The UK’s far-reaching surveillance bill is now all but law

A sweeping new surveillance regime is to be enshrined in UK law in the coming weeks, after the Investigatory Powers Bill passed through the House of Lords yesterday. All that’s now required for the bill to become the Investigatory Powers Act is the Queen’s approval, a formality known as royal assent. The controversial bill was first put forward this time last year, when primary author and now Prime Minister Theresa May was Home Secretary. The legislation consolidates various existing powers and introduces several fresh and far-reaching ones to become the UK government’s new guide to lawful mass surveillance.

One of the headline powers included in the IP Bill is the requirement for communications service providers — think ISPs and mobile carriers — to collect and store Internet Connection Records (ICRs) for 12 months. And provide government agencies access to them, of course. Simply put, ICRs are data related to your online activity, but not the specifics. These include top-level domains, but not the individual pages you visited (so, engadget.com, but not the articles that you read). ICRs also cover the who, when, where and how of online communications, logging all the data relevant to, say, a WhatsApp session, but not the content of that conversation itself. That would be a hard ask anyway, since WhatsApp (like many other messaging services) is end-to-end encrypted.

ICR retention will affect everyone, and it’s one of the key intrusive powers included in the IP Bill. It could be some time before your ISP is physically capable of capturing and storing your browsing history and other online activity, though. Various communications providers warned the government early on that creating the systems to make this happen would be both technically challenging and extremely expensive.

There are many, many more Orwellian powers afforded to the government under the IP Bill, such as untargeted bulk surveillance, including the interception of communications (aka the content). Some of these surveillance tactics have been in use for, well, we don’t really know how long. For example, the UK government’s first admission of engaging in state-sponsored hacking, known in legislese as equipment interference, came with the publication of the IP Bill. In the post-Snowden era, the IP Bill is the government’s way of legitimising and being transparent about the surveillance it undertakes, while detailing the safeguards in place that are intended to stop the abuse of such powers.

The legislation has been divisive since it was first published. Many interested parties, from communications service providers to tech companies and members of sensitive professions have spoken negatively of a number of proposals. The bill has also been debated at length by various committees, the House of Commons and most recently, the House of Lords. Organisations like Big Brother Watch and Privacy International have been in staunch opposition of the bill, arguing that the whole process has focused on ironing out the finer details of the bill, and that the fundamental breaches of privacy contained within have been largely ignored.

Not that it matters all that much now, as the Investigatory Powers Bill will almost certainly receive royal assent and become law before the end of the year. Just in time, too — as far as the government’s concerned, anyway — since the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act currently in force will expire at the end of the year, after being ruled unlawful by the UK’s High Court last summer.

Via: The Inquirer

Rumored 5.8″ OLED iPhone Said to Have 5.1″ to 5.2″ Active Display Area

Apple is widely rumored to release its first iPhone with an OLED display next year, but reports have been conflicting about its potential screen size.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said Apple will launch a 5.8-inch iPhone with a curved OLED display and glass casing next year, while Barclays analysts recently called for a 5-inch iPhone with a curved, bezel-free OLED display. Japanese website Nikkei also expects a new glass-backed 5-inch iPhone.

Now, in a new research note, Kuo said the much-rumored premium iPhone model will indeed have a 5.8-inch OLED panel, but with a smaller actual active display area of between 5.1 and 5.2 inches. Kuo said this is for “specific design purposes,” which likely points towards a wraparound or flexible display of some sort.

We predict OLED iPhone will be 5.1-5.2”, despite various market speculation. In terms of the display size of the OLED iPhone, current information from the upstream points to 5.8”, while that from the downstream points to 5”, which does not conflict, in our view. We predict OLED iPhone will adopt a 5.7-5.8” flexible OLED panel (with Samsung (KR) as the exclusive supplier). Nonetheless, for ‘specific design purposes’, the actual active area may be around 5.1-5.2”. Other than the OLED model, we expect Apple to launch new 4.7” and 5.5” TFT-LCD iPhone models.

Kuo reiterated the all-new OLED-based iPhone will be accompanied by new 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones with traditional LCD displays.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8 (2017)
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Confirmed: OnePlus 3 to be discontinued in favor of new 3T model

When it’s gone, it’s gone.

With the arrival of the OnePlus 3T — a new mid-cycle refresh of the OnePlus 3 — some have been wondering what the future holds for OnePlus’s original (and more affordable) flagship phone. Well, the short version is: It’s going away, and it’s not coming back.

A OnePlus spokesperson has confirmed to Android Central that once existing U.S. and European OnePlus 3 stock is sold out, it won’t be going back on sale. From then on, the company will focus solely on selling the OnePlus 3T. In the UK, the original OnePlus 3 is already sold out, leaving the higher-end (but also more expensive) model as the only option for customers.

Once existing U.S. and Euro stock is sold out, the OnePlus 3 won’t be coming back.

It’s unclear exactly why the OnePlus 3 is being given a relatively unceremonious send-off. Likely it has to do with OnePlus wanting to focus on a small product lineup, as it always has done, while not confusing things by selling two very similar phones. For a startup with more limited resources, it’s an understandable move. That doesn’t mean it’ll be impossible to get hold of the older model, though — independent retailers on Amazon continue to stock the device, as does O2 in the UK.

Although it’s unusual to see a popular phone discontinued after such a short period of time (the OnePlus 3 was released just five months ago), owners shouldn’t fear being left behind in terms of updates. The manufacturer says both the 3 and 3T will be on the same update schedule, with both getting Android 7.0 Nougat before year’s end.

OnePlus 3 owners, what are your thoughts on today’s news? Shout out in the comments!

OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T

• OnePlus 3 review: Finally, all grown up
• The OnePlus 3T is official
• OnePlus 3 specs
• OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3 in the forums

OnePlus

OnePlus 3T now available to pre-order on O2 UK

On-contract prices start at £31 per month.

O2 UK has officially kicked off pre-orders for the OnePlus 3T ahead of the street date of November 28. The exclusive UK carrier partner for the souped-up OnePlus 3 successor has both the 64GB and 128GB models available online, in the new “gunmetal” color option. Prices start at £31 per month and £9.99 upfront for a mere 500MB data allowance, rising to £52 per month for a hefty 30GB bundle. (That’s for the 64GB base model.)

In addition, eager fans can get their hands on the OnePlus 3T a little early, as O2 will be hosting a pop-up event next Thursday afternoon in London.

The OnePlus 3T will be available in O2 stores and online from 28 November, with O2’s 134 Oxford Street London store hosting an exclusive OnePlus pop-up event from 3:02pm on Thursday 24 November.

See at O2

OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T

• OnePlus 3 review: Finally, all grown up
• The OnePlus 3T is official
• OnePlus 3 specs
• OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3 in the forums

OnePlus

How to use the Simple home screen on Honor 8

Make your Honor 8 a little simpler, and a little easier to use.

Are you looking to make the Honor 8 even simpler to use? The icons can be somewhat small, and the settings list too long, but all of that can be changed. You don’t have to squint to try and find what you are looking for, or scroll for hours looking for something that you can’t find. In just a few simple taps you can turn that pesky home screen into one that is much easier to see and use. Here’s how you do it.

How to enable Simple home screen on the Honor 8

Open Settings.
Scroll to Home screen style.
Tap on Simple.
Select Apply.

Once you’ve applied the Simple home screen you’ll be presented with a whole new look. The icons are nice and big so they are easy to see and press. The menu becomes much simpler, but you will still have access to the longer scrolling list if you want. Pressing and holding on an icon will allow you to remove or add new icons. There are two pages of apps, the calendar icon shows you the next task on your schedule, and the colors make it easy to see what is what.

If you find the original home screen too complicated or hard to use, you’ll want to check this one out for a simpler experience.

Honor 8

• Honor 8 review
• Honor 8 specs
• 5 things to know about the Honor 8 in Europe
• All the Honor 8 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

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Get a year of Amazon Prime for $79 on The Grand Tour launch day

New show kicks off this Friday, global launch will bring it to 200+ countries in December.

To celebrate the launch of The Grand Tour, Amazon is making it cheaper to get in on a year’s Prime membership in the U.S., and enjoy the new show from day one. On November 18, you’ll be able to save $20 on a year of Amazon Prime, with the price dropping to $79 for a day only.

That gets you access to the antics of Clarkson, May and Hammond, but also instant streaming through Amazon Video, photo storage, faster shipping on Amazon orders, and a discounted price on Amazon Music Unlimited.

See at Amazon

In related news, the Grand Tour trio have announced that from December the show will be launching globally, allowing viewers in more than 200 countries to catch up on previous shows, and see new ones every Friday.

A message from the guys. pic.twitter.com/p1IJNRjAnS

— The Grand Tour (@thegrandtour) November 16, 2016

Amazon UK has been running a similar weeklong promotion for Prime, making the service available for £59, down from the usual £79.

Qualcomm introduces Quick Charge 4.0 with 20% faster charging, USB-C support

Quick Charge is now compliant with USB-C.

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge is the world’s leading fast charging standard with over 100 compatible phones and over 300 accessories. With the mobile industry moving away from microUSB to the more versatile USB-C standard, Qualcomm is rolling out Quick Charge 4.0, which supports USB-C and USB-PD (Power Delivery).

The latter is a significant addition. In the latest Android Compatibility Definition Document, Google has strongly recommended manufacturers wean away from non-standard USB-C charging solutions like Quick Charge, instead directing them to adhere to the USB-PD spec. With Qualcomm now adopting USB-PD in Quick Charge 4.0, the issue of non-standard charging becomes a moot point.

Qualcomm is also touting its parallel charging technology — Dual Charge — to deliver up to 20% faster charging and up to 30% higher efficiency when compared with Quick Charge 3.0. With QC 4.0, you’ll be able to extend your phone usage by up to five hours with just five minutes of charging.

QC 4.0 includes the latest iteration of Qualcomm’s custom power management algorithm, Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum
Voltage. The algorithm now comes with real-time thermal management, which automatically sets the optimal power
transfer level for a device. Qualcomm is also introducing new power management ICs, and bundling new safety measures:

Protection is implemented at multiple levels and throughout the entire charging process to more accurately measure voltage, current, and temperature while protecting the battery, system, cables and connectors. An additional layer of protection is also being added to help prevent battery overcharging and regulate current throughout every charge cycle.

Quick Charge 4.0 will make its debut with the Snapdragon 835, which will be available in the first half of 2017.

Snapdragon 835 now official as Qualcomm teams up with Samsung over 10nm process

The next-gen Snapdragon 835 will be built on Samsung’s 10nm node.

Qualcomm collaborated with Samsung over the 14nm Snapdragon 820 and 821, and the company is continuing to work with the South Korean foundry over its next-gen SoC, the Snapdragon 835.

The Snapdragon 835 will be built on Samsung’s 10nm FinFET node, which entered mass production in October. The node shrink allows for up to 30% increase in area efficiency with 27% higher performance. The smaller footprint gives handset manufacturers the headroom to add larger batteries or opt for thinner designs.

From Keith Kressin, senior vice president of product management at Qualcomm:

We are excited to continue working together with Samsung in developing products that lead the mobile industry.

Using the new 10nm process node is expected to allow our premium tier Snapdragon 835 processor to deliver greater power efficiency and increase performance while also allowing us to add a number of new capabilities that can improve the user experience of tomorrow’s mobile devices.

The Snapdragon 835 is now in production, and will make its way into consumer devices in the first half of 2017.