Three is adding ‘free’ Apple Music data to Go Binge plans

Zero-rated services, it seems, are here to stay. Almost every major UK network has revealed its own take on the concept, offering “free” data when you use specific apps on your phone. Three’s version, Go Binge, launched in July with a handful of partners including Netflix, Deezer and SoundCloud. Today, to coincide with the launch of the iPhone X, the company has announced a new addition: Apple Music. The service joins the Go Binge family on November 27th and will be eligible for customers with an “advanced” contract or SIM-only plan with at least 4GB of data.

The offering trumps EE, which currently offers a six-month trial of Apple Music with “free” streaming data. Three’s roster of zero-rated services, however, pales in comparison to Vodafone. In early November, the network operator will launch five paid data “Passes.” The most alluring is the Video Pass, which costs £7 per month and gives you “free” data for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Vevo, My5 and TV Player. The Music Pass, which costs £5 per month, is also notable as it bundles Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, Amazon Music, Soundcloud and Napster.

Zero-rated services are controversial. Critics argue that the concept fundamentally undermines the principles of net neutrality; that all data should be treated equally. If a service is “free” to access, customers are more likely to use it, regardless of whether the competition is better. That poses a problem for startups who could have great features or ideas, but don’t have the cash to “buy-in” to zero-rated services like their established competition. In short, the fear is that juggernaut media companies will stifle any rival before it has a chance to innovate or attract customers.

For now, though, the UK government doesn’t seem to mind. (European regulators currently judge zero-rating schemes on a case-by-case basis.) Customers aren’t likely to complain either, because “free” data is, well, free (provided you don’t mind using the inclusive services). Unless a regulator steps in, these schemes will only grow in number — especially as carriers try to wean their subscribers off high and unlimited data cap plans.

Amazon has drug distribution licenses for at least 12 states

St. Louis Post-Dispatch found more hints that Amazon is truly thinking of getting into the prescription drug biz, which was first reported earlier this month. The publication reviewed public records and found that the e-retail giant has received licenses to become a wholesale drug distributor in at least 12 states. Nevada, Arizona, North Dakota, Louisiana, Alabama, New Jersey, Michigan, Connecticut, Idaho, New Hampshire, Oregon and Tennessee have already approved the company’s application, whereas Maine is still thinking about it.

Boston-based Leerink Partners analyst Ana Gupte told St. Louis Post that the discovery “strengthens [their] conviction on the likely entry into the drug supply chain.” A lot of people must have thought the same, because the stock prices of some of the biggest names in the industry, including CVS, plummeted after the publication published its piece.

Even so, only Amazon can say for sure whether it’ll start selling prescription meds itself in the future. It might have secured the licenses as part of a partnership with another company, or it might be for another purpose altogether. Nicodemo Fiorentino, the drug supply chain researcher who tipped the Post about the news, said Amazon must first secure a pharmacy license to be able to sell directly to customers. Unfortunately, Amazon refused to talk to the Post about “rumors and speculations,” but we might not have to wait that long for anything more definitive anyway — according to the earlier report by CNBC, it has to decide if it wants to enter the pharmacy biz before Thanksgiving.

Via: Gizmodo, Business Insider

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Apple invents the leather laptop sleeve

Apple’s made iPhone cases and Apple’s made accessories to keep iPads cosy, but until today Apple’s never made a laptop sleeve. Apple stores IRL and online have ranged third-party products, but when the floodgates to iPhone X pre-orders opened this morning, the new “Leather Sleeve for 12-inch MacBook” also quietly appeared on the company’s site. Available in classic “Saddle Brown” or edgy “Midnight Blue,” it features an etched Apple logo so everyone knows, yes, that is a MacBook you’re carrying under your arm. It’s a bit on the pricey side at $149/£149 and it doesn’t give your laptop any additional, desperately needed ports. But hey, it’s the best MacBook sleeve Apple’s ever made.

Via: wccftech

Source: Apple

‘Stranger Things’ Game Update and Snapchat AR Experience Mark Season 2 Debut on Netflix

Stranger Things: The Game received a feature update on Friday, coinciding with the hit TV series’ season two debut on Netflix. Version 1.0.252 of the free retro-style sci-fi adventure game brings a new playable character to the Arcade and a brand new Hawkins High School dungeon.

Elsewhere, there are new quests to be gained from the Florist and the Hawk Theater Attendant, while players have another opportunity to get a 100 percent score thanks to a slew of new collectibles. In the words of the game’s official blurb:

Things are stranger than ever in the town of Hawkins. Mike and the gang have new neighbors. Visit the Arcade to meet the new kid. Explore the Upside Down Gates that have opened around town. Solve the all-new throwback adventure in Hawkins High School.

Continuing the Stranger Things 2 theme, Snapchat today launched a new World Lens portal that takes users into an Upside Down version of Joyce Bryers’ living room through an augmented reality doorway.

The room features several nods to the first season of Stranger Things, including fairy lights, alphabet graffiti, and a gaping hole in the living room wall. Interactive easter eggs and surprises scattered around the AR environment can also be discovered by tapping on objects.

To open the Upside Down lens in Snapchat, activate rear camera mode, tap the screen, and select the first sponsored effect in the list at the bottom of the interface. The lens can also be unlocked using Shazam in the Snapchat app when the Stranger Things them tune plays.

Two additional Stranger Things lenses are set to debut later in the day. To get the full augmented reality effect of the World Lenses, Snapchat users need to be using an iPhone 6s or later with iOS 11 installed.

Tags: Netflix, Snapchat, ARKit
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India Ousts U.S. to Become World’s Second Biggest Smartphone Market

India has ousted the U.S. to become the world’s second largest smartphone market after China, according to a new market research report on Thursday.

Figures aggregated by industry analyst Canalys show smartphone shipments in India in the third quarter of this year rose above 40 million units for the first time, representing 23 percent annual growth.

“This growth comes as a relief to the smartphone industry. Doubts about India’s market potential are clearly dispelled by this result,” said Canalys Research Analyst Ishan Dutt. “There are close to 100 mobile device brands sold in India, with more vendors arriving every quarter. In addition, India has one of the most complex channel landscapes, but with low barriers to entry. Growth will continue. Low smartphone penetration and the explosion of LTE are the main drivers.”

Samsung and Xiaomi, which shipped 9.4 million and 9.2 million units respectively, accounted for almost half of the total market, with Xiaomi expected to overtake Samsung if things continue. Meanwhile, Chinese trio Vivo, Oppo, and Lenovo also posted strong sales in Q3 2017.

Apple’s sales, which were too low to make the chart, still indicated impressive growth, with iPhone shipments more than doubling to 900,000 units compared to Q3 2016. However, the relatively high price of iPhones has so far meant smaller adoption rates despite the introduction of lower-priced devices and discounted older models.

It’s also worth considering that Apple only began local production in India earlier this year, while the Indian government has been mulling tax and policy exemptions sought by Apple for setting up more facilities to assemble iPhones.

Apple currently assembles iPhones at plants run by supplier Wistron, thereby satisfying India’s requirement that 30 percent of products sold by foreign companies be manufactured or produced within the country. Apple also wants to open its first physical retail store in India as early as 2018, and the company is reportedly looking to open four to five flagship-class stores in the country over the next five to ten years.

Meanwhile, China remains the biggest smartphone market by some margin, with more than 110 million shipments per quarter.

Tag: India
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Amazon’s next show follows Ken Block’s ‘Gymkhana’ tour

Ken Block is drifting his way onto Amazon Prime Video. The rally driver, and DC Shoes co-founder, is known for making viral videos of his racecar exploits with his collaborators at Hoonigan Media Machine. As part of his Gymkhana series, Block has left tire marks on the Universal Studios backlot, the streets of San Francisco, and an antique French autodrome.

Amazon is getting in on the action with a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming tenth Gymkhana installment. The series will follow Block on a globe-spanning tour with pitstops in five locations. His co-stars will be five Ford racers — one of which is getting built especially for the viral campaign. “The tenth one…really had to be the biggest and the best,” says Block in the trailer above. And, that involves rollicking through Detroit in the Hoonicorn V2, all-wheel-drive Mustang used for Climbkhana.

The Gymkhana Files will be an eight-episode, unscripted series — a release date for which has yet to be announced. Its arrival should give petrolheads another reason to tune in to Prime Video, aside from The Grand Tour.

News of Amazon’s latest show comes amidst an executive shuffle at the company’s film and TV unit, Amazon Studios. Earlier this month, programming chief Roy Price was forced to resign after lingering sexual harassment allegations against him went public. He was followed by head of comedy and drama Joe Lewis, who had reportedly made conflict of interest-influenced decisions over the casting of his girlfriend in Amazon show The Tick.

Source: The Hoonigans (YouTube)

Uber now lets you make multiple stops whether or not you’re dressed as a horse

Why it matters to you

This new feature should make your rides run more smoothly when using Uber to hook up with friends.

Whether it’s for a good friend, a romantic partner, or, as Uber’s video ad suggests, the other half of a two-person horse costume, the good news is that the ridesharing service now lets you make multiple stops hassle-free during a single trip.

Until now, Uber only let you stipulate a start and end point for a ride, meaning that if you wanted to make a few pick-ups along the way to somewhere, or a few drop-offs on the way back, you had to quickly update the new destination mid-trip or input a new ride request. That’s easier said than done if you’re three sheets to the wind at the end of a boozy night out.

The new feature — announced by the company in a video (above) showing an Uber rider dressed in one half of a horse costume being joined by a friend dressed in the other half as they make their way to a Halloween party — lets you add a total of three stops to your ride, allowing for easier pick-ups, drop-offs, and stop-offs.

To get started, simply tap the “Where to?” destination box in the Uber app and then tap “+”. Next, enter the addresses of your desired stops, and then request your ride.

“Should you need to make changes during your trip, you can also add and remove stops in real time,” Uber product manager Don Stayner wrote in a post explaining the new feature. “Your driver will automatically receive directions to each of the stops so you can sit back and relax.”

To make use of multiple stops, make sure you have the latest version of the app loaded onto your smartphone. Uber promises the new feature will show up in the coming days for riders around the world.

Perhaps the only surprise about Uber introducing multiple stops to its service is how long it’s taken to do it. Rival ridesharing outfit Lyft started offering the same feature in November 2016. “Think of how an extra stop can add to your day — maybe it’s grabbing a coffee on the way to work or your dry cleaning before going home,” Lyft said when it announced the addition to its service.

It’s been a busy week for Uber. On Wednesday it announced the imminent arrival of an Uber credit card offering riders rewards for credits redeemable on Uber rides and UberEats orders, or for cash back and gift cards.

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‘Basic IT security’ could have prevented UK NHS WannaCry attack

England’s National Health Service (NHS) could have avoided the ransomware hack that crippled its systems in May, according to a government report. “Basic IT security” was all that was required to prevent the “unsophisticated” WannaCry attack, which affected more than a third of NHS organizations, said the National Audit Office (NAO). The full scale of the incident saw over 19,000 medical appointments canceled, and computers at 600 surgeries locked down.

The attack didn’t stop with the NHS, instead spreading to computers around the globe. Victims were confronted with a message on their machines declaring that their data had been encrypted, and could only be accessed if they forked out $300 (sent via bitcoin). The infection used a computer exploit, known as “ETERNALBLUE,” developed by the National Security Agency (NSA), and leaked online by hacking group The Shadow Brokers. Although, the hackers reportedly managed to extort more than $100,000 using the malware, it seems the NHS didn’t hand over a single penny. But, the overarching cost of the disruption may never come to light.

Still, the attack could have been prevented if the NHS had followed simple cybersecurity measures, suggested the NAO. It had repeatedly been warned to “migrate” away from old Windows XP software, which was susceptible to the hack. And, in March and April, NHS Digital issued more warnings to organizations to patch the bug in their systems that later allowed WannaCry to spread. A cybersecurity assessment was conducted on 88 out of 236 NHS organizations, and none had passed, said the NAO.

The WananCry virus was accidentally stopped by security researcher Marcus Hutchins using a domain-based kill switch. But, not before it affected a number of big-name companies, including FedEx, Renault, Telefonica, and even Germany’s railway system. Since then, two more ransomwares have sprung up: NotPetya started in Ukraine in June and quickly spread worldwide, and Bad Rabbit plagued parts of Europe and Russia earlier this week.

Source: National Audit Office

iPhone X pre-orders are open — but there’s already a wait

Apple reopened the online store this morning at 3 AM (or maybe a minute later) to sell its new iPhone X, and whether or not supply chain rumors are true, it’s already becoming tough to get. Within 30 minutes, orders promising to arrive on launch day (November 3rd) have dried up for buyers in the US, with most people now seeing an expected wait of 4-5 weeks. So if you’re bypassing the iPhone 8 for this $1,000+ upgrade, let us know — how did the website or app work for you, and when is your phone scheduled to arrive?

Source: Apple Store

iPhone X Now Available for Pre-Order

Apple is now accepting pre-orders for the new iPhone X through its online storefront and through the Apple Store app.

The iPhone X features the first major redesign Apple has introduced in years with a 5.8-inch OLED display that is nearly bezel-free with no Home button. It also introduces a TrueDepth camera that supports a new Face ID facial recognition system and it supports Qi wireless inductive charging.

Apple’s iPhone X is in high demand and all of the rumors we’ve heard suggest supplies are incredibly limited. Those hoping for launch day delivery should order as soon as possible, or a months-long wait could be in store.

Pre-orders are currently available in the first wave launch countries including Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, the UK, the US and the US Virgin Islands.

All of the major U.S. carriers — Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile — are accepting pre-orders for the new devices. Major online retailers including Best Buy and Target are also accepting pre-orders starting today.

Pricing on the iPhone X begins at $999 for a 64GB model and goes up to $1,149 for a 256GB model. Pricing for iPhone Upgrade Program customers starts at $49.91 per month and goes up to $56.16 per month. iPhone Upgrade pricing includes AppleCare+ support.

Customers who successfully place an order for launch day delivery can expect to begin receiving their devices starting on Friday, November 3, the official launch date for the iPhone X.

Related Roundup: iPhone XBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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