Child burned by exploding Samsung Galaxy Note7 -- is his family partially to blame?
The exploding Galaxy Note7 is no overblown situation. These phones are really exploding and catching fire. Property is being damaged, and even worse, people are getting hurt. There have been reports of a hotel bed being burned, and a Jeep being engulfed in flames. Yes, Samsung is to blame for the faulty product, but at what point is the consumer at fault for knowingly using a dangerous recalled product?
Today, we learn that a six year old boy was burned in Brooklyn on Saturday while playing with a Samsung Galaxy Note7. He was holding it in his hands when it exploded. While I won't blame the child's family entirely, I do wonder why they let him use a dangerous product. That is worth a discussion. It is almost impossible to be unaware of the recall, as it has been covered ad nauseam in the news -- print, online, TV, and radio.
Tesla Autopilot 8.0 could be less likely to kill drivers thanks to increased radar use
Self-driving cars are undoubtedly the future. With that said, the future is definitely not now. The automotive industry has a lot of work to do before autopilot technologies become the norm. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if that is decades away. The technology as it stands won't work well in conditions like snow, while city infrastructure and insurance industries will have to be radically refreshed.
Some companies, such as Tesla, are banking on driver-assisted autopilot (not entirely autonomous), where the driver must be awake, alert, and ready to take the wheel if something goes wrong. Unfortunately, people have died from malfunctions or deficiencies in that company's technology. Today, Tesla announces a major change to its Autopilot in upcoming version 8.0. By increasing the utilization of radar, the company hopes to decrease fatalities when the Autopilot technology is in use.
To celebrate iPhone 7 launch, we are giving away an iTunes gift card -- enter here to win!
The iPhone 7 looks to be the best Apple smartphone ever, and later this week (September 16), it will officially go on sale in USA retail stores. If you didn't already pre-order it from Apple directly, don't panic -- you will get your chance to buy it eventually, albeit maybe not on launch day. While getting it on "day one" is possible, it will probably require waiting on a very long line -- maybe even camping out the night before.
If you plan on getting the new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, you will likely want to buy some new apps for it. Those entirely new to iOS -- maybe switching from Android or the terrible Windows 10 Mobile -- will be pleasantly surprised by an App Store full of high-quality apps. You will actually want to spend money on them! To help you get started, we here at BetaNews are giving away one $15 iTunes gift card. It can be used for apps and games, plus music and movies too. To enter, just complete the form below.
With its new Surface Pro 4 vs MacBook Air ad, Microsoft just looks pathetic
For a little while now Microsoft's ad campaigns have been less about highlighting its own products, but a vehicle for knocking others'. It's something we've seen numerous times with the company's Surface ads, and now there's another one.
This time around we see the Surface Pro 4 compared to a MacBook Air. Microsoft says the former is better than the latter because it has a pen. Oh, and a detachable keyboard. But the tone of the ad is just so ridiculous, it serves only to make Microsoft look pathetic.
Samsung is handling the Galaxy Note7 recall differently in the US and UK
The launch of the Galaxy Note7 has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster for Samsung. Following reports of exploding batteries, the company announced a recall of the flagship handset which was criticized by many as not being urgent enough, and is expected to cost millions of dollars.
Sales and shipments of Galaxy Note7s have been stopped around the world, and Samsung has said that once safe handsets are ready, they will be identifiable because of a blue S sticker. The immediate advice is to "power down your device", but the recall is being handled differently around the world. In the UK, customers have been told to return them at the "earliest opportunity", while in the US Samsung says "we strongly advise that you replace it" -- and throws in a $25 gift card to sweeten the deal.
New features for Twitter Direct Messages transform it into a chat platform
The market for chat and messaging tools is a busy one, with the likes of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and countless others all vying for attention. Keen as ever to appeal to as many users as possible, Twitter is constantly trying to reinvent itself, and it's currently doing this by revamping its Direct Messages feature.
Having already dropped the 140-character limit some time ago, Twitter has now introduced even more features that make it more chat-friendly. Among the changes is a typing indicator which lets chat participants know when others are responding to messages.
Elementary OS 0.4 'Loki' Ubuntu-based Linux distribution achieves stable release
There are too many Linux distributions nowadays. While many people feel that there is no such thing as too much choice, I respectfully disagree. Quite frankly, the Linux developer community is spread too thin, leading to wasted resources and slow movement on projects. For end users, it can be hard to find the best operating system for them, as there are far too many from which to pick.
With all of that said, there is plenty of room for some distributions -- when they make a substantial impact, that is. Elementary OS (stylized as elementary OS) isn't the most popular Linux distro, and it certainly isn't the best. However, this Ubuntu-based operating system is focusing on something that some competitors do not -- user interface, which ultimately contributes to the overall user experience. It is because of this that Elementary is so important to the Linux community -- it matters. Today, Elementary 0.4 (code-named 'Loki'), achieves stable status.
Left-handed people should avoid the iPhone
I’m right-handed, but could easily have been born a leftie as both my dad, sister and nephew are left-handed. There are a lot of disadvantages to not being right-handed, although it’s not as bad as it once was, thanks to the introduction of things like left-handed scissors.
One modern issue you may not be aware of though, is being left-handed can seriously impact on the quality of calls you make and receive on a smartphone. Or, more precisely, on an Apple iPhone.
PayPal teams up with Mastercard for in-store payments
Just days after announcing a similar deal with Visa, PayPal has now announced it has come to an agreement with MasterCard, as well. This will allow customers to use PayPal to pay in stores, it was said, through the use of smartphones and contactless payment cards. According to multiple media reports, this deal actually means losses for PayPal in the short term.
Wall Street Journal reported that PayPal is "shifting away from promoting free bank transfers to fund customers' transactions and toward the networks, which charge a fee". But with strong competition coming from the likes of Apple or Stripe, PayPal wants to become a "ubiquitous" payment tool, as soon as possible.
What the rise of the darknet could mean for you
The darknet can be described as the internet black market, home to sites that sell drugs, weapons, leaked security data, and even assassins -- and it’s so well-organized, it’s practically the dark cousin of Amazon.
In simple terms, it operates like a ghost. The websites within it coexist with the rest of the internet, but are inaccessible unless you have the software to open a window for you between realms. For example, this is a darknet URL: http://dppmfxaacucguzpc.onion/. If you have Tor -- the software designed to grant you access to the darknet -- it will lead you to the Tor webpage. If you don’t, it leads absolutely nowhere. On darknet, you’re untraceable and completely anonymous.
Linux Mint 18 KDE is here -- download the open source Windows 10 alternative now
Regardless of your feelings about the iPhone, you cannot deny that this week belongs to Apple. The company is certainly dominating much of the world's attention. With that said, there is certainly more going on in the technology world than a new version of a popular smartphone. Some desktop Linux users for instance, would probably be more excited about a new version of a distribution, and today, a significant OS sees release.
What is the desktop OS of which I speak? Linux Mint 18 'Sarah'. True, that distribution is not really new, but this variation is -- KDE. Yes, a new version of Mint -- featuring the Plasma desktop environment and associated apps -- is available today. Could the open source operating system be a good alternative to Windows 10?
Intel Security will revert to the McAfee name
Intel has made the decision to sell off a majority stake in its security software arm, which was previously known as McAfee, to the private equity firm TPG.
In 2010, the chip maker acquired the security software company for $7.6 billion and then four years later it decided to do away with the McAfee name entirely in favor of Intel Security. TPG, which will own 51 percent of the company after the sale, will be reverting the company name back to McAfee, likely due to the security software being a household name and having a large user base.
The iPhone 7 won't sell well in China, IDC predicts
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus feature some pretty big improvements over the previous generation, but some folks are not convinced whether it is worth upgrading from an older iPhone or an Android smartphone. The main problem is the removal of the headphone jack, though it seems that the lack of enough (visual) differentiating features compared to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also play a part in this.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus may end up breaking sales records, but we will not find out until later this year. However, IDC already predicts that Apple's flagships will underperform in the world's largest market -- China. And there is some logic behind that.
Niche software vulnerabilities leave enterprises open to attack
News of software vulnerabilities often centers on products from well-known companies that potentially put large numbers of end users at risk.
But a new report from software solutions company Flexera Software reveals that the niche products used by specialist industries can be just as much of a problem.
Box users will soon be able to edit Google documents
During BoxWorks 2016, the annual Box conference taking place in San Francisco, the enterprise content platform announced it is teaming up with Google to make working and collaborating in the cloud simpler and easier.
Box will become third-party content repository for Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides, it was unveiled during the conference. Once the new offering is available, it will enable Box users to create and edit Google documents directly from its cloud services.
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