Anti-sex trafficking law could unintentionally cripple Wikipedia

After historically opposing changes to the Communications Decency Act’s Section 230, web giants came out in favor of a proposed amendment to the law, which would punish a website for knowingly facilitating sexual exploitation. But, unlike the Internet Association (which includes Amazon, Google, and Facebook), Wikipedia stands opposed to the provision. Mainly, it’s worried about the negative impact the broad-brush legislation may have on the little guy. In a Medium post, the Wikemedia Foundation’s legal fellow Leighanna Mixter claims the the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) could threaten its entire existence — which may be overstressing it.

Currently making its way through Congress, SESTA would amend section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which protects internet companies from liability for user-created content that may end up on their sites. Opponents of the bill, like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), claim it could cripple small-scale websites and stifle innovation by opening the litigation floodgates.

Mixter points to three principles in the bill that are crucial to Wikipedia. Firstly, CDA 230 keeps sites safe by encouraging content-hosting, in exchange for the removal of “problematic” material. SESTA, Mixter writes, adds vague language that “expands liability for ‘knowing’ support of certain criminal activity,” that could result in sites unintentionally landing in trouble. Mixter claims that the ambiguous wording around “knowing” must include “clear guidelines” that don’t accidentally trigger liability.

Second, SESTA also permits states to hold sites liable, requiring websites to navigate 50 potentially different standards, instead of the single standard currently imposed by the Section 230 federal law. Doing so, claims Mixter, would put a huge burden on smaller outfits (like the Wikimedia Foundation).

Finally, the post expands upon EFF’s points about the increased lawsuits that may abound from the bill. When “plaintiffs target online speech, they often go after the website, not the speaker,” which can prove less troublesome and more lucrative. The shield provided by CDA 230 remains crucial for websites more than 20 years after the law’s creation, claims Mixter. Even if the lawsuits are “meritless,” getting them dismissed “demands significant time and resources,” she writes.

Ultimately, Wikimedia is urging Congress to consider SESTA’s impact on small businesses alongside the tech titans. The same small businesses that don’t have the revenue or resources to battle lawsuits, or the algorithms to clean up their sites.

Source: Wikimedia Foundation (Medium)

Apple Approves ‘Notch Remover’ App for iPhone X

Apple appears to have made an exception to its rule that developers “embrace the notch” on the iPhone X, by approving an app called Notch Remover for the App Store.

Essentially, all the app does is add a black bar across the top of selected images that the user can then manually assign as a wallpaper in iOS Settings.

The result conceals the existence of the notch and the adjacent “ears” with what looks like a solid black status bar along the top of the lock screen and home screen.

The one-trick nature of the app is unlikely to have been overlooked by Apple and approved in error, suggesting that the company doesn’t interpret its function as a violation of iPhone X developer guidelines.

Don’t mask or call special attention to key display features. Don’t attempt to hide the device’s rounded corners, sensor housing, or indicator for accessing the Home screen by placing black bars at the top and bottom of the screen.

The notch houses Apple’s TrueDepth camera and Face ID technology, but it eats into the viewing area of the OLED display. Its existence has divided Apple fans, but many iPhone X owners say that they don’t really notice it after a few days or even just a few hours with the device, after which it ceases to be an issue for them.

Still, if the notch just isn’t your thing, Notch Remover offers to mitigate the screen intrusion for just $0.99.

Related Roundup: iPhone XBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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YouTube iOS App Causing Battery Drain, Overheating Issues for Some Users

YouTube has confirmed it is working to resolve a bug in its mobile app that causes significant battery drain on Apple devices, even when the app is running in the background.

First picked up by tech blog PiunikaWeb, the issue has been noted by several users on social media and appears to be affecting devices running iOS 11.1.1.

Image via PiunikaWeb
In addition to battery drain, some iPhone users have reported that the YouTube app is causing their device to run much hotter than usual when watching videos, although the two issues don’t seem to occur together in every case.

Hi there! Appreciate the report, this is something we’re actively working on. Thanks for your patience.

— Team YouTube (@TeamYouTube) November 12, 2017

YouTube says it is aware of the problem and is “actively working” to come up with a fix for inclusion in the next update to the app, although no timeframe was given. In the meantime, affected users are advised to watch YouTube videos in their browser of choice.

Tag: YouTube
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Trek wants to make your smartphone videos look more cinematic

If you’re a budding filmmaker looking to take your work to the next level, or a hobbyist that just fancies exploring new ways of getting better shots, then this motorized slider for smartphones, GoPros, and small cameras could be worth checking out.

A slider lets you shoot silky smooth video as your camera moves gently along a track, adding an air of professionalism to a sequence that might otherwise contain wobbles and shakes. The device, which requires you to simply attach your camera and input some settings before hitting the start button, is particularly popular among time-lapse creators.

Designed and built by a San Diego-based startup led by Scott Matthews, the Trek camera slider has already attracted plenty of interest on Indiegogo, more than doubling its $50,00 funding target.

Trek’s custom-built Dyno app for iPhone and Android offers a slew of possibilities for the imaginative filmmaker, allowing you to easily control the speed, length and direction of each shot. A live mode also lets you instantaneously make speed and direction changes for a more sophisticated-looking sequence.

You can also fix the track to a tripod for video shots up and down steep gradients, while Trek’s adjustable legs and rubber feet ensure stability on pretty much any kind of terrain.

Of particular note is Trek’s versatility, with curved tracks offering more creative possibilities than the standard straight-track systems currently on the market. And unlike many of its competitors, there’s no limit to the length of the track you can build with Trek.

“Each track is one foot long and easily fits into any pack, along with the rest of your gear,” Matthews explains on his Indiegogo page. “Set up tracks to get 360-degree views of a subject, cross 20-foot rivers, or curve in and out of rooms.”

Another attractive feature is the track’s incorporated magnets that allow you to put it together in super-quick time — no tools required.

Trek’s battery should last for up to 20 hours, but don’t worry about your smartphone or camera running out of juice mid-shot as Matthews’ team built in a port to Trek that with the aid of a cable will ensure your mobile device stays fully powered during a shooting session.

Should the team proceed as planned with Trek, the basic kit will retail for $300. The Indiegogo campaign is coming to a close, but there are still some pre-order offers available if you’re quick. Check out its funding page to find out more.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 gets a price cut in India; 4GB variant now costs ₹11,999

Xiaomi’s bestseller gets an enticing price cut in India.

The Redmi Note 4 made its debut in India ten months ago, and went on to become the best-selling phone in the country. It isn’t hard to see why the Redmi Note 4 was so well-received in the market: featuring a Snapdragon 625 and a 4100mAh battery, the phone offered decent performance and class-leading battery life, while undercutting the likes of the Moto G5 Plus.

The Redmi Note 4 variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage launched for ₹12,999, and starting today, the phone is available for ₹11,999, a discount of ₹1,000. Xiaomi has mentioned that it is a permanent price cut, making the device that much more alluring to buyers.

Exciting news Mi Fans:We are announcing a permanent price drop of ₹ 1,000 on India’s #1 selling smartphone: #RedmiNote4. 4GB + 64GB variant now at ₹ 11,999! Head to https://t.co/lzFXOcGyGQ and @Flipkart now! RT if you are excited. pic.twitter.com/Y4qZ2Z5kri

— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) November 13, 2017

The discount is valid on both the 4GB variant and the model with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, which is now available for ₹9,999. That’s incidentally the same price as the version with 2GB of RAM, which will likely be discontinued in the market.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 review

Hit up Flipkart from the link below to get your hands on the Redmi Note 4 for just ₹9,999.

See at Flipkart

Mercedes’ ubiquitous city bus is going electric in 2018

Mercedes-Benz wants an electric version of its long-running city bus to power the emissions-free mass transit future. Over a dozen cities recently pledged to make their bus fleets all-electric by 2030 (among them LA and Seattle). And, if the German auto-maker gets its way, its EV will be the one ferrying people around all hours of the day. Mercedes announced that it plans to start producing the electric “Citaro” by the end of 2018.

In the meantime, it’s begun testing prototypes in “extreme” conditions, like the icy roads of the Arctic circle and on the sweltering tarmac in Spain’s Sierra Nevada. The move comes just days after its parent company Daimler unveiled its electric school bus, further emphasizing its commitment to electric public transportation.

The “ultra quiet” bus is powered by modular, lithium-ion battery packs that fuel the electric wheel hub motors at the rear axle. The company also touts its energy-efficient climate control system as a range booster. But, it will have its work cut out to beat EV manufacturer Proterra — which recently set the record for longest distance traveled by an electric bus on a single charge (a whopping 1,101.2 miles). It’s also facing competition from Navya, the French firm behind the Las Vegas driverless shuttle service that just started back up (albeit with a hiccup). Not to mention household names like Volvo and Toyota.

Source: Daimler

Germany’s future trains have digital cars with game consoles

The impending era of driverless rides could prove disruptive for traditional modes of public transport. But, Germany’s state-owned railway company thinks it has a solution, and it sounds like a lot of fun — especially for gamers. It just unveiled plans for a new train complete with a digital coach that packs TVs and game consoles. Deutsche Bahn’s “Ideenzug” (“Idea Train”) will also boast gym equipment and a play area for kids. The railway firm envisions the project as a way to keep pace with, and even overtake, self-driving cars. (If it thinks autonomous vehicles are a scary prospect, wait till it learns of the Hyperloop).

For people turned off by backward-facing chairs, the train will boast swivelling seats (some of which will also come with bulges on either side for added privacy). Deutsche Bahn is currently showing off a replica of the project. But, making it a reality could prove a tricky prospect, with some claiming that it may not pass security regulations, as reported by German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. The sticking point seems to be the gym equipment, so gaming will likely still be on the cards.

Railway travel is changing elsewhere too, but these modifications have hinged on green energy and faster journeys. India, for example, recently debuted a solar-powered train, while Japan is known for its high-speed bullet trains. But, Deutsche Bahn’s project seems retrofitted to accommodate the modern-day traveller. Someone who wants to get in a workout, catch up on work, and indulge in some multiplayer action en route to their destination. All that’s missing is Netflix.

Source: Deutsche Bahn

Google explains the Pixel 2’s super-stable video recording

Google’s Pixel 2 phones have a clever trick up their sleeve when recording video: they can use both electronic and optical image stabilization, delivering largely jitter-free clips even if you’re walking down the street. But how does it meld those two technologies, exactly? Google is happy to explain: it just posted an in-depth exploration of how this stabilization works. As you might guess, Google uses some of its machine learning know-how to incorporate both anti-shake technologies where many phones can only use one or the other.

The system starts off by collecting motion info from both OIS and the phone’s gyroscope, making sure it’s in “perfect” sync with the image. But it’s what happens next that matters most: Google uses a “lookahead” filtering algorithm that pushes image frames into a deferred queue and uses machine learning to predict where you’re likely to move the phone next. This corrects for a wider range of movement than OIS alone, and can counteract common video quirks like wobbling, rolling shutter (the distortion effect where parts of the frame appear to lag behind) or focus hunting. The algorithmic method even introduces virtual motion to mask wild variations in sharpness when you move the phone quickly.

This isn’t to say that Google’s approach is flawless. As others have noted, the Pixel 2 can crop the frame in unexpected ways and blur low light footage more than it should. On the balance, though, this shows just how much AI-related technology can help with video. It can erase typical errors that EIS or OIS might not catch by themselves, and produces footage so smooth it can look like it was captured with the help of a gimbal.

Source: Google Research Blog

Some iPhone X units suffer from crackling speakers at high volume

The iPhone X appears to have multiple teething troubles, albeit ones that aren’t necessarily common. Some users on Reddit, MacRumors and Twitter report that the new handset’s top speaker is crackling at higher volume levels. The severity varies, but it happens regardless of what you’re playing and persists with replacement units. It doesn’t appear to affect most units, but it’s common enough that it’s not necessarily an isolated issue.

We’ve asked Apple for comment and will keep you updated. Apple support reps are already collecting diagnostic info, so they’re at least investigating the reports.

It’s difficult to pin down a cause at this stage. Although the differing levels of the problem suggest the crackling could be a hardware issue, this comes mere weeks after Apple fixed a software flaw that produced crackles on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. If it’s a related issue, the company could theoretically push out a patch that addresses the problem without replacements. Either way, this and other problems are a reminder that cutting-edge phones can have their share of early glitches — it can take time before manufacturers iron out the kinks.

Via: MacRumors

Source: Reddit

Dream Chaser passes a big milestone with a successful glide test landing

The Dream Chaser prototype spacecraft passed a big test yesterday, gliding to a successful landing on a runway in the Mojave Desert after it was dropped from a helicopter. The unmanned test landing marks a major milestone for the Sierra Nevada Corporation, after a similar 2013 flight ended in a crash after the landing gear failed to deploy correctly.

The success of the flight test likely marks the last milestone for a $227.5 million contract awarded to Sierra Nevada in 2012 for NASA’s Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) program.

The test had been long-planned but not publicly announced, according to Space Flight Now. The spacecraft was tethered to a heavy-duty helicopter with a 200-foot cable and released at an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet. Its on-board guidance system lined up the spacecraft with the runway during the steep final approach.

SNC is proud to announce the Dream Chaser® spacecraft had a successful free-flight test today @EdwardsAFB, with support of @NASAArmstrong. The Dream Chaser had a beautiful flight and landing! pic.twitter.com/lAn0n7FPsg

— Sierra Nevada Corp (@SierraNevCorp) November 12, 2017

In August, the Dream Chaser was flown through the air for more than two hours during a captive-carry test while attached to a helicopter.

As Geek Wire notes, Sierra Nevada landed a different contract last year to use the Dream Chaser as an unmanned vehicle to transfer cargo back and forth to the International Space Station. A fully working version of the Dream Chaser could start making deliveries as soon as 2020, if all goes according to schedule. The company also has a contract with the United Nations to launch payloads into orbit on the Dream Chaser.

The Dream Chaser itself has an interesting and rather convoluted history. It was based on a secret Soviet design from the Cold War that turned into NASA’s HL-20, which never made it into space. A company called SpaceDev resurrected the design, but after its founder left to form a space tourism company SpaceDev was purchased by Sierra Nevada in 2008.

Since then, they’ve had an on-again off-again relationship with NASA. Sierra Nevada got funding in 2012 under the CCiCap program, which paid out certain amounts as the spacecraft successfully completed several milestones.

In 2014, the space agency announced it would only fund the Dream Chaser rival programs, SpaceX’s Dragon and Boeing’s CST-100 spacecraft, for Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap). Sierra Nevada filed a protest, but the government’s General Accounting Office upheld the decision.

The Dream Chaser was redesigned for cargo missions and in 2016, NASA announced that Sierra Nevada (along with SpaceX and a new company named Orbital ATK) would all be used for cargo missions to the space station in the upcoming future.

The first actual spaceflight of the Dream Chaser is planned for 2020. It will lift off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 booster from Cape Canaveral, and will touch down on the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.