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10 tech stories you missed this week: Jeep hacking recall, iTunes sale, and more

top tech stories of the week 7 24 2015 jeep emblem
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In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. Too much, in fact, for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories from this week. From Grooveshark’s co-founder Josh Greenberg passing away at 28 to cheating site AshleyMadison.com being hacked, and Google announcing it’s shutting down Google+ Photos on August 1, it’s all here.

Grooveshark co-founder Josh Greenberg found dead at 28

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Josh Greenberg / Facebook.com

Josh Greenberg, co-founder of the music streaming service Grooveshark, was found dead in his Florida home on Sunday. He was 28 years old. According to the Gainesville, Florida police department, there was no evidence of foul play or suicide. Josh’s mother Lori Greenberg told The Gainesville Sun that her son was in good health and good spirits: “He was excited about potential new things that he was going to start.”

Read the full story here.

AshleyMadison site hack means your cheating ways could be revealed

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The popular dating site for cheaters AshleyMadison.com was hacked on Sunday by a group claiming to have access to user profiles, usernames, passwords, emails and more. Security expert Brian Krebs first reported that the hackers, who call themselves The Impact Team, published a range of user data they snatched from ALM — which is the parent company behind Ashley Madison, Cougar Life, and Established Me. While the hacker had a problem with AshleyMadison.com, the main issue was with a feature called Full Delete, which was supposed to remove a profile and personal details from the company’s site and servers – for a fee of $19.

Read the full story here.

Google+ Photos shuts down on August 1: Here’s how to save your photos and videos

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Google announced it will shut down its Google+ Photos service, starting on August 1, the company said in a Google+ blog post on Thursday. While the Android version will be the first to be shut down, the iOS and web version will happen soon after. Google is encouraging its users to transition to its new Google Photos service, which allows users to upload unlimited photos for free. Here’s how you can manually upload Google+ Photos to Google Photos.

Read the full story here.

Massive 1.4 million car recall over hacking

Massive 1.4 million car recall over hacking
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Like everything else that’s connected to the Internet, new cars are vulnerable to hacking. But when a car is hacked, things can get dangerous, fast. In an article posted on Wired earlier this week, a pair of software engineers demonstrated the ability to hack not only a Jeep’s entertainment system, but also cut the breaks and perform a number of horrible, life-endangering acts. On the same day the article premiered, July 21, Senators introduced The Security and Privacy in Your Car Act, a bill intended to set up benchmarks and security standards for connected vehicles. But the damage has already been done. FCA, the parent company of Jeep, has issued recalls for 1.4 million Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler vehicles deemed vulnerable to the hack.

Read the full story here.

Spotify’s Discovery Weekly serves up new tunes tailored just for you

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Jessica Lee Star/ DigitalTrends

Spotify introduced a ton of new features with its latest update, and now it’s looking to help discover new music. Among them is a new tool called Discover Weekly, which builds a playlist based on your listening history and the tastes of people who like the same genres and artists as you. The new feature appears at the top of Spotify’s playlist tab on both mobile apps and the Web. The feature highlights new releases, making sure you get access to albums and artists you haven’t listened to before.

Read the full story here.

Facebook gets taste of its own medicine, forced to hand over user information to court

Facebook gets taste of its own medicine, forced to hand over user information to court
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Earlier this week, Facebook lost its appeal looking to block some New York search warrants. A ruling by five judges found that the social media giant “does not have the power to ask a judge to throw out search warrants before they have been executed.” Facebook says this decision may force the company to hand over data to the law enforcement officials, which will affect more than 381 users information.

Read the full story here.

Next page: 5 more tech stories you might have missed this week

Apple continues to make a boatload of money, but questions surround the iPad and Apple Watch

Apple continues to make a boatload of money, but questions surround the iPad and Apple Watch
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Apple announced its third quarter earnings on Tuesday, and as a whole, the company generated $49.6 billion and net profit of $10.7 billion, all record figures for the third quarter of any given year. According to Apple, “the growth was fueled by record third quarter sales of iPhone and Mac, all-time record revenue from service and the successful launch of Apple Watch.” 

Read the full story here.

GoPro is working on a new mobile app that will let you edit and share videos

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GoPro president Tony Bates had plenty of good news to share in a meeting with investors on Tuesday. Bates discussed everything from GoPro working on a new mobile app to its cloud service, and the unveiling of a new content licensing portal for creative professionals. he also told investors that the firm has been working on a new mobile app that will allow users to edit and share videos from their mobile devices. While Bates didn’t give out too many details on its features, he said the app is in its final phase of testing and should launch by the end of the summer.

Read the full story here.

Her, the dating app for lesbians and bisexual women, goes national

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Her, the mobile dating service that caters to lesbian women, has announced that it’s available nationwide. The app promises there are “No men, no fakes. We provide a safe space for gay and bisexual women, so you know you’re talking to real people.” Previously, Her was only available in seven cities across the United States, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Chicago, Phoenix, and Miami.

Read the full story here.

Microsoft launches Send its email-based messaging app

Microsoft launches Send, its email-based messaging app
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Microsoft launched a new standalone email app called Send, which is available only for iPhone users in the U.S. and Canada. Previously, the app was leaked as Flow by Outlook. Microsoft said in a blog post that it wanted to “make conversations fast and fluid while keeping the people who are important to you at its core.”

Read the full story here.

Great Deal: 100 cool apps that cost $1 on iTunes right now

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If you’re looking to discover some cool apps and games on sale, you’re in luck because Apple has launched one of its biggest iTunes App Store promotions, discounting more than 100 apps to $1. Many of the popular apps on sale include Pixelmator, Facetune, Retromatic, and GoodReader. Games on sale are titles like Badland, Shadowmatic, Goat Simulator, and more. We’re not sure how long this promotion will last, so you might want to head on over to the App Store.

Read the full story here.

Karen Tumbokon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Karen is a technology, music and entertainment writer. Originally from New Jersey, Karen began her writing career in music…
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned that Tesla’s use of social media and its website makes false promises about the automaker’s full-self driving (FSD) software.
The warning dates back from May, but was made public in an email to Tesla released on November 8.
The NHTSA opened an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the FSD software, following three reported collisions and a fatal crash. The investigation centers on FSD’s ability to perform in “relatively common” reduced visibility conditions, such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.
In these instances, it appears that “the driver may not be aware that he or she is responsible” to make appropriate operational selections, or “fully understand” the nuances of the system, NHTSA said.
Meanwhile, “Tesla’s X (Twitter) account has reposted or endorsed postings that exhibit disengaged driver behavior,” Gregory Magno, the NHTSA’s vehicle defects chief investigator, wrote to Tesla in an email.
The postings, which included reposted YouTube videos, may encourage viewers to see FSD-supervised as a “Robotaxi” instead of a partially automated, driver-assist system that requires “persistent attention and intermittent intervention by the driver,” Magno said.
In one of a number of Tesla posts on X, the social media platform owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a driver was seen using FSD to reach a hospital while undergoing a heart attack. In another post, a driver said he had used FSD for a 50-minute ride home. Meanwhile, third-party comments on the posts promoted the advantages of using FSD while under the influence of alcohol or when tired, NHTSA said.
Tesla’s official website also promotes conflicting messaging on the capabilities of the FSD software, the regulator said.
NHTSA has requested that Tesla revisit its communications to ensure its messaging remains consistent with FSD’s approved instructions, namely that the software provides only a driver assist/support system requiring drivers to remain vigilant and maintain constant readiness to intervene in driving.
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