Ben Heck finally gets the Nintendo-PlayStation prototype working
It feels like a long time has passed since the Midwest Gaming Classic in 2016 where the team first encountered the Nintendo-PlayStation SFX-100 portable. Now it’s time to see the highlights of Ben working on the rare console from past episodes, as well as one or two livestreams. Watch unseen diagnostic clips using oscilloscopes, and much glorious soldering! Finally, the question has been answered: Can the console be repaired to play games? Software developers, it’s now your time to shine! If you have any comments or questions, let us know over on the element14 Community. And if you’re inspired by the show, be sure to hack and make safely.
Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Floating party platforms, pottery printers, and more
At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion crowdfunding campaigns on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. In this column, we cut through all the worthless wearables and Oculus Rift ripoffs to round up the week’s most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects. But don’t grab your wallet just yet. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project can fail — even the most well-intentioned. Do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.
Soundfloat — Floating lounge chair
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It doesn’t matter where you live or what body of water is nearby — we can all agree that a lazy float in the river/lake/pool is quite possibly the most glorious leisure activity on planet earth. If done correctly, it involves all of the good things in life: being outside, being comfortable, listening to music, and (if you’re doing it right) drinking beer. But if you want to enjoy all of these things at the same time, you need the proper equipment.
It’s basically the Coolest Cooler of floatie tubes.
In addition to a durable float tube, you also need a waterproof Bluetooth speaker and a dry bag to protect your phone/mp3 player — not to mention a floating cooler for your booze. And once you’ve rounded up all this gear, you’ll need to figure out a suitable lashing system to secure everything to your tube.
Soundfloat offers an alternative to all this madness. Rather than forcing you to cobble all your float gear together like a hobo, the Soundfloat incorporates all the gear you need into one tricked-out flotation device. Built into the inflatable body, you’ll find a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, a dry bag for your electronics, and a removable cooler. It’s basically the Coolest Cooler of floatie tubes.
Read more here
ClayXYZ — Desktop 3D clay printer
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Clay-like ceramic filament for 3D printing has been around for a few years, but truth be told, the stuff that they sell right now isn’t really clay. In its normal form, clay isn’t particularly printer-friendly, so the product that filament shops sell is usually a clay/thermoplastic composite that’s more predictable and easy to work with. Most printers just aren’t properly equipped to handle gobs of wet clay, but ClayXYZ isn’t just any old printer. This bad boy was designed from the ground up to print pottery.
In terms of operation, ClayXYZ works a lot like a traditional filament-based 3D printer. It takes raw material and extrudes it, layer by layer, to create a 3D object. The only difference here is that instead of a plastic filament, ClayXYZ pushes a block of wet clay through a nozzle — kind of like how you force toothpaste out of a tube. Then, when the object is finished, it must then be fired in a kiln. This hardens the clay and activates any glaze applied to the model.
When all is said and done, you’ll have a fully-functional ceramic object in your hands. So if pottery classes aren’t your thing, at least now you have an alternative!
Read more here
HushMe — Wearable voice muffler
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Ever had to take a private call in a not-so-private room? If you have, you know how awful it is. Everyone within earshot can eavesdrop on your conversation, which can make you feel self-conscious and awkward while on the phone. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if there was some sort of magical device that allowed you to speak freely in an open office, but only be heard by the person on the other end of your call? It sounds ridiculous, but that’s exactly what this new gizmo called HushMe is designed to do.
“You can use ‘active’ mode and get almost 100 percent privacy.”
“We have created the world’s first voice mask for smartphones, called Hushme,” CEO Roman Sakun told Digital Trends. “Hushme is a Bluetooth hands-free device, with the additional features of voice masking. You connect it to your mobile and can listen to a music or use as a traditional hands-free, but if you are in open space office and need to make a private call, you just put it on and speak.”
Hushme has some impressive muffling qualities to go with its Bane-like look. “Due to insulating materials, your voice is decreased by 60 percent in ‘passive’ mode, and [people at a distance of three feet cannot] understand what are you speaking about,” Sakun continued. “If you are in a crowded noisy place like a railway station or airport, then you can use ‘active’ mode and get almost 100 percent privacy.”
Read more here
Ploota — Anti-drowning wearable
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When you drive a car, you put a seat belt on. When you go cycling, you wear a helmet. But not counting goofy-looking water wings, there’s not really an equivalent when you go swimming. That’s precisely what the team behind Ploota wants to change. The device is essentially a high-tech necklace that deploys airbags filled with CO2, designed to keep a person’s head upright, if they’re under water for more than 30 seconds. Just don’t forget about it and decide to challenge your buddy to a breath-holding contest!
“Back in 2014, two close family members of mine almost drowned in the ocean during a holiday in South Africa,” creator Rainer Fakesch told Digital Trends’ Luke Dormehl in an interview. “Only with luck and a huge effort did they manage to reach the shore after 30 minutes of struggling. The next year, I read in a German newspaper that during the first two summer weeks, nine people drowned in a lake. They were mostly good swimmers, but they didn’t make it back to the shore. That was the initial spark that made me start developing Ploota.”
Read more here
Heatworks Model 3 — Advanced tankless water heater
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Tankless water heaters (the kind that provide an endless stream of hot water) are arguably one of the best inventions ever — but they’re far from perfect. Generally speaking, tankless water heaters rely on a resistance heating element to warm up the water. In order to get it to a reasonable temperature in just a few seconds, these elements need to get extremely hot, and it’s not uncommon for them to reach temperatures well over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit on the surface.
This method is undeniably effective at heating water, but it comes with one big drawback: this massive heat difference between the water and the coil causes minerals in the water to plate to the heating element, which over time can build up and make the coil inefficient — or even cause it to fail completely.
Heatworks circumvents this problem with its patented “direct electric resistance” technology that uses two graphite electrodes and the water’s own resistance to directly energize and heat it. This apparently ensures no plating effect, superb temperature control, reliable operation, and a significantly longer lifespan compared to traditional water heaters.
In independent tests, ISI has determined that the Model 3 is up to 40 percent more energy efficient and 10 percent more water efficient than the average tankless heater. All this, and it’s still only a bit larger than a toaster.
Read more here
Awesome tech you can’t buy yet: Floating party platforms, pottery printers, and more
At any given moment, there are approximately a zillion crowdfunding campaigns on the web. Take a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there — alongside some real gems. In this column, we cut through all the worthless wearables and Oculus Rift ripoffs to round up the week’s most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects. But don’t grab your wallet just yet. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project can fail — even the most well-intentioned. Do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.
Soundfloat — Floating lounge chair
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
It doesn’t matter where you live or what body of water is nearby — we can all agree that a lazy float in the river/lake/pool is quite possibly the most glorious leisure activity on planet earth. If done correctly, it involves all of the good things in life: being outside, being comfortable, listening to music, and (if you’re doing it right) drinking beer. But if you want to enjoy all of these things at the same time, you need the proper equipment.
It’s basically the Coolest Cooler of floatie tubes.
In addition to a durable float tube, you also need a waterproof Bluetooth speaker and a dry bag to protect your phone/mp3 player — not to mention a floating cooler for your booze. And once you’ve rounded up all this gear, you’ll need to figure out a suitable lashing system to secure everything to your tube.
Soundfloat offers an alternative to all this madness. Rather than forcing you to cobble all your float gear together like a hobo, the Soundfloat incorporates all the gear you need into one tricked-out flotation device. Built into the inflatable body, you’ll find a waterproof Bluetooth speaker, a dry bag for your electronics, and a removable cooler. It’s basically the Coolest Cooler of floatie tubes.
Read more here
ClayXYZ — Desktop 3D clay printer
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Clay-like ceramic filament for 3D printing has been around for a few years, but truth be told, the stuff that they sell right now isn’t really clay. In its normal form, clay isn’t particularly printer-friendly, so the product that filament shops sell is usually a clay/thermoplastic composite that’s more predictable and easy to work with. Most printers just aren’t properly equipped to handle gobs of wet clay, but ClayXYZ isn’t just any old printer. This bad boy was designed from the ground up to print pottery.
In terms of operation, ClayXYZ works a lot like a traditional filament-based 3D printer. It takes raw material and extrudes it, layer by layer, to create a 3D object. The only difference here is that instead of a plastic filament, ClayXYZ pushes a block of wet clay through a nozzle — kind of like how you force toothpaste out of a tube. Then, when the object is finished, it must then be fired in a kiln. This hardens the clay and activates any glaze applied to the model.
When all is said and done, you’ll have a fully-functional ceramic object in your hands. So if pottery classes aren’t your thing, at least now you have an alternative!
Read more here
HushMe — Wearable voice muffler
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Ever had to take a private call in a not-so-private room? If you have, you know how awful it is. Everyone within earshot can eavesdrop on your conversation, which can make you feel self-conscious and awkward while on the phone. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if there was some sort of magical device that allowed you to speak freely in an open office, but only be heard by the person on the other end of your call? It sounds ridiculous, but that’s exactly what this new gizmo called HushMe is designed to do.
“You can use ‘active’ mode and get almost 100 percent privacy.”
“We have created the world’s first voice mask for smartphones, called Hushme,” CEO Roman Sakun told Digital Trends. “Hushme is a Bluetooth hands-free device, with the additional features of voice masking. You connect it to your mobile and can listen to a music or use as a traditional hands-free, but if you are in open space office and need to make a private call, you just put it on and speak.”
Hushme has some impressive muffling qualities to go with its Bane-like look. “Due to insulating materials, your voice is decreased by 60 percent in ‘passive’ mode, and [people at a distance of three feet cannot] understand what are you speaking about,” Sakun continued. “If you are in a crowded noisy place like a railway station or airport, then you can use ‘active’ mode and get almost 100 percent privacy.”
Read more here
Ploota — Anti-drowning wearable
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
When you drive a car, you put a seat belt on. When you go cycling, you wear a helmet. But not counting goofy-looking water wings, there’s not really an equivalent when you go swimming. That’s precisely what the team behind Ploota wants to change. The device is essentially a high-tech necklace that deploys airbags filled with CO2, designed to keep a person’s head upright, if they’re under water for more than 30 seconds. Just don’t forget about it and decide to challenge your buddy to a breath-holding contest!
“Back in 2014, two close family members of mine almost drowned in the ocean during a holiday in South Africa,” creator Rainer Fakesch told Digital Trends’ Luke Dormehl in an interview. “Only with luck and a huge effort did they manage to reach the shore after 30 minutes of struggling. The next year, I read in a German newspaper that during the first two summer weeks, nine people drowned in a lake. They were mostly good swimmers, but they didn’t make it back to the shore. That was the initial spark that made me start developing Ploota.”
Read more here
Heatworks Model 3 — Advanced tankless water heater
Please enable Javascript to watch this video
Tankless water heaters (the kind that provide an endless stream of hot water) are arguably one of the best inventions ever — but they’re far from perfect. Generally speaking, tankless water heaters rely on a resistance heating element to warm up the water. In order to get it to a reasonable temperature in just a few seconds, these elements need to get extremely hot, and it’s not uncommon for them to reach temperatures well over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit on the surface.
This method is undeniably effective at heating water, but it comes with one big drawback: this massive heat difference between the water and the coil causes minerals in the water to plate to the heating element, which over time can build up and make the coil inefficient — or even cause it to fail completely.
Heatworks circumvents this problem with its patented “direct electric resistance” technology that uses two graphite electrodes and the water’s own resistance to directly energize and heat it. This apparently ensures no plating effect, superb temperature control, reliable operation, and a significantly longer lifespan compared to traditional water heaters.
In independent tests, ISI has determined that the Model 3 is up to 40 percent more energy efficient and 10 percent more water efficient than the average tankless heater. All this, and it’s still only a bit larger than a toaster.
Read more here
Honeywell recalls fire alarm gateway that can’t detect fires
Tech-savvy fire alarm systems aren’t without their share of problems, it seems. Honeywell is recalling its SWIFT wireless gateway after learning that the smoke detectors connected to the gateway (usually found in apartments, hotels and offices) won’t always kick in — in other words, they can’t accomplish their one and only mission. The company hasn’t received reports of real-world incidents and is offering a firmware update as a fix, but it clearly doesn’t want to take any chances.
The recall isn’t about to spark a mass panic when it covers just 900 units sold between October 2014 and December 2016. However, it underscores the challenges of building advanced safety systems. Simply put, there isn’t much room for glitches. Fire alarms have to be extremely reliable, and that’s not an easy feat when you bring networking into the equation.
Source: CPSC
Intel ends its dreams of replacing the x86 chip in your PC
When Intel launched its first Itanium processor in 2001, it had very high hopes: the 64-bit chip was supposed to do nothing less than kill off the x86 architecture that had dominated PCs for over two decades. Things didn’t quite pan out that way, however, and Intel is officially calling it quits. The company tells PCWorld that its just-shipping Itanium 9700-series processors will be the last models in the family. HPE, the enterprise company resulting from the split of Itanium co-creator HP, will be the last major customer — its extra-reliable Integrity i6 servers are getting the upgraded hardware, but you won’t hear much from anyone else.
The news marks the quiet end to a tumultuous saga. Itanium was supposed to represent a clean break from x86 that put Intel firmly into the 64-bit era. It was first intended for high-end servers and workstations, but it was eventually supposed to find its way into home PCs. Needless to say, that’s not how it worked out. Early Itanium chips were power hogs, and AMD threw a monkey wrench into Intel’s plans by launching 64-bit x86 processors ahead of Intel. Why buy Itanium when you can get many of the benefits of 64-bit technology without tossing your existing software? Intel responded with 64-bit x86 chips of its own, and those quickly took over as Itanium remained the niche option.
That shift effectively killed any hopes of the broad support Itanium needed to survive. Microsoft dropped support in Windows after 2010 , and HP went so far as to sue Oracle for ditching software development in 2011. Not that Intel necessarily minded by that point. It poured most of its energy into many-core Xeon processors that were often up to the job. And it’ll be a while before Itanium disappears forever. HPE says that it’ll offer Linux-based “containers” that let you run Itanium software on x86 servers, so it’ll be relatively easy for companies to jump ship at their own pace.
The cancellation also shows just how much Intel has changed in the past 16 years. Where the chip giant was once obsessed with ruling the high-performance computing world, it’s now trying to move beyond the PC. Why pour resources into exotic server CPUs when the future revolves more around drones, wearables and the Internet of Things? Although server chips aren’t about to disappear any time soon, Intel clearly has better ways to spend its money.
Source: PCWorld
TP-Link Deco M5 review
Research Center:
TP-Link Deco M5
Mesh networking seemingly emerged in the retail space in the middle of 2016. It ignores the tried-and-true “bubble” wireless coverage offered by a single router, instead incorporating two or more units that can create a web of connectivity. That means there are no dead spots in the home, and since the tech’s debut, we’ve seen many solutions hit the market such as the Luma, Eero, and Google WiFi. Now TP-Link enters the arena with its Deco M5 kit.
Someone is a fan of Star Trek
The Deco M5 kit is a plug-and-play mesh-based networking kit aimed at customers looking for a simple solution that provides Wireless AC coverage in every corner of the house. The system is currently sold as a three-unit kit for $300, and each unit resembles the saucer section of the U.S.S. Enterprise, complete with a small light on top. There’s a raised area on the “back” of each unit that hosts two gigabit Ethernet ports and a Type-C power connector. A vent to dissipate the heat resides across the bottom surface.
Each unit resembles the saucer sections of the U.S.S. Enterprise.
Each unit also comprises of a quad-core processor and four internal antennas, promising throughput speeds of up to 400 megabits per second (Mbps) on the 2.4GHz band and up to 867Mbps on the 5GHz band. That roughly translates into two 200Mbps spatial streams (2.4GHz) and two 433Mbps spatial streams (5GHz).
One small LED on top provides a visual indication of the Deco unit’s status. A solid green means everything is just peachy, red means trouble, orange shows the unit is in the boot process, blinking blue indicates Bluetooth setup readiness, and solid blue confirms a Bluetooth connection. Any of the three Deco units can be used as the wireless network hub, which in turns feeds all data to the remaining two “satellite” units.
What’s the obsession with Bluetooth setups?
Unfortunately, setting up the Deco M5 system was a nightmare. As it turns out, creating a network using Bluetooth is a bad idea, and it’s not the first time we’ve encountered weird Bluetooth setup issues. TP-Link and its competitors should give customers a secondary option of connecting a PC directly to the hub or satellite for manual setup of the network environment, and our experience with the Deco M5 kit serves as a good example.
At the start of the setup process, the LED located on top of the Deco M5 unit pulsed blue, indicating its readiness. We opened the app, tapped on the “Add” button, and swiped through a trio of instruction screens until we reached the “Deco’s LED is Pulsing Blue” stage. We tapped on that and our Android device connected to the Deco M5 unit using Bluetooth. Maybe.
That’s where the fun began. With the mobile device seated next to the Deco M5 unit, the process would stop at any time, such as during the “Found it,” “Testing connection,” or “Optimizing your network” screens. At some point, the app would even suddenly say that the mobile device’s Bluetooth component wasn’t on, when that wasn’t the case at all. Instead, the Deco M5 unit suddenly rebooted itself for some reason as indicated by the orange LED.
Eventually, when all three units created a stable networking environment, the app moved on to the process of creating a network name (SSID) and password. After that, we were greeted with a home screen displaying all three Deco devices, the download and upload speeds, and the number of devices connected to the new network. Yay.
TP-Link Deco M5 Compared To
Zmodo Beam Alert
Netgear Orbi
Synology RT2600AC
Linksys WRT3200ACM
Starry Station
D-Link DIR-869 EXO AC1750
Portal Wi-Fi router
Ubiquiti Amplifi HD
HooToo TripMate Titan
TP-Link AC3150
Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream AC5400
Zyxel NBG6815 AC2200
Netgear Nighthawk X4S
Netgear Nighthawk X8
Google & TP-Link OnHub
Simplicity arrives as a trio
On the home screen, users will see an orange-yellow button in the bottom right corner that leads to a second window packing seven categories: Wi-Fi Settings, Parental Controls, Antivirus, QoS, Advanced, Update Deco, and Managers. Located on the top-left of the home screen is a menu button showing the account name, the available Deco-based networks (if you create more than one), an option to create a new network, a “help” section, and info about the app.
Overall, TP-Link focuses on simplicity with the Deco M5 kit. The only “advanced” options provided to users are changing the internet connection type to match the ISP’s service (dynamic, static, and PPoE), turning the LED off at night, and toggling notifications for monthly reports, new device detection, and firmware updates.
Setting up the Deco M5 system was a nightmare. Network creation over Bluetooth is a bad idea.
On the QoS front, this section enables the user to enforce five pre-set modes: Standard, Gaming, Streaming, Surfing, and Chatting. There’s also a “custom” button, providing users with a second page and five sliders with Low, Normal, and High levels. Each slider addresses Gaming, Streaming, Surfing, Chatting, and Downloading.
Built-in anti-virus functionality is provided in partnership with TrendMicro, enabling the Deco M5 system to scan incoming and outgoing traffic to filter malicious content, prevent intrusions, and prevent infected devices from transmitting sensitive information or “security threats” to other devices outside the network. These three features can be enabled/disabled together with a simple tap, or enabled/disabled individually using a toggle for each.
As for parental controls, this section requires users to create a profile, assign a category to that profile (Child, Pre-Teen, Teen, and Adult), assign a connected device to the profile, and then choose what the Deco network should block. For instance, the Pre-Teen profile automatically blocks adult content, gambling, and social networking. Parents can even block specific media, downloads, games, and so on. There’s means for throttling device access to the network in one, two, and four-hour durations as well.
Moving the load from a shuttle craft to a Galaxy-glass ship
One of the Deco kit’s unique “secret” features is that users can move its Deco-to-Deco communication to a wired Ethernet connection. Kits like the Deco M5 and Eero are meant for whole-house coverage, but they share the same 5GHz connection as their client wireless devices, thus creating more congestion. That can put a damper on performance due to congested radio airspace.
Theoretically, pushing the unit-to-unit communication to wired Ethernet provides a private backroad at up to 1Gbps, leaving more 5GHz space for wireless client devices to breathe. It speeds up the data transmissions passed from the wireless client device to the internet because the Deco-to-modem highway is wide open.
What we learned by moving the backend to Ethernet is that owners can use the Deco M5 kit in several ways. First, users can daisy-chain the hub and satellite units together for Deco-to-Deco communication using the two gigabit Ethernet ports mounted on the back. Meanwhile, the wireless client devices connected to the network fight for attention on the mule-infested 5GHz space.
While this might be a technical advantage, it also has a problem. No one wants to drape Ethernet cables throughout their house. A network of powerline Ethernet adapters might solve that. However, such work-arounds increase the complexity of the setup, and defeat the point of a simple mesh network.
And there’s another annoyance. Deco M5 units must be completely reconfigured to use a 5GHz or Ethernet-based backend. They don’t automatically switch to 5GHz when users disconnect the Ethernet cord. That means if you’re moving to Ethernet, each unit must be reset by pressing the embedded button on the bottom with a paper clip. After that, you must endure the whole Bluetooth process again.
Someone broke the warp drive
At the time of this review, the Android-based Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge saw a maximum throughput speed of 433Mbps. Again, we know each Deco M5 unit is capable of two 2.4GHz streams at 200Mbps each and two 5GHz streams at 433Mbps each. Given the 433Mbps cap we experienced with this phone, we suspect the Deco M5 units were sending and receiving data through a single 433Mbps spatial stream. For the record, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is a 2×2 device, and can currently reach throughput speeds of around 750Mbps when connected to the competing Eero mesh networking kit, using two spatial streams.
That said, here are the performance numbers for Windows 10 Creator’s Update using the default settings of iperf (85KB TCP window size), the default settings of the Deco M5, an AMD desktop with a gigabit LAN card (server), and a recent build of the Alienware 17 R4 laptop (client) with a Killer Wireless 1535 component using Qualcomm’s v12.0.0.296 driver (2/2017).
Interval
Bandwidth (Deco M5)
Bandwidth (Eero)
0.0- 1.0 sec
64.8Mbps
125Mbps
1.0- 2.0 sec
81.2Mbps
139Mbps
2.0- 3.0 sec
68.2Mbps
141Mbps
3.0- 4.0 sec
81.1Mbps
134Mbps
4.0- 5.0 sec
76.7Mbps
131Mbps
5.0- 6.0 sec
87.0Mbps
130Mbps
6.0- 7.0 sec
77.5Mbps
129Mbps
7.0- 8.0 sec
86.4Mbps
126Mbps
8.0- 9.0 sec
73.3Mbps
135Mbps
9.0- 10.0 sec
71.5Mbps
141Mbps
The numbers are clear. Compared to Eero, which is one of our favorite recent routers, the Deco falls short. It never reaches bandwidth remotely close to the Eero.
We made one additional attempt to see throughput speeds on Windows 10 higher than 130Mbps, by pulling out an older Lenovo laptop with a dual-band Wireless N USB adapter from Trendnet (TEW-804UB). This excludes the possibility of a limitation in the Alienware laptop used for the test above. In a 10-second test, the Lenovo laptop saw even slower speeds between 26.7Mbps and 32.4Mbps.
We also have Android to consider, which tells a similar tale. As previously stated, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge only achieved 5GHz band speeds of up to 433Mbps on the Deco M5 network, even though it almost hits the theoretical maximum speed when connected to Eero. That said, there’s no sense of even testing older Android devices if a new smartphone with a Wireless AC 2×2 component can’t move beyond the 433Mbps limit.
Warranty
Customers must dig deep into TP-Link’s website to uncover the company’s Warranty & RMA Policy here. The warranty lasts for two years after purchase, and covers “failures due to defects in material or workmanship on devices, antennas and accessories.” As always, a proof of purchase and a serial number is required to receive any services under the warranty.
Our Take
TP-Link’s entry into the mesh networking industry may need more time to bake. We saw a portion of this before the product went live, but now that it’s in the hands of consumers, there appears to be plenty of kinks that still need to be ironed out. While the Wireless AC performance falls within the bottom half of the normal range, it falls short of what we saw with the Eero system. Don’t even get us started with the Bluetooth setup process.
Is there a better alternative?
The DT Accessory Pack
TP-Link AV1200 Powerline Adapter
$59.99
TP-Link 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch
$19.11
TP-Link AV1200 Powerline Adapter w/ Power Outlet Pass-through
$74.99
TP-Link AC1200 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter
$28.50
In our most recent testing, the Eero setup is a performance champ when it comes to Wireless AC connectivity. It’s stellar on Android, and its numbers are in the higher range on Windows 10 PCs with a 2×2 Wireless AC component. Netgrear’s Orbi did rather well too although technically it’s not a mesh-based networking kit. Our overall favorite remains the Securifi Almond 3, which blends reasonable performance with strong smart home functionality.
How long will it last?
Mesh networking is here to stay for now, but hopefully companies will see that using Bluetooth to setup a network is just a horrible idea. What happened to the days of connecting directly to a router/hub wirelessly to set up the system? Why must mobile devices be the primary client for establishing a network? Customers who purchase the Deco M5 kit may wonder the same thing.
Should you buy it?
At this point, we can’t recommend this product. There are better performing, less aggravating, more robust solutions on the market today. Sure, the built-in anti-virus aspect is cool, but it’s outshined by the setup woes and performance issues. Perhaps TP-Link can clean up the outstanding issues with firmware and app updates.
Fiat Chrysler software error leads to a massive truck recall
Fiat Chrysler is currently in the midst of notifying over a million people that they need to turn in the trucks they bought from the company due to a potentially dangerous software error. The automaker has announced a massive recall affecting 1.02 million 2013 to 2016 Ram 1500 and 2500, as well as 2014 to 2016 Ram 3500 pickups in the US. Chrysler’s problem goes beyond the US: it’s also recalling 216,007 vehicles in Canada, 21,668 in Mexico and 21,530 outside North America altogether. In the notification published on its website, the company admitted that it’s “aware of one fatality, two injuries and two accidents that may be related” to its software troubles.
According to the details the automaker released, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began looking into its vehicles after hearing of a lawsuit wherein the air bags of one of its trucks failed to deploy in the midst of a rollover crash. Upon conducting its own investigation, Chrysler found that some of its models might generate an erroneous code when it rolls over after suffering a significant underbody impact, such as hitting large pieces of debris. That code could temporarily disable the side air bag and the mechanism that locks the seat belt in place, putting people’s lives in danger.
The company says owners can reset the seatbelt system if the warning sign lights up by turning the vehicle on and off. However, it encourages everyone to follow the instructions on the retail notices they’re sending out to be absolutely safe. Back in 2015, Fiat Chrysler also had to recall 1.4 million vehicles after it was revealed that people could hack into some of its models’ systems to kill the engine and disable the brakes. It’s far from the only automaker that’s had to issue a recall over software issues, though. General Motors had to take back 4.3 million vehicles last year because of a software defect in its airbag system, while Toyota recalled 1.9 million Prius hybrids in 2014 due to a glitch that causes overheating.
Source: Reuters, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Amazon, get ready for all the scrutiny you never wanted
It’s easy to see every mistake now, Amazon.
Welcome to the big leagues, Amazon. After just three days of people being able to use Alexa Calling and Messaging on the Echos we already have, you’ve met the first of many public rebukings when it comes to user privacy. And there will probably be plenty more.
The internet loves it when the big guy makes a mistake.
Amazon has always been one of those companies that collects gigantic mountains of user data anywhere and everywhere it can; It was never really that much different from the Facebooks and Googles of the world in that regard. But because most people only think of Amazon as that place where you can buy the thing you really need and have it overnighted to the front door, it has escaped much of the outrage over how it treats that data. Most people never noticed how you would see fine-tuned recommendations from Amazon all over the web if you had an account, or if we did we didn’t much care because seeing things you like is better than seeing ads for things you don’t. But now things will be very different.
When you move from a device that’s always listening to every word but is there to tell you the whether to buy a box of Tide to a full-fledged communication platform, the things you do get scrutinized much more closely. Things like not being able to block incoming calls made on your new platform seem more important than building a customer profile that tells Amazon when your kid’s birthday is because that’s information you let Amazon have. In 15 years, when our kids have their own Amazon accounts and there’s a full history of all the things they liked since they were babies, we might freak out a little bit, but right here and right now we can see that Amazon lets “anyone into our living room” through Alexa Calling. When the Echo Show finds its way into everyone’s house and a face gets attached to those calls, there will be more freakouts. Promise.
I’m not discounting the attention this is getting. Yes, this is no different than when we used to have real paper phone books with our names and addresses in them, but Ma Bell gave us an opt out. Amazon needs to do the same and add a “block unknown caller” setting. I’ll bet it is doing it right now and we’ll see it soon. And to be perfectly honest, having any company get more attention when it comes to privacy is a good thing because it makes everyone pay closer attention. Facebook, Google, Microsoft and every other company that routinely collects copious amounts of data and offers services that use it are paying attention. They don’t want to be the next Twitter target.
Editor’s note: An Amazon spokesperson confirmed via email that a block feature “will be available in the coming weeks. We know this is important to customers, and we’re working on it.
We need to look at everything Amazon does and make our own decisions before we call Mom on her new Echo Show.
On our side, we need to take a look at everything about Alexa Calling instead of just focusing on the new parts. It undoubtedly is connected to the other data Amazon has always collected, and we need to make an informed decision about trusting Amazon with our voices and faces. It’s not that what it is doing is inherently bad; data collection can make a good service better. The value of what it’s offering may very well be worth the information we have to give them. But that’s something we should have already been doing when we asked Alexa to turn on our lights and remind us to buy a Mother’s Day gift.
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Old-school tank shooter ‘Battlezone’ comes to Oculus and Vive
If you grew up in the age of arcades, you probably played Atari’s seminal first-person tank game, Battlezone. In the arcade version, you’d play the game with your face stuck into a set of faux goggles that helped you feel like you were in the sweaty confines of an actual tank. It felt like stepping into a virtual world. When developer Rebellion rebooted the classic for PSVR, that 1980 promise of actual virtual reality was fulfilled. Battlezone is now making the leap from PlayStation to the PC via the VR goggles of the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive.
Literally looking around your cockpit and the surrounding battle environments is pretty exciting, but this new version of Battlezone also has a co-op mode. You can cruise around each retro battlefield, blasting away at enemy targets with up to three of your buddies. While the visuals on this new VR Battlezone are rather simplistic, they do follow nicely from the original game’s green vector graphics. Rebellion’s Tim Jones called the PSVR iteration “a love letter to our roots really.” Cramming your head into a set of VR goggles might even mimic that heady arcade feeling of the original. It’s only available for VR, however, so you won’t be able to play this new Battlezone in 2D.
The new title is on sale for 15 percent off, and you can grab it for $33.99 at the Rebellion game store, on Steam or directly from Oculus.
Via: Rock Paper Shotgun
Source: Rebellion
Mastercard aims to speed up your chip-and-PIN payments
Chip cards are ultimately faster than paying with a magnetic stripe and a signature (or worse, a check), but they’re sometimes slow — and it’s bad enough that Mastercard wants to do something. The company is partnering with Verifone and Global Payments to build its speedy M/Chip Fast technology into EMV card reading systems destined for the US. The focus is on fast food, grocery stores, mass transit and anywhere else that waiting even a few seconds might cause frustration (especially for the people behind you).
As for a timetable? Unfortunately, there isn’t any — that’s partly dependent on retailers upgrading their gear. However, there’s certainly an incentive to offer improvements relatively soon. Although the US was very late to chip-and-PIN payments, it’s already the largest market. Even a modest speed-up could drastically reduce checkout times, helping businesses handle more customers. And of course, it’d encourage the use of chip cards — you might be more likely to lean on yours if it helps you return home that much sooner.
Source: BusinessWire
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