‘Pay With Google’ makes shopping on Android less of a hassle

As promised, Google is streamlining online purchases made through Android devices by rolling out Pay with Google. The feature lets you use any of the credit or debit cards you’ve previously logged on the web titan’s products (like Chrome, Android Pay, YouTube, or Google Play) to checkout in just a few clicks — verifying your purchase with a security code or your Android device. That way, you don’t have to type in your lengthy card info on a website or app payment form. Instead, Google just sends the merchant your payment details and shipping address from your account.

Pay with Google is currently available at 15 places in total (shown above), with more on the horizon — including Airbnb, and a number of additional food delivery services. Google first announced the feature, which taps into its Google Pay API, at its I/O event in May. To lure more merchants, it’s foregoing a transaction fee on purchases.

Source: Google

The US is getting a SNES-themed new 3DS XL too

Turns out that SNES-themed 3DS XL isn’t a Europe exclusive after all. As Twitter user @Wario64 (who else?) points out, the handheld is currently available for pre-order in the US for $199.99. It will ship a whole two weeks after the Europe release on November 27, but that’s better than never, right? It also follows in the footsteps of the Super Famicom-inspired 3DS XL, which landed exclusively in Japan in March of last year. Okay, we’ll stop rubbing it in. To add to the nostalgia, Nintendo is packing a download code for Super Mario Kart with the variant.

Still, it’s not the first throwback 3DS we’ve seen — remember the NES gamepad version from 2014? And there was a North America-only lime green Super Mario World special edition, plus one for all the Samus fans as well. Looks aren’t the only trait this latest 3DS XL shares with Nintendo’s SNES Classic console, chances are it will sell out fast too.

wait what, New Nintendo 3DS XL SNES Classic Style edition w/ Super Mario Kart is up on Amazon (exclusive) for $199.99 https://t.co/XLe4HXwI5c pic.twitter.com/XEOWJVEPly

— Wario64 (@Wario64) October 23, 2017

Via: @Wario64 (Twitter)

Source: Amazon.com

Facebook says no thanks to Apple, new app will only be on Android platforms

Why it matters to you

Big tech and big media need to come to some sort of understanding in order to provide a truly free press to America and the world.

Facebook has made a concerted effort to get on the good side of big media companies lately. Even Mark Zuckerberg himself wants to make sure they are as successful as possible, so he wants to help them sell subscriptions to their publications. And Facebook doesn’t even want a slice of the revenue.

Facebook’s new subscription tool for mobile phones will roll out sometime in the next few weeks. It allows various publishers, such as the Washington Post or Hearst, to set two different types of paywalls around their articles. One is a “metered” paywall, which many publications use already. After reading a certain numbers of articles, you’re directed to their subscription page. The other is a “freemium” version, where publishers can set firewalls around individual articles. In both cases, the goal is to get you to subscribe. Facebook has already said it wouldn’t take any of the revenue generated, and that it won’t capture customer data that results from the transaction.

As MacRumors points out, there’s only one problem – Apple won’t play ball.

The two tech juggernauts have been going at this for months, say many industry insiders. In the end, it all comes down to money. Apple wants a slice of the pie – a fairly big slice – and, as a result, the new Facebook service will only premiere on Android devices when it launches.

Apple is demanding a substantial portion of any subscription fees generated by the new service. According to its own rules, the Cupertino company takes a cut of up to 30 percent on any revenue generated from “in-app“ purchases on its iOS platform. Facebook argues that it’s not an “in-app” purchase, as it takes place at the publisher’s site. Apple’s counter-argument is that since the transaction begins inside the app, it’s entitled to its slice. And so they go round and round.

The rule is in place to prevent a company from advising a user to leave the iPhone app and subscribe on the company’s own website, as a way of dodging the 30 percent Apple tax. Google has said it’s not taking any revenue from media subscriptions using the new Facebook app.

According to Recode, Apple wouldn’t comment. Facebook wouldn’t comment either. This isn’t the first time Apple has struggled with publishers over its subscription rules, which date back to 2011, when everyone wanted to sell subscriptions to iPads. That never really panned out.

You’d think will all that money to be made, these two could play nice and come to some sort of agreement. After all, the tech companies may not have the upper hand for long, says the New York Times – news outlets are joining together in an alliance to ask Congress for an anti-trust exemption so they can bargain collectively against Facebook and Google.

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Newegg sued for participation in alleged Ponzi scheme that defrauded billions of dollars

Why it matters to you

Newegg is one of the internet’s most popular computer hardware stores, but this lawsuit could spell trouble.

Online computer hardware and accessory store Newegg has been sued by four South Korean banks. The L.A. Times reports that the banks allege that Newegg collaborated with South Korean hardware firm Moneual to defraud them of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, claims that Newegg and computer wholesaler ASI Corp. made false orders for home-theater computers from Moneual. The banks claim that Moneual organized the scheme and used the fake orders to obtain funds from the four banks. Newegg and ASI allegedly received a cut of the money in exchange for their cooperation.

Moneual pulled in more than $3 billion from the from 10 South Korean banks. The company defaulted on many of those loans and ended up owing the banks about half a billion dollars. In 2013, Hong-seok Park, the company’s CEO, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, in addition to hefty fines. A higher court later reduced his sentence to 15 years.

Now the banks have filed suit against Moneual’s alleged partners. The lawsuit argues that the banks loaned Moneual hundreds of millions of dollars, based on the large volume of orders made by Newegg and ASI. The computers that Moneual ordered were allegedly priced at 300 times their actual retail value, which is why the banks believe Newegg and ASI were part of the scam.

“No such business would have bought the products at such an inflated price, unless it intended to create the illusion of extensive, profitable, high-value commerce between it and its supplier for the purpose of defrauding lenders into supporting the transactions,” the lawsuit alleges.

The four banks are demanding a jury trial and monetary damages. They say that $230 million is still owed from the faulty loans that Moneual obtained.

Founded in 2000, Newegg is based in the City of Industry, California, and is a popular computer accessory and hardware retailer. The company is owned by Hangzhou Liaison Interactive Information Technology, based out of Bejing. As of right now, it is unclear whether or not the banks will be going after Newegg’s parent company.

At this time, Newegg has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

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Stephen Hawking makes his doctoral thesis available online

Ever wondered how Stephen Hawking saw the universe as a doctoral candidate, when his theories about black holes were just coming into fruition? You don’t have to hear about it second-hand — you can now go straight to the source. The legendary cosmologist has published his 1966 doctoral thesis online for anyone to read, making it available to the public for the first time. Hawking is posting his work in hopes that it’ll spark interests in both space itself and sharing research. “I hope to inspire people around the world to look up at the stars and not down at their feet,” he said.

Needless to say, it’s not light reading. Hawking used the expansion of the universe to challenge an existing gravitational theory (there’s no way galaxies could form as a result of early perturbations, he argued) and provide a model of gravitational radiation and expansion that shows space-time singularities are “inevitable.”

Whether or not you take a look, there was plenty of pent-up demand. Cambridge University said the paper was the “most-requested” work for its open repository, receiving “hundreds” of requests. It’ll also help open the floodgates. All Cambridge graduates will have to offer digital copies of their theses from now on, and they’re being encouraged to make them public. Hawking’s move might give them the confidence boost they need — they’ll know there’s nothing to fear by disclosing their work.

Via: The Guardian

Source: University of Cambridge

Google looks into reports of Pixel 2 XL screen burn-in problems

It’s well-known that OLED displays can suffer from screen burn-in if objects regularly remain on screen for long periods — that’s why Samsung uses tricks like shifting the home button on newer phones. It’s not supposed to crop up mere days after you’ve brought a device home, however, and that’s what has Google and owners concerned about the Pixel 2 XL. Google told Android Central that it’s investigating reports (including from AC’s own Alex Dobie) of the 2 XL’s P-OLED screen apparently suffering burn-in after roughly a week. It’s not offering a verdict on the issue at this stage, but it stresses that it puts products through “extensive quality testing.”

While the evidence seems strong at first blush, it’s not certain that this is burn-in. There’s a chance this is image retention (something more commonly associated with LCDs), which could go away on its own if you introduce some variety to what’s happening on screen. It’s also uncertain just how many people are affected. There are certainly other reports of burn-in, but there’s a difference between anecdotal stories on forums and widespread issues.

Whatever the case, this definitely isn’t what Google wanted to deal with. There are already other complaints about the Pixel 2 XL’s display, whether it’s colors that aren’t as vibrant as on some phones (albeit more accurate) and a blue tint when you view the screen from a sufficiently wide angle. The Pixel 2 XL is supposed to be one of Android Oreo’s two showcase devices, but it may end up leaving a sour taste in people’s mouths if it’s more commonly associated with display flaws.

That’s some pretty wild OLED burn-in on the Pixel 2 XL after maybe 7 days of full-time use pic.twitter.com/EPJTs6D0Kg

— Alex Dobie (@alexdobie) October 22, 2017

Source: Android Central

The value of cryptocurrencies is on the rise, but so are the risks from hackers

Why it matters to you

Your computer could be used to mine Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies without your knowledge or consent.

Cryptocurrencies are continuing to increase in value. The most popular of these currencies, Bitcoin, recently broke the $6,000 mark. Unfortunately, this recent boom has inspired a new breed of malware designed to help hackers harvest Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Many websites now unknowingly containin code which will secretly use a visitor’s computer to mine cryptocurrencies. The code is usually written in Javascript and inserted into sites which employ poor security or have fallen victim to software bugs.

In October, it was found that hundreds of websites were hosting code written by Coin-Hive, which allows the websites to generate Monero coins by taking advantage of the processing power of computers that visited the site. Some of the sites had added the Coin-Hive code themselves, but others had been hacked.

In total, roughly 150 domains were found to be hosting the Coin-Hive code. The code was most commonly found on porn, file-sharing, and video sites.

It’s important to keep in mind that most security companies do not consider in-browser mining to be malicious in and of itself, but in this case, many of these sites don’t ask the user’s permission beforehand. While Coin-Hive is one of the larger examples of such code, there are plenty of knock-offs, including some which work on mobile devices. Such code will often rapidly drain a smartphone’s battery, as mining cryptocurrency requires a lot of power.

Many of these programs are also targeting popular content-management systems such as WordPress. Catalin Cimpanu of BleepingComputer found several WordPress plug-ins that use visitors’ computers to mine cryptocurrencies. None of these plug-ins ask a user’s permission beforehand.

There is now a WordPress plugin for Coinhive mining https://t.co/ZVe2ZGCiQb #monero pic.twitter.com/tUgBRw0qSx

— Catalin Cimpanu (@campuscodi) October 14, 2017

This new wave of malware has prompted tech companies to take action. Many anti-virus programs have been updated to combat such software, and Google is working on a fix for the problem within the Chrome browser. Meanwhile, Coin-Hive has released an official version of its software, which requires permission before accessing a user’s computer.

This rise of malware is only one of the problems facing cryptocurrencies right now. Both China and South Korea have banned initial coin offerings due to fears that attempting to raise money via cryptocurrency could lead to fraud.

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The HQ trivia app is an addictive and interactive iPhone game show

Why it matters to you

If you’re the expert at your local pub trivia night, you’ll enjoy the interactive fast-paced fun of HQ.

Online trivia games are nothing new, but a new iPhone app lets you compete against thousands of other players in a game show format with cash prizes up for grabs. The HQ trivia app, from the makers of Vine, is played live twice a day and cash prizes are awarded to the players left standing at the end.

Inspired by game shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Jeopardy, the show is hosted by Scott Rogowsky and consists of a dozen multiple-choice trivia questions. Pick the right answer within 10 seconds, and you move on to the next round. A wrong answer means you’re out, although you can still watch the action unfold and add your own comments. Any players left standing at the end split the prize pool and collect their winnings via PayPal.

Former Vine co-founders Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll have already gotten several million dollars in initial funding. “We all grew up watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. That’s our basis for this kind of stuff,” Yusupov told TechCrunch. “We just wanted to make something that people play … with their friends and family.”

The game itself takes place live daily, with a starting time of 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET (12 p.m. and 6 p.m. PT) every day. The game show format and live video presentation combine to make it an addictive experience that you want to return to again and again.

The prize pools are fairly modest at present, only a few hundred dollars or so, but the creators say they’re open to trying sponsored games to offer larger payouts. “We’ve been playing around with options,” Yusupov said. “This Sunday we did a sponsored game that let us give away the biggest prize.”

In 2009, Microsoft ran an interactive game show on the Xbox 360 called 1 vs. 100, based on the TV show of the same name, and it drew hundreds of thousands of players per night. For years, Microsoft has been promising something similar for Xbox One, but we have yet to see any details.

HQ doesn’t yet have those kinds of numbers, but give it time. People love trivia, and it’s getting more and more players every night. As Yusupov put it, “It’s a way to give people a chance to have fun, maybe win, maybe learn something new.”

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Not-so-hidden figures — Lego’s ‘Women of NASA’ set blasts off

Why it matters to you

This project can raise awareness of women’s contributions in the fields of technology. science, engineering, and mathematics.

Lego’s new “Women of NASA” set, featuring four pivotal pivotal figures from the history of America’s space program, will be available for purchase starting November 1 for $25. The new set was suggested by science writer Maia Weinstock and quickly gained an internet following, with Lego announcing in March that it had approved the project and would produce the set.

The set features astronomer Nancy Grace Roman, who helped create the Hubble telescope; computer scientist Margaret Hamilton, who developed software for the Apollo program in the ’60s; astronaut and physicist Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; and astronaut, physician, and engineer Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space. The original set sugestion by Weinstock also included mathematician Katherine Johnson, who was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures. Unfortunately, she was not part of the final set, as Lego requires approval to use anyone’s likeness and there was some sort of “hiccup” in the negotiations with Johnson and her family, according to TechCrunch.

The three builds included were designed by Lego’s Gemma Anderson and Marie Sertillanges, and the attention to detail is remarkable. There’s a Space Shuttle for the two astronauts with removable rocket stages. Sally Ride’s nameplate even reads “Sally,” just as she requested in real life. There’s a poseable Hubble telescope for Roman, and the background for Hamilton recreates the iconic NASA photo of her at MIT in 1969 standing next to the printout of the code used for the Apollo missions.

Last year, Weinstock and her 10,000 supporters  first reached the critical vote mark on the Lego Ideas website, which allows fans to post and vote on new project ideas. Projects that surpass the 10,000-vote mark are eligible for review by the Danish toy company to determine if they are suitable to become an official set. A few months later, Lego has announced that the set celebrating the contributions of women to the space agency would indeed be developed.

“A big congratulations to 20tauri on becoming the next official Lego Ideas fan designer!” the company announced. “As a science editor and writer, with a strong personal interest for space exploration as well as the history of women in science and engineering, Maia Weinstock’s Women of NASA project was a way for her to celebrate accomplished women in the STEM professions … We’re really excited to be able to introduce Maia’s Women of NASA set for its inspirational value as well as build and play experience.”

Weinstock created the minifig set to honor these women, most of whom “are unknown and under-appreciated.” She hopes this project will make the public aware of their contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. She made waves with the proposed set, attracting the attention of NASA, the United Nations, and singer Pharrell Williams, who shared the minifig project on Twitter. “Whether or not the project is ultimately produced, I’d love for it to help others become more aware of key scientific and engineering accomplishments made by women,” Weinstock said to Collectspace.

Update: Added details about the set, plus pricing and release date.

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Google aims to share revenue with news publishers

Google isn’t kidding around when it says it wants to make amends with subscription-based news outlets. The search giant’s head of news, Richard Gingras, told the Financial Times that the plan is to share revenues with publishers who take advantage of its new subscription tools. Similar to its ad system, it would use its machine learning know-how and vast collection of user data to find potential new and renewing subscribers, and take a cut from sales when people take action. Unlike ads, though, Google wouldn’t take up to 30 percent of the money — the terms will be “significantly more generous,” Gingras said.

The exec also rejects arguments that Google is trying to wrest some control from publishers in the vein of Facebook’s news subscription service, which uses Instant Articles that run on its own site. “We don’t want to own the customer,” Gingras said.

It’s clear that Google isn’t ready to announce final details, and there’s no guarantee that every major publisher will accept the terms. However, it’s evident that Google has come a long way from the days when it was feuding with publishers accusing it of profiting off their work with nothing in return. It previously downplayed articles locked behind subscription paywalls unless publishers agreed to offer free access to at least three articles per day, making them give up potential revenue just to remain relevant in search results. Now, it’s dropping that hard-and-fast rule in favor of profiting when someone decides that a story is worth a subscription.

The situation may not be quite as simple as Google says. Although it’s true that Google won’t have the same level of control as Facebook, it’ll still have considerable sway. After all, Google may be the key to helping publications grow their subscriber ranks. If you’re a publisher, do you really want to turn down a possible competitive advantage when it comes from the world’s dominant internet search provider? Google may have a lot of sway simply because it has tremendous reach.

Source: Financial Times