The UpStream

It's no secret that the iPhone is behind its competitors in technology. The devices have inferior batteries, they don't offer NFC or wireless charging, features that almost all other smartphones on the market seem to offer. One place that Apple has always excelled has been in keeping its mouth shut about what's going on inside, something that does not seem to be the case anymore. When you combine these 2 scenarios, you end up with a list of instances of leaks about issues with the 10th Anniversary iPhone. The device, being called the iPhone 8 or iPhone X in rumors, seems to have more than its fair share of production issues.

This week, we learned that the rumored Apple inductive charging plate, which looks suspiciously like a Palm Touchstone, is being delayed. In fact, it is possible it will not launch with the device at all. All signs point to Apple including technology from our friends at the Wireless Power Consortium, which produces the standard Qi. This standard is the same, that is in most Android and Windows Phones. Apple is a member of the organization, so using the technology is not terrible surprising.

So where might Apple be having problems including this technology? It's possible that Apple was trying to build-in long-range wireless charging technology, but was incapable of including it in time, as the technology is still very new. Instead, they are opting for the Qi standard. It's not an unusual scenario for Apple to ignore standards and instead build around technology that is unpopular or unproven, so this is not a far-fetched suggestion. According to Apple blogger John Gruber, the technology "might be late," suggesting that there is still a possibility of pulling it off in time.

Another suggestion for the delay comes in the form of another rumor. It is said that Apple is having trouble building software to take advantage of several of the pieces of hardware included in the new device. For example, rumors have been around for weeks that Apple cannot quite figure out how to get the under-screen Touch ID to work. If that's the case it's possible that the delay on including Qi could be entirely software driven. The theory becomes even more sound because rumors suggest that the 3D sensor on the front, which works similar to Microsoft Kinect or the Dynamic Perspective on Amazon's disastrous Fire Phone, is suffering the same fate. Apparently, according to Fast Company sources, the hardware works fine, but Apple's software engineers can't figure out how to make them work.

If the software issues continue to be a problem, Apple will have to make a very tough decision as to whether to delay the anniversary iPhone, or launch the hardware without the features in issue enabled. Either way, this could be a big embarrassment to the company that many believe to be the most innovative technology company in the world.

If Apple launches the phone without all of that hardware enabled, will it change your opinion on buying the phone? Let us know in the comments below.

Today is the big day - Amazon Prime Day 2017. As always, there are a number of odd products available, but there are also a few really interesting, hidden deals available. Here is a list of some of the PLuGHiTz Live team's favorite hidden gems. And, don't forget, you can get these deals even if you don't currently have Amazon Prime. Get a free 30 days trial here.

PDP Gears of War 4 Prop Replica Customized Lancer

Sale starts at 5:30am Eastern

Ozobot 2.0 Bit, Titanium Black

Sale starts at 7:35am Eastern

Elegoo Mega 2560 Ultimate Starter Kit for Arduino Mega2560 UNO Nano

Sale starts at 8:30am Eastern

Gunnar Optiks VAY-00101 Vayper Videogaming Glasses

Sale starts at 8:30am Eastern

Gunnar Optiks Intercept Videogaming Glasses

Sale starts at 9:40am Eastern

W5 Mini PC Windows 10 Computer Stick

Sale starts at 10:20am Eastern

AAXA Battery-Powered HD Pico LED Projector

Sale starts at 10:55am Eastern

Elegoo Arduino Project Smart Robot Car Kit with Four-wheel Drive

Sale starts at 11:00am Eastern

NES case for Raspberry Pi 3,2 and B+

Sale starts at 11:00am Eastern

Elegoo 37-in-1 Sensor Module Kit for Arduino UNO R3, MEGA, NANO

Sale starts at 11:00am Eastern

Seneo 10W QI Fast Wireless Charging Stand

Sale starts at 11:00am Eastern

Elegoo UNO Project Basic Starter Kit with Tutorial and UNO R3 for Arduino

Sale starts at 12:25pm Eastern

Elegoo UNO Project Super Starter Kit with Tutorial for Arduino

Sale starts at 1:00pm Eastern

Nordic Games Darksiders Replica Chaoseater Sword

Sale starts at 1:10pm Eastern

Monster ScreenClean 2.0 Gel

Sale starts at 2:35pm Eastern

SunFounder 37 Modules Sensor Kit V2.0 for Raspberry Pi 3, 2, Zero & RPi 1 Model B+, A+

Sale starts at 4:10pm Eastern

Elegoo UNO R3 Project Complete Starter Kit with Tutorial for Arduino

Sale starts at 4:15pm Eastern

Seenda Mini Bluetooth Keyboard W Touchpad for Android OS Windows

Sale starts at 5:40pm Eastern

Kuman for Arduino Project Complete Starter Kit for UNO R3 Mega 2560

Sale starts at 7:05pm Eastern

Elegoo Upgraded Electronics Fun Kit for Arduino, Raspberry Pi, STM32

Sale starts at 8:00pm Eastern

Intel NUC Kit NUC6i7KYK Mini PC

Sale starts at 8:05pm Eastern

SNES Super Nintendo Controller for PC / Mac / Raspberry Pi

Sale starts at 8:35pm Eastern

It is that time of year - Microsoft's summer sale. Many of Xbox One's biggest games, as well as some of its smallest, are on sale through July 10. Everyone can save a lot of money, but Xbox Live Gold members can often save even more. Check out the games available here, and the rest of the list here.

Madden NFL 17 Deluxe Edition

Madden NFL 17 Super Deluxe Edition

Mafia III

Mafia III Deluxe Edition

Mantis Burn Racing

Manual Samuel

Mantis Burn Racing

Manual Samuel

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Bundle

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series - The Complete Season (Episodes 1-5)

Mass Effect™: Andromeda

Mass Effect™: Andromeda

Mass Effect™: Andromeda Deluxe Edition

METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE DEFINITIVE EXPERIENCE

Metro 2033 Redux

Metro Redux Bundle

Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Pass (Episodes 2-5)

Minecraft: Story Mode - The Complete Season (Episodes 1-5)

Minecraft: Story Mode - Adventure Pass (Additional Episodes 6-8)

Minecraft: Story Mode - The Complete Adventure (Episodes 1-8)

Mount & Blade: Warband

Narcosis

NASCAR Heat Evolution

NBA Playgrounds

Necropolis

Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition

Outlast 2

Overcooked: Gourmet Edition

Oxenfree

PAC-MAN™ CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2

Party Hard

PAYDAY 2 - CRIMEWAVE EDITION - THE BIG SCORE Game Bundle

Portal Knights

Prey

Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 - Digital Exclusive

Project CARS - Game of the Year Edition

Project CARS Digital Edition

Prototype® Biohazard Bundle

ReCore

Resident Evil

Resident Evil 0

resident evil 4

RESIDENT EVIL 5

Resident Evil 6

RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard

RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard Deluxe Edition

Resident Evil Triple Pack

Resident Evil: Deluxe Origins Bundle

Reus

Reus

Riptide GP: Renegade

Rock Band™ 4 Rivals Bundle

Rock Band™ 4 Rivals Bundle

Rock Band™ Rivals Expansion

Rocket League®

Ryse: Legendary Edition

Saints Row IV: Re-Elected & Gat out of Hell

Saints Row Metro Double Pack

Saints Row: Gat out of Hell

ScreamRide

Slain: Back from Hell

Sleeping Dogs™ Definitive Edition

Snake Pass

Sniper Elite 4

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 Season Pass Edition

Song of the Deep

Spheroids

State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition

STEEP

STEEP GOLD EDITION

Subnautica (Game Preview)

Sunset Overdrive

Sunset Overdrive Deluxe Edition

Super Ultra Dead Rising 3' Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX + ?

SUPERHOT

Tales from the Borderlands Complete Season (Episodes 1-5)

Terraria

The Bunker

The Crew

The Culling (Game Preview)

The Disney Afternoon Collection

The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - The Complete Season (Episodes 1-5)

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries

The Walking Dead: Season Two

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Expansion Pass

The Witness

The Wolf Among Us

Thief

Thimbleweed Park

This War of Mine: The Little Ones

Titanfall® 2

Titanfall® 2 Deluxe Edition

Titanfall® 2: Colony Reborn Bundle

Titanfall® 2: Monarch's Reign Bundle

Titanfall™ 2: Angel City's Most Wanted Bundle

Tokyo 42

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Wildlands - Deluxe Edition

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Wildlands - Standard Edition

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon®Wildlands - Gold Edition

TOM CLANCY'S RAINBOW SIX SIEGE + THE DIVISION BUNDLE

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Complete Edition

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Year 2 Gold Edition

Tom Clancy's The Division

Tom Clancy's The Division™ Gold Edition

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition

Torment: Tides of Numenera

Trackmania® Turbo

Trials of the Blood Dragon

Troll & I™

Tropico 5 - Penultimate Edition

ULTIMATE MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 3

Trove - Fast Fortune

Vikings - Wolves of Midgard

Voodoo Vince: Remastered

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide

Watch Dogs®2

Watch Dogs®2 - Deluxe Edition

Watch Dogs®2 - Gold Edition

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood

Worms W.M.D

WWE 2K17

WWE 2K17 Digital Deluxe

WWE 2K17 Goldberg Pack

WWE 2K17 MyPlayer Kick Start

WWE 2K17 NXT Enhancement Pack

WWE 2K17 Season Pass

Yooka-Laylee

Zombie Army Trilogy

It is that time of year - Microsoft's summer sale. Many of Xbox One's biggest games, as well as some of its smallest, are on sale through July 10. Everyone can save a lot of money, but Xbox Live Gold members can often save even more. Check out the games available here, and the rest of the list here.

#KILLALLZOMBIES

7 Days to Die

ABZU

Adam's Venture: Origins

Air Guitar Warrior for Kinect

ARCADE GAME SERIES 3-in-1 Pack

Assassin's Creed Triple Pack: Black Flag, Unity, Syndicate

Assassin's Creed Unity

Assassin's Creed® Syndicate

Assassin's Creed® Syndicate Gold Edition

Assassin's Creed® The Ezio Collection

Assetto Corsa

Assetto Corsa - DLC Season Pass

Back to the Future: The Game - 30th Anniversary Edition

Bastion

Batman: Arkham Knight Premium Edition

Battlefield™ 1

Battlefield™ 1 - Titanfall® 2 Deluxe Bundle

Battlefield™ 1 Deluxe Edition

Battlefield™ 1 Premium Pass

Battlefield™ 1 Ultimate Edition

Beach Buggy Racing

BioShock: The Collection

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition

Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition Duke Nukem Bundle

Cabela's® African Adventures

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III - Gold Edition

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III Digital Deluxe Edition

Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfare - Digital Deluxe Edition

Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfare - Digital Legacy Edition

Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfare - Launch Edition

Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfare - Season Pass

Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfare - Season Pass

Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfare + Destiny - The Collection

Call of Duty®: IW Legacy + Destiny - The Collection Bundle

Chivalry: Medieval Warfare Ultimate Edition

Cities: Skylines - Xbox One Edition

ClusterTruck

DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin

DARK SOULS™ III

DARK SOULS™ III - Deluxe Edition

DARK SOULS™ III - Season Pass

Dead Island Definitive Collection

Dead Island Retro Revenge

Dead Rising 3 Season Pass

Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition

Dead Rising 4

Dead Rising 4 Deluxe Edition

Dead Rising 4 Season Pass

Dead Rising Triple Bundle Pack

Deadlight: Director's Cut

Deadpool

Deformers

Destiny - The Collection

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - Digital Deluxe Edition

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided™

Dishonored 2

DOOM

Dovetail Games Euro Fishing

Dragon Age™: Inquisition - Game of the Year Edition

Dying Light: The Following - Enhanced Edition

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 17

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 17 Deluxe Edition

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 17 Super Deluxe Edition

Enter The Gungeon

EVERSPACE™

F1™ 2016

Fallout 4

Fallout 4 Season Pass

Fallout 4: Digital Deluxe Bundle

FAR CRY 4 + FAR CRY PRIMAL BUNDLE

FAR CRY 4 GOLD EDITION

Far Cry Primal

Far Cry Primal - Apex Edition

Far Cry® 4

FINAL FANTASY XV

FINAL FANTASY XV Digital Premium Edition

Flinthook

FOR HONOR™ DELUXE EDITION

FOR HONOR™ Gold Edition

FOR HONOR™ Standard Edition

Forza Horizon 2 and Forza Motorsport 5 Bundle

Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island

Forza Horizon 3 Porsche Car Pack

Forza Motorsport 6 Platinum Edition Bundle

Furi

Game of Thrones - The Complete First Season (Episodes 1-6)

Gears of War 4

Gears of War 4 Ultimate Edition

Gears of War Ultimate Edition Deluxe Version

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - Day One Version

Geometry Wars™ 3: Dimensions Evolved

Gears of War 4 - Run The Jewels Airdrop

Get Even

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V & Great White Shark Cash Card

Grand Theft Auto V & Megalodon Shark Cash Card Bundle

Grand Theft Auto V & Whale Shark Cash Card Bundle

Halo 5: Guardians

Halo 5: Guardians - 10 Gold REQ Packs + 3 Free

Halo 5: Guardians - 15 Gold REQ Packs + 5 Free

Halo 5: Guardians - 34 Gold REQ Packs + 13 Free

Halo 5: Guardians - Digital Deluxe Edition

Halo Wars 2: 100 Blitz Packs + 35 Free

Halo Wars 2: 20 Blitz Packs + 3 Free

Halo Wars 2: 3 Blitz Packs

Halo Wars 2: 40 Blitz Packs + 7 Free

Halo Wars 2: 9 Blitz Packs + 1 Free

Halo Wars 2: Standard Edition

Halo Wars 2: Ultimate Edition

Has-Been Heroes

How To Survive 2

Human Fall Flat

Injustice™ 2

Jump Stars

Just Cause 3

Just Cause 3 XL Edition

Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition

Kona

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris & Season Pass Pack

Late Shift

LEGO Batman 3 Season Pass

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

LEGO® Batman™ 3: Beyond Gotham

LEGO® Batman™ 3: Beyond Gotham Deluxe Edition

LEGO® Marvel's Avengers Deluxe Edition

LEGO® Marvel's Avengers Season Pass

LEGO® Marvel's Avengers

LEGO® STAR WARS™: The Force Awakens

LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens Deluxe Edition

LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens Season Pass

Life is Strange Complete Season (Episodes 1-5)

Little Nightmares

Madden NFL 17

Since its release, Netflix Original Sense8 has been polarizingly successful. Some people who have seen it absolutely love it, while others simply cannot understand what the others see in the series. Either way a lot of people have watched the visually spectacular series. After waiting for over a year, the second season was finally released recently, along with an announcement from Netflix: there would be no further episodes coming.

As it turns out, Sense8 is incredibly expensive to produce, costing double per episode what HBO pays to produce an episode of Game of Thrones. Netflix decided that the ratings did not justify the cost of the series, and canceled it after season 2. Unfortunately, as traditional television networks do, the decision was made after the season was produced, meaning that the creators could not put an end to the story. This did not sit well with producers or with fans.

As with anything that even slightly inconveniences the internet, an online petition was created. But, unlike normally, this petition accomplished something, in the form of a special episode. The 2 hour episode, which will premiere in 2018, does not have an official release date or story determined, but that is to be expected. It is likely that more information will be released as the time gets closer, and as decisions are made. Those decisions will include what to do with the series following the special, which, according to the Twitter post (linked below), suggests that maybe something additional can be accomplished, but don't hold your breath.

I would expect that this 2-hour special will serve as a series finale to wrap up the loose strings and bring closure to fans. This kind of treatment from Netflix is something that network television has never been interested in doing, because appointment television has always been thought of as watch and move on. Streaming has created a permanent nature to programs like Sense8, and a story closure brings additional value to the series for Netflix, who will keep the series on their service in perpetuity. New viewers who know the story is left hanging may be reluctant to give it a shot, while having an ending is likely to make people consider watching.

Since the beginning of the internet, governments all over the world have tried to filter the content that is shown. Traditionally, Communist countries have required censoring of content on a large scale, something Google and Yahoo refused, ending their relationships with China. Other, more religiously controlled countries, have also made content filtering, or in some cases full domain filtering, a priority. Now, a few new countries have decided to join the ranks of China, Russia, North Korea and Syria in their disdain for public discord on the internet: Germany and Canada.

Germany

The German government passed a law requiring social media companies, like Facebook and Twitter, to actively remove "unlawful content" (read hate speech) within 24 hours of posting. Failing to act within the given timeline can cost the company up to $5.7 million US. Many countries, including the Unites States, require that companies respond to reports of unlawful or harmful content within a reasonable timeframe, but Germany has taken it farther. They have redefined unlawful and have required active participation in the process, as opposed to passive response.

Interestingly, Heiko Maas, minister of justice and consumer protection, tried to put this internet censorship in terms of free speech, saying,

In an open society, in a democracy, disputes and debate are indispensable. Freedom of expression also includes sharp and ugly expression... But freedom of expression ends where criminal law begins.

Of course, free speech requires that there be no legal bounds created around speech. There can be no words spoken or written that can cross into the bounds of criminality that are not threats of violence, if you want to have a democracy or free speech. A Facebook spokesperson responded to the law, saying,

We believe the best solutions will be found when government, civil society and industry work together and that this law as it stands now will not improve efforts to tackle this important societal problem. We feel that the lack of scrutiny and consultation do not do justice to the importance of the subject. We will continue to do everything we can to ensure safety for the people on our platform.

It is unclear right now how these takedowns would work, and whether they must reside within Germany, or what posts must be removed.

Canada

Canada, seemingly taking its ideas from internet memes, decided to one-up Germany in its censorship of the internet. Rather than leaving the full details of a new law in question, Canada's Supreme Court ruled that they can control the internet as a whole. The court ruled that Google must remove a collection of search results from their system in its entirety, as opposed to only within Canada. The links in question are links that contain pirated content. The Canadian government wants any reference to this content to be hidden globally.

The problem with this ruling, of course, is that Canada cannot make laws that apply outside of their borders, though that is exactly what they are trying to do. Google is a US company, operating in countries across the world, but Canada believes that they have the ability to censor Google's content for the globe. This is even above what China asked Google to do that caused the company to ultimately leave the country entirely.

If Canada is allowed to censor the internet on a global scale, it could create a precedent that the country, or others, could use to censor any content on the web. If North Korea gets tired of Kim Jong Il memes, they could require Facebook to remove them. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, who tries to prevent overreach, either by corporations or governments, said in a blog post,

The Equustek decision is part of a troubling trend around the world of courts and other governmental bodies ordering that content be removed from the entirety of the Internet, not just in that country's locale... This framing results in Google being ordered to remove speech under Canadian law even if no court in the United States could issue a similar order.

Conclusion

This will not be the end of either of these stories. Social media companies are likely to fight Germany over the details of this new law. At the very least, more details on implementation and rules will be necessary for both the companies and the users of those services. Google will likely find a way to fight Canada's ruling over their right to control their own content, without interference from overreaching governments. The EFF will likely get involved, and Google may be forced to exit the country, or at least make the threat, in an attempt to undo this incredibly harmful ruling.