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Google to invest up to $1 billion in India's second biggest carrier
After investing $4.5 billion in India's largest carrier Jio, Google is now putting up to $1 billion in Airtel, the second largest mobile operator.
Amazon will open Luna cloud gaming to Prime members between June 21st and 22nd
Amazon's new Luna game streaming service is offering no-invite access on Prime Day, June 21 and 22.
Instagram Lite reboot squeezes the app into a 2MB package
Instagram Lite has been boiled down to a package that'll take up just 2MB on your phone.
Democrats call on the FCC to expand internet access for students
In an open letter, US Democrats have called on the FCC to expand internet access to students for online learning.
T-Mobile expands LTE broadband to rural areas 'abandoned' by AT&T
T-Mobile says it'll expand its program into 450 areas that only get DSL.
Samsung's new subscription bundles a Galaxy S20 with Microsoft 365
Samsung is betting that the Galaxy S20 will be easier to justify if you can get it as part of a monthly subscription linked to Microsoft services.
Facebook makes it easier to see how much it knows about you
Facebook will let you view and download more of the data it collects about you, the company revealed today. It's expanding the Download Your Information tool on Facebook and the Download Your Data tool on Instagram to include more of the info it tracks as you use those platforms -- like what you add to your profile or which Pages or posts you like. That info is used to personalize what you see on Facebook and Instagram, but it also raises some data privacy concerns.
Amazon Prime arrives on cable-provided TiVo boxes
There's no such thing as regular ol' TV anymore. There's cable and satellite, and a seemingly endless selection of streaming services and content platforms, so clicking around your options can be a bit time consuming and clunky. But TiVo is trying to streamline the process. From today, Amazon Prime members will be able to access Prime Video content directly through their TiVo box. Sitting alongside other video streaming apps already offered by TiVo, the Prime Video app will also include select 4K Ultra HD and HDR content, as well as behind-the-scenes exclusives for top movies and TV shows. Find it through TiVo's OneSearch function.
Google makes Remote Desktop access much easier
If you've ever found yourself in the unenviable position of helping a friend or relative with computer issues, you'll know how frustrating it is to do so over the phone, having to repeatedly yell "Click the X!" when you know you could probably take care of the problem yourself in no time. Now, Chrome has got a solution in the form of Chrome Remote Desktop, which allows you to control another computer (or give access to yours) via a simple website.
Microsoft releases Office 2019 for Mac and Windows
Just because Microsoft is bent on moving everyone to cloud-based subscriptions doesn't mean it has forgotten about those who want a one-and-done purchase. The company is rolling out Office 2019 for Mac and Windows, giving you a "subset" of the upgrades that have come to Office 365 ProPlus in the past three years. They're not revolutionary, but they could be helpful if you've stuck to Office 2016 or earlier releases.
Hackers gain access to millions of T-Mobile customer details
T-Mobile has fallen foul of yet another cybersecurity issue. In a statement released this week the company said that an unauthorized entry into its network may have given hackers access to customer records, including billing ZIP codes, phone numbers, email addresses and account numbers. According to T-Mobile, the intrusion was quickly shut down, and no financial data, social security numbers or passwords were compromised.
Australian law could force tech firms to hand over customer data
Australia has been relying on criminal telecommunications legislation dating back to the days of the landline, so proposed laws unveiled today are designed to bring the country's legal enforcements in line with the many nefarious opportunities the internet presents for hackers. But it's raised eyebrows among some industry experts.
Some of the best Batman games are coming to EA's Origin Access on PC
Homegrown games on EA's Origin Access service are getting some company. Starting today, your subscription will also include, erm, access to titles from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment including a trio of the Batman: Arkham games. Unfortunately we can't trade Arkham: Origins for Arkham Knight (above), but that's just how things work out at the moment.
Alphabet picks former cable exec to run its Google Fiber division
The Alphabet division behind Google Fiber finally has a replacement leader 5 months after its former chief left. The tech giant has hired Dinesh Jain, most recently Time Warner Cable's former chief operating officer, as the Access team's CEO. He'll watch over business in the nearly 20 markets where both Fiber and Webpass operate. There aren't any indications as to whether or not he'll usher in a change of direction, but his career may speak volumes about Alphabet's intentions.
Michael Kors offers Android Wear smartwatches in more colors
Fossil introduced a plethora of smartwatches across its brands last year, including quite a few options under the Michael Kors Access line. Now, MK is giving you even more choices by releasing new Sofie and Grayson Android Wear 2.0 watch colors as part of its Spring 2018 collection. The MK Access smartwatches both have access to Google Assistant, have customizable faces and can track activity. Both devices will get My Social, the microapp that connects the smartwatch to your Instagram or Facebook account, so you can use photos there as watchfaces. MK will also roll out a new microapp called My Next in January, which you can use to start a countdown on the device to an important event like birthdays or anniversaries.
macOS High Sierra bug allows full admin access without a password
If you're using Apple's latest macOS High Sierra, you'll want to be wary of giving people access to your computer. Initially tweeted by developer Lemi Orhan Ergin, there's a super-easy exploit that can give anyone gain admin (or root) rights to your Mac. Engadget has confirmed that you can gain root access in the login screen, the System Preferences Users & Groups tab and File Vault with this method. All you need to do is enter "root" into the username field, leave the password blank, and hit Enter a few times. Needless to say, this is some scary stuff.
Afghanistan will soon have free mobile access to Wikipedia
Afghanistan has been rapidly improving its technological infrastructure since the Taliban was ousted in 2001. A group of film historians in the country recently digitized films that had been saved from destruction during Taliban rule. An all-girl robotics team fought a recent travel ban and finally got the chance to compete in the US. And in 2010, the country moved ahead with plans for national electronic ID cards. Now, thanks to a partnership between regional provider Roshan and the Wikimedia Foundation, people in Afghanistan will get free access to Wikipedia via their phones for the next year.
Uber sued again for failing to accommodate disabled passengers
Despite Uber's programs to serve the needs of people who use wheelchairs, the ride sharing company faces a long line of lawsuits and complaints about its ability to serve people with disabilities. The Equal Rights Center claims that the company is in violation of Title 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as the DC Human Rights Act in Washington, DC. Mississippi riders have filed a similar suit, alleging that "persons with disabilities in Jackson have no ability to call a wheelchair accessible vehicle or a specially trained driver through the Uber app." Now there's a suit against Uber in In New York City. Disability Rights Activists (DRA) just filed a class action by a "broad coalition of disability groups and disabled individuals in New York City," saying that Uber is 99.9% inaccessible to people with mobility disabilities.
NASA finds biofuels make air travel 70 percent greener
Air travel releases almost 800 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, pushing us ever closer to our looming environmental catastrophe. NASA scientists want to do something about it, and teamed up with researchers in Germany and Canada to find a way to tackle the issue. Its findings claim that jets that use biofuels emit up to 70 percent less pollution and reduces the formation of water condensation trails (contrails) in their wake.
Google Fiber is restructuring and taking a new direction
Alphabet is making some huge changes to steer Google Fiber in a new, more wireless direction. According to Wired, the corporation has reassigned hundreds of Fiber employees to other parts of the company and those who remained will mostly work in the field. It has also hired broadband veteran Greg McCray as the new CEO for Access, the division that runs Google Fiber. These changes don't exactly come out of left field: back in October, Google announced that it's pausing the high-speed internet's expansion to new markets and that it's firing nine percent of the service's staff.
