Iran shuts down Instagram, Telegram apps amid protests

The Iranian government has blocked access to messaging app Telegram and photo app Instagram amid several days of protests in what authorities say is a move "to maintain tranquillity and security of society," according to state-run media. 

SEE ALSO: Journalists are being jailed for 'fake news,' and critics blame Trump

Various media reports have stated that the apps were used to coordinate plans and share photos and videos of the demonstrations, which began as protests over economic inequality but have since grown in scope, taking aim at leading political figures like Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei  and President Hassan Rouhani. Read more...

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The beginner's guide to getting your side hustle off the ground

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

You've probably heard hundreds of stories about your cousin's boyfriend's sister making thousands on a side hustle and finally buying her dream condo in Miami. It's not hearsay. There are in fact hundreds of legitimate ways to create passive revenue streams outside your 9-to-5, and it's more a matter of choosing the best path for you.

SEE ALSO: Stick to your New Year's Resolutions with these classes, products, and helpful ideas Read more...

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Every Apple user needs these three accessories in the new year

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

While some of you unicorns out there may have been wishing and praying to find a baby mop or a selfie drone under the tree this year, the vast majority were probably thinking AirPods or bust. And if someone really loves you, you may have even scored a new iPhone X or MacBook Pro — and are preparing to be the envy of the office (naysayers be damned).

But like any new Apple device owner, you're likely discovering some inconvenient changes those sneaky Apple developers popped into their machinery. No USB-A port on your MacBook? No headphone port on your iPhone X? Yep. No turning back now. Read more...

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My favorite Twitter account is a bot

Human Twitter accounts serve their purpose, but I prefer tweets from bots.

Research suggests there are now some 30 million tweeting bots — though this might be a low estimate. Some of these bots provide weather updates, make stock recommendations, or attempt to subvert democracy. 

SEE ALSO: Here's how to tell if you're yelling at a bot on Twitter

I, however, like bots that aren't necessarily so useful nor ambitious. I look forward to their musings because their primary directive is to produce creative or absurd content — and I'm not alone. 

"I like anything that’s going to inject a little strangeness, beyond the normal strangeness that we have every day now," Charles Bergquist, the creator of my favorite twitter bot, NewFound Planets, told Mashable. Bergquist is also the director of the public radio program Science Friday.  Read more...

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Guy arrested for 'Nigerian prince' email scams is definitely not Nigerian royalty

The "Nigerian prince" email scam is one of the most notorious cybercimes out there, and the people behind it may have hit a bit of a snag after one of their alleged co-conspirators was arrested in Louisiana on Thursday.

Police arrested a 67-year-old man in Slidell, Louisiana after an 18-month investigation in connection with Nigerian prince email scams. The man is suspected of being a middle-man for a group in Nigeria that used the Nigerian prince email scam to get money from unsuspecting people, the Slidell Police Department announced on Facebook.

SEE ALSO: Man replies to scam emails — and hilarity ensues Read more...

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T-Mobile CEO is still blathering about 5G in 2020

T-Mobile CEO John Legere has never been known to remain quiet. As New Year's Eve approaches, it's been no different.

In an annual memo posted to the T-Mobile blog, Mr. Legere offers up his raw opinions on the passing year and includes several predictions about the future. 

SEE ALSO: T-Mobile is launching a TV service because there's just not enough options just yet

The biggest takeaway: Legere is excited about T-Mobile's 5G internet development. "One of the most under-reported stories for 2017 is the 600 MHz auction," he says in the post, referring to the FCC's spectrum auction in April.

"While [Verizon and AT&T] focus on 5G hotspots that won’t work when you leave your home, we will be the only ones on the fast-track toward a real, mobile nationwide 5G network in 2020 – and have already started deploying 5G ready equipment," he says. Read more...

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Don’t restore your phone from a backup: Why you should start fresh

If you keep a phone around long enough, it becomes a vestige of an old version of yourself, or even many former versions of yourself. 

Regrettable texts, untouched apps, and pointless screenshots are scattered on its internal storage. The cloud makes it worse by making these files available even when we get a new phone. It's a gigantic mess that's never worth sorting through, especially when it's so easy to bring back the old files. 

But my iPhone X has given me a new lease on life. Rather than backing up my musty old data from Apple, I'm just letting it go. No old apps. No old contacts. Nothing's old. It's a completely fresh start.  Read more...

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Apple announces its $29 battery replacement deal is available starting today

It's been a rough month for Apple.

The company has been embroiled in a controversy stemming from its decision to purposely slow down older iPhones to increase battery performance. Apple issued an apology to its customers for the miscommunication, and it also promised to replace affected batteries starting in late January.

Now, Apple is going a step further by making discounted battery replacements available immediately.

Starting today, Apple is lowering the price of iPhone battery replacements from $79 to $29. The company had promised this deal when it first issued its apology on Friday, but the company just updated its website to remove mention of the "late-January" start date for the program. Read more...

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The iPhone is once again the best-selling tech product of the year

If you bought a brand new iPhone this year, you weren't alone.

The iPhone was once again the best-selling tech product of the year, according to a USA Today report. What's more impressive is that the sales numbers were far superior than any other tech product on the list.

The runner-up on this year's list wasn't even close. USA Today reports that Samsung followed Apple with combined sales of its Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones, but only sold a measly 33 million in comparison.

In fact, Apple sold more iPhone units than the next four items on the best-selling list combined. It was a complete blowout.  Read more...

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The tech stories that shaped 2017 video - CNET

Some of the biggest stories this year had the world talking about cybersecurity breaches, fake news, Uber's chaos and Apple's iPhone X.

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The most useless gadgets of 2017

From dating app accessories to cookie-icing robots, we rounded up some of the most unique gadgets of 2017—that nobody asked for. Read more...

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How an 'ergonomic' mouse saved my wrist and made me hate my life

Ergonomic peripherals — a fancy term for more comfortable computer accessories — are the next big thing. Everyone seems to be using standing desks these days, and more ergonomic mice and keyboards sneak into bestseller lists every year. These products are designed to promote your health and comfort, and to avoid Carpal Tunnel, repetitive strain injuries and other common office afflictions. 

Enter the Evoluent VerticalMouse 4, a mouse which purportedly "avoids forearm twisting for comfort and good health."

Yeah, that picture you're looking at is not photoshopped, and your eyes aren't deceiving you. They literally took a mouse and flipped it on its side.  Read more...

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2 guys named their company Steve Jobs Inc. — and got away with it

Steve Jobs was many things, but trademarked he was not. At least, that's how a court ruled in a two-year-long legal battle between Apple and the company that can now officially call itself Steve Jobs Inc. 

Steve Jobs Inc. was founded by two Italian brothers, Vincenzo and Giacomo Barbato, according to Business Insider Italia (via Quartz). The brothers told Business Insider that as aspiring innovators, they hoped to name their company after the most excellent innovator, Steve Jobs.  

SEE ALSO: Aaron Sorkin on the Steve Jobs Film: He's Part Hero, Part Antihero

The company registered its name in 2012, with what is now the European Intellectual Property Office. That same year, Apple fought the trademark application.  Read more...

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Apple faces over a dozen lawsuits. Here's why it might win them all

There are currently many, many people trying to sue the pants off Apple. But commercial law experts predict that if the company ends up on trial, it may come out on top. 

Before we get too deep into this, it's important to understand the backstory: On Dec. 20, Apple confirmed a rumor that it does, in fact, slow down iPhones to prevent unexpected shutdowns from old, unstable batteries. 

Two days later, lawsuits were filed in California and Illinois. Over the next few weeks, civil and criminal charges piled on, from Israel, Europe, Asia, New York, California, and Texas9to5Mac reports that the company faces over 15 class-action lawsuits as of today.  Read more...

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What the heck is Ripple? A brief look at the hottest cryptocurrency of the moment.

Move over ethereum and litecoin — ripple is suddenly the hot new cryptocurrency. 

But ripple is different. It can't be mined. It can't be used to go shopping. And it's operated by a private company.

Ripple is still far smaller than bitcoin, the reigning king of cryptocurrencies, but it's had a remarkable 2017. Ripple has increased by 29,000 percent in the past 12 months, pushing its value to more than $70 billion. In comparison, bitcoin — which has had a notably successful, if volatile, year — has risen by over 1,400 percent to a value of $245 billion. 

SEE ALSO: Stop pretending like you understand cryptocurrency and take these online courses Read more...

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Our favorite blockchain pitches of 2017

Blockchain had a big 2017

The technology upon which bitcoin operates is suddenly the hot new thing. Acolytes believe it will change how we conduct business, elections, and even finding a mate (more on that later). Suddenly, there’s a blockchain startup for just about everything.

As much as we wish we could, we can’t write about them all. But when thinking back on the year, our email inboxes were so often filled with blockchain pitches that the topic itself deserved attention. 

In trying to capture this craziness, we have put together some of our favorite blockchain pitches of 2017 in an attempt to provide you with an idea of just how much of a gold rush we’re witnessing. Some of these pitches are pretty good; others are decidedly not good. As you'll see below, we awarded each of them with a superlative, included the subject line, and abridged versions of the email. Read more...

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This guy is the face of the bitcoin bubble

In 2013, James Altucher called bitcoin “a fad, or a scam, or a ponzi scheme, or worse.”

Now, he’s become the face of the bitcoin bubble, appearing in ads across the internet touting the cryptocurrency — along with his paid newsletters with titles like, “Bitcoin Expert Reveals 3-Step Secret To Retire Rich.”

Altucher is just one of a growing number of internet self-help gurus that have embraced bitcoin as the future, a way for you — yes, you — to get rich. It's a pitch built on a dangerous combination: Dreams of riches and ignorance of a new, highly volatile market.

And all you have to do is subscribe to their newsletters.  Read more...

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Here's when all your favorite new phones might be coming out in 2018

Another year of smartphones will be upon us soon.

We'll likely see new versions of all of 2017's major flagship Android phones. But when can you expect them to come out? How long will you have to wait? A newly leaked list might have revealed 2018's roadmap.

SEE ALSO: 9 reasons why 2018's smartphones are going to kick major ass

The phone sleuths at GSMArena picked up what appears to be a list of upcoming phones that will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 chip. 

Though the list, posted to China's Weibo (like every leak) social network, can't be verified, the timeline seems to match up with what we'd expect from an annual release cycle. Even so, you shouldn't base any purchasing decisions on this list; it could turn out to be completely wrong. Read more...

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