Discovery Communications is merging with Scripps to create the worlds largest TV show network. An overview of the deal is conducted by Mac Insider, with details of the 14.6 Bil USD deal. This adds a number of interesting channels to the Discovery stable, highlights are : HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Network, Cooking Channel, Great American Country, Poland’s TVN, BBC joint venture UKTV, Asian Food Channel, and lifestyle channel Fine Living Network. Discovery Channel contributions include TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, OWN, Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport.
This opens up for more concerted mini or “skinny bundles” offerings, also directly to cable-cutters. The future looks even bleaker for the agregators out there.
Microsoft iPad Touch Cover discovered
The German IT website Winfuture has found a filing with ICAO (In German, use google translate) to rate the device as flight safe and ready. This is the only known reference to the “Model 1719”, also a correct numbering in the Microsoft ecosystems (Holo Lens is 1688, Surface Book 1796). The document also identifies an on-board battery, so maybe finally there will be a iPad keyboard with back light capabilities?
GTAV Mod: NaturalVision ✪ Remastered
GTAV modder “Razed” has completed and released a photo realistic mod for GTAV (NaturalVision ✪ Remastered) with eye opening levels of resolution and clarity. Thousands of hours of work, only for the PC version and requires OpenIV and VisualV pre-installed. Could this be a teaser of the coming GTAVI (deep in development according to rumors)?
The chaos that is IOT standards (or lack thereof)
Yet another attempt to bridge the disparate world that is IOT standards, this time the EdgeX Foundry from the Linux foundation. Again trying to create unity in a over-fragmented segment of technology. Danny Bradbury has a nice summing up on the chaos on The register, trying to create an overview of all the various standards and the various attempts and joining them together. This will easily be the first hurdle IOT needs to overcome, only when there is a good set of cross compabilities will mass consumer adaptation realty happen.
Reddit: Finally growing up?
For those that followed the 8Chan to 4Chan to Reddit debacle will know that Reddit has long struggled to achieve a good working relationship with it’s wide user base and how fundamental these users are against any and all changes in the experience. Shutting down Alt right sections, the normal issues with non PC content and petty crime hidden in /r, /x and so on. Now they have completed a USD 200 Mil seeding, and are looking at how to grow into a functioning commercial Company. Alphr has an extensive interview with the current Reddit CEO Steve Huffman on what to expect. Should be fun based on the previous attempts to implement changes. Hints of looking and feeling more like Facebook will give current users the shivers I am sure.
Nation State hacking and it’s impacts (this time in the Middle East)
Nation State hacking gets little attention outside of when stupid mistakes are made (Stuxnet springs to mind), but is still prevalent. An op-ed by Adam Segal in NY Times has a good update on the recent activities in the Middle East, focusing on the alleged UAE hacking’s into Qatar news ond government systems. As was noted by Peter G. Neumann, this is not the first time we have seen this lately.
DEFCON 25 – Wired’s favorite Black Hat Hacks
Summary article from Wired on the best of the Black Hat hacks shown DEFON 25. From hacking smart guns, to hacking Teslas and other cars, new Botnet technologies and their take downs and the general worry that is IOT. Well worth a read.
USB-C power bank for laptops
For those of us that have ultralight laptops with USB-C charging there has been a major gap in the power bank market: a power bank that can charge our laptops. There has been a number of vapor ware solutions touted, but now there is a commercially available alternative. Mophie has just launched the powerstation USB-C XXL, a 19,500mAh, USB-C PD 30W Fast Charge powerbank for sale in the US. Will eventually be available elsewhere, already in the Apple Stores. Currenlty promoted for Apple devices, will let you
Is a new generation of SurfaceBook’s around the corner?
Paul Thurrott (a long term trust able source on what goes on inside Microsoft) posted an update yesterday noting that the 1TB SurfaceBook has for a long time been unavailable and is now gone from the Microsoft Store. He observes that this is a typical Microsoft move before a major upgrade, and is quoting the existing rumors that a new line will be introduced in October. As the second generation was mainly an CPU / RAM / HD upgrade, can Microsoft again surprise us with their continued overtures in the HW space?
DEFCON 25 – Electronic Voting Machines hacked
A write up on Alternet on the DFCON 25 hack attack on American Electronic Voting with an attached video showing the hacks done live. The attacks took from minutes to hours, but all where hacked and altered with little or no traces left behind. Another warning on using technology before it is ready for the use you intend. The safety in electronic voting has always been questioned, here is further argumentation against using the technology for elections until it is fault proof.