Hardware Maker Mad Catz Dies

Following a lengthy struggle with financial insolvency, gaming peripheral maker Mad Catz has formally ceased all operation. The company’s directors and officers have all resigned, and its assets will be liquidated. The company that spent nearly three decades pumping out PC and console gaming gear is no more.

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EFF: Verizon will install spyware on all its Android phones

Who’d have thought that just days after the house rolled back privacy protections for internet users, ISPs would take advantage? The EFF did, pointing out that Verizon has already announced that it will install spyware, in the form of the launcher AppFlash, across its users’ Android devices in the coming weeks. AppFlash, as TechCrunch reports, will embed itself to the left of your home screen, offering details on local restaurants, movies or apps that you can download.

But the EFF spent a little time staring at AppFlash’s privacy policy, where it’s revealed that the software will vacuum up any and all of your private data. For instance, it’ll snag your cell number, device type, operating system and the apps or services that you use. More crucially, the app will also harvest the details of everything installed on your device, your location and the contact details of everyone in your phonebook.

Verizon admits that the information will be shared within "the Verizon family of companies," including that of (Engadget parent) Aol. From there, the data will be used to "provide more relevant advertising within the AppFlash experiences and in other places." The other places being a euphemism for banner and display advertising all across the web.

So, if you’re trying for a baby and you’ve got a fertility app on your phone, it’s reasonable to expect plenty of banner ads for diapers and formula feeding. If you’re doing something more private, like making your first steps out of the closet or dealing with a substance abuse issue — and you’ve got a relevant app — then Verizon’s gonna know about it.

To be fair, Verizon justifies its stance by saying that it’ll need some of this data in order to make on-demand services work. How, after all, can it seamlessly tell you local movie times and call you an Uber to the cinema if it doesn’t know where you are? Not to mention that Google already snatches most of this information for its own purposes.

But, as the EFF points out, most of the Android devices on Verizon’s network will now have a common app that hackers will be probing for holes. Should a nefarious type find such a vulnerability, then you can be sure that same personal data will be sold off to the highest bidder.

Update: Verizon has since sent the following statement to Engadget: "As we said earlier this week, we are testing AppFlash to make app discovery better for consumers. The test is on a single phone –- LG K20 V –- and you have to opt-in to use the app. Or, you can easily disable the app. Nobody is required to use it. Verizon is committed to your privacy. Visit http://ift.tt/2nrp03y to view our Privacy Policy."

Update 2: Following Verizon’s statement, the EFF has actually taken the step of withdrawing its prior accusation of the cellular network’s motives. The privacy body has pledged to investigate the matter further, but it looks as if it may have been a lot of fuss over what amounts to very little.

Source: EFF

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Well That Was Relaxing: Candy Melting To Classical Music

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This is a video created by Youtuber Erwin Flemmer of different chocolate and gummi candies melting and unmelting, set to classical music. It was surprisingly therapeutic to watch, which is great news because I was just hit by a car and can use all the therapy I can get. "You didn’t get hit by a car." Then why do I feel like I did? "Because you jumped off your neighbor’s roof with a bed sheet for a parachute." Don’t act like you’ve never played Parachute Power Friends before. Now listen: I know this is going to sound awkward, but I’m in a lot of pain and was wondering if you could help me go to the bathroom. "Define help." Hold my penis while I go. "Not a chance." Whatever you don’t look strong enough anyways. Keep going for the video.

Thanks to lizzy, who agrees the most rewarding thing to watch melt is butter because you’re cooking lobster. Yum!

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Official: Simple Now Supports Android Pay

You read that right, Simple customers – the world’s most tech-savvy bank (not official or backed up by actual data), Simple, now supports Android Pay.

After a long, long wait, customers can now add their Simple debit cards to Android Pay and everything should work the way you’d expect it to. To set up your card, open up the Android Pay app, input the Simple card details and that’s it. You’re now ready to start paying like a real millennial.

Should you run into problems, Simple already has a FAQ set up on its website, detailing the secondary verification process. You shouldn’t need it, but just in case, it is available.

Now, before you ask, I have already inquired about support for Samsung Pay. Currently, Simple has nothing to share, but they are working on it. These things take time, as you have likely already figured out.

Anyway, Android Pay!

Update: I just went through the process of enabling my card for usage on Android Pay, and it’s not as easy as I expected. For the most part, it’s straightforward. Once you request for usage and input a few identifier numbers (SSN, BD, etc.), Simple must process the request which can take a couple of days. It’s not a complex process, but still something to take note of.

Via: Simple

Official: Simple Now Supports Android Pay is a post from: Droid Life

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Are smartphones to blame for pedestrian deaths spike?

It’s a dangerous world for pedestrians, and smartphones aren’t helping.

A new report estimates that in 2016, the United States saw its largest annual increase in pedestrian fatalities since such record keeping began 40 years ago.

“This is unprecedented and, quite honestly, shocking,” Richard Retting, the report’s author, told CNNTech. “I’ve been in the highway safety field 35 years, we just don’t see record increases, let alone consecutive years of record increases.”

The Governors Highway Safety Association estimated there were 6,000 pedestrian deaths in 2016, the highest number in more than 20 years. Since 2010, pedestrian fatalities have grown at four times the rate of overall traffic deaths.

Related: Why more people are suddenly dying on U.S. roads

“The why is elusive. We don’t know all the reasons,” Retting said. “Clearly lots of things are contributing. But not one of these other factors have changed dramatically.”

The thing that has changed dramatically in recent years is smartphone use. The volume of wireless data used from 2014 to 2015 more than doubled, according to the Wireless Association.

Drivers and pedestrians who are distracted by their smartphones are less likely to be aware of their surroundings, creating the potential for danger.

“Somebody staring at their phone for two seconds at 40 mph has covered a very long distance,” Retting said. “It’s not hard to imagine a pedestrian at the wrong place, wrong time, never being seen by the driver.”

Most pedestrian fatalities occur at night in road space designated for vehicles. Only one in five pedestrian fatalities occur at intersections.

Related: Traffic deaths expected to cross troubling milestone

The Governors Highway Safety Association looked at data from the first six months of 2016 that came from 50 state highway safety offices and the District of Columbia. The complete data will be available later this year.

The findings come as traffic safety experts have called for totally eliminating deaths on roadways. Near-term solutions include designing roads and vehicles to be safer. Cutting down on speeding and drunk driving are obvious targets.

The most impactful solution may lie over the horizon. Car and tech companies are investing billions in autonomous vehicles. Once ready, experts anticipate self-driving vehicles will dramatically reduce the 1.25 million motor vehicle deaths on global roads each year.

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Lastest Tesla Easter egg turns touchscreen into a sketchpad

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Tap the "T" three times to create your masterpiece.

Continue reading Lastest Tesla Easter egg turns touchscreen into a sketchpad

Lastest Tesla Easter egg turns touchscreen into a sketchpad originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Mar 2017 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD Ryzen Performance Update Released For Ashes of the Singularity

When the AMD Ryzen 7 platform was released many of the reviews were critical of the 1080P gaming performance on the Ryzen 7 processor series. AMD promised that we would see a series of game and engine updates for the new Ryzen architecture fairly quickly and the first game title to become optimized for Ryzen …more

The post AMD Ryzen Performance Update Released For Ashes of the Singularity appeared first on Legit Reviews.

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