Netflix sent a show about space into space

Netflix is already available in 190 countries, so where’s the next logical place of expansion? Space, obviously. As part of Netflix’s latest hack day, a team sent an iPhone with downloaded Netflix content into the heavens with a GoPro camera, reaching an altitude of approximately 115,000 feet. The show kept playing, albeit without sound because in space, no-one can hear you scream. Subtitles on, then.

Of course the show in question was Star Trek, although it seems illogical that the team opted for Star Trek: Discovery, which isn’t actually available to stream on Netflix in the US (it’s available on CBS All Access).

Other cool hacks from the day included a virtual 3D Bay City (from the Altered Carbon Universe) that serves as a functional Netflix home page, and a panning vertical player that lets commuters on packed public pan around full screen portrait videos by tilting the device, so no more elbows in faces.

Source: Netflix

Google will show your news subscriptions first in search results

Google has extended another olive branch to news outlets in a bid to smooth things over with publishers. Soon, users who subscribe to digital newspapers and magazines will see articles from those titles appear higher in their search results. According to Bloomberg, people familiar with the matter also revealed that the search engine also plans to share data showing who’s most likely to buy a subscription, in a bid to help publishers better target potential subscribers. Execs allegedly plan to disclose exact details at an event on March 20th.

The move comes after Google relaxed its “first click free” policy last year and announced its plans to share revenue with publishers that make use of its new subscription tools. The company has previously come under fire from news outlets that claimed they were at the mercy of the search engine, but recent steps from Google — including this one — show it’s keen to rectify matters. Of course, it’s not switching things up out of the sheer goodness of its heart. At a time when fake news is rampant, people are looking for trusted journalism, and that’s a demand that can be capitalized on.

Source: Bloomberg

Facebook bans hate group Britain First

Where is the line between free speech and expressing your views versus hate speech? That’s the question that social networks have been grappling with for years, and it’s only getting worse. Today, Facebook banned the alt-right group Britain First, which “repeatedly posted content designed to incite animosity and hatred against minority groups,” according to a release from the social network today.

Britain First is the organization behind three anti-Muslim tweets that President Trump retweeted. Twitter then suspended the Britain First account, and the President sort-of apologized for his actions two months later.

The organization continually posts inflammatory racist content on its own Facebook Page, as well as on the Pages of leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen. The social network notes that this content violated its Community Standards, and the Page administrators have been warned multiple times about their posts. After a final written warning that went ignored, Facebook removed Britain First’s page, as well as those of its two leaders.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, weighed in on Facebook’s actions against Britain first via a tweet, saying “Britain First is a vile and hate-fuelled group whose sole purpose is to sow division. I welcome Facebook’s decision to remove their content from its platform — their sick intentions to incite hatred within our society via social media are reprehensible.” Khan called out Facebook at SXSW earlier this week for not doing enough to stem the hate speech on its platform.

It’s an ongoing struggle for social networks, especially as anti-minority and racist views become increasingly tolerated in our polarized society. How do you distinguish between legitimate political views and those that spew hate? “We are an open platform for all ideas and political speech goes to the heart of free expression,” Facebook said in a statement. “But political views can and should be expressed without hate.” It’s been a long time coming, and Facebook has a lot more work to do when it comes to hate speech on its platform.

Source: Facebook

Overcast for iOS Updated With Smart Resume Feature and 24-Hour Auto-Delete Option

Overcast for iOS reached version 4.1 today, adding a handful of noteworthy features to the popular third-party podcast player.

First up is Smart Resume, which aims to reduce the impact of playback interruptions. With the new feature enabled, podcast playback jumps back a few seconds after the podcast has been paused, to help remind the listener where they left off in the conversation.

Smart Resume, which is on by default, also intelligently adjusts playback so that it resumes in the silences between spoken words wherever possible. Users can control the feature from Overcast’s Nitpicky Details menu.

Also new in v4.1, Overcast can now be set to auto-delete podcasts 24 hours after playback is completed. Previously, episodes could be auto-deleted either immediately after listening or not at all, but now users can leave a day-long delay before their removal, and the threshold for deletion will be paused during extended offline periods such as long-haul flights.

Elsewhere, passwords for private podcast feeds can now be entered into the Add URL screen (rather than via HTTP Basic Auth) and a number of bug fixes have been implemented, which should result in less download fails and playback stalls, and no glitches when resuming playback after quitting in the background, amongst other improvements.

Lastly, iPhone rotation support has been removed from Overcast 4.1, due to the function’s extremely low usage coupled with the burden of peculiarities that comes with coding in support for iPhone X displays.

Overcast 4.1 is available as a free ad-supported app for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tags: Overcast, Marco Arment
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France Suing Apple and Google for Taking Advantage of Developers With ‘Abusive Commercial Practices’

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire today announced that the country will be taking legal action against Apple and Google for “abusive commercial practices.” Specifically, Le Maire said that the tech companies are taking advantage of French developers with these practices and that the fines from such a legal action could be in the “millions of euros” (via Bloomberg and Reuters).

Speaking on RTL radio, Le Maire said that he has recently become aware of practices performed by Apple and Google, where the companies “unilaterally” impose their prices and tweak other contractural terms with app developers to their liking. After discovering this, Le Maire led the ministry’s fraud office into an investigation and found that between 2015 and 2017 there were “significant imbalances” in the relationships between Apple/Google and developers who sold apps on their stores.

“I learned that when developers develop their applications, and sell to Google and Apple, their prices are imposed, Google and Apple take all their data, Google and Apple can unilaterally rewrite their contracts,” Le Maire said on RTL radio. “All that is unacceptable and it’s not the economy that we want. They can’t treat our startups and developers the way they do.”

Le Maire went on to state that despite their power, Apple and Google “should not be able to treat” French startups and developers “the way they currently do.” The legal action will take place in the Paris commercial court.

Le Maire also mentioned that he expects the European Union to officially close the tax loopholes benefiting Apple and other tech companies — Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc. — by the start of 2019.

The loopholes are said to have allowed Apple to “minimize taxes and grab market share” at the expense of Europe-based companies. France’s crackdown on these loopholes accelerated during a meeting of European Union officials last September, which now appears to be on track to end by early next year.

Tag: France
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‘Life is Strange: Before the Storm’ Coming to Mac This Spring

macOS and Linux video game publisher Feral Interactive today announced its latest port will be Life is Strange: Before the Storm. The prequel adventure game was originally developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix on console and Windows PC beginning in August 2017, and will now hit Mac and Linux computers in the spring.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm takes place three years before the original Life is Strange, and lets players control sixteen-year-old Chloe Price. The prequel unfolds over the course of three episodes (and one bonus episode), centering on Chloe’s relationship with schoolmate Rachel Amber in gameplay that mainly focuses on player choice in branching dialog paths.

“With its tough yet vulnerable protagonist, Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a poignant evocation of teenage life,” said David Stephen, Managing Director of Feral Interactive. “The atmospheric soundtrack, sharp writing and captivating story combine to create an engrossing and moving game, and we very are excited for macOS and Linux players to experience it.”

As usual, Feral Interactive didn’t confirm pricing or system requirements in this initial announcement, but more information will come out closer to release. The company did state that if players want access to the bonus episode “Farewell,” they’ll have to opt for a “Deluxe Edition” version of the game — which is said to come with other additional content as well.

The original Life is Strange launched on macOS in the summer of 2016 and on iOS in December 2017. On iPhone and iPad, Life is Strange was one of the first games to use the App Store’s pre-order feature.

Tag: Mac App Store
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The Morning After: Stephen Hawking (1942 – 2018)

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

RIP Stephen Hawking.

Pictured on a Zero Gravity Corp ‘vomit comet’ trip in 2007.Stephen Hawking passes away at age 76

The famed physicist and cosmologist was diagnosed with motor neurone disease 55 years ago, and at the time, doctors predicted he had two years to live. Fortunately that was not the case, and Hawking went on to promote important theories, search for links between relativity and quantum physics and write A Brief History of Time, which went on to sell 10 million copies. In a statement, his children pointed to a famous quote of Hawking’s: “It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.”

For Pi day.Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ adds more power

For 3/14, the Raspberry Pi foundation is bumping the specs of its DIY computing platform one more time. Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ sports a 1.4GHz quad-core Broadcom BCM2837B0 processor instead of the standard 3’s 1.2GHz chip, plus dual-band WiFi and support for Power over Ethernet. The best news, though, is that the price stays the same: $35/£30.

More fitness trackers for you.Fitbit shows off two new wearables

When Fitbit said it was working on a “family” of devices for this year, it really wasn’t kidding. The $100 Ace is made for kids, matching the existing Alta HR design to a more durable plasticky body and family-ready software. Meanwhile, its new $200 Versa smartwatch puts an aluminum squircle on adult wrists, with an upgraded Fitbit OS and 4GB of storage. It doesn’t have all of the Ionic’s features (no built-in GPS and Fitbit Pay is optional), but it promises four days of battery life on a single charge.

And ways for commenters to point out the best parts of a video.SXSW 2018: YouTube CEO talks misinformation, creators and comments

YouTube’s presence at SXSW 2018 extended beyond its Story HQ, a space where it turned ads into videos that feel more like art. The company’s CEO, Susan Wojcicki, was part of a panel at the event titled Navigating the Video Revolution in the Digital Age. The biggest news Wojcicki dropped on stage was a new feature she called “information cues,” which will help fight hoaxes by linking viewers to articles on Wikipedia that debunks them.

$300 for the ad-free edition.Amazon’s gold Kindle Oasis reminds everyone how rich you are

The internet giant is taking US pre-orders for a Champagne Gold version of the Oasis, which includes the same seven-inch screen, water resistance and Audible support of the regular black model, just in a slightly garish I-have-money color.

But wait, there’s more…

• QuietOn’s new noise-cancelling earbuds banish the sound of snoring
• WWDC 2018 kicks off June 4th
• Google built a hardware interface for its AI music maker
• (Former) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gets his bad news just like we do: on Twitter
• NASA’s acting chief retires with no obvious successor
• From the makers of ‘Castle Crashers,’ ‘Pit People’ makes turn-based strategy a party

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Upgraded Raspberry Pi 3 delivers more power and faster networking

Despite selling over 14 million of its low-cost DIY computing boards, the Raspberry Pi Foundation adheres to a slow release cycle. The company typically waits over a year to refresh its range, and even then improvements can be very subtle. That’s exactly the case with its flagship board, the Raspberry Pi 3, which has today been upgraded to offer more speed in every sense of the word.

The key improvements on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ are its processor and networking capabilities. The Model B+ sports a 1.4GHz quad-core Broadcom BCM2837B0 processor (compared to the 1.2GHz BCM2837 chip in the Pi 3), which the company says has come as a result of improved power integrity and thermal design.

For projects requiring faster networking speeds, the Model B+ delivers dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless connectivity and gigabit ethernet over USB 2.0, which supports up to 300Mbps (three times the speed of previous boards). Bluetooth 4.2 and Bluetooth Low Energy support make it easier for tinkerers looking to create their own IoT hubs or interact with other devices in their smart home.

Lastly, the Model B+ comes complete with Power over Ethernet (PoE), which hasn’t officially been supported until now. Component manufacturers have created their own workarounds, but the Raspberry Pi Foundation will launch its own dedicated PoE HAT to make use of it in the near future.

As expected, the Model B+ fits the same dimensions as its predecessors, allowing hobbyists to utilize peripherals and cases that they already own. The price remains the same too, meaning it’ll cost $35/£30 at the usual suppliers.

Source: Raspberry Pi

Netflix is reportedly cooking up a ’60 Minutes’-style news show

Netflix recently signed up David Letterman and other personalities known for their satirical take on current affairs, but it’s reportedly putting together a more serious news program, as well. According to Marketwatch, the streaming service is cooking up a weekly current affairs show similar to CBS’ 60 Minutes and ABC’s 20/20. The publication’s source says the company has “spotted a hole in the market for a current affairs TV show encompassing both sides of the political divide and [is] seeking to fill it.”

Netflix is “proceeding with caution,” the source says, because the streaming giant knows news talk shows can be expensive and yet underperform financially. It’s apparently looking for ways to make it economically viable without having to compromise its production and the integrity of its news gathering operation.

The company didn’t confirm the source’s report, and not everyone’s optimistic about its possible new venture. Pivotal Research analyst Jeff Wlodarczak told MarketWatch that Netflix’s shows are mostly evergreen — you can watch then months or years later and still find them interesting — unlike current affairs offerings.

Still, a serious news show isn’t out of the realm of possibility even though Netflix focuses mostly on series and movies. In addition to signing hosts like Letterman, Norm Macdonald, Joel McHale and Michelle Wolf, a previous report says it’s close to signing a deal with former President Obama. The company could be ready to launch a serious news magazine show in the near future, especially since it’s spending a whopping $8 billion on content this year.

Source: Marketwatch

Video: Android P impressions, and what it means for the Pixel 3

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The next version of Android brings new features and design changes both subtle and controversial — while also giving us a hint of what’s coming in the next generation of Pixel phones.

This is Android P — the next major release that’ll eventually turn into pumpkin pie or popsicle or pancake or… whatever.

It’s available as a Developer Preview now, and the finished version of Android 9.0 should land sometime in August if Google’s timeline plays out. As usual with new Android versions, there’s a mix of flashy new user-facing features and powerful under-the-hood changes for developers. And, as usual, be careful about reading too much into early preview builds of Android — as of mid-March there’s five months of development time to go until Android P is fully baked.

Nevertheless, there’s plenty to get stuck into in this early build of Android P. Check out our first impressions in the video above, and share your own thoughts on Android’s future down in the comments.

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• Android Central on YouTube
• More on Android P
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