XAMI

With everyone from Mark Zuckerberg to President Obama expressing concerns over the amount of fake news stories appearing online – and the fact that many people believe them – it’s easy to forget that this sort of misinformation extends beyond politics. One of the most po[CENSORED]r types of fake news items involves video games. As reported by Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, made-up stories about video games have appeared on Facebook and in Google’s search results for years, mainly thanks to robots and algorithms surfacing items from unreliable websites. The problem is at its worst when it comes to big-name game series such as Call of Duty, Fallout, and Grand Theft Auto. There have been a massive number of fake Grand Theft Auto 6 stories this year, ranging from definite release dates to news that the game will include the ability to teleport. Type Half-Life 3 into Google and you’ll see that most of the top results are made up of fake items or, as is sometimes the case, headlines that try to get around the fact they’re blatant lies by including a huge amount of question marks. “HALF-LIFE 3 CONFIRMED?” Much like the fake news stories involving politicians and celebrities, these articles often get thousands of shares on Facebook, despite being untrue. A fake item about Rockstar canceling GTA VI so it can concentrate on GTA V was shared over 2000 times and received more than 10,000 reactions. So why do people invent these stories? One reasons is because they often come from user-run websites where people can publish whatever they like and get paid based on views and shares. An article about GTA 6’s release date is likely to be shared and read by thousands, even if it is untrue. While fake video game stories aren’t going to get the same amount of criticism as the sort of news items that can, allegedly, help influence an election, they’re still a problem. Hopefully, Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to tackle misinformation on Facebook will go some way to reducing their number on the social network, or at least flag them as being BS.

Tesla last month published a video demonstrating the capabilities of its current-generation autonomous driving system. While impressive, the clip only showed what the system could do, not how it goes about doing it. With its latest video, Tesla provides an inside look at how its self-driving platform views and interprets the many obstacles it encounters during a typical outing. The original clip straight from Tesla (embedded above) is set to Paint It, Black by The Rolling Stones and sped up a bit (as to not bore viewers, I suppose). Fortunately, Electrek came across a version on YouTube in which the footage has been slowed down to near real-time which makes things a bit easier to digest.

Welcome Mardiana

Welcome Anvit

You first need go to "options" > "edit profile" and enabled status update

MSI has revealed a new small form factor gaming PC called the Trident, aimed at gamers who want to enter the world of virtual reality without building a massive desktop system. The Trident comes with either an Intel Core i5-6400 or Core i7-6700 CPU on a custom-made MSI motherboard with an Intel H110 chipset. The motherboard and CPU sit on one side of the small enclosure, while on the other side is a mini-ITX variant of MSI's GeForce GTX 1060 in either 3GB or 6GB configurations. The entire system takes up just 4.7 liters of space, and weighs 3.2 kilograms, making it the perfect system to bring along to a LAN party or other event. MSI claims the Trident will be fairly quiet: the Silent Storm Cooling 2 solution is apparently just 31 dB under full load. The gamer-styled case packs RGB LED lighting as well. Internally you'll find space for two DDR4-2133 SO-DIMM sticks, a 2.5-inch SATA drive, and an M.2 SSD, although these slots will be filled for you if you opt for MSI's full system configuration. I/O consists of a USB 3.1 Type-A port along with four USB 2.0 ports on the rear, plus a single USB-C port and two USB 3.1 Type-A ports on the front. The Trident will be available this month starting at $899 as a pre-configured system, or $599 as a barebones kit. The starting price here is a fair bit cheaper than Zotac's competing Magnus EN1060barebones compact GTX 1060 gaming PC, however Zotac's system is smaller despite MSI's claims of the "world’s smallest true gaming PC."

Welcome Youcef

As one of the most po[CENSORED]r music streaming services in the world, Spotify is installed on millions of PCs and Macs. But users may want to temporarily uninstall the app, after Ars Technica reported it contains a bug that has been writing gigabytes worth of data onto users’ storage devices. Complaints of the behavior, which affects the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions of the app, have appeared on Spotify’s forums for over five months. There have been similar reports on Reddit, Hacker News, and other sites. Ars found that the Spotify app can write as much as 5GB to 10GB of data an hour to a drive and can accumulate up to 700GB of junk when the app is left running for more than a day. This occurs even when the app is idle and no songs are stored locally. While this junk data obviously takes up precious storage space, it can also dramatically erode the lifespan of a drive, especially solid-states. The problem is apparently linked to database files with titles that include the “Mercury.db” string. “In the past 8 hours, Spotify wrote about 25GB to my drive. Size of mercury.db is 89MB in my case,” said user MaxK_DE. Users have posted a few manual methods of dealing with the issue, but they require some legwork. Spotify has supposedly fixed things in version 1.0.42 of the app, which is rolling out now. If it’s not yet arrived, you may want to delete the app and use the service through the browser player until it does.

These programs employ high-level encryption, two-step verification, and other features to keep your accounts secure, from free to affordable. Using the same familiar password or PIN across all of your accounts might be easy and convenient, but it's not the safest bet -- 76% of data breaches involve stolen user credentials and passwords, according to a Verizon report -- so creating a unique password for each account, with a strong combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, is one of your best lines of defense against identity theft. However, trying to remember all of those passwords might keep you locked out. So how do you balance security and convenience? Installing a basic password manager on your mobile device can organize all your passwords in one place. The best ones offer additional security, helping you generate passwords, log in automatically, or even catch breaches. Many of today's top password manager apps are free, while others come at a price depending on the types of features and protection you're seeking. Here are six top picks. LastPass (Free - $1/mo) - Download freeware Key features: Fingerprint ID verification; versatile password generation; device-level encryption; password auditing; YubiKey compatibility A good password manager doesn't just do all of the work for you, it puts you in command of your login information. LastPass is a good choice for people looking for password-generation flexibility. Generate random passwords, create specific ones, or let the app do it for you automatically. The comprehensive password auditing functionality digs deep into the depths of your passwords to find those that are old, outdated, or weak, and suggests alternatives to strengthen your account security profile. The conventional two-step dance is available for authenticating. To step things up a bit, LastPass users can also enable authentication with a YubiKey via their computer's USB port, along with their master password. Organization is simply organized on the LastPass app, grouping your passwords and info according to category (banking, social media, file storage, auxiliary info), and it's a cinch to sync with other shared users across a multitude of platforms. LastPass is free, but a nominal $1 per month upgrade gives you a premium account with unlimited syncing, family sharing and some other extended features. 1Password ($3-5/mo) - Download trial Key features: Heavy-duty password encryption; strong password generation; multiplatform compatibility 1Password is the type of app that manages not only passwords, but bank account routing numbers, credit card digits, Social Security numbers, and even house alarm codes — any sensitive information you need to keep secret and retrieve. Everything is protected through AES-256 encryption and under one master password (hence the moniker 1Password), which is unlockable with Touch ID, so even if people get a hold of your mobile device, they shouldn't be able to crack the code. 1Password is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android platforms. With a subscription, it offers unlimited device installation and a proprietary Strong Password Generator to upgrade your weak passwords. Dashlane (Free - $40/year) - Download Key features: Multi-language password management; save and import features; security health monitoring; mobile- and web-based autofilling The cool thing about Dashlane is that it strategizes the passwords you create instead of filling them with random letters or numbers. The customizable toolbar up top allows you to choose your password length, or to select the order of digits or figures you want. As far as security goes, Dashlane keeps users covered like only the best anti-virus softwarecan. It updates you on the safety level of your passwords, and you can then choose if you want Dashlane to automatically change your password to something stronger. The program is compatible with seven languages and can update passwords on over 500 websites. Plus, sharing/syncing, auto-form-filling, and a sleek user interface make Dashlane one of your best password management choices, despite a high annual fee. The premium version offers syncing across an unlimited number of devices on all platforms. Keeper (Free - $60/year) - Download Key features: Password management and secure file storage in one; Touch ID and two-step password verification; cloud-based vault storage; Self-Destruct mode The cross-platform Keeper digital vault has a clean, simple user interface for managing not only your passwords, but also multiple users, files, photos, and videos. It has the same AES-256 (military grade, according to Keeper) encryption plus PBKDF2, so your information and that of shared users remain safe. There's also a proprietary Keeper "DNA" system for two-step authorization. That means when you log in to a bank or social media account, it'll ask you to verify or deny your identity — one extra feature not always found on competing applications. Self-Destruct mode will delete all of the records from your device if the master password is entered incorrectly five times. While this feature assumes that an unauthorized person is trying to break into your device — and the issue isn't just your own brain freeze — know that your passwords aren't gone for good, simply stored in the cloud-controlled vault. Keeper's basic plan is free, with two upgrades available: $29.99 per year for an individual and $59.99 per year for families with up to five users. LogMeOnce (Free - $3.25/mo) - Download Key features: Free photo login; multi-device password management; password calculator; device mapping; hacker mugshot reporting; "Kill-Pill" data erasure To call LogMeOnce a simple password manager would do this app a disservice; a password management suite is more like it. At the basic level, your passwords are fully protected across all platforms, from Mac and Windows to Android and iOS. Users can enter their main password to log in to their accounts, or forego the letter-number-character method with a secure photo login. The app's dashboard is customizable and comprehensive, and by swiping and rotating your finger across a colored dial, a password calculator generates a new password to save. But the big selling point for LogMeOnce is a mugshot capture feature. If someone steals your phone, the app will detect a break-in, snap a photo of your hacker, and track his or her surroundings with GPS. (You can even record the person's voice during an attempted hack.) A precautionary remote device wipe called a "Kill-Pill" erases LogMeOnce data, but don't worry — it's not cyanide for your phone. Your data is safe and secure remotely. For these protective features, a $39-per-year Ultimate subscription may be worth it. Password Boss (Free - $70/year) - Download Key features: Intuitive password generation; advanced digital wallet; secure device syncing/sharing; theft and transaction protection; global data storage choices Password Boss touts its bank-security-level protection for safeguarding your data, encrypted and decrypted locally to avoid your sensitive info being intercepted. However, you can choose to store your data in the U.S., Europe, Asia, or Australia. So if you're stateside, take heart that your info can be hidden well on another continent. Password Boss' auditing system applies a score to determine how weak or strong your passwords are, and then suggests the strongest passwords across all your devices, accounts, and sites requiring a login. A basic account is free of charge, while Premium account gets you unlimited sharing and auto-backup. Nonprofits and charities can get copies of Premium software for free. Article By: TechSpot

Welcome Juan

The latest version of Google’s po[CENSORED]r mobile operating system, Android 7.0 Nougat, officially arrived on August 22. But as is the case with Android, unless you have a Nexus device, a fair bit of patience is required. The wait is almost over for Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge owners, with the company officially launching its beta program ahead of the full rollout. The beta program is open to users in the U.S. as well as the U.K., South Korea, and soon China on a first-come first-serve basis, though sign ups are reportedly limited. Users can apply using the Galaxy Beta Program app from the Galaxy Apps Store, or the Samsung Members app which is available through the Google Play store. "Throughout the Galaxy Beta Program period, users can get a feel for Android 7.0 Nougat with Samsung's latest UX, and can provide feedback on performance, reliability and usability," Samsung wrote in a blog post. The company hasn't yet said when the Android 7.0 Nougat update will be available to all Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge owners. So far only a handful of new smartphones have been confirmed to ship with Android Nougat, including the LG V20, the Huawei Mate 9 and Google's own Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. LG also started delivering Android 7.0 to owners of its modular G5 handset but only in South Korea. Despite being out for nearly three months, Nougat has been installed on just 0.3 percent of active Android smartphones and tablets.

Back in February, it was reported that Facebook’s Messenger would soon be introducing ads inside the service. Now, the feature is being implemented in the updated 1.3 version of the platform, along with Facebook news feed ads that open Messenger conversations when users click on them. The announcement was made by VP of product for Messenger, David Marcus, at the Web Summit Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, yesterday. As reported at the start of the year, companies that pay to advertise in Messenger can only send these sponsored messages to people who have already initiated a conversation, such as a bot interaction, with the business. Sponsored messages can include relevant content such as targeted updates, promotions, subscription information, and reminders. If you don’t want to be contacted, it will be possible to permanently block the brands, which will be in place until you reverse it. Additionally, Facebook is making a new type of advertising format widely available to companies. These 'click to message' ads will start appearing in the social network's news feed this week, allowing users to open a Messenger chat with a company’s bot. The ads have been available to a private group of test marketers for the last few months, including Absolut Vodka, Activision, and Tommy Hilfiger, according to Facebook. The new ads won’t open conversations in the other messaging service owned by Facebook – WhatsApp. Marcus told Recode: “Maybe at some point, but right now, that’s not in [the plans].” The Facebook exec assured users that sponsored messages are not going to become the modern-day equivalent of pop-up ads. Let's hope he's right.

Chinese display manufacturer AOC has unveiled a massive 35-inch monitor squarely aimed at PC gaming enthusiasts. The AOC AGON AG352QCX features a 35-inch curved MVA panel sporting a resolution of 2,560 x 1,080 (21:9 aspect ratio) pixels with a maximum refresh rate of 200Hz. The resolution immediately stands out as being humdrum on a screen of this size although it may appeal to gamers willing to sacrifice pixel density in the name of higher frame rates. Those accustomed to high-resolution 4K screens, however, will likely be disappointed with the lack of pixels. The monitor, which utilizes an “optimal curve radius” of 2,000mm, also supports Adaptive-Sync technology (and FreeSync) to eliminate screen tearing issues. As for inputs, buyers will get one VGA port, a DVI port, an HDMI port and a DisplayPort as well as two USB 3.0 ports and audio jacks. Brightness tops out at 300 cd/m2 with a contrast ratio that can reach 2,000:1, viewing angles of 178 / 178 degrees and a response time of 4ms. The monitor offers swivel, tilt and height adjustments but there’s no option to pivot. Included with each purchase is a VGA cable, HDMI cable, DisplayPort cable, audio cables and of course, a power cable. The AOC AG352QCX goes on sale in Europe next month for £699 (around $865 USD).

Google has launched a version of its Android Auto software that can run entirely on an Android phone, rather than requiring a new car or aftermarket dashboard display. Originally unveiled during the company’s annual developers conference this past spring, the app is essentially a streamlined, easy-to-navigate phone interface for when you’re driving. There’s a home screen area with cards showing your currently playing music, weather information, and suggested directions based on your recent search history. You can access a handful of key apps that have been simplified to be safer for use in the car — with big text and buttons. Some of these apps include Spotify, Pandora, and Google Play Music, as well as Google Maps, Android’s Phone app and more. Google says that any of the 500+ apps that have been previously supported in Android Auto will work within this application interface. One that’s notably missing is Google-owned Waze. Also absent at launch is the ability to say "OK Google" to trigger voice control within Android. Currently, you have to tap on the microphone icon to use them or press the voice command button on the steering wheel in some compatible cars, so you can have your text messages read aloud to you and to respond to them using voice. Like similar third party solutions, you can set the app to autolaunch when your phone wirelessly connects to your car’s Bluetooth. Google says Android Auto has shipped on more than 200 car models this year so far, and is available on a multitude of aftermarket display units as well. With large-screen smartphones becoming ever more po[CENSORED]r, offering a standalone Android Auto experience makes sense, all you need is need a phone running Android 5.0 Lollipop (or higher) and a car mount. The new Android Auto app is an updated version of the existing app that previously required tethering to a car’s infotainment system. It will be rolling out in the coming days to more than 30 countries where Android Auto is currently available.

Back in August, po[CENSORED]r messaging service WhatsApp introduced an update to its policies and T&Cs that allowed it to share more user information, including phone numbers, with parent company Facebook. Unsurprisingly, most people weren’t happy about the change. In the UK, Facebook has just agreed to “pause using data from UK WhatsApp users for advertisements or product improvement purposes," after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) contacted the social network to express concerns over the practice. The ICO wants Facebook and WhatsApp to explain better to customers how their data is used, something that both companies have not yet agreed to. The regulator also warns that Facebook will face “enforcement action,” such as fines, if it uses the data without valid consent. "We're pleased that they've agreed to pause using data from UK WhatsApp users for advertisements or product improvement purposes," information commissioner Elizabeth Denham wrote in a blog post. "If Facebook starts using the data without valid consent, they may face enforcement action from my office." When it first introduced the changes, WhatsApp gave users 30 days to opt out of the sharing. But this wasn't good enough for privacy groups in the US, UK, and across Europe, which were quick to investigate the policy. “These updates comply with applicable law, and follow the latest guidance from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office,” said a Facebook spokesperson in a statement. “We hope to continue our detailed conversations with the ICO and other data protection officials, and we remain open to working collaboratively to address their questions.” There’s no way for WhatsApp users to stop their phone number from being shared with Facebook, but the company does provide a way to opt-out of having it used to improve “ads and product experiences.” It’s not clear how long Facebook intends to keep the suspension going, but don’t be surprised if privacy regulators in other countries start taking a similarly tough stance against the new data sharing policy.

Tesla on Monday confirmed that it’ll soon be doing away with one of its biggest perks – complementary access to its vast network of Supercharger battery recharging stations. As it stands today, all Tesla owners have unlimited access to the automaker’s more than 4,600 speedy Superchargers which makes free, cross-country travel possible. If you live or work near a recharging station, you can just as easily pop in and top off your vehicle’s batteries, thus not having to spend a single dime on electricity to power your vehicle. Come next year, however, that won’t be the case for some buyers. Customers that order a Tesla after January 1, 2017, will no longer have free, unlimited access to Superchargers. Current owners and those that place an order before the first of the year will not be impacted (so long as delivery is taken before April 1, 2017. Moving forward, customers that order or take delivery outside of this window will instead receive 400 kWh of free Supercharging credits (roughly 1,000 miles) annually. Beyond that, Tesla says there will be a small fee to use its Supercharger stations that’ll be charged incrementally and cost less than the price to fill up a comparable vehicle with gasoline. The electric automaker said in June that its upcoming Model 3 sedan wouldn’t receive free, unlimited access to its Supercharger network. Tesla didn’t publish full details of the program, instead opting to do so later this year. The company did say, however, that pricing may fluctuate over time and vary regionally based on the cost of electricity. Either way, Tesla doesn’t see its Supercharger network as a tool to generate profit. Some will no doubt criticize Elon Musk and company for eliminating the perk but with more than 160,000 Tesla vehicles already on the road and at least twice as many Model 3 reservations in queue, continuing to offer the benefit would simply be untenable over the long haul without further cutting into the company's bottom line.

Welcome Valeriu

Samsung really wants people to forget about its exploding Note 7s (and washing machines). The Korean company believes the best way to do this is by looking forward to its next generation of smartphones: the Galaxy S8. On Sunday, the firm said the upcoming handset would feature an all-new virtual assistant to rival the likes of Siri and Cortana. It was only last month when Samsung purchased Viv Labs, a startup co-founded by the team that created Siri. The company will be integrating its newly acquired artificial intelligence platform into the next iteration of the Galaxy S series. Reuters reports that Samsung hasn’t revealed many details about what services the virtual assistant will offer, though it did say it will feature third-party integration. "Developers can attach and upload services to our agent," said Samsung Executive Vice President Rhee Injong. As noted by Engadget, it’s unusual for Samsung to talk about an upcoming handset’s features so far in advance. The company usually tries to build up hype through component announcements but, after an awful 2016, Samsung needs the Galaxy S8 to be a huge success, and hopes revealing its abilities at this early stage will help give the phone a strong launch. Samsung traditionally unveils new Galaxy S handsets at Mobile World Congress in February/March, but the Wall Street Journal claims that the S8 reveal could be pushed back this year. Development of the new smartphone was reportedly delayed by two weeks while Samsung tried to discover the cause of the Note 7 battery fires. Samsung’s smartphones already feature a voice-activated assistant – S Voice – but its abilities are limited. With Viv, the company believes it will be able to compete with AIs from Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon. "Our Galaxy smartphones don't provide services that enable consumers to order pizza or coffee, but does provide third party applications. But the new AI platform will enable consumers to do things that they would usually do through a separate third-party application," Samsung said in a statement.

Adobe at its recent MAX 2016 conference for creative professionals demonstrated an experimental technology that’s sure to stir up its fair share of controversy. Known internally as VoCo and currently in development with Princeton University, the technology in question can be best described as Photoshop for audio. As Adobe developer Zeyu Jin showcases in the clip above, you can rearrange the order of spoken words and literally put words in someone’s mouth to make it sound as if they said something that never actually happened. The current iteration of the technology needs roughly 20 minutes of dialog from a person in order to recreate their voice. Given the proliferation of audiobooks, podcasts, vlogs and so on, finding enough material to feed the program – especially if the target is a celebrity, public figure or social media influencer – would be trivial. It’s easy to imagine how technology of this nature could be used in all sorts of unethical or nefarious manners but according to Jin, the development team has researched how to prevent forgery (likening it to watermarking for images). As for legitimate uses, Adobe said in a companion blog post that when doing voiceover, dialogue and narration work, it’d be nice to have the option to edit or insert a few words without the hassle of recreating the recording environment or bringing the artist back in for a follow-up session. Adobe hasn’t yet said when or even if the technology will one day make its way into a consumer-facing product. If it does, however, we’ll have to condition ourselves to be skeptical of any audio we listen to (just as we do today with images thanks to Photoshop).

Graphically speaking, hardware from the 8-bit era of gaming can’t hold a candle to what modern silicon is capable of but that doesn’t necessarily mean decades-old games were easier to beat. Indeed, one could argue that games of yesteryear presented even greaterchallenges due to the simple fact that tips, tricks and cheat codes weren’t nearly as accessible as they are today. In those days, you had to turn to friends or family members, gaming magazines or dedicated cheating hardware like the Game Genie or Pro Action Replay for help. Nintendo gamers, however, had an additional option that was just a phone call away. A quick call to the Nintendo Power Line would put gamers in touch with a Game Play Counselor that would help them get through tricky stages, locate hidden items or defeat tough enemies (for a substantial fee, of course). In lieu of computers, counselors had on hand actual binders full of screenshots, tips and codes as well as a vast collection of hardware and games allowing them to jump into the action and experience what the caller was going through on their end. The Power Line was eventually shuttered as the Internet rendered it useless but for millions of gamers of a certain age, it’ll forever hold a place in their hearts. Soon (and for a limited time), you’ll get to experience it all over again (or perhaps for the first time). In celebration of the upcoming launch of its NES Classic Edition system, Nintendo is bringing back the Power Line for three days only (November 11-13). Announced in July, the NES Classic Edition is a miniature replica of the company’s beloved mid-80s Nintendo Entertainment System. Rather than accepting original game cartridges, it’ll come pre-loaded with 30 of the all-time greatest NES games including Castlevania, Double Dragon II, Excitebike, Metroid, Punch-Out!!, Super Mario Bros. 1-3 and The Legend of Zelda, just to name a few. During launch weekend, anyone that finds themselves puzzled by one of the Classic Edition’s 30 games is invited to call the Power Line between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Pacific at (425) 885-7529 (that’s even the same phone number as the original Power Line save for the area code). Unfortunately, the revived Power Line won’t be manned by actual counselors. Callers will have to make do with recorded tips although Nintendo says there will be behind-the-scenes stories from original Nintendo Game Play Counselors (that alone may be worth a call for some). Nintendo didn’t mention whether or not it’ll charge for the temporary service. The NES Classic Edition arrives on November 11 priced at $59.99 and includes a replica NES controller as well as an HDMI cable and power cable.

GoPro has announced its Q3 2016 earnings, and, like every other one of its quarters this year, the news isn’t good. The wearable camera and drone maker missed analysts estimates by a huge margin, causing shares to plummet more than 22 percent. GoPro posted sales of $240.5 million for the last quarter, marking a 40 percent decrease from the $400 million it generated during the same period last year. It also reported a loss of 60 cents a share. Wall Street was expecting $316 million in sales and a much smaller loss of 35 cents per share. GoPro has lost $84 million in the last three months, a 330 percent YoY fall. The company’s stock trading was halted before the results were released, but the share price fell so much in after-hours trading that almost $250 million was wiped off the value of the company. GoPro’s stock has been declining steadily since last summer, and has fallen around 56 percent this year. The company issued fourth-quarter revenue estimates of between $600 million and $650 million, which seems optimistic given its recent results. Analysts, however, were expecting more - $675 million. Sales forecasts for the year have also been lowered, down to between $1.25 billion and $1.3 billion from previous estimates of $1.35 billion to $1.5 billion. Despite the disastrous results, company founder and CEO Nick Woodman remains positive. He said the company’s main problem is with production – it apparently can’t make enough products, especially the Hero 5 Black cameras and Karma drones, to keep up with consumer demands. Both devices were released in October, so their sales aren’t taken into account in the Q3 report. Woodman added that he expects his company to start making money again next year. "Looking forward to 2017, we expect to return to profitability, driven by the strength of our new products, double-digit revenue growth and annual operating expenses of approximately $650 million," he said.

Google said on Friday that Sprint will be the first domestic wireless provider to adopt Rich Communication Services (RCS), an upgrade to the aging Short Message Service (SMS) standard. RCS enables a host of enhancements not possible over SMS including high-resolution photo and video sharing, confirmation that a recipient has read your message, group chat and freedom from that annoying 160 character limit. RCS isn’t exactly a new concept (it was conceived in 2007 with the initial release pushed out in 2012) nor are the features it delivers. Roughly a decade ago, the wireless landscape looked nothing like it does today. Wireless carriers, which for years had made their money selling service plans that focused on metered talk minutes, were now marketing unlimited text messaging as their key perk. It wasn’t long before services like BlackBerry Messenger and Apple’s iMessage came along, offering users a way to circumvent carrier texting and rendering SMS-focused service plans useless. As additional third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger emerged over the years, SMS more or less fell by the wayside. As mentioned, RCS has been around for years with several carriers including AT&T and T-Mobile having launched apps based on the technology under various names. What Google is looking to do now, however, is get everyone on the same page by baking support for RCS into the standard Android Messenger app… or at least, that seems to be the goal. As The Verge highlights, Messenger is just one of the three messaging apps that Google ships on its Pixel phones (Allo for consumers, Messenger for carriers and Hangouts for enterprise). Google says that come next year, all new Android devices from Sprint will come with Messenger for Android pre-loaded as the default SMS and RCS messaging experience. Those currently using select LG and Nexus phones from Sprint will have their messaging experience upgraded automatically via app update. Furthermore, those using other Android devices can grab the Messenger app from the Play Store should they so choose. One can’t help but wonder if this unifying tactic is too little, too late. Third-party apps like those mentioned above already have massive user bases and advanced features like end-to-end encryption. As of this past February, for example, WhatsApp said it had more than a billion active monthly users. I’m struggling to see how a carrier messaging app is going to gain much headway in an already crowded and established market but I digress. The search giant said it looks forward to launching RCS with more partners in the coming months.

Microsoft is set to make Windows updates a lot smaller through the Unified Update Platform (UUP), a new update delivery system that's being trialed in the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview builds ahead of a public launch next year. The Unified Update Platform's big advantage is differential downloads. When an update is available for your Windows 10 device, UUP will create a download package that only includes the changes since you last updated, instead of downloading an entire build. Microsoft expects this will lead to a 35 percent reduction in download size for major Windows updates. UUP also includes efficiency improvements so that less update data is sent to devices, and less processing is required for each update. This should lead to a faster update process and faster update checks. This new system is entirely under-the-hood, meaning there will be no major functionality changes to Windows Update itself. However, bandwidth reduction is a big deal for people with limited data caps, and performance improvements will reduce some of the frustrations associated with the slow Windows Update process. UUP is being deployed first in Insider Preview builds for mobile devices, and will hit PC, IoT and HoloLens builds later this year. The general public can expect to see these improvements in the Windows 10 Creators Update, which is scheduled to launch in March 2017. The only platform that won't be getting UUP is the Xbox One, due to the use of a different update delivery mechanism.