FCC adopts news rules to stop phone companies from ‘slamming’ and ‘cramming’

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted new rules which should make it harder for phone companies and ISPs to take advantage of customers using dishonest sales techniques. In particular, the new rules take aim at the practices known as “slamming” and “cramming.”

Cramming occurs when phone companies add unauthorized charges to your bill at the end of the month. Among mobile carriers, these extra fees often take the form of device insurance, extra features, or bill credits that never actually materialize, despite repeated promises from sales reps. These sorts of practices are most commonly found among wireless franchise stores where sales associates work on commission and are sometimes not even employed by the company they claim to be representing. Among ISPs and cable providers, this can often take the form of switching customers to bundles without their express consent.

The FCC’s statement says that its new rules will ensure that there is “a clear ban on misrepresentations made during sales calls.” The organization has also increased the protections available to consumers who have fallen victims to such dishonest practices.

Slamming refers to dishonest tactics designed to trick unwary customers into switching to a different service provider. Under the new rules, if a salesperson is found to have been dishonest or deceptive when obtaining a customer’s permission to switch services, the customer’s consent will be revoked. Furthermore, if carriers are found to have misled third-party verification services, their access to such services will be revoked for several years. According to the FCC, unethical companies will even go so far as to call customers and ask them questions unrelated to their service and then edit those answers in a manner meant to deceive third-party verification services.

Technically speaking, these practices are already against the law, but the FCC is hoping that these new rules and guidelines will make it easier to enforce existing regulations and provide better safeguards for consumers.

Given the FCC’s successful efforts in repealing net neutrality, it is good to see the organization taking a stance that could provide real benefits to consumers. This is assuming, of course, that these new regulations are appropriately enforced.

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IBM and the Department of Energy show off the world’s fastest supercomputer, Summit

IBM and the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have revealed the world’s “most powerful and smartest scientific supercomputer.” Known as Summit, IBM says that its new computer will be capable of processing 200,000 quadrillion calculations per second. To put that into perspective, if every person on Earth did a single calculation per second, it would take 305 days to do what Summit does in a single second. Assuming those numbers are accurate, that would make Summit the world’s fastest supercomputer. It would also mark the first time since 2012 that a U.S. computer held that title.

Summit has been in the works for several years now and features some truly impressive specs. According to Tech Crunch, the computer will feature 4,608 compute servers, 22 IBM Power9 chips and six Nvidia Tesla V100 GPUs each. In addition, the machine will feature more than 10 petabytes of memory. As the Nvidia GPUs attest, this machine will be primarily used for the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning. In addition to the the work on A.I., Summit will also be used for research into energy and other scientific endeavors at Oak Ridge.

IBM was the Department of Energy’s general contractor for the Summit project, but they also had the help of several other partners within the tech industry. The GPUs were provided by Nvidia, which remains one of the leaders in cutting-edge GPU development. Mellanox and Redhat were also brought on to work on the development of Summit.

While Summit is the most powerful of the Department of Energy’s supercomputers, it is not the only that is being developed. Work is also being done on a less powerful computer known as Sierra. Sierra will be used at the  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and will be clock in at 125 pertraflops. While this makes it less powerful than Summit, it is still more advanced than anything else the Department of Energy currently has access to.

Both Sierra and Summit are scheduled to go online sometime this year and will provide a much-needed boost to the U.S’s arsenal of supercomputers. In recent years, the top spots were held by other countries, but Summit is the United States’ chance to retake the lead.

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Players can team to explore a shared world when ‘Anthem’ debuts in February 2019

Prior to the E3 2018 gaming conference, Electronic Arts revealed that Anthem will arrive on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on February 22, 2019. At the show, members of BioWare sat down on the stage to answer a few questions about the upcoming shooter, and presented a demo to remind us of the awesome gameplay coming next winter.

To some degree, Anthem is similar to Destiny in that you can play through the main story on your own — although BioWare says it’s “challenging” — or team up with others in co-op gameplay. Anthem is also designed to host additional stories for “years to come,” just like the Destiny games. That extended shelf life could include a new moment with a character you’ve come to love, a mission taking you deep into the lore, or a world event.

But the huge difference between Destiny and Anthem is the latter game’s environment, as it’s constantly changing based on seasons, weather, world events, and so on. Based on the demo, you mostly travel from point A to point B, flying in your highly customizable “Javelin” exosuits. BioWare promises deep customization given you’re wearing these outfits for the long haul, including changing their geometry and colors.

Players assume the role of a freelancer who’s uniquely skilled to drive these suits. There are four in all: The Ranger that’s good at one-on-one combat, the Colossus designed for heavy artillery, the Storm, and the Interceptor. You can switch between these suits depending on the mission at hand, your mood, and other factors. You’ll also have an option to purchase cosmetic and vanity items, but that’s it: There will be no “loot boxes” or premium weapons/armor to purchase.

The design of Anthem centers around an “our world, my story” concept. When out in the open world, you face a dangerous environment and focus on completing the current mission. This is where other players can join. All gamers play in a living, shared world and everyone experiences the same changes in weather, rise and fall of the sun, etc.

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After completing a mission, you can return to your base and collect your rewards. This aspect is a “single-player” experience where you converse with characters and face the consequences of your actions. According to BioWare, this is where your story “really lives and breathes.” Anthem will not be an MMO, nor will it be a multiplayer game with a story tacked on.

Lead writer Cathleen Rootsaert said the gods abandoned their massive tools and left the world unfinished. These tools are in constant conflict with an “unknowable force” called the Anthem of Creation. The chaos caused between those two factors is constantly reshaping the world, causing violent storms, mutated creatures, gigantic monsters, and more. It’s a dangerous world that requires exosuits and comrades.

As for the gameplay demo, it revealed a lot of flying. The mission had a team invade a base housing a superweapon, and ended when they entered the heart of the base and a giant monster dropped in to say hello.

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OnePlus fixing in-person vulnerability that makes phone easy to hack

Flaw allows a modified boot image to load and grant complete admin control to anyone with the know-how.

The OnePlus 6 is a really great phone for not a lot of money. It’s easy to see why anyone would want to buy one, and if you recently pick one up, you need to be aware of a new exploit that could give the right person complete control over your device.

First reported at XDA Developers, president of Edge Security, Jason Donenfeld (under his XDA username zx2c4) shows that the flaw allows a person who has access to your phone and a computer to boot the system using a modified image. Notice the “has access to your phone and a computer” part — this only works when the phone is tethered via USB to a computer with the right tools and software. Nothing you download or install can do this.

The #OnePlus6 allows booting arbitrary images with `fastboot boot image.img`, even when the bootloader is completely locked and in secure mode. pic.twitter.com/MaP0bgEXXd

— Edge Security (@EdgeSecurity) June 9, 2018

This exploit works while the bootloader is still locked. That means it doesn’t depend on you having already enabled developer settings, enabled USB debugging, or enabled bootloader unlocking. That’s why it’s a serious problem even though you can unlock the bootloader on the OnePlus 6 manually if you like.

A custom image that places files in the correct location and changes a few system parameters can alter the system permanently, which could allow the OnePlus 6 to be rooted. While some users might think rooting a phone while keeping the bootloader locked is a good thing, having an exploit that allows anyone to do it once they have your phone in their hands is not.

OnePlus has responded to an inquiry by Android Police and says:

We take security seriously at OnePlus. We are in contact with the security researcher, and a software update will be rolling out shortly.

We hope this can be fixed in short order by a simple over-the-air update.

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The LeveTop is a cylindrical, vertical drone that looks like a coffee mug

You’ve never seen a drone that looks like a coffee mug. That is, until you see the LeveTop. What makes this particular quadcopter particularly interesting isn’t necessarily its flight capabilities (though they’re impressive) or its camera (though it’s more than capable of getting the job done). Rather, it’s the fact that the LeveTop almost looks like a thermos when it’s packed away, only to morph into an autonomous and intelligent drone capable of exploring the skies on your behalf.

Undeniably the most noteworthy aspect of the LeveTop is the compact quadruple folding frame. Its vertical, cylindrical shape looks unlike anything else on the market — at least that we’ve  seen — and the design is about more than just aesthetics. As LeveTop founder Longway Wang told Forbes, the shape of the drone actually helps it fly a bit more steadily, and of course, makes it more portable, too. When you’re finished using LeveTop, you need only to fold down its wings, and you can grab the body of the drone and be on your merry way — there will be no extruding, fragile parts to speak of. Adding to its portability, the unit weighs less than a pound..

As for the technical specs of the drone, the LeveTop is capable of flying for 20 minutes at a time at speeds of up to 33 miles per hour, and can reach an altitude of 100 meters above the ground. With four brushless motors, it should be able to get air quite quickly and keep tabs on everything it sees, as the drone is outfitted with a 1080p camera with a 4µm pixel size that should be able to take both photos and videos.

The drone also boasts an advanced GPS system that will follow you wherever you go  –provided, of course, that you’re carrying your smartphone, which must be synced to the drone to get it to work properly.

Wang is reasonable when it comes to his expectations for the drone. While it’s admittedly not the most powerful nor the most affordable, it is still accessible and useful enough for most drone enthusiasts to get their feet wet.

“The drone industry is just beginning,” he told Forbes. “As A.I. and 5G take shape and become more widespread in a few years, drone performances will improve, and the market will grow bigger.”

And thus far, the LeveTop has met with considerable success. It blew past its initial fundraising goal on Indiegogo, ultimately raising nearly $240,000. And while you should still exercise caution whenever taking part of a crowdfunding project, if the design of the LeveTop has caught your eye, a contribution of $179 should get you one of these drones by July 0f this year.

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Almost a quarter of Tesla Model 3 orders refunded, according to report

Despite the optimism and hope from fans for the success of the Tesla Model 3, it seems even some of its potential customers weren’t happy with the issues the company’s been having with the EV’s launch. According to Recode, another production delay recently made headlines, causing a new peak of pre-order cancellations — nearly a quarter of all Model 3’s initial reservations.

Since Tesla’s Elon Musk announced the Model 3 over two years ago, the company began accepting $1,000 deposits while promising the delivery of these vehicles by 2018. Bouncing off of the success of the Model S and Model X, Tesla managed to score several hundred thousand reservation orders.

Things went awry fast, however, as Tesla struggled with production roll-out and quality control issues that made headlines across the world. This caused both customer and investor confidence to dwindle very quickly, leading many to question the company’s validity and ability to produce a mass-market electric vehicle on such a massive scale to be the “EV alternative to a BMW 3-Series.” It also raised eyebrows over the handling of the company’s finances.

Many customers have been demanding their money back as a result of these production issues. New data surfaced around the end of April this year from financial data firm Second Measure. The company sorts and analyzes data regarding billions of dollars of anonymized credit and debit card purchases.

The firm discovered that Tesla refunded almost 23 percent of all Model 3 deposits in the U.S. In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t a back-breaking number and cancellations are expected to a certain degree. But while Tesla received around 450,000 reservations last quarter, the company only delivered 8,180 Model 3s. Yea, it’s that far behind.

Potential Tesla Model 3 customers are still supposedly eligible to replace a deposit for a Model 3 when production becomes steadier. But this still might have an effect on Tesla’s near-future performance in sales, as customers could simply choose an entirely different car brand and model altogether.

Recode spoke to a Tesla representative, who said that Second Measure’s data doesn’t accurately portray the company’s internal data. The same representative didn’t disclose the size of the data discrepancy, however.

This isn’t to discredit Second Measure, since the same firm accurately discovered that of the 518,000 gross reservations, the company only netted around 455,000 reservation confirmations (Elon Musk confirmed this data back in August). This implies that there were around 63,000 cancellations, resulting in a 12 percent cancellation rate.

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Xbox Live subscriptions, Star Wars Lego sets, and more are all discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Xbox Live subscriptions, Star Wars Lego sets, and more! Time’s running out to take advantage of these prices, so hurry!

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If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Every PlayStation 4 game announced at E3

Stay up to date with all the E3 announcements for PS4!

Put on your party hats and slip on your hype shoes because it’s time for E3 2018. If you’re a passionate gamer, then this very well could be one of your favorite times of the year. This is when we get to find out what we’re going to get excited about and just how long we are going to have to maintain that excitement.

If you want to know about all the Switch titles that were talked about at E3 2018, then you found the place to be. As E3 progresses we will make sure to keep you in the loop right here, so check back!

EA

Kicking off E3 2018 was the occasionally divisive gaming powerhouse EA. From the tentpole sports titles to a whole host of other blockbusters, EA had a lot to say this year.

FIFA 19

Unravel Two

Sea of Solitude

NBA Live 19

Madden NFL 19

Anthem

There’s a whole lot to be excited about in the world of gaming in the coming year. Be sure to keep an eye on this space. We will be updating with all the titles announced at E3!

What games are you excited about?

Let us know in the comments below!

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What’s new in Chrome OS (Stable, Beta, and Developer Channels)

Not sure what’s new in Chrome OS? We’ve got you covered!

Chrome OS, Google’s own desktop operating system, receives regular updates to outfit it with new features, bug fixes, and more. There are three main levels of Chrome OS (Stable, Beta, and Developer) and while you can learn more about what these mean here, this guide will be updated regularly to highlight the main additions with each new release.

We’ll update the Stable section each time a new version is released, but since the Beta and Developer channels receive multiple updates throughout the week, we’ll only add new information to those sections when something particularly noteworthy is added.

Without further ado, here’s what’s new in the Stable, Beta, and Developer Channels for Chrome OS!

Stable

June 7, 2018 — Progressive Web Apps can be installed and Tablet Mode gets split-screen support

Chrome OS’s Stable Channel was updated to 67.0.3396.78 on June 7, and it comes equipped with a host of new features.

One of the big highlights is the ability to download Progressive Web Apps as standalone applications — similar to how you’d download Android or regular Chrome OS apps. Progressive Web Apps are technically portals to websites but come with refined user interfaces and increased performance. They essentially give you desktop apps for things like Spotify, Flipboard, and more without developers having to create apps specifically for Chrome OS, meaning that we’ve just about ended the complaint that Chrome OS doesn’t have enough applications available for it.

Another big addition is that you can now use apps/websites in split-screen while in Tablet Mode. With devices like the HP Chromebook X2 and Acer Chromebook Tab 10 now around, a feature like this couldn’t have come at a better time.

Other goodies include a cleaner list of your Bluetooth devices, the ability to zip files on Google Drive via the built-in Files app, and new shortcuts that pop up when holding down your power button.

Read through the full changelog here

Beta

June 7, 2018 — All HTTP sites are now labeled as “Not Secure”

HTTPS is the future of website security, but for whatever reason, there are still some sites that continue to use the old HTTP standard.

As it stands right now, sites using HTTPS show a green “Secure” badge to the left of the domain. Starting with the Chrome OS 68 beta, that “Secure” badge is being removed and all HTTP sites wil show a “Not Secure” label so users can more easily identify if they’re on a site that’s not as safe as it should be.

Read through the full changelog here

Developer

June 8, 2018 — The Pixelbook’s power button can act as a physical two-factor authentication key

Two-factor authentication is a great way to secure your online presence, and one way to go about this is by using a USB key. If you’ve got a Pixelbook running the Developer Channel, you can now mimic the functionality of a USB U2F key with its power button.

To enable this, simply open a Chrome Shell and enter u2f_flags g2f. As with everything in the Developer Channel, this feature isn’t the most stable so consider having a USB key anyways just in case something goes wrong.

June 5, 2018 — Chrome OS’s emoji shortcut is now available!

Chrome OS has long been in need of an easy way to access emojis, and if you’re running the Developer Channel, there’s a new tool that allows you to do just that.

After enabling the flag chrome://flags/#enable-emoji-context-menu, right-click on a text field and you’ll see a new “Emoji” option. Click on this, and you’ll be able to insert whatever emoji you’d like.

It’s reported that the implementation is still a little wonky, but it should smooth out as it makes its way through the Beta and Stable Channels.

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Best Wireless Charging Pads for Galaxy S8 in 2018

The Samsung Galaxy S8 supports wireless charging, so take full advantage of the convenience!

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a beautifully designed phone packed with convenient features. That includes wireless charging, which allows you to forgo dealing with cables and elegantly have your phone charging on your desk at work or nightstand at home and simply grab it when it’s time to get up and go.

There are a variety of wireless charging stands and pad options compatible with the Galaxy S8, from chargers designed by Samsung to third-party products. Here are your best available options for the Samsung Galaxy S8.

• Samsung Fast Charge Convertible Wireless Charging Pad
• Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Charger pad
• Tylt Qi Wireless Charging Stand
• Aukey Wireless Charging Pad
• iOttie iON Wireless Qi Wireless Charging Pad
• PASONOMI Fast Wireless Charger

Samsung Fast Charge Convertible Wireless Charging Pad

Samsung has come out with a completely redesigned wireless charging pad/stand, which launched alongside the Galaxy S8. Besides the premium leather-like appearance and ingenious design which allows you to easily convert this pad into an angled charging stand, you can be sure that this charging pad was created with your Galaxy S8 in mind.

The charger comes with a spare Samsung Fast Charge wall charger — because let’s be honest, you can never have too many Samsung wall chargers — and allows you to fast charge your Galaxy S8 wirelessly at your home or office. Priced at $45 to $50, this is the most expensive option on the list, but if premium quality and functionality are your top priorities, this is the one you want.

See at Amazon

Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Charger pad

For the same fast charging speeds in a less-expensive (and smaller) package, look for Samsung’s last-generation flat wireless charging pad.

This UFO-like charging pad can charge all Qi-compatible devices and is Fast Charge-compatible with your Galaxy S8. It also comes with a Samsung Fast Charge wall charger, which is a requirement to get the fastest speeds. This Amazon listing has them available for $35 each and may be a better choice for you than the convertible stand. You can frequently find refurbished models on sale for much less.

See at Amazon

TYLT Qi Wireless Charging Stand

TYLT has been in the wireless charging game for years, proving itself to be one on of the most trusted third-party manufacturers. This is another angled wireless charging stand that lets you keep your phone accessible while it charges at your desk.

What separates TYLT from the rest is its bold color options — you can get this charging stand in black, red, blue and yellow starting at just $28.

See at Amazon

iON Wireless Plus Fast Charger Qi Charging Pad

This wireless charger from iOttie is the latest refinement from a company that has been making quality charging pad for years. The latest is Qi-compatible with Wireless Fast Charging up to 10W for the fastest wireless charging speeds for your Samsung Galaxy S8.

Part of the redesign includes a really nice fabric finish that’s available in Ruby Red, Ash Grey, and Ivory White. This is a wireless charger that doesn’t look like a cheap disc of plastic, so you’ll be happy to show this charger off in your office or living room. The kit comes with a wall charger brick and charging cable and can be yours for $50.

Check out our full review

See at Amazon

PASONOMI Fast Wireless Charger

This wireless charging stand from PASONOMI is a great option for the Galaxy S8 or any Samsung Galaxy phone with wireless charging because it supports fast charging. That means you’ll be able to fully charge your phone in under 2 hours!

It’s an intelligently designed charger with two charging coils positioned so that you’re even able to charge your phone while watching videos in landscape mode. There’s also a nice LED strip that will indicate the charging status, and the whole thing has a sleek and futuristic vibe to it.

The stand is available in your choice of black or silver for just $18.

See at Amazon

Do you charge wirelessly?

Have you owned any of the wireless chargers we’ve featured here? What has been your experience? Let us know in the comments below!

Update June 2018: Added the new iON Wireless Plus Fast Charger Qi Charging Pad to our list and updated pricing information

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