Spotify is now free for Windows Phone users

Spotify is now free for Windows Phone users

Daniel Cooper

Engadget

Spotify has offered free, ad-supported streaming to Android and iOS for months, leaving Windows Phone users what they'd done wrong to be so roundly ignored. Today, it seems, Spotify has finally remembered that they exist, and has announced that both Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 devices will enjoy "free" music from today. The updated app, available from the Windows Store, also has a few other tweaks, including better search and discovery features, helping you to work out which artists you love, and which artists are, eh, kinda okay, I guess.

Source: Spotify, Windows Store

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PlayStation and Xbox hit by attacks

PlayStation and Xbox hit by attacks

BBC News 

Sony's PlayStation Network was forced offline for much of Sunday by a cyber-attack in what appears to be a campaign against several online gaming services.
Microsoft's XBox Live, Blizzard's Battle.net, and Grinding Gear Games are among others to have reported being disrupted over the weekend.
The attacks coincided with a bomb scare involving a flight carrying a Sony executive.
An American Airlines jet was diverted after a threat was made online.
A warning that the flight - from Dallas-Fort Worth to San Diego - was carrying explosives was subsequently repeated by a Twitter account that had been used to claim responsibility for the online attacks.
John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment, had been tweeting about his firm's efforts to combat a "large scale DDoS" before posting a message saying he was about to board the plane.
DDoS stands for distributed denial of service attack - a technique in which many computers are used to flood an online service with requests in an attempt to overload its systems.
After the threatened plane landed in Phoenix, Arizona, Mr Smedley tweeted: "Yes, my plane was diverted. Not going to discuss more than that. Justice will find these guys."
A spokeswoman for Sony said that the FBI was now investigating the diversion. However, the Bureau has yet to issue a statement of its own.

Jihadist links
A Twitter account that has claimed responsibility for attacking Sony and the other video games firms has linked the attacks to the jihadist group Islamic State, posting: "Kuffar [non-believers] don't get to play videogames until bombing of the ISIL stops."
It also makes several references to Isis - the former name used by the Islamic militants.
But it is unclear whether this is a diversionary tactic, since an earlier post by the same account states: "Sony, yet another large company, but they aren't spending the waves of cash they obtain on their customers' PSN service. End the greed."
To complicate matters another hacker, who is associated with the Anonymous hacking collective, has claimed responsibility for the DDoS on the PlayStation Network, saying they mounted it to highlight vulnerabilities in Sony's system.
This hacker has criticised the other claims of responsibility and posted screenshots that purport to support their case.

Xbox disruption
Sony's PlayStation Network was notably taken offline for more than three weeks in 2011 after a hack attack that compromised its members' personal details and exposed their encrypted debit and credit card accounts.
However, the firm's social media manager has sought to reassure subscribers about the latest attack.
"We have seen no evidence of any intrusion to the network and no evidence of any unauthorized access to users' personal information," Sid Shuman blogged.
"In light of today's issue, the networks will not undergo the regularly scheduled maintenance, which was planned for Monday, August 25.
"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused by this issue."
Microsoft declined to "comment on the root cause" of disruption its rival Xbox Live online gaming service has faced.
However, a message on is support site stated that Xbox One owners were experiencing "server unavailability issues" when trying to join other players in online games.
The webpage also mentions problems faced by owners of the Xbox 360 trying to connect to Diablo III's party chat feature.
This appears to be a consequence of an attack on Activision Blizzard's gaming service Battle.net, which also supports World of Warcraft and Starcraft titles.
"Battle.net game services have recently been subject to DDoS attacks. We worked diligently along with our ISPs [internet service providers] to improve the situation and currently are seeing more stability," said a message posted to the facility's site.
Meanwhile, Grinding Gear Games posted a message on the Twitter account of its game Path of Exile on Sunday, saying: "We're having some server issues due to a DDoS attack. Should have it sorted out soon. Sorry for the inconvenience!"
The incidents follow reports of earlier DDoS attacks on other multiplayer titles on Friday, including Eve Online, League of Legends, RuneScape and Guild Wars 2.

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The iPhone 6 Could Be A Whole Lot More Expensive

The iPhone 6 Could Be A Whole Lot More Expensive

Harry Bradford

The Huffington Post 

Here's one reality about the new iPhone that Apple fans might not be so excited about: It might be the priciest iPhone yet.
Many expect the so-called iPhone 6 to be a complete overhaul of the 5S, packed with several new features that could push costs up. Back in April, Jeffries analyst Peter Misek said Apple was negotiating with carriers to increase the price of the iPhone 6 by $100 compared to the 5s, which starts at $199 with contract.
Meanwhile, TechRadar says the new phone could cost more than $800 without a contract. That's double what the original iPhone cost in 2007, when it wasn't subsidized by two-year contracts. The 5S starts at $649 without contract.
Since the iPhone 3G was unveiled in 2008, new versions of Apple's smartphone have started at $199 with a contract*. So a jump to $299 would be pretty shocking.
Before you freak out, remember: We don't know for sure when the phone is coming. Apple has an event planned for Sept. 9 where it's expected the new model will be unveiled. But on Friday more rumors swirled that the launch could be delayed.
Anyway, many expect the phone to be a complete overhaul of the previous model. Here are the features that could drive the price up:

1. Size
The new iPhone is expected to come in two bigger sizes -- 4.7 and 5.5 inches -- a huge step up from the current 4 inch screen. The extra size is bound to cost more, but the 5.5 inch model is where a price increase is most likely. That may mean the new iPhone will feature a bigger battery. Some Apple patents also suggest the phone will be thinner. Bigger screen + bigger battery + thinner = $$$$.

2. Materials
One of the buzziest iPhone 6 rumors out there: the new phone's screen may be made of a new material called sapphire crystal. Relatively rare in phones, the material is supposedly stronger and more scratch resistant than Apple's previous Gorilla glass -- Apple already uses it to cover the fingerprint sensor and camera on its iPhone 5S. It’s not clear whether all models of the iPhone will feature the new material, but it’s estimated sapphire will cost Apple $16 per phone to make, compared to $3 for glass, The Wall Street Journal reports.

3. Processor
The iPhone 6 is also getting a rumored upgrade in processor speed. The phone could include a new A8 chip that will feature frequencies of 2.0 GHz or more, compared to the iPhone 5S' 1.3Ghz A7 processor.
Still, not everyone’s convinced the iPhone 6 will be pricier. ZDNet and Forbes say a 4.7 inch 32GB model will remain confined to Apple’s $199 pricing scheme.

*The iPhone 5C is an exception. The cheaper model was unveiled at $99 with contract last September.

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Is Rita Ora's Glam Nail Art the Most Expensive Manicure Ever

Credit: Instagram

Rita Ora's nail art at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards was gorgeous, glamorous, and totally chic, but it's not exactly the kind of manicure you can re-create at home! The singer's custom-made mani actually cost a whopping $56,000! Encrusted with diamonds, rubies, and handmade spider and bow charms, her Azature design practically deserved its own security guards!

As hard as it is to believe, Rita's over-the-top nail art isn't even the most expensive art we've ever heard of! Back in 2013, Kelly Osbourne went all out and wore a shocking $1 million mani designed by the same brand as part of a charity auction.

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Proof Demi Lovato Isn't Mad at Taylor Swift

After we heard the news that Demi Lovato ended her friendship with Selena Gomez partly because of Taylor Swift, we couldn't believe it! Thankfully, we now have proof that Demi and Taylor aren't fighting. At the 2014 MTV VMAs, Demi and Taylor were seated next to each other, and took the cutest selfie together.

When Demi posted the pic on Instagram, she gushed about how much she loved running into Taylor, writing, "Look who I got to see tonight!!!!"

Based on Demi's caption, it seems like she hadn't seen Taylor in a while. We think they shouldbecome shopping buddies again. That would be the cutest!

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Niall Horan Speaks Up About One Direction Breakup Rumors

Credit: Getty Images

Even though Simon Cowell reportedly claimed that One Direction will split up eventually, Niall Horan refuses to believe a 1D breakup is imminent. He told the Irish Sun that Simon was "clearly misquoted or something."

"We're going to go as long as we can go, as long as people want us we will be here. None of that rumors business," he said.

"I'm having a great time here, touring and having the [fun] with the lads — we are all still having a great time. We've got another album at the end of the year and doing our business as we do on a kind of yearly basis. I'm not thinking of what I have to do after just yet."

We're definitely excited for their new album (and their new sound), so we're happy that everyone is still so committed to the band — and that Simon probably didn't mean One Direction will break up soon. Niall has  responded to the 1D rumors before, but he genuinely seems to be enjoying his time with the rest of his bandmates.

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LG bets on pricey OLED technology as future of TVs

LG bets on pricey OLED technology as future of TVs

YOUKYUNG LEE

 Associated Press

LG Electronics Inc. announced two new giant OLED TVs with ultra-high definition screens Monday, sticking with its strategy of using the exceptionally expensive OLED display technology.
The South Korean company said it will ship 65-inch OLED TVs starting September in South Korea, Europe and North America. A 77-inch model will hit shelves later this year.
While major TV makers are pushing to make ultra HD TVs mainstream, they use LCD screens. The super-high resolution picture, also known as 4K, packs four times more pixels than regular HD televisions.
Making ultra HD quality TVs with OLED screens remain costly. LG's 65-inch model will cost 12 million won ($11,765). Other types of ultra HD televisions sell for less than $3,000.
OLED features deeper color saturation and a sharper image quality than LCD. But for years, its cost and high production error rate prevented the technology from catching on among mainstream consumers.
LG said it is committed to OLED because the cost will come down and its advanced screen will eventually replace LCD screens. It forecasts that OLED TV sales will overtake LCD TV sales "within a few years."
"OLED is where we must head next after PDP and LCD. It is a matter of time," Ha Hyun-hwoi, head of LG's TV business, told reporters.
LG's aggressive bet on OLED TVs is in contrast with its rival Samsung Electronics Co. After rolling out a 55-inch curved TV that uses an OLED display last year, Samsung has not announced an upgrade to its OLED TV for this year. Samsung uses OLED technology mostly for small devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers.

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Israel strikes kill 2 in Gaza

Israel strikes kill 2 in Gaza

A new round of Israeli airstrikes and tank fire pounded Gaza on Monday as officials in the coastal strip said two more Palestinian civilians died from the violence.
There has so far been no end in sight for the war, which has already killed more than 2,100 Palestinians since the fighting erupted on July 8.

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Apple May Give You A New iPhone Battery For Free

Apple May Give You A New iPhone Battery For Free

Alexander C. Kaufman

The Huffington Post 

Is your game draining your iPhone battery too quickly? You may be eligible for a replacement from Apple.
In a post on its website, the company announced that it will replace the battery packs for free in some phones sold between September 2012 and January 2013. A flaw in a "very small percentage" of devices sold during that window causes the phones to suddenly lose charge and need to be plugged in frequently. The company started replacing the batteries on Aug. 22.
To find out if you're eligible, Apple has a serial number checker here. The company also said it would refund customers who have already paid to replace faulty batteries.
But, Apple noted, don't get all crazy and think it's going to give you a freebie after you accidentally dropped your phone on the dance floor last weekend. Broken screens and other damages can make it difficult to replace the battery, so even if you're eligible for a replacement, you might be on the hook for other costs, the company said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request from The Huffington Post for comment on Sunday.

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App security flaw makes your iPhone call without asking

App security flaw makes your iPhone call without asking

Jon Fingas
Engadget

If you're an iPhone user, you may want to be cautious about opening messages that contain phone numbers in the near future; they may cost you a lot of money. Developer Andrei Neculaesei notes that maliciously coded links in some apps will abuse the "tel" web handler (which covers dialing) to automatically make a phone call the moment you view a message. Potentially, an evildoer could force you to call an expensive toll number before you've had a chance to hang up. The exploit isn't limited to any one app or developer, either. Facebook Messenger, Gmail and Google+ all fall prey to the attack, and it's likely that other, less recognizable apps exhibit similar behavior. Apple's Safari browser will ask you before starting a call, but FaceTime's behavior lets you pull a similar (though not directly related) stunt.
In many cases, it's the developers who are to blame. They're supposed to put tighter controls on what happens when a number comes in, such as giving you a warning. However, Apple could theoretically mitigate the issue by requiring prompts for all phone links. You may not have to worry about a spam flood in practice, but let's hope app writers act quickly -- as Android users have already learned, "tel" exploits can cause a lot of grief if left unchecked.

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Sony says Playstation users' information safe after hackers target game sites

Sony says Playstation users' information safe after hackers target game sites

By Malathi Nayak and Sophie Knight

Reuters

A man plays a video game on Sony Corp's PlayStation 4 console at its showroom in Tokyo July 16, 2014.

CREDIT: REUTERS

SAN FRANCISCO/TOKYO - Sony Corp (6758.T) said hackers had taken down its PlayStation Network without compromising its 53 million users' personal data, while the FBI was investigating a bomb scare on a flight carrying a top Sony executive in the United States.
The hackers behind the PlayStation attack said they had also targeted the servers of World of Warcraft video gamemakers Blizzard Entertainment, whose website was down, and threatened to attack Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) Xbox Live network which was also experiencing problems.
Sony said on Monday it was still trying to restore access to its gaming network after the attack on Sunday.
"We are trying to get the network back up as fast as we can while finding the source of the problem but I can't say how long that will take," Sony Computer Entertainment spokesman Satoshi Nakajima said in Tokyo.

The unidentified hackers said on their @LizardSquad Twitter microblogging account that the attack was meant to pressure the Japanese tech giant to spend more of its profits on security.
"Sony, yet another large company, but they aren't spending the waves of cash they obtain on their customers' (PlayStation Network) service. End the greed," one post said on Sunday.
Sony said no PlayStation users' personal information had been accessed in the attack, which overwhelmed the system with traffic.

Blizzard Entertainment was not immediately reachable for comment but its customer support Twitter account said its servers were stabilizing.
Microsoft wrote in a post on its Xbox blog on Friday that some users had problems accessing sections of the network, while users reported that they were having problems accessing their accounts on Sunday.
"We don't comment on the root cause of a specific issue, but as you can see on Xbox.com/status, the core Xbox LIVE services are up and running," Xbox spokesman David Dennis said.

Lizard Squad also tweeted to American Airlines on Sunday to say they had heard that explosives were on board a flight carrying Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley. That was a possible reference to another tweet from a game player's forum telling the airline "I'm gonna send a bomb on your plane be ready for me tomorrow".

A PlayStation spokeswoman in the United States said the FBI was investigating the diversion of the Dallas/Fort Worth to San Diego flight.

The FBI had no comment on the incident but American Airlines said on its Twitter account that it was "aware of threats" made over the microblogging service and had alerted security.

Sony's network business has been hit by attacks before, with a security breach in 2011 dealing a major blow to plans at the time for a looser network designed to allow for the connection of a range of Sony devices.
Since then it has invested heavily in the system and is now hoping the network can serve as a centerpiece of its plans to rebuild its business after years of losses in its flagship electronics operations.

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Google's Bumpy Road Trip

Google's Bumpy Road Trip

Alistair Barr

The Wall Street Journal

Google Inc. caused a stir earlier this year when it unveiled a self-driving car without a steering wheel, or pedals for braking and accelerating.
But Google's goal of an autonomous car is bumping up against new testing rules from California's Department of Motor Vehicles.

The rules, which take effect on Sept. 16, require a driver to be able to take "immediate physical control" of a vehicle on public roads if needed. That means the car must have a steering wheel and brake and accelerator pedals, according to Bernard Soriano, the top official developing the rules for the state.
Google could test its fully autonomous prototype on private roads, or try to test the vehicle on public roads outside California.

But the company said it plans to comply with the California rule by building a small, temporary steering-wheel and pedal system that drivers can use during testing.
"With these additions, our safety drivers can test the self-driving features while having the ability to take control of the vehicle if necessary," Google spokeswoman Courtney Hohne said.
The bump in the road shows how far Google has to travel to get fully autonomous cars on city streets and highways. The technology has to maneuver a host of obstacles, including acceptance by the general public and the issue of liability when accidents happen.

Google is particularly keen on developing a vehicle without a steering wheel and pedals because the company is gunning for the goal of a completely autonomous vehicle that can operate without any human intervention. This is a longer-term and riskier attempt than those efforts made at many car companies, which are integrating autonomous features, such as self-parking and lane-straightening, into existing vehicles.
Liability might be a bigger hurdle for the Google project than testing rules. When there is no driver, the question of who is to blame in an accident gets complicated and the possible targets of lawsuits expand. The company that designed the technology might be targeted, along with the manufacturer, the car's owner and any passengers who were riding in the vehicle at the time of an accident.

California's testing rules try to tackle these emerging liability questions by requiring that companies involved in testing self-driving vehicles have $5 million in insurance or self-insurance or a bond in the same amount.
David Hall, the chief executive of Velodyne Inc., which makes laser technology used by Google's autonomous cars, is concerned about liability risks and said California's $5 million requirement is onerous for smaller companies.

This liability risk, and the cost to insure against it, could increase the cost of Velodyne's laser devices by thousands of dollars, Mr. Hall estimated.
"Who pays when there's a crash? Who will insure us against this?" he said.

Google said it is being cautious; regulators are treading even more carefully.
Ron Medford, director of safety for Google's car project, asked the California DMV earlier this year to allow other types of autonomous vehicles, such as motorcycles and trucks, to be tested. The state declined.
"We wanted to take baby steps in terms of testing and how technology is rolled out so we are capable of handling it and Californians accept it," Mr. Soriano said.

Google is making about 100 of its prototype autonomous cars. It caps their speed at 25 mph to make them easier to handle and limit damage if an accident occurs. Testing on private roads is expected to start next month and will include the temporary manual controls, Google said.

The company hopes it can put ordinary Californians in autonomous cars for test runs on public roads in a couple of years. State officials are drafting rules for those tests, which would allow cars without steering wheels or pedals, Mr. Soriano said.

Google has discussed using these pilots to test different ways of deploying the technology, including as a taxi or courier service, Mr. Soriano added.

Claire Hughes Johnson, an executive in the Google Self-Driving Car Project, said in a speech in July that the technology could be valuable if it is provided as a service.

"What if you all got here today in a self-driving car that dropped you off and then left?" she asked the audience. "So you may not be able to buy one, but you may be able to drive in one in the next five years."

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