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Microsoft is preparing another significant update to its desktop operating system. According to Microsoft's appearance at Berlin's IFA conference the update should be shipping in October.

The version, formerly known as Redstone 5, has been named, well what do you know, October 2018 Update. The aptly named update will be bringing all kinds of changes to Windows 10, including new features, some UI updates, and of course plenty of fixes.

We, of course, are most interested about the new features. Those include a long-awaited cloud-based clipboard, that helps you store clipboard contents and move them across devices. Another new feature is the dark theme for File Explorer, which is probably going to make a lot of people happy.

The Snipping Tool and Microsoft Edge will also get major updates, and the Xbox Game Bar will be improved with new performance details.

Microsoft has also already started developing the update after this one, which is codenamed 19H1, and is thus expected in the first half of 2019, aimed for a April release. There are, however, no details about what that might bring along.

Once upon a time the browser known as Firefox was one of the hottest tech companies in the world. It was on its way to dethroning the great Internet Explorer, and it seemed inevitable.

Now a decade later the Mozilla browser seems to be a blip on the radar while Chrome, a browser that wasn't even on the radar when Firefox was starting its rise to the top. There are some signs of life within Mozilla, most notably perhaps the "super-fast" Quantum CSS engine.

Now Mozilla has revealed their latest, and perhaps most radical approach to claw back marketshare: anti-tracking. New blog post details how the company is looking to preserve the browsing experience in the face of websites tracking their users' every move (read: ad tracking).

In fact, Mozilla is going to be offering a complete block to all tracking from advertiser by default. This means that you won't have to download, or even turn on, an ad blocker. All third-party cookies trying to track your browsing will be blocked by default, straight out of the box.

A Tesla Model 3 owner has uploaded dashcam footage to YouTube showing the moment where he claims the car's autopilot system saved his life.

YouTube user 'Tesla Canuck' was driving home when he was almost involved in an incident due to the behavior of another driver on the road. He explains that he was driving in the right lane when another car a much higher rate of speed tried to squeeze in between his car, and the car in the left lane.

Tesla's Autopilot system detected the imminment collision and took evasive action to avoid the other car, while it was driving along at around 102km/h.

The all-electric carmaker has been the subject of headlines for many reasons in recent times. Some of those reasons have been negative as unfortunate incidents of the autopilot being involved in accidents or failing to prevent them have been reported. Typically, when the autopilot system prevents an accident, it doesn't make news.

In this case, the YouTuber was recording with a dashcam at the time and posted the video to show the close call. He claims that the Autopilot system saved his life, and given how quickly the car's automatic system reacted, he could absolutely be correct.

A new version of CCleaner has been released that rolls back some of the changes in the controversial v5.45 update while addressing some data collection concerns.

On the privacy side of things, the new CCleaner v5.46.6652 now allows for the Monitoring feature and reporting of anonymous usage data can now be controlled separately (previously both were controlled by the 'Active Monitoring' checkbox). A separate control is also added for the reporting of anonymous usage data.

Additionally, there is now a Data Factsheet on what exactly is reported back to the developer and why. You can read it at the CCleaner website.

In the previous version, users also noted that trying to close the program minimized it to the system tray and the option to exit the app had been removed. This meant that to exit the previous version, you would need to use Task Manager or a similar tool to manually kill the process.

In the new update, the prior minimize behavior has been restored to the application, while the Exit option has also be added to the Tray menu again.

Apple has announced a keynote address for September 12 where it is expected to unveil three new iPhones, but images have already leaked.

The iPhone-maker announced on Thursday that it will hold an event at the Steve Jobs Theater at its Cupertino, California campus on September 12. Not long after this was reported, 9to5Mac published a leaked image of two of the devices that Apple is expected to unveil.

Rumors had suggested that Apple would launch two new iPhones with OLED displays, respectively with a 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch display. A third low cost iPhone would measure 6.1-inch and pack an LCD display instead. The OLED-packing iPhones are considered a followup to the iPhone X.

An invitation sent out to the media by Apple used the color Gold heavily, fueling speculation that the firm was prepping a gold-colored iPhone for launch. The leak reported by 9to5Mac seems to confirm this suspicion:

The report states that the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED devices will both be called iPhone XS and will both come in the new gold color option.

An appeals court in the United States has determined that an IP address is not sufficient evidence that the subscriber is responsible for copyright infringement.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholds a previous ruling made by District Judge Michael Simon. Judge Simon previously dismissed the plaintiff's claim against the accused and found that the plaintiff should pay his legal fees amounting to $17,222.

In 2016, the man at the center of the case was accused of downloading and distributing the Adam Sandler movie The Cobbler. Typically these kind of claims are settled out of court with the alleged pirate agreeing to pay some damages. However, the accused in this case did not settle because he runs an adult foster care home which has an open WiFi network connected to Comcast.

The decision was appealed and this week and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Margaret McKeown made it clear that the plaintiff - Cobbler Nevada LLC - didn't have an infringement claim against the accused.

"In this copyright action, we consider whether a bare allegation that a defendant is the registered subscriber of an Internet Protocol ('IP') address associated with infringing activity is sufficient to state a claim for direct or contributory infringement," the Judge wrote.

LG Electronics is displaying the world's first 8K organic light-emitting diode (OLED) television at its booth at IFA 2018 in Berlin.

The monster 88-inch class 8K LG OLED TV features over 33 million self-emitting pixels to produce the unmatched contrast ratio and true blacks that you can expect from OLED. The 8K (7680 x 4320) OLED TV is the world's first of its kind according to LG.

OLED produces much sharper images than LCD but production of OLED has been more difficult over the years. Nevertheless, shipments of OLED TVs is expected to double to nine million units by 2022. The 8K television market is obviously still in its infancy, but LG expects it to hit 5 million units overall by 2022.

One advantage of OLED is that the displays emit their own light without the need for a backlight. A backlight produces waste heat and uses more energy than an OLED display, and also produces far less sharp image with a noticeable difference particularly with dark scenes.

"LG's first 8K OLED TV is the pinnacle of technological achievement and the next evolutionary step in display technology," said Brian Kwon, president of LG Home Entertainment Company.

Samsung has unveiled its new 8K resolution QLED televisions at IFA in Berlin and will begin selling them in select markets from September.

The new Q900R QLED 8K sets are quite large, with 65-, 75-, 82- and 85-inch models soon to be available. 8K resolution displays four times more pixels than a 4K UHD TV and 16 times more pixels than a full HD TV at 1080p. The Q900R displays are capable of 4,000 nit peak brightness.

In addition, the Q900R features Direct Full Array Elite for enhanced contrast and precise backlighting control, and also 100% Color Volume, enabling users to witness billions of shades of color for the purest color accuracy to-date.

Support for the HDR10+ format is also included from day one, while other Samsung 4K TVs are currently receiving HDR10+ support through firmware updates.

HDR10+ advances the High Dynamic Range (HDR) and HDR10 TV formats. It adds dynamic metadata to each video frame which enables advanced chipsets to create true-to-life picture across a wider range of displays. It is essentially a competitor to Dolby Vision which also seeks to improve HDR.

Of course there is no 8K video content available on the market yet, but Samsung has an answer for that. Packed inside the new Q900R QLED 8K sets is a Quantum Processor 8K to enable 8K AI Upscaling. It uses artificial intelligence to upscale the content to appear in 8K quality.

Behind the closed doors there are a lot of things Apple is developing. However, the company is super secretive and careful about their upcoming products. One might have been revealed nonetheless.

Reuters reports, that Apple has closed an acquisition of a company called Akonia Holographics, and, as you might guess, they make holographic displays.

Why is this relevant, you may ask. Well, Apple has been rumored to be working on a new product that would expand their augmented reality effort outside iPhones and iPads. Akonia's displays happen to be the type of see-through displays you'd like to use in an AR headset.

Akonia Holographics was launched in 2012 by researchers in the field of holographics. At first they were developing storage solutions but quickly saw the promise of the technology in displays and especially AR needs.

HoloMirror is one of around 200 patented inventions of the company, and could indeed be the basis of an upcoming Apple AR glasses.

Apple's acquisition comes as Akonia was looking for an investor to secure the next round of investment. It is, however, unclear when the transaction was finished.

Microsoft has revealed it will release an Xbox One X console and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller in white.

The Xbox One X console in white will be part of the Xbox One X Robot White Special Edition Fallout 76 Bundle. As suggested, the bundle comes with a white Xbox One X, a white Xbox Wireless Controller and full game download of Fallout 76.

The bundle will set interested consumers back $500, and will be available from November 14 from Microsoft stores and Gamestop stores around the world. You can pre-order the bundle now.

A new special edition Xbox Elite Wireless Controller will be sold separately and costs $150. It can be preordered before its October 16 release from Microsoft Store or Gamestop outlets. With it you can swap between a variety of metal thumbsticks and D-pads for personalized control that can improve accuracy and speed. Hair Trigger Locks are ideal for rapid fire gameplay environments.

Additionally, it's easy to attach and remove additional paddles on the back of the controller.

Also announced by Microsoft is the improved Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 + SuperAmp Pro Performance Gaming Audio System for Xbox One. The new headset will be released on September 16 in the United States and on October 8 in Europe.

A very rare prototype model of the first Apple iPhone is up for auction on eBay, quickly hitting bits in the five figures and drawing media interest.

While prototype Apple gear is seen now and then on auction websites, this model is definitely different. According to the listing and other materials, it is a 2006-era prototype model. It runs a very early version of Apple's iOS (or iPhone OS then) to test the prototype hardware.

In addition to the special software, each radio signal bands are etched into the device's rear housing. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and each of the original iPhone's four supported GSM bands are accounted for.

The seller has noted the differences between this rare prototype and the mass produced first generation iPhone, which was released in 2007:

• Rare Apple engineer sticker which says Ver 1.1.1
• Running multiple testing software, including OS X and Earthbound (not the normal OS 1)
• Used by Apple for testing to make the original iPhone
• Circa 2006. Before the original iPhone release date (mid 2007)
• Different weight. Much heavier at 144.5 grams (normal iphone 2g is 135 gram)
• No FCC etchings at the back
• Bell icon for the mute button
• Complete different internals, including different battery, different wifi etc
• Excellent investment
• Early prototype
• Hand made in Cupertino, California. (not mass produced in China like normal iPhones)
• Secretly code named Project Purple (at this stage of development, the "iPhone" name was unknown)
• EXTREMLY RARE. Only a few are known to exist
• Highly sought after

At the time of writing, the highest bit stands at $12,500.00 after 66 bids.

Toyota is to make a $500 million investment in Uber as the pair seek to catch up to competition in the self-driving car space.

The Japanese firm said that the investment would involve the mass production of a fleet of autonomous vehicles. Uber would then deploy these self-driving vehicles as part of its ride hailing service. Toyota's Sienna Minivan model will inspire the autonomous vehicles' design.

Toyota's investment in Uber values the company at $72 billion.

"This agreement and investment marks an important milestone in our transformation to a mobility company as we help provide a path for safe and secure expansion of mobility services like ride-sharing," said Shigeki Tomoyama, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Corporation.

Source: BBC News

Some of Samsung and Panasonic's 4K TVs will soon support the HDR10+ format through a firmware update.

Additionally, 20th Century Fox has committed to incorporating HDR10+ in its upcoming new release slate. The studio is currently exploring several titles for release in the marketplace and plans to announce availability in the coming weeks.

HDR10+ advances the High Dynamic Range (HDR) and HDR10 TV formats. It adds dynamic metadata to each video frame which enables advanced chipsets to create true-to-life picture across a wider range of displays. It is essentially a competitor to Dolby Vision which also seeks to improve HDR.

The issue with Dolby Vision is TV manufacturers filmmakers have to pay significant royalties in order to use the technology. With HDR10+, there is a nominal administrative fee and no royalties. Panasonic, Samsung, 20th Century Fox, Amazon and others are involved with the development of HDR10+.

"Panasonic is happy to announce that through the deployment of a firmware update, the majority of our 2018 4K models are now HDR10+ certified meaning that our viewers will be able to enjoy content even closer to the intentions of the filmmakers," said Toshiharu Tsutsui, Director of Panasonic's TV Business Division.

A US federal judge has extended the ban on the publication of designs for 3D printed gun parts.

US District Judge Robert Lasnik extended a ban on the publication of 3D printed gun part designs by Distributed Defense that was put in place in early August. The ban was set to expire today, but Judge Lasnik cited "irreparable harm" in his decision to extend the ban.

In July, the US Justice Department ruled that blueprints for 3D printed gun parts could be published by Distributed Defense, citing no threat to national security since the types of guns featured in the design could be purchased in stores.

There are also first and second amendment concerns related to the distribution of the files.

Defense Distributed had initially said it would put the designs online for download on August 1, but released them several days earlier. They were downloaded thousands of times before they were removed due to the order of the judge, and are still available to download in other places.

If you need a dose of nostalgia from the history of gaming today you could do no better than watching the new reveal trailer for Streets of Rage 4.

Lizardcube, Guard Crush Games and Dotemu have teamed up to bring a sequel to the legendary Streets of Rage series that ate way too many hours of your childhood. Streets of Rage 4 builds upon the classic trilogy's gameplay with new mechanics, a fresh story and a gauntlet of dangerous stages with a serious crime problem.

It features hand-drawn visuals following on from Lizardcube's Wonder Boy update released in 2017.

There are precious few details available other than you can play two-player co-op as either Axel Stone or Blaze Fielding. Old head Streets of Rage players will be begging for Yuzo Koshiro undoubtedly. We have no idea what consoles it will appear on but Switch is extremely likely given the success of Wonder Boy.

Give it a look: