A new Senate bill would let the FBI and other law enforcement agencies access the contents of any US citizen’s email without a court order during investigations. Instead, the FBI would need just a National Security Letter, which would force companies to provide email access to the agency without alerting the person who’s being investigated. The FBI can already access phone records without a court order, but that law doesn’t apply to email conversations.

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

For a long time, Apple’s secrecy was legendary. The company managed to keep secrets under wraps better than any other consumer electronics company in the world. But the explosive popularity of the iPhone changed everything. Workers at the factories where Apple’s gear is built found out how valuable these leaks can be, and almost nothing is a surprise these days when Apple finally announces something new.

In the past, these leaks have done precious little in terms of a material impact on Apple’s bottom line. This year with the iPhone 7, however, that could change.

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

Netflix’s strategy for global video domination can be summed up in two words: original content. Building off the success of 2013’s House of Cards, Netflix in recent years has launched an absolute avalanche of original content that spans every genre imaginable, including crime thrillers, comedies, sci-fi, political dramas, animated sitcoms, superhero dramas and even true-crime documentaries. In fact, Netflix this past January said that it plans to roll out 600 hours of original programming throughout 2016, an impressive 33% increase from 2015.

Because developing and producing original content can get wildly expensive, Netflix’s increased focus on original content coincides with the company’s lessening interest in securing licensing deals with movie studios. The most recent casualty of Netflix’s original programming addiction is Miramax. In May of 2011, Netflix signed a 5-year and rumored $100 million licensing deal with the famed movie studio. With that deal set to expire at the end of May, Netflix reportedly has no plans to renew it in full. In turn, more than 600 movie titles will instantly be removed from Netflix’s catalog beginning on June 1.

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

Thursday’s batch of Amazon’s best daily deals is a particularly solid one because we’ve got some great bargains across a wide range of product categories. Are you in the market for a new Windows 10 machine? Check out a laptop-tablet hybrid for just $180. Want a low-cost smart home hub? Snag the second-generation SmartThings Hub for just $79. We’ve also got a big curved 4K TV for under $1,000, a bunch of discounted smartphone accessories available at surprisingly deep discounts, and plenty more.

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

If you just got yourself a shiny new Tesla and you can’t wait to test its self-driving capability, you really should remember that driverless cars aren’t quite ready for primetime yet and Tesla’s Autopilot features are still in beta. That means you definitely shouldn’t fall asleep behind the wheel like this guy, and you always need to be ready to take control if something goes wrong.

The following video shows you what can happen with car software that’s not finalized even when the driver is actually paying attention to the road. In it, we see a Tesla Model S crash itself into a van that’s parked partially in the lane the Model S is traveling in.

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

This console generation is unlike any that has come before it. Last cycle’s Xbox 360 from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 from Sony were neck and neck throughout the years, and lifetime sales ended up within a couple million units of each other by all counts. Then you had the Nintendo Wii, which blew them both away and topped 100 million units. But this time around it’s a completely different story. Nintendo’s Wii U is a complete disaster that’s already on its way out, and PS4 sales have nearly doubled Xbox One sales thanks in large part to a price gap and huge PR missteps early on.

Now, Sony has announced new sales numbers for its popular PlayStation 4 console and things aren’t looking good at all for Microsoft.

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

Unless you’re a hardcore tech lover and you follow all the Android fan blogs, odds are good that you’ve never heard of the Axon 7 and had no idea it was in the works. Actually, odds are good that you had never heard of the original ZTE Axon either, even though it has been available for quite some time now. (In case you’re wondering, numbers are completely meaningless now for some reason, so there won’t be an Axon 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.)

The Axon line might be new to you, but the Axon 7 is a smartphone you definitely won’t soon forget — it will be available unlocked for less than $500, and it’ll feature cutting-edge specs and performance on par with phones that cost nearly twice as much.

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

Some question Apple’s future in all sorts of “doom” scenarios, but the iPhone maker is hardly doomed. Its cash pile alone could help it move in any number of new directions, and a new report proves exactly that. Apparently, Apple considered buying Time Warner as it looked to make a major push into the media business.

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

If you want a Bose home audio system and you don’t want to drop a boatload of case to get it, a Bluetooth speaker is definitely the way to go. And anyone who’s tried a Bluetooth speaker from Bose knows that they offer sound far bigger than they look. Bose specializes in packing great big sound into tiny little speakers, and there is perhaps no better example of that right now than the Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III. Hearing is believing, and right now you can take a listed for just $269.00, which matches the SoundLink III’s lowest price ever.

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report

The OnePlus 3’s final design isn’t a mystery any longer, as the Chinese FCC-like regulator has published several details about the upcoming handset, including official pictures and hardware details. Unsurprisingly, the images and specs list seem to confirm what numerous leaks and rumors said in previous weeks

(more…)

Read more here:: Boy Genius Report