Welcome to hump day. Expect new Facebook apps on your TVs, home security cameras that just know where your doors are, and the return of the Nokia 3310 -- for some reason.
Nest cams can detect your doors automatically
Over the next few weeks, Nest Aware customers will see automatic door detection appear on both their indoor and outdoor Nest Cam feeds. The cameras will attempt to recognize motion patterns over time, feeding the data into deep learning algorithms to make it all automated, creating "activity zones" around the doors it picks up.
'Forza' franchise tops $1 billion in sales
Microsoft's flagship racing nameplate has yet to displace Gran Turismo from the throne, but thanks to Forza' popularity and consistency, it's officially the "best-selling racing franchise of this console generation." With nine titles to its credit, Forza has transitioned to a well-received annual release schedule, while GT's last full-fledged game was Gran Turismo 6 in 2013 for the PS3.
Facebook apps are coming to your TV
Facebook's video push means a new frontier for its apps too. The social network announced its TV apps will exist for lean-back viewing of videos shared by your friends, pages you follow or popular live streams. Even if you're not watching on TV, Facebook is changing mobile access so videos autoplay with audio on -- good to know if you're browsing during a meeting.
'Rocket League' update will add 4K support on PS4 Pro
When the PS4 gets its 4.50 update, Pro owners will be able to play more games with extra enhancements. But one existing title getting some love from its developers will be Rocket League, since Psyonix is working on an upgrade that will push that game to 4K on the Pro, in all arenas in single or two-player splitscreen mode. It will still run at 60fps, and standard PS4 owners can also expect fewer framerate dips. With 3 or 4 players you'll see 60fps in "most" arenas, but not all.
The Nokia 3310 will reportedly return this month
You read that right. The hardy Nokia brick is rumored to be relaunching at the company's MWC showcase later this month. Why? How? What? All questions that still need answering.
Comcast customers are getting a new app for their mobile devices
Comcast's new all-in-one video app launches February 28th. Coming as a replacement for the Xfinity TV app on Android and iOS, it does the job of in-home remote control, out-of-home live streaming, DVR recording downloads and more. Oh, and Comcast's existing Stream internet TV service? It can access that too, but the service will get a new name soon to reduce confusion.
Google has been asked to take down over a million websites
After years spent attempting to clean the internet's murky waters, Google's latest transparency report reveals it has now received takedown requests for over a million different sites. With its individual URL removal request count now reaching the billions, these new figures suggest that pirates now have more options than ever when it comes to stealing digital cargo. The number of takedown requests are up significantly from last year, thanks in part to copyright-holders' increasingly widespread use of algorithms that automatically inform Google of copyright-infringing content.
But wait, there's more...
- Jaguar and Shell partner for in-car fuel payments
- Kellyanne Conway is 'unclear' who retweeted a racist from her account
- 'Outlast 2' is all about documenting your own mental breakdown
- YouTube cancels PewDiePie's original series after anti-Semitic jokes
- Daimler is going all-electric with 'Smart' cars in North America