Google Chrome will begin blocking Flash in favor of HTML5
Though it’s been a long time coming and the writing’s been on the wall for a while, Google Chrome is finally de-emphasizing Flash in favor of HTML5. Come September, Google Chrome 53 will begin blocking Flash, such as the kind that loads “behind the scenes,” as Google says, which can slow down casual web browsing. HTML5 is a lot less resource-heavy and when pages utilize it, it improves battery life, page loading and responsiveness across the web.
Following Chrome 53, in December Chrome 55 will go even further to make HTML5 the default browsing experience, excepting only sites with Flash-only support. You’ll be given the option to enable Flash when you visit, so it won’t change too much from the way you already browse the web. Last year, Chrome began blocking some Flash ads already, so you’ve likely already seen some of the effects trickling down during regular internet use if you use Chrome, after all.
What this means is you’ll likely see a lot fewer hang-ups when using previously Flash-heavy sites, and fewer crashes to have to worry about — that’s the hope, anyway. It’s part of a larger transition of the web to HTML5, and has been in the works for some time now.
Source: Google
ESPN to Launch Multi-Sport Subscription Streaming Service in Future
The Walt Disney Company has announced it is acquiring a minority 33 percent stake in BAMTech, a video streaming company previously formed by Major League Baseball, for $1 billion. Disney has the option to acquire majority ownership of BAMTech in the coming years.
Disney said it will collaborate with BAMTech to launch and distribute a new ESPN-branded multi-sport subscription streaming service in the future. The direct-to-consumer service will feature content provided by both BAMTech and ESPN, and include live regional, national, and international sporting events. The deal will also support streaming video and digital products from ABC and Disney, and future digital initiatives.
Disney currently offers a free video streaming service called WatchESPN, but a cable or satellite TV subscription is required for authentication. The new multi-sport service would presumably allow cord-cutters to watch live games and other sporting events on the web, smartphones, and tablets for a set cost per month. ESPN broadcasts MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, NCAA sports, and more.
A big caveat: current content on ESPN’s networks such as SportsCenter and Monday Night Football will not be streamed. The service will feature sports content not appearing on ESPN channels, including a mixture of MLB and NHL games.
Apple’s much rumored streaming TV service was originally expected to include content from Disney properties, but the plans were postponed late last year. Apple has a close relationship with Disney, which made the late Steve Jobs its biggest shareholder upon acquiring Pixar in 2006. Disney CEO and chairman Bob Iger has also held a seat on Apple’s board of directors since 2011.
Tags: ESPN, Disney
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ESPN will roll out a streaming service that bypasses cable
Today The Walt Disney Company released its quarterly earnings report, but the most interesting news has to do with ESPN. Disney confirmed reports it’s making a $1 billion investment in BAMTech, a spinoff from MLB’s Advanced Media business that, among other things, works on technology for streaming video services like HBO Now. The big news, however, is that BAMTech is working on ESPN with a “direct to consumer” (read: you won’t need cable or satellite to get it) “ESPN-branded multi-sport subscription streaming service.”
The only curious thing? Whatever that service ends up being, it apparently won’t feature current content from ESPN’s TV networks, so probably no Street Fighter V or drone racing. We’re not sure what’s left, but there is an earning call currently ongoing and we may learn a few more details shortly.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said in an interview with CNBC (embedded above) that it will include products that BAMTech already has licenses for, including MLB, NHL and major college sports, it just won’t take content off of ESPN’s channels. Reading between the lines, it seems like there may be a bundled way to buy things that we’ve already seen in products like MLB At-Bat.
Developing…
Source: Disney Q3 Earnings, ESPN
Google Chrome will finally stop loading Flash content by default at the end of 2016
Flash will effectively no longer be supported by default in Chrome.
With the forthcoming update to Chrome 53 in September, Google is finally taking its biggest step yet in the fight against using Flash on the internet. In that update, Chrome will move to block all non-essential Flash content on webpages by default, leaving only large essential Flash players run. This is a large step beyond the previous mandate of letting small or variably-sized Flash plugins — which are often used for behind-the-scenes functions like page analytics — run for fear that blocking them would break webpages’ functionality.
90% of Flash instances are small, behind-the-scenes performance drainers
While Google’s long-held hard stance on the use of Flash has transitioned much of its usage to the leaner, faster HTML5, the problem now is that 90% of all remaining Flash uses are these collection of small Flash instances, which you can’t see and can dramatically reduce webpage performance and device battery life. With Chrome 53, webpages, by default, will no longer be able to load these small Flash instances — the hope being that they’ll move to better HTML5 implementations instead.
Going yet another step further in Chrome 55, slated to launch in December, the browser will make HTML5 the default experience entirely, meaning that even larger Flash plugins will not load at all unless a page has no other way to display content.
Google’s goal is ostensibly to speed up the experience of using all webpages for a better end-user experience, and Flash has been one of the big culprits that gets in the way of that goal. Though Google says that it works closely with Adobe to make sure that the web transitions smoothly over to an HTML5 future, it’s clear at this point that the sooner we drop Flash altogether the better off we’ll be.
Best cheap cases for the Moto G4
Which inexpensive case is the best for the Moto G4? We’ve got you covered with a bunch of great options available right now!
Whether you are looking for a protective case or just something thin to prevent scratches, there are a bunch of options for you to consider. Cases come in various styles, colors and more, and everyone has a different preference. Odds are that with a new phone you will want a new case to keep it safe, so let’s take a look at some of the different options that are available and see which may work best for you.
Diztronic Slim Fit
If protection isn’t high on your list, but you don’t want your phone getting all scratched up, Diztronic’s Slim Fit case is a great option. The case offers a thin layer of protection for the back and four sides of the phone and is form-fit to the phone. It still provides easy access to your buttons and ports, but prevent scratches and dents to the rest.
The case is available in a number of different color options like black, blue, red and teal. Coming in at just $10, the case is very affordable and makes a great addition to your phone.
See at Amazon
Oeago Tough Rugged
Sometimes you need a protective case for your Moto G4 so you don’t have to worry about it breaking on the job site, and Oeago’s option won’t break the bank to keep you protected. Made up of two layers, it has a TPU inner sleeve and an impact-resistant hard plastic shell to provide maximum drop protection. The corners have extra protection, and the back has a built-in kickstand to keep your phone propped up when you aren’t using it. Priced at just $8 or less, you can’t beat the protection that this case offers for the money.
See at Amazon
Sparin Transparent Case
Sometimes you don’t want to hide your phone in a case and change the look of it, but a clear case gives you the best of both worlds. You not only get an additional layer of protection, but you also don’t have to worry about hiding the look of the phone under an ugly cover. Sparin’s transparent case is nice and thin, so you don’t bulk up the phone, and it has a nice precise fit. Two cases come in the pack, so if you get it dirty or scratch it up you can swap on the extra.
The case comes with a lifetime warranty as well, so you don’t have to worry once you make the purchase you are pretty set. With two cases coming in at around $8, you can’t beat the value here.
See at Amazon
Microseven Case and Holster
Putting your phone in your pocket is not always ideal, and sometimes it is easier to keep it safe on your hip. This case and holster combo gives you a protective layer on the phone with a nice hard case, and a secure holster for your belt to keep it safe during travel. The case will prevent scratches, dings and even help a bit during falls without adding a ton of bulk to the phone. The holster is lined with a felt layer that prevents the screen from getting messed up while sliding it in and out. Coming in at around $10, this two-piece set is quite a great deal for those who need protection and an easy way to carry their phone.
See at Amazon
Innovaa Leather Wallet
Cases don’t have to only protect your phone or make it look good, but they can also provide additional functionality as well. Cases like this leather wallet one give you a space to keep your cash, credit cards, ID and more with you easily. You won’t need to carry around a wallet and a phone, and instead you’ll be able to combine both of them into one place. This is perfect for when you are going out for the evening, or don’t want to have a lot with you to bog you down. At just $10, this is a really inexpensive way to protect your phone and add a wallet to it.
See at Amazon
Your favorites?
Do you have a favorite inexpensive case for the Moto G4 that isn’t listed above? If so, be sure to drop a line in the comments letting us know which case and why you like it, along with a link of where to grab one.
This Quick Charge 2.0 wall charger can be yours for just $5
Right now you can score Aukey’s Quick Charge 2.0 wall charger for just $5 at Amazon with coupon code C398PPH5. The charger comes in both black and white, and the box includes a microUSB cable to get started. It features a single USB output, so if you need a different charging cable you can swap in the one that you need to use. Being Quick Charge 2.0 compliant, the charger will offer faster speeds to get your battery juiced up in a short amount of time.
This deal has been extremely popular, so it may not last too long. If interested, you’ll want to grab one soon, and remember you need coupon code C398PPH5 for the savings.
See at Amazon
MacBook Pro (2016): What’s the story so far?
Everyone thought Apple was going to update its MacBook Pro line at WWDC 2016, but it didn’t.
And now the world is expecting refreshed models to come out this autumn, especially because the MacBook and MacBook Air were updated in March. Keep in mind there are two sizes of MacBook Pro: a 13-inch model that was last updated in March 2015, and a 15-inch model that was last updated in May 2015. So, nobody can imagine Apple going two full years without rolling out MacBook Pro models with all new specs.
But what’s more interesting is that the upcoming models won’t just simply have faster processors and thinner bodies, which we all pretty much expect, as they are rumoured to feature an OLED touch panel and a Touch ID sensor embedded in their keyboards, among other things. Here’s everything we know so far – and keep checking back, because we plan to update this piece with the latest details.
MacBook Pro (2016): Release date
Ming-Chi Kuo, a trusted analyst at KGI Securities, said Apple plans to introduce redesigned 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro models in the fourth quarter of 2016, which ends in September.
MacBook Pro (2016): Price
We don’t expect Apple’s current pricing for the MacBook Pro line to change. The cheapest, 13-inch model now costs £999, while the 15-inch model comes in two variants: a 2.2GHz £1,599 version, and a 2.5GHz £1,999 variant.
MacBook Pro (2016): Design
‘Thinner and lighter’
Both models are said to have a thinner and lighter form factors, and according to a report from China’s Commercial Times, they’ll feature the metal injection mold-made (MiM) hinges and the butterfly-mechanism keyboards that were introduced with the 12-inch MacBook Component photos allegedly for the upcoming 13-inch Retina Macbook Pro leaked in late May, revealing the thinner body of the device.
Cult of Mac
OLED touch panel
Kuo also said the 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro models will feature the “most significant upgrade ever undertaken by Apple”, largely thanks to their new OLED display touch panel that replaces the row of physical function keys at the top of the keyboard. This panel might also be contextual, according to rumours, with virtual buttons that change based on app currently in use, etc.
In the leaked component photos from May, we can see not only the thinner body of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but also the missing cutouts for the row of function keyboards, therefore suggesting that a single OLED touch panel will indeed replace physical function keys.
Cult of Mac
Touch ID sensor
Currently, the function key row houses a power button on the far-right, and in the upcoming MacBook Pro models, the Power button will likely maintain its position but will also incorporate a Touch ID sensor, allowing you to securely log-in with a simple finger press, according to Kuo.
USB Type-C
Rumours have long claimed Apple will bring USB Type-C to the MacBook Pro line, and wouldn’t you know it, the leaked component photos from May show four USB Type-C ports and one headphone jack on the sides of the device. Support for Thunderbolt 3 is expected to be included, too, Kuo has claimed, with the MagSafe gone. We can also see thin speaker grilles next to the keyboard in those leaked component photos.
MacBook Pro (2016): Specs
Display
There’s not much news on this spec at the moment, though we assume the new Macbook Pro models will sport displays with a 2304×1440-pixel resolution, the same resolution as the current 12-inch MacBook models. One rumour even claimed the 2016 models will be touchscreen.
Processors
The new MacBook Pro models will likely feature Skylake processors. These are the new, sixth generation chips by Intel, and they will bring significant performance improvements to the new MacBook Pro, resulting in a much faster machine with battery life gains to boot.
There’s also a series of new mobile Xeon E3 chips that could potentially be used in the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, but pricing constraints at the high end make the standard Core i7 Skylake chips more likely.
Graphics
Both AMD and Nvidia might introduce new GPU products in 2016 – just in time for the 2016 MacBook Pro. AMD will have GPUs based on Global Foundries 14 nm FinFET processor node, while Nvidia’s GPUs will based on 16 nm FinFET Plus processor node. Both should bring gains in graphics performance either way. They are set to launch later this year, however, so it’s unclear if they’ll be ready for the 2016 MacBook Pro.
MacBook Pro (2016): Patents
Apple Pencil trackpad
There’s only so many ways you can use Apple Pencil in its current form. Luckily for us, Apple has plenty more grand ideas for the gadget. The company has been granted a patent that allows Apple Pencil to work with the Magic Trackpad, which means you could use the stylus to draw on a Mac. In other words, if this functionality comes to fruition, Wacom’s days are numbered, as you’d no longer need tablet peripherals.
Apple applied for the patent in 2014. It describes other powerful features, too, including in-air gestures so that you can change between slides in Keynote or pages in Pages, for instance. You could even use Pencil as a joystick for games. Just keep in mind none of this may ever come to Apple Pencil, but it’s still cool to see what the Cupertino company is considering behind the scenes.
Also, this isn’t the only Apple Pencil patent we’ve seen granted recently. Another one detailed a stylus that uses swappable tips. These tips can be standard ones like a felt-tip pen, or they can be fancy ones such as a force-sensing bristle brush tip, motion-tracking camera, and a flashlight. Fingerprint recognition – similar to Touch ID – is further mentioned for authentication.
4G connectivity
Patently Apple published a patent filed by Apple that shows a MacBook with cellular capabilities, suggesting Apple want to introduce a 4G-enabled MacBook Pro. A 4G MacBook Pro would most probably be an optional hardware cost with a similar pricing structure as the iPads.
MacBook Pro (2016): Concepts
Designer Martin Hajek made the mockup at the top and the one below of a Retina MacBook Pro with an OLED touch panel.
Martin Hajek
Want to know more?
Check out Apple’s MacBook Pro hub for the latest news.
Fossil’s latest Android Wear smartwatches arrive on August 29th
Fossil revealed a handful of new wearables back in March and a pair of those gadgets are arriving this month. The company announced today that its Q Wander and Q Marshal smartwatches would be available for pre-order August 12th and are due to hit Fossil stores (both retail and online) August 29th. Both models run Android Wear, so they’re compatible with both Android and iOS devices. The 45mm timepieces pack touchscreen displays, steel cases, interchangeable bands and magnetic charging. To complete the look you’re after, Fossil offers a range of bands that include leather, silicon and stainless steel options.
Thanks to Android Wear, you can expect notifications, custom watch faces and activity tracking with the likes of Google Fit, Under Armour’s UA Record, Jawbone UP and MyFitness Pal. While the Q smartwatches will work with an iPhone, the Android faithful will be able to respond to text messages on-screen or using voice commands with the smartwatches. The Q Wander and Q Marshal will set you back $295 if you’re will to take the leap. These two models join Fossil’s other Q wearables that include smartwatches with both digital and analog displays in addition to dedicated activity trackers.
Source: Fossil (PR Newswire)
Samsung denies its mobile payment platform is insecure
Every year the Black Hat conference highlights and analyzes security vulnerabilities in common services public awareness and a little infamy. On Sunday, a researcher released a paper criticizing the point-of-service purchasing system Samsung Pay for perceived weakness in its algorithm that could be exploited by hackers. In its security blog, the Korean tech giant refuted the claims, insisting that its math is different than described in the report and therefore still sound.
Samsung Pay works kind of like bank card chips: slide a phone over a reader synced up to the service and it broadcasts a “token” number inspired by but not exactly like that of the linked financial account. Unlike a magnetic strip on the back of your typical bank plastic, which delivers exactly the sixteen digits on the front and therefore can be reused infinitely, these “tokenized” systems are only created for that single transaction.
Of course, the account and “token” numbers have to be linked somehow, or systems wouldn’t know where to charge purchases. That’s where the algorithm comes in, a formula that generates new temporary numbers that is, users trust, too complex for hackers to crack. In his paper, Black Hat researcher Salvador Mendoza lays out how he believes this system works, including how the one-time “tokens” are generated, and lays out three scenarios for hackers to break into that algorithm: use a magnetic card spoofer to generate tokens, jam a transaction to force another temporary code to be generated while the hacker uses the first and use a social engineering tool to capture tokens and transmit them by email.
Naturally, Samsung denies that its algorithm works how Mendoza described it. Its security blog post points to a technology FAQ illustrating how its system protects against hackers: first, with its Knox software-and-hardware identity verification, and second, with TrustZone processor architecture built specifically to run sensitive processes separately from typical ones.
The FAQ doesn’t say that some of these methods, like jamming the signal and “skimming” unused tokens, is impossible, just extremely unlikely. To work, it would have to meet several requirements: the hacker would have to be physically near the purchase and jam the user before approving it. Even then, the Samsung Pay user would be alerted when the scammer used the token. This is a known issue, the FAQ notes, but given that every purchase runs through both the tech giant’s and the bank’s fraud analysis algorithm, they deemed it extremely unlikely and therefore acceptable.
Update: Samsung has issued a statement, included below:
Recent reports implying that Samsung Pay is flawed are simply not true. Samsung Pay uses a multi-layer security system that works in tandem with the security systems of our partners to detect any emerging threats. Samsung Pay is safe, secure and consumers can be assured that there is no known risk associated to using our payment service.”
Source: Phandroid
SoundCloud Go now streams to Sonos connected speakers
The number of options for Sonos owners to stream music to their connected speakers continues to expand. SoundCloud announced today that its subscription service is now available on the popular multi-room audio setup. Launched in March, SoundCloud Go is the long-rumored monthly subscription option from the music library that’s been a go-to spot for creators and listeners alike. The service still has some issues to work out, but if SoundCloud wants it to catch on, it needs to offer the option to users in as many places as possible. And that includes working with some of the best speakers on the market.
SoundCloud Go subscribers who already own Sonos gear will be able to get up and running quickly. All you have to do is connect the service inside the Sonos Controller app and you’ll be good to go. If you’ve got those speakers on your shelf and want to give Go a shot, SoundCloud is offering a 30-day trial. Once that first month is up though, expect to pay $10 a month for the subscription ($3 more if you sign up with an iOS device). For that price, you’ll get access to library of 125 million songs, but SoundCloud Go’s interface is a bit clunky as it stands and the song lineup lacks some key selections.
Source: SoundCloud
