Navy leaks personal data for over 130,000 sailors
Another day, another data breach. While everyone is focused on pre-holiday activities, the Navy reveals that it was notified by Hewlett Packard Enterprise in October about a compromised laptop. Now, an investigation has determined that names and social security numbers of 134,386 current and former sailors had been accessed by unknown individuals. Other than dumping the news out while few are paying attention, the Navy says it will notify those affected “in the coming weeks,” by phone, letter and email.
At this point, the Navy says it has not found evidence the information is being misused, but similar to the OPM data breach last year, this could have far-reaching consequences. The Navy Times cites an unnamed official saying the leaked info came from the Career Waypoints (C-WAY) database that handles re-enlistment and Navy Occupational Specialty requests.
Source: US Navy
‘Watch Dogs 2’ finally has all the features Ubisoft promised
People who bought Watch Dogs 2 under the promise of a seamless blend between a solo campaign and multiplayer are finally going to get the game they paid for. Yesterday, developer/publisher Ubisoft turned on what it’s calling the “second phase” of the feature to both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners. From the company statement:
“Players will now be able to experience the full seamless multiplayer features: Nearby bounty targets and Prime_Eight rivals will join the player’s world for them to hunt down and hack without going through the Multiplayer App in the smartphone. Players will also encounter friendly Dedsec hackers who can help them complete different Dedsec events throughout San Francisco. Players can also invite those Dedsec hackers to form a co-op team and complete co-op missions.”
During the pre-launch period when press had advance access to the game, Ubisoft discovered that the drop-in multiplayer was wreaking havoc on Watch Dogs 2’s frame rate and general stability. While certain multiplayer modes were available before this patch, as the statement says, you had to set them up for yourself rather than randomly happening upon another player in your own world — a step back from how the first game worked.
Watch Dogs 2 was released on November 15th, so if you’re keeping track at home, it took just over a week for the patch to make it through Microsoft’s and Sony’s respective quality certification programs.
Second Source Claims Apple Will Launch 10.5-inch iPad in 2017
A report from the Taiwanese supply chain emerged overnight claiming Apple will release a 10.5-inch “education and enterprise” tablet as part of its iPad line-up next year (via DigiTimes). The 10.5-inch iPad is said to be equipped with Apple’s A10X processor, also expected in next year’s refreshed line-up, with production slated to begin next month.
Apple is launching the 10.5-inch iPad mainly because 10-inch and larger tablets have been popular among enterprises and the education sector in the US, the sources said. Its existing 9.7-inch iPad may be too small and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro too expensive for such procurement, the sources indicated.
A number of claims have emerged recently suggesting Apple plans to extend its iPad line-up with a new tablet dimension in the 10-inch range. Earlier this month, Barclays analysts claimed Apple will release a bezel-free 10.9-inch model alongside refreshed 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPads, citing its own supply chain sources, while in October Japanese website Mac Otakara said a new 10.1-inch iPad Pro would launch in early 2017.
However, today’s report marks the second independent source to suggest Apple plans to introduce a 10.5-inch mid-tier iPad. In August, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the same thing and earmarked the same A10X processor for the tablet, suggesting there may be more substance to this particular rumor.
In addition, Kuo claimed Apple will also launch lower-price versions of the 9.7-inch iPad. Today’s sources corroborate that claim also, citing Apple’s apparent intention “to compete with Android models”.
Shipments of the rumored 10.5-inch iPad are expected to reach two million units in the first quarter of 2017 and may reach 5 to 6 million units in the year, DigiTimes sources said.
More “revolutionary” changes to iPads, including a switch to OLED displays, are expected in 2018, according to Kuo’s earlier report.
Related Roundups: iPad Air 2, iPad Pro
Buyer’s Guide: 9.7″ iPad Pro (Caution), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Caution)
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Trump’s new tech adviser wants to gut the FCC
On Monday, President-elect Trump named two advisers to his tech policy transition team. One of those experts, director of the Public Utility Research Center at the University of Florida Mark Jamison, wrote a blog entry last month explaining his position on the FCC — namely, that the country could do without it. In his opinion, the nation should almost completely dissolve the antiquated agency and farm out many of its regulatory duties to the FTC and local officials because the telecom industry is competitive enough to require far less oversight.
“Most of the original motivations for having an FCC have gone away. Telecommunications network providers and ISPs are rarely, if ever, monopolies,” he said in the post.
Given that assumption, In Jamison’s opinion, a whole agency devoted to regulating internet providers is overkill. Instead, the FTC and state authorities would handle anticompetitive conduct. Internet content competes well enough with broadcast television, so the latter don’t need regulation either. The only thing left for the FCC to handle is doling out radio frequencies, which could be done by a smaller independent agency that won’t change its priorities to sync with new Congressional members, presidents or commissioners.
We expected deregulation to be at the top of the list for the Trump administration’s tech agenda. Jamison dismissed the FCC’s work to preserve net neutrality and unlock set-top boxes as political favoritism that also coddled a cottage industry that sprung up to support those causes. Trump’s other advisor on the tech policy transition team, Jeffrey Eisenach of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, has actively crusaded against telecom regulation and net neutrality.
Even as the shadow of the Trump administration looms over the agency, which might see many of the industry and consumer protections it’s created in the last few years rolled back, the FCC has continued to work. A month ago, it passed new privacy rules protecting personal data from ISPs, which must now ask permission to monitor browsing habits. It’s also handed down judgments on Comcast ($2.3 million, charging customers for services they didn’t order) and T-Mobile ($48 million, poor disclosure of speed throttling).
Via: DSL Reports
Source: The Washington Post
NASA hopes for five more year-long ISS missions
Just because Scott Kelly has landed and retired doesn’t mean that NASA is done with long-term stays in space. The agency informs Ars Technica that it’s aiming for five more year-long missions aboard the International Space Station, with the first starting as early as September 2018 and the last finishing by the station’s expected shutdown in 2024. There may be some overlap to fit all of them into the schedule.
Why not longer, to gauge how astronauts would fare on trips to Mars? It’s not practical, NASA says. There would likely be just one 2- or 3-year mission in the time the ISS has left, and that mission would play havoc with the remaining crew rotations. Even if NASA could stuff two missions into that period, that wouldn’t exactly provide a lot of data. The single-year intervals strike a balance between longevity and the volume of research. As it is, ISS visits can’t illustrate the effects of communication delays and radiation by themselves.
The big question is whether or not NASA will get the funding it needs to complete such a mission. President-elect Trump senior advisor Bob Walker tells the Guardian that NASA under Trump will focus on on an “exploration role,” which could include these ISS missions. However, there’s no guarantee that the administration will see station visits this way. It might scale operations back if it thinks ISS trips contribute to the study of human-made climate change. We’re not expecting a sudden change of heart, but there’s going to be a lot of uncertainty until the first Trump-era NASA budget arrives.
Source: Ars Technica
HTC offering free USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter to all Bolt buyers
The second best option is still pretty good.
The HTC Bolt is a pretty great phone, but the Sprint exclusive has one pretty major omission — one increasingly common these days — in the lack of a headphone jack. Worse, unlike the iPhone 7 and Moto Z, two other phones lacking in that ubiquitous circular port, the Bolt doesn’t come with a headphone adapter in the box.
Thankfully, HTC has seen the error in its ways and is offering a free USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter to all Bolt owners through its rewards website. Just head over to the site, enter your purchase date, transaction number and phone’s MEID, and you’ll receive an adapter in the mail within a few weeks.
While it’s not quite as good as getting one in the box, we’re glad HTC understands the needs of its customers. In the meantime, the headphones included in the box are pretty good!
The offer is available to U.S. citizens only, and the Bolt’s purchase date must be between now and January 31, 2017. The adapter offer then expires on February 28, 2017, which will come more quickly than you think.
Microsoft’s classic Solitaire Windows game now out for Android and iOS
Microsoft has taken a classic Windows game and made it available for Android and iPhone users.
The new app, called Microsoft Solitaire Collection, includes five different Solitaire game modes: Klondike, Spider, FreeCell, Pyramid, and Tripeaks. It also offers daily challenges for players in all modes, with four levels of difficulty daily. Solitaire is basically a card game played by one person, and the object is to use up all the cards by forming particular arrangements and sequences.
- Are you colour blind? This Microsoft app will help you see colour
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Microsoft has also included the ability to play with friends and earn achievements through Xbox Live. All you have to do is sign in with your Microsoft account. You can continue playing on any Windows 10 or iOS device, too, because your progress and data will be saved in the cloud.
Android and iOS users have long had access to various Solitaire games in their respective app stores, but Microsoft considers its version the “world’s number 1” Solitaire game because more than 119 million people have played it on Windows 8 and Windows 10 machines, according to the Verge.
You can now download Microsoft Solitaire Collection from Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store. Although the app is free to download, you can buy a premium version for $1.99 to unlock even more features in the app and remove adverts.
Best gadgets you can buy right now: EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016 winners announced
Another year draws to a close but not before we celebrate the finest games, gadgets and other tech treats of the last 12 months in the annual EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards. It’s time to reveal the winners.
You have been voting in your droves, along with the elite of the tech industry and Pocket-lint’s journalistic peers to find the finest products in 14 different categories. The following winners and highly recommended runners-up are all therefore fantastic products that you should consider if you’re in the market for new kit.
We’ve also rounded up all the votes in all the categories to find the overall product of the year – the tech that has made us all smile since launch.
So here are the best products of 2016, as rewarded in our swanky event in London. Huge congratulations to one and all.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best game
Naughty Dog / Sony
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 4 was well worth the constant delays in making it to market. Nathan Drake has never looked better and the many additions to gameplay make it the most rounded in the series by far.
Uncharted 4 is not just the best Uncharted game, it can be argued that it is the best PS4 game full stop.
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End review: Going out with a bang
Highly recommended: Pokemon Go
Who could have predicted the global impact of Pokemon Go earlier this year? It’s still hugely popular today and a very worthy runner-up.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best camera
Pocket-lint
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
The EOS 5D range has long been known as the true enthusiast DSLR, the do-it-all camera for pros and consumers alike. And the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has an all-new 30-megapixel full-frame sensor to take that tag even further.
It may be more expensive than the last-gen model, even considering inflation, but it has stacks of top-end features on board that should see it appeal to a wide audience.
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV review: The 30-megapixel monster
Highly recommended: Fujifilm X-T2
Fuji’s latest compact system camera is, perhaps, the most advanced offering we’ve seen in its field to date.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best home entertainment device or service
Pocket-lint
Sky Q
Sky Q is more than just a name change for Sky’s broadcasting service. It’s an entirely new platform that allows you to watch different programmes in different rooms and even supports 4K.
With all the content and ability to watch recordings on the go, Sky Q has all the potential of being the best TV service we’ve ever had.
- Sky Q review: The future of multi-room television?
Highly recommended: Netflix
With 4K HDR support, even Dolby Vision for compatible TVs, Netflix is going from strength to strength. It is also available on more devices than any competitor.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best smarthome device
Pocket-lint
Amazon Echo
The Amazon Echo is a Bluetooth speaker with the company’s voice controlled assistant, Alexa, built-in. Not only will it play your tunes, but it can answer all manner of questions as well.
We think hands-free voice control is a godsend and that Alexa truly distinguishes this Bluetooth speaker from the competition. It blew our minds. We won’t ever get tired of walking into our living room and casually asking Alexa to stream some music.
- Amazon Echo review: It’s all about Alexa
Highly recommended: Dyson 360 Eye
Dyson finally entered the robot vacuum cleaner market and showed why it was well worth the wait.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best smartwatch
Pocket-lint
Apple Watch Series 2
Apple’s shift from pure fashion accessory with some smarts to a device that supports a range of different sports and activities in the Apple Watch Series 2 is a very welcome advance.
With built-in GPS, a better battery, water-resistance and a much greater focus on fitness, the Apple Watch works excellently with workouts. It is now so much more than just a pretty smartwatch. It’s now a smartwatch with a purpose.
- Apple Watch Series 2 review: Fitness first
Highly recommended: Polar M600
Most sportswatches are only worthy of being worn when on an activity, not so the Polar M600 which is an excellent smartwatch too.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best wireless speaker
Pocket-lint
BeoPlay A1 from B&O Play
It might be small, but the B&O BeoPlay A1’s big sound makes it standout in the portable Bluetooth speaker market. And given how good it sounds, we think it’s worth every penny of the £199 asking price.
Its solid battery, build quality, extra drive of bass and sheer audio clarity give this speaker the upper hand when it comes to sound quality. The BeoPlay A1 is well worth saving up for.
- B&O BeoPlay A1 by Bang & Olufsen review: Bluetooth speaker bliss
Highly recommended: UE Boom 2
The Ultimate Ears range goes from strength to strength and the UE Boom 2 proves you don’t need to be massive to get room-filling sound.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best headphones
Pocket-lint
Sony MDR-1000X
With a clever application of technology, Sony has achieved wonderful results albeit with a slightly larger build than rivals.
The MDR-1000X are able to fold though, with a carry case included, and can work both wired or wirelessly. They have outstanding noise-cancellation with some very clever and effective features. Importantly the sound quality is great too.
- Sony MDR-1000X review: Quite simply phenomenal noise-cancelling headphones
Highly recommended: Bose QuietComfort 35
Super noise cancelling headphones from the leading brand, but this time wireless too.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best tablet
Pocket-lint
Apple iPad Pro 9.7
The iPad Pro 9.7 tablet bridges the gap between offering a smaller iPad Pro and a more powerful iPad Air 2.
In the iPad Pro 9.7, Apple has created a tablet powerful enough to act as a laptop replacement. But it’s done so in a way that still feels very “iPad”. It’s the tablet to beat all tablets.
- Apple iPad Pro 9.7 review: The tablet to beat all tablets
Highly recommended: Microsoft Surface Pro 4
Many have swapped their laptops for one of these and for good reason. Fast, light and very powerful when it comes to the crunch.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best fitness tracker
Pocket-lint
Fitbit Charge 2
The Charge 2 takes the best features from the Fitbit Charge HR and Alta, while adding a few more including VO2 Max and Guided Breathing. It also takes on Fitbit’s new design ethos with interchangeable straps, solid build quality and a larger, informative OLED display.
If you’re looking for a well-designed, accurate fitness tracker with a fantastic app platform, then the Charge 2 fully takes charge.
- Fitbit Charge 2 review: Taking charge
Highly recommended: Garmin Vivosmart HR+
The Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is an ideal device for someone who wants to track daily activity as well as record runs or walks in more detail.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best TV
Sony
Sony ZD9
The ZD9 TV wins hook, line and sinker when it comes to HDR content.
Its unprecedented combination of colour, brightness, sharpness and contrast is virtually addictive, and undoubtedly adds up to what is simply the most spectacular and convincing next-generation TV picture performance of 2016.
- Sony ZD9 4K TV review: The HDR master
Highly recommended: LG OLED E6
Quite simply the king of picture quality, especially with the deep black levels that only OLED can achieve.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best laptop
Pocket-lint
Apple MacBook (2016)
Apple’s refreshed MacBook is one of the most beautiful and portable laptops we’ve ever seen. This updated version comes with a faster processor and improved battery life, along with a new rose gold finish.
If you’re after a stylish, peppy little laptop then the 2016 MacBook is approaching just about perfect. It’s bold, sleek and, with all its trackpad and keyboard tech, feels like a futuristic extension of the company’s wider range.
- Apple MacBook (2016) review: Is port-free still the future?
Highly recommended: Dell XPS 15
As exemplary as 15-inch laptops go. We can’t think of any other Windows machine we’d rather own at this size.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best VR device
Pocket-lint
Sony PlayStation VR
Setting up the PS VR might seem like a faff, with tonnes of cables and connections to sort out, but the pay-off at the end is a superb virtual reality experience – and an accessible one to many.
Virtual reality is magical when done well and if any device is likely to have a chance of exciting consumers it’s PlayStation VR.
- Sony PlayStation VR review: Virtual reality for the masses
Highly recommended: HTC Vive
With movement tracking at its best there are no equivalents. Just a little pricy for some.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best phone
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
Samsung might have had its troubles recently, but there’s no denying this is an amazing device. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is a fantastic smartphone in its own right, but it’s the S7 edge that turns heads; this is the smartphone that’s calling for attention; this is the handset that’s unique.
If you’re looking for a new flagship phone in 2016 then this Android champion absolutely has to be on your shortlist.
- Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review: The new smartphone champion
Highly recommended: Apple iPhone 7
Apple’s best phone ever. ‘Nuff said.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Best car
Pocket-lint
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S P90D offers eyelid-flipping acceleration, space-age design (especially on the inside), digital menus that would make Apple swoon, heaps of interior and boot space, plus, of course, your own robot chauffeur in Autopilot.
You also get sports car speed and a general feeling that you’re doing something good for the environment in the process.
- Tesla Model S P90D review: If your robot chauffeur were a racing driver
Highly recommended: Volvo XC90
Twelve years was a long time to wait for a new XC90, but it’s been worth it — it now leads the class.
EE Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2016: Product of the year
Pocket-lint
Amazon Echo
A very worthy winner for the overall product of the year, the Amazon Echo might just seem like a slightly clever Bluetooth speaker to those who haven’t used one, but those who have always rave about it.
It is affordable enough to attract a wide audience and gives a great glimpse of the sci-fi future we’ve all been promised in movies for the last few decades.
- Amazon Echo review: It’s all about Alexa
Pay what you want to master web and mobile development with the 156-hour ‘Learn to Code 2017’ course bundle
Jump-start your career as a coder with this thorough course bundle featuring premium coding instruction for building websites and mobile apps – and pay what you want to do it. By the end of the course load, you’ll be a veritable wealth of knowledge about web development, without having spent a year’s rent to get there, so now’s the time to stop hesitating and start coding.
The over 1,200 lessons in the 10 courses cover a ton of info, from beginner to advanced, but if you find that daunting don’t worry: lifetime access means you can work at your own pace, plus the web and mobile streaming options allow you to continue making progress even when you’re stuck at the airport or trudging through your daily commute.
The content teaches you skills across a variety of programming languages, including Google Go, Python, Scala, Ruby (and Rails), Java (and JavaScript), Angular 2, Swift 3, HTML5 (and Canvas), CSS3, Bootstrap, jQuery, PHP, MySQL, WordPress, AJAX, NodeJS, EMMET, Angular JS, and Git. You’ll utilize hands-on exercises, building solutions to real-world problems.
In addition, you’ll get to create useful programs like a stock price analyzer and a mortgage amortization schedule, plus you’ll learn to clone apps like Snapchat and Pokemon Go. The coursework will also help you understand modern best-practices in all programming languages, making you not just a hobbyist but actually an employable person. With your new background in a variety of programming frameworks, you’ll be able to market yourself as a serious web developer.
The 156 hours of courses in Pay What You Want: Learn to Code 2017 are valued at £1,277 ($1,573 USD), but you’ll spend much less. Just beat the average price with your offer, and you’ll get the full bundle. Miss the mark? You’ll still get a great mini-bundle version.
This immersive 45-hour certification course will turn you into an ethical hacker pro (99 per cent off)
Ethical hackers are in high demand for their ability to assess and secure any weak points in a company’s network infrastructure.
One way to enter the field? Getting a Ethical Hacker certification, which will add a shining gold star to your resume. And the most effective way to get up to speed: the Certified Ethical Hacker Bootcamp, now just £36 ($45 USD).
You’ll get 144 lectures spanning over 45 hours of content, plus over 600 exam questions to study with, and a certificate of completion once you’re done with the course. Web and mobile streaming options, plus offline access via download, make it easy to gain practical experience with intrusion detection, policy creation, DDoS attacks, and more from almost anywhere at any time. This self-paced environment lets you tackle each aspect of the course on your own terms, freeing you from the pressures and limits of a traditional classroom setting.
After you’ve scanned and attacked your own networks in this course, which, like all CyberTraining 365 courses is up to date on the latest technology and industry standards, you’ll know everything you need to know about perimeter defenses, Trojans, backdoors, viruses, and worms—and be ready to pass the exam and earn industry-recognized certification, opening up some of the best job opportunities around.
Invest in your future now with this deal and save 99 per cent on the retail cost of £4,193 ($5,207 USD). You’ll get instant digital access that lasts a lifetime and a big career boost for a small price.
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