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AfterDawn: News

SoundCloud arrives on Xbox One, beta lands on Windows 10

Written by James Delahunty @ 31 May 2017 1:20

SoundCloud arrives on Xbox One, beta lands on Windows 10 Xbox One had gotten its own SoundCloud App, letting subscribers access their full music collection, playlists and so forth on the Microsoft platform.

SoundCloud can be controlled with voice commands via Cortana. All of the typical SoundCloud features are abailable, including your favorite tracks and newest releases.

Subscribers can find new artists and songs that you can't find anywhere else to create unique playlists--discover new remixes from well-known and up-and-coming artists.

Whether you're a SoundCloud Free, SoundCloud Go, or SoundCloud Go+ user, the app is optimized to seamlessly integrate your SoundCloud music collection on Xbox One.

The SoundCloud app for Xbox One can be gotten from the Xbox Store.

Additionally, The SoundCloud Beta app for Windows 10 PCs is also available from today from the Windows Store.

More Info: SoundCloud Blog

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AfterDawn: News

Court: Parents have no right to dead girl's Facebook

Written by James Delahunty @ 31 May 2017 1:16

Court: Parents have no right to dead girl's Facebook The parents of a deceased teenager have been denied the right to access their late daughter's Facebook account by an appeals court.

In late 2015, a regional court in Berlin had ruled in favour of the mother as she sought to look for clues of whether or not her daughter had committed suicide. The 15 year old girl was killed by a subway train in Berlin in 2012.

According to the regional court, the girl's contract with Facebook passed to her parents when she died, and that since she had been a minor, she had no absolute right to privacy online as it was up to her parents to protect her rights.

That decision has been overturned by the Berlin appeals court this week, which has clarified that the right to private telecommunications outweighed the right to inheritance. The court also found that the parents' obligation to protect her rights expired with her death.

Facebook is refusing access to the girl's account, which has since been memorialised.




AfterDawn: News

Samsung has demonstrated the first strechable OLED display

Written by Matti Robinson @ 30 May 2017 3:24

Samsung has demonstrated the first strechable OLED display There are a few futuristic concepts in smart devices that are are persistent as the flexible display. Companies, especially the couple Korean ones, have been trying to create different kind of flexible and stretchable displays for quite some time.

One of the examples of this is of course the LG G Flex introduces first in 2013 and its successor Flex2. Samsung has been twisting displays in its own right with the curved displays since Note Edge, and now even with its most popular flagship Galaxy S8.

Now Samsung has unveiled a new kind of display that might revolutionize the smart devices yet again. This time it is a stretchable OLED display, first of its kind, the company says. The technology is on display at a international SID conference and you can also see it in action in a YouTube video below.

The display featured in the video is a 9.1 inch OLED panel – if you can call it a panel anymore – that would fit perfectly in a traditional tablet. Instead it stretches like a fabric. The stretch height is at maximum 12 millimeters, just under half an inch, so it can't compare to rubber-like materials, though.

Currently the technology is still very much a concept and needs more development. There still doesn't seem to be any real life applications for it but surely someone will come up with a use for that.

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AfterDawn: News

Samsung to challenge TSMC with a new business and 4 nm chips

Written by Matti Robinson @ 30 May 2017 12:33

Samsung to challenge TSMC with a new business and 4 nm chips Samsung has been investing a lot on its semiconductor business in both Asia and even in the United States. Now the company is expanding even further and creating its own business around the chip manufacturing.

According to Bloomberg Samsung is separating the foundry business to show how serious it is in challenging the world's leading semiconductor manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, better known as TSMC.

The Korean giant hopes that the new business will be more attractive to its core customers. Currently the company is competing with many of its most important chip customers in other areas. For example Apple has been buying chips from Samsung but there's fierce competition in the smartphone and tablet space among others.

Samsung and its foundry business can't risk losing important customers that are hard to attract because of competing intrests in other fields. Customers like Apple and Qualcomm are invaluable to retain and the move will ensure a stronger positions in the market, the Korean manufacturer believes.

Samsung has also revealed its future plans in chip manufacturing. On the main advanced will be a new EUV lithography in 7 nanometer process but before that the company will expand to 8 nm process. There will also be an upgrade to 6, 5, and even 4 nanometer processes as we head towards 2020.




AfterDawn: News

Intel unveils new Core X series with a super powerful Core i9 Extreme

Written by Matti Robinson @ 30 May 2017 11:11

Intel unveils new Core X series with a super powerful Core i9 Extreme If you are a computer hardware geek then this day is one that you might have been waiting for a while. Intel has unveiled today a new CPU brand called Core X.

When performance is what you live for the Core X series processors is where you look – unless you hate Intel and only use AMD products. The new CPUs will include Core i5, Core i7, and new Core i9 processors that are meant for the power hungriest.

As you might imagine, the three different series of processor offer a plethora of options. You start off with four core i5 processors and end up with 18 cores and impressive 36 threads in a new Core i9 Extreme. According to the manufacturer 7980XE is the first 18-core CPU sold to the masses. Well, at least if the masses have $1,999 to put towards a super performing CPU.

You can distinguish the regular models from the new X series straight from the model number. This means that for example the cheapest of the bunch at $242, the 4-core i5, is called Core i5-7640X. All the X series processors are designed for motherboard with X299 chipset.

When it comes to the architecture most of the Core X are an updated version of the 6th generation, namely Skylake, but there's two Kaby Lake (7th gen) based chips (i5-7640X and i7-7740X).

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Phone from Android's original creator revealed: The Essential Phone - specs and pics

Written by Petteri Pyyny @ 30 May 2017 7:51

Phone from Android's original creator revealed: The Essential Phone - specs and pics Andy Rubin, the man who originally created the Android operating system, has been developing his own phone for some time now. The Verge finally got the final details and pictures of the product, called The Essential Phone.

The Essential Phone is everything you'd expect from a modern flagship Android phone: edge-to-edge display, minimalistic unibody design, massive storage, etc..

The exact specs that are known by now:

  • 4GB RAM
  • 128GB internal storage
  • bundled 360-degree camera that will connect to the top of the phone
  • Qualcomm 835 processor
  • 13Mpix dual-camera at the back where the other camera has Huawei-like monochrome sensor
  • 8Mpix front camera capable to capture 4K video


Only real nag with the specs is the fact that phone wont have 3.5mm audio jack, following the footsteps of Apple's iPhone.

Phone will be available at U.S. first, with the price tag of $699. Radio internals are supposed to be compatible with all U.S. operators. When exactly the phone will be available for sale isn't known yet.




AfterDawn: News

Spotify was hacked! Check here if your Spotify account details were leaked

Written by Petteri Pyyny @ 24 May 2017 6:53

Spotify was hacked! Check here if your Spotify account details were leaked We built a tool to check if your Spotify account has been leaked, along with its password details, to public. Today, a list of more than 6'000 Spotify accounts were posted to public, with unencrypted passwords and subscription country details.

Our tool contains only the account names of the leaked accounts, so you can simply search for your Spotify account name to see if you were among those that were hit by the leak.

If your account is in the list, you must change your password immediately. This includes not only Spotify, but all the other services too where you might have used the same password in the past.

Spread the word and use this tool:

Check if your Spotify account details were leaked


Also, makse sure you use the latest Spotify client.




AfterDawn: News

Bitcoin breaking records - man bought a pizza with bitcoins back in 2010, those bitcoins would be worth $20M today

Written by Petteri Pyyny @ 22 May 2017 8:08

Bitcoin breaking records - man bought a pizza with bitcoins back in 2010, those bitcoins would be worth $20M today Bitcoin is breaking valuation records this Spring, as the cryptocurrency's valuation has risen from May 2016 valuation of appx $440 to record-breaking $2'135 as of today.

Business Insider tells a story about a Bitcoin enthusiast called Laszlo Hanyecz who bought two pizzas from Papa Johns back in May, 2010 for 10'000 bitcoins. Back then, the value of those coins was approximately $40. Today, the same amount of bitcoins would be worth more than $20 million.

That transaction is considered as the first "real world" purchase of good where bitcoins were used.

Bitcoin to USD valuation from May, 2016 to May, 2017

Bitcoinin to USD, 05/2016 - 05/2017




AfterDawn: News

Google brought Google Assistant to iPhone

Written by Matti Robinson @ 20 May 2017 1:41

Google brought Google Assistant to iPhone Google has been focusing a lot lately on artificial intelligence and its applications. Obviously one of the bigger steps forward in that area was the new Google Assistant that was unveiled last fall.

In the beginning the app was only available to a very small minority, namely the Pixel users, but the company has expanded to other Android phones as well as their new smart speaker Google Home. Now, however, Google has gone way further and even brought it to the biggest competitor's flagship, the iPhone.

Already Google Assistant has said to be in over 100 million devices but with the addition of iPhone and other phones Google aims capturing more of the enormous 2 billion smartphone market. Obviously Siri will still have the edge on iOS as it is the only assistant you can access straight from you home button but Google has created a widget which gets you to the Google Assistant pretty swiftly.

But this is still only the tip of the iceberg according to Google. At Google I/O the company announced Google Assistant SDK which allows developers and manufacturers to bring Assistant with its AI capabilities to any kind of application and hardware whether it be a speaker, a coffee maker or a completely new type of device.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Next Apple Watch to have a new type of health sensor?

Written by Matti Robinson @ 19 May 2017 7:29

Next Apple Watch to have a new type of health sensor? Many Apple fans are probably already waiting for the upcoming iPhones that will be introduces in early September, if previous years are any indication. However, Apple has a lot more in store in terms of services and products.

Apple Watch hasn't been as relevant in recent history as it was when it first launched but the company is working on a major update. CEO Tim Cook has been seen wearing a new type of sensor added to a Apple Watch, CNBC reports.

Ever since unveiling the first Apple Watch with a heart rate sensor, the Cupertino giant has been more interested in health applications in both software and hardware. The upcoming new version could bring an even more important health related sensor.

The sensor is said to monitor glucose levels continuously without invasive measures. This "holy grail" of blood sugar tracking would be a huge help to people suffering from diabetes. Because the measurements are not necessary for the larger population it might be an external accessory.

Apple hasn't usually released new Apple Watches in its developer conference in June and it is unlikely this years WWDC is any different but with an update to watchOS we might get some indication if Apple is indeed going to add this function to their smartwatches.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Sweden drops charges against WikiLeaks' founder, Julian Assange

Written by Petteri Pyyny @ 19 May 2017 5:47

Sweden drops charges against WikiLeaks' founder, Julian Assange Swedish prosecutors released a statement today saying that they will drop the preliminary investigation against WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange.

"Chief prosecutor Marianne Ny has today decided to discontinue the preliminary investigation regarding suspected rape concerning Julian Assange," the office said in its statement.

Julian Assange has lived in Ecuador's embassy in London, since 2013. The lawsuit accusing him of rape in Sweden, has been pending for almost 7 years. Assange has denied the claims and stated that it is a manhunt against him and WikiLeaks.

Shortly after the release of the statement, Assange posted a photo of him smiling, to his Twitter account:




While the European Arrest Warrant issued for Mr Assange has been withdrawn by the Swedish prosecutor, Assange will still be arrested when he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy by British police on a separate warrant for failing to appear in court years ago.




AfterDawn: News

The Witcher coming to Netflix

Written by Matti Robinson @ 17 May 2017 12:00

The Witcher coming to Netflix The fantasy book series written by Andrzej Sapkowski became a huge success in the world of video games in 2007 when the first Witcher game was released. Now after a decade of The Witcher games we've been expecting a movie adaption but there has been a turn of events.

The producers of Sean Daniel Company, Sean Daniel and Jason Brown, have signed a deal with Netflix. This means that the movie production has taken a back seat and a new TV show adaption for Netflix is in the works.

The streaming giant has managed to acquire another valuable game franchise under its Originals umbrella after announcing a Castlevania animation in February. According to Engadget, the show will run multiple seasons but not much more – including any of the casting – is known at this point.

What we do know, however, is that Sapkowski is a creative consultant for the Netflix show and according to his statements really happy about the deal and the upcoming TV series. This should bode well to fans of both book and game series.

The Witcher is a story about Geralt of Rivia who is one of the last Witchers, a superhuman monster slayer, in the fantasy world with dwarves and elves.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

HTC's new flagship smartphone senses pressure, tops camera benchmark

Written by Matti Robinson @ 16 May 2017 1:31

HTC's new flagship smartphone senses pressure, tops camera benchmark HTC has unveiled today their newest flagship smartphone. The U11 is a top tier smartphone that comes with a proprietary pressure sensing technology that differentiates itself from the likes of Galaxy S8 and LG G6.

The Edge Sense technology, as the company calls it, is able to sense the pressure when the user squeezes the phone. This allows the device to perform tasks depending on the pressure level and duration. The sensors are located on the sides of the phone, which brings us to another difference to the aforementioned competitors.

Unlike LG or Samsung, HTC's flagship doesn't have a bezel-less display but instead a more traditional one we would have expected from every single smartphone last year. However, in 2017, it has become increasingly popular to remove the home button and stretch the display to all edges.

It is, though, not the fault of the new technology per se, as BGR as found out. According to HTC staff they just don't have the display prowess of manufacturers like LG and Samsung that can custom build their displays.

Even without the trendy display the U11 is a true flagship, make no mistake about that. The 5,5 inch QHD display is accompanied by the Snapdragon 835, 4 gigs of RAM, 64 gigabytes of microSD expandable storage, 12 MP UltraPixel camera and a 16 MP selfie shooter.

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

"Last Warning!" - Evil scam targeting entrepreneurs and others in Facebook

Written by Petteri Pyyny @ 16 May 2017 6:42

"Last Warning!" - Evil scam targeting entrepreneurs and others in Facebook During the past 24 hours, there has been a massive wave of phishing attempts targeting Facebook page owners, such as entrepreneurs and hobby groups.

Unlike most other previous scams, this one is quite believable. Pae owner gets a notification from a fake Facebook account called "Notification Page" claiming that unless user takes action her/his Facebook business page will be taken down within 24 hours. permanently.

The link in such "notification" leads to a phishing fake, looking like an official Facebook page, asking user's Facebook credentials. After user enters the credentials, the people behind the scam can then hijack the user's business page and extort money from the user for returning the ownership.

Below is a screenshot of such message:


Facebook scam

Notification message reads:

LAST WARNING!

Your account has been reported by other users, security system received a report that your account has violated Facebook's policy. Please confirm your account by clicking the link below:

Read more...


AfterDawn: News

Google acquires VR dev behind 'Job Simulator', 'Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality'

Written by James Delahunty @ 11 May 2017 9:25

Google acquires VR dev behind 'Job Simulator', 'Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality' Google has added VR studio Owlchemy Labs to its portfolio, promising to continue developing engaging, immersive games on multiple platforms.

Owlchemy Labs is the developer behind the popular Jobs Simulator VR title for HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Oculus + Touch that many considered a proof of the potential for revival of virtual reality. More recently, Owlchemy released Rick & Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, compatible with the Vive and Oculus.

Now at Google, Owlchemy promises to continue making the kind of content they are famous for.

"Owlchemy Labs makes things that are absurd, highly polished, and filled to the brim with terrible puns & jokes that we love making. We both believe that VR is the most accessible computing platform and that there's a ton of work to be done, especially with regards to natural and intuitive interactions," the acquisition announcement reads.

"Together with Google, with which we share an incredible overlap in vision, we're free to pursue raw creation and sprint toward interesting problems in these early days of VR."

Read More at owlchemylabs.com





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