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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 16 Issue 22
Volume 16, Issue 22 Atari Online News, Etc. May 30, 2014
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2014
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
Fred Horvat
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #1622 05/30/14
~ Iran Summons Zuckerberg ~ People Are Talking! ~ The Worst Game Ever?
~ Who Gets Atari Games? ~ Surface Pro 3 vs World ~ 10 Tech Annoyances!
~ Extortion Malware Plea! ~ Hacker Hero Watch Dogs ~ Wii U Mario Kart 8!
~ ~ YouTube "Revelations"! ~
-* eBay Thought User Data Safe! *-
-* Apple Device Hijacking Spreads to US *-
-* Google To Comply on "Right To Be Forgotten" *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Well, unoffically, summer has arrived. By the looks of the recent weather
here in the Northeast, you really wouldn't know it! Occasional rain, and
a few days with cooler-than-normal temps haven't given us much to enjoy,
but we'll make the best of it!
It's been a "short" week due to the Memorial Day holiday, so trying to
get caught up was difficult. But, we managed and things are progressing.
Let's get to this week's issue while time is still on our side!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Hacker Hero 'Watch Dogs' To Be Let Loose!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Mario Kart 8 Races to the Front of Wii U Pack!
Worst Video Game Ever?
And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Hacker Hero Video Game 'Watch Dogs' To Be Let Loose
Hacker-themed video game "Watch Dogs" makes its hotly anticipated debut
on Tuesday in a world grappling with real-life fears about privacy in the
Internet era.
France-based Ubisoft's new title features a protagonist who controls the
world around him by hacking into systems and has generated intense buzz
for eerie parallels with the storm about US surveillance.
Games typically use weapons ranging from guns and swords to lasers to
special powers to defeat enemies, overcome obstacles or simply score
points.
But in "Watch Dogs", the player-controlled antihero can access everything
from the cellphone conversations and medical records of passers-by to
computers which control traffic lights, to advance through the game.
"We knew we had a relevant topic," Canadian Ubisoft developer Dominic Guay
told AFP as the game was previewed at the E3 video game trade show last
year.
"I turned on CNN, and the first sentence I heard was 'invasion of
privacy,' switched channels and on Fox they were (talking about)
'surveillance,' and I said to my creative director, 'Those are all our
key words.'"
Set in Chicago, the game centers on Aiden Pearce, who uses his smartphone
to access the city's Central Operating System, which controls everything
from power grids and traffic management technology to bank accounts and
phone networks.
That kind of hacking evokes the stunning revelations about electronic
surveillance by US authorities, revealed by ex-government contractor and
whistle-blower Edward Snowden, who is in hiding in Russia.
The documents suggest the US National Security Agency (NSA) has gathered
call log records for millions of American phone subscribers and targeted
the Internet data of foreign Web users.
The debate was also fueled by interest in putting more surveillance
cameras on streets in the aftermath of last year's deadly Boston marathon
bombings.
Ubisoft said the game, originally set for release last year, has seen
strong pre-orders, suggesting it will be a big seller.
"The teams have worked tirelessly to ensure that players will enjoy a top
quality game with enormous scope, and we cant wait to get the game into
their hands," Ubisoft senior vice president of marketing Tony Key said
Friday.
Guay said technology is now making it possible to foresee a world not
unlike that in British writer George Orwell's novel "1984," in which Big
Brother watches and controls everything.
Orwell "had an extreme view of that dystopian world at that time," he
said. "I think we're seeing a time where the technology has caught up to
his views" where the technology would enable his dystopian world to exist.
In "Watch Dogs," Pearce starts off seeking revenge for a loved one, but as
he finds out more about the city, through hacking into its systems and
inhabitants, he becomes a "vigilante," according to Montreal-based Guay.
"Most of the hacks that we have in the game are based on stuff that's
happened in the real world," Guay said.
"We just happened to give them all to a single player."
He pointed out the rise of "smart cities" in which traffic, utilities and
other systems are optimized by centralized computing networks.
Guay was adamant that the game makes no value judgment on the complex and
sensitive issue.
"We're not trying to be moralistic about it," he said.
"But we're hoping that players, when they've finished the game, maybe
start a conversation," he added.
Versions of "Watch Dogs" have been tailored for play on Sony's
new-generation PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One as well as the
previous generation of those consoles.
The game, priced at $60 in the US, can also be played on computers powered
by Windows software.
Ubisoft added the ability for people playing "Watch Dogs" on consoles to
take on in-game challenges from friends using a companion application on
smartphones or tablets.
Mario Kart 8 Races to the Front of the Wii U Pack
Its a little rough out there for Wii U owners these days, but good news
is skidding around the corner.
Releasing May 30, Mario Kart 8 is more than just a great video game. Its
a must-have racer, a celebration of Nintendos prowess as a game maker, a
system-seller, and a bright beacon in a blue ocean of uncertainty for the
underselling Wii U.
You know the drill: Pick a mascot, pick a kart, pick a track, and
powerslide (and power-up) your way to victory. That core remains
unchanged, though Nintendo offers a surprising amount of customization.
Thirty playable characters the most in the series boast different
overall ratings, but so does each kart body, wheel type, and glider
style. Tinkering with these keeps the game chugging well past its first
few hours and offers a reward beyond the gameplay itself.
Not that it needs it, because the game handles like a dream. The
powersliding, the perfectly timed green shell, the photo finish its
all here, and its all dialed in. Its hard to quantify exactly what
makes Mario Kart 8 so eminently playable, but I think its all about the
intangibles: the way one kart controls compared with another; the tension
between holding onto a powerslide for a little extra juice or letting it
go to get a better angle out of a turn; the incidental animations as
characters glare at one another while jockeying for position. Mario
Kart 8 is Nintendo cooking with love, and it shows around every turn.
Making it around those turns in one piece is easier said than done thanks
to those pesky, game-changing power-ups. The classic bananas, shells, and
mushrooms are here, joined by a few cool new items, like a super-powered
horn that can actually stop that accursed blue shell from ruining your
first-place finish. Its still a game occasionally dominated by luck of
the power-up draw, though, and the chances of you landing that super horn
right when you need it are pretty slim. No game snatches defeat from the
jaws of victory quite like Mario Kart.
Its frustrating zipping from first to fifth courtesy of a well-timed blue
shell, for sure, but the games 32 tracks are filled with enough shortcuts
and secrets that youll probably (and, in a sense, rightfully) blame
yourself instead of the power-ups. Half of those tracks are brand-new,
while the rest are rejiggered remakes from older games in the franchise.
At times, these are spectacular. Tearing a kart through a volcanic
Bowsers Castle, racers come face to face with a gigantic, Godzilla-like
Bowser rippling the track with his monstrous fists. Its awesome.
The tracks also hold Mario Kart 8s most notable new feature:
anti-gravity. Occasionally your kart turns into a magnetic hoverboard
tethered to the track, flipped upside-down or, more interestingly, on its
side. Its a nice touch but doesnt add much to the gameplay. Players get
small boosts for banging into one another during these bits, but after a
time the anti-grav sections sort of fly by without your even realizing
it.
But what Mario Kart 8 lacks in innovation, it more than makes up for with
its jaw-dropping looks. So much is made of the Wii Us power shortage
relative to the Xbox One and PS4, but you wouldnt know it here. This is
a gorgeous video game. Skidding around corners, tossing out power-ups,
hitting a jump and gliding through the air Mario Kart 8 is a Technicolor
roller coaster absolutely bursting at the seams with creative flair,
trumping last years superb Super Mario 3D World as the best-looking game
on the system.
Despite the Wii Us notorious online shortcomings, playing online actually
works just fine though, curiously, chat functionality is disabled during
races. Presumably this is intended to cut down on the smack talk, and
while thats appreciated for random public matches, it sort of ruins the
fun of giving your friends hell after thwacking the back of their head
with a green shell. Of course, you can always invite them over and play
face to face, as Mario intended. You can also share highlight-reel videos
to both the Nintendo Miiverse and YouTube. It might not rival the
streaming goodness of Twitch, but come on, baby steps.
In terms of content and delivery, Mario Kart 8 is easily among the best in
the franchise. And while it isnt likely to be anywhere near the top of
the heap in terms of units sold due to the relatively paltry Wii U install
base (Polygon illustrates this nicely), but perhaps its got a higher
calling. Great games sell systems, and make no mistake: This is a flat-out
great video game. Theres hope yet for the Wii U.
4.5/5 stars
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
New Mexico City Working On Who Gets Atari Games
Officials in a New Mexico city are working on a plan under which film
companies, museums and the public could get Atari video games that were
dug up from an old landfill last month.
Workers for a documentary film production company recovered the games
from the garbage heap in Alamogordo.
According to the Alamogordo Daily News (http://bit.ly/1izntyG ), city
documents indicate Atari consoles and 1,377 games were found, including
"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."
The search for the "E.T." cartridges will be featured in an upcoming
documentary about the biggest video game company of the early '80s. The
game contributed to Atari's demise.
A draft plan being considered by Alamogordo officials would provide some
of the games to the companies that paid for the excavation. Some would go
to national, state and local museums, while hundreds could be sold to the
public.
Worst Video Game Ever?
Howard Scott Warshaw is the creator of E.T. - The Extraterrestrial for
Atari in 1982.
That makes him the man who took one of the most successful movies of all
time and turned it into what many consider the worst video game ever.
Critics savaged the game. Millions of copies went unsold or were
returned. Its considered one of the most epic failures in the
industry's history.
And Warshaw is remarkably OK with that. I really do prefer people
identify it that way because I also did Yars Revenge and thats
frequently cited as one of the best games in history. So between those
two games I have the greatest range of any designer in history, he
jokes.
Warshaw says Atari only gave him five and a half weeks to create the game
in time for that years Christmas season. Hes proud it got made at all.
Its still to this date 30 years later, I believe, the fastest video
game ever developed in history, he points out.
Warshaw also points out that, despite not meeting expectations, E.T. for
the Atari still sold a million and a half units. So they managed to turn
a million and a half-seller into a loser.
The fate of E.T. for the Atari has become an industry legend. It was
rumoured the company even went so far as to bury millions of copies in an
unknown location just to be rid of them. That rumour was proven true in
April when searchers dug up copies in the New Mexico desert . Howard
Scott Warshaw was there.
Atari has long since been out of business but Warshaw is thriving. He was
a keynote speaker at the Ottawa International Game Conference where he
spoke on, what else, how to deal with failure. The message I bring
typically is stay inspired, stay passionate, and be resilient.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
eBay Thought User Data Was Safe
EBay initially thought that user data was safe following the security
breach it fell victim to recently. As it turns out, that wasnt the case
at all; as Reuters noted in a recent report, eBay has now confirmed that
personal data belonging to all 145 million of its users was accessed and
compromised in the attack, making it one of the biggest breaches of all
time.
In other words, change your eBay password immediately if you havent
already.
Reuters says that eBay initially thought all user data was safe from
attackers in the breach, but an eBay executive confirmed that wasnt the
case while speaking with Reuters in what were the companys first public
comments from a top exec since the breach.
For a very long period of time we did not believe that there was any eBay
customer data compromised, eBay global marketplaces chief Devin Wenig
told the news organization. Once the company learned that data was
compromised, the executive says eBay moved quickly to disclose the breach.
According to Wenig, email addresses and encrypted passwords for all 145
million eBay users were compromised. It is unclear if or when hackers will
be able to break the encryption protecting the passwords, but users should
obviously change their passwords anyway as a precaution.
Wenig said millions of eBay users have already changed their passwords,
though he failed to elaborate. The executive also said that eBay is
taking measures to protect its network in order to ensure that a similar
breach does not happen again in the future.
Google Takes Steps To Comply With EU's 'Right To Be Forgotten' Ruling
Google has taken the first steps to meet a European ruling that citizens
can have objectionable links removed from Internet search results, a
ruling that pleased privacy campaigners but raised fears that the right
can be abused to hide negative information.
The balance between privacy and the freedom of information has been a hot
topic in Europe, whose citizens enjoy some of the world's strictest data
protection laws, especially after last year's revelations about the
extensive global surveillance programs run by the United States.
Google, which processes more than 90 percent of all Web searches in
Europe, said on Thursday that it had made available a webform through
which people can submit their requests, but did not say how soon it would
remove links that meet the criteria for being taken down.
The move by the world's most popular search engine comes just before a
two-day meeting of heads of the 28 EU data protection agencies from
Tuesday, during which they are due to discuss the implications of the EU
ruling on May 13.
"It was about time, since European data protection laws have existed since
1995," said Viviane Reding, the EU's justice commissioner. "We will now
need to look into how the announced tool will work in practice."
Google GOOGL.O said it has convened a committee of senior Google
executives and independent experts to try and craft a long-term approach
to dealing with what's expected to be a barrage of requests from the EU's
500 million citizens.
"The court's ruling requires Google to make difficult judgements about an
individual's right to be forgotten and the public's right to know," a
Google spokesman said.
The decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) places
Google in a tricky position as it strives to interpret the EU's broad
criteria for "inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant" information.
Advocates of freedom of speech have said that the ruling paved the way for
rich or powerful individuals and criminals to remove information about
them, a claim that is dismissed by privacy activists since the ECJ allowed
Google to apply a public interest test in deciding whether to remove the
links.
"What today's Google application form does is demonstrate the fallacy
behind the frequent complaint that compliance with EU laws is too
cumbersome," said a spokesman for Europe's consumer digital rights lobby
group BEUC.
"There is a major difference between applying and being granted a right to
deletion of personal data."
When evaluating requests, Google says it will consider whether the results
include outdated information about a person, as well as whether there is a
public interest in the information, such as in cases of professional
malpractice, criminal convictions and the public conduct of officials.
Since the ECJ's ruling, Google has received thousands of removal
requests, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Failure to remove links that meet the EU's criteria can result in fines.
Google has said it is disappointed with the EU ruling, and Executive
Chairman Eric Schmidt said the balance the court struck between privacy
and "the right to know" was wrong.
On Thursday, Google said it would work with data protection authorities
and others as it implements the ruling.
It is not clear when Google will begin to actually remove any links, and
the ruling does not mean that information itself must be taken down, just
the link in search results.
Yahoo Inc, which also operates a search engine in Europe, has previously
said it is "carefully reviewing" the decision to assess the impact for its
business and its users. Microsoft, which operates the Bing search engine,
has previously declined to comment on the ruling.
Extortion Malware 'Creator' Pleads Not Guilty in U.S.
A Swedish man allegedly behind a malware program designed to help hackers
extort money after taking control of computers pleaded not guilty
Thursday in US court.
Alex Yucel, 24, was arrested in Moldova in November. He stands accused of
co-creating RAT malware and owning and operating the BlackShades group
that sold it.
He entered his plea before a federal judge in Manhattan after being
extradited to the United States.
He faces two counts of computer hacking, one count of conspiring to
commit access device fraud, one count of access device fraud and one
count of aggravated identity theft.
If convicted, Yucel faces up to 17 years in prison.
Nearly 100 people were arrested in Europe and the United States in a bust
targeting the creators, sellers and users of the malware in 16 countries,
authorities announced in May.
The program, dubbed RAT for "Remote Access Tools," allowed hackers to
access private photographs, passwords, spy on victims through webcams,
lock data and then send out "ransom notes" to extort money.
The RAT program could also harass or frighten victims through messages
that computers would read aloud, and in some cases, it gave hackers
access to webcams to spy inside private homes.
The program generated sales of $350,000 between September 2010 and April
2014, with more than 6,000 customer accounts in more than 100 countries,
according to the FBI.
It was sold to hackers for $40 each.
More than 500,000 computers were infected, according to US Attorney Preet
Bharara.
Apple Device Hijacking Spreads to US as Aussies Urged To Change Passwords
Apple device owners who have iCloud accounts are being told to change
their passwords by Australian authorities in the wake of a hijacking
attack that appears to have spread to the US.
The Australian government's Stay Smart Online service and the NSW Police
have both issued warnings to Apple users, which state that as a
precaution they should change their passwords.
"With the possibility that this attack is linked to your 'Apple ID',
affected users are advised to change [their] Apple ID password as soon
as possible," Stay Smart Online wrote in an advisory. "Users not affected
may also consider changing their Apple ID password as a precaution."
Apple says users should not use the same username and password across
multiple online accounts.
"The best course of action is to change your Apple ID password ASAP," NSW
Police said.
Meanwhile, Apple issued a statement to Fairfax Media on Wednesday stating
its iCloud service had not been compromised, but that impacted users
should "change their Apple ID password as soon as possible and avoid
using the same username and password for multiple services".
Any users who needed additional help were advised to contact AppleCare or
visit an Apple store.
The attacks, which were initially only impacting device owners in
Australia, involve a hacker logging in to Apple iCloud accounts and using
the lost device feature to lock users out. A message then demands a
ransom of between $US50 and $US100 for the device to be unlocked.
If a passcode was set on the device - be it an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
or Mac - the user could simply enter it, change their iCloud password and
avoid having to deal with the ransom. But if no passcode was set, Apple
device owners reported having to erase their entire phone or device. If a
back-up existed, this could then be used to restore it to when it was
last backed up.
The issue appears to stem from the hacker making use of credentials from
a previous data breach on an unknown company. Apple's statement alludes
to this - by stating that customers should use different passwords across
their online accounts - but does not confirm it.
As is often the case after a data breach, hackers sift through the data
looking for information they can use to break into users' other online
accounts. And because users often use the same password across multiple
online accounts and don't change them, hackers can often get in.
Up until the last few days, the majority of attacked devices were
reported to be in Australia, but according to Apples support thread, a
number of victims have began being attacked in the US.
"I'm in the US. Never been to Australia. Hacked last night
," one user
wrote.
"Currently restoring to try and get back online," they added.
Former Victoria Police superintendent Tony Warren was one of the
higher-profile targets hit. He told Fairfax Radio he was startled in the
middle of the night by the hackers infiltrating his iPad.
"Basically the message was that I had been hacked by Oleg Pliss, was the
name given, to contact him on a telephone number... and pay $50 to
unlock my iPhone and iPad," Warren said.
It is likely hackers are using the unusual name as a front to get money
from people. A real Oleg Pliss is a software engineer at tech company
Oracle.
Contacted by Fairfax, Mr Pliss said he was not a hacker.
"I have never hacked any Apple device," he said.
"I am not aware that my name is being used. But there could be other
person with the same name."
A similar name is listed on LinkedIN as a banking professional in
Ukraine, while there are others in Russia.
Sydney Apple user Susan Walker told Fairfax she lost everything on her
iPhone due to the hijacking.
"As I did not have a password on my phone the phone was blocked [from
being used]," she said.
"I spent [Wednesday] at the Apple Genius bar having my phone reinstalled.
All information (outside my iTunes backup) was lost. I now have a
password installed on my iPhone!
"It was awful!"
She said the Castle Hill Apple store she went to "knew nothing" about the
issue.
"At no point did I consider paying this scum!" she added, referring to
the hacker.
Jayne Cho, an Australian living in South Korea, said her iPhone and iPad
was targeted.
"I was woken at 2am with both my iPhone and iPad screaming an alarm and
presenting the
message about the device being hacked by Oleg Pliss,"
she said.
Peta Santoro in Perth was one of the luckier ones who had a passcode set
on his device, meaning that he could ignore the hacker's message just by
logging in with his passcode.
"My iPhone was protected with a passcode so I was one of the people who
were able to still unlock their phones," he said. "My password was one
which I used across a number of different websites so I've learnt my
lesson and will be allocating different passwords to everything."
When contacted, Australia's three big telcos - Telstra, Vodafone and
Optus - referred the matter to Apple. Telstra was the only one to
acknowledge the issue in a statement to Fairfax.
"We're aware of the reports and weve referred the matter to Apple,"
Telstra said.
"In the meantime customers who need assistance can contact AppleCare."
In addition to changing passwords, IT security experts have recommended
Apple users enable "two-factor authentication" on their accounts if they
don't already have it by visiting:http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5570.
This acts as a second layer of security by making users have to enter a
code that is sent to their mobile device before they are granted access
to their account.
How to change your Apple ID/iCloud password:
Go to My Apple ID (appleid.apple.com).
Click "Manage your Apple ID" and sign in.
If you have two-step verification turned on, you'll be asked to send a
verification code to the trusted device associated with your Apple ID.
If you're unable to receive messages at your trusted device, follow the
guidelines for what to do if you can't sign in with two-step
verification.
Click "Password and Security".
In the "Choose a new password" section, click Change Password.
Enter your old password, then enter a new password and confirm the new
password. Click Save when done.
Iran Judge Summons Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Court
A judge in southern Iran has ordered Facebook founder and CEO Mark
Zuckerberg to appear in court to answer complaints by individuals who say
Facebook-owned applications Instagram and WhatsApp violate their privacy,
semiofficial news agency ISNA reported Tuesday.
It quoted Ruhollah Momen Nasab, an official with the paramilitary Basij
force, as saying that the judge also ordered the two apps blocked. It is
highly unlikely that Zuckerberg would appear in an Iranian court, since
there is no extradition treaty between Iran and the United States. Some
Iranian courts have in recent years issued similar rulings that could
not be carried out.
Another Iranian court last week had ordered Instagram blocked over
privacy concerns. However, users in the capital, Tehran, still could
access both applications around noon Tuesday. In Iran, websites and
Internet applications have sometimes been reported blocked but remained
operational.
Facebook is already officially banned in the country, along with other
social websites like Twitter and YouTube, as well as their mobile apps.
However, some senior leaders like Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
are active on Twitter, and many Iranians use proxy servers to access
banned websites and applications.
The administration of moderate President Hassan Rouhani is opposed to
blocking such websites before authorities create local alternatives.
Social media has offered a new way for him and his administration to
reach out to the West as it negotiates with world powers over the
countrys contested nuclear program.
We should see the cyber world as an opportunity, Rouhani said last
week, according to the official IRNA news agency. Why are we so shaky?
Why dont we trust our youth?
Hard-liners, meanwhile, accuse Rouhani of failing to stop the spread of
what they deem as decadent Western culture in Iran.
Surface Pro 3 Vs. World: Mobile Smackdown
Surface Pro 3: The tablet that can replace a laptop?? Microsoft touts
the Surface Pro 3 as the tablet that can replace a laptop. The company
said the same thing about earlier Surface Pro models, none of which
sold well enough to justify the claim. But thanks to a bigger screen
and other improvements, the Pro 3 largely lives up to its billing.
Earlier Surfaces are interesting as small laptops, but with a 10.6-inch
screen, cramped keyboard accessory, and limited kickstand, the Pro and
Pro 2 were ultimately too small. As tablets, the devices handled
awkwardly, hampered by their relative heaviness and landscape-centric
16:9 shape. The Surface Pro 3 corrects these problems. It has the screen
real estate of a legitimate laptop, and though heavier than pure tablets
at 1.76 pounds, it's lighter and thinner than earlier models. In fact,
the Pro 3, though not as light and ergonomic as an iPad, is surprisingly
easy to hold for long periods, thanks to its unique 3:2 aspect ratio.
The Pro 3's included Surface Pro Pen adds a superlative stylus experience
to the mix. Out of the box, it offers a deeply integrated experience in
apps such as OneNote and Fresh Paint, and will soon boast optimized
third-party apps from major vendors such as Adobe. Using the pen isn't
quite like applying ink to paper, but it comes close - close enough
for electronic notes and drawings to feel second nature after only a
little practice.
The Surface Pro 3 is a terrific device, but it's still not an optimal
choice for everyone. When he introduced the Pro 3, Microsoft corporate VP
Panos Panay repeatedly compared it to both an iPad and a MacBook Air,
arguing that it can replace both. He's right; the Surface Pro 3 can serve
as a user's sole laptop and sole tablet - but that doesn't necessarily
mean it should.
If you're looking for a pure tablet experience, the Surface Pro 3 isn't
as mobile, light, or easy to hold as an iPad, and it costs a hell of a
lot more than the vast majority of Android and Windows slates. Then
again, the newest Pro is one of the few tablets to effectively integrate
a pen into the experience.
As a laptop, it's a topflight device, but arguably less befitting a "Pro"
moniker than Apple's MacBook Pros, which are heavier but offer more raw
power. The MacBook Air is a better comparison. It lacks the Pro 3's
touchscreen hybridity, but as a conventional laptop, it's hard to beat
and a big reason why Macs traditionally rule the market for $1000+ PCs.
Its new kickstand allows the Pro 3 to sit on your lap better than its
predecessors, but it still requires some fiddling to get going. More
conventional designs such as the Air's require less fuss.
Even if you're a fan of 2-in-1 designs, the Pro 3 might be too pricey for
what it offers. Few Windows hybrids are more complete and compelling, and
fewer still can match the Surface Pro 3's luxurious build quality. But
these perks will matter more to some users than to others, and if your
basic goal is to squeeze a laptop and tablet into one device, there are
cheaper ways to do so.
Ultimately, how much you get from the Surface Pro 3 depends how you use
it. The device resists comparisons because it is fairly unique, but also
invites comparisons because it includes elements found in other devices.
Is it as good a laptop as the MacBook Air? As productive a tablet as the
Galaxy Note Pro? A better hybrid than other Windows slates? Do you get
more for $800 from an iPad Air or a Surface Pro 3?
If your requirements fall within the Pro 3's strengths, it's an
outstanding option. But if you're not motivated by the device's unique
combination of traits, you might prefer to keep your laptops and tablets
separate. And even if you like hybrids, the Pro 3 is one of the pricier
ways to go. Is it the right device for you? Explore this slideshow to see
how the Surface Pro 3 compares to some of its main alternatives. And
share your opinions in the comments field.
YouTube Reveals Which US Internet Providers Are Best and Worst at Streaming
Starting today, internet providers in the United States will finally be
held to account for lackluster YouTube streaming speeds. Google has
brought its Video Quality Report first launched in Canada at the start
of this year to the US, and is now ranking ISPs like Cablevision and
Verizon FiOS based on the fidelity of their YouTube streams. If you've
been experiencing buffering issues or playback interruptions despite
paying for a speedy internet connection, this monthly report could help
answer the lingering question of why.
"Making sure you can watch YouTube in HD from anywhere, anytime is a
shared effort among us, your Internet service provider and even you,"
the company says. On that last point, Google is offering consumers a
number of tips to help boost YouTube performance. That's assuming of
course that your chosen ISP and YouTube are on good, cooperative terms.
But we're in a different world now. And as Netflix has shown (more than
once), ensuring smooth streaming sometimes means pulling out the
checkbook.
You'll know which ISPs are faring best because they're labeled as "HD
Verified." This means that customers can expect reliable streams of at
least 720p; apparently setting the bar at 1080p was too great of a
challenge for these companies to meet. More specifics on the
methodology YouTube's using to grade ISPs can be found here.
If you can only successfully watch videos at a resolution of 360p, your
ISP is offering what YouTube describes as standard definition. But some
internet providers are apparently doing even worse than that; the worst
designation of "lower definition" is reserved for ISPs plagued by
stuttering video and buffering even when you're trying to watch
something at less than 360p quality. The Video Quality Report also
lends an interesting look at what time of day YouTube is most popular
with other people on your network and in your city. Surprise: many
people use it to waste time at work.
Ten Terrible Tech Annoyances That Should Be Illegal
Todays technology is astonishing, magical, and delightful. It can also
be annoying beyond belief. How many times have you yelled, There oughta
be a law! at a product or website, wondering who in their right mind
could have released a certain feature into the world?
And youre right. There oughta.
Someday, the editors of Yahoo Tech will rule the world. And we will work
swiftly to enact laws that fix the most annoying things in technology:
1. CAPTCHAs shall be banned? They are readability roadblocks on
websites. Theyre supposed to prevent automated spammer software from
signing up for fake accounts, but its a losing game. Computers are
getting smarter all the time. Humans are not. In order to make CAPTCHAs
too hard for computers to read, theyve had to become too hard for
humans to decipher. Its time for them to go.
2. Hold music and the right of silence?If you have to wait on the phone
to talk to a person or a machine, why should you be subjected to awful
music? We decree that there shall be an option for silence, maybe with a
periodic, quiet update that youre still on hold. You know, so that you
can actually focus on something else instead of having some horrible din
blasting in your ear.
3. Proprietary power bricks: Illegal?We now have several devices per
person, and its nearly impossible to keep them all paired up with the
power adapters they came with.
From now on, all small electronic gizmos shall be powered by USB cables,
so you can charge them either from your computer or with a ubiquitous
USB power plug adaptor.
In fact, in Europe, theres already a common charger law. Progress!
Lets bring that law to the United States and extend it to all small
electronics, not just mobiles.
(By the way, its too bad Apples Lightning connector is proprietary,
since it provides a better user experience than micro USB, but perhaps
when USB Type C comes out, Lightning will finally have a worthwhile
competitor.)
4. Printer ink to get consumer advisory labels?The most expensive liquid
you can buy is not gasoline, champagne, or even fancy perfume. Its
inkjet printer ink, packaged into a little disposable printhead. It
works out to about $8,000 a gallon.
Those absurd prices drive the retail costs of printers down to the toy
category. But people should know what theyre in for. From now on,
printer advertisements shall include estimated yearly ink cartridge
costs, just as refrigerator labels come with yearly energy costs. And
printer ink cartridges shall be sold on a dollars-per-ounce basis, so
were all aware of what were spending money on.
5. No voice-response double jeopardy?An automated telephone system asks
you to enter your name, account number, or other information. OK, fine.
Then why, once were transferred to a human operator, must we be asked
for the same information again?
It wont happen in the Yahoo Tech future. That practice will be outlawed
6. Alerts must know their place?Our sanity is more important than a
random notification or alert from our technology. Monitor status messages
shall be designed so they dont block login windows. Appliances like
microwaves and dishwashers shall not beep constantly about minor issues,
like their cycles being done (once or twice is enough), or their doors
being closed.
I want to log in to my computer, not get some unnecessary information
about the monitors refresh rate.
7. Non-removable batteries: Banned?A technology product can last nearly
indefinitely, but a chemical battery (at least today) has a limited
lifespan. Once you start using a product with a lithium-ion battery, it
starts to degrade. To keep the product from becoming obsolete before
youre done with it, batteries shall be easily replaceable.
We are not tyrants, though. We will not decree that all batteries must
be under cheeseball snap-on covers. Just that a normal human, with a
standard tool (maybe a jewelers screwdriver), will be able to replace a
devices batteries without requiring a technical degree or a trip to an
Apple Store.
8. Software updates shall only update?When a software product tries to
update itself, it shall do that and only that. An update process shall
not be used to download and install a third-party app. Well call this
the Dont Ask law, after the Ask toolbar ride-along install that often
comes along with Java or Adobe Flash updates.
9. Pasted text must default to no formatting?If you copy text from a
website and want to paste it into an email or another document, you get
mismatched formatting.
Henceforth, pasted text shall inherit the formatting of the document
into which it is being pasted, unless the paster holds down some special
option key to override that behavior. The way copy/paste works now is the
reverse of common sense.
10. No more long ads before video content?The maximum length of a
pre-roll ad (the commercial that plays before a video online) shall be
at most 15 percent the length of the video itself. No more 30-second
advertisements in front of 17-second videos.
Advertising makes free videos possible, of course, so we wont decree it
out of existence. But keeping the ad-to-content ratio reasonable should
keep readers and viewers more engaged, and as a byproduct lead to
snappier ads.
And while were at it, we might also ban auto-play videos (video streams
that start up immediately when you click a webpage). Like the one on
this page itself. Come visit us in jail.
=~=~=~=
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material herein is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing.
