Wednesday 16 November 2016

Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Wednesday -- November 16, 2016

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Headline Scan
Google Clamps Down on Sneaky Malicious Sites
Post-Election Backlash Spurs Fake News Crackdown
Conspiracy Theories in the Information Age, Part 2
wattOS Energizes Aging Hardware
Hype Video Broadcast App Has Niche Potential
Why Trump May Be the Better Technology President
First Hyperloop Could Blaze a Trail Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Today's Story Highlights

Google Clamps Down on Sneaky Malicious Sites

Sites that repeatedly violate Google's safe browsing policies will be
classified as repeat offenders, the company said. A small number of
websites take corrective actions after Google displays alerts on their
landing pages warning visitors that they're harmful. However, they
typically revert to violating the policies after Google verifies that
they're safe and removes the warnings.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84089.html

Post-Election Backlash Spurs Fake News Crackdown

Facebook and Google have amended their internal policies regarding
advertising on fake news posts in response to increasing pressure from
users and a growing controversy within the company. There are mounting
concerns that the presidential election may have been influenced by
unvetted fake news stories trending on the network during the past few
weeks of the cycle.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84088.html

Conspiracy Theories in the Information Age, Part 2

In the past, heightened rhetoric and propaganda were the tools of choice
for those looking to convince an electorate to vote them into office,
and conspiracy theories were their bane. This election season has seen
the rise of a new form of persuasion, one that's unique to the
Information Age. For months, WikiLeaks creator Julian Assange had
promised to rain bombshells.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84086.html

wattOS Energizes Aging Hardware

wattOS is a stunning example of really great things coming in small
packages. wattOS is a lightweight and fast desktop Linux distribution
based on Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS built around the LXDE. It uses the
lightweight Openbox window manager as its default user interface. To
credit this 8-year-young community of developers with birthing an
energy-efficient Linux distribution is an understatement.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84076.html

Hype Video Broadcast App Has Niche Potential

The folks who brought Vine into the world last month introduced a new
video broadcasting app called "Hype." Available for free from Intermedia
Labs in the iTunes App Store, Hype not only allows users to broadcast
live to the Internet, but also lets followers interact with their
broadcasts in real time. At first blush, it might seem that Hype's
offering closely mirrors Periscope and Facebook Live.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84081.html

Why Trump May Be the Better Technology President

Years ago, I worked as one of Rev. Robert Schuller's body guards (it was
something to do on Sundays, I wasn't particularly religious) and one of
his sayings was "when given lemons, make lemonade." Personally, I wasn't
excited about either presidential candidate, but I actually think Trump
could be a better technology candidate than Clinton would have been.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84075.html

First Hyperloop Could Blaze a Trail Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Hyperloop One, which aims to fulfill the vision of high-speed
transportation promoted by Elon Musk, has signed a deal to develop a
line between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The project reportedly will have several stations throughout Dubai
connecting the hyperloop system to Abu Dhabi. Pods will carry passengers
and cargo between the two.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84082.html

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The Morning After: Smart ovens, Apple's $300 design book and Snapchat's secret IPO

It's Wednesday, November 16, 2016.

Good morning! How do you like your eggs?

A smart oven that does the thinking for you, a new product from Apple that costs $300 and doesn't even have a touchscreen, and DJI's duo of upgraded drones that are tailored for filmographers. We're halfway through, folks, you've got this.

It comes in standard and Plus sizes

Apple wants to sell you a $300 design book

Apple has announced a new photo book that "chronicles 20 years of Apple design". Dedicated to the memory of co-founder Steve Jobs, it features 450 photos of gadgets past and present, shot by famed photographer Andrew Zuckerman. Both a small (10.2 x 12.75 inches) and a larger (13 x 16.25 inches) volume will go on sale online and in select Apple stores starting today, for $199 and $299 respectively.

Store old photos with your smartphone

Google's PhotoScan app digitizes your physical prints

Google says it wants the service to be a home for all of your photos, and today that mission expanded to encompass the old photos housed in shoeboxes and albums around the world. Its new app, PhotoScan, is part of that, and it's just landed on both iOS and Android devices. If you want to try PhotoScan but are worried about your privacy, you don't even need to upload your pictures to Google. (All those facial recognition skills will require Google's online AI skills, however.)

Tastes like the future

June the smart oven makes a mean steak

Smart cooking gadgets are relatively de rigueur these days: connected sous vide machines, smart kitchen scales and even a WiFi slow cooker have already made an appearance. The June smart oven, however, is a lot more than an oven with a connected app. It's outfitted with a quad-core NVIDIA CPU and a slew of sensors, all for the purpose of taking the guesswork out of cooking. And after three years of development, June is ready to cook. The downside? She charges $1,495 for her services.

From the developer of "Thomas Was Alone" and "Volume"

Mike Bithell's "point-and-bounce" VR game has a strange inspiration

EarthShape launched last week on Google's Daydream VR platform, and its indie developer explains where the unusual gameplay model came from: drawing lines in a car window's condensation, attempting to "catch" raindrops as they rolled down. In the game, players draw lines on a grid to control a bouncing ball, thereby cultivating life across 25-plus alien planets. All this, of course, occurs as Sue Perkins of "The Great British Bake Off" narrates the action.

Not the Eero we wanted, but the one we deserved?

Google WiFi routers are available for pre-order

The folks in Mountain View are giving WiFi routing another shot, with these units capable of creating a mesh network covering up to 4,500 square feet. The Google WiFi box is $129 for one, or $300 for a three-pack, and they should start shipping in December.

Pro drones

DJI's newest drones are built for filmmakers

DJI's new Phantom 4 Pro can capture 20-megapixel stills and 4K video at 60 frames per second, thanks to its new 1-inch CMOS, while its Inspire drone sequel is just downright speedy. The filmography drone can accelerate to 50MPH in a mere four seconds and hit a top speed of 67MPH. It's still capable of moving that fast despite packing an on-board SSD instead of an SD card storage option. Coolest part: The new Inspire 2 now offers a dedicated first-person-view camera for the pilot. I'm flying!

Hacking is the new name of the game

"Overwatch" hacker Sombra is now available to everyone

After her Blizzcon debut and a short test period, Sombra is ready for play on all platforms. The latest "Overwatch" character's abilities include hacking, teleportation, invisibility and an EMP blast. It's also added an Arcade that rotates maps and rules as well as a new Antarctica map, and Season 3 of Competitive Play is scheduled to begin November 30th.

But wait, there's more...

1. Snapchat's secret IPO filing

2. NVIDIA helped to build an AI for cancer research

3. Governments routinely blocked messaging apps in 2016

4. Engadget giveaway: Win an Overdrive smart racing set courtesy of Anki!

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Tuesday 15 November 2016

The Morning After: MacBook Pro review, self-lacing Nikes and fake news on Facebook

It's Tuesday, November 15, 2016.

Hey look, it's next Tuesday!

A new MacBook Pro hits the review table, and Samsung splashes around some cash. While Facebook tries to figure out its fake news problem, we're expecting more real announcements from the LA Auto Show today.

No half measures

Review: MacBook Pro (2016)

It's been four years since we reviewed a fully redesigned MacBook Pro, so how does the latest model measure up? It's thinner and lighter, with faster graphics chips and storage units than ever before. Unfortunately, it also ditches all the old USB and power connectors for new USB-C ports -- say hello to dongles and goodbye to MagSafe. Unlocking your laptop with TouchID works well, but the new OLED Touch Bar isn't always better than a physical key. Add in slightly shorter battery life than its predecessor and it's getting a little harder to recommend this as the (pricey) pro laptop for you.

Feel like Marty McFly

Self-lacing Nike HyperAdapt shoes have a price tag and release details

Shocked that it's 2016 and we're still tying our own shoes like animals? You can fix that with Nike's self-tightening HyperAdapt 1.0. The only problem? It will cost you. Each pair goes for $720, and they will be available only via select outlets online or in person, but we have all the release details available so far.

Virtual freedom

MIT's MoVR cuts the cord on virtual reality headsets

VR headsets are everywhere, but the need for low-latency connections means most users remain physically tethered to a powerful PC. MIT's CSAIL has a solution that uses millimeter waves capable of 6 Gbps bandwidth, and an intermediate "mirror" device to make sure the signal doesn't get blocked.

The I-Pace promises electricity without compromise

Jaguar's first electric concept vehicle makes its LA Auto Show debut

This SUV is built from the ground up to take advantage of electrification, with a custom 90kWh battery and cab-forward design (since there's no gas engine). Jaguar engineers wanted to build a car that's without compromise but also close to a production vehicle. Dual electric motors are capable of 400hp, and the company says the I-Pace has a range of 200 miles.

All cash

Samsung's largest acquisition ever makes it a big player in car audio

While Google plays with self-driving cars and Apple does … whatever it's doing, Samsung is trying to go around Android Auto and CarPlay with its latest acquisition. The electronics giant made an all-cash $8 billion deal to buy Harman International Industries, an auto parts supplier known for its audio division. Harman also owns and licenses other brands, including JBL, Mark Levinson and Bang & Olufsen, so your car could have Samsung inside very soon -- hopefully it doesn't go all Galaxy Note 7 on anyone.

Plus: It has a headphone jack!

Review: Moto Z Play

The Z Play isn't bringing the latest and greatest tech to your pocket, but 50 hours of battery life and a $450 price tag make it hard to skip. Also, Motorola's mid-range device brings back the headphone jack, if that's important to you, while retaining support for Moto Mod hardware add-ons. Being this middle-of-the-road means there's plenty of competition, but Chris Velazco can explain why this one is more than the sum of its parts

The fight against fake news

Facebook and Google cut off the money fueling fake news sites

Last week's election results put Facebook front and center for its part in the spread of false and misleading information. On Monday, Google announced it would cut AdSense accounts on websites that "misrepresent, misstate or conceal information about the publisher, the publisher's content, or the primary purpose," and Facebook followed with similar steps. Is that enough to satisfy voices calling for it to take responsibility as a media outlet? We'll have to wait and see.

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