Techno-News Blog

October 10, 2012

Facebook private message issue raises more concerns over privacy

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By Michael Lee, ZDNet

The general consensus is that Facebook is not leaking your private messages to your public timeline. I say “general”, because there are still people who are not convinced. This is despite the company conducting its own investigations and publicly reassuring its users. Facebook said in a statement to AAP that “a number of users have raised concerns about what they believe to be private messages appearing on their timeline,” and that its own “investigations have shown them to be public wall posts that were always visible.”

http://www.zdnet.com/facebook-private-message-issue-raises-more-concerns-over-privacy-7000005287/?s_cid=e539

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America’s Mobile Comeback

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by DAN FROMMER, ReadWriteWeb

For the first time in a long time, two American companies are driving innovation and leading one of the planet’s most important industries. The first half of 2012, I flew more than 60,000 miles, searching for interesting tech stories for ReadWriteWeb, including stops in Korea, Japan, Iceland, Spain, Germany and Silicon Valley. The biggest meta-trend I’ve observed: How two U.S. companies, Apple and Google, stand tall as the world’s most influential mobile companies, leading one of the planet’s most important industries. It wasn’t always this way. Now five years after the first iPhone debuted and almost four years since Android launched, it is easy to forget that America was once a mobile-phone backwater.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/mobile/2012/10/americas-mobile-comeback.php

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Will a Chromebook be your next PC?

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By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, ZDNet

The latest Chromebook may be just what you need for your next PC. Sure, you could keep using Windows, although Windows 8 looks worse every time you look at it; or you could buy a Mac for big bucks; or you could buy a Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook starting at $449 and have a great Linux-based desktop that you already know how to use. What’s that? It’s Linux and that’s so complicated. Oh please. Get into the 21st century, Linux is easy enough for grandpa and grandma to use. And, besides if you know how to use the Chrome Web browser–you do know how to use a Web browser right?–then you already know how to use Chrome OS and a Chromebook. If you really want to have the full Linux shell command experience, you can have that too, but it’s purely optional. The Chromebook’s special sauce is Chrome OS. This operating system uses a thin layer of an Ubuntu Linux as a foundation for the Chrome Web browser. That’s all there is to it.

http://www.zdnet.com/will-a-chromebook-be-your-next-pc-7000005280/?s_cid=e539

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October 9, 2012

Microsoft’s TypeScript Fills A Long-standing Void In JavaScript

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:38 am

by SCOTT M. FULTON, Read,Write,Web

The latest language from the company once identified for its programming languages seeks to bring a higher class of developer into the Web apps space, without changing the foundation of the Web… even if such a change wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Let’s be frightfully honest: JavaScript probably should not have been the first choice for the language of all Web functionality – at least, not without some serious reworking. It became standardized long before it was ever rationalized. And had rationality been the goal, it should have looked much more like Java than script. As with so much else on the Web, platform engineers are largely of the mindset that it’s too late to do much about it now. The exceptions are companies whose backbones still have some swagger to them, especially in the face of something new called “competition.”

http://www.readwriteweb.com/hack/2012/10/microsofts-typescript-fills-a-long-standing-void-in-javascript.php

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Apple Job Posting Hints At Major New System-On-A-Chip Design Effort

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:35 am

by DARRELL ETHERINGTON, Tech Crunch

Apple introduced a number of new job postings today, and one in particular is interesting given the company’s recent decisions relative to iPhone hardware. The posting is seeking an “SoC Modelling Architect / Lead,” or in the words of the job description, an individual who will be “at the center of a chip design effort interfacing with all disciplines, with a critical impact on getting functional products to millions of customers quickly.” Essentially, Apple seems to be looking for a maestro for its own chip design efforts, which have taken on additional depth since Apple is now responsible for its own custom SoC design following the introduction of the A6 processor. What exactly does that involve? Well, basically, power and performance, and the management thereof.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/03/apple-job-posting-hints-at-major-new-system-on-a-chip-design-effort/

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Amazon adds closed captions to select Instant streams

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:30 am

By Terrence O’Brien, Engadget

Amazon is finally catching up to the rest of the streaming industry and adding closed captions to some of its Instant Video selections. For the moment the library of CCed content is pretty slim, with only 169 shows and 74 movies, but we’d expect that to grow pretty quickly. That does put the burgeoning media giant quite a bit behind competitors like Hulu and Netflix, who have been catering to the hearing impaired for some time. For now, captions are only available when streaming from Amazon’s website, but the company promises to expand support to “additional devices” soon. For more info check out the Amazon help page at the source and the email notice forwarded to us by a tipster after the break.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/03/amazon-adds-closed-captions-to-select-instant-streams/

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October 8, 2012

635,392 U.S. Road Miles Lack 3G or 4G

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by David Talbot, Technology Review

Amid the recent release of new ultrafast smartphone models, two interactive maps provide a reminder of the United States’ wireless divide and the incremental progress in closing it. This one shows areas that still lack coverage for 3G or 4G wireless coverage. It includes 1,738,828 residents—and 653,392 miles of highways and secondary roads (including a few stretches of the fabled Route 66 through northern New Mexico and Nevada). If you live in one of these areas, or are driving through, you’ll find no 4G or even 3G service for your new iPhone5, Droid Razr M, Nokia Lumia 900, or other smartphone.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/429487/635392-us-road-miles-lack-3g-or-4g/

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Meet the Nimble-Fingered Interface of the Future

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by Kate Greene, Technology Review

Microsoft’s Kinect, a 3-D camera and software for gaming, has made a big impact since its launch in 2010. Eight million devices were sold in the product’s first two months on the market as people clamored to play video games with their entire bodies in lieu of handheld controllers. But while Kinect is great for full-body gaming, it isn’t useful as an interface for personal computing, in part because its algorithms can’t quickly and accurately detect hand and finger movements. Now a San Francisco-based startup called 3Gear has developed a gesture interface that can track fast-moving fingers. Today the company will release an early version of its software to programmers. The setup requires two 3-D cameras positioned above the user to the right and left.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429426/meet-the-nimble-fingered-interface-of-the-future/

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Why Facebook’s Search Engine Won’t Be Anything Like Google’s

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by Tom Simonite, Technology Review

When Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg mentioned during an interview last month that he wanted to build a search engine, headline writers instantly put Google on notice. Yet, while Larry and Sergey are probably watching closely, the technology and data at Facebook’s disposal suggest the company will most likely create something fundamentally different from Google’s search service. Facebook lacks the comprehensive index of the Web that it would need to equal Google’s ability to match queries with Web pages—and it would have to invest a lot to create one.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429427/why-facebooks-search-engine-wont-be-anything-like/

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October 7, 2012

Eye-Fi releases 16GB Pro X2 wireless SD card, chops $20 from the price of the 8GB models

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:20 am

By Daniel Cooper, Engadget

Do you love wireless camera transfers, but lament the Eye-Fi’s maximum 8GB of storage? Fortunately for you, the company is doubling the capacity of its flagship unit to 16GB for the demanding photographer in all of us. The 16GB Eye-Fi Pro X2 is a Class 10 SD card that offers the same “endless memory,” WPS Geotagging and the company’s Eye-Fi View cloud service we’ve seen in its other products.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/03/eye-fi-16gb-pro-x2/

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Lockitron launches iPhone-controlled keyless lock that pings you when someone knocks

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:18 am

By Steve Dent, Engadget

Lockitron has just outed a new cellphone-controlled keyless entry system, sporting a raft of new bells and wireless whistles. The WiFi-connected product mounts over your existing deadbolt “in seconds,” according to the company, and lets you or those you trust control your lock from anywhere in the world by SMS or the internet. You can also unlock your door without lifting a finger if you have an iPhone 4S or 5, as the Lockitron will sense your approach using Bluetooth 4.0 — a feature that may extend to NFC and Android devices in the future, too. To top it off, the system can notify you when a friend or relative returns home, and it has a knock sensor to let you know if someone’s come by to visit.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/03/lockitron-launches-iphone-controlled-keyless-entry-system/

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Skype Fiddles With Classrooms

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:15 am

by Mike Butcher, Tech Crunch

Meanwhile Skype has announced a number of new partnerships for its ‘Skype in the Classroom‘ initiative, bringing in NASA’s Digital Learning Center, The National Museum of the Royal Navy and HMS Victory, British Council, VerbalizeIt, Action Aid, Woodland Trust, Education through Expedition and Choose2Matter joining the scheme which is It’s all about promoting video-calling in the classroom – and spreading the adoption of the application of course. Skype says over 38,000 teachers are now collaborating on 1,800 educational projects globally.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/03/skype-fiddles-with-classrooms-and-wifi-pr-stunts-while-the-product-languishes/

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October 6, 2012

Evidence Emerges That Iran Is Building Its Own Hidden Internet

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:24 am

by The Physics arXiv Blog

One of the lesser known features of the internet is the ability to create private networks using IP addresses reserved for exactly this purpose. These addresses come under the IP block 10.0.0.0/8 and allow a total of almost 17 millon different hosts. Anybody can use them to set up a private network for their office, home or, in this case, nation. Today, Collin Anderson, an internet security researcher funded by the University of Pennsylvania, says he has gathered evidence proving that Iran is using this approach on a national scale to create a private internet that is widely accessible within the country but hidden from outside. “Iran has broken from commonplace Internet addressing standards to create a private network that is only accessible within the country,” he says.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/429447/evidence-emerges-that-iran-is-building-its-own/

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Sharing the Big Screen from Your Smartphone

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:19 am

by Jessica Leber, Technology Review

There’s countless ways to share content and collaborate on projects with friends and coworkers who are located far away. But what about with a group of people all in the same room? There might be a big TV, a video projector and ten mobile devices present, and still people are usually left scratching their heads. A Denver-based startup, Mersive, launched a product today to simplify this interaction, and make higher-quality displays easier to access. Its software, Solstice, allows anyone to beam content from their tablet, laptop or mobile device to a larger display or set of displays, and it allow groups of people to share the same screen simultaneously. Showing off their product today at the Silicon Valley conference DEMO, Mersive demonstrated how five people could collaborate and share from their individual devices across a single, large screen, or stretched out onto two.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/429469/sharing-the-big-screen-from-your-smartphone/

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Internet TV Isn’t Ready to Displace Cable Just Yet

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:16 am

 by Jessica Leber, Technology Review

Roku founder Anthony Wood runs a startup that, along with companies like Apple and Microsoft, sells hardware that’s bringing Web video to home television screens. It’s no wonder his nine-year-old daughter prefers to watch her favorite Disney shows on Netflix at her whim, rather than surf Disney’s own 24-hour cable channel. This is one example of how traditional TV service providers are losing their hold on America’s eyeballs. Internet-connected TVs are becoming the norm on store shelves, and today represent 12 percent of those in people’s homes, according to a recent survey by NPD Group. These TVs, and devices like Roku’s, make it easier for viewers to cut the cord on their expensive cable bills, and instead simply watch content provided by companies including Netflix, Hulu, Apple, Amazon, and Google on their big home screens.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429326/internet-tv-isnt-ready-to-displace-cable-just-yet/

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October 5, 2012

For the Absent-Minded, a Few Forget-Me-Nots

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By KIT EATON, NY Times

I have a certain notoriety among friends because of my poor memory, which is particularly bad when it comes to to-do lists. It’s so bad, in fact, that I’ve resorted to all sorts of mental and linguistic tricks. It’s not uncommon to hear me leave the house muttering “monkeys, Ferrari, alien death ray” to help me remember to buy peanuts, park the car inside and make an appointment with the doctor. Clear is a simple app that offers colored lists of tasks. You type items directly into a box where they will appear on the screen. Like many to-do apps, Remember the Milk reminds you of appointments, but it can also flag their locations. The core of Any.DO is a home screen that breaks your list of items into sections. Thankfully technology can help, and there are more to-do list apps for smartphones and tablets than you’d ever care to, um, list.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/technology/personaltech/for-the-absent-minded-a-few-forget-me-nots.html

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Tip of the Week: Checking the Mail Service

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By J.D. BIERSDORFER, NY Times

Web-based mail services like Google’s Gmail or Microsoft Hotmail/Outlook.com can keep you up to date with e-mail and online calendar services wherever you can get an Internet connection. These sites may have occasional technical trouble that can prevent you from getting your messages. If your mailbox seems suspiciously quiet for a period of time, you may want to check the status of your mail service to make sure it is up and running.  — ed note:  of course you should always maintain at least two email addresses: simply send a test email from each of them to the other. 

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/tip-of-the-week-checking-the-mail-service/

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Buying a new smartphone today? Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III are only two serious contenders

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by Matthew Miller, ZDNet

While there are some attractive Windows Phone 8 options coming from HTC and Nokia, there are two super smartphones available today across all major US carriers that I recommend you consider. There look to be some excellent Windows Phone 8 devices coming from Nokia and HTC in the coming months, but if you are looking for a smartphone right now there are really only two serious options to consider; the Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III. You can find a number of other Android devices, some old Windows Phone and BlackBerry units, but for the person who wants the latest and greatest these two are ones to consider.

http://www.zdnet.com/buying-a-new-smartphone-today-apple-iphone-5-and-samsung-galaxy-s-iii-are-only-two-serious-contenders-7000004711/?s_cid=e539

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October 4, 2012

Microsoft’s cloud service SkyDrive is great, and no one has noticed

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by Brad Feld, VB/Cloud

We’ve been using it for two weeks and it is awesome. Stunningly awesome. Perfect. We can work in the browser and that’s fine for short things, but the beauty is we can download the doc into Word and it automagically keeps our edits in sync on the server. We can both work in Word – online or offline – at the same time and when we connect all the changes get updated to the server and then pushed down to our individual copies of Word. In short, it does exactly what you’d expect it to do. And – we are both using Word on the Mac – which is solid and a nice surprise to me that any of this really works on the Mac given my generally miserable Microsoft + Mac software experience.

http://venturebeat.com/2012/09/23/microsofts-cloud-service-skydrive-is-great-and-no-one-has-noticed/

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Apps That Work With The iPhone 5’s Taller Screen

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by Kevin Smith, Business Insider

Apple’s iPhone 5 has a taller screen. Many developers have been scrambling to accommodate this new feature. Not everyone has updated but we put together a list of some that have. We’re sure we missed some, so if you notice any glaring omissions drop them in the comments.

http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-5-apps-that-work-with-tall-screen-2012-9

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Here’s a First Look At All The New Software Features On The iPhone 5

Filed under: Uncategorized — admin @ 12:17 am

by Kevin Smith, Business Insider

The iPhone 5 ships with Apple’s newest mobile operating system for iPhones and iPads called iOS 6. On the surface, iOS 6 looks a lot like the software you’re used to using, but there are several key tweaks and improvements. Take a look at the biggest changes to the iPhone software in the video at the URL.

http://www.businessinsider.com/ios-6-features-for-iphone-5-2012-9

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