Twitter blocks a slew of Venezuela government accounts

Venezuela has been accused of censoring Twitter as part of its bid to silence dissent, but it’s not so happy now that the shoe is on the other foot. The country’s leadership says that Twitter has suspended 180 accounts linked to the government, including radio and TV outlets in the presidential palace. While it’s not clear what prompted the move, officials are furious — President Maduro claims that Twitter blocked accounts “simply for being Chavistas,” or supporters of his late predecessor Hugo Chavez.

Maduro isn’t calling for a boycott of Twitter, though. The “battle on social media” is too important, he says. He insists that Twitter took down “thousands” of accounts (there’s no firm evidence of this), and that Venezuela would respond by opening “10,000 or more” accounts in response.

We reached out to Twitter, but it says it has nothing to share. The social network normally takes down accounts for abuse, spam or security issues, but there aren’t any immediate indications as to what prompted the decision or whether it’s permanent. It’d certainly be unusual to block a mass of government accounts unless there was a clear, systemic violation of the rules. If there’s an explanation, we might not know the full story for a while.

Se estima que hasta ahora unas 180 cuentas de entes públicos de #Venezuela y militantes revolucionarios fueron suspendidas x @TwitterLatAm pic.twitter.com/LBfuYz0LPc

— Ernesto Villegas P. (@VillegasPoljak) June 17, 2017

Via: Reuters, TeleSur

Source: Ernesto Villegas (Twitter, translated)

EU proposes banning encryption backdoors

The European Union might want it to be easier for police to obtain data, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for officers to read that data. The European Parliament has proposed amended regulation that would not only require end-to-end encryption when available, but forbid backdoors that offer guaranteed access to law enforcement. EU residents need to know that the “confidentiality and safety” of their data is “guaranteed,” according to the draft, and backdoors risk “weakening” that privacy.

The proposal has to be approved by Parliament and then reviewed by the EU Council, so there’s still a chance that the rules will be softened if and when the amendments pass.

If they do clear, though, they could set up a conflict between the EU and countries that aren’t so fond of encryption. The UK is undoubtedly the main concern, even after it leaves the EU. A ban on backdoors would make it difficult for the country to enforce the Investigatory Powers Act’s requirement that companies remove “electronic protection” when possible. How would that be meaningful when virtually every tech company in Europe is encrypting data traffic? You’re not likely to see UK-specific versions of apps that introduce security holes.

This would also thwart the efforts of some American politicians (such as Senators Richard Burr and Dianne Feinstein) to effectively ban airtight encryption. While those proposals have largely stalled, they’d face an even tougher battle in Congress if it meant pitting American and European security policies against each other. Simply put, the EU could wind up dictating encryption strength well beyond its member states’ borders.

Via: The Telegraph, Tom’s Hardware

Source: European Parliament (PDF)

Jay Z’s ‘4:44’ album will be another Tidal exclusive

As you’d expect from the guy that owns Tidal, Jay Z is releasing a new album called 4:44 on June 30th, exclusively on … Tidal. Also getting in on the action is Sprint, the US carrier that acquired a 33 percent chunk of Tidal earlier this year for $200 million. It will offer customers a six month Tidal HiFi trial and free access to the album, the first in a series of exclusives. “Jay Z is a global icon and we’re giving customers and incredible opportunity to be among the first to experience his new album 4:44,” said Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure in a statement.

The album will be Jay Z’s first since Magna Carta Holy Grail from 2013, which was released to one million Galaxy owners as part of a $20 million Samsung deal. It’s also the first exclusive for new partner Sprint, which hopes it will help attract new subscribers. His arguably more famous spouse, Beyoncé, also released her last album, Lemonade, exclusively on Tidal.

Jay Z first started teasing 4:44 via a series of billboards around New York and LA, along with a snippet of a song in a teaser video starring Mahershala Ali and Lupita Nyong’o. That likely means the album will have a strong video component, much as did Lemonade, the “visual album” from Beyoncé. The snippet, shown below, features Ali playing the role of a boxer, with the lyrics “letters to my Dad that I never wrote, speeches I prepared that I never spoke, words on a paper that I never read.”

Jay Z recently railed against the injustices of the American prison in Time, specifically the racket of the bail system. “When black and brown people are over-policed and arrested and accused of crimes at higher rates than others, and then forced to pay for their freedom before they ever see trial, big bail companies prosper.” He subsequently promised to donate money to organizations that bailed out fathers on Father’s Day.

Via: Fader

Source: Sprint

5 songs you need to stream this week: Pharrell, Toro y Moi, and more

Every week, there are thousands of new songs hitting the airwaves — and it’s just too much for your two ears to handle. With all those options, you can’t be wasting your time on tracks that deserve a thumbs-down click — you want the best new songs to stream now.

But don’t worry, we’re going to save you the hassle. We listen to some of the most-hyped and interesting songs each week, and tell you which are worthy of your precious listening time.

Here are our top five songs to stream this week. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for a playlist of our weekly picks, which can also be found at the bottom of this post.

Pharrell — There’s Something Special

Pharrell’s Despicable Me 2 soundtrack single Happy was such a big success that the singer/songwriter has once again paired up with composer Hans Zimmer, penning this recently released tune for the upcoming Despicable Me 3. There’s Something Special is a falsetto-laden R&B jam where classic guitar tones meet digital drum samples — an aesthetic that feels oddly well-suited to an animated feature.

Toro y Moi — Girl Like You

Toro Y Moi songwriter Chaz Bear released this vintage-influenced pop cut this week, a single that will appear on his project’s upcoming fifth studio album, Boo Boo. The sound of the track matches the associated music video, with both feeling as though they could have appeared on the washed-out MTV airwaves of the mid-’80s.

Julia Jacklin — Eastwick

Australian musician Julia Jacklin’s string of wordy and beautifully orchestrated singles continues with Eastwick, a jangly pop tune that begins with voice and guitar before the full band leaps in about halfway through. Press play for the music, but be sure to enjoy her awesome matching Hawaiian print outfit in the video, which is paired perfectly with what we can only assume is a blue raspberry cocktail.

LIV — Heaven

LIV is the latest in a long line of Swedish pop supergroups. The new outfit features Lykke Li, as well as Andrew Wyatt and Pontus Winnberg of Miike Snow, and Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John. As expected, given their collective songwriting experience, the group’s first single Heaven is undeniably catchy, with cool doubled vocals and a deep, groovy, feel.

Sharon Van Etten — Tarifa

Sharon Van Etten and her excellent live band appeared as the credits rolled on a recent episode of Showtime’s new season of Twin Peaks, performing a ghostly version of her song Tarifa, which originally appeared on her 2014 album Are We There. There’s a haunting quality to this rolling ballad that makes it fit perfectly in David Lynch’s new season. Its gorgeous harmonies and a simple yet powerful chorus grab your ears.

That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more tunes, and check out the playlist loaded with our recent selections below:

Moto E4 vs. E4 Plus vs. G5 vs. G5 Plus: Which should you buy?

Motorola’s budget lineup is getting increasingly crowded.

Lenovo is known for rolling out several phones at the same price point, with minor differences between them to justify their existence. With the Chinese company now hedging its bets on Motorola, it was inevitable that we would see a bevy of new phones under the Moto banner.

Motorola launched the Moto G5 and G5 Plus back at Mobile World Congress, and over the course of the last month, we’ve seen the Moto C series followed by the Moto E series.

With the Moto C series now forming the entry-level tier, the Moto E series is positioned just under the Moto G5 and G5 Plus. With so many phones launching in such a short duration, Motorola’s lineup in this segment is getting increasingly crowded. It doesn’t help matters that the naming convention of the Moto E series is one generation behind that of the Moto G phones, making the E4 look older in comparison to the G5.

To further confound matters, Motorola decided to launch nine million variants of each device. The Moto G5 series has over ten SKUs, and the Moto E4 is powered either by a Snapdragon 425 (427 on Sprint) or a MediaTek MT6737. Motorola has been struggling to roll out quick updates, and it isn’t making things any easier for itself by introducing models powered by two different chipsets — if history is any indication, the MediaTek version won’t receive updates as fast as the Snapdragon model.

Before we take a look at what differentiates the Moto E4 from the G5 and the E4 Plus from the G5 Plus, here’s a look at the detailed specs on offer:

Now that we have a clearer understanding of what’s going on, it’s easy to see that the Moto E series is the more affordable alternative to the Moto G5 lineup — the E4 and E4 Plus have 720p displays, whereas the G5 and G5 Plus offer Full HD panels. The same goes for the chipsets, with the E4 and E4 Plus boasting quad-core chipsets while the G5 series is running octa-core CPUs. What’s great is that Motorola is rolling out a unified design aesthetic, making the entry-level Moto E4 virtually indistinguishable to the $300 G5 Plus.

That said, there are a few distinguishing features on the hardware front that make individual phones stand out. For instance, if you’re looking for a phone with incredible battery life, the E4 Plus looks like it’ll last at least two days, thanks to its combination of a massive 5000mAh battery, efficient chipset, and 720p display. When it comes to the Moto G5 Plus, the camera takes center stage — as we’ve seen in our review, the camera is the best available in this segment.

The Moto E4 is great value, but it may not get updates on time (or at all).

Finally, there’s the pricing: the Moto E4 starts at just $129, with the E4 Plus set to retail for $179. The Moto G5 is $20 more than the E4 Plus at $199, and the G5 Plus is the costliest of the lot, with the base variant starting off at $229. The Moto E4 is unbeatable when you consider the value proposition, but the uncertainty regarding updates makes it a risky bet.

The E4 Plus would’ve been a much better device were it not for the 720p display, but that’s not supported in the anemic GPUs found in the Snapdragon 425/427 and MT6737 SoCs. Talking about the G5, the device is the all-rounder in this list, offering a decent balance between specs and affordability. Of course, if you want one of the best budget phones available today, opt for the G5 Plus.

With so many devices on the horizon, the only question that remains is if Motorola can continue to roll out regular updates to its ever-growing portfolio. Fast updates and an unencumbered user interface were two of the biggest selling points of Motorola phones following its re-entry into the smartphone segment, but with nine phones set to debut in 2017, its engineering resources will be stretched thin.

Senate alters sanctions to allow use of Russian rocket engines

Don’t look now, but American spaceflight just dodged a bullet. Senators have passed an amendment to an Iran-Russia sanctions bill that, if gone unchecked, would have barred both NASA and private outfits from using Russian rocket engines. The original measure was supposed to prevent purchases from organizations that work with Russian defense and intelligence, but it would have effectively banned imports of the common RD-180 engine (found in ULA’s Atlas 5) and RD-181 (used in Orbital ATK’s Antares).

The amended bill still has to go through the House, but it’s likely to pass when both the amendment and the sanctions themselves received strong bipartisan support (the amendment passed 94 to 6, while the bill cleared the Senate 98 to 2).

While it seems likely that the Senate was going to catch the mistake, it’s safe to say that the consequences of missing it would have been… severe. Numerous upcoming civil and commercial missions are dependent on rockets powered by Russian motors, and the bill would have forced them to delay or even scrap those missions. That’s not very reassuring if you’re a space station crew member waiting for resupplies. The US may be trying to reduce its dependence on Russian space technology by developing more engines of its own, but it can’t cut ties that quickly.

Source: Space.com

‘Killer Instinct’ will be available through Steam

Ever since the revived Killer Instinct launched in 2013, you’ve had to download it through one of Microsoft’s online shops, whether it’s on your Xbox One or your Windows 10 PC. However, you won’t have to go that route in the next few months. Iron Galaxy has confirmed that KI will be available through Steam sometime later in 2017. More details are forthcoming, so it’s not clear if there will be anything new or any incentives for existing owners to make the leap. The very fact that it’s happening at all is important, though, and it hints at an emerging trend.

Just as with Quantum Break (which arrived on Steam in September), KI was supposed to be a tentpole release for the Windows Store — a marquee game that persuades you to stick around and see what other titles are available. While it certainly got enough attention to warrant three seasons’ worth of content, it’s not clear that it reached its sales potential by launching on a store that (let’s be honest) many gamers don’t use.

Iron Galaxy hasn’t officially explained the jump to Steam (we’ve asked if it can comment), but it wouldn’t be surprising if the studio is belatedly acknowledging a market reality by going where the players are. You’re unlikely to see in-house Microsoft games on Valve’s storefront any time soon, but we wouldn’t be shocked if third-parties more frequently release their Windows Store-only games through other portals going forward.

That’s right, KI is coming to Steam later this year! Thanks to @CEOJebailey for helping us break the news. More details to follow.

— Killer Instinct (@KillerInstinct) June 17, 2017

Via: Polygon

Source: Killer Instinct (Twitter)

Pimp your iPhone 7 with an Apple logo that lights up like a MacBook’s

Note: This process will void the warranty on your iPhone, and compromise its water resistance.

We’ve all grown accustomed to the Apple logo on our MacBooks illuminating, but wouldn’t it be nice if our iPhones were capable of the same function? Well, fortunately, there’s now a way to light up the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone 7.

First, you’ll need to purchase the light kit for your exact iPhone model. Once this arrives, use the pentalobe screwdriver to remove the two screws on either side of the charging port, which is located on the bottom of your iPhone.

Next, attach the included suction cup to the bottom of your iPhone’s display. Now, wedge the flat metal pry tool between the screen and your iPhone’s housing. Once you’ve wedged enough space between the two surfaces, switch to the plastic pry tool to minimize the risk of scratching the housing. Work this around the left side of the device (the right side of the iPhone is where the screen is connected). Once you’ve worked the flat tool around your entire device, you should be able to flip open the iPhone like a book.

Next, use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the metal plate over the portion of the phone where the battery is connected and disconnect the battery using the plastic pry tool — or even your fingernail. Once that’s up, remove the taptic engine under the battery toward the bottom of the phone to give yourself some room to work.

Carefully pull up the black adhesive tabs at the bottom of the battery.  You can grab these with with your index finger and thumb. Pull each one slowly, downward toward the bottom of the phone until each one is removed. If these strips break, it becomes very difficult to remove the battery, so tread lightly and patiently. Once these glue strips are removed, it should be easy to lift the battery.

Once you’ve removed the battery, you’ll need to pry off the Apple logo that is currently housed under the battery. The easiest way to do this is to take a flathead screwdriver and scratch along the edge of the logo until you can wedge the screwdriver underneath and pry it upward. Once done, place the light kit logo inside. You can use a piece of electrical tape to hold it in place, if need be.

Your phone will not need to be on for the logo to begin to light up.

Next, place the LED over the new logo and make sure the LED connector can reach where the battery connects and set it in place. Put the battery on top of it, and lay the battery connector over the LED connector and snap it in place. You can then put the metal plate back over the connector and screw it down.

Replace the taptic engine and, at this point, the logo should illuminate. Your phone will not need to be on for the logo to begin to light up. Next, close your phone by laying the screen down and working it back inside the housing. As you do, slowly work your way around the edge. Afterward, apply the pentalobe screws at the bottom of the phone to finish the job.

David Cogen, a regular contributor here at Digital Trends, runs TheUnlockr.com, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him over at Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.

Elon Musk says Los Angeles is open to using his traffic tunnels

Elon Musk might just have the first customer for his traffic-skipping tunnels. The tech entrepreneur says he’s having “promising conversations” with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti about using The Boring Company’s technology as part of a larger underground network that would shuttle cars, bikes and people. It’s not clear exactly how well the talks are going, but Garcetti is clearly open to the idea — he even name dropped Musk’s effort during an ABC interview.

As Musk observes, though, the technology is the easy part… it’s the legal clearance that’s hard. The Boring Company will need extensive permits if it’s going to create a whole grid of high-speed tunnel transports underneath LA, and it’ll be no mean feat to convince officials that such an ambitious project should go ahead. Still, this is a start. And when LA is both highly dependent on cars and infamous for its traffic, the city might be receptive to some audacious ideas.

Promising conversations with @MayorOfLA regarding tunnel network that would carry cars, bikes & pedestrians. Permits harder than technology. https://t.co/0dxrXBOOWy

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 18, 2017

There could be an #express train @unionstationla to @flyLAXairport–Here’s @MayorOfLA @ericgarcetti on #Newsmakers. #WATCH 11AM Sun @ABC7 pic.twitter.com/zJAFTge2VO

— Adrienne Alpert (@abc7adrienne) June 17, 2017

Source: Elon Musk (Twitter), Adrienne Alpert (Twitter)

All the weird things you missed at E3

E3 2017 will go down in history as the first year the show was open to the public, which means the crushing crowds filling the Los Angeles Convention Center were even more extreme. The rest of the show, however, was just as amped up — eSports tournaments took over downtown, Mario and the Rabbids formed a strange yet intriguing relationship, Bethesda held a carnival and band geeks commiserated with sports bros. Get a first-hand look at all of the madness in the carefully curated, painstakingly compiled “Weirdness of E3 2017” gallery below.

Next year’s E3 is scheduled for June 12th – 14th, and it’s set to be just as busy as 2017. Attendance for the show’s first public year was up by 18,100 people over last year, growing from 50,300 attendees to 68,400. Needless to say, we’ll be among them, bringing you the best that the show has to offer.

Mat Smith contributed to this report.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!