Monday, July 1, 2019

PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch: This generation's best-selling games in the US so far - CNET

Rockstar reigns.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2KP8vOh

Latest Tech News

NBN Co has put forward a proposal to its top 50 retail service provider (RSP) partners, asking them what they think of charging a different amount for the data used by streaming video compared with other traffic and services.

First reported by telecom industry publication CommsDay, NBN Co is essentially testing the waters to see if companies that sell the NBN to customers – such as Telstra, TPG and Optus – would support and enforce higher rates for users that watch Netflix, Stan and other streaming services.

On June 20, NBN Co sent its Wholesale Pricing Review to the aforementioned 50 RSPs, seeking industry feedback on the service’s pricing structure thus far and how it can be amended in the future.

Included in the pricing review is the following question: “Would your organisation support the development of a price response whereby charging of streaming video could be differentiated from the charging of other traffic/services? Would your organisation be likely to productise such a mechanism if developed by NBN?”

Consequences

According to market research company Roy Morgan, over 11.2 million Australians had Netflix subscriptions as of February 2019, a 25% increase over the previous year’s figures.

Considering that almost half of all Australian residents have a Netflix subscription alone, and this exists alongside a plethora of other video streaming options (including YouTube), it’s safe to assume that raising the cost of accessing these services would be unpopular with the public.

Similarly, considering that it’s typically left up to the RSP to decide on traffic shaping and prioritisation, it’s unlikely that these companies will be willing to lose that degree of control.

The final and potentially most alarming consideration is that of privacy. NBN Co, as a contracted company intended on providing infrastructure, should theoretically not have any deeper insight into specific users and their usage.

It’s unclear at this stage what exactly the pricing changes would be if they were to be put in place – and would likely be up to individual RSPs – and there’s also plenty of opportunities for opposition before it gets finalised, including from the RSPs themselves and consumer-rights organisations like the ACCC.



from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/3257G9m

Latest Tech News

It’s set to be the biggest Prime Day yet and in the lead up to Amazon’s massive annual sale, the online marketplace is offering its Australian Prime members plenty of incentives to participate, like getting a three-month long free trial to check out Audible and Kindle Unlimited.

To sweeten the deal, Amazon Australia is also offering free expedited delivery on items bought from the Global Store section of the site, even if the price of the product is under $49.

This, however, is a limited time offer expiring at 11:59pm AEST on July 21 and is only available on Prime eligible products shipped and sold by Amazon US.

Conditions apply

You will, of course, need to be a Prime member to take advantage of this offer.

According to Amazon, expedited delivery on international products means you’ll receive your items in 7-10 business days (as opposed to the 8-12 day delivery on standard shipping). 

While Prime eligible products under $49 usually incur a shipping cost, even for Prime members, Amazon will shave this off until July 21.

  • Not a Prime member yet? Sign up now and try it free for 30 days.

However, if you purchase a mixed bag of items (eg: a camera lens that is Prime eligible along with a Corsair wireless gaming headset that isn’t), then standard delivery rates will apply.

Another stipulation of the offer is that all eligible items purchased in a single transaction will have to be shipped to the same address.

The advantage of shopping from the Global Store section of the Australian site is you get a wider selection of products that have import fees already included in the price, with Amazon handling customs clearance for you.



from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/2XriW1r

Latest Gadgets News

Xiaomi’s Mi CC 9 series is set to launch later today at an event In China. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Mi CC 9 series phones.

from RSS Feeds : RSS NEWS Feed - NDTV Gadgets360.com https://ift.tt/2ZYoxc0

Dr DisRespect apologizes for livestreaming in an E3 public bathroom - CNET

The famous streamer was kicked out of E3 and suspended from Twitch.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2YtWUaK

Samsung confirms next Unpacked event will be Aug. 7 in New York - CNET

CNET last month reported Samsung's plans for its Galaxy Note 10 launch event.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2XmGjsQ

Latest Tech News

Latest Tech News

A taskforce made up of tech companies like Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Amazon, alongside Australian ISPs, has proposed specific laws be put in place giving the country’s eSafety Commissioner more power to block sites sharing malicious and abhorrent violent content online.

This proposal comes in the wake of the Christchurch shootings in March, when the massacre of innocent people at prayer was streamed live and shared online by other sites.

At the time, Australian ISPs began proactively blocking websites hosting the video or sharing the shooter’s manifesto, relying on a vague subsection of the 1997 Telecommunications Act which gives the eSafety Commissioner the power to issue written directives to ISPs.

It was a temporary solution but it worked, with the government hastily passing laws in April that criminalised the sharing of malicious content online. This meant that while ISPs were legally required to take down sites sharing the Christchurch video, there was no law in place to protect them from blocking the sites in the first place.

Making it black and white

Now, however, the taskforce wants more concrete legislation, asking the government to develop a “protocol [that] would set out the arrangements and process for implementing blocks of websites hosting offending content, including the means of determining which ISPs would be subject to blocking orders, the length of time that the ISPs will be required to implement the blocks, and the process for removing the blocks”.

The taskforce report also suggests that the legislation should clearly define whether “the terrorist or extreme violent material is sufficiently serious to warrant blocking action, and to identify the domains that are hosting the material”.

The proposal also asks the government to provide “guidance” on when the protocol should be used by the eSafety Commissioner.

At present, there are laws in place to block sites sharing illegal material like pirated content and child pornography, but the law isn’t enacted too often. Before the new proposal becomes law, though, the eSafety Commissioner’s office has released a statement that it will work closely with the ISPs and tech companies to ensure the legislation works for “all parties” including the end users.



from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/2XirNSI

Freak hail and flooding creates summer icebergs in a Mexican city - CNET

Despite summer heat, the streets of Guadalajara were uncharacteristically icy this week.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2xlYQWI

The Bottle Cap Challenge kicking its way to viral fame - CNET

It was literally kickstarted by UFC fighter Max Holloway, but now John Mayer, Jason Statham and Conor McGregor are getting in on the action.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2LxTgc0

Neil Gaiman weighs in on his Sandman series being developed by Netflix - CNET

The tale of Dream, Destiny, Death, Destruction, Despair, Desire and Delirium has found a home on Netflix.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2xp8tnK

Barrett-Jackson just sold a 1997 Toyota Supra for $176,000 - Roadshow

You read that right -- that's more than the base price of a brand-new Audi R8.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2LxTeAU

The 28 best games on the Nintendo Switch - CNET

So you just bought a Nintendo Switch and you're wondering what games you should pick up to go along with it? Here are our favourites...

from CNET https://ift.tt/2CsoMVi

Latest Tech News

Elizabeth Warren accuses advisory panel for FCC of corruption - CNET

FCC Chair Ajit Pai must "explain the extent to which CSRIC may be corrupted by corporate influence," the Democratic senator says.

from CNET https://ift.tt/2JgoPV8

Could Apple's New Adaptive Power Feature Extend Your iPhone's Battery Life?

With this new feature being tested in the iOS 26 developer beta, you may be able to ditch the Low Power Mode setting in the future. from C...