April, 2017

• 5 April

  Facebook wields new weapon in battle against revenge porn

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Facebook tools aim to combat revenge porn 1:25 Revenge porn is the scourge of the social internet — emotionally distressing at best and a downright life-ruiner at worst. Facebook is stepping up its game when it comes to protecting victims of the practice. The social network announced a new tool on …

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• 5 April

  How to record phone calls

  

  Remember the story about the guy who recorded a hilariously horrific customer-service call with Comcast? If I was on the receiving end of such disastrously bad service, I’d want audio proof as well. Of course, there are other, more innocuous, reasons for recording calls, like if you’re interviewing someone for a job or conducting market research. All of which raises …

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• 5 April

  Apple’s MagSafe cable might be back (thanks to a dongle)

  

  Try not to get too excited, MacBook owners, but your beloved MagSafe charging cables might be coming back from the dead — albeit via dongle. The magnetic-attaching charging cables were a fan-favorite feature from the MacBook Pro because of how easily they’d disconnect when accidentally yanked, a design that no doubt saved countless laptops from coming crashing down to the …

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• 5 April

  Amazon catches NFL games for a cool $50 million (The 3:59, Ep. 205)

  

  Get ready for some Amazon Prime live-streaming football. The online retailer won a bidding war among Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube to snag the global streaming rights for 10 Thursday night National Football League games for $50 million. That price is five times more than Twitter paid last season. We debate why Amazon spent so much and what the company …

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• 5 April

  Bricked iPhones put Apple in legal hot water over Error 53

  

  If you’ve ever had your iPhone fixed by a third-party repairer, you may have seen it: the dreaded Error 53. But the security check that was designed to test Touch ID on the iPhone before leaving the factory has now saddled Apple with a major court battle in Australia. And it could leave the tech manufacturer open to similar legal …

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• 5 April

  YouTube TV: Millennials will love TV on their phones, trust us!

  

  With a new live TV service, YouTube is wagering young people are as hooked on their phones for a full TV meal as they are for video snacks. YouTube TV launches Wednesday, offering a “skinny bundle” of about 50 live TV networks online for $35 a month, starting in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and the San Francisco. The …

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• 5 April

  Microsoft is fixing those confusing Windows 10 privacy messages

  

  Microsoft wants to make Windows easier to understand. Two years after it released Windows 10, a major installment in its PC software, the software giant is rolling out an update that includes, among other things, revamped privacy settings. The update, which users can download for free, will be available from April 11. Microsoft is pushing to simplify its Creators Update …

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• 5 April

  Rumored iPhone 8 might get a later release date than expected

  

  Apple fans waiting for the rumored 10th-anniversary iPhone 8 may have to wait a bit longer, according to a Chinese report by Economic Daily News (via Digitimes). The next-generation iPhone could be delayed a month or two beyond its expected September launch. The iPhone 8 is rumored to see sweeping changes, including an edge-to-edge OLED screen. But swapping out the …

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• 5 April

  Best tablets with fingerprint sensors

  

  The easiest password, and one of the most secure, is literally at the tip of your finger — that is, if your device has a fingerprint reader. Many new phones have integrated sensors that scan fingerprints, but only a few tablet manufacturers have embraced the idea. At this point, it’s still a deluxe feature you’ll only find on premium models. …

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• 5 April

  Facebook offers Workplace, its Slack rival, for free

  

  Facebook wants to get more people to use its service at work — but not in the way you think. In October, the social network unveiled Workplace, a paid collaboration service for the, well, workplace. On Wednesday, the company said it’s beginning to test a new free version to expand its user base. Now, the free tier is called Workplace …

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