The Morning After: Friday December 23, 2016
Before you take off for the holiday, we’re looking back at this year’s best games and gadgets, and fearing the worst when it comes to next year’s weather.
Play this. Also: Don’t play this.
The best (and worst) games of 2016
Because of this year’s never-ending cycle of unease, video games have been more important to a lot of us at Engadget this year. Of course, they’re always a form of escapism, but in the last 12 months they’ve had to function as a kind of digital cocoon. Here’s our pick of 2016’s top forms of gaming escape — as well as those best avoided.
Because everyone has an old ThinkPad laying around
Now Raspberry Pi’s Pixel OS can run on regular PCs
A Linux-based operating system that can run on a cheap Raspberry Pi computer could also breathe life into some old laptops. At least, it can now that the Pixel OS is ready to run on both Windows and OS X computers. It’s still in the experimental stages, but interested users can grab a bootable image and try it out right away.
Less is more when it comes to microtransactions
‘RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic’ rides again on Android and iOS
Atari’s new game for mobile is actually a mashup of two old ones, as RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic pulls from RCT 1 and 2. Overall it’s a simpler take on ride design and park management than later games in the series, and unlike previous mobile releases, it’s very light on the in-app purchases. The game costs $6, there are two expansion packs, and the ability to import/export saved parks costs extra, but that’s it.
Including every VR headset
The best gadgets of 2016
The year is almost over, so now it’s time to run down some of the most impressive electronics we’ve seen. VR hardware topped the list, but that’s not all. Dell and HP delivered impressive laptops (even when Apple didn’t) and the best phones were the ones that didn’t explode.
No Pixel watch, for nowAndroid Wear 2.0 will launch on third-party smartwatches
Android Wear product manager Jeff Chang confirmed in an interview with The Verge that version 2.0 of the platform will arrive first on a pair of flagship smartwatches. The surprising news, however, is that despite Google’s push to build more hardware of its own, its name won’t be on either of them.
It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this… graph paper.
Peek at the drawings used to design the original ‘Zelda’
To celebrate The Legend of Zelda’s 30th anniversary, Nintendo has released a handful of drawings that were used to design the first game in the franchise. They’re essentially graph paper, with shaded boxes to represent walls and bottomless pits. Greatness often starts small and simple.
Storm’s coming.
What can we expect in 2017? More volatile weather
Due to our slow progress in addressing climate change, there’s going to be a lot less ice in the Arctic next year. Scientists are observing peak high temperatures in the Arctic circle that’s likely to lead to record low levels of ice coverage in 2017. Long story short, we’re currently melting the wall that’s helped stop the seas boiling for all of these years. The knock-on effect is that when summer rolls around next, there’ll be less of the frozen stuff to reflect the solar energy back, further warming the planet beyond its capacity to cope
But wait, there’s more…
- The world’s first “solar road” opened Wednesday in France
- Faraday Future could be out of business by February
- Obama administration dismantles registry used to track Muslims and Arabs
Cassini captures Titan’s mysterious clouds on cam
It’s business as usual for the Cassini spacecraft until it’s time to say goodbye in September 2017, and some of the latest images it captured tell us more about Saturn’s moons. The spacecraft’s cameras, for one, produced two very different views of Titan’s high northern latitudes. As you can see in the image after the break, one (the black-and-white photo) clearly shows the surface features of Saturn’s largest moon. The other shows a moon whose surface is obscured by bright clouds. These were taken within the same period during the spacecraft’s Titan flybys on June 7th and July 25th.
[Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Univ. Arizona/Univ. Idaho]
So if the images were taken within the same period, how come one has clouds while the other has none? According to the Cassini team, the answer lies with Titan’s hazy atmosphere and the spacecraft’s two different cameras: the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) and the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS). The clouds are supposed to be there, because computer models show they should be present when the northern summer approaches. However, they’re not visible in the black-and-white image captured by ISS, because they appear thinner than the haze at the shorter, near-infrared wavelength the instrument uses. On the other hand, they look thicker at the longer infrared wavelengths used by VIMS, which took the other photo.
In addition to confirming that clouds hover over the northern part of Titan when summer approaches, Cassini also recently took one of the highest-resolution images of another Saturn moon called Pandora. The spacecraft snapped the photo during its closest ever Pandora flyby on December 18th, 2016.
Source: NASA (1), (2)
Uber Explains Why its App Appears to Track Users Days or Even Weeks After a Ride
Uber responded on Friday to concerns surrounding its app’s background tracking behavior by explaining that the issue is being caused by an update to iOS itself, not the company’s ride-hailing app (via TechCrunch).
Concerns were first raised about Uber’s use of location services when the company announced it would track customers’ whereabouts for a few minutes after their trip ends and the app is no longer open, in order to improve its service. Privacy advocates’ main complaint was that the app offered no opt-out. However, since that time many users have reported that the app goes much further and appears to track them for days or even weeks after they last used the ride-hailing service, even when the app is closed.
@gruber old ver last used 7 days ago. Is it possible that Uber enabled as Maps extension explains icon? pic.twitter.com/GfWG6ytY5s
— Caleb Powell (@caleb_powell) December 22, 2016
Uber now says the unintentional behavior is being triggered by the iOS Maps extension that Apple added to its mobile operating system in September, not due to a bug in the Uber app or because of its recent location services update.
In iOS 10, Apple opened up Maps to third-party apps, allowing developers to create extensions that can be integrated into the search result of Maps. When an app is installed that features an extension for Apple Maps, it is automatically integrated, but the extension is disabled by default to prevent search results from getting too crowded.
According to an Uber spokesperson: “For people who choose to integrate ride sharing apps with iOS Maps, location data must be shared in order for you to request a ride inside the Maps app. Map extensions are disabled by default and you can choose to turn them on in your iOS settings,” they said.
The confusion appears to lie in the way iOS 10 shows which apps use location services (Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services). The arrow icons are making users think third-party apps have silently been tracking them, when in fact it’s due to the way Apple’s Maps extension works in the background to provide location-based search results on request.
To make things clearer for users, TechCrunch suggests Apple adopts another color-coded arrow icon in the Location Services screen in order to distinguish between when an app directly accesses location data, and when its Maps extension does so.
Related Roundup: iOS 10
Tags: Apple Maps, Uber
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Best Streaming Service in India
With Prime Video now available in the country, there are plenty of great options for streaming video on the go.
Best overall
Hotstar
See at Play Store
Hotstar is easily the best streaming service in India. At ₹150 per month, it is affordable, and offers a wide variety of content — both in regional languages and English.
With a catalog that has close to a thousand TV shows and nearly three thousand movies, you won’t run out of things to watch on Hotstar. And as the service is owned by STAR — the largest broadcaster in India — you get access to live cricket matches.
Hotstar is available on Android and iOS, and the web.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a streaming service that offers the best TV shows, movies, and sports content, look no further than Hotstar.
One more thing: Although Hotstar isn’t available on Android TV, the service supports Google Cast, allowing you to stream content to any Chromecast or Cast-enabled device.
Why Hotstar is the best
Hotstar offers a healthy mix of local as well as international content, and most of it is stuff you’d want to see. The service has tied up with HBO and National Geographic, and you’ll also be able to access over 69 TV shows from STAR World. The service’s catalog includes the likes of Game of Thrones, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother*, Westworld, Silicon Valley, Homeland, and more.
At ₹150, the cost of the monthly subscription isn’t too costly either. That gives you access to nearly two thousand movies in regional languages, and 600 TV shows. Its international catalog includes 253 TV shows and 275 movies, and while that isn’t a lot, it includes some of the most-watched shows in the country.
Furthermore, with HBO’s TV channel subject to Indian broadcast regulations (no swearing or nudity), your best chance of seeing its original programming the way they were meant to be is through Hotstar.
And then there’s the sports-related programming. As Hotstar is owned by STAR, you get access to live cricket matches. That alone pushes the service above the rest of the offerings available in the market.
Hotstar lets you view content on the web, on your phone, tablet, and while there’s no Android TV client, you can throw content via Google Cast.
Also good
Amazon Prime Video
See at Play Store
Sign up for Prime
Prime Video has finally made its debut globally, and the service is off to a great start in India. Amazon has tied up with several production houses in the country to offer a smorgasbord of regional content, including the latest Bollywood movies and TV shows.
Prime Video even offers regional subtitles for international content (your Seinfeld viewing sessions will never be the same again). The service also offers downloads, allowing you to take TV shows and movies offline for viewing without an active internet connection.
That said, there are a few issues. Prime Video is the only service on this list that is censored. Shows like Amazon’s own Transparent are unwatchable, and even its flagship program, The Grand Tour, is neutered as one of the episodes features Jeremy Clarkson driving a car made out of animal carcases.
So, should you stay away from Prime Video? If you’re okay with its self-censorship stance, then you should take a look at the content on offer. What is sure to cement the service’s position in India is its pricing. Prime Video is free to all Amazon Prime subscribers in India — which in itself costs just ₹499 ($7.50) for the first year. Prime will go up to ₹999 ($15) from next year, but that still comes out to under ₹100 for all the benefits you get.
The pricing alone makes Prime Video a prime contender in this space.
Bottom line: Self-censorship takes a lot of fun away from Prime Video’s original TV shows, but the service is worth looking into if you’re already subscribed to Prime.
One more thing: Prime Video isn’t available on Android TV, nor does it support the Cast protocol. However, most smart TVs sold in the last few years have the app pre-installed.
Great, but flawed
Netflix
See at Play Store
While it’s great that Netflix is in India, the service doesn’t provide a whole lot of value. With monthly plans starting from ₹500 (going all the way up to ₹800), it is the costliest streaming service in India. And for that amount, you don’t get much in the way of content.
Netflix’s Indian catalog is paltry when compared to what customers in the U.S., Canada, or the UK receive. Although the service costs the same as it does in other countries, the catalog in India is one-tenth the size of that in the U.S., and with Netflix now in the country for almost a year, it doesn’t look like we’ll see that issue being rectified anytime soon.
To put things in context, Netflix in the U.S. has over 5,500 titles available across genres. Netflix India has less than 750. That list includes most of Netflix’s original programming, but TV shows that are a huge hit in India — the likes of Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and others — are not available for streaming in the country.
Bottom line: Netflix has a lot of great content, but most of it isn’t available in India. That said, you do get a majority of the service’s original TV shows and movies. If you don’t mind the asking price, it’s worth taking a look.
One more thing: Netflix recently rolled out offline viewing, allowing you to download TV shows and movies on your phone or tablet.
Conclusion
With 4G slowly gaining momentum, expect to see fierce competition in the streaming space in the coming years. For now, Hotstar has the lead in this segment, but with Amazon throwing money at its Indian business, that can change soon.
Best overall
Hotstar
See at Play Store
Hotstar is easily the best streaming service in India. At ₹150 per month, it is affordable, and offers a wide variety of content — both in regional languages and English.
With a catalog that has close to a thousand TV shows and nearly three thousand movies, you won’t run out of things to watch on Hotstar. And as the service is owned by STAR — the largest broadcaster in India — you get access to live cricket matches.
Hotstar is available on Android and iOS, and the web.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a streaming service that offers the best TV shows, movies, and sports content, look no further than Hotstar.
One more thing: Although Hotstar isn’t available on Android TV, the service supports Google Cast, allowing you to stream content to any Chromecast or Cast-enabled device.
Tesla prices are going up because Brexit
Tesla has sent out a memo to prospective customers in the UK, letting them know of a 5 percent price increase on custom car orders from 1 January 2017. The price increase has been blamed on “currency fluctuations” as a result of Brexit and the UK’s decision to leave the EU.
- Tesla: Everything you need to know about the Model 3, Model S, Model X and more
The Tesla Model S and Model X will be affected, but the price increase will only affect custom car orders, with showroom ready cars and used vehicles staying at the same retail price.
Pricing for the company’s upcoming Model 3, a more affordable electric vehicle, has yet to be announced in the UK. It will have a starting price of $35,000 in the US, around £28,000 in the UK. However it’s unlikely we’ll be given finalised pricing until nearer launch, which has also yet to be announced, although it will be in 2017.
The increase on the cost of a car isn’t the only thing to be introduced on 1 January, as Tesla will also begin charging to use its Supercharging network, something it previously said would be free for life. Every Tesla car will get 400kWh of free Supercharging use per year, which is worth around 1000 miles. After that, you will have to pay to use the system, although Tesla hasn’t announced prices, but has said it will be less than the cost of filling up a fuel-powered car.
DARPA is giving war vets first access to LUKE bionic arms
DARPA’s sophisticated LUKE bionic arm is ready for production, eight years after its development began and a couple of years after it was approved by the FDA. Before the bionic limb makes the transition into a commercial product, though, the military division is giving war veterans access to its initial production run. DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office director Justin Sanchez has recently delivered two LUKE arms to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for use by a couple of vets in need of a prosthetic limb.
LUKE, which used to be known as the DEKA Arm System, is the brainchild of Segway creator Dean Kamen. Its name stands for Life Under Kinetic Evolution, but as you can guess, it was also inspired by Luke Skywalker whose hand was replaced with a robotic appendage in The Empire Strikes Back. The arm can understand multiple commands at any one time, giving it the ability to move as naturally as possible. In earlier tests, people were able to use it to brush their hair and to open locks.
DARPA plans to develop LUKE even further to be more life-like. Sanchez says they “envision these limbs providing even greater dexterity and highly refined sensory experiences by connecting them directly to users’ peripheral and central nervous systems.”
Source: DARPA
Sweetgreen will stop accepting cash payments in 2017
Money makes the world go around, but it’s not always necessary to have greenbacks in your pocket any more. Healthy fast food joint Sweetgreen has revealed that it’s going to stop accepting cash payments at the majority of its stores in 2017. The company told Business Insider that health fiends looking for some greenery will need to have a credit card or smartphone in their hands.
CEO Jonathan Neman explained that the change was pretty much a no-brainer, since only 10 percent of all sales were actually made with cash. When the company tested the switch, it found that service times got faster because staff didn’t have to count and store money. Not to mention that the stores will be at less risk of robbery since there’s no tasty safe full of notes kept on the premises.
The first stores to demonetize will be in New York, California, Illinois and Pennsylvania, starting on January 17th, 2017. In March, outlets in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. will follow suit, although no solid date has been announced as of now. One holdout from the change is Boston, which will continue to accept cold, hard currency thanks to a quirk of the local state laws.
Expect to see plenty more stories like this in 2017 as companies gently push users towards ditching purses full of coinage. India, in the hope of reducing counterfeit money, terrorism and fraud, announced an /overnight/ withdrawal and replacement of high-value paper notes. The speed of the move, coupled with a lack of preparation, caused an economic crisis, the effects of which are still being felt.
Other governments may not decide to copy the subcontinent’s “Rip the Band-Aid Off” approach, but rest assured, it’s coming.
Source: BI
Elon Musk: Tesla’s upgraded Autopilot could roll out next week
Elon Musk told a Model S owner in late November that the Enhanced Autopilot update should roll out sometime in mid-December. Now, the Tesla chief has confirmed the company’s timeline on Twitter. He announced that the automaker “might be ready to to roll out most of Autopilot functionality” for its latest self-driving hardware (HW2) by the end of next week.
See, the Autopilot that came with HW2 doesn’t have access to a bunch of features that the older version of the technology already has. Those features include upgraded autosteer, smart summon, auto lane change, autopark, lane departure warning, collision warning and avoidance, emergency braking and cruise control, among others. The company said it needed to “further calibrate the system using millions of miles of real-world driving to ensure significant improvements to safety and convenience” before activating them on the new hardware.
Based on Musks’ tweets, it sounds like their real-world testing is going well. Take note that even if Tesla starts rolling out the upgrade next week, you’ll have to wait for months to get all the features. The automaker is planning to do incremental monthly releases throughout 2017.
Looks like we might be ready to rollout most of Autopilot functionality for HW2 towards the end of next week
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2016
Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)
Firefox’s multi-process mode is coming to more users soon
Over the last few months, the developers of Firefox have been slowly rolling out technology that will bring the browser up to par with competitors when it comes to speed, security and reliability. Others like Chrome, Safari and Edge are already designed using multi-process, to separate tabs, add-ons and even rendering from the main browser. As it stands, Firefox 50 users with extensions approved for multi-process are already using the technology, which the team says has increased responsiveness by 400 percent, and 700 percent while pages are loading.
So what’s next? Beyond switching on multi-process for users with a broader set of extensions, it’s working on bringing multiple processes for content and security sandboxing, first on Windows then later to OS X and Linux. As we spend an increasing amount of time online, anything that improves performance and security we can get behind, while alternative options to browsers built by Google, Microsoft and Apple will keep everyone on their toes.
Source: Mozilla Blog
Leaked Documents Reveal What Kind of Data Cellebrite Can Extract From iPhones
Israeli mobile software developer Cellebrite gained media attention earlier this year when rumors suggested the FBI recruited the company to unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook’s iPhone. While the FBI did not enlist Cellebrite’s help, the company does have technology licensed by governments that can extract iPhone data. ZDNet has obtained documents that reveal the scope of this technology.
The leaked files are “extraction reports,” which are organized to allow investigators to easily see and analyze data from a phone. Extraction is conducted by plugging the phone into a Cellebrite UFED device. While the device is primarily for extracting information currently on the phone it can, in some cases, extract recently deleted items. The phone at the heart of ZDNet’s extraction report was an non-passcode protected iPhone 5 running iOS 8.
The first couple pages of the report include case numbers and unique identifying information for the device, including phone number, IMEI numbers and Apple ID. In these first pages, the report also divulges which plugins the software used to extract information from the device. These plugins can help the software extract data from QuickTime and iPhone backups.
The report compiles geolocation data from every photo taken on the device and visualizes it on a map, allowing an investigator to easily see when and where a person was. Text messages are organized in chronological order, which makes it easier for investigators to track conversations. The wireless networks a device has connected to are also logged, including the MAC address of the router, encryption type and the time last connected to the network.
Call log information includes whether the call is incoming or outgoing, the time, date, the other number on the call, and the duration of the call. Contacts, installed apps and user accounts on the device are also collected. Configurations and databases from apps, which include settings and cache data, are included in collection. Notes and voice mails are also extracted.
Finally, Cellebrite’s technology includes an analytics engine that can figure out how many actions have taken place per phone number. For instance, it can tell investigators how many calls and text messages have occurred with each contact.
Cellebrite notes that its UFED device cannot crack passcodes on iPhone 4s and later. iPhone 5s and later come with a secure enclave co-processor that makes it even more difficult to crack for information. In November, Cellebrite signed a deal with the Indian government to provide technology to bypass locked iPhones.
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.
Tags: privacy, Encryption, Cellebrite
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