Saturday, 30 June 2018

The Morning After: Weekend Edition

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Saturday, June 30, 2018.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to the weekend! Before looking back at some highlights from the last week, we’ll take a look at Apple’s big Maps upgrade and think about what Westworld needs to do next season.

Calling all students! While you're on a break from that summer job, go ahead and send us some back-to-school gadget questions before you decide how to spend the money you're earning.

(View in browser.)

Faster updates and more detail.

Apple is fixing Maps using its own data

In an interview with TechCrunch, Apple exec Eddy Cue revealed the company is rebuilding its Maps app from the bottom up. To do that it’s relying on a lot of new data collected both from its own vans, and location information pulled (and anonymized) from user’s iPhones. Starting next week iOS 12 beta users in the Bay Area will be the first ones to see new Maps data before it expands to cover other areas.

The deal is almost done.

Jim Carrey could play Dr. Robotnik in the live-action ‘Sonic’ movie

James Marsden (Westworld) is already attached to star in a Sonic the Hedgehog movie along with Tika Sumpter (Ride Along, Southside With You) that will be directed by Tim Miller (Deadpool). Now reports in Hollywood trades claim Jim Carrey is close to a deal that will have him playing the blue blur’s nemesis.

AirPod alternatives.

Qualcomm’s latest chips are built to power cheaper Bluetooth earbuds

The QCC3026 is intended to make it easier for device companies to make their own entry-level and mid-tier Bluetooth-connected audio devices -- especially as buds bundled with phones.

No-skins need some help.

‘Fortnite’ Playground mode can’t come fast enough

Playground is a dummy version of the Fortnite map where four players can just noodle around for an hour at a time. Resource limits are relaxed, too, so you can just learn how the game plays, test strategies and get some all-important practice. The only problem is that it’s not available right now.

Are you ready?

Uber is out to prove its self-driving cars are safe

After its SUV struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona, Uber put a stop to self-driving car testing. Now, the company has reportedly told employees that it’s implementing 16 new safety recommendations and could resume the project in August.

But wait, there's more...

1. DARPA wheels change from tires to tracks without stopping

2. Apple iOS 12 preview: It's all about the polish

3. 'Westworld' turns TV viewing into a game, but that's not enough

4. SDUC supports up to 128 TB, and it's backed by SD Express' 985 MB/s transfer rate

5. Segway's new e-skates are probably a terrible idea

6. The Comcast outage that ruined Friday

7. Sonos Beam review: Smart features trump minor audio compromises

8. Undercover dark web bust leads to more than 35 arrests in the US

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Friday, 29 June 2018

Editor's Pick: Breaking the Fraud Chain

Breaking the Fraud Chain

Robert Capps
Jun 29, 2018 9:11 AM PT

Retailers' biggest worry is increasing e-commerce fraud -- including data breaches, targeted attacks and card-not-present fraud -- according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Online fraud is one of the biggest challenges facing retailers, with CNP fraud being one of their top worries. CNP fraud will hit $71 billion over the next five years, Juniper Research has forecast. [More...]

More Picks:

Peppermint 9 Offers Some Cool New Options
Peppermint 9 accomplishes something most other Linux distros don't: It melds the best components from other desktop environments and integrates them into a solid operating system. The latest release nearly completes a process begun several upgrades ago, using more Xfce elements and fewer LXDE components. Peppermint is a good alternative to the Linux Mint Xfce release. [More...]

Trump Promotes Technology Business Management for Federal IT Acquisitions
Vendors seeking to crack the largest single global customer for information technology -- the U.S. government -- should keep a sharp eye on the ever-changing contract landscape. One of the recent changes initiated by the Trump administration for managing federal IT contracting focuses on the use of technology business management to improve the IT acquisition process. [More...]

EU Watchdog Accuses Facebook, Google of Privacy Shenanigans
Facebook and Google have manipulated users into sharing data using so-called "dark patterns," according to a report from the Norwegian Consumer Council. The practices nudged users toward accepting privacy options that favored the tech companies rather than themselves, the NCC found. Facebook and Google have no intention of providing users with an actual choice, the NCC has claimed. [More...]

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Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Friday -- June 29, 2018

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
http://www.TechNewsWorld.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
EU Watchdog Accuses Facebook, Google of Privacy Shenanigans
Peppermint 9 Offers Some Cool New Options
WPA3 Arrives to Shore Up WiFi Security
Suse Linux Enterprise 15 Bridges Traditional, Software-Defined Systems

Message From Our Sponsor
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Today's Story Highlights

EU Watchdog Accuses Facebook, Google of Privacy Shenanigans

Facebook and Google have manipulated users into sharing data using so-
called "dark patterns," according to a report from the Norwegian
Consumer Council. The practices nudged users toward accepting privacy
options that favored the tech companies rather than themselves, the NCC
found. Facebook and Google have no intention of providing users with an
actual choice, the NCC has claimed.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85424.html

Peppermint 9 Offers Some Cool New Options

Peppermint 9 accomplishes something most other Linux distros don't: It
melds the best components from other desktop environments and integrates
them into a solid operating system. The latest release nearly completes
a process begun several upgrades ago, using more Xfce elements and fewer
LXDE components. Peppermint is a good alternative to the Linux Mint Xfce
release.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85421.html

WPA3 Arrives to Shore Up WiFi Security

Network devices with better security will be hitting the market this
year, thanks to Wi-Fi Certified WPA3, which the Wi-Fi Alliance launched
Tuesday. The announcement paves the way for the proliferation of devices
that support the new, more secure protocol for WiFi communication, which
is designed to replace the 14-year-old WPA2. The new protocol adds
features to simplify WiFi security.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85419.html

Suse Linux Enterprise 15 Bridges Traditional, Software-Defined Systems

Suse has launched Suse Linux Enterprise 15, its latest flagship
operating platform. SLE 15 bridges traditional infrastructure
technologies with next-generation software-defined infrastructure, the
company said. Suse Manager helps users meet management challenges
created by technology advancements such as software-defined
infrastructure, cloud computing and containers.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/85416.html

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The Morning After: Segway made some electric skates

Engadget Email Newsletter

It's Friday, June 29, 2018.

Hey, good morning!

(Read everything here)

Good morning! Hoverboards are so 2017. Time to get some Segway e-skates. We also report on the 1000-player battle-royale game hoping to beat Fortnite and PUBG and check out some new workout headphones made by Under Armour and The Rock.

Accidents will happen.

Segway's new e-skates are probably a terrible idea

The Segway Drift W1 is a pair of e-skates using the balancing technology the company is well-known for. The skates promise to bring all the "coolness" that you can expect from the Segway line, which quite frankly isn't saying much. The Segway Drift W1s look about as fantastically nerdy as you'd expect. They're black and white and advertised in the release as small, lightweight and easy to carry. We’re most concerned about the lack of straps.

Wear kneepads, screamed the world’s moms.

RIP

Honda ends development of its bipedal Asimo robot

We've been enjoying Honda's Asimo (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) robot ever since Engadget existed, but now Honda has announced that this robot project is winding down. The technology behind Asimo isn't going away, however, as it will be put to use in other products, like the Walking Assist device we've seen or its self-balancing motorcycle. For an idea of what's next, just take a peek at the 3E (Empower, Experience, Empathy) robots Honda brought to CES 2018 a few months ago.

It’s all in the details.

Sling TV adds à la carte channels, free shows and a rate hike

First, the bad news: Sling is raising the price of its Orange subscription by $5 to $25 per month. The company pointed to added channels and rising programming fees to justify the hike, but there’s some good news, too. You can subscribe to services like Showtime ($10 per month), CuriosityStream ($6) and the NBA League Pass ($29) on their own, or pick up PPV items without having a subscription at all. Plus, there’s now about a hundred hours of free movie and TV content that “returning” customers can watch even when their subscription is over.

Trump’s trade war is hurting companies like Harley-Davidson.

Harleys sold in the US will still be built in the US

Despite what you may have heard, if you’re riding it in the US, then your electric Harley-Davidson of the future will be built here.

Meet the adorable new tank.

The next ‘Overwatch’ hero is a hamster in a death ball

The team behind hero shooter Overwatch has released several outlandish heroes over the game's two-year run, but this is a new high. After a series of hints over the last couple weeks, Blizzard revealed on Twitter… a hamster in a machine-gun-toting iron ball. Hammond joins Overwatch as a flexible tank hero. He balances quad machine guns and an activated ability that adds a higher amount of shields per nearby enemy with decent mobility, either by curling into a ball and dashing away or using a grapple hook to swing around terrain -- and into foes. While airborne, he can use Piledriver to slam into the ground and launch enemies skyward. Finally, his ultimate Minefield seeds the surrounding area with explosives.

The wireless, on-ear Project Rock set hits stores today for $249.

Can you smell what The Rock and Under Armour are cooking? (It’s headphones.)

Wireless headphones are dime a dozen, unless you want a pair that's on- or over-ear and designed to handle intense workouts. There are some solid options for fitness buffs, including the JLab Epic2 and Jaybird X3, but those are earbuds. Under Armour hopes to offer an on-ear option with its new Project Rock wireless, on-ear headphones, which are specifically designed for workouts and were created with input from training junkie Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock.

The headphones are made from rugged materials (IPX4 rating) with an anti-slip, sweat-resistant liner and breathable ear cushions (that can be removed and washed for easy cleaning). Under Armour claims these features will make them withstand the "toughest gym conditions," without giving up on sound quality. And they’re out today.

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