US’ new stealth destroyer may finally have affordable ammo
To put it mildly, the US screwed up when it decided to carry on with its Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers when they depended on smart ammo the Navy couldn’t afford. However, it might have a clever workaround. Officials speaking to USNI News say the Navy is looking at Raytheon’s Excalibur, a GPS-guided artillery round, as a substitute for the custom LRLAP (Long Range Land Attack Projectile) shells the Zumwalt’s main guns were designed to use. Excalibur has roughly half the range at about 30 miles, but it costs much less — about a quarter of the $800,000-plus cost per round of LRLAP. It can also hit moving targets where LRLAP couldn’t.
Whether or not the Navy goes ahead with it depends highly on the costs of modifying the Zumwalt-class’ guns to fire the new shells. Both the ammo loading system and the barrel were designed around LRLAP. Excalibur isn’t exactly a drop-in replacement, then, and estimates have a retrofit costing upward of $250 million. Still, that’s far less expensive than loading the three destroyers with their originally intended ammo.
About the only major risk comes from that range limitation. The vessel would have to get considerably closer to the shore to hit targets deep inland, increasing its exposure to anti-ship missiles and other coastal defenses that might otherwise be too far away. Of course, that’s where the stealth comes into play. The ship will ideally go unnoticed until it’s within firing range, and might not be spotted until it’s already headed back out to sea.
Via: Popular Mechanics
Source: USNI News
FCC chairman Tom Wheeler will step down next month
Next month, net neutrality will lose one of its stronger advocates — FCC chairman Tom Wheeler has just announced his plans to step down on January 20th, 2017. Not coincidentally, that’s the same day that President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office. With a new administration taking over, it’s tradition for the FCC’s chairman to step aside and let the incoming president present his own pick for the job.
Unfortunately, Wheeler has proven to be one of the stronger proponents of net neutrality we’ve seen in the government in recent years, so losing his voice will undoubtably be a setback. The FCC’s Open Internet Order, passed in February of 2015, was a key piece of legislation helping to keep the internet free from evils such as paid prioritization and throttling of certain services, two things the massive telecoms are looking to as ways to milk more money out of customers and content companies alike.
But now, with Trump’s administration ready to take over, these rules are under significant threat. As a president with a clear pro-business agenda, Trump doesn’t seem to mind trampling on the notion of a free internet if it’ll make massive companies a few more dollars. With Wheeler stepping aside, we’ll now have to wait to see who Trump appoints to the open position.
Uber Expands Color-Coded ‘Beacons’ to Four More Cities to Help Riders Find Their Drivers
One year after testing color-coded rider pickups in Seattle through a system called “SPOT,” Uber today announced that the initiative is now called “Uber Beacon,” and beginning December 16 it will expand to Miami, Denver, Nashville, and Newcastle in the United Kingdom. Uber Beacon is a piece of hardware that attaches to a driver’s windshield and “uses color-pairing technology” to match up drivers with their riders.
In the Uber app, riders will be able to select from an endless amount of color options when calling for a ride. As their driver gets to the pickup destination, the Uber Beacon in the windshield will match the color the rider picked, making it easy to find a ride at night and at crowded venues. The new hardware has also been designed to match Uber’s rider app logo.
On the rider side of things, users can hold up their smartphone to display their unique color and make it quicker for the driver to find and pick them up.
Uber said the Beacon itself can be installed easily, removed in seconds, and lasts for “several evenings without charge.”
Enter Uber Beacon, designed for simplicity and scalability. Drivers can install it themselves within minutes and then remove it in seconds. And with a powerful battery and Bluetooth connection to our driver app, it can last several evenings without charge, while keeping the dashboard cable-free. And our technology also allows for customized color palettes and animation styles to celebrate events and holidays —imagine Beacon pulsing St. Patrick’s Day green or colorful rainbows all weekend for Pride.
Uber drivers in Miami, Denver, Nashville, and Newcastle will begin receiving Uber Beacons at community events in preparation for New Year’s Eve celebrations within each city. Riders wanting the helpful system to make it to their city have some hope, with the company noting: “Our goal is to make Beacons the new standard for the Uber experience, so in 2017 we’ll be expanding Uber Beacon to more cities across the world.”
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Save 70% on this thin Galaxy Note 5 case today!
Worried about the glass on the back of your Galaxy Note 5 cracking when you use it? If so, add a thin layer of protection with Amzer’s Pudding TPU case to prevent scratches, dings, and hopefully cracks. Right now you can pick one up for just $3, which is a savings of 70%.
Yahoo says hackers stole data from over one billion accounts
Hackers stole data associated with over one billion accounts in 2013.
Yahoo announced that hackers stole data from over one billion accounts in 2013. According to the company, the data may have included names, email IDs, phone numbers, hashed passwords, and “encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers.”
This attack is separate from the one Yahoo disclosed back in September, in which the company believed a “state-sponsored actor” compromised its servers to access user data from over 500 million accounts. However, it looks like the same hackers were able to make away with more data this time around.
From the official announcement on Tumblr:
As we previously disclosed in November, law enforcement provided us with data files that a third party claimed was Yahoo user data. We analyzed this data with the assistance of outside forensic experts and found that it appears to be Yahoo user data. Based on further analysis of this data by the forensic experts, we believe an unauthorized third party, in August 2013, stole data associated with more than one billion user accounts. We have not been able to identify the intrusion associated with this theft. We believe this incident is likely distinct from the incident we disclosed on September 22, 2016.
For potentially affected accounts, the stolen user account information may have included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords (using MD5) and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers. The investigation indicates that the stolen information did not include passwords in clear text, payment card data, or bank account information. Payment card data and bank account information are not stored in the system the company believes was affected.
Yahoo also said that the hackers were able to forge the company’s authentication “cookies,” allowing them access to user accounts without the need for a password:
Based on the ongoing investigation, we believe an unauthorized third party accessed our proprietary code to learn how to forge cookies. The outside forensic experts have identified user accounts for which they believe forged cookies were taken or used. We are notifying the affected account holders, and have invalidated the forged cookies. We have connected some of this activity to the same state-sponsored actor believed to be responsible for the data theft the company disclosed on September 22, 2016.
If you have a Yahoo account, it’s time you changed your password. Create a strong password, and ensure the password you use on the service isn’t reused anywhere else. You should also enable two-factor authentication for your Yahoo account.
How to change white balance on the Huawei Mate 9
If your Huawei Mate 9’s screen looks too blue or too orange to you, there’s a simple fix.
If you’re like us, you’re looking at your smartphone’s screen constantly throughout the day. So you want it to look just right — including the color temperature of the display. By default, the Huawei Mate 9’s display has a slight blueish tint to it — you might notice that colors look slightly cooler in photos, or whites appear a little paler than other phones.
If you want to tweak the phone’s color balance to your liking, that’s easy.
Drag down the notification shade and tap the cog icon.
In the Settings menu, tap Display.
Tap Color temperature.
In the menu that appears, drag the pointer around the colored wheel to set your new white balance level. Hit OK to confirm, to Cancel to discard.
Note: The “color temperature” setting here is active 100 percent of the time. To reduce blue light emissions at night — and potentially reduce eye strain, and make it easier to fall asleep — you can enable “eye comfort” mode. You’ll find it in the quick settings area of the notification shade — long-press on it to view settings, or set a daily schedule.
Pebble’s smartwatches will continue to work through 2017
Pebble’s software and services won’t be affected at least until the end of 2017.
Following its acquisition by Fitbit, Pebble has detailed upcoming changes to its software and cloud-based services. The company is stating that its smartwatches will continue to work at least until the end of 2017, with the Pebble SDK, APIs, mobile apps, and the Pebble appstore set to remain in service.
From the Pebble blog:
Fitbit is going out of its way to keep Pebble software and services running through 2017. To be clear, no one on this freshly-formed team seeks to brick Pebble watches in active service. The Pebble SDK, CloudPebble, Timeline APIs, firmware availability, mobile apps, developer portal, and Pebble appstore are all elements of the Pebble ecosystem that will remain in service at this time. Pebble developers are welcome to keep creating and updating apps. Pebble users are free to keep enjoying their watches.
Our first action to preserve the Pebble experience far into the future will be to update our mobile apps, loosening their dependency on a patchwork of cloud services (authentication, analytics, app locker, etc.). Expect this update in the coming months. The mobile app updates will ensure the operation of core Pebble functions, even with cloud services discontinued—they won’t break functionality.
The upcoming update won’t hamper the functionality of Pebble Health, which feeds “directly into the Pebble mobile app, Apple HealthKit, and Google Fit.” Pebble is also evaluating features that rely on third-party services — dictation, messaging, weather, and others — and will make a final decision soon over how long it can keep those features running.
For now, it looks like you’ll be able to use your Pebble devices for at least another year, although what happens after that is uncertain.
How to get an amazing free game for your Xbox One
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of its backwards compatibility programme Microsoft is giving every Xbox One owner a completely free game. What’s more, you don’t need to be an Xbox Live Gold member to download it, you just need to make sure you redeem it soon as it’s a limited offer.
So here’s what game is on offer and how to redeem it.
Free game for Xbox One: What is it?
The giveaway is one of the 300 plus backwards compatible Xbox 360 games that you play on an Xbox One. It is the Japanese RPG Lost Odyssey, which came out exclusively for the Xbox at the beginning of 2008 (in Europe and the US) and was much acclaimed back then.
Microsoft
That’s because it was designed and co-written by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series, so very much echoes his other, better known games. It also has a turn-based battle system so will feel very familiar to fans of JRPGs generally.
You play as Kaim, an “immortal” who leads a party of fighters as he attempts to regain his memories and generally save the world as it goes through a magical industrial revolution. It’s a lengthy quest and there are plenty of random encounters along the way.
- Xbox One S review: Great console and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, what else?
- Xbox One S vs Xbox One: What’s the difference?
Free game for Xbox One: How do I get it?
There are a few ways you can nab the free copy of Lost Odyssey. Head to the Xbox store website here and you should find a link to “buy” the game. It won’t cost you a penny though.
Alternatively, you can “purchase” it through your Xbox One by heading to the games store on the console, search for Lost Odyssey and follow the instructions on screen.
Finally, you can also get it through the Xbox apps on mobile or desktop.
Free game for Xbox One: When does it expire?
Once you’ve downloaded Lost Odyssey it’s yours to keep forever and will be permanently linked to your Xbox account. However, you do need to redeem the game before 31 December 2016. After that date it will return to its original price and you’ll have missed your chance.
Free game for Xbox One: What other Xbox 360 games are available for Xbox One?
You can find an entire list of the games available through backwards compatibility here. The vast majority of them are available to buy digitally through the Xbox store. You can also use an existing disc version if you have one lying around.
Win a Huawei Mate 9
Pocket-lint and Huawei has teamed up to bring you the chance to win a Huawei Mate 9 this Christmas.
Capture this holiday season’s most precious moments with power and precision thanks to the Huawei Mate 9 smartphone…
Be it your child’s first Christmas, the family’s festive feast or decorating the tree, the Huawei Mate 9 will capture every moment and memory with stunning clarity. The second generation dual-lens camera, co-engineered with Leica, features a 12-megapixel RGB sensor and a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor, allowing you to snap away in rich colours, moving monochrome or explore artistic bokeh effects. Coupled with a huge 4000mAh high-density battery that will see you through from Christmas morning to the late hours of Boxing Day; the Mate 9 is the perfect Christmas companion.
- Huawei Mate 9 review: The big-screen boss
Keeping the Mate 9 running fast and smooth is the impressive Kirin 960 chipset that incorporates Huawei’s Machine Learning Algorithm, meaning that it is not only born fast but will stay fast well into 2017 and beyond!
To win this incredible phone, you have to answer the simple question below before midnight on the 21 December 2016 (GMT). We will announce the winner before Christmas so you can spread the good news on Christmas Day.
Good luck!
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Win Sky Q with Ultra HD, Sky Cinema and Sky Sports free for a year
Pocket-lint and Sky has teamed up together to give you the chance to win a Sky Q system with Ultra HD, Sky Cinema and Sky Sports free for a year. Yes, that’s right, the award winning Sky Q free for a year.
With Sky Q you can watch all your recordings anywhere around your home, sync them to your tablet to take with you, and even pause a show in one room and carry on in another. And with this great prize, you’ll have even more of the TV you love including over 80 entertainment channels and 70 HD channels (including the widest range of entertainment in Ultra HD), plus 11 Sky Cinema and 7 Sky Sports channels.
- Sky Q review: 4K, multi-room support, apps and more
- What is Sky Q, how much does it cost and how can I get it?
You can also enjoy over 300 Box Sets from the very beginning, plus documentaries, kids’ shows and over 1,100 movies on demand.
To win, you have to answer the simple question below before midnight on the 21 December 2016 (GMT). We will announce the winner before Christmas so you can spread the good news on Christmas Day.
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How many Box Sets are available on Sky Q
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