Weekend tech: PS3 Linux suit settled, G2A on grey market games, Opera beats Edge in battery?

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Over the edge? This May, Opera became the first major browser to ship a dedicated battery saving feature. This feature optimizes our Chromium/Blink based browser engine and user interface in order to give users more time to browse their favorite websites. Our tests showed that the feature increased the battery life by as much as 50% when compared to other browsers, such as Google Chrome. Opera

Embattled retailer G2A speaks out about grey market fraud and theft accusations Over the past few days, the games industry has taken a new stand against grey-market game code reselling. The practice is accused of being linked to credit card theft and excessive chargebacks that can cripple smaller companies. Grey market sales are defined as those that are technically legal, but not a distribution vehicle intended by the original seller. Game Informer

Brexit: UK tech sector reacts to Leave vote Now the UK has decided to leave the European Union, technology firms have been left to wonder what the future holds. As news of Brexit broke, tech firms including BT, TalkTalk and software firm Sage reported share price falls. For years, the UK - and particularly London - has championed the role of tech firms in buoying the economy. Hundreds of start-ups have benefitted from the government's Tech City initiative, for example, and both employees and customers have been plucked from EU member states. BBC

Sony will pay out millions to spurned PS3 Linux users A long-running lawsuit stemming from Sony's claim that its PlayStation 3 consoles would allow for third-party operating systems has finally come to a close. As Ars Technica reports, the class-action lawsuit could end up costing Sony millions of dollars for getting on the bad side of some Linux fans, and if you're one of those Linux fans, you could be in for a $55 check. Engadget

20 Years later, we still game in the shadow of Quake Long time readers know I’ve been a fan of first shooters since the game genre was invented. No company has had a greater impact on these games than Id Software, and among its many important achievements stands Quake, which was released 20 years ago this week. There’s never been a game like Quake. And that’s true for both the broader games industry. And, as it turns out, for me personally as well. Thurrott

How the U.S. Patent Office got so screwed up Troy Norred was on his way home for Thanksgiving in 1998 when he had his flash of genius. It was the middle of the night, his wife was driving the family car, and his four children were asleep in the back. He'd just finished his shift at the hospital, where his workweek often exceeded a hundred hours. Two days shy of thirty-one, Norred was a fellow in the cardiology program at the University of Missouri. Popular Mechanics

MSI and Asus send VGA review samples with higher clocks than retail cards MSI and Asus have been sending us review samples for their graphics cards with higher clock speeds out of the box, than what consumers get out of the box. The cards TechPowerUp has been receiving run at a higher software-defined clock speed profile than what consumers get out of the box. Consumers have access to the higher clock speed profile, too, but only if they install a custom app by the companies, and enable that profile. TechPowerUp

How Google is remaking itself as a "machine learning first" company Carson Holgate is training to become a ninja. Not in the martial arts  --  she’s already done that. Holgate, 26, holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. This time it’s algorithmic. Holgate is several weeks into a program that will inculcate her in an even more powerful practice than physical combat: machine learning, or ML. A Google engineer in the Android division, Holgate is one of 18 programmers in this year’s Machine Learning Ninja Program... Backchannel

Capacitors made easy the Hackaday way If you build electronic circuits on a regular basis the chances are you will have used capacitors many times. They are a standard component along with the resistor whose values are lifted off the shelf without a second thought. We use them for power supply smoothing and decoupling, DC blocking, timing circuits, and many more applications. Hackaday

Rolls Royce reveals remote controlled 'roboships' will take to the sea by 2020: Single operator can oversee ships from a holographic control room It is the future of shipping - and there's not a single sailor on board. Rolls Royce has revealed planed for fleets of 'drone ships' to ferry carry around the world - all controlled from a central 'holodeck'. It believes an entirely unmanned ship could take to the seas by 2020. Daily Mail

3 million strong botnet grows right under Twitter's nose Social media and advertising fraud investigations firm Sadbottrue has discovered a botnet of three million Twitter accounts, along with two smaller botnets of 100,000 bots each, which they suspect to be behind online services that sell or rent Twitter followers. Selling Twitter followers is a lucrative business, even if Twitter forbids it. People crave attention, and companies don't want to embarrass themselves by having only 100 followers. Softpedia

From file-sharing to prison: A Megaupload programmer tells his story Soon after the domain was registered in Hong Kong, the now-defunct Megaupload.com grew into one of the world's most popular file-sharing sites. At its peak, the site engaged nearly 50 million users a day and took up around four percent of the world's Internet traffic. Users uploaded nearly 12 billion files overall. Ars Technica

Trusting robots In the not-so-distant future, we will begin entrusting to robotic systems such vital tasks as driving a car, performing surgery, and choosing when to apply lethal force in a war zone. As we describe in this report, ever more autonomous machines will present challenges spanning technical, regulatory, and even philosophical realms. They will force us to confront deep moral quandaries, and might even tweak our sense of who we are. IEEE Spectrum

How do you teach human interaction to a robot? Lots of TV Remember the Jetsons' robot maid, Rosie? Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers think her future real-life incarnations can learn a thing or two from Steve Carell and other sitcom stars. MIT says a computer that binge-watched YouTube videos and TV shows such as "The Office," ''Big Bang Theory" and "Desperate Housewives" learned how to predict whether the actors were about to hug, kiss, shake hands or slap high fives... AP

Google launches Android programming course for absolute beginners If you have an idea for an app but don't know the first thing about building it, Google has the course for you. Launched on Wednesday, the Google Android Basics Nanodegree offers to teach beginners how to build a simple Android app in Java. There are no prerequisites. Google says the target student is anyone who's used a smartphone to surf the web. ZDNet

U.S. to have 200-petaflop supercomputer by early 2018 The U.S. plans to have a supercomputer by early 2018 with roughly double the performance of China's newest and most powerful system. The Chinese system, Sunway TaihuLight, was announced Monday in the latest release of the Top500, the biannual ranking of publicly known supercomputers. Computerworld

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/65343-weekend-tech-ps3-linux-g2a-grey-market-games.html

 

[Burty117]

It's a real shame the Leave Champagne won. Staying in the EU would have been a better position overall.
If Borris gets into power, I quit, I'm moving to a different country...

 

[tonylukac]

Google can launch new android programming courses, but promote google play. Amazon app store with it's difficulty in finding it makes more downloads.

 

[tonylukac]

Great that they can replace the navy with robotics and save 90% of costs. Why not replace the air force with drones too? The force won't be with you.

 

[3volv3d]

It's a real shame the Leave Champagne won. Staying in the EU would have been a better position overall.
If Borris gets into power, I quit, I'm moving to a different country...

Really? You're that upset?
Firstly, Cameron is a lying weasel. When he smiles, you know he is up to know good, evil, back hand taking Muppet.

Boris on the other hand, not evil. Looks like he just watched a season of tellytubbies back to back while eating chocolate hob nobs.

But the real problem lies in the fact that the government always always, ill -inform the people. Mostly because of their constant lying that are so use to, and half truths, they leave themselves open to easy slander campaigns. Because no one, no one... is trustworthy. Kind of hard to be when the laws of man don't benefit man but just rich *****s who hoard their money in off shore accounts, while the poorer working classes pay for roads and health care.

If Cameron wanted us to stay in he just had to tell everyone before voting to watch John Oliver's last week tonight. He nailed it.

Personally, I hate the fact we are being held in contempt for leaving when other countries want out, as countries don't feel safe by such open trade and immigration. The timing of this referendum couldn't of come at a worse time, with the attacks in France and Belgium. Anyone who was in the fence of immigration, got the Willie's, and jumped down in a fluster.

Then typically the conservatives, (that I've seen on TV) are all blaming ukip and labour, for the fear mongering, and creating racism and hatred to immigrants, as if we are blaming immigrants for everything. So let's clear this up now. We blame Cameron. For not negotiating properly with Brussels and spending too much time being a lying weasel hiding money in Panama in his dad's name.(maybe)

And while the immigration was a point, it isn't because of racism, it's because, why the fudge would you allow another country to control your borders. The UK is an island, and you don't need politics, you need maths, to work out how much land is needed for houses, roads, farms, industry, all while maintaining a green healthy land, which then helps you work out the population that said country can sustain. And when I hear green belts and forests are being sold to German companies to make money, because we spent ours on government bonuses and mps second houses... you have to realise they don't have a clue what they are doing.

I'm sure the British government has not had a handle on the monetary issues if the country since the'90s when they found out banks were losing money due to pensions and people living longer. They encourage more people entering Britain though because in theory that's more tax payers, which means they get to increase their annual pay, without doing any actual work to earn a pay rise.

I could go on forever about how BS the UK is right now, politics, laws, (especially human rights that defend double homicide criminals), capitalism, democracy. It's all a failed concept, but people right now are scared of change because, living this lie that everything is OK, while we all live in debt and maxed out credit, is easier than fixing everything that's wrong with the world.

Problem is, the biggest issue in the world is man kind. It is stubborn. It doesn't want to change fit the better. It just wants to destroy everything.

Have a great summer.

 

[Burty117]

Really? You're that upset?
Firstly, Cameron is a lying weasel. When he smiles, you know he is up to know good, evil, back hand taking Muppet.

Boris on the other hand, not evil. Looks like he just watched a season of tellytubbies back to back while eating chocolate hob nobs.

But the real problem lies in the fact that the government always always, ill -inform the people. Mostly because of their constant lying that are so use to, and half truths, they leave themselves open to easy slander campaigns. Because no one, no one... is trustworthy. Kind of hard to be when the laws of man don't benefit man but just rich *****s who hoard their money in off shore accounts, while the poorer working classes pay for roads and health care.

If Cameron wanted us to stay in he just had to tell everyone before voting to watch John Oliver's last week tonight. He nailed it.

Personally, I hate the fact we are being held in contempt for leaving when other countries want out, as countries don't feel safe by such open trade and immigration. The timing of this referendum couldn't of come at a worse time, with the attacks in France and Belgium. Anyone who was in the fence of immigration, got the Willie's, and jumped down in a fluster.

Then typically the conservatives, (that I've seen on TV) are all blaming ukip and labour, for the fear mongering, and creating racism and hatred to immigrants, as if we are blaming immigrants for everything. So let's clear this up now. We blame Cameron. For not negotiating properly with Brussels and spending too much time being a lying weasel hiding money in Panama in his dad's name.(maybe)

And while the immigration was a point, it isn't because of racism, it's because, why the fudge would you allow another country to control your borders. The UK is an island, and you don't need politics, you need maths, to work out how much land is needed for houses, roads, farms, industry, all while maintaining a green healthy land, which then helps you work out the population that said country can sustain. And when I hear green belts and forests are being sold to German companies to make money, because we spent ours on government bonuses and mps second houses... you have to realise they don't have a clue what they are doing.

I'm sure the British government has not had a handle on the monetary issues if the country since the'90s when they found out banks were losing money due to pensions and people living longer. They encourage more people entering Britain though because in theory that's more tax payers, which means they get to increase their annual pay, without doing any actual work to earn a pay rise.

I could go on forever about how BS the UK is right now, politics, laws, (especially human rights that defend double homicide criminals), capitalism, democracy. It's all a failed concept, but people right now are scared of change because, living this lie that everything is OK, while we all live in debt and maxed out credit, is easier than fixing everything that's wrong with the world.

Problem is, the biggest issue in the world is man kind. It is stubborn. It doesn't want to change fit the better. It just wants to destroy everything.

Have a great summer.

Ah Bless Ya, you really believe that as well, brings a tear of Irony to my Heart <3

Either way, if you believe having Borris in power is a good thing... Well I think this comment below sums it up nicely:

If Boris Johnson looked downbeat yesterday, that is because he realises that he has lost.

Perhaps many Brexiters do not realise it yet, but they have actually lost, and it is all down to one man: David Cameron.

With one fell swoop yesterday at 9:15 am, Cameron effectively annulled the referendum result, and simultaneously destroyed the political careers of Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and leading Brexiters who cost him so much anguish, not to mention his premiership.

How?

Throughout the campaign, Cameron had repeatedly said that a vote for leave would lead to triggering Article 50 straight away. Whether implicitly or explicitly, the image was clear: he would be giving that notice under Article 50 the morning after a vote to leave. Whether that was scaremongering or not is a bit moot now but, in the midst of the sentimental nautical references of his speech yesterday, he quietly abandoned that position and handed the responsibility over to his successor.

And as the day wore on, the enormity of that step started to sink in: the markets, Sterling, Scotland, the Irish border, the Gibraltar border, the frontier at Calais, the need to continue compliance with all EU regulations for a free market, re-issuing passports, Brits abroad, EU citizens in Britain, the mountain of legislation to be torn up and rewritten ... the list grew and grew.

The referendum result is not binding. It is advisory. Parliament is not bound to commit itself in that same direction.

The Conservative party election that Cameron triggered will now have one question looming over it: will you, if elected as party leader, trigger the notice under Article 50?

Who will want to have the responsibility of all those ramifications and consequences on his/her head and shoulders?

Boris Johnson knew this yesterday, when he emerged subdued from his home and was even more subdued at the press conference. He has been out-manoeuvred and check-mated.

If he runs for leadership of the party, and then fails to follow through on triggering Article 50, then he is finished. If he does not run and effectively abandons the field, then he is finished. If he runs, wins and pulls the UK out of the EU, then it will all be over - Scotland will break away, there will be upheaval in Ireland, a recession ... broken trade agreements. Then he is also finished. Boris Johnson knows all of this. When he acts like the dumb blond it is just that: an act.

The Brexit leaders now have a result that they cannot use. For them, leadership of the Tory party has become a poison chalice.

When Boris Johnson said there was no need to trigger Article 50 straight away, what he really meant to say was "never". When Michael Gove went on and on about "informal negotiations" ... why? why not the formal ones straight away? ... he also meant not triggering the formal departure. They both know what a formal demarche would mean: an irreversible step that neither of them is prepared to take.

All that remains is for someone to have the guts to stand up and say that Brexit is unachievable in reality without an enormous amount of pain and destruction, that cannot be borne. And David Cameron has put the onus of making that statement on the heads of the people who led the Brexit campaign.

 

[Tanstar]

The Popular Mechanics article is not properly linked?

 

[Tanstar]

Here is the PM article on the Patent Office: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a21181/greatest-american-invention/

 

[3volv3d]

Ah Bless Ya, you really believe that as well, brings a tear of Irony to my Heart <3

Either way, if you believe having Borris in power is a good thing... Well I think this comment below sums it up nicely:

I believe

Ah Bless Ya, you really believe that as well, brings a tear of Irony to my Heart <3

Either way, if you believe having Borris in power is a good thing... Well I think this comment below sums it up nicely:

I really believe what? I just said Boris vs weasel lying Cameron is an easy choice but, you clearly didn't read my post.

I don't trust any of them. All in it for self gain. You clearly prefer to feed the machine.

 

[Burty117]

I believe

I really believe what? I just said Boris vs weasel lying Cameron is an easy choice but, you clearly didn't read my post.

I don't trust any of them. All in it for self gain. You clearly prefer to feed the machine.

I'm guessing you didn't read what a quoted at the bottom of my post then. If you had, you'd realize Boris and pretty much any Politician from the Leave campaign have lost, when any of them get into power (which by the looks of things, there is a high chance) they will have to trigger Article 50. When that happens, we will lose Scotland, Ireland will go into melt down... In fact, let me post it again since you clearly don't like quotation marks:

If Boris Johnson looked downbeat yesterday, that is because he realises that he has lost.

Perhaps many Brexiters do not realise it yet, but they have actually lost, and it is all down to one man: David Cameron.

With one fell swoop yesterday at 9:15 am, Cameron effectively annulled the referendum result, and simultaneously destroyed the political careers of Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and leading Brexiters who cost him so much anguish, not to mention his premiership.

How?

Throughout the campaign, Cameron had repeatedly said that a vote for leave would lead to triggering Article 50 straight away. Whether implicitly or explicitly, the image was clear: he would be giving that notice under Article 50 the morning after a vote to leave. Whether that was scaremongering or not is a bit moot now but, in the midst of the sentimental nautical references of his speech yesterday, he quietly abandoned that position and handed the responsibility over to his successor.

And as the day wore on, the enormity of that step started to sink in: the markets, Sterling, Scotland, the Irish border, the Gibraltar border, the frontier at Calais, the need to continue compliance with all EU regulations for a free market, re-issuing passports, Brits abroad, EU citizens in Britain, the mountain of legislation to be torn up and rewritten ... the list grew and grew.

The referendum result is not binding. It is advisory. Parliament is not bound to commit itself in that same direction.

The Conservative party election that Cameron triggered will now have one question looming over it: will you, if elected as party leader, trigger the notice under Article 50?

Who will want to have the responsibility of all those ramifications and consequences on his/her head and shoulders?

Boris Johnson knew this yesterday, when he emerged subdued from his home and was even more subdued at the press conference. He has been out-manoeuvred and check-mated.

If he runs for leadership of the party, and then fails to follow through on triggering Article 50, then he is finished. If he does not run and effectively abandons the field, then he is finished. If he runs, wins and pulls the UK out of the EU, then it will all be over - Scotland will break away, there will be upheaval in Ireland, a recession ... broken trade agreements. Then he is also finished. Boris Johnson knows all of this. When he acts like the dumb blond it is just that: an act.

The Brexit leaders now have a result that they cannot use. For them, leadership of the Tory party has become a poison chalice.

When Boris Johnson said there was no need to trigger Article 50 straight away, what he really meant to say was "never". When Michael Gove went on and on about "informal negotiations" ... why? why not the formal ones straight away? ... he also meant not triggering the formal departure. They both know what a formal demarche would mean: an irreversible step that neither of them is prepared to take.

All that remains is for someone to have the guts to stand up and say that Brexit is unachievable in reality without an enormous amount of pain and destruction, that cannot be borne. And David Cameron has put the onus of making that statement on the heads of the people who led the Brexit campaign.

As I said in my original comment, If Boris or Farage or anyone from the Leave Group get into power I will be looking to move out of Britain, No way can any of those I.diots trigger Article 50 and keep the country together, Cameron is possibly one of the only Politicians we have that could potentially pull it off (Hence why Borris and Farage said he should stay in office regardless of the outcome) But what Cameron has done is even better, he's letting the Leave Group have their cake and eat it too.