Streaming sports these days is, very complicated. But now, according to a new report out of CNBC, it looks like ESPN wants to change that.
Apparently, ESPN has been reaching out to other media companies that offer sports streaming, with a rather intriguing idea. It wants to use the ESPN app to show users where they can watch any sporting event currently being streamed. That would include on a competing service. Now, ESPN kind of already does this with other sports. But some networks will not appear in the app.
But, ESPN wants to take this a bit further. They want you to open the ESPN app and see what Premier League soccer matches are happening on Peacock right now. And then you could jump right into Peacock and start watching. It’s a pretty interesting idea, especially with sports being so fragmented right now.
A sports aggregator is desperately needed
The world of sports streaming is super fragmented right now. For instance, with the upcoming MLB season, you could watch games on FOX, FS1, ESPN, TBS, MLB Network or Apple TV. Some of which you might have from a streaming service like YouTube TV, and others you won’t have. Not to mention, most of your local games will be on a regional sports network (that might or might not be around by Opening Day). But being able to open up the ESPN app and see what games are on TBS today, or the MLB Network, would be a huge help.
This is a move that is desperately needed, but it makes you wonder, what could ESPN get out of this? Well, it’s pretty simple. That would mean more people are opening the ESPN app. Which leads to more ads being viewed and of course, that’s more revenue. ESPN knows that it can’t get all the sports rights, do this should still help them increase revenue.
The best TV streaming device available do tend to change from time to time. And that’s why we are here to help you find the best device for you. Whether it’s an Android TV device, Amazon Fire TV, Roku or something else. We’ve used all of these devices in our own home, and know why they are good, or why they aren’t so good.
There’s so many great streaming devices on the market these days, though they all run on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV/Google TV, Roku or Apple TV. So here are the best streaming devices you can buy today.
Best TV Streaming Devices
This list of the best TV streaming device includes a number of different options, and different platforms. So you can choose the best TV streaming device for your needs. Whether you want to use Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Or use Android TV or Roku. There’s something here for everyone. Prices range from as low as $30, to as much as $200. So depending on your budget, we have something for everyone.
The Roku Streaming Stick 4K got refreshed for 2021, and it’s still the same great 4K Roku streaming device that you’ve come to know and love, thankfully.
It supports 4K HDR as well as Dolby Vision. So you’re going to get a really great experience out of this one. This time around, it has up to 2x faster WiFi, so you’re going to be able to stream 4K content a whole lot easier and faster. Say goodbye to buffering.
With The Roku Channel, there are now over 150 live streaming TV channels available to watch, among the many other apps that are available on Roku.
Google unveiled the new Chromecast with Google TV last month, and it quickly became one of our favorite streaming devices. That is because it brings all the familiarity of Android TV, to a smaller dongle, with an actual remote. Which is something the Chromecast was always missing.
Chromecast with Google TV runs Android TV, but it has a new user interface on-top called Google TV. Which works extremely well. It makes it much easier to find something to watch, and the recommendations will get better over time. Additionally, it has a “Live” tab for YouTube TV (other streaming live TV services will be added in the future, apparently), which makes it easy to see what is live on TV right now. Without jumping into the app, which can be a bit slower.
The remote has all the buttons you’d want, including buttons to control your TV. Which makes the Chromecast with Google TV incredible, and worth buying.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is now the best Fire TV device that you can buy. It takes everything that the Fire TV Stick 4K was already able to do, but makes it a bit faster. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max has WiFi 6 support, allowing for faster speeds for streaming different shows and movies.
It also boosts RAM to 2GB, and now supports Dolby Vision. Giving you a really great picture on your Dolby Vision-compatible TV. Which is always nice to see.
The Xiaomi Mi TV Stick is the best Android TV streaming device on the market right now. Though there aren’t many competitors to choose from. It doesn’t do 4K though, so if you want 4K, check out the NVIDIA SHIELD TV listed below.
This stick from Xiaomi does the absolute bare minimum for Android TV, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s keeping things simple. As mentioned, it does 1080p only, it has a gigabyte of RAM and 8GB of storage as well. Which should keep it decently speedy.
With Android TV running on the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick, you’re going to be able to watch all of your favorite movies and TV shows here. From apps like YouTube, Sling TV, Fubo TV, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix and much more.
The NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro is the best streaming device for gamers, because it is also a gaming console and works with GeForce Now. So you can play your favorite PC games on the big screen.
This runs on Android TV, as you might have expected, and that allows it to run a bunch of great apps. Like Fubo TV, Netflix, YouTube TV, Hulu, Disney+, HBO MAX and much more. There are hundreds of thousands of games available on the NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro.
Of course, with it running on Android TV, you also get the Google Assistant here. So you can control your smart home products from your TV, find something to watch and much more.
The Roku Ultra is the best Roku streaming devices without being the overall best. It offers some really cool features, but it’s more of a set-top box, instead of a streaming stick. It does do 4K HDR, and even HDR10. Giving you some really great looking content on your 4K HDR TV.
It does also include a number of great apps, like Hulu, SHOWTIME ANYWHERE, STARZ, Philo, ESPN+, Disney+, Netflix, YouTube TV and much more. There are over half a million TV shows and movies available on the Roku platform. There’s also the Roku Channel, that allows you to watch all sorts of movies and TV shows which are ad-supported.
There is also support for both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. So you can use whichever one you want with the Roku Ultra. On top of that, it also has Google Cast, allowing you to Cast your favorite content to your TV with ease. Which is a really popular feature.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite is not only the cheapest Fire TV device on this list, but the cheapest streamer period. It comes in at just $29.99 and does all of the basics. So don’t expect anything crazy from this one, like 4K HDR.
But it does support 1080p HDR, with support for HDR, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG. It also has Dolby Audio via HDMI pass-through. It’s a good streamer to use in a pinch, especially if you’re looking for something that can get the job done without spending a fortune.
Since it runs on Fire TV, you still get access to most of your favorite apps. Including YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ and much more.
Walmart has been making a lot of its own electronics lately, a lot like Amazon does with Amazon Basics. And onn. is their own brand. Which also makes an Android TV streaming stick. This streaming stick is just $15, making it the cheapest on this list.
It supports WiFi 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, so you’re going to get some fast speeds here. Which is needed for streaming at up to 2K resolution. Unfortunately, there’s no 4K available here, but that’s what you expect for a $15 streaming stick.
BidenCash, a new entrant in the underground carding business, has announced a 1-year anniversary promotion in which it is offering the data of 2 million credit cards for free.
This leaked dataset comprises credit card information sourced from various regions globally, with a considerable proportion of the cards issued in the following locations:-
The United States
China
Mexico
India
Canada
The UK
It has come to light that the compromised data includes over 500,000 email addresses, each of which is linked to its corresponding credit card number and even the CVV code.
To make matters worse, all this sensitive information was in plain text, making it easy for unauthorized access and potential misuse.
Types of Data Involved
There are a number of cardholder details that have been leaked, including:-
Full names
Card numbers
Bank details
Expiration dates
Card verification value (CVV) numbers
Home addresses
It is a common practice for cybercriminals to trade stolen information via the dark web. However, in the case of BidenCash, the situation is unique as the individual responsible for managing the carding site has opted to release a massive amount of sensitive data into the public domain, which could have severe repercussions.
According to the report, It’s important to highlight that the screenshot mentioned above displays a whopping 260 MB of data that has been exposed. Furthermore, this leaked information has found its way onto a renowned Russian-language hacker forum, which could lead to further illicit activities.
It has come to light that malicious individuals, commonly referred to as threat actors, resort to procuring payment cards that have passed their expiry date to acquire additional details regarding potential targets.
The compromised data in question comprised a minimum of:-
740,858 credit cards
811,676 debit cards
293 charge cards
Debit cardholders face a comparatively greater degree of risk than credit cardholders because of varying fraud protection policies.
Records Leaked by Country
As a result of the data leaks, the following countries have the most records:-
UNITED STATES: 965,846
MEXICO: 97,665
CHINA: 97,003
UNITED KINGDOM: 86,313
CANADA: 36,906
INDIA: 36,672
ITALY: 23,009
SOUTH AFRICA: 22,798
AUSTRALIA: 21,361
BRAZIL: 19,700
Most Impacted Banks
Below is a list of the top ten most impacted banks in order of impact:-
CHASE BANK USA, N.A.: 118,826
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.: 98,631
WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.: 62,650
CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), NATIONAL ASSOCIATION: 50,832
CITIBANK N.A.: 47,851
BANK OF AMERICA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION: 35,249
BBVA BANCOMER, S.A.: 28,296
CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A.: 27,192
Others: 1,696,173
The exposure of email addresses and complete personal information in the compromised data makes the affected individuals susceptible to a host of additional cyberattacks, such as:-
Phishing
Identity theft
Scams
Despite the expiration of their card details, the risks associated with these cards can persist for a considerable period of time.
As observed in the case of BidenCash, cybercriminals often engage in fraudulent activities by making use of illegally obtained credit cards, which they procure from online carding marketplaces. This is a common practice among malicious actors seeking to make a quick profit through illegal means.
Smartphones have evolved a lot over the past few years. We now have 200MP cameras, 300w charging speeds, and 3nm processors, none of which existed a couple of years back. But amidst all this, smartphone batteries have largely remained static in terms of capacity. Even the biggest phones today hardly go beyond 5,000mAh.
However, Redditor Downtown_Cranberry44 took battery capacity to a new level with their modded Samsung Galaxy A32 5G. They have modified the phone with a ludicrous 30,000mAh battery.
The Galaxy A32 5G is a mid-range Samsung phone from 2021. The handset, which currently sells for less than $200, ships with a 5,000mAh battery out of the box. As said earlier, that’s the industry standard today, though the average may still be well below it.
Unless you seldom use it, a 5,000mAh battery will struggle to power the phone for two days without charging. The Redditor has solved the problem by giving the device six times its original battery capacity.
The modification involves replacing the internal battery with an external pack that consists of six Samsung 50E cells (5,000mAh each) wired in parallel for a total capacity of 30,000mAh.
The handset doesn’t look pretty, of course. It’s like a brick strapped on the back of the phone. The whole package weighs about a pound (over 450 grams). The original device weighs 205 grams, so it’s more than two times heavy now.
The 30,000mAh battery took seven hours to charge fully
According to the Redditor, the device doesn’t recognize the external battery pack and still shows its original capacity. It no longer reads the battery level as well, and always reports 1%.
The modified Galaxy A32 5G reportedly took seven hours to charge fully (likely externally determined a full charge). At the time of posting, they used the phone for two days. Since it doesn’t note the battery level correctly, it’s unclear how much charge is left. But the handset may last over a week before running out of power.
It’s not just the battery that they replaced, though. This modified Galaxy A32 5G also gained multiple charging ports. It supports fast charging via USB Type-C, Apple lightning, and MicroUSB ports, though it’s unclear if all ports charge the phone at the same speed.
Moreover, it supports reverse fast charging through two USB Type-A ports and a USB Type-C port. So the handset can be used as a 30,000mAh power bank as well.
That said, you shouldn’t do this. It’s a safety hazard. You may not be able to carry it around as well. The TSA doesn’t allow batteries above 27,000mAh capacity. This modification is just a fun project for experts and enthusiasts. Don’t try this at home.
Microsoft seems to have addressed the European Union’s antitrust concerns over its purchase of video game company Activision Blizzard. Sources have told Reuters that the EU will soon approve the $69 billion acquisition. The Windows giant’s licensing offers to rivals reportedly helped it win over the European watchdog. The Union previously raised concerns that the deal could stifle competition in the market.
Microsoft reached an agreement to purchase Activision Blizzard in January last year. The acquisition, its biggest ever, would equip the Windows maker with tools and resources to take on videogaming giants Tencent, Sony, and others. Unsurprisingly, the deal faced regulatory hurdles as the company could leverage Activision Blizzard to gain an unfair advantage in the booming video gaming market.
In November, the European Commission launched a full-scale investigation into the deal. The regulators said that the purchase may “significantly reduce competition”. Microsoft could block competitors from accessing Activision Blizzard’s “high-profile and highly successful games,” including Call of Duty. Dedicated gaming devices like the Steam Deck may lose business because of this, while Windows could greatly benefit from it.
Amongst the possible solutions to alleviate these concerns was the sale of asses like Call of Duty. EU is scheduled to announce its findings and decision on the matter on April 25. However, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters that it may no longer demand an asset sale. Last month, Microsoft pledged to keep these popular games on competing platforms for at least ten years. That seemingly proved enough to win the EU’s trust.
“Our commitment to grant long-term 100 percent equal access to Call of Duty to Sony, Steam, NVIDIA, and others preserves the deal’s benefits to gamers and developers and increases competition in the market,” Reuters cites a Microsoft spokesperson as saying. The EU may not release an official statement on the matter until the original schedule of April 25.
Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard purchase is also facing regulatory hurdles in other markets
Microsoft may have won over the European Commission, but its Activision Blizzard acquisition is still under scrutiny in other regions. The UK competition agency is demanding it to divest Call of Duty, while the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has mulled blocking the deal altogether citing antitrust concerns. Microsoft has until July of this year to address all of these concerns. If it fails to get a green light for the purchase by July, it will have to renegotiate or forfeit the agreement, which would incur a hefty breakup fee. We will keep you posted.
Garmin has unveiled a fresh set of new running watches called the Forerunner 265 and the Forerunner 965, both of which feature AMOLED displays. These are Garmin’s first running watches with AMOELD displays and are designed to deliver advanced training metrics, recovery insights, and everyday health stats for runners who want assistance with training. This includes features like checking your heart rate variability and daily suggested workouts, as well as a morning report to see how well you slept.
The Garmin Forerunner 265 will come in two variations. The standard 46mm Forerunner 265 and the Forerunner 265S, which is 42mm. The Forerunner 965 meanwhile comes in only one size and sits around 47mm. You’re also looking at slightly different battery life for all three watches. The Forerunner 965 can last you up to 23 days in smartwatch mode, for example. The Forerunner 265 and 265S will last you up to 13 days and 15 days respectively. And naturally tuning it to GPS mode will reduce that down to just about a day in all three cases.
All three watches come with Garmin’s Body Battery feature to help you track and manage your body’s energy levels. This way you can decide on the best time for training or know when to rest instead. The slate of usual sport watch features are there too, such as Vo2 Max and Pulse Ox sensors, women’s health tracking, stress tracking, sleep tracking and more.
Garmin adds AMOLED display to its latest watches for even more visibility
There are a lot of features to love about both watch models, but the AMOLED displays deserve just as much attention. With the AMOLED displays on board, the watches are more visible no matter what the weather conditions are like. The displays are also full color and brighter than displays on past models. Garmin says you can also optionally keep them set to always-on, though keep in mind this will contribute to faster battery drain.
The Garmin Forerunner 265 and 265S are available today for $449.99 in multiple colorways. The Forerunner 965 is also available starting today at $599 and comes in multiple colorways as well.
Can bad actors use your stolen phone PIN to change your Google account password? Sadly, yes, they can, and recent reports have explained how this is possible. Some people might be aware of this threat with iPhones already, but it extends beyond that ecosystem.
Cybersecurity experts are now letting netizens know that this threat is also present on Android devices. This calls for both iOS and Android users to find ways through which they can better protect their devices. These security threats can lead to the theft of user data and other vital information.
This isn’t an issue that should be overlooked by both the Android and iOS parties. But how can you protect your device from anyone getting access to your PIN? In this article, you will learn more about this threat and what you can do to protect your Google passwords from being stolen.
Protect your Google passwords by first protecting your phone PIN from getting stolen
If you have ever lost the password to your Google account, you notice that there is a second login option. This option is provided once you click on the forgot password link on the login page. Using this redirect link that helps users bypass and change their forgotten password.
To do this, the user is asked to unlock his device, since this is a way for Google to certify account ownership. For iPhone users, they move to input their phone PIN, hence unlocking their device. Android users, on the other hand, can unlock their devices using the fingerprint sensor instead of using their PIN, password, or pattern.
But, this password reset system gives bad actors an opening to access your Google accounts. All they need to do is steal your phone PIN or means of security unlock (password or pattern). Then they head over to your Google account page in settings and activate the password change process.
Once this is activated, Google will require you to unlock your device and they can do this with your stolen phone PIN, password, or pattern. They can then change your password and move to steal your vital information. With the new password, they can log their Google account into another device and gradually access other synced accounts.
To protect your Google account passwords, you need to protect your phone PIN. Don’t give everyone your phone PIN, and be sure to use a safe PIN combination. Google and Apple are yet to fix this security issue plaguing their users around the world.
The US Marshals Service (USMS), a federal law enforcement agency within the US Department of Justice (DoJ) has announced that it was the victim of a ransomware attack that compromised confidential information held by the agency.
The attack, which took place on February 17, saw “a ransomware and data exfiltration” attack launched against a “stand-alone USMS system”.
The system compromised in the attack held a number of sensitive documents, including “returns from legal process, administrative information, and personally identifiable information pertaining to subjects of USMS investigations, third parties, and certain USMS employees”.
Chief of the USMS public affairs office, Drew Wade, told Reuters that the service had reported the data breach to the US Department of Justice, who then began a forensic investigation into the attack.
The DoJ has branded the cyber attack a “major incident”, which, according to the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), is an incident which is “likely to result in demonstrable harm to the national security interests, foreign relations, or economy of the United States or to the public confidence, civil liberties or public health and safety of the American people”.
Major incidents caused by ransomware
US-CERT also notes that cyber attacks classed as major incidents “demand unity of effort within the Federal Government and especially close coordination between the public and private sectors as appropriate”.
On January 11, a cyber attack against the UK postal service Royal Mail led to a request that customers stop sending mail abroad via its services. The attack was later linked to Russian hackers.
Royal Mail said the cyber attack caused “severe disruption” to the computerized systems used to send mail abroad. The company “immediately launched an investigation into the [cyber] incident” and utilized the help of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, Information Commissioner’s Office and National Crime Agency to halt further attacks.
Hackers targeting postal services
The system affected by the cyber attack was used at six Royal Mail sites to track and trace items sent abroad, as well as to prepare mail to be dispatched overseas.
On January 12, it was reported by multiple news sites that the incident was in fact a cyber attack against Royal Mail by Russian ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) gang LockBit.
Printers at a Royal Mail distribution center in Belfast, Northern Ireland, began to print letters from the gang. The letters allegedly informed those in the office that LockBit black ransomware was responsible for the disruption and that “your data are [sic] stolen and encrypted.” A threat was issued to post it online if the ransom demands were not met.
YouTube Premium Family Plan prices are getting an increase, and that price change is coming sooner rather than later. It’d be understandable if you forgot all about YouTube reaching into your pockets for a little more money. The company announced the price change was coming all the way back in October of 2022. During the announcement last year, it said prices would be increasing in April of 2023. Well, April of 2023 is one month away.
And YouTube wants to remind you, and everyone else who has a YouTube Premium Family Plan, that the price increase is around the corner. If you did forget all about the change to the monthly fee, consider this your fair warning. YouTube Premium Family Plans will officially cost $22.99 a month as of April 3. Just one day longer than a full month away.
YouTube sends out emails about the Premium family plan price increase
While many likely don’t agree with the price change, it’s nice at least that YouTube is sending out email reminders to subscribers. You can also find more info about these changes on YouTube’s official support page. Still, $22.99 a month from $17.99 a month is a big jump. And it’s even more of an increase for anyone who was grandfathered in at the $14.99 a month plan. In case you missed it last year, yes, this price change impacts you as well. Shame, really. Because $14.99 was such a good price for what you were getting.
But say goodbye to those more reasonable plan costs. Because they’re on the way out. You do however have one more month to enjoy the family plan cost at whatever you’re currently paying before the change. Of course, you could always do what some subscribers did when Netflix recently raised its prices and just cancel.
And if you can live with ads, no background play for videos, and no offline play, then cancelling at least would save you $22.99 a month.
Using a virtual private network (VPN) to surf anonymously can be a great way to protect your privacy. VPNs keep your IP address from being tracked by tracking websites and services, and they can hide your search queries and browser history.
VPNs ensure that your search queries and browser history are truly anonymous
Using proxy services can keep your online identity secure. These proxies encrypt all your internet traffic and hide your location, as well as any PII.
Your IP address identifies you as a person and can reveal your location, home address, credit card numbers, and more. Your ISP may also have recorded websites you’ve visited. These tracking capabilities give snoopers access to your browsing history, but a VPN can help prevent third parties from seeing it.
Many websites and applications use cookies to remember your preferences. By deleting these cookies, you can protect your privacy. However, there are still other ways to leave a digital footprint.
Browser extensions and HTML5 APIs have been known to leak data. Hackers can also intercept data sent over public Wi-Fi networks. You can protect your PII by removing file references. You can even reroute your traffic.
VPNs also allow you to bypass geo-blocks, which means that you can access content that’s restricted to certain countries. This can save you money on online entertainment. Some examples are Netflix and BBC iPlayer.
They hide your IP address from tracking sites
Using a VPN to hide your IP address from tracking sites is a smart way to protect your privacy online. Unlike a normal IP address, a virtual private network (VPN) masks your location, encrypts all of your internet traffic, and prevents third parties from identifying you.
Using a VPN allows you to access geo-restricted streaming services and games without worrying about your personal information being leaked. It also helps you avoid online fraud by encrypting your web activity.
You can also use a VPN to change your location to avoid getting targeted by advertisers. Changing your location can help you find deals and discounts online. Similarly, you can use a VPN to change your country to ensure you have better internet coverage.
Lastly, you can protect your identity by blocking cookies. Cookie tracking is used by websites to remember your preferences. This data is sent from your computer to the website, but it’s not a permanent record. A good VPN service will allow you to choose what types of cookies are allowed.
They keep your personal information secure
Using a VPN to keep your personal information secure is a great way to stay anonymous online. It masks your IP address, prevents third parties from seeing your web traffic, and protects your personally identifiable information (PII).
A VPN is a software program that reroutes your Internet connection through a server in a network. The software assigns a new anonymous IP address. During this time, your internet traffic is encrypted. This means that it cannot be seen by the router. The server then sends your traffic to a website. The site will then know that you are coming from the remote VPN, which will make it difficult for them to identify you.
VPNs are also useful in unblocking geo-restricted services. This includes access to sites like Netflix, Youtube, Google, etc. In addition, using a VPN can help you avoid warning letters for illegally downloading copyrighted material.
A VPN can also block trackers. In fact, the Washington Post reported that U.S. intelligence has been mining data from nine U.S. internet companies. This data could reveal users’ online activities and habits.
They allow you to access blocked websites and services
Using a VPN is a great way to access blocked websites. This is because it allows you to hide your IP address, so you can access websites that are otherwise blocked in your country. Some institutions and governments block certain websites to prevent the spread of information or prevent uprisings. This can put a strain on productivity.
While some countries have more strict VPN laws than others, it is not illegal to unblock geo-restricted content. If you’re trying to access your favorite shows or games, you might need to use a VPN to bypass restrictions.
Another popular way to bypass blocks is to use a web proxy. This is a free online service that downloads the webpage you want to view. Then, you just need to click a button to visit the website.
Some websites are also blocked because they contain geo-restricted content. This means you might be unable to access your favorite shows, games, or apps.
