iPads are still king of tablets. However, this doesn’t mean much of a financial improvement for Apple. As the tablet market continues to contract itself to record low performance, there are not many sales in this branch to entice big earnings.

Tablet Market Is at 10th Quarter of Record Low

Based on companies’ filings on their quarterly reports, a research firm entitled IDC released new stats that give away the worldwide tablet market situation. According to their findings, this industry branch is on a continuous decline. The first quarter of 2017 represents the 10^th straight financial period of decreased shipments.

There were 36.2 million shipped units across this period of time. By comparison, last year same time this sector was doing 8.5% better than now. The last time tablet market saw a positive performance was in 2014. This was when companies sent 50.4 million products at a worldwide level.

IDC report took into account both traditional and more innovative products such as Surface Pro. Moreover, it didn’t neglect tablets with detachable keyboards, yet it did rule out convertible laptops with fixed keyboards.

Huawei Showed Greatest Improvements of All Companies

Apple managed to protect its title as the king of tablets thanks to its iPads. A quarter of a million orders secured its first position according to the IDC report. On the other hand, rivals are showing signs of catching up with the tech giant this quarter. This situation might underscore the fact that iPad Pro wasn’t powerful enough to boost sales.

The only company that showed a visible improvement this year was Huawei. Its shipped units were up to 2.7 million which is better than last year when in the same period the company sold only 2 million tablets. However, this was not enough for Huawei to reach higher than the third place.

Nonetheless, things may change for the better for Apple. At the end of March, the company launched a new line of iPads priced at $329. This is the most competitive price tag for iPads so far, yet the releasing date was too late to boost first quarter performance.

Image source: 1

Many world renowned tech companies are making strides into autonomous vehicle market. All of them are investing heavily in their projects and intend to change the world. However, some of them are trying to persuade Californian lawmakers to make some adjustments to their proposed self-driving car rules.

California Wants to Become the First State with a Comprehensive Autonomous Car

On Friday, Apple sent a letter to California government with suggestions on how to tweak their proposed self-driving car rules. The bill is still under development and wasn’t officially adopted yet. The proposed changes can offer Apple, and other such tech companies, access to public data. This way, they can find out the strengths and weaknesses in their rivals’ plans.

Alphabet Inc, Ford Motor Co, Toyota Motor Corp, Uber Technologies Inc, Tesla Motors Inc, and others have all given their own input regarding the law. This manifestation appeared after California declared on Tuesday that it would wait to review further comments before deciding the best way to change one of its policies. The targeted bill concerns giving green light to companies to test cars without controls, drivers or steering wheels.

California intends to become the state where the first comprehensive autonomous car was created. As such, the state hosts a sharp race between tech companies and automakers. As a consequence, the state found it normal to ask for advice from experts in order to develop the right regularization for this domain.

Apple Wants the Self-Driving Car Rules to Give More Control to Drivers and Change Definitions

One of the ideas brought in by Apple regards the disengagements of the self-driving system. At the moment, California impels firms to report the number of times their vehicles had to deactivate the autonomous system. These cases can occur when there is a system failure or an issue related to weather, traffic, and road conditions. In these situations, the car system switches to human intervention to avert any perils.

However, Apple wants California to allow people to take control over their autonomous cars. This way, they can avoid even minor violations of traffic rules. Moreover, the tech company asked California to rewrite the definition of a self-driving car. As it is now, the description leaves room to the interpretation that the driver that assists the autonomous system doesn’t necessarily need a permit.

More other companies jumped in with their own suggestions. The state of California has now to review these inputs and decide how to create the legal framework of the self-driving car industry. In light of this event, several automakers claimed that their first fleet of autonomous cars might be ready by 2021.

Image source: 1

The automotive industry is continuously developing to address today’s needs and demands. As a consequence, this domain is already shifting the attention to environmentally friendly engines, self-driving vehicles, and futuristic looks. Digital personal assistants represent the latest blending between engineering and technology. For instance, Mercedes customers will be able to engage in conversations with their own cars.

Certain Mercedes Customers Can Connect Their Cars to Amazon Echo or Google Home

The luxury automaker has just announced the inception of a top-notch service that is in tune with today’s technologies. Mercedes customers that own 2016 and 2017 car models will be able to communicate with their vehicles. This open line will be supported by either Google Home or Amazon Echo.

As a consequence, these car owners will no longer have to do a series of activities manually. For instance, they can turn on the engine from afar just by instructing a personal assistant “Alexa, start my car.”  There will be a lot of other utilities of the new service. Drivers can ask their digital assistants to prepare them an address. By the time they take their places, their cars will be already set up with the instructions for the desired destination.

The new feature will start being operative by the end of 2017 in Europe. As for America, this project is already up and running. Nils Schanz is the CEO of Internet of Things and Wearable Integration at the research headquarters in Silicon Valley. He explained this latest direction of his company as a way to keep Mercedes customers connected to their vehicles all the time.

“Mercedes-Benz’s goal is creating an intelligent ecosystem around cars, and developing cutting-edge technology to make everyday life more convenient for our customers.”

Ford, BMW, and Genesis Are Already Offering This Service

However, drivers who wish to take advantage of this cutting-edge technology have to go through several steps first. They need to sign up for a “Mercedes me” and “mbrace”  accounts. These two services enable clients to gain online control over one’s vehicle through their smartphone. Next up, the owners have also to possess any of the two compatible home automation devices.

Mercedes-Benz is one of the many automakers that chose this path. Ford, BMW, and Genesis have already worked on allowing their customers to connect their vehicles to artificial intelligence technology.

Image source: 1

Zero-day cyber attacks are one of the most severe digital issues. They are called this way as the victims are not aware of the threat. There is no news from which they can learn about the latest technique employed in the new type of attacks. This is why they have zero days at their disposal to take the necessary steps against cyber bullies. As of recently, word documents have become the means to new security issues. The new technique makes use of the vulnerabilities found in Windows Object Linking and Embedding or OLE.

All Word Documents Are Exposed to the New Threat

The new malicious technique is supposed to take over even the computers that enjoy unlimited protection from anti-virus programs. There is no intel yet of any version of Word documents that is powerful enough to withstand this threat. Moreover, Windows 10 has not yet mentioned any solution against a possible attack on its users. This type of zero-day threat works on embedding a document with a code that summons malware from a remote server. Different techniques cover the tracks.

McAfee and FireEye are the two security organizations that found signs of the cyber attacks over the weekend. They caught sight of suspicious activity from different Word documents. They were created as RTF files, yet with the extension name .doc. The security breach is effective with all versions of Microsoft Office. The latest 2016 version that runs on Windows 10 makes no exception.

Users Can Safely Preview an Infected Document with Protecting View

The earliest signs of the presence of such malware were recorded back in January 2017. Through the RTF files, the exploit gains a connection to the computer, and it starts downloading a file with HTML code. The file is afterward executed as a .hta file. As this type of document is entirely executable, the attacker manages to gain full execution on the PC. Once active, this bugs render the cyber thieves the protocol to ignore all Microsoft mitigations.

The malicious document enters one’s system by means of e-mail usually. Thus, users should be careful about what files they open, even though they are sent via trusted persons. However, McAfee statement mentioned that the virus gains no power when users preview the file with Protecting View. Nonetheless, it is not certain if Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit is as effective.

Image source: 1

Today’s technology advances with the speed of light. Thus, many users can easily fall behind the numerous update requests they receive on their mobile gadgets. Twitter noticed this trend and created a lite version of its mobile web network. This time, the app will no longer consume so much data as its original one. As a result, users can tap into a social media platform that grants their wishes faster and saves up lots of mobile data.

The New Lite Version Can Cache Data even When Connection Is Lost

From now on, anyone who has issues with their limit on mobile data can still enjoy a simplified version of a first-tier experience on Twitter. This is because the company decided to introduce a lite version on the market. As of Thursday, everyone can use the streamlined service and enjoy a 30% faster platform.

Even though the project can easily help all people to avoid the frustration of slow connections, the service is primarily intended for developing markets. These can be India, Latin America, and Africa where most consumers are dependent on slow internet performance.

An interesting edge of the improved service is that users can use Twitter features even when their connection drops. This is because the service can cache tweets offline which doesn’t disrupt one’s experience on the social media website despite technical issues. Thus, Android users will continue to receive push notifications through their Google Chrome from lite version.

Twitter Introduced New Data Saver Feature

This time, developers really excelled at finding new ways to cut down on mobile data usage. Another newly implemented feature is called Data Saver. Users can turn this feature on and off whenever they want. However, once it is active, the platform will turn into a list of previews for other users’ videos and photos. People can make a quick impression about the material. If they are interested in a particular content, they can tap it for a full loading. Twitter is confident that with this new option, users will consume 70% less of their mobile data.

The company has been concentrating on developing the new lite version for around six months now. This new service underscores a new trend among Silicon Valley tech companies. Many of them have already turned their products into a more accessible version for emerging countries. Some of the companies in alignment with this new direction are Microsoft and Facebook.

Image source: 1

HTC Vive is one of the most comprehensive technologies ever created for a VR home system. On April 5^th, the gadget celebrates one year anniversary since its official release. The company wants to share the excitement of its achievements with its clients first. Thus, users can expect lots of goodies and exclusive deals to enjoy this event to its fullest.

The Exclusive Deals Will be Followed by New Viveport Subscription

At one-year-old, HTC Vive wants to celebrate its success with the world by sharing lots of exclusive deals. Users can expect to receive $100 discount on HTC products and even free software. Moreover, all users of Vive products will automatically get the new production of Arcade Saga courtesy of Vive Studios free of charge.

The series of surprises continues with a much-awaited subscription for Viveport. The service will be launched on Wednesday. The price tag for the subscription will be incredibly low at $6.99. Once activated, users can enjoy five top-notch titles each month. By the end of the month, the customer can claim other five productions or stick with their favorite ones.

The Virtual Reality unit is also looking forward to developing a pop culture around its product in the realm of movies too. Last week, representatives announced a collaboration with Steven Spielberg. The director’s next work is called “The Oasis” where the action will take place in a VR dimension. The movie is scheduled for 2018, and it will most likely mark the presence of VR advantages in today’s society.

While Competition Stumbles, HTC Vive Embraces Evolution

Vive’s main competition is way behind HTC. For instance, Oculus Rift is dealing with an endless series of issues, such as low sales, executive replacements, and even lawsuits. Moreover, once a simple startup, Vive X began taking a larger shape than ever. The Vive accelerator plans to gather all the brilliant minds in the world and work together to accelerate the evolution of VR. The HTC accelerator called Vive X has already added last week a total of 33 new projects to its portfolio. This rounded up the number to 60 companies that received support to create a better ecosystem for VR products.

For the moment, VR products are perceived as expensive ways to entertainment. On Wednesday only, HTC will grant $100 price cut to new buyers to promote the utility of its Vive. Afterward, they will automatically receive a copy of the latest Vive Studio production, Arcade Saga, together with all the other Vive owners.

Image source: 1

Waymo is a tech company that took upon itself the quest to create a fully automated vehicle. The unit is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc since December 2016. However, the company did not let a betrayal go unnoticed. On the contrary, Waymo took legal action against one of its former engineers. It then proceeded to a discreet court battle with Uber Technologies Inc. on grounds of theft of a trade secret.

Uber Wants to Turn the Court Battle into an Arbitration Process

In October, Waymo organized a private arbitration against one of its former engineers, Anthony Levandowski. The main allegations supposed a breach of contractual confidentiality. Moreover, the company accused its former employee of choosing colleagues for his personal robocar firm in an ineligible way.

On Wednesday, the court battle between Alphabet and Uber began. The ride-hailing behemoth is trying to avoid further sessions in court. The explanation that supports this view is that the case has a nature more fit for an arbitration procedure rather than a federal court. This assessment comes in light of a large series of final provisions Alphabet obtained in its arbitration agreement with engineer Levandowski. On the other hand, Waymo abstained from commenting the filing coming from Uber.

By taking their rivalry in court, Uber and Alphabet disclosed an ongoing war in one of the most competitive industries in the modern world. The robocar market is gaining more players than ever. Each of them is aware of the value of this market which is estimated at even trillions of dollars a year.

Waymo Claimed Anthony Levandowski Stole 14,000 Files

Anthony Levandowski used to work for the automobile project of Waymo. However, the engineer transitioned to one of the main rivals of the company, namely Uber. Alphabet’s unit is now claiming that Levandowski left the company together with 14,000 confidential files. As a consequence, Waymo sued Uber and Levandowski’s startup, Otto. The personal project was bought by Uber for $680 million in 2016.

The total of 14,000 stolen files represents the object of Waymo’s lawsuit based on patent infringements. Uber is willing to fight the case as long as the investigation becomes an arbitration process. Moreover, Uber mentioned Waymo’s decision to keep Levandowski away from its new lawsuit as a way to avoid arbitration.

Image source: 1

The popularity of affordable electric cars points out to a near future where luxury vehicles are dethroned. Volvo made a major step in this direction. The Swedish manufacturing company announced that its 2019 line of cars would be completely electric. Moreover, the price range is really looking up for all kinds of budgets by being between $35,000 and $40,000. This would be one of the lowest investments in a Volvo car, but also one of the most convenient ones.

Volvo Is Going to Compete with Tesla in the Market of Affordable Electric Cars

During recent years, Volvo Cars rebranded itself as a luxury car manufacturer. Its commercial price tags are premium, and the public thought that this trend would be maintained. However, the new vehicle concept is here to break limitations. Lex Kerssemakers, the North America CEO, has just announced that the company is getting a new car ready. This time, the concept pertains to the market of affordable electric cars. Another innovation is the price tag which is expected to be up to $40,000.

The 2019 Volvo line is going to enter direct competition with Tesla. The pioneer of electric vehicles is working on its Model 3, which is going to be the most affordable project of the company to this date. Another rival in this race will be Chevrolet Bolt. This is the first all-electric concept coming from General Motors.

There Are Few Yet Promising Details about Volvo 2019 Line

However important the design is, Volvo Cars has still not divulged any picture of how its new vehicle is going to look like. Kerssemakers stated that the team is still deciding the details in this sector. They are currently debating whether to stick with an existing model or take this opportunity to come up with a fresh design. Representatives expect this matter to reach a conclusion in several months.

The good news is that the new concept will not be another disappointment in terms of range. This aspect is almost the only one that separates Tesla from other existing vehicles on the market. However, not anybody wants to own a car that can take them for only 180 miles a charge. Thus, this point is crucial in the market of affordable electric cars. Kerssemakers is aware of this fact. Thus, while he didn’t divulge many details, he did mention that the new Volvo vehicle would have the capacity to be more than just an urban car.

Image source: 1

Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee has been the pioneer of the World Wide Web. In March 1989, which is exactly 28 years ago, he proposed a new information management system. He managed to obtain a communication line between a Hypertext Transfer Protocol client and server. To celebrate such a groundbreaking achievement, the web inventor revealed his own thoughts on how far the online realm has gone recently.

The Digital Letter of the Web Inventor

The 53-year-old computer scientist, Tim Berners-Lee wrote in a blog post about his concerns regarding the last 12 months. His focus was on fake news, online political advertisement, and the power of data. He reinforced the main goal of the web which seemed to have been forgotten amid social and political struggles. The online world is there to help humanity make a better reality, and it is by all means not an agent of disruption. This is why he celebrates the 28^th anniversary of the Internet by describing how it can truly become a better place.

First of all, he tackles the loss of an important right that is as old as the Internet itself, namely the right to cyber security. He condemned how companies are buying personal data with so-called free content. By agreeing to their terms & conditions, users lose their direct control over their own personal information. This way, people are no longer safe. Bloggers’ real identity can be revealed which can lead even to their death. Moreover, the political system has no interdiction in monitoring and sanctioning opponents. As a consequence, the online world is no longer a fertile land for quality discussions around sensitive topics such as religion, health problems, and sexuality.

The Online World Might Crumble Under the Pressure of Fake News

Secondly, the web inventor makes a whole point about fake news. Tim Berners-Lee saw a disruptive news system where quantity prevails over quality. There are already too many ways to use the Internet for personal gain. Fake news is specially created to strike a chord in readers’ hearts and spread out in a matter of minutes. When people are tricked into clicking this kind of links, someone else wins financial or political benefits.

Finally, the computer scientist calls for a transparent medium for political advertising. He ends up questioning the democratic fabric of the European Union. When an important event such as the 2016 US election relied on 50,000 daily versions of ads to win the game and not on transparency, the system might fall in unethical pits. His final words highlight the fact that the Internet is merely a reflection of its users. Thus, it is up to users to create and mold the online medium they want.

Image source: 1

Overwatch is a successful video game from Blizzard Entertainment. Its unique gameplay and impressive design were already acknowledged by many committees that awarded the production.  As of recently, the Overwatch community can’t stop talking about Bastion. After a recent update, it became an unstoppable character. While some players have the skills to take advantage of the newly improved version, others are finding it hard to understand the mechanics behind it.

The social media platforms are now buzzing about the recent update that the Overwatch character, Bastion, received. The most shared opinion is that the producers came up with a far too difficult character that is almost impossible to compete against. On the other hand, the studio might have had other intentions when they thought how to rebuff it.

Bastion might have become an unstoppable character, but it also difficult to play with at the same time. As a defense hero, he must be skillful in respect with coordination to counter attack. He can heal himself now but only when he is moving. On the other hand, his bullet spread is wider, but he also has larger capacity for ammunition. What makes him almost invincible is a new buff that enables him to take 35% less damage whenever he is in tank or sentry mode. As a consequence, Bastion is not only more deadly, but also stronger, and more flexible.

The end result is an unstoppable character that can escape even the ultimate attacks by getting out of their way quickly or by healing himself. Moreover, he has no trouble taking down the shield of Reinhardt, which is the most powerful tank in the game. After the buff had been applied, Bastion became a permanent presence in all active teams.

The director of Overwatch, Jeff Kaplan, wasn’t happy with how things turned out to be. Thus, he took the matter into his own hands and posted his opinion in a post. He explained the recent buff for Bastion as a way to make him more likable and turn him from a rare choice of a hero into a competitive one. For Jeff Kaplan, the buffed character is not unbeatable, especially if the opposing team succeeds to coordinate themselves to maximum efficiency. He is of the opinion that any change is normal to be met with skepticism at first by the community. However, with time, players succeed to adapt to the updates and make the unusual usual again through innovative strategies.

Image source: 1