Microsoft will stop making the Surface 3 in December
Microsoft’s Surface 3 has been on the market for over a year with no successor in sight, but it now looks like the lower-cost Windows tablet is on its way out… well, eventually. The company has confirmed to ZDNet that it will stop producing the Surface 3 by the end of December, or more than a year and a half after it hit store shelves. As it stands, the company says that stock is “limited.” You might not get the model you want at your preferred store, then.
The question is whether or not there will be a replacement around that time, assuming there is one in the works. Microsoft says that there has been “strong demand and satisfaction” for the Surface 3, but it’d odd to wind down sales of a popular product half a year before production stops. And there’s no doubt that the higher-end Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book are the stars of this hardware generation. While the Surface 3 lowered the barrier to getting a Microsoft tablet with pen support and a full app ecosystem, its Atom chip and limited storage make it a tough sell as a laptop replacement. This isn’t necessarily the end of the line for non-Pro Surface models. However, Microsoft may only want to jump back in when it can sync with a major new Windows release (ZDNet points to the rumored “Redstone 2”) and make a more compelling case for a lower-cost tablet.
Source: ZDNet
How to reinstall the software on your Chromebook
You can reinstall a fresh version of the operating system on your Chromebook with an easy-to-use tool and a USB stick or SD card.
If you see the “Chrome OS is missing or damaged” error when you start up your Chromebook, you’ll need to reinstall the operating system. This isn’t normally an issue, but if you were fiddling with the partitioning or trying to install another operating system like Ubuntu, you might see it. It’s fairly easy to fix as long as you have another computer running the Chrome browser (or another Chromebook) with internet access and a USB drive or SD card.
A couple notes before we move on to the instructions. Remove anything you have plugged into your Chromebook, like an SD card or any USB peripherals. This will wipe everything from your Chromebook’s storage, so you won’t be able to access any of your locally stored files when it reboots. It will also wipe the USB or SD card media you’re using as a restore device, so back anything up you want to keep before you get started.
Now on to the instructions!
- On your computer running the Chrome browser or another Chromebook, head to the Chrome Web Store and install the Chromebook Recovery Utility app.
Download: Chromebook Recovery Utility
- Insert a 4GB or larger USB drive or SD card into your computer. Remember, this will wipe it clean so back up your stuff if you want to keep it.
- Start the Recovery Utility app. You’ll be prompted with simple on-screen instructions, and all you really need to know is your Chromebook’s exact model number (look on the bottom of your Chromebook if you don;t know it) and which drive your computer assigned the SD card or USB media to — you can find that out in your computer’s file explorer.
- Give the program five minutes or so to format, download and install your new software. When it’s done, you’ll get a message that things are complete. Eject and remove the media you used for a recovery disk.
- Turn on your Chromebook. If it doesn’t start to the Recovery screen, you can press Escape + Refresh on the keyboard, then press the power button. Let go of the power button, then let go of Escape and Refresh to open the Recovery.
- When you see a message telling you to insert a recovery USB stick or SD card, put in the disk you created in the steps above. Follow the on-screen instructions.
When your Chromebook reboots, you’ll be on the latest build of the operating system and all you will need to do is sign in again. The whole process only takes about 20 minutes, and while you’ll probably never need to do this it’s nice knowing how just in case.
Happy Chromebooking!
Chromebooks
- The best Chromebooks
- Should you buy a Chromebook?
- Google Play is coming to Chromebooks
- Acer Chromebook 14 review
- Join our Chromebook forums
Snowden’s email provider confirms it was an investigation target
It’s a poorly kept secret that officials targeted Lavabit’s secure email service as part of their investigation into Edward Snowden’s leaks. Heck, the US government inadvertently leaked the truth itself. However, a gag order has prevented Lavabit from publicly acknowledging this… until now. In a statement, company founder Ladar Levinson can finally confirm that law enforcement pursued Lavabit in order to access Snowden’s communications. When the investigation began, authorities wanted the provider to hand over an encryption key that would not only expose Snowden, but all 410,000 Lavabit customers. It’s no wonder that Levinson decided to close shop — it’s hard to advertise private email when the feds can theoretically spy on any of your users.
The service creator isn’t just using the newfound liberty to criticize what he sees as suppression of both his free speech rights and the privacy of his former clientele. He’s forming a non-profit, the Lavabit Legal Defense Foundation (LavaLegal for short), to help service providers avoid participating in “unconstitutional activities” that include attempts to order backdoors and otherwise undermine privacy. The donation-based organization will help companies worldwide. It’s hard to say how effective LavaLegal will be, but it might make all the difference if it helps even one company oppose a request it otherwise couldn’t afford to fight.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Ladar Levison (Facebook), Rally.org
Six gadgets made from LEGO bricks
By Cat DiStasio
When kids play with LEGO bricks, their creations are limited only by their imaginations. A few colorful blocks can become a spacecraft, a bulldozer or a skyscraper with just a few moves. Although the LEGO builds from you childhood may not do much on their own, those colorful bricks lend themselves to amazing works of ingenuity when combined with other simple items. To showcase the vast potential of these cherished toys, we’ve rounded up a series of awesome gadgets made from LEGOs. Read on to learn about a working LEGO printer built by a teenager, a prosthetic arm that makes kids the star of any crowd and even a working LEGO camera that shows how it’s possible to create almost anything if you want it badly enough.
A quick look at Incipio’s Galaxy S7 edge Design Series, DualPro and Octane cases
Get protected, but don’t take away from the beauty of your new phone
When looking for a case to protect that nice Galaxy S7 edge you just bought, we either go in the direction of function or straight to what looks the best. But we know that it doesn’t have to be so binary — you can get a case that both fits your style and protects your phone just as much as you need, and Incipio’s range of Galaxy S7 edge cases do just that.
A well-known case maker as big as Incipio obviously makes a huge variety of cases for popular phones like the GS7 edge, but we’ve picked out four that strike a great balance between looks and protection. It comes down to the thin-and-light Octane and the protective DualPro, along with a couple of choices from the “Design Series” that build on those two cases with some stylish looks. Let’s take a look at all four.
Incipio’s one of the big names in cases, and you’re likely familiar with its general style and quality of materials at this point. If you haven’t used one of their cases before, know that it offers a seriously good product that may cost a few dollars extra but is really worth it.
Keep things simple — with or without some extra flair.
On the lower end of protection but striking a nice balance between size and functionality is the Octane case. This thin but rigid case applies as one piece, but is actually molded out of a hard-plastic back with a softer flexible rubber along the sides. That hard back gives extra protection when tossing the phone around, and the textured bumper makes the phone easier to grip and navigate with one hand. The two-piece look also opens up possibilities for cool two-tone designs, like the clear and blue one here.
A small step down in protection but a few big steps up in style is the Isla Design Series case, which is a thin hard one-piece case focused on a base level of protection without detracting from the sleek looks of the phone. Several different design choices are available, though they all share the common thread of being predominantly clear to show the GS7 edge’s slick lines and ostentatious colors (especially if you went with the gold one). The translucent look is accented by a set of staggered reflective metallic chevron pattern, giving an awesome look where you can see the phone’s back peeking through the top layer. Depending on the color combination you’ll get something subtle or completely ridiculous — you get to choose.
See Octane case at Amazon
See Isla Design Series case at Amazon
If you’re looking for a lot of protection, then DualPro is where you want to go. These two-piece cases are comprised of a rubber layer that tightly molds to your phone, along with a hard plastic layer on top for extra shock and bump protection. Incipio rates its DualPro cases to protect the phone for up to 12-foot drops, which is extremely impressive.
Extra bulk and protection doesn’t mean bad design.
Though they add a bit of extra bulk, if you’re someone who often fumbles their phone you’ll know this is the kind of case for you. The thick edges help save the screen if the phone is dropped or placed face-down on a table, though the downside here is making it extra tough to reach across to the curved edges of the screen for edge-swiping gestures.
Again Incipio offers several new takes on the DualPro design with its “Design Series” offerings, such as this dashing glittery model we have here. Just because a case is big and protective doesn’t mean it has to be ugly! But if you’d like to keep things sleek and simple (and stay away from glitter) you can go with plain colors as well, ranging from basic black up to a brighter blue/grey combo shown above.
See DualPro case at Amazon
See Glitter Design Series case at Amazon
No matter your needs or sense of style, Incipio has your Galaxy S7 covered here.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge
- Galaxy S7 review
- Galaxy S7 edge review
- Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
- Should you upgrade to the Galaxy S7?
- Learn about the Galaxy S7’s SD card slot
- Join our Galaxy S7 forums
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Verizon
Reuters: Big tech companies are auto-purging extremist content
YouTube, Facebook and other big internet companies are using automated systems to find and remove terrorist content, according to Reuters. Prior to this, they mostly relied on users to report extremist videos, which human employees review and delete. The publication’s sources wouldn’t specify how the systems work and if humans play a role in the process. But these huge entities reportedly took the technologies they use to scour their domains for copyright-protected posts and tweaked them for this purpose.
The altered automated systems can identify beheading videos, as well as ones that incite violence and spread extremist propaganda. They do so by comparing the unique digital identifiers or “hashes” that internet companies assign to videos people upload against a database of previously banned content. A good example of a tech that works like that is Microsoft’s child porn-detecting program PhotoDNA.
It’s unclear how the companies assembled that database, and we doubt we’d hear from any of them. Reuters’ sources said they’re not talking about this project, because they’re worried that terrorists might figure out how their content-blocking systems work. They’re also wary of governments pressuring them to use their technologies to censor critics and opponents.
Google, Facebook, Twitter and other huge players in the industry apparently discussed various ways to combat the growing number of pro-terrorist posts on their websites during a call back in April. It has recently become such a huge problem for them that Twitter had to ban 125,000 users in February. One teenager was even sentenced to 11 years in prison for running a popular pro-ISIS Twitter account.
While none of the companies wanted to talk about the initiative, Facebook’s head of global policy management, Monika Bickert, has at least revealed that they’re working together. She told Reuters that they’re “exploring with others in industry ways [they] can collaboratively work to remove content that violates [their] policies against terrorism.”
Source: Reuters
Bose’s best headphones are even better wireless
When it comes to headphones, it can sometimes be easy to forget about Bose. The company doesn’t debut new models as frequently as the competition, choosing instead to focus on quality, comfort and its highly touted noise-canceling tech. Bose’s previous noise-canceling model, the QC25, has been around awhile, and despite its popularity, there was one thing missing: a wireless edition. Announced just over a week ago, the QuietComfort 35s mix that trademark sound and feel in a $350 package. I spent a few days using the headphones to see if they met my high expectations.
Let’s start with the aesthetics. Unlike rivals such as Beats and SMS Audio, Bose never attempted to win us over with fashion. And it doesn’t really need to, given its knack for a comfortable fit and external noise blocking. These new QuietComfort 35s have a design similar to that of their predecessor, the QC25, except they come in all black (pictured) or silver. Personally, I prefer the more sophisticated solid color scheme over the previous two-tone look. It’s a subtle change, but an improvement nonetheless.
All of the controls are on the right ear cup, with a power slider on the outside shell that doubles as a Bluetooth pairing button. Along the rim, there are volume controls and a play/pause key beside LED indicators that let you know when the headphones are paired and when the battery is running low. A double click on the play/pause button will skip ahead to the next track, while a triple click will go back to the previous song. Typically these controls are scattered across individual buttons, which are sometimes on the outside panel of the ear cup. Bose has assigned them to a single control, and honestly, it’s a much better solution.
The QC35s are made of glass-filled nylon with a leather outer headband and ear pads. The frame may look like plastic, but Bose says otherwise, and the nylon is advertised to be more durable than regular plastic, too. There’s also a matte finish, which helps the headphones to not look cheap. Bose’s choice to go with nylon also keeps things lightweight — something I’ll address more in a moment.
The inside of the headband is actually made from Alcantara, a softer material used in luxury car interiors. The ear pads are soft and cushy but provide enough insulation between your head and the rim of the ear cup to keep things nice and comfy, even during long listening sessions. In addition to folding in for easy stowage in the included case, the ear cups themselves also rotate to sit flat — a common feature for headphones these days.
In terms of the overall weight, Bose nailed it. These are the first headphones I can remember using that didn’t cause at least some type of discomfort after an hour or so of continuous listening. The combination of the weight, along with the tension of the headband, keeps things super comfortable, and the QC35s never felt like they were pinching my head. It’s easy to understand why Bose’s gear is a top choice among frequent fliers.
When it comes to pairing a Bluetooth speaker or headphones with a mobile device or laptop, it’s not uncommon to have to try a few times. There are exceptions, but for me, pairing a device rarely happens on the first try. That wasn’t the case here, though: I had no trouble linking the QC35s with my MacBook Air and Moto X. The ability to get everything up and running in a matter of seconds is always a good thing. If you prefer to make the connection via NFC, the QC35s support that as well. Once paired, the Quiet Comfort 35s will let you know how much battery is left, as well as announce which device you’re connected to. For example, you’ll hear “Now connected to ‘Billy’s MacBook Air’” or some such. You can turn off the voice prompts if you prefer, but I appreciated getting an update on the power level.
What about using these headphones for in-flight entertainment? The company isn’t leaving travelers without a way to tap into the music and TV an airline offers to pass the time. There’s a wireless dongle included with the QC35s that plugs into those headphone jacks at your seat. It’s a pretty nice touch, if you ask me.
With the QuietComfort 35s, Bose continues its tradition of solid audio quality. Everything is crisp and clear, with a respectable amount of bass for a well-rounded sound. The low-end tones are nowhere near what’s become the norm on headphones these days (read: overpowering), but there’s still enough bass to give you some thump when a song demands it. The QC35s sounded good across a wide variety of genres, including hip-hop, electronica, bluegrass and metal. At higher volumes, I noticed the headphones favored treble a bit more than at a medium or low level. Some songs showcased this more than others, but when I did notice it, I quickly reached for the volume controls to try and remedy the issue. I didn’t encounter any of the distortion that some others have, even with both my phone and the headphones cranked all the way up.
Speaking of volume, the QuietComfort 35 is a strong performer. Sometimes wireless headphones and earbuds just aren’t loud enough for most people to like to listen to at near-deafening levels. I’m happy to report that these headphones are an exception; they get pretty loud. Thankfully, they stop short of painful, so unless you’ve already suffered some hearing loss, I doubt you’ll take issue with the volume here.
Bose promises 20 hours of battery life in wireless mode, and that’s with noise canceling enabled. I actually got a bit more time out of them. I needed a charge after about a week of using the headphones for about three to four hours a day. In wired mode, you can expect battery life to double, even with noise canceling turned on. When you do run out of juice, though, the QC35s will function just fine as a passive set.
The only real gripe I had with battery life is that the headphones don’t turn off automatically, or at least I thought they didn’t. I left them on overnight by accident and they were still on the next morning when I woke up. I didn’t realize at the time that the Bose Connect app (iOS and Android) allows you to switch on an “Auto Power-Down” feature to save your battery when you forget to shut them off yourself. That time can be as little as five minutes or as long as three hours. By default, that feature is disabled, hence my overnight battery drain. The app also lets you manage connected devices, tweak settings and download any updates.
With the Bose QuietComfort 35, the company finally caters to those who’ve been clamoring for a wireless version of its popular noise-canceling headphones. Faithful fans of the brand won’t be disappointed either: The company’s trademark noise cancellation, crisp audio quality and comfortable fit make these some of the best wireless headphones I’ve tested. Sure, they don’t have a flashy design, but they do their job, and they do it well for at least 20 hours on a charge. Perhaps the only surprise here is that Bose set the price at $350, just $50 more than the wired QuietComfort model. That’s on par with other sets, which is really just the bow around a rather stellar package. My expectations for the QC35s were high, and Bose managed to exceed them with another great product.
Galaxy Note 7 name looking more likely, iris scanner reportedly coming too
Say hello to Samsung’s sixth Galaxy Note, the Galaxy Note 7.
Update: Evan Blass has followed up with word that the phone will also feature an iris scanner as a secondary layer of biometric security.
Original story: In recent months, rumors have been swirling over the name of the next Samsung Galaxy Note device, with a growing number of reports suggesting the Korean firm will leapfrog the Galaxy Note 6 name and instead launch a Galaxy Note 7 in the coming months. And that’s looking increasingly likely with the latest leak from a usually reliable source.
The image above comes from Evan Blass (a.k.a. @evleaks) on Twitter, who says the new name is “confirmed.”
Blass is usually right about these things, so why the decision to skip a Note 6? Earlier reports point to Samsung wanting to avoid the impression that the next Note is an “outdated phone.” 2016 is the year of sevens — we’re due an iPhone 7 later this year, along with Android 7.0, to say nothing of Samsung’s own Galaxy S7 series. Calling it the Note 7 lets Samsung establish this new Note as belonging to the same generation as the latest and greatest in mobile tech.
Other Note 7 rumors point to a curved screen and possible early August announcement.
Looking forward to the Note 6 Note 7? Share your hopes (and fears) down in the comments!
Android Central 294: ChromeDroid FTW
What’s it like to run Android on a Chromebook? Phil and Jerry have all the answers to be had so far, as we take a look at the first developer build.
Plus the Samsung Gear 360 has been put through its paces. It’s pretty darn good, but still has some room for improvement.
Plus we catch up on the latest batch of emails. Send yours to podcast at androidcentral dot com!
Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral294a.mp3
The malicious ‘Godless’ exploit found in a few Google Play apps sounds scary, but that’s about it
Another week, another scary-sounding security story. Here’s why we wouldn’t worry too much about “Godless.”
Security firm TrendMicro this week detailed “a family of mobile malware called Godless” that it says contained exploits that potentially could root a phone without a user’s knowledge. That in and of itself would be bad, opening your phone up to all sorts of nonsense.
And it sounds scary as hell, if you read Trend Micro’s blog.
Here’s the lede:
We came across a family of mobile malware called Godless (detected as ANDROIDOS_GODLESS.HRX) that has a set of rooting exploits in its pockets. By having multiple exploits to use, Godless can target virtually any Android device running on Android 5.1 (Lollipop) or earlier. As of this writing, almost 90% of Android devices run on affected versions. Based on the data gathered from our Trend Micro Mobile App Reputation Service, malicious apps related to this threat can be found in prominent app stores, including Google Play, and has affected over 850,000 devices worldwide.
You can pretty much stop there if you want, and go about your day. But just for fun, let’s break down that first graf.
- This “Godless” malware can target “virtually any device running on Android 5.1 or earlier. OK, that’s 89.9 percent of all devices on Google Play. That number will continue to drop as more devices get Marshmallow, however.
- And just because you’re on a pre-Marshmallow device doesn’t mean there aren’t other checks in place to keep your phone safe from this sort of thing. Extrapolating the percentage of exploited devices from the percentage on Lollipop and below is one hell of a leap — and wrong.
- Google’s “Verify Apps” feature works to pick up sideloaded potentially harmful apps (you can read more on that in this PDF), and we need to remember about monthly security updates that don’t trigger a new version.
- “Malicious apps related to this threat can be found in prominent app stores, including Google Play.” OK, which other ones? And how many apps in each? Why only name-drop Google Play, in that case? Is it a high percentage? Low percentage? (More on that in a second.)
- “… and has affected over 850,000 devices worldwide.” Well, that’s no good. But that’s also very conservatively one-one-thousandth of all Android devices out there. (The actual percentage is almost certainly lower than that — I’d say more like 0.0006 percent.)
Keep reading, though, and the Godless worry drops even further.
- TrendMicro has a chart showing the global distribution of affected devices. India leads things at 46 percent. Indonesia is the next highest at 10 percent. The United States? 1.51 percent. So something like 400,000 devices affected in India. And 12,000 in the U.S. Context, ya know?
- There’s only one app in Google Play actually listed in the TM blog — “Summer Flashlight,” from Crazy Wifi Team. That app — and indeed the developer itself — is no longer listed in Google Play. So since we’re all playing fast and loose with assumptions here, let’s just assume Google’s gotten all of the offending apps out of the way.
To be clear, malicious apps are not good. And apps that can help root your phone aren’t inherently malicious, even though they’re not allowed in Google Play. And it’s good that companies are working with Google to help identify apps that manage to slip through the cracks. But there are multiple parts at work here, with multiple layers of security. And context is very important.
Don’t sideload apps from sources you don’t explicitly trust. Stick to app stores like Google Play and Amazon if you want. Don’t click on links in text messages from people you don’t know. If something feels wrong, it probably is.
And don’t worry too much about Godless. You’re probably OK.
