Apple iPad Air goes on sale today in 42 countries, prices start at $499

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/01/apple-ipad-air-on-sale/

Anyone in need a full-sized iPad that's lighter than last year's model can start hammering Apple's online store now. The new iPad Air is now on sale, marking Apple's biggest tablet launch yet. Starting with Australia, by the close of November 1st, it will have landed in 42 countries, and you know what? We kind of liked it. Online orders can be placed at the source link, or you can visit your nearest Apple retailer in person for instant iPad gratification.

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

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Source: Apple

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Ubisoft kills online pass system after Assassin's Creed 4 shipwreck

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/01/ubisoft-cancels-online-pass/

Ubisoft has sent its online pass program to Davy Jones' locker following players' complaints over gated content in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. Before, if players wanted to access the game's online multiplayer features, companion app and related bonuses they would have to input a single-use code that came with new copies of Black Flag. Not any more, though. The French publisher has completely scrapped the Uplay Passport system from all upcoming games and is providing free codes via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network for players who don't have one (e.g., because they bought a used game or borrowed it from a friend). With Electronic Arts dropping its online pass system earlier this year, Sony doing the same for its first-party software and Ubisoft finally following suit, one of the game industry's more awkward experiments could finally be behind us.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Ubiblog

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Swarms of Drones Will Be Mapping the World All By Themselves in No Time

Source: http://gizmodo.com/swarms-of-drones-will-be-mapping-the-world-all-by-thems-1456424725

You're probably used to hearing about drones as these scary, deadly things causing chaos in Pakistan, but the scientific community is actually pretty pumped up about the technology. Why wouldn't they be? Drones can makes 3D maps of mountains.

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Firefox Beta brings new 'Home' design to Android, desktop version gains Firefox OS app manager

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/firefox-beta-android-desktop-update/

Early adopters know that Firefox likes to put new features through the paces via beta versions of its browser. Accordingly, Firefox today announced some fresh goodies for both mobile and desktop. On the Android side of things, the app has been redesigned with a panel-based layout called "Home," which lets users have easy access to stuff such as browsing history, bookmarks, favorite sites and Reading List. There are also search improvements in tow, including being able to select Bing or Yahoo as the default engine -- the only caveat is that this particular tidbit is limited to folks in the US, Canada and France, at least for the time being.

Meanwhile, Firefox Beta added "Click to Play Plugins" on Linux, Mac and Windows, meaning that "most" plugins (Flash is an exception) will no longer be activated on their own. Firefox says providing the option to choose the ones you would like to enable was key, as outdated plugins are a big source of security vulnerabilities. Rounding things up on the desktop is the Firefox OS app manager, a novel tool for developers to test and tinker with those HMTL5 apps straight from the Firefox browser. All that sound good? Then follow the source links below, where you'll find a way to download each variant of the experimental application.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile

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Source: Firefox (1), (2), Google Play

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Tech giants ensnared by NSA spying petition Congress for surveillance reform

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/aol-apple-fb-google-ms-yahoo-letter-to-congress-nsa/

In the months since information about the NSA's bulk surveillance efforts began to leak, many of the tech companies named in documents have been unable to even discuss their involvement. Those blinds have been pried back a little with the release of a few transparency reports, but today Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, Apple and AOL (the corporate parent of Engadget) sent a letter to Congress encouraging it to do more. Mashable posted a copy of the letter (embedded after the break), which is addressed to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and specifically references the recently-introduced USA Freedom Act as an "important contribution" to the discussion.

That particular bill seeks to end the NSA's "dragnet" security programs while "requiring greater oversight, transparency, and accountability with respect to domestic surveillance authorities." According to the companies, greater transparency would clear up "erroneous reports that we permit intelligence agencies "direct access" to our companies' servers or that we are participants in a bulk Internet records collection program." As the Washington Post points out, the companies listed may take issue with other bills circulating like the FISA Improvement Act because they don't address surveillance of non-US citizens, creating suspicion and problems for said companies setting up services for users internationally.

Filed under: Internet, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook

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Source: Washington Post, Mashable, The Guardian, Politico

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