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Google Play Newsstand now shows stories based on your interests
If you're a heavy user of Google's news reader, get ready to bear with some big changes: today, the company gave Newsstand a complete overhaul. The updated app takes a step back from the categorically organized feed the app is known for to focus on creating an experience specifically tailored to the interests of the user. The idea is to create a more personal experience that factors in local news, personal interests and the day's major headlines.
Wileyfox Swift and Storm review: Two cheap UK phones, one worth buying
There are two ways you can go about buying a new smartphone: Either you spread the cost over a year or two with a carrier contract, or purchase the thing outright. When you're finally done paying it off, a subsidised handset often ends up costing more than it's worth. However, considering the price of new iPhones, Samsung flagships and peers, that can still be preferable to emptying your bank account in one fell swoop. Thankfully, companies big and small are addressing this conundrum with phones that offer the kind of specs and user experience customers want at prices they're happy to pay upfront. Despite an abundance of competition in contract-free handsets already, new British brand Wileyfox is one such company, and it's hoping to make its mark in the UK with the affordable £129 Swift and higher-end £199 Storm.
Apple's next iPhone reportedly ditches the headphone jack
Apple's quest for ever-thinner, ever-smarter devices may produce another casualty: your iPhone's headphone jack. A rumor at MacOtakara claims that the next iPhone might drop the 3.5mm port and use the Lightning port for audio instead. The move would let Apple slim its phone even further (reportedly, over 1mm thinner than the iPhone 6s) and take advantage of Lightning's features, such as headphone-based DACs and app launching. You'd have to use an adapter for any conventional wired headphones, or else make the leap to Bluetooth.
The NSA's mass US phone surveillance ends tonight
The National Security Agency's long-running mass phone surveillance program is coming to an end. As promised, the USA Freedom Act will forbid the NSA from indiscriminately collecting Americans' call metadata at midnight on November 29th. Agents will have to get court orders to collect data from telecoms regarding specific people or groups, and then only for six months at a time -- they can't just scoop up everything in case something useful turns up. The NSA will still have access to five years' worth of legacy data through February 29th, but that's as far as its access will go.
The best Cyber Monday deals
So you successfully emerged from Black Friday shopping relatively unscathed, and you've got the cash for an extra tech gift (or, let's be honest, a treat for yourself). Where do you go to spend that dough? Don't worry: we've rounded up some of the best gadget discounts for Cyber Monday, the online-focused shopping event that follows the Thanksgiving weekend. If you're looking for a 4K TV, a game console for the family or a PC upgrade, we have what you need.Most of these deals won't last beyond the day itself (November 30th), but keep an eye on the dates. A few of them are already active or will stick around for at least a day longer, so you may not be out of luck if you're traveling when Cyber Monday kicks off.[Lead image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
See the radio waves constantly bathing you with this app
Whether or not you realize it, there are radio waves constantly washing over you. Thanks to the countless WiFi routers, cellular towers, and GPS satellites (not to mention all the Bluetooth and other smaller wireless devices) the air is literally just a sea of energy. Architecture of Radio is an app that aims to visualize those ebbs and flows of data. Creator Richard Vijgen taps into a public database of 7 million cell towers, 19 million Wi-Fi routers and hundreds of satellites to create an augmented reality experience where you can point your iPad or iPhone in any direction and a representation of the radio signals in your area.
Microsoft's Cortana iPhone app rolls out to beta testers
Less than a month after kicking off the Cortana for iPhone beta signups, Microsoft has started rolling out the app to people who showed interest in testing it. As TechCrunch points out, the early build is being distributed through TestFlight, a developer-focused service that lets iOS users try applications before their public release. Based on the app's current description, Microsoft is asking testers to set a Cortana reminder on a Windows 10 PC and see how it works with an iPhone, as well as communicate with the virtual assistant and observe how she responds to queries. Back in August, Cortana also arrived on Android via public beta, so it's only a matter of time before Microsoft officially releases it on Google and Apple's mobile platforms.
Microsoft Lumia 950 review: Not a flagship, but a first step
After years of misguided attempts at mobile, Microsoft is ready for a fresh start. While Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 mostly just looked like their desktop counterparts, Windows 10 Mobile aspires to something even more substantial. This time, Microsoft tried to build a mobile platform -- and a phone -- that can seriously replicate some of those big-screen experiences. Rather than just peck out emails and rough drafts on the new Lumia 950, Windows 10 makes it possible to connect a keyboard, mouse and display and let Universal apps like Word and Outlook to get more done. Microsoft doesn't think the Lumia 950 is a new phone as much as it a symbol of something new -- a standard-bearer for a kind of mobile computing that won't be contained by a single box in your pocket. Their vision is ambitious, and who knows! They might be right about all of this. For now though, it's clear Microsoft still has plenty of work to do.
ICYMI: Plant-powered lamps, livestreaming AI and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-852982{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-852982, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-852982{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-852982").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A coder from the Netherlands used a live webcam feed for a walk around Amsterdam, running neural network code that identified everything in view. Despite some obvious set-backs (it thought the creator was wearing a suit when he really wore a zip-up hoodie, natch), it impressively identified boats in a river and stacks of bikes. Researchers in Peru invented prototype lamps that run off of the bacteria of living plants. And a new security system for the camera-hacking adverse works by setting up a motion-detecting mesh network.
Black Friday deals: here are the UK's best
It's that time of the year again. Black Friday has finally arrived, bringing with it a near-endless stream of deals and discounts for you to consider. If you've decided to stay at home and avoid the chaos outside -- we don't blame you, it gets pretty crazy out there -- we've rounded up the best price-drops from across the internet. If you spot anything that we might have missed, drop us a note in the comments below and we'll add it to our list as soon as possible. These deals are targeted at Brits mind you (US deals can be found here), so we're avoiding anything that forces you to pay in a currency that isn't Sterling.
OnePlus won't replace the 2's flawed USB Type-C cable
Google engineer Benson Leung recently tested the OnePlus 2's USB Type-C cable and said it "may cause damage to your charger, hub or PC USB port" if used on a fast-charging device. OnePlus has now admitted that it doesn't conform to the USB Type-C 1.1 spec, and has agreed to give refunds to its customers. There's one large caveat, however. Since the cable can't cause problems with the OnePlus 2 itself (it's not a fast-charging phone), the company won't give refunds or replacement cables to buyers of the handset. Instead, it will only refund customers who purchased the cable separately.
Huawei still thinks 6-inch phablets is the way to go
It's been well over a year since Huawei launched its premium Mate 7 phablet, and as of August, over five million units have been sold worldwide. That's far more impressive than the original goal of just one million phones. While the smaller Mate S has since been released, the company still believes in sticking to the masculine roots of the Mate series, which brings us to the Mate 8. Like before, this model sports the same 6-inch 1080p display spec but now also covers 95 percent of NTSC gamut. As a bonus, there's a piece of 2.5D glass on top of that. Of course, the biggest selling point this time is the new octa-core Kirin 950 chipset which promises much higher performance and efficiency at the same time, mainly thanks to the new 16nm FinFET+ process, some more powerful CPUs (4 x Cortex-A72 and 4 x Cortex-A53), ARM's flagship Mali-T880 GPU and integrated LTE Cat 6 modem.
Lara Croft's awesome mobile adventure adds a free tomb to raid
Lara Croft has a pretty big adventure on Xbox One this fall with Rise of the Tomb Raider, but her grand mobile mission is about grow too. Developer Square Enix Montreal announced it's dropping "The Shard of Life" expansion for Lara Croft GO tomorrow for free on Android and iOS (sorry, Windows Phone folks) with some 26 fresh puzzles to tackle while you're waiting in line at the grocery store. More than that, the publisher is knocking 40 percent off the game's price -- it'll run you $2.99 for a limited time. Oh and its hosting a Twitch event tasking the game's community to solve the new puzzles.
This holiday, Verizon will let you gift gigs of data for $10
Verizon announced a new promotion on Tuesday that will allow its customers to "gift" a gigabyte of mobile data to other users on the network. The offer is available through both the Verizon Messages app (in the eGift Catalogue section) and the company's website. The recipient can redeem the gift either directly through the text message or the next time they log onto their account. The $10 charge will appear on your monthly statement.[Image Credit: Getty]
T-Mobile will give you an extra $200 to switch from Sprint
T-Mobile's ongoing feud with Sprint continues to have some benefits for your bottom line... and this time, T-Mobile is trying to tempt you with cold, hard cash. As of November 26th, the carrier is running a month-long promo that promises an extra $200 (on top of the existing credit) for every phone line you bring over from one of Sprint's networks, whether it's a prepaid Boost plan or a full-fledged subscription. You don't need to trade in your old gear, either. The move is a bit sneaky given that T-Mobile just hiked its unlimited data rates -- you may well be paying more per month if you truly need unlimited access. If you're already interested in jumping ship, though, this should make the transition that much easier.[Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
That crazy modular hybrid laptop for kids hits Indiegogo
The intriguing Infinity modular laptop from OLPC's Australian partner, One Education, is edging closer to reality. The organization just launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for its Infinity hybrid laptop, where it hopes to raise $50,000. To recap, the Infinity is a tough Android tablet made specifically for kids (think of it as a spin on the original OLPC XO concept) with replaceable modules for things like its CPU, camera and battery. The idea is that it can be endlessly upgraded (or at least, for as long as One Education keeps developing new modules). The base Infinity configuration includes an 8.9-inch screen, 1.4 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage (expandable via microSD cards) and low-res cameras. But going forward, One Education is also working on modules that include faster hardware, Windows 10 support, better cameras and Gorilla Glass screens. You can nab one now for an early bird price of $250, and particularly ambitious folks (and rich schools) can get a 10-pack for $2,390. One Education expects to start shipping Infinity units out next September.
Giphy Cam finally lets you make GIFs from videos
Giphy Cam, the app that lets you become a master GIFs-man (or woman, it doesn't discriminate) has just released its first major update. Before, users were only able to create GIFs using the native camera, either capturing 10 second full-motion clips or 5-shot bursts that are then stitched-together. Now users can import photos and videos from their camera rolls. What's more, people are able to trim their clips, apply more than one filter to the GIF and add text, giving their creations even more personality. Giphy Cam is still only available on iOS devices with no mention of when it'll cross platforms. In the meantime, Android users will have to rely on the Giphy bank of pre-made GIFs to express their animated points.
Google's fast mobile pages coming (with ads) in early 2016
Google revealed the "AMP" endeavor last month to accelerate mobile page-loading times, the slowness of which is a huge user bone of contention. It now says the fast-loading mobile pages will hit search results by early next year, and also gave more details about the project's raison d'etre: ads. The list of partners supporting the effort include its own AdSense, Outbrain and AOL, Engadget's parent company. The AMP project will cut mobile data use and wait times, but Google's not just being altruistic -- it's trying to curb ad-blockers, which heavily impact the company's ad revenue. Apple recently gave ad-blockers a big boost when it revealed it would support them for Safari on iOS 9.
FCC hires a privacy guru to help lead its telecom investigations
If you want proof that the Federal Communications Commission is getting serious about privacy, you only need to look at its latest recruit. The agency has hired Jonathan Mayer, one of the masterminds behind Do Not Track browsing, as the chief technologist for its Enforcement Bureau. He'll help lead investigations into any shady behavior from telecoms and TV providers, particularly if they run afoul of your privacy or security.
Twitter videos now run full screen on other apps
Twitter announced the rollout of full-screen video playback for its Twitter Kit on Tuesday. That means users will be able to view videos and animated gifs within Twitter without having to pop open a new window or launch the Twitter app -- everything is handled within the running app itself. The feature is currently only available for apps running Twitter Kit for iOS8+ but the company is also reportedly releasing an Android version "shortly."[Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
