Monday, May 29, 2017
Good News! We Found the News Sites You Can Trust
Fake news is a big issue right now. News companies are in the pockets of mega-billionaires. Media bias, inaccurate reporting, and sensationalism are on everyone’s mind. We are in an age where we don’t trust the people reporting the news. Avoid Fake News and Verify the Truth With These 5 Sites and Apps Avoid Fake News and Verify the Truth With These 5 Sites and Apps There are plenty of lies floating around on the internet. From extensions that flag notorious fake news outlets to websites that bust hoaxes and myths, here are the five resources you need. READ MORE Despite all this, there are some trustworthy news sources out there. You just have to know where to look. What We Mean When We Say “Trustworthy” Okay, let’s be candid here. This is going to be a controversial article, no matter which news sites we suggest. Some people will disagree with the ones we choose. Others will be offended that I didn’t include their favorite media outlets. Unfortunately, there’s no objective metric of trustworthiness. Most of the sites you’ll see listed made their way onto this list because they’ve developed a solid reputation for unbiased, not-politically-motivated reporting. Of course, reputation is something that’s always contested and in flux. It can’t be easily quantified (though I’ve cited sources where I can) and people will always have different opinions. That being said, I stand by the assertions I make here. If you disagree, take to the comments and (civilly) tell me why. Also, note that these news sites are presented in alphabetical order and not ranked by trustworthiness. A Note About AllSides allsides In many of the entries below, I mention AllSides ratings. These are from AllSides.com, a site dedicated to exposing bias and providing multiple perspectives on issues. The site determines its ratings in a number of ways — you can read about them here. Check the Political Bias of Any Media Site in This Massive Database Check the Political Bias of Any Media Site in This Massive Database Every media site has a political bias, but sometimes it isn't easy to see just how biased they are. This database tracks and analyzes them for your convenience. READ MORE AllSides is itself a great place to get news, as it clearly labels each story as left-leaning, center, or right-leaning. I highly recommend it when you want to see what different people are saying about the same issue. It’s eye-opening and can help you learn to pick out news bias elsewhere. 1. Associated Press News associated press news If you read a lot of news, you’ll see the AP credited all over the place. They often report stories first, and other outlets pick up those stories and run them for their own readers. AP is a non-profit, has no corporate sponsorship, and is not government-funded. The crowd-sourced bias rating at AllSides is “center,” so it generally doesn’t favor a left- or right-leaning view of the world. While you’ll most often see AP cited in other news outlets, you can get news directly from the source. 2. BBC bbc news The British Broadcasting Corporation is the largest broadcaster in the world. The British government funds the organization and so it is not beholden to corporate interests. BBC has a history of over 90 years with a well-earned reputation for accurate, unbiased reporting (and a bunch of other cool stuff like these stunning mini-sites). AllSides classifies it as a center news source, though U.S. citizens may find that “center” in the U.K. is notably to the left of what they’re used to. 5 Stunning Interactive Mini-Sites Made by the BBC 5 Stunning Interactive Mini-Sites Made by the BBC The BBC showcases a stunning series of digital experiments. From knowing your body better to interactive chemistry experiments, you'll see it all here. READ MORE The BBC’s reputation, however, is a strong one. It was one of the most highly rated in the Pew Research Center’s 2014 trustworthiness study, with all groups except the consistently conservative rating is as more trusted than distrusted. And even that group was relatively neutral about it. 3. Brief.news brief.news If you want to find out what’s happening in the world, but don’t want to spend tons of time reading up on it, Brief.news is a great choice. It summarizes many of the day’s important news stories and presents them in very short, concise snippets. While the site hasn’t been around long enough to develop much of a reputation, Dave van Zandt at Media Bias/Fact Check News rates it as one of the “least biased” news sources. 4. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism bureau of investigative journalism Though it has a focus on politics, the Bureau’s stories will likely be of interest to people even outside the British political beat. As a non-profit, independent media organization, it has few ties to groups that might influence its political leanings. The Bureau publishes its stories in conjunction with other outlets — from both sides of the spectrum. Like Brief.news, the Bureau isn’t listed on AllSides. But van Zandt, again, calls it among the least biased outlets. Their stated mission is to “hold power to account,” and their goal certainly comes through in their journalism. Note: A look at their major investigations does show that many of their stories focus on issues that are generally of more interest to the left. The group prides itself on fact-based reporting, however, and does pull together a lot of data to support their claims. 5. The Christian Science Monitor christian science monitor news Because it’s a news magazine, the format of the Christian Science Monitor is a little different from other sources on this list. They run fewer stories, but those stories tend to be very in-depth. The publication was originally founded in response to the sensationalist press of the early 1990s, and it’s maintained a strong reputation over 100 years later, maintaining its independence from mainstream media corporations. There are two ways you can get news from CSM: through the daily edition (which gives you five daily stories each evening, along with an explanation of why they’re important) or the weekly version (which is also available in print). Unfortunately, neither are free. The daily will run you $110/year (or $11/month) and the weekly is about $30/year. You can also grab it on your Kindle. 6. The Economist the economist Although AllSides states that the Economist tends to lean left, it does have a reputation for high-quality reporting. The publication “considers itself the enemy of privilege, pomposity and predictability.” (Though one has to wonder, if it considers itself the enemy of privilege and pomposity, why “Which MBA” and “Executive Education Navigator” are prominently featured in the main navigation.) Throughout its history, the Economist has championed issues on both sides of the political spectrum. Today, it does tend to have a bit more of a left lean. That being said, they’re not afraid to align themselves with the party they believe best supports their ideals, which focus on free trade and free markets. 7. NPR npr news This is likely to be a controversial one, as public broadcasting is strongly associated with liberal political views in the United States. However, NPR has a reputation for journalistic excellence. They’re invested in continued government funding, but they remain free of corporate bias. AllSides rates them as center, with a blind survey, third-party data, community feedback, and secondary research supporting their classification. NPR One Brings The Best Of US Public Broadcasting To iOS & Android NPR One Brings The Best Of US Public Broadcasting To iOS & Android Australia has the ABC, the UK has the BBC, Ireland has RTÉ, and America has the venerable NPR. READ MORE The Pew survey shows that conservatives tend to mistrust NPR, but its journalistic acumen is high. It’s known for rejecting sensationalism, issuing corrections when necessary, and fair reporting. 8. ProPublica propublica If you get your news from NPR, you’ve probably heard ProPublica mentioned. Like the AP, ProPublica is a non-profit, non-government-funded news organization. The fact that it was the first online news organization to win a Pulitzer Prize also gives it some credence (it’s gone on to win several more since then). This is a smaller organization than some of the others mentioned on this list, but it’s absolutely worth checking out. I have a feeling they’re going to continue to grow, both in size and reputation. 9. Reuters reuters Like the AP, other news outlets often cite Reuters — and that’s largely because it has a long and solid reputation for good reporting. The organization is owned by Thomson Reuters. This gives it added resistance to corporate influence. Reuters strives to use a “value-neutral approach” to guard against bias in its reporting (so much so that it has courted controversy, especially after refusing to use the word “terrorist” after the September 11 attacks in New York). While you may not be as familiar with Reuters as some of the other outlets listed here, they have a long-standing reputation for good journalism. Their Handbook of Journalism is a great resource for anyone reporting the news, and Reuters editors hold their journalists to its tenets. 10. USA Today usa today In 2016, USA Today shared the crown of widest circulation in the United States with the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. It’s read all over the world and is a major source of news for millions of people every day. The op-eds in USA Today are clearly labeled, and present a range of viewpoints (a refreshing change from the opinion pieces in some other publications). AllSides gives the publication a center rating, although it notes that there’s been some disagreement. The fact that two blind surveys supported this rating adds weight, however. You might be used to seeing USA Today in front of your hotel room door, but if you’re looking for good news, do check their site regularly. 11. The Wall Street Journal the wall street journal This is likely to be another controversial inclusion on the list, due to the ownership of WSJ by News Corporation, the mega-media conglomeration helmed by the Murdoch family. Rupert Murdoch has developed a reputation for being ruthlessly conservative and using his considerable media power for political influence. Some of his news outlets also have a deservedly terrible reputation. The Journal, however, has consistently ranked as highly trusted in the United States, even after its takeover by News Corp. AllSides gives it a strong center rating, and it was the only outlet more trusted than distrusted by all groups in the 2014 Pew survey. It’s important to note that the news and opinions section of WSJ have a strictly enforced separation, and that op-eds tend to have a very strong right-leaning bias. Despite that, the news (especially financial news) published by the outlet is of high quality. The 6 Best Sites for Keeping Up-To-Date with Financial News The 6 Best Sites for Keeping Up-To-Date with Financial News Keeping on top of financial news is a necessary chore for almost everyone. We take a look at six of the best sites to keep you abreast of breaking stories. READ MORE Bonus: FAIR fair.org news If you’re interested in media bias — beyond finding media that’s minimally biased — you should definitely check out FAIR. Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting is a watchdog group that writes about media bias. They publish a number of remarkably stinging critiques of current news practices. AllSides gives them a provisional center rating. On their homepage at the time of this writing are articles that critique CNN, the AP, and Roger Ailes (founder of Fox News). They don’t hold back, and no one is safe from their rhetoric. Your Most Trusted News Outlets These thirteen news sites have earned themselves reputations for being trustworthy. Reporters and editors have their own biases, so it’s impossible to find 100 percent unbiased news — and that probably wouldn’t be very fun to read anyway. But, in general, you can trust what you read from these outlets. The key is to read multiple sources that includes a few credible sources from the other side of the fence.
Russia showcases the first computers based on its indigenous Elbrus-8S processor
Russian state-owned technology Ruselectronics has demonstrated the first computers running its own domestic Elbrus-8S silicon. The Elbrus-8S packs eight cores, and is manufactured using a 28 nanometer process. In comparison, the current-generation Intel Kaby Lake processors use a 14-nanometer process. According to Ruselectronics, the chip is between three and five times faster than the previous Elbrus-4S processor, and has I/O channels that are eight times higher. The Elbrus-4S, which came out in 2015, was sharply derided in the tech press for slow performance, with PC World editor Mark Hachman comparing it a CPU from 1999. While the Elbrus-8S doesn’t compare to contemporary Intel and AMD silicon, it does represent a significant leap forward. Ruselectronics also said that the chip contains features that “guarantees its users a high level of information security,” although it’s not immediately obvious what these are. The PC running this chip, called the Elbrus 801-PC, runs a Linux-based operating system called the Elbrus OS. In addition to applications built for the platform, it can also run x86/x86-64 applications through a compatibility layer, although I imagine that comes with a pretty steep performance hit. In recent years, Russia has attempted to wean itself off US-made technology with its own domestic offerings. The justification for this is part economic, but also from a national security perspective. Last year, it announced that it is working on a Sailfish-based operating system as the basis of its own Android-alternative, which will be used within Russian government agencies and state-owned corporations. The country is also home to a thriving hardware scene, with several indigenous computer manufacturers and silicon makers. Last May, Russian brand T-Platforms released a 21.5-inch all-in-one computer running a MIPS-based Baikal-T1 SoC from Baikal Electronics. Deputy CEO of Ruselectronics Arseny Brykin said that we can expect the first batch of PCs running the Elbrus-8S by the second quarter of 2017. Is the Elbrus-8S likely to dethrone Intel — or at least pose a realistic threat to the company? No. But I’m a big fan of competition, and I’d love to see the desktop silicon world become anything but a two horse race.
Google Assistant vs. Siri: Which iPhone Voice Assistant Is Best?
Google Assistant began life as an exclusive feature for Google Pixel phones. But now it’s slowly starting to spread its wings. First, modern Android devices running Marshmallow and Nougat got it, and now it’s available as a standalone app for the iPhone (in the U.S.). Google Assistant Is Coming to More Smartphones Google Assistant Is Coming to More Smartphones Google is beginning to roll Google Assistant out to more smartphones. Unfortunately, the majority of Android handsets are not included in this initial rollout thanks to fragmentation. READ MORE It’s no secret that when it comes to online services, Google is much better at it than Apple. And when MKBHD compared Siri on iOS vs Google Assistant on Android, Google Assistant threw quite a lot of punches. But how does Google Assistant work on the iPhone? What exactly does it do? And is it worth your time? Setting Up and Using Google Assistant on iPhone Setting up Google Assistant on iPhone is really easy. If you already use a Google app on your iPhone and you’re logged in, you’ll see an option to continue with the same account. You’re then taken to Google Assistant’s conversational interface. This is similar to Siri, only with less of a The Dark Knight feel and more of a daytime talk show vibe. google assistant iphone setting up There’s a microphone button at the bottom. Tap it and start talking to your assistant. As the speech recognition engine is backed by Google it’s actually really good at picking up what you say (although as it’s U.S. only right now, there’s no option to change the language). That’s mostly what Google wants you to do with this app: talk, explore, get answers, do things. Google Assistant has another party trick up its sleeve. Tap on the faded keyboard button in the bottom-right and up pops the keyboard. You can now type to Google Assistant and ask for help when you can’t summon it with your voice (something you can’t do with Siri). Did Google Make the Best iPhone Keyboard Yet? Meet Gboard Did Google Make the Best iPhone Keyboard Yet? Meet Gboard Google recently launched a new keyboard for iPhones called Gboard, and it's exclusively available on iOS right now. It's also probably the best mobile keyboard you have ever used. READ MORE google assistant iphone explore You’ll see a floating Assistant icon in the top right. Once you tap it you’ll find the Explore and My Stuff tabs. Explore tab lists things you can ask Assistant to do for you and My Stuff lets you view your reminders, agenda, shopping list and shortcuts all in one page. To go to Settings or Account, tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right. The Flash Briefing feature is also present but you need to enable new sources from Settings first. google assistant iphone widgets Google has also made it easy (well, as easy as it can be) to start talking to Google Assistant. If you have an iPhone 6s or above, you can just 3D Touch the Assistant app icon and tap on the widget to start talking to Assistant. You can also add the widget to your Today View to start talking to it directly from the Lock screen. Everything You Can Do With 3D Touch on Your iPhone Everything You Can Do With 3D Touch on Your iPhone 3D touch is really just a fancy name for a pressure-sensitive screen, but adds a whole array of extra input options to iOS. READ MORE Siri Has Home Field Advantage Siri is integrated into iOS. It has system level access to your data, it can perform system level tasks and is accessible from anywhere. Google Assistant has none of those privileges. You can just press and hold the Home button on your iPhone to talk to Siri. If you’re using iPhone 6s or above, you can even set up “Hey Siri” functionality that lets you talk to Siri without even touching your phone. To talk to Google Assistant, you have to unlock your iPhone and at least tap once (even if it is to 3D Touch the app icon from your Home screen). Make the Most of Hands-Free "Hey Siri" on Your iPhone or iPad Make the Most of Hands-Free "Hey Siri" on Your iPhone or iPad Here's how Apple's hands-free "Hey Siri" command can make your life easier. READ MORE And once you start talking to Assistant, Siri’s home field advantage just grows. If you’re like me, you use Siri to run iPhone errands for you. Calling someone, leaving someone an iMessage, setting an alarm, opening apps, toggling settings, adding things to Reminders app, and so on. google assistant iphone problems It’s these system-level tasks where Google Assistant doesn’t do so well or outright fails. When you ask Assistant to call someone for you, it will throw up a popup that you need to tap before it can connect the call for you. Sending an iMessage isn’t possible. Neither is setting an alarm, changing settings or controlling HomeKit accessories. You can ask Assistant to remind you about something but it won’t add it to the Reminders app — it will be stored in your Google account instead. Google Assistant Is Great for All Things Google Then what is Google Assistant actually good for? Searching for one. And because Siri integrates with Bing search, these are exactly the things Siri isn’t so good at. This Cool Website Will Teach You Hundreds of Google Search Tips This Cool Website Will Teach You Hundreds of Google Search Tips Anyone can use Google search to a satisfactory degree, but if you really want to get fast and accurate results, you'll want to learn these simple but amazing tips. READ MORE google assistant iphone good things Whether it’s asking difficult time zone conversion questions, looking for a restaurant nearby, doing complex math, looking up trivia, or just looking at pictures of cats, Assistant does it right, almost every time. Google is also better at follow up questions and remembering the context. You can ask Google how far a city is and what’s the temperature there without repeating its name. Then there’s the extended Google apps and services family. If you’re one of those people who use Google’s suite of products on iPhone (Google Maps, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Keep, etc.) you’ll find that Google Assistant is actually helpful. google assistant iphone timers You can ask Google for directions to a place and they’ll open directly in Google Maps. And then there are some things you don’t even need to open the specific apps for. Just tell Assistant to send a mail to one of your contacts and it’ll be drafted right there. You can also directly add events to your Google calendar from here. The same goes for adding things to your shopping list. Waze vs. Google Maps: Which App Will Navigate Home Faster Waze vs. Google Maps: Which App Will Navigate Home Faster Waze and Google Maps are both solid navigation apps, but which one is the best? READ MORE But there are also some weird outliers. When I asked Assistant to play YouTube videos, it opened YouTube website in Safari instead of the YouTube app. I also wasn’t able to get it to play songs in Play Music. A Note About Privacy Google Assistant records your voice and sends it to its servers. If you give it permission, it also records the location where you interacted with it. Plus, some functionality requires you to give it access to your contacts. Of course, Apple also does all of that but Apple’s privacy policy is better than Google’s. Google is known to use user’s information like their preferences and location to serve them ads. Apple encrypts the data that’s sent to their servers. If you’re all in on Google’s ecosystem, you might have accepted it as the price to pay for the convenience of the service. Or you trust Google’s privacy policy (they do encrypt your data). What Does Google Know About You? Find Out and Manage Your Privacy and Security What Does Google Know About You? Find Out and Manage Your Privacy and Security For the first time, search giant Google is offering a way for you to check the information it has about you, how it is gathering that data, and new tools to start reclaiming your privacy. READ MORE Rest assured that as Assistant is an app, it can’t access any of your personal details stored in the device or specific features that you don’t give it access to. If you’re not comfortable with Google accessing your location, recording your voice and the conversation data, you should stay away from the Assistant app. Should You Be Using Google Assistant on iPhone? Google Assistant isn’t a replacement for Siri on the iPhone. Overall, Google Assistant might be a better voice assistant. But on the iPhone, it can’t hold a candle to Siri. Because Siri is a default, it’s not a fair comparison. google assistant iphone paris If you’re a prolific user of Google’s services, it might be worth looking into Google Assistant. Right now the iPhone app can only perform a subset of tasks compared to its Android counterpart. But it’ll only get better. 10 Things You Didn't Know Google Assistant Could Do 10 Things You Didn't Know Google Assistant Could Do Android's version of Siri -- Google Assistant -- is more powerful than most people realize. READ MORE For specific things like searching for answers, and interacting with Google services, it is better than Siri. But if you’re all in on Apple and use iCloud services, Google Assistant might not be that useful for you. The Future of Google Assistant Google Assistant just made its way to the iPhone and it’s only available in the U.S. right now. Broadly speaking, Assistant is still new. Until a couple of months ago, it was exclusive to Pixel devices, Google Home and Google Allo app. Google is good at making small and consistent improvements to its software (a skill Apple should learn). And Google Assistant is at the beginning of that process. In the next few months, Google Assistant will get a lot more interesting, and a lot more useful — even for iPhone users. Just like Amazon Alexa, Google will add third party developer integrations. This will open up a whole new world of interaction. Google’s augmented reality feature, Google Lens, is also coming to Google Assistant in a couple of months.
How 'Start - A New Tab Page' turns Chrome into an iGoogle replacement
Sure, it’s 2017, but if you miss the old days of iGoogle personalized homepages, there are a few Chrome extensions that can provide something similar on your new tab page. One of them is called “Start - A Better New Tab” from 64 Pixels. This extension includes all kinds of information on your new tab page in the form of widgets. They include the current weather, top visited sites (as you see in the regular new tab page), top news stories from CNN or Google, Gmail, Facebook, popular videos on YouTube, your installed Chrome Apps, a notepad, Google Calendar, bookmarks, stocks, a to-do list, and the current time. Most widgets are activated by default. startnewtabpage Ian Paul/IDG Start - A New Tab Page in action. That’s a whole lot of information packed into one spot. The features aren’t as customizable as I’d like, but if this sounds like an extension that would work for you install it from the Chrome Web Store (link above). [ Further reading: Your new PC needs these 15 free, excellent programs ] Once it’s installed, there isn’t much you have to do. It sets itself up quite effectively. Oddly, it was able to pull in my Gmail information automatically—perhaps because I was signed in—but not my Google Calendar, which I had to authorize. I also haven’t bothered to sign into Facebook yet, as I’m trying to keep that wormhole of time and attention off my work PC. That’s a story for another day, however. If you’d like to change anything, enter chrome://extensions in the address bar and hit Enter. Then scroll down the list until you find Start’s listing. Click the Options link and a new tab will open with all the various settings you can change
Netflix and Facebook seem to share a crucial thesis about the future of TV shows
Since 2011, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has sat on Facebook’s board, and as Facebook’s plans to fund TV-style shows take form, many are naturally curious what ideas Hastings shares with Mark Zuckerberg — and whether Netflix and Facebook will ever be seen as head-to-head competitors.
In the past few months, as Zuckerberg has articulated Facebook’s new approach to premium video, one thing has become clear: The pair share an important belief about the future of high-quality digital video. Both Hastings and Zuckerberg appear committed to the idea that, with global digital scale, TV-quality shows can be sustained primarily by a single big revenue stream. For Netflix, that stream is subscription revenue, with ads completely cut out of the equation. For Facebook, it’s advertising.
That's significant because it goes against the broad wisdom of the pay-TV industry, which uses both subscriptions and advertising dollars to prop itself up. It also stands in contrast to some digital competitors like Hulu, who are trying to replicate a model similar to pay-TV in the digital realm.
Facebook TV
Right now, Facebook is busy readying its first slate of TV-like shows, which the social media behemoth wants to unveil in mid-June. And while Facebook is putting up cash this time around, the company's executives have been explicit that in the long run, Facebook wants its premium video ecosystem to be entirely sustained by advertising revenue.
“The goal is going to be creating some anchor content initially that helps people learn that … the video tab [is] a great destination where they can explore, and come to Facebook with the intent to watch the videos that they want,” Zuckerberg said during Facebook’s last earnings call with investors. “And then the long-term goal is actually not to be paying for specific content like that, but doing a revenue share model once the whole economy around video on Facebook is built up.”
Facebook thinks that it can make its advertising offering compelling enough that media companies will make TV-quality video for its platform without being paid directly by Facebook to do so. Facebook will simply have to split the ad revenue with them.
There is evidence that YouTube thinks its advertising products will be able to support that level of shows as well. On Thursday, YouTube announced that it would fund half a dozen new shows, anchored by big-name celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin Hart, and Katy Perry. Significantly, YouTube is going to have these shows run on its main, advertising-supported service, and not on its $9.99-a-month subscription service, YouTube Red.
"Five years ago, 85% of all original series were ad-supported," Robert Kyncl, YouTube's business chief, said at an the event on Thursday. "This year, that number has fallen to just over two-thirds. And with significantly more content coming to subscription services, that shift is accelerating. So we see these shows as a way for us to partner with [advertisers] to buck this trend."
For both Facebook and YouTube, the coming months will be a test to see whether that thesis is correct, and a premium set of shows can lure a premium set of advertisers.
Forever ad-free
Netflix has taken the complete opposite route, and has remained committed to keeping advertising off its service.
“No advertising coming onto Netflix. Period,” Hastings wrote on Facebook in 2015, in response to reports that Netflix was testing ads. “Just adding relevant cool trailers for other Netflix content you are likely to love.” The company has given no indication that its thinking has changed since then.
But as Netflix has introduced more and more original shows, and its spending on content has ballooned to $6 billion, some have questioned whether Netflix will eventually have to introduce some sort of advertising. Still, Netflix’s thesis seems to be that it can continue to grow its user base to offset those costs, and that the potential reach of the digital realm will let the company climb to sustainability.
That said, with Netflix predicting its negative free cash flow will be $2 billion in 2016, and that it will continue to burn cash for “many years,” that is a thesis that may not be completely tested for awhile.
TV, but online
It’s not a sure thing for either Netflix or Facebook that standing on one major revenue leg will be able to sustain the kinds of shows you’d see on cable TV. (Netflix could diversify beyond subscriptions and into things like merchandise, without having to get into advertising, but subscriptions will likely remain the major pillar.)
Other companies looking to disrupt TV are going the more traditional pay-TV route, with a combination of advertising and subscription.
It’s not surprising that Hulu, which is owned by big TV companies, is trying to keep that business model intact. The ad load might be lower than cable, but Hulu is still firmly in the dual revenue camp. And those betting on new online “skinny bundles,” which are essentially cable packages delivered over the internet, are also hoping the subscription-ad combo can make it across the digital divide. That includes services like Sling TV, DirecTV Now, YouTube TV, Sony’s Vue, and many more to come.
It’s good to note that everyone could be right.
Advertising alone could let Facebook and YouTube support TV-quality shows, while Netflix and other streaming services could rely on only subscriptions, or some combination of subscriptions and ads. Or they could be wrong, and the Golden Age of TV could falter as the digital business models fail to recreate the huge budgets that powered a whopping 455 scripted shows in 2016.
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Saturday, May 27, 2017
This is the easiest way to prevent malware on your Android device
A single setting could make all the difference when it comes to keeping your device secure. Apple's iOS is a real walled garden. With the exception of those brave enough to "jailbreak" their phones, Apple controls which apps get into its App Store, and which don't. Related stories ZDNet: Amazon's app store puts millions of Android devices at risk On Android, it's not so simple. Google similarly vets its own Play store, but there's a huge loophole: Android users can allow third-party software software installations simply by checking off a button in the settings menu. The reasons for allowing that outside Android software may range from the benign (beta-testing apps) to the nefarious (pirated software). But as ZDNet's Zack Whittaker recently detailed, by allowing app installs from unknown sources, you're essentially opening up your device to potential malware infections. How to keep your Android device safe By default, Google prevents users from installing apps from sources other than the Play store. The best way to protect yourself is to leave the installation of apps from unknown sources disabled. It's a good idea to double-check that the setting is still disabled, just to be safe. android-unknown-sources-setting.jpg Leave this setting disabled. Nothing good can come from turning it on. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET Exact placement of the option will vary based on the device you own, but it generally is found in the Settings app under Security > Unknown Source. To be clear: This doesn't make your phone 100 percent safe. Nor does it protect you from non-software security issues, including phishing attacks and cloud-based password breaches. That said, keeping unknown sources deactivated on your phone or tablet is a strong first line of protection that will prevent the most egregious malware from having open access to your device. What you're giving up While disabling access to unknown sources is the safest course of action, it may involve some sacrifices. For example, Android app site APKMirror requires unknown source installation to be enabled. More significantly, Amazon Underground, the retailer's third-party app store, requires the "unknown sources" toggle to be switched, too. And that's the only way to get the Amazon Prime Video app on Android devices. (For reasons unknown, most of Amazon's other media apps -- including the Kindle app and the Amazon Music app -- are available in the Google Play store, and thus do not require unknown source access.) But just remember: By allowing apps from those third parties, you're also opening a de facto security hole on your device. And even if Android security is getting better, it only works if you actually keep Google's safeguards turned on. That's why you should only install applications from official channels such as Google's Play store, or for Samsung Galaxy users, the Galaxy App Store.
How Facebook's tentacles reach further than you think
Facebook's collection of data makes it one of the most influential organisations in the world. Share Lab wanted to look "under the bonnet" at the tech giant's algorithms and connections to better understand the social structure and power relations within the company.
A couple of years ago, Vladan Joler and his brainy friends in Belgrade began investigating the inner workings of one of the world's most powerful corporations.
The team, which includes experts in cyber-forensic analysis and data visualisation, had already looked into what he calls "different forms of invisible infrastructures" behind Serbia's internet service providers.
But Mr Joler and his friends, now working under a project called Share Lab, had their sights set on a bigger target.
"If Facebook were a country, it would be bigger than China," says Mr Joler, whose day job is as a professor at Serbia's Novi Sad University.
He reels off the familiar, but still staggering, numbers: the barely teenage Silicon Valley firm stores some 300 petabytes of data, boasts almost two billion users, and raked in almost $28bn (£22bn) in revenues in 2016 alone.
And yet, Mr Joler argues, we know next to nothing about what goes on under the bonnet - despite the fact that we, as users, are providing most of the fuel - for free.
"All of us, when we are uploading something, when we are tagging people, when we are commenting, we are basically working for Facebook," he says.
SHARE LAB
The data our interactions provide feeds the complex algorithms that power the social media site, where, as Mr Joler puts it, our behaviour is transformed into a product.
Trying to untangle that largely hidden process proved to be a mammoth task.
"We tried to map all the inputs, the fields in which we interact with Facebook, and the outcome," he says.
"We mapped likes, shares, search, update status, adding photos, friends, names, everything our devices are saying about us, all the permissions we are giving to Facebook via apps, such as phone status, wifi connection and the ability to record audio."
All of this research provided only a fraction of the full picture. So the team looked into Facebook's acquisitions, and scoured its myriad patent filings.
The results were astonishing.
Visually arresting flow charts that take hours to absorb fully, but which show how the data we give Facebook is used to calculate our ethnic affinity (Facebook's term), sexual orientation, political affiliation, social class, travel schedule and much more.
SHARE LAB
One map shows how everything - from the links we post on Facebook, to the pages we like, to our online behaviour in many other corners of cyber-space that are owned or interact with the company (Instagram, WhatsApp or sites that merely use your Facebook log-in) - could all be entering a giant algorithmic process.
And that process allows Facebook to target users with terrifying accuracy, with the ability to determine whether they like Korean food, the length of their commute to work, or their baby's age.
Another map details the permissions many of us willingly give Facebook via its many smartphone apps, including the ability to read all text messages, download files without permission, and access our precise location.
Individually, these are powerful tools; combined they amount to a data collection engine that, Mr Joler argues, is ripe for exploitation.
"If you think just about cookies, just about mobile phone permissions, or just about the retention of metadata - each of those things, from the perspective of data analysis, are really intrusive."
More Technology of Business
Facebook has for years asserted that data privacy and the security of its operations are paramount. Facebook data, for example, cannot be used by developers to create surveillance tools and the firm says it complies with privacy protection laws in all countries. Thousands of new staff have been recruited to police its content.
Mr Joler, though, while admitting that his research made him a little paranoid about the information that was being harvested, is more worried about the longer term.
The data will remain in the hands of one company. Even if its current leaders are responsible and trustworthy, what about those in charge in 20 years?
Analysts say Share Lab's work is valuable and impressive. "It's probably the most comprehensive work mapping Facebook that I've ever seen," says Dr Julia Powles, an expert in technology law and policy at Cornell Tech.
"[The research] shows in cold and calculated terms how much we are giving away for the value of being able to communicate with your mates," she says.
The scale of Facebook's reach can be stated in raw numbers - but Share Lab's maps make it visceral, in a way that drawing parallels cannot.
"We haven't really got appropriate historical analogies for the tech giants," explains Dr Powles. Their powers, she continues, extend "far beyond" the likes of the East India Company and monopolies of old, such as Standard Oil.
And while many may consider the objectives of Mark Zuckerberg's empire to be rather benign, its outcomes are not always so.
Facebook, argues Dr Powles, "plays to our base psychological impulses" by valuing popularity above all else.
ISMAGILOV
Not that she expects Share Lab's research to lead to a mass Facebook exodus, or a dramatic increase in the scrutiny of tech titans.
"What is most striking is the sense of resignation, the impotence of regulation, the lack of options, the public apathy," says Dr Powles. "What an extraordinary situation for an entity that has power over information - there is no greater power really."
It is this extraordinary dominance that the Share Lab team set out to illustrate. But Mr Joler is quick to point out that even their grand maps cannot provide an accurate picture of the social media giant's capabilities.
There is no guarantee, for example, that there are not many other algorithms at work that are still heavily guarded trade secrets.
However, Mr Joler argues, "it is still the one and only map that exists" of one of the greatest forces shaping our world today.
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