108354502
submission
sqorbit writes:
After releasing it's free, ad supported, streaming service last week for Echo device owners Amazon is now rumored to be gearing up to launch a TIDAL competitor. Minimal information appears to be available right now as far as what the bit rate will be, how much it will cost and whether record labels are signing on. It is rumored that at least one major record label is onboard.
96747999
submission
sqorbit writes:
OnePlus, a manufacturer of an inexpensive smartphone meant to compete with the iPhone, states that data from 40,000 customers credit card information was stolen while purchasing phones. Although only recently announcing the breach OnePlus states the the script stealing information had been running since November. It is not clear whether this was a remote attack or the attack happened from within the company. Credit purchases on the OnePlus site have been suspended and will remain that way while an investigation takes place.
96719817
submission
sqorbit writes:
Apple runs shuttle buses for it's employees in San Francisco. It seems someone who is not happy with Apple has decided to take out their anger on these buses. In an email obtained by Mashable Apple states "Due to recent incidents of broken windows along the commute route, specifically on highway 280, we’re re-routing coaches for the time being. This change in routes could mean an additional 30-45 minutes of commute time in each direction for some riders." It has been reported that at least 4 buses have had windows broken, some speculating that it might caused by rubber bullets. This is not the first time Apple has had an issue with these shuttles. In 2014 activist blamed Apple for driving up rent costs in areas that Apple used city buses as employee transport.
96719439
submission
sqorbit writes:
Nintendo has announced a new product for it's popular Switch platform. Nintendo Labo let's you interact with the Switch and it's Joy-Cons by building things with cardboard. Launching in April, Labo will allow you to build things such as a piano and a fishing pole out of cardboard pieces that once attached to the Switch allow the user new ways to interact with the device. Nintendo of America's President, Reggie Fils-Aimé states that "Labo is unlike anything we’ve done before". Nintendo has a history of non-traditional ideas in gaming, sometimes working and sometimes not. Cardboard cuts may attract non-traditional gamers back to the Nintendo platform
95269385
submission
sqorbit writes:
Independent watchdog group Freedom House released a report that claims that 18 nation's elections were "hacked". Of the 65 countries that Freedom House monitors 30 appear to be using social media in order to affect elections by attempting to control online discussions. The report covers fake news posts, paid online opinion writers and trolling tactics. Other items in the report speak to online censorship and VPN blocking that block information within countries to interfere with elections.
95206985
submission
sqorbit writes:
Reports have already surfaced about green lines on some iPhone X screens and others reporting the device not working properly in cold weather. Now some users are stating that they are experiencing audio issues. A small number of users, but growing according to the article, are complaining about crackling sounds and distortions from the earpiece. With the small amount of reports is too early to say whether this is a widespread issue or not. I believe we all knew the iPhone X would be highly scrutinized but the reported problems appear to be stacking up.
95125461
submission
sqorbit writes:
Bitcoin dropped below $7000 after hitting an all time high. After a possible fork was suspend bitcoin reached a peak at $7888 before dropping down below $7000. Some investors appear to be selling in order to buy "Bitcoin Cash" which was a split August 1st. Bitcoin cash reached $850.
95120969
submission
sqorbit writes:
Apple is working on a fix for the newly release iPhone X. It appears that the touch screen can become unresponsive when the iPhone is subjected to cold weather. Users are reporting that locking and unlocking the phone resolves the issue. Apple stated that it is aware of the issue and it will be addressed in a future update.
95020207
submission
sqorbit writes:
Two German twitter users were able to post a 3500 character tweet, blowing way past the 280 character limit that Twitter has in place. The accounts were banned for a brief period of time but are now back online after they apologized.
94951045
submission
sqorbit writes:
Sixty years ago the space race was in full swing. Russia had set Sputnik into space with much success. In an effort to push farther they rushed sending a dog into space in a the re-purposed Sputnik rocket. The mission launched with no clear solution to a safe re-entry. Within a few hours of launch temperature controls failed killing the female dog inside. Launched November 3, 1957 it did not reenter the earths atmosphere till April 1958
91802267
submission
sqorbit writes:
Munich spent a lot of time (9 years) and a lot of money to switch a large amount of it's employees to Linux. The plan now is to move to Windows 10 by 2021. Munich's Green Party is citing the WannaCry virus as a valid reason not to switch to Windows. Why after spending all that time and money to switch to Linux are they willing to switch back to Windows? Is this a support and compatibility issue or a political one?
91091623
submission
sqorbit writes:
Microsoft has posting a job opening for a Senior Design Manager for a mixed reality team. The posting states they are "“looking to build a massively social gaming and entertainment experience for both the PC and the console.” It looks like they are targeting both PC and Xbox Platforms for a VR socially geared development project. The requirements: "The Xbox Mixed Reality team is looking for an experienced senior design manager with deep expertise and passion around crafting immersive social systems and experiences."
90964279
submission
sqorbit writes:
Microsoft has some fancy Alcantara fabric on it's Surface keyboard. How well does it hold up to the use and sometimes abuse that portal devices go through? Well Microsoft wants you to care for like a "luxury handbag". From the article "Just like anything luxury that you buy, like great handbags or a pair of shoes or even expensive cars, there is a care that’s needed for the device." Would you walk around with the device requiring that much care?
52857819
submission
sqorbit writes:
Netflix and Youtube are gaining ground not only on the competition, such as Amazon, but also over peer-to-peer file sharing. Netflix claims more than 30 million customers and believes it could double that number in the future. Traffic from Netflix and Youtube amounted to over 50% of Internet traffic in September. Meanwhile Bittorrent traffic is down slightly (7.4% from 10%) in Internet traffic compared to last year. Could more people be satisfied with current video offerings or are less people finding useful things to download via file sharing?
