Technology Simplified

Facebook is scrambling to add safeguards against abuse of user data as it reels from backlash over the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Now TechCrunch has learned  Facebook will launch a certification tool that demands that marketers guarantee email addresses used for ad targeting were rightfully attained. This new Custom Audiences certification tool was described by Facebook representatives to their marketing clients, according to two sources. Facebook will also prevent the sharing of Custom Audience data across Business accounts. This snippet of a message sent by a Facebook rep to a client notes that “for any Custom Audiences data imported into Facebook, Advertisers will be required to represent and warrant that proper user content has been obtained.” Once  shown the message, Facebook spokesperson Elisabeth Diana told TechCrunch “ I can confirm there is a permissions tool that we’re building.” It will require that advertisers and the agencies representing them pledge that “I ...

At last, a use for that industrial knitting machine you bought at a yard sale! Carnegie Mellon researchers have created a method that generates knitting patterns for arbitrary 3D shapes, opening the possibility of “on-demand knitting.” Think 3D printing, but softer. The idea is actually quite compelling for those of us who are picky about their knitwear. How often have we picked up a knit cap, glove, or scarf only to find it too long, too short, too tight, too loose, etc? If you fed your sartorial requirements (a 3D mesh) into this system from James McCann and students at CMU’s Textiles Lab, it could quickly spit out a pattern that a knitting machine could follow easily yet is perfectly suited for your purposes. This has to be done carefully — the machines aren’t the same as human knitters, obviously, and a poorly configured pattern might lead to yarn breaking or jamming the machine. But it’s a lot better than having to build that pattern purl by purl. With a little more work, “Kn...

Facebook employees in uproar over leaked memo Facebook vice president Andrew Bosworth's comments in leaked memo spark controversy. via https://ift.tt/2pUHT1h

The Phicomm K3 smart home router has fast, consistent speed on 2.4GHz, but the user experience is lacking and it doesn't offer extra security for smart devices, like you'd expect. from CNET Reviews - Most Recent Reviews https://ift.tt/2pSMja0

HP's detachable workstation melds class-leading Wacom feel with HP DreamColor accuracy and hits the bullseye for some. from CNET Reviews - Most Recent Reviews https://ift.tt/2yy4k2C

Cancer-fighting robots, hacked tax returns, dumping old PCs and more: Tech Q&A Is there anything that I can do to stop the annoying robocalls promising me free cruises, vacations, and scams? via https://ift.tt/2GJAU60

Why Facebook's 'politics' may have broken the law Facebook reportedly voluntarily provided data on millions of its users to the re-election campaign of President Obama - which was considered a genius for the way it used social media in politics. The problem is federal laws may have been broken. #Tucker via https://ift.tt/2pS2T9M

Did Facebook break campaign finance laws? Facebook may have handed over the date of millions of user to the Obama re-election campaign in 2012. In addition, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign collected the Facebook data of millions of people. All of these could be considered campaign contributions. #Tucker via https://ift.tt/2GXzJgL

Dozens of high-tech phone smugglers have been apprehended by Chinese police, who twigged to the scheme to send refurbished iPhones into the country from Hong Kong via drone — but not the way you might think. China’s Legal Daily reported the news (and Reuters noted shortly after) following a police press conference; it’s apparently the first cross-border drone-based smuggling case, so likely of considerable interest. Although the methods used by the smugglers aren’t described, a picture emerges from the details. Critically, in addition to the drones themselves, which look like DJI models with dark coverings, police collected some long wires — more than 600 feet long. Small packages of 10 or so phones were sent one at a time, and it only took “seconds” to get them over the border. That pretty much rules out flying the drone up and over the border repeatedly — leaving aside that landing a drone in pitch darkness on the other side of a border fence (or across a body of water) would be...

Companies race to roll out self-driving cars Bryan Llenas shares a look at the future of automation in America's auto industry for 'Special Report.' via https://ift.tt/2GkSSMA

By SHEERA FRENKEL and NELLIE BOWLES from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/2pSfdXH

These kinds of leaks didn’t happen when I started reporting on Facebook eight years ago. It was a kool-aid cult convinced of its mission to connect everyone, but with the discipline of a military unit where everyone knew loose lips sink ships. Motivational posters with bold corporate slogans dotted its offices, rallying the troops. Employees were happy to be evangelists. But then came the fake news, News Feed addiction, violence on Facebook Live, cyberbullying, abusive ad targeting, election interference, and most recently the Cambridge Analytica app data privacy scandals. All the while, Facebook either willfully believed the worst case scenarios could never come true, was naive to their existence, or calculated the benefits and growth outweighed the risks. And when finally confronted, Facebook often dragged its feet before admitting the extent of the problems. Inside the social network’s offices, the bonds began to fray. Slogans took on sinister second meanings. The kool-aid t...

The Dayton Audio T652-AIR minitower speaker gives you a whole lot of sound for the price of a romantic dinner. from CNET Reviews - Most Recent Reviews https://ift.tt/2uEGbqq

A company called Clipisode is today launching a new service that’s essentially a “talk show in a box,” as founder Brian Alvey describes it. Similar to how Anchor now allows anyone to build a professional podcast using simple mobile and web tools, Clipisode does this for video content. With Clipisode, you can record a video that can be shared across any platform – social media, the web, text messages – and collect video responses that can then be integrated into the “show” and overlaid with professional graphics. The video responses feature is something more akin to a video voicemail-based call-in feature. Here’s how it works. The content creator will first use Clipisode to record their video, and receive the link to share the video across social media, the web, or privately through email, text messaging, etc. When the viewer or guest clicks the link, they can respond to the question the show’s “host” posed. For example, a reporter could ask for viewers’ thoughts on an issue or a...

Zuckerberg addresses controversial leaked Facebook memo Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg releases a statement after leaked memo pushes 'questionable' practices to achieve growth; Deirdre Bolton shares details. via https://ift.tt/2J7oKlR

When you’ve got leverage, don’t be afraid to use it. That’s been Google’s modus operandi in the news and publishing world over the last year or so as it has pushed its AMP platform, funding various news-related ventures that may put it ahead, and nourished its personalized Chrome tabs on mobile. The latter, as Nieman Labs notes , grew 2,100 percent in 2017. You may have noticed, since Chrome is a popular mobile browser and this setting is on by default, but the “Articles for You” appear automatically in every new tab, showing you a bunch of articles the company things you’d like. And it’s gone from driving 15 million article views to a staggering 341 million over the last year. In late 2016, when Google announced the product, I described it as “polluting” the otherwise useful new tab page . I also don’t like the idea of being served news when I’m not actively looking for it — I understand that when I visit Google News (and I do) that my browser history (among other things) is being ...

A funny thing happened the last couple of times I was briefed on a Huawei flagship product: news was breaking about some major roadblock for the company’s U.S. distribution plans. First it was AT&T backing out in the midst of CES and then it was Best Buy’s decision to drop the company just ahead of the big P20 launch  (though a rep for the company told me the States were never part of its plans for that handset).  It’s been one thing after another as the Chinese hardware maker has worked to establish a meaningful presence here in the States. In spite of all of this fallout from government pushback, however, the company insists that it’s not going anywhere. In an email to CNET , the company’s consumer CEO reaffirmed that commitment. “We are committed to the U.S. market and to earning the trust of U.S. consumers by staying focused on delivering world-class products and innovation,” Yu writes. “We would never compromise that trust.” The sentiment echoes statements Yu made ...

Air Force pilot snaps amazing Northern Lights pictures A U.S. Air Force pilot has captured incredible close-up pictures of the Northern Lights from the cockpit of his plane. via https://ift.tt/2pTJPHD

Inside the booming business of HQ Trivia Apps like HQ Trivia have taken Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store by storm, but what's behind the game... and where is all that money coming from? Fox News' Lauren Blanchard has the inside scoop on the mobile trivia game that has people dropping what they're doing twice a day, to win some cold hard cash. via https://ift.tt/2pSw9g4

Inside HQ Trivia: The booming business of mobile trivia It's the smartphone trend that has people dropping what they're doing in the middle of the day, all for a chance to earn some cold hard cash. via https://ift.tt/2J9kr9t

Under Armour: 150 million MyFitnessPal accounts were hacked Under Armour announced a hack of its MyFitnessPal exercise application, saying that as many as 150 million user accounts were compromised. The breached data includes names, email addresses, and passwords but no financial data. via https://ift.tt/2GJZmUZ

Leaked Facebook memo sparks controversy A controversial Facebook memo by Vice President Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth was leaked. The note to employees talks about connecting people even when it can mean harm. via https://ift.tt/2IgdL8i

Spring cleaning tips for all your electronic devices Tidy up your tech with these tips and tricks to declutter and clean your devices. via https://ift.tt/2GJ03O0