Apple to Stream the 2015 Apple Music Festival For Free Via Apple Music

Apple has announced today that they will offer free live streaming of their 2015 Apple Music Festival set to take place this September at London’s Roundhouse. The festival will feature performances by Pharrell Williams, One Direction, Florence + The Machine and Disclosure and several other headliners.

Formerly known as the iTunes Festival, the Apple Music Festival takes place over the course of 10 nights and features some of the top artists from around the world. This year's event will run from September 19 to September 28. Apple has hosted the iTunes Festival in London for eight years, and now in honor of the launch of Apple Music, has renamed the event the Apple Music Festival. Apple customers can enjoy the Apple Music Festival via Apple Music or iTunes on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC or in stunning HD with Apple TV.

“We wanted to do something really special for music fans this year,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “The Apple Music Festival is a greatest hits set of ten unbelievable nights featuring some of the best performers on the planet appearing live and interacting directly with their fans on Connect and Beats 1.”

The great news is that unlike many live streaming events Apple holds this one will actually be available to everyone, at least everyone currently using Apple Music, even PC owners. The streams will feature live and on-demand content as well as coverage on Beats 1 and social media snippets on Apple Music Connect.

For updates, tickets and additional information visit: www.applemusicfestival.com or join the conversation on Apple Music Connect. To learn more about Apple Music Connect and Beats 1 visit: www.apple.com/music/connect and www.apple.com/music/radio.

PlayStation Plus Members Vote For Your Next Free to Play Game

A newly announced program by Sony offers PlayStation Plus members the chance to vote on which games they want as a 'Free to Play' for the coming month. This new program, dubbed Vote to Play, offers gamers the chance to chose between a few different options, with the game receiving the most votes being added to the monthly line-up of free downloadable titles that PlayStation Plus members already receive as a perk for membership.

Sony will officially be kicking off the new program this week and accordingly has has announced the three titles that will be released, which include Armello, Zombie Vikings, or Grow Home as well as brief introduction trailers for each one with their respective developers explaining what their games are all about; you can watch those below.

Armello

A grim fairy-tale board game come to life, combining deep, tactical card play, rich tabletop strategy, and RPG elements. Set in a vibrant magical world with a tinge of darkness, Armello thrusts players into an epic struggle for power as they quest, scheme, explore, vanquish monsters, perform the mad king’s royal edicts, and face off against other players, with one ultimate end goal in mind — storming the palace and becoming King or Queen of Armello.

Grow Home

You play BUD (Botanical. Utility. Droid), a robot on a mission to find the Star Plant and save his planet. Discover a strange open-world: a planet of floating islands, with precipitous drops, caves and waterfalls to navigate, all rendered in a minimalist but beautiful art style. Grow the giant Star Plant and use your unique climbing abilities to reach ever higher ground, but be careful as you ascend because one wrong move and it’s a long way down!

Zombie Vikings

From the creators of last year’s indie hit Stick It to The Man! comes a new co-op, four-player stab-you-in-the-gut-a-thon with a dead-funny adventure. Hack through the boiling gingerbread swamps of Molgaga, take a cruise through the intestines of the Midgaard Serpent, fight giant troll poultry, and find out how Söccer was really invented.

Voting begins at 8:30 AM PDT on Thursday, August 13. If you're a Plus subscriber, you can cast your vote by accessing Vote to Play from the PlayStation Store's Plus section on PS4, or through the What's New or Notifications areas of the PS4 dashboard. Voting will continue until August 24 at 8:30 AM, with a winner being announced sometime after that. Whichever game wins will be free for Plus members throughout September, who will also be able to get the other two games at a discount.

If you don’t already have a PlayStation Plus account and would like to learn more on the benefits of PlayStation Plus, such as the Instant Game Collection, access to online multiplayer on PS4, exclusive member discounts, cloud game saves and more, click here.

Facebook Security Setting Exposes Personal Information

Security researchers have discovered a new loophole in Facebook's default security settings that would allow searchers to access areas of your profile, even when set to private, through a search of your phone number.

British software engineer Reza Moaiandin, of Salt Agency, recently posted the details of his discovery stating that he could harvest Facebook users' data on a mass scale by exploiting a little-known privacy setting that allows anyone to find a Facebook user by typing their mobile phone number into the social network's search box. The default setting on its "Who can find me?" function is turned to "Everyone/public" - meaning anyone can find another user by their mobile number, even if it is not visible on their public profile.

According to the findings even those that had set their phone number as private were now searchable as the default setting only stops those numbers from appearing in your personal profile when non-friends are viewing it. However, without making changes to your security settings anyone can create a script with possible number combinations which can be run through these URLs, and if a number is associated with a Facebook account, it can then be associated with a name and further details (images, and so on).

"This could be a huge phishing problem if no limit is created, and the loophole is discovered by the wrong person," he wrote in a blog post. "Unfortunately, for the 1.44 billion people currently using Facebook, this means that sophisticated hackers and black market sellers can access names and mobile phone numbers in as little as an hour through reverse engineering."

Mr Moaiandin told The Guardian the loophole was akin to "walking into a bank, asking for a few thousand customers' personal information based on their account number, and the bank telling you: 'Here are their customer details.' "

How to up date your Facebook security for better privacy!

Facebook users can and should change their privacy settings manually to avoid this potential invasion of privacy and it doesn't take much time. In fact it only takes a few seconds and really doesn't hurt anything in the long run!

From a desktop

1. Open Facebook in your browser, click on the upside down triangle at the top right, and select Settings.
2. Select Privacy from the left pane.
3. Find Who Can Look Me Up under Privacy Settings and Tools
4. Select Who can look me up using the phone number you provided? and change it to Friends of Friends or just Friends. Just Friends is likely your best bet.
5. You will also notice an option for Who can look me up using the email address you provided? I suggest doing this as well, just as a matter of extra privacy.

From your smartphone

1. In the Facebook app, tap on the hamburger icon (three lines) at the top right and find Account Settings.
2. Tap on Privacy.
3. Find Who Can Look Me Up under How You Connect.
4. Select Who can look me up using the phone number you provided? and change it to Friends of Friends or just Friends. Here again just Friends would be the setting of choice.
5. You will also notice an option for Who can look me up using the email address you provided? Again changing this is up to you but I always have it limited.

According to the reports we've seen Facebook has denied it had a "security loophole", as the accessed data was designated to be public. The site said it had strict rules on how developers may use its application programming interfaces. "The privacy of people who use Facebook is extremely important to us," a spokeswoman said further stating, "everyone who uses Facebook has control of the information they share, including information on their profile and who can look them up by phone number."

While we agree this may not technically be a 'security issue' since it is designed to be public, the fact that it is public by default certainly can make it a privacy issue for those that aren't aware of the need to change the setting.

Use These Tips For Shooting Photos of The Perseid Meteor Shower

The annual August Perseid meteor shower kicks off this week throughout North America, and like most geeks we will be out there with camera, or smartphone in hand trying to capture that perfect moment. Unfortunately shooting those stars after dark can be a bit on the tricky. Thankfully noted photographer and Olympus Trailblazer Peter Baumgarten has put together a few great tips that should help even the most seasoned photog get some great shots.

Here is just a snippet from Peter's Astrophotography Tips:

1. Plan Ahead: All great photos require a bit of planning, but shooting at night requires considerably more thinking beforehand. 
2.  Stay Away From the Light: To capture a great star field in the night sky you need to be aware of light pollution that could spoil your shot.
3. Include A Point of Interest: Include an interesting subject in the foreground that will set your photo apart.
4. Go Wide and Open It Up: A fast, wide-angle lens is definitely the best choice for astrophotography.
5. Post Processing Is Required: To create nightscapes that pop, some post-processing is required.
6. Star Trails Made Easy: Us Live Composite features to combine several separate photographs in to one.

For more great tips on how to capture that perfect shot of the night sky checkout Sky & Telescope.

You’ll be able to view the shower from Aug. 11-14. If you’re able to stay up late (or wake up early), the best views of Perseids are between midnight and dawn on Aug. 13 – when you may see up to 50 meteors an hour (depending on your time zone).

Don't Pay to Play DVDs In Windows 10 Use VLC Instead

In our opinion Microsoft has done a great job with the recent release of Windows 10. The new UI, return of the start menu and other updates have really impressed us over Windows 8.1 (which unlike some we really didn't mind). One thing that you may have noticed though that is conspicuously absent is the ability to play your favorite DVDs (and Blu-Rays) through any of Windows 10's default applications.

You may think it was just you, don't worry it wasn't, and of course this isn't an error or mistake. Microsoft dropped 'free' DVD support on purpose due to, I believe in part, what was seen as rising costs of continuing support and paying royalties for the rights to use the technology.

While Microsoft now offers the Microsoft DVD for Windows 10 app, which was released this week for $15, we believe there are much better alternatives that can be had for free and we all know how geeks like to save money!

There are plenty of other free options out there, however our go to option for almost all of our video needs (and by all we mean all, like all of those questionable downloaded videos you might not have been able to play with Windows Media Player, or through Windows previously all the way up to our favorite DVDs or DVD/BR rips) has always been VideoLAN's VLC desktop software.

VLC is an open-source, meaning free to use, media player that includes support for DVD media as well as multiple other video and audio file formats. You'll even find a few websites that stream content that use VLC based codecs, or codecs that you won't find WMP support for. The software is super quick and easy to setup, you'll have the option to set it up for the default media player for all your media files if you like, some of you might not want that though.

A quick Note that I DO NOT recommend the VLC app in the Windows Store, which is a separate version that does not support DVD playback. You'll need to head over to the official VLC site and get the full version.

For those of you that really really don't want to try out a third party app you may still have another free option. For some Windows 10 upgraders you can get the Windows 10 DVD Player for free -- under certain circumstances. To do so, you must upgrade to Windows 10 from one of the following previous versions: Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 8 with Windows Media Center or Windows 8.1 with Windows Media Center. If you are eligible for the free offer Microsoft says you will automatically receive the update soon after you upgrade to Windows 10, and that the Windows DVD Player app will be automatically downloaded through Windows Update.

Not Satisfied With Windows 10? You Have 30 Days to Rollback

With Microsoft rolling out the Windows 10 update yesterday the chances are you've had the chance to download and test out the new operating system, if not look here for details on manually downloading it, and while most of the tech world seems to unanimously agree that Windows 10 is a hit you may not feel the same. Luckily Microsoft offers you a bit of a reprieve thanks to the Windows Recovery option.

When planning ahead for this major new operating system roll-out Microsoft seemingly thought of everything. They even thought far enough ahead to give users a 30 days option of using the new OS and still having the ability to roll back to their previous version of Windows if things went wrong with the upgrade or if for some reason the user just wasn't happy.

Now this process might seem a bit seamless, but we have seen reports from Gizmodo and other tech sites that this may not be as cut and dried a roll-back as it may seem. So we are going to try our best to help you out with the process and issues we have seen.

First and foremost, back-up your data! I know we harp on this all the time, but you just never know what might happen and you always want to be safe with anything important! Now that that is done getting the rest started is as easy as going to the start menu, clicking settings and heading over to the Update & Security option then choose Recovery. From here you should see the option to 'Go Back' to whatever version of Windows you were previously running, in this case Windows 7.

From there you'll see a new page with few feedback options, just select a reason, any will do, for the rollback and then click Next. After a warning and a confirmation, the rollback process will start. The process can take as short as a few minutes to about half an hour depending on the speed of your computer.

Some of the apps might appear to be deleted at first, or might not even start (like Google’s Chrome browser), which means you’ll have to reinstall them. Make sure to search for them on your machine first though, as some missing apps might still be there.

Once the process is complete is when you may start to see some issues. Due to the roll-back process some apps may appear to have been uninstalled and may need to be reinstalled, and some of the settings changes you've made in applications may also be lost. Also, make sure you remember the log-in password for the previous version of Windows since the password for Windows 10, if you have changed it, will not work!!

As Gizmodo pointed out, this doesn't necessarily mean that Windows deleted any of these apps or the associated files. Generally speaking they are still on your computer, it is just that Windows has lost track of some of the file associations (in some cases) and the app locations. So in most cases you can still navigate to the specific folders with Windows Explorer and launch them, but it may simply be easier to re-install each app.

You may still encounter other issues as you go back to your previous version of Windows, so you’ll just have to address them yourself as you go along or you can comment below with questions and we'll walk you through anything we can help out with. Another thought might just be to stick it out with Windows 10 a bit longer especially considering it is available for a free upgrade and has been widely praised in reviews!.

New Google Search Feature May End Waiting In Line

Be it standing in line to buy the hottest new games on the market or waiting for that trendy restaurant, waiting in long lines is the scourge of all things brick and mortar related. Fortunately Google has a mew tool that may easy that burden!

The new feature, announced via a Google+ post, utilizes some sort of Google magic to analyze the busy times and trends of individual businesses in order to show you when your gym, coffee shop, or favorite lunch spot is at its busiest.

"Do you ever find yourself trying to avoid long lines or wondering when is the best time to go grocery shopping, pick up coffee, or hit the gym (hint: avoid Monday after work)? You're in luck!"

For an example, Google offered the search results for "Blue Bottle Williamsburg" with the accompanying image below. Following a quick Google search simply tap on the title for the business you searched and you'll find details like its address, phone number and open hours. Google will also now show you “popular times” for the business in question accompanied by a bar chart that you can scroll through day by day that highlights the busiest portion of the day for each business.

Google states that the feature is currently enabled for “millions” of places and businesses around the world, unfortunately though they have also stated the feature is generally only going to be accessible for those more popular places where users are more “commonly curious about how busy it typically gets”. From our own testing however, we were pleasantly surprised at how many local locations are actually listed and how accurate, from our own perception, the data seemed to be.

This new 'busy times tool' should be easily accessible from within your Google Search results on all mobile phones with an internet connection and from any modern mobile web browsers or Android’s Google Search App. Sadly there is no mention of availability for desktop browsers nor does it currently work.

Windows 10 Is Here You Can Upgrade Today

The wait is finally over and Microsoft has made good on their promise and released the much anticipated upgrade to Windows, Windows 10. As many know the new upgrade is free for all current Windows users, however it will be rolling out in several phases, meaning upgrades will roll out across the country to users in waves and you may not your update right away. For you geeks that aren't willing to wait you can download the upgrade free now via the links below.

For starts let me give kuddos to Microsoft for what I'd say has been a great job on a major new roll-out. We went the tradition route, upgrading via Microsoft annoying notification bar and 'reserving' our free copy. The upgrade was fairly easy and almost completely painless. An even bigger plus was that it took very little time, less than 30mins to be exact, to download and install all of the upgrade.

So now back to the main purpose of today's post, which is to explain how you can upgrade to Windows 10 immediately!

First, you’ll need to download the Windows 10 installation file as an ISO image. To do this you'll need a few things handy. You'll need to make sure you have a blank DVD and a DVD burner, or a USB flash drive with at least 4GB of free space on hand. Now, simply visit Microsoft’s Windows 10 download page and select the Windows 10 edition you’d like to download. Note that each installation file includes everything you need to install either the Home or Pro version of Windows 10.

Just note that if you are 'upgrading' from a previous version of Windows you'll need to install the version that corresponds to your upgrade path. To find out which version you need checkout the Windows 10 specifications page. Here you can also see the full system requirements and additional Windows 10 details.

Once your download is complete, Windows will walk you through the painless process of burning a Windows 10 installation DVD or adding the installer to a USB flash drive, whichever method you decided on using. After that, you install the Windows 10 upgrade from the new media you created just like you'd install any other OS. Just make sure you backup all of your data first, things have been pretty painless so far but that doesn't mean anything and while you shouldn’t lose anything during the upgrade process you can never be too safe.

Note: that you can also use the tool to perform a clean install rather than an upgrade for those that would prefer that method — but you may need to enter a valid Windows license key under some circumstances if you do that. You can find more details in the FAQ.

Once you are done sit back and enjoy. We've been testing Windows 10 throughout the beta process and so far have loved the new moves that Microsoft has made. Especially the return of the 'start button' and removal of the tiled theme that Windows 8 had. Even though we didn't have any issues with Windows 8, we just find Windows 10 much more familiar.

Apple Offers Teachers and Students Free Beats Solo2 Headphones With Mac Purchase

For their 2015 Back to School promotion Apple is offering "qualified educational buyers" a free pair of Beats Solo2 headphones with the purchase of an eligible Mac. These qualified customers must either purchase an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac Pro with education pricing to qualify, including build-to-order configurations.

What constitutes a qualified educational buyer you might ask? According to the details on the promotion page this means teachers or administrators and other employees at a public or private K-12 school, or employees, students or parents of a student at a higher-education institution.

For those that do qualify for the offer and are looking for a bit more 'Beats' in their life you can also opt for an upgrade for an additional $100 to a pair of wireless Beats Solo2 headphones, rather than the usual $299 price. As of right now the announcement is not yet being advertised on Apple.com apart from a small mention on its rebates page.

So far this appears to be the only Back to School promotion which is a bit surprising since Apple generally runs promotions for all of its devices. Even more surprising is there doesn't seem to be a promo for the iPads this year, despite Apple pushing the tablet into education markets and the slowing sales numbers we've seen recently.

In past back-to-school promotions, Apple has given away gift cards of up to $100 and done several promotions for other devices including $50 gift cards for iPhone and iPad purchases. This move may be a clear attempt at Apple trying to not-so-subtly draw attention to its recently launched Apple Music streaming service, which largely leverages the previously launched Beat Music subscription service. It also gives a lift to the Beats by Dr. Dre brand among younger fans of music who otherwise have chosen from many rival headphone brands.

The offer runs from today through September 18th at Apple retail sales locations. Online sales are eligible for the promotion from August 6th until September 18th.

Why Windows 10 Mandatory Updates Shouldn't Be A Major Concern

It has been widely reported, and seemingly acknowledge by Microsoft, that Windows 10 will feature a new mandatory update process that has sparked some concern by many in the tech world. For many the news that Windows 10 updates cannot be stopped comes across as a bit intrusive and shows a lack of end user control, while others are voicing concerns more deeply rooted in Windows history pointing to the fact that in the past updates have been the culprit of many computer crashes and other issues.

The updated Windows EULA reads:

"The software periodically checks for system and app updates, and downloads and installs them for you. You may obtain updates only from Microsoft or authorized sources, and Microsoft may need to update your system to provide you with those updates. By accepting this agreement, you agree to receive these types of automatic updates without any additional notice.”

In short: Windows 10 will automatically download and install updates and you have no option to switch them off. It is clear Microsoft's intention is that users will be always up-to-date, not only with security patches, but also with feature updates.

While some of this news may be a major concern to most of us geeks, in the long term it will actually end up being great news for the average user and even for businesses. Why you may ask? Because one of the single biggest problems affecting Windows PCs is the risks associated with those PCs not being up-to-date. The holds true mainly in regards to security patches, but the problems also impact incompatibilities that stem from out of date software and drivers, something many day to day users don't thoroughly understand. Now that Windows 10 has complete control over their systems this is far less likely to happen.

The downside to this is clear, the total loss of control over what is and isn't updated on your system and what may or may not be added at a future date. With current versions of Windows, if there is an update a user finds breaks something that they need, they can generally refuse that update for an extended period. We've seen this time and time again with past Service Packs; these are both the most likely updates to break things and the easiest to reject.

There is also the concern that Microsoft may use the new update system to roll out a steady stream of feature updates and other software as they add new capabilities and features to the new operating system. The concern is that users might just find their PCs loaded with new Microsoft related software that they really have no need for.

While both of these may be concerns at the end of the day for the average user the rewards should far out weight any risks! The typical home or business user installing updates likely wouldn't research their updates enough to know which to avoid when installing and which are safe. Even then their is little guarantee that they will or won't work on a given system. Add to that the fact that Microsoft has been much better at releasing stable updates and/or getting fixes out for any that are causing issues and you are less likely to see problems by having automatic updates than you would if you were unpatched.

For us geeks the story is a bit different. We prefer that level of control that allows us to know exactly what is going on with out machines. For those of us that aren't happy with the new changes there will be a couple options. We can either sit and wait for a hack that allows for more control over updates or we can avoid Windows 10 Home and opt for Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, either of which allow a bit more control.

Get More Bang For Your Back to School Buck With Gazelle's Certified Pre-owned Devices

It might feel as though it is a bit early to start thinking about your back to school technology needs. However, more and more companies are kicking off sales early vying for those hard earned summer dollars and back to school sales are already gearing up.

For most students technology is going to be one of the major costs associated with heading back into the classroom. But when it comes to best-in-class technology, it doesn't have to be. As most geeks know it doesn't always take the latest tech to get by when in class and most students can get by with devices that aren't the latest-greatest.

Instead of spending all that money on the latest devices on the market or focusing instead on buying one of this year's budget friendly offerings, students can save a few bucks by looking towards used devices.

Gazelle Certified has the perfect selection of devices that will make the grade, including the latest Android smartphones, iPhones, and iPads. Plus, all Gazelle Certified devices go through an extensive 30+-point quality inspection, have no contracts or strings attached, and include a 30-day time-frame for returns.

Even if you do feel that need to buy the latest greatest devices doesn't mean you have to sacrifice that hard earned cash. Gazelle offers great savings on some of the hottest devices on the market today. Like a certified pre-owned iPhone 6.

If however cash is short on hand Gazelle can help you out there as well. You can sell your old devices and earn cash with Gazelle Trade-in. It only takes a few minutes and you can clean out your closet, or lighten those moving boxes all while adding some extra beer or book money to your pocket!

Demos For HTC's Vive VR Headset May Be Coming to A City Near You

VR Headsets are all the rage the days and one of the newest entries into the market, HTC's Vive which was developed together with popular gaming developer Valve, is quickly making waves. The Vive headset has been on demo this week at San Diego Comic-Con and so far those lucky enough to test it out have had nothing but good things to say.

Luckily for us geeks that haven't had the chance to do any hands on testing we may soon get one. HTC just announced a world tour for the Vive that of course started this week and will be stretching all the way into the Paris Games Week in November. Currently, the tour is making stops in 11 cities. Nine of those locations will be in the U.S., and the other two will be in Germany and France. Here's the current list of tour locations and dates.

• July 9-12, Island St & 6th Ave, San Diego, CA, USA
• July 17-19, Forecastle Festival [Invite Only], Louisville, KY, USA
• July 21-23, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL, USA
• July 25-28, specific location TBD, Kansas City, KS, USA
• August 2-8, The International Seattle, WA, USA
• August 5-9, Gamescom, Cologne, Germany
• August 13-16, specific location TBD, San Francisco, CA, USA
• August 20-23, specific location TBD, Portland, OR, USA
• August 28-31, PAX Prime, Seattle, WA, USA
• September 4-9, IFA, Berlin, Germany
• October 28-November 1, Paris Games Week, Paris, France

HTC has noted that tour dates and locations are subject to change, so if your city isn't on the list now, maybe it will be there later. HTC will also be sharing photos, video, and stories from the road on the official HTC blog, as well as on theirsocial media channels (which now include @HTCVive) using the hashtag #HTCViveLive.

Security Alert: Leaked Hacking Team Flash Exploit Already In Use Patch Flash Now

The recent hacking and subsequent leak of more than 400GBs of data from the 'Hacking Team', which is known for working with governments worldwide, has turned up several major pieces of information both on the good and bad side. One little piece that the team was sitting on was a previously unknown, un-patched Flash zero day exploit which could allow attackers to remotely execute code on a targeted computer.

According to security researchers it has taken less than a day for the new exploit to spread throughout the hacking community and be put in to use. By Tuesday afternoon, the critical flaw was added to several major commercially available exploit kits and was being targeted in the wild by an array of malware titles.

Adobe Systems has already confirmed the vulnerability, which received the identifier CVE-2015-5119 and is active in Flash versions 18.0.0.194 and earlier. Fortunately Adobe has worked quickly to get an update together that should mitigate any threat.

Adobe came out today with the APSB15-16 security bulletin and update providing patches for 36 security vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player, including this latest threat. The update should be currently available for all users of Flash on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux systems. Adobe has credited Google's Project Zero and Morgan Marquis-Boire, director of security, First Look Media, for reporting the critical bug and working to protect Flash users.

If for some reason the Adobe update is not available for you, or you can install it users are advised to enable the click-to-play feature in browsers that support it, like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, or to disable the Flash Player plug-in in their browser.

PayPal Backtracks on Robocalls Amidst FCC Complaints

Following recent reports that PayPal's new user agreement would allow the company to send all of its users automated (robocalls) and texts the company has today announced it’s plans to amend the User Agreement once again to clarify the language it uses to communicate to customers how the company is allowed to contact them.

PayPal had recently faced several complaints for customers and consumer advocacy groups following media reports of a change to PayPal’s terms. Rather vague language found in an update to the User Agreement, which was originally set to go live on July 1st, seemed to indicate that the company would be allowed to robocall and text users on any number it could obtain – not just the one associated with a PayPal account – and for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to marketing.

Following these reports several advocacy groups reached out the the FCC voicing their concerns. In turn this prompted the FCC to respond with a warning voicing concerns that PayPal’s updated user agreement may be in violation of federal law. One issue, according to the FCC, is that consenting to robocalls cannot be a condition of using PayPal’s service. In addition, customers must provide prior written consent before receiving robocalls, they must be able to opt out, and if they choose to consent, they must be able to specify which phone number they’re agreeing to be contacted on by PayPal.

Opting to heed the FCC's warning and avoid potential penalties of up to $16,000 per call or text message, PayPal decided to remove the vague language from the newest User Agreement and has  published a blog post apologizing to consumers for the confusion. The company says it’s now modifying the disputed section (1.10) of the User Agreement to clarify that PayPal “primarily” uses autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts for the following purposes:

• Help detect, investigate and protect PayPal customers from fraud
  
• Provide notices to  customers regarding their accounts or account activity
  
• Collect a debt owed to PayPal

In addition the new Sections (1.10(a) and 1.10(b)) will make it clear that:

•  PayPal will not use autodialed or prerecorded calls or texts to contact our customers for marketing purposes without prior express written consent
• Customers can continue to enjoy our products and services without needing to consent to receive autodialed or prerecorded calls or texts
• We [PayPal] respect our customers’ communications preferences and recognize that their consent is required for certain autodialed and prerecorded calls and texts. Customers may revoke consent to receive these communications by contacting PayPal customer support and informing us of their preferences.

PayPal today says it’s clarifying the agreement’s terms, which should satisfy the FCC. The company added it worked with regulators on the new language, so it’s not likely there will be further issues. In addition to post linked above, PayPal also states they will be emailing all of their customers fully detailing the new change and allowing them the chance to provide further feedback.

Google Now Offers Free Ad Supported Version of Google Play Music

The streaming music wars have certainly heated up lately and with Apple jumping into the game we are seeing some of our traditional favorites scrambling to create more enticing offers in hopes to keep their edge and keep some of their users from defecting to Apple's new offering. Today Google has announced that they will be upping the ante on their end with a new free version of Google Play Music.

Billed as 'music for everything you do", this new ad supported version of Google Play Music will work much like most of your favorite streaming services out there. The service will utilize Radio stations that are curated by music experts — including staffers from Songza — giving you the option to browse stations by genre, mood, decade or activity or by artist, song or album.You’ll also get ad-free, offline and background features for music videos on YouTube. And with or without a subscription, you can store and play up to 50,000 songs from your own collection for free.

Google says the ad-supported version is intended to help expose consumers to its service, with the goal of converting users to the paid version so they can access content offline, create their own playlists and, of course, stream music without interruption. The upgraded version runs at $9.99 a month. For the cost of the paid subscription users will have access to other features such as skipping ads, listening to music offline, creating playlists and perusing the library of 30 million songs. Subscribers also get early access to YouTube's subscription service.

The new free, ad-supported version of Google Play Music is launching first in the U.S. It’s available on the web today, and is rolling out this week to Android and iOS.

Apple Creates New App to Help Android Defectors Migrate to iOS

For the average consumer the thought of having to change from one smartphone operating system to another an be a bit much. We are all creatures of habit and typically like to stick to the things we know and are most comfortable with. Over the past couple years smartphone manufactures have looked for new ways to break that cycle by making it easier for you to take the leap and move from one OS platform to another.

Android device owners have options like Samsung's Smart Switch, Motorola's Migrate app and even a site setup by Google specifically for Android Switchers. What about those defecting to Apple and iOS you may ask. Until now there have been few options and most of those have required a bit more manual work than most would like. That is changing however thanks to a new app developed by Apple that promises to make the move between Android and iOS a bit easier.

Announced as part of the iOS 9 preview page which followed Apple's iOS 9 WWDC announcement, Move to iOS will allow users to easily transfer their data from almost any Android phone to iOS.

Move to iOS is an Android app that installs on your current Android phone and will allow you to migrate most (if not all) of you data from your current Android phone to your new iPhone running Apple's operating system, iOS. This will include, contacts, message history, photos, videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, wallpapers and more. All of this is done through wireless transfer, so you don't have to connect the two smartphones with a cable.

"Just download the Move to iOS app to wirelessly switch from your Android device to your new iOS device," Apple wrote. "It securely transfers your contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, calendars, wallpaper, and DRM-free songs and books. And it will help you rebuild your app library, too. Any free apps you used -- like Facebook and Twitter -- are suggested for download from the App Store. And your paid apps are added to your iTunes Wish List."

Unfortunately much Samsung's Smart Switch app there will be some limitations. It is likely that Move to iOS will not allow for app data to be moved, that typically isn't possible between the two platforms, so you'll need to make sure you have any data saved to the game or app's servers before switching. You also will not be able to transfer any files that have DRM protection like certain songs, movies or e-Books.

So far Apple hasn't gone into great details on which versions of Android will be supported or whether or not any older versions of iOS or iPhones will be supported, but "Move to iOS" will presumably be available on the Play Store later this year so you can download it on your Android device.

Steam's Summer Sale Coming June 11-21th Plan Your Buys Now!

Often considered one of the hottest gaming sales of the year, the Steam Summer Sale is reportedly going to kick off a bit early this year. According to reports and leaked emails sent from PayPal, gamers will only have to wait a couple more days to get major discounts on some of their favorite game titles!

For those that remember, last year we saw Steam change things up a bit by featuring several different kinds of sales, including daily deals, that changed every 24 hours, flash sales, which were only live every eight hours, and community picked games which also involved community participation to help keeps fan engaged and checking back with the site.

During the community involvement phase gamers got to vote on two sets of games, and earn trading cards along the way. You could also earn a Summer Adventure badge by earning special trading cards you can get from voting, as well as trading in the Community Market, crafting badges, or buying more games.

As of right now it is uncertain how many of these aspects we'll see this year or if we'll see Steam doing something else new and different. One thing is for certain though, you can expect to see some great offers! We shared several tips for getting the best of the best deals in our Steam Summer Sale 2014 post so be sure to check those out. For good measure we'll add a couple additional tips below.

• Wishlist, Wishlist, Wishlist!: One of the biggest tips from every Steam Sale is use your wishlist to get the best deals! Adding games, even those not on sale, will trigger notifications when they do go on sale. So build that list now and then you can sit back and watch the sales for other games you might be interested in but weren't targeting.
• Team up with your gaming friends: Organize a few group buys, Steam Sales are usually a great time to get big discounts on multiplayer games. Even more so with friends. In the past we've seen scenarios where buying four copies resulted in one being free, making this the opportune moment to get your multiplayer fix cheaper if you bring friends along.
• Watch the clock and time your buys: If you see a game you want on sale check the details out on the game's page and see how long the deal lasts. If it is a daily wait until later in the day to buy. Often times you may see that same game go on a flash sale. Just try to avoid the last minute rush.
• Check in as often as possible: Keep a close eye on the Steam home page, you never know when you might have missed a deal and it will suddenly be a hot ticket item on the home page. Additionally, until we know the details of the types of sales Steam will offer, we don't know if they might slip in an occasion 'hidden deal' or not..you never know!

One final tip, and this should really go without saying, don't feel like you need to wait for the sale to make your purchases. Steam and other sites already have some great everyday deals that can be had with a little side work. Sure the sale offers a ton of great deals all in one place without having to do that work, but that doesn't mean better deals can't be found. Finally, have fun and happy shopping...that is what gaming and sales are all about right!

Looking For A Geeky Father's Day Gift Idea?

Father's day is just right around the corner and we don't know a single dad that doesn't appreciate a cool geeky gift to help him celebrate his day! This year instead of that geeked out shirt or tie why not get dad something cool like an Intel 2 in 1 device that he can use everyday...heck he might even let you use it too!

Intel 2in1 devices offer dad's the best of both worlds, they get all the power and performance of a laptop in lightweight portable device that double as a tablet. This makes them the perfect companion, and gift idea, as dad can take it along just about anywhere like out to the game or to the driving range and still use it for work or at home to fill his multitasking power app needs.

Here are a couple Intel 2 in 1 suggestions we recommend checking out:

ASUS Transformer Book TP500LA-DS51T: The Asus Transformer Book Flip TP500LA-DS51T Tablet comes with 500 GB of hard disk and runs with 8GB of memory ensuring quickness and reliability. With a 15.6" screen and the latest in Intel Core i5 processing power dad can enjoy smooth, rich, and detailed sounds in music, movies, voice, and even gaming.

Lenovo Yoga 3 (11 inch): For dads that like a more compact design the 11" Yoga 3 fills the bill. Starting at a mere 2.6 lbs and just 0.6" thin, the Yoga 3 is ultraportable — it’s perfect for dads on the go.

Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 Special Edition: For that dad that needs something that really packs a punch the Inspiron 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 Special Edition is it. This Intel 2in1 combines tablet mobility and laptop performance by offering up a 5th Generation Intel Core i7-5500U Processor and 8GBs of RAM, meaning it will handle just about anything your dad can throw at it and more!

As you can see from our recommendations there are several great options to choose from. To help you find the best option for you we suggest checking out Intel's 2in1 site where you can get a quick side by side view of all of the latest offerings from ASUS, Dell Acer, Lenovo, HP and more!

#spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and Intel This could include Intel providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Comcast Outage Credit Request Now Live, Sign-Up to Get Your $5!

Service outages are always frustrating and even more so in today's always connected world. It seems like you can't get anything done once your internet is down. This past week Comcast was hit with a major outage that affected customers all across the western US.

Comcast explained the outage as a hardware failure that impacted Domain Name System (DNS) traffic causing many customers to experience service interruptions. Essentially customers trying to reach websites couldn't because Comcast's servers couldn't resolve the domain names and point the website request to the appropriate location.

We understand that interruptions like those experienced by our customers in California, Washington State and Tucson, Arizona are frustrating. We would like to make it right by offering you a $5 credit.

For some of those impacted Comcast has already started reaching out and offering a $5 credit for the interruption. For others you can sign-up to request your billing credit here, you'll need to use the original account holders name and either the phone number associated with the account of the account number. According to the terms you must also make sure you submit your request before 6/11/2015 so make sure you get it done ASAP.

This $5 credit offer is being extended to Comcast customers with active XFINITY Internet service in California, Washington State, and Tucson, Arizona who were affected by the issue with our DNS servers that was first reported on 6/1/15. This request form is for our residential customers only. Comcast says it will take anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks for the credit to be posted to your Comcast account and you should receive an email informing you of the status of your credit request within 10 business days of submitting your request.

$5 doesn't seem like much for someone like myself that relies so heavily on the internet to get things done. However, a little something is always better than a whole lot of nothing!! 

Google Aims at Taking Control of All of Your Connected Devices With Project Brillo

Like it or not connect devices are here to stay. In the past few years we have seen everything from small appliances to thermostats and lights being connected to create the ever widening world of the Internet of Things (IoT). Unfortunately connecting this myriad of devices are several different systems (both operating systems and applications) and standards. Making it hard to get things to work together.

Enter Google and Project Brillo, a newly announced version of Android that has been slimmed down and optimized specifically for manufactures to give you a uniform experiences across all your Internet-connected home and geek gadgets.

Brillo is "derived from Android [and] lets developers and manufacturers build connected devices," Google said. "As part of Brillo, we're introducing a communications protocol (Weave) developed in partnership with Nest, a set of developer APIs, a core set of schemas, and a certification program to ensure device and app interoperability."

The approach from Google is a simple one, there are now more than one billion Android users worldwide with Android being featured on more than 4,000 unique devices, from more than 400 manufacturers and over 500 carriers. With that, according to Gartner, IoT products are expected to boom over the next several years with more than 25 billion connected devices expected to be in use in homes and at work by 2020. 

With Project Brillo Google wants to ensure that geeks and gadget lovers everywhere have a more simplified user experience by taking control of the operating system is at the heart of each and every one of those devices.

"Our day-to-day lives will be much simpler when these technologies can talk to each other—if our recipe app, for example, could communicate with our smart oven to turn the temperature to exactly the right setting," Google said in a blog post. "​Or outside the home—from transportation systems that notify commuters of schedule changes, to farms where harvesters and irrigation systems are controlled from phones."

Brillo launches in the third quarter, while its corresponding IoT language – called Weave – is slated for Q4.

Twitter Finally Makes Popular Live Streaming App Periscope Available On Android

For some time now you've likely heard of the rising popularity of the live streaming app Periscope, which until today was an iOS exclusive.  Finally after months of hearing how great the app is, us Android Geeks finally get to take it for a spin!

Today's release of the Android version comes roughly two months after the iOS version, which has shown to be very popular with more than one million users joining Periscope in its first 10 days on the iPhone app store.The app has quickly become a go-to of sorts for Twitter users, celebrities, and those citizen journalist out there that want to be seen and heard.

For those unfamiliar with the app it offers a couple of basic functions with the main concept of Periscope being the ability to allow viewers and broadcasters to virtually connect anywhere in the world. The app provides the opportunity for those wanting to broadcast to share their experience with others, be it something personal, newsworthy or whatever. With the simple press of a button, broadcasters connect and instantly notify followers that they are live allowing them to view video streams.

For viewers you get the opportunity to see the world from the broadcasters POV. You essentially step into someone else’s shoes, following along with whatever might be happening at the moment. On Periscope, viewers are also encouraged to influence the broadcaster by sending messages, and engagements to create an interactive experience.

At its core, the Android app functions the same as it does in iOS, letting you both watch and record live broadcasts on your phone, but there a couple features exclusive to this new release. The major difference Android users will notice is the addition of useful new feature called "return to broadcast," which lets those watching a stream quickly get caught up to the live action after interruptions like phone calls and text messages. Other changes are limited to UI design and greater control over app notifications.

For those Android Geeks out there that are interested Periscope is available now for download on the Google Play Store, requiring Android version 4.4 KitKat or above. Of course if you do try it out, let us know in a comment below, we'd love to see some feedback!

New Free Service Makes Getting Price-Drop Refunds Automatic

I have yet to meet a geek that doesn't like to save money! Of course we all know sometimes that can be easier said than done. You have to make that concerted effort to watch your favorite deal sites for the best deals, use price match policies or search out refunds. Then once you do get the best deal you get annoyed because the price drops even lower.

These days many stores have policies that offer to refund shoppers when this happens, but as most good deal seeking geeks know it can be a major hassle trying to keep track of all of your recent purchases and sale prices from those retailers in order to take advantage of price-drop refunds.

We now have a solution, a service called Paribus. The concept here is a simple one, maybe a little intrusive, but still simple nonetheless and even better it is free, well until they get you a refund and then it only cost you 25%.

Here are the basics that you need to know: When getting started you sign up to Paribus and link your email accounts that you typically do your shopping from. The service then watches for receipts that come in as you shop online, or in stores that offer receipts by email. When a new purchase is made and an invoice is emailed to you, Paribus records it in your account and monitors the price of the items you purchased. If there is a coupon you missed, or if the price of any items drops, Paribus will automatically file a claim with the store at which you purchased the items and get you a refund.

Sounds pretty simple too me! The great part is, again that there is no charge for the service. If they don't get you a refund they don't get paid! The one downside I see if any, would be allowing an outside service access to your email and invoices which might be a deal breaker for some...but hey
I like to save money so I might be willing to give it a shot.

We should note that at this time the Paribus service only works with 18 different merchants, but they’re all large retailers that are very popular especially amongst use geeks and include sites, such as Newegg, Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy.

Here’s the full list of supported merchants:

• Amazon.com
• Bloomingdale’s
• Macy’s
• Best Buy
• Sephora.com
• Newegg
• Staples
• Target
• Bonobos
• J. Crew
• Zappos.com
• Nordstrom
• Banana Republic
• Gap
• Old Navy
• Athleta
• Piperlime
• Walmart

The company says it is constantly working to add additional merchants. There’s one more important thing to note with Paribus: every merchant has different policies where price-drop refunds are concerned. That shouldn't be any issue here, in fact it should be a major plus as now you won't need to remember those policies or have to deal with anything related to customer service. Paribus should handle all that for you!

PayPal to Pay $25 million In Fines and Refunds For Credit Card Deception

A top US financial consumer protection watchdog has slapped PayPal with fines totally more than $25million for claims that the online payment company illegally and unknowingly signed up users for PayPal Credit, coerced users to use PayPal Credit instead of their preferred payment method and mishandled billing disputes.

According to the filings and and ongoing investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau PayPal illegally signed tens of thousands of customers up for credit cards through the company's PayPal Credit, formerly known as Bill Me Later, without their permission. It also made changes to account holders accounts changing their default payment method to utilize their PayPal credit card, and then failed to address disputes when customers complained.

“PayPal illegally signed up consumers for its online credit product without their permission and failed to address disputes when they complained,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Online shopping has become a way of life for many Americans and it’s important that they are treated fairly. The CFPB’s action should send a signal that consumers are protected whether they are opening their wallets or clicking online to make a purchase.”

Since 2008, PayPal has offered PayPal Credit to consumers across the country making purchases from thousands of online merchants, including eBay. In their filings with the US District Court in Maryland the CFPB alleges that many consumers who were attempting to enroll in a regular PayPal account, or make an online purchase, were signed up for a credit product without realizing it. The company also failed to post payments properly, lost payment checks, and mishandled billing disputes that consumers had with merchants or the company. Tens of thousands of consumers experienced these issues. Specifically, the CFPB alleges that the company:

• Deceptively advertised promotional benefits: The CFPB alleges that PayPal failed to honor advertised promotions, such as a $5 or $10 promised credit toward consumer purchases.

• Abusively charged consumers deferred interest: The CFPB alleges that PayPal offered consumers limited-time, deferred-interest promotions, and that PayPal purported to let consumers pick how payments would be applied to these promotional balances. But consumers who attempted to contact the company to get more information or request to apply their payments to promotional balances often could not get through to the company’s customer service line or were given inaccurate information. Many such consumers were hit with deferred-interest fees that, due to the company’s conduct, they could not avoid.

• Enrolled consumers in PayPal Credit without their knowledge or consent: The CFPB alleges that the company often automatically enrolled consumers in PayPal Credit when those consumers were signing up for a regular PayPal account or making purchases. The company enrolled other consumers while they tried canceling or closing out of the application process. Many consumers ended up enrolled in PayPal Credit without knowing how or why they were enrolled. They discovered their accounts only after finding a credit-report inquiry or receiving welcome emails, billing statements, or debt-collection calls for amounts past due, including late fees and interest.

• Made consumers use PayPal Credit for purchases instead of their preferred payment method: The CFPB alleges that the company automatically set or preselected the default payment method for all purchases made through PayPal to PayPal Credit. This meant consumers used PayPal Credit even when they intended to use another method of payment such as a linked credit card or checking account. Other consumers were not able to select another payment method, finding that their purchases were charged to a PayPal Credit account even when they affirmatively selected another payment. Many of these consumers incurred late fees and interest because they did not know they had made purchases through PayPal Credit.

• Engaged in illegal billing practices: The CFPB alleges that the company failed to post payments or failed to remove late fees and interest charges from consumers’ bills even when the consumers were unable to make payments because of website failures. Numerous consumers reported that the company lost payment checks or took more than a week to process checks.

• Mishandled consumer disputes about payments: The CFPB also alleges that PayPal mishandled consumers’ billing disputes and made billing errors.

 
Under a proposed settlement, PayPal will hand over $15 million in refunds to consumers and another $10 million in civil penalties. The company also will have to improve its disclosures for PayPal Credit. PayPal neither admitted nor denied any of the complaint's allegations, and the settlement doesn't constitute a finding that the company violated any laws. Consumers who are eligible for payments don't need to take any action; they will be contacted by PayPal, the CFPB said.

Popcorn Time Moves to Your Browser Making It Super Easy to Stream Torrented Movies

For those that don't mind the 'legal grey are' of streaming move torrents, Popcorn Time has become a major must have! The nifty little app, which we were first introduced to last year, gave us geeks a quick and easy way to find and download all of our latest movie favorites.

Since its original inception the app and services have come a long way. First moving to mobile platforms such as Android and iOS then adding support for streaming devices like Chromescast. Now, the app often dubbed the Netflix for pirated movies, takes another leap which makes it even easier too use!

Thanks to a new 'anonymous' development team and a service that is a mashup between popular torrenting site YTS that is used to for the content and Coinado.io a cloud streaming service, geeks everywhere have access to video streaming directly in any browser with no apps to install. All they need to do is vista a site called Popcorn Time In Your Browser.

The site features a fairly simplistic user interface, with little more than a few movie suggestions and a search box. However, that shouldn't be an issue with most because all the magic happens behind the scenes! Popcorn Time's servers handle everything, you won't be downloading any applications or torrents onto your computer, and from what we see nothing is stored locally— you'll be streaming the content via the cloud.

Since the site is taking the minimal approach here there is no built-in VPN service like what’s included in the desktop software, so if you’re going to use the Popcorn In Your Browser site, it’s probably best to use a VPN of your own if you’d like to keep your activity private. It’s also important to keep in mind that the Popcorn Time brand operates under anonymity, and different apps are run by different teams—so it’s hard to say who specifically is operating the site. Meaning you never know who might be tracking your activity there!

As always, use tools like this at your own risk and please keep in mind there are still several legal issues surrounding their use!! 

Microsoft Says No Freebies For Pirates, Still Offers Upgrade Deals

As the release date for Windows 10 inches closer and closer the web is dotted with a lot of misinformation regarding claims that Microsoft would be giving away free copies of Windows 10. The blame for most of this bad information lies directly at the feet of Microsoft, and their developers, who have made a few statements that in the end aren't entirely accurate.

Looking to clear up one of the biggest rumors; That owners of counterfeit copies of Windows 7 and 8.1 will receive a free upgrade to Windows 10 this summer Microsoft offered a statement that should finally lay some of these claims to rest.

"Our free offer to upgrade to Windows 10 will not apply to non-genuine Windows devices," said Terry Myerson, the head of Windows, in a May 15 post on the Windows blog. "Microsoft and our OEM partners know that many consumers are unwitting victims of piracy, and with Windows 10, we would like all of our customers to move forward with us together. While our free offer to upgrade to Windows 10 will not apply to Non-Genuine Windows devices, and as we’ve always done, we will continue to offer Windows 10 to customers running devices in a Non-Genuine state."

Myerson's post, which was entirely dedicated to the topic of Windows 10 and non-genuine licenses, was just the latest in a series of highly confusing statements by Microsoft since March, when it was previously reported that Myerson said pirated copies could be upgraded to the new OS using the free deal. Those statements made at the time led many to believe that non-genuine licenses (aka pirated copies) would be able to upgrade, however they would still be seen as 'illegal' copies. Meaning users wouldn't have a fully working legitimate copy of the new OS.

Even with this newer explanation there seems to be a bit of vagueness as Myerson added the statement that Microsoft would "continue to offer Windows 10 to customers running devices in a Non-Genuine state." In additional comments he also stated that, "when we [MS] can’t verify that Windows is properly installed, licensed, and not tampered with, we create a desktop watermark to notify the user" something that sound similar to what we see on Windows now with the Windows 7 Non-Genuine Notifications.

Either way you shake things Microsoft is working harder than ever to get more users to upgrade to their newest software and become legitimate paying customers. Not only are they offering the free upgrade but the company has also said that it's planning to run some "very attractive Windows 10 upgrade offers" that will allow people with pirated copies to move to an official version. Specific details of that haven't been announced yet, but that likely won't come until we actually hear about when Windows 10 will arrive. For now, it's still targeted for this summer.

Google “Buy” Button May Soon Help Geeks Get Their Shopping Fix

According to the Wall Street Journal your Google search results may undergo a new change that is intended to make it easier for you to connect with retailers and get your shopping fix on. Sources familiar with the new service claim that Google will slowly begin rolling out a new feature on its mobile search results that will show what most are calling the Google 'Buy Button, that will allow you to "Shop on Google" from within sponsored search results.

No Google isn't jumping into the e-tailer program and offering products on its own. According to the reported the Google Buy Button will be similar to those offerings we've seen in past such as the Facebook Buy Button.

Google users searching for products on their mobile sites will see the new 'Buy Button' which will then take users to a new page to verify their order and make a purchase. As with Facebook's option the new feature will only appear when users search for products and then when those products are available from advertisers who opt in to Google Services. Google will facilitate the transactions, all inventory and shipping will be handled by the retailers, which will keep 100 percent of the payment and simply pay the tech company for its advertising services.

Many fear that the move may be harmful to Google's relationship with advertisers yet they note that as more users head directly into apps and skip Google when shopping on their phones, Google has little choice but to add a feature that will make shopping more seamless for consumers.

The move is an interesting direction for Google to take, but the search giant has been taking several steps to improve the experience and visibility of its search and services on mobile. Recently we've seen Google begin showing more Android apps to its search results, as well as more tie-ins to service like Google Music and Google Video. A move that it hopes would drive more users to its additional services and allow users to discover even more apps that are not yet installed on their device that may be relevant to their queries. It has also recently given priority to web sites that have mobile-friendly pages in its search results.

Sprint and Verizon Must Pay $158 Million In Fines You May Be Due A Refund

The Federal Communications Commission has fined Verizon $90 million and Sprint $68 million for what is know as cramming, or the charging of unauthorized third-party charges to their customer's bills. The good news, according to the FCC statement the majority of the fines will be going to customers as a refund meaning you may be owned a portion of the settlement.

The State Attorneys General and federal regulators allege that cramming occurred when Sprint and Verizon placed charges from third parties on consumers’ mobile telephone bills without the consumers’ knowledge or consent.

The monthly charge for these third-party premium text messaging services ranged from $0.99 to $14.00, but typically were $9.99 per month. Verizon retained 30 percent or more of each third-party charge that it billed, while Sprint received approximately 35 percent of collected revenues for each of its third-party charges.

Numerous consumers have complained to the FCC, other government agencies, and the carriers that they never requested or authorized the third-party services for which they were charged. Customers who called to complain were often denied refunds, and yet, when the FCC requested proof that customers had authorized charges, the carriers were unable to prove that these services were ever requested."

Consumers the believe they are owed refunds can submit claims under the redress programs by visiting www.SprintRefundPSMS.com and/or www.CFPBSettlementVerizon.com. On those websites, consumers can submit claims, find information about refund eligibility and how to obtain a refund, and request a free account summary that details PSMS purchases on their accounts. Consumers who have questions about the redress programs can visit the program websites or call the settlement administrators at (877) 389-8787 (Sprint) and/or (888) 726-7063 (Verizon).

Verizon Now Owns Some of Your Favorite Geek Sites Thanks to $4.4 bn AOL Buyout

Verizon made some major headlines today when it announced that it will buy AOL for $4.4 billion, acquiring not just AOL.com but also AOL's "premium portfolio of global content brands, including The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, and Engadget.

Lowell McAdam, Verizon chairman and CEO, said: “Verizon’s vision is to provide customers with a premium digital experience based on a global multiscreen network platform. This acquisition supports our strategy to provide a cross-screen connection for consumers, creators and advertisers to deliver that premium customer experience.”

The new acquisition may be a major concern to us geeks out there that frequent sites like Engadget as Verizon may want to change some of their formatting or even restrict/limit topics or content. However, in a tweet this morning Engadget editor Terrence O'Brien said nothing will change, with Senior Editor Chris Velazco going one step further tweeting, "if anything, I'm looking forward to scrutinizing Verizon EVEN MORE!"

Update: Engadget has posted this response to questions about the team's ability to maintain editorial integrity in the face of the buyout stating, "It doesn't matter who pays our salaries; we're not in the business of censorship. Engadget's editorial isn't for sale. It never has been, and it never will be. Not as long as I [Michael Gorman] and Executive Editor Christopher Trout are running things."

Buyouts of this nature often leave us sitting in murky waters, not knowing exactly what so expect from the new parent company. In this case however it would seem as though Verizon's best bet would be to leave their new properties to their own devices. All three are major players in the online world and have very strong followings in the tech sector. Unfortunately, we have seen in the past that parent companies do not see things the same way and changes are all to often made.

If the deal is approved by regulatory bodies, AOL will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon, which means Verizon will not only get their content platforms, but also AOL's original video content and advertising platform alongside AOL's lingering dial-up business which still services 2.1 million people. AOL Chairman and CEO Tim Armstrong will continue to lead the subsidiary. If all goes well Verizon expects the deal to close late this summer.

Windows 10 May Be The Last Official Version of Windows

With Windows 10 set to make its official debut later this year and Microsoft re-shifting their focus and the role of the operating system to create more of a Windows as a service model, we may be seeing the final days of traditional Windows releases and the traditional branding methodology we know today.

Speaking during the Ignite conference held earlier this week, Microsoft developer evangelist Jerry Nixon made a rather intriguing statement. Nixon stated that, "Right now we're releasing Windows 10, and because Windows 10 is the last version of Windows, we're all still working on Windows 10."

This statement has been taken by many to mean that Microsoft's refocusing of Windows as a service will mean the death of what we now know of Windows as being. Now that doesn't mean that Microsoft isn't going to launch future versions of Windows after Windows 10. Instead, it looks like we will see a shift towards the model Apple currently has. We'll see Microsoft releasing more frequent updates with an ever evolving operating system rather than major new releases every few years.

In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft looked to clarify Nixon's original statement:

Recent comments at Ignite about Windows 10 are reflective of the way Windows will be delivered as a service bringing new innovations and updates in an ongoing manner, with continuous value for our consumer and business customers. We aren't speaking to future branding at this time, but customers can be confident Windows 10 will remain up-to-date and power a variety of devices from PCs to phones to Surface Hub to HoloLens and Xbox. We look forward to a long future of Windows innovations.

We're already seeing how this may be implemented with security updates. Microsoft has already announced that it would be changing the way they release updates, ending what is traditionally called Patch Tuesday, instead delivering updates as soon as they are ready.

From the foundation of it, it looks like we will need to start rethinking the way we view Windows updates from Windows 10 on. It sounds like we will start to see something much closer to our mobile operating systems like Android, where as most of your major updates are done for specific apps and services, while overall system updates that warrant full version numbers will be further in-between.

JetBlue Partners With Amazon to Offer Free In Flight Amazon Prime Video Streaming

In flight entertainment just got a big boost thanks to a new partnership between Amazon and JetBlue. Under the new pairing Amazon Prime members will be able to use their current Amazon Prime membership and Instant Video services to stream videos, music and more during their JetBlue flights.

The new partnership will enable JetBlue’s free high-speed Fly-Fi broadband internet for use by Amazon Prime members, giving them access to Prime's selection of thousands of movies, TV shows and more at no additional cost. Fly-Fi will give users internet speeds they would get at home or work, thanks to the use of satellite technology. In addition, all JetBlue customers will be able to rent or purchase hundreds of thousands of titles in the Amazon Instant Video store, including new-release movies and day-after TV programming, over the free broadband internet.

“We want to provide the best digital video experience to our customers and we’re excited that, with JetBlue, we will raise the bar in airline entertainment,” said Michael Paull, Vice President of Digital Video at Amazon. “We’re thrilled that Fly-Fi technology will give Prime members and customers unlimited, on-demand access to the full catalog of titles from Amazon’s digital video library while they’re in the sky—without the need to rush to download one more episode or movie before taking off, we’re helping make airline travel more enjoyable.”

For Prime members, Amazon’s entertainment library will be built into the JetBlue Fly-Fi Hub, giving customers instant access to watch titles from Amazon on their laptops, Fire devices, iPhones, iPads and Android phones and tablets—no pre-flight download needed. JetBlue’s free Fly-Fi broadband internet will be available on all of JetBlue’s Airbus A321 and A320 aircraft this year, and on JetBlue’s Embraer E190 aircraft in 2016.

JetBlue's website description of Fly-Fi says its new Ka-band satellite service is "much faster than competing Ku-band satellites and older ground-to-air technology, giving you a Wi-Fi experience that feels more like what you have at home or work." The service, which is listed as still in beta, offers two tiers: Tier one is basic Internet access for free while tier 2 is the Fly-Fi Plus plan that typically costs users $9/hour and offers faster service that supports "bandwidth-heavy applications like streaming movies and large downloads."

Source: Amazon Media Room

PlayStation Plus Members Get These Games Free For May

Sony has announced another collection of great games that will be available for free of charge to all PlayStation Plus members to download this month. As always the collection features a wide variety of gaming genres with some popular titles mixed with a couple maybe lesser known games.

All the games listed below will be available for subscribers starting next week on May 5 when the PlayStation Store refreshes. If you haven't already done so, now is a good time to download April's free games.

PlayStation 4

• Ether One
• Guacamelee Super Championship Turbo Edition
• Race the Sun
• Hohokum
• The Unfinished Swan

PlayStation 3

• Hohokum
• Race the Sun
• The Unfinished Swan

PlayStation Vita

• Hohokum
• Murasaki Baby
• Race the Sun
• The Unfinished Swan

PlayStation Plus has been a big hit with gamers since its launch last year. The membership program which can be joined for as little as $5/mo with a yearly subscription, or $9.99 for a month to month basis, offers gamers not only free games each month but discounts on titles, free online games saves and other features.

Good Bye Internet Explorer Hello Microsoft Edge

We've all heard that Microsoft will finally be laying Internet Explorer to rest in favor of a new redesigned "super modern, super fast" browser. Today however, we have a new official name for the final release of the project, Microsoft Edge.

During the Microsoft Build developer event in San Francisco, the company announced the new name along with several new features and details for the final product which was previously known as Project Spartan. Microsoft is positioning Microsoft Edge as a modern, fast web browser that been redesigned from the ground up to work within and support almost all of the widely-accepted Internet standards.

The new browser is said to provide lots of contextual, personalized information along with integration with Cortana, Microsoft's virtual personal assistant and artificial intelligence tool, that will learn from your habits and show you ever-more relevant stuff when browsing the web and using web based applications. According to Microsoft the browser will also support extensions based on HTML and Javascript which should make it easier for developers to port their extensions from Chrome or Firefox with only a few minor modifications.

Currently, the only option to test Microsoft Edge is by having the latest build of the Windows 10 technical preview installed. There has been no word as to whether or not Microsoft will release Microsoft Edge for any previous version of Windows, just that it will be the newest default browser for Windows 10 when it is released.

Gamers - GameStop Wants Your Help Raising $500,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish foundation has a long standing history of supporting great causes and we all know that gamers, tech geeks and the likes are always doing their part to support any worthy causes they can. Starting next month, popular game retailer GameStop, will be asking those that can for donations to help support those gamers and geeks that need a little distraction from the challenges they face with their life threatening illnesses.

From May 1, through May 31, 2015, customers who shop at GameStop and www.GameStop.com will have the opportunity to donate $1, $5, $10, or more to Make-A-Wish per purchase. For every Make-A-Wish donation, GameStop will offer a bounce back coupon good for 10% off their next purchase of pre-owned games, and PowerUp Rewards members will receive triple PowerUp Rewards points on their donations. Additionally, this year, customers can also support the cause via in-store donations at Spring Mobile and Simply Mac, members of GameStop’s family of technology brands, and Kongregate customers will be able to donate via online transactions. Last year, GameStop raised $300,000, and this year, GameStop has a goal of raising $500,000 for Make-A-Wish.

“GameStop has a deep history with Make-A-Wish, and we are thrilled to have another opportunity to support such a meaningful organization,” said Rob Lloyd, chief financial officer of GameStop, and Make-A-Wish North Texas board member. “We know the power of granting a wish to children in need and are honored to give our customers the chance to feel the joy in helping to make wish kids’ wishes come true.”

The funds GameStop collects from its Make-A-Wish campaign will support shopping sprees for children facing life-threatening medical challenges. In 2014, GameStop granted some 335 "wishes." This year, GameStop worked with 12-year-old gamer Jahred Joyner, who has AGS leukodystrophy, to fulfill his wish.

For those that may not be visiting GameStop over the next month but still wish to make a donation you can visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more details on how to donate..

Source: GameStop