Fox On Tech

We use our smartphones to do most things, talk, text, even listen to music. Why not use it to verify who we are? A new study says many people would be on board with that. It would still involve showing a photo: (Mikell) "But your mobile drivers license could simply say that you're over the age of 21 versus showing your exact birth date." Rob Mikell is with Morpho-Trust, which commissioned the study that found well more than half of respondents would go for having a mobile driver's license app and using it to renew their license. As you might expect, millennials gave the prospect the highest rate of approval at 64 percent: (Mikell) "Pretty overwhelming response and for any company to get that level of response, you're certainly very excited about moving forward and fulfilling that need in the community." In fact for the last two years, it's gotten a test run in Iowa and with the favorable results, they're looking to expand there as well as in states like Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland and Virginia. With FOX on

Some Colorado teenagers have devised a new way to prevent drunk driving. FOX's Monica Rix reports with the latest 'FOX on Tech': It's a concern most people have, you drive to the local watering hole on the weekend, but then, after one too many, you're worried not just about drunk driving, but leaving your car behind too. That's where Beck Halbeisen and Vinny Rowe from Broomfield, Colorado come in. The two teenagers developed the Leave No Car Behind app. It connects the tipsy user to not one, but two drivers. One to take the user home, the other to drive their car home: (Petrollini) "People have been trying for years to get people to take cabs, to take Uber, to take Lyft, and it's the same old problem. You can't get people to leave and leave their car behind." Mickey Petrollini is with the Colorado Bar Owners Association. Now, Halbeisen says the app growing in popularity, but those that use it are still surprised by who exactly shows up to drive: (Halbeisen) "The first time we go into bars, they're like, man w

T-Mobile is planning to expand service for better coverage and faster speeds, in a move that could propel them to the fore-front of wireless capability. FOX's Brett Larson has "FOX on Tech": T-Mobile wants to be first to build a nationwide '5G' wireless network. T-Mobile just scooped up massive amounts of wireless spectrum in a government auction. The space is currently occupied by over-the-air digital TV signals that will soon be relocated. That will give them coast-to-coast coverage that will go a long distance between towers. In some area's that will give customers faster service, but for most users it will just mean better coverage, not necessarily faster data service. But the solid signal could also bring wireless connections to other devices like tablets and sensors around your home. Other wireless carriers, like Verizon and AT&T are experimenting with fast 5G service with the hope of delivering users speeds closer to those you'd see from a wired connection. But those carriers are using higher frequ

A first for one airline company. FOX's Brett Larson reports: Malaysian Airlines flight 370 and all 239 passengers on board vanished over the Indian Ocean after falling off the radar en route to Beijing and the search for the plane ended after three years of searching, with only pieces of debris showing up in the last few years. Now, Malaysian Airlines will become the world's first to start using a satellite based tracking system that can keep a watchful eye on an airliner in hard to track places like the poles and remote areas of the ocean where flight 370 is thought to have disappeared. In a statement, Malaysian Airlines said this new system will give them the ability to track every aircraft's location, altitude and heading and be alerted should any plane go off course. The service will become operational next year after the final 'Iridium Next Satellites' are launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Space X Falcon 9 rockets. 66 low-earth orbit satellites will assist in providing that global

Robots are getting your food for you, at least in the city by the bay. FOX's Brett Larson has "FOX on Tech": The robots are coming with your food delivery. In San Francisco, robotic startup Marble robots are working with Eat24 to deliver food. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Marble's Harrison Shei said for now, robots have a human helper: (Shei) "For the robot to have a voice to talk to the people, they're curious about it. To interact with the local businesses, ask some questions." For the robot to have a voice to talk to the people that are curious about it. On board, plenty of technology to take in a picture of the surrounding area: (Shei) "Traveling down the streets a mission, requires a unique set of thing, so we have a series of different sensors, like lidar, cameras and ultrasonic in order for us to sense an all environments. Whether it's darker out or whether it's foggy or it's in a crowded area." And all that robot roaming with your food order is giving Marble something else, a more acc

Facebook is adding a new features to your timeline. FOX's Brett Larson explains: Facebook users may notice something familiar coming to their timeline. The new Facebook camera feature will let you add special effects to photos and videos. If that sounds somewhat familiar, it should. It's very much what users of SnapChat are doing and sharing on Facebook. Facebook's calling the new feature: Stories. The posts will appear above 'news feed' on mobile and though Facebook admits it's a lot like SnapChat, it's the success of Instagram stories that inspired the social media giant to add the feature. It also seems after 10 years of just typing out text to update your friends on Facebook, a new way of doing it was long overdue. They started testing the more visual sharing during the 2016 Olympics and found that sharing photos and videos, at least on Facebook, crosses all age groups, where SnapChat users tend to skew younger. But for now, any story's you share on Facebook will be seen by all your friends. With FOX on T

He's been a lazy cat over the past few decades, but Garfield is back, and helping users navigate a changing and sometimes daunting online world. FOX's Joy Piazza explains in this edition of "FOX on Tech": When the "Garfield" comic strip first hit newsstands in 1978, "going online" wasn't a thing. Now that lazy feline is helping kids and adults alike navigate the 'web safely: (Davis) "We've been working very hard to take our analog cat into digital world now." "Garfield" creator Jim Davis partnered with the Center for Cyber Safety and Education to make a series of online safety adventures: (Davis) "People by nature are very trusting, so when someone asks them to share their phone number or password or something like that, they tend to." The center's director Patrick Craven says some holiday toys and gadgets could lure online thieves: (Craven) "When you sign into some of these things, you're giving them access to your contacts on your phone or on your social media site and things like that. Do you really want t

Apple revealed the long awaited new MacBook Pro on Thursday. FOX's Steve Rappoport has "FOX on Tech": It's here, the long rumored update to Apple's laptop lineup, rolled out after a video montage of all the previous portable Macs... Apple's CEO Tim Cook took the wraps off with one simple statement: (Cook) "This is the new Macbook Pro and it is absolutely incredible." The new MacBook Pro's are thinner and now feature better battery life and performance, but also something new called Touch Bar. Apples product designer Jonathan Ives explains: (Ives) "In each application, the most relevant controls are displayed dynamically, allowing you to work with greater efficiency."  The laptops are available now for pre-order and come in 13 and 15" models. Also unveiled, a new app to help find all your television shows and movies no matter where it's located: (Cook) "And we simply call it... TV." The app is available for download for Apple TV users. With FOX on Tech, I'm Steve Rappoport, FOX News. Follow Steve Rappoport on

Instagram has made a bit of a makeover to their logo. FOX's Jo Ling Kent has "FOX on Tech": Outrage online over Instagram and it's not even about a photo. Instagram fans went into full meltdown mode over the photo app's new logo. Gone is the old fashioned camera icon. It's been replaced with a sleeker, flat colorful one that many users called it boring, generic or plain old basic. Instagram said it was going for simplicity to reflect its massive growth. More than 80 million photos and videos are shared on Instagram every day. 400 million people log on monthly and 75 percent of them are from outside the United States. And if you're wondering how many likes are going on every day: 3.5 billion. But the mini uproar comes as no surprise. Users have regularly complained when Facebook, Instagram or Twitter introduce any change large or small. But as always, we report and you decide. Take a look at the new Instagram logo on FOXNewsRadio.com. With FOX on Tech, Jo Ling Kent, FOX News. Follow Jo Ling Kent on Twitter: @j

Too busy to answer all those emails? Maybe you could you use an artificial assistant. FOX News' Pat O'Neill has the story: It's a new twist on the "automated reply" feature. Google has unveiled a new tool designed to write artificially intelligent email responses. The so-called "smart reply" identifies which incoming emails deserve quick responses, then figures out the appropriate wording. Users will have three different reply choices before it's sent. The ones users pick are supposed to help Google's neural network figure out which ones works best... But don't expect anything too pithy, they'll be short and pretty basic. Google thinks the new option will be especially popular for checking emails on smartphones with the smaller, touch-screen keyboards. It's available to anyone using the free version of inbox and to businesses that pay for a more sophisticated version of its G-mail service. It's Google's latest effort to teach machines how to take over jobs typically handled by humans. The most ambitious examp

Apple iPhone users may be finding an unpleasant surprise in their next phone bill. FOX News Radio's Brett Larson explains: FOX on Tech. Unless you have an unlimited data plan, you may want to ensure a certain setting in iOS 9 is turned off... Called 'Wi-Fi Assist', the feature switches your phones data connection from Wi-Fi to cellular when your Wi-Fi signal gets weak. Great when you wander outside your home, for example and can't get a solid signal... But if it switches to your cellular data without your knowing, you might be burning through your data faster than you know. Many users have complained the new feature has resulted in an increase in data use. You can shut it off at the bottom of the page on cellular settings on the iPhone 5 or newer. Brett Larson, FOX News Radio.

They're the most dangerous celebrities in the world... For your computer. FOX News Radio's Chris Foster reports: Country star Luke Bryan is high up on the list of celebrity searches that can lead to websites installing viruses or unwanted software on fans' computers. That list is put together every year by Intel Security Group. The "most dangerous" celebrity is the Dutch music producer and DJ Armin van Buuren... It used to be Jimmy Kimmel. Luke Bryan, Usher, Britney Spears, Jay Z, Katy Perry and Amy Schumer are next on the "be careful" list. Chris Foster, FOX News Radio. CLICK HERE for the full list

Apple's retail stores around the world begin selling the latest iPhone models today. Fans of the iconic smartphone are known for camping out in front of stores in order to buy one. This debut was no different. Fox News Radio's Eben Brown reports: Before the sun rose here in the United States... Apple stores in Beijing, London, and Sydney were open already, selling their new stock of Apple's iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Keaton Keller of Chicago couldn't wait the extra 12 hours, he flew down under: (Keller) "We make YouTube videos, and, you know, a big thing, you know the new iPhone, so we're like, well why not be the first ones to get it and we traveled here." Apple is also pushing a new pricing plan, allowing to you pay for your phone over time independent of your wireless carrier. Eben Brown, FOX News Radio

After an app store hack attack, Apple now says it will let customers know, which apps to scrap. FOX News Radio's Gurnal Scott reports: Apple has already taken some of the 25 tainted apps out of their app store.  These are apps that software developers in China, according to Apple executives, got tricked into using that introduced malware into several downloads. The danger is that malware can extract personal information from devices and upload it to outside servers.  To date, Apple says it knows of no current information that has been compromised.  Apple plans to offer downloadable online tool kits to protect devices.  Cyber security experts say this episode reiterates that no system is immune to attack. Gurnal Scott, FOX News Radio.      

Facebook users will soon have the option to 'dislike' something. FOX News Radio's Lisa Brady reports: It's an idea CEO Mark Zuckberberg has resisted for years not wanting to promote negativity among Facebook's one-and-a-half billion users. But he acknowledged last December, they were thinking about a 'dislike' button after so many requests from users. (Zuckerberg) "People tell us that they don't feel comfortable pressing 'like'... because 'like' isn't the appropriate sentiment when someone lost a loved one or is talking about a very difficult issue." The new option might not be called "dislike" if sympathy or empathy is really the goal. In a Tuesday Q & A session from the company's California headquarters, Zuckerberg used the Syrian refugee crisis as one example, saying it's important to give people more options than just 'Like'. Facebook isn't elaborating... yet. Lisa Brady, FOX News Radio.

Some changes coming to Google. FOX News Radio's Kerin McCue reports: It's Google's operating structure that'll be changing. Henceforth, it'll become part of a holding company called 'Alphabet'. Users will still be able search, use the maps and watch YouTube as Alphabet will house those main Google businesses. Couple all that with businesses managed separately: Like Fiber and Nest... Even Google Ventures. There'll be some changes in the front offices, too, with Larry Page becoming the CEO of Alphabet, Sergey Brin will become President while Eric Schmidt will wear the Executive Chairman's hat. Kerin McCue, FOX News Radio.

The key to making commuting easier... may come from a couch. FOX News Radio's Chris Hoenig explains: FOX on Tech. Calling all gamers... Ford is looking for game developers to help solve some of the mysteries of commuting, coming up with ways to end gridlock and improve the efficiency of city transportation. (Bartholdy) "We want to use gameification to create an engaging and innovation solution to keep city travelers moving in a seamless and stress-free way." Challenge creator Bjoern Bartholdy says games are mostly about rules, mechanics and patterns, many of which apply to the ways people navigate from one point to another on the street. A $10,000 prize awaits the winning team, plus the possibility of future investment from Ford to take the ideas from virtual to actual reality. Chris Hoenig, FOX News Radio.

Today's the day countless PC's will be able to upgrade, free-of-charge, to Microsoft's latest version of Windows. But will anybody do it? FOX News Radio's Eben Brown reports for FOX On Tech: Upgrading to Windows 10 today? Microsoft gives it away free to users of Windows 7 and 8. (Laff) "They need it to be free to get people to really look at it. And just because it's free doesn't mean people are going to use it, but I think it will get more eyeballs." Tech entrepreneur Steven Laff of afarsitebetter.com says Windows in general has suffered in popularity. (Laff) "They need acceptance. They still have a bunch of ATM's all around the country, as well as the military, still using Windows XP." And the hope is Windows 10 will win back disappointed users who never liked Windows 8. (Laff) "There was no 'Start' button, and that confused a lot of people." It'll feature Cortana, Microsoft's much-praised digital assistant. And even a new machine won't cost as much as a Mac. (Laff) "You know, they say, 'Oh, Macs are so exp

Google coming up with a way to stop those regrettable emails. FOX News Radio's Lisa Lacerra reports: Ever send an email to someone then wish you hadn't? Google now offering a way to cancel the delivery of an errant email within 30 seconds of hitting send as part of a settings change made to its Gmail this week. The undo send feature had been available for the past six years in Google's experimental labs, but it took extra steps to get there. Gmail users will now be able to activate the feature in "Settings". Gmail boasts more than 900 million account holders worldwide, according to figures that Google released last month. Lisa Lacerra, FOX News Radio.

Could the Internet be made to reach far flung corners of the planet too remote or dangerous to run fiber optic cable?  One global technology entrepreneur thinks 'yes' and has already set out to do it. FOX News Radio's Eben Brown reports in this FOX on Tech: FOX On Tech.  Billionaire tech guru Elon Musk whose space launch company does work for NASA, wants to put 4,000 satellites in the sky to make the Internet available anywhere on planet Earth. (Musk) "In the long term, it would be like rebuilding the Internet in space." We've seen commercials for at-home satellite Internet, but this would cover more ground, and wouldn't cost users much at all, according to Steven Laff of digital enterprise afarsitebetter.com. (Laff) "And all you'll need is a $100 - $300 antenna." It would bring Internet connectivity to impoverished corners, side-stepping harsh government Internet crackdowns... (Laff) "I would think that once it becomes available, and if it is truly affordable, I believe the potential for adoption is huge and

With hurricane season underway, and with horrible floods leaving many communities in Texas underwater, federal disaster management officials are trying new tactics to not only spread important information, but also to gain data as they work to help people endure and recover. FOX News Radio's Eben Brown reports from Miami: Hurricane? Tornado? Flood? Earthquake? FEMA now has an app for that. And it's designed not just to help you, but also allow FEMA to gain information about a disaster from you. FEMA's administrator, Craig Fugate: (Fugate) "It has the information on how to prepare, you can get weather alerts. You can get information about how to get disaster assistance if there is a disaster. And you can also give us the information from your community about what's happening. Send us pictures." The crowd sourcing of disaster data could help emergency personnel respond more quickly. And here's what helps you: All the information is in the app. No need to waste data downloading after a disaster strikes. In Miami

A big buy for telecom giant Verizon... Breaking out the checkbook to purchase AOL for a hefty price tag. FOX News Radio's Gurnal Scott reports: Long-time techies remember it as 'America Online' the internet and messaging provider that was always quick to say... (AOL) "You've got mail!" While other companies have supplanted AOL as the internet has grown, Verizon still sees some value in it -- about $4.4 billion worth. Verizon is seeking to make a bigger splash in mobile communications and take advantage of AOL's sizable advertising and streaming video services. FOX Business reports the deal is expected to close this summer, should federal regulators approve it. Gurnal Scott, FOX News Radio.

The first stand alone consumer virtual reality headset ready for consumers has it's release date. FOX News Radio's Bill Vitka has the story.  The first VR headset is heading to market. Gamers will still need to be patient, because it wont reach retail till early next year -- but at least now -- there is a timeline. The headset is made by Oculus Rift and backed by Facebook, which spent $2 billion to buy the company. There's no word on the sales price or all the technical details. The headset will need to be used with a PC -- which will handle the bulk of the computing necessary to create the illusion of another world. You can starting ordering the Oculus Rift over the holidays. Bill Vitka, FOX News Radio. 

In Tokyo, a scare involving a radioactive drone. Details from Tokyo and FOX News Radio's Alastair Wanklyn: The drone quadcopter found on the roof of the Japanese prime minister's office -- it had a camera, a bottle with liquid and a label warning it was radioactive. Tests found it was, slightly. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe not in the building at the time, but the government here calling for... better security. There's no word if the drone was an attack or a stunt by activists, such as those who say radioactive fallout from the Fukushima disaster shows nuclear power is not worth the risk. In Tokyo, Alastair Wanklyn, FOX News Radio.

Your use of Google is likely going to change today. FOX News Radio's Eben Brown reports in "FOX On Tech": FOX On Tech. The crowd of internet users worldwide calls it "mobilegeddon" ("The Internship") "Welcome to Google!" As today's the day Google, the world's most used search engine tool, will start filtering search results based on what type of device you're searching with. And since most of us now are performing most of our searches via smartphone or tablet, that means we're gonna get search answers focused on mobile-ready content. Some online content creators complain it will effectively shut them out from showing up on your search results, but Google says it'll just push creators into adapting to the mobile world. Eben Brown, FOX News Radio. WATCH for more on this story:

So, what can you do to protect your privacy online from criminal hackers and government snooping? FOX News Radio's Hank Weinbloom reports: Cyber INsecurity. Throughout this series, we've heard it over and over... you are vulnerable online. Hackers can get your personal information. And you are listening. A survey by the Pew Research Center finds more than half of Americans are worried that the government is snooping into their private cyber activities. And you are changing your ways. (Rainey) "Some people are now holding conversations rather than conducting communications over telephones or in email or texting." Lee Rainey heads up tech research for Pew. He says people really need to take advantage of encryption software that's available for free. (Rainey) "There are services like proxy servers that basically mask where you get online and where people see that you're coming from when you're using a search engine." Even if you don't download fancy software, Rainey says get smart -- stop using your dog's name o

The controversy over Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server has raised another question: how hack-proof were her communications? Cyber-security experts warn of vulnerability. FOX News Radio's Jared Halpern has more from Washington. "Cyber INsecurity." Earlier this month, the former Secretary of State defiantly cast aside security concerns from using her own email and server. (Clinton) "The system we used was set up for President Clinton's office and it had numerous safeguards." Adding there were no cyber breaches. (Clinton) "The use of that server, which started with my husband, certainly, proved to be effective and secure." But so-called White-Hat hackers, who help corporations avoid cyber intrusions tell FOX News, they're not so sure about the server's security, noting simple IP searches were able to pinpoint the location of the server. In Washington, Jared Halpern, FOX News Radio. For additional stories on cyber security: Silicon Valley Fights Back Against Cyber Attacks Security Dangers Of Dating

The Director of National Intelligence says cyber attacks are the biggest threat to the economy and national security, and the brains in Silicon Valley say they're trying to come up with ways to fight back. FOX News Radio's Jessica Rosenthal was in Silicon Valley and spoke with many security experts: "Cyber INsecurity." Many of the experts agree with Rick Howard, Head of Security at Palo Alto Networks... (Howard) "I don't think that there's a technology solution." Because, technology systems have to remain open. A way in and a way out. But, this means bad guys can get in and out. So, CloudPassage CEO Carson Sweet, says you have to let the good guys share information and pay them. (Sweet) "One of the ways that we're seeing as an industry this problem being addressed is crowd sourcing, using other people's skills. A crowd sourced ethical hacking service, for example, there are number of those that have popped up." Like through bug bounty programs. It's what it sounds like. Former Google Executive Chris Messina e

Experts say to be very careful what you put online, and that anyone who posts anything is at risk. Especially at risk? Celebrities. FOX News Radio's Michelle Pollino explains: Cyber INsecurity. Over 60 nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence were leaked online. 26 celebs were targeted and hacked through iCloud in the Fall of 2014. Those cases are still under investigation. Scarlett Johansson was one of a handful celebs hacked in 2011, however Assistant U.S. Attorney Wes Hsu prosecuted her hacker, Chris Chaney. (Hsu) "He would answer security questions that were placed on the celebrities email accounts because he would be able to get, through publicly available information, the answers."  So if you posted a pic of you and your pet on Instagram and you put your pet's name -- that's a problem... and not just for celebs. (Hsu) "Everyday people now have volumes and volumes of information on the internet. If you correctly answer security questions that are publicly available, anybody can use that to reset the email accoun

Apple may be getting into the streaming TV business. FOX News Radio's Chris Foster reports: The Wall Street Journal reports: Apple is in talks to offer a slimmed down service with about 25 channels, including ABC, CBS and FOX-owned networks on Apple devices and televisions hooked up through its set-top box. (Cook) "Apple TV will reinvent the way that you watch television, and this is just the beginning." Apple CEO Tim Cook at an event last week. The Journal reports, the service would launch in September, and cost $30 to $40 a month. NBC Universal Networks, we're told, as of now, would not be included because of a falling out between the parent company Comcast and Apple over a streaming service that fell through last year. Chris Foster, FOX News Radio.