US senator wants to make sure the FTC takes smart toys seriously

It’s not just parents that are worrying about the security of connected toys. Senator Mark Warner has sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission grilling it about efforts to protect kids’ privacy when they use smart toys like the CloudPets you see above. He’s particularly worried that FTC Acting Chairwoman Maureen Ohlhausen is shrugging off concerns about how companies handle kids’ data. In recent statements, she argued that the FTC should focus on “objective, concrete harms,” such as financial damage or health risks — toy data leaks might not fit under that bill.

Warner’s questions touch on a few subjects. In addition to Ohlhausen’s remarks, the Senator is interested in whether or not the FTC has responded to both the CloudPets and My Friend Cayla privacy incidents. He also wants to know if the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) needs an upgrade to “keep pace” with modern security.

There’s no guarantee that Warner will get the answers he wants, let alone promises that the FTC is taking toy data privacy seriously. Although he’s on the Senate committee handling consumer protection (Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs), the letter isn’t binding. And the FTC, like other agencies in the current US administration, is limiting its regulatory scope.

With that said, there are hints that he might find a receptive audience. Ohlhausen’s same statements acknowledge that data leaks can hurt beyond just financial info. She notes that the Ashley Madison hack led to people committing suicide after their infidelity was made public, and that snippets of seemingly innocuous info can violate your privacy when they’re pieced together. The agency head may decide that connected toys are problematic simply because the potential consequences of a hack might be too severe to ignore.

Via: Nextgov

Source: Senator Mark Warner

CBS greenlights another James Corden show… on Snapchat

James Corden’s viral-friendly Carpool Karaoke videos have given The Late Late Show exposure well beyond it’s timeslot. Now CBS wants to squeeze out a little more of Corden’s magic by giving the singing Brit his own (fictional) competitive reality show called James Corden’s Next James Corden, in which fake contestants compete to (eventually) take Corden’s job. But the show won’t be on CBS or All Access when it arrives this fall — instead, James Corden’s Next James Corden will be headed straight for Snapchat Discover.

Although the show’s PR makes sure to note Corden is not actually thinking of leaving his hosting job, the premise of finding someone with Corden’s effusive and cuddly personality makes for good Snapchat content. Aside from Corden, the new show is expected to feature bandleader Reggie Watts and “many familiar faces.” Meanwhile, Corden’s Carpool Karaoke spin-off show that was supposed to be one of Apple’s first original productions has been postponed indefinitely.

Snap has also run into issues with the Discover platform recently. The company is determined to treat the service like TV and encourage professional content, but it also had to institute new rules to protect users from misleading clickbait that was starting to gain traction.

IKEA’s affordable smart lights will dim with your voice

Last month, IKEA launched its own line of low-cost smart lighting, called TRÅDFRI, and up until now, users have had to rely on a remote control or a proprietary app to use the product. But no longer.

Today, the Swedish retailer announced that their IKEA Home Smart products will respond to voice commands from Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant starting this summer. Additionally, the product line will integrate with Apple’s HomeKit. “With IKEA Home Smart we challenge everything that is complicated and expensive with the connected home. Making our products work with others on the market takes us one step closer to meet people’s needs, making it easier to interact with your smart home products,” said IKEA Home Smart’s business leader Björn Block.

Traditionally, smart lighting systems are pricey. Take Philips Hue, perhaps the best known smart lighting system. The Philips Hue Bridge 2.0, which supports 50 Hue lights, costs $60. In comparison, IKEA’s Smart Lighting System’s TRÅDFRI Gateway is half that price — just $30, though the number of lights it supports is unclear. Hue provides more choice in bulb types, from floodlights to spotlights, but IKEA wins on price — their standard bulb is priced at $12, compared to Hue’s $15. A $3 difference may not seem like much, but when you’re replacing every bulb in your house, that seemingly small gap can add up quickly.

Smart lighting systems may have once been a quirk for those with too much money on their hands, but with their arrival at IKEA, it looks like they’re here to stay. IKEA’s aggressive pricing makes smart, voice-controlled lighting more accessible to a wider range of potential buyers.

Source: Ikea

Google will track your shopping trips to prove its ads work

First, Google followed you to the store using location data, much like Foursquare. Then its launched its Express shopping service. Now, it will track billions of credit and debit card transactions in an even bigger effort to prove its online ads push users into brick-and-mortar shops.

Specifically, Google will see card numbers, amounts spent, and when the purchases happen. The company says it has tracked 5 billion store visits in the last three years and customers are 25 percent more likely to make an in-store purchase after clicking a search ad. Most retailers still prefer to spend on TV ads, according to The Washington Post. Google makes most of its money from ads, and wants to show that its advertising is more effective, whether via search or YouTube.

Of course, data privacy is enough of a concern with your online behavior, let alone when you’re offline. Google says they use “double-blind encryption,” meaning that while retailers know if a user came to their store, the person’s identity will be anonymous. Still, a study has shown that a customer can be identified with as few as three anonymous credit card transactions.

Right now, internet shopping is destroying physical retail. Yet, even if you swear off Amazon, it seems your spending habits won’t escape the data giants — they’ll follow you right to the mall.

Via: The Washington Post

US sues Fiat Chrysler over diesel emissions cheating

Volkswagen definitely won’t be the only major automaker hauled into court for cheating on diesel emissions tests in recent years. In the wake of EPA accusations from January, the US Department of Justice has sued Fiat Chrysler for allegedly using a combination of defeat devices and software to trick regulators into thinking its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engines are… well, eco-friendly. Reportedly, 2014-2016 model year Dodge Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles (104,000 in total) violated the Clean Air Act by meeting emissions rules in EPA testing, but spewing “much higher” nitrogen oxide levels in certain everyday driving situations.

The case would force Fiat Chrysler to fix the affected vehicles and demand other penalties, possibly including a fine. The EPA previously warned that a fine could climb as high as $4.6 billion. That pales in comparison to VW’s $14.7 billion settlement, but it’s not exactly a trivial amount.

This isn’t nearly as far-reaching a case as it was with VW, which was accused of cheating with nearly 500,000 cars. However, VW also confessed to its deceptive practices where Fiat Chrysler still denies having done anything wrong. It tells Reuters it’s disappointed in the lawsuit and denies having cheated using defeat devices. At the same time, it’s planning a software update that it hopes will address officials’ concerns — whether or not there was intentional deception, the company isn’t taking any chances. We’ve reached out to Fiat Chrysler to see if it can say more.

There could be more trouble coming, if not necessarily in the US. At the same time as the Justice Department was filing its lawsuit, German officials were searching Daimler offices as part of an investigation into diesel fraud. If they find evidence of wrongdoing, that could indicate an industry-wide attempt to play fast and loose with diesel emissions, not just one or two outliers.

Source: Department of Justice

1Password Gains ‘Travel Mode’ to Protect Sensitive Data When Traveling

AgileBits recently introduced a new 1Password feature called Travel Mode, which is designed to protect password vaults from unwarranted searches when traveling.

When activated, Travel Mode will remove every password vault from all of a user’s iOS and Mac devices except for vaults that have been earmarked as “safe for travel,” effectively hiding a user’s most sensitive information. Travel Mode is available to all customers who have a 1Password membership.

Before Travel Mode, I would have had to sign out of all my 1Password accounts on all my devices. If I needed certain passwords with me, I had to create a temporary travel account. It was a lot of work and not worth it for most people.

Now all I have to do is make sure any of the items I need for travel are in a single vault. I then sign in to my account on 1Password.com, mark that vault as “safe for travel,” and turn on Travel Mode in my profile. I unlock 1Password on my devices so the vaults are removed, and I’m now ready for my trip.

Once a user arrives at their destination, Travel Mode can be toggled off and the vaults return to all of a user’s devices. AgileBits has a detailed support document outlining how to use Travel Mode.

Vaults are not hidden with Travel Mode, but instead are completely removed from all devices as long as Travel Mode is turned on. AgileBits says that there are no traces left for anyone to find, and there are no signs that a special mode has been enabled.

With 1Password for Teams, Travel Mode allows the team administrator to turn Travel Mode on and off for employees, giving companies a way to make sure their data stays safe.

1Password can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but there is an in-app fee to access the service. A standard 1Password account is priced at $2.99 per month and a multi-user family account is priced at $4.99 per month. There is an additional fee when purchasing a subscription through the App Store, and there are also separate subscription options for teams.

– 1Password for Mac [Direct Link]

– 1Password for iOS [Direct Link]

Tags: 1Password, AgileBits
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Apple Releases Revised Version of iTunes 12.6.1

Apple today released an updated and revised version of iTunes 12.6.1, which was originally released alongside the macOS Sierra 10.12.5 update on Monday, May 15.

The new version of iTunes is 12.6.1.27, while the previous version was 12.6.1.25. It’s not clear why Apple has released a new minor update to iTunes 12.6.1, but it presumably includes some unspecified bug fix.

According to the release notes, the update “includes minor app and performance improvements.” These are the same generic release notes that were included in the first iTunes 12.6.1 release.

The new version of iTunes 12.6.1 can be downloaded for free using the Software Update function in the Mac App Store.

Tag: iTunes
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App Highlight: ZHED

The App

Developed by Ground Control Solutions, ZHED is a new app with only 1000 installs. Having been updated on May 14, 2017, the developer is constantly fixing various bugs with the latest being some gesture fixes. The game is a brain-teaser puzzle that will be sure to challenge you intellectually.

What it does

With no timers, no stars, no clocks, ZHED is a brain-teaser in its purest form. With a simple mechanic, the puzzle game builds into increasingly complex levels that aim to provide a continued challenge. 

Playing ZHED is simple. Tap a square and select a direction (upwards, downwards, to the left and to the right). See how the square reacts when they intersect with each other, and build a path to fill the goal square. When you finished, the next level will show up! You can undo moves or restart levels as much as you want.

Why we like it

As someone who travels a lot I often find myself with periods of no connectivity and puzzle games are a great way to pass the time. ZHED is one of those puzzle games that you’ll always come back to as the concept never gets old and is very challenging. What’s more is you can play it completely free without the need to pay to progress. For those who like a mental challenge, ZHED is definitely one to try out.

How to get it

ZHED is available for free from the Google Play Store. You can download it right here.

5 reasons why the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is my daily driver

As you may already know, we, as reviewers, tend to get our hands on numerous smartphones throughout the year simply due to the nature of our job. So while we technically don’t have daily drivers in the traditional sense, my definition of a daily driver is the phone that I always return to once I’m done with a review of another device. In that sense, my daily driver for the foreseeable future is the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, and here are five reasons why.

See also:

Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus review: Almost to Infinity

April 18, 2017

Reason #1 – Display

Samsung’s prowess in this department continues to shine through with what is easily the best display on a smartphone right now

It certainly wouldn’t be a post about the latest Samsung flagships without a mention of that gorgeous display, and it is one of the reasons why the Galaxy S8 Plus is my daily driver. Everyone has raved about this display, and Samsung’s prowess in this department continues to shine through with what is easily the best display on a smartphone right now.

The colors are amazing, it is extremely bright, vibrant, and full of contrast, and I love the way the glass spills over on the sides. Samsung has definitely come a long way from the experiment that was the Galaxy Note Edge, and on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, it is something that you have to see in person to truly appreciate.

I personally prefer the larger screen of the Galaxy S8 Plus because I think it’s more immersive when it comes to gaming or video consumption. Some people may feel differently though, particularly because the larger display makes for a size that could be too big for some.

Don’t miss:

What I don’t like about the Galaxy S8 Plus

3 weeks ago

That said, the difference isn’t significant when compared to devices like the Google Pixel XL, the iPhone 7 Plus, and the LG V20. These are all definitely big phones, but in terms of handling, the Galaxy S8 Plus is actually narrower than the lot (due to its 18.5:9 display). The really impressive part is that despite similar sizes, the Galaxy S8 Plus features a much larger display. The S8 Plus is definitely worth it because of the larger screen, even if the handling experience isn’t as comfortable as it is with its smaller sibling.

Reason #2 – Design

The design of the phone is what allows that display to really stand out and complements the phone extremely well, which leads me to my second reason. The curves look and feel very sleek, and it’s a perfectly symmetrical design all the way around.

The curves look and feel very sleek, and it’s a perfectly symmetrical design all the way around

What I really love about this phone though is the way it looks from the front. The super thin bezels are fantastic, but what is also great is that there are no logos, branding, or buttons that ruin the front. It’s a super clean design that looks fantastic, and it certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing if more OEMs went down this route.

Reason #3 – Software

I never thought that the software experience would be a reason why I love a Samsung smartphone, but that is surprisingly the case with the new interface the company has introduced with the Galaxy S8 series. For years, Samsung’s software package has felt like a cluttered mess, but since the Galaxy S6, they have been making tons of improvements and it is finally at the point where the software matches the great hardware.

See also:

Is TouchWiz on the Galaxy S8 the best Android skin?

2 weeks ago

The new Samsung experience complements and meshes well with Android, whereas older versions felt like they had unnecessary layers that made everything clunky, overwhelming, and cumbersome to use. I love the new clean and minimalistic approach that Samsung is going for here.

The new icons sport a refreshing new design, and everything is mostly black and white with just a splash of color in areas like the notification shade and Settings menu – a stark contrast from older iterations of Touchwiz that were heavily coated in greens and blues.

There’s a lot of attention to detail here, and it’s the little things that make the biggest difference

There’s a lot of attention to detail here, and it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. For instance, you can swipe up from anywhere on the home screen to launch the app drawer, and you can also change the order of the navigation keys, which is great because Samsung’s implementation always felt completely backwards when they were using hardware keys.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the software isn’t still chock full of features. While some of them are useful, none of them ever feel invasive as you have the option to disable the features you don’t plan on using.

A lot of customization options are also built into the software, including a Themes engine that lets you tweak everything from the icons, wallpapers, and general color scheme of the interface. The Always On Display is also more robust than ever, and even this can be customized with high quality themes or an image from your gallery.

Reason #4 – Hardware features

The next reason why the Galaxy S8 Plus is my daily driver is the hardware. Samsung always does a great job of including a lot of extra hardware features on their phones, and while I may not use every single one of them all the time, I do appreciate their inclusion and rather have them and not use them often than not have them at all.

• The truth about Bluetooth 5 – Gary explains
• Bluetooth 5 is finally here, bringing 4x the range and 2x the speed

Features that everyone will find useful right away or at least at some point during their time of owning one are the IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, wireless charging, and expandable storage. We don’t usually mention Bluetooth as a special hardware feature, but it definitely warrants a mention this time around, mainly because the Galaxy S8 devices are some of the first to ship with Bluetooth 5, which comes with improvements like twice the speed, four times the range, as well as the ability to connect two Bluetooth devices at once.

Reason #5 – Camera

It’s not the fanciest camera out there, but you can always rely on it to deliver a good picture in almost every situation

Last but not least, the final reason is the camera. Samsung isn’t doing anything fancy with the Galaxy S8’s camera, but you can always rely on it to deliver a good picture in almost every situation. The dual pixel autofocus is easily still one of my favorite features about this camera, simply because of how fast and accurately it can focus on a subject. Plus, a faster autofocus means you’ll snap photos much quicker and take a lot more of them.

See also:

Results are in: The best Android smartphone camera is…

2 weeks ago

Speaking of autofocus, the front-facing camera also comes with this feature. While I don’t think this shooter is amazing in terms of quality, it is a nice feature to have. I also like the Snapchat-esque filters that are built in which make the front camera a lot of fun to use.

So, those are some of the reasons why the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is going to be my daily driver for the foreseeable future. I love the look of this phone, and I don’t mind the bigger size in favor of the extra screen real estate. It also checks all the right boxes in terms of specifications, performance, and overall features. Despite a hefty price tag, it certainly lives up to the hype and is worth every penny. It’s not perfect, but the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus fulfills the majority of my needs.

What is Google Jamboard, how does it work, and when can you buy it?

Google has announced you can now pick up its new Jamboard.

You probably won’t need this thing unless you’re a teacher or a company executive, as it’s a powerful collaboration tool used to enhance meetings or presentations. It provides a 4K whiteboard experience – and it’s all about “moving the whiteboard to the cloud”, according to Google. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

What is Google Jamboard?

Google Jamboard is a whiteboard-like 4K touch display you can use for meetings and presentation purposes. Turn it on, draw on it, flip through slides on it, whatever. Google has added G Suite support to Jamboard, so users will be able to directly access and edit Docs, Sheets, Slides, and photos stored in Drive. There are no plans to make these apps run natively right now, as they’ll use companion apps that let you and your teammates “jam”.

When you “jam” with your teammates, whether that includes sketching, adding images, writing notes, pulling from the web, etc, your work lives in the cloud in Google Drive, where you can easily share what you’ve created or edit it at anytime. You can work with teammates from across the world using Google Hangouts and Google Cast for setting up broadcasts and collaborations, or you can work remotely using the companion app.

What does Google Jamboard feature?

Google

The Jamboard has a “plug-and-play” design with no batteries or charging. It features a 55-inch 60Hz Ultra HD 4K touch display (supports passive stylus and finger recognition, with 16-touch points), a built-in wide-angle HD camera, mic, speakers, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB Type C, HDMI 2.0, Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi. It also runs a variant of Android Marshmallow. Google has not yet revealed its processor.

Google Jamboard also comes with two, thick white stylus pens for drawing and another white, mouse-like device that acts like an eraser. The rolling stand is an additional accessory.

Here’s a full spec rundown:

• 55-inch 4K UHD display
• 120Hz touch scan rate / 60Hz video refresh rate
• 16-simultaneous touch points
• Handwriting and shape recognition
• Built-in tilt support / Built-in wide-angle camera
• Down-firing speakers / Built-in microphones
• NFC
• HDMI 2.0, USB Type C, 2 X USB 3.0
• SPDIF audio out
• Wi-Fi 802.11ac 2×2 / 1 Gigabyte Ethernet
• Google Cast
• 2 x Fine tip passive stylus, Eraser, Microfiber cloth

Does it work like Surface Hub?

Microsoft

Microsoft unveiled a similar product, Surface Hub, in 2015 and began shipping it in 2016. The 55-inch Surface Hub model starts at $9,000. In October, Microsoft said it shipped Surface Hubs to 600 customers worldwide. The device runs custom Windows 10, offers custom versions of OneNote, Skype for Business, and Microsoft’s Office apps, and can download custom apps from the Windows Store for Business.

The Surface Hub also comes in an 84-inch model. While the 55-inch model features an Intel Core i5 processor, the larger model has an i7 processor. Both models offer a display with 100 multi-touch points. Other Surface Hub specs include two wide-angle cameras, mics, speakers, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Ethernet 1000 Base T, 128GB of storage with 8GB RAM, and two powered pens.

Unlike Surface Hub, you can’t install third-party apps on the Jamboard. But it does come with a companion app, which will be available for Android and iOS, allowing users to work on the whiteboard in real-time. The Surface Hub doesn’t have companion apps, but you can collaborate on via Skype for Business. Surface Hub is positioned as a standalone touch-computing device, while Jamboard is a touch display.

When will Google Jamboard be available?

Google opened applications for Early Adopter versions of Jamboard on 25 October 2016, allowing select applicants to receive Jamboards by late early November. On 23 May 2017, Google began selling Jamboard in red, blue, or gray colours through its website. There’s no word yet on UK availability or pricing, but we’ve contacted the company for more information.

How much does Google Jamboard cost?

Google said Jamboard costs $4,999 (about £4,110) without a stand. The stand costs $1,199 and is sold separately from the Jamboard display. For comparison, Microsoft’s Surface Hub starts at $9,000 and goes up to $21,999.