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USA Edition Latest Posts - Page 36


Reddit co-founder wants to buy out Jay-Z's share of the Brooklyn Nets NBA team

By: Anthony Garreffa | More News: Business, Financial & Legal | Posted: Apr 18, 2013 7:29 am

Right now, Jay-Z is a part-owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, but if Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has his way, he'll soon replace the rapper as the part-owner. Jay-Z announced earlier today that he intends to become an agent for NBA players, which means he'll have to sell his 0.067% stake in the Nets.

 

reddit_co_founder_wants_to_buy_the_brooklyn_nets_nba_team_from_jay_z

 

These shares, are what the Reddit co-founder are after, and he actually tweeted his interest in the Nets earlier this week. Ohanian hit Twitter up again on Wednesday, posting the above tweet. In the thread he linked to, he makes a compelling case on what he could bring to the table if he had that sliver ownership of the Nets:

 

I realize it's a token amount. But I actually live in Brooklyn and I'm pretty good with the Internet - I reckon that could be helpful. Also - AMAs from ALL THE PLAYERS.



Cancelled TV show 'Heroes' could be coming back, would arrive on MSN/Xbox thanks to Microsoft

By: Anthony Garreffa | More News: HT & Movies | Posted: Apr 18, 2013 6:25 am

The first series of Heroes was truly some great television, but it was cancelled after a few crappy seasons. It looks like Microsoft may bring the show back to life, doing a Sylar (or is that Spock?) and pushing the show back onto the Xbox 360 and MSN video service.

 

cancelled_tv_show_heroes_could_be_coming_back_would_arrive_on_msn_xbox_thanks_to_microsoft

 

The talks of bringing Heroes back to life are early, but the talks are about the new series focusing on new characters and stories, with only a few of the original cast making cameos in the new series. I think if it was done right, it would be good to see Heroes come back - but only time will tell.

 

What do you think? Would you like to see Heroes come back?



Wireless Charging Alliance sees new recruits in Samsung, HTC and LG - all three will release compatible devices in 2014

By: Anthony Garreffa | More News: Business, Financial & Legal | Posted: Apr 18, 2013 5:30 am

Power Matters Alliance have announced that they've found some new recruits in Samsung, HTC and LG to help their wireless charging group chug along. The PMA have a long list of members currently, with AT&T, Google, Blackberry, NEC, Texas Instruments and ZTE.

 

wireless_charging_alliance_sees_new_recruits_in_samsung_htc_and_lg_all_three_will_release_compatible_devices_in_2014

 

The wireless charging advocacy group are pushing for a unified charging standard, where they've developed more than 1500 charging stations in Starbucks coffee shops, airports and other locations around the world. The PMA have asked their partners to integrate PMA-certified wireless charging solutions into their products by near year, with AT&T have also pledged to bake the technology into their smartphones within the same timeframe.

 

Until then, the wireless charging group are working with their partners to "deploy PMA-certified handsets and accessories as quickly as possible".



Smartwatches could see 1 million sales before the end of the year

By: Anthony Garreffa | More News: Wearable Computing | Posted: Apr 18, 2013 4:36 am

Wearable computing is really taking off this year, first we have the launch of Google Glass later in the year, but we're also going to see smartwatches gain some serious traction in the coming months. Market research firm ABI Research are predicting that smartwatches will see an explosion of sales this year, where they expect sales of 1.2 million smartwatches in 2013. Senior analyst Joshua Flood said:

 

smartwatches_could_see_1_million_sales_before_the_end_of_the_year

 

The strong potential emergence of smartwatches can be attributed to several reasons. Contributing factors include the high penetration of smartphones in many world markets, the wide availability and low-cost of MEMS sensors, energy-efficient connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth 4.0, and a flourishing app ecosystem.

 

Will you be buying a smartwatch this year? Personally, I'm not a watch wearing type of guy, but Google Glass? Shut up and take my money.



RumorTT: Amazon acquires True Knowledge, the creator of a Siri-like voice assistant app

By: Anthony Garreffa | More News: Business, Financial & Legal | Posted: Apr 18, 2013 3:36 am

Amazon have reportedly acquired True Knowledge, a company behind a Siri-like voice assistant Evi. True Knowledge are "a British startup with a natural langage search engine developed in university labs" according to unnamed sources, reports TechCrunch.

 

rumortt_amazon_acquires_evi_the_creator_of_a_siri_like_voice_assistant_app

 

TechCrunch haven't received confirmation on this just yet, which is why we've stamped it with a RumorTT tag. But, according to TC, Amazon have paid around $26 million to acquire the app, so if this does end up being confirmed, we could see future Kindle products feature a Siri-like voice assistant.



Google Glass Explorer Edition owners prevented from loaning or selling device

By: Trace Hagan | More News: Business, Financial & Legal | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 11:32 pm

As part of the terms of sale for the Google Glass Explorer Edition, users are prevented from reselling, loaning, transferring, or giving them away. Users who break this rule could see their Glass deactivated and neither person would be entitled to a refund, support, or warranty. Ouch.

 

google_glass_explorer_edition_owners_prevented_from_loaning_or_selling_device

 

You may not resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person. If you resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person without Google's authorization, Google reserves the right to deactivate the device, and neither you nor the unauthorized person using the device will be entitled to any refund, product support, or product warranty.

 

This is somewhat understandable. This is essentially a pre-release product that Google is allowing people to have and use. However, it's not clear if Google can legally deactivate a user's hardware because he sold it. While it's true that the purchaser agreed to the terms, it seems a bit overbearing and something where the government might step in to protect consumers.

 

We still don't know when Google will be releasing a finalized version Google Glass for public purchase and consumption.



Google to acquire iProvo, a fiber-based ISP in Provo, UT

By: Trace Hagan | More News: Connectivity & Communications | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 11:06 pm

Google seems to be expanding their push to roll out Google Fiber. Just days after announcing that Austin, Texas would be Google's second Fiber city, ArsTechnica is reporting that Google is working to acquire iProvo, a fiber-based ISP owned by the city of Provo, Utah.

 

reporttt_google_to_acquire_iprovo_a_fiber_based_isp_in_provo_ut

 

In order to bring Fiber to Provo, we've signed an agreement to purchase iProvo, an existing fiber-optic network owned by the city. As a part of the acquisition, we would commit to upgrade the network to gigabit technology and finish network construction so that every home along the existing iProvo network would have the opportunity to connect to Google Fiber. Our agreement with Provo isn't approved yet-it's pending a vote by the City Council scheduled for next Tuesday, April 23. We intend to begin the network upgrades as soon as the closing conditions are satisfied and the deal is closed.

 

Provo has a lot to gain from this. Not only would the city no longer have to finance the build-out of the network, Google is offering the same free 5Mbps/1Mbps connection as they have in Kansas and Austin. Google is also offering up free Gigabit connections to 25 different local public institutions, including schools, hospitals, and libraries.



Name Your Own Price Mac Bundle 2.0 up for sale, 10% of sales go to charity

By: Trace Hagan | More News: Apps | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 10:31 pm

The Name Your Own Price Mac Bundle 2.0 is much like the Humble Bundle. People can choose what ever price they would like for the pack of apps, 10 percent of which goes to charity. Every buyer, no matter the price, gets three apps, while you have to beat the average price to get all ten.

 

name_your_own_price_mac_bundle_2_0_up_for_sale_10_of_sales_go_to_charity

 

For the cheap--err, thrifty--among us, you'll get:

 

  • Elmedia Player Pro - $20 - Flash Video Utility
  • HoudahSpot - $29 - Spotlight Addon
  • PhotoBulk - $10 - Watermark and Photo Utility

 

If you beat the average--note, it's better to do it now as the average will continually rise as more people beat it to get all ten apps--you'll get these additional apps:

 

  • DiskTools Pro - $80 - Hard Drive Utility
  • CrossOver 12 - $60 - Run Windows Software
  • Snapz Pro X - $69 - Screenshot and Video Utility
  • Paperless - $50 - Document Manager
  • Mac Blu-ray Player - $60 - Blu-Ray Player Software
  • Gemini - $10 - Duplicate File Locator
  • Musictube - $11 - YouTube Music Player

 

All told, the entire pack is worth $399. The sale ends in just over 7 days, so you should buy soon. The current average price is $8.07, though many people have exceeded that price.



Microsoft rolling out two-step verification to Microsoft accounts

By: Trace Hagan | More News: Hacking & Security | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 10:03 pm

Microsoft is pushing out a major upgrade to Microsoft account security by offering the option of two-step verification. As of late, many different online services have started to offer two-step or two-factor authentication to help keep online accounts more secure.

 

microsoft_rolling_out_two_step_verification_to_microsoft_accounts

 

Two-step verification usually takes a bit longer to allow access to an account, but it makes it much more difficult for a hacker to brute-force your password. To login after two-step verification is enabled, you'll be required to enter your password and a code that was sent to either an e-mail or cell phone on file.

 

You'll be able to enable two-step verification at Microsoft's website, though the option might not be immediately available. For more information about Microsoft's two-step implementation, check out their blog post.



Aereo CEO responds to CBS and FOX threats to move to cable

By: Trace Hagan | More News: Business, Financial & Legal | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 9:33 pm

CEO of Aereo, Chet Kanojia, has responded to the threats issued by CBS and FOX over Aereo not being shut down. CBS and FOX have threatened to move to a subscription platform, such as cable, if they are not successful in their lawsuit to stop the antenna-renting Aereo.

 

aereo_ceo_responds_to_cbs_and_fox_threats_to_move_to_cable

 

"They're independent businesses, they can choose to do what they wish to," Kanojia said. "Can you disenfranchise over 54 million people over what they can rightfully do today?"

 

Broadcast TV networks have become major players in the TV game mostly due to their wide--and free--availability. Their wide audiences have also brought in massive amounts in advertising dollars, something they'll be hard-pressed to want to give up. Kanojia believes that this will ultimately result in CBS and FOX staying free broadcast networks.



Advertisers can now target Twitter users via tweet keywords

By: Trace Hagan | More News: Internet & Websites | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 9:04 pm

Twitter has expanded its advertising options available to advertisers. According to Twitter, the company has added the ability for advertisers to target users based upon keywords used in a user's recent tweets. Twitter says that this is "an important new capability -- especially for those advertisers looking for signals of intent -- because it lets marketers reach users at the right moment, in the right context."

 

advertisers_can_now_target_twitter_users_via_tweet_keywords

 

This new feature is similar to Google's advertising offers in that they can reach users that are using certain words. Google offers the ability for advertisers to have ads shown when keywords are used in a search query.

 

An interesting application of this new option would be a local concert venue geotargeting tweeters who post about an upcoming band. Twitter notes that users shouldn't see much of a difference on their side. The only change will be the promoted tweets will be more targeted.



Google announces new security measures for Chrome

By: Trace Hagan | More News: Internet Browsers | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 8:33 pm

Google has announced plans to implement malware warnings for downloads in Google Chrome. Google is calling these newly expanded warnings "Safe Browsing malicious download warnings." Software that falls into a specific set of criteria, as defined by Chrome, will be flagged as possibly malicious.

 

google_announces_new_security_measures_for_chrome

 

To further safeguard you while browsing the web, we recently added new measures to protect you and your computer. These measures will identify software that violates Chrome's standard mechanisms for deploying extensions, flagging such binaries as malware. Within a week, you will start seeing Safe Browsing malicious download warnings when attempting to download malware identified by this criteria.

 

These specific forms of malware operate by "misusing Chrome's central management settings" or by manipulating Chrome preferences to re-enable silent installs. Of course, you should never download something from a source you don't trust, especially a binary package. A good anti-virus and malware protection plan will only get you so far.



Apple stock takes further dive, drops below $400 for first time since December 2011

By: Trace Hagan | More News: Business, Financial & Legal | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 7:31 pm

Apple's stock continues to fall as more and more reports of decreased demand roll in. Today, Apple's stock dropped by almost 6 percent, slipping to under $400 for the first time since December 2011. Apple stock has since rallied slightly and is back at $401.70 at the time of writing.

 

apple_stock_takes_further_dive_drops_below_400_for_first_time_since_december_2011

 

A major contributor to today's decrease in value is a report by DigiTimes stating that iPad mini shipments could be down by as much as 30 percent quarter-over-quarter. Another contributor is Cirrus Logic, supplier of the audio chips in Apple products, failed to meet expectations, leading many investors to believe Apple's demand is also down.

 

We'll know just how bad Apple performed when they release their financial results next week.



Google Glass unboxing video surfaces, go-karting action recorded

By: Charles Gantt | More News: Wearable Computing | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 6:30 pm

It's no doubt that Google Glass is the hottest tech topic of 2013 - it has overshadowed smartphone launches, and made headlines internet wide whenever an appearance in the public is made. This morning Redmond Pie stumbled across what appears to be the first unboxing of Google's coolest project to date.

 

 

YouTuber Dan McLauglin managed to get his hands on a Google Glass set and like any good techie, he has posted a full unboxing video for all of us to drool over. The video while low quality even at 720p, lends some insight into what we can expect when the device goes retail later this year.

 

google_glass_unboxing_video_surfaces_go_karting_action_recorded

 

Below is a video that shows Glass being used in the real world at an indoor go kart track. While the entire project is quite impressive, the video stabilization capabilities of Google Glass really impressed me the most. This has been something I have been worried about since the project's first announcement.


Continue reading 'Google Glass unboxing video surfaces, go-karting action recorded' (full post)



HTC One gets overclocked with LN2, gets boost in 3DMark score

By: Trace Hagan | More News: Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 6:09 pm

Someone is having just a bit too much fun with the new HTC One. HKEPC decided to overclock the HTC One to 1.72GHz, using liquid nitrogen to keep the CPU cool. Once overclocked, HKEPC ran some benchmarks on the device to see how much extra performance they could squeeze out of the newest HTC smartphone:

 

htc_one_gets_overclocked_with_ln2_gets_boost_in_3dmark_scorehtc_one_gets_overclocked_with_ln2_gets_boost_in_3dmark_score

 

So just what were they able to achieve with the super-cooled and overclocked device? 11585 in the 3DMark Ice Storm benchmark. Impressive:

 

htc_one_gets_overclocked_with_ln2_gets_boost_in_3dmark_score

 

For comparison, a normal HTC One receives about 10,000 marks on the same benchmark, so we see about a 10 percent improvement in score. However, it's not very practical to be walking down the street with an LN2-cooled phone. You wouldn't be able to touch the device because of its temperature.


Continue reading 'HTC One gets overclocked with LN2, gets boost in 3DMark score' (full post)



Samsung Galaxy S4 pre-orders open tomorrow at Sprint, and T-Mobile on April 24th

By: Charles Gantt | More News: Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 5:34 pm

Yesterday we saw AT&T begin taking pre-orders on Samsung's long anticipated Galaxy S4, and tomorrow Sprint will follow suit ahead of its April 27th release. T-Mobile also confirmed that it will begin taking pre-orders for the S4 on April 24th.

 

 

T-Mobile customers will be able to purchase the Galaxy S4 for an upfront cost of $149 with 24 monthly payments of $20 when tied to the company's new Simple Choice Plan, which starts at $50 a month. AT&T is offering the device for $199 with a new two year contract.

 

samsung_galaxy_s4_pre_orders_open_tomorrow_at_sprint_t_mobile_on_april_24th

 

Sprint customers can pick up the device for $249.99 with a new two year contract, but will receive a $100 credit which brings the price more in-line with T-Mobile's price range. I am still stuck deciding between Samsung's Galaxy S4 and HTC's aluminum unibody One.


Continue reading 'Samsung Galaxy S4 pre-orders open tomorrow at Sprint, and T-Mobile on April 24th' (full post)



New micro lithium-ion battery technology could shrink your phone by 30%, and recharge in minutes

By: Charles Gantt | More News: Science, Space & Robotics | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 4:39 pm

Recent research at the University of Illinois has led to a breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology. Researchers have developed a lithium-ion micro-battery that leaves all of its competition in the dust in both size and recharge rate.

 

new_micro_lithium_ion_battery_technology_could_shrink_your_phone_by_30_and_recharge_in_minutes

 

A team headed up by professor William P. King has devised a new fast-charging cathode using 3D micro-structure, which resulted in an anode of similar design. When paired up, the result is a unit that is being touted as the most powerful battery in the world.

 

The new Li-ion micro-battery bucks current trends and avoids the usual tradeoff between longevity and power and has a footprint of just a couple of millimeters. This will ultimately lead to batteries for mobile devices that are 30 percent smaller, could broadcast radio signals 30 percent farther and could recharge in minutes compared to hours.



Intel CEO alludes to upcoming massive price drop on Windows 8 devices

By: Charles Gantt | More News: Business, Financial & Legal | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 4:02 pm

During Intel's first quarter earnings call, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said that Windows 8 touch devices including laptops will see a massive price drop in the coming months when the company releases its new quad-core Bay Trail chip. He said that new innovative designs will allow future touch devices to sink into the $200 price range.

 

intel_ceo_alludes_to_upcoming_massive_price_drop_on_windows_8_devices

 

"If you look at touch-enabled Intel-based notebooks that are ultra-thin using [Bay Trail] processors. Those prices are going to be down to as low as $200... Bay Trail is going to be a great product in that segment of the market and enable stunning performance relative to what the competition can bring."

 

Being billed as the most powerful Atom processor ever, Bay Trail is a complete redesign of the Atom micro architecture and is said to bring Atom chips closer to the performance levels of mainstream Intel processors.


Continue reading 'Intel CEO alludes to upcoming massive price drop on Windows 8 devices' (full post)



HP set to release Slate 7 in the UK on May 1st for just 129 pounds

By: Charles Gantt | More News: Mobile Devices, Tablets & Phones | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 3:28 pm

After several websites released rumors that HP's Slate 7 UK launch would be delayed until June, the company has just released an official UK launch date of May 1st. This date is in line with HP's original scheduled launch date which puts all rumors of delays to rest.

 

hp_set_to_release_slate_7_in_the_uk_on_may_1st_for_just_129

 

The Slate 7 features a 1024x600 display, 1GB of RAM, and is powered by a dual-core Arm Cortex A9 processor. Running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the Slate 7 will retail for 129 pounds, but after VAT, the cost will be much closer to 200 pounds.

 

There is still no word on when the US will see a Slate 7 launch, but with other more powerful 7-inch Android tablets at a better price point already being available, does it really matter?



The Pirate Bay founder Gottfrid Svartholm indicted on hacking charges

By: Charles Gantt | More News: Hacking & Security | Posted: Apr 17, 2013 2:48 pm

Gottfrid Svartholm, one of the co-founders of everyone's favorite torrent website The Pirate Bay, has been indicted on charges of hacking along with three others. Svartholm is said to be the mastermind behind a series of cyber intrusions into Nordea Bank and the Swedish federal tax agency.

 

pirate_bay_founder_gottfrid_svartholm_indicted_on_hacking_charges

 

In a statement, prosecutor Henrik Olin had the following to say:

 

"A large amount of data from companies and agencies was taken during the hack, including a large amount of personal data, such as personal identity numbers of people with protected identities."

 

These charges come completely independent of a recent sentence of one year in prison that was passed down to Svartholm after a series of shady happenings where Cambodian authorities managed to deport him back to Sweden. These new charges carry a much longer sentence than just one year.




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