August, 2017

• 1 August

  Facebook developing video chat device with touchscreen

  

  Facebook is about to get even more social. The social media site is apparently working on a device specifically for video chatting, according to Bloomberg. Citing “people familiar with the matter,” the product will be a 13- or 15-inch touchscreen with a wide-angle camera, microphones. It will also have some artificial intelligence technology baked in, …

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• 1 August

  The iPhone 8 wait doesn’t hurt Apple sales

  

  Now playing: Watch this: iPhone, iPad and Mac sales are all up before iPhone 8 1:15 Apple sold a boatload of iPhones during what tends to be the quiet quarter for the company. Sarah Tew/CNET Spring and summer marks a time to hit the beach, catch a baseball game and generally get outside to take advantage of the nice weather.  …

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• 1 August

  Get an 8

  

  CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Twitter! Enlarge Image Not a bad-looking desktop accessory, given what it is. Bestek As computer accessories go, surge protectors are …

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• 1 August

  Privacy experts file FTC complaint against Google

  

  Privacy advocates aren’t satisfied with Google’s assurances that it’s protecting consumer privacy when it tracks the success of online ad campaigns into ringing up sales in physical stores. On Monday, the advocacy group Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a formal complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission that asks the agency to begin an investigation into Google’s “in-store tracking algorithm.” The …

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• 1 August

  Galaxy S8, S8 Plus now compatible with Google Daydream

  

  One of the most popular phones — the Galaxy S8 (and larger counterpart S8 Plus) — is now compatible with Google‘s virtual reality platform, Daydream. Google announced the news via Twitter. Updates will roll out over the next few weeks, but users may notice a difference in timing depending on their carriers. The US carrier Verizon, for example, already rolled …

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• 1 August

  QR codes might not be as lame as you think

  

  Years ago, when QR codes arrived on the tech scene, they were heralded as not only the inevitable successor to bar codes, but also the future of information-sharing. By scanning a code, you could open a web page without typing a lengthy URL; learn more about a product; shop at virtual stores; unlock clues in videogames; and so on. And… …

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• 1 August

  HP dresses up its VR backpacks for business

  

  HP is launching what it calls the world’s first professional virtual reality wearable, in the form of a convenient portable backpack. With the new HP Z VR Backpack, you can avoid the usual VR hassle of cords and wires — since you’re actually wearing the computer. It’s complete with battery, ports and the right PC parts for VR creation. The …

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• 1 August

  Smoke on SriLankan flight likely caused by lithium

  

   Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that’s taken over our lives. The airline says no one was hurt and the flight landed safely.  Ishara S.kodikara / AFP/Getty Images It’s not often that you’re on a flight and an overhead bin begins pumping out smoke. That, however, is what happened on a SriLankan Airlines flight from Kochi, …

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• 1 August

  Stan scores ‘Romper Stomper’ and ‘Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams’

  

  Now playing: Watch this: What’s new on Australian streaming in August 2:04 Stan has announced its lineup for the second half of 2017, and it’s a cracker of Aussie-made shows and cult classics.  We’ve seen some hectic competition build in streaming over the past year or so, and as the small players drop off and the big guys get bigger, …

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• 1 August

  YouTube gets faster, more accurate in fight against terror videos

  

  YouTube has announced updates in its ongoing fight to prevent the video platform from being used to promote terrorist content.  The initial set of four steps, announced by Google in June, included using new technology “to help identify extremist and terrorism-related videos”; adding more human experts to flag videos; removing money-making opportunities from videos that come close to, but don’t …

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