Powerful “boost mode” for old games hidden in latest PlayStation 4 update
Why it matters to you
“Boost mode” may give PS4 Pro owners something new to fawn over, and standard PS4 owners another reason to upgrade.
It wasn’t on Sony’s official list of new features for the PlayStation 4’s version 4.50 update, but the console just got a new “boost mode,” along with other additions. The PS4 boost mode is designed to help older games run better on the newest and most powerful PS4 hardware, the PS4 Pro.
Users who have access to the 4.50 beta and a PS4 Pro can check the new feature out in their console’s settings menu under the new “boost mode,” which has been confirmed. A Sony spokesperson provided a statement on its function to The Verge.
More: What took so long? PlayStation 4 finally supports external hard drives
Boost mode “lets PS4 Pro run at a higher GPU and CPU clock speed in order to improve gameplay on some PS4 games that were released before the launch of PS4 Pro … Games that have a variable frame rate may benefit from a higher frame rate, and load times may be shorter in some games too,” Sony explained.
The boost mode isn’t perfect. Apparently, it can cause some “unexpected behavior,” and it won’t affect all old PS4 games equally (or at all). Meanwhile users are congregating on sites like neoGAF to test the feature out. One early YouTube video claimed Just Cause 3, an open world action game released in 2015, benefits so much from boost mode that it “seems like a whole new game.”
The 4.50 update also includes support for external hard drives, custom home screen backgrounds, the option to manually post to the PlayStation Network activity feed, 3D movie support in PlayStation VR, and improvements to the quick menu accessed by holding the PlayStation button on the PS4 controller. The update is available now to users signed up for the PS4 beta program (which is closed to new users unfortunately), and will roll out to all PS4 users at a later date.
FCC halts investigations into zero-rating data programs like T-Mobile’s Binge On
Why it matters to you
Zero-rated data services like T-Mobile’s Binge-On are no longer on the FCC’s chopping block.
The Federal Communications Commission recently gained a new head in Ajit Pai, and the agency is already showing signs of a policy shift on key issues like net neutrality.
According to recent letters posted by the agency, a number of inquiries into how carriers allow customers to access some services without it counting against their data, have been dropped. An instance of this is T-Mobile’s Binge-On program, which was being investigated for unfairly favoring some services over others. Similar concerns were raised over AT&T’s Sponsored Data program.
More: Are you an AT&T subscriber? Analysts say you may be part of a dying breed
Advocates of net neutrality have long held to the belief that such programs are harmful to lesser-known services, and that carrier giants should be able to pick the winners and losers of the internet. Critics of net neutrality, however, argue that such rules harm competition among carriers.
Identical letters were sent to T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast today, suggesting that inquiries have been dropped and investigations closed. T-Mobile has arguably been the most dominant force in offering sponsored data programs, and its Binge-On service has been quite popular among customers.
“Any conclusions, preliminary or otherwise, expressed during the course of the inquiry will have no legal or other meaning or effect going forward,” read the letter. On top of posting the letter to the FCC website, FCC chairman Ajit Pai confirmed separately that the FCC would not be making similar inquiries in the future.
“These free-data plans have proven to be popular among consumers, particularly low-income Americans, and have enhanced competition in the wireless marketplace,” Pai said. “Going forward, the Federal Communications Commission will not focus on denying Americans free data. Instead, we will concentrate on expanding broadband deployment and encouraging innovative service offerings.”
Only time will tell if this represents the start of a bigger push against Title II and net neutrality in general.
Windows XP and Vista users could lose the Gmail they love by the end of 2017
Why it matters to you
If you’re a big Gmail user, then you won’t be able to hold out on upgrading to Windows 10 forever.
Windows 10 crossed the 25 percent market share threshold in January and at last count, more than 400 million users had migrated to Microsoft latest OS. While those are impressive numbers given that Windows 10 has only been available for about 18 months, that leaves quite a few stragglers who haven’t yet made the move.
Many reasons exist to upgrade to Windows 10, and for Windows XP and Vista users — which according to some data represent a bit more than 10 percent of all PC users — perhaps the biggest reason is for the night-and-day differences in support and security that Windows 10 provides. Google just offered another reason update to Windows, specifically that Gmail will reduce support for Windows XP and Vista, as Google announced on the G Suite blog.
More: Windows 10’s Anniversary Update cements its status as the best desktop OS
While those users will still be able to access their Gmail messages, they will be doing so with the much less robust HTML version as early as December. The Windows version is actually a secondary cause of the reduction in functionality. More specifically, Google will be shifting all users running Chrome Browser v53 or below and it just so happens that the latest Chrome version supported on Windows XP and Vista is v49.
Starting on February 8, Google will start displaying a banner for users running Chrome v53 and below encouraging them to upgrade to the latest version, v55. Google is concerned that older, unsupported versions of Chrome represent security risks as well as a lack of the latest features and bug fixes.
Google’s specific statement regarding the reduced functionality is as follows: “Gmail will continue to function on Chrome Browser v53 and below through the end of the year. Users who remain on Chrome v53 and below could be redirected to the basic HTML version of Gmail as early as Dec 2017.”
Anyone running Chrome v53 or below only has to update the browser to maintain full access to Gmail’s functionality. If you’re a Windows XP or Vista user and require all of Gmail’s functionality, then you will want to get your machines updated to Windows 10 by the end of 2017. You might as well do so, given that by some accounts, Windows 10 is the best PC operating system and well worth the investment.
Weekly Rewind: Domino’s chat bot, smart turntables, a breath-based flu detector
A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from how to get your pizza fix on Super Bowl Sunday to an at-home tap system — it’s all here.
Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, Domino’s bot now offers full-menu ordering
It may just be the easiest food around, and now, it’s also the easiest food to order. Last summer, Domino’s officially launched its Facebook Messenger chatbot that lets you order a pie with just one word: “PIZZA.” Because really, why complicate something so … uncomplicated? And now, just days before the Super Bowl (during which pizza is a strong contender for the national meal), Domino’s has updated its bot to allow customers to place entire order.
Read the full story here.
Get your Sagan on with these 30 awe-inspiring photos of the final frontier
From the early, grainy images of the Martian surface taken by Mariner 4 to humanity’s first up-close look at Charon, photographs of our celestial neighbors and those light-years away have long since filled us with a sense of wonder. Fortunately, some of the most sophisticated imaging technology is currently faring the infinite void, transmitting breathtaking images of the final frontier back to earth. Here are 30 photos of space to help you put this Pale Blue Dot in perspective.
Read the full story here.
Researchers build flu detector that can diagnose at a breath, no doctor required
The influenza virus is a sneaky little bugger. In most cases, you have no idea you’re infected with it until you start to show symptoms. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some sort of early-detection device that could tell us who is secretly harboring a virus before it spreads around the entire office? That is precisely what researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington have created with a prototype breathalyzer-style device, capable of detecting flu in its early stages.
Read the full story here.
Want a new turntable for your old vinyl records? Check out LOVE
Vinyl is making a comeback, and you know what that means — the return of the turntable. After all, what good is a record without a record player? And while we may be harking back to disc formats of old, that doesn’t mean we can’t give those familiar turntables a 21st-century makeover. Meet LOVE, branded as the world’s first intelligent turntable, which has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring its technology to the masses.
Read the full story here.
HTTPS use has finally reached its ‘moment of critical mass’
HTTPS has reached a “moment of critical mass.” That’s according to cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt this week after he published statistics that showed HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) usage had grown so substantially that it was becoming the “norm” now rather than the exception. HTTPS is a more secure version of the HTTP protocol. It encrypts the data sent between your browser and the sites you are visiting, which ensures that your data is protected while browsing.
Read the full story here.
Weekly Rewind: Domino’s chat bot, smart turntables, a breath-based flu detector
A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from how to get your pizza fix on Super Bowl Sunday to an at-home tap system — it’s all here.
Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, Domino’s bot now offers full-menu ordering
It may just be the easiest food around, and now, it’s also the easiest food to order. Last summer, Domino’s officially launched its Facebook Messenger chatbot that lets you order a pie with just one word: “PIZZA.” Because really, why complicate something so … uncomplicated? And now, just days before the Super Bowl (during which pizza is a strong contender for the national meal), Domino’s has updated its bot to allow customers to place entire order.
Read the full story here.
Get your Sagan on with these 30 awe-inspiring photos of the final frontier
From the early, grainy images of the Martian surface taken by Mariner 4 to humanity’s first up-close look at Charon, photographs of our celestial neighbors and those light-years away have long since filled us with a sense of wonder. Fortunately, some of the most sophisticated imaging technology is currently faring the infinite void, transmitting breathtaking images of the final frontier back to earth. Here are 30 photos of space to help you put this Pale Blue Dot in perspective.
Read the full story here.
Researchers build flu detector that can diagnose at a breath, no doctor required
The influenza virus is a sneaky little bugger. In most cases, you have no idea you’re infected with it until you start to show symptoms. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some sort of early-detection device that could tell us who is secretly harboring a virus before it spreads around the entire office? That is precisely what researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington have created with a prototype breathalyzer-style device, capable of detecting flu in its early stages.
Read the full story here.
Want a new turntable for your old vinyl records? Check out LOVE
Vinyl is making a comeback, and you know what that means — the return of the turntable. After all, what good is a record without a record player? And while we may be harking back to disc formats of old, that doesn’t mean we can’t give those familiar turntables a 21st-century makeover. Meet LOVE, branded as the world’s first intelligent turntable, which has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring its technology to the masses.
Read the full story here.
HTTPS use has finally reached its ‘moment of critical mass’
HTTPS has reached a “moment of critical mass.” That’s according to cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt this week after he published statistics that showed HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) usage had grown so substantially that it was becoming the “norm” now rather than the exception. HTTPS is a more secure version of the HTTP protocol. It encrypts the data sent between your browser and the sites you are visiting, which ensures that your data is protected while browsing.
Read the full story here.
Weekly Rewind: Domino’s chat bot, smart turntables, a breath-based flu detector
A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top 10 tech stories, from how to get your pizza fix on Super Bowl Sunday to an at-home tap system — it’s all here.
Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, Domino’s bot now offers full-menu ordering
It may just be the easiest food around, and now, it’s also the easiest food to order. Last summer, Domino’s officially launched its Facebook Messenger chatbot that lets you order a pie with just one word: “PIZZA.” Because really, why complicate something so … uncomplicated? And now, just days before the Super Bowl (during which pizza is a strong contender for the national meal), Domino’s has updated its bot to allow customers to place entire order.
Read the full story here.
Get your Sagan on with these 30 awe-inspiring photos of the final frontier
From the early, grainy images of the Martian surface taken by Mariner 4 to humanity’s first up-close look at Charon, photographs of our celestial neighbors and those light-years away have long since filled us with a sense of wonder. Fortunately, some of the most sophisticated imaging technology is currently faring the infinite void, transmitting breathtaking images of the final frontier back to earth. Here are 30 photos of space to help you put this Pale Blue Dot in perspective.
Read the full story here.
Researchers build flu detector that can diagnose at a breath, no doctor required
The influenza virus is a sneaky little bugger. In most cases, you have no idea you’re infected with it until you start to show symptoms. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some sort of early-detection device that could tell us who is secretly harboring a virus before it spreads around the entire office? That is precisely what researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington have created with a prototype breathalyzer-style device, capable of detecting flu in its early stages.
Read the full story here.
Want a new turntable for your old vinyl records? Check out LOVE
Vinyl is making a comeback, and you know what that means — the return of the turntable. After all, what good is a record without a record player? And while we may be harking back to disc formats of old, that doesn’t mean we can’t give those familiar turntables a 21st-century makeover. Meet LOVE, branded as the world’s first intelligent turntable, which has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring its technology to the masses.
Read the full story here.
HTTPS use has finally reached its ‘moment of critical mass’
HTTPS has reached a “moment of critical mass.” That’s according to cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt this week after he published statistics that showed HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) usage had grown so substantially that it was becoming the “norm” now rather than the exception. HTTPS is a more secure version of the HTTP protocol. It encrypts the data sent between your browser and the sites you are visiting, which ensures that your data is protected while browsing.
Read the full story here.
Kickstarter called ‘Capuchin’ looks like offspring of a scooter and mountain bike
Why it matters to you
Can’t decide between a scooter and a mountain bike? Florida-based startup Monkey Faction has created a stylish mashup of both just for people like you.
Are you sick of society trying to pigeonhole you by insisting that you’re either a scooter or a mountain bike kind of person? If so, why not blow some minds and stick it to The Man by riding a two-wheeler that kind of looks like a mashup of both!
That’s what the rebellious folks at Florida-based startup Monkey Faction have created with their new vehicle, the Capuchin, which is currently raising money on Kickstarter.
More: Kwiggle is a foldable bike you can take anywhere
“We use the comfortable geometry of a scooter and combine it with the ruggedness and responsiveness of a mountain bike,” Dave Goeppner, one of the brains behind the creation, told Digital Trends. “There is no other bike like it.”
Aside from its pleasingly retro appearance, the Capuchin also promises to be a more comfortable riding experience than you might be used to. For instance, its scooter-style saddle is much longer than a traditional bicycle seat, thereby allowing the rider to choose the riding position that’s best for them. “[There’s] no more knee pain or raising the seat so high that you feel like a circus clown,” Goeppner said.
The vehicle also boasts some impressively large wheels, which at 4-inches wide and 20-inches high, look more like motorcycle wheels. This offers more riding functionality on a range of surfaces, including pavement, dirt, sand, and snow.
“My two partners and I have been in the bicycle industry for a long time,” Goeppner said. “ We have created and managed numerous brands, most of which are racing oriented. In racing, it is all about weight and aerodynamics. This can be interesting, but what really captured our imagination was creating a bike that got non-cyclists excited. We asked ourselves what kind of bike would they like to ride? We played with various ideas and over time, they coalesced into the Capuchin. Our objective was to design a bike that is unique, fun and affordable — and by the reaction of people, we nailed it.”
If you’d like to confirm your status as a unique, one-of-a-kind nonconformist, you can join the rest of the growing group of future Capuchin owners by placing a pre-order on Kickstarter. Prices for the vehicle start at $349, with orders set to ship in July.
Enjoy full set of keys on the go with $31 Logitech K380 Bluetooth keyboard
Mobile devices dominate the technology world today as rapid innovation continues to give us smaller and smaller computer hardware. Unfortunately, the convenience and portability of smartphones and tablets brings a trade-off when it comes to work tasks such as typing. So it’s a good thing that a wide variety of products, like the colorful Logitech K380 Bluetooth keyboard, have been introduced in recent years to bridge the gap between mobile devices and laptop computers.
Logitech’s K380 Bluetooth keyboard offers you the comfort and convenience of a full set of QWERTY keys for your compatible tablet and other devices. The keyboard works with a wide variety of mobile and desktop operating systems including Windows, iOS, Android, and Chrome OS. The K380 is not just designed for mobile devices like tablets and phones, however – it can also work with any Bluetooth-capable computer or TV set-top box that supports external keyboards, like the second and third-generation Apple TV. Customers have reported that it syncs flawlessly with Kindle Fire tablets as well.
More: For a limited time, enjoy 10 percent off when buying two Kindle Fire tablets
The K380 keyboard can connect with up to three devices simultaneously, and convenient EasySwitch keys at the top of the unit allow you to instantly hop between devices with the press of a button. The OSadaptive technology can quickly recognize the devices and operating systems that the keyboard is connected to, automatically mapping keys for the best layout for each setup. The K380 runs on two included AAA batteries which provide roughly two years of power so you don’t have to worry about constantly recharging the unit or spending a lot of extra money on batteries.
The Logitech K380 Bluetooth keyboard typically goes for around $40, but Amazon currently has it available at a 23 percent discount, which brings it down to just $31. The K380 comes in classic black, as well as blue, orange, and purple.
$31 on Amazon
Enjoy full set of keys on the go with $31 Logitech K380 Bluetooth keyboard
Mobile devices dominate the technology world today as rapid innovation continues to give us smaller and smaller computer hardware. Unfortunately, the convenience and portability of smartphones and tablets brings a trade-off when it comes to work tasks such as typing. So it’s a good thing that a wide variety of products, like the colorful Logitech K380 Bluetooth keyboard, have been introduced in recent years to bridge the gap between mobile devices and laptop computers.
Logitech’s K380 Bluetooth keyboard offers you the comfort and convenience of a full set of QWERTY keys for your compatible tablet and other devices. The keyboard works with a wide variety of mobile and desktop operating systems including Windows, iOS, Android, and Chrome OS. The K380 is not just designed for mobile devices like tablets and phones, however – it can also work with any Bluetooth-capable computer or TV set-top box that supports external keyboards, like the second and third-generation Apple TV. Customers have reported that it syncs flawlessly with Kindle Fire tablets as well.
More: For a limited time, enjoy 10 percent off when buying two Kindle Fire tablets
The K380 keyboard can connect with up to three devices simultaneously, and convenient EasySwitch keys at the top of the unit allow you to instantly hop between devices with the press of a button. The OSadaptive technology can quickly recognize the devices and operating systems that the keyboard is connected to, automatically mapping keys for the best layout for each setup. The K380 runs on two included AAA batteries which provide roughly two years of power so you don’t have to worry about constantly recharging the unit or spending a lot of extra money on batteries.
The Logitech K380 Bluetooth keyboard typically goes for around $40, but Amazon currently has it available at a 23 percent discount, which brings it down to just $31. The K380 comes in classic black, as well as blue, orange, and purple.
$31 on Amazon
Hacker reportedly steals iPhone cracking tools used in shooting case
Why it matters to you
A hacker has made a bold statement about whether the FBI has the right to hack smartphones that illustrates just how vulnerable everyone’s personal data is.
Apple and the FBI went to war last year over an iPhone owned by San Bernardino, California, shooter Syed Farook, and whether or not the FBI should be granted access to that phone. Apple argued that doing so set a dangerous precedent for data privacy in general, while the FBI insisted it was a matter of national security. In the end, the battle abruptly ended when the FBI reportedly decided to work with Israeli firm Cellebrite, which said it would be able to hack the phone with or without Apple’s help.
Now, however, it seems as though Cellebrite has been hacked — and that hacker has publicly released some of that data to try and send a warning to the FBI. The data includes some code that is reportedly related to the Universal Forensic Extraction Device that can crack iPhones like the iPhone 5c, as well as some Android phones.
More: Lawsuit: Apple broke FaceTime in iOS 6 on purpose, blamed it on a “bug”
In a Motherboard report, the hacker said the creation of such tools makes their public release inevitable, and that they can subsequently be used by anyone with a bit of technical knowledge — including those who might not have such good intentions.
Cellebrite itself refutes the claim that it was hacked, suggesting instead that the dumped code is not source code, and is instead code that can be obtained by customers of the Cellebrite app. A separate Motherboard report says Cellebrite was indeed hacked just a few weeks ago, and Cellebrite claimed at the time that only some customer contact information was stolen. Reports indicated, however, that the company could be lying.
Whether Cellebrite did help the FBI or not, and whether this hacker does have real Cellebrite code or not, the message from the hacker is clear: “@FBI Be careful in what you wish for.”
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