Tuesday
May162017

Philips Hue adds new bulbs and fixtures to its smart-bulb catalog

Philips Hue fans rejoice! The company that made lightbulbs smart and connected devices is giving even more choice in terms of fixtures inluding hanging lights and two standalone table lamps.

The three new lamps: Wellner and Wellness table lamps, and the Being Flushmount, are part of the White Ambience range.The hanging lights need to be professionally installed.

These lights offer 50,000 different levels of white light to choose from. Rather than just being a dimmable lamp, Philips says you can change the temperature of the white light to suit different moods. Canadian availability and pricing to follow.

Tuesday
May162017

1.25 million RAM pickups recalled by Fiat Chrysler for fatal software glitch

Fiat Chrysler is recalling 1.25 of its RAM pickups for what could be a fatal software glitch which could cause seatbelts and airbags to fail during a collision.

More than 1.25 million Ram pickup trucks are being recalled worldwide due to a software glitch that can cause some of the vehicles' airbags and seatbelts to fail during rollover. The problem, linked to one death and two injuries according to Fiat Chrysler, covers three different light and medium-duty versions of the full-size Ram pickup sold in North America, as well as other parts of the world between the 2013 through 2016 model-years, FCA said. 

That includes 1.02 million 2013-16 Ram 1500 and 2500 pickups, and 2014-2016 Ram 3500 trucks sold in the United States, along with 216,007 pickups shipped to Canada; 21,668 to Mexico; and another 21,530 sold outside North America.

Source: NBC News

Tuesday
May162017

Downloading Netflix on rooted Android phones won’t work now

A new update for video streaming service Netflix will put a segment of Android users in the dark. If you chose to root or unlock your device, Netflix might no longer work on it. That is if the app isn’t already installed on your smartphone. According to Android Police, the app runs fine on rooted phones that already have Netflix installed. And sideloading Netflix using the APK still seems to work for now.

The Netflix app on Android now completely relies on Google’s Widevine DRM. This change might have come after Netflix recently allowed downloads for offline viewing. When you have a rooted device, you gain admin access to the operating system of your device. Users root their devices to gain more customization options for the operating system or improve efficiency of the device. But this method voids your warranty as this action isn’t supported by phone manufacturers.

Source: Mashable

Tuesday
May162017

Hackers claim to have pirated upcoming ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film

Taking cues from its subject matter, it’s been reported that Disney’s upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has been taken by hackers who are now demanding ransom for it. Disney CEO Bob Iger won’t name the film but Deadline reports it’s this fifth installment of the Pirates series. The hackers are said to be asking for a large sum that must be paid in bitcoin. But Iger says the company is refusing to pay and they’re already working with FBI. The hackers are threatening to release five minutes of the film for the first time and then in 20-minute chunks until their demands are met.

This incident involving Disney isn’t the first high profile hack of a studio. Another hacker uploaded just weeks ago 10 episodes of the upcoming season of Orange is the New Black on The Pirate Bay after Netflix refused to pay.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter