Friday 18 November 2016

The Morning After: Surface Studio review, iPhone 6 Plus repairs and satellite internet from SpaceX

It's Friday, November 18, 2016.

Good morning! Penny for your thoughts?

Is a folding drone the next must-have accessory in your travel bag? We review the Passport, dig into Snapchat's Spectacle strategy and investigate news for iPhones old and new. Plus: The old 'Top Gear' crew is back today on Amazon with 'The Grand Tour' -- that's one way to head into the weekend.

Desktops are cool again

Review: Microsoft Surface Studio

There's a new option for desktop all-in-ones, now that Microsoft has released the Surface Studio. The Surface Dial accessory brings a unique twist on interaction and touch control, while its slick design and powerful specs help meet the marks pros are actually looking for in a computer. On the other hand, mobile graphics and a stodgy hybrid storage system, plus its high price and the need for more software support, make it hard to recommend switching right away.

Big phone problems

Apple's repair program for the iPhone 6 Plus will fix touchscreen issues -- for a price

We've been hearing from iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners about a so-called touch disease affecting their phones, and Apple's response is here. Without copping to a problem with the phones, its repair program will fix your iPhone 6 Plus if it's having problems with flickering or multitouch for $149, out of warranty. The only problem? That may not go far enough, as the CEO of iFixit disputes Apple's claim that the problem comes from dropped phones, and many people have said it affects the smaller iPhone 6 too.

Bring a wind sock too

Review: Hover Camera Passport

Sure, everyone wants a drone, but most don't have a drone like this. While it's not as big as the top-flight units from the likes of DJI and GoPro, Zero Zero Robotics' Hover Camera Passport combines a tiny form factor and foldable case. It's small enough that you can bring it along easily, without needing FAA registration. Controlled by an app on your phone, it's also smart enough to do face and body tracking for optimal selfie angles. Of course, small size means small battery, which means short flight time, plus the fact that a strong breeze could blow away your $600 machine in an instant.

How you can become a certified ethical hacker

Popping tags

Instagram tries to pull in advertisers with new shopping tags

Everyone has to make money, and Instagram's next big idea is the integration of shopping tags for brands like Warby Parker and Kate Spade. Only on iOS in the US for now, it's just one of Instagram's business-focused features currently rolling out.

Comcast will ruin this somehow

SpaceX wants FCC approval for its satellite-based internet provider

Focused on more things than reaching Mars, Elon Musk's space company took the next step in its internet project this week. An FCC filing reveals it's seeking to launch 800 satellites that will provide internet service in the US, then growing its network to 4,425 satellites capable of 1Gbps connections around the globe.

Experiences, not things

Airbnb's latest category rents more than just spare rooms

Airbnb has a new "comprehensive" travel venture that goes beyond just putting you up in a stranger's house for the weekend. A new Experience category promises access to both short events and longer multi-day "Immersions," as well as features that help guide travelers to interesting places near where they're staying. The new features are live in 12 cities now, and will be available in more than 50 next year.

The Galaxy iPhone

Is 2017 the year OLED comes to the iPhone?

OLED tech just came to the MacBook Pro, and a rumor from Bloomberg suggests that next year Apple will release at least one version of the iPhone using this display technology. Samsung has relied on these screens for models of its Galaxy phones, but word on the street is that obtaining enough supply for the iPhone could be a problem.

They're playing hard to get

Snapchat is relying on fans to get the word out about Spectacles

The first hardware from Snap Inc. is unique not just because of its glasses-integrated camera, but also in how it's launching. The slow rollout of Snapbots is driving up the hype about where its vending machines will arrive next, without the usual wave of media reviews.

But wait, there's more...

1. Sony's cord-cutting service comes to Apple TV

2. Obama: We have to get serious about facts

3. The Prince estate is suing Jay Z's Roc Nation, saying Tidal's streaming rights have expired

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Thursday 17 November 2016

The Morning After: Hybrid Minis, Google Earth VR and the AI trying to get into college

It's Thursday, November 17, 2016.

Hey, good morning! How's your commute looking?

We put the 4K-ready Chromecast to the test, see increasingly less snow around us, and gawp at the first hybrid Mini -- as well as a whole bunch of new cars coming out of the LA Auto Show. There's also the discovery of a "Watch Dogs 2" character that has fully rendered sex organs for no apparent reason whatsoever. Not just another Thursday.

Better video quality comes at a cost

Review: Chromecast Ultra

Yes, the Chromecast Ultra does exactly what it promises to do: reliably stream 4K HDR video to compatible TVs. But the (marginal) increase in quality, alongside a lack of 4K content, means the device is hardly a must-buy.

Well, it wasn't the players' fault

Gamer discovers female characters with fully rendered private parts in "Watch Dogs 2," gets banned

"Watch Dogs 2" tried to keep things as realistic as it could when it tried to offer a hackable gaming world, but it took next to no advanced hacker skillz for one player to discover that at least one of the female character models in the game has a fully rendered vagina. Why? Ubisoft hasn't said, but revealing the hidden creepy detail was enough to get NeoGAF forum member Goron2000 banned from the Sony Entertainment Network (including PSN). Fortunately, his account was later reinstated.

May contain traces of "courage"

The new MacBook Pro (and the Touch Bar) gets the teardown treatment

An iFixit teardown of the 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro reveals that there are even fewer replaceable parts than before. Its solid-state drive is embedded on the motherboard (even the non–Touch Bar model has a removable card), so whatever capacity you choose is what you'll have for the life of the system. And that Touch Bar, as you might guess, isn't exactly easy to replace.

Get these $120 bluetooth headphones for $30

All-wheel drive is split between gas and electric engines

This is Mini's first hybrid vehicle

Mini unveiled its hybrid all-wheel-drive Countryman S E at the LA Auto Show today. What's intriguing is that, while it's an AWD vehicle, the front wheels are powered by the gas engine while the rear ones are connected to an electric motor. The hybrid's electric system is based on the platform used by parent company BMW's all-electric eDrive system that powers the i3 and i8 vehicles. That pedigree will extend to an all-electric Mini that will launch in urban areas in 2019.

Studying is hard -- even for artificial intelligence

Japanese AI fails to make the grade for Tokyo's top university

A team of scientists from the National Institute of Informatics in Japan have given up on attempting to make their AI smart enough to get into the University of Tokyo. What exactly held it back? Team member Noriko Arai said AIs just aren't "good at answering a type of question that requires the ability to grasp meaning in a broad spectrum."

Google Earth is now available in VR

The entire planet, inside your VR headset

Google's virtual Earth is now available in virtual reality. For the first time, users can walk through real city streets, fly through canyons and teleport to anywhere in the world. Earth VR covers the entire 196.9 million square miles of the planet, but for now you'll need HTC's Vive headset to explore. Google Earth VR will be coming to even more platforms (and presumably Google's own Daydream VR) sometime next year.

But wait, there's more...

1. Tesla cars will get even quicker through a software update

2. "White" Twitter bots can help curb racism

3. US snow cover hits an all-time low for November

4. Maven offers free birth control prescriptions via digital doctors

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Wednesday 16 November 2016

E-Commerce Minute

E-Commerce Minute: Wednesday -- November 16, 2016

The E-Commerce Times -- E-Business Means Business
http://www.ecommercetimes.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
US Comptroller Gears Up for Blockchain and Internet Finance
Signs and Symptoms
Coping With Software Licensing Challenges in the Cloud
Marketo VP Mike Telem: ABM Lets You Dust Off Old Marketing Techniques
BlackBerry to Deliver One Last Keyboard Phone
Russia May Kick Out LinkedIn
Google Insists Android Plays on Level Field in Europe

Today's Story Highlights

US Comptroller Gears Up for Blockchain and Internet Finance

The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has a lot of catching
up to do in dealing with innovative information technology, as it
affects not only conventional finance, but also new channels of e-
commerce made possible through advances in IT. These channels include
cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, related "blockchain" technologies, and
other Internet-driven financial services.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84090.html

Signs and Symptoms

It's been a rough couple of months, and we should talk about something
fun and not political, but CRM-centric. I know! Let's ask how the
election influenced CRM. Seriously, there's a nugget in there to get us
thinking about business instead of that other stuff. Come on, it'll be
fun. I am not the only one who saw this, but isn't it amazing how the
pollsters got the election outcome exactly wrong?
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84091.html

Coping With Software Licensing Challenges in the Cloud

A majority of independent software vendors were dealing with an
escalating assortment of organizational issues monitoring and monetizing
their software capabilities, according to a survey of ISV executives
conducted last year. As many of those ISVs move to the cloud and SaaS
delivery models, they face even greater obstacles achieving their
business objectives.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84087.html

Marketo VP Mike Telem: ABM Lets You Dust Off Old Marketing Techniques

"Account-based marketing is all about targeting key accounts. It's a
strategy for marketers to focus most of their efforts on key accounts,"
said Mike Telem, vice president of product marketing at Marketo. "In
most B2B businesses, you have a small number of accounts that are the
most valuable. So it makes perfect sense that focusing on those accounts
provides a better return on investment."
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84084.html

BlackBerry to Deliver One Last Keyboard Phone

BlackBerry has a new phone in the works, and it will have a physical
keyboard, according to reports that surfaced last week. The company
recently announced that it would exit the smartphone hardware market and
transition to developing back-end mobile security software. However,
BlackBerry CEO John Chen confirmed that one last device is in the
pipeline.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84085.html

Russia May Kick Out LinkedIn

A LinkedIn block in Russia could be imminent, in light of last week's
court ruling that the company broke a law requiring personal data on
Russian citizens to be stored on servers within the country.
Roskomnadzor, Russia's telecommunications and media authority, is
waiting until it has the full text of the ruling before acting on it.
Russia had 5 million registered LinkedIn members in Q1.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84083.html

Google Insists Android Plays on Level Field in Europe

Google on Thursday fired back at the European Commission's charges that
it violated antitrust law by imposing coercive rules on mobile operators
and developers who use or write applications for its Android operating
system. The EC this spring charged that Google's requirements to use its
search engine and its Chrome browser on mobile devices running Android
were coercive tactics.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84080.html

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ECT News Network Weekly Newsletter

ECT News Network Weekly Newsletter: Wednesday -- November 16, 2016

ECT News Network -- Where Business Meets Technology
http://www.ectnews.com
E-Commerce Times | TechNewsWorld
CRM Buyer | LinuxInsider

This Week's Top News Headlines From the E-Commerce Times

US Comptroller Gears Up for Blockchain and Internet Finance
(Posted 16-Nov-16)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84090.html

Coping With Software Licensing Challenges in the Cloud
(Posted 15-Nov-16)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84087.html

BlackBerry to Deliver One Last Keyboard Phone
(Posted 14-Nov-16)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84085.html

Russia May Kick Out LinkedIn
(Posted 14-Nov-16)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84083.html

Google Insists Android Plays on Level Field in Europe
(Posted 11-Nov-16)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84080.html

Twitter Shuffles Deck as COO Bain Steps Down
(Posted 10-Nov-16)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84078.html

Election Day Cybershenanigans Highlight Need to Shore Up Security
(Posted 10-Nov-16)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84077.html

Silicon Valley Reels From Trump Shock
(Posted 10-Nov-16)
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/84073.html

This Week's Top News Headlines From TechNewsWorld

Google Clamps Down on Sneaky Malicious Sites
(Posted 16-Nov-16)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84089.html

Post-Election Backlash Spurs Fake News Crackdown
(Posted 15-Nov-16)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84088.html

Conspiracy Theories in the Information Age, Part 2
(Posted 15-Nov-16)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84086.html

Hype Video Broadcast App Has Niche Potential
(Posted 14-Nov-16)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84081.html

Why Trump May Be the Better Technology President
(Posted 14-Nov-16)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84075.html

First Hyperloop Could Blaze a Trail Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi
(Posted 12-Nov-16)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84082.html

Defeating Malware With Its Own DNA
(Posted 11-Nov-16)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84079.html

Daydream Believers May Boost VR, Suggest Early Reviews
(Posted 10-Nov-16)
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84074.html

This Week's Top News Headlines From CRM Buyer

Marketo VP Mike Telem: ABM Lets You Dust Off Old Marketing Techniques
(Posted 15-Nov-16)
http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/84084.html

This Week's Top News Headlines From LinuxInsider

wattOS Energizes Aging Hardware
(Posted 15-Nov-16)
http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/84076.html

AWS Gives Customers On-Premises Linux Option
(Posted 10-Nov-16)
http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/84072.html

News Alerts From ECT News Network
Get the day's top business and technology news delivered
to your inbox as stories break. Sign up today -- it's free!
http://www.ectnews.com/adsys/link/?creative=2202/News_Alerts

INSTA-LEADS From ECT News Network
Access 30 million B2B purchasing decision makers. Learn more:
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please call our sales department toll-free at (877) 328-5500, or view
our online media kit at
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ECT News Network site. If you wish to make changes to your
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FREE newsletter, please use our Newsletter sign-up wizard:
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