Microsoft slashes $50 off the price of Xbox One S before revealing Project Scorpio console details
Later today at E3, Microsoft is expected to reveal all about its latest gaming console -- currently known as Project Scorpio. Ahead of this, and as has happened in the past before the launch of a new console, the company is reducing the price of the Xbox One S.
While the $50 saving is hardly earth-shattering, it does equate to essentially getting a free game with the console. But before you get too excited, it's important to note that not every Xbox One S will be reduced in price, but there is still quite a choice.
Google makes the mobile internet safer with reCAPTCHA Android API
On the tenth anniversary of the arrival of reCAPTCHA, Google announces the first reCAPTCHA Android API as part of Google Play Services. The API makes it easier for reCAPTCHA to differentiate between humans and bots.
Just as reCAPTCHA has evolved over the years into Invisible reCAPTCHA, the aim with reCAPTCHA Android API is to cut down on spam and abuse in as unintrusive a way as possible.
Apple now allows you to tip developers via in-app purchases -- and creams a bit off the top for itself
If you're particularly fond of an app, you may feel like showing your appreciation to the developer by throwing a little money in their direction. Apple is now making this possible by permitting tipping from within apps using in-app purchases.
This is great news for developers who had previously found Apple cracking down on tipping, but it's also good news for Apple's finances. Updated App Store policies permit developers to enable in-app tipping, and Apple takes a 30 percent commission for this privilege.
NSA cites privacy concerns for u-turn over revealing the number of Americans it spies on
Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act -- the legislation used to permit the NSA to conduct online surveillance -- is due to expire at the end of the year. We have already seen a number of the big names from the world of technology calling for a number of changes during reform.
As part of the reform, officials had promised that they would reveal broad details about the number of American citizens about whom information has been, and is, collected. This is no longer the case. The Director of National Intelligence has performed a u-turn on the promise.
Mozilla's WebExtensions APIs allow for cross-browser extensions in Chrome, Opera, Firefox and Edge
Creating add-ons for multiple web browsers can be a nightmare for developers, but Mozilla wants to simplify things. By introducing WebExtensions APIs it is going to become much easier to make extensions that work in multiple web browsers with only minor changes.
Based on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, the aim is to further standardize the APIs to make it even easier to share extensions between browsers. Mozilla is now pushing the technology in the hope that it will gain momentum and a growing following.
Does Donald Trump tweet too much? America thinks so
Donald Trump may not be the first US president to take to Twitter, but he's certainly proved unique in the way he uses the social platform. Tweets have become his public mouthpiece, used to issue train-of-thought broadcasts, as well as plenty of oddities -- it's going to be some time before "covfefe" is forgotten.
But while many are pleased to see Trump issuing statements through an accessible medium, critics on both sides of the political spectrum have voiced concern about his outpourings. Importantly, the American public now believes that the president tweets too much.
Our first official look at the OnePlus 5
We're now only a couple of weeks away from the launch of the OnePlus 5, but concrete details about the smartphone are still a little thin on the ground. And "thin" is an important word -- OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has said that the OnePlus 5 will be the thinnest flagship phone.
Ahead of the launch, and after sharing samples of photographs taken with the smartphone, the company has finally shared an image of the OnePlus 5. The picture shows that the handset is indeed thin, and confirms that there is a dual camera setup.
EU proposals could grant police direct access to US firms' cloud data
The European Union is seeking ways to make it easier for law enforcement agencies to gather evidence from US tech firms. The European Commission has three proposals that could form the basis of future legislation, and one of them involves granting direct access to individuals' data stored in the cloud.
While the proposals are unlikely to prove popular with the public -- particularly when the UK is already subject to the invasive Investigatory Powers Act -- they are being pushed as a tool in the fight against terrorism.
Logitech launches two new gaming headsets -- G433 and G233
Logitech today launches a duo of headsets designed for gamers. The G433 7.1 Gaming Headset and the G233 Prodigy Gaming Headset both feature the company's patent-pending Pro-G audio drivers, but Logitech says that the starting point for the units was actually fabrics.
Both sets of headphones are wired, and the G433 has a hydrophobic, stain-resistant fabric finish and there are four colors to choose from: Royal Blue, Fire Red, Triple Black, and Camo Blue. The cheaper G233 has sports mesh Cyan Blue ear pads and comes in soft-touch black. But of course, while the materials used may have been a starting point for Logitech, there's more to the headsets than this.
Amazon kills off unlimited cloud storage option for Amazon Drive
Anyone looking for unlimited cloud storage now has one less option available to them. Amazon is dropping the unlimited storage option for Amazon Drive, meaning that the largest package now available is 30TB.
The unlimited tier has been with us for two years, but it's no longer available for new subscribers, and anyone currently signed up will find their storage space drops when renewal time rolls around. It's not all bad news, however. Amazon Prime subscribers still have access to unlimited cloud storage for photos.
Facebook launches a trio of features to help US constituents connect with elected officials
Donald Trump is just one example of politicians using social media to get their messages out. With President Trump, Twitter acts very much as a one-way means of communications -- Facebook wants to make the channels between elected officials and constituents a two-way street.
As such, the social network is launching three new features -- Constituent Badges, Constituent Insights and District Targeting -- to help users get in touch with their elected representatives. These are the latest attempts by Facebook to increase meaningful civic engagement through its service while fighting back complaints about fake news.
Unsecured online database exposes details of millions of cars and their owners
Researchers from the Kromtech Security Research Center have discovered an unprotected database online that includes information on about 10 million cars sold in the US.
As well as data such as VIN and details of payment plans, the database also includes detailed information about owners, such as name, address, phone numbers and occupation. It has been left exposed online for over four months, but it's not clear who the owner is -- or how to address the security risk it poses.
Phoenix is the latest Kodi add-on to vanish as developers fear piracy probes
Kodi -- built from the ashes of XBMC -- remains a popular but controversial streaming media solution. The beauty of the software is that it allows for the streaming of just about anything, and that includes contents of questionable legality (oh, OK... let's just admit there are a bunch of add-ons that can be used to stream pirated content).
There has been a great deal of legal interest in so-called "fully-loaded" Kodi boxes of late, and this has had something of an unfortunate side-effect -- for fans of certain add-ons at least. Seemingly fearful of the legal implication of what their add-ons make possible, the developers of numerous well-known plugins are closing down. One of the latest is the popular Phoenix add-on.
Apple to roll out iPhone screen fixing Horizon Machines to hundreds of third-party repair centers
One of the weak points of the iPhone -- like just about any other smartphone -- is the screen. All it takes is a fall onto a hard surface and you could find yourself in shatter city. Getting a replacement screen is simple enough, but if you head off to an Apple store you could find that you're in for a bit of a wait.
All of this is about to change, as Apple is set to install official screen fixing Horizon Machines in around 400 third party repair centers around the world, including Best Buy in the US. The move will mean that third parties will now be able to repair iPhone screens without voiding warranties.
Microsoft faces Windows 10 antitrust investigation for disabling Kaspersky antivirus software
Security software firm Kaspersky Labs has filed antitrust complaints against Microsoft in Europe. The complaints center around Microsoft disabling third party antivirus software in Windows 10 to favor its own Windows Defender.
The Russian company complained to the German Federal Cartel Office and the European Commission, saying that Microsoft abused its position. Microsoft has made some changes to the way Defender works, but Kaspersky does not believe this goes far enough.
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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