President Obama signs the Consumer Review Fairness Act into law
President Obama signed a number of bills into law on Thursday, most notably H.R. 5111, the “Consumer Review Fairness Act of 2016”. The legislation, which passed both houses of congress at the start of December, “makes certain clauses of a form contract void if it prohibits, or restricts, an individual from engaging in a review of a seller’s goods, services, or conduct.”
This is a big win for consumers. There have been a rash of incidents over the past couple of years in which companies attempt to stifle negative user reviews with “gag clauses” that threaten legal action and punitive monetary damages. The Union Street Guest House in Hudson, New York, for example, threatened a wedding party with $500 fines for every bad review the wedding’s guests left on Yelp. Now that the President has signed the bill, the FCC and states are empowered to take legal action against companies that don’t knock it off.
For their parts, the Better Business Bureau already requires its accredited members to not use such clauses and Yelp used to pop a warning screen before users visit a company that insisted on using those clauses. Though, the company won’t need to do that anymore now that it has the backing of the federal government.
“One of our top priorities has always been to protect the ability for internet users — everyone from Yelpers to online shoppers — to share their experiences online, whether they be positive or negative,” Laurent Crenshaw, Yelp’s Director of Public Policy told Engadget. “The Consumer Review Fairness Act gives Americans nationwide new guaranteed legal protections when it comes to sharing these honest, first-hand experiences. We will continue to advocate at both the federal and state levels for legislation to protect consumers.”
Via: NBC News
Source: White House
Plex brings its streaming app to Kodi media centers
If you run your own media server, you’ve likely weighed up the pros and cons of Kodi and Plex. Normally, you’d run one or the other, but some enterprising developers have fused the two, creating third-party plugins that integrate Plex within the open-source software. As of today, however, there is an official add-on in town.
Plex for Kodi operates like many other video add-ons, adding features that extend the default Kodi experience without impacting existing libraries. It can be linked with the servers you run personally as well as those shared with you and, of course, will play back nearly any video or audio format you can throw at it. It can be found in the official Kodi repository but will only work if you run a Plex server and have a Plex Pass subscription.
In a blog post, Team Kodi member Keith Herrington says that the add-on will be made available to all in time: “The intention is for the Plex for Kodi add-on to be available to everyone as soon as we run out of planned features and don’t see any major bugs.” Developers are also encouraged to submit their own feature updates, which may be integrated into the official add-on should they prove beneficial to the community.
Via: Kodi Blog
Source: Plex
President Obama signs nationwide ticket-bot ban into law
New York already passed legislation banning the use of ticket buying bots, but President Obama has just made the ban a nationwide law. Today, the president signed the “Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016” which makes it illegal to use software to purchase tickets to popular events. Of course, the end goal of doing so is to resell them at a higher price. As you might expect, the law aims to give the general public a fair shot at concerts, sporting events and more that sell out quickly.
Under the new law, it is illegal for anyone to use a bot or other software to obtain more tickets than a specified limit allows or circumvent the posted rules for making a fair purchase. It also makes it illegal to resell any tickets than were bought with the help of a ticket bot. Both the person who employed the software and anyone who has knowledge of how the tickets were obtained can be held liable for the offense.
The BOTS Act also gives state governments the power to bring a civil suit to US district court on behalf of its residents. During those proceedings, states can seek to obtain damages, restitution or other compensation for the affected residents in the case. The law gives the Federal Trade Commission the power to intervene in those civil cases as well.
Source: Congress.gov, WhiteHouse.gov
Twitter won’t share tweets with law enforcement data hubs
Twitter is still determined to avoid facilitating mass surveillance by spies and law enforcement. The company has told Dataminr, a firm it partly owns, to stop sharing tweets with the 77 law enforcement fusion centers (that is, data hubs where agencies share info and make connections) in the US. This doesn’t prevent police from sifting through Twitter posts, but it certainly makes their work harder. The centers won’t have ready access to “billions” of tweets they can pass on to the federal government for spying purposes, according to the ACLU.
This doesn’t mean that Dataminr is without government business. Rather, it’s emphasizing a “focused” service that delivers breaking news to first responders, including police. The move should help with emergencies while preventing easy user profiling, geospatial analysis (say, where protesters are operating) and other forms of monitoring. Twitter and Dataminr aren’t flouting the law, then. They just don’t want to contribute to attempts to discourage free speech, whether it’s a protest on the street or journalists who challenge political leaders.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: ACLU
Obama administration says Putin orchestrated US election hacks
Russian president Vladimir Putin personally oversaw the cyber attacks on the United States’ political infrastructure this year, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said today in a press conference attended by the AP. This follows yesterday’s report from NBC News claiming US intelligence officials had evidence that Putin was involved in the hacks. The White House has not offered evidence for its claims, though intelligence officials first revealed Russia’s involvement in the cyber attacks in October.
In that October report, the US Intelligence Community found that “only Russia’s senior-most officials could have authorized these activities.” Today, Earnest said that line wasn’t meant to be subtle, the AP reports.
“It’s pretty obvious,” he said.
US intelligence agencies recently concluded that Russia acted with the intent to help Donald Trump win the election over his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Thousands of documents and emails were stolen from Clinton staffers and the Democratic National Committee, and leaked at crucial moments of the campaign. Intelligence officials also have high confidence that the Republican National Committee was hacked, though that information was never leaked.
The Kremlin has denied its involvement in the cyber attacks. President-elect Trump has also brushed off accusations of Russian hacking and has been outwardly dismissive of the larger US intelligence community. At today’s press conference, the AP reports that Earnest said it’s “obvious” Trump was aware of Russia’s attempts to influence the election.
Source: AP News
The Wirecutter’s best deals: Elac B6 bookshelf speakers drop to $230
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.
You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot – some of these sales could expire mighty soon.
ELAC B6 Debut Series 6.5″ bookshelf speakers (pair)
Street price: $280; MSRP: $280; Deal price: $230
This is the first good drop we’ve seen on these bookshelf speakers. At $230, this is a $50 discount off a pair of already very reasonably priced premium speakers.
The ELAC Debut B6 Series 6.5″ Bookshelf Speakers by Andrew Jones are our top pick in our best bookshelf speakers guide. Chris Heinonen writes, “With detail, soundstage, and bass response that would be impressive at any price point, these make a great stereo pair, and they’re part of a system, so you can add more pieces for a matched surround setup as your needs grow.”
Blue Microphones Yeti USB microphone + Watch_Dogs 2 PC bundle
Street price: $140; MSRP: $140; Deal price: $100
While this bundle is a little different from most of the Blue Yeti deals we’ve seen, it’s still a great deal. We recently featured the Blue Yeti for $90, so getting the recently released Watch_Dogs 2 for only $10 on top of a great deal price for the Yeti is a very good deal. If you’re not interested in playing Watch_Dogs 2 yourself, it can make for a nice gift for any PC gamers in your life, or at very least you can resell it to recoup some of the cost.
The Blue Yeti is our pick for the best USB microphone. Kevin Purdy and Lauren Dragan write, “If you want to plug a microphone into your computer or iPad and quickly sound clear and engaging whether recorded or live, we recommend the Yeti by Blue. It provided the most reliably well-rounded, natural sound out of all the mics we tested whether on Windows or Mac, or whether recording happened in professional studios or in a small square office. It was often the highest-rated in our three different tests, and when it wasn’t, it still ranked among the best. It offers live headphone monitoring and gain control, two key features for any recording setup (other mics lacked these or made using them too complicated). It is more stable on its stand than most microphones we tested, and feels far more solidly constructed and durable.”
Garmin Nüvi 2539LMT car GPS
Street price: $150; MSRP: $200; Deal price: $130
A solid deal on this former car GPS pick at $130, the lowest we’ve seen it new. While the Garmin car GPS line has been refreshed and our car GPS guide has been refreshed with it, the 2539 still has a lot to recommend it, including lifetime maps and traffic. We’re starting to see nice deals like this as stock diminishes.
Eric Adams writes, “Our previous top pick, the Nüvi 2539LMT, remains in Garmin’s lineup until inventory runs out and is still sold by several retailers. It has a crisper, multi-touch pinch-to-zoom screen and longer battery life, but not the upgraded roster of safety and driver alerts found in the Drive 50LMT.”
LucidSound LS30 wireless gaming headset
Street price: $135; MSRP: $150; Deal price: $113
A new low, $7 below the previous best price we’ve seen on this model, and it includes a free copy of Skyrim – Special Edition.
The LucidSound LS30 is our wireless pick in our guide for the best gaming headset. Dennis Burger wrote, “For a wireless headset the LucidSound LS30 delivers exceptional sound quality, simple connectivity, intuitive controls, good long-term comfort, great mic monitoring, and—perhaps most surprising—an amazing price. It doesn’t cost much more than wired headsets with similar build quality and audio performance, and it’s right around half the cost of our previous wireless pick, the SteelSeries H Wireless.”
Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.
Nintendo Switch patent filing hints at potential for VR
Nintendo might have some big surprises in store when it sheds more light on the Switch game console in January. NeoGAF forum member Rösti has noticed a slew of just-published patent applications for the hybrid system, and one of them hints that the Switch might have virtual reality support. Effectively, it would turn the Switch into a larger-than-usual Daydream View or Gear VR — you’d slot it into a headset and use the console’s detachable controllers to play. Suddenly, Nintendo’s misgivings over VR seem like temporary roadblocks.
There’s no guarantee that Nintendo will have a VR headset ready and waiting for the March launch, or at all. This is just a patent application, and even fully granted patents don’t necessarily translate to shipping products. Nintendo may just be patenting the concept so that a rival console maker can’t implement the concept themselves. With that said, this is an extremely straightforward and logical idea — it wouldn’t be hard to add a basic VR experience to the Switch. Our only misgivings are over the display quality and processing power: if the Switch isn’t using at least a 1080p display and a reasonably quick CPU, its take on VR may be underwhelming.
Via: NeoGAF
Source: USPTO
Apple Seeds First iOS 10.2.1 and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 Betas to Public Beta Testers
Apple today seeded the first public betas of both iOS 10.2.1 and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 to public beta testers, one day after seeding the two new releases to developers and two weeks after releasing iOS 10.2 and macOS Sierra 10.12.2.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program will receive the new iOS 10.2.1 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device, and macOS Sierra 10.12.3 can be installed using the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.
Those who want to be a part of Apple’s beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and macOS Sierra betas. Betas are not stable and include many bugs, so they should be installed on a secondary device.
No major outward-facing changes were discovered in the developer betas of macOS Sierra 10.12.3 or iOS 10.2.1, suggesting they are both minor updates that focus on bug fixes and under-the-hood changes rather than major new features.
Related Roundups: iOS 10, macOS Sierra
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Loses Labor Code Violation and Wireless Patent Lawsuits
A federal jury for the U.S. District Court for Northern California today found Apple to be infringing upon a pair of wireless patents owned by Core Wireless, a patent holding firm with a large portfolio of more than 1,200 patents and applications, originally filed and later acquired from phone maker Nokia.
Core Wireless was awarded $7.3 million in damages as part of the ruling, which Apple is likely to appeal. In its complaint, Core Wireless argued iPhones and iPads infringe upon its patented wireless technologies, related to the GSM/GPRS, UMTS, and LTE standards, according to court documents filed electronically.
Meanwhile, Apple lost another lawsuit this week when a San Diego Superior Court jury reached a verdict in favor of a group of former Apple Store retail employees, who accused the company of failing to provide timely meal and rest breaks, wages due upon ending employment within the required time, and accurate wage statements.
California Labor Code dictates that employees must be provided with at least a 30-minute meal break when the work period is more than five hours, and at least a 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked. The defendants claimed Apple failed to always provide these breaks for at least four years prior to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, originally filed in 2011 and elevated to class action status in 2014, involves Apple retail and corporate employees who worked for Apple between 2007 and 2012. The trial was to continue this week for corporate employees, as the jury verdict only applies to retail employees, according to a tipster.
Apple is ordered to pay $2 million in the lawsuit. Apple can now appeal the case before a higher court.
Tags: lawsuit, patent, patent trials
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How to use Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 without a Samsung phone
Get the best mobile payment solution available without a Samsung phone.
Samsung’s new Gear S3 smartwatch includes the latest in its mobile payment technology, meaning you can use Samsung Pay on your watch to pay at practically any store — no matter if it has an NFC reader or a simple card swipe reader. In a rather surprising move, Samsung has also opened up this feature to work even if your Gear S3 is connected to a non-Samsung phone, bringing the great Samsung Pay experience to anyone who wants to drop $349 on its latest watch.
The setup process is pretty simple, and once you have it loaded up your watch will be ready to tap and pay at just about any payment terminal you come across. Here’s how you get it done.
Setting up Samsung Pay on your phone
The Gear S3 is compatible with any Android phone running Android 4.4 and above — if the Samsung Gear app installs on your phone, then it’s compatible. To get Samsung Pay up and running you’ll have to go through a bit of extra configuration, though, as this is all handled through the Gear app and not through the standalone Samsung Pay app (which is still exclusive to Samsung phones).
Get your watch and phone paired and all of the proper plugins downloaded, then follow the steps below to move on to Samsung Pay
Open the Samsung Gear app on your phone while connected to your Gear S3
Switch to the “Settings” tab, scroll down and select “Samsung Pay”
Download the Samsung Pay plugin when prompted
After download, sign into your Samsung Account (or create one from the same screen)
In the Samsung Pay screen, tap “Add” to enter your card information
Follow steps for card verification with your bank
You’ll also notice that part of the setup process is enabling a PIN on your watch. The PIN won’t need to be used every time you launch Samsung Pay, but instead just every time that the watch has been removed from your wrist. While annoying, it’s a great security feature.
If you want to come back to see purchase history or add more cards to Samsung Pay, you can simply go back into the Samsung Gear app on your phone and tap on the “Open Samsung Pay” button in the main interface.
One thing to remember here is that this doesn’t do anything to enable the use of Samsung Pay on your phone itself. This only works to bring Samsung Pay to your Gear S3, and let you manage the cards and payment history on your phone. That’s still better than it used to be, of course, and it means you don’t have to fiddle through settings and details all on the watch itself.
Using Samsung Pay on the Gear S3
Once you’ve followed all of the steps for setting up Samsung Pay on your phone, the watch will simply be ready to go. Here’s how you use Samsung Pay once you’re in a store.
Press and hold the “back” button (at the 2 o’clock position) to launch Samsung Pay
Swipe left or right to select the card you wish to pay with
Tap “Pay” at the bottom of the screen
Place the watch on the payment terminal within 30 seconds to pay
Follow instructions on the payment terminal for a PIN or signature, if required
If the cashier for whatever reason asks for the last four digits of the card you’re paying with, you can tap on the image of the card to view a special set of four digits — remember, this is different from the last four digits physically present on the card. This is done for safety payment reasons.
Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 doesn’t require an active connection to your phone at the time of purchase, but it does have to sync back to your phone regularly. The watch holds a limited number of one-time use payment tokens, which have to be replenished by syncing back to Samsung Pay on your phone — if you run into issues, make sure your watch is connected to your phone.
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