Friday 31 March 2017

How To Browse Privately After Congress Nixed FCC Protections


Over the last several days, both the US House and the Senate passed legislation to repeal the FCC’s privacy protections against internet service providers (ISPs) abusing customer data for their own benefit, largely without any consent.

It’s likely that the only real long-term solution against this type of abuse will be for policymakers to pass new legislation that brings back the broadband and wireless customer privacy protections that they’ve now repealed. Granted, this probably won’t happen with a Congress under the current configuration, as the current Congress clearly wanted to eliminate those types of protections.

However, a future Congress, backed by enough interest from citizens and political will, could shape stronger internet privacy policies into a law that would be harder to repeal than the FCC’s own rules.

In the meantime, there are some things you can do to stop, or at least significantly restrict, ISPs from tracking you across the web.

Don’t Buy/Rent Devices From Your ISP

If possible, it would be best not to buy, subsidize, or rent any type of device from your wireless or broadband provider, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, Chromebook, router, modem, and so on.

This is among the easiest ways in which the ISP or wireless service providers can track everything you do on the web, because they get full or almost full control over the devices they sell or rent to their customers. It’s trivial for them to install firmware or applications on those devices to track you without you even knowing it.

As Verizon eagerly showed us after the House vote to repeal the FCC’s privacy framework, wireless service providers can’t wait to start collecting as much data as possible about what you do online.

HTTPS Encryption Is Your Friend

Wireless carriers and ISPs aren’t exactly new at tracking customers on the web and serving them ads; they’ve often been caught injecting ads into their customers’ web traffic. For instance, you may be visiting a website, that may even have its own ads, and suddenly, an ad from your ISP or carrier would appear as well.

However, this can only happen if the website you visit doesn’t use HTTPS encryption and the address bar is marked with HTTP instead. When a website doesn’t use HTTPS, the ISP can shape and control that flow of data however it likes. HTTPS encryption stops carriers from tracking your browsing habits in more detail and also from showing you their own ads.

There is one caveat to this, which is that the service provider doesn’t control the device, as mentioned above. If it does, then it could create a “man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack” by interposing itself between you and the HTTPS encrypted website you’re trying to visit.

This shouldn’t be possible anymore on Android 7+ devices, because Google now mandates that there can’t be any other certificates than the ones it’s allowing. However, service providers could still be able to control other devices in this way.

VPN Services

Having to visit HTTPS-only websites may be easier said than done. EFF extensions such as HTTPS Everywhere do allow users to automatically switch websites from HTTP to HTTPS, but only when the HTTP website doesn’t automatically redirect all of its web pages to the HTTPS versions. The extension redirects automatically for you.

HTTPS Everywhere also has an option to “Block all unencrypted requests,” which essentially forces your browser to only retrieve web pages and connections that are encrypted with HTTPS. This is probably an option not too many are willing to use just yet, though, as much of the web remains unencrypted, and it could quickly become a frustrating exercise.


Because not all websites you may visit use HTTPS, that makes a VPN service provider a major tool in your arsenal against ISP tracking, too. The VPN creates a secure tunnel for all of your device’s internet traffic, so it’s irrelevant whether the websites you visit have encryption or not — the ISPs won’t be able to see that traffic. Another caveat: You have to research VPN providers, because many will sell your data, which defeats the purpose of using one to evade ISP snooping in the first place.

Tor Browser

The Tor browser is the tool of choice for those who want maximum privacy, or anything resembling true anonymity on the web. This comes with some caveats, especially when you’re up against intelligence agencies and you’re a target. However, it should be more than good enough against ISP tracking, or any other common kinds of tracking on the web.

The Tor browser may load websites a little more slowly, even compared to VPN services, because it routes your traffic through more locations around the world. This is the only price you have to pay, though, because the tool is free to use. Most VPNs, especially if you want to use them for all of your internet needs, aren’t. You can also use a VPN and the Tor browser together for even better privacy.

Change Your DNS Servers

Even if you visit encrypted websites, ISPs may still be able to see the browser requests you make via their own Domain Name System (DNS) servers which are automatically assigned to your computer or smartphone.

The DNS servers’ role is to resolve the website addresses you type in your browser to the IP addresses of those websites’ physical servers. That means that if you use the DNS servers automatically provided by your ISP, the ISP should be able to log which websites you visited.

OpenNIC DNS servers tend to be more privacy-focused than other better known DNS server alternatives such as Google’s own DNS servers or OpenDNS (now owned by Cisco), but there are others as well.

Officially Opting Out Of ISP Tracking

Some, if not all, of the ISPs and carriers should provide ways for you to opt-out of most of their tracking. However, it often involves multiple steps, and the opt-out may still not be complete. Therefore, you may still want to use some of the above options, just in case the ISPs don’t actually stop much of their tracking.

Future Of Web Privacy Looks Uncertain

If the net neutrality rules fall as well under the existing Congress and FCC leadership, then some of these tools may start to lose their effectiveness, as they could become the primary enemies of ISPs trying to collect that user data. Some of the services could be slowed down, and some could even be blocked, which is basically why the net neutrality rules were proposed by the former FCC leadership in the first place.

However, if millions or tens of millions of people start relying on them, the ISPs may fear a backlash, even if there wouldn’t be any rules or laws left to keep them from hurting the performance of these tools and services in order to increase their profits.

Regardless of what happens in the future, these tools can be used right now to drastically reduce the amount of tracking ISPs and wireless carriers can do to you. If you’re serious about privacy, or at least not wanting internet providers to sell your data without consent, you may want to start using some of these tools today.

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The best Australian Chromecast deals in April 2017

The Google Chromecast is not only one of the most useful and innovative gadgets of the last few years, it’s also dazzlingly cheap. And if you’re looking to pick one up for the cheapest possible price, you’ve come to the right place!

Chromecast is a Wi-Fi HDMI dongle that you plug directly into your TV. From there you can use your smartphone or tablet to ‘throw’ video at your TV over Wi-Fi – whether it be Netflix movies, live football matches from the major broadcasters or simply just a funny YouTube video. On this page we’ll find you the best prices for the Chromecast Ultra, Chromecast 2 (or just Chromecast now) and Chromecast Audio and explain how they differ.

What is a good Chromecast deal?

This one’s easy. The standard price for a Chromecast 2 is $54. You should never, ever pay more than that because you can always find one for that price.

cheap chromecast deals

Chromecast 2 deals

The Chromecast 2, or ‘new Chromecast’ as it’s also known, is very similar to the now discontinued 2013 Chromecast. Sure, it looks a little different. And it’s got slightly faster network performance and a few other tweaks such as coming with a dangly cable instead of as a rigid stick. But essentially the same product in a different shape.

cheap chromecast audio deals

Chromecast Audio deals

While it doesn’t offer true multi-room streaming at the moment (fingers crossed that comes soon), this easy-to-use and affordable device modernises any trusty set of wired speakers you already own with wireless capabilities. In doing so, it also opens them up to features that will grow and get even better over time. Got an old set of speakers or an ancient iPod dock? Turn it into a wireless speaker with Chromecast Audio!

cheap chromecast ultra deals

Chromecast Ultra deals

The 4K Chromecast Ultra is the newest member of the Chromecast family. If you have a 4K TV or are planning on getting one, it’s certainly worth picking one of these up. The Chromecast Ultra is a cheaper alternative to Amazon’s Fire TV or the US-only Roku 4 for getting 4K content on your TV. Chromecast Ultra deals are usually around $88, so anything cheaper is an added bonus.

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NewsDemon

NewsDemon is yet another premium Usenet service vying for your attention and indeed money. The company provides high-speed access to newsgroup servers right around the world, and it’s among the Usenet services with the highest completion and retention rates on the market.

The platform is available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Dutch, giving it a more global reach than some rivals. As well as this, it also owns server farms throughout the US and Europe, which means you can access its newsgroups wherever you happen to be based in the world. This also bodes well for good performance.

Performance

Retention rates – the amount of days content is kept for – play an important role in the overall performance of Usenet services. NewsDemon doesn’t disappoint on this count, offering 3,150 days of binary retention and the same for text retention. That’s impressive, considering that many companies prioritise binary rates.

In total, you get access to more than 107,000 newsgroups, which seems to be around the norm these days. Of course, some firms offer more, but this is a pretty sizeable selection. It’s also good to see that NewsDemon boasts a 99.9% completion rate, meaning that you’re unlikely to come across a situation where you can’t finish a download because a bit of data has been lost somewhere.

These newsgroups are uncensored, as you’d expect, and all subscriptions come with a free newsreader service. Called NewsRover, it’s automatically configured for your account and lets you find the most relevant content. If you’re a Usenet newbie, then this is something to see as a definite positive, because many providers will put you through a more manual setup process.

Speed and security

As mentioned earlier, NewsDemon runs its own server farms, which should help in terms of performance. It’ll max out your broadband connection, whether it’s 5Mbps or 1000Mbps.

Along with helping to maintain top speeds for users, NewsDemon’s global network of server farms can also cater with high demand. They’ve been built to assure redundancy and optimal uptime, the firm insists. NewsDemon engineers constantly monitor services and requests too, helping to find and address outages and other issues as soon as possible.

As ever with a Usenet service, it’s always important to consider security and privacy. NewsDemon isn’t much different to the rest of the competition in that all accounts come with 256-bit secure connections. The company makes it clear that it won’t share user information with third-parties. It’s also good to see a free VPN service available (SlickVPN), adding a further layer of protection.

Pricing and support

NewsDemon prides itself on a strong customer support operation. You are able to get help from specialists to address account issues and potential faults affecting performance. This support line is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The company also runs a blog where it posts deals and customer announcements, although it isn’t updated all that often. Still, it’s a handy way to find out about price and product changes.

Speaking of pricing, sadly, it’s a rather fragmented affair. In all, there are 20 membership plans to choose from, offering different speed options and features based on user needs. There are monthly and block plans available, giving you lots of choice.

The cheapest monthly option costs £3.60 ($4.50, AU$5.90), and for that, you get 50GB of access, but you can opt for unlimited if you’re willing to pay a bit more. Block accounts start at £2.88 ($3.60, AU$4.70), giving you 10GB of data.

All accounts come with 50 connections, unlimited speed, 24/7 support, free headers, free posting, header compression and a free VPN tool. With the block plans, you can opt to set up a sharing agreement with other accounts. Also note that if you’re undecided about whether to sign up for the service, it’s possible to give it a whirl with a free 15GB trial.

Final verdict

It can be hard picking a good Usenet service because there are so many options available on the market, but you can’t go far wrong with NewsDemon. Not only do you get ample retention rates and an impressive completion percentage, you’re also given access to a platform that’s easy-to-use and secure. The sheer amount of account options may overwhelm some, but on the other hand, others may appreciate the diverse range of choices with the firm’s plans are.

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The best mouse of 2017: 10 top computer mice compared

Since Steve Jobs infamously swiped the design from under Xerox’s noses, the mouse as we know it has seen improvements left and right. Laser sensors have replaced the rubber ball we all came to know and love on the optical mouse and some mice, such as Apple’s own Magic Mouse, disregard buttons altogether in favor of gesture controls. 

The best mouse, however, strikes a balance between a high DPI (dots per inch) rating and wireless capabilities, complemented by stunning looks and feel to justify its value. Considering a mouse can now be used to control everything from your PC to your smartphone (due in part to products like Samsung Dex), it’s integral that your mouse is versatile enough to get the job done no matter what operating system it’s being used for.

Determining the best mouse for you ultimately comes down to a variety of different factors, and every entry in our round-up comes with a wide range of different features. Although what follows is not fully reviewed, each mouse on this list has been meticulously tested prior to its inclusion.

1. Logitech MX Anywhere 2

Versatile and feature-packed without going overboard

DPI: 1,600 | Interface: Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless (pairs with up to three devices) | Buttons: 6 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Features: Scrolling wheel, Logitech Darkfield Laser Tracking, Unifying receiver, Easy-Switch tech, gesture function

Pairs with three devices
Compact and portable
Has a free-scrolling wheel
Non-removable battery
Can’t use it wired

The MX Anywhere 2 is smaller than Logitech’s flagship MX Master mouse, making it a more travel-friendly option. However, we find that it’s a more comfortable fit for smaller hand and have been using it as our main rodent rodent in the office.

It connects using Bluetooth or 2.4Ghz wireless (using Logitech’s dongle), can connecrt with up to three devices and sports excellent low-latency tracking which is helped by Logitech’s Darkfield tech that makes the mouse usable on shiny surfaces. Like the MX Master, the scroll wheel can spin freely once you’ve depressed it, allowing you to scroll down long pages without suffering finger ache.

Logitech says that the Anywhere 2’s non-rechargable battery will last up to 60 days on a single charge, which isn’t something we can verify but we haven’t seen it give up the ghost in half of that time. It’s practical, portable and pretty much one of the best mice out there.

Logitech MX Master

2. Logitech MX Master

A veritable spaceship of a mouse

DPI: 1000 | Interface: Bluetooth (pairs with up to three devices) | Buttons: 5 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Features: Hand-sculpted comfort contour, Speed-adaptive scroll wheel, Thumb wheel, Darkfield Laster Tracking, Dual Connectivity, Rechargeable battery

Thumb wheel and adaptive scrolling
Pairs with 3 PCs
It’s a lot of money for a mouse
May be a bit big for some

Logitech’s flagship is a mighty mouse indeed. Hand-sculpted for comfort, the MX Master connects via Bluetooth or USB dongle and it can pair to up to three devices. The rechargeable battery lasts for up to 40 days and goes from flat to a day of power in four minutes, and you can use it while it’s charging. The scroll wheel’s a two-state job with click-to-click and unrestricted speedy scrolling, there’s a thumbwheel for side-to-side scrolling and you can reprogram the buttons to suit your way of working.

Anker Vertical Mouse

3. Anker Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse

It looks weird, but it feels pretty good

DPI: 1000 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 5 | Ergonomic: Vertical | Features: No

Good for RSI sufferers and prevention
Cheap as chips
Thumb buttons don’t work on Macs

Let’s get the weird one out of the way first: Anker’s mouse sits vertically, so you hold it as if you’re shaking hands with someone. It feels strange until suddenly it doesn’t: it’s comfortable and doesn’t make you twist your arm as normal mice do. The price means a few corners have been cut – where other mice are a collection of curves the Anker has a couple of sharp bits to jab the unwary – but it’s a good and inexpensive choice for anyone who has or fears RSI.

Apple Magic Mouse 2

4. Apple Magic Mouse 2

As ever, Apple thinks different

DPI: 1300 | Interface: Bluetooth | Buttons: 0 | Ergonomic: Ambidextrous | Features: Multi-touch

Looks fantastic
Multi-touch is clever
Spectacularly uncomfortable (for us; your mileage may vary)

It has its critics – including your correspondent, who thinks it’s the most spectacularly uncomfortable mouse ever made – but the Magic Mouse has plenty of fans and the second version is a big improvement over the first generation. It boasts a trackpad-like multi-touch surface and moves more smoothly around your desk than the first version, and it doesn’t require normal batteries thanks to a built-in rechargeable battery. Unfortunately the position of the Lightning port means you can’t use it while it’s charging.

Triathlon

5. Logitech Triathlon M270

DPI: 1000 | Interface: Bluetooth (pairs with up to three devices) | Buttons: 8 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Features: 24-month battery life on one-AA battery, Sculpted design, Free spinning scroll wheel, Easy-switch tech, Logitech Options Software

Pairs with up to three devices
Long battery life
Not as responsive as a wired mouse

Like the MX Master, the Triathlon M270 can pair with up to three devices using Bluetooth, making switching between them in a snap. However, the Triathlon is more affordable and much more comfortable to hold if you prefer a smaller rodent. It also gets the Master’s free-spinning scroll wheel, letting you zip through documents or webpages. Logitech promises up to 24 months of use before the Triathlon gives up the ghost on one AA battery. The only drawback? Due to Bluetooth, the Triathlon isn’t quite as responsive as the wired Logitech Proteus G502 – our daily driver.

Logitech Marathon Mouse M705

6. Logitech M330 Silent Plus

It’s as quiet as a….

DPI: 1,000 | Interface: 2.4GHz wireless | Buttons: 3 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Features: Quiet buttons, 10-meter wireless connectivity, 2 x AA batteries (claimed 24-month battery life)

Near-silent operation
Short on buttons
No Bluetooth connectivity

Sometimes a peripheral comes along that has the potential to change all others in its category. Logitech’s M330 Silent Plus, a prime example of this, features left and right buttons that barely sqeak – ahem – click, when pressed. Using it for the first time is like booting up a fanless laptop for the first time – quiet, inconspicuous and curiously satisfying. Simply put, using the M330 feels great. With only three buttons, however, it isn’t the most feature-packed mouse on the market, but its silent and compact nature, comfortable design and leggy battery life make it a great choice – and not just for frequent travellers or people with easily irritated co-workers.

Mad Catz R A T ProX Precision Gaming

7. Mad Catz R.A.T. ProX Precision Gaming

Quite possibly the maddest mouse ever made

DPI: 8200/5000 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 10 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Features: swappable modules, analog strafe

Enormously customisable
Looks like a Transformer
Ruinously expensive
Overkill for most

If you’re going to drop £150 on a mouse it might as well be a fun one, and the R.A.T. ProX is definitely that: it’s the Transformer of mice, with swappable sensors, swappable scroll wheels, swappable palm rests and what Mad Catz calls “analog strafe”, which enables the scroll wheel to act as an analog stick. It looks amazing, costs a fortune and if it were a game it’d be Broforce: ridiculously over-the-top, completely crazy and an absolute hoot.

Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600

8. Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600

It’s cheap! It’s cheerful! It lasts forever!

DPI: 1000 | Interface: Bluetooth | Buttons: 2 | Ergonomic: Ambidextrous | Features: No

Really, really cheap
Comfortable
Smaller than most mice

We’ve a soft spot for the good old Microsoft Mouse, and the 3600 uses Bluetooth to deliver wireless connections without dongles. It runs for up to a year on a single battery and is that rare thing, a mouse that’s designed for both left and right handed use. It doesn’t have 32 billion buttons, a sensor capable of tracking atoms or the ability to turn into a car and save the universe, but if you want a good, comfortable, reliable mouse to take wherever you go the 3600 is a winner.

Razer DeathAdder Chroma

9. Razer DeathAdder Chroma

When plain old death isn’t enough

DPI: 10,000 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 5 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Features: lighting effects

Very comfortable
Very accurate
Lighting feels a bit gimmicky
Software can be a bit flaky

You just know that a mouse called the Razer DeathAdder Chroma isn’t going to come in pink with My Little Pony stickers. Offering high-end performance for a pretty reasonable price, the Chroma’s USP is its 16.8 million-colour lighting effects coupled with a 10,000 dpi optical sensor. It’s blazingly fast, exceptionally accurate, offers on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment and looks fantastic, which is probably why it’s so popular among e-sports athletes. It also has a seven-foot braided cable, which is handy if your PC is quite far away.

Read the full review: Razer DeathAdder Chroma

10. Cherry MC 4000 Precision

A smooth ambidextrous mouse

DPI: 1,000 – 2,000 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 5 | Ergonomic: Ambidextrous | Features: High-speed motion detection (1.5 meters per second), 360-degree sliding pad, two-color illumination

Ambidextrous design
Glides smoothly thanks to frictionless underside
Slightly too small for large hands

Better known for its mechanical keyboard switches, Cherry has made a no-frills  mouse in the MC 4000 Precision, which is a step up or two from the basic mouse that may have come with your computer. Featuring an ambidextrous symmetrical design, the MC 4000 lights up red or blue to indicate whether it’s in 2,000 DPI mode (the former) or 1,000 (the latter), with the higher value modes being useful when using 4K and other high-resolution displays. It’s a smooth mouse to use thanks to a sliding surface that covers the entire bottom of the mouse and provides a solid base for using it on a variety of surfaces.

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article

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Carrier User Tracking Is Back On Android Devices, After Congress Voted To Repeal FCC Privacy Rules

Recently, both the US House and Senate voted largely on partisan lines (Republicans for, Democrats against) to overturn the FCC’s new privacy rules that were supposed to protect broadband customers against internet service providers collecting their data and selling it without their consent.

Following the two votes, Verizon was emboldened to enable data-tracking on all of its on-contract Android smartphones, which is reminiscent of the tracking that created the backlash against the “CarrierIQ” tracking software six years ago. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) even went as far as to call this type of tracking “spyware.”

CarrierIQ Privacy Fiasco

On November 11, 2011, security researcher Trevor Eckhart posted on his website that Verizon, Sprint, and potentially other wireless service providers were installing the CarrierIQ user tracking software on many of their Android-running smartphones. The researcher defined the software as “rootkit” because it had low-level privileges on the smartphones while hiding its actions from users.

The rootkit was used to collect what websites users visited, search terms they typed, location of their device, and app usage data, as well as information about the usage of the carrier’s own products and about the type of demographics that were using the phones. The data was obtained without user consent.


Initially, the CarrierIQ company sent a cease and desist letter to Eckhart claiming copyright infringement for posting CarrierIQ training documents. The firm also denied the researcher’s allegations that they were collecting all the keystrokes of smartphone owners. However, only two weeks later, and after the EFF got involved in the case, CarrierIQ retracted its cease and desist letter and apologized to Eckhart.

Since then, smartphone makers and carriers seemed to have stopped using CarrierIQ software specifically. The CarrierIQ company was acquired by AT&T in 2015, and the wireless company said that it only uses the technology to “improve the customer’s network and wireless service experience.”

Verizon AppFlash: What’s Old Is New Again

Although the CarrierIQ rootkit fiasco upset many smartphones users, Verizon seems to want to bring back much of the same kind of tracking to the smartphones it sells today. Verizon announced a new “AppFlash” app launcher and web search utility that will come to all new and existing subscribers that use Android smartphones.

According to Verizon’s own AppFlash privacy policy, this is the type of information that will be collected by default:

We collect information about your device and your use of the AppFlash services. This information includes your mobile number, device identifiers, device type and operating system, and information about the AppFlash features and services you use and your interactions with them. We also access information about the list of apps you have on your device.

With your permission, AppFlash also collects information about your device’s precise location from your device operating system as well as contact information you store on your device.

Verizon seems to be saying that at least the location tracking will be done with your permission, although it’s not clear how exactly this will be implemented, and whether or not it will be truly opt-in for the smartphone user. Depending on Verizon’s own interpretation, it may also be able to track the location when the location on an Android device is enabled.

Verizon’s Not So Simple Opt-Out Solutions

Once the FCC privacy framework is fully overturned, it remains to be seen if the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) could still enforce its own privacy rules against Verizon. However, the FTC has historically only issued small million-dollar fines over such privacy violations, which likely don’t serve as a strong enough deterrent for companies that may stand to make a thousand times that amount (billions of dollars) by violating those rules.

The real issue here is that most of the information will be collected without consent, and if users want to stop that collection (or a large part of it), they will have to opt-out. The majority of people tend not to opt-out of any type of tracking, usually because they aren’t even aware that it’s happening in the background, but also because it can often be somewhat of a hassle to do it.

Verizon has a web page where you can opt-out of its Aol ad network tracking, but to completely stop any sort of tracking you have to visit multiple locations and follow multiple steps. The opt-outs also don’t seem to completely stop the ads that Verizon may still be injecting in your web traffic. It’s just that they won’t be based on the type of websites you visit anymore or any tracked data.

Please note that by limiting ad tracking or opting out by way of any of the choices described, you will still see ads in the same places, but those ads may be less relevant because they will no longer be based on your interests.

AppFlash – The “Flash” Of Android Devices In Terms Of Attack Exposure?

The name Verizon chose may end-up being predestined. According to the EFF, the fact that Verizon will put AppFlash on all of its Android devices could further expose users to a new attack vector. Chances are Verizon isn’t going to ensure the launcher is highly secure, considering it seems to be based on a third-party solution that’s been rebranded by Verizon.

Just like the Adobe Flash player, the Verizon AppFlash could also lure attackers into exploiting it, especially because it seems to have system permissions and it can be used to launch any other (malicious) app or website.

Now that the FCC privacy rules are close to being repealed–the resolution passed by Congress still needs the President’s signature–we may see other carriers and broadband providers launch similar user-tracking solutions for the devices they sell or rent with their services.

This could put an end to the idea that internet and voice providers can only provide their service for a fair payment that the customer is willing to offer. The providers will instead be able to make money both from subscriptions as well as from selling customers’ data to advertisers, typically without the customers’ consent.

If the net neutrality rules are repealed as well, that could further increase the wireless and broadband service providers’ leverage over both internet companies and their customers, who may see reduced choice on the devices offered by these providers. It could also allow the wireless and broadband providers to slow down the services and tools that would stop their tracking, such as VPN services and the Tor network.

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‘Robo Recall’ Gets Official 360-Degree Rotation Support In First Major Patch

Epic Games released the first update to it recent VR hit Robo Recall. The game launched on March 1 and was well-received by Oculus Touch owners, but it was also designed for front-facing configurations and launched without proper support for Oculus’ experimental 360-degree tracking setup.

Epic Games launched a mod pack alongside the Robo Recall game, which allowed anyone to tinker with the game and build mods for it. One of the first mods to surface was an unofficial 360-degree tracking solution, which you can find on roborecallmods.com, but that was just a temporary fix. A spokesperson for Epic Games told Upload VR that the developer would add official 360-degree support to Robo Recall with the game’s first update, which they said would launch “later this month.”

Fast forward to today, the last day of March, and Epic Games is making good on its promise. The company just released an update that includes the new tracking solution and several bug fixes and changes, which should help improve the experience.

In addition to the new tracking mode (which you can activate in the tracking options section of the settings page), Epic Games made the following changes to Robo Recall:

  • Added support for 360 tracking mode. Available in Settings → Tracking Options.
  • Replaced ending credits music with “Shooty Shooty Gun Hands,” the masterpiece that came in too hot for launch.
  • Improved and stabilized teleporting up onto ledges.
  • Fixed a bug that caused crawlers to be wiggidy-wack when you grabbed them during one part of their “get up” sequence.
  • Added more unique colors for high multiplier numbers. People are tearing it up on YouTube!
  • Fixed a bug that caused flickering between LODs in a very narrow window.
  • Made a few improvements for spectator leaderboard functionality.
  • Fixed a small bug on the Holo-table that caused weapon dangly bits to misbehave upon dropping said weapon.
  • Fixed “Whip Slam” damage scoring events and made damage scale with impact velocity.
  • Made several audio performance improvements.
  • Added fixes for font caching that wasn’t working properly to eliminate hitches the first time unique text is rendered.
  • Fixed bug where Boss VO wasn’t being affected by VO volume settings.
  • Fixed additional audio bugs.
  • Spectator leaderboard now correctly states when player is in All Star Mode.

The Robo Recall update is available today. Your game client should automatically update the next time you open the Oculus Home software.

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Unity 5.6 Debuts With Support For Vulkan, New Platforms, Other Improvements

Shortly after teasing us at GDC, Unity released version 5.6 of its eponymous game engine. The update includes many improvements, ranging from better lighting and graphics performance to a new video player and 2D tools, but perhaps the most notable change is support for the Vulkan API and more gaming platforms.

Vulkan is a graphics API introduced by the Khronos Group in 2015. It’s quickly caught on with GPU makers, software platforms, and game developers in a relatively short amount of time. Whether it’s enticing devs to abandon DirectX 12 plans or replacing AMD’s Mantle in the 3DMark API Overhead Test, it’s clear that Vulkan is here to stay. Being supported by Unity 5.6 will make it even easier for game devs to take advantage of the API with their games.

“Vulkan support brings increased speed while reducing driver overhead and CPU workload,” Unity said in its announcement. “This leaves the CPU free to do additional computation or rendering and saves on battery life for mobile platforms.” Given that Vulkan support has expanded to Android, the Nintendo Switch hybrid console, and other mobile platforms, improving battery life could be as welcome an improvement as the increased performance.

Unity also said it ‘added initial support for OpenVR,” Valve’s virtual reality platform, but didn’t offer any other details.

Speaking of supporting a variety of platforms: Unity 5.6 now supports the Switch; Google Daydream and Cardboard for Android and iOS; and Facebook Gameroom. That makes the game engine nigh ubiquitous on consoles, expands its foothold on VR, and lets developers create titles for Facebook’s take on Steam. (Unity already supported pretty much every platform, from iOS and Steam to 3DS and Oculus, and this expansion just fills in the few gaps.)

Unity 5.6 also brings a new particle effects system, post-processing system, and lighting tools. The popular TextMesh Pro add-on is now bundled with the engine, and for developers willing to live on the wild side, experimental WebAssembly support is said to improve the Unity WebGL experience. You can learn more about the update in Unity’s announcement. The engine’s free to use until you cross revenue thresholds or decide you need extra features.

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Watch Us Play The 'They Shall Not Pass' Expansion For 'Battlefield 1' Today At 1pm PDT

For this week’s Twitch livestream, we’re turning back the clock to World War I. The They Shall Not Pass expansion for Battlefield 1 was made available to all players for purchase this week, and we’re going to spend a few hours today with Battlefield 1’s first premium expansion.

In addition to four new maps, the expansion also includes a new game mode called Frontlines, which is a combination of the Conquest and Rush modes that already exist in the multiplayer gameplay. You’ll also be able to play with the Trench Raider, a new Elite Class, as well as new weapons and vehicles such as the Siege Howitzer, Assault Tank Gun, and Char 2C.

To help entice more players to buy the expansion, EA and DICE also revealed a new feature to the game this week called “Premium Friends.” If you own the game’s Premium Pass, you can invite friends who don’t own the pass to your party so they can try out the content without having to pay for it. However, there are a few caveats. Those playing the new content without the Premium Pass won’t earn any experience points (though you can get those hard-earned points back if you buy the pass in the future) and any progress towards a specific medal or codex won’t count. Premium Pass owners are also the only people in the party who can spawn weapons and vehicles unique to the expansion.


If the Premium Pass takes your fancy, it will cost you $50. However, you can buy the expansion by itself for $15. The Premium Friends feature is only around for the Battlefest event, which started earlier this week, as part of a test run. If it’s deemed a viable way to bridge the gap between Premium Pass owners and other players, it might come back in the future as a permanent fixture in the game.

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'Zelda: Breath Of The Wild' Patch Addresses Frame Rate Issues

Nintendo released version 1.1.1 of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch to “make for a more pleasant gaming experience.” That’s not a particularly descriptive patch note, but early impressions show that noticeable frame rate issues have been mitigated, if not totally resolved.

We noted in our hands-on with the Switch that, although we didn’t measure Breath of the Wild‘s frame rate, dips below its target 30fps were easily seen with the naked eye. To avoid story and gameplay spoilers, we’ll say only that the frame rate tended to drop most often in specific locations or when combat involved more than one enemy. It certainly didn’t ruin our experience with the game, but it was definitely notable, and sometimes distracting.

Revisiting some of those locations or entering combat with patch 1.1.1 installed showed that at least some of the issues have been addressed. We didn’t spot any drops in some places, and in others, we noticed fewer stutters than we did before. Note that this is with the Switch in TV mode; playing Breath of the Wild in handheld mode resulted in very few drops even before this update, perhaps because it renders at 720p instead of the TV mode’s 900p.

These problems didn’t take us by surprise. Breath of the Wild started development as a Wii U game, and as the directors’ presentation at GDC 2017 alluded to with a mock email instructing them to prepare the game for the Switch’s launch, the dev team didn’t have much time to optimize for the new hardware. (Nintendo’s been surprisingly open about Breath of the Wild‘s development–it even published a multi-part documentary about the process.)

You can install version 1.1.1 of Breath of the Wild for Nintendo Switch by launching the game from the console’s menu, which will automatically start the download process, or by pressing the – or + buttons on the console’s controllers, selecting the Software Update option, and choosing Via the Internet. The patch is free, so you don’t have to worry about buying the Expansion Pass, which offers access to current and upcoming downloadable content.

Nintendo also released this patch for the Wii U version of Breath of the Wild, but we haven’t been able to test that version of the game, so we can’t speak to its performance before or after the update. The performance update on both consoles highlights Nintendo’s commitment both to its previous console–Breath of the Wild was the company’s last game for the Wii U–and to making sure the Switch’s launch problems don’t go unaddressed.

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New iPad

Innovating in the world of tablets is a difficult task right now, even for Apple. The iPad Pro brought about a new way of working and a variety of accessories to complement your 12.9-inch or smaller slate, but what if you don’t want those features?

This new iPad is the device designed for you, with a premium spec, a great looking design and top of the range features, but at a lower price and without all the productivity extras.

It’s much like the five star iPad Air 2 – the device it replaces in Apple’s lineup – but there are a few key upgrades that make this an all round better tablet.

iPad 9.7 price and release date

  • Out now directly from Apple – other retailers to follow
  • Cheaper than iPad Air 2 at $329/£339/AU$469

The new iPad is cheaper than the iPad Air 2 was when it was on sale through Apple’s website. That’s notable as affordable Apple products are hard to come by, especially when the iPhone only seems to raise in cost with each passing generation.

This new version of the iPad starts at $329/£339/AU$469 for the 32GB Wi-Fi model and goes all the way up to $559/£559/AU$799 if you want to get one with 128GB of storage and cellular connections.

There’s no 256GB version of this latest iPad, so you’re going to have to choose between 32GB or 128GB. You can buy this directly from Apple right now and we expect to see other retailers start to stock the iPad in the coming weeks.

Design and display

  • Similar design to previous iPads, but still looks great
  • Thicker and heavier than the iPad Air 2

If you’ve used an iPad Air 2, you’ll know what the design of the new iPad is like. This new version is a touch thicker than the Air 2, but that’s barely noticeable considering it’s still only 7.5mm thick, which makes it easy to hold in the hand.

It’s only 469g, so if you plan to carry this device on your commute you should find it light enough to hold onto without any stress.

You may want to use two hands though, as at 240 x 169.5 x 7.5mm it’s not particularly easy to grip onto with only one hand.

The back of the iPad has a metal body that feels smooth on your fingers but is still easy enough to grip. There’s no denying the iPad is still the best looking tablet you can buy, and the rounded corners makes this a gorgeous device to hold.

We’d recommend buying a case to ensure it won’t get scratched when putting it in your bag though.

When it comes to color choices, the new iPad is available in gold, silver or space grey. Sadly Apple hasn’t seen fit to include a new red version of the iPad to match the new brightly colored iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Just below the screen on the new iPad there’s a home button that features Touch ID, so you can keep all your data securely stored away behind a fingerprint lock. It’s not particularly easy to reach with your thumb though unless it’s lying down, so we’d usually just use a passcode instead.

When it comes to the screen, the iPad has a 9.7-inch display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. That gives you 264 pixels per inch, which is the same picture quality as either iPad Pro model.

The picture on this iPad looks stunning, with a bright display also making everything we’ve watched look vibrant. This will be especially useful if you’re planning to watch a lot of movies on your new tablet.

Specs

Under the hood of the new iPad there’s an upgraded chipset, but it’s not the top of the range offering we’d hoped to have from Apple.

It features the A9 chip alongside the M9 coprocessor, which is the same setup as we saw on the iPhone 6S. That’s not something you should worry too much about though, as from our limited testing we found the new iPad to be particularly snappy and everything loaded quickly.

For connectivity, you have all the options such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that you’d hope for, but there’s also a cellular version available if you want to be able to stream video while on the move.

The new iPad also runs iOS 10.2 software and is easily upgraded to the new iOS 10.3 software that launched a few days after the announcement. 

We expect this to get some upgrades for the following few years as well and Apple is particularly skilled at getting new software onto all of its products at the same time, so you shouldn’t be kept waiting for new versions of iOS.

If you’re interested in the camera, know that there’s an 8MP shooter on the back and a 1.2MP front-facing sensor for video calling and selfies. We’ve yet to test out either, but we’ll be sure to take a look in our upcoming full review.

Battery is also an important aspect when it comes to your new tablet, but Apple doesn’t reveal the size of its cells so we don’t have much data on how long it can last just yet.

Apple has claimed that it can last for up to 10 hours of video watching or web browsing over Wi-Fi though, which is the same claim it makes for the iPad Pro 9.7, so life is likely to be similar.

In any case, you can be sure we’ll extensively test this for our full review.

Early verdict

You won’t want to buy this if you already own an iPad Air 2. It’s very similar to that five star tablet from 2015 and the upgrades here are minimal.

But if you have an aging iPad or you’re looking to buy your first iOS tablet, this could be a great device for you to start off with. That reduced price is a big highlight of the new iPad and almost everything that made the iPad Air 2 such a winner is on offer here, plus an upgraded chipset.

Be sure to check back for our full review of the iPad 9.7 very soon.

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Amazon Fire TV Stick vs Chromecast 2 vs Roku Streaming Stick

Media streamers are all the rage and we can see why, they are a great way to easily and cheaply get access to a wealth of online content including movies and TV shows. The problem is the amount of choice so we’ve compared three of the best streaming sticks you can buy – The Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast 2 and Roku Streaming Stick. See: Best media streamers 2016.

Bear in mind that we’re looking at streaming sticks here – which are a bit like HDMI media versions of USB sticks – so there are also set-top box style options out there. These HDMI-dongles, if you like, offer great value for money and often don’t come with too many sacrifices compared to boxes.

Please also not that we’re looking at the second-generation Chromecast from 2015 (aka the Chromecast 2), not the newer models such as the 4K-enabled Chromecast Ultra.

Prices

Streaming sticks are more affordable than a more traditional media set-top box like the Apple TVGoogle Nexus Player and the Roku 3

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is £34 in the UK which isn’t bad at all and the second generation of the Chromecast remains at a reasonable £30. The Roku Streaming Stick is the most expensive but is hardly out of reach at £39.

See below for a price comparison chart and remember that we’re talking about RRP in general but all of these are on offer sometimes so we’ve included those prices, but they might not always be available.

  Amazon Fire TV Stick Google Chromecast Roku Streaming Stick
Price (RRP) £34 £30 £39
Offer price £24 £20 £29

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Specs and features

On the whole, these streaming sticks are very similar. They all plug straight into your TV via a spare HDMI port (requiring Micro-USB power) and connect to your internet over Wi-Fi in order to stream the content. While, their specs are closely matched, there are some differences to point out including which services are supported and what you get in the box. See Apple TV vs Chromecast review.

Remotes and apps

It’s natural to use a physical controller with your TV or whatever is plugged into it, and the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Roku Streaming Stick both come with one. Amazon also sells an optional voice control remote and gaming controller, too.

On the other hand, the Chromecast is controlled via a smartphone or tablet app. You search for the content you want to view, then ‘cast’ it to the Chromecast to be displayed on the big screen.

This isn’t exclusive to the Chromecast though, as you can still send content to the Streaming Stick with the same method for providers like Netflix and YouTube. Amazon has a Fire TV Remote app with which you can voice search for content.

Google Chromecast

Google Chromecast

Gaming

As we just mentioned, there’s an optional game pad for the Fire TV Stick and it supports games like Minecraft Pocket Edition, Asphalt 8, Riptide and more. Amazon says there are more than 400 available making it the best for gaming.

The Roku Streaming Stick has around 100 games available but the controller doesn’t support motion control like the Roku 3. The Chromecast only has a handful of pretty basic games which you can play.

Specs

As we’ve mentioned, the specs of these three streaming sticks is similar. However, the newer Fire TV Stick is superior with a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. It also has dual-band Wi-Fi with dual-antenna (MIMO) which is also found on the Roku Streaming Stick.

The Chromecast 2 also has a dual-core processor and 11.ac dual-band Wi-Fi which is the main upgrade from the original. It’s the Roku which has single-band Wi-Fi although we’ve not had any issues in this area.

Roku Streaming Stick

Roku Streaming Stick

These devices are mostly for streaming content from the internet so we wouldn’t worry about storage and we’ve not seen any performance issues with the Chromecast or Roku Streaming Stick. What is more important is which services you can access on them (see below).

It’s worth noting that depending the design of your TV, you might not be able to insert a streaming stick and will require an HDMI extension cable. Amazon and Google include one in the box but Roku doesn’t.

Services

All the above specs and features are great but mean nothing if you can’t watch some great content on your TV. With the right device, you can mirror your smartphone or tablet’s screen on the TV via the streaming stick – but the big name services are more important. See also: Netflix vs Amazon Prime Instant Video.

If you’re a big Amazon Prime Instant Video user then the Fire TV Stick is the device for you as it’s not available on rivals. It also supports Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Demand 5, All 4, ITV Player, Vimeo, Sky News, Curzon, Muzu.TV, BBC News, Amazon Music, DailyMotion, Plex, Red Bull TV, BBC Sport, Viewster, STV Player, Ministry of Sound Radio and YouTube. Note the lack of Sky Now TV and Sky Store. See the entire list.

The Roku Streaming Stick also supports many of the above with key names including BBC iPlayer, all 4, Demand 5, ITV Player, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky Now TV, Sky Store, Plex, Sky News, Vevo, Spotify, Flixster and Rdio. See all the Roku apps.

One of the Chromecast’s big selling points was access to the Google Play store (movies and music) but Roku added this as a channel. It is the only one with Blinkbox (now TalkTalk TV) and Wuaki.tv, though. The device also supports, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, BT Sport, YouTube, Sky Now TV, Vevo, Rdio, and Deezer.

It now has All 4 but lacks the Sky Store and Demand 5. It’s worth noting that it can mirror content from the Chrome web browser from a PC or laptop on the same network. Browse Chromecast supported apps.

See below for a table of the big name players.

 

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Google Chromecast

Roku Streaming Stick

Netflix

Yes

Yes

Yes

Amazon Instant Video

Yes

 

Yes

Google Play Movies & TV

 

Yes

 Yes

BBC iPlayer

Yes

Yes

Yes

ITV Hub

Yes

Yes

Yes

All 4

Yes

Yes

Yes

My 5

Yes

Yes

Yes

YouTube

Yes

Yes

Yes

Sky Now TV

   

Yes

Sky Store

   

Yes

Plex

Yes

Yes

Yes

Wuaki.tv

 

Yes

 

TalkTalk TV

 

Yes

 

Flixster

Yes

 

Yes

Amazon Music

Yes

   

Google Play Music

 

Yes

 

Spotify

Yes

Yes

Yes

Rdio

 

Yes

Yes

Total

11

13

14

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'Titanfall 2' Gets Another Free Weekend, 'Colony Reborn' DLC

EA and Respawn Entertainment are offering another free trial of Titanfall 2‘s multiplayer until April 3. You’ll also be able to play through the Training Gauntlet to hone your shooting, sliding, and wall-running skills, and The Beacon mission to get a taste of the single-player campaign. Both the Training Gauntlet and The Beacon will be free to play “in perpetuity” after the long trial weekend comes to an end, too, in case you want more time with them.

This free trial arrived at the same time as the free Colony Reborn downloadable content. The expansion added the Colony map from the first Titanfall, a new R-101 weapon, and a Curb Check execution. It also introduced new paid cosmetic content: Prime Titans dubbed Northstar and Legion; a Camo pack with 20 new camos; a Callsign pack with 20 new banners and patches; and some new warpaint for each Titan as well as 5 more Nose Art designs.

Titanfall 2 – Colony Reborn Gameplay Trailer

The additional cosmetics aren’t required to play Titanfall 2–they simply offer you more options to personalize your experience. (And, naturally, help support free DLC like Colony Reborn.) Some might bemoan the inclusion of micro-transactions in a $30 game, but at least EA and Respawn aren’t offering gamers willing to throw around money a leg-up over the competition, which can lead some games to value your wealth over your skill.

Colony Reborn and the free trial are part of Respawn’s efforts to remain engaged with Titanfall and its community. February saw the arrival of new maps, a Pilot-only Live Fire mode, and an updated playlist interface. Respawn announced on March 16 mobile tie-ins set in the Titanfall universe, a free-to-play Titanfall game for Korea, and more expansions for Titanfall 2; the developer also said it would publish more blog posts, a Q&A video series, and more.

You can see what all the fuss is about yourself from now until April 3. Doing so will net you double XP–which is also handy even if you’re already well acquainted with Titanfall 2–and let you play the fresh Colony Reborn content. You can also learn more about the game via our hands-on from E3 2016.

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EK Water Blocks Has Five 1080 Ti Water Blocks In The Pipeline

EK Water Blocks revealed the roadmap of upcoming GTX 1080 Ti water blocks. The company plans to support the Founders Edition and a handful of custom cards from Nvidia’s partner vendors.

It’s no surprise that EKWB is gearing up to support Nvidia’s latest flagship GPU. If any component in your computer deserves a water block, it’s your GPU. And, in the case of the GTX 1080 Ti, it almost needs a water block.

We looked at the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Founders Edition in early March and discovered that the stock cooling solution leaves much to be desired. The card maintains safe temperatures, but it’s overclocking potential is held back by the sub-par cooling solution. Putting the GPU under watergives it the thermal headroom to reach its full potential.

On April 5, you can pre-order the GTX 1080 Ti Founder Edition water block. EKWB didn’t say when the blocks would ship to pre-order customers. EKWB isn’t stopping at the Founder’s Edition card, either. The company is developing full-cover water blocks for 1080 Ti cards from Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and EVGA, and plans to roll them out over the next two months.

Following the release of the 1080 Ti Founder’s Edition water block, EKWB will shift its focus towardthe Asus 1080 Ti Strix water block, which should launch in mid-April. The company plans to release MSI 1080 Ti Gaming X, Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti Aorus, and EVGA GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 water blocks over the course of May. EKWB said the blocks could fit on multiple graphics cards, so you should check the EK cooling configurator if you purchase a different model 1080 Ti from these vendors.

Graphics Card EK Water Block model Availability
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti EK-FC1080 GTX Ti Early April 2017
ASUS® GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti Strix EK-FC1080 GTX Ti Strix Mid April 2017
MSI® GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti GAMING X EK-FC1080 GTX Ti TF6 Early May 2017
GIGABYTE® GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti Aorus EK-FC1080 GTX Ti Aorus Early May 2017
EVGA® GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 EK-FC1080 GTX Ti FTW Late May 2017

EKWB said that it would offer each of the GTX 1080 Ti water blocks with clear acrylic and Acetal tops over nickel plated copper. The company didn’t announce pricing for the forthcoming GPU blocks.

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