Facebook Messenger Lite For Android Now Available In The US: Here’s What It Does

Messenger Lite was previously only available in developing countries, but Facebook apparently decided that it will also be useful in the United States.

Facebook initially rolled out Messenger Lite for Android exactly a year ago, as an app that specifically targets users with low bandwidth connections and older smartphones. The app was first released in Kenya, Malaysia, Tunisia, Venezuela, and Sri Lanka, and was later expanded to more than 100 developing countries.

“Messenger Lite is a slimmed-down version of Messenger that offers the core features of the app, while giving everyone the opportunity to stay connected to their friends and family, regardless of device or quality of internet connectivity,” said a spokesperson for Facebook.

Messenger Lite does not support video calls, Messenger Day, selfie lenses, games, and other features that are not critical to the purpose of the app, which is to enable basic communication between users. In addition to text messages, Messenger Lite still allows stickers and sending pictures and links, and carries the same design as Messenger.

The app is available on the Google Play Store, and it is compatible with Android devices that are running on as low as Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

The mobile networks in the United States are far better compared to those in some developing countries, so why did Facebook decide to launch Messenger Lite here?

Messenger Lite will be a valuable tool for users who want to keep their data usage low, as Messenger sheds data-hungry features that can be found in other messaging apps such as Snapchat. There may also be some users who prefer a barebones version of Messenger, as it looks less cluttered and simpler to use.

Unfortunately, Facebook has not revealed any plans for an iOS version of Messenger Lite, whether only for developing countries or also for the United States. Messenger and Messenger Lite work best when everybody is on the platform, so the company should work to bring the stripped-down app to the iOS.

The launch of the Messenger Lite app in the United States, however, is a short reprieve from the issue that Facebook is handling right now.

It has been previously reported that a Russian troll farm spent $100,000 on Facebook advertisements to sway the mindset of the public during the 2016 presidential elections. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has since apologized that the social network caused a massive political divide in the country.

Yahoo says all three billion accounts hacked in 2013 data theft

Yahoo on Tuesday said that all 3 billion of its accounts were hacked in a 2013 data theft, tripling its earlier estimate of the size of the largest breach in history, in a disclosure that attorneys said sharply increased the legal exposure of its new owner, Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N).

The news expands the likely number and claims of class action lawsuits by shareholders and Yahoo account holders, they said. Yahoo, the early face of the internet for many in the world, already faced at least 41 consumer class-action lawsuits in U.S. federal and state courts, according to company securities filing in May.

John Yanchunis, a lawyer representing some of the affected Yahoo users, said a federal judge who allowed the case to go forward still had asked for more information to justify his clients’ claims.

“I think we have those facts now,” he said. “It’s really mind-numbing when you think about it.”

Yahoo said last December that data from more than 1 billion accounts was compromised in 2013, the largest of a series of thefts that forced Yahoo to cut the price of its assets in a sale to Verizon.

Yahoo on Tuesday said “recently obtained new intelligence” showed all user accounts had been affected. The company said the investigation indicated that the stolen information did not include passwords in clear text, payment card data, or bank account information.

But the information was protected with outdated, easy-to-crack encryption, according to academic experts. It also included security questions and backup email addresses, which could make it easier to break into other accounts held by the users.

Verizon in February lowered its original offer by $350 million for Yahoo assets in the wake of two massive cyber attacks at the internet company.

Some lawyers asked whether Verizon would look for a new opportunity to address the price.

“This is a bombshell,” said Mark Molumphy, lead counsel in a shareholder derivative lawsuit against Yahoo’s former leaders over disclosures about the hacks.

Samsung’s Windows Mixed Reality headset feels like an impressive Oculus Rift competitor

Microsoft held an event today in San Francisco dedicated to its Windows Mixed Reality platform, where Kinect and HoloLens mastermind Alex Kipman showed off some impressive live demos and unveiled a new headset and motion controller combo from Samsung. In a separate press demo room following the presentation, we were able to experience the new hardware, called Samsung Odyssey, running a virtual reality Halo experience, Halo Recruit,to showcase the platform’s underlying technology.

From my admittedly brief experience using the Odyssey running the full version of Halo Recruit, I can say that Microsoft and Samsung have managed to design and develop something that feels nearly identical in image and software quality, as well as comfort, to the Oculus Rift. Odyssey is even priced and packaged similarly, with built-in headphones and motion controllers built to Microsoft’s specs that resemble a cross between Oculus Touch and the HTC Vive controllers. The whole thing will cost $499 starting November 6th, while Halo Recruit launches on October 17th with Microsoft’s Fall Creators Update.

Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

Of course, Oculus pretty much dominates the virtual reality market, with a growing library of existing games and cinematic experiences on top of the financial and technical support of its owner, Facebook. However, where Samsung, and by extension Microsoft, do have an advantage is in accessibility. The Odyssey does not require a ton of cables snaking through a living room to your PC, because it uses what’s known as inside out positional tracking that lets the headset tell the PC where your body is, while the motion controllers take care of your hands. (Oculus and Vive both require external tracking hardware placed either on a desk or mounted to the wall or ceiling.)

That’s a big part of Microsoft’s mixed reality push and why the headsets from partners Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and now Samsung might just catch on. While the phrase has always sounded like a bit of marketing jargon, and it certainly to some extent still is, mixed reality is effectively the idea that you can blend the best of virtual reality, like high-fidelity visuals and immersive and interactive worlds, with the promise of augmented reality, which fuses your real surroundings with digital objects. It involves letting a headset see the physical space you’re standing or sitting in with cameras and sensors, while software merges the two worlds into one with object recognition and other feats of programming.

MICROSOFT’S MIXED REALITY VISION STILL FEELS A LOT LIKE VR FOR NOW

While the Odyssey headset, and a lot of what Microsoft has showed off both today and in the past, looks and feels strictly closer to VR, the headsets are in theory capable of tracking your body in space. That’s what allows them to do positional tracking without requiring you set up cumbersome cameras. Down the line, Microsoft wants to take those capabilities and expand the range of experiences these headsets can offer into ones where VR objects are dropped into the real world and the lines between that technology and AR blur. New demos like Star Wars: Jedi Challenge on Lenovo’s Mirage headset show off what that might look like in the future.

Onstage today, Kipman also showed off an impressive demo of standard Windows productivity apps inside a virtual mansion the company calls the Cliff House, which will act as the central hub of its Mixed Reality platform in the same fashion as Oculus Home. Though unlike with Oculus Home, Kipman was able to move around the space naturally and without worrying about the line of sight of nearby cameras. In the future, Kipman imagines everything from our chat rooms to our computer screens will be virtual objects that either exist in a virtual world like Cliff House or get augmented over real-life scenes like your desk at work or the wall of your living room. Mixed reality is the promise that headsets will do both seamlessly, and that there won’t be a hard division between AR and VR.

Right now, however, we’re still mostly in VR territory. Playing Halo Recruit, I didn’t have to worry about bumping into an imaginary software wall that meant I would lose the system’s positional tracking. But the game was rather simple — it involved an elaborate target practice simulation in a training facility within the Halo universe — and didn’t involve anything beyond what you’d expect from a standard VR game. I can easily see the convenience benefits of having solid inside out positional tracking for other apps and games. Playing a ported version of the excellent Superhot VR, which does make you move around more actively, I felt a lot more freedom. But mixed reality remains more a roadmap than a viable platform.

Still, Oculus wouldn’t need to be too worried about Microsoft’s competing push if not for both the comfort and entry-level PC requirements the Windows Mixed Reality platform enjoys. Samsung’s Odyssey headset felt just as good as the Oculus Rift, and Microsoft says PCs as cheap as $500 can run less intensive experiences, which is cheaper than the recommended minimum rigs for Rift and Vive. And the software quality from Microsoft is surprisingly solid, with fluid VR motion and high-res visuals on Halo Recruit that made it look indistinguishable from a high-end Rift game.

So Microsoft may be pretty far off from Kipman’s grand vision of mixed reality, in which we’re all donning headsets all day long and working, conversing, and hanging out in a sci-fi blend of the real and the virtual. Yet what the company has accomplished so far is both a step toward that vision and a strong challenge to Facebook and Oculus.

Uber will IPO by 2019 and let Softbank buy a huge stake, following a big board meeting

Uber's board of directors struck a grand bargain on Tuesday, settling a fractious internal battle that has hamstrung the ride-hailing company for months and paving the way to a giant IPO in two years.

The board also agreed to move forward with a multi-billion deal that would give Japan's Softbank as much as a 17% stake in Uber, the world's most valuable privately held tech startup.

Here are the changes approved by Uber's board, which will take effect after the Softbank deal closes, according to a person familiar with the matter:

• The special supervoting shares that concentrated power in the hands of cofounder Travis Kalanick and other insiders, will be annulled. Instead, all shares in Uber will have one vote.
• The board of directors has been expanded to 17 members, up sharply from its current 11 member size.
• A commitment for the company to have an IPO by 2019.
• Any new CEO must have 2/3 of the board vote until after the IPO

Uber's board agreed to the changes after meeting for several hours on Tuesday afternoon. 

And Benchmark Capital, an early Uber investor that had sued Kalanick, has agreed to drop the litigation once the Softbank deal closes, the person familiar with the matter said.

The deal appears to significantly curtail Kalanick's power, a somewhat surprising outcome after various moves and statements by the Uber cofounder that seemed to suggest he was spoiling for a fight.

Kalanick built Uber into a $69 billion ride-hailing behemoth, but was ousted as CEO in June amid a series of controversies and scandals relating to the company's practices and internal culture. In August, Uber appointed Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Expedia, to replace Kalanick in the top job. 

Kalanick struck a conciliatory note in a statement to  Business Insider on Tuesday:

"Today the Board came together collaboratively and took a major step forward in Uber's journey to becoming a world class public company. We approved moving forward with the Softbank transaction and reached unanimous agreement on a new governance framework that will serve Uber well. Under Dara's leadership and with strong guidance from the Board, we should expect great things ahead for Uber," Kalanick said.\

This is what it's like to live in a NASA Mars isolation experiment

As the debate about life on Mars rages on, what’s it like to actually live on Mars? NASA sent six scientists to find out by inhabiting the closet thing to a Martian habitat they could come up with on Earth.

The team of scientists who doubled as psychology research subjects finally emerged several days ago after eight months of surviving the space agency’s Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) facility at the Mauna Loa volcano. Besides simulating human existence on the Red Planet, NASA wanted to further understand how astronauts are psychologically influenced by long-term missions—think extended periods of isolation that could potentially make some people lose it.

Hawaii’s Big Island is already far enough from human civilization, but getting the full-on Mars experience meant that there would be the same 20-minute communication delay that there would be with Earth if they were living in an extraterrestrial base. The two men and four women who occupied the 1,200 square-foot dome that was modeled as a potential Martian habitat had their mental health monitored with mood-gauging sensors that could sense when there was tension.

They played games that measured compatibility and stress levels and were required tosubmit written logs on how they were feeling. If you had issues with your college roommate, you probably wouldn’t want to volunteer for an experiment like this.

"This is our fifth mission, and we have learned a lot over those five missions. We've learned, for one thing, that conflict, even in the best of teams, is going to arise," said project lead investigator Kim Binstead. "So what's really important is to have a crew that, both as individuals and a group, is really resilient, is able to look at that conflict and come back from it."

At least NASA handed out virtual-reality headsets that could take them anywhere but the dome if they needed to get away.

As for the food, freeze-dried everything was on the menu, but crew member Joshua Ehrlich was able to cultivate plants inside the habitat, which had a kitchen (as well as a bathroom, lab and sleeping quarters). Even picking up the processed stuff required some measure of effort just like it would on Mars. The team had to send out a robot to retrieve packages of food and supplies as if they had been dropped off by a spacecraft, and when they did, they had to gear up in neon yellow space suits for the trek.

When humans actually take off for Mars, those 8 months will be more like 2 or 3 years. Astronauts selected for such expeditions must have it in them to withstand similar, if not more extreme, circumstances. Not just anyone can stay totally sane after spending that long on an alien planet.

Even after spending so long in isolation, not all of the scientists were that excited about the almost dystopian news blasts that are making us all want to get off Earth. Now that’s totally understandable.

BLACKBERRY RELEASES KEYONE TUTORIAL VIDEOS TO HELP CUSTOMERS BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SMARTPHONE

BlackBerry unveiled its KEYone handset during the MWC in February. The KEYone has released in the UK, but is currently available only in a single store in London.

The smartphone is poised to release in the United States on May 31 and BlackBerry is looking to familiarize consumers with the device's functionalities prior to the device's arrival.

Like Samsung uploaded Galaxy S8 tutorial videos for owners a few days ago, BlackBerry has also come up with its own set of videos for its KEYone smartphone. The list of 11 videos has been uploaded on BlackBerry's official YouTube channel.

BlackBerry KEYone Tutorial Videos

Out of the 11 tutorial videos uploaded, 10 deal with familiarizing users on how to perform specific activities using the KEYone.

The first video in the series shows how the SIM card needs to be inserted into the smartphone. The device comes with a SIM card ejector that can be used to access the SIM tray, which is located on the phone' side.

The next video details the file transfer system of the KEYone — how to transfer data from an old Android smartphone to the BlackBerry device. For this, users will need to install an app named "BlackBerry Content Transfer" on their older device. This will let users transfer older data to the Google Drive account. The same account when accessed using the new KEYone handset would allow users to re-download the data on the new handset.

Another tutorial video for the KEYone elaborates the camera's quick launch feature. The owners of the smartphone can double press the power button to instantly access the camera. This feature can be toggled on and off from the settings menu.

The data transfer from an Apple phone to the BlackBerry device follows almost the same steps that are listed for the transfer from Android devices. The video details that iOS users will need to install a "Content Transfer" app from developers Media Mushrooms on their older handset to initiate the transfer.

Adding Multiple Google Accounts

One of the videos showcases how owners can add multiple Google accounts to the BlackBerry KEYone and easily switch from one to the other. The video following this one reveals that holding down the power button and the volume down button together will result in a screenshot, which then gets saved in the "Photos" section.

The KEYone being a BlackBerry handset comes with a QWERTY keypad and a touchscreen. One of the videos details how a user can set their own keyboard shortcuts for different functionalities of the device. Users can also set up or change their email accounts from the BlackBerry Hub

Another video elaborates on how owners can customize apps connected to the "Convenience Key," which lets users instantly access an app by clicking the key located on the device's side.

The last video explains how lowering the screen brightness can improve the battery life of the KEYone substantially. Users can also turn on the "Boost Mode," which enhances the smartphone's battery life.

Three Dots Beneath The Icons

Any app which has the three dots beneath it signifies that widgets can be assigned to the same. To access the widgets for that app, users will have to swipe up on the icon and then modify widgets according to their preference.

VIN DIESEL AND DODGE FINALLY MAKE THE PARTNERSHIP OFFICIAL

Thanks to The Fast and the Furious franchise, actor Vin Diesel is nearly synonymous with muscle cars, in particular those from Dodge and SRT. The partnership is finally official, with Diesel appearing in a number of new ads for the automaker. Three new spots, titled "Rally Cry," "Monsters," and "Shepherd," showcase Dodge's entire product line, including the nearly forgotten Journey crossover. We can only assume it's taken the Viper's place in the automaker's lineup, as the soon departed coupe is nowhere to be seen.Another missing element is the recently revealed Dodge Demon. Presumably, Dodge felt three months of teasers and a good bit of New York Auto Show coverage were sufficient advertisement for the car. Plus, we can't count on the Demon to go around a corner the same way that some of the cars in this ad do. It's hard to turn with two wheels in the air.Advertisement or not, it's always great to hear a soundtrack of big, V8 muscle. Plus, this only further feeds into Vin Diesel v. The Rock, as the latter has been promoting Ford products for the past few years.

UBER NOW MAKES IT EASIER FOR YOU TO DELETE YOUR ACCOUNT

While ride-sharing service Uber was one of the poster boys of the whole new sharing economy that digital communicators love talking about, a certain sector of society has fallen out of love with the San Francisco-based company (well, at least in the US). Whether it’s the political side-projects of founder Travis Kalanick or the sexual harassment issues within the company, some people want to #DeleteUber. The process is apparently not that simple but the latest update to the app will supposedly make it better for those who want out.

While it is as easy as pie to set up an Uber account, getting out of it is another matter. Yes, deleting the app is quick, but erasing your profile and all other information from their servers takes a few more steps. You have to submit a request then you will be passed on to a customer service agent who will of course try to talk you out of it. If you stay strong and refuse to reconsider, then your account is finally removed forever.

But now it looks like it will be a much easier process through their “Dear John” (internal name) system. When you choose account deletion rather than just app deletion, you’ll receive a warning that it will be deactivated already. After 30 days, all your personal information will be permanently deleted and that includes records of your trips and other details that you don’t want to leave in their servers.

While Uber is still pretty popular, they are also trying to recover from the recent fallout by changing how it deals with privacy and also doing a bit of PR damage control. Time will tell if this is already the beginning of the end or if there will be a resurgence with this brand.

APPLE SIRI HARDWARE EXPECTED TO BE UNVEILED DURING WWDC 2017

Last week, known Apple leaker Sonny Dickson claimed that Apple is on the cusp of finalizing the design of a Siri/Airplay hardware. According to the said claim, this new device will be a direct competition to Amazon’s Echo device that uses the Alexa app. Now, renowned market analyst from KGI Securities, Ming-Chi Kuo, published a report saying Apple is indeed working on the said device.

He also speculated that the Siri hardware will be unveiled during the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June. The said device will be sold at a much higher price thanks to its premium specs and superb audio quality. Kuo also added that the device in question will have a total of eight speakers, seven tweeters and a subwoofer.

While Kuo did not give any specific detail on how the device would look like, Dickson somehow had an idea on how it might turn out to be. According to Dickson, the Siri hardware will have similar design features as the Mac Pro or the UE Megaboom speaker.

Amazon Echo (via amazon.com)

On the subject of performance, Kuo stated that the upcoming device will sport the same processor that is current being used on an iPhone 6s. This means that the Siri device will probably be equipped with an Apple A9 chip. If not that, an A8X chip is also a possible candidate.

For now, Kuo did not mention anything about the supposed release of the device other than it will be more expensive than the Amazon Echo. However, there is a strong chance that consumers might be able to get their hands on the Siri speaker before the end of the year.

Finally, Kuo also claims that Apple is also considering another smaller device that will compete directly to the Amazon Echo Dot. This device, as he predicts, will be powered by the W1 chip; the same chip on the Apple AirPods wireless earbuds. For more tech updates, be sure to check us out at TheBitbag.

APPLE IPAD PRO 2 RELEASE DATE, UPDATE: IPAD PRO 2 ARRIVING AT WWDC EVENT IN THREE DIFFERENT SIZES

After a long time of waiting, the much rumored Apple iPad Pro 2 finally can be seen in May. Many people expect the Apple to release their upcoming iPad flagship at the WWDC event.

According to Tech Blorge, Apple iPad Pro 2 will take only a month to go before its formal launching at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) along with other devices of the Apple. The Apple iPad Pro 2 is rumored to launch three new iPad models such as the 12.9-inches, two 10.5-inches and a type of iPad Mini 5 with 9.7 inches display.

On the other hand, according to PCAdvisor, there are also speculations which say that Apple will launch a sequel of Apple Pencil with Apple iPad Pro 2. For the specs, the Apple's newer and faster A10X processor might be used in the iPad Pro 2. The camera will get some improvements also, like a 12mp quality and a True Tone flash. Apple iPad Pro 2 is also expected to have a 512GB lower capacity, and probably, it will be different in each variant.

Moreover, the Home button is said to be removed from the upcoming Apple iPad Pro 2, but such feature would be replaced with a better one like the wireless charging capability or an iOS 11 Operating System.

To recall, last month the Apple Store had some issues and was down for a while right on the 21st of the month. It was shut down for maintenance, but people started rumoring that this had something to do with a special product Apple is preparing, which might be the Apple iPad Pro 2.

There's a higher chance of the possibility that Apple iPad Pro 2 would be released in May or June at the WWDC event. The three variants of the Apple iPad Pro 2 will have different prices. The 9.7-inch, 10.5-inch, and 12.9-inch are said to have $600, $700, and $800 USD cost respectively.

APPLE, TESLA ASK CALIFORNIA TO CHANGE PROPOSED SELF-DRIVING CAR TEST POLICY

In a letter made public last Friday, Apple suggested a series of changes to the draft policy that is under development and said it looks forward to working with California and others “so that rapid technology development may be realized while ensuring the safety of the traveling public.”

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc urged California to toughen up its proposed policy on testing self-driving cars, a move that would result in more public data that could help Apple catch up to rivals in the self-driving space by giving it a better window into their strengths and weaknesses.

In a letter made public last Friday, Apple suggested a series of changes to the draft policy that is under development and said it looks forward to working with California and others “so that rapid technology development may be realized while ensuring the safety of the traveling public.”

Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google parent company Alphabet Inc, Ford Motor Co, Uber Technologies Inc, Toyota Motor Corp, Tesla Motors Inc and others also filed comments suggesting changes.

California said on Tuesday it would review comments before deciding whether to make changes to the policy that aims to allow companies to test vehicles without traditional steering wheels and controls or human back-up drivers.

The state is at the forefront of a crowded race to develop self-driving vehicles and the proposed changes from automakers and technology companies help provide insight into current efforts.

In its letter, Apple said California should revise how companies report self-driving system “disengagements.”

California currently requires companies to report how many times the self-driving system was deactivated and control handed back to humans because of a system failure or a situation tied to traffic, weather or road conditions that required human intervention for safety reasons.

But Apple wants those rules to extend to humans stepping in to prevent even minor traffic violations.

Apple contends the reporting rules as written leave too much wiggle room for car makers and “caused public confusion and misunderstanding,” wrote Steve Kenner, Apple’s director of product integrity.

Apple also asked regulators to revisit language around the definition of an autonomous vehicle to clarify that permits are required in advanced systems even when a safety driver is present.

The exact wording around when permits are needed became a sticking point between Uber and state officials last year when the California Department of Motor Vehicles ordered Uber to cease its self-driving tests in San Francisco.

Apple also said the state’s rules for development vehicles used only in testing could “restrict both the design and equipment that can be used in test vehicles.”

A late entrant to the self-driving race, Apple secured a permit earlier this month to test autonomous vehicles in California.

Although it has never openly acknowledged it is looking into building a car, Apple has recruited dozens of auto experts.

The company declined to comment last Friday.

Tesla said California should not bar testing of autonomous vehicles that are 10,000 pounds (4,535 kg) or more, a move that Apple also joined. Tesla said such a move could “stifle innovation,” and bar a company from testing a heavy autonomous vehicle that might be used to haul parts on private property rather than on public roads, pushing developers in this sector out of the state.

Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla, in 2016 announced plans for new electric vehicles, including a commercial truck called the Tesla Semi and a public transport bus. — Reuters

ACER PREDATOR 15: GAMING ON THE GO

Screen: 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9, G-Sync Monitor Support

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB

Memory: 16 GB, DDR4 SDRAM

Storage: 1 TB HDD, 256 GB SSD

Normal

Faster

Turbo

I fell in love with Acer’s Predator brand when I recently experienced gaming on the Predator Z301c ultrawide monitor. It has a sharpness and quality to it that makes it the best monitor I’ve ever owned. The focus for any gaming monitor is always on the quality of picture for great gaming experiences, which it has, but it also boasted a stylish look that makes it awesome to see sitting on a desk. It has the full package deal.

Lately I’ve been testing Acer’s Predator 15 laptop. Once again, much of the same can be said about the laptop of which I said about the monitor. It’s great for quality gaming performance, but it’s also one of the best-looking laptops I’ve ever seen. It looks as if it’s ready for some serious gaming, and it certainly is.

Let’s first start with the specs:

Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-6700HQ processor 2.60 GHz

The Acer Predator 15 laptop comes equipped with the 6GB GeForce GTX 1060, which is perfect for 1080p gaming. It features a 1080p monitor that runs at 60Hz with G-sync capabilities. The GTX 1060 can max out the graphical settings on most games for a 60+ frames per second average at 1080p. I’ve provided some random gameplay videos below from some of my favorite games that I’m currently playing.

But before I get into the gaming experience, I first want to speak more about the laptops sleek and glorious design. First of all, the material that covers the laptop and surrounds the keys and mouse pad is so incredibly smooth and remains cool to touch. It’s very comfortable to rest your hands on the laptop while using the keyboard to play games which is ideal for longer gaming sessions.

The keyboard is also backlit with customizable lights in four sections. You can see how that works in the Predator Sense performance video below. The W, A, S, D keys are outlined in red while the rest of the keyboard, outside of the arrow keys, are in black. I really love the overall design of the laptop, and the Predator symbol and red lighting makes it even better.

Gaming on the laptop has also been an ideal experience. While it did take a while to get used to the laptop’s 15-inch screen, I eventually forgot all about it and had a blast playing games like Battlefield 1, Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, Crysis 3, Rise of the Tomb Raider, F1 2016, and more.

To help maximize gaming performance by using Predator Sense owners can choose to increase the laptop’s performance by selecting two overclocking options. In its natural state the option is Normal, but there’s a Faster and Turbo option for increasing the performance of the GPU. Below are test results of all three settings using 3D Mark.

3D Mark Tests

One of the best things about the laptop is that while it does get warm, it remains a lot cooler than any laptop I’ve previously used for gaming. I also like that owners can replace the CD tray with an additional fan to provide extra cooling support. I had no idea about that upon receiving the laptop, but I really do appreciate that feature to provide additional cooling for it. The CPU does still get near 85 Celsius in some games, while the GPU typically average closer to 65.

The Acer Predator 15 laptop also features 5 customizable buttons on the top left of the keyboard. This is also easy to do within the Predator Sense application. One of the options owners can use is the ability to maximize the fan speed at any time with a click of a button.

The Acer Predator 15 weighs in at just over 8 pounds. It’s not too heavy, although I did carry it all around PAX East this year and did find my shoulders getting a little tired. I did have a sharp and useful Predator branded backpack with me though to carry it in which is a fantastic addition for anyone looking at getting the laptop. It features a ton of room to carry the laptop and additional gear such as keyboards, mice, headsets, controllers, and so on. Whatever you need for gaming, it’ll fit!

It’s been a great experience gaming on the Acer Predator 15 laptop. It’s by far the best gaming laptop I’ve ever used on a long-term basis at this point. Everything about it is nearly perfect. I may personally prefer the Predator laptop with the 17-inch monitor, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the 15 inch.

The majority of my gaming experience with the laptop was playing first person shooters while using the laptop’s keyboard and an attached mouse. That ended up being a great experience, even on the smaller screen. I also recently got my hands on a racing wheel and tested it only with the Predator 15 laptop. It worked out really well to set up the wheel directly in front of the laptop for some fantastic racing experiences.

Below you’ll find some gameplay footage from my experience with the Acer Predator 15 laptop. Most videos are of generic gameplay with max settings unless otherwise shown in the video. The first two videos I’m about to show you are performance based while playing Battlefield 1 and Crysis 3, while the rest are random gaming experiences.

The Acer Predator 15 laptop with the 6GB GeForce GTX 1060 is the ideal package for 1080p gaming on a laptop. It remains cool, looks sharp, and provides gamers with excellent gaming experiences. It’s definitely the best gaming laptop I’ve used to this point.

NES Classic Edition To Go Back On Sale At Best Buy On April 24

Best Buy will sell units of the NES Classic Edition on Monday, April 24, quite possibly the last chance users will have of getting the now-discontinued product from a legitimate retail store.

Grab An NES Classic Edition At Best Buy While You Can

The sale will be in-store only, so there will be no online reservations or purchases. Units will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis.

Exactly how many units Best Buy has in stock is undisclosed, but the retailer says that it'll be "limited." Moreover, some stores may employ a ticketing process to prevent any potential lineup chaos from happening.

The NES Classic Edition Supply Problem

Upon its launch in November, the NES Classic Edition was a wild hit — stores quickly ran out of stocks. Even Nintendo itself was surprised, admitting that the overwhelming reception was not something it had expected. That sentiment showed.

In the months that followed, those looking to buy one simply couldn't. Every store had sold out their units, and there was no word from Nintendo when it'll restock the NES throwback. Units did trickle down, but slowly and scantily. Not long after its release, eBay scalpers took notice, peddling NES Classic Edition units with ridiculously high markups.

But the hype had not died down. Customers were still looking — looking, still — for units even when supply issues were more than apparent. Often, it would show up in legitimate retail stores but only in limited numbers and, more of than not, in a flash-style sale, where the first to come to the store will get it first. No online reservations allowed.

NES Classic Edition Discontinued

So what was Nintendo's response to the overwhelming and obvious demand for the NES Classic Edition? Well, it killed the product entirely. We're not kidding: Nintendo recently announced that it was discontinuing the NES Classic Edition, just five months after its launch. Many publications called it a baffling move, speculating that Nintendo didn't mean for the console to be such a wide hit.

Of the spate of guesswork, one idea seems to be rising from the cruft: that Nintendo only produced a limited run of the NES Classic Edition, intending for it to be a holiday gift that was nothing more than a plaything. Speculation suggests that, not expecting for it to be such a hit, Nintendo had only entered a limited contract with the manufacturer of the consoles. Nintendo probably saw that extending or renewing that contract isn't wise. After all, it still needs to produce millions of Switch units by the end of the year.

Now, all the NES Classic Edition the world will ever see are the ones already lying around, as Nintendo has stopped manufacturing them altogether. So if you've been meaning to get one for the longest time, hit up Best Buy and try your chances there.

The NES Classic Edition is a "mini" reiteration of the Nintendo Entertainment System released in the '80s. It's much smaller, has an HDMI port for compatibility with HDTVs, and it comes preinstalled with 30 NES titles. There's no way to add more games to the preinstalled library — at least not officially.

Mini SNES

Rumor has it that Nintendo plans to release a Mini Super Nintendo Entertainment System next, a mini edition of the SNES, released in the '90s. Hopefully Nintendo doesn't kill it after five months too.

AMAZON ECHO UPDATE - THIS NEW FEATURE COULD LITERALLY SAVE YOUR LIFE

Amazon Echo and Echo Dot took the UK by storm when they launched last year, racking up awards and praise.

The clever 360-degree omni-directional speaker is powered by virtual assistant, dubbed “Alexa”.

This talkative AI assistant lets Echo owners order dinner, check the weather, turn on the lights, adjust your thermostat, get travel updates on your commute, call a cab, and more, using only your voice. Amazon promotes the smart speaker with the tagline, Just Ask.

Alexa also has access to millions of tracks, albums and radio stations.

Third-Pray developers are building new Skills for the smart home device. And this latest one could be a really lifesaver.

The British Red Cross this week launched a new Skill which enables Echo owners to quickly get access to step-by-step first aid advice.

The new Amazon Echo Skill uses simple, spoken instructions to teach people a wide range of first-aid treatments, including how to deal with a severe bleed, a burn and a seizure.

Once the Skill is installed, which is handled via the companion smartphone app, users can access it by saying “Alexa, open First Aid”, and ask for advice, for example “Alexa, ask First Aid how to help someone having a seizure”.

The Red Cross is the first education provider in the UK to pioneer a first aid app for the device.

Recent research from the charity revealed that up to 59 per cent of “pre-hospital” deaths from injury could potentially have been prevented had more people stepped in with some simple first aid.

First Aid seeks to educate people in first aid as part of their daily lives, making them more confident and better equipped to step in and help in emergency situations, British Red Cross stated.

RAPPER’S RIDE REBORN: LINCOLN NAVIGATOR CHARTS COMEBACK AS FAMILY HAULER

The Navigator’s street cred helped it become the top-selling U.S. premium line, until it was passed up by the Cadillac Escalade. The latest Navigator has been designed for “family time” and aimed at affluent parents.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS SAYS GALAXY S8 PRE-ORDERS EXCEEDED S7

Pre-orders for Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone have exceeded those of its predecessor S7, mobile business chief Koh Dong-jin said on Thursday, suggesting many consumers were unfazed by last year's Galaxy Note 7 fires.

The S8, which begin sales in South Korea, the United States and Canada on April 21, will be central to the South Korean firm's recovery from the swift withdrawal of the Note 7 phablet.

The new device has been well-received, and some investors and analysts said it could set a first-year sales record for the smartphone giant.

"It's still a bit early, but initial response to the pre-orders that have begun at various places across the world have been better than expected," Koh said at a media briefing.

The S8 will be the safest Galaxy smartphone to date due to safety measures implemented to avoid the battery failures that caused some Note 7s to spontaneously combust, he said.

Analysts expect Samsung to record its best-ever quarterly profit in April-June, buoyed by strong S8 sales and a memory chip market boom that is widely expected to deliver record revenue for the industry this year.

The new device, equipped with either 5.8-inch or 6.2-inch (14.73 cm or 15.75 cm) curved screens, sports the largest screens to date among all of Samsung's flagship phones due to a redesign.

Koh also said the firm plans to use the S8 to try to recover in China, where Samsung has been out of the top five vendors in recent years due to heightened competition from local rivals such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

He said Samsung will aim to regain market share in China even if it takes time, without elaborating on specific strategies.

(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Christopher Cushing)