Amazon employees call on Jeff Bezos to end controversial tech contracts

In the wake of protests from Google and Microsoft workers, who objected to their employers’ contracts with the Pentagon and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), employees at Amazon are circulating a letter to CEO Jeff Bezos, urging the billionaire to stop selling facial recognition software to law enforcement and remove the big data firm Palantir from its cloud.

In a letter published by Gizmodo, the Amazon workers voice their concern that these surveillance technologies will be misused, particularly to target marginalized groups. They reference an investigation from May, in which the American Civil Liberties Union showed that Amazon had marketed its facial recognition software, Rekognition, which can identify and track faces in real time, to police departments around the country.

“We don’t have to wait to find out how these technologies will be used,” they write. “We already know that in the midst of historic militarization of police, renewed targeting of Black activists, and the growth of a federal deportation force currently engaged in human rights abuses — this will be another powerful tool for the surveillance state, and ultimately serve to harm the most marginalized. We are not alone in this view: More than 40 civil rights organizations signed an open letter in opposition to the governmental use of facial recognition, while over 150,000 individuals signed another petition delivered by the ACLU.”

The letter follows demands by Google and Microsoft workers, who put pressure on their employers to cut ties with the Pentagon and ICE, respectively. In April, more than 4,000 Google employees signed an open letter to CEO Sundar Pichai, calling for the company to end its affiliation with Project Maven, a controversial program that seeks to automatically classify images of people from drone footage to speed up the rate of analysis. In May, about a dozen employees resigned. The protests resulted in Google announcing plans to end its involvement. Microsoft faced similar pressure this week over contracts that provide its Azure cloud platform to ICE.

Beyond revoking the sale of facial recognition software to law enforcement, the Amazon workers have urged Bezos to remove Palantir, a predictive policing company founded by Peter Thiel, from Amazon Web Services (AWS). Palantir enjoys a large contract with ICE.

“We also know that Palantir runs on AWS,” the letter reads. “And we know that ICE relies on Palantir to power its detention and deportation programs. Along with much of the world we watched in horror recently as U.S. authorities tore children away from their parents. Since April 19, 2018 the Department of Homeland Security has sent nearly 2,000 children to mass detention centers. This treatment goes against U.N. Refugee Agency guidelines that say children have the right to remain united with their parents, and that asylum-seekers have a legal right to claim asylum. In the face of this immoral U.S. policy, and the U.S.’s increasingly inhumane treatment of refugees and immigrants beyond this specific policy, we are deeply concerned that Amazon is implicated, providing infrastructure and services that enable ICE and DHS.”

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How to buy a Wi-Fi router

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Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Wireless routers are everywhere. Nearly every house, apartment, business, and sketchy van parked down by the river has one. A functional wireless router allows you to easily connect your computer to a broadband Internet service so you share data files and stream media between mobile/Wi-Fi devices.

Although you could opt for a wired router, we suggest a wireless model so you can avoid stringing Ethernet cable around your home. Besides, a wireless router is the best way to access the Internet using your smartphone or tablet. And if you ever discover you absolutely must have a wired connection, the router will have a built-in switch to handle it. While you’re at it, check out the best 802.11ac routers on the market, along with our guide on how to secure your wireless network.

Choosing the right Wi-Fi standard

Just like smartphones, router manufacturers are constantly implementing new and more powerful wireless standards (IEEE protocols) as technology becomes more advanced. That’s why we have standards like 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac – these aren’t just random numbers, they are a description of router capabilities. The traditional single-home user will likely need a different kind of router from the heavy gamer or media enthusiast.

The latest standard is 802.11ac, which you see on all the newest routers. That means that the router can support up to Gigabit speeds, much faster than the previous 600Mbps limit. Like previous standards, “ac” is backwards compatible with devices made for older standards. The vast majority of routers and devices are 802.11ac compatible now, so it’s a good time to upgrade if you have older, incompatible devices.

Capable routers touting the “ac” capability include ASUS Dual-Band AC1750 Wireless Gigabit Router and Netgear Nighthawk AC 1900 Dual-Band Wifi Gigabit Router, each of which offers considerably quicker speeds at the expense of compatibility.

Also: There is indeed another standard on its way, known as 802.11ax. It will be a few years before it becomes fully adopted at the consumer level, but it’s worth keeping in mind.

Interpreting Wi-Fi network speeds

Remember, you should always take manufacturers’ speed declarations with a grain of salt. For example, many manufactures list “theoretical” maximum bandwidth on their boxes. You’ll see anything from 350Mb/sec to 3,500Mb/sec (megabits per second), but you’ll rarely see throughput that high in realistic environments in which walls, doors, appliances, and other barriers separate your router from its client devices.

All wireless routers feature built-in Ethernet for hard-wired network connections, but cheaper routers will have switches rated at only 100Mb/sec. You won’t regret spending a few extra dollars to buy a model with a Gigabit switch (that’s 1,000Mb/sec).

Deciding how many bands you need

Manufacturers have sold dual-band routers for years, but now many are starting to roll out tri-band routers as well.

Dual-band typically means the router is equipped with two radios, one that operates on the 2.4GHz frequency band, and one that runs on the 5GHz frequency band. This enables you to set up two separate wireless networks, so you can improve speeds in a crowded wireless network by bumping some devices over to the alternate frequency.

Make sure you read the fine print, though. Some dual-band routers in fact have one radio that can operate on either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands, but not both at the same time. Tri-band routers include a second 5GHz band. This is helpful if you have a lot of mobile devices on one network and need to spread them around three bands for greater efficiency and data management. Tri-band routers remain rare, because very few people need them. They can be useful in a dorm or office, but aren’t necessary for the average house.

Managing Wi-Fi security

Wireless networks are as insecure as they are convenient — if you don’t take steps to secure your network, just about any troublemaker within range can eavesdrop on your online activities, leech off your Internet connection, access any of the files stored on your computers, infect your systems with viruses, and cause all sorts of other problems.

Any router you buy should support at least WPA2 (the second implementation of the Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol), but every device you add to your network must also support WPA2 for this to work. Your network is only as secure as the least-secure device that’s connected to it. WPA is acceptable, though not ideal. It’s not a good idea to rely on WEP, which is easily cracked by tools that anyone can download for free.

Also keep in mind that some routers are designed with enterprise or advanced family security in mind. These devices come with many extra features, including the ability add extra encryption, monitor devices, block unwanted users from the network, and even see what people are browsing.

Smart Wireless Management

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

One of the worst problems to plague the average router is interference. A router isn’t much good if it can’t give you acceptable wireless signals everywhere you want it. Fortunately, most modern routers have a couple other tricks to deal with this problem.

The solution is using “smart” processes that identify devices or dead zones and target them with Wi-Fi signals so they they always get service. The monstrous D-Link AC3200 Ultra, for example, has SmartBeam technology to do just this. Products like Luma, on the other, encourage people to buy several routers and link them together to create a Wi-Fi web around your home that eliminates dead zones. These solutions are something to keep in mind if you’ve had bad experiences with routers in the past.

Google Wi-Fi goes a step further, baking extensive Wi-Fi functionality into an easily understood smartphone app. Other manufacturers are also taking this route, though Google’s remains a high point among the competition.

USB connections

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends
Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

You’ll find USB ports on many routers, but it’s important to find out what that port is used for. On some routers, it’s merely a means of transferring setup information (network ID and password, for example) from the router to a client via a USB memory key. Better routers will allow you to plug in a USB mass-storage device to add NAS (network-attached storage) functionality. Plug a large USB hard drive into your router and every device on your network will have access to that storage resource — it’s like having a cheap server.

You should also pay attention to the generation of the USB port. Many routers have a combination of both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. Some only have one or the other. At least one USB 3.0 port is a smart feature to purchase if you plan on attaching any accessories.

Routers with MU-MIMO

MU-MIMO is a new router technology that means Multiple User Multiple Input, Multiple Output. Basically, MU-MIMO routers can connect directly to multiple mobile devices at the same time (currently, up to four devices). So, instead of shuffling data packets very fast between one device at a time, the network can maintain direct connections with devices, without switching focus. This makes internet connections faster and more reliable.

MU-MIMO is like to become a dominant technology in the future, but it’s not quite there yet. If you are buying a router today and don’t expect much to change, you probably don’t need MU-MIMO. Relatively few mobile devices are compatible with the technology yet. But in the next couple years you can expect a slow, sure transition over to MU-MIMO features, which is something to think about for the future.

Do you need a mesh network?

A mesh network is made of several router devices that are designed to work together, overlap their signals, and create a single dependable network. Mesh networks have grown in popularity over the past few years, as seen with models like Google Wi-Fi.

Mesh networks tend to have all the same features as regular routers, although they may have lower speeds than others in their price range (this matters less when you have three different routers working together, but is still worth noting). They are particularly useful in two cases. First, if you live in a smaller space like an apartment, you may be able to buy just one mesh router at a low price and use it like a traditional router. Second, if you have a large home (say, 3,000 square feet or over) and you have struggled with wireless connectivity in the past, a mesh network is the ideal solution for your large space, and is likely to work better than a single traditional router.

What to spend: Price vs. performance

Router prices vary greatly based on their features, antennas, ports, and much more. Generally, the best routers available today vary from $100 to $250 or more. You can find smaller routers below this range, and large enterprise routers above it, but most fall somewhere along the line. If you’re on a tight budget, you can find some decent routers for $50 or less, but they won’t offer all the latest and greatest features.

A cheap router that delivers sub-par performance is no bargain. Product reviews will give you a hint as to what you can expect, but setting one up in your own home is the only sure way to know how the router will perform in your unique environment. When you buy yours, make sure the retailer you do business with offers a liberal return policy if you’re not satisfied.

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4 Galaxy S9 and S9+ Cases If You Need a Belt or Holster Case

These cases keep your phone safe and accessible at all times.

The Galaxy S9 is a fantastic phone that lets you get more stuff done when you’re on the go. Whether you’re an outdoorsman who wants something rugged and accessible with a pocket-free carry or your work involves you having quick access to answer phone calls or emails out in the field, a belt clip holster can be a great way to keep your phone stylishly secure and accessible at all times.

These are the best cases with a belt clip holster for the Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Zizo Bolt Series Case

Zizo specializes in creating rugged smartphone cases, and among those, few are as rugged as the Bolt case. The case itself features ridges and texture for grip and includes a screen protector, but most importantly for our purposes, it also includes a belt clip holster for wearing your phone at your hip.

The clip can be rotated with a firm twist that locks it into a new orientation, so you can always have your phone at the ready when you need it. Choose from 10 different color styles and get yourself a holstered phone case that matches your style for just $18. Also available for the Galaxy S9+ for $19.

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Encased Nova Series Slim Grip Case

Often times phone holsters are paired with heavy duty cases which can be bulky and awkward to use. That doesn’t have to be the case with your Galaxy S9, so if that’s held you back from buying a hip holster case in the past I present to you Encased’s Nova series case.

The case itself is rugged yet slim, with a textured and rubberized backplate that helps with grip and cuts down on fingerprints. It’s thin enough to support wireless charging but comes with a removable metal backplate if you’d prefer to magnetically mount your phone in your car.

The holster holds your S9 in place with support in the bottom corners while the quick-release clip up top gives you instant access to your phone when you need it.

Get yours for the Galaxy S9 or the Galaxy S9+ for just $16.

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Trianium Duranium Case

If a minimalist look is what you’re after, consider the Trianium Duranium case. Available in Gunmetal or Black, this is an understated design that focuses on protection and usability.

This case combines three layers of protection that combine GXD impact gel and premium TPU for ultimate shock absorption with a hard polycarbonate shell offering support along the length of the phone. The holster clip itself is also a simple design, seemingly designed for horizontal carry with a swiveling at the clip so you can orientate the phone however you like.

Get yours for just $15 for the Galaxy S9, and $18 for the larger S9+.

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OtterBox Defender Series Case

OtterBox is a trusted premium accessory maker that charges big money for their products but backs it up with outstanding warranty policies and customer support. For the Galaxy S9, the OtterBox Defender Series is a great option — if you’re wont to drop a ton of money on a quality phone case when there are other worthy options available for under $20.

With OtterBox, you’ll be getting a tried and tested smartphone case design that’s designed to keep your phones protected for all these years. While older Otterbox cases offered a front-plate protection for the display, the Galaxy S9 case is screenless up front to accommodate the curved edges of the display. Everywhere else is well-crafted protection for your device, reinforced in the places where phones typically land first.

Get yours in your choice of six color combinations for as low as $29. Also available for the Galaxy S9+ for $54.

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Do you rock your phone in a holster?

Is a phone holster a necessity in your line of work? Let us know why you love this style of the case in the comments!

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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!

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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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Supreme Court Rules Police Need Warrants to Obtain a User’s Smartphone Location Data

The United States Supreme Court today ruled that the government “is required” to obtain a warrant if it wants to gain access to data found on a civilian’s smartphone, but only when it’s related to the user’s location data (via The New York Times).

Image via Wikimedia Commons
The decision is expected to have major implications for digital privacy moving forward as it pertains to legal cases, and could cause ripples in unlawful search and seizure cases that involve personal information held by companies like emails, texts, internet searches, bank records, and more.

In a major statement on privacy in the digital age, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the government generally needs a warrant to collect troves of location data about the customers of cellphone companies.

But Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the majority, said the decision was limited. “We hold only that a warrant is required in the rare case where the suspect has a legitimate privacy interest in records held by a third party,” the chief justice wrote. The court’s four more liberal justices joined his opinion.

Today’s vote in the case Carpenter v. United States came down to a 5-4 ruling, and originally emerged from armed robberies of Radio Shacks and other stores in Detroit dating back to 2010.

In the case, prosecutors relied on “months of records” obtained from smartphone makers to help prove their case, ultimately showing communication between Timothy Ivory Carpenter outside of a robbery location — with his smartphone nearby — and his accomplices inside of the location. The companies reportedly turned over 127 days’ worth of Carpenter’s records, with information as specific as whether or not he slept at home on any given night or if he went to church on Sunday mornings.

This led to the question by the Supreme Court justices as to whether the prosecutors violated the Fourth Amendment in discovering so much data on Carpenter’s movements. Now, police will have to receive a warrant issued by the court in order to obtain any smartphone data as it relates to the owner’s location data.

As the case continued, Apple and other technology companies filed a brief in August 2017 arguing against “rigid analog-era” Fourth Amendment rules. The brief deliberately stayed neutral on the topic of choosing sides, but urged the Supreme Court to continue bringing the Fourth Amendment law into the modern era. The companies stated that customers should not be “forced to relinquish Fourth Amendment protections” against intrusion by the government, simply because they choose to use modern technology.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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MacRumors Giveaway: Win a ‘Side Winder’ Cable Wrangler for MacBook Pro or MacBook Air From Fuse

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Fuse to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Side Winder, which is an accessory that’s designed to let you quickly and easily wind up your MacBook charger’s cord.

The reel design of the Side Winder lets you carry a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air Power Adapter, cord, and extension cable in a neat, compact package with no tangles and no hassle, making it ideal for use at home, when traveling, at work, and everywhere else in between.

With a traditional Power Adapter and cable setup, you may try winding the cord and the extension cable up around the adapter itself, but it’s unwieldy and the cable never stays in place, which is the problem that the Side Winder aims to solve.

Side Winder is compatible with all 45W, 60W, 61W, 85W, and 87W MacBook Pro and Air chargers, with both MagSafe 1 and 2 and USB-C versions available. The MagSafe versions are available for $29.99, while the USB-C version is $33.99. The USB-C model includes a USB-C cord, but neither model includes a power adapter or extension cable.

Once the Side Winder is in place with the Power Adapter in the center and the cables positioned properly, winding up a cable is done with a simple twist of the top piece. When needed, you can pull as much cable out as you need to reach a power outlet, and then later, wind it back up again.

According to Fuse, it takes less than six seconds to fully wind a cable using the Side Winder, and it offers protection against cable damage and fraying by preventing stress at weak points.

In addition to this week’s giveaway, Fuse is also offering a 10 percent off discount code and free shipping on the Side Winder for MacRumors readers. Just use this link to make a purchase.

We have 15 Side Winders to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (June 22) at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 29. The winners will be chosen randomly on June 29 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

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Steam Link Android app review: PC gaming goes mobile

The beta version of Valve’s Steam Link app for Android hit the Play Store about a month ago, allowing gamers to stream their favorite PC games to their smartphone or Android TV. I’m very well acquainted with Valve’s TV hardware version of the technology, so let’s dust off a Bluetooth controller and see how it works on a phone.

If you want to give the app a try for yourself, you can grab it for free from the link below.

install the steam link app (beta)

Simple to setup

Credit where it’s due, Valve makes in-home streaming easy to set up and use. Just install the app while Stream is running on your PC, connect up a Bluetooth controller, and you’re good to go.

The Steam Link app will test your network capability upon first connection, giving you an indication of whether your system will provide a stable frame rate. The default is set to Balanced quality at 15Mbps, but you can improve or downgrade this quality depending on the app’s test result (more on that in a bit).

The app interface is simple enough, presenting a quick button to start playing or some additional settings if you’re looking to optimize streaming performance. Once you’re connected, your PC will automatically enter “Big Picture Mode,” providing simplified navigation to your favorite games and other Steam features using a controller.

I experienced occasional connection issues launching the app. Even though Steam was running on my PC, the app sometimes couldn’t detect my computer. This happened sometimes on the Steam Link hardware too. Turning my phone’s Wi-Fi off and on again fixed the problem.

Performance and networking

Achieving a solid connection is the key to a good Steam Link experience and the rules are the same for the app as they were for the hardware version. For best results, you’ll want to connect your PC to your router via an ethernet cable to reduce the round trip latency significantly.

My setup is nothing special. I have a basic hub provided by my ISP at the other end of a long room from my TV which has a Steam Link plugged in, although it offers a fast 5GHz channel which comes in handy. I don’t use extenders or mesh networking. Around my reasonably sized two-bedroom flat, there’s only one major Wi-Fi dead zone and that’s the only place I witnessed any connection drops.

The Steam Link app offers the same three quality presets as the TV hardware. Beautiful provides the best quality video compression but requires a steady 30Mbps connection. Fast compresses the stream more heavily but only needs a 10Mbps link, making it ideal if you suffer from patchy connectivity across your home. Balanced sits nicely in between, at 15Mbps.

Fast Quality
Beautiful Quality

Using the built-in network diagnostic tools, I clocked around 1ms network latency virtually everywhere and packet losses under one percent, even on the Beautiful preset. Your mileage will obviously vary depending on your distance from your router and home layout.

I didn’t run into any network problems, but the app struggled with video decoding performance, something that wasn’t a concern for the Steam Link TV hardware. The flagship phones I tested couldn’t keep up with the 60fps output with my PC using the Beautiful preset, producing results that dipped into headache-inducing low 20s. The situation is slightly better with the Balanced option, but you’ll want to go for Fast to really lock in high frame rates. Dropping the resolution down to 720p, or even down to 480p for lower end hardware, worked too.

Phones with HEVC can boost network throughput, but I still recommend Fast streaming quality or a 720p resolution for best performance.

Fortunately, Fast rendering video artifacts usually easy to spot on a large TV are undetectable on a small smartphone display, and dropping to 720p barely touches the image quality either. You might be able to boost performance and bandwidth a bit more if your phone supports HEVC hardware decoding, but it’s not enabled by default.

This option is located in the app under Settings > Streaming > Advanced > HEVC Video, and toggle it to enabled. Results varied for me with HEVC enabled, so its usefulness will depend heavily on your setup. This setting didn’t make a meaningful difference on the hardware I tested — it’s really designed to eek out extra performance in lower bandwidth situations like on a 2.4GHz network. Enabling this on phones that don’t support hardware decode decreased performance. One final note, a lot of phones default to strange resolutions, like 1,808 x 1,024 with the Note 8, which heavily impacts encode and decode performance compared to a standard resolution like 1080p or 720p, so definitely change this right away if performance is sluggish.

Ultimately, using a combination of Fast quality and 720p is a worthwhile compromise when streaming to a phone. There’s no noticeable loss in quality on a small screen, encode and decode frame rates go up, latency goes down, you’re more free to roam around without connection drops, and the lighter load means better battery life for your phone. I’d even go so far as to recommend this setup if your phone supports HEVC decoding too.

Big Picture could be better

Steam’s Big Picture UI, which runs on your PC when using both the Steam Link app or TV hardware, is built to improve large screen and controller navigation over a PC keyboard and mouse setup. Navigating through with a Bluetooth controller on your smartphone will feel very familiar to Steam Link hardware users.

Some options aren’t always the easiest to find, but on the whole navigating through menus, picking games, and configuring your setup is straightforward enough. The UI prompts don’t necessarily match your controller interface, but that’s an inevitable trade-off when supporting a wide range of third-party products.

Valve has missed an opportunity to improve the experience for Steam Link app users though. Your smartphone’s touch screen continues to work when running the app, meaning navigating via touch is often a lot faster than scrolling through menus with D-Pad buttons. Unfortunately, the UI isn’t tweaked at all for smartphone interfaces, and many options are a little on the small side for pressing with a finger.

Some quality-of-life software improvements for smartphone users would be welcome.

You can’t really expect smartphone users to type on this cramped keyboard.

While it’s easy enough to launch your favorite game with a tap on the large icon, scrolling through the majority of the smaller menu options is a pain. There’s no support for Android keyboards in chat yet, and touches don’t always register when you press on the cramped Steam software keyboard, making typing an inconsistent experience. I’d also like to see swipe support introduced for moving through some of the menus rather than having to press the shoulder buttons.

A more mobile-optimized experience is going to be needed to iron out these bugbears. Tailored features will hopefully be implemented by the time the Steam Link app exits beta.

A replacement for a TV Steam Link?

As well as portable game streaming you can, of course, connect your phone up to a TV via HDMI to play on your big living room screen. This could cut out the need for a Steam Link hardware box entirely — at least if didn’t have so many issues.

Given that streaming is rather demanding on the battery, you’ll want some form of HDMI dock with a charging port. I tried the idea out using both the Samsung Dex Station and an OTG adapter hub. Both worked, but remember the Dex Station costs $150 and the Dex Pad is $70. An OTG hub with charging costs just $20 —sometimes less — making it by far the most affordable option.

Valve’s Steam Link retails for $50, but is often on sale for $20. In my experience, you are better off just getting that, for a few reasons.

The original Steam Link is better than using phone/HDMI, but the app is a great proposition for Android TV owners

The first is performance. I tried streaming to the TV on a variety of hardware configurations and had mixed results, most likely due to the extra computational power required to encode the HDMI output in conjunction with decoding the stream input. The Huawei P20 Pro didn’t like the situation at all, producing a much lower frame rate than before. The app also crashes in EMUI desktop mode. Performance was also sluggish on the Galaxy Note 8 when streaming in Dex desktop mode.

Editor’s Pick

Streaming games might be coming to Netflix (Update: Netflix responds)

NME

Update (06/13) at 3:26 p.m. CT: Netflix has reached out to Android Authority to clarify a few points on the story. The streaming service confirmed that Minecraft: Story Mode, a licensed five-episode interactive narrative …

Screen mirroring produces the best results. The Note 8 and LG V30 produced smooth frame rates in this mode. However, you’ll have to endure a duplicate screen in your field of view, which you don’t get with Dex mode. The odd aspect ratio of these devices also means you’ll end up with black bars on your TV stream, even after messing with the Full-Screen optimized app settings. It’s a less than premium experience that I wouldn’t recommend paying for.

Ultimately I think streaming with a phone using HDMI is a fair way to test out if you’ll use TV streaming, providing you have the necessary components already at hand. However, the so-so performance and screen mirroring bugs mean smartphones definitely aren’t a replacement for Valve’s dedicated TV hardware.

If you have an Android TV and can install the app, these same niggles won’t apply.

Final thoughts

Valve’s streaming solution is pretty great in my experience. The Steam Link app version showcases that the technology works just as well for portable devices as it does for your living room set. On both, your home network configuration will make or break the experience. Valve recommends an ethernet connection between your PC and router. That’s certainly been the only workable solution my experience.

Unfortunately, the smartphone use case adds a few complications. The wide variety of video decoding and encoding hardware out there makes predicting streaming performance very difficult. You’ll certainly want to make some quality compromises compared to the hardware version to ensure a smooth frame rate.

Valve’s technology works great, but the variety of smartphone hardware make the experience inconsistent.

I cannot recommend using your phone and Steam Link app as a replacement for Valve’s TV hardware. The performance is notably worse, even if you accept the necessary hit to video quality and the questionable compatibility of devices with non-16:9 aspect ratios with TV sets. Picking up a Link for $20 during a sale (which happens very often) is by far the best bet for TV streaming at this point, unless you have an Android TV.

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15 best Android games of 2018!

Gaming on mobile has been improving at a far greater rate than any technology that came before it. Android games seems to hit new heights every year. With the release of Android Nougat and Vulkan …

Overall I’m impressed by the technical capabilities of the beta version of the Steam Link app. A few mobile-centric quality of life improvements to the software are probably needed, and will hopefully be implemented come the full release.

Now I just have to figure out what PC games I actually want to play on a small screen with a controller.