InMotion extends its $2.95 per month web hosting bargain - but only until Monday

We love it when a bargain becomes available on a web hosting service. And we really love it when the discount is on our number one favorite web hosting service. That's exactly what happened on Cyber Monday, and we've now found out that the special offer has been extended for another few days.

It comes from InMotion, which has reduced its premium web hosting plans in excess of 50%. And the really exciting thing (for us, at least) is that the better than half price rate is EXCLUSIVELY for TechRadar readers.

So what's the deal? It's 57% off InMotion Power, which is the company's best value plan. That takes the monthly price down to a mere $2.95 (around £2.30) when you sign up for a three year plan. With that, you get all the premium web hosting features you could need for a small business (or very serious hobby).

We're talking themes, templates, SSD storage, SSL and a free domain all thrown in. InMotion Power gets you not one, not two, but six websites, unlimited emails, marketing tools, a security suite, unlimited bandwidth and unlimited storage. All this plus turbo charged speeds.

But remember, this web hosting deal is now set to end on Monday December 3. So if you know that you're going to need a new website for you or your SME, it would pay dividends to get it sorted with InMotion this weekend.

Our EXCLUSIVE InMotion Power web hosting discount:

In addition to that, TechRadar readers can also get a 53% reduction on InMotion Pro - its most premium subscription - at a discounted rate of $7.49 (roughly £5.90) per month. Pro is an obvious upgrade for developers and growing businesses, as it adds unlimited websites doubled performance speeds and additional support in to the mix. 

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Facebook adds free TV shows Buffy, Angel, Firefly to redefine Watch

Facebook hasn’t had a hit show yet for its long-form video hub Watch, so it’s got a new plan: digging up some deceased cult favorites from television. First up, Facebook is making all episodes of Joss Whedon’s Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly free on Facebook Watch. There’ll be simultaneous viewing Watch Parties where fans can live comment together for Buffy at 3 pm PT today, Angel tomorrow at 12 pm PT, and Firefly on sunday at 12pm PT. Facebook recruited Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar to promote the launch.

These shows aren’t original, and they’re far from exclusive since they’re included in a Hulu subscription and are available to rent or buy on other platforms. But at least they’re not run-of-the-mill web content.Wwith Facebook’s remake of MTV’s Real World not arriving until Spring 2019, these sci-fi and horror shows are the most high-profile programs available on the free ad-supported streaming service. The hope is that fans of these shows will come get a taste of Watch, and then explore the rest of its programming.

However, Facebook downplayed this as a change is overarching strategy when I asked if it would be licensing more old TV shows. Instead, it’s trying to build a well-rounded mix of content. A Facbook spokesperson provided this statement:

“No – this doesn’t reflect a strategy shift. We’re focused on bringing content to Watch that people want to discuss and create a community around — whether that’s live sports like UEFA Champions League in Latin America, compelling shows like Sorry For Your Loss, Queen America and Sacred Lies, or even nostalgia content like Real World reboot we’re bringing to Watch next year. Buffy, Firefly and Angel are pop culture favorites with dedicated fan bases, and we’re excited for the opportunity to bring these shows back in a way that enables fans to watch and discuss together on the same platform.”

There’s no guarantee Whedon fans will flock to Watch in droves. [TechCrunch owner] Verizon tried the same thing, bringing Veronica Mars and Babylon 5 to its Go90 streaming service. That failed to move the needle and Go90 eventually shut down. Meanwhile, Watch Party’s simultaneous viewing hasn’t blossomed into a phenomenon, but perhaps bringing the feature to Messenger (which TechCrunch reports Facebook is internally testing) could more naturally spur these social consumption experiences.

Watch has made some progress sicne its lackluster August 2017 debut. 50 million people now spend at least 1 minute per month with Watch. For comparison, over 18 Snapchat Shows have over 10 million unique viewers per month. Facebook Watch users spend 5X longer watching than on clips discovered News Feed videos. But Facebook Watch really needs to pour the cash in necessary to secure a tent-pole series — its Game Of Thrones or House Of Cards. That might mesh well with its new strategy of conceding the younger audience that’s abandon Facebook in favor targeting older users, CNBC reported.

With so much free video content floating around and plenty of people already subscribing to Netflix, Hulu, and/or HBO, it’s been tough for Watch to gain traction when it’s so far outside the understood Facebook use case. Laying a bed of diverse content is a good baby step, but it needs something truly must-see if it’s going to wedge its way into our viewing habits.

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Niantic confirms that Pokémon GO is getting PvP battles ‘soon’

Two and a half years after the launch of Pokémon GO, it’s still missing one major staple of the main series games: player versus player battling.

That’s about to change.

In a series of teaser tweets this morning, the company confirmed that the battle system is on the way, noting only that it’s “coming soon.”

Hmm…what’s this? pic.twitter.com/EyCRUeVINd

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 30, 2018

pic.twitter.com/QRkqcA6U2O

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 30, 2018

pic.twitter.com/2Zg5PvNUv6

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 30, 2018

Get prepared… Trainer Battles are coming soon to Pokémon GO #GOBattle pic.twitter.com/AUWyhNGlT7

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 30, 2018

Battling is the feature perhaps most demanded by the player base — particularly after the other oh-so-demanded feature, trading, was finally added around six months ago. While players have long been able to battle Pokémon stored in gyms, or work together to take down bigger/badder Pokémon that show up in raids, there’s never been the sort of real-time, head-to-head battling system for which the series is so well-known.

In August of this year, a rep for Niantic mentioned that their goal was to get it out by the end of the year. Given these tweets, it’s looking like that’ll happen.

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Huawei rolls out global blockchain

Chinese tech giant Huawei has made its Blockchain Service (BCS) available globally after first launching it for commercial use in its home country on October 10th of this year.

The service, which is available on the international Huawei Cloud website, helps global businesses and developers create, deploy and manage blockchain applications quickly and at a minimal cost.

Huawei's new service solves many of the problems businesses have when deploying a blockchain which can be a costly and time-consuming endeavour. 

In 2016, the Chinese hardware manufacturer joined the most influential open source project in the blockchain field, Hyperledger. Huawei has been recognised as a key Hyperledger maintainer (as well as the only one from Asia) for its continuous technical and code contributions to the Fabric and STL sub-projects.

Advantages of BCS

BCS capitalises on Huawei Cloud's container, security and other technologies to deliver a service that is easy to use, efficient and universally applicable. Developers and businesses can use the company's blockchain service in data applications, the Internet of Things (IoT), identity authentication, proof of information, remote healthcare and IoT device management.

Huawei Cloud is also working on developing its blockchain platform further to offer technical support for businesses developing blockchain applications and solutions.

BCS is open and easy to use with built-in compliance with Hyperledger Fabric 1.1 and Kubernetes. 

Using BCS, it is possible for a company to establish a blockchain system suited to its own business in just five to ten minutes according to Huawei.

Interested users can sign up and begin using Huawei's blockchain service today.

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The best Netflix series in the UK (November 2018): fantastic Netflix shows

And the winner of Startup Battlefield at Disrupt Berlin 2018 is… Legacy

At the very beginning, there were 13 startups. After two days of incredibly fierce competition, we now have a winner.

Startups participating in the Startup Battlefield have all been hand-picked to participate in our highly competitive startup competition. They all presented in front of multiple groups of VCs and tech leaders serving as judges for a chance to win $50,000 and the coveted Disrupt Cup.

After hours of deliberations, TechCrunch editors pored over the judges’ notes and narrowed the list down to five finalists: Imago AI, Kalepso, Legacy, Polyteia and Spike.

These startups made their way to the finale to demo in front of our final panel of judges, which included: Sophia Bendz (Atomico), Niko Bonatsos (General Catalyst), Luciana Luxiandru (Accel), Ida Tin (Clue), Matt Turck (FirstMark Capital) and Matthew Panzarino (TechCrunch).

And now, meet the Startup Battlefield winner of TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin 2018.

Winner: Legacy

Legacy is tackling an interesting problem: the reduction of sperm motility as we age. By freezing men’s sperm, this Swiss-based company promises to keep our boys safe and potent as we get older, a consideration that many find vital as we marry and have kids later.

Read more about Legacy in our separate post.

Runner-Up: Imago AI

Imago AI is applying AI to help feed the world’s growing population by increasing crop yields and reducing food waste. To accomplish this, it’s using computer vision and machine learning technology to fully automate the laborious task of measuring crop output and quality.

Read more about Imago AI in our separate post.

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DoJ charges Autonomy founder with fraud over $11BN sale to HP

UK entrepreneur turned billionaire investor, Mike Lynch, has been charged with fraud in US over the 2011 sale of his enterprise software company.

Lynch sold Autonomy, the big data company he founded back in 1996, to computer giant HP for around $11BN some seven years ago.

But within a year around three-quarters of the value of the business had been written off, with HP accusing Autonomy’s management of accounting misrepresentations and disclosure failures.

Lynch has always rejected the allegations, and after HP sought to sue him in UK courts he countersued in 2015.

Meanwhile the UK’s own Serious Fraud Office dropped an investigation into the Autonomy sale in 2015 — finding “insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction”.

But now the DoJ has filed charges in a San Francisco court, accusing Lynch and other senior Autonomy executives of making false statement that inflated the value of the company.

They face 14 counts of conspiracy and fraud, according to Reuters — a charge which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

We’ve reached out to Lynch’s fund, Invoke Capital, for comment on the latest development.

The BBC has obtained a statement from his lawyers, Chris Morvillo of Clifford Chance and Reid Weingarten of Steptoe & Johnson, which describes the indictment as “a travesty of justice”.

The statement also claims Lynch is being made a scapegoat for HP’s failures, framing the allegations as a business dispute over the application of UK accounting standards. 

Two years ago we interviewed Lynch on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt London and he mocked the morass of allegations still swirling around the acquisition as “spin and bullshit”.

Following the latest developments, the BBC reports that Lynch has stepped down as a scientific adviser to the UK government.

“Dr. Lynch has decided to resign his membership of the CST [Council for Science and Technology] with immediate effect. We appreciate the valuable contribution he has made to the CST in recent years,” a government spokesperson told it.

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500 million Marriott customers affected by data breach

Hotel giant Marriott has revealed details of a major data breach that may have left the details of more than half a billion users exposed.

The company said that "approximately" 500 million guests who had made a reservation at one of its Starwood properties could be affected, with around 327 million of these seeing personal details compromised.

Information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, passport numbers and dates of birth were confirmed to be among the details taken.

However Marriott was unable to say whether payment card numbers and expiration dates were also compromised, noting that these details were encrypted, and would require multiple components to decrypt.

Marriott hack

The breach affects customer that made a reservation at a Starwood property (which includes the W Hotel, St. Regis, Sheraton, Westin, Aloft and Le Meridien brands) on or before September 10 2018, but affects bookings going all the way back to 2014.

Marriott began investigating the incident after receiving a security alert two days earlier, and on November 19 was able to confirm that details from its database had be stolen.

In a statement, Marriott President and CEO Arne Sorenson said that the company "deeply regret this incident happened."

“We fell short of what our guests deserve and what we expect of ourselves.  We are doing everything we can to support our guests, and using lessons learned to be better moving forward.”

“Today, Marriott is reaffirming our commitment to our guests around the world," he added. "We are working hard to ensure our guests have answers to questions about their personal information, with a dedicated website and call center.  We will also continue to support the efforts of law enforcement and to work with leading security experts to improve.  Finally, we are devoting the resources necessary to phase out Starwood systems and accelerate the ongoing security enhancements to our network."

Marriott has set up a dedicated website and call centre to provide advice to customers worried they may have been affected. The company says it will begin sending out emails to affected guests from today.

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Best online TV streaming services: which streaming services are worth a subscription?

Best Online TV Streaming Services: Welcome to your definitive guide to the best, most worthwhile streaming services you should subscribe to after you've decided to cut the cord.

The cord cutting movement has grown and grown in recent years and no one is surprised. There are many reasons for that, from shifting behaviors to online streaming, sky-rocketing cable bills full of features and channels no one watches and, of course, a huge selection of truly fantastic TV and movies on many streaming services online. 

Not only are there dozens of streaming services on the market, each of which offering a cornucopia of content that we can stream any time, anywhere, there are plenty new ones on the way.

For example, right now you've got your cable alternative mainstays like Netflix and Amazon, plus HBO Now for your Game of Thrones fix, and if you're still interested in live TV without the bill at the end of the month, services like YouTube TV, Hulu and Sling TV are happy to fill in the gaps. 

What's more, Disney is set to shake up the online streaming scene soon with Disney+. The new subscription service will be owned and operated by Disney and is set to land some time during 2019. 

If that just sounds more confusing and the last thing you need is another streaming service to add to your monthly outgoings, then remember that Disney+ is likely to house most of the Marvel and Star Wars content. Which means for a lot of us it's a no-brainer. 

We know what you're thinking. All this choice is great. Almost too great. If you were to subscribe to everything, you'd wind up paying more than you did for cable. So, with that in mind we've set out to find the best online TV streaming services, a definitive list of the services you absolutely need to subscribe to right now, plus a few more that are well worth your consideration.

Are you ready to kill off cable and step into the world of streaming? Pick your poison from the list of services below and don't forget to budget for Disney+ when it arrives next year. 

1. Netflix

If you're a connoisseur of movies and/or TV, there's only one must-have player in town and that's Netflix. It is, unequivocally, the biggest and best streaming service, despite not always stocking its digital shelves with must-have new movies and TV; that said, this is the staple streamer you need to own if you ever plan on cutting the cord and surviving without it. 

These days, most smart TVs have Netflix apps and finding a streaming box without it is the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack. The quality of the movies and TV we tried – mostly streamed in Ultra HD – on both TV and on tablets is exquisite.

Since launching its own content in 2013, Netflix's originals library has swelled to an enormous size, boasting dozens of award-winning shows including Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, The Crown, Master of None, House of Cards and a bunch of Marvel shows like Luke Cage, Daredevil and Jessica Jones. 

Netflix runs on a PC and Mac, Apple TV, Xbox One, PS4, Amazon Fire TV (and Amazon Fire TV Stick), Android phones and tablets, Windows Phones, iOS devices, internet-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players, and streaming players from Philips, Roku and Western Digital.

Don't forget you can also give Netflix a spin with the 1-month free trial to see if it's worth your money.

Verdict: 5/5

2. Amazon Prime Instant Video

Amazon and Netflix, they're two sides of the same coin. Usually where there's one, there's the other, and saying one is better than the other is kind of like saying jelly is better than jam.

That's not to say they're identical - they most certainly are not - but the differences are few and far between.

First off, in terms of availability, Prime Instant Video is available for PC and Mac, the Kindle Fire HD, iPad, Xbox One, PS4, internet-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players, Sony's Home Cinema system, Sony's Network Media Player and myriad other minor devices that will go unmentioned.

Like Netflix, Amazon has its own set of original series - Transparent, Alpha House and Mozart in the Jungle among others - but, generally speaking, they don't receive the same fanfare as their Netflix-bred brethren.

But although Netflix isn't just full of must-watch shows, it's worth mentioning Amazon Prime does get some pretty terrible new additions from time to time. So always check out our what to watch recommendations before you dive in head first. 

The two big differentiators between the services are the fact that access to Prime Instant Video comes standard with a subscription to Amazon Prime, and Amazon has its own proprietary set-top box, the Amazon Fire TV.

The £69/$69 (around AU$90) streamers aren't the only connected devices with access to Amazon obviously, but engulfing yourself into the Amazon ecosphere greatly improves your chances of falling in love with Instant Video.

As far as its cost, a subscription to Amazon Prime will run you $99/£99 a year - which is even less than Netflix, though like Netflix, Prime Instant Video also offers a 30-day free trial so you don't have to pony up any money when you first start.

Verdict: 5/5

3. Hulu and Hulu Plus

If you would've told us back in the '90s that a video streaming service called "Hulu" would be the best way to watch shows like The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live and South Park in the 21st century, we would've thought Y2K succeeded in corrupting the human consciousness.

Yet here we are in 2018 and the Douglas Adams-sounding Hulu is indeed the best way to watch our favorite shows from NBC, FOX and Comedy Central.

Hulu comes in two flavors: the standard on-demand streaming service you've always known and loved, and the new Hulu with Live TV.

The former works well and is well worth its cost of entry. Sure, it'll run you $7.99 and air with a few advertisements, but it's nothing you're not used to coming from traditional cable. On the homepage you'll find highlighted shows based on your past visits to the site as well as curated content from Hulu HQ. This includes game trailers, new movie trailers, popular clips from last week's new episodes as well as a few themed playlists.

The other option on the table is Hulu with Live TV, a cable alternative that will run you around $39.99 a month – which is, unfortunately, limited to the US. The service fulfills its name by offering you a bevy of live TV channels and 50 hours cloud DVR service and two simultaneous screens. This is a bit less than the next contender on our list – YouTube TV – which offers more screens and unlimited DVR space.

The biggest problem with Hulu is that it lets users run head first into the paywall, keeping you from the content you're most apt to pay for.

Some call this good business. Some call it extortion. Wherever you stand on the subject the fact that you get so much free content upfront means that the old adage of "you get what you pay for" definitely does not apply here.

Verdict: 4.5/5

4. YouTube and YouTube TV

Ask someone what they think was the biggest internet revolution of the 21st century and they'll probably say it was YouTube. And with good reason - the user-generated video-blogging site has changed the online landscape forever.

It lets anyone, however well known they are (or not), whatever the quality of their content and wherever they hail from, upload their weird and wonderful videos for anyone around the world to watch at their convenience. The beauty of YouTube is that in the blink of an eye it's taken the broadcasting power from the bigwigs and placed it right in our hands.

OK, so it might not have stopped people wanting to watch a high quality, professionally made production in their living room TVs, but it's an insight into how TV might be produced in the future. After all with YouTube you don't need a big budget – or indeed any budget at all – to produce your own TV series and establish a massive following.

While the free portion of YouTube will always remain the most popular (the latest statistic says that a whopping eight years' worth of content is uploaded each and every day to the site), but if you're looking for quality content, YouTube TV is also an excellent option worth considering.

A subscription to YouTube TV is on the expensive side at $40 a month, but you're treated to a fair amount of content – around 60 channels replete with cloud DVR functionality. The service is available only in the US for now, however, and even here it's only available in around 100 markets around the country. Still, if you're lucky enough to be in one of those areas, it's the best live TV streaming service out there right now.

Verdict: 4/5

5. HBO Now and HBO Go

HBO Go? More like HBO-Do-Not-Pass-Go-Without-a-Cable-Subscription, amiright?

But no, seriously, in order to get into the member-only club that is HBO Go you're really going to need the login info of a paying cable subscriber. If you've got one of those, subscribing to HBO Go is an absolute no-brainer – it's free for you! Go on, download it right now and put our word to the test.

If borrowing mom and dad's cable account info isn't in the cards and the ominous cable bill is too threatening to even consider, there's HBO Now, a $15 per month service that gives you access to HBO's entire content library. 

Alongside the new shows of Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley and West World you'll also find heaps of big-budget films, new and old, and the stable of HBO classics like The Sopranos, Deadwood, Oz, True Blood, Sex in the City, Rome and The Pacific. The service doesn't get as many updates as say, Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon do, but episodes are typically added within hours of them airing on cable.

HBO is a bit more selective about which device it interfaces with than Netflix and YouTube, but so far you can find it on Amazon Fire TV, Android/iOS, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and the whole line of Samsung Smart TVs.

Verdict: 4/5

6. Sling TV 

We've spoken at length about Sling TV in our review but in case you missed it, here's what you need to know: Sling TV is live TV streaming from DISH whenever and wherever. But unlike traditional cable or satellite, there's no contracts, no equipment and no costly bill at the end of the month.

Sling TV is a kind of cure-all for the cord-cutting generation, something that we knew we needed but no company stepped up to make. That said, it's everything cable's not. It's affordable. It's no-obligation. And there are absolutely zero sales reps trying to stop you from canceling your contract.

Best of all, you won't have to give up some of the perks cable provided in the last few years like the ability to pause live TV or watch something that aired up to 72 hours ago.

But let's get down to brass tacks. $20 a month gets you a TON of cable channels - ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Travel Channel, CNN, Cartoon Network, ABC Family, Disney Channel and AMC, and many, many more.

If the included channels aren't enough, Sling TV sells nine add-on packages for $5 a month that add around five channels each and focus on a particular theme (International News, Latino Programming, Sports, etc...) 

Sling TV is available on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick, Xbox One and Roku TV, plus select LG and Samsung smart TVs and on PC and Mac via the website portal. 

It's not without limitations, however. The standard Sling TV package, called Sling TV Orange, while available on a plethora of mobile and living room gadgets, will only work on one device at a time and, admittedly, at $20 per month doesn't present the same content-to-dollar ratio that Netflix or Prime Instant Video provide.

Verdict: 3.5/5

7. Crunchyroll

Call us crazy but there's something endearing about a streaming service that knows exactly what its audience wants. Crunchyroll is the streaming service any anime, manga or East-Asian cinema fan in your life has always wanted and never knew about.

Founded by Berkeley graduates back in 2006, Crunchyroll started as a bootleg website of sorts where users uploaded their favorite shows without permission of the original owners. Not the humblest of beginnings. Fast-forward to 2015 where the service has over five million community members, 200 series available on tap and is worth, when last checked, $100 million.

While you won't find genre staples like Dragon Ball Z, Digimon or Pokémon around, most of the site's 200-plus series are available to watch for free in SD, typically prefaced with a 20-second advert. Watching any content in full 1080p HD requires a $6.95 monthly subscription to the service, just be sure to check out the 14-day free trial before you begin.

Besides the slick web interface, Crunchyroll is available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, Google TV and Samsung and Panasonic's line of Smart TVs.

Verdict: 3.5/5

8. Twitch

For a certain crowd, Twitch (formerly known as Justin.tv) is about the best invention since sliced bread. Essentially it's a livestreaming platform that focuses primarily on videogames where you can find everything from world tournament coverage to someone muddling their way through that indie darling you had your eye on buying.

It's not traditional by any means, but you'll find plenty to see and do on Twitch. Best of all the app is free on almost any platform you can think of: iOS, Android, Xbox One, PS4, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV … you name it, it probably has a Twitch app.

Twitch may be limited to a niche audiences of gamers at the moment, but the platform clearly shows promise. Amazon bought the service wholesale in December of last year for a cool $970 million. Whether you count it as real TV programming, however, is another question.

Verdict: 3/5

9. iTunes / Google Play Store

Second-to-last on our list are iTunes and its Android counterpart, the Google Play Store. "Wait," you might say. "Why lump these two titans together?" Because it makes sense.

Every other entry on this list has one factor going for it - it's either free or offers a buffet-style, all-you-can-stream option. Apple and Google's primary storefronts don't offer that.

Payment is always done per title - which makes sense when you want to stream, say, the latest movie once per month - but is one of the most illogical ways to consume media if you plan on binge-watching anything.

That said, they're not all bad. In fact, there's no better way to own a digital copy of your favorite film or TV series than to buy it off one of these. Its ability to transfer any movies or TV shows straight to your mobile device makes these two of the slickest staples in the streaming world. Didn't have time to finish that movie on your desktop last night? Save it to your iPad and watch the rest of it on the way to work the following morning. Easy.

iTunes isn't perfect, we'll admit. It's a little bit clunky and slow at times, the newest version is slightly baffling, and Windows aficionados will baulk at the need to install Apple software just to get access to something you want to watch. Conversely, the Google Play Store will have you shelling out $3.99 for an SD version of a film that came out years ago, even if it's available elsewhere for free.

But that's the real Marmite bit of these e-commerce services. You pay to play or you can take your business elsewhere.

Verdict: 2.5/5

10. Crackle

While creating this list, we gave some serious thought to leaving Crackle off completely. With a poor selection and even poorer streaming quality you'd be forgiven for never knowing about Sony Pictures Entertainment's unfortunate streaming offshoot.

Crackle offers a rotating selection of a few dozen films from motion picture studios' archives that focus on six categories: action, comedy, crime, drama, horror and sci-fi. One month you might see a kitsch classic like Ghostbusters, while the next you won't be as fortunate and will only find a few throw-away films from the '90s. Warning: Each film is streamed in standard definition, and a tiny ad floats at the bottom of the screen throughout the entirety of your stay.

What helped it make the cut? Its price. Streaming any one of the few dozen movies and TV shows found on Crackle's website is completely free, no strings attached. Keep in mind that advertisements pop up before each movie starts, and expect a few intermittently throughout the film.

Should you choose to endure it, Crackle is available on iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Nook, Kindle, Roku, PlayStation TV, Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, most Blu-ray players, smart TVs, game consoles including the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PlayStation Vita, online and T-Mobile TV.

Verdict: 1.5/5

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Facebook quietly hired Republican strategy firm Targeted Victory

Facebook is still reeling from the revelation that it hired an opposition research firm with close ties to the Republican party, but its relationship with Definers Public Affairs isn’t the company’s only recent contract work with deeply GOP-linked strategy firms.

According to sources familiar with the project, Facebook also contracted with Targeted Victory, described as “the GOP’s go-to technology consultant firm.” Targeted Victory worked with Facebook on the company’s Community Boost roadshow, a tour of U.S. cities meant to stimulate small business interest in Facebook as a business and ad platform. The ongoing Community Boost initiative, announced in late 2017, kicked off earlier this year with stops in cities like and Topeka, Kansas and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Facebook also worked with Targeted Victory on the company’s ad transparency efforts. Over the last year, Facebook has attempted to ward off regulation from Congress over ad disclosure, even putting forth some self-regulatory efforts to appease legislators. Specifically, it has dedicated considerable lobbying resources to slow any progress from the Honest Ads Act, a piece of legislature that would force the company to make retain copies of election ads, disclose spending and more. Targeted Victory, a digital strategy and marketing firm, is not a registered lobbyist for Facebook on any work relating to ad transparency. 

Sheryl Sandberg knew more of Facebook’s work with Definers than she let on

Targeted Victory

On his company biography page, Targeted Victory founder and CEO Zac Moffatt describes his experience helping companies “enhance their brand and get their message out in the current political and media environment,” mentioning Facebook, FedEx and Gillette as corporate clients. The bio page appears to be one of the only public mentions of his work with Facebook and the company was not mentioned alongside Gillette and FedEx on his Linkedin page.

TechCrunch reached out to Facebook to ask if it also contracted with equivalent left-leaning groups or other political firms it was willing to disclose. The company declined to comment on its political contract work and on the nature of its work with Targeted Victory.

In July and September of this year, Facebook hosted members of Targeted Victory for panels on election integrity and ad transparency, as well as best practices for election season. It’s unclear if Facebook disclosed its financial relationship to the company at the time.

In March of 2017, a blog post by Targeted Victory mentioned that a new investment would “strengthen [Targeted Victory’s] already unmatched relationships with top teams at Facebook, Google, Twitter and Snapchat” indicating that the company had an established rapport with Facebook and other major tech companies at the time. TechCrunch contacted Targeted Victory about the nature of its work for this story but did not receive a reply.

Like Definers, Targeted Victory was founded by digital team members from Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign who formed their own companies in the election’s aftermath. As TechCrunch previously reported, Facebook’s communications team has a number of ties to Romney’s campaign and the company’s contract work with Definers arose out of those connections. Though the depth of Facebook’s work with Targeted Victory is not yet known, TechCrunch will continue to report what it learns. 

Sheryl Sandberg knew more of Facebook’s work with Definers than she let on

Prior to Targeted Victory, Moffatt served as the digital director on the Romney campaign, founding his company after the campaign dissolved. Before working on the campaign, Moffatt worked for the Republican National Committee. 

While the extent of Targeted Victory’s work with Facebook is not clear, Moffatt’s firm provides a range of potentially relevant services. On its website, Targeted Victory advertises “public affairs, advertising, media planning, fundraising and reputation management.” The company also offers services in online political advertising and voter targeting as dual areas of expertise. 

Moffatt’s opposition of regulation efforts targeting online political advertising is well known. In an interview with Axios last year, Moffatt criticized congressional interest in regulating political ads. “No government regulator, and very few members of the media, understand how these mediums are being leveraged by campaigns,” Moffatt said, dismissing potential regulation for tech platforms as “a knee-jerk reaction.”

Late last year, Moffatt suggested that Facebook’s efforts to self regulate could boost the social giant’s profits. Specifically, that Facebook’s decision to ask political groups to publish the ads they buy could generate even more interest in ad buys as firms see what their rivals are up to and ratchet up their spending.

Facebook’s visible political money

The world’s largest social network might be regarded as a just another liberal Silicon Valley stronghold by critics on the right, but Facebook’s financial disclosures and contract work tell a fairly different story. Facebook’s lobbying and federal political contributions in recent years depict a company with financial heft doled out to both the left and the right. Facebook’s federal lobbyists and political donations are registered in searchable public databases, but, as with any company, that data only reveals the surface layer of political relationships.

Facebook policy head makes a surprising cameo at the Kavanaugh hearing

Facebook 2016 congressional contributions via OpenSecrets.org

Over the last three years, Facebook’s registered lobbying expenditures were mostly spent on large, uncontroversial bipartisan firms, a few smaller groups with specific partisan ties and a smattering of other issue-specific specialists. For example, Facebook brought on a Democratic former Senate chief of staff for lobbying related to “data security, online privacy, and elections integrity” and a firm called Capitol Tax Partners to lobby around tax reform.

Facebook PAC Contribution Summary via OpenSecrets.org

Historically, Facebook’s donations to Democratic candidates outweigh those to Republicans, though the numbers approached parity in the 2012 and 2014 election cycles. On the other hand, Facebook’s PAC, established in 2011, favored Republican candidates in three of the last four national election cycles, tipping Democratic by a margin of 1% in 2018. In 2016 Facebook’s PAC gave 44% of contributions to Democrats and 55% to Republican candidates.

At Facebook, Vice President of Global Public Policy Joel Kaplan “oversees all corporate political activity, including lobbying activities and political contributions.” A prominent Republican, Kaplan also oversees Facebook’s state level contributions, collected here, with the help of members of the company’s Public Policy, Legal and Communications departments. Kaplan made headlines in September when he sat in support of Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee accused of sexual violence and later confirmed. Following the confirmation, Kaplan and his wife hosted a party for Kavanaugh.

Facebook policy head makes a surprising cameo at the Kavanaugh hearing

Making amends with conservatives

It’s not clear when Facebook’s relationship with Targeted Victory began and whether Facebook has ramped up relationships with conservative consultants in recent years or held them steady.

In May 2016, Moffatt attended a high profile meeting with Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and 15 other prominent conservatives. Facebook ostensibly organized the meeting to mend fences with Republicans who were criticizing the social giant for a perceived bias against conservatives.

“I know many conservatives don’t trust that our platform surfaces content without a political bias,” Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post following the meeting. “I wanted to hear their concerns personally and have an open conversation about how we can build trust.”

After the meeting, Moffatt remarked that anyone who didn’t see Facebook’s bias against conservative voices, part of a broader perceived trend in left-leaning Silicon Valley, “is completely missing the larger picture.”

In spite of the Facebook’s apparent financial ties to some of the GOP’s most closely held strategic groups, its Republican-helmed D.C. office and its contributions to candidates on both the left and right, criticisms that Facebook operates with a left-leaning bias remain a familiar chorus.

For his part, Moffatt was cautiously optimistic following the 2016 meeting with Sandberg and Zuckerberg, noting that “he would actually commend Facebook for being the only one of the major tech groups in Silicon Valley that’s willing to have conversations like this.”

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Tis the season for cyberattacks

With Cyber Monday behind us and the holiday shopping season in full swing, consumers around the world are busy shopping for everyone on their list this year. However, this massive influx of online purchases has gained the attention of cybercriminals looking to exploit the holidays for their own gain.

TechRadar Pro spoke with Carbon Black's Chief Cybersecurity Officer Tom Kellerman who provided further insight on the tactics used by cybercriminals and how shoppers can protect themselves online this holiday season.

Tom Kellermann, Chief Cybersecurity Officer for Carbon Black

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Get premium screen recorder ApowerREC free – exclusively for TechRadar readers

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To activate ApowerREC, download and install the software, then launch it for the first time. Click 'Sign up' and enter your email address, a password, and the verification code A5EC7-2A4CP-ND4T3-21F7B. 

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With ApowerREC, you can record your entire screen or a selected area, and add annotations (including drawings, arrows and text) while the capture is taking place. There's a special gaming mode, and you can capture footage from a webcam too (ideal for making Let's Play videos and walkthroughs).

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Sheryl Sandberg knew more of Facebook’s work with Definers than she let on

Two weeks after the New York Times revealed Facebook’s controversial work with Republican opposition research firm Definers Public Affairs, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has changed her story in significant ways.

The latest revelation: Sandberg herself directed Facebook’s communications team to probe the financial ties of George Soros, left-leaning billionaire and frequent political target of the right. The new reporting cites an email between Sandberg and a Facebook senior executive that was circulated more broadly to senior comms and policy staff.

As TechCrunch has learned — and Sandberg herself alluded to in a statement — Sandberg was also looped into emails about Definers, the team that later conducted research into Soros on Facebook’s behalf. Definers was also integrated more deeply into Facebook’s communications operations than has previously been reported.

People knowledgeable of Facebook’s inner workings and those outside of the company expressed surprise at Sandberg’s choice to initially deny any knowledge of the relationship with Definers. “Mark issued an absolute denial and Sheryl followed, which surprised all of us because we knew her denial wasn’t true,” a source familiar with the firm’s work told TechCrunch.

When the Definers story broke, Mark Zuckerberg issued a swift statement denying any knowledge of the firm’s work. Sheryl Sandberg also denied any knowledge of Definers, though walked that statement back four days later when Facebook’s recently departed policy and communications head Elliot Schrage took the blame for the work.

In a statement coupled with his, Sandberg said that she initially did not remember a firm named Definers but upon review admitted that the firm’s work with Facebook was “incorporated into materials” presented to her and that the firm was referenced in “a small number of emails” she had received. Facebook’s decision to hire Definers, a corporate-facing outgrowth of the Republican America Rising PAC known for its fierce opposition research, proved to be a deeply controversial departure from Silicon Valley ethical norms.

How the Definers relationship began

As TechCrunch has learned, Definers began its work with Facebook through Facebook’s content communications team and Facebook’s Director of Policy Communications, Andrea Saul, a former colleague of Definers founder Matt Rhoades. As we previously reported, many members of Facebook’s communications team are former Republican campaign staffers and strategists with ties to the outside firm that Facebook controversially brought in to support its own internal PR efforts.

Definers began working with Facebook last July and over time the firm was integrated more deeply into Facebook’s communications workings. The firm began its work through Facebook’s content communications team and Facebook’s Director of Policy Communications, Andrea Saul, a former colleague of Definers founder Matt Rhoades.

After it was set into motion, Facebook’s relationship with Definers was mostly overseen by Andrea Saul, Tom Reynolds and Ruchika Budhraja in Menlo Park. In Washington D.C., Definers was handled by Andy Stone under Facebook’s chief lobbyist, Joel Kaplan. Kaplan, who worked in the George W. Bush administration with Definers’ founder and its president, was also in the loop due to his role as a strong in-house Republican voice among many at Facebook. Kaplan made headlines recently when he made a public show of support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh who was accused of sexual violence.

As TechCrunch previously reported, many members of Facebook’s communications team are former Republican campaign staffers and strategists with ties to the outside firm that Facebook controversially brought in to support its own internal PR efforts. Facebook’s Tucker Bounds also has close ties to Definers through his friend Tim Miller, who helped create America Rising, the political action committee prong of the firm. His role in the relationship with Facebook, if any, is not clear.

Facebook has other ties to Definers, the GOP-led opposition research group

It’s true that Definers came on board initially for more generic PR support — not oppo research per se — and that’s how the firm’s involvement was framed in an email introducing them into Facebook’s own team. According to a source who spoke with TechCrunch, “The work that they were doing initially was nonpartisan, it was media monitoring.” Definers provided Facebook with its own press lists and engaged in other more mundane day to day PR activities.

Over time, Facebook leaned more heavily on the outside firm. Definers worked closely with Facebook’s policy communications team, checking in through weekly calls. While legal firm WilmerHale prepared the Facebook CEO and COO for their time on the stand, Definers also assisted with all three Congressional hearings that brought Facebook before Congress, including Zuckerberg and Sandberg’s hearings. For Sandberg’s hearing, Definers handled the crisis PR responding to the event and the coverage around the testimony.

“Facebook consultants are on very short leashes,” a source familiar with the work told TechCrunch. “Everything that Definers shared with media was approved by a Facebook employee.” While an outside agency might have more autonomy in working with a different company, Facebook was closely involved in the firm’s work and was likely aware of all of its plans and dealings. “Definers knows where the bodies are buried,” the source told TechCrunch.

So far nothing has turned up to indicate that Zuckerberg, like Sandberg, had prior exposure to the firm’s work. Given his general disinterest in media relations, it is believable that Mark Zuckerberg had no awareness of Definers or the communications team’s deep and often out in the open ties with the external Republican communications firm. Zuckerberg is far less involved in the strategic decisions that go into the way Facebook positions itself to the outside world than Sandberg herself.

Facebook’s communications team is an infamously well-oiled machine and that machine is often put to use to protect Sandberg and promote her agenda — at times over Facebook’s own interests. If Sandberg’s latest and perhaps most surprising admission will at last strain trust in her leadership to a breaking point remains to be seen.

Know anything about this story and have something to add? Contact me at taylor.hatmaker@techcrunch.com. Secure contact for files and sensitive info: Signal 510.545.3125 or thatmaker@protonmail.com.

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Instagram now lets you share Stories to a Close Friends list

No one wants to post silly, racy, or vulnerable Stories if they’re worried their boss, parents, and distant acquaintances are watching. So to get people sharing more, and more authentically, Instagram will let you share to fewer people. Today after 17 months of testing, Instagram is globally launching Close Friends on iOS and Android over the next two days. It lets you build a single private list of your best buddies on Instagram through suggestions or search, and then share Stories just to them. They’ll see a green circle around your profile pic in the existing Story tray to let them know this is Close Friends-only content, but no one gets notified if they’re added or removed from your list that only you can view.

“As you add more and more people [on any social network], you start not to know them. That’s obviously going to change the things that you’re sharing and it makes it even harder to form every deep connections with your closest friends because you’re basically curating for the largest possible distribution,” said Instagram director of product Robby Stein, who announced the news onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin. “To really be yourself and connect and be connected to your best friends, you need your own place.”

I spent the last few days demoing Close Friends and it’s remarkably smooth, intuitive, and useful. Suddenly there was a place to post what I might otherwise consider too random or embarrassing to share. Teens already invented the idea of “Finstagrams,” or fake Instagram accounts, to share feed posts to just their favorite people without the pressure to look cool. Now Instagram is formalizing that idea into “Finstastories” through Close Friends.

The feature is a wise way to counteract the natural social graph creep that occurs as people accept social networking requests out of a sense of obligatory courtesy from people they aren’t close to, which then causes them to only share blander content. Helping people express their wild side as must-see content for their Close Friends could drive up time spent on the app. But there’s also the risk that the launch creates private echo sphere havens for offensive content beyond the eyes of those who’d rightfully report it.

“No one has ever mastered a close friends graph and made it easy for people to understand” Stein notes. The path to variable sharing privacy winds through a cemetery. Facebook’s “Lists” product struggled to find traction for a decade before being half-shut down. Google+’s big selling point was “Circles” for sharing to different groups of people. But with both, user found it too boring and confusing to make a bunch of different lists they could share to or view feeds from. Snapchat launched its own Groups feature two months ago, but it’s easy to forget who’s in which list and they’re designed around group chat. Most users just end up trying their best to reject, unfollow, or mute people they didn’t want to see or share with.

Now after almost 15 years of Facebook, 12 years of Twitter, 8 years of Instagram, and 7 years of Snapchat, that strategy has failed for many, leading to noisy feeds and a fear of sharing to too many. “People get friend requests and they feel pressure to accept” Stein explains. “The curve is actually that your sharing goes up and as you add more people initially, as more people can respond to you. But then there’s a point where it reduces sharing over time.”

So Instagram chose to build Close Friends as just a single list in hopes that you won’t lose track of who’s part of it. As the feature rolls out today, there’ll be an explainer Story from Instagram about it in your tray, you’ll get walked through when you hit the Close Friends button on the Story composer, and there’ll be a call out on your profile to configure Close Friends in the settings menu. You’ll be able to search for your close friends or quickly add them from a list of suggestions based on who you interact with most. You can add or remove as many people as you want without them knowing, they just will or won’t see your green circled Close Friends story. “We’re protecting you and your right to share or not share to certain people. It gives you air cover” Stein tells me

From then on, you can use the Close Friends shortcut in the Stories composer to share it with just those people, who’ll see a green “Close Friends” label on the story to let them know they’re special. Instagram will use the signal of who you add to help rank and order your Stories tray, but it won’t automatically pop Close Friends Stories to the front. When asked if Facebook would use that data for personalization too, Stein told me “We’re the same company” but said using it to improve Facebook is “not something that we’re actively working on.”

There’s no screenshot alerts, similar to the rest of Instagram Stories, but you won’t be able to DM anyone someone else’s Close Friends Story. That’s it. “We haven’t invented any new design affordances or things you need to know” Stein beams. For now it’s meant for user profiles, but publishers, social media celebrities, and brands would probably love ways to build fan clubs through the feature. Perhaps Instagram would even allow creators to charge users to be admitted to Close Friends. If not, some savvy influencers will probably do it anyways as they try to make Instagram more like Patreon.

Instagram’s Robby Stein (left) tells TechCrunch’s Josh Constine about Close Friends at Disrupt Berlin

The one concern here is that Close Friends could create little bunkers in which people can share objectionable content without consequence. It’d be sad to see it harbor racism, sexism, or other stuff that doesn’t belong anywhere on Instagram. Stein says that because you’re talking with friends instead of strangers on a Reddit, “it self regulates what it’s used for. We haven’t seen a lot of that usage in the testing that we’ve done. It’s still a broadcast channel and it doesn’t generate this group discussion. It doesn’t spiral.”

Overall, I think Close Friends will be a hit. When it started testing a prototype called Favorites in June 2017 it worked with feed posts too, but Instagram decided the off the cuff posts wouldn’t fit right next to your more widely broadcasted highlights. But confined to Stories, it feels like a natural and much-needed extension of what Instagram was always supposed to be but that’s gotten lost in our swelling social networks: giving the people you love a window into your life.

Robby Stein (Instagram) debuts a new feature called Close Friends that allows users to share Stories with a small group of friends #TCDisrupt pic.twitter.com/ontdA7CQU0

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) November 30, 2018

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Cisco and UK police team up for cybersecurity training

Cisco has announced plans to help provide cybersecurity training for thousands of UK police in the latest attempt to curb the rise of online crime. 

The tech giant has announced its Cisco Networking Academy will be providing specialised training and guidance to 120,000 officers across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The partnership will allow the police force to utilise Cisco's cybersecurity expertise, and build a strong and successful skill programme for officers at all levels of seniority.

The Cisco Networking Academy offers a range of specialised tech-focused programmes, with online and in-person learning options available.

Police cybersecurity

“We are very pleased to be working with Cisco Networking Academy," said Andy Beet from the National Police Chiefs’ Council. "By joining the programme, forces can access training designed to raise awareness and increase their understanding of cybercrime and cyber threats, while also gaining insights into the procedures used to defend networks."

"It’s important for all police officers to understand cybersecurity as fully as possible; by doing so they can develop their knowledge in this increasingly important area, improving security in both their professional and personal lives."

The news marks the first anniversary of Cisco's digital skills manifesto in the UK, which aimed to join forces with government, industry and educational institutions to promote tech knowledge and training across the country.

The company says that the Cisco Networking Academy has already helped train over eight million people around the world since its inception 20 years ago, and will help a further 250,000 people in the UK by 2020.

“The UK is one of the world’s most digitally active nations, and with that comes ever increasing opportunity for cyber criminals to exploit individuals and organisations," said Scot Gardner, Chief Executive, Cisco UK and Ireland.

"We’re extremely proud to be working with the Police in their efforts to help make the UK a safer place to be online. Through the Cisco Networking Academy, our ambition is to help ensure that people around the world have the digital skills they need to be successful in any profession.”

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Get a £55 Amazon.co.uk Gift Card with this cheap broadband deal from TalkTalk

When it comes to the competitive world of internet providers, what's even better than a cheap broadband deal? Nothing, right? Well, what about a cheap broadband deal that comes with a £55 Gift Card that you can spend at Amazon.co.uk, Tesco, Argos or Ticketmaster? Oh yeah, now we've got your attention...

This offer that is EXCLUSIVE to TechRadar readers only, comes courtesy of TalkTalk who is offering the Gift Card alongside its Fast Broadband package. That's average speeds of 11Mb, no activation or set up fees and just £19.95 per month. While that's already a rather good deal TalkTalk is also throwing in this £55 Gift Card that you can use at your choice of those popular retailers.

To get your hands on this deal you'll have to go to this GiftCloud page and enter your email - you won't be eligible if you head straight to the TalkTalk site. You will then be guided through the process of getting your new broadband with that added £55 incentive. That page also has full terms and conditions of the offer.

Scroll down to see this deal in full or go to our broadband deals page if this one just doesn't quite fit what you're looking for. But keep in mind that this offer is only available on the TalkTalk Fast Broadband package.

TalkTalk's Amazon.co.uk Gift Card deal in full:

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We're glad you asked, because there's yet another TechRadar exclusive internet plan from Black Friday that's still just about running. And we think you might like it...

It's with provider Onestream, and the headline is that it costs a mere £9.99 per month! Simply put, it's the cheapest broadband deal we've EVER seen. It's still going, but we know that there are less than 200 to claim, so you may need to hurry if the idea of £9.99 a month internet sounds like something you'd be up for - head here for all the details and to sign up.

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Firefox Reality now supports 360-degree video and seven extra languages

Firefox Reality, Mozilla's VR web browser, has received its first major update since its launch in September. Firefox Reality 1.1 (available to download now for Oculus and Google Daydream) adds several new features to make browsing the web easier and more natural while wearing a headset.

Firefox Reality now supports 360-degree video from sources like YouTube, so you can leave the browser interface behind completely and become fully immersed in the action. There's also a new Theater mode for regular videos, which dims everything except the playback window so you can focus more easily.

There's improved localization, with support for seven additional languages, and the browser now offers improved voice search - an addition that makes using the web much easier than 'typing' using a controller and a virtual keyboard. 

A different approach

Other new additions include improved interface performance (for tasks like resizing windows) and the ability to create bookmarks that are stored locally. These might seem unremarkable, but many of the tools and options we've come to expect in desktop and mobile web browsers require a different approach in VR. For example, resizing involves using a controller to change the size of the browser window, moving it up and down to make the window larger or smaller rather than dragging a corner as you would with a mouse.

Mozilla is currently working on adding multi-window support, tabs and content-syncing to Firefox Reality - all of which will also need a different approach to other versions of the browser. We'll be interested to see how the developer adapts them for use without a keyboard, mouse or touchscreen.

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Another one bites the dust as Netflix cancels Daredevil

Following the surprise cancellations of Netflix's Iron Fist and Luke Cage shows, the streaming service has struck again by axing the Marvel series that started it all, Daredevil, as reported by Deadline.

Exploding out the gate with a popular and well-received first series, interest in the show began to dwindle following a two year hiatus and the disappointing team-up event, The Defenders. 

While the third season, which landed on Netflix last month, has been met with much more acclaim, it was seemingly not enough to save the Devil of Hell's Kitchen from the service's chopping block. 

It's unknown whether Marvel's move towards the upcoming Disney+ streaming service has anything to do with the decision, though the studio has already announced new shows starring Loki, Falcon and the Winter Soldier for the Netflix competitor. 

Pour one out for Matt Murdock

“Marvel’s Daredevil will not return for a fourth season on Netflix," said the company in an official statement on the matter. "We are tremendously proud of the show’s last and final season and although it’s painful for the fans, we feel it best to close this chapter on a high note." 

The statement continued, "We’re thankful to showrunner Erik Oleson, the show’s writers, stellar crew and incredible cast including Charlie Cox as Daredevil himself, and we’re grateful to the fans who have supported the show over the years."

Curiously, Netflix then goes on to suggest that we haven't seen the last of the character, though it's difficult to discern what it means from a live-action standpoint. "While the series on Netflix has ended, the three existing seasons will remain on the service for years to come, while the Daredevil character will live on in future projects for Marvel.”

Currently, Marvel's Jessica Jones and The Punisher shows still remain, with each set to return for another season. Whether they continue beyond that is another story. 

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4K upscaling: Everything you need to know about how TVs turn HD into 4K

Nintendo Switch forecasted to outsell the PS4 in 2019

The Switch has been a monster hit for Nintendo by nearly every measure. The convertible console is precisely the success the company needed after a few years in the wilderness following the Wii U flop and smartphone foot-dragging.

Strategy Analytics predicts more good things for the platform, predicting that Nintendo will surpass Sony in console sales next year. The margins are admittedly pretty thin, with Nintendo selling 17.3 million Switches to Sony’s 17.1 million PS4/PS4 Pro (Microsoft’s in a distant third here at an even 10 million), but if it holds, it will be an impressive feat nonetheless. 

That number would put Nintendo ahead of the pack for the first time in 10 years, back in the Wii/PS3/Xbox 360 days. The company’s gearing up to release one of the console’s biggest titles yet, with the new Super Smash Bros. due out next week, and rumors have been swirling around update hardware for 2019, which would be pretty standard fare for Nintendo.

While those sales would propel the company to the front of the pack, Sony’s still got a much larger overall user base, accounting for around half of consoles currently in use — an impressive 84 percent of which are PS4s.

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Privacy search engine Startpage launches anonymous browsing feature

In an effort to further protect its users online, privacy search engine Startpage.com has launched a new “Anonymous View” feature.

The new feature protects users against tracking by serving as an anonymous buffer between websites and end users.

Most users are aware of Google Chrome and other browsers' 'incognito mode' which prevents your browsing history as well as cookies from being stored. However, incognito mode gives users a false sense of privacy since it does not actually protect users from websites that track, save and sell their web behaviour.

Anonymous View on the other hand, actually does. When a user clicks on an Anonymous View link, Startpage.com goes to the website, loads the page and displays it for them. Though instead of seeing the user, the webpage sees Startpage as the visitor while the user remains invisible.

Protecting users' privacy

A free Anonymous View link is available to the right of every search result on Startpage.com which makes it incredibly easy for users to visit websites while protecting their privacy.

The company's CEO Robert Beens provided further insight on this new feature in a statement, saying:

"With this innovation, we make it easier for consumers to keep personal data more private than ever before. Anonymous View is easy to use and unique for any search engine," said Startpage.com CEO Robert Beens. “Unlike the incognito mode in your browser, Anonymous View really protects you. It combines searching in privacy with viewing in privacy.

“We will continue to offer the world's best search results without the tracking and profiling,” Beens promised. “We are proud of our new features together with our new design and faster results. We will continue to develop new online tools that help people take back their privacy.”

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Starbucks plans to block adult content on its Wi-Fi in 2019

Starting in 2019, Starbucks will begin blocking adult content on its stores' Wi-Fi following increased public pressure from an internet-safety group.

While viewing adult content on the company's wireless network has always violated its policy, now the coffee giant has a way to stop it all together.

A Starbucks representative offered more details on how it plans to filter appropriate and inappropriate content to NBC News, saying:

"We have identified a solution to prevent this content from being viewed within our stores and we will begin introducing it to our U.S. locations in 2019.”

Public pressure

Starbucks' announcement comes after a recent petition from internet-safety advocacy group Enough is Enough earned 26,000 signatures. 

Back in 2014, the group launched an adult content-free campaign geared at McDonald's and Starbucks. While McDonald's responded to the campaign proactively, Starbucks did not which is why Enough is Enough decided to put additional pressure on the coffee chain to do something about the issue.

In a statement on its site, CEO of Enough is Enough Donna Rice Hughes criticised Starbucks' inaction in the US and explained how the lack of filters on its Wi-Fi could be harming the country's youth, saying:

"Starbucks has had a tremendous opportunity to put its best foot forward in protecting its customers from images deemed obscene and illegal under the law, but they haven't budged, despite their promise two years ago and despite the fact that they voluntarily filter this same content in the UK. Having unfiltered hotspots also allows children and teens to easily bypass filters and other parental control tools set up by their parents on their smart phones, tablets and laptops." 

Bypassing filters and dangers of public Wi-Fi

While filtering adult content may sound like a good idea on paper, there are certainly some issues with the system. For instance, those that do wish to access illegal or adult content will likely be able to find a way around the filters and will spread this information to others online. Also legitimate content could end up being filtered unintentionally which could upset customers used to browsing the web openly.

At the same time, public Wi-Fi poses a danger to everyone using it no matter what content they're searching for. Without the right security tools in place such as a VPN, malicious third parties on the same network could try to steal your login credentials and even other sensitive information stored on your laptop or smartphone.

As a general rule of thumb when it comes to free public Wi-Fi, you get what you pay for (or don't pay for in this case) and we strongly advise against using it unless absolutely necessary even with the right security tools in place.

Via NBC News

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