Google's request for map of Korea denied

Google's request for a detailed map of South Korea for Google Maps has been denied by the government.

The decision was made by a joint-committee led by the country's transport ministry and IT, foreign affairs, unification, defense, administration, and trade ministries. The committee cited "security concerns" as the reason behind the decision.

The final call comes after a delay from the initial August deadline for the US search giant's request in June. The postponement is speculated to have been caused by the US election, so as to wait for the election results and see the stance of President-elect Donald Trump before making a decision.

This is not the first time Google has requested access to more detailed maps from South Korea. The company has been requesting access to Korean maps that include navigation details and driving directions since 2010, which have been repeatedly refused.

South Korea, which is technically at war with North Korea since the armistice in 1953, has strict regulations over revealing map information.

Current law doesn't allow detailed maps to be housed in servers outside of the country. Google has created a server in South Korea to service the map of the country in a limited capacity.

WhatsApp Rolls Out Video Calling to All

All 1 billion-plus WhatsApp users around the world can now make video calls.

The Facebook-owned messaging service on Monday began rolling out the new feature to folks on Android, iOS, and Windows Phone devices.

"We know that sometimes voice and text just aren't enough," a company blogpost said.
Last month, reports tipped a Beta Program testing the ability to make video-calls from within the app; screenshots showed that tapping the call button or contact card brings up a dialog with voice and video as options.

"There's no substitute for watching your grandchild take her first steps, or seeing your daughter's face while she's studying abroad," WhatsApp said this week. "And we want to make these features available to everyone, not just those who can afford the most expensive new phones or live in countries with the best cellular networks."

Based on WhatsApp's track record for major feature rollouts, it's surprising this function appeared so quickly after initial trials. Reports that the company had been adding voice calling surfaced in 2014, but it isn't until early this year that all Google Android users gained access to it; the Apple iOS rollout had been completed a month later.

Parent company, Facebook, has invested heavily in its flagship Facebook Messenger client, a platform that had video calling from 2015.
Video-chat challenger Skype, meanwhile, just expanded its program to allow anyone with an Internet connection to chat with friends and make voice- or video-calls without an account.

Old-fashioned texting, however, has not been forgotten: WhatsApp recently announced support for animated GIFs, shareable in one-on-one and group chats. Word has it the platform is also testing its own version of Snapchat Stories.

GoPro Sends Out Recall for All GoPro Karma Drones

Looks like it's not all on Samsung when it comes to battery woes as GoPro, which made headlines with the launch of its first unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), the GoPro Karma, issued a recall for its newest drone.

Based on a video that had been posted online showing the GoPro Karma experience total power lost and dropping from the sky—with more following after—GoPro made the decision to recall all drones that have been sold. That means having more than 2,500 devices sold so far since launch to be sent back.

Details of the recall can be found here: GoPro Karma Recall and Return Information.

All devices sent in will be converted into a full refund for owners as GoPro is looking to investigate the cause of the problem.

PCMag US reported that those that bought the bundle wit hthe GoPro Hero5 Black and Karma Grip need to return everything in order to initiate the full refund process.

According to PetaPixel, this is what GoPro had to share: “GoPro is committed to providing our customers with great product experiences. To honor this commitment, we have recalled Karma until we resolve a performance issue related to a loss of power during operation. We plan to resume shipment of Karma once the issue is addressed.”

Even if GoPro made such a promise, at press time, there are no replacements on hand, hence why GoPro moved to make the global recall. Those outside the US are also encouraged to send the GoPro Karma back.

Apple Now Selling Refurbished iPhones

Looking to buy an Apple iPhone, but don't have the money to pay full price? Apple has a new option. As 9to5Mac noted, the tech giant has long offered refurbished Mac devices and now it's selling refurbished iPhones as well.

The Apple iPhone maker currently has a number of refurbished Apple iPhones for sale on its website for 15% off the price of a new model. You can, for instance, get a 16GB Apple iPhone 6s for US$449, an equivalent US$80 off. If you'd rather have the larger-screen model, you can get a 16GB Apple iPhone 6s Plus for US$529, a full US$100 off. The 64GB Apple iPhone 6s Plus can be yours for US$589.

This is the first time Apple has offered refurbished Apple iPhones directly. The company is offering its refurbished models in a number of colour options, including silver, gold, space gray, and rose gold.

Apple tests and certifies all refurbished products before selling them. For added peace of mind, the company also included a one-year warranty with refurbished models, all of which also include a brand-new battery and outer shell.
"Supply is limited and availability is guaranteed once we receive your full payment," Apple said on its website.

In other Apple news, Cupertino recently dropped the price of dongles in response to complaints about all the connectors needed with the new Apple MacBook Pro, a flagship that only has USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports. Apple's USB Type-C adapters and some of its USB Type-C cables are now US$6 to US$20 cheaper.

Samsung Launch the Galaxy Blue Coral S7 Edge

Samsung Corp. on Thursday announced it will launch the Galaxy S7 Edge in Blue Coral colors on Friday in its home country of South Korea.

The widely-praised color variation was first applied to the Galaxy Note 7, which the company ended for good on October due to battery explosions.

The Galaxy S7 Edge Blue Coral version has blue shades in the front and back glasses, a blue back cover, and rose gold rims. It will come in both 32GB and 64GB models.

The new phone will be available from all three local telcos, SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus. It is expected to be available in the US on November 18.

Samsung has been promoting the S7 and S7 Edge to offset as much as possible the huge loss from ending the Note 7. The company’s mobile division’s fortune will depend on the upcoming Galaxy S8 that is expected early next year, which will have Samsung’s own AI assistant on it.

The South Korean tech giant last month acquired Viv, which was founded by members who made Apple’s voice assistant Siri.

Samsung also confirmed that it intends to launch a Galaxy Note 8, and continue that line of phablets despite the recent fiasco.

In the local market, rivals Apple and LG saw some sales bump immediately after the end of the Note 7, but sales have not stabilized, an official from local telcos said.

Ultrahaptics Lets You 'Feel' Virtual Objects

Virtual reality (VR) has been around for decades, but it's re-emerged as 'new technology' in recent years thanks to research work that is backed with the deep pockets of Facebook and Sony, among others.
However, while the visuals have improved significantly, there are still some big problems VR has to overcome. One of the biggest is being able to feel objects that only exist virtually.

One promising solution is haptic holograms, a concept that use sound waves to allow you to feel objects that don't exist in reality. Such ideas first came about in 2014, but the world is only now starting to see the technology come to market, with Ultrahaptics as a front-runner.

While not limited to use with VR, Ultrahaptics's mid-air touch-less haptic tech is sure to get a welcome boost through association and the promise of being able to feel the virtual objects at that users are looking. A Ultrahaptic Touch development kit is set for release in January next year and takes the form of a plug-and-play pad that can be set up in a matter of minutes.

The control system measures 29 x 18.6 x 22.1cm, has a focal point accuracy of 8.6mm and can interact with your hands at a minimum height of 50cm above the pad.



Users are also limited to a 60-degree cone of interaction from the center of the pad upwards. The development kit can be used with Windows 8 and 10 or Mac OSX 10.9 onwards. Ultrahaptics recommended an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, and a dedicated graphics card as the specs to use if its Ultrahaptic Touch is to reach its full potential.

Ultrahaptics TOUCH pad in action
Placing your hands above the pad allows for a range of touch sensations. This is achieved through a combination of hand tracking and a 14-by-14 grid of ultrasound transducers. Invisible buttons, dials, and switches, as well as a range of textures and sensations, like bubbles popping against fingers, can all be simulated. Think of it like a gesture-control system, but being able to literally grab objects in mid-air to carry out the gesture.

According to IEEE Spectrum, the Ultrahaptic Touch dev kit costs around US$2,000. While it may seem high, it is a huge drop from the US$20,000 evaluation kit that shipped previously. It also bodes well for an eventual consumer version shipping for significantly less if the same drop happens again. A price of under US$200 would make it a very tempting proposition.

Twitter Purges Alt-Right Accounts

Twitter has reportedly suspended a number of accounts associated with the 'alt-right' movement. Known members of the white nationalist group that championed Donald Trump's run for the White House have been kicked off the social network on

This is the very same day Twitter rolled out anti-harassment tools to address online bullying.

The purge, according to USA Today, included Richard Spencer, 38-year-old president of the National Policy Institute, who once called for the removal of African-Americans, Hispanics, and Jews from the US.
In a video titled Knight of Long Knives (a reference to the 1934 mass murder of Nazi leaders by Adolf Hitler), Spencer calls Twitter's move "corporate Stalinism."

"I was using Twitter the same way I always use Twitter," he said, claiming that he and other banned users "were not even trolling."

"What this leads me to believe is that there was some kind of coordinated effort to just wipe out alt-right Twitter," he added.

Spencer's personal account (@RichardBSpencer) was pulled, alongside the National Policy Institute (@npiamerica) think tank and Washington Summit Publishers (@washsummit) publishing firm he runs.

Twitter did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment. However, it did tell USA Today that "Twitter Rules prohibit targeted abuse and harassment, and we will suspend accounts that violate this policy." USA Today also reported a handful of other blocked users, including Paul Town, Pax Dickinson, Ricky Vaughn, John Rivers, and New Order.

In January, Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos—who has also been linked to the alt-right—had been stripped of his account verification after reportedly telling another user that she "deserved to be harassed." Six months later, Twitter permanently banned Yiannopoulos for his role in the online harassment of actress and comedian Leslie Jones.

Google, Facebook Go After Fake News With New Ad Policies
A user on Tuesday, meanwhile, directed Twitter's attention to a promoted tweet from New Order—a website propagating Nazism in the 21st Century—publicising a news article about 'White America'.

"I can't believe anything still surprises me, but why the f**k am I seeing Nazi ads on this website?" Ariana Lenarsky tweeted. The New Order account has since been suspended.

The move comes just as the social network extended its 'mute' feature, allowing users to block keywords, phrases, and entire conversations from their notifications.