AMD’s latest driver for Radeon graphics cards fixes ‘Dirt 4’ performance issue

Why it matters to you

If you’re having troubles running Dirt 4 optimally on your Radeon-based desktop or laptop, AMD’s latest driver suite should be installed to fix possible Radeon-related performance issues.

During E3 2017, AMD released a new driver suite for its Radeon-branded graphics cards and discrete chips: Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.6.2. The only highlight AMD lists with this release is a fix for Dirt4, which saw a lower-than-expected performance with the latest game build running on Radeon hardware. Outside of that, the 17.6.2 driver notes only list the current known general and Radeon ReLive-based issues.

On the gaming front, here are the outstanding issues regarding specific games:

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege:
With MSAA enabled, players may see graphical corruption.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive &World of Warcraft:
If the PC boots with FreeSync enabled, these games may have performance issues when launched for the first time.

For the Counter-Strike and World of Warcraft problem, AMD suggests that gamers exit the game and then re-launch it, or task switch (ALT + TAB) in and out until AMD resolves the nagging problem. Other issues include Adobe Lightroom crashing on Windows 7 PCs with the Radeon RX 390 Series GPUs, and problems with Borderless Fullscreen mode combined with FreeSync when apps and game launchers are lurking in the background.

On the known Radeon ReLive front, AMD still has five issues to stomp out. For the uninitiated, this is AMD’s built-in solution for capturing and streaming gameplay that is supposedly lightweight so there’s “minimal” impact on gaming performance. The feature made its debut in the first Crimson ReLive-branded driver suite and provides several different overlays along with means for customizing overlay images.

That said, ReLive had a number of issues from the start, but AMD is slowly knocking them out. One persistent issue is a conflict with the Xbox DVR application, which users are suggested to disable if the conflict between the two game-sharing services cause trouble. ReLive is still having troubles with AMD’s APU family of all-in-one processors too: Either the software will not install at all, it causes a system hang, or it fails to record.

Here are the remaining ReLive issues:

• Recording or streaming issues may be experienced when task switching using ALT+TAB
• Recordings may exhibit corruption when capturing Microsoft Office apps
• Performing task switches may cause ReLive to intermittently fail to work. A workaround is to disable and then enable ReLive in the Radeon software control panel.

To grab the latest Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition driver suite, pick your poison below:

Windows 10:
64-bit
32-bit
Windows 8.1:
64-bit
N/A
Windows 7:
64-bit
32-bit

Google wants to solve the Silicon Valley housing crisis with quick-fix apartments

Why it matters to you

The easier it is for tech companies to get more talent in, the more they can focus on making cool stuff.

Finding an apartment in California’s Silicon Valley can be a real pain — and it is affecting Google employees. So much so, that Google is working toward building a solution, at least for the short-term. That solution? Stackable apartments.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Google ordered 300 modular units from a company called Factory OS, which develops modular homes. The deal between the two companies is reportedly worth between $25 and $30 million.

Modular homes are exactly what they sound like — homes that are built inside of a factory, then assembled where they will eventually stay. According to reports, this method of building a home can reduce construction costs by 20 to 50 percent. Those savings eventually rolls over to the people who live in the home and tenants could save as much as $700 per month on rent.

There are other advantages apart from cost. Because the houses do not need to be built from the ground up, they can be constructed more quickly — which makes them perfect for addressing emergency housing.

Google and other tech companies are increasingly trying to solve housing issues in the Silicon Valley. Not only is there a shortage of housing, but that shortage is only going to get worse — Apple is currently moving into its shiny new headquarters, while Google has plans of its own for new offices — although those plans may have been temporarily stalled.

Still, the tech companies that are the root cause of this issue are investing in trying to fix it. Facebook announced it would be spending $20 million in Palo Alto and Menlo Park last year in an attempt to fund new housing. It will be interesting to see if Google’s new project has any real effect and what the modular housing structure ultimately ends up looking like.

Riva’s launch event for 56-foot Rivale is the party you’re sorry you missed

Why it matters to you

If you don’t want the yacht, at least you’ll wish you had been at the party.

European yacht builders apparently don’t see any reason to skimp on the celebration of a new yacht. Ferretti Group’s Riva Yacht’s 56-foot Rivale launch party on Lake Iseo in Italy, to use a totally non-Italian expression was, “off the hook.” According to Boat International, the event’s full-out features included a three-star Michelin chef, a 16-piece band, and a top DJ for the after-hours crowd. The event was also the occasion for the reveal of a limited edition Abarth Fiat 500 695 Rivale named for the new yacht.

But the focus of the night wasn’t the car, the food, or the music and dancing. The night belonged to the new yacht. Riva’s new 56-foot Rivale is what’s described as an “open motor yacht.” At 56 feet, 7 inches long, the Rivale isn’t a superyacht, because it misses the agreed-upon demarcation by about 23 feet. But as you can see in the video just above when the sleek Rivale emerged from behind gigantic mirror-glassed boxes that had dancers both on top and at water level, it looked magnificent.

The 56-foot Rivale was designed and created by a team that included Officina Italiana Design along with the Ferretti Group’s Product Strategy Committee and Engineering Department. According to a Riva statement, “The goal was a boat with a unique style, excellent performance at sea, and cutting-edge technological solutions.” Riva aimed high and didn’t miss.

The GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) fast-displacement-hull yacht has a MAN V8-1000 turbo-diesel engine. With single-stage exhaust turbocharging this motor is projected to power the Rivale to a maximum speed of 35 knots and a cruising speed of 31 knots. That speed is moving right along, but if you want more a MAN V8-1200 can be substituted with dual-stage turbocharging, which raises the top speed to 38.

The Rivale’s range is estimated at 260 nautical miles with the V8-1000 engine and 240 nm with the V8-1200. The larger motor goes faster but uses more fuel from the 713-gallon tank. The numbers translate to just under 3 nautical miles per gallon with either engine

There are two luxury staterooms, each with an en-suite. There’s also a bathroom near the crew quarters — the standard configuration will accommodate one crew member.

According to Boat International, the Ferretti Group expects to build and deliver 8 to 10 56-foot Rivales a year. The starting cost is just over $2 million.

Canada bans locked phones as it looks to make switching carriers easier

The Wireless Code of Conduct has received an update to address some of its widely-held complaints. But it doesn’t fix everything.

In a review of Canada’s Wireless Code of Conduct, which debuted in June 2013, the country’s telecom regulator has made two important changes that will potentially lower the cost of ownership and make it easier for consumers to switch providers.

In a statement, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced, as of December 1, 2017, the end of unlocking fees for Canadians with existing devices and, perhaps more significantly, a mandate that all new devices as of that day will need to be sold unlocked, even if purchased from a carrier on contract.

As of December 1, all Canadians will be able to request an unlock code for a locked phone from their carrier at no charge — currently, the Big Three providers charge between $35 and $50 for the service — which will allow it to be used on any competing network, domestically or while traveling abroad. It will also easily allow customers to switch carriers and bring their compatible phone over to a new one should they desire. What isn’t being said, though, is that many phones being sold at the carrier level today, including the Google Pixel and upcoming Essential Phone, are unlocked out of the box from the manufacturer. Other devices, like the Galaxy S8, are sold unlocked and become locked to the first SIM card inserted in the phone.

Switching to a different network will also be simpler under the new rules because customers will be able to cancel service contracts within 15 days while paying no penalties for phone restocking, something that the first draft of the Wireless Code tried to address but, according to consumer advocacy groups, didn’t go far enough.

Unlocked phones may be going away, but carriers will still pursue phone exclusives to differentiate themselves.

Given that the vast majority of Canadians pay one of three companies for mobile service, all of whom share a number of similarities in network speed, coverage, device availability and plan costs, this is more a convenience than anything else, but current return policies limit handset returns to 30 minutes of talk time and 50MB of data use, an absurdly rapacious set of numbers.

One of the most important changes to the Wireless Code is also going to be the least talked-about: secondary line users will no longer be able to consent to overage charges without the permission of the primary account holder. This means that parents will be able to supervise and approve roaming or data overage charges on a per-line basis, fixing an oversight in the first Wireless Code draft that caused millions of dollars in unnecessary fees. Primary account holders will still be able to let secondary lines approve overages, but it will be an opt-in process.

The existing overages of $50 for domestic and $100 international roaming are still in place, but the CRTC has explicitly stated that they apply to one’s entire account, not an individual line holder. For big families that share data plans, this may lead to limits being hit, and overages needing to be approved, far earlier in the billing cycle.

This will make it easier for Canadians to leave the carriers they love to hate.

Since its inception in 2013, and its strict enforcement in 2015, the Wireless Code has been criticized for allowing wireless carriers to continue raising the cost of service within the existing rules. Advocacy groups believe that without a robust MVNO market, where carriers sell wholesale access to their networks to smaller companies in a model popularized by broadband internet, Canadians will be forced to continue paying a high price for their monthly service. Carriers justify the prices by saying that, Canada being a huge country, network upgrades and maintenance are more expensive than anywhere else in the world, but critics point to a lack of competition keeping prices high.

The Wireless Code doesn’t mandate pricing, and these new changes, while admirable, don’t address the core issues of competition within the Canadian wireless market. Still, being able to move devices more freely, and having penalty-free service trials, will make it easier for Canadians to shop around, which may have the effect of lowering complaints against the companies Canadians love to hate.

How to add new smart home hardware to Alexa Groups

Adding your new smart home hardware to an Alexa group should only take a moment or two.

Alexa works hard to make itself a hub for all of your questions and technology. This of course includes Smart Home hardware, like Hue bulbs. Before you can go about making your house listen to your spoken commands though, you’ll need to add that new hardware to Alexa. Thankfully this is a very easy process, and shouldn’t take you more than five minutes.

Get organized with Groups!

When it comes to truly being a connected hub, Alexa does a great job. Between Groups letting you organize what room of the house you are talking to and its ability to automatically detect smart home hardware, Alexa does most of the heavy lifting for you. This of course means that once you’ve got that new hardware home and ready to roll, you can be connected in just a few moments, seriously cutting down on frustration.

Groups within Alexa are how you separate all of your devices, which is especially handy if you have hardware in different rooms of your home. This means you can have a group for the Bedroom, the Living Room, the Kitchen, and so on. Using groups makes talking to your Smart Home hardware, and from within groups you can easily add that hardware to the room it lives in.

How to add Smart Home hardware to an Alexa group

Open the Alexa app on your phone.
Tap the menu button in the upper left corner. It looks like three horizontal lines.

Tap Smart Home from the menu.

Tap Groups.
Tap the group you would like to add hardware to.

Tap the checkbox next to the Smart Home hardware you would like to add.

Have you added Smart Home hardware to your Alexa groups?

Alexa makes it easy to edit your groups and add new Smart Home hardware in just a few moments. Since Alexa will automatically detect devices that can be added to a group, all that you need to do is hit a checkbox to connect it. This also means it’s easy to disconnect if you decide to move things around in the house. Have you connected Smart Home hardware to your Alexa? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

Amazon Echo

• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

Amazon

Essential Accessories for Moto Z

What are the best accessories for the Moto Z?

The Moto Z is a great phone, but it’s even better with perfectly paired accessories. Here are the add-ons you need to know about.

• Moto Style Shells
• Tudia TPU Bumper Shock Absorption case
• NXET USB-C charge dock
• Cambond 6.6 foot USB-C cable
• TYLT Y-Charge
• Bose QuietComfort 35
• JBL SoundBoost Speaker
• Moto Insta-share Projector
• Incipio offGRID Power Pack
• Hasselblad True Zoom

Moto Style Shells

Moto Style Shells are the solution to when you want to change the look and feel of your Moto Z on the fly — they just snap on to the back of the phone and magnets hold them in place. You can quite literally have a day look and a night look for your phone if you feel like it.

As of this writing, the shells come in three textures — fabric, faux wood, and leather — with six varieties to choose from, including crimson ballistic fabric, washed oak, black leather, and more.

Just don’t rely on them to provide much protection, since they don’t cover the phone’s edges — they just cover the back. That being said, they do keep the phone’s back from heating up too much. You can grab one for about $15.

See at Amazon

Tudia TPU Bumper Shock Absorption case

The Tudia TPU Bumper Shock Absorption case is not going to give you much protection from drops, but its flexible TPU composition will give you something to hold on to, which is a good thing because the Moto Z is an exceptionally thin phone.

It comes in clear, as well as several other colors, so whether you just want some extra protection that you can wrap around one of the Moto Style Shells without covering it up, or you want a different look, you have options.

If you’re not looking for heavy-duty protection and/or you want a clear case that shows off your Style Shell, try the Tudia TPU Bumper Shock Absorption case, which starts at under $10.

See at Amazon

NXET USB-C Charge Dock

If you’re tired of having to fuss with USB cables everywhere, then the NXET USB-C Charge Dock is for you. It doesn’t take up much space on your desk, or wherever you typically charge your Moto Z, and since it’s USB-C, it will work right out of the box without the need for adapters.

While charging, your Moto Z will remain totally accessible, so you can swipe through your notifications, check the time, or play some tunes one-handed. It also lets you place your phone at three different angles, so you can always find the most comfortable view for you.

It is important to note that the NXET USB-C Charging Dock does not support fast charging, nor is it a wireless charger; however, it’s a great option if you have limited space. It also supports USB 2.0 transfer speeds when connected to your computer and it’ll run you about $20.

See at Amazon

Cambond 6.6 foot USB-C cable

Do you keep misplacing your charging cables? Grab an extra one for charging or data transfer. This one from Cambond is 6.6 feet long and braided, so not only is it helpful for the aforementioned, but it’s stylish, too. The cable’s covering will also help it withstand fraying a bit longer than your average cable.

These cables are available in gold, black, gray, and silver. You can choose between USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to Type A, and they range from $10-$12.

See at Amazon

TYLT Y-Charge

Find yourself often on the road accompanied by a dead smartphone? When your Moto Z and your extra Power Pack die, charge them both with the TYLT Y-Charge.

This car charger features two USB 2.0 ports and charges up to 4.2 Amps. You can charge other devices along with your Moto Z, too, and the Y design helps so that both you and your passenger won’t get your cords tied up. The TYLT Y-Charge also comes with one-year limited warranty and it’s available in four colors starting at $10.

See at Amazon

Bose QuietComfort 35

The Moto Z family does not have a headphone jack. While it does come with a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, having to lug around another cord that you can easily lose is less than ideal; a much better solution is to use Bluetooth headphones.

Featuring top-notch sound, an impressive battery life, best-in-class active noise cancellation, and extended listening comfort, you can’t do better than the Bose QuietComfort 35 for Bluetooth headphones.

The QC-35 can last up to 20 hours on a single charge, so you can keep listening all day without worrying about your headphones dying out on you. And what’s more, its Active EQ adjusts tone and balance automatically so that regardless of the volume, you’ll hear every sound with almost no distortion.

The headphones start in at $350 a pair.

See at Amazon

Moto Mods

Moto Mods are Moto Z add-ons that add to or enhance the functionality of the Moto Z phones. They are very easy to install and use: just snap them onto to the back of the Moto Z — that’s it. They’re held in place by magnets, so mounting and dismounting them is simply a matter of breaking the magnetic seal.

JBL SoundBoost Speaker

The JBL SoundBoost Speaker snaps onto the back of the phone and turns it into a miniature boombox. Yes, party like it’s 1989, but without the acid-washed jeans, big hair, and bulky stereo.

With its two speakers pumping out sound at 3W each, you’ll be bopping to the beat with no distortion, and with its built-in battery, you can enjoy your tunes for an extra 10 hours. The best thing? You don’t have to worry about pairing or setting these up: just snap the speaker mod into the back of your phone and listen.

Grab a JBL SoundBoost Speaker if you like to rock your tunes without headphones, or if you want to pump out the jams at home or anywhere. We won’t judge if you bring out your (or your parents’) old parachute pants or bangle bracelets.

The JBL SoundBoost starts at $100.

See at Amazon

Moto Insta-share Projector

When you want to share those photographs of your last vacation to Disney World or your expedition to Chichen Itza with your cousins, you can pop on the Moto Insta-Share Projector, another Moto Mod, and voilá! You have a 70-inch projector that transforms any flat surface into a gigantic screen.

It really is that simple to use: just snap it into place, aim it at an available wall, and you’ve got a huge screen on which to display photos or watch Netflix. The kickstand it comes with can adjust to any angle, so you can position the screen however you like. You’ll also love the additional hour of projection time you get before the Insta-Share Projector starts using your phone’s battery.

Whether you want to share pictures at a family get-together, or you want to watch the latest blockbuster on Netflix with friends, the Moto Insta-Share Projector is a must-have accessory for your Moto Z.

The Moto Insta-share Projector starts at $250.

See at Amazon

Incipio offGRID Power Pack

As our own Phil Nickinson said in our review of the Moto Z, the Incipio OffGRID Power Pack is the Moto Mod that he would buy right away. According to him, it’s well worth the money for that extra bit of juice.

The 2,220 mAh battery pack boosts the life of the phone by up to 22 hours and comes in designer options from Kate Spade New York and TUMI. I don’t think Phil gives a hoot about that, but you might care about that sort of thing. There is also one that will recharge wirelessly.

The Incipio offGRID Power Pack starts at $90.

See at Amazon

Hasselblad True Zoom

Wish you could see more gains in your smartphone lens, bro? The Hasselblad True Zoom is the latest Moto Mod and, like its name suggests, it offers true 10x optical zoom.

Once you snap it on, the Moto Z is transformed into a literal point and shoot. Use the shutter button to snap your photo and the zoom wheel to get close up on an object. The Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod also offers xenon flash so that you can shoot your pals even in the dead of night. When you’re not using the True Zoom, you can stow it away in the included carrying case.

The Hasselblad True Zoom starts at $250.

See at Amazon

Coming soon

More mods for the Moto Z family are coming your way later this summer! At present, we’re waiting for the release of the second-gen JBL SoundBoost 2; Moto TurboPower Pack, which adds an extra 3,490mAh battery; Moto Style Shell with both PMA and Qi wireless charging capabilities; and the Moto GamePad, which adds two analog stick and a set of buttons for playing games on your device.

Pre-order at Motorola

Updated June 2017: We’ve added a link to where you can pre-order the new Moto Mods coming this summer, as well as updated a few of the links in this article.

Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play

• Moto Z + Z Force review!
• Moto Z Play review
• The Hasselblad True Zoom is a Mod to remember
• Moto Z specs
• Moto Mods custom backs
• The latest Moto Z news
• Discuss in our Moto Z forums

Motorola
Verizon

Yahoo eSports shuttered after just a year

As of tomorrow, Yahoo eSports will be no more. The site, which covers professional competitive video gaming, is a casualty of the Yahoo merger with AOL.

The head of Yahoo eSports, Travis Gafford, said in a statement yesterday that Yahoo Sports would be focusing on aligning with the new company strategy. Gafford went on to thank those at Yahoo that supported eSports, his colleagues and members of the eSports community.

“Additionally, I want to thank the eSports community. As is often the case, there was a great deal of skepticism when a large company entered the eSports space. You challenged us to create authentic videos and articles from familiar faces and names,” Gafford said, “Your passion and support drove us.”

Yahoo eSports came to the scene in early 2016 as interest in eSports became hard to ignore. And it was a surprising move, coming just after Yahoo had shut down a large chunk of its digital magazines.

This is far from the only loss being felt. As Yahoo and AOL merge into the new company Oath, 2,100 people are expected to lose their jobs according to previous AOL CEO and incoming Oath CEO Tim Armstrong. Yahoo eSports will cease updating after Friday, June 16th.

Via: Gamasutra

Source: Yahoo Esports

‘Forza Motorsport 7’ has more than just 4K to offer Xbox racers

When Microsoft announced Forza Motorsport 7, it was easy to focus on its eye-popping 4K resolution while maintaining 60fps, but the most important question is always, “How does it drive?” After some time playing with a gamepad, I can report that the realistic driving model Turn 10 has refined throughout the series’ run is here and better than ever. Later, during a closed-door demonstration, I heard a bit about and saw some features that will be in the game when it ships this fall, like dynamic clouds that cast moving shadows on the track.

I tried out a demo showing off the new Porsche that was revealed on stage here earlier in the week. I also tried a big rig and even a race-specced Nissan GT-R. But this time, despite the 700 cars that will be in the game, the most important change wasn’t inside the vehicles — it’s what was going on outside, where new dynamic weather effects wreaked havoc on the track.

Driving the Porsche on a desert track, sand occasionally blew across the road, affecting grip and handling (and making me long for the seemingly inevitable snow tracks or expansions). While this series’ tick-tock cousin Forza Horizon has featured changing weather effects before, their inclusion in Forza Motorsport 7 brings it to the race track, where even a small difference in traction can send cars flying while drivers hunt for an extra tenth of a second in each corner.

Microsoft

Driving in the wet was even more impressive. As a field of 20+ GT race cars took on the Nurburgring F1 track, a rainstorm began and progressively increased throughout the laps. Puddles formed, lightning flashed and dealing with the weather made it impossible to anticipate what might be around the next bend. That’s going to help keep things fresh for players who have logged hundreds, if not thousands, of hours in various car sims, for whom even the selection of cars and tracks — the team says that, with over 30 environments, this is the largest track list in a Forza game ever — will wear off relatively quickly. If you’re wondering about the AI, it didn’t appear to be any different from previous games, although I was playing on low- to medium-difficulty levels.

The team also mentioned that the handling model has been improved, although I think experienced players will find it very familiar. With the emphasis on environment, even track temperatures can change during a race, which will affect the car’s handling and grip. I didn’t get a chance to try it out with a racing wheel, but naturally, FM7 supports that kind of setup as well — in fact, on PC, Turn 10 says it will support every fan-requested wheel, including PlayStation accessories.

For less-aspirational gamers, don’t worry, there are changes in store that won’t require a new TV. The damage modeling is also getting an update so that now your cars can have pieces become loose and rattle, based on the same physics engine that powers everything else. Higher-quality textures, shades and lighting mean the graphics should look better even if you don’t have a 4K TV to play it on.

All Forza players will be able to appreciate the revamped campaign system. I wasn’t able to test it out in the E3 demo, but Turn 10 Creative Director Bill Giese explained how Forza Motorsport 7 will introduce The Forza Driver’s Cup, with a “motorsport-inspired” points system that adds up your rewards after every race, allowing you to unlock cars or customizations for your driver avatar — of which there are tons, celebrating the fact that in this game, your driver is spending more time out of the car. There are now six major championships with their own varieties of cars and classes.

Each series allows you to rank up within it, doing all kinds of different races and avoiding the “start with a slow car” trend that usually plagues sim racers. Also, an important part of progressing (beyond just leveling up via XP you earn everywhere) is adding more cars to your collection, which will let you get more bonuses from each race, plus the showcase cars that can only be obtained in the campaign mode.

We haven’t heard much about the multiplayer, but in a blog post the team talked about “enhanced Leagues, Mixer integration, and enhanced spectating modes” with an eye towards boosting the series’ esports appeal. What they could tell us is that this time around, the lobby is moved to the pits — no, we didn’t see a pit crew — where players can take a Forzavista look at their high-res cars, change settings or take practice laps before the race starts. In the garage menu or on the track, virtual speakers will blast out tunes (possibly yours streaming from OneDrive or the game’s), that you’ll hear as you take laps. Finally, the “interactive loading” means you’ll be able to change settings while tracks and cars load before a race.

As usual, Forza Motorsport 7 is coming home this fall, with three variants available for preorder: the Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate editions, for $60, $80 or $100, respectively, with increasing bonuses as you go along. The game’s release date is October 3rd, but preordering the Ultimate edition will unlock early access starting September 29th.

Follow all the latest news from E3 2017 here!

Source: Forza Motorsport

This self-driving grocery store has no employees

The idea of a fully automated grocery store with no human employees might sound strange (or very appealing, depending on just how much you hate interacting with people), and now, Shanghai residents can visit one for themselves. The Swedish company Wheelys is testing a mobile grocery store with no staff — and it can drive itself.

In order to shop at Moby, you first have to download an app to your phone. That’s what gets you through the door, which is otherwise kept locked. You then walk through the store — which is very small, fitting a maximum of four people at once — and place your purchases into a smart basket. When you’re ready, you simply walk out the door. You’re automatically charged for the food you purchased. It’s a concept that Amazon has been working on, but Wheelys may beat the retail giant to market. What’s more, the solar-powered Moby is designed to restock itself automatically, driving to a warehouse, while another identical unit takes its place.

While Wheelys is testing its first Moby store in the bustling city of Shanghai, these autonomous, unmanned stores could also prove very useful in small, rural towns where grocery shops have closed, as well as urban food deserts. “I grew up in the countryside in Northern Sweden,” said Tomas Mazetti, one of Wheelys’ founders, to Fast Company. “The last store closed there in the 1980s sometime, and after that, everyone just commuted into the city, but that takes an hour. A little piece of the village died. Now, suddenly, in a place like that, the village can team up and buy one of these stores. If the village is really small, [the store] can move around to different villages.”

The company is hoping to make these mobile markets affordable for small groups of people. They estimate a community could purchase a Moby store for around $30,000, with an additional fee for logistical support. Eventually, the company wants to expand beyond groceries, as well as test the home delivery services.

Via: Popular Mechanics

Source: Fast Company

Telegram founder says US government tried to bribe developers

Dismissed as a WhatsApp clone when it launched in August 2013, Telegram has grown like a weed. The messaging service now counts more than 100 million monthly active users, who have flocked to the platform to play games, make video calls, interact with bots and, perhaps most importantly, benefit from its end-to-end encryption. Telegram’s size and its desire to keep private messages truly private (although that has been debated) likely made it the target of US government, which reportedly tried to bribe its developers and influence its founder Pavel Durov last year.

“During our team’s one-week visit to the US last year we had two attempts to bribe our devs by US agencies + pressure on me from the FBI,” Durov said in a tweet posted in reply to criticism of his app. In another, he said that developers would be “naive” to think that they could “run an independent/secure crypto app based in the US.”

Although Durov’s comments have not yet been verified, they highlight a trend where the US government has attempted to interfere with so-called encrypted services. Following the Paris terrorist attacks in November 2015, officials called for end-to-end encryption to be “backdoored” for surveillance access, which would have seen services like WhatsApp, Telegram and iMessage all made open to intelligence services.

Telegram messages aren’t encrypted by default, but the service allows “secret chats” which are protected. This apparently made it a valuable platform for pro-ISIS groups and resulted in the company blocking 78 ISIS-related channels in 12 languages shortly after the Paris attacks. Some groups went on to set up their own social networks to spread propaganda.

In defending his app, Durov has thrown shade at rival app Signal. Signal, which offers its own secure apps and also provides the encryption framework for services like WhatsApp and Google’s Allo, was named in an unverified tweet that mentioned the possibility of it being compromised.

“The encryption of Signal (=WhatsApp, FB) was funded by the US Government. I predict a backdoor will be found there within 5 years from now,” Durov claimed in yet another tweet. He’s so certain, he’s willing to lay down $1 million on it happening.

Via: Wired

Source: Pavel Durov (Twitter)