WhatsApp sees sudden crash for users across the globe; is now back up and running

Why it matters to you

If you’ve been having issues using the typically reliable app, this might explain it.

WhatsApp went down on Wednesday, sending some of the app’s billion-plus users into a bit of a panic in the process. The popular Facebook-owned messaging service started having trouble early in the evening on the East Coast and, within an hour, representatives from the company confirmed to Reuters that it was working on a fix. The issue appears to have been resolved, according to the system status listed in the app’s settings.

The outage did not appear to affect every user — for what it is worth, we were able to send and receive messages just fine. However, problems were cropping up worldwide, if people’s reactions on Twitter are any indication.

The website Down Detector reported a spike of complaints about 4 p.m. (ET), which seemed to have trailed off shortly afterward. Most of the reports appear to have originated from Europe, indicating the region was particularly hit hard. For those affected, the problem was manifesting itself as a persistent “connecting” message appearing at the top of conversation windows. Some encountered similar problems using the web service as well.

Checking the system status during the outage produced the following message:

“Our service is experiencing a problem right now. We are working on it and hope to restore the functionality shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

WhatsApp has a good track record of consistency and reliability, which makes Wednesday’s issues all the more strange. While it might not be a significant hindrance to American users, the app is particularly popular elsewhere in the world — especially in Brazil, India, Mexico, and Russia. WhatsApp seems to be better at transcending geographic borders than Facebook Messenger — though the success of either app is a win for the parent company.

On Tuesday, the app debuted a feature in its beta version that allows users to pin conversations to the top of their inbox.

We reached out to WhatsApp for clarification. As of now, everything appears to be peachy once again, with the status now reading “WhatsApp service is operating normally.”

You don’t need a Faraday cage in your car to avoid distracted driving

Nissan’s Signal Shield is meant to block out all signal to keep you focused. But why not just put the phone away?

If you’re finding it hard to keep yourself from checking in on notifications, missed calls, and social media status updates while on the road, perhaps you shouldn’t be driving at all. Or, you could get a Faraday cage of sorts built into the armrest, as Nissan is suggesting with its new prototype.

The Signal Shield is a bonafide Faraday cage built into the arm rest of the Nissan Juke. Once you place the phone inside, it cuts off all mobile, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi signals. You won’t see any messages or be able to check in until the phone comes out.

Guarantee your mobile will never distract you while driving. Introducing #Nissan Signal Shield pic.twitter.com/kiW5sKgFm4

— NissanUK (@NissanUK) May 3, 2017

“The Nissan Signal Shield concept presents one possible solution for giving drivers the choice to remove all smartphone distractions while driving. This is about delivering more control at the wheel, not less,” Nissan Motor GB managing director Alex Smith told The Telegraph. “Some drivers are immune to the activity of their smartphone, but for those who struggle to ignore the beeps and pings, this concept provides a simple solution in this very connected world we live in.”

I can understand the temptation to check your phone when you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic and bored out of your mind, but these days, I feel like I see more drivers hitting the pedal to the metal at 60 miles-per-hour while face down in a text message. I only drive a few times a week, but it’s often for long distances, and you can bet I see someone breaking the law within minutes of hitting the road.

Having a smartphone in the car isn’t the issue here; it’s having the discipline to put it on silent and leave it in your bag or pocket when you should be paying attention to the road. And if you don’t, perhaps you should consider taking the bus around town. That way, you can use your phone to your heart’s desire until you reach your destination.

Hulu Live TV has arrived: What is it and how does it work?

Hulu now streams live TV.

A year after announcing its live TV plans, the video-streaming service has launched a live TV beta. It’s a paid feature that combines 50+ channels and cloud DVR with Hulu’s existing service. It’s perfect for cord-cutters who already love Hulu but miss the convenience of live TV, local programming, and sports. So, here’s everything you need to know about it, including how it works.

• YouTube TV: What is it and how does it work?
• Sling TV: What is and how does it work?
• PlayStation Vue: What is it and how does it work?

What is Hulu?

Hulu is a premium streaming service in the US. It offers video content such as hit television shows and feature-length movies. For $7.99 a month, you get access to Hulu’s content library, but for an extra $4 a month, you can enjoy a commercial-free experience.

What is Hulu Live TV?

Hulu Live TV allows Hulu to better compete with Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and others that offer live TV and cloud DVR features. Hulu Live TV is a $40 bundle that provides access to on-demand content and live TV from over 50 channels (depends on your area), plus 50 hours of cloud DVR space. You’ll be able to manage up to six individual profiles and up to two simultaneous streams at once.

How does Hulu Live TV work?

Channels

Go here to see the full list of channels in your area. It includes ESPN, Fox Sports, FX, USA, Viceland, CNN, Fox News, and more. You can watch live news anytime, with local news channels in many cities. You also get access the full Hulu streaming library included, which is a $7.99 per month value, meaning you can watch Hulu Original series, hit movies and episodes, kids shows, and tons more.

Hulu

Hulu said you will be able to stream live games from major pro and college leagues, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA. You can watch the top national sports channels, with local sports channels in many cities, though some games are subject to regional availability and blackouts. Also, due to rights restrictions, live streaming of NFL games is not available on smartphones.

Interface

The interface has the usual Hulu features such as a Watchlist and recommendations. The video above shows that while you’re watching, a push or swipe up on your remote control will let you add what’s currently playing to your favourites or search for something else to watch. Everything is mixed in with TV channels, but Hulu is suggesting that it can smartly make your favourite shows or channels appear first.

Devices

Hulu Live TV at launch will work on iOS devices, Android devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, and Chromecast. Support for Roku, Samsung smart TVs, and Amazon Fire TV are also in the works.

Extras

Hulu Live TV offers extra cost add-ons. You can bump up your cloud DVR to 200 hours of storage. You can also get “unlimited screens” so that people can watch video simultaneously on as many devices as they want while at home, as well as up to three devices anywhere else. These features each cost $15 per month, or you can get them together for $20 – on top of the Hulu Live TV subscription cost.

How much does Hulu Live TV cost?

You can get a seven-day free trial, but after, Hulu Live TV will cost you $39.99 a month.

How does Hulu Live TV compare to rivals?

PlayStation Vue offers a similar service for $35 to $65 a month, depending on what plan you get. Sling TV does too, but it’s DVR function is still in beta and doesn’t work on every channel. There’s also YouTube TV, which offers unlimited storage for $35, but it only works in a few cities and doesn’t have as many channels. You also need a Chromecast to watch it on your TV.

Where is Hulu Live TV available?

At launch, Hulu Live TV is available in the US.

When can you try Hulu Live TV?

You can sign up now for the Hulu Live TV beta on Hulu’s website.

EE will now let you use your phone abroad for free

EE has made a rather timely announcement to say its customers will be able to use their current tariff abroad, for free, from 15 June 2017. That is coincidentally the same date that EU roaming charges are abolished.

• EU roaming charges will end this year, standardised wholesale prices to come into effect

Customers on both pay monthly and pay as you go customers will be able to take advantage of the new rules in 47 European countries. The countries include Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Iceland, Norway, Monaco, Switzerland Jersey and Guernsey. 

If you’re venturing to the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia or New Zealand this year, then you can sign up to a new 4GEE Max plan to let you use your tariff as you would in the UK. EE’s 4GEE Max plans promise “generous data allowances and the fastest speeds in the UK”. Speeds in other countries will most likely vary. 

If you have a holiday booked before 15 June, or plan to go away, you can sign up to a new plan from 10 May to start reaping the benefits early.

• Tesco Mobile scraps European roaming charges, more countries than Three

Rival mobile operator Three has been offering free use of your regular tariff abroad for some time on its Feel At Home plans, and Tesco Mobile offers a similar service as part of its Home From Home plans. 

SpaceX wants to launch its internet satellite system in just two years

Knowledge is power.

We’ve all heard that idea before but take it for granted. Internet, for instance, provides unfettered access to information, and yet, for many reasons, internet is still slow, costly, and for some people in the world, unavailable. That’s where internet-beaming satellites can make a difference, and the latest tech company to be developing them, SpaceX, has plans to launch a system of them by 2019.

Last year, SpaceX revealed it wanted to deploy an internet satellite system to provide high-speed internet around the globe. It asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to launch 4,425 satellites. The Elon Musk-founded company said its custom satellites would be deployed into low-Earth orbit, and now, in a Senate hearing, it’s promising to begin launch operations in just two years.

• Google Loon vs Facebook drones vs SpaceX satellites
• Google Project Loon aims to launch a set of internet balloons next year
• Google buys drone maker Titan Aerospace before Facebook does

During the Senate hearing in Washington DC on Wednesday, which was on US Broadband infrastructure, SpaceX’s vice president of government affairs, Patricia Cooper, detailed the company’s plans. It wants to start testing satellites by the end of the year and into 2018, and then it will launch them in phases between 2019 and 2024, with the hope that the entire system will provide “fiber-like”, high-volume broadband.

SpaceX will launch each satellite with its Falcon 9 rocket. The entire system will also be adaptable and cost-effective, the company claimed. Copper also mentioned SpaceX would like to see more national funding for broadband projects, as only 1.5 per cent of all funds appropriated for broadband infrastructure are for satellite systems. There were other recommendations brought up by Cooper during the hearing, too.

It seems like there are outdated regulations that are creating a few kinks, but it looks like SpaceX has a plan, albeit a vague plan. It’s certainly fun picturing the Earth blanketed with beamed-down, broadband internet. Imagine what our world would look like 50 years after that – when every man, woman, and child has had the opportunity to get online, stay connected, and educate themselves.

• Facebook’s internet drones are the size of jet planes
• SpaceX V2 spaceship is humanity’s vehicle to begin colonising planets

Who needs runways when you’ve got the Lockheed Fury?

Soldiers on the battlefield could soon have an extra set of eyes watching over them. Lockheed is currently developing a high altitude, long endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle called the Fury. But unlike other HALE platforms like Boeing’s Phantom Eye or Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk, the Fury has no use for runways. It just needs a catapult.

The 17-foot wingspan Fury can loiter at an altitude of 15,000 feet for up to 15 hours while carrying a 200 pound payload and fuel. Depending on its payload, the uav can serve as a reconnaissance platform, providing ISR (Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) data to friendly forces on the ground or intercepting enemy radio and cell signals, or act as a communications relay, bouncing voice and sat comm signals back to base.

Despite its size, the UAV is launched from a catapult and recovered by flying it into a net — similar to how DARPA’s recently revealed SideArm system operates. This isn’t the first time that the defense industry has toyed with the idea of runway-free drones either. In 2015, the US Navy announced that it was developing swarm drone technology (accurately dubbed, the LOCUST project) using low-cost, tube-launched Coyote UAVs.

There’s no word yet on when the Fury will enter service. The company has been developing it completely in-house and has already racked up 400 hours of flight time at its test range in Yuma Arizona. Lockheed reports that it is currently in talks with domestic and international customers.

Via: Popular Mechanics

Source: Lockheed Martin

WhatsApp is down worldwide but Facebook is fixing it

WhatsApp, the encrypted messaging service owned by Facebook, is currently inoperable for people across the globe. A WhatsApp spokesperson tells Engadget that users should sit tight.

“WhatsApp is aware of the issue and working to fix it as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said.

WhatsApp is hugely popular. Facebook purchased the service and its 450 million registered users in 2014 for $19 billion, and by February 2016, WhatsApp had ballooned to more than 1 billion monthly users. Just today, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced WhatsApp Status, which operates a lot like Instagram Stories, has more than 175 million users. Compare that with Snapchat, the OG disappearing-message service: In February, the company reported a userbase of 161 million.

This isn’t the only bad news in the tech industry today: Google had to shut down a massive and fairly sophisticated phishing scam that disseminated fake Google Docs links in a bid for users’ account information.

Source: DownDetector (map)

FBI director Comey backs renewed push for decryption law

If you were hoping that FBI Director James Comey had given up on legislation requiring that companies obey court-ordered decryption requests… you’re about to be disappointed. In statements at a Senate committee, Comey supported Senator Dianne Feinstein’s renewed effort to introduce a bill that would force companies to comply with decryption orders. Feinstein didn’t say how close she was to submitting the legislation, but Comey claimed progress from his side. The tech industry had “come to see the darkness a little bit more,” he says — they supposedly understand the potential threat to public safety when law enforcement can’t crack a device.

Comey also insisted that “none of us” in the American public want backdoor access for law enforcement. Officials just want to “accommodate both interests [privacy and access] in a sensible way,” he added.

On the surface, the attempt to find common ground is logical. However, it suggests that Comey and Feinstein still don’t understand what they’re asking. In order for a company to decrypt a device in a reasonable amount of time, it has to purposefully compromise its encryption — whether through backdoors, lower-quality encryption methods or ditching end-to-end encryption altogether. That, in turn, makes it easier for any attacker to get in. As noble as the idea of reaching a balance may be, there may not be much choice but to accept that device data is sometimes off-limits.

Source: TechCrunch

Qualcomm might try to block iPhone shipments over royalty dispute

The Qualcomm vs. Apple licensing squabble had already gotten messy with lawsuits flying in both directions, but a report by Bloomberg says things could go to the next level soon. That’s because according to sources, Qualcomm plans to ask the ITC to block Apple from importing its phones from where they’re built in Asia to the US, ahead of new devices that we’re anticipating in the fall. We don’t know if it could be successful, although Qualcomm holds a number of patents in the space and Apple stopped making payments while the dispute is ongoing.

Qualcomm has cut its revenue outlook by $500 million because of the anticipated lack of licensing fees, so this is no small matter. It claims its patented technology is crucial to the iPhone even as it’s being manufactured by someone else, while Apple disagrees. We don’t know if there’s any chance the ITC will side with Qualcomm and actually ban any devices, but the threat puts billions of dollars in iPhone sales at risk.

Source: Bloomberg

Apple pledges $1 billion to support manufacturing jobs in the US

Apple probably won’t start building iPhones and iPads in the United States any time soon, but CEO Tim Cook is happy to help other companies keep their manufacturing businesses stateside. Apple will pour $1 billion into a fund aimed at promoting advanced manufacturing jobs in the US, Cook announced on Mad Money today.

“By doing that, we can be the ripple in the pond,” Cook said. “Because if we can create many manufacturing jobs around, those manufacturing jobs create more jobs around them because you have a service industry that builds up around them.”

Apple will announce the first beneficiary of its fund later in May. Cook touched on other areas of interest for Apple, including its intention to support programs that help train developers and get more people coding. Apple will announce details about this endeavor in the summer.

“We’re really looking at this thing deeply,” Cook said. “How do we grow our employee base? How do we grow the developer base? How do we grow manufacturing? You will see us bring things to market in all of those areas across this year.”

One of President Donald Trump’s rallying cries during the campaign was the idea that he would bring manufacturing jobs back to the US. In early 2016, Trump said he’d force Apple to “build their damn computers in this country,” though in reality there’s no teeth to such a threat and the company still assembles its gadgets abroad.

Source: Mad Money