Sabtu, 29 Juni 2019

The Morning After: SIM-swap cell phone hacking horror stories - Engadget

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Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

Welcome to your weekend. If you don't know what SIM swapping is and whether or not it could be used to attack your email or bank account, then we know which article you should read next. Beyond that, we'll recap some highlights from the last week, and further consider the impact of Jony Ive leaving Apple.

Ready for a horror story?How a trivial cell phone hack is ruining lives

Violet Blue explains how SIM-swap attacks have been used to steal online accounts and even as much as $100,000 from a victim's bank account. In these attacks, someone uses pieces of personal information to convince your cell service provider to transfer (port) your number and associated phone account to a device in the attacker's possession.

If you use accounts that verify identity with a text message, then you could be vulnerable to them too. One man who lost $25k, his Gmail and his Twitter got his phone number back only to see T-Mobile give it over to a hacker again.

Now what?Reactions to Jony Ive's departure from Apple

Now that we've had some time to think about the news that Apple's design chief Jony Ive -- the man behind iconic products like the iPod, iPhone and more -- is leaving, what does it mean? Nicole Lee considers Ive's legacy and how he helped make the company what it is today, noting that "Ive was inextricably tied to Jobs' and Apple's comeback, and therefore to the company's meteoric rise to where it is today."

Meanwhile, Daniel Cooper focuses on Apple's shift from hardware to services. For the devices we'll see in the future, he wonders if Ive's successors "loosen up on some of his more famous hangups" in favor of bigger batteries or a more functional keyboard.

Hands-on with iOS 13's tablet-focused version.iPadOS makes Apple's tablets feel like a priority again

After using the tablet edition of iOS 13 for a few days, Chris Velazco says he's "already impressed with the changes Apple has made... Apple addressed many of the criticisms that prevented the iPad Pro from being the do-it-all computer it aspires to be. As for everyone else, they'll benefit from subtle performance improvements and some extra polish."

Microsoft's attempts to win at mobile were unremarkable.Bill Gates says his 'greatest mistake' was not beating Android

The founder of Microsoft recently admitted in an interview at venture-capital firm Village Global that his biggest mistake was not making what Android came to be. Gates admitted that the company struggled to adjust to mobile, as both the iPhone and Google's Android swept up customers in the smartphone revolution. If you don't remember Windows Mobile, well, let's just say you're not missing out on much.

It also packs better Bluetooth and USB connectivity.The new Raspberry Pi 4 is ready for 4K video

The newly released Raspberry Pi 4 Model B combines familiar tiny computer-on-a-board design with some major boosts to performance, particularly for media. With a more potent 1.5GHz quad-core Broadcom processor with H.265 decoding, two micro-HDMI ports and up to 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, the Pi 4 can output 4K video at 60 fps. It could well be your next, slightly more future-proofed DIY media hub.

Someone has to push the envelope.Valve Index review: Next-level VR

Priced at $1,000, Devindra Hardawar notes that the Valve Index is "not even vaguely affordable" compared to other VR options. Still, this "aspirational" piece of gear impresses, with a comfortable headset, slick finger-tracking controllers and excellent image quality. Take a look and see why the Index "has almost everything we want in a next-generation PC VR headset."

But wait, there's more...

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/06/29/the-morning-after/

2019-06-29 14:00:30Z
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Happy 10th birthday, Samsung Galaxy - Android Police

All the way back on June 29th, 2009, a little company named Samsung released a phone just called Galaxy (with no "S") running Google's brand new Android operating system. The modern eye may scoff at both its dated specs and design, but the phone established a lineage second only in consumer recognition to the iPhone, kicking off ten years of Galaxy-series phones, and today is the anniversary.

The tiny device, with the model number GT-I7500, sported a 3.2" 320x480 AMOLED display, 528MHz single-core CPU, 128MB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage, a 5MP camera, GSM/HSDPA support, and a 3.5mm headphone jack — that last detail was actually a major selling point in 2009, how times change.

Majestic.

The Galaxy, first of its name, also kicked off another Samsung tradition: slow/nonexistent software updates. It may have launched with Android Cupcake 1.5, but only some regions got an update to Donut 1.6 a year later, and no further official updates ever materialized (though third-party ROMs existed).

2010's bigger, faster Galaxy S may have done more to set the series' design language going forward, and it certainly came to more countries and consumer's pockets, but the original "S"-less Galaxy laid the foundations for a decade of best-selling Android phones.

The impact of the Galaxy line upon phone design can't be overstated. The Galaxy S saw dozens of variants pushed out in a frenzy of carrier rebadging, and the Galaxy S II which followed sold so many units that it bordered on a cultural icon — an icon that Verizon missed out on, opting for the Galaxy Nexus instead in a mistake it would never repeat.

Starting with the Galaxy S3, Samsung finally stuck with a unified design across carriers and began truly building the Galaxy series image in consumer's minds with a consistency it previously lacked. Some of the features Samsung brought to subsequent phones, like IP-rated water resistance, became fundamental requirements for flagship phones — though plenty of other features popularized by the Galaxy series never spread beyond them. The Galaxy Note series' active stylus may not have led to much mimicry, for example, but its big-screen design changed phone design permanently. Its 5.3" display is positively small by modern standards, and even factoring bezels into account, many popular modern phones have a larger footprint. Bloggers may have laughed back then, but the Note series turned into a runaway success.

For years, Samsung's Galaxy S series has traded blows with Apple for the #1 position on "best of" lists, and the Galaxy name itself has expanded far beyond phones to include tablets, wearables, and even headphones. While we all wait for word on Samsung's next Galaxy Note, it's nice to look back and reflect on how far things have come.

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https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/06/29/happy-10th-birthday-samsung-galaxy/

2019-06-29 14:00:00Z
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ActionDash 3.0's new 'Focus' mode keeps Android users on task - Engadget

At I/O earlier this year, Google announced that Android Q will upgrade the recently added Digital Wellbeing feature with a Focus Mode to quiet attention-grabbing apps so you can get things done. However, there's a way to get that feature, and a few other tweaks, well ahead of the official Android Q release.

Action Launcher developer Chris Lacy has released version 3.0 of ActionDash, which already provided the kind of monitoring and feedback you'd expect from the Wellbeing service, and now has a Focus mode that you can toggle on or off with a quick settings tile. It can temporarily shut off access to whatever apps you select -- news, Twitter and Facebook are probably a good start -- with a splash screen that pops up if you try to open them.

ActionDash

If you'd rather just limit the use of certain apps altogether, then try its daily limits. That feature similarly locks down chosen apps once you've done enough mindless scrolling for the day. Don't need the willpower assist and want to manage use on your own? Then check out another beta feature, the Usage Assistant brings the stat tracking of how much you've been using a particular app to the notification shutter and lock screen.

ActionDash works on versions of Android going back to Lollipop, and while it's free in the Play Store, the app isn't an attempt to siphon usage data. Instead, information remains on your device (unless you choose to enable backups to Dropbox or similar), since it's supported by a $6.99 upgrade that enables these new features and allows for those backups. Also, it pulls the data from the Android OS, so it shouldn't add any additional battery drain.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/06/29/actiondash-3-0s-new-focus-mode-keeps-android-users-on-task/

2019-06-29 11:22:10Z
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All ThinkGeek Items Are 75% Off, Google Speakers on Sale Now - WIRED

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All ThinkGeek Items Are 75% Off, Google Speakers on Sale Now  WIRED

Our favorite source of nerdy gifts, ThinkGeek.com, is shutting down its website on July 2. You'll still be able to get "select" ThinkGeek stuff from parent company ...


https://www.wired.com/story/weekend-deals-thinkgeek-shut-down-google-sale/

2019-06-29 11:00:00Z
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Jumat, 28 Juni 2019

The 5 best VR headsets you can buy in 2019 - Ars Technica

Front row: PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, Valve Index, Oculus Rift S. Back row: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive Pro. (Only headsets from the front row made our recommended-in-2019 list.)
Enlarge / Front row: PlayStation VR, Oculus Quest, Valve Index, Oculus Rift S. Back row: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive Pro. (Only headsets from the front row made our recommended-in-2019 list.)
Sam Machkovech

Virtual reality as a consumer-grade tech isn't going anywhere if the PC gaming titans at Valve Corporation have anything to say about it.

Today marks the company's launch of its own VR system, the Valve Index, and it's easily the company's biggest hardware launch ever. Valve has previously sold $50 controllers and set-top boxes, and they've partnered with other hardware makers to launch things like computers. But the Valve Index is another level entirely—it's priced at $999 for a full kit, built top to bottom at Valve's Seattle-area headquarters.

What's more, its launch day allocation sold out even before I'd written my lengthy hands-on impressions article last month. Not bad for a gadget category that's still often relegated to "niche" status.

Clearly, companies are still plugging away at VR and taking it seriously enough to launch new headsets and interesting games in 2019. We're a full three years out from the first wave of VR headsets, and those initial offers (like the Oculus Rift or PlayStation VR) have yet to be left in the compatibility dust. Right now it all adds up to a lot of VR headsets to choose from, whether you're a brand-new buyer or someone keen to upgrade your existing rig.

So instead of focusing exclusively on the Valve Index for its launch day (especially since, again, it's sold out as of press time), I'm using this as an opportunity to resolve the state of the VR union. Ars has tested pretty much every major VR headset that's available to customers in 2019, and using that experience and knowledge I'll try to answer the two questions I get the most in my line of work: "Which VR headset is the best?" and "Should I buy into VR yet?"

Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Table of Contents

Remind me why I should care about VR

Modern virtual reality, for the uninitiated, is sometimes as simple as strapping a monitor to your face with a motion-sensing system attached. Move your head while you're seated in a chair, and the screen's imagery will transform in a way that replicates being somewhere else. ("You're on a beach. Look left, and you'll see the ocean. Look right, and you'll see the resort.")

Take that one step further, and you can expect a fuller "six degrees of freedom" (6DOF) system. That means you can put on a headset and then get up from your chair and walk around (so long as you map out a "safe space" beforehand, which most VR systems support). These systems also typically include handheld controllers, and their combinations of buttons and triggers can turn your hand into a gun, a paintbrush, or something else. Hold the controller in front of your eyes, and you'll see it convincingly float in your VR view.

Why go to all this trouble when a TV or phone screen can do the trick? The best VR software answers that by translating your head, hand, and body movement in ways that might otherwise be abstracted by a controller or a mouse. Think of the first time you waved a Wii remote to throw a ball or play tennis—way more immersive than tapping a single button—then imagine that sensation cranked to 11 by truly natural motion. Some of my favorite VR software of the past few years has let me: wave a lightsaber to the beat of uptempo music; control a Mario-styled hero while literally using my head to solve puzzles; mold 3D pieces of art without spending a penny on supplies; play incredible games of laser tag in my modest living room; get sucked into a transcendental Tetris experience; and much, much, much more.

All of those games and apps, by the way, require a 6DOF setup as opposed to the "3DOF" limits you'll find on systems like Google Cardboard and Samsung GearVR, which turn your smartphone's display into a simple VR system. This guide focuses exclusively on 6DOF VR options. If you're interested in a simpler, cheaper VR experience, I recommend the $200 Oculus Go (or at least reading my lengthy May 2018 review of that platform). There's a whole world of "virtual reality cinema" that works on 3DOF headsets, as well, which we've covered at length in the past.

Valve Index: The VR system of the future, at least in terms of screens

  • The Valve Index and its incredibly reflective front plastic plate in my Seattle apartment.
    Sam Machkovech
  • Valve Index's shipping box.
    Sam Machkovech
  • A super-zoom of the hardware's logo on the cardboard box. It's stylin'.
    Sam Machkovech
  • I'm a big fan of the color-changing reflections on the sticker. It was a real heartbreak to break this seal.
    Sam Machkovech
  • The inside of the Valve Index's shipping box, top layer. Let's pull those blue tabs...
    Sam Machkovech
  • ...and get to the second layer. This includes mounting hardware, AC adapters, and cables for the lighthouse tracking boxes; charging cables for the controllers; and a foam "back plate" to insert into the headset if you have a smaller-than-average head.
    Sam Machkovech
  • Another Valve Index view on the retail box.
    Sam Machkovech
  • Valve Index, as donned on the author's head.
  • This strap doesn't reinvent the VR headset wheel, but it's plenty comfortable and evenly distributes the hardware's weight.
  • Pew pew.
  • Pulling the headset up to rest on your forehead is absolutely an option and works fine enough.

Since today is the Valve Index's launch day, this portion of the guide is the longest. I'll start with a TL;DR: Everything that I love about the Valve Index ($999 for full system, $499 for headset only) feels like the future of VR. Everything disappointing about the Valve Index feels like a holdover from the industry's past.

Valve spoke directly to this duality when introducing the Index system in late April. The company's spokespeople made very clear that it wants the VR hardware universe to deliver three major "tentpoles" of quality, then the company highlighted Valve Index's emphasis on only one of those tentpoles: "high performance." The result is a system that feels like VR made by engineers for engineers. The Index offers huge boosts in screen, audio, and controller quality, but it's marred by some usability compromises.

Valve Index
Price: $999 at Steam (reserve only)
Buy

This all begins with the system's pair of LCD panels, which deliver a combined pixel resolution of 2880×1600. We've seen that exact number on the HTC Vive Pro and Samsung Odyssey+ (more on those later), but Valve Index didn't stop at resolution. Its engineering team effectively transformed that pixel count into something that feels much fuller than the competition with a few tricks. First was a shift from OLED panels to a new "fast-switching" LCD panel process, which includes a much more dense "subpixel resolution"—meaning, Index's screens don't have noticeable, tiny gaps between pixels (better known to VR veterans as the "screen door effect"). Whether reading a virtual sign or a virtual piece of paper, users can expect more legible details than they'd see in similarly specced OLED panels. Playing a "VR MMO" like Orbus means contending with a lot of text, and Valve Index makes that stuff easier to parse than other headsets in its weight class.

What's more, the field of view (FOV) within Index is roughly 20 degrees wider than any other headset on this list... without demanding additional horizontal pixels. This is a neat engineering trick on Valve's part. Index's custom-designed panels and lenses don't appear to use particularly unique parts compared to other headsets; tightly zoomed photos of the headset's insides look like other headsets, quite frankly. Yet not only does Index offer a wider horizontal expanse to let users perceive more peripheral content, it also does a remarkable job of delivering a wider "sweet spot" of clear pixels. On other headsets, you may find yourself aiming your gaze directly at finer details because the edges of the lenses are blurry. That's a natural issue with curved "Fresnel" lenses, and Index has some blurring on its lenses' edges, but quite frankly, it's half what you'll find in the competition.

Again, that's happening without making your gaming PC draw more pixels to fill in that wider perspective. The effect is admittedly subtle if you haven't used competitors' headsets in a while, but switching back and forth between the Index and any other headset on this list makes the difference very evident (in Index's favor).

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https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/06/guidemaster-is-valve-index-the-best-virtual-reality-system-to-buy-in-2019/

2019-06-28 17:00:00Z
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The best 2-in-1 tablets for 2019 - Engadget

Two-in-1 tablets are far from perfect. But just because there isn't a flawless laptop replacement today doesn't mean you can't get a tablet that's good enough to get some work done on the road. Tech's biggest players are falling over themselves to push out these devices, giving the premium-tablet category new life. It's easy to see why people would want these hybrids: They offer the power and productivity of a notebook in the thin and light body of a tablet. But there isn't an operating system yet that's versatile enough to work as well in tablet mode as it does as a desktop (or vice versa). So as you approach this decision, it's worth thinking about which mode is more important to you.

Still, thanks to the competition brewing among Microsoft, Apple, Google and Samsung, these devices can only get better. In the meantime, existing 2-in-1s are plenty powerful for banging out a proposal on an airplane or updating a spreadsheet from the back of a cab. If you're realistic about your expectations and want something for these specific situations, you'll likely find one that's right for you.

For the road warrior: Microsoft Surface Pro 6

microsoft surface pro 6

Buy Surface Pro 6 on Amazon - $1,200+

If you work on the go a lot and need something lightweight, sturdy and capable of multitasking like a champ, the Surface Pro 6 is the 2-in-1 for you. It's hands down the best hybrid for productivity. Microsoft has refined its formula so much that the sixth Surface Pro is a nearly perfect hybrid. It provides powerful performance and long-lasting battery in a lightweight yet sturdy frame. PC users will find the Windows 10 software familiar and just as capable of multitasking as on a laptop. Plus, Microsoft makes arguably the best tablet keyboard on the market.

The Surface Pro 6 comes with a bright display and a classy all-black option that refreshes the tablet's dated design. The base model with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage costs $899, but you'll have to add $129 for a Type Cover, bringing the total to $1,019. That's pricey, but it still isn't the most expensive option on this list.

For those chained to iOS: Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch

Buy iPad Pro 12.9-inch on Amazon - $945+

Apple wants so much for you to think of the iPad Pro as a notebook replacement that it markets the device as "more powerful than a PC laptop." Indeed, the iPad Pro's A12X Bionic is a beast of a chip that can handle most tasks. Just don't expect to edit 8K videos on it. The tablet also has a beautifully light design and crisp, vibrant screen, making it a joy to write on with the Apple Pencil. It has great battery life, to boot.

Theoretically, the new USB-C port also makes the iPad Pro more versatile than before. It should let you connect far more accessories and avoid the hassle of a Lightning adapter. Think things like SD card readers, external monitors and mechanical keyboards -- something you might want to consider given that Apple's keyboard folio is serviceable at best. But finding compatible USB-C peripherals takes some trial and error, so don't expect all of your accessories to work seamlessly.

iOS 12 is also a limited platform for multitasking, though the new iPadOS beta promises significant improvements, so when that finally rolls out it might make the iPad Pro a better productivity machine. You'll need to pay $199 for the smart keyboard folio in addition to the iPad Pro's $999 starting price, making this about $180 more expensive than the Surface. But hey, that Apple premium probably doesn't matter to the loyalists.

For the digital artist: Samsung Galaxy Book 2

Buy Samsung Galaxy Book 2 - $1,000+

Whether it's a tablet or a phone, the reasons to pick Samsung over other brands tend to be their typically superior displays and the useful S Pen. But for the Galaxy Book 2, you might also appreciate the fact that it comes with built-in gigabit LTE support. It adds the underrated convenience of always being online no matter where you go (cell coverage notwithstanding), and is best for someone who always needs to be updating Google Docs or a blog.

However, since the Book 2 runs Windows on an ARM-based Snapdragon CPU, it's limited by slightly laggy performance and a smaller selection of apps (compared to full Windows). Still, Microsoft and Qualcomm continue to work on the software to make the experience as close to standard Windows as possible. For now, if you need a beefy machine, go for a Surface Pro. If your workflow doesn't depend on obscure apps or you won't be editing videos or photos, then the Book 2 might be right for you. Plus, at just $999 including a keyboard and the S Pen, this is the most affordable option on our list.

Wrap-up

All these options hover around the $1,000 price, which is admittedly a lot to spend on a device that's not a full-fledged laptop. But a good 2-in-1 can be the best travel companion on your business trips, and these are the industry's finest offerings, making whichever one you pick a worthy investment. Just think how much work you can get done armed with one of these.

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https://www.engadget.com/2019/06/28/best-2-in-1-tablet-laptop-2019-surface-pro-ipad-pro-galaxy-book/

2019-06-28 14:12:13Z
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Tetris Royale, a 100-player battle royale, is coming to mobile devices - The Verge

Tetris Royale, a 100-player battle royale game, is coming to mobile devices in a partnership between N3TWORK and The Tetris Company. It’ll essentially be a mobile version of the Nintendo Switch’s impossibly addicting Tetris 99.

The game is the first Tetris game to come out of N3TWORK and The Tetris Company’s exclusive multiyear partnership, which means we’ll be seeing more Tetris games for mobile in the future. Aside from the 100-player competitive mode, Tetris Royale will have other modes like a Solo marathon mode and daily challenges where players can earn rewards to gain customization options, power-ups, and boosters that can be used in battle games.

The game is currently in development and will be available for beta testing for iOS and Android devices in 2019. In the meantime, might I suggest playing this Flappy Bird Battle Royale game?

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/28/19102611/tetris-royale-mobile-n3twork-nintendo-tetris-99

2019-06-28 14:56:02Z
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