CIS 164 Internet Essentials (Fall 2017)

Mozilla and Yahoo are suing each other over Firefox's default search The companies are suing each other over a deal that was signed back in 2014 that would make Yahoo Firefox’s default  search engine through 2019. Firefox walked away from the deal when Yahoo and AOL merged in 2017 . They stated that it would negatively affect Firefox which fell under a clause that in the contract that would allow Mozilla to back out of the contract. Now its up to the courts to state which company is right. Want to read the full article  at Mashable? Follow this link. http://mashable.com/2017/12/06/mozilla-yahoo-lawsuits-firefox/?utm_cid=a-rr-tech#jNCzSVkCfaqU

The FCC officially votes to kill net neutrality The order was passed today by the FCC with a vote of 3 to 2.  The O pen Internet Order and the net neutrality protections it established will be eliminated. The FTC now controls the rules for blocking and throttling content. Commissioner Rosenworcel stated “This decision puts the Federal Communications Commission on the wrong side of history, the wrong side of the law, and the wrong side of the American public.” Hopefully all the memes at have been going around about having to spend more money to get to sites like Netflix and Amazon don’t come true. Now we must wait and see what the ISP providers will do with their new power. If you want to read the article in more detail here is the link:  https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/14/the-fcc-officially-votes-to-kill-net-neutrality/

Oops... Some HP Laptops Shipped with Hidden Key logger It was recently discovered that some HP laptops came with a preinstalled program to capture the keystrokes of users. HP quickly released a patch after the discovery. It was part of the driver for the touchpad and was used for debugging purposes. There doesn't appear to have any malicious intent behind it. If you want to read the article in more detail here is the link:  https://www.technewsworld.com/story/Oops-Some-HP-Laptops-Shipped-With-Hidden-Keylogger-85002.html

Continental, Avis turn phones into rental car keys It was announced that Continental and Avis Budget Group are testing an entirely keyless rental-car system. By using a smart device people can lock, unlock and even start their rental car without needing a physical key. It relies on Continental's Key-as-a-Service technology and only needing a few hardware modifications. The system is being tested in the Kansas City area currently. If you want to read the article in more detail here is the link:  https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/continental-avis-turn-phones-into-rental-car-keys/

New law reinstates small drone registration in the US The registration got a second life after it was signed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Previously when the FAA announced owners had to register devices over .55 pounds. This upset veteran hobbyists, many who have experience flying RC aircraft. One hobbyists even took the FAA to court, stating that Congress had decided the FAA had no jurisdiction over toy aircraft. If you want to read the article in more detail here is the link:  https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16768960/new-law-reinstates-small-drone-registration-in-the-us

This Harry Potter AI-generated fanfiction is remarkably good A new chapter in the world of Harry Potter was written by an AI text prediction after getting trained by an algorithmic tool on all seven of the children’s fantasy novels. People have stated that the plot feels soulless and meandering but holds a faint imprint of Rowling’s whimsical charm. If you want to read the article in more detail here is the link:  https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/16768582/harry-potter-ai-fanfiction

Twitch will start streaming US minor league basketball games This is the first time the games of an official sports league will be livestreaming legally and by Twitch itself. They plan on having interactive features like achievements, climb leaderboards, and earn prizes. As of yet they have not stated what kind of prizes. If you want to read the article in more detail here is the link:  https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/13/16772212/twitch-livestream-basketball-nba-g-league

7-Eleven is testing a delivery service 7-Eleven announced that they are testing mobile ordering via an app in the Dallas, TX area. You are able to order snacks, makeup, gift cards, home goods, drinks, and other products. The items will be handed off to third-party courier, which then delivers the goods. Customers can even get 7Rewards points for making purchases and free delivery on their first order. If you want to read the article in more detail here is the link:  https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/13/16772824/7-eleven-delivery-smartphone-app-ios-android  

Samsung updates its Notebook 9 Ultrabook’s with even bigger batteries Samsung is doing a tech refresh on the Ultrabook’s in 2018. The units will be using the “largest and most powerful” battery it’s ever placed in a laptop according to Samsung. The new batteries will support fast charging so you can always top up the battery quickly on the go. They were also able to squeeze in a HDMI port, a single USB-C port, and a regular USB port, alongside microSD storage and a Windows Hello camera to sign into Windows 10 with just your face. If you want to read the article in more detail here is the link:  https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/12/13/16771242/samsung-notebook-9-notebook-9-pen-specs-release-date  

PUBG shows off new Miramar map. Unlike the current map this one is mainly covered desert leaving more open spaces. There will be new items and vehicles. You will have everything you need for death match vacation. Imagine you have the VW Camper and Jet Ski sitting off to the side of the new colorful coastal town having a good time. Want to read the full article  at Tech Radar? Follow this link. http://www.techradar.com/news/pubg-desert-map-revealed-in-new-screens-and-its-called-miramar