Netflix revives London street drama ‘Top Boy’ with Drake’s help

Netflix is continuing its tradition of extending popular Channel 4 TV shows after confirming that London street drama Top Boy is being revived. In a tweet, the show’s star Ashley Walters — also known as Asher D from the So Solid Crew — confirmed that the series has been picked up as a Netflix Original and will debut in 2019 with a little help from Canadian megastar Drake.

Top Boy follows the rise of Dushane (Walters) and his friend Sully (played by Kane ‘Kano’ Robinson) in the grimy underground drugs business. The show won a BAFTA for in 2012, but was dropped a year later. Last year, it emerged that Drake had swooped in and bought the rights from Channel 4, having earlier watched the show on YouTube and shared his appreciation for the series on Instagram. Walters has also said that Drake will play a significant role in the upcoming season.

In October 2014, @Drake posted this photograph on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/NtBlkKlhzy

— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) November 8, 2017

According to Hollywood Reporter, the third season will pick up from where it left up, with Dushane returning to London to reclaim his throne. “He teams with Sully (Robinson), his spiritual brother, partner, and sometime rival who is also returning to the same streets after his own form of exile — prison — comes to an end. Awaiting them both is Jamie, the young, hungry and ruthless gang leader whose ambitions leave no place for Dushane and Sully,” said the entertainment website.

So after years of speculation and anticipation I can finally reveal that we have managed to secure a brand new home for the new season of TOPBOY! In all honesty I’m more happy for you guys than myself.

“We’re going back to Summerhouse. @TopBoyNetflix 2019 pic.twitter.com/i2WoNPCwfy

— Ashley Walters (@AshleyWalters82) November 8, 2017

Netflix had already secured global streaming rights to the series, but this is the second time it has continued development of a major Channel 4 programme by turning it into an Original production. The first was Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, which will return to screens in the coming months.

Via: Hollywood Reporter

Silk Road investigator gets more jail time for second Bitcoin theft

A Secret Service agent already convicted to 71 months in prison for swiping Silk Road Bitcoins will get another two years for a separate Bitcoin theft, Reuters reports. Shaun Bridges pleaded guilty to stealing 1,606 Bitcoins — worth around $360,000 at the time and now valued at over $11 million — from a Bitcoin wallet controlled by the Secret Service. The theft was discovered when the agency tried to return some of the coins after they were seized from the European BitStamp exchange.

That sounds crazy, but there’s more. Bridges was actually caught a day before he was scheduled to turn himself in for the first theft with bags containing a passport, offshore account records, a non-US citizenship application for his wife and multiple bulletproof vests. In other words, he was apparently set to get out of Dodge and cash in his ill-gotten Bitcoin chips at the time of his second arrest.

The first time he stole Bitcoins, Bridges was working on the Silk Road case that eventually landed kingpin Ross Ulbricht, aka “Dread Pirate Roberts,” who received a life sentence for money laundering and other crimes. During the course of the probe, Bridges transferred $800,000 worth of Bitcoins to his personal wallet.

“Nothing in [Bridges’] background mitigates the shocking and reprehensible abandonment of his public duty” – Judge Richard Seeborg during Bridges’ initial sentencing

His co-defendant at the time was former DEA Agent Carl Force, who also stole Bitcoins during the Silk Road investigation. Those, and others seized from the BitStamp currency exchange, were stored on a digital wallet controlled by the Secret Service. Prior to his conviction for the first offense and while he was free on bail, Bridges used a key previously pilfered from the agency to transfer the 1,606 Bitcoins to accounts and wallets under his control.

The Secret Service tracked down 600 of the Bitcoins, and as part of his plea deal, Bridges agreed to hand over the remaining loot. The Secret Service sold off the 144,336 Silk Road Bitcoins after Ross Ulbricht was convicted (following a challenge by Ulbricht) for an average price of $334, claiming what would have seemed like a windfall of $48 million back in 2015. At today’s Bitcoin price of around $7,500, however, the coins are now worth (you might want to sit down) $1.08 billion.

Source: Reuters

Amazon teaches Alexa Japanese for Echo’s next destination

Amazon’s Echo, Plus and Dot speakers will finally be available in Japan starting next week. To prepare for the devices’ arrival in the island nation, the e-retail giant taught the voice assistant how to understand and respond in the Japanese language. Alexa SVP Tom Taylor said the company designed an all-new experience “from the ground up for Japanese customers, including a new Japanese voice, local knowledge and over 250 skills from Japanese developers.”

Users in the country can issue typical Alexa voice commands in their native tongue. They can, say, listen to news from Japanese media companies like NHK, TBS TV, TV TOKYO, Asahi Newspaper and Mainichi Newspaper. They can ask Alexa for the local weather forecast, as well as questions about local celebs, locations (“What is the altitude of Alexa, Mt. Fuji?”), prominent dates in the country and even the spelling of English words.

Amazon also wants to make sure third-party developers can create unique experiences for Japanese users, so it has given them access to Alexa’s Skills Kit. Japanese companies will even be able to use Alexa’s Voice Service soon, which will give them the power to embed Alexa into their devices, services and maybe even their robots. If you’re in Japan, the basic Echo, the Echo Plus with built-in smart home hub and the tiny Echo Dot speaker will set you back 11,980 yen ($105), 17,980 yen ($158) and 5,980 yen ($53), respectively when they start shipping on November 13th.

Source: Amazon Japan

Twitter launches $99 subscription tool to promote tweets

Twitter is making it easier for small businesses and power users to give their tweets a boost. The social network has officially launched its first ad subscription tool called “Promote Mode” as a public beta. Twitter started testing the always-on mode as an invite-only feature in July, giving users access to a feature that can automatically blast their tweets and profiles into strangers’ (aka non-followers’) timelines. Now that it’s available to the public, more people who don’t have the means, the know-how or the time to launch ad campaigns of their own can pay $99 per month for the service.

Promote Mode is primarily a mobile feature users can readily access through the Twitter app’s menu drawer. It’s where they can see all the numbers that matter, including how many followers they’ve gained and the number of people who saw their tweets and visited their profiles. On desktop, users can access the feature and those metrics through social media software Sprout Social.

Despite providing an automated way to promote tweets, the feature’s success all depends on the subscribers’ activities. Their tweets still need to be good, informative or witty enough to able to convince people to hit the Follow button. Unfortunately, even the most interesting accounts can’t access the feature yet if they’re not in the US or the UK. It’s only out as a public beta in those locations, though it will also come out in Japan in the near future.

From the time Twitter first introduced the feature, it was pretty obvious that the company conjured it up as a new way to make money. According to its Q3 earnings report, it just had one of the best quarters (if not the best quarter ever) after managing to trim down losses to $21 million. If the feature does well, it could even help the company finally turn a profit.

Source: Twitter Promote Mode

Reddit bans misogynist community as part of anti-violence crackdown

Reddit’s crackdown on hate-filled, violent communities isn’t just limited to banning racists: the social site has banned r/Incels, the misogynistic “involuntary celibates” subreddit. While the company isn’t diving into specific posts that prompted the ban, a spokeswoman pointed us to the October 25th policy change that forbids content which “encourages, glorifies, incites, or calls for violence or physical harm.” And given Incels’ history, it’s easy to see why the subreddit ran afoul of these limits.

The group styled itself as a haven for men frustrated with their lack of sex. This wasn’t a coping or self-improvement group, however. Rather, it attacked an allegedly superficial society and blamed women in particular. Many felt as if women were only interested in looks, and that men were entitled to sex. Members frequently discussed violent fantasies, including raping women and killing more attractive men. In other words, Incels crossed a line that even other misogynist groups wouldn’t touch.

Reddit’s clampdown on this and other violent communities has drawn criticism from users who feel it’s a betrayal of the site’s longstanding commitment to freedom of expression. However, it’s not likely to be swayed any time soon. Whether or not Reddit believes it has a moral responsibility to ban groups that promote violence in the wake of Charlottesville and other incidents, it’s clearly facing a lot of pressure to clean up its act. Violent communities can scare both users and advertisers away — Reddit might have trouble growing if has a reputation for courting extremists.

Source: Gizmodo (Twitter)

Soderbergh’s experimental ‘Mosaic’ HBO series hits iPhone and Apple TV

Director Steven Soderbergh has made a name for himself by pushing cinematic boundaries, so it’s no surprise that his upcoming series for HBO, Mosaic, isn’t your usual TV fare. Today, he’s launching the Mosaic app on iPhone and Apple TV (with Android and web versions to follow soon), which will let you decide how you watch the show. It’s not quite “choose your own adventure,” since you’re not making any decisions on the show’s outcome. Instead, the app, which was developed by PodOp, lets you determine how Mosaic’s narrative flows.

The first episode introduces you to Olivia Lake, an author played by Sharon Stone. After viewing that, the narrative path branches into two episodes. You could just watch them in parallel, or you could follow the path down all the way to the end, then go back and catch up on what you’ve missed. You can also unlock additional clips, documents and recordings to flesh out the story. HBO is making all 7.5 hours of the series available in the app, but it’s also going to air a six-hour version of the series edited by Soderbergh (naturally) on January 22nd.

“While branching narratives have been around forever, technology now allows, I hope, for a more elegant form of engagement than used to be possible,” Soderbergh said in a statement. “At no point were we reverse-engineering the story to fit an existing piece of technology; the story was being created in lockstep with the technical team. The fluidity of that relationship made me feel comfortable because I wanted it to be a simple, intuitive experience.”

Conceptually, Mosaic sounds similar to what Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz attempted with the fourth season of that show on Netflix. He originally said you’d be able to watch those episodes in any order, but then later backtracked on that suggestion. Francis Ford Coppola also tried something similar with Twixt in 2011, a film that he could “remix” narratively with an iPad. He wanted to tour with the movie and edit it live, but eventually settled for a traditional release.

HBO

For Soderbergh, Mosaic is just the latest in a string of TV experiments. His Cinemax series, The Knick, tackled the early days of medical surgery with an anachronistic synth-heavy score. Soderbergh’s film The Girlfriend Experience is now a TV show, as well, and its second season is also dabbling with branching narratives. Soderbergh says he’s working on two more series using the Mosaic platform. Eventually, he hopes to open it up to other directors.

I’ve only seen part of Mosaic’s first episode, but I’ll definitely be devouring the entire series as soon as I can. It’s unclear if the app will appeal to anyone beyond Soderbergh fans and cinephiles, though. In the age of bingewatching, it seems like more viewers simply want to sit back and consume hours of content without lifting a finger.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Mosaic (iTunes Store), HBO

Netgear’s smart security light alerts you of unwanted guests

Netgear is taking another stride into smart home security under its Arlo banner. The company has already released a bunch of comprehensive surveillance cameras, and its latest piece of connected hardware is a wireless, outdoor security light. Like smart bulbs before it, the light hooks up to a mobile app to let you customize its color and brightness. But, you probably won’t be using it to set the mood for a dinner party. Instead, it will ping you when it detects motion, and automatically turn on in the process. Thankfully, you’ll be able to tinker with its sensors on your smartphone, so it doesn’t blink every time a pet runs by.

There’s even the option to switch to red light mode, which should scare the wits out of unwanted guests. And, if you own Arlo’s existing cameras, you can sync them with the smart light to create a smart home security network. That way, they can be set-up to trigger recordings, switch on additional lights, and IFTTT-enabled smart locks — turning your home into an impenetrable smart fortress. The IFTTT tag (which is basically a connective system for web-facing services) also means the light works with Amazon’s Echo speakers and Google Home.

There’s no word on the Arlo Security Light’s price, so we can’t say for sure whether it’s more affordable than its closest rivals: The $200 Wink security bundle and the $249 Ring Floodlight Cam. But, you will have to fork out an extra $80 for a separate solar panel if you don’t want to rely on the rechargeable batteries that come out of the box.

The Arlo Security Light will arrive in the US in the first half of 2018.

Chrome will soon prevent irritating, unwanted website redirects

Today, Google announced some tweaks coming to Chrome that are aimed at blocking surprise website redirects and irritating pop-ups. In a blog post, Google said that around one out of every five feedback reports regarding Chrome mentions users being directed toward unwanted content and so it’s working to address those issues in upcoming Chrome releases.

In Chrome 64, Google will automatically prevent webpages from unexpectedly navigating to a new page, which Google says is often due to third-party content embedded in the original page and often not intended by the page’s author. Chrome will now block those redirect attempts and will show that a redirect was attempted and prevented in an infobar, an example of which you can see in the image below.

Another problem that Chrome users often complain about is when clicking a new link not only opens a new tab but also causes the original page to navigate to a different, unintended webpage. Google says this is a circumvention of Chrome’s pop-up blocker and with Chrome 65, those unwanted redirections in the main tab will be blocked and an alert notifying users of such will show up in an infobar.

Finally, Google is also tackling more aggressive redirects, such as play buttons that actually send users to a new page and transparent overlays on websites that result in lots of pop-ups or new tabs when a user clicks anywhere on the page. Chrome’s pop-up blocker will start to prevent those things from happening in early January.

Google is also working on a few other features that will make web browsing less irritating. For example, with Chrome 64, Google’s browser will no longer autoplay videos that have sound. And future Chrome versions will also block ads that are overly annoying or intrusive. Chrome 64 is currently in pre-beta testing and is expected out early next year.

Images: Google

Source: Google

Pokémon Go Developer Niantic’s Next Augmented Reality Smartphone Game Will Be Harry Potter Themed

Following the success of Pokémon Go, TechCrunch is reporting today that developer Niantic Labs’ next augmented reality game will be themed around the world of Harry Potter. The smartphone app will be called “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” and is set to launch in 2018.

Specific details about the app’s gameplay have not yet been released, but it’s said that “there will be significant influence” from Niantic’s original game, Ingress, which also influenced Pokémon Go. The developer’s previous two games task players with exploring the real world to perform in-game actions, defending locations, and collecting items. Still, it’s unclear which aspects of the Harry Potter universe would be used to create an augmented reality experience.

Niantic Labs had tremendous success with Pokémon Go, which paired their expertise in building location-based augmented reality mobile experiences with a top-flight IP with a ravenous fan base. So, it stands to reason that we should expect a similar fan response to Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, an AR title set to launch in 2018, co-developed by Warner Bros. Interactive and its new sub brand Portkey Games.

The app is now official, bu the details are still scarce, with the launch timeframe of just sometime next year, but it sounds like there will be significant influence from the Niantic game Ingress, which allows players to roam the real world collecting power-ups, defending locations and exploring their environment.

Augmented reality is quickly becoming a popular feature on smartphones, particularly for Apple’s products. This year, the company debuted ARKit in iOS 11, greatly expanding the reach and availability of AR apps on the iOS App Store. Company CEO Tim Cook is constantly referencing his excitement for the technology, and a report by Bloomberg earlier today reinvigorated rumors that Apple is now on a “very aggressive” timeline to debut AR glasses by 2020.

Tags: Harry Potter, Pokémon GO, Niantic
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Apple Has Given Drake Permission to Produce ‘Whatever He Chooses’ Amid His Push Into TV and Film

In an in-depth article about Drake’s push into the TV and film industry, The Hollywood Reporter claims that Apple has given the Toronto-born rapper permission to produce “whatever he chooses.”

Here’s what the report says, with emphasis ours:

But the biggest indicator of Drake’s big Hollywood push is whom he is partnering with next: Steve Golin, who runs Anonymous Content (one of Hollywood’s hottest production houses and home of Spotlight and Mr. Robot), for an untitled TV series; film studio A24; and, perhaps most significantly, Apple, which has given him the go-ahead to produce whatever he chooses — at least, according to Jimmy Iovine — just as the cash-flush titan is poised to shake up the content space.

Drake’s exact strategy remains to be seen, but Apple says it will simply support whatever he wants to do, according to the report. After all, the artist has been an extremely valuable partner for Apple over the past few years.

Drake and Apple’s Eddy Cue introduced Apple Music at WWDC 2015 via Associated Press
Not only did Drake help unveil and promote Apple Music on stage when it launched in 2015, but he became the first artist to top one billion streams on the service with his hit album “Views” last year. His show OVO Sound Radio on Apple’s Beats 1 station also holds the record for the most listened-to episode to date.

“Drake almost single-handedly helped us become culturally relevant from the day we launched,” said Robert Kondrk, a vice president of Apple Music.

The report claims American rapper Future, who is friends with Drake, may also have the green light from Apple to produce content.

“If I had a company today, I would give it to Drake and Future to run in a minute,” said Jimmy Iovine, the record mogul who has worked at Apple since its $3 billion acquisition of Beats in 2014. “They’re incredibly talented guys. Very, very gifted.”

Full Article: Drake’s Hotline to Hollywood: Inside an Ambitious Push Into Film and TV

Tags: Drake, Apple’s Hollywood ambitions
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