iPhone Slowdown Lawsuits Ordered to Be Centralized in Northern California District Court

Apple’s legal battle against dozens of iPhone slowdown class action lawsuits will take place in a courtroom near its headquarters.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation today disclosed it has ordered [PDF] all iPhone slowdown lawsuits to be transferred to the U.S. District Court for Northern California and, with the consent of that court, assigned to the Honorable Judge Edward J. Davila for consolidated pretrial proceedings.

More than half of the 61 lawsuits—and counting—were filed in the Northern District of California to begin with, so centralization of the remaining complaints filed in other states should help to streamline the legal process.

An excerpt from the order:

These actions share factual questions arising from allegations that Apple included code in updates to its mobile operating system (iOS) that significantly reduced the performance of older-model iPhones. Plaintiffs also allege that Apple misrepresented the nature of the iOS updates and failed to adequately disclose to iPhone owners the impact the iOS updates would have on the performance of their iPhones.

Discovery regarding the engineering of the iPhone and the iOS updates likely will be technical and complex. Plaintiffs assert similar causes of action for false advertising, alleged unfair business practices, trespass to chattels, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. Moreover, plaintiffs bring these actions on behalf of overlapping putative classes of iPhone owners.

The first lawsuit was filed in late December, after Apple revealed that it throttles the maximum performance of some older iPhone models with chemically aged batteries when necessary in order to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down. The changes were first introduced in iOS 10.2.1.

Apple didn’t mention the change when iOS 10.2.1 was first released, and in a statement issued a month later, it still only mentioned vague “improvements” resulting in a significant reduction in unexpected shutdowns.

Apple only revealed exactly what the so-called “improvements” were after Primate Labs founder John Poole visualized that some iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 devices suddenly had lower benchmark scores starting with iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 11.2 respectively, despite operating at maximum performance on previous versions.

Apple apologized for its lack of communication in December, and reduced the price of battery replacements to $29 for iPhone 6 and newer through the end of 2018. Apple also released iOS 11.3 earlier this week with a new feature that enables users to track their iPhone battery’s health and performance status.

Moreover, when users first install iOS 11.3, all performance management features that might have been enabled are automatically disabled. If an unexpected shutdown occurs, however, the performance management is turned back on and must be disabled manually thereafter—although Apple doesn’t recommend it.

In addition to the lawsuits, Apple has also faced questions from government officials and consumer protection groups in the United States, Canada, France, South Korea, and a handful of other countries.

We’ve already answered many frequently asked questions about Apple’s power management process, which can be avoided entirely by replacing your iPhone’s battery if necessary. Read our guide on how to get an iPhone’s battery replaced at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.

Related Roundups: iPhone 7, iPhone SETag: iPhone SlowdownBuyer’s Guide: iPhone 8 (Neutral), iPhone SE (Don’t Buy), iPhone 8 (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

Facebook Details Several Privacy Changes Coming in the Wake of Cambridge Analytica Scandal

Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mike Shroepfer today wrote a blog post outlining several changes that are being made to Facebook APIs to limit the amount of data apps can collect from Facebook users.

Changes are being made to the Events, Groups, and Pages API to cut down on what apps can see. With the Events API, for example, apps will no longer be able to access attendees or posts on the event wall, and the Groups API will no longer provide member lists or names associated with posts or comments.

Facebook will also now need to approve third-party access to both Groups and Pages APIs, and, as mentioned previously, all apps that access information like check-ins, photos, posts, and videos. Apps will no longer be able to see religious or political views, relationship status, education, work history, and tons more, all of which was previously readily available.

It is also no longer possible to search for a person’s phone number or email address to locate them on Facebook. Facebook says “malicious actors” have used this feature to “scrape public profile information” using data pulled from search and account recovery options.

For Android users, Facebook had been collecting call and message logs to enable Messenger features. Facebook says it will delete all logs older than a year and will upload less data to its servers going forward.

Starting next Monday, Facebook will also introduce a link at the top of the News Feed to let all users see what apps are installed and what information has been shared with those apps to make it easy for less technically savvy users to remove apps.

The Facebook privacy changes come in the wake of the ongoing Cambridge Analytica scandal, where Cambridge Analytica used personal data acquired from Facebook in an illicit manner by a third-party app to create targeted political advertisements during the 2016 election.

Originally, Facebook said Cambridge Analytica was able to collect data on 50 million Facebook users, but today, Facebook clarified that it actually had access to the Facebook data from up to 87 million people, with 70 million of those in the United States.

Tag: Facebook
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Fixd review: Your own mobile grease monkey

As automobiles continue to get smarter, we see less of that old stereotypical grease monkey mechanic looking under the hood as he tries to diagnose issues. Today it’s much easier for someone to troubleshoot a car or isolate a problem. What with computers and all, it’s often as simple as plugging into a device and waiting for a readout.

We’re in an era where it’s also easier for car owners to figure out what’s wrong with their automobile. Forget asking Uncle Dave to drive it around and see if he can find the problem. Today we get the luxury of knowing what’s up, even without asking a single person.

For some of us, the sudden presence of a “check engine” light can be quite scary. Are you gonna break down in the middle of your commute? What exactly has gone bad? Will you be dropping hundreds of dollars to fix a problem? Is this because you ignored other warning signs or might it be something brand new? It’s hard to know for certain what’s behind that vague symbol.

Fixd is an interesting solution in that it’s comprised of both hardware and software. Offered by Georgia-based Fixd Automotive, it gives users actionable and often very helpful information about their vehicle. It tells you what you might expect to find at a mechanic or dealer.

In short, the hardware plugs directly into your car’s OBD-II port and the software is handled via a mobile app. The Fixd sensor draws off of the power of the car and does not need to be charged.

Using either the Android or iOS app you will find that your phone pairs to the sensor via Bluetooth. After that you’re off and running and able to pull diagnostics.

The OBD-II port is found under the dashboard or in the glove box in many cars; you must have one from 1996 or newer for the Fixd to work. Interestingly enough, it does work with hybrid vehicles, too.

via: Fixd

Fixd can identify thousands or potential issues across pretty much all cars from the last two decades. Whether it’s a sensor that’s gone bad or engine oil temperature or something else, it can narrow down your problem. Sometimes these issues can resolve themselves or go away with minor adjustments.

Fixd won’t break down every indicator light across your dashboard but it’s more than adequate to point you in the proper direction. It can be used, though, to clear out a few lights in the console.

Considering the cost, it’s cheaper than taking a vehicle in for a once-over at the mechanic. Not only that, but it can be used for scheduled maintenance, too. Fixd can identify the major milestones for vehicles and alert you when it’s time for key preventive treatment.

Instead of giving you a specific code or technical readout, Fixd tells you the severity of the issue and what the potential consequence is if you continuing to drive. On one hand it could just be less efficient gas mileage; on the other it could be something much more serious. The app lists them in a tab and provides descriptions of each.

The Fixd app can work with multiple cars but requires additional sensors. Put one in each of your family’s vehicles and you’ll have one central hub to check on diagnostics and preventative maintenance.

We were sent a Fixd unit for review and, regretfully sat on it too long. Had we known how easy it was to use and how helpful it would be for regular maintenance and checkups we’d have put it weeks back. Instead, we waited until we had a check engine light situation in one of our cars.

Upon running the diagnostics we were alerted to five total issues, a few of which were electrical in nature. The Fixd app told us were looking at a specific bank and that one problem was O2-related.

After spending a day or so at the mechanic we learned that, indeed, these were the problems. The garage was able to dive deeper and help explain things to us, but we were more than happy with what Fixd gave us ahead of time.

For around $60 we definitely recommend picking up a Fixd unit. It’s cheaper than most one-time diagnostics, and it can also be used to help keep your vehicle regularly maintained.

Learn more about Fixd at its website; the device can also be purchased for about $59.99 at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

Apple’s latest hire should see Siri get seriously smarter

John Giannandrea speaking in 2017. TechCrunch

A day after news broke of John Giannandrea’s departure from Google, it has emerged that the artificial intelligence (A.I.) and search specialist has gone to Apple in what is widely seen as a coup for the tech giant.

The 53-year-old Scot will head up Apple’s “machine learning and A.I. strategy,” according to the NY Times, with efforts expected to focus on improving Siri, its digital assistant. Apple is currently embarked on a hiring spree for software engineers as the company seeks to enhance Siri so it can compete more effectively with rival digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant.

At a TechCrunch event in September 2017, Apple’s latest hire described computers as “incredibly powerful” but also “pretty dumb … I think we need to work hard to make them fulfill the potential that they have and so that means teaching them to be smarter.”

Giannandrea continued, “Technology should augment the human intellect, not replace it. It should be a powerful tool to help us think better, and I think that is really the journey we are on.”

Discussing where he believes technology is heading, the executive also described the likelihood of “pervasive computing” that’s personalized, where computing power is built into the infrastructure throughout the environment instead of taken with us in a device like a smartphone. He pointed to the Google Home smart speaker as an early indication of what’s coming, though now that he’s at Apple, his attention will be firmly fixed on advancing Apple’s recently released, Siri-enabled smart speaker, the HomePod.

The NY Times learned of Giannandrea’s move to Apple via an internal email sent by CEO Tim Cook to employees.

“Our technology must be infused with the values we all hold dear,” the CEO wrote, adding, “John shares our commitment to privacy and our thoughtful approach as we make computers even smarter and more personal.”

Giannandrea spent eight years at Google, and was instrumental in incorporating A.I. features into a range of its offerings, among them Search, Gmail, and Google Assistant.

He arrived at the web giant from a San Francisco-based startup called Metaweb where he worked as its chief technology officer. Metaweb described itself as an “open, shared database of the world’s knowledge” and was acquired by Google in 2010, bringing Giannandrea into the company in the process.

Giannandrea will become one of 16 Apple executives reporting directly to Tim Cook.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Alexa, you’re great. But please stay away from my PC
• Google Assistant will soon let you set Routines to help optimize your life
• Bothering the bots: Funny questions and commands to pose to Google Assistant
• Amazon is reportedly designing its own A.I. chips to make Alexa respond faster
• Everything you need to know about Google Assistant

Watch this delivery drone crash into a building on its maiden flight

Ah, so this is why the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proceeding with caution when it comes to regulating commercial drones.

A demonstration in the Russian city of Ulan-Ude this week was supposed to showcase a safe and efficient drone delivery system, but its maiden flight didn’t quite go according to plan, Reuters reported.

A video (below) of the event shows that within seconds of it taking off, the custom-built octocopter appeared to malfunction before careering at speed into the side of an apartment block and crashing to the ground. Fortunately no one was hurt when it came down, though the video shows that it was clearly a close call.

Russia’s first postal drone takes its maiden flight – and crashes straight into a wall. More from @ReutersTV: https://t.co/4WEQdacXFY pic.twitter.com/StcBC1DKJ1

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 3, 2018

The plan had been to send the $20,000 drone and its package to an address in the sparsely populated Buryatia region. But after the hefty-looking flying machine hit the building, it was only going to go in one direction. Down.

With the “Russian Post” logo emblazoned on the launchpad and also stuck on the side of the package, you’d be forgiven for thinking the event had been sponsored by that very organization. But according to Reuters, Russian Post appeared keen to disown the demonstration before the dust had even settled, claiming it was simply a guest at the event rather than an active participant.

One of the officials who witnessed the crash claimed that multiple Wi-Fi connections in the area could have disrupted the drone’s flight systems, causing it to lose control.

The official is reported to have said that the team behind the technology will “keep trying,” adding, “Those who don’t risk don’t get a result.”

The disastrous demonstration highlights the kinds of challenges engineers face when it comes to building a reliable, efficient, and safe drone delivery platform.

Amazon, which was one of the first companies to suggest the idea back in 2013, has been working diligently to create a system using autonomous drones, but before it can start flying items from its warehouses to customers, it must first convince the FAA that it can operate without incidents like this.

While the Russian effort clearly came a cropper, let’s not forget there have been plenty of successful drone delivery demonstrations over the past few years, with a range of unmanned flying machines dropping off everything from pizza and donuts to medical supplies. Drone delivery is coming, but it’s not quite ready for prime time.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Airbus’ delivery drone takes packages to ‘parcel stations’ run by robots
• DJI creates no-fly zones for Winter Olympics to prevent rogue drone flights
• Lawmakers discussing proposal that would allow cops to take over drones
• Stanford students are trying to design the perfect delivery drone
• Drone pilot gets hefty fine after flying his machine over an Ed Sheeran concert

DARPA is seeking new ideas for how drones can be used in combat

While single-use drones are nothing new to the military, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is getting serious about using groups of drones as a way to complement traditional ground forces. DARPA’s Offensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics has announced the beginning of its second sprint, where it rapidly solicits new ideas based a single idea. This sprint’s theme will focus on autonomy.

The military is seeking ideas on how to improve its drone technology, whether it be in the area of sensors, controls, or propulsion. Currently, DARPA is aiming to create teams of 50 air and ground robots to complement traditional ground troops who are engaging in battle in urban environments. The drones will need to be able to operate within an area of two-square blocks on missions lasting from 15 to 30 minutes.

The specific goals of these drone units will vary from mission to mission, but will be based around the concept of isolating objectives within urban environment. These goals can include information gathering, creating maps of urban environments, and defending against or identifying vulnerabilities.

“As operations in urban environments continue to evolve, our warfighters need advanced capabilities to keep up with the ever-changing complexity of the urban scenario,” said DARPA’s Timothy Chung. “The focus on enhancing autonomy in operational contexts will further advance future swarming capabilities allowing the warfighter to outmaneuver our adversaries in these complex urban environments.”

While the aforementioned guidelines are a bit vague, they should provide a starting point for companies to determine whether or not their technology is going to be of use to the armed forces. The program’s submission guidelines are available on DARPA’s website.

While the military applications are certainly a growing area, drones, in general, have seen a lot of expansion in commercial areas. In Puerto Rico, power companies are making use of drones to help restore the island’s damaged power grid while keeping workers safe.

Walmart recently announced that it would be partnering with drone manufacturers to provide drones to its partner farms to help them better manage their fields. The company hopes this will make their partner farms more productive and ensure low prices for consumers.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Underwater swarms and sonar-bombing drones: Meet the deep-sea Xprize finalists
• Forget forklifts, these tiny warehouse drones team up to lift big objects
• Do more with your drone: 5 things you can do with a UAV (aside from taking pics)
• Airbus’ delivery drone takes packages to ‘parcel stations’ run by robots
• University of Michigan hopes new drone facility pushes students to great heights

How to clean and disinfect your Android smartphone

Regardless of the Android phone you’re carrying, make sure it’s clean enough for you — and your loved ones, too.

You’ve seen the statistics, but have you seen the evidence? Awhile back, Buzzfeed kept a lively bunch of Petri dishes colonized with the same bacteria found on the smartphones of several colleagues. The unfortunate discovery was that there were actual pathogens found on the phones; essentially, potentially disease-causing strains of bacteria.

Whether you’re a germaphobe, or someone who doesn’t mind a bit of rolling around in the dirt, surely we can all agree that anything that can potentially cause disease is bad news. There are some quick things you can do to keep your Android devices clean and disinfected, however, and free of what could be harmful to your health.

Make a cleaning kit

The necessities for cleaning your Android smartphone are actually quite basic.

You have a kit for all your various USB charging cables and gadgets that plug into your Android device, so why not make a kit for cleaning your smartphone? At home, stock up on 70% or higher rubbing alcohol, finely pointed cotton swabs, and a barrel of toothpicks. You can also grab a pack of microfiber cloths for less than $5 on Amazon, as well as a few cans of compressed air for less than $15.

Why not make a kit for cleaning your smartphone?

You’ll also want some sort of cleaning solution that will disinfect the phone.You can make your own cleaning solution with 8 ounces of rubbing alcohol and 8 ounces of distilled water inside a spray bottle. A 50-50 mixture of white vinegar and distilled water also works if you’re into keeping things relatively organic and don’t mind the intense smell of the vinegar.

If you aren’t about the DIY life, there are lens and screen kits on Amazon for $11 that should last you quite a while. Personally, this is the route I go.

See at Amazon

How to clean your Android phone

Every Android phone is different, but cleaning it is generally the same as cleaning any other mobile phone. There are ports, buttons, a screen, and an entire chassis that could all use a bit of a rubdown with some grime-cleaning solution.

Be careful not to puncture any speakers or wriggle any ports.

Grab a large, clean microfiber cloth or soft towel and lay it out. Or, you can quickly wipe over a substantial bit of table area with a winged out soapy sponge or towel. Just making sure the “operating” area is clean. Then, lay the phone down. Grab the can of compressed air and start blowing out the charging port, ensuring that whatever little particles are in there are flying up and out. (If you have trouble seeing, use the aid of a desk lamp and take off the shade for more light.) You can pump air into the rear speakers to clear them out, as dirt and gross particles also collect there.

If you see that there’s too much grossness to clear out with just the compressed air, grab a fine toothpick and carefully dig out the grime that’s causing you stress. Be careful not to puncture any speakers or wriggle any ports. If you see debris collecting elsewhere on the phone — like in the cracks around the frame, and in the top speaker grill — you can clear those out with a toothpick, too.

Cotton swabs can be helpful on the edges, but don’t use them inside ports or speaker grilles.

Spray your microfiber cloth with cleaning solution and wipe it down — as often as you possibly can.

Now that you’ve primed the device for disinfecting, grab your cleaning solution. Take a cotton swab and dip it inside the bottle of rubbing alcohol. Trace it around the edges, the buttons, and any other crevices of the chassis that require cleaning, but take heed not to use them inside ports or speaker grilles. Wipe it all off with the microfiber cloth when you’re finished. This is very important — do not ever put alcohol or vinegar on the glass parts of your phone. This is especially true of the front glass on your phone. This glass has a special oleophobic layer designed to make fingerprints easier to clean away. These cleaning solutions, while great for the metal or plastic parts of the phone, will cause that special layer to dissolve much faster than it would through normal daily use.

Cleaning on the go

For a quicker cleaning experience, a pre-moistened cleaning cloth is just as apt at cleaning your smartphone as the multi-tool cleaning process. Grab a brand like these Wireless Wipes, which smell nice and clean your device. Sephora also offers a batch of stylishly-packed screen cleansing towelettes for those who like a little flair with their cleaning supplies. Just make sure whatever you are using has a low or zero alcohol percentage to keep your display safe.

A pre-moistened cleaning cloth is just as apt at cleaning your smartphone.

Also, consider using hand sanitizer between meals and before touching your phone. Most of this grime comes from your fingers and pockets, remember! A little can go a long way, and I’ve often found that something as simple as a travel bottle of Purell hand sanitizer can work miracles at removing dirt from the fingers.

See at Amazon

Your methods

What are your methods for keeping your phone and other gadgets clean and germ-free? Let us know!

Updated April 2018: This article has been updated with new and improved tips for keeping your phone clean in every situation!

How’s Android Oreo treating you on the Galaxy Note 8?

So far so good!

Over the past few days, Android Oreo’s been making its way to carrier and unlocked versions of the Galaxy Note 8 here in the U.S. This is an update that’s been a long time coming, and it makes the Note 8 an even better phone than it’s been for the past few months.

With more and more people now experiencing Oreo on their Note 8s, we thought we’d check in with some of our forum users to see what they think of the update so far.

Here’s what some of you had to say.

D13H4RD2L1V3
04-03-2018 09:45 AM

“

So, my unlocked unbranded Note8 has finally received the Oreo update, being the second device in the house to receive the upgrade after the Honor 8 Pro.

As is the case, I have installed the update, performed a factory data reset and set up the device as if it was brand-new and not restore any backups, basically starting fresh.

So far, here are some of my impressions.

Less bloat. There…

Reply

kitmo
04-03-2018 10:58 AM

“

I like the Oreo update. Things are more organized and there are lots of pluses like the volume is louder, and the screen is more colourful with truer colours. Faster and more organized is my impression. I haven’t noticed things being moved. I’m not sure what you mean “where is our stupid emojii?”

Reply

srgonu
04-03-2018 11:50 AM

“

I am liking how responsive overall. Samsung keyboard improved a lot. I hope battery drain when using Google maps is fixed. Need to test that yet.

Reply

galaxyfive
04-04-2018 05:05 AM

“

Unlocked, Exynos chip

Good experience over all. Marginally BETTER battery life, nice to have a few more colors in the high contrast keyboard, and a few other subtle improvements. The best Samsung device just got a little better. Sorry S9 /+….
Total update took about 10 minutes.

Reply

Now, we want to hear from you – If you’ve got Oreo on your Galaxy Note 8, how have you been liking the update so far?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

• Galaxy Note 8 review
• Galaxy Note 8 vs. Galaxy S8+
• Which Note 8 color is best?
• Complete Galaxy Note 8 specs
• Join our Galaxy Note 8 forums

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It’s time for app developers to fall out of love with Facebook Login

The tradeoff of sharing data for convenience sake has let complacency creep in for users and app developers alike.

Back in 2009, Facebook unveiled Facebook Connect, a new feature for website and app developers to implement for users signing into apps. By simply tapping the “Connect with Facebook” button, it lets new users skip the account creation step and use their existing Facebook accounts to quickly and efficiently get started with a new app.

It was a breakthrough feature for Facebook at the time, designed ostensibly to make it easy for consumers having to memorize dozens of account passwords for each app you use. In turn, by sharing your Facebook data, app developers are able to better personalize the experience using your profile information and friends list to, as Facebook states in its developer guide, “build value by connecting people together”.

And in the nine years since its initial implementation, we’ve seen just how valuable the renamed Facebook Login service and the data it aggregates for developers has become. A staggering number of apps and games offer that familiar blue button as a simplified way of onboarding new users with just a few taps, all while quietly skimming their profile for relevant personal information and contact lists.

We’ve seen Facebook account data used in apps to effectively target potential voters in both the 2012 and 2016 U.S. Presidential Elections, with the latter causing more than a bit of controversy for Facebook over the last month.

Which brings us up to today in 2018, with Facebook set to facing questions in front of Congress in the coming weeks regarding how it allowed the personal data of over 50 million Facebook users to pass through a third-party app and into the hands of Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting and data analysis firm alleged to have used the data to target specific Facebook users with messages designed to stoke anxieties and personal biases all in an effort to support the Trump presidential campaign.

• READ: There is ‘good’ data collection and then there’s Facebook, and you need to know the difference

Subtle Conditioning

Politics aside, the scandal around Facebook’s handling of user data has convinced many to consider deleting their Facebook account altogether — but that has proven to be easier said than done. Facebook has been wildly successful at becoming the go-to place for keeping tabs on your friends, and because of this, it’s also a really effective tool for app developers looking to use your network of friends to build out its own user base faster than otherwise possible.

Facebook highlights over 60 apps on its developer site that have successfully implemented Facebook Login to great success, whether to create better user engagement and make it easier for them to convince you that so many people you know are also using the app. If you know you’re among friends using an app you’re probably going to continue to use that app moving forward — it’s essentially an extension of the sticky way Facebook keep you coming back for more, and it’s an incredibly efficient way for app developers to instantly collect a pool of data for any new user that signs up.

Part of the reason Facebook Login is so effective is that it’s straight-up easier than filling out a unique account form every time you download a new app — because let’s be real, no one enjoys filling out forms. In that way and depending on how your personal data is manipulated, Facebook Login could almost fall under the category of a dark pattern — a method for websites or apps to get you to give up more information than is required by playing on assumptions.

Over time, seeing that “Connect with Facebook” button on every login screen conditions us to avoid the hassle of creating a new account by simply tap through to Facebook. This system works be fine as long as there’s a circle of trust built between Facebook, the app developer, and the end user. We blindly allow Facebook to grant the app access to some of our data under the conditions that they’re only accessing basic information and that we are ultimately in control of the data being shared. It capitalizes on our need for immediacy and a frictionless experience using our smartphones and is anchored by the understanding that Facebook supposedly cares about protecting our privacy.

Over time, seeing that “Connect with Facebook” button on every login screen conditions us to avoid the hassle of creating a new account by simply tap through to Facebook.

But it’s fair to say that Facebook should be less trusted today than it was nine years ago. While we rightly should have been skeptical of Facebook’s ability to keep our data secure from the outset, the latest round of scandals has further eroded the remaining trust between Facebook and its users.

By extension, people should be less trusting of connecting their Facebook account to outside apps — whether it’s because you’re afraid it will annoy your contacts with invitations to play a silly mobile game, or because it might try to eventually use your data against you in some nefarious way.

Just like we should all be doing our part to detangle our lives from Facebook’s web, app developers owe it to users to divest in their reliance on Facebook Login. I’ll use PUBG Mobile as an example here because it’s wildly popular at the moment and also a particularly egregious example of how developers, too, can rely too heavily on Facebook Login. When you load up PUBG Mobile on your phone, you’re given two options — play as a guest or login via Facebook. Creating a guest account seems to imply that your account is less-than-official or incomplete without linking your Facebook account. If you do create a guest account, you’ll be greeted with the “Link your Facebook” account every time you log in until you finally relent. Once linked to Facebook, there appears to be no way to unlink the account so you’re stuck with it.

It’s one thing to offer Facebook Login as an alternative way to easily create an account, but to straight up not offer any other way to log in to an app or game is just lazy on the developers part, and speaks to the way Facebook has lulled us all into complacency.

PlayStation VR games releasing in April 2018

What new games does PlayStation VR have in store this month?

Playstation VR has a great selection of games for you to browse through for your adventures in VR. Happily, the list of games is always expanding and adding new titles for you to choose from. If you’ve been trying to figure out what is appearing this month, we’ve got you covered.

Here are the games I’m most excited for!

Time Carnage- April

Time Carnage is a first-person shooter that is all about time travel and shooting down enemies that can be dinosaurs, zombies, or even robots. You can upgrade your weapons to ensure that you will survive throughout each wave of monsters. There is no set day for this games release, so keep an eye open for its release day.

Click Here to Find Out More!

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality- April 10th

Following the story of two of TV’s favorite characters, you can become Morty and do multiple different tasks like fighting aliens, building different things, and even doing laundry. If you’re a fan of the show, then you’ll love the adventures you go on with this VR game. It’s not available for pre-order yet, but it will be released on April 10th.

Click Here to Find Out More!

Crisis of the Planet of the Apes- April 3rd

Become one of the apes in this new VR game, as you take down the humans that have been trying to capture your kind. Take their guns and use them against the humans, take back your kingdom, and prove to be the superior race. This game is set to release on April 3rd and is currently available to pre-order for $10.

Pre-Order at the PlayStation Store

What are you playing?

February had some real gems that we’ll be trying for sure! Are you interested in this month’s lineup? Or is there an existing PlayStation VR game you’re hooked on? Be sure to leave us a comment and let us know about it!

Updated April 2018: We’ve continued to update this list at the beginning of each month with new releases.