Latest Science and Technology

Microsoft was one of the pioneers of the current trend of flat design, but recently the company has been evolving its aesthetic into something a bit more three-dimensional. Last year, it unveiled its new approach, called Fluent design, adding depth, lighting, motion, and more to its aesthetic. Fluent has slowly been making its way into Windows, and now it’s hitting Microsoft Office in a big way. Say hello to the new Office logos: If you ask me, that’s a big upgrade over the current suite: And I don’t think it’s just a matter of newness, given some of the questionable and… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2DTYDyz

An anonymous hacker has claimed credit for the prank, which is part of an ongoing YouTube subscriber feud. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/2Pb3DRl

As streamers have grown from being scrappy amateurs to professionals, the tools that facilitate their careers have undergone a similar evolution. While several of the tools are integrated into the streaming platforms themselves, successful streaming relies, to an almost astonishing degree, on third-party software. As Twitch, YouTube, and the like have risen to be entertainment powerhouses, the makers of this software have become more sophisticated to meet the needs of the streamers. One company in particular has fairly ubiquitous on several streaming platforms. If you’re a streamer, it’s a name you’ll probably recognize: Streamlabs. TNW spoke to CEO Ali Moiz,… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: YouTube , Twitch from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2zxMv3i

Bethesda has been widely lambasted for its latest game, open-world MMO Fallout 76 — both for releasing the game when it was nigh-unplayable, and for allegedly refusing to issue some gamers refunds. This tidal wave of censure begs the question: would the company still be having this problem if it’d released its game on Steam rather than its own platform? It’s all over but the crying If you’re even passingly familiar with gaming media and news, you’ve probably heard some scuttlebutt about just how bad Fallout 76 turned out to be. The past week in particular has been nothing but a litany… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2FQvneI

It’s almost certain, based on current research trends, that an artificial brain will replicate the organic pain experience in its entirety one day. So here’s a thought experiment: if a tree falls in the forest, and it lands on a robot with an artificial nervous system connected to an artificial brain running an optimized pain recognition algorithm, is the tree guilty of assault or vandalism? A team of scientists from Cornell University recently published research indicating they’d successfully replicated proprioception in a soft robot. Today, this means they’ve taught a piece of wriggly foam how to understand the position of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2SoS1MF

Holistic healers are increasingly embracing “quantum physics” as the new age answer to all ailments. Because, of course, nobody understands the nuances of advanced physics like someone who eschews a medical education in favor of ancient mysticism from the Kindle province of Amazon. A little over a decade ago, Deepak Chopra – a person who’s made a living convincing people that he’s helped them by telling them that’s what he’s done – published a self-help book called “Quantum Healing.” The book, best as I can tell, teaches people that quantum mechanics will let them change their reality if they …… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2rdlNbp

A do-not-disturb app from India’s telecom regulator has finally made it to Apple’s App Store. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been fighting with the Cupertino-based company over the app for months. The app currently lets customers register their number for do-not-disturb (DND) service to avoid getting calls from telemarketers. The app description says that it may take up to seven days for getting a number registered for the DND service. Users can also report spam numbers and messages through the app. Back in June, during the company’s developer conference, Apple silently announced support for reporting spam calls… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2PcgCSE

The Nintendo Switch added another indie feather to its cap this week with the release of Abzû, an underwater adventure game from Giant Squid Studios. The game‘s beauty translates exceptionally well to the Switch’s handheld screen — and if you have any fear of the ocean blue, it’s almost too good. In Abzû, you play a small, featureless being with flippers, exploring the ocean and activating beacons to cleanse polluted sections. I couldn’t tell you why — in that classic short indie game fashion, the game doesn’t deliver its story directly, opting to use environmental cues and visual markers in order… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2RrNcly

The hypothetical pinnacle of digital paper is when it becomes indistinguishable from the real article, both in terms of reading and writing. Today, at the Connected Ink conference in Tokyo, E Ink Holdings took us a little bit closer with its new JustWrite technology. JustWrite is designed to feel as close as possible to writing on a sheet of standard A4, without the inclusion of a bulky TFT backplane. It requires very little electricity to run, and boasts very low latency, in order to offer a natural-feeling writing experience. So, how does this work in practice? You can see an… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2zsJp0r

Up to 500 people's personal information has been stolen in a Marriott hack that lasted four years, one of the biggest breaches yet. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/2E6p5WD

In something of a surprise announcement today, Amazon revealed that Apple Music would soon be available on its Echo devices. The feature arrives on December 17, joining existing services like Spotify, Pandora, and, of course, Amazon Music. Users simply need to enable the Apple Music skill in the Alexa app and link their accounts. I say ‘surprise’ because it’s somewhat unusual for Apple to share its services on other hardware, especially considering the HomePod is still pretty new. Then again, Apple Music is available on Android, because no matter how much Apple likes its walled garden, it would be silly to… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple Music , Amazon , Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2zySLaP

If you’ve stayed at a Starwood hotel in the past few years, it’s time to buy some credit monitoring. The Marriott International-owned hotel brand has reported a massive hack that saw the details of over 500 million customers accessed by an unauthorized party. The hotel chain says that the attackers have been able to access the company’s internal network — including the guest reservation database — since 2014. For 327 million unlucky customers, the data accessed includes sensitive personal information like address details and passport numbers. Marriott International, which acquired Starwood in 2016, says the information also contains payment card… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2QqIQxW

Artificial intelligence is one of the most exciting and attractive fields to get into. The global machine learning (ML) market is estimated to grow from $1.4 billion in 2017 to $8.8 billion by 2022. AI is projected to create 2.3 million related jobs by 2020, according to Gartner. The average salary of a machine learning engineer is between $125,000 and $175,000. At the top ten highest paying companies for AI talent, the average salary easily surpasses $200,000. Clearly, there are a lot of reasons to join this booming industry. In this article, I’m going to break down exactly what artificial intelligence… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2FT3H8T

The job market for a trained hacker is expected to rise by almost 30 percent by 2026. That should be enough incentive to make you consider your options, like training with The 2019 Ethical Hacker Master Class course bundle. This package is on sale right now for thousands off its regular price, just $39 from TNW Deals. from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2PbiGdL

The University of Basel – an institution that has produced great minds like philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and psychiatrist Carl Jung – has awarded Vitalik Buterin, a prominent blockchain figure and the co-founder of Ethereum, with an honorary doctorate. The Faculty of Business and Economics has decided to grant Buterin an honorary degree for his “outstanding achievements” in the fields of cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, and the design of institutions. “He makes a groundbreaking contribution to promoting decentralization and equal participation in the digital revolution,” the university wrote. .@VitalikButerin receives an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Business and Economics of the… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2U1bFjm

Instagram Stories are great for quickly sharing what’s going on in your life – but sometimes you don’t want all your followers to see them. The app’s new Close Friends feature makes it easier to restrict your Stories to a select group of people, so you don’t have to worry about your boss, your parents, or random strangers having a look.   To access this feature, go to your profile and tap on ‘Close Friends’ in the side menu to begin creating a list of people you’d like to share Stories with. Your list of close friends can be viewed… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Instagram from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2U3uYsv

Welcome to our weekly column, in which YouTuber NimbleThor brings you a short list of the best new mobile games for your Android device. Whether you’re into casual time wasters or hardcore shooters, you’ll find something in here to exercise your thumbs with. So the weekend’s almost here, and you don’t have plans. Hey, we’re not judging – sometimes you just need a little downtime. Whether you’ve got a babysitting gig to attend to, or intend to simply coast through the weekend in a Homecoat, we’ve got a bunch of great new Android games without time-limiting energy systems for you to curl up with.… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Android from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2PbO1wL

Valued at almost $8.5 billion, Wish is one of the fastest growing e-commerce startups, connecting consumers in the West with vendors and manufacturers in China. It sells a variety of products, from clothing to electronics, all at bargain basement prices. Some of the wares flogged on Wish are a little less legal than others. I know that because last night, the Wish app sent me a push notification informing me of a sale on stun guns. It's absolutely bananas that I just got a push notification from @WishShopping promoting weapons that are prohibited in the UK. Carrying a stun gun… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2zAiJe4

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has settled charges against boxing icon Floyd Mayweather and music producer DJ Khaled for failing to disclose payments they received for promoting now-defunct cryptocurrency firm CentraTech to millions of followers on social media. While DJ Khaled received a payment of $50,000 to shill the failed initial coin offering (ICO), Mayweather pocketed $100,000, according to the SEC. Neither of them made those deals public. Still that didn’t stop them from pushing the cryptocurrency to followers. DJ Khaled praised CentraTech as a “game changer,” while Mayweather invited followers to participate in its ICO. For this… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2RnC2yf

Swathes of cryptocurrency mining establishments are going out of business at the moment, mostly because of high energy prices and the rising difficulty of mining, which adds up to an unprofitable system. The reward of mining isn’t worth the effort. But Intel thinks it can fight high energy consumption with its new patent. The chip maker successfully filed a patent this week for a processor that claims to offer high-performance Bitcoin mining, in an energy-efficient package. The processor is specifically designed to mine cryptocurrencies built on the SHA-256 algorithm, like Bitcoin. To make the processor more energy efficient than current… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Bitcoin , Intel from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2AAweKp

While most recent phones come with dual rear cameras to capture depth and deliver Portrait Mode-style shots with the background separated from the foreground, Google’s Pixel phones achieve the same effect with a single lens. That applies to the new Pixel 3 as well, and the company’s now explained how this functionality works – and why it used a rig consisting of five phones to perfect it. For Portrait Mode-style shots on the Pixel 2, Google used a neural network-powered Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) system. It works on a concept called Parallax, in which the camera captures two images from… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Google from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Qq7uyA

From advancements in artificial intelligence technologies to 3D printing, 2018 has been a major year in tech. As cutting-edge technologies reach the market and are integrated, business strategies may evolve as well. To find out what innovations are coming and what’s likely to impact the business sphere, I asked a panel of entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council the following question: With many new applications and innovations at play, what technology do you expect will have the most exciting implication for businesses in the coming year and why? Their best answers are below: 1. 5G networks Telecommunications companies began rolling out… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Q2jRSf

Following Elon Musk’s recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast – during which he smoked weed and drank whiskey while on the air – NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said the SpaceX CEO promised him he will not behave inappropriately in public again. Bridenstine has every right to be concerned; SpaceX, along with Boeing, has been tasked with developing transportation systems for NASA to fly its astronauts into space Speaking at a meeting of reporters at NASA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., Bridenstine said that Musk’s behavior was reckless: I will tell you that was not helpful, and that did not inspire confidence,… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: NASA from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Rora3b

I’ve been switching between Google’s Gboard and SwiftKey for the past couple of years as my default Android software keyboard, because both of them offer compelling features. However, I’m partial to SwiftKey because of its arrow keys for moving around text – and I now have another reason to stick with it. The Microsoft-owned service now has a search bar built into the keyboard, so you can look up anything on the web, share the search results instantly, or even grab and send a screenshot on-the-fly – all without leaving the app you’re using right then. The only catch is… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Android from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2RtOoVL

Apple continues its crackdown on bogus iOS software in China as it removed 718 apps from the App Store earlier this week. Local reports suggest that the company removed these apps for issuing updates without Apple’s permission. The roster of banned apps included some big names: Sogou search engine, Sougou maps, car sharing app Togo Car, and e-commerce site Pinduodo.  According to The Telegraph, Apple removed these apps as they were issuing updates without passing through App Store’s system for checking that updates are legit and free of issues, or anything that may violate its terms of service. The company’s update policy bars… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2DPLF4R

It looks like Vivo is close to unveiling the successor to its impressive bezel-less Nex phone, according to a leak from Ben Geskin – and if his intel is accurate, we could have a pretty compelling device to look forward to soon. Based on the rendered images – and this secretive unboxing from YouTuber Mrwhosetheboss below, it looks like the Nex 2 will get displays on the front and back, kind of like the recent Nubia X. One screen will be free of bezels, while three cameras and an LED ring take up space near the top of the other… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2FLZHqz

I love Twitter. Earlier today I wrote about the joy of reading a debate, between some of the finest minds in the field of AI, held entirely via Tweet. Now I’m watching conspiracy theorist and – as is the opinion of the author and not necessarily his employer – outright lunatic Laura Loomer, live on Twitter. She’s locked herself to the company’s offices in the most ironic protest against free-speech infringement I’ve ever seen. Laura Loomer is so mad she was suspended from Twitter that she has handcuffed herself to the front door of the company She just said she's… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2BGk2tn

When I first tried the Pixel Slate back at Google’s October event, I left with a mixed first impression of the hardware. It was an undoubtedly gorgeous tablet, but why is it the same size as the Pixelbook? Why is there no headphone jack? Why does the keyboard cost $199 when the tablet starts at $ 599? After spending a week with a production version of the tablet, those questions have gone unanswered, coalescing with a few new frustrations. The Pixel Slate is a beautiful tablet with a gorgeous screen and a solid keyboard but – to use the oldest of… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2TYIttp

At a cybercrime conference Thursday, Rod Rosenstein once again decried "going dark." from Security Latest https://ift.tt/2TY1DPS

Apple announced earlier this week it’d be launching an app development camp exclusive to female-led companies and developers, as a way of encouraging women in app development and cultivating their talents. To be eligible, the organization must have one woman founder, co-founder, or CEO, and have at least one woman on the development team. According to the application page, both the founding member and a female developer must be on the team of three that attends the came, along with a third member of any gender. While at the camp, each session of which lasts for two weeks, the teams… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Apple from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2P6H54c

Russia’s federal space agency intends to establish a lunar colony by the year 2040. NASA, meanwhile, announced today that it’d have a continuous human presence there within a decade. The Moon race is on y’all. The flag of the United States of America remains the only territorial banner on the Moon’s surface. But a lunar land feud may be looming. It’s become apparent the US and Russia have set their sights on a human-crewed moon landing as soon as possible. Roscomos, the Russian federal space agency, published a press release on Wednesday stating the moon base was the agency’s top… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: NASA from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Q2lwqW

In the red corner, weighing in using US standard measurements, the challenger: NYU’s Gary “Down with Deep Learning” Marcus. And in the Blue Corner, weighing in using le système métrique, Facebook’s Yann “Show Your Work” LeCun. This fight will decide the fate of AI research once and for all. A pair of AI experts have been trading shots on Twitter in a friendly (yet entertainingly competitive) debate concerning the path to artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the past week or so. Since we have DL but don't yet have AGI, it's quite obvious to everyone that we are missing something.… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Twitter from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Pat19G

Believe it or not, the thousand-dollar crypto-centric smartphone from Sirin Labs is actually here. It officially launched today at an exclusive event in Barcelona. Blockchain fans are now able to place the first orders for the FINNEY, a fully-featured smartphone that comes complete with an embedded hardware wallet for storing cryptocurrency, priced at $999. Sirin Labs also intends on affording users the power to convert cryptocurrency stored in the integrated ‘cold wallet‘ with other digital assets on the fly, without having to interact with any exchanges. Unfortunately, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and SRN – the firm’s native token – are the only… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ABnQu6

Nintendo today announced it’d be winding down its Creators Program, which had long been a headache for YouTubers and streamers who’d tried to use footage of the company’s games in their videos. Now it’s got a fresh set of rules that are much more beneficial to the community — indicating the company might finally, finally be easing its notoriously tight grip on the use of its intellectual property. The Nintendo Creators Program is coming to a close at the end of December. Thanks to everyone who participated in the program! https://t.co/kC9I1fjvWG pic.twitter.com/mQSNui8uGN — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 29, 2018 The company… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Nintendo from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2zvUMop

Trump's former lawyer has testified that the Trump Organization pursued a real estate deal with Moscow deep into the 2016 presidential campaign. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/2RimR9j

Ever since Microsoft announced the Surface Studio back in 2016, fans have had one question: Why not release the monitor separately? After all, the computer’s guts weren’t anything particularly impressive – outdated even when they were released in fact – and pretty much all of the innovation was in the gorgeous display. It turns out Microsoft is apparently planning on doing just that, but you’ll have to wait a while. In Beneath a Surface, a book by Brad Sams detailing the story behind Microsoft’s PC hardware, the author claims the company will release a Surface Monitor “in the 2020 timeframe.”… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2QoSmSc

Our blockchain and cryptocurrency event, Hard Fork Decentralized, is coming up in less than two weeks! Our concept is slightly different to a typical conference – to highlight the importance of decentralization in the industry, we’re organizing a ton of events that are spread out all across London. Hosted by leading blockchain and finance companies, this ‘decentralized’ concept allows everyone to get an inside look into the biggest players in the industry. Sign up for them now. Join workshops, talks, and roundtables about regulation, scalability, and everything in between. (BTW you’ll need a ticket before you can sign up!) The… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ShE6Yx

Building your own app now shouldn’t require a computer science degree or push you to Stephen King-level insanity either. In fact, it’s fairly simple if you follow steps laid out by pros like the instruction in the Hello Web Books video bundle. It’s on sale now at $29, an 85 percent savings on its regular price, from TNW Deals. from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ra3eF0

Yesterday, it was confirmed that CeBIT, the legendary German tech trade show, had closed its doors permanently. We are very sorry but it’s true: CEBIT Hannover to be cancelled. More information here: https://t.co/oxiaNLrq9b pic.twitter.com/1kg7wvFD1w — CEBIT (@cebit) November 28, 2018 CeBIT was an important figure in the European tech landscape, where companies exhibited their wares to a throng of buyers, journalists, and opinion leaders. At its peak, the show drew over 850,000 people, who all crowded into the Hanover Fairground exhibition center. Over time, these numbers dwindled to just 120,000. Why? A few reasons: competition from events like CES, Mobile… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2rbgppe

Our blockchain and cryptocurrency event, Hard Fork Decentralized, is just a couple of weeks away now. We’ll be discussing some of the industry’s greatest challenges, including how blockchains can stay GDPR compliant. Earlier this month at the annual Ethereum conference, Devcon, Vitalik Buterin spoke to Quartz about how he thinks that IBM’s commercial blockchain offerings are “totally not the point…” Blockchain should be open, transparent, and of the people. As soon as the technology is put behind closed doors, is it really a blockchain anymore? Like Buterin, some will bemoan the fact that private blockchains are not really blockchains, but does… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2AysPvD

The centuries-old, paper-based trading process of the oil and gas industry is getting overhauled, courtesy of the blockchain and an industry consortium including Shell, BP, ABN Amro, ING, and Societe Generale. The world leading energy producers and banks joined forces earlier this month, and today launched a new blockchain-based trading platform for physical oil trades, reports the Financial Times. Based on JP Morgan’s Quorum blockchain, the platform is in fact the first functional blockchain trading platform for the oil and gas industry. The consortium and platform, both formally known as VAKT, includes a range of energy firms and banks included… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2PYFbYy

ASUS is the latest technology giant to hop on the cryptocurrency mining bandwagon. The Taiwanese manufacturer is now encouraging gamers to mine cryptocurrency when they’re not playing games. Putting to use their idle graphic cards, ASUS gamers will be able to mine cryptocurrency and cash out their earnings through PayPal or WeChat. The company has partnered with blockchain technology provider Quantumcloud, which has developed the mining software. Details about which cryptocurrencies will be available to mine are suspiciously missing from the announcement. According to ASUS though, the whole operation is GDPR-compliant, which means Quantumcloud doesn’t store any sensitive customer information.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2TXVjIq

Opinion: The government needs to step up in calling out cyber-attackers. Otherwise, we risk playing into their hands. from Security Latest https://ift.tt/2FOG8hD

Oppo has revealed it would be showing off its foldable smartphone at Mobile World Congress in 2019, Tweakers reports. In June, Gizmochina reported that Oppo patented a number of foldable smartphone designs including one that folded out to thrice the size of its original display screen. Oppo is not alone in the game though. In April, we reported that Samsung’s foldable ‘Galaxy F’ smartphone, with its self-claimed Infinity Flex display, is expected to launch next March at around $1,770. Similarly, Huawei CEO, Richard Yu, confirmed last month the company is working on its own foldable phone slated to launch in 2019.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2E3RX1t

The CEO of blockchain startup AriseBank, Jared Rice, is facing up to 120 years in prison for duping numerous investors out of $4 million in a cryptocurrency scheme. Rice promised his cryptocurrency would offer Visa-like functionality, but instead he spent investors’ Bitcoin on hotels and clothes. Rice allegedly misled would-be investors that AriseBank – which aimed to be the “first decentralized banking platform” – could offer FDIC-insured accounts and banking services, including Visa-brand credit cards and other cryptocurrency services, according to Northern District of Texas US Attorney, Erin Nealy Cox. In reality though, Texas-based AriseBank had not been been authorized… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2DR2GeQ

Starbucks thinks it has finally found a way to prevent customers from using its free Wi-Fi to watch porn. The coffee giant said that it will roll out a porn-blocking tool across numerous stores starting from next year. A Starbucks spokesperson told Business Insider that the the company tested multiple tools before arriving at the current solution, hoping to avoid methods that accidentally blocked unoffensive sites. Starbucks came up with the tool after years of pressure from the anti-porn internet safety group Enough is Enough. The group has been circulating a petition signed by more than 26,000 people, calling for… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2TUChm5

Since November and December are prime time for last minute gift shopping and booking travel tickets home, consumers are more vulnerable to hacks. The numbers are alarming. A recent study by ACI Worldwide projects a 14 percent increase in fraud attempts during the 2018 holiday season. As more shoppers turn to online shopping for the promises of amazing discounts, hackers are ready with spam emails, phishing software, and even fake applications. A cybersecurity intelligence company has searched mobile app stores from all over the world, looking for those containing Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the search terms. More than… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2SheRWj

Despite previous small forays into the blockchain space, Amazon is now officially part of the blockchain party after launching two new blockchain oriented services. The services called Amazon Managed Blockchain (AMB) and Quantum Ledger Database (QLDB) were announced yesterday at Amazon’s re:Invent conference, reports TechCrunch. According to the AMB website, the platform will deliver a “fully managed service” that allows users to easily develop and managed “scalable blockchain networks.” It might sound like everything blockchain has been lacking, but time will tell whether or not this ends up being the case. The AMB service will use the open source Hyperledger… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Amazon from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2RicxON

For years, India has been a major hub for tech support call centers that service companies around the world. Unfortunately, not all of them are legit. Earlier this week, police in the capital city of New Delhi raided 16 fraudulent call centers and arrested nearly three dozen people for running scams while pretending to offer customer care. The city’s police force worked with Microsoft’s digital crime unit to nail the scammers, who were involved with call centers that charged customers from anything between $100 to $500 for “tech support.” With the company’s help, authorities shut down 10 call centers across… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Microsoft from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2KHOsyd

One of the biggest challenges faced by social activists is finding and connecting with people affected by issues they’re concerned about. Now, thanks to Facebook’s new local news section, they may find it easier to organize information on such cases, and unite people better to solve them. Facebook said in its blog post that it was expanding its ‘Today In’ feature – a dedicated section for local news – to 400 cities in the US, and also to some in Australia. By surfacing local news as well as posts from local Pages, Facebook is making it easier for people to… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Facebook from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2SljsqH

The Dutch are known for many things — windmills, tulips, washed up soccer players… and an amazing talent for producing tons of synthetic drugs. So much, in fact, that drug traffickers in the Netherlands accumulated an estimated €18,9 billion in revenue in 2017. In comparison, that’s more than Iceland’s gross national product. All those pills and powders need to make their way into someone’s clammy palms somehow, and this often involves an ancient method of distribution: the mail. In the Netherlands, about 200 million letters and packages are mailed each year. A police team dedicated to investigating illegal goods in… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2Ax3brc

Amazon has introduced a cheaper tier for its Glacier long-term data archiving service, which is useful for businesses, developers, and folks like you and me. The new Glacier Deep Archive will let you store 1TB of data in the cloud for as little as $1 per month. That’s a lot less than Amazon S3 Glacier’s previous pricing plans, which would cost between $4 to $5 per TB, depending on the backup server’s location. And since it’s an archiving solution, you’ll have to pay for retrieving and transferring your data as well. With the new Deep Archive tier, storing 10GB data… This story continues at The Next Web Or just read more coverage about: Amazon from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2rbHJnC

Chinese hardware maker Nubia is pushing further into the gaming phone arena with its new Red Magic Mars handset, which has arguably the most powerful internal specs available on in the Android universe today. That includes a Snapdragon 845 processor, up to 256GB of onboard storage and 10GB RAM on the top-end variant, and an ICE dual heat pipe and convection cooling system. There are a couple more neat features that should appeal to gamers: two touch-sensitive shoulder buttons on the side of the phone, a dedicated motor for haptic feedback in games, and stereo speakers with Dolby DTS 7.1… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2FMgXvX

Research led by two top universities has shed doubt on whether biometric security systems, on their own, can protect our most sensitive data. Humans are notoriously bad at creating secure passwords. But that’s okay; we’ve fixed the problem, at least somewhat, by introducing a slew of new devices that rely on biometric authentication, whether in the form of fingerprints, voice recognition, or facial scanning. Researchers at New York University and Michigan State University, however, have their doubts about whether biometrics alone are enough. “Fingerprint-based authentication is still a strong way to protect a device or system, but at this point,… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2RhDXUZ

When I first cut the cord nearly a decade ago, my two biggest concerns were that of watching my favorite sports teams, and catching the occasional live broadcast — Presidential debates, news, and the like. Today, there exists a plethora of options for live TV, none of which require a pricy long-term contract with your cable company. CNET paired up seven such services — “Hulu with Live TV, Google’s YouTube TV, Dish Network‘s Sling TV, Sony‘s PlayStation Vue, and AT&T‘s DirecTV Now, Philo and Fubo TV” — in a battle royale of sorts to try and find the best value.… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/2ztBArq