Supreme Court rules that police need warrants to get phone location info

The decision was ruled in favor with a 5-4 vote.

The United States Supreme Court issued a ruling on June 22 stating that police must first get an official warrant before they can use cell tower data to track someone’s location.

This ruling comes from the Carpenter v. United States case that dates back six years to 2011. Timothy Carpenter was arrested for a robbery in Detroit during that year, but only after police tracked down 12,898 locations of Carpenter over the course of 127 days. However, the police obtained all this data without any sort of warrant.

With the June 22 decision from the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts says:

Given the unique nature of cell phone location records, the fact that the information is held by a third party does not by itself overcome the user’s claim to Fourth Amendment protection.

Furthermore, as noted by Democratic Senator Ron Wyden:

The court’s recognition that digital devices can generate ‘near-perfect surveillance’ of a person’s private life is a validation of the vital protections against unreasonable search and seizure provided by our Constitution

The Supreme Court voted 5-4 in favor of this decision and noted that this will not affect other “conventional” surveillance methods such as security cameras.

Prior to this ruling, U.S. carriers also came under fire for the way they were handling user location info. Shortly after it was discovered that location data was being shared and sold to third parties, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all announced that they were stopping this practice.

Of course Facebook ‘shared’ data with phone makers — but only because you let it happen

Moto G6 vs. Moto G6 Play: Which should you buy?

The better phone isn’t always the better deal.

If you’re shopping in the sub-$300 space, there are few better companies to turn to than Motorola. The Moto G series consistently impresses us with the level of performance and overall value of each of its phones, and the new Moto G6 trio is no exception — though if you live in North America, you’ll only be able to pick up two of the three phones: the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play.

The $50 price difference between models doesn’t sound like much at first, but that’s 25% of the Moto G6 Play’s total cost. If you can live without the Moto G6’s additional features, that extra money could be put towards a protective case or even a month of service on a prepaid network. So what are those additional features, and how does the Moto G6 Play still stand strong?

Where the Moto G6 pulls ahead

At first glance, the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play are hard to tell apart. They’re roughly the same physical dimensions and even share the same 5.7-inch screen size — though the Moto G6 has a denser 1080p panel compared to the G6 Play’s 720p. The G6 also pulls ahead in storage and RAM, starting off with 32GB and 3GB respectively, while the baseline Moto G6 Play features 16GB and 2GB.

Physically, the biggest difference between devices is the placement of the fingerprint sensors. The Moto G6 displays it front and center below the display, which makes it ideal for gesture navigation, allowing you to replace the software-based navigation bar and take back the bottom of your display. I actually prefer the G6 Play’s fingerprint sensor placement around back, integrated into the Motorola logo, but it’s hard to argue against the added functionality on the G6’s sensor.

Around the back, you’ll notice that only the Moto G6 features a second rear camera — a 5MP RGB sensor that measures depth and aids in portrait mode shots. It’s also the only phone of the two to feature a USB-C port for charging, along with Motorola’s 15W TurboPower charging for quick top-ups.

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Where the Moto G6 Play stands its ground

If you’ve been following Motorola’s lineup for a while now, you’re probably already aware that the Play moniker denotes long battery life over all else. As such, the Moto G6 Play features a massive 4000mAh battery — a 33% increase over the Moto G6. Combined with a more power-efficient 720p display, it’s hard to imagine the Moto G6 Play will have anything less than stellar battery life. Without TurboPower, the Moto G6 Play will take a bit longer to charge than the G6, but it still features 10W rapid charging over Micro-USB.

SoC differences aside, the Moto G6 Play benefits from nearly all of the same features as the Moto G6. It runs the same clean build of Android 8.0 Oreo, its internal storage is still expandable via microSD, it features the same 8MP front-facing camera (though only the Moto G6 can use this camera for face unlock), and it’s protected with the same water-repellant nano-coating. As mentioned before, you might even prefer the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and the Moto G6 Play’s cleaner look beneath the display as a result.

Likewise, you’ll still benefit on the software side from Motorola’s excellent suite of Moto Actions and the Moto Display. Launching the camera with a double-twist in your hand works as well as ever on the Moto G6 Play, as does the double-chop to launch the flashlight. Moto Display is still one of the best takes on an ambient display, with actionable notifications. Rest assured, the Moto G6 Play is every bit a Motorola phone as the Moto G6.

As it stands, both phones are available through Amazon’s Prime Exclusive program, too, which discounts each one by $10 to $15.

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Which would you buy?

While the Moto G6 is clearly the better phone of the two, its advantages are largely unimportant to the Moto G series’ core audience. Those shopping on a budget likely won’t be bothered by missing out on a secondary camera or a slightly faster processor — they just want a reliable phone that lasts them through the day. To that extent, the Moto G6 Play with its larger battery is arguably a better purchase.

If you happen to run across a good deal on the Moto G6, you should buy all means buy it, but the Moto G6 Play is still plenty phone for most people, and the $50 price difference could be better spent elsewhere. If you’re thinking about picking up one of these phones, let us know in the comments below!

Moto G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play

• Moto G6 Plus review: Mastering the art of the mid-range phone
• Moto G6 review: Finding success in compromise
• Moto G6, G6 Play, and G6 Plus specs
• Join our Moto G6 forums

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Amazon Cloud Cam vs. Nest Cam: Which is the better connected camera?

These two cameras each offer a turn-key video surveillance solution, but which is better for you?

Nest and Amazon are both very recognizable names when it comes to gadgetry we have in and around our homes. Both companies also offer easy to use security cameras that allow you to place them and walk away — there’s no integration into any sort of hub or controller needed. That, along with other consumer-friendly features make both the Nest Cam and the Amazon Cloud Cam a compelling option for many of us.

But which of these two companies deserves your hard-earned dollars? Both Amazon and Google (Nest’s parent company) make great products, but both have also made a dud or two along the way. Here’s a comparison that might help you make the right decision and get the most for your money.

The Hardware

Both the Amazon Cloud Can and the Nest Cam (both Indoor and Outdoor models) can capture high-quality 1080p video with sound, have a night mode where a small IR illuminator is used for a grainy but usable video, and have built-in microphones and speakers.

Both cameras capture fairly clear and smooth video. It’s not what you would expect to see in a Hollywood film, but it’s more than suitable for their intended purpose, which is monitoring a section of your home. Both cameras also can use the microphone and speaker to let you interact with a person who may be in front of them like an intercom. It’s fair to say that everything is equal as far as the capabilities of the two.

The biggest difference is how the cameras store what they capture. And depending on your needs, this can be the biggest differentiator between the two.

• The Nest Cam stores the last three hours of video and three days of still images in the free tier. Paid tiers store the last five days of video.
• The Amazon Cloud Cam saves video clips of the past 24 hour’s activity in the free tier. These are also generated whenever the camera detects motion, but are actual short clips of highlighted activity with audio. Paid tiers store the last seven days of video.

The Price

There’s a substantial difference in the prices of what appears to be very similar hardware here. As of this writing:

• Nest Cam (indoor) – $186 at Amazon

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• Nest Cam (outdoor) – $171 at Amazon

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• Amazon Cloud Cam – $120 at Amazon

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We understand the price difference for the outdoor version of the Nest Cam, though we would expect it to be priced higher because of its moisture-resistant housing. Amazon’s definitely selling its camera at a discount to get people invested in the ecosystem, which is smart.

The Software

Interaction with something like a security camera is done through another device with a display, like your phone. Both cameras have an Android and iOS app and both are pretty good. You can watch live video, interact with someone in front of the camera, review saved clips on the device or through a storage plan, and even get a notification whenever the camera sees motion.

• Amazon’s app is very basic. You’ll see the live view from the camera with recent clips below it, each with an individual time stamp. Tapping on one will display it. There isn’t much more here because nothing more is needed. It’s simple in a good way.
• Nest’s app is more feature rich. You also have a live view on the top portion of your screen, but below you’ll find a scrolling timeline. Each clip in the timeline is highlighted with a different color so you can sort them and you can manually scroll both forward and backward as needed.

Nest’s app becomes a much better choice if you have subscribed to one of the Nest Aware packages and have a handful of video clips saved in the cloud. A scrolling timeline is easier to navigate than choosing a clip based on its timestamp. If you don’t want to use a Nest Aware package this benefit disappears and there isn’t much difference between the two other than how you view a saved capture.

Cloud storage options

Google and Amazon are both cloud-first companies so it makes sense that you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to saving video from your cameras online. Both companies offer several tiers of storage options as well as a free tier.

Nest Cam’s Nest Aware service

• Free Tier: Three hours of video storage.
• Paid Tiers:
  • Five days of 24-hour footage for $5 monthly (or $50 yearly).
  • 10 days if 24-hour footage for $10 monthly ($100 a year).
  • 30 days of 24-hour footage for $30 monthly ($300 a year).

These prices are for one camera. Adding a camera to any plan increases the price by 50% — Two Nest Cams on the 30-day plan would be $45 per month or $450 per year. You will have a 30-day Nest Aware trial when you purchase a Nest Cam to see how well the service works for you.

Amazon Cloud Cam

• Free Tier: Clips captured through motion detection over the past 24 hours.
• Paid Tiers:
  • Seven days of video clips for $6.99 monthly ($69.99 yearly).
  • 14 days of video clips for $9.99 monthly ($99.99 yearly).
  • 30 days of video clips for $19.99 monthly ($199.99 yearly).

These prices are for up to three cameras. You also have a free 30-day trial of the service when you purchase a new Amazon Cloud Cam.

Amazon’s prices are lower. A lot lower if you use multiple cameras and want the 30-day plan. But you need to be aware of what you’re paying for: Amazon stores clips it captures when the camera detects motion. Nest stores 24 hours of video capture that you can scroll through using the timeline feature. That’s a pretty drastic difference.

Other important features

While we don’t expect something like a security camera to have a long list of features, there are several worth mentioning.

Both cameras integrate well into their respective “smart” ecosystems. Amazon’s Cloud Cam works well with the company’s Alexa service and you can stream the live video feed from a camera to an Echo Show or an Echo Spot. The Nest Cam works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and can also send the live video feed to any Chromecast-enabled device.

The Nest App also lets you create hot zones in the camera’s field of view, which can be useful if you only want to be alerted when it detects motion in a specific area.

Which is best? Nest Cam

Which is best depends (mostly) on whether you want to purchase any cloud storage or not.

Most of us want a security camera to put into our house or garage to watch the area. We want to be able to see what’s happening when we get alerted that something is moving as well as keep an archive of the entire event, or at least the important bits. Nest’s free tier of Nest Aware is only going to keep the past three hours of time and that’s just not a great option compared to Amazon’s 24-hour history of video clips.

This gets reversed when you purchase cloud storage, though. Nest’s full 24/7 capture can provide more details about what has happened as well as what led up to an event instead of a handful of clips that might not have the information you or the police need. The price is a lot higher for Nest Aware, but the service is more worthwhile if you ever need to use it.

We never omit price as a deciding factor when we look at products, but sometimes paying more is justified. This is one of those times.

Step into the smart light scene with this $120 Philips Hue White Ambiance 4-bulb starter kit

Start here. Expand infinitely.

Amazon has the Philips Hue 4-bulb white ambiance starter kit on sale for $119.99, a savings of $30 from its regular price. This price drop makes it just $20 more than the regular white starter kit, which doesn’t allow you to change the color temperature of the lights. While it may seem like a small difference, the ability to manage the variant of white that the light is displaying is a huge help and I use it regularly.

This kit comes with everything you need to get started, including the four white ambiance bulbs, the HomeKit / Alexa-compatible Hub, an Ethernet cable, and more. Once you get started with Hue lights, you may not be able to stop yourself. Consider grabbing four extra bulbs, a dimmer switch, and an Echo Dot to control it all with just your voice.

You can control the lights from anywhere in the world using the free Philips Hue app on both iOS and Android. The company recently pushed out an awesome update to the app, bringing a new look and a few new features. If you’ve been waiting to get into the smart light scene, this may be the opportunity you’ve been looking for.

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