Upgrading to Windows 10? Microsoft's Privacy Policies Now Make More Sense

Shortly after Microsoft released Windows 10 to the masses questions began to arise regarding several of Microsoft's new privacy policies and forced upgrade tactics. Many of these changes brought about some serious concerns for users worried that they would lose control over the data collected by Microsoft and lose even more control over what updates were and weren't installed on their machines.

Thankfully this past few weeks Microsoft has been working to alleviate some of these concerns and address many of the questions Windows 10 users have had. They have just released a new more simplified privacy policy that address concerns over their access to your encryption keys and makes it much more clear as to what data is collected and how it is used. On top of that, they have also made good on a promise for business users and released a new tool-set allowing the delay of Windows 10 updates (sorry home users nothing for us yet).

Microsoft's New Simplified Privacy Policy

ZDNet's Ed Bott spotted several recent updates to Microsoft's privacy statement, the lengthy document covering all of Microsoft's major online services, including Windows 10, OneDrive and others. The most recent update, dated October 2015, addresses concerns over how Microsoft handles your BitLocker drive encryption key as well as how they access your user generated content in response to law enforcement demands, to ensure safe operation of its services, and a few other situations. It also addresses the mandatory collection of telemetry data which can be a concern with many businesses operating under regulations that strictly prohibit dissemination of personal information.

First and foremost, and for us the most important, is how Microsoft will handle and use your encryption data. BitLocker drive encryption by default is backed up to OneDrive online, this is primarily to enable data recovery in certain situations. The previous description of  how and when Microsoft would access those keys was pretty vague. However, they have updated the new statement to note that "Microsoft doesn't use your individual recovery keys for any purpose" making clear that while the keys may be stored on OneDrive, Microsoft will not use them and is not interested in decrypting your disk.

The second major area of concern was how Microsoft would access your user generated content within Windows 10 and on your hard drive. Previously the scope of what they had access to and would share with law enforcement (should the need arise) was unclear. The new text makes it explicit that only files stored on OneDrive and e-mails stored in Outlook.com are covered by the Privacy Policy.

As for other changes they do address a few areas related to improvement of services, data collected for support and other things collected when using Cortana. For those changes I'd suggest reading Ed's full story as he covers it really well.

Gain Control of Windows 10 Updates

Thanks to a new feature in Windows 10 version 1511, you can now postpone or pause Windows 10 upgrades and updates, you don't need to be an expert to do so but you'll need a business edition of Windows 10.

Windows Update for Business (WUB) is essentially an overlay atop Windows Update. It is not a new service, nor a new product, but a new set of controls for managing the timing of how Windows Update delivers upgrades and updates to business editions of Windows 10.

Unfortunately for us Windows 10 Home users to use it you need Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education. The device also needs to be configured for the Current Branch for Business. Neither option is available for PCs running Windows 10 Home, where all updates are automatic. Using WUB, individuals and IT administrators can defer the two-to-three-times-a-year upgrades to devices on the "Current Branch for Business" (CBB), one of the three mainstream upgrade tracks and the one most Windows 10 enterprise machines will adopt.

Setting up WUB is a bit involved and unfortunately since it is relatively new there are few quick walkthroughs available. ZDnet does have a some of the details listed but the best option is likely going to be going through the documentation at TechNet.

Our thoughts on Windows 10

So far we've added Windows 10 to all of our devices including our Dell Intel 2in1, ASUS ROG Gaming laptop (which we just got) and all of our desktops (except one). Using Windows 10 on our Dell Venue Pro is a breeze thanks to the option of quickly changing between tablet and laptop mode. You can disconnect the keyboard and immediately be running in tablet mode for more fluid touchscreen support. One our older desktops machines we've noticed some minor improvements in speed and a slight performance boost.

In the end though we love the unified support structure. We have multiple users, all with their own accounts, that all sync across multiple devices. Additionally of our Windows 10 devices are deployed with the same basic setups so there isn't much need to hunt for files, folders or apps that you might have been using on other machine. It just makes life that much easier when swapping devices.

These new privacy policy changes were a bit concerning for us at first, especially given the nature of some of the things we deal with. Keeping user content safe and protected is always a concern and should be for anyone! The newest changes though really seem to help alleviate most of those concerns. So for anyone out there that has been holding off for the upgrade, I say go for it! But we'd like to hear your thoughts.

Do you think these new privacy policy changes go far enough to cover your concerns? or where you even concerned to begin with? Have you upgraded to Windows 10 yet? Will you now? Shoot us a comment below and share your thoughts.

#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.

These New Drones May Eventually Deliver Your Amazon Packages

While the FAA is still working out regulations for commercial drone usage (as well as public drone usage) Amazon has been working hard to fine tune its plans to use drones to aid in the delivery of your next Amazon Prime purchases. In a video featuring a long time geek favorite, Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson, Amazon shows off what we might expect to see from the company in the future!

As you can see from the video the prototype drones look like an odd combination of a helicopter and an airplane, which according to Amazon weighs in at a hefty 55 pounds. The drones are reported to be able to carry packages weighing up to 5 pounds to distances of 10 miles or more, flying under 400 feet utilizing what Amazon calls "sense and deploy" technology as well as a high degree of automation, to safely operate beyond the line of sight.

According to the updated Amazon Prime Air website the company believes they will be able to utilize the drones to "enhance the services they already provide to millions of customers by providing rapid parcel delivery" by using the unmanned aircraft to deliver packages to customers in 30 minutes or less.

While there are currently no set regulations for commercial drone usage Amazon has been working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to find mutually beneficial regulations that would not only allow Amazon but other companies to safely deploy drones for package delivery. The company says the service will launch once the company has "the regulatory support needed to safely realize our vision."

Other companies are also exploring drones as a new method of package delivery. Earlier this month, Walmart sought permission from the FAA to start drone testing, while Google reportedly revealed during an air traffic control convention in Washington, D.C., that it wants to launch a drone service in 2017.

The FAA has been working on creating reasonable regulations for not just commercial usage but public usage as well. On November 21, the FAA task force made its public drone registration recommendations, and instead of keeping track of each and every drone out there, it suggested registering the names and street addresses of the pilots (mailing address, email address, phone number and serial number of the aircraft are optional). The registration requirement will apply to any UAS less than 55 pounds (25kg) and heavier than half a pound (250 grams) and owners must be at least 13 years old. A parent or guardian can register for anyone younger than 13 years old.

HTC Preview Wants You to Test New Devices and Accessories

Companies are always looking for new ways to get consumer feedback surrounding some of their latest innovations. They hope to ensure that those millions, if not billions, spent in research and development and eventually in marketing are all for naught. This often leads to beta testing program, consumer outreach testing and more, which generally gives us users a great opportunity to test out and provide feedback on several of the newest products coming to market.

HTC this week has launched a new Preview program, promising just that, they want to give users "access to the latest HTC products, often before they hit the shelves". As its Preview site goes on to explain:

At HTC, we believe brilliance should be experienced, not explained. Through the HTC Preview program, we can test drive our products in the real world, allowing us to make sure the HTC experience is as best as it can be. If you would like the opportunity to shape the future and the innovation of our products, HTC Preview is for you! We are looking for people with an eye for design, a passion for technology, and a bunch of great ideas to join us in the pursuit of brilliance.

According to the HTC Preview site those who sign up will have the opportunity to test upcoming software changes on their own HTC devices, as well as the opportunity to test entirely new hardware (devices, accessories and others), for up to ten weeks. As with most new product testing sites you will have to sign a non-disclosure agreement - or, as HTC calls it, "the HTC Trial Program Agreement" - preventing you from discussing any of the products that you test with anyone else. And, of course, at the end of the trial period, you'll also have to return any devices that you get to test.

The Preview program is now open in the US, Europe and Asia and is open to just about anyone to sign-up. You will need to be 18 yrs of age or older, have an email account with Google Play Store access, this is for software downloads, and in some cases an HTC device will be required (if you don't own one they will pair you up with a suited project according to your profile). 

Other requirements include being asked to support any survey, photo or screenshot requests. For example, in a project where the emphasis is on camera features, you would be expected to take lots of pictures in order to test the full HTC camera experience and you may be asked to share a few of those photos.  

Microsoft's Windows Store Offers Over 1000 Movies, Apps and Music For Just 10 Cents

Looking to stock up on movies and music this holiday season? Microsoft has you covered with their new 10 Days of 10 Cent Deals promotion featuring over 1,000 of the latest Hollywood movies, blockbuster music, must-have apps, and addictive games – for only 10 cents each.

Building upon what has been seen as the hugely successful launch of Windows 10, which Microsoft says is now running on over 110 million devices, Microsoft has launched a new promotion offering Windows 10 users access to tons of movies, music, apps and more for only a dime.

The “10 Days of 10 Cent Deals” promotion will feature new selections each day in the Windows Store offering Windows 10 users access to movies to rent including "Jurassic World," "Terminator Genisys" and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" as well as music to purchase such as today's top hits including "What Do You Mean," by Justin Bieber, "All of Me," by John Legend, and "Timber," by Pitbull.

These deals will change daily, and there is no guessing what will be on sale or available next. So users should make sure to check back each day so as to not miss out on a great deal!

FAA Issues Drone Registration Scam Warning Says Don't Pay Others to Register Your Drone

Hobbyist worried about pending regulations that require everyone flying a drone to register them are being warned by the FAA about potential scams involving third parties profiting off what might be a very simple registration process.

While drone registration is not yet required, and the process to register those drones as not yet been finalizes, it appears as though some companies may have taken to profiteering by offering services that would make it easier for any user to register there drones with the FAA. However, the Federal Aviation Administration is telling hobbyist to hold off on jumping the gun and to think twice before signing up with any company that promises to register your drone for a fee.

The FAA is telling all drone owners that they should wait until additional details about the forthcoming drone registration system are announced later this month before paying anyone to do the work for them. Stating that the process won't be much different than registering products with their manufacturers and that you can "probably" do it yourself whenever the program actually kicks in.

The FAA has setup a Task Force assigned with providing FAA Administrator Michael Huerta with recommendations on the registration process. Administrator Huerta told the group to provide guidance on a streamlined unmanned aircraft registration process that will be simple and easy to complete, and which types of UAS would need to be registered and which would not. The Task Force agreed and is working on recommendations for a system that is similar to registering any newly purchased product with its manufacturer as well as minimum weight for unmanned aircraft that must be registered.

While the recommendation from the task force are still pending and the FAA has not finalized any of the details. They have noted that at least one company is already offering to help people register their drones for a fee. Prompting them to issue today's warning. In short, anyone asking for your money right now is only taking advantage of the system and is being an opportunist.

Drone owners should visit FAA.gov for official updates on the unmanned aircraft registry. There is no word on when the registry will be up and running and again there are no specific regulations finalized at this time!

Get Early Previews of New Features With Microsoft's Office Insider Program

Taking a page from the very popular Windows Insider Program Microsoft has launched a new early preview and testing feature for Microsoft Officer users dubbed Office Insider.The program runs similar to Windows Insider in that it gives users early access to Microsoft Office's newest features allowing you to test them out and provide feedback for Microsoft for potential changes.

For now, the program encompasses the Windows and Android versions of Office, and is open to Office 365 Home, Business, and University users: All you need to do to join Office Insider is to have an active Office 365 account and download and install the Office Insider build. Mac users will have to wait a bit: Microsoft says that it will provide Office Insider builds for OS X “in the coming months.” If you have an Office 365 business or enterprise plan, you can join First Release, which will similarly offer you early access to new product updates and features as they become available

The program will provide preview versions of almost all of your favorite Office 2016 applications including:

• Excel
• Word
• PowerPoint
• OneNote
• Outlook
• Access

For those interested, instructions on how to become an Office Insider are now live, with directions on how to access various Office previews. You can check out more details on Office 2016 and what's new to the program suite here and be sure to checkout the Office 2016 Quick Start Guides.

Get The Best PC For Your Buying Dollar This Holiday Season

Apple's CEO Tim Cook this week may have questioned "Why would you buy a PC anymore", but the cold hard truth is many of us are still turning to laptops and desktops when it comes to filling the need for speed, power and raw multi-tasking. Ironic as Cook's statements seem to be that happens to be a good thing for Apple as they just recently reported record sales of Macs!

Like most geeks we have held fast to our belief that no matter how great that tablet or smartphone may be and how much you can accomplish with them these days. When it comes to performance you just can't compete with the capabilities of a full blown desktop, high-end laptop or a newer Intel 2in1 device.

When it comes to buying the best device to suite all your needs there are several schools of thought, all of which generally involve weighing your overall actual wants and needs. We know this can more often than not be extremely confusing especially during the upcoming holiday shopping season when we start seeing lots of bargains. So we've put together a little guide that we hope will help you out.

Desktops offer the most performance, upgrade-ability and longevity!

When it comes down to pure outright computing power nothing has yet to displace the Intel based desktop at the top. Even at what is considered the entry level you'll see more performance for day to day tasks than the average user would ever need. In addition to offering great performance desktops offer something few other platforms do, the ability to be upgraded and repaired which in turn gives them an incredible amount of longevity.

A $400-500 investment in a desktop today should very easily net you 4-5 good years of hard work, whereas most people purchasing tablets or smartphones at similar costs are generally swapping devices every couple years. Of course there is some trade-off, you obviously don't get the portability, but the overall investment is generally the best return. Steeping up and making a bit higher purchase now in the $700-800 or even the $800-1000 range will net you even more bang for your buck as you'll get much improved hardware that should be a little more 'future-proof' (a term I actually hate).

When looking at purchasing a desktop I almost always give then same one line of advice, "Buy The Best You Can Afford At This Time!" This doesn't mean you need to run out and buy the newest CPU's, the fastest or most RAM or dump $2000-3000 on a new machine. In fact, unless you are a gamer, you can avoid all of the above and get a great machine that will still offer you the best bang for your buck!

What it does mean though is try to keep a balance and learn where you can 'skimp' and where you can't. Typically you want the best CPU and GPU you can buy and can skimp on easier upgrades like RAM and hard drives, both of which are much easier and cheaper to upgrade down the road if needed. I always suggest avoiding slimline or none traditional cases as they can really limit your upgrade options down the road. During the holidays you also want to avoid the luster of those cheap $200-300 deals as they generally feature lower-end CPUs that may be perfectly fine for some basic uses they just don't offer the best in performance. Try to stick with an Intel Core i5 or better, or for more performance an Intel Core i7. Also try to stick with the newest generations.

Laptops and Intel 2-in-1's offer the most balance for the money!

When it comes getting the most overall value laptops and especially the new Intel 2in1 devices are hard to beat. Your costs might be a little more upfront when looking at a one to one comparison to a desktop but the benefit of portability can easily outweigh any performance that might be lost by going with a laptop over a comparably priced desktop. And while most of us geeks hate to use the words desktop replacement with today's technology and performance we are seeing from laptops and Intel 2in1 devices you really are given a full desktop replacement option.

Selecting a laptop or 2-in-1 device brings up a completely different set of questions and factors from trying to find a desktop. First and foremost is going to be deciding on use and how much portability you really need. If you are someone in school, working or always on the go then you'll likely want something that is slimmer and lightweight, more compact and easily carried which generally means smaller screen size. If you are a big gamer or need something with a ton more power or are someone that doesn't plan on totting that laptop with you everywhere you go then you can opt for a heftier package and in the end a larger screen.

I've always recommended getting a super portable option that packs the most power you can get. My train of thought is a simple one, most people start using their laptops on the go more than they generally think they would and having the most portable option you can get now saves you later. Additionally, monitors are cheap these days (heck most of us have an HDTV) making it easier and more cost effective to add a larger secondary screen down the road if you need to.

I personally opt for a 2-in-1 device, preferably something with a detachable or convertible screen. This gives me the option of using it both as a traditional laptop when I need my keyboard and more multi-tasking and tablet when I'm just doing my basic tasks.  I also look for as many connections as possible. I suggest HDMI so you can easily get video out (great for sharing to a TV), and at least two if not three usb ports. I connect a couple external devices like my usb mouse and hard drive so more ports are needed. Windows 10 these days is also a must have for me (it is still free as an upgrade but nice to have right out of the box!).


Closing thoughts on holiday PC shopping

As I mentioned above a few times, I always try to avoid some of the flashy low costs sales items of the holiday season especially when it comes to laptops and desktops. Generally these cheaper deals are cheaper for a reason and that is typically because they are lower specs or older tech. Saying that doesn't mean some of the deals aren't going to be great, especially deals in the mid to high end range, I'm talking more about the cheap, get you in the door $150-250 deals you see.

Again, if you are looking for something to last a few years and give your more bang for your buck you want to buy the best you can at this time. If you just want something that will 'make due for now' then those deals might work out for you. Just be sure to weigh the pro's and con's of each option.

So now the big question, what are you planning on buying this holiday season? Are you going to be out shopping for Black Friday 2015? And if so what tech deals are you looking at? Comment below and let us know!



#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.

Roku to Offer New $50 Entry-Level Streaming Device For $25 On Black Friday

For those of you out there that are looking to jump into the video steaming game and aren't swayed by the low cost of the Google Chromecast and Amazon's Fire devices, Roku may have just announced a product that is right for you. Today, the hardware maker revealed a low-cost version of its Roku player, the Roku SE, which will be affordably priced at $49.99 and heavily discounted to $25 for Black Friday.

As an entry level device we won't see all of the same features you see packed into the Roku 4 or other similar models that are currently available (or $25 what'd you really expect?). The Roku SE will however pack plenty of punch for most users with full WiFi support and streaming capabilities for up to 1080p video streaming (not 4K obviously). We will also see both HDMI and analog connections for support for older TVs as well as the  newly released Roku OS 7 operating system, which will provide access to Roku’s nearly 3,000 streaming channels offering 300,000 movies and TV episodes.

The Roku SE is also compatible with the Roku Mobile App for iOS or Android giving you access to key features such as Roku Search, Roku Feed, Remote Control, Play on Roku and more from your phone. The SE will also support casting content from a mobile device to the TV via specific streaming channels or the Roku Mobile App.

What you won’t see are features like an Ethernet port, voice search or the remote finder function and while Roku didn’t publish the detailed specs for the new device, it’s likely to have downgraded internals to help keep the cost low.So don't expect a powerhouse here!

Roku has said this special edition Roku player will be available in the U.S. for a limited-time only during Black Friday weekend online and at select national retailers starting 11/26. So you might want to snatch yours up quickly! If you'd like more details they can be found via the Roku SE product page.

Amazon Underground App Selection Triples After Just Two Months

Just two short months after its launch Amazon Underground has seen great success with the program seeing more developers joining the fold and cashing in on the revolutionary new program by offering more and more apps for customers. According to a recent statement by Amazon that success and interest has meant that the program has more than tripled the already impressive collections of free premium apps and games.

“In just the first two months since launch, we’ve tripled the free selection of apps and games in Amazon Underground and continue to add more content every day. Customers can now experience the entire world of Monument Valley for free. They’ll also receive nearly $50 in value of in-app items for reef building in Nemo’s Reef,” said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President, Amazon Appstore. “In Amazon Underground, customers have access to apps, games and in-app items, such as extra lives and levels, completely free—providing an entirely new way to enjoy their favorite apps and games.”

Amazon Underground launched in August as a new way to connect developers with customers by offering them 100% free games and apps as well as premium in-app content. The program allowed developers to offer free content by opting to earn money not from the customer directly for that content or app, but rather as a direct per-minute payment from Amazon.

This new monetization model has clearly been a success for many developers and has been a big hit with customers:

“We’ve been thrilled with the performance of Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja as part of the Amazon Underground program in the month since launch,” said Shainiel Deo, CEO of Halfbrick Studios. “Thus far we have doubled the downloads and revenue from our apps in the Amazon Appstore and most interestingly, customers are engaging with our in-app purchase content within our games at an extremely high rate. Since all in-app purchases are free in Amazon Underground, they can play the games in new and exciting ways.”

“We included four of our popular titles in Amazon Underground at launch, aimed at reaching as many fans as possible in the Amazon ecosystem,” said Tero Raji, SVP of Game Business at Rovio. “In the first month since launch of these games, the Amazon Underground model has brought us up to three times more revenue compared to the same games’ user revenue in the Amazon Appstore previously.”

Amazon Underground includes all of the functionality of the regular Amazon mobile shopping app, plus an exclusive selection of 100% free apps, games, and associated in-app items, including popular games like Angry Birds Slingshot Stella, Goat Simulator, Frozen Free Fall, Looney Tunes Dash! and many more. For example, in Frozen Free Fall—an app that is free to install and usually requires in-app purchases to unlock additional levels—customers can play with unlimited lives and will receive many bonus in-app items in the Amazon Underground version of the app completely free ($31.87 value).

Amazon Underground is available on Android phones and on Fire tablets, including the all-new Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10, and Fire, the groundbreaking new tablet for under $50. To learn more about Amazon Underground, visit: www.amazon.com/underground.

Groupon Begins Offering Refunds In Class Action Settlement

Great news for you folks that may have purchased Groupon deals between November 1, 2008 and December 1, 2011 and never actually got around to redeeming them. Thanks to a recently settled class action lawsuit you may be entitled to a refund in the amount of 130% of the purchase price of those unredeemed Groupons -- of course this in the form of credits toward future Groupons but it is a refund nonetheless.

In 2012 aggravated Groupon customers filed and won a class action lawsuit claiming that Groupon had violated federal laws prohibiting vouchers from expiring. At that time a settlement was then reached in the two cases, Groupon, Inc. Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, No. 3:11-md- 02238-DMS-RBB and the related action, Dremak v. Groupon, Inc., No. 11-CH-0876 (Ill. Cir. Ct., Kane County), however that previous settlement was vacated and a new settlement was reached with Groupon agreeing to pay up to $8.5 million to settle up with customers who can validated claims that they were affected.

Under the terms of the settlement any customer that bought and received a voucher through Groupon between November 2008 and December 2011 are eligible for the refunds. To receive the settlement award, however, you'll need the barcode of the original voucher you never used (hopefully you still have it or can access it). Groupon will need those to verify that you never actually redeemed your deal.

The amount of Groupon Credits given to Settlement Class Members may be increased or decreased depending on the number and value of valid Claims submitted. Groupon Credits to be paid on valid Claims will be automatically deposited in Class Members’ Groupon accounts following the effective Date of settlement, and pending approval of the judge which isn't expected until Feb 2016. If you no longer have an active Groupon account, you may contact Groupon at 1-888-664-4482 or support@groupon.com to reopen an account for the purpose of receiving Groupon Credits under the Settlement Agreement.

More information regarding the Settlement Agreement, your rights under the Settlement Agreement, instructions on how to be excluded from the Settlement Agreement or object to the Settlement Agreement, and a Claim Form to complete to obtain benefits under the Settlement Agreement are available here: https://grouponvouchersettlement.com/. The last day to submit a completed Claim Form to receive Groupon Credits is January 9, 2016.

Google Maps Helps You Find Holiday Hours For Your Favorite Places

Holiday shopping is generally stressful enough without having to worry about keeping track of those ever changing holiday hours at your favorite locations. Luckily Google Maps can now help you out with that by offering a full list of holiday hours to Maps and Search. So when you search for a business and a major holiday is within the next seven days, you’ll see whether the business has a special holiday schedule. Not only will you avoid showing up to find the doors locked, but you’ll save time by not having to call the business or check the website for hours.

The holiday hours will be shown on the business place card just like the rest of the traditional information given from Google. In order to find if your favorite stores are open, or what else might be open as the holiday draws close, just search for a place and if the holiday hours are listed, you’ll see them. If you search for a business and the holiday hours aren’t listed, you’ll see a warning message alerting you that the actual hours may be different because of the holiday.

Google states the new feature is available just about everywhere you search and anywhere you might want to go. Because holiday hours and warnings are available globally, if you happen to be celebrating Boxing Day in the UK or New Year’s Eve in Sweden, you’ll see info specific to the country you’re in. 

See A Glimpse Inside Star Wars: The Force Awakens Thanks to New Character Posters

We've all seen the newest trailers hinting at the long awaited arrival of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, today however we get a little closer glimpse at some of our favorite characters of old as well as some of the new additions thanks to Disney and the new character posters.

The official character posters for Rey, Leia, Kylo Ren, Han Solo, and Finn were revealed today, you'll likely notice the continued absence of Luke Skywalker as he still hasn't made it into any of the  promotional material that has been released as of yet. According to J.J. Abrams and the rest of the cast, there’s a very good reason for that, though there has been very little hinted at beyond that. It looks like we’ll continue to be kept in the dark and forced to wait until the movie hit theaters in order to discover why the hero of the original trilogy is being kept in the shadows.

Hopefully for us not seeing it on the first few days we can avoid some of the spoilers!!

Here are all of the latest images we have and if you have been in hiding and haven't seen the official  trailer and teaser (how dare you) you can view it here and the teasers video 1 and video 2.


I know this geeks is dying to see the new movie, what about you guys? Did you get your pre-orders in for the release or one of the first few show times?

Hackers Earn A Cool $1 Million With iOS 9 Remote Jailbreak

Just a few short months after security firm Zerodium offered a million dollar bounty for a working exploit that could remotely jailbreak an iPhone or iPad running the latest version of iOS a team of hackers may have found the answer and successfully claimed one of the $1 Million dollar prizes.

A tweet sent out on Monday from Zerodium congratulated one winning team, though it didn't identify the researchers, nor did they offer any further details of the exploit. However, it would appear as though they have submitted the results and Zerodium has confirmed that the exploit "is still being extensively tested by Zerodium to verify and document each of the underlying vulnerabilities."

The challenge consisted of finding a way to remotely jailbreak a new iPhone or iPad running the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system iOS (in this case iOS 9.1 and 9.2b), allowing the attacker to install any app he or she wants with full privileges. The initial exploit, according to the terms of the challenge, had to come through Safari, Chrome, or a text or multimedia message.

Zerodium founder Chaouki Bekrar explained to Motherboard that the winning team found a "number of vulnerabilities" in Chrome and iOS to bypass "almost all mitigations" and achieve "a remote and full browser-based (untethered) jailbreak."

If true this would likely be the first such jailbreak since the days of iOS 7. Zerodium hasn’t revealed any details of the hack or provided and details of the team who is claiming the bounty, and isn’t likely to do so either. In the past Zerodium has been known to be an exploit accumulation service, gaining the information from security teams and then selling that exploit for a profit to the highest bidder. These bidders are more often than not intelligence agencies like NSA or FBI, who have often complained about how difficult it is to access an iPhone.

In this case Bekrar says he expects to sell the new iOS hack to a U.S. customer and has no intention of informing Apple of the security vulnerabilities that are used or how the exploit works.

Don't Lose Your Head This Halloween Get $10 Off Your TrackR

Lost or stolen items are often scary situations, one that many of us geeks face all to often! Whether it is a backpack containing all your gaming gear, that travel bag or something as simple as your wallet or cellphone, when something comes up missing it turns into a frantic nightmare.

Lucky for us there are several new tech based solutions out there to help you track down those items. One we've had our eyes on for awhile now is the new TrackR Bravo. This small coin-sized Bluetooth-enabled device is designed to attach to valuable items so they can be located using the TrackR app with either an iPhone or Android based device. And yes this could include those scary little ghouls and goblins while they are out trick-or-treating!

This week TrackR is offering up not just one but two scary good deals! Using the code TrackRTreat you can get $10 off your order. Additionally you can create a custom referral link (this is ours) that will allow you to receive a free TrackR Bravo anytime one of your friends, family members or fellow geeks buys one.

For those geeks out there like us that have been dying to try out the latest in tracking devices this is a great chance to do so. You'll get your TrackR for about $22 shipped and if you can get a couple of referrals involved you can get a few devices for what would be less than half the original cost!

So what are you waiting for, the promo code TrackRTreat expires after the Halloween weekend! Use our link (so we can get in on the freebie action) and get yours now!

Apple Tries to Explain Away iOS 9 Wi-Fi Assist Data Concerns

While one of Apple's newest iOS 9 features has long been available and known to Android users it is a new feature for those on the iPhone, unfortunately however this also means a slew of new complaints, misunderstanding of its use and issues with the 'always on' status of the feature which has caused many to worry that their data usage will climb out of control.

iOS 9 introduced Apple iPhone users to Wi-Fi Assist a feature that automatically switches between Wi-Fi and mobile data in order to provide users the best connection possible.

"With Wi-Fi Assist, you can stay connected to the Internet even if you have a poor Wi-Fi connection," Apple explains. "For example, if you're using Safari with a poor Wi-Fi connection and a webpage doesn't load, Wi-Fi Assist will activate and automatically switch to cellular so that the webpage continues to load."

As many Android users well know Smart Network Switch, which is what the feature is known as for many Android users, is not without issues and has been known to cause high data consumption in many cases. These issues now appear to be impacting Apple Wi-Fi Assist users as several sites are reporting a surge in complaints over higher than normal data usage.

Users not familiar with the feature weren't aware of its on by default status and had no way of knowing that even though they thought they were using Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Assist was dropping those connections to connect to mobile data instead. At the heart of the issue, at least from what we have seen on Android devices, is even though it appears as though you have a great Wi-Fi connection the app may still drop one service over the other, favoring the stability of mobile data in many cases over inconsistent Wi-Fi connections.

Looking to ease some concerns over the growing number of complaints, and many articles calling on users to disable the new features, Apple this week updated its About Wi-Fi Assist page to provide users more details as to how the feature should behave. Apple specify wanted to note that the feature will not automatically switch to cellular if you're data roaming. It only works when you have apps running in the foreground, and won't activate with content downloading in the background. Apple also noted that Wi-Fi Assist won't (or shouldn't) activate with certain data-hogging, third-party apps. That includes apps that stream audio or video or download attachments, like email services.

For users concerned over how Wi-Fi Assist might be impacting their data usage there are a couple options. The easiest would be to simply turn it off via Settings > Cellular. Towards the bottom of the page, you'll find the Wi-Fi Assist switch; just toggle it off. Another more involved option would to restrict each app and their permission to use cellular data. That access can be revoked on the same Settings screen where you access Wi-Fi Assist. (There's been some discussion of this in Apple Support Communities.)

AT&T Finally Offers Wi-Fi Calling Option (Currently Only For iPhone Users)

AT&T has joined the likes of Sprint and T-Mobile to finally offer customers with an advanced calling feature that allows them to leverage Wi-Fi to provide better mobile phone coverage by connecting calls over a Wi-Fi network in places where cellular service is poor or non existent.

Wi-Fi calling, which certainly shouldn't be new to any of you true geeks out there, has long been available to customers on several major networks worldwide. However, AT&T only received permission from the Federal Communications Commission for an exemption this past week and they immediately took action kicking off Wi-Fi calling on newer-model iPhones running iOS 9. Those models include the iPhone 6s iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.  

There is no official word on support for older iPhone models or when we might see support for other devices even though most, such as the Samsung Galaxy line-up do support it!

"Wi-Fi Calling is a complement to AT&T’s already great network coverage," said AT&T's president of technology operations Bill Smith in a blog post. "Along with a network that covers more than 99 percent of all Americans, our customers now have an option for making calls in areas where a cellular signal is tough to get – such as a home or office with dense building construction."

What is the Benefit of Wi-Fi Calling?

We've all been somewhere with little to no cellular coverage, it may be your office building, the gym or even an out of the way spot in the woods. No matter the location if you have internet service and an active Wi-Fi signal, Wi-Fi Calling can work as a tool to solve those coverage problems. With Wi-Fi Calling, your phone connects via the internet to send and receive you your voice calls, text messages and other mobile services over that Wi-Fi network even if your cellular network isn't working.

Once you set up Wi-Fi Calling, your phone automatically detects when to use it. Wi-Fi Calling will only be used if cellular coverage is weak or unavailable. To add Wi-Fi calling to an eligible iPhone, according to Apple's website, go to Settings> Phone> Wi-Fi Calling. You will then be prompted to answer a few questions.

Facebook’s New Dislike Button Is More About Emojis and Reactions Than Dislikes

We've all heard the rumors that year after year swirl around that Facebook was rumored to be working on a dislike button — a blue thumbs down button to counter the ubiquitous blue thumbs up that has become a significant part of our pop-culture. Now, it’s finally here, and guess what it’s not anything like you'd expect and certainly not as simple as choosing between like and dislike.

Starting today, Facebook will begin running a very limited test of a new feature the social media giant is calling "Reactions" or a new button that will allow users of its mobile app to respond with a corresponding emoji to express additional emotions beyond Facebook's iconic "Like" button (the thumbs-up).

These new 'reactions' include: "Love," "Haha," "Yay," "Wow," "Sad," and "Angry," and they can only be accessed on the mobile version of Facebook by "long-pressing" or hovering over the good old "Like" button. Facebook didn't just choose these new emotions randomly, of course. As Facebook's chief product officer Chris Cox explains in a post introducing the new feature (with video embedded below).

Today we’re launching a pilot test of Reactions — a more expressive Like button. As you can see, it’s not a “dislike” button, though we hope it addresses the spirit of this request more broadly. We studied which comments and reactions are most commonly and universally expressed across Facebook, then worked to design an experience around them that was elegant and fun. Starting today Ireland and Spain can start loving, wow-ing, or expressing sympathy to posts on Facebook by hovering or long-pressing the Like button wherever they see it. We’ll use the feedback from this to improve the feature and hope to roll it out to everyone soon.
Posted by Chris Cox on Thursday, 8 October 2015

Testing for the new 'dislike' or reactions emojis is currently limited to mobile users in Spain and Ireland, why there it is unclear, however Facebook says the feature will eventually be expanded to all users, though no timeline has been given for when.

On the face of it this might seem like a slap in the face for those that wanted an actual 'Dislike' button, but we all know that Facebook wasn't too likely to add tools that make it easier for users to berate one another, harass others or in anyway disapprove of advertisers. They definitly wouldn't want to open that can of worms! 

The move should be encouraging though as it does show at least some form of an acknowledgment by Facebook that the omnipresent "Like" button is not without flaws and that the fact that users have made it clear that it is profoundly limiting when it comes to the actual emotions people want to share hasn't fallen on deaf ears. So we can see this as some sort of minimalist victory that Facebook understand that posts about personal disappointments, annoyances, illnesses, tragedies, frustrations, or other challenges in life have never been a good fit for the "Like" button and that some changes need to be made!

Sony Drops PlayStation 4 Price to $349

Sony is giving gamers an early holiday present with the announcement of a pre-holiday price cut on the PS4. According to today' post, starting tomorrow, October 9th, you gaming geeks out there will be able to pick up the PS4 starting at the new price of $349.99 USD / $429.99 CAD (MSRP).

In addition to the $50 price cut for basic systems and lower priced bundles, you'll also see price cuts to some of Sony's other more popular bundles in the near future as shown below.

Clearly Sony is hoping that these price cuts will entice gamers looking for hot deals for the holidays to join the PlayStation family. Unless otherwise noted the cheaper consoles are expected to be the standard 500GB units and this price cut is presumed to be permanent, not for the holidays only.

“Our goal at PlayStation has always been to offer the best place to play at a compelling value to gamers,” said Shawn Layden, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. “We’re continuing to deliver on that commitment with this new price for PS4, making the console even more accessible to a broader audience this holiday. With highly anticipated games like Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Star Wars Battlefront launching soon and blockbuster exclusives like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End on the horizon, there has never been a better time to join the PS4 community.”

Motorola Confirms Which Devices Will Receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow And What Features Will Be Dropped

With the latest version of Android rolling out in the coming weeks many devices owners are wondering when and if their devices will see the update. Fortunately for Motorola owners, (sorry Samsung, HTC and LG folks no word for you yet!) the company published a list of devices set to get the upgrade on Friday, along with some plans to trim back some its proprietary software.

Here’s the full list of Motorola devices set to get Android 6 Marshmallow:

• 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
• 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen)
• 2015 Moto X Play
• 2015 Moto G (3rd gen)
• 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (2nd gen)
• 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia² (2nd gen)
• 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE² (2nd gen)
• DROID Turbo
• 2014 Moto MAXX
• 2014 Moto Turbo
• Nexus 6

On the Motorola Blog the company notes that things may change and such they are referring users to their software upgrade page for the latest, and specifics by country.

As for exact roll-out times Motorola suggests it could take at least a few weeks before these updates start to deploy (excluding the Nexus 6 which is set to get Marshmallow next week). How soon your own device gets Android 6.0 could also depend on whether it’s an unlocked device or a carrier model. Carrier models are generally dependent on each individual carrier so that may vary widely.

With the newest update Motorola users will receive all of the following Android 6 Marshmallow features:

• Doze Mode -- This new feature monitors your phone and puts it into a deep sleep when it’s not being used, which can extend battery life substantially. 
• Now on Tap -- We love Google Now, and it’s improved in Android M. Simply long press the home button to bring up the Google Now feature and display information based on whatever you’re doing at the time.
• Android Pay -- Android M allows you to bring up Android Pay with a simple tap and easily make purchases without having to open a separate app.
• Direct Share -- Share your photos, news, links, etc. with your favorite contacts easily and quickly.
• Simpler volume controls -- A more intuitive way to control ringtone and media volume.

Changes to Bundled Software and Moto Enhancements

Motorola has also confirmed they will be dropping several of their signature software enhancements and bundled add-ons as part of the plan to update its phones to Android Marshmallow noting that many of these enhancements offer functionality that is already covered in the new OS or Google's own services. That means no more Motorola Assist, Migrate, and Connect.

PlayStation Plus Free Games For October 2015

The rewards for PlayStation Plus members are stacking up, with loads and loads of new free games each month. This month Sony promises the PS Plus lineup will have a great mix of flavors with games from several different genres! Starting on the first Tuesday of the month, a new lineup of free games comes to PlayStation Plus members.

For October 2015 we will see new games released on Tuesday the 6th and those games will including the following:

• Super Meat Boy, PS4, PS Vita
• Broken Age, PS4, PS Vita
• Unmechanical: Extended, PS4, PS3
• Chariot, PS3
• KickBeat, PS3, PS Vita
• Kung Fu Rabbit, PS3, PS Vita

Unfortunately Sony has also announced that Driveclub PlayStation Plus Edition will no longer be available as a free download for Plus members starting on October 6th, 2015. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, be sure to go to PlayStation Store and get it now! For more details or to sign up for a PlayStation Plus membership, check the official page on PlayStation.com (it will update soon).

NVIDIA Introduces GeForce NOW $8 Per Month Game Streaming Service

When most geeks think streaming the first thought that comes to mind is likely video streaming through NetFlix or Hulu or audio streaming through Spotify or Rhapsody. Few if any would think of video game streaming (unless of course you used the now defunct OnLive service) and if they did it would likely be game video streams on sites like Twitch, Ustream or the new YouTube Gaming service. However, today that may change as NVIDIA has just announced GeForce NOW, an on-demand gaming service for the company's SHIELD family of gaming devices.

"GeForce NOW is all about instant gratification. But it took us a decade to invent the technology behind the service that streams GeForce GTX-quality graphics to SHIELD devices," Nvidia stated in a blog post. "GeForce NOW is your game library in the sky. See all the titles we offer from a game series at a glance — like the LEGO collection or the Batman Arkham series — for binge gaming. Use voice search to find your favorite games. Search through games by category. Or quickly browse the latest and most popular games."

NVIDIA has said that GeForce NOW will stream games at 1080p and 60 frames per second (depending on the users connection speeds). This will make it the first non-beta cloud-gaming service capable of such his resolutions and frame-rates. It will launch with over 50 titles included in your $7.99 membership fee. Most of them are slightly older games such as Batman: Arkham Origins, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, to name just a few.

NVIDIA will also offer newer "Buy and Play Instantly" titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt ($60) and Saints Row IV ($20). In other words, some games will be available for sale. As a bonus those just wanting to try out the new program will get a free three month trial when it launches next month. You can find more details via NVIDIA's Shield Blog.

Google Unveils New Chromecast and Chromecast Audio Devices

Two years ago when Google first announced the Chromecast streaming was still relatively new to most would be users and while most of us geeks had been using the few options that were available it was until the Chromecast and its super affordable price tag that we started seeing more mainstream adoption.

While the Chromecast has been a major hit (along with several of the newer streaming devices) we have always begged for more and while over the past couple years Google has been awesome enough to offer some updates with some cool new features we’ve been waiting for a true upgrade. The wait is over: At today’s Google Nexus event, Google debuted two new Chromecasts for television and audio as well as a much needed update to the Chromecast App.

New Faster Chromecast For Video Streaming

The new Chromecast features more power, better antennas, and all new fresh design, and is easier to plug into TVs with crowded ports thanks to an integrated HDMI cable. It supports the latest Wi-Fi standards and adapts more easily to changing Wi-Fi conditions in your home, so you get higher quality video with less buffering.

In addition to a new faster device Google updated the Chromecast app to make it easier for you to find the content you want to watch or to play. They have also added several new content partners including Showtime and support for Sling TV and apps from the NBA, NHL, and other partners. The update also adds support for Google Photos and the creation of slideshows so you can show of your favorite photos!

Chromecast Audio For Wireless Audio Streaming

Chromecast Audio is a new audio streaming device that turns any speaker set into a set of Wi-Fi speakers. Users can plug Chromecast Audio into existing devices using a 1/8-inch headphone jack (AUX), RCA cables or optical input. Once it's plugged in, users can control the speaker using the Chromecast App. That means that any existing Bluetooth speakers, surround sound speakers, bookshelf speaker, or regular desktop speakers can be turned into smart home speakers.

It works with tons of apps, including Spotify, Pandora and Google Play Music. Just like Chromecast, it works from anywhere in your home with your favorite devices, including Android, iOS, and laptops.

Both devices are available starting today on the Google Store and other online retailers for just $35 each. For more details on either device, or more about today's other announcements (there are a few great ones we didn't cover), checkout the Official Google Blog.

Security Company Offers $1 Million Bounty For iOS 9 Bugs and Exploits

Security is big business these days and bug bounty programs are becoming more and more lucrative with a large number of companies out there now offering some sort of reward to researchers and would be hackers for finding and disclosing exploits. One company however that has been late to the foray has notably been Apple.

While Apple has elected to keep themselves out of the 'pay for vulnerabilities' business, that hasn't sopped others from doling out loads of cash for exploits that impact Apple's software. Zerodium, an exploit acquisition company, stepped up where Apple has not with an impressive promise to pay up to $3 million to security researchers who can provide them with an “exclusive, browser-based, and untethered jailbreak for the latest Apple iOS 9 operating system and devices.”

"Apple iOS, like all operating system[s], is often affected by critical security vulnerabilities," Zerodium said in an announcement. "However due to the increasing number of security improvements and the effectiveness of exploit mitigations in place, Apple's iOS is currently the most secure mobile OS.

"But don't be fooled, secure does not mean unbreakable, it just means that iOS has currently the highest cost and complexity of vulnerability exploitation," the company continued. "And here's where the Million Dollar iOS 9 Bug Bounty comes into play."

The Million Dollar iOS 9 Bug Bounty is tailored for experienced security researchers, reverse engineers, and jailbreak developers, and is an offer made by Zerodium to pay out a total of three million U.S. dollars ($3,000,000.00) in rewards for iOS exploits/jailbreaks.

The initial attack vector must be a Web page targeting the mobile browser or any application reachable through the browser, or a text message delivered via a SMS OR MMS. Plus, the exploitation process should be achievable "remotely, reliably, silently, and without requiring any user interaction" except visiting a website or reading a message, Zerodium said. The jailbreak must also work reliably on the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 6, 6 Plus, 5, 5c, and 5s, as well as iPad Air 2, iPad Air, fourth-gen iPad, third-gen iPad, iPad mini 4, and iPad mini 2.

Zerodium will pay out one million U.S. dollars ($1,000,000.00) to each individual or team who creates and submits to Zerodium an exclusive, browser-based, and untethered jailbreak for the latest Apple iOS 9 operating system and devices. The program is open until Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. Eastern. But keep an eye on Zerodium's website, as the bug bounty may end early, once the $3 million payout is depleted.

For those interested in taking a chance at the reward you can view the full details and terms of the program here.

We feel we should also mention there are at least a few concerns over what Zerodium's intentions with the vulnerability are.! Our brethren of geeks over at Engadget, have warned hackers to beware of Zerodium as founder Chaouki Bekrar has a history of selling exploits to the highest bidder, rather than disclosing issues to the manufacturer. In fact, Zerodium does not want these vulnerabilities patched—at least not until it can resell them for a profit, Engadget said.

Amazon's New $50 7" Fire Tablet, What You Need to Know

Amazon today introduced a new extremely budget friendly 7" Fire tablet that will offer you plenty of features as well as some of your favorite Amazon exclusives all for under $50. The new Fire tablet includes a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 7” IPS display featuring 171 ppi and 1024 x 600 resolution, which Amazon is calling the "best display on any tablet under $50", VGA front camera and 2MP rear-facing camera, 8GBs of internal storage and up to 128GB of expandable storage.

“Today, we’re taking another step in our mission to deliver premium products at non-premium prices,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “The all-new Fire features a quad-core processor, is incredibly durable, and is backed by the Amazon content ecosystem, the new Amazon Underground, and Amazon customer service with Mayday Screen Sharing. Fire sets a new bar for what customers should expect from a low cost tablet.”

In today's market it isn't impossible to find a decent working tablet for around $50. Unfortunately though you are generally talking about an off-brand tablet that may or may not have a functional app store present and will have limited to no support from the company that produces it. Amazon, on the other hand, is a big company with a pretty solid reputation and offers plenty of backing for its products.

While the $50 price tag give some users concerns that they are getting something under-whelming or under performing the 7" tablet actually packs some pretty decent specs and of course it is hard to beat the load of freebies you get from Amazon, especially if you load on an Amazon Prime membership.

Fire - Decent Features In A Quality Tablet At An Affordable Price

For just $49.99, the new Fire tablet includes some pretty decent specs:

• 7” IPS display offers 1024 x 600 resolution at 171 ppi, providing SD video playback, sorry no HD here. However, unlike other low-cost tablets that use TN displays your viewing experience should be fairly reasonable with vivid and accurate color reproduction that can be seen at all angles.
• Quad-core 1.3 GHz processor and 1GB of RAM: Amazon states the Fire's processor offers 2x more processing power than Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite at less than half the price. We'd really like to have seen more RAM to be honest, but the CPU performance sounds impressive!
• VGA Front- and 2MP rear-facing camera capable of 720p video. While these do seem underwhelming they do allow you to complete the basics like video chatting with friends and family or taking photos and videos.
• 8GBs of storage and up to 128GB of expandable storage via microSD
• All-day battery life—Delivers up to 7 hours of reading, browsing the web, listening to music, and watching video. 
• Fire OS 5 “Bellini”—Includes an updated user interface that replicates the look and feel of a magazine, making browsing and searching for your content easier than ever—what you want is just one tap away; plus, Fire OS 5 includes hundreds of new and upgraded features and platform updates, plus Amazon-exclusive services. 
• 3.5 mm stereo jack and integrated speaker, Micro USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n standard with support for WEP, WPA, and WPA2 security
• Size & Weight: 7.5" x 4.5" x 0.4" (191 x 115 x 10.6 mm) at just 11.0 ounces (313 grams)

Don't Forget The Amazon Exclusive Features

The Fire Tablet will also come packed with plenty of Amazon exclusive features and is packed with plenty of freebies!

• Amazon Underground—A new one-of-a-kind app store experience where over $10,000 in apps, games and even in-app items are actually free—including extra lives, unlocked levels, unlimited add-on packs, and more. 
• Free, unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content including unlimited storage on photos you've taken with your Fire tablet
• Activity Center—For parents whose kids have outgrown Amazon FreeTime, Activity Center provides an easy way for them to see how their kids are spending time on their Fire tablet—from how much time they spend playing games, to which websites they visit. Activity Center will be available via a free, over-the-air Fire OS update in the coming months.
• Mayday Screen Sharing lets an Amazon expert guide you remotely through any feature on your screen, available 24x7, 365 days a year—for free.
• Amazon-exclusive features—ASAP, X-Ray, Second Screen, Amazon FreeTime, Family Library, Word Runner, and more.
• Access to over 38 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, magazines, apps, and games

We have yet to see any real world reviews of the new Fire Tablet, we expect those to come in soon, but with all these features and the great price tag we wouldn’t be surprised if the new Fire becomes a favorite among parents or students looking for a cheap alternative tablet or a gift their children. For families looking to give a Fire to everyone, Amazon is even selling a six-pack for the price of 5 tablets. At $250 for six, that’s still cheaper than many people pay for just one tablet from most other companies!

Fire will start shipping on September 30—those interested can order at www.amazon.com/fire and for those looking for a bit more real estate and want a little more screen space Amazon has also released two new 8" and 10.1" Fire tablets that will offer even more performance and still won't break the budget!

Apple's First True Android App Is Used For Switching to iOS

It may seem a bit ironic that after years of avoid anything Android related Apple has finally released the company's very first Android app and of all things it is aimed at stealing the hearts and souls of Android users and converting them to iOS!

Originally announced during this year's WWDC event, and currently available on the Google Play store, Apple’s new app which is aptly dubbed 'Move to iOS' makes for an easier transition for Android users who are defecting to iOS. The app utilizes a private Wi-Fi network to connect your old Android device to your new iPhone for a quick and easy transfer of your old phone's contents, including messaging history, camera photos, videos, contacts, mail accounts and more.

Everything about iOS is designed to be easy. That includes switching to it. With just a few steps, you can migrate your content automatically and securely from your Android device with the Move to iOS app. No need to save your stuff elsewhere before switching from Android. The Move to iOS app securely transfers all kinds of content for you:

• Contacts
• Message history
• Camera photos and videos
• Web bookmarks
• Mail accounts
• Calendars

When you choose to migrate your data, your new iPhone or iPad will create a private Wi-Fi network and find your nearby Android device running Move to iOS. After you enter a security code, it will begin transferring your content and put it in the right places. Just like that. Once your content has been transferred, you’re ready to get going. iOS will also set up your default mail account. That’s it — you can start using your new iPhone or iPad and experiencing its endless possibilities. Enjoy.

Move to iOS is supported on all phones and tablets running Android 4.0 and later.

 In conjunction with the app’s release, Apple also has a support document that interested users might want to check out before getting started.

New Crowdfunding Site Fortua May Help Fund Your Next Vacation

Unless you've been hiding in the backwoods for the past few years by now, you've probably heard of and likely shelled out some of your own hard earned cash for at least one crowdfunding campaign. Maybe you helped finance one of the newest geek gadgets out there, or helped your old college roommate fund his latest new folk music album, or maybe it was dishing out cash for someone to make potato salad.

Crowdfunding is catching more and more steam for some of the craziest projects you've likely never herd of. Whether they be worthwhile causes like helping out entrepreneurs with their latest endeavors or donating funds to help victims of disasters or just funding someone's wildest dreams! However, these days it isn't just for underresourced creatives. The newest kid on the block, Fortua, launched just last month as a crowdfunding option for athletes, event organizers, and entrepreneurs in the outdoor adventure space.

Fortua campaigns cover a wide range of concepts—users can raise money for documentaries, books, events, gear startups, or specialty outdoor events (think camp-outs, 4wheeling treks ect). Some conservation groups have even taken to the site and already used it to pay for trail restoration projects.

Luckily for us outdoor adventurous types of geeks the site opens the door to a new creative way to potentially fund our wildest outdoor adventurers. With the right pitch, the site could potentially be used to find other outdoor enthusiasts that might possibly be willing to help fund, or share costs for personal trips. The catch there is that like most crowdfunding sites you'll need some good marketing skills and personality!

Users can use Fortua to run a Keep-it-All campaigns, in which they keep all donations regardless of how much they raise, or a All-or-Nothing campaign, in which backers are only charged if the campaign reaches its target goal. In either case, Fortua takes a 5% cut of the funds raised and charges a 2.9% fee for per contribution. Additionally one percent of Fortua's revenue is donated annually to 1% for the Planet to protect natural places, forests, rivers, lakes, oceans, and wildlife for generations to come.

The service is still pretty new, so most of the campaigns hosted on the site are still "sample campaigns" put up by Fortua itself. But the results of the site's few real campaigns suggest that it really will prove to be a powerful fundraising tool—in just a few weeks, several projects have raised tens of thousands of dollars.

Starting Today You Can Use Android Pay at More Than 1 Million Locations

Starting today Google is rolling out its second attempt at cracking the mobile payments market with Android Pay, their much anticipated follow-up to Google Wallet which looks to take on competitors such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay (currently in beta). The new service will feature similar payment options as Google Wallet and Apple Pay featuring support from many banks and credit card companies and as such is already supported by over 1 million locations in the U.S.

According to Google's official announcement, Android Pay works with all NFC-enabled Android devices (running KitKat 4.4+), on any mobile carrier, at every tap and pay ready location across the US. Android Pay will support credit and debit cards from the four major payment networks: American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa. These cards are issued by many of the most popular US banks and credit unions, including American Express, Bank of America, Discover, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, Regions Bank, USAA, and U.S. Bank. Wells Fargo will be available in the next few days, Capital One and Citi are coming soon, and we're adding new banks all the time.

Android Pay boast several new security features that pick up where Google Wallet left off, most notably  the use of industry standard tokenization. Through tokenization your real credit or debit card number isn't sent with your payment. Instead, a temporary virtual account number is used that prevents retailers from ever seeing or storing your actual account information poviding an extra layer of security.

As soon as you make a purchase, you’ll see a payment confirmation that shows where a given transaction happened, so it’s easy to catch any suspicious activity. And if your phone is ever lost or stolen, simply use Android Device Manager to instantly lock your device from anywhere, secure it with a new password, or even wipe it clean of your personal information.

Later this year, Android Pay will be updated to allow you to do mobile checkout when buying items in shopping apps, and some merchants will even let you transmit your loyalty cards electronically. So you can pay and get your points or discounts all with one tap of your phone.

Microsoft Downloads Windows 10 to All PCs With Automatic Updates

We may think Windows 10 is a hit but that doesn't mean that everyone is ready for the upgrade, nor does that mean that everyone really wants to make the leap just yet. Unfortunately it sounds as though Microsoft might be making a stronger push than you'd expect for user to update.

According to reports from an Inquirer reader, which were later confirmed by Microsoft, Windows 10 is being pushed out to users 'just in case' they decide to upgrade, even if they have previously declined the reservation offer or have yet to reserve their free upgrade.

In their confirmation to the Inquirer a Microsoft spokesperson explained the reasoning behind the move: “For individuals who have chosen to receive automatic updates through Windows Update, we help upgradable devices get ready for Windows 10 by downloading the files they’ll need if they decide to upgrade. When the upgrade is ready, the customer will be prompted to install Windows 10 on the device.”

In other words for users that have automatic updates enabled on their Windows 7 or Windows 8 PCs, Microsoft is pushing the download of Windows 10 upgrade files in order to expedite the upgrade process should the user later decide to upgrade.

At the face of it this may not seem like a big deal, some conspiracy theories aside for most it wouldn't be, however if you are on a limited connection or are using a machine with limited space the download will eat up a big chunk of data. The Inquirer reader noted his PC showed a few odd symptoms as well as major chunk of data being used. He stated : The symptoms are repeated failed 'Upgrade to Windows 10' in the WU update history and a huge 3.5GB to 6GB hidden folder labelled '$Windows.~BT'.

Amazon Offers Free 5600 mAh Battery Pack For New Amazon Prime Trial

For a limited time Amazon is offering up a free Amazon Basics 5600 mAh battery pack, valued at $20, just for signing up for a 30 day trial of Amazon Prime. The free deal is of course in addition to all the great perks you get from having Amazon Prime, like free streaming of all of the movies and videos available to Prime users and of course free two day shipping as well as any other Prime perks.

To cash in on the deal you need to sign up for a 30-day trial with an account that has never been associated with Prime!. To get started, you’ll need to visit Amazon’s promotion page (link via Android Authority) and begin the free trial. Within 72 hours, you’ll get a special email code and the directions needed to get your new battery for free. After that, you can cancel Prime at any time and it won’t affect your eligibility for the free battery, though Amazon is banking on the idea that most of trial users will end up letting their subscription renew at $99 (for an entire year’s service) after the 30-day trial ends.

Again this offer is for a limited time and Amazon has not offered details of how long that will last. So you may want to act fast.

As for the battery pack it may not sound like anything special but the reviews on the units are fairly fvorable. It is one of Amazon's specially branded items dubbed AmazonBasics. It features a 5600 mAh Portable Power Bank capable of charging smartphones, tablets and other portable devices on-the-go through a USB port. Amazon says you can use the power bank to charge popular devices like an iPhone 5 (2.6 times), Nexus (2.2 times), Galaxy S5 (1.4 times), or the Galaxy Note III (1.2 times).