Chrome OS may soon get Android notification badges

Chrome Story has reported that Chrome OS will be taking another feature from Android. The OS which, powers Google’s Chromebook line, will be getting the notification badges found on devices running Android Oreo 8.0.

Google has not officially made any announcements regarding this new feature, but evidence for the feature’s existence was found buried within Chrome OS’ code. One of the comments makes mention of this new feature, though the details are scarce. For starters, we don’t know when the new feature will come out or what it will look like. However, one of the comments describes the badges as being in the top right corner of the app image.

One other lingering question lies in regards to whether this feature will work with only Android apps or just Chrome OS apps as well. Again, nothing is confirmed, but one of the comments suggested that this change would apply to both Android and Chrome OS apps.

Another comment suggested that Chrome OS will get the pop-up feature that appears when you long press an Android app, such as displaying recent contacts in a messenger app. However, that feature’s inclusion has yet to be confirmed.

When Chrome OS first launched, it proved to be a popular choice for many people, thanks to the low price and long battery life offered by Chromebooks. However, Chromebooks were largely useless without an active internet connection. Recently, Google has taken steps to address this by including support for Android apps on Chromebooks which make the devices much more useful than they were before.

The wide array of Android apps allowed for Chrome OS users to play games, consume media and other things without having to rely on an internet connection though, of course, Chromebooks do work much better with an active internet connection.

The inclusion of Android apps has led to some speculation that Google may seek to combine the two operating systems in some way. That remains to be seen, however, and it is possible that the mysterious Fuschia OS may replace both Chrome OS and Android one day. For now, though, Fuschia remains a distant project.

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Retro-bit brought brand-new Sega accessories to CES

While Nintendo’s ‘classic’ consoles have soaked up much of the retro love lately, Sega fans do have something to look forward to. The last booth I stopped by at CES 2018 was one of my favorites, as Retro-bit showed off new officially-licensed accessories it’s releasing for Sega consoles later this year, including (but not limited to) Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get my hands on any of these controllers to see how they match up with the originals, but it’s nice to see them upgraded with modern capabilities like USB and Bluetooth.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Source: Retro-bit

Mercedes CEO: ‘Stay tuned’ for an electric G Wagon SUV

Mercedes-Benz’s G-Class Wagon isn’t changing for the future in the ways you might expect. Yet. From a preview event at Detroit’s crumbling, historic Michigan Theater for the North American International Auto Show, chairman Dieter Zetche was joined onstage by Arnold Schwarzenegger to talk about the iconic SUV’s improvements. Given where Schwarzenegger used to hold office — California — and his environmental bend, The Governator had a pressing question for Zetche: “What is the future [of Mercedes] in fossil fuels? Does this G Wagon eventually come out as an electric G Wagon?” He has the world’s first one at home in Los Angeles, he said.

Zetche’s response was coy. Last year, the automaker announced that the future of Mercedes was all electric drivetrains. “Stay tuned,” Zetche teased. And then Schwarzenegger gave Zetche a cowboy hat and the pair did a shot of schnapps.

Other new bits for the SUV? An all new rear camera system, with two sensors — one above and one below the spare tire. The lower is 100 percent waterproof to accommodate the G’s new 700mm (27.56 inches) wading depth. There’s also a new infotainment system, which premieres in the A-Class sedan, with Car Play and potentially other configurations (a demo wasn’t available).

Click here to catch up on the latest news from NAIAS 2018.

SCOTUS will hear a case on internet sales tax

One of the benefits of internet shopping for many consumers is not having to pay sales tax. But the Supreme Court has just agreed to hear South Dakota v. Wayfair, which may reverse the 1992 ruling that prevents state and local governments from requiring retailers to collect sales tax for online purchases.

Bloomberg reports that states may have lost out on as much as $13 billion in 2017 because of the internet’s functionally tax-free status, according to a Government Accountability Office report. The state of South Dakota decided to do something about it; its legislature passed a bill in 2016 that required any retailer with over $100,000 in sales per year to pay a 4.5 percent state tax on purchases. After the bill became law, the state turned to the courts to ask it to make the law constitutional.

Online retailers WayFair, NewEgg and Overstock are opposed to the legislation. The companies state that, while Congress might pass a law supporting an online sales tax, the courts aren’t a way to solve this problem. “If Quill is overruled, the burdens will fall primarily on small and medium-size companies whose access to a national market will be stifled,” the companies said. “Congress can address this issue in a balanced and comprehensive manner through legislation.”

If the Supreme Court upholds the South Dakota law and overturns the 26-year-old precedent of Quill v. North Dakota, it will certainly impact online buying. While online mega-retailer Amazon collects sales tax in most states this point, companies without physical presences in states currently have an advantage over brick-and-mortar locations. Without that, it’s possible online sales could fall.

Via: Bloomberg

Source: Justia

One in six Americans owns a smart speaker, according to study

There’s no doubt that smart speakers are selling like hotcakes, but how many people own them, exactly? Quite a few, according to NPR and Edison Research. They’ve published findings of a study which estimates that one in six Americans (16 percent) owns a smart speaker of some kind — a huge amount if the study is precise, and a whopping 128 percent higher than a year earlier. About 7 percent of Americans reportedly bought at least one speaker between Black Friday (November 24th) and then end of 2017, with 4 percent of Americans having bought their very first speaker.

Not surprisingly, Amazon still rules this fledgling market. The study indicates that 11 percent of Americans have one of Amazon’s Echo speakers, while 4 percent have a Google Home of some kind thanks to its relatively late arrival. Just how people use their speakers is more complicated. About 66 percent of buyers plan to entertain others by streaming music, asking questions or playing games, while 64 percent anticipate using theirs for smart home control.

These speakers aren’t necessarily replacing the devices you’d expect, either. While 39 percent of owners say they’re using radios less often, and 34 percent say the same for smartphones, you also see significant impacts on TV (30 percent), tablets (27 percent), PCs (26 percent) and even the printed word (23 percent). About 44 percent also said they increased use of voice assistants on their phones, which suggests that these speakers are raising awareness of these AI helpers — no doubt what companies like Amazon and Google are hoping for.

We would take the study with a small grain of salt. It’s based on both a blind 1,010-person phone study and a deeper dive into habits based on an 806-person survey of owners. While both samples are substantial, there’s a good chance the real figures are different. Even so, they indicate that smart speakers are quickly becoming mainstays of life for some people. And with a wave of smart displays on the way, that trend might just continue.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: National Public Media

Apple Health App data being used as evidence in murder trial in Germany

Not everyone uses the Apple Health App that’s pre-installed on their iPhones. But this app is playing an important role in a murder trial in Germany. An Afghan refugee named Hussein Khavari is being accused of raping and murdering 19-year-old medical student Maria Ladenburger, disposing of her body in a river.

Hussein has been on trial since September of 2017, and Ladenburger was murdered in October 2016. The authorities wanted to search the information on his iPhone, but Khavari refused to give them his password to unlock the device, Welt reports.. Investigators then turned to a private Munich company to gain access to his phone. Khavari has admitted to his guilt, but he also disputed some details.

Authorities went through the Apple’s Health app on his phone and learned what kind of activity Khavari was participating in on that particular day — the day Ladenburger’s body was dumped in the River Dreisam. They discovered that a large bulk of his activity consisted of “climbing stairs.” They took this information and made a correlation between the time it would have taken Khavari to drag the body of Ladenburger down to the river, and climb back up.

An investigator of similar build to Khavari went to the scene of the crime to recreate how the police believed he disposed of the body. The investigator’s Apple Health app activity correlated with the information that was recorded on Khavari’s phone.

“Digital evidence is already more common in law enforcement, not only metrics from apps but also facial recognition, recordings from smart speakers, and, of course, smart devices with cameras,” said Sean O’Brien, a researcher at Yale Privacy Lab. Michael Kwet, another Yale Privacy Lab researcher, has suggested that data pulled from smartphones and other devices are likely to be used more in criminal investigations. It seems that the legal-system has not yet found a way to handle these kinds of cases.

“In my opinion, the creators and distributors of software should, first and foremost, have a responsibility to their users,” O’Brien said. “When and where they should hand over data to courts is a more complex question. It would be much better, in my view, not to collect such surveillance data at all. Such data is best kept locally on devices whenever possible. If it is collected, those who handle it have a deep responsibility to defend the privacy of their users.”

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Ford teases ‘Mach 1’ electric performance SUV for 2020

At its NAIAS 2018 preview event, Ford just dropped a few details about an electric vehicle it plans to release in 2020. The “Mach 1” (cribbing its name from the famous Mustang model) is an all-electric performance SUV under development by Team Edison in Ford’s recently-opened Corktown facility. It won’t be the company’s only EV either, as chairman Bill Ford revealed the company plans to have 40 electric vehicles by 2022 while investing $11 billion in them.

That group’s stated mission is to “accelerate both the development and adoption of electric vehicles,” but this is the first project we’re getting any information about. Last year, the company vaguely referenced an electric SUV with 300 miles of range, as well as plans for a hybrid Mustang and F-150. The demo reel at this event showed off the hybrid F-150 that could power one’s house in case of an outage, which is also due to arrive in 2020. Appropriately, the Mach 1 reveal comes at an event where Ford also showed off a performance gas SUV in the Edge ST and a “Bullitt” special edition of the Mustang. Whatever Mach 1 is, it appears the Tesla Model X will have some competition… eventually.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from NAIAS 2018.

Source: Ford (Twitter)

Hulu is now the exclusive streaming home for ‘ER’

If you grew up watching American TV, there’s a good chance you’ve seen at least a little bit of the hospital drama ER. But if you’ve wanted to watch it online, your legal options have been limited unless you’ve been willing to buy it from services like iTunes. However, it just got considerably easier… for some people, at least. Hulu has announced that it’s now the first and only place where you can stream all 15 seasons of ER. If you want to see what George Clooney was doing before he became an A-list movie star (or directing Hulu originals), you just have to fire up a web browser.

Hulu hasn’t said whether or not its exclusive is just for the US or applies worldwide — we’ve asked the company if it can elaborate. If it’s international in scope, that rules out ER streaming in most countries given that Hulu is virtually non-existent outside of the US and Japan.

Either way, it’s a coup for Hulu as it fights for exclusives that could give it an edge over Amazon and Netflix. It also partly addresses an ongoing problem with access to classic shows on streaming services. While there have been previous deals to stream well-known shows like Seinfeld, there have still been conspicuous omissions like ER. It’s now that much easier to recreate your old TV viewing habits without spending a fortune in the process.

Source: Hulu

Fox Innovation Lab showcases Wes Anderson VR and Movies Anywhere

During CES, a Fox Innovation Lab event focused on tech it’s pushing this year like HDR10+, but the most important parts were a slick VR experience tied to Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and discussion of the recently-launched Movies Anywhere. While VR experiences built around movies are hardly new, this one took an unusual tack.

Fox

Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson and Jeff Goldblum provided voices for the dogs they play in the movie, talking as themselves or in character while I viewed them in VR, sitting on set pieces in the stop-motion animation studio as animators walked around in the background. The combination of dogs talking in “real time” before you while animators whisk by accelerated behind creates a surreal effect that also highlights all the work that goes into making a movie like this. The full experience is going to be released later this month tied to the Sundance Film Festival, initially for Google Daydream headsets.

The other part of the event was a chance to talk to some of the people behind Movies Anywhere, as we checked in on the digital locker setup. After some initial waiting, I was able to successfully link all of my accounts to the service, and even use it to search out and buy movies very easily. According to general manager Karin Gilford, people have already moved around 80 million movies onto the new platform, which unlocks titles across iTunes, Amazon Video, Vudu and Google Play, and have streamed more than 3 million hours.

Something we can expect to see more of is tie-ins between movies that are just arriving in theaters, like Fox’s exclusive featurette pushed with The Greatest Showman. That’s because they’ve found people tied in with the service see more movies in theaters than the average person. Other than potential deals with new partners, the push in 2018 will be to improve the experience on TV screens, new features and making it a better companion for film fans.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Meltdown and Spectre flaws loomed large over CES

The Meltdown and Spectre CPU vulnerabilities hung like a shadow over the festivities of CES. What’s typically a celebration of consumer electronics was instead a stark reminder of just how far-reaching these issues are. And that’s especially the case for Intel and AMD, both of whom unveiled fast new processors that are still vulnerable to future Spectre exploits. They each had statements about what they’re doing to secure their hardware, but there was no escaping that the threat of Spectre is the new normal. That’s particularly troubling when tech companies are hoping to launch smart home solutions that seep into every aspect of ours lives.

Intel faced the brunt of the early criticism, when initial reports pegged the potential exploits as something that affected only its chips. It turns out that’s not the whole story. The Meltdown vulnerability is specifically aimed at Intel’s hardware, but Spectre will be an ongoing issue for every modern CPU. All the same, no massive security hole was going to put a stop to Intel CEO Brian Krzanich’s opening CES keynote — not when its big-budget show was being held at a giant music venue at the Monte Carlo hotel.

After an opening act that featured virtual instruments and a virtuoso child dancer, Krzanich went into crisis response mode almost immediately. “The collaboration among so many companies to address this industry-wide issue across several different processor architectures has been truly remarkable,” he said, praising the unusual way competitors rallied together. “Security is job number one for Intel and our industry. So the primary focus of our decisions and discussions have been to keep our customers’ data safe.”

Krzanich went on to assure the audience that Intel hasn’t heard about anyone using these exploits to steal customer data. And he also gave us more clarity about the company’s response, noting that it plans to fully patch its product line from the past five years by the end of the month. As for reports of fixes slowing down processors, he reiterated Intel’s line about the impact being “highly workload dependent.” Microsoft gave us a bit more insight into what that means the next day — basically, you can expect noticeable slowdowns with Intel’s chips from 2015 and earlier.

As for AMD, its CTO, Mark Papermaster, told press and analysts that it still believes there is “near zero risk” for its users. Thanks to architectural differences from Intel, the Meltdown (aka “Rogue Data Cache Load”) vulnerability doesn’t affect AMD’s chips. When it comes to the two Spectre vulnerabilities, he said Variant 1, otherwise known as “Bounds check bypass,” will be fixed through OS and software patches.

Papermaster reiterated that there’s “near zero risk” for its architecture to Variant 2, or “branch target injection.” Specifically, he noted, “vulnerability to Variant 2 has not been demonstrated on AMD processors to date.” That carefully worded statement leaves room for the possibility that hackers could come up with new exploits that take advantage of that flaw.

This CES was a particularly ill-timed launch for one of the strangest collaborations in the tech industry: Intel’s new 8th-generation Core CPU with AMD’s RX Vega GPU. When we first heard about the chip, we were intrigued by the possibilities. It finally gives computer makers the flexibility to make ultraportables with solid gaming chops. But now, with the threat of Spectre, the chip’s luster is ruined a bit. Similarly, it’s just tough to get too excited about AMD’s upcoming Ryzen desktop CPUs. Even its promising Radeon Mobile GPU, which could bring even faster performance to laptops than its Intel collaboration, is still tainted by its connection with AMD’s affected processors.

In an interview with Engadget, Jim Anderson, AMD’s Radeon head, said, “Regardless of Spectre and Meltdown, we are always focused on continuing to improve our security. … It’s key for two very important markets for us, both data center and the commercial PC market.” As for any potential performance hits, Anderson said the impact should be “negligible.” Since our chat with AMD, Microsoft has halted patches for Windows systems running the company’s chips. It turns out the update ended up bricking some machines. Microsoft blamed AMD’s documentation for not conforming with earlier instructions, and it’s unclear when the patches will resume.

It’d be bad enough if Spectre affected only individual devices, but this year at CES, tech companies also doubled down on connected platforms built on user data. LG has its ThinQ AI, and Samsung is bringing Bixby and SmartThings to more products. And on a similar front, we’re also seeing more companies integrating with smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. It’ll be more important than ever to ensure that smart home platforms are secure locally in your home, and that the servers powering all of the assistants are also as secure as possible. (Google, Amazon and Microsoft all say they’ve patched their servers against known exploits.)

The worry isn’t that a hacker could discover your Netflix guilty-watch queue. Instead, there’s the potential for them to tap into smart home platforms to track your location, use your home cameras to peep on your family and access the microphones spread throughout your home. Indeed, we’ve already seen how vulnerable connected baby monitors were, which allowed people to spy on kids and potentially communicate with them. As gadgets reach deeper into our lives, so does the potential for serious attacks.

Tim Alessi, LG’s director of product marketing for home entertainment, assured us that the company has “always had a history of making our devices as secure as possible.” And when it comes to the widespread data collection that LG’s ThinQ smart devices will employ, he noted, “We’re not just collecting data for data’s sake. It’s to help people get the most out of their TVs. And, during setup, it’s very clear during the opt-in process to make their own decision.”

LG Electronics marketing VP, David Vanderwaal, showing off the company’s new CLOi AI-powered robot and smart home devices.

Steve Marcus / Reuters

Going into CES this year, we knew the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities would be something every major tech company would be thinking about. And their response was what you’d expect: They’re working hard to fix the immediate issues, and they’ll keep an extra eye on security in the future. Intel, which initially deflected blame, vowed to be more transparent with the public.

Spectre (esp v1) is most useful for untargeted watering hole style attacks, very often used by nation states. That one is a big danger.

Meltdown (v3) is a privilege escalator, the sort of which we will see get found twice a year at minimum.

—Matt Linton (but not the Gospel Rock singer) (@0xMatt) January 13, 2018

Other major chipmakers, like NVIDIA and Qualcomm, aren’t worried about the implication of Spectre. The former claims that its GPUs are entirely immune, while Qualcomm’s CEO, Cristiano Amon, seems confident that the company’s December patches were enough to mitigate any major issues. He also pointed out that mobile users download software from app stores, which are far more secure than desktops and servers that can run software from just about anywhere.

Until we start to explore entirely new processor designs, we won’t be entirely free from the dangers of Spectre. And that’s not an easy feat. The x86 CPU architecture powers nearly every desktop, notebook and server. And Spectre remains a flaw in ARM-based mobile processors. While there’s a chance that chip makers might be able to tweak their existing designs, that could have unintended consequences. Up until now, the main push for chip companies has been to shrink their existing technology down to smaller fabrication techniques. But, more than ever, there’s a need for whole new architectures, which could take years and untold amounts of R&D funding to develop.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

LG CLOi photo: Steve Marcus/Reuters