All the News that Matters

• Debian LTS: DLA-1580-1: systemd security update
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: systemd was found to suffer from multiple security vulnerabilities ranging from denial of service attacks to possible root privilege escalation.

• Ubuntu 3816-2: systemd vulnerability
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: systemd-tmpfiles could be made to change ownership of arbitrary files.

• Debian: DSA-4341-1: mariadb-10.1 security update
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: Several issues have been discovered in the MariaDB database server. The vulnerabilities are addressed by upgrading MariaDB to the new upstream version 10.1.37. Please see the MariaDB 10.1 Release Notes for further details:

• ArchLinux: 201811-15: grafana: arbitrary filesystem access
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: The package grafana before version 5.3.4-1 is vulnerable to arbitrary filesystem access.

• openSUSE: 2018:3805-1: moderate: chromium
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: An update that fixes one vulnerability is now available.

• Debian: DSA-4340-1: chromium-browser security update
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: An out-of-bounds bounds memory access issue was discovered in chromium's v8 javascript library by cloudfuzzer. This update also fixes two problems introduced by the previous security

• ArchLinux: 201811-14: patch: multiple issues
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: The package patch before version 2.7.6-7 is vulnerable to multiple issues including arbitrary command execution and denial of service.

• [updates-announce] MGASA-2018-0459: Updated nginx package fixes security vulnerabilities
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: nginx before versions 1.15.6 and 1.14.1 has a vulnerability in the implementation of HTTP/2 that can allow for excessive memory consumption (CVE-2018-16843). nginx before versions 1.15.6 and 1.14.1 has a vulnerability in the

• Mageia 2018-0458: squid security update
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: Due to incorrect input handling, Squid is vulnerable to a Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability when generating HTTPS response messages about TLS errors (CVE-2018-19131). Due to a memory leak in SNMP query rejection code, Squid is vulnerable

• [updates-announce] MGASA-2018-0456: Updated hylafax+ packages fix security vulnerability
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: Luis Merino, Markus Vervier and Eric Sesterhenn discovered that missing input sanitising in the Hylafax fax software could potentially result in the execution of arbitrary code via a malformed fax message (CVE-2018-17141).

• [updates-announce] MGASA-2018-0455: Updated libmspack/cabextract packages fix security vulnerabilit
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: Hanno B?ck discovered that libmspack incorrectly handled certain CHM files. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause a denial of service (CVE-2018-14679, CVE-2018-14680). Jakub Wilk discovered that libmspack incorrectly handled certain KWAJ

• [updates-announce] MGASA-2018-0454: Updated sdl2/mingw-SDL2 packages fix security vulnerabilities
  `bbLinuxSecurity.com`/bb: This update fixes various security vulnerabilities affecting the SDL2_image library, listed below. The fixes are provided in SDL2_image 2.0.4, which depends on SDL2 2.0.8 or later. As such, the SDL2 and SDL2_mixer libraries are also updated to their current stable releases, providing various bug fixes and features.

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Supports Up To 4 PB of Physical Memory
  Red Hat is now previewing the next version of its flagship Linux platform, which includes integrated container capabilities and a major boost in the amount of physical memory that a system can support.

• Smaller Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ Announced with 5GHz Wi-Fi and 1.4GHz CPU for $25
  The Raspberry Pi Foundation unveiled a new Raspberry Pi 3 model, the A+, which comes with some of Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+'s features, as well as new ones in a smaller form factor for a tiny price.

• eDEX-UI: A Fully Functioning Sci-Fi Computer Interface Inspired By TRON Legacy
  eDEX-UI is an application that resembles a Sci-Fi computer interface, which creates the illusion of a desktop environment without windows. It's inspired by the DEX-UI project (which hasn't been updated since the beginning of 2015) and the TRON Legacy movie effects, and runs on Linux, Windows and macOS.

• OpenStack 2018: Mark Shuttleworth chats to The Reg about 10-year support plans, Linus Torvalds and Russian rockets
  Like Ubuntu, hate upgrading? Canonical founder has good news. And a mighty, mighty beardInterview Mark Shuttleworth delivered an unashamed plug for Ubuntu while cheerfully throwing a little shade on the competition at the OpenStack Berlin 2018 summit last week.…

• How to Setup Riak KV Database Cluster on Ubuntu 18.04
  Riak is a distributed NoSQL database that offers high-availability, fault tolerance, operational simplicity, and scalability. In this tutorial, we will show you to step-by-step how to install and configure the NoSQL database Riak KV on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS server. We will create the Riak KV cluster with three Ubuntu servers.

• 7 command-line tools for writers
  For most people (especially non-techies), the act of writing means tapping out words using LibreOffice Writer or another GUI word processing application. But there are many other options available to help anyone communicate their message in writing, especially for the growing number of writers embracing plaintext.read more

• Record your screen with Simple Screen Recorder under Ubuntu
  Screen recording or screencasting is a very important task that we have to perform while making video tutorials for software applications. In this tutorial, we will explain how to install this software on your Ubuntu system and then how to use it to record a video of your Ubuntu screen.

• OpenStack Rebranding Infrastructure Team as OpenDev
  As OpenStack continues to evolve, the server management team and assets used are now changing as well.

• Linux xxd Command Tutorial for Beginners (with Examples)
  Need a hex dump for a text file? Looking for a command line utility that can do this? Well, you are in luck, as there exists a command dubbed xxd that can do this for you.

• Submissions now open for the Fedora 30 supplemental wallpapers
  Each release, the Fedora Design team works with the community on a set of 16 additional wallpapers. Users can install and use these to supplement the standard wallpaper. Submissions are now open for the Fedora 30 Supplemental Wallpapers, and will remain open until January 31, 2019 Have you always wanted to start contributing to Fedora but don’t […]

• Canonical Outs New Kernel Security Updates for All Supported Ubuntu Releases
  Canonical released new Linux kernel security updates for all supported Ubuntu releases to address various issue discovered by researchers lately in the upstream Linux kernel packages corresponding to the respective Ubuntu version.

• Linux Shutdown Command: 5 Practical Examples
  The shutdown command in Linux allows you to shut down, reboot or schedule a shutdown of your system. This article explains the most common and useful examples of the Linux shutdown command.

• Schedule One-Time Commands with the UNIX at Tool
  Cron is nice and all, but don't forget about its cousin at.

• 9 obscure Python libraries for data science
  Python is an amazing language. In fact, it's one of the fastest growing programming languages in the world. It has time and again proved its usefulness both in developer job roles and data science positions across industries. The entire ecosystem of Python and its libraries makes it an apt choice for users (beginners and advanced) all over the world. One of the reasons for its success and popularity is its set of robust libraries that make it so dynamic and fast.read more

• Best Linux Desktop Environments: Strong and Stable
  A desktop environment is a collection of disparate components that integrate together. They bundle these components to provide a common graphical user interface with elements such as icons, toolbars, wallpapers, and desktop widgets. Additionally, most desktop environments include a set of integrated applications and utilities.

• Twitter Alerts: A Trick for the Twitter-averse
  I'm not a registered Twitter user and have never managed to think of a compelling reason to be one. In fact, the only time I ever really have or want anything to do with Twitter is when some Twitter feed comes up in an internet search. And all I do in those cases is read any relevant text and move on. Recently, however, I became interested in joining a service that sends out invitations periodically on Twitter. Not having an account and not being interested in much of anything else Twitter represents or offers, I'm at a distinct disadvantage in this case. . . .

• How to Install Flask on Ubuntu 18.04
  Flask is a free and open source micro web framework for Python designed to help developers build secure, scalable and maintainable web applications. Flask is based on Werkzeug and uses Jinja2 as template engine.

• Tags And Sub-modules - Git Series Part 6
  This is the final guide in the Git series. Here, we will be covering two more major features that Git has to offer: tags and sub-modules. If you have been following the previous guides, and other materials, you should have a clearer understanding of what Git is, what it does, how to use it best, and how to troubleshoot. Here is a list of many of the aspects we have covered in this series:

• How to Use Linux SFTP Command to Transfer Files
  SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) is a secure file protocol used to access, manage and transfer files over an encrypted SSH transport. When compared with the traditional FTP protocol, SFTP offers all the functionality of FTP, and it is easier to configure.

• First-person dungeon crawler 'Delver' now has an open source engine and editor
  Developer Priority Interrupt has officially released the game engine and editor behind their first-person dungeon crawler as open source.

• Norwegian Company Plans To Power Their Cruise Ships With Dead Fish
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Waste fish parts will be used to power ships in a new initiative to use green energy for polluting cruise liners. The leftovers of fish processed for food and mixed with other organic waste will be used to generate biogas, which will then be liquefied and used in place of fossil fuels by the expedition cruise line Hurtigruten. Hurtigruten operates a fleet of 17 ships, and by 2021 aims to have converted at least six of its vessels to use biogas, liquefied natural gas -- a fossil fuel, but cleaner than many alternatives -- and large battery packs, capable of storing energy produced from renewable sources. Biogas can be generated from most forms of organic waste by speeding up and harnessing the natural decomposition process to capture the methane produced. Organic waste is produced by all food industries but is frequently disposed of in landfill, where it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions as it decomposes. Hurtigruten is currently building three new hybrid-powered cruise ships in Norway, to be delivered in the next three years.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Half-Life Celebrates 20th Anniversary With Fan-Made 'Black Mesa: Xen' Trailer
  On Monday, developer Crowbar Collective released the first trailer for Black Mesa: Xen, the final act of its long running remake of Valve's 1998 game Half-Life, which marked its 20-year anniversary on the same day. "The finale of Half-Life put hero Gordon Freeman in an alien world, and Black Mesa: Xen's upgraded graphics and redesign makes the original's muddy palette look vibrant and strange," reports Motherboard. "It looks just as exciting as it did at the time of the original game's release." From the report: When Valve unleashed Half-Life, it changed video games forever. The first person shooter from what was then a relatively unknown company starred a silent scientist beating down alien headcrabs and shooting human Marines in a novel sci-fi adventure. It was a triumph. Shortly after, in 2003, the Crowbar Collective began work on a remake that would come to be known as Black Mesa. Fan communities routinely reimagine their favorite video games, often as modifications, or mods, of the originals. Black Mesa began life as a free mod for Half-Life 2, but grew into a proper remake. Crowbar Collective added new voice work, changed animations, and tweaked the original game in hundreds of ways big and small. Black Mesa: Xen has a target release date of early 2019.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Ivanka Trump Used Personal Account For Emails About Government Business
  The Washington Post is reporting that Ivanka Trump used a personal email account to send hundreds of emails last year to White House aids, Cabinet officials and her assistants. Many of the emails were "in violation of federal records rules," the report says. Ivanka's practices are reminiscent of the personal email account Hillary Clinton used as secretary of state. From the report: White House ethics officials learned of Trump's repeated use of personal email when reviewing emails gathered last fall by five Cabinet agencies to respond to a public records lawsuit. That review revealed that throughout much of 2017, she often discussed or relayed official White House business using a private email account with a domain that she shares with her husband, Jared Kushner. Some aides were startled by the volume of Ivanka Trump's personal emails -- and taken aback by her response when questioned about the practice. Trump said she was not familiar with some details of the rules, according to people with knowledge of her reaction. A spokesperson for Ivanka Trump's attorney and ethics counsel, Abbe Lowell, "acknowledged that the president's daughter occasionally used her private email before she was briefed on the rules, but he said none of her messages contained classified information," reports Washington Post. "While transitioning into government, after she was given an official account but until the White House provided her the same guidance they had given others who started before she did, Ms. Trump sometimes used her personal account, almost always for logistics and scheduling concerning her family," he said in a statement. He went on to say that her email use was different than that of Clinton. "Ms. Trump did not create a private server in her house or office, no classified information was ever included, the account was never transferred at Trump Organization, and no emails were ever deleted," Mirijanian said.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• In 'Digital India,' Government Hands Out Free Phones To Win Votes
  Forget the old American campaign slogan of a chicken in every pot, or the Indian politician's common pledge to put rice in every bowl. The New York Times reports: Here in the state of Chhattisgarh, the chief minister, Raman Singh, has promised a smartphone in every home -- and he is using the government-issued devices to reach voters as he campaigns in legislative elections that conclude on Tuesday. [...] The phones are the latest twist in digital campaigning by the B.J.P., which controls the national and state government and is deft at using tools like WhatsApp groups and Facebook posts to influence voters. The B.J.P. government in Rajasthan, which holds state elections next month, is also subsidizing phones and data plans for residents, and party leaders are considering extending the model to other states.   Chhattisgarh's $71 million free-phone program -- known by the acronym SKY after its name in Hindi -- is supposed to bridge the digital divide in this state of 26 million people, which is covered by large patches of forest and counts 7,000 villages that do not even have a wireless data signal. The plan is to add hundreds of cellphone towers and give a basic smartphone to every college student and one woman in every household to connect more families to the internet and help fulfill the central government's goal of a "Digital India." But this election season, many of the 2.9 million people who have received the phones have found themselves targeted by the B.J.P.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• New Experimental Lockheed Supersonic Jet Starts Production
  Lockheed Martin's X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology aircraft is officially in "the manufacturing phase," bringing the company "one step closer to enabling supersonic travel for passengers around the world." The experimental jet was awarded a contract from NASA earlier this year as it is capable of flying at supersonic speeds without creating loud supersonic booms. Currently, commercial supersonic aircraft are banned from flying over land because of the noise and potential damage the booms may cause. WTOP reports: "The long, slender design of the aircraft is the key to achieving a low sonic boom," said Peter Iosifidis, Low Boom Flight Demonstrator program manager at Lockheed Martin. "As we enter into the manufacturing phase, the aircraft structure begins to take shape, bringing us one step closer to enabling supersonic travel for passengers around the world," he said.   Lockheed expects to conduct its first flight in 2021 and gather community response data on the acceptability of the "quiet sonic boom" the plane creates. NASA will use that information to establish an acceptable commercial supersonic noise standard to overturn current regulations banning supersonic travel over land. The X-59 will cruise at a speed of about 940 mph and an altitude of 55,000 feet. Lockheed says it will create a sound about as loud as a car door closing, instead of a deafening sonic boom.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Russia Wants DNC Hack Lawsuit Thrown Out, Citing International Conventions
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: The Russian Federation has responded to a lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee and has requested the overseeing court to throw out the lawsuit altogether. The lawsuit, filed by the DNC in April 2018, names a slew of figures as defendants, such as the Russian state, Russia's military intelligence service GRU, the hacker known as Guccifer 2.0, WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, and several members of the Trump campaign, such as Donald Trump, Jr., Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, Jared Kushner, and George Papadopoulos. According to an 87-page indictment, the DNC accused Russia and the other defendants of carrying out the hacking of DNC servers in 2016 and then leaking data online via the WikiLeaks portal in an orchestrated manner for the benefit of the Trump presidential campaign.   The lawsuit, which has its own Wikipedia page and was likened to a lawsuit the DNC filed against Nixon after the Watergate scandal, seeks damages, but also for the court to issue a declaration about the defendants' conspiracy. But in a letter sent to a New York court, presented by the Russian Embassy in the U.S. and signed by a representative of the Russian Ministry of Justice, the Russian Federation wants the lawsuit thrown out. In the 12-page letter, the Russian Federation argues that the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act ("FSIA") grants Russia immunity. "The FSIA provides that foreign sovereign States enjoy absolute jurisdictional immunity from suit unless a plaintiff can demonstrate that one of the FSIA's enumerated 'exceptions' applies'," the letter argues. "The DNC's allegations regarding a purported 'military attack' by 'Russia's military intelligence agency' do not fall within any of the FSIA's enumerated exceptions to the Russian Federation's sovereign immunity." "Any alleged 'military attack' is a quintessential sovereign act that does not fall within any exception to the FSIA or the customary international law of foreign sovereign immunity. The Russian Federation's sovereign immunity with respect to claims based upon such allegations is absolute."
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Yoshua Bengio, a Grand Master of Modern AI, is Worried About Its Future
  Yoshua Bengio is a grand master of modern artificial intelligence. Alongside Geoff Hinton and Yan LeCun, Bengio is famous for championing a technique known as deep learning that in recent years has gone from an academic curiosity to one of the most powerful technologies on the planet. Here's an excerpt from an interview he gave to MIT Technology Review: MIT TR: What do you make of the idea that there's an AI race between different countries?   Bengio: I don't like it. I don't think it's the right way to do it. We could collectively participate in a race, but as a scientist and somebody who wants to think about the common good, I think we're better off thinking about how to both build smarter machines and make sure AI is used for the well-being of as many people as possible.   MIT TR: Are you worried about just a few AI companies, in the West and perhaps China, dominating the field of AI?   Bengio: Yes, it's another reason why we need to have more democracy in AI research. It's that AI research by itself will tend to lead to concentrations of power, money, and researchers. The best students want to go to the best companies. They have much more money, they have much more data. And this is not healthy. Even in a democracy, it's dangerous to have too much power concentrated in a few hands.   MIT TR:There has been a lot of controversy over military uses of AI. Where do you stand on that?  Bengio: I stand very firmly against.  MIT TR: Even non-lethal uses of AI?   Bengio: Well, I don't want to prevent that. I think we need to make it immoral to have killer robots. We need to change the culture, and that includes changing laws and treaties. That can go a long way. Of course, you'll never completely prevent it, and people say, "Some rogue country will develop these things." My answer is that one, we want to make them feel guilty for doing it, and two, there's nothing to stop us from building defensive technology. There's a big difference between defensive weapons that will kill off drones, and offensive weapons that are targeting humans. Both can use AI.  MIT TR: Shouldn't AI experts work with the military to ensure this happens?   Bengio: If they had the right moral values, fine. But I don't completely trust military organizations, because they tend to put duty before morality. I wish it was different.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Google Patents Motorized, Omnidirectional VR Sneakers
  Google has patented motorized, omnidirectional virtual-reality sneakers that may solve the "limited space" problem associated with the interactive computer-generated experience. Ars Technica reports: Google's patent describes what are essentially motorized VR roller skates that will let the user walk normally while the motors and wheels work to negate your natural locomotion and keep you inside the VR safe zone. As the patent puts it, Google's new kicks will let you walk "seemingly endlessly in the virtual environment" while keeping you in one spot in real life. Google's shoe solution would track the user's feet, just like how VR controllers are tracked today. The tracking would know when you're too close to the virtual walls of your VR area, and the system would wheel you back into place.   Patents are always written to give the broadest possible coverage of an idea, but Google's patent shows normal wheels, tracks, and even omnidirectional mecanum wheels as possible wheels for the VR shoe bottoms. Omnidirectional wheels would be great, as they would allow you to do things like sidestep, while still having your position corrected by the shoes.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Bitcoin Falls Below $5,000 For First Time Since October 2017
  The value of Bitcoin has hit a new low of $4,951, bringing the total value of all Bitcoin in existence to below $87 billion. Much of the turmoil can be attributed to the split of Bitcoin Cash on November 15th. The Bitcoin offshoot has been split into two different cryptocurrencies, which are now in competition with each other. The BBC reports: Bitcoin exchange Kraken said in a blog post that it regarded one of the two new Bitcoin Cash crypto-currencies -- Bitcoin SV -- as "an extremely risky investment." At its peak, in November 2017, it briefly hit $19,783 - which means the price has fallen by about 75%. After the excitements of last year when the price soared to nearly $20,000 and then tumbled, Bitcoin has been rather dull and stable for much of 2018, settling between $6,000 and $7,000.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Southeast Asia's Digital Economy To Triple To $240 Billion By 2025, Says Google Report
  An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: It may sit in the shade of China and India, but tech has real growth potential in Southeast Asia. Home to a cumulative 650 million people, the region's digital economy is forecast to triple in size and reach $240 billion over the next seven years, according to Google's third "e-Conomy SEA" report. The annual study, which is authored by Google and Singapore sovereign fund Temasek and is arguably the most comprehensive research program for tech in Southeast Asia, has raised its estimation for the size of the digital economy in 2025 from an initial $200 billion after seeing the region reach "an inflection point."   Southeast Asia has 350 million internet users across its six largest countries -- that's more than the entire U.S. population -- and the latest data suggests its internet economy will reach $72 billion this year, up from $50 billion last year and $19.1 billion in 2015. Online travel accounts for the majority of that revenue ($30 billion) ahead of e-commerce ($23 billion), online media ($11 billion) and ride-hailing ($8 billion), and that rough breakdown is likely to be maintained up until 2025, according to the report. Indonesia, the world's fourth largest country by population, is forecast to hit $100 billion by 2025, ahead of Thailand ($43 billion) and Vietnam ($33 billion), with strong growth forecast across the board. Indonesia and Vietnam, in particular, have seen their respective digital economies more than triple since 2015, according to the data.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Maryland Test Confirms Drones Can Safely Deliver Human Organs
  A kidney was flown thousands of meters by a drone without incurring any damage. Reader Wave723 shares a report: When a patient who needs an organ transplantation is finally matched with a donor, every second matters. A longer wait between when an organ is removed from a donor and when it is placed into a recipient is associated with poorer organ function following transplantation. To maximize the chances of success, organs must be shipped from A to B as quickly and safely as possible -- and a recent test run suggests that drones are up to the task. [...] Last March, they (Dr. Joseph Scalea of the University of Maryland Medical Center and his team) received news that a kidney -- which was not healthy enough to be used in a transplantation -- was available for research. Over the course of roughly 24 hours, the kidney was shipped more than 1,600 kilometers (km) to Baltimore and the drone was set up for its first delivery mission. The results were published in the IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine on 6 November.   In total, the little bean-shaped organ was airborne for a little more than an hour over the course of 14 flight missions. For the farthest mission, the kidney flew 2,415 meters, a distance similar to the length of potential shipment routes for donor organs between inner city hospitals. The researchers found that the temperature of the kidney remained stable, at a cool 2.5 degrees Celsius, throughout the test runs. Air pressure corresponded with altitude, and the drone-borne organ achieved a maximum speed of 67.6 km/h. In an interesting twist, the kidney was subjected to slightly fewer vibrations when transported in the drone compared to a control delivery mission in a fixed wing plane (a dual engine turboprop King Air). Biopsies of the kidney before and after drone transportation revealed no damage from the journey, suggesting that the experiment -- which the research team believes is the first ever use of a drone for organ delivery -- was a success.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Popular Dark Web Hosting Provider Got Hacked, 6,500 Sites Down
  Daniel's Hosting, one of the largest providers of Dark Web hosting services, was hacked this week and taken offline, ZDNet reports. From a report: The hack took place on Thursday, November 15, according to Daniel Winzen, the software developer behind the hosting service. "As per my analysis it seems someone got access to the database and deleted all accounts," he said in a message posted on the DH portal today. Winzen said the server's root account was also deleted, and that all 6,500+ Dark Web services hosted on the platform are now gone. "Unfortunately, all data is lost and per design, there are no backups," Winzen told ZDNet in an email today. "I will bring my hosting back up once the vulnerability has been identified and fixed."
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Blockchain Gaming Is Coming to the PS4
  An anonymous reader shares a report: The relatively new blockchain gaming industry is about to take a massive step forward as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are making their way onto the PlayStation 4. Arcade Distillery, a game developer that creates titles for PS Vita, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, is gearing up to launch a new game for the PS4 built around the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain. Plague Hunters is a single-player-focused, turn-based strategy RPG with some PvP elements and the sequel to the successful Plague Road.   The game, which will be free-to-play and feature a marketplace for P2P transactions, has passed the Sony review process, passing all of PlayStation's terms and conditions, despite containing numerous elements of blockchain tech. This marks the first time any blockchain game has been able to accomplish this feat. Similar to other blockchain games, it looks like Plague Hunter's in-game assets, including units, weapons and other items, will be pegged to NFTs.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• NASA Considers Selling Seats on the Spacecraft Used For International Space Station
  NASA is considering selling seats on the spacecraft that will ferry its astronauts to the International Space Station, offering rides to the public while opening another line of revenue as the agency attempts to broaden its appeal [Editor's note: the link may be paywalled; alternative source]. From a report: On several occasions, Russia has flown wealthy individuals who paid millions for the ride to space. And a trio of private companies backed by billionaires, is also looking to fly tourists out of the atmosphere. But except for a couple of rare exceptions, such as Christa McAuliffe, the teacher who was killed when the space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986, NASA has not allowed private citizens on its rockets. "Just like in the early days of aviation, with barnstorming, these initial activities will help build the infrastructure and the foundation that can lead to future innovations that, frankly, we cannot imagine right now," said Michael Gold, the general counsel of Maxar Technologies, who is leading the advisory council's policy reform effort.   The proposal, backed Friday by a NASA advisory subcommittee, is still in the nascent stage, and is part of moves by the agency to better insert itself into the public consciousness by working with the private sector. The proposals would have to be approved by the entire advisory council and then forwarded to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. Friday's meeting comes two months after Bridenstine announced he was standing up the committee, and tasking it to look at how the agency could better partner with industry. He said then that he wants NASA and its astronauts "embedded into the American culture." On Friday, he reiterated the point, saying: "The reality is, we're in a new era now."
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

• Why Some Open-Source Companies Are Considering a More Closed Approach
  There's no question that the concept of open-source software has revolutionized the enterprise software world, which spent billions of dollars fighting the mere idea for several years before accepting that a new future had arrived. But more than a few people are starting to wonder if the very nature of open-source software -- the idea that it can be used by pretty much anyone for pretty much anything -- is causing its developers big problems in the era of distributed cloud computing services. From a report: Two prominent open-source software companies have made the decision to alter the licenses under which some of their software is distributed, with the expressed intent of making it harder -- or impossible -- for cloud computing providers to offer a service based around that software.   Two companies do not a make a movement. But as the cloud world packs its bags for Las Vegas and Amazon Web Services' re:Invent 2018 conference next week, underscoring that company's ability to set the agenda for the upcoming year, the intersection between open-source projects and cloud computing services is on many people's minds. "The way that I would think of it, the role that open source plays in creating commercial opportunities has changed," said Abby Kearns, executive director of the open-source Cloud Foundry Foundation. "We're going to see a lot more of this conversation happening than less. I would put it in a very blunt way: for many years we were suckers, and let them take what we developed and make tons of money on this."   Redis Labs CEO Ofer Bengal doesn't mince words. His company, known for its open-source in-memory database (used by American Express, Home Depot, and Dreamworks among others), has been around for eight years, an eternity in the fast-changing world of modern enterprise software. [...] "Ninety-nine percent of the contributions to Redis were made by Redis Labs," Bengal said. There's a longstanding myth in the open-source world that projects are driven by a community of contributors, but in reality, paid developers contribute the bulk of the code in most modern open-source projects, as Puppet founder Luke Kanies explained in our story earlier this year.
          
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  

Engadget"Engadget RSS Feed"

• SpaceX BFR has a new name: Starship
  
  We're still a bit away from anyone taking the first tourist trip on SpaceX's next-generation rocket and spacecraft platform, but CEO Elon Musk has just announced a new name for the craft formerly known as BFR: Starship. As he explained in a follow-up tweet, "Starship" specifically refers to the "spaceship/upper stage" while its rocket booster is simply the Super Heavy. Everyone clear?
  
  Whatever you call it, SpaceX has big plans for the new vehicle. When Musk revealed details on the Big Falcon Rocket a little over a year ago, he talked about establishing bases on the moon and Mars, as well as using the vehicle for quick point-to-point trips on Earth. Just a few days ago, Musk tweeted that plans for BFR Starship are accelerating, as SpaceX dropped a quest to make its Falcon 9 second stage reusable.
  Technically, two parts: Starship is the spaceship/upper stage & Super Heavy is the rocket booster needed to escape Earth's deep gravity well (not needed for other planets or moons)
  — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2018Later versions will
  — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2018
  Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)
  

• 47GB 'Fallout 76' patch nearly replaces the entire game on PS4
  
  Prior to release, beta testers of Bethesda's Fallout 76 ran into an issue that caused the entire game to spontaneously redownload itself on their PCs. Now a major patch has arrived on all platforms and for PS4 players at least, it's a similar experience. Patch notes indicate the update addresses many performance and stability issues, as well as tweaking the game's PVP mode. But on PlayStation, gamers faced a 47GB download, compared to the game's initial 53GB install size (after the patch is applied it takes up roughly the same amount of space).
  
  On Xbox and PC it was a more modest 15GB, but players who have bandwidth caps that are already stretched to their limit by fall releases aren't all happy, with the game requiring nearly 100GB by itself in just a couple of weeks. The developers did mention this prior to releasing the update, and said "This update will be large compared to what we expect for patches going forward." Of course, Overwatch just reinstalled itself with a new patch for at least the second time, so maybe it's time for ISPs to ease up on bandwidth restrictions because the file sizes aren't going down.
  Today's #Fallout76 patch includes performance and stability improvements, plus many bug fixes! Learn more about the updates and fixes here: https://t.co/UymHGHTAXl pic.twitter.com/sTLsg9UpOS
  — Fallout (@Fallout) November 19, 2018
  Source: Bethesda
  

• What's on TV: 'Crazy Rich Asians,' 'Sick Note,' and 'MST3K'
  
  As we get ready for a short holiday week, movie fans can check out Crazy Rich Asians on Blu-ray (a planned 4K release of 2001: A Space Odyssey has been pulled at the last minute) and Battlefield V is opening its doors to everyone. On Sunday The Walking Dead wraps up with a fall finale but a lot of the action is on streaming. Netflix has a new Trevor Noah special, as well as new movies and series including cooking competition The Final Table, horror flick Sabrina, two seasons of the comedy Sick Note starring Harry Potter veteran Rupert Grint and season three of Frontier. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
  
  Blu-ray & Games & Streaming
  Crazy Rich Asians Blindspotting 2001: A Space Odyssey (4K) Candyman Ingmar Bergman's Cinema Some Like it Hot The Outer Limits (S2) Young Guns II Holy Motors Freejack The Nun (VOD) Searching (VOD) The Equalizer 2 (VOD) Battlefield V Standard Edition (Xbox One, PC, PS4) Farming Simulator 19 (Xbox One, PS4, PC) YouTubers Life: OMG Edition (Xbox One,PS4) Bendy and the Ink Machine (Xbox One, PS4, Switch) ATV Drift & Tricks: Definitive Edition (PS4, Xbox One) Storm Boy (Xbox One, PS4, PC) Steamworld Dig 2 (PS4, Xbox One) I Am the Hero (PS4, Xbox One, Switch) World of One (PS4, Xbox One) Beat Saber (PS VR) Crow: The Legend (PS4) Flashback (PS4) Party Hard (Switch) Ms. Splosion Man (Switch) Nidhogg 2 (Switch)
  Monday
  Arrow, CW, 8 PM The Neighborhood, CBS, 8 PM Dancing With The Stars (season finale), ABC, 8 PM WWE Raw, USA, 8 PM The Voice, NBC, 8 PM Chiefs/Rams, ESPN, 8:15 PM Happy Together, CBS, 8:30 PM The Little Drummer Girl (series premiere), AMC, 9 PM My Brilliant Friends, HBO, 9 PM Ferrari: Race to Immortality, Starz, 9 PM DC's Legends of Tomorrow, CW, 9 PM Magnum P.I., CBS, 9 PM Manifest, NBC, 10 PM The Good Doctor, ABC, 10 PM
  Tuesday
  Motown Magic (S1), Netflix, 3 AM The Final Table (S1), Netflix, 3 AM Sabrina, Netflix, 3 AM Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia, Netflix, 3 AM Pete the Cat, Amazon Prime, 3 AM Kulipari: An Army of Frogs (S1), Amazon Prime, 3 AM The Flash, CW, 8 PM NCIS, CBS, 8 PM WWE Smackdown, USA, 8 PM The Voice, NBC, 8 PM The Kids are Alright, ABC, 8:30 PM Carl Weber's The Family Business, BET, 9 PM Black-ish, ABC, 9 PM Black Lightning, CW, 9 PM Inside the NFL, Showtime, 9 PM The Challenge, MTV, 9 PM This is Us, NBC, 9 PM The Little Drummer Girl, AMC, 9 PM Munchies Guide to..., Viceland, 10 PM Hustle in Brooklyn, BET, 10 PM Tosh.0 (season finale), Comedy Central, 10 PM The Guest Book, TBS, 10:30 PM The Jim Jefferies Show (season finale), Comedy Central, 10:30 PM
  Wednesday
  The Tribe, Netflix, 3 AM The Bureau (season premiere), Sundance Now, 3 AM Hollywood Game Night, NBC, 8 PM Nature, PBS, 8 PM Survivor, CBS, 8 PM The Little Drummer Girl (season finale), AMC, 9 PM Seal Team, CBS, 9 PM Single Parents, ABC, 9:30 PM Stan Against Evil (season finale), IFC, 10 PM South Park, Comedy Central, 10 PM
  Thursday
  Mystery Science Theater 3000 (S2), Netflix, 3 AM The Christmas Chronicles, Netflix, 3 AM No Activity (S2), CBS All Access, 3 AM Tell Me A Story, CBS All Access, 3 AM Mississippi State/Ole Miss college football, ESPN, 7:30 PM Falcons/Saints, NBC, 8:15 PM Murphy Brown, CBS, 9:30 PM
  Friday
  Frontier (S3), Netflix, 3 M Titans, DC Universe, 3 AM The Gymkhana Files, Amazon Prime, 3 AM Sick Note (S1 & S2), Netflix, 3 AM The Romanoffs (season finale), Amazon Prime, 3 AM A Football Life: Cris Collinsworth, NFL Network, 8 PM Washington/Washington State college football, Fox, 8:30 PM Z Nation, Syfy, 9 PM Child Support, ABC, 9 PM Every Other Holiday, Lifetime, 10 PM Van Helsing, Syfy, 10 PM Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus: Bootsy Collins, Cinemax, 10 PM Jim Gaffigan: Noble Ape, Comedy Central, 11 PM ELeague: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Invitational, TBS, 11 PM Room 104, HBO, 11:30 PM
  Saturday
  Countdown to Christmas, Hallmark, 8 PM Everyday is Christmas, Lifetime, 8 PM Christmas Harmony, Lifetime, 10 PM
  Sunday
  Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, Netflix, 3 AM Axios (season finale), HBO, 6:30 PM 2018 Soul Train Awards, BET, 8 PM Jingle Belle, Lifetime, 8 PM Outlander, Starz, 8 PM Supergirl, CW, 8 PM Doctor Who, BBC America, 8 PM Dancing with the Stars: Juniors, ABC, 8 PM The Simpsons, Fox, 8 PM Packers/Vikings, NBC, 8:15 PM Bob's Burgers, Fox, 8:30 PM God Friended Me, CBS, 8:30 PM Ray Donovan, Showtime, 9 PM The Walking Dead (fall finale), AMC, 9 PM The Truth About Christmas, Freeform, 9 PM Charmed, CW, 9 PM NCIS: LA, CBS, 9:30 PM Dirty John (series premiere), Bravo, 10 PM Escape at Dannemora, Showtime, 10 PM Camping, HBO, 10 PM Star Wars Resistance, Disney, 10 PM Sally4ever, HBO, 10:30 PM
  [All times listed are in ET]
  

• Pixel 3 bug disables the phone's camera
  
  Pixel 3 owners are dealing with another software glitch, and this one could prove to be a showstopper for some. Owners on Google's forums, Reddit and elsewhere (including an Engadget staff family member) report a flaw that prevents them from using the Pixel 3's official camera app. Some get a "fatal error" message when they use the camera app, while others will get a "can't connect to camera" message in a third-party app and lose access from then onward. Rebooting only temporarily fixes the issue, and it can occur even if you've factory-reset the phone or are using Safe Mode.
  
  It's not certain what's causing the problem. Charged inspected the camera code and believes it might stem from Android not properly releasing a lock on the camera, leading other apps to think it's still in use and prompting a crash.
  
  We've asked Google if it can comment on the reports. Support representatives haven't made it clear as to whether or not there will be a fix, though, and some owners said they were denied replacement units. Whatever the solution, it's a serious issue -- for all intents and purposes, this effectively renders the Pixel 3's signature feature useless. It could also frustrate early Pixel 3 buyers who've had to contend with multiple noticeable bugs virtually from the get-go.
  
  Via: 9to5Google
  
  Source: Pixel User Community (1), (2), Reddit (1), (2)
  

• Airbnb will remove guest home listings in the West Bank
  
  To date, Airbnb has argued that it would allow home listings in disputed areas in the name of connecting people. Now, it's changing its mind. The company plans to remove roughly 200 listings in Israeli settlements in the West Bank after rethinking its policies for contested regions. Airbnb didn't provide a detailed explanation of its rationale in this specific instance, but noted that the listings are "at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians."
  
  The firm said it was now considering issues like this on a "case-by-case" basis with help from both experts and its stakeholder community. The process would look for possible safety concerns, determine whether listings add to "existing human suffering" or have a "direct connection" to the dispute in question.
  
  While the company is positioning this as an ethical decision, there's a pragmatic incentive to withdraw the listings. Human Rights Watch is publishing a report on November 20th that will document Airbnb's "human rights harms" from allowing listings in the settlements. The company is clearly trying to get out in front of whatever comes tomorrow with the preemptive policy change.
  
  Via: BuzzFeed News
  
  Source: Airbnb Press Room
  

• Fan-made 'Half-Life' remake 'Black Mesa' is nearly complete
  
  Want to feel old? The released a trailer for the final portion of its Black Mesa remake, introducing its take on the strange Xen dimension that ends the first Half-Life game.
  
  The official take on Xen was distinctive for the time, although it threw players for a loop by shifting the focus from the human soldiers to decidedly strange aliens. It's not clear how the gameplay will change, but the Black Mesa interpretation certainly looks much better -- it's a mysterious, foreboding landscape. The finished Xen area should be available sometime in the second quarter of 2019.
  
  It's not shocking that enthusiasts would carry the torch. Valve has left the Half-Life franchise untouched for over a decade since HL2: Episode Two, and lost the franchise's last writer in 2017. It even joked about founder Gabe Newell's inability to understand the number three. While the company has lately renewed its interest in single-player content, Valve circa 2018 is primarily interested in its Steam game service and multiplayer titles like Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer
  
  Source: Steam Communicty
  

• You can now sync Chromecast with Google Home speakers
  
  Starting today, Google is allowing Chromecast owners to add the streaming device to speaker groups along with Home speakers. The addition of the dongle to the Home ecosystem will allow you to queue up a song, playlist, podcast or audiobook and have it play in sync across all of the speakers and Chromecast-connected devices in your home.
  
  XDA Developers spotted the functionality in Google's Preview program that gives an early look at upcoming features. Google confirmed to Engadget that the capability is starting to roll out to users today. The feature makes good on Google's promise to integrate Chromecast into speaker groups, which can be set up through the Google Home app. Now devices that connect with Chromecast, including televisions, can be added to a grouping. When a TV with Chromecast is synced to a speaker group, the display will show song information on screen, atop a rotating selection of background images.
  
  Per Home Hub and the LG Xboom WK9 will be able to be added to speaker groups in the coming weeks, according to pairbluetoothspeakers with the Home app to add voice control across your sound system.
  
  Via: VentureBeat
  
  Source: Google
  

• 'Avengers: Infinity War' comes to Netflix on Christmas Day
  
  Ever since the premiere of revealed that the star-studded superhero flick will be available to stream on December 25th. Yes, you too can pay tribute to Stan Lee while you're recovering from the family feast. Just be sure to put your blinders on if you haven't seen the movie yet -- this is a Marvel title that can easily be ruined if you're not careful.
  
  It's also one of the last chances you'll have to see a recent Marvel movie on the service. Disney plans to stop offering its superhero flicks to Netflix Disney+ service launching in 2019. Think of this as the swan song for an era when you could find the latest Marvel TV shows and movies in one place.
  Oh, snap. Avengers: Infinity War is coming to @Netflix on December 25. pic.twitter.com/EMB8LgicdT
  — NX (@NXOnNetflix) November 19, 2018
  Source: NX (Twitter)
  

• The best early Black Friday 2018 deals
  
  This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commissions. that support its work. Read Wirecutter's continuously updated list of Black Friday deals here.
  Amazon Echo (2nd Generation) - Refurbished
  
  Street Price: $80; Deal Price: $60
  
  Only available in Heather Gray, this $60 refurbished sale on our pick in our Alexa guide is the best price we've seen on this model to date.
  
  The Amazon Echo (2nd Gen) is our pick of Amazon's Alexa-controlled speakers. Grant Clauser writes, "If you want music without hooking up any additional speakers, the second-generation Echo offers the complete range of functions, minus the screen features of the Show and Spot. As a speaker, it's good for kitchens, offices, dens, bedrooms, and other places where convenience and size (it's about the size of a Foster's beer can) is more important than audio performance. The speaker is designed for 360-degree dispersion, so placing it in the middle of the room will give you sound in all four corners."
  Audio-Technica LP60-BT Turntable
  Street Price: $150; Deal Price: $120
  
  Down to $120 in both Black and White, this pricing matches the low we've seen for this Bluetooth-enabled turntable. We haven't seen a deal on this turntable since the the summer.
  
  The Audio-Technica LP60-BT Turntable is the budget pick in our guide to the best turntable for casual listening. Chris Heinonen writes, "If you want something that can just play records easily for as little as possible, the Audio-Technica LP60-BT will do the job. Unlike the other tables we considered, LP60-BT is fully automatic: Press a button and the table spins while the arm moves into position. Once a record is done, the arm goes back into place and the table stops. It has a built-in phono stage and you can even get it with a Bluetooth output for use with wireless speakers."
  Yeti by Blue USB Microphone + Fallout 76 (PC) Bundle
  Street Price: $150; Deal Price: $100
  
  Back down to $140 from the typical street price of $180, this matches the low we've seen for this table-top streamer and includes the bonus of a free 3rd Gen (newest version) Echo Dot, around a $35 value.
  
  The Yeti by Blue USB Microphone is the top pick in our guide to the best USB microphone. Kevin Purdy and Lauren Dragan write, "It provided the most reliably well-rounded, natural sound out of all the mics we tested―whether on Windows or Mac, or whether recording happened in professional studios or in a small square office... It offers live headphone monitoring and gain control, two key features for any recording setup (other mics lacked these or made using them too complicated). It is more stable on its stand than most microphones we tested, and feels far more solidly constructed and durable."
  PlayStation Plus 1 Year Membership
  
  Street Price: $60; Deal Price: $40
  
  Matching Cyber Monday prices we saw last year, a 12 months subscription is back down to $40 from $60, still the best price we've seen.
  
  PlayStation Plus is mentioned alongside the PlayStation 4 in our guide for the best game consoles. Thorin Klosowski writes, "The PlayStation Plus subscription service provides online multiplayer and two free games a month, equivalent to what you get from the Xbox Live Gold service. Most people should get the standard PS4 model, not the PS4 Pro, unless you have a 4K TV or plan to buy one very soon."
  Samsung Galaxy S9
  
  Street Price: $700; Deal Price: $520
  
  A big drop from street price and a new low for all colors, this model comes unlocked with a US warranty.
  
  The Samsung Galaxy S9 is a runner-up pick in our guide to the best android phones. Ryan Whitwam writes, "The Samsung Galaxy S9 and its larger sibling, the Samsung Galaxy S9+, have some features that the Pixel 3 phones don't, such as a microSD card slot and a headphone jack. Plus, they're available for purchase through any carrier. These phones have the latest curved OLED screens from Samsung—the best we've ever seen on a phone—and the bezel surrounding the screen is tiny. The Galaxy S9's camera has an adjustable aperture, so it can take brighter low-light shots while also getting sharper photos in brighter light, though we still like the Pixel 3's camera more overall."
  DJI Tello Mini
  
  Street Price: $100; Deal Price: $80
  
  The first notable drop we've seen since we started tracking this already affordable drone.
  
  The DJI Tello Mini is an also great pick in our guide to the best drones under $100. Signe Brewster writes, "The DJI Tello, which is made in partnership with robotics company Ryze, is our pick if you're looking for an inexpensive drone that can take pictures and videos. It has surprisingly advanced autonomous features normally found on much more expensive drones. And its 5-megapixel, 720p camera—about the same resolution of an iPhone 4—takes good enough photos to make it fun for basic selfies and landscape pictures. It also has a 13-minute battery life, which is the longest of any drone we tested."
  
  Because great deals don't just happen on Black Friday, sign up for our daily deals email and we'll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go here.
  

• Twitter tweaks profiles in iOS app to emphasize names and bios
  
  If you've glanced at your Twitter profile lately and noticed your follower number has shrunk (in terms of text size, at least), you're probably not just seeing things. That's because Twitter has tweaked how profiles appear in its iOS app to place more focus on names and bios. A spokesperson told Engadget the company reduced the font size and spacing on details such as follower and followed account numbers, locations, join dates, birthdays and mutual follows.
  
  Twitter didn't explain why it made the subtle change, though its comms team noted last month that "we are rethinking everything about the service to ensure we are incentivizing healthy conversation," following reports it may remove the like button. The spokesperson noted Twitter was in the early stages of that work.
  
  CEO Jack Dorsey has spoken about how he'd like there to be less emphasis on metrics such as follower counts. He said last week that, rather than the number of likes and retweets you receive or how many people are following you, "what is more important is the number of meaningful conversations you're having on the platform" and whether people are replying to your tweets.
  
  Via: The Verge
  

• Fossil Sport review: Just another Wear OS watch
  
  Smartwatches seem to be enjoying a minor revival this year, with major brands like Apple and Samsung continuing to push out intriguing new wearables like the Galaxy Watch and the Apple Watch Series 4. Google launched a redesign of Wear OS, and Qualcomm created a new processor specifically for watches. The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is built around a new architecture featuring low-power cores that claim to deliver dramatically better battery life. The Fossil Sport is one of the first watches to ship with the new chipset and is also the fashion company's first fitness-focused smartwatch. Since this is the first Wear 3100 watch we've got our hands on, though, I'm eager to see if the new CPU lives up to its promises.
  New Snapdragon Wear 3100 modes
  The most important thing about the Fossil Sport is that it's a showcase for Snapdragon Wear 3100. The chipset promises better performance and battery life by offering three new modes: Sport, Battery Saver and Ambient. Sport mode promises up to 15 hours of continuous heart rate and GPS tracking, while Battery Saver extends runtime by shutting down all functions and only displaying the time and the Fossil logo. It should give you a month of wear on a full charge, or a week with just 20 percent. Ambient mode is an always-on screen that shows slightly more detail, like a moving second hand and activity rings.
  
  Inexplicably, Sport mode is absent from the Fossil Sport, and only available on select watches -- which seems kinda strange for a device with "Sport" in its name.
  
  
  
  Despite the Wear 3100's new architecture, its performance on the Sport doesn't seem significantly better than the Wear 2100. I've been using Fossil's Q Venture HR Gen 4 with the redesigned Wear OS and the Wear 2100 for months, and frankly I don't see any improvement. If anything, it's slightly worse. Sometimes apps actually take longer to load and Assistant is slower to interpret my commands than on the older watch.
  
  To be clear, Qualcomm hasn't explicitly spelled out exactly what sort of performance bumps we should expect. It said the Wear 3100's quad-core A7 processors and multimedia engine should help deliver "high performance" in rich, interactive modes, but didn't provide actual numbers on estimated improvements.
  
  Google also said it will continue to roll out performance updates to the software over time, so perhaps we'll see more improvements. But for now the Wear 3100's speed doesn't appear to be much better than its predecessor.
  Battery life
  Battery life is similarly disappointing. Fossil said the Sport should stick around for more than a day, but it never lasted more than 18 hours. That's a few hours more than the older Fossil watch, but still requires nightly charging. The Sport's battery saver mode does get me a whole lot more screen time, though. I activated it at 9:30pm when the watch was at 39%, and was happy to see it was still alive the next morning, even hanging around till 12:15pm. At that time though, the battery was too weak for me to switch back to the full smartwatch mode.
  
  I haven't used the watch for long enough to see if it will live up to its battery saver promises, but it already beats existing options on Wear OS watches.
  
  To be fair, the Apple Watch Series 4 only survives about 18 hours on a charge as well. But other smartwatches like the Galaxy Watch and Fitbit Versa run for days before needing a charge.
  Cherlynn Low / Engadget
  Hardware
  As far as fitness watches go, the Fossil Sport is one of the prettiest around. I love my review unit, which has a pink case and strap, but for real I was torn between this and the version with a gold case and gray strap. With six case colors, two sizes and 28 new straps, there's a ton of configurations to choose from and you'll easily find one that suits your taste. It's noticeably lighter than other Fossil smartwatches thanks to its aluminum and nylon case, but thankfully it doesn't feel cheap.
  The competition
  There's only one other watch packing the Wear 3100 right now -- the Montblanc Summit 2, which costs $1,000 and has a very different aesthetic. We haven't been able to test it yet, so I can't speak to its performance and battery life, but that's a ton of money and if you're willing to drop a grand on a watch you're probably not going to consider something as pedestrian as the Fossil Sport anyway.
  
  At $255, the Fossil Sport is one of the most affordable Wear OS watches available, too. The only notable option that's cheaper is the $200 Ticwatch C2, which promises up to two days of battery life. But it uses the older Wear 2100 CPU, which might not see future performance updates.
  
  
  Wrap-up
  Ultimately, the Fossil Sport is a decent Wear OS watch but it doesn't do enough to show off the potential of Snapdragon Wear 3100. It's a good-looking device that has some nifty tricks like ambient and battery saving modes that make it less obtrusive and longer lasting. Just don't expect dramatic performance improvements over watches with older guts. As the first of a new generation of smartwatches, the Fossil Sport is an underwhelming debut that doesn't live up to expectations.
  

• NASA considers selling trips to space tourists
  
  The Jim Bridenstine-era NASA's efforts to privatize spaceflight could involve borrowing a page from Russia. The Washington Post notes the agency is mulling the possibility of offering seats to private tourists on the ships that take astronauts to the International Space Station, similar to how Russia has accepted space tourists in the past. It's just a proposal and would have to clear NASA's advisory council, but it already has the support of an advisory subcommittee.
  
  The idea comes as part of a wider set of proposals that would expand the reach of private companies in NASA's operations. These include allowing astronauts to support private ISS activities, opening astronauts to endorsements and even letting companies name vessels. Like it or not, there's a real chance NASA could use its flights as opportunities to compete with the likes of Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic.
  
  Source: Washington Post
  

• DC Universe's 'Young Justice: Outsiders' premieres January 4th, 2019
  
  DC Universe finally has the premiere date for its first show after announced that Young Justice: Outsiders' third season will reach the streaming service on January 4th, 2019. The teaser clip says precious little about the continuation of the story, but it does offer a peek at a sinister alien planet.
  
  The timing is rather appropriate. With Titans episodes releasing on a weekly basis, Young Justice will conveniently debut right when DC Universe subscribers are looking for something else to watch. That could keep them attached to the service while DC builds up its original video catalog.
  
  
  Via: SlashFilm
  
  Source: DC (YouTube)
  

• Virgin Orbit's rocket completes its first 'captive carry' flight test
  
  Virgin Orbit just edged closer to its goal of launching rockets in mid-air. The company has completed the first "captive carry" test for its LauncherOne rocket, hauling the 70-foot machine under the wing of Cosmic Girl (its Boeing 747 launch aircraft/Jamiroquai reference) as it flew over southern California. The flight wasn't dramatic, but it provided vital data on how well the two vehicles will behave together when the rocket is ready to fire in earnest.
  
  You'll have to be patient, however. Virgin is planning "several" more flights with and without LauncherOne strapped underneath, culminating in a drop test where Cosmic Girl will let go of a rocket that will freefall to Earth. The first honest-to-goodness space flight won't happen until sometime in early 2019. As we've seen in recent years, Virgin is determined to err on the side of caution before committing to a trip beyond the atmosphere.
  
  
  Source: Virgin Orbit
  

• Instagram cracks down on fake likes, follows and comments
  
  Instagram announced today that it's cracking down on the use of third-party apps to boost growth. The company said that apps that generate fake likes, follows and comments violate its policies and going forward, those who use these sorts of apps will be prompted to stop. "We're taking a number of steps to limit this kind of unwelcome behavior," Instagram said. "Accounts we identify using these services will receive an in-app message alerting them that we have removed the inauthentic likes, follows and comments given by their account to others." They'll also be asked to change their passwords.
  Instagram said that it has built machine learning tools that are capable of spotting which accounts use these types of third-party apps, which often ask for users' passwords in order to dole out fake interactions on their behalf. Those who continue to use these apps will "see their Instagram experience impacted," the company said. Instagram told TechCrunch that those impacts could, for example, be limited access to certain features.
  
  This move follows Facebook's actions against accounts engaged in inauthentic activity, which are typically the sorts of accounts linked to misinformation campaigns on the platform. "Since the early days of Instagram, we have auto-detected and removed fake accounts to protect our community," the company said. "Today's update is just another step in keeping Instagram a vibrant community where people connect and share in authentic ways."
  
  Via: TechCrunch
  
  Source: Instagram
  

• Google Photos update brings depth control to iOS
  
  Google has added a useful feature to its Google Photos app for iOS. You'll be able to tweak background blur levels and adjust the focus on portrait mode photos. The depth editor tool is arriving on iOS soon after Google added it to the app on Pixel 2, Pixel 3 and some Moto phones. Notably, Pixel 3 phones have a built-in depth control feature, as do iPhone XS and XS Max.
  
  Google hasn't been shy about bringing features from its Pixel phones to the iOS app. Earlier this year, it added support for Google Lens, which recognizes objects, flora and fauna.
  New to iOS, adjust the background blur and change the focus of your portrait mode photo.
  
  Just pull up a portrait photo in Google Photos, click the editing icon to get to the editing menu, then tap it one more time to edit depth and focus.
  — Google Photos (@googlephotos) November 19, 2018
  Source: Google Photos (Twitter)
  

• NASA selects a landing site for its Mars 2020 rover
  
  NASA has announced where its next Mars rover will be heading. The agency has chosen Jezero Crater from dozens of potential candidates in part for its potential to have preserved signs of past microbial life. "The landing site in Jezero Crater offers geologically rich terrain, with landforms reaching as far back as 3.6 billion years old, that could potentially answer important questions in planetary evolution and astrobiology," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement. "Getting samples from this unique area will revolutionize how we think about Mars and its ability to harbor life."
  
  
  
  The Mars 2020 rover mission will not only look for habitable conditions, but will also collect rock and soil samples that may be able to be retrieved sometime in the future. Both NASA and the European Space Agency are exploring ideas for a future retrieval mission that could bring the samples back to Earth for study.
  
  The diversity offered by Jezero Crater makes it appealing scientifically, but it also makes for a difficult landing environment. And the region has been off limits in the past because of these challenges. However, recent advances in technology have now opened Jezero Crater up to a rover mission. "The Mars community has long coveted the scientific value of sites such as Jezero Crater, and a previous mission contemplated going there, but the challenges with safely landing were considered prohibitive," said Ken Farley, a project scientist for the mission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "But what was once out of reach is now conceivable, thanks to the 2020 engineering team and advances in Mars entry, descent and landing technologies."
  
  The site proposal still has to be assessed in order to make sure the mission is set up for success, and a final report on the plan will be presented to the agency next year. The rover mission is currently scheduled to launch in July of 2020.
  
  Source: NASA
  

• Alexa can now make Skype calls
  
  Starting this week, you'll be able to make Skype calls on your Alexa devices. Basically the entire line of Echo devices will have the ability to make voice calls via Microsoft's VoIP platform. The Echo Show and its tablet-style screen will also be able to make and receive video calls.
  
  In addition to calling your Skype contacts via Alexa, users will also be able to call mobile numbers and landlines using SkypeOut. The feature allows you to call existing contacts or a new number on Skype. You'll get 100 minutes of free calls per month for two months when you link your Skype account with Alexa.
  
  In order to set up Skype for Alexa, open the Amazon Alexa app on your Android or iOS device. Go to Settings > Communication > Skype. You'll be prompted to login with your Microsoft account. Once you've successfully entered your username and password, you'll be able to make and accept calls from Skype through Alexa.
  
  The integration of Skype and Alexa, which was promised earlier this year, is just the latest example of Amazon and Microsoft teaming up. The companies announced a partnership last year to make Alexa and Microsoft's voice assistant Cortona work together and earlier this year, Xbox One and Windows 10 got Alexa apps.
  
  Source: Skype
  

• Facebook donates £4.5 million to help train UK newspaper reporters
  
  Facebook is extending another olive branch to the news industry in the form of a £4.5 million ($5.8 million) donation to subsidize 80 trainee journalists at local newspapers in the UK. It's the first time Facebook has offered such a pledge, which it's making as part of its new Community News Project.
  
  It's donating the funds to the National Council for the Training of Journalists -- the charity will divvy up the donation among publishers. The pledge will help fund formal training for journalists and their employment at local papers as part of a two-year pilot. Facebook, which is also partnering with Newsquest, JPIMedia, Reach, Archant and the Midland News Association on the project, says "the goal is to encourage more reporting from towns which have lost their local newspaper and beat reporters."
  
  It's not clear where the trainees will be based, though the project will place an emphasis on recruiting from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. The application process will open early next year, and trainees are likely to focus on community journalism rather than specialist beats during the pilot period.
  
  The journalists will have access to the NCTJ's training program to help them work towards the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism. Those who already have that qualification will receive training towards a new National Qualification in Journalism for community journalists. Facebook will also provide training to bolster the trainees' digital newsgathering skills.
  
  Local newspapers were hit hard by the move to online news, as many advertisers switched from print to online, including on Facebook, which made it difficult for papers to afford enough reporters to fully cover their communities. However, Facebook and Google in particular can drive large volumes of traffic to newspaper websites, so the relationship between publishers and tech giants is complex.
  
  Facebook has rolled out other initiatives to help publishers, including a way to let readers sign up for newspaper subscriptions through its app. Google, meanwhile, has its own $300 million News Initiative project, which offers free G Suite subscriptions to local and smaller publishers as part of an effort to combat fake news.
  
  Via: The Guardian
  
  Source: Facebook
  

• The best speakers and DJ gear to give as gifts
  
  There are people who like music -- and then there are folks who can't get enough of it. For the latter, the standard speakers and gear just won't do. Luckily, our holiday gift guide has the equipment the music-obsessed person in your life needs. The Sonos One shows that smart speakers aren't just for voice assistants -- they can be for audiophiles as well. If you know a music lover who is always on the go, the UE Boom 3 and Megaboom 3 Bluetooth speakers offer top-notch sound that can travel. For people more interested in making music than listening to it, the Traktor DJ app for iPad is a professional-grade DJ app that doesn't require the pricey equipment, or you can set them up to sample just about anything with the PO-33 K.O! from Teenage Engineering. Find all that and lots more in our full guide!
  
  Source: Engadget's 2018 Holiday Gift Guide
  

• Pandora's on-demand music now streams on Alexa devices
  
  Amazon Alexa's repertoire of on-demand music services appears to be growing by the day. Hot on the heels of Tidal's support, Pandora has enabled Premium streaming on Alexa-equipped devices like Amazon's Echo speakers. You no longer have to be content with Pandora's radio feature -- you can access your playlists and play albums like you would anywhere else. You can set the service as your default music option as well. It's not quite complete when Personalized Soundtracks support is "coming soon," but you otherwise won't be hurting for choice.
  
  Amazon now supports multiple large streaming music services beyond its own, including Deezer and Spotify. While this won't help much if you're deeply invested in Apple or Google services, it's evident that Alexa is becoming the go-to assistant for people who want options for their voice-controlled music.
  
  Via: The Verge
  
  Source: Pandora Blog
  

• What we're buying: RetroStone's smart take on retro handheld gaming
  
  The recent spate of retro "classic" consoles might be switching a new audience on to vintage games, but some of us never left them. For most, a $60 - $100 machine with a few flagship titles on it is probably enough to scratch the itch, but Managing Editor James Trew has a much deeper itch: to play retro games on the go without someone choosing the library for him.
  
  
  
  James Trew
  Managing Editor
  
  Much to the bemusement of the rest of Engadget, I have a fetish for the Atari Lynx, of which I own many, and of course, every game ever made for it. So, I already have a portable with all the games I love, why would I want another one? Because logic does not apply here. But if it did, it would be because what was considered portable in 1990 isn't really pocket-friendly now. Much as I love the Lynx, it's cumbersome and guzzles batteries like an electric Cookie Monster. I decided to search for something, sleek, modern, and flexible (in case I want to enjoy other platforms too). To my surprise, there's not a lot of off-the-shelf solutions that meet my weird, specific requirements. (Ok, maybe I shouldn't be surprised.)
  
  The problem seems to be that retro handhelds come in a few different categories. There are portable "classics" which suffer some of the same problems as their living room counterparts (limited games and no flexibility). There are some that play original cartridges for various systems, but that just seems impractical. Then there are the murky unlicensed knock-off machines on Amazon. I actually bought one of these for comparison (more on that later), but needless to say they're kinda shoddy, and who wants to play the classic Mario 14 or a sketchy Angry Birds NES port? Not I.
  
  
  
  For a while, I had been using a modded PlayStation Portable. This worked pretty well. PSPs are fairly cheap to pick up (I picked mine up for about $50 on eBay), and easy to modify. This also meant I could play PSP titles as well as my Lynx library (I make an exception for ROMS for games I own). Before too long though, the batteries for the PSP kept crapping out and replacements would often be faulty on arrival, or expensive. I considered the PS Vita as an upgrade, but they still go for more than I really wanted to spend, and you need a specific firmware version which makes finding the right one a gamble.
  
  The next logical step was to look at a handheld running RetroPie. There are a few options here, like the Pi GRRL Zero and GameBoy Zero (both, unsurprisingly, based on Raspberry Pi Zero boards). In terms of size, flexibility and functionality, these meet my weird requirements, except they both need to be put together and need a 3D printed case (or shopping around for one you don't hate). It looks like a fun project, I'm just not after a project right now. I wanted something that had a professionally-made feel to it and was somewhat good to go.
  
  Enter the RetroStone ($156), by 8Bcraft. The RetroStone, with its vintage Game Boy aesthetic, instantly caught my eye. Originally launched on Kickstarter, it runs on a system similar to Orange Pi (a Raspberry Pi alternative), has its own version of RetroPi, and enough buttons to be compatible with many newer systems. Importantly, it comes ready to go, though you have to install the operating system yourself, as open source software generally can't be "sold." Fortunately, installation takes about two clicks on a PC to write it to the SD card, and you simply pop that back in the RetroStone.
  
  
  
  What I liked most, is that the RetroStone comes with four USB ports and an HDMI out, so you can connect four controllers, plug it into your TV, and voila, you have a living room console too. There's also a good old-fashioned headphone port and micro-USB for charging (I'm getting about 5 hours of play per charge). Most of the above is true for all Pi-based systems, this one is just well made and requires very little setup. I also just love how it looks (though, I can see it might be an acquired taste). Price-wise it's in PS Vita territory, but I love the vintage styling and its added desktop capabilities. More on that later.
  
  8Bcraft isn't a large organization. In fact, as far as I know, it's a one-man outfit. The RetroStone is the second console from him/them, with the Raspiboy ($87) being the first. The two are similar, but the Raspiboy is a little too quirky-looking (even for my taste), and, as the name suggests uses a lower-spec Raspberry Pi board. It comes as a kit but doesn't need soldering. As the RetroStone has more processing punch, it can emulate more modern systems (apparently up to the N64/PS1 era, and even some PSP games).
  
  Turns out, that the RetroStone exists purely for people with similar desires as me. Pierre, the man behind the product told me over email "It was very difficult to make a Game boy zero, you had to be an electrician. And when you add the cost of all parts it was pretty expensive. So I thought, why not make something that is accessible and affordable? That's when I made Raspiboy." (And then, the RetroStone.)
  
  Another benefit of these "Pi" systems (whichever fruit it is), is that you can use them as portable PCs too (this is their primary purpose after all). With the RetroStone, if I plug in a keyboard and mouse, then connect it to a monitor (or my TV), then you have a full desktop to play with. This is probably not that interesting to most people, but after handheld gaming systems, my next weird tech crush is weird, small, not very practical mini PCs (ILU Nokia N800). Not sure why, but I think it's a throwback to when the very idea of a functional, pocket-sized PC was kinda mind-blowing.
  
  Yes, I know that I already have a phone that is well made, has oodles of processing power for both gaming and whatever else that fits in my pocket. The thing is, I want something for time away from my phone, not just more phone time. Plus I hate onscreen controls, and grips/adapters aren't in the spirit of what I want. Like I said earlier, logic doesn't factor highly in my plans, it's all about that pure gaming feel.
  
  
  
  And the RetroStone has feeling in spades. Every time I glance at it across the room, I have the urge to pick it up and play. I spent far too long researching slightly shitty mini wireless Keyboards (for my wonky portable PC fantasy) and I also had to buy a WiFi dongle, as the RetroStone doesn't have any wireless at all (it does have an Ethernet port though!).
  
  When I hold the thing, it feels comfortable, and just like a handheld console should (slightly chunky, but not heavy or cumbersome). The buttons feel like an original Game Boy, and the D-pad doesn't feel slack or spongy. There are four more "shoulder" buttons on the back, which I find a little hard to reach, but none of the games I play right now need them.
  
  The 3.5-inch display is decent; it's a little low in resolution at 320x240, but that's more than adequate. The bigger problem is that it uses the composite output (as the board's HDMI output was needed for the TV out). That said, when I compare it side by side with the PSP running the same emulated game, it's notably sharper. The PSP is a little blurry/soft looking, despite any tweaking I do in settings (if I am missing something here, let me know).
  
  
  
  Also, despite the love and care that has clearly gone into making this thing, you are still reminded that it's a barebones Linux machine in a nice case. While that $20 thing I bought on Amazon boots up instantly to the game selection menu, the RetroStone goes through a whole PC-like startup process that takes almost a minute. It's also a little temperamental, sometimes taking a few restarts before it loads up properly.
  
  Right now, the RetroStone is the closest thing to the comprehensive retro gaming experience I am looking for. I love that it has untapped potential as a mini-PC too (and all the other perks of RetroPie, like Kodi and so on). Much as I love my old Lynx (which I paid a princely sum to upgrade the screen on), the portability and design of the RetroStone have won me over.
  
  As enamored as I am with the RetroStone, my quest isn't over. I know there are likely more contraptions out there, with different reasons to consider (smaller? More powerful? Has other superfluous features that'll appeal to me?). I'm still even thinking about the PS Vita, for reasons I cannot explain. So, fellow retro gamers, if you happen to know of other systems out there to add to the collection, I'm all ears.
  
  "IRL" is a recurring column in which the Engadget staff run down what they're buying, using, playing and streaming.
  

• 'FIFA' eSports league eMLS expands to 22 teams
  
  eMLS, the FIFA eSports league of Major League Soccer, is getting ready to expand. Following a successful inaugural season earlier this year, the league run in parternship with EA Sports will head into 2019 with three new squads. Atlanta United, D.C. United and FC Cincinnati will all have eSports clubs appearing in the next season. They will compete for the eMLS cup and will join in the new eMLS League Series events.
  
  The expansion means 22 of the 24 MLS teams that will take to the real-life pitch in 2019 will also be represented in the eSports league. FC Cincinnati will make its debut both the real MLS and the virtual competition next year. The only clubs without an eSports equivalent representing them are Los Angeles FC and Real Salt Lake. Each team selects a single gamer in a draft that will represent them in competition.
  
  The primary challenge for the selected gamers is the eMLS Cup, which was played earlier this year at PAX East and broadcast on Twitch. The winner of the competition represents the MLS at the FIFA eWorld Cup, a 32-person tournament made up of winners from other FIFA events and top players from online competitions.
  
  For the 2019 season, eMLS will add a new competition called League Series. There will be two League Series events taking place during the 2019 season: Series One hosted by the LA Galaxy in January and Series Two hosted by FC Dallas in February. All players from the 22 eMLS teams will participate with a chance to win distinct prizes at each event. The League Series will also determine seeding for the 2019 eMLS Cup.
  
  EA Sports and eMLS have yet to announce when the eMLS Cup will take place. The 2019 FIFA eWorld Cup is set to take place in July or August 2019.
  
  Source: Major League Soccer
  

• Xiaomi takes over Meitu’s struggling selfie-focused phone business
  
  Chinese selfie app and smartphone company Meitu announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Xiaomi. Going forward, Meitu will license its brand, technologies and hardware to China-based Xiaomi, and for upcoming smartphones, Xiaomi will handle design, research, development, production, business operation, sales and marketing while Meitu will deal with image-related algorithms and technologies. Meitu said its mission has been "to inspire more people to express their beauty," and its board of directors has determined that a partnership with Xiaomi will aid in carrying out that mission.
  
  
  
  Meitu noted in its announcement that it's likely to experience a much larger loss than it did last year. This year, it's projected to record a net loss between RMB 950 million and RMB 1,200 million, or between $137 million and $173 million, compared to the $28 million loss it logged last year. It attributed part of that loss to the fact that it only released one smartphone this year as opposed to the five it launched the year before.
  
  This agreement, therefore, makes sense for the struggling Meitu. "With such strategic partnership, we can focus our efforts in developing the next-generation image processing technologies, while leveraging our partner's economy of scale in research and development, supply chain management and new retail efforts," the company said. And as for Xiaomi, which just announced a net profit after a rather substantial loss last year, it has been working on expanding into new markets. This partnership with Meitu will give Xiaomi the opportunity to try out new technologies with a sub-brand as it continues to push into Europe and elsewhere.
  
  Via: The Verge
  
  Source: Meitu
  

• Samsung's LED movie screens deliver more cinematic punch
  
  To the surprise of many, Samsung last year unveiled a cinema LED screen that's ten times brighter than a projector. But it's been hard to actually see one, as they're installed in just a few cinemas around the world. Recently, Samsung demonstrated the screen (now called the Onyx Cinema LED) with the European film lab Éclair in Paris, and I had a chance to get a look at it. With its incredible brights and extreme blacks, the LED movie screen was impressive, but it'll take some work to convince filmmakers, theater owners and movie-goers to adopt it.
  
  Samsung will market three versions, depending on the size of the theater: The 5-meter (19 foot) version I saw will run at DCI 2K (2,048 x 1080), while the 10-meter (34 foot) and 14-meter (50 foot) models will run at DCI 4K (4,096 x 2,160). Those are standard cinema projection sizes, but the screens will support wide or flat DCI and other resolutions with letter-boxing.
  
  They are also compatible with various flavors of HDR, which enhances the image thanks to a peak brightness of 300 nits, including Samsung's own HDR10+ and Éclair (the latter is what I saw in Paris). "The Samsung Onyx screen is one of the most powerful pieces of equipment that allows us to display HDR content," Éclair General Manager Pascal Mogavero told Engadget.
  
  The screens support 3D technology and should handle it better than projectors because of the higher brightness levels, which can hit 500 nits on the 4K screens. Because of that, the picture will look less muddy and you'll see fewer motion artifacts and blur than with regular projectors.
  
  The Onyx screens aren't gigantic versions of Samsung's QLED TVs, though. Rather, they're based on its outdoor display tech that uses individual SMD (surface mount device) LEDs. Each pixel is self-emitting with no backlight, so you can get true blacks simply by turning off individual LEDs. That's much like how OLED TVs work, and those are beloved by reviewers for their deep blacks.
  
  
  Samsung essentially puts the sets together by assembling 256 x 360 pixel cabinets, each about 4 feet across. The smallest model uses 24 cabinets while the largest 14-meter version has 178 of them. The specs trounce any TV, with 16 bits of color (trillions) per pixel and contrast ratios that match the million-to-one levels of an OLED set.
  
  Consistency is another key quality. "We have a linear image that's as bright in the center as it is in the edges," said Samsung's Paul Maloney. "Unlike a projection-based system with a lens, if you have a xenon bulb source in the center, the lens curves so the corners of the screen get darker. The same happens with color. The Samsung LED doesn't need to be optically corrected."
  
  On top of that, the Onyx LED emits rather than filters colors, unlike a projector. That means deeper colors can actually be brighter, not darker, generating the high luminance levels needed for true HDR.
  
  The sound, meanwhile, is provided by Samsung's Harman JBL and installed in a special configuration to accommodate the displays. Harman had to essentially redesign everything as speakers can't be placed behind the movie screen like they are now. The Sculpted Surround Sound audio systems are also designed to deliver uniform sound to the more sloped seating arrangements required for the screens.
  
  So how is the image? It's clearly brighter than any projector, and the brightness and contrast are significantly enhanced by the HDR. Samsung and Éclair switched one scene between regular SDR and HDR, and the difference was pretty eye-popping. But films not encoded with HDR certainly won't look bad -- it's only obvious when you compare them side-by-side.
  
  Colors are punchy and looked accurate. Éclair showed off one scene with the famous Michael Bay-style treatment, with orange-hued skin tones standing out against teal-blue backgrounds. Film directors and colorists will be able to optimize color timing for the screens knowing that subtle shadows will still be visible because of the extra brightness.
  
  
  I hunted for flaws during the projection, and my nitpicks are few. With the relatively low 2K resolution of the 5-meter screen, it was easy to see blocky pixels on text and angled straight lines. That will probably apply to the 4K displays, too, especially up close, since they use the same cabinets. On the whole, though, the effect is not that bad and is no worse than 2K digital projections I've seen. Celluloid film projectors, of course, don't have "pixels," however.
  
  I walked back and forth across the screen, and viewing off-angle makes little-to-no difference in color or brightness perception, thanks again to the individual LEDs. I did notice a bit of blooming in a space scene where an extreme-bright area produced a halo-like artifact against a dark area, but I doubt few moviegoers would notice -- you're not going to be walking around while watching a movie, after all.
  
  My opinion is one thing, but I was curious to know what cinema goers and the filmmakers themselves thought. Many folks still haven't gotten over the transition from celluloid to digital projection, which Quentin Tarantino called "TV in public." Samsung's Onyx system takes that even further, as it's essentially a large, albeit technically superior, TV.
  
  "Some people don't like it because they feel it will change the filmmaker's initial intent," said Mogavero. "If you want to show your movie on a projector, you can still do it. But if you want to completely redesign your movie and think about a completely different way to tell the stories, then you can do that, too. It's widening, not restricting or corrupting the possibilities." Several filmmakers, he said, naming no names, preferred the Onyx image after seeing it next to a double-laser projection.
  
  Onyx might be technically superior in many ways, but Samsung and its partners still need to convince movie theaters to install them. The system is more expensive than any projector; though Kayata noted that the price isn't that far from the fanciest dual-laser projectors. Samsung's argument is that without a projection closet, cinemas can add more seats, and the new tech could draw ticket buyers who might otherwise stay at home. Samsung plans to have 30 locations installed by the end of the year.
  
  Its best argument for the tech, though, might be aimed at viewers who feel the cinema experience is actually inferior to what they can have at home. "The average consumer just loves to enjoy what they're seeing," said Maloney. "We have the likes of Netflix and Amazon doing 4K HDR movies, so these are all things that consumers are used to. All we're trying to do is present that for them in theaters."
  
  Update 11/19/2018 2:31 PM ET: Dolby has told Engadget that the Onyx Cinema LED screens don't support Dolby Vision like the post originally said. It has been updated with the correct information.
  

• Feral Interactive Announces Total War: WARHAMMER II to Be Released for Linux Tomorrow, Uber Joined The Linux Foundation, Security Bug Discovered in Instagram, Fedora Taking Submissions for Supplemental Wallpapers and Kernel 4.20-rc3 Is Out
  
  News briefs for November 19, 2018.
  
  Feral Interactive announces that Total War: WARHAMMER II will be released for Linux and macOS tomorrow, November 20, 2018. This follow-up of Total War: WARHAMMER "puts players in command of one of four fantastical Races, challenging them to wage a war of conquest in order to stabilise or disrupt the apocalyptically powerful Great Vortex." You can pre-order it from here for $59.99 US, and view the trailer from Feral's YouTube channel.
  
  Uber has joined The Linux Foundation. The press release quotes Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin: "Uber has been active in open source for years, creating popular projects like Jaeger and Horovod that help businesses build technology at scale. We are very excited to welcome Uber to the Linux Foundation community. Their expertise will be instrumental for our projects as we continue to advance open solutions for cloud native technologies, deep learning, data visualization and other technologies that are critical to businesses today."
  
  A new security vulnerability has been discovered in Instagram (owned by Facebook). The Information reports that the recently introduced "Download Your Data" security feature caused some users' passwords to be revealed. Instagram quickly fixed the bug and users were notified and asked to change their passwords and clear their browsing history.
  
  Submissions now open for Fedora 30 Supplemental Wallpapers until January 19, 2019. The Fedora design team works with the community each release to select 16 additional wallpapers that users can install. This is your chance to start contributing to Fedora. See the Fedora Magazine post for more information.
  
  Linux kernel 4.20-rc3 is out. Linus says the only unusual thing was his travel and that the changes "are pretty tiny".
        News  Feral Interactive  gaming  The Linux Foundation  Security  Facebook  Instagram  Fedora  kernel                   

• Schedule One-Time Commands with the UNIX at Tool
      by Kyle Rankin   
  Cron is nice and all, but don't forget about its cousin at.
  
  When I first started using Linux, it was like being tossed into the deep end of the UNIX pool. You were expected to use the command line heavily along with all the standard utilities and services that came with your distribution. At lot has changed since then, and nowadays, you can use a standard Linux desktop without ever having to open a terminal or use old UNIX services. Even as a sysadmin, these days, you often are a few layers of abstraction above some of these core services.
  
  I say all of this to point out that for us old-timers, it's easy to take for granted that everyone around us innately knows about all the command-line tools we use. Yet, even though I've been using Linux for 20 years, I still learn about new (to me) command-line tools all the time. In this "Back to Basics" article series, I plan to cover some of the command-line tools that those new to Linux may never have used before. For those of you who are more advanced, I'll spread out this series, so you can expect future articles to be more technical. In this article, I describe how to use the at utility to schedule jobs to run at a later date.
   at vs. Cron
  at is one of those commands that isn't discussed very much. When people talk about scheduling commands, typically cron gets the most coverage. Cron allows you to schedule commands to be run on a periodic basis. With cron, you can run a command as frequently as every minute or as seldom as once a day, week, month or even year. You also can define more sophisticated rules, so commands run, for example, every five minutes, every weekday, every other hour and many other combinations. System administrators sometimes will use cron to schedule a local script to collect metrics every minute or to schedule backups.
  
  On the other hand, although the at command also allows you to schedule commands, it serves a completely different purpose from cron. While cron lets you schedule commands to run periodically, at lets you schedule commands that run only once at a particular time in the future. This means that at fills a different and usually more immediate need from cron.
   Using at
  At one point, the at command came standard on most Linux distributions, but these days, even on servers, you may find yourself having to install the at package explicitly. Once installed, the easiest way to use at is to type it on the command line followed by the time you want the command to run:
    $ at 18:00  
  The at command also can accept a number of different time formats. For instance, it understands AM and PM as well as words like "tomorrow", so you could replace the above command with the identical:
      Go to Full Article          

• Weekend Reading: Qubes
      by Carlie Fairchild   
  Qubes OS is a security-focused operating system that, as tech editor Kyle Rankin puts it, "is fundamentally different from any other Linux desktop I've used". Join us this weekend in reading Kyle's multi-part series on all things Qubes.
  
  Secure Desktops with Qubes: Introduction
  
  In this first article, I provide an overview of what Qubes is, some of the approaches it takes that are completely different from what you might be used to on a Linux desktop and some of its particularly interesting security features. In future articles, I'll give more how-to guides on installing and configuring it and how to use some of its more-advanced features.
  
  Secure Desktops with Qubes: Installation
  This is the second in a multipart series on the Qubes operating system. In my first article, I gave an overall introduction to Qubes and how it differs from most other desktop Linux distributions, namely in the way it focuses on compartmentalizing applications within different VMs to limit what attackers have access to in the event they compromise a VM. This allows you to use one VM for regular Web browsing, another for banking and a different one for storing your GPG keys and password manager. In this article, I follow up with a basic guide on how to download and install Qubes, along with a general overview of the desktop and the various default VM types.
  
  Secure Desktops with Qubes: Compartmentalization
  This is the third article in my series about Qubes. In the first two articles, I gave an overview about what Qubes is and described how to install it. One of the defining security features of Qubes is how it lets you compartmentalize your different desktop activities into separate VMs. The idea behind security by compartmentalization is that if one of your VMs is compromised, the damage is limited to just that VM.
  
  Secure Desktops with Qubes: Extra Protection
      Go to Full Article          

• New Raspbian Update, Qt Creator 4.8 Beta2 Released, Firefox Monitor Now Available in More Than 26 Languages, Chrome OS Linux Soon Will Have Access to Downloads Folder and Canonical Extends Ubuntu 18.04 Long-Term Support
  
  News briefs for November 16, 2018.
  
  Simon Long has released a new Raspbian update. This update includes a "fully hardware-accelerated version of VLC", version 3 of the Thonny Python development environment, improved desktop configuration and more. You can download the update from here.
  
  Qt Creator 4.8 Beta2 is now available. In addition to many bug fixes, the LLVM for the Clang code model is updated to version 7.0 and binary packages are updated to the Qt 5.12 prerelease. You can get the open-source version here.
  
  Firefox Monitor, the free services that tells you whether your email has been part of a security breach, is now available in more than 26 languages: "Albanian, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English (Canadian), French, Frisian, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Malay, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (Argentina, Mexico, and Spain), Swedish, Turkish, Ukranian and Welsh." Along with this, Mozilla also announced that it has added "a notification to our Firefox Quantum browser that alerts desktop users when they visit a site that has had a recently reported data breach". See the Mozilla blog for details.
  
  Chrome OS Linux soon will be able to access your Downloads folder and Google Drive. According to the 9to5Google post, "Making the entire Downloads folder accessible will turn Linux apps into a first-class citizen on Chrome OS and will dramatically help with file organization and ease of use."
  
  Canonical and Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth announced in his keynote at OpenStack Summit in Berlin that the Ubuntu 18.04 long-term support lifespan will be extended from five years to ten years. He also addressed IBM's acquisition of Red Hat. ZDNet reports that Shuttleworth indicated that this may lead customers to switch to Ubuntu, saying "We're neutral on the public cloud. We work at arm's length with AWS, Azure, and Google. We provide a common currency across different environment. But, we're not the lowest common denominator. We want to be the best operating system on Azure for Azure, AWS for AWS, and so on."
        News  Raspberry Pi  Raspbian  qt  Firefox  Security  Mozilla  Chrome OS  Canonical  Ubuntu                   

• FOSS Project Spotlight: BlueK8s
      by Tom Phelan   
  Deploying and managing complex stateful applications on Kubernetes.
  
  Kubernetes (aka K8s) is now the de facto container orchestration framework. Like other popular open-source technologies, Kubernetes has amassed a considerable ecosystem of complementary tools to address everything from storage to security. And although it was first created for running stateless applications, more and more organizations are interested in using Kubernetes for stateful applications.
  
  However, while Kubernetes has advanced significantly in many areas during the past couple years, there still are considerable gaps when it comes to running complex stateful applications. It remains challenging to deploy and manage distributed stateful applications consisting of a multitude of co-operating services (such as for use cases with large-scale analytics and machine learning) with Kubernetes.
  
  I've been focused on this space for the past several years as a co-founder of BlueData. During that time, I've worked with many teams at Global 2000 enterprises in several industries to deploy distributed stateful services successfully, such as Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, Cassandra, TensorFlow and other analytics, data science, machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) tools in containerized environments.
  
  In that time, I've learned what it takes to deploy complex stateful applications like these with containers while ensuring enterprise-grade security, reliability and performance. Together with my colleagues at BlueData, we've broken new ground in using Docker containers for big data analytics, data science and ML/DL in highly distributed environments. We've developed new innovations to address requirements in areas like storage, security, networking, performance and lifecycle management.
  
  Now we want to bring those innovations to the Open Source community—to ensure that these stateful services are supported in the Kubernetes ecosystem. BlueData's engineering team has been busy working with Kubernetes, developing prototypes with Kubernetes in our labs and collaborating with multiple enterprise organizations to evaluate the opportunities (and challenges) in using Kubernetes for complex stateful applications.
  
  To that end, we recently introduced a new Kubernetes open-source initiative: BlueK8s. The BlueK8s initiative will be composed of several open-source projects that each will bring enterprise-level capabilities for stateful applications to Kubernetes.
      Go to Full Article          

• New Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Beta Now Available, LF Deep Learning Foundation Announces First Software Release of the Acumos AI Project, Google's Project Fi to Offer Google-Run VPN and Deepin 15.8 Released
  
  News briefs for November 15, 2018.
  
  Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ is now available: "you can now get the 1.4GHz clock speed, 5GHz wireless networking and improved thermals of Raspberry Pi 3B+ in a smaller form factor, and at the smaller price of $25." You can order one here. The blog post notes that cases for the RPi 3 Model A+ will be available early next month.
  
  Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Beta makes its debut. RHEL 8 Beta features hundreds of improvements and several new features. One highlight is the introduction of "the concept of Application Streams to deliver userspace packages more simply and with greater flexibility". It also supports "more efficient Linux networking in containers through IPVLAN", has several security enhancements and more.
  
  The LF Deep Learning Foundation (a project of the Linux Foundation) yesterday announced the first software release of the Acumos AI Project, Athena. From the press release: "Acumos AI is a platform and open source framework that makes it easy to build, share and deploy AI applications. Acumos AI standardizes the infrastructure stack and components required to run an out-of-the-box general AI environment. This frees data scientists and model trainers to focus on their core competencies and accelerate innovation." See the full release notes here.
  
  Google's Project Fi has launched a new project allowing users to route all traffic through a Google-run VPN. According to The Verge, "your traffic will be going to Google's servers, so Google will be able to see what you're visiting." However, Google has said it isn't tying traffic to accounts or phone numbers or "any other user identifiers". The traffic also will be encrypted.
  
  Linux Deepin 15.8 was released today. The Deepin team notes that the "new release is featured with newly designed control center, dock tray and boot theme, as well as improved deepin native applications, hoping to bring users a more beautiful and efficient experience." To download, click here.
        News  Raspberry Pi  Red Hat  Linux Foundation  Deep Learning  Acumos  AI  Google  Project Fi  VPN  Deepin  Distributions                   

• Getting Started with Scilab
      by Joey Bernard   
  Introducing one of the larger scientific lab packages for Linux.
  
  Scilab is meant to be an overall package for numerical science, along the lines of Maple, Matlab or Mathematica. Although a lot of built-in functionality exists for all sorts of scientific computations, Scilab also includes its own programming language, which allows you to use that functionality to its utmost. If you prefer, you instead can use this language to extend Scilab's functionality into completely new areas of research. Some of the functionality includes 2D and 3D visualization and optimization tools, as well as statistical functions. Also included in Scilab is Xcos, an editor for designing dynamical systems models.
  
  Several options exist for installing Scilab on your system. Most package management systems should have one or more packages available for Scilab, which also will install several support packages. Or, you simply can download and install a tarball that contains everything you need to be able to run Scilab on your system.
  
  Once it's installed, start the GUI version of Scilab with the scilab command. If you installed Scilab via tarball, this command will be located in the bin subdirectory where you unpacked the tarball.
  
  When it first starts, you should see a full workspace created for your project.
  
  Figure 1. When you first start Scilab, you'll see an empty workspace ready for you to start a new project.
  
  On the left-hand side is a file browser where you can see data files and Scilab scripts. The right-hand side has several panes. The top pane is a variable browser, where you can see what currently exists within the workspace. The middle pane contains a list of commands within that workspace, and the bottom pane has a news feed of Scilab-related news. The center of the workspace is the actual Scilab console where you can interact with the execution engine.
  
  Let's start with some basic mathematics—for example, division:
    --> 23/7  ans =   3.2857143  
  As you can see, the command prompt is -->, where you enter the next command to the execution engine. In the variable browser, you can see a new variable named ans that contains the results of the calculation.
  
  Along with basic arithmetic, there is also a number of built-in functions. One thing to be aware of is that these function names are case-sensitive. For example, the statement sqrt(9) gives the answer of 3, whereas the statement SQRT(9) returns an error.
  
  There also are built-in constants for numbers like e or pi. You can use them in statements, like this command to find the sine of pi/2:
      Go to Full Article          

• Zentyal Open Source Linux Server Version 6.0 Now Available, KDevelop 5.3 Released, Scalyr Announces New Features, Mozilla Launches Version 2.0 of Its *Privacy Not Included Buyer's Guide and Debian No Longer Allowing Vendor-Specific Patches
  
  News briefs for November 14, 2018.
  
  The Zentyal development team announces a new major version of its Zentyal Open Source Linux Server with native Microsoft Active Directory interoperability. Version 6.0 is based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS with the Linux 4.15 kernel, Samba 4.7, and it includes a new RADIUS module and virtualization manager module. See the full Changelog for more details.
  
  KDevelop 5.3 was released this morning. It's been almost a year since version 5.2, and much has changed. KDevelop 5.3 has a new analyzer plugin that's shipped out of the box, and there's a new Clazy clang analyzer plugin "specialized on Qt-using code" that also can be run from within KDevelop by default. In addition, it has improved C++, PHP and Python support. You can download it here.
  
  Scalyr announces new troubleshooting features, introducing support for Slack, GitHub, Kubernetes and more. According to the press release, the company is moving beyond traditional log monitoring and now offers Kubernetes cluster-level logging, chart annotations, stack trace linking and AWS CloudWatch support. The new features will be available in Q4. See the Scalyr website for more information.
  
  Mozilla has launched version 2.0 of its *Privacy Not Included Buyer's Guide just in time for holiday shopping. The guide's goal is to help you "shop smart—and safe—for products that connect to the internet". The guide also includes a "Creep-O-Meter" that allows users' to rate their feelings on a given product.
  
  Debian is phasing out vendor-specific patches. Phoronix reports that "effective immediately these vendor-specific patches to source packages will be treated as a bug and will be unpermitted following the Debian 10 'Buster' release". See the mailing-list announcement for more information.
        News  Zentyal  KDevelop  Scalyr  Monitoring  Mozilla  Privacy  Debian  Distributions                   

• Meet TASBot, a Linux-Powered Robot Playing Video Games for Charity
      by Allan Cecil   
  Can a Linux-powered robot play video games faster than you? Only if he takes a hint from piano rolls...and doesn't desync.
  
  Let me begin with a brief history of tool-assisted speedruns. It was 2003. Less than half the developed world had internet access of any kind, and YouTube hadn't been created yet. Smartphones were rare and nascent. Pentium III processors still were commonplace, and memory was measured in megabytes. It was out of this primordial ooze that an interesting video file circulated around the web—an 18MB .wmv labeled only as a "super mario bross3 time attack video" [sic]. What followed was an absolutely insane 11-minute completion of the game by someone named Morimoto replete with close calls, no deaths and Mario destroying Bowser after apparently effortlessly obtaining 99 lives. The only other context was a link to a page written in Japanese, and the rough encoding that Windows Media Video format was known for in that era made it difficult for casual viewers to observe that it was an emulator recording rather than the output of a real Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console.
  
   Figure 1. Morimoto's 2003 Super Mario Bros. 3 (SMB3) Time Attack Video
  
  The video encode had in fact been made with the Famtasia NES emulator using Tool-Assisted Speedrun (TAS) re-recording tools consisting of a "movie file" of the sequence of all buttons pressed along with the use of savestates, or CPU and memory snapshots allowing returning to a previous state. Morimoto had in essence augmented his own human skill by using tools that allowed him to return to a previous save point any time he was dissatisfied with the quality of his play. By iteratively backing up and keeping only the best results, he had created what he considered at the time to be a perfect play-through of the game. I didn't know anything about how it was made the first time I saw the run, but it blew my mind and had me asking questions to which I couldn't find answers.
  
  The human speedrunning community members were naturally highly offended by what they saw as an unlabeled abomination akin to a doped athlete being allowed to compete in the Olympics. Their view was that anything that augmented raw human ability in any way (even as rudimentary as keyboard macros in PC games) was considered cheating, and Morimoto's run was nothing more than a fraud best left ignored. There was fascination, intrigue and division. It was, in retrospect, the perfect recipe for a new website.
      Go to Full Article          

• Reality2.0 - Episode 7: Sounding Alarms
  The Four Essential Freedoms
  
  The Coral Project
  
   
  Download ogg Format