AMD ships its 7th-generation A-series chips that promise more performance for less power for PCs

The chip designer has started shipping its 7th-generation A-series processors in desktop PCs, starting with machines from HP and Lenovo. The CPUs are based around as many as four Excavator cores, rather than the coveted Zen cores you've heard about lately, but that should still get you a lot of performance per watt. If you believe AMD, its 35- and 65-watt processors deliver the kind of speed that previously took over 90 watts -- the A12-9800 is about as fast in a general computing benchmark (PCMark) as Intel's Core i5-6500, and roughly twice as fast in graphics (3DMark) if you're relying on integrated video.

On top of a newer DirectX 12-friendly graphics architecture, the new processors tout native video decoding for 4K video in both H.264 and H.265 formats, taking a large load off of your system while you're watching Ultra HD movies.



The efficiency angle is a familiar one for AMD, and not surprising given that it's the company's main advantage. You're still looking at higher-end Intel Core i5 and i7 chips if you're focused on raw performance in a desktop. With that said, this may be worthwhile if you want a glimpse at AMD's future. The 7th-gen A-series is the first processor line based on AMD's new AM4 platform and the interfaces that come with it, including support for USB 3.1 and NVMe solid-state drives. At least some of the technology you see here will carry on for multiple hardware generations.

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DTI chief says prepaid load shouldn't expire since it's already been paid for

MANILA, Philippines – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a report over the weekend that there should be no expiry dates on prepaid credits for phone and data services.

In a Manila Bulletin report, Lopez said the services have already been paid for by the consumer and the denial of use of these services after a set period is illogical.

"I do not see any reason why the buyer will be denied the use of the services or goods in the future," the DTI chief said.

At the budget hearing conducted by the House appropriations committee, Lopez said the DTI would continue to battle companies that may be impinging on consumer rights by setting expiry periods for their products.

Aside from prepaid mobile services, Lopez said warranties on sales and prepaid gift certificates by certain malls and establishments should also have no expiry dates.

DTI Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya will oversee the department's efforts to curb these practices, added Lopez.

Bagong Henerasyon Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy had brought up the issue at the hearing.

Herrera-Dy said the practices remain rampant and establishments still "shortchange our consumers who are mostly unaware of their rights under the law," according to a report by Business Mirror.

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Smart, Globe release advisories on Samsung Galaxy Note7 recall

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine telcos Smart and Globe have issued advisories on replacing the Galaxy Note7, the subject of a major global recall by Korean tech giant Samsung.

Samsung on Friday, September 2, issued a global recall of their latest big-screen smartphone. The company released the model in mid-August in several territories, and has since sold 1 million units – a significant portion of the 2.5 million reported to have been already manufactured.

After a few units reportedly exploded while being charged, Samsung delved into the matter, found out that the cause was the battery, and made the decision to halt sales and replace all units worldwide – the Philippines included.

After the official announcement from Samsung, Smart and Globe released their advisories on replacing customers' Note7 units via their social media channels.

Smart has halted their sales of the phone model and has advised affected consumers to proceed to any Smart store for product assistance:

SMART ADVISORY on SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE7
Smart is fully aware of the reports about some user concerns on the new Samsung Galaxy Note7. Rest assured that the safety of our subscribers is our foremost priority.
In the light of the global announcement made by Samsung, Smart is taking the following actions:
1. We have stopped selling and releasing the Samsung Galaxy Note7.
2. We are requesting all our subscribers who purchased the handset from us to proceed to any Smart Store so we can assist them.
Please refer to the press release issued by Samsung: https://news.samsung.com/global/statement-on-galaxy-note7
Thank you very much.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/SmartCommunications/photos/a.377239847310.156191.137599377310/10154459547982311/?type=3


Globe says they're waiting for the replacement units from Samsung:

You may have heard of Samsung's official announcement to voluntarily replace the Galaxy Note 7 of its customers. We're now working closely with them on the replacement process. So if you got a Note 7 from us, we'll take care of getting you a replacement as soon as Samsung provides the units.
You can also choose to replace your Note 7 with another device as long as it's available. We'll send you a text and call you directly within the next 3 days to know your preference.
If you want to keep using your Note 7, please keep safe by taking proper precautions, like using only the original battery charger that came with the unit.
If you have questions or clarifications, please get in touch with us via talk@globe.com.ph. To view Samsung’s official statement, visit http://news.samsung.com/global/statement-on-galaxy-note7. Thank you!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/globeph/photos/a.106835214747.95522.30433734747/10154126995099748/?type=3&theater

Locally, the replacement terms are still opaque. The US replacement program sets the precedent. In that market, Note7 buyers can choose to replace their unit with a new, fixed Note7, or the equally high-spec Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge.

Samsung says they could begin as early as next week to deliver the new Note7s but hasn't released word on when the S7 replacement units will be available.

Samsung is also giving US consumers a $25 gift card or credit worth $25 for use on their phone bill

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PNP Launches the “Text Bato” Hotline and “Itaga Mo Sa Bato” App with Local Telcos

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday, September 5, launched a mobile app that lets subscribers connect directly to an emergency hotline platform, allowing for faster responses to emergencies.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has just launched the “Text Bato” hotline service, along with the “Itaga Mo Sa Bato” mobile app, and its 24/7 Police Quick Response Center.

Signing a memorandum with local telecoms PLDT, through their mobile subsidiary Smart, and Globe Telecom, PNP hopes that these initiatives will encourage ordinary citizens to “directly contact PNP Chief Director Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa” (and his police team) and report crime incidents and other law-enforcement concerns through their smartphones. The service will complement the existing 911 emergency hotline. 

Telecommunications companies Smart and Globe formalized a memorandum of agreement for the app and the quick response system. PNP Chief Police Director General Ronald M Dela Rosa; Smart VP for Public Affairs Mon Isberto; and Globe Telecom General Counsel Attorney Vicente Froilan Castelo, signed the joint accord at a symbolic ceremony in Camp Crame.

In a statement, the Android app has a couple of main features. One button enables users to send text reports to the police, while another button is set for automatic calling of the 911 emergency hotline.

Itaga Mo Sa Bato apps Google Playstore
 
The app also has a Police Alert system in place. The alert system tells the PNP Command Center's server about the type of emergency, name and address of establishment, contact number of reporter, contact number of nearest police or fire station, along with other important pieces of information.

Smart subscribers can text relevant police concerns by typing: BATO (space) their message then sending to 7444-2286.

For Globe subscribers can text message via 2286.
According to Globe, however, its is charging P2.50 per text message via 2286, noting the service took effect on Monday, September 5.

Police and telecom heads take a candid photo after signing a memorandum of agreement for the 'Itaga mo sa Bato' app. Photo by PNP-PIO.

Smart has also assigned a dedicated wireless device for PNP Chief dela Rosa himself to personally access all incoming messages and even have the option to directly reply to every message sender.

Once the reports reach the hotline, the “Text Bato” platform will reply a confirmation message to the sender with “PNPBATO” as the unique sender name. To combat pranksters, the PNP will then verify these reports to determine the appropriate course of action.

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Researchers from University in Israel has discovered a way to extract sensitive information from air-gapped computers

A team of researchers from Ben-Gurion University in Israel has discovered a way to extract sensitive information from air-gapped computers – this time using radio frequency transmissions from USB connectors without any need of specialized hardware mounted on the USB.

Dubbed USBee, the attack is a significant improvement over the NSA-made USB exfiltrator called CottonMouth that was mentioned in a document leaked by former NSA employee Edward Snowden.

Unlike CottonMouth, USBee doesn't require an attacker to smuggle a modified USB device into the facility housing the air-gapped computer being targeted; rather the technique turns USB devices already inside the facility into an RF transmitter with no hardware modification required.


Figure 1. Illustration of USBee. An ordinary, unmodified USB device (flash drive) (A) is transmitting information to a nearby receiver (B) over an air-gap, via electromagnetic waves emitted from its data bus.

USBee does not involve any implant in USB firmware and drivers to execute the attack.

The researchers stress the attack method of USBee is solely based on software, though it has to met certain conditions to execute. They are:

• The protected computer must be infected with the malware, most probably, with the help of an insider.
• Any USB device must be plugged into that infected air-gapped computer.
• The attacker has to be near the compromised device, usually at maximum 3-5 meters.

USBee turns the targeted computer's USB ports into mini Radio Frequency (RF) transmitters by modulating the data fed at high-speed to plugged-in devices.

USBee will then send a string of '0' bits to a USB port in such a way that makes the device generate detectable emissions between 240MHz and 480MHz frequencies, according to Mordechai Guri, one of the researchers.

Now, by writing sequences of '0' and '1', attackers can generate a carrier wave from the rapid voltage changes and then use binary frequency shift keying (B-FSK) to encode useful data.
Since the attack is meant to steal binary data, attackers wouldn’t be able to steal any large files, but could get their hands on keys, passwords, and other small bits of sensitive data stored on the targeted computer.




The researchers' attack method sounds really impressive, but it's still a theoretical attack that can be deployed in real-world scenarios and be effective.
It's not the first time the researchers at Ben-Gurion came up with the technique to target air-gapped computers. Their previous research of hacking air gap computers include:

• DiskFiltration attack that can steal data using sound signals emitted from the hard disk drive (HDD) of the targeted air-gapped computer;
• BitWhisper that relies on heat exchange between two computer systems to stealthily siphon passwords or security keys;
• AirHopper that turns a computer's video card into an FM transmitter to capture keystrokes;
• Fansmitter technique that uses noise emitted by a computer fan to transmit data; and
• GSMem attack that relies on cellular frequencies.

The USBee malware offers ranges of around 9 feet when data is beamed over a USB thumb drive to 26 feet when the USB device uses a short cable that acts as a transmitting antenna.

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What to expect on Apple’s September 7th event

This time around, it'll be held on September 7th and is expected to bring new versions of the iPhone and Apple Watch.

It should be an interesting launch. This is technically a generational leap for the iPhone, but it sounds like Apple has taken a different approach this year, with subtler physical changes to the phone. This'll also be the first time Apple has updated the Apple Watch, so we can’t depend on history to tell us what kind of changes to expect.

iPhone 7
It's a new iPhone with a new number. That usually comes alongside a brand-new design, but this year it seems more like Apple is going to tweak its existing formula 

A new(ish) design: Hopefully you like the iPhone 6, because the iPhone 7 is supposed to look pretty much the same.

No headphone jack: This obviously isn't a new feature. In fact, it's the very opposite of a new feature. But it's turning out to be The Big Story of the iPhone 7. Apple is expected to remove the headphone jack — a standby of consumer electronics since the invention of consumer electronics — from the next iPhone, meaning all headphones will have to be wireless or connect through the Lightning port.

Possibly new Pods: Without a headphone jack, Apple will probably want to offer another way to listen to music. Rumors have been really sketchy on this front, so take this all with a grain of salt, but they point to two possibilities: the Apple will make new EarPods that terminate in a Lightning connector instead of a headphone jack, or that Apple will make wireless earbuds, supposedly called AirPods.

Another camera: It’s not for selfies. Apple is expected to add a second camera onto the back of the iPhone, which it could use to produce higher-quality photos or offer a zoomed-in view. For example, Huawei’s P9 uses a second black-and-white camera for added sharpness and detail, while LG’s G5 uses a second camera to offer a zoomed-out perspective.

Goodbye 16GB: I don't know that there's a new feature more deserving of a "finally!" than this. Apple is finally expected to stop putting 16GB of storage in its entry-level iPhones and instead bump them up to 32GB
A clickless home button: Apple is expected to make a very subtle but very big change to the home button — it won't click in. 

A blacker black: If there's one good reason to buy the iPhone 7, it may be this. After years of dealing with whatever that "space gray" nonsense is, some vague rumors have suggested that Apple is going to make a black phone again.

Everything else: You know the drill. The new iPhones will of course be faster, with new processors, maybe more RAM, and something that gets described as "magical." The removal of the headphone jack has people suggesting that the iPhone 7 could be more water resistant, though it's not clear if the phone will actually be waterproof. The phone will probably get a little bit thinner, too.


Apple Watch
When the keynote kicks off, it'll be almost two years to the day since Apple first unveiled the Apple Watch (though it was another eight months before it hit stores). A lot has changed about the Apple Watch in the time since — all through software — and this first hardware update is likely to reflect those changes.

Square as ever: There's no sign that Apple plans to significantly change up the Apple Watch's design this year. Or even next year. That said, don't be surprised if some new band options show up.

GPS: This is probably going to be the biggest new feature on the Apple Watch. And while it may not sound like much, the addition of GPS should be a real help for runners, since it'll let the Watch track them even when they leave their phone behind. Anything that makes the Watch more independent is an important step forward.

Getting faster: Normally a speed bump wouldn't be all that exciting — pretty much without fail, every new Apple product comes with a marginally faster processor than its predecessor. But that's particularly important here, since the first-generation Watch is pretty darn slow. Apple needs to do better on speed, and the updated Watch should be a start.

Everything else: Other rumors have suggested that the next Watch will have better waterproofing, a bigger battery, a barometer, and the ability to do more things over Wi-Fi — but evidence for some of those is shakier than others. One other big question is whether the Watch will have a camera. An early report from 9to5Mac last year said Apple was heading in that direction, but that's just about the last we heard of of it. Given Apple's shift away from messaging, it wouldn't be surprising if this feature got scrapped.


There hasn't been any word about Apple planning other hardware updates for its September 7th event. But that doesn't mean for certain there won't be anything. Plenty of products are due for an update, including:

• The MacBook Pro, which is soon expected to get a slimmer design and a touchscreen strip above the keys
• The MacBook Air, which Bloomberg reports is being updated with USB-C
• The iPad Pro, which was announced at this event last year
• The iPad Air, which hasn't been updated in two years
• The iPad mini, which was last updated after this event last year
• The Apple TV, which had its new version announced at this event last year

But chances are most if not all of those are on hold until later, as word usually leaks out ahead of a planned unveiling. That means we could be looking at a second Apple event sometime in October or early November.

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Facebook CEO is “deeply disappointed” by the Internet.org satellite explosion

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launch pad for no apparent reason.
But this incident is going to affect Facebook’s Internet.org effort in a significant way as a satellite was also destroyed in the process.

While insurance companies are going to pay out for failure, the SpaceX rocket was supposed to launch an Eutelsat communication satellite called Amos-6. Among other things, this satellite was supposed to beam internet in large portions of Africa for Facebook

This kind of project takes years to put together — you can’t build a satellite overnight. And yet, the satellite was destroyed in a few minutes during the incident. It’s going to make the Internet.org rollout slower.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared a message on his Facebook account. And, as you can see, Zuck is not happy. Today’s explosion is probably a real bummer for him as well.



As he also notes, Facebook has other ideas when it comes to delivering internet in developing countries, such as giant drones (the Aquila project) or lasers. Now that basically everyone who has access to the internet also has a Facebook account, Facebook’s next frontier is connecting more people to the internet.

The Amos-6 satellite, was on the Falcon 9 at the time and was also destroyed. A nearly $200 million satellite, Amos-6 was set to be launched to geostationary orbit and provide internet to various locations in Africa as part of Facebook’s Internet.org initiative.



In the contract between Facebook and Eutelsat, Facebook can terminate the contract if the satellite isn’t operational by January 1st. It looks really unlikely now. So long, satellite dreams. Or maybe it’s time to start over and launch a new satellite?

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Samsung’s integrating fitness tracking into a smart belt called WELT

Samsung’s smart belt called WELT the product has just hit Kickstarter with an estimated delivery date of January.

The product was created by a spinoff of Samsung, a small hardware startup committed to integrating fitness tracking into a belt. It’s not the first company to do so, but it looks to be the strongest implementation thus far. The question, of course (once you get over the whole “what’s up with the WELT name” bit) is why, in a world of fitness tracking everything, would anyone require that sort of integration in the object whose primary function is keeping your pants from falling down?

What the belt does bring to the proverbial table verses other form factors is the ability to track your waist-size. As you walk looking at scales that measure body fat and the like, it’s clear that we’re nearing a point where the information offered up by such devices can serve to either motivate or bum the wearer out.

With many of these wearables – sure they can serve of data to their hearts’ content, but how do they get us to profoundly alter our habits?

source: Kickstarter

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Apple is paying to tweet with no intent tweeting

Apple joined Twitter back in 2011, but it left its account inactive until yesterday morning. Apple's Twitter account lit up with a new avatar, background photo, and verified status, ahead of the company's iPhone event next week. Apple kept its account clear of Tweets for most of Friday, until a promoted tweet started appearing later in the day referencing the event next week. However, the tweet didn't appear on Apple's timeline, and the company still has 0 tweets.

It's a move that means Apple is paying to tweet without tweeting, as the company has still not issued a public tweet despite joining the service five years ago. Apple's promotional tweet is also designed to trigger an automatic tweet reply to anyone who retweets it, meaning the company has actually tweeted more than 20,000 times without ever actually tweeting, kind of.

September 7 at 10 a.m. PT
Watch the event on https://t.co/yLa2e4Xr2R.
RT for a reminder on event day. #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/e9MHNkLeoi

— Apple (@Apple) September 2, 2016

Apple's tactic is clearly centered around this single promotional tweet for now. Apple has also purchased a custom hashtag emoji for Twitter, alongside its auto responder. It will be interesting to see if Apple attempts to maintain its minimalist approach to design and Twitter by continuing with paid tweets after its media event next week.

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nuTonomy Self-driving cabs tested in Singapore

SINGAPORE—The world’s first self-driving taxis began picking up passengers in Singapore. Select members of the public can hail a free ride through their smartphones in taxis operated by nuTonomy, an autonomous vehicle software startup.
While multiple companies, including Google and Volvo, have been testing self-driving cars on public roads for several years, nuTonomy says it is the first to offer rides to the public.

Its launch in Singapore is beating ride-hailing service Uber, which plans to offer rides in autonomous cars in Pittsburgh, by a few weeks.
NuTonomy is starting small—six cars now, growing to a dozen by the end of the year.

The cars—modified Renault Zoe and Mitsubishi i-MiEV electrics—have a driver in front who is prepared to take back the wheel and a researcher at the back who watches the car’s computers.
Each car is fitted with six sets of Lidar—a detection system that uses lasers to operate like radar—including one that constantly spins on the roof.

There are also two cameras on the dashboard to scan for obstacles and detect changes in traffic lights.
The testing time frame is open-ended, nuTonomy CEO Karl Iagnemma said.
Eventually, riders may start paying for the service, and more pickup and drop-off points will be added.
NuTonomy also is working on testing similar taxi services in other Asian cities, the United States and Europe, but he wouldn’t say when.

The ultimate goal, company executives say, is to have a fully self-driving taxi fleet in Singapore by 2018, to help cut the number of cars on Singapore’s congested roads.
Eventually, the model could be adopted in cities around the world, nuTonomy hopes.

For now, the taxis only run in a 6.5-square-kilometer business and residential district called “one-north,” and pickups and drop-offs are limited to specified locations.
Riders must have an invitation from nuTonomy to use the service. The company says dozens have signed up for the launch and it plans to expand that list to thousands of people within a few months.

 

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Google to announce Pixel phones, 4K-capable Chromcast dongle, and Daydream VR viewer this October

Project Ara is not the only thing that Google is dropping this quarter. The company appears to also be planning to drop the Nexus moniker in favor of a new brand name for its Android smartphones.

This year, things could be quite different since Google has a number of hardware projects in the works, and the Nexus brand is reportedly being replaced with a Pixel-badged line of smartphone devices.

Google is preparing to announce on Oct. 4 its first two smartphones dubbed Pixel and Pixel XL. The latter will be a 4K-capable Chromcast dongle and Daydream VR viewer.

All will be revealed on October 4, Google has yet to confirm anything regarding the new Pixel phones, but according to a new report from the generally reliable Android Police. At an event dedicated to hardware on that day, the Android-maker will reveal two Pixel phones, one called Pixel and one called Pixel XL, which  Pixel will be the 5" Sailfish device, while Pixel XL will be the 5.5" Marlin.

These will be HTC-built devices, according to the publication, which is different from other Pixel hardware, including the Chromebook Pixel and Pixel C tablet, whose design is handled in-house by Google itself.

Apart from new smartphones, Google is also expected to disclose more information about its Google Home, a voice-activated speaker powered by Google Assistant that supports Cast for audio streaming.

As mentioned, the timing fits in terms of Google’s past practice with refreshing Nexus hardware. Typically, Google follows shortly after Apple’s introduction of its own devices, and starts shipping the new kit pretty much immediately thereafter.

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