EU’s antitrust regulators expected to set a record fine for Google this week

European Union’s ruling may change the way Google displays its advertisements across the web.

Google has been in a long legal battle in the European Union over its Adsense for Search platform. The “statements of objections” were initially filed last year over Google’s practice of having an unfair advantage in the ad wars by preventing third-party websites and platforms from showing competitor’s ads. Now, the EU’s antitrust regulators are ready to settle on a penalty for the search company.

Bloomberg reports the fine for Google is expected to top a previous $1.2 billion record. Regulators are so eager to administer it that they’ve opted to “skirt the usual rules that see all of the EU’s 28 commissioners discuss controversial decisions at a weekly meeting, usually on a Wednesday.”

From the article:

The EU accelerated action on a decision in recent days. Officials who’d previously targeted a July date had brought that forward to this week, one person said. Multiple Google representatives still hadn’t been told of the EU’s timetable as of early Monday. While the EU isn’t required to inform companies, it often does so as a courtesy.

The rapid pace comes after a lengthy seven-year probe fueled by complaints from small shopping websites as well as bigger names, including News Corp., Axel Springer SE and Microsoft Corp. European politicians have called on the EU to sanction Google or even break it up while U.S. critics claim regulators are targeting successful American firms.

This decision is potentially the most significant antitrust enforcement ruling in almost two decades — since the U.S. Justice Department went after Microsoft. The case could also affect how Google displays its products in search results. For its part, Google told Bloomberg that it was “continuing to engage constructively with the European Commission and believes ‘strongly that our innovations in online shopping have been good for shoppers, retailers and competition.’”

Overall, this particular case seems to be more about changing Google’s advertising practices across the web. Will it be successful? Only if the EU issues a binding order requiring Google to change its practices.

Already missing Silicon Valley? Then you’ll want to download this app

Find out if what you’re eating is a hot dog — or not.

HBO’s famed show about the Silicon Valley has officially aired its last episode for the season, but don’t fret! There’s an app available to help tide you over until the next season.

That’s right, Jian-Yang’s venerable Not Hotdog app is in the Google Play Store. It’s ridiculous, and it doesn’t do much save for identifying if whether or not what you have in your midst is a hot dog.

I don’t currently have any hot dogs or hot dog-shaped meats of any sort in the refrigerator, so there was no way for me to test the actual efficacy of this particular app. However, it did successfully identify that my salad was not a hot dog. And it was then that I realized genuine sorrow, as it hung over me like the thick smoke emanating from Erlich Bachman’s combusted palapa. For you see, you don’t make friends with salad.

Perhaps the best part of the app is the comments and reviews that accompany it. For instance, I’m extremely curious about whether the one person who voted with one star was aware that this was a gag. Anyway, the app is only a mere 15MB on Android, and it’s available for your iPhone-using pals, too.

Pocket-lint UK deals of the day: SNES Mini for £79.99

Welcome to Pocket-lint deals of the day were we scour the internet to find you the very best deals that are available in the UK today.

We will be regularly updating this page, so bookmark it and check back regularly to make sure you don’t miss out on some of the best tech deals online.

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Tech and Gadgets

• NeeGo Raspberry Pi 3 Kit – reduced from £100 on Amazon today to £36.99.
• Oral-B Smart Series 4000 Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush – £39.99 on Amazon.
• Pebble 14 mm Time Round Smartwatch – Silver/Red – £59.98 on Amazon.
• Logitech MX Anywhere 2 Mouse is reduced on Amazon today from £69.99 to £36.99. 
• Lenovo 65CDGAC1UK ThinkVision X24 OLED FHD Monitor has been reduced from £179.99 to £119.99 on Amazon.
• HP Pavilion x360 15-bk150sa 15.6-inch 2 in 1 – Silver laptop is £499.00, saving you £150 off on Currys.
• Microsoft Universal Foldable Bluetooth Keyboard is £32.99 today reduced from £99.99 on Amazon.

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Games

• Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition – £79.99 on GAME.
• Xbox Live 3 Month Gold Membership and Rocket League for free – £14.99 on Amazon.
• Sony PlayStation VR – £317.99 on Amazon.
• Mortal Kombat XL (PS4) – £12.49 on Base.
• Dead by Daylight (PS4) – £19.99 on Amazon.
• Yakuza Kiwami Steel Book Edition (PS4) – £23.85 on Base.
• 8BITDO NES30 Pro Wireless Bluetooth Controller Dual Classic Joystick YIKESHU For Android Gamepad – £28.45 on Amazon.
• Rime (PS4 & Xbox) – £17.49 on Argos.
• Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PlayStation Vita) – £7.49 on Base.
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Day One Edition (Xbox One) – £8.64 on Amazon.
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands Inc The Peruvia PS4 – £26.86 on ShopTo.net.
• Prey (PS4) – £22.85 on Base.

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Audiovisual

• HISENSE H49M3000 49″ Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV – £369.00 on Currys.
• LG 43UH603V 43 inch Ultra HD 4K Smart TV – £379.00 on Amazon.
• Philips 55PUS6401 55 Inch SMART 4K – £499.00 on Amazon.
• Hisense 55M7000 4K TV – £599.00 on John Lewis.

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Phones

• Google Pixel 32GB Black with 5GB data – £25.00 upfront cost £27.99 per month £696.76 total cost over 2 years at Mobiles
• Diamond X 4G Andorid 6.0 – £75.68 on Amazon.
• Apple iPhone 7 256GB in red – £779.00 on John Lewis.
• Bush Spira D3 – £99.95 on Argos.

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Entertainment

• Heroes complete box set in Blu-ray is £17.99 using code BINGE10 on Zavvi.
• John Wick 2 – £19.99 on Zavvi.
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu Ray – £15.00 on Amazon.

How to get iOS 11 right now and get it working on your iPhone and iPad

Apple has made the public beta of iOS 11 available to download now.

The next major software update for iPhone and iPad will officially release alongside new iPhones, which could for the first time see three models, this autumn. If you’d like to try a version that’s currently in the final stages of development, Apple just opened the iOS 11 public beta program, so you can download and run a major pre-release version of iOS 11 before a formal release.

In traditional Apple style, the Cupertino tech giant said iOS 11 is the biggest update yet to iOS, as it sports a number of new features designed to further enhance your iPhone, including changes to Siri, Control Center, Music, and much more. You can read about the 11 biggest features coming to iOS 11 here. Like all other software updates from Apple, iOS 11 will be free to download and use.

If you care about getting iOS 11 up and running on your phone now, Pocket-lint has detailed everything you need to know below.

• Apple iOS 11: 11 new features coming to your iPhone and iPad
• These are the best iOS 11 features Apple didn’t announce
• Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus: What’s the story so far?

Apple

How can you get iOS 11 public beta?

With the public beta program, you can download and install iOS 11 to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. It doesn’t require a developers account or involve the hassle of registering your device’s UDID.

And it’s completely free.

Visit the Apple Beta Program website and click the sign up button.
Sign in with your Apple ID login credentials.
From there, read and accept Apple’s agreement.
In the past, you’d also be taken to Apple’s Guide for Public Betas website, where you’d click the “Enroll Your Devices” link. You’d then be warned to backup your device (see this Apple support page).
From your iOS device, visit beta.apple.com/profile.
Download the iOS Beta Configuration Profile (follow the on-screen steps: tap the iOS tab, then tap Download Profile, and tap Install). You may need to enter your passcode and tap Restart to reboot your device.
Once downloaded, go to General > Software Update in the Settings app on your device and wait for the iOS 11 public beta prompt to appear. Tap it to download and install the beta.
You’ll also get an email inviting you to download the iOS 11 public beta.

Apple’s iOS public betas, as well as subsequent updates, are automatically pushed to devices over the air.

Which devices support iOS 11?

As with most Apple updates, some older devices unfortunately get left behind, and not all will be able to support the new software. Here’s a list of all the iOS devices that will be capable of running iOS 11:

• iPhone 5s
• iPhone SE
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 7

• iPad Pro 12.9 (1st and 2nd generation)
• iPad Pro 10.5
• iPad Pro 9.7
• iPad Air 2
• iPad Air
• iPad 5th generation
• iPad Mini 4
• iPad Mini 3
• iPad Mini 2

• iPod Touch 6th generation

Should you test the iOS 11 public beta?

It’s entirely up to you whether you decide to install the beta software to your device to start using all the new features early. However, some may want to wait until the final version is released, just in case there are any problems. We’d always recommend downloading the software onto a secondary iOS device if you have one, as you wouldn’t want your main iPhone or iPad to get any bugs.

Whichever device you decide to install the iOS 11 public beta onto, make sure you carry out a full backup first.

Can I revert back to iOS 10?

Yes, you can. If you run into any problems with the iOS 11 public beta, or just want to revert back to iOS 10, Apple has made it possible to do so. Simply go into the Settings menu, tap General and then tap Profile. Select the iOS 11 Beta Software Profile, tap Delete and confirm you want to remove the public beta.

How do you provide feedback to Apple?

The OS X and iOS public betas come with a Feedback Assistant app, which can be opened from the second page of the Home screen on your iOS device or from the Dock on your Mac. You can learn more about the app here. The app is also available from the Help menu of any app.

Want to know more?

Apple also has a guide and instructions on how to get the iOS beta installed on your device.

• Apple Pay Cash in iOS 11: What is it and how does it work?

Anyone can now try Uptime, the new YouTube party app from Google

You no longer need an invite to try Google’s YouTube parties app.

Gogole’s startup incubator, Area 120, allows employees to work on approved projects during their “20 per cent time”. The latest project from that incubator is Uptime, a mobile app that lets you meet up with people, share YouTube videos with them, engage using stickers, and more. It is described as a “place to share and watch videos together with friends… watch, chat, and have fun”.

Google first made the app accessible to select people in the US with an iOS device (there’s still no Android version). The app has been updated a few times since then to include a new home screen that helps you discover videos, music video support, and a way to find friends through Facebook. But you still needed an invitation to try the service. Now, however, Google is giving a formal launch.

Now anyone can search for videos using the app. It’ll let you find friends with common connections. You can also engage with friends while watching videos through comments, stickers, “sparkles”, hearts – and all your activity is accessible from the profile page. Uptime basically makes the experience of watching YouTube a more group-centric thing, even for people not in the same room. 

• What is YouTube TV, which channels does it offer, and how does it work?

It is still only available on iOS, and not Android, at least at launch. Also, Uptime does not allow you to watch and share paid and premium content, such as movies and YouTube Red. You can learn more about how the app works from its FAQ page.

We could see Google testing the waters with this app before integrating the core features into the actual YouTube experience. Otherwise, we’d personally think it would be cool if the app considered adding the ability to record or stream your own videos.

Vimeo axes plans for its Netflix-esque subscription service

Last November, online streaming site Vimeo revealed that it was building a YouTube Red-like video subscription service to compete with Netflix and Hulu. On Monday however, The Hollywood Reporter learned that the company has effectively killed the plan and is already in the process of liquidating the development team.

“Vimeo has confirmed that it has decided not to proceed in offering a subscription based original program service scheduled to begin in ’18,” a Vimeo spokesperson told THR. In November, the company asserted that it would spend “tens of millions” to acquire and develop original content for this subscription package.

“Vimeo has the once-in-a-generation opportunity to, following in Netflix’s footsteps, deliver compelling subscription viewing experiences for consumers in the market for pay TV,” CEO Joey Levin said in a shareholder letter late last year, noting that the site boasted 240 million monthly viewers. “If we can convert just a small portion of our audience, we have a very large business.”

In the end however, this strategy didn’t pan out. Vimeo’s long positioned itself as a fancy YouTube — a “a one-stop shop for creators to bypass the entire existing media infrastructure,” according to Levin. And while the company has produced some original content of note (specifically High Maintenance which eventually got picked up by HBO) making the jump to licensed content streaming simply didn’t make sense. Instead, Vimeo is reportedly refocusing on its creator community.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Facebook, Twitter and others band together to fight online extremism

France and the UK aren’t the only ones fighting internet hate speech. Four titans of technology: Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube, announced Monday that they are teaming up to fight extremism online and have created the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) to do so.

“We believe that by working together, sharing the best technological and operational elements of our individual efforts,” Twitter’s Policy team wrote. “We can have a greater impact on the threat of terrorist content online.” In fact, the GIFCT’s goals are similar in scope to what Facebook discussed in the first installment of its Hard Questions series: “How We Counter Terrorism”.

Specifically, the GIFCT aims to leverage technological solutions, such as the Shared Industry Hash Database and machine vision-based detection systems, with people-based knowledge-sharing schemes as part of a joint partnership with the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (UN CTED) and the ICT4Peace Initiative. This includes developing best practice methods in how to deal with extremist content online and then sharing it with the rest of the industry, especially smaller businesses that otherwise don’t have the resources to address this issue.

The group will also work to facilitate industry-wide cooperation for counterspeach efforts. To that end, it will be hosting a series of workshops on these subjects in the coming weeks and months, though no set dates have been announced yet.

Source: Twitter

Russia threatens to ban Telegram if it doesn’t hand over data

Russia’s communications regulator has demanded Telegram turn over information about the messaging app and the company behind it or risk being blocked. Founder Pavel Durov said that Telegram had also been asked to give the Russian government access to decrypt user messages, all in the name of catching terrorists.

The Russian security service claimed that the app had been used by terrorists to plan attacks, citing a suicide bombing that occurred in April as an example. Telegram, a favorite of the Vatican, has also been used by ISIS to spread a kid-centric learning app. And though Telegram has made an effort to block ISIS channels, new ones are created frequently.

Russia isn’t the only country trying to get its hands on some of Telegram’s controls either. According to Durov, US agencies tried to bribe the app’s team last year and gain some influence with the creator. And Iran recently demanded that messaging apps like Telegram stop storing Iranian users’ data outside of the country.

Durov is resisting Russia’s demands, saying they are constitutional violations. And he notes that even if Telegram is banned, Russian citizens will just use any of the other available messaging encryption apps. Responding on social media, Durov said, “If you want to defeat terrorism by blocking stuff, you’ll have to block the Internet.”

Source: Reuters

Sony crowdsources ideas for its next PlayStation TV series

Living in television’s golden age means that every company wants to film their own hour-long prestige drama for us all to obsess over. Sony is no different, although attempts to turn PlayStation into a Netflix-esque platform fizzled after Powers was axed. That’s why the company is now launching the Emerging Filmmakers Program, which is asking members of the public to submit ideas for the next great TV series.

Long story short, it’s an open pitching competition whereby you offer up an idea for the next Breaking Bad to Sony. You have between now and August 1st to submit your story, with the top 10 concepts going on to be pitched by you to a panel of PlayStation judges. From there, five of the ideas will be turned into pilot episodes that, much like Amazon’s pilot program, will be voted on by the PlayStation community.

Reading in to the small print, it’s hard to tell if this is a genuine attempt at empowering new minds, or a cynical ideas-grab. Those wishing to take part are prohibited from being members of an established screenwriters union, and the judging process is deliberately opaque. It looks as if your ideas will also be owned by Sony, which will pay $250 to each of the “top 50” submissions. Although the 10 finalists will get $1,000, while those that are taken to pilot receive $5,000.

It’s hard not to point out, too, that while Sony is a corporate behemoth with divisions that may not speak to one another, Sony already has a TV unit. In fact, Sony Pictures Television is the home of Breaking Bad, The Blacklist, Preacher, Kevin Can Wait, The Tick and fifty other brand-name shows you could mention. Perhaps Powers, which was a Sony production, caused the two divisions to never work together ever again.

Source: PlayStation Filmmakers

Samsung Pay finally works with your Discover card

Samsung Pay was supposed to work with Discover cards in 2016 (it was announced in 2015), but the year came and went without support. And that’s no small problem if you like tap-to-pay purchases. While Discover isn’t the biggest name in the credit business, it has over 51 million card holders. Thankfully, that conspicuous gap appears to have closed: Samsung phone owners have noticed that Discover support quietly went live in recent days. We’ve asked both Samsung and Discover for comment, but Samsung hasn’t updated its compatibility list as of this writing. Don’t be surprised if the two are waiting before making the news official.

It’s good news if you’re a Discover card owner, as you won’t have to be picky about your choice of phone if you want to leave the old-school plastic at home. However, it’s also big for Samsung. Both Android Pay and Apple Pay have recognized Discover for a while — Samsung may not have been in dire straits without those credit cards, but it certainly wasn’t helping its chances. Now, it’s a relatively level playing field.

Via: Android Headlines

Source: Android Police