Amazon is cracking down on counterfeit goods
Amazon is cracking down on more than just counterfeit reviews — the e-commerce juggernaut is waging a war against fugazi products, too. In order to sell Adidas, Asics, Hasbro, Nike and Samsung products, Amazon is asking for a $1,000 to $1,500 fee and a surfeit of paperwork according to CNBC. One of the publication’s anonymous sources provided a screenshot of the submission process for Samsung. The requirements? An invoice no more than 90 days old showing the purchase of at least 30 items, with at least five different products across the invoices.
The reaction from sellers has been understandably fraught, with many saying it’s going to cut directly into their bottom line. For its part, Amazon says that the change here is to protect customers and make sure they aren’t burned by a bad purchase.
“We want customers to be able to shop with confidence on Amazon,” a spokesperson said to CNBC. “For certain products and categories, Amazon requires additional performance checks, other qualification requirements, and fees.”
If that means fewer people wind up with knock-off goods, as a customer, it’s hard to complain. Just ask basically anyone who’s shopped on Alibaba. But! This will have an impact on smaller merchants, creating a schism between bigger sellers that can afford the fee and those who cannot. If this goes more widespread beyond things like running shoes or TVs and into smaller items like music and kitchen items, for example, it’s possible we could see less selection, higher prices and fewer sellers overall on the digital emporium.
Source: CNBC
‘This War of Mine’ studio reveals a dystopian steampunk PC game
11 Bit Studios made a name for itself with This War of Mine, a powerful game about the civilian casualties of war, and now the company is back with a second experience that peers into the heart of humanity. Frostpunk is a dystopian look at society as it exists on an Earth that has completely frozen over. Humans rely on steam-powered machines, fighting the cold world with heat, and society as we know it has evaporated. People focus on survival, at times disposing of morality in order to continue existing. Frostpunk asks whether this societal change makes people stronger or weaker, more or less human.
Frostpunk has strategy and management features, but it’s ultimately a game about making decisions and questioning morality. The studio aims to make Frostpunk’s steampunk characteristics believable, which is one reason developers gravitated toward the idea of a frozen planet — it’s logical that humans would want to surround themselves with the warmth of steam engines in such a cold environment. This narrative decision bleeds into the game’s art style, where the remnants of civilization are presented in warm tones and nature is a cold palette.
“This is a deeply serious game created for a mature gamer,” creative director Michal Drozdowski says. “Looking back at This War of Mine, we’re pushing boundaries even further, but we’re not pointing at reality in the same fashion. We’re putting human nature under a microscope to ask about what happens when people need to stay alive.”
11 Bit senior writer Pawel Miechowski said similar things about This War of Mine back in 2014, calling that game “serious” and “mature.” This War of Mine sold well and won multiple awards, including the Audience Award at the 2015 Independent Games Festival. With Frostpunk, 11 Bit is sticking with its strengths in creating a moody, thoughtful and emotive gaming experience. The studio says Frostpunk is its biggest and most complex game to date.
Frostpunk is scheduled to hit PC in 2017. The game’s introductory teaser trailer is the first in a series that 11 Bit promises will continue soon.
Master all things Bitcoin with this Bit.Yoga course (86 per cent off)
The web isn’t just changing how we do business: it’s changing the nature of money itself.
Take Bitcoin for example. 100 per cent digital and free from the control of large banks, Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency used to purchase goods electronically. Due to the speed and low cost of its transactions, Bitcoin is quickly being adopted by online business as a valid currency.
With the Bit.Yoga course, you can get a detailed look at the nature of this revolutionary currency and learn how to build your own Bitcoin-powered business for only £51.48 ($39).
As you dive into this course, you’ll learn what Bitcoin is, where it came from, and how its price is determined. On top of that, you’ll discover where Bitcoin can be traded, and you’ll even get the training to build your Bitcoin-based business from the ground up.
What’s more, you’ll even learn how to increase your supply of Bitcoins with Bitcoin mining. While other currencies are backed by precious metals like gold and silver, Bitcoins are created from math problems. Using special software, Bitcoin users can earn Bitcoins by adding transaction records to Bitcoin’s public ledger of past transactions.
With this course, you’ll learn how to set up a Bitcoin miner that makes solving these math problems easier, and it will speed you on your way to acquiring more Bitcoins for yourself.
The Bit.Yoga course normally retails for £388.70, but it’s on sale to Pocket-Lint readers for only £51.48 ($39), taking more than 80 per cent off its original retail price.
This portable battery is designed to keep up with you and Pokemon Go (50 per cent off)
Shattering the record for most downloads during its first week of release on the App Store, Pokémon Go has found its way onto millions of smartphones. However, our phones’ batteries are having a hard time keeping up with Pokémon Go’s demands.
Fortunately, you can extend your play time with the LinearFlux PokeCharger Portable Battery. For a limited time, Pocket-Lint readers can get this stylish battery for only £52.78 ($39.99).
Ultra-compact and deceptively powerful, this charger offers rapid on-the-spot charging. It’s built with 3.0 Amp HyperCharging technology, allowing it to juice your iPhone at twice the speed of a normal wall charger. With blazing-fast charging available on the go, you’ll be able to squeeze in plenty of extra time to catch that Charizard.
While other portable batteries are bulky and cumbersome, the PokeCharger Portable Battery is engineered for maximum mobility. Thanks to its super thin design, the PokeCharger can fit comfortable in most pockets, making it perfect for those extended Poké-catching trips.
What’s more, this charger is intuitively designed with a tri-color LED battery gauge, so you can easily view your battery’s charging progress while you’re on the hunt.
Don’t let your phone’s standard battery stop you from catching your favorite Pokémon. With the LinearFlux PokeCharger Portable Battery, you’ll get the power you need to catch em all.
The LinearFlux PokeCharger Portable Battery normally retails for £105.58, but Pocket-Lint readers can save 50 per cent off. For a limited time, you can get the PokeCharger on sale for only £52.78 ($39.99).
FCC backs down from municipal broadband case
After losing its bid to protect municipal broadband services, the Federal Communications Commission has apparently given up the fight to keep local competition in high-speed internet service. As Ars Technica reports today, the FCC has decided not to pursue another review of the case that could have put the matter in front of the Supreme Court.
The issue is a little complex: In early 2015, an FCC order attempted to circumvent laws in North Carolina and Tennessee that prevented municipal broadband companies from expanding beyond their city or county lines. The FCC argued it had a congressionally bestowed duty to promote local competition and new investments in telecom infrastructure. The court didn’t agree, however, and shot down the FCC’s order, stating that Congress never gave the Commission any power to preempt state laws.
On Monday, an FCC spokesman told Ars Technica that the commission won’t be appealing the case because “doing so would not be the best use of Commission resources.” While the case itself has fizzled out, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has stated in the past that the Commission plans to explore other legal and policy options that would give municipal broadband services more freedom and the two municipalities named in the case can still appeal separately. Meanwhile, the New York Times has a lengthy report about how the Sixth Circuit Court’s decision could worsen the Digital Divide by cutting off local businesses and rural residents from internet access. Currently, there are about 20 states with laws that limit municipal broadband services in favor of major telecommunications companies.
Source: Ars Technica, New York Times
Apple iPad, Mac rumors suggest upgrades for power users
While we prepare to see the next iPhone on September 7th, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has delivered another batch of rumors centered around Apple’s iPad and Mac plans. According to his sources, along with a standalone 5K monitor the company is working on with LG (that would surpass even the 21:9 screens just announced) the next step for iMacs are the option of AMD GPUs built-in, while the Macbook Air is expected to get a USB-C upgrade that could mimic the current Macbook.
Otherwise, a thinner (of course) Macbook Pro could take its own notes from the Macbook with a flatter keyboard, plus what Bloomberg says is a “Dynamic Function Row” above the keyboard. Earlier rumors referred to an OLED touch bar, and combined with the upcoming Sierra macOS update, it could handle different functions depending on what software is active, like iMovie or Safari.
Finally, the iPad is expected to get upgraded display tech that zooms and scrolls faster, while a software update would make the Apple Pencil work across more software on iOS. The new iPad software is expected to arrive at some point in 2017, while the new Mac hardware is expected to debut later this year.
Source: Bloomberg
Apple Says Australian Banks’ Apple Pay Challenge Harms Consumers
Apple today made a submission to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), arguing that Australia’s “Big Three” banks’ request to collectively negotiate over Apple Pay is ultimately harmful to consumers, would stifle innovation in mobile payments, and would avoid competitive dynamics (via AppleInsider).
The Cupertino company argues that each of the big three banks (Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank (NAB) and Westpac) have resisted “serious engagement” with Apple on Apple Pay for the past two years.
Apple claims that they have tried and failed to negotiate with all of the banks, save for one bank who refuses to sign a confidentiality agreement that would allow Apple to send over its initial terms. Apple says that collective bargaining would slow negotiations further, dragging the collective to the level of the least willing member.
The collective, Apple argues, means that each of the banks has no fear of its competitors offering Apple Pay. Thus, the banks wouldn’t fear a potential loss of consumers over the feature. This harms consumers by avoiding competitive dynamics, according to Apple.
The move would also stifle innovation in mobile payments, erasing incentives for existing players in Australia to build on top of or compete with Apple Pay. However, a spokesman for the banks told AppleInsider that they, alongside Australia’s merchants and payment processors, have been working on contactless payments before Apple Pay.
The banks say that, unlike Android or Samsung, Apple blocks access to NFC payments and “wants to leave users with no choice but to use Apple Pay.” They want to negotiate with Apple to offer other integrated wallets within Apple Pay. Last week, Australia’s retailers and payment processors sided with the banks to collectively negotiate.
Apple’s submission comes 10 days after the ACCC denied interim approval of the collective negotiations. The banks first issued their joint application in late July. The ACCC will make a final decision in October. Most recently, Australian bank ANZ expanded support for Apple Pay to MasterCard, adding to the already-supported Visa and American Express.
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: Australia
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LG delivers three new super-sized ultrawide monitors
LG has continued to push the limits of 21:9 aspect ratio monitors over the years and its latest three additions are something to behold. Ready to debut at IFA and coming to the US this fall, they include the “world’s largest” 38-inch curved 38UC99 model that goes on sale in September for $1,500, a 34-inch curved 34UC79G due in October for $700, and the flat 34-inch 34UM79M coming in November for $600.
That massive 38-incher packs a Quad HD+ resolution of 3,840 x 1,600 and is apparently the first ultrawide monitor with a USB-C port built-in. The 34UM79M has integrated Google Cast support (plus built-in support for multitasking, so you can Netflix while you work without giving up any screen space). Finally, that curved 34-inch model is pitched as “the world’s first 144Hz IPS 21:9 Curved UltraWide gaming monitor,” with AMD FreeSync included to cut down on stuttering and tearing when the action gets hectic.
Source: LG Newsroom
Niantic is reversing bans on some ‘Pokémon Go’ accounts
Pokémon Go players who felt they were wrongly banned might get a reprieve. That’s because developer Niantic has said that in its quest to block bots and data scrapers, some people who used third-party map apps to locate the virtual critters were wrongly blocked.
“Each end-user app can be used as a collection tool by the app creator, invisibly collecting and forwarding data to the app creator without the knowledge of the end user,” Niantic writes. “These apps can have an effect similar to DDoS attacks on our servers.”
The company says it’s rearranged of few things in its back-end and can reverse bans on a “small subset” of accounts. That won’t apply to accounts doing nothing but remotely accessing and capturing Pokemon, taking part in gym battles or grabbing supplies from Pokéstops. In fact, it sounds like bans for those terms-of-service-violating activities will become even more strict.
“Our main priority is to provide a fair, fun and legitimate experience for all players, so, aggressive banning will continue to occur for players who engage in these kinds of activities.”
Source: Pokemon Go Live
NASA uses a DNA sequencer in space for the first time
The crew of the ISS just took the first step towards making the orbital laboratory a little safer for its inhabitants. For the first time ever, NASA astronauts have sequenced DNA in microgravity. The experiment was actually a test to see if a MiniION portable DNA sequencer would work in orbit — so far it does. The samples tested on the ISS produced the same results as a control group back on earth. If further tests pan out, astronauts will be able to use the sequencer to test microbes found on ISS surfaces.
It’s a little weird to think of the International Space Station as a potential breeding ground for unwanted organisms, but it is an enclosed environment — and NASA says it occasional finds fungus that needs to be tested. This usually means waiting until crew returns to earth, but having a sequencer in orbit could allow crew to more quickly determine if fungi or microbes found on ISS surfaces are a health hazard. The sequencer can also be used to make sure the station’s water reclamation system is working properly or to analyse experiment results without returning them to NASA itself.
NASA says the sequencer will also be helpful on future Mars missions — giving astronauts the tools they need to protect their health on the long journey. Before it can be used for any of that, however, it still needs to go through a few more tests. Check out NASA’s official announcement for more details.
Source: NASA
