AT&T is (allegedly) making millions of dollars selling your data to cops

Documents obtained by The Daily Beast suggest that AT&T is making millions of dollars selling user data to law enforcers. In a report published on October 25, The Daily Beast alleges that AT&T created a program for the purpose of marketing and distributing user data on the promise that use of its program wouldn't be disclosed, should an investigation go public.

Project Hemisphere is the name given to AT&T's initiative which, according to The Daily Beast, analyzes "trillions of call records" to determine "where a target is located, with whom [he or she] speaks, and potentially why."

The New York Times claimed that the same project was used in a drugs case in an article from 2013. The Daily Beast says that the documents it recently obtained show Hemispheres uses stretch beyond the war-on-drugs and encompass everything from "investigations of homicide to Medicaid fraud."

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Telecommunication companies are legally obligated to hand over records for police matters when requested. However, it's alleged that AT&T is going to greater lengths to provide support in these matters in the aid of financial gain. "Sheriff and police departments pay from $100,000 to upward of $1 million a year or more for Hemisphere access," wrote The Daily Beast.

AT&T's records are also said to be particularly easy to access, requiring only an "administrative subpoena" rather than a warrant from a judge.

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The New York Times says that the "scale and longevity" of AT&T's data trove appears to be "unmatched by other government programs, including the N.S.A.'s gathering of phone call logs under the Patriot Act." Reportedly, AT&T retains cell tower data from as far back as 2008, while competing carriers Verizon and Sprint both retain data for no more than 18 months.

Meanwhile, AT&T recently announced its $85.4 billion acquisition of media giant Time Warner. Both major party presidential campaigns are reported to be concerned about the move.

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Google working on update to minimize halo effect in the Pixel camera

Google is trying to develop algorithms that could mathematically identify the arc-shaped flare that appears in some Pixel-captured photos and then remove it from images.

See also: Google Pixel XL initial review: first 48 hours169

The Google Pixel camera is arguably one of the best mobile shooters in the market, but a halo-like ring cropping up under certain conditions is beginning to raise some eyebrows. Some early users of the Google Pixel phones have noticed a halo effect or lens flare when a light source points toward the Pixel camera.

One Google Pixel user took to Reddit to share photos exhibiting the halo flare recreated using a flashlight as the light source. The light must bounce off the camera at a certain angle to elicit the halo effect. Initial theories claim that the issue at hand is not faulty hardware but an oversight in how the camera and the 2.5D glass panel are positioned relative to each other.

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Lens flares happen occasionally in all types of cameras under direct sunlight or against other light sources. The flare exhibited by the Google Pixel phones, however, doesn't creep into the photos taken using other handsets under similar conditions.

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A Google employee confirmed the issue on the Pixel User Community forum and offered assurance that a fix is coming. The fix will be rolled out over the next few weeks in the form of a software update. However, users will need to use the HDR+ feature to enable the solution.

Whether Google's knack for smart software can solve the issue, it remains to be seen.

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Samsung Pay is expanding to three more countries and getting more features

I absolutely love Samsung Pay – I have my credit card stored there and use it not only here in the US but also when I travel. No need to carry around my wallet. No need to worry about losing my card. It's simple, ubiquitous, and just wonderful. Well, according to Samsung, not only is Samsung Pay expanding to three more countries by the end of this year, but the app is getting even more features next month.

Samsung has announced that by the end of 2016, Malaysia, Russia, and Thailand would also be getting support for Samsung Pay. The mobile payment service is already available in a handful of countries including the US, South Korea, China, Spain, Australia, Singapore, and Brazil. Though there are other mobile payment platforms, the key differentiating factor is that Samsung Pay uses both NFC and MST, meaning anywhere that accepts a regular debit/credit card, Samsung Pay will probably work as well.

Samsung Pay uses both NFC and MST, meaning anywhere that accepts a regular debit/credit card, Samsung Pay will probably work as well.

See also: Android Pay vs Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay Overview79

On top of that, Samsung will be partnering with Mastercard to offer "a simplified online payment and express checkout solution through its digital payment service Masterpass," and this will come in early 2017. According to the South Korean conglomerate, there are already hundreds of thousands of merchants that accept Masterpass for online payments.

The app will also get some new features starting next month: existing users will be happy to learn that from November, the app will let you locate nearby discounts and coupons. Samsung is hoping that customers will be able to find and redeem instant savings easily and quickly. The app will also be available to use within certain merchant apps starting November. These include apps like Velocity, Raise, Fancy, Hello Vino, and Wish, with more to come in the future.

Samsung's mobile payment platform launched in its home turf last year and since then has proven itself to be quite popular. With Samsung continuing to add more banks and countries, it'd be interesting to see how Samsung's mobile payment shapes up in the coming years.

Are you a fan of Samsung Pay? Why or why not? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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Skype update brings improvements to calls and voicemail

A new set of updates will start rolling out to the mobile version of Skype over the next several weeks, aiming to improve the way users make video and VoIP calls using Microsoft's popular messaging and video app.

See also: 10 best video calling apps for Android12

For starters, Skype users on mobile platforms will soon be able to continue chatting and carry on with their discussion even if the person who initiated the call left the conversation for some reason. This update is especially helpful during group calls, as it means that if the one who set up the conversation must tend to an urgent matter the call can still continue on without this person.

Microsoft is also streamlining all types of calls made via the Skype mobile app by changing the "Call phones" tab into "Calls" in Android devices and later in iOS too. This means you will be able to get a single-tap access to free Skype-to-Skype audio or video calls and calls to mobile or landline numbers. While calling landline or mobile phones will continue to cost, purchasing Skype credit has been made much easier in this latest update.

As traditional voicemail is taking a nosedive, Skype developers have added some nifty enhancements to the mobile app to let users leave a video message instead, or even the option to leave a chat message if that's more your pace. Of course traditional voicemail remains an option as well but support for custom voicemail greetings, email notifications and SMS transcription will no longer be available in the latest Skype version.

See also: A beginner's guide to video chat10

Does any of these updates seem appealing to you? Let us know in the comments!

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Google Fiber to pause its rollout of 1Gbps Internet access in US

Google Fiber, which launched a few years ago with the promise of bringing 1Gbps Internet access to many cities across the US, has decided to curtail its once ambitious expansion plans. The company announced today that while it will continue to operate the Internet and TV service in the cities that already have it, or are in the middle of construction, it will "pause our operations and offices" in the remaining cities that were being considered for the service.

See also: Google Fiber in-home set up and equipment revealed6

With that pause comes word that some of its employees will be laid off as well. Google's blog post did not offer a specific number, but it did say that Craig Barratt, the CEO of Access (the Alphabet company in charge of Google Fiber) will also be departing; he will remain as an advisor to Alphabet CEO Larry Page.

The blog post, written by Barratt, adds that Google Fiber will be looking at "new technology and deployment methods to make superfast Internet more abundant than it is today." This could be a reference to using a high-speed wireless technology from WebPass, which was acquired by Google earlier this year. It could give Google Fiber the same 1Gbps speeds at a fraction of the cost of its current wired setup.

What do you think of this news? Surprised or not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Google Store cleans up Android Wear selection – adds some, removes some

The Google Store is doing some housecleaning as far as its selection of Android Wear smartwatches are concerned. The site has now added three recent watches to purchase directly from Google, while also delisting two older Android Wear devices.

See also: 10 best Android Wear apps46

The highest profile new addition to the store is the Michael Kors Access Dylan, one of several Android Wear smartwatches that were launched by the high-end fashion brand company earlier this year. The Access Dylan model uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and is priced at $350.

Get it at Google Store

Another recently launched Android Wear smartwatch that is now in the Google Store is the Nixon Mission, which was made specifically for surfers, skiers and snowboarders in mind. It also uses the Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and is highly water resistant; it is supposed to operate even in 100 meters (over 300 feet) of water. It's priced at $400 but is currently listed in the Google Store as "Coming Soon"

Finally, the store has added the Polar M600 smartwatch, which is targeting the fitness audience. It comes with its own exclusive apps to help owners keep track of their daily activity, heart rate and more. It's available for purchase in the Google Store now for $329.95.

Get it at Google Store

Two older Android Wear devices, the Casio Smart Outdoor Watch and the ASUS ZenWatch 2, have seen their Google Stores listings removed, along with the ASUS Chromebook Flip. ASUS has already announced that the new ZenWatch 3 will be released in November, while its new convertible Chromebook that will likely replace the Flip has already been leaked ahead of its official launch.

Next:

• Best smartwatches
• Best Android watches

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T-Mobile could be the next carrier to merge with a big media company

In the wake of last weekend's surprise announcement that AT&T plans to acquire Time Warner, many financial analysts now believe that T-Mobile could be the next major wireless carrier to merge with a big media company

See also: Best T-Mobile Android phones95

Reuters reports that at least nine of those analysts raised their target price for T-Mobile this week, and its stock price went up 9.5 percent on Monday after it announced its latest quarterly financial results. T-Mobile added 851,000 postpaid subscribers in its last fiscal quarter, mostly from AT&T and Sprint.

Because of its continued subscriber growth, combined with this weekend's AT&T-Time Warner news, many analysts believe that T-Mobile could be seen as a takeover target from companies such as Comcast (owners of NBCUniversal), satellite TV provider Dish and Mexican telecom company America Movil.

All of this merger talk is due to a combination of factors. Wireless carriers are having more issues adding customers in the US, while media companies are looking for more avenues to distribute their movies and TV shows.  The final result is that the AT&T-Time Warner deal could be the first of many in the months and years to come.

Do you think wireless carriers need to merge with media companies, or should they stick with their current business model?

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