Oakland Athletics reportedly test NFC-powered MLB tickets

It took Apple long enough to embrace NFC, even though it was originally only enabled for Apple Pay. Luckily, the company has finally opened up the short-range wireless technology in iOS 11, which should lead to a host of innovative uses of NFC by third-parties. Case in point, according to TechCrunch, the Oakland Athletics are piloting a new system that will let you tap your iPhone or Apple Watch on ticket scanners to go see a baseball game.

TechCrunch reports that the Apple Pay-like system was piloted during six home games starting September 22nd, only a few days after iOS 11’s launch on the 19th. The site claims this was the first time a professional sports event supported contactless tickets like this; it also noted that the Athletics were the first to use mobile tickets via text messaging back in 2007. The contactless tickets are being developed by Tickets.com, says TechCrunch, and should be available for more games in 2018.

Sports teams have used NFC in the past, like the NBA’s “connected jersey” that let super fans unlock premium content on their smartphone apps, but this is the first iPhone-based system we’ve heard about. While it doesn’t seem that much more convenient to tap your iPhone to redeem tickets than it is to have them scanned off of a mobile device screen, an NFC system might be more secure and less prone to error, notes TechCrunch. We’ve reached out to the Oakland Athletics for more details and will update this post if we hear back.

Source: TechCrunch

Germany enacts law limiting online hate speech

Germany’s law combating hate speech on social media is now live. It’s the country’s attempt to get social networks to remove offensive posts within 24 hours (or seven days, if the content is difficult to evaluate). Those that fail to comply may be fined up to 50 million euros ($58 million) by the country’s Ministry of Justice, though they’ll get a grace period until January 1st, 2018, to prepare.

Germany proposed the legislation back in April, which was later named the Network Enforcement Act (Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz in German, abbreviated as NetzDG). Facebook fired back, claiming the bill would simply encourage sites to simply take down content to avoid the fines. Further, “It would have the effect of transferring responsibility for complex legal decisions from public authorities to private companies,” a Facebook spokesperson told Engadget at the time. Regardless, the bill passed a month later.

It should be noted that Germany seriously cracks down on hate speech, and police raided 36 homes earlier this year while investigating users who had posted such. Those who are charged with inciting racial hatred can be imprison for up to five years, according to a New York Times report.

The NetzDG law applies to any site that meets the legal definition of social network regardless of size, according to Spiegel Online. Germany isn’t alone in threatening internet titans with serious penalties if they don’t swiftly take down hate speech: The EU just approved a law enabling it to threaten legal action against social media companies that don’t take down such content.

For Germany, though, the NetzDG law might be a bit more internally political. While Angela Merkel secured a fourth term as Chancellor, the far-right AFD party won enough votes to earn representation in the Bundestag.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Spiegel Online

T-Mobile pulls advertisement claiming it has the fastest network

It looks like T-Mobile will no longer be able to claim that its network is faster, newer or better than Verizon’s. The National Advertising Division (NAD), part of the Better Business Bureau that reviews advertising for truthfulness, recommended that T-Mobile discontinue advertisements that claim as such. Verizon brought the challenge to the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council in lieu of a court case. T-Mobile has agreed to stop making the claims and discontinued the commercial that featured the claims.

T-Mobile used information from speed-testing sites like Ookla and Open Signal to back up its claims. Verizon argued that because it began offering unlimited plans (which slows down customers’ data when it goes past a certain monthly amount) during this period, many of its users would have seen slower speeds near the end of the month. The NAD, part of the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council (ASRC), agreed that the situation favored T-Mobile unfairly, and recommended that T-Mobile stop claiming that it has the fastest speeds.

The self-regulatory body also reviewed other T-Mobile claims, including one that it covers 99 percent of the geographic area as Verizon does. The NAD found that T-mobile cannot support this claim, as it only covers the same amount of people as Verizon. The NAD recommended that T-Mobile modify its advertising to make this clearer. The changes to advertising claims are likely only temporary. T-Mobile told Ars Technica that while it would comply with the NAD’s recommendation for now, but reserves the right to say that it has the fastest LTE network based on future data.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: ASRC

FCC Chairman Pai appoints a new chief technology officer

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that Eric Burger would be joining the commission as its new chief technology officer. He’s set to take over the position this month. Burger will be replacing Henning Schulzrinne who is returning to a Columbia University professorship after serving a second round as CTO since the end of 2016. He was also the FCC CTO from 2011 to 2014.

As the senior technology expert at the FCC, the CTO advises the chairman on technology and engineering issues and policies. Schulzrinne’s particular expertise was in Voice over Internet Protocol technology, which allows voice calls to be made over broadband. Most recently, Burger has served as the director of the Security and Software Engineering Research Center, which the FCC says, “helps propose solutions to network problems like robocalling, rural call completion, accessibility of communications for Americans with hearing and speech impairments, reducing the cost of deploying and operating communications networks, and ensuring communication network security and stability.” The center conducts basic and applied research on issues of interest to its affiliates which include Comcast, AT&T, Verizon and Cisco, among others. Burger has a PhD in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology and has taught at Georgetown University, George Mason University and The George Washington University.

“The FCC’s work lies at the crossroads of technology and policy. That makes it vital that we have at our disposal the technological expertise to make the right policy calls for the American people,” Pai said in a statement. “I am pleased that Eric has agreed to join our team and lend us his vast expertise. From stopping robocalls to facilitating the transition to next-generation networks, the FCC has important work to do for American consumers, and I’m grateful that we are adding such skill and experience to our team.”

Source: FCC

Tesla has only produced 260 Model 3s so far

Tesla delivered its first batch of Model 3s to their owners at the end of July and production was supposed to steadily ramp up during the following months. Elon Musk predicted that around 100 cars would be produced in August, 1,500 in September and 20,000 in December, with 10,000 cars per week being the production target in 2018. But so far that plan has failed. In a recap on third quarter vehicle production and deliveries, Tesla said that only 260 Model 3s were produced and just 220 were delivered.

The company says that production bottlenecks are to blame and while most manufacturing systems at its California plant and Nevada Gigafactory are working at rapid rates, some systems have taken longer to get going than it initially expected. “It is important to emphasize that there are no fundamental issues with the Model 3 production or supply chain,” said Tesla in a statement. “We understand what needs to be fixed and we are confident of addressing the manufacturing bottleneck issues in the near-term.”

Third quarter Model S and X delivery rates were the best of any quarter yet and year-end delivery projections for those models are set to exceed expectations by several thousand. However, Tesla didn’t say when its Model 3 production would get back on track or how it planned on fixing the production bottleneck issues, but there are a lot of Model 3 owners hoping the company figures it out soon.

iOS 11’s New NFC Feature Being Tested for Contactless Entry to MLB Games

iOS 11 gives developers access to the NFC chip in Apple’s most recent iPhone models for the first time, allowing for apps that are able to read NFC tags in places like museums and retail stores.

The MLB today announced that the Oakland Athletics have tested a new ticketing feature that takes advantage of NFC, letting users enter the stadium by tapping an iPhone to a ticket scanner, much like Apple Pay.

The test was conducted during six games starting on September 22 following the launch of iOS 11, and as TechCrunch points out, it marks the first time that a professional sporting event has supported contactless tickets in Apple Wallet. Tap to enter isn’t radically different than scanning a barcode on a virtual ticket on an iPhone, but it’s faster and less prone to errors.

Following this test, the feature, being developed by Tickets.com, will be rolled out ahead of the 2018 season for the 23 MLB teams that use Tickets.com for ticketing purposes.

NFC has been a supported feature in iOS devices since Apple Pay first launched, but Apple previously limited its use to contactless Apple Pay payments. A new Core NFC iOS 11 framework expands the functionality of the NFC chip, introducing a new “Reader Mode” supported in the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

With Reader Mode and a compatible app, an iPhone that’s near a real-world NFC tag can recognize and read the tag, opening a linked website or providing other information about whatever’s being scanned.

An example of an NFC tag at a botanical garden
NFC tags are already used in a variety of places like landmarks, botanical gardens, stores, museums, and more because Android devices have been able to read NFC tags for some time. Apple’s adoption of the feature is more limited than Android because it requires companies to build an app with NFC support to read NFC tags, but it could spur wider adoption of NFC functionality.

Tag: NFC
Discuss this article in our forums

Order an iPhone X Case From Pad & Quill for a Chance to Win a Free 256GB iPhone X

With just about one month to go before the release of the iPhone X on November 3, Pad & Quill today announced a notable giveaway that will deliver a brand new 256GB iPhone X to its winner. At launch, the 256GB model will cost $1,149 in the United States.

To enter for a chance to win, you’ll have to order an iPhone X case made by Pad & Quill before October 25, and afterwards you’ll be automatically entered into the iPhone X contest. Note that only United States residents 18 years or older are eligible to enter.

The Bella Fino iPhone X Wallet Case
There are six iPhone X cases currently available to order on Pad & Quill’s website, each with different exterior and interior color options, which we’ve listed below. Most of the cases are up for pre-order with a mid-November delivery estimate, and only the Timberline Case is in stock now.

The Timberline Case for iPhone X
Pad & Quill has confirmed to us that the following accessories encompass all of the cases that will gain you entry into the iPhone X raffle:

• Timberline Case for iPhone X – $39.95
• Little Pocket Book iPhone X Wallet Case – $79.95
• Bella Fino iPhone X Wallet Case – $89.95
• Luxury Pocket Book iPhone X Wallet Case – $99.95
• Heritage Bella Fino iPhone X Wallet Case – $109.95
• Heritage Pocket Book iPhone X Wallet Case – $119.95

Entries for the contest stack as well, so if you order three cases, you’ll be entered to win an iPhone X three times.

This week, Best Buy has also marked down a handful of Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speakers by between $20 and $100, including the new WONDERBOOM speaker ($79.99, down from $99.99) and MEGABOOM ($199.99, down from $299.99). If you’re a My Best Buy member, you can also save $40 on the 2017 9.7-inch iPad in 32GB and 128GB models through October 7. This means you can get the cheapest model — $329.99 with 32GB — for just around $290.

More information on this week’s sales — including $20 off the Nanoleaf Aurora Modular Smart Lighting Kit at The Home Depot — can be found in our Deals Roundup.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors

Related Roundups: Apple Deals, iPhone X
Tag: Pad & Quill
Discuss this article in our forums

Find your next best friend with Hey! Vina, the app for female friendship

Why it matters to you

Swiping has been proven addictive, if not always useful, for establishing relationships. And now, it’s being applied to friendships.

If swiping for love has met with success (and indeed, no matter how infrequently, it most certainly has), it seems that applying the same practice to other sorts of relationships ought to result in happy endings, too. That is the hope behind new app Hey! Vina, described as “your favorite app for women’s friendship.”

When you swipe right in Hey! Vina, you won’t be in for a potential date — rather, you’ll have the opportunity to “meet new friends, join communities of people like you … and read awesome articles about living your best life.” So if you’re new in town, you may be able to say “hey” to a new friend circle with Hey! Vina.

While the app isn’t exactly new (it actually first came into existence last January), its global launch didn’t take place until September 2016, and at that point, it was only available for iOS. But now, the app can now be downloaded by folks with Android phones as well.

The premise is similar to that of most dating apps: you need a Facebook account in order to register, allowing you to check out potential “matches” (which is to say, gal pals) based on mutual friends or interests. From there, you’ll fill out a profile, and like any other matching app, the more information you provide, the better your chances of being paired with someone with whom you might actually be compatible.

Perhaps the best part of Hey! Vina is that it is solely dedicated to forming friendships. At least, insofar as this is a female-only platform. “Part of that is so that it doesn’t turn into a dating app,” Olivia Poole, one of the founders of Hey! Vina, told Engadget. “When you put men and women onto a platform to meet, it can very easily and organically turn into a dating app, just based on human nature.” Poole noted that while men and women can certainly form friendships, those relationships still develop differently than they do between two women.

Hey! Vina claims that it was downloaded 100,000 times in the first week of its availability on iOS, and has received more than 500,000 requests for an Android version (which it has now honored). Apparently, more than 1 million potential friendships have been set up across 158 countries. The Android version will be complete with an account dashboard that lets users see social stats, create friend lists, take quizzes, and manage community memberships. Group messaging will also be available.

Update: Hey! Vina is now available for Android as well. 

A year in, Microsoft Edge Extensions now number more than 70

Why it matters to you

Edge might lack the sheer number of extensions of its peers, but the ones it does have maintain a high standard of quality.

Since introducing extensions to the Edge browser last year, Microsoft has been working diligently to improve their capabilities and the specific extensions that users have access to. The firm is now celebrating the anniversary of their introduction, detailing some of the more than 70 Edge extensions now supported and also answering the most common question of why it’s not rolling out more extensions faster than it is.

Extensions have been a major part of the modern web browsing experience for quite a few years. First initiated with Internet Explorer 5 in 1999, it has since become a major feature of most modern browsers, offering everything from spell-checking to password storage and ad-blocking.

Their support in Edge was a major feature request when that browser was released alongside Windows 10. It showed up a year later and today Edge supports a growing list of extensions, including popular ones like Pinterest, Grammarly, LastPass, and AdBlock Plus, among many others. Here’s how to install the best of them.

The list now totals more than 70, with Microsoft adding more all the time. It is commonly asked why it’s not adding more at a faster rate, though, and in the anniversary blog, the firm explains that it’s been working on advanced features to enable some of them.

Those features include “Native Messaging,” which lets browser extensions communicate directly with Universal Windows Platform (UWP) applications; Bookmarks, which lets them interact with your favorites; improved APIs, and expanding the Windows Insider program to cover Edge extensions for better testing.

Although there are extension marketplaces for other browsers which have a much larger number of extensions, Microsoft is keen to grow its library of extensions more slowly. It’s currently looking to add support for the most requested extensions and will gradually expand beyond that, improving its “onboarding experience” for developers over time.

This means a high bar for quality. Microsoft notes in its address that it pays close attention to the effect extensions have on the browsing experience and wants to make sure that it’s an exclusively positive one. Issues with extensions and their delivery platform can lead to security and privacy concerns, as well as negatively impacting browsing itself.

“Looking forward, we continue to work closely with our developer partners to onboard new extensions into the Store. We continue to prioritize what APIs we should support, and what partners we should work with from user feedback, so please keep it coming,” senior program manager, Colleen Williams said. “Thanks to our users and partners for a great year.”

Your kitchen deserves an Instant Pot, and at this price you should grab one

It may not have USB ports or Wi-Fi, but the Instant Pot will no doubt become one of your favorite gadgets.

The Instant Pot 6-quart programmable pressure cooker is down to $69.99 at Amazon for today only. This multi-use slow cooker has sold around $100 for most of 2017, and the drop to $70 is its lowest price since last year’s Black Friday.

The larger 8-quart version of this Instant Pot was a top-selling item during Amazon’s Prime Day, and there is a good reason for it. With 14 smart programming options, you can easily cook your soup, meat, chili, rice and even sauté right inside the pot. If you aren’t a fan of cleaning up after you cook, you’ll be amazed at how easy one of these makes the cooking process.

Sure, it may not have Wi-Fi or a big OLED display on it, but odds are you’ve heard someone talk about the Instant Pot before, and may have wondered what all the hype was about. Not a whole lot of places offer serious critical reviews of kitchen appliances like this, but The Sweethome considers this one to be the best electric pressure cookers around, saying:

It’s simple to use and will turn out delicious meals in a fraction of the time conventional cooking requires—you can cook black beans from scratch in 20 minutes, for example. Compared with other electric models, it has more heat settings, and it sautéed our onions better (none of the electric models brown meat all that well).

You’ll get a stainless steel steam rack with handles, rice paddle, soup spoon, measuring cup, condensation collector and a recipe booklet. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what you can make inside of the Instant Pot, so be sure to check out the Instant Pot Cookbook for $11.09 as well. It comes with 550 recipes.

The Instant Pot has a 4.6-star rating with over 21,500 reviews, which is just insane.

See at Amazon

More from Thrifter

• Which Warehouse Shopping Club is Best for You?
• Top 10 Thriftiest U.S. cities to live in

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!