnePlus 3
1,752
4,159
30,337
Motorola Moto Z Play
810
2,640
14,168
Alcatel Idol 4S
1,459
3,415
17,627
Google Pixel XL
1,556
5,201
28,256
Legend:
Geekbench 4 Single-Core
Geekbench 4 Multi-Core
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
Note:
Longer bars indicate better performance
As for its big nonremovable battery, during our lab test for continuous video playback on Airplane mode, it lasted 16 hours and 25 minutes. Though I expected it to last even longer than that (the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, for example, lasted 19 hours with an even smaller battery and the Moto Z Play’s 3,510mAh battery lasted more than 23 hours). Still, 16 hours is nothing to shake a stick at, and it gives you time to watch a whole downloaded TV season or so.
The camera is good, but not amazing
The back camera works quickly, and for your casual photo needs,takes good, steady shots. I also like how whenever you turn on a certain setting (like HDR or Night Mode), a small onscreen dialogue pops up that’ll let you turn off the mode if you decide you actually didn’t want it. It also does 4K recording, slow-mo video, photo filters and burst shots.
Closeups and low-light shots weren’t really impressive though. Images weren’t as focused or well defined compared to the OnePlus 3. Night shots looked muddier and grainier. However, if I was in a well-lit environment, the LePro 3 took sharp bright photos with accurate colors. For more on photo quality, check out our photos below and be sure to click on each image to see it at its full resolution.
In this sunny outdoor scene, colors are bright and true-to-life. The sky though, is blown out.
Lynn La/CNET
In this textured image, you can see the details in the different kinds of wood and panels.
Lynn La/CNET
In this closeup shot, the center of the flower isn’t as sharp as it could be.
Lynn La/CNET
‘Uncharted,’ ‘Firewatch’ dominate The Game Awards nominations
The Game Awards show has made it a point to recognize more than just the usual blockbuster hits, and it looks like that will remain true when the 2016 ceremony takes place on December 1st. Geoff Keighley’s outfit has unveiled its nominees for this year, and there’s a healthy mix of triple-A titles and indies. It won’t shock you to hear that big names like Battlefield 1, Doom, Overwatch, Titanfall 2 and Uncharted 4 are up for multiple awards, of course. However, smaller projects like Inside (up for game of the year), Hyper Light Drifter and Firewatch make up a large chunk of the selections.
Both Firewatch and Uncharted are particularly notable given how thoroughly they dominate the acting, art and storytelling nominations, in some cases picking up multiple nods in the same category. It’s not completely surprising. Both games not only have distinctive visual languages, but go out of their way to create nuanced characters that have lives beyond their immediate adventures.
The 2016 picks are also noteworthy for the sheer range of categories. There are nominees for the best VR game, eSports player, eSports title, fan-made content and trending gamer (think YouTubers like Jacksepticeye or Danny O’Dwyer). The show this year is as much a reflection of gaming’s zeitgeist as it is pure talent — we’re just wondering whether or not there will be any shocking upsets among the winners.
Source: The Game Awards
Chrome has at least two new extensions built to fight fake news
After serious anxieties that fake news proliferated on social media unchecked during the election cycle, internet titans have stepped up, with Google and Facebook both blocking ad money from going to hoax story sites. But to protect the people, individuals have released two Chrome extensions this week that warn users that they’re visiting sites known to peddle fake news.
The first, “B.S. Detector,” came out on Tuesday and flags articles from questionable sources while users browse Facebook. Creator Daniel Sieradski wrote on Product Hunt that he built the rough story scanner in an hour after reading Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg comment that it was difficult to identify fake news. The second extension, Fake News Alert, was created by New York magazine journalist Brian Feldman and was released today. It shows a pop-up or banner alerting users when they’re visiting a site that the extension has logged as a source of hoax stories.
Of course, both of these rely on the user to proactively install the extension and only flags known offenders from a finite list. Like antivirus software, new sites could pop up that aren’t in either tool’s database. And even if the most these extensions do is alert users to the prevalence of fake content on Facebook and in their Google searches, at least it might shock people into more vigilant habits.
Neither extension is complex enough to deduce the authenticity of individual stories, or articles from outside their databases. But they’re user-built solutions to problems that the internet giants have barely addressed. That kind of communal responsibility is growing: Days ago, anonymous employees within Facebook formed an unofficial committee to investigate what the social network can do to battle fake news.
Via: Mashable
Source: New York magazine
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