August, 2018

• 6 August

  AMD 2nd

  

  Double the cores, double the fun! AMD’s highest-end processor jumps from 16 to 32 cores in the new Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, based on AMD Zen+ architecture, slated to ship on Aug. 10. At the end of August, the current 16-core flagship, the 1950X, gets its 2nd-generation upgrade to the 2950X but a demotion to middle-of-the-line …

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• 6 August

  Ajit Pai blames Obama administration for FCC DDoS attack that didn’t happen

  

  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Monday that a high-profile outage of the agency’s website last year wasn’t caused by DDoS attacks as previously suggested, though he didn’t offer an alternative explanation for the crash. On May 7, 2017, the FCC’s comment system crashed after Last Week Tonight host John Oliver encouraged his audience to post comments to the agency in support of net neutrality.  FCC officials initially …

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• 6 August

  This wireless shower speaker is just $12.50

  

  Let’s get a jump-start on holiday shopping, shall we? I mean, I know you already have all the Bluetooth speakers you could possibly need, but Secret-Santa, Yankee-Swap and 5th-night-of-Chanukah time will be here before you know it. This speaker is the perfect cheap gift candidate. For a limited time, and while supplies last, the VicTsing 5W wireless speaker is $12.49 …

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• 6 August

  How to install Android Pie right now

  

  Google on Monday announced Android P is now Android Pie. Google also revealed Android Pie is now available for Google Pixel users. The update includes new features such as official cutout support — the notch is here to stay — and other under-the-hood improvements to help developers begin using in apps. Now playing: Watch this: Android P: A slice of …

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• 6 August

  Airbnb for Work touts its business cred with nearly 700K companies onboard

  

  Airbnb is serious about business travel.  To back that up, the home-rental company on Monday shared updates about how people use its professional community, which was recently rebranded as Airbnb for Work to “better encompass the unique benefits only Airbnb can offer today’s modern workforce.” Airbnb for Work bookings tripled from 2015 to 2016, and then tripled again from 2016 …

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• 6 August

  Android 9 Pie is available now on Google Pixel phones

  

  The next generation of Android is on its way. And you guessed it — the P is for Pie. Android Pie, the new version of Google’s mobile operating system, previously called Android P, comes first to the search giant’s Pixel smartphones starting Monday. Google initially announced a preview version of the software in March, then demoed some features at its annual I/O developer …

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• 6 August

  Think your smartphone is expensive? Just you wait (The 3:59, Ep. 437)

  

  On this podcast, we talk about: Why prices for new flagship phones are on the rise. T-Mobile’s new, cheaper unlimited plan. A boot camp to reform teenage hackers. Now playing: Watch this: Think your smartphone is expensive? Just you wait (The… 4:44 The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you …

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• 6 August

  Is MoviePass a good deal?

  

  MoviePass? More like MessyPass. If you’ve been following along, you know that about a year ago, the movie-ticket subscription service rocketed to fame with this amazing deal: $9.95 per month for one movie ticket per day. And pretty much every day since, critics and investors wondered how the company could possibly sustain that model. Turns out it couldn’t. Earlier today, …

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• 6 August

  Uber drivers in Australia log off to protest upfront pricing, pooling

  

  Uber drivers in Australia were told to log off their apps on Monday morning to protest “features designed to further shortchange and underpay” them. RideShare Drivers United (RDSU) called on them to turn off the Uber app between 7:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. local time in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart. The lobby group said that around 15,000 drivers …

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• 6 August

  MoviePass slims to 3 movies for $10 per month plan to survive

  

  MoviePass has a new solution to its ongoing financial drama:  simplification. One plan, three movies, $10 a month, starting Aug. 15.  The change comes less than a week after MoviePass said it would raise its prices to $15 and drop blockbuster availability, which followed on the heels of a failed attempt to institute peak pricing and backlash when people couldn’t get …

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