Topping tech headlines on Wednesday, Amazon teased a June 18 event that might include the launch of a long-rumored smartphone.
An Amazon video features people holding an off-screen device, moving their bodies with what they see on the screen, suggesting a 3D component. Rumors about a branded smartphone date back to 2011, but Amazon has so far stuck to tablets and e-readers. Rumors ramped up in April 2013, when a former Windows Phone exec was hired by Amazon to work on “something secret,” which might finally come to fruition later this month.
In other news, Google launched another attack on the NSA with the new End-to-End Chrome add-on, which promises to keep users’ data safe from prying eyes. Available now for testing, the extension will be released to the public at a later date. The search giant also called out other email providers that don’t encrypt messages while in transit, like Groupon, Pinterest, Amazon, Comcast, and Verizon.
Meanwhile, Microsoft announced dozens of apps—including Twitter, Vine, HBO GO, ShowTime Anytime, Comedy Central, and Major League Gaming (MLG)—that will soon arrive on Xbox One and Xbox 360 consoles globally. All 45 applications are scheduled to launch by the end of this holiday season. Redmond also began rolling out its June Xbox One system update.
Be sure to check out PCMag Live from Wednesday in the video, as well as a few other stories making headlines in the links below.