New Nokia smartphones will be announced at the MWC in 2017.

Nokia, once an established name in the cellphone industry has become almost unknown in the current smartphone market. However, it seems that the company is planning a comeback in 2017 as it has confirmed that will present new Nokia smartphones at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017.

Nokia cellphones were praised as being very reliable and innovative. The company’s improvements on standard cell phone design, simplifying the user interface while emphasizing good signal and voice quality is what propelled Nokia to the top of the industry.

Unfortunately, more and more competitors were able to outpace Nokia, especially so in the smartphone age. This situation has continued almost to the point where the once famous company did not have one smartphone on the shelves of stores.

Nokia was eventually bought by Microsoft in 2014, and by May 2016 its phone business was sold to Foxconn for $30 million. Somehow, despite a situation that seemed to be the end of Nokia, the company is planning to unveil a new smartphone brand next year. The information comes from a leak of a slide from a presentation Nokia held for investors on November 15, in Barcelona, Spain.

At the forefront of their comeback, we might find the rumored Nokia D1C. After a few leaks on several sites, the D1C is reported to feature a Full HD screen, a 13-megapixel front camera with an 8-megapixel sensor on the back of the phone. It will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and 3 GB of RAM.

Although no other details are known about the upcoming Nokia smartphones, we’re bound to find out more information as MWC comes ever closer. Additionally, it seems that the newly formed company, HMD, will take the helm of the production of the smartphones. HMD plans to spend $500 million in global marketing campaign over the next three years in order to put the Nokia name back on the map. The core of the Nokia company will only serve to oversee the production of the phones and maintain their status as owner of various patents.

What do you think about Nokia’s comeback? Did you have a Nokia phone or are you planning on buying any of the new Nokia smartphones?

Image source: Pixabay

SpaceX seeks permission to launch a satellite network.

SpaceX’s and Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk is one of the leading visionaries of our time having funded or invested in a number of companies and organizations that seek the improvement of our world through accessible technology. Now, he has set his eyes on expanding global internet coverage through a new satellite network.

The number of satellites collectively launched into orbit by various countries and companies since the launch of Sputnik I in 1957, is around a few thousand. However, experts estimate that only around 1,400 are still operational. A new report has revealed that SpaceX is seeking permission to launch another 4,425 satellites in the upcoming years.

The commercial space launch company has recently filed an application at the Federal Communications Commission in which it seeks permission to launch a massive satellite network with the purpose of providing high-speed internet to the entire world.

The filed documents reveal that SpaceX’s satellite system can provide a wide range of communications and broadband services for use across all levels, be It institutional, professional, or commercial. The first phase of the plan involves launching 1,600 satellites. Half of them would be required to improve the internet coverage in countries like the United States and its territories like the Virgin Island and Puerto Rico. The satellites will enable internet bandwidth of up to 1 Gbps per user at a low latency.

In regards to the technical details of the plan, each satellite which will be part of the planned network will weigh around 850 lbs. They will orbit the planet at altitudes ranging from 715 miles up to 820 miles. These satellites are much smaller and lighter than the standard satellites currently used in communications services.

SpaceX plans to deliver the satellite network into orbit using both their Falcon 9 and the Falcon Heavy rockets. Each satellite will last around 5 to 7 years, a period after which they will start to decay within a year.

Musk previously discussed his ambitious plan to deliver reliable, fast and accessible internet to the planet in January 2015. However, to do so won’t be cheap. The current filing does not include a cost estimate, however, Musk previously stated that the cost might be around $10 billion.

Image source: Flickr

Facebook adds a unified inbox for Instagram and Messenger.

Facebook has owned Instagram, the popular photo-sharing app, for a few years now.  Until recently, the app remained independent from Facebook. However, the company has now decided to integrate it with their main platform by adding a unified inbox on Facebook for both Instagram and Messenger.

Both Instagram and Messenger are incredibly popular apps, which are used by both individual users and businesses alike. The social media giant has announced on Tuesday that it is in the process of updating their Pages Manager app on phones. The update will include a unified inbox which allows page administrators to access Facebook, Instagram as well as Messenger interactions from one location.

Basically, the unified inbox will allow admins to check their activity and notifications across all three services. They will be able to also reply to both Facebook and Instagram comments, write posts and messages. All these functions will be available from the Pages Manager app.

Facebook has been careful not to overly complicate the app. To get started on multitasking your accounts you have to connect the Instagram and Facebook accounts by simply tapping on the messaging icon found at the bottom of the Page from the manager app. Doing so will automatically transfer to the Instagram account where you have to enter your log-in information if the account wasn’t already connected through Instagram adverts.

Admins of Pages will now be able to see their customer’s public Instagram accounts as well as their Facebook profiles only by tapping their name into the corresponding tab for each service. The app also keeps track of all your previous conversations with a certain user. Admins will even be able to label the conversations depending on the frequency of the interactions with a specific user.

The new unified inbox feature is mainly designed to facilitate the social media outreach of a company by keeping in contact with customers across the various services. However, admins won’t be able to post videos or photos on Instagram directly from Pages. The feature is set to benefit small and medium-sized businesses who don’t exactly have the resources for extensive social media strategies.

Facebook will gradually release the update in the coming weeks on even more devices.

Image source: Flickr

FBI reportedly ran 23 child porn sites on the darknet.

An affidavit from the FBI was recently acquired by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The report reveals that the bureau deployed 23 child porn sites in an attempt to ensnare users.

In 2015 a report surfaced that showed how the FBI seized a website called Playpen which used the tor anonym network. However, before shutting down completely, the FBI reportedly maintained for 13 days and attempted to infest the computers of any visitors with malware. The software was designed to allow the agency to learn the users’ identity so that they can apprehend them.

The new ACLU report reveals that the FBI sting operation was, in fact, much broader than initially thought. In fact, the FBI reportedly maintained 23 child porn sites which advertised the obscene types of videos, various matters related to child sexual abuse and other tactics and methods used to abuse the children. Additionally, there were even discussions on how to avoid law enforcement detection.

According to Sarah Jamie Lewis, a security researcher, the FBI most likely ran around half of the known child porn sites on the darknet. Although the affidavit doesn’t directly specify that the FBI is maintaining all these sites, but it is heavily implied that the FBI had control over the servers and access to them from a government facility.

The FBI managed to identify and apprehend around 200 child porn suspects from the Playpen operation alone. This number is only 20 percent of all the 1,000 IP addresses which were revealed to the FBI using the malware known as NIT.

The operation of child porn sites was signed off by judges in Virginia and Maryland. FBI was able to obtain this type of warrant thanks to what’s known as Rule 41. An anti-hacking measure developed by the Department of Justice, which has been scrutinized by lawmakers. Basically, it allowed the FBI to search multiple computers in different jurisdictions while using only one warrant.

 However, when the cases against the offenders went to trial, judges in Oklahoma, Massachusetts, and Iowa ruled that this type of search violated the laws regarding federal procedure. Some judges requested the evidence being thrown out while others rebuked the persecutors but accepted the evidence.

Image source: Wikimedia

Samsung plans to release new mobile accessories.

Samsung launched earlier this year six new mobile accessories for its line of smartphones in South Korea. In a recent announcement, the company has decided to bring those new gadgets to the rest of the world. The accessories will be available, however, only as online exclusives.

Samsung, the world’s largest smartphone producer, wants to offer consumers more options when it comes to mobile accessories. As such, they plan to start releasing the until now South-Korean exclusive gadgets to the rest of the world. For this purpose, Samsung has announced that it will form partnerships with major online retailers around the world to bring the devices to interested consumers.

Samsung’s line of mobile accessories has always been somewhat limited but these six new devices plan to address this problem. The first and the most expensive accessory is called the Wireless Speaker Bottle. As the name implies it a speaker designed to look like a bottle, which offers 360-degree surround support, it charges wirelessly and supports the Samsung Lux Manager. An interesting feature is that it changes color depending on what position it is. The bottle is the most expensive among Samsung new line of mobile accessories, being priced at $80.

However, if you want a cheaper Samsung portable speaker, then you should try Wireless Speaker Scoop which only costs $50. It has a circular design; it comes with a microphone and a strap which allows it to be attached to bags or clothing. Another wireless device is the Charger Tray, which allows users to simultaneously charge two devices while offering a stylish, minimalistic design, at a $60 price tag.

If you prefer classic, wired mobile accessories, then Samsung offers a Battery Pack Kettle which you can use to charge a variety of devices. This accessory will come in two versions, a 5,100mAh one costing around $26, and a larger 10,200 mAh battery pack priced at $35. One way to use these “kettle” is to power Samsung’s upcoming USB LED Light, a portable lamp costing only $10.

The last accessory is the In-ear Headphone Rectangle which claims It has tangle-proof cable besides offering a great sound experience.  All the showcased mobile accessories will be available starting in the early days of November.

Image source: Samsung

Google released new data monitoring features for Project Fi.

Google has recently announced that they will add a new system of metrics to Project Fi. It will allow users to monitor the amount of data they use every month for every app. The new software update will also include the ability to track data use in real time.

If you are not familiar with Google’s Project Fi and what it does, then you should know that it’s a wireless service not unlike any other mobile data provider, but Google’s service offers users a variety of features such as automatically change to the best network available.

Unfortunately, a major downside of Project Fi is that the service only supports a handful of devices, with the newest ones added being Google’s flagship device, the Pixel, and Pixel XL. Nonetheless, despite the low support, Google is keen to improve the service by making it easier for current and future subscribers to monitor their data use.

One of the more advanced features is the ability to see a detailed list of how your data is actually spent on every app. You can access the feature by simply scrolling down to the section which shows your current amount of data for the month in question. The “view details” button will lead to a comprehensive list of each app and their data usage. Additionally, live updates on data usage will also be displayed on the app’s main screen as well as on its widget. It allows users to easily and constantly track the amount of data they use.

This type of features will surely have the highest benefit to users who have a low amount of data available to them each month and want to make sure they will not exceed their limit. For example, the lowest data option on Project Fi is $30 a month, which includes the $20 base costs and the minimum of 1GB of DATA.

With already a limited number of supported device, the new Project Fi features will also be available to devices running Android 7.0 Nougat and future versions. To receive the feature, the app also needs to be on K.2.7.20 version or newer.

Are you using Google’s Project Fi? If so, what do you think about the new features?

Image source: Flickr