16 April 2018

FCC dings T-Mobile $40M for faking rings on calls that never connected


T-Mobile will pay $40 million as part of a settlement with the FCC for playing ringing sounds to mislead customers into thinking their calls were going through when in fact they had never connected in the first place. The company admitted it had done so “hundreds of millions” of times over the years.

The issue at hand is that when someone is trying to call an area with poor connectivity, it can sometimes take several seconds to establish a line to the other party — especially if a carrier itself does not serve the area in question and has to hand off the call to a local provider. That’s exactly what T-Mobile was doing, and there’s nothing wrong with it — just a consequence of spotty coverage in rural areas.

But what is prohibited is implying to the caller that their call has gone through and is ringing on the other end, if that’s not the case. Which is also exactly what T-Mobile was doing, and had been doing since 2007. Its servers began sending a “local ring back tone” when a call took a certain amount of time to complete around then.

As the FCC estimates it, and T-Mobile later confirmed:

Because T-Mobile applied this practice to out-of-network calls from its customers on SIP routes that took more than a certain amount of time on a nationwide basis and without regard to time of day, the LRBT was likely injected into hundreds of millions of calls each year.

It’s not just a bad idea: it’s against the law. In 2014 the FCC’s Rural Call Completion Order took effect, prohibiting exactly this practice, which it called “false audible ringing”:

[O]ccurs when an originating or intermediate provider prematurely triggers audible ring tones to the caller before the call setup request has actually reached the terminating rural provider. That is, the calling party believes the phone is ringing at the called party’s premises when it is not. An originating or intermediate provider may do this to mask the silence that the caller would otherwise hear during excessive call setup time. As a result, the caller may often hang up, thinking nobody is available to receive the call. False audible ringing can also make it appear to the caller that the terminating rural provider is responsible for the call failure, instead of the originating or intermediate provider.

Users and carrier complained after this rule took effect, and also sought remedy with T-Mobile directly. The FCC looked into it and T-Mobile reported that it had solved the problem — but complaints continued. It became clear that the company had been violating the rule for years and in great volume and had not in fact stopped; hence the settlement and $40 million penalty.

T-Mobile will also have to take action within 90 days to stop the practice (if it hasn’t already) and issue regular reports to the FCC every year for the next three years that it is still in compliance. You can read the full consent decree here (PDF).


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Can’t Get Virtualization Working on Your PC? 5 Simple Solutions to Try


Virtualization is a super useful feature available on nearly every modern computer. It allows you to create additional virtual environments that run on your actual hardware, so you can test out new operating systems, run old apps, and more.

Sometimes, though, virtualization won’t work right. If you’re tried to set up VirtualBox or another virtualization program and receive an error like “VT-x hardware acceleration is not available on your system,” try these steps to get it working properly.

1. Enable Virtualization in Your BIOS

In most cases, virtualization won’t work because it’s disabled in your computer’s BIOS or UEFI. Though most modern computers support the feature, it’s often disabled by default. Thus, you should take a look to make sure the proper feature is enabled on your system.

You’ll need to enter the BIOS or UEFI first. The key to hit after starting your PC depends on its model; F2, F12, and Delete are common choices. If your computer boots too quickly for you to hit the key, try entering your UEFI/BIOS using the restart option in Windows 10.

Once inside, look for an option named something like Intel VT-x, Intel Virtualization Technology, AMD-V, Vanderpool, or similar. You may find it under a Processor or Chipset, category, which can in turn hide under an Advanced tab.

Save your configuration and reboot. Once you’re back into Windows, you should have access to virtualization.

2. Don’t See It? Update Your BIOS

If you don’t see an option for virtualization in your BIOS, there’s a chance that the manufacturer has provided an update that adds this functionality. This probably isn’t the case for most machines, but it never hurts to try.

To find a BIOS update, you can use the manufacturer app included with your PC. For example, Lenovo System Update will check for BIOS and drivers updates on Lenovo systems.

If you don’t have an app like this, you’ll need to manually update your BIOS. A Google search for the name of your motherboard should bring you to its manufacturer’s website, where you can usually find new BIOS versions under the Support or Downloads sections.

Follow the instructions in the above article to update your BIOS, then try entering it again and looking for a virtualization option. If you don’t see one, chances are that your PC doesn’t support the feature.

3. Disable Hyper-V (on Windows)

Professional editions of Windows include a Microsoft program known as Hyper-V. This is Microsoft’s own virtualization software, similar to VirtualBox or VMware. Unfortunately, Hyper-V can hijack your computer’s virtualization privileges, blocking you from using another app.

You don’t need Hyper-V unless you want to use it, so removing it from your computer will let your virtualization app of choice work properly. To do so, open the Control Panel by searching for it in the Windows Start Menu. Change the View by option in the top-right from Category to Small or Large icons. Then, choose the Programs and Features entry.

Here, click Turn Windows features on or off on the left side. You’ll see Hyper-V in the list. Uncheck it, then choose OK. Windows will take a moment to remove Hyper-V, then you’ll have to restart to complete the process.

Windows Disable Hyper-V

Once you’ve rebooted, you should be able to use VirtualBox or similar apps properly, as Hyper-V won’t be around to hog virtualization features anymore.

4. Confirm Your PC Supports Virtualization

If you’ve tried all the above steps and virtualization still won’t work, chances are that your machine doesn’t support it. It’s worth confirming this before you give up, though.

Microsoft once offered a tool that quickly checked this, but it doesn’t work on anything newer than Windows 7. Thus, you’ll need to use a tool from either Intel or AMD instead, depending on your processor.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, or right-click the Taskbar and choose Task Manager to open that utility. Click More details to expand it if needed, then open the Performance tab. Click CPU and you’ll see the name of your CPU above the graph.

If you have an Intel CPU, download the Intel Processor Identification Utility. Those with AMD processors should download the equivalent AMD tool instead.

Install the appropriate tool, then open it via searching on the Start Menu if it doesn’t open automatically. On Intel’s utility, switch to the CPU Technologies tab and look for Intel Virtualization Technology. If it says Yes, then your CPU supports virtualization. AMD’s utility should simply pop up with a window letting you know if you can use virtualization or not.

Intel Processor Identification Utility

If your CPU doesn’t support virtualization, you’re unfortunately out of luck.

5. I’ve Enabled Virtualization, But…

Maybe you’ve gotten virtualization to work after following the advice above, but still have issues with performance or just getting a VM started. Here are a few other tricks to try if virtualization isn’t working right:

  • Remember you can’t run a 64-bit virtual machine on a 32-bit computer. If your processor isn’t 64-bit, make sure you download the 32-bit version of the OS you want to run in a virtual machine to avoid compatibility issues.
  • Make sure you have enough free disk space. If you create a dynamically allocated virtual disk and it expands, your host computer could run low on space. This can cause performance problems.
  • Ensure you have enough RAM to dedicated to the VM. Your VM must use some of your computer’s RAM to run. If you don’t have enough, your VM will likely chug. However, take care not to share too much, or your host computer might run into trouble.

VirtualBox Dedicated RAM

Get Virtualization Working Right on Your PC

Hopefully, one of these tips fixed the issue hindering you from enjoying virtualization on your PC. In most cases, you’ll need to enable virtualization in your BIOS and disable Hyper-V for it to work. If that doesn’t let you at least get a virtual machine started, your PC doesn’t support the feature—you’ll need to upgrade to take advantage of the feature.

Now that you can dive into virtualization, check out our guide to getting started in VirtualBox for a complete walkthrough.


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12 Essential Apps to Install on a New Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick


Have you just got your hands on one of Amazon’s excellent streaming devices? The Fire TV and Fire TV Stick are fighting with Roku devices and Google Chromecasts for control of your living room.

Once you’ve spent the necessary time setting up your device properly, it’s time to install some Fire TV apps. But with so many to choose from, where do you start?

Don’t worry, we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll introduce you to some essential apps that you need to install on your Fire TV or Fire Stick right now.

Preparing Your Device

Before we talk about the apps themselves, you need to prep your Fire TV device.

Why? Because you will need to sideload some of the apps we discuss; they are not available in the Amazon Appstore.

To make sure you can install sideloaded apps on your device, you need to change two settings.

  1. ADB Debugging: To enable ADB debugging, head to Settings > Device > Developer Options > ADB Debugging and select On.
  2. Unknown Sources: To allow apps from unknown sources to be installed on your Fire Stick, go to Settings > Device > Developer Options > Apps From Unknown Sources and select On.

Done? Great, let’s look at the apps in more detail.

1. Downloader

downloader

Downloader is an essential tool if you’re planning to sideload Fire TV apps onto your device.

The app lets you download APK files directly from the internet and then install them on your Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. It means you won’t need to use a PC or network connection to transfer the file.

Theoretically, Downloader doesn’t require any setup. However, it’s worth ensuring JavaScript is turned on. Open the app, select Settings in the left-hand panel, and mark the checkbox next to Enable JavaScript.

2. ES File Explorer

ES File Explorer is the other common method for getting APK files onto your device so you can sideload them.

Although the app (deservedly) has a reputation for being a bloated mess on Android, on Amazon Fire devices it runs well, and it’s easy to use (at least for the purpose of downloading APKs). You just need to enter a URL and the app will take care of the rest.

Naturally, given the app is a file explorer, you can also use it to browse your storage.

3. Mouse Toggle

Although you can sideload just about any app on your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick, many of them have not been adapted for the TV screen. They still require finger taps and other gestures to navigate them.

The solution is to install a mouse pointer. The best is Mouse Toggle. With a double-tap of your remote’s Play button, you can launch an on-screen mouse icon. You can control it using your remote’s D-pad.

To install the app, enter https://ift.tt/2qlDxBq into the aforementioned Downloader or use the Google Play app linked above.

4. Plex

Plex surely needs no introduction. Along with Kodi, it’s one of the best ways to stream your locally saved media to other screens and devices around your home. If you pay for a Plex Pass, you can even access your content remotely.

Unlike Kodi—which we will discuss next—Plex is one of the Fire TV apps available through the Amazon Appstore, thus making installation a breeze.

5. Kodi

Kodi is Plex’s biggest competitor. Both apps have pros and cons, but broadly speaking, Kodi is more customizable but requires more maintenance.

As we just mentioned, Kodi is not available in the Amazon Appstore. You will need to sideload it onto your device.

Luckily, we’ve explained how to sideload Kodi on your Fire TV Stick in an article elsewhere on the site.

6. Firefox

If you want to watch YouTube on your Fire device, you need to install a browser app.

The issue dates back to a 2017 argument between Amazon and Google. The same argument is responsible for the lack of Google products (such as Chromecast) in the Amazon store.

Most long-term Fire users agree that there are only two browsers worth considering: Firefox and Silk.

If you already use Firefox on your other machines—or you value open source software—this is the browser you should install.

7. Silk Browser

silk browser

Because you can sideload apps, you can install any browser you want, including Chrome. But Silk is more popular.

In case you’re not aware, Silk is Amazon’s in-house browser and has been specially designed to work on Amazon Fire devices.

It lets you control web videos and music using your remote’s Play, Pause, and Skip buttons, and offers lots of standard browser features like a password manager and browsing history.

8. Netflix

We can’t write a list of best Fire TV apps without mentioning Netflix.

With over 100,000 hours of content and 50,000 TV shows and movies (at the time of writing), you don’t really need to pay for anything else—especially once you realize that sports fanatics and news nerds can still get their fix for free after they’ve cut the cord. The company’s services are not free. But having looked fully at the price of Netflix, we think it represents good value for money.

9. Euronews

Remember we just said news nerds could get their fix for free? Euronews makes it possible.

Euronews is a collaboration between a group of 23 European and North African national broadcasters, including ITN, RAI, RTE, and VGTRK.

It was founded in 1993 and has since grown to offer free news in 156 countries and in 12 European and Middle Eastern languages.

The channels for four languages—English, Dutch, Hungarian, and Turkish—are available for Amazon Fire devices. The non-English channels are a fantastic resource if you’re trying to learn another language.

10. Haystack TV

Let’s stick with the theme of news. Haystack TV is another option for you to consider.

Unlike Euronews, it does not offer live TV. Instead, it aggregates clips from hundreds of reputable online sources to deliver you videos about the topics you’re interested in.

The more you watch the app and rate the videos and topics it shows you, the more it learns about which sources you enjoy and which subjects you care about.

11. TuneIn Radio

tunein radio

Televisions aren’t only for watching stuff. They’re also for listening to stuff.

One of the best ways to fill your ears with music is to install TuneIn Radio. Although Spotify also offers an Amazon Fire app, you need to have a premium membership. TuneIn Radio is entirely free for all users.

As you probably already know, TuneIn provides access to 100,000 radio stations from around the world, along with four million on-demand programs.

12. VLC

We end the list of best Fire TV apps with VLC Player. But why would you need VLC on a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick?

There are two primary reasons:

  1. Often apps that give access to illegal content need a third-party video player to display their content.
  2. You can use VLC to watch content saved on another local device using your home network.

Explaining the process for using VLC to stream locally saved media is beyond the scope of this article. You’ll just have to take our word that it’s a must-have app!

Cut the Cord With Fire TV Apps

The Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick have helped turn cord cutting from a trend into a phenomenon.

As we hope this article illustrates, the Fire devices offer so many apps across such a broad range of categories that’ll you’ll never be stuck for something to watch or listen to, even after you cancel your cable TV plan.

Remember to make sure you do your research and consider the potential pitfalls of cord cutting before you take the plunge.


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How to Identify Mac Issues With Apple’s Hardware Diagnostics Tests


Apple hardware is often cited for reliability, but you can end up with an expensive fix when something goes wrong. That’s why it’s great if you’re able to perform your own hardware tests before approaching an Apple professional about a potential fix.

Thankfully, testing your Mac at home is free, simple, and takes only a matter of minutes.

Apple Hardware Test or Apple Diagnostics?

Which version of Apple’s hardware test you’ll use depends on the age of your Mac. Computers released before June 2013 will use Apple Hardware Test. Computers released after June 2013 will use Apple Diagnostics instead.

The older Apple Hardware Test (AHT) doesn’t provide as much information about your system as Apple Diagnostics. It runs cursory tests on components and determines whether they are present and operable. The results are fairly easy to interpret, but not particularly detailed.

Apple Diagnostics testing

Apple Diagnostics provides more information about your Mac’s hardware than AHT. At the end of the test, you’ll get an error code which you can use to help decide which hardware components are having an issue and what to do about it.

Neither of these tests are as conclusive as Apple Service Diagnostics (ASD), which is Apple’s own in-house testing. If you take your Mac to an Apple Store for a Genius Bar appointment, they’ll hook up an Ethernet cable and run ASD to get far more detailed results about the status of your machine.

While there’s no official support for ASD beyond that provided to Apple’s technicians, you can download 25GB of diagnostics discs from the internet Archive.

How to Test Your Mac

Regardless of which diagnostic tool you’re using, the method for testing your Mac is the same:

  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Disconnect all external devices except your keyboard, mouse, display, wired network connection (if you have one), and power cable.
  3. Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the D key.
  4. Release the D key when the Hardware Test or Diagnostics tool appears onscreen.
  5. Select your language.

If you’re using the older Apple Hardware Test there’s one more step: press the T key to begin the testing procedure. You can also check Perform extended testing to run a more thorough and time-consuming diagnostic. If you’re using Apple Diagnostics, you only need to specify your language.

Hold D Mac Keyboard

You will see your results onscreen once the scan is complete. Make a note of any reference codes you receive, since you’ll use those to interpret your results in the next section.

Help! My Mac Won’t Run Diagnostics

It’s possible your older Mac doesn’t include the diagnostic tool on its disk. If your disk or startup partition is damaged, this may cause the diagnostic test to not run at all. In this instance you’ll need to run the diagnostic via the internet.

It’s easy to do, but it will take longer since you’ll need to download the relevant tool before you can begin the procedure. In order to run a diagnostic test from the internet, follow the same procedure outlined in the section above but hold the Option + D keys instead of just D.

Hold Option+D Mac Keyboard

You’ll need access to the internet via a wired or wireless connection for this to work.

Interpreting Your Diagnostic Results

Apple Hardware Test should provide some fairly easy-to-understand diagnoses, including reference codes. I tested an old MacBook Air that has no battery in it, and the AHT report and reference code matched up.

If you’re using Apple Diagnostics, you’ll have a greater array of codes at your disposal. You can cross-reference them using the Apple Support reference codes list. Some notable reference codes include:

  • ADP001: Good news! This means no errors were detected.
  • NDD001: Possible problems with USB hardware; make sure all USB devices are disconnected.
  • NNN001: No serial number detected; are you running a Hackintosh?
  • PFR001: Possible problems with firmware.
  • PPM001-015: Possible problem with computer memory.
  • PPR001: Possible problem with CPU.
  • PPT001: Battery not detected.
  • VFD006: Possible problem with GPU.
  • VFF001: Possible problem with audio hardware.

While these codes only provide a limited amount of information, it might be enough to point you in the right direction. If you’re getting battery errors, it’s probably time to replace your battery. You might even be able to save a few bucks by fixing it yourself.

Others codes might raise more questions than answers. If you’re getting memory errors, it’s probably worth following up with a more in-depth testing tool. We recommend a free tool called memtest86, which you can run from USB for a detailed scan.

Apple Diagnostics results

Other problems are tricker to resolve. If you’re getting errors about your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth hardware, it might be worth spending a small amount of money on a USB adapter that offers a workaround for dodgy internal hardware.

Problems with your main processor or graphics processor are harder to isolate and resolve. Further, you might find that your computer passes Apple’s tests but still has issues. At this stage, it’s probably worth talking to a professional or considering a replacement model.

Fix Your Own Mac Hardware for Free

While it’s not as easy as repairing a Windows PC, you can fix Apple hardware at home. Be aware that if your machine is old, the cost of Apple’s expensive parts might not be justified when you take the price of a new machine into account.

Even if your old Mac is dying, you might be surprised what you can get for it if you choose to recycle or sell second-hand. If it’s time to say goodbye, you can put that money toward a replacement model.


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10 Free Mobile Road Trip Games to Help Pass Long Car Trips


Family road trips can be a fun adventure, but when they go on for too long they become boring. Thankfully, there are a lot of great road trip games for Android and iOS that’ll keep everyone occupied during the ride.

The following games offer something for everyone, including online multiplayer, local multiplayer via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and even single-player experiences.

The one aspect they all have in common is they’ll help you and your family pass the long hours as you travel to your vacation destination. Don’t forget to install the best Android apps for trip planning if you’re still organizing yours.

1. Plates Free Family Travel Game

Plates Free Family Travel Game

What’s the one item you pass most often when you’re driving for countless hours on the highway? License plates.

That’s what makes this a perfect road trip game. It includes all plates you’ll see from regions in Mexico, Canada, or the United States. The name of the game is simple: each person needs to find plates from as many states or regions as possible before the trip is over.

The person with the highest score by the end of the trip wins. This game doesn’t require any network connection, since each player’s phone tracks their score.

If you prefer, to keep track of each player’s score you could also use any free note-taking app.

Download: Plates Free Family Travel Game for Android (Free)
Download: States and Plates Free for iOS (Free)

2. What If

What If Travel Game

Another fun road trip game is What If. This only requires one person in the car to run it on their phone. That person can ask the question and either take a majority poll from everyone in the car, or ask one person each question in turn.

The fun part of the game is seeing whether a majority of people who play the game agreed with your answer. It’s really surprising to see how people answer some of these crazy questions!

Download: What If for Android | iOS (Free)

3. Family’s Game Travel Pack Lite

Family's Game Travel Pack

If you’re more into playing networked games with other people in the car, then you’re definitely going to want to give Family’s Game Travel Pack a try.

The app includes a collection of 50 traditional games like Sudoku, Chess, Crazy Eights, and more. To link up and play these games with other players riding in the car, they just need to install the app too and make sure they have either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled.

These classic games are a fun way to pass the time normally. But when you play them during a long drive, you’ll be surprised just how fast the ride goes by.

Even if there’s no one else in the car available to play with you, there’s also an offline option to play with the game’s AI. A non-app alternative, if you just love board games, is to jump online and play free board games through your browser.

Download: Family’s Game Travel Pack Lite for Android | iOS (Free)

4. Pictoword

Pictoword Travel Game

Word games make for great party games. And great party games usually also make great road trip games. This one is no exception.

The game is simple. The app shows you two pictures that together represent a single word. You can use the scrambled letters underneath to spell out your guess.

It’s a great one-player puzzle to pass the time during a trip, but it’s easy to turn it into a multiplayer game by passing your phone around and taking turns.

Download: Pictoword for Android | iOS (Free)

5. Fun Run 3: Arena

Fun Run 3

If you do have a family data plan, Fun Run 3 is a total joy to play. It’s an online multiplayer game where you compete against players from all around the world.

The touch controls are pretty simple. You tap up to jump and down to duck or slide.

You’ll challenge three other real online players to make it to the end of the race first. The better you place, the more points you get at the end.

This is a great game for an only child to pass the time during a long drive. They won’t have to worry about finding someone to play with them, because there are online players ready to go anytime.

Download: Fun Run Free: Arena for Android | iOS (Free)

6. DUAL!

DUAL! Game

DUAL! is a direct phone-to-phone game you can play with someone sitting next to you. Just install it on your phone and have a friend install it on theirs. Make sure you both have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth enabled.

What’s unique about this game is it combines two phone screens into one. You need to hold the phones together so the top ends touch. It’s a vintage Atari-style shooting game and it’s a blast (pun intended) to play.

The only limitation of this game is that you have to be physically sitting next to the person you’re playing with, and only two people can play. But as a backseat road trip game for two kids (or adults) to play, it’s great fun.

Download: DUAL! for Android | iOS (Free)

7. Psych!

Psych! Game

After the highly successful Heads Up!, Ellen DeGeneres is back with another fun family game called Psych! It’s great for holiday parties, but also fits for long car trips.

There are four “decks” available to play: a truth game, movie trivia, a word game, or a true/false facts game.

Thanks to the way the game lays out its rules, you can have a lot of fun if you’re a bit witty. For example, the “Is That a Fact?” game asks players to answer a fact. You can either provide a truthful answer, or a fake one.

If you’re convincing enough, you could probably fool everyone into believing your fake answer. It’s a complete riot to play with friends or family, and it passes the time quickly. You won’t want to stop playing even once you reach your destination.

Download: Psych! for Android | iOS (Free)

8. Racers Vs Cops

Racers Vs Cops Game

If you’re into car racing games, you’ll love Racers Vs Cops. This game puts you head-to-head against your friend in a wild road chase.

The goal of the game is for the racer player to make it to the end first, or the cop player to get ahead of the racer and cut them off short of the goal.

There’s also a single-player mode if you don’t have anyone to go up against. Controls are easier than most mobile racing games, with the throttle and brake on the lower corners of screen. Sound effects and steering sensitivity are quite accurate.

Download: Racers Vs Cops for Android | iOS (Free)

9. Battleships: Fleet Battle

Battleships: Fleet Battle

If you’ve ever played the classic game Battleship before, then you can imagine how awesome this digital version is.

You can choose from single player against AI, online multiplayer, or local multiplayer. Place your battleships wisely, because the goal of this game is to shoot your enemy’s battleships out of the water before they shoot all of yours.

If you think those rules sound too simple to be fun, you’ve got a surprise in store. I challenge you to play just one round of this game. It can easily make several hours pass in the blink of an eye—perfect for a road trip!

Download: Battleships: Fleet Battle for Android | iOS (Free)

10. Tank 1990 HD

Tank 1990 HD

If you love retro console games, then you should adore Tank 1990. The game is exactly what it sounds like: a multiplayer remake of the popular game Tank 1990. You can play with your friends over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

If the never played the game before, the rules are simple. Navigate your tank through the gaps between brick walls and shoot the enemy tanks before they shoot you.

But be careful. Tanks can blow a hole through the bricks, so play strategically! When you play this game with friends, it’s exciting, a bit nerve-racking, but really fun.

Download: Super Tank for Android (Free)
Download: Battle City–Super Tank for iOS (Free)

Playing Road Trip Games on the Go

Remember, playing games while traveling is something only passengers should do. Drivers need to keep their eyes on the road!

But for the rest of the passengers, any of these road trip games are sure to help pass the time without getting too bored. And if you have small children, make sure to install some apps to keep young kids entertained as well.

Image Credit: Kryzhov/Depositphotos


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An Augmented Reality Microscope for Cancer Detection




Applications of deep learning to medical disciplines including ophthalmology, dermatology, radiology, and pathology have recently shown great promise to increase both the accuracy and availability of high-quality healthcare to patients around the world. At Google, we have also published results showing that a convolutional neural network is able to detect breast cancer metastases in lymph nodes at a level of accuracy comparable to a trained pathologist. However, because direct tissue visualization using a compound light microscope remains the predominant means by which a pathologist diagnoses illness, a critical barrier to the widespread adoption of deep learning in pathology is the dependence on having a digital representation of the microscopic tissue.

Today, in a talk delivered at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), with an accompanying paper “An Augmented Reality Microscope for Real-time Automated Detection of Cancer” (under review), we describe a prototype Augmented Reality Microscope (ARM) platform that we believe can possibly help accelerate and democratize the adoption of deep learning tools for pathologists around the world. The platform consists of a modified light microscope that enables real-time image analysis and presentation of the results of machine learning algorithms directly into the field of view. Importantly, the ARM can be retrofitted into existing light microscopes found in hospitals and clinics around the world using low-cost, readily-available components, and without the need for whole slide digital versions of the tissue being analyzed.
Modern computational components and deep learning models, such as those built upon TensorFlow, will allow a wide range of pre-trained models to run on this platform. As in a traditional analog microscope, the user views the sample through the eyepiece. A machine learning algorithm projects its output back into the optical path in real-time. This digital projection is visually superimposed on the original (analog) image of the specimen to assist the viewer in localizing or quantifying features of interest. Importantly, the computation and visual feedback updates quickly — our present implementation runs at approximately 10 frames per second, so the model output updates seamlessly as the user scans the tissue by moving the slide and/or changing magnification.
Left: Schematic overview of the ARM. A digital camera captures the same field of view (FoV) as the user and passes the image to an attached compute unit capable of running real-time inference of a machine learning model. The results are fed back into a custom AR display which is inline with the ocular lens and projects the model output on the same plane as the slide. Right: A picture of our prototype which has been retrofitted into a typical clinical-grade light microscope.
In principle, the ARM can provide a wide variety of visual feedback, including text, arrows, contours, heatmaps, or animations, and is capable of running many types of machine learning algorithms aimed at solving different problems such as object detection, quantification, or classification.

As a demonstration of the potential utility of the ARM, we configured it to run two different cancer detection algorithms: one that detects breast cancer metastases in lymph node specimens, and another that detects prostate cancer in prostatectomy specimens. These models can run at magnifications between 4-40x, and the result of a given model is displayed by outlining detected tumor regions with a green contour. These contours help draw the pathologist’s attention to areas of interest without obscuring the underlying tumor cell appearance.
Example view through the lens of the ARM. These images show examples of the lymph node metastasis model with 4x, 10x, 20x, and 40x microscope objectives.
While both cancer models were originally trained on images from a whole slide scanner with a significantly different optical configuration, the models performed remarkably well on the ARM with no additional re-training. For example, the lymph node metastasis model had an area-under-the-curve (AUC) of 0.98 and our prostate cancer model had an AUC of 0.96 for cancer detection in the field of view (FoV) when run on the ARM, only slightly decreased performance than obtained on WSI. We believe it is likely that the performance of these models can be further improved by additional training on digital images captured directly from the ARM itself.

We believe that the ARM has potential for a large impact on global health, particularly for the diagnosis of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis and malaria, in developing countries. Furthermore, even in hospitals that will adopt a digital pathology workflow in the near future, ARM could be used in combination with the digital workflow where scanners still face major challenges or where rapid turnaround is required (e.g. cytology, fluorescent imaging, or intra-operative frozen sections). Of course, light microscopes have proven useful in many industries other than pathology, and we believe the ARM can be adapted for a broad range of applications across healthcare, life sciences research, and material science. We’re excited to continue to explore how the ARM can help accelerate the adoption of machine learning for positive impact around the world.



Watch SpaceX launch NASA’s latest exoplanet-hunting satellite


SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket today during a 30 second window at 6:32pm EDT. Onboard is NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) designed to find exoplanets. SpaceX said this morning there’s an 80 percent chance of launching today. Following the launch, SpaceX will attempt to recover the Falcon 9 rocket and nose cone by landing the rocket on a drone ship and using parachutes to slow down fairings before they hit Atlantic. SpaceX’s high-speed net boat Mr. Stevens is still in the Pacific.

The livestream is set to begin at 6:00pm EDT.

The satellite onboard uses four cameras to hunt for exoplanets around stars. They measure tiny dips in a star’s brightness that could indicate a planetary body passing in front of the camera’s line of sight. This is called a transit. Mission officials have said that this satellite will likely find thousands of worlds during its two-year mission.

The Falcon 9 used in today’s mission has never been launched before though if it lands successfully, it will be reportedly used in a future mission. This rocket is also the final block 4 version before Tesla starts using block 5 versions with upgraded engines and improvements to increase the reusability of the rocket.


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Here’s the ultra-low-light phone camera Sony promised


Sony promised an ‘ultra low-light camera’ during its Mobile World Congress press conference back in February. The off-hand announcement was intended to throw a bit of shade at Samsung’s recent flagship, but ultimately had the unintended consequence of undermining the company’s own newly announced XZ2. But, then, Sony’s never been great when it comes to marketing handsets.

That said, the company didn’t waste a lot of time delivering on that promise. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that the the Xperia XZ2 Premium was the phone the company would have liked to have led with at the world’s largest mobile show, but just wasn’t fully baked at the time. In fact, the handset won’t actually be arriving until this summer.

When it does hit retail, it will sport a number of improvements over the regular XZ2 (and likely a steep price tag to match). Most notable here are the upgrades to the camera, because, well, Sony. The company says the phone’s capable of capturing ultra-low-light stills with an ISO of up to of 51,200 — with up to 12,800 for video. Press materials issued this morning say the phone accomplishes this by utilizing its dual camera sensors (a new addition with the XZ2 line), utilizing the company’s AUBE signal processor.

That’s a pretty impressive feat, if true, and would certainly surpass Samsung’s recent low-light camera advancements. I can’t say as I’m always excited to try out the latest Xperia handset, but this is one I’ll want to put through its paces. Sony’s certainly wowed us with its camera prowess in the past — in fact, that’s really the main thing Xperias have going for them. U.S. availability, on the other hand, isn’t likely to be one of them.

Other bits and bobs worth mentioning: there’s a 4K HDR display here — pretty much a given on a Sony flagship at this point, along with 4K movie recording. The phone also sports a similarly smooth design to the other XZ2 models — a notable upgrade from the old, boxy design. There’s also a beefy 3540mAh battery on board, along with a Snapdragon 845.

Given Sony’s traditional use of the Xperia line as a funnel for camera technology, I’d say it’s probably safe to expect similar low-light camera to start trickling into other manufacturers’ handsets in the not too distant future.


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Tesla updates user interface, web browser in older Model S and Model X vehicles


A new update is bringing an improved user interface to older Tesla vehicles. According to this report citing forum users, the v8.1 (2018.12) update improves the speed and capability in Model S and Model X vehicles equipped with an Nvidia Tegra 3-powered MCU. This was expected; Musk stated in late December 2017 that Tesla was working to improve the browser for all its vehicles.

Users discovered the browser speed is dramatically faster, able to download at an average of over 5 Mbps. HTML5 capabilities also improved. This is just the latest in Tesla’s on-going mission to improve its vehicles after customers buy them.

Tesla launched the Model S with the Tegra 3 SoC and ran with it until late 2017 when the company switched to new x86_64-powered MCUs. Last month Elon Musk confirmed through Twitter that it was possible to retrofit older vehicles with new MCUs.

Though possible to upgrade older vehicles, it’s better for the consumer, and likely for the company, to upgrade existing hardware than make drivers bring in vehicles for a hardware upgrade.


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Russia starts blocking Telegram for failing to turn over encryption keys


The Russian state telecommunication regulator has began blocking Telegram as expected. This comes after the messaging company refused to give Russian security services encryption keys. The service is expected to be blocked within the coming hours.

According to several reports Telegram is still operational in the country though several service providers have started blocking the company’s website.

Ran by its Russian founder Pavel Durov, Telegram has over 200 million users and is a top-ten messaging service made popular by its strong stance on privacy.

Telegram is recognized as an operator of information dissemination in Russia and therefore the company is required by Russian to provide keys to its encryption service to the Federal Security Service. This is so the FSS can reportedly read the messages of suspected terrorists. On March 20 the Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor gave Telegram 15 days to comply. This was followed by Durov publicly decrying the order, saying Telegram will stand for freedom and privacy.

“The terrorist threat in Russia will stay at the same level, because extremists will continue to use encrypted communication channels – in other messengers, or through a VPN,” he said according to a report by Reuters.

Durov has long stood by this stance. Back in 2015 at TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco, Durov revealed that ISIS was using Telegram. When asked if it concerns him, he said “I think that privacy, ultimately, and the right for privacy is more important than our fear of bad things happening, like terrorism. If you look at ISIS — yes, there’s a war going on in the Middle East. It’s a series of tragic events. But ultimately, the ISIS will always find a way to communicate within themselves. And if any means of communication turns out to be not secure for them, they’ll just switch to another one. So I don’t think we are actually taking part in these activities. I don’t think we should be guilty or feel guilty about it. I still think we’re doing the right thing, protecting our users’ privacy.”

It’s unclear how this block will change Telegram’s plan for a billion-dollar ICO. We’ve reached out to Telegram for comment.


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UK report urges action to combat AI bias


The need for diverse development teams and truly representational data-sets to avoid biases being baked into AI algorithms is one of the core recommendations in a lengthy Lords committee report looking into the economic, ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence, and published today by the upper House of the UK parliament.

“The main ways to address these kinds of biases are to ensure that developers are drawn from diverse gender, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, and are aware of, and adhere to, ethical codes of conduct,” the committee writes, chiming with plenty of extant commentary around algorithmic accountability.

“It is essential that ethics take centre stage in AI’s development and use,” adds committee chairman, Lord Clement-Jones, in a statement. “The UK has a unique opportunity to shape AI positively for the public’s benefit and to lead the international community in AI’s ethical development, rather than passively accept its consequences.”

The report also calls for the government to take urgent steps to help foster “the creation of authoritative tools and systems for auditing and testing training datasets to ensure they are representative of diverse populations, and to ensure that when used to train AI systems they are unlikely to lead to prejudicial decisions” — recommending a publicly funded challenge to incentivize the development of technologies that can audit and interrogate AIs.

“The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, in consultation with the Alan Turing Institute, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the British Standards Institute and other expert bodies, should produce guidance on the requirement for AI systems to be intelligible,” the committee adds. “The AI development sector should seek to adopt such guidance and to agree upon standards relevant to the sectors within which they work, under the auspices of the AI Council” — the latter being a proposed industry body it wants established to help ensure “transparency in AI”.

The committee is recommending a cross-sector AI Code to try to steer developments in a positive, societally beneficial direction — though not for this to be codified in law (the suggestion is could “provide the basis for statutory regulation, if and when this is determined to be necessary”).

Among the five principles they’re suggesting as a starting point for the voluntary code are that AI should be developed for “the common good and benefit of humanity”, and that it should operate on “principles of intelligibility and fairness”.

Though, elsewhere in the report, the committee points out it can be a challenge for humans to understand decisions made by some AI technologies — going on to suggest it may be necessary to refrain from using certain AI techniques for certain types of use-cases, at least until algorithmic accountability can be guaranteed.

“We believe it is not acceptable to deploy any artificial intelligence system which could have a substantial impact on an individual’s life, unless it can generate a full and satisfactory explanation for the decisions it will take,” it writes in a section discussing ‘intelligible AI’. “In cases such as deep neural networks, where it is not yet possible to generate thorough explanations for the decisions that are made, this may mean delaying their deployment for particular uses until alternative solutions are found.”

A third principle the committee says it would like to see included in the proposed voluntary code is: “AI should not be used to diminish the data rights or privacy of individuals, families or communities”.

Though this is a curiously narrow definition — why not push for AI not to diminish rights, period?

“It’s almost as if ‘follow the law’ is too hard to say,” observes Sam Smith, a coordinator at patient data privacy advocacy group, medConfidential, discussing the report.

Looking at the tech industry as a whole, it’s certainly hard to conclude that self-defined ‘ethics’ appear to offer much of a meaningful check on commercial players’ data processing and AI activities.

Topical case in point: Facebook has continued to claim there was nothing improper about the fact millions of people’s information was shared with professor Aleksandr Kogan. People “knowingly provided their information” is the company’s defensive claim.

Yet the vast majority of people whose personal data was harvested from Facebook by Kogan clearly had no idea what was possible under its platform terms — which, until 2015, allowed one user to ‘consent’ to the sharing of all their Facebook friends. (Hence ~270,000 downloaders of Kogan’s app being able to pass data on up to 87M Facebook users.)

So Facebook’s self-defined ‘ethical code’ has been shown to be worthless — aligning completely with its commercial imperatives, rather than supporting users to protect their privacy. (Just as its T&Cs are intended to cover its own “rear end”, rather than clearly inform people’s about their rights, as one US congressman memorably put it last week.)

“A week after Facebook were criticized by the US Congress, the only reference to the Rule of Law in this report is about exempting companies from liability for breaking it,” Smith adds in a MedConfidential response statement to the Lords report. “Public bodies are required to follow the rule of law, and any tools sold to them must meet those legal obligations. This standard for the public sector will drive the creation of tools which can be reused by all.”

Health data “should not be shared lightly”

The committee, which took evidence from Google-owned DeepMind as one of a multitude of expert witnesses during more than half a year’s worth of enquiry, touches critically on the AI company’s existing partnerships with UK National Health Service Trusts.

The first of which, dating from 2015 — and involving the sharing of ~1.6 million patients’ medical records with the Google-owned company — ran into trouble with the UK’s data protection regulator. The UK’s information commissioner concluded last summer that the Royal Free NHS Trust’s agreement with DeepMind had not complied with UK data protection law.

Patients’ medical records were used by DeepMind to develop a clinical task management app wrapped around an existing NHS algorithm for detecting a condition known as acute kidney injury. The app, called Streams, has been rolled out for use in the Royal Free’s hospitals — complete with PR fanfare. But it’s still not clear what legal basis exists to share patients’ data.

“Maintaining public trust over the safe and secure use of their data is paramount to the successful widespread deployment of AI and there is no better exemplar of this than personal health data,” the committee warns. “There must be no repeat of the controversy which arose between the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and DeepMind. If there is, the benefits of deploying AI in the NHS will not be adopted or its benefits realised, and innovation could be stifled.”

The report also criticizes the “current piecemeal” approach being taken by NHS Trusts to sharing data with AI developers — saying this risks “the inadvertent under-appreciation of the data” and “NHS Trusts exposing themselves to inadequate data sharing arrangements”.

“The data held by the NHS could be considered a unique source of value for the nation. It should not be shared lightly, but when it is, it should be done in a manner which allows for that value to be recouped,” the committee writes.

A similar point — about not allowing a huge store of potential value which is contained within publicly-funded NHS datasets to be cheaply asset-stripped by external forces — was made by Oxford University’s Sir John Bell in a UK government-commissioned industrial strategy review of the life sciences sector last summer.

Despite similar concerns, the committee also calls for a framework for sharing NHS data be published by the end of the year, and is pushing for NHS Trusts to digitize their current practices and records — with a target deadline of 2022 — in “consistent formats” so that people’s medical records can be made more accessible to AI developers.

But worryingly, given the general thrust towards making sensitive health data more accessible to third parties, the committee does not seem to have a very fine-grained grasp of data protection in a health context — where, for example, datasets can be extremely difficult to render truly anonymous given the level of detail typically involved.

Although they are at least calling for the relevant data protection and patient data bodies to be involved in provisioning the framework for sharing NHS data, alongside Trusts that have already worked with DeepMind (and in one case received an ICO wrist-slap).

They write:

We recommend that a framework for the sharing of NHS data should be prepared and published by the end of 2018 by NHS England (specifically NHS Digital) and the National Data Guardian for Health and Care should be prepared with the support of the ICO [information commissioner’s office] and the clinicians and NHS Trusts which already have experience of such arrangements (such as the Royal Free London and Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts), as well as the Caldicott Guardians [the NHS’ patient data advocates]. This framework should set out clearly the considerations needed when sharing patient data in an appropriately anonymised form, the precautions needed when doing so, and an awareness of the value of that data and how it is used. It must also take account of the need to ensure SME access to NHS data, and ensure that patients are made aware of the use of their data and given the option to opt out.

As the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal has clearly illustrated, opt-outs alone cannot safeguard people’s data or their legal rights — which is why incoming EU data protection rules (GDPR) beef up consent requirements to require a clear affirmative. (And it goes without saying that opt-outs are especially concerning in a medical context where the data involved is so sensitive — yet, at least in the case of a DeepMind partnership with Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust, patients do not even appear to have been given the ability to say no to their data being processed.)

Opt-outs (i.e. rather than opt-in systems) for data-sharing and self-defined/voluntary codes of ‘ethics’ demonstrably do very little to protect people’s legal rights where digital data is concerned — even if it’s true, for example, that Facebook holds itself in check vs what it could theoretically do with data, as company execs have suggested (one wonders what kind stuff they’re voluntarily refraining from, given what they have been caught trying to manipulate).

The wider risk of relying on consumer savvy to regulate commercial data sharing is that an educated, technologically aware few might be able to lock down — or reduce — access to their information; but the mainstream majority will have no clue they need to or even how it’s possible. And data protection for a select elite doesn’t sound very equitable.

Meanwhile, at least where this committee’s attitude to AI is concerned, developers and commercial entities are being treated with favorable encouragement — via the notion of a voluntary (and really pretty basic) code of AI ethics — rather than being robustly reminded they need to follow the law.

Given the scope and scale of current AI-fueled sandals, that risks the committee looking naive.

Though the government has made AI a strategic priority, and policies to foster and accelerate data-sharing to drive tech developments are a key part of its digital and industrial strategies. So the report needs to be read within that wider context.

The committee does add its voice to questions about whether/how legal liability will mesh with automated decision making — writing that “clarity is required” on whether “new mechanisms for legal liability and redress” are needed or not.

We recommend that the Law Commission consider the adequacy of existing legislation to address the legal liability issues of AI and, where appropriate, recommend to Government appropriate remedies to ensure that the law is clear in this area,” it says on this. “At the very least, this work should establish clear principles for accountability and intelligibility. This work should be completed as soon as possible.” 

But this isn’t exactly cutting edge commentary. Last month the government announced a three-year regulatory review focused on self-driving cars and the law, for instance. And the liability point is already generally well-aired — and in the autonomous cars case, at least, now having its tires extensively kicked in the UK.

What’s less specifically discussed in government circles is how AIs are demonstrably piling pressure on existing laws. And what — if anything — should be done to address those kind of AI-fueled breaking points. (Exceptions: Terrorist content spreading via online platforms has been decried for some years, with government ministers more than happy to make platforms and technologies their scapegoat and toughen laws; more recently hate speech on online platforms has also become a major political target for governments in Europe.)

The committee briefly touches on some of these societal pressure points in a section on AI’s impact on “social and political cohesion”, noting concerns raised to it about issues such as filter bubbles and the risk of AIs being used to manipulate elections. “[T]here is a rapidly growing need for public understanding of, and engagement with, AI to develop alongside the technology itself. The manipulation of data in particular will be a key area for public understanding and discussion in the coming months and years,” it writes here. 

However it has little in the way of gunpowder — merely recommending that research is commissioned into “the possible impact of AI on conventional and social media outlets”, and to investigate “measures which might counteract the use of AI to mislead or distort public opinion as a matter of urgency”.

Elsewhere in the report, it alsos raise an interesting concern about data monopolies — noting that investments by “large overseas technology companies in the UK economy” are “increasing consolidation of power and influence by a select few”, which it argues risks damaging the UK’s home-grown AI start-up sector.

But again there’s not much of substance in its response. The committee doesn’t seem to have formed its own ideas on how or even whether the government needs to address data being concentrating power in the hands of big tech — beyond calling for “strong” competition frameworks. This lack of conviction is attributed to hearing mixed messages on the topic from its witnesses. (Though may well also be related to the economic portion of the enquiry’s focus.)

“The monopolisation of data demonstrates the need for strong ethical, data protection and competition frameworks in the UK, and for continued vigilance from the regulators,” it concludes. “We urge the Government, and the Competition and Markets Authority, to review proactively the use and potential monopolisation of data by the big technology companies operating in the UK.”

The report also raises concerns about access to funding for UK AI startups to ensure they can continue scaling domestic businesses — recommending that a chunk of the £2.5BN investment fund at the British Business Bank, which the government announced in the Autumn Budget 2017, is “reserved as an AI growth fund for SMEs with a substantive AI component, and be specifically targeted at enabling such companies to scale up”.

No one who supports the startup cause would argue with trying to make more money available. But if data access has been sealed up by tech giants all the scale up funding in the world won’t help domestic AI startups break through that algorithmic ceiling.

Also touched on: The looming impact of Brexit, with the committee calling on the government to “commit to underwriting, and where necessary replacing, funding for European research and innovation programmes, after we have left the European Union”. Which boils down to another whistle in a now very long score of calls for replacement funding after the UK leaves the EU.

Funding for regulators is another concern, with a warning that the ICO must be “adequately and sustainably resourced” — as a result of the additional burden the committee expects AI to put on existing regulators.

This issue is also on the radar of the UK’s digital minister, Matt Hancock, who has said he’s considering what additional resources the ICO might need — such as the power to compel testimony from individuals. (Though the ICO itself has previously raised concerns that the minister and his data protection bill are risking undermining her authority.) For now it remains to be seen how well armed the agency will be to meet the myriad challenges generated and scaled by AI’s data processors.

“Blanket AI-specific regulation, at this stage, would be inappropriate,” the report adds. “We believe that existing sector-specific regulators are best placed to consider the impact on their sectors of any subsequent regulation which may be needed. We welcome that the Data Protection Bill and GDPR appear to address many of the concerns of our witnesses regarding the handling of personal data, which is key to the development of AI. The Government Office for AI, with the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, needs to identify the gaps, if any, where existing regulation may not be adequate. The Government Office for AI must also ensure that the existing regulators’ expertise is utilised in informing any potential regulation that may be required in the future.”

The committee’s last two starter principles for their voluntary AI code serve to underline how generously low the ethical bar is really being set here — boiling down to: AI shouldn’t be allowed to kill off free schools for our kids, nor be allowed to kill us — which may itself be another consequence of humans not always being able to clearly determine how AI does what it does or exactly what it might be doing to us.


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iHeartRadio opens up its playlists to all users with launch of Playlist Radio


iHeartRadio is best known for its free service offering thousands of live, streaming AM and FM radio stations and its ability to create your own custom station, similar to Pandora. Today, the company is adding a new feature for all users – both free and paid – that blurs the lines between streaming radio and the typically premium-only option of using playlists: Playlist Radio.

Like most playlists, Playlist Radio isn’t a random assortment of songs.

Instead, the songs it plays are curated and programmed by radio DJs and other iHeartRadio staff. That means there isn’t an algorithm deciding what to play next – you’re listening to a selection of songs an actual person has put together.

However, because it’s still “radio” you can’t do some of the things you could with the premium product’s playlists – like reorganizing tracks, adding or removing songs, or playing a particular song in the playlist on-demand. Instead, the songs will play in their given order, though you can skip up to six songs per hour within a playlist – the same as free users have when they’re listening to iHeartRadio’s artist stations.

The addition of Playlist Radio opens up iHeartRadio’s over 1,000 existing playlists to a wider audience.

This includes all nearly the artist-created, genre-based, activity-focused, musical era-focused, and theme-based playlists, with the exception of a handful of playlists that have too few songs to turn into a radio experience.

Before now, those playlists were only available behind a paywall for iHeartRadio Plus, the $4.99/month on-demand music service, and iHeartRadio All Access, which offers unlimited access to millions of songs and offline listening.

In addition, the playlists will be updated every week, save for those where it doesn’t make sense – like those focused on a particular era, like ’60’s music, for example.

“One of the things we’re most excited about and the area where i feel like we really excel is in music curation,” explains iHeart’s Chief Product Officer, Chris Williams, of how Playlist Radio came to be. “We have some of the greatest music curators on the planet within iHeartRadio. We have the best radio programmers, music directors, and program directors who are out there curating every single day for their radio stations. So we tapped into the resources that we had there, as well as finding some external expertise.”

The idea is that these programmers have already built these great, curated listening experiences, but because free products can only offer radio play as opposed to on-demand streams, the subset of iHeartRadio’s 110+ million registered users who aren’t on a subscription tier were missing out.

However, Playlist Radio could also drive those free users to upgrade, in order to better take advantage of the on-demand options.

“I think it’s exposing a great listening experience to our existing free users, and offering them up a listening opportunity that doesn’t exist on the free tier right now,” says Williams. “I think what radio does a brilliant job at is programming formatically. And I think what Playlist Radio does a great job of is offering listening occasions that are thematic,” he notes. The new products aims to marry the two. 

While on-demand music services are growing, there’s an increased interest in lean-back modes of listening, even for on-demand users who can play whatever they choose. For example, Pandora just challenged Spotify with the launch of dozens of personalized playlists based on its Music Genome; and Spotify, of course, is still well-loved for its popular “Discover Weekly” personalized playlist and its curated trendsetters, like RapCaviar.

Of course, the launch also comes at a time when iHeartRadio is facing steep competition from those competitors and others, including Apple and Amazon, in music.

In fact, the streaming service’s parent company, iHeartMedia – which also owns hundreds of radio stations, a concert business, and a 90% stake in Clear Channel Outdoor’s billboard company – recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Consumers won’t know the difference when it comes to using iHeartRadio’s streaming service in the near-term. However, Pandora investor Liberty Media (SiriusXM’s owner) was interested in a deal with iHeartMedia which could impact iHeartRadio’s business in the future.

Playlist Radio is rolling out today to all iHeartRadio users on iOS, Android and desktop, before making its way to other platforms.


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Elon Musk’s latest SpaceX idea involves a party balloon and bounce house


Elon Musk took to Twitter Sunday night to announce a new recovery method for an upper stage SpaceX rocket. A balloon — a “giant party balloon” to quote him directly — will ferry part of a rocket to a bounce house. Seriously.

If anyone else proposed this idea they would be ignored, but Elon Musk lately has a way of turning crazy ideas into reality.

It was just in 2012 that SpaceX launched and landed its first rocket and now the company is doing it with rockets significantly larger. And then early this year SpaceX made a surprise announcement that it would attempt to use a high-speed boat and large net to catch part of rocket. And it worked after a failed first attempt.

This isn’t the first time a balloon has tried to be used to return a rocket. Legendary programmer John Carmack’s rocket company attempted to use a ballute in 2012 to return a rocket body and nose cone. It didn’t work as planned and according to officials at the time, the rocket made a “hard landing” around the Spaceport America property in New Mexico.

Just like SpaceX’s self-landing rockets and its giant net boat, the goal is to reduce the cost of launching rockets by reusing parts. It’s unclear when this latest plan will be implemented but chances are SpaceX will at least attempt it in the coming future.


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