Try the public preview of new sign-in experience for Azure AD and Microsoft accounts
Microsoft has redesigned the sign-in process (or "experience" as the company refers to it) for both Azure AD and Microsoft accounts.
The interfaces for the sign-in screens for both types of account have been updated so they are the same, and there's now a Google-style two-page sign-in procedure. The updated design is available as a public preview and the change has come about through telemetry data collected by Microsoft.
Google now permits Android apps that facilitate gambling with real money
Google has relaxed its rules surrounding real-money gambling apps in Google Play -- in some countries, at least. There has been a ban on apps and games that allow users to gamble with real money since 2013, but that has now changed.
While there was previously a ban in place due to the difficulty in policing ages and complying with different gambling laws around the world, real-money gambling apps are now permitted in the UK, France and Ireland.
TVAddons is back, but the Kodi addon site faces secretive lawsuit from Canadian telecos
It has been hard to avoid stories about Kodi in recent months as broadcasters and copyright holders panic about the software's potential for piracy. The controversial site TVAddons was the subject of a lawsuit from Dish Network, and shortly after this it disappeared from the web completely.
Rather than originating from the US as many people suspected, the lawsuit against TVAddons that led to its disappearance comes from Canadian telecoms firms Bell Canada, TVA, Videotron and Rogers. Now TVAddons is back, but the story about its legal battle -- involving claims of piracy of Game of Thrones -- is rather more complicated than just about anyone could have thought.
Verizon Up is a rewards program you pay for with your privacy
You don't, as we all know, get something for nothing... but that doesn't stop companies from making it appear as though you do. The latest perpetrator of this crime against common sense is Verizon. The carrier has rolled out a rewards program -- Verizon Up -- which enables subscribers to earn credits for racking up a bill.
For every $300 spent on Verizon Wireless products and services users are paid a credit which can be collected and spent on various rewards (money off handsets, accessory discounts, and so on). But there is a price, and that price is privacy. In return for letting you accrue credits, Verizon scoops up vast swathes of personal data including browsing history, app usage, location, interests, and much more.
LG confirms its next flagship smartphone has a 6-inch plastic OLED FullVision display
LG has confirmed rumors that its next flagship smartphone will feature a 6-inch OLED screen. While the Korean company does not reveal the name of the handset, it is believed to be the V30 which is due to be revealed very soon.
Despite the giant size of the screen, the overall size of the phone is smaller than last year's LG V20; the company says this is thanks to a reduction in bezel size. The QHD+ OLED screen will also feature curved edges to improve ergonomics and, despite being plastic, there's still protection from Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Plex Live TV and DVR features arrive on Android and Apple TV
Plex has some good news for cord cutters with Plex Media Server installed and a Plex Pass. The Plex Live TV and DVR features are now out of beta!
Live TV does very much of what you would expect, allowing live TV broadcasts to be streamed from a TV tuner to Plex. Plex DVR also lets you record shows, and time shifting has also been added so you can pause and rewind live broadcasts.
As Game of Thrones spoilers leak online, Panda Security issues a stark warning
This week's hack of HBO led to the release of stolen episodes of Ballers and Room 104, and the threat of Game of Thrones leaks. Now the hackers have made good on their threat and uploaded scripts and episode summaries for yet-to-be-aired episodes, and speculation is rife that it is just a matter of time before episodes hit torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay.
Season seven of the show is just getting underway, and details of episodes three and four have now been published online. Other files have also been leaked following the hack, including log in credentials for HBO staff.
Updated Google Earth arrives on iOS
It has been a number of months since Google Earth received a makeover on Android and the web, and now the update is making its way to iOS. The latest version of the 3D world-exploration tool has been overhauled, bringing a number of new features to iPhone and iPad users.
These features include 360-degree videos, guided tours, and the interactive Voyager option for traveling virtually to major cities of the world.
Unlimited data plans are killing 4G speeds in the US
4G speeds are slowing down for many people in the US as unlimited data plans become more prevalent. OpenSignal has just published its latest report into the state of mobile networks in the US, and for many people it is bleak reading.
Unlimited data plans have been rolled out by AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon now. While networks that have supplied such packages for a while (T-Mobile and Sprint) have managed to increase the speed of 4G connections for customers, speeds have dropped for AT&T and Verizon users just six months after the introduction of unlimited plans.
NSA illegally spied on Kim Dotcom in New Zealand
Kim Dotcom has been of interest to the US government and law enforcement agencies for some time, and it was ruled that the Mega and Megaupload founder could be extracted to the US. But now it seems that the NSA was spying on the internet entrepreneur after surveillance was supposed to have stopped.
New Zealand's Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) had been working with the NSA on a joint surveillance operation called Operation Debut. While surveillance was supposed to have stopped in January 2012, it has emerged that the NSA continued to use GCSB's technology without its knowledge.
From hack to product: soon you'll be able to control Windows 10 with your eyes
There are a lot of accessibility options built into Windows 10 at the moment, and soon there'll be a new feature. Brought about by an idea raised at Microsoft's 2014 hackathon, the company is bringing Eye Control to its operating system.
As the name suggests, Eye Control gives users the ability to control and interact with Windows 10 using eye movements -- something which is incredibly useful for anyone with limited movement. The feature is destined for inclusion in a future version of Windows 10, but a beta version will be made available to Windows Insiders.
UK Home Secretary supports back doors while claiming 'real people' don't need end-to-end encryption
Amber Rudd, the UK Home Secretary, has claimed that "real people often prefer ease of use and a multitude of features to perfect, unbreakable security." Rudd holds the Conservative government's belief that it should be able to access encrypted messages, even when end-to-end encryption is used, such as with WhatsApp.
Using terrorism as a justification for wanting to gain access to encrypted messages, she goes on make extraordinary and misguided claims about what she and the government want. Her bizarre and misinformed rant in the Daily Telegraph is deeply concerning, not only because of the implications her suggestions have on privacy, but also the lack of technical knowledge she demonstrates while making her claims and demands.
Apple and Google pull binary trading apps from their stores after financial scams
A recent investigation by The Independent uncovered a financial scam that was placing thousands of people at risk. An increasing number of binary trading options have proved to be fraudulent, and in the UK they fall outside the control of financial regulators.
Binary option scams have been described as "possibly the biggest financial scam in the world," and Apple and Google have cleared hundreds of trading apps from the App Store and Google Play after a review by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC).
Google announces Nearby Connections 2.0 complete with offline communication
The second iteration of Nearby Connections -- called, funnily enough, Nearby Connections 2.0 -- is upon us. Google has released the API to Android developers, giving them access to greater bandwidth, reduced latency, and -- most excitingly -- offline functionality.
Working over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Nearby Connections 2.0 makes it possible for devices to communicate with each other without the need for an internet connection. The API is supported by Android devices running Google Play services 11.0 and above, and it is essentially a peer-to-peer system that works much like a next-generation version of NFC.
HBO hack leads to Game of Thrones leak
HBO is the latest company to suffer a hack and subsequent leak of shows. Hackers are said to have breached the network's security and gained access to 1.5TB of data including Game of Thrones scripts and unaired episodes of shows.
Episodes of Ballers and Room 104 have been leaked online, but it is the release of what appears to the script to next week's Game of Thrones that's drawing the most attention.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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