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AfterDawn: News

Redbox blocked from selling Disney's download codes

Written by James Delahunty @ 03 Sep 2018 8:28

Redbox blocked from selling Disney's download codes Redbox has been blocked from selling digital download codes for some of Disney's movie releases.

Last week, a federal judge sided with Disney in a dispute with Redbox. The firm has clashed with Disney in court in the past over sales of Disney's download codes for digital copies of films. Initially, Disney argued that Redbox was engaged in copyright infringement by encouraging customers to make unauthorized copies of its films.

Redbox acquired the download codes in coupons after it mass purchased Disney DVD combo packs. It would sell the digital download code separately. Disney protested that the DVD boxes come with a clear message that the codes are not for re-sale or for transfer.

In February, Judge Dean Pregerson found that the wording on the packs was not explicit enough to prohibit Redbox from re-selling the codes after it purchased the DVDs.

With the release of Black Panther, Disney has updated the wording to assert that Disney owns the digital copy and licenses it to the buyer of the DVD only. On Thursday, Judge Pregerson granted an injunction against the resale of the codes.

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AfterDawn: News

Apple issues a new iPhone 8 replacement program

Written by Matti Robinson @ 02 Sep 2018 11:40

Apple issues a new iPhone 8 replacement program Apple has quietly added a new page to their support site which issues a replacement program for iPhone 8 devices. The callback is issued specifically for a small percentage of normal-sized iPhone 8 models suffering from a defect in the logic board.

According to Apple, a very small percentage of iPhone 8 devices, not including any iPhone 8 Plus devices, contain logic boards with a manufacturing defect. The company will fix, by replacing, the faulty devices for free.

Devices with faulty logic board may experience sudden reboots and freezes or might not turn on. Apple's assessment about the percentage is easy to believe since we haven't had a massive outcry on social media about such problems.

If you've bought your device between September 2017 and March 2018 in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, or the U.S., you should head to the support page where you'll be able to enter the serial number to check whether yours might be affected by the defect.




AfterDawn: News

Google put a stop to Pixel Watch rumors

Written by Matti Robinson @ 02 Sep 2018 11:11

Google put a stop to Pixel Watch rumors Google's upcoming Pixel event has yet to be announced officially, so there is still time for some rumors and speculation. We of course already know that Google will unveil the new Google Pixel 3 phones, but what else might we be getting?

Rumors from few months back have suggested that Google would be releasing the Pixel Watch, a smartwatch to accompany Pixel smartphones. This wouldn't be a surprise at all, especially since Apple is planning to announce new version of theirs in less than two weeks.

Apparently this isn't the case after all. Google has put down the rumors for good in an interview with Tom's Guide. Google's Miles Barr has said that Google is not going to unveil their own smartwatch this year, and instead is just focusing on developing Wear OS.

Wear OS is of course Google's mobile operating system for wearables, so mainly smartwatches, activity trackers, and such.

According to Barr Google is not ready to join the race because there doesn't seem to be a way to make a single product for everyone. Reading between Barr's lines also seems to reveal that Google might want a more advanced Google Assistant before jumping into smartwatches.

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AfterDawn: News

New Apple Watch leaked, reveals a new UVI feature

Written by Matti Robinson @ 01 Sep 2018 12:23

New Apple Watch leaked, reveals a new UVI feature Apple's upcoming iPhone launch event has been confirmed for September 12, and in fact we've already seen the first pictures of the upcoming iPhones.

However, there are more than iPhones to be released. Apple is preparing the launch of a new Apple Watch and perhaps even new iPads. The latter we haven't seen yet, but a leaked picture revealed what the upcoming new generation of Apple Watches has in store.

The picture doesn't reveal everything about the new device but it does give us a few details about the smartwatch. First of all is the most obvious difference: the display. Apple has enlarged the display to more or less meet the edges unlike the previous generations.

This means probably not only larger display but better resolution which is why the watch face looks so much more busy. There will be other watch faces, as we know, but thankfully this one gives us a glimpse of a new feature that we haven't seen before.

Apple seems to have implemented a UVI gauge into the watch face. UVI stands of course for UV index, or ultraviolet index, and measures how much ultraviolet radiation reaches the surface of the earth at any given time or place. UVI is an important tool to determine when it is necessary to apple sunscreen to avoid sunburn.

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AfterDawn: News

Windows 10 gets soon another major update

Written by Matti Robinson @ 01 Sep 2018 11:23

Windows 10 gets soon another major update 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.




AfterDawn: News

Mozilla's anti-tracking surprise: Firefox to block all ad tracking

Written by Matti Robinson @ 31 Aug 2018 3:41

Mozilla's anti-tracking surprise: Firefox to block all ad tracking 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.

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AfterDawn: News

WATCH: Tesla Autopilot 'saved my life', claims Model 3 owner

Written by James Delahunty @ 30 Aug 2018 9:36

WATCH: Tesla Autopilot 'saved my life', claims Model 3 owner 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.

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AfterDawn: News

CCleaner update addresses privacy concerns, reverses previous changes

Written by James Delahunty @ 30 Aug 2018 9:02

CCleaner update addresses privacy concerns, reverses previous changes 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.

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AfterDawn: News

Apple 'iPhone XS' images leaked ahead of September 12 event

Written by James Delahunty @ 30 Aug 2018 8:31

Apple 'iPhone XS' images leaked ahead of September 12 event 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.

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AfterDawn: News

IP address not enough to identify pirate, court says

Written by James Delahunty @ 30 Aug 2018 8:01

IP address not enough to identify pirate, court says 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.

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AfterDawn: News

World's first 8K OLED TV shown off by LG at IFA

Written by James Delahunty @ 30 Aug 2018 7:25

World's first 8K OLED TV shown off by LG at IFA 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.

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AfterDawn: News

Samsung to sell 8K QLED TVs next month

Written by James Delahunty @ 30 Aug 2018 6:54

Samsung to sell 8K QLED TVs next month 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.

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AfterDawn: News

Apple buys holographic display manufacturer, AR glasses on the way?

Written by Matti Robinson @ 30 Aug 2018 9:28

Apple buys holographic display manufacturer, AR glasses on the way? 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.

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AfterDawn: News

White Xbox One X and Elite Wireless Controller coming soon

Written by James Delahunty @ 29 Aug 2018 7:58

White Xbox One X and Elite Wireless Controller coming soon 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.

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AfterDawn: News

Rare 1st Gen iPhone prototype hits eBay

Written by James Delahunty @ 29 Aug 2018 10:59

Rare 1st Gen iPhone prototype hits eBay 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.

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