Virgin Mobile’s US stores get the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus a week late

Virgin Mobile’s US stores will get both the standard iPhone 8 and Plus models on September 29th. That’s a full week after every other major American carrier gets the device, which is rough for Virgin Mobile in particular since it now only offers iPhones.

The carrier gave no reason for the delay, which also affects preorders: Its customers can reserve an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus on September 22nd, when the other big American carriers start getting their shipped. It’s possible that Virgin Mobile got bumped lower in priority, as that delayed schedule is in line with Apple’s global shipments to Greece, Poland and Russia, Apple Insider observed.

Virgin Mobile’s website states that customers can reserve the iPhone X on October 27th, when everyone else can, but it’s not clear if that smartphone’s delivery will also be delayed.

Via: Apple Insider

Source: Business Wire

Now Essential’s Android phone will work on Verizon too

Despite being a retail exclusive at Sprint, the Essential PH-1 has arrived as an unlocked device. However, as mobile fans are unfortunately familiar with, certification with one particular network is always tricky. Tonight Essential announced that its flagship phone is compatible with the Verizon network, just a day after it went on sale in Sprint stores, so owners can drop a SIM in and go on all of the major US carriers. According to Andy Rubin, devices may need to reboot first, but that’s it.

We’re excited to share that Essential Phone is now compatible with the @Verizon network. #ThisisEssential

— Essential (@essential) September 16, 2017

Update: Verizon certification complete. Thanks for your patience. Might need to reboot your phone. Happy Friday!

— Andy Rubin (@Arubin) September 16, 2017

Source: Essential Products (Twitter)

T-Mobile confirms the new Apple Watch will get LTE speeds

The Apple Watch Series 3 comes with built-in LTE, but as MacRumors pointed out, T-Mobile’s add-on $10 wearable plan limits devices to 512kb/s connections. Tonight T-Mobile CEO John Legere announced its plan for the Watch will include unlimited 4G LTE, saying that “We always listen & act!” That should help keep things even among the US carriers for anyone picking up a new iPhone and/or wrist-worn accessory. Of course, according to a T-Mobile spokesperson, the most data-intensive app on the Watch is high quality Apple Music streaming, which tops out at about 256kbps.

Source: John Legere (Twitter)

Apple’s Craig Federighi: Uncertainty About Face ID Will ‘Melt Away’ Once People Get iPhone X

Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi today joined Daring Fireball’s John Gruber on an episode of The Talk Show, where he likened uncertainties over Face ID to the concerns that customers expressed when Touch ID first launched in 2013 in the iPhone 5s.

Honestly, we’re just all counting the days that customers can finally get their hands on these. Because I think just like with Touch ID, initially people thought oh, ‘Apple’s done something that’s totally not going to work and I’m not a believer and I’m not gonna use this feature.’

Now everyone’s worried because they can’t imagine life without Touch ID. We’re going to see exactly the same thing with Face ID.

In a discussion that revisited the on-stage gaffe that saw Face ID fail to authenticate his face during Tuesday’s event, Federighi said he was shocked when it happened because the feature normally “just works.” He went on to say he understands the uncertainty, but that it will “melt away” once people experience the product. “You don’t even think about it,” he said.

Federighi went on to say that as much as Apple loves Touch ID, Face ID is “that much better.” He confirmed that Apple believes Face ID is the future of biometric authentication, with the caveat that there are settings where different biometric techniques or combinations of biometrics could make sense.

Much of the rest of the discussion covered the same topics that were discussed in Federighi’s earlier interview with TechCrunch. Federighi reiterated that most sunglasses work with Face ID, aside from some that have coatings that block infrared. One way around that, he says, is to turn off the “attention aware” feature that requires eye contact for Face ID to unlock.

He also explained why users need to swipe to get past the lock screen of the iPhone X, rather than it opening directly with a facial scan – it’s so you can still glimpse at the time, check your notifications, or get to the flashlight without the iPhone opening up to the Home screen. The swipe and scan are simultaneous with no real waiting period or delay.

One last little tidbit — with the feature that allows you to disable Face ID temporarily by pressing the side button and the volume buttons, it also takes a screenshot because the gestures are the same. Apple’s looking into fixing that by deleting the screenshot when a press and hold gesture is detected.

Federighi’s full interview with John Gruber can be listened to on The Talk Show.

Related Roundup: iPhone X
Tag: Face ID
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5 iPhone X case deals to protect your tech and save you up to 61 percent

Apple has just unveiled its newest flagship devices, the iPhone 8 and the high-end iPhone X, and people are pretty excited. The iPhone X in particular is the company’s most advanced smartphone yet, with a CPU that’s faster than the MacBook Pro’s processor and puts current AMD and Qualcomm offerings to shame.

It goes without saying that many Apple heads around the world are pumped about the iPhone X, and while there’s no denying that it’s an expensive device, you can score a solid deal on one with Apple’s trade-in program. You can also save some cash with these iPhone X case deals: We’ve picked out five of the best ones currently available from Case-Mate and Amazon, with something for everybody, at discounts of up to 61 percent off.

Mood iPhone X case ($42.50)

Remember mood rings? Like those popular novelty items from the ’80s and ’90s, the Mood iPhone X case from Case-Mate features a striking temperature-activated surface that changes colors when you hold it. Admittedly, the colors may or may not actually reflect your current mood, but the case is nonetheless attractive and offers great protection for your iPhone with its dual-layer scratch- and impact-resistant design. Case-Mate is currently offering a 15 percent sitewide discount with free shipping, so you can score the Mood case for $42.50 and take $7.50 off. Just use offer code DIGITALTRENDS15OFF at checkout.

Case-Mate

Compact Mirror iPhone X case ($51)

The unique three-in-one design of the Compact Mirror iPhone X case does triple duty as a phone cover, compact mirror, and wallet. The leather outer shell features a folding flap that hides a small mirror, and the flap itself contains a handy pocket with enough space for a few credit cards and dollar bills. The Compact Mirror case is currently available in black and rose gold, and Case-Mate’s 15 percent sitewide discount brings it down to $51 for a savings of $9. Just use offer code DIGITALTRENDS15OFF at checkout.

Case-Mate

Wallet Folio iPhone X case ($51)

Case-Mate’s Wallet Folio iPhone X case is a more traditional folding cover that employs a two-part design: An interior shell keeps your phone secure while the surrounding shell, crafted from genuine leather, provides an extra layer of protection as well as slots for IDs, cards, and cash. Normally $60, the Wallet Folio, can be yours for $51 with free shipping from Case-Mate. If these iPhone X case deals didn’t tickle your fancy, however, then be sure to check out the complete Case-Mate lineup. Just use offer code DIGITALTRENDS15OFF at checkout.

Case-Mate

Youmaker Shockproof Kickstand iPhone X case ($18)

For the ultimate in drop protection, look no further than the Shockproof Kickstand iPhone X case from Youmaker. This sturdy cover boasts military-grade shock protection and features a convenient pop-out kickstand and includes a removable belt clip. Whether you’re an active person who takes your iPhone on all of your outdoor adventures, or you’re just a butterfingers who drops your stuff a lot, the Youmaker Shockproof Kickstand cover is easily the most durable of the iPhone X case deals on our roundup and can be yours from Amazon for just $18 after a 28 percent discount of $7.

Amazon

Tozo Ultra-Thin iPhone X case ($9)

Sometimes less is more. If all you want is a minimalist cover to keep your device free of everyday scuffs and scratches, then the Tozo Ultra-Thin iPhone X case is just the ticket. This protective case is just 0.35mm thick and is made from a semi-transparent polymer with a sleek matte smoked grey surface that wards off unsightly fingerprints. The Tozo Ultra-Thin skin also offers the biggest savings of these iPhone X case deals: A 61 percent discount means you can grab it for just $9 from Amazon and take $14 off of its list price.

Amazon

More deals

• 10 digital camera deals for everyone from adventurers to aspiring professionals
• 6 hot deals on smart home devices that automate, control, and protect your home
• 10 must-have portable tech gadgets you can score for cheap right now

Looking for more great deals on mobile gadgets and other electronics? Check out our deals page to score some extra savings on our favorite tech.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com. Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

This tiny chip will help doctors track smart pills through a patient’s body

Why it matters to you

Smart pills will revolutionize the way medicine is practiced. This chip will help doctors keep track of where they are at any given time.

“Smart pills” that are able to diagnose and treat diseases in a way that is unimaginable to us today are just around the corner. However, in order for them to be effective, they will need a way of relaying their location in the body to medical personnel. Because of the tiny microscale of such smart pills, that’s easier said than done — although researchers at the California Institute of Technology think they may well have cracked it.

What they developed is a unique creation called ATOMS, standing for Addressable Transmitters Operated as Magnetic Spins. ATOMS is a silicon chip that relies on the same principles as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine where in the body it is located at any given time.

“To solve the problem of localizing microscale devices in the body, we borrowed some principles from nuclear magnetic resonance and embodied them in a silicon integrated circuit,” Mikhail Shapiro, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Caltech, told Digital Trends. “Nuclear spins in atoms resonate at certain frequencies, which scale linearly with the strength of the magnetic field to which they are exposed. MRI is based on the idea of applying a magnetic field gradient, so that spins at two different locations resonate at two different frequencies. We can look at these frequencies and determine the locations of these spins, all at the same time. In our device, we have the same principle, but instead of a natural atom, we have a silicon chip that mimics its behavior by sensing the magnetic field and changing its resonance frequency. This allows us to figure out the chip’s location just by applying a magnetic field gradient and looking at the frequency that comes out.”

Shapiro and Emami Labs/Caltech

The research is still at a preliminary stage, but one day the hope is that the device could be deployed in settings like patients’ gastrointestinal tract, blood, or even their brain. Once there, it could measure for information such as pH levels, temperature, pressure, or sugar concentrations, and wirelessly transmit this data to doctors. At present, a final prototype chip — measuring just 1.4 square millimeters — has been demonstrated in mice.

“Ultimately, we envision a flotilla of tiny microchips circulating inside our bodies, taking measurements for diagnosis or releasing energy or drugs for therapy,” Shapiro continued. “The ATOMS technology will be integrated into these chips so we can see where they are and what they’re doing, and tell them what to do.”

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Biomedical Engineering.

X-Bows Mechanical Ergonomic Keyboard Prototype hands-on review

Research Center:
X-Bows Mechanical Ergonomic Keyboard

Anyone who spends their day typing away at their keyboard is aware of the stresses that can put on your wrists. While there are ergonomic designs that are built to ease that strain, they’re far from a popular choice, and the learning curve is often steep.

The X-Bows mechanical keyboard is designed to change that. It attempts to reinvent the modern keyboard, while still offering a set of ‘training wheel’ keys that help it feel familiar, and ease the transition.

That, at least, is the theory, and we kept it in mind as we used a prototype the developers sent one over on the eve of its Kickstarter campaign launch. Although it lacked the wrist rest and software support promised in the final version, it had all the re-angled keys, mechanical switches, and fancy backlighting of the finalized version.

Can the X-Bows improve the day to day typing experience, while also offering a layout that’s not so unfamiliar it instantly leaves you confused?

A split layout with familiar touches

The X-Bows makes quite a dramatic change to the standard keyboard layout. It has a hard split in the middle of the board, driving a wedge between the “G” and “H” keys, and angling them to fit the more natural position our wrists sit in. In the space in the center of the board, it adds new keys for Backspace, Enter, Ctrl, and Shift, splitting the space bar in half as part of the process. These keys are not in replacement of their normal placement, but in addition to, so your hands can return to where they expect to find them, if desired.

Be ready to spend time re-training your brain.

The number keys along the top follow this same pattern, though the “1” and “0” keys have been vertically extended to cover the “Q” and “P” columns’ shift downwards. Most other keys remain where you would expect them, though a large number have had their sizes altered for mostly cosmetic reasons. The “Alt” keys, for example, are the largest on the board — which made us wish for a chunkier space bar at times — and the “-” and “=” keys are double height their normal height, too.

Most of those changes from the norm are designed to facilitate more comfortable and efficient typing. In many ways, they do, and there’s certainly some innovative design choices taken with this style of keyboard. Yet even with some newly placed keys duplicated in their original positions, there is still a significant learning curve that is frustrating to summit.

Jumping into the shallow end

The main reason more of us don’t use ergonomic keyboard designs, or more efficient keyboard layouts, is because re-learning how to type takes time. Moving to a new layout requires retraining your brain, and that can be frustrating. Although the X-Bows does make an effort to ease that transition, it still isn’t easy.

There are several things you’ll need to get used to with the X-Bows. Not only are its keys angled, but the main letter keys are also spaced farther apart than your standard keyboard. Certain keys, like those found in the Q column, are out of line with the rest of the board. We found ourselves repeatedly hitting the “S” key when going for the “A,” and semicolon when going for the apostrophe, for some time during testing.

Compared to a standard keyboard, this one requires more hand movement. The ergonomic argument for this is that it keeps you from stretching to reach keys with your little finger, but breaking that habit takes time. At first, we found our fingers continuing to hunt for keys that were out of reach.

Although we have slowly come to like the centrally placed keys, they also require a whole new learning experience. You aren’t just re-teaching yourself where to put your fingers, but to use entirely different digits for functions that have been reserved for specific fingers for a long time.

Fortunately, the duplicate, traditional keys for Enter, Shift, Ctrl and Backspace ease that aspect of the transition.

It’s also important to know that once you start this process, it is very hard to go back (even temporarily) to a traditional design, as your muscle memory will then work against you in the opposite direction.

Fixing your bad habits

As you learn it, the X-Bows design forces you to confront your own bad typing habits. Find yourself reaching for right-hand keys with your left hand? That becomes readily apparent when you have to cross the void between the two keyboard halves. Don’t use the keycap nubs to re-center your hands after a frantically typed sentence? You’ll need to on this board.

However, the X-Bows design is not perfect. The dropped columns for the extreme edge letters made the learning curve steeper than we feel it needed to be. The huge Alt keys seem unnecessary for such rarely used functions, and we missed native Home and End keys, and found little use for “PgUp” and “PgDn” in their place.

X-Bows Mechanical Ergonomic Keyboard Compared To

Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop…

Corsair K70 RGB Rapidfire

Brydge 12.3

Logitech MK850

Corsair Tenkeyless K63

Aukey KM-G3

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming…

Logitech G213 Prodigy

Razer Blackwidow X Chroma

Cougar Attack X3 gaming keyboard

Logitech K400

Cooler Master Storm QuickFire

Logitech iPad 2 Keyboard Case by…

Cherry JK-0300

Logitech K750 Wireless Solar…

We’re also not a big fan of having the “Fn” function key so far from the volume controls it enables. As it stands, its placement requires a two-handed movement for altering volume. If placed on the alternative side — even adding it to the middle would be easy enough — it would allow for one-handed volume control, which is preferable, since your right hand is likely to be holding a mouse more often than not.

That’s a function that could be remapped in future too, but with a board so focused on reinventing the wheel, it’s a shame not to have that function in place from the get go.

The complete package

While the X-Bows’ highlight is its ergonomics, it’s a top-shelf contemporary keyboard in every respect. It sports mechanical switches — our test model had Gateron Blues (Cherry MX clones), but brown, red and black options are available – which give it a shelf life of tens of millions of key presses.

Even with its hefty price tag, the X-Bows keyboard is a solid effort to reduce wrist injuries.

It also has RGB backlighting, and it will ship with a wrist rest and remapping software. These features put it on par with top-tier standard keyboards.

The main frame of the board is solid without feeling overweight, and the look is clean and professional. It might lack a some gamer-oriented features, such as USB pass-through, audio jacks, and dedicated macro keys, but not everyone likes them, and rarely are they main reason for picking one board over another.

The X-Bows pricing is a little more contentious, as although its Kickstarter pricing of $120 for early birds and $130 for everyone else is excellent value, its eventual $200 retail price is much harder to swallow. That prices it much higher than some of the best mechanical keyboards in the world, which could make it a tough sell once it hit stores.

Lots of potential, but be ready to learn

The X-Bows is a comfortable keyboard that has a lot of potential, and it had a positive impact on our hand position and typing fundamentals. That said, while its duplicate keys help ease the transition, they don’t make it simple. Even after two weeks of testing, we are still struggling to hit the same typing speed and accuracy that we did with a traditional keyboard design.

Now, though, we’re committed. Attempting to type on a normal keyboard again requires a re-learning curve of its own, and the X-Bows is extremely comfortable to learn.

If you do make the leap to an ergonomic keyboard, you’re likely extending the life span of your wrists if you see decades of typing ahead of you (without using your brain). And the X-Bows keyboard solid in other respects, thanks to its mechanical key switches, RGB backlighting, and solid build quality.

We’re a little wary of what the $200 retail price will do for its competitiveness with more established brands in the mechanical market like the Code Keyboard ($150), or Razer BlackWidow Ultimate ($130). Ditching RGB lighting and mechanical switches lets you go ergonomic for as little as $40 in some cases, too.

Even with its hefty post-release price tag, the X-Bows keyboard is a solid effort to reduce wrist injuries, and it’s sure to find fans among PC nerds who want an ergonomic keyboard with the high-end hardware and quality they’ve come to expect.

X-Bows’ Kickstarter campaign is currently active, with Early Bird pledges available. The company expects delivery by December of this year. Remember – as with any Kickstarter campaign, there’s an element of risk to the pledge, and the prototype unit we reviewed will differ from the final product.

Uber vs. Lyft: This is the ultimate ridesharing app showdown

The ridesharing revolution began harmlessly enough. Uber used the burgeoning app market to launch an on-demand vehicle service that soon grew into a multi-billion-dollar game-changer. Lyft wasn’t far behind, launching its own flavor of ridesharing in its home market of San Francisco soon afterward. Today, the question of choosing Uber vs. Lyft is a debate many face each time they need a ride.

While there are other ridesharing apps such as Sidecar and Hail-o, Uber and Lyft command the greatest chunk of the market. Ridesharing has become so popular that several major automakers are either partnering with Uber and Lyft, or preparing their own competing services. This buy-in by major manufacturers highlights the current shift in consumer transportation. Instead of a corporate car, many companies in urban areas now offer credits with various ridesharing services. People have begun commuting, shopping, and hitting the gym in an Uber or Lyft. Personal vehicles are reserved for weekend expeditions.

There are still some holdouts. Those without smartphones — a percentage of the population that shrinks each year — call for cabs. Those who prefer the privacy of their own car won’t commute with a stranger. Those with access to good public transportation won’t sit in traffic. These are the exceptions, however, not the rule.

The big question for most, then, is not whether they should use a ridesharing service, but rather which one to go with: Uber vs. Lyft. While both services have grown closer to the mean since their inception, they still operate with unique business philosophies and interfaces. In this article, we’ll compare the two so you can ride smarter.

Booking a ride

Both Uber and Lyft rely heavily on location-based data, which means you’ll need a good internet connection, either through Wi-Fi or your cellular service. Once the app loads, it will drop a pin on your current location. If the pin is off the mark, you can adjust its position to get an accurate starting point. If you want to be picked up from a different spot, simply enter that address in the text box.

The next step is to enter your destination. Like Google Maps, both Uber and Lyft can work with street addresses or points of interest. Once you’ve input your destination, the apps estimate your ride cost based on the service you choose, the time of day, and how far you’re going. Both Uber and Lyft will also give you an estimate of how long it will take for your driver to arrive at the designated pickup spot.

At this point, Lyft offers you two unique options. The first is to choose a waypoint along your route. This is useful if you need to drop someone off, pick someone up, or to grab something at home before continuing to your destination. The second option is to schedule a pickup for a later time. Uber’s differentiator is an estimate of your arrival time before you ever hit “go.” Lyft won’t give you an ETA until you request your ride.

After you request a pickup, both Uber and Lyft show a real-time visual of your driver’s progress to your location.

Winner: Lyft (for its waypoint options)

The passenger experience

Once your ride arrives, it’s time to hop in and go. If you’re nowhere to be found, Uber and Lyft drivers will wait five minutes before they’re allowed to cancel the ride. Uber will begin billing the passenger (per minute) after just two minutes of wait time. Lyft will wait until either the driver cancels or the passenger has buckled up to “start the meter.”

If you’ve never used a ridesharing service, you might not be sure where to sit. From the beginning, Lyft has encouraged passengers to ride shotgun if the seat is available. The idea here is that Lyft drivers and passengers should engage. Uber’s philosophy aligns more closely with the app’s livery service origins, meaning most passengers file into the rear seats. Also, Uber drivers tend not to start gabbing unless the passenger initiates a conversation. Depending on whether you’re an introverted or extroverted person, or whether you need to catch up on emails, you may prefer one app’s riding experience to another.

Both Uber and Lyft require credit card information to be stored in the app, so passengers needn’t worry about fumbling for a card at the conclusion of the ride. Once you reach the destination, you’re free to leave. However, you still have some homework. The next time you access the Lyft app, you’ll be asked to rate your driver on a scale of 1 to 5 and offer feedback — you’ll also have a chance to tip him or her. Uber doesn’t allow in-app tipping, so riders who really enjoyed their experience should plan to give a cash tip before exiting the car. However, Uber does still ask for ratings (on the same scale) and feedback. Uber and Lyft drivers also have an opportunity to rate their passengers. This tells other drivers who is a tough customer. Both driver and rider ratings are visible from the moment a ride is requested.

If you have questions or concerns about a trip, both Uber and Lyft will direct you to a FAQ section and an email for further assistance. Neither app provides a phone number or chat service for customer inquiries.

Winner: Lyft (for its added, but still very optional, tipping)

Services and rates

Now we’ll get into the varied services offered by Uber and Lyft, and the standard pricing structure for each app.

Uber has a broader range of services (vehicle types). Here’s how they work:

UberPool
Share your ride with someone heading in the same direction and split the cost (cheapest option).
UberX
Book an everyday car with seating for four.
UberXL
Book an everyday vehicle with seating for six.
UberSelect
Book a more premium vehicle with seating for four (cheaper than UberBlack).
UberBlack
Uber’s original service composed of black livery vehicles that seat four.
UberSUV
Book a premium SUV with seating for six.

Lyft has a comparatively streamlined service:

Lyft Line
Share your ride with someone heading in the same direction and split the cost (cheapest option).
Lyft Lyft
Book an everyday car with seating for four.
Lyft Plus
Book an everyday vehicle with seating for six.
Lyft Premier
Book a more premium vehicle with seating for four.
Lyft Lux
The most luxurious ride choice pairs black cars and SUVs with highly rated drivers.

Using Los Angeles as a sample market, here’s how the fee structure for a basic ride with UberX and Lyft compares:

Uber X:

Booking/Service fee
$1.85
Cost per minute
$0.15
Cost per mile
$0.90
Minimum charge
$5.35
Cancellation fee
$5.00

Lyft:

Booking/Service fee
$1.80
Cost per minute
$0.15
Cost per mile
$0.90
Minimum charge
$3.50
Cancellation fee
$5.00

As you can see, the pricing for each app is pretty similar, but there’s another variable that can dramatically change how much a ride can cost — surge pricing. Both Uber and Lyft will increase a typical ride rate by a certain percentage based on location and demand. Uber calls this situation “Surge” and Lyft calls it “Prime Time.”

Both Uber and Lyft bump rates based on “heat maps.” When an area gets busy, surge pricing and prime time kick in. While Uber’s heat map is usually a large area, Lyft’s heat map tends to be much smaller. For Uber riders, this typically means you have to bite the bullet and pay the higher fare if you’re in a busy area at a busy time. Lyft riders, however, may have the opportunity to walk outside the heat map and return to normal rates. Also, Lyft price increases are usually less than Uber.

Taking all this information into consideration, which is cheaper? In some cities, one app’s fee structure is higher than the other, giving a narrow, but clear edge. If you’re a tipper, be sure to factor that into both Uber and Lyft rates.

Winner: Lyft (for its smaller surge pricing areas and lower minimum charge)

Amazon is building a haunted house to hype its spooky ‘Lore’ series

Amazon’s podcast-turned-series Lore is launching on Friday, October 13th, just in time for pre-Halloween fun. But the online shopping has more up its sleeve to get folks in the right spooky holiday spirit. Amazon is opening an immersive haunted house experience in Los Angeles next month that’s themed to the show’s thesis: “The scariest stories are often true.”

That means rooms set up to tell creepy stories about real events that often settled into local legend — fodder the podcast has covered since creator Aaron Mahnke launched it in 2015. Amazon bought the rights to adapt the audio show into a six-episode series back in April 2016, but creating a local and immersive “experience” to hype viewers up for the show is a newer fad. Much like the Blade Runner 2049 VR experience that dropped at Comic-Con in July to get folks excited for that film’s upcoming debut, SoCal fans of the Lore podcast will have something else to rock their spooky socks next month.

Just Fix It Productions built and is running Lore: A Haunting Experience, which will be located in Los Angeles event space Magic Box. Eight people at a time can take the one-hour walking tour, which opens on October 5th and closes on November 12th.

Via: The Verge

Source: Just Fine Productions

Equifax’s chief security and information officers are out

Equifax’s Chief Security Officer Susan Mauldin and Chief Information Officer David Webb have both left the company as it deals with the fallout from a months-long hacking campaign that compromised the personal information of 143 million people this year. Attackers took advantage of an unpatched server flaw to steal names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers and other identifying information from Equifax’s database from May 13th to July 30th. The server flaw was made public more than a month before the hack began.

Both executives are “retiring,” according to the company. Mauldin, the chief security officer, is being replaced by Equifax’s vice president of IT, Russ Ayres. Meanwhile, Webb will be replaced Equifax International IT operations head Mark Rohrwasser. Equifax announced the changes on Friday and said they were to take immediate effect.

Equifax announced details of the hacking campaign on September 7th and there’s been a flurry of action and outcry since. Today, a handful of Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren and Brian Schatz, introduced a bill designed to give consumers more control over the information collected by credit-reporting companies like Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Trade Commission are investigating the entire affair, as is the Senate, spearheaded by Warren.

Source: Equifax