NYPD filmed hundreds of BLM and Occupy protests without approval

Police are frequently fond of monitoring protesters, and that includes cops in New York — NYPD cameras have been a mainstay at large protests over the past several years. However, it’s now clear that the NYPD has been skirting internal rules in the process. The Verge has obtained documents showing that the force’s video team not only captured over 400 Black Lives Matter and Occupy Wall Street protests between 2011 and 2016, but doesn’t appear to have received authorizations or legal reviews.

The recording was technically legal. Police are allowed to record protests where they suspect crime might take place, even if it’s unlikely or will be limited to a handful of agitators. If there weren’t any approvals or oversight, though, the NYPD would be violating in-house rules meant to preserve transparency and prevent abuse. Officers may have had free rein to film protests for any reason, including malicious purposes like intimidating protesters. Some activists have stopped showing up to demonstrations knowing that they might be targeted if they’re caught on camera.

And there’s evidence that this abuse is happening. Deputy Inspector Andrew Lombardo, for example, requested footage from a 2014 BLM protest despite being part of the NYPD’s protest and counterterrorism unit rather than its legal bureau. He has been accused more than once of singling out law-abiding protesters in a bid to scare them away from future marches, and requests like this suggest he’s using the footage to create individual profiles that aid his strategy.

The findings reinforce calls for tough regulation that would require approvals whenever the police want to record a protest. While this wouldn’t completely deter abuses of authority, officers would have to offer on-the-record justifications for their actions. They might either think twice about a spurious request or face repercussions if they’re caught lying about their reasons.

Source: The Verge

Researchers break efficiency record for consumer-friendly solar panels

Turning sunlight into power is a surprisingly tricky thing. Experiments in academia have created solar arrays that can capture up to 40-percent of the sun’s energy and convert it to electricity, but consumer cells are notably less efficient. At best, silicon-based technology has a theoretical 29-percent efficiency ceiling — meaning any consumer panel in the low 20s is doing pretty well. Still, we’re inching ever closer to the technology’s limit. Researchers at Kaneko corp recently announced that they’ve developed a silicon solar cell with a record-breaking 26.3 percent efficiency rating.

The score is only just barely higher than the previous record of 25.6, but that 0.7 percent gain is no easy feat. Researchers had to analyze what factors in current cell design was keeping the technology from reaching its theoretical limits. The group decided that reducing optical loss was the best path forward, and moved low-resistance electrodes to the rear of the cell to increase the amount of photons that could be captured.

That’s a lot of technical jargon, sure — but the big win here isn’t just that the cell is more efficient, it’s that the more productive silicon cell was produced using the same kind of production process used for consumer sells. In other words, this isn’t just an experiment, it’s something we might actually see on the market soon.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Nature Energy

Discogs expands its marketplace to help you sell used audio gear

Discogs’ vinyl-tracking app and database are handy for vinyl collectors on the hunt for some new goods. However, the company is moving beyond records and into audio gear as a whole with its next big project. In an interview with Thump, Discogs founder and CEO Kevin Lewandowski explained that it already launched a database called Gearogs for synths, drum machines, turntables and more.

“We’ve started Gearogs, because gear is so close to records,” Lewandowski explained to Thump. “We’re launching a marketplace in April.”

While Gearogs is just the directory for now, next month users will be able to buy and sell things like turntables, synthesizers, guitar pedals, speakers, headphones, mixers and more — the item you can look up in the database. “Any equipment that records, amplifies, mixes, or reproduces audio, belongs here,” the site’s homepage says.

Why expand into second-hand audio gear? Discogs COO Chad Dahlstrom said it’s something the site’s users wanted. Dahlstrom explained that Discogs’ method of cataloging vinyl worked well so collectors wanted to apply the same practice to other items. Of course, audio gear was a logical progression.

Discogs just released a big update to its vinyl app in December and the company is working on ways to make the data on your music collection a lot more useful as well. Right now, information on releases and track lists are plain text and aren’t super useful beyond a quick reference. However, Discogs wants to eventually link tracks so users can dive deep into specifics. Eventually you’ll be able to find things details like songwriters, alternate versions, any remastering and more based on the metadata in the music directory. Lewandowski admits there’s still a lot of work to do, but the results should be worth it.

“We haven’t figured it out fully yet, but there will be over a hundred million tracks in our database, so pulling all that information out and then tying it all together is a really big deal,” he said.

Via: Fact, The Vinyl Factory

Source: Thump

Browse Airbnb’s vacation add-ons from your desktop

When Airbnb launched “Experiences” and “Immersions” last year, the company made it clear it was expanding beyond spare room rentals and into more general travel planning. Until now, however, users could only browse and search for those side trips through Airbnb’s official mobile apps. Over the past few weeks, Airbnb has been steadily adding new trips in even more cities around the world, and starting today Experiences are now available on the desktop and mobile web so you can daydream about your next vacation or business trip from the comfort of your work computer.

In total, Airbnb says they have over 800 active Experiences like surfing off the grid in Dana Point, Fascinators and afternoon tea in London or following Hemingway’s footsteps in Havana. Experiences now span more than 73 different countries, with 91% of them receiving five-star ratings. If you’re looking for something to do on your next vacation, Airbnb says Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles are their top destinations for Experiences but LA, London and San Francisco are leading the pack for the most new Experiences being submitted to the platform. On the other hand, it might be a little difficult finding an actual place to stay in San Francisco, now that the site has started complying with local regulations and booting many illegal hosts from its service.

Best Buy Offering $25 Gift Card With Purchase of New iPad

With the purchase of one of Apple’s new iPads, announced yesterday, Best Buy is offering a free $25 Best Buy gift card that can be used towards future Best Buy purchases.

The $25 gift card is a small amount, but it’s the best sale we’ve seen on the as-of-yet unreleased iPad, effectively dropping the price of the entry-level tablet to $305.

In its retail stores, Best Buy is also offering a $150 Best Buy gift card with the trade-in of any working iPad mini 2, mini 3, mini 4, iPad Air, or iPad Pro, with the total able to be put towards the price of the new iPad. Devices must be in working condition with no cracks to be eligible for trade-in.

Customers can’t yet place an order for the new iPad from Best Buy, but can sign up for email notifications. The new iPad will go on sale at 8:01 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, March 24.

Apple’s new iPad is positioned as a low-cost 9.7-inch tablet designed to replace the iPad Air 2. It features an upgraded A9 processor, a brighter display, and a thicker iPad Air-style body.

Prices on the iPad start at $329 for the entry-level 32GB Wi-Fi only model. A 128GB model is available for $429, and Wi-Fi + Cellular models are available for an additional $130.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
Tag: Best Buy
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The New iPad vs. 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air 2

Apple yesterday announced the newest addition to its iPad lineup, somewhat confusingly called the “iPad” and known officially as the “5th-generation iPad,” following in the footsteps of the fourth-generation model that was released before the iPad Air.

Designed to replace the iPad Air, the iPad comes with a tantalizingly low price tag: $329. It is Apple’s most affordable tablet to date and it’s a competitive price point that will allow the iPad to better compete with lower-priced Android offerings.

What do you get for $329? As it turns out, quite a lot. The iPad is a little bit iPhone 6s, a little bit iPad Air, and a little bit iPad Air 2.

In a nutshell, compared to the iPad Air 2, the iPad has a brighter display and a faster A9 processor (first introduced in the iPhone 6s). Other internal hardware seems to be very similar to what’s included in the iPad Air 2, with the exception of the display and the casing. Camera, battery life, Wi-Fi, LTE, and other sensors are all nearly the same.

The iPad does not include a laminated display, and is thus thicker, much like the original iPad Air. It measures in at 7.5mm thick, compared to the 6.1mm iPad Air 2. The thickness and accompanying weight discrepancy is noticeable and the one downside between the new iPad and its predecessor.

Compared to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the new iPad is, of course, significantly inferior, which is why it’s priced at $329 and not $599. It does not support the Apple Pencil or the Smart Keyboard (no Smart Connector), and it lacks many of the display improvements, including True Tone color shifting and wide color gamut.

The iPad has a slower processor than the iPad Pro, an inferior camera (8-megapixel vs. 12-megapixel rear and 1.2-megapixel vs. 5-megapixel front), two speakers instead of four, a slower LTE modem, and of course, since the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the same size as the iPad Air 2, the iPad is noticeably thicker and heavier.

If you’re looking for top of the line hardware and accessory support, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the tablet to buy, but if you don’t need the bells and whistles, the iPad is a steal at its price point.

Performance wise, it’s going to run all the latest games and apps, it’ll take decent pictures, it still has a high-quality Retina display, and it features a 10 hour battery life, so it will hold up for several years, especially when doing basic tasks like web browsing and emailing.

Click for larger version
For those looking for a bit more, Apple is rumored to be planning to introduce an updated ~10-inch iPad Pro model that’s going to replace the existing 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The ~10-inch model is said to have smaller bezels and perhaps an edge-to-edge display, allowing it to feature a bigger screen in a 9.7-inch-sized body.

That tablet was originally rumored to be coming in the spring, but now it’s looking like we won’t see it until later in the year. Based on rumors, it may be worth the wait for those willing to shell out more money for the best technology.

Apple plans to start selling the new iPad on Friday, March 24. The entry-level 32GB Wi-Fi only model will be priced at $329, and a 128GB model is available for $429. Wi-Fi + Cellular models are available at a $130 premium, so $459 for 32GB and $559 for 128GB.

For more details on Apple’s new iPad, make sure to check out our official iPad roundup. And for details on the upcoming iPad Pro updates, check out our iPad Pro roundup.

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad Pro
Buyer’s Guide: 9.7″ iPad Pro (Caution), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Caution)
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Button Mapper: Full customization options for your phone’s buttons (Review)

Modern phones currently have so many different shortcuts for all kinds of things. My current phone lets me double push the home key to get to the camera. Prior to that, I had a phone where you only had to twist your wrist twice to open the camera, and if I did a chopping motion I could turn on my flashlight. These are great tricks to get to what you need quickly, but most of the time, the buttons on our phones are regulated to just opening the camera or adjusting volume. Button Mapper looks to change all that by providing a way to change how the physical buttons on your phone behave.

Developer: flair2
Cost: Free/$2.99
Download: Google Play

Overview

Setup for Button Mapper is pretty simple, but it does have a long list of permissions needed. The developer is pretty transparent in saying why they are needed (if you make the long press of your home key call home then permission is needed, for example). You are presented with a pretty extensive list of options, however customization beyond a physical home key (if you have one) and volume keys are locked in the free version.

Your options for customization are extensive. To start, you have to chose which key to customize, and then which shortcut you want: single tap, double tap, or long press. After that, you have to decide what you want each shortcut to do. The options are extensive. You can set shortcuts to open apps, or you can choose from a bunch of different options including:

• Home, back or recent apps
• Last app
• Execute any task in Tasker
• Turn screen off
• Toggle flashlight
• Quick settings
• Show notifications
• Power dialog
• Take screenshot
• Music: previous track, next track, and play/pause
• Adjust volume
• Mute volume
• Toggle do not disturb
• Adjust brightness
• Toggle WiFi
• Toggle orientation mode
• Now on tap (requires root)
• Menu button (require root)
• Kill foreground app (requires root)

It’s a pretty impressive list. There are a few root-only options, but a majority of the options are available for rooted and unrooted users. Additional options include swapping the “Back” and “Recent Apps” buttons, disabling Button Mapper on certain apps to not interfere with things like camera zoom, and adjusting long press and double tap timing.

How well does it work?

I struggled at first figuring out exactly what I wanted to customize, not because I didn’t like the idea, but because there are just SO MANY options. I started with making double tap of volume up skip to the next track on Spotify, and volume down goes to the previous song. It works really well and lets me jump around my playlist a little while keeping my phone in my pocket. Most headphones are able to do similar, but my headphones are inconsistent with doing this, so I much prefer this way. The only problem with this is that button mapper doesn’t work if the phone screen is off, so I have to tap the phone on first before double tapping. I don’t mind this because it means that I don’t accidentally trigger any shortcuts pulling my phone out. Another of my favorite uses is to press and hold my home button to quickly check messages on my lock screen, then have it turn the screen off when you release it. I have to disable my fingerprint unlock for that one to work (otherwise my phone just unlocks) but its functionality is almost worth it. I haven’t experienced any glitching or failure to launch when using actions or app shortcuts. After using this app for about two weeks not, I can safely say that the level of functionality that it adds to my phone is well worth the price.

The Price

As I mentioned before, there are a number of features that are locked behind the Pro version of the app. You won’t be able to adjust your back or recent keys, and there are several other minor options that are locked. Personally, after using it to be able to set my long press “Recent” key to switch back to the last app uses, and long press back to open Spotify, I’m pretty hooked on the Pro settings and would say it’s well worth the $2.99 price tag. The best thing you could do is download it, mess around with the volume keys and home keys and see how you like it. For me, it’s a no-brainer must-buy.

Conclusion

Button Mapper is a quick and easy way to add massive amounts of customization and shortcuts to any phone. It allows you to set up your volume keys, home button, and recent and back keys to do whatever you want at a simple push or two. There are a few options locked behind the Pro version, but that added functionality is easily worth the price tag. If you are always looking for a quick way to launch apps, or even to add some shortcuts to your flashlight or music player, this app is your best bet.

Black is the new gray: Here’s how to snag a sleek, limited-edition OnePlus 3T

Why it matters to you

If you’re already tempted by the excellent OnePlus 3T, you may want to try and grab one of these sleek, limited -dition midnight black models.

OnePlus recently tempted us with a limited edition-version of the excellent 3T smartphone, in a sleek midnight black finish, that was made available only at the Colette boutique store in Paris. Very cool, but if you’re not in the local area, impossible to buy. There’s no need to give up, however, because the company has decided to make it slightly easier for us to buy one of these cool, limited-run phones.

Starting March 24, you’ll be able to buy a midnight black OnePlus 3T phone for 440 British pounds through the Hypebeast online store in the U.K. — but you’ll have to be very quick to get one, because just 250 will be available.

More: Our review of the OnePlus 3T

Get one, and it’ll be a model with 128GB of internal storage space and 6GB of RAM, all wrapped up in a delectable midnight black aluminum body. OnePlus took its time getting the finish right, testing 30 options before settling on the final one seen here. It used three coatings of the color, sandblasted it twice for a bright finish, and finally added an anti-fingerprint layer to keep it free of smudges.

The technology inside the phone remains the same, which means a Snapdragon 821 processor, a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, a 16-megapixel camera on the front and rear, plus a 3,400mAh battery with fast charging. Until now, the OnePlus 3T has been available in gunmetal gray and soft gold.

While the first batch of 250 midnight black OnePlus 3T phones won’t be available in the United States, OnePlus promises it’ll come to the OnePlus online store for U.S. buyers soon. However, like the first run, it’ll be sold in limited quantities so you’ll have to be ready with your credit card. It will cost $480, and the company hasn’t committed to a release date yet, but we’ll keep you updated here.

Best app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers make paid apps free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest apps on sale in the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money, and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

More: 200 Awesome iPhone Apps | The best Android apps for almost any occasion

Remote Control

This app lets you turn your iPhone or iPad into the ultimate remote control for your Mac. Remote Control lets you take full control over your Mac using your iOS device.

Available on:

iOS

Phyzseek

Burn calories and fat, as well as build muscle, with daily, doctor-developed workouts that are short in duration but high in intensity.

Available on:

iOS

3D Earth

3D Earth presents a stunning live 3D simulation of our planet with weather, forecasts, and clock for cities around the world.

Available on:

iOS

Musemage

Musemage opens up your mobile device’s camera like nothing else, allowing you to use different filters and effects, all in real time. So edit as you shoot!

Available on:

iOS

Willio

Willio lets you split bills between friends and keep track of who owes what. It even lets you handle uneven shares and multiple currencies.

Available on:

iOS

System Activity Monitor

Take a deep dive into your iPhone to see whats going on inside. System Activity Monitor App is an activity monitor that provides a unique Dashboard view for your device.

Available on:

iOS

LastPass is patching up bugs that left passwords at risk of theft

Why it matters to you

Latest bugs in LastPass prove that password managers aren’t perfect either.

Password manager LastPass is patching a number of critical vulnerabilities in its software that left users’ passwords potentially leaking.

No software is ever totally safe and while password managers can offer a degree of security and convenience, they are not impervious as these security flaws demonstrate.

The latest bugs were discovered by Google Project Zero researcher Tavis Ormandy, who is renown for finding and disclosing flaws in security software. Ormandy said he found a vulnerability that allows for the stealing of passwords by running a binary version of the password manager’s extension.

In a proof of concept, Ormandy demonstrated using the code to launch an application. He opened the calculator in Windows but, he said, a malicious actor could use this code to steal password details when the manager is entering them into the login fields.

“That doesn’t look good, this script will proxy unauthenticated window messages to the extension. This is clearly a mistake, because anybody can do [it],” he wrote in his advisory.

More: LastPass, used by millions, may be vulnerable to shockingly simple exploits

“Therefore, this allows complete access to internal privileged LastPass RPC [remote procedure calls] commands,” he said.

I found another bug in LastPass 4.1.35 (unpatched), allows stealing passwords for any domain. Full report will be on the way shortly. pic.twitter.com/9VkV7R3vud

— Tavis Ormandy (@taviso) March 21, 2017

LastPass said in a tweet that this has been fixed and promised a blog post with more details on what went wrong but the post has yet to materialize.

Ormandy also found remote code execution vulnerabilities in the password manager’s Chrome and Firefox extensions. The Chrome bug has since been patched but the Firefox version remains unpatched for now but this may be due to a hold up on Mozilla’s end.

“We are aware of reports of a Firefox add-on vulnerability. Our security is investigating and working on issuing a fix,” said LastPass on Tuesday night.

This isn’t the first time that Ormandy has poked holes in LastPass’ software. In 2016, he disclosed a Firefox-related flaw that would have allowed an attacker to access someone’s extension, without them knowing, and delete the passwords.